comminge from the ploughe whiche parable he concludeth with thys sayinge So ye also when ye haue done all that are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruantes we haue done y ◠whiche was our duty to do And therfore sayeth S. Paule in the 2. to the Ephesians For by grace are ye saued through faythe and that not of your selues For it is the guyfte of God and not of workes least any man should boaste And because that we shoulde not mystake S. Paule and thinke that the opinyon of faith were inough therfore we might be ydle and liue careleslye without desier or regarde of vertue he immediatlye addeth sayinge For we are his workmāship saieth he created in christ Iesu vnto good workes whiche God hath prepared that we shoulde walke in them So that it is most manifest what impudent and vnshamefast lyers and slaunderers the papistes their ad herentes are vpō god his preachers and his mynysters for neyther they nor none other at any time hard any other doctrine out of anye of those preachers mouthes whome it hath pleased them to cal new preachers but thei and their doctrine I meane the papistes maye be called this dayes bakinge in comparyson of the auncienty of y ◠doctrine whiche is taughte by those newe felowes then this that I haue aboue written Which in dede most aboundantly and plentifully is setts forthe in this little booke bothe godlyly and learnedly Where by it maye well be perceyued that though the tyme of darkenes hath bene muche in the world by reason the same hath bene so obfuscated and ouer whe◅ed with the dyrtye tradicions of wicked men that the light and puryty of god his ghospel coulde not shine yet was it not hidde from all men but at al times and in all ages there euer haue bene some that sawe and knewe the trueth and left the same in wrytyng to their posterity as appeareth by this little worke whiche came to my handes written and when I had red the same considerynge the antiquytye thereof I remembred the aunswere of God made to Elyas the Prophete 3. Reg. 19. I haue lefte me sayeth God 7000. men in Israell whose knees neuer vowed before Baall nor kyssed hym with hys mouth So that god alwayes as appereth thoughe they be not taken of the worldlynges hath his churche and people in the worlde thoughe in dede they be very few and so haue alwayes bene in respecte of the contrarye parte and oftentymes exercised vnder the Crosse and afflyeted by the worlde For if we should consider the estate condicion of gods church from the beginnyng of the world euē vntyll our time we shal perceiue y e same alwaies to be very few in comparison of the residue of the world and that for the most part afflyeted for anon after that Adam and Eue were cast out of paradice Genes 3. Dyd not wicked Caine kyll iust Abel Genes 4. And after as the worlde increased so did wickednesse habounde and synne wared rife and God so put in oblyuion that 1556. yeares after the creatyon of the world in the whiche the deluge or vniuersall floode came whereby all the world was drowned there was no more found God his people and God his churche in all the worlde but eight persōs that is to saye Noy his wife his 3. sonnes and theyr wyues which were saued and skaped the floode As appeareth in Genes the 7. And after the floode was passed Noy and his housholde come out of the arke the worlde beyng deuided among his thre sonnes Sem Cham and Iaphethe and that the people began eftsones to multiplye and increase the worlde was so forgrowē in wickednes that there was none found that truely worshipped god but Phare Abrahams father and his housholde as may appeare to the diligent reader from the. 9. to the. 12. of Genes and after the death of Phare god called Abraham from among the chaldeis least he shoulde haue him plucked from the true worshipping of god to idolatry which then was ryfe among the Chaldeyans and flowed also ouer all the worlde Abraham obeyed god his calling toke with him his wife Sara al his houshold and Lot his brothers son and so departed from Haram where Abrahams father dyed into the lande of Canaan which afterward his posteritie enioyed after muche tribulacion as from the 12. of Genes and so the 5. bokes of Moyses and Iosue is plainlye sette forth and at large dyscribed And so to see the whole course of the bible from Abrahams comming from among the Chaldeys vnto Moyses departure ◅ute of Egipt with the people of Israel his rule of theym in the wildernesse what trauaile and