is formed and made of Dust Clay Asshes and a matter much vyler which for modestie I doe not name coÌ„â—…eiued in concupisence of the fleshe in the feruent heate oâ—… lust in the loathsome stinck of desyre and that worse is in the blot and blemish of sinne borne vnto payne sorow and fearâ—… yea and that which is most miserable vnto death He doth lewd thinges wherby he offendeth God his neighbor and him selfe He doeth filthy facts whereby he defileth his good name his conscience and his person and he doth vayne thinges wherby he neglecteth serious profitable necessary things He shal become the fewel for fier which alwayes burneth and can not be quenched the foode of worms which euer gnaw and féede vpon him the continewall masse of corruption which alwayes stincketh is filthie odious and horrible Then our Lord God hath formed man of the â—…ime of the Earth which is more vile then the rest of the Elements as it appeareth in the second of Genesis He made the Planets and Starres of the Fyer the blastes and wyndes of the Ayre the Fisshes and Fowles of the Water and Man and beast he made of Earth Then if he consider of the creatures created in the water he shall perceiue him selfe to be vile Considering the creatures made of Ayre he shall finde himself more vile coÌ„sidering the creatures of fyer he shal fynd himself most vyle Neither shal he make him self equal with the heaueÌ„ly creatures nor dareth prefer himselfe before the creatures of the Earth for he shal finde him selfe equal vnto beastes and shall acknowledge himselfe lyke vnto cattell sithence th end of man and cattel of the feild is all one and their condicion and estate are equall neither can man doe any more then a beast From the Earth they sprang and rose and to the Earth they shal retorne together These are not the wordes of any worldly man but of the wysest euen Salomon What is man then but slyme and dust and thervpon he sayth vnto God Remember I besech thée that thou hast made me lyke vnto Earth and shalt bring me into dust againe and thervpon also God sayth vnto man Thou art dust and shalt retorne into dust I am compared sayth Iob vnto Clay and am lykened vnto Imbers and Asshes Clay is made of Water and dust and both the substaunces doe remaine therein and Asshes are made of Fyer woode and bothe the substances doe fayle An expresse mistery but to be expounded in an other place Then what is Clay to be prowde on or whereof doest thou extoll thy selfe O dust O Asshes whereof doest thou glory Peraduenture thou wylt answere that Adam him selfe was fashioned and formed of clay and that thou art procreate of the séede of man But he was formed out of virgin clay and thou art procreate of séede which is vncleaue for who can make that cleane which is conceiued of vncleane séede What is man that he may seme vndefiled or that which is borne of man may seme iust For behold I was begotten in iniquitie and my mother conceiued me in sin Not onely in one iniquitie nor in one onely transgression but in many iniquities and in many transgressions yea euen in strange iniquities and transgressions for there are two kinde of conceptions one of séede an other of nature The first is made in such factes as are committed The second in such thinges as are purchased and gotten for the parents commit in the first and their issue doe purchase in the second For who is ignorant that the act of generation yea euen betwene maried folkes is neuer committed without prouocation of the fleshe without heate of lâ—…st or of concupisence wherevpon the séedes which are conceiued be vncleane be blotted and made corrupt and the sowle beinge therewith ouer flowed dothe purchase the spot of sinne the blot of gilt and transgression and the blemish of iniquitie euen as liquor is corrupted beinge thrust into an vâ—…cleane vessell and beinge once poluted is defiled euen by the first touch therof For the sowle hath thrée natural powers or three natural forces that is to say a reasonable power to deserne betwene good and euill a passionate power to reiect the euill and a power of appetite to desier that which is good These three powers are originally corrupted with three opposite and contrary vices the reasonable power â—…y ignoraunce that it may not deserne betwene good and euill the passionat power by wrath and anger that it may reiect the good the power of appetite by the concupisence that it may desier that which is euill The first of these vices