of meÌ„s inuencion and yet hauynge no conscience at all to slaundre other men Nether nede men to feare that the reprouing of such abuses doth ether subuerte religion or hyndre true obedience For whoÌ„ soeuer the holy goost enspyreth is of his owne acorde without anye maner of compulcioÌ„ readye to obeye yea euen those rulers that be sharpe and roughe Who yet neuertheles shulde nomore abuse the obedience of their inferiours then anye man shulde make his libertie a cloake or couer to his carnal liuinge Which though some do yet ought not other men therfore to be locked as Iewes in the bondage of ceremonies For the more a man is religigious and geueÌ„ vnto true godlynesse the lesse he yeldeth to the ceremonies of mens inuencion Wherin yf no man were snared till he were of parfite experience then like as the fewer shulde be disceaued Euen so doutlesse acording to the desyre of all them that be good the religion of the gospell shulde be so pleasaunt vnto euery man that they shulde be hartely wel conteÌ„t ther with without anye other And reason it is that all thinges geue place to the glorie of Christ wher with Moses reioyced that his owne honoure was defaced and mynished like as also the religions of men shulde be yf they that professe the gospell dyd lyue therafter For as they whom we now call religious are nothinhe like them of the oldtyme but drouwned in ypocrisie and worldly busynesse yea nothinge better then other temporall men saue onely in appearaunce Euen so shal the vowes of chastite pouerte and obedience be better hepte of him that obserueth the profession of holy baptyme then they be of them The rest is then that seyng the confidence in oure selues is most daungerous we nether disdayne them that be feble ner foolishly stoÌ„de in oure owne conceate for no dyuersite of lyuinge from other meÌ„ But rather folowinge the counsaill of Christ let us euen froÌ„oure hertes confesse whan we haue done oure best that we are but vnprofitable seruauntes And to the intent that we maye be obedient vnto Christ himselfe let vs be ready not onely to heare them that call vs vnto him but also to tollerate and suffre the euell Neuertheles in such forte that yf they commaunde thinges wicked and contrary to the doctryne of Christ we rather obeye god then men The first Chapter How we must watch and loke aboute vs allwaye whyle we be in this life WHo so will escape the daunger of syme and prosperously go forwarde in the waye of godlynes must allway considre that this life of man is a perpetuall warsart and must be circumspecte that the world with his delycious and flatring pleasures iugle not his mynde from watchinge or make him to carelesse as though he had already conquered his enemies Who consideringe they be so many as namely the wicked and craftie deuels aboue us the world afore and behinde us yea on the right hande and on the lefte aswell shakyng the wal of oure saules with the gonnes of aduersite as prouokyng us vnto euell with his vainepromisis Not onely whyle the slipper aÌ„d craftie serpent layeth awaythe eueÌ„ by oure awne affections and sensualite to entyce and drawe oure myndes vnto mortal and deedly pleasures But also whyle we oure selues beare a boute with us the olde earthy AdaÌ„ oure owne most perilous enemie Considerynge Isaye we haue so many deedly enemies ought we not therfore still to be weaponed aÌ„d allwaye to watche Why slepe we then so fast geuynge oure selues to ydilnesse to pleasure to reuelynge as though we shulde rather lyue in banckettyng then in warfare against such enemies Why will we rather make truce with vyce and synne theÌ„ with god whit whom the wicked can haue no peace namely they that not onely take parte with synne but vnkyndly also aÌ„d wickedly breake their appoyntment made with him Haue we not in holy baptyme professed and bounde oure selues to fight faitfully euer vnder the standart of Christ oure captaine to whom we owe more then we haue to paye Do not the badges and signes of baptyme in us testifie that we are sworne vnto him neuer to forsake him wherof the name of Christ also ought to put us in remeÌ„braunce Why are we then such rennagates that we not onely take parte against him which bestowed his owne life for us but do it also in a filthie quarel to opteyne noue other rewarde then the very death of oure soules Yf in these mad warres of men the miserable souldyours do ioperde their lyues are pricked and stered vp vnto courage thorow the greatnesse of the pray thorow the comforte of the captayne thorow the cruelnesse of the enemies thorow shame of cowardnesse or desyre of praise How much more then shulde the hope of rewarde kyndle us to haue lustie stomackes whan he that shal quyte oure payne yf we wynne the felde beholdinge us doth not onely comforte us in oure laboures and trauayles whyle we are yet fightinge but also geueth us such rewarde as excelleth all the sences aÌ„d