not thy promise with hym diddest not thou there promise to fight vnder his baner and to haue perpetuall enemitye with sinne Consider what shame and rebuke commonly suffer they in the worlde which trayterousely forsake their naturall lorde capitayne And yet thou christian man fearest not to dysceaue thye capitayne Chryst neyther reteyned with him for feare seing he is God ne yet for loue when he for thy cause descended from heauen and became man whose name also thou bearest And that shuld ad monishe the of thy promyse made to him and beyng false of thy promise folowest thine ennemie from whose captyuitye this louynge Chryst once redemed the with the raunsome of his precious bludde O double traytoure why doeste thou fyght vnder the standerde of thy aduersary howe dare thou for shame kepe battell so vnkindly agaynst thy natural capitayne and louing master Christ which spared not to spend his lyfe for thy re demption For as he saithe in the gospell of Luke who fighteth not on his parte is agaynst him and he that gathereth not with him disparkeleth Alas christian man that thus fightest against Christ the title of thy battel is not onely naught but thy title also most vn graciouse Wilt thou know what rewarde they shal haue that thus forsake Christ folow the world Beholde S. Paule declareth say inge the finall reward of sinne is deathe What creature liuynge is halfe so madde to enter into battel be it neuer so beutifull and honourable in kinde perfectly suer that he shulde not escape but be slayne in the fielde and yet thou christian souldiour regardest nothing to disseuer thy selfe from Christ and cleue to thy enemies surely know inge that thou shalte haue none other reward but onely death and that of thy sowle Consider howe in this world battels which men kepe against men the soldyoures valiantly and freshly defend their capytaine fighte in his quarell Howe little they regard the losse of theyr goods and liues some for hope of lucre and temporall rewarde some for feare they fall not in danger and the handes of their enemies some because they wolde not be counted cowards and faint harted or dastardes some to haue name cōmendatiō of the world and yet what rewarde haue these miserable people for their so gret labours peynes and miserie Shuerly nothing but vain laude of their capytayne increase of pos sessions and worldly richesse And we contrary nother for shame ne for rewarde can be moued halfe so valiauntly to fyght in the quarel of Christe which not onely beholdeth vs in what maner we fight but also will plentifully rewarde vs aboue oure deseruynge And what rewarde hath he prouyded for them that manfully fyghte on his parte not vaine ne transytory but such as neyther the eye can se eare perceaue ne the capacitie of man comprehende and after this life ioye without ende And truely as he hath promised and prouidid greate and glorious rewarde for thē that stoutly stand on his side Soo to suche as forsake hym he hath also prouided like paine and punyshment Heauen is promised to them that fight in Christs qua rell and yet maruell it is to see howe our courages be abated and nothing quickened with so hyghe promyses specially when wee be sure that he that promysed vs the reward can not disceyue no more then he can not be All thinges be done in the sight of him which also seeth the inwardes of oure stomakes and hartes and yet can no shame prouoke vs to forsake our ennemyes If we boldely withstande our ennemies he shal com mend our vertue and constancye of whom it is the highest felicitye to be commended Why do we not then ieoperde our liues to obteiue this honour He is very slouthful whiche can be prouoked by no rewardes when feare and peril oftentymes causeth cowardes and dastards to be bold Furthermore in this worlde battel is the most cruell ennemie and he that moste intendeth mischiefe can do no farther displeasure then take awaye the riches and destroy the bodies of them whiche he ouer commeth But in this spirytuall battell the soule is vtterly destroyed and cast downe to hell The body is naturally ordeined to die and yet how diligent we ar to auoide the woūdes of our body howe busely seke we helpe for thē and yet nothinge regardinge the woundes of the sowle Blessed god howe greatly feare we the deathe of the bodye for that we perceaue it with oure bodely eyes but for that we perceaue not the death of our sowles we thynke plainely it can not perishe and regarde it nothing And yet the death of the soule is much more to be lamented then the deth of the body for the sowle is more precious then the body Wyll you that I declare you certaine coniec tures whereby you may perceaue the sicknes and deth of the sowle when the stomake can not wel dis