rebellyon he had amonges them and so to Iosua who was there guyde to the promysed lande in whose tyme the true and pure religion of god florished emōgst them and from Iosues tyme the manner of the gouernance of their common welth vnder Iudges and from Iudges vnto kinges and from kinges vnto priestes after the captiuytye of Babylon euen vntill Christes tyme. And it shall be well perceyued that euen amonge the Iewes being gods peculyar people all the world besides being altogether geuen to ydolatry and knowing not god that God hys people were alwayes the least in number and the true worshippinge of God was in very fewe And that alwaies the greater sort and more in number were suche as folowynge their owne dreames inuencyons forsoke the true worshippinge of God and with most cruelty put to death the professors thereof and slue the prophetes which tolde them Gods will rebuked their sinnes and ydolatry as in the sacred Scriptures is most plentifully described As for ensample Of syx hundreth thousande which came out of Egipte vnder Moyses there entred but two namely Iosue and Caleb into the land of promis And when that Moyses by the cōmandement of god sent forth 12. of y e people of Israel out of eche tribe one to vew the promysed lande After they hadde bene out 40. dayes and retourned of the 12. which were sent two parsons onely that is to say Iosue and caleb tolde the trueth and tenne of the twelue were lyers and perswaded the people from going into the lande whiche god had promised Ye and such hurly burly was amongste them that not onely Moyses and Aaron but also Iosue Caleb the true messengers were like to be stoned and would haue made themselues capitaines and so haue returned back into Egipt What plague folowed them rede the place Nume 13. Not one of theym entred the lande no more any rebellours againste God hys truth and his true preachers which are signified by Iosue caleb shal enter into our promised land which is the king dom of heauen purchased by y ◠precious death and bloudshedding of y ◠immaculate lambe Iesus christ our onely sauiour aduocate again was not Micke as y e prophet of god against 400. false prophets of Baall whiche promised Achab victory i
to other and sâ—…t your mynde and purpose onely vpon hym Spare not loue and folowe such lerning but â—…o 〈◊〉 as you shall thinke necessarye for the contynâ—…unce of youre good purpose If youe fele your selfe substantiallyâ—… stronge and hope by this lerninge to haue greate lucre in god be bolde then to wade further in all suche learninge and turne the riches of Egipt to the making freshe and gaie the temple of god that is to the de claration of holy scripture But if youe perceaue feblenes in youre selfe and feare you shal haue more hinderance by them then profitte returne to youre fyrste rule know your self and mesure your self wise ly with your owne mesure That is to say consider diligentlie your power and strength and ieoperde not farther then you may wel sustain it is better to haue litle knowleged the learnyng of man and feruentelie to loue then greate knoweledge and loue coldelye Then learninge amonge thinges that be meane is of moste excelen cie Nexte frendship of the body strength bewtie dignity birthe kinred riches and such other As they moste helpe to vertue so they must be regarded folowed We maie not for these meane thyngs leue our principal course whiche is Christ ne to busilie desire them but be content as god wil and sendeth them Fortune sendeth abundaunce of riches if they hinder not your good purpose dyspose them and make frendes with the foode of iniquity But if you feare hinde raunce of your good purpose by reason of this riches despise then this hurtfull lucre And as Crato the philosopher dyd Throw this greuous burden into the sea that is to say leue it to the world rather then it shoulde let or hynder your iorney from christ Remember alway that aboundaunce of ry â—…hes is a plentifull matter ministred of god to exercise vertu but ve ry perilous ful of ieoperdy And therfore put no greate affiance in it For they that exteme mony and possessions of this world as a pre cious thing of much valew setting in it their most assurance and trust as the chefe anker and suertie of their liuinge iudging them blessed and happye whyche haue plentie and aboundauÌ„ce of riches contrarie miserable and vnhappie when they be taken from them be false idolators and worship many gods For if monie can make man happie