and dastardes and therefore they maye beare no rule but muste be obedient to their rulers and such as be nobles and auncient in yeares in al assembles and counsailes must paciently be herde But the aucto rity and power to determine all things must remain in one which is called their kynge and he must as time requireth be admonished and aduertised but not compelled ▪ ne haue in his realme superiour For the kyng ought to obey none but the lawe the lawe presentyth the image of vertu honesty But if so be this order be inuerted and the wilde commons and troublesome dregges of the Citie in the common welth rebell again their ruler and the nobles disdaine the cōmandement of the king the peri lous sedicion grudge growing and if it be not holpen by deuyne policie it fallethe to vtter decaye and ruine Nowe for our purpose reason in man is a kyng and Emperoure Nobles and auncientes be certaine corporal affections or apetites but such as be not beast ly As in example naturall reuerence towardes youre parentes loue and charyte towardes youre bretherne beneuolence toward youre frendes and such other and suche other affections as must discend from the obeysance of reason And in behauiour are beastly such be the commons and dragges of the citie As ryote enuie and suche other sickenes and disseases of the minde wh◅ihe as bonde and vile seruauntes must be kepte vnder that they kepe dewe obedience to their kinge and in no wise hurte him and surelye if the affections and apetites sensuall do dewe obeisance and be orderid by reason Then shall man at noo time commit anie thinge that is euyll or that after maye repent him And that knew wel Plato that deuine philosopher when he sayde that they which oppresse and subdewe these carnall appetites lyue wel and iustly and they that be ouercome of them liuethe euill and vn iustlie Then the onelie parfitte waie and pathe to felicitie is first suerely and substancially to know your selfe next to subdewe the car nall apetites and to be orderid one ly by reason And this reason must be vpryght hole wise not infertyd That is that she only regard vertue and honesty Parauenture it shalbe thought very harde to so lowe that I haue taught But diligently remember that excelente and commendable thinges be all waye daungerous and difficile There can be no more valyant act thē to ouercom thy self ne no greater reward than eternal beatitude and felicite And that wytnessyth saynt Iherom saying Nothing is more happy then a trewe crystian man to whom as a reward the kyngdome of heauen is prouidyd and promysed If man only consider his own power and ablitie no thing is more hard then to subdue the fleshe But if he delygently remember that Chryst is hys capytayne and helper to whom nothyng is vnpossyble ne vneasy it shalbe very lighte in youre concience and mind a purpose or intent of perfit life and after busylye labour to bring it to effect the mind of man can not imagine so hygh noble a matter but by feruent lalabour it may be brought to passe And that thinge whiche in the beginninge shalbe thought inuincible and muche harde to be done shall in continuance be made soft by vsage easy and by custome plesant The way of vertu saith Hesi odus is in the beginning straight daungerous but if you crepe to the top nothing is more suer ne in sa◅ty There is no beaste so cruell ne outrage but by mans diligēce labour may be tamed and made meke Shall man thynke then that no meanes maye be found to bridle the affections and apitites sensuall What payne dothe man take to be deliuered from sycknes and diseases of the body And shal he take no payne to be delyueryd from eternal dampnation both of body and soule Suerly it is to be lamentyd that many whiche bearith the name of Christ like brute and dome beastes folow in their li uing the beastly and sensual appetites and are in maner bound and seruauntes to them So little exercised in this spyrytuall battell that they know noo difference betwixt reason and sensuality Thei exsteme that only to be man which they see perceaue and feele And that nothynge is but suche as is sensible What so euer they minde they thinke it lawfull This call they peace safty althoughe it is most miserable bōdage When reson resisteth not the carnall mocions But perswaded and blinded by their intisings foloweth them This is that miserable peace whi che Christe authour of trewe and parfite peace came to dissolue and set healtheful battel betwene the