mindes ¶ Heere foloweth the second part of this treatise ¶ Heer shalbe declared in this second table seuen considerations contrary to these before The first shalbe the good within vs the second the good to come the third the good passed the fourth the good beneath vs the fist the good on the left side the sixt the good on the right syde the seuenth the good aboue vs. ¶ The first Chapiter of the first consideration whiche is the good within vs. WHat man is he that caÌ„ numbre the goodê and treasures that one possesseth in his owne person First who can esteem how great the bodily graces bee that is to say Helth strength beauty the quickening of the spirit and also the noble kinde of man whiche is mete to put in execution many excellent thinges as wel priuately as in publike the whiche other creatures can not doo But I pray you what great thing is it if wee haue vsed these good giftê ten twenty or thirty yeeres with quietnes and pleasures by the grace and goodnes of God And yet the Germaines haue a prouerb there is many euelles in one good houre What ought we to doo wee that haue receiued so long rest and so many good houres and will not suffer a little euel one poore houre We se then how we be couered all with the goodnes of God And how small be the euelles that we be touched or striken with at the least y â— greatest part of vs our good God not being onely content with these goodes but ioyneth to theÌ„ riches abundance of all thinges And although it bee not common to all yet it is to many and principally to those that bee not strong enough to suffer euelles and misery For as I haue said before he geueth greater strength to those whome he geueth lesse goodes that all thinges may be equall he may be knowen a righteous iudge in all thingê For great abundance of goodes and riches bringeth not so great consolation as dooth a good conscience and a ioyful hart And also hee geeueth to some plenty of children whiche is a souereign pleasure as they say To other glory powre principalitie good renoume fauour honor and other like thinges the whiche though they be geuen vs to pleasure in eyther long time or short yet they geue vs to vnderstand how we shall behaue our selues in small euelles when they come But the goodes of the spirite be muche more excellent then all these aforesaid As vnderstanding iudgement facundity knowledge prudence or wisedome Now our good God dooth moderate the equality of his administration in these goodes aswel as in the other so that hee dooth not preferre the one before the other For in steed of these goodes whiche lacketh to some he geueth more courage or more rest or greater tranquility Now in all these thinges we must consider the great liberalitie of God with thankesgeuing and comfort our infirmitie so that we doo not dismay in our selues although in this multitude of excellent goodes there is some sharpnesse mingled with it For among vs men that be volupteous there is no meat sodden rosted or otherwise what soeuer it be whiche is found good nor sauery without sauce that hath some egar taste of nature or that may season it For this is moste true that when one vseth to eat nothing but sweet thinges and dooth continew with the same it is a thing intollerable so that it is wel said of some that say all pleasure and volupteousnesse engendreth werines when it is continued Also volupruositie is finally conuerted into wearines and paine that is to weet This life is not so strong that it may beare the onely vse of goodes and pleasures without some temperature of euelles mixed therewith From thence commeth this prouerbe that the bones ought to be strong whiche should beare all their daies in welth and prosperitie And for my part I haue wel considered this prouerbe and oftentimes and I maruail of the sentence which containeth so effectuall trueth For ther is in maÌ„ certain destres whiche doo repugne the one against the other the whiche seeke but good daies and neuerthelesse when they haue that they moste desire they can lesse suffer it then if they had euel daies For what dooth God set before vs in thys point but that y e crosse to bee meruailed at namely of the enemies of the crosse So that God dooth temper and season all thinges by these afore said meanes and sanctifieth theÌ„ that they perishe not in suche maner as one salteth fleshe least that therein breede magâ—ts From wheÌ„ce commeth it then that wee doo not