or vnhappie thou â—…ualest thy mony to god as I haue said of money so I may say of honour bewty health of the bodye such other We must so seruently intend our onely marcke Christ that we greatly regarde no suche thinges whether they be geuen vs or taken from vs for as the apostell saint Paule saith the tyme in this worlde is but short and therfore we must vse it as they that vse it not I knowe well the people of this worlde exteme this sayinge as very folishe and vnreasonable but by suche folishnes Christ hath saued suche as beleue in god And that folyshnes of god is muche more wyse then that wysedome whiche semethe more wise to men of this worlde Therefore what soeuer you shal occupy or do proue it by this rule you vse occupacion or handicraft and you doo well if you vse it without dysseyt or subtyltie But whether referre you the ende of your crafte to nory she your housholde and wyn them to Christe Now you do well You faste suerly you do a good worke in aâ—…de but wherfore faste you to spare your mony to be countyd more holye Nowe your intent is nought you eate and drynke to be strong in your body to the intent you maye bee more able to serue god and vse a more godly worke Nowe you hyt the pricke But if you desyre strengthe to preserue your body or to be more able to ful fyll the pleasures of this worlde Nowe haue you fallen from that marck which euery good christian man muste haue fyxed in his re membraunee Manye desyer god that they maye lyue longe in this world but let them rather desyre of god a good and vertuous mind and that hatred of vice and loue of vertue maye dailye increase that when so euer death shall com they be not vnprouided as for time to liue or dye put that to Christ. And saye with Paul whether we liue or dye we liue and dye to Christ. O fonde man whych haste no deuocion of the changing of thy life and prayest thou mayest not dye what desyrest thou of god Trew lye to haue leysure continually to offende god Thou desirest riches and canst not vse them doeste thou not desire thyn owne dystruction Thou desirest health and misusest thy healthe is not this deuocion very vngracious The deuocion shalbe perfyt if we desire to dye be with Christ and if we put oure glory and ioye in sicknesse losse of goodes and other incommodities of this world glad that we maye be by suche vexacion and trâ—…uble conformate and made like to oure hed and capitain Christ. ¶ The fyfte Rule to know perfyt and trewe deuocion from vaine and fayned ANd somewhat to ayde and fortesye that we haue sayde this shalbe the 〈◊〉 rule that you exteme and thinke perfit and true deuocion to assend by iust laboure from those thinges which be visible meane and vnperfyte to the knowledg of those which be inuisible pâ—…rfyte This rule is so necessary that for dyspysing of it lack of knowledg of the same ma ny y â— bearyth the name of Chryst â—…or perfyt dâ—…uocion and trew religion be verye superstycyous and much differâ—…th not from the vsage oâ—… the gâ—…ntylles Let vs therfore immagin coÌ„sâ—… tuâ—… two wordes the oâ—… â–ª intellectable the other visyble or sensyble The intellectabâ—…e may be callyd also the angelical in the wâ—…ich god is contayned and his blessâ—…d saintes the vysible is the hâ—…uenlye spyres and all that is contained within theÌ„ And for our purpose let vs also immagin man as a third worlde pertaker of both the other worldes Of the visible by the body and of the intellectuall by the soule And for as muche as we be pylgrymes in this visyble worlde we maye not â—…esse but such as we shall perceaue by our wittes or censes eâ—…teriour diligently refer and applye to the intellectuall worlde by conueniente and mete collacion or â—…ls to the parte of man whiche is lyke and respondent to the said world The sonne in this sensible worlde resembleth in the angâ—…lical world the godly minde and dâ—…uine sprit and in man the sowle or the spryt The monâ—… in this senâ—…ble world representyth in the angelycall the company of aâ—…gels and holy saintes and in man the sensual partes or the sensis What soeuer this inferioure worlde dothe vppon the earth that same dothe god in thy sowle When you perceue that the bodely eyes be delyghted and com forted what time the sonne clerly shyneth and resplendantly shedith her
