MOost gētle frēd Vrbane, I do plainly perceiue not so muche by your letters, as by the report of [...]ther men, that ye be not merye, [...]eyther of a quiet minde, but ra­ [...]er vnquieted sadde and pēsife. [...]n that fortune, which in hir in [...]nstancie (as you say) onelye is [...]stāt, doth not according to hir [...]de tenure fauour you, in y ^t the [...]orld, which for the most part is [...]ot theirs that be of God, good [...] vertuous, doth not as it hath [...]one, smile vpon you. As al thin [...]es among thē which be trustye [...]d faythfull frendes are com­ [...]une, so doutles be the very af­ [...]ctions of the mynde, the which [...]yng at the length is well kno­ [...]en of me, not by hearinge, but [Page]by profe, not by readyng, but by experience!. For as your mery nes and prosperous state dydd [...] make me mery, so your aduer [...] fortune and sadnes, causeth m [...] lykewyse to be sadde. Wherfore it shal be expedient and my pan [...] to find some way or meane, wh [...] by this heuines (wherwith bo [...] our myndes as yet be egally o [...] ­cupied) may be set aside, or at the leaste restreyned, To encrea [...] your substance with cattel, golde or syluer, my mynd is good, b [...] my power is impotēt. To tea [...] you howe, or by what meane [...] these thinges may be procure [...] I haue not lerned. But that me­dicine only, which learned m [...] haue counted to a sycke and s [...] ­rowefull hart moost presente, [...] wil endeuour, though peraduen­ture not witly, yet frendly to m [...] ­nister. [Page]The medicine is brother­ly counsel & frendly communication, This (sayeth Plutarche writinge to Apollonius) is to a sycke mynd the best phisicion. Wordes and voyces sayth Ho­race in his epystels do mytigate grefe, and put away the greatest part of sorowe.

Surelye I do thynke that lykewyse as the diseases of the bodye, as agues, heade ache, goutes, & such other, be healed by confections made of herbes, and other thinges procedinge out of the Apothecaties shoppe. So the diseases of the mynd, be onelye cured with comfortable & vnfeined wordes, flowyng out of a frendly and faithfull harte. Isocrates in his Oration of peace saieth thus: I wolde ye shuld chefely knowe, that where [Page]as many and sundrye remedies be founde of the phisicions a­gaynste the syckenes and mala­dies of the bodye, againste the disease of the mind there is none vtterly, sauyng frendly wordes. Wherfore Apollo counted chefe, and of the phisicions in maner the god, in Ouide complayneth greuously, that the disease of his mynde, coulde be cured with no herbes, and that the artes whiche dyd profytte euery man, coulde not refrayne his trou­blouse affection.

I wold wysh the muses were so fauourable vnto me, that I myght gather suche herbes in their gardens, that wolde so wel purge your mynde of this saide heauynes, as it is not to be ap­proued in any man that is par­taker of reason, but specyally in [Page]a man of christes religion. How­beit (Alas so great is y ^e blindnes of our solisshe nature) we thinke those thynges which are not la­mentable to be lamented, and those whiche be not horrible in deed, greatlye to be feared. In this point I may compaire vs to vnwyse children, whiche vehemently feare them that vse euyll fauoured visours, thinking that they be spirites, deuels, and ene­myes of theyr health, where as yf they had the mytte boldelye to pulle of the vysoures, they shoulde se hydden vnder them gentle countenaunces, and fa­ces of their frendes, kynsemen, or peraduenture moost louynge fathers. Or els we may be iustly assembled vnto ragynge Aiax, which in his fury, and madnes, vsed the hogges which god had [Page]prepared for his sustenance and wholesom norishmēt, as though they had ben his deadly enmies, and ordained to his vtter distruction.

What chyldishnes, or worsse than madnes is it, to bewayle, & not take in good worth aduersity mysfortune, or pouertie, whiche happen to vs not by chaunce, but by the prouidence and wyll of our heauenly father. Whiche worketh euery thing for the best as saynt Paule sayth to the Ro­maynes. 8. towarde thē that loue him: which formeth and fasshio­neth vs accordynge to his owne myl, which maketh vs riche and pore, sycke & whole, fortunate & myserable at his pleasure. And all for our welth, profytte, and vauntage. Least thou be decey­ued, I wolde not haue the to [Page]imitate the commune sort, ascry­bynge worldely myseries to the starres, fate and fortune, play­ing therin the part of the dogge, whiche byteth the stone that is hurled at him, not blamyng the hurler therof: but rather imyta­tynge the example of Dauyd, whiche blamed not Semei ray­lynge at hym outragiously, but imputed his dispytes vnto the lorde, of whom he was thought to be sent, attributed them with thankes to god, of whom by the testimony of scripture commeth both death and lyfe, riches and pouertie, good and euyll. Eccle­sia. 11. This witnesseth the Psal­mist sayeng: The lorde doth a­uaunce and suppresse, the lorde maketh the ryche and eke the poore.

But thou wylte saye perad­uenture: [Page]Yf we were certayne that our misfortunes and my­series were sente vnto christen men by God, they were muche more tollerable. But when we se oure cattell dye by styngynge of serpentes, or by contagion, frome the whyche they myghte haue bene safe, yf they hadde be diligentlye obserued. Or whan we fall into diseases, whereof we myghte haue bene cleare if that vnholesome meates and diet, infected places or persons had ben auoided: Or when we be robbed or suffer other losses by negly­gēce of our seruaūtes or euil wil of our neighbours. Or wher we se that we myghte haue ben in good case yf this chaunce o: that chaunce had be escaped, yf this thinge or that thynge had not ben done. Fynally whan we [Page]se oure selues, by suche or lyke chaunces as I haue spoken of, comme to myserye, we thinke it rather to be imputed to euyll fortune, then to the hand of god, by the same meane sekynge or workynge oure wealth. True­lye who soeuer is of this opyny­on, in my iudgemente semeth to be ignoraunte that God is pro­uidente and carefull for men. Also to lacke the knoweledge of his mooste holy and holesome scryptures. Math. 10. writeth that a sparowe, which is a byrde of small estimacion, can not fall to the grounde, withoute oure heauenly father, neyther a heere of a mans heade. And shall we whiche be the shepe of his pa­sture, his people and his sōnes, whom he regardeth a thowsand tymes more then the sparowes, [Page]thinke that the losse of those thinges, whiche we haue enioyed, be it riches, helth, or any other worldlye thinge, eyther the misse of them whiche we haue desy­red, can chaunce withoute his wyll and godlye prouydence? Who is so folysh to thinke, that god regarding the heeres of our heades, which be neither great­ly profitable, nor necessary, wyll contemne and neglecte thinges which pertayne to the susteining and necessitie of y ^e whole bodies? Who knoweth not that Iobs substāce decaied by diuerse chaū ces, as by tempestes & thonders, by theues & robbers, his frendes destroyed by the fallynge of an house? which thinges to the in­fidele shulde haue semed bare chaunce, and not inflicted by a­ny godly power: yet in dede as it [Page]is manifest in the history, these were nothing els but meanes or instrumentes which the lorde v­sed to the perfourmaunce of his wyll. The holy Iob of all chri­sten men muche to be folowed, after that he hadde lost all, and brought in maner to extreme miserye, dyd not accuse his carpen­ters for buyldyng of a ruynous house, neyther he cryed oute of fortune as the vnfaithful do, nor yet founde faute at his herde­men, in that they droue not his cattell diligentlye into the safe stables: but considering the true cause of his calamitie and wret­chidnes, sayd these wordes: Na­ked I came frome my mothers wombe, and naked I shall go hence. The lorde dydde gyue me welth, and the lord hath taken it awaye. As it pleased the lorde, so [Page]it is done, his name be blessed. The blindnes of the elder Toby happening by swalowes donge that fell into his eyes as he laye slepinge, and the pouertie which dyd succede, semed to be ascribed onelye to chaunce. But the aun­gel declared at the last that god dyd make hym both blynde and beggerly and that for a purpose.

Dauyd in his Psalmes doth euidently shew that our calami­ties come none otherwise, but by the wyll and permission of god: whiche tryeth vs as the golde is tryed in the fyry fornace, be­ynge neuer the worse therfore, but better, & purer. Thou sayth he, O lorde hast proued vs, and (as siluer is wont with fier) hast examined vs: thou hast brought vs into snares, and layde tribu­lations vpon our backes. Thou [Page]hast made men our enemies, and set them in our neckes: we haue passed by fyer and water. Hiere­mye in the. 3. of his lamentati­ons confirmeth this, pronoun­cynge suche wordes: Who sayth that it shulde be done, the lorde not commaundynge? Do not good and euill procede from the mouth of the highest? The gen­tyles as blynde as they were of this thinge were not al together ignoraunte. The Greake poete Hesiode, in the begynnynge of his worke, asketh what is the cause that some mē be vyle, some noble, some ryche, other some poore? he maketh aunswere hym selfe, and sayth: The wyll of the [...]nyghty god. The which sayeng I worde wisshe to be so well be­ [...]eued of Christen men, as it was truely spoken of a blynde [Page]ethnyke.

Seyng therfore that misfor­tunes, lacke or losse of ryches, health, and such other, come not rashly, but by the prouydence of our Celestrall father: why shuld we not take them well in worth, and after the example of Iob, blessynge his name, gyue hym thankes for them? specialy consi­deringe that aduersities chaun­synge to them whiche loue the lord, be not tokens of his yre, neither argumentes y ^t he casteth vs of, but of a fatherly loue rather, & frendly care. Thou shalte per­ceiue if thou reade diligētly the holy histories, that y ^e more parte of them, whom god hath chosen to be of his lytle flocke, haue ben wretchyd (in the respecte of the worlde) and myserable, tos [...]e and tormoyled with manyfolde mys­fortunes, [Page]distracte and vnquie­ted with continuall sorowes.

Let Hely the prophet be for an example, whome God loued so well, that he wolde vouchsafe to communicate his counsel and misteries vnto him. What quietnes I praye you or welth, what riches or surety had he, for al the frendeshyp that was betwyxte God and hym? Trulye so much welth, that he had neuer a house to put his head in. Such plenty of meate and drynke, that if the rauen and the aungell had not fedde hym, he hadde perysshed [...]w hunger. Such quietnes that he coulde not tell whiche waye to turne him, nor whyther to flee from the persecution of Achab, Baales preistes, and cruel Iesa bell. Suche Ioye in this world that he desired oft to dye, before [Page]he dyed. What shuld I speake of Helise, Hieremy and Hieu, to be short of y ^e greatest part of gods prophets, which were euer wrapped in wo, and deadly anguishe the worlde seldome or neuer mi­nistringe any cause of gladnes, comforte, or solace. I wyll not speake of the Apostels, which be sides that they were poore and beggerlye all the dayes of their lyfe, for gods worde were trou­bled, threatned, mocked, scour­ged, and at the laste to the syght of men myserablye dyed. Oure mayster Christ the sonne of god wolde be an abiecte amonge the people, and subiecte to afflicti­ons innumerable, shewyng the [...] by that his kyngdome, neyther the kyngedome of them whiche be of his houshould, is in this worlde. He saith to his apostels: [Page]Bycause ye be not of the worlde, y ^e world doth hate you. Ihon. 15. which douteles loueth, & cheifly fauoureth them, that be hyr na­turall chyldren, and chyldren of darknes, regardinge more this temporal lyfe, then the lyfe whi­che is promysed to them whiche cieue wholy to the lord our god.

Scripture not dyssemblynge with vs, but tellynge playnlye whereto we shal sticke, teacheth, that they whiche be of god shall as in the stead of a recognisaūce suffer afflictions, aduersities & troubles, All they that wyll line vertuouslye in Christ shall be afflicted. 2. Timoth. 3. Hieremye speakyng in the person of god, Hieremy, 25. sayeth: In the citie wherein my name is inuocate, I wyll begyn to punysshe. As for you (meanynge the wycked) shal [Page]be as inuocentes & not touched: The tyme is, that iudgemente muste begynne at the house of god. 1. Petri. 4. Christe suf­fred for vs, leauynge vs an ex­ample, that we shuld folowe his fotesteppes. 2. Oh that we might haue sene that kynde harte of Christ, whan he was punished, hanged & crucified, not for his owne cause, but for ours, howe willingly he suffred, giuing vs an exāple, that we myght folow his fotesteps: doutlesse we shuld with much more corage and sto­macke for our ownesakes, suffre troubles than we do. Lo we that liue, be mortified for christ, y ^t the life of christ may appere in oure carnall bodies, 2. Cor. 4. Yf any man saith Christ wyl come after me, let him forsake him self, take his crosse on his backe, & folowe [Page]me. For otherwise he is not mete for me. Euery membre (doubt ye not) of Christes body shall haue y ^e crosse, either of pouertie, or persecusiō, sicknes, or imprisonmēt, iniuries or sclaunders, or of like thynges.

Happy is he that folowethe christ manfully, & faileth not: for he at the lengthe shall be eased of his heuye burthen: he at the length shal fynd perpetual rest, & eternal quyetnes. We must be here not as inhabitours & home dwellers, but as Paule saith, as straungers. Not as straungers onely but after the mynd of Iob as paynefull souldiers, appoyn­ted of our captayne Christe, to fyght agaynste the deuyll, the worlde flesshe and synne: In the whiche fyght, except we behaue our selfes lawfully and strongly [Page]by the sentence of scrypture, we shal not be crowned. Let vs therfore arme our selfes with y ^e wea­pons prescribed of saint Paule to the Ephesians. 6. and of other places of scripture to Christes souldiers, and with a bolde co­rage contemne the dartes of the deuyll and worldly miseries, en­deuouryng to ouerthrowe oure myndes, and weaken our fayth towarde God: For ones our captayne with a glorious victorye shal gloriouslye delyuer vs. In worldly warres there be & haue ben many of stomacke, not vn­lyke to Iason, Hercules & The­seus, which couyt to enterprise vpō daūgerous places, & perlous enemies, wherby they may haue by their manful conflyct, prayse, or a gareland of baye bowes, he nour or temporall promocions. [Page]And shal we, whose reward shal be not a gareland made of grene bowes, that lyghtly wythereth, but with a crowne of glory, that euer shall florish: not temporall preferremētes, which endure not but enheritaunce in heauen, that shall be continual, be loth stout­ly to withstande the worlde? It chaunceth ofte that the presence of a mans concubyne shal moue him to contend and fyght fiersly with his aduersarye, litle or no­thing regarding his life, but ra­ther careful, leste with shame he take a foile in hir presence which he loueth. And shall the presence of our spouse Christ, whose eyes continually loke on the hartes & myndes, nothing moue vs? For him to haue taken a foyle before his louer, had ben no losse of bo­dy nor soule, but a lytle shaine, & [Page]that not durable. But to take a foyle of pouertye, miseryes, syckenesse, losses, lacke, or other mysfortunes, and not to kepe oure mynde styll aboue them, with the contempte of their, as­saultes: besides that the presence of god shal shame vs, not the body, but the soule (except the grace of god after erecte vs) shal vtterly perysshe. Loke therefore that we fyght meryly and boldely, despise all misfortunes, that hurte or threaten hurt to our mortall bodyes.

But eyther I am deceiued, or I here you saieng: Syr it is quickly spoken, but it is not so lightly done. It is hard, and by the sen­tence of philosophers againste nature, for men to be cōtent with those thinges which hurt & make for the damage of their bodies, & [Page]as you require with cōtempt to fight against them, doutles it is very harde, & for our strength, & power, a thing impossible. What than, shall we playe the parte of Demosthenes, caste awaye oure weapens and dispayre? No not so, but mystrusting oure owne power, let vs flye to god, as vnto and holye anker, and safe refuge, desiringe helpe of hym, whiche by promyse made, shall ayde, assist & defend vs. Call on me sayth be, in the daye of trou­ble, and I shal delyuer the. The lorde is nye to al them that be of a troubled harte, and feare him. In thyne infirmitie, despise not the lorde, but praye vnto him, & he shal! heale the. Eccl.; 8. There is no dout therfore, but we shal haue his helpe, yf we faithfully call for it. And in him that com­forteth [Page](yf the wordes of Paule be true) we shall be able to do [...] thinges, and nothynge shall be impossible for vs beinge fayth­full. Therefore let vs saye with Ezechias. 2. Parilipom. 32. Play we the men, & comfort our selues for the lorde is with vs, our hel­per, & fighteth for vs. The lorde (as he sayth in the thyrde of the kinges. 22) is our rocke and our strēgth, our sauiour and refuge, our buckeler, our auauncer, and the horne of our health. Let vs then not feare nor cease constantly to withstand the cruel enforce mētes of aduersitie, euer keping our myndes and faith towarde god, vnwounded, harmed, or dis­coraged by them, thinkinge styll that they be sente of god, whiche worketh by infirmitie strength, by ignominie glow, by pouertie [Page]perpetuall riches, by death lyfe, whiche doth wound & heale, stry keth & maketh whole, as it is in y ^e Psalme. And for none other ende, but as they were sente to Iob, and Toby, to exercyse and proue vs, that his glorye maye appeare in vs, and that we may auoyde the greater euyls, synne, thraldome, to the deuyl, and hel.

The afflyctions (beleue me) that we count euils, encombring our flesh, be nothinge in the re­specte of those euyls wherewith the vngodly be combred, lyuing in infidelitie, and synne vnder the yre of god, vnder the Impe­rie of the deuyll, beinge seruauntes to iniquitie, to whome sayth the lord is no peace, whose min­des and conscience (as Isai wri­teth) be euer lyke to a feruent sea that can not reste, whose floudes [Page]redounde to conculcacyon and mournynge. 57. That these greater I saye and more haynous euyls maye be auoyded, these lytle or rather not to be estemed euyls at all be inflycted of god, also that we maye at the length after all oure stryfe, myth oure captayne Christe ryallye try­umphe.

Yf we wold well considre for what purpose God hath create vs, we shuld beare with afflicti­ons and aduerse fortune muche more than we do. All thinges in this worlde are made to serue man. The sheepe to clothe hym, the oxe to feede hym, the horse to carye him, the herbes and trees, some to norish him, some to cure him being diseased, some to delite him, the sōne & mone to giue him light, so in conclusion, all other [Page]thinges vnder heauen, in one of fice or other, serue man: and as all these thynges were made to serue man, so man to serue God in holynes and purenes of lyfe, And to this ende doutles, pouertye, with other afflictions doth muche more conduce, then welth or carnall quietnes. In this re­spect we ought to wysshe, and thanke god for aduersite, rather then for welth. The one causeth vs to forget him the other to re­membre hym: the one to despyse hym, the other to call vpon him, and worship hym: the one proud keth co incontinēcie and naughtynes, the other to temperancie and sobernes: the one calleth vs to all kindes of vice, the other to vertue & purenes of life. what I pray you made Dauid and adul­terer and cruell murderer? but [Page]welth, and quietnes. Hieroboam brought to welth & prosperous state, became a wicked & a shameful Idolater. O perlous aboun daunce of goodes, and saturitie of meates and quietnes, whiche destroyed with so many soules those goodly cities Sodome, & Gomor. Nothing els made O [...]i as proude, and by reason therof to be stricken with lepre, but the aforenamed.

What made the yongeman co uetous, and loth to folowe christ when he was bydde, but wordly welth, whiche he than enioyed? Ye se in the gospell how the men that were bydde to the kynges supper, coulde not come, worldly riches and busines keping them backe. They which came and fylled vp the places at y ^e feast, were wretches, sycke & lame beggers. [Page]Christ [...] by [...]au [...] that by hyr welthynesse and abundance of thynges, she forgot his [...]tati [...]. What other thynge broughte the ryche giue­con to the oblyuton of God, of hym selfe, and of his mortalitie, to incontynencie, dronkennes, gluttony; and at the last to the place where is mo [...]nynge and knasshynge of teeth, but welth, prosperitie, and worldely quiet­nes. Thus ye se that the effectes of riches & welthines, be nothing els for y ^e most part, but murder, adultery, dronkennes, Idolatry [...]ouetouse [...]ies, g [...]teony, contep [...] of god, pride & incōtinery. What Christ [...] man wil not feare (che [...]y const [...]ing the [...]gi [...]ttie of our nature, [...]ch as it is written in [...] our yonge age is [...]ue [...] [...] to the worst [...]possesse [Page]muche ryches, or to enioye worldly welthinesse? Seing y ^t they drawe men so cleane from God, so farre into vice and mis­cheife.

