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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05093	A treatise of the excellencie of a christian man, and how he may be knowen. Written in French by Master Peter de la Place, one of the Kings counsel, and chiefe president of his court of aides in Paris. Whereunto is adioyned a briefe description of the life and death of the said authour, to the end that euerie one may knowe what he was. Translated into English by L. Tomson; Traité de l'excellence de l'homme chrestien et manière de cognoistre. English	La Place, Pierre de, 1520-1572.; Tomson, Laurence, 1539-1608.; Farnace, Pierre de. aut	1576 (1576)	STC 15231; ESTC S106746	64,194	137

common weale whiche is to be folowed without his owne house So that as a sonne he rendereth the duetie of obedience and subiection to his father and mother and helpeth them as much as he can as a seruant he sheweth him selfe seruiceable to his master and diligent to please him as of a free and wylling heart seruing God and not man as on the other syde if he be a master hee entreateth his seruantes gentlye and is not to rigorous and churlishe towardes them hauing alwayes an eye to God as to the Lorde and Master of all and if he be a Father he vseth his children louingly and gentlye as is meete for their persones trayneth vp and frameth theyr lyues in good maners and last if hee be an husbande he rendreth that beneuolence that is due vnto his wife for we may not thinke that this man is of the number of those whiche forsake the remedy that God hath established for auoiding of fornication and will nedes vpon an headines ouercome the necessitie of nature rashly assuring them selues that God will helpe them which he promiseth to none but to thē that walke in his wayes ne giueth the gift of continencie at all times to all men Moreouer the order and frame of an houshold is so well perceiued in the house of a Christian that he him self as Pastoure of his familie instructeth it diligently in the feare of God and keepeth it in good and Godly discipline by continual exercise in Godlines So that in his house you shall finde the chast wife the shamefaced plaine modest wife decked without as she is within no painted nor masked thing rendring true obedience to her husband and hauing an eye vpon her familie her seruants her children the master father and husbande euery one in his degree employing him selfe syncerely in his duetie and office approuing his doings as before God. And as for other offices dealings which are not houshold matters and are without his house as an inferiour and subiect he reuerenceth the higher powers submitteth him selfe willingly to them as to Gods ordinances whose minde is by this order to gouerne the worlde and keepe the state of mankinde in peace and tranquillitie payeth them their tributes and dueties and submitteth him selfe freely and frankely to obey their lawes and commandementes not onely for necessities sake because he can not resist thē without danger of being punished for it but also for conscience sake bound to do it by the worde of god He honoreth the Ministers Pastours of the Church as Gods messengers and sheweth him self ready and frameable to their teaching frequenteth the holy assemblies and vseth all meanes he can that are profitable to nourishe and mainteine the seruice of god And againe as superiour and placed in higher roume aboue other he hath a care to execute his charge faithfully to defende the good punish the wicked as al power and authoritie of man is bound to serue the commoditie and profit of the subiects If he be a pastour he ministreth the world of God faithfully and marreth not the doctrine of saluation he keepeth it in his puritie and instructeth the people both in good doctrine in good example of life and vsurpeth no rule or violent tyrānous Lordlines ouer his felowes nor inferiours but seketh the commoditie and profite of all them that hee hath charge of So then the condition of all men is this that they are mutually bounde one to an other so that none of vs may exempt him selfe from subiection and therefore wheresoeuer there is loue of one toward an other there is also interchangeable seruice The highest Kings and Princes that are are not exempt from it for God hath placed them in preeminence to serue as the members of the bodie what preeminence and prerogatiue soeuer the one hath ouer the other yet notwithstanding serue one an other vsing such powers as God hath put in them to the profit of the whole bodie receiuing no other commoditie but that which ariseth of the profite of the whole and is powred out vpon the whole bodie And for this cause the Christiā man hath his eyes alwayes bent vpon his vocation as vpon aprinciple and ground whereby to gouerne him self a right necessarie in al things to keepe the right waye taketh heede he do not ambitiously and rashlye take vpon him many and sondrie charges and offices togither that he attempt not more then his calling will beare and medleth not rashly with those things which do nothing cōcerne him but contenteth him selfe with his present