¶The first Chapter, That the comfortes deuised by the olde paynem Phi­losophers vvere vnsufficient, and the cause vvherefore.

FIrst shal you good Cosin vnderstand thys, y ^t the natural wise men of this worlde, the olde morall Philosophers, laboured muche in this matter, & many natural reasōs haue they written, wherby they myght encorage mē to set litle by such goodes or such hurtes eyther, the goyng or the cōmyng wherof, are the mat­ter & the cause of tribulaciō, as are goodes of fortune, riches, fauor, frendes, fame, worldly worship, & such o­ther thinges: or of the bodie, as beawty, strēgth, agilite quicknes, and health. These thinges (ye wote wel) cō ­myng to vs, are matter of worldly welth: and takē frō vs by fortune, or by force, or by feare of th [...] losyng, bee matter of aduersite and tribulacyon [...] For tribulacyon semeth generallye, to signifye nothing els but some kind of grief, either paine of the body, or heauynes of the mind. Now the body not to fele that if feleth, al the wit in the world can not bring about, but y ^t the minde should not be grieued neither with the paine that the body feleth, nor with occasions of heauines offered & geuen vnto the soule it self. Thys thyng laboured the Philosophers very much about, and many goodly say­inges haue thei toward the strēgth & coūfort against tribulacion, excityng men to the full contempte of all [Page] worldly losse, and dispising of sycknes, and al bodelye griefe, paynefull death and all. Howe bee it in verye dede, for any thyng that euer I read in them, I neuer could yet find that euer those natural reasons were able to geue sufficiēt comfort of them self: for they ne­uer stretche so farre but that they leaue vntouched for lacke of necessary knowledge, that special point which is not only the chief comfort of al: but without which also, al other comfortes are nothing, that is to wit, the referring the finall ende of theyr comforte vnto god, and to repute and take for the special cause of coūfort, that by the paciente sufferaunce of theyr tribulacion, they shall attayne his fauoure, and for theyr payne re­ceyue rewarde at his hande in heauen. And for lacke of knowlage of this end [...] thei did (as they nedes must) leaue vntouched also the verye speciall meane, with­out which we can neuer attaine to this comforte, that is to wit, y ^e gracious ayde and helpe of God to moue, stirre, and guide vs foreward, in the referring all our ghos [...]ly comforte, yea and our worldly comforte too, al vnto that heauenly end. And therfore as I say, for the lacke of these thinges, all theyr comfortable coūsayles are veri farre vnsufficient: howe be it, though they be farre vnable to cure our dysease of them selfe, and therfore are not sufficiēt to be taken for our phisitiōs: some good drugges haue they yet in theyr shoppes for which they may be suffered to dwel among our Apoti­caryes, if theyr medicines be not made of theyr owne braines, but after the billes made by the greate phisi­tion God, prescribing the medicines him self, & correc­tyng y ^e faultes of theyr erronious receiptes: for with­out this way taken with them, they shall not fayle to do, as many bolde blind Apoticaries do: which eyther [Page] for lucre or of a foolish pride, geue sycke folke medi­cines of theyr owne deuisyng, & therwith kil vp in cor­ners many such simple folke, as they find so folish to put their liues in such lewde & vnlearned blynd bay­ardes handes. We shal therfore neyther fully receiue these philosophers reasons in this matter, nor ye [...] vt­terly refuse thē: but vsing thē in such order as shalbe seme thē, the principal & theffectual medicines against these diseases of tribulaciō, shal we fetche frō y ^t highe great & excellent phisicion, without whō we could ne­uer be healed of our very deadly disease of damnaciō, for our necessitie wherin the spirit of god spirituallye speaketh of himself to vs, & biddeth vs of al our helth geue him y ^e honor: & therin thus sayth to vs. Honora me­dicum propter necessitatem enim ordinauit eum altissimus. Honor thou y ^e phisiciō, for him hath y ^e high god ordened for thi neces­sitie. Therfore let vs require y ^e high phisiciō, our bles­sed sauior Christ, whose holy manhed god ordened for our necessitie, to cure our deadly woundes, with y ^e me­dicine made of y ^• most holesom blud of his own blessed bodi: y ^• likewise as he cured by y ^t incōparable medicine our mortal malady, it may like him to send vs & put in our mīdes such medicines at this time, as agaīst y ^• sicknes & sorowes of tribulacions, may so cōfort & strēgth vs in his grace, as our deadly enemy y ^e deuil, maye ne­uer haue y ^e power by his poisoned dart of murmure, grudge and impacience, to turne our short sicknes of worldly tribulaciō, into y ^e endles euerlastyng death of infernal dānacion.

¶The seconde Chapter. That for a foundacion men must nedes begin vvith [...]hyth.

SYth al our principal cōfort must come of god, we must first presuppose in him to whō we shal with any gostly counsel geue ani effectual comforte, one grounde to begin withal: wherupon al y ^• we shall [Page] build must be supported & stand, y ^• is to wit, the ground and foundacion of faith, without which had ready be­fore, al the spiritual comfort that any man may speake of can neuer auaile a flye. For likewise as it were vt­terly vaine to lay natural reasons of comfort, to hym that hath no wit, so wer it vndoubtedli frustrate to lay spiritual causes of comfort to him that hath no faith. For excepte a man first beleue, that holye sc [...]ipture is the worde of God, & that the worde of GOD is true, how can a mā take any comfort of that that the scrip­ture telleth him therin? Nedes must the man take litle fruit of y ^e scripture, if he either beleue not that it wer the worde of God, or els wene that thoughe it were it might yet bee for all that vntrue. This faith as it is more fainte or more stronge, so shall the comfortable wordes of holy scripture stande the man in more stede or lesse. This vertue of faith, can nether any mā geue hymself nor yet any one man another: but though mē may with preachīg be ministers vnto god therin, & the man with his own frewyl obeying freely the inwarde inspiracion of god, be a weake worker with almightye god therin: yet is the faith in dede the gracious gyfte of god himself. For as Saint Iames sayth. Omne datum optimum & omne donum perfectum desursum est descendens a patre luminum Euery good gift and euery perfect gift, is geuen from aboue, descēding from the father of lightes. Therfore feling our faith by many tokens very faint, let vs pray to him that geueth it, that it may please him to helpe & encrease it. And let vs fyrst say with the man in y ^e gos­pell. Credo domine, adi [...]ua incredulitatem meam. I beeleue good Lorde but helpe thou the lacke of my belyefe. And after lette vs pray wyth the Apostles. Domine adauge no­bis fidem. Lorde encrease oure fayth. And fynallye [Page] let vs consider by Christes saying vnto them, that if we would not suffer the strength and feruour of our faith to waxe luke warme, or rather kaye colde, and in maner lese his vigor by scatering our mindes abrode aboute so many triflyng thinges, that of the matters of our faith, we very seldom thinke it that we woulde withdrawe our thought fro the respect and regarde of al worldly fantasies, and so gather our fayth together into a litle narrowe rowme. And lyke the lytle graine of a musterd sede, whiche is of nature hote, set it in the garden of our soule, al wedes pulled out for the better fedyng of our faith, than shall it growe, and so spreade vp in heighte, that the byrdes, that is to witte, the holy Aungels of heauen shall brede in our soule and bryng forth vertues in the braunches of our fayth, and then with the faithfull truste, that throughe the true beliefe of goddes worde we shal put in his promise, we shalbe wel able to commaunde a great mountaine of tribu­lacion, to voyde from the place where he stoode in our heart, where as with a very feble faith and a faint, we shalbe scāt hable to remoue a litle hillocke. And there­fore, as for y ^e first conclusiō, as we must of necessitie be­fore any spiritual coūfort presuppose the foundacion of faith: So sith no man can geue vs faith, but only god, let vs neuer cease to call vppon God therefore.

Forsoth my good vncle, me thinketh y ^t this foūdaciō of faith, which as you saie must be laid first, is so necessarily requisite, y ^t without it, al spiritual coūfort wer vtterly geuē in vain. And therfore now shall we pray god for a ful & a fast faith. And I praye you good vncle, procede you farther in the processe of your mat­ter of spirituall comfort, againste tribulacion.

That shal I Cosin with good wil.

¶The thyrd Chapter, The fyrst comfort in tribulacion, may a man take in thys: VVhan he feleth in himselfe a desyre and longyng to be comforted by God.

I Will in my poore mynde assigne for the fyrst comfort, the desier and longing to be by God comforted, and not without some reason call I this the fyrste cause of comforte. For lyke as the cure of that person is in a maner desperate, that hath no will to be cured: so is the discomforte of that person desperate, y ^t desireth not his own cōforte.

And here shal I note you two kyndes of folke that are in tribulacion and heauines. One sorte that will seke for no comfort, an other sorte that wil. And yet of those that will not, are there also two sortes. For fyrst one sort there are, that are so drowned in sorowe, that they fall into a careles deadlye dulnes.

Regarding nothing, thinking almoste of nothyng, no more than if they laye in a letarge, with whiche it may so fall, that witte and remembraunce will weare away, and fall euen fayre from them. And this com­fortles kinde of heauines in tribulacion, is the hygh­est kinde of the deadlye sinne of slothe. An other sorte are there, that will seke for no comforte, nor yet none receiue, but are in their tribulacion (be it losse or sick­nes) so testie, so fumishe, and so farre oute of all paci­ence, that it boteth no mā to speake to them, and these are in a maner with impaciēce, as furious as though they were in halfe a frenesie, and may with a custome of such facioned behauiour, fall in therto ful & whole. And thys kinde of heauines in tribulacion, is euen a mischieuous high braunche of the mortal sinne of yre.

Than is there as I tolde you, an other kynde of folke, which faine woulde be comforted, and yet are [Page] they of two sortes to. One sort are those, that in theyr sorowe seke for worldly comfort: and of them shall we now speake the lesse for the diuers occasions that we shal after haue, to touche thē in moe places than one. But this will I here saye, that I learned of Saynct Barnard. He that in tribulaciō turneth himselfe vn­to worldly vanities, to geat hel [...]e & comfort by them: fareth lyke a man that in perill of drowning catcheth whatsoeuer cometh next to hand, and that holdeth he fast be it neuer so simple a sticke, but than that helpeth him not: for y ^e sticke he draweth downe vnder the wa­ter with him, & there lye they drowned bothe together.

So surely if we custome our selfe to put our trust of coumfort in the delyte of these pieuishe worldelye thinges God shal for that foule fault suffre our tribu­lacion to growe so great, that all the pleasures of this worlde shall neuer beare vs vp, but all oure pieuishe pleasure shal in y ^e depth of tribulaciō drown with vs.

The other sorte is I saye, of those that long and desyre to bee coumforted of GOD. And as I tolde you beefore, they haue an vndoubted greate cause of coumforte, euen in that poynte alone, that they considre themselfe to desyre and longe to bee by al­myghtye God coumforted: Thys mynde of theyrs may wel be cause of great comfort vnto them for two great consideracions. The one is, that they see them­selfe seeke for their coumfort where they cannot fayle to finde it. For God both can geue them comfort, and wil. He can for he is almightie: he wil, for he is al good [...] and hath himselfe promised, Petite et accipietis. Aske and ye shall haue. He that hathe fayth (as he must nedes haue that shal take comfort) cannot doubt but that God wil surely kepe his promise. And therfore hath he a greate [Page] cause to be of good comfort, as I say, in that he cons [...] ­dereth that he longeth to be comforted by hym, which his faith maketh him sure, wil not fayle to cōfort him.

But here considre this that I speake here of hym that in tribulacion longeth to bee comforted by God: and it is he that referreth the maner of his cōfortyng to God, holding himselfe content, whether it be by the taking away or the minyshment of the tribulacion it self, or by the geuing him pacience and spiritual con­solacion therein. For of hym that onelye longeth to haue god take his trouble from him, we cannot so wel warrant that minde for a cause of so greate comfort. For both may he desyre that, that neuer mindeth to be the better, & may misse also the effect of his desyre be­cause his request is happely not good for himself. And of this kind of longing & requiring, we shal haue oc­casiō farther to speake herafter. But he which refer­ring the maner of his comforte vnto God, desireth of god to be cōforted asketh a thing so lawfull & so plea­sant vnto god, that he cannot fayle to spede, & there­fore hath he (as I saye) great cause to take comfort in the very desyre it selfe.

An other cause hath he to take of that desire, a very great occasion of comfort. For sith his desyre is good, and declareth vnto himself that he hath in god a good faith: it is a good token vnto him y ^• he is not an abiect cast out of gods gracious fauour while he perceiueth y ^• god hath put such a verteous well ordred appetite in his mind. For as euery euil mind cometh of y ^e worlde and our selfe, and the Deuill: so is euerye such good mynde eyther immediately, or by the meane of oure good Aungell or other gracious occasyon, inspyred into mannes hearte by the goodnes of God hymselfe. [Page] And what a comfort than may this be vnto vs, whan we by that desyre perceyue a sure vndoubted token, that toward our final saluacion our Sauiour is him­selfe so graciously busy about vs?

¶The fourth Chapter. That tribulacion is a meane to dravve men to that good mynd to desyre and long for the comfort of God.

FOrsoothe good vncle, this good mynde of lon­gyng for Gods comfort, is a good cause of great comfort in dede: our lord in tribulacion send it vs. But by this I see wel, y ^t woe may thei be, which in tribulacion lacke that mind and that desyre, not to be comforted by God, but are either of slouth or impaci­ence discomfortlesse, or of folye seeke for theyr chiefe ease and comfort any where elles.

That is, good cosyn, verye trewe, as long as they stand in that state. But than must you consider, that tribulacion is yet a meane to dryue hym from that state. And that is one of the causes for whiche God sendeth it vnto man. For albeit that payn was ordeyned of God for the punyshmente of synnes (for whiche they that neuer can nowe but sinne, can ne­uer be but euer punished in hell) yet in thys worlde, in whiche his high mercy geueth men space to be better, the punyshmente by tribulacion that he sendeth [...] ser­ueth ordinarily for a meane of amendment.

Sainct Paule was himselfe sore agaynst Chryst, tyll Christ gaue him a great fall and threw him to the ground, and strake him starke blynde: and with that tribulacion he turned to him at the fyrst woorde, and God was his phisicion, and healed hym soone after both in body and soule by his Minister Ananias, and [Page] made him his blessed Apostle. Some are in the begin­ning of tribulacion verye stubborne and stiffe against god, and yet at length tribulacion bringeth thē home. The proude King Pharao dyd abyde and endure two or thre of the first plages, and would not once s [...]oupe at thē. But then god layd on a sorer lashe that made him crye to him for helpe, and then sente he for Moyses and Aaron, and confessed him selfe a synner, and god for good and righteous, and praid thē to praie for him, and to withdrawe that plage, and he would let thē go. But when his tribulacion was withdrawen, than was he naught agayne. So was his tribulacion occasion of his profyt, and his helpe againe cause of his harme. For his tribulacion made him cal to god, and his helpe made hard hys heart againe. Many a man that in an easy tribulacion falleth to seke his ease in y ^e pastime of worldly fantasyes, fyndeth in a greater paine al those comfortes so feble, that he is faine to fall to the seking of goddes helpe. And therefore is I saye, the very tri­bulacion it selfe many tymes, a meane to bringe the man to the takyng of the afore remembred comforte therin: that is to witte, to the desyer of comfort geuē by god, which desyre of goddes comfort is as I haue proued you, greate cause of comforte it selfe.

¶The fifthe Chapter. The speciall meanes to geat this firste comforte in Tribulacion.

HOwe be it, though the tribulacion it selfe be a meane oftē times to geat man this first com­forte in it: yet it selfsome time alone bringeth not a man to it. And therefore syth withoute this comforte firste had, there can in tribulacion none other good comforte come forth, we muste laboure the meanes y ^t this first comfort maye come. And therunto [Page] semeth one, that if the man of sloth or impacience, or hope of worldly comfort haue no minde to desyre and seke for comfort of god, those that are his frendes that come to visite and comforte him, must afore al thinge put that point in his minde, and not spend the time (as they commenly do) in trifling and turning him to the fantasies of the worlde. They must also moue him to praye god put this desire in his minde, which whē he getteth once, he than hath the first cōfort. And wyth­out doubte (if it be wel considered) a comforte merue­lous great. His frendes also that thus counsaile him must vnto thatteyning therof helpe to praye for him, them selfe, & cause him to desyer good folke to helpe him to pray therfore. And than if these wayes be takē for the getting, I nothing doubt but the goodnes of god shal geue it.

¶The .vi. Chapter. It suffiseth not that a man haue a desier to be comforted by god onely by the taking a [...]aye of the tribulacion.

Uerely me thinketh good vncle that this coūsayle is very good. For except the person haue first a desire to be cōforted by god, els cā I not se what it can auaile to geue him any further counsayle of any spiritual cōforte: howe be it what if the mā haue this desier of gods comfort, that is to wytte, that it maye please god to comfort him in his tribulaciō by taking that tribulacion frō him, is not this a good desier of goddes comfort & a desire sufficient for him that is in tribulacion?

No Cosin that is it not. I touched before a word of this point & passed it ouer, because I thought it woulde fall in our waye agayne, and so wote I well it wil ofter than once. And nowe am I glad that you moue it me here your self. A mā maie many times [Page] well and wythout sinne desier of god the tribulacion to be taken from him, but neither maye we desier that in euery case, nor yet very wel in no case (except very fewe) but vnder a certayne condicion, either expressed or implied. For tribulaciōs are ye wote well of manye sōdry kindes: some bi losse of goods or possessiōs some bi y ^• sicknes of our selfe, & some bi the losse of frendes or by some o [...]her paine put vnto our bodyes: some by the dreade of the losing those thinges that we fayne would saue, vnder which feare fall all y ^e same thinges that we haue spoken before. For we maie feare losse of goodes or possessions, or the losse of our frendes, their grief & trouble or our owne: bi sickenes, imprisonmēt or other bodily payn: we may be troubled with y ^e drede of death, and many a good man is troubled most of all with the feare of that thing which he that moste nede hath feareth least of al, y ^t is to wyt, the feare of losinge through deadlye sinne y ^e life of his seli soule. And this last kind of tribulacion as the sorest tribulacion of all, though we touche here & there some pieces therof be­fore, yet y ^e chief part & the principal point wil I reserue to treate apart effectually y ^t matter in y ^e last ende. But nowe as I said where y ^e kindes of tribulaciō are so di­uers some of this tribulaciō. A mā may pray god take frō him & take some cōfort in the trust y ^e god wil so do, and therefore against hungre, sycknes, & bodily hurte & against the losse of eyther bodye or soule men maye lawfully many times pray to y ^e goodnes of God either for thē self or their frend. And toward this purpose, are expressely prayed many deuout or [...]sons in y ^e comē ser­uice of our mother holy church. And toward our helpe in some of these thinges serue some of y ^e peticiōs in y ^e [Page] Pater noster, wherein we praye daylye for oure daylye foode, and to be preserued from the fal in temptacion, and to be deliuered from euyll. But yet maye we not alwaye praye for the takyng awaye from vs of euery kynd of temptaciō. For if a man should in euery syck­nes praie for his health againe, when shoulde he show him selfe content to die, and to depart vnto god? and y ^t mynde must a man haue ye wote wel, or els it wil not be wel. One tribulaciō is it to good mē to feele in thē selfe the conflicte of the fleshe agaynste the soule, the rebelliō of sensualitie against the rule and gouernāce of reason, the reliques that remayne in mankynde of olde original sinne, of whiche Saynt Paule so sore cōplayneth in his Epystle to the Romaines. And yet maye we not praye while we stand in this lyfe, to haue [...] this kynde of tribulacion vtterly taken from vs. For it is lefte vs by goddes ordināce to striue agaynst it, & fight wythal, and by reasō and grace to maister it and vse it for the matter of our meryte. For the saluacion of our soule, maye we boldly praye. For grace may we boldly praye, for faith, for hope and for charitie, and for euery such vertue as shall serue vs to heauen w [...]rd. But as for all other thinges before remēbred, in which is contayned the matter of euery kind of tribulacion, we maye neuer wel make prayers so presysely, but that we must expresse or imploy a condicion therein: that is to wytte, that if god see, y ^e contrary better for vs, we re­ferre it whole to his wyl: and in stede of our gr [...]efe ta­kyng awaye, praye that god maie send vs of his good­nes eyther spiritual cōfort to take it gladly, or strēgth at the least waies, to beare it paciently. For if we deter­mine wyth our selfe that we wyl take no comforte in nothing, but in the taking of our tribulacion frō vs, [Page] thā eyther prescribe we to god that we wyl he shall no better turne do vs though he would, than we wil our selfe appointe him, or els doe we declare, y ^t what thing is best for vs, our selfe cā better tel than he. And ther­fore I saye, lette vs in tribulacion desyer his com­forte and helpe, and lette vs remitte the maner of that coumforte vnto hys owne hyghe pleasure: whiche when we doe, lette vs nothing doubte, but that lyke as hys hyghe wysdome better seeth what is beste for vs, than we can see our self: so shal his souereygne good­nes geue vs the thing that shal in dede be best. For els if we wyll presume to stand to our owne choise (except it so be) that god offer vs she choyse him selfe, as he dyd to Dauid in the choyse of his owne punishment. after his highe pride conceiued in the nombrynge of his people, we maye folishely chose the wors [...]e: and by the prescribing vnto god our selfe so precyselye what we wyl that he shal do for vs (except that of his gracy­ous fauour he reiect our folly) he shal for indignacion graunt vs our owne requeste, and after shall we well fynde that it shal turne vs to harme. Howe many mē attayne healthe of bodye that were better for theyr soules helth their bodies wer sicke stil? How many get out of prison y ^t happe on such harme abrode, as y ^e prisō should haue kept thē fro? How mani y ^t haue been lothe to lese their worldlye goodes, haue in kepinge of theyr goods sone after lost their life? So blīd is our mortalitie & so vnware what wil fal, so vnsure also what maner mind we wyl haue to morow, y ^t god coulde not lightlye do mā a more vengeaunce, than in this world to graūt him his own folishe wyshes. What wit haue we poore fooles to wyt what wil serue vs, whā y ^e blessed apostle him self in his sore tribulacion, praying thryse vnto [Page] god to take it away frō him, was aunswered again by god, [...]n a maner y ^t he was but a foole in asking that re­quest, but y ^t the helpe of goddes grace in y ^t tribulacion to strength him, was farre better for him thā to take y ^e tribulacion frō him. And therfore by experiēce percei­uing wel the truth of y ^e lesson, he geueth vs good war­ning not to be to bold of our own mindes, whē we re­quire ought of god not to be precyse in our askinges, but referre the choyse to god at his owne pleasure. For his owne holy spryte so sore desyreth our weale, y ^t as men myght saye, he groneth for vs, in such wyse as no tong can tell. Nos autem (sayeth Saynt Paule) quid o­ [...]em us vtoportet, nessimus, sed ipse spiritus postulat pro nobis gemitibus inenar­rabilibus. We what we maye praye for y ^t were behouable for vs, can not our selfe tel: but the sprite him selfe de­sireth for vs with vnspekable gronynges, & therfore I saye for conclusion of this point, let vs neuer aske of god precisely our owne ease by deliuering vs from our tribulaciō, but pray for his aide & cōforte by, which wayes him selfe shal best lyke, and than maye we take cōforte of our own such requeste. For both be we sure that this mind cōmeth of god, & also be we very sure y ^t as he beginneth to worke with vs, so (but if our selfe flytte from him) he wyl not fayle to tarie wyth vs, and thā he dwelling w ^t vs, what trouble can do vs harme? Si deus nobiscum quis contra nos? If god be with vs saith saint Paule, who can stande against vs?

¶The .vii. Chapter. A great comfort maye be in tribulacion, that euery tribul [...]cion is, if vve our selfe vvyl, a thing either medicinable, or els more then medicinable.

YOu haue good vncle well opened & declared the question y ^• I demaūded you, y ^t is to wyt, what ma­ner of comforte a mā might praye for in triblaciō, & [Page] nowe procede forth good vncle, and shewe vs yet far­ther some other spiritual comfort in tribulacion.

This may be, thinketh me good cosin great comforte in tribulacion, that euery trybulacion which any time falleth vnto vs, is either sent to be medicina­ble if men wil so take it, or maye become medicinable if men will so make it, or is better thā medicinable, but if we wil forsake it.

Surely this is very comfortable if we may well perceyue it.

These thre thinges that I telle you, we shal consider thus: euery tribulaciō y ^t we fal in, cometh ei­ther by our owne knowen deseruing dede, bringyng vs therunto as y ^e sycknes y ^t foloweth our intemperate surfayte, or the prisonment or other punishement put vpon a man for his heynous cryme, or els is it sente vs by god without any certaine deseruing cause opē and knowen vnto our selfe, eyther for punishment of som sinnes passed. Certainly we know not for which, or for preseruing vs frō some sinnes in which we were els lyke to fal, or finally for no respecte of the mannes sinne at al, but for y ^e profe of his paciēce and encrease of his meryte. In all the former cases tribulacion is (if he wil) medicinable: in this last case of al it is better than medicinable.

¶The .viii. Chapter. The declaracion larger concerning them that fal in tribulacion by their ovvne knovven faulte, and that yet such tribulacion is medicinable.

THis semeth me very good good, vncle, sauing y ^t it semeth somewhat brief and short, & therby me thinketh somewhat obscure and da [...]ke.

We shal therfore to geue it light withal touch euery member somewhat more at large: One mēber is you wot [...] wel of thē y ^t fal in tribulaciō thorow theyr [Page] owne certayn wel deseruing dede open and knowne vnto thē selfe, as where we fal in a sickenes, folowing vpon our owne glotonous feastyng, or a man that is punyshed for his owne open faulte. These tribulaci­ons loe, and such other lyke, albeit that they maye seme dyscomfortable in that a man maye be sorye to thinke him selfe the cause of his own harme: yet hath he good cause of comforte in thē, if he consydre that he maye make them medicinable for him (if him selfe will.) For where as there was dewe to that sinne (ex­cept it were pourged here) a farre greater punishemēt after this world in an other place: This wordly try­bulaciō of payne & punishmēt, by goddes good prouisi­on for him put vpō him here in this world before, shal by the meane of Christes passion (if the mā wil in true faith and good hope, by meke and pacient sufferance of his tribulacion so make it) serue him for a sure me­dicine to cure him and clerely dyscharge him of al the sicknes and disease of those paynes, that els he should suffer after. For suche is the greate goodnes of al­myghty god, that he punisheth not one thinge twyse. And albeit so that this punishment is put vnto y ^e mā, not of his own eleccyon and fre choyce, but so by force as he would faine auoide it, and falleth in it aginst his wil, & therfore scantly worthy no thanke: yet so farre passeth the greate goodnes of god the poore vnper­fite goodnes of mā, y ^t though mē make theyr rekening one here with an other: such, god yet of his hygh boū ­tye in mannes accoumpte toward him, alloweth it for otherwise. For though a man fall in his payne by his own faulte, and also fyrst agaynst his wyl, yet as sone as he confesseth his faulte, and applyeth his wil to be content to suffer that pain & punishmēt for the same, & [Page] waxeth sory, not for y ^t onely that he shal sustayn suche punishment: but for y ^t also, that he hath offended God, and therby deserued much more. Our lord frō y ^t time counteth it not for paine taken against his wyll, but it shalbe a merueilous good medicine, & worke as a wil­lingly taken payne the purgacion and clensing of his soule with gracious remission of his sinne, and of the farre greater payne, y ^t els had bene prepared therfore peraduenture in hel for euer. For many there are vn­doubtedly that would els driue forth and dye in their deadly sinne, which yet in such tribulaciō feling theyr own fraylety so effectually, and the false flatte [...]ing world failing thē, so fully turne goodly to god, and cal for mercye, & by grace make vertue of necessitie, and make a medicine of their maladi, taking their trouble mekely, and make a right godly ende. Consider well the story of Acham that cōmitted sacrilege at y ^e greate citie of Hierico wherupō god toke a great vengeance vpon the children of Israell, and after tolde thē the cause, and bad thē go seke the fault and trye it out by lottes, when the lot fell vpō the very man that did it, being tryed by the fallyng fyrst vpon his trybe, & than vpon his house, and finally vpon his person: he might wel see that he was deprehended, and taken against his wil, but yet at y ^e good exhortaciō of Iosue, saying vnto hym. Fili mi, da gloriam deo Israel, & confitere & indica mihi quid feceris & neabscondas. Mine own sonne, geue glori to y ^e god of Israel, and confesse and shewe me what thou hast done, and hide it not. He cōfessed humbly the thefte, and mekely toke his death therfore, & hadde, I doubt not, both strēgth & comforte in his paine, & died a ve­ry good mā (which if he had neuer come in tribulaciō had bene in perel neuer hapli to haue had iust remorce therof in al his whole life, but might haue died wrechedly [Page] & gone to y ^e deuil eternally, & thus made this thefe a good medicine of his wel deserued paine & tribulaciō. Cōsider y ^• wel conuerted thefe y ^• honge on Christes right hand, did not he (by his meke sufferaūce & hūble knowlege of his fault asking forgeuenes of god & yet cōtēt to suffer for his sī) make of his iust punishmēt & wel deserued trybulaciō, a very good special medicine to cure him of all payn in thother world, & wyn him e­ternal saluaciō: & thus I say, y ^t this kinde of tribula­ciō though it seme y ^e most base & the least cōfortable, is yet (if y ^e mā wil so make it) a very meruelous holesom medicine & may therfore be to y ^e mā y ^t wyl so consider it, a great cause of comfort and spiritual consolacion.

The .ix. Chapter. The second point, that is to vvitte, that tribulacion that is sente vs by God vvithout any open certaine deseruing cause knovvne to our selfe, and this kynd of tribulacion is medicinable if men vvill so take it [...] and therefore great occasion of comforte.

UErely myne vncle, this firste kinde of tribula­cion haue you to my minde opened sufficiently, & therefore I pray you resort now to the secōd.

The second kinde was you wote wel of such tribulaciō as is so sent vs by god, y ^t we know no cer­tayn cause deseruing y ^t presēt trouble as we certainly know y ^t vpō such a surfit we fel in such a sicknes, or as y ^e thefe knoweth y ^• for such a certaine theft he is fallē into such a certain punishemēt: but yet sith we seldom lack faults against god, worthy & wel deseruing great punishmēt: in dede we may wel thinke, & wisdom it is so to doe, that w ^t sin we haue deserued it, and that god for some sinne sende [...]h it though we certainly knowe not our self for whych, & therfore as yet thus farforth is this kind of tribulaciō somewhat in effect in com­fort to be takē like vnto y ^e other: for this as you se if we thus wil take it, wel reckening it to be sent for sin & suffering it mekely therfore, ī medicinable against y ^e [Page] paine in the other world to come, for our sinnes in this worlde passed: whiche is as I shewed you [...] a cause of right great cōfort. But yet may thā this kind of tribu­laciō be to some mē of more sober liuing, & therby of y ^• more clere cōsciēce sōwhat a litle more cōfortable: for though thei may none otherwise re [...]kin them self thā sinners (. For as Saint Paul saith. Nulliu [...] mihi consius sum se [...] non in hoc iustificatus sum. My cōscyence grudgeth me not of any thing, but yet am I not therby iustified. And as Saint Ihō sayth. Si dixerimus quia pecc [...]tum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus & veritas in nohis non est. If we saye y ^t we haue no sin in vs, we beguyle our self and trouth is there not in vs) yet for as much as y ^e cause is to: thē not so certayn as it is to y ^e other afore remēbred in y ^e first kind, & y ^t it is also certain y ^t god sōtime sēdeth tribulaciō for kepīg & preseruing a mā frō such sin, as he should els fal in, & somtime also for excercise of their paciēce & encrease of merite: great cause of encrease in cōfort haue those folke of the clearer conscience in the feruoure of their tribulacion, in that they make the comfort of a double medicine, and of that is the kind which we shal finally speake of that I [...]al better than medicinable, but as I haue before spokē of this kind of tribulaciō howe it is medicinable in y ^t it cureth y ^e sin passed, & purchaseth re­missiō of y ^e pain dew therfore, so let vs somewhat cōsi­der how this tribulacion sent vs by god is medicina­ble, in y ^t it preserueth vs frō y ^e sinnes into whiche w [...] were els like to fal, if y ^t thīg be a good medicine y ^t restoreth vs our helth whē we lese it: as good a medicine muste this nedes be y ^t preserueth our helth while we haue it, & suffreth vs not to fal into y ^e painful siknes y ^t must after driue vs to a painful plaister. Nowe seeth god sōtime y ^t worldly welth is w ^t one (y ^t is yet good) cō ­ming vpō him so fast that for seing how much weight of worldly welth the man maye beare [...] and how much [Page] wil ouercharge him, and enhaunce his heart vp so hie, y ^e grace should fal frō him. Loe, god of his goodnes I saye preuēteth his fal, & sendeth him tribulaciō betime while he is yet good to garre hym ken his maker, and by lesse liking y ^• false flattering world, set a crosse vpō y ^e ship of his heart, & beare a low saile therō, y ^t y ^e boiste­rous blast of pr [...]de blow him not vnder y ^e water. Some young louely lady loe, y ^t is yet good inough, god seeth a storme come toward hir, y ^t would (if her helth & hir fatte feding should a litle lenger last) strike her into some letcherous loue, & ī stede of her old acquainted knight lay her a bed with a new acquaynted knaue. But god louing her more tēderly thā to suffer her fal into such shameful beastly sinne, sendeth her in seasō a goodly fayre feruent feuer, y ^t maketh her bones to rattel and wasteth away her wantō flesh [...] & bewtifieth her fayre fel, with y ^e colour of a kightes claw, & maketh her loke so louely, y ^t her louer would haue litle luste vpon her, & make her also so lusty [...] y ^t if her louer laie in her lap she should so sore lōg to breake vnto him y ^e very bottome of her stomake, that she should not be able to refrain it frō him, but sodeinly lay it al in his necke. Did not as I before shewed you y ^e blessed apostle himself cōfesse y ^t y ^e high reuelaciōs y ^t god had geuē him, might haue en­haūced hī into such high pride, y ^t he might haue caught a foule fal, had not y ^e prouidēt goodnes of god proui­ded for his remedi? And what was his remedy, but a painful tribulaciō, so sore y ^t he was faine thrise to cal to god to take y ^e tibulaciō from h [...]m: & yet would not god graūt his request, but let him lye so lōg therin [...] tyl him self y ^t saw more in Saint Paule thē saint Paule saw in himself [...] wist wel y ^e time was come in which he might wel w ^tout his harme take it frō him: & [...] thus you se good [Page] Cosin, that tribulacion is double medicine, both a cure of the synne passed, and a preseruatiu [...] fro the synne y ^t is to come. And therfore in this kind of tribulacion is there good occasion of double comforte: but that is (I saye) diuersly to sundry diuers folkes, as their owne conscience is with syn combred or clere. Howbeit I wyl aduise no mā to be so bold as to thinke y ^t theyr tri­bulacion is sente them to kepe them fro the pryde of theyr holines. Let men leaue that kynde of comforte hardly to Sainct Paul, tyll their liuing be lyke: but of the remnaunt maye men wel take great comfort and good beside.

¶The .x. Chapter. Of the thirde kynde of tribulacion vvhiche is not sent a man for his synne, but for exercyse of his pacience and encrease of his merite, vvhich is better than medicinable.

THe thyrde kynde vncle that remaineth now be­hind, that is to wit, which is sent to a mā by god, and not for his synne, neither committed, nor whiche would els come, and therefore is not medicinable, but sente for exercise of our pacience, and encrease of oure merite: and therfore better than medicinable, though it be as you say, and as in dede it is better for the man thā ani of y ^e other two kindes in another world, where their reward shalbe receued: yet can I not se by what reason a man may in this world where the tribulaciō is suffred, take any more comfort therin, than in anye of the other twaine that are sent a man for his sinne: sith he can not here know, whether it be sēt him for sin before committed, or sin that els should fall, or for en­crease of meri [...]e and reward after to come. Namelye [Page] sith euery man hath cause inough to feare and thinke y ^• his sinne alreadye passed hath deserued it, and that it is not without peril a man to thinke otherwyse.

This y ^t you say Cosin, hath place of truth, in farre the most part of mē, & therfore must thei not ē ­ [...]y nor disdain (sith they may take in their tribulaciō, consolacion for their part sufficient) y ^t some other that more be worthy, take yet a great deale more. For as I told you Cosin, though y ^e best mā must cōf [...]sse himself a sinner, yet be there many mē (though to the number few) y ^t for y ^e kind of their liuing, & therby y ^• clerenes of their cōsci [...]nce may wel & without sinne haue a good hope y ^• god sēdeth thē some great grief for exercise of their pacience, & for increase of their merite, as it appe­reth not only by. S. Paul, in y ^e place before remēbred: but also by y ^• holy mā Iob, whiche in sundry places of dispiciōs w ^t his burdenous cōforters, letted not to sai, that y ^• clerenes of his own cōscience declared & shew­ed to hīself y ^t he deserued not y ^e sore tribulaciō y ^t he thā had: howbeit as I told you before, I wil not aduise eue­ri mā at au [...] ̄ture to be bold vpō this maner of cōfort. But yet some mē I know, suche as I durste (for their more ease & cōfort in their gret & grieuous paines) put thē in right good hope, y ^t god sēdeth it vnto thē: not so much for their punishmēt, as for exercise of their pacy­ence. And some tribulacions are there also y ^t grow vpō such causes, y ^t in those cases I w [...]uld neuer let, but al­wai would w ^tout any doubt, geue y ^t coūsel & comfort to any mā.

What causes good vncle be those?

Mary Cosin, whersoeuer a man falleth in tribulaciō for y ^e maintenaūce of iustice, or for y ^e defence of gods cause. For if I should hap to find a mā y ^t had lōg liued a very verteous life, & had at y ^• last happed to [Page] fall into the Turkes handes & there did abide by the truth of his faith, & with the suff [...]ing of al kinde of tor­mētes taken vpon his body stil did teache & testify the truth if I should in his passiō geue him spiritual com­fort might I be bolde to tel him no farther, but that he should take pacience in his pain, & that god sendeth it him for his sinne, & that he is wel worthy to haue it al­though it wer yet much more: he might thē wel answer me, & such other cōforters, as Iob āswered his. Onerosi consolatores estis vos. Eurdenous & heauye cōforters be you. Nay I would not faile to bid hī boldly, while I should se him in his passiō, cast sin & hel & purgatory & al vpō y ^• deuils pate, & dout not but like as if he gaue ouer his hold, al his merite wer lost & he turned to misery: so yf he s [...]and & perseuer stil in the cōfession of his faith all his whole pain shal turne all into glory. Ye more shall I yet say thē this: y ^• if there wer a chris [...]en mā, that had among those infidels [...] cōmitted a very deadly crime, such as wer worthy death, not by their lawes only, but by Chrstes to, as māslaughter, or adultry, or such other thing like, if whē he wer taken, he wer offred pardon of his life, vpō condicion y ^t he [...] should forsake y ^e faith of Christ: if this mā would now rather suffer death thā so do, should I cōfort hī in his pain, but as I would a ma­lefactor: Nay this mā though he should haue dyed for his sinne, dieth now for Christes sake, while he might liue stil if he would forsake him. The bare pacient ta­king of his deth, should haue serued for y ^e satisfacciō of his sin through y ^e merite of Christes passion, I meane without help of which no pain of our own could be sa­tisfactory. But now shal Christ for his forsakīg of his own life, in y ^e honor of his faith, forgeue y ^e pain of al his sinnes, of his mere liberalitie, & accept all the paine of [Page] his death, for merite of reward in heauen, and shal as­signe no part therof to the paimēt of his debt in pur­gatorie, but shal take it al as an offring, and requite it al with glory: and this man amonge Christen men, al had he bene beefore a deuill, nothyng after woulde I doubt to take him for a Marter.

Uerely good vncle me thinketh this is sayd meruelously wel, and it specially deliteth and comfor­teth me to heare it, because of our principal feare that I fyrst spake of the Turkes cruell incursion into this countrey of ours.

Cosin, as for y ^e matter of that feare I pur­pose to touche last of al: nor I ment not here to speake therof, had it not bene for the vehemencie of your ob­ieccion brought it in my way. But rather would I els haue putte some exaumple for this place, of suche as suffer tribulacions for maintenaūce of right & iustice, and that rather chose to take harme, than doe wronge in any maner of matter. For surely if a man maye (as in dede he may) haue great comfort in the clerenes of his conscience, that hath a false crime put vpon hym, and by false witnes proued vpon him, & he falsly puni­shed, and put to worldly shame and paine therfore: an hūdreth times more coūfort may he haue in his heart, that where whyte is called blacke, and ryght is called wronge, abydeth by the trueth and is persecuted for iustyce.

Than if a man sewe me wrongfully for my owne lande in whiche my selfe haue good right, it is a comforte yet to defende it well, syth god shall geue me thanke therefore.

Naye naye Cosin naye, there walke you somewhat wyde: for there you defende your own [Page] ryghte for youre temporall auayle: and syth S. Paule counsayleth, Non vosmet defendentes charissimi. Defende not your selfe my moste dere frendes. And oure sauioure coūsayleth. Si qui vult tecum iudicio contendere & tunic [...] tuam totlere, dimitte ei & pallium. If a man wil stryue with the at the law and take away thy coate, leaue hym thy gowne to. The defence therfore of our owne right asketh no reward. Say you spede well if you geat leaue, looke hardely for no thanke [...] But on the other side if you doe as S. Paule biddeth, Querentes non que sua sunt sed que aliorum. Seke not for youre owne profite but for other folkes: but de­fend therfore of pitie a poore widowe or a poore father­les child, & rather suffer sorowe by some strong extor­cyoner than suffer them take wrong. Or yf you be a Iudge and wyll haue suche zeale to Iustyce that you wyll rather abyde tribulacion by the malice of some mightie man than iudge wrong for hys fauoure: suche tribulacions lo bee those that are better than onely medicinable, & euery man vpō whom they fall may be bolde so to reckē thē: and in hys depe trouble may wel say to himself y ^e wordes y ^t Christ hath taught him for hys comforte [...] Beati misericorde [...] quoniam misericordiam consequentu [...]. Blessed be y ^e mercifull men for they shall haue mercy geuē them. Beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iusticiam quoniam ipsorum est regnum celorum. Blessed be they that suffer perse­cucyon for Iustice, for theirs is the kyngdome of heauen. Heare is an highe comfort lo for them that are in the case. And in this case their own conscyence can shewe yt them and so may fulfyll their heartes with spirituall ioye that the pleasure maye farre sur­mount the heauines and the grefe of al their temporal trouble. But goddes nearer cause of fayth agaynste the Turkes haue yet a farre passyng comforte that [Page] by mani degrees farre excelleth this which as I haue [...]d I purpose to treate laste: and for this tyme thys [...]u [...]fiseth concerning the speciall comfort that mē may take in this thyrd kinde of tribulacion.

¶The .xi. Chapter. An other kynde of comforte yet in the base kynde of tribul [...]cion sent for our synne.

OF trouth good vncle, albeit y ^t euery of these kindes of [...]ribulacions haue cause of comfort in thē as you haue wel declared, if mē wil so considre them: yet hath this thyrd kinde aboue all a speciall prerogatiue therin.

That is vndoubtedly true, but yet is there not good Cosyn the moste base kynde of them all, but that it hath moe causes of comfort then I haue spokē of yet. For I haue you wote well in that kynde that is sent vs for our synne, spoken of none other comforte yet but twayn: that is to witte, one that it refrayneth vs from the synne that els we woulde fall in, and in that serueth vs through the merite of Christes passiō as a meane by whiche God kepeth vs from hell, and serueth for the satisfaccion of suche payne as els we shoulde endure in purgatorye. Howbeit there is ther­in an other great cause of ioye besides this: For sure­ly those paines here sent vs for our sinnes in whatso­euer wise they happen vnto vs, be our synne neuer so sore, nor neuer so open and euidente vnto oure selfe and all the worlde to, yet if we praye for grace to take it mekely and paciently, and confessing to god that it is farre ouer litle for our fault, beseche hym yet neuer­thelesse y ^t sith we shall come hence so void of al good workes wherof we should haue any reward in heauē [Page] to bee, not onely so mercyfull to vs as to take that oure presente tribulacion in reliefe of oure paynes in purgatory: but also so gracious vnto vs as to take our pacience therein for a matter of merite and rewarde in heauen. I verely trust, and nothyng doubte it, but God shall of his high bountie graunte vs our boone. For likewise as in hell paine serueth onely for punish­mente withoute any maner of purgeyng, because all possibilitie of purgeyng is passed: and in purgatorye punishmente serueth for onely purgeing, because the place of deseruyng is passed. So whyle we bee yet in this worlde in whiche is oure place and oure time of merite and well deseruyng, the trybulacyon that is sente vs for oure sinne here, shall if we faythfullye so desyre (beside the clensyng and purgeyng of our payn,) serue vs also for encrease of rewarde. And so shall I suppose and truste in Goddes goodnes al such penaunce and good woorkes as a manne willinglye performeth enioyned by his gostlye father in confes­sion, or whiche he willinglye farther doth of his owne deuocyon besyde. For thoughe mannes penaunce with all the good woorkes that he can dooe, be not able to satisfie of them selfe for the leaste synne that we doe, yet the lyberall goodnesse of God through the merite of Chrystes byt [...]er passyon, wythoute whiche all oure woorkes coulde neyther satisfie, nor de­serue, nor yet doe not in dede neither merite nor satis­fye so muche as a sponefull to a greate vessell full in comparyson of the merite and satisfaccion that Christe hath meryted and satysfied for vs himselfe: thys lyberall goodnesse of GOD I saye, shall yet at our faythefull instaunce and requeste, cause [Page] oure penaunce and tribulacion paciently taken in this world to serue vs in the other worlde both for release and rewarde tempored after suche rate as his high goodnes and wisdome shal see conueniently for vs: wherof our blinde mortalite can not here ymagine nor deuise the stynt. And thus hath yet euen the fyrst kind of tribulacion and the moste basse, though not fully so great as the seconde, & very farre lesse than the thyrd farre greater cause of cōfort yet, thā I spake of before [...]

¶The .xii. Chapter. A certaine obieccyon agaynst the thynges aforesayde.

VErely good vncle this lyketh me very well, but yet is there ye wote well some of these thynges nowe broughte in question, for as for any payne dewe fro our sinne to be minished in purgatorye by the paciente sufferaunce of oure tri­bulacion here, there are ye wote well many that vt­terlye denye that and affirme for a sure truth that there is no purgatorye at all. And than is if they saye true, the cause of that comfort gone, if the comfort that we shoulde take bee in vayne and nede not. They saye ye wote well also, that men merite nothyng at al, but God geueth all for faith alone, and that it were sinne and sacriled [...]e to looke for rewarde in heauen eyther for oure pacience and glad sufferyng for Gods sake, or for any other good dede: and than is there gone if this be thus, the other cause of cure farther comforte too.

Cosin, if some thinges were as they be not, thā should some thinges be as they shal not. I can not in dede say naye but that some men haue of late broughte vp some such opinions, and many moe than these be­sydes, [Page] and haue spread them abrode: and albeit that it is a righte heauye thyng to see suche varyaun­ces in oure beliefe rise and growe among oure selfe to the greate encoragyng of the common enemyes of vs all, whereby they haue oure fayth in derision, and catche hope to ouerwhelme vs all, yet doe there three thynges not a litle coumforte my mynde.

The first is, that in some communicacions had of late together, hath appeared good likelihode of some good agremente to growe together in one accorde of oure faith.

The seconde, that in the meane whyle tyll thys maye come to passe, contencyons, despicyons, wyth vn­charitable behauioure, is prohybited and forbydden, in effecte vpon all partes: all suche partes I meane as fell before to fight for it.

The thirde is, that all Germany for all their dyuers opynions, yet as they agree together in profession of Christes name, so agree they nowe together in pre­paracion of a common power, in defence of Christen­dome agaynste oure common enemye the Turke, and I truste to GOD, that thys shall not onely helpe vs here to strength vs in thys warre, but also that as GOD hath caused them to agree together in the defence of hys name, so shall he graciouslye bryng them to agre together in the truth of his faith. Ther [...]fore wyll I lette GOD woorke and leaue of conten [...]cion: and nothyng shall I nowe saye, but that with whiche they that are themselfe of the contrary mynd, shall in reason haue no cause to bee discontented. For fyrste, as for purgatorye thoughe they thynke there be none, yet syth they denye not that all the corps of Chrystendome by so manye hundreth yeares haue [Page] belieued the contrarye: and among them all, the olde interpretours of Scrypture from the Apostles dayes downe to oure owne tyme, of whome they de­ny [...] not manye for holye Saynctes, that I dare not belieue these men againste all those. These men muste of their curtesye holde my poore feare excu­sed, and I beeseche oure Lorde heartelye for them, that whan they departe out of this wretched worlde, they fynde no purgatorye at all, so GOD kepe them from hel. And as for the meryte of manne in hys good woorkes, neyther are they that denye it full agreed among themselfe, nor anye manne is there almoste of them all that sith they beganne to write, hath not somewhat chaunged and varied from hym­selfe: and for the more parte are thus farre agreed wyth vs that lyke as we graunte them that no good woorke is oughte worthe to heauen warde withoute fayth, and that no good woorke of manne is rewarda­ble in heauen of his own nature, but through the mere goodnes of god, that lust to set so high a price vpon so poore a thing: and that this price god setteth throughe Christes passion, and for that also that they be his own [...]orkes with vs. For good workes to godwarde woor­keth no man without god woorke with him: and as we graunte them also that no man maye be proude of his woorkes for his owne vnperfecte woorkyng, and for that in al that manne maye doe, he can doe god no good, but is a seruaunte vnprofitable, and dooeth but his bare duetye: As we I say graunt vnto them these thinges, so this one thyng or twayne doe they graunt vs agayne, that menne are bounde to woorke good workes if they haue tyme and power: and that whoso [Page] woorketh in true fayth moste, shall be moste rewarded. But than set thei therto, that al his rewardes shal be geuen hym for his fayth alone, and nothing for hys woorkes at all, beecause hys fayth is the thyng (they saye) that forceth him to worke well. Stryue wyll I not with them for this matter now, but yet this I trust to the greate goodnesse of God, that if the question hang on that narowe poynte, whyle Christe sayeth in the Scripture in so many places [...] that menne shall in heauen be rewarded for theyr woorkes, he shall neuer suffer oure soules that are but meane witted menne, and can vnderstande his woordes, but as himself hath set them [...] and as olde holye Sainctes hath construed them before, and as all christen people thys thousande yere haue beleued, to be damned for lacke of perceiuing suche a sharpe subtyle thyng: speciallye syth some men that haue right good wyttes and are besyde that right well learned too, can in no wyse perceyue for what cause or why these folke that fro good woorkes take awaye the rewarde, and geue the rewarde all whole to fayth alone: geue the rewarde to fayth rather than to charitye. For thys graunte they themselfe, that fayth serueth of nothyng, but yf she be companyed wyth her sister charitye. And then sayeth the Scrip­ture too, Fides, spes, charitas, tria he [...], maior autem horum, est charitas. Of these three vertues, fayth, hope, and Chary­tye, of all these three, the greateste is Charitie, and therefore as woorthye thanke as fayth. Howebeit as I sayde, I wyll not stryue therefore, nor in dede as oure matter standeth, I shall not greatelye nede. For yf they saye that he whyche suffereth tribulacion or martirdome for the faith, shal haue high [Page] rewarde, not for his woorke, but for his well working fayth: yet syth that they graunte that haue it he shal, the cause of hyghe coumforte in the thyrde kynde of trybulacion standeth, and that is you wote well the ef­fect of all my purpose.

Uerely good vncle this is truelye drieuen and tryed vnto the vttermoste as it semeth me. And therfore I pray you procede at your pleasure.

¶The xiii. Chapter. That a man ought to be comfo [...]table to hymselfe and haue good hope and be ioyful also in tribulacion, appereth vvell by this, that a man hath great cause of feare and heauines that continueth alvvay styll in vvelth, discontinued vvith no tribulacion [...]

COsin, it wer a long worke to peruse euery com­fort that a man may well take of tribulacion. For as manye comfortes you wote well may a man take thereof, as there be good commodi­ties therein: and that there be surely so manye, that it woulde be verye long to rehearse and treate of them. But me semeth we cānot lightly better perceiue what profite and commoditie, and therby what comfort the [...] maye take of it that haue it, than yf we well consyder what harme the lacke is, and thereby what discomfort the lacke therof should be to them that neuer haue it: So is it nowe that all holye menne agree, and all the Scripture is full, and oure own experience pro­ueth at oure iye, that we be not come into thys wret­ched worlde to dwell here, nor haue not as Saincte Paule sayeth, oure dwellynge Citye here: but wee be sekyng for that Citie that is to come, and there­fore [Page] Saincte Paule sheweth vs that we dooe seke for it as they that are good folke, and fayne woulde come thyther dooe. For surely whoso setteth so lyttle thereby that he lysteth not to seeke therefore: it wyll I feare me be long ere he come thereat, and merueylous greate grace yf he euer come thyther. Sic [...]urrite, sayeth Sainct Paule Vt comprehendatis. Runne so that you may geat it: If it must than be gotten with runnyng, when shal he come at it that list not steppe towardes it? Now because that this worlde is as I tell you, not our eter­nall dwellyng, but our lytle whyle wanderyng, God woulde that we shoulde in suche wyse vse it, as folke that were wearye of it, and that we shoulde in thys vayle of laboure, toyle teares and myserye, not loke for reste and ease, game, pleasure, wealthe and felicytye. For they that so dooe, fare lyke a fonde felowe, that goyng towardes hys owne house where he shoulde bee wealthye, woulde for a tapsters plea­sure beecome an hostler by the waye, and dye in a sta­ble, and neuer come at home. And woulde GOD that those that drowne them selfe in the desyre of thys worldes wretched wealthe, were not yet more fooles than so. But alas theyr folye as farre pas­seth the foolyshenesse of that other fonde felowe, as there is dystaunce beetwene the heyghte of hea­uen and the veraye depth of hell. For oure Sauy­oure sayeth. Ve vobis qui ridetis nunc, quia lugebitis & flebitis. Woe maye you bee that laughe nowe, for you shall wayle and wepe. Est tempus flendi, (sayeth the Scrypture) & est tempus ridendi. There is tyme of wepyng and there is tyme of laughyng. But as you see, he setteth the weping tyme before, for that is the tyme of this wret­ched worlde, and the laughynge shall come after in [Page] heauen. There is also a tyme of sowyng and a time of reapyng too. Nowe must we in thys worlde sowe, that wee maye in the other worlde reape: and in this shorte sowyng tyme of thys wepyng worlde, muste we water oure sede with the showres of oure teares, and then shall we haue in heauen a merye laughyng harueste for euer. Euntes ibant & flebant (saith the Prophete,) mittentes semina sua. They wente foorth and sowed theyr seedes wepyng, but what sayeth he shall folow ther­of. Venie [...]tes autem venient cum exultacione po [...]ta [...]tes manipulos suo [...]. They shall come agayne more than laughing, wyth greate ioye and exultacion, with theyr handes full of corne in theyr handes. Loe, they that in theyr goyng home towardes heauen, sowe theyr sede with wepyng, shall at the daye of iudgemente come to theyr bodies agayne, wyth euerlastyng plentye laughyng. And for to proue that thys lyfe is no laughyng tyme, but ra­ther the time of wepyng: we finde that oure Sauiour hymselfe weped twyse or thryse, but neuer fynde we that he laughed so much as once. I wyll not sweare that he neuer did, but at y ^e least wise he lefte vs no ensā ­ple of it. But on the other syde, he lefte vs ensaum­ple of weping. Of wepyng haue we matter inough. bothe for oure owne synnes and for other folkes too: for surelye so shoulde we dooe, bewayle theyr wretched synnes, and not be glad to detracte them nor enuye them neyther. Alas selye soules, what cause is there to enuie them that are euer wealthye in this worlde, and euer oute of tribulacyon? whiche as (Iob sayeth.) Du [...]unt in bo [...]is dies suos, & in puncto ad inferna descendunt. Leade all theyr dayes in wealthe, and in a momente of an houre descende into theyr graue and be paynefullye bury­ed [Page] in hell. Saincte Paule sayeth vnto the Hebrues that GOD (those that he loueth) he chastyseth. Et flagellat omnem filium quem recipit. And he scourgeth euerye sonne of hys that he receyueth. Sayncte Paule say­eth also. Per multas tr [...]bulaciones oportet nos introire in regnum dei. By manye trybulacyons muste we goe into the king­dome of GOD. And no meruayle, for oure Saui­our Christ sayd of him selfe vnto hys two dysciples that wer goyng into the castle of Emaus. An nesciebatis quia oportebat Christum pati, & sic introire in regnum su [...]m? Knowe you not that Christe muste suffer and so goe into hys kyngdome? and woulde wee that are seruauntes looke for more priuiledge in oure Maysters house, than oure Maister him selfe? Would we [...]eat into hys kyngdome with ease, when he hymselfe gote not into his owne but by payne? Hys kyngdom hath he ordayned for hys discyples, and he sayeth vnto vs all. Qui v [...]lt esse meus discipulus, tollat crucem suam & sequatur me. Y [...] anye manne wyll be my disciple, lette hym learne at me to dooe as I haue done, take his crosse of try­bulacion vpon his backe and folowe me. He saieth not here loe, lette hym laughe and make merye. Nowe if heauen serue but for Chrystes dysciples, and thei be those that take theyr crosse of trybulacyon: when shall these folke come there that neuer haue tribu­lacyon? And if it be true that Saincte Paule saieth, that GOD chastyseth all them that he loueth, and scourgeth euerye chylde whome he receyueth, and to heauen shall none come, but suche as he loueth and receyueth: whan shall they come thyther whom he neuer chastyseth, nor neuer dooeth vouche­safe to fyle hys handes vpon them, and geue them [Page] so muche as one lashe? And yf wee can not (as Saincte Paule sayeth we can not) come to heauen, but by manye trybulacions: howe shal they come thi­ther than, that neuer haue none at all? Thus see we well by the verye Scripture it selfe, howe true the woordes are of olde holye Sainctes, that wyth one voyce in a maner saye al one thing, that is to wit, that we shall not haue bothe contynuall wealth in thys worlde, and in the other too. And therefore, syth they that in thys worlde without anye trybulacion en­ioye their long continuall course of neuer interrup­ted prosperitie, haue a great cause of feare and of dis­coumforte lest they bee farre fallen out of gods fauor, and stande depe in his indignacion and displeasure, whyle he neuer sendeth them trybulacion, whiche he is euer wonte to sende them whome he loueth. They therefore, I saye that are in trybulacion, haue on the other syde a greate cause to take in theyr gryefe great inwarde coumforte and spyrytuall consola­cion.

¶The .xiiii. Chapter. A certaine obieccion, and the ansvver therto.

VErelye good vncle, thys semeth so in dede? howbeit, yet me thynke you saye verye sore in some thynges, concernyng suche persons as are in contynuall prosperitie, and they be you wote well not a fewe, and those are they also that haue the rule and aucthoritye of thys worlde in theyr hande. And I wote well, that when they talke with suche greate connyng menne, as can I trowe tell the trueth: and when they aske them whyther (whyle they make merye here in earth all theyr lyfe) they [Page] maye not yet for all that haue heauen after to: they doe tel them, yes yes well ynough. For I haue heard them tell them so my selfe.

I suppose good Cosyn that no very wyse man, and specially none that very good is therewith will tell any man fully of that fashyon: but surely such as so say to them, I feare me that they flatter them ei­ther for lucre or feare. Some of them thinke perad­uenture thus. This man maketh muche of me now, and geueth me money also to faste and watche & praye for him: but so I feare me would he doe no more if I should goe tell him nowe that all that I doe for hym will not serue him but if he goe faste and watche and praie for himselfe to. For if I should sette therto and saye farther that my diligente intercession for hym, should I trust (be y ^e meane) that god should the soner geue him grace to amende, and fast, and watche, and praye, and take affliccion in his owne body for the bet­tering of hys synfull soule, he woulde bee wonderous wroth with that. For he would be loth to haue any such grace at all as should make him to leaue of any of his mirth and so sitte and mourne for his synne. Suche minde as this lo, haue there some of those that are not vnlerned and haue worldly wit at wil, which tell great men suche tales as perilously beguile them rather then the flatterer that so telleth them woulde with a treue tale ieoperd to lese his lucre.