gest ne contayne the meate then you wel perceue the body is sick As the material bread is foode of the body so is the worde of god foode of the sowle whiche when it waxeth bytter and vnsauery to the sowle then stedfastlye beleue the sowle is infected and if the sowle contein not ne perfectly disgeste the worde of god then is it a plaine and euident argument that the soule is syck When the knees waxeth weak and the other memberes painefull and vnquyet then you know well the bodie is diseased and doo you not perceaue the sycknes of the sowle when yt is slothfull and disdainyng towards the workes of mercie and can not beare a lytel infamy or rebuke of the world and is sore vexed with the losse of vaine substance of temperal riches when the eyes leseth their sighte the eares be destitute of their hearinge the other senses lackinge theyr due operation no man douteth but that the soule is departed from the bodie And yet when the eies of the soule be so ob scured with darknesse that they can not perceaue the perfyt light which is veritie the eares so stop ped by sensualytie that they geue none aduertence to the voice of almighty god the other parts destitute of their godlie felinge beleuest thou then that thy soule is aliue Thou seest thy neyghbour in great wreatchednes and myserye and hast no compassion on his heuines and trouble so that thou be quiet and out of busynes why doest not thou perceaue and feele his vexation truly because thy sowle is deade for that the verye life of the soule which is god is not ther for if god were in the sowle there should be charytie for god is charity and thou shouldest haue compassion pytie on thy neighbour for if thou be a lyuely and quycke membre of Iesu Christ sythe we be all one bodie in him how can it be that any part of the bodie be diseased and payned and thou not only perceaue but sorrowe it also
Farther another euident and sure token to know whether thy soule be lyuely or dead Thou hast desceiued and falsely begiled thy brother in god now hath thy sowle a deadly wounde and yet thou art nothinge sorye for it but reioysest at it as though thou haddest won great aduantage or lucre Knowe for truth that in this case thy soul is dead the body is not aliue whē it can not fele a litle pricking and thynkest thou that thy sowle is a liue when it perceueth not so gret a wounde When you here a man customably blasphemig the name of god hautely and proudely dysdayning the dedes and behauiour of other vsinge vncleane and fylthy communication misiudginge and hynderynge the name of his brother Know for troth that his soule is dead The rotten and stinkyng carion lieth buried in the bo tome of his brest fro whense such stinkinge and poysoned sauours a ryse that they infecte and poyson all the hearers Christ in the gospell calleth the pharise is painted sepulcres because they caryed in their freshe colored bodies stynking and dead soules The bodies of good and vertuous men be the temples of the holy ghoste The bodies of vicious people be the sepulcres of caryons As Dauid witnesseth in the psalm Their bo dies are great and open sepulcres for that they haue deceyued theyr bretherne and lyed wythe theyr tounges And surely there is nothing so dead as is the soule whē it fallith from Chryste Ne no carion so stincking in the noses of mē as a deade sowle is abhominable in the syghte of god Then when dedly wordes procedyth from the soule the soule must nedes be cary on and dead For Christ saieth as the harte thinketh so the mouthe speaketh And surely yf the verye life of the soule which is god wer in the soule then should the mouth speake godly and liuely wordes The disciples of Christ as it ap◅rethe in the gospell sayde vpon a time to hym lord thy wordes ben all lyuely and the words of christ were all lyuely bycause they procedid fro that sowle from the whi che the godhed neuer depart◅ If the body be sycke it is by phisicke sone restored to his olde healthe often times dead bodies by the instance and prayer of holy and vertuous men be restoryd agayne to life But if the soule be once dead nothing can reuiue it but only the louyng and mercifull goodnes of oure sauiour Iesu Chryst which helpeth not ne restoreth the sowle to lyfe if it in sinne departe from the bodie Furthermore the death of the body is shortely fynyshed but the death of the sowle is euer lastinge and when it is in maner more than deadde yet in felynge of deathe it is immortall Then sythe oure battel is thus daungerous what dulnesse what Idlenes what pokishenes of minde is this nothing to regard ne feare so many ieoperdies and feareful perils And though we be thus on euerye side with enemies greuously compassid yet is there no cause why that other the greatnes