Yf we be sicke in body, hauing oure wittes, we wyll not touche those meates whiche we thinke may moue or ēcrease our disease thoughe they be neuer so dayn­tye or precyouse: and shall we not feare to walowe in worldly [...] welth, whiche to oure soules is so daungerous that nothynge can be more pernycyous? We reade of some prophane Philosophers, of the whiche sorte was Bias, that gaue & caste awaye theyr goodes, whereby they myghte more quietlye studye for the knowledge of thinges. Cra­tes was glad of his ship wrakes pouertie. Anaxagoras of his imprisōment. [Page]Plato of his exile fro the kynges court, bycause theyr mindes were more quiet thereby and addicte to the studye of phylosophye. And shall we that be christen men thynke the lacke or losse of worldly thinges to be lamented, which be, or maye, be the cause of quietnes of conscyence, and of a mynde more addicte to the seruynge of god, whereto we were created?

But you wyll say peraduen­ture. What, syr, ye do speake as though men myght not both be welthy and vertuous. Knowe ye not y ^e saint Paule said, Phil. 4 That he myght suffer penury or lawefullye haue aboundaunce? Moreouer that he wyll haue the ryche men cōmaūded. 1. Timo. 6. not to cast awaye their ryches. neyther to cease honestly to pro­cure [Page]them: but that they [...] trust in them. Haue ye not also lerned by the olde testamēt, that Abraham, Isaac, Ioseph, wyth dyuers other had the worlde al wyl, and yet were godly, [...] (as farre as we can iudge) be no [...] in the hande of God, where the soules of iust men be.

In dede I do graunt that men may laufully (so that the [...] do it not at the impulsion of au [...] rice or ambitiō, nor putting any trust in them) procure ryches & enioye the same. I confesse also that some men haue ben, be, and shal be both welthy & vertuous [...] els god forbyd: but in my indg­ment, it is but on [...] [...]neag [...]s many. It is a very [...] thinge, and wonderfull harde, yea so harde y ^t Christ whiche [...] not [...]e, [...] Easy en it is for a [...] to [...] ­tre [Page]through a nedles eye, thā for a riche mā to entre in to the kingdome of heauen. We must (saith scripture) entre into y ^e kyngdom of god by many tribulacions, of the whiche how voyde y ^e welthy man is, at the leaste of suche as seme to be sent of god, who seeth not? The way to heuen is strait, sharye, & painful. Math. 7. The way of the welthy man lyghtlye is large, softe, and pleasaunt.

I thinke y ^t saint Iames spea­king these wordes. Ia. 5. whiche I wil repete anone, thought the more parte of rych and welthy men to be children of the worlde. & carnall. Go to you riche men (saith he) wepe and howle lyke dogges in y ^e wretchidnes y ^e shal come vpō you. Your ryches be putrified, & your precious gar­mentes catē of the mothes, your [Page]golde and syluer is rustye, and the ruste of it shall be a witnesse agaynste you, and shal eate your flesshe lyke as it were fyer. [...] on haue layed vp wrathe for your selfes, agaynste the laste dayes. You haue eaten and drouke vp­pon the earth, and nourisshe [...] your hartes with pleasures. I dare say, hauynge respecte to the diuine wisdome of saint Iames, to the histories of olde tyme, and to the ryche men that be in oure tyme (whose lyues commonly [...] a wyse man applye to the rule of the gospell, shall seme but a lyt­tle to agree vnto it) that saynte Iames thought that very fewe rychemen shulde escape, whome this sayenge shall not touche. Saynte Paule knowynge the nature of welthe and ryches, wylleth vs hauyng noryshinent [Page]and where with we may be clo­thed, to be content: for they that wyll be made riche, fal into tem­ [...]tiō, into the share of the deuyl, into many despres noysom & im­profitable, whiche drowne men in the see of death and perdition. 1. Timoth. 6.

Seinge therefore it is a hard thynge for the ryche worldly quiet and welthy men to be saued, & that but fewe of them as it shuld seme by y ^e premysses do entre in to goddes kingedome, me thinke we christiās haue no great cause to be sorye, either for any tempo­rall thynges loste, or to enuy [...]te those which we haue not yet pos­sessed. But sayeng with the Psal miste: It is good for me O lorde that thou haste humbled [...]ne, set nought by them, rather beynge as Meremaydes, [...]utifynge vs [Page]with their [...]a [...]e [...] melodies, [...]nto y ^e neckes of [...]one and per [...]ition. Yf Hereules had feared, least he shulde haue b [...] cast awaye with a shyrt made be womans han [...]e, he wolde ueuer haue woun shyrt [...] longe as he had liued. And shal not we feare [...] be [...]pte in [...] welthe, which in maner is [...] lesse dauth [...]ermis for our soules, then was Deyau [...] is shyrt for H [...]rt [...]les body.

As we haue partely [...]o [...]yde­red the aboundance of thinges and welth, so we wit pouerty [...] so, and aduerse fortune, whose workes and [...]ffe [...]tes [...] [...] shalt [...] cleane com [...]aty [...] is saw before none [...], th [...] worldly successe [...] and [...] tha [...] [...] th [...] [Page]deuyll and synne: so aduerse for­tune reteynynge vs commonlye in honeste behauiour, and in the fauour of god, stoppeth vp the wyndowes & d [...]res which leade men to wickednes & gods dys­pleasure. It stoppeth vp y ^e wyn­dowes to adultery, to the con­tempt of god and pryde: fynally in a maner to all those vices, where vnto by welth they were set wyde open. Yf ye lyst to haue a prose, reade for iptures, marke well the [...]abe of Dauids lyfe, which so longe as he was pore, [...]oste with afflictions, troubles with the persecutiōs of Paule, be [...] of [...]nery [...]de with dan̄gers driuen [...] place to place, it was poste to p [...]es, [...]ustcyninge hun­ger and [...] hauynge fewe or no fre [...]es, lodg [...]g, nor substāce, liued in the feare of god, louing [Page]hym, callynge vpon hym nyhe and day, trustyng him, and vo [...] of all vices. Hieroboam, so long as he was but a pore mā, not yet auaūsed to his kingdome, liued in the lawes of god wythout re­prehension. But vpon what vy­ces these two stūbled, after th [...] came to welth, ye harde before. Thus ye se howe the one layeth blockes in the waye that leadeth to heauen, the other in the waye that leadeth to feareful dammtion. Wherefore our louyng [...] ther euer correctyng y ^e chyldren whom he loueth. Pron. 1. giueth aduersitie as the better of these two for y ^t most part, to his ele [...] as a medicine to thē which haue offended, left they fall agayne to them, whiche haue not greayly trespassed (howbeit euery man is a synner and deserueth euyll) [Page]as a medicine preseruatiue, least they shulde [...]yde. The which medicine, thoughe it seme to vs at the first bitterer than any ga [...]e, yet [...] we saue it with the swete­nes of his commaundementes, and pleasaunt promises, we shal fynde it more delicious than the hony combe. It is writen, Pro­ner. 3. My dere sonne, thou shalt not neglecte the correction of the Lord, neyther thou shalt be discoraged whan thou act reproued, whome the lorde loueth, he cor­recteth, the chylde whiche he re­ceyueth, he scourgeth. Yf ye suf­fer chastisement, god doth offre him self to you, as vnto his chil­dren. What chylde is there but his father chastith hym? By this scripture ye may se, that oure aduersities, and afflictions be not tokens of gods I [...]e towardes [Page]vs, but of his good wyll & [...] Wherfore they ought not to [...] corage, but rather encorage [...] not to make vs sadde, but men not sorowful, but Ioyful: in th [...] he of his goodnes wil vouchsa [...] to take vs as his children, to s [...] due our [...]eshe, to strengthen o [...] soules. By torubles, as say [...] Paule saith: he was strengthen ned. 2. Cor. 12. to vanquysh our enemies. Whereby we shall be mete at y ^e left, to haue with him the quietnes which his sōne I su christ with the effusion of his blode bought for vs, where shal be no death, no wayling, no w [...] rynes, no sycknes, no him ge [...], [...] thyrst, no chafynge, no corrupti­on, no necessitie, no sorowes.

Suffer we therfore wilingly and gladly the correction of our heauenly father and afflictions [Page]eu [...]a as his onely [...], whom he spared not, but permited to be whypte and scourged, [...] abyde hunger and colde, to be in worsse case for lodgyng, than the foxes in the felde, or the byr­des of the ayre, and at the length [...] suffer mooste ignomyaous our death. Let vs in all our afflicti­ons comforte oure selues with the example of him, remembung that the dyscyple is not aboue the mayster, nor the seruaunt a­boue his Lorde: neyther yet the inferiour membres aboue these heade. Our heade is christe, [...] that he hath not abhor [...]ed afflictiōs, they may not be [...] any [...] [...]ined of vs.

I [...]er [...]yle that [...] litle disdain them, that we haue great pleasure, and [...] We wolde be [...] [Page]tente, to handle the table, at the whiche Chryste dydde fytte, the garmentes or vestures he vsed, or other lyke reliques, beyng as consecrate with his holye touchynge: muche better me thinke we ought to be apaied, to handle afflictions, as reliques whiche besydes that they were oft hal [...] wed by his most holy touchyng be also cōmaūded to be fingered of vs, specially seinge y ^t more [...] wardes, & merites come by the handeling of thē, than by y ^t aforenamed. Do we not disdayne the I say, but rather (as Paule wyl le [...]h let vs) glory i our troubles For trouble worketh pacience, paciēce worketh profe, profe w [...] keth hope, whiche shall not con­founde vs, Roma. 3.

I wyll not yet cease to speake more of the preceptes of god as [Page]touchinge this poynte: Some thou commynge to the ser [...]uce of God, prepare thy selfe to tentation, susteyne the sustentations of y ^e Lord, and be ioyned vnto him, susteine, wherby at the last thy lyfe may be encreased. Ecclesi. 7. Thus ye se that the chyldren of god, be commaunded stil to bend them selfes to tētation, & aduersitie, whiche foloweth them none otherwise, than the shadowe fo­loweth the boby.

Nowe marke the ende that is promised to our afflictions: Yf we beare thē as we ought to do truely I say vnto you saith christ to his frendes, you shall wepe & lament, they which be of y ^e world shall ioye: you shall be sory, but this sorowe of yours shal be tur­ned into solace. Iobn̄. 18. I doe thinke that the afflictions which [Page]we do [...]uffce here, be nothinge [...] comparison of the glory we shall haue in y ^e world to come. Rom. [...] our excedyng tribulation which is momentayn and lyght, prepa­reth an excedyng, and an eternal wayght of glory vnto vs, while we loke not on y ^e thinges which are sene, but on the thinges whi­che are not sene: for thinges whi­che are sene, are temporall, but thynges whiche are not sene, a [...] eternall. 2. Cor. 4. althoughe the earthly house of this our habi­tatiō (Paule meaneth the body be [...]irupied, we knowe that we shal haue a buyldyng of god, [...] house not made with manner ha [...]e, but euerlastynge in he [...] [...]en. 2. Cor. 4. who heatinge the promises, is so [...]ony hatred that he wyll not take in good word what so shall [...], be [...] [Page]neuer so heynous, horrible, and perlous to his mortal membres?

Fewe men wyll refuse to suffre for the space of a whole yet: the physycyans tortures, nowe his vaynes to be cutte, nowe payne­fullye to be bathed, nowe to eate mooste bytter pylles, otherwhile to faste, and to be punyshed ma­ny other wayes, that his bodye whiche is mortall, after these so­rowes delyuered of his sickenes, maye ioye for a tyme: muche lesse a christen harte shulde stycke to susteyne troubles, mysfortune, and myseries, here for a whyle, that the soule whiche is immor­tall, maye after Ioye for euer. With ioyes, not suche as the po­ete Pyndarus dothe attrybute vnto happye soules, pypynge, playing, or synging, pleasaunte gardens, gorgy [...]use houses and [Page]goodly spectacles, playenge at dyse, tennysse, or tables, or other lyke: but suche as neyther eare hath herde (Paule wytnessynge) nor eye hath sene. With such ioy­es, as Faithe takethe not, Hope toucheth not, Charitye appre­bendeth not, they passe all de­syres and wysshes: Gotten they may be, estemed they can not be, Blessed is that man sayth saynt Iames. 1. which suffereth tenta­tion & trouble: for after his profe he shall receyue the crowne whi­che god hath promysed to them which loue hym. Euery castiga­tion semeth to haue no pleasure but rather grefe, howbeit at the laste it shall gyue a quiet fruyte of iustice, to them whiche haue ben troubled by it. Hebre. 12. Who I saye, hearynge these conforta­ble promises, wyll not merily [...] [Page]with saynt Paule, what thing in the worlde shal seperate vs from the loue of god? shall trouble or persecution? shall nakednesse, or daungers? shall the sworde, or hunger? as who saye none of all these, neyther death nor lyfe, aungels nor princes, thinges that be present, neyther that be to come. Height strength, nor depnes shal seperate vs from the loue of god which is in Iesu christ our lord. Roma. 8.

But to conclude, seynge that youertie, troubles, miseries, and afflictions, be vanquysshers of [...]yce, maynteyners of vertue: seinge that they be appoynted of god our father to them that loue hym, and not as tyrannicall tor­mentes, but as fatherly correcti­ons and frendly medicines. Also that god hath promised to those [Page]which patiently beare them, per­petuall quietnes, ioye, and ende­les solace. Why shulde we not with thankes gyuynge be verye gladde of them? If we be other­wyse affected, let vs not thynke the contrary, but we be disposen muche lyke vnto them, which la­boure of feruente agues, whose true tayste taken frome theym, by the reason of they? disease, can not awaye with suche meates as be mooste holsome, and conduci­ble to theyr healthe, but desyre those which make moost against them, and for the increase of them sickenes. Wherfore if we chaūce so to feale oure selues, cease we not to sollicite the Lorde with prayers, that he wyll vouchsafe to take this spirituall ague from vs, wherby we may with iudge­mente reiecte the swete, but poy [...] [Page]senfull baytes and daynties of the deuyll, and the worlde. And taist those meates whiche be most hol­some, and profi­table for our soules.

IT is to be wōdered fred Vrbane if these thynges cā not moue chri­sten men to suf­fre aduersities, and despise worldly successe, as a very vayne vanitie, seynge that the vnfatthfull gentils, were mo­ued to the same, with thinges of muche lesse importaunce. Some of thē as Socrates & Diogeneg consideryng that worldly welth, could nothinge lesse do, thā cause a quiet, & mery mind & as a thing of no worthines, neglected it, and as a thynge of no pryce, set it as nought. Whese cōsideratiō Plu [...] tarche as it appereth by this his sumilitude, approueth as not vn­true. Lykewise saith he as a m [...] going to the sea, and fyrst caried towarde the great shippe in a li [...] [Page]ele bote, there begynnyge to vs wyte desireth muche to be at the greater vessell, supposing to find ease therein, where he is worse troubled with the same grefe, thā he was before. Euen so a man be yng in a vile state, and pore case, and not well content therewith, couiteth auauncement to higher condicion, his goodes also and his substaunce to be encreased. To y ^e which thinges if he chaūce to attaine, he shall be more vn­quieted, then he was before in his former miserie. If ye require examples, loke to Alexander the great, kinge of Macedonie, whi­che possessyng in a maner all the kyngedoines, ryches, and welth in the worlde, for all that was so [...]itle quiet, that when he herd [...] wocritus disputinge of manye worldes, wepre bytterly, that he [Page]the better, but rather [...]udrse: no ner the quieter, but rather more vnquiete. I was ones of all emperours, and rulers, the ty­chest, subduinge valiantly Bat­batous nations, and people in­nuinerable: Yet these thinges so lytle made me quiet, that by the reason of them, with all kyndes of vnquietnes, my mynde was troubled: How ambition and in satiable desyre of mo regiō, rule and imperies, dydde occuppe my mynde paynefully, nowe madde tagynge: and yre, prouoked by bronkennesse, whiche by the rea­son of aboundaunce of goodes I vsually accustomed, punysshed me, and with violence somtyine moued me to the murder of my frendes. Howe vnlaufull lustes of the bodye, nowe Enuye vexed me. Other whyle the helly furies [Page]flyinge about my conscience, [...] not sufferynge the memory of my murder, or other euyll factes, to be obliterate, so sore greued me that I wolde nowe & than haue pearsed my harte with a sworde, or haue pyned my selfe to death, if I had not ben letted. Dues as a foole, I pryferred the state of Alexandre before the condicion of poore Diogenes, but then I iudged lyke as dyd vuwise Mt­das, than I knew not y ^e the ber tues of the mynde onely, caused true quietues, worldely successe, nothinge profitinge, but greatly deminesshinge the same. What can be more true than his orati­on? whom shuld it not mone yf it were spoke of the mouth of Alex ander (as he wold speake it dout les yf he myght retourne to vs) to esteme the worlde accordynge [Page]to this worthynes Me [...]ouer [...] maye se by the example of [...] memnon, howe lytell quietnes worldly welth inferreth. He was so much vnquieted whis hyght state, that he lamēted his chaūce in that he was kynge, and ruler ouer so manye people. Laertes whiche to the syght of the world, lyued welthely and wenderous quiet, yet was not quiet in dede, as witnesseth Plutarche, On the otherside Mctrocles vile & beg­getlye, in wynter couerynge his body with a tubbe for lacke of house rowmthe, & in sommer ta­kynge vp his ynnes in the po­ches of temples, farynge not so wel as did the dogges of y ^e cytis, yet was of so quyete a mynde, (vertue beynge the autor therof) that his quietnes amonge w [...]y­true shall be dadde in perpetuall [Page]memorie. [...]ectus aboute to be burned (suche was the vertue of his mynde) was sayde no­thyng to be vnquieted at all.

Thus I say, some of the wyse gentyles consideryng, and se [...]ng that true quietnes procedeth owe ly of vertue, estenied worldely [...] w [...]lthe not of a steawe. E [...]t we Christen men (suche is our lacke of true wysedome) whiche know or oughte to knowe, yf we re­mēbre so much as I haue spoken before, that there is no quietnes to them whiche be of God, but quyetues of mynde, and consry­ence, that is procuted onelye vp vertue, purenes of lyfe, and hope specyallye, Whiche (as saynte Paule sayth) commeth of profe, profe of pacyence, pacyence of troubles, and so consequentlye, that oure quyetnesse must [...]ame [Page]by troubles, what [...] we not a [...] tempte, to obtayne worldelye va­nytyes? [...]unnynge by sea and by lande, by rockes and fandes by Scylla and Syrtes by fyet and sworde (as sayeth the po­ete) fearynge no Ieopardies. nor castynge anye pe [...]lles, lyke menne oute of oute wyttes, se­kynge fyer in the sea, and requy­ [...]ynge water of the drye pomysh stone. O blindenes, what I pray you haue we gotten whan we haue procured riches or worldly presecrementes, whose purcha­synge commonly is paynfull, the kepinge full of besy feare, the vse daungerous, the losse deadlye what I say haue we gottettran­qiuilite of mynder no truly but accesse of vnquietnes: for y ^e more that goodes yrowe, the more gre weth care. Miserable saieth the [Page]poete is the kepyng of much mo­ney. In the which respecte Hora tius Uulteurs desired his frende after he had made hym ryche, to take his goodes frome hym a­gayne: What then? satisfyeng of thy appetite that thou haddest to worldly thynges? nothyng lesse. for as he which hath the dropsy the more he drynketh the more he thirsteth, in lyke case the worldly man the more he hath, the more he courteth. Iucrease of vertues? no, rather an explosion of them all. What than? truely a baite to al vice and mischefe. And if thou take not very good hede, an in­strument to worke thyne awne confusion.