Some are there also that suche tales tell them for cō ­sideracion of an other feare. For seing the man sette sore on his pleasure that they dispaire any amendment of hym whatsoeuer they shoulde shewe hym, and thā seing also besyde that the man doth no greate harme, but of a gentle nature doth some good mē some good, [Page] they praye god thē selfe to send him grace, and so they let hym lie lame styll in his fleshly lustes, Ad probati­ [...]m piscinam expectantes aque motum [...] At the poole y ^t the gospel speaketh of beside the temple wherin they washed the shepe for the sacrifice: and they tary to see the water stired. And when his good Aungel coming from God shall once beginne to styre the water of his hearte, and moue him to y ^e lowly mekenes of a simple shepe: than if he call them to him, they will tell him an other tale, and helpe to beare him and plounge him into the poole of penaunce ouer y ^e hard eares: but in y ^e meane while, for feare leste whan he woulde waxe neuer the better, he would waxe much the worse: and from gen­tle, smooth, swete & curtice, waxe angrye, roughe, fro­warde and sower: & thereupō be troublous & tedyous to the world to make fayre weather withal: they geue hym fayre woordes for the while, and put him in good comforte, and let hym for the remnaunte stande at his own aduenture. And in such wise deale they with him as the mother doth some tyme with her childe: whiche when the lytle boye will not ryse in time for her, but lie styll a bedde and slugge, and when he is v [...] wepeth be­cause he hath lyen so long, fearing to be beaten at scole for his late coming thither: she telleth hym then that it is but early dayes, and he shall come tyme ynough, and byddeth hym goe good sonne I warraunte thee, I haue sent to thy maister my selfe, take thy bread and butter with thee, thou shalte not bee beaten at all. And thus, so she maye sende hym mery forth at y ^e dore that he wepe not in her sight at home, she studieth not much vpon the matter though he be taken tardye and beatē whē he cometh to scoole. Surely thus I feare me fare there many friers & states chaplaynes to, in [Page] [...]omforte geuing to greate men when they be loth to [...]isplease thē. I cannot commende their thus doing, [...]ut surely I feare me thus they doe.

¶The .xv. Chapter. Other obieccions.

BUt yet good vncle, thoughe some doe thus, this answereth not full y ^e matter: for we see that the whole churche in y ^e cōmō seruice vse diuers col­lectes, in which al mē pray specially for the princes and the prelates, & generally euery m [...] for oth [...]r & for him selfe to, that god would vouchesafe to send thē all per­petual health & prosperitie. And I cannot see no good mā pray god send an other sorow, nor no such prayers are put in y ^e priestes portes, as farre as I can hea [...]e. And yet if it were as you saye good vncle, that perpe­tuall prosperitie were to the soule so perilous, and tri­bulacion therto so fruitefull, than were as me semeth, euery mā boūdē of charitie, not only to pray god sende their neyghbor sorowe, but also to helpe thereto them­selfe, And when folke are sicke, not praye god sende thē health, but when they come to comfort them, they should say I am gladde good gossep y ^t you be so sicke, I pray god kepe you long therin, & neither should any man geue any medicine to an other, nor take any me­d [...]ine himself neither: for by the minishing of the tri­bulacion he taketh awaye parte of the profite from his soule which can with no bodely profite be sufficientlye recōpensed. And also thys wote you wel good vncle, y ^t we reade in holy scripture of men y ^t were welthy and riche, & yet were good withal. Salomō was you wote wel y ^e richest & the most welthy kyng y ^t any mā coulde in hys time tel of, & yet was he welbeloued with God. [Page] Iob was also no beggar perdye, nor no wretche other­wise, nor lost his riches & hys welth, for y ^t God woulde not that his frend should haue welth but for the shewe of hys pacyence to thencrease of hys meryte and con­fusion of the deuil, and for proofe that prosperitie may stand wyth gods fauour, Reddidit deus Iob omnia duplicia. God restored him double of all that euer he loste, and gaue hym after long lyfe to take hys pleasure long.

Abraham was eke you wote wel a man of greate sub­staunce, and so continued all hys lyfe in honor and in welth: yea, and whē he dyed to he wēt vnto such welth that Lazarus whiche died in tribulacion and pouerty, the beste place that he came to was that riche mans bosome. Finally good vncle this we fynde at our iye, and euery daye we proue it by plaine experience, that many a man is right welthy and yet therwith ryghte good: and many a miserable wretche as euill as he is wretched. And therefore it semeth harde good vncle that betwene prosperitie and tribulacion the matter should goe thus, that tribulacion should be geuen al­waye by god to those that he loueth for a sygne of sal­uacion, and prosperite sent for displeasure and a token of eternall damnacion.

¶The .xvi. Chapter. The aunsvvere to the obieccion.

EYther I sayd not Cosyn, or els ment I not to say, that for an vndoubted rule worldlye prosperitie wer alway displeasaunt to god, or tribulacion euermore wholesome to euerye man. For wel wot I that our lord geueth in this world vnto eyther sorte of folke, eyther sorte of fortune. E [...]facit solem suum ori [...]i super bonos et malos, et pluit super iustos et iniustos. He maketh his sunne to shine both vpō the good and [Page] the bad, and his raine to raine both on the iuste and on [...]he vniust. And on the other side, Flagellat omnem filium quem recipit: he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth. And yet he beateth not onely good folke that he loueth, but Multa flagella peccatoris too. There are manye scourges for sinners also: he geueth euyl folke good fortune in this worlde, both to call them by kindenes, and if they therby come not, the more is their vnkindnes: and yet where welth wil not bring thē, he geueth thē sometime sorow. And some y ^t in prosperitie can not to God crepe foreward, in tribulaciō toward him they runne a pace. Multiplicate sunt infirmitates corum postea accelerauerunt. Theyr infir­mities were multyplyed (sayeth the Prophet) and af­ter that they made has [...]e. To some that are good men god sendeth welth here also, and they geue him great thanke for his gift, and he rewardeth them for y ^e thāke to. To some good folke he sēdeth sorow, & they thanke him therof to. If god should geue the goodes of this world onely to euyll folke, thā would men wene y ^• god were not the lord therof. If god would geue y ^e goodes only to good mē, thā would folke take occasiō to serue him but for them. Some will in welth fall into folye. Homo qum in honore esset non intellexit, comparatus est iumentis insipienti­bus, & similis factus est ills. Whā mā was in honoure, his vnder­standing fayled him, than was he cōpared with beastes and made lyke vnto them. Some man wyth tribu­lacion wil fal into sinne, and therfore saith the prophet: Non relinquet dominus virgam peccatorum super sortem iustorum, vt non ex­ [...]endant iustiad iniquitatem manus suas. GOD wil not leaue the rodde of wycked men vpon the lotte of righteous men, lest the righteous peraduenture happe to extende and stretche out their handes to iniquitie. So say I not naye, but that in eyther state, welth or tribulacion maie be matter of vertue and matter of vice also: but [Page] this is the poynt loe, that standeth here in question be­tewene you and me: not whither euery prosperyte be a perylous token, but whither continuall welth in thys world wythout anye triblacion be a fearefull sygne of Goddes indignacion. And therefore thys marcke that we must shoote at, set vp wel in our sight, we shal now mete for the shoote and consider howe neare toward, or howe farre of, your arrowes are from the pricke.

Some of my boltes vncle wyll I take vp my self, and pretely put them vnder your belte againe [...] For some of them I see wel be not worth the metynge, and no great merueyle, though I shoote wyde while I somewhat mystake the marke.

Those y ^t make toward y ^e marke & light farre to short, whē y ^e shote is meatte, shal I take vp for you.

1 To proue that perpetual welth shouldbe no euyl to­ken, you saye fyrste, that for princes and prelates and euery man for other, we praye all for perpetuall prosperyte, and that in the comen prayers of the church too.

2 Thā saye you secondly that if prosperite were so pe­rylous, and tribulacion so profytable, euery man ought then to praye god to send other sorowe.

3 Thirdely you furnishe your obiections with ensā ­ples of Salomon, Iob, and Abraham.

4 And fourthly in thende of al, you proue by experiēce of our owne tyme daylye before our face, that some welthy folke are good, and some nedye verye naught. That las [...]e bolte I thincke loe, that syth I saye the same my self, you be content to take vp, it lyeth so farre wyde.

That wyll I wyth a good wyll vncle.

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Well, doe so good Cosin, and we shall mete for the remanante. Fyrste muste you Cosyn be sure that you looke wel to the marke, and that can you not doe, but if you knowe what thinge tribulacion is. For syth that it is one of the chiefe thynges that we pryncypal­ly speake of but if you consydre well what that is, you maye mysse the marke agayne. I suppose nowe that you wyl agree that tribulation is euery suche thinge as troubleth and greueth a man eyther in bodye or mind: and is, as it were the pricke of a thorne a bram­ble or a bryre thrust into hys fleshe or into his mynd: and su [...]rly Cosin the pricke that verie sore pricketh the minde as farre almost passeth in paine the griefe that payneth the bodye, as dothe a thorne that styckyng in the heart, passe and excede in payne, the thorne that is thruste in the hele.

Nowe Cosin if tribulacion be this that I call it, than shall you sone consider this, that there be moe kindes of tribulacion, than you peraduenture thought on be­fore. And ther vpon it foloweth also, that sythe euerye kynde of trybulacion is an interrupcion of welth and prosperitie, (which is but of wel [...]h, an other name) may be discontinewed by moe wayes than yowe would a­fore haue wente: Than saye I this vnto you Cosin, that syth tribulacion is not onelye suche panges as payne the body, but euerye trouble also that greueth the mynde, manye good men haue manye tribulacy­ons that euerye man markethe not, and consequently theyr welthe interrupted therewythe when other mē are not ware. For trowe you Cosin that the temp­tacyons of the deuyll the worlde and the fleshe soli­cyting [Page] the minde of a good man vnto sinne, is not a great inward trouble & secrete griefe to his heart. To such wretches as care not for theyr conscience, but like vnreasonable beastes folowe theyr foule affeccions, many of these temptaciōs be no trouble at all, but mat­ter of theyr bodily pleasure. But vnto him Cosin that standeth in dreade of god, tribulacion of temptaciō is so paynefull, that to be rydde therof [...] or sure of the vic­tory therin (be his substaunce neuer so great) he would gladly geue more then half. Now if he that careth not for god thinke this trouble but a trifle, and with such tribulacion prosperitie not interrupted: let him cast in his minde if hym selfe happe vpon a feruent longing for the thing which geat he cannot (as a good man will not) as percase hys pleasure of some certaine good woman that wil not be naught, and than let him tel me whether the ruffle of his desier shal so torment his minde, as al the pleasures that he can take besyde, shal for lacke of y ^t one, not please him of a pynne. And I dare be bolde to warraunte him that the payne in resisting, and y ^e great feare of falling y ^• many a good man hath in his temtaciō, is an anguishe and a grief euery deale as great as his.

Nowe saie I farther Cosin, that if this be true, as in very dede true it is, that such trouble is tribulaciō, and therby cōsequently an interrupciō of prosperous welth: no man precysely meaneth to pray for other to kepe him in continual prosperitie without any maner of discōtinuāce or chaūge in this world, so y ^• prayer w ^t ­out other cōdiciō added or imployed, were inordinate & were very childishe. For it were to praye y ^t eyther they should neuer haue tēptaciō, or els if y ^t they had they might folow it & fulfil theyr affecciō. Who dare good [Page] Cosin for shame or for synne for hym selfe, or for anye mā els make this maner kind of praier? Besides this Cosin y ^e church you wote well aduiseth euerye man to fast & watch, & prai, both for tamīg of his fleshly lustes, & also to mourne and lament for his sinne before com­mitted and to bewaile his offences done against god, and as they did at the citie of Niniue, and as the pro­phete Dauid did for theyr sinne put affliccion to their fleshe, and whan a manne so dooeth Cosin, is this no tribulacion to hym because he dooeth it hymselfe? For I wote well you would agree that it were, if an other man did it againste his will. Than is tribulacion, you wote well tribulacion styll, thoughe it be taken well in worthe: yea and though it be taken to with very righ [...] good wyl, yet is payn you wote wel payn, & therfore s [...] is it thoughe a manne dooe it himselfe. Than sith th [...] chur [...]he aduiseth euery manne to take tribulacion for his synne, whatsoeuer wordes you fynde in any pray­er, they neuer meane (you maye bee faste and sure) to praye god kepe euerye good manne nor euerye badde man nether, frō euery maner kind of tribulaciō. Now he that is not in some kynde of tribulacion, as perad­uenture in sicknes [...] or in losse of goodes, is not yet out of tribulacion, yf he haue his ease of bodye or of mind vnquieted and therby his welthe interrupted with an other kinde of tribulacion [...] as is eyther temptacion to a good man, or voluntarye affliccion: eyther of bodye by penaunce, or of mynde by contricion and heauines for his syn & offence agaynst god. And thus I say, y ^t for precise perpetual welthe and prosperitie in this world, y ^t is to say, for the perpetuall lacke of all trouble and al tribulacion, there is no wise man that ether praieth for himself or for ani man els, & thus answere I your first [Page] obiecciō. Now before I medle w ^t your secōd your third wil I ioine to this. For vpō this answer, will y ^e soluciō of your ensāples cōueniētly depend. As for Salomō was as you sai al his daies a merueilous welthy king, & much was he beloued w ^t god, I wote wel in y ^t begin­ning of his raigne: but y ^t the fauor of god perseuered him, as his prosperitie did y ^t cannot I tel. And therfore wil I not warrant it, but surely we se y ^t his cōtinuall wel [...]h [...] made him fal first into such wantō foli, in multi­plying wyues to an horrible noumber, contrary to the commaundemente of god, geuen in the lawe of Moy­ses: and secondly taking to wife among other, such as were infidels contrary to an other commaundement of gods written law also, that finallye by the meane of his miscreant wife, he fel into maintenaūce of Idola­trie himself: and of this find we no amendment or re­pētance, as we find of his father. And therfore though he were buryed where his father was, yet whether he wente to the rest that his father did [...] throughe some se­crete sorow for his sinne at last, y ^t is to say, by some kind of tribulacion, I cannot tel: & am content therefore to trust wel, and pray god he did so, but surely we be not sure & therfore then sample of Salomō can very litle serue you, for you might as well lay it for a profe, y ^t god fauoureth Idolatrie, as y ^t he fauoureth prosperitye: for Salomō was you wote wel in bothe. As for Iob, sith our questiō hāgeth vpō prosperitie perpetual, y ^• welthe of Iob y ^t was w ^t so great aduersitie so sore interrupted, can as your self seeth serue you for no ensāple. And y ^t god gaue him here in this world al thing double that he lost, litle toucheth my matter, which deny not prosperitie to be gods gift, & geuē to sum good mē too: namely such as haue tribulaciō too. But in Abrahā Cosī I suppose [Page] is al your chief hold, because y ^t you not onely shewe ri­ches & prosperitie perpetual in hī throw y ^e course of al his whole life in this world, but y ^t after his death also. La­ [...]are y ^t poore mā y ^t liued in tribulaciō, & died for pure hū ­ger & thirst, had after his death his place of cōfort and rest in Abrahā y ^e welthy riche mans bosome. But here must you cōsider y ^t Abrahā had not such cōtinuall pros­peritie, but y ^t it was discōtinued w ^t diuers tribulaciōs.

1 Was it not [...]īg to him trow you, to leaue his own coū ­trey, and at gods sending to goe into a straunge land, whiche god promised him and his sede for euer? but in all his whole lyfe he gaue himselfe neuer a foote.

2 Was it no trouble. y ^• his Cosin Loth & himself were fain to part company, because their seruauntes could not agree together?

3 Though he recouered Loth again from y ^e .iii. kīges, was his taking no trouble to him trowe you in the meane while?

4 Was the destrucciō of the fiue cities no heauines to his heart? A man would wene yes that redeth in y ^e story what laboure he made to saue them.

5 His heart was I dare say in no litle sorow, when he was faine to let Abimelech y ^e king haue his wife, whō (though god prouided to kepe vndefiled & turned al to welth) yet was it no litle wo to him in the meane time.

6 What cōtinual grief was it to his heart many a long daye that he had no child of his owne bodi begotten? he that doubteth thereof shall finde it in Genesis of his own moone made to god.

7 No man doubteth but Ismael was greate comforte vnto him at his byrthe, and was it no griefe than, when he must cast out the mother and the chylde both?

8 Isaac that was the chylde of Promyssyon: [Page] although god kept his lyfe, that was vnlooked for, yet whyle the louyng father bounde hym and went about to behead hym, and offre him vp in sacrifice, who but himself can conceiue what heauines his hert had thā? I woulde wene in my mynde (because you speake of lazare) that lazars owne death panged him not so sore. Thā as laza [...]us paine was paciently borne, so was A­brahams taken not onely pacientely [...] (but whiche is a thing muche more meritorious) of obedience willing­ly. And therefore, though Abraham had not as he dyd in dede farre excell lazare in merite of reward, for ma­ny other thynges besyde, and specially for that he was a speciall Patriarche of the fayth, yet had he farre pas­sed him, euen by the merite of tribulacion well taken here for gods sake to. And so serueth for your purpose no man lesse then Abraham. But now good Cosin, let vs looke a litle lenger here vpon the riche Abraham & lazare the poore, and as we shall see lazare set in welth some what vnder the riche Abraham: so shal we se an­other ryche man lye full lowe beneath lazare crying and calling out of his fyrie couche, that lazare myghte with a droppe of water fallyng from his fingers end, a litle coole and refresh the tippe of his burning tong. Consider well nowe what Abraham aunswered to the riche wretche. Fili recordare quia recepisti bona in vita tua & lazarus simi­liter mala, nune autem hic consolatur, tu vero cruciaris. Sōne, remēber that thou hast in thy lyfe receiued welthe, and lazare in lyke wyse payne, but nowe receiueth he comforte, and thou sorow, payne and torment. Christe describeth his wealthe and hys prosperitie, gaye and softe apparell wyth royall delicate fare, continuallye daye by daye. Epulabatur (saieth our Sauior) [...] quotidie splendide. He did fare royally eueri day, his welth was cōtinual, lo no time of [Page] tribulacion betwene. And Abraham telleth hym the same tale that he had takē his welth in this world, and Lazarus likewise his pain: & that they had now chaun­ged eche to y ^e cleane contrary: poore Lazar frō tribu­lacion into welth, & the riche man from his continual prosperite into perpetual pain. Here was laid expresse­lye to Lazare no very greate vertue by name nor to this riche glotton no great heynous crime, but the ta­king of his continuall ease and pleasure withoute any tribulaciō or griefe, wherof grewe slouth & negligence to thinke vpō the poore mans paine. For that euer him selfe saw Lazarus and wist hym dye for hunger at his dore y ^t layd neither Christ nor Abraham to his charge. And therfore Cosin this story lo of which by occasiō of Abraham and Lazare you putte me in remembraūce, well declareth what perell is in continuall worldly welth, and contrarywyse what comforte cōmeth of tri­bulacion. And thus as your other ensamples of Sa­lomon and Iob nothyng for the matter further you: So your ensample of riche Abraham and poore Laza­rus haue not a litle hindred you.

¶The .xvii. Chapter. An ansvvere to the second obieccion.

SUrely vncle you haue shaken myne ensamples sore, and haue in your meting of your shoote re­moued me these arrowes: me thinketh farther of fro the prycke then me thought they stacke when I shot them. And I shall therefore nowe be contente to take them vp againe. But yet me semeth surely that my seconde shalte maye stande. For of trueth if euery kynde of tribulacion be so profitable that it be good to haue it as you saye it is, I cannot see wherfore any mā [Page] shoulde eyther wyshe, or praye, or any maner of thyng dooe, to haue any kynde of tribulacion wythdrawen eyther from hymselfe, or any frende of his.

I thinke in very deade tribulacion so good, and profy­table, that I shoulde happely doubte as you doe: wher­fore, a manne mighte laboure or praie to be deliuered of it, sauing that God, whyche teacheth vs [...]he one, teacheth vs also the other. And as he bidde [...]h vs take oure payne paciently, and exhorte oure neighbours to dooe also the same: so byddeth he vs also not lette to dooe oure deuoure to remoue the payn from vs both. And then when it is god that teacheth both, I shall not nede to breake my brayne, in deuising wherfore he woulde bydde vs to dooe both, the tone seming to re­siste the other. Yf he sende the scourge of scarcitie and of greate famine, he wyll we shall beare it pacientlye: but yet wyll he that we shall eate oure meate when we can happe to geat it. Yf he sende vs the plage of pe­stilence, he will we shall pacientlye take it, but yet will he that we lette vs blud, and laye plai [...]ters to drawe it, and ripe it, and launce it, and geat it away. Both these poyntes teacheth God in Scripture, in moe than many places. Fastynge is better than eating, and more thanke hath of God, and yet wyll God that we shall eate. Praying is better than drinkyng, and mu [...]he more pleasaunt to god, And yet will God that we shall drinke. Waking in good busynes is muche more acceptable to God thē sleping, & yet wil god that we shall slepe. God hath geuen vs oure bodyes here to kepe, and wyll that we may [...]tayne them to doe him seruice with, tyll he sende for vs hence. Nowe can we not tell surely howe muche tribulacyon maye marre it [...] or peraduenture hurte the soule also: wherefore the [Page] Apostle, after that he had commaunded the Corinthi­ans to delyuer to the deuill the abhominable fornica­tor, that forbare not the bedde of hys owne fathers wyfe: yet after that he had been a whyle accursed and punished for hys sinne, the Apostle commaunded them charitablye to receiue him agayne, and geue hym con­solacion. Vt non a magnitudine doloris absorbeatur that the great­nes of his sorowe shoulde not swalowe him vp. And therefore when God sendeth the tempeste, he wyll that the shyppe men shall geat them to their tackelyng, and dooe the beste they can for them selfe, that the seas eate them not vp: for helpe oure selfes as well as we can, he can make hys plage as sore and as long la­styng as hymselfe [...]lu [...]te. And as he wyll that we dooe for oure selfe, so wyll he that we dooe for oure neygh­boure too. And that we shall be in thys world eche to other petious, for Sine affeccione whiche the Apostle rebu­keth them that lacke tender affeccyons here [...] so that of charitie sorye shoulde we be for theyr payne too: v­pon whom, for cause necessary, we be dryuen oure selfe to putte it. And whoso sayeth that for piety of his neighbours soule he wyll haue none of hys body, lette hym be sure, that as Saincte Iohn sayeth: He that loueth not hys neyghboure whom he seeth, loueth God but a litle whom he seeth not, So he that hath no pitie of the payne that he seeth hys [...] neyghboure fele afore hym, pytyeth litle (whatsoeuer he saye) the payne of his soule that he seeth not: yet God sendeth vs also suche tribulacion some tyme, because hys pleasure is, to haue vs praye vnto hym for helpe. And therefore, when Sayncte Peter was in prieson, the Scrypture sheweth, that the whole churche with­oute intermyssyon prayed in [...]essauntlye for hym: and [Page] at their feruent prayer god by miracle deliuered hym. Whā the disciples in y ^e tempest stode in feare of drow­ning, they prayed vnto Christe and saied: Salua nos Domin [...] perimus. Saue vs Lorde we perishe. And than at theyr prayer he shortly ceased the tempest. And nowe see we proued often that in sore weather or sickenes by gene­ral processions god geueth gracious helpe. And many a man in his great payn and sickenes by callyng vpō god is meruelousli made whole. This is goddes good­nes that because in welth we remembre hym not, but forgeat to praye to him, sendeth vs sorowe, and sycke­nes, to force vs drawe towarde hym, and compelleth vs to call vpon hym and pray for release of our payn: wherby whē we learne to knowe hym and seke to him we take a good occasiō to fal after into farther grace.

¶The .xviii. Chapter. Of them that in tribulacion [...]eke not vnto god, but some to the fleshe, and some to the vvorld, and some to the deuill himselfe.

UErely good vncle with this good aunswere I am well contente.

Ye Cosyn but many mē are there with whom god is not cōtent, which abuse this great good­nes of his, whom neither faire treating nor hard hād­lyng canne cause to remembre their maker, but in welth they be wantō and forgeat god, and folowe their luste: and whan god with tribulacion draweth them towarde him, than waxe they woode and drawe backe al that euer they may, and rather runne and seke helpe at any other hande than to goe feke it at his. Some for comforte seke to the fleshe, some to the worlde, and some to the deuil hymselfe. Some man that in world­lye prosperite is verye dull of welth, and hath depe [Page] stepped into many a sore sinne: whiche sinnes when he did them, he counted for part of his pleasure: god wil­ling of his goodnes to call the man to grace, casteth a remorse into his minde amonge after hys firste slepe, and maketh him lye a lyttle while and bethinke him [...] Than beginneth he to remēbre his life, and from that he falleth to thinke vpon his death, and how he must leaue all this worldly welthe within a while behinde here in this world, and walke hence alone, he woteth not whither, nor howe sone he shall take hys iourney thyther, nor can tel what company he shal mete there. And than beginneth he to thinke that it were good to make sure and be mery so, that we be wyse therewyth, leste there happe to be such blacke bugges in dede as folke cal deuilles [...] whose tormētes he was wōt to take for Poetes tales. These thoughtes if they sinke depe, are a sore tribulacion. And surely if he take holde of the grace that god therein offereth hym, his tribula­cion is holesome, & shalbe ful comfortable to remēbre, that god by tribulacion calleth him and byddeth hym come home out of the countrey of sinne that he was bred and broughte vp so longe in, and come into the lande of beheste that floweth mylke and honey. And then if he folowe this calling (as manye one full well doeth) ioyfull shal hys sorow be, and glad shal he be to chaūge his life, leaue his wanton lustes, & do penance for his sinnes, bestowing his time vpō better busines.

But some men nowe whan this callyng of GOD causeth them to be sadde, they be loth to leaue their sin­full lustes that hange in theyr heartes [...] and specyallye if they haue anye suche kynde of lyuing as they must nedes leaue of or fal deper in sin: or if they haue suche greate wronges done that they haue manye myndes [Page] to make, that must (if they folowe god) mynyshe much of theyr money, than are these folkes (alas) wofully be­wrapped, for God prycketh vpon them of his greate goodnes stil and the griefe of thys greate payne pyn­ [...]heth them at the harte and of wyckednes they wrye awaye and for thys tribulation they turne to theyr fleshe for helpe and labour to shake of thys thought, and then they mend theyr pyllowe and leye theyr hed softer, and assaye to slepe, and then that will not bee: than they finde a talke a while with them that lye by [...]hem. If that cannot be neyther, than they lye and longe for daye, and then gette them forth about theyr worldely wretchednes the matter of theyr prosperyte, the selfsame sinful thinges with which they displease God most, & at length wyth manye tymes vsing thys maner, god vtterly casteth them of. And thē they sette noughte nother by GOD nor deuill. Peccator cum in profundum venerit, contemnit. When the synner cometh euyn into the depth, than he contemneth and setteth nought by nothing, sauing worldlye feare that maye fall by chaunce, or that nedes muste (they wote well) fall once by deth?

But alas when death cometh thā cometh agayn theyr sorowe, than wyll no softe bed serue nor no companye make hym merye than he muste leaue his outwarde worshippe and comforte of hys glorye and lye panting in his bed as it were on a pyne banke, thā cometh his feare of his euill lyfe, and of his dreadeful death. Thā comme [...]h the tormēt of his cōbred cōscience and feare of his heauy iudgement. Than the deuill drawyth him to dyspayer with imagination of hel, and suffreth hym not than to take it for a fable. Ah, wo worthe the while that folke thinke not of this in time.

[Page]God sendeth to some mā great trouble i [...] his minde, & greate tribulaciō about his worldly goodes, because he would of hys goodnes take his detite & his cōfidence frō them. And yet y ^e man wythdrawith no part of hys fonde fantacies, but falle [...]h more feruently to them then before, and setteth his whole harte like a foole, more vpon them: and he taketh him all to the deuyll of hys worldly counsaylers and wythout any counsayle of god or anye tru [...]t putte in hym maketh manye wyse waies as he weneth [...] and al turne at length vnto foly, and one subtyll drifte dryueth an other to naught. Some haue I sene euyn i [...] their last sycknes sytte vp in theyr death bed vnderproppted w ^t pillous take ther play fel [...]o [...]es to thē & comfort them selfe wyth cardes and thys they sayde dyd ease them well to put fanta­sies out of their heades, and what fantasies trowe you, such as I tolde you ryght nowe of their owne lewde lyfe and peryl of there soule, of heauen and of hell that i [...]cked them to thinke of, and therefore cast it out wyth carde playe as longe as euer they might tyll the pure panges of death pulled theyr harte fro theyr play and put them in the case they coulde not recken theyr game. And then lefte them ther gamners and slily slong awaye. And long was it not ere they galpeb vp the goste: And what game they came than to, y ^t god knoweth and not I. I praye god it were good, but I feare it very sore. Some men are there also y ^• doe (as did kyng Saule) in tribulaciō go seke vnto the deuil. This king had commaunded al suche to be destroyed as vse the false abhomynable supersticion of this vn­gracious wichecraft & Necromancye and yet fel he to such foly afterwade him selfe y ^t ere he wente to battayle he sought vnto a wytch & besought her to raise vp a dead [Page] man to tell him how he shoulde spede. Nowe had god shewed him before by Samuel that he should come to nought, and he wente aboute none amendement, but waxed worse and worse, so that god lust not to looke to him: and when he soughte by the Prophetes to haue answere of god, there came none āswere to him, which thing he thoughte straunge: and because he was not with god heard at his pleasure, he made suite to y ^e deuil, desiring a woman by witchecrafte to rayse vp dead Samuel: but spede had he such therof, as cōmēly they haue al y ^t in their busines medle with such matters. For an euil aunswere had he, & an euil spede therafter, his army discomfited and him selfe slayne. And as it is rehearsed in Paralipomenon the .x. Chapter of the first boke. One cause of his fal was for lacke of truste in god, for which he left to take coūsayle of god, & fel to seke counsayle of the witch against gods prohibicion in the lawe, and against his owne good dede: by which he punished & put out all witches so late afore. Such spede let them looke for that playe the same parte as I see manye doe that in a great losse sende to seke a coniurer to geat theyr geare againe: and merueilous thinges there they see sometyme, but neuer grote of theyr good agayne. And many fond fooles there are, that when they lye sicke, will meddle with no physicke in no maner wyse, nor sende his water to no cūning mā, but send his cappe or his hose to a wyse womā, o­therwyse called a wytche. Then sendeth she worde a­gayne y ^t she hath spyed in his hose, where whē he toke no hede, he was taken with a sprite betwene two dores as he went in the twylight, but the spirite would not lette him fele it in .v. dayes after: and it hathe all the [Page] whyle festred in hys bodye, and that is the griefe tha [...] payneth him so sore: but let him go to no leache craft, nor any maner of phisicke, other then good meate or strōg drinke, for sirroppes should sowce him vp. But he shal haue .v. leaues of valerian that she enchaūted with a charme, and gathered with her lefte hande: lette him laie those .v. leaues to his right thombe, not binde it fast to, but let it hang lose therat by a greene threde: he shall neuer nede to chaunge it, loke it fal not away. but let it hang till he be whole, and he shall nede no­more. In suche wyse wytches, and in such madde me­dicines haue there in many fooles more faith a great deale thā in god. And thus Cosin as I tel you, al these kynde of folke that in their tribulacion call not vpon God, but seke for their helpe and for their ease other­where, to the fleshe and the worlde, and some to the flinging fiende him self: The tribulacion that goddes goodnes sendeth them for good, thēselfe by their foly [...]r [...]e vnto their harme. And thē that on thother side seke vnto God therein, both comforte and profite they greatly take therby.

¶The .xix. Chapter. An other obieccion vvith the ansvvere therunto.

I Lyke well good vncle al your aunswers her­in: but one doubte yet remayneth there in minde, which riseth vpon this aunswere that you make, and that doubt soyled, I wyll as for this time mine own good vncle, encombre you no far­ther. For me thinke I doe you very much wrōg to geue you occasion to labor your selfe so muche in matter of [...]ome study, with long talkyng at once. I will therfore at this time moue you but one thyng, and seke other [Page] tyme at your more ease for the remnaunte. My doubt good vncle is this, I perceiue well by your answeres gathered and considered together, that you wil well a­gree that a man may both haue worldly welth, and yet well goe to god. And that on the other syde, a man maye be miserable and lyue in tribulacion, and yet goe to the deuill. And as a man maye please God by paci­ence in aduersitie, so maye he please God by thankes geuē in prosperitie. Now sith you graūt these thinges to be such that either of them both maye be matter of v [...]rtue, or els matter of synne, matter of damnacion or matter of saluaciō: they seme nother good nor badde of their owne nature, but thinges of themself equal and indifferent, turning to god, or y ^e contrary after as they be takē. And than if this be thus, I can perceiue no cause why you should geue the preeminence vnto tri­bulaciō, or wherfore you shoulde recken more cause of comfort therin then you should reckē to stand in pros­peritie, but rather a great deale lesse, by in maner halfe, syth in prosperitie the mā is well at ease & may also by geuing thanke to god, geat good vnto hys soule, wher­as in tribulacion, though he may merite by pacience as in aboūdaūce of worldly welth, thother may by thāke. Yet lacketh he much comfort y ^t the welthy mā hath, in that he sore is greued with heauines and payn: besides this also, that a welthy man well at ease maye praye to god quietly & merely with alacritie and great quiet­nes of mynde, whereas he that lyeth groning in hys griefe can not endure to praie nor thinke almost vpon nothyng, but vpon his payne.

To beginne Cosin where you leaue, the prayers of hym that is in welth and hym y ^t is in woe, if the mē be both noughte, their prayers be both like. For neither hath the one lust [Page] to praye, nor thother neither. And as the one is let with hys payne, so is the other with hys pleasure, sauyng that the payne s [...]yreth hym some tyme to call vpon God in hys griefe, thoughe the man be ryghte badde, where the pleasure pulleth his mynde another waye, thoughe the man be me [...]ely good. And thys poynte I thinke there are very fewe that can (if they saye true) saye that they fynde it otherwyse. For in tribulacion, which commeth you wote wel in many sundry kindes, any man that is not a dul beast or a desperate wretche, calleth vpon God, not houerly, but ryghte hartelye: and se [...]eth his heart full whole vpon his request, so sore he longeth for ease and helpe of his heauines. But when men are welthy and well at their ease, while oure tounge pattereth vpon oure prayers a pace, good God howe many madde wayes our minde wandereth the while. Yet wote I well, that in some tribulacion suche sore sickenes there is, or other greuous bodely payne, that hard it were for a manne to saye a long payer of ma [...]tens, and yet some that lye a dying saye ful deuoutly the .vii. Psalmes and other praiers with the priest at their aneiling but those that for the griefe of theyr payne cannot endure to dooe it, or that be more tender and lacke that stronge heart and stomacke that some other haue, God requireth no such long praiers of them. But the listing vp their heart alone with­oute any woorde at all, is more acceptable to hym of one in suche case, than long seruice so sayed as folke vse to saye it in health. The martirs in their agonye, made no long praiers aloude, but one ynche of suche a prayer so prayed in that payne, was worth a whole [...]alne and more, euen of theyr owne prayers prayed at some other tyme [...] Greate learned men saye that Christ, [Page] albeit he was very God, and as god was in eternall equall blisse with his father, yet as man merited not for vs onely, but for him selfe to: for proofe wherof they laie in these wordes the auctorite of S Paule. Christus humiliauit semet ipsum factus obedience vsque ad mortem, mortem autem cru­cis [...] propter quod & deus exaltauit illum & donauit [...]lli nomen quod est super om­ne nomen, vt in nomine Iesu omne genuflectatur celesi [...]m terrestrium & infer­norum & omnis lingua confiteatur quia dominus Iesus Christus in glori [...] est dei patris. Christe hath humbled hymselfe, and became obe­dyente vnto the death, and that vnto the death of the crosse, for which thing god hath also exalted hym [...] and geuen him a name whiche is aboue all names: that in the name of Iesus euery knee be bowed, both of the cel [...]stial creatures and the terrestrial, and the infernal to: and that euery tongue shall confesse that our Lord Iesus Christe is into the glory of God his father. Now if it so be as these great learned men vpon such auctorities of holy Scripture say, that our sauiour so merited as man, and as man deserued rewarde, not for vs onely, but for himselfe also: than were there in hys dedes as it semeth, sundrye degrees & differences of deseruing, and not hys maundy like merite as hys passion, nor his slepe like merite as his watche and his prayer, no nor hys prayers peraduenture all of lyke merite neither. But though there none was, nor none coulde be in hys most blessed parson but excellent, and incomparably passyng the praier of any pure creature: yet his owne not al alike, but some one farre aboue o­ther some. And thā if it thus be, of all his holy praiers, the chiefe semeth me those that he made in his greate agonye and paine of his bitter passion. The fyrst, whē he fel thrise prostrate in his agony, whan the heauines of his hearte with feare of death at hande, so payneful and so cruell as he well behelde it, made such a feruent [Page] commocion in his blessed body, that the bloudy sweat of his holy flesh dropped downe on the grounde. The other wer the painfull prayers that he made vpon the crosse, where for al the tormente that he hanged in, of beating, naylyng, and stretching oute all his lymmes, with the wresting of his sinewes, and breaking of hys tender vaynes, and y ^e sharpe crowne of thorne so pri [...] ­king him into y ^e head, y ^t his blessed blud stremed down al his face. In al these hideous paynes, in al their cru­ell despites, yet two verye deuout & seruent praiers he made. The one for theyr pardon y ^t so dispiteously put hym to his paine, and the other about his own deliue­raūce, cōmēding his own soule vnto his holy father in heauē. These praiers of his, amōg all y ^t euer he made, made in his most pain, reckon I for y ^e chief. And these praiers of our sauior at his bitter passion & of his ho­ly martirs, in the feruour of their torment, shall serue vs to se y ^t there is no prayer made at pleasure so strong & effectual, as in tribulacion: now come I to the tou­ching of the reason that you make, where you tell me that I graunte you, that bothe in wealthe and in woe some men maye be nought and offende God, the one by impacience, the other by fleshly luste. And on the o­ther syde, bothe in tribulacion and prosperitie too, some manne maye also doe verye well, and deserue thanke of god by thankes geuen to god, as well of hys gyfte of ryches, woorship and wealthe, as of nede and penu­rye priesonmente, sickenes and payne, and that there­fore you cannot see, for what cause I shoulde geue a­nye preheminence in coumforte vnto tribulacion, but rather allowe prosperitie for the thyng more coumfor­table, and that not a litle, but in maner by double, syth therein hath the soule coumforte and the bodye both: [Page] the soule by thanke (for his gyft) geuen vnto god, And then the bodye by being well at ease, where the parson payned in tribulacion, taketh no coumforte but in hys soule alone. Fyrst as for youre double coumforte Cosyn, you maye cutte of the one. For a manne in prosperitie, though he bee bounden to thanke God of hys gyfte, wherein he feeleth ease, and maye bee glad also that he geueth thanke to GOD: yet for that he taketh hys ease here, hath he little cause of coum­forte, excepte that the sensuall feeling of bodelye plea­sure, you lust to call by the name of coumforte. Nor I saye not naye, but that some tyme menne vse so to take it, when they saye, this good drynke coumforteth well my heart.

But coumforte Cosyn, is properlye taken, by them that take it ryghte, rather for the consolacion of good hope that men take in theyr heart, of some good grow­ing toward thē, then for a present pleasure, with which the body is delyted and tickeled for the whyle.

Now though a man without pacience can haue no reward for his pain, yet when his payn is paciently ta­ken for gods sake, and his will cōformed to gods plea­sure therin, god rewardeth the sufferer after the rate of his payn, & thys thing appeareth by manye a place in scripture, of whiche some haue I shewed you, and yet shall I shewe you moe. But neuer founde I anye place in scripture that I remembre, in whiche though thys welthy man thanked god for hys gyft, our lorde promised any reward in heauen, because the man toke hys ease and pleasure here. And therfore, sith I speake but of such coumforte as is very coumfort in dede, by which a man hath hope of Goddes fauour, and remis­sion of his sinnes, with minishyng of hys paynes in [Page] purgatory, or reward els in heauen. And such comfort cometh of tribulacion, and for tribulacion well taken, but not for pleasure though it be well taken: therefore of your coūfort that you double by prosperitie, you may as I told you cut very wel away the halfe. Now why I geue prerogatiue in coūfort vnto tribulacion farre aboue prosperitie, though a man may doe well in both: Of this thing wil I shew you causes two or thre. First as I before haue at lēgth shewed you out of all questi­on, continual welth interrupted with no tribulaciō, is a verye discomfortable token of euerlasting damna­ciō, whe [...]upon it foloweth that tribulaciō is one cause of coumfort vnto a mans heart, in that it dischargeth him of the discomfort that he might of reason take of ouerlong lasting welth. Another is, that the scripture much cōmendeth tribulacion as occasion of more pro­fit then welth & prosperitie, not to them onely that are therin, but to thē too that resorte vnto them, & therfore sayeth Ecclesiastes: Melius est ire ad domum luctus, quam ad domum conuiuii [...] En, illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, & viuens cogitat quid futurum sit. Better it is to goe to the house of weping & wayling for some mans deathe, than to y ^• house of a feast. For in that house of heauinesse is a man put in remembraunce of the ende of euerye manne, and whyle he yet liueth, he thynketh what shall come af­ter. And after yet he farther sayeth: Cor sapientum vbi tri­sticia [...]est, et Cor stultorum vbi leticia. The hearte of wyse menne is there as heauynesse is. And the hearte of fooles, is there as is myrthe and gladnesse. And verelye, there as you shall heare worldelye myrth seeme to bee commended: in Scrypture it is ey­ther commonlye spoken, as in the parsone of some worldly dysposed people, or understanden of reioysyng [Page] spirituall or ment of some small moderate refreshing of the minde, against an heauy discomfortable dulnes. Nowe whereas prosperitie was to the chyldren of Is­raell promised in the olde law: as a special gyft of god, that was for theyr imperfeccion at that tyme to draw them to god, with gaye thinges and pleasaunte, as mē to make chyldren learne, geue them cake bread & but­ter. For as the scripture maketh mencion, that people wer much after the maner of chyldren in lacke of wit, & in waiwardnes. And therfore was their master Mo­ses called Pedagogus, that is, a teacher of children, (or as they call such one in the grammer schooles) an vsher, or a maister of the petites. For as Sainct Paul sayth. Nihil ad perfectum duxit lex. The old lawe broughte nothyng to perfeccion. And god also threatneth folke with try­bulacion in this worlde for synne, not for that worldly tribulacion is euyl, but for that we should be wel ware of the sickenesse of synne, for feare of that thynge to folowe, whiche though it be in dede a very good whole­some thyng yf we wyll take it, is yet beecause it is paynefull, the thyng that we be lothe to haue.

But this I saye yet again and agayn, that as for farre the better thyng in this worlde toward the geattyng of the verye good that God geueth in the worlde to come: the Scrypture vndoubtedlye so commendeth trybulacyon, that in respecte and comparyson there­of, it discommendeth thys worldlye wretched welthe and discomfortable coumforte vtterlye. For to what other thyng soundeth the woordes of Ecclesiastes that I rehearsed you nowe? that it is better to be in the house of heauynesse, than to be at a feaste: whereto soundeth this comparyson of his, that the wyse mannes hearte draweth thyther as folke are in [Page] sadnes: and the hert of a foole, is there as he may find myrth? Wherto draweth this threat of the wyse man, that he that delyteth in wealth shall fall into woe? Risus (sayeth he) dolore miscebitur, & extrema gaud [...]i luctus occ [...]p [...]t Laugh­ter shalbe mingled with sorowe, and thend of mirth is takē vp with heauines. And our sauior sayth hymself. Ve vobis qui ridetis, quia lugebitis et flebitls. Woe be to you y ^t laugh, for you shal wepe and waile. But he saith on the other syde: Beati qui lugent, quoniam illi consolabuntur. Blessed are thei y ^t wepe & wayle, for they shalbe comforted. And he sayth vnto his disciples: Mundus gaudebit; vos autem dolebitis. Sed tristiti­a vestra vertetur in gaudium. The world shal ioye, & you shalbe sory: but your sorow shalbe turned into ioye. And so is i [...] you wote well now. And the myrth of many that thē were in ioy, is now turned al to sorowe. And thus you see by the scripture playn, that in matter of very com­fort, tribulacion is as farre aboue prosperitie, as y ^e day is aboue the night. An other preeminēce of tribulaciō ouer welth in occasiō of merite & reward, shal wel ap­peare vpon certayne consideracions well marked in them both.

Tribulacion meriteth in pacience, and in thobedi­ente conforming of mans wil vnto god, & in thankes geuen to god for his visitaciō: if you reckon me nowe against [...]hese, many other good dedes that a wealthye man may dooe: as by riches geue almose, by autoritie, labour in doing many men iustice, or if you finde far­ther any such other thing lyke.

Fyrst I saye that the pacient parson in tribulacion, hath in al these vertues of the wealthy man, an occasi­on of merite to, whiche the wealthye man hath not, a­gaynwarde, in the forerehearsed vertues of his. For it is easye for the parson that is in tribulacion, to bee [Page] well wyllyng to dooe the selfe same if he coulde, and than shall hys good wyll, where the power lacketh, goe verye neare to the merite of the dede. But nowe is not the wealthy in a lyke cace with the wyll of paci­ence and conformitie and thankes geuen to GOD for tribulacion, syth it is not so readye for the weal­thy man to be content to be in the tribulacion, that is occasion of the pacientes deserte, as for the troubled persone to be contente to be in prosperitie, to dooe the good dedes that the wealthy man doth. Besydes this, all that the wealthy man dooeth, though he coulde not dooe them withoute those thynges that are accoump­ted for wealthe, and called by that name, as not dooe greate almose wythoute greate richesse, nor doe these manye menne ryght by hys labour, without the au­toritie: yet maye he dooe these thynges being not in wealthe in deede, as where he taketh his wealthe for no wealth, nor his riches for no riches, nor in hearte setteth by neither nother, but secretly liueth in a con­trite heart and a life penitenciall, as many tymes did the Prophete Dauid beeyng a greate Kynge, so that worldely wealth was no wealth to hym, and therefore is not of necessitie worldlye wealth called the cause of those good dedes, syth he may doe them, and doth them best in dede, to whom the thing that worldly folke call wealthe, is yet for hys godlye sette mynde, drawne from the delyte thereof, no pleasure in maner nor no wealthe at all. Finallye [...] whansoeuer the wealthye man doeth those good verteous dedes, if we considre the nature of them ryght, we shal perceiue that in do­yng of them, he doeth euer for the rate and porcion of those dedes minish the matter of hys worldly welth, [Page] as in geuing great almose he departeth with so much of hys worldelye goodes, whiche are in that parte, the matter of hys wealth.

In labouryng aboute the dooyng of manye good dedes, hys laboure minisheth hys quiete and hys rest. And for the rate of so muche, it minisheth hys wealth, if payne and wealthe be eche to other contrarye, as I wene you will agree they be.

Nowe whosoeuer than wyll well consider the thyng, he shall I doubte not perceyue and see ther­in, that in these good dedes that the wealthy manne dooeth, though he dooe them by that, that hys wealth maketh hym hable, yet in dooyng of them, he depar­teth (for the porcion) from the nature of wealthe, to­warde the nature of some parte of tribulacyon: and therfore, euen in those good dedes themselfe that pro­speritie dooeth: dooeth in goodnes the prerogatiue of tribulacion aboue wealth appeare.

Nowe if it happe that some manne cannot per­ceyue thys poynte because the wealthy man for al his almose abydeth ryche styll, and for all hys good la­boure abydeth styll in hys autoritie, lette hym consi­dre that I speake but after the porcion. And beecause the porcion of all that he geueth of hys goodes, is ve­rye litle in respecte of that he leaueth: therfore is the reason happely with some folke li [...]le perceiued.

But if it so were that he wente foorthe with ge­uynge tyll he hadde geuen oute all and lefte hym­selfe nothynge, than woulde a verye blynde manne see it. For as he were from rychesse come to pouertie, so were he frō welth, willingly fallen into tribulacion: [Page] and betwene labour & rest, the reason goeth all alyke: whiche whoso canne consider, shall see that for the porcion in euery godd dede done by y ^e welthy man, the matter is al one. Than sith we haue somewhat wayed y ^e vertues of prosperitie, let vs cōsider on y ^e other side the afore named thinges y ^t are the matter of merite & reward in tribulacion, that is to wit, pacience confor­mitie and thankes. Pacience the welthy mā hath not, in that he is welthy. For if he be pinched in any pointe wherin he taketh pacience, in y ^t part he suffreth some tribulacion, and so not by his prosperitie, but by his tri­bulacion hath the manne that merite. Lyke is it if we would say, that the welthye man hath a nother vertue in y ^e stede of pacience, that is to wit, the kepyng of hym self from pride, and from such other sinnes as wealthe would bring him too. For the resisting such mocions, is as I before told you without ani doubt, a minishing of fleshly welth, and is a veri true kind, and one of the most profitable kyndes of tribulacion, so that al y ^t good merite groweth to the welthy man, not by his wealth, but by the minishyng of his wealthe with wholesome tribulacion. The moste couloure of comparison is in the other twayne: that is to witte, in the conformitie of mans wyll vnto god, and in thankes geuen vnto god. For lyke as the good man in tribulacion sent hym by god, conformeth his wyll in that behalfe, and geueth god thanke therfore, so doth y ^e welthy man in his welth whiche god geueth hym, conforme his wyll to goddes wyll in that poynte: sith he is well contente to take it of his gyfte, and geueth god agayne also right hear­tye thanke therefore. And thus as I sayde, in these two thynges maye you catche mo [...]e coloure to compare the welthye mans merite with the meryte of [Page] tribulacion. But yet that they be not matches, you maye soone see by thys. For in trybulacion can there none conforme his will vnto goddes, and geue hym thanke therefore, but suche a mā as hath in that point a very special good mynd. But he that is very nought, or hath in his hearte but very litle good, maye well be content to take welth at goddes hande, and say, mary I thanke you sir for this with all my hearte, and wyll not fayle to loue you well while you lette me fare no worse. Confitebitur tibi, quum benefeceris ei. Nowe if the welthy man be verye good, yet in conformitie of his will and thankes geuen to god for his welth, his vertue is not like yet to hys that doeth thesame in tribulacion: for as the philosophers sayd in that thing very wel of olde, vertue standeth in thinges of hardenes and difficulty. And than as I tolde you, much lesse hardnes and lesse difficulty there is by a great deale to be contente and conforme our wyll to goddes wil, & to geue hym thanke too for our ease, than for oure payne: for oure welth, thā for oure woe. And therefore is the conforming of oure wyll into goddes, and the thankes that we geue hym for our tribulacion, more worthy thanke agayne, and more rewarde meryteth in the very fast welth and fe­licitie of heauē, than our cōformitie with our thankes geuen for and in, oure worldly welth here. And thys thing sawe the deuill whan he sayed to oure Lorde of Iob, that it was no marueyle though Iob had a reue­rent feare vnto god, god had done so muche for hym, and kept him in prosperitie, but the deuill wiste well it was an hard thyng for Iob to be so louing [...] and so to geue thankes to god in tribulaciō and aduersitie, and therfore was he glad to geat leaue of god to put hym in tribulaciō, & thereby trusted to cause hym murmure [Page] and grudge agaynste God with impacyence. But the deuill had there a fall in hys owne turne. For the paci­ence of Iob in the shorte tyme of hys aduersitie, gate hym muche more fau [...]ure and thanke of God, and more is renoumed in Scripture, & commended there for that, than for all the goodnes of hys long prospe­rous lyfe. Our Sauiour sayeth himselfe also, that if we saye well by them, or yelde them thanke that doe vs good, we doe no greate thing therin, & therfore can we with reason looke for no greate thanke agayne [...] and thus haue I shewed you lo, no litle preeminence that tribulacion hath in merite, and therefore no litle preeminence of comfort in hope of heauenly rewarde aboue the vertues (the merite and cause of good hope and comforte) that cometh of welth and prosperitie.

¶The .xx. Chapter. A Summary commendacion of tribulacion [...]

ANd therefore good Cosin, to finyshe oure talking for thys time, leste I shoulde be to lōg a let vnto your other busines if we lay fyrst for a sure grounde a verye faste fayth, whereby we beleue to be true all that the Scripture sayth vnderstanden truely, as the olde holy doctors declare it, and as the Scripture of god instructeth his catholique churche: than shal we consider tribulacion as a gracious gift of god, a gift that he gaue speciallye his speciall frendes. The thing that in Scripture is highly commended and praised, a thing wherof the cō ­trary long continued is perilous, a thyng whiche but if God send, it men haue nede by penaunce put vpon themselfe and seke it, a thing that helpeth to pourge oure synnes passed, a thyng that preserueth vs [Page] from synnes that ells woulde come, a thyng that causeth vs to set lesse by y ^e world, a thyng that excite [...]h vs to drawe more towarde God, a thyng that muche minisheth our paynes in purgatory, a thing that much encreaseth oure finall rewarde in heauen, the thing by whiche oure Sauioure entred hys owne kyng­dome, the thing with whiche all his Apostles folowed him thither, the thing whiche our Sauiour exhorteth all menne to, the thing withoute whiche he sayeth we be not his Disciples, the thing withoute whiche no man can geat to heauē. Whoso these thinges thin­keth on, and remembreth well, shall in his trybulacy­on neyther murmure nor grudge, but first by pacience take hys payne in worth, and than shall he growe in goodnes and thynke hymselfe wel worthy, than shall [...]e consyder that God sendeth it for his weale, and thereby shall he be moued to geue God thanke there­fore [...] therewith shall his grace encrease, and God shall geue him suche comforte by consydering that God is in his trouble euer more nere vnto hym [...] Quia deus iuxta est iis qui tribulato sunt corde. God is neare saieth the Prophete to them that haue theyr hearte in trouble, that hys ioye thereof shall minishe muche of hys payne, and he shall not seke for vayne comforte ells where, but speciallye truste in God, and seke for helpe of hym, submytting hys owne wyll wholy to Goddes plea­sure, and praye to God in hys hearte, and praye hys frendes praye for hym, and speciallye the Priestes, as Sayncte Iames byddeth, and beginne fyrste with confessyon, and make vs cleane to God, and ready to departe, and be glad to goe to God, puttyng purgatorye to his pleasure: if we thus doe, thys dare I boldely say, we shall neuer lyue here the lesse of half [Page] an houre, but shal with his comforte finde our hartes lighted, and therby the griefe of our tribulaciō lessed and the more likelyhod to recouer and to liue the len­ger. Nowe if god will we shall hence, than dooeth he muche more for vs. For he that this waye taketh, can­not goe but well. For of him that is loth to leaue thys wretched worlde, my heart is much in feare lest he die not wel: harde it is for him to be welcome that cometh agaynst his wyll, that sayth to god whan he cometh to fetche hym, welcome my maker magrye my teeth: but he that so loueth him, that he longeth to goe to him, my harte cannot geue me but he shalbe welcome, all were it so that he should come ere he were wel pourged. For charitie couereth a multitude of synnes, and he that trusteth in god cannot be confounded. And Chryste sayeth [...] he that cometh to me I wyll not cast hym oute. And therfore let vs neuer make our reconing of long lyfe, kepe it while we maye because God hath so com­maunded: but if God geue thoccasion, that with hys good wyll we maye goe, lette vs be gladde therof, and longe to goe to hym. And than shall hope of heauen comfort our heauines [...] and out of our transitory tribu­lacion shall we goe to euerlasting glory, to whiche my good Cosin I pray god bryng vs both

Mine owne good vncle I praye God rewarde you, and at this time wil I no lenger trouble you. I trowe I haue thys daye done you much tribulacion with my impor­tune obieccions of very litle substaūce. And you haue euē shewed me an ensample of sufferaūce, in bearing my foly so long and so paciently. And yet shall I be so boulde vpō you farther, as to seke some tyme to talke forth of the remnaunte the most profitable poynte of tribulacion, whiche you sayde you reserued to treate [Page] of last of all.

Let that be verye shortelye Cosin hardely [...] while this is freshe in minde.

I truste good Uncle so to put thys in re­membraunce, that it shal neuer be forgotten with me. Our lorde sende you such coumforte as he knoweth to be best.

That is well sayed good Cosin, and I pray the same for you and for all our other frendes that haue nede of cōfort, for whome I thinke more thā for your selfe, you neded of some counsaile.

I shall wy [...]h thys good counsayle that I haue heard of you, dooe them some coumforte I truste in GOD, to whose kepynge I committe you.

And I you also: Farre well my owne good Cosin.

¶The first Chapter. VVhither a man may not in tribulacion vse some vvorldly recreacion for hys co [...]forte.

ANd first good vncle ere we procede farther, I wil be bold to moue you one thīg more of y ^t we talked whē I was here. When I reuolued in my minde againe the thinges that were con­cluded here by you, me thought ye would in no wyse that in any tribulacion men shoulde seke for comforte eyther in worldly thing or fleshly, which mynde vncle of yours, semeth somewhat hard, for a mery tale with a frende ref [...]esheth a man much, & without any harme lyghteth hys mynde, and amendeth courage and hys stomake, so that it semeth, but well done to take suche recreacion. And Salomon sayeth I trowe, that men should in heauines geue y ^e sory mā wine to make him forgeat his sorowe. And. S. Thomas saieth, y ^e propre pleasaunte talking which is called [...] is a good vertue seruing to refreshe the minde, & make it quicke and lusty to labor and study againe, where continuall fatigacion, would make it dull and deadly.

Cosin, I forgat not y ^• point, but I long not muche to touche it, for neither might I wel vtterly for­bidde it where the cause mighte happe to fall that it shoulde not hurte, and on the other syde if the case so should fall, me thought yet I should litle nede to geue any counsaile to it: folke are proue inough to such fan­tasies of their own mind, you may see this by our self, [Page] whiche coming nowe together, to talke of as earnest sadde matters as men can deuise, were fallen yet euē at the first into wantō idle tales and of tru [...]th Cosin, as you knowe very well, my selfe am of nature euen halfe a gigglot and more, I woulde I coulde as easely mende my faulte as I can wel knowe it, but scant can I refraine it as olde a foole as I am: howbeit so par­cial wil I not be to my fault as to praise it, but for that you requier my minde in the matter, whether men in tribulacion may not lawfully seke recreacion and cō ­fort thēselfe with some honest mirth firste agreed that out chiefe comforte must be in god, & that with him we must beginne, & wi [...]h him continue, and w [...]h him ende also. A man to take nowe & [...]han some honest worldly mirth, I dare not be so sore as vtterli to forbidde it, sith good men & well learned, haue in some case allowed it, specially for the diuersitie of diu [...]rs mens mindes: for els if we were al such, as would god we were, & such as natural wisdom would we should be, & is not al cleane excusable that we be not in dede: I would than put no doubt, but y ^• vnto any man the most cōfortable talking that could be, were to heare of heauē, wheras now, god helpe vs our wretchednes is suche y ^t in talking a while therof, mē waxe almost wea [...]y, & as thoughe to heare o [...] heauē were an heauy burdaine, they must refreshe thē selfe after with a foolishe tale, our affeccion towarde heauenly ioyes waxeth wonderful cold. If drede of hel were as far [...]e gone, verye fewe woulde feare God, but that yet a litle sticketh in ou [...]e stomakes marke me Cosin at the sermon, and commenlye towardes the ende, somewhat the preacher speaketh of hell and hea­uen: nowe whyle he preache [...]h of the paynes in hell [...] still they stande yet and geue hym the hearing, but as [Page] soone as he cometh to the ioyes of heauen, they be bus­king them ba [...]kewarde and flocke meale fal away: it is in the soule somewhat as it is in the body. Some are there of nature or of euill custome come to that point, that a worse thing some tyme stedeth them more then a better. Some man if he be sicke, can awaye with no holesome meate, nor no medicine can goe downe with him, but if it be tempered with some such thing for his fantasie as maketh y ^e matter or y ^e medicine lesse hole­some thā it should be. And yet while it wil be no better, we must let him haue it so. Cassianus that very verte­ous mā rehearseth in a certayne collacion of his, that a certaine holy father in making of a sermon, spake of heauen and heauenly thynges, so celestially, that much of his audience with the swete sounde therof, began to forgeat all the world and fall a slepe: whiche when the father beheld [...] he dissembled their sleping, and sodeinly sayed vnto them: I shal tell you a mery tale. At which worde, they lyfte vp their heades and harkened vnto that. And after the slepe therwith brokē, heard hym tel on of heauen agayne, In what wyse that good father r [...]buked than their vntowarde myndes so dull vnto the thyng that all our lyfe we labor for, & so quicke and lus [...]y towarde other tryf [...]es, I neither beare in mynde, nor shal here nede to rehearse. But thus much of the matter suffiseth for our purpose, that wheras you de­maunde me whither in tribula [...]ion men may not some tyme re [...]eshe them [...]elfe with worldlye myrth & recre­acion. I can no more say, but he that can not long en­d [...]re to holde vp his head and heare talking of heauē except he be now & thā betwene (as though to heare of heauē were heauines) refreshed w ^t a mery folishe tale, there is none other remedy but you must let him haue [Page] it: better would I wishe it, but I cannot helpe it. Howbeit, let vs by mine aduise at the least wise make those kyndes of recreaciō as shorte & as selde as we can: let them serue vs but for sauce, & make thē not our meate, and let vs pray vnto god, & al our good frendes [...]or vs, that we may fele such a sauour in the delight of heauē, that in respecte of the talkinge of the ioyes therof, all worldly recreaciō be but a griefe to thinke on. And be sure Cosin, that if we might once purchase y ^e grace to come to that point, we neuer founde of worldly recre­acion so much cōfort in a yere, as we should fynde in the bethinkyng vs of heauē in lesse thā half an houre.

In fayth vncle I can well agree to this: and I praye God bryng vs once to take such a sauour in it: and surely as you began the other daye, by fayth must we come to it, and to fayth by prayer. But nowe I praye you good vncle vouchesafe to procede in oure principall matter.

¶The .ii. Chapter. Of the shorte vncertayne lyfe in extreme age or sickenes.