accept willingly this temperature seÌ„t of God For when he dooth not send it our life whiche can not beare the voluptuous pleasures of prosperitie wyll call or desire it of his owne proper accord By this meanes we see how true it is that Salomon saith of God whiche quencheth by little and little with great powre and disposeth all thingê easely For if they beholde wel these commodities they may sone know how true it is that is recited by Moises in the. 32. Chapiter of DeuteronomiuÌ„ He hath horne vs on his backe hee hath led vs about and preserued vs as the apple of his eye By these thinges we may stoppe y e mouthes of those that w t great vnthankfulnes babble say that there is more euellê in this life then goodê Beholde we haue no lack of felicitie and coÌ„ modities w t infinit nuÌ„bers of delectatioÌ„s but rather there is great lack of suche as doo wel vnderstand that the Psalmist reciteth The earth is full of y e mercy of the Lorde and agaiÌ„ the earth is ful of his praise And in the Psalm 104. The earth is ful of thy blessing Lorde thou haste geuen me reioising in thy wurkê FroÌ„ theÌ„ce commeth it y t they sing in y e Churche ordinarely The heauens and the earth O Lord be filled with thy glory And wherfore is that Because that there is many felicities for the whiche he ought to be praised but it is only for those that haue their eies set to beholde his dooinges For as we haue said of the euelles in the first part For the greater knowledge that any one hath so muche more hath he the infelicitie great And as the goodes and commodities commeth about vs on euery side and by a maner of saying doo blinde theÌ„ eies Neuerthelesse they be no greater then we doo estee me them for all thinges that God hath created bee excellent good yea notwithstanding they be not so known nor vnderstaÌ„d of all men as it is said of some In y e Psal 77. They haue nothing esteemed the Land whiche was good and pleasaunt Job geueth vs a good example of this speculation the whiche seing all his good quite from him and deffroied said If we haue receiued goodnesse at the hand of the Lorde wherefore shall wee not also suffer euelles Truly this is a wurd wurthy to
Hee is a good teacher in this where hee reciteth the good graces and benefites that hee hath receiued from his mothers wombe So is likewise the Psalmist in the. 138. Psalme Saying Lorde thou hast prooued me or among other thinges meruailing of the prouidence of God vpon him self saith â–ª Thou hast knowen my thoughtes afar of thou hast tried my hart and my raines as if he had said I see now how far of it is from mee all that euer I thought or did or all that I might obtain or posses or how little is put in execution by my proper meanes or industry but that all this hath bene disposed and ordained long time before by thy ordinaunce and prouidence O Lorde breefly thou hast foreseene all my waies or rather in thy might and powre wee doo learn these thinges by our owne experience for if wee call to remembraunce our life passed is it notenough to astunny vs that wee haue thought willed doone and said suche thinges whiche we haue little or nothing foreseene How often had wee doone things cleane contrary if we had bene left in our owne free wil So that we now beginning to vnderstand and to beholde the prouidence and care of God to bee present and fauourable toward vs by his vigilaÌ„t help and succoure that wee haue nether thought willed nor said but that he hath before ordeined As it is said in the. 7. Chapiter of Sapience We and our wurdes be all in the hand of God as Saint Paule saith the which dooth all thinges in vs. Wherefore then bee wee so without vnderstanding and haue our hartes so hardened Wherefore be we not ashamed miserable that wee bee that beeing shewed by our owne proper experience wee seeing plainly and openly how often the Lorde hath bene careful for vs and watcheful euen vnto this houre and how he hath endowed vs w t all maner of good and great benefites and yet cannot wee resign and acknowledge to him the onely care and watche ouer vs in a very little present euel But wee behaue our selues as though hee had forsaken vs or as though that wee could put it of or quit our selues of it Is it not said in the. 139. Psalme I am poore and miserable but the Lorde careth for me Vpon this S. Augustine saith He that made thee careth for thee Permit and rendre to him that made thee before thou were