cōdition whatsoeuer it be whether great or smal rich or poore honorable or base he foloweth it and continueth in it constantly and passeth not his bounds nor changeth it without iust cause For his affections are ruled he bridleth his naturall inordinate desires which couet commonly more then mā hath measuring his sufficiēcie by the will of God which he knoweth by that that befalleth him and taketh all as from him and by his prouidence whereunto he referreth the whole cōduct of him selfe and whatsoeuer concerneth him so that he wil do nothing nor take ought vpon him of his owne head but as a simple toole instrument submitteth himself to the conduct of his master and workeman who is the Lord of all And therfore in what state soeuer he finde him self either high or lowe rich or poore he beareth him selfe alwayes moderatly and as it were in an euen balance Hauing aboundance of richesse honours and heauenly blessinges plentifully poured vpon his soule hee easely frameth hym selfe to beare hym selfe after one forte in what so euer state may befall him in this present life making nothyng so great accompt of earthly and transitorie things as men cōmonly do verie vainely and foolishly To be short the Christian man is a vessel of honour sanctified to euerie good worke and a man that walketh after the spirit and not after the flesh and as Iesus Christ sayth that bringeth forth good things out of the treasure of his heart and spirituall vertue that is in him for he is the good tree which is knowē by his good fruite it beareth And a man clad with the garment of light that walketh honestly as at midday in all mens eyes being a paterne of good workes and a lampe lightened with the spirit of God that shineth in the darkenes of the world by purenes of life in whom there is not one piece or portiō of his life but yeldeth a good and sweete sauour of holines loue to the glorie of God and profit of his neighbour whether we marke his talke which is poudred with salt accordingly as the worde of God dwelleth plentifully in him and with such a grace that he is able to draw his hearers by reason of the commoditie and profit that commeth by his talke either to his modest behauiour being very meeke and graue or to his actions which tende to nothing but to

heare of the adoption of God howe God hath adopted and taken vs to be his sonnes in Christ before the foundation of the world was layed And why so Because they go about to set vp their owne righteousnes and therefore will not be subiect to the righteousnes of god If we do wel because we are the childrē of God and if we beleue because we were appointed to saluatiō thē is it not our wel doing that maketh vs to be Gods children then are we not appointed to saluation because we beleeue then are al their merites gone then is al their fat in the fyer A Heathen a Pharise and a Papist is no bodie vnlesse he may merite vnlesse God may be bound to him and not he to God he wil not take the kingdome of heauen of gift he wil haue it of duetie and that is no God a mercie to him This is the very point of the matter iudge nowe which is the presumptuous doctrine either the heathenish pharisaicall papistrie or the trueth of the Gospel But as I sayd I can more easely enter into the matter then get out of it the grossenes of their heresie is so notorious and brutishe the trueth of our doctrine is so plaine and riche that I can not conteine my selfe if I should folow my self I will therefore surcease and leue your worship to the reading of the worke it selfe which shal be sufficient to instruct you in the waye of this trueth and arme you agaynst the assaultes of Satan by these his instrumentes The Lord by his holy Spirit worke those two effectes in you for this present so true and comfortable doctrine and further leade you into al trueth as he is the God of trueth that in the day of the Lord Iesus you may be founde to haue walked without stumbling in whatsoeuer he hath thought necessarie to reueile vnto you for your saluatiō 15. Sept. 1576. Your worships humbly at commandement L. T. A briefe collection of the chiefest points of the lyfe of Master Peter de la Place whyle he liued Counseller to the French King and chief President in his Court of Aydes at Paris set forth by P. de Farnace THough to iudge aright of any worke we haue to consider rather what the thing is in it self then to stande much vpon the authour of it because as truth is the opinions wherwith we are before possessed whether they be with or against the persons stay vs from iudging syncerely of their doings yet notwithstanding it is a cōmendable custome not onely to set mens names before their bookes but also to set downe what men they were to the ende the reader may be the better prepared to taste of the fruict when he shal once vnderstand what tree did beare it for it is to be thought that the fruict wil be like the tree that bare it And therefore seeing this worke came to mine handes I was so bold to put forth this short but yet moste true discours of the lyfe and death of the worthie man that made it being otherwyse thus minded though this