father and the sonne the wife and the huseband And brefly betwixt al suche thynges as the vnsure amitie of this worlde hath ioyned and knyt together Let the auctoritie of philosophersbe of smale estimation vnles the same sentence thoughe in other wordes be expreslye spoken in holye scripture That philosophers calleth reson Paule sometime the spirite some time the inwarde man sometime the lawe of the minde That they cal the affections he calleth sometime the flesshe sometyme the body somtime the exterior man and the lawe of the membres Sayenge in one place walke after the spirite and ye shall not committe the desyres of the flesshe For the fleshe desyreth against the spyrite and the spirite against the flesshe Therfore doo not those thynges whiche you carnally desyre And in an other place If you lyue after the fleshe ye shal die but if you mortifie and subdue the deedes of the fleshe you shall liue Suerly it is a strange thynge and a newe alteration that peace shoulde be soughte in battell and battell in peace life in deathe and death in lyfe libertie and fredome in seruitude and bondage And bondage and seruitude in libertie and freedome Of bondage Paule speaketh this I chastice my body and brynge it in seruitude And of libertie in an other place if we folow the leading of the spirite we are not vnder the bondage yoke of the lawe And againe he saith I perceiue a law in my membres re◅tynge the lawe of my mynde and aboute to brynge me in thraldome vnder the lawe which is in my membres It is red also of the exteriour and interiour man Plato put two soules in one man And Paule in the same manne putteth two men soo annexed and ioyned together that the one can not be without the other neither in ioye ne in payne And againe they be so disceuered and deuyded that the death to the one is life to thother And to this also maye be referred that he wryteth to the Corynthyans sayenge The fyrst man was made a lyuing soule the seconde a quickeninge or geuinge life The spiritual part was not first made but the beastely The first manne was of the earth earthely the seconde of heauen heauenly Earthly men folowe the condycions of the earthly And heuenly the condicions
they accoÌ„pte it but strange doctrine In dede such is the blyndnesse of the world and of mans nature that they can not see the veritie without the special gyft of god which is bound neither to Doctors hoode nor yet to busshops myter for the holy ghost sayethe in the first chapiter of the booke of wisdom Wisdome shal not eÌ„ter into a froward soule nor dwell in the bodye that is subdued vnto synne and therfore he sayeth a little before in the same chapiter For he will be found of them that tempt him not and appeare to theÌ„ that put their trust in him therfore saieth god by y â— prophet I say in the. 66. chapiter Upon whom shall my spirite rest but vpon the humble contrite spirite and such a one as staÌ„deth in awe of my wordes With whom agreeth S. Peter in the 2. Epistle 1. saying And hereunto geue all diligence in your faythe minister vertue in vertue knowledge c. And then he concludeth saying If these thinges be with you and be plenteous they will make you that ye neyther shalbe ydle nor vnfruitefull in the knowledge of our lord Iesus christ but he y â— hath not these things he is blinde groping the way wyth hys hande hath forgotten himselfe to haue bene pourged from his olde sinnes And hereunto agreeth S. Paule in the 1. chapiter 1. Epistle to the Corynthians rede the place So that where those vertues be there doth god in dede open his secre tes by his holye sprite I write not this that I meane therby to dyscourage any from learning but rather I exhorte all men to set their children thereunto and speciallye to the vniuersities whereby good litterature maye be maynteyned in the youth whiche are the sede of the common wealthe of thys realme and god his trueth syncerly preached But I onelie inuaye against those papistes whiche saye that suche learned men as mayntayne their errors are learned they are Bushoppes they haue studyed the scriptures so manye yeares and so many yeares and how can it be but that these must nedes vnderstande the scriptures Ye and some saye it is not possyble for anye man to vnderstande the scryptures vnlesse he were a graduate of the vnyuersytie but whether this impossibilytye be true or no bothe the scryptures aboue recyted and also experyence in these our dayes thankes be to God dothe