rente wyth wylde beastes sometimes to be boyled in leade sometimes laide on the Grydiron some their tongues plucked out some their eyes some let blood to death and some their heads cut of that it were a most lamentable matter to lay downe such a blody record It was no maruell that Saint Paule Dauid Stephen and a great many more godly desired to be wyth the Lord â—ita quasi â—ia taesa for that this lyfe séemed to bée no more but a weary trauel vnto them Iob describing the estate of man â—ob 14.1 sayth Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuaunce full of trouble and trueth it is that many troubles and chaunges doo happen vnto him now healthy suddainly sicke now rich and now poore sometimes vp quickly down neuer continuing in a peaceable stay sometimes beloued of one and sometimes hated of twenty nowe merry and suddainly sorry now a liue and to morrow dead as the wyse man saith hodie mihi cras tibi to day to mée to morrow to thée thys wee sée the inconstancie of time Besides that if wée looke into the care of our education the care for the prouision of our necessaries how to get them and how to hold them maketh many a man amazed to sée the running whéele of Fortune I myghte speake very much of the sorrowe and care of men but it were too long it shal be inough to yéeld the reader to the Map of thys present age wherein we sée parents to slyde away and children to wexe stoute fréendes to fayle charitye to growe colde trueth banished fayth féeble againe iniquity to raigne enuye and mallice to beare the sway these doo shewe the estate to be so sorrowfull that a man woulde rather wysh death with quietnes then such a life with miserye Ish An other name that the Hebrewes doo gyue vnto manne is Ish which is found in diuers places of Scripture but aboue all I note one place cited out of the second of Genesis Therefore let a man forsake Father and Mother Gen. 2. c. which by the Euangelists and the Apostell is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man some suppose thys word taketh hys roote froÌ„ the very essentiall power of man Ish and some from hys qualityes and bothe of them doo accorde with my purpose in this signification this is manifest that hée is flesh hee is earth so are the beastes of the fielde yet notwithstanding God hath made a difference in shape proportion and honor as Ouid sayth Pronaque cum spectent animantia cetera terram Os homini sublime dedit celumque videre Whyle brutish beastes doo groueling looke and downeward hang their eyes Mans countenaunce is lift aloft and looketh to the skyes Yea and though among a great many Philosophers their substaunce shall be made equall yet I finde the greater excellency in man by howe much he is made the more honourable not onely in this life wherein he is made Emperour of all Gods creatures all things are put in subiection vnder his féete but in the world to come Psal 8. where he shall be assures of immortalitie and life euerlasting whereas the beastes themselues doo lose the benefite of honour Before mans fall in the time of innocency there was no such power attributed to any creature as there was vnto man since which time though man be decayed and fallen into miserye corruption depriuation of life in this world by his disobedieÌ„ce yet by Christe hee shall haue restitution to his former beauty and state so that the true definition of Ish in my poore iudgement is a man in power decaying himselfe and therefore may iustly be called Anthropos according to the translation that is to say a subuertion or ouerthrowe which neuer happened neither by Gods appointment nor by anye meanes but by mans owne disobedience for as man béeing then in power and honour would wylfully fall and dishonour himselfe as appeareth in the 49 Psalm Psal 49.20 Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding but is compared vnto the beasts that perish Euen so wée sée in these dayes of restitution wherin Christ Iesus hath appeared perfectly in comfort in acceptation in redemption knowledge and hath crowned vs with glory and brought vs into fauour with his father againe wee not accounting thys fauour nor regarding our restoring to honour Doo wilfully and wyckedly fall vnto our olde vomit againe and in our selues doo deface the nobility that God hath giuen vs alwayes expressing our ouerthwart disposition and making it agréeable to our ouerthrowen nature which is as much to say as a nature turned vp side downe euen as one demaunding once of a Philosopher what a man was aunswered a trée turned vpside downe for sayd hée as the trée hath his roote downewarde and groweth vpwarde hath his nutriment below and spreadeth her limmes aboue euen so man hath his roote and nourishment in the higher parte and spreadeth hys twigs downewarde for behold his brayne which féedeth euerye artery downewarde and beholde euery limme bone heayre arme legge c. and you shall finde them all to growe downewarde not as though nature were an autor or president of ouerthwartnes