The Amendment of Life
NOw let us come to the sacraments. As concerning baptism, in as much as among all Christians, except the Anabaptists, the institution & ordinance of Jesus Christ, to baptiste children, is observed, reserving to another place the corruptiō of not knowing, much less practicing the use of our baptism, we will proceed to the supper. The supper was ordained principally for two reasons. The first: As a mother having brought forth her little one, doth not forsake it, but nurseth & bringeth it up: So Christ having ordained baptism to be as a seal & pledge of our spiritual new birth into his Church, did institute the holy supper, to the end that by participation in his body & blood, we might the more be strengthened in this assurance, that Christ is ours, together with all his benefits, & so feed our souls spiritually to life everlasting. And indeed as there is no salvation but in Christ, so doth not Christ any whit profit us, except we believe that he is ours, together with all his benefits. Well is he presented unto us in the preaching of the Gospel, but there be yet two other points, & those very notable, in the cōmuniō of the holy supper. For God who in his preaching speaketh generally to all men, in his holy supper directeth his particular promise, & as it were by name, to every the cōmunicants therein. And not so satisfied, he also delivereth them a seal and visible token to assure thē that his pleasure is that Christ with all his benefits should as certainly belong to every of thē, as they see, touch and tail that they be partakers of that bread & wine that is delivered unto thē. He thē that careth not to be confirmed in this assurance, that Christ with all his benefits is his, is possessed with too much pride, if he thinketh it needles, either that he profane it, as not feeling what a comfort and joy it is to have assurance of his salvation in Jesus • Christ. The second reason is, that we presenting our selves at the Lord's table, may by so doing make as it were a public protestation that we have no fellowship with Idolaters and heretics, neither with the world: But that we take our selves to be the children of God, & the menbers of the body of Christ, that we look for life and salvation through him only, and so show forth the benefit of his death, & all this in remembrance of him to his glory. The first reason declareth how necessary the use of the holy supper is in regard of our selves: The second, how requisite it is to the glory of God and the edification of our neighbors. We might also add a third reason: That is, that the holy Supper is a seal of our union & knitting together into one body, under our head Jesus Christ, as S. Paul expressly saith, That we who are many, are but one bread, and one body, because we are all partakers of one bread. And thus those men that voluntarily do abstain therefro, do deprive their souls of their food, Christ of his glory, and by their evil example, do minister offense to their neighbors. To conclude: They separate, or rather keep them selves separate from the body of Christ. Hereby it appeareth, that they which be negligent, and care not for communicating in the Lord's Supper when he giveth them opportunity, do deserve not only not to be accounted members of Christ's Church, but also to incur the most horrible judgment and vengeance of God: As God in old time declared by Moses: That the man that did not celebrate his passover should be cut off from among the people, and bear his own sin, because he offered not the offering of the Lord in due season.
2 Again, we see in sundry reformed Churches a number of negligent hearers of sermons; but yet are there many more that care not for communicating in the Lord's Supper, and that upon sundry considerations: first, some that live in bad consciences, in whoredom, theft, drunkenness, or other iniquities, from which they are not determined yet to abstain, do forbear the communion, as doubting least they should aggravate their condemnation, according as saith S. Paul, He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation. These men do resemble those, who living in fornication do refuse to marry, least thereby their fornication, which they are not minded to give over, should be the more grievous, as being converted into adultery. They may also be likened to those, who hating their neighbors, when they say the Lord's prayer, Our father which art in heaven, &c. do leave out this petition, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us, as imagining that if they should say that, they should pray to God not to forgive their own sins, because they forgive not their neighbors. But as they who living in fornication and will not marry, least they should forsake their adultery, are in a woeful estate: so the others that ask no forgiveness for their transgressions, and seek to continue in hatred against their neighbors, are worthy double condemnation: one in respect of their hatred that they continue: the other, for their sins, for the which they ask no forgiveness. Even so, they that forbear the holy Supper, in respect of their bad consciences, do pronounce sentence against themselves, namely that they deserve double death: first, for their sin which they do continue in wicked consciences: and secondly, because they separate themselves from the communion of Christ, in whom only is the fullness of life. What shall they then do? Let them put away their wicked conscience: Let them dissolve the bands of Satan: Let them come forth of hell: If they say that they cannot so far master their affections: Why? have they married themselves to fornication, hatred, theft and other like iniquities, upon condition that they will never be divorced from the same? surely that is a token, that they do not steadfastly, believe that there is a hell prepared for such liners. Or at the least, the pleasure that they take in their sin, doth quench all remembrance thereof. Otherwise, the sole apprehension of this horrible and unquenchable fire, would force them to give over the wickedness that leadeth and draweth them thereto. And indeed if in a mighty tempest they should chance to find themselves upon the sea in danger of drowning, they would a thousand times protest to forsake their bad consciences, that so they might submit themselves to the obedience of God. But how can they lie down and sleep upon a pillow of fornication, theft hatred, and other wickedness, giving themselves as a pray to Satan, if God in his long suffering should not recover them? Let them flatter themselves at their pleasures: for if they continue in abusing the patience of God, and abstaining from the holy Supper to the end to go on in a wicked conscience, their estate is most woeful and accursed. As he therefore, who wanting the gift of continency, and living in fornication, ought to abhor it, and to provide himself of a remedy by marriage: so as often as they have aduertisment, or hear of the celebration of the Lord's supper, let them at the least think themselves wakened and summoned to renounce their wicked consciences, and by participating in the holy supper, to separate themselves from the society of the wicked, to glorify God, and to be confirmed in faith and courage, to go forward from good to better.
3 Others do forbear the communion, because they will not submit themselves to Ecclesiastical orders and discipline. If we might admit of everyone indifferently, or that we would not care although afterward they lived other wise then might beseem the children of God, or were occasion of offense to the weak, then would they surely come to communicate: But if they may not be admitted before they have talked with some minister or elder of the Church, yea & peradventure be forced to bear with some Christian admonition, in case they do not afterward walk in the course of Christianity: they will rather choose to deprive thenselves of the communion. As also to the end to confirm them in this mislike, they shall find some discontented persons who to mislike the order of the Church, will even against their own consciences charge it with the title of a new tyranny & inquisition. Yet must we confess that the Church of Christ cannot consist without some order, and as S. Paul saith, All things must be done in order and decency. If no City, or family can long continue without establishment of some order and government: Then the more excellent that the Church is, the more necessary it is therein to erect and observe some government, which we term Ecclesiastical Discipline. Doctrine is as it were the soul of the Church, and order as the sinews of the same to uphold it. If the Church which is God's house must not be a receptacle and harborow for dissolute persons and unbelieving vnthrists, and as both the Prophet and Jesus Christ himself termeth them a den of thieves: Then must there be some order, whereby to purge and preserve it from such.
4 Particularly, if the holy supper be ordained for the faithful, the children of God and the members of Jesus Christ: Such as have the government of the Church, must also have some testimony that they that desire to adjoin themselves thereto and to communicate therewith, are taken to be such as approving the purity of the doctrine, do not lead any offensive life. And as for those that are once admitted to the communion, they may continue therein by trying themselves, because by the rule of charity we are to believe that they persevere in the faith, godliness & love, until either by revolt from the doctrine, offensive conversation, or obstinate refusal of Christian admonitions & exhortations, they show themselves unworthy the communion, whereto nevertheless upon testimony of their repentance and amendment of life, they may be again admitted. Let those therefore that stumbling at this order do deprive themselves of the communion, even judge in their own consciences, whether it be not meet that order be maintained, and all persons subjected thereto, rather then to bring in such confusion, as indifferently to receive to the Lord's supper all fornicators, drunkerds, thieves, murderers, and other like offensive people: whereof might ensue a most grievous profanation of the Lord's table, to the condemnation as well of those that so shall be admitted, as of them that voluntarily do admit them. When Christ and Saint John do cry, Amend your lives, they speak also to such people, that they understanding how requisite this order is for the happy conduct of the Church in the fear of God, accommodating themselves thereto, may so dispose of themselves as to communicate in the Lord's supper to his glory, and their own comfort and salvation.
5 Some there are that voluntarily do abstain from the communion, because they cannot, say they, resolve where the Church is, as stumbling at the infirmities of such as do communicate, and still finding more fault in the Church then in themselves. These men shaming to be reputed either half Papists, or of no Religion, do sometime frequent Sermons: but they stay there, and join themselves to no Church. Yea they even do seem to rejoice when they hear of any the offenses or infirmities of any of the members of the Church, that thereby they may have some color to stand a loose. Yet must they confess that there is a Church in the world, and that they must join themselves thereto, if they desire to be in God's house, and partakers in the promises made to the Church: To be short, if they look to be saved. By alowing no Church, they separate themselves from the true Church that is upon earth, and consequently from the entry into that which is in heaven. If themselves should be in the fields overtaken with some sharp storm of wether, would they stand still and seek no covert, until some great thick leaued tree would offer it self to defend them? Are they without fault? The only pride that possessing them, maketh them to condemn all Churches, considering they join themselves to none, doth sufficiently show, that they are not restrained so much by the particular faults of some of the Church, as by their own offenses and corruptions, and consequently have such a mislike, that they think no bread good. In Christ's Church which consisted but of twelve Apostles, there was one traitor: There were ambitious disputations who should be chiefest in the kingdom of Christ: They all forsook their master, and S. Peter thrice denied him. How many faults and corruptions did Saint Paul note and reprove in the Church of Corinth, and the seven flourishing Churches of Asia? Yet all that joined in these Churches, and in them were partakers of the holy supper, were accounted faithful & chosen, and contrariwise they that kept themselves without, unbelievers. Neither is it a matter indifferent, or at men's liberty, whether they shall communicate or abstain: but a precept from God: Do this, saith Jesus Christ in remembrance of me. And S. Paul, Let every man try himself, and so eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. Again, Take eat, Take drink ye all. God in old time ordained, as is aforesaid, that they that had opportunity to eat of the pass-over, and voluntarily did abstain, should be rooted out from among the people, that is to say, be no longer accounted any members of God's Church. We must therefore obey God and fear his judgments, and so resolve to join with his Church and communicate in the holy supper of the Lord.
6 There is a certain decree ascribed to Zepherin Bishopp of Rome, wherein he ordaineth that all Christians should communicate at the least once a year. If we consider the state of the Church in his time, we shall find that they oftener did communicate, then they now do in our Churches. And indeed this communicating should be better frequented then it is. Neither did Zepherin mean to permit or alow them to communicate but once a year, but rather to reprove the corruption and sloth of those, who desiring the name of Christians, did never communicate: and so shown themselves unworthy of that name, if by communicating with the faithful in the holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christ, at the least once a year, they separated not themselves from the Idolaters and heathen, showing some testimony of their Christianity. Let them that we speak of therefore consider, by what title they may be called Christians, since they never communicate in the supper of Jesus Christ. Neither may they reply, as some do, that in joining with one Church they condemn all others: for it is true that all assemblies that entitle themselves the Church of Christ, are not so, yet to acknowledge or alow of none for fear of condemning of the rest, is to deny and condemn Christ in not condemning those, who calling themselves Christ, are Antichrists. If a man bring a payment in gold, where among there be some pieces that seem light or counterfeit, thou doest not straight say, I will take none, least by taking so much as I take to be weight and currant, you should complain that I reject the rest: but thou wilt bring thy balance and touch-stone, and then wilt thou take so much as thou findest to be weight and currant, and boldly refuse the rest. Let these men therefore set before their eyes the marks of the true Church, as their touch-stone and scales, and by them consider where they are, thereto also adjoining prayer to God, that he will direct them by his holy spirit, and so knowing the true Church and joining themselves thereto. Amend their lives by communicating in the holy supper of the Lord.
Of our duty to assist at public Prayer. Chap. 5.
AS concerning public or common prayer, considering that thereby the holy Scripture signifieth the whole service of God, also that his servants are called people calling upon God, it already appeareth that such as despise the same, do cut off themselves from the degree of God's servants. Where God calleth the temple the house of prayer, he showeth that the principal part of that service which he requireth of us, is that we should assemble to pray and call upon him, as indeed these public prayers are of great efficacy. For albeit all private prayers directed to the heavenly father in the name of Jesus Christ, have promise to be heard: yet is it not without cause that Jesus Christ advertiseth and promiseth us, that if two faithful do agree upon earth, whatsoever they demand of their heavenly father, it shall be granted. This is a favor, as it were peculiar to the Church, and noted by David, where he saith. Praise waiteth for thee in Zion, and unto thee shall the vow be performed. Herein he showeth that the prayers of the Church signified by Zion, are so sure to be heard, that God who heareth them, looketh for praise in thē, as indeed it is his duty whose prayers are heard to yield thanks & praisings to God. And truly as when a whole Burgeoysie of a City do come before their Prince and with one voice crave pardon for some offense, or beg some grace or favor, the Prince will be more moved, then if they being absent, someone mā should speak for the whole: Even so whē the whole Church assembled together doth with heart and mind in the presence of God accōpanie the prayers which the preacher, as the mouth of the congregation, poureth forth, let them be assured that those prayers do penetrate the heavens, and that God is moved to hear them. Not that he is subject to passions (as we) but that by the feeling of our affections he vouchsafeth to assure us of his mercy & goodness toward us. Whē, diverse how few so ever saith S. Ambrose are assembled together, being united, they are great. And the prayers of a gret multitude cannot possibly be contemned.
2 Likewise all people and nations in the world, even the Idolaters have evermore had their assemblies, & therein public prayers: This sense or feeling being graven in all men's harts that have any religion, that they ought to call upon their God: that it is an honor that God requireth at their hands: and the true means to purchase his blessings toward them. But in Christian Churches there is also this farther reason: That their public prayers are as it were a public renouncing of all sects and society with Idolaters and profane people: an acknowledgement and confession of the true God, & a public sanctification of his name to his glory. And therefore, as the Jews in old time, so since have the Christians evermore very carefully observed this duty of piety and service to God, as appeareth by the writings of the Apostles & Prophets, and by all Ecclesiastical histories. And to this purpose doth S. Luke rehearse that Paul and his companions being at the town of Philippos, came forth upon the Sabaoth day, and went to the rivers side where they used to pray. This undoubtedly was some out corner where the faithful used secretly to meet to call upon God. So that albeit every man privately might have prayed in his house, and so have avoided both the pain and danger, yet knowing that in duty they were to separate themselves from Idolaters, and the efficacy of the prayers of the congregation, they overcame the fear of the danger, & met in that place especially to pray, and with one consent to pour out their prayers to the Lord. When S. Paul and his companions departed from Tirus, all the congregation with their wives and children brought them out of the town, and kneeling with them on the shore, prayed. Shall we in these days find this zeal among Christians? No: men will be ashamed to imitate it and to kneel down upon a shore to pray to God publicly. And yet the faithful of those times never did it without both reason & fruit. It is therefore a holy ordinance of God & a most profitable exercise to come together to call upon the Lord. As also it is y t • uty of all faithful carefully to come to such prayers, that they may be partakers of the fruits of the same: especially in time of gret calamities, or vpō fear or likelihood thereof. We should evē extraordinarily come together to call upon God, as we read that the prophet Joel in the name of God commanded Blow the trumpet in Zion sanctify a fast, cal a solemn assembly, gather the people sanctify the congregation, gather the elders, assemble the children, and together cry unto the Lord in prayers fervent and extraordinary, old and young, none exēpted. And as everyone in respect of himself is thereto bound so is it not enough that he faithfully employ himself only, unless he solicit & exhort others, according to the prophesy of Zechariah saying. The enhabitants of one City shall say to another. Up, let us go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts, I will go also.
3 Neither is it enough that in body we be present at prayers, unless we also lift up our minds to heaven. For if when the Pastor speaketh in the name of the Church, every man at each petition saith not in heart Amen, feeling a fervent desire to have his petitiō granted, then is there both vanity & hypocrisy, & evē in this point may we find great corruption & infirmity in many. For how many are there who all the time of prayers do stand as men without life, thinking upon nothing? How many be there whose minds are wandering? How many that have no feeling or desire of the benefits that we crave at God's hand? To be short, how many be there whose harts & minds are entangled & buried in earthly affairs, even when their hands are lifted up to heaven? As this vanity therefore is odious in the sight of God, so for the amēding thereof, let us be both diligent comers to common prayer, and so touched with a lively feeling of the same, that we may reap the fruits thereof. And to this purpose let us remember that the devil feareth nothing more thē the prayers of the Church, & that there is no exercise of godliness wherein we are more often, more fervently or more attentively to employ our selves. For albeit the devil be always at hand, ready to induce us to wickedness, yet is his readiness most whē he seeth us disposed to pray, that then intruding himself into our harts, & drawing away our cogitatiōs, he may hinder the sanctificatiō of the word of God & the most excellent fruit of our prayers. Let the experience of this corruption & vanity in all prayers, both public & private, with the difficulty in amending the same, albeit it be troublesome unto us, yet make us more wary, & the better to stand vpō our gard, to the end that so soon as we feel our selves amiss & our thoughts otherwise distracted, we may remember that Satan is at hand, & among other our prayers, beseech God to drive him from us, & to give us grace to lift up our minds to heaven, & with one heart call upon him, that finally we may receive the fruit of our prayers.
4 By this deduction of the titles & marks of the Church afore mentioned, it doth manifestly appere, y t they which refuse to join thereto & become menbers thereof, are not in the kingdom & house of God: that denying to take the Church for their mother, they cā not call God their father: that they deserve as concerning the soul, to languish & die, because they reject the food thereof, & that they are worthy to incur the vengeance pronounced by Christ, importing that in the day of judgment he will deny them before God his father, because they would not confess him before men. We can with S. Agustine confess that there be wolves in the sheep-fold and sheep without: neither must we deny but there be many hypocrites in the Church, whom God will finally disclose and reject, to their confusion, or cast headlong into grievous damnation, because they profaned the honor & graces to them presented by the Lord in his Church. Likewise God forbid we should say that all that are out of the visible & external Church should be reprobates in the sight of God. God knoweth his, he waiteth, he beareth with them, & finally he calleth them: touching their harts, he maketh them to feel their fault, either inserting them into his visible Church, or even in the midst of the Idolaters, through his great mercy and power, saving them in his kingdom & glory, when until the very hour of their deaths, there is no show or appearance that they be the children of God, as it happened to the these that was hanged by Christ Jesus. But as by the judgment of love we are bound to think all to be elect that are joined to the Church, until they minister occasion either by revolt or bad conversation to think otherwise, so have we no ground to accompt those that refuse to join thereto to be members of Christ, because they bear not his marks or tokens, until by amendment they renounce the kingdom of Satan, which is without the Church, and settle themselves in the house of God, as his children, there to call upon him and to be fed with his spiritual food to life everlasting. And in deed, Since in heart we believe to righteousness & with our lips do make confession to salvation, as S. Paul saith, it is in vain for us to boast of faith whereby to be justified, unless we confess Jesus Christ, that we may obtain salvation by true faith iustifieng us in Christ.
5 Since therefore that the Church, called the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a precious pearl, and a treasure hid in a garden, which when a man findeth, he selleth all that he hath to buy & enjoy it: Let us accompt nothing so dear or precious, but that we may be ready & resolved to leave it, to get into the Church of Christ. To this purpose let us remember the zeal of David, who being deprived of this benefit, bitterly complained saying. As the heart brayeth for the rivers of water so panteth my soul after thee O God: My soul thirsteth after God, saying: When shall I come & appear before the presence of God? In another place also, what a desire showeth he to be in the temple of God? O Lord of hosts, saith he, how amiable are thy tabernacles? My soul longeth, yea & fainteth for the courts of the Lord: for my heart and my flesh rejoiceth in the living God: Blessed are they that dwellin thy house & praise thee continually. And in another Psal. O Lord I have loved the habitations of thy house, & the place where thy honor dwelleth. If David a man, yea a Prophet, so excellent in faith & virtue, so plainly & so often doth confess how needful it was for him to be in the Church of God, feeling himself as it were ravished with a fervent desire to enjoy such a benefit: What may we feel, even we who are so ignorant, so weak, so corrupt, & among so many dangers and assaults? Will we how health-some & necessary this grace for us to be in the Church of Christ is, so far would we be from retiring therefro, or deferring to join thereunto, that contrariwise, we would even run cheerfully to get a room therein. Yea we w • uld rejoice & boast of such a benefit and savor, saying with the Prophet Isaiah. One shall say, I am the Lord's, another shall be called by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, & name himself by the name of Israel. When therefore we hear Jesus Christ and S. John crying Amend your lines. Let us know that the principal point wherein we are to Amend, consisteth in renouncing and denying both in heart & body all Idolatry & superstition, & in adjoining our selves to the Church of Christ, there to hear his word attentively: to participate in his sacraments holily & devoutly & with our whole affections to assist at common prayers.
Of the duty both of domestical and private prayers of every faithful. Chap. 6.
NOw as we have shown that public prayers in the Church, and the preaching of God's word, are unto us most profitable & necessary, so are we to understand, that notwithstanding the same we are not nevertheless to neglect the use both of Domestical and private prayer, nor yet to forbear the reading of the holy Scripture in our houses. These be two points, wherein, as in that they be more common & pernicious, in respect of negligence & sloth, so are we the more heartily in duty to seek to Amend. As for the prayers which every householder is to practice among his family Morning & Euening, we will speak of them hereafter, where we entreat of the duties of householders. But for the private prayers of every particular person, there is no man, but besides his public and domestical exercises, ought daily to exercise himself therein. Were we endued with the true knowledge both of our selves & our estate & condition, & of the efficacy of prayers, we should need no solliciter to put us in mind many times to present our selves before God: to pray him more and more to reveal his truth: to increase in us faith, love, & patience, and other his spiritual gifts: to mortify our corruptions: to strengthen us against the temptations and assaults of the flesh, the world and the devil: to provide us of such and such necessaries whereof we are in want: to preserve us from so many dangers wherewith we are environed: To be short, to grant us his holy spirit, happyly to conduct us all the days of our life. He that feeleth not the necessity of such graces, and consequently of prayer to obtain them, is senseless and void of all understanding, as also every man particularly in his vocation hath great need of God's assistance and consequently of prayers: Parents, that God will give them grace virtuously to bring up & well to nurture their children: Ministers of the word, in holiness to employ themselves in their ministry: Marchaunts and artificers, faithfully to follow their traficke and trades: Generally all men, that God will vouchsafe to bless them in their vocations, works and labors. And besides there may be many of our acquaintance whose estate and condition bindeth us to pray to God for them also.
2 To be brief, there is not any, but after all private petitions accomodated to the time, to the persons, or to the occur̄ces, ought daily to put in practice the doctrine of Jesus Christ, where he saith. You shall pray thus, Our father which art in heaven &c. as followeth. In this form of prayer teaching us that every of us ought daily to present himself before God, is a procurer first of his glory, then of the benefit and salvation of the congregation. The zeal of God's glory, as also our love towards our neighbors do bind v • daily to make this prayer, and that with greater diligence and fervency, because that making it as it were from the month of Christ, the author thereof, we shall be assured of hearing, and consequently it shall make greatly to the advancement as well of the glory of God, as of the good and salvation of our neighbors: whereupon also, as God in the obedience of his law, doth more respe • t the obedience of his children, then the work it self, so may we say that this prayer, whereby in the three first petitions we seek the glory of God, and in the three last the good and necessities requisite both for the body & soul, as well of our neighbors, as of our selves, being daily with heart and mind poured forth, is as it were a fulfilling of the law, the sum whereof consisteth in this, that we love God with our whole hearts and our neighbors as our self.
3 Moreover, in these prayers lifting up our hearts unto God, and so communicating daily with him, we do by little and little forget the earth and the world, and do grow spiritual and heavenly: Even as Moses in old time having conversed with God forty days and forty nights, when he came down to the people, seemed to have shining beams in his face. And indeed as by little and little we learn the manners and language of those with whom we do ordinarily converse, besides that by such conversation there breedeth a certain affection between them more then others: so by this our conversing with God in our prayers, we learn both the manners and language of heaven: and in our selves do perceive some increase of love towards God. Which is more, as we are but to much inclined either to our selves, or at other men's soliciting to some riot or iniquity, so when we call to mind that in the morning we have prayed unto God that he would vouchsafe to keep us, also that at night we are to return again to do the like, the same is unto us a mighty bridle to restrain us from wickedness and to retain us in due obedience towards God. Besides, as when we pray unto him, we have regard to his promises, & the experience of his benefits, and so cal him father, beseeching him to guide us as a father doth his children, the same is a good means to strengthen our faith, and a foundation of comfort in every vocation and estate whereinto it pleaseth God to call and place us: assuring our selves that by such prayers everything that shall come to pass, shall be according to the work and conduct of our father, yea even the accomplishment of his will, which cannot be bad unto us. To be short, such as through God's grace do daily exercise themselves therein, do by experience find what a comfort, benefit and contentation they receive by the same.