wittes of man euen blessed immortalite and heaueÌ„ it self The hope of which rewarde shulde by reason enflame the quycke courages of gentle stomackes seynge he that hath promised can nether dye ner disceaue And consideringe he beholdeth us that seyth al thynges lyke as very shame of cowardnesse at the leest waye shulde moue us to be lustie in this battayll EueÌ„ so for asmuch as to be praysed of him is very felicite why ioperde we not oure lyues to haue this prayse Seynge now we are so circumspecte in auoyding the daungers aÌ„d death of the body why perceaue we not the death of the soule whych is much more cruell Now euen as the body is out of teÌ„pre whaÌ„ it will kepe no meate so whaÌ„ the worde of god semeth bitter vnto â—s yf oure mynde ryse against it yf oure memory kepe it not yf we thynke not vpon it net worke therafter Yf oure soule grudge or be weake and faynt to worke the dedes of mercie to suffre trouble or losse Yf the eyes of oure mynde be waxen so dymme that they se not the cleare light of the treuth Yf oure inward eares heare not the voyce of god Summa yf we lacke al oure inwarde feling and perceauyng of the knowlege of god It is an euident tokeÌ„ not onely that oure soule is acrased but also deed because god which is the life therof is awaye For felyng is a token of life and like as the body is not alyue yf he fele not the prickinge of a pynne Euen so whan we are wounded in oure soule and haue committed euell yf it greue us not then is not oure soule alyue but deed For the which cause also Christ called the Pharises paynted sepulcres namely because they bare deed soules aboute with them Wherfore considering that the bodies of good men are the temple of the holy goost and for asmuch as acording to the gospell
Christēdome And though the beginning of a thing be neuer so harde yet the waye of vertue in proces doth waxe easie shal beestes be more ready to be tamed thē we in our mindes Sal we for the healt of our bodies be ruled by the counsail of a phisician beynge a man and not master our awne affections at the commaundement of god him selfe to haue a quyete conscience al oure whole life Shal we do more so saue oure bodies from liknesse then to delyuer both body and soule from eternall death The .vi. Chapter Of the two partes of man proued by holy scripture AShame it is that in this warre men be so rude and vnexercysed that they know not the dyuersite betwene reason and affectiōs For that the philosophers call reason the same doth S. Paul sōtyme call the sprete sōtyme the inward man somtyme the lawe of the mynde That they call affection calleth he somtyme the flesh somtyme the body somtyme the outward man the law of the membres and the body of death And thus oure warre is peace life and libertie of the soule but death and bondage of the fleshe with al his lustes Now where as Plato put two soules in one man S. Paul in one mā maketh two men so coupled togheter that nether without other cā be either inheauē or hel And againe so separated that the death of the one must be the life of the other This is the olde debate betwene the two twynnes Iacob ād Esau which or euer they come to light wrastle together within their moters wombe Betwene these two brethren is neuer ioyned parfite concorde For Esau hateth Iacob who hauing Esau euer suspected darre not come within his daunger With thing shulde teach us to suspecte oure owne sensual fleshe and alwaye to eschue the counsail therof Yea mete is it and conuenient that the woman be obediēt to the husbande that Isaac be more set by then Ismael that grace increace and tirannye of the flesh mynishe For whan carnal affections ware olde then springeth vp to blessed tranquilite of an innocent mynde and sure quietnesse of the sprete Let not Ismael therfore the childe of the flesh disceaue us with his pastyme and pleasures but let oure Isaac alwaye suspecte him and flee the occasions of synne For ful wilde is the flesh so that the trouble therof is expedient to the exercyse of vertue to the custodie of humilite to nurtoure us ād to teach us whā we are tēpted first to desire helpe of god secōdly that yf we be his no tentacion can be daungerous vnto us And finally against al vain glorie agaynst so wilde and manyfolde affections to be euer stil wrastleng For by such victory we shalbe sure of the blessinge of god and opteyne grace to be at another tyme much 〈…〉 armed against oure enemie 〈…〉 halt not on both sydes but leene more to the sprete of god then to oure awue carnall affections Which yf we māfully subdue vnto the end we shal be sure after these trublous stormes to haue true quietnesse euen to se the lorde to taist and fele how swete ād pleasaunt he is and to opteyne eternal consolacion in him The .vij. Chapter Of the thre partes of man MAn after the mynde of Origen is made of thre partes The first parte is the flesh wherin the malicious serpent thorou origenal