any thing to haue cure and charge of thee How should hee not now haue cure ouer thee forasmuche as thou art now that same that hee would haue thee But we wil be partakers of his kingdome with him wee doo attribute to him this that hee made vs and yet wil we scarcely doo that or at the least doo it very coldely and yet notwithstanding we vsurpe the custody that he hath ouer vs as if he after he had made vs would retire him self farre from vs to forsake vs and leaue vs in our owne hands But if our wisedome councelles and deliberations doo let vs or blinde our eyes that wee can not see this care of GOD ouer vs when paraduenture many thinges happen to vs according to our deliberations and purposes let vs returne to the Psalmist in y e. 138. Psalm and consider our owne selues whiche saith My bones are not hidden from thee O Lorde saith hee though I was made in a secret place that is to say Thou sawest my bones in my mothers womb when as yet I was not and when my mother knew not what was made in her and my substaunce was in the lowest partes of the earth that is to say the figure or forme of my body was not hidden to thee beeing in the profound entrailles of my mother for thou formedst them and made them What dooth he declare by these wurdes but onely proposeth this great example how our good God hath alwaies had care of vs without vs What is he that glory that he hath made any thing of that is made Who hath geuen vnderstaÌ„ding or knowledge to the mothers to geue sucke to entertaine nourishe loue and doo all dutyes offices of a mother euen then when we did not feele our life brefly wee know not these thinges and beleeue not that they were doone to vs if wee had not seene the like thinges doone to others whiche were doone to vs euen as though wee had slept or as though we had beene dead or more aptly to say as if we had not yet bene borne as touching our owne knowledge Also seeing how true this is y t without our help wee haue beene brought and directed vnto deuine coÌ„fort and great mercifulnesse and yet we dout or that worce is we dispaire that our good God hath care of vs. If parauenture there be any whiche is not instructed or moued by this experience I know no way how hee may be taught or instructed for there is not one Infant that wee doo see with our eyes but may instruct vs in this caâ—e euidently Now seeing so many examples setle before our eyes we ought to be ashamed of our foly and ignorance But if we dout that any maner of good or euell may happen to vs how little so euer it bee without the singuler prouidence of God read Saint Peter in his first Epistle the fift Chapiter Cast all oure care vpon him for he careth for vs and in theÌ„ 54. Psalme Cast thy care vpon the Lord and hee shall nurishe thee And. S. Augustine speaketh in his confessions to his soule Wherefore doost thou stay thee vpon thy self and continuest not firme and stable cast thy self vpon thy God for hee wil not withdraw his hand from thee nor suffer thee to fall And moreouer Saint Peter saith in the. 4. Chapiter of his first Epistle Those that suffer by the wil of God let them commit their soules in well dooing to the creator whiche is moste faithful O the bountifulnesse of our GOD. If any may know God in this maner in what suerty rest and ioy shall he liue Suche a one hathe GOD verely within him He is well assured and moste certaine that all that he hath or may haue be it great or small thinges or what so euer shall happen or conâ—e to him at any time that it commeth by the good wil and disposition of God The sentence of Saint Peter standeth allwaies moste true and vndouted He hath care for you May one heare wurdes more sweet and comfortable then these and therefore he saith Cast all your care vpon him but now if wee doo not what other thing doo wee but assay and prooue to stop and let the care that GOD hath of vs and to bring oure life ful of sorow heuines and care with thought turmoiling within our selues And what caÌ„ we get by thus dooing Our saluation is nothing aduaunced nor preferred but as saith Ecclesiastes It is a vanitie of vanities and affliction of spirit for that booke speaketh against suche doutfulnesse in suche wise as hee that had