proue the contrarye for that there be diuers whiche neuer came in the vniuersities yea and some suche as haue no more but their mothers tonge doe vnderstande the scryptures and able to teache good sounde doctrine But howe those men vnderstande the scriptures whiche bragge so muche of their doctryne and contynuance of theyr studye by their doctryne is apparaunte for seke they oughte in all theyr preachynges and doynges other then their owne praysynges and stablishment of their own tradicions yea and extolling and preferringe the same aboue gods coÌ„maundementes as when papistrye raygned howe little was the terrible swearinge and tearinge of god spoken against howe was whoredome wynked at which are vtterlye againste goddes commandementes and by god his lawe punished by death But yet so litle regarded with them that rather it was winked at then spoken against If a man hadde sworne neuer so great an othe in tearing of God ye shoulde haue had that marke the popes shauelynges I meane syt by and say neuer a worde But if one hadde sworne by theyr stynking idololatrus masse by by Syr Iohn woulde haue bene busye for so misusing his occupacyon Agayne if one of their vowed priestes repentynge his errors and minding to liue in gods lawes hadde chaunsed to haue maried a wife leauinge the takinge of other mens wiues and daughters forsakinge their liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or if a man had chaunced to eate a piece of rustye bacon for lacke of other meate thoughe perchaunce M. person had fed himselfe and well filled his belly with pyke Carpe tenche and suche small fishe and perchaunce with a piece of a custarde and tarte and suche harde and vnsauery meates vpon a fridaye or vppon anye other their forbidden dayes 〈◊〉 to Timathey the 4. Yf thys geare had come to their knowledge woulde they haue winked at it or loked through the fyngers â—…ro ye As they dyd at whhrdome swearinge and suche lyke offences No I warraunt you Marye oute on him heretique fâ—…e vpon him he is not worthy to lyue To the fyer wyth the heretique knaue So straitlye looked they to their dirty dreames preferring and extollyng the same as much as in them laye before gods commaundemeÌ„tes So preposterous was and is their Iudgementes God sayde to Moyses Erod 3. At such time as he sat kepyng his shepe in madian when he sawe the bushe burne and as he was goinge towardes it Come not hither sayeth he putte thy shoes of thy fete for the place wherein thou standest is holy ground Heare sayeth god the place is holy put of thy shâ—…s The chalyâ—… is holy say they put on thy gloues putte of sayeth god put on sayâ—… the papistes God â—…ed Moises bare fieshe better then his lether shoes The papystes estemed a shepes skin aboue the flesh of man redemed wyth the deathe and bloude of Chryste for yf thy gloues were on the matter was well ynoughe were the thinge neuer so holy But yf he happeyned to touch the same with his bare hande Marry fye what a sinne was it it was maruaile if his hande hadde not â—…otted of for it Yf this iudgement be not preposterous and extollynge their owne tradicions aboue God hys commaundementes what is preposterus What is or canne be more plainelye â–ª againste the manifeste trueth yet all is done with a godly shewe to the eyes of worldlynges with golden Copes golden crosses siluer sewsers fraÌ„kinsence burnyng before their idolles with many other gay goodly thinges surely the saying of christ in Mathew theâ—… â–ª might well be veryfied vppon them where he sayeth â–ª Ye hypocrites ryghtly did Esay prophecy of you sayinge this people draw nigh me with their mouthes and honoure me with their lyppes but their hearte is farre from me teaching the doctryne and preceptes of menne Therfore S. Paule willeth as manye as be desirous to be very christians by most manifest wordes to eschew flye frome suche doctryne as is so infected with superfluous ceremonyes wythout the worde of God sayinge in the. 2. Chapiter of his Epistle to the Coâ—…oss If ye be deade with chryste from the ordinaunces of the world why as though ye lyued in the world are ye ledde with tradicions touche not tast not handle not which all perishe throughe the very abuse after the commaundementes and doctrines of men whyche thynges outwardly haue the similitude of wisedome by supersticion and dumblenesse of mynde And by hurtinge of the bodye and in that they doe the fleshe no worship to the nede therof Thus doth S. Paule by most euydeÌ„t wordes pluck hs from the superstycyous rytes of the
