shulde be intreated For folysshe women stycke so to fastynges that they wyll rather put bothe theyr byrthe theym selfes in ieoperdye / than they shulde not fast equally togyther with other meÌ„ / hauyng conscyence there where is none / and agayne there as is conscyence hauynge none The cause of the which thyng be prechers / prechynge fastynges so rasshelye folysshelye / that they shewe neuer the truthe / vse maner profyte cause or ende of it So we shulde suffre the sycke to eate and drynke daylye what soeuer they wyll And to be shorte whan the fearsnesse of the flesshe ceaseth by and by / ceaseth all the cause of fastynge watchynge labourynge eatyng this meate or that nother is there / any other coÌ„mauÌ„dement that coÌ„pellyth or byndeth vs to faste And of the other syde we must take hede leaste by this lybertie / there grow a vnlusty slouthfulnesse of the flesshe Truth it is that our olde Adam is passyng subtyll in sekynge his owne ease and pleasure pretendynge euer this dysease or that dysease to auoyde fastynge as the ache of the heade weakenesse of body with such lyke As there be some / bablynge that it is not necessarye / that we shuld faste and absteyne wyllynge that we shulde eate this or that without any feare at all tymes / as thoughe they had ben longe / and moche exercysed in fastynge / and yet truely they neuer tasted it And no lesse we ought to auoyde sclaunders before them / whiche be not instructe and wyse ynoughe / but take it for a great synne yf we do not bothe fast and eate togyther with theym after theyr maner and custome And in dede suche men shulde be instructe and taught swetely and not dispysed cruellye / nor we shulde eate this or that for the dysdayne or hate of them / but we muste shewe a reason / why this may be well laufull ye done / so they also by a lytell lytell may be broughte vnto the same vnderstandyng But yf they be so stubbornely frowarde that they wyll here no man Than let them alone let vs do that that we knowe to be good and ryght THe latter exercyse whiche happeneth vnto vs is whaÌ„ we be hurte other by meÌ„ or by the deuyll whaÌ„ we be spoyled other of goodes or ryches whan the body is sycke / whan honour is taken from vs / and what seeuer moueth vs to impacyency wrathe and vnquyetnesse For as the worke of god ruleth in vs after his wysdome and not after our owne reason after his clennes / and not after the fyersnes of our flesshe For charyte wysdome be the workes of god / but folysshenesse and vnclennesse be oure workes from the whiche we muste absteyne / so he oughte to rule in vs after his peace and not after our yre impacyence and warre For peace also is the worke of god / but impacyency is that worke of our flesshe which must be left mortyfyed Wherfore to mortyfye suche our workes and the olde Adam / god layeth vpon our neckes many aduersyties / mouynge vs to wrathe / many passyons prouokynge vs to impacyence / and at last dethe sclauÌ„der of the worlde / sekynge no other thynge by this meanes but that yre impacyence and warre dryuen out of vs he might come to his worke that is to saye / to peace in vs. So sayeth Esaye the xxviii chapytre His worke is strauÌ„ge that he may worke his worke that is to say / he sendeth vs passyons warre and debate that he may lerne vs to haue pacyence peace He coÌ„maundeth to dye that he may quycken / vntyll a man be so exercysed so pacyfyed and so quyete / that he be nothynge moued in prosperytie nor in aduersytie whether he lyue or dye / whether he be honoured or sclaunderyd / than there worketh god onely / thanne is there no mans worke / than this shall be called the trewe sabothe day / thaÌ„ a maÌ„ is not led of hym selfe / than he foloweth not his owne wyll than is he troubled in no thynge / but god his selfe guydeth hym Than there is playnly the wyll of god peace myrthe with all other good workes and vertues GOd settyth so moche by these workes / that he commaunded not onely the saboth to be obserued and called saboth day / but that it shulde be sanctifyed or iudged holy / so shewyng that there is nothing better nothyng more precyous / than to suffre al troublous For they be the relyques the holy thynges that consecrate or holowe a man froÌ„ his owne workes / to the workes of god / as the temple is consecrate from all naturall workes to the worshyppe of god And therfore let