¶ A treatice coÌ„teining certain meditatioÌ„s of trew perfect consolatioÌ„ declared in two tables y e first is the coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of y e eueles whiche happeÌ„ to vs y e second of the good which we receiue set forth for y e consolatioÌ„ coÌ„fort of all those y t are ladeÌ„ do labour to be eased Wrytten in the Frenche tung and translated in to Englishe by Robert Filles TO THE RIGHT â—…norable my singuler good â—…de the Lorde Roberte â—…ley Mayster of the Queenes â—…sties Horse Knight of the moste noâ—…dre of the Garter and one of the â—…nes Maiesties priuy Councel Robert Filles wisheth increace of Honoure longe to indute IN reading ouer dyuers bookes in the time of the late persecution ther came one litle treatise too my handes wrytten in the Frenche tunge wherein aboue the rest I toke moste plesure and found cheefest comfort in that miserable time and being not fully satisfied with the often readyng thereof I took in hand for to translate it into the Englishe tunge for mine own vse only thinking therby to imprint it the more liuely in my minde beig not determined to haue published it abrode vntill a certaine freend by chaunce found it among other of my bookes wylled mee and as it were vrged mee not to keep backe so excellent a tresure from the people of God At last being overcome I condescenâ—ed to set it forth in print deuising with my selfe to choose a patrone whose honorable name renoume might be an occasion somewhat to stop the mouthe of the sicophant priuy biter I could not deuise one more meeter and to whome this wurk more aptlier dooth agree nor whose estate is more liuelyer paited for the then is in this litle volume wherfore taking courage of your accustomable beneuolent kindenes towards me I haue per fourmed my deuice desiring your honour to accept my meaning and to be are with my rudenes â—…he apostle In the 15. to the Roâ—…nes declaring the cheefe conâ—…ion of a christian saith My brâ—…n What so euer thinges are â—…ten aforetime are written for learning that by pacience and â—…solatioÌ„ in y e scripture we might â—…ne hope In whiche woordes he â—…clareth that wee ought to seeke â—…r comfortes In the holy scriptuâ—…s But we must take heed for y e â—…riptures doo oft vse a double fyâ—…re or maner of speaking shewâ—…g vnto me as it were a double â—…irrour to look in of thiÌ„gê teÌ„pered 〈…〉 miÌ„gled to gether that is to say â—…f good and euell as the wise man â—…ith in the day of euel remember â—…he good and in the prosperous daiâ—…s remember aduersity The holy â—…host knowing the affection of maÌ„ 〈…〉 be without measure and to estyâ—…ate things according to his own â—…pinion assaieth with all possible meanes too withdrawe man from his vaine estimation and affeccion of erthly thingê so that the affection beeing taken away all things wilbe indifferent But suche an alteration and chanÌ„ge can not come but by the wurd oÌ„f God and of good right we ought too seek no other coÌ„solation or rule to guide vs but the scripture whiche in the daye of aduersity bringeth vs to consider the prosperitye whiche eyther is present or to come and likewise in the day of prosperity doth call vs back to coÌ„sider aduersity Also the spirit of God speaking it by the mouthe of wise Salomon geueth vs too vnderstand that the ioy of man is coÌ„passed with sorow and also sadnes sorow and displeasure be alwaies ioyned and linked together wyth some mirth plesure that hardly can man declare y e end of one or the beginning of the other in such meruelous wise is anger sorow â—…es aptly ioyned and linked w t 〈◊〉 bewtiful colour of ioy and pleâ—… and not only linked or ioined 〈◊〉 rather mingled or confouÌ„ded 〈◊〉 one into the other so that it is â—…possible to finde in this mortall â—…e any litle spark of the one but is mengled with the other the â—…ery Hethen knowe this For a â—…reeke Poet said that the pleasure â—…f this world was not the true pleâ—…re but was sorow clothed in plesures garmentê and sheweth in â—…is maner He said that when the â—…essel y t Pandora brought on earth was opened whereby all the mischeefes and humaine misery weÌ„t forth then plesure went forth also going a brode in the world he began by all meanes to draw men â—…nto him who began to folow him in suche sorte that none went any more into heauen Wherfore Jupiter thought to take pleasure froÌ„ the earth and to bring him againe into heauen and therupon sent the nine Muses for hiÌ„ whoo with their melody drew him againe into heauen causing hiÌ„ yet before to leaue his apparel behinde him on earth because into heauen entreth no corrupt deckinges