begetteth transgression the last bringeth forth sinne the midlemost ingeÌ„dereth both sinne traÌ„sgression for it is traÌ„sgression to doe that which is not to be done it is sinne to indeuor that which is not to be indeuored These thrée vi â—…es are purchased and gotten out of corrupted flesh by thrée allurements for in carnall copulation the vnderstanding is lulled on slepe to th ende that ignorance may be sowed the prouocation of lust is styrred vp to th ende that anger and motion of mynde may be spred a broade and the affection of voluptuousnesse is satisfied to thend that concupicence may be obtayned This is that Tyran fleshe the lawe and ruler of the members of man the norishment of sinne the languishment of nature and the fodder of death without the which no man is borne and without the which no man dyeth the which although it passe ouer at any tyme in state of accusation yet it remayneth alwayes in acte For if we say that we haue no sinne we beguyle our selues the trueth is not in vs Oh greuous misery and vnhappy estate condition before we sinne we are bound and wrapped in sinne and before we transgresse we are caught in transgression By one man sinne entered into the worlde by sinne death tooke hold of all men for dyd not the forefathers eate a sower Grape and their childrens téeth are set on edge Wherfore theÌ„ was light geuen to him that is in wretched nesse lyfe lent to such as are in bitternes of the sowle Oh happie they are which dye before they are borne which tast of death before they know what lyfe is for soure are borne so deformed and prodigious that they seme not men but rather abhominations vnto whom nature perhappes should much better haue foresene if she had neuer suffered them to be sene for they are demonstrate and set to shew as monsters and shewes and some againe lacking some of theyr members sences are borne vnperfect to the grefe of their freindes the infamy of their parents and the abashinge of their neighbors But what nede I speake perticularly of these imperfections sithence all men generally are borne without knowledge without speach without vertue without power wéeping wayling weake féeble and but little deâ—…eringe from brute beastes or
thy workes O Lord god almighty Just and true are all thy wayes O King of the holy ones Who shal not feare thée or who shal not magnify thy name So that the more we growe increase in holinesse equitie so much the more lyke the more beloued we are made vnto our creator Sauior Iudge And the more we are made filthy ouer commâ—…n by vices so much the more vnlyke and the more hatefull vnto him we are found Who came to that end by the ministry of incarnatioÌ„ into this world that we should serue him in holynesse righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lief Who doth inuyte styrre vs with an vnspeakeable loue most godly vouchsaâ—…ng vnto the imitation of his holines Saying doe not coÌ„taminate nor deâ—…le your sowles For I the Lord your god am holy Be holy For I am holy Behold my welbeloued if thou ponder these thynges depely ofteÌ„ stedfastly I thincke that thou wilt on all sides hate eschewe the filthines vncleanenes huge enormitie of sin Yea thou wilt more ofteÌ„ make hast vnto repeÌ„taunce And examynation of thyne owne conscience in spending tyme in deuyne seruice and receuing the holy communion Wherein accordinge to the Scriptures all thinges are washed And thou wilt furthermore indeuâ—…r thy selfe to be the more iustly and wholy conuersant in the presence of the most holy God and before the eyes of his vnmeasurable righteousnesse Of the Enormitie of sinne by the consideracion of the diuine charitie by the which God dyd preuent vs and greatly loued vs. Art. 8. FUrthermore the more liberally and abundantly that any man doth preuent an other in loue so much the more decent and iust it is to loue him againe hartely And the more frowarde and peruerse it is also to doo any lesse then to loue him But it is most vngratefull and vntoward euen to hate him abiect him and dispise him and altogether to tourne away from him especially if the beloued be suer that he is so beloued of the louer Therefore to th end we may the more effectually sincerely knowe the abhominable and accursed mallice of our iniquities let vs diligently behould how much and in what manner our swéete and iust GOD dyd preuent vs in loue yea and not onely in loue but in a most liberall merely frée most pure eternall and most