of perill the multitude of enemyes their mighty and muche strength or dysceyuable doblenes shoulde to much impalle or abashe our corage for thoughe our aduersaries be very stronge and myscheuous yet is oure louinge ayde and dyligent capytayne Christ more strōg and myghty than they all For as Saynt Paule sayth if Christ be of oure part who can preuayle agaynst vs If he assist and help vs who shall ouercome vs conceyue then a suere hope of victorye and diligently remember that thine enemies hath in tyme past bin sore beaten confoundyd spoyled and plainlie ouerthrowne of vs. But by the might of our captain christ of whom no dought if we be faith full he shalbe ouercome againe in vs inforce and laboure that thou be of the body and in vertu pow er of thy head thou shalt and may do all thigs Thou art in thy selfe very weake and feble but in thy head very myghty stronge and therfore the ende of our battel is not doubtful and vncertaine For asmuche as the victory dependeth not on fortun but is vtterly in the hand and power of god and by hi in oure power and might also He that effectually myndethe and desyreth victory shal ouercom The gentelnes and redynes of our cartaine neuer faileth make not thy selfe then vnworthy of his goodnes and fauour and thou shalt ouercome He shal fight for the and accepte his liberality for thy merite yet reason wold that thou refer the victory wholly receiuyd of hym Whiche fyrst and only pure from all synne oppressed the tyrany of sinne But this victory can not be obtayned wythoute thyne owne diligence For he that saieth trust in me I haue ouercome the worlde will that thou be coragious and nothing slouthfull and so through his help thou shalt haue victory yf thou fyght accordinge as he hathe geuen ensample And therfore betwene too extreme ieoperdyes thou muste obserue and kepe the mene course that thou to muche truste not to the mercye of god and doe nothynge ne to sone geue ouer ouercome with hardenes of battell Of the armour fyt for a christian souldiour ANd for as much as no batel can be maynteined without conuenyent armoure I thinke it necessari that we first know what kynde of armoure is most fyt for euery christian souldier Then our armoure known that it be alway in a redines and at hand least our disceytful ennemie whiche continually lyethe in a wayte take vs vnprouidyd and so ouercome vs. In this wordely battelles menne oft tymes be at rest and quietnes the batel not parfectly endid But in this spiritual battels is perpetual fyght no rest ne quietenes so longe as the sowle is in the body And therefore we must alwaie be in readenes alway wakinge in armoure For our enemies neuer resteth but when he is most quiet and fayneth truce and she with as he wold flye then is he most busy to doo most mischiefe therfore the chefe and special care must be that the sowle be neuer vnarined you see daily how deligently we arme and defende the body what tyme we haue busynes or Iorney to be done that we maye be more able to withstande all suche ennemies and troubles as maye fortune by the waye shall we nat then much more prouyde that our sowles be in saftye oure enemyes alwayes be armed and ready to destroy vs and shal we by negligence for slothe not be suere that wee peryshe nat but as concerning the armure most nedeful for euerye chrystian soldier I shall more specially speake in hys peculyar and proper place And in the mean season som what generally to talke of them there be ii kyndes of armours or weapons most requisite for euery man that shall fight with the mischeuous company or army of sine which as S. Paul saith is praier knowledge or lerning with the which he aduiseth vs alway with out intermyssyon to
scripture toke al his or namentes of battel wherwith he ouercame the vncircumsised Philistyns Thus you maye see that holy scripture ministreth to euery Christian souldiour sufficient armature and defence to withstande the myght and subtell ingines of their ennemies which armour as Esay saithe is iustyce equitie humilite charity faith and suche other Of the which Paul also speketh in diuers places of his Epistels As in the firste to the Corinthyans the. x. chapyter where he callyth this armoure not carnall but spiritual mighty and stronge in god to the dystructyon of oure enemies subduing filthy and idle cogitacions and al pride and pre sumption against the knowledge of god Pawle armyd with this armoure as it apperithe in the. x. chapiter of the epistel to the Rhomains with an high corage saide what shall deuide or seperate vs from the loue and charytie of allmightye god Ueration hunger lacke of clothes Ieoperdy persecution prison deth as who sayth naye See how greuous enemies how ferefull he vtterly dispysith And in