a man knowlege theÌ„ as worshypfull relyques / ioynynge and gyuyng thankes to god yf they come For whaÌ„ they come / they so sanctifye a man that he doth the coÌ„maundent of god / and is made safe deâ—yuerde froÌ„ all his synnes so sayth Dauyd / the dethe of his sayntes is precious in the syght of the lorde And to the ende that god myghte bolden quickenvs to these thynges / he hath not onely coÌ„maunded vs the kepynge of the saboth day for it is greatly agaynst nature to dye to suffre to rest be deade from her owne workes But also he coÌ„forteth vs by manyfolde wordes in scrypture / sayenge to vs the .89 psalme I shall be present with hym in trybulacion I shal defende hym indue hym with dygnytie Also the .xxxiii. psalme full nyghe is the lorde to men broken iÌ„ the hert / he saueth the contryte in spiryte / nor he was content with this / but he hathe gyuen vs a myghty and stronge example / his onely sone Iesus our lorde / whiche all the hole sabothe daye lay voyde without al his workes / as ê‘taynyng to the manhode / fyrste of all men fulfylled his coÌ„mauÌ„dment / for no nede of hym selfe but onely for our comforte / that we in all our sufferynges / yea euyn in dethe / myght be quyete and at reste / hauynge peace lokynge vpon Chryste / reased vp agayne after his reste and sabothe daye / daye thensforth lyuyng in onely god and god in hym And so we after the mortyfyenge of oure Adam / whiche shall not be fully vntyll the honour of dethe shall be raysed vp in god / that god may worke and lyue in vs for euermore Lo these be the thre partes of man / reason pleasure and heuynesse / in the whiche all his workes go forth / which must be mortyfyed by these thre exercysyngê / the rule or gouernyng of god / our chasty synges and outwarde hurtes / that so we kepynge a sabothe day spirytuall may gyue pla / ce to the workes of god BVt suche workes sufferyngê must be done in faythe and good truste of goddes loue / A recapulacyon of all that is gone before whiche coÌ„cerneth the fyrste table of coÌ„maundementes that all workes
delyte in goodly raymeÌ„t bostynge So saynt Cecyle by the coÌ„mauÌ„dement of her father mother dyd weare clothe of golde / but vnder that she ware heare But here wyll some say / yea syr but howe than shall I mary my doughter honourably Am I not in suche a case coÌ„pelled to boste my selfe But I praye the tell me / be not these the wordes of a herte mystrustynge god trustynge more in his owne proper wysdome / than in the cure and prouysyon of god All thoughe saynt Peter teacheth vs and sayeth / caste all youre care on hym for he careth for you / yea it is a token that suche men dyd neuer gyue god thankes for theyr chyldren / neyther haue truely prayed or coÌ„mended them vnto his goodnes Or els they shulde knowe and proue how they ought to aske desyre of god / that they myght marye theyr daughters Therfore god suffereth them to theyr owne wytte care benefytes / and not to ende theyr busynesse conuenyently SO true is that that is coÌ„monly sayd / the father and mother may get heuen iÌ„ theyr owne chyldren / yf they had nothynge els to do For in the bryngyng vp of them to the worshyppe of god / they haue bothe theyr haÌ„des full as the maÌ„ sayth to do good workes For what be the hungry thyrstye naked prysoners sycke and straungers / but the soules of thy chyldren A chrysten mans house is an hospytall of the which god hath made thyne house an inne or an hospytall / makyng the to them as the mayster of the hospytall / that thou shuldest keape them / feade them / gyue them meate and drynke / with good workes and wordes that they may lerne to trust in god to byleue feare hym and to put theyr hope in hym worshypyng his name / not sweryng nor cursynge chastysynge them selfes / prayenge fastynge watchynge laborynge and to serue god and his worde / to kepe his sabothe day that they may lerne to despyse teÌ„porall thynges / to suffre pacyently aduersytie / not to feare dethe not to loue this lyfe Lo how great busynes these be Lo howe many good workes thou haste at home in thy chylde that lacketh all suche thynges / as the soule beynge hungrye thyrsty naked poore prysoned sycke O howe blessyd a thynge is matrymony O howe happye be those houses in the whiche dwell suche fathers and mothers For they be the verye true temple and electe abbay of god / yea rather a