worthy kynde of loue And first this is certaine that no louer being created no not our parents haue loued or doe loue vs so muche as our â—…éeke and swéete God doth and hath loued vs For of his eternall preâ—…enting loue towards vs he created vs when we were nothinge yea he formed vs to his owne Image and similitude For the diuine loue dyd not leaue god without braunche or springâ—… Moreouer he hathe manyfoldly â—…wtifyed our nature not onely with naturall gyftes but also with sundry supernaturall graces For he dyd set 〈◊〉 first formed fathers and parentes in original righteousnes placing them in Paradise and preferring them before all the creatures that lyue in this worlde yea and if they had not sinned had transported them from Paradise into the heauenly kingedome without deathe in the meane waye All which he ment to haue geuen to their posteritie if they had not done wickedly Wherevpon although we he depryued of so many and so great commodities yet ought we so â—…o loue God as if we were not thereof depriued since that depriuacion came not from god Furthermore also because vnion is the proper effect of loue and consequently therewithall mutuall societie and perticipacion For loue dothe knyt the louer to the beloued and maketh all good thinges that the louer hath to become vnto the beloued If therefore we desyer rightly and worthely to know how and in what maner our God hath loued vs let vs behold in what maner he hath conioyned himselfe to vs and to our nature For beholde dyd not the onely begotten sonne of God himselfe by the will of God the Father and the cooperacion of the holy ghost vnyte our nature vnto his diuinitie by a substanci a immediate high inward kinde of vnione yea by so great an vnione as none could be more greater or more worthie And therefore since he conioyned himselfe vnto our nature so highly and so in wardly it is apparaunt also how highly he dyd loue vs before hand especially since he vouchsafed deigned so long to be conuersant w vs in the nature which he dyd so assume and take vpon him yea euen the eternall Father himselfe dyd so loue vs that he gaue his onely béegotten Sonne as the Euangelist John dothe saye Who exhorteth vs againe in his first epistle saying â—…earely beloued let vs loue god for he first loued vs Furthermore he ioyned our myndes incessaÌ„tly vnto him and by supernaturall gifts as by grace doeing the which is acceptable and by actual motion of the holy ghost By faith hope charity the other vertues powred vpoÌ„ vs by their acts Yea further our god is ready to coÌ„municat al that he hath yea himself also vnto vs. For there is no eye that hath séene nor eare that hath hard neither is mans hart able to coÌ„prehend what God hath prepared for his elect For he hath prepared himself as a reward for them Since he created vs to enioy the most swéete fruicion and happy vision of holinesse And this is the most lyberal loue of god that geuing vs his gyfts he geueth euen with the same giftes himselfe vnto vs That we may truely eternally and happely behold haue possesse inioy him Herewith he so much loued vs that by the mouth of Salomon he sayth vnto vs My delights are to be with the sonnes of men Now therefore my welbeloued marke how peruerse how vncomely and how great a fault it is not to requite with loue this such and so great a louer Yea to neglect to offend to fet light by to dispose or to hate him And he that sinneth wylleth in all things that which God will not and that which god wylleth that will not hée accomplishe Therefore he dothe not truely loue God since it is the propertie of friendes to wyll and to nyll in all thinges alyke Yea he despiseth anâ—… 〈◊〉 lyght by God whose preceptes he regardeth not And so he dothe altogether turne himselfe away from him and yeldeth no turne vnto this so wonderfull méeke most bountifull most excellent louer But payeth euill for good and hate for loue Yea he dispiseth God who hath shewed himselfe so famyliar vnto him Therefore let vs my welbeloued heartely learne to loue God sincerely and inwardly Let vs be caryed vnto him with all ferueÌ„tuesse of mynde Let vs conforme our affectes alwayes vnto his most holy wyll Let vs hate whatsoeuer he hateth and let vs earnestly imbrace all goodnesse Of the enormitie of sinne considered by the benefits of God. Act. 9. IT 〈◊〉 manifest
