not to folow the waies of the worlde and of the fleshe Because that his procedynges hauyng been farre of from those he that walketh by theim taketh a diuerse waie from Christ And the more we goe in theim the further we separate our selfes from him as dyuers lynes that drawen streight from one poinct the longer that thei goe the more different thei be And syns we haue brieflie declared by his example whiche is the waie to goe vnto eternall blisse I woull we see now as neere as we can what the waie that his woorde teacheth vs is ¶ Eternall life HE than addressing him selfe towardes his celestiall father saieth on this wise This is euerlastyng life that they knowe the onely God and that Iesu Christ whom thou hast sent Unto whiche knowlage we must beleeue that we neither by the subtiltee of our owne wittes nor yet by the profoundenesse of our sciences can euer atteigne the thing beyng of so ample so vnmeasurable and so incōprehensible a greatnesse as it is ¶ The knowlage of God FOr that knowlage that we muste hope to haue of hym muste come by grace through the light of him that maie lighten our vnderstandynges and open the eies of our myndes and rest we shall in continuall darknesse if those inwarde eies receiue not lyght by that supernall sonne as our naturall eies haue power to discerne the thynges of this worlde by the sonne that we daiely see And therfore saied the apostle true that we know not god if fyrst he know not vs. For lyke as if our mortall eie woull see the soonne it is fyrste necessarie that the sonne shew hym selfe Euin so willyng with the eies of our mynde to see god it behoueth hym fyrst with the light of his owne lyght to discouer hym selfe vnto vs which the diuine bountee hath doen not onely by geuyng vs moste largely of his grace and sendyng into thearth his onely begotten sonne who is as it hath ben saied the true light and it that lightneth euery man commyng into this world But also by the continuall sendyng of the holy ghost into the hertes of his elected with faieth to kendle in theim the light of his grace This light than of the euerlastyng sonne beyng spredde ouer vs hath discouered vnto our eies the light of our immortall part by the whiche beholdyng god through Christe we maie by our faieth in Christ come to the knowlage of god But to this faieth and belefe there behoueth no small consideracion For we must kepe the waie of lyfe mainteignyng our faieth liuely with good woorkes Because that like as workes without faieth are not receiued of god for iust euen so our faieth is but dead if it shew not hir selfe fruitefull by charitable woorkyng And as the grace and mercie of god is haboundaunt in vs without our deseruyng so with our good woorkes ought we to folow his commandementes to make our selfes apt vesselles of his grace and vertue and to become liuely tabernacles of the holy ghost For as Paule saieth Not they that heare the law but thei that fulfill the law shall be iustified before god dooyng vs to vnderstande that though we haue our iustificacion of faieth Yet in maner it suffiseth vs not without workes And Iames the apostle writeth that if any man saie he hath faieth and woorketh not his faieth is dead and folowyng in speakyng of Abrahams iustificacion he saith That through his workes he was iustified hauyng offred his son Isaac vnto the aulter and that faieth did helpe hym to woorke whiche faieth thorough the worke was made perfite And addeth furthermore these wordes Behold therfore that man is iustified by his dedes and not by his faith onely To the prouffe wherof he alleageth an other example of Raab who for sauing rhe messengers of the people of god was saued hir selfe and saieth on this wyse Likewyse was not Raab the harlot iustified by hir woorkes hauyng receiued the messengers and conueyed them awaie Wherfore he concludeth that as the body without spyrite is dead euin so is faieth without woorkes But this you must consider he hath not written to extoll workes withall or to take from God any parte of his glorie who of his diuine bountee by meere grace by faieth onely dooeth iustifie vs but to the entent that beyng already assured in faieth we shuld be the more ready with good workes to confirme and encrease our faieth For this liuely and woorkyng faieth is it that Christ meaned whan he saied So let your light shine in the sight of men that they maie see your good woorkes For if you kepe your faieth closed in your hertes without woorkyng it can geue no light at all as it maie appeare also by that other saiyng of Christe I am the vine and you the braunches and they that brynge foorth no fruite shall be shredde awaie For Christe beyng our bodie and we his membres he woulde we shulde know that he woull not take theim for his membres that woull not trauaile by well woorkyng to perseuere in hym as it is euident by exaumple of the curse he gaue vnto the fygge tree that he founde fruitelesse ¶ But because this matter is more then euident it is tyme we enter to diffine what those thinges ought to be whiche we shoulde woorke willyng to remaine in the astate of Iesu Christ. And where can we so well learne it as of Christ him selfe who hauyng saied before that all the law and prophetes depended on two commandementes that is to wete on the loue of god and of the neighbour the last euennyng that he supped with his beloued disciples knowyng he shuld no more eate as a mortall man with