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
wherfore take good heede in tyme leaste God sodeynely plage you O ye wycked and vncharitable men that do bye your neyghboures houses ouer theyr heedes wyl you for the entryng into a wretched house heare in earth exclude and banyshe your selfe from the euerlastynge kyngedome of heauen suerly in those your doynges you transegresse sore the commaundementes of God and shewe your selues to be bothe vnfaythfull and vncharitable in handlynge your neyghboures so vncharytably whom you shuld loue fauoure as your owne selfe Remēber that your lyfe flyeth as a shadow and neuer abydeth in one state and place wherfore moste hartely I beseche euery good man and womā to loke vpon their selues And euen as they wolde other men shulde do to them so wolde I thē to do vnto their neyghboure callynge vnto theyr mynde that hence they muste departe but howe sone howe early or how late they knowe not therefore as the common prouerbe goeth lyue to daye as you wolde dye to morowe Shake of your olde man purge your sower leauen put not swete wyne into musty bottels suffer not the deuyl to rule you any longer playe the man accordyng to the promes that you made at the fonte which was to forsake the deuyl and all his workes goo not backe frome thy worde but lyke a good Christen man take for thy defence the buckler of fayth and to fyght with take the swerde of Goddes moste holy worde stande manfully that thou mayst say with saynt Paule Timo. Episto ii Cap. iiii Bonum certamen certaui I haue fought a good fyght Good reader this mayste thou do through the grace of God for whiche I pray the cal that thou mayste ouercome the temptacyons of the deuyll whiche is a thynge soone doone of a good wyllynge man for as saynt Paule sayth Phil. Cap. iiii Omnia possum in eo qui me conferrat I can do althyng through hym that comforteth me Wherfore I say once agayne stande stedfastly agaynst the deuyls temptacyons and blaspheme not our sauyour and redemer Iesus Christ at the hearyng of whose name al the deuyls in hell do tremble and quake and all the Angels in heauen gyue reuerence to it on the other syde be not rygorus and cruell to thy neyghbour consyder that he is thy owne brother a Chrysten man as thou art and bought with as great a pryce as thou wast although thy house be full of golde and syluer and his body full of scabbes thoughe there be as muche difference betwene you two as was betwene poore Lasarus and the ryche man yet at the daye of Iudgement God wyl regarde that selly soule with all his scabbes vpon his body as muche as he wyll do you with all your golde and syluer ye and may fortune more to onles you occupy it wel whylest you be heare Thus far good reader haue I sayd my mynde because I wolde you shulde beare a feruent loue to God and charitie towardes your neyghboure in the doyng whereof you shall not onely please God moste hyghely but also shewe thy selfe a good stewarde and baylye ouer that God hath lefte to the in custody whiche is thy fayth And now I wyl leaue the trusting that thou wylt followe this lytell lesson by me set forth for thy furtheraunce in grace remembryng that the chefe poynte thereof is for the augmentyng of charitie and increase of good loue whiche ioyned with fayth and so vsed catholykely bringeth eche good manne and woman after theyr progresse in this worlde to the euerlastyng kyngdome of heauen there perpetualy abydyng in ioy whereas with most melodius armony Aungels contynually synge without ceassyng Gloria in excelcis to whiche most glorius tabernacle and celestyal kyngdome our Lorde for his painfull passyon and incogitable loue towards vs borne graunte the the reader and me the wryter to come Amen DEcetero fratres quecunque sunt uera quecunque pudica quecunque iusta quecunque sancta quecunque amabilia quecunque bone fame si qua virtus si qua laus discipline hec cogitate quae et didicistis et accepistis et audistis et vidistis in me hec agite et deus pacis eritvobiscum Phil. Cap. iiii BRethren as for other thynges what so euer be true what so euer be shame faste what so euer be iuste what so euer be holy what so euer are to be loued what so euer be of good reporte yf there be any vertue yf there be anye prayse of learnyng be myndefull of those thynges and al whiche you haue learned and receyued and harde and sene in me those thynges do you and the god of peace shal abyde alway with you ¶ Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Gedrge nexte to saynt Dunstones church by Wyllyam Powel ¶ Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum
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