O perlous and moost pesti­lent harlot (I meane the worlde) whiche is transfigured in plea­sures, and aboundaunce of ry­ches [Page]of the earthe, in pleasures and voluptuousnes. And I call hyr not onely an harlot, but the moost fylthy, and moost durtye queane, whose face is foule, how rible, sharpe bytter andctuell. And in this mooste wherein all they be counted without forgeue nes, whome the deceyueth. And althoughe hyr countenaunce, be so fylthye, and so wylde, so ba [...] barouse, and so cruell: yet many be snared by her, and when they se all thynges in hir body full of peril, ful of death, ful of mische [...] yet she is desyred of theyin, ai [...] counted a thyng to be loued, and coupted. Notwithstandyng that she maketh no man better, wiser, nor more teperate: no man more fauourable, gentle, nor prudente. Finally that she rhaungeth no angry person, into a man meke [Page]of behaulour, neyther teacheth the voluptuous man sobrietie, nor the impudent shainefastnes, neyther at any time by hyr is got ten any kynde of vertue, to the soule, No rather lyke Circe, whi­the (as Homere writeth, chalin­ged by enchauntmentes Vlisses men into hogges, dogges and o­ther brute beastes, she maketh of thē which be vertuous, vieious: & of reasonable men, beastes vn­reasonable. Wherunto may we impute the fault, that some which haue ben meke and gentle, (as it thaūceth oft) by the reason of yre & furiousnes be chaunged from men as though it were into ra­ginge lyōs? but to y ^e enchaunting Circe the worlde. What maketh them whiche haue ben modeste, sobre and temperate (as we haue examples to manye) for theyr [Page]dronkennes and beastly intem­perancie, most like vnto the vn­cleane, and filthy hogges? the en chauntynge Circe the worlde. What taketh out wittes frō vs, by the reason of pride, and cau­seth vs shamefully to forget our selfes and out mortall state? the enchauntynge Cyrce the world. To be shorte this same enchaun­tynge Circe the world, chaugeth euen the most part of them, which haue to do with hir wooryshe or­namentes (extept it be some spirituall Vlisses) into very brutisshe asses, if ye haue respecte to hea­uenly wisdome. Horace consyde­rynge hir hoorisshe charmes, cal­leth hir riches, and ornamentes matter of the greate euyll, and counselleth them, whiche be loth to be wicked, to hurle them into the see.

Let vs therefore not passe for the lacke or losse of riches, or other worldly thynges that be so perlous, but rather prepare oure selues partly to folow the coun­sell of Horace, thoughte he were an ethnicke: not in casting a way of our goodes, if we haue them, but lyuing as thoughe we had them not. And gyuynge them a­way, rather than our soules whi­che god hath dearely boughte shulde take hurte by them. Re­membrynge that christe sayeth. Math. 5. It is better to go to he a uen, hauing but one eye or one arme, than to the fier of hel with u [...]eyes or two armes. It is bet­ter with pouertie, and afflictions to be fauoured of god, than with we lth and prosperity to haue his displeasure. Let the children of the worlde, and the deuil (whiche [Page]is the prhree of the worlde) seke their welth, that is propre vnto them, and let them enioye it. Let vs whiche be of christe, seke and enquyre for beauenly welth whi­che by goddes promyse shall be peculiar to vs. Let the Cretians, Epicures, Beotians, with suche other beastly, barbarous, and ca [...] nal people, passe for thinges that be pleasaunt for the bodye, and perteyne to this present transite rie life. Let vs which be or ought to be spirituall, passe for thinges that perteyne to the spirite, and lyfe to comme. But I wyll re­turne agayne to the gentiles, for I beganne to declare with what thynges they were moued to the contempte of the worlde. There were other of them, of the which forte I haue named two or thre before, whom she desie of know [Page]ledge moued to dyspise worlde­lye thynges vtterlye, percea­uynge that it was hard and vn­eath for them, hauynge the vse and aboundaunce of tempo, all goodes, attently to applye theyr studye. In this poynte who doth not se theim to be commended a­boue the more part of vs Christ­ans? whiche althoughe our reli­gion requireth mindes more ali­enate from the world, and addict to the contemplacion of spiritu­al thinges, yet our whole mindes and strengthe, by wholy intente to thynges that be vayne, and earthlye: scarcelye beleuynge the sayenge of Christ, No man can serue two maisters, God and the worlde. Mathew. 6. Neyther re­gardynge the sayenge of saint Paule. No man seruynge in the wayes of God, entangleth [Page]hym selfe with worldelye besy­nes. 2. Timoth. 2 that is to saye in my Iugdement, is cheiflye and whooly gyuen to y ^e purchasynge and dysposynge of carnall and earthye thynges, eyther yet the cōmaundement, wherein god requireth our loue with all oure hartes, myndes, and soules, not bestowing any part of it of these temporall cloudes, and vayue shadowes. Math. 19. it is ashame that the naked knoweledge of naturall and vile thinges, shuld obtayne of the gentiles, whiche neyther the knoweledge of hea­uenly thinges, neyther the ca [...] of our soules, the commaunde­mentes nor promyses of god, can obteyne of vs, that be Christen men. Other of the gentyle were, (in whose nōbre was Aristedes,) moued with no hope of good [Page]thinges, y ^e shuld chaunce after this lyfe, euen for very vertues sake onely fansied not, but ne­glected worldly welthe. Cheiflye seynge it for the mooste parte chaunce to the worste, & noughty selowes: to the best and most vertuous, miseries & troubles. The thinge is partely declared by the aunswers of pouertie and riches in Aristotles probleme. It was asked of riches, whye he vsed to dwell with the worst, the best as though they were disdayned. He aunswered, that his mynde was ones to haue taryed euer with them that were good, but Iupi­ter enuieng this his purpose, put oute his eyes, and sence he loste his sight, it was euet his chasice lyghtely to happen on the worst. It was also asked of pouertie, whye she dyd styl visite the good [Page]men, and pane by them that were wycked and noughtie. She aun swered that good men coulde tel howe to intreate her. [...] ou shall reade that suche murtherers as Tantalus. Ambitious, as Crc­sus. Couitous persons, as Cras­sus. Sycophantes, as Cyllicon, had of welth great aboundaūce, On the other part suche iust and good men as Aristides, Tato, Vticensis, Fabius Maximus, Anaxagoras, & Plato. were euer in great nede & troubles, indigē cte, & afflictions. Truely though scripture dothe not prouoke me, yet charitie partly moueth me, to thinke that god had his electe e­uen among the gentiles, and y ^e he wolde haue them afflicted, no o­ther wise than those which opēly professe him. Many naughtyfeld wes (saith y ^e greke poete Callims [Page]chus) be riche & welthy: the good miserable, & pore. But with these thinges we must not be moued. The cōsideratiō of y ^e thinge was sufficiēt to set the mynd of Aristi des at vtter defiāce w ^e the world & his ornamentes. Yet we kno­wing by goddes word, as by the 21. chapiter of Iob, by y ^e. 30, Psal by y ^e. 22. chapiter of Hieremi that euyl men do lyue welthly, auaun ced, & comforted with all kyndes of daynties, extolled as the Ce­dars of Libanus, that al thinges do prospere with them, and they? sede after them. On the otherside that goodmen be afflicted, punys shed, and vexed: yet hadde we ra ther be nombred amonge the welthy, and wicked, & to be Ims tatours of their secte, thā among the godlye, whiche by their paci­ence, and forowes shal penetrate [Page]the henens. We had rather with welthy Nabal and his temporal pleasures, descende to the deuyll, than with poore Christ and his temporall trouble, ascende into the kyngdome of god his father. But it is sayde in scripture. Pro­uer. 14. The extremitie of Ioy is occupied with mourning. Ones it shall repente vs fore, not with­out the Syngynge of Lisimachus songe. Kynge Lysimachus by chaunce of warres, taken of the Scithians in his captiuitie, was so sore pressed with thirst, that he was gladdr for a d [...]aughte of drynke to sell his kyngedome. Afterward remembryng for how shorte a pleasure he had soldes thynge moost precious, cried out and wepte, sayenge: Alas howe madde was I, to sell a noble im­perie for the satisfienge of my af­fection, [Page]and grydy belly. I feare it wyll be some of oure chaunces at the last, which haue the world in suche estimacion to synge like wise this sorowfull songe. O we [...]niserable and brayneles fooles: whiche wolde for vayne pleasu­res, and transitoriewelth, less the toral kyngdome of god, with the eternall pleasures, which he hath prepared for them, that loue hym and renounce the worlde. The which world, alas, what is more vaine? man, the beste parte of it is compared of scripture to the flower of grasse, the grasse shall be whithered, and the flower shal fall downe. O happy soules, whiche in all youre afflictions haue ben faithfull and constante: to you the springe of the lorde shall euer be [...]orisshinge and grene: Wo be vnto thse false illusione [Page]of the world, baites of perdition hookes of the deuyll, which ham so shamefully deceyued vs, and seduced frome the ryghte pathe of the lorde, into the by wayes of confusion, and brears of per­petuall punishemente. Where oure wepynge shall neuer cease, nor the turies of oure conscience shall neuer waxe olde. At y ^e laste fernde Vrbane, seynge it is so that as welthe and ryches cau­seth vnquietnes of mynde, so ad­uerse fortune, and pouertie, to a Christian mans harte, inferreth depe quyetnes. Seynge that as welth stayeth and letteth vs frō the contemplacion of heaueniye and spirituall thynges, so adues sitie taketh the staye and the l [...] awaye. Seynge that as the uature of worldelye successe is to make vs be nombred among [Page]the vntuste, so is the nature of afflictions to end ice vs to the numbre of them that be good, godly an vertuous. Let vs loue pouertie, and imbrace afflicti­ons, as thynges moost expe­dient and necessary for vs. Let vs feare and be­ware of welthe, as a thynge (excepte we haue grace to vse it) moost deadlye, deuillish, and daunge­rous.

BVt thou wilt [...] ­per chaunce, syr if ye were in my case, your mynde woldbe trouble no lesse thā mine I haue wife, and chyldren, a fa­milie, which the lawe of nature and honestie byndeth me to nou­tishe. I haue neyther money, nor other goodes to defende thē. Be­sides that my body hath no such helth, as is necessary for a nedy & pore man. I am thaufed also a [...] though these thinges before were nothyng, with sclaunders and in ruries. Whom I pray you wold [...] not these thinges discorage, and in maner make as a man despe­rate: It the case be as thou say [...], beware well, and take diligently heede, least the deuyll vse the, a [...] he doth his, & the children of dam­nation [Page]beynge in like anguyshe. Beware he bring the not to dam nable mystruste: Neyther let him leade the to any vnhonest craftes as thefte, periurse, adultery, murder, deceit, or suche like, for the vnlawfull augmentynge of thy substance, so makynge that thynge which god hath offred the, as a meane, whereby thou mighteste the rather approche vnto him a meane to perdition, & helly fyer.

But if thou be in these miseri­es, remembre y ^e they come not rase shely, but euen of y ^e Lord. There is no euyl, saith scripture, chaun seth to the or any other in the ci­tie, whiche the lorde hathe not wrought. Am. 3. Of the Lorde I saie which as it is written in the thirde chapiter of the Apocalipse chastiseth al the chyldren, that he loueth: whereby he maye with a [Page]fatherly affection correcte them. Whiles we be iudged of the lord, we be corrected, leste we be con­demyned with theym of this worlde. 1 Corin. 2. Remembrynge these thinhes, let vs in all oure myseries comforte oute hartest, and saye vnto oure heauenly fa­ther as dydde Crates to fortune after his shyppe wrake. Crates after he hadde loste by shyppe. wrake all that he had: saide this with a mery chere: Go to fortune I knowe what thou meanest. I am sure thou dost intende none ther, but call me to philosophyr go to I am well content to come thither as thou callest me. Euen so say we to our heauenly father when we be afflicted: Go to most bountiful father, I knowe what thou meanest, I know thou dost none other, but call me to repen­tance, [Page]Lo I come wyllyngly, thi­ther as thou doest call me.

Permytte not the deuyll, I say thyne enemye to bringe the beinge nedye and poore, to des­ [...]eration. But flye frome hym [...]yghtly to goddes worde, as to a moost stronge fortresse. For there by readynge or hearing the pro­mises of god, thou shalt be suffi­ciētly armed against him. Reade the syxte chapiter of Mathewe, where Christ hym selfe pronoun­teth these wordes to them which be his faythful: I say vnto you, be not carefull for youre lyues what you shall eate, or what you shall drynke: nor yet for youre bodies, what you shall put on. Is not the lyfe more worth than neate? and the body more of va­ [...]ewe than rayment? beholde the [...]oules of the [...]yre, for they sowe [Page]not, neither reape, nor yet cary in­to their barnes, yet your heauen­lye father fedith them. Which of you (though he toke thought therefore) coulde put one cubu [...] to his stature? Why care ye than for rayment, consydre the ly [...]lye [...] of the felde, howe they growe, they labour not, neyther spynne, & yet for al y ^e I say vnto you, that euen Salamon in al his royalty was not arayed like vnto one of these. Wherfore if god so cloth grasse which is to daye in y ^e felde, & to morowe shall be caste into fornace: shall he not muche [...] do the same vnto you, D ye of lyttell faith? Therefore take [...] thought sayenge: What shall we eate, or what shall we drinke, [...] wherewith shall we be clothed. After all these thynges seke the gentyles. For your heuenly fa­ther [Page]knoweth that ye haue nede of all these thynges. But rather seke fyrst the kyngdome of god & the ryghtuousnes therof, and all these shall be ministred vnto you. Thus by promyse made by the mouth of Christe, wherein was neuer founde disceyte, nor gyle, we shall lacke nothyng (yf we be faithful) that is necessary for vs. I haue bene yonge (sayth the prohet) and I haue waxed olde: yet I neuer sawe the [...]uste lefte, nor [...]s sede beggynge breade. Psal. [...]. Calte thy cogitations on the lord, and he shall nourishe the. [...] 4. be you carefull for no worlde­ly thynge, but with prayer and obsecration, lette your petitions [...] knowen of god. Philip. 4. He that geueth seede to the sower, shal giue vs both meat & drinke. [...]. Cor. 9. Comforte we our selues [Page]therefore beleuynge these promi­ses, & neuer despairinge vttetly.

But bicause we beleue those thinges the better, whereof we haue profe, I wyll bringe exam­ples whereby ye shal se that go [...] both wil & is able to perfourm so muche for his faythful, as he hath promised. Daniell cast into y ^e lyons denne, many a mile from all such frendes as wolde mini­stre meate or drinke to hym, ha [...] meat sodenly sent of god by th [...] prophet Abacuck. Sampson al­most lost for thirst, after the con­flict that he had with the Phili [...] ­ans, praied to god & foūd drink in an asses Iawes. Agar on the wildernes, dispairing of hir o [...] life and hir childes for lacke [...] vittles, & with many a salte tea­laieng the childe farre from her lest hir motherly eyes shuld sed [Page]dye, was fedde of god, & cōforted beiond hir expectaciō. The poore woman of Sarepta, lokyuge to dye with hir chylde, the day after the prophet came to hir house, had hir oyle, & meale so augmen­ted, y ^e she lacked not tyl the time of plentye returned. Therefore whā so euer any lacke happeneth be it of corne, or such other neces­saries, dispaire we not, calling to [...]emēbraūce this example, let vs thinke w ^t out selfes y ^t god is able at al times to encrease out corue, [...]yenge in the barne, growyng in the fylde, beynge breade in the [...]uen, yea or in thy mouth, at his pleasure as well as he dyd y ^e oyle or meale, of the woman of Sa­ [...]epta: or the oyle of the dettours wife by his prophet Helise. But [...] it so chaunce that no hope be left of our temporall norysshmet, [Page]yet haue [...] no iuste cause to dis­payre. Remembryng that scryp­ture saith, mā doth not onely liue in bread, but in euery worde that procedeth frō the mouth of god. The omnipotent god dyd vse at mour and weapons (yet not ne­cessarily) as instrumentes, by the which he dyd gyue to his people Israel many victories, yet his power was onely the chiefest an [...] for of the same. So though he vse meates & drinkes as meanes wherby he nourissheth vs, yet the principall cause of our sustenta­tion is his vertue and godly po­wer: and as he dydde often gy [...] victories to the Israelites, their handes and weapons not moued at all: So hath he also fedde and cā do agayn his faithful, though worldly meate, and drinke be not vtterly ministred. A better proft­nedes [Page]not, than the example of [...] oyfes and Hely, whom he su­steyned with his heuenly power, the spaee of fourtye daycs, with­out the ministratiō of any world­ly fedynge, Therfore as Dauyd sayed: my sworde shall not saue me, neither yet wyl I trust in my bowe, So saye we, our meates & drynkes shall not saue vs, ney­ther wyl we trust in worldly thin ges: for the power of god sustey­neth vs, and in hym wyl we trust by whome all thynges doo con­siste. Col. 1. Which susteyneth all thinges w ^t the word of his power Heb. 1. whiche openeth his hand, & filleth euery beast with his blessinge. Psa. 145. whose hand being open all thynges are fylled with goodnesse, whose face turned a­waye, all thynges are troubled, whose spirit withdrawen, al thiu [Page]ges shall sayle & be brought into dust. 103. Which saueth man and beast. 36. Which couereth the hea­uens with clowdes, prepareth rayne for the grounde, and bryn­geth forth grasse in the moun­taynes, whiche geueth to beastes their meate, and to the chykēs of the rauens callynge vpon hym. 36. in hym, to whome all these thinges be iustlye asscribed, do we lyue, moue and be. Act. 17. In whom, of whom, and by whome all thinges are, to whom be glo­rye for euer. Roma. 11.

Yf ye haue respect to the afore going examples, ye shal perceiue y ^t the lorde after he hath brought vs euen to the extremytye, as the Psalmyste sayeth, can, and wyll (yf it be expediente) dely­uer vs. Not onelye from hun­ger, and thyrste, but frome all [Page]other miseries, harmes, and ad­uersities, frome persecution and drowenynge, frome fyre and oure enemyes, frome syckenesse, sclaunders and deathe. Who delyuered Dauid so ofte vniust­lye persecuted from the bloudye handes of Saule? The three chyldren thruste into the whote fornace, from burnynge? Noe from drowenynge, Lot frome the vengeance that light on So dome and Gomor, Danyel from the hungry mouthes of the liōs, the Israelites from the Egipti­ans, their ennemyes from serui­tute and intollerable bondage, Ioseph from sclaunders, Su­sanna from the cruell death the sclauderoūs Iudges wold haue put hyrto: Peter from his ban­des and Imprisonment. Who restored so many lepres to clennes [Page]amōges the Iewes, Peters mo­ther in lawe frome hir ague to helth, so many lame to their lym­mes, so many blind to their sight, was it not the myghty hande of god which is not yet abbrcuiate, neyther weakened, but as strōge as euer it was. And thoughe it please hym to deferre oure dely­ueraunce, as it chaunced te Io­seph & to Israell oppressed with the Egiptians, whereby his glo­ry may be more illustrate: yet let vs thinke no other, but he hathe bothe power and wyll, to helpe & saue vs from all miseries, what so euer they be, if it stande with our soules health, and his glory. If it do not, he wyll not: yf he loue vs, if he will not, let vs take in goodworth, and conforme our willes to his. Playenge the part of a wyse pacient, whiche wolde [Page]be glad to haue his disease, and the cause thereof expelled by ke­pynge a harde diete, and recey­uynge of bitter medycynes one moneth and no legar if it might be. But in case his syckenes can not be healed, except he vse those bytter medicines, and hard dyet an hole yere. He wyl rather so do in hope of healthe afterwarde, than by refusyng them, be sycke all the dayes of his lyfe. Euen so if that oure soules can not be cleare of suche dyseases and bot­ches, as shall displease the eyes of God, excepte we vse aduer­sities so longe as we lyue, asspitituall medycynes ministred to vs by god. Let vs be well con­tented in hoope that we shall af­ter this lyfe, whyche is but a peare, no rather a mynute of an houre in comparyson of the [Page]tyme that is to comme, haue healthe euerlastynge no more [...] daunger of any maladies.

