AN EXORTACION TO CHARITE very needefull at this tyme for eche man and woman to inbrace Compyled by Wyllyam Conway The contentes CAstificantes animas vestras in obediencia charitatis infraternitatis amore simplici ex corde inuicem diligite attencius renati non exsemine corruptibili sed incorruptibili per verbum dei viui et per manentis ineternum Petri. Episto i. Capi. i. CHastyce your soules in the obedience of loue euen in brotherly loue with out faynyng ernestly loue ye one an other euen frome the harte beynge regenerate not of corruptyble sede but incorruptyble And by the lyuely worde of God euerlastyng Petri. Epis i. Chap. i. The contentes of this treatys IN this lytel volume is conteyned a mirror for some menne to beholde wherein when they haue loked I wold that they shulde vse one condycyon that I espye some Maistresses of Lendon with other Bentylwomē vse And that is when they loke in theyr glasse they haue a wete spong redy that so sone as euer they espye a blot or spotte vpon theyr face by and by with the same they make it fayre and cleane So lykewyse in good fayth I wold that the readers heareof as soone as euer they espie theyr fautes in this myrror or glasse by and by wolde I that they shulde amend and clense away the same blot or els were it as good that they loked not in this atal But this treatyse moste chefely in deede tendeth to charitie it entyceth and prouoketh euery man to charitie in whiche is conteyned all other vertues for yf men be charytable they shall not onely loue God feare God and serue God aboue all other creatures but also shal helpe forther sucker and sustayne theyr poore neyghbours with all theyr strength and myght so that charitie good reader is euen the hole content of this lytell worke And in dede to my iudgement charitie is a thyng moste necessary in this present tyme to be treted on TO AL THE GENTYL readers of this treatyse gretyng in our Lorde Iesus Christ FOrasmuch good reader as the moste thyng that we good Chrysten men shulde looke for nowe in this age beynge fyxed fastened and rooted in the faith of Iesus Christ this xv C. and .l. yeres is charitie whiche bryngeth with hym in company all other vertues And maketh a perfecte full and suffycyent faythe to the saluacyon of man For as holy Writ saytk and al holy Doctors and as the Catholyke Churche teacheth fayth without charytye auayleth no more the soule then the sape of soure onions auayleth sore eyes Yf fayth I say then be nothynge without charitie for gods sake let eche man that hath fayth vse therwiih charitie Now what charytie is anone by gods grace I wyll shewe you And in the meane tyme good reader Let vs somewhat talke of fayth And how many faythe 's as I perceyue and all men shall knowe that wyl not be dombe when they shulde speake death when they shuld heare and blynd when they shuld se there is nowe vsed fayth faynte fayth fayned and faythe faythfull Nowe howe these kyndes of fayth are vsed hereafter shal be declared This I knowe wel and am assured and thou reader knowest so wel as I that eche man in this realme hath faythe or at the leaste wyse sobre fayth And I thynke in lyke maner that eche man supposethe hym selfe to haue a ryght and a good fayth yet in deede it is not so For as saynt Iames sayth Cap. ii The Deuyll hath fayth But nowe to ende this preface Fyrst I shal desyre al men of pardon yf by my schaunce any thyng shal escape me the auctour hereof for as it is cōmonly sene a straunger shal espye a faute in a mans house sooner then he hym selfe shall And so I thynke a man shal quyclyer espye a faute in this worke then I my selfe wherefore yf there be any man that shall so do moste hartelye I requyre hym for to mende it Secondly I shall desyre the good reader not to be discontented with me for any thynge herein wrytten Leaste thereby thou shake of cleane all the fruytes of my boke which tendeth chefely to charytie perhappes I wyll saye somewhat that shall touche some men wherefore then full worthy art thou to be called charitie or a charytable man This that I wryte good reader is true wherfore I exhorte the to followe it yf thou denye the folowyng therof thou art no Christē man thou art neyther good nor vertuous For that I hearein teache is charitie and if thou haue no charitie thy fayth is nought and of no value There be now a dayes as me semeth iii. kyndes of fayth vsed The fyrst is fayth faynte and that is he which I talke of euen nowe for he hath fayth but it is not a ryght fayth and so it semeth by his behauour for he takethe so feruente paynes in persecutyng his brother that he waxeth so faynt he may no lenger bere any goodnes or charite but like a faint mā fayntly letteth all fall from him Some other haue a fayned fayth that is to preach one thyng and beleue an other I pray god we haue none of these Anabaptystes Lybertynes Arryans and Maris aduersaris of which sorte last resyted we had one not longe synce A great aduersary to that moste blessed