COsin I haue bethought me somewhat vpon this matter since we were last together. And I fynde it, if we shoulde goe some waye to worke, a thyng that would require many mo dayes to treate therof, than we shoulde happely fynde mete thereto in so fewe as my selfe wene that I haue nowe to liue, while euerytime is not like with me, and among many paynfull, in whiche I loke euery daye to departe: my mendyng dayes come very seld, and are very shortly gone. For surely Cosin I cannot lycken my lyfe more metely now than to the snuffe of a can­dle that burneth within y ^e candelstyckes nose. For as the snuffe some time burneth down so lowe, that who­so [Page] loketh on it, would wene it were quite out, and yet sodeynly lifteth a flame halfe an inche aboue the nose, and geueth a preaty shorte lighte again, and thus plaieth diuers tymes, til at last ere it be looked for, out it goeth altogether: so haue I Cosin diuers such daies together, as eueryday of them I loke euen for to dye: and yet haue I than after that some suche fewe daies againe as you see me now to haue your selfe, in which a man would wene that I might well continue, but I knowe my lingering not likely to la [...]t long, but oure wil my snuffe sodeynly some daye within a while, and therfore wil I with goddes helpe, seme I neuer so wel amended neuertheles reckē euery day for my last: for thoughe that to the repressing of the bolde courage of blynde youth there is a very true prouerbe, y ^t as soone cometh a young shepes skin to the market as an olde, yet this difference there is at the least betwene them: that as the younge man maye happe sometime to die soone, so y ^e olde mā can neuer liue long. And there [...]ore Cosin, [...]n our matter here leauīg out mani thinges y ^t I would els treate of, I shall for this time speake but of ve [...]y fewe, howbeit if god hereafter send me moe such daies, thā wyl we when you luste farther talke of moe.

¶The .iii. Chapter. He deuideth tribulacion into three kindes, of vvhiche three the laste he passeth shor [...]ly ouer.

ALl maner of tribulacion Cosin that any man can haue, as fa [...]re as for this time cometh to my mynd, falleth vnder some one at y ^e least of these th [...]ee kindes: [...]ither it is such as himselfe willingly ta­keth, or secondly, such as him selfe willingly suffereth, or finally, such as he cannot put from him. This thyrd kinde I purpose not much more to speake of now [...] for therof shal as for this time, suffise those thinges that [Page] we treated betwene vs this other daye: what kinde of tribulacion this is I am sure your selfe perceiue, for sickenes, imprisonment, losse of goodes, losse of frēdes or suche bodely harme as a man hath already caught, and can in no wise auoide, these thinges and such like, are y ^e third kind of tribulaciō that I speake of [...] which a man neither willingly taketh in the beginning, nor can thoughe he woulde put afterwarde away. Nowe thinke I, that as to the man y ^t lacketh witte and faith, no comforte can serue whatsoeuer counsaile be geuē, so to them that haue both, I haue as for this kind said in maner inough already, and considering that suffer it nedes he must while he can by no maner of meane put it from him, the very necessitie is halfe counsayle inough to take it in good worth, & beare it paciently, & rather of his pacience to take both ease & thanke, then by fretting and fuming to encrease his present paine, and by murmure & grudge fal in farther daūger after by displeasīg of god with his froward behaueour, & yet albeit that I thinke that y ^t which is saied suffiseth, yet here and there shall I in y ^e seconde kinde, shewe some such comfort as shall wel serue vnto this last kinde to.

¶The .iiii [...] Chapter.

THe first kinde also will I shortly passe ouer to, for the tribulacion that a man willingly taketh himself which no mā putteth vpon him against his own wil, is you wote wel as I somewhat touched the last daye, such affliccion of the fleshe or expence of his goodes as a man taketh himselfe, or willingly be­stoweth in punishmēt of his own sinne, and for deuo­cion to God. Now in this tribulacion nedeth he no mā to comfort him, for while no mā troubleth him but him selfe which feleth how farreforth he may conueniently beare, & of reason & good discrecion shal not passe that, [Page] wherin if any doubte arise, counsayle nedeth and not comforte. The courage that for goddes sake and hys soule helth kindleth his heart and enflameth it therto, shall by thesame grace that putte it in his minde, geue hym suche comforte and ioye therein, that the pleasure of hys soule shall passe the payne of hys body: yea and whyle he hath in hearte also some great heauines for hys synne, yet then he considereth the ioye that shall come of it, his soule shall not fayle to fele than that straūge case which my body felt once in a great feuer.

What straunge case was that vncle?

Forsoth Cosin, in this same bedde it is now more than .xv. yere a goe, I lay in a tercian & had pas­sed I trowe .iii. or .iiii. fittes: but after fell there one fitte on me out of course, so straūge and so maruelouse, that I woulde in good faith haue thoughte it impossi­ble. For I so [...]einly felt myselfe veryly both hote and cold thorowout al my body, not in some part y ^• one, and in some parte the other, for that had been you wote wel no very straunge thing, to fele the head hote while the handes were a colde: but the selfe same partes I say so god my soule saue, I sensibly felt & right pain­fully to, al in one instaunt both hote and colde at once.

By my trouth vncle this was a wonderful thing, & such as I neuer heard happē any mā els in my daies: & fewe mē are there of whose mouthes I coulde haue beleued it.

Courtesi Cosin paraduēture letteth you to saye y ^t you beleue it not yet of my mouth nether, & surely for feare of y ^• you should haue heard it of me nether, had there not an other thīg happed me sone after.

I praye you what was that vncle?

Forsoth Cosin thys I asked a phisicyon or twaine, that than loked vnto me howe this shoulde [Page] shoulde be possible, and they twaine tolde me both that it coulde not be, but that I was fallen into some slom­bre, and dreamed that I felte it so.

This hap holde I, litle cause you to tell the tale the more boldelye.

No Cosin that is true loe, but than happed there another, that a young Gyrle here in this towne whome a kinsmā of hers had begon to teache plysicke, tolde me that there was such a kynd of feuer in dede.

By our Lady vncle, saue for the credence of you, the tale woulde I not yet tell againe vpon that happe of the maide. For though I knowe her nowe for such, as I durst well beleue her, it might hap her very well at that time to lye, because she woulde you should take her for cunning.

Ye, but thā happed there yet an other hap ther­on Cosin, that a worke of Galien de diff [...]renciis febrium, is ready to besolde in y ^e booke sellers shoppes: In which workes she shewed me than y ^• Chapter where Galien saieth the same.

Mary vncle as you saye, that happe happed well, and that mayde had (as happe was) in that pointe more cunning than hadde both our physiciōs besides: and hath I wene at this daye in many poyntes moe.

In fayth so wene I to: and that is wel wa­red on her, for she is very wyse and wel learned, and very verteous too. But see nowe what age is, loe, I haue beene so longe in my tale, that I haue almoste forgotten for what purpose I tolde it. Oh, now I re­mēber me loe, lykewyse I saye, as my self felt my body than both hoate & cold at once: so he that is contrite & heauy for his sinne, shal haue cause for to be, and shall in dede be bothe merye and sadde, and both twayne at [Page] once, and shal doe as I remember holy Saint Hierō biddeth: & doleas, & de dolore gaudeas. both be thou sorye saythe he, and be thou of thy sorowe ioyfull also.

And thus as I beganne to saye of comfort to be geuē vnto him that is in this trybulacion, that is to witte, in frutefull heauines and penance for his sinne, shal we none nede to geue other, than onely to remembre and consider the goodnes of goddes excellent mercye wel that infinytely passeth the malyce of al mennes sinne, by which he is readye to receiue euerye man, and dyd spreade his armes abrode vpon the crosse, louinglye to enbrace all them that will come, and euen there ac­cepted the thefe at his last ende that turned not to god tyll he myght steale no longer, and yet maketh more feasle in heauen at one that from sinne turneth, than of .xcix. good men that sinned not at all. And ther­fore of that firste kynde will I make no longer tale.

The .v. Chapter. An obieccion concerning them that turne [...]ot to GOD tyll they come at the last cast.

FOrsoth Uncle, this is vnto that kinde coum­forte very great, and so great also, that it may make many a man bold to abide in his sinne, euen vnto his last ende, trusting to be thā sa­ued as that thefe was.

Uerye sooth you saye Cosin, that some wret­ches are there such, that in suche wse abuse the greate goodnes of god, that the better that he is, the worse a­gaine they be. But Cosin, thoughe there be more ioye made of his turning y ^t frō the poynt of perdicion co­meth to saluaciō, for pitie that god and his saintes al of the peryll of perishing that the man stoode in, yet he is [Page] not set in like state in heauen as he should haue been if he had lyued better before, excepte it so fall that he liue so well after, and dooe so much good that he ther­in outrun in the shorter time, those good folke that yet dyd not so much in much lenger, as it proued in y ^e bles­sed apostle. Saint Paul, which of a persecutor became an Apos [...]le, and last of al came in vnto that office, and yet in the laboure of sowynge that sede of Chrystes faythe, outranne all the remnaunte, so farre forthe that he letted not to saye of hym selfe. Ego plus omnibus cu­curri, I haue runne more than all the remnaunte haue. But yet my Cosin, thoughe GOD I doubte not be so mercyefull vnto them, that at anye time in theyr lyfe turne and aske his mercy and trust therin, though it be at the la [...]te ende of a mannes lyfe and hireth him as well for heauen that cummeth to worke in hys Uineyarde towarde nyghte, at suche tyme as men leaue worke, if the tyme woulde serue as he hyreth hym that cummeth in the mornynge: yet maye there no man vpon the truste of thys parable be boulde all hys lyfe to lye styll in synne. For lette hym re­membre that in Goddes vineyarde there goethe no man but hee that is called thyther. Nowe he that in hope to be called towarde nyght, wyll slepe oute the mornynge, and dryncke oute [...]he daye, is full like­lye to passe as nyghte vnspoken to, and than shall he wyth shrewde reste goe supperlesse to bedde. They tell of one that was wonte alwaye to saie that all the while he lyued he woulde dooe what he luste: for thre woordes when hee dyed shoulde make all safe inoughe: but than so happed it, that longe ere he were oulde, hys horse once stombled vpon a bro­ken brydge, and as he laboured to recouer hym, [Page] whē he sawe it would not be, but downe into the floud headlong nedes he should: in a sodaine flight he cried out in the falling, haue all to the [...]euyl: and there was he drowned with his thre wordes ere he died, wheron his hope hong al his wretched life. And therfore lette no mā sinne in hope of grace, for grace cōmeth but at goddes wyl, and that minde may be the let that grace of a frutefull repenting shall neuer after be offred him, but that he eyther gracelesse go lynger on care­lesse, or with a care fruitelesse, fall into dispayre.

The .vi. Chapter. An [...]bieccion of them that saye that tribulacion of penaunc [...] nedeth not, but is a supersticious foly.

FOrsoth vncle in this point me thinketh you saye verye wel. But than are there some a­gayne that saye on the other side, that hea­uines of our sinnes we shal nede none at al, but onely chaunge our purpose and intent to doe bet­ter, and for that which is passed take no thought at al. And as for fasting or other afflyccion of the body, they saye we should not doe it, but onely to tame the fleshe whan we fele it waxe wan [...]on, and begin to rebel: for fasting they say, serueth to kepe the body in a tempe­raūce, but for to faste for penaunce, or to doe any other good worke, almose dede and other, toward satisfacciō of our owne sinne, this thing they call playne iniurye to the passion of Christ, by which onely are our sinnes forgeuen frely without any recompence of our owne. And they that woulde dooe penaunce for theyr owne sinnes, looke to be theyr own Christes, and paye theyr owne raunsomes, & saue theyr soules them selfe. And with these reasons in Saxoni, many cast fasting of, & al other bodilye afflyccion, saue onely where nede re­quireth [Page] to bringe the bodye to temperance. For o­ther good they say can it none doe to our selfe, & then to our neighboure can it doe none at all, & therefore they condemne it for supersticious foly: now heauines of heart & wepīg for our sinnes, this they reckon shame almost and womanyshe peuishnes, howebeit, thanked be God, theyr women waxe there nowe so mannyshe, that they be not so peuishe nor so pore of sprite, but that they can sinne on as men doe, and be neyther afrayde nor ashamed, nor wepe for theyr sinnes at al. And suer­lye myne vncle, I haue merueled much the lesse euer since that I heard the maner of theyr preachers [...]here. For as you remembre when I was in Saxoni, these matters were in a maner but in a māmering [...] nor Lu­ther was not than wedde yet, nor religious men oute of theyr habyte, but suffered where those that woulde be of the secte frely to preache what they would vnto the people. And forsoth I heard a religious mā there my self, one that had been reputed and taken for very good, and which, as farre as y ^e folke perceyued, was of hys owne liuing somewhat auster and sharpe, but his preaching was wonderful, me thinke I heare him yet: his voice was loude and shryll, his learning lesse thā meane: but where as his matter was muche parte a­gainst fasting & al afflyccion for any penaunce which he called mennes inuencions, he cryed euer out vpon them to kepe well the lawes of Christe, let goe theyr pieuishe penaunce, & purpose thē to mend and seke no­thing to saluacion but the death of Christ, for he is our iustyce, and he is our sauior & our whole satisfaccion for all our deadlye sinnes, he did ful penaunce for vs all vpon his paynefull crosse, he washed vs there all cleane wyth the water of his swete syde, and boughte [Page] vs out of the deuils daunger with hys deare precious bloud. Leaue therfore, leaue I beseche you these inuē ­cions of men, your foolishe lenton fastes and your pe­uishe penaunce, minyshe neuer Christes thanke, nor looke [...]o saue your selfe, it is Christes death I tell you that must saue vs al: Chrystes deathe I tell you ye [...] againe and not our own dedes: leaue your own fas­ting therefore, & leane to Christ alone good christē peo­ple for Christes deare bitter passion. Nowe so loude & so shryll he cried Christ in their eares, and so thicke he came forth wyth Christes bytter Passion, and that so bytterly spoken wyth the sweate dropping downe hys chekes, that I merueiled not though I sawe the poore women wepe, for he made my owne heere to stand vp vpon my headde, and wyth suche preaching were the people so brought in, that some fel to breake their fastes on y ^e fasling dayes, not of frailetie or of malice first, but almost of deuocion, lest they should take from Chryste the thanke of his bytter passion. But when they were a whyle noseled in that poynte fyrst, they could abide & endure after many thynges moe, wyth whych had he than begonne, they woulde haue pulled him downe.

Cosyn, GOD amende that mā what soe­euer he be, and god kepe all good folke from suche ma­ner of preachers: such one preacher muche more abu­seth the name of Christe and his bitter Passion, than v. hūdreth hasardars that in theyr idle busines sweare and forsweare them selfe by his holye bitter passion at dice. They carye the myndes of the people from the perceiuing of theyr [...]rafte, by the continuall namynge of the name of Christ and crying hys passion so shryll into theyr eares, they forgeat y ^t the churche hath euer taught them that all our penaunce wythout Christes [Page] Passion were not worth a pea [...]e, and they make the people wene y ^t we would be saued by our own dedes without Christes death, where we cōfesse that his one­ly passion meriteth incomparably more for vs, than al our owne dedes doe: but hys pleasure is, that we shall also take payne our owne selfe wyth him, and therfore he byddeth all that wyll be hys dyscyples take theyr crosses vpon theyr backes as he dyd, and wyth theyr crosses folowe hym: and where they saye that fasting serueth but for temperaunce to tame the fleshe, and kepe it from wantonnes, I would in good fayth haue wente that Moyses had not bene so wylde, that for the taminge of his fleshe he should haue nede to faste whole .xl. dayes together.

No nor Hely neyther, nor yet our sauiour hym selfe which beganne, and the Apostles folowed, and all chrystendome haue kept the lenton .xl. dayes fast, that these folke cal nowe so foolishe. King Achas was not dysposed to be wāton in his fleshe, when he fasted and wente clothed in sacke cloth & all besprent w ^t asshes. Nor no more was in Niniue the king & al y ^e Cytie, but they wayled & dyd payneful penaunce for theyr sinne to procure god to pitie thē & withdraw his indignaciō. Anna that in her wydowhed abode so many yeares with fasting and praying in the temple tyl [...]he byrth of Christ [...] was not I wene, in her olde age so sore disposed to y ^e wantones of her fleshe y ^t she fasted al therefore. Nor. S. Paul y ^e fasted so much, fasted not all therfore neyther. The scripture is full of places that prouethe fasting not to be y ^e inuencion of mā but y ^e instituciō of god, & that it hath many moe profytes than one.

And that the fasting of one man maye dooe good to an other, our sauiour saieth hym selfe where he [Page] sheweth that some kynde of diuelles can not be by one man caste out of an other Nisiin oratione & ieiunio, wythout prayer and fasting. And therfore I meruaile that they take this waye against fasting and other bodilye pe­nance, and yet muche more I meruaile y ^t they mislike the sorowe and he auines and displeasure of mynde y ^t a man should take in forethinking of his synne. The Prophet sayth. Sindite corda vestra & non vestimenta. Teare your heartes (he sayeth) and not your clothes. And the Pro­phet Dauyd sayeth. Cor contritum & hu [...]iliatum deus non despicies. A contrite heart and an humbled, that is to say, a heart broken, torne, and wyth tribulacion of heauines for his sinnes layed a lowe vnder foote, shalte thou not good Lord despyse. He sayeth also of hys owne contricion. Laboraui in gemitu meo lauabo per singulas noctes lecrum meum lacrimis meis stratum meum rigabo. I have laboured in my wailing, I shal euery nyght washe my bed with my teares, my couche wyl I water. But what should I nede in this matter to laye forth one place or twayne. The scripture is full of those places, by which it playnlye appereth that god looketh of duetie, not onely that we shoulde amende and be better in the time to come, but also be sorye, and wepe, and bewayle our sinnes cōmitted before, and all the olde holy Doctours be ful and whole of that mind that men must haue for theyr synnes, contricion and sorowe in heart.

The .vii. Chapter. ¶ VVhat if a man can not vvepe, nor in hys heart be sorye for his sinnes?

FOrsothe vncle yet semeth me thys thynge somwhat a sore sentence, not for y ^t I thinke other wyse, but that there is good cause and great, wherefore a man so shoulde, but for y ^• [Page] of trueth some man can not be sory and heauy for his sinne y ^t he hathe done, though he neuer so fayn would: but though he can be contēt for gods sake to forbeare it from thenceforth, yet for euery sinne that is passed, can he not onely not wepe, but some were happely so wanton, that when he happeth to remembre them, he can scantly forbeare to laughe. Nowe if contrycion & sorowe of hearte, be so requisyte of necessitie to remis­sion. many a man should stand as it semeth, in a very perylous case.

Many so shoulde in dede [...] Cosyn, and in dede many so do. And y ^e olde saynctes wryte very sore in this poynte: how be it, Misericordia domini super omnia opera eius The mercy of God is aboue all his workes, & he stan­deth bound to no cōmon rule, Et ipse cognouit figmentum suum & propitiatur infirmitatibus nostris. and he knoweth the frayeltye of this earthen vessel that is of his own makyng, and is mercifull, and hath pitye and compassyon vpon our feble infyrmyties, and shall not exacte of vs aboue y ^e thinge that we may dooe. But yet Cosyn, he that fyn­deth him selfe in that case, in that he is mynded to doe well hereafter, let him geue GOD thankes that he is no worse: but in that he can not be sory for his synne passed, let him be sory hardly that he is no better. And as. S. Iherom byddeth him that for his sinne soro­weth in his harte, be glad and reioyse in his sorowe: so would I counsaile him that can not be sadde for his sinne, to be sory yet at y ^e leaste that he can not be sory. Besydes this, though I woulde in no wyse any man should dyspayer, yet would I counsayle suche a man while that affecciō laste [...]h, not to be to bolde of courage, but lyue in double feare. Fyrst, for it is a token, eyther of faynt fayth or of a dul dyligence, for suerly if we well beleue in God, and therwith depely consyder his high [Page] maies [...]ye with the perell of our synne, and the greate goodnes of God also, eyther shoulde dreade make vs tremble and breake our stony heart, or loue shoulde for sorow relent it into teares? Besides this, syth I can scante beleue, but syth so lytle myslykynge of our olde sinne is an affeccion not very pure and cleane, & none vncleane thing shal enter into heauen, clens [...]d shal it be, & purifyed before that we come thether. And ther­fore woulde I farther aduise one in y ^t case, the coūsayle which master Gerson geueth euery man, that syth the body and the soule together make the whole man the lesse afflicciō that he feleth in his soule, y ^e more payne in recompence: let him put vpon his bodye, and purge the spyrite by the affliccion of the fleshe, and he that so dothe, I dare laye my lyfe, shall haue his harde hearte after relent into teares, and his soule in an wholsome heauines and heauenly gladnes to, specially if (whiche must be ioyned with euery good thinge) he ioyne fayth­ful prayer therewith. But Cosin, as I tolde you y ^e other daye before: in these matters with these newe men wil I not dispute, but suerli for mine owne parte I can not well holde with thē: for as myne owne poore wyttes cā perceyue, y ^e holy scripture of GOD is very playne a­gaynst them, & the whole corps of chrystendom in euery chrystē region [...] and y ^e very places in which they dwell thē selfe, haue euer vnto theyr owne dayes clearly be­leued agaynste them, and all the old holy doctors haue euermore taughte agaynst them, and al y ^e olde holy en­terpretors haue construed the scripture agaynst them. And therfore if these men haue nowe perceiued so late, that y ^e scripture hathe bene misse vnderstandē all this while, and y ^t of all those olde holy doctors no mā coulde vnderstande it, than am I to olde at this age to begyn [Page] to studye it nowe, and trust these mennes cunnynge Cosyn, that dare I not in no wyse, syth I can not see nor perceiue no cause wherefore I should thinke that th [...]se men mighte not nowe in the vnderstandyng of scrypture [...] as well be deceiued them selfe, as they beare vs in hand y ^t al those other haue bene all this while be­fore: how [...]beit Cosyn, if it so be that theyr waye be not wronge, but that they haue founde out so easy a waye to heauen as to take no thoughte, but make mery, nor take no penaunce at all, but syt them downe & drynke well for our sauiours sake, set cocke a hope & fyll in al the cuppes at once [...] & thā let Christes passion paye for all the shot, I am not he y ^t will enuye theyr good happe, [...]ut suerly counsayle dare I geue no man to aduēture that waye with them. But suche as feare lest y ^e waye be not suer, & take vpon them willingly tribulaciō of pe­nance, what comforte they do take, and well maye take therin, y ^t haue I somewhat tolde you alreadi. And sith these other folke sit so mery without such tribulacion, we nede to talke to thē you wotte wel of no suche ma­ner comforte, and therfore of this kinde of trybulacion will I make an ende.

The .viii. Chapter. Of that kynde of tribulacion vvhich though they not vvillingly take, yet they vvillingly suffer.

VErely good Uncle so may you wel doe, for you haue brought it vnto veri good passe. And now I requier you to come to that other kynde, of which you purposed alwaye to treate laste.

That shall I Cosin very gladli doe. The o­ther kynde is this which I rehersed second, & sortyng cut the other twayne, haue kept it for y ^e laste.

This kynde of trybulacion is you wote well, of [...]hem that wyllingly suffer tribulacion, thoughe that [Page] of theyr owne choyse they toke it not at the fyrste.

This kynde Cosyn deuide we shall in to twayne. The fyrst might we call temptaciō, the second persecu­tion. But here muste you consyder that I meane not euery kynde of persecution, but y ^e kinde onely, whiche though the sufferer woulde be lothe to fall in, yet wyll he rather abyde it and suffer it, than by the flitting frō it, fall in y ^e dyspleasure of God, or leaue gods pleasure vnprocured. Howebeit, if we cōsidre these two thinges wel, temptaciō & persecucyon, we maye finde y ^t eyther of them is incydent to y ^e other. For bothe by temptatiō the Deuyl persecuteth vs, & by persecucion the Deuyl also tempteth vs: and as persecution is trybulacion to euery man, so is temptacion tribulaciō to a good man.

Now though the Deuyll our spyrituall enemy fight agaynst man in bothe, yet this difference hathe the cō ­mon temptacyon from the persecucion, that temptaciō playn is as it were the fiendes trayn, & persecuciō his open fight. And therfore will I now call all this kynd of trybulation here, by the name of temptacion, & that shall I deuide into two partes. The fyrst shall I call the Deuilles traynes, the other his open fight.

The .ix. Chapter. Fyrst of temptacion in generall as it is common to bothe.

TO speake of euery kinde if temptation par­ticularly by it selfe, this were you wote well in maner an infinite thinge: for vnder that as I tolde you, fall persecutions and all. And this Deuill hath of his open fight as many sun­dry poysoned dartes, he tempteth vs by the worlde, he tempteth vs by our owne fleshe, he tempteth vs by pleasure, he tempteth vs by payne he tempteth vs by our foes, he tempteth vs by our owne frendes, [Page] and vnder colour of kynrede, he maketh many tymes our next frendes our most foes: for as our sauior sayth, Inimici hominis domestici eius. But in all maner of so diuers temptacions one ma [...]uelous comforte is this, y ^• with the moe we be tempted, y ^e gladder haue we cause to be [...]ffor. S. Iames sayth, Omne gaudium existimate fratres quum in t [...]mptaciones varias incideritis. Esteme it and take it, sayth he, my brethren for a thinge of all ioye, whan you fall into di­uers and sundri maner of temptacions: & no maruaile, for there is in this worlde sette vp as it were a game of wrestling, wherin the people of God come in on the one side, and on the other side come mighty stronge wres [...]lers and wily, that is to wete, the Deuylles, the cursed proud damned sprites: for it is not our fleshe a­lone that we must wrestle with, but with the deuyll too, Non eft nobis colluctacio aduersus carnem & sanguinem, sed aduersus principes & potestates tenebrarum harum aduersus spiritalia nequitie in celestibus. Our wrestling is not here sayth. S. Paule agaynst fleshe and blud, but agaynst the Princes and Potestates of these darke regyons, agaynst the spyrituall wycked ghostes of the ayre.

But as God (vnto them that on his parte geue his aduersary the fall) hathe prepared a croune, so he that will not wrestle shal none haue: for as. S. Paule saith, Nemo coronabitur nisi quilegittime certauerit. there shal no mā haue [...]he crowne but he that doth his deuor therfore, accor­ding to the lawe of the game. And than as holy. S. Barnard sayth: how couldest thou fight or wrestle, ther­fore, if there were no chalenger against thee, y ^t woulde prouoke the therto. And therfore maye it be a greate comforte as. S. Iames sayth to euery mā that feleth himself chalenged & prouoked by tēpta [...]ion, for therby perceyueth he that it commeth to his course to wrestle, [Page] which shall be (but if he willingly wyll playe y ^e coward or the foole) y ^e matter of his eternall reward in heauē.

The .x. Chapter. ¶A special comfort in all temptacion.

BUt nowe muste this nedes be to man an in­estimable comforte in all temptacion, if his fayth fayle him not, y ^t is to wit, y ^t he may be sure that God is alway ready to geue him strengthe agaynst y ^e deuylles might, & wysdō againste y ^• deuilles traynes: for as the Prophet sayth: Fortitudo m [...]et laus mea dominus factus est mihi in salutem. My strength and my prayse is our Lorde, he hathe bene my safegarder. And the scripture sayth. Pete a deo sapientiam et dabit tibi. Aske wisdō of God and he shall geue it thee: Vt possitis (as. S. Paule sayth: deprehendere omnes artes, that you maye spye & perceyue all y ^e craftes. A greate cōforte maye this be in all kyn­des of temptaciō, y ^e god hath so his hande vpō him that is willing to stande & will truste in him, and call vpon him y ^t he hathe made him sure by many faythfull pro­myses in holy scripture, that eyther he shall not fall, or if he some tyme thorowe fayntnes of fayth stagger & happe to fall, yet if he call vpon God betymes, his fall shall be no sore bruisinge to him, but as the scripture sayth: Iustus si ceciderit non [...] collidetur quia dominus supponit manū. The iuste mā though he fal shal not be bruised, for our lorde holdeth vnder his hande. The Prophete expresseth a playne cōfortable promise of God agaynst all tempta­cion, where he saieth: Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi, in proteccit one dei [...]eli commorabitur. who so dwelleth in the helpe of the highest God, he shall abyde in y ^e protecciō or defence of y ^• God of heauen. Who dwelleth nowe good Cosyn in the helpe of the highe God? suerly he y ^e thorowe a good [...]aythe abideth in y ^• truste & confydence of Gods helpe [Page] and neyther for lacke of that fayth and truste in his helpe. falleth desperate of all helpe, nor departeth from the hope of his helpe to seke him selfe helpe as I toulde you the other daye, of the fleshe, the worlde or the de­uyll. Nowe he than y ^t by fast fayth and suer hope dwel­leth in Goddes helpe and hangeth alwaye therupon, neuer fallinge from that hope, he shall, sayth the Pro­phet euer abyde and dwell in Goddes defence and pro­t [...]ccyon, that is to saye, that whyle he fayleth not to be­leue well and hope well, GOD wyll neuer fayle in all temptacion to defende him. For vnto suche a faythfull well hoping man the Prophet in the same psalme sayth farther: Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi & sub pennis eius sperabis: with his shoulders shall he shadowe thee, and vnder his feathers shalt thou trust.

Lo, here hath euery faythfull man a sure promyse, that in y ^• feruent heate of temptacion or tribulaciō (for as I haue sayde dyuers times before) they be in suche wyse coincydent, that euery trybulacion the Deuyll vseth for temptacion to bringe vs to impacience, and thereby murmure, grudge & blasphemy, and euery kynde of temptacion is to a good man that fighteth a­gainst it, and will not folowe it, a very paynfull tribu­lacion. In the feruent heate, I saye therfore, of euery temptacion, GOD gyueth the faythfull man that ho­peth in him the shadowe of his holy shoulders whiche are brode and large suffycient to refrygerate and re­freshe the man in that heate, and in euery trybulacion he putteth his shoulders for a defence betwene.

And than what weapon of the Deuyll maye geue vs any deadly wound, whyle that impenetrable pauyce of the shoulder of GOD s [...]andeth alwaye betwene? Than goeth the vearse farther and saythe vnto suche [Page] a faythfull man, et sub pennis eius sperabis. Thy hope shall be vnder his feathers, y ^• is to wete, for the good hope thou haste in his helpe. he will take the so nere him into his proteccyon, that as the henne, to kepe her younge chyc­kyns from the kyght, nestleth them togather vnder her owne wynges, so fro the deuilles clawes, y ^e raue­nouse kyght of this darke ayre, y ^e God of heauen wyll gather his faithful trustinge folke, nere vnto his owne sydes, and set them in surety very well and warme vn­der the couering of his owne heauenly winges. And of this defence and protection our sauyor spake him selfe vnto the Iewes, as mention is made in the .xxiii. Chapter of. S. Math. to whome he saide in this wise, Hierusalem Hierusalem que occidis Prophetas & lapidas eos qui ad te missisunt, quotics volui congregare te sicut gallina congregat Pullos suos & noluist [...]? that is to saye, Hierusalem Hierusalem, that kyllest y ^e Pro­phetes and stonest vnto deathe them that are sent vn­to the, how oftē woulde I haue gathered the together as y ^e henne gathereth her chyckens, and thou wouldest not?

Here are wordes Cosyn Uincent, wordes of no litle comforte vnto euery christen man, by which we maye see, with how tender affeccyon GOD of his greate goodnes longeth to gather vnder the protecci­on of his wynges, and howe often lyke a louynge henne he clocketh home vnto him, euen those chickēs of his, that wylfully walke abrode in the kyghtes dan­ger, and will not come at his clockynge, but euer the more he clockethe for them, the farther they goe from him. And therfore can we not doubte if we will fo­lowe him & with faythfull hope come runne vnto him, but that he shall in all matter of temptacion take vs nere vnto him and sette vs euen vnder his wynges, [Page] and than are we safe, if we will tary there. For against our wil can there no power pul vs thence, nor hurt our soules there. Pone me (saith y ^e Prophet) iuxta te, & cui [...]suis ma­nus pugnet contra me. Set me nere vnto the, & fight against me whose hand that wyl: and to shewe the great safe­garde and suerty that we shall haue while we syt vn­der his heauenlye feathers. The Prophet sayth yet a great deale farther. Sub vmbra alarum tuarum exultabo. That is to wete, that we shall not onely (when we sitte by hys swete syde vnder his heauēly wing) sytte in safegard, but that we shall also vnder the couering of hys hea­uenly wynges, wyth greate exultacion reioyse.

The .xi. chapter. Of .iiii. kyndes of temptacions, and therein both the partes of that kinde of tribulacion that men vvillingly suffre, touched in tvvo vearsis of the Psalter.

NOwe in the next vearses folowing, y ^e Pro­phet briefly comprehendeth foure kyndes of temptacion, and therein al the tribulaciō that we shall nowe speake of, and also some part of that which we haue spoken of before, and ther­fore I shal peraduenture, except any farther thing fal in our way, w ^t the treating of those .ii. vearses finishe & ende al our matter. The Prophet sayth in y ^e psalme S [...]uto circumdabit te veritas eius, non timebis a timore nocturno. A sagitta vo­lante in die a negotio perambulante in tenebris ab incursu et demonio meridi­ano. The trueth of God shall compasse the aboute wyth a pauice, thou shalt not be afraid of the nightes feare, nor of the arrowe flying in the daie, nor of the busines walking about in darkenesses, nor of the incursion or inuasion of the deuill in the mydde daye.

Firste Cosin in these wordes: The trouthe of GOD shall coumpasse the aboute wyth a pauice: The Pro­phet [Page] for the cumforte of euery good man in al tempta­cion and in all tribulacion beside those other thinges that he saide before, that the shoulders of god shal sha­dowe them, and that also they should sytte vnder hys wynge, here sayeth he farther. The trouth of GOD shall compasse thee with a pauice, that is to witte, that as god hath faithfully promised to protecte and defend those that fai [...]hfully wyll dwel in the tru [...]t of his helpe, so wil he truely performe it, & thou y ^• such one art, wil y ^e [...]routh of his promise defend not wyth a litle rounde buckler that scant can couer y ^e head, but wyth a long large pauice that couereth all alonge the bodye, made as Sainte Barnard saieth, brode aboue with the god­head, and narowe beneath wyth the manhead, so y ^t this pauice is our sauiour Christe him selfe: and yet is this pauice not lyke other pauices of thys world, which are not made but in such wyse as while they defende one parte, the man may be wounded vpō another: but this pauice is such, that as the Prophet sayeth. it shall round aboute enclose and compasse the, so that thyne enemye shall hurte thy soule on no syde. For, Scuto (saith he) circundabit te veritas eius: wyth a pauice shall hys truethe enuirone and compasse the rounde aboute, and than continently folowyng, to the entent y ^t we should see y ^t it is not without necessite that the pauice of god should cūpasse vs about vpō euery syde. He sheweth in what wyse we be by the deuil with traynes and assaultes by iiii. kyndes of tēptacions & tribulacions enuyroned on vpō euery side: against al which cumpasse of tēpta­cions and tribulaciōs, that round cumpassing pauice of Goddes trueth, shall in suche wyse defende vs and kepe vs safe, that we shal nede to dreade none of them all.

The .xii. Chapter. The firste kynde of the foure temptacions.

FYrste he sayeth: Non timebis a timore noc [...]urno. Thou shalt not be afrayd of the feare of y ^e nighte. By the nyghte is there in scripture some­tyme vnderstand trybulacion as appeareth in the .xxxiiii. Chapter of Iob. Nouit [...]nim deus opera [...]orum, id­ [...]irco induce [...] nocrem. God hath knowē the workes of them, & therefore shall he bring nighte vpon them, that is to witte tribulacion for theyr wyckednes: and well you wote, that the night is of the nature of it selfe verye discumfortable and full of feare. And therefore by the nightes feare, here I vnderstande the tribulacion by whych the deuill thorowe the sufferaunce of god, ey­ther by hym selfe or other that are hys instrumentes, tempteth good folke to impacience as he did Iob. But he that as the prophet sayth, dwelleth and continueth faythfully in the hope of goddes helpe, shall so be be­cleped in on euerye syde wyth the shielde or pauice of god, that he shal haue no nede to be afrayde of such tri­bulacion that is here called the nightes feare. And it maye be also conuenientlye called the nightes feare for two causes. The one [...] for that many times y ^e cause of hys trybulacyō is vnto him that suffereth it, darke and vnknowen, and therin varyeth it, and dyffereth from that trybulacion by whych the deuill tempteth a man wyth open fyght and assaulte for a knowen good thing frō which he would withdrawe him or for some knowen euill thing into which he would driue him by force of such persecuciō. An other cause for which it is called y ^e nightes feare, may be for y ^t y ^e night is so farre out of courage, & naturallye so casteth folke in feare, y ^t of euery thing wherof they perceiue any maner dreade, [Page] their fantasy doubleth theyr feare, and maketh them often wene that it were muche worse then in dede it is. The Phrophet sayth in the psalter. Posuisti tenebras & facta est no [...], in illa pertransibunt omnes besti [...] siluarum. Catuli leonum ru­gientes querentes a deo escam sibi Thou haste good lord set the darknes, and made was the night, and in the nighte walke al the beastes of the wood. The whelpes of the Lyons roaring and calling vnto GDO for theyr meate.

Nowe though that the Lyons whelpes walke aboute roaring in y ^e night and seke for theyr pray, yet can they not geat such meate as they woulde alway, but muste holde them selfe content wyth such as God suffereth to fall in theyr waye. And thoughe they be not ware therof, yet of god they aske it, and of hym they haue it. And thys maye be coumforte to al good men in theyr night feare, in theyr darke tribulacion: that thoughe they fall into the clawes or the tee [...]he of those Lyons whelpes, yet shall all that they can dooe not passe be­yonde the bodye, which is but as the garmente of the soule. For the soule it selfe whiche is the substance of the mā, is so suerly fensed in rounde aboute wyth the shield or pauice of God, that as longe as he wyl abyde faythfully in adiutorio altissimi, in the hope of Godes helpe, the Lyons whelpes shall not be able to hurte it. For the greate Lyon hym selfe coulde neuer be suf­fered to goe farther in the trybulacion of Iob, than God from tyme to tyme gaue hym leaue. And ther­fore the depe darkenes of the midnight maketh men y ^• stande out of fayth and out of good hope in God, to be in theyr tribulacion farre in the greater feare for lacke of the light of fayth wherby they might perceiue that the vttermoste of theyr peryl is a farre lesse thing [Page] than they take it for, but we be so wonte to set so much by oure body whiche we see and fele, and in the feding and fos [...]ring wherof we set our whole delight and our welth, and so litle, alas, and so seld we thinke vpon our soule because we cannot see that, but by spirituall vn­derstanding, & moste specially by the iye of our faith (in the meditaciō wherof, we bestowe, god wote, litle tyme) that the losse of our body we take for a sorer thyng and a greater tribulacion a greate deale, than we doe the losse of our soule. And wheras our sauiour biddeth vs that we should not feare these lyons whelpes that can but kill our bodies, and whē that is done haue no far­ [...]her thing in their power wherwith they can dooe vs harme, but biddeth vs stande in dreade of him, whiche when he hath s [...]aine the body, is able thā beside to cast the soule into euerlasting fyer: we be so blinde in the darke nighte of tribulacion, for the lacke of full and fast belief of goddes worde, that whereas in the daye of prosperitie we very litle feare god for oure soule, oure nyghtes feare of aduersitie maketh vs verye sore to feare the Lion & his whelpes for dreade of losse of our body. And wheras. S. Paul in sūdry places sheweth vs that our body is but as the garment of the soule, yet the faintnes of our fayth to the Scripture of god ma­keth vs with the nightes feare of tribulacion more to dreade, not onely the losse of our body [...] thā of our soule: that is to witte, of the clothing thā of the substaūce that is clothed therewith, but also of the verye outwarde goodes that serue for the clothing of the body, and much more foolishe are we in that darke nightes feare, than were he that coulde forgeat the sauing of hys bodye, for feare of losing his olde rayne beaten cloke that is but the couering of his gown or his coate. Now [Page] consider farther yet, that the Prophete in the forece­membred vearses, sayeth not that in the night walk [...] onely the Lions whelpes, but also, Omnes besties siluarum all the beastes of the wood. Nowe wote you well, that if a man walke thorowe the wood in the nighte, many thynges maye make him afrayde, of which in the daye he woulde not be afrayde of a whit: for in the nyghte euery bushe (to him that waxeth once afrayde) semeth a thefe. I remember that when I was a younge man, I was once in the war [...]e with the king: than my ma­ster (God assoile his soule) and we were camped with­in the Turkes grounde, many a myle beyonde Bel­grade, whiche woulde God were oures nowe as well as it was than: but so happed it, that in oure campe a­boute midnighte, there sodaynlye rose a rumoure and a skrye that the Turkes whole armye was secretely stealing vpon vs, wherwith oure whole host was war­ned to arme them in haste, and sette themselfe in aray to fighte, and than were scurars of ours that brought these sodayne tidinges, examyned more laisorly by the counsayle, what suretye or what likelyhode they had perceyued therein: of whom one shewed that by the glimuring of the moone he had espyed and perceiued and sene them hymselfe, comming on softely and so­berly in a longe raunge all in a good ordre, not one farther foorth than the other in the forefrunte, but as euen as the threde, and in bredth farther than he coulde see in length. Hys fellowes beyng examined, saied that he was somewhat pricked foorth beefore them, and came so fast backe to tel it thē, y ^t they thought it rather time to make haste and geue warning to the campe, than to goe nerer vnto them, for they were not so farre of, but that they had yet themselfe somewhat [Page] an vnperfecte syghte of them too: thus stoode we wat­ [...]hyng all the remnaunte of the nyghte, euermore harkenyng when we shoulde heare them come with hushte, stande styll, me thynke I heare a tramplyng, so that at laste many of vs thoughte we heard them oure selfe also. But when the daye was sprongen, and that we sawe no manne, oute was oure scurer sente a­gaine, and some of oure capitaines with him to shewe them where aboute the place was, in whiche he per­ceiued them: and when they came thyther, they found that great fearefull armye of the Turkes so soberlye commyng on, turned (God bethanked) into a fayre longe hedge, standyng euen stone styll. And thus fa­reth it in the nyghtes feare of trybulacyon, in whiche, the deuill to beare down and ouerwhelme with dreade the faythfull hope that we shoulde haue in GOD, casteth in oure imaginacion muche more feare than cause. For whyle there walke in the nighte, not onely the Lyons whelpes, but ouer that, all the beastes of the wood, beside the beastes that we heare roarīg in the darke nighte of tribulacion, and feare it for a Lyon, we sometyme fynde well afterwarde in the daye, that it was no Lyon at al, but a sely rude roaring asse: & the thyng y ^t on the sea semeth sumtime a rocke, is in dede nothing els but a mist: howbeit, as y ^e Prophet saith: He that faythfully dwelleth in the hope of gods helpe, the pauice of hys trouth shal so fence hym in roūd about, that bee it an asse colte, or a Lions whelpe, a rocke of stone or a mist. Non tim [...]it a timore nocturno, the nightes feare therof shal he nothyng nede to dreade at all.

¶The .xiii. Chapter. Of pusillanimitie.

[Page] THerefore find I that in this nightes feare, one greate parte thereof is the fault of pusillanimitie, y ^t is to witte, feble, and faynte stomake, by whiche a man for fainte hearte, is afrayed where he nedeth not: by reasō where­of he f [...]yeth often tymes for feare of that thing, of which if he fledde not, he shoulde take no harme: and some man dooeth some tyme by his fleing make his enemy bolde on him, which would if he fled not but durst abyde therby, geue ouer & [...]ee from him. This fault of pusillanimitie maketh a manne in his tribulacion for fieble heart, firste impacient, and after­warde often tymes driueth him by impacience into a contrarye affeccion, making frowardlye, stubburne and angry againste God, and thereby to fall into blas­phemye, as dooe the damned soules in hell: this faulte of pusillanimitie and timerouse mynd, letteth a man also many times from y ^e doing of many good thinges, whiche (if he tooke a good s [...]omake to him in the trust of Goddes helpe) he were well able to dooe, but the deuill casteth him in a cowardise, and maketh him take it for humilitie to thinke him selfe vnmete and vnable thereto, and therefore to leaue the good thing vndone, whereof GOD offereth hym occasyon and had made hym mete and conueniente thereto. But suche folke haue nede to lyfte vp theyr heartes and call v­pon God, and by the counsayle of other good ghostly folke, caste awaye the cowardise of their owne conceite, whiche the nightes feare [...] by the deuill hath framed in theyr fantasy, and loke in y ^e gospel vpō him which laid vp his talente, and lefte it vnoccupied, and therefore vtterly lost it, wyth a greate reproche of his pusillany­mitie [Page] by whiche he hadde wente he shoulde haue ex­cused hym selfe in that he was afrayde to put it forth in vre and occupye it, and all this feare commeth by the deuilles dryfte, wherein he taketh occasion of the fayntnes of our good and sure truste in god, and ther­fore let vs faithfully dwel in y ^e good hope of hys helpe, and than shall the pauice of his trueth so compasse vs aboute, that of thys nyghtes feare we shall haue no feare at all.

The .xiiii. Chapter. Of the doughter of pusillanimitie a scrupulous conscience.

THys Pusillanimytie bryngeth forthe by the nyghtes feare, a verye tymerous daughter, a sely wretched Gyrle and euer puling, that is called scrupulosytie or a scrupulous consci­ence. Thys gyrle is a metely good pussell in a house, neuer idle, but euer occupied and busy, but albeit she haue a verye gentle maystres y ^t loueth her wel, & is well content wyth that she doeth, or if it be not all well (as all can not be alwayes wel) content to pardon her as she doeth other of her felowes, and so letteth her knowe that she wyll: yet can this peuishe Gyrle neuer cease whining and puling for feare leste her maystres be alwaye angry wyth her, and y ^t she shal shrewdly be shent. Were her maistres wene you lyke to be cōtent with this condicion? Naye verely, I knewe such one my selfe whose maystres was a verye wyse woman, and (whiche thing is in women, rare) verye mylde and also meeke, and liked verye well suche seruice as she dyd her in her house, but this continuall dyscomforta­ble [Page] fashiō of hers she so much misliked, y ^• she woulde sometyme saye. Eygh, what ayleth this gyrle. The eluishe vrchyn weneth I were a deuill I trow: suerly if she did me .x. times better seruice thē she doeth, yet wyth this fantastical feare of hers, I woulde be loth to haue her in my house.

Thus fareth loe, the scrupulous persō, which frameth him selfe many tymes double the feare that he hathe cause, & many tymes a great feare where there is no cause at al, and of that whiche is in dede no sinne, ma­keth a veniall, and that y ^• is no venial, imagineth to be deadlye: and yet for all that falleth in them, beyng namely such of theyr own nature, as no mā long liueth without, & thā he feareth that he be neuer ful confessed nor neuer full cōtryte, and than that his sinnes be ne­uer full forgeuen him, and than he confesseth and con­fesseth agayne, and cumbreth hym selfe and hys con­fessor both, and than euery praier that he saieth, though he saye it as wel as the frayle infyrmitie of y ^e man wyl suffer, yet is he not satisfied, but if he saye it agayne, and yet after that againe: and when he hath sayed one thyng thryse, as litle is he satysfied wyth the la [...]te as wyth the first, and than is his heart euermore in hea­uines, vnquiet, and in feare, full of doubt and dulnes, wythout comforte or spyrytuall consolacion.

Wyth this nyghtes feare, the deuill sore troubleth the minde of many a ryghte good man, & that doeth he to bring him to some great incōuenience, for he wil if he can, driue hym so much to the fearefull mindinge of goddes rigorous Iustice, y ^t he wyll kepe hym from the cumfortable remembraunce of goddes greate mercy, and so make him doe all his good workes wearilye, and wythout consolacion and quicknes.

[Page]Moreouer, he maketh hym take for sinne, some thinge [...]hat is none, and for deadly, some such as are but ve­niall, to the entent that when he shall fall in them, he shal by reasō of his scruple sinne, where ells he should not, or sinne deadly (whyle his conscience in the dede doing so gaue him) where els in dede he had but offen­ded venyally. Yea & farther the deuil lōgeth to make all his good workes and spirituall excercise so pain­full and and so tedious vnto him, that wyth some o­ther subtyll suggestion or false wyly doctryne of a false spirituall libertie, he shoulde for the false ease & pleasure that he shoulde sodeinly finde therin, be easi­ly conueied from that euill fault into a muche worse, & haue his cōscience as wide & as large after, as euer it was narrowe and strayte before. For better is yet of trueth, a conscience a lytle to strayte, then a greate deale to large. My mother had, whē I was a litle boye, a good olde womā y ^t toke hede to her childrē, they called her mother Maude [...] I trowe you haue heard of her.

Yea, yea, verye much.

She was wonte when she sate by the fyre w ^t vs, to tel vs y ^t were children many chyldyshe tales. But as Plinius sayth, y ^t there is no boke lightly so badde, but that some good thing a man may pyke out therof: so thinke I there is no tale so foolishe, but y ^t yet in one matter or other, to some purpose it may hap to serue. For I remembre me [...] y ^t amonge other of her fonde chyldyshe tales, she tolde vs one that the Asse and the woulfe came on a tyme to cōfession to the foxe. The poore Asse came to shryft in y ^e shroftide, a daye or two before Ashewednesdaye, but y ^e woulfe would not come to cōfessiō vntil he saw first Palme Sonday pas [...], & thā foded yet forthe farder vntyll good Frydaye came. [Page] The Foxe asked the Asse before he beganne Benedicite. wherefore he came to confession so soone before lente began. The poore beast answered hm againe: for feare of deadly sinne, and for feare he shoulde lese his part of any of those prayers that the priest in the clensinge dayes prayeth, for them that are confessed alreadye. Than in his shryfte he had a meruelous great grudge in his inwarde conscyence, that he had one daye geuē hys maister a cause of angre, in that, y ^t with hys rude roaring before hys maister arose, he had awaked hym out of hys slepe, and bereued hym of his reste. The foxe for y ^e fault [...] lyke a good dyscrete cōfessor, charged him to doe so no more, but lye still & slepe lyke a good sonne him selfe tyll hys mayster were vp, and rea­dye to goe to worke, and so shoulde he be sure that he should not wake him no more.

To tel you al the poore Asses confessiō, it were a long worke: for euery thing that he dyd was deadly synne wyth him, the poore soule was so scrupulous.

But his wise wyly cōfessor accoumpted thē for trifles, as they were in dede, and sware afterwarde vnto the bageard that he was so weary to syt so long and heare him, that sauing for the maner sake, he had leuer haue sytten all the whyle at breakefaste wyth a good fatte goose. But when it came to the penaunce geuing, the foxe found that the most waighty sinne in al his shrift, was glotonye, and therefore he discretly gaue hym in penaunce, that he shoulde neuer for gredines of hys owne meate doe anye other beast anye harme or hin­deraunce, and then eate hys meate, and studye for no more.

Nowe, as good mother Maude tolde vs, when the Woulfe came to confession to father Raynarde [Page] (for that was, she said, the foxes name) vpon good fry­daye, his confessor shooke his greate payer of beades vpon him, almoste as bigge as bowles, and asked hym wherefore he came so late? Forsoth father Raynarde quod the woulfe, I muste nedes tell you the truth, I come you wote well therefore, I durst come no sooner for feare lest you woulde for my glotonye haue geuen me in penaunce to fast some parte of thys lent. Naye naye, quod father foxe, I am not so vnreasonable, for I fast none of it my selfe. For I may say to the sonne betweene vs twayne here in confession, it is no com­maundement of god this fasting, but an inuencion of man. The priestes make folke faste and put them to payne aboute the moone shyne in the water, and doe but make folke fooles, but they shal make me no such foole I warraunte thee sonne. For I eate fleshe all this lent my self I: howebeit, because I wil not be in dede occasion of slaunder, I therefore eate it secretlye in my chāber out of sight of al such foolishe brethren, as for theyr weake scrupulous conscience would waxe offended wythall, and so woulde I counsayle you to doe. Forsoth father Foxe quod the woulfe, and so I thanke god I doe as nere as I can, for when I goe to my meate, I take none other cōpany wyth me, but such sure brethren as are of my owne nature, whose cōsciences are not weake I warraunt you, but theyr stomake as strong as myne. Wel thā, no force quod father foxe. But when he heard after by hys confes­siō y ^t he was so great a rauenor y ^t he deuoured & spent somtyme so muche vytaile at one meale, as the pryce therof woulde finde some poore man wyth hys wyfe and his children almost al y ^e wieke, than he prudently reproued y ^t poynte in hym, and preached hm a processe [Page] of his owne temperaunce, which neuer vsed as he said to passe vpon him selfe the valure of .vi. d. at a meale, no nor yet so much neither. For when I bring home a Gose, quod he, not out of y ^e poulters shoppe where folke fynde them out of theyr feathers ready plucked, and se which is the fattest, & yet for .vi. d. by & chose the best: but out of the houswifes house at the first hand, whych maye somwhat better cheape aforde them you wote wel than the poulter maye, nor yet can not be suffered to se them plucked and stande and chose thē by daye, but am fayne by night to take aduenture, and when I come home, am fayne to dooe the laboure my selfe & plucke her. Yet for all this, though it be but leane, & I wene not well worth a grote, serueth it me somtime for all that both dinner and supper to. And therfore, as for that you liue of rauen, therin can I finde no fault: you haue vsed it so longe, that I thinke you can dooe none, o [...]her, and therefore were it folye to forbydde it you, and to saye the trueth against good consience to, For lyue you must I wote wel, and other craft can you none, and therfore as reason is, must you lyue by that. But yet you wote well, to much is to much, & measure is a merye meane, whiche I perceyue by your shrifte you haue neuer vsed to kepe, and therfore suerly this shall be your penance: that you shal al this yere neuer passe vpon your selfe the price of .vi. d. at a meale, as nere as your conscyence can gesse the pryce.

Their shrifte haue I shewed you as mother Maude shewed it vs. But nowe serueth for our matter the cō ­science of them bothe, in the true perfourminge of theyr penaunce. The poore Asse after hys shrifte, whē he waxed an hungred, sawe a sowe lye wyth her pig­ges well lapped in newe strawe, and neare he drewe [Page] and thought to haue eaten of the strawe, but anon his scrupulous cōscience begā therein to g [...]udge him, for while his penaunce was for gredines of his meate, he should doe none other bodye no harme, he thought he might not eate one strawe [...] lest for lacke of that strawe, some of those pigges mighte happe to dye for colde: so helde he still his hungre tyll one brought hym meate. But whē he should fal therto, then fel he yet in a farre farther scruple, for then it came in hys mynde that he should yet breake hys penaunce if he should eate any of y ^e either, syth he was cōmaūded by his ghostly father that he shoulde not for his owne meate hyndre any o­ther bea [...]te, for he thoughte that if he eate not that meate, some other beast might happe to haue it, and so shoulde he by the eatyng of it, paraduenture hyndre some other, and thus stode he styll fasting, tyl when he [...]olde the cause, his ghostly father came aud enformed hym better, and then he caste of that scruple, and fell manerly to his meate, and was a right honest Asse ma­ny a fayre daye after.

The woulfe nowe comming frō shrift, cleane soyled from his sinnes, went about to doe, as a shreude wyfe once tolde her husbande that she would doe when she came from shrifte. Be mery man, quod she nowe, for this daye I thanke God was I well shryuen, and I purpose nowe therfore to leaue of al mine olde shrewd­nes and begin euen afreshe.

Ah, well vncle, can you reporte her so: that worde harde I her speake, but she saide it in sporte to make her good mā laughe.

In dede it semed she spake it halfe in sporte, for that she sayde she woulde caste awaye all her olde shrewdnes, therein I trowe she sported: but in [Page] that she sayde she woulde begynne it all afreshe, her husbande found that good earnest.

Wel, I shal shewe her I warrant you what you saye.

Than wyll you make me make my worde good: but what soeuer she did, at leastwise so fared now this woulfe, which had cast out all hys olde rauen in confession, and than hungre pricked him forward, that (as the shrewde wyfe sayed) he dyd in dede begynne al afreshe. But yet the prycke of conscience wythdrewe and helde hym backe because he woulde not for brea­king of his penaūce, take any praye for his meale tide that should passe y ^e price of .vi. d. It happed him thā as he walked prolling for his geare about, he came where a mā had in fewe daies before, cast of two olde, leane, & lame horses, so sycke, that no fleshe was there almoste leaft on them, and the one when the woulfe came by, could scant stande vpon his legges, and the other al­readye dead, and hys skynne rypped of and caryed away. And as he loked vpon thē, sodeinly he was first aboute to fede vpon them, and whette hys teethe on theyr bones, but as he looked asyde, he spied a fayre cowe in a close walking wyth her younge calfe by her syde: and as soone as he sawe them, hys consceince be­gan to grudge hym againste bothe those two horses, and than he syghed & said vnto him selfe. Alas wicked wretch that I am, I had almost broken my penaunce ere I was ware, for yonder dead horse, because I ne­uer sawe no dead horse solde in the market, and I shoulde euen dye therfore by the waye that my sinfull soule shal to, I can not deuise what price I should set vpon him, but in my conscience I set him farre aboue [Page] vi. d. & therfore I dare not medle w ^t him. Now thā is yōder quicke horse of likelihode worth a great deale of money, for horse be deare in this coūtrey, specially such softe aumblers, for I see by his pace he trotteth not, nor can scāt shift a foote, & therfore I may not meddle with him, for he very farre passeth my vi. d. but kine, this countrey here hath inough [...] but noney haue they very litle: & therfore considering the plenty of y ^e kyne, and the scarcitie of the money, as for yonder peuishe [...]owe semeth vnto me in my conscience worth, not past a grote, and she be worth so much. Nowe than as for her calfe, is not so much as she by halfe, and therefore, whyle the cowe is in my conscience worth but foure pence, my conscience cannot se [...]ue me for sinne of my soule to prayse her calfe aboue two pence, and so passe they not .vi. d, betwene them both, and therefore them twayne may I wel eate at this one meale, & breake not my penaunce at all, and so thereupon he dyd withoute any scruple of cōscience. If such beastes could speake nowe, as mother Maude sayd they could than [...] some of them would, I wene, tel a tale almost as wyse as this: wherin saue for the minishing of old mother Maudes tale, els would a shorter [...]rocesse haue serued: but yet as peuishe as the parable is, in this it serueth for oure purpose, that the nightes feare of a conscience some­what scrupulouse, though it be painfull and tro [...]blous to him that hath it, lyke as this poore asse had here, is les [...]e harme yet, than a conscience [...]uerlarge, or suche as for his own fantasie the man lust to frame himself, now drawing it narrowe now stretching it in breadth, after the maner of a cheuerel pointe, to serue on euery syde for hys owne commoditie, as did here the wylye [...]oulfe: but suche folke are out of [...]ribulacion, and cō ­forte [Page] nede they none, and therfore are they out of our matter: but those that are in the nightes feare of their owne scrupulous conscience, lette them be well ware as I sayed, that the deuill, for wearines of the one, drawe them not into the other: and whyle he woulde flee from Scylla, dryue him into Charibdis. He muste dooe as doth [...] a shippe that shoulde come into a hauen, in y ^• mouth wherof lie secret rockes vnder y ^e water on both sides, if he be by missehappe entred in among thē that are on the one syde, and cannot tell how to geat oute, he must geat a substaunciall cunning pilote that so can conduce hym from the rockes on that syde that yet he bryng him not into those that are on the other syde, but can guide hym in the midde way: let them I saye that are therfore in the troublouse feare of theyr own scrupulous conscience, submitte the rule of their owne conscience, to the counsayle of some other good man, whiche after the varietie and the nature of the scrupulous, may temper his aduise: yea although a mā be very well learned him selfe, yet let hym in this case learne the custome vsed among phisicions: for be one of them neuer so cunning, yet in his owne disease and sickenes, he neuer vseth to trust al to himselfe, but sen­deth for suche of his felowes, as he knoweth mete, and putteth himselfe in their handes for many considera­cions, wherof they assigne the causes, and one of the causes is feare, wherof vpon some tokens he may cō ­ceyue in hys own passion, a great deale more then ne­deth: & that were good for his health, that for the time he knewe no suche thyng at all. I knewe once in thys towne, one of the most cunning men in that facultie, and the beste experte, and therwith the moste famous to [...] and he that the greatest cures did vpon other men, [Page] and yet when he was him selfe once very sore sicke, I heard his fellowes that than loked vnto hym, of all whiche, euery one woulde in their owne disease, haue vsed his helpe before any other men, wishe yet that for the tyme of hys owne sickenes, being so sore as it was, he had knowen no phisicke at all, he toke so great hede vnto euery suspicious token, and feared so farre the worste, that his feare did him some tyme muche more harme thā the syckenes gaue him cause. And therfore as I say, whoso hath such a trouble of his scrupulouse conscience, lette him for a while forbeare the iudgemēt of hymselfe, and folowe the counsayle of some other whom he knoweth for well learned and verteous [...] and specially in the place of confession, for there is god spe­cially present with his grace, assisting his holy Sacra­mente, and lette hym not doubte to acquiet hys mynde and folowe that he there is biddden, and thinke for a whyle lesse of the feare of Goddes iustice, and be more mery in the remembraunce of hys mercye, and per­seuer in prayer for grace, and abyde and dwell fayth­fully in the sure hope of his helpe, and than shal he find withoute any doubte, that the pauyce of Goddes trouth shall, as the Prophet saith, so compasse him about, that he shal not nede to dreade this nightes feare of scru­pulositie, but shall haue afterwarde his conscience stablysshed in good quiet and rest.