theim he shewed theim right well how perfectly he loued them For after that he had wasshed theyr feete and licenced Iudas to goe about his bargaine he ordeigned his testament in the whiche amongest other thynges the woordes of his wyll were these ¶ The testament of Christ. I Geue you a new commaundement that you loue well to gethers As I haue loued you so loue you one an other and therby shall men know that you are my disciples if you haue charitee amongest you O ardent loue of the diuine benignitee O liberall benignitee of the diuine loue He saied not as he had saied before vnto the people that the principall commaundement was Thou shouldest loue God with all thyne hert with all thy minde and all thy soule and that the second was Thou shuldest loue thy neighbour as thy selfe No he saied not so but the sweete Iesu saied I geue you a new commaundement a light commaundement doe I geue you whiche I my selfe haue first fulfilled towardes you and that is that without further burden of the law you shall be friendes amongest your selfes and that you loue one an other as I haue loued you and you shalbe knowen for my disciples not if you loue celebrate or worship me ▪ but if you loue amongest your selfes and if charitee be with
you Beholde here howe many waies and by howe many meanes our sweete sauiour goeth about to draw vs easelie vnto saluacion He with this one lighte commaundement enduceth vs to the fulfillynge of the whole law whiche dependyng before on two commaundementes the loue of God and of the neighbour is now comprehended in this one new commaundement on this wise Our sauiour Christ beyng man amongest vs was one of vs that shoulde loue amongest our selfes and so louyng hym beyng also God it came to passe that we loued god by reason wherof in this one commaundement was the whole law fulfilled whiche before Christes incarnacion was impossible God and man beyng through our defaulte of nature and rebellion plainly separate But now that Christ bothe by grace and by nature had ioygned theim togethers he woulde also knitte the two olde preceptes in one and for the new and meruailouse effect of it in vnityng man with God woulde also call it the new commandement because it vnited the loue of man with the loue of god And this in mine opinion is the true interpretacion of those wordes ¶ The loue of God towardes vs. NOw than hath our lorde for fulfillyng of his law commanded vs to loue amongest our selfes how euen as he hath loued vs. But how hath our lorde loued vs So muche that it can not be expressed For besides that he hath created vs of naught and fourmed vs vnto his owne image and likenesse and hath ordeyned vs ouer all the woorkes of his handes hauyng put all thinges vnder our feete wheras we by disobedience tourned our backes vnto hym and throughe our owne faulte and wilfulnesse are becomen rebelles against him he to reconcile vs vnto him hath willed hym selfe to dooe penaunce for our sinne and to make vs apte to ascende vnto him as the prophete saieth in his psalmes he made the heauens to encline and descended vnto vs Of god he became man to make vs parttakers of his diuinitee Of immortal he made hym selfe mortal to geue vs his eternitee Of impassible he made hym selfe passible to delyuer vs from passion beyng pure and vncreate he toke on hym an earthelie bodie to make our soules and bodies glorified He dwelled in the erth to make vs citisins of heauen He suffred hunger and thyrst to feede vs with Ambrosia and with angelles foode He suffred him selfe to be tempted of the diuel to deliuer vs from his temptacions He wolde be taken and bounde to loose and deliuer vs out of the chaines of our enemie He suffred him selfe to be scourged and tourmented to drawe vs out of peine and tourmentes He refused not to be reised vp on the crosse to reise vs vnto eternall triumph Nor yet refused to be wounded with speare and nayles to heale our incurable woundes he suffered a crowne of prickyng thornes to crowne vs with the crowne of glory he willed to die to purchace our lifes and descended vnto hell to make vs ascende vnto heauen These thynges hath our sauiour dooen for our loue besydes infinite others whiche I shulde not be hable to reherse though well I had all the tounges bothe of men and of angelles And yet for all the feruent loue that he hath borne vs and for all the wonders that he hath doen and suffred for vs he requyreth no more of vs but loue and how Not for him selfe alone but in token that we are his he hath entred into our company and rekenyng him selfe as one of vs hath willed vs in louyng one an other to loue hym amongest our selfes But peraduenture some may thinke this an harde commandement that we should loue no lesse amongest our selfes than as he hath loued vs because his loue beyng infinite it is impossible our loue shoulde be equall therunto Wherfore it is to be noted that Iesu Christe who descended from the boasome of the eternall father into this vale of miserie to make vs an easie waie vnto paradise neither commaundeth vs impossibilitee nor yet any thyng that shoulde be ouer harde for vs to fulfill For he saieth not that we shuld loue so muche amongest our selfes as he hath loued vs but that we shuld loue togethers in like maner as he hath loued vs as it were to saie ¶ What our mutuall loue ought to be I Woull not that you loue togethers as worldly men are wont to dooe whose workes and loue tende