do alter their intents Folly was busie earnest to force me forward in the prosecuting my purpose perswading me to put my selfe on the way and saieng that such good meanings and enterprises should presently and without nay be put in execution for feare of inconueniences that might ensue and that to meane a matter without dooing it was a reproch to anie person Whereto I aunswered that I would procéede whatsoeuer followed therevppon but my thought it was necessarie to haue companie and other prouision as apparell horses and armour fit for such a voyage My sonne quoth she I will take charge vpon mée wherevnto trust cast all care from thée let nothing torment thée be of good chéere sléepe at thy ease refuse no rest for I will within few daies bringe thée all such necessaries as thou shalt néede and séeing thou hast submitted thy selfe to me I will not faile thée Béeing glad of those wordes I rerefreed the whole matter to her discreation and tooke my case Then Follie was acquainted with an armourer named Euill Will whose companie she daylye frequented This armourer was not alwaies occupied in forging armours but also oftētimes he made shirts hosen doublets medled in all matters that his friend Follye appointed him to doe To this armourer Follye declared all my purpose and he at her request made me a shirt of lasciuiousnesse a doublet of lewde desire hosen of vaine pleasures armour of ignorauncie a corselet of inconstancie vanbraces of arrogancie gauntlets of idlenesse a gorget of lycorousnesse a helmet of lightnesse a bucklar of shamelessnesse a quilt cap of vaine-glorie a girdle of intemperaunce a swoorde of rerebellion a lawnce named hope of long lyfe Then Pride prepared me a galloping horse called Temeritie All these wicked weapons with this prodigall apparell and vnhonest armour Euill Will prepared me at Follies request And what better seruice canne hée doe séeinge he is depriued of truth and veritie For as good will is the worker of all goodnesse so is euill will of wickednesse Iesus Christ who cannot faile saith in the Gospell That of the abundaunce of the heart the mouth speaketh the good man of the good treasure of his heart deliuereth out good thinges but the euill man cleane contrarie For out of a sacke can nothing come but such as is in it and out of a cofer of precious pearles we must not looke for colebrands And therefore surelye séeinge I haue Euill will to my Tailer and Folly to my gouernesse how can I do other then euill ¶ FOLLY APPARAILETH AND ARmeth the wandering Knight The fourth Chapter WHiles Folly my Gouernesse and Euill will my Armourer prepared my appapell and other prouision I forgat not to cast all care behind me as Folly commanded For when I was a childe I did eate alwayes of the best meate dranke of the delicatest drinke I slept when I listed I laye as soft as silke I past my time in pleasures trusting to my gouernesse Folly in al my affayres After I passed thrée dayes in pleasure vppon a morning beeing in my golden sléepe Dame Folly came to my beds side accompanied with euill will and with them they brought all my necessaries When they sawe mée asleepe in my soft bed at that time of the daye tossing my selfe euerie waie wantonly they sayd What pretie one are you yet in bed It is late arise Ah my sweete friende quoth I I haue followed your aduice I haue cast all care away and taken mine ease in mine Inne but I wonder how you are so soone returned What man quoth Follye knowe not you howe diligent I am in mine affaires I neuer rest till all thinges bee brought about that I once take in hand Then she put on me my shirt of lasciuiousnesse most agréeable to my wanton will and then all my delight was to be delicatelye handeled pompeouslye apparailed and soft lodged After that on went my doublet of lewde desires alwayes enimie to the good spirit then my hosen of vaine pleasures tide together with pointes of delightes When I was full of lewde desires I tooke pleasure in nothing but vanitie and as my desires were dampnable so were my pleasures daungerous Then as I was making me readie Follye commaunded the Clarke of my kitchin called ill gouernement to prepare me my breakfast of light and delicate meates in dooing whereof my Cooke was more cunnning then euer Cicero was elloquent in speaking And thus as Folly and I were merrily discoursing together spending time till breakfast I tooke occasion to aske of what age shee was and also what iestes and fine feates she had what people she had gouerned and how she ruled them Shée sayd that question was asked and aunswered long agoe But as we rid on the waye she would declare all in the meane time she sayde that she was aboue fiue thousand yeares olde Howe can that be quoth I you doe not seeme to be fortie yeare olde Yes quoth she thou must vnderstande that I was borne at the present houre that the world was made and haue euer since stoode in strength alwayes in health and neuer sicke I shall neuer séeme olde though I liue till domes daye Fooles