Therfore in such prayers as we make in our afflyctiōs, let vs folow the exaple of Dauid which in his mooste trouble sayde: Yf it please the lorde, he wyll delyue [...] me: but if he say: Thou doest not please me, I am redye and wyl­lynge. Folowe we the example of oure maister Christ, whiche sayd in his prayer that he made a lit­tle before his death: Father, yf it be possyble that I maye escape this passyon, howebeit not as I wyll, but as thou wylte.

Let vs behaue oure selues in our afflictiōs, as dyd y ^e thre chyl dren threatned of Nabugodono­sor. The lorde (say they) y ^t we wor­shyp can delyuer vs frō the fier, if it please him. But yf it please [Page]hym not, be it known to the (D Kynge) that we wyll not wor­shyppe thy goddes, neyther thy Image made of golde. Learue we also the lesson taughte vs in the lordes prayer: D father, thy wyll be fulfylled. And yf oure carnall affections, at any ryme wyll rise against vs, steered vp of the flesshe, and the deuyll, our enemies, vpbraydinge vs, and endeuourynge to shame vs, with our afflictions, to make vs blas­pheme god, as though he hadde forgot vs, make we aunswer to them, as did Aristides to his coū trymen, when they dyd vpbraide hym with pouertie: Cease to ob­secte my pouerty and afflictions agaynst me, which be vncomlye and vnpleasaunt onely for them, vnto whom they chauce against theyr wylles. I counting my self [Page]no better than my maister christ, am wel content and pleased with them. Dr if the same prickes and goydes of the deuyll (affections I meane) wyll at any tyme moue vs to that thynge whiche is not godly, nor honest, for vauntage or moneys sake, for preferrement health of the body, or any other commoditie, or comforte, wherof we seme to haue nede: Lette vs make aunswere to them, as dyd Matreus Curius to the Samni­tes, offerynge hym money. Mar­cus, Curius was ones a man of much nobility, riches & renowme among y ^e Romaynes: howbeit, at y ^e legth as it fortuned, he became a very pore man, in so much that his meate for the most parte was onely rotes, cold herbes & wortes At chauced y ^e the embassad ours of y ^e Samnites, than beynge at [Page]Rome, & hearing of his pouerty, whom they had knowen ones to be famouse & welthy, came to his house to visite hym, where they foud him in a pore chābre, porely arayed, & sethynge coles for his dynner. They after muche com­munication about to depart, gentilly offred to gyue hym money, y ^e which he refused disdainefully with these wordes: Kepe youre money to your selfes you Sam­nites, for he that can be contente with suche apparell, and suche fare, hath no nede of it. Euen so say we to our affections, embassa dours of the deuil, and the world Let the worlde kepe his goodes and his prosperous thinges him selfe, for he that can be contente to lyue as dyd his maister christ, hath no nede of them. But what nede these prophane examples, se ynge that we haue better in holy [Page]scripture. Let vs aunswer them as Iob dydde his frendes: Al­though the lorde kyll me, yet I wyll hope in him styll. Dr as the elder Tobie dyd aunswere them which dydde vpbrayde him with his pouertie and miserable blind­nes. We be the childrē of saintes, and loke for an other lyfe, which god shall giue to all them that chaunge not theyr faythe from hym.

Thoughe it please god so ex­tremelye to punyssbe vs, euen to the ende of our lyfe, as he dyd Lazarus, with hunger, cold, and lacke of lodging, byles, botches, and greuous sickenes, yet be we not discoraged callyng to reme­braūce this his promisse: He that wil perseuer euen to the end, shal be saued. I am sure yf Lazarus were here agayne, knowynge so [Page]muche as he knoweth, though a hundreth tymes so many euyls shuld vexe his body, as did ones, yet he wolde not be greued ther­with. Let oure stregth be as Esai saith in hope and silence. What so euer chaunce, be we quiet and kepe silence, euen as our maister dyd, being as a shepe before the shearer, or ledde toward y ^e slaugh terhouse, whā the Iewes dyd buf fit him & spytte in his face. He y ^t cōmitteth hym selfe to god, saieth scripture, kepeth silēce, him that kepeth silence both god so beate, that he may amende him, so east him downe y ^e he may raise him, so slayeth him, that he may make hym alyue.

Let vs therefore be chereful so king for the lord, which cōmyng boutles shall come and will not tary. But what shulde I say wil [Page]commee which hath promised to be with vs still, euen to the ende of the world: whiche as scripture witnesseth, when al our frendes, father and mother forsake vs, he receyueth vs, neyther wyll euen leaue vs (for luche is his pro­misse) fatherlesse and motherles, but be with vs continually in all our troubles, and at the laste (as he dydde Lazarus, with other of his sorte,) clearelye delyuer vs. In the meane space do we fede oure selues merilye with hope. The prouerbe saith (meanyng of worldly thinges) hope nortsheth outlawes: much more shulde the hope of christs pmises norish vs For the hope of worldly thinges is fallible. But the hope of gods promises cā not be deceyued, nei­ther shal it euer shame vs. I haue hoped in y ^e (o lord) saith Dauid, & [Page]I shal neuer be cōfoūded. More ouer let vs cōfort our selues, con­sideringe that the man it selfe is the soule immortall. The body is but a cace after the minde of So trates, a house or a prison rather as Paule nameth it, and that the man it selfe, is no beter for corporall commodities, neyther the worse for corporall incommd bities. But by the iudgement of holy Chrisostome, like as a horse is nothyng the better for his gol [...]en bridle, siluer sadle, precious trappinges, or other ornametes, but for his swyftnes, payse, and strongnes: No more is our inte­tior man for riches welth, health of the body, libertie, or other like, but for the vertue of the mynde, and grace of god. Wherefore if we be neuer the better for ryches let vs not feare pouertie, nor for [Page]health, let vs not feare syckenes, nor for good name, lette vs not feare sclaunders, nor for libertie, let vs not feare bondage, nor for this commune lyfe, lette vs not feare death. We be better sayeth Chrisostome, for the vertue of the mynde, whiche is to thynke vprightly of god and to liue iu­stly amonge men. At the other ex­terior thynges may be plukte a­way from vs, this can not, [...] not by the deuell, excepte we our selues willingly consent.

The deuyll although he toke from Iob all his goodes, wher­by he myghte prouoke hym to blaspheme God: His healthe, to slake the constancie of his mind; his chyldren, to make him speake euell of the godheade, yet coulde he neuer take this frō hym. But in withdrawynge all worldelye [Page]thynges, he heaped vp y ^e greate tyches of vertue, of the loue and fauour of god, through pactece. Iob was hurte of the deuyl, and of his afflictions, as one Porme­theus was of his enemye. Pro­metheus was a man whiche had a great swellynge in his backe, peforming his person very much It chaunsed that his enemyfal­lyng out with him, thrust a dag­ger into y ^e same deformed place: That done he departed thinking none other, but that he had slayn hym. Nowbeit Prometheus had so litle harme by his wound, that where as his backe coulde be cu­ted before with no phisike, or surgery, than was made whole. So he receiued commoditie, & health of him y ^e intended his distruction & death. Likewise truly it chaun [...] to Iob, if y ^e thing be aduisedly [Page]pondered.

Suffer me I pray [...]o to speake this by the way, seynge that Iob for all these cruell tormentes of y ^e deuyl, for al these mysfortunes, and punishmentes was ueuer [...], deale the worse, whrche hadde not yet receyued the lawe, neyther, the redemption of Christ, nor the grace of his resurrection, moch [...] lesse we weapened with all these thyuges, shuld with like euils be harmed. What were the apostles worse for their hunger, thyrste, and nakednes? Lazarus for his botches, pouertie, and sickenes. Ioseph for his sclaūders, Abel for y ^e cruel death he suffred? Were they not more noble and crcelle [...] for these amōn men & prepared they not for thē selues throught these crownes of glorye with god? Therefore let vs euer b [...] [Page]mery in christ, and passe for no worlydly miseries, for lacke nor [...]usse of goodes, for sclaunders nor imprisonment, for syckenesse, [...]danyshement, nor death. But if it chaunce that all our goodes be [...]aken from vs, let vs saye with [...]ob and without soro we: Na­ked we came out of our mothers wombes, and naked we shall go hence. We be sclaundered, put we [...]he sayeng of the lord before our eyes: Cursed be you whan men speake well by you: be you glad and reioyse, when they reiecte your name. We be banyshed re­mēbre that we haue no dwellyng place here, but loke for one that is to come. We fall into greate syckenes, vse the sayenge of the apostle, though this our exterior man be corrupted, yet thinterior? [Page]is dayly renued. Thou art shi [...]t [...] in prison, and cruell deathe ha [...] ­geth ouer thy head, set before the Iohū beheaded, and so greate [...] prophets heade giuen in rewa [...] of pleasure, to a daūsing wenshe. Thou hast notably offended and therefore in thy conscience thou art troubled with the dispaire [...] goddes mercy for the auoyding of this spirituall trouble, thy [...] with thy selfe, that thy heau [...] fathrt doth swetely expostulate with the after this sorte:

What nowe my decre thy [...] why ceaseth not thy spirit at [...] last to be afflicted [...] whye do [...] thou vnwis [...]y derogate from th [...] multiude of my inercyes & wh [...] doest thou thinke y ^e Iam & [...] la [...]is the tyraunt. Danli us, [...], or some cruel Srpth? D [...] ­elles [Page]of mercies the father and of all consolation the god, 2. Cor. 1. longe sufferynge, and of much mercye. Art thou not taught by my [...]ōne Iesu to call my thy father? Math. 6 Daue not I pormysed that I wolde be thy father by my prophete Die [...] [...]emye, Diere. 1 [...]. and that thou shuldest be my sonue? Why doest thou not therfore aske me forgeuenes wel [...]hopynge for pardon? Who is it of you although ye be euyll wh [...]-which myl not for giue his sonne, for thynkynge his faultes being suppliant desirynge pardon and promysinge amendement (not­withstādyng that he hath prou [...] ­ [...]ed him to we an hūdieth times) [...] thinkest thou that I which air [...] the father of inetries, Epht. 3. of who we all fatherlyn [...]sse m [...]heauen and earthe is named? Whiche possesse the ryches of goodnes, patience, 20, [...] [Page]and longanimite, not to be re [...] to for [...]eue my chyldien truth [...] repentynge? Be of good comfort (my chylde) be so good comfort [...] mistrusting not my mercy, whie [...] surpasseth not only mans m [...]rcp [...] [...]owe great so euer it be, but all myne owne wo [...]kes: Also indge­ment without mercye shall them fele, whose hartes be oboutate, hardened & wil not repent, wh [...] the delyte styll in theyr synnes, and wyl neuer leaue theyr wy [...] bednes, which contemne my me [...] ­des and trust me not, from them in deede health muste neades be farre awaye. Ptal. But as for the, [...] ­pente, and the kyngedome of be [...] ­nen shall d [...]a me nyghe, trust, and thy faith shall saue [...]he. I mo [...] haue all men to besaued, Mat. 9. and [...] man to peryshse, 1. Eimo 2 my fashy [...] is euer to recreate, think pug [...] [...] [Page]eperyshe vtterly whiche is ab­ect. It is not my wyl (beleue me) [...]at one of these my lyttell ones [...]e cast awaye, Mat. 18. whome I euer lo­ [...]ed so well, Ioh. 3. that I wholde vouch­safe to gyue my onely sonne for [...]hem. But thy trespassc she great whrefore thou arte not lyghtlye [...]erswaded to truste in my mer­ [...]y? 1. [...]ime. 1Chryste Iesu came into the worlde to saue synners. Math. 9. [...]e came to call synners, and not the fuste, and too saue that whiche was soste. I knowe that thou an of­fendour shuldest offende, and as a transgressour, I called the frō thy mothers wombe, yet for my names sake wyll I make my fu­ [...]ry farre of. Esa. 48. Thy good workes can be of no such perfection, that they may be able to saue the, nor, thy euyll workes (so that thou repent with a ful purpose to renew, [...]. [Page]thy lyfe) came hutle the into the heily fyre for I am, Esa. 43. I am which put away thy iniquities for mine o wne sake, and thy synnes wyll not I remēber I am (dere sonne) I am whiche put awaye thy syn­nes for my selfe, for my selfe, and wyll gyue my glorye to none o­ther. Suppose thy synnes be as redde as s [...]arlette, Esa. 1. they shall be made as whyte as snowe, which I haue scattered as cloudes, and as myst haue dispersed the, turn [...] to me (I say) for I haue redeme [...] the, I haue redemed the, which [...] haue pitie of all men, and for re­pentaunce wynke at mens syn­nes. Daps. 12I wold thou shuldest know that I thy Lorde am meke and gentle. Neyther can I turne my face from the, so that thou wyll returne to me. [...] [...]a. 20 It is communlye sayde, that if a man dimisse his [Page]wyfe, and the [...]epartynge mary­ [...]th an other husbande, shal he re­turne to hyr any more? shall not she be as a polluted and a defiled woman? thou hast committed for [...]ication with many louers, Diere. 3.. yet for all that am I redy to returne to the, so that thou wylte returne to me. Suche is my facilite, so gē tle I am, such is my benignite, so greate is my mercye, whiche thy most louynge brother and aduo­tate Christ, Esa. that washed the from thy synnes in his bloude, 20. 8. hathe purchased, continually prayenge for the. Hast thou not herde how mercyfull I shewed my selfe to Dauid, to the Niniuites and A­thab, Do [...]agoalen, to the these the publican and other innume­table? why doest thou not open the eramples of them, as a table or glasse wherin thou mayst well [Page]l [...]athe how exorable I am, ho [...] ­redy I willyng to forgyue. sword [...] der with thy selfe how heynow fautes I haue pardoned them, theft, adultery, mirrder, [...]olatry, [...] what not? [...]. B [...] to therfore, be o [...] good there, lyfte vp thyne [...]yrs, mistrust me no lēger, turne to me a thou shalt be saued, cōmend thy syyr [...] into my hādes, Esa. [...] & the prin [...] of this world shal haue nothyng to do w ^e the, for by me the god of truth thou art truely rebemed.

Whan so euer deadly dispayre shall trouble thy conscience, set this oration before thyne eyes! Which is nothing els in dede, but gods owne word, written by his most holy prophetes, & apostles, finally y ^e art so tost & troubled that it shuld seme y ^t god had clene forg [...]t the. [...]eade the. 49. of Esal, where thou shalt fynde these wordes [Page] [...]iō said (he meaneth gods elect) the lord hath lefte me, & the lord hath also forgot me. Can the nother forgete her infante, & not pitye the chyld she hath hrought forth. But whether she can or no. I can not a Sion forget the. A [...] [...]as howe shuld he forgette them that beleue in hym? with whome as it semeth by his owne wordes he suffereth. What soreuer is do­ne to one of these litle ones, wh [...] ­the belene in me, y ^e same is done unto me. Math. 25. Be that tou­theth you, toucheth the very ball of myne eye. Zacha. 2. And this shuld be no litle cōsolatiō for the faithfull, seinge y ^e they haue god him self as cōpanion, & partakes of their sorowes. for all our af­flittiōs & grefes of y ^e mind let vs require remedies of gods word, which without fayle cā mitigate [Page]al [...]ynsnes, that orcupie the har [...] of them whiche beleue in hym.

Wherfore it is not bayne tha [...] Christ saith in the gospell, com [...] vnto me all ye that laboure, an [...] be looden, and I shall refres [...] you. Neyther withoute a caust, that Dauyd whiche hadde [...] experyence of the comfort tecey­ued of goddes wor [...]e, sayd th [...] Do we swete be thy mordes [...] Lorde to my Iawes? mort del [...] ­tynge my tayste, than the hon­combe. What so euer is written, it is written for out learnyng, [...] by patience and comforte of scr [...] ­tures, we may haue hope. Rom. [...] By this you maye gather y ^e ou [...] cōforte is to be requyred of scripture beleue me, though the mo [...] heynous waues and tempeste [...] of this see the world, be raised by thretening drownyng to Peter [Page] [...]ippe, Yet if it be fastened with [...]anchor of gods word, well they may moue it, but ouerwhelme it they cā not. And among all other [...]et us haue in mynde those scrip­tures wherin we be ascerteyned that our bodies after this com­mune death shal rise agayn, won [...]erfully glorifed by the same power that formed thē fyrst. Chose also wherein the eternall felicitie that shal be gyuen to all thē, wh [...] the after the erample of Christst, suffer aduersities, and ouercome the deuyl, the worlde with theirs [...]s promised, for they shal aboun­ [...]auntly comforte the beleuynge people. Lo sayth the lord (menti­onyng the resurrection and reunynge of oure bodies) I wyll put breth into you, and you shall be quyckened, I will gyue you syn­nowes, and couer you [...] with flessh [Page]and skynne, I will put into you a spirite, and you shall lyue and know that I am y ^e lord. Eze. 37.

We loke for Iesu christ our sau [...] our, whiche shall trans [...]igurate oure vile bodies, & cō forme them to his glorious body, by y ^e same vertue, wherwith he is hable to subdue al thynges. Phi [...]. Dout­les like as a grane of wheat so men in y ^e gronud, is fyrst putri­fied & brought as into a thing of noughtryet after y ^e springeth bp­fresshly with a goodlier fourme, than he had before, So mās bo­dy sowen in the groūd after this temporal life, is first corrupted [...] in maner brought to nothing, yet at y ^e last, by his power, which did create al thinges of nothinge, i [...] shal rise againe with a fourme of much more excellencye, then euer was y ^e first. Though this things [Page]be wonderful, yet intredible it is not for he y ^e was able to make all the world with his creaturs of nothing, must nedes be able to make our bodies againe of fresh of some thynge. for y ^e matter of [...]ur bodyes shal euer temayne in grasse, wormes, duste, stones or some other forme, euen to the last [...]ay. And than surely euen as La [...]arus & christ (wherof we be mem [...]res & therfore must nedes at the [...]ast rise w ^t him being our heaue) [...]as resuscitate from their slept, (so I may cal this corporal deth) [...]n lyke case shall the bodyes of all men, some into the resurrecti [...] of tudgement, some of lyfe.

But this word slept (fr [...]nd [...]r­ [...]ane) bringeth me in remēbraūce of a quest tō which you moued to [...]e at our last beinge together, & or as much as I coulde not thā [Page]for lacke of opportunite connuen [...] ently gyue you an aunswer, by these letters you shall know my mynd, howbeit very brefly, for I purpose to deferre the reasoning of the matter to our ne [...]t metting. Youre question was, whether that the soule of man after this temorall death, slepeth, as doth the body, voyd both of paine an [...] pleasure vnto the day of iudgement or no? I aunswere that it is as muche agaynst the nature of the soule to slepe, as it is agaynst the nature of the sonne to be a darke body or of y ^e fyre to be with out heate. The soule of man be­ynge an heauenly spirite, is s [...] lyuelyke and constant, so strong [...] and vigilant a substaunce, that naturaly it can not but perpetually perseuer in operatiō for of his owne nature it is a very op [...] ration [Page]and motion it selfe, which neuer ceaseth, but lyke as the sonne, whiche maye so euer he is moued, shyneth and inflammeth (wherof Phaeton as we reade in the poetes, hadde a sufficiente proffe) so the soule of man whe­ther so euer it is brought lyueth and moueth continually. Yea & though the body (whiche of na­ture is grosse and drousy) be op­pressed with stepe, yet the soule is styll occupied in the memorye, in the intellection, or in other of the more excellent powers, as by drcames euery man mayese.