and pure vyrgyn and not onely to her but also to her sonne Iesus Christ and to vs his members I praye God I say that we haue no more of these heresyes raynyng I feare lest many may be lykened to an aple which is fayre with out and rotten within Yf there be any suche faynyng people I pray god sone open theyr hartes least they shulde infecte simple soules and make them lyke to their selues past al remedy then there is fayth faythfull and those be they Math. v. Qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam Whiche suffer persecution for a iuste and ryght cause of them I wyll not muche speke for although some haue so done yet not so many as ought the more pytie and all for lacke of charitie For yf they hadde loued Christe so wel as Christ loued them they wolde not haue stopped but wyllyngly with all theyr harte haue suffred some payne for his sake that payed so greate a pryce for theyr redempcion this charite is good loue and good loue is none other thing but charitie for whether it be loue to god or to thi neighbour so thy loue be good it is charitie it selfe But yf it be a fayned loue or a noughty loue then may it in no wyse bare the name of charitie for this worde loue without any other consequence or matter folowyng is a worde indyfferente bothe to good and bad as in example I haue harde a man saye to his wyfe wyfe I loue the to whome she aunswered agayne and sayd ye mary husbād but your loue is so lytell that I can neyther fele it nor se it Nowe quod he thou hast iudged as iustly as though thou
haddest knowen my meanyng for in deede I sayde that I loued the but I tolde the not howe nor after what fashyon so that I say yf loue be lefte alone she may choose whether she wyll loue well or loue yl but yf charitie be once named it can none otherwyse be vnderstanded but of good loue without which a mans fayth is nothyng worth as wytnesseth with me the blessed apostle saynte Paule wrytyng vnto the Corinthyans Epist i. Chapi xiii On this wyse Yf I haue all fayth so that I may remoue moūtaines and haue therwith no charitie I am nothyng that is to say my fayth is nothynge ye heere nowe this lyttell peece of saynte paules Epistle telleth you what your fayth is without charitie wherefore styll I desyre you contynually to call for charitie and to vse charitie as nedefull it is nowe to preache charite as it was in the premityue church to preache fayth syth faythe is no faythe without charitie But a lacke who shall preache charitie oure preestes Nowe in good fayth it greueth me somtyme to here charitie so scante amonge them some of thē be not so charitable as I wold wyshe them for one preacheth agaynst an other one despyseth an others promocyon one an others learning one an others belefe so that a man can not well tell howe to auoyde the venemus enuye of this worlde but yet I wolde aduyse eche preste to loue other consyderynge that all the Epystles saynte Paule wrote almoste he hath in them a treatynge for vnitie Saynte Iames in his Epistle wylleth that yf we fall at varyaunce we shulde reconcyle our selues one vnto an other and open our sinnes before god he wylleth vs alwaye to loue one an other he specyally there putteth ryche men in remembraunce of theyr dutye towarde theyr poore neyghboures Saynte Peter also gyueth greate comfort for one to loue an other declaryng to eche man his dutye towarde maiestrates for where disobedience is there is no charitie Saynt Iohn in his epistles feruently doth declare what charitie is fyrste exortynge all men to kepe gods commaundementes declaryng that yf they do otherwyse charitie and feruent loue to god is excluded he sheweth the loue that god bare towarde vs whē he sent downe his onely begotten sonne to suffre death for our synnes and he concludeth of charitie sayenge that who so hath charitie hath god and who so loueth not his brother hath no charitie in hym Our sauyour Christ sayth also to his Apostles Iohn Chap. xiii Diligite inuicem that is to saye Loue ye together and then afterwarde he tellethe them how they shuld loue together saieng Sicut dilexi uos That is euen as I haue loued you Nowe howe Christ loued vs to eche man it is knowen parte therof might herein be expressed but for tediousnes it is omytted wherefore let vs all vse charitie and especially I say ▪ to you that be prestes shewe charitie one vnto an other remembryng that Christ our mayster sayth vnto you Math. v. Let your lyght shyne so before men that they maye se your good workes and gloryfye your father whiche is in heauen Nowe syth you shulde be a lyght to the worlde for gods sake let charitie be vsed amonge you that other men may the rather through your good ensamples learne to lyue charytably then shall eche man louyngely lyue in this worlde then shall sedcyyon ceasse and charitie floryshe then brotherly loue shal be amonge vs. And without this as I haue alredye tolde you your fayth is nothyng worthe yf you lyste not to beleue me looke what saynt