of the first heauenly And this I speak welbelouyd for that neither the fleshe ne the bloud shal possesse the kingedome of heauen neither thinges corruptible or incorruption Here you maye euydently se that what Paule in one place called the exteriourman and the fleshe whiche is corruptyble In another place he calleth it the earthely Adam And suerlye this is the same flesh the same body of death where with he was troubled when he sayde O vnhappye creature who shall delyuer me from the body of this death And of the fruites bothe of the spiryte and of the fleshe whiche be muche diuers he writeth saieng He that soweth in the flesshe shall gather corruption of the flesshe And he that soweth of the spiryte shall of the spirite gather euerlasting life O happy and fortunate manne in whom this earthelie Adam is so mortified and subdewed that it in no wise resysteth the spirite But whether this perfecte quietenesse and tranquilitie maye fortune to any man in this worlde I wil not affyrme Peraduenture it is not necessary to be For Paule in this lyfe not withstandinge his hyghe perfection and grace had a mocion of the fleshe to vexe and dystrou ble him And when he thryse desired god to be delyuered from the sayde mocion He onely had this aunswere Paule my grace is suf ficient for vertue is made perfite by vexation Paul was vexed by pryde that he shuld not be proud To be perfit and strong in god he was caused to be weake and feeble For he caryed the treasure of heuenly reuelation in a frayle and bryckell vessell that the honoure and victory shulde onely be in the power and mighte of God not in him selfe This one exaumple of Paule is erudition and learninge to vs in many things First when we be moued and tised to syn that we diligently cal to almighty god by prayer Furthermore that to trewe christian men temptations be not only profitable but also necessary for the preseruation of ver tue Finally that when all the other motions be subdued then the mocions of pryde and vayneglorye are most to be feared which in the myddes of vertue priuelye awayteth vs. After that man hath mortifyed the flesshe and subdued the concupicence of the same TheÌ„ shal he se god and tast god that he is swete God is not seene in the fierce and boisteous winde of temtacion but after man hath resisted and valiantlye oppressyd the suggestions of his ennemies Then foloweth a delectable smale blaste of ghostly comforte and consolacion Which when you shal perceue then quikly awayt with your inwarde eyes and you shall se god well knowe that he hathe made safe for you ¶ Of the thre partes in man the spiryte the sowle and the fleshe These myght be thought more then sufficient but that you maye the more playnlye knowe what man is I shall brieflye declare vnto you what deuision Oxygen maketh of man And to be shorte he maketh three partes in man The body or the fleshe as the lowest parte of man in the which by the offence of the firste parente Adam the cruell and subtyll serpente the deuyll sowed the lawe of synne into the sowle of man By the which he is prouokid to sinne ouercome by the deuill and bonde in sinne The spirite by the which man dothe expresse the very similitude of the nature of god In the which also the highe creatour and maker of al thinges out of the inwarde secretes of his minde with his own finger that is to say his spirite dyd write the eternal law of vertue honestie By this portion also Man is adioyned and made one with god After these he putteth the thyrde parte as a middle or a meane betwene the. ii other which is a receiuour of the naturall meuinges or felynges This parte as in a factious or sedicious cytie is moued and intysed of both partes and is at libertie to whether it wyll encline If it forsake the fleshe and folow the spirite then shall it be spirituall But if it followe the desires and â—…upidities of the fleshe it shalbe al so fleshely And that ment sayncte Paule when he sayd Know you for trouthe that he that cleaueth to an harlotte is made oone body with her and he that cleaueth to god is made one spirite with him This harlot is the slipper and vn stedfast parte of man which is the fleshe Of whom it is spoken of in the seconde booke of Prouerbes withdrawe the from the strange woman whiche maketh her wordes softe and forsaketh the capytayne of her youthe and hath forgotten the couenaunte shee