to Abraham The symple daughters of Loth seinge they sawe the vniuersall or hole worlde perceyuing of so greate a multitude none remaynynge but theyr father and them self fearing least the kynde of man shuld vtter lye haue peryshed and decaie of a vâ—…hemente loue and zeale to the countenance of mankynd secretly laye with their father and at that time when this commandemente was freshe and in remembrance Increase you and multiplye the worlde And darest thou with the facte or dede of these maydens coÌ„pare thy monstruous pleasures lecherous actes Dauid also after so many vertuous examples and noble actes once commytted aduoutrey and thinkest thou it laufull to the to continue all thy lyfe in fil thy pleasure and voluptuous nes of the flesshe Peter for feare of death once denied Christ shalt thou therefore for euery trifle forswere thy selfe Mathewe once coÌ„maundid by almighty god forsoke his occupacion and office the suerty of his liuinge and folowed Christe And yet so many exaumples of holye Saynctes the commaundementes of the gospel so often rehersed so many sermoÌ„s and holsome predications can not reuoke thy gredy appetite and coue tousnes of the worlde Uertuous behauyoure and honesty hath con tinually decayed sith we haue coloured our vices with thename of vertue And haue ben more quick to defend our abhomination then diligent to amende it And meinteined our froward opinioÌ„s with fayned and false defence of holye scripture And therfore good christen man followe not the common fashions and opinions of men but folowe Christe the onely auctour and example of vertuouse liuing and as for thy outwarde behauyour concerning maners apply thy selfe to all men so that thy intent and purpose be stedfaste and suer towardes god and his trueth to the intente thou mayste wynne all men to Chryst. ¶ The. vii Rule howe to labour to obteyne that whiche is nerest to a spirituall lyfe BUt if our weakenesse of nature and infancie of Faythe can not attaine to the very parfect and spiritual life we must at the least labour and inforce to obteine that whiche is nerest to the sayde parfecte and spirituall lyfe The very trewe and compendiouse waye to eternall felycitie is vtterly to con uerte oure hole mynde and intente to the loue and desyre of heauenly thynges That as the body naturally hath adioined and associated vnto it his shadowe so the loue of christ the loue of vertue and heuenly thynges maye acompanye bring with theÌ„ hatred vice and disdaine of worldly things fraile and vncertaine The one of these necessarylye foloweth the other increaseth or discreaseth with the other For the more you profyt in the loue of Chryst the more shall you hate the world And the more you desier thinges which be inuisible the lesse pleasure shall you haue in thinges that be visible vn stable and vnsure And therefore that thynge whiche Quintilian counsayleth to be folowed in learning we must also folowe in vertuouse liuynge that is that wee from the beginninge inforce and intende to the best The which if by weakenes of nature we can not obteyn the next is that we ware ly and wisely absteyne from notable and open vices and sinnes as muche as shal lye in your power For as the body moste weake and brought lowe but ryd and cleane from hurtfull humours is moste nere the natural helth so the soule not defiled with gret and notable vices is more redy to receaue the giftes of god althoughe it lacke yet the power and perfyt vertue If we be weake and not able to folowe in our liuing the holy Apostells Marters and Uirgins let vs at the least not committe that that heathen and vnchristen men maye be sene to excell and passe vs in vertue Of the whiche dyuers when thei neither knew god whoÌ„ they shoulde loue ne beleuyd that hel was which they should feare Thought and decreyd that vice sinne was vtterly for it selfe to be lefte and auoidyd insomuch that they had leather leese their name riches life then to disceuer from morall vertue If sin of him self be so abhominable of that nature that infidells for no profyt or disprofyt would commit it Trewly thoughe neither the iustice of god might feare him ne the godnes of god disswade exhort him nother the hope of eternal lyfe ne feare of eternal payne reuoke him nother the natural fylthynes of sin withdraw him which onely did withdraw diuers gentylls at the leste the diuers and many incommodyties whiche commonly followe a sinner in this worlde should feare a christen man from commission of sinne that is to saye infamy wast and consumption of his goodes possessions pouerty contempt and hatred of all good men trouble dtsquietnes of minde