The .xv. Chpter. An other kynd of the nightes feare, an other doughter of pusillanimitie, that is to vvete, that horrible temptacion by vvhiche some folke are tempted to kill and destroye themselfe.

VErelye good Uncle, you haue in my mynde, well declared these kyndes of the nights feare.

Sureli Cosin, but yet are there many [Page] moe than I can eyther remembre or find: howbeit, one yet commeth to my minde now, of which I before no thing thought [...] and which is yet in mine opinion, of all the other feares the most horrible: that is to witte Co­sin, where the deuill tempteth a man to kil and destroy hymselfe.

Undoubtedly this kinde of tribulacion is meruelouse and st [...]aunge, and the temptaciō is of such a sorte, that some men haue opinion that suche as fall once in that fantasye, can neuer after ful caste it of.

Yes, yes Cosin, many a hundreth, and els god forbid: but the thing that maketh men so say, is be­cause that of those which finally doe destroy themself, there is muche speache and much wondering, as it is well worthy, but many a good man, and many a good womā hath sometyme, yea diuers yeres eche after o­ther, continually be tempted therto, & yet haue by grace and good counsaile, well and verteously withstand it, and bene in conclusiō clerely delyuered of it, and their tribulacion nothyng knowen abrode, and therfore no­thing talked of: but surely Cosin, an horrible sore trou­ble it is to any man or woman that the deuill tempteth therewith: many haue I heard of, and with some haue I talked my selfe, that haue been sore encombred with that temptacion, and marked haue I not a litle the maner of them.

I require you good vncle, shewe me some­what of suche thinges as you perceiue therin, for fyrst where you call this kinde of temptacion the doughter of pusillanimitie, and therby so nere of sibbe vnto the nightes feare, me thinketh on the other side, that it is rather a thyng that commeth of a greate courage and boldnes, whan they dare their owne handes put them [Page] selfe to death, from which we see almoste euery man shrynke and flee, as that many suche as we knowe by good proofe and playne experyence for men of greate hearte and of an excedyng hardie courage.

I sayde Cosyn Uyncent, of that pusillany­mytie cometh this temptacion, and very trueth it is. y ^• in dede it so doeth, but yet I meynt it not that of onely faynt hearte and feare it cometh and groweth alwaye, for the deuil tempteth sundry folkes by sundry wayes: but the cause wherfore I spake of none other kynde of temptacion, than of onely that whiche is the daughter that the deuyll begetteth vpon pusyllanimitie, was for that, that those other kyndes of that temptaciō fall not vnder the nature of tribulaciō and feare, and therfore fal they farre out of our matter here, and are suche tēp­taciōs as onely nede counsayle, and not coumforte or consolacion, for that the persones therwith tempted, be with that kynde of temptacion not troubled in theyr mynde, but verely well content, both in tempting and folowinge: for some hathe there bene Cosin suche, that they haue be tēpted therto by meane of a folishe pryde, & some by y ^e meane of anger, without any dreade at al, & very glad therto, to this I saye not naye. But where as you wene that none fal therto by feare, but that they haue all a stronge mightye stomake, that shall you see the contrarye, & that peraduen [...]ure in those of whom you woulde wene the stomake most stronge, and theyr hearte and courage most hardye.

Yet is it maruayle Uncle to me y ^• it shoulde be as you saye it is, that this temptacion is vnto them that doe it for pryde or for angre, no trybulacion, nor y ^t they shoulde nede in so greate a dyst [...]esse & peryl bothe of bodye and soule to be loste, no maner of good ghostly [Page] comforte at al,

Let vs therfore Cosin, cōsidre a sample or two, for therby shal we the better perceiue it. There was here in Buda in king Ladislaus dayes, a good pore honeste mans wyfe: this womā was so fien­dyshe, that the Deuill perceyuinge her nature, put her in the mynde that she shoulde anger her husbande so sore, that she might geue him an occasion to kyll her, & than he should be hanged for her.

This was a s [...]range temptacion in dede: what the Deuill shoulde she be the better than?

Nothinge, but that it eased her shrewde stomake before, to thinke that her husband shoulde be hanged after. And peraduenture if you loke about the worlde and considre it well, you shall fynde moe suche stomakes thā a fewe. Haue you neuer heard no furious bodye saye playnly, that to see some suche man haue a myschy [...]fe, he woulde with good will be content to lye as longe in hell as God lyueth in heauen?

Forsothe and some suche haue I hearde?

This minde of his was not muche lesse mad then hers, but rather happely y ^e more mad of y ^e twayn, for the womā peraduenture dyd not cast so farre pe [...]ell therin. But to tell you nowe to what good passe her charytable purpose came: as her husbande (the man was a carpenter) stode hewynge with his chyppe axe vpō a piece of timbre, she beganne after her olde guise, so to reuile him, that the man waxed wrothe at last, and [...]ade her get her in or he woulde laye y ^e helue of his axe aboute her back, & saied also, that it were lytle sinne e­uen with that axe head to choppe of that vnhappye head of hers, that caryed suche an vngraciouse tounge ther­in. At that worde the Deuyll toke his tyme, and whetted her tounge agaynst her teeth, and whē it was [Page] well sharped, she sware vnto him in very fierce anger. By y ^e masse horesō husbande I woulde thou wouldest, here lyeth my head loe, (& therwith down she layed her head vpon the same tymbre logge) if thou smyte it not of, I beshrewe thy horesons hearte. With y ^t, lykewyse as the Deuyll stode at her elbowe, so stode (as I hearde saye) his good aungell at his, and gaue him ghostly cou­rage, and bade him be bolde and doe it. And so the good man vp with his chyppe axe, & at a choppe chopped of her head in dede. There were standynge other folke by, which had a good sporte to heare her chide, but litle they loked for this chaunce tyll it was doone ere they coulde let it: they saied they heard her tounge bable in her head, and call horeson [...] horeson [...] twyse after the head was frō the bodye. At leastewyse, afterwarde vnto the kynge, thus they reported all, except only one, & that was a wo­man, and she saied that she hearde it not.

Forsothe this was a wonderfull worke, what became vncle of the man?

The kynge gaue him his pardon.

Uerely he might in concience doe no lesse.

But than was i [...] farther at nother poynte, y ^t there shoulde haue been a statute made, y ^t in suche case, there should neuer after pardō be graunted, but y ^e truth beynge able to be proued, no husband shoulde nede any pardō, but shoulde haue leaue by the lawe to folowe the sample of the carpenter and doe the same.

Howe happed it vncle, y ^t y ^• good lawe was lefte vnmade?

Howe happed it? as it happeth Cosin, y ^t many mo be left vnmade as well as it, and within a lytle as good as it to, bothe here & in other countreyes, & some tyme some worse made in theyr stede. But as they saie, y ^e let of y ^t law was y ^e Quenes grace, god forgeue her soule: [Page] it was y ^• greatest thinge I wene good Ladye that she had to answere for when she dyed, for surely saue for y ^e one thinge, she was a full blessed woman. But letting now that lawe passe, this temptaciō in procuringe her owne death was vnto this carpenters wyfe no tribu­laciō at all, as farre as euer men coulde perceyue: for it lyked her well to thinke theron, and she euen longed therfore. And therfore, if she had before tolde you or me her mynde, and that she woulde brynge it so fayne to passe, we coulde haue had no occacion to comforte her as one that were in tribulacion, but mary counsayle her (as I tolde you before) we well might, to refrayne and amende that deuelyshe mynde of hyrs.

Uerely that is trueth, but suche as are well wylling to doe any purpose that is so shamefull, wyll neuer tell theyr minde to no bodye for very shame.

Some will not in dede, & yet are theyr some agayn, that, be theyr entent neuer so shamefull, fynde some yet, whome theyr hearte serueth them to make of theyr counsayle therin. Some of my folke here can tel you, that no longer ago than euen yesterdaye, one that came out of Uienna shewed vs amonge other talking, that a riche widowe (but I forgot to aske him where it happed) hauing all her lyfe an high proude minde and a fell, as those two verteues are wonte alway to kepe cō ­pany together, was at debate with an other neighbour of hers in the towne, & on a time she made of her coun­sayle a poore neighbour of hers, whō she thought for money, she might enduce to folowe her mynde: with him secretly she brake, and offred him .x. Duccattes for his labour to doe so muche for her, as come in a morninge early to her house, & with an axe, vnknowen, pryuelye to stryke of her head: and when he had so [Page] done, than conuaye the blody axe, into the house of him with whom she was at debate, in some suche maner of wyse, as it might be thought that he had murdered her of malyce, & than she thought she shoulde be taken for a martyr. And yet had she farther deuysed, y ^t an other sūme of money should after be sent to Rome, and that there should be meanes made to y ^e Pope, that she might in all hast be canonyzed. This poore man promysed, but entended not to perfourme it, howebeit, when he de­ferred it, she prouyded y ^e axe her selfe, and he appoynted with her the morning when he shoulde come. But thā sette he suche other folke, as he would shoulde knowe her frantique fantasie, in such place appoynted as they might wel heare her and him talke together. And after that he had talked with her therof what he woulde, so muche as he thought was ynoughe, he made her lye downe, & toke vp the axe in his one hand, & with the o­ther hande he felte the edge, and founde a faulte that it was not sharpe, and that therfore he woulde in no wise doe it, tyll that he had ground it sharper, he coulde not els he sayed for pietye, it would put her to so muche payne, & so full sore agaynst her wyll, for that tyme she kept her head styll: But because she woulde not suffer any moe to deceyue her so and fode her forthe with de­layes, ere it was very long after, she hanged her selfe with her owne handes.

Forsoothe here was a tragycall story, wher­of I neuer heard the lyke.

Forsoothe the partye that tolde it me, sware that he knewe it for a trueth. And hym selfe is I pro­myse you suche, as I reckon for ryght honest, & of sub­stancyall trueth. Nowe here she le [...]ted not as shame­ful a mind as she had, to make one of her counsaile yet, [Page] and yet as I remembre an other to, whom she trusted with the money that shoulde procure her canonyzacyō. And here I wote well that her temptacion came not of feare, but of high malyce & pryde. But than was she so glad in the pleasant deuise therof, y ^t as I shewed you, she toke it for no tribulacion, but for a maruelous mery mortall temptacion. And therfore, comfortinge of her coulde haue no place: but if men should any thing geue [...]er tow [...]rd her helpe, it must haue bene (as I tolde you) good counsayle: and therfore as I sayde, this kynde of temptacion to a mannes owne destrucciō which reqi­reth counsayle, & is out of trybulacion, was out of our matter, that is to wete of comforte in trybulacion.

The .xvi. Chapter. Of him that vvere moued to kyll him selfe by illusion of the Deuill, vvhich he reckoned for a reuel [...]cion.

BUt lest you might reiecte both those samples, weninge they were but fayned tales, I shal but put you in remembraunce of one, which I reckō your selfe haue read in y ^e collacions of Cassianus: & if you haue not, there maye you soone fynde it, for my selfe haue halfe forgotten the thinge, it is so longe since I read it: but thus muche I remem­bre, y ^t he telleth of one there y ^t was all his dayes a very holy mā in his liuing, & amonge y ^e other verteous mon­kes & Anckres y ^t lyued in wyldernes, was maruelous­lye muche estemed, sauing that some were not all out of feare of him, lest his reuelacions, wherof he tolde many by him selfe, woulde proue illusions of the deuyll, and so proued it after in dede: for the man was by the deuylles subtyll suggestions brought into suche an high spiry­ [...]uall pryde that in conclusion y ^e deuyll brought him to that horrible poynte that he made him to kyll him selfe, & as farre as my mynde geueth me nowe, without newe [Page] sight of y ^• boke, be brought him to it hy this perswasiō, that he made him beleue it was gods will he shoulde so doe, & y ^t thereby should he goe strayght to heauen. And than if it were by that perswasion with which he tooke very greate comforte in his owne mynde him selfe, was it then as I sayde out of our case here, and neded not comforte, but counsayle agaynste geuing credence to y ^e deuelles perswasyon. But mary if he made him fyrste perceyue howe he had been deluded, & thā tempted him to his owne death by shame & dyspayre, than was it in our matter loe, for thā was his temptacion fallen down from pryde to pusyllanimitie, & was waxen that kynde of the nightes feare y ^t I spake of, wherin a good parte of the counsayle y ^t were to be geuen him, shoulde haue nede to stand in good comfortyng, for than was he brought to ryght sore tribulacion: but as I was aboute to tell you, strength of heart and courage is there none therin, not onely for y ^t very strength as it hath y ^e name of vertue in a reasonable creature can neuer be with­out prudence, but also for that as I sayed euen in them that some men of most hardynes it shall well appeare to them that well waygh y ^e matter, y ^t the mynde where­by they be ledde to destroye them selfe, groweth of pu­syllanymytie and very folyshe feare. Take for the sam­ple, Cato vticensis, whiche in Affrycke kylled him selfe, after the greate victory of Iulyus Ceasa [...] had. S. Austyn well declareth in his worke, De ciuitate dei, that there was no strength nor magnanimitie therin but playne pu­syllanimitie, and impotencye of stomake, whereby he was forsed to the destruccyon of him selfe, b [...]cause his hearte was to feble to beare the beholdynge of an other mannes glorye, or the sufferynge [Page] of other calamyties, that he feared shoulde fall on him selfe. So that. S. Austen well proueth that horryble dede is no acte of strength, but an acte of the mind, ey­ther drawen from the consyderacion of it selfe, with some deuelyshe fantasye, wherin the man hath nede to be called home with good counsayle, or els oppressed by faint heart and feare, wherin a good part of the coun­sayle must stande in lyfting vp his courage, with good consolaciō and comforte: and therfore if we found any suche religyouse person as was that father which Cas­syon wryteth of, that were of such austerytie and appa­rent ghostly lyuinge, that he were with suche as knewe him reputed for a manne of syngular vertue, and that it were perceyued that he had many visions appearing vnto him, if it shoulde nowe be perceyued after y ^e that y ^e [...] man went about secretlye to destroye him selfe, who so shoulde happe to come to the knowledge thereof, and entended to dooe hys deuor in the let: Fyrst must he fynde the meanes to searche and fynde oute, whether the man be in his maner and in his coūtenaunce, light­ [...]ome, gladde and ioyfull, or dumpishe heauye or sadde: and whither he goe there about as one that were full of the glad hope of heauen, or as one that hadde his brest farsed full of tedyousnes & wearynes of the worlde: if he were founden of the fyrst fashion, it wer a token that the deuyll hath by his fantasticall apparicions puffed him vp in such a pieuyshe pryde, y ^t he hath finally per­swaded him by some illusyon shewed him for the proofe, that gods pleasure is that he shal for his sake with his owne handes kyll him selfe.

What if a man so found it vncle, what coun­sayle should a man geue him than?

That were somewhat out of our purpose [Page] Cosin, syth as I tolde you before, the man were not thā in sorow and tribulacion, wherof our matter speaketh, but in a perylous me [...]ye mortall temptacion: so that if we should beside our owne matter that we haue taken in hand entre into that to, we might happe to make a longer worke betwene bothe, than we coulde well fy­nyshe this daye. Howebeit to be short, it is soone sene, that therein the counsayle and the effecte therof, must in maner rest in geuing him warning of the deuilles sleyghtes, & that must be doone vnder suche pleasante swete maner, as the man should not abhorre to heare it: for whyle it coulde lightly be none other but y ^t the man were rocked and songen a slepe by the deuylles crafte, and therby his mynde occupyed as it were in a delecta­ble dreame, he shoulde neuer haue good audyence of him that would rudely & boysteously shugge him and wake him and so shake him out therof [...] Therfore must you fayer & easely touche him, & with some pleasaunte spe [...]he awake him so, that he waxe not wayward as chil­dren doe that are waked ere they lust to rise. But when a mā hath first begon with his praise (for if he be proude, ye shall muche beter please him with a commendacion than with a dyrige) thā after fauor wonne therwithall, a man maye lytle & lytle insinuate the doubte of suche reuelacions, not at the fyrst as it were, that it were for any doubte of his, but of some other men that in some other places talke of. And peraduenture it shall not miscontent hym selfe to shewe greate perylles that maye fall therin in an other mans case than his own, and shall begynne to preache vpon it.

Or if you were a man that hadde not a scrupulouse conscyence of an harmeles lye, deuysed to doe good w ^t all, which kynde. S. Iusten (though he take alway for [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] synne, yet he taketh it but for venyal) and. S. Hierome) as by dyuers places of his bokes appeareth) taketh not fully for so muche, than maye you fayne some secrete frend of yours to be in suche case, & y ^• your selfe some­what feare his perell, and haue made of charytye this vyage for his sake to aske this good fathers counsayle. And in y ^e cōmunycaciō maye you bringe in these wordes of. S. Iohn. Nolite omni spiritui credere, sed probate spiritus si ex deo sunt Geue not credence vnto euery spirite, but proue whither they be of god. And these wordes of. S. Paule, Angelus Sathane transfigurat se in angelum lucis. The Aungell of Sathan transfygureth him selfe into the Aungell of light, you shall take occasion y ^e better if they happe to come in on his owne side, but yet not lacke occasiō neyther if those textes for lacke of his offer come in vpon your owne occasion I saye, shall you not lacke to enquyer, by what sure & vndeceiuable tokens, a mā maye decerne y ^e true reuelacions from y ^e false illusions, whereof a man shal finde many both here & there, in diuers other authors, & whole together diuerse goodly treatises of that good godly doctor M. Io. Gersō, ent [...]tuled [...] De probatione spirituū. As if y ^e pa [...]ti be natural wyse or any thing seme fantas­tical, or whither y ^e partie be poore spirited or poude, which will somewhat appeare by his delyte in his owne prayse, or if of wylynes, or of an other pryde for to be praysed of humilitie, he re [...]use to heare therof, yet any litle faulte founde in him selfe or diffidence declared and mistrust of his owne reuelacions & doutfull tokens told, wher­of him selfe shoulde feare lest they be y ^e deuelles illusi­ons. Suche thinges (as M. Gerson sayth) will make him to spette out somewhat of his spitefull spirite, if the deuill lye in his breste. Or if the deuill be yet so subtyll that he kepe him selfe close in his warme denne, and [Page] blowe out neuer a hote worde, yet is it to be considered what end his reuelacions drawe to, whither to any spi­rituall profite to him selfe or other folke, or onely to vaine maruayles and wonders. Also, whither they withdrawe him from suche other good verteous busi­nes, as by the common rules of Christendome, or any rules of his profession he was wont to vse, or were bounde to be occupied in. Or whither he fall into any singularitie of opinions agaynst the scripture of God, or agaynst y ^e commō fayth of Chrystes catholique churche, many other tokens are there in that worke of M. Gerson spoken of to considre by, whyther the parsō neyther hauing reuelacions of GOD, nor illusions from the Deuill, doe eyther for winning of moneye [...] or wordely fauor, faine his reuelacions him selfe to delude the people withall.

But nowe for our purpose, if amonge any of y ^e mar­kes by which the true reuelacion may be knowen from the false illusions, that maye him selfe bringe forthe for one marke, the doinge or teaching of any thinge agaynst the scripture of GOD, or the com­mon faythe of the churche, than haue you an entrye made you, by which when you luste you maye entre into y ^e speciall matter wherin he can neuer well flitte from you. Or elles maye you if you lus [...]e, [...]ayne y ^t your secrete frend, for whose sake you come to him for counsayle, is brought into y ^t minde by a certayne apparicion she­wed vnto him as him selfe [...]ayth by an Aungell as you feare by y ^e Deuill, that he can be by you none other wayes perswaded as yet, but that the pleasure of God is that he shall kyll him selfe, and that if he so doe, than shall he be therby so speciall partycypant [Page] of Chrystes passion, y ^• he shall forthwith be caryed vp with Aungels into heauen, for whiche he is so ioyful, y ^• he fyrmelye purposeth vpon it, no lesse glad to doe it, than another man would be glad to voyde it. And ther­fore maye you desyer his good counsayle, to instructe you with some good substancyall aduyse, wherwith you maye turne him from this error, that he be not vnder hope of gods true reuelacion in body & soule destroyed by y ^e deuylles false delusion: if he will in this thing study and labour to instructe you, the thinges that him selfe shall fynd out of his owne inuencion, though they be lesse effectual, shal peraduenture more worke with him selfe toward his owne amendemet, syth he shall of lyke­lyhod better lyke them, than shall the double substanci­all thinges tolde by another mā if he be lothe to thinke vpon y ^• syde & therfore shrynke from the matter: thā is there none other waye, but aduenture after the playne fashion, to fal into the matter, & shew what you heare, and to geue him counsayle & exhortacion to y ^e contrary: but if you luste to saye y ^t thus and thus hath y ^e matter bene reasoned already betwene your frende and you, and therin may you rehearse suche thinges, y ^t shoulde proue that y ^e vision which moueth him, is no true reue­lacion but a false illusion.

Uerely vncle I well alow this, that a man should as well in this thing as euery other, wherin he longeth to do an other man good, seke suche a pleasant waye as the partye shoulde be lykelye to lyke, or at the leaste wyse well to take in worthe his communicacion, and not so to enter in therunto, as he whom he woulde helpe shoulde abhorre him, and be lothe to heare him, and therfore to take no profitte by him.

But nowe Uncle, if it come by the one waye or [Page] the other to y ^e poynte to heare me he will or shall: what be y ^e reasons effectuall with which I shoulde by coun­sayle conuert him?

All those by which you maye make him per­ceyue that him selfe is deceyued, and that his visions be no godly reuelacions, but very deuelyshe illusions. And those reasons must you gather of the man, of the matter, and of the lawe of God, or of some one of these. Of the man, if you can peraduenture shewe him that in suche a poynte or suche, he is waxen worse synce suche reuelacions haue haunted him, than he was be­fore, as in those y ^• are deluded, whoso be well acquyna­ted with them, shall well marke and perceyue, for they waxe more proude, more wayward, more enuious, sus­picious, mysseiudging, and deprauing other men, w ^t they delyte of theyr owne prayse, and suche other spiri­tuall vices of the soule.

Of y ^e matter maye you gather if you haue proued his reuelacion before false, or that they be thinges rather straunge then profytable, for that is a good marke be­twene Gods myracles and the deuylles wonders, for Chryst and his sayntes haue theyr myracles alwaye tendyng to fruite and profit, the Deuyll and his wit­ches and Necromancer, all theyr wonderfull workes drawe to no fruteful ende, but to a fruitlesse ostentaciō, & shewe as it were a Iuggler that woulde for a shewe before the people, playe maystryes at a feaste.

Of the lawe of God you must drawe your reasons in shewing by the scripture that the thing which he we­neth God by his Aungell byddeth, God hath his owne mouthe forbydden, and that is you wote wel in the case that we speake of, so easy to fynde, that I nede not to [Page] rehearse it vnto you, syth there is playne among the .x commaundementes forbydden the vnlawfull killing of any man, and therefore of himselfe as. S. Austen sayeth, and all the churche teacheth, except hymselfe be no man.

This is very true good vncle, nor I will not dispute vpon any glosing of that prohibicion, but syth we fynde not the contrary but that god maye dyspence with that commaundemente himselfe, & both licence and commaunde also if him lust, any man to goe kil ei­ther an other mā or himselfe eyther: thys mā y ^t is now by suche a maruelouse vision induced to beleue y ^t God so byddeth hym, & therefore thynketh himselfe in that case of that prohibicion discharged, and charged wyth the contrary commaundement: with what reason may we make hym perceiue that this vision is but an illu­sion, and not a true reuelacion?

Naye Cosin Uincent, you shal not nede in this case to requier those reasons of me: but taking the Scripture of God for a grounde in thys matter, you knowe very well your selfe, you shall goe somewhat a shorter waye to worke if you aske this question of him, that sith god hath forbidden the thyng once hymselfe, though he maye dispence therewith if he will, yet s [...]th the deuill maye fayne himselfe god, and with a merue­louse vision delude one, & make as though god did it, & syth the deuill also is more lykely to speake agaynste gods commaundement than god agaynst hys owne: you shall haue good cause I saye, to demaunde of the man hymselfe wherby he knoweth that his vision [...] is gods true reuelacion, and not the deuils false delusiō.

In dede vncle I thinke that woulde be an hard question for him: maye a man haue vncle in such [Page] a thinge, euen a very sure knowledge in his own mind?

Yea Cosyn, God maye caste in the mynde of a man I suppose, suche an inwarde lyghte and vnder­standyng, that he cannot [...]ayle but be sure therof. And yet h [...] y ^t is deluded by y ^e deuill, maye thinke him selfe as sure & yet be deceiued in dede [...] And suche a dyfference is there in a maner betwene them, as is betwene the sight of a thing while we be waking & loke theron, & the sight with which we see a thing in our slepe, while we dreame [...]herof.

This is a preaty similitude vncle in this thinge, & than is it easy for y ^e monke y ^t we spake of, to declare howe he knoweth his vision for a true reuelacion, and not a false desusyon, if there be so greate dyfference betwene them.

Not so easy Cosin yet as you wene it were, for how can you proue vnto me that you be awake?

Mary lo: doe I not wagge my hand, shake my head, and stampewith my feete here in the [...]ore?

Haue you neuer dreamed ere this, that you haue done the same.

Yes y ^t I haue, & more to than y ^t, for I haue ere this in my slepe, dreamed that I doubted whyther I were awake or aslepe, and haue in good fayth thought that I dyd therupon euen y ^e same thinges that I doe nowe in dede, & therby determined y ^t I was not a slepe. And yet haue I dreamed in good fayth farther, that I haue been afterwarde at dyner, & there makinge merye with company, haue tolde y ^e same dreame at y ^e table & laughed wel therat, y ^t while I was aslepe, I had by suche meanes of mouing y ^e partes of my bodie, & cōsiderīg therof, so verely thought my selfe waking.

And wil you not nowe sone trowe you whan you wake & ryse, laugh as well at your selfe whā you see y ^t you lye nowe in your warme bed aslepe agayn [Page] and dreame all this tyme, while you wene so verely, that you be wakyng and talkyng of these matters with me.

Goddes lorde vncle, you goe nowe merely to worke with me in dede, when you loke and speake so sadly, and would make me wene I were aslepe.

It maye be that you bee so, for any thyng that you can saye or dooe, wherby you maye with any reasō that you can make, driue me to cōfesse that your selfe be sure of the contrary, syth you can doe nor saye nothing nowe, wherby you be sure to be waking, but that you haue ere this, or hereafter maye thinke youre selfe as surely to doe the selfe same thynges in dede, whyle you be all the while a slepe, and nothyng doe but lye dreaming.

Well well vncle, thoughe I haue ere thys thoughte my selfe awake, whyle I was in dede aslepe, yet for all thys I knowe wel inough that I am awake nowe, and so doe you to, thoughe I cannot fynde the woordes by which I maye with reason enforse you to confesse it, but that alwaye you may dryue me of by the sample of my dreame.

Thys is Cosin as me semeth very true. and likewise semeth me the matter and difference be­twene some kinde of true reuelacions, and some kinde of false illusions, as it standeth betwene the thynges that are done waking, and the thynges that in our dreames seme to be done whyle we be slepyng: that is to wete, that he which hath that kynde of reuelacion from god, is as sure of the trueth as we be of our owne dede whyle we be wakynge. And he y ^t is illuded by the Deuyll, is in suche wyse deceyued, and worse to, than be they by theyr dreame, & yet reckoneth him self as sure for the tyme as the other, sauinge that the one falsely [Page] weneth, and the other truely knowe [...]h: but I saye not Cosin y ^t this kind of sure knowledge, cometh in euery kynd of reuelacion, for there are many kindes wherof were to long to talke nowe, but I say that God doeth, or may doe to man in some thing, certaynly send some such.

Yet than maye this religious man of whom we spake, when I shewe him the Scripture a­gaynst his reuelacion, (and therfore cal it an illusyon,) bidde me with reason goe care for my selfe, for he kno­weth well and surely hymselfe that his reuelacion is good and true, and not any false illusion, sith for al the generall commaundemente of god in the Scripture God maye dispence where he will, and whan he wyll, and maye commaunde him to doe the contrarie, as he commaunded Abraham to kil his owne sonne, and as Sampson had by inspiracion of God cōmaundement to kill himselfe with pulling downe the house on hys own head at the feast of y ^e Philistines, now if I would doe than, as you bade me right now, goe tell hym that such apparycions were illusions, and sith that goddes worde is in the Scripture agaynst hym playne for the prohibicion: he must proue me the trueth of his reuela­cion, wherby I may know that it is not a false illusiō. Than shal he aske me again wherby that I can proue my selfe to be awake and talke with him, and not to be aslepe and dreame so, syth in my dreame I maye as surely wene so, as I knowe that I doe so, and thus shall he dryue me to the same baye, to whiche I would bryng hym.

This is well sayed Cosin, but yet coulde he not scape you so, for the dispensacion of Goddes com­mon precept, whiche dispensacion (he must saye that he hath by his reuelaciō) is a thing of such sort as sheweth [Page] it selfe noughte & false: for it neuer hath had any sam­ple lyke synce the worlde began tyll now, that any mā hath read or heard of among faythfull people commē ­ded. Firste in Abraham as touchyng the death of hys sonne, god entended it not [...] but onely tempted the to­wardnes of the fathers obedience. In Sampson all men make not the matter very sure, whether he be sa­ued or not, but yet therin some matter & cause appea­reth, for y ^e Philistines beyng enemyes to god, & vsing Sampson for their mocking stocke, in scorne of God, it is well likely that God gaue hym the mynde to be­s [...]owe hys own lyfe vpon the reuenging of the displea­sure [...]hat those blasphemous Philistines did vnto god, and that appeareth metely clerely by this, that though hys strength failed hym when he wanted his heere, yet had he not, as it semeth, that strength euermore at hād whyle he had hys heere but at suche tymes as it plea­sed god to geue it hym [...] which thyng appeareth by these wordes that the Scripture in some place of that mat­ter sayeth. Ir [...]uit virtus dominni in Sampsonem. The power or myght of god russhed into Sampson, and so therfore whyle thys thyng that he dyd in the pullyng downe of the house, was done by the special gyfte of strength, thā at that point geuen hym by god it well declareth that the strength of god, and therwith the spirite of god en­tred into him. Therfore. S. Aus [...]ē also rehearseth that certayne holy verteous virgins in tyme of persecuci­on, beyng by gods enemies infidels pursued vpon to be de [...]oured by force, ranne into a water and drouned themselfe rather than they would be bereued of theyr virginitie: and albeit y ^t he thinketh that it is not lawful for any other mayde to folowe their sample, but rather suffer other to dooe her any maner violence by force, [Page] and commit sinne of his own vpon her against her wil, than willingly, and therby synfully herselfe become an homicide of her selfe, yet he thinketh y ^• in thē it happed by the speciall instincte of the spirite of god, that for causes sene vnto himselfe, would rather y ^t they should auoide it with their own temporal death, than abyde the defyling and violacion of their chastitie. But now thys good man neyther ha [...]h any of goddes enemyes to be by hys owne death reuenged on, nor any womā that violentli pursue him by force to bereue him of his virginitie: nor neuer fynde we that god proued any mans obedient mynde by the commaundement of his owne slaughter of himselfe, therefore is his case both playne against gods open precept, and the dispensaciō straunge, and without sample no cause appearyng nor well imaginable: but if he would thynke that he coulde no lenger liue without him nor take him [...]o him in such wyse as he doeth other men, but commaunde him to come by a forbyddē way, by which wi [...]hout o [...]her cause we neuer heard y ^t he had any man before: now where you thinke that you should after this, bid hym tel you by what way he knoweth that his entente riseth vpon a true reuelation [...] & not vpon a false illusion [...] he would bid you than again tel him by what meanes you know that you bee talkyng with hym well wakyng, and not dreame it slepyng. You may tel hym agayn, that men thus talke together as you doe, and in suche maner of wyse they maye proue and perceyue that they so doe by the mouing of themselfe, and wyth putting the que­stion therof vnto themselfe for their pleasure, and the markynge and consyderyng thereof, is in wakynge a daylye common thing that euery man dooeth or may doe whē he wyl: and whan they doe it, they doe it but [Page] of pleasure, but in slepe it happeth very seld that men dreame that they so doe, nor in their dreame neuer put they question but for doubte, and therefore it is more reason, that whyle his reuelaciō is such also that hap­peth so seld, and ofter happeth that mē dreame of such, than haue such in dede: therfore it is more reason you maye tell hym, that he shewe you in such a rare thyng, and a thing more lyke a dreame, that himselfe is not a­slepe, than you in such a common thyng among folke that are waking, and so seldome happyng in a dreame, shoulde nede to shewe him wherby you know that you be not a slepe. Besides this, himself to whō you should shewe it, seeth and perceiueth the thyng that he would byd you proue, but the thing that he woulde make you beleue the trueth of, his reuelacion which you bid him proue, you see not he wotteth wel himselfe: and therfore ere you beleue it agaynst the Scripture, it were well consonante vnto reason that he shoulde shewe you wherby he knoweth it for a true waking reuelaciō, and not for a false dreamyng delusion.

Than shall he peraduenture saye to me agayne, that whether I beleue hym or no [...], maketh hym no matter: the thyng toucheth hymselfe and not me, and himselfe is in himselfe as sure that it is a true reuelaciō, as that he can tel that he dreameth not, but talketh with me waking.

Withoute doubte Cosin, if he abide at that poynt, and can be by no reason brought to doe so much as doubt, and can by no meanes be shugged out of his dead slepe, but will nedes take his dreame for a very trueth, and as some by night rise & walke aboute their chaumber in their slepe, wil so rise and hange himself: I can than no other wayes see, but eyther bynde hym [Page] fast in hys bedde, or els assaye whether that myghte happe to helpe him, wyth which the cōmon tale goeth that a caruers wyfe in such a frantyque fantasy, holpe her husband, to whome when he tolde he woulde vpon a good fryday nedes haue killed him selfe for Christes sake, as Christe was killed for him, she would not in vayn [...] pleade against his minde, but well and wyselye put him in remembraunce, that if he woulde dye for Christe as Christe dyed for hym, it were then conueni­ent for him to dye euen after the same fashion, and y ^t might not be by hys owne handes, but by the hand of some other: for Christe pardye killed not him selfe, and because her husband shoulde nede to make no moe of­counsayle (for that he woulde not in no wyse) she offred him that for goddes sake she woulde secretly her selfe crucifye him on a great crosse, that he had made to nayle a great crucifixe vpon, wherof when he was verye glad, yet she bethoughte her that Chryste was bounde to a pyller and beaten fyrste, and after crow­ned wyth thorne, wherupon when she hadde by hys owne assente bounde hym fast to a poste, she lefte not beatyng wyth holye exhortacion to suffer so muche and so longe, that or euer she lefte worke and vn­bounde hym, praying him neuerthelesse y ^t she myghte put on his head, and dryue it well down, a crowne of thorne that she had wrythē for him, and brought hym: he said he thought that was inough for that yere, he woulde praye GOD to forbeare him of the remnaunt [...]yl good friday come againe. But whē it came againe the next ye [...]e, than was his lus [...]e paste, he longed to folowe Chryste no far [...]her.

In dede vncle if this helpe him not, than wyl nothing helpe him I trowe.

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And yet Cosin, paraduenture the deuill might make him towarde suche a purpose first gladly firste suffer other payne, and minishe hys feeling to therin, that he maye therby y ^e lesse feare hys death, & yet are peraduenture somtime suche thinges & many moe to be assaide. For as y ^e deuil may hap to make him suffer, so maye he hap to misse, namely if his frēdes fal to praier against his tēptaciō, for y ^t can him self neuer do, while he taketh it for none. But for conclusion, if y ^e man be surely proued, & so inflexibly set vpon the pur­pose to destroye hym selfe, as commaūded thereto by god, that no good counsaile that mē can geue him, nor any other thing that men maye doe to hym, can re­fraine him, but that he would shortly kyl him selfe, thā except onely good prayer made by his frendes for him, I can fynde no farther shifte [...] but euer haue him in sighte, or binde him fast in hys bedde. And so mu [...]e he nedes of reason be cōtent so to be ordered, for though him selfe take his fātasye for a true reuelaciō, yet syth he can not make vs perceyue it for suche, like wyse as he thinketh him selfe by his secret commaundement bounden to folowe it, so must he nedes agree, that sith it is against the playn prohibicion of god, we be by the playne open precept bound to kepe him from it.

In this point vncle I can goe no farther: but nowe if he were on y ^e other side perceiued to mind his distruc­ciō, & to goe there about w ^t heauines of heart, thought & dulnes, what way wer there to be vsed with him thē?

Then were his tēptacion as I tolde you be­fore, properly pertaynyng to our matter, for than were he in a sore tribulacion, & a verye peryllous, for than were it a tokē y ^t the deuil had eyther by bringing hym into some great sinne, broughte him into dispayre, or peraduenture his reuelaciōs foundē false & reproued, [Page] or by some secret sinne of his diuulged and deprehen­ded cast him both in dispayre of heauen thorowe feare, and in a wearines of this life for shame, sith he seeth his estimaciō lost amōg other folke, of whose praise he was wont to be proude: & therefore Cosin, in such case as thys is, the man is to be fayre handled and swetely, and wyth dowce and tender louing wordes to be put in good courage, & comforted in al that mē godly may. And here must they put hym in mynde, that if he dys­payre not, but pull vp his courage, and trust in goddes great mercye, he shall haue in conclusion great cause to be glad of this fal, for before he stoode in greater perill then he was ware of, while he tooke him selfe for better thā he was, and god for [...]auour that he bare him hath suffered hym to fall depe into the Deuills [...]aunger, to make hym therby knowe what he was, while he tooke him selfe for so sure, and therfore as he suffered hym than to fall for a remedye against ouer boulde pride, so wyl god nowe (if the man meken hym selfe [...] not wyth vnfrutefull dyspayre, but w ^t frutefull penaūce) so set him vp againe vpō his fete, & so streng­then hym wyth his grace, y ^t for this one fal y ^t the deuill hath geuen him, he shal geue the deuil an hundreth. And here must he be put in remembraunce of Marye Magdalene, of the prophet Dauid, and specyally of Saint Peter, whose high bolde courage tooke a foule fall, and yet because he dispayred not of gods mercye. but wept and called vpon it, howe highly God tooke him into his fauour again, in his holy scripture is wel testified & wel through christēdome knowē: & now shal it be charitably done, if some good verteous folke suche as him selfe somewhat estemeth, and hath afore longed to stande in estimacion wyth, doe resorte some tyme vnto hym, not onelye to geue hym counsayle, [Page] But also to aske aduise and counsayle of him, in some cases of their owne conscience [...] to let him thereby per­ceiue that they no lesse esteme him nowe, but rather more than they dyd before, sith they thinke him nowe by this fal better expert of the deuilles craft, and ther­by not onely better instructed him self but also better able to geue good counsaile and aduise to other. This thing wyll in my minde, wel amende and lifte vp hys courage from the perel of that desperate shame.

Me thinketh vncle that thys were a peri­lous thing. For it may peraduenture make him sette the lesse by his fall, and therby cast hym into his fyrste pride, or into hys other sinne againe: the falling wher­unto draue him into this dispayre.

I doe not meane Cosin, that euerye foole should at aduenture fall in hand wyth him, for so loe might it happe for to doe harme in dede. But Cosin, if a cunning Phisicion haue a man in hand, he can wel disserne whan and howe longe some medicine is ne­cessarye, whych at an other tyme mynistred or at that tyme ouerlonge continued might put the pacyent in peryl, for if he haue his pacient in an agewe, to y ^e cure wherof he nedeth his medicines in theyr workīg, cold: yet if he happe ere that feuer be full cured to fall into some such other dysease, as except it were holpen with hote medicines, were lykely to kyll the bodye before the feuer coulde be cured, he woulde for the while haue his most care to the cure of y ^t thing wherin were most present peril, & whan y ^t were once out of ieopardye, doe than y ^e more except diligence after, about y ^e farther cure of the feuer. And likewise, if y ^e ship were in perill to fall into Scilla, y ^e feare of falling into Charibdys, on the other side, shall neuer let any wyse mayster [Page] therof, to drawe him frō Scilla towarde Charibdys first of al, in al y ^t euer he may. But when he hath hym once so farre frō Scylla, y ^t he seeth him selfe out of y ^t daunger, thē wil he begin to take hede to kepe him wel frō y ^e other: & likewise whē this mā is falling downe to dyspayre & to y ^e final distrucciō of hym selfe, a good wise spiritual leache wil first looke vnto y ^t, & by good comfort lifte vp his courage, & when he seeth y ^t perill wel past, care for y ^e cure of his other faultes after: how­beit, euen in y ^e geuing of his cōfort, he may find waies inough in such wise to tēpre his wordes, y ^t the mā may take occasiō of good courage, & yet farre from occasiō geuing, of more recidiuaciō into his former sinne, sith y ^e great part of his coūsaile shal be to courage him to a­mēdmēt, & that is pardy farre frō falling to sin again.

I thinke Uncle that folke fall into this vn­gracious minde throwe the deuilles temptaciō by ma­ny moe meanes than one.

That is Cosin very true, for the deuill ta­keth his occasions as he seeth them fal meete for him. Some he stirreth to it through werynes of them selfe after some great losse, some for feare of bodely harme, and some as I saide, for feare of worldly shame. One wyst I my selfe which had beene longe reputed for an honest man, which was fallen in such a fantasye, that he was welnere worne awaye therwith: but what he was tempted to doe, y ^t would he tel no man, but he told vnto me y ^t he was sore combred, & that it alway ran in his mind y ^t folkes fātasies were fallen frō him, and y ^t they estemed not his wit as they were wont to doe, but euer his mynde gaue him that the people begā to take him for a foole, & folke of trouth did no thing so at all, but reputed him both for wise and honest. Two other [Page] knewe I that were marueilouslye afrayde that they should kyll them selfe, & coulde tel me no cause wher­fore they so feared it, but onely that theyr owne mynd so gaue them, neyther losse had they anye [...] nor no such thing toward them, nor none occasion of any worlde­ly shame, the one in bodye very well liking and lussy, & wonderous wearye were they bothe twayne of that mynde, and alwaye they thought y ^t doe it they woulde not for no thing, but neuerthelesse they euer feared they shoulde, and wherefore they so both feared, ney­ther of them both could tell, & the one le [...]t he shoulde doe it, desyred is frendes to binde him.

This is vncle a meruelouse straūge maner.

Forsoth Cosin I suppose that many of thē are in this case the deuill as I sayde before seketh his occasions. For as. S. Peter sayth, Diabolus tanquam leo ru­gens circuit querens quem deuoret. The deuil as a roaring Lyon goeth about seking whome he maye deu [...]ure. He mar­keth well the state and the condicion that euerye man s [...]andeth in, not onely concerninge these outwarde thinges, as lādes, possessiōs, goodes, autoritie, fame, fauour or hatred of the worlde, but also mennes com­plexcions within them, as helth, or sicknes, good hu­mors or badde, by whych they be lyght harted or lum­pyshe, stronge harted or faynt, or fieble of spiryte, bold, hardye or tymerouse, & feareful of courage, & after as these thinges minister him matter of tētaciō, so vseth he him selfe in the maner of his temptacion.

Nowe likewise as in such folke that are full of yong warme lustie bloud, & other humors exciting the fleshe to filthy voluptuouse liuing, the deuill vseth to make those thinges his instrumētes in tempting them & in prouoking thē therūto: & where he findeth some folke ful of hote bloud & coler, he maketh those humors hys [Page] instrumētes to set their hartes on fyre, in wrath & ve­ry fierce furious angre, so where he findeth some folk which thorow some dul melancoliouse humors are na­turally disposed to feare, he casteth sometime suche a feareful imaginacion in their minde, y ^t without helps of god they can neuer cast it out of theyr heartes. Some at the sodain fall of some horrible thought in­to ther mind, haue not onely had a great abhominaciō therat (which abhominacion they we [...]l and verteous­ly had therat) but the deuil vsing theyr melancolious humor (& therby theyr natural inclinaciō to feare) for his instrumente, hath caused thē to conceyue there w ^t such a depe drede beside, y ^t thei wene thēself w ^t that ab­hominable thought, to be fallen into such an outragi­ous sinne, y ^t thei be ready to fal into despayre of grace, wening y ^t god hath geuē them ouer for euer, whereas that thought (were it neuer so horrible & so abhomi­nable) is yet vnto them y ^t neuer lyke it, but euer styll abhorre it & striue stil there against, matter of cōflict & me [...]ite, & not any sine at al. Some haue with holding a knyfe in their hand [...]s, thought sodeynlye vpon the killing of thēselfe, & forthw ^t in deuising what an hor­rible thing it wer if they should mishap so to doe, haue fallē into a feare y ^t they should so do in dede, & haue w ^t oftē thinking theron, imprinted y ^t feare so sore in their imagin [...]ciō y ^t some of them haue not ca [...]e it of w ^tout greate difficulty, and some could neuer in their life be [...] ridde therof but haue after in cōclusiō miserably doone it in dede: but likwise as where the deuill vse [...]h the bloud of a mannes bodye towarde hys purpose in prouoking to leacherye, the man muste and doeth with gra [...]e and wysedome resyste it, so muste that man doe whose melancolyous humors y ^• deuyl abuseth to­ward [Page] y ^• casting of such a desperate dread into his hart.

But I praye you vncle, what aduice were to be geuē him in such case?

Surely me thinketh hys helpe standeth in two thinges, counsayle & prayer. First as cōcerning coūsayle, likewise as it may be y ^t he hath two thynges y ^t hold hym in hys tēptacion, y ^t is to wete, some euyl humors of his owne body, & the cursed deuill y ^t abuseth thē to his pernicious purpose, so must he nede against thē twaine, y ^e coūsaile of two maner of folke: y ^t is to wete, phisiciōs for y ^e bodye, & phisiciōs for y ^e soule: y ^e bodyly phisiciō shal cōsider what aboūdance y ^• man hath of those euil humors y ^t the deuil maketh his instrumētes of, in mouing y ^e mā toward y ^e feareful af­feccion, & aswel by dyet conuenēt, & medicines mete therefore, to resyst them, as by purgacions to disbur­daine the bodye of thē, nor let no mā thinke straūge y ^t I would aduise a man to take counsayle of a phisiciō for the bodye in suche a spirituall passion. For syth y ^e soule and the body be so knytte and ioyned together, that they both make betwene them one person, the dis­temperaunce of either other engendreth sumtime the distemperaunce of both twaine. And therfore, like as I would aduise euery mā in euery sicknes of y ^e bodye to be shriuen and seke a good sprituall phisiciō y ^e sure helth of his soule, which shal not onely serue againste perel y ^t may peraduēture farther growe by y ^t sicknes, thā in y ^e beginning mē would wene were likely: but y ^e cōfort therof & gods fauour encreasing there w ^t, shall also doe y ^e body good for which cause y ^e blessed Apo [...]le exorteth mē y ^t they should in their bodilye sicknes, in­duce y ^e priestes, & sayth y ^t it should doe thē good both in body & soule, so woulde I sumtime aduise some mē in some sicknes of y ^e soule, beside their spiritual leach, take [Page] also some counsaile of the phisiciō for the body. Some that are wretchedly disposed, and yet long to be more viciouse than they be, goe to phisicions and poticaries, and enquire what thynges maye serue to make them more lusty to their foule [...]eshely delite: and were it thā any foly vpon the other side, if he that feleth hymselfe against his will muche moued vnto suche vnclennes, should enquire of the phisicion what thinges without minishing of his health, were meete for y ^e minishmēt of such foule fleshely mocion? Of spirituall counsaile, the first is to be shriuen, that by reason of hys other synnes the deuill haue not the more power vpon hym.

I haue heard some saye vncle, that when suche folke haue been at shryft, their temptacion hath been more brymme vpon them than it was before.

That thynke I very well, but that is a speciall token that shrifte is holesome for them, whyle the deuill is with that most wroth. You fynde in some places of the gospell, that the deuill (the parson whom he possessed) dyd most trouble when he saw that Christ would cast hym out, we must els let the deuil doe what he wyll, if we feare his anger, for with euerye good dede he wyl waxe angrie: than is it in hys shryft to be shewed hym, that he not onely feareth more than he nedeth, but also feareth where he nedeth not, and ouer that is sorye of that thing wherof (but if he wyll wyl­lyngly turne hys good into his harme) he hath more cause to be glad. First if he haue cause to feare, yet fea­reth he more than he nedeth, for there is no deuil so diligent to destroy hym. as god is to preserue him, nor no deuil so nere him to doe him harme, as god is to doe hym good: nor all the deuils in hel so strong to inuade hym and assaulte hym, as god is to defende hym, if he [Page] distrust him not, but faythfully put his trust in hym. He feareth also where he nedeth not: for where he dredeth that he were out of goddes fauoure, because such hor­rible thoughtes fall into hys mynde, let hym consider, that syth they fal into hys mynde agaynst hys wil, they be therfore not imputed vnto hym. He is finally sadde of y ^t he maye be glad: for sith he taketh such though [...]es displeasauntly, and striueth and fighteth agaynst thē, he hath therby a good token y ^t he is in goddes fauour, and that god assisteth hym and helpeth hym, and maye make himselfe sure, that so wil god neuer cease to doe, but if himselfe fayle and fall from hym fyrst: and ouer that, this conflict y ^t he hath against his temptaciō, shall (if he will not fall where he nedeth not) be an occasion of his merite, and a right great reward in heauen: and the payne that he taketh therin, shall for so muche (as Master Gerson well sheweth) stande hym in steade of hys purgatory. The maner of the fight agaynste thys temptaciō, must stand in three thynges: that is to wete, in resisting, and in contemning, and in the inuocaci­on of helpe: resist must a man for his own parte by rea­son, consyderyng what a foly it were to fall where he nedeth not, whyle he is not dryuen to it in aduoidyng of any other payne, or in hope of winning any maner o [...] pleasure: but contrariwise should by that payne, lese euerlastyng blisse, and fall into euerlasting paine, and if it were in auoyding of other great payne, yet coulde he voyde none so great therby, as he shoulde therby fal into. He must also consider, that a greate parte of thys temptacion is in effecte, but the feare of hys own fan­tasy, the dreade that he hath lest he shall once be driuē to it, which thing he may be sure y ^t, but if himselfe wyll of his own foly, al the deuils in hel can neuer driue him [Page] to [...] but his own folishe imaginacion maye: For lyke as some man going ouer an high brydge, waxeth so fraide thorowe hys own fantasy, that he falleth down in dede which were els able inough to passe ouer without any daunger: and as some men shall vpon suche a brydge, if folke cal vpon him, you fall, you fall fall with y ^e fan­tasy that he taketh therof, which bridge if folke looked merely vpon hym, and sayd, there is no daunger ther­in, he would passe ouer well inough, and would not let to runne therō though it were but a fote brode. Thus fare [...]h it in this temptacion, the deuil findeth the man of hys own fonde fantasy afraide, and than cryeth he in the eare of hys hearte, thou fallest thou fallest, and maketh the [...]onde man afrayde that he shoulde at eue­ry fote fall in dede, and the deuil so wearieth hym with that continuall feare (if he geue the care of hys hearte vnto hym) that at the last he draweth hys mynde from the due remembraunce of god, and than driueth him to that deadli mischief in dede. Therefore, like as against the vice of the fleshe, y ^e victory stādeth not al whole in the fight, but also some tyme in the flight, sauing that it is in dede the parte of a wyse warriours fyghte, to flie from hys enemyes traynes, so must a man in thys temptacion to, not onely resist it alwaye wyth reaso­ning there agaynst, but some time set it cleane at right naught, and cast it of when it cometh, and not once re­garde it, so muche as vouchesafe to thynke thereon. Some folke haue been clearely rydde of such pestilent fantasyes with very full contempt thereof, makyng a crosse vpō their heartes bydding y ^• deuil auaunte, and some tyme laugh him to scorne to, & than turne theyr mynd vnto some other matter, and whē the deuil hath sene y ^t they haue set so litle by hym, after many assayes [Page] made in suche tymes as he thought most mete, he hath geuen that temptaciō quite ouer, both for that y ^e proud spirite cannot indure to be mocked, and also lest with much tempting the man to the same, whereunto he could not in conclusion bryng him, he shoulde muche therby encrease hys merite: the finall fight is by inuo­cacion of god, both by praying for himself, and desiring other also to praye for hym, both poore folke for his al­mose, & other for their charitie, specially good priestes in that holy sacred seruice of the masse, and not onely them, but also his owne good aungels, and other holye saintes, such as his deuocion standeth specially vnto. And if he be learned, let him vse the Letanie with the holy suffrages that folowe, whiche is a prayer in the churche of maruelouse olde antiquitie, not made firste as some wene it were by that holy man. S. Gregory, whiche opinion rose of that, that in the tyme of a great pes [...]ilence in Rome, he caused the whole citie to goe in solemne prosessiō therwith, but it was in vse in the churche many yeres before. S. Gregoryes dayes, as wel appereth by the bookes of other olde holy doctors and sainctes that were dead hundrethes of yeares be­fore. S. Gregory was borne. And holy. S. Barnard geueth counsayle that euery man shoulde make sute to aungels and saynctes to pray for hym to god in the thynges that he woulde haue sped at hys holy hande, if any man will sticke at that, and saye it nedes not, be­cause god can heare vs hymselfe, and wil also say, that it is perilous so to doe, because they saye we be not so counsayled by no Scripture, I will not dispute the matter here, he that wyll not doe it, I lette hym not to leaue it vndone: but yet for myne own part I wyll as wel trust to the counsaile of. S. Barnarde, and reckē [Page] hym for as good and as wel learned in y ^e holy Scrip­ture, as any man that I heare say the cōtrary, and bet­ter dare I ieopard my soule with the soule of Sainct Barnarde, than with his that findeth that fault in his doctryne: vnto god himselfe euery man counsayleth to haue recourse aboue all, and in this temptacion to haue speciall remembraunce of Christes passion, and praye hym for the honor of his death, the grounde of mans saluacion, to kepe the parson thus tempted from that dānable death: special vearsis may there be drawē out of the Psalter against the deuils wycked temptaci­ons, as for example. Exurgat deus & dissipentur inimici eius. & fugi­ant qui oderunt eum a facie eius: and many other whiche are in such hor [...]ible temptacion to god most pleasaunte, & to the deuil very terrible, but none more terrible, nor none more odious to the deuill, than the wordes with which oure sauiour draue hym awaye himselfe. Vade Sathana, nor no praier more acceptable vnto god, nor more effectual for y ^• matter, than those wordes which our sauiour hath taught himselfe. Ne nos inducas in temptationem, sed libera nos a malo. And I doubt not by gods grace, but he that in suche a temptacion wil vse good counsayle and prayer, & kepe himself in good verteous busines and good vert [...]ous company, & abyde in y ^• faithful hope of gods helpe, shal haue y ^e trueth of god (as the Prophet saith in y ^e vearse afore rehearsed) so compasse hym aboute with a pauice, that he shall not nede to dreade this nightes feare of thys wicked temptaciō: & thus wyl I finishe this piece of y ^e nightes feare, and glad am I that we be passed it, and come once vnto the daye to those other woordes of the Prophet, A sagitta volante in die, for me thinketh I haue made it a long night.

¶The .xvii. Chapter.

[Page]

FOrsoth vncle so haue you, but we haue not slept in it, but been very well occupied. But nowe I feare except you make here a pause til you haue dined, you shal kepe your self frō your diner ouerlong.

Nay nay Cosin, for both brake I my fast euē as you came in, & also you shal fīd this night & this day lyke a winter day & a wynter nighte. For as the winter hath shorte daies, & long nightes, so shall you fynd y ^t I made not this fearefull night so long but I shal make you this light couragious day as short, & so shal y ^e mat­ter require wel of it self in dede: for in these wordes of y ^e prophete. Scuto circundabit te veritas eius, a sagitta volante in die. y ^e trueth of god shal cōpasse thee about w ^t a pauice, frō y ^e arrow flying in y ^• day, I vnderstand the arrowe of pride, with whiche the deuil tem [...]teth a man not in y ^e night in all tribulacion & aduersitie, for y ^t tyme is to discōfortable and to feareful for pryde, but in the day y ^t is to wete, in prosperitie, for y ^t tyme is lightsome, lus [...]y, & full of cou­rage: but surely this worldly prosperitie wherin a man [...]ioiseth, & whereof the deuil maketh him so proude, is but euen a very short wīter day, for we beginne many ful poore & colde, & vp we flye like an arrowe that were shotie vp into y ^e ayre: & yet when we be sodeinli shotte vp [...]nto the highest, ere we be wel warme there, down we come vnto the cold ground again, & then euē there s [...]icke we stil, & yet for the shorte whyle y ^t we be vpward and a loft, lord how lusty & how proude we be, buzzing aboue busily like as a bumble bee flieth about in som­mer, neuer ware y ^t he shall dye in wynter: and so fare many of vs God helpe vs, for in the short winter day of worldly wealth & prosperitie, thys flying arrowe of the deuil, this high spirite of pride shotte out of y ^e deuils [...]owe, & pearsing thorow our hearte, beareth vs vp in [Page] our affeccion aloft into y ^e cloudes where we wene we sit vpon y ^• raine bowe, & ouerloke al y ^e world vnder vs, accompting in y ^e regard of our own glory, suche other poore soules as were peraduenture wont to be our fel­lowes, for sely poore pismyres & antes: but this arrowe of pride flie it neuer so high into y ^e cloudes & be the mā that it carieth vp so high, neuer so ioyful thereof, yet let him remembre, y ^t be this arrowe neuer so light, it hath yet an heauy yron head, & therfore flye it neuer so high, down must it nedes come at last, and on the grounde must it lighte, & falleth sometime not in a very cleanly place, & [...]hē y ^e pride turneth into rebuke & shame, so that there is thā al y ^e glori gone. Of this arrow speaketh y ^e wise mā in the .v. Chapter of Sapi [...] ̄ce, where he saith in the parsō of them that in pryde and vanitie passed the time of this present lyfe, & after y ^t so spente, passed hence into hel [...] Quid prosuit nobis superbia aut diuitiarum iactantia? quid con [...]ulit nobis? Transieri nt omnia illa tanquam v [...]bra &c. Aut taquam sagitta emissa in locum d [...]stinatum diuisus aer contin [...]o in se recl [...]su [...] est, vt ignoretur tran [...]ens illius, sic & nos nati conunuo desiuimus es [...]e, & virtutis quidem null [...]m s [...]g­num valuimus ostendere, in mal gu. tate au [...]em nostra cosumpti sumus Talia dixe­run [...]in inferno hi qui peccauerurt. what hath pryde profyted vs, or that good hath the glory of our riches done vs [...] passed are al these thinges like a shadow, &c, or like an arrow shotte cute into the place appointed, the aier y ^t was de­uided, is by & by returned into the place, & in such wyse closed together again that the way is not perceiued, in which y ^e arrow went: & in lik [...]wise we, as soone as we be borne, be by & by vanished away, & haue left no tokē of any good vertue behind vs [...] but are cōsumed & wasted & come to nought in our own malignitie: they loe y ^t haue li [...]ed here in sinne, such wordes haue they spoken whē thei lay in hel. Here shal you good Cosī cōsider, y ^t where as the scripture here speaketh of y ^e arrowe shotte in his place appointed or entēded in the sho [...]g of his arrow o [...] pryde, therby diuerse purpo [...]īges & appointmentes [...] [Page] For the proude man himselfe, hath no certayn purpose or appointmente at any marke, butte or pricke, vpon the heartes wherat he determineth to shoote, & there to sticke & tary, but euer he shooteth as chyldren doe that loue to shoote vp a cop hie to see howe hie their a [...]rowe can flye vp, but nowe doeth the deuill entende and ap­point a certayne pricke surely set in a place, into which he purposeth (flie this arrow neuer so hie, and y ^e proud heart theron) to haue them light both at last, and that place is euen in y ^e very pit of hel, there is set the deuils wel acquainted pricke and his very iust marke down, vpon which prycke with hys prickyng shafte of pryde, he hath by hymselfe a plain proofe and experience, that (but if it be stopped by some grace of god in the waye) the soule that flieth vp therwith, can neuer faile to fal. For whan himselfe was in heauen and began to flye vp a cop hie, with that lusty light flight of pride, saying: Ascendam super astra & ponam solium meum ad latera aquilonis, & similis ero al­tissimo. I wil flie vp aboue y ^e starres, & set my throne on the sides of the north, and wil be like vnto the highest, long ere he coulde flye halfe so hye as in his hearte he sayd he would, he was turned from a gloryous bryght Angel, into a blacke defourmed deuil: and from flying any farther vpwarde, downe was he throwen into the depe darke doungeō of hel. Now may it paraduenture Cosin seme, that sith thys kynd of temptacion of p [...]ide, is no tribulacion or payne, all this y ^t we speake of thys arrowe of pryde, flying forth in the daye of prosperitie, were beside our matter.