made with god Her house is al deadly her pathes bryngeth to hel They that folowe her shall not obteyne the pathe of lyfe And he that forsaketh her shalbe saued Then the spirite maketh manne godlye the fleshe maketh beastely The soule maketh man liuynge the spirite good and vertuouse the flesshe euyll and vngracious the soule ma keth neither good ne euyl the spirite seketh heauenly thynges the fleshe swete and pleasaunte The soule necessary the spirite lyfteth to heauen the fleshe depresseth to hel The soule of the spirit or flesh taketh merite or demerite what so euer is fleshely is vicious that which is spiritual is parfite that which is of the soule is mean and indifferent will you that I more playnly discriue to youe the difference betwixte these partes You honoure and feare your parentes you loue youre chyldren and frendes it is not so muche ver tuous to do these thinges as it is sinne not to doe them For whye should not you beynge a christian man do those thinges which infidels and beastes doo onely by instinct of nature That which man dothe of nature is not worthie rewarde But it so chauncith that other you must not regard the reue rence towardes youre parentes neglecte dispyse the loue of your children or els displease god In this case what is to be done the sowle is in dought the flesshe mouithe in the one side the spirite in the other The spirite perswadeth that god is better then thy father and more to be regardid the fleshe contrary maketh suggestion You owe your parentes your naturall being And in case you obey them not you shalbe disheritid and com moÌ„ly called vnnatural vnkind lose not your goodes disteyne not your name as for god other he seethe not or he wil not see and at the leaste he wyll sone be pleased Nowe the soule is in doubte and standethe amasyd if it inclyne to the flesshe dispise the spirite it is one bodye with it And if it folow the spyryte it is transmutyd in to the spirite It is great erroure to exteme that absolute vertu which is of nature Some of nature are little moued or intised to the pleasures of the bodye Let them not iudge theÌ„ selues verteous for that which is indifferent For the laud of
onely equallethe vs vnto them but bryngeth and deiecteth vs far vnder their condicyon and degre which be preordinate to the company of angelles and fruition of diuinitie Remember also how shorte and deceitfull this pleasure is hauing alway much more bitternes then delectacion and pleasuer Contrary consider how precious a thing the soule is howe excellent the body of man is accor ding as I haue shewed you in the generall rules What fondnes is it then for so fylthy delectacion of so vnsure and vnstable pleasure so vngoodlely to polute bothe body and soule and to defyle that temple or suspende it the which oure sauiour Iesu christ did consecrate to him self with his most precious bloud Consider also what company of greuous incoÌ„moditys and displeasures foloweth this flattering pestilence and couert poison First it taketh away from a man his good name fame for be thou assuryd the rumour of Lechery is much more abhominable then of any other vice It consumeth also and wasteth the substance and patrimony of mans body it kylleth and destroieth both strengthe and bewty of the body It hurteth and hindereth the healthe of the body ingendreth dyuers sycknes and lothely soores it hastneth age before a due tyme and debateth the flowre and lustines of youthe It dulleth the quicknes and felicitie of the witte it withdraweth the minde of man from al vertuous honest occupacions or studies and drowneth him so in durt and filthi nesse that he hath no pleasure to think or remember any thing but such as is filthy beastly and vyle Finally it takithaway that thing which is the very properte of maÌ„ and by the which only maÌ„ is man that is to say the vse of reason It pulleth out or extirpeth the godly mynd infundeth a beastly mind it causith youthe to be infamous wyld vnruly age to be suspectyd myserable and lothelye Beware therfore and refrayn thy self from thys fond voluptuousnes by the exaumple of other whom thou hast known or hard by such lewde nes to haue fallen into sycknesse pouertie and misery And corage or stomake thy selfe to the vertue of chastitie by the exaumple of so many younge women lusty men which thou shalt rede in histories very tenderly brought vp and delicately norished to haue kept cha stitie Why shouldest thou not do that thing