4 This is the reason why the most excellent servants & children of God have been the rather addicted thereto. How seruently did Moses employ himself therein, when he continued groveling before God in prayer for the space of forty days and forty nights. Likewise Samuel, when he said. God sorbid that I should sin against the Lord and cease praying for you. Especially the princely Prophet David, who in his Psalms sufficiently declareth that he was as it were tied thereto by daily exercise. As particularly where to this purpose he saith. I prevented the morning light to pray to God, Again. My prayer preventeth thee in the Morning. Cornelius the Centurion so labored therein that he prayed continually. Whereby finally the Lord's Angel said unto him, that his prayers were come in remembrance before God. S. Paul in many Epistles protesteth that he ceased not night and day to pray for the Churches. As also in many places he carefully commendeth himself to their prayers, and by his example exhorteth us to pray without ceasing, and to persevere in prayer with watching and thanksgiving.
5 That we may the better therefore employ our selves in this duty, it is meet that we practice the saying of Jesus Christ? When thou prayest enter into thy chamber, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray unto thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. True it is, that this exhortation tendeth especially to reprove the hipocrisy of those that seek to make a show, and to boast of their devotion: yet with all it ministereth a general and very profitable instruction, that we should exercise our selves in prayers, not only in public, but also private, withdrawing our selves solitarily & apart, to employ some time therein, with assurance that it shall not be without fruit. And to that purpose we read that Isaac went from among his family into the field to pray: That Peter went into the top of the house (among the Jews the roofs of the houses were flat) to pray: Did not Jesus Christ many times go a side alone to pray to God his father? Saint Mark saith that he went up into the mountain to pray: Also, that rising while it was yet night he went forth into a desert place and prayed. And Saint Luke saith, that being gone into the mountain to pray, he spent the whole night in prayer. As therefore by his example, we ought to seek out all secret opportunities, whereby we may the more freely lift up our hearts to God in prayer: So when we find our selves alone, upon occasion or otherwise in the house, or in the fields, by night or by day, such solitariness should be unto us as a warning and allurement by and by to think upon God, that we may pray and praise him. For as the spirit cannot be Idle, so being alone from noise, company, or companion to talk with, it giveth occasion to the children of God that are not to much entangled in worldly affairs, to enter as it were into familiarity with God, and to call only upon him.
6 And in as much as we are but meanly inclined and given to these spiritual exercises, it might well beseem the childrē of God to bind themselves to certain hours: not in superstition, but for a remedy to our in firmities, because otherwise we will many times ouerslippe the whole day without this duty. But having limited some certain hour for that employment, the striking of the clock will admonish us of our duty, that we should not let it escape. David, a man greatly exercised in prayer, practiced this course, as he showeth saying, that he called upon the Lord at night, in the morning, and at noon day. Daniel also thrice a day entered into his chamber, to pray to God. And Saint Augustine writeth, that the brethren of Egypt in his time, used many prayers to God, but very short, cast forth as darts into heaven, least through tediousness, the seruencie that ought to be in prayer might quail. By the premises therefore it appeareth, that for the amendment of our lives, we ought according to the exhortation of Jesus Christ to correct the negligence and sloth that hath taken hold of us, & to imploie our selves in prayer and private supplications, & thereto hereafter to give our selves with such zeal, that by continual watching and praying to God, our petitions in all things may be made known to him by prayers and supplications, with thanksgiving, as being assured that the more that we exercise and accustom our selves thereunto, the greater shall be our comfort and affection to abide therein to God's glory, and the benefit and salvation both of our neighbors and our selves.
Of our duty to read the holy Scriptures. Chap. 7.
AS for the reading of the holy Scriptures, wherein everyone ought diligently to exercise himself, experience sufficiently teacheth, that when without danger of fire it was prohibited us, we then burned in servant affection to read: but now when lawfully we may do it, and that we be thereto daily exhorted, either we have no books, or if we have any, we never look upon them. How many whole families admitted to the holy supper shall we find, that have not among them all one Bible, no not a New Testament? And howe many of those that have them, do bestow daily one quarter of an hour in reading upon them? Nay, how many days, yea, even weeks do they pass over without reading any one word therein? They surely think it enough that they have them, to make show of them upon some cupboard or deske? Saint John Chrysostom noted the like corruption in his time. Let us be ashamed, saith he, that a woman having had five husbands, and she a Samaritan, should be so diligent and attentive to learn, that neither the time, neither her business could withdraw her from Christ's mouth, where she might be taught, and yet that we do never inquire anything concerning instruction in heavenly matters? Which of you at your return to your houses do apply yourselves to anything worthy Christians? Which of you seeketh after the sense of the holy Scriptures? Truly none. We many times find you in hand with the Chess board, and playing Tables, but seldom with books. If ye have books, it is as if ye had none, for they be locked up and kept in coffers: your only care is to have them of fine parchment and say •• written, not that ye may read them, but to make them an ostentation of your wealth and ambition. Hereto he addeth, The use of the Scriptures is not to have them in books only, but to read and print them in our hearts. As in those days there was no printing, so were books rare and very dere, and in that respect did men use them for an ostentation of their riches, and shown their ambition in this, that having books fair written and in fine parchment, they referred them not to their right use, namely, to read them, and so to take profit to salvation. But in these days where there is such plenty of books, through the help of printing, men care not for having them, much less for reading in them.
2 Before the New Testament was translated into our tongue, some would take pains to copy our Chapters, which their Curates being well minded to religion, had secretly translated: now many will grudge a small portion of monie for the price of a Bible, yea, even of a New Testament. And this hath been a perpetual infirmity. Poor men (saith Chrysostom) do excuse their negligence in reading God's word, • lledging want of books, & means to buy any. A little will I ••• ache unto them, and ask them whet •• r they have not all to ••• e necessary for their trades and occupations, notwithstandi •• whatsoever hinderance of their poverty? Is not this a mere • olly to excuse themselves by poverty in this case, and yet to have no want of things necessary for their occupations? 〈◊〉 he had cause to complain when there were no books, but such as were in written hand, and consequently dere, howe much more bitterly might he comp • aine of the negligence and sloth of our days, in all this great plenty and abundance of good books, that by the help of printing may be had for so little money? Seest thou not (saith he in another place) the work-men in mettalles, the Golde-smith, the Silver-smith, and all others that exercise any occupation, keep all their tools ready and in good order? Albeit hunger compelleth and poverty pincheth, yet will they rather bear all, than sell any necessary or needful tool of their occupation, to feed themselves withal: yea, many had rather borrow upon usury, than pawn forth any one tool, and good reason: For they know that by pawning forth their tools, they do deprive themselves of all ordinary means to get their livings: and contrariwise, that by keeping them, they may with profit discharge their debt. But as hammers, stithes, and pinsers are the tools of their occupations, wherewith to get their livings: so the books of the Prophets and Apostles, and all the books of the holy Scriptures, are the tools of Christianity, wherewith to obtain salvation and life everlasting. And as artificers with their tools and instruments do finish their work, so by the reading of the holy Scriptures our souls are corrected, formed, and renewed. Which is more, Artificers cannot transform earth or wood into silver or gold, only they can by their art and workmanshippe give form and shape unto things: but by the reading of God's word thou mayest of a wooden or earthen vessel, make a vessel of gold or silver, as the holy Apostle Saint Paul teacheth, saying: In a great house are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth. If any man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the Lord, and prepared unto every good work. Thus concluding his speech, he saith, Let us not be neglygent to buy books: For even the sight of them, as he addeth, shall put us in mind of our duties, as well to withdraw us from sin and iniquity, as to cause us to persevere in holiness and righteousness, and to pray to God to give us grace so to do.
3 What excuse shall we pretend in the sight of God, when in this abundance and easy means to get books by the help of printing, we are so loath to buy them, and so careless of reading them: thereby showing our selves most unthankfull and unworthy that favor and grace at God's hand: considering withal, that we are so often and earnestly exhorted to our duties in reading and meditating upon his word? Let the word of Christ, (saith Saint Paul) dwell in you plenteous • ie in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another. He speaketh to the Collossians, both to men and women, and willeth that this doctrine of the Gospel should be so familiar unto them, that it might take root in them, whereby to be instructed both for themselves, & to teach others. We have (saith Saint Peter) a most sure word of the Prophets, to the which ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. He compareth the writings of the Prophets to a candle shining in the dark, and therefore exhorteth us to take the same to be our light, as David also saith, The word of God is a light to my steppes. Saint Paul calleth God's word the sword of the spirit, wherewith he willeth us to be armed to fight against the devil. But how shall we take this sword in hand, unless we become diligent readers of the holy Scriptures, wherewith after the example of Jesus Christ, to resell the temptations of the devil, saying: It is written, It is written. If (as Saint Paul saith) all that is written, is written for our learning, that we may have hope by patience, and comfort in the Scriptures. Shall not we make vain the providence of the heavenly goodness, which hath given and preserved the Scriptures for us, if we do not with diligence read in them, to the end thereby to be comforted and strengthened in patience, hope, and faith? If all holy Scripture be given by inspiration from God, and be profitable to teach, to improve, to correct, and to instruct in righteousness, ought not we diligently to exercise our selves in reading and meditation thereof, to the end to reap such excellent fruit of the same?
4 Men are flatterers, and we are blind in our own corruptions, whereto we are naturally affected, and therefore it is most necessary that we should often hear God speaking unto us in the holy Scriptures, instructing, improving, correcting and exhorting us to our duties. When the young man mentioned by Saint Luke, asked of Jesus Christ what he should do to obtain everlasting life, Christ answered, What is written in the Law? How doest thou read? Thereby showing that the Law is written for us to read, that in it we may know what we are to do in discharge of our duty toward God. When the cursed rich man prayed Abraham to send Lazarus to his brethren, he answered, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them read them. He thereby taught us that we must read the Scriptures, and in them learn the means to escape everlasting torments with that cursed riche man, and never hope of any man's coming from death to teach us. David, a most excellent Prophet, was well instructed in the Law, yet the hundredth and nineteenth Psalm doth at large declare, how diligent and careful he was in reading and meditating. Daniel, notwithstanding his many revelations, left not off the reading of the books of Jeremiah. Saint Luke highlye commendeth the Birrheans, because they were of better stomach than the Jews at Thessalonica, to receive with all readiness the word preached by Saint Paul, and daily to confer the scriptures, to know whether it were so, & so the better to gather knowledge by the conference of the Scriptures, with the truth which they had heard, that they might be the rather confirmed therein. This zeal and diligence of the Birrheans shall rise up in judgment against us even against us, who having heard the preaching, do no farther endeavor by reading the Scriptures, to confirm our selves more and more in the heavenly doctrine preached unto us. Queen Candaces Eunuch, might well, as it seemeth, have exempted himself from this duty, being in his journey, yet riding on his chariot, he read the Prophet Isaiah: but we Christians will almost be ashamed to show our selves so religious. Yet might this diligence of a great Heathen Lord, as yet ignorant, together with his fervent affection to read the holy Scripture, make us to blush for shame, for that we do neglect so many our convenient opportunities and great leisure to read the doctrine of the Gospel, so clear and full of singular consolations.
5 Saint Augustine reporteth, that himself was converted to the true Christian religion by reading the holy scriptures: also that he was moved to the said reading, by hearing the voice, as it were, of some little child singing and saying, Take and read. And that obeying that voice, he lighting upon this place, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof: was converted to the Lord whom he had so mightily wythstood. How many thousands even in our days have there been converted and illuminated by reading the Scriptures, and other good books written upon the same? But this is the mischief, that many are content with some small taste, and dark or weak beginning, and never think it necessary daily to go forward, albeit undoubtedly such a beginning of light and comfort should kindle their hearts, and cause them to imitate the laborers in the mines of silver and gold, who when they have found a good vain of metal, do follow it to the end. But the end of this golden vain of the holy Scripture will never be sound: for the farther we read, the more we shall find, and such are the pleasures thereof, that the more we eat, the more will our appetite increase.
6 It is surely marvelous, that all the endeavors of Satan, ever seeking to deprive us of the holy Scriptures, cannot be unto us a manifest advertisement & assured testimony of the commodity or rather necessity of reading the same. For to what ende did he in the days of Antiochus seek to abolish all the books of the law? Or to what purpose did he in the Romish Church procure that the people might not be permitted to read the holy Scriptures, especially in a vulgar or known language? Could he more evidently declare himself to be the prince of darkness and father of lies, than by taking from the people of God the light and truth of God's most holy and sacred word? May we not thereof gather, that in us he feareth nothing so much as the reading of the same? Or ought we not with greater courage to grow more diligent and fervent in this duty? This zeal did appear, when by Satan we were oppressed with this effect, that we might not read: but as violence is asswaged, so our zeal is quayled. The fire appeareth not, because the stone lighteth not upon the steel. Yet, saith Saint Augustine, he that careth not for reading the holy Scriptures, sent out of paradise, is to fear not only deprivation of eternal felicity, but also that he can never escape everlasting punishment. For the neglect of reading God's holy word is so dangerous a matter, that the Prophet in great sorrow cried out, My people are gone into captivity, because they had no knowledge. For, he that is ignorant, shall be ignorant, Vndoubtedly God will not vouchsafe to know him in eternal felycitie, which in this life careth not to seek after God by reading the holy Scriptures. It were good that we feared, least we should hear the same that was said to the foolish virgins when the doors were shut, I know you not. Why, shall he not know those whom he will send into everlasting fire? Yes, so far forth as not to aduowe those, who in this life cared not to know him, to be his in the day of judgment. And therefore are we dilygently to note the saying of Solomon, He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abhominable. He therefore that desireth that God should hear him, must first hear God. For, how can he pretend that God shall hear or grant his petitions, considering that himself careth not for hearing of God, when he speaketh unto him in his holy Scriptures? Then proceeding in his purpose, he addeth this complaint. Some Christians, yea, even some of the Clergy, when they are upon a journey, do prepare bread, wine, oil, and so forth, or other things: since they care so much for the flesh or body, can they not also care for feeding their souls by diligent reading of the holy Scriptures?
7 Be diligent, saith Chrysostom, before the Sermon, to take into your hands the Gospels that we are to read, and in your houses repeat them many times, seeking diligently the understanding of the same, then give attentive heed to the Sermon, so shall I more easily teach you by reason of your perfectness in the sentence which you shall have read at home, and being yourselves soon instructed, you shall be the more ready to teach others. If any man pretend excuse upon his business and employmentes either publyke or private, surely it is a great abuse, so much to give himself thereto that for temporal affairs and worldly commodities, he should neglect the study of such as be eternal. The time that they sometimes spend even by whole days together in conversing with their friends, in walking for their pleasures, in plays and pastimes, and in long sittinges, wherein they never excuse themselves by any of their businesses, will take from them all excuse whatsoever in the day of God's judgment. You use such dilygence, saith he, about these base, abject, and vain trifles, that you account such as be spiritual and concern heaven, to be utterly unprofitable and of no value.
8 Some there are which think reading to be a study to belong only to the Minister, and for the most parte they will content themselves with a Sermon, and as for the rest they will dispense therewyth, that they may the more liberally employe the rest of their time in the affairs and business of this life. Neither is this any new corruption crept in of late. For it had taken root in the time of Chrysostom, who also then complained thereof, and sharply reproved it, as utterly dislyking of the same. You will answer (saith he) I am no Monk, I have a wife, and children, and charge of family and household. But see, this is the plague that corrupteth all, that ye will lay the whole burden of holy reading upon the Monks, as if it belonged unto them only: notwithstanding contrariwise, it be more requisite and necessary for you than for them. For such as through worldly conversation do daily receive wound upon wound, and one infection upon another, are in the greater need of celestial and heavenly physic. And hereunto he addeth also, That it is a great deal worse to think or imagine the holy Scriptures to be fruitless or unprofitable for them, than to be utterly ignorant in them. And in another place prosecuting the same argument, he saith, Therefore I desire you not only to come hither often to hear the holy scriptures read unto you, but also that in your own houses you take in hand the holy Bible, and with fervent desire to profit, you receive what so ever you find therein. And soon after, Loose not, I beseech you by your negligence such a commodity, but even in your houses attend the reading of the holy scriptures. The same Chrysostom upon these words of the Apostle, Let the word of God dwell plentifully in you, saith thus. You that live in the world, you that have wives and children, mark how the Apostle commandeth you especially, to read the holy Scriptures, and that not slightly or for a fashion, but plentifully and with great diligence. Then he addeth, Buy the Bible, which is the medicine of the soul: at the least the New Testament, the writings of the Apostles, the Acts, & the Gospels, that therein you may diligently reap daily instruction, for the ignorance in the scriptures is the cause of all evil.
9 Others there are that care not for reading the Scriptures, because therein they find no taste or comfort: and this is an evil sign. For as he that for a while hath been kept eating, and therefore refuseth good meat for want of appetite, must think that his stomach is not well, so he that findeth no taste in the reading of God's word, may well feel that his soul is sick. Yet should he follow the counsel that the Physician giveth to his patient, to whom he saith, Eate, by eating your stomach will come to you. But this their want of taste proceedeth hereof, that they be not acquainted with the phrase of the holy Ghost, and so do resemble those, who hearing a sermon, but not being perfect in the language, do therein reap neither instruction nor comfort to salvation. It were good for those men many times to hear God speaking unto them, by reading the holy scriptures, so shall they by little and little learn the speech of the holy Ghost, even as men use to learn other languages, through the exercise of hearing, reading, & speaking. Some spices there are, which without brusing do yield no smell, but the more they be chafed the sweeter they are: even so is it with the holy scriptures, such as read but little, can find no taste, but the more they be perused and read, the more do they yield forth the treasures and pleasant fruits hidden in them. And in deed, saith Chrysostom, the cause why many do understand nothing, proceedeth not so much of ignorance, as that they will not daily have the writings of the Apostles, or read them. That which we know, saith he afterwards, if we know anything, cometh not so much of the excellency of our understanding, as of this, that being, as it were tied to the writings of the Apostle, we never leave reading them. If you therefore will in heart apply yourselves to diligent and earnest reading, you shall understand that which you desire, For the saying of Jesus Christ, Seek and you shall find, is true.
10 It is likewise a vain and frivolous excuse to allege, that the holy Scripture is dark and profound, and that we understand it not. Plato, saith Jerome, writ for few, and few do understand him: but the Apostles writ not for few, but for all. And therefore Chrysostom saith, Truly the grace of the holy Ghost hath so disposed and moderated the holy Scriptures, that both publicanes, fisher-men, tent-makers, shepherds and Apostles, fools, and men unlearned, may by those books be saved. Least also some fool might have recourse to any excuse in the difficulty thereof, he hath vouchsafed that the things there spoken, should be easy, and that handy-crafts men and servants, widows, and the most ignorant among men, should reap some benefit and profit by the reading thereof. For they whom God from the beginning hath accounted worthy the grace of the holy Ghost, have not set down all these things for any vainglory, like the Heathen, but for the salvation of their hearers. The Prophets and Apostles have written their books easy & plain, as public Doctors for the world, so as everyone may learn their contents by reading and meditating only. Again, how wilt thou understand the contents of the Scriptures, when thou wilt scarce so much as look upon them? Take the books in hand, read the whole history, remember such things as are plain, and refer darker places to another time. But if by continual reading thou canst not find the meaning, get thee to some wiser man, or to some Doctor, and impart to him those things that are written, declaring thy fervent desire: then if God seeth such a readynesse and diligence, albeit no man would teach thee, yet would he himself undoubtedly declare them unto thee. Remember the Queen of the Ethiopians Eunuch, who albeit he was a Barbarian, a man troubled with many cares, one that understood not what he read, yet would not pass his journey without reading, howe much less being at home in his own house? Also if he read so diligently when he understood not, what did he after he was instructed? And in deed, God seeing his zeal and diligence, sent Philip to teache him. Neither will God at this time despise our desire to profit in his word, but will make us to feel the fruit of this promise, They shall all be taught of God. And therefore saith Saint Augustine, the holy Ghost hath so moderated the holy Scriptures, that he hath provided to remedy the dark places, by others more easy and plain. For hardly is there any obscurity, but is laid open and expounded by some other place in the same Scripture. And herein doeth the wisdom and goodness of God appear. For, as he saith in another place, as by easy places we are fed, so by the more hard and difficult are we exercysed: by these we put away sorrow, by the others famine.
11 Others there are that take no profit by reading God's word, because they read it as it were some profane book, and never think that it is God that speaketh to them, neither give any attention to the reading thereof, and so feel no fervent desire to profit to salvation, or to reform their lives. To be short, even without praying to God to give them his holy spirit. But we must join to our reading both piety and fear of God, with a desire to amend our lives, as it is written in the Psalms. The secrete of God is revealed to them that fear him, and his covenant to give them understanding. Agayne, If any man (saith Jesus Christ) will do the will of my Father, to him it shall be given to know my doctrine, whether it be from God, or whether I speak of myself. Every man may out of the holy Scriptures, saith Saint Augustine, draw so much as may suffice to satisfy and replenishe his spirit, in case he read them with devotion and holiness, according as Christian religion requireth. Moreover, we are to pray unto God, that he will grant us his spirit of understanding. Jesus Christ, saith Saint Augustine, did open the harts of his disciples, that they might understand the Scriptures. Let us likewise pray unto him to give us the like grace, and to open our minds, and he will hear us. This prayer is to be used before reading, and of every man put in practice: for if the prophet David, so perfectlye instructed in the law of God, doth notwithstanding so often pray unto him to give him understanding to comprehend it: which of us hath not need to pray unto God that we may profit in his holy word? Let us also accompt this doctrine of Saint Augustine as a holy rule, namely, to read the holy Scriptures with fruit and due reverence, that in those things which we shall understand according to the analogy of faith, we may rejoice as of a good food: but for that which we cannot understand according to the rule of faith, to defer the comprehension thereof. Yet in the mean time let us not doubt but even the same which we cannot comprehend, is both true and holy.
12 To conclude, as Saint Peter admonisheth us, Let us be always ready to give accompt of that hope that is in us: And that we may effect it, and dulie discharge our selves, let us be careful and diligent in the practice of this our duty toward the holy Scriptures. It is a strange matter, saith Chrysostom, that a Physician, a Shoemaker, a Taylor, generally every Artificer is ready and able to yield a reason in defense of his profession and trade: and yet the Christians can give no accompt of their religion. And yet ignorance in other Arts is no hinderance but in this life: but ignorance in religion is hurtful to the salvation of the soul. That we are so fervent and earnest in applying our minds to other sciences, and yet in that which is most necessary for us, and as it were, the fortress of our souls, we are so negligent and slothful. This saith he, causeth the heathen to remain obstinate in their errors, and to scorn our religion: For they studiing to maintain falsehood, and we not knowing how to defend the truth of our doctrine, they conceive that ours have no soundation, and thereof do take occasion to blaspheme Jesus Christ, as if he cunningly abusing the simplicity of the people had deceived and circummented them. The same occasion do we also minister as well to those of the Romish Church, as to the Anabaptists and other sectaries, whereby to remain obstinate in their errors, because most of us are so ignorant, as you shall find very few able to yield any reason of the hope of their salvation, no not so much as to show wherefore they have forsaken the Church of Rome and will not go to Mass.