Uerely myne vncle, and so semed it vnto me, & somewhat was I mīded so to say to you to, sauing y ^t were it properli pertainīng to the presente matter, or somewhat disgressing therfro: good matter me thought it was, & such as I had no lust [Page] to let.

But nowe muste you Cosin, consydre, that though prosperitie be contrary to tribulacion, yet vnto many a good mā, the deuils temptaciō vnto pride in prosperitie, is a greater more tribulaciō, & nede hath of good coūsaile and good comfort both, thā he that ne­uer felt it would wene, and that is y ^e thing Cosin that maketh me speake therof, as of a thyng propre to this matter. For Cosin, as it is a thīg right hard to touche pytche & neuer fyle the fingers, to put flex vnto fyer, and yet kepe if from burning, to kepe a serpent in thy bosome, and yet be safe frō stinging, to put young men with young women, without daunger of foule fleshlye desire: so is it hard for any parsō, either mā or womā, in great worldly wealth and much prosperitie, so to with­stande the suggestions of the deuil, and the occasions geuen by y ^e world, that they should kepe them selfe frō the deadly desyre of ambicious glory, wherupon there foloweth, if a man fal therto, an whole floud of all vn­happy mischief, arrogant maner, high solaine solemne port ouerloking y ^e poore in worde and countenaunce, displeasaunt and disdainouse behauour, rauen, extorci­o [...], oppression, hatred, & crueltie: now many a good mā Cosin comē into great aucthoritie, casting in his mind the peril of such occasions of pryde as y ^e deuil taketh of prosperitie to make his instrumentes of, wherwith to moue mē to such high point of presumpcion, as engen­dreth so many great inconueniences, & feling y ^e deuill therwith offering to thēself suggestions therunto, they be sore troubled therwith, & some fal so fraide therof, y ^t euē in y ^e day of prosperitie they fal into y ^e nightes feare of pusillanimitie, & doubteth ouer much lest thei should misse vse thēselfe, leaue y ^e thinges vndone, wherin the night vse thēself wel, and mistrusting the ayde of god [Page] in holding them vprighte in their temptacions, geue place to the deuill in the contrary temptacions, wher­by for faynte heart, they leaue of good busines wherin they were well occupyed, & vnder pretext (as it semeth to themself) of humble heart and mekenes, and seruing god in contemplacion and silence they seke their own ease & earthly reste vnware wherwith, (if it so be) god is not wel content: howbeit, if it so be that a man fele hymselfe such in dede as by experience that he hath of hymselfe, he perceyueth that in wealth & auctoritie he doth hys own soule harme, and cannot doe therin, the good that to hys part appertaineth, but seeth y ^e thinges that he should set hys hand to sustaine, decaye thorow his default, and fal to ruine vnder him, and that to the amendment therof, he leaueth his own dutye vndone: than would I in any wise aduise him to leaue of that thyng, be it spirituall benefise that he haue, personage or bishoprike, or temporall roume and auctoritie, and rather geue it ouer quite, and drawe hymselfe asyde and serue god, than take the worldli worship and com­moditie for himselfe, with the incommoditie of them whom his duety were to profite. But on the other side, i [...] he see not y ^e contrarye, but that he may doe his duety conueniently w [...]ll, and feareth nothynge but that the temptacyon of ambicion and pryde, may turne perad­uenture his good purpose, and make him decline vn­to synne, I saye not naye, but that well done it is to stande in modera [...]e feare alwaye, wherfore the Scrip­ture saieth [...] Beatus homo qui semper est pauidus. Blessed is the mā that is alwaie feareful. And. S. Paul saieth: Qui stat, v [...] ­deat ne cadat, he that standeth lette him loke that he fal not. Yet is o [...]er much feare perilouse, and draweth toward the mistruste of Goddes gracyous helpe with immo­derate feare & faynte hearte: and holy Scripture [Page] forbiddeth saying: Noli esse pus [...]llanimis, be not fieble hearted or timerouse. Let such a mā therfore temper his feare with good hope, and thinke that syth god hath s [...]t him in that place (if he thinke that god hath set hym therin) god wil assist hym with his grace to y ^• well vsing ther­of: howbeit, if he come therto by simoni, or by some such o [...]her euil meane, thā were that thing one good reasō wherfore he should y ^e rather leaue it of, but els let him continue in his good busynes, & agaynst the deuils pro­uocaciō vnto euil, blesse hymself & cal vnto god, & pray: and loke what thyng the deuil tempteth hym to leaue, the more towarde the contrary, let hym be pitiouse and comfortable to those that are in distresse and af [...]icci­on, I meane not let euery malefactor passe foorth vn­punished and freli runne out and robbe at rou [...]rs, but in hys heart be sory to see that of necessitie for feare of decaying the cōmon wealth, men are dryuen to putte malefactors to payn. And yet where he fyndeth good tokens and likelyhode of amendement, therin al that he maye helpe that mercy may be had, there shal neuer lacke desperatly disposed wretches inough besyde, vpō whom for ensaumple iustice mai procede, let him thinke in hys owne heart euery poore begger hys felowe.

That will be verye hard vncle for an hono­rable mā to doe, whā he beholdeth hymself richely ap­pareled and the begger rygged in hys ragges.

If here were Cosin two menne that were beggers both, and afterwarde a greate riche manne woulde take the one vnto hym, and tell him that for a litle time, he woulde haue hym in hys house, and there­vpon arayed hym in silke, and geue hym a greate bagge by hys syde fylled euen full of golde, but ge­uyng hym thys knotte therewyth, that within a [Page] litle while, out he should in his olde ragges again, and beare neuer a penny with him. If this begger met hys fellowe nowe while his gaye gown were on, mighte he not for al his gaye geare take him for his fellow stil? and were he not a very foole, if for a wealth of a fewe wekes, he would wene himself farre hys better?

Yes by my trouth vncle, if the difference of their state were none other.

Surely Cosin, me thynketh y ^• in this world betwene the richest and the most poore, y ^e difference is scant so much: for let y ^e highest loke on y ^e most bace, and consider how poore thei came both into this world, and than consider farther therwith, how riche soeuer he be now, he shal yet within a while, peraduenture lesse thā one wieke, walke out again as poore as y ^• begger shal, and thā by my trouth me thinketh this riche mā much more than madde [...] if for y ^e welth of a litle while, happely lesse than one wieke, he reckē hymselfe in earnest, any better than the beggers fellow: and lesse than this can no man thynke that hath any natural witte, & wyl vse it. But now a Christē man Cosyn that hath y ^e lyght of faith, he cannot faile to thinke in this thing much far­ther, for he wil thinke not onely vpō his bare coming hither, & his bare going hence again, but also vpon the dreadful iudgemēt of god, & vpon y ^e feareful paines of hel, and of the inestimable ioyes of heauen. And in the cōsidering of those thynges, he wil cal to remēbraunce that paraduenture when this begger & he be both de­parted hence, y ^e begger may be sodeynly set vp in such roialtie, y ^• wel were himselfe y ^t euer was he borne if he might be made his felow: & he that wel be thinketh him Cosin vpon these thinges, I verely thynke that the arrowe of pryde flying forth in y ^• day of worldly welth, [Page] shal neuer so wounde hys heart that euer it shal beare hym vp one fote. But now to the entent he may thinke on such thinges y ^e better, let him vse often to resort to confession, & there opē his heart, & by y ^e mouth of some good verteous gostly father haue such thinges ofte renued in hys remembraunce, let him also choose him selfe some secret solitary place in hys owne house as farre from noise & compani as he cōueniently can, and thither let him some time secretly resort alone, imagi­ning himself as one going out of y ^e world, euē straight vnto the geuing vp of hys reckoning vnto god, of hys sinneful liuīg: thā let him there before an altar [...], [...]r some pitiful Image of Christes bitter passiō, the beholding wherof may put him in remembraunce of the thing, and moue hym to deuout cōpassyon [...] and there knele down or fal prostrate, as at the feete of almyghtie god, verely beleuyng him to be there inuisibly presente, as without any doubt he is: there let him open his heart to god & cōfesse his faultes such as he can cal to mind, & pray god of forgeuenes. Let him also cal to remēbraunce the be­nefites y ^e god hath geuē him, either ingeneral among other men, or priuately to hymself, and geue hym hum­ble harty thankes therfore: there let him declare vnto god the temptacions of the deuil, the suggestiōs of the fleshe, thoccasions of y ^• world & of his worldli frendes [...] much worse many times in drawyng a man from god, than are hys most mortall enemyes, which thing oure Sauiour witnesseth himselfe where he sayth [...] Inimici ho­minnis domes [...]iei eius, the enemyes of a man are they that are hys own familiers, there let him lament and bewayle vnto god his own frailtie, negligence, and slouth in re­sisting and withstanding of temptacion, hys readines and pronitie to fall thereunto, there lette him beseche [Page] god of his gracious aide & helpe to strēgth his infirmi­tie w ^tal [...] both in keping him frō falling: & whā he by his own faultes misfortuneth to fal, than w ^t y ^e helping hād of his merciful grace to lift him vp & set him on his fete in y ^e state of his grace again, & let this mā not doubt, but that god heareth him & graūteth him gladly this boone, and so dwel [...]ng in the faythfull trust of gods helpe, he shal wel vse his prosperite, & perseuer in his good pro­fitable busynes, & shal haue therin y ^e truth of god so cō ­passe him about w ^t a pauice of his heauēly defence, that of y ^e d [...]uils arrow [...]ying in y ^• day of worldly wealth, he shal not nede to dreade.

Forsoth vncle I like this good coūsaile wel, & I would wene y ^• such as are in prosperitie, & take such ordre therin, mai doe both to thē self & other folke about much good.

I beseche our lord Cosin, put this & better in y ^e mind of eueri man that nedeth it: & now wil I touche one word or twain of the third tēptaciō wherof y ^e prophete speaketh in these wordes. A nego [...]io per ambulante intenebris, frō the busines wal­king in y ^e darknes, & thē wil we cal for our dinner: lea­uīg y ^e last tēptaciō y ^t is to wete, Ab in cursu & demonio meridiano. Frō the incursiō, & y ^• deuil of y ^• mid day [...] til after none, and thā shal we therwith god willing make an ende of al this matter.

Our lorde rewarde you good vncle for your good labor with me, but for oure lordes sake take good hede vncle y ^• you forbeare not your din­ner ouer long.

Feare not y ^• Cosin, I warrāt you, for this piece wil I make you but short.

¶The .xviii. Chapter. Of the deuil named Negotiū that is toyvit, busines vvalking about in the darkne [...]

THe prophet saith in y ^• said psalme. Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi, in protectione dei c [...]li commorabitur Scuto [...]ircundabit te veri­tas eiu [...], no [...] timebis. &c. A negotio per ambulante intenebris. He that dwelleth in y ^e faithful hope of gods helpe, he shal abide in y ^e protecciō or safegard of y ^e god of heauen, & thou y ^• art such one, shal y ^e truth of him so cōpasse about with [Page] a pauice y ^t thou shalt not be afrayed of y ^e busines wal­king about in y ^e darknesses. Negotium is here Cosin, the name of a deuil y ^t is euer ful of busines, in temptynge folke to much euil busines: his time of tempting is in y ^e darknesses, for you wote wel, y ^t beside the very full night which is y ^e depe darke, there are two tymes of darknesses. The one ere y ^e morning waxe light. The other whā y ^e euenīg waxeth darke. Two times of like maner darknes, are there also in y ^e soule of mā: y ^e one ere y ^e light of grace be wel in y ^e heart sprōgen vp. The other whā y ^e light of grace out of y ^e soule begynneth to walke fast awai. In these two darknesses this deuil y ^t is called busines, busely walketh aboute, & such fond folke as wil folow him, he carieth about w ^t him, & setteth thē a worke w ^t many maner būbling busines [...]he setteth I say some to seke y ^e pleasures of y ^e flesh, in eatīg, drinkīg and other filthi delite, & some he setteth about y ^e incessāt s [...]king for these worldly gooddes, & of such busye folke whō this deuil called busines, our sauiour sayth in the gospel: Qui ambulat in ten [...]bris, neslit quo vadit. he that walketh in darkenes wotteth not whither he goeth. And surely in such case are they, for thei neither wote which way thei goe, nor whither. For verely thei walke roūd about, as it were in a roūd [...]mase, [...]hē thei wene thēself at an end of their busines, they be but at y ^e beginning: agayn, goe thei neuer so ful fed to bed, yet euermore on y ^e morrowe as new be thei to be fed again as thei were the day be­fore. Thus fareth it by the belly, thus fareth it w ^t those partes y ^t are beneth y ^e belli, & as for couetice, fareth like the fyer, y ^e more wood y ^t cometh therto, y ^e more feruēt & y ^e more gredy it is [...] but now hath this mase a centry or middle place, i [...]to which sūtime thei be cōuaied sodaīl [...] whā they wene they were not yet farre frō y ^e brinke y ^e cōtrey or middle place of this mase is hel, & into y ^e place be these busy folke that with this deuil of busines walke aboute in this busye mase, in the darkenesses, sodainly [Page] sometyme conuayed, no thyng ware whither they be goyng, & euen while they wene that thei were not farre walked frō the beginning, & that they had yet a great way to walke aboute before they should come to y ^e end: but of these steshely folke walking in this pleasaunte busi mase, the Scripture declareth y ^e ende. Ducunt in bon­dies suos & in puneto ad inferna descendunt. They leade their life in pleasure, & at a poppe downe they descend into hell. Of the couetouse man sayth. S. Paul. Qui volunt diuites fieri in­ [...]idunt in temptacionem & in laqueum diaboli, & desideria multa in v [...]ilia & nociu [...] que merg [...]nt homines in nteritum & perdicionem. They y ^• long to be riche doe fal into temptaciō & into y ^• grinne of y ^e deuill, and into mani desyres vnprofitable & harmeful, which droūde mē into death & into destrucciō. Lo, here is the middle place of thys busy mase, y ^e grinne of y ^e deuill, the place of perdicion & destrucciō, y ^• thei fall and be caught and drounde in ere they be ware. The couetouse riche man also that our sauiour speaketh of in y ^e gospel, that had so great plenty of corne y ^t hys barnes would not receyue it [...] but entended to make hys barnes larger, & sayd vnto hymselfe that he woulde make merye many dayes, had went you wote well that he had had a great way yet to walke, but god sayed vnto hym: Stulte, hac noc [...]e tollent a te anim [...]m [...]uam, que autem parasti c [...]ius erunt? foole, this night shall they take thy soule from thee, and than all thys good that thou haste gathered, whose shall it be? here you see y ^t he fel sodeynly into y ^e depe centry of this busy mase, so y ^t he was fallē ful & whole therin long ere euer he had went he should haue come nere thereto. Nowe this wote I very well, y ^• those y ^• are walking aboute in this busi mase, take not theyr busynes for any tribu­lacion, and yet are there manye of [...]em forweried as sore, & as fore panged & payned therin, theyr pleasures [Page] being so shorte, so litl [...] and so fewe, and theyr disple [...] ­sures & theyr griefes so great, so continual, & so many, that it maketh me thinke vpō a good worshipfull man, which whan he diuers times behelde hys wyfe, what payne she tooke in strayghte binding vp her heere, to make her a fayre large forehead, and with straight bra­cing in her body to make her middle smale, both twaine to her great payne, for the pride of a litel foolishe praise: he saied vnto her. Forsoth Madame if god geue you not hel, he shal doe you great wrong, for it must nedes be your own of very right: for you bye it very dere, and take verye greate payne therefore. They that nowe [...]ye [...]n hell for theyr wretched lyuing here. dooe nowe perceiue theyr follye in theyr more payne that they tooke heere for the lesse pleasure. There confesse they nowe theyr folye, and crye out. Lassati sumus in via iniqui [...] [...]atis: we haue been wearied in the waye of wyckednes. And yet while they were walking therin, they would not rest thē selfe, but runne on styl in theyr wearines, and put them selfe still vnto more payne and more, for that little pieuishe pleasure, shorte and sone gone, that they tooke all that laboure and payne for, besyde the euerlasting payne that folowed it for theyr farther aduantage after. So helpe me god and none other wyse, but as I verely thinke y ^t many a man byeth hel here with so much payne, y ^t he might haue bought hea­uen with lesse thā the one halfe. But yet as [...] I saye, whyle these fleshly & worldly busy folke are walking about in this round busy mase of the deuil y ^t is called busines, y ^t walketh about in these two tymes of darke­nesses, theyr wittes are so by y ^e secret enchaūtemente of y ^e deuill bewitched, y ^• they marke not y ^e great longe miserable wearines & payne y ^t the deuil maketh them [Page] to take and endure about nought, and therefore they take it for no tribulaciō, so that they nede no cumfort: and therfore is it not for theyr sakes that I speake all this, sauing that it maye serue them for counsayle, to­ward the perceiuing of theyr owne foolishe miserye, thorowe the good helpe of goddes grace beginning to shine vpon them againe. But there are verye good folke & verteouse that are in the daye light of grace, & yet because the deuil tēpteth thē busily to such fleshe­ly delighte, & sith they see plentie of worldly substance fall vnto them, & fele the deuil in likewyse busily about to tempt them to set theyr hearte thervpō, they be sore troubled therwith, & begin to feare thereby that they be not wyth god in the light, but wyth the deuil that y ^e Prophet calleth N [...]gotiū, that is to saye, busynes, wal­king about in the two times of darkenesses: howebeit, as I sayd before of those good folke & gracious, that are in the worldly welth of greate power & auctoritie, and therby feare the deuilles arrowe of pride: so say I nowe here againe of these y ^• stand in dreade of fleshly foule sinne & couetice, sith they be but tēpted therew ^t & folowe it not albeit y ^t they doe well to stand euer in moderate feare, lest w ^t waxing ouer bolde, & setting y ^e thing ouer lighte, they mighte peraduenture missehap to fal in therto, yet sore to vexe and trouble them selfe with y ^e feare of losse of gods fauour therefore, is w ^tout necessitie & not al way without peril. For as I sayed before, it w ^tdraweth y ^e mind of a mā farre frō spiritual cōsolacion of the good hope y ^t he should haue in gods helpe. And as for these temptaciōs, while he y ^t is tēpted foloweth thē not, the fight against thē serueth a man for matter of merite and reward in heauen, if he not onely flye y ^e dede [...] y ^e cōsente & the delectaciō, but also in y ^t he conueniently maye flye frō al y ^• ocacions thereof, [Page] & this point is in those fleshly tēptaciōs a thingeth to perceiue, & metely playne inough. But in these worldly businesses pertaining vnto couetise, therin is y ^e thing somewhat more darke, & in y ^e perceiuing more difficul­ty, & very great troublouse feare doth there oftētimes arise therof in y ^e heartes of very good folke, whā the world falleth fast vnto thē, because of y ^e sore wordes & terryble threates y ^e god in holy scripture speaketh a­gainst those y ^t are [...]iche: as where. S. Paul saith. Qui [...]olūt diuites fieri, incidunt in temptacionē & in laqueū Diaboli. They y ^t wyl be riche, fal into temptaciō, & into the grin of y ^e deuil, & where our sauiour saith him self. Facilius est camelum per fora­mē acus quā diui [...]ē intrare in regnū dei. It is more easy for a camel, or as some say (for so Camelus signifieth in y ^e Greke tōg) for a great cable rope to goe through a nedles eye, thā for a riche man to entre into y ^e kingdome of god. No meruaile nowe though good folke that feare god take occasion of great drede at so dredeful wordes whan they see y ^e worldly goodes fal vnto thē, & some stād in doubt whither it be lawful for thē to kepe any goodes or no. But euermore in all those places of scripture, y ^• hauing of y ^e worldly goodes is not y ^e thing y ^t is rebu­ked & threatened, but y ^e a [...]fecciō y ^t the hauer vnlawfully beareth therto. For where. S. Paul saith. Qui volunt diuites fieri. &c. They y ^t wil be made riche he speaketh not of y ^e ha­uing, but of the will & y ^e desier & affecciō, & the lōging for it [...] for y ^t can not be lightly w ^tout sinne: for y ^e thinge y ^• folke sore long for, they will make many shift [...]s to g [...]at, & ieopard thē self therfore, & to declare y ^t the ha­uing of riches is not forbyddē [...] but y ^e inordinate affec­ciō of y ^e mind sore set therupō: The prophet saith: Diuitie si affl [...]āt nolite cor apponere. If riches flowe vnto you set not your harts therupō. And albeit y ^t our lord by y ^e said en­sāple of y ^e camel or y ^e cable rope, to come throw y ^e nedles [Page] eye, sayde y ^• it is not onely hard, but also impossible for a riche man to entre into y ^e kingdome of heauē, yet he declared that though the riche man can not geat into heauen of him self, yet god he sayd can geat hym in wel inough, for vnto mē he said it was [...]mpossible, but not vnto god: for vnto god he sayd, al thinges are possible. And yet ouer that he tolde of which maner riche men he meynt y ^t could not geat into y ^e kingdome of heauē, saying: Filioli, quā difficile est confidentes in pecuniis in regnum dei introire My babes, howe harde is it for them that put theyr trust and confidence in theyr money, to entre into the kingdome of god?

This is I suppose vncle very true, and els god forbidde. For elles were the worlde in a full harde case if euery riche man were in such daunger & peril.

That were it Cosin in dede, and so I wene is it yet. For I feare me to y ^e multitude, there be very fewe, but that they longe sore to be riche, & of those y ^t longe so to be, very fewe reserued also, but that they set theyr heartes very sore thereon.

That is Uncle I feare me veri true, but yet not the thinge that I was about to speake of, but the thing y ^t I would haue saide was this, that I can not wel perceiue (the world being such as it is, & so manye poore people therein) howe any man maye be riche, and kepe him riche without daunger of damnacion therefore. For al the while that he seeth poore people so many that lacke, while him self hath to geue them, and whose necessitie (while he hath wherwith) he is bound in such case of duetye to releue, so farforth that holye Saynte Ambrose sayeth: that who so that dye for defaulte, where we might help them, we kyl them our selfe. I can not see but that euery riche man hathe [Page] great cause to stande in great feare of damnaciō, nor I can not perceiue as I saie, howe he can be deliuered of that feare as long as he kepeth his riches, and ther­fore though he mighte kepe hys riches, if there lacked poore men, & yet stand in goddes fauour therewith, as Abraham dyd, and many an other holy riche mā since: yet it such aboundance of poore mē as there be nowe in euery countrey any man that kepeth any ryches, it muste nedes be, that he hath an inordynate affeccion thereunto, while he geueth it not out vnto the poore nedy persōs, y ^t the duety of charitie bindeth & straineth him to. And thus Uncle in thys worlde at this day, me semeth your comforte vnto good men that are riche, & troubled wyth [...]eare of damnacion for the keping can very scantly serue.

Harde is it Cosin in ma­ny maner thinges, to bydde or forbydde, affyrme or de­nye, reproue or allowe, a matter nakedly proponed and put forth, or precisely to saye, this thing is good or this thing is nought, wythout consideraciō of the circum­staunces. Holy Saint Austen telleth of a phisiciō that gaue a man a medicine in a certaine disease, that holpe him: the selfe same man at an other tyme in the selfe same dysease, [...]ooke the selfe same medicine him selfe, and had thereof more harme than good: whiche thinge whē he shewed vnto the phisicion, & asked hym wher­of that harme shoulde hap, that medicine, quod he, did the no good but harme, because thou tookest it when I gaue it the not. This answere. S. Austen very well alloweth, for y ^e though y ^e medicine were one, yet might there be peraduenture in the sicknes, some suche dyf­ferēce, as y ^e pacient perceiued not, yea or in the mā him self, or in the place, or in y ^e time of y ^e yere: many thinges might make the let, for whiche the phisicion would not [Page] than ha [...] geuen him the selfe same medicine that he gaue him before, to peruse euery circūstance y ^t might Cosin in this matter be touched, & were to be conside­red & waighed, would in dede make this parte of thi [...] deuil of busines a very busy piece of worke, & a lōg: but I shall a litle open the point that you speake of, and shall shewe you what I thinke therin, wyth as fewe wordes as I conueniently can, & than wil we goe to dinner. First Cosin, he that is a riche man & kepeth all his good, he hath I thinke very good cause to be very frayd in dede. And yet I feare me y ^t such folke feare it least, for they be very farre frō the state of good mē, sith if they kepe stil al, thā are they very farre frō chari­tie, & doe, you wo [...]e wel, almose, either li [...]le or none at al [...] But nowe is our questiō Cosin, not in what case y ^t riche mā standeth y ^t kepeth al, but whither we should suffer men to stande in a perillous dreade and feare, for the keping of any great part. For if that by the kepyng still of so much, as maketh a riche mā stil, they stand in y ^e state of damnaciō: thā a [...]e y ^e curates boundē plainly to tel thē so according to the cōmaundemēt of god ge­uen vnto thē al in y ^e persō of Ezechyel. Si dicente me ad im­pium morte morieris non annunciaueris ei. &c. If whan I say to the wicked mā. Thou shalte dye, y ^• doe not shewe it vnto him, nor speake it vnto him, that he may be turned frō his wicked waye and maye liue, he shall soothly dye in his wyckednes, & hys bloud shall I verilye require of thine handes. But Cosin, thoughe god inuited men vnto y ^e folowing of him selfe in wyful pouertie, by the leauing of altogether at once for his sake, as the thing whereby wyth being out of the solicitude of worldlye busines, & farre frō the desier of earthly cōmodities, they may the more spedely geat and attaine the state of spirituall perfecciō & the hungry desire, & longing for [Page] celestial thinges, ye [...] doth he not commaūd euery in ā so to doe vpon y ^e peril of dānaciō. For where he saieth: Qui nō renūciauerit omnibus que pos [...]idet, nō potest esse meus discipulus. He y ^t forsaketh not al y ^t euer he hath, can not be my disciple. He declareth wel by other wordes of his owne in y ^e selfe same place a litle b [...]fore, what he meaneth. For there saieth he more. Si quis venit ad me & non odit patrem su [...]m & matrem, & vxorem, & filios, & fratres, & sorores, ad huc autem & animam suam, nō potest es [...]e n [...]eus dicipulus. He that cometh to me and hateth not his father & hys mother, & his children, and hys bre [...]hren and hys sisters, yea and hys owne lyfe too, can not be my dysciple. Here meaneth our sauiour Christ y ^t none can be hys disciple, but if he loue him so farre aboue al his kinne, & aboue hys owne lyfe to, y ^• [...]or the loue of hym rather than to forsake him, he shal forsake them al: & so meaneth he by those other wordes, that whosoeuer doe not so renounce & for­sake al that euer h [...] h [...]th in his owne heart and affec­cion, that he wil rather leese it al and let it goe euery whitte, thā deadlye displease god with the reseruing of anye one part therof, he can not be Christes dys­ciple sy [...]h Christe teache [...]h vs to loue God aboue all thing: & he loueth not God aboue all thing, that con­trary to gods pleasure kepeth any thing that he hath. For y ^• thing he sheweth him selfe to set more by than by god, whyle he is better cōtent to lese god, than it. But as I said to geue awaye al or that no mā should be riche or haue any substance, y ^t find I no cōmaūde­ment of. There are as our sauiour saith, in the house of his father many mansions, & happy shall he be, that shall haue the grace to dwell euen in the lowest. It semeth verily by y ^e gospel, y ^t those which for gods sake suffer penury, shal not onely dwel aboue those in hea­uen, y ^t liue here in plenty in earth but also y ^e heauen in [Page] some maner of wise more properly belōgeth vnto thē, & is more specially prepared for thē, thā it is for the riche, by y ^t, that god in the gospell coūsayleth the riche folke to bye in a maner heauē of thē, where he saieth vnto y ^e riche mē. Facite vobis amicos de Mammona iniquitatis, vt cum defeceritis, re­cipiant vos in eterna tabernacula. Make you friendes of the wic­ked ryches, y ^t whan you fayle here, they maye receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles. But now although this be thus, in respect of the riches and the pouertie compared together, yet they being good mē both, there maye be some other vertue beside, wherin the riche mā may so peraduēture excel, y ^t he may be in heauen farre aboue y ^t poore mā y ^t was here in earth in other vertues farre vnder him, as y ^e profe appeareth clerely in Laza­rus and Abraham.

¶The .xix. Chapter.

NOr I saye not this to the entent to comforte riche men in heaping vp of riches, for a lytle comforte is bente inough thereto for them. They be not so proude hearted and obstinate, but that they would I wene, to that counsayle be with right lytle exhortacion verye conformable. But I say this for those good mē to whom god geueth substance, and the minde to dispose it well, & yet not the minde to geue it all awaye at once, but for good causes to kepe some substance still, should not dispaire of goddes fa­uour for the not doing of the thing, which god hath ge­uen them no commaundemēt of, nor drawen by anye special calling therunto. acheus loe, that clymed vp into the tree for desier y ^t he had to behold our sauiour, at such time as Christ called aloude vnto him & sayd: zacheus, make hast & come downe, for this daye must I dwel in thy house. Zacheus was so glad therof, & so touched inwardly w ^t special grace to the profite of his soule, that whereas al y ^e people murmured much that [Page] Christ would call him and be so familiar with hym, as of his owne offre to come vnto his house, considering that they knewe him for the chiefe of the Publicanes, that wer customers or tolle gatherers of themperours dueties: all which whole company were among y ^e peo­ple sore infamed of rauine, extorciō and bribery, & than zacheus, not onely the chiefe of that felowship, but also growen greatly riche, wherby the people accoumpted him in theyr own opinion [...] for a man very sinneful and nought: he forthwith by the instinct of y ^e spirite of god, in reproche of al such [...]emerarious bold & blynd iudge­ment geuen vpon a man, whose inwarde mind and so­dayn chaunge they cannot see, shortly proued them all deceiued and that our lord had at those fewe woordes outwardly spokē to him, so touched him, that his grace so wrought in his heart within, y ^t whatsoeuer he was before, he was than, vnwares vnto them all sodaynly waxen good: for he made haste & came downe, & gladly receiued Christ, and sayd: Loe lord, the one halfe of my goodes here I geue vnto poore people: & yet ouer that, if I haue in any thing deceued any mā, here am I rea­dy to recompence him foure folde asmuche.

Thys was vncle, a gracious hearyng, but yet I marueile me sūwhat wherfore zacheus vsed his woordes in that maner of ordre. For me thinketh he shoulde first haue spoken of making restitucion vnto those whom he had begyled, and than speake of geuing his almose after. For restitucion is, you wote well, due­tye, and a thing of such necessitie, that in respect of re­stitucion, almose dede is but voluntarye. Therefore it might seme, that to put men in mind of theyr duetie in making restitucion fyrst, and doing theyr almose after [...] zacheus should haue sayd more conueniently if he had [Page] sayd fyrst that he woulde make euery man restitucion whom he had wronged, & than geue halfe in almose of that y ^e remayned after, for only that might he cal clere­ly his own.

This is true Cosin, where a mā hath not ynough to su [...]fise for bothe: but he that hath is not bound to leaue his almose vngeuen to the poore man that is at his hand, and peraduenture calleth vpō him til he goe seke vp al his creditors, and al those that he hath wronged, so farre peraduenture asundre, that leauing the one good dede vndone y ^e while, he may be­fore they come together change that good mind again, and dooe neither the one nor the other. It is good al­way therfore to be doing some good out of hand, while we thynke thereon: grace shall the better stande with vs, and encrease also to goe the farther into the other after: and this I aunswere, if the man had there done the one out of hand, y ^e geuing I mean [...] half in almose, & not so muche as speake of restitucion till after, where as nowe though he spake the one in ordre before the o­ther, and yet all at one time, the thing remayned still in his libertie to put them both in execucion after such or­dre as he should than thinke expedient. But nowe Co­sin did the spiri [...]e of god tempre the tongue of zacheus in the vtterau [...]ce of these wordes, in suche wyse as it may wel a [...]peare the saying of the wyse man to be ve­rifyed in them, where he sayeth: Domini est gubernare linguam. To god it belongeth to gouerne the tongue.

For here when he sayde he would geue halfe of hys whole good vnto poore people, and yet besyde that, not onely recomp [...]ce any man whom he had wronged, but more than recompence him by three times asmuche a­gain: He double reproued the false suspicion of the peo­ple that accoūted him for euil, y ^• than reckoned in their [Page] mind al his good gotten in e [...]fect with wrong, because he was growen to substaunce in that office, which was commōly misused extorciously. But his wordes decla­red that he was r [...]p [...] inough in his reckoning, y ^t if half his goodes wer geuē away, yet wer he wel able to yeld euery man his dueti [...] with y ^e other half & yet leaue him­selfe no beggar neither: for he said not he would geue al away. Would god Cosin y ^• euery riche christen man that is reputed right worshipful (yea & which yet in my mind, more is r [...]ckoned for right honest too) would and wer able, to do the thing tha [...] litle zacheus y ^esame great Publican [...] (were he Iewe or wer he Painim) said: y ^t is to we [...]e, with lesse thē halfe his goodes recompence e­uery man whom he had wronged .iiii. times as much: ye, ye Cosin, asmuch for as much hardly, and than they [...]hat shal receiue it, shall be content (I dare promise for thē) to let the other thrise as muche go, & forgeue it, be­cause it was one of the hard poyntes of the olde lawe, wheras christen men must be ful of forgeuing, and not vse to require a [...]d exact theyr amendes to y ^e vttermost. But now for our purpose here, notwithstāding that he promised not, neither to geue away al, nor to become a beggar nether, no nor yet to leaue of his office nether, which albeit y ^t he had not vsed before peraduenture in euery poynt, so pure as. S. Iohn baptist had taughte thē the lesson. Nihil amplius quam constitut [...] e [...]vobis faciatis. Doe no more thē is appoynted vnto you. Yet forasmuch as he might both lawfully vse his substance y ^t he minded to reserue, and lawfully might vse his office to, in recei­uing the Princes duetie according to Christes expresse commaundement. Reddite que sunt Se [...]ar [...]s, [...]efari. Geue thempe­rour those thinges that are his, refusing al extorcion & bribery beside: our lord wel allowing his good purpose, [Page] and exacting no far [...]her foorth of him concernyng hys worldly b [...]haueour [...] auns [...]ered and sayd: Ho [...]e salus facta [...]st hui [...] d [...]mui eo quod ipse [...]ilius sit Abrahe. This day is heal [...]h comen to this house, for that he too, is the sonne of Abraham. But now forgeat I no [...] Cosyn, y ^t in effecte thus farre you condiscende vnto me [...] that a man may be riche, and yet not out of the state of grace, nor out of goddes fa­uour: howbeit you thinke that though it maye be so in some tyme, or in some place, yet at this time, and in this place, or any such other like, wherein be so many poore people vpon whom they be, you thinke, bounden to be­stowe their good, they can therfore kepe no riches with good conscience: Uerely Cosin if y ^• reason would hold, I wene the world was neuer such any where, in which any man might haue kept any substaunce without the daunger of damnacion, as for since Christes dayes to the worldes end, we haue the witnes of his own word, that there hath neuer lacked poore mē, nor neuer shal: for he sayed himselfe. Pauperes semper habebitis vobi [...]cum, quibus quum vultis, bene [...]acere po [...]estis. Poore men shal you alway haue with you, whom when you wil you may doe good vnto: so that as I tell you, if your rule should hold, then wer there, I wene, no place in no time since Christes dayes hetherto, nor as I thinke in as lōg before that neither, nor neuer shal there hereafter, in which there could a­ny man abide riche without the danger of eternall dā ­nacion, euen for his riches alone, though he demea­ned it neuer so well. But Cosin, men of substaūce must there nedes be, for els shal you haue moe beggars par­die, thē there be, & no man left able to relieue another. For this thinke I in my mind a very sure conclusion, that if al the money that is in this cūtrey, were to mo­rowe next brought together out of euery mans hand, [Page] and layd al vpon one heape, and than deuided out vnto euerye man alike, it would be on the morrowe after worse than it was the day before. For I suppose whan it were all egally thus deuided amōg al, the best should be left litle better, than a begger almost is now: and yet he that was a begger before, al that he shalbe the richer for y ^• he should therby receiue, shal not make him much aboue a begger stil: but many one of y ^e riche me if their riches stode but in moueable substaunc [...], shalbe safe i­nough frō riches haply for al their life after. Men can not you wote well liue here in thys worlde, but if that some one mā prouide a meane of liuing for some other many, euerye man cannot haue a ship of hys own, nor euery man be a marchaunt without a stocke, and these thinges you wote wel must nedes be had: nor euery mā cannot haue a plowe by himselfe. And who might liue by the taylors craft, if no man were able to put a gown to make? who by masonrye? or who could liue a carpen­ter, if no man were able to builde neither churche nor house? Who should be makers of anye maner of cloth, if there lacked men of substaunce to set sondry sortes a worke? Some man that hath but two duccates in his house, we [...]e better forbeare them bothe and leaue hym­selfe not a farthing, but vtterly lese all his owne, than that some ryche man by whome he is w [...]ekely sette a worke, shoulde of his money lese the one halfe, for than were himselfe like to lacke worke. For surely the riche mannes substaunce is the weispring of the poore mans liuing. And therfore here would it fare by y ^e poore man as it fared by y ^e woman in one of Esopes fables, which had an henne that layde euery daye a golden egge, tyll on a day she [...]hought she would haue a great mayny of egges at once, and therefore she kylled her henne, and [Page] fo [...]nd but one or twayne in her belly, so that for coue­tise of those sewe she lost manye. But nowe Cosin, to come to your dout how it may be that a man may with conscience kepe riches with him, when he seeth so many poore men vpon whom he may bestowe it: Uerely that might he not with conscience do, if he mu [...]t bestowe it v­pon as many as he may. And so must of trueth euerye [...]iche man doe, if all the poore folke that he seeth, be so specially by Gods commaundement committed vnto his charge alone, that because our sauiour saith: Omni pe­ten [...]ite, d [...]. Geue euery mā that asketh the, therfore should he be boūd to geue out stil to eueri beggar that wil aske him, as long as any penny lasteth in his purse. But ve­rely Cosin, y ^t saying hath, as S. Paule saith [...] and other places in Scripture, neede of interpretacion. For as holy. S. Austen saith: Though Christ say, geue euerye man that asketh the: he saith not yet, geue them al that they wil aske thee. But surely al wer one, if he meint to bynde me by cōmaundement to geue euery man with­out excepcion somewhat, [...]or so should I leaue my selfe nothing. Our sauior in that place of y ^e .vi. Chap of S. Luke, speaketh both of y ^e contēpt y ^t we should in heart haue of these worldly thinges, & also of y ^e maner y ^t men should vse toward their enemies. For there he biddeth vs loue our enemies geue good wordes for euil, & not onely su [...]fer iniuries pacientlye bothe by takyng away our goodes and harme done vnto our bodies, but also be ready to suffer the double, and ouer that, to doe thē good agayne, that dooe vs the harme. And amonge these thinges he biddeth vs geue euerye manne that asketh, meaning that in the thing that we may conue­niently do a mā good, we should not refuse it, what ma­ner of man soeuer he be, though he were oure mortal [...] [Page] enemy, namely where we see, y ^t but if we helpe him our self, y ^e person of y ^e man should stād in peril of perishing, & there saith: Si esurierit inimicus tuus, da illi cibū. If thine enemy be in hunger, geue him meate. But nowe though I be bound to geue euery maner of man in some maner of his necessitie, wer he my frend or my foe, christen mā or heath [...], yet am I not vnto al men bound alike, nor vn­to any man in euery case alike. But as I began to tell you, y ^e differēce of y ^e circumstances make great change in the matter. S. Paul saith [...] Qui non prouidet suis, est infideli de­terior. He y ^t prouideth not for those y ^t are his, is worse thā an infidele. Those are ours that are belo [...]ging to our charge, either by nature or law, or any cōmaundement of god, by nature as our children, by law as our seruan­tes in our houshold: so y ^t albeit these two sortes be not ours al alike, yet would I thinke that y ^e least to be ours of y ^e twayn: that is to wete, our seruantes, if they nede & lack, we be b [...]undē to loke to them, & prouide for their nede, & see so farforth as we may, that they lacke not y ^e thinges y ^t should serue for theyr necessitie, while they dwel in our seruice. Me semeth also y ^t if they fal sicke in our seruice, so y ^t they cānot do y ^e seruice y ^t we retain thē for: yet may we not in any wise turne them then out of dores, & cast thē vp cōfortles while they be no [...] able to labor & helpe themselfe, for this wer a thing a­gaynst al humanitie. And surely if he wer but a waifa­ring mā y ^t I receued into mi house as a geast, if he fal sicke therin, & his money gone, I reckon my self boū ­den to kepe him still, and rather to begge aboute for his reliefe than cast him oute in that case to the pe­ryll of hys lyfe, what losse soeuer I shoulde take thereby in keeping of him. For when God hath by suche chaunce sente him to me, and there once mat­ched me with hym, I reckon my selfe surely charged [Page] with him, till I maye without perell of his life, be well and conueniently discharged of him.

By Goddes commaundement are in our charge, our parētes, for by nature we be in theyrs [...] sith as. S. Paul saith, it is not y ^e childrens part to prouide for y ^e parētes, but the parentes to prouide for the children, prouide I meane conueniently good learning or good occupaci­ons to geat theyr liuing by with trueth and the fauour of god, but not to make prouisiō for thē of such maner of liuing as to godward they should liue y ^e woorse for: but rather if they see by their maner, y ^t to much woulde make them nought, the father should then geue them a great deale the lesse. But although y ^e nature put not y ^e parentes in the charge of the childrē: yet not onely god cōmaundeth [...] but the ordre of nature also compelleth, y ^t the children should both in reuerent behaueour, honor their father & mother, & also in al their necessitie main­tain thē, & yet asmuch as god & nature both bindeth vs to the sustenance of our own father, his nede may be so litle, though it be sumwhat, and a frēd mans so great, y ^t both god & nature also would I should in suche vne­qual nede, relieue that vrgent necessitie of a straunger, yea my foe, & gods enemy to, the veri Turke or Sara­zin before a litle nede, & vnlikely to do great harme in my father and in my mother to, for so ought they bothe twayne them selfe to be well content I shoulde. But nowe Cosyn out of the case of suche extreme nede well perceiued and knowen vnto my selfe, I am not boundē to geue euery begger that will aske, nor to beleue euery faytor that I mete in the strete, that will saye him selfe that he is very sycke, nor to reckon all the poore folke committed by God only, so to my charge alone, y ^e none other man shoulde geue them nothinge of his, tyll I [Page] haue first geuē out al myne, nor am not boundē ney­ther to haue so euill opiniō of all other folke saue my selfe as to thinke, y ^t but if I helpe, the pore folke shal al faile at once, for god hath left in al this quarter no mo good folke nowe but me: I may thinke better by my neyghbour, & worse by my selfe than so, & yet come to heauen by goddes grace well inough.

Marye Uncle but some man wil peraduenture he right well cōtent in such cases, to thinke his neyghbours verye charitable, to the entent y ^t he maye thinke him selfe at libertie to geue nothing at al.

That is Cosin verye true, so wyll there some be contente eyther to thinke, or make as though they thought, but those are they y ^t are contente to geue noughte, because they b [...] nought. But our question is Cosin not of thē, but of good folke, y ^t by the keping of worldely goodes, stande in great feare to offend god. For y ^e acquieting of theyr cōsciēce speake we [...]ow, to the entent y ^• they may per­ceiue what maner of hauing of worldly goodes & ke­ping therof, maye stand w ^t the state of grace. Nowe thinke I Cosin y ^t if a mā kepe riches about him for [...] glorye & royalty of y ^e worlde, in cōsideraciō whereof h [...] taketh a great delite, & liketh him self therfore y ^e bette [...] taking y ^e poore for y ^e lacke thereof as one farre wors [...] thā him self, such a mind is very vaine, foolishe, prou [...] and suche a man is verye naughte in dede. But o [...] the other side, if there be a mā such as would god the [...] were many, y ^t hath vnto riches no loue, but hauing [...] fal aboundantly vnto him, taketh to hys owne par [...] no great pleasure therof, but as though he had it n [...] kepeth him selfe in lyke abstinence & penance prieu [...] as he woulde doe in case he hadde it not, and in su [...] thinges as he doeth openly bestowe somewhat n [...] [Page] liberally vpon him selfe in hys house after some ma­ner of the worlde, lest he should geue other folke occa­siō to meruaile & muse, and talke of his maner, & misse­report him for an ipocrite, there in betwene god & him doth truely proteste & testifie as did the good Queene Hesther, that he doth it not for any desier therof in the satisfying of his owne pleasure, but woulde wyth as good wil or better, forbeare the possession of riches, sa­uing for the commodytie that other men haue by hys dysposing [...]hereof. as percase in keping of a good housholde in good christē ordre & fashiō, & in se [...]ting other folke a worke w ^t such thing as they gaine theyr liuing y ^e better by his meanes. This mānes hauing of riches I might me thinketh in merite, ma [...]ch in a ma­ner with an o [...]her mānes forsaking of al if there were none other circumstaunces more pleasaunt vnto god farther added vnto the forsaking beside as percase for the more feruent contemplacion, by reason of the solicitude of al worldly busines l [...]ft of, which was the thing that made Mary Magdalenes part the better. For els woulde C [...]ris [...]e haue canned her muche more thanke to goe about and be busy in helping her sister Martha to dresse hys dinner, than to take her stoole and sytte downe at her ease and doe nought. Nowe if he that haue thys good and riches by him, haue not happely fully so perfecte minde, but somewhat loueth to kepe him self from lacke, and not so fully as a pure christen fashion requireth, determined to abandō his pleasure: wel, what wyl you more, the mā is so much y ^e lesse perfecte, than I would he were, and happely than him self woulde wishe, if it were as easie to be it as to wishe it, but yet not by & by in the state of damnacion, no more thā he y ^e forsaking al, & entring into religion. [Page] is not yet alway so clere depured f [...]ō al worldly affec­cions as him selfe would very faine he were & much bewa [...]le [...]h y ^t he is not: of whō some man y ^t hath in the world willi [...]ly forsaken y ^• likelihode of right worship­f [...]l roumes, hath afterward had much adoe, to kepe him selfe frō the desier of y ^e office of cele [...]ar or sextayn, to beare yet at y ^e leastwyse some rule & auctorite, though it were but among y ^e belles. But god is more merciful to mannes imperfecciō, if y ^e mā know it, & knowle [...]ge it, & mislike it, & litle & litle labour to amend it, thā to reiect & cast of him y ^• after as his frailetie can beare & suffer, hath a general intēt & purpose to please him & to preferre or set by nothing in al this world before hym. And therfore Cosin, to make an ende of this piece w ^tal A negotio perambulante in tenebris. Of this deuil I meane y ^t the prophet calleth busines walking in the darknes if a mā haue a mind to se [...]ue god & please him, & rather lese al the good he hath than wittingly doe deadly si [...]ne [...] & would w ^tout murmure or grudge, geue it eu [...]ri whitte awaye in case that god should so commaūde hym and intende to take it paciently if god would take it from him, & glad would be to vse it vnto gods pleasure, & doe his diligence to knowe and to be taught what maner vsing therof god would be pleased wyth: & therin frō tyme to time be glad to folowe the counsayle of good verteous men, thouge he neyther geue awaye all at once, nor geue euerye man that asketh hym, neyther (lette euerye man feare and thynke in thys world, y ^t al the good that he doth or can doe, is a great deale to litle) but yet for al that feare, let hym dwel therwith in the faythfull hope of Goddes helpe. And than shall the trueth of god so cōpasse him about (as the proph [...] saith) with a pauice, that he shal not so nede to dreade y ^• [Page] traines & the temptacions of this deuil y ^t the prophete calleth busines, walking about in the darkensses, but that he shall for all the hauing of riches and worldlye substance, so auoyde his traines and his temptacions, that he shal in conclusion by the greate and almighty mercye of god, geat into heauen well inoughe. And nowe was I Cosin aboute loe, after thys piece thus ended, to bidde them to bringe in our dinner, but now shal I not nede loe, for here they come with it already.

Forsoth good Uncle god disposeth and te­meth your matter and your dinner both I trust. For the end of your good tale (for which our lorde rewarde you) and the beginning here of your good dinner too, (from which it were more than pietie that you shoulde any lenger haue taried) mete euē at the close together.

Well Cosin, nowe will we saye grace, and than for a while [...] wil we leaue talking, and assaye howe our dinner shall like vs, and howe fayre we can fall to feding, which done you know my customable guise (for maner I maye not cal it) because y ^e gyse is vnmanerly to bydde you not fare well, but steale awaye from you to slepe: but you wote well I am not wonte at after noone to slepe longe, but euen a litle to forgeatte the worlde. And when I wake, I will againe come to you, and than is (god willyng) all thys longe daye oures, wherein we shall haue time inough to talke more than shall su [...]fice for the finishing of thys one parte of our matter, which onely nowe remaineth.

I praye you good vncle kepe your customa­ble maner, for maner maye you call it well inough: for as it were againste good maner to looke that a man shoulde kneele downe for courtesie whan his knee is sore, so is it very good maner that a man of your age [Page] agrieued with suche sondry syckenesses besyde, tha [...] suffre you not alway to s [...]epe when you should. Lette his slepe not slyppe awaye, but take it when he maye: And I will vncle in the meane while steale from you too, and spede a little earrande, and returne to you a­gaine.

Tarye while you will, and when you haue dyned, goe at your pleasure, but I pray you [...]arye not long.

You shal not nede vncle to putte me in mynde of that, I woulde so fayne haue vp the remnaunte of our matter.

¶The first Chapter. ¶VVhither a man should cast in hys mynde and appoynt in his heart before, that if he vvere taken vvith Turkes, he vvould rather dye, than forsake the fayth.

WEl fare your heart good vncle for this good coū ­saile of yours, for surely me thinketh that thys is maruelouse good: but yet heard I once a right cōning & a very good mā saye, y ^t it were great foly, & very pery­lous to, that a man should thinke vpō ani such thing, or imagine any such case in his mynd for feare of double peril y ^t may folow therupō: for eyther shal he be lykely to aūswere himself to y ^e case put by himself, y ^t he wil rather suffre any paineful death thā forsake hys faith, and by that bolde appointmēt, should he fal in the fault of. S. Peter, y ^• of ouersighte made a proude promyse, & soone had a foule fal, or els were he likely to thinke y ^t rather thā abide y ^e payn, he would forsake god in dede, and by that mind should he synne deadly thorow his own foly, wheras he nedeth not as he y ^• shal peraduenture neuer come in y ^• perel, to be put therunto, & y ^t therfore it were most wisedō neuer to thinke vpō any suche maner case

I beleue well Cosin y ^t you haue heard some mā y ^• would so say: for I can shewe almost as much as that, left of a good man and a greate solemne doctor in writing: but yet Cosin, although I should hap to fynde one or two moe, as good men, and as wel learned too, that would both twayne say & write y ^e same, yet would I not feare for my part to coūsayle my frend to y ^e con­trary. For Cosin, if his mind answere him, as. S. Pe­ter answered Christ, that he wil rather die, thā forsake him, though he say therin more vnto himselfe, than he should be paraduenture able to make good, if it came to y ^e poīt, yet perceiue I not y ^t he doth in y ^t thought, any [Page] deadly displeasure vnto god nor. S. Peter, [...]hough he said more thā he coulde perfourme, yet in his so saying offended not god greatly neither: but his o [...]fence was, whē he did not after so wel as he said before. But now may this mā be lykely neuer to fal in y ^e per [...]l of breakīg that appointment, si [...]h of some .x. M. y ^t so shal examyn thēself, neuer one shal fal in y ^e perel, & yet to haue that good purpose al their lyfe, semeth me no more harme y ^e while, thā a poore begger y ^t hath neuer a pēny, to thinke y ^t if he had great substaūce, he would geue great almose for gods sake. But now is al y ^e perel, if the mā answere himself y ^t he would in such case rather forsake the faith of Christ w ^t his mouth, & kepe it stil in his heart, thā for y ^e cōfessing of it, to endure a paynful death: for by this mind falleth he in deadly sinne, which while he neuer cometh in y ^e case in dede if he neuer had put him selfe y ^e case he neuer had fal in: but in good fayth me thinketh y ^t he which vpō y ^e case put vnto himself by himself, wyl make himself y ^t answere, hath y ^e habite of faith so faint & so cold y ^t to y ^e better knowledge of himself, & of his ne­cessitie, to pray for more strēgth of grace, he had nede to haue the questiō put him, either bi himself, or some other mā. Besides this, to coūsayle a mā neuer to thinke on y ^e case, is in my mynd as much reason, as y ^e medicine y ^t I haue heard taughte one for y ^e tooth ache to goe thrise a­bout a churche yard, & neuer thinke vpō a foxe taile: for if y ^e coūsaile be not geuē thē, it cannot serue thē, & if it be geuē thē, it must put y ^• point of y ^e matter in their minde, which by & by to reiect, & thinke therin neither one thīg or other, is a thing y ^t may be sooner bidden then obeied. I wene also that very fewe men can escape it but that thoughe they woulde neuer thynke thereon by them selfe, but that yet in one place or other where they shall happe to come in companye, they shall [Page] haue the question by aduenture so proponed and putte forth, that like as while he heareth one talkyng to him, he may wel winke if he wil, but he cānot make himselfe slepe: so shal he whether he wil or no thinke one thing or other therin. Finally, whē Christ spake so often & so playne of the matter that euerye man shoulde vpon payne of damnacion, openly confesse hys fayth if men toke hym, and by dreade of death would driue hym to the contrary, it semeth me in a maner implied therein that we be bound cōdicionally, to haue euermore that mynde actually, sometyme & euermore habitually: that if the case so shoulde fal, than with goddes helpe, so we woulde, and thus much thinketh me necessary for eue­ry man and woman, to be alwaye of thys mynde, and often to thinke thereupon: and where thei finde in the thynkyng theron, theyr heartes agryce, and shrinke in the remembraunce of the payne [...]hat their imaginaciō representeth to the minde, than must they call to mind and remember the great payne & torment that Christ suffred for them, and hartely praye for grace, that if the case shoulde so fall, god shoulde geue them strength to stande: and thus with exercise of suche medytacion, though men shoulde neuer stande full out of feare of fallyng, yet muste they perseuer in good hope, & in full purpose of standing, and thys semeth me Cosin so far­forth the mynde, that euery christen man and woman must nedes haue that, me thinketh that euery Curate should oftē coūsaile al his parishions, and euery man & woman, their seruauntes, and their children euen bee­ginning in theyr tender youth, to know this point, and to thinke theron, & litle & litle fro theyr very childhode to accustome them dulcely and pleasaūtly in the medi­tacion therof, wherby the goodnes of GOD, shal not [Page] fayle so to aspyre the grace of his holy spirite into thei [...] heartes in reward of that ve [...]teous diligence, that tho­row such actual meditacion, he shal confirme them in such a sur [...] habite of spiritual faithful strength, that all the deuilles in hell with all the wrestlyng that they can make, shal neuer be able to wrest it out of [...]heir hearte.

By my trouth vncle, me thinketh you saye very well.

I say surely Cosin as I thinke, and yet all this haue I sayde concerning them that dwell in such places as thei be neuer like in their liues to come in the daunger to be put to the proofe: howbeit many a man may wene himself farther fro, that yet may fortune by some one chaunce or other to fall in the case, that either for the trouth of fayth, or for the trouth of iustice, which goe almost alike, he may fal in the case. But now be you and I Cosin, and all our frendes here, farre in an o­ther poynt. For we be so likely to fall in the experience thereof so sone, that it had been more time for vs (al o­ther thinges set asyde) to haue deuised vpon thys mat­ter, and formely to haue setled our self vpon a stedfas [...] poynt long agoe, than to begyn to common and coun­sayle vpon it nowe.

In God fayth vncle, you saye therein verye trouth, and would God it had come soner in my mynd, but better is yet late, then neuer. And I trust God shal yet geue vs respyte and tyme, whereof vncle that we lese no parte, I pray you procede nowe with your good counsayle therin.

Uery gladly Cosin, shall I nowe goe furth in the fourth temptacion, which onely remayneth to be [...]reated of, and properlye pertayneth whole vnto this present purpose.

¶The second Chapter. ¶Of the fourth temptacion, vvhich is persecucion for the fayth touched in these vvoordes of the Prophete. Ab in­cursu et demonio meridiano.

THe fourth temptacion Cosin, that the Prophe [...] speaketh of in the fore remembred Psalme. Qu [...] habitat in a diutorio altissimi. &c. is playn open persecuci­on whiche is touched in these woordes. Ab incursu et demo­nio meridiano. And of all his temptacions, this is the moste perilous, the most bitter, sharp, and the most rigorous. For wheras in other temptacions, he vseth ether plea­sant allectiues vnto sinne, or other secret sleyghtes & traines, and cometh in the night and stealeth on in the darke vnware, or in some other parte of the day, [...]tyeth and passeth by like an arrowe, so shaping himself some time in one fashion, sumtime in an other: & so dissim [...]ling himself and his high mortal malice, that a man i [...] therby so blinded & begyled, that he may not sometyme perceue well what he is. In this tēptaciō. this plain opē persecucion for the fayth, he cometh euen in the very midde day, that is to wete, euen vpon them that haue an high light of fayth shining in theyr heart, and open­ly suffreth himself so plainly be perceiued, by his fierce furious malicious persecucion against y ^e faithful chris­ten, for hatred of Christes true catholique faith, that no manne hauing faith, can doubt what he is. For in this temptacion he sheweth himself, such as the prophet na­meth him, demonium meridianum, the mid day deuill. He maie be so light [...]omly sene with the eye of a faithful soule, by his fierce f [...]rious assaut & incursion. For therfore saith y ^e prophet, y ^t the truth of god shal compasse y ^e mā round about, y ^t dwelleth in y ^e faithful hope of his helpe with a pauice. Ab incursu & demonio meridiano, frō the incursion and y ^e deuil of the mid day, because this kind of persecuciō is [Page] not a wylye temptacyon, but a furious force, and a terrible incursion. In other of hys temptacions he steale [...]h on lyke a Foxe: but in thys Turkes perse­cucion for the faythe he runneth on roaryng with as­saulte lyke a rampyng Lyon. Thys temptacion is of all temptacions also the moste perilous: for whereas in temptacions of prosperitie, he vseth onely delecta­ble allectiues, to moue a mā to sinne, & in other kindes of tribulacions & aduersitie he vseth onelye griefe and paine to pull a man into murmure, impacience & blas­phemy, in this kind of persecucion for y ^e faith of Christ, he vseth b [...]th twaine, y ^t is to wit, both his allectiues of quiet and rest by deliueraunce from death and payne, with other pleasures also of this presente life: & besyde that the terror and infliccion of intollerable paine and tormente in other tribulacion, as l [...]sse of sickenesse, or death of our frēdes, though the pain be peraduenture as great and some time greater to: yet is not the perel no where nigh halfe so muche. For in other tribulaci­ons as I sayde beefore, the necessitie that the manne must of fyne force abyde and endure the payne, waxe he neuer so wrothe and impacient therwith, is a great occasion to moue him to kepe his pacience therein, and be content therewith, and thanke God thereof and of necessitie to make a vertue, that he maye bee rewar­ded for. But in thys temptacion, this pe [...]secucion for the faythe, I meane not by fight in the [...]ielde, by which the faythefull manne standeth at hys defence, and putteth the faythlesse in halfe the feare, and halfe the harme too. But where he is taken and in holde, and maye for the foreswearing or the denying of his faith, bee deliuered and su [...]fered to liue in reste, and some in great worldly wealth also.

[Page]In this case I say this thing, that he nedeth not to suffre this trouble and payn but he wil, is a meruelous gr [...]at occasion for him to fal into the sinne that the de­uil would driue him to, that is to wete, the forsaking of his faith: and therfore as I say, of all the deuils temp­tacions is thys temptacion, this persecucyon for the faith, the moste perilous.

The more perilous vncle that thys tempta­tion is (as in dede of al temptacions the most perilous it is) the more nede haue they that stand in peril therof, to be before with substaunciall aduise and good coun­sayle, wel armed agaynst it, that we may with the coum­fort and consolacion therof the better beare that tribu­lacion when it cometh, and the better withstande the temptacion.

You say Cosin Uincent therin very trueth, and I am content to fall therfore in hande therwith: but forasmuch Cosin as me thinketh that of this tribu­lacion somewhat you bee more frayde than I (and of trueth somewhat more excusable it is in you, thā it wer in me [...] my age considered, and the sorowe that I haue suffered alreadye, with some other consideracions on my part beside) reherse you therfore y ^e griefes & paines that you thinke in this tribulacion possible to fall vnto you: and I shall agaynst eche of them geue you coun­sayle, and rehearse you such occasion of coumfort and consolacion, as my poore wit and learnyng can call to my mynd.

In good faith vncle I am not al thing afraid in this case onely for my selfe, but well you wote I haue cause to care also for many moe, and that folke of son­dry sortes [...] men and weomen bothe, and that not all of one age.

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Al that you haue cause to feare for Cosin, for all them haue I cause to feare with you to, syth all your kinsfolkes and alyes [...] whithin a litle be lykewyse vnto me: howbeit, to say y ^e trueth, euery man hath cause in this case, to feare both for hymselfe, & also for euery other. For syth as the Scripture sayth: Vnicuique deus de­dit curam de proximo suo, god hath geuen euery man cure and charge of his neighbour. There is no mā y ^t hath any sparke of christen loue & charitie in his brest, but that in a matter of such perel as thys is, wherin the soule of man standeth in so great daunger to be loste, he muste nedes care and take thought, not for hys frēdes only, but also for hys ve [...]y foes. We shal therfore Cosin, not rehearse your harmes or myne that may befall in this persecucion, but al the great harmes ingeneral, as nere as we can cal to mynd that may happe vnto any man.