dye but Follye neuer dyeth Hauing euer bene in force I forceablye doe reigne in euerye corner of the worlde and doe gouerne as well Princes as poore people Now to the purpose after washing in swéete waters in came my breakfast so sumptuous that Partriges were estéemed palterie for Pages Phesauntes for common folke Breakfast finished on went mine armour but being once apparailed and armed I cared not for my soules health I had no desire to heare the worde of God no feare to followe his commaundementes or to doe anye thing fitte for a Christian towardes his saluation I did what I woulde I sayde what I pleased And after that I was couered with my stéele coate of ignorauncie and my corcelet of inconstancie I presentlye became inconstaunt and variable oftentimes altering my intent not for better but for worse out of one ill into an other I neuer ceased to acquaint my selfe now with one sinne then with an other dooing nothing that seemed good or honest For such is the nature of sinne that vnlesse it bée soone subdued it will drawe vnto it an other sinne as witnesseth Saint Paule in his first Chapter of his Epistle to the Romaines Then Follye put on my vanbraces of arrogancye which made me become carelesse and presumptious taking things in hand farre passing my capacitie strength and abilitie and not fearing to aduenture that which was aboue my reach but beeing armed with arrogancye vp went my curled haire I aduaunced my selfe ignorantlye aboue others then on went my gorget of gluttonye and lycorousnesse the bréeders of all fleshlye sinnes and chieflye of lecherye For when the bellye is full with lycorous meates and drinkes it warmes and heates the other members excéedinglye which by and by wrestle and striue against the good spirite But if the bellye were
together xxj yeares I entred into the age of a young man which is the fourth wéeke of my age which is betwéene xxij and xxiiij yeares At xxv I was minded to make a voiage by my foolish industrie to séeke where in this world I might finde true felicitie and happinesse which séemed to my sottish sense an easie matter being young strong wilde hardie and couragiously disposed Me thought in my mind to liue in the world without felicitie was a lyfe worse then death But alas being plunged in the déepe darknesse of ignoraunce I considered not that true felicitie was the gifte of God from aboue and cannot be atteined without his helpe Beeing robbed of reason I thought it might come easely of my selfe without the helpe of others so that then I sought true felicitie where she is not was not nor euer shall be as in riches worldly pleasure strength honour and delights of the flesh But I was in so thinking as very a foole as he who hopeth with anglyng lines to take fishes in the Aire or with Hounds to hunt the Hare in the Occean sea Were it not thinke you a great folly so to thinke Euen the lyke is it to thinke that true felycitie is to be found héere in this wretched world And forsomuch as in perfect felicitie is comprehended all goodnesse and that this world as saith S. Iohn is addicted and giuen to all euill and subiect to hunger thirst heate colde diseases calamities pride ambition couetousnesse and voluptuousnesse it is euident that those which héere be liuing supposing héere to finde true felicitie are worse then fooles and voyd of right reason True felicitie is not without goodnesse and vertue which commeth from God aboue If it be so why then is it not a most wicked and presumptuous opinion to thinke that by a mans owne industrie he is able to possesse and enioye the faire lot of true felicitie Therefore euery one that thinketh in this world he may come to perfect felicitie and true blessednesse shall finde in fine as I found for felicitie vanitie for good euill ¶ THE VVANDRING KNIGHT DECLAreth vnto Dame Folly his Gouernesse what is his intent The second Chapter INtending to take my iourney I considered that it was necessarie to vse counsell therein knowing that whatsoeuer is done without aduise cannot haue good successe as contrariwise a matter discréetely attempted is luckely ended Then dwelt with me a damzell which ruled my house whose proper name was Folly y e only enimy to wisdome For euery thing y t hateth y e one loueth y e other Ther is as much differēce betwéen thē as is betwéene white and blacke hot and colde moyst and drye lyght and darknesse God and the Diuell all which be contraries and can not bée in one bodie together Wisedome gouernes the good Folly the euill Wisedome maketh the euill good when they yéeld themselues to be hir subiects Folly maketh the good euill when they place themselues vnder hir protection Wisedome draweth men from hell and bringeth them to heauen Folly fetcheth Angels from heauen to dwell in hell I doe not tearme that Wisedome to know the vij liberall Sciences the qualities of the Starres and Planets but I count him wise that hath the true knowledge of God For as saith Saint Cyril Wisedome is that true vnderstanding by the