occasion had not fallen out that it were an iniurie to posteritie to suffer diuers thinges lye buryed vnder silence which befell him in his lyfe tyme and are woorthie perpetuall memorie Therefore to begime at his byrth Master Peter de la Place an Angoulesmian borne was so well trayned by in learning euen from a chylde that he onely of all his brethren resolued with him selfe to followe the studie of the Lawes wherein he profited so marueylously that before hee was two and twentie yeeres olde he made a commentarie vpon the title of Actions and about the same tyme began to be a common pleader in the Parliament of Paris where he gote himgreat commendation and prayse for excellencie of witte and eloquence in pleading and especiadly for singular vprightnes of conscience For which cause also the deceased King Francis the great did him this honour to chuse him for his Aduocat and Autourney in his Court of Aydes in Paris In which office he behaued him selfe so well that no man is able to bereue him of this commendation that he kept his handes continually cleane from briberie and neuer dyd any thing against his office either for vnbrideled ambition or couetousnes King Henrie the last hauing sufficient testimonie of his good and vpright bearing of himselfe in steade of continuing him in this office chose him amongest a number of other to be his Presidēt in the said Court of Aides And whilest he was in this office it pleased God to call him to knowe him about the yere 1554 after a strange fashion About twentie yeres before whylest hee was a student at Poictiers it pleased God to make him see Master Iohn Caluine passing then that way with the Archbyshop of Tillet whome he was content to heare speaking honourably of the knowledge of God in generall but when hee spake of the pure seruice of God he made astaye there as one very zelous of that religion wherein he had bene carefully brought vp Yet so it was that euen from that daye there remained some scruple in his conscience that it might well be he might be deceiued and that his mynde ran vpon oftentimes as he confessed afterwarde which was as you would saye a preparatiue to nourishe this litle seede vntill it came to budde forth and spring at such time as God had appointed it After this it fell out on a daye that standing at his doore there came a certaine strāger to him by a wonderfull prouidence of God whom he knewe not but seeing him to be a man of some qualitie and one that wanted reliefe in his extreme pouertie turned to hym very humbly and made him a long discourse in excellent Latin vpon the cause of his miserie And finding hym to be a man well qualified caused him to come in euen into his studie to feele hym the better to the bottome at his leasure Then this poore mā as one sent from God began to discyfer out frankely vnto hym all the abuses of the Popishe Church and to shewe hym the true and onely way to serue god And after he had heard him patiently he rewarded him and prayed him notwithstanding very earnestly to come no more to him so afraid he was of the fyers which were prepared against them which were suspected the lest that might be for the doctrine of the Gospel as in deede this poore stranger not long after was tried in the fornace at Paris But after this Peter de la Place left not tourning both the Scriptures and al the old fathers euen to the very scholemen to finde some meanes if it were possible to take away this scruple which troubled his minde day night By this meanes in shortspace God touched his heart and opened his eyes and caused him to behold the light of the Gospel in so much as after the death of King Francis the second he declared him selfe openly to be of

all creatures are susteined and haue their mouing by a generall strength and vertue which is common to all liuing creatures neither that spirit whereby we haue diuers and sundrie giftes bestowed seuerally vpon eche of vs but the spirit of adoption and sanctification which the Lorde giueth to none but to the Christian man when he receiueth him into the number of his children and separateth him from all other and sundreth him from the world to bring him to the hope of the euerlasting inheritance This Spirit is for this cause called the Spirit of sanctificatiō whereby the image of God is imprinted in a Christian and serueth him for an earnest pēny of his saluation and in deede putteth him in possession and a certaine enioying of his adoption whiche is giuen him by a speciall grace of God to bring that to passe by a secret working which he determined in his secret counsel to bring to passe in him by his mightie hand shewing him selfe to be a most gracious and louing father by his testimony a greater then which and more certaine we can not desire because the light and knoweledge which he giueth is accompanied with such a persuasion and certaintie of spirit and with so stedfast and assured trust of heart in his goodnes that it maketh our vnderstanding surmount all thinges clenseth lifteth vp our hearts to heauen and causeth vs to feele a spirituall tast of heauenly riches And to be short causeth a new