finally that miserable grudge and vexation of concience the whiche though many men perceaue not ne fele forthe with other obscured by dulnesse of age or drowned in pleasure of â—…n yet they shal fele perceaue it at length the later the more dauÌ„gerous more to their pain And therfore young men ar diligently to be admonished that they rather beleeue by informacion of others that this is the nature coÌ„dicion of sin theÌ„ to lerne proue it by experieÌ„ce in theÌ„ selues And that by sinne they defile not their lyfe before they knowe plainelye what thing the life is If thou regardest not Christe which boughte the so derelye abstaine yet from vice for thy nowne sake and thoughe it be very daungerous to coÌ„tinew long in this meane waye which is onlye to absteyne from notable and common vices yet to them which cannot ascende to the highe perfec tion it is muche more commenda ble to consist in the polyticall and morall vertue Then headling to runne through all kinde of vices In this concisteth not the parfect felicitie and in this state almightie god is diligentely to be called vpon by praier that it may please hym to helpe and further vs in hygher perfection ¶ The eight Rule howe to resist temptacions IF thou perceiue that the storme of teÌ„ptacion dothe very often and greuously assaute the dysmaye not therefore thy selfe ne be displesed with thy self as though almyghty god nothyng regarded thee but rather thanke him that he instructethe and teacheth thee as one to be his eyer that he punisheth and correcteth thee as his moste dere sonne that he prouith and assayeth the as his well beloued frende It is a manyfeste and great token that man is reiect froÌ„ the mercy and fauour of god when he is troubled withe no temptacion In thy temptacion remember the holy apostell S. Paul which rapte to the misteries of the thyrd heauen was troubled and vexyd with the auâ—…gell of Satan remeÌ„ ber the temptacion and trouble of the holy man Iob Saint Ierom and other Saintes whiche were greuously troubled with their offences Sithe this thinge which thou sufferyst is common to
in all your lyfe after your lyf wormes meate and dust Remember also what Christ was made for youre sake and it shall I doubte not represse youre Pride ¶ A remedy againste the sinne of Anger and desyre of reuengeaunce WHEN vehement displeasure of the mynde moueth and exytethe you to be reuenged re member substauncially that anger is nothing lesse theÌ„ that thinge which she counterfayteth that is to saye strength and fortitude RemeÌ„ber also that anger is a femynine affection â—…urye â—…seming the constancy of man â—…nd that it is a plaine euident toâ—… of a childishe feble stomake to reioyce of uengeaunce Thou thynkeste to be counted bolde and coragious if thou sufferest not iniurie vnreuenged but by this mea nes thou doest declare thy weake nes and chyldyshenes that thou hast nopower to moderate or temper thy mynde or appetite which is the very propertie and token of a manne Howe muche more commendable and manly is it to despise the lightenes or folishenes of other then to folowe it the more hurtefull the more cruell and sekynge of quarels thou shalte perceaue thy ennemye to be the more dyligentely laboure that thou be not made equal and like vntohim For what maddenesse is it to reuenge thee of a nother mannes lewdenes and to make thye selfe thereby more lewde and vicious If you despise the iniurie and con tumely of youre ennemie and be not moued and distroubled therewith then shall it plainely appere that you haue not deserued it but if you be angrye and moued therewith then make you his cause the better whiche didde the iniurye Remember also that iniurye and displeasure is not quenched ne cea sed by reuengeaunce but rather newe kindeled and increased and what conclusion or ende shall be of displeasures if euery man shuld couet to be reuenged By desire of reuengeaunce and continuance in anger ennemies increaceth in bothe parties and the dyspleasure continuallye reneweth in the stomake the whiche the more olde it is the more it is vncurable But by sufferaunce and pacience he is often tymes wonne whiche hath done displeasure and by remembraunce of him selfe of an ennemie made a suer and stedfaste frende Furthermore it shal greatly quen che and slake your aÌ„ger if in other mennes offences and displeasures toward you ye diligently remember how greuousely and howe often you haue offended god and in howe greate