which the souereigne good namely God is seene knowen and loued with a chast loue and pure affection Folly is very ignoraunce and false worshipping of God Wisdome maketh fooles wise Folly maketh wise men fooles Tell me I pray you can ther be greater wisdome then to serue God with a pure faith and to obserue kéepe his holy lawe obediently And contrariwise can there be greater Folly then to commit sinne and to disobey God by transgressing his Commaundements It is not possible For whosoeuer committeth sinne hurteth himselfe and runs headlong to hell which is a point of very great folly Therfore all those that faithfully serue God and keepe his holye Commaundements are wise and gouerned by Wisedome and all those that transgresse the Commaundements of God are fooles and fettered to Follye as slaues and Uassalls When I wandered in wanton wayes I wrought my will estéeming my selfe wise but I proued a flat foole Thus fostered by Folly to whome I vnfolded my intent which was to take vpon me a voyage to finde felicitie and blessednesse I requested hir counsell who without regard whether it were profitable for me or no did not onely lyke of the matter but also forced mée forwardes and with flattering phrase commended my enterprise And to encourage me therein she began to exalt my deuice to commend my industrie and wit to praise my strength to aduance my vertue to blaze my knowledge to decipher my beautie and to extoll all my qualities saieng that I was a second Salomon to haue in my head such noble cogitations Héerevpon she promised to be my guide and vowed not to goe from mée in all my voyage affirming that she had sundrie seasons made the lyke iourney and that I should assure my selfe shortly to see the Pallaice of true felicitie My sonne quoth shée I would not haue thée thinke that anie euill or guile canne haue place in my heart Thus comforted or rather emboldened I thought my selfe most happye to haue such a gouernesse so wise so graue and so expert for verye ioye whereof my heart tickled within mée But alas wretch that I was my desire was alwayes after contrarye thinges for I reiected whatsoeuer tended to my health insomuch that to mée sowre séemed swéete blacke séemed white euill séemed good Follie séemed wisdome light séemed darknesse And follye had so sore bewitched me that I neglected to doe the good I should haue done And I was too willing to playe the part I should not haue played It is true that the wise man spake saieng There is health where many doth giue counsell and he that taketh good aduise and counsell before shall not repent him after But it is forbidden to take counsell of fooles For that they loue but what they lyke There is an olde Prouerbe Such as my Counsailour is such must needes bee my counsell It were against reason that a foole shoulde giue good counsell For this is euen as if Riuers shoulde runne against the Hill Nothing canne be compared to good counsel neither can any thing be worse then euil counsell by the which the worlde is troubled Realmes molested Princes defaced Kinges killed Empires altered Townes taken Cities sacked Lawes abolished Iustice generally corrupted diuine mysteries prophaned mingled with mischiefe and confounded the true knowledge of God is forgotten all reuerence to superiours neglected shamefastnesse sobrietie faith hope charitie and all other vertues defaced all manner of warres both forreine and ciuill attempted O griefe O plague O cruell monster Now to our purpose ¶ FOLLY AND EVILL VVILL PROVIDED the Knight apparell armour and horses The third Chapter FOrasmuch as men oftentimes
the will worketh his feats at libertie And it is called Frée will because of the iudgement of the soule therefore Frée will is in the superiour part of the soule for thereby we differ from brute beasts who haue a sense as well as we but no iudgement of Frée will Nowe when we say that vertue is a good qualitie of the soule that is to saie of Frée will For vertue qualifies Free-will disposeth and prepareth it to doe and will well neither of which cannot be done without the aide and grace of God The second part of the definition is Wherby a man liueth rightly But no man liueth rightly vnles he liue iustly no mā liueth iustly w tout vertue Ergo no man liueth rightly without vertue Who so liueth rightly liueth wel who so liueth well if he continue in so doing atchiueth true felicitie It followeth then y t by vertue we atchiue true felicitie for vertue prepares Frée will which is corrupt depraued therfore vnapt either for well willing or well doing but the grace of God reseruing it by vertue it is made capable of perfect blessednesse The third part of y e definition is And committeth none euill Wherein is comprehended the excellencie of vertue great goodnes by the which none can do il Men may abuse al y e goods al y e arts sciences in the world as indéed very often they are ill vsed as with monie wine women but by vertue they be neuer abused who vseth vertue he doth y e works of