but rather that it should bée a remembrance and signification of our growing downeward to the earth concerning our flesh froÌ„ wheÌ„ce wee came and that our roote béeing fedd aboue the earth did looke vp into heauen in the which he hath hys perfit féeding and assured life and although the workes of God are so wonderfull in theyr kynde that we are not able to searche out the déepenes of them nor to reason why it should be made thys way or that yet we may haue an honest godly gesse in the framing of our ouerthwart nature when wée suruey iudge our dispositions agréeable to the same to bee fit fruits for such a trée and the better to vnderstand this doo we not sée that we account least of that thing which is best for vs and best of that which is worst for vs doo wee not breake that which is commaunded vs and followe that which is not commaunded vs doo we not in stéede of godly exercises delight in fleshly pleasures in steede of charity put on enuy in steede of pitty vse stony harts doo wee not for patience vse vengeaunce for loue hatred for humility pryde for liberality couetousnes for vertue vice for honesty vngodlines as the Poet sayth Nitimur in veticum semper cupimusque negata we endeuour our selues in things vnlawfull and alwayes desire thinges forbidden we find the like in Adam who delighted in the Apple that was forbidden him and likewise in Lots wyfe that looked backe to Sodome which was forbidden her and so we sée and find in all men their vntowardly disposition wilfully to lose the nobilitie and power of their image and creation and to caste theyr honour in the dust manne may very well be compared in all his actions vnto the
THE True trauaile of all faithfull Christians howe to escape the daungers of this vvicked vvorld VVhereunto is added a Christian exercise for priuate housholders HEBR. 12.1.2 Wherefore let vs also seeing that we are compassed with so great a clowde of witnesses cast away euery thing that presseth downe the sinne that hangeth so fast on Let vs run with patience the race that is set before vs looking vnto Iesus the autor and finisher of our faith Printed at London by Iohn Charlewood 1585. To the right worshipfull Ma. Iohn Thinne Esquier his very good Patrone and Master THe continuall fauoure I haue found at your handes right worshipfull especially of late in London as well hy writing as by your personall trauel doth charge my minde with so many gnawing cogitations that I can neuer expresse a sufficient thankfulnes nor render some token of a partepay such is the hardnes of my happe and the straightnes of present time that nowe I can not match wishing with wyll nor sufficiency with desire How be it I yeelde my selfe to your accustomed acceptation and my hope which shal be a pledge de attica fide do I bequeath vnto future time I holde you so firme my good freende that notwithstanding the subtiltye of interceptors you stand vngaged to my no small comfort wherefore seeing I haue no thankfull signification of good wyll I present vnto your worship a portion of my profession not as a sufficient workmanship for your worthines but as a token of my grateful mind It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore the vntimely hatching may bring foorth sickly Byrds But I humbly beseech you worship that as you are already patrone of my poore liuing so you will freendly allowe of the patronage of my selfe this my slender worke and so I shall not onely be so much beholding to you as processe of time cannot weare away the remembrance but euermore bound in harty prayers that the Lorde may prosper your affayres and daily blesse your selfe and all yours to whose mercifull tuition I commend you Your worships to be commanded during life most faithfull W. Chub. From Zelwoode the 8. of September To the godly Reader IF a man shoulde sit stil but a litle while and behold this present last age of the worlde and viewe the contents of this time Catastrophe and pawse vpon it with indifferent reason It would in a maner amaze a well setled minde to consider it But if one shold sit in an open place wher there is daily concourse to and froe of great multitudes and should scarse see one sound and perfite man to passe by would you not thinke it were a crippelled worlde and that they hadde beene among mighty enimies in a daungerous skyrmish Surely if we consider the whole parts of a man and weigh in conscience that he should consist of godlines reason and vertue and do find that either the spirituall aduersary or the worldly consort hath so grappled battelled that some are become Heteroclites and some Monsters It is a very hard thing in this last age to finde a sound and perfit man but that in one or other of these former partes hee seemeth to haue a defect and that is perceiued in the common society of man For wherin wee ought to communicate one with the other in godly exercises and heauenly councell we iarre we vary we disdaine we enuy backbite and slaunder one an other yea of the