13 Now as negligence in reading the holy Scriptures breeds this offense, so is there yet another greater and more dangerous: And that is that we still abide in the former corruptions of the world and the flesh, whereas contrariwise we should resemble burning torches, to give light to the poor and ignorant, we should, I say, be wholly renewed & ravished in spiritual & heavenly business: As in truth were we more diligent and fervent in reading the holy Scriptures, we might greatly profit in this duty, for as in our prayers we speak to God, so in reading God speaketh to us. Either is there any sitter means or of greater efficacy for the reforming of us into newness of life, than by daily hearing them speaking unto us, teaching, admonishing, reproving, and comforting us, setting before us the blessed estate of the kingdom of heaven, and lifting up our minds into the contemplation of God's graces, and of the life and glory everlasting? There is no passion of our souls, saith Chrysostom, but needeth physic and cure from the holy Scripture. Also whatsoever increase of strength groweth to the body • by meat, the like groweth to the soul by the reading of the holy Scripture. To be short, as a bar of iron by long lying in the fire waxeth hot, red, and of the nature of burning fire, so that soul that daily employeth it self in reading and meditating the word of God, groweth to be spiritual, divine, heavenly, and kindled in the love of God. The reading of the holy Scripture, saith Chrysostom, is a strong fortress against sin, and the ignorance thereof, a great danger ready to cast us headlong into a deep gulf and bottomless pit. To know nothing of the holy Scripture, is a great maim to salvation. It engendereth heresies, it begetteth corruption of life, and it maketh a mixture of heaven and earth. Truly it cannot be, it cannot be (I say) that that man shall depart without fruit, who taketh pleasure in the continual and attentive reading of the Scriptures. As therefore this admonition of Jesus Christ, Amend your lives, ought continually to sound in our ears, so acknowledging our negligence, and former sloth in dayling reading God's word, let us heartily give our selves to amend, practicing the same which Saint Augustine saith of himself: I delight O Lord, to hear of thee, to talk of thee, to write of thee, to devise of thee, and in my heart to print whatsoever I read of thee. For this cause also do I enter into the pleasant meadows of the holy Scripture, I gather the green herbs of holy sentences, I eat them, I chewe them, I gather them together, and I keep them in the coffer of my remembrance. Let us, I say, do our duties better hereafter, so that endeavoring and applying our selves with our whole hearts and minds to the reading and meditating of the holy Scriptures, with an earnest desire to profit, and prayer to God to grant us his holy spirit, we may proceed in the knowledge of his heavenly will, that so being instructed and ready to render a reason of the hope of our salvation, we may feel within us the efficacy of this doctrine, making us to renounce the earth, the world, and the flesh, that through true and lively faith we may aspire to the enjoining of the heavenly glory, and finally attain thereunto, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
That we ought to put in practice the word of God. Chap. 8.
NOw as we understand, that in duty we are to join with the Church of Christ, carefully to frequent Sermons, devoutly to communicate in the holy Sacraments, namely, in the Supper, zealously to assist at common prayers, fervently to exercise our selves in private prayer, and diligently to read God's word: so the principal end and purpose of all these duties doth import, that we should order our lives according to the will of God, and thereafter put in effect and practice as well whatsoever we learn in the word and Sacraments, as also everything which in our prayers we beg at God's hand. For as medicines do minister health to none but those that take them, whose nature also is strong and well prepared to receive their operations, so is it requisite that they which hear and read God's word, should receive and apply it to themselves, and pray unto God to prepare them, and by his holy spirit so to dispose their harts, that the doctrine and exhortations may work their operation in them. And in deed, if the end of all sciences, as an ancient philosopher teacheth, consist not in the knowledge, but in the practice, the same ought especially to take place in Christian religion and doctrine. He that studieth civil law or Physic, is not straight satisfied with the knowledge that he hath gotten, but proceedeth to practice. One becometh an advocate, a counselor, or a president, the other spendeth his time in the cure of diseases. They that have learned the art of sewing, of cordwainrie, of draperie, and so forth, yet are not reputed tailors, cordwainers, or drapers, unless they do in act exercise those sciences, which is in deed, the purpose of their apprentishippe: in like manner, let us never look to be Christians or God's children, notwithstanding we have learned the manner thereof, unless we also perform the works of Christians, and of the children of God. Blessed are they (saith Jesus Christ) that hear the word of God, and keep it. Agayne, The hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. We must therefore, as Saint James saith, be doers of the law, and not hearers only, otherwise we shall deceive our selves. And in deed, as the holy Scripture is full of exhortations to obedience to the will of God and Amendement of life, so it importeth not only that we should know that we must amend, but also that we amend really and in deed. The fig tree that bare no fruit was threatened to be cut down: a Sun without light, is but a painted Sun: a coal without heat is dead: a body without motion liveth not: even so saith without works is dead, and the Christian that bringeth not forth the fruits of the spirit of Christ, belongeth not to Christ, and so is no Christian. After we have shorn our heads and our beardes, before we come forth we look in the glass whether it be well, how much rather ought we, after we have heard the Sermon, the end whereof tendeth to amend our lives, immediately to look upon and peruse our souls, to the ende to see whether our corruptions and vices being cut down and mortified, the same be clear and pure in the sight of God. For as a certain Philosopher in old said, The use of the bath, and of the word that purgeth not, is vain and unprofitable: and therefore saith the Apostle Saint Paul, Ye have not so learned Christ, if so be ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, and the truth is in him. That ye cast off, concerning the conversation in time past, the old man, which is corrupt through the deceiveable lusts: and be renewed thorough the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Still laboring, that in the ende we may be found irreprehensible, without spot, wrinkle, or blemish, and that the image of God may be restored and shine in us. This is it that we are now to entreat of.
2 Here have we work enough cut out. For what is man become by the transgression of Adam? Even the very same as the Apostle Saint Paul describeth him, saying: There is none righteous, no not one: there is none that understandeth: there is none seeketh God: they are all gone out of the way? they have been made altogether unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no not one: Their throat is an open sepulcher: they have used their tongues to deceit: the poison of Asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Destruction and calamity are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: the fear of God is not before their eyes. True it is, that some sparks of the image of God do yet remain in man, but very few, small, and of no strength: which also we do quench, or at the least so abuse, that man is never more deuoyde of reason, than when he suffereth himself to be lead by reason, and of those sparks he is to look for no profit, but that thorough them he shall be made the more inexcusable in the day of the Lord. Manye beasts and fowls do in virtue go beyond man. The Dove in simplicity, the Ant or Emet in diligence and industry, the Stork in kindness, the Dog in love and fidelity, the Ox and the Ass in memory and acknowledging of benefits, the Lamb in meekness, the Lyon in magnanimity, the Cock in wakefulnesse and lyberalitie, the Serpent in wisdom, generally all in sobriety and contentment: But in vice man passeth them all: For he is more traitorous and cruel than a wolf, more crafty and subtle than a Fox, more proud than a Peacock, more voluptuous and unthankfull than a Hog, more dangerous than an Aspick. Moreover, all vices and wickedness whatsoever that resteth particular and several in sundry beasts, are altogether or for the most parte in one man. For we shall see one man both covetous, proud, crafty, cruel, envious, unthankfull, and a thief. To be short, as many members united make one body, so the holy Apostle Saint Paul termeth this heaping of vices in man, the body of sin, every vice being, as it were, a member to that body. It is said that in a sheep everything returneth to profit and commodity, the flesh for food, the wool for clothing, the sinews for strings for musical instruments, and so forth: But contrariwise, everything that is in man, is either naught or tendeth to evil. The reason, to beguile and deceive: the lybertie, to riotous licentiousness and other wantonness: the eyes, to see and behold vanity: the heart, to covet and thirst thereafter: the hands, to beat, to strike, and oppress: the feet, to run after sin and wickedness: the tongue, to backbite, lie, and blaspheme: to be short, all the members are instruments of iniquity, as Saint Paul termeth them.
3 Heereby may every man whatsoever he be, perceive and know that Christ's exhortation, saying, Amend your lives, stretcheth very far. Also that many are the vices that we are to amende, especially considering howe Saint Paul admonisheth us, not to mortify two or three members of this body of sin, but the whole body, as also to put of the old man, and as Jesus Christ saith, to deny our selves. In the deduction of this matter, we will therefore deal sometimes with the names of the virtues which we are to put in practice, and sometimes of the vices that we are to shun, according as the names do import some generality, or do best fit our intent. So shall everyone understand, that the amenment of life consisteth in the denial of vice, and contrariwise in the advancement of virtue.
Of Love and Charity in general. Chap. 9.
WE will begin with love, which hath two respects. The first is to God, as it is commanded, that we should love him with all our heart, with all our strength, and with all our mind. The second, to our neighbor, whom we ought to love as our selves. As for our love to God, the same, as Saint John saith, proceedeth of his love to us, We love him because he first loved us. He loved us even when we were dead in sin, when we were his enemies, yea, he so loved us, that he gave his only begotten and well-beloved son to die for us. This his incomprehensible love toward us, doth therefore bind us most fervently to love him. And in deed, as a cold stone by liyng three or four hours in the warm Sun, gathereth heat, so this love of God shining upon our souls, should kindle them in his love. As for love toward our neighbor, we are the rather to desire it, and to put it in practice, because it is the mark of God's children, the disciples of Jesus Christ. And therefore saith Saint John, God is love, and he that loveth is borne of God, and knoweth God. And as all God's children are the disciples of Christ. Heereby also (saith Jesus Christ) shall men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another as I have loved you. They that are not my disciples, saith Saint Augustine in the person of Christ, do notwithstanding participate in many other my benefits. They have not only nature, life, sense, reason, and common preservation among all mankind, but also the gift of tongues, the sacraments, prophesy, knowledge, faith to work miracles, distribution of their goods to the poor, yea, even the giving of their bodies to fire, but because they have no love, they are as sounding brass and tinkling cimbals, they are nothing. It is not therefore by these my benefits, which even they that are not my Disciples may also have, that men shall know you to be my Disciples: but only in this, that ye love one another: Likewise a man may receive the sacraments, and yet be wicked, but no man can have love and be wicked. Not without reason therefore doth Saint Paul, writing to the Galatians, say. Neither circumcision availeth anything, neither uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love. In which sentence the Apostle showeth, that in the kingdom of Christ the matter wherein we do most testify our faith: which is of greatest accompt: and whereto we are especially to apply and give our selves, is love, which also Saint Augustine calleth the fountain of all goodness, as covetousness is the root of all evil.
2 That this love may be pure and true, it must so proceed from our love of God, that we may love our neighbor in respect of that love which we bear to God. For as Saint Augustine saith, we love not God so much as we should, if we love anything but him, which we love not for the love of him, and therefore in another place he saith. Blessed is he that loveth God, and his friend in God, and his enemy for the love of God. Hereby are we to gather three points: First, that albeit some heathen may seem to have done works of great charity and love, yet was the same no true or lively charity, which is proper and peculiar to the children of God: for they only do know and love God, and their neighbors for God's sake. And indeed love ought to proceed from a pure heart, as both Paul and Peter doth teach. By faith our harts are purified. None therefore but the faithful have true love which proceedeth not from the love of themselves, but from their love to God. Secondly, it appeareth in this, that in vain we boast that we love God, if we love not our neighbor for his sake. This is it that Saint John noteth, saying. If any man say, I love God, and yet hate his brother, the same is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not? And this commandment have we of him, that he which loveth God, loveth his brother also. Thirdly, hereby we understand the truth of the saying of Saint Paul, that Love is the fulfilling of the law. For if we cannot love God, unless we love our neighbor, neither our neighbor, unless our love to him proceed of our love towards God: It must needs follow, that loving our neighbor, we also love God, and so fulfill the law, which is comprehended in this: That we love both God and our neighbor.
3 The better that we may yet understand what our love ought to be, we are diligently to note the commandment of God, that we should love our neighbor as our self and explain this duty by two very natural and just rules which necessarily do ensue. The first, by this ancient proverb, common even among the heathen. Do no otherwise by another, then we would be done unto. Alexander Seuerus, an Emperor endued with many excellent virtues, had this sentence ordinarily in his mouth, thereby reproving such as wronged or injured others. Yea in publishing any sentence of condemnation against transgressors, he caused the same to be added as the ground thereof. Do no otherwise to another, then thou wouldest be done unto. To be short, he had such a liking, and so heartily embraced this sentence, that he caused the same to be written and engraven in his imperial palace and in many public works. The other rule resteth in this, which Jesus Christ commandeth saying. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, even so do ye to them. Now the love of our selves importeth, that men should not only forbear doing of us hurt, but also that they should do us good. Draco, Licurgus, Solon and other lawgiuers have written and set forth many good laws, whereby to maintain man in equity and upright dealing: many Philosophers have written good books for the framing of the manners of men: Yet all their great volumes, their long discourses, and the multitude of their laws, have always had great imperfections, and tended as it were to the ordering but of the outward man, and so in parte to make men hypocrites, because they could never attain to the knowledge of true Christian love. But God in one only short sentence, saying: Love thy neighbor as thyself, hath comprehended the whole duty of man, one toward another, that they may live together in all equity: peace, love and felicity. And thus may these two natural rules, Do no otherwise to another then thou wouldest be done unto, and Do as ye would be done unto, be sufficient commentaries upon all Christian policy. In this sense did Saint Paul justly call this love, the bond of all perfection. And indeed if we would love one another as our selves and declare our love by these two natural rules, then should there be among us, neither fraud, injury, wrong, nor deceitful dealing. Then should all ambition, pride, covetousness, envy, hatred, evil speaking, and other like passions cease. We should see nothing but equity, peace, concord, love relief and mutual assistance. And these fruits of love doth Saint Paul note saying. Love suffereth long, it is bountiful, love envieth not, love doth not boast it self, it is not puffed up: It disdaineth not, it seeketh not her own things, it is not provoked to anger, it thinketh none evil: It rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth: It suffereth all things, it believeth all things: It hopeth all things, it endureth all things. To be short, if we practice this love, we shall even in this life begin to taste the blessed estate of the kingdom of heaven, whereto being lifted up, we shall love one another as our selves, and rejoice at our neighbors good, as at our own. Let us always therefore remember this commandment, that we love our neighbor as our selves, and heartily let us endeavor to show it by the practice of these two rules, still harkening to nature, who crieth saying. Do no otherwise to another then thou wouldest be done unto: And Do as thou wouldest be done by.
4 We are also farther to consider, that this love must not be cold, but servant: not slack, but earnest and vehement, as Saint Peter admonisheth us. And that it may be such, it is requisite first that we hold nothing so dear or so precious as to be always ready to employ our selves for our neighbor, yea even to the spending of our lives, after the example of the love that Jesus Christ shown unto us, as Saint John saith: Hereby have we known his love, that he gave his life for us. So are we also to give our lives for our brethren. Secondly, the heat and seruencie of our love and charity ought to be such, as might su • mount any thing that should quail it, as ingratitude, hatred, injury, or vnworthienesse of our neighbors. And indeed if we must love our neighbor for the love of God: If the Image God in him doth thereto bind us. If being parcel of our flesh we ought thereto to be affected: then notwithstanding whatsoever vnworthienesse be in him, yet God must not loose his right: his image is not utterly defaced: Neither is that conjunction wherewith God bindeth us together, taken away. Therefore doth Jesus Christ by the parable of the Samaritan teach us, that everyone known, unknown, stranger, yea even an enemy, as were the Samaritans to the Jews, is our neighbor, whom we must love as our selves. And so did Jesus Christ, correcting the false gloss of the Pharisees, expound it, saying. You have heard that it hath been said. Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you love your enemies. And which is more, he willeth that we should testify this love, not with our lips only, but also in deeds and works, by blessing those that curse us, by doing well to those that hate us, and by praying for those that molest and persecute us.
5 This did Moses in his days teach, saying, If thou meetest thy enemies Ox or his Ass going astray, thou shalt bring him to him again: Again. If thou see thy enemies Ass lying under his burden: leave thy business that he may not rise alone, yea leave thy business & help him up. Or as others do expound it. See thou dost not forsake him until his master hath first forsaken him: Careth God for beasts saith S. Paul That he should thus commend them to us. Is it not rather hereby to show us what we are to do to the person of our enemy, since we are bound to such a duty to his Ox or his Ass, as Saint Paul teacheth us, saying. If thy enemy hungereth, give him meat: If he thirst give him drink. And because the practice hereof is very difficult, Jesus Christ himself, the rather to induce us to this duty, protesteth that In so doing we shall be the Children of his heavenly father, who maketh his sun to shine upon both good and bad, and causeth his rain to fall upon the righteous and the unrighteous. Hereby we gather, that if our charity be bound • d only to our friends, and that we extend not the same even to our enemies, it is not the charity of the children of God, but as Jesus Christ addeth, of publicans and infidels. Also in works and deeds if we show not the love that we bear to our enemies, it is in vain for us to protest that we wish them no more hurt then to our selves, or that we love them, or wish as well to them as to our selves. The holy history expressly noteth, that Absalom used no hard words to his brother Ammon who had defouled Tamar the said Absalom's sister: Yet loved he him not, neither wished his good, but in his heart nourished cruel hatred against him, which he finally declared by pro ••••• g him traitorously to be murdered. And thus it appeareth, that speaking neither well nor ill, betokeneth hatred and malice. For love cannot but both speak well and do well even to her enemies.
6 This love is the rather to be esteemed and commended, because the gifts of speaking with tongues, working of miracles, prophesying, and such like, are nothing without love. Yea which is more then all those gifts, even faith & hope shall have an end, but love, as Saint Paul saith, abideth forever. Albeit therefore that by faith and hope we be made heirs of wonderful joy and felicity, yet is the effect and fruit of love greater, in this respect, that thereby the joy of our particular felicity, obtained by faith, shall be infinitely doubled and increased for every of the electes sakes, whom we shall then love as our selves, and whose felicity will be unto us as great a comfort as our own. Thus we see what love is required at our hands, and how much we are to esteem it. Now if we would examine our selves, and try our love with the same which God requireth at our hands, as is afore shown, we shall find that it cometh very short. And indeed what man loveth his neighbor as himself, and that for the love of God? Who doth not many times by his neighbor otherwise then himself would be done by? Who dealeth with another as he would be dealt by? Who is resolved to give his life for his brethren? Who loveth his enemies as himself, and in heart prayeth for them? If love, as is aforesaid, suffereth long: if it envieth not: if it seeketh not her own: if it thinketh none evil: if the patience thereof be such as that it endureth & sustereth all things: Then doth it sufficiently appear that we do wrongfully boast our selves to be the children of God, because his character cannot be seen in us, which is love: or that in purpose to amend, we do not mislike our own corruption. When therefore we hear the holy Ghost say, Amend your lives. Let us be assured that he doth admonish us so to increase in this love, that we may love God with all our harts, and our neighbors as our selves: and that to the same end these two natural rules may continually sound in our ears: and that our consciences by the same examining all our words and works, may be our judge to condemn whatsoever we shall peradventure do to others which we would not should be done to our selves, and to reprove our want of love, when we do not that to him that we would have done to our selves that so in amending whatsoever it shall find in us not conformable to this love, we may daily increase therein, and thereby more and more get printed in us the Character of God's children and of the true Disciples of Jesus Christ. And now let us proceed to another examination of our love.
Of Almos and relieving of the poor. Chap: 10.
AMong other the testimonies of our love, and charity, the due relief of the poor is not the least. And indeed in vain do we boast of charity, unless we practice the same by relieving the poor in their necessities. Who so hath this worlds goods, saith Saint John, and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Whereto he addeth. My children let us not love in word, neither in tongue only, but indeed and in truth. This duty of love did the Apostles of Jesus Christ so heartily commend, that finding themselves to agree in the doctrine of the Gospel with S. Paul, they commended nothing unto him, but to remember the poor. And thereof was himself also very careful as he doth affirm in his Epistle to the Galatians, and did effectually show the same in his second to the Corinthians. As also it is not amiss to note that the last judgment and sentence of felicity or misery shall be pronounced in part upon the performance or neglect of this duty to the poor in affliction.
2 This relief of the poor is commonly termed Alms, which word signifieth pity and compassion. The rather to teach us, that this relief must proceed of compassion, through the feeling of their afflictions. And this doth Isaiah declare, saying. If thou openest thy heart to the hungerie, and satisfiest the needy soul, thy light shall shine in darkness, and thy darkness shall be as the none day. The word which the Prophet here useth, signifieth as much as if we should say, if thou pullest forth thy heart to give to him that hungereth: thereby teaching us, that true Alms importeth the opening & communication of our harts, by feeling the necessity of others and therefore doth S. Augustine say, that if our relief ministered to the poor, proceedeth not of love and compassion, it never ascendeth into the presence of God. Hereto may we also refer this sentence of S. Paul: If we give all that we have to the poor, & have no love, it profiteth not. Yea saith a good ancient father: In heart to take compassion of the poor, is more then to give them our goods: for he that giveth, importeth external things: but he that taketh compassion, openeth and giveth his own heart. This compassion proceedeth of the union that God hath made between us, in that we all discending from Adam, are as it were one body and one flesh. As Isaiah exhorting us to this compassion, doth say. Hide not thyself from thy own flesh. Which the Apostle also confirmeth, saying. Remember them that are in bonds, as if ye were bound with them, & them that are in affliction, as if ye were also afflicted in the body. And indeed as Saint Paul saith. This union should breed such a feeling of the weal or woe of the members of this body, that we should rejoice for the prosperity of the one, and be sorry for the misery of the other, and as in another place he saith, that we should weep with them that weep. Otherwise, as he addeth, there is no conjunction in the body, but division & partiality. And in that sense Saint John denieth that there is any love in him who seeing the want and necessity of his brother, closeth up his bowels, by the bowels signifying the compassion and mercy wherewith he should be moved at the sight of the poverty of his brethren. Jesus Christ also to assure us that he will take compassion of us whom we are persecuted for his name, saith, that he is persecuted in us that are the members of his body. Yea he protesteth that who so toucheth us, toucheth the apple of his eye. Therby declaring that as the apple of the eye is so tender that it may not be touched but with great grief, so the conjunction between him & us is such, that he seeleth our afflictions, & thereof taketh great compassion. After whose example, we likewise ought in our selves to feel the necessity & want of our neighbors, because they be our flesh, and members of the same body, and so to apprehend their pain, anguish and sorrow, as thereby to be moved with compassion towards them,
3 In as much therefore as in the consideration of a woeful estate, the apprehension that we take by the ear, can never so forcibly move the heart, as that which cometh by the eye, saith an ancient Orator, every man ought diligently to visit the poor in their tribulations: to the end that with their eyes beholding those that lie upon the straw, that are sick, that are naked, that quake for cold, that want bread, that mourn for the lamentation of their poor children that cry for hunger, that are lodged in places where we would scarce lay our dogs: this spectakle might move the bowels of their harts to take compassion of their poverty. In this consideration Jesus Christ is not content that we give to the poor bread, drink, or cloth only, but also doth require us to visit him in his members. I was sick saith he, and ye visited me, and therefore S. James saith. Pure religion and undefiled before God, even the father, is this to visit the fatherless and widows in their adversities. And indeed as visitation will undoubtedly engender compassion in the heart, so will it the more abundantly stretch forth the hand to the relief of the needy: and this doth experience daily teach us. And therefore such as think it a great grace of God to be charitable to the poor, as indeed it is, are to exercise themselves in the visitation of them, to the end to comfort them both in word and deed, which giveth great efficacy to the word. This exercise of charity ought the mighty and rich men of the world to put in practice: for as by visiting the poor, their humility would minister great force to their charity, so would such visitatiō move their harts the more liberally, with their abundance to relieve the needy.
4 But because most men do think it to rest at our own choice, whether we will relieve the poor or not, let us contrariwise assure our selves that it is a matter commended by God which we may not neglect whensoever God ministereth occasion and means least we, offend God, and deserve everlasting damnation. And indeed it is a work of charity, which charity is unto us commanded by God, and comprehendeth the summary of the second table of the law. God in old time prescribed to his people this duty of charity, saying. Because there shall ever be some poor in the land, therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand unto thy brother, to thy needy, and to thy poor in thy land. To which effect Saint Paul also commandeth us, to impart to the necessity of the Saints. Also, to do good unto all, but especially to the household of faith, & because we are so negligent in this duty, the Apostle wakeneth us saying. To do good, and to distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Saint Paul calleth Alms the works of righteousness, because there is nothing more righteous before God, or wherein we stand more indebted unto man, then to relieve his necessity by love. God in old time forbad the people of Israel saying. When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap every corner of your field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. Again, Thou shalt not gather the grapes of thy vineyard clean, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard, but shalt leave them for the poor and for the stranger. Since God showeth himself so liberal unto us, as to permit us to reap for our selves the harvest and Vintage, yet withal testifieth unto us such a care of the poor, that he commandeth us to leave unto them whatsoever shall remain of the said harvest and vinetage: will it not at this day be a great testimony of disobedience and ingratitude, not to impart to the poor some small portion of the plenty that he hath put into our hands? In old time God commanded his people to offer unto him all the first fruits of such goods as grew to them from the earth: Moreover the first loaves of the first dowe of the new corn: also the first licour pressed either out of the olive or out of the grape. And this was an acknowledgement that the land that they possessed was the Lord's, and an homadge testifieng that all the goods that they enjoyed, proceeded from his liberality. In consideration therefore, saith David, that our wealth cometh not to his hands, he at this day substituteth the poor in his place, as he also addeth saying. But unto the Saints that are upon the earth, am I wholly inclined. And therefore whensoever the poor, or the deacons in their name do come unto us, we are to take them to be God's receivers, that come to challenge his right at our hands: And in refusing to pay unto them the homadge that we owe unto God, for the goods that we hold of him, sending thē away empty, and not relieving their necessities, we do commit not only theft, but also sacrilege. The image of God that the poor do bear about them, should be some reason to know them, and God's commandment to relieve them, is their commission and letters patents, which we cannot disaduow without great contempt to his majesty.