a nother place with greate corage he saithe we shal ouercom and haue the better throughe his helpe which hath so faithfully louid vs. For I am certain and suer that neither deth ne life aungels n◅ archaungels things ▪ present ne to com heauen ne hel ne other crea ture may deuide me from the charity of god whyche is in Chryste Ihesu O howe much trust confidence how happy blessed auda citye ministred thys armoure of light to Paul whiche called him selfe the abiect and outcast of this world Suche might strength such sure hardines shal holy scriptur geue you if you cōtinually and substancially labour them and for your such labour and payn our capitain christ shal transfer you like a valiāt warriour into his glorious Citie called Iherusalem In the which is no mocion ne noise of battel but immortal peace profyt and sure tranquilitye quietnes The hedde of all wysdome is to know your selfe of the two maner of wisdoms heuenly worldly the one true the other immagined PEace is that highe and great goodnes whervnto the louers and folowars of this worlde refer all their study and labor as to the moste perfit suer and quiet ende but the peace of this world is not substancial and sure but much deceyuable The phylosophers to muche assurid of them selues promised this peace to the foloweres of their lerning which thei might in no wise perform for only christ may geue this eternal peace And to obtaine this godlye peace this is the onely waye to fight boldly with vice and to hate youre selfe carnally for betwene these capytall ennemies and our capitayne Christ is continuall enmitye and hatred For asmuch as god of his nature is very vertue and beginner of all vertue The very filt◅ nes gatheryd of all kinde of v◅ is of philosophers caled folishnes in holy scripture caled malis or frowardenes Contrary parfyte discresion and sobernes is both of philosophers and in holy scriptur called wisdom But hath not this folish frowardnes ouercome wisdome and sobernes The capitain and father of mischefe and frowardnes is the prynce of eternall darkenes And who so folowethe him hastethe to eternall dampnation Contrary the beginner and fountaine of wisdome is Chryste which is the very light expelling all darkenes of worldly wisdom the beauty of his fathers glorye The which as he hath made hym selfe oure redempcion and iustification so as Paule witnesseth he is made oure very wisdome Wee preache to you saith Paul Christ whiche for oure redemption was fied whom the Iues had in derisyō the gentiles reputed as a fole But to vs whom of his goodnes he hath called to his fauour He is the very might and power of god the eternal wisdom of god by whō we shal easely ouercom the malice of our ennemies Folow you this godly and eternall wisdome and lytle regard the wisdome and policie of this world Whiche to folyshe earthely people so vaynelie and deceitfully bostethe her selfe when as Saint Pawl saith ther is no more folyshenes in the sight of god then this worldelie wysedome vtterly to be forsaken of thē which intendith truly to be wise and in a nother place he saith it is written I shall dystroie the wisdome of this worldly people and reiectc the prudencie of these carnall prudents wher shall then be these wise men these men of aucto ryte and busy labourers for profit of this worlde hathe not god distroyed the wysdom of this world plainly declared it to be very folyshenes I doute not but of these folyshe wise men and blind leders of blinde men many shall rebuke you for that you fall from theyr condicions and worldlye appetytes and folowe Chryst. But they that thus rebuke you be in name only christian men in maners and condicions the very destroyers of Christes religion But take hede be not deceiued by their false glosinges whose miserable blindnes is to be wayled rather then folowed For what extreme folishnes or madnes is this in thinges very transitory and of no value to be counted craftye and wyse And in suche thinges wherein consysteth onely our wealth and helthe to be more folishe then bruite beastes Paule desire the that we maye be wise in suche thynges as be good and profitable And folishe in such as be hurtfull and vnprofitable Many be wise he saythe to do vngraciously but they cānot do wel And Hesiodus that pleasant poet iudgeth al such persons very vyle and nothynge profytable whiche neyther be wise ne wil obey to suche as geue theim sober and wyse counsaile But what shal we then say to them whiche when they be to shamefully folishe alway continuynge in myschiefe and euyll mocke and delude suche as haue risen from the darke blindenes euil behauiour of this world and amend their life Dauid saith the skorneful parsons shalbe skorned he that dwelleth in heauen shall delude