Sorow in this meane time wandring abrode in the world found this apparel and thinking that yf hee clothed hym self therin he should not so be chaced and driuen from euery man not being knowen he put it on his back so euer after he hath gone about the world clothed in pleasures apparel deceiuing men continually Meaning by this y t all thinges y t men take for pleasure bring them sorowe and the pleasurê of this worlde too be none other but sorowes clothed and couered with a very small delite whereby men 〈…〉 desceaued eudeuour them 〈…〉 to seeke them and finde in y e â—…ore sorow then delite And â—…s the holy Ghoste sayth that 〈…〉 accompanied with sorow he â—…eth according to our rude vnâ—…nding The eye of our mindê â—…e soone be daseled with the beâ—…ng of some sudaine ioy yet in â—…tinent it shall perceiue that his â—…ine ioy is accompanied with â—…we euen as is the shadow foloâ—…g the body and how contrarye â—…er these thinges seeme to bee 〈…〉 neuertheles they be euer knyt â—…ether but this can not be perâ—…ued but w t a christian eye lighte â—…d by faith and whiche is excersiâ—d to contemplate this deuine sun â—…ning in the holy scriptures the â—…ly ghoste teacheth vs this coniuÌ„c 〈…〉 in a number of places in the â—…ripture but if this coniuÌ„ccion be â—…eruelous let vs not muse at it For the woorker is meruelous For if in one personne he knew how to ioine the diuinitye and humanity wherfore can he not aswel ioine in vs sorowe and ioy heuines gladnes sweetnes and bitternes Hath he not by a supernatural coupling vnited death and life hell and heauen and in generall all other thinges whiche be directly contrary after our iudgementes This is the incomprehensible deuine wisdome of God whiche maketh vnequall thinges equall in suche maner as our dull vnderstanding can neuer comprehende suche a meruelous discord according The holy Ghost is the onely scoolemaister to teache â—s this lesson in the holy scripturê The kingly Prophet Dauid declareth these thinges notably saying Alas Lord how great are the tribulations which thou hast thewed mee and beeing conuerted hast â—…ened me and also
saith Thou 〈…〉 taken mee out of the depth 〈…〉 earth Consider these words â—…e emport on the one side exâ—… dispaire and fearful trouble â—…n the other side singuler merâ—…d consolation And what shall â—…eak of King Czechias whiche â—…er hee was ouerwhelmed with â—…nesse and death looking for deâ—… vengeaunce crying out vntoo 〈…〉 and said Alas Lorde answer â—…me And sudeÌ„ly cried what shal â—…y to him or what answere shal 〈…〉 made for me It is he that hath â—…ought this euel vpon me Thê° be â—…g opressed with sorow and greef â—…nfessed that no man coulde deliâ—…r him and said I will yet haue â—…y recourse vnto God and in thus â—…ying he declareth a certain firm â—…d sure trust and hope yet sudenâ—… he saith Alas Lord answere for â—…e and againe as one being cast of discomfiited coplaineth moorningly I know wel y t none other but he caÌ„ deliuer me but what theÌ„ it is he him self y t pursueth me he hath pronouÌ„ced my death what shall I say vnto him to cause him too reuoke the sentence what shall he say vnto me He is my counterparty and my iudge Heere we may se these two passions directly contrary in one soule Now considering these two contrary operations within a man and the tormoiling between hope and dispaire whiche beÌ„ so out ragious sudaine and vnmesarable so that there is no man but it maketh him amased when he cometh to consider it as it is Saint Paule to the Romains after that he had inclosed all vnder sin and dampnation as one being rauyshed beside or aboue him self cried out saying O proÌ„found greatnes of the wisdome riches knowledge of God â—ow incoÌ„prehensible are his iudgements and his waies past finding â—ut And so concludeth that all â—hinges be of God by God and in God It appereth that S. Paul felt â—underful thinges in himself For â—udenly from the depth of Hel and â—he knowledge of sin he erecteth â—im self vp aboue the heauens and â—andreth in his spirit contemplaâ—ing the high and meruelous diuiâ—itye of God after an vnspeakable maner Now heere may we learne â—ot too be careful for our selues or to haue respect to our owne misery â—or infermitye but aske of God our good father and he wil not faile vs but with speede wil exalt vs into y e moste blessed and happye fruition of his deuinity But we cannot rightlye desire the mercy