5 The ten commandments of the law of God do undoubtedly comprehend the whole duty of man to God & to his neighbor, and thereof it followeth that the relief of the poor and all other the works of charity are therein comprised & commanded. But in which commandment of the law? In the sixth: Thou shalt not kill. What is the ground and reason of this commandment? Because man's life is dear & precious in the sight of God, he forbiddeth all hurting of it, and commandeth us to preserve it. As therefore he prohibiteth whatsoever may tend to the hurt of man's life, so doth he command anything that may serve to the maintenance thereof: & consequently it appeareth that all relief requisite for the preseruatiō of the poor is here commanded unto us. And being commanded by this word, Thou shalt not kill: It necessarily ensueth that he which relieueth not the poor at their need, is a murderer. And in deed, as we quench a lamp, not only by blowing it out, but also by keeping away the oil that should seed it: or as we quench fire, not only by casting on of water, but also by keeping away wood from it: And in a great drought as many herbs do die, not only by plucking up, but also for want of watering: so is man's life taken away not only by sword or violence, but also by not ministering unto his necessities. And therefore Saint Ambrose saith, He that refuseth the poor in their necessity, killeth them. Let us therefore, as he addeth, beware we bury not their lives in our coffers. Jesus Christ himself confirmeth the premises. For when upon the Sabbath day he purposed to heal the man that had the withered hand, he asked of the Pharisees that were offended thereat, whether it were lawful upon the Sabbath day to do good, or to hurt: to save, or to kill: thereby showing, that the deferring of the cure of the poor man, was an evil deed, yea even murder. Moreover, God forbiddeth to steal, but when we give to the poor, we give nothing of our own, only we distribute to them that which is theirs, yea, which it were the every to keep from them. It is the hungry man's bread, saith Saint Ambrose, that thou keepest locked up, and the naked man's garment that thou reseruest. If thou canst help him, thou takest from him whatsoever thou deniest him in his necessity. And indeed, every man must think that he is not master and Lord, but only steward of those goods that God hath put into his hands. And therefore as a receiver, a treasurer or a steward, if he keep back that which he is commanded to furnish or deliver forth, is an unfaithful servant and a thief, even so are we so long as we retain that wherewith we should relieve the poor in their necessity. And as the Moon receiving her light from the sun doth impart it unto men, so are men to impart unto the poor of the goods which they have received from the Lord. Think not therefore that the relief of the poor is left at our choice: for it is God's commandment as is before declared, and so it is disobedience, ingratitude, unrighteousness, sin, yea even murder and sacrilege in the sight of God, because we relieve not their necessities according to such ability as we have received from the Lord: And albeit such murder and sacrilege passeth untouched by the sword of the magistrate, yet in the presence of God it is worthy of death and everlasting damnation.
6 Which is more through this neglect and contempt of the poor, we do so much as in us lieth, overthrow God's providence. For in as much as he is our creator, it is also his part to feed and maintain us: and he therefore so far honoreth some, as to give them more plenty of goods then to other some: Yet not that they should riotously wast them, but rather to lay them up, that they may be his ministers, to nourish and relieve the needy, so that if we neglect the poor, their want their hunger and nakedness will cry out upon us before God, and accuse our infidelity and ingratitude: And God hearing their cry and being therein dishonored, will take revenge thereof. But contrariwise when we do relieve the necessity of the poor, our charity, saith Saint Paul, causeth them to praise God, by acknowledging his care of them, in that he giveth to men both charity, and means whereby to relieve their necessity. God by this his providence, saith Saint Basel, hath ordained for man two crowns, for the poor, the crown of patience, and for the rich, the crown of liberality: And as the poor do deprive themselves of their crown by impaciencie and murmuring: so ought the rich by helping the poor, to strive to obtain the crown of liberality. And to this purpose, they are to remember this sentence pronounced by Jesus Christ, as Saint Paul saith, It is a more blessed thing to give then to take. Because he that taketh, receiveth only corporal assistance: But he that giveth, besides the commodity of means whereby to help himself and the honor to be a steward of God's goods, he also purchaseth a crown & a permanent treasure in life everlasting. And this is one pointe which should also kindle us in the duty of charity.
7 Most men do imagine, that all that they give to the poor, is so much diminution of their own goods and loss to them, yea even as money cast into the sea, And this their false opinion groweth hereof, that in their conceit they reap no profit thereof in this life: because they do not apprehend the reward promised in life everlasting: But these men should first remember the proverb: he that payeth, empouerisheth not. But we are indebted to the poor in their necessities: Whatsoever then we give them, is not money lost, but so much employed toward the discharge of our obligation in the sight of God. Moreover, by this mistaking, they abolish faith which assureth us, not of things that we see with our eyes, but of things invisible, neither of that which is present, but of that that is to come. As therefore the promise is the foundation of faith, so are we careful to meditate thereupon, that we may assure our selves that our charity hath great reward in the sight of God, and so be stirred up thereto. First it is one thing to be noted, as is aforesaid, that the sentence which Jesus Christ shall pronounce in the day of judgment, shall be grounded upon the help and relief, or neglect and contempt of the poor: as also that the Son of God shall call and bring into the possession of the inheritance of his everlasting kingdom, all those that shall have ministered food or apparel unto the poor, that shall have visited the sick, or in general have relieved those that have been in affliction: and contrariwise shall send all such as have been negligent and slack in these works of charity, into everlasting fire with the devil and his Angels. And as he shall call the one sort the blessed of God his father, and the other the cursed, so shall the sentence be imediatelie executed, as the holy Evangelist Saint Matthew reporteth, and such as have been merciful shall enter into everlasting life, and the others into everlasting torments of hell fire prepared for the devil and his Angels. This sentence should continually ring in our ears: not that we should think our selves able through these works of charity to merit this everlasting kingdom, considering it is called an inheritance, and hath been prepared for us, as Jesus Christ himself saith, from before the foundations of the world: also that he purchased it for us by dying for our redemption: and hereof he assureth us by the testimony of the holy Ghost ingendering faith in us, but because these works of charity are the true fruits, effects, and marks of our faith, and consequently of our election and adoption: and the way whereby he willeth us to walk toward the possession of his everlasting kingdom. To the end also that we should not doubt of the performaunce of this sentence, Jesus Christ aduoweth whatsoever our doings to the poor, whether to their relief or to their contempt, to be done to his own person. Yea I say he will make accompt of it and reward it, as if it were done to himself. Were it not our duty therefore to abhor all contempt of the poor? For who would not think him either mad or desperate that should deny Jesus Christ of meat and drink in his hunger or thirst, or cloth in his nakedness, or harborrow in his necessity? Everyone would even spit in his face that should show himself so unthankfull and perverse: Or who would not even take the bread out of his own mouth, and the garment from his own back to relieve Jesus Christ if in his own person he should show himself unto us naked or famished? Who would not think it a great blessing to lodge him in his house, and by displacing himself, to lend him his bed? Who would not go to meet him, and with old Abraham and Lot, say unto him. If I have found favor in thy sight, I pray thee turn into my house and take thy repast? The contempt and neglect of the poor in this behalf doth, to our confusion, mightily cry out that we believe not Christ, where he protesteth that whatsoever we do to the poor, we do it to himself: and so are we convict of this incredulity. Besides we may boldly say, that the relief given to the poor in the name of Jesus Christ, is unto him more acceptable, then if it were given to his own person: because that in relieving the poor, besides our charity, we also show faith apprehending the truth of his promise, where in he accepteth anything done to the poor, as done to his own person.
8 Moreover the holy Ghost many times compareth Alms to the seed cast into the ground, and thereupon Saint Paul expressly saith. He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly, & he that soweth liberally, shall reap liberally. The poor man's field saith S. Augustine is fruitful, and doth quickly and plenteously return that which it hath received: The husbandman byeth land, oxen, and horse, and feedeth them: he tilleth his ground, he casteth in seed, and all upon hope of a doubtful and uncertain harvest: but in giving to the poor it is not so: he shall not need to lay out any money for fields or cattle: neither to till or soil his ground. God doth show and offer it ready prepared sit for to receive the seed, which being cast into the hands of the poor, returneth assured, plentiful and everlasting fruit. If any man should offer his land ready tilled, and soyled, and will us to sow it, upon condition the crop should be our own, we would never tarry for much entreaty, nay, rather then to want seed we would sell our clothes for such a purpose, since therefore that the poor are a fat and fruitful soil, ready prepared by the Lord to receive our seed, what is that let that hindereth us from sowing in that ground, by imparting of our goods to the poor, especially considering that there is neither frost nor drought, neither weed nor darnel, nor grasshopper, nor army of soldiers to debar us from reaping the everlasting crop thereof. By experience we find, that if we keep our corn long in the garner, it will at length take heat and spoil, but in sowing it, we do not only keep it, but also it is increased, and greatly multiplied. Even so is it with our goods, or rather better: for seeking to keep them, they do not only decaie, as Jesus Christ saith, by • ust, mouth or otherwise, but also they do corrupt us by a perverse confidence that we repose in them, and by the pride and surquidrie which they engender in our harts: Wher contrariwise being sown and scattered in the hands of the poor, they are safely preserved and laid up for us with increase in the kingdom of heaven.
9 Again, Alms is called not only seed, to teach us that we shall reap a blessed crop thereof: but also it is likened to a loan made unto God. Solomon expressly saith, that he that showeth mercy to the poor, lendeth to the Lord. If we think nothing lost that we lend to a goodman, and one that is of ability, but look to receive it again: much rather may we look to recover that which we have lent to the almighty and faithful Lord. What excuse may we pretend in the presence of God, when sinners do lend to such as be like to themselves, upon an uncertain hope to recover their loan: and yet we refuse to lend unto Christ, when in his members he desireth to borrow, and becometh him self surety for it, with promise of great reward, as Saint Luke saith. Lend to the poor, looking for nothing again, and your reward shall be great in heaven? Of two things we must confess the one: either that we do not make so much accompt of the spiritual and everlasting usury and reward, is of a little money subject to loss, which at the farthest we must forgo at death: either else that we accompt that which we lend forth upon usury to men, by nature liars, to be more safe, then that which we lend to him that is truth it self, who cannot shrink or become banquerout, a payment worthy diverse covetous persons that trust more in man, then in God. If thou wilt be a good Marchaunt, saith Saint Augustine and an excellent usurer, give forth that which thou canst not keep, if that thou mayest receive that which thou canst not loose: Give a little, that thou mayest receive a hundred times as much: Again give a temporal possession for an everlasting inheritance. And again Christ saith unto thee, give me of that which I have given to thee: I ask but mine own, give and restore: I have been a liberal giver to thee, now make me thy debtor, and I will pay thee everlasting goods. If some mighty towneship should use such liberality towards her Burgeoyses, as to deliver them good letters and sure assignations to receive for a hundred in ready money, a hundred of Annual rent for life, who would not deliver forth his money to such profit? But God promiseth to these that shall give to the poor a much greater rent without comparison, and that not for a temporal life, but for a hereditary and everlasting rent. What then is it that letteth or stayeth us from coming & delivering our money to him by the hands of the poor? Even our incredulity, because we think all that we give unto them to be our loss: Albeit contrariwise it is the only way to keep our goods forever. But all that we keep during our lives, is lost at our death: so that which in our life time we give to the poor we shall find again after our death, and enjoy it in life everlasting, as Jesus Christ also saith, that God his father will reward us openly, for that Alms that we give in secret.
10 To this end also doth he counsel us to invite to our feasts, not the rich men that are able to requite feast with feast, but the poor that are not able to restore, and thou shalt be, saith he, blessed, because they can make no recompense: for thou shalt have the reward in the resurrection of the righteous: and in that sense doth he also exhort and teach us to use the wisdom of the unjust steward; for saying, Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon that whē you want they may receive you into everlasting habitations, he showeth that the unjust steward had that descretion, to give away his masters goods, though with a bad conscience, that thereby he might be able to live when he should be put from the administration of his masters goods: much rather then should we give to the poor that which god hath lent us, seeing we have frō him both a commandment to do it, & a promise, that whatsoever we give, we shall find it again in heaven, when by death the administration of our goods shall be taken from us. And therefore if we be in love with goods, it is best for us to enlarge them to the poor, that they may transport them for us to heaven, & there purchase for us an everlasting treasure, he is unjust & unfaithful, saith a good father, that coveteth not to retain that which he loveth with all his heart, forever. What a folly is it, saith Chrysostom, there to leave thy goods, from whence thou must depart, and not rather to send thē before thee to the place where thou goest to enhabite. Let thy goods be where thy country is. He that hordeth up treasure upon earth, hath nothing to look for in heaven. Why lookest thou up to heaven, where thou hast laid up nothing? whatsoever thou dost for thy soul at thy death, shall be nothing, & the rest shalt thou loose. If we be so desirous to keep our goods safe, how can we do better thē to make use of the admonitiō of Jesus Christ who saith. Sell that ye have and give Alms: make you bags which wex not old, a treasure that can never fail, in heaven where no thief cometh, neither mouth corrupteth.
11 Since God so commendeth & commandeth Alms & relief of the poor, even with assured promises that whatsoever we give unto thē is a treasure falsely laid up for us in heaven, & shall be again restored unto us with plentiful usury & everlasting reward: what else have we to do, but to Amend our former negligence and sparing, and more and more to increase in the works of charity, and relieving the poor, by giving liberally according to our ability, as S. Paul saith: according to the goods that God hath imparted unto us? And this is yet one thing that we are to note, namely, that as many are ashamed to give nothing to the poor, so their giving is always as little as may be, & cometh from them as if a man should pluck some rib out of their sides. If it concern the private benefit of the poor, there must be some long Oration to prepare & induce them to their duties. If a man come to them again in any short time, then will they complain that still we come to them, that we never leave begging: the poor, will they say, must not be fed so fat, and many do abuse their Alms: Then will they come in with their losses, the smalnes of their traficke, their sclender gain, their household charges: To be short, ye shall find them wonderful full of invention & cunning to excuse themselves, that they may give as little as may be. But if they wist how profitable it were to give to the poor, and what a savor God showeth us whē he vouchsafeth to touch our harts with a purpose to distribute liberally to the needy, then will they thank those that come to summon and stir thē up to their duties, and so will resolve to give largely according to the portiō that they have receued of the Lord.
12 To this duty may the example of the Macedonians greatly incite us: to whō S. Paul gave this commendation that in the great trial of affliction, they enjoyed plentiful comfort, & in the depth of poverty they aboūded in the treasures of their simplicity: They were sore afflicted, yet feeling abundance of joy in God, without respect to the consideration of their poverty, or standing upon any long discourse of distrust, but in all simplicity depending wholly upon God's providence, they thrust their hands into the bottoms of their coffers, to help the poor with that small remainder that was left, being ready as S. Paul testifieth of thē, to distribute to their power, yea even beyond their power. And so far were they frō needing any to entreat or solicit them, that even with great instancie they required S. Paul to receive of them that which they had contributed: And this relief did they call the grace of God & fellowship in relieving the Saints. This example of the Macedonians ought every man continually to behold, to the end that the rich by consideration of the willing liberality of these poor Macedonians, might be ashamed thus to keep back their abundance, & that others which be not so wealthy, might nevertheless, acknowledging their duties, be ready to give, if not as the Macedonians, more then their ability would bear, yet at the least according as God hath made them able. Isaiah speaking of the conversion of Tyrus, saith. Her occupying & her wages shall be holy unto the Lord: It shall not be laid up, nor kept in store: but her merchandise shall be before them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, & to have dureable clothing If merchants & other wealthy persons would well consider this example of the Tyrants, they should understand, that all that they have ought to be consecrated to the lord, & that it belongeth not so justly to thē, as to the poor & needy servants & childrē of God. And albeit God suffereth them to be more honorably clothed & more daintily sed, yet ought they so to enlarge themselves, that when their own garments be of fine cloth, the poor may have freeze, & whē they eat whitebread, the poor may be satisfied with brown.
13 As these titles be attributed to Job, that he was an upright and just man, and one that feared God, so did he declare the same by his works of charity, protesting that he never denied the petition of the poor, neither caused the eyes of the widow to fail, that he eat not his morsels alone, but that the fatherless hath eaten thereof: That from their youth he brought them up as he had been their father, and that from his mothers womb he had governed the widdowe: That he never let the naked perish for want of clothing, but that their loins blessed him, because they were warmed with the flecce of his sheep. Cornelius the Centurion was an Ethnike, and a soldier, yet having some knowledge and fear of the true God, he so extended his alms, that the Angel testified thereof, saying, Cornelius, thy alms and thy prayers are ascended before the Lord. And God sent Peter unto him, to instruct him more largelye in the doctrine of the Gospel. Let all Christians, especially such as profess themselves to be of the reformed Churches, behold themselves in the mirror of these examples, and thereby be ashamed of their negligence and sparing from the poor. Let these examples stir up and inflame their hearts to imitate the same, and so far to surmount them, as in doctrine they have more instructions, and in examples more plenty before their eyes, which, no doubt, will take from them all excuse in the day of judgment, except they amend, and increase in the works of Charity: especially let them ever remember the example of Jesus Christ, who as Saint Paul saith, albeit he was rich, yet made himself poor, that by his poverty we might be made rich: Christ was verily rich, not only as God creator of all the world, but also as man, united to the divinity, being made the universal heir of all things Nevertheless he voluntarily dispossessed himself of all worldly riches and honor, so far forth as to be content to be borne in a poor st • ble, not having so much • s a pillowe to lay under his head. And why? To the end to reestablish us in our dominion over all creatures, which was lost by the sin of the first Adam, as also to purchase for us the treasures of spiritual and everlasting riches. But herein consisteth our felicity, that we conform our selves to Jesus Christ, and as Saint Peter saith, follow his steppes. Whereupon God might require us to give both our selves and all that we have, to the service and relief of the poor, as Saint Paul testifieth of the Macedonians, that they surmounted his hope, giving not only the very bottom of their goods, but even themselves to the Lord. Yet God in mercy doth so far spare us, that he is content we should be disposers of his goods, but so, that the poor may have a parte, as the Apostle showeth: where he noteth the Manna in old time given to the people of Israel. Moses rehearseth, that he that gathered more than he needed for the sustenance of his family, might not reserve it till the next day, but was to leave the rest to those that had not gathered sufficient for their families, so that he that had gathered much, had nothing left, and he that had gathered too little, yet wanted not. Let us in like sort so take the goods, that God hath imparted unto us for the maintainence of our families, that at the least we give of our abundance to the poor, for the relief of their want and necessity.
14 The example of the charity of the primitive Church penetrating into our harts, might move us to practice this duty. There was not, saith Saint Luke, any needy person among them, for all that possessed lands or houses, sold the same, & brought the price of that which was sold, and laid it at the Apostles feet, and this was distributed to every man according as he had need: It would in these days be a wonder to see any man sell his house or land to relieve the poor, so far are Christians now from this duty of charity. Yet the commandment to love our neighbor as our self, and consequently to do to him as we would be done by, exhorteth us to this duty, if need require, even to sel our goods to relieve the poor, for so would we do for our selves in case of necessity by sickness, or otherwise. And in deed, if Saint Paul command that we should labor with our hands, to have wherewith to relieve the needy, it appeareth that our labor or our goods whatsoever, we are to employ in relieving the necessity of the Saints: as also we see that God in many places most earnestly commendeth unto us the poor, by express commandments, by excellent promises, and by notable examples, as is afore shown.
15 Moreover, this duty we must practice, not only to those that are among us, but we must also extend our charity to other churches, that want wherewith to relieve the necessity of their pore. So did the Macedonians contribute beyond their ability for the relief of the poor faithful that were at Ierusalē: so did the Achaians strain themselves & depart with their goods to the like end: so did the faithful and disciples at Antioch (when by the prophesy of Agabus they were warned of the famine that should take hold of the whole world) determine every man according to his ability to send somewhat to the brethren in Judea, to relieve their wants: so did S.Paul ordain among the Corinthians, that the first day of every week (which since was called sunday) each of thē should lay up & make, as it were, a little treasure, of so much as through the goodness of God they could spare, to the end to have the same in readiness at any gatherings for the relief of the poor faithful at Jerusalem. The like order did he prescribe to the church of Galatia. Hereby may we more & more perceive, how far our charity should extēd, & how worthy reproof we are in the sight of God, if we neglect the pore that are among us, & do not releue their necessities.
16 Whatsoever is before spoken of our duties to relieve the pore, doth sufficiently declare, that they which shall despise them & not help thē in their need, cannot but expect a horrible vengeance frō God, as Christ Jesus hath already set down, saying that in the day of judgment he will say unto them, Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, provided for the devil & his Angels, for I was hungry & a thirst, I was naked, a stranger, & sick, and ye cared not to help me. If many times we could consider of the incomprehensible greatness & eternity of this punishment, how durst we despise the pore in their necessities? Or can we think the sentence unjust, considering that we are sufficiently advertised that we contemn Christ Jesus in the person of the poor? Or how dare man desire God to take pity of him, to pardon his sins, or to succor him in his calamity, seeing himself will take no compassion of his neighbor, neither relieve his necessity? Judgment without mercy (saith S. James) shall be unto him that showeth no mercy. Contrariwise, Blessed are the merciful, saith Christ, for they shall have mercy. We read that in Athens there was a Church dedicated to Mercy, whereinto none might enter, but such as by the Senate were deemed merciful & gentle: whereupon the people upon a desire to go in, would study to exercise themselves in the works of mercy & gentleness: neither could there be any greater injury offered to an Athenian, than to object unto him that he never came within the Church of mercy. But as we may justly term heaven the true temple of mercy, so have even the Heathen taught us, that none shall enter therinto, but they which have done the works of mercy. And if the Athenians applied themselves to the same, because they would not be challenged that they never came in that temple built by men, how much more fervently are we to imploie our selves, least we fall into this objection and horrible judgment, that we shall never enter into the temple of heaven? In vain, saith an ancient father, do they lift up their hands unto heaven, to crave pardon for their sins, which refuse to extend the same to the poor in tribulation. And to the same purpose doth Solomon say, He that stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor, shall also cry and not be heard. The punishment inflicted upon Sodom and Gomorrhah was horrible and terrible, and Moses reporteth their heinous and abhominable iniquity, yet the Prophet Ezekiel therein noteth also contempt of the poor, as their principal iniquity, or at the least as the step whereby they ascended to the fullness of wickedness: Behold (saith he) this was the iniquity of their sister Sodom, Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Let these threats and horrible vengeance so touch our hearts, that we no longer despise the poor, but relieve them according as God maketh us able.
17 Neither must we reply, as some do, that all that we can do is but a little. For God (saith Saint Augustine) asketh no more of us than he hath given us. If willingness go before (saith Saint Paul) it is accepted according to that a man hath, not according to that he hath not. So that albeit thy gift be small, yet thy affection shall be of no less estimation with God, than if being a rich man, thou gavest a great sum of thy abundance. The oblation of the poor who in old time for the tabernacle of the Lord offered goats hair & sheep's skins, was as acceptable unto God, as the oblations of the rich that offered vessels of gold. Moreover, the poor man's alms, saith Saint Augustine, is more to be esteemed than the rich man's: for the rich man giveth, as relying upon his abundance, but the poor man as depending only upon the Lord: And threfore the poor widows mite cast into the box, was of greater account with Jesus Christ, than the great presents of the rich, and his reason was, For they of their superfluity have cast in their offerings, but the widdowe of her penury hath cast in all the living she had, even that which her self might well stand in need of.