same profession and religion as though we were straungers to each other and fauters to our aduersaries and I haue founde them most busie to speake behinde a mans backe that haue had neuer a worde to his face nay neuer a matter but by heeresay and surmise I sorrow to heare it I sigh to knowe it and I desire God to amend it for I dreade me in these daies in the fairest Rose is sonest found a Canker Reason that in times past hath beene taken for a â—age Counâ—â—â—oâ—â— in the common wealth and a gouernour as well of naturall as of morall yea and oeconomicall matters and hath beene distributed into diuers degrees for their direction and in all sortes of people she hath beene aduaunced to the highest woman and without the which neither the body of a common wealth hath beene any thing worth at all neither with out it hath man beene esteemed as a man now she is abased like and old schoolemaster that hath taught many good schollers in the ende commeth to teache one the poore A. B. C. For whereas shee hath beene a publique teacher of all men both for counsell comfort and helpe nowe she teacheth men to looke to themselues and if they will be wise to loue their owne selues and to care for their owne selues in so much that all her schollers are become in a manner singular fellowes neither imparting to others neither communicating with others and yet it is a lamentable matter to see those whom they so councell if they followe it they are nowe called snudges and pigges that erewhile were called beggers and bankrupts â—uo tene 〈◊〉 vultus â—â—tantem â—â—tea noâ— A pittifull worlde to see such a forcible doctrine where is the lawe of God which commaundeth all not one Loue God and thy neighbour as thy self where is the Law of nature which giueth generall commaundement Fac aliis fieri quod cupis ipse tibi Doe to others as thou wouldest be done vnto Where is S. Paules counsel Doo good vnto all men VVhat is there become of Tullies sentence Non nobis sed patriae nati sumus wee are not borne for our selues but for our Country In times past wisedome was accounted of at this time wealth they that haue it be they neuer neuer so bare and base seruelinges are best esteemed the time may come that a man may bee had in reputation in meane tyme Gods wyll be doone et caetera infinita Againe if wee beholde vertue considering her noble beauty and shape that she was a singuler braunch and member to sette foorth and adorne man howe she is now disfigured dismembred and defaced with infinite actions of vice it is pittifull to see that her ornaments namely Iustice temperancy chastity equity trueth pitty charity and such like c. are quite cut of and the twigges little esteemed I feare me where the mighty boughes are so often and so vnseasonably cut of in the ende they will hazard the whole tree and stocke God of his mercye preserue his little flocke For thy better preseruation good Reader I haue heere composed a small peece of worke The Argument in the which I haue breefely layd downe the sufficient suruey of a Christian And first he shall see himselfe what he is naturally what sin reigneth in him How it is nourished howe many greeuous enimies he hath by reason of sin last of all the ease and remedy he hath against the force of sinne VVhich I haue doone the rather because I see a great
â—m 3.4 be the helme and guyde of the shyp of our body néedes must the ship run at large whose guyde is vnrulie â— Cor 15. S. Paule recording the wordes of Menander sayd Euill words corrupt good manners Likewise Dauid describing the vngodly among other things sayth Vnder his tongue is vngodlines and vanitie â—am 3.6 Yea Iames sayth The tongue set among our members defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and especially you shall note it in those whose inclination is to euill and in whom there is founde a towardnes and a wylling readines to a wanton wicked and filthy life wherfore I fréendly admonish with S. Paul Fornication â—ph 5.34.5 and all vncleannes and couetousnes let it not be once named among you as it becommeth Saintes Neyther filthynes nor foolish talking neyther iesting which are thinges not comelye but rather gyuing of thankes Last of all there remaineth an other sustenaunce to carnall pleasure which is immoderate diet Immoderate dyet an â—â—imâ—â—d to all temperancy an ouerthrowe of knowledge a râ—fer out of reason a disfigurer of shape and a murtherer of vertue Likewise a fréede vnto vice a maintainer of appetite and a copartner with â—â—â—â—lines for if you behold the man in â—â—ned eyther to gluttony or drunkennes you beholde him that dooth so stuffe the flesh as he séemeth to be wylling to féede the effectes and desires thereof whych appeared shamefully bothe in Lot and in Holophernus to their confusion And as Marcinus sayth Tu ganea indulges Ciprian sectare nefandam So thou doost fauour gluttony that in the ende thou doost nourish venerye The wise man sayth Ecc. 31.30 Drunkennes encreaseth the courage of a foole