vertue Who so vseth y e deeds of vertue he doth wel if by vertue none doth ill thou oughtest rather to loose all y t is in the world then to lose vertue seeing she excels in goodnesse all things in the world The fourth part of the definition is Which thing indeed is the only work of God in man Uertue thē is a work of God in vs as witnesseth S. Austen vpon y t sentence which is spoken in the 118. Psalme I haue done iudgement iustice Iustice saith he is a great vertue of the soule comming more then he sawe for he sawe a man and he beléeued that the same man was God also which he sawe not for he said Thou art my God and my Lord. In this consisteth the merite of faith when a man at y e commandement of God beleeueth that thing which he séeth not To beleeue saith Saint Austen is to thinke vppon a thing with consent to that thought as when thou thinkest the Son of God was borne of a Uirgin had tooke mans nature vpon him consentest to y e thought it is properly called beliefe This thought may come often by séeing and often by hearing And therefore Saint Paule saith that Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God He vnderstands that by hearing Faith comes into the minde and thought if we consent therevnto For we maye beholde a Preacher without consenting to that he saith because men doe not alwaies beleeue what the Preacher speaketh for y t the consent wherin consisteth the perfection of Faith comes of the méere gift of God not from séeing nor hearing but frō the light of grace speking in the soule of the beleeuer beléeuing the principal truth which is God working in him a consent agreement w t that principal souereign trurh aboue al other things So that Faith is a foundation vnmoueable both of beleeuers and of truth by the which Faith when it is ioyned with Charitie our Lord Iesus Christ who is the onely foundation of true blessednesse dwelleth in the hearts of the beleeuers and so long as Faith is in man he shal be sure not to perish but Faith without Charitie is no foundation because such Faith is vaine and vnprofitable Faith then ioyned with Loue or Charitie belongs to good Christians and Faith without Loue belongs to euill Christians It is necessarie therfore that we note the difference in these three saiengs or speaches namely To beleeue a God to beleeue of God and to beleeue in God To beleeue of God is to beléeue that all is true which God saith so beleeue the euill Christians as well as the good vnlesse they be Heretikes To beleeue a God is to beléeue that he is the onely true and almightie God and so the Diuells doe beléeue as well as the euill Christians But to beléeue in God is to loue God and to trust in God and in beléeuing to ioyne thy selfe to God by loue and obedience incorporating thée with his mēbers that is to say his Church This Faith iustifieth and maketh righteous the sinner and this Faith being knit with Loue and with Charitie begins to doe good deedes which cannot be done without Loue. The Faith which euill Christians haue is indéede a qualytie of fréewill but it is not knit with Loue and Charitie which is the bonde of perfection and the life of Faith as Faith is the life of the soule And yet such an vnshapen Faith being naked and voide of Charitie may be termed a gift of God for that the euill man may haue some gifte of God but that cannot properly be called Vertue because that by Vertue we learne to liue rightly and for that the Diuels and euill Christians doe liue wickedly it is a signe that the faith which they haue is dead and therefore is not properly Vertue nor yet a worke of Vertue If thou wilt then haue thy Faith to be good and wholesome it must haue foure properties that is to say it must be plaine and simple it must be whole and sound it must be constant and vnmouable it must be quicke and liuely Touching the first that it must be plaine and simple that teacheth thée thus much in effect that thou must beléeue the word of God plainly simply whatsoeuer is therein contained without enquiring or searching in Gods mysticall matters by humaine reasons but simply beléeuing in thy heart that euery thing contained in the holy Bible is most true Secondly thy Faith must be whole and sound that is to say thou must not take parte with heretikes or leane to the erronious opinions of the enimies of Gods truth for this is no good or wholesome Faith And therefore for a testimonie of thy Faith be not ashamed to make open confession in the congregation of thy beliefe saieng with y e felowship communion of Saints I beleeue in the holy Trinitie as y e holy Church founded by Christ whereof he is y e head hath taught me so do I frame my faith· Thirdly it must be constant and vnmouable that is to say without doubting for any reson of mans braine that séemeth contrarie nor for any temptation promises or threatnings either of torment or of death And let not the obstinacie of such as inchaunt with the vaine pleasures of this life although they liue most ioyfully allure thee to leane to their opinion which is flat heresie For that