¶The .iii. Chapter.

SYth a man is made of the bodye and the soule, all the harme that any man maye take, it muste nedes be in one of these two, either immediatli, or by the mean [...] of some suche thyng as serueth for the pleasure, weale, or commoditie of the one of these two: as for the soule first we shal nede no rehearsal of any harme, that by thys kynde of tribulacion, maye at­tayne therto: but if that by some inordinate loue, and affeccion that the soule beare to the body, she consente to slide fro the faith, and therby doe her harme her self. Nowe remayn there y ^e body, and these outward thinges of fortune, whiche serue for the mayntenaunce of the body, and minister matter of pleasure to the soule also. thorowe y ^e delighte that she hath in the body, for y ^e while that she is matched therwith. Considre thā first y ^e losse of those outwarde thynges, as somewhat the lesse in [Page] waight than is the body it self, in them what may a mā lose, and therby what payne maye he suffre?

He maye lose vncle. of which I should some­what lose my selfe, money, plate, & other mouable sub­staunce: thā offices, auctoritie, and finally al the landes of hys inheritaunce for euer, that himselfe & his heires perpetually might els enioye. And of al these thynges vncle you wote wel that my self haue some, litle in res­pect of that y ^e some other haue here, but somewhat more yet thā he y ^• hath most here, would be wel cōtent to lose. Upō the losse of these thinges folowe nedines and po­uertie, the payne of lackyng, the shame of begging: of which twayne I wote not wel, which is the most wret­ched necessitie, beside the griefe and heauynes of heart in beholding good mē and faythful, & his dere frendes, be wrapped in lyke mysery and vngracious wretches and infydeles, and his most mortal enemyes enioie the commodities that hymselfe and hys frendes haue lost. Now for the body, very fewe wordes shal serue vs, for therin I see none other harme, but losse of libertie, la­bour, imprisonment, paynful & shameful death.

There nede not muche more Cosyn, as the world is now: for I feare me y ^t lesse than a fowerth part of thys, wil make many a man sore stagger in his faith, and some man fall quite therfro, that yet at thys daye before he come to y ^e proofe, weneth himselfe y ^t he would stand very fast: and I bese [...]he our lord y ^t al they that so thinke & would yet when they were brought vnto the poynt, fal therefro for feare or for payn, may geat of god the grace to wene stil as thei doe, & not to be brought to thassay, where payn or feare should shew thē then. And (as it [...]hewed. S. Peter) howe farre they bee deceiued now. But nowe Cosin, against these terrible thinges, [Page] what way shal we take in geuing mē counsaile or com­fort, if y ^e fayth were in our dayes as feruent as it hath been ere thys in tymes past, litle coūsaile & litle com [...]ort would suffise, we should not much nede with wordes & reasonyng to extenuate and minishe the vigoure and asperitie of the paines, but the greater the more bytter that the passion were, the more ready was of old time, y ^• feru [...]ur of faith to suffre it: & surely Cosin, I doubt it litle in my mind, but y ^t if a mā had in his heart so depe a desire & loue, lōgyng to be w ^t god in heauē to haue the fruiciō of hys gloryous face, as had those holy mē that were martyrs in y ^• old time, he would no more now sticke at y ^e payn y ^t he must passe betwene, than at y ^t tyme those old holy martirs did. But alas, our faynt & feble fayth with our loue to god, lesse thā leuke warme, by the fyry affecciō that we beare to our own fil [...]hy f [...]eshe, maketh vs so dull in the desier of heauē, that the sodayn dreade of euerybodely payne woundeth vs to the hearte and strike [...]h our deuocion starke dead, & therfore hath there euery mā Cosin (as I said before) much she more nede to thynke vpon this thing many a tyme and ofte, afore hād ere any such pe [...]el fal: & by much deuising therupō before they see y ^e cause to feare it, while the thing shall not appeare so terrible vnto thē [...] reason shal better en­ter: and thorowe grace workyng with their diligence, engendre and set sure, not a sodayne sleyght affeccion of sufferaūce for god his sake, but bi a lōg cōtinuaūce a strōg depe roted habite, not like a reede ready to waue with euery wynde, nor like a rootelesse tree, scant set vp an end, in a loose heape of light sand, y ^e wil with a blast or two be blowen downe.

The .iiii. Chapter.

FOr if we nowe consider Cosin, these causes of terroure and dreade that you haue recited, whiche in hys persequcyon for the fayth, thys [Page] midde day deuil, maye by these Turkes reare agaynst vs, to make his incursion with, we shal well perceiue, waying them well with reason, that al be it somewhat they be in dede, yet euery part of the matter pondered, they shal wel appeare in conclusyon, thynges nothing so much to be dread, and [...]ed fro, as to folke at the first syght, they doe sodaynly seme.

¶The .v. Chapter. Of the losse of the goodes of fortune.

FOr first to beginne at these outward goodes that neither are the proper goodes of y ^e soule nor of the body, but are called the goodes of fortune, [...]hat serue for the sustenaūce & com­moditie of man for the shorte season of thys presente life, as worldly substaunce offices honor & auctoritie [...] What great good is there in these thinges of thēselfe, for whiche they were worthy so muche as to beare the name, by which y ^e world of a worldly fauour, customa­bly calleth them? For if the hauing of strength, make a man strong, and the hauing of heate make a man hote, and the hauyng of vertue make a man verteous: how can these thynges be verely and truly good, whiche he that hath them, maye by the hauyng of them, as well be the worse as the better, and as experience proueth, more o [...]ten is the worse than the better. What should a good man greatly reioyce in that that he dayly seeth most a­bounde in y ^e handes of many that be nought? Doe not now this great Turke and his ba [...]awes in al these a­uauncementes of fortune, surmount v [...]y farre aboue any christen e [...]tate and any lordes liuing vnder hym? And was there not yet hence vpō a .x [...]. yere a goe the great Soudan of Siri, whiche many a yere together bare as great a porte as the great Turke, and after in [Page] one somer vnto y ^e great Turke, that whole Empier was loste, & so maye al his Empire nowe, & shal here­after by God his grace be loste into christen mennes handes lykewi [...]e, when christen people shalbe mended and growe into god his fauour againe. But whē that whole kingdomes and mighty greate Empiers are of so lytle surety to stand, but so soone stra [...]slated frō one man vnto an other: what greate thing can you or I, yea or any Lorde the greatest in this lande, reckon him selfe to haue by the possession of an heape of siluer or golde, white and yelowe met [...]al not so profitable of theyr owne nature (saue for a litle glistering) as the [...]ude rusty met [...]all of yron.

¶The .vi. Chapiter. ¶Of the vnsuertie of landes and possessions.

LAndes and possessions many men yet muche more esteme then money, because the landes seme not so casuall as money is or plate, for that though theyr other substaunce may be s [...]olne and taken away, yet euermore they thinke that theyr land wyll lye styll where it laye [...] but what are we the better that our land can not be styrred but wyl lye s [...]yll where it laye, while our selfe maye be remoued & not suffered to come neare it? what great difference is there to vs, whither our substaūce be mouable or vn­mouable, syth we be so mouable our selfe, y ^t we may be remoued frō them both, & lese thē both twaine [...] sauing y ^• som [...] time [...]n y ^e money is the suertie somewhat more. For when we [...]e fayne our selfe to [...]ee, we may make shifte to cary some of our money w ^t vs, where of our land we can not cary one inche. If our lād be a thing of more suertie than our [...] money, howe happeth it than [Page] that in this persecucion, we be more frayde to lefe it. For if it be athing of more surety, than can it not so soone be lost. In the translacion of these two greate Empi [...]rs, Grece first, sith my self was borne. And after Siry, since you were borne to, the land was loste be­fore the money was founde.

Oh Cosin Uincent, if the whole worlde were anyma­ted with a reasonable soule, as Plato had went it were, and that it had wytte and vnderstanding to marke & perceiue all thing, Lorde God howe the grounde on which a Prince buildeth his palace, would lowd laugh his lord to s [...]orne, when he sawe him proude of hys pos­session, and hearde hym boaste him selfe that he and his bloud are for euer the very Lorde and oweners of that land. For than woulde the grounde thinke that while in him self. Ah thou sely poore soule, that weneste thou were halfe a God, and arte amidde thy glory, but a man in a [...]aye gowne. I that am the grounde here, ouer whom thou arte so proude, haue had an hun­dreth such owners of me, as thou callest thy selfe, m [...]e than euer thou hast hearde the names of. And some of them that proudly went ouer my headde [...] lye nowe lowe in my belly, and my [...]yde lyeth ouer them [...] and many one shall as thou doest nowe, call hym selfe myne owner after the [...], that neyther shalbe sybbe to thy bloud, or any worde heare of thy name, who ought your castle Cosin thre thousand yere a goe.

Thre thousand U [...]e [...]e? Naye naye, in any Kyng christen or heathen you maye strike [...]f a thyrde parte of that well inoughe, and as farre as I weene, half of the remnau [...]te [...]oo. In farre fe [...]er yeres than thre thousand, it maye well fortune, y ^t a poore plough mannes bloud maye come vp to a kingdome: and a [Page] kinges right royal kynne on the other syde fal d [...]une to [...]he plough and carte [...] and neither that king knowe that euer he came fro the carte, nor that carter knowe y ^t euer he came from the crowne.

We finde Cosin Uincent in ful Antentique storyes, manye s [...]raunge chaunces as meruelous as that, come aboute in the compasse of very f [...]we yeres in effect. And be such thinges than in reason so great­ly to be sette by, that we shoulde esteme the losse at so greate, when we see that in the keping our surety is so lytle.

Marrye Uncle but the lesse suretye that we haue to kepe it [...] syth it is a greate commoditie to haue it, the fearder by so much, and the more lothe we be to forgoe it.

That reason shall I Cosin turne againste your selfe. For if it be so as you saye, that syth the thinges be commodious, the lesse suerty that you see you haue of the keping, the more cause you haue to be afrayde of the losing.

Than on the other side, the more that a thinge is of hys nature such, that the commoditye thereof bringeth a man lytle suerty and much feare, that thing of rea­son, the lesse haue we cause to loue. And than the lesse cause that we haue to loue a thinge, the lesse cause haue we to care the [...] fore, or feare the losse thereof, or be loth to goe therefrom.

The .vii. Chapter ¶These outvvarde goodes or giftes of fortune are tvvo maner vvise to be co [...]sidered.

[Page] WE shal yet Cosin considre in these outwarde goodes of fortune, as riches, good name [...] ho­nest estimacion, honorable fame a [...]d authori­tie. In all these thynges we shal I saye con­sydre, that eyther we loue them and set by them, as by thynges commodious vnto vs for the state and condi­cion of thys present lyfe, or els as thynges that we pur­pose by the good vse therof to make thē matter of oure merite with god his helpe in y ^e lyfe after to come. Let vs than first consider thē as thinges set by and beloued for the pleasure and commoditie of them for thys pre­sente lyfe.

The .viii. Chapter. ¶The [...] of riches being [...]t by, [...]ut for this [...]nt lyfe

NOwe riches loued and set by for such if we con­sider it wel, the commodit [...]e that we take therof is n [...]t so great as our owne fond affeccion and fātasy maketh vs imagine it. It maketh vs I say not naye [...] goe muche more gaye and glorious in sight gar­nished with silke, but cloth is within a litle as warme. It maketh vs haue great ple [...]y of many kinde of deli­cate and delicious victual, and thereby to make more exce [...]se, but le [...]se exquis [...]te, a [...]d lesse superfluous fare, with fe [...]er su [...]aytes and fewer feu [...]rs growyng ther­on to, were within a litle as wholesome than the labour in the getting, the feare in the ke [...]yng, the payne in the partyng fro, doe more th [...]n [...]ounte [...]payse a great parte of al the pleasure and commoditie that they bryng. Be­sydes thys, y ^t riches is the thyng y ^t taketh many tymes frō [...]is maister, al his pleasure, & his life too. For many a man is for hys riches slayne, and some y ^t kepe theyr [Page] ryches as thinges pleasaunt & commodious for theyr life, take none other pleasure in a maner therof in all theyr life, than as thoughe they bare the kaye of an other mannes Cofer, and rather are contente to lyue in nedynes miserably al theyr dayes, than they coulde finde in theyr heart to minishe theyr horde, they haue such fantasie to looke theron: yea and some men for feare lest theues shoulde steale it from them, be theyr owne theues and steale it from them selfe, whyle they dare not so muche as let it lye where them selfe may looke theron, but put it in a pot, and hide it in the grounde, and there lette it lye safe tyll they dye, and [...]ometyme .vii. yere after. From which place if the pot had beene stolne awaye .v. yere before hys death, all the same .v. yere that he liued after, wening alwaye that his potte laye safe still, what hadde he been the poorer while he neuer occupied it after?

By my trouth Uncle not one pennye for ought that I perceiue.

¶The .ix. Chapter. ¶The litle comoditie of fame being desired but for vvorldly pleasure.

LEt vs nowe consider good name, honest esti­maciō, and honorable fame. For these thre thynges are of theyr owne na [...]ure, one, and take [...]heyr difference in effect, but of the ma­ner of the comē speache in diuersitie of degrees. For a good name maye a man haue be he neuer so poore, honest estymacyon in the common taking of the peo­ple belo [...]geth not vnto any man, but him that is takē [...]or one of some countenaunce and behauour, and [Page] amonge his neyghbours had in some reputacion. In the worde of honorable fame, folke conceiue the renowme of greate estates, muche and farre spoken of by reason of theyr laudable ac [...]es. Nowe all this geare vsed as a thing pleasaunt and commodious for this present life, pleasaunte it maye seme to him that fasteneth his fantasy therin, but of the nature of the thinge it selfe, I perceiue no greate commoditie that it hath: I saye of the nature of the thing it selfe, because it maie be by chaunce some occasion of commoditie, as if it happe y ^t for the good name y ^e poore man hath, or for y ^e honest estimaciō that a man of some haue our & sub­staunce standeth in amonge his neyghbours, or for the honorable fame wherewith the greate estate is r [...]nowmed, yf it happe I saye that anye man beatinge them better, wyll doe them therfore any good.

A [...]d yet as for that, lyke as it maye sometyme so hap, (and somtime so happeth in dede:) so may it hap some­time on the other side (and on y ^e other side so it some­time happeth in dede) that such folke are of some o­ther enuyed and hated, and as readely by them that enuy them and hate them take harme, as they take by them that loue them, good. But nowe to speake of the thing it selfe in hys owne proper nature, what is it but a blast of another mannes mouth, as sone passed as spoken, whereupon he that setteth his delite, fedeth hym selfe but wyth wind whereof be he neuer so full, he hath lytle substaunce therein.

And manye tymes shall he muche deceyue hym selfe. For he shall weene that many prayse hym, that neuer speake worde of hym, and they that doe saye yet much lesse than he weeneth, and farre more syldome too. For they spende not all the daye he may be sure in tal­kyng [Page] of hym alone, and whoso commend hym moste­wyll yet I weene in euerye, xxiiii. houres, wynke and forgeatte him once. Besydes thys, that while one talketh well of hym in one place, an other sytteth and sayeth as shrewdelye of hym in an other. And finally, some that prayse hym in hys presence, behynde hys backe, mocke hym as faste, and lowde laughe hym to scorne, and sometyme slylye to his owne face too: and yet are there some fooles so fedde with thys fond fan­tasye of fame, that they reioyse and gorye, to thinke howe they be contynuallye praysed all aboute, as thoughe all the worlde dyd nothynge elles daye nor nyghte, but euer sytte and singe, Sanctus, Sanctu [...], Sanctus. vpon them.

¶The .x. Chapter. ¶Of [...]latterye.

ANd into thys pleasaunte frenesye of much foolyshe vayne glorye, be there some men broughte sometyme by suche as thē selues doe in in a manet hyre to f [...]tter thē, and woulde not be contente if a man sho [...]lde dooe other­wyse, but would be [...]yghte angrye, not onelye if a man tolde them truth when they doe [...]ought in dede, but also if they praise it but slenderly.

Forsooth Uncle thys is very trueth, I haue been ere thys and not very long agoe where I sawe so proper experience of thys poynt, that I muste stop your tale for so longe whyle I tell you myne.

I praye you Cosin tell on.

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When I was fyrste in Almayne Uncle, it happed me to be somewhat fauoured wyth a great man of the Churche, and a greate state, one of the greatest in al that countrey there, and in dede whoso­euer might spende as much as he might in one thing and other, were a right greate state in anye countrey of christendome. But gloryous was he verye farre aboue al measure, and that was great peitye, for it dyd harme, and made him abuse many great gyftes that god had geuē him, neuer was he sac [...]a [...]e of hearing his owne praise. So happed it one daye, that he hadde in a greate audience, made an Oracion in a certaine ma­ner, wherein he liked him self so wel, that at his dinner he satte hym thought on thornes, tyll he myght heare howe they that satte wyth hym at hys boarde woulde commende it: and when he had sytte musing a whyle, deuising (as I thought after) on some prettye proper waye, to bring it in wythal: At laste, for lacke of a bet­ter (lest he shoulde haue letted the matter to longe) he broughte it euen bloontly forthe, & asked vs al that satte at his bordes ende (for at his owne messe in the myddest, there satte but him selfe alone) howe wel we lyked hys Oracion y ^t he made that daye. But in fayth Uncle, when that probleme was once proponed, till it was ful answered, no man I wene eate one morsel of meate more, euerye man was fallen in so depe [...] studdy, for the fynding of some exquisite prayse. For he that shoulde haue broughte out but a vulgare, and a commen commendacion, woulde haue thought hym selfe, shamed for euer.

Than sayde we ou [...] sentences by [...] as we satte. from the lowest vnto the highest in good order, as it had beene a great matter of the cōmē wayle in a right [Page] solemne counsayle, when it came to my parte (I will not safe it for no boste Uncle) me thought by our lady for my parte I quitte my selfe very wel. And I liked my selfe the better because me thought my wordes (being but a straunger) went yet w ^t some grace in the Almayne tonge, wherein letting my latine alone, me lusted to shewe my cunning, and I hoped to be liked y ^e better because I sawe y ^t he y ^t satte next me & should say his sētence after me, was an vnlearned priest, for he could speake no latine at al: but whē he came forth for hys parte, wyth my Lordes commendacion, the wylye Foxe hadde beene so well accustomed in the courte, wyth the crafte of flatterye, that he wente be­yonde me to to farre. And than myght I see by him, what excellencie a ryghte meane wytte maye come to in one crafte, that in al hys whole lyfe studieth and busieth hys witte aboute no moe, but that one. But I made after a solemne vowe to my selfe, y ^t if euer he and I were matched together at that borde againe, when we should fall to our flattery. I woulde flatter in latine, that he shoulde not contende [...]yth me no more. For thoughe I could be contente, to be oute runne of a horse, yet woulde I no more abyde it to be out [...]unne of an Asse. But Uncle, here beganne nowe the game: he that sate highest and was to speake laste, was a greate benyf [...]zed man and not a doctor onelye, but also somewhat learned in dede in the lawes of the Churche, a worlde it was to see howe he ma [...]ked euerye mannes worde, that spake before hym, and it semed that euerye worde, the more proper that it was, the worse he liked it, for the com [...]raunce that he had to studye out a better to passe it. The man euyn [Page] sweatte with the laboure, so that he was fayne in the whyle nowe and than, to wype hys face: howbeit in conclusion, when it came to hys course, we that had spoken before hym had so taken all vp among vs before, that we had not lefte hym one wyse woorde to speake.

Alas good manne, among so many of you some good felowe shoulde haue lente hym one.

It neded not as happe was vncle. For he found out such a shift, that in his slattering, he passed vs all the mayny.

Why, what sayd he Cosin?

By oure ladye vncle, not one woorde. But lyke as I trowe. Plinius telleth, that whan Appelles the painter (in the table that he painted of the sacrifice, and the death of Iphigenia) had (in the makyng of the sorowefull countenaunces of the noble menne of Grece that beheld it) spente oute so muche of hys craft and hys connyng, that when he came to make the countenaunce of kyng Agamemnon, her father whiche ye reserued for the laste, leste if he hadde made his visage before, he muste in some of the other after, eyther haue made the visage lesse dolorous than he could, and thereby haue forborne some parte of his praise, or doyng the vttermoste of hys crafte, myghte haue happed to make some other looke more heauely, for the pitie of her paine, than her owne father, which had bene yet a farre greater faulte in hys payntyng, when he came I saye to the makyng of hys face ther­fore laste of all, he coulde deuyse no maner of newe heauye cheare and countenaunce for her father, but [Page] that he had made there alreadye in some of the other, muche more heauye before, and therefore to thentent that no manne shoulde see what maner counte­naunce it was that her father had, the paynter was fayne to paint him, holding hys face in hys hande ker­cher, the like pagiaunt in a maner plaied vs there this good auncient honorable flatterer: for when he sawe that he coulde finde no woorde of prayse that woulde passe all that had been spoken beefore alreadye, the wylye foxe woulde speake neuer a woorde, but as he were rauished vnto heauen warde, with the wonder of the wysdome and eloquence that my Lordes grace had vttered in that Oracion, he fette a long sighe with an Oh from y ^e bottome of hys breste, & helde vp both hys handes, and lyfted vp hys head, and cast both hys yien vp into the welkin and wepte.

Forsoth Cosin he played hys parte very properlye, but was that great prelates Oracyon any thyng prayse worthy? for you can tell I see well, for you would not I wene playe as Iuuenal merely describeth the blynde Senatoure one of the flatterers of Ty­beryus themperoure, that among the remnaunte [...]o magnified the greate fyshe that themperoure hadde sente for them to shewe them, whiche thys blinde Senatoure, Montanus I trowe they called hym, mar­ueled of as muche as any that marueled moste: and many thynges he spake thereof, with some of hys woordes directed thereunto, lookyng hymself toward the lyfte syde, whyle the fyshe laye on hys ryghte syde, you woulde not I trowe Cosin haue taken vpon you to prayse it so, but if you had heard it.

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I heard it vncle in dede, and to say the trouth it was not to dispraise: howbeit surelye somewhat lesse prayse might haue serued it, by more a great deale than the half: but thys am I sure, had it been the worst that euer was made, the prayse had not been the lesse of one here. For they that vsed to prayse hym to hys face, neuer considered, howe muche the thing deserued, but how great a laude and prayse themselfe could geue his good grace.

Surely Cosin as Terence sayeth, suche folkes make men of fooles euen starke mad, and much cause haue theyr lordes to be righte angry with them.

God hath in dede, and is I wene, but as for their lordes vncle, if they would after waxe angrye with them therfore, they should in my mynde doe them very greate wrong, when it is one of the thynges that they specially kepe them for. For those that are of suche vaynglorious mynd (be they lordes or be they meaner men) can be much better content to haue their deuises commended then amended: and requier they their ser­uaunt and their frende neuer so specially to tell them the very trueth, yet shall he better please them if he speake them fayre, then if he tell them trueth. For they be in the case y ^t Martial is speaketh of, in an Epigrame vnto a frende of his that requireth his iudgemēt, how he liked his vea [...]sis, but he praied him in any wise to tel him euen the verye trueth: to whō Marcial made aun­swere in this wise. The very trueth of me thou dost re­quire, y ^e verye trueth is this my frende dere, y ^t the very trueth thou wouldest not gladly heare: & in good fayth vncle y ^e self same prelate y ^t I told you my [...]ale of [...] I dare be bolde to sweare it, (I know it so surely) had on a time made of hys owne drawyng, a certayne treatise, that [Page] shoulde serue for a leage betwene the countreye and a great Prince. In which treatise, himself thought that he had deuysed his articles so wysely, and indicted thē so wel, that al the world would allow them: wherupon longing sore to be praised, he called vnto him a frende of his, a man well learned, and of good woorship, and very well expert in those matters, as he that had been diuerse tymes embassadour for that countrey, and had made manye suche treatises hymselfe. When he toke him the treatise, and that he had read it, he asked hym howe he lyked it and sayd: But I pray you tell me the verye trouth, and that he spake so heartely, that the to­ther had went he would fayne haue heard the t [...]outh, and in trust therof he tolde him a fault therein. At the hearyng whereof, he sware in greate angre. By the masse thou art a very foole. The other afterward tolde me that he would neuer tell him trueth agayne.

Without question Cosyn, I cannot great­ly blame him, and thus themselfe make euerye manne mocke them, flatter thē & deceiue them. Those I say, that are of suche vayneglorious mind: For if they bee content to heare the trueth, let them than make muche of those that tell them trueth, and withdrawe theyr eare from them that falsely flatter them, and they shal be more truelye serued than with .xx. requestes pray­ing men to tell them trueth. Kyng Ladislaus, our lord assoyle his soule, vsed muche thys maner among his seruauntes, when any of them praysed any dede of his, or any condicion in him, if he perceiued that they sayde but trueth he woulde let it passe by vncontrolled. But when he sawe that they sette to a glose vpon it for hys prayse of their owne makyng besyde, then woulde he shortlye saye vnto them: I praye thee good fellowe, [Page] when thou sayest grace at my borde, neuer brynge in, Gloria patri, without a Sicut erat. Euery acte that euer I dyd, if thou reporte it agayne to mine honor with a Gloria patri. Neuer reporte it but with a Sicut era [...], that is to wete, euen as it was [...] and none other wyse: & lyfte me not vp with no lyes, for I loue it not. If men would vse this waie with them, that this noble king vsed, it woulde minishe muche of theyr false flatery. I can well alowe that mē shoulde commend (keping them within the bondes of truth) such thinges as they see prayse worthy in other men to geue them the greater courage to thencrease ther [...]f, for men kepe styll in that poynte one condicion of chyldren, that prayse mus [...]e prycke them forthe, but better it were to doe well, and looke for none.

Howbeit, they that can not finde in theyr hearte to cō ­mende an other mannes good dede, shewe them selfe eyther enuious, or els of nature very colde & dull. But out of questiō, he that putteth his pleasure in the prayse of the peo [...]le, hath but a fond fantasy. For if his fynger doe but ake of an hote blayne [...] a great mayny of mens mouthes blo [...]ing out his prayse, wil scantly doe hym among them al [...] halfe so much [...]ase, as to haue one litle boy [...] to blowe vpon his fynger.

¶The .xi. Chapter. ¶The litle commoditie that men haue o [...] [...]ovvme [...], offices and autor [...]tie, if they desyre them but for the [...]r vvorldly co [...]modi [...]ie.

LEt vs nowe consider in likewise, what greate worldly wealth aryseth vnto mē by great offi­ces, tow [...]s and autoritie to those worldly dis­posed people, I say that desyer [...] thē for no better pur­pose. For of them that desyer them for better, we shall speake after anon. The greate thyng that they chiefe like al therin [...] is [...]hat they may beare a rule, commaund [Page] and controlled other men, and liue vncōmaunded and vncontrolled themself [...]: & yet this commoditie toke I so litle hede of that I neuer was ware it was so great, till a good frēd of ours merely told me once, y ^t his wife once in a great angre taught it him. For whā her hus­band had no lust to growe greatly v [...]ward in y ^e world, nor neyther would labour for office of autoritie, & ouer y ^t forsoke a right worshipful rowme whē it was offe­red him, she fell in hand with him (he told me [...] & al to ra­t [...]d him, & asked him: what wil you doe? wi [...]l you sit still by the fyre & make goslynges in y ^e asshes with a sticks as children doe? would god I wer a man, & loke what I would doe: Why wife ꝙ her husband, what woulde you doe? what? by god goe foreward with y ^e best of thē For as my mother was wont to say, god haue mercy on her soule: It is better to rule thē to be ruled. And ther­fore by god I would not I warrant you be so foolish to be ruled, where I might rule. By my trueth wife, ꝙ her hus [...]and, in this I dare saye you say trueth. For I neuer foūd you willing to be ruled yet.

Wel vn­cle, I wote where you be wel inough. She is in dede a stoute maister woman: & in good fayth for ought y ^t I can see, euen that same womannish mind of hers, is y ^t greatest commoditie y ^t men reckon vpon, in [...]owmes & offices of autoritie.

By my trouth & me thinke­eth very fewe there are of them that attayn any great commoditie therein. For fyrste there is in euery kyng­dome, but one that can haue an office of suche autho­ritie that no manne may commaunde hym or controll hym. None officer can there stand in that case, but the Kynge hymselfe, whiche onelye vncont [...]olled or com­maunded, maye controlle and commaunde all.

Nowe of all the rem [...]aunt, eche is vnder hym: and [Page] yet beside him, almoste euery one is vnder moe com­maunders and controllers too than one: and some man that is in a great office, commaūdeth fewer thin­ges and lesse labour to many men that are vnder him, thā some one that is ouer him cōmaundeth him alone.

Yet it doth them good vncle, that men must make curtesy to them, and salute them with reuerēce, and stand bare headed b [...]fore them, or to some of them knele peraduenture too.

Wel Cosin, in some part they doe but playe at gl [...]ke, receiue reuerence, and to theyr cost paye ho­nor agayn therfore. For except, as I sayd, onely a king, the greatest in autoritie vnder hym, receyueth not so muche reuerence of no man, as accordyng to reason, himselfe doeth honour to him. Nor .xx. mennes curte­sies doe him not so muche pleasure, as hys owne once kneling doeth him payne, if his knee happe to be sore. And I wi [...]t once a greate o [...]ficer of the Kynges saye, (and in good fayth I wene he sayd but as he thought) that twentie men standing barehead before him, kept not his head halfe so warme, as to kepe on hys owne cappe. Nor he neuer toke so muche ease with theyr be­ing barehead before him, as he caught once griefe with a cough that came vpon hym, by standyng barehead long before the Kyng. But let it be that these commo­dities be somewhat suche as they be, yet than considre whither that any incommodities be so ioined therwith, that a manne were almost as good lacke both, as haue both. Goeth all thyng euermore as euerye one of them woulde haue it? that were as harde, as to please all the people at once with one weather, whyle in one howse, the husband woulde haue fayer weather for his corne, and his wyfe woulde haue rayne for her leekes. So [Page] while they that are in aucthoryte, be not al euermore of one minde. But sometime variance amonge them [...] eyther for the respecte of profyite or for contencion of rule or for mayntenaunce of matters, sūdry partes for theyr sundry friendes. It can not be that both the partes can haue theyr owne mynde, nor often are they content which see theyr conclusion quaile, but x. times they take the missing of theyr mynde more dyspleasauntly than other poore men doe. And thys goeth not onelye to men of meane authoritie, but vn­to the very greatest. The princes thēself can not haue you wote well al theyr wyll: for howe were it possible while eche of them almost would, if he myght, be lord ouer al the remnaunte? Than many men vnder theyr princes in authoritie, are in the case that prieuy malice and enuie many beare them in hearte falselye speake them fayre, and prayse them wyth their mouthes which when there happeth any greate fal vnto them, baule and barke and byte vpon them lyke dogges. Finally, the cost & charge, y ^e daunger & perill of warre, wherin theyr parte is more than a poore mannes is, syth the matter more dependeth vpō them, and many a poore plough man maye sitte styll by the fyre while they muste ryse and walke, and somtime theyr autho­ritie falleth by the chaunge of theyr maisters mynde, and of that see we dayly in one place or other ensam­ples such, & so many, that y ^e parable of y ^e Philosopher can lacke no testimony, which likened y ^• seruantes of greate princes vnto the coumptors, w ^t which men doe cast a coumpt. For like as the countor y ^• stādeth some­time for a farthing, is sodeynly set vp & standeth for a. M. poūde, & after as sone set down, efte sone beneath to stand for a farthing againe: So fareth it loe, some­time [Page] wyth those y ^t seeke the waye to rise & growe vp in au [...]thoritie, by y ^e fauour of greate princes, y ^t as they rise vp high, so fal they downe againe as lowe. Howe­beit, though a mā escape al such aduētures & abide in great authoritie til he dye [...] yet thā at y ^e leaste wise euery mā mu [...]t leaue it at y ^e last: & that whiche we cal at least, hath no very long time to it. Let a mā reckē his yeres y ^t are passed of hys age ere euer he can geat vp alofte: & let him whē he hath it firste in his fiste, recken howe longe he shal be like to lyue after, and I weene that th [...]n y ^e mo [...] parte shal haue litle cause to reioyce, they shal see the time likely to be so short, y ^t theyr honour & autoriti [...] by nature shal endure, beside the manifolde chaunces wherby they maye lese it more soone. And than when they see that they must nedes leaue it, the thing which they dyd much more set theyr heart vpō than euer they had reasonable cause, what sorowe [...]hey take therfore, that shal I not nede to tell you.

And thus it semeth vnto me Cosin, in good faith, that sith in the hauing y ^e profite is not great, & the displea­sures neyther small nor fewe, and of the lesing so many sundry chaūces, & y ^t by no meane a mā can kepe it longe, & that to parte there frō, is suche a paynefull gri [...]fe, I can see no very great cause, for which as an high worldly cōmoditie, men should greatly desier it.

The .xii. Chapter. ¶That these outvvard goode, desired but for vvordly vvelth be not onely litle good for the body, but [...]re alsō much harme for the soule.

ANd [...]hus farre haue we considered hither to [...] in these outward goodes that are called the giftes of fortune no farther but the slender commo­ditie that worldely minded men haue by them. But nowe if we consider farther what harme to the soule, [Page] they take by them y ^e desier thē, but onely for y ^e wretched welth of this worke: Thā shall we wel perceiue, howe farre more happy is he that wel leseth thē, than he that cuil findeth them. These thinges though they be such, as are of theyr owne nature indifferent, y ^t is to witte of them self, thinges neyther good nor badde, but are matter that maye serue to the tone or the tother, [...]fter as mē wyl vse them, yet nede we litle to doubte it, but that they that desier them but for theyr worldely plea­sure, & for no farther godly purpose, y ^e deui [...] shal soone turne them frō thinges indifferēt vnto thē and make them thinges verye nought. For though that they be indifferent of theyr nature, yet can not the vse of thē, lightly stand indifferent, but determinately muste ey­ther be good or badde. And therefore he y ^t desireth thē but for worldly pleasure, desyreth thē not for any good. And for better purpose thā he [...]esireth them, to better vse is he not likely to put thē, and therefore not vnto good, but consequentlye to nought. As for ensample first consider it in riches he [...]hat longeth for them, as for thynges of temporall commodytie and not for anye godlye purpose, what good they shall doe hym Saint Paule declareth where he writeth vnto Ti­mothe, Qui volunt diuites fieri, incidunt in temptacionē & in laqucum di [...]boli & des [...]deria mu [...]ta inutilia & noxia que [...]ergūt homines in interi [...]ū & penditio­nem. They that long to be rich fal into tēptaciō, and in­to the grinne of the deuil, and into many desiers vn­profitable and noyous, which droune men into death and into perdicion. And the holy scripture sayth al­so in the .xxi. Chapter of the Prouerbes. Qui [...]ongrega [...] thesauros inpingetur in laqueus mortis. He that gathereth trea­sures shalbe showued into y ^e grinnes of death, so that where as by the mouth of. S. Paule god saith y ^t they [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] shal fall into the deuils grinne, he sayth in the tother place, that they shall be pusshed or showued in by vio­lence, & of trouth whyle a man desireth riches, not for any good godlye purpose, but for onelye welth, it must nedes be that he shal haue litle cōscience in the geat­ting, but by all euil wayes than he can inuente shall laboure to geatte them, and than shall he eyther ni­gardly heape them vp together, which is you wote wel damnable, or wastfullye missespende them aboute worldly pompe pride and glotony, wyth occasion of many sinnes moe, and that is yet much more dam­nable. As for fame and glory, desyred but for worldly pleasure, doth vnto the soule inestimable harme.

For that setteth mennes heartes vpon highe deuyces and desiers of suche thynges as are immoderate and outragious, & by help of false flatterers puffe vp a mā in pride, & make a bryttel man lately made of earthe, & that shall agayne shortely be layde ful lowe in earth, & there lye and rotte [...] and turne againe into earth, take hym selfe in the meane tyme for a god here vpon the earth, and weene to wynne him selfe to be lorde of al y ^e earth. This maketh battelles betwene these greate princes, & with much trouble to much people & greate e [...]fusiō of bloud one Kinge to looke to raygne in fyue realmes y ^t can not well rule one. For howe many hath nowe thys great Turke, & yet aspireth to moe? And those y ^• he hath he ordereth euyl, & yet him selfe worse. Than offices & roumes of authory [...]ye (if men desier them onely for theyr worldly fātasies) who can looke y ^t euer they shal occupie thē wel, but abuse theyr autho­rytie & doe therby greate hurte. For than shal they fal frō indifferency, & maintaine false matters of theyr frēdes, beare vp theyr seruātes & such as depend vpō [Page] thē, w ^t bearing downe of other innocēt folke, & not so able to doe hurte, as easie to take harme. Thā y ^e lawes y ^t are made against malefactors, shall they make as an olde Philosopher saied, to be much like vnto cobbe­webbes, in whych the litle gnattes & flies stycke styl & hāg fast: but y ^e great hūble bees breake thē & flye quite thorowe, & then y ^e lawes y ^t are made as a buckler in y ^e defēce of Innocētes, those shal they make serue for a sword to cut, & so [...]e woūded thē with, & therwith woūd they theyr own soules sorer. And thus you se Cosin, y ^t of al these outeward goodes which mer [...]al y ^e goodes of fortune, there is neuer one y ^t vnto thē which longe therfore [...] not for any godly purpose, but onely for theyr worldly welth, hath anye great commoditie to y ^e body, & yet are they al in suche case besides y ^t, very deadly destrucciō vnto the soule.

¶The .xiii. Chapter. ¶ VVhither men desier these outvvard goodes for theyr onely vvorldly vvelthe, or for any good verteous purpose, this persecucion [...] of the Turke ag [...]inste the faith vvil declare and the cōforte that both tvvaine may rake in the lesyng them thu [...].

VErely good Uncle this thing is so plainly true, y ^t no mā may with any good reasō deny it. But I wee [...]e Uncle also, y ^t there wil no mā say nay. For I see no mā y ^t wil for very shame cōfesse that he desireth riches, honour & renowne, offices & roumes of authoritie, for his onely worldly pleasure. For euery mā would faine seme as holy as a horse. And therfore wil euery mā saye & would it were so beleued to, y ^t he desireth these thinges (though for his worldly welth a litle so) yet principally to merite therby thorowe doing some good dede therw ^t.

This is Cosin very sure so, y ^t so doth euery mā say, but first he y ^t in y ^e desier therof, hath his respect therin, vnto his worldly welth as you saye, but a litle so, so much as hym self weeneth [Page] were but a litle, may sone proue a great deale to muche: and many men wyll saye so to that haue in dede theyr principal respect vnto theyr worldely commoditie, and vnto godward therin, litle or nothing at al: & yet they pretend y ^• contrarye, and that vnto theyr owne harme, quia deu [...] n [...] irridetur, God can not be mocked. And some per­aduenture, knowe not well theyr owne affeccion thē selfe, but there lieth more imperfeccion, secrete in theyr affeccion, thā them selfe are wel ware of, which onely god behold [...]th, and therefore sayeth the Prophets vnto god. Imperfectum meum viderant oculi [...]ui. Myue imperfeccion haue thy yien beholdē. For which the prophete praieth: Ab occultis meis mund [...] me dom [...]ne [...] From my hid sinnes clense thou me good lord. But nowe cosin thys tribulacion of the Turke, if he so persecute vs for the fayth, y ^t those that wyll forsake theyr fayth shall kepe theyr goodes, and those shall lese theyr goodes that will not leaue theyr faith. This maner of persecucion loe, shal like a touch stone trye them, and showne the fayned from the true minded, and teache also them that weene they meane better than they doe in dede better to deserne thē selfe. For some [...] there are y ^• weene they meane wel while they frame thē felfe a conscyence & euer kepe stil a great heape of superfluous substaunce by them, thinking euer [...]il y ^t they will bethinke thē selfe vpon some good dede, wheron they will wel bestowe it once or els theyr executors shal. But if they lye not vnto thē self, but kepe theyr goodes for anye good purpose to y ^e pleasure of god in dede, thā shall they in this per­secucion for the pleasure of God, in the keping of hys faith, be glad for to depart fro thē. And therfore as for al those thinges y ^e losse I meane of al those outwarde thinges that men cal the giftes of fortune, this is me [Page] thinketh in this Turkes pers [...]cucion for y ^e faith, conso­lacion great & sufficient, y ^• sith euery mā that hath thē, either setteth by thē for the worlde or for God. He that setteth by thē for the worlde, hath as I haue shewed you litle profite by thē to the body, & great harme vn­to y ^• soule'. And therfore may wel (if he be wise) reckō that he winneth by the losse although he loste thē but by some commen chaunce. And much more happy thā while he leseth them by such a meritorious meane. And on the tother side, he that kepeth them for some good purpose entending to bestowe thē for the plea­sure of god, y ^e losse of thē in thys Turkes persecucion for keping of the fayth, can be no maner griefe vnto him, sith y ^t by his so parting frō thē, he bestoweth them in such wyse vnto gods pleasure, y ^t at that tyme whē he leseth thē by no way could he bestowe thē vnto hys high pleasure better. For though it hadde beene per­aduenture better to haue bestowed [...]hē wel before, yet sith he kepte thē for some good purpose, he woulde not haue lefte them vnbestowed [...] if he had foreknowē the chaunce: but being nowe preuēted so by persecucion the he can not bestowe them in that other good waye that he would, y [...]t while he parteth from them because he wyll not parte from the fayth though the deuils escheator violently take them from him, yet willingly he geueth them to God.

¶The .xiiii. Chapter. ¶An other cause for vvhich any man should be content to forgoe his goodes in the Turkes said persecucion.

I Can not in good faythe good Uncle saye naye to none of thys, and in dede vnto them that (by the Turkes ouer runninge [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] of y ^• countrey) were happed to be spoiled & robbed, & al theyr substaunce mouable & vnmouable, berefte & loste alreadye, theyr persones onely fled and safe: I thinke that these consideracions cōsidered therwith, that as you lately sayde, theyr sorowe coulde not a­mend theyr chaunce, I mighte vnto thē be good occa­sion of cōfort, & cause them as you sayde make a ver­tue of necessitie: but in the case Uncle that we nowe speake of, y ^• is to wete, where they haue yet theyr sub­staūce vntouched in theyr own hādes, & that y ^• keping or y ^e losing shal hang both in ther owne hādes by the Turkes offer vpō the retaining or y ^e renouncing of y ^e christē faith, here vncle I find it as you said y ^• this tēp­taciō is most sore & moste perilous. For I feare me y ^• we shal finde fewe of such as haue muche to lese, that shal find in theyr heartes so sodainely to forsake theyr goodes wyth all those other thynges afore rehearsed. wherupon all theyr worldely wealth dependeth.

That feare I much Cosin too, but therby shal it wel as I sayed appeare, y ^t semed they neuer so good & verteous before, & flattered they thē selfe w ^t neuer so gay a glose of good & gracious purpose y ^• they kept theyr goodes for, yet were theyr heartes inwardly in y ^• depe sighte of god, not sounde & sure, suche as they shoulde be, & as peraduenture some had thē self, went they had be but like a pursering of paris, holowe, light & counterfaite in dede. And yet they being such, thys would I faine aske one of thē & I pray, you Cosin take you hys persō vpon you, and in this case answere for him. What letteth, would I aske you (for we will take no smal mā for a sāple in this part, nor him y ^t had little to leese, for such one were me thinke so farre from al frame, that woulde cast awaye GOD for a lytle, that he were not worthye to talke wyth:) what letteth I [Page] saye therfore your Lordeshyp, that you be not gladlye content without any d [...]lib [...]ra [...]ion at all in this kind of persecucion, rather t [...]en to leaue your fayth, to let goe al that euer you haue at onc [...].

Syth [...]ou putte it vncle vnto me to make the matt [...]r more playne, that I shoulde play y ^e great mans parte that is so wealthye, and hath so muche to lose, al­beit I cannot be verye sure of an oth [...]r mans mynde, nor what another manne woulde saye, yet as farre as mine owne mynde can coniecture, I shal aunswere in hys person what I wene would be his lette. And [...]her­fore to your question I aunswere, that there letteth me the thing that your selfe may lightlye gesse, the losing of the manifold commodities which I now haue: Ryt­ches and substaunce, landes and greate possessions of enheritaunce, with great rule and autoritie here in my countrey: all whiche thinges the great Turke graun­teth me to kepe still in peace, and haue them enhaun­ced too, so that I will forsake the fayth of Christ: Yea, I may saye to you, I haue a mocion secretly made me far [...]her, to kepe all thys yet better cheape, y ^t is to wete, not be compelled vtterly to forsake Christe, nor all the whole christē fayth, but onely some such partes therof, as may not stand with Machomets law, & onely graū ­ting Machomet for a true prophet, & serning y ^e Turke truely in his warres againste all christen Kinges, I shal not be letted to prayse Christ also, and to cal him a good man, and worship him and serue him too.

Naye naye my lorde, Christe hath not so greate nede of your lordeship, as rather then to lese your ser­uice, he woulde fall at such couenauntes with you, to take your seruice at halfes to serue hym and hys ene­my both: he hath geuen you playn warnyng already [Page] by. S. Paul, that he will haue in your seruice no par­ting felowe. Que societas lucis ad tenebras [...] Christi ad Belial? what fe­lowship is there betwene lighte & da [...]kenes? betwene Christ & Belial? And he hath also plainlye shewed you himselfe by his own mouth: Nemo potest doubus domini [...] seru [...]re. No mā may serue two lordes at once. He wil haue you beleue al y ^t he telleth you, & doe al that he biddeth you, & [...]orbeare al that he forbiddeth you without any maner excepcion. Breake one of his cōmaundementes, and breake al. Forsake one poynt of his faith, & forsake all, as for any thanke you geat for y ^e remnaunt. And ther­fore if you deuise as it wer Indentures betwene god & you, what thing you wil doe for him, & what thing you will not doe, as though he should hold him contēt with such seruice of yours as your selflu [...]t to appoint him: If you make I say, suche Indentures, you shall seale both y ^e partes your selfe, & you geat therto no agremēt of him. And [...]his I saye: though y ^e Turke would make such an appointmēt with you as you speake of, & would when he had made it kepe it, whereas he woulde not I warraunt you leaue you so, whan he had once brought you so farre foorth, but woulde litle and litle after ere he left you, make you denie Christ altogether and take Machomette in his [...]lede. And so doth he in the begin­ning when he wil not haue beleue him to be God. For surely if he wer not god, he wer no good man nei­ther, while he plainly said he was god. But though he would neuer goe so farre furth with you, yet Chri [...]t wil (as I sayde) not take youre seruice to halfes, but will that you shal loue him with all your whole heart. And because that whyle he was liuyng here fiftene hun­dreth yere agoe [...] he for [...]sawe this mynd of youres that you haue nowe, with whiche you woulde fayne serue [Page] hym in some suche fashion as you myghte keepe youre [...]orldely substaunce still, but rather forsake his seruice [...]hen putte all youre substaunce from you: he telleth [...]u playne .xv hundreth yere agoe his owne mouthe, that he will no suche seruice of you, saying: Non pote [...]tis d [...]o seruire et Mammone. You cannot serue bothe God and your richesse together. And therefore this thing stablished for a playne conclusion, which you must nedes graunt if you haue faythe. And if you bee gone from that grounde of faythe alreadye: than is al your dysputaci­on you wotte well, at an ende. For whereto shoulde you than rather leese your goodes, then forsake youre faythe, if you haue lost youre fayth and lette it goe al­readye? This poynte I saye therefore, putte fyrst for a grounde betweene vs bothe twayne agrred, that you haue yet the faythe styll, and entende to keepe it alwaye styll in youre hearte, and are but in doubte whe [...]her you will leese all youre worldely substaunce, rather than forsake your faith in youre onely woorde. Nowe shall I replye to the poynte of your aunswere, wherin you tell me the lothnes of y ^e losse, and the com­fort of kepyng letteth you to forgoe them, and moueth you rather to forsake your fayth. I let passe all that I haue spoken of the smal commoditie of thē vnto your body, & of the great harme that the hauing of them doe to your soule. And sith the promise of the Turke, made vnto you for the kepynge of them, is the thinge that mou [...]h you and maketh you thus to doubte, I aske you first whereby you wotte, [...]hat when you haue done all that he will haue you dooe agaynste Chryste to the harme of your soule, whereby wote you I say, that he wyll keepe yo [...] his promyse in these thynges that he promyseth you, concernynge the retaynynge [Page] of your welbeloued worldly welth for the pleasure of your bodye.

What suretie can a man haue of suche a great Prince but his promise? whiche for his owne ho­nor it cannot become him to breake.

I haue knowen him, and his father before him, to breake moe promises than .v. as greate as this is y ^t he shoulde here make with you. Who shall come and cast it in his teeth, and tel hym it is a shame for him to be so fickle and so false of his promise? And then what careth he for those wordes that he wotteth wel he shal neuer heare? not very muche although they were told hym too. If you myghte come after and complayne your griefe vnto his own person your self, you should fynde hym as shamefast as a frende of myne a mar­chant, found once the Soudan of Syrry, to whome (being certayne yeres about his marchandise in that countrey) he gaue a great summe of money for a cer­taine office mete for him there for the while, whiche he scant had him graunted and put in his hande, but y ^• or euer it wer ought woorth vnto him, the Sowdan so­dainly sold it to another of his own secte, and put oure hungarien out. Thā came he to him & humbly put him in remembraunce of his graūt passed his own mouth, and signed with his own hand: whereunto the Sow­dan answered him with a grimme countenaunce. I wil thou wit it losell, y ^t nether my mouth nor my hand shal be master ouer me, to bind al my body at their plesure: but I wil so be lord and maister ouer them bothe, that whatsoeuer the one saie, or the other write, I wil be at my owne libertie, to do what me lust my self, and aske them both no leaue: wene you nowe my lorde y ^t Sow­dan & this Turke, being both of one false sect, you may [Page] not fynde them both, lyke false of their promyse.

That must I nedes ieoparde, for other sure­ [...]y can there none be had.

An vnwise ieoparding to put youre soule in perill of dānacion, for the kepyng of your bodely plea­sures, and yet without suerty therof must ieoparde thē too: but yet goe a litle farther loe, suppose me that ye mighte be very sure that the Turke would breake no promyse with you, are you than sure inough to retayne all your substaunce styll?

Ye than.

What if a man shoulde aske you how long?

Howe long? as long as I lyue.

Wel, let it be so thā: but yet as farre as I can see, though the great Turke fauour you neuer so much and let you kepe your goodes as long as euer you liue: yet if it hap that you bee at thys daye fiftie yere olde, all the fauour that he can shewe you, can not make you one day younger to morowe, but euery daye shall you waxe elder than other: and then within a whyle, must you for all hys fauour lese all.

Wel, a man would be glad for all that to be sure not to lacke whyle he lyueth.

Wel, thā if the greate Turke geue you your good, can there than in all your lyfe no other take them from you againe?

Uerely I suppose no.

Maye he not lese thys countreye agayne vnto chrysten mē, & you with the takyng of thys way, fal in y ^esame perel than that you would nowe eschewe?

Forsoth I thinke that if he geat it once, he wyl neuer lese it agayne in our dayes.

Yes by gods grace, but yet if he lese it after [Page] your dayes, there goeth your childrens enheritaunce awa [...] agayn. But be it now that he could neuer lese it [...] could none take your substaunce from you than?

No in good fayth none.

No? none at all? not god?

God? what? yes perdy, who doubteth of that?

Who? mary he y ^t doubteth whyther there be any god or no: and that there lacketh not some such, the Prophet testifieth where he sayth. Dixit insipiens in corde suo non est deus. The foole hath sayd in his hearte there is no god. With the mouth the most folish wil forbeare to say it vnto other folke, but in the heart they let not to saye it softely, to themselfe [...] and I feare me there be manye moe suche fooles than euery man would wene there were, and would not let to saye it openly to, if they for­bare it not more for dreade of shame of men, than for any feare of god. But now those that are so frantike foolishe, as to wene there were no god, and yet in their wordes confesse hym, though that (as. S. Paul sayeth: in their dedes they denie him. We shal let hym passe til it please god to shewe hym selfe vnto them, eyther in­wardly betyme, by his merciful grace, or els outwardly (but ouer late for them) by his terrible iudgement. But vnto you my lorde, syth you beleue and confesse (like as a wyse man should) that though the Turke kepe you promyse in letting you kepe your substaunce, because you doe hym pleasure in the forsakyng of your fayth: yet God (whose fayth you forsake, and therin dooe hym displeasure) [...]ay so take them from you [...] that the great Turke with all the power he hath [...] is not able to keepe you, thē why wil you be so vnwise with the losse of your soule to please the greate Turke for youre goodes, whyle you wote well that god whom you displease ther­with, [Page] may take them frō you too: besides this sith you beleue there is a god, you cannot but beleue therwith­that the great Turke cannot take your good from you without his wil or sufferaunce, nomore than the d [...]uill could fro Iob. And thinke you thā that if he wil suffre the Turke take away your good, albeit that by the ke­ping and confessing of his faith you please him: he will when you displease him by forsaking his fayth, suffre you of those goodes that you geat or kepe, therby to re­ioyse and enioy any benefite.

God is gracious, and though that mē offend him, yet he suffereth them many tymes to lyue in pro­speritie long after.

Long after? naye by my trouth my lord that doth he no man: for how can that be that he should suf­fre you lyue in prosperitie long after, when your whole life is but shorte in all together, and either almost halfe therof or more than halfe (you thynke your selfe I dare say) spent out already before? can you burne oute half a short candle, and than haue a long one left of the rem­naunt? there cannot in this world be a worse mind, thā that a man to delight and take comfort in any commo­ditie that he taketh by synnefull meane: for it is y ^e very straight way toward y ^e taking of boldnes and courage in sinne, and finally to fall into infidelitie and thinke, that god car [...]th not, nor regardeth not what thing mē do heare, nor what mind we be of: but vnto such minded folke speaketh holy scripture in this wise, Noli dicere pecca­ui, et nihil mihi accidit tr [...]te, patiens enim redditor est dominus. Saye not I haue sinned, & yet hath there happed me no harme: for god suffreth before he strike. But as. S. Austē saith: The longer y ^t he tarieth or he strike, the sorer is y ^• stroke whē he striketh: & therfore if yo [...] wil well do, rekē your [Page] selfe very sure, y ^t when you deadly displease god, for the geatting or y ^e keping of your goodes, god shal not suf­fer those goodes to doe you good, but either shal he take them shortly from you, or suffer you to kepe them for a litle whyle to your more harme: and after shal he whē you least loke therefore, take you away from them, and than what an heape of heauines wyl there enter into your heart, when you shall see y ^t you shal sodainly so go frō your goodes and leaue them here in y ^e earth in one place, and that your body shalbe put in the earth in an other place: and (which thā shalbe most heauines of al) when you shal feare (and not without great cause) that youre soule shall firste forthwith, and after that, at the fynal iudgement, your body to be driuē down depe to­warde the centry of y ^e earth into the fiery pitte & dō ­geon of the deuil of hell, there to tary in torment world without ende? What goodes of this world can any mā imagine wherof the pleasure and commoditie could be such in a thousande yeare, as were able to recompence that intollerable payn, y ^t there is to be suffered in one yeare, or in one day, or one howre either: yea & thē what a madnes is it, for that poore pleasure of youre worldly goodes of so few yeares, to cast your self both body and soule into y ^e euerlasting fier of hel, wherof there is not minished the moūtenaunce of a moment by the lying there the space of an hundreth thousande yeares. And therfore our sauiour in fewe wordes concluded & confu­ted al these folyes of them, that for the short vse of this worldly substaunce forsake him and his fayth, and sell their soules vnto the deuill for euer, where he sayeth: Quid prodest homini sivniuersum mundum lucretur, anime vero [...] sue detrimen­tum patiatur? what auaileth it a mā if he wanne all y ^e whole world, & lost hys soule? This were me thynketh cause & occasion inough, to him that had neuer so much part of [Page] this world in his hand, to be content rather to lese it al, than for the retaynyng or encreasyng of hys worldly goodes to leese and destroye hys soule.

This is good vncle in good fayth very true, and what other thing any of them (that would not for this bee contente) haue for to alledge in reason for the de­fence of their folye, that can I not ymagine, nor lust in this matter to play their parte no longre. But I pray God geue me the grace to playe the contrary parte in dede, and that I neuer for anye goodes or substaunce of this wretched world, forsake my fayth toward God, nether in heart [...]or tong, as I trust in his great good­nes I neuer shall.

¶The .xv. Chapter. ¶This kind of tribulacion trieth vvhat mind men haue to theyr goodes, vvhich they that are vvyse, vvil at the fame therof see vvel and vvisely layd vp safe before.

ME thinketh Cosin that this persecucion shal not onelye as I sayde beefore [...] trye mennes heartes when it cometh, & make them know their owne affeccions, whither they haue a corrupt gredy couetous mind or not: but also the very fame and expectacion therof may teache them this les­son ere euer the thing fall vpon them it selfe to theyr no little fruite, if they haue the witte and the grace to take it in tyme whyle they maye. For nowe maye they find sure places to lay their treasures in, so that al the Turkes armie shal neuer fynde it out.

Mary vncle that way they will I warrant you not forgeat, as neare as their wittes wil serue thē. But yet haue I knowen some that haue ere this, thought that they had hidde their money safe ynough, digging ful diepe in the grounde, and haue missed it yet when they came agayne, and haue founde it digged oute and [Page] caried away to theyr handes.

Naye, fro theyr handes I wene you woulde say: and it was no meruayle. For some suche haue I knowen too [...] but they haue hyd theyr goodes foolishly, in such place as they were well warned before that they shoulde not, and that were they warned by hym that they wel knewe for suche one, as wist wel inough what would come theron.

Than were they more than madde. But did he tell them too where they should haue hydde it to haue it sure?

Ye by S. Mary did he. For els had he told them but halfe a tale, but he tolde them a whole tale, byddyng them that they shoulde in no wise hyde theyr [...]reasure in the ground: & he shewed thē a good cause, for there theues vse to digge it out, and steale it away.

Why, where shoulde they hyde it than sayde he? For theues may happe to fynd it oute in any place.

Forsothe he counsayled them to hyde theyr trea­sure in heauen, and there laye it vp, for there it shal lye safe. For thither he sayde there can no thefe come tyll he haue left hys thefte and be waxen a true man fyrst. And he that gaue this counsayle, wiste what he sayde well yonough. For it was oure Sauioure hymselfe, whiche in the syxth Chapter of Saincte Mathewe, sayeth: Nolite thezaurizare v obis thezauros in terra v bi erugo et tinea demo­litur et v bi fures effodiunt et furantur. Thesaurizate vobis thesauros in celo, vbi ne que erugo neque tinea demolitur, et v bi fures non effodiunt nec furantur: vbi e­nim est thesaurus tuu [...], ibi est et cor tuum. Hoorde not vp for you treasures in earth where the [...]ust and the mothes fret it oute, and where theues dygge it oute and steale it away. But hoorde vp your treasures in heauen, where [...]eyther the ruste nor the mothe frette them oute, and [Page] where theues digge thē not out nor steale them away. For where as is thy treasure, there is thy hert too. If we would wel consider these wordes of our Sauiour Christ, we should as me thinke, nede no more coūsel at al, nor no more comfort neither, concerning the losse of our temporal substaunce in thys Turkes persecucion for y ^e fayth. For here our lord in these wordes teacheth vs where we may lay vp our substaunce safe before the persecucion come. If we putte it into the poore mens bosomes, there shall it lye safe. For who woulde goe searche a beggars bagge for moneye, if we deliuer it to the poore for Chrystes sake? we deliuer it vnto Christe himselfe: and than what persecutour can there bee so strong, as to take it out of hys hande.

These thinges are vncle vndoubtedly so true, that no man may with woordes wrestle therwith, but yet euer there hangeth in a mans heart a lothenes to lacke a liuing.

There doeth in dede, in theyrs that eyther ne­uer, or but seldom heare any good coūsel there against. And when they heare it, hearken it but as they would an ydle tale, rather for a pastime or for maner sake, thā for any substancial entēt or purpose, to folow good ad­uertisement, and take any frute therby. But verely, if we would not onely laye our eare, but also our hearte therto, & considre y ^t the saying of our sauiour Christe is not a Poetes fable, nor an harpers song, but the verye holy woord of almighty god himselfe, we would, & wel we might be full sore ashamed in our self, & ful sory to. when we felt in our affeccion those wordes to haue in our heart [...]s no more strength and wayght but that we remayn still of thesame dull mynde, as we did before we hearde them.