Paule sayth in his fyrst epystle and xiii Chapiter to the Corinthyans reade forth that charitie and then shall you sone se what fruites charitie bryngeth forth Agayne I say that fayth and charitie so charyshe one an other that the one in no wyse can be without the company of the other Wherefore styll I crye after one sorte and maner for Goddes sake let eche man endeuour hym selfe to attayne charitie and then vse it and loue God as I knowe no good Christen man dothe otherwyse aboue al thinges and thy neighbour as thy selfe Mary there be some that shewe smale loue towardes hym for they feare not to blaspheme him to sweare and stare by hym as though he were more vyler then anye creature that lyuethe his woundes his soule his harte his bloude his sydes his nayles so that frome the crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote they leaue not one member of Christe vnrecyted ye and for a moste common othe they take his hole precious body and make it theyr sweryng stocke ye and this is done in the moste excesse of fylthynes that they vse for when they are moste dronke then swere they most when they are moste angry then they swere and teere Christ in peeces But O wycked people O blasphemers of God O tormenters of Chryste O ye worse then beastes what shall I call you what shall I saye vnto you ye fearelesse people ye shamelesse people haue you no regarde of nature haue you no respecte to Christ Knowe you not what you are what you were and what you shall come to O thou earth and ashes wylte thou blaspheme hym so rygruslye whiche came downe from his maiestye to delyuer the whome the Deuyll fast hadde bounde in the chaynes of syn Thou arte muche lyke vnto the Adder or Serpent of whome Ysope telleth a prety fable a husbande man founde this Adder in the colde snowe and of his gentylnes broughte her home and layde her by a fyer where she was wel recouered and rendred to her former state agayne But nowe marke the gentylnes of this Adder when the good husband man came to her and touched her to se howe she fared for his kyndenes she caught holde aboute his boddy and stonge hym sore wherewith the good man beyng vexed and not without greate cause toke his Axe in his hande and cut her in peces Euen so our mayster and sauyour Iesus Chryst perceyuyng vs vyle and poysoned wretches lyeng and quiuering in the cold snowe of synne to our euerlastynge comforte he discended from his hyghe trone noryshinge vs with the hot fyer of feruent loue in preachyng and workynge for our behoofe and washynge vs in the swete bathe of his most precyous bloud through the warmthe and swetenes whereof we were brought agayne into the fauoure of God for which kynde acte and vnspeakable benefyte we tormente hym a freshe we do our dylygent to vexe hym we blaspheme hym we sette his moste precyous body in the fore fronte of al our marchaūdyse we are most redy to do those thynges whiche moste ernestly he dothe forbydde Beware beware beware be tyme beware lest by your importunable vexyng of God throughe your venemus and blasphemus othes and abhomynable lyuyng without eyther vertue shame or feare he sodaynely with his axe or swerde the sharpnes wher of can not be expressed cut and souder you from the lyuely members of
his mystycall body and cast you into the deepe Dongeon of hel where shal be wepyng and gnasshyng of tethe where you shal suffer eternall payne where you shall contynually blaspheme and neuer cease thoughe you wolde and yet shall you alway suffer the tormentes due for the same I thynke yf you loued god you wolde not on suche wyse blaspheme hym you wold I thynke feare somewhat the punyshemente dulye ordeyned for suche blasphemers Are you paste feare remember ye not that the begynnynge of wysedome is feare of oure lorde Wherefore wysely loke vppon your synfull soule and lose not wylfully that thyng whiche Christ so derely bought but leaue your sweryng leaue your blasphemyng Ywys you learne it not in the new Testamente for I am sure that our sauyoure and redemer Iesus Chryste sayth Math. v. Thou shalt not swere by heauen for it is the seate of God neyther yet by the earth for it is his fotestole Nowe in this worde heauen is comprehended all thynges therein contayned and lykewyse by this worde earth is vnderstanded euerye thynge conteyned within the same so that Christ leaueth you nothyng to swere by as appeareth by his wordes folowyng in the same Chapiter where he sayth lette your coÌ„municacion be ye ye and nay nay O my lorde God where be they that kepe those sayenges verelye neuer so fewe in England and agayne I thynke that there was neuer so many that red these saiengs But nowe we maye se that there be many readers and fewe folowers What nowe there maye not a boy tell a tale but or he come to the ende thereof he muste other swere by Christ or by some member perteynyng to his moste blessed body nor nowe a woman can not sel a poore pot with ale but she must swere some othe to set it forth