lewed the thinge then it selfe is vnlawfull As if any man praye fast and geue almes to obteyne mens prayses thereby Then for asmuch as by the testimonie of Dyonysius goodnesse is an entyer cause that is to say whyther all the circumstaunces of vertue before rehearsed doe concurre and the defectes or euilles doe happen by the omyttinge of any circumstaunces Therefore the gréeuousnesse of the sinne is so much the greater the more that the number of cir cumstaunces be which are forsaken and the more that the partie doeth goe from the verie conuenyent circumstaunces of vertue it selfe Herevpon let vs now not onely be sory that we doe those thinges which of their owne nature be vicyous and absolutly euill and doe also omit things that we should doe But also bicause we haue sinned in an iuconuenient tyme in a place more for bydden to a very wicked ende and purpose by dishonest meanes or assistaunce and in a moste vnapt manner and fashion euen vnfearfully and vnreuerently altogither we must consider also how often with what maÌ„ner of person with how great delight in sinning and with how great or what kynde of offence to our neighbour For the more that the desiere of sinning I meane the verie willingnesse to euill be more bent thervnto the fault is so muche the more gréeuous Lykewise it is conuenyent and we must consider of the good thinges whiche wée doe whither they bée done in due tyme and place with a right intent and reuerently also For it is more gréeuous in the time of diuine seruice on the holy daies and in the church to haue a wandring mynde to tattle to looke gazinge about and to set mynde vpon vice and wickednesse Therefore my welbeloued indeuour thy selfe to fulfil the good déedes wherevnto thou art bounden with the circumstaunces before rehersed as much as in thée lieth and doe héedely consider the gréeuousnesse of thy sinnes by all these thinges now rehersed which doe aggreuate sinne and wickednesse Of the deformytie hatefullnesse and loathsomnesse of sinne by consideration of it selfe Art. 14. BYcause god which is dishonoured by sinne doth consist of an infinyte great honorablenesse aâ—…blenesse and bewtie Therefore sinne is iudged to be also of an infinit loathsomnesse hatefulnesse and deformytie For asmuch as it is displeasing coÌ„trary to the diuine will holynesse and equitiâ—… herevpon sinne ought by the lawes of God neyther to be committed nor to be alowed for no cause for no feare of damage danger or torment nor for any loue of commodytie prosperitie or â—…ye Yea rather should a man willingly receaue indâ—…â—…ost gréeuous death then to incurre the least sinne And therefore whosoeuer doth either for flatterie or for menaces or by regardinge mans fauour yeld vnto sinne he declareth sufficiently that he is imperfect To conclude the least euill of the fault that is to say The least sinne is more hatefull and more to be fledd from then any kynde of euill in the payne or any kynde of punnyshment yea though it be infernall as touchinge that it is méerely punishment Therfore we ought not to sinne for the auoyding of any torment losse or discomodity but rather ought a man to be willing to beare any payne then to offende God For to offende god is as much as to léese god I meane the vnmesurable goodnesse of God and to set our owne wicked wills directly against his most holy will. And therefore now my welbeloued consider how great is their frowardnesse how farr are they distant from true perfection whose whole affection tendeth day and night to doe those thinges which are forbydden by thy diuyne lawes Which by slattery gyftes poursute doe labour to drawe those thinges vnto their consent with the which they may fulfil ther most filthy desiers And which studie to be hououred to be inrytched and to haue their proprietie in this worlde Therefore let the state of our myndes stand inflexible Let vs neither be puffed vp with prosperitie nor yet ouer come with aduersitie Neither let vs fall hedlong from the way of righteousnesse tâ—…rough feare of mans displeasure rebuke or dismaying and let vs beyond all comparison feare the death of the sowle which is sinne more then the death of the body Against those which doe more feare eschewe and hate the euill of the punishment then the 〈◊〉 of the fault Art. 15. FEare is the flying from or detesting of euil Therfore the worse that any things bée the more to be fled from and the more detestable they are iudged to bée For as muche as euil is the obiect of feare So y it is alreadie euident that the euil of the fault is vnmeasurably to be