Paradyse / of the whiche is spoken .127 psalme Blessyd be he who soeuer honoureth the lorde and walketh in his wayes Thou shalte eate the labours of thy owne haÌ„des / and shalte haue prosperous increase Thy wyfe shal be fruteful as the vyne tree / wtin the walles of thy house / thyne chyldren shal stande about the table lyke the plantes of Olyue trees Lo thus shall that man be blessyd which worshyppe the lorde / the lorde shall blesse the from Syon / and thou shalte delyte beholdynge the prosperyte of Ierusalem all dayes of thy lyfe / and thou shalt se thy chylders chyldren / and the felycytie of IerusaleÌ„ Where be suche fathers mothers / where be they that aske for good workes no man commeth hyther Therfore I say god hath commaunded that thynge / from the whiche the deuyll / our flesshe bloode pulleth vs. It is not goodly in the syght of the worlde / and therfore it is not set by But one ronneth to saynt Iames / another voweth hym self to our lady And no man voweth hym selfe to the glory of god / and to rule and teache well hym selfe and his chyldren / he forsaketh theym whome he hathe taken to kepe by the commaundement af god / and laboureth to serue god other wayes / where he hathe no commaundemente / there is no bysshoppe that resysteth suche frowarde maners / no precher rebuketh these thynges / ye rather they stablysshe such thynges / inuentynge dayly mo pylgrymages canonysynge of mo sayntes sellynge of ê‘dons I praye god therfore to haue mercye on suche blyndnesse ANd agayne vpon the other syde the father and the mother do not soner deserue hell / than in theyr owne chyldren at home whaÌ„ they lacke to them not teachynge theÌ„ these thynges which be spoken of before For what doth it profyte them yf they dye with fastyng prayenge goynge pylgrymage doynge all other good workes In as moche god wyll not aske vs of suche thynges / nother at the tyme of dethe nor at the laste iudgemente but wyll aske a compte of oure chyldren coÌ„mytte to oure custodye This proueth the sayeng of chryste the .2.3 chapytre of Luke Ye women of Ierusalem wepe not for me but for your selues for your chyldren for lo the tyme shall come whan they shall saye Take hede al you that haue householdes and chyldren Happye be the baren and the wombes whiche haue not borne chyldren and the brestes whiche haue not gyuen sucke Why shulde they so complayne / but that all theyr dampnacyon coÌ„meth to them for theyr sones / whiche yf they had lacked peraduenture they shulde haue ben blessyd Trewely these wordes shulde open the iyes of the Fathers and mothers to loke spiritually vpon theyr chyldren leste the wretched chyldren shulde be deceyued by the false carnall loue of theyr father and mother whaÌ„ they be not angrye with theym bycause they obey them after the coÌ„mon nature of the people / by the whiche thynges theyr free wyll is stablysshed and waxeth stronge / and yet the coÌ„maundemente of God therfore coÌ„maundeth vs to honoure our Father our mother that that chyldren may be made lowe demure meke / theyr free wyll broken dystroyed Therfore as it is sayde in the other coÌ„maundementes that the workes must be so obserued that they procede out of the fyrst worke euyn so here / let no man thynke that the orderynge and bryngynge vp of his chyldren is suffycyent of it selfe / but yf it be done in the grace fauoure of god / so that a maÌ„ doubteth nothynge of it / but that he pleaseth god in all suche workes Therfore let these workes be nothynge els to a maÌ„ but sygnes and exercysynges of fayth to truste in God / to haue a surenesse in his grace and lyberall wyll For without this fayth noo worke other lyueth / or is good and pleasaunte to god For many of the Hethens and gentylles haue brought vp theyr chyldren well / but that dyd profyte theym nothonge bycause of theyr vabeleue THe seconde worke of this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is to honour our spirituall mother holy churche and the ecclesyastycall power coÌ„maundynge forbydgynge ordeynynge makynge cursynge or absoluynge In all these we muste obey them and as we honoure loue and feare our bodely fathers mothers euen so we must obey the spyrytuall power in all thynges whiche be not contrary to the thre fyrste coÌ„maundementes of god But in this worke the matter is farre iÌ„ worse