daunger you are vnto his goodnes As you remytte the offences and dyspleasures of other men towarde you soo shall almightye god pardon you youre offences towardes him Forgeue therefore youre neyghboure his lyghte and small offences towardes you For it is but lyghte that man can committe againste man and almightye god shall pardone you the greate multitude of your sinnes He wil not refuse the lawe that he hath made and ordeyned And if you thinke it harde and of greate difficultie to represse thye furiouse and angrye mynde Remember that Chryst sufferyd muche more hardenes and payne for your sake What were you when he renderyd and payde his precious lyfe for youre offences were you not his ennemy howe pacientely dothe he suffer you dayely offending and renewing your olde synnes If you desire or couet to be the member of Christ you must followe the pacience and charitie of Christ. You can not haue Christ mercifull vnto you if you vse crueltie and extreame iustice toward your neighbour Therefore when you shall fele youre selues mouyd to angre if you can not vtterly op presse and subdewe this affection at the leaste so moderate and refraine your selfe that you maye haue remembraunce that you be not in perfect and good memorie Beleue not youre felfe when you be angrye but haue all thynges suspected vnto the which the irefull affection shall moue and intise you althoughe they be honest Remember howe many thinges you haue sayde or done in anger of the whiche you after repented you and willed to amende theim Remember that betweene Anger and frenesie is no dyfference but that the oone is a perpetuall furor and maddenes the other temporall and but for a season And if you further desyre by experience to haue knowledge howe vnbecomely and vnseeminge vnto man it is to be ouercom of anger when you be wel aduised and quiet Beholde the countenaunce and gesture of him that is angrye or beholde youre selfe in your anger at a glasse and when you shall perceyue the eyes flamynge as fyer the cheekes pale and wanne the lyppes fomynge lyke a Bore the face dystorted and oute of facyon the other members trymblynge and quakinge the voice furyouse the gesture inconstante and oute of order you shall playnely confesse that it is more like a cruell a sauage beaste then like a man And if you be of Nature propence and disposed to this vice you shall the more diligently vse and accustome your selfe not to be angry and to do and saye nothyng when you be disquietid And as I haue shewed you in one or two vyces for an example so shall you do in all other specially in such as you shal know youre selfe inclined vnto eyther of nature or custome and agaynste their assaultes write certaine rules in the secreates of your minde and often renewe them leaste by disuse they be forgotten And in â–ª struct prepare your mynde with praier fastyng reding of holy scrip ture exaumple of holy and vertuouse men and specially of your Capitaine Christe and so doinge you shalbe more able to withstand vice and more redy to fulfill the commaundementes of Christ To whom be eternall laude and commendation Amen Imprynted at London by VVyllyam Seres dvvellynge at the vveste ende of Paules Churche at the sygne of the Hedgehogge ANNO. 1561 Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum The life of man a continuall conflicte howe the world is â—…e celued and wherein The contynuall ennemies of maÌ„ kynde Spirites of the ayre the worlde the serpeÌ„t The fleshe a domestycal famili ar enemie â–ª The great occasions maÌ„ hath to watch and praâ—…e yet behold our 〈◊〉 He that so at peace with synne so the enne 〈◊〉 of god wheÌ„ we 〈◊〉 at peace with god Our profes sion at bap tisme we are dou ble bounde to speÌ„d our lines in chri stes quarel Thâ—… shame of cowar â–ª dise We music â–ª feare 〈◊〉 fo sake Christe Forsakers of Christe double 〈◊〉 tours Theyr reward that forsake Christe â–ª If vaine re wardes make car nal soldyours fyght wel howe much more oughte we to fight c. 〈◊〉 vnto ward â–ª nesto good The rewarde of Chrystes trewe soldyours our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is gret The highest felycty is to be coÌ„mendyd of Christe The differeÌ„ce of the force of the worldli and spirytuall battells how much we feare more the deth of the bodie then of the soule Tokens whereby â—…o know whâ—… ther the soule ve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deade or 〈◊〉 The sowle of man is deade that hath no