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[Page]This maner of ours in whose breastes the great good counsaile of God no better setleth nor taketh no better roote, may wel declare vs, that the thornes & the bry­ers and brambles of our worldly substaunce growe so thicke, & spring vp so high in the ground of our hertes, that they strangle as the gospell sayeth, the woorde of God that was sowen therein. And therfore is god ve­ry good lord vnto vs, when he causeth like a good hus­band man his folke to come afield, (for the persecutors be his folke to this purpose) and with their hookes & their stocking yrons, grubbe vp these wicked wedes & busshes of our earthly substance, & cary them quite a­waye from vs that the woorde of God sowen in oure heartes, may haue rowme therin, and a glad rounde a­boute for the warmesome of grace to come to it and make it growe. For surelye these woordes of our Sa­uiour shal we finde full true. Vbi thesaurus tuus, ibi est et cortuum Where as thy treasure is there is also thy heart. If we lay vp our treasure in earth, in earth shalbe our herts. Yf we send our treasure into heauen, in heauen shall we haue our hertes. And surely the greatest coumfort that any man maye haue in this tribulacion, is to haue his heart in heauē. If thy heart wer in dede out of this world, and in heauen, al the kyndes of tormente that al this world could deuise, could put thē to no pain here. Let vs thē send our hertes hēce thither, in such maner as we may by sending thither our worldly substaunce hence, please god. And let vs neuer doubte it, but we shal (that once done) finde our heartes so conuersant in heauen, with the glad consideraciō of our folowing the gracious counsayle of Chri [...]t, that the coumfort of his holy spirite inspired vs therfore, shal mitigate, mi­nishe asswage, & in a maner quenche the great furious [Page] feruour of the payn that we shal happe to haue by his louing sufferaunce for our farther merite in our tri­bulaciō. And therfore, like as if we saw that we should be within a while drieuen out of this land and fayn to flee into another, we would wene that man wer mad, whiche would not be content to forbeare his goodes here for the while, and sende them into that lande be­fore him, where he sawe that he shoulde liue al the rem­naunt of his life. So maye we verely thinke yet oure selfe muche more madde (seeyng that we be sure it can not be long ere we shalbe sent spyte of our teeth oute of this world) if the feare of a litle lacke, or the loue to see our goodes here about vs, and the lothnes to part from them for this litle while, which we may kepe thē here, shalbe able to let vs from that sure sendyng them before vs into the tother worlde, in which wee may be sure to liue wealthely with them, if we sende them thi­ther, or els shortly leaue them here behinde vs, and thā stād in great ieopardy, there to liue wretches for euer.

In good faythe vncle, me thinke y ^t concerning the losse of these outward thinges, these cōsideracions are so sufficiēt comfortes, y ^• for my own part saue one­ly grace well to remembre thē, I woulde me thinke de­syre no more.

¶The .xvi. Chapter. ¶Another comfort and courage agaynst the losse of vvorldly substaunce.

MUche lesse then this may serue Cosin, with cal­ling & trusting vpon gods helpe, without which muche more than this cannot serue. But the feruour of y ^e christen fayth so sore fainteth now adaies, and decayeth coming from hote vnto leuke warme, & from leuke warme almost to kaye cold, that men must nowe be fayne as at a fire that is almost out, to lay ma­ny drye stickes therto, and vse much blowing thereat [...] [Page] but els woulde I wene by my trouth, y ^• vnto a warme faithful man, one thing alone wherof we spake yet no word, wer comfort ynough in this kind of persecu [...]ion agaynste the losse of all goodes.

What thing may that be vncle?

In good fayth Cosin, euen the bare remēbraunce of the pouertie that our Sauior willingly suffered for vs. For I verely suppose, that if there wer a great king y ^t had so tēder loue to a seruāt of his y ^t he had, to helpe him out of daunger, forsaken & left of al his worldly welth & royaltie, & become poore & nedy for his sake: y ^e seruāt couldscant be found, y ^t wer of such an vnkind villayn corage, y ^t if himselfe came af­ter to some substance, would not w ^t better wil lese it al [...]gain, than shamefully to forsake such a maister. And therfore as I say, I doe verely suppose, y ^t if we woulde wel remēbre & in wardly considre y ^e great goodnes of our sauiour Christ toward vs, not yet being hys poore siuful seruantes, but rather his aduersaries & hys ene­mies. And what welth of thys worlde y ^t he willinglye forsoke for our sake, being in dede vniuersal king ther­of: & so hauing y ^e power in hys own hād [...] to haue vsed it if he had woulde, in stede whereof (to make vs ryche in heauē) he liued here in nedines & pouertie al his lyfe, & nether would haue autoritie, nor kepe netherlādes nor goodes. The depe cōsideracion & earne [...] aduisemēt of this one point alone, wer able to make ani kind christē man or womā wel contēt rather for his sake again to geue vp al y ^t euer god hath lent them:) & lent thē hath he al y ^t euer they haue) than vnkindly & vnfaithfully to forsake hym. And him they forsake, if y ^t for feare [...]hey forsake y ^e confession of his christen faith. And therfor [...] to finish this pece wi [...]hal concerning y ^• drede of lesing our outward worldly goodes, let vs consider y ^e sl [...]ndre cōmoditie y ^• they bring, w ^t what labor they be b [...]ught, [Page] how litle while they abyde, with whōsoeuer they be lō ­gest, what payn theyr pleasure is mingled withal, what harme y ^e loue of them doth vnto the soule, what losse is in y ^• keping, Christes fayth refused for thē: what win­ning in y ^e losse, if we lese thē for gods sake, how muche more profitable they be wel geuen, than euil kept. And finally, what vnkindnes it wer, if we would not rather forsake thē for Christes sake, thā vnfaythfully forsake Christ for them: which while he liued for our sake, for­soke al y ^e world, beside the suffring of shameful & pain­ful death, whereof we shall speake after. If we these thinges (I say, wil cōsider wel & wil pray god with his holy hand to print thē in our heartes, & wil abyde and dwel styll in y ^e hope of his helpe, hys trueth shal (as the prophete sayth) so cōpasse vs about with a pauice, y ^• we shall not nede to bee afrayd ab incursu et demonio meridiano. of this incursion of this midde day deuil, thys open plain persecucion of y ^e Turke [...] for any losse y ^t we can take by y ^e bereuing from vs of our wretched worldlye goodes, for whose shorte & smal pleasure in thys life forborne, we shalbe with heauenly sub [...]taun [...]e euerlastinglye re­compensed of God in ioyful blisse and glorye.

¶The .xvii. Chapter. Of bodely payn, and that a man hath not cause to take discōfort in persecucion, though he fele himselfe in an horror, at the thistking vpon the bodely payne.

FOrsoth vncle, as for these outward goodes you haue so far [...]orth saide, y ^t albeit no man cā be sure what strength he shal haue, or how faint & howe feble he may hap to find himself whē he shal come to y ^e point, & therfore I can make no warrātise of my selfe, seing y ^t S, Peter so sodainly fainted at a womās word, & so cowardly forsoke his maister for whom he had so boldl [...] fought w̄tin so few houres afore. And by y ^t fal in forsakīg, wel perceued y ^t h [...] had been rash in his promise [Page] and was wel woorthy to take a fall for puttyng so full trust in himselfe: yet in good fayth me thinketh nowe, (and God shall I trust helpe me too, kepe this thought stil) y ^t if the Turke should take al that I haue vnto mi very shyrt, except I forsake my fayth, & offre it me al a­gain with .v. times asmuch therto to fal into his secte, I would not once sticke thereat, rather to forsake it e­uery whit, thē of Christes holy faith to forsake any one poynt. But surely good vncle, whē I bethinke me far­ther on the griefe & the payne that may turne vnto my flesh: here fynd I y ^t feare y ^t forseth my heart to trēble.

Neither haue I cause to meruayle therof, nor you Cosin cause to be dismayde therefore. The great horror & feare that our Sauiour had in his own flesh agaynst his paynful passiō, maketh me litle to meruayl, & may wel make you take that comfort to, y ^t for no such maner of gendring felt in your sēsual partes, the flesh shrinketh at the meditacion of payne and death, youre reason shal geue ouer, but resist it and manlye maister it: and though you woulde fayne flee from the payne­ful death, and be loth to come thereto: yet may the me­ditacion of his great grieuous agony moue you, & him selfe shall, if you so desyre him, not fayle to worke with you therin, & geat and geue you the grace that you shal submit and conforme your will therin vnto his, as he did his vnto hys father, & shal therupon be so cōforted with the secret inward inspiracion of his holy sprite, as he was with the personal presence of y ^t Angell, that af­ter his agony came & comforted him, that you shall as his true disciple folow hym, and with good will with­out grudge, doe as he did, and take your crosse of pain & passion vpon your backe, and dye for the trueth with him & therby raigne with him crouned in eternal glory. [Page] And this I say to geue you warning of the thyng tha [...] is truth, to thentent whan a man feleth such an horror of death in his heart, he should not therby stand in out­ragious feare that he were fallyng, for many such men standeth for al that feare, full fast. And finally, better a­bydeth the brunte when god is so good vnto hym, as to bryng hym therto and encourage hym therin, thā doth some other, that in the beginning feleth no feare at al, and yet may it be, and most oftē so it is, for god hauing many mansions, and all wonderful welthfull in his fa­thers house, exalteth not eueri good mā vp to the glory of a martyr, but foreseing their infirmitie, that though they be of good wyll before, and peraduenture of right good courage to, would yet play. S. Peter, if they wer brought to the poynt, and therby bryng theyr soules in­to the perill of eternall damnacion. He prouideth other­wyse for them, before they come thereat, and eyther fin­deth away that men shal not haue the mynd to lay any handes vpon them, as he founde for his di [...]ciples, whē hymself was willingly takē, or that if they set hand on thē, they shal haue no power to holde thē, as he founde for. S. Iohn theuangelist, whiche lette his sheete fall from hym, whereupon they caught holde and so stedde hymselfe naked awaye, and scaped fro them or thoughe they hold him and bryng him to prison to, yet god some­tyme deliuereth them thence, as he did. S. Peter, and sometyme he taketh them to him, out of the pryson into heauen, and fuffereth them not to come to their tor­ment at all, as he hath done by many a good holy man. And some he suffereth to be brought into the tormente, and yet he suffereth them not to dye therin, but lyue many yeares after, and dye their natural death, as he did. S. Iohn theuangelist and by mani an other moe, [Page] as we maye well see bothe in sundrye stories, and in the Epistles of Saincte Ciprian also. And therefore whiche waie GOD wyll take with vs, we can not tell: but surelye if we be true Christian men, this can we wel tell, that withoute anye bolde warrantise of oure selfe, or foolishe truste in oure strength, we be bound vpon pain of damnacion, that we be not of the contrarye mynde. but that we wyll wyth hys helpe, (how lothe so euer we fele oure fleshe thereto) rather yet than forsake hym or hys fayth afore the worlde (whyche if we dooe, he hath promysed to forsake vs afore hys father, and all the holy coumpanye of heauen.) Rather I saye, than we would so dooe, we would with his helpe endure and sustayn for his sake all the tormentrye that the deuyll with all hys faithlesse tormentors in thys world, would deuyse. And then when we be of thys mynde, and sub­mytte oure wyll vnto hys, and call and praie for hys grace, we can tell well ynough that he will neuer suffre them to putte more vpon vs, than his grace wyll make vs all to beare, but wyll also wyth theyr temptacion prouyde vs for a sure waye, for Fidelis deus? (sayth Saynct Paule) Qui non patitur vos tentari supra id quod potestis, sed dat etiam cum temptatione prouentum. GOD is (sayth the Apostle, fayth­full, whiche suffereth you not to be tempted aboue that you maye beare, but geueth also with the tempta­cyon a waye oute. For eyther as I sayde, he will keepe vs oute of theyr handes (thoughe he beefore suffre vs to be feared wyth them to proue oure faith wythal, tha [...] we may haue by the examinaciō of our own mind, some coumforte in hope of hys grace, and some feare of oure owne frayltie to dryue vs to call for grace (or elles if we fall in theyr handes) so that we fall not fro the trust [Page] of hym nor cease to call for his helpe) hys trueth shal as the prophete saieth) so compasse vs about with a pauice [...] that we shall not neede to feare this incursion of thys midde daye deuyll. For eyther shall these Turkes hys tormentors, that shall entre this, and and persecute vs, eyther they shall I saye, not haue the power to touche oure bodies at all, or elles the shorte payne that they shall putte vnto oure bodyes, shall turne vs to e­ternall profite bothe in oure soules and in oure bodies too. And therefore Cosin, to beegynne with, lette vs be of good coumforte. For sythe we be by oure fayth verye sure, that holy Scripture is the woorde of god, and that the worde of god, can not be but verye true, and that we see that bothe by the mouthe of his holye Prophete, and by the mouthe of his blessed Apostle also, god hath made vs so faithfull promyse, bothe that he wyll not suffre vs to be tempted aboue oure power, but wyll bothe prouyde a waye out for vs, and that he wyll also rounde aboute so coumpasse vs with his pauice, and defende vs, that we shall haue no cause to feare this midde daye deuyl, with all his persecucion: we can not nowe but be verye sure (excepte we be verye shamefullye cowardous of hearte, and towarde god in fayth out of measure fainte and in loue lesse thā leuke warme, or waxen euen kaye colde) we maie be verie sure I saie, that either God shall not suf­fre the Turkes to inuade this lande, or if thei dooe god shal prouide suche resistence that thei shall not preuaile, or if thei do preuaile, yet if we take the wai that I haue tolde you) wee shall by theyr persecucyon take lytle harme or rather no harme at all, but that that shall seme harme, shall in dede bee to vs no harme at al, but [...]ood. [Page] for if god make vs & kepe vs good mē (as he hath pro­mised to doe if we pray therfore) thā saith holi scripture. Bonis omnia cooperantur in bonum. Unto good folke all thynges turne them to good: and therfore Cosin, syth that God knoweth what shall happe and not we, lette vs in the meane whyle with a good hope in the helpe of Goddes grace, haue a good purpose with vs of sure standing by his holy faith againste all persecucions, from which if we should (which our lord forbidde) hereafter either for feare or pain (for lacke of grace lost in our owne default) myssehappe to decline: yet had we both wonne the well spent time in thys good purpose before, to y ^e minishmēt of our payne, and were also much the more lykely that god shoulde lyft vs vp after oure fall, and geue vs his grace againe: howbeit, if this persecucion come, we be by this meditacion and well continued entente and purpose beefore, the better strengthed and comfirmed, and muche the more lykely for to stand in dede. And if it so fortune (as with gods grace at mēs good prayers and amendment of our euill lyues, it maye fortune ful well) that the Turkes shall eyther be well withs [...]anden and vanquished, or paraduenture not inuade vs at all: than shal we perdye by this good purpose geat our selfe of god a very good cheape thanke: and on the other side, while we now thinke theron (as not to thynke thereon, in so great lykelihode therof, I wene no wise man can. If we shoulde for the feare of worldly losse or bodelye paine, framed in oure owne mindes, thinke that we would geue ouer, and to saue our good and oure lyues forsake our Sauiour by deniall of hys fayth, than whi­ther the Turke come or come not, we be gone from god the whyle, and then if they come not in dede, or come & be driuen to f [...]yghte, what a shame should thys be to [Page] vs before y ^• face of god, in so shameful cowardous wyse to forsake hym for feare of that payne, that we neyther felt, nor neuer was falling towardes vs.

By my trouth vncle I thanke you, me thynke that though you neuer sayd more in the matter, yet haue you euen with this that you haue of the feare of bodelye payne in this persecucion, spoken here already meruei­lously comforted my heart.

I am glad Cosin, if your heart haue takē com­fort therby: but and if you so haue, geue god the thanke and not me, for that worke is his and not mine, For ney­ther am I able any good thynge to saye but by hym, nor al the good wordes in this world, no not y ^e holy wordes of god himself, and spokē also with his own holy mouth, can be able to profite the man with th [...] sound entring at his eare, but if the spirite of god therwith inwardely worke in his soule: but that is his goodnes euer ready to do, except the let be thorowe the vntowardnes of our owne frowarde wyl.

¶The .xviii. Chapter. Of comforte agaynst bodely payn, and fyrst agaynst captiuytie.

ANd therfore now being somwhat in comfort and courage before, wherby we may y ^e more quietly consider euery thyng which is some­what more hard and difficile to do, whan the heart is before taken vp and oppressed with y ^e troublous affeccion of heauy sorowful feare: lette vs examine the wayght and substaunce of these bodily paynes as the so­rest part of this persecucion whiche you rehearsed bee­fore, whiche were (if I remember you righte) thraldome, imprisonment, painful and shameful death. And first let vs as reason is, begynne with the thraldome, for that was, I remember the fyrst.

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I praye you good vncle say thā somewhat thereof, for me thinketh vncle y ^t captiuitie is a meruei­lous heauy thing, namely whā they shal, as they most cōmonly doe, cary vs farre from home, into a straūge vncoth lande.

I cannot saye naye, but that some grief it is Cosin in dede: but yet as vnto me not halfe so much as it would be [...] if they could cary me out into any such vnknowē countrey that god would not wete where nor finde the meane to come at me but in good faith Cosin, nowe if my transmigracion into a straunge countrey shoulde bee any greate griefe vn­to me, y ^e fault should be much in my self. For sith I am very sure that whithersoeuer men cōuay me, god is no more verely here, then he shalbe there, if I geat (as I may if I will) the grace to set my whole heart on him [...] and long for nothing but hym, it can than make no great matter to my mynd, whither they cary me hence or leaue me here. And thā if I find my mynd much offended therewith, that I am not stil here in my own countreye, I must considre that the cause of my griefe is myne owne wrong imaginacion, wherby I beguile my self with an vntrue perswasion, wening that this w [...]re myne owne countrey, wheras of trueth it is not so. For as S. Paul saith. Non habemus hic ciuitatem manentem sed futuram inquirimus we haue here no Citie nor dwelling con­trey at al. but we seke for one that we shal come to, and in what countrey so [...]uer we walke in thys world, we bee but as pilgrimes and waye faring men: and if I shoulde take any countrey for my own, it must, be that countrey to which I come, and not the countrey from whiche I [...]ame, that countrey that shallbee to me than for a whyle fo straunge, shall yet perdye bee no more straunge to me, nor lenger straunge to me neither, thā was mine own natiue countrey whē I came first into [Page] it. And therfore if y ^e point of my beyng farre from hence be very greuous to me, and that I finde it a greate payne, that I am not where I would be: that griefe shall greate parte growe for lacke of sure settyng and setlyng my mynde in god, where it shoulde be: which fault of myne when I mend, I shall soone ease my griefe. Nowe as for al other griefes and paynes that are in captiuitie, [...]hraldom and bondage, I cannot denye but many there are and greate, howbeit they seme yet somewhat (what saye I somewhat, I maye saye a greate deale) the more because we tooke oure former liber­ty for more a great deale than in dede it was. Let vs there­fore consydre the matter thus: captiuitie, bondage or thral­dome what is it but the violente restrainte of a man, beeing so subdued vnder the dominion, rule and power of an other, that he [...]ust dooe what the tother lust to commaunde him, and maye not at hys libertie dooe suche thynges as he lust hymselfe: nowe when we shall be caryed awaye with a Turke, and be fayne to bee occupied aboute suche thynges as he luste to sette vs here shal we lamente the losse of oure libertie, and thynke we beare an heauye burdayne of oure seruile condycion, and so to dooe I graunte well we shall haue many tymes greate occasyon, but yet shoulde we I suppose sette thereby somewhat the lesse, if we woulde re­membre well what libertie that was that we lost, and take it for no larger than it was in ded [...]: for we recken as though we myghte before doe what we woulde, but therin deceyue we oure selfe. For what free man is there so free [...] that can be suffered to doe what hym lust? In many thinges GOD hath res [...]rayned vs by hys hygh commaundemente so ma­ny, that of those thynges whiche els we woulde dooe, I wene it be more [...]hē the half. Howbeit, because (god forg [...]ue vs) we let so litle therfore, but doe what we lust, as thoughe we heard him not, we reckē oure libertie neuer y ^e lesse [...]or y ^•: [Page] But [...]han is oure libertie much restrayned by the lawes made by men, for the quiet and politique gouernaunce of the people. And these would I wene let oure libertie but a litle neither, were it not for feare of paynes that maye fal therupon. Loke than whither other men, y ^t haue auc­thoritie ouer vs, commaunde vs neuer no busines which we dare not but doe, and therfore do it ful oft, full sore a­gainst our willes. Of which thinges some seruice is some time so paineful and so perilous too, y ^• no lord can light­ly commaunde his bond man worse, nor seldome dooeth commaunde him half so sore. Let euerye free man that rekoneth his libertie to stand in doing what he lust, cōsy­dre wel the pointes, & I wene he shal thā find his liberty much lesse thā he toke it for before. And yet haue I lefte vntouched y ^e bondage, y ^• almost euery man is in, y ^• bosteth himself for free, y ^e bondage I meane of sin: which to be a very bondage, I shall haue our sauiour himselfe to beare me good record. For he saith: Qui facit peccatum seruus est peccati. He y ^t committeth sin is the thral, or the bondman of sin. And then if this be thus (as it must nedes so be sith god saith it is so) who is there thā, y ^t may make so muche boste of hys libertie, y ^t he should take it for so sore a thing & so strange to become through chaūce of warre, bōd vnto a mā while he is already, through sinne become willingly thrall and bonde vnto the deuil. Let vs loke wel how many thinges and of what vyle wretched sort the deuil driueth vs to do dayly through the rash braydes of our blinde affeccions, which we be for our fautful lacke of grace, fayne to folow, and are to feble to refraine, and than shal we finde in oure naturall fredome, our bonde seruice suche, that neuer was there any man lord of any so vile a villain, y ^t euer would for very shame commaunde hym so shamefull seruice. And let vs in the doyng of oure seruice to the man, that [Page] we be slaue, vnto, remēber what we wer wonte to doe about the same tyme of the daye while we were at our free lybertye before, & were well likelye if we were at liberty to doe the like againe: & we shall peraduenture perceiue that it were better for vs to doe this busines than that. Nowe shall we haue greate occasion of cō ­forte, if we considre that our seruitude (though in the coumpte of the worlde it seme to come by chaunce of warre) cōmeth yet in verye dede vnto vs, by the pro­uident hand of god [...] and that for our great good if we wyll take it well, both in remyssion of sinnes, & also matter of our merite. The greatest griefe, that is in bōdage or captiuitie, is this as I trowe, y ^t we be forced to doe such labour, as wyth our good wyll we woulde not. But then agaynst that griefe Senecke teacheth vs a good remedye. Semper da operam ne quid inuitus fatias. En­deuour thy selfe euer more y ^t thou doe nothing against thy wil. But that thing that we see, we shal nedes doe, let vs vse alway to put our good will thereto.

That is vncle sone said: but it is harde to doe.

Our froward mind maketh euery good thing hard, and that vnto our owne more hurte and harme. But in this case, if we will be good christen mē, we shal haue greate cause gladlye to be content for the greate comforte y ^t we may take thereby, while we remmbre y ^• in the pacient & glad doing of our seruice vnto y ^• mā for goddes sake according to his high cōmaundemēt by the mouth of. S. Paule. Seruiobedite dominis. We shall haue our thanke & our whole reward of god, finally if we remēber the greate hūble mekenes o [...] our sauiour Christ him selfe, y ^t he being very almightie god Humilia­uit seme [...]ip [...]um formam serui accipiens, Humbled him self & toke y ^e forme of a bond mā or a slaue, rather than hys father [Page] should forsake vs, we may thinke our selfe very vn­kind caitiues, & very frātique foles to, if rather thā en­dure this worldly bondage for a while, we would for­sake him y ^t hath by his own death, deliuered vs out of euerlasting bōdage of y ^e deuil, & will for our shorte bō ­dage geue vs euerlasting libertie.

Well fa [...]e you good vncle, this is very well said, albeit y ^• bōdage is a cōdiciō y ^t euery mā of any courage would be glad to es­chewe, & very loth to fal in, yet haue you wel made opē, y ^t it is a thinge neither so straunge nor so sore [...] as it be­fore semed vnto me, & specially farre frō such as anye mā y ^• any wit hath should for feare therof shrinke fro y ^e cōfession of his faith: & now therfore I pray you some­what speake of impriesonmēt.

¶The .xix. Chap. Of impryesonmen [...]e and comforte there agaynste.

THat shall I Cosin with good will: & fyrste if we [...]oulde considre what thing impriesonment is of his owne nature, we should not me thinketh haue so greate horror therof. For of it selfe it is perdie, but a restraynt of liberty, which letteth a mā frō going whither he would.

Yes by. S. Mary vncle, me thinketh it is much more sorowe than so. For beside y ^• [...]t & re [...]rainte of libertie, it hath many moe displey­sures & very sore griefes knitte & adioyned therunto.

That is Cosin very true in dede. And those paines, amōge many sorer thā those, thought I not af­ter to forgeat: howbeit [...] I purposed now to cōsider first impri [...]sonmēt, but as impriesonment onely w ^tout any other cōmoditie beside. For a mā maye be perdy impri­soned, & yet not set in y ^e stockes, nor colored fast by the necke, & a mā may be let walke at large where he will & yet a payre of f [...]tters fast riueted on his legges. For in this coūtry ye wote well & in Cicile & port [...]ngale to, so goe there all y ^e slaues. Howebeit, because y ^t for such [Page] thinges mennes ha [...]tes hath such horror therof, albeit that I am not so mad as to goe about, to proue y ^t bod [...]ly paine were no paine, yet syth y ^t because of these maner of paines, we so specially abhore the state & condicion of prisoners, we shoulde me thinke well perceiue that a great parte of our horror groweth of our owne fan­tasie if we would cal to mynde & consider the state and condicion of many other folke in whose state & condi­siō we would wishe our self to stand taking thē for no prisoners at al y ^• stand yet for al that in much part of y ^e self same pointes y ^t we abhorre imprisonment for. Let vs therfore cōsider these thinges in order. And first as I thought to beginne, because those other kindes of grieues y ^t come w ^t impriesonmēt are but accedentes therunto, & yet neither such kindes of accedētes as be eyther proper thereunto, but y ^t they may (almost al) fal vnto a mā w ^tout it, nor are not such accedentes ther­into [...] as are vnseperable therfro: but y ^t imprisonment may fal to a mā, and none of all the therw ^t. We wil I saye therfore begin w ^t y ^e cōsidering what maner paine or cōmoditie we should reckin impriesonment to be of him selfe & of his owne nature alone. And than in the course of our communicacion, you shal as you lust en­creace & aggreue y ^e cause of your horror w ^t y ^e terror of those painful accedentes.

I am sory y ^t I did en­terrupte your tale. For you were about I se wel to take an orderly way therin. And as yourself haue deuised, so I beseche you procede. For though I reckin imprie­sonmēt much y ^• sorer thing by sore & harde handling therin, yet reckē I not y ^e inpriesonment of it selfe any lesse thā a thing very tedious, al were it vsed in y ^e most fauorable maner y ^e i [...]possiple might. For vncle, if it wer a great prince y ^t were takē prisoner vpō y ^e fielde, & in y ^e hand of a christē king, which vse in such case (for [Page] the cōsideraciō of theyr former state (and the mutabl [...] chaūge of y ^e warre) to shewe much humanitie to thē, & in very fauorable wise entreate thē. For these infidele Emperours handle often times the princes that they take, more villanously, then they doe the poorest men, as the great Tamberlayne kepte the greate Turke whan he had taken him, to treade on his backe alwaye while he lepte on horse backe. But as I beganne to saye by the sample of a prince taken priesoner, were the impriesonmente neuer so fauorable, yet were it in my minde no litle griefe in it selfe for a man to be pinned vp, though not in a narowe chaumber, but although hys walke were right large, and right fayre gardens to therin, it coulde not but grieue hys hearte to be re­strained by an other man, wythin certaine limittes and boundes, and lese the libertie to be where him lust.

Thys is Cosin well considered of you. For in this you perceiue wel, that imprysonment is of hym selfe, and hys owne very nature alone, nothing els but y ^e retaining of a mannes persō w ^tin the circuite of a certaine space narrower or larger as shalbe lymi­ted to him, restraining his libertie frō the father going into any other place.

Uery wel said as me thin­keth.

Yet forgat I Cosin, to aske you one questiō

What is y ^t Uncle?

Thys loe, if there be two mē kepte in two seuerall chābers of one great castle, of which two chābers, y ^e tone is much more larger thā the tother: whither be the prisoners both or but y ^e tone, y ^t hath the lesse rowme to walke in?

What questiō is it vncle, but y ^t they be priesoners both as I said my selfe before, although y ^e tone lay fast loc­ked in slockes, & the tother had al the whole castel to walke in.

Me thinketh verely Cosin, y ^t you say y ^e truth, & thā if prisonmēt be such a thing as your self [Page] here agre it is, y ^• is to witte, but a lacke of libertie to goe whither we lust, now would I faine witte of you what any one mā you knowe y ^t is at this daye out of prison?

What one mā Uncle? Mary I knowe almost none other. For suerly [...] prisoner am I none acqainted w ^t y ^t I remēbre.

Thē I see wel you visete pore prisoners selde.

No by my trouth vncle, I crye god mercy, I send thē somtime my almose, but by my trouth, I loue not to come my self, where I should see such misery.

In good faith Cosi Uincēt, though I saye it before you [...] you haue many good condicions: but suerly though I say it before you, to y ^e cōdicion is none of thē: which cōdiciō if you would amende, than should you haue yet y ^e moe good cōdiciōs by one. And peraduēture by mo thā .iii. or foure. For I assure you, it is harde to tel howe much good to a mannes soule y ^e personal visiting of poore prisoners doth. But nowe sith you can name me none of them that are in priesō, I praye you name some one of al thē, y ^t you be, (as you saye) better acquainted w ^t, men I meane, y ^t are out of prison: for I knowe me thynke as fewe of thē as you knowe of y ^e tother.

That were vncle a straūge case, for euery mā is vncle out of priesō, y ^t may goe whi­ther he will, though he be y ^e pores [...] begger in y ^e towne. And in good faith vncle (because you reckē imprisō ­ment so smal a matter of it self) the poore begger y ^t is at his libertie & maye walke where he wil, is as me semeth in better case, then is a king kepte in prieson y ^t can not goe but where men geue hym leaue

Well Cosin, whether euery waye walking beggre be by this reason out of priesō or no, we shal cōsidre far­ther whē you wyl: but in y ^e meane while I can by thys reasō see no prince y ^t semeth to be out of prison. For if the lacke of libertie to goe where a mā wyll be imprie­sonment, [Page] as your selfe saye it is. Than is the great Turke by whom we so feare to be put in prisō, in prison already him selfe. For he may not goe where he wil, for and he mighte, he woulde into Portingale, Italie, Spaine, Fraūce, Almayne & Englād & as farre on an other quarter to: both preter Iohns land & y ^e graund Canis to. Nowe y ^e begger y ^t you speake of, if he be as you saye he is, by reason of hys libertye to goe where he will, in muche better case then a kinge, kepte in prieson because he can not goe but where mē geue h [...]m leaue: thā is y ^t begger in better case not onely then a prince in prieson, but also thē many a prince out of pri­son to. For I am sure there is many a begger y ^t maye w ^tout let, walke farther vpō other mennes grounde, thā many a prince at his best libertie maye walke vpō his owne. And as for walking out abrode vpon other mēnes, y ^t prince might happe to be sayd naye, & holden faste, where that begger with hys bagge and hys staffe would be suffered to goe forth & holde on his waye. But for as much Cosin, as neyther the begger nor y ^e prince is at free liberty to walke where they will, but that if they would walke in some place, neither of thē both should be suffered, but men would w ^tstand thē & say thē nay: Therfore if priesonmēt be (as you graūte it is) a lacke of liberty to go where we lust, I can not se but as I saye y ^e begger & the prince, whom you recken both at libertie, be by your own reasō restrayned in pri­son both.

Yea but vncle y ^e tone & the tother haue waye inough to walke: y ^e tone in his owne grounde, y ^e tother other mennes, or in y ^e common hye waye where they may walke till they be both wery of walking, ere any mā say thē nay.

So may Cosin y ^e king y ^t had as your self put y ^e case al y ^e wole castle to walke in, & yet [Page] you say not nay, but that he is prisoner for al y ^t, though not so straitly kept, yet as verely priesoner as he y ^t lieth in y ^e storkes [...]

But they may goe at y ^e least waies to eu [...]ry plac [...] y ^t they nede, or y ^t is cōmodious for them, & therfore they doe not will to goe but where they may goe [...] and therfore be they at libertie to goe where they will.

Me nedeth not Cosin to spende the time about y ^e inpugning euery parte of this answere for let­ting passe by, y ^t though a priesoner were w ^t his keper, brought into euery place where nede requiered: yet [...]ith he might not whē he woulde, goe where he would for his onely pleasure, he were you wote wel a prisoner stil. And letting passe ouer also this, y ^t it were to thys begger nede, & to this kinge cōmodious to goe into diuerse places, where neither of thē both maye come: And letting passe also that neyther of them bothe is lightly so tēperatly determined, but y ^t they both faine so would doe in dede, if this reason of youres put thē out of prisō, & sette thē at libertie, & make thē fre (as I wil wel graunt it doth if they so do in dede) y ^t is to wit, if they haue no wil to goe, but where they maye goe in dede. Thā let vs loke on our other prisoners, enclosed w ^tin a castle [...] & we shal finde y ^t the s [...]raites [...] kepte of thē both (if he get y ^e wisdome, & the [...]race to quiet his own mind, & holde him selfe content w ^t y ^t place, & long not (like a womā wy [...]h child for her lustes) to be gadding out any where els [...] is by y ^e same reasō of youres while hys will is not longing to be any where elles, he is I saye at his free liberty, to be where he will, and so is out of prieson to. And on the tother side [...] if though his wyll be not longing to be any where elles, yet be­cause that if is wyll so were, he shoulde not [...]o be suffered, he is therefore not at hys free libertye, but [Page] a prisoner styll: so sith your free begger that you speake of, and the prince that you cal out of prieson to, though they be (which I weene verye fewe be) by some special wysdome, so tēperately disposed, y ^t they haue not the will to be, but where they see they maye be suffered to be, yet sith y ^t if they would haue that wil, they could not thā be where they would, they lacke theffecte of free libertie & b [...] both twayne in prison to.

Well Uncle, if euery man vniuersally be by thys reason in priesō already after y ^e very property of imprisōmēt, yet to be imprisoned in this speciall maner, which maner is onely comonlye called imprisonmēt, is a thing of great horror & feare, both for the straytnes of the ke­ping, & the harde handling y ^t many mē haue therin, of al which griefes & paines, & displeasures in this other general imprisonmēt y ^t you peake of, we fele no thing at al, & therfore euery mā abhorreth the tone, & would be loth [...]o come into i [...]: & no mā abhorreth y ^e tother, for they fele no harme, nor find no faulte therin. Where­fore vncle in faith though I can not finde answeres cōuenient wherwyth to auoyde your argumētes, yet to be plaine w ^t you, & tell you y ^e very trouth, my mind findeth not it selfe satisfied in thys pointe. But euer me thinketh y ^• these thinges wherwith you rather cō ­uince & cōclude me, thā induce a credence & perswade me y ^t euery man is in prison already [...] be but sophistical fātasies. And y ^t (except those y ^t are comonly called pry­soners [...] other men are not in prieson at all.

Wel fare thy heart good Cosin Uincent. There was in good faith no word y ^t you spake since we talked of those matters, that halfe so well liked me as these that you speake nowe. For if you hadde assented in wordes, and in your minde departed vnperswaded, [Page] than if the thing be true that I saye, yet hadde you loste the frute. And if it be peraduenture false, and my self deceiued therin, thā whyle I should wene that it liked you to, you should haue confermed me in my foly. For in good fayth Cosin, suche an olde foole am I, that thys thyng, in the perswading wherof vnto you, I had went I had quit me wel, and when I haue al done, appeareth to your mind but a trif [...]e and a sophisticall fantasy, my self haue so many yeres takē for so very substauncyall trueth, that as yet my mynde cannot geue me to thynke it any other, wherefore lest I playe as the frenche prieste played that had so long vsed to say Dominus with the seconde sillable long, at the last he thought it must nedes be so, and was ashamed to saye it short, to thentent that you may the better perceiue me, or I the better my selfe, we shall here betwene vs a litle more considre the thyng, and hardely spet well on your handes and take good holde, and geue it not ouer agaynste youre owne mynde, for than were we neuer the nere.

Naye by my trueth vncle, that entended I not, nor no thyng did yet since we beganne, and that maye you wel perceiue by some thynges, which without any greate cause, saue for the farther satisfaccion of myne own mynd I repeted and debated agayne.

That guise Cosin holde on hardely styll, for in this matter I purpose to geue ouer mi part, except I make your selfe perceiue, both that euery mā vniuersally is a ve­ry prisoner in very prieson, plainly without ani sophisticaci­on at al, & that there is also no prince liuing vpon earth, but he is in worse case prisoner by this generall imprisonment that I speake of, than is many a lewde simple wretche, by y ^e speciall prisonment, that you speake of, and ouer thys that in this generall imprisonment that I speake of, mē are for the time that they be therin, so sore handled and so hardely, [Page] and in such painful wyse, that mens hertes haue with reasō great cause as sore to abhorre this hard handlyng that is in this imprisonmēt, as the other that is in that.

By my trueth vncle these thinges would I faine see wel proued.

Tel me thā Cosin by your trueth, if there were a mā attainted of treasō or of felony, & after iudgement geuen of his death, & y ^t it were determined that he should dye, onely the time of his exequcion delayed, tyl y ^e kinges farther plea­sure knowen, and he therupon deliuered vnto certayne ke­pers and put vp in a sure place, oute of whiche he could not scape, were thys man a prisoner or no?

This man ꝙ he? ye mary that he were in very dede, if euer any man were [...]

But nowe what if for the tyme that were meane betwene his attender and his exequcion, he were so fauou­rably handled that he were suffred to doe what he woulde, as he was whyle he was abrode, and to haue the vse of hys landes and hys goodes, and his wyfe and his children, ly­cence to be with hym, and his frendes leaue at liberty to re­sort vnto hym, and his seruauntes not forbodden to abide aboute him: & adde yet therunto, that the place were a great castell royall with parkes and other pleasures therin, a very great circuite about, yea adde yet and ye will, y ^t he were suf­fered to goe and ryde also, both when he would and whither he would, only this one pointe alway prouided and foresene, that he should euer be surely sene to and safely kepte from scaping, so that toke he neuer so muche of his own minde in the meane while all other waies saue scaping, yet he wel knew that scape he could not, and that when he were called for to exequciō, and to death he should, now Cosin vincent what woulde you cal this man [...] a prisoner, because he is kept for exequcion? or no prisoner beecause he is in the meane whyle so fauourably hādled, & suffered to doe al y ^t he would saue scape, and I bydde you not here be hastie in your aun­swere, [Page] but aduise it well, that you graunte no suche thyng in haste, as you would after misselike by laysor, and thinke your selfe deceyued.

Nay by my trueth vncle, this thing nedeth no s [...]u­dy in my mynde, but that for al this fauour shewed him, and all hys libertie lent hym yet being condemned to death, and beyng therfore kept, wi [...]h such sure watche layd vpon him y ^t he cannot scape, he is all that while, a verye playne prisoner styll.

In good fayth Cosin me thinketh you saye very true, but thē one thyng muste I yet desire you Cosin to tell me a litle farther. If there were an other laid in prisō for a fraye, and thorowe the Iailors displeasure were bolted and fettered, and layd in a low dongeon in the stockes, where he might hap to lie peraduenture a while, & abide in the meane season some pain, but no daunger of death at al, but that out again he should come wel inough: whither of these two prie­soners stode in worse case, he that hath all this fauour, or he that is thus hardely handeled?

By our lady vncle, I wene the most parte of men if they should nedes choose, had le [...]er be suche prisoners in euery poynt as he that so sorely lyeth in the stockes, then in euery poynt such as he that at suche libertie walketh aboute the pa [...]ke.

Considre thā Cosin whither this thing seme any sophestry to you, y ^t I shal shew you nowe. For it shalbe such as semeth in good fayth substauncially true to me, and if it so happe that you thinke otherwyse, I will bee very glad to perceiue whiche of vs both is beg [...]iled. For it semeth to me Cosin first that euery mā coming into thys world here vpon earth as he is created by God, so cometh he hither by the prouidence of god: is this any sophestrye first or not?

Naye verely, this is very substanciall trueth.

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Now take I this also for veri trueth in my mind, that there cometh no man nor woman hither into thearth, bu [...] y ^t e [...]e euer they come into the world, out of the mothers wombe, god condemneth them vnto death by his own sen­tence and iudgement, for the original sinne that they bring with them contracted in the corrupted stocke of our forefa­ther Adam: is this thinke you Cosin, verely true or not?

This is vncle very true in dede.

Thā semeth this true farther vnto me, y ^t god hath put euery man here vpō thearth, vnder so sure and vnder so safe kepyng, y ^t of al y ^e whole people lyuing in this wide world, there is nei­ther mā womā nor child, would they neuer so farre wander about and seke it, that possibly can fynde any way whereby thei may scape frō death: is this Cosin a fond imagined fā ­tasy, or is it very trueth in dede?

Naye this is no imaginacion vncle, but a thyng so clerely proued true, that no mā is so madde to say nay.

Than nede I no more Cosin, for than is al y ^t matter playn and open euident trueth, which I sayd I toke for trueth, which is more a litle yet now, then I tolde you before, when you toke my proofe yet but for a sophistical fantasy, & said y ^t for al my reasoning that euery mā is a prisoner, yet you thought, y ^t excepte those, whō the comē people cal prisoners, there is els no mā a very prisoner in dede, & now you graunt your selfe againe, for ve­ry substauncial trueth, y ^t euery mā is here (though he be the greatest king vpō earth) set here by y ^e ordinaūce of god here in a place (be it neuer so large) a place I saye yet (& you say [...] thesame) out of which no mā can scape but y ^t therin is euery mā put vnder sure & safe keping to be redely fet forth, when god calleth for him, & that thā he shal surely die, & is not thā Cosin by your own graunting before, euery mā a very pri­soner, whē he is put in a place to be kept, to be brought forth whē he would not, & himselfe wote not whither?

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Yes in good fayth vncle, I cannot but wel per­ceiue this to be so.

This were you wote wel true, although a man should be but takē by y ^e arme, & in faier maner lead out of this world vnto his iudge­mēt, but now while we wel know, y ^t there is no king so great, but y ^t al y ^e while he walketh here, walke he neuer so lose, ride he with neuer so strong an army for his de­fence, yet himselfe is very sure (though he seke in the meane season some other pastyme to put it oute of hys mind) yet is he very sure I say, y ^• scape he cannot, & ve­ry wel he knoweth, that he hath already sentence geuē vpon hym to dye, and that verely dye he shal, and that himselfe (though he hope vpon long respyte of his ex­ecucion) yet can he not tell how soone. And therefore, but if he be a foole, he can neuer be without feare, that eyther on the morow, or on the self same day, the grise­ly cruel hangman, death, whiche from his fyrst coming in hath euer houed aloofe, and looked toward him and euer lye in a wayte on hym, shal amydde among al his royaltie and al his mayn strength, neyther knele before hym, nor make him any reuerence, nor with anye good maner desyre him to come foorth, but rigorouslye and fiercely grype hym by the very brest, and make all hys bones rattle: and so by long and diuerse sore tormētes, stryke him starke dead in thys prieson, and then cause his bodye to bee cast into the grounde in a foule pytte, within some corner of the same, there to rotte and bee eaten with the wretched wormes of the earth, sending yet hys soule out farther vnto a more fearefull iudge­ment, whereof at hys temporall death, hys successe is vncertayne, and therefore thoughe by Goddes grace not out of good hope: yet for al that, in y ^e meane while in verye sore dreade and feare, and peraduenture in [Page] peryl vneuitable of eternal fyre too. Me thinketh ther­fore Cosin, that as I tolde you, thys kepyng of euery man in this wretched worlde for execucion of death, is a very playn imprisonment in dede, & y ^e as I say such y ^t y ^e greatest kyng is in this prisō, in much worse case in all hys wealth, then many a manne is by the other im­prysonmente, that is therein sore and hardelye hand­led. For where some of those lye not there attaynted nor condemned to deathe, the greatest manne of thys worlde, and the moste wealthye in this vnyuersall pryson is layde in to be kepte vndoubtedly for deathe.

But yet vncle in that case, is the tother pry­soner too: for he is as sure that he shall dye to perdye.

That is verye trueth Cosin in dede, and wel obiected too: but then must you consider, that he is not in daunger of death, by reason of that prisō, into which he is put, peraduenture but for a light fray: but his daū ­ger of death is by the other imprisonment, by which he is prisoner in y ^e great prisō of this whole earth, in which prisō al y ^e prīces therof be prisoners as wel as he, if a mā condēned to death wer put vp in a large prisō, & while his execuciō wer respited, he wer for fightyng with hys felowes put vp in a straight place: part of y ^e same he is in daūger o [...] death in y ^t straite prisō, but not by y ^e being in y ^t, for therin is he but for y ^e fray: but his deadlye im­prisonment was y ^e other (y ^e larger I say) into which he was put for death. So the prisoner y ^t you speake of, is beside y ^e narow prisō, a prisoner of y ^e brode world, & al the princes therof, therin prisoners with him. And by y ^e im­prisonment, both thei & he in like daunger of death, not by y ^e straite imprisonment, y ^t is commonly called impri­sonmēt, but by y ^t imprisonmēt which (because of y ^• large walke,) mē cal it libertie, and which prison you thought [Page] therfore but a fantasye sophisticall, to proue it any pri­son at al. But now may you me thinketh very playne­ly perceiue that this whole earth is not onely for all y ^e whole kynde of man a very playne prison in deede, but also that eueri man without excepcion euen those that are moste at theyr libertie therin and reckō themselfes great Lordes and possessioners of very greate pieces therof, and thereby waxe with wantonnes so forgeat­full of theyr owne state, that they weene they stande in great welthe, doe stande for al that in dede, by the rea­son of theyr imprisonmente in this large prison of the whole earth, in the selfe same condicion [...]hat other doe [...]tande, [...]hiche in the narow prisons, whiche onelye be called prisons, and whiche onelye be reputed prie­sons in the opinion of the common people stande in the most fearefull and in the most odious case, that is to wit, condemned already to death. And nowe Cosin, if this thing that I tel you, seme but a sophisticall fan­tasye to your mynde, I would be glad to knowe what moue [...]h you so to thinke. For in good fayth as I haue told you twise, I am no wyser but that I verely wene, that y ^• thing is [...]hus of very plain trueth in very dede.

¶The .xx. Chapter.

IN good faith vncle, as for thus farforth, I not onelye can make with anye reason, no resys­tence there agaynste, but also see very clerely that it can be none otherwyse but that euery manne is in thys worlde a verye prysoner, sythe wee bee all putte here into a sure holde to be kepte, tyll wee be putte to execucyon as folke alreadye condemned all to deathe. But yet Uncle that strayte kepynge, collerynge, boltynge, and stockynge, wyth lying in [Page] strawe or on the colde ground, (which maner of harde handling is vsed in these speciall priesonmentes that onely be commonlye called by that name) must nedes make that impriesonment which only among the peo­ple beareth that name, muche more odious and dreade­ful than y ^e general impriesonmēt wherwith we be eue­ry man vniuersally priesoned at large, walkyng where we wil roūd about y ^e wide world: In which brode prie­sō, out of those narrow priesons, there is with y ^e prieso­ners no such hard handlyng vsed.

I sayde, I trowe Cosyn, that I purposed to proue you farther yet, that in this generall prieson, the large prieson I meane of this whole world folke, be for the tyme that they be therin as sore handled and as hardly, and wrē ­ched and wrongen, and braked in suche paynful wyse, that our hertes (saue that we consider it not) haue with reason good and greate cause to grudge agaynst. And (as farreforth onely as pertayneth to the respecte of payne) as much horror to conceiue agaynst the harde handling that is in this prieson, as the tother that is in that

In dede vncle trueth it is that this you sayd you woulde proue.

Naye so muche saide I not Cosyn, but I sayde I woulde if I coulde, and if I could not, than woulde I therin geue ouer my parte. But y ^t trust I Cosyn, I shall not nede to doe, the thing semeth me so playn. For Cosyn, though the prince and Kynges haue bothe Aungelles and deuylles that are Gaylors ouer hym, yet the chiefe Gaylor ouer thys whole brode prieson the worlde, is (as I take it) God. And that I suppose you will graunt me too.

That will I not vncle denye.

If a man be Cosin cōmitted vnto prieson, for no cause but to bee kept, though there lye neuer so [Page] greate charge vppon hym, yet his keper if he bee good and honeste, is neyther so cruell that wou [...]de payne the manne of malyce, nor so couetyse that woulde put hym to payne to make hym seeke hys frendes, and to paye for a pennye worthe of ease. Elles if the place be suche that he be sure to kepe hym safe otherwyse, or y ^t he can geat suretye, for the recompence of more harme than he seeth he shoulde haue if he scaped: He wyl ne­uer handle him in any such harde fashion [...] as we most abhorre imprisonment for. But marye if the place be suche, as the keper can not otherwyse be sure, then is he compelled to kepe hym after the rate the straiter. And also if the prisoner be vnruly, and fall to fyghting with his felowes, or doe some other maner of shrewde turne, then vseth the keper to punish hym sundry wise, in some of such fashions as your selfe haue spoken of. So is it now Cosin, that god the chief Iailor as I say of thys brode pryeson the worlde, is neyther cruell nor coue [...]ise. And this pryeson is also so sure and so subtellye buylded, that albeit that it lyeth open vp­pon euerye syde wythoute anye walle in the worlde: yet wandre we neuer so farre aboute therein, the waye to geat oute at, shall we neuer fynde, so that he nedeth neyther to coller vs, nor to sto [...]ke vs, for anye feare of scapyng awaye. And therefore (excepte he see some other cause than oure onelye kepyng for death) he let­teth vs in the meane whyle (for as longe as he luste to respite vs) walke aboute in the pryeson, and dooe therein what we wyll: vsyng oure selfe in such wyse as he hath (by reason and reuelacyon from tyme to tyme tolde vs hys pleasure.) And hereof it com­meth, loe, that by reason of thys fauou [...]e for a tyme, [Page] wee waxe as I sayde so wanton, that we forgeat where wee be: wenyng that wee were Lordes at large, where as wee be in dede (if wee woulde well consyder it) euē sely poore wretches in prieson.

For of trueth our verye prieson, this earth is: and yet thereof we caute vs oute (partely by couenaūtes y ^• we make among vs, and part by fraud, & part by violence too) dyuers partes diuersly to oure selfe, and chaunge the name therof, from the odious name of prison, and call it oure owne lande or our liuelode. Upon our pry­son we buylde oure prison, we garnishe it with golde, and make it g [...]orious. In this pryson they bye and sel. In this prieson they brawle and chyde. In this pry­son they runne together and fight. In this they dyce. In this they carde. In this they pype and reuill. In thys they synge and daunce. And in this prieson ma­ny a man reputed right honest, letteth not for his plea­sure in y ^e darke prieuelye to playe y ^e knaue. And thus while god our kyng, and our chief Iaylor too, suffreth vs and letteth vs alone: we wene oure self at libertie, and we abhorre the state of those whom we call prye­soners, takyng our selues for no pryesoners at al. In whyche false perswasion of wealth, and forgeatfulnes of oure owne wretched s [...]ate (whiche is but a wande­ryng aboute for a while, in this prieson of this world, tyll we be brought vnto the execucyon of [...]eath) whyle wee forgeat with oure sollye bothe oure selfe and oure Gayle, and oure vnder Iaylours Aungels and deuils bothe. And oure chiefe Iailoure God too, GOD that forgeat [...]eth not vs, but seeth vs all the whyle well ynough, and beyng sore dyscontente to see so shreude rule kepte in the Iayle (:beesyde that he sendeth the hange manne deathe, to putte to execucyon, here and [Page] there: some tymes by y ^e thousādes at once) he handleth many of the remnaunte (whose execucion he forbea­reth yet vnto a farther tyme) euen as hardly, and [...]uni­sheth them as sore, in [...]hys common pryeson of the worlde, as there are anye handled in those specyal prye [...]ons, whyche for the hard handlyng, vsed you say therein, youre heart hath in such horror, and so sore ab­horreth.

The remnaunt wyl I not gayne saye. For me [...]hynke I see it so in dede, but that god oure chief Iay­lor in this worlde vseth any suche priesonlye fashyon of punishment, that poynt I must nedes denie. For I neither see hym laye anye man in the stockes or strike fetters on his legges, and so muche as shutte hym vp in a chaumber eyther.

Is he no minstrell Cosin, [...]hat playeth not on a harpe? maketh no manne no melodie, but he that playeth on a lute? He may be a minstrell and make me­lodye you wote well, wyth some other instrument, some straunge fashioned peraduenture that neuer was sene before.

God oure chyefe Iayl [...]ure, as hymselfe is inuysyble, so vseth he in hys punyshemente inuysyble instru­mentes: and therefore not of lyke fashyon [...] as the to­ther Iaylours dooe: but yet of lyke effect, and as pain­full in felyng as those. For he laye [...]h one of his prieso­ners with an hote f [...]uer, as euil at his ease, in a warme bedde as the tother Iaylour layeth hys vpon the cold grounde. He wryngeth hym by the browes with a my­greme he collereth them by the necke with a quynsy: bolteth them by the armes with a palsey, that they can not lyfte theyr handes to theyr heades: he manacleth [Page] theyr handes, with the goute in their fingers: he wrin­geth thē by the legges with a crampe in their shinnes [...] he byndeth them to the bedde borde, wyth the c [...]icke in the backe: and lyeth on there a longe and as vna­ble to ryfe [...] as though he laye by the fee [...]e fa [...]te in the stockes.

Some pryesoner of another Gayle, syngeth, daunceth in hys two fetters, and feareth not his feete for stum­blyng at a stone, whyle goddes priesoner that hath but hys one foote fettered with the goute, lyeth gronynge on a couche, and quaketh and cryeth oute, if he feare there woulde fall on his foote no more but a cushion. And therefore Cosin as I sayde, if we consider it wel, we shal fynd this general prieson of this whole earth [...] a place in whyche the pryesoners be as sore handled as thei be in y ^e other. And euen in the other some make as merye too, as there dooe some in this, that are ve­rye merye at large oute of that. And surelye, lyke as wee wene oure selfe oute of pryeson nowe: so if there were some folke borne and broughte vp in a prieson, that neuer came on the walle, or loked out of the dore, nor neuer heard of other worlde abrode, but [...]aue some for shrewde turnes done among them selfe, lo [...]ked vp in s [...]rayter rowme, and heard them [...]nelye called prye [...]oners that were so serued, and them selfe euer called free folke at large: the lyke opinion would they haue there of them selfe than, that we haue here of our selfe nowe. And when wee take oure selfe for other than pryesoners nowe, as verely be we deceiued now [...] as tho [...]e pri [...]soners shoulde there be than.

I can not Uncle in good fayth saye naye, but that you haue perfourmed al that you haue promi­sed: but yet sith that for al this there appeareth no more [Page] but that as they be priesoners, so be we too: and that as some of them be sore handled so be some of vs too: syth we wote well for all thys, that when wee come to those pryesons, we shall not fayle to be in a straiter pri­son then wee be nowe: and to haue a doore shutte vp­pon vs, where we haue none shutte on vs nowe: thys shall we be sure of at the leaste wyse, if there come no worse. And [...]hen may there come worse you wote well it commeth there so commonlye, wherefore for al thys, it is yet litle meruaile though mennes heartes grudge muche there against.

Surely Co [...]yn in thys you saye very well, howbeit somewhat had your woordes touched me the nearer, if I had sayde that imprisonment were no dys­pleasure at al. But the thyng that I say Cosin, for oure comforte therein is, that oure fantasye frameth vs a false opinion by whiche we deceiue our selfe, and take it for sorer then it is, and that do we by the reason that we take oure selfe before for more free than we be, and prisonmēt for a straunger thing to vs thē it is in dede. And thus farreforth as I said, haue I proued trueth in very dede: but now the incōmodities that you repeate agayne ( [...]hose I saye that are proper to themprisonmēt of theyr own nature, that is to wit, to haue lesse roum [...] to walke in, and to haue the dore [...]hutte vpon vs, these are me thynke so verye slender and slyghte, that in so g [...]eate a cause as to suffer for Goddes sake, wee myghte be sore ashamed, so muche as once to thynke vpon them.

Manye a good manne there is you wote well [...] whiche wythoute force at all or anye necessitye, wherefore he so [...] [...]houlde dooe, suffereth these two thynges wyl­linglye [Page] o [...] his owne choyse with muche other hardines more.

Holye Monckes I meane of the Cherterhouse order, suche as neuer passe theyr celles, but onelye to the Churche sette faste by theyr celles, and thence to theyr celles agayne, and Sayncte Brygettes ordre, and Sayncte Claryce muche lyke, and in a maner all close relygyouse houses, and yet Ancres and An [...]ressis moste specyall. All whose whole roume is lesse than a metelye large chamber: and yet are they there as well contente manye longe yeares together, as are other menne, and better too, that walke about the worlde.

And therefore you maye see wyth the lothenesse of lesse rowme and the doore shutte vppon vs, whyle so many folke are so well contente therewith, and wil for goddes loue lyue so to choose, is but horror enhaū ­ced of our own fantasie.

And in dede I wiste a woman once that came into a pryeson to vysite of her charitye a poore pryesoner there, whome she founde in a chaumber (to saye the trouthe) meetelye fayre, and at the leastwyse it was stronge ynoughe: but wyth the mattes of strawe the pryesoner hadde made it so warme, both vnder the foote, and rounde aboute the walles, that in these thynges for the kepynge of hys healthe, she was on hys beehalfe gladde and verye well coum­forted: but amonge manye other dyspleasures, that for hys sake she was sorye for: once she lamented muche in her mynde, that she shoulde haue the cham­ber doore shutte vppon hym by nyghte, made faste [Page] by the Tayloure, that shoulde shutte hym in: for by my trou [...]he quod she, if the doore shoulde be shutte v­pon me, I would weene it would stoppe vp my breath. At that worde of hers [...] the pryeson [...]r la [...]ghed in hys mynde, but he durste not laughe a loude, nor saye nothynge to her, for some what in dede he stoode in awe of her, and hadde hys fyndynge there muche parte of her Charytye, for almose, but he coulde not but laughe inwardelye, whyle he wyste well ynoughe that she vsed on the insyde to shutte euerye nyghte full surelye her owne chaumber to her, bo [...]he doore and wyndowes too, and vsed not to open them, of all the longe nyghte.

And what diff [...]rence then as to the stoppinge of the breathe, whyther they were shutte vp within or wyth­oute. And so surelye Cosin these two thinges that you speake of, are neyther nother of so greate weyghte, that in Christes cause oughte to moue a Chrystyan manne, and the tone of the twayne is so v [...]rye a chyldy she fantasye, that in a matter almoste of three Chyppes: but if it were in chaunce of fyre, neyther shoulde moue anye manne as muche as thynke thereof.

As for those other accidentes of hard handling therein, so madde am I not, to saye they bee no gryefe, but I saye that oure feare maye yma­gyne them, muche grea [...]er griefe than they be.

And I saye that suche as they bee, many a manne endureth them, yea, and manye a woman too, that after fare full well. And than woulde I wyt what determinacion we take, whyther for oure [Page] Sauiours sake to suffer some payne in oure bodyes (sythe he suffered in hys blessed bodye so greate paine for vs) or elles to geue hym warning and be at a point rather v [...]terlye to forsake hym, than suffer any payne at al. He that commeth in thys mynde vnto thys lat­ter poynte (from whyche kynde of vnkindenesse, God keepe euerye manne, coumforte he none needeth, for he wyll flye the neede: and counsayle I feare a­vayleth hym lytle, yf grace bee so farre gone from hym.