brideled from gluttonye those rebellious members woulde bée subdued as sayth the Comicall Poet Sine Cerere Baccho Friget Venus That is to saye From Wine and good cheere thy belly restraine And lust of the flesh small heate will containe Upon all this Folly put me on an other armour called Vaine glorie which is of such a propertie that the greater it grewe the lesse I perceiued it then on went my girdle of intemperauncie which did let loose the bridle of lecherie and all other fleshlye affections To it was tyed my swoord of rebellion so that then I rebelled against God his holie commaundements and all Magistrates and superiours But if I had brideled my boldnesse reprehending my selfe my desires and affections and had rested in reason without rebellinge then had I serued God and obeyed my betters with all duetifull reuerence Dame Folly disguised mée with the helment of wantonnesse vppon the toppe whereof was put a Pecockes tayle so that then I might not suffer anye checke for anie fault but might and did mainteine my opinion against all men giuing place to none whatsoeuer learned or in authoritie After my gauntlettes of idlenesse were once on my handes I greatlye gloried of the giftes which were in mée vauntinge my selfe to bée more riche more wise more stronge more hardye more gratious and in all respectes better then I was Manye times I boasted of mine imperfections as of Dronkennesse Lecherie and such lyke After on went my bucklar of shamelesnesse which béeing about my shoulders I blushed not to commit anye vilanye I lead the lyfe of an Infidell rather then a Christian. Unshamfullye I despised both God and man nothing regardinge mine owne honour renowne or saluation Then I mounted vppon Temeritie my horse with a Lawnce in my hande called Hope of long lyfe O deceiptfull Lawnce more rotten then a Réede Howe manye proper youthes haue trusted vnto thée hopinge to haue béene safe and assured and were deadlye deceiued This Lawnce once béeing entered in me I interteined all vices it euer hindered me from imbracing repentaunce perswading me in this manner Thou art young make merrie whiles thou maist for when thou art olde all playe and pastime will bée past then it will bee time inough for thée to repent Béeing thus gouerned by Follye I thought neither of God nor the Diuell of lyfe nor death of heauen nor hell but liued at my pleasure dooing what I delyghted in At last Folye apparailed her selfe lightlye with a Cloake of feathers and mounted vpon a Iennet and opening her feathers and winges with the winde awaye she flewe and I also at a wilde aduenture sette the spurres to my horse and awaye we went both Thus you sée that Follye is my guide Temeritie my horse Now the first that shall repent this voyage must néedes bee my selfe as you maye euidentlye iudge and gather before hande ¶ FOLLY VPON THE VVAIE SHEVVETH THE wandering Knight many of her auncient proceedings and how many great and noble personages she had gouerned The fift Chapter AFter wée were so farre passed vppon our way that we had lost the sight of my house I called to my remembraunce the promise which Dame Follye had made mée in the morninge namelye that shée woulde tell mée of her exploytes past and what people shée had gouerned And thus with flattering frase I beganne My good Mistres my louing Ladye my heart my ioye my lyfe my lust my councell my hope my souereigne good I desire thée most earnestlye if it please thée to let mée vnderstande thine auncient procéedinges and to rehearse what people thou hast gouerned how they were ruled lead conducted and counselled Mine exploites quoth Follye are innumerable Ten dayes are not inough to repeate halfe of them Neuerthelesse to accomplish thy request and to ease the tediousnesse of the waye I will tell thee of the most principallest First the worlde and I came together and because I founde no man in the worlde I ascended vp into heauen and there assaulted the excellentest Angel of all the whole companie called Lucifer who at my present arriuall enterteyned and receiued me for his gouernesse and so dyd manie mo of his coequalls By my counsell he aduaunced himselfe to be fellowe mate with God for the which presumption both he and his were thrust out of heauen and throwne headlong into hel That was the first of mine exploites Shortly after God made man and of his ribbe fationed woman these two were husband and wife with them both I had much a doe because they were full of wisedome and reason I vsed the helpe and subtiltie of a Serpent to tempt the woman béeing the weaker who with his deceiptefull wordes wonne her to eate of the apple which God forbadde to bée eaten But after shee had eaten it in the presence of her husbande because he feared her sadnesse hée did also eate to fulfill her desire and lust wherein they both committed greate follye for the which they were depriued of innocencie of GODS grace and glorie yea they were banished the place appoynted by