18 True, will the flesh say, but if we give so, and besides be bound to relieve those that are fair from us, as is aforesaid, our selves may soon want and stand in need. Hereto doeth Saint Cyprian answer, saying: If thou givest liberally to the poor, thou fearest lest thy goods should fail thee, yet, thou wretch, thou woe • test not, that fearing the loss of bodily goods, thou wantest both life and salvation: and caring lest thy goods should fail, thou never thinkest how thyself doest wast, in that thou lovest riches, better than thy soul. Also doubting least thy goods should be lost for thee, thou loosest thyself for thy goods. But yet what husband-man, when he is to sow, will make any difficulty of fetching corn to that use out of his garner, for fear of want? Or rather will he not hope, that by sowing of his corn, he shall in harvest reap it again with increase, both to relieve his family and to sow again? Even this doeth Saint Paul answer and teach saying: God is able to make all grace to abound in us, that we always having all sufficiency in all good things, may abound in every good work. And in deed as he addeth, He that findeth seed to the power, will likewise minister bread for food, and increase the fruits of our benevolence. He that giveth to the poor (saith Solomon) • hall •• t want, but he that turneth away his face shall abound in all misery. These promises might be an assured pledge unto us, that by relieving the poor we shall not impoue •• sh our selves, but the Lord will provide for all our necessities. We read that Alexander the great departing out of Macedonia toward Persia, gave all his goods to his friends and servants: which when Pe • dicas perceived, he asked him what he reserved for himself: To whom Alexander answered, Hope: Then Perdicas refusing his gift, said that he also would be a partaker in his hope. If he upon an uncertain hope could be content to give awa • e all his goods, what excuse may Christians make, who albeit they have an assured foundation of certain hope in God, they will notwithstanding deny even a small portion of their goods unto the poor? If the example of Alexander was able to induce Perdicas, to be content only to participate in his hope, howe shall Christians be excused, when by the examples of Christ, of Job, of the Centurion of the Macedonians, and so many others, they cannot be moved with them to participate, in hope of spiritual and everlasting riches in heaven, yea, even of God's blessings in this life, as is afore shown, by liberal distribution to the poor? Again, Who blesseth man's labor? Who preserveth his goods exposed to so many dangers? It is God, said Hanna the mother of Samuel, that enricheth and maketh poor. We are therefore greatly deceived, to imagine that we shall rather by being unfaithful servants and stewards, con • inue the administration of God's goods, than by distributing the same faithfully, according to his will and pleasure. One only banquerupt will be enough (without any thanks at God's hands) to carry away and defeat us of more at one time, than great & bountiful liberalities & almeses to the poor can do throughout our life time, which nevertheless will be so many sacrifices of sweet savor unto the Lord. Besides, we ought to account his promises more certain than monie in our purses, and bread in our cupboordes. They should be unto us as a spring always running, wherein our purses should serve but as cesterns, and those all broken and cracked in many places. This confidence in God's promises should more content us, and make us think our selves better provided of wealth and assurance, than such as abound in all wealth, and have their houses furnished therewith. The widdowe of Sarepta was more rich and better assured of food than any in all the Country, because by God's promise she was certefied that her cruse of Oil and her barrel of Meale should not fail her.
19 Others do extend their reasons farther, namely, to their children, for whose sakes they cut off the due relief of the poor, to the end to leave them the more riches. But these men deserve to be sent to school among the Heathen, who without respect to this duty of Charity, did nevertheless reprove and condemn this excessive and dangerous care. And in deed, many times it cometh to pass, that when the parents do leave to their children great wealth, before the second or third generation one unthrifty successor shall squander away and wast all that they have gathered by wronging both themselves and the poor: Besides, What can children learn in such a school, but likewise to keep their goods after the example of their parents, without any care of the poor? Better it were to induce and frame them to Charity, by giving liberally to the needy. The love and relief of the poor is a goodly inheritance and favor of God. Blessed is he that trayneth up his children therein: better it is to be charitable than rich. In the time of a great famine in Israel, the aforenamed widdowe of Sarepta had but one handful of meal for her and her son, yet the Prophet Elyas coming unto her, willed her to make him a cake, and promised her that her meal in her barrel should not fail her: She believed him, and brought him the cake, albeit it was all that was left for her self and her son. This was a notable example of faith and of Charity. And in deed, soon after she found the truth of the Prophets promise: for in her barrel she had, as it were, a fountain of meal, whereof she and her son lived so long as the famine lasted. If therefore thou hast many children, saith Cyprian, be the more careful to bring upon them God's blessing and favor, by distributing to the poor. Deliver unto him the goods that thou wouldest keep for thy children: let him be their tutor, guardian, and protector. No man shall wreast out of his hands the patrimony that thou hast delivered him to keep. This doeth the Prophet David by experience confirm, saying, I was young, and now am old, yet did I never see the righteous man forsaken, neither his seed begging their bread: He daily giveth to the poor, and lendeth, and his seed is blessed. And in another place he saith, The good man giveth alms and lendeth, he distributeth to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever, and his horn shall be exalted. Contrariwise, sparing and keeping from the poor to make his children rich, is the subversion of himself, his house, and his children. Of what heavenly and everlasting treasures doest thou voluntarily deprive thyself, for the leaving of wordly riches to thy children, who peradventure may abuse them to their confusion and everlasting damnation? Must the enriching of thy children be a cause to suffer God's children to die for hunger? Must thou leave the members of Christ naked, that thou mayest clothe those with excess, who peradventure thereof may take occasion to offend God, yea, it may be, even to deny Jesus Christ? What answer wilt thou make in the day of judgment, when he shall object unto thee, that thou diddest deny him meat, drink and cloth? Will he, thinkest thou, accept of this excuse, I spared my goods to enrich my children? He commanded thee not to leave them wealth, but to relieve the poor. If thou lovest thy children better than God, canst thou think that he will acknowledge thee to be his child? What is it to thee although thy children inherit but six or seven hundred in stead of a thousand? Or how many sacrifices of sweet savor mayest thou offer to God out of the two or three hundred that thou shalt diminish from them, which unto thee will be a mighty treasure to everlasting life?
20 Some again seeing the manifest and evident sparing of such as they take to be better provided for than themselves, with murmuring complaints will give out and tell those that come to demand anything for the poor, that they must solicit and call upon the others, and so seek by all means to excuse themselves, that they will by their good wills give very little or nothing at all. But Chrysostom doeth very fitly make them answer, saying. Thou wilt say that such a man is rich, and giveth nothing, or very little: But what is that to thee? So much the more wonderful and commendable is thy charity, if thou having less than he, art more lyberall than he. Neither marvelled the Apostle at the Macedonians because they gave, but because being poor, they gave so liberally. Judge not another, but of thyself make thyself so commendable, that thou mayest eschew all accusation. For the greater torments do attend thee, if in that whereof thou condemnest others, thyself doest not thy duty, but art guilty of the same fault. Let us not judge others, neither let us have an eye to their sloth, but let us look upon our Lord Christ, and of him take example of all good works. Have not I, saith he, given unto thee heaven he benefits? Have not I redeemed thee, that thou mightest look upon me? Wherefore then, leaving thy Lord, doest thou look upon the work of thy fellow servant? I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done. Moreover, seeing among men thou hast examples of charity, in Abraham, Job, and others, why doest thou not imitate them, rather than stumble at those whom thou doest look unto?
21 Others again, to excuse themselves from giving of their goods to the poor, will play the good husbands, and say that many do abuse alms. This is in deed but too true: yet no doubt as well they that take alms without need, as they that do abuse it, shall one day, as sacrilegious persons, feel God's judgments for it. But as Saint Paul reproveth such people, and exhorhorteth them to their duties, so he commandeth us that we should not notwithstanding desist from well doing. The husbandman never looketh that all the seed which he soweth, should bring forth fruit, but that some shall be devoured by the fouls of the air, and some otherwise, yet doeth he not therefore forbear to sow: even so must we sow our alms, notwithstanding we be assured that all is not well bestowed. We must use discretion and dilygence, that we may be faithful stewards, not so severe as to forget the simplicity of charity so highly commended and praised by Saint Paul, who saith, Love imagineth no evil, Love believeth all things, Love hopeth for all things. And in deed it is better to feed and clothe two wicked ones with one child of God, than for fear of helping the wicked, to suffer one of God's children to perish for hunger or cold. The merchant is many times deceived in his expectation of gain, by tempests on the sea, by banqueroutes, and otherwise, yet doth he not give over his traffic. When Job had clothed the needy with his wool, he said that their loins did bless him: thereby teaching us, that albeit the lips of the poor whom we have clothed, should curse us, and that he should abuse the relief that we have ministered unto him, yet his loins comforted with our garments, shall testify our charity toward him, and bless us in the sight of God. The Prophet Isaiah exhorteth God's servants, the preachers of his word, to be strong and of good comfort, albeit the seed of their doctrine fructify but in few, showing them that their labor and work is nevertheless before the Lord. Even so is it with the goods that we distribute to the poor, albeit some do abuse them, yet is our charity in the sight of God. Let us therefore use discretion and diligence in the well bestowing of our alms, & reprove those that abuse the same, yet let simplicity and charity so guide us, that under color of neglecting those that are unworthy, we do not refuse to relieve those that in deed are poor and needy.
22 Many times such great husbands are the men that do most abuse the goods, whereof God hath made thē not absolute Lord's, but stewards. They be as prodigal in their own uses, as niggardly to the poor. They exceed in rich & costly attire: in vnordinarie and sumptuous diet: to be short, in all superfluous, unprofitable, carnal and worldly expenses: but if there be any speech of helping the poor, there is nothing to be had, they have never a whit too much to satisfy their own prodigality and ambition. But what account can they give of their administration in the day of judgment? Will Christ in his account pass these articles? So much spent in riot, so much in excess and banquets, so much in the pleasures of the flesh? Can they allege that they had not wherewith to help the poor? No, the former articles will convince them: so shall they be convict as well for despising the poor, as for abusing the benefits, whereof they should have been faithful stewards. If Saint Paul commandeth us to work with our hands, to the ende to get wherewith to relieve the needy, how much rather should we, according unto God's will, cut off parte of our superfluity and excess, therewyth to help such as want? It is a kind of sacrilege, saith Saint Jerome, to give the goods of the poor to such as be rich enough. Let the hungry boweles commend thy charity, not the panches of those that are bursten with thy abundance. Oh woeful calamity of mankind, saith Saint Augustine, howe many may we find that do urge and compel those that be already satisfied, to drink more than be cometh them, and yet will deny even a glass of small drink to the poor that beg at their door? Those men do never consider, that the drink which even perforce they offer to drunkards, ought rather to be given unto Jesus Christ in the persons of the poor, as himself hath said: Whatsoever you have done to one of the least of these, you have done it unto me. We do commonly say to those that have enough, ye eat not, and so urge them to eat, and yet do deny a morsel of bread to the hungry. When men have delicate wine and dainty fare, which do but too much whet on the stomach, we use to call upon them to make good cheer, and in the mean time forget them, who having peradventure never a bit of bread to give to their children, do weep and lament. Had the rich man that lived in pleasures, taken pity of Lazarus that lay at his gate, and cutting off parte of his superfluity, relieved his necessity: in stead of torments in hell fire, he had received the crown of Charity, as Lazarus received the crown of patience in life everlasting. Let us beware, least the superfluity of our banquets, apparel, and other vanities, that are good for nothing but to displease God and offend our neighbors, be not unto us as tormentors, and burning coals in our consciences in the da • e of judgment, calling for vengeance against us for our contempt of the poor in their necessity. Neither let us complain of the marvelous increase of the poor that want relief, but let us accuse our own coldness and slackness in distributing for their succor and relief. Can we complain of want of ability, when our only superfluity being cut off and gathered together might suffice? What man at his death could not with that he had cut off and employed the same upon the relief of the poor? Or who could not at that time be content that he had after the example of the poor widdowe, or the Macedonians, imparted unto them of his substance in their necessity, considering that the same should have been unto him so much treasure in Heaven?
23 Let us therefore amend our former negligence and sloth, and while we have time, as Saint Paul saith, Doo good unto all, but especially to those that be of the household of faith. They all do bear the image of God, they all are of our flesh, whom we must love as our selves. We cannot therefore neglect and contemn them without great injury to God and our selves, and breach of that unity that God hath made among us: yet as there is greater affinity between the members of Christ and as the image of God doeth more clearly and evidently shine in them: so are we more bound to care for their relief, and to do good unto them in their necessities. Let us then imploie our selves herein while we have time, which may be considered in three pointes. First, while God lendeth and giveth us wherewith, for we know not whether by fire, war, banqueroutes, theft, or any other inconvenience our goods shall be taken frō us. The husbandman hearing of approach of some army, and fearing thereby the loss of all his grain, which might by them be carried away or wasted, himself would transport as much as he might into the town, and commit the custody thereof to some friend: even so we being advertised of the dangers, which daily experience doth acquaint us withal, howe the man that this day aboundeth in all prosperity, by tomorrow is made a beggar: let us deliver so much of our goods to the poor as conveniently we may, before we loose all: let us by their hands transport at the least some part thereof into heaven, and there deliver it into the custody of Jesus Christ, who in the da • e of judgment will restore it us to our everlasting joy. Secondly, let us do good to the poor while we live here, for, as is aforesaid, all that we give in our life time, shall remain to us forever, and what we leave at our death, that we loose. Thirdly, let us do it while the poor come among us, or that others do crave it in their name, for we must think, that then God maketh us a sign to give, and whispereth in our ears, saying: Now is the time to do well, let not this occasionslip. Thus we see that doing good to the poor while we have time and means, we shall give them occasion to praise and bless God, and he, acknowledging us to be his children, will so fair favor us, that in the great day of the Lord, standing at the right hand of Jesus Christ, we shall hear this blessed and comfortable speech directed unto us, Come ye blessed of God my father, inherit the kingdom of heaven prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Of the duty of the Poor.
24 HEreto will we add some few instructions touching the duty of the poor. First, as almighty God in commanding the riche to relieve the necessity of the poor and needy, and for the same promising such great and everlasting reward, as is afore mentioned, should thereby so pierce and take possession of their harts, as to constrain and make them both liberally and cheerfully to relieve them: so are the poor therein to conceive a steadfast foundation of comfort, as understanding thereby how careful the Lord is for them, who ordaineth men (whom he hath endued with wealth) to be his servants, through whose ministration he will provide for their necessities. They are therefore to assure themselves, that God doth not despise or neglect them: but because in his wisdom he hath decreed that there shall be both rich & poor, his will is to use the rich in the relief of the necessities of the poor. When Jesus Christ, to the end to induce the rich to perform their duties, did protest that whatsoever they did to the poor, either in relieving, or in contemning them, they did it to himself: Could he more certainly assure them of help and relief, than by aduowing such relief as they received, as performed to himself, and such contempt or denial as was used in their behalfes, as done to himself in their persons? Coulde he declare any greater care or affection to the poor, than by recommending them to us as his own person? Could he more lively testify how highly he esteemeth, or how heartily he accepteth of their relief, than by bringing into his kingdom all those that have relieved their necessities, and by thrusting such into hell as have despised them?
25 If the poor do call God their father, can they doubt of his love, either that he loving them, is not also willing to help them in their necessities? Withall considering, that by his Apostle he chargeth us not to forget to do good, and to distribute, thereto adding, that with such sacrifices he is pleased. If a mother careth for her child before it be borne, providing for it such things as may be necessary when it cometh into the world: think you that your heavenly father careth not to provide for the necessities of his children already borne into the Church, who do cal him father, & say unto him, as it were by the mouth of Jesus Christ, Give us this day our daily bread? Surely there is no doubt but he is wylling to relieve their necessities, as also they may be well assured of his power to do it. First, in regard of that which Jesus Christ teacheth, Man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God: They are to learn, that even without any natural or ordinary means God can feed them, only with his blessing, the example whereof we have in Moses, Helias and Christ, who lived forty days without meat. And in deed as he can when he purposeth to send a famine, whereby to deprive man of the means to live, so take away the strength of bread, 〈…〉 but eat a man never so much, it shall not nourish him: So can he bless even one morsel of the bread, that it shall yield us more sustenance than we ordinarily receive of greater plenty. He can so multiply it, as he did in the wildernesses, where he fedd five thousand men with five loaves. He can provide us of food, as he fed his people in the desert for the space of forty years, sending them Manna from heaven, and as he did by them, so cause that our garments and shoes shall not wear or consume. He can bless our bread and oil, as he did for the widow of Sarepta, so that using that which we have, it shall not diminish. To be short, he can use the service of Ravens to bring us food, as he did for Elias. These testimonies & examples of God's will and power, might assure the poor that God will provide for their necessities, to the ende that they in assurance of faith may trust and depend upon him only.
26 By this assurance of God's will and power, they ought to be stirred up to pray unto God, that he vouchsafe to provide for their necessities: and their prayers must proceed of faith. For the will of God is, that we beg of him whatsoever we steadfastlye believe that he can and will give us. And in that respect it behooveth them to pray to God to touch the hearts of the rich, and to move them to charity and compassion, that they may stretch forth their hands to relieve those that stand in need. They are moreover to understand, that as God hath ordained the office of deacons to provide for their relief, acknowledging therein his wisdom & goodness, they are diligently to pray unto him, to send such deacons as may be endued with gifts and graces requisite for such an office, to preserve them under his protection, to guide them with his holy spirit, and to strengthen them, that they may overcome all labors and difficulties, so that following their charge faithfully & cheerfully, they may by that means receive, as it were, at the hand of God, all meet relief for their necessities, & thereby praise God for his care over them, & for the means that he useth in relieving their want and necessity. Let them therefore beware of murmuring at their own poverty, because others have such plenty & wealth. Let thē think that this is ordered by the skillful providence of God, who being their father, loveth them, and loving them, wisheth their good and salvation. And as he is able to do whatsoever he willeth, so would he make them as rich as other men, if he thought it expedient, but being wiser than we, we ought as obedient children to be content to be lead by him.
27 Besides prayer, it is also convenient that everyone should labor in his vocation to maintain his family, by caring for to keep it without alms, except upon great necessity. First, God hath commanded that we should labor six days in the week, wherein everyone is so to discharge his duty, as if he were to give account unto God for such time as he looseth in idleness whē he might work, but doth it not. Secondly, they are to remember, that as David saith, the man is blessed that eateth the labors of his own hands: wherein he showeth, that as such as will not work, that they may live of their own labors, do therein feel the curse of God: so doeth not man's felicity consist in having great riches heaped up for him, but rather in that he laboring in his vocation, and contenting himself with a mediocrity, doth eat the fruit of his own labors. In correspondence whereof, in the time of Saint Paul, when there were some that already walked licentiously in idleness, who lived curiously, and meddled in things nothing appertaining to their vocation: he chargeth and exhorteth thē in the name of Christ, to labor to eat their bread in quietness. How grievously would he now therefore reprove those that never work but against their wills, and do less than well they are able, waiting upon the relief of the Church, as if it were a certain rent, and take no care to husband that which they get either by work or by such relief? Yet how much more sharply would the Apostle reprove others, who being wholly given to idleness, the mother and nurse of all mischief, do haunt Taverns, there, instead of getting by their labors, to spend in drinking, suffering their wives & poor children in the mean time to starve for hunger, if they had not relief from others, whereon also they will depend: showing themselves cruel and unkind to their wives and children, yea, even worse than Infidels, as the Apostle termeth them, because they have no care of their families. Let such therefore as receive the alms and relief which they might well spare, either by earning by their own labors, or soberly sparing that is ministered unto them, think and well understand, that they are but as Church robbers in the sight of God, who seeth all, and to whom all must yield account in the day of judgment.
28 Moreover, if the poor do think their calling to be base and contemptible in the sight of the world, let them look upon Jesus Christ, the prince of glory, their savior, who made himself poor to inriche us, and comfort themselves in that they bear his image in their poverty, which they may assure themselves selves is blessed, sanctified, and made honorable in the poverty of their head Jesus Christ. Let them imagine, that the servant which is as well used as his master, hath no cause to mislyke. If they be poorly or meanly housed, let them behold Jesus Christ, the creator of heaven and earth, borne in a stable, instead of a cradle, laid in a manger, afterward protesting, that the foxes have holes and the birds of heaven neasts, but the son of man hath not whereon to rest his head. If their lodging be homely and base, let them look upon the Patriarke Jacob, who took a stone for his pillow. If their clothing be pore, let them remember that S. Paul was molested with nakedness. If at any time they hunger, thirst, or be a cold, let them hearken to the same Apostle, protesting that himself also hungered, thirsted, and was a cold: as also that the same which he saith of himself, he also affirmeth in his fellow laborers of the Lord's work, Unto this hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked. If in sickness or otherwise thirsting, they have but water, or small beer: let them behold Jesus Christ upon the cross, to whom in his thirst they ministered vinegar to drink. If after wealth and dignities they be fallen into poverty, let them think upon Moses, who when he might have been called the son of Pharaoh, refused it, and accounting reproach with Christ, to be greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt, forsook all and became a shepherd, and not for his own, but for another man's.
29 If rich men have, as it seemeth, greater commodities as concerning the flesh, and are in greater estimation with the world, let the poor think, that many times they sleep not so quietly as they: also, that their carnal commodities have their recompense in cares and labors of mind, wherewith they are more troubled than the poor. Let them also remember, that riches make not a man blessed in the sight of God, for they are also common to the wicked, yea and oftentimes do minister occasion to offend God as also they be sometimes termed thorns, & unrighteous Mammon. And in that sense Jesus Christ pronounced that it was a very hard matter for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And contrariwise, as in old time the good tidings of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ was by the Angel first delivered to the shepherds, so usually the Gospel is especially preached to the poor. As also S James saith, that God hath chosen the pore of this world, which are rich in faith, and heirs to the kingdom that he hath promised to them that love him. To be short, in being poor, they have not any such occasion or temptation to to be proud, or to trust in the uncertainty of their treasures, as the rich men, but to repose themselves upon the living God, to depend wholly upon him, and daily to say, Give us this day our daily bread, and daily to wait for the same, as for Manna descending from heaven. To conclude, as the prodigal child, having goods, in the wasting of them, gave himself to the world and the flesh, but having fallen into poverty, thought upon his fathers house, and returned thereto: so should the discommodities and wants which the poor do find in their estates, loosen their hearts from the earth, and cause them to aspire to the house of their heavenly Father, where they shall enjoy all spiritual and everlasting treasures.
Of Covetousness. Chap. 11.
ALreadie have we spoken of Charity, and Alms proceeding therefrom. To this virtue there is nothing more opposite than covetousness, whereof we will now entreat. And that we may the better understand what this vice is, we are to note, that the word Avarice, signifieth covetousness. The Grecians term it sometimes, Desire of Silver, sometimes, Desire to have more. And in deed, as it is hard for a man that loveth silver, to moderate his covetous affections and desires, so by experience we perceive, that the man that loveth money, and longeth to have more, that is to say, the covetous man, is insatiable in his affection, always hungering, still out of taste, evermore burning in a fervent desire to increase that which he hath. That which he hath, he accounteth nothing, and still aspireth to that he hath not. And as that which he hath not, is among men infinite, so is man's appetite never satisfied. When our children ask more to breakfast than we think meet, we chide them, and say, Better fill their bellies than their eyes, or at the least if we fill both their hands, they depart contented, and will not peradventure crave their breakfasts again in three or four days: but the covetous man, whose eyes of covetousness are greater than his belly, and whose desire exceedeth his necessity, is not content with his hands full, and enough for many days and years: but coveteth after all that is in the world, yea, if he might possibly have it all, yet would he not be satisfied. Saint Augustine compareth a covetous man unto a sepulcher, which never crieth, Inough: yet is there some difference between them, for the sepulcher, saith he, consumeth all that it receiveth, but the covetous man, never employing that which he hath, will not nevertheless cry enough. He is never satisfied with silver, saith Solomon, he imagineth that he wanteth all that other men have. Bruite beasts, saith Saint Augustine, even the greatest raueners, are sometimes satisfied: neither hunt they after their pray or give themselves to rauine, but whē they hunger: but both the heart & hand of the covetous man are still stretched forth to rob and reaue. Epicurus said, that nothing could suffice the covetous man: Purses & coffers may well be filled but covetousness hath no more bottom thē a bottomless pit. Whē the Emperor Lacinius had replenished all with gold and silver, yet did he even with sighs bewail his poverty. And indeed covetousness never regardeth that it hath, to be therewith content, but what it hath not, to covet there after. It resembleth a river whose spring is small, yet by receiving other brooks and streams groweth strong and violent. The covetous man resembleth them that are sick of the dropsy, who by drinking are never satisfied, but still increase in thirst. His heart is like a flame which is never abated with quantity of wood, how much so ever a man layeth on, well may it for a while be suppressed and yield forth nothing but smooke, the witness of a hidden fire, but breaking out, it waxeth greater according to the abundance of wood.