withal ye eueÌ„ though it be starke nought O good God what meane these people thinke they to haue here Eternam mencioneÌ„ an eternall restyng place Wyll they be of the Adders kynde we spake of euen nowe Wyll you so vncurteouslye handell hym that so gentely ordered you I must nedes say you loue not Christe for he sayth hym selfe Iohn xiiii Yf ye loue me kepe my commandementes Nowe you breake his commaundementes wherof it must nedes followe that you loue hym not and in that you do not loue him you commyt sin And Stipendium peccati mors The reward of synne is death Rom. Cap. vi wherfore for gods sake loke well vpon your selues But ye dryue of the tyme tyll the houre of death or at the leaste tyll syckenes or some other grefe happen to you â–ª and then wyll you crye Escchyel Cap. xviii Thou wylt not lorde the death of a synner but rather that he shulde lyue and mende But yf you wyll folowe my councell reste not to much vpon that poynte for there is nothynge more certayne then death neyther any thyng more vncertaine then the houre of death Remember remember wel these wordes spoken by the Prophet Escchyell Cap. xviii Turne vnto me and you shall be saued Here Chryste by ddeth you turne vnto hym and the forme howe you shulde turne vnto hym is wrytten by the holye Prophet Iohell loke vpon it and turne to Chryst whyle you haue tyme turne from your blasphemyng and swerynge frome your periury and euyll lyuyng gyue your perfecte charitie vnto god Louynge hym and fearyng hym with all your harte Yf you turne vnto Christe on this wyse leauyng your former lyuyng and applyenge your selfe to followe goddes commaundementes I doute not but God of his infynyte goodnes wyll loke vppon you refreshe you and saue you because he wylleth not the death of a synner but rather that he shulde lyue and mende such is the mercy of God towardes man But euer take heede of boldenes bolden not your selues so much vpon his mercy to leaue al his coÌ„maundementes vnfulfylled For yf you runne so far at rouers lyke wantons and vnbrydeled coltes he muste needes scorge you and beate you wherefore I say playe not the parte of blynde bayerde But gyue all honour prayse glory feare and loue to god aboue al thynges heauenlye and earthly for he is to be loued aboue eyther Saynt soule Emperour Kynge Father Mother Wyfe Chylde or any other creature And also beare feruent loue and charitie towardes thy neyghbour of whiche charitie I haue somewhat spoken before and wylmore heareafter by gods lycence takyng by the waye these wordes of Criste Math. xix Si uis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata Yf thou wylt entre into lyfe kepe the commaundementes Nowe who so endeuoreth not hym selfe with all his power to folowe and fulfyl the commaundementes of god can not claime any interest or tytle iustely in the kyngdome of heauen and al the .x. commaundementes receyued of vs Christen men resteth onely in this worde charitie the one towardes god and the other toward our neyghbour Well then syth without kepynge of the commaundementes a man can not enter into heuen I feare sore least our Basmongers shall not entre into heauen our raysers of rentes oure vserers with suche lyke as they that bye theyr neyghboures houses ouer theyr heedes O ye Moules ye may wel be lykened to these ryche men ye cast vp the earth hurtyng the good garden herbes and the earth so caste vp you lette it lye and putteth it to no good vse but you go further and scrapes vp more in whiche doynge is muche hurte but at last commeth mayster Moulecatcher with his spade and casteth you vp preâ—ely and then destroy you Euen so those ryche men castethe and scrapeth vp the gooddes of this worlde whiche is the carthe of man and hurdeth it on heepes profytable neyther to them selues nor other men but rather hurtefull And at the length coÌ„meth deathe and catchethe the moules by the backe and then the deuyl destroyeth them But O ye Leasemongers ye vserers ye raysers of rentes aboue the value of that you set it and ye that bye your neyghboures houses ouer theyr heedes gyue eare a lytell to Saynte Paule and to the charge that he gaue vnto Timothe The Byshoppe commaundynge hym to charge other therewith sayenge Timothe Epist i. Cap. vi Charge thou the ryche men of this worlde not to be hyghe mynded neyther to truste in the vncertentie of ryches but in the lyuyng god whiche gyueth vs all thynges aboundantely to do good to be ryche in good workes to gyue with a good wyl c. Let this one peece of saynte Paules Epistle be marked amonge our ryche men and then shall they soone knowe whether that they do well in heapynge theyr goodes and trustyng in theyr ryches or no. But I pray you to what vse do they kepe and store them vp Uerelye euen to bye theyr neyghbours houses ouer theyr heedes whiche is a thynge very detestable and the smoke of suche mennes doynges assendeth vp to the trone of God and there stynketh odiously before the face of his deuyne maiestie â–ª