GOD for them to dwell in and made with all their posteritie subiect to eternall death it was my second principall exployt Then began my raigne in the world where I gouerned a number of fooles I gouerned Cain the first borne both of his father and mother by my counsell he kild his good brother Abel the innocent I gouerned the greatest Gyaunts that euer were of the séede of man as the daughters of Cain and the sonnes of Seth I made them trust in their owne strength not onely touching feates of warre but I caused them also to contemne the word of God and the knowledge of the same I perswaded them to vse their lybertie and to liue according to their lusts in lecherie and all other abhomination without regard of the vprightnesse of nature honestie or the feare of God When Noe had preched fortie yeres space of y e last destruction of the world these obstinate Gyaunts being nusseled in all wickednsse of life detestably turned all his admonitions and sermons to mockerie Whereat God was wroth and sent a great floud which drowned all liuing creatures sauing Noah and his thrée sonnes Sem Cham Iapheth and their wiues Then I thought to haue lost my raigne in the world but in short space they encreased wonderfully Then I counselled them to builde an high Tower which might reach as high as heauen that in despight of God they might saue themselues if againe he meant to drowne the world But God confounded their deuice and where before all the world spake in one language he deuided them so that the Tower remained vnfinished for the builders vnderstood not each others speach Then the posterities of Noah were dispersed throughout the world and I raigned amongst them euery where counselling many Nations to forsake the knowledge of God and to worship the hoast of heauen as the Sunne the Moone the Starres the Planets the Fire the
it is written That the seate of wisedome is the soule of the iust God is Wisedome and the iust soule his seate God is in euerie place where hée dwelleth but he dwelleth not in euery place where he is This is most true though meruailous for the euill are alwaies where GOD is but yet God dwelleth not in them Wheresoeuer the wicked are they cannot hide themselues from GOD and yet they are not dwellers with GOD nor GOD a dweller with them They are where GOD is as the blinde man in the light of the Sunne The light is not in him because hée hath not the vse of it But the good are alwaies with God and God dwelleth in them as in his temple Saint Paule saith That the Temple of God is holy And therefore if you liue as he commaundes you you are his Temple and God himselfe saith I will be in them I will walke amongest them I will be their God and they shall be my people Now therefore you sée that although God be euerie where by his power yet he dwelleth no where but where he is by grace It is plaine that where vertue is there God dwelleth Tell mée what displeasure can the soule haue where God inhabiteth by grace which is the onely consolation of all reasonable creatures Is it possible y t anie man can finde in heauen or in earth such souereigne good as is in God who is the most excellentest and chiefest good and the true ioy of all reasonable creatures How can that bodie faile of anie goodnesse which hath God by his grace resting in his heart who is the onely author of all goodnesse and the giuer of all true ioye and perfect felicitie But some will saie that they sée good people in the world oftentimes suffer miserie depriued of their goods and put by the pleasures of this world which appeareth in the sadnesse of their countenaunces for they séeme to be conceiued with sorrow and as it were to labour and trauaile in heauines as a woman in child-birth I confesse it to be so but yet if you say that they are not furnished with all good true ioye and felicitie you erre greatly For the souereigne good which is God dwelleth in the iust soule euermore although foolish worldlings say in their hearts and thoughts Can it be that those miserable men which are afflicted with pouertie or imprisonment haue more possession of true felycitie then wee that wallowe in wealth and are without want of any worldly pleasures But they consider not that true ioy consisteth in the soule But be ye sure that as the soule is the most precioust part of the bodie euen so ought the goodnesse of the soule to be greater then the goodnesse of the bodie The ioye of the iust righteous is more inward then outward for all his goodnesse is in the soule as the ioye of the wanton worldling is outwardlye in the bodie The iust man suffereth outward extremities but yet inwardly he hath more ioye then the voluptuous man And though the iust man being alwaies afflicted maketh shew of sadnesse all his lyfe time yet at the houre of death their ioye and consolation appeareth with hope of eternall lyfe whereas contrariwise the worldling goeth his waye with grudging and dispaire The iust man esteemes golde and siluer to be couloured earth worldly wealth and