2 In this respect the more the covetous man hath, the greater are his wishes. And indeed the wish of the Artificer is one, of the Merchant another, and of the King another. The Artificer, to attain to wealth, wisheth some four or five hundred Florins: the Marchaunt, eight or ten thousand, and the King, whole realms to be adjoined to those he hath. Thus they that have most, do wish for most: Therefore saith Seneca, the poor man content, is richer thē the richest covetous mā: for the poor man desireth little, the rich man coveteth much. Thus may we understand this old proverb, that the one half is more then all, because the covetous man not contenting himself with the one half, depriveth himself of the enjoying thereof, and increasing that which he hath, increaseth his covetousness, which the more vehemently that it burneth in him, the more poor and needy doth it make him: For no increase can satisfy that mind which wanteth contentment The more the Lacedemonians had, saith Justin, the more according to man's nature, did they covet, and therefore having conquered and joined to their dominions the power of the Athenians, they began to covet and affect the Empire and dominion of all Asia. This corruption doth Isaiah manifestly lay open, and with all pronounce Woe to the same, saying. Woe be unto them that join house to house and lay field to field, till there be no place, that ye may be placed by yourselves in the midst of the earth. He showeth that this covetise and avarice is so insatiable, that it extendeth even to all that it hath not, in so much that it coveteth every foot of land in the world, even as if the covetous man should alone possess the universal world, and that there should no other inhabitant dwell upon the earth.
3 This is a common disease among men, as experience hath always declared: neither need we to represent it by the examples of Balaam, Laban, G • ezie, Ioell and Abia the sons of Samuel, the Pharisees, Judas, Simon Magus, Demetrius the silver smith, the masters of the maid that had the Pithonicall spirit, and such like. The only testimonies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, speaking of their time, shall suffice. They all look to their own way, everyone for his advantage, and for his own purpose. And Jeremiah saith. Even from the greatest to the least they all apply themselves to covetousness. Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Saint Paul by reproving and condemning covetousness in sundry passages, do show that it was a common disease in their days. As also the Apostle foreshoweth that in the latter days there shall be covetous men. And as Saint Peter saith, seducers and false Prophets that by covetousness shall make merchandises of souls, and this, as they note, shall be no less in their days then before, as by experience we do find: which is more, where all other vice, saith S. Jerome, do with age wax old, only covetousness with age groweth young and gathereth strength. And yet saith Seneca, it is a monstrous case that an old man should be covetous. For there is nothing more senseless then the less way we have to go, the more to load our selves with provision, and as our way shortneth, so to increase our burden. The shortness of our life reproveth the large extent of our covetousness. There is no reason that we should take or carry any great provision for our iournie, when the place that we go unto is at hand. But herein may we understand how truly Cicero spake, when he said that the disease that lurketh in the rains, & is tied to the bowels, and which waxing old cannot be pulled up, is called covetousness.
4 Yet is there nothing more pernicious, or that engendereth greater corruption, sin, iniquity, and strange diseases then this cursed covetousness, which maketh a man to be at enmity with God, with his neighbor, and with himself: And this is it which we are first to note, to the end we may utterly renounce it, and so mend our lives according to the commandment of our Savior Jesus Christ. They that will be rich, saith Saint Paul do fall into temptations and snares, and into many foolish and noisome lusts, which drown men in perdition and destruction: For the desire of money is the root of all evil, which while some lust after, they err from the faith, and pierce themselves thorough with many sorrows. Even this only sentence might suffice to make us to abhor covetousness: For, because the tempter is evermore ready and at hand, we daily pray to God that he lead us not into temptation: & yet we still feed our covetousness which drowneth us therein. The devil doth daily pitch his nets to overtake & hale us into hell: and covetousness causeth us to stumble there into. Moreover it engendereth such foolish & noisome desires that they drown men in destructiō & perdition: And what may a man say more, but even term it the root of all evil, & thereto ad that they which delight therein, do fall from the faith, which is the fullness of all mischief? To conclude: As the fi • h swallowing the hook together with the bait, is taken & killed, so covetous men do pierce thenselves thorough with a thousand sorrows, which do entangle them in death everlasting. Covetousness therefore is as the fire & the stithy, yea where the devil forgeth a thousand chains of iniquity to pul men to hell, & a thousand fiery darts where with mortally to wound men, by poisoning their harts with all vice. As a certain Ethnik in old time said, that covetousness is the Metropolitan City of all corruption & vice: And S. Bernard compareth it to a Lady in a chariot, whose wheels are four vices Cotempt of God: Inhumanitie: forgetfulness of death: & faintness of heart, or mistrust: whose two horses, are nigardlinesse and rauine, and whose carter is desire to have.
5 To be short, covetousness resembleth a wicked mother bringing forth sundry wicked children, enemies (as is aforesaid) both to God and man: yea even to him that harboreth & norisheth them. First S. Paul calleth the covetous man an Idolater, & covetousness Idolatry, but why? Because the covetous man maketh silver his God: he reposeth more confidence in his riches then in God: he loveth silver with his whole heart, evē more thē God: he forgetteth & despiseth the service of God, to the end to serve his own covetousness and desire to have: When his money is in his coffer he thinketh himself more safe then through all God's promises. If by a banquerupt or otherwise he loose some portion of money, it doth more trouble and grieve him, then to loose the kingdom of heaven by offending God, he will without comparison be more sharp set upon getting of money, then upon calling upon God, or hearing his word. Jesus Christ plainly protesteth that No man can serve two masters: but he shall either hate the one and love the other, or he shall cleave to the one and depise the other. And the rather to show whereof he speaketh, he addeth, that we cannot serve God and Mammon. Can there be any greater iniquity then to despise, yea even to hate God? Yet let men flatter themselves as they list, this is the cursed fruit of covetousness, as Jesus Christ himself affirmeth. And least any man should wrongfully complain, as thinking he might notwithstanding he were covetous, yet love God and serve him, Christ, who best knoweth the strength of man, doth resolutely protest that No man can serve two masters. And indeed when for love of money thou doest that which God forbiddeth, or neglectest that which he commandeth, dost thou not despise God, to please thy covetousness? To steal other men's goods, or to deceive men by giving counterfeit come for good, is a villanous vice, yet covetousness persuadeth men so to do, not only to men, but even to God: as the Prophet Malachi objecteth to the Jews, that they offered for sacrifice the blind, the lame and the sick beasts, whereas by the law they were commanded to offer those that were found: Again that as thieves, or sacriledgious persons they robbed God, defrauding him in his tenths. What moved Judas an Apostle to become a sacriledgious person, in stealing money from the poor? Also as the fullness of all impiety, to betray, sell, and deliver to the death for thirty pence, his master, his Lord, the son of God, &c?
6 Now if the covetous man doth wrong and injury unto God, so doth he also in sundry sortes and manners to his neighbor. Chrysostom calleth the covetous man an enemy to all men, and indeed he hath infinite wicked, cruel and lewd means to draw other men's substance into his own purse, without sparing of any: imagining all others to be cast forth for a pray, that he may rob and reaue at pleasure. Ezekiel, where he saith, I have smitten my hands upon thy covetousness, that thou hast used, and upon the blood which have been in the midst of thee, doth show that mixing blood with covetousness, the same hath bred in him all cruelty and inhumanity against his neighbor. As Jeremiah also, speaking to Joachim king of Judah doth note, saying: Thine eyes and thy heart are but only for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood and for oppression and wrong. Whence came these corruptions which the Lord forbiddeth, as devouring of the poor with usury: taking gifts which blind the eyes of the wise: keeping away the wages from the hireling: receiving rewards to shed innocent blood: selling by false measures & weights, or counterfeit merchandise: removing the bounds or marks of their neighbors land: to be short, treading our brethren underfoot? Truly even the root of covetousness bringeth forth these cursed fruits. Were they not the fruits of covetousness, which Isaiah so sharply reproveth in the princes and governors of God's people, where he saith. Thy Princes are rebellious and companions to thieves: everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the widows cause come before them? Covetousness, saith a certain heathen, putteth all things to sale: It overthroweth faithfulness and honesty among men.
7 How many plots doth the covetous man lay to cut the poor man's throat, devising and practicing sundry shifts to sell his corn dear, and all other wares at so high a price, that so he may suck the very blood of the poor? The Jews have in our days but too many Disciples, whom the Prophet Amos likewise doth reprove for the like covetousness, saying. Hear this, O ye that swallow up the poor, that ye may make the needy of the land to fail saying. When will the new month be gonne, that we may sell corn? And the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, and make the Ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsify the weights by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for shoes: yea and sell the refuse of the wheat? All inhumanity, cruelty, fraud, guile, treacherous practices and infidelity doth the covetous man invent and practice to encroch other men's goods. O blind covetousness, even without all sense? Thou dwelling in man under a false semblant of self love, makest him to become an enemy both to God and man, as is afore shown: yea and which seemeth more strange, even to himself, as now we shall understand.
8 Riches, saith Ecclesiasticus, beseem not a nigard, and what should an envious man do with money? He here speaketh of the couetuous man that enu • eth his own good, as he addeth. He that gathereth together from his own soul, heapeth together for others that will make good cheer with his goods. He that is wicked to himself, to whō will he be good? For such a one can have no pleasure of his goods. There is nothing worse then when one envieth himself: and this is a reward of his wickedness. In this sense saith Solomon. I have seen vanity under the sun. That is, the man that is alone, and hath no second: neither hath he son or brother, yet is there no end of all his travail: neither can his eyes be satisfied with riches: neither doth he ever think. For whom do I travail and defraud my soul of pleasure? This also is vanity, and this is an evil travail. To the like purpose and the rather to confirm it, the same Solomon saith also thus. I have seen an evil under the sun, and it is much among men. A man to whom God hath given riches, treasure and honor, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth: But God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a strange man shall eat it up: This is vanity, and this is an evil sickness. The covetous man is like a rich Orphan that dieth in his youth, before he may enjoy his goods: he is in effect as poor as he that hath nothing, according to the old proverb. The covetous man wanteth as well that which he hath as that he hath not: as saith also an Ancient Poet. He is always poor and needy, that loveth or coveteth money. Covetousness maketh him labor to have all, as if all should be his, and hindereth him from the use of that he hath gotten as if nothing were his own. He is not master and Lord, but keeper & storer of his money. There is no tirant so cruel as covetousness, which with care and labor slayeth the man that is subject thereto. It draweth him through fields and woods, sea and land: in the cold of winter and in the heat of summer, night and day: in rain, wind and danger, admitting no rest, and all to seek and hunt after goods: Yet doth it grant him only the sight, but not the use of them: yea it debarreth him of his necessary meat, drink, cloth, and other his necessities. To be short, if a King should use such cruelty to his subjects, he would be called a tyrant. Every man would abhor him, and seek to get out of his subjection: yet covetousness holdeth a man so sure, that the more he purchaseth for it, the more doth it subdue him to the service thereof, so binding and bewitching him, that he taketh a pleasure & thinketh himself happy that he may be so tyrannised. Yet doth it hold him in that wretched estate and miserable condition which the Poets in old time noted of Tantalus, who standing among fruit and in water up to the lips, yet died for hunger and thirst. Through his labor he replenisheth his sellers, garne • s, and costers with goods: but Lady covetousness layeth up the keys and taketh from him the use of them either for himself or for others, as Lucian compareth her to a dog lying in the haye, which when he cannot eat, with his barking, he will not suffer others to eat thereof. As also the Indian Ants or Emets, who gather the gold and keep it, yet neither can use it, neither will suffer men to have it, so far forth as they may. To be short, the covetous man doth take great pains to get, but hath no pleasure in the use. He resembleth the Mule, who going loaden with gold and silver, yet eateth nothing but hay.
9 Ther is moreover this inconvenience in it: that he being as it were the bondman of covetousness, subject to labor to get, and to care to keep that he hath gotten, and wanting the use thereof, yet if he perhaps loose any portion thereof by thieves, banquerupts or otherwise, he falleth into great afflictions and torment with sorrow and grief, as Saint Bernard very well noteth, where he saith. The getting of riches consisteth in great labor: the possession and keeping of them in much care and fear: and the loss of them in extreme sorrow and heaviness. These be three cruel tyrannies which she practiseth over man: and yet urging him to such difficult, unreasonable & pernicious matters, she so bewitcheth him, that he is more ready to obey her then God, who commandeth the things that be easy, just & profitable. This doth Saint Augustine note in this sentence, Covetousness saith unto man. Let me be possessed of thee: but Jesus Christ answereth, thou commaundest things difficult, but I such as are easy: Thou layest upon him an heavy burden, but mine is light: O man, suffer not covetousness to possess thee: for she commandeth thee to abandon thyself to the winds and tempests of the sea: But I command thee, standing at thy door, to give that thou hast to the poor. Thou art slothful to do a good work, yet thy courage will serve thee to pass the seas. When covetousness commandeth thee, thou seruest it: but when God commandeth thee, thou hatest him. This verily is a frantic rage in man, thus to submit himself to covetousness which engendereth so much vice and iniquity: making him an enemy both to God, to men, and to himself. We are therefore so to abhor it, that it be not once named among us, as Saint Paul doeth give us warning.
10 Moreover, in as much as Avarice is a love of silver, and a coveting of riches: Let us for a second remedy consider whether there be any ground or occasion why we should so love them, or covet after them. Jesus Christ saying that the deceitefulnesse of riches choketh the good corn of God's word doeth thereby declare, that they resemble a wanton strumpet, such a one as by her beautye causing many men to lust after her, depriveth such as give themselves to enjoy her, of all virtue, honor and felicity: That they be like unto wine, which by the sweetness and delicacy thereof, allureth man to excessive drinking, yet with all taketh the man from the man, that is to say, his senses and reason frō him. And indeed as the good corn of God's word is a sanctified seed of salvation & life, so the falsehood and deceit of riches doth in such sort draw men to abundance, and with all to the perverse use of the same, that thereby this seed of salvation and life everlasting is choked up. In another place our Lord Jesus Christ calleth thē riches of iniquity, either because they ordinarily do spring from iniquity, or else that they do engender and bring forth iniquity. Saint Paul writing to Timothy, saith thus: Charge them that are rich in the world, that they be not high minded, and that they trust not in uncertain riches. Riches do commonly breed pride, arrogancy, contempt of others, pleasures, pomp, forgetfulness of God, despising of eternal felicity, peruers confidence, and other like plagues. And this doth Basel signify, where he saith, that the mad man desireth nothing so much as to get water, by reason of his excessive distemperature: yet is there nothing that so much tormenteth him: for the only sight thereof is able to cast him into his fit, and to trouble him, and so it is with riches: Every man longeth for them, yet are they the only things that increase his longing, trouble his mind and replenish his heart with passions. When rich men, saith Socrates, will use their riches, they pollute them selves with pleasures and pride: when they list to keep them, care consumeth them and eateth forth their hearts when they labor to get them, they grow wicked and full of all misery. Chrysostom very fitly compareth them to wild beasts, whom a man can hardly take, and when he hath them, he must take great care how to keep them from doing hurt. And in truth as he that walketh in the rain shall hardly escape wetting, or he that traueleth in the hot sun eschew heat: so is it almost impossible for a rich man to avoid vice and corruption by his riches. And hereof speaketh Jesus Christ very resolutely, saying. How hardly do they that have riches enter into the kingdom God? True it is he afterwards expoundeth this speech saying. Children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God? But then adding that It is more easy for a Camel to pass through a needles eye then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God, He declareth how hardly a rich man can escape confidence in his riches, and consequently enter into the kingdom of God. And in this respect doth David admonish us when riches abound, not to set our harts upon the same: as Saint Paul also preacheth to the rich that they should not put any trust in their riches.
11 Riches do not only engender a false confidence in the same, but become also a poison to humility, modesty, courtesy, and all other virtues, which it transformeth into pride and arrogancy, as the Apostle noteth in the place before aledged. Some have written that Bucephalus the horse of Alexander the great, so long as he was naked, would suffer any man to back him: but if he were once furnished with the royal Sadle, Bridle, and other furniture, he grew so proud that no man might ride him but the king: even so many who in their poverty were modest, humble and virtuous, by increase of wealth have changed their virtues into vice. Thus we see that there is no less care and labor to beware that riches hurt not, then sorrow and pain in getting them. Thus did Phocion, albeit a heathen man, very well understand. For when great Alexander sent him a linge sum of money, asking him that brought the present, what moved Alexander to send him such a present, & by the answer understanding that it was in respect of the same of his virtue: he refused it, saying: Let him leave me as I am. Wherein he shown, what regard the virtuous man should take, least riches should change him and make him vicious. The Lacedemonians, according to Licurgus Laws, expelled from among them all unprofitable members, as Cooks, Players, Sophisters and such like. Also the use of silver and gold, using no money but of iron, & so did utterly banish covetousness. And so long as they observed this discipline, they remained not only virtuous, but also invincible to other nations: And contrariwise as soon as forsaking Licurgus laws, they had opened a way to wealth, covetousness crept in, who making them vicious, delivered them into the power of their enemies. And indeed as these mountains that contain mynes of gold and silver, are otherwise barren: so they that have riches, and vaynes of gold and silver, are in their harts made unprofitable to the service of God and man. True it is, Riches are God's good creatures & instruments of virtue to those that can well use them, as Saint Paul well noteth, saying: God giveth us all things to enjoy, to do good, to be rich in good works, ready to distribute and communicate: Laying up in store, for our selves, and making a good foundation against the time to come, that we may obtain eternal life. Neither do we simply condemn either the rich or their riches. Poor Lazarus was received into the bosom of rich Abraham. But the desire and possession of them is dangerous unto man, who naturally is inclined to pervert the use of God's good creatures. To man they be so plenty as Suger & fruit in the power & liberty of a child: as pleasant wine to a drūkerd, & as a sword in a mad man's hand, to use rather to hurt thē to do good. At the least, it is evident that they cannot make a man blessed: for otherwise God would more plentifully distribute them to his well-beloved children in Jesus Christ: whereas contrariwise they are more common to the wicked, who for the most part are better provided of them, whiles the poor is more advanced to the kingdom of God. The gallant Bridles & golden Sadles do nothing amend the horse, but rather his agility, nimbleness and strength. Every beast, saith Epictetus, is esteemed by his virtue: & shall man be so by his wealth. Musicall instruments are to no use to him that cannot play upon them, & so are riches unprofitable to him that cannot use them. As the horse is of no use without a bridle, so are riches without reason. Well may they make a vicio • s man more honorable in the sight of the world: but as fair Tapisserie, which covereth soul & broken walls. Besides, they are endued with another dangerous use: for they draw flatterers, who are evē so many poisners of virtue. How many other dangers are they also subject unto? Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, saith Jesus Christ, where the moth & canker corrupt and where thieves breke through and steal. Whereof we have experience enough in so many banquerupts, robberies by sea and by land and persecutions for the name of Christ: besides that albeit a man hath the use of them whiles he liveth, yet at death he must forsake them. To this necessity is every covetous man drivē, never to do good until his death, according to the proverb, & then he leaveth his goods to his heirs. And indeed as we came naked into the world, so must we certainly carry forth nothing with us. Great Constantine, speaking to one of his courtiers, said. Oh covetous man, how far shall thy insatiable covetise extend? Then with a Iaueling that he had in his hand, marking out a man's length upon the ground, he said unto him. When thou hast gotten all the world, yet at the last thus much must be thy portion, if thou canst obtain that. Let the covetous man therefore that mindeth to Amend according to Christ's exhortation diligently think, that in lou ng and desiring riches, he loveth and coveteth vanity: he loveth & coveteth the thorns that choke all virtue: yea he loveth & coveteth the roots of all mischief, & the fountains of all vice. In lieu of coveting, if he have any, let him imagine, how to avoid then allurements & abuses, as understanding that in riches, instead of virtue & felicity, he shall find occasion of corruption & misery.
13 The third remedy consisteth in careful meditation upon the horrible vengeance & grievous punishment which the covetous mē must of necessity expect from him who justly detesteth such vice. Are we not already to note this one pointe, y t as charity is the gift of God proceeding from his favor & grace, so contrariwise, covetousness is a vengeance which he poureth upon those whō for their sins he hath givē over into a reprobate sense, as S. Paul also noteth? God so detesteth the covetous persō, that if any of those that profess his word, doth give himself to that vice, S. Paul willeth us to hold him excommunicate, & not to eat or converse with him. And this he saith to confirm that which he hath said in another place: namely, that the covetous man shall not enherite the kingdom of heaven, & in that sense doth S. James summon thē to God's judgment seat, admonishing thē to consider of his horrible vengeance. Now, saith he, ye rich men, howl ye & weep for your misery that is at hand, your riches are corrupt, & your garments are motheaten, your gold & silver is cankered, & the rust of them shall be a witness against you, & shall eat your flesh as it were fire, ye have heaped up treasures for the last days. Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped your fields (which is of you kept back by fraud) crieth, & the cry of them which have reaped is entered into the cares of the Lord of hosts. The covetous mā saith S. Gregory in this life burneth in desire to get, & care to keep that he hath: but hereafter he shall burn in fire of everlasting torments. What a madness is it saith Augustine, to win gold & to loose heavē. The covetous man saith Ambrose hath as it were steppes to covetousness, & the more that he climeth, & y e higher that he goeth, the greater is his fall. What shall be his last fall for gathering, saith Augustine, considering that he hath lost himself before he make any gain? Covetousness is a horrible giddines, which maketh man insatiable to climb high y t he may fall low: to kindle the fire of God's wrath, that he may feel y e everlasting slain thereof: & to lose the celestial treasures to get terrestrial riches, which fil him with vice & misery.
14 If they say that in this life at the least they shall reap commodity, pleasure & felicity by thē: let them think how miserably they are therein deceived: First, be they such beasts, as they cannot consider what this life is? If they cannot deny but they must die, what cōtemptation can they reap in cutting the wood & making the fagots, wherewith they shall hereafter burn forever? we read of an Ethnike, who being demanded whether he had rather be Socrates, wise & virtuous, or Crassus wealthy & lustful, answered in life he would wish to be Crassus, but in death Socrates, which he said in respect of the felicity and reputation which he imagined in Socrates after his death, and he had some reason, if being Crassus in his life time, he might have been converted into Socrates at his death. But since that might not be, he confesseth that he who in this life is Crassus, unless he be a beast deuoide of soul, is in death most wretched, as consequently also in life, which in such men is no other but a path to woe, & an increase of misery. Are not these covetous men then in this life miserable, considering that they be wretched, except they be beasts, in that it is a heavy curse to them, that they be men endued with immortal souls? If there remained in them any spark of the image of God? If they had any remorse of conscience: would not the same be to thē a tormentor, urging them to exclaim that they are miserable in the midst of all then wealth? As if a man vexed with the Gout or with the Collicke, should lie in a rich bed, and have all pleasures that might be, so that to men's seeming he should be thought most blessed: & yet in himself he should feel all misery and sorrow. Again, albeit such were the dullness of his conscience that he should have no apprehension of the state to come, yet can he not be so happy as beasts, who have neither labor in getting, neither care in keeping neither grief in loosing, as is afore mentioned: which also Gregory noteth in this only fear to loose saying. If a covetous mā spieth a stronger then himself, he feareth that he will take away his goods: If a weaker, that he will steal them: whereupon he addeth, O poor wretch: he endureth as much hurt, as he feareth to endure. Neither feareth he without cause. For as among a flock of sheep, the Wolf always choseth the fattest, and the Egle among Geefe the best, so do thieves and robbers among men, lay for the richest.
15 Which is more. It is a proverb, that covetousness maketh but a small hill: for many times it is with the covetous as with Aesop's dog, who swimming with a piece of flesh in his mouth & seeing the shadow thereof, taking that to be another piece of flesh, opening his mouth to catch that also, lost the same which he before had, so the covetous man being insatiable, and every way seeking to increase that he hath, doth many times loose that which is in his hand. To conclude, He that hateth covetousness, saith Solomon, trobleth his house: but he that hateth rewards shall live. Likewise in another place. He that hateth covetousness, shall prolong his days. Thus the covetous man having even in his self imaginatiō, no felicity but in this life, is much more miserable, because through his couetosnes he shortneth the course of his felicity. If the covetous man kindleth an unquenchable fire for the life to come (unless he be a senseless beast) even in this life he shall feel a tormentor of his wicked conscience which astonishing him, in lieu of pleasuring him with that which he taketh for his felicity, ministereth to him nothing but hinderance, fear, care, anguish and heuinesse. The only meditation and apprehension of these vengeances & judgments of God against the wicked, should so pierce our harts, that we might, abhorring covetousness, Amend our lives.