blynde as betelles and knowe neyther what to beleue nor to do Furthermore the ecclesyastycal power was ordayned for nothyng els / but to brynge the people by faythe to god / the whiche thynges be not in the temporall or seculer power For whether the temporall powers do these thynges or leaue them vndone after theyr owne mynde / yet my faythe goeth forthe neuerthelesse / her way workyng by it selfe / and not compelled to byleue by theyr example Wherfore the temporall power is of verye lytell force before god to hurte any mans soule of moch lesse reputacyon weyght than that for the euyll lyfe or good lyfe of it we shulde moue any sedicyon dysobedyence and debate And agayne the spirytuall ecclesyastycall power is a great good and excellent thynge of more hyghe value before god / than that the least chrysten man shulde suffre them / and not to speke to theÌ„ yf they ones swarue one heare brede from theyr offyce I wyll not say yf they go vtterly agayne theyr offyce / as we se nowe dayly THere be many abuses in this teÌ„porall or seculer power Fyrst whan they that enioye the dygnytie do folowe the counsell of flatterers / whiche is a coÌ„mon and meruaylous hurtefull dystruccyon and pestylence / and can not be auoyded to moche And in this poynte the offycers be ledde as men saye by the nose to the great hurte and euyll of the myserable people / bycause that where men be so ledde there is coÌ„menly suche gouernauÌ„ce as the Ethnyke speketh of That lyke as the spyder webbes be stronge ynoughe to holde faste flyes where as the mylne stones brast through theÌ„ and go theyr wayes Euen so the poore people be holden with lawes constytucyons and rules / the great men scapynge and at lybertie Therfore where as the lorde or prynce is not so wyse by hym selfe so bolde vertuous that he nedeth not the couÌ„sell of other / there muste nedes be excepte god shewe a peculyar myracle a chyldysshe rulynge and gouernauÌ„ce Therfore almyghty god amoÌ„ges all other plages troubles nombreth iudgeth euyll and folysshe offycers princes and rulers / with whome he thretened to punysshe the people / Esaye the .iii. chap. I shall gyue chyldren to be theyr prynces / effamynate meÌ„ shall haue power ouer theym And truely god in scrypture hathe thretened foure plages or punysshementes Esechiell the .xiii. chapy The fyrste is the pestylence moste poysoned deadely whiche Dauyd chose The seconde hungre / the thyrde swerde or batell / the fourthe euyll beastes and lyons wolues serpentes and dragons / wherby beÌ„ sygnyfyed euyll gouernours For where as suche rulers be / the countrey hath not myschefe and losse onely in theyr bodyes goodes and ryches all other thynges / but also in fame honoure lernyng vertue and in helthe of theyr soules For pestylence and hungre maketh men good and ryghtwyse But warres and yll rulers losse dystroye bothe all temporall goodes perpetuall IT is also the duetye of a synguler wyse prince not to punysshe alway with dethe thoughe he haue neuer so good and iuste a cause For it is moche more excellent vertue that he do harme or losse to his lawe / than to the goodes or bodyes of his subiectes yf it may be to the profyte of his coÌ„mons or subiectes In asmoche as the temporall lawes regarde onely temporall thynges Therfore this is a folysshe sayenge the lawe is with me in this matter / wherfore with myghte power I wyll reuenge it kepe it / ye thoughe all other shulde be wrapped in ieoperdye and myschiefe Octauian themperour We rede that the Emperoure Octauyan wolde neuer more make any warre had he neuer so ryght a cause / onelesse he were sure that he shulde warre for more profyte than hurte or at the leste with tollerable losse In so moche that he was wont to say / that warryours were lyke them that fysshed with a golden hooke / whiche whan it is loste can neuer be recompensed by takynge of fysshe For he that leadeth a waggen muste nedes go otherwyse than he that goeth a lone For he that goeth alone may kepe this way that way as he wyll / but the caryer or carter muste nowe turne this way / nowe that waye as his cart or horses may folowe hym / whome he must regarde not his owne wyll So it is necessarye that a prynce or a lorde guydynge an hooste / go forth not after his owne mynde but by the power and coÌ„modytie of his hooste / more regardynge the profyte nede and coÌ„modytie of his companye / than his owne wyll and