voluptuous feeding to be famine and filth honour dignitie and delight to be smoake which the aire consumeth sodeinly to be short he maketh all the world no better then an exile and although his bodie be deteined heere for a season yet all his thoughts cares desires and meditations are conuersant among the orders of holy Angels and the happy assembly of Saintes in heauen singing Psalmes and praises incessantlye So that whatsoeuer we esteeme euill in this world God turnes it to good For he makes vs reioyce in tribulatiōs taking them for medicines to purge our corruptions and not accompting our persecutors as our enimies but rather as helpers to saluation The iust man esteemes simple fare sufficing nature better then abundance of delicates and excessiue dronkennesse or gluttonie They take more pleasure in kneeling praieng and fasting then worldlinges doe in dauncing and singing wanton songs Finally all y t they doe or suffer God turnes it to good And therfore S. Paule saith That all things turne to the good of those that loue God The eye neuer séeth the eare neuer heareth the heart of man neuer vnderstandeth the great goodnesse and the ioye that God brings into the bodie when he commeth by grace to dwell in it onely he that hath had experience once knoweth it Worldlings doe wonder to see the iust man weepe and lament to suffer tribulations to be depriued of all worldly pleasure they esteeme the goods of this world to be y e true felicitie much like vnto a blinde man taking vpon him to iudge of coulours For they compare false felicitie worldly wealth with heauenly riches and perfect happinesse whereas indéede they are but shadowes Nothing displeaseth the elect more then sinne that which leadeth to sinne nothing pleaseth the elect but God and that which leadeth to God As concerning the soule no man can denie if he hate sin and loue vertue but that he had rather loose all that is in the worlde then loose vertue and suffer all manner of torments then to commit sinne he had rather descende into hell with vertue then mount vp into heauen with sinne For where vertue is there is quietnesse Contrariwise where sinne is there can be no rest Let euerie one therefore labour to loose worldly happinesse if he meane to atchieue vertue wherein consisteth so much goodnesse But many make no account to come thether and so care not for louing vertue because indéede they know not vertue Wherefore Vnderstanding describeth her and her seauen daughters namely Faith Hope Charitie Wisedome Iustice Fortitude and Temperaunce in manner and forme following THE DESCRIPTION OF VERTVE The second Chapter VErtue according to the definition of S. Austen in his second booke of Free-will the .18 chapter Is a good quality of the soule wherby a man liueth rightly committeth none euill which thing indeed is the only work of God in men By the soule he vnderstandeth in this place the superiour part of the minde or soule wherein consisteth reason iudgement will The inferiour parte we call Sense which is common to man and beast Now this called in Latine Mens is not a part of the soule sensitiue which is the inferiour part but it is that part of the soule where reason and vnderstanding doe sit which is the superiour part By the soule then we doe meane the Fréewill of man which is nothing els as Philosophers say but the franke iudgement of the minde and will For when we say Freewill we vtter and pronounce two words namely Free and Will. It is tearmed Free because that freely and without constraint
by dooing other good déedes and yet giue God his due and single loue Nowe these things are not Charitie it selfe but the works of Charitie We say then that God ought to bée loued in doing good deedes and in kéeping his commaundements but this loue ought to be entyre without respect of profite or reward To loue GOD orderlye aboue all thinges is to referre thy selfe and all thy goods to GOD so that all which thou louest wishest doest and leauest vndone thou oughtest to loue to wishe to doe and leaue vndone for the loue of GOD and his glorie Thus referringe all to the honour and glorye of GOD thou louest GOD aboue all things orderly and accomplishest as much as in thée lyeth What is written in Deutronomie and in Saint Mathewe where it is sayde Thou shalt loue the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength For what other thinge is it to loue GOD with all thine hearte with all thy soule and with all thy strength but to referre all things to GOD and to his glorye all our thoughts all our wordes all our works all our wayes all our purposes and all our intents To loue God therfore aboue all things orderly is to referre to God and his glorie our selues and all that is within without vs which we cannot well doe if our thoughts if our wordes if our workes and our wayes be not good and acceptable vnto God To loue God preciously is to loue him so déerely and so much to esteeme of him y t for no cause thou wouldest loose him nor his loue but wish rather