16 The fourth remedy is this, that as the principal spring of covetousness is distrust of God, so we may learn so to rest upon his providence, that daily begging of him our daily bread, we never doubt, but that he will give us all things necessary for this life, and never forsake us. And this doth the Apostle note, saying: Let your conversation be without covetousness: and be content with those things that ye have: for he hath said, I will not fail thee, neither forsake thee. It is a kind of Idolatry as S. Paul noteth, to put the confidence of life in goods. And herein, as in many other things, we do great injury and dishonor to God: For as gold of it self can neither feed, nor cloth us: so that which we buy with gold or silver, proceedeth not out of the gold or silver, but from God's providence, neither can it minister any help without God's grace and blessing. If wrongfully thou hast gotten gold, it is accursed: what blessing canst thou then look for in it considering the same cometh not, as is aforesaid, from the favor of God? If thou hast any substance well come bye, thou hast them from the hand of God: for it is he that hath given them. Should this pledge of his care for thee, engender mistrust of him? Experience, saith S. Paul, engendereth hope. Thou, as fearing least he should take frō thee that which he hath given thee, or that he would not give thee more at thy need, wilt have it against his will, and as it were in despite of him: But it will prove to thee poisoned bread, and cursed money
17 Imagine therefore that life is better then food, as Jesus Christ said, and the body of more value then the raiment or sustenance. Before the creation of man, the world was made, where into he was brought as into a palace replenished and adorned with all goods, created expressly for his use. And before the soul the body was created to receive it. Since he nourished the body before it was borne into the world, and by his only providence provided it of sustenance in the mothers breasts, and through her care of clothing before the birth, shall we call into question his fartherly care over us? Shall we that are borne, and that put our trustes in him, fear that he will fail or forsake us? We are more precious in his sight, then either fowls or herbs, of whom nevertheless, he showeth a manifest care to feed them. Will the householder take care to water the herbs of his garden, or fodder his cattle, and suffer his men and maids to famish for hunger and thirst? Will he take care for his men and maids, & let his own children starve? Moreover, have not we our living, our being & our moving from God? What will all the worlds good thē avail us without God's blessing? Take heed and beware of covetousness, saith Jesus Christ, for though a man hath abundance, yet his life standeth not in his riches. Since our life dependeth not upon our riches, but upon God only, let us put our trust, not in our goods, but in God, vpō whose pleasure our goods do depend, who also hath promised that he will not forsake those that put their trust in him.
18 Among the rest, there is yet one mischief, and that is this. We are gluttenous & licorous childrē. And knowing that our heavenly father will not please us in our foolish appetites, we will provide for our selves, & that plentifully, that we may have the less need to depend upon him. Whereas contrariwise our duty requireth that we should be content with our daily bread that we crave at his hands, even for every day that we crave it, & not to heap up riches for the last day as S. James saith. Many that say to God Give us this day our daily bread, would be very loath he should take them at their word, as concerning themselves, & daily give them bread but for a day at once: but such men by using that prayer do make a scorn of God. And therefore let us learn to depend upon his providence, & to that end to moderate our appetites: let us renounce covetousness, & behold we have wealth enough. Let us practice the speech of a heathen philosopher to a covetous mā: Labor not to increase thy possession, but rather to diminish thy covetousness. As also another being asked how a mā might become rich, answered: by growing poor in covetousness. Socrates being demanded who was the richest: he (saith he) that coveteth least, & is content with a little. And indeed the remedy to quench his thirst that is vexed with a hot fever, cometh not of giving him drink, but of taking away his fever, which causeth his thirst. Even so the way to grow rich, • s not by heaping of riches, but by diminishing the covetise of the same. It will be, saith S. Augustine, no grief to be deprived of riches, if a man be not desirous to have them. Yea which is more. Socrates very well said that man is never so happy, neither so fully enjoyeth his desire, as when he is willing to desire nothing. Nature is content with little. And man should never be poor, if he could live according to nature. Chilon the Lacedaemonian, whose reputation & glory was such that when he was dead, all Greece celebrated his funerals, & accompanied his body to the sepulcher, while he lived used many sententious speeches: but among the rest there were three of such estimation that they were written in letters of gold: The first, that there is no better knowledge then for a man to know himself: The second, that the end of all strife & contention, is misery: The third, that man ought not to covet too much, but to be content with that which may suffice & costeth little, so long as it is ordered according to nature, & not according to our lusts which are infinite & miserable. To this effect do we also read of a certain Roman captain, to whō the Embassaders of the Samnites offered a great sum of money, to the end to divert him frō taking the charge & conduct of the wars against thē. When he had heard their Oration, he shown them a little pot upon the fire, containing a few herbs & roots for his supper & answered, that he which was content with such a supper, need not so much money & so sent them away. When King Archelaus sent for Socrates with promise of great riches, he returned him answer, that at Athens meal cost but a halfepenie, and water nothing.
19 But what is the end of all these labors, travails & dangers that we in our for to get thē? Is it not rest? Yet might we both sooner & with more safety attain thereto, if we could be content with so much as might suffice. And to this effect we read y t whē king Pirrhus determined to leauie war against the Romaines, his coūsellor Cyneas to the end to divert him therfro, asked him saying, well Sir: When we have overcome & taken Italy, what shall we thē do? Pirrhus answered: we will pass into Sicil: thence into Libia & Carthage. And what more said Cyneas? Then will we go into Macedonia, said the king, & conquer all Greece. Again, said Cyneas, what shall we then do? We will then said Pirrhus take our rest, & pass our time in pleasure. Then said Cyneas. Why do we not even now take this rest & ease, but that we must needs with such pain danger, labor & travail go to seek that which already we have in our hands? This wise counselor fitly shown him that if he could be content with his own realm, & not have coveted after other mens, he might have enjoyed rest, & been more happy, thē by seeking to conquer other men's & so to endanger himself after great labors to enjoy none. For contentation only ministereth rest and giveth happiness.
20 Now therefore, since both Jesus Christ and Saint John in their first Sermon do admonish us to amend, and that this vice of covetousness is so common among men, so deeply rooted in their harts, so dangerous and pernicious: Let us to the end to refrain therfro, diligently meditate upon the remedies afore mentioned. And first that we may deny this cursed covetise, let us remember that it is the mother and nurse of most wretched fruit, which causeth us to become enemies to God, to our neighbor and to our selves, as we have more at large declared. Secondly let us not forget, that riches are so far from giving contentment and making men happy, that contrariwise they engender a thousand sorrows and cares: they are unto us as thorns that choke the good seed and the original of all virtue in us, which they change into vice and so make us most miserable and wretched. Thirdly, that the vengeance and horrible punishment which God inflicteth upon the covetous even in this life, but especially such as he will pour forth upon them after this race, make us to abhor this covetousness which is the root of all evil. Lastly, let us learn not to put our trust in these vain and uncertain riches, but in the living God, and depend wholly upon his providence in all things necessary for the maintenance of this life. And let us apprehend the treasures of the everlasting kingdom, contenting our selves with so much as God alloweth us for this our pilgrimage and iournie from earth unto heaven. But because it is God only that worketh in us both the will and the performance, let us fervently and continually pray unto him to purge our harts from this covetousness, working in us by his holy spirit, whatsoever he requireth of us in his word. And with David let us say, O Lord, incline not my heart to covetousness, but to obey thy precepts. And with Solomon let us say this prayer. Give me neither poverty nor riches: feed me with food convenient for me: least if I be full I deny thee and say, who is the Lord, or least if I be poor, I steal and take the name of my God in vain. Now let us proceed to ambition.
Of Ambition, and Pride. Chap. 12.
AS Avarice is an excessive coveting of riches, so ambition i • an immeasurable desire of honor, glory, and reputation with men. That we may therefore the more plainly lay open this vice, we will consider it in three sortes. First in that man, not content with his estate, coveteth to be greater, and to have more reputation and honor. Secondly, in that he pretendeth a glory and praise in the gifts and graces which he hath received from the Lord: and this kind of ambition may properly be termed arrogancy and pride. Thirdly, when man saith or doth anything whereby to seem to have or be more than he hath or is, & it may well be termed boasting. As for the first, it is most lively presented unto us in the fall of man. Adam being created after the image of God, and appointed Lord & master over all his creatures, was not content with that excellency and greatness, but by the instigation of Satan, coveted and endeavored to be greater, yea, even to be like unto God. This plague hath so infected his posterity, that there is no imp of Adam but is tickled, yea, & wounded with this desire to be great, even greatest of all. And in deed as the covetous man is never satisfied with monie, so is the ambitious never full with glory and honor. Ambition, saith Seneca, never suffereth man to rest in the same measure of felicity which himself hath before time wished. No man is content with the same estate that he hath attained unto, but seeketh a higher. Man is never satisfied so long as one may go before him, for Ambition suffereth him not to see whence he came, howe far thee is gone, or whether he doeth aspire. Every soldier desireth to be Captain: being a Captain, he climbeth higher, and seeketh from degree to degree to come to be a king, yea, if he might attain to be Emperor of all Europe, he then would covet to be Emperor of the whole world. Great Alexander was not content with the realms that his father left him, & therefore undertook the conquest of all the world, yea, when he had obtained a great victory against Darius king of Persia, refusing the offer that he then made of his daughter in marriage, and half his dominions, he answered, That as there was but one Sun in the world, so would he be the only king in the world. How many such Alexanders are there in these latter days? Whereto tended this royal device taken of the increase of the Moo • , Until she fill her whole compass. Also of an Emperor, Farther. Be not these evident testomonies that man's heart is ambitious and insatiable: that it is so far from being satisfied by increase, that the same increase doth whet the appetite and still minister more increase to the insatiable coveting of more honor and glory?
2 There is not any that in estate or dignity, either in town, province, or kingdom is second, but he aspireth to climb and to be first, if not in the principal degree, as king, yet to be next to his person, as Jonathan said to David, Thou shalt reign, and I will be next to thee. The mother of the Apostles John and James, made a petition to Jesus Christ, that in his kingdom the one might sit upon his right hand, the other on his left. Saint John also taxed one Diotrephes, that coveted to be chiefest in the Church. The Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, when some marvelled that in a little town where they passed through, there was strife who should be greatest, freely said, that himself had rather be the chiefest in that little town, than the second at Rome. Were not the Apostles at controversy who should be greatest? And did not they demand of Jesus Christ who should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven? They imagined that Christ should reign upon earth, as Solomon before had done: and before they saw the crown upon his head, they demanded which of them should have the chiefest offices. Which is more, he that might attain to the sovereignty of the whole world, would yet seek to be greater, and if it lay in him, to climb even into heaven, and as Adam did, to be like unto God. Some are of opinion, that the sin of the Angels that were turned to devils, proceeded of the like ambition, taking it to be the same which Isaiah noteth, where he speaketh not directly of them, but of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, declaring him to be in deed of the race of Adam, in these words, I will ascend into heaven, and exalt my throne above, besides the stars of God? I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the North, I will ascend above the height of the clouds, and I will be like to the most high. All the kingdoms of the earth could not satisfy the ambition of great Alexander, who by the readinges of Anaxarchus, understanding that his master Democritus maintained that there were sundry worlds, cried out, saying: Woe is me, wretch that I am, that have not yet attained to the possession of one of them. Wherevppon Valerius fitly noteth, yet speaking as a Heathen man, that mortal man esteemeth his glory to be straighted, because it is bounded in one world, which nevertheless might suffice for the habitation of all the God's. He also writ to the Lacedemonians, requiring them to place him among the God's, and to offer sacrifice to him, as unto a God. Wherevppon one named Damis, scorned his ambition, and said: Well, let us give Alexander leave to be called God.
3 It is no marvel that the Heathen so exalted themselves, considering that some who not only take upon them the name of Christians, but also do boast to be Saint Peters successors, have grown to as great ambition. For the Bishops of Rome, not contented with the title of Bishops of the first sea, have taken upon them to be called universal Bishops, heads of the Church upon earth, placed themselves above kings and Emperors, compared themselves to the Sun, and Kings and Emperors to the Moon, because as the Moon hath no light but from the light of the Sun, so kings and Emperors do hold their power & dignity from them: yea, they proceed farther, & share with God, suffering themselves by their parasites, to be called God's upon earth. Whervpon Pope Nicholas concluded, that since God might not be judged by man, neither might the Popes. And this is it which Saint Paul foretold, that Antichrist should exalt himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he doth sit as God, in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Thus we see that the ambitious man is insatiable, and cannot be satisfied with all the glory of the world, but that he must also climb into heaven to become God, even he who being a poor worm upon the earth, and coveting to be great, like unto God, through his ambition fell so low, that he is not now worthy to be mentioned among the least creatures in the world.
4 As this ambition burning in the heart, flameth even up to heaven, so is there no vice, corruption, sin, or iniquity, but it engendereth, and in deed, the eldest daughter of the first sin, namely, of the incredulity of Adam and Eve, could not but be a fruitful mother and plentiful in vicious, pernicious, and damnable children. Ambition (saith Saint Barnard) is a secrete poison, a hidden sin, a forger of fraud, a mother of hypocrisy, a spring of envy, a fountain of all vice, a mouth to holiness, a blinding of the heart, converting remedyes into diseases, and medecines into languishing. First, what poison or plague is more mortal than ambition, whereby man seeking to be equal with God, was made like unto the devil, not only worthy of death, but also so vicious and corrupt, that at every moment he hasteneth more and more to death. This unthankfull ambition which was also the breeder of disobedience, hath infected us with this plague and scabbe, that we are conceived in sin, borne in iniquity, and by nature the children of wrath. It is truly a forger of fraud and mother of hypocrisy, for ambition disguiseth it self into a thousand fourmes and shapes, to the ende to deceive others, and by abasing them to exalt it self. How did Absalom, being reconciled to his father David, flatter the people, taking one by the hand, kissing another, speaking kindly to all, offering to favor them in their business, and to procure their dispatches? And to what end was all this? Even to steal the hearts of the people, as the holy Ghost saith, & to turn them from his father David, so beating a path to come to the kingdom. Ambition is the ape of Charity, Charity is patient for eternal goods, Ambition endureth all for temporal honor, Charity is courteous to the poor, Ambition to the rich. Charity endureth all things for the truth, Ambition for vanity. Moreover, as Saint Barnard saith, that it is a spring of Envy: so Saint Augustine calleth Envy the daughter of Ambition. And truly the ambitious man ever enuyeth the prosperity of others, either of those that are greater than he, because he is not so great as they, or of his inferiors, least they should attain to his greatness, or of those that are his equals, because they be equal with him.
Agayne, there is no iniquity or cruelty so heinous, but Ambition will urge a man thereto. What moved Corah, Dathan and Abiron to murmur against Moses and Aaron, and to stir up sedition? Athaliah to murder all the kings seed, that she might reign? Sellum Zembri, and many others to murder their Lord's and princes? Abimelech to murder his seventy brethren, the sons of Gideon? Absalom that hypocrite and ungrateful person, to drive his own father from his kingdom, and with his army to prosecute him and to destroy him? Pope Sylvester the second, to consent to give himself to the devil, that he might attain to the papacy? To be short, there is nothing so devilish, but man by Ambition may be urged thereto.
6 The second kind of Ambition, which we cal Arrogancie & Pride, is no other but a mere sacrilege against God, in that man attributeth to himself the glory of those graces which he hath received from God. And this arrogancy may be considered in two sortes: first, when man glorifyeth himself, in the gifts and graces of God: secondly, in that he seeketh and taketh the glory of another, rejoicing when it is attributed to him, and sorrowing when it is denied him. Concerning the first, man is so unthankful to God, as if he give him either knowledge, wealth, dignity, virtue, or any other commendable or excellent gift, he attributeth the same to his own industry, & in hew of giving the glory thereof to God, he assumeth it to himself, and waxeth proud thereof. Saint Paul was a chosen vessel to preach the Gospel, yet doth he confess, that himself was in danger of being exalted above measure, through the abundance of revelations, had not God provided a remedy. Again, where he saith that knowledge pulleth up, he noteth this to be a common infirmity among all men, namely, of the increase of God's gifts, to take occasion of pride In this consideration, as he writeth to the Corinthians doth God usually call the poor, contemptible, simple, and fools, to the knowledge of the Gospel, rather than the rich, mighty, noble, and wise: to the end, that if any will glory, he should glory in the Lord: thereby declaring, that if God should call the rich, the mighty, the noble, and the wise, they in lieu of giving the glory, praise, and thanks to God, would assume it to themselves. The same doth he also say in another place, Ye are saved by grace through faith, & that not of yourselves, neither of works, least any man should boast himself. Wherein he also noteth, that if by good works we should obtain salvation, albeit their goodness proceed from God, yet would we boast of our salvation, as if by our own works we purchased the kingdom of heaven.
7 Among all other reasons why God doth not at full sanctify us in this life, albeit he hath made us his well-beloved children by faith in Jesus Christ, is to be observed, our inclination to pride. And in deed, if we do boast of frivolous matters, as of fine dancing, leaping, running, gallant garments, and other like vanyties, what would we do if in this life God should indue us with all holiness and other virtues? How proud and glorious would we become? Truly it would be our utter ruin: for the arrogancy and pride that would spring thereof, would provoke God's wrath against us, to deprive us thereof, as unthankful persons, and to punish us as sacrilegious wretches, that rob God of his glory. In this respect doth Saint Agustine say, that humble confession in wicked works, is better than proud ambition in good. And therefore he saith farther, The first vice that conquered man will be the last to conquer: for when man hath overcome all other vice and iniquity, then is the greatest danger, least the soul finding it self victorious, should boast more in it self than in God.
8 But let us proceed to other the gifts of God, Agar finding her self with child by Abraham, grew so lofty and proud, that she despised her mistress. Saint Paul admonisheth Timothy, to charge the rich men in this world, that they be not high minded, thereby declaring, that riches usually do ingender pride. To this effect we read, that Ahasuerus sitting upon the throne of the glory of his kingdom, made a feast to all his princes and officers, that he might boast unto them of the riches of the glory of his kingdom, and the honor of his great majesty. Also, that Haman, the Jews enemy, having sent for his friends and his wife, reported unto them the glory of his riches, and boasted the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king did magnify him above all the princes and servants of the king. Nebuchadnezzar walking in the royal palace of Babylon, boasted of his greatness saying? Is not this great Babel, that I have builte for the house of my kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? Thus doth the unthankful and sacrilegious person boast of the gifts and graces of God, attributing to himself the praise due to God only.
9 The second point of this arrogancy and pride, consisteth in seeking and accepting the praise due unto others, and in taking pleasure therein. And this also is a very common and dangerous plague Saint Augustine saith, that it is not enough that we covet not the honor, either that we make but small account thereof when it is denied, except we also practice our selves in refusing it, and withal, take no pleasure when it is offered us. Yet contrariwise, it is seldom seen, saith Cicero, that any man, after some notable exploit or piece of work, forbeareth to crave commendation and glory, as a reward of his labors: and himself being of the same stamp, by his Letters desireth a friend of his to write the history of his dooinges, and therein somewhat to his praise, for (saith he) myself am also somewhat covetous of glory. Alexander the great esteemed Achilles blessed, because he had Homer, an excellent Poet, the recorder of his deeds and glory. Themistocles shown no less ambition, when being demanded in what voice he was most delighted: He answered, In the same that most commendeth my virtues. In concurrence whereof, being on a time at the famous exercises of Olympus; where the people casting their eyes frō the wrastlers upon him, as not satisfied with his sight, pointed also to him, and shown him to strangers, with testimony of great applause, he so liked of that glory, that speaking to his friends he said, that that day he had reaped the fruit and reward of all his pains and trauayles for Greece. We see also even in little children, the draughts & beginning of this vainglorie, they will leap, they will hoppe upon one leg, they will endeavor to read well, they will show their writing, and will greatly rejoice in praise and commendation. Let a man tell them that they be fair, or wise, or that they have a gaie coat, and so forth, they will even be proud of it. To be short, there is no man but loveth to be praised. And that is the reason, that when a man deserveth to be reproved, there must be longe excuses, the blame must consist in few words, and those sweet, for fear of offending: but in matter of praise and commendation, it must be spoken freely and with open throat, there shall need no entreaty to take it in good worth, we know that we shall be welcome, and have free audience, yet can we take no pleasure in such commendations without sacrilege against God, in that thereby we accept and receive the glory to our selves, which is due to him only. Nevertheless, what Christian is there, that hateth to be praised and commended? The very Heathen do herein shame us: As among others, Theopompus, who when he heard that there were certain honors decerned unto him by publyke authority: in lieu of rejoicing thereat, he wrote, that Time would increase honors and wealth, and abate such as were superabundant. The like modesty did Socrates show: for when he heard a certain discourse of Plato, tending highly to his commendations, he cried out, saying: Oh what a number of untruths doeth this young man report of me. And so would not in any wise allow of such commendations.
10 Christians in duty ought not only to ensue this modesty, and to reject such glory as may be attributed to them, but aso to declare unto whom it appertaineth, that it may be given where it ought. As Saint Peter when he had cured the lame man, and saw the people marvel thereat, said: Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so steadfastly an us, as though by our power and godliness we have made this man go? This miracle hath been wrought by faith in Jesus Christ, and therefore the praise and glory thereof belongeth to him, and not to us. Paul and Barnabas proceed farther, for seeing that for healing a lame man at Listra, the Licaonians thought them to be God's, and would have offered sacrifices unto them, they in great horror rent their garments and sharplye reproving them, told them that the praise and glory thereof belonged to God only, and to him must be given.
11 Of this second point of arrogancy and pride, proceedeth such grief and sorrow, as we take when we are defrauded of the honor, glory, and reputation which we pretend and look for at the hands of others. Haman, mentioned in the history of Hester, seeing that Mardocheus would not stoop and bow, to do to him like honor as others did, grew into such wrath and rage, that he practiced the death of the said Mardocheus, together with all the Jews that dwelled within the hundred and seven and twenty provinces of king Ahasuerus. Another most horrible example we have in the person of Achitophel, who being taken to be the wisest and grauest counselor among the Jews in his time, seeing that Absalom had preferred the counsel of Chusay the Arachite before his, being unable to brook that abasement of his glory and reputation, for despite went and hanged himself. Pelaretus, a Lacedaemonian, though a Heathen, practiced a clean contrary virtue: for seeing himself not chosen to be one of the three hundred (this was a dignity of honor at Sparta) was so far from grieving thereat, that he made public demonstration of great contentment and joy: and when the Ephori meruailing thereof, demanded his reason: He told them that he rejoiced at the good of the common wealth, because he saw there were three hundred better and more worthy to govern than him self. Where shall we find one Christian heart that so loveth his common wealth, as that he will rejoice to see many preferred before him in dignity and honor, as being thereby persuaded, that they may be more virtuous and profitable to the common wealth than himself.
12 The third kind of Ambition, is vain boasting or presumption, as when a man speaketh or doeth anything, to the ende to seem to have more than he hath, and to be that which he is not. Some there are so ambitious & foolish in this point, that the less they have whereof to brag, the more they boast themselves, and so their brags are as testimonies of their ignorance, want, and misery. When the shadows of our bodies grow great, it is a sign that the Sun beginneth to depart from us: and in like manner it is an argument whereby to prove that virtue decayeth, when presumption augmenteth. As full vessels make small noise, & when they yield a great sound, it is a sign they be empty: even so vain glory and much boast is a token of small virtue. As also the poor pedlers that have but their packs, do in every market show all that they have, when the great merchants do make but some small show of the merchandise, whereof they have great plenty: so do these men by their boasting declare themselves to be deuoyd of that whereof they set the greatest face, and so deprive themselves of the glory that they seek for, and so it falleth out with them in manner as we ordinaryly see, that the shadow flieth from those that run after it, and followeth those that fly frō it. Also as the ears of corn that hang their heads, are ordinarily well taken and full, and those that stand upright, do make us to think that there is little in them: so they that walk in humility, and exalte not themselves, neither seek for glory, are most endued with virtue, and other commendable qualities, when contrariwise, the great boasters by their proud speeches, do show themselves deuoyde of the same. Experience also teacheth, that as the valleys are ordinarily fruitful, so the hills the higher they are, the more is their barrenness. Let these men therefore no longer deceive both the world and themselves, neither let them be such fools, as to be content with the false apparance and no effect: Let them endeavor to be in deed that which they would seem to be, namely, wise, holy, and virtuous, otherwise we may liken them to such as covet rather the name of a king, than the kingdom, or to be king in deed. Withal, let them remember, that as such impudency and boasting is intolerable among men, so when it is practiced in matter concerning the service of God, it is no less than detestable hypocrisy in his sight.