Muche lesse can it slept, whan it is cleane deliuered from the stug gys [...]he bodye. Therfore as the body slepeth, so the soule can not for as much as it is a substaunce accommodate to continuall mo­uyng, and can not be wery.

Truely y ^e error of them is great which perswade them selfes, tha [...] the soule seperate from hte body, shall slepe vnto the last day, and this errour is olde and was confuted by Drigen, & other of his tyme. Neyther was it euer synce receaued into the churche, vnto suche tyme as the Anabaptistes a pestilent kynde of men, whose madnesse is execrable, broughte it of late dayes into the world [...] againe. But as all other of their opinions be peruerse, abhorring from the trueth, and deuelysshe, so is this. Declarynge his pa­troues not to be taught in Chri­stes scoole, but in Galens rather, whiche affyrmeth the deathe of the soule, necessarylye to followe the death of the bodye.

But leuyng the vayne fanta­syes of the boting Anabaptistes, [Page]let vs gyue eare to gods worde. It is wrytten Ecclesia. 12. The puste shall returue to his earthe, frome whense it came, and the spirite to God, whiche gaue it.

Where I hope he shal be so farre frome deathe and slepe, that he shall lyue, delyted with Ioyes vnspeakeable. He that heareth any words (sayeth Christe) and beleueth in hym whiche sent me, hathe lyfe euerlastynge, and he shall not comme into condemna­tion, but he shal passe from death to lyfe. Iohn. 5. Marke that he sayeth not, frome death to slepe, but from death to lyfe. The pa­rable in the. 16. of Luke doth well improue theyr false opinion.

Where it is written, that Laza­tus after his deathe, vsed Ioye and gladnesse: On the other parte, that the ryche gluttou [Page]was greued and tormented.

If the soules of men should slepe as the Anabaptystes say [...], neyther shoulde any Ioye haue ben attributed to Lazarus, nor to the glutton punysshement.

What wyll they saye to these wordes whiche Christe spoke to the these: This day thou shalt be with me in paradyse. Wyll they make vs beleue that Paradyse is a dormitorte or a place to slept in? In cast it be, a manne wolde thinke that christ is or was ones a stepe therin. for he sayth, thou shalt be with me in paradise. S [...] Paule was tapt. 2. cor. 12. into paradyse, & there dyd heare wordes which a man may not lawefully speake. These wordes he hearde not with the eares of his bodye, for it laye prostrate on the groūd Actu. 9. But of the soule, whiche [Page]part of Paule was rauysshed in [...]o paradise, where he dyd heare and se misteries. Therfore I can not beleue that paradyse is a sle­ [...]inge place, seynge that Paule was so occupied there, in heryng of secretes. Moreouer where as saynt Paule defired to dye, and to be with Christe, me thinke he shoulde rather haue wisshed for the prorogatiō of his lyfe, it that the soule shuld continually slept to the last daye, for in this morld after a sorte we haue the fruition of god, as thoughe it were by a glasse, as saint Paule him selfe teacheth. But after this lyfe (yf the opinions of the Anabapti­stes be true) we shal haue no frui­tion of god at all (ercepte it be through dreames) vuto the daye of iudgement. Therefore faynt Paules wysshe (if we cre [...]t these [Page]antechristes) must nedes seme to be soolyshe. The lorde sayth that he is the god of Abrahā, the god of Isaac, the god of Iacob, not the god of the deade, but of the [...] uynge. Betwyrte the deade and the Anabaptistes slepers, I s [...] no difference. If saule hadde ben taughte by anys of the old [...] prophetes, that the soules of men shoulde slepe, he wolde not haue gone about so busely to haue ca [...] sedvp Samuel. We rede. 1. Pet. 1 that Chryste wente in spyrite, and preached vnto the spyrites whiche were in pryson, and were disobebyente ones, whan the le­nytis of God was loked for, in the dayes of Noe. Agayne in the fourthe of the same epystle, that the gospell was preached vnto the deade. By the whiche testymonye what is mente but [Page]thatthe soules of the dead, didde scle the vertue of chrystes death. whiche they coulde not haue bone in case they hadde slepte, accordynge to the Anabaptistes dreame.

Therfore I saye beleue not these false deceyuours, whiche endeuour not oncly to pcrswade the slepc of soules, but also to e­uacuate the resurrcction of the deade, and so to abolysshe an ar­ticle of our fayth, & to make oure religion vayne. And hereafter whan you shall readde or heare any such scriptures, as is a parte of the fourthe chapyter of the fyrste epistle to the Thessoloniās where is mencyned the slepe of the deade, asscribe it to the bo­dies, which in dede shall slepe to the daye of iugement, and than shal arise agayne (the soules toy [Page]ned to them) and awake frō they [...] slepe vndoutedly. Therfore saith Iob: I knowe that my redeme [...] doth lyue, and in the last daye I shall ryse frome the earth, and in my flesshe shall se my sauyoure. Iob. 19.

O that happy and mery laste daye, at the lest to the faythfull, whan christe by his coucnaunte, shall graunt vnto theim whiche shall ouercome and kepe his workes euen to the ende, that they may ascende and syt in seat with hym, as he hathe ascended and sytteth in throne with his father. Apo. 2. &. 3. where so ro we shall be turned into gladnes, that no m [...] ̄ shall take frtome them. Then as writeth Esai, They whiche be re­demed shall returne, and comme into Syon praysyng the Lords, and eternall merynes shall be [Page]ouer theyr heades, they shall ob­seyne myrthe and solace, sorowe and waylynge shall be vtterlye vanquished. 51. Than the Sonne shall no more gyue them lyghte, nor the moone discusse the darke nes for them: but the Lorde our god shall be theyr lyghte, anb comforte continuall. 60. Than dout ye not (be we only constant here in the loue and faith of god) we shall haue for earthly power­tye, heauenly ryches: for hunger and thurste, saturitie of the plea­saunt presene of god: for bon­dage, liberte: for sickenes, health for death, lye euerlastynge.

For this tyme frende Urbane I shall desyre you to take this poore letter (how so euer it be) in good worthe, and hereafter if it shall please god to call me to a more quiet lyuyng (as ye knowe [Page]I am yet compelled necessarily [...] to besto we in maner all my tyme and studye in teachynge of yon [...] scollets) I wyll write to you more largely of this argument, and peraduenture) God the auctor of all good thinges gyuynge me grace) more learnedly. Thus fare you wel, at Orforde the rd. daye of Marche.

¶To the ryght Worshypfull and his singular good lad [...] and may stres lady Deny. hyrhumble feruaunte wyllyam hughe, wysshethe health.

YF that happi [...] (right worshypfull and my s [...] gular good [...]-dy) may happ [...] to the estate, a [...] condition of seruauntes, amo [...] the happiest of them, I maye [...] ­stly and worthyly place my self [...] whose happe it was to chau [...] on so worshypfull, so gentle or [...] ­ther gentlenes it self) so benig [...] and vertuous a maistres: wh [...] syngulare vertues yf I shuld [...] about to erpresse or number, as [...] [Page]shuld lyghtly find of myne oratiō a begynnyng, so I shulde hardly fynde an ende. But I knowynge your nature (in this pointe more than womanlike to be delyted in nothingtleste, than in hearinge pour owne prayses, haue appoyn ted to set them out (notwithstan­dynge that wryters, in theyr epi­stles deditatory for the most part be moche in commendynge those, vnto whome they dedicate their [...]okes as Timas the painter did the mourninge countenaunce of Agamemnon kynge of Grece. Timas the noble painter at such tyme as Ephigenia doughter of the said kyng, was kylled and sacrificed to Diana (for otherwise the false goddes wolde not be placate, nor at one with the grekes, which hath offeded hir not longe before) was sende for to describe [Page]euery parte of that heup and la­mentable tragedy, euen as it was done, at the last whan he came to the descriptione of Agamemnon his face, it was so sorowfull, sad, and mooreninglyke, that with all the cunninge he hadde, he coulde not in payntynge represente the same. Therfore he courtinge the sace of the image with a vele, left the sorowfulnes of it to the ima­gination of men. Lykewise I for as moche as I can not, and more ouer for that I dare not (leste I shulde incurre your anger) plain lye speake of the good thinges, that god, nature, and fortune haue plenteously powerd vpon you: I wyll couer them with the vele of silence, and leaue them to the iudgemente of those that knowe you. Specially conside­ringe them not to be so obscure, [Page]that they neade my grosse & vnlet ned stile to make them more no­table or better knowen: for what nede is it to hange a garlande of grene yuie at the tauernes doore, where the wyne is good, holesome, and vendtble? I shalbe wel content that other men praise the fourme, obedience, fruytful­nes, faithfulnes, hastitie, benig­nite, facilitie, cumlynes, and pi­tye to wardes the pore (declaring them selues therin to be rethori­tions) of their maistrices whan these theyr vertues be not open­tye knowen, ne commended of manye. As for me as I shuld [...]aue no thanke for my laboure [...]n the ertollynge of yours, so I shoulde seme to playe his parte whiche endeuourethe to gyue [...]yght to the sonne, or rather that [...]angethe some blacke thynge [Page]betwy [...]t it and the eyes of men darkennethe his lyght. where­fore I purpose not (thoughe I shall seme therfore in this epistle, scantly to perfourme my duety) to prayse or auaunce your lady­shype at all. Unles it be onely in assirmtng that your ladyshyppe is a wyfe not vnworthye of hy [...] whom god the maker of al honest mariages, hathe gyuen you for youre husoande. What commen dation is cōprised herein, iudge they that knowe the goodly and gooly qualities, the auctoritie, & wyscdome: the vertues, and sin­gulare giftes, whyche god hath moued hym with all. Not wyth­standynge doutles that I in this behalfe can scarsely withdrawe or restraine my pen, remembring that I haue founde youre lady­shyppe (and that for the loue and [Page]good mynde whiche you here to­ward good letters not in words but in dedes, not in one or. ii. thinges, but in many most benificial: and to say the truth, a mother in dede rather than a maystris.

Wherfore I haue thought it my part by some meane to shewe an argument of my honest harte to­warde you. And for as moche as I coulde not do it otherwise, I was bolde to dedicate this lytle boke vnto your gentlenes: whi­che boke for that purpose I haue written that men might learne to dye patiently, to leue the worlde willyngly, and to go vnto christe gladly. Howe necessarye suche a thynge is to be had amonge the people (albeit I wolde wishe that one or other shulde take the mat­ter in hande, that can handel it more wyttely and learnedly than [Page]I hane here done) they whiche haue bene at the poynte of death, or they that haue serchede the consciences of men, beinge about to dye, can best expresse. The de­uyll doutes, whiche at all tymes is busied, and erneslly occupied, in sekyng the destruccion of mās soule, in the day of death sheweth his diligence moost: no we bring­gynge a man in loue with the worlde and his commodities, prouokynge hym to hate deathe, and to resist as muche as lieth in him) the wyll of god, nowe lea­dynge hym to vispayre, to the mi­strust of gods promisses, and im­patiencie. Is it not nedefull than to haue somthynge wrytten and redy, specially among the vuleat ned, wherby they may learne to despice deathe, to contemne the morlde, to obey the wyll of god, [Page]wherhy they may be reduced frō murmuryng to patience, frome [...]ispayre and mystrust to a fyrme and constant faith, in the promi­ses of god? Whether this booke shall perfourme so moche or no I can not tell. yet thus moche I [...]are say, that he whiche hearethe or redeth it with a mynd and put pose to learne the saide thinges, shall not vtterly lese his labout. Cato vticensis readyng ouer the booke of Plato called Phedone, a lytle before he kylled him selfe, [...]therwith sufficiently instructed that ysoule of mā was unmortal, [...]esptced death and dyed very wyl [...]yngly. Moche more a christyane oratione (although it haue not so moche as a shadowe of the elo­quence or grauitie of Plate his boke) groūded in holy scriptures and smellynge of holesome and [Page]heuenly doctrine, shuld perswad [...] the christen man quietly, & glad­ly to dye. The occasion why I write this boke declamation wi [...] is this. It happened me not long ago to visite my frynde, lyeng o [...] his deathe bedde, whom after my poore wytte and learnyng, I ex­hyrted to dye christianlye. Dis frendes that than were presente, in a whyle after instantly requi­red me to write the same exhorta­tione, euen so as I pronounced it vnto the sycke. Declaring that so it shuld most moue the reders, hearers, & such as shuld nede like consolatione. I thinking no lesse with my selfe was content herein to satisfye their requestes. The thynge written I determyned to gyue to your ladyshyppe, not for that I thoughte so sclender and simple a thinge worthy of youre [Page]worshyppe: but that I myght as I saide before she we some argu­ment of a thankfull mynde.

This I beseche your ladyshyp, howe so euer it be, take in good worthe, not lokyng so much to the paruitie of the gyfte, as vnto the mynde of the gyuer therof. Thus fare your ladyshyppe well. At the courte.