which they did and no doubte thou shalte do as they did Remember with thy selfe how flo rishing how pleasaunt and honest a thing the chastitie and cleannes of minde and of the body is which maketh vs familiar with the angelles and pleasant vessels of the holy ghost Be thou insured the de uine spirite and holy ghoste most faithful louer of chastitie and clen nes fleith noo vice so greatly as the vice of vncleannes ne delighteth or resteth any where so gladly as in puer and virginall members Consider howe vncomelye how folishe beastly it is to loue fondely to waxe pale to be leane to wepe and lament to flatter and speake fayre to be lowly and plyante to a stinking harlot to singe all nyght at her gates or doores and to depend at the commaundement of your fonde mystres to be vnder the gouernaunce of a lyght and leude woman to complayne to be angry and sodeÌ„ly to be agre ed agayne to suffer thy selfe wylfully to be deluded to be beaten to be spoyled and vtterly to kyll thy soule for the coÌ„tentacion of a leude woman Where is amonge these thinges the name of a man wher the remeÌ„brance of the berd wher that honest and ientil mind borne and predestinate to noble acts and goodly matters Consyder also what flocke and company of vices foloweth this beastelye pleasure comitted and vsid If it seme but light to followe this wantonnesse and pleasure of the body yet remeÌ„ ber with thy selfe howe great and greuous an offence it is to be disobedient to thy parentes to dispise the holsom admonitions and couÌ„celles of thy frendes to consume prodigally dispend thy substaÌ„ce and heritage to take diâ—…ceitfully other mennes goodes to forswere thy selfe wyllingly to drynke all riotousely to chide and braule to be a quareller to fight to commit homicide to blaspheme and slaunder Into the whiche and worse this filthy beastly pleasure shal deiecte thee if she once ouercome the and thou become her seruant Consider furthermore how fraile and vncertain this present life is and how diuers ways death lieth in waite from whose violence no time no place maye defende thee Remember the suertie and ryghtuosnes of the last iudgement and that feareful sentence neuer to be reuoked goe you cursed people into the eternal fier of hel And how this little short vayne pleasure shal vndoutedly be punished with eternall punishment Remember that thy good aungell deputed to be thy keper is alway present beholdinge and testifyenge all that thou thinkest or doest Remember that almighty god also beholdeth the vnto whose sight all thinges be open And shalte thou not be ashamed to do y c thing in the sighte of almighty god and all the company of heauen which thou arte ashamed to do in the sight of man Beleue plainly that if thou hadst a thousand eies were as quicke of sighte as the Egle yet couldest thou not more clerely se that thiÌ„g which man dothe in thy presence then almighty god plainely seeth the secrets and inwardes of thye minde and harte And to be briefe the speciallest and surest remedye against the teÌ„ptacions of the flesh be these First diligently to auoide and flye all such occasion and company as soliciteth and moueth to the said vice Seconde moderate diet and mesurable slepe Thirde temperaunce and abstinence from temptacion and pleasures permit ted and suffered Finally the remeÌ„brance of death and contemplacion of the pashion and punishment of Christ. It shal also greatly profyt thee against the sayde temptacion to liue kepe company with such as be chast vertuous and honest And to fle and auoide corrupt and vnchast communicacion to fle idelnes and trifling occupacions to occupy thy minde busely with honeste studies and meditacion of heauenly matters Specially to exercise and vse thy selfe in reding of holy scripture And to be often in puer and deuout praier ¶ A remedy against the mocion of Auarice IF thou perceue that thou art eyther of nature propence and disposed to the sinne of couetouse or else intised and moued to the same of the ennemy the deuil remeÌ„ber the noblenes and dignitie of thy condi â—…ion and that thou arte only creatyd redemyd to this vse to haue the possessyon of the ioy celestiall and eternall fruycion of almyghtye god And that he creatyd and formyd all this worlde to thy vse and commoditie Howe vncomely is it theÌ„ and how filthi not to vse and dispose these earthely dounge and vile thinges but so greatly to loue and kepe them Take awaye the erronious opinion