pleasure For a prynce or a lorde coÌ„maundynge or rulynge after the mynde and luste of his owne brayne and folysshe hede / is lyke a madde caryer or carter that dryueth horse carte headelynge throughe busshes groues dyches poddelles waters hylles and dales / and neyther loketh for wayes nor brydges / suche a carter shall not loÌ„ge carye but breake his wagen all to peces And therfore it were most profytable for prynces and kyngê that they rede or els cause to be redde to theym / euen from theyr chyldhode As well the storyes of scrypture as of the gentylles / for they shuld fynde more lernynge and more examples to rule and gouerne in them / thaÌ„ in all the bokes of lawe and decrees / as we rede in the reygne of the kynge of Persie in the .vi. chapytre of Hesters For we be euer taughte more by examples and storyes than by lawes decrees constytucyons bycause that in suche examples hystoryes / sure experyence teacheth vs and here bare wordes teache vs. Prynces lordes with other noble men shulde exerise them selfes in .iii. maner of workes All prynces noble men and lordes shulde haue thre specyall workes / which they may do specyally in our countrey The fyrst that they anulle the horryble abusage of eatynge drynkyng / not onely for the vnmeasurablenesse of it / but for loue and charytie For by swete meates and sawces without the which a maÌ„ may lyue well ynoughe / no lytel losse of teÌ„porall goodes is crepte and dayly entreth into this laÌ„de In takyng awaye of the which two hurtes / the temporal power shulde haue ynoughe to do / for they be deply roted Howe shuld the prynces serue god better thaÌ„ to make theyr owne regyoÌ„s more plentuous The seconde is to take away the vnmeasurable wast of apparell and rayment in the which so moche good is wasted / and that onely for the pleasure of the worlde and the flesshe / that it is fearefull to thynke on it / that there shulde be such mysuse fouÌ„de amonges the people gyuen sworne to Chryst / baptysed and dedycate to beare his crosse with hym / and dayly preparynge our selfe to dethe If this were done vnauysed it myght the better be sufferde But nowe whan it is done so boldely so vnponysshed so vnshamefastly / and so that no
ynoughe to do in this commaundement to blysse prayse laude and worshyp god for vnto what other purpose be the tonge voyce sounde mouth made as it is in the psalme / lorde open my lyppes / and my mouth shall shewe forth thy prayse / Also my lyppes shall prayse the. What worke is there in heuen / but of this seconde coÌ„maundement as it is red in the .8.4 psalme Lorde blyssed be they that dwell in thy house for they shall prayse the for euer So Dauid in the .33 plalme his prayse is alwaye in my mouthe / and saynt Paule to the Coryntheans / the fyrste Epystle the .10 chapyter / whyther therfore ye eate or drynke or what soeuer you do do all to the prayse of god / Also to the Collossyans the .3 chapytre and all thynges what soeuer you do in worde or deade do in the name of the lorde Ihesus Chryste gyuyng thankes to god the father by hym So that yf we kepte this worke we shulde here in erthe haue the kyngdome of heuen and we shulde haue ynoughe enoughe to do as haue the blessyd in heuen FRom hence commeth the meruaylous ryght iudgement of god the other whyles the nedy and poore man whome no man regardeth / hath many and great workes with hym / and at home at his house by hym selfe be other prayseth god merelye in his prosperyte / or elles calleth vpon hym in aduersytie / and in that doynge a greatter more acceptable worke / than another that fasteth moch prayeth buyldeth churches goeth pylgrymages and weryeth hym selfe hyther and thyther with many workes And so hence it commeth to this foole that he gapeth ganeth for suche great workes so vtterly blynde that he neuer obserueth the other moste excellent worke of the poore man / so that to prayse god is but a lytell worke in his eyes in comparyson of these great ymages ymagened by his owne workes in the whiche ê‘aduenture he prayseth hym selfe more than god / or at the least taketh more pleasure in theym than in god And so by his good workes he resysteth the seconde coÌ„maundement of god and his workes The publycane and the Pharysie that be in the gospell ben a fygure of all these Where the synner calleth vpon god in his synnes and preaseth hym touchynge