BY certayne ar­gumentes, a m [...] may easely con [...] ­cture (derly belo­ued) that the last slepe, whiche to a true christiane of all slepes oughte to be most pleasaunt, by lytle and lytle crepith vpon your mortall lyms, If my iudgement deceyue me not, you or it be long to, shall walke the same waye. Which for the crimes of our first father Aoam, nedes must be tro­den of all his posteritie. Of all I saye, the escape, or euasion of deathe (whrefore you oughte the lesse to be greued (graunted to no man. Regū. 14. All we saythe scrip­ture shall dye, and as weake wa­ter, shall slyde into the grounde, Dapien. 7.lyke as there is one entrance for euery man into this present lyfe, [Page]so one passage, and departure. Therfore we be monysshid of the prophette not to feare the iudge­ment of death, Dapien. but rather to re­member thynges that haue hap­pened before our tyme, anv those whyche shall succede. That is to [...]aye, that none of oure progeny­ [...]ours coulde euer escape the dent of deathe, nether any of oure po­ [...]teritie shall. We be admonys­shed that we be duste, and into [...]uste we shall returne, Genes. 3. by the re­ [...]on of deathe, whiche for the faut and disobedience of ure fyrste [...]rmed parente, with his ineui­table darte, strykethe and dead­ly woundeth all men, Roman, 5. he woun­dethe deadlye, not the wretchyd onelye, the nedye and mysera­ble, but the fortunate also, the welthye, and the noble, pen kyn­ [...]ts, rulars, and the rycheste [Page]emperours, which in power, and dignite, riches, renoume, and gl [...] ­tye, doo excell, and in theyr tym [...] rule the worlde accordynge as they liste. Not the vnlerned only, the rude & barbarous, but tho [...] also, whyche in learnyng, and ma [...] ­ners be most instructe. Not th [...] ourtrummyn, and careful capti­ues, but also the puissant conqu [...] ­rers them se [...]fes. Alexader a king most victoriouse, by whose powe [...] and furiouse warres Asia with Europe was manfully subdued, no man being able to resyst him, coulde fynde no weapon to con­quere deathe. The notable myse­dome of Salamon, the depe lea [...] nynge of Aristotle, nor of Galen, coulde by any meane auoid deth. The cuppes of Circe, nor the en­chauntmentes of Medea, coulde repell the violence of death. Cul­lye, [Page]his eloquence could not moue him. The riches of Crass us could not corrupt him. He fauoured [...]ot the beauty of fayre Absalone, [...]ether he spared the strenght of [...]ronge Sampson. Dne uyghte saith the poete tarieth for euery body, and the way of death must [...]ns be troden of al men. Lyke as all the [...]iarres that come from the [...]st, thoughe they be neuer so [...]oodly and bright, yet at the last [...]ey go to the west and there ar­ [...]rdynge to the diueri [...]te of their [...]ircles some [...]owly, some spedely withdrawe them selfs, out of our [...]yghtieuen so al men which come from the east, that is to say their [...]atiuite into the world, although they glyster and shyne here for a [...]easen, yet at the last they muste [...]edes some rather, some later, ac­ [...]ordyng to the duratione, whiche [Page]they haue receyued of god, fall [...] the west of deathe, depatte, and withdrawe them selfes from the syght of men. Therfore the wys [...] man Simonides at suche ty [...] as Pausanias a noble capitain desyryd to learne some good and fruytfull lesson, bad hym remem­ber that he was mortall. Ther­fore also Philyp the king of M [...] ­cedony wallowynge in worldely wealth and prosperite, comma [...] ­ded his chaumberlayne, that h [...] shulde euery day at his vprism [...] sadly repete these wordes. Remi­berking Philip & forget not, that thou art a man to mortalite sub­iecte. Esar. 45.All fleshe is grasse, and eue­ry man is the flowre of grasse, the grasse shalbe wythered, and the flowre shalbe dryed awaye. The man (sayth Iob) that is borne [...] a woman, lyueth but a short ty [...] [Page]replenished with many miseries, [...]adeth as a floure, and is worne away vanisshying as a shadowe. [...]wherfore not withoute a cause the lyfe of man is compared of [...]uciane to a buble in the water, [...]of Pindarus to the shadow of a dreame, of Eschilus to the sha­dowe of vaine smoke. Cruely yf that death shulde chaunce but to a fewe, and to the vnluckest, we shuld seme to haue a iust cause he [...]uely (as I think you partly do) to take deathe. But seynge that [...]e dothe as well knocke at y ^e rich mans dore as at the poore: at the happye mans doore, as at the vnhappy: at the strong mās dore as at the weake: at the kynges [...]owers, as at the sheperdescotes, whye shulde we not take well in [...]orthe a thynge importynge suche necessitic? Dowe vnreaso­nable [Page]is it for a man to take heuely his death, more than his birthe consideringe that the one is ap­poynted for man as well as the other, the one as commune as the other, the one as necessarye as the other, and of them bothe death is the better? in beynge so­ry to dye, we shall seme to lament in that oure lotte is mortall, and that we be not aungels ore­quall wyth god. Whyche is a greate poynte of folysshnes, myxte wyth impyetye. If we be troubled with suche as be verye calamities in dede, to haue. ii. 02. iii. companions we count in a ma [...] ner a comfort sufficiente: Moche more we shoulde be conforted as touchynge death, seynge that we haue not. ii. 02. iii. but all men of what estate or degre so euer they be of, as companyons and par­takers [Page]of the same. yea euen the very sayntes theym selues, and those that were highlye fauou­red of God. Moyses whych was admitted to the secretes and mi­steryes of God, dyed. Dauyd whome God pronounced to be a man after his hartes desyre, dy­ed. Ihon the euangelyste mooste tenderlye belouyd of his may­ster, died. Ihon baptiste than whom by the sentence of Christe none greatter hath tysen among the chyldern of men died, and not sayntes onelye, but the dearelye beloued sonne of God. Christ be­yng both God and man, Esai. 54. a lambe mooste innocente, and wythoute spotte that he myghte paye oure taunsome, delyuer vs synfull wretches frome thraldome, and pacyfye hys fathers wrothe, was contente to dye the mooste [Page]ignomiouse deathe of the crosse [...]. And shall we sinners that were begotten in syn, borne in synne, & haue lyued in syn, all the dayes of our lyues, be agreued to put of these our v [...]le & synful bodies? Christ whan he was in the shape of god, and thought it no robbe­tye to be egall with God, made him selfe or no reputaciō, taking vpon him the shape of a seruaūt, and became lyke an other man, Phi. 3.and in apparell was founde as a man, humbled hym selfe, and be­came obediente vnto death, that he might auaunce vs to the kingdome of his father: and shall we beynge but wormes, duste, and clay, be loth to dye, whereby we maye enioy the same aduaunce­ment? Sisigambe the mother of Darius, kynge of Persia; for the very loue she bare toward Alex­ander [Page]for as much as he vsed hir somwhat gently in hir captiuite, was wonderouse wyllyng of hyr owne accorde by death to folowe him after his deceasse, ye euen to hell: And shall we christians be sow to folowe Christe, whiche in raptiuite hath reteynyd vs well nor euyll, but brestinge vtterly at his bandes, hath clearly delyue­red vs? Sisigambe vehemently desired to folow Alexāder whiche was hyr enemy in dede more than hyr frynde: and shall we be vn­wyllyng to folowe Christ, which is our frinde most faithfull and assured? She desyred to folowe hym whiche made hir poore, and shall not we couet to folowe Chryste, that hath empouerys­shed hym selfe, to make vs riche? She was content to folow hym that made hyr of a fre woman & [Page]a quene a bond hādmayde, & shal we by our willes refuse to folowe Christ whiche hath made vs of vile slaues, & beggerly captiues, fre men, and kynges: She wold nedes folow Alexāder, although she coulde not tell where to fynd hym, ne in his presence how to be intreted, & shal we be lothe to fo­lowe Christ whom we know cer­tainly to be of the right hande of his father? where weshal be sure (if we dye faithfull) to fynd him & for euer to dwell with him with most gentle entertainment? She wolde folowe hym that dyd not looke, call, nor sende for hyr, and shall not we wyllyngly folowe Christ, whan his pleasure shalbe to cal for vs. Christ I sayour lord [...]t our god, our lyfe (as it is writ­ten) and the length of our dayes calleth vs: and for asmoch as [Page]the daies of men be determinate (as Iob saith) of god: we maye not asscribe our death to the star­tes, Iob. 14.or destiny, but vnto y ^e calling of god, in whome we lyue moue and be: of whome commeth both death and life, Eccle. 7. which hath appointed our termes that we can not passe, with whome is the number of our mouthes, Math. 10. without whome an heare can not fal on the groūd from our heades: moche lesse the hole bodies. For he that worketh all thynges for hym selfe, Droucr 10 Sapi. [...]0. hathe power both of death and lyfe. I can moche commende the com­mune people, for as much as they seme to imitate saint Cipriane in vsing this phrase: whan it shall please god to cal me to his mercy and suche lyke. Wherein they de clare them selfs, not to be of theyr opinion, which thynke that men [Page]be not cared for, ne gouerned [...] god, but that all thynges d [...] chaunce euen by verye tortune. The whyche opinton yf it were true, God shulde either be igno­raunt of many thinges, or elles abhorre from his creatures. And therfore shulde he seme either not true, or not good. But this mat­ter lefte, I wyl returne to my put pose, seynge that it is appointed for all men to dye, and whan [...] shall please god to call them, l [...] vs be content merily to depat [...]e thither, and whan as our heuen­ly, and mooste bountifull fathet shall call vs, remembringe euer that we ought to worke not oure owne wyll [...]s, but the wyl of god, accordynge to the praier that we customable, by the commau [...] dement of Christ. Dowe preposte rous and peruerse a thyng is it, [Page]to desyre that the wyl of god may be fulfylled in heauē and in earth and yet whan he wylleth vs to de [...]arte from this worlde, we wolde by our wylles resist him, and like [...]nto warde and stubborne ser­uauntes, are rather drawne with the bande of necessitie, than with [...]oue or obedience due to the wyll of god? There be none of vs but we wyll wysh delyueraunce from this Egypt with hyr capti­uite and troubles, and to dwell with god in the lande of promission, where is al ioy and quietnes: pet we be loth after that god hath brought vs euen to the gate, of the saide lande (for as the course of our lyfe is a raise to death, so death is the gate of euerlastinge lyfe) Do enter in by it we wolde gladely be honoured with heauenly rewardes, but we be vnwilling [Page]to go where they be. The cau [...] wolde eate swete mylke, but sh [...] is loth to wette hir feete. wh [...] shulde we pray so oft let the kingdome of heauen come, yf we besomuch delyted with earthly bon­dage? why do we pray y ^e the day [...] of the kingdom may he hastenth, yf we be more desirous here to serue y ^e deuil, thā to reigne in heauen with christ? but let vs breake our owne waiward wylles, con­formyng them to the wyl of god, and shewing our selfes wyllinge at al tymes to pay, that we ow [...]. What other thing is it to dye, thā to paye such thynges as was for a tyme lyberallylent vs? what honest hart wyll not, & that willingly, at y ^e leste yf habilite fayle not, pay againe. xx. li. to hym, whiche gently dyd lende it at his nedt, whan so euer it shalbe required. [Page]And shall we stycke to pay to the [...]arthe the mother of vs all, oure [...]odies of whom we borowed thē, [...]nd our soules to god our father [...]hat bountifully dyd lend them? God forhydde. No, we ought to be much more propēse to pay our soules to god, than the better to [...]aye his mony. For of the pay­ment of the mony fewe or no commodities do ensue, but after the payenge of oure soules to God, [...]nnumerable pleasures, and in­finite commomodities succede. For then at the lenght they be luckely brought from darknes to lyght: from feare, to securite: from tra­uel to quietnes, from a thousand daungerous syrtes his rockes, & waues, into a sure hauen: frome the vse of vayne, vyle, fylthy, and transitory thinges, to the fruiti­on of the eternall deite of god. [Page]What thristen man myll not [...] glad of suche an exchange? w [...] louynge chylde wyll not harte [...] covyt deliuerauuce, from the m [...] ­sery, bondage, and tyrannye [...] this worlde, and to dwell with his moost mercyfull father in heauen. Oblindues. what cause ha [...] we I pray you to hate death? [...] whose meane we be made of b [...] men fre, of straungers, homed [...] ­lers, of beastes, lyke vnto aun­gels. If that a great ruler hap­pen to call any of vs to a kynge [...] or emperours courte, promisin [...] to do for vs, to sette vs our with temporall riches, to endue [...] with worldly possessiōs: we think our selues very fortunate: and whan god the rular of all rulars, and kynge of all kynges shal [...] vs to his courte, and gyue vs in­heritaūce, and possessions, not in [Page]earthe, but in heauen, whiche be instant, and shall neuer be take [...]omvs, by storms, nor tempests: [...]y crafte, nor subtilte of the law: [...]y oppression, nor tyrannye: by [...]eath, the deuill, nor synne. Shal be thynke oure selues vnfortu­ [...]ate? No truely, yf we be well in our wyttes: But rather coūt that [...]me whan so euer it shall come, [...]fall tymes to be most happy: for [...]s moche as than the kyngdome of god, y ^e reward of lyfe, the toy of [...]ternall health, perpetuall glad­ [...]es, possessione of paradice, that was ons lost, be euen at hande. Than for earthly thinges, heavē [...]y, for iytle thinges great, for trā [...]tory thinges eternall, shall take place. Who than I may you, wil leare death, but he that hath no faith, that laketh hope, that wold not go to christ, and beleueth not [Page]that he begynneth than to reign [...] with christ, whan he begynneth to leaue this worlde? Oh that we hadde a sparcle of the grace and fayth that Simeon had: whiche beinge a iust, and faithfull man, was assured by a godly responsi­on, that he shulde not dye before he had sene Christ. Whome after that he had sene in the temple, & knowen in spirite, knewe certainlye that he shulde shortly be cal­led of God, and dye. Therefore he beynge merueilouse glad toke the chylde in his armes, and bles­synge god, cried out and sayde: Now dimisse thy seruaunt, o lord accordyng to thy worde in peace. For myne eyes haue sene thy sa­uynge healthe. Dere dyd Syme­on proue, and testify, that than free tranquillite, true peace and sprme securytye, do happen to [Page]the seruauntes of god: whan they be drawen from this trou­blesome worlde, and brought to the porte of the euerlastinge man [...]ion. Peraduenture you wyll say vnto me: Syr as tor Simeon, I [...]an not blame hym thoughe he was well content to dye, for as [...]moche as he was a man of a greate age, and as they saye communelye, euen at the pyttes banke, I am but a yonge mau, I myghte haue lyued yet ma­nye yeares, wyth no small com­forte of my friudes, by the com­ [...]nune curse. my tyme was not yet come. I graunte in dede, you be a man of no great age, but what [...]ay I pray you, can we apoynte for any mans deathe? Euery day maye be a bodies last daye yf it [...]tande wyth the pleasure of [Page]god. We se that some dye in the [...] mothers bellies, some in their cr [...] delles, some in the floure of theyr age, some in their olde age, some whan they be riche, other some whan they be poore: so that we may playnlye vuderstande that god doth gyue to euery man his lyfe of that condition, that he surrender it againe whan so euer it shall please him to repete it. But among all other, saith the great poete Menander: Most happy be they and best belouid of god, that dye whan they be yong. The whiche sayeng, as it is very wytty, so it is very true. And that a man may easely perceue yf he haue [...] specte to the spirituall euyls and temporall incommodities that oc­cupie this lyfet for they commun­ly departe, not yet infected with so muche malyce, entangled with [Page]so moche vice, corrupted with so much wyckednes, as theyr elders be. Not yet so surre seperate from god by the reson of syn, and made members vtterlye and lyms of the dcuyll. It chaunseth for the moost, that men after they come to a rype and complete age, be cleane drawne from god, frome vertue, from symplicite, and inte­grite of lyfe, to syn, wychednes, & vngodly lyuynge. The riche by iniuriouse handlynge the poore, by oppression, ingurgitation, and beastly incontinency, The poore by pyckinge, lyinge, desperation, and blasphemynge the name of God. (I speake of many but not of al). The wytty by craft, deceat and subtilte. The learned, oft by [...]eresy, ambition, and deuylysshe [...]octrines. I wyll not speake of [...]nuy, malice, rankor, adulterye, [Page]whiche at the type age encrease in growynge, and as Scilla, and Charibdis hurle the greateste part of men into the hoxrible sea of perdytion. The holye ghoste teacheth by Salamon, that they whyche please God best be quic­kely and rathe taken frome this world, lest they shuld be polluted with the wyckednes of the same. He was taken awaye, sayeth he, leste malice shulde chaunge his vnderstandynge, for his soule dydde please god, and he hath made haste to brynge hym from the myddes of miquitie. Enoche dydde please God, and he was not founde afterwarde: for God hadde taken hym awaye. Therefore to please God, is to be counted worthye of hym to be delyuered from this worlde, and to be broughte thyther as the de [Page]noute soule of the prophet couy­ted to come, sayenge: Howe dere­lye belouyd, be thy habytations, o God of vertues, my soule desi­rethe and makethe hasie to thy hawles. Those trees be not beste y ^e be most durable, but of whome [...]oth spring most profitable fruit Netther be those songes most cō ­mendable, that be longest, but y ^e most delite the eares of men: Eue [...]o the longest lift is not chefest: but that which is moosle bertu­ [...]us, and lest with vice defaced. Further let vs ponder these tem­poral displeasures and incommo [...]ities, and than iudge whether [...]at death whan or in what age [...] euer it chaunsethe) be better [...]an lyfe, accordynge to the wor­ [...]es of Ezechiell, or no. Consider sf what calaniyties, chaunces, [...]yseryes, and perelles, men be [Page]in daunger. No man lyuynge is happy on euery part: No man is vtterly content with his lote, who ther that reason or chaunce (as saith Horace) hath of [...] ered it vnto hym. wherfore no mā according to Solons wordes, is happye in dede before he be buried. For this cause Socrates with other of his secte desyred euer desirouslye to dye: estemynge death not to be miserable, but y ^e ende of al miseries. Not troublous, Ezechi. 30. but the ende of all troubles. Better saith Ezech [...] ell is death than lyfe, and eternal resie than continuall sorowes. For euery part of this lyfe dout­les is replenisshed with vnplea­santnes, full of sorowe, inquiet [...] with cares, troublescme, and v [...] ed with diseases. What trade [...] lyfe so euer a man shall folo [...] (sayth Crates, he shalbe suer [...] [Page]fynde bytternes therein. In the fildes be laboures, at home ca­res. In a straunge countre feare, of a man haue ought. In the sea, feare with Ieopardies, Inyouth foolyshaes, in age, feblenes: in mariage, vnquietues: in lacking a myfe, solitarines: yf a man haue thyldren, he hath care: yf he haue none, he is halfe mamed. So that one of these two, saith he, is to be mysshed. Eyther not to be borne, or quicklye to dye. The wretchednes of this worlde hath compelled euen the holye [...]e men beyng weryed therewith, to wysh for deathe. Ionas in his trauell, said, that it was better for him to bye than to lyue. Helyas in his [...]yfe tyme often coueted, and not [...]naduisedly, to yeld by y ^e ghost. Neither can I se any cause, why [...]hat all of vs which haue anye [Page]hope of an other lyfe to come, shoulde not wysshe for the same thing: seing that no man lyueth which laboure [...]h not of the indi­gēcy both of spirituall and tem­porall thinges, nothing truelye, though a ma haue neuer so much excellencye in honours, aboun­daunce is riches, delite in plea­sures, can satisfie hym or brynge a flepe [...]s desires, appetites, and insatiable lu [...]es, no more than the doughters of Danaus can fyl their bottomles tubbes. Is it not better therfore to chaūge this life, to leue this straunge countre and god where is all excellencye of honoures, aboundance of all good thinges, where perpetuall plesures shal euer be in thy right hand euē to the ende. Where thy diuinitie shalbe sene, loued, & re­serued for euer. Death of it selfe [Page]in dede is somewhat formidable, and the way to death, as saith the Philosopher, paynful. Yet if we consider the premisses, and y ^e deth is nothing elles but a gate, wher by mē do enter into lyfe, we shall see it amiable, and moch to be em­braced. I maruayle what euil spi rite hath so blinded and ve witched the myndes of men, and made thē madde so shamefullye dotinge: Forasmuch as they can persmade them selfes to be best here to lyue still in these rotten tentes, open to all sharpe wyndes and bytter stor mes: In these ruinous houses, in these stinkyng prisones, I meane our bodies, and to hate death as it were a venemous & poison ser­pent: seynge it is so frendlye a thinge inferring a great sea of cō modities & pleasures: seing it is, & only it, the finisher of our filthy [Page]and painful emprisonment: a consummation of our laboures and greuous warres, and arriuyng at the safe haue, nan ende of oure peregrynacyon: a leynge away of an heuy bourdē: a terminariō of all sicknes: an euasion of all daungers: a rerourne into oure countre: an entrance into glow. If we be wyse, let vs be well con­tent to dye, and cherefully gyue a fayrewell to this myserable worlde, continuallye vnquieted with troubles, and troubled with vnquietnes, subiecte to sundrye euyls, and the false illusiones of vayne fortune. For truly it hath moch more gall, than hony: moch more bytternes, than swetenes. The which thing is wel signified by this wyttye fable of Homere. Iupiter (sayth he) syttynge in he uen and hauynge before hym. ii. [Page]great tōnes, y ^e one of felicytie the other of myserie, agaynst a lytle sponefull of happines, powrethe out a greate ladlefull of vnhap. Meanynge therby that fortune and misfortune amonge men do not egally part the stayke. Eschi­ [...]us recontyng with him selfe, the continuall tossyng and tormoy­ [...]ing of mens bodies and myndes [...]ryeth out after this sorte: Oh howe vniust be those men, howe folyshe that hate death, seinge it is a temedy moost present for all euyls, and the chefest expeller of al anxieties. Many of y ^e infidels for this cause, thought death of al thynges most to be desyred, as it doth appere by the notable hi­story of Cleobis and Bito, by the maner of y ^e Chraciās, by the Epi grams of Crates, and suche lyke thinges. How much more ought [Page]the same to be embraced of vs, whiche be well assured by holye scripture of the immortalitie of the soule, of a better lyfe to come, ad that death is none other, but a very enteraunce into that lyfe whiche is true parmanente, and constante? Let the wycked Sa­duceans whyche denye the resur­rection of the flesshe take heuely their deathe. For they looke for none other lyfe after this. Lette vs whyche be sure, that oure bo­dies shall aryse agayne, freshlye renewed, esteme deathe as a thynge mooste pleasaunte. Let those whyche haue hadde no seole maister but Aristotle, that affir­meth death of all terrible thinges to be mooste terrible, feare death. Let vs whiche haue learned of saynte Paule, that to dye is a gayne: That whether we lyue o [...] [Page]dye, we be of the lorde. And that Christ hath dyed, that he myghte be rular bothe ouer the quycke, & the deade. Hartely say with Da­uyd: Delyuer o lorde, deliuer our soules oute of pryson, that they maye confesse thy name. Besydes a thousande incomniodities and displeasures of this presente sly­perie lyfe. This doth also accede, that oure synnes dayly renewed, augmented, and encreased, we more and more prouoke the lorde to ire. And the innocencye of lyfe (yf we haue anye: rather than the whyche shoulde decaye, saint Paule desyred to dye, better say­eth he, it is for me to dye, then a­nye man shoulde euacuate my glorye) is hoorely indaungered. Therefore lette vs not loue the worlde (for in deede it wyll not loue vs verye muche yf wee [Page]be true chrystians) neyther the thinges that be therin or elles the charitie of the father cā not abide in vs. For al thinges in the world (whiche is holy sette in malyce) be other concupiscency of y ^e flesh, concupiscēcy of the eyes, or pride, of lyfe. To conclude, vf that deth were onely an abolysher of worldly displeasures, it were a thinge not vtterly to be abhorred. But for as moche as with worldly miseries, it putteth away those that be spirituall, and further leadeth vs to eternall blessednes, whye shulde we not moche wyssh for it, couette and desire it? Curtius & the two Decii of rome, affectinge the vaine glory of the world, vo­wed them selues (no man cōmaun dynge) willyngly to deathe. Ind shall we christians, whereby we may attayne to the true and hea­uenly [Page]glory (god commaunding and calling vs dye impaciently? or shall we rather tolowynge the example of saint Paule, wysshe for the dissolution of our bodies, and to be with Christ? or of Cato which was wont to say: Oh that happy and pleasaunt daye whan it shal be my chaunce to leaue the colluuion of this lowsy worlde, and come to their companye that inhabite the heauēs. What thing in the worlde is of suche excellen­cy that it may iustly so allure you being a wyse (and as I take you) a faythfull man, that you shulde be loth to leaue it? Riches? Incer tain false, and vayn, the vse wher of is vanitie, whiche shal not pro fyt you in the daye of obduccion and vengeance: to be short, verye smoke Frindes? vntrusty, dissem blers, fooles, inwhom is no helth [Page]euery man is is an hiporrite, and wycked, and euerye mouth hath spoken foolysshenes. Parentes? you shall haue a father in hea­uen whyche louethe and tende­teth you more than these earthly parentes doo. Wyte, brethren, and thyldren? you shall dwell with youre brother Christe that loueth and careth for you, moche more than all those care, whiche hathe spente, not his moneye or other externe thynges for youre sake: but his mooste precyouse bloude. So muche hathe he e­stemed you: so vehementelye hath he loued you before the be­gyunynge of the worlde, yea, and louethe you styll. Pleasures? you shall haue the presence of God, whyche so farre passethe all other pleasures as the bright­nes of the sonne excellethe the [Page]lyghte of a talowe candell. Ho­noures? Mayne, and inconstant: For all thyngrs here is vanitie. Youre bodye? A corruptible [...]rysonne, whyche aburdenethe [...]he soule, and depressethe the ense musynge on many thinges. Frome the whyche prysonne, the oule beynge the verye man it elfe (for the bodye is but a case) [...]esprethe more to be delyuered han the prysonners frome their [...]nprysonmente, and chaynes. And as feruentlye couytethe ar­ [...]esse vnto god, as the chaufed [...]atte, boylynge with heate, desi­ [...]eth the swete flowynge water. [...]oure countrye? A straunge [...]ountry: for so longe as we lyue [...]ere we be straunge freme Christe, here we haue no cytye [...]ermanente, but looke for one [Page]that is to come. Here we be aliāt [...] (as Dauyd sayd) none otherwis [...] than was all oure forefathers, a [...] biding in the reigne of the tyran [...] the deuyll, that is to saye in the worlde beset with a thousand en [...] mies. Fyrst the foule crokyd ser­pent hym selfe, a fur of and nyghoy foyns, and strokes, with al [...] kyndes of weapōs, neuer ceasseth endeuouringe to oppugne vs. The worlde disquieteth vs, and laboureth styll to subuerte vs? The flessh, as moch as lyethe in hym, couardly betrayeth vs, and aideth busyly the foresayd enem [...] es. No we pouerty, no we riches, and care of thinges gotten, mo [...] lest vs nyght and day: with ho [...] many greuous siknesses, be m [...] bodies vered, what iniuriesscla [...] ders, despites, doo vsually greue vs: No we we muste prepare out selues [Page]to fight with auarice and vuclen lines, now with ire ambition and other carnall vices. To be short, the mynde of man is besette with so many enemyes, that scante he can be able to resyst. Yf auarice be prostrate, vnlaufull, lust offe­reth vs battaile. If lust be subdued, ambition draweth his swerde. If ambition be caste downe, [...]ire prouoketh vs: pryde settethe in his foote: drōkennes approcheth enuy breaketh concorde: emula­tion cutteth amitie away. I wyll not speake of desperation, of the deaffe beating of consciences, of the furies of the mynd, wyth such others, whiche with horrible en­forcementes furiously assayle in­numecable: For what shulde I fyght with the monster Hidra? who can number the sandes in the sea? or the starres fyxed in the [Page]Hygh heauens? whiche I thinke passe not muche the number of mens enemies. Seynge therfore that man dayly suffereth so ma­ny persecutions and daungers, shulde we desyre to stande styll in the myddes of oure ennemies a­monge so many sharpe swerdes, or shall we couit by death quick­ly to flye to chrisse our defender and helper? Specially seing that Christ him selfe instrurteth vs & saith: Truely truely I say vnto you, that you shall wepe and la­ment, the worlde shall reioyce. You shalde sory but this sorow of yours shalbe turned into gladnes. Who wyl not be desyrouse to want heuines, and to enioy perfit gladnes: whan this sorowe shal [...] be tourned into gladnes he decla reth saieng. I wyl se you agayne & your hartes shalbe merye, and [Page]this mirth shal no man take from you. Therefore seynge that to se Christe, is to be gladde, and that we shall not be gladde in dede to suche tyme as we shall se hym: what blindnes or rather madnes is it here to delite in paine, teares & pēsifenes, & not rather court to Come vnto y ^e ioy which no mā shal cake from vs? Let vs play y ^e wise men, and be glad at the vocation of god, to leaue this painful pere grination, to depart frō this labo [...]inth, and be transferred to our rountry, and to our most louyng fathers house: where is no sick­nes, no sorowes, no werines, no hunger, no colde, no laboure, no [...]nournynge, no ieoperdies, no e­nemitie, no care, to be shorte, no aduersytye at all: but moche tranquillite, pleasure that shall euer endure, and depe quietnes: [Page]where we shall haue for false ri­ches, true inheritaunce, for dissemblynge fryndes, Abraham, Isaac the blessed virgin Mary, Peter, Paule, and the aungels of god, whiche (as the prouerbe is) shall euer loue. Whose faythfulnes, and loue shall neuer be chaun­ged from vs: who consyderinge these thinges, wyl not saye with the prophete, that the daye of death, is better than the daye of byrth? who will not confesse that he whyche dyeth in the lorde, ma­keth the permutatiō of Glaucus and Diomedes, that is to say, re­ceaueth for brasse, syluer, and for coper, pure beaten golde.