proprely vnto theyr owne wealth and profite For all the benefites that they doe towardes theyr neighbours are doen in hope of some delite profite or honour that shulde folow therof I woull not saieth Christ that you loue after that sorte but you ought to loue together as you haue seen me loue you whiche hath ben not for mine owne interest but altogether for your wealth your benefite and your exaltacion So than shall you loue togethers that eche man shall desire to helpe other without respect vnto any interest of his owne and so in mine opinion shall we fulfill the sentence of those wordes of our sauiour whan this loue amongest our selfes is free and liberall and not vttered of purpose as a merchaundise Finally it is a wonder to consider the vnspeakeable bountee the incomparable benignitee and the incomprehensible loue of Christ towardes vs who not contented by his owne exaumple to prouoke vs curteslie to loue togethers hath yet further bounde hym selfe for the loue amongest our selfes and for the charitee that we shalbe knitte togethers in to reward vs most largelie saiyng If we helpe one an other in our necessitees if we visite one an other and receiue one an other all the good that we shall doe vnto our neighbours we shall doe vnto hym and there shall not be one draught of colde water geuen but that he woull see it rewarded And with what rewarde The good deede to be multiplied by an hundrethfolde and to geue vs euerlastyng life withall This shalbe the rewarde of our loue And our loue is it that must make vs whynges to brynge vs vp into the true waie towardes the high felicitee For our loue and beyng in charitee togethers is it that reiseth vs vp and that knitteth vs vnto god as the deerelie beloued apostle of Christe saith god is charitee and he that dwelleth in charitee dwelleth in God and god in hym ¶ The conclusion of our doynges what they ought to be NOw hauyng founde what the true felicitie of man is and what is the meane and waie to brynge hym thereunto shakyng of all these shorte worldely pleasures the fraile corporall prosperitees the corruptible richesse the ambiciouse and inconstant honours the great and perillouse lordeshippes and the transitorie smoke of mortall fame lette vs dispose our selfes with all our hertes and with all our myndes vnto this moste holy loue that Christe calleth vs vnto and vnto this moste gloriouse charitee that knitteth vs together with God and so louynglie togethers lette vs feede Christ in the hungrie geue him drinke with the thirstie cloathe hym in the naked herboroughe hym with the herboroughlesse visite hym in the sicke redeeme hym with the captiues and burie hym with the deade And this not with our handes onelie but enforcyng vs to haue our myndes open towardes Christ let vs teache the rude counsaile the ignoraunt reproue theim that erre comforte the afflicted and beare pacientlie all iniuries forgeuyng theim that offende vs and praiyng for our enemies Of all whiche thinges let vs frely make a present vnto Christe in yeldyng vnto hym by our lyberalytee towardes our neighbours that whiche he most liberaly hath geuen vs. And so vnited in charitee amongest our selfes as true membres of that bodie wherof Christ is the head we shall finde our selfes by Christ also vnited vnto God and with our myndes all separated from the face of these vaine mortall and earthlie thynges attendyng onely vnto the true celestiall and euerlastyng goodnesse enflambed with feruent desire therof we shall beginne to saie vnto hym with the prophete Than shalbe satisfied our cheere Whan that thy glorie shall appeere FINIS JMPRINTED AT LONDON IN FLETESTRETE IN THE HOVSE OF THOmas Berthelet Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum ANNO. M. D. XLIX Esaie 5. Luc. 16. Psal. 31. Eccle. 10 â–ª Ierem. Psal. 38. Eccle. 5. Luc. 20. Mar. 10 Rom. 13. Fonde Alexander Iac. 4. Plato his opinion touchyng felicitee Iac. 4. Good workes are necessarie The new commandement comprehâ—ndeth the whole law
THE VANITEE OF THIS world ANNO. M. D. XLIX ¶ To the right woorshipfull and my singuler good Ladie the Ladie Anne Herbert of Wilton BEyng persuaded that at this present the lyght of the trouthe dooeth more flourishe here amongest vs in Englande than elswhere thoroughout the whole world and seyng the fruite of our workes rather to empayre than amende mischiefe to grow and vertue to decaie couetousenesse to reigne where godlinesse is professed and of euerie other thyng the contrary to haue place of that whiche shoulde be auoyded me seemed I could no lesse doe than reason with my selfe what all these thingê shuld meane And findyng in conclusion that they whiche knowe reason can not yet rule theim selfes by reason me thought it necessarie to publisshe vnto the worlde this little woorke that I haue scraped out of the dust Not thynkyng therby to obteine redresse of al men but in hope that some vertuous myndes beholdyng here as in a glasse the spottes of theyr owne vices shall yet the rather bende theyr hertes towardes charitee and contempt of these worldely vanitees And because I haue founde so muche negligence in man that almost he deserueth not to be warned any more of his folie therfore did I determine to dedicate my boke vnto a woman to proue whether it maie take any roote in theim to the entent that men ashamed thorough the vertuouse examples of women maie be prouoked therby to refourme theim selfes