and goodnes of God except we hate oure own sinful wicked life and we can not hate our sinne and wickednes except we haue y e true knowledge feeling thereof And wee cannot know it nor feel it with out his contrary whiche is the great mercy and infinite goodnes of God But so long as our soule doth dwel and abide captiue deteined w e in this miserable body of finne as a wanderer in the desert or as a pilgrim or wayfaring man there shalbe alwaise relikes of sin remayning w tin vs. The spirituall Philistines amalechites doo warre continually against vs vntil we come to y e land of promission during whiche tyme it wil be needefull for vs to knowe our owne misery and euils alwayes aspiring too the mercy and goodnesse of God And by this meanes this contradiction aforesaid shalbe to vs both more tollerable easy to be borne whiche as we haue said ceasseth not too striue in a christian 〈…〉 And that man whiche feeâ—…t this within him self is but 〈…〉 souldioure and rather a â—…n in name then in conuerâ—… and good life O Lord God â—…uely is this contradiction aâ—…id proued and founde heare â—…g vs in this common welth of â—…and For in what quietnes â—…quillity haue we liued sence th◠〈…〉 of our moste noble Queene 〈…〉 what security haue we lulled â—…elues a sleep and looking as it 〈…〉 for Mountaines of golde for â—…ing God and his woorde or at 〈…〉 making no great account of â—…n and all sudenlye in the midâ—… of our secure life wee are striâ—… with Hunger Pestilence and â—…oord The like plagues for sin 〈…〉 often to bee seen in the scriptuâ—… For in the time of king Dauid â—…ong the Jewes common welth â—…n they had ouercome their enemies brought home y e arke of God and were become welthy riâ—che then they grew into securitye and all sudenly the Plague of God fell vpon them and there dyed in Israel seuenty thousand men and God would haue destroied all JerusaleÌ„ likewise had he not in the middest of his fury remembred mercy I pray you what hathe welth and securitye brought vs vnto heere in Englond Hath it not brought coÌ„tempt of the Ministers and woorde of God Nay hath it not brought contempt and disobedience both of the Magistrate and the lawes Where euer was there so much â–ª crying out against sinne so many exhortacions so many good bookes set forth and all for the suppression of wickednes sinne but neuer the better but rather the worse Altogether afew exceptid from the hiest to the lowest haue as it were â—ent them selues and determined â—o bring to pouertye and in to conâ—empt the Ministers of the woord of God What meanes is daily inueÌ„â—ed to catch rake from theÌ„ by im â—ropriations leasses first frutes and tenthes with many other simoâ—icall meanes to impoueryshe them and discourage other whiche would enter therintto But those that laboure and bee so diligent too dispute and reason their cace preteÌ„â—ing to bring the ministery too the same rule and estate that Christe his Apostles were wil in the ende say as the Jewes said of Christe his Apostles away with these felowes they are not wurthy to liue among vs shal these beggerly raskalles teache vs our duetye this wilbe the end of your pretence O Lorde in what reuerence had the Jewes their Ministers How were they prouided for Likewise in the primitiue Christian churche how were they adourned with reuereÌ„ce and liuinges as is yet too be seene yea the very Heathen and Infidelles had their ministers in estimation and prouided for theÌ„ and shal we now that proffes so much christianity seek by all meanes to ouer throwe and bring to nothing our ministers the Minister being contemned his preaching shalbe little estemed This is the way to ouerthrow the wurd of God and bring vs too brutalitie for where preaching ceasseth the people perishe as saith SalomoÌ„ But some wil obiect and say that riches corrupteth the Ministers and hindreth their vocation and that they become couetous and more careful then any other and that a poore estate is best for them I answere that my meaning is not to enriche any greedy or couetous Minister but wishe â—hat when any suche springeth vp â—n welthe whereby his vocation is neglected that some good ordinaunâ—is were prouided in that behalfe for to suppresse and keep backe the greedy desire of suche And my desire is that those Parishes where reasonable liuinges and stipendê were appointed by good men in time past for a Minister might be reduced and brought againe