till he offende it dimisheth his strength and maketh wounds Also in the Prouerbes of Salomon Pro. 23 31 32 33. Looke not thou vpon the wyne when it is red and when it sheweth hys colour in the cuppe or goeth downe pleasantlie in the end therof it wil bite like a serpent hurt like a Cockatrice thine eyes shall looke vpon strange women and thy hart shall speake lewde thinges Héerein you may sée the lewde forces of excessiue wine it maintaineth venery gyueth courage to offende diminisheth strength woundeth stingeth as a serpent hurteth like a Cockatrice turneth the eyes to straunge women and maketh the hart speake lewde thinges what greater ouerthrow can there be to the honour and dignity of a man Now beholde what God pronounceth against such In the Prophet Esay hée sayth â—sa 5 11 Woe vnto them that rise vppe earely to folow drunkennes to them that continue vntill night till the wine doo enflame them And a little after in the same Chapter â—rse 22 Woe vnto them that are mighty to drinke wine and to them that are strong to powre in strong drinke â—el 1 5 Likewise the Prophet Ioel cryeth out at them Awake ye drunkardes and wéepe and howle all yée drinkers of wyne because of the newe wyne for it shal be pulled from your mouth Nowe because mans nature is apt and prone héerevnto God did not onely gyue a threatning to this reason to be terrified but an order to his bodye to be mortified and therefore ordeyned and proclaimed fasting Fasting as a most godly and commendable constitution of the body in temperancye and that wee shold so order our dyet that we shoulde be féeders of nature and not releuers of appetite neyther should this fasting supersticiously consist in the choyse of meates and drinkes as the Maniches did August dâ—moribus Manich lâ— 2 cap 13 which refrayned flesh and yet in other dainties were distenti crepantes but rather that we shoulde take to relieue nature and no more To this ende sayth Caluin was fasting ordeyned Institu li cap 12. secâ— 15 first to supprosse the flesh least that it shoulde were wanton Secondly they should be the better gyuen to prayer and thirdly it should be a testimony vnto humility in those that did vse fasting orderly that is to saye in refraining ouermuch stuffing and pampering of the bellye the Lord God graunt it spéedily in all good Christians for his Christs sake Amen A prayer O Mercifull God forasmuch as wee see that we are but very dust and ashes and though wee growe vp gloriously as the flower of the fielde yet we are cut downe quickly and wyther as the grasse and forasmuch as out of this corruptible nature of ours proceedeth no good thing but wicked thoughtes deuilish inuentions and moste damnable actions VVe humbly beseech thee gyue vs grace that wee may so beholde our vile nature and wicked inclination that we may be ashamed at the fruites thereof that by shame we may be â—â—uen to shun the wickednes of sin and forced to shadow our selues vnder the winges of thy protection and learne to put on the beautye of thy sonne Iesus Christ that in him wee may bee restored to the shape and forme of vertue and godlines to the honour and glory of thy holy name through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Howe many greeuous enemies we haue by reason of sinne COnsidering howe ouglye and monstrous sinne is in the mind fleshe of man Chap. 3. and howe diuerse it is in hys wyll as it is a thinge impossible to proportionate it so is it a thing so detestable that by reason therof I meane sinne onely we haue many most gréeuous and intollerable enemies As for example Gods vengance and wrath our owne conscience death and damnation of the which some of theÌ„ are enemies vnto our sin fréends vnto vs as are Gods vengeaunce and our owne conscience and some of them are fréends vnto sinne and enemies vnto vs as are death and damnation but by reason that sinne raigneth in vs and we fauour it and water it and cannot nor wyll not seperate our selues froÌ„ the hazarde of it but kéepe a society wyth it Wée are like the Corne that is is found among the chaffe which is gathered vp cast into the fire and so they perish togeather Euen so when sinne is founde to excéede in our mortall bodies and that we ouermuch defile the house of the Lorde I meane his Temple he shal come with his Fanne in his hand and purge hys flower and that séede which is not séene but couered with the Chaffe and dust of the flowre shall be cast away and that man whose multitude of sinnes doo couer him so that neyther repentaunce nor any good conuersation doth discouer vndoubtedly eyther the broome of Gods vengance shall swéepe him away or els the worme of his conscience shall gnaw him or the sting of death shall confound him or els the fire of hell shall consume him for all these are enimies vnto vs for sins sake Nowe therefore least sinne myght raigne among vs too aboundantly without the cutting off of the buddings and blossomes of it either with amendmeÌ„t with grace or with feare I wyll laye