fled froÌ„ But the euil of the paine or the punishment of sin or any kynde of afflictiue aduersitie is not in it self absolutely euil or simply to be fled froÌ„ or auoyded But it is iustly sent by God is profitable in this world to the taking away of sin the powring of grace vpon vs In hell it is the worke of the diuine iustice ordeyned for the fault although it be hurtfull vnto the dampned If theÌ„ since these things are so how vnperfect vyle childish are they which in this life do rather feare flye from the iust punishment confusion rebuke of their sinnes then from the very 〈◊〉 thie deformitie of sin it self the displeasure of the diuine holinesse and the dishonor of the highest God These be those disordered and miserable creatures in whom priuate loue doth wey downe godly loue in whom seruyle feare is greater then chyldish obedience which doe more honour dread and estéeme the sight iudgement of the world theÌ„ of god neuer fearing to doe that in the presence and beholding of God him self which they would be abashed to doe in the sight of a man being their iudge in this world These are more sorowfull for their own temporal or corporal discommodities losses or punishments theÌ„ for gods displeasure for the losse of grace or for the wounding of their soule These men doe pretend fayne a certaine amendment wheÌ„ the iudgement examination of men is at hand or approcheth But when he is absent whom they feared and is not loked for to returne shortly vnto iudgement or punishment theÌ„ they liue as they did before Go to then welbeloued let vs feare God most sincerely let vs without all comparison hate the euil of the fault and hartely imbrace such punishment as is layd vpon vs for sinne yea and lot vs beare it patiently â—…nd let vs most faithfully bewayle and lament the hurts of the soule that is sins more theÌ„ the lâ—…se of temporall things or the afflictions of y bodie Last of all we shal be able to accomplish all these things if we mark effectually that saying of Salomon My sonne honor God thou shalt prosper Besides him sée thou feare no man And agayne he sayeth Hée that feareth God doth tremble at nothing and he
rules of reason or to faynte from the right lyne of vertue and to omit the diuine lawes of Gods commaundements And yet about this poynte the Philosophers had some question not altogither vnprofitable héere to be rehearsed For whereas by their opinion reason coueteth alwayes to the best things vertue by Damascenes opinyon is accordyng to nature consenting vnto reason yea and by Tullyes or rather by Augustines and Basiles opinion there are certayne sparkes or séedes of vertues borne and bredde in vs it might séeme thereby that vertue were verie easie and light to be followed Whervnto I would answere that God surely hath put in vs by regeneration wil to follow vertues wherby by grace they might séeme light and easâ—…e to be obtayned But the difficultie ryseth vpon our owne imperfections corruptions and infections whereby we are alwayes more prone to the euil then to the good Much the rather through the oryginall sin which we brought with vs the which doth coÌ„tinually make foure great deadly woundes in our soules to wete ignorance in vnderstaÌ„ding malice in willing infirmitie in passion concupisceÌ„ce in appetite or desire Moreouer by y Philosophers â—…pinioÌ„ also it falleth out y the further of or distant y our intellectuall substaâ—…ce is from the first being which is the diuyne vnderstaÌ„ding y very perfect end skope wherunto all things ar to haue relatioÌ„ so much the more difficult it is by so much the harder means it may attein vnto the same TheÌ„ since that the reasonable soule of man is so much inferior in the rancke order of intellectual natures as y therin y intellectual light is so féeble y in it self it is at the first like a smooth playned Table to be 〈◊〉 vpon but not yet paynted it is playn and euident y of it self it should verie hardly attayne vnto the vttermost scope and end therefore appointed which is the maiestie of the eternal god As also the proposicioÌ„ wil be true if we speake of the natural felicitie of the soule the naturall vertues in vs Wherfore by stronger reasoÌ„ it is much more to be verified if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the supernatural beatitude thereof which is the sight beholding of God face to face since the vertues of y vttermost end or scope are by all comparison more excellent more loftie