them and god shall laughe at them It is red also in the boke of sapience The company of heauen shal beholde and despise them And god shall mocke them It is much commendable to be discommended of fooles and theim that be malicious and enuyous And muche horryble to be mocked of god This beastely and deuely she wisdome saith saincte Iames is vtterly hated of god whose ende is nothinge but deathe For this worldly wisdom as a handmaide foloweth pestilent pride and arro gancy after arrogancy foloweth blindenes of reason when reason is blindid then ruleth carnall delectacion and worldely concupyscence Then foloweth the company of synne and redynes to synne This propencenes to sinne folow ethe custome in Sinne and after commeth dulnesse of mynde in the sowle So that the sowle perceiueth not howe great daunger and peril she is in and when the soule is thus astonied and destitute of al godly felinge Then sodainly preuenteth death of the body and cōsequently deathe of
beames vpon the earth think by and by what plesure haue they in heauen to whome the eternall sonne is euer shinynge euer rising and neuer goith downe What ioy and felicitie hath that pure soule whom the godly light doth thus illumine And thus admonyshed by this visible creature pray god with Paule that he that caused lyghte to shine out of darkenes so illumine your soule that you may haue the clere knowledge of god in the face of Ihesu Christ. If you thinke the nighte darke and painfull remember the sowles destytute of the godly light and obfuscate with darkenesse of vice And if you perceaue anye condicion of night in your soule pray god that the sonne of iustyce maye springe in your harte and plainly coniec ture that these visible thinges be but shadowes and slender images of thinges inuisible The corporal eye delyghtethe in good shape and bewtye of the bodye Remember how goodly a thinge is the beutie of thy soule Deformitie is odious and displesaunte to the eye consyder howe odious is thy sowle defyled with sinne And this vse of all other corporall matters For the sowle hath a certain proper peculier bewtie and deformitie by the which it pleasythe or displeasyth god or the deuyll And hathe also a certayn youth age sicknes healthe deathe life pouertye ryches pleasure sorowe peace battell colde heate thyrste drynke hunger meate and brefelye all thinges that be perceaued by the senses in the body may well be vn derstande and immagyned in the sowle Therefore in these thinges specially consisteth the 〈◊〉 to the spyritual perfitelife that we soberly and easely wihtdrawe oure mindes from these fraile and sensible thinges and vtterlye set them vpon suche thinges as be eternall incommutable puer and not deceuable And this Socrates not onely in language but al so in his lyuinge a verye philosopher wel considâ—…d when he said that then the soul happely departâ—…th from the body if it dewly before hathe remembryd death and by dispysing of corporall thinges loue of thinges that be spirituall and perfyte immagynation of the same hath acustomed in maner to be absent from the body And suerlye this is the verâ—… crosse to the which Christ callyth vs when he saithe he that takythe not vppon him his crosse in this worlde and folowe me shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen And this is the selfe same death by the whych sayncte Paule willeth vs to dye withe oure capitaine Christ. And when he sayde regarde not these earthlye thinges ne seke you for theÌ„ but seke you for thinges that be aboue and be you wise in them He mente only that to these corporall thinges we should be in maner insensyble astonyed that the lesse pleasure we had outwardlye in corporal and worldly matters the more pleasure inwardlye we should haue in spirituall and heauenly matters And the more kno ledge we had of thinges which be eternall the lesse we should be mo ued with such thinges as be vayn and transitory Then let this rule be euer at hand that you continue not in loue of thinges whiche be but frayle and caduke but diligeÌ„t ly ascend to the loue of theÌ„ whiche be eternall and in comparyson of themdispise these thinges visible The bodely disease shalbe more ea sye and tollerable if you consider it is a medecine for the soule And you shal lesse regard the health of your body If you set al your mind and diligence in sauegarde of the sowle You abhore and dedly hate venyme that you see because that you know well that it destroyeth the body much more then is that poison to be hated which infectith the sowle Ciente is a venome and poyson perelous to the bodye but pleasure and fond pastime is more pestilent poison to the soule The naturall thonder and lyghtning of the Elementes fearithe and abashith the hart