13 We have already declared, that ambition and desire to be mighty, together with such arrogancy and pride as maketh man to glory of himself, to rejoice when glory is given unto him, and to grieve when it is denied him, taken from him, or diminished, are common faults and deeply rooted in men's hearts, and withal very dangerous: as also is boasting, as when a man seeketh to seem to be more thā he is, or more than he hath. What more is there now to be done, but that as Jesus Christ exhorteth us to amend, so to the end to obey him, we consider upon all convenient means to correct and utterly to mortify this cursed ambition, pride, & boasting. Plutarch hath in writing left unto us many good rules and aduertisements, to help us herein. First, he willeth us to beware that we take no occasion to praise our selves, when we hear the commendations of others, especially of our equals and inferiors, for then doth our ambition naturally desire that they should also speak of us. As when we see another feed sauorly before us, it maketh our mouths water to eat with him. Or, as experience showeth, when another man yauneth, we open our mouths & yaun with him: but we are more inclined to praise our selves, when others do report our virtues & commendable works, for therein are we tickled until we laugh again, and clawed where it doth itch. Likewise if the reporter thereof speaketh soberly or with the least, we cannot longer forbear, but as if we meant to reveal some theft, and sought to recover the same, we are straight urged to tell the rest, yea, and rather than to loose one jot of our commendation, more than all. Many times also it chanceth, that under pretence of praising the virtues of another, we cunningly do slip in, & show forth our own. As when a man exalting the humility and affability of a king or prince, reporteth that he gave him his hand, & thus & thus honored him, pretending thereby to let men understand, that him self is of good estimation and worthy honor. And herein do we Christians many times offend, when under color of praising God for his gifts and graces poured upon us, we rehearse them to the end our selves may also have some part of the glory. This is a counterset glory given to God, that our selves may have a share therein. Some there are that reprove others, and sharply rebuke them of their faults and infirmities, propounding themselves for examples of the contrary virtues, and this is common with age, who therein seek to set a face upon their own glory to the dishonor of others. Others we shall also find, who under pretence of humility do minister occasion of their own praise, & so make their humility abait to catch their praise. They will abase their gifts, graces, virtues, and commendable actions in the presence of such as know them well enough, thereby to give occasion to gainsaie them, and so the more amplie to commend them, yea, they would be loath a man should consent to their own speeches. These aduertisements might suffice to warn us to beware of praising our selves. To conclude, we are to imagine, that as it is a grief and trouble to us to hear the boasting and proud speeches of others, so least we should give like cause of trouble to others that hear us, and withal incur the reputation of vain-glory, we are to beware of praising our selves. These be good aduertisements delivered by Plutarch. But in as much as they tend chiefly to frame a requisite modesty and seemlynesse among men, that shunning the obloquy of ambition & arrogancy, they may purchase the praise due to humility and modesty, we will stand no longer upon them, but proceed to the consideration of such things as may utterly vncloath us of ambition, vainglorie, and boasting in the sight of God.
4 First, let us remember the horrible vengeance that God in old time hath executed upon the ambitious and proud. What a fearful punishment was inflicted upon Adam and Eve, when they labored to be like unto God? That by birth we are the children of wrath, conceived in sin, borne in iniquity, subject to a thousand both bodily and spiritual corruptions and tribulations, bond slaves both to temporal and eternal death, and by nature more miserable and wretched than brute beasts: These be the accursed fruits of this root of ambition, which might cause us to abhor and detest it. What judgment did God execute upon Haman, the enemy of the Jews, who was hanged upon the same gallows that he had erected for Mardocheus? What revenge did he take of Athaliah, who having murdered all the kings seed for to reign, was her self slain? How fearful and horrible was the death of Absalom, who hanging upon the tree, was stroke thorough and slain, when with his army he pursued his father David? What judgment did Isaiah denounce against Nebuchadnezzar? And as Daniel declareth, it was put in execution, when after he had exalted himself in pride, he was driven from among men, and eat grass like an ox for the space of seven years, his body being watered with the dew from heaven, until his hair grew like to the feathers of an Eagle, and his nails like the claws of birds? Neither must we omit the notable example of Herod, who, after he made a plausible Oration, and that the people commended him, saying, It is the voice of God and not of man, was presently stricken with God's hand, because accepting and allowing of the glory given to himself, he gainesaide it not, neither gave it to God, and was eaten with worms and died miserably. Let these judgments and this vengeance of God keep us in fear of this plague and poison: even as such as are put to execution, are so many judges and heralds pronouncing sentence of death against all those that commit the like crimes as they are executed for. And in deed, the holy Ghost crieth out and testifieth, that God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the lowly. Again, He that will be first among you (saith Christ) shall be minister, & he that exalteth himself shall be brought low. If man therefore covet to be exalted, God is his adversary: if upon arrogācie he attributeth to himself the glory due to God, he must loke that God will be his enemy, as he doth protest, saying, I will not give my glory to another. It falleth out with the ambitious, as Ou • d writeth of Iearus, who taking upon him to fly with wings made of wax, when he came near the Sun, his wings melted with the heat thereof, and he fell into the sea, which of his name is yet called the Ieariā sea: even so the ambitious, the higher they rise in glory, the more they approach the heat of God's wrath, and so do melt and fall into the gulf of eternal confusion. The man that taketh upon him to climb a tree, the higher he goeth, and the nearer he cometh to the top, the greater is his danger. As he that is condemned to be hanged, hath no liking of the ladder, because he knoweth that the higher he climbeth, the nearer he is to his death, and therefore could be content the ladder should be either broken or burned, if he might have his desire: even so ought we to detest this ambition and pride, and indeuor to deny and to mortify the same, as knowing that to desire greatness is to desire mishap, and that pride & arrogancy is the highest step wherefrom man is cast headlong into utter ruin.
15 Surely it is marvelous, that men should so delight in these vices, which do but torment them even in this life, & confound those that have them in possession. Oh ambition, saith S. Barnard, the cross of ambitious men, how dost thou torment mankind? Thou pleasest all men, yet is there nothing more mighty in torment, or more grievous in trouble: And truly if we could cut off these vices of ambition and pride, our minds would sure grow content and quiet: we should not thus consume in envy, care, and a number of other passions which trouble and molest our minds: we should not sel our liberty, & become slaves upon an uncertain hope of dominion, neither engage our consciences to the devil for kingdoms. Moreover, as poison put into good and sound meat, maketh it mortal, so pride, taking occasion of God's graces to boast it self, doth by such sacrilege turn us unto destruction. Arrogancie, as S. Augustine saith, is a deadly sin, because that the farther that man proceedeth in virtue, the greater is his temptation, whereby he looseth all that he had profited. All other sins, saith he in another place, are to be feared in misdeeds, but arrogancy most in good. And truly as man hath no cause to boast of his wickedness & misery, so in his virtues doth his pride grow, take increase & nourishment, causing him many times the more virtue he is endued with, the more to be proud. And therefore Chrysostom compareth it to a worm that breedeth in the wood, & eateth it: also to rust, which growing out of iron, consumeth it. Whereupon he addeth, that vainglory & arrogancy are full of thorns that choke up virtue: & a beast that hath many armed heads, against those that are possessed of him. Many are of opinion, that young vipers do kill their dams in their birth, & such is our corruption, that it causeth pride to spring out of virtue, & withal, this wicked child to be the devourer of his dam. We are therefore so to resist other corruptions, that still we must reserve the principal to fight against this wickedness, which groweth up in virtue, and poisoning the good gifts which we receive of God, doeth overthrow that man who otherwise is holy, wise, and endued with virtue.
10 To these purposes, we must imagine that there is nothing less convenient to man than ambition, pride, and arrogancy. Let man, (saith Saint Augustine) for whom the son of God humbled and abased himself, be ashamed to strive to be mighty and high minded. Seeing that man seeking to be higher than he was, is fallen from the height where he was placed, reason requireth, that now he humble and abase himself, contenting himself to be low in his own sight, that he may recover his loss, and be mighty in him that humbled himself for him. If the Moon (as Isaiah saith) shall be abashed, and the Sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and when glory shall be before his ancient men: shall we poor sinners, clothed in iniquity, and replenished with infection of sin, lift up our heads in the presence of God's majesty? Shall not we rather be, as it were, swallowed up in the gulf of shame and reproach? To us belongeth open shame, saith Daniel. If the brightness of the Sun dimmeth the light of the Stars, shall not the Sun of God's glory utterly extinguish all excellency and glory of man?
17 Again, let us weigh our bodily miseries, the vice and corruption of our souls: in brief, all our iniquities, against whatsoever may in us be excellent, honorable, or wherein we do boast: and surely the counterpoise will way down our pride, and replenish our countenances with confusion & shame. Let us set our ignorance against our knowledge: the virtue that we want, against that which we have: our sins, against our righteousness, and our corruption, against our holiness: so shall we soon quench all arrogancy and presumption. Let us not compare with the devils in exalting our selves, but with the Angels in humbling our minds. It is thought that the peacocke so full of fair feathers, having only two foul feet, standing proudly in the circle and contemplation of his beautiful trains, so soon as he seeth his feet, which he thinketh to be foul, straight humbleth himself, and abateth & seeketh to hide his feathers: how much rather ought we, by the feeling, sight, and apprehension of many our foul feet, and corrupt & perverse passions that reign in us, to humble our selves, and to abate our pride, ingendered of a few feathers, which have only some small beginning and apparance of beauty? Moreover, the more plentifully that almighty God bestoweth his blessings and graces upon us, the more are we bound to do him homage, in referring them to his glory, and not make of our selves Idols, by sacrificing to our nets, and offering incense to our yarne. The more directly that the Sun lieth upon us, the less is the shadow of our body, as at noon we may see by experience, and a little before and after: even so the less that we arrogate and boast of our selves, the greater gifts and graces of God are we endued withal. What have we, saith Saint Paul, that we have not received? If we have received it, why do we boast of it, as if we had not received it? Men would laugh at a poor man, if having precious garments lent him to act the part of some honorable personage upon a stage, when the play were at an end, he should keep them as his own, and brag up and down in them. Yet so do they to whom God imparteth his gifts and graces, when in lieu of yielding the glory of the same to him that is the author, they assume it to themselves.
19 Let us therefore renounce all ambition, mortify all pride, & despise the smoke of worldly glory. What man was ever more mighty, more rich, more wise, or raised to greater glory than Solomon? Yet doth he cry out and protest, that all is but vanity of all vanities, and that all is vanity. What will it avail us to be glorious among men, and an obloquy in the sight of God? Commended in the world, and abhominable in the sight of Angels? O man of little understanding, said an ancient wise man, what art thou the better for thy vainglory, when thou shalt be well spoken of where thou art not, and where thou art thou shalt be tormented? If we be abject and contemptible in this life, it is but for a few days, let us then be content, and take comfort in that we are mighty, rich, and glorious in the sight of God, through his son Jesus Christ, as being his children, and inheritors of his everlasting kingdom. Humility, saith Chrysostom, is the foundation of Christian philosophy. And as our humility is an exaltation in the sight of God, so hath the confession of our humility, for a remedy prepared his mercy and goodness. We are not (saith Saint Augustine) to glory in anything, for we have nothing, unless man having wholly put away himself, do learn wholly to depend upon God. And as for all gifts, graces, and virtues wherewith we may be endued, let us yield the glory to God only, the author of all goodness, for to him only belongeth all honor, glory and praise forever and ever.
Of sumptuousness and excess in apparel. Chap. 13.
AMbition and desire of vainglorie, before mentioned, among other things, appeareth as well in the sumptuousness of apparel and ornaments of the body, as in superfluity and excess in diet. As concerning sumptuousness in apparel and pomp, every man in his own heart must confess, that that corruption proceedeth of a foolish desire of reputation among men. And in deed among the rest, there be three things greatly esteemed in the world, and therefore yield some reputation unto those that have them, Nobility, Riches: and in women and maidens, Beauty. This do we see to be so, in that men in marriage have especial regard to the same. In Nobility there is great respect of disparagement, and seldom shall ye find marriage contracted between gentry and yeomandrie. And as for Riches it is commonly the first question, men do first inquire after it. And as an ancient Poet said, Riches is the Queen and Lady that giveth Nobility and Beauty. As for Beauty, When the sons of God (saith Moses) saw that the daughters of men were fair, they toke them wives from among them. Since then that in marriage worldly men have especial regard to Nobility, Riches, and Beauty, we may thereby perceive what is of most estimation in the world. And this is the cause why every man desireth to be thought rich and noble. But as for women, that which they do greatlyest account of, is either to be, or at the least to seem fair, as therefore ornaments and sumptuousness in apparel, do serve to increase the apparance & reputation of Beauty, Riches, and Nobility: so is it the principal cause why everyone declineth to this corruption. And in deed we shall find few in whom ambition and desire to be thought rich or noble, and among women beautiful, is not the very fountain and seed of gorgeous attire, and excessive ornaments of the body. This is it that maketh the artificer to apparel himself as the merchant, the merchant as the gentleman, and the gentleman as the prince. To be short, every man enhaunceth his estate, yea, & excedeth, that he may surmount other of his calling. Such is our curiositye and sumptuousness herein, that in all things there must be excess, either in the price of stuff, as seeking and wearing the finest, & consequently, the dearest, either in the quality thereof, as wearing silk instead of wool, either in the gards, as wearing them broad, or four or five double: either in the fashion, ever new fangled, and full of superfluity and vanity: as in the ruffs, in the attires for the head, or in other inventions of the world or the flesh: and of these is the mind, especially of women, so fruitful, that they do manifestly declare that their whole study and care, for the most parte, tendeth to the decking up and attiring of themselves.
2 Neither is this any new disease, for we see in the days of Isaiah, how the Jewish women were addicted thereunto, who ware ornaments of slippers, or bells, calls, and round tires, sweet bals, bracelets, and bonnets, tires of the head, and the sloppes, and the head-bands, tablets, ear-rings, rings, & mufflers, costly apparel, veils, wimples, and crisping pins, glasses, and fine linen, hoodes, and lawnes, girdles, dressing of the hair, stomachers, clasps, rocquets, purses, garters, ribandes, chains, &c. And very like it is that Isaiah here speaketh of women, maidens, and Ladies of the court: For some in deed do think that he was vnkle to Manasseh, the king of Judah. And is there not at this day as great superfluity and vanity in women and maidens of the like calling? Nay, shall we not find some mean Gentlewomen, yea, even merchants wives, that will imitate the same? As by experience we see them laden with those, and other like vanities and new inventions. And as their hearts are wholly set upon the world and the flesh, so is there no ende of their lusts and devises. And this doeth Isaiah very fitly show by such a long beadroule of trinkets and vain inventions of the women and maids of his time, for even the skillfullest Tailors that of late days were able to have satisfied the vanities of the Ladies of the Court, would now be scarce good apprentices, and the skillfullest that now are, have much a do to content the curiosity of Gentlewomen, yea, even of some Marchauntes wives.
3 Howbeit (a little by the way to touch this corruption) In some this excess hath yet farther scope: for not contenting themselves with that natural color which God hath bestowed upon them, either with the use of common water for cleanlynesse, they daily imploie their waters wherewith to make them seem fairer than they are, yea, which is worse, some do even paint themselves, daubing their faces and laying on some color, wherewith, hyding the handy work of God, they may seem to have more beauty than he hath vouchsafed to give unto them. This vanity was in use in the days of wicked Jezebel, and hath ever since successively continued in many others that have, and do imitate this accursed woman, devoured by dogs, together with her painting: This corruption hath likewise been evermore reproved by the holy fathers. Saint Augustine hath written one express treatise thereof, wherein he at large condemneth all such paintings. Tertullian protesting that God never created man so patched or painted, demandeth whether in their resurrectiō frō the dead their colors will hold: and seeing it is unlike they should, he exhorteth them to desist therfro, as from things repugnant to their creation, and resurrection, and termeth such as paint themselves, the devils handmaids. Cyprian by this similitude confirmeth the premises. If when a painter hath finished a piece of work, and another coming in should thereto set his hand and lay on other colors, it would displease him: how much rather will our creator be offended, when a mortal man whom himself hath created, shall by such painting take upon him to correct the image and workmanship of his God? Chrysostom resembleth such as paint themselves to those that daube clay or mire upon an Image of gold. And as Jerome termeth it, what is it but a reproach to his creator, who as he imagineth, hath not made him fair enough? And having in another place reported the history of a woman visited by the hand of God for painting her daughter, he addeth that they that use it do pollute the temple of God, and termeth their paintings, firebrands to enflame youth: nurses of fornication and tokens of impure harts.
4 But to return to the corruption in pompous and sumptuous apparel. Every man can confess that this excess is over plentiful and common among us. They can speak of it: They can complain of it: they can say, there is no amendment in us: but everyone doth give occasion of offense. They can grant that we deserve stripes: that God will punish us, and that justly: and all these speeches be even so many judgments registered in heaven, which in the end we shall find to be but an execution against us, because no man amendeth, but everyone looketh who shall first begin. Every man imagineth that himself may well wear such apparel, and that he may better do it then another of his like calling. Every man condemneth excess and vanity, yet will he thereby declare himself to be more rich then another, allowing that in himself, which he reproveth in others. We confess the objections made unto such as flee from their own habitations for religion to be most true: namely, that they bring their pomp and sumpteous apparel with them, into the towns that receive them, thereby alluring the natural inhabitants, who before lived in greater simplicity and modesty, to the like vanity and corruption. To be short, it seemeth that we who unto others should be as lamps and ministers of reformation, are grown to be auctors of infection & offense. And this may be but too truly objected, evē to our great confusion, and to the slander of the doctrine which we do profess. Remembering therefore the exhortations of Christ and Saint John, importing that we should Amend our lives, let us lastly resolve to leave off, forsake and detest all this excess, vanity, pomp and sumptuousness in apparel.
5 But truly neither the Censors of Rome, who made so many good laws concerning this matter: neither the wisest reformers of our time could ever so bridle this ambition and excess: but that as an cele it would slide forth and show it self transformed into some new fashion. To be short, there is not any lawgiver that can sound the depth of this corruption, but only one God, who teacheth us to begin reformation at the heart. And indeed as every seed bringeth forth herbs or fruit according to his kind as Lettuce seed, Lettuce, Thistle seed, Thistles, so if the heart be humble and modest, the garment for the body will be even so: but if the heart be proud and ambitious, it will show forth some kind of excess and pride, notwithstanding whatsoever laws to the contrary.
6 The first thing thereof that the Christian which mindeth to root out pomp and excess in apparel, is to note, is as well the quality of the garments that God made for Adam and Eve after their fall: as the occasion of the same. Their first garments were of the skins of beasts, thereby to declare that they were become as beasts, by transgressing the commandment of God. The occasion of the garments was shame to see themselves naked, whereinto they sell by transgressing the said commandment of God. The first use of the garments therefore is unto us an evident reproach of their sin, to the end to humble us in the sight of God: as when a man weareth a plaster, it is a sign he hath some wound. And therefore such as seek glory in garments, are like unto those that build fair sepulchers for their dead corps: For where as their sepulcher should be a warning to them that they must die, and thereupon cause them to reject all ambition and pride, yet thereof they take occasion to boast: so where as our garment should be a continual memory of sin, to humble us, yet we, as if we would even spite God, do procure sumptuous and gorgeous apparel to testify our ambition and pride. As a thief by law burned in the foreheade for theft, ought so oft as he looketh in a glass and perceiveth the scar thereof, to think upon and detest his inclination to that vice: so our garments being as the scar in the foreheade of our first fathers and our selves for their ambition: in that they sought to be like unto God, should by the only sight of them, put us in mind to renounce all pride and ambition. Let us therefore cover our bodies decently to hide our shame, and not proudly, to augment it.
7 The second use of garments is to defend us from cold, from rain, from the heat of the sun &c. What argument can we gather hereof to grow proud? Hereby we ought to cal to mind God's wrath against sin, considering that had it not been for sin, man should never have been annoyed with heat or cold that do so molest him. Moreover this use of garments doeth testify unto us. God's goodness and mercy towards us, in that he ministereth wherewith to relieve our necessities, and so bindeth us more and more to praise him. To make therefore our garments a pomp, and show whereby to be honored and glorified, is the reuersing of the use of them, and manifest sacrilege against God. Yet is this corruption so common, that there is none, no not the little children, but will boast of gay garments. Let us therefore that have more wit then children, even us, I say especially that are instructed in God's word, and know the original and use of garments: in lieu of seeking glory in the same, learn by them to humble our selves, and to render all thanks and praises to God to whom it appertaineth.
8 For a third remedy, let us remember what a folly, yea what an extreme iniquity it is to take more care for garments for the body, then for ornaments for the soul. For as the body being of more value then the garment, we will sell or pawn forth the garment, for to feed the body: so ought we to leave all affecton to beautify our bodies, the better to tend to the adorning of our souls. And hereto doth Saint Peter exhort us, saying. Let not the woman's apparel be outward with broidered hear, or gold put about, or in putting on of apparel, but let the hid man of the heart be uncorrupt, with a meek and quiet spirit, which is before God, a thing much set by. The same doth S. Paul also confirm, saying Let women araie themselves in comely apparel with shamefastness and modesty, not broidered hair, or gold, or pearl, or costly apparel, but (as becometh women that profess the fear of God) with good works. If we dwell in a borrowed house, looking weekly when we must depart, we will never trouble our selves with any cost or fitting of it, as we would do, if we were sure to remain in it all the days of our lives. And what is the body but a house lent unto the soul, from whence it looketh daily to depart? What reason have we then so to care for adorning the body, which shortly must rot and perish, & so to neglect the soul which is immortal? Men commonly do care to be more honestly appareled when they are to meet at some banquet, or marriage, or to come before some honorable personages, than ordinarily when they converse with inferiors: Now we, as concerning our bodies do converse with men like unto our selves: but as concerning our soul, with God and his angels, to whom it is lifted up, now by faith, but at death really. Is it not therefore repugnant to all order and reason, to care more for the beautifying of the body, than for adorning of the soul?
9 Some man will say, Why, albeit we beautify our bodies, yet do we think upon the adorning of the soul. But this is a mere abuse, for it is an old saying, that the great care to provide for the body, is an evident token of the neglect and small affection to adorn the soul. Who can say that he is loath to burn his house, when he layeth burning coals hard by a stacke of straw? Naturally we are inclined to ambition and pride, and what is all this pomp & provision for the body, but wood and straw kindled by the fire of our Ambition? Humility, modesty, charity, chastity and holiness, are the chief ornaments of our souls, and is there anything more contrary to these virtues than Ambition, pride, cruelty, lust, and profane living, which all do appear in these pomps and ornaments for the body? Well may we confess, that there be some more proud in their paltrie peltes, than many in their sumptuous apparel. When Antisthenes ware a turnde cloak, Socrates told him that he discerned his vainglory and ambition through the rentes of his cloak. Contrariwise, queen Heste rprotested before God, that she took no more pride in her most rich apparel, than in base and defouled clothes. But we speak of that which is common with men, as experience showeth. For in deed we shall find few in whom ambition or desire to be thought rich, or noble, or among women, to appear fair, is not the very original foutnaine of their sumptuous apparel, pomp and beautifieng of the body.
10 Some will reply: did God create gold, silver, silk and such like, to no use? We confess he created them to use, but not to abuse: of his liberality to take occasion to praise him, but not to extol our selves. And truly it is a great abusing of God's creatures, when we employ them to maintain our pride and ambition, and in lieu of reserving all honor and praise to him that is the giver of them, to minister offense to our neighbors. Again it followeth not that the use of silk and gold, permitted to Kings, Princes, and people of like calling, should equally be permitted and commanded for every Marchaunt and Artificer. Princes may without reprehension or blemish of pride wear that which Marchaunts and Artificers cannot use without note of pride and presumption. True it is, that the more modestly that any shall use it, the more commendable it is? But it were but a trouble to policy and conscience without reason or ground, to submit all person of whatsoever calling to Marchaunts attire: as also it is not convenient to abase Marchaunts into poor Artificers apparel.