whiche no kinde of admonicion can persuade theim to dooe And findyng amongest women your Ladiship in vertue and bountee to excelle as the dyamant amongest the iewelles I thought it my duity to commende it specially vnto you Assuryng my selfe that the wonderfull qualitees and modestee of your Ladiship shall be a no lesse terrour to theim that viciousely would repugne this little worke than the thyng it selfe shall be a persuasion to others that beyng well disposed maie therof take occasion to amende theyr lyfes ¶ Your Ladiships most humble seruaunt Wylliam Thomas ¶ The thynges that are conteigned in this booke THe folie of man That the pleasures of the bodie ought not to be folowed How abhominable the vice of glotonie is How abhominable also lecherie is That beautie is a vayne thyng That force and valiauntnesse is also vaine That richesse deserue not to be estemed That honour is not to be sought for That dominion ought not to be desired What a lawful lorde is The fondenesse of Alexander What a tyranne is That fame is a vaine thyng Conclusion of the humayne miserie and vanitee The opinion of Plato touchyng the blessed life God is onely good Christe is the waie the veritee and the life Christ coupleth man with God The life of Christ in this worlde Eternall life The knowlage of God Good woorkes are necessarie The testament of Christ. The new commaundement comprehendeth the whole law The loue of God towardes vs. What our mutuall loue ought to be The conclusion what our doynges ought to be FINIS THE FOLIE OF MAN CONSIDERYNG how we are created of two partes that is to wete of soule and of bodie the one wherof is most noble and the other most vile thone celestiall and thother terrestriall the one eternall and the other mortall Ought it not to be called an expresse Folie that we vniuersally geuyng our selfes to the satisfaction and pleasure of this vile earthly mortall part doe no more regarde that whiche is noble celestiall and immortall than as if we had nothyng to doe withall Truely lyke as he deserueth not to be reputed wise that appliyng all his studie to the trimmyng of his garmentes suffreth his body to perishe for hunger and disease Euin so nother ought he to be allowed that folowyng the vanitees of the bodie habandoneth his soule the bodie beyng none other but the apparaile to the soule as the garmentes to the bodie And well doe we deserue to be reputed vnwyse whan beyng on the one parte conformable vnto brute beastes and of the other syde partakers of diuinitee attendyng onely to the ornament of the earthly part we do as muche as lieth in vs to transforme that diuinitee that we haue into earthlinesse Wherfore the prophete iustly saieth The man in honour comparyng his degree Seeth not how like vnto a brute beast is he For though we see this Folie to be euident yet the more part of vs continually wrappe our selfes in it because of worldly wisedome thei ar reputed most prudent that most can fasten theim selfes therin Of whiche our folie there is not one kinde alone but many and diuers some moued through one opinion and some through an other some drawen by one affection some by an other alwaies bestowyng their study how best they maie please the bodie For some apply theyr whole hert and minde to satisfie the pleasures of theyr earthly senses Some other thynke the beautie or valiauntnesse of the body woorthy to be preferred before all other thinges some attend onely to the getting and heaping vp of richesse Some other esteeme no felicitee to be compared vnto the atteignyng of dignitees and honors and many thinke lordshippe and dominion to be that onely felicitee â–ª that none maie be greater or equal and finally there wanteth not also of theym that settle all their desires to the gettyng of glory and fame Unto the studie of whiche thynges if I be not deceiued the most part of al liuing men haue bent their thoughtes and trauailes Wherfore examynyng theim by one and one I determine nowe to see whether there be any thyng in any of theim that shoulde cause vs thervpon so muche to fixe our desyres ¶ That the pleasures of the body oughe not to be folowed AS for the pleasure that trauaileth our senses is none other but a craftie flatterer that with his faulse swetenesse and with his feigned pleasauntnesse geueth to vnderstand the ill to be good and the noysome to be profitable For that soule whiche suffreth hir selfe to be tangled with the allurynges of pleasure muste needes at length fynde hir selfe captiue and thrall vnto the bodie as the diuine Plato well reherseth saieyng Pleasure lyke a driuen nayle fasteneth the soule to the bodie and ioygneth it so harde together that it maketh it become corporall Wherof it foloweth that she the soule I saie estemeth those thynges to be true that the bodie presenteth vnto hir and consequently delityng in that that the bodie deliteth must nedes departe farre from euery high and honourable consideracion as it semeth the good Romaine well vnderstode who hauyng heard a philosopher of Athenes saie that euery thing ought to be doen to thentent to atteigne pleasure praied god to geue that opinion vnto Pyrrhus and to the Samnites than enemies to the Romaine people thynkyng by that meane the Romains shoulde easily atteigne victorie against theim as by the exaumple of Anniball it did well appeare To whom the pleasures of Capua were more noysome Than were the battailes of Trasimene and