of man but much more that terrible thonder of the mouth of christ our sauiour ought to be fearyd Go you cursed people in to the eternall fier of hell And such like comparisons man ought diligently to remember in all thin ges sensyble whiche after the dyuersite of ther kind diuersly moue the mind and hart of man Some wyth hope some wyth feare some with loue some with hatred some with heuines some contrari with gladnesse And this man must also obserue in all his actes operaci ons which consisteth of the intent inwarde mynd as of the spirite sowle of the outward doinge as of the body or fleshe So that he pryncipally regard the mynde and intencyon for the outwarde acte be it neuer so bewetyfull in syght lytle or nothing auaileth if the intent be not puer and cleane And that witnesseth our sauyour in the gospell of Iohn saying the fleshe nothing profiteth the spirit only quicknith and edyfieth And therfore man ought not to reioyse or put hys affiaunce and truste in thinges sensyble or cerymoniall whych Paule callyth the fleshe out warde huske or shale specially when perfyt deuocion and trewe christianity dothe not consyste in them â–ª ne they be sufficient for the saluation of man I do not con dempne these corporall ceremonies and outwarde operacyons â–ª which be a meane and helpe to deuocion So they be laufully vsed But I aduertise and monysh you that in them consistyth not the verye perfection of a trew chrystian man nor the vsage of theÌ„ makyth a man truly religious deuoute And therfore thapostel Paule reuokyng the Colocenses from the confidens of these ceremonies and outward actes And prescrybing vnto them the true rules and preceptes of the spirituall life saithe For as muche as you haue rysen wyth Chryste seke those thinges whych be inuisible and heauenly and desire vnderstanding of them not of earthly thinges that is to saye visible and temporall which aperith beutiful in mannes sight Mortefy and subdewe the carnal and earthly affections whiche be as aperyth in Paule to the Galathians fornicacion vnclennes riote aueryce enuy anger grudge debate contencion deuision pride slouthe ipocrisye man slaughter drunckennes ingurgitacion dissimulacion flatery and such other And aboue al thinges be charitable one to the other And as our sa uiour Ihesu christ was not borne for him self lyued not to hym self dyed not for hym selfe but in all acts and thinges applyed hym to our helthes and coÌ„modities So eche deligently intend and mynde the profyt of other nothynge regarding his owne priuate profit ¶ The syxte Rule that we oughte onely to followe the doctryne of Christ and not to cleue to the more number ANd for as muche as in this my hasty writyng vnto you one thynge bryngeth an other to remembraunce I shal annexe the vi Rule much agreable with the other aboue saide as muche neces sary to the health and saluacion of euery man as lyttell regarded of fewe that is that the mynd
of the first heauenly And this I speak welbelouyd for that neither the fleshe ne the bloud shal possesse the kingedome of heauen neither thinges corruptible or incorruption Here you maye euydently se that what Paule in one place called the exteriourman and the fleshe whiche is corruptyble In another place he calleth it the earthely Adam And suerlye this is the same flesh the same body of death where with he was troubled when he sayde O vnhappye creature who shall delyuer me from the body of this death And of the fruites bothe of the spiryte and of the fleshe whiche be muche diuers he writeth saieng He that soweth in the flesshe shall gather corruption of the flesshe And he that soweth of the spiryte shall of the spirite gather euerlasting life O happy and fortunate manne in whom this earthelie Adam is so mortified and subdewed that it in no wise resysteth the spirite But whether this perfecte quietenesse and tranquilitie maye fortune to any man in this worlde I wil not affyrme Peraduenture it is not necessary to be For Paule in this lyfe not withstandinge his hyghe perfection and grace had a mocion of the fleshe to vexe and dystrou ble him And when he thryse desired god to be delyuered from the sayde mocion He onely had this aunswere Paule my grace is suf ficient for vertue is made perfite by vexation Paul was vexed by pryde that he shuld not be proud To be perfit and strong in god he was caused to be weake and feeble For he caryed the treasure of heuenly reuelation in a frayle and bryckell vessell that the honoure and victory shulde onely be in the power and mighte of God not in him selfe This one exaumple of Paule is erudition and learninge to vs in many things First when we be moued and tised to syn that we diligently cal to almighty god by prayer Furthermore that to