frespace hath written the lawe of synne wherby we be prouoked vnto fylthynesse and coupled vnto the deuell yf we be ouercome The secōd parte is the sprete wher in we represente the symilitude of the nature of god who after the eternall law of his owne mynde hath grauen therin the lawe of honestie wherbye we be knett vnto god and made one with him The thirde parte is the soule partaker of the sensible wittes and naturall mocions wo yf she forsakyng the flesh 〈◊〉 unto the sprete becometh 〈…〉 But yf she foolowe the corrupte affections of the flesh then ioyneth she herselfe vnto an harlot and is made one body with her that beyng an euel straunge flatryng foolishe and babling woman breaketh her promes and forsaketh the husband of her iouth Wherfore yf we enclyne vnto the sprete it maketh us not onely blessed religious obedient kynde and mercifull But also teacheth us to desire celestiall and necessary pure parfite and godly thinges to obeye God more then men and though some affections be disguised with visers of vertue yet not to be disceaued with them Yf we enclyne to the flesh it maketh us beestes despysers of God disobedient vnkynde and cruel yea ād causeth us to desire delicate pleasaunt and filthie thinges The rule of true godlynesse therfore is to leene so nighe vnto the sprete that for any good inclinacion or vertue we ascrybe nothinge to oure selues that we do nothing for our awne pleasure or advauntage that for obseruyng of outward thinges we iudge not oure selues better thē other men that we regarde more our neghbours nacessite and be readier to helpe them then to kepe mês tradicions that our loue be chaist and spiritual ād that nothing be so deare vnto us as Christ himselfe The .viii. Chapter Certaine general rules of Christen lyuinge Now to guyde and conueye us out of the blynde errours of this world vnto the pure and cleare light of spiritual liuinge we must of vertue and godlynesse make euen a crafft and occupation the rules wherof yf we do folow and manfully exercyse oure selnes therin the holy goost shal bring oure purpose for ward These preceptes shal do us much good agaynst blindnesse against the flesch and against oure awne weaknesse namely thre euel that proceading of origenal synne remayne still in us to nurtoure us and for the increace of vertue For where as blindnesse cancred with corrupte and euell bringing vp lewde company froward affectious darknesse of vices and with custome of synne dymmeth the iudgment of reason so that in the election of thinges we be disceaued and in stead of the best folowe the worst The first poynt is therfore that we haue knowlege to discerne what is to be refused or clene obbolissed and what is to be accepte Secondly where as the flesh draweth us to in ordinate affectiō we must hate that wich we knou to be euel loue that which is honeste wholsome ād good Thirdly where as infirmite ouercometh us is either with tediousnesse or with tentacion we must be of good corage and so contynue in the thinges which we haue wel begon ne that we faynt not ād that after we haue set oure hand to the ploughe we loke not bacward til we haue opteyned the crowue promised The .ix. Chapter Against the euel of ignoruance The first rule THe first rule must be that we so iudge both of Christ and of his holy scripture that we be sure how that it greatly perteyneth to oure health and that though al the world be against it yet nothing that
leysure to care for other thinges whether they be geuen us or taken awaye from us but euen to vse the worlde as yf we vsed it not After this rule yf we examen al oure studies and actes than like as hauyng a craft or occupacion we wil not laboure to defraude oure neghbours but to fynde oure housholdes and to wynne thē vnto Christ Euen so whan we fast praye or vse any such lyke we shal not do it for any carnall purpose but proceade on stil til we come vnto Christ nether goyng out of the waye ver doyng or suffring any thing that shal not mynistre vnto us some occasiō of godlinesse The .xiij. Chapter The fifth rule THe fifth rule is that we counte it parfite godlynesse alwaye to applie our selues to ascēde frō thinges visible to thinges inuisible Which yf we do not then are we no true honourers of god but playne supersticious And yet beyng straungers in this visible world what soeuer offreth it selfe to oure sensible powers we considering it ought to applie the same either to the world angelical or els to maners euen vnto god and to the inuisible porciō of oure selues And thus the thing that we perceaue bi our sensible wites shalbe vnto us an occasion of godlynesse Yea by the light of this visible Sonne we shal lerne that great is the pleasure of the inhabitauntes of heauen vpon whom the eternall light of god is euer shyninge And like wise by the darck night we shal thynke how horrible it is a soule to be destitute of the lihht of god and that yf the