birth in him and transformeth him for this light which is in a Christiā mans soule differeth very much frō all other light of knowledge and from that kinde of faith which procedeth from the persuasion of man For it is impossible for mās wit to giue man such vnderstāding of knowledge and faith as this is which is wrought in him by the mightie working of the spirit of God and is this in summe that the Gospel which hath no appearance of witte nor strēgth is notwithstāding a wisdom so high that it surmounteth the heauens is the mightie power of God to saluation to euery one the beleueth to bring him to the kingdom of heauen for in deede what can there be more strange more foolish more simple or more offensiue to reason then to heare a man say that God is made become a mortall man that life was subiect to death righteousnes couered with a shew of sinne blessing subiect to curse that by this meanes men might be ransomed from death made partakers of blessed immortalitie to the end they might obtein life that iustice might raigne sinne being once abolished and last of al to the end that death it self malediction might be swalowed vp and therfore that we haue to enter into glorie by ignominie into felicitie by myseries and into life by death And moreouer that this light is farre different from all other light of knowledge faith which proceadeth from the persuasion of man it is nedelesse to alleage any other example thē the example of that faith which is in the most part of them that beare the name of Christians yet haue nothing but the bare title and beleue in Iesus Christ because they haue bene so learned taught frō father to sonne are so persuaded because they see other men that liue with them beleue so thē especially whom they take to be the holiest the wisest the most religious persuade them selues that their heades can not erre So that if they had chanced to haue bene borne in any other countrie or religion they would as easely haue bene persuaded to it as to that which now they holde and are persuaded is true seeing their knowledge is gotten by reason and discourse of man not giuen of God and from aboue but cold fleshly weake and very changeable which hath no other end but a peculiar respect of his owne and nothing lesse then to be touched with the glorie of god Neither doe they receiue Iesus Christe for such an one as he is offred of God the father in the Gospel by a liuely faith proper to the elect but while they professe his name they spoile him of his glorie vertue and dignitie to transferre it to creatures and mens inuentions in steade of the Creator And therefore it foloweth that this man which we speake of cā not be discerned from other by any iudgement of mans sense reason but by a spiritual iudgement by comparing spiritual things with spirituall things for the Christian people are but a smal flock contemptible scattred here one there one in the thickest of a number that are falsely called the people of God and Christians separate from the cōmō order of mē set apart as a treasure that God reserueth for himself hiddē withdrawē from the sight knowledge of mē as a few graines of corne vnder a great deale of chaf in a floore so that it is not y reputatiō nobilitie greatnes wisdō deuotiō or other apperance that man estemeth be it neuer so glorious which we haue to respect as S. Paul willeth the Corinth to consider that there are but a few called amongst them a few wise a few noble a fewe mightie of authoritie after the flesh neither haue we to respect the title or outward profession ne yet the outward signe of Baptisme as it is written All they that are of Israel are not Israelites nor all they Abrahams children which are borne of Abraham although they haue all one selfe same marke of Circumcision but it is the marke of the Spirit of God which we must haue regard vnto seeing that all signes and appearances because they are onely without are vnprofitable without the holy working of the inward wherein truely consisteth the witnesse whereby a Christian man may know him self And the first effect of this inward vertue of God is that which the Scripture calleth Adoption which is not common to all the world as Iesus Christ giueth vs to vnderstād saying That he prayeth not the father for the world but for them whom the father hath giuen him as it is said in an other place That the praise of y adoption is not of men but of God according to his good pleasure and grace giuē in Christ before the foundations of the world were layde So that euen as it is said that Christ dwelleth in vs by the spirit of God euen so doth man know and is knowen to be a Christian by the felowship of the same spirit as by that marke wherewith the heauenly father sealeth and marketh the heart of his elect in assurance of their adoptiō wherby he knoweth thē whō he hath quickened frō heauen by his most secret vertue which no sense of man is able to perceiue being in it self very high of great maiestie in outward appearāce vile beggerly wherby euery Christian mā hath such a conformitie with Christ that as the world did not know him so neither is he knowen to