trewe christian men temptations be not only profitable but also necessary for the preseruation of ver tue Finally that when all the other motions be subdued then the mocions of pryde and vayneglorye are most to be feared which in the myddes of vertue priuelye awayteth vs. After that man hath mortifyed the flesshe and subdued the concupicence of the same TheÌ„ shal he se god and tast god that he is swete God is not seene in the fierce and boisteous winde of temtacion but after man hath resisted and valiantlye oppressyd the suggestions of his ennemies Then foloweth a delectable smale blaste of ghostly comforte and consolacion Which when you shal perceue then quikly awayt with your inwarde eyes and you shall se god well knowe that he hathe made safe for you ¶ Of the thre partes in man the spiryte the sowle and the fleshe These myght be thought more then sufficient but that you maye the more playnlye knowe what man is I shall brieflye declare vnto you what deuision Oxygen maketh of man And to be shorte he maketh three partes in man The body or the fleshe as the lowest parte of man in the which by the offence of the firste parente Adam the cruell and subtyll serpente the deuyll sowed the lawe of synne into the sowle of man By the which he is prouokid to sinne ouercome by the deuill and bonde in sinne The spirite by the which man dothe expresse the very similitude of the nature of god In the which also the highe creatour and maker of al thinges out of the inwarde secretes of his minde with his own finger that is to say his spirite dyd write the eternal law of vertue honestie By this portion also Man is adioyned and made one with god After these he putteth the thyrde parte as a middle or a meane betwene the. ii other which is a receiuour of the naturall meuinges or felynges This parte as in a factious or sedicious cytie is moued and intysed of both partes and is at libertie to whether it wyll encline If it forsake the fleshe and folow the spirite then shall it be spirituall But if it followe the desires and â—…upidities of the fleshe it shalbe al so fleshely And that ment sayncte Paule when he sayd Know you for trouthe that he that cleaueth to an harlotte is made oone body with her and he that cleaueth to god is made one spirite with him This harlot is the slipper and vn stedfast parte of man which is the fleshe Of whom it is spoken of in the seconde booke of Prouerbes withdrawe the from the strange woman whiche maketh her wordes softe and forsaketh the capytayne of her youthe and hath forgotten the couenaunte shee made with god Her house is al deadly her pathes bryngeth to hel They that folowe her shall not obteyne the pathe of lyfe And he that forsaketh her shalbe saued Then the spirite maketh manne godlye the fleshe maketh beastely The soule maketh man liuynge the spirite good and vertuouse the flesshe euyll and vngracious the soule ma keth neither good ne euyl the spirite seketh heauenly thynges the fleshe swete and pleasaunte The soule necessary the spirite lyfteth to heauen the fleshe depresseth to hel The soule of the spirit or flesh taketh merite or demerite what so euer is fleshely is vicious that which is spiritual is parfite that which is of the soule is mean and indifferent will you that I more playnly discriue to youe the difference betwixte these partes You honoure and feare your parentes you loue youre chyldren and frendes it is not so muche ver tuous to do these thinges as it is sinne not to doe them For whye should not you beynge a christian man do those thinges which infidels and beastes doo onely by instinct of nature That which man dothe of nature is not worthie rewarde But it so chauncith that other you must not regard the reue rence towardes youre parentes neglecte dispyse the loue of your children or els displease god In this case what is to be done the sowle is in dought the flesshe mouithe in the one side the spirite in the other The spirite perswadeth that god is better then thy father and more to be regardid the fleshe contrary maketh suggestion You owe your parentes your naturall being And in case you obey them not you shalbe disheritid and com moÌ„ly called vnnatural vnkind lose not your goodes disteyne not your name as for god other he seethe not or he wil not see and at the leaste he wyll sone be pleased Nowe the soule is in doubte and standethe amasyd if it inclyne to the flesshe dispise the spirite it is one bodye with it And if it folow the spyryte it is transmutyd in to the spirite It is great erroure to exteme that absolute vertu which is of nature Some of nature are little moued or intised to the pleasures of the bodye Let them not iudge theÌ„ selues verteous for that which is indifferent For the laud of