the two hyghe commaundementes faythe and the honoure of god but the Pharysye accustomed to neyther of thyse bosteth hym selfe in other good workes by the whiche he reioyceth not in god but in hym self trustynge more in hymselfe than in god Wherfore the one was worthelye reiecte and the other chosen of god the which thiÌ„ge maketh all to this poynt that the hygher better that the workes seme so moche lesse they stablysshe a mannes faythe And to these euery man presumeth that he maye easely do thyse workes for we se that no man semeth so moche to prayse the name and glorye of god as they whiche neuer do it So that when souer the herte is without fayth it causeth the precyousnesse of the worke to be despysed yea saynt Paule doubteth not to saye playnlye that they dyde cheyflye blaspheme the name of god whiche bosted them selfe of the lawe of god For it is but an easye thynge to name / the name of god or to paynte his honoure in paper or cloth or vpon a walle / but to prayse hym from the herte / to thanke hym in his good gyftes boldely to call vpon hym in his aduersyties Thyse trewelye be very selde and the cheyfe of all workes nexte to faythe In so moche that yf we myghte se howe fewe there be of these in Chrystendome we myghte dye for sorowe And yet in the meane tyme thyse hyghe fayre and shynynge workê inueÌ„ted by man be euer encreased whiche iÌ„ dede outwardlye be lyke vnto these true workê but within in the grouÌ„de they be without all fayth and truste and haue no goodnes in them at all So the prophete Esaye the .4.7 chapytre rebuked the people of Israell Ye that be of the house of Iacobe that be called Israell haue come out of the stocke of Iuda whiche do swere in the name of the lorde god of Israel / ye remembre hym nother in veryte nor in truthe / that is to say they dyd these thynges nother in faythe nor truste whiche is the true veryte and ryghtwysenes / but they trusted iÌ„ theyr owne selfe in theyr owne workes and in theyr owne power and yet they called vpon the name of god and praysed it outwardelye the whiche thynges do agre to many nowe a dayes WHerfore the fyrste worke of this coÌ„maundemeÌ„t is to laude god for his benefytê whiche be excedynglye many in so moche that there ought to be no ceasynge or ende of suche laude or gyuyng of thankes For who can prayse hym ynough for this naturall lyfe albeit I lette passe ouer all the temporall and euerlastynge goodnes that we maye receyue of hym Thus is man ouer whelmed and heaped with good workê by the onely begynnynge of this commaundement whiche yf he vse with true fayth he shall not be here Idle / Agayn this precept offende no men more than they that seme holy that stande in theyr owne conceyte that gladly Augustyne saythe that all other vyces be done in yll workes excepte desyre of honour and pleasure whiche is done in and of good workê wherfore yf a man haue no other thynge to do but the seconde worke of this commaundement yet he hathe busynes and laboure all his lyfe to stryue agaynste this vyce it is so subtyll obstynate importunate and stryuynge agaynste hym that wolde cast it out But now all these good workes set a parte we excercyse our selfe in other vyler workes ye rather we subuerte and forget these right workes by other workes only good by our owne iudgement And so the holye name of god is take in vayne and vnreuerently counted throughe our cursed name / pleasure and desyre of honour whiche onely is to be honoured and worshypped the which synne is more greuous in the syght of god than other maÌ„slaughter or adulterye but his poyson is not so clerelye sene as be adulterye and manslaughter / for the hyghnes of it for it is not coÌ„mytted in the grosse flesshe but in the spyryte THere be some that thynke it profytable for youthe to exhorte and moue theym to do well and lyue well by praysynge honoure and laude agayne to dyswade hym frome yll by shame and sclaunder For there be many that do good for loue of honoure and of prayse and leaue yll for feare of sclauÌ„der / or els they wolde nother do the goodnes nor leaue the yll vndone / whome I leaue to theyr owne iudgement But we do serche howe good workes shulde truely be done / to the whiche thynge who soeuer be redy they nede not to be moued other by feare of shame or desyre of honoure / but they haue and oughte to haue a more nobler mocyon