beautie of the body be pleasaunt the beautie of the soule is much more honest For the lesse felyng we haue in thynges transitory and of the body ād the lesse we are moued thee with the more swetnesse we fynde in thinges perteyning to the sprete ād the better are we aquainted with thinges eternal to the loue wherof we ought to arrise from thinges tēporal in cōparisō of the other euen to despyse them and more to fear the disease poyson ād death of the soule thē of the body Yee the wrathe of god more then any thonder or lichtenyng The misterie therfore in al thinges ought to loked vpō aswel whā we considre the outward creatures workes of god as in the studie of his holy scripture the sprete wherof not the baren lettre must specially be searched out the allegories handled not dreamyngly or vnfrutefully nether with subtyl disputacions after the maner of oure diuynes that are to much addicte to Aristotel but wel fauouredly after the eusāple of the olde doctours for in asmuch as it is the sprete that geueth life libertie therfore in al maner lettres in al oure actes we must haue respecte to the sprete frutes therof not to the flesh his frutes wishing rather to be priuely alowed in the sight of god thē opēly in the sight of man rather to whorsipe god in sprete verite then other wise rather to eate Christes flesh drinke his bloude spiritualli thē oneli with the mouth rather to be quickened to haue life in the sprete thē hangings Ihons gospel or an Agnus dei aboute oure neckes to reioyse in any carn all thing where the sprese is not presēt rather to be one sprete with the sprete of christ to be one bodi with his to be a quicke mēbre of his church thē without frute to saye or heare many masses rather to haue a cleane saueri minde ād to studie to walke with christ in new life thē to haue the bodi washed touched with salt anointed or sprēcled with holy water rather to ropresēt folou the vertuous blessed doctrine of sayntes yea to counterfaite christ in thē thē to reioyse in touching their relikes to honoure their bones or to be buried in a gray freres cote rather to expresse the lyuely and very ymage of Christ set forth in his owne ductryne ād liuinge thē to crepe to te crusse or ta haue at home a pece of the wod that it was made of rather to ascēde to more parfitnesse of the sprete to grou in parfite loue and charite and to offre a contrite and humble hert vnto god then to haue cōfidence in carnal thinges or supersticyous ceremonies tradicions and inuentions of men rather to do the thinge that the eyes of god requyre thē to please the eyes of men rather to procure the quyetnesse and innocencie of the mynde and to seke the nourishmēt the rof by the true hearing seynge and feling of the word of god in the soule thē by the outward senses of the body rather with inward medicynes to heale the hurtes of the foule and by the winges of loue to flie vp to the sprere then crepyng on the ground with vncleane beestes to be stil vnlerned in the misteries of Christ or to be destitute of the swete lycoure that commeth of him The .xiiij. Chapter The .vi. rule THe sixte rule is that varieng as much as is possible both from the dedes and opynions of the comen sorte of men we fette the ensample of godlynesse at none saue onely at Christ himself the onely true patron and fourme of lyuinge the onely true pathe and right hie waye For loke as are the opinions wher with oure myndes be instructed such are also oure maners and conuersacion And therfore Christen men in bringing vp their children shulde chefely care that euen frō the cradle they be Christenly persuaded ād not lerne to synge filthie or wāton songes to wayle or wrynge their handes for the losse of worldly goodes to recōpence euel for euell For towe is not readier to catche fyre then man is disposed vnto vice which chefely proceadeth of euel opinious whan in steade of a swete thing we embrace it that is sower and whan for it that might do us good we folow our oune damage ād losse Wherfore considering that the comen sorte of people and their maners now adaies be most corrupte and seyng ther is no worse authour of lyuinge thē they be for asmuch Isaie as the flocke of good men is but smal peavice more regarded then vertue No estate no opynion no name or parsone of mā shulde moue us to tread one ynthe from Christes trueth or from the lyfe of vertue Wherof non adaies mē are more ashamed then were the Neithen in tymes past Yea to be a right Christē mā is accōpted euery where a very vyle thing so vayne is the world and in so great reputacion haue thei it to be borne of noble bloud to be riche to haue their pleasures to be strōg and valeaunt to be praised of the world to be accōpted worldly wyse whā in veridede the chefest nobilite of al is to be the child of god the chefest riches is to possesse him in whō are al thinges the chefest pleasure of al is so to delite in Christ that we be moued