BUt paraduenture you wyll say vnto me, syr as for this worlde, how so euer it be, I know it, and of his good thynges I am [Page]a partaker, but whether I shall go hense, yet I knowe not, ne what I shall haue after this lyfe Therfore to leaue a certainte for a thinge incertayne, howe shulde I be but sory? Herkē then I pray [...]ou and gyue eare a lytle, and I shall declare vnto you by gods [...]nfallible worde, bothe whether [...]ou shall go hense, and what you shall haue after this lyfe. The bo [...]ye (saith Ecclesiastes) shall re­turne to the earth, Eccle. 12. frome whense [...]t came, and the soule to god whi­ [...]he gaue it. The soules of iuste men be in the handes of god, and [...]he torment of death shall not [...]ouche them. Sapi. 3. Many mansions [...]aith Christ be in the house of my [...]ather, yf it were otherwise I [...]olde haue tolde you: I go to [...]repare a place for you, Iohn. 14. and yf I [...]o to prepare a place for you, I [Page]wyl againe come and take you to my selfe, that you may be, where I am: Truste therefore and you shalbe sure by this promyse, to come thither where christ is. Eue­ry man that heareth the worde of Chritie and beleueth in him that sent him, [...]0.5. hath lyfe euerlastyuge: He commeth not into iudgement but passeth from deathe to lyfe. We knowe (sayth Paule) that yf the earthly house of this oure ha bitatiō be dissolued, we shal haue a buyldyng of God, [...] Lord. an house not made with mans handes but e­uerlastynge in heauen. That dwellynge doutles shall happen to all faythfull, whyche Christe of his greate mercy promised to the these, with these most comfor­table wordes: This daye thou shalt be w ^t me in paradise. Ther­fore seyng it is so, that the soules [Page]of iuste, and faithfull men, be in the hādes of god (as you be now assured by scripture) where the torment of death shall not touche them: seyng christ hath prepared a place for them, and that they shal dwel euē there as christ him selfe dwellyth. Seynge that we shal haue after the dissolution of these our earthly bodies, an euer­lastyng mansiō in heauen, Dout no more whether you shall go af­ter this lyfe, but be redy, repente, and beleue, and you shall enter accompanied of the v. wise virgins into the ioyous mariage mentio­ned in Matthew. What the faith­ful shal haue after this lyfe, saint Paule in the syrst to the Corinthi­ans and second chapiter, shal suf­ficiently declare. The eye (sayeth [...]) hathe not seene, the eare hathe not harde, neyther the [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]harte of man hath thought, the excellencye of the good thinges that god hathe prepared of them that loue hym. Agayne to the Romaynes. The passions, trou­bles, and affliccios we suffer here be not worthy of the glory which shalbe reueled in vs in the tyme to come: Thus saynt Paule whi­che was rapt into the thyrde hea­uen, and sawe secretes whiche a man maye not laufullye speake, hath taught you what the soules of good men shall enioye after this lyfe: That is glorie, & suche excellencye of pleasures, as the senses and wytte of man can not comprehende. But yf saint Paul had spoken no thyng of the mat­ter, yet a reasonable man myghte partly conceiue the great and in­uisible thinges, that good men shall possesse in the other lyfe, of [Page]these present thinges little and visible. For as moche as our vile and cortuptible bodies, by the be nignitie of god, receaue so many commodities, benefites, and plea sures, of the heauens, the earthe, and the sea: of the light, & darke­nes, of heat, and cold, of the raine wyndes, and dewe: of byrdes beastes, and fyshes, of herbes, plants and trees of the earth: to be short of the ministerie of all creatures, seruynge vs successiuely in theyr due tymes, wherby they may alle uiate our werines. What howe great, & innumerable shall those be whiche he hath prepared for those that loue him in the heauē ­ly countrye, where we shal se him face to face? Yf he do so moche & so greate thinges for vs beinge in prison, what shall he do for vs in the palace? Seinge that the [Page]workes of god be so greate and innumerable, wonderouse, and delectable, whiche the good and the euyll receyue indifferentlyee how great shall those be whiche the good shal receiue being alone Seinge that he perfourmethe so moche for his frindes and his ene­mies yet beinge to gether: what shall he do for his fredes seperate­ly? seyng y ^t he comforteth vsso moche in the day of teares, howe moche shall he comforte vs in the day of mariage? Seinge that the pryson conteyneth such thynges, what maner of thinges shall our countrey conteyne. The eye (as it is saide before) hathe not sene, the eare hathe not harde, nor the harte of man can thynke the excel lencye of those thynges, whyche god hath prepared for his fryn­des, accordynge to the great mul­titude [Page]of his magnificencye, [...] the multitude of his pleasaunt­nes, whiche he hath layde vp for them that feare him. Therfore let vs not doute whether we shal go neyther what we shall haue (be­ynge faythful) in the other world. For as muche as we may certain dye knowe, not by scripture onely but also by the leadynge of na­turall reasonne. All suche doubt put awaye, desyre we mooste hatrelye and feruently accesse to those chynges whyche God hath prepared for his fryndes, mu­synge nowe and than some such godlye meditatione as is this, whiche saynte Augustine hathe in his Soliloquiis.

The harte desyrythe not so moche (o lord) the welles of swete water, as my soule desyrethe [Page]to be with y ^e. My soule hath sore thirsted the o lord the wel of life) oh whan shal I come and appere before thy gloriouse face? o well of lyfe, and vayne of lyuyng wa­ters, whan, whan shall I come from the earth, deferte withoute waye, wylde and waterish, vnto the waters of thy swetenes? that I maye se thy vertue, and satisfy my thyrste, withe the waters of thy mercy. I am a thirst (o lorde) and thou arte the well of lyfe. Fil me with thy waters I besech the. I doo thyrst for the (o lorde) the lyuynge god, whan shal I come and appere before thy face? shall I euer se that day, that daye, I meane of pleasuntnes and myrth that day, whiche the lorde hathe made, that we myght be glad and mery in it? o day most bright fayre, caulme, voide of all stor­mes, [Page]tempestes, and troublesome wyndes, hauynge no euented nor fallyng downe of the sonne: in y ^e whych I shal heare the voice of praise y ^e voice of exultatiō, & con­tessiō. In the whych day I shall heare, enter into y ^e ioy of thy lord thy god, where be great inscrutable & merueylouse thynges, wherof there is no number. Enter in­to ioye, without heuines, into ioy whiche conteyneth eternall glad­nes. Where shalbe al good thin­ges and no eyul, where a mā shal haue what he wyll and nothynge that he wyl not, where lyfe shalbe lyuelyke, swete, amiable, where shalbe no ennemie impugnynge vs, but safe securitie, sure tran­quyllite, quiete iucundite plea­sant felicitie, happy eternite, eter­nall blessednes, and the blessed trinite, of the trinite the vnite, of [Page]the vnytye, the dette, of the blesse fruitione. O ioye aboue all ioy­es, O ioye passynge all other t [...] O ioye hesydes the whiche there is no ioye. Whan shall, I enter that I may se my lorde that dwel leth in the, and the greate vistone what is it that lettethe me so longe: alasse howe longe shall it be sayde to me, where is thy god and where is thyne expectation [...] arte not thou o lorde God? we looke for Iesus christe whiche shall retourme the bodies of our humilitie, and conforme them to hys. Whan shall he retourne frome the maryage that he maye leade vs to hys mariage? come o lorde, and tarye not, come swere Iesu come and visite vs in peace come and brynge vs frome prison that we may be glad before the with perfyt hartes, come whiche [Page]arte desyred of all nations, she we thy face & we shalbe saued, come my owne lyght, my redemer, and brynge my soule from prison that it maye confesse thy name howe longe shall I poore mretche, be toste in the floudes of my morta­lite, crypeng to the o lord and thou hearest me not? heare my crye I befech the from this troublesome sea, and brynge me to the porte of felicite. Oh happy be they why­che haue passyd the daungers of thys Ieopatdouse sea, and haue attaynyd to the, O su­reste hauen. Dappye thrise hap­pye be they whiche haue passyd from the sea, to the bankes from hany sshment, to theyr countrey, frome prysonne to the heauenlye palace. Where they reioyce with cōtinual quietnes that they haue soughte by manye tribulations. [Page]O happye and happye agayn [...] whiche are eased of the butden o [...] theyr euyls and beinge suer of un­marcessible glorie, inhabite the kyngdome of comlynes. O euer­lastynge kyngdome. O kynge­dom of al worldes, where is light that neuer faylethe, and the peace of god that passeth all sense. In the whiche peace the sowles of saintes do rest, where euerlasting merines couerith their heades, with ioye and exultation. Where sorowe and moorning can haue no place. Oh howe gloriouse is thy kyngdome good lorde in the whyche thy sayntes do raygne, clothyd with lyght as it were [...] a garmente, hauynge on their heades crownes of preciouse sto­nes. O kyngdome of euerlasting blessednes, where as thou o lorde the hope of sayntes, and diademe [Page]of glorye arte loked vpon of thy holy ones, face to face, makynge them glad on euerye syde, in thy peace that passeth al sense. There is toye withoute ende, gladnes, withoute sadnes, health, without sycknes, myrthe, without sorowe, [...]ay without laboure, lyght without darkenes, lyfe, without deth, all good thynges, without al euil thynges, where youth neuer wax [...]th olde, where lyfe hathe none [...]nde, where beautye neuer vay­deth, where loue is neuer colde, where ioye doth neuer decrease, where sorowe is neuer felt, where waylynge is neuer harde, where no euyll is fearyd, for there the hyest felicite is possessed: That is to saye euer to se thy face o lorde of powers. Therefore happy be they which haue alredy atteyned vnto such iopes. Unhappy be we [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]for as moche as we do yet trauell in a straung country as banished men, suspyryng vnto the, beyng the porte of the sea. O country, o our swete countrey a farre of we loke towardes the, from this vn­quiet oceane we do salute y ^e, with teares we desyre and sue to come to the. O Christe god of god, the hope of man [...]ynde, our refuge, & vertue, whose lyght a farre of a­monge the darke clowdes, ouer the stormy seas, as the beame of a starre, of the sea, doth irradiate oure eyes that we maye be ditec­ted to the safe hauen. Gouerne our shyppe wyth thy ryght hand and wyth the sterne of thy crosse, leaste we perisshe in the floudes, leaste the tempestes of the sea drowne vs, least the depth suppe vs vp, wyth the hooke of thy crosse, drawe vs vnto the [Page]from this tempestuouse sea ours onelye comforte, whome we do se a farre of as the mornyng starre, and the sonne of iustice, with our eyes scante able to wepe anye lenger. Unto the standyng vpon the banke and lokynge for vs, we thy redemed, we thy bantshed men, whome thou haste boughte agayne wyth thy precyouse bloude, do crye. Thou o lorde of healthe, hope of all costes of the earthe, a farre of and in the sea. We do wauer in the troublous sourges, thou mooste bountifull lorde beholde oure ieopardyes, saue vs swete lord for thy names sake, graunte vs that we maye so kepe a meane betwyxte Scyl­la and Charyboys, that we maye eschewe both the daungets and happely [...] come to the porte, [Page]oure shyppe, and oure marcha [...] dyse sate. Let vs I say now and than (all hate of death excluded) muse some suche godly meditati­on, earnestlye desyrynge of God not teporally to lyue, but to dye, not to continue here in banyssh­ment among our enemies, but to be delyuered and dwell in oure country with christ, not to endure here in these daūgerouse warres, but through death to come vnto peace moost pleasaunte. yet pat­aduenture one scruple is lefte be­hynd that trobleth your cōscience and suffereth not your mynde as yet to be quiet. You wyll say vn­to me: Syr I remember, that a­monge many thynges, I harde you say that the soules of iust me be in the handes of god, and the tormente of death shall not touch thē. I am not iust, no not so much [Page]as a dreame or a shadow of a iust mā,but rather a syuner most mise rable, which haue accustomedeu [...] from my yong age, to heape vice vpon vice, and with detestable transgression, continually to ex­asperate my lorde god. Wherfore the iudgemente of scripture and not without a cause, troublethmy conscience, feareth it, condemneth it, and pulleth it in peeces. All of­fenses saith he shalbe gathered to gether, And all those that worke iniquitie, Math. 1 [...] they shall be sente into aforuace of fyer, where shall be mourninge and gnasshinge of teath. Math 23 Agayne, they whiche haue done well, shall go into euerla­stinge lyfe, they that haue done [...]uyll into euerlastynge fyer: Ne­ther aduouterers, 1 cor. 5. fornicatours, tobbers, conitous persons, nor [...]orshyppers of ymages, with [Page]suche others shall snheryte the kyngedome of god. This is the sentence of Goddes worde, this repellyth me from his kingdome and frome paradise, whereof you made-mentyon, thys maketh me afrayde and wyth shame vtterly puttethe me backe, this confoun dethe me, and chasy the me cleane awaye. Doutelesse you do [...] ve­rye well, in that you confesse youre owne vncleannes. for yf that anye of vs shulde saye that we haue not offended, Ion. 1 we shoulde deceyue our selues. All men haue swarued, and are made unprofuable, neither is there any that doth good, tom. 3 no not one. We haue wan­dered verelye all of vs, as it were shepe euerye one after his owne waye. Beynge seruauntes vnprofitable, and by nature the chyl­dren of wroth, [...]ai. 59. neyther is any m [...] [Page]good, god onely excepte. Math 19 Where­fore in his sight no man shalbe a­ble to iu [...]tify him selfe, nor yet to abyde hym yf he obserue our im­quities: for in his syghte the ve­ry starres be not cleane, but what than, shall we beynge broughte to this i [...]rait, cowardly dispaire? God forbyd. Well, what shall we do? Whether shall we flye? Where is our refuge? Let vs flye vnto chryste, as vnto a suer sanctuary, safe refuge, and puissant defender Unto christe? Howe dare we be so bolde? Whose preceptes we haue neuer obeyed, whose lawes we haue seldome, or neuer kepte, whome we haue disdayned to loue agayne, not withstandynge that he hathe euer bene oure lo­uer mooste faithfull and true? He beynge full of mercye, cal­lethe vs vnto hym of hys [Page]owne accorde. Come hyther to me (saithe he) all you that laboure, and be loden with synne, [...]ath. 11 and I shall ref [...]esshe you. Be we bolde therfore to sue to his mercy, and of his holye oracles whiche are wrytten for our consolatione and learnyng, let vs require comfort. for they (suche is the vertue of them) can easely erecte mens mindestand quiet troubled conscien­ces they as moost hoolesome me­dicines shall gyue vs presente health. They shal pronounce mercye to the penitent synner, and to the captyues pardon. They shall declare vs to be no more vnder the rigor of the lawe, but vnder grace and mercy: They shal teach vs that god is pacyfyed and that oure syns be forgyuen vs for his sons sake. You be frely iustified (sayth Paule) by grace throughe [Page]the redemption that is in Iesu Christ, whome god hath set forth to be y ^e optainer of mercy through faith in his bloude, Rom. 3 to declare his righteousnes for the remission of synnes, that are gone before in the suffraunce of god, to declare his rightuousnes in this tyme, that he maye be righteouse, and the iustifier of hym whiche is of y ^e faith of Iesus christ. Ephe. 2. By grace (as he saith to the Ephesians) we be saued throughe faith, and that not of oure selfes, it is the gyft of god, and that not of our workes, lest any man shulde glory. Wherfore seyng it is so that we be frely justified by faith in Christ Iesu we shall haue no iust cause to dis­payre, but rather to be at peace w ^t god through christ, by whome we haue entraūce into this grace wherin we do stande, Rom. 5 yea and to [Page]glory in the hope of the sonnes of god. Scrypture saith not, happy are those that synne not, but hap­py whose imquities are forgyuen. Yea and to hym whiche worketh not yet beleuynge in him that iu­styfyeth the wycked, Rom [...] fayth is im­puted to him for iustice, according to the purpose of y ^e grace of god. Doutles yf that our iustificatid shulde depende of the innocencye of our owne lyues, we shulde pe­rish how many so euer we be. But seynge that god whych is riche in mercy, for the great loue y ^e he hath loued vs with whā me were dead by synne, and hath quickened vs with christe, and that not of oure deseruing, Ep [...]e. 2. left any man shuld glotye, but by the mere grace of god, purchased by the bloude of christ whyche is made our redemption [Page] [...]ure ius [...]yce, our prudencye, 1. Cor. 1 and anctificatyon, why shuld we not peynge penytente and faythfull, [...]ayenge oure synnes vpon hys backe, whiche hath taken awaye [...]ure diseases, and hathe caryed with hym oure infirmities, Esal. 53. and further puttynge him in remem­braunce of his promyse made to synners, both by hys prophetes, and his apostles, holdely callyng his mercye for his sonnes sake? Specyally considering that he is moche more prone of his owne nature to forgyue, than we be to aske forgeuenes. Yea & bycause that you do partelye mystruste him, me thinke I shuld heatehun being somwhat angry swetely expostulate w ^e the after this sorte.