then the naturall beatitude or naturall vertues of our soule Whereby our soule hath great néede of the incessaunt helpe motion inspyration and grace of god For there are almoste vnnumerable impedimentes of vertues which doe dayly happen vnto vs as well by the meanes of our owne fleshe as also by the world and the diuell By the which wee are not smally hindered drawen backe and foreâ—…owed from all vertuous conuersation Whervpon Bernard sayth The first impedyment and gréeuous occupation that we finde in our way is the very necessitie of our life The which whilest it requireth now meat then sléepe such other things necessarie it doth without doubt oftentimes hinder withdraw vs from spiritual exercises And as y Apostle saith The diuel goeth about lyke a roaring Lyon séekyng whom he may deuour Yea and the world also doeth present many nay to many offences and lets from doing well vertuously So that it is verie harde alwayes to kéepe in the meane and middle of vertue and neuer to decline to any of the vitious extreames But yet as Dyonisius teacheth vertue it selfe or the action therof procéedeth of an entire and vniuersal cause wherin all the circumstances of vertue it self doe concurre But vyce doth consist of the defect or imperfection of any circumstance and is commonly séene to erre fayle and perish by infinyte meanes Wherevpon Salomon sayde The number of fooles is infinite So that we sée suffitiently howe the way of vertue is straight and narow But the way of vyces is spatious and large Especially to the vnwyse and vnperfecte but not so much to them which are of good zealâ—… to perfection as shall be hereafter declared A certayne man sayd vnto Iesus Lord tell me how shall I doe since there are but fewe which are saued And Christ made answere in the first of Luke saying stryue ye to enter or goe in by the narow gate Notifying thereby the wordes before rehearsed to prous the small number of them which shal be saued And furthermore for the better vnderstanding howe straight and narow the way is which leadeth to saluation marke we the words of Gregorius saying The straight and narow way wherin euerie man is constrained to walk which doth carefully regard the fulfilling of Gods commauÌ„dements is to liue in this worlde and yet to haue no maner concupiscence thereof To couet none other mens goods neither yet gréedily to retaine our owne to dispise the prayses of y world to loue for god to be reuiled to flie froÌ„ glory to folow y which is dispised to hate flattery to honor such as set light by the world to forgiue theÌ„ which offeÌ„d vs froÌ„ our harts and to coÌ„serue the grace of charitie vnmoueably in all things As also the fruits of repeÌ„tance as abstinence watching praying togither w the renouncing of our wils coÌ„cupiscenses are straight narow passages which wil bring him y trauaileth therein to much rest quiet For there is 〈◊〉 vnto such an vncoÌ„parable reward which neyther eye hath séene eare hath hard nor the hart thought of man is able to coÌ„prehende which is eueÌ„ the pure and euerlasting Beatitude most full most perfect which is euen god himselfe y blessed superexalted vnmesureable goonesse And herein our intollerable neclygence ouerthwart paruersenâ—…sse 〈◊〉 maye apeare Synce for such an vnspeakable treasure we cannot take payne to treade and trauayle in that narrowe way no not for a small time or iorny Whervpon Chrisostome sayth Thou art coÌ„maunded O man to walke in the narowe way Why then doest thou questioÌ„ curyously search for ease aboundaunce they which serue worldly Princes doe aske no such maner of demaunds Onely they enquyre if they shall haue gaynes rewarde The which being ones knoweÌ„ answered they refuse no labor nor paine they eschew no daunger they deny not to doe any the most vyle or paynefull dewty y they are set vnto They suffer abyd trauayle longe perilous iorneyes despights punyshments and alterations of tymes And all this for the hope of gayne and the gréedinesse of mony But we coÌ„trarily which should séeke heaueÌ„ the infinite treasures therof doe streyne much curtesie for the ease of our bodies dysdayne to suffer any aduersity Behold how much we are more teÌ„der more miserable theÌ„ they what sayest thou O man or what do est thou thou preparest thy self to clyme into heaueÌ„ demaundest yet if any dyfficulty or stoppe be in thy waye If any rough or paineful thing is like to encountre thée Yea thou art not hereof ashamed neither