to loose thy goods thy lands thy lims thy life and the loue of all the world This indéede is to loue God louingly when without respect of profit we referre to God and his glorie all that we haue our hearts our hands our lips to praise and magnifie him and to set foorth the greatnesse of his diuine maiestie omnipotencie To loue God then for the loue of himselfe is to loue God because he is good And he that loueth God in this sort shall be sure neuer to miscarrie or perish Do loue thy neighbour it is required that thou doe it in God or for the loue of God Now thou must vnderstand that euerie man is thy neighbour when either thou to them or they to thée can shew mercie or relieue by succour helpe So that euerie reasonable creature is thy neighbour whersoeuer he dwell in the world Thus are the Saints in heauen thy neighbours by whose example thou art helped and taught to liue godly wherefore thou oughtest to loue them and all mankinde for the loue of God or in God Thou oughtest to loue thy neighbour because he is good or because he should be good then thou louest him indéede for the loue of God euerie man which is a sinner thou oughtest to loue not because he is a sinner but because he is a man for the loue of God Thou oughtest to loue in the sinfull man that which he hateth and to hate that which he loueth The sinfull man loues sinne filthynesse and iniquitie which thou oughtest to hate The sinfull man hateth his soule and the puritie of nature which thou oughtest to loue For sinne is against nature it defileth nature it oppresseth nature yea it quencheth nature and he that committeth sinne killeth his owne soule and corrupteth nature Thou oughtest then to loue the soule and the nature of the sinner but not his sinne And when thou giuest almes to a sinner being in néede thou oughtest not to do it because he is a sinner but because he is a man of the same nature which thou art some be thy friends and some thine enimies Thy friends thou oughtest loue in God least louing them otherwise thou shouldest offend God Thy enimies thou oughtest to loue for the loue of God as if he offend thée by word or déede and doth repent him and asketh thée forgiuenesse thou oughtest for the loue of God to forgiue him with all thy heart to receiue him into true friendshippe and familiaritie Againe if thy enimie be obstinate and wil not cease to persecute and trouble thée although thou canst not presentlye forgiue him yet thou oughtest not to hate him but rather to doe him good to be readie alwaies to pardon him and then chiefly when he shall require it Yea thou oughtest to do him what good thou canst in his néede By that which we haue spoken already it appeareth that thou oughtest to loue all men liuing both good and badde friendes and foes no worse then thy selfe Our Lorde and Sauiour had an eye to the loue of our neighbour when he said in the 7. of Mathew All things that thou wouldest thy neighbour shoulde doe vnto thee doe thou the lyke to him Whosoeuer then doth to his neighbour as he wold his neighbour shuld do to him loueth his neighbour as himself But this is to bée vnderstood according to God and reason For if one offering to pleasure thée bring thée a Wench to lye with thée or lende thée a sworde to fight and kill an other as reason shoulde instruct thée to refuse such offers so the loue according to GOD shoulde teach thée obedience and they both ought to be rule of thy lyfe and the lights to guide thée in darke places Thus farre haue wée declared in as much breuitye as we coulde howe a man ought to loue GOD and his neighbour Now intend we to shew the effects and due praises of Loue or Charitie THE EFFECTS AND PRAISES of Loue or Charitie The sixt Chapter NO tongue in the worlde canne tell for truth all the excellencye of the effectes and praises of Charitie For first of all shee makes men the children of GOD and heires of heauen accordinge to that sayeng of Saint Iohn Beholde what Loue or Charitie the Father hath shewed vnto vs to make vs the children of GOD. Saint Paule also sayth That all those which bee led by the spirite of GOD are the children of GOD. For you haue not receiued the spirite of bondage to feare anye more But you haue receiued the spirite of adoption by which wee crye Abba Father and that same spirite which is the spirite of Loue or Charitie beareth witnesse with our spirite That we be the children and heyres of God and coaheires with Christ. Canne wée desire a thing more excellent then to be the children of GOD and heyres of heauen What dignitie is that to boast off Such as haue a féelinge of the loue of GOD in their heartes haue bolde-nesse and courage inough though the worlde contemne them For this is certeine that they whome the worlde hateth are not the children of the worlde but the children of GOD as contrarywise such as the worlde loueth they indéede are the children of the worlde and consequently the children of the Diuell Secondlye Charitie worketh the cause in vs that GOD dwelleth in vs.