What nowe my [...]ere chylde? why ceaseth not thy spirite at the laste to be afflicted? [...] a [...] te [...] quod pul­chrum. Who [Page]doeste thou thynke that I [...] Phalaris the tyraunt, Manlius Saleuchꝰ, or some cruel S [...]ith or elles of mercies the rather and of all consolation the god, 1. Cor. 1. long sufferyng, and of muche mercye [...] art not thou taught by my sonne Iesu, Math [...] to call me thy father? haue not I promised that I wolde be thy father by my prophet Hierel my, Hiere. 31. and thou shuldest be my son? why doest thou not therfore aske me forgyuenes well hopinge for pardō? who is it of you although you be euyll, that wyl not forgiue his sonne, forthynkynge his fau­tes, being supplyant desiring pardon, and promisyng amendment notwithstandyng that he hathe prouoked him to angre an hun­dreth tymes? And thynkest thou that I whiche am the father of mercies, Ephe. 3 of whome all fatherly [Page]nes in heuen and earth is named, which possesse the ryches of good nes, patience, & longanimite, Rom. 2 not to be redy to forgyue my chyldrē truly repentinge? Be of good comforte, my chylde, be of good comfort, mistrusryng not my mercy [...] hyche surpasseth not onelye mans mercy how greate so euer it be, but all my owne workes al­so. Iudgement withoute mercye shall they feale, whose hartes be obdutate, hardened, and will not resent, whiche delyte styll in their syns, and will neuer leaue their wyckednes, which contemne my worde and trust me not. frō the in dede health must nedes be fur away. But as for the, Math 3 repent and the kyngdome of heauen shall drawe nyghe, trust and thy fayth shall saue the. for as Moyses hath exalted a serpē [...] in the desert, Mat. 9. [Page]so hath my sōne ben exalted, tha [...] euery mā beleuyng in hym might be saued, Ioh. 3. and haue lyfe euerla stynge I wolde haue all men [...]a­be sauyd, 1 Timo [...]. [...]. and no man to peryssh, my fashyon is euer to retreate, thynkynge lest he perishe vtterly whych is abiect. It is not my w [...] (beleue me) that one of these mylytle ones be cast away. Math. 18. Whome I haue euer loued so well that I wolde vouchesafe to gyue my only sonne for them. But thy trespa­ces be greate wherfore thou arte not lyghtly perswadyd to truste in my mercy. Chryste Iesu came into the worlde to saue synnets. 1 T [...]moth. 1He is thyne aduocate, 1 Ioh 1 and not for thyne only, but for the synnes of the hole world, he came to call transgressours, not the iust, & to saue that which waslost. I knew [Page] [...] thou an offender shuldest offēd, Mat. 9.and as a transgressor I called the from thy mothers wombe: yet for my names sake wyll I make my fury farre of: thy good workes be of no suche perfeccione, [...]sal 46. that they may be able to saue the, nor thine euyll workes (so that thou repent with hope of mercy can hurle the into y ^e helly fyer. for I am I am which put away thine iniquities for myne owne sake and thy syns wyll not I remember. Eas [...]. 43 I am dere sonne I am that puttethe awaye thy lynnes for my selfe, for my selfe, and wyll gyue my glorye to none other. Suppose thy synnes be as redde as scarlette, they shall be made as whyte as snowe. Whyche I haue scatte­red as clowdes, and as mystes haue dyspearsed them: Tourne to me I say, for I haue redemed [Page]the. I haue redemed the whiche haue pitie of all men, and for re­pentaunce wynke at mens syns. Saps. 11.I wold thou shuldest know, that I thy lorde god am meke and gē ­tle, 2 par 36nether can I turne my face from the so that thou wilt return to me. It is commonly saide, that if a man dimisse his wyfe, and she departinge, marieth an other husbande, shall he returne to hyr any more? Hiert. [...] shall not she be as a pollu­ted and a defiled woman? thou haste committed fornication with many louers, yet for all that, am I rede to returne to the so that thou wylt retourne to me. Such is my facilite, so gētle I am, such is my benignite, so greate is my mercy. whyche thy most louyng brother and aduocate christ, that wasshed the from thy syns in his bloude hathe purchased continu­ally [Page]prayenge for the Hast thou not herde how merciful I shewed my selfe to Dauid, to the Niniui­ [...]s and Achab, to Magdalen, to the thefe, & others innumerable? why doest thou not open the ex­amples of thē, as a table or glasse wherein thou mayest well learne, howe exorable I am, howe redye and wyllyng to forgiue? Consy­der with thy selfe howe heynous [...]utes I haue pardoned them, theft adultrye, murder, idolatrye, Hir [...]. 3and what not? Go to therfore be [...] good chere, lyft vp thine eyes mistrust me no lēger, turne to me and thou shalt be sauyde. Esal. 45. Com­mende thy spirite into my handes and the prince of this world shall haue nothyng to do with the. for by me, the lorde of trueth thou art truely redemyd. Who hearynge these wordes of hys heauenly fa­ther [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page](as they be his wordes in dede) so swetly alluringe hym, so earnestly confortyng hym, so pleasauntly drawynge hym, to hym selfe, wyll any more doute of his mercy? Dispaire you not vtter­lye (dere frende) nor yet be you sor­rowfull for anye thynge. But if youre false ennemie the deuy [...], approche obiectynge against you the multytude and greuousnes of your synnes, turne you to g [...] and say vnto hym. Curne a [...] thy face from my syns good l [...] and looke on the face of thy [...] Iesu. Thy syns saithe your ene­mie in number passe the sandes of the sea. Answere. The mercye of god is moch more plenteouss. How canst thou hope for the [...] ­warde of iustice, beinge all toge­ther vniuste? Christ Iesu is [...]y iustice. Shalt thou beyng co [...]e­red [Page]with synnes, entre [...] teste with Peter and Paule? Na but with the thefe, which hardem the [...]sse, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise. Howe haste thou this trust, whiche neuer d [...]veste good? I haue a good lorde, an exorable iudge, and a gratious ad­meare. Thou shalt be drawen to hell. My heade is in heauen all [...]dy, & from it the inferiour members cā not be seueryd: thou shalt be dāned, y ^e art a fals accuser, no [...]dge, a dāned spirit, no cōdener. Many legiōs of deuyls do wait for thy soule. I shuld despaire in [...]ede yf I had not a defe [...]er, whi­che hath ouercōmed your tirāny. God is vniust if he geue for euill [...]des euerlasting life. He is iuste [...]kepeth his promise, & I haue al­redy appelid frō his iustice to his mercy. Thou doest flatter thy self [Page]with v [...]me hope. The trueth [...] not lye. To make false promissi [...] belongeth vnto the. what tho [...] leauest here thou seest, but wh [...] thou shalte haue thou seeste not. Thynges which are sene are [...] por [...]ll, but thinges which are [...] sene are eternal. Thou goest [...] loden with euyll d [...]des, and [...] ­ked of al good workes. I shalbe syre god to eronerate me of myne euyls, & couer me with his good­nes. God heareth no synners, yet be heareth them that repent, and for synners be dyed. Thy rep [...] ­taunce is to late. It was not [...] late for the thefe. The thefe ha [...] a stedfast faithe, thyne is w [...] tynge. I shall desyre god that [...] wyl encrease my fayth. Thou [...] ­est falsly persuade thy self to fi [...] god mercyfull, whych punysheth the wyth paynes after this sorte [Page]herein he playeth the parte of a gentle phisrcion. why wolde he [...]hat deathe shulde be so bitter? he is the lorde, he wylleth nothynge but that which is good. And why shuld I a seruaunt vnprofitable ufuse to suffer that, which y ^e lord [...]fglorie hath suffered. It is a miserable thynge to dye. Blessyd be the deade that dye in the lorde. But the death of synners is most wretched. He is no lenger a syn­ner whiche hath acknowledged his faute, wyth repentaunce and hope of mercy. Thou shalt leaue this worlde. I shall go from pain full banyshment, into my coūtre. Looke what an heape of good thynges thou leauest behynd the yet a greate deale more euyll. Thou leaueste thy ryches, they be the worldes. I doo carye all that is myne awaye wyth me. [Page]What canst thou carye with the thou hast nothinge that is goode that is truly mine own that christ hath frely forgyuen me. Thou muste forsake thy wyfe and thy chyldren. They be the lordes, I do commende them to hym. It is a harde thinge to be drawen from thy derelye beloued. They shall shortly folow me: thou art pluckt from thy pleasaunt frendes. I haste to frendes more pleasaunt. Thus thou arte taught not to gyue place to the deuyll endeuourynge to ouerthrow the, but boldly to repell euerye darte that he can hurle at the. Neither let the care for thy frendes, wyfe, and chyldren, trouble the, mistrusting not, but god shall prouyde as wel for them, and peraduēture better in thyne absence, than he dyd [...] in thy lyfe tyme: for thou muste [Page]consyder that thyne owne power hath not all this while susteyned the, or thē, and procured thinges necessary: but god in whome we lyue moue and be, hath done it. God whiche fedeth nourishethe, and saueth both man and beaste, whyche ryally clotheth the grasse in the feylde, couerethe the hea­uens wyth cloudes, carethe for the byrdes of the ayer, and pre­pareth meate for the very chycks of the rauens, shall moche more regarde thy frendes, beynge his people, confessynge hys name. Call to remembraunce how mer­cyfully, he prouyded for the pore wydowe and hyr children, spoken of in the 4 chapter of the 4 booke of the kynges. There was a cer­tayne prophet (saith he) one of thē that feared the lorde, he dyed, and [Page]left his wife with his sons much [...] indebted. The creditours after hys deathe, came to fette away [...] the children as bondmen, for that theyr mother was nar able to pay their fathers debtes, but yet th [...] lorde by his prophet Helyse, dy [...] so encreace a pytcher of oyle this she hadde in store, that she had y [...] noughe to sell for the payenge of hir dettes, and for the sussentan [...] of hir and the children besydes.

Thus by the benignitie of God this poore woman with hir chyl­dren was muche better prouyded for, after the death of hyr husbad (thoughe he were an holye man) than she was before. God is euen the same God is now that he war than, and can do as moche for christen men now in these dayes, as he coulde that for the I [...] And he doutles it thou feare him [Page]wyll regarde thy wyfe chyldren, and fryndes, no lesse than he dyd the wyfe and chyldren of this pro phet. Na rather more, for as much as oure religion and professiō be more perfytte than theyrs was. Further call to remembraunce how that they many times which be lefte of their frindes riche, & in great honors, be after brought to pouerty ye & to y ^e beggers staffe. On thother syde, y ^e they whych be left pore & beggerly of their frin­des, at y ^e length come to grcatry, ches, auctorite, & honor. wherfore I do thynke as I haue said ofte, not I, but the prophet, that both tyches and pouerty come of god. And that men shal hauc (yet Iw [...] not unproue an houest prou [...]s [...]on for mens children) what as [...]al please god to giue the. Therfore romn [...]yrte them to god for they de [Page]hys. And let them cast their [...] an the lorde and he by hispromise shall nouryshe them.

ANd to you that be his fren­des here to you I speake what meaneth this your heaui­nes? Why do you sorowafter this fort? to what purpose do youfron ble your selfes with wepynges? why do ye, as it were in a maner draw into the law the wyl of god, with youre vniust complaintes? do ye thynke hym to be a mere matter of lamentynge, sorowing, and waylynge, bycause he is dely uered from daungers, to safetye, frome bondage to lybertye, from diseases te immorialite, frō earthly thinges to heauenly, from men to the companye of goddes aun­gelles? wherein hath he offended you, that you s [...] enuy his lurky­nes? [Page]If ye do not enup, what ne­des all these teares? I am sure if ye knew to what feliritie he is go inge, you wolde banket, and be merye, at the least yf ye loue his welthe. Christe sayde to hys disciples (whan they were sadde, for that he wolde depart) yf ye lo­ued me you wolde be gladde, for as muche as I go to my father. wherein he declared, that we ought not to be sadde, but mery, at the departure of our frendes, from hense. What I praye you shal ye lose by his death, but that he shalbe out of your fyght, and that but for a tyme? neuertheles you may at al times in the mcane space, in youre myndes, and me­moryes, se hym, talke with him, and embrace him. Morne nomore for hym, for he offerethe you no cause of moornynge. But yf ye [Page]wylnedes morne, morne for your selfs, in that ye be not so nyghe the porte of oure swere countrey, flowynge with mylke and hony, as he is. This moorning is more fyt for the Scythyans, and such other barbarouse people, whiche knowe not the condition of faith­full soules, than for you whyche knowe, or myghte all this whyle haue learned. Let them I praye you wepe and houle like dogges, let them cut their cares and noses as they were wonte to do, at the death of their frendes. Let vs be ioyfull and mery. Let Admetus Drpheus, and suche other infy­deles morne at the deathe of their frendes, and require them againe of Proserpina. Lette not vs re­quire our fryndes of god again, thoughe me myghte haue them, with the losse of theyr welth and [Page]prospe­rouse being. Were you not to be counted vuteasonable, and to youre frende no frendes, yf ye shoulde require hym to dyne or dwell with you, hauyng nothing in youre house but horsebreade, and stynkynge water, where he may go to a frende more faythful than you be, and haue at altimes all kyndes of deinties? and wyll you be counted reasonable, which wold by your wyls, let this your frynde, goynge to the house of his moste faithfull frende Christ, where he shall haue heauenlye deynties (in comparyson of the whyche, youre chere is worse than horsebreade and stynkynge water in dede) and meate of the holye aungels? Moorne no more for hym I saye, but be gladde that he beynge your frende shal attein to such felicite. What other thing [Page]is it for vschristians, to morne at the death of our frendes, than to gyue an occasion to the infideles to reprehende, and accuse vs, for as moch as we do deny the thing in dede that we do professe with our mouthes. For in wordes we saye that the soule of man is im­mortal, and that there is an other lyfe better than this. In our mor nynge we seme to shewe our sel­nes to be of an other opinion.

What profitte is it I praye you to pronounce vertue in wordes, and in deedes to destroye the truthe? Saynt Paule dothe im­proue and blame them whiche be heauy in the departure of their fryndes, sayenge: I wolde not haue you ignoraunt O brethern, as touchynge them that slepe. That ye be not sadde, as other that haue no hope. As who sayth [Page]it belongethe to them to wep [...], and be sory at the deathe of their frendes, whyche haue no hope of an other lyfe to come, and not to vs whyche beseue that oure soules be immortall, and that oure bodyes shall aryse agayne. Moorne no more for him therfore, but prepare and make redy youre selfes to folowe hym lyuyng vertuousely, for that ye knowe no daye nor houre.

No we to you againe my frend se that you be merye in god, and let not thys shorte afflyccion of your bodye, disquiet your mynde. But sause it rather, and make it plea­saūt with the hope of euerlasting blyssednes. Reinembryinge that is you shalbe quickely delyue­red from this sycknes, so you shal no more hereafter be subiect to a­ny sorowes paines or pensifenes. It [Page]that daye be, to the faithful? whamens bodies made lyke to the body of christ, shal inhabite the king dome whiche god hath prepated for those that feare him before the begynnyng of the world. [...] here they shal haue ioy and euerlastinge merines. Where as they being lyke to the aungels of god shall shyne as the sonne in the kynge­dome of they? father. At the laste swere frende for as moche as I haue declared vnto you that all men muste dye, and whan it shall please god. Further that in dieng we do no other, but as all the saintes, yea and Chrysle hym selfe hathe doone, wyth whom we shal ryse agayne. And that deathe is but a due repayenge of thynges that was for a tyme liberallye lente vs: to the earth our bodies, and oure soules to God, ours [Page]moost bountifull father. That nothynge here is of such excellen­cy, that it shoulde allure a wyse man, and hym that hopeth of an other lyfe to come, longe to tarye with it: that good men haue euer de [...]red to dye, & to be with god. For as much as death is the ende of all myseries, the vanysher of al sorowes, and an entraunce into perpetuall blysse. Further in that I haue declared vnto you whe­ther you shall go, and what you shal haue after this life. And that god mooste merryfully hath for­gyuen you your synnes, for that you be repentaunt and faythfull. And y ^e he wyl prouyde for yours yf they feare him, as wel or better than he dyd in your dayes. Fynally that this bodye of youres shall tise againe from the earth glori­ousely in the laste daye throughe [Page]his power that gaue him his firsh fashione: quiete your mynde, and prepare your selfe as dothe the swanne, with songe of harte and pleasure to dye, and to the accomplyshment of gods wyll, and all teare of death excluded. Thinke onely of immortalitie, beyng wil­lyng and glad to depart heuse to god that calleth you. The whiche thynge as the seruauntes of god shulde alwayes he redy to doo, so at this tyme moost ready. For as moch as this miserable world, be sette with the horrible tempestes, stormes, and troublesome whorle wyndes of all kyndes of euyll, be gynneth to decaye. Moreouer as greuous thinges haue all redye chaunsed to nations, so more gre­uouse thynges are to be loked for in that synne dayly encreaseth a­mong men more and more, prou [...] [Page]kynge the fust ire of god. Where sore, I cā not but thinke it a great game quickly to departet hense. If the postes of the house were pu­ [...]trfied and the tremblynge toufe shuld threaten ruyne to be at hād wolde you not being in health, de parte with all spede? Yf that a troublesome and stormy tempest wdenly risen on the sea shoulde threaten playne shypwrake and vrownynge of you and your company, wolde you not make haste to the porte: Lo, the world decai­eth and the ende of thinges threa teneth playne fallynge downe. Ind shall not you giue thankes to god, and for your owne parte be gladde that you shall be dely­uered in tyme, from suche ruines, plages, and tempestes as hange ouer the heades of men? Thynke swete freude, I beseche you, and [Page]thynke againe, that 2o longe a [...] we be here, we be very straūgers [...] And that we ought cheifly to em­brace that houre, whiche shall a­poynt euery one of vs to his own house, and testore, vs delyuere [...] from all suars of the worl [...]e, to paradise, and the heauenly king­dome. Who beynge in a straunge country wyl not couyt to returne to his owne coūtry? Who sayling to wardes his frendes, will no [...] couyt a quycke and prospcrouse wynde, that he may the rather em­brace his welbeloued? we counte paradiseoure countre, the Patci arches to be oure parentes and frindes: why than doo we not fee uently desyre spdely to se the pa­triarches and paradise? where a greate companye of our frendes loketh for vs and a wonderfull number of our parentes, brethren [Page]and systers tarieth for vs? beyng suer of their immortalits and wisshynge that we had the same. At the syght and metyng of these, oh howe greate gladnes shall hap­pen bothe to vs and them? Dome great pleasure of the heauenlye kyngdome, Withoute feare of deathe, and with the eternitie of lyfe. Dow hyghe and perpetuall [...]elicite? there is the gloriouse cō ­pany of the apostles, there is the laudable number of the gladde prophyetes, there is thinumerable hoste of martires crowned, and triumphynge with the victorie of there sirifes and passiōs. There be the virgms whiche haue bro­ken the concupiscencie of theyr flesshe, with the s [...]renght of conti­nencye. There be the mercyiul en ioynge theire rewardes, whiche by fedynge the pore, and helping [Page]the nedy haue wrought the wo­kes of iustice, andkeping the co [...] ­maundeme [...]tes of god haue trā [...] ­ferred their erthly patrimonte [...] into heauenly treasures, this t [...] the ioyouse companie to this n [...] earthly company is to be compa­ted to him whiche hathe bought [...] you a place in this company with the price of his bloude I do be­take you. Committee your selfe to hys handes for he shall neuer fayle you. Fayre well.