But on the tother syde, yf rather than forsake oure Sauyoure wee determyne oure selfe to suffer anye payne at all: I can not than see, that the feare of harde handlyng shoulde anye thynge [...]ycke wyth vs, and make vs so to shrynke, as wee rather woulde for­sake hys fayth, than to suffer for his sake so muche as impryesonmente, sythe the handlyng is neyther such in pryeson, but that many in many yeares, and ma­nye weomen to leue therewyth, and sustayne it, and afterwarde yet fare full well. And yet that it maye well fortune that beesyde the verye bare ympryeson­mente, there shall happen vs no harde handelynge at all, nor that same happelye but for a shorte whyle neyther, and yet be [...]yde al thys peraduenture not at all. And specyallye sythe whyche of all these wayes shall bee taken wyth vs, lyeth all in hys wyll: for whome we bee contente to take it, and whyche for that mynde of ours fauoureth vs, and wyll suffer no manne to putte more payne vnto vs, than he wel wot­teth we shall be wel able to beare. For he wyl geue the strength [...]here to hym selfe as you haue heard hys pro­myse alreadye by the mouthe of Saincte Paule. Fidelis [Page] deus qui non patiturvos tentari supra id quod potestis ferre fed dat etiam [...]um t [...] ­tacione prouentum. God is faythful, which suffereth you not to be tempted aboue that you maye beare, but geueth also with the temptacion a waye out. But nowe if we haue not lost our fayth already before we come to for­sake it for feare: we knowe very wel by our fayth [...] that by the forsaking of our faythe, we fall into the state to be cast into the prieson of hell, and that can we not tell how soone: but as it may be that God wil suffre vs to liue a while here vpon earth, so may it be that he will throwe vs into the dongeon beneath, before the tyme that the Turke shall once aske vs the question. And therefore if we feare impriesonmentes so sore, we bee muche more than madde, if we feare not most the more sore: for out of that prieson shall no man neuer geat. And in this other shall no man abyde but a whyle. In prieson was Ioseph, whyle his brethren were at large, and yet after were his brethren fayne to seeke vpon him for bread. In prieson was Daniel, and the wilde Lyons aboute hym: and yet euen there God kepte him harmelesse, and brought hym safe out agayne. If we thinke that he wil not doe the lykewyse for vs, let vs not doubte but he will doe for vs, eyther the lyke, or better. For better maye he dooe for vs, if he suffre vs there to dye. Sainct Iohn the Baptist was you wote well in prieson, whyle Herode and Herodias sate full mery at the feaste, and the daughter of Herodias dely­ted them with her daunsing, tyl with her daunsyng she daunsed of Sainct Iohns head. And nowe sitteth he with great feast in heauen at Gods boarde, while He­rode and Herodias full heauely sit in hel burning both twayne. And to make them sporte withal the deuil with the damosell daunse in the fyre afore thē. Finally Co­syn [Page] to finishe this piece with, oure Sauioure was him selfe taken prisoner for oure sake, and prisoner was he caryed, and prisoner was he kepte, and prisoner was he brought foorth before Annas. And prisoner from An­nas caryed vnto Caiphas. Than prisoner was he ca­ryed from Caiphas vnto Pilate: and prisoner was he sente from Pilate to kyng Herode: prisoner from He­rode vnto Pilate agayne. And so kepte as prisoner to the ende of his passion. The time of his imprisonment I graunt wel was not long, but as for hard handling (which our hertes most abhorre) he had asmuch in that short whyle as many mē amōg thē al in much longer time. And surely than, if we consider of what estate he was, and therewith that he was prisoner in suche wyse for our sake, we shall I trowe (but yf we be worse then wretched beastes (neuer so shamefully play the vnkind cowardes, as for feare of imprisonmente sinnefully to forsake hym, nor so foolishe neyther, as by forsakynge of hym, to geue hym the occasion againe to forsake vs, and wyth the auoydyng of an easyer prison, fall into a worse. And in stede of a prison that cānot kepe vs lōg, fal into that prison, oute of whiche we can neuer come, where the shorte prisonment would winne vs euerlas­ting libertie.

The .xxi. Chapter. The feare of shameful and paynefull death.

FOrsothe vncle (oure Lorde rewarde you therefore) yf wee feared not farther beeside ymprisonmente, that terryble dart of shame­full and paynefull deathe: as for ympryson­mente [Page] I woulde verelye trust, that remembring those thynges whiche I haue here heard of you, rather than I shoulde forsake the fayth of our Sauiour, I would wyth helpe of grace neuer shrynke thereat. But nowe are we come vncle with muche woorke at the laste, vn­to the laste and vttermoste poynte, of the dreade that maketh, incursum & demonium meridianum. This incursyon of thys mydde daye deuyll, thys open inuasyon of the Turke, and his persecucion agaynste the fayth, seme so terrible vnto mennes myndes, that althoughe the respecte of GOD vanquisheth all the remnaunte of the troubles that we haue hytherto perused as losse of goodes, landes and libertie, yet when we remember the terroure of shamefull and paynefull deathe, that poynte so sodaynelye putteth vs in obliuyon of all that shoulde be oure coumforte, that we fele (all me [...]ne I feare me for the moste parte) the feruouce of oure faith waxe so colde, and oure heartes so fainte, that wee fynde oure selfe at the poynte to fall euen there fro for feare.

To this I saye not naye Cosin, but that in dede in this poynte is y ^e sore pynche. And yet you se for al this, that euen thys poynt too, taketh encrease or mi­nishmēt of drede after the difference of the affeccions that are before fixed and rooted in the mynde so farre forth that you see some man set so muche by his world­lye substaunce, that he lesse feareth the losse of his life, than the losse of landes: yea some manne shall you see that abyde [...]h d [...]adlye tormente, and suche as some other hadde rather dye then endure, rather than he woulde brynge oute the moneye that he hathe hydde. And I doubte not but you haue hearde of manye by ryght antētiue stories, that (some for one cause, some for [Page] other) haue not letted wyllinglye to suffre deathe, di­uerse in diuerse kindes: and some both with dyspight­ful rebuke and painful tormente too. And therfore as I say, we may see that the affeccion of the mynde to­warde the encrease or decrease of the dreade, maketh muche of the matter. Now are the affeccions of mens myndes imprinted by diuerse meanes: One waye, by the bodely sences moued by suche thinges pleasant or dyspleasant, as are outwardly thorow sencible world­ly thinges offered and abiected vnto them. And thys maner of receyuyng the impressyon of affeccions, is common vnto menne and beastes. Another maner of receiuing affeccions, is by the meane of reason, which [...] both ordinately tempereth those affeccions, that the bodely .v. wittes imprint and also dysposeth a man ma­ny tymes to some spiritual vertues, very contrarye to those affeccions that are fleshly and sēsual. And those reasonable disposicions been affeccions spirituall and proper to the nature of man, and aboue the nature of beastes. Now as our gostly enemy the deuil enforceth hymselfe to make vs leane to the sensuall affeccions and beastly: so doth almightye God of hys goodnes by hys holye spirite inspire vs good mocions, with ayde and helpe of hys grace towarde the tother affeccions spirituall, and by soondrye meanes instructeth oure reason to leane vnto them, and not onelye to receyue them as engendred and planted in our soule, but also in suche wyse water them with wyse aduertisement of godly counsayle and continuall prayer, that they maye be habitually radycate, & surely take depe roote there­in, and after as the tone kynde of affeccion or the to­ther beareth the strength in our heart, so be we stron­ger or febler agaynst the terror of death in thys cause. [Page] And therefore will we Cosin, assaye to consider what thinges there are for which we haue cause in reason [...] to master that affeccion fearefull and sensuall [...] and thoughe we cannot cleane auoide it and put it away [...] yet in such wyse to bridle it at the leaste [...] that it [...]un [...] not out so farre, like [...]n head stronge horse [...] that spite of oure [...]eeth it carye vs out vnto the deuill. Lette vs therfore now consider and waie wel thys thyng, that we dreade [...]o sore, that is to witte, shamefull and painfull death.

¶The .xxii. Chapter. Of death considered by himselfe alone as a bare leauing of this lyfe onely.

ANd firste I perceyue well by these two thinges, that you ioyne vnto death, that is to witte, shameful and painful. You would esteme death so much the lesse if he should come alone without eyther shame or pain.

Without doubte vncle, a greate deale the lesse, but yet though he should come without thē [...]oth by hymselfe, whatsoeuer I would, I wete wel many a man would be for all that, very loth to dye.

That I beleue wel Cosin, and the more pitie it is, for that affeccion happeth in very fewe, but that eyther the cause is lacke of faith [...] lacke of hope, or fi­nally lacke of witte. They that beleue not the lyfe to come after thys, and wēne themselfe here in welth are loth to leaue this, for than they thynke they lese all, and therof cometh the manifold foolishe vnfaith­full wordes, which are [...] so rise in ouer many mennes mouthes this world we know and the other we know not, and that some say in sporte, and thinke [...] in earnest, the deuil is not so blacke as he is painted, and let him be as blacke as he wil, he is no blacker than a crowe, [Page] with many suche other foolishe fantasies of thesame sort: some that beleue wel inough, yet thorow the leude­nes of liuing fal out of good hope of saluaciō, and thā though they be loth to dye, I very litle meruayle how­beit some that purpose to mend, and would fayne haue some tyme left the lenger to bestowe some what bet­ter, maye peraduenture be loth to die also by & by: and that maner lothenesse (albeit a very good wyl gladlye to die, and to be with god) were in mi mind so thankful that it were wel able to purchase as ful remissiō both of sinne and pain, as peraduenture he were like, if he liued to purchase in many yeres penaunce, yet will I not say, but that suche kinde of lothenes to die, may be before god alowable. Some are there also, y ^t are loth to die, that are yet very glad to dye, and long for to be dead.

That were vncle a very straunge case

The case I feare me Cosin falleth not oftē, but yet sometyme it doeth, as where there is any man of that good minde that. S. Paul was, which for the longing that he had to be with god, woulde fayne haue been dead, but for the profit of other folke, was content to liue here in payn, & differre and forbeare for y ^e while his inestimable blisse in heauen. Cupio dissolui & esse cum chris­to bonum autem mihi manere propter vos but of all these kyndes of folkes Cosin, that are loth to dye, (except the first kind onely that lacketh fayth) there is I suppose none, but that except the feare of shame, or sharpe paine ioyned vnto death, shoulde be the let, woulde els for the bare respect of death alone, let to departe hence with good wil in this case of fayth, well witting by his fayth, that his death taken for y ^e fayth, shoulde clense him cleane of al his sinnes, and sende hym straight to heauen. And [Page] some of those, (namely the laste kynde) are suche, that shame and payn both ioyned vnto death, were vnlike­ly to make them loth death or feare death so sore, but that they woulde suffre death in thys case wi [...]h good wyll, sith they knowe well that the refusing of y ^e fayth for any cause in thys worlde (were the cause neuer so good in sighte) shoulde yet seuer them from god: wi [...]h whō (saue for other folkes profit) they so faine would be. And charitie can it not b [...] (for the profite of the whole worlde), deadly to displease him that made it. Some are there I saye also, that are loth to dye, for lacke of witte, whiche albeit that they bel [...]ue the worlde that is to come, and hope also to come thyther yet they loue so mu [...]he the wealth of thys worlde, and suche thynges as delight them therin, that they would fayne kepe them as long as euer they mighte, euen with tooth and nayle.

And when they maye be suffered in no wyse to kepe it no lenger [...] but that death taketh them [...]heref [...]o: than if it maye be no better, they will agree to be (as soone as they be hence) hawsed vp into heauen, and bee with GOD by and by. These folke & as verye nedyote fooles, as he that had kepte from hys chyldehodde a bagge full of chery s [...]ones, and cas [...]e suche a fantasye thereto, that he woulde not goe from it, for a bygger bagge fylled full of golde. These folkes fare Cosin [...] as Esope telle [...]h in a fable that the snayle did: for when Iupiter (whom the Poetes fayne for the greate God) inuited al the poore wormes of thea [...]th vnto a greate solemne feaste, that it pleased hym (I haue forgotten vpon what occasion) vpon a tyme to prepare for them, the snaile kept her at home, & woulde not come therat. [Page] And when Iupiter asked her after wher [...]ore she came not at his feast, where he sayd she shoulde haue bene welcome and haue faren well, and should haue seen a goodly palace, and been delighted with many goodly pleasures: she aunswered him, that she lo [...]ed no place so wel as her own house. With whiche aunswere I [...] ­piter waxed so angry, that he said, sith [...]he loueth her house so wel, she should neuer after goe from home, but shoulde alwaye beare her house vpon her backe wheresoeuer she wen [...]e. And so hath she done euer since as they saye, and at the leastwise I wote wel she doe [...]h so nowe, and hath done as long time as I can remembre.

Forsoth vncle I would wene the tale were not all fayned? For I thynke verely that so muche of your tale is true.

Esope meyn [...]e by that fained fable to touche [...]he foly of suche folke, as so set their fantasye vpon some [...]male simple pleasure, that they cannot fynde in their hear [...]es to forbeare it, neyther for the pleasure of a better man, nor for the gaining of a better thyng: by which their fond frowarde fashion, they sometime fal in great indignacion, and take thereby no litle harme. And surely such Christen folke, as by their foolishe a [...] ­fe [...]ciō, which they haue set like y ^• snaile vpō their own house here this earth cannot for y ^• lothenes of leuing that house find in their heart with their good wyll, to goe to y ^e great feast y ^t god prepareth in heauen, & of his goodnes so gentely calleth thē to. Be like I feare me (but if they mende that mind in tyme) to be serued as the snayle was, and yet much worse to, for they be like to haue their house here, y ^• earth, bounde fast vpō thei [...] ba [...]kes for euer, and not walke therewith where they [Page] will as the snaile [...]epeth about with hers, but lye fast bound in the middes with the foule fyer of hel about them: for into this foly they bryng themselfe by theyr own fault, as the dro [...]ken man bryngeth him selfe in­ [...]o dronkennesse wherby the euyll that he doth in hys dronkennesse is not forgeuen hym for hys foly, but to hys payne imputed to his faulte.

Sur [...]ly vncle this semeth not vnlikely, and by their faulte they fall to such foly in dede. And yet if this be foly in dede, there are than some folke fooles that wene them selfe right wyse.

That wene themselfe wyse? mary I neuer sawe foole yet [...] that thought himselfe other than wise. For as it is, one sparke of sobernes lefte in a dronken head, whē he perceyueth hymself dronke, and geatteth him fayre to bed: so if a foole perceyue himselfe a foole, that point is no foly but a litle sparke of wit. But now Cosin, as for those kynde of fooles, sith they be loth to dye for the loue that they beare to their worldly fanta­syes, whiche they shoulde by their death leaue b [...]hind them and forsake: thei that would for that cause rather forsake the faith than die, would ra [...]her forsake it than sel their worldly goodes, though there were offered thē no perel of death at al. And thā as touching those that are of that mind, we haue you wote well, sayd as much as your self thought sufficient this after none here be­fore.

Ue [...]ely that is vncle very true, & now haue you rehearsed as farre as I can remembre, al y ^e other kindes of them that would be lo [...]h to die for any other respect than the greuous qualities of shame and pain ioyned vnto death: and of all those kyndes excepte the kinde of infidelitie whom no comforte can helpe, but coūsayle onely to thatteining of faith, which faith must [Page] be to the receyuing of comforte presupposed and had ready before, as you shewed in the beginning of our communicaciō the first day that we talked of the mat­ter. But els I say, except that one kynd, there is none of the remnaunt of those that were before vntouched which were lykely to forsake theyr fayth, in this perse­cucion for the feare and dreade of [...]eath, saue for those greuous qualities (pain I meane and shame) that thei see well would come therewith. And therfore vncle I pray you geue vs some comforte against those twain. For in good faith, if death should come without them in such a case as this is, wherby the lesing of this life, we should fynde a farre better myne owne reason geueth [...]e: [...]hat saue for the other griefes going before, the [...]haunge, there would no man y ^t witte hath, any thing sticke at al.

Yes peraduenture sodaynly be­fore they gather their wittes vnto them and therwith well way the matter, but they Cosin that wyl considre the matter wel reason grounded vpō the foundaciō of fayth, shal shewe them very greate sub [...]tancial causes for which the dreade of those greuous qualities that they see shal come with death (shame I meane & paine also) shal not so sore abashe them as sinfully to dryue them therfro: for the proofe wherof let vs first begin at the considera [...]ion of the shame.

The .xxiii. Chapter. Of the shame that i [...] ioyned vvith the death in the persecucion for the fayth,

HOwe can any faythful wyse man d [...]eade that death so sore for any respect of shame, whā his reason & hys fayth together may shortly make hym p [...]c [...]ue, y ^t there is therin no pe [...]e of very shame [Page] at al. For how can that death be shameful that is glori­ous? or how can it be but glorious to dye for the fayth of Christ (if we dye both for the fayth and in the fayth ioyned with hope and charitie) while the Scripture [...]o playnely [...]ayeth: pre [...]iosa in conspectu domini mors sanctorū eiu [...] precious is in y ^e sight of god, the death of hys saintes [...] [...]ow if the death of his Saintes be glorious in y ^e sight of god, it can n [...]uer be sham [...]full in verye d [...]de, howe shamefull so euer it seme here in the sighte of men for here we maye see and be sure that not at the death of Saint Stephin onely (to whom it lyked him to shew himself with the heauen open ouer his head) but at the death also of euery man that so dieth for the faith, god with hys heauenly company, beholdeth his whole pas­sion & verely loketh on. Now if it so were Cosin, that you shoulde be brought thorowe the brode hie strete of a greate long Citie and that all a long the waye that you were goyng there w [...]re on the tone syde of y ^e way a rabble of ragged beggers, and mad men that woulde dispise you, & disprayse you with al y ^e shameful names that they could cal you, and al the villanous woordes that they could saye to you: and that there were than al a long the o [...]her syde of thesame strete, where you should come by a goodly company standyng in a fayre raunge a rowe, of wyse and worshipful folke, allowing you & cōmending you mo than .xv. times, as many as that rabble ragged beggars and rayling madde men are. Would you let your way by your wil, wening that you wente vnto your shame for the shamefull iestyng and rayling of those madde foolishe wretches, or holde on your way with a good chere and a glad heart [...] thyn­kyng youre selfe muche honoured by the laude and approbacion of that other honorable sort.

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Naye by my trueth vncle, there is no doubt, but I woulde muche regarde the commendacion of those commendable folke, and not regarde of a rishe y ^• rai­ling of all these ribauldes.

Than Cosin can there no mā that hath faith, accompte hymselfe shamed here by any maner death that he suffereth for the fayth of Christe, whyle howe vile and howe shamefull soeuer it seme in the syghte here of a fewe worldly wretches, it is alowed & appro­ued for very precious and honorable in the sighte of god, and all the glorious company of heauen, which as perfectly stande and behold it as these peuishe people doe, & are in nomber moe than an hundred to one: and of that hundred euery one an hundreth tymes more to be regarded and estemed than of the tother, and hun­dred suche whole rabbles. And now if a man would be so madde as for feare of y ^e rebuke that he should haue of such rebuke ful beastes, he would be ashamed to cō ­fesse the fayth of Chri [...]t, than with fleing from a sha­dowe of shame he should fall into a very shame and a deadly painfull shame in dede: for than hath our Sa­uiour made a sure promise that he wil shewe himselfe ashamed of that man before the father of heauen & al his holy angels, saying in y ^e .ix. Chapter of. S. Luke. Qui me erubuerit & meo sermones huncfilius homini [...] erubesset quum venerit i [...] maiestate sua & patris & sanctorum angelo [...]um. He that is ashamed of me and my wordes, of him shal the sonne of man be ashamed when he shall come in the maiestie of hym­selfe and of his father, and of the holy Aungels. And what maner a shamefull shame shall that be than, if a mannes chekes glowe some tyme for shame in thys worlde? they will fall on fyer for shame when Christe shall shewe hymselfe ashamed of them there, to suffer [Page] the thing for Christes faith that we worldly wretched fooles wene were villanie and shame, the blessed A­postles reckened for greate glory. For they when they were with dispite and shame scourged, and therupon cōmaunded to speake no more of the name of Christ, wente their waye fro the counsayle, ioyfull and glad that god had vouchesafed to doe them the worship to suffre shamefull dispite for the name of Iesu, and so proude were they of that shame, and vilanous payne put vnto them, that for all the forbidding of that great coūsaile assembled, thei ceased not eueri day to preache out the name of Iesu stil, not in the temple onely oute of which they were fet and whipped for thesame before, but also to double it with, went preachyng that name about from house to house to. I would, sith we regard so greatly thestimacion of worldly folkes, we woulde among many noughtie thinges that they vse, regarde also some such as are good: for it is a maner among thē in many places, y ^t some by handy crafte, some by mar­chandise, some by other kinde of liuyng [...] aryse & come forward in y ^e world, & cōmonly folke are inowe set forth to conuenient masters vnder whō they be brought vp and growe: but whensoeuer nowe they fynd a seruaūt suche as disdaineth to doe suche thynges as he that is his master did while he was seruaunte hymselfe, that seruaunt euery mā accompteth for a proude vnthrifte, neuer like to come to good proofe. Let vs so marke & consider this, and waye well therwithal, that oure ma­ster Christe, not the master onely, but the maker of all this whole worlde, was not so proude to disdayne for oure sakes the moste villanous and moste shamefull death after the worldly accompte that then was vsed [...] the worlde, and the moste dispightefull mockyng [Page] therwith ioyned to most greuous payn, as crownyng hym with sharpe thorne, that the bloud ranne downe about his face: than they gaue hym a rede in his hand for a septre and kneled downe to hym, and saluted hym lyke a king in scorne, and bet then the rede vpon the sharpe thornes about hys holy head, now saith our sa­uiour that the disciple or y ^e seruaunt is not aboue hys master, and therfore sith our master endured so many kyndes of paynfull shame [...] very proude beastes maye we w [...]ll thynke our selfe if we disdayne to doe as our master did. And wheras he thorow shame ascended in to glory, we would be so madde that we rather wil fall into euerlastyng shame, both before heauen and hell, than for feare of a short worldly shame to folowe him [...]nto euerlasting glory.

¶The .xxiiii. Chapter. Of paynful death to be suffred in the Turkes persecucion [...]or the fayth.

IN good fayth vncle as for the shame, ye shall nede to take no more payn, for I suppose sure­ly that any man that hath reason in his head shall holde hymselfe satisfied with this: but of trueth vncle, all the pinche is in the payn: For as for shame, I perceiue wel now a man maye with wisdom so master it, that it shall no thyng moue hym at all, so farre forth that it is almost in euery countrey become a comen prouerbe, that shame is as it is taken but by god vncle, all the wysdome in thys worlde can neuer [...]o master payne but that payne wyll be paynfull spite of all the witte in thys worlde.

Trouth is it Cosin that no man can with al [Page] the reason he hath in suche wyse chaunge the nature of pain, that in the hauing of payn, he fele it not, for but if it [...]e felt, it is perdy no payne, and that is the natural cause Cosin, for which a man may haue hys legge stri­ken of by the knee and greue him not, if his head be of but halfe an houre before: But reasō may make a rea­sonable man (though he would not bee so foolyshe as causeles to fall therin) yet vpon good causes, eyther of gayning some kindes of greate profyt, or auoydyng some kynde of great losse, or eschewing therby the suf­fring of farre great payn, not to shrynke therfro, and refuse it to his more hurt and harme, but for hys farre greater aduauntage & commoditie content and glad to sustai [...]e it, and this doeth reason alone in many ca­sis where it hath much lesse helpe to take hold of thē it hath in this matter of faith. For wel you wote, to take a sowre and a bitter pocion is great grief and displea­sure, and to be launced and to haue [...]he flesh cut is no litle payn: now whē such thinges shalbe ministred vn­to a childe, or to [...]ome childishe man either, they wil by theyr own willes rather let theyr sicknes or their sore growe on to theyr more griefe, til it be come incurable than abyde the payn of the curing in tyme, and that for faynt heart ioyned with lacke of discrecion. But a man that hath more wysdome though he would with­oute cause, no more abyde the [...]ayne wyllyngly than woulde the other, yet [...]ith reason sheweth hym what good he shall haue by the sufferyng and what harme by the refusing, this maketh him wel cōtent, and glad also to take it. Now thē if reasō alone, be sufficient to moue a mā to take pain for the gaining of some world­ly rest or pleasure, and for y ^e auoiding of another pain, thoughe perad [...]enture more, yet i [...]durable but for a [Page] short season. Why should not reason grounded vpon the sure foundacion of fayth, and holpen also forward with ayde of Goddes grace (as it is euer ready vn­doubtedly whē folke for a good mynde in Gods name cōmen together theron our Sauiour saying himself: Vbi sunt duo vel tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi & ego sum in medio-eorum [...] where there are two or three gathered together in my name there am I also euē in y ^e very middes of them:) why should not thā reasō I say, thus forthered w ^t faith & grace, be much more able to engendre in vs first such an affeccion, and after by long and depe meditacion thereof, so to cōtinue y ^t affecciō, y ^t it shall turne into an habitual fast & depe rooted purpose of paciēt suffering the painful death of thys body here in earth for y ^t gay­ning of euerlasting welthy life in heauē, and auoiding of euerlasting painfull death in hell.

By my trueth vncle, word [...]s can I none fynde y ^t should haue any reason with thē (fayth al way presupposed as you protested in the beginning for a groūde) wordes I say can I none find wherwith I might reasonably coun­terpleade this that you haue said here alreadi. But yet I remēber y ^t fable y ^e E [...]ope telleth of a great olde hart that had fled frō a litle bitche whiche had made sute af­ter hym, and chased hym [...]o long that she had lost him and as he hoped m [...]re thā half geuē him ouer, by occa­siō wherof hauing thā some time to talke & meting w ^t an other of his felowes, he fel in deliberaciō with him what were best for him to doe, whith [...]r to rūne on stil & fly farther frō her, or turne again & fight w ^t her: wher­unto the other hart aduised him to flye no farther, lest y ^t bitche might hap to find him agayn at such time as he should w ^t y ^e labour of hys farther flying be falen out of breath & therby al out of [...]rēgth to, & so shoulde he be killed lying where he coulde not stire him, where [Page] as if he would turne and fight, he were in [...]o [...]erell at al. For the mā with whom she hunteth, is more [...]hen a mile behind her, and she is but a litle body scant halfe so m [...]che as thou, and thy hornes may thruste her tho­rowe before she c [...]n touche thy fleshe, be [...]ore then .x [...] tymes her to the length: nowe but by my truth ꝙ the other harte [...] I like your coūsaile wel, & me thinke y ^t the thing is eu [...]n [...]othely suche as you say: but I feare me when I here once that [...]rchin bitche barke, I shal [...]al to my fe [...]te and forgeat altogether. But yet and you wil goe backe with me, thā me thinke, we shalbe strōg inough against that one bitche, betwene vs both, wher vnto the other hart agreed, & so they both appointed them thereupon. Here it must be knowen of some mā that can skill of hunting, whither that we mistake not [...]ure tearmes, for than are we vtterly shamed ye wote well, and I am so conning that I cannot tell whi­ther among them, a bitche be a bitche or no, bat as I remember she is no bitche, but [...] brach [...], this is an high pointe in a lowe house: beware of barkyng, for there lacketh an other hun [...]ing terme, at a foxe it is called crying, I wote not what they call it at an hart, but it shal make no matter of a farre. But euē as they were about to buske thē forwarde to it, the bitche had foūd the fote agayn, & on she came yerning towarde y ^e place, whom as soone as the hartes heard [...] they to goe both twayn a pace: and in good fayth vncle euen so I feare me [...] it woulde fare by my selfe and many other too, which though we thinke it reason that you saye, and in our myndes agree that we should doe as you say, yea & doe paraduenture thinke also that we would in dede doe as you saye: yet as soone as we should once he [...] these hell houndes, these Turkes come yelpyng and [Page] bauling vpon vs oure heartes shoulde soone fall as cleane from vs, as those other hartes flye from the houndes.

Cosin, in those dayes [...]hat Esope speaketh of, thoughe those hartes and other brute beastes mo, had (if he saye soth) the power to speake and talke, and in their talking, power to talke reason to: yet to folow reason, and rule themselfe thereby, thereto had they neuer geuē them the power. And in good faith Cosin, as for suche thynges as pertayne toward the conduc­ting of reasonable men to saluaciō, I thinke withoute helpe of grace, mēs reasoning shal doe litle more. But [...]han are we sure as I sayed afore, that as for grace, if we desier it, God is at suche reasonyng alwaye pre­sent, and very ready to geue it: and but if that men wil afterwarde willingly caste it awaye, he is euer styll as ready to kepe it, & from tyme to tyme glad to encrease it, and therefore byddeth vs oure Lorde by the mouth of the Prophete, that we shoulde not be lyke such bru­tyshe and vnreasonable beastes, as were those hartes and as are horses and mules. Nolite fieri sicut equus & mulus in quibus non est intellectus. Be not you like an horse & a mule that hath no vnderstanding: and therefore Cosin lette vs neuer dreade, but that if we wil apply our myndes to the gathering of comfort and courage against such persecuciōs and heare reason, and let it sinke into our hearte and cast it not out againe, nor euen there choke it vp and stifle it with pampering in and stuffing vp oure stomakes with a surfite of worldly vanities, god shall so well woorke there with [...] that we shall fynde great strength therein, and not in suche wyse haue all suche shamefull cowardous heartes, as to forsake our [Page] Sauioure and thereby lese oure owne saluacion, and runne into eternal fyre for feare of death, ioined ther­with, thoughe bitter and sharpe, yet shorte for all that and in a maner a momentary paine.

Euery man vncle naturally grudgeth at payne and is very loth to come to it.

That is very trueth, nor no man biddeth a­ny man to goe runne into it, but that if he be taken, & maye not flee, than we say that reason playnly telleth vs that we shoulde rather suffre and endure the lesse and the shorter here, than in hell the sorer and so farre the lenger to.

I heard vncle of late where suche a reason was made as you make me now, which reason semeth vndouted & vneuitable vnto me: yet heard I late as I say a man aunswere it thus: he sayd, that if a man in this persecucion should stand styll in the confession of hys fayth, and therby fal into paynfull tormentory, he might peraduenture hap for the sharpenes and bit­ternes of the payne to forsake oure Sauioure euen in the middes, and die there with hys sinne, & so be dam­ned for euer, wheras by the forsaking of the faith in the beginning by tyme, and for the tyme, and yet not but in woorde neyther keping it still neuer the lesse in his heart a manne may saue hymselfe from that paynful death, and after aske mercye and haue it, and lyue long, and doe many good dedes and be saued as. S. Peter was.

That mannes reason Cosin, is like a three foted stole so tottering on euerye side, that whoso sit thereon, maye soone take a foule fall: for these are the three feete of thys totteryng stole: fantasticall feare, false faith, false flatteryng hope.

[Page]First this is a fantastical feare, that the mā conceiue [...]h that it should be perilous to stande in the confession of the fayth at the beginning, leste he mighte afterwarde thorowe the bitternes of payne, fall to th [...] forsaking, and so dye there in the payne, therwith [...]ute of hande, and therby be vtterly damned, as though that if a mā by payne were ouercome, and so forsoke his fayth, god could not or would not, as well geue hym grace to re­pente agayne, and therupon geue him forgeuenes, as him that forsoke his fayth in the beginning, and dy [...] set so litle by hym that he woulde rather forsake hym, thā suffre for his sake, ani maner pain at al, as though the more payne that a man taketh for goddes sake, th [...] worse would god be to him. If this reason were not vnreasonable thā should our Sauiour not haue sai [...] as he dyd. Nolite timere eos qui corpus possunt occidere, & vlterius non ha­bent quod faciunt. Feare not thē y ^t may kil the bodi & after y ^t haue nothing y ^t they can doe farther: for he shoulde by this reason haue sayd, dreade & feare them that maye slaye the body for they maye by the tormente of paine­ful death (but if thou forsake me be times in the begin­ning and so saue thy life, and geat of me thy pardon and forgeuenesse after) make thee peraduenture for­sake me to late, and so be damned for euer. The secōd foote of this tottering stole [...] is a false faith, for it is but a fayned fayth for a man to saye to god secretely, that he beleueth hym, trusteth him, and loueth him, and thē openly where he shoulde to Gods honour tel the same tale and therby proue that he doth so: there to goddes dishonour as much (as in him is) doth he [...]atter gods enemies & doe them pleasure & worldly worship, with the forsaking of gods fayth before y ^e worlde, and is ei­ther faithles in his hert to [...] or els wo [...]teth wel y ^• he doth [Page] God this dispite, euen before his owne face: for (except he lacke faith) he can not but knowe that our Lorde is euery where presente: and while he so shamefullye forsake hym, full angrely looketh on. The third foote of this totteryng stoole, is false flattering hope. For [...]i [...]h the thing y ^t he doeth whē he forsaketh his faith for feare, is by the mouth of god (vpon y ^e paine of eternall death) forbodden, though y ^e goodnes of god forgeueth many folke y ^e faulte, yet to be the boulder in offending for the hope of forgeuing, is a verye false pestilente hope, wherewith a mā flattereth him selfe toward his owne destrucciō. He that in a sodaine brayde for feare, or other affecciō vnaduisedly falleth, & after in labou­ring to rise againe cōforteth thē self w ^t hope of gods gracious forgeuenes, walketh in y ^• ready waie toward his saluaciō. But he that with y ^e hope of goddes mercy to folowe dothe encourage him selfe to sinne & there­with offendeth god, first I haue no power to shut the hand of god fro geuing out his pardon where he luste, [...]or would if I could, but rather helpe to praye ther­fore. But yet I very sore feare y ^t such a mā may misse the grace to requier it in suche effectuall wise, as to haue it graunted: nor I can not sodainly nowe remē ­ber any sample or promise expressed in holy scripture, that the offender in suche a kind shall haue the grace offred in such wise to seke for pardō, that god hath (by his other promises of remission promised to the peni­tētes, bounde him self to graunt it. But this kinde of presumpcion vnder pretexte of ho [...]e, semeth rather to drawe nere on y ^e tone [...]ide, as dispaire doth on y ^e tother side, toward y ^e abhominable sinne of plasphemie against the holy ghost. Against which sinne concernig eyther thimpossibilitie or at the least, greate difficultie of for­geuenes, [Page] our Sauiour hath shewed hym selfe in the xii. Chapter of. S. Mathewe, and in y ^e thyrde of. S. Marke where he saith, that blasphemie against y ^e holy ghoste, shall neuer be forgeuen, neyther in this worlde nor in the worlde to come. And where the mā that you spake of, toke in his reasō a sample of Sainte Peter: which forsoke our sa [...]iour, and gate forgeuenes after. Let him cōsider againe on y ^e tother side, y ^t he forsooke him not vpō the boldenes of any suche sinfull truste, but was ouercome & vanquished vpō, a sodayne feare: & yet by the forsaking, S [...] Peter wanne but litle. For he did but delaye his trouble for a litle while you wote wel. For beside y ^t, he repented forthwith very sore, y ^t he so had doone, & wepte therefore by and by ful bitterly. He came forth at the whitsontyde ensewing, and con­fessed his maister againe, and sone after that he was imprisoned therfore, and not ceasing so, was therupō sore scourged for the confession of his faith, and yet after y ^e imprisoned againe a freshe, and being frō thēce deliuered, stinted not to preache on stil, vntyll y ^t after manyfold labours, trauailes and troubles, he was at Roome crucified, and with cruel torment, slayne. And in likewyse I weene I mighte in a maner well war­raunt that there shall no man (whych denieth our sauiour once, & after a [...]taineth remission) scape thorow that denying, one penny the better cheape, but that he shal ere he come in heauen, full suerly paye therefore.

He shal peraduēture worke it out afterward Uncle in the frutefull workes of penaunce, prayer & almose dede doone in true faith, & dewe charite, and attaine in such wise forgeuenes wel inoughe.

All his forgeuenes goeth Cosin you se wel but by perhappes: but as it maie be perhappes ye, so may it [Page] be perhappes naye. And where is he than? & you wote wel yet by no maner hap, he shall neuer hap finally to scape fro death, for feare of which he forsoke his faith.

No, but he maye dye hys naturall death, and scape that violent death, and than he saueth him selfe from much paine, and so winneth therwith much ease, for euermore a v [...]olent death is painefull.

Peraduenture he shal not auoide a violent death therby, for god is without doubt displeased, and can bring him shortly to a death as violent by some other way: howe be it, I see wel that you recken, that whoso dieth a natural death, dieth like a wanton euen al at his case. You make me remēbre a mā y ^t was once in a galley subtill wyth vs on the sea, which while the sea was sore wrought, & the waues rose very high, & he came neuer on the sea afore, & lay tossed hither and thither [...] y ^• pore soule groned sore, & for paine he thought he would very faine be dead, & euer he wished woulde god I were on land y ^t I might die in rest: the waues so troubled him there, w ^t tossing him vp & doune to & fro, y ^t he thought y ^• trouble letted him to dye, because the waues would not let him rest: but if he mighte geatte once to land he though he should thā dye there euē, at his ease.

Nay Uncle, this is no doubt but that death is to euery man painefull: but yet is not the na­turall death so painefull as the violent.

By my trouth Cosin me thinketh y ^t the death which men cal comonly natural, is a violent dea [...]h to euery mā whom it fetche [...]h hence by force agains [...] hys wil, & that is euery mā which when he dieth, is loth to die, & faine would yet lyue longer if he mighte. Howe be it, howe small the payne is in the naturall deathe Cosin, fayne woulde I wytte who hath tolde you. As [Page] farre as I can perceiue, those folk y ^e cōmonly depart of theyr natural death, haue euer one disease & sicknes or other, whereof if y ^• paine of y ^e whole weke or twaine in which they lie pining in thei [...] bedde, were gathered to­gether in so short a time, as a mā hath his paine y ^t dieth a violēt death: it would I wene make double y ^e paine y ^t it is, so y ^t he y ^• naturally dieth, ofter suffereth more paine than lesse, though he suffer it in a longer time. And thā would many a mā be more loth to suffer so lōg lingering in paine, thā with a sharper to be soner rid. And yet lieth many a mā moe daies thā one in welnere as great paine cōtinually, as is y ^e paine that with the violent death riddeth y ^• mā in lesse thā halfe an howre, except a mā would wene, y ^t where as y ^e paine is great, to haue a knife cutte his fleshe in the out side fro the skinne inward, y ^• paine would be much lesse, if y ^e knife might on the inside beginne, & cutte fr [...] y ^e middes out­ward. Some we heare in theyr death beddes cōplaine y ^t they thinke they feele sharpe knifes cut a two theyr heart stringes. And some crye out & thinke they feele within the braine panne, theyr head pricked euen ful of pinnes. And they that lye in a pleuresie thinke at euerye time that they coughe, they fele a sharpe sword swappe them to the hearte.

¶The .xxv. Chapter. The cōsideracion of the pain [...] of hell, in vvhich vve fall if vve forsake our sauiour [...] maye make vs set all the painefull death of thys vvorlde at right nought.

HOwebeit, what shoulde we nede to make anye such cōparisō betwene the natural death & the violent. For the matter y ^• we be in hand w ^t here, may put it [...]ut of doubt, that he whych for feare of the violent death, forsaketh the faith of Christ, putteth him self in y ^e perel to find his natural death more paineful, a thousande times. For his naturall death, hath hys [Page] euerlasting payne so sodeinly knyt vnto it, that there is not one moment of an houre betwene, but the ende of the tone is the beginning of the tother, that after shall neuer haue ende. And therfore was it not wyth­out greate cause that Christ gaue vs so good warning before, when he sayed as, S. Luke in the .xii. chapit [...]r reherseth. Dico [...]obis amicis meis ne terreamini ab iis qui occidunt corpus & post hac non habent amplius quod faciant, Ostendam autem vobis quem [...]imeatis, Timete eum qui postquam occiderit habet potestatem mittere in ge­ [...]ennam, Ita dico vobis hunc timete [...] I say to you y ^t are my frēdes, be not afrayd of them that kil the body, and which whē that is done are able to do no more. But I shal shewe you whom you shal feare: Feare hym that, which whē he hath killed, hath in his power farther to caste hym whom he killeth, into euerlasting fyre. So I saye to you, be af [...]ayd of him. God meaneth not here that we should nothing dreade at al any man y ^t can but kill y ^• body, but he meaneth y ^t we shoulde not in such wise dreade any such, y ^t we should for dreade of thē displease him y ^t can euerlastingly kil both body & soule w ^t a death euer dying, and y ^t shall yet neuer dye. And therfore he addeth and repeateth in the end againe [...] the feare that we should haue of him, & saith. Ita dico vobis hun [...] timete, so I saye to you, feare him. Oh good god Cosin, if a man would wel waygh these wordes & let thē sinke as they should do, doune depe into his heart, & often bethinke him self theron, it would, I doubt not be able inough [...]o make vs set at nought al y ^e great Turkes threates & esteme him not at a strawe, but wel cōtent to endure al the paine that al the world could put vpō vs (for so shorte while as all they were able to make vs dwell therin) rather than by the shrinking frō those paines (though neuer so sharpe, yet but short (to caste our self [Page] into the payne of hel, an hūdreth thousand times more intolerable, & wherof there shall neuer come an ende. A woful death is that death, in which folke shall euer­more be dying, & neuer can once be dead, wherof the scripture sayth. Vocabunt mortem & mors fugiet ab eis. They shal cal & crye for death & death shal flye from thē. O good lord, if one of thē were nowe put in y ^e choise of y ^e both, they would rather suffer the whole yere together the most terrible death that all the Turkes in Turkeye could deuise, thā y ^• death y ^t they lie in for y ^• space of half an howre. In howe wreched foly fall thā these faith­lesse or feble faithed folke, y ^t to auoide y ^e paine so farre the lesse and so short, fal in the stede therof into paine a thousand thousand times more horrible, & of which terrible tormēt, they be sure they shal neuer haue end. Thys matter Cosin lacketh as I beleue but eyther full faith or sufficient minding. For I thinke on my faith if we haue the grace verely to beleue it, and oftē to thinke wel theron, the feare of al the Turkes perse­cuciō (with al this midde day deuil were able to make them doe, in the forcing vs to forsake our faith) should neuer be able to turne vs.

By my trouth Uncle, I thinke it is as you say, for sure if we would, as oftē thinke on these paines of hel, as we be very loth to do & seke vs peuish pastimes of purpose to put suche heauy thynges oute of oure thought thys one pointe alone were able inough to make I thinke many a martyre.

☞The .xxvi. Chapter. ¶The consideracion of the Ioyes of heauen shoulde mak [...] vs for Christes sake abide and endure anye painefull death,

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FOrsoth Cosin, if we were such as we shoulde be, I would scant for very shame (in exhorta­cion to y ^e keping of Christes faith) speake of y ^e paines of hel. I would rather put vs in mind of the Ioyes of heauē, the pleasure wherof we should be more glad to geat, than we should be to flye & scape al the paines in hel. But surely god in y ^e thing wherin he may seme most rigorous, is merueilous mercifull to vs, & that is (which many mē would litle weene) in y ^t he prouided hell. For I suppose very surely Cosin [...] y ^• many a man & womā, of whom there sit some nowe, & moe shal hereafter sit ful gloriously crowned in heauē had they not fyrst been afraid of hel, would toward hea­uē neuer haue set foote forward. But yet vndoubted­ly were it so y ^t we could as well cōceiue in our heartes the m [...]rueilous Ioies of heauē, as we cōceiue y ^e feare­ful paines of hel (howbeit sufficiently we can cōceiue neyther nother, but if we coulde in oure imaginacion drawe as much toward y ^e perceiuing of the tother, we would not fayle to be farre more moued & stired to the suffering for Christes sake in this world, for y ^e wīning of those heauēly Ioies, thā for y ^e eschewing of al those infernall paines. But for as much, as y ^e fleshlye plea­sures be farre lesse pleasant, thā the fleshly paines are painful, therfore we fleshlye folke y ^t are so drowned in these fleshly pleasures, & in the desier therof, y ^t we can haue almost no maner sauor to taste in anye pleasure spiritual, haue no cause to meruaile, that our fleshlye affeccions be more abated and refrained by y ^e dreade & terror of hell than affeccions spiritual imprynted in vs, and pricked forwarde with the desier and ioyfull hope of heauen: howebeit if we woulde somewhat [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] set lesse by the filthy volupteous appetites of y ^e fleshe, and would by withdrawing from them, with [...]elpe of praier thorowe the grace of god drawe neuer to the se­crete inward pleasure of the spirite, we should by the little sipping that our heartes should haue here nowe & that sodaine tast thereof, haue such an estimacion of the incōparable & vncogitable Ioy, that we shal haue (if we wil) in heauen, by the very full draught thereof, wherof it is written Sa [...]abor quū app [...]uerit gloria tua [...] I shal be [...]aciate, satisfied or fulfilled, whan thy glory good lord shal appeare.) That is to witte, with the fruicion of the sight of goddes glorious maiestie face to face, that the desier. expectacion, & heauenly hope thereof, shall more encourage vs, & make vs strong to suffer & sustayne for the loue of god & saluacion of our soule, than euer we coulde be moued to suffer here worldly paine by the terrible dreade of all horrible paines that damned wretches haue in hell. Wherefore in y ^e meane time for lacke of such experimental taste as God geueth here somtime to some of his special seruantes, to thentent we may drawe toward y ^e spritual exercise to for which spiritual exercise, god with y ^e gifte, as with an ear [...]est peny of theyr whole reward after in heauen, comfor­teth thē here in earth. Let vs not so much w ^t looking to haue described what maner of Ioyes they shalbe, as w ^t hea [...]ing what our lord telleth vs in holi scripture, ho [...]e merueilous great they shalbe. Labour by praie [...] to conceiue in our heartes such a feru [...]nt longing for them, that we maye for attaining to thē vtterly set at nought al fleshly delite, al worldly pleasures, al earthly losses, al bodely tormentes and paine. Howebeit some thinges are there in scripture, expressed of the mane [...] of the pleasures & Ioyes, that we shal haue in heauen, [Page] as where, Fulgebunt iusti sicut sol, & qui [...]rudiunt ad iusticiam tanquam sci [...]t [...]lle in arundin eto discurrent. Righteous mē shal shine as the sunne, and shall runne aboute like sparckles of fire a­mong reedes.

Nowe tell some carnall minded man of this maner pleasure, & he shal take little pleasure therin, and saye he careth not to haue hys fleshe shine hye, nor lyke a sparke of fier to skippe about in the skie. Tel him that his bodi shalbe impassible, & neuer fele harme: [...]t if [...]e thinke thā therwith that he shal neuer be an hu [...]gred nor a thyrst, and shal therby forbeare al his pleasu [...]e of eating and drinking, and that he shal neuer haue luste to s [...]epe, & therby lese the pleasure that he was wonte to take in slogging, and that men & women shall there lyue together as Angels without any maner mynde or mocion vnto y ^e carnal acte of generacion. And y ^t he shal thereby not vse there hys olde filthy volupteous fashion, he will fay he is better at ease alreadye, and would not geue this worlde for that. For as [...] S. Paule saith. Animalis homo nō percipit e [...] quesunt spiritus d [...]i stultica enim est illi: but when the time shal come that these foule filthy pleasures shall be so taken from him, that it shal abhorre his hearte once to thinke on thē whereof eue­ry mā ha [...]h amonge a certaine shadowe of experience in the feruent grief of a sore paineful sickenes while the stomake can sca [...]te abide to loke vpon any meate. And as for y ^• actes of y ^• tother [...]oule filthi luste, is readie to vomite, if it happen him to thinke therō, whan men shal I saye after this life, fele that horrible abhomina­cion in theyr hearte, at the remembraunce of these volupteous pleasures: of which abhominaciō, sicknes hath been a shadowe, for which volupteous pleasures he would here be loth to chaunge wyth the Ioyes of [Page] heauen when he shall I saye after thys life haue hys fleshlye pleasures in abhominacion, and shal of those heauenly Ioyes which he sette here so litle by, haue there a glymering, though farre frō a perfecte sight. Oh good god, howe fayne will he than be, with howe good wyl and howe glad wil he than geue this whole worlde if it were his, to haue the feling of some litle parte of those Ioyes. And therfore let vs all that can conceiue nowe such delite in the consideracion of thē as we shoulde haue often in our yies by reading oftē, in our eares by hearing often, in our mouthes by re­hersing often, in our heartes, by meditacion and thin­king vpon those Ioyful wordes of holye scripture, by which we learne howe wonderfull houge and [...] greate those spi [...]itual heauenly Ioyes are, of whych our car­nal heartes hath so feble and so faynte a feling and our dull worldly wittes so little able to conceiue so much as a shadowe of y ^• right imaginacion, a shadowe I saye. For as for y ^• thing as it is that ca [...] not onely no fleshly carnall fantasie conceiue, but ouer that no spirituall gostlye person, peraduenture neyther that here is liuing stil in this worlde.

For sith the very substaunce essencial of al the celestial Ioyes standeth in blessed beholding of the glorious godhed face to face, there may no mā presume [...] or loke to attaine it in this life. For God hath so said him self: Non videbit me homo & viuet. There shall no man here liuing behold me. And therfore we may well knowe, that for the state of thys life, we be not onely shut from the f [...]uicion of the blisse of heauen, but also that the very best man liuing here vpō earth (the best man I meane being no more but a man) can not I weene attayne the right imaginacion therof, but those that are very [Page] verteo [...]s are yet in a maner as farre therfro, as the borne blinde man fro the right imaginaciō of colors. The wordes that Saynte Paule rehearseth of the prophet Esay prophecying of Christes incarnaciō, may proprely be verified of y ^• Ioyes of heauen, N [...] oculus vidit [...]ec a [...]ris a [...]diuit n [...]cin cor hominis ascendit que preparauit deus diligentibus se. For suerly for y ^• state of this world y ^• Ioyes of heauē are by mannes eares not audible, to mannes mouthe vnspeakable, to mannes eares not audible, to mānes hearte vncogitable, so farre forth excell they all that [...]uer mē haue hearde of, al that euer mē can speake of & al y ^• euer any mā can by natural possibilitie think on. And yet where the Ioyes of heauen being such prepa­red for euery saued soule, Our lorde saieth yet by the mouth of Sainte Ihon that he wyll geue his holye martyrs, that suffre for his sake, many a special kind of ioy: For he saith, Vincenti dabo edere de ligno vite. To him y ^t ouercommeth [...] I shall geue him to eate of the tree of life. And also he that ouercommeth, shal be clothed in white clothes, and I shall confesse his name before my father and before his Aungelles. And also sayth: feare none of those thinges [...] that you shal suffre. &c. But be faithful vnto the death, and I shall geue them the croune of life. He that ou [...]rcommeth shall not be hurte. Of y ^• second death, he saieth also. Vincenti da [...]o manna absconditum & da [...]o illi calculum candidū & in calculo nomen nouum scriptū quod nemo scit nisi qui accip [...]t: To him that ouercommeth wyl I geue manna secrete and hid. And I wyl geue him a white suffrage, and in hys suffrage a newe name written which no man knoweth but he y ^• receiueth it. They v [...]ed of olde in Greece (where as Saynte Ihō dyd wryte) to electe and choose men vnto honorable Rowmes, and euery mannes assent was called hys [Page] suffrages, which in some place was by the voyces, in some places by hādes & one kind of those suffrages was by certaine thynges that are in Latine called Calculi. because that in some places they vsed thereto round stones.

Nowe saieth our lord, y ^• vnto him which ouercōmeth, he will geue a white suffrage. For those that weare white, signified approuing, as the blacke signified re­prouing. And in these suffrages, did they vse to write the name of him to whom they gaue theyr voyce. And nowe saieth our lord, that to him y ^• ouercōmeth, he wil in the [...]uffrage geue him a newe name, which no mā knoweth but he that receiueth it. He saith also, he y ^• ouercommeth I wyll make him a piller in the temple of my God, and he shal goe no more out thereof. And I shall write vpon hym the name of my God, and the name of the Citie of my God, the newe H [...]erusalem which descendeth from heauen from my GOD, and I shal wryte vpon him also my newe name, if we would dy­late and were able to declare these special giftes, with yet other mo, specified in y ^e second and third Chapiter of y ^e Apocalips: There would it appeare howe farre these heauenly Ioyes shall surmounte aboue all the comforte y ^t euer came in the minde of any man liuing here vpō earth. The blessed Apostle Paule, y ^• suffered so many perelles, & so many passions, he y ^t saith of him selfe that he hath beene, In laboribus pluribu [...] in carceribus abūd [...]ncius in plagis su [...] m [...]dū [...] &c [...] In many laboures, in prisōs, of [...]er thā other. In stripes aboue measure. At pointe of death oftē times. Of y ^• Iewes had I fiue times [...]xl. stripes sa [...]e one. Thrise haue I been beatē w ^t roddes [...] once was I stoned. Thrise haue I been in shipwrake. A day and a night was I in y ^• depth of y ^e sea. In my [Page] Iourneies ofte haue I beene in perel of floodes. In perel of theues. In perilles by y ^• Iewes, In perilles by the Painims. In perilles in the Citie, In perilles in deserte. In perilles in the sea. In perilles by false brethren. In laboure and misery. In many nightes watch. In hunger & thyrst. In many fastinges in cold and nakednes, beside those thinges y ^t are outward, my dayly instant labour, I meane my care, & sollicitude a­bout all the churches: & yet sayth he more of his trybu­lacions, which for lengthe I let passe. This blessed A­postle I saye, for all these trybulacions y ^t him selfe suf­fred in the cōtinuance of so many yeres, calleth yet all [...]he tribulacions of thys worlde, but light and shorte, as a moment in respecte of the weighty glory y ^t it after this worlde winneth vs. Id enim quod in presenti est momentaneū, & le [...]e tribulacionis nostre supra modum in sublimitate eternū glorie pondus operatur in nobis nō contemplantibus nobis que videntur, [...]ed que non [...]identur. Que enim videntur te [...]poralia suit, que autem non videntur eterna sunt. This same short & momētary tribulaciō of ours y ^• is in this present time, worketh within vs the weyght of glorye aboue measure in sublimitie, on highe we beholding not those thinges y ^t we see, but those thinges y ^t we see not. For those thinges y ^t we se, be but tēporal thinges: but those thinges y ^t are not sene, are eternal. Nowe to this great glory can there no mā come headlesse. Our head is Christ, & therfore to him must we be ioyned, & as members of his, must we folowe him if we wil come thither. He is our gide to gide vs thither, & is entred in before vs. And he therefore that wil enter in after, Debet [...]itu [...]ille ambulauit, & ipse ambulare, the same way that Christ walked the same waye muste he walke. And what was the waye by whych he walked into heauen, hym selfe showeth what waye it was that hys father hadde prouided for hym, where he sayde vnto the two [Page] [...]isciples going toward y ^e castel of Emaus. Nescieba [...]is qui [...] oportebat Cristū pati & sic introire in regnum suum? Knewe ye not that Christe must suffre passion, & by that waye entre into his kingdom? Who can for very shame desier to enter into y ^e kingdome of Christ wyth ease, when him selfe entred not into his owne without paine.

The last Chapter. The consideracion of the painefull death of Christe, is sufficient to make vs content to suffre painefull death for his sake.

SUrely Cosin as I sayd before, in y ^e bearing the losse of worldly goodes, in suffering of captiuitie, thraldome & imprisonmēt, and in the glad sustaining of worldly shame, that if we woulde in al those pointes depely ponder y ^e sample of our sauiour hym selfe, it were of it selfe alone suf­ficient to encourage euerye kinde Christen man and womā, to refuse none of al those calamities for his sake [...] So saye I nowe for paineful death also, y ^t if we could and woulde wyth dewe compassion conceyue in our mindes a righte imaginacion and remembraunce of Christes bitter paynful passion, of y ^e many sore bloudy strokes that the cruel tormētors wyth Roddes and whippes gaue him vpō euery part of his holye tender bodye: the scorneful crowne of sharpe thornes beaten doune vpon hys holye head so s [...]rayte and so depe, that on euerye parte hys blessed bloude issued out and streamed doune his louely limmes, drawen and stretched out vpō the crosse, to the intollerable paine of hys forbeaten & sore beaten vaines & senewes, newe feling, with y ^e crewel stretching and straining payne, farre passing any crampe in euey parte of hys blessed bodye at once. Than the great longe nayles crewe [...]ly dryuen wyth hammers thorowe his holy handes and [Page] feete, and in this horrible paine lifte vp & let hang w ^t y ^• paice of al his body, bearing doune vpō the painefull wounded places, so greuously perced wyth nailes and in such torment (without pitie, but not without many dispightes) suffred to be [...]ined & pained y ^e space of more than three long houres til him selfe willingly gaue vp vnto hys father, hys holye soule. After whych yet to shewe y ^e mightines of theyr malice after his holy soule departed, persed his holy heart with a sharpe speare, at which issued [...]ut y ^e holy bloud & water, wherof his holy sacramētes haue inestimable secrete strength: if we would I say remember these thinges in such wise as would god we would, I verely thinke & suppose, y ^• the consideracion of his incōparable kindnes, coulde not in such wise faile to enflame our kaye cold heartes, & set them on fyre in hys loue, that we shoulde find our [...]elfe, not onely conte [...]te, but also glad and desirous to suffre death for his sake, that so meruelous louinglye letted not to sustaine so farre passing painefull deathe for oures. Woulde GOD we woulde here to the shame of oure colde affeccion agayne towarde God, for suche ferue [...]te loue, and inestimable kynd­nes of GOD towarde vs: would god we woulde I saye, but cōsider what hoate affeccion many of these fleshely louers haue borne, and daylye doe beare to those vpon whome they dote.

Howe many of them haue not letted to ieoparde their liues, and howe many haue willingely loste theyr liues in dede, wythout eyther great kindnes shewed them before (and afterwarde you wote well they coulde nothynge wynne?) but [...]uen that it contented and satysfied theyr mynde, y ^• by theyr deathe theyr louer should clerely se how faithfully they loued. The deli [...]e [Page] wherof, imprinted in their fātasie, not asswaged onely, but counterpaised also they thought al their paine. Of these affecciōs with y ^e woonderful dolorous effectes folowing theron, not onely old writtē stories, but ouer y ^t I thinke in euery countrey christen & heathen both, experience geueth vs proofe inough. And is it not thā a wonderful shame for vs for y ^• drede of tēporal death, to forsake our sauiour y ^t willingly suffred so painefull death, rather thā he woulde forsake vs, considering y ^t he shal for our suffering [...] so highly reward vs w ^t euer­lasting welth. Oh, if he y ^t is content to die for her loue, of whome he looketh after for no reward, & yet by hys death, goeth frō her, might by his death be sure to come to her; & euer after in delite & pleasure to dwell wyth her. Such a louer woulde not let here to dye for her twise, and howe cold louers be we thā vn [...]o god, if ra­ [...]her thā dye for hym once, we wil refuse him and for­sake him for euer, that bothe died for vs before, & hath al [...]o prouided that if we die here for hym, we shall in heauen euerlastingly both liue & also raigne with him. For as Saint Paule saith, if we suffer with hym, we shall raigne with hym.

Howe many Romaines, howe many noble courages of other sundry coūtreies haue willingly geuen their owne liues and suffred greate deadlye paines, & very painfull deathes for theyr countreyes [...] & the respecte of winning by theyr deathes, the onely reward of worldly renowne & fame. And should we thā shrinke to suffer as muche for eternall honoure in heauen and euer­lasting glorye? The deuil hath some also so obstinate heretyques [...] that endure wit [...]ingly painefull death for vaine glorye: & is it not than more then shame; that Christ shall [...]ee his catholyques forsake hys fayth, ra­ther [Page] than suffer the same for heauen and very glorye [...] Would god as I many times haue said, that the remē ­braunce of Christes kindnes in suffring his passiō for vs, the consideracion of hell that we shoulde fall in by forsaking of him, the ioyful meditacion of eternall lyfe in heauen, that we shal winne with this shorte tempo­rall death paciently taken for him: had so depe a place in our brest as reason would they should, and as (if we would do our deuor toward it, and labor for it, and pray therfore) I verely thinke they should: for then shoulde thei so take vp our mind [...] and rauish it al an other way, that as a man hur [...] in a fraye feleth not sometime hys wound, nor yet is not ware therof til his mind fal more theron, so farforth, y ^t sometime an other man sheweth him that he hath lost an hand before he perceiue it him­self. So the mind rauished in the thinking depelye of those other thinges, Christes death, hell and heauē, wer likely to minish and put away of oure painfull deathe foure partes of y ^e feling, ether of the feare or of y ^e paine. For of this am I very sure, if we had the fiftienth part of y ^e loue to Christ that he hath had, and hath vnto vs: al the pain of this Turkes persecucion could not kepe vs frō him but that there would be at this daye as ma­ni martirs here in Hungarie, as haue be afore in other countreyes of old. And of this poynte put I no doubt [...] but that if the Turke stode euen here, with al his whole a [...]mie about him, and euery of them wer ready at oure hand with all the terrible tormentes that they could y­magine, and (but if we would forsake the faith) wer set­tyng their tormentes to vs, and to the encrease of our [...]er [...]or fell al at once in a shoute with trumpets tabrets and tembrels al blowē vp at once, and al theyr gunnes [Page] let goe, therwith to make vs a feareful noyse if there should sodeinly than on the other side y ^e groūde quake and riue a twayn, and the deuils rise oute of hell, and shewe themselfe in such ougli shape as damned wret­ches shal see thē, & with y ^e hidious howlyng that those hel houndes should shritche, laie hel open on euery sdie rounde about our fete, that as we stode, we should [...]oke down into that pestilent pit, and see the swarme of sely soules in the terrible tormentes there, we would ware so frayde of the sight, that as for the Turkes host we should scantly remember we sawe them: and in good faith for al that, yet thinke I far [...]her this, that if there might thā appeare the great glory of god, the Trinitie in hys high meruelous maiestie, our Sauioure in hys gloryous manhode, sitting on hys trone with his im­maculate mother, and al y ^t glorious company callyng vs there vnto them, and that yet our waye should lye thorowe meruelous painfull death, before we coulde come at them, vpon the sight I say of that glory there woulde I wene be no man that once woulde shrinke thereat, but euery man would runne on towarde thē, in al that euer he mighte, thoughe there laie for malice to kil vs by the way [...] both al the Turkes tormentors, & all y ^e deuils to. And therfore Cosin, let vs wel considre these thynges, and let vs haue sure hope in the helpe of god, and I than doubt not, but we shalbe sure, that as the Prophet sayth, the trou [...]h of hys promyse shall so compasse vs with a pauice, that of this incurcion of this midde day deuil, this Turkes persecuciō, we shal neuer nede to feare: for eyther if we truste in god wel, and prepare vs therefore, the Turkes shal neuer med­dle with vs [...] or els if he doe, harme [...] shall he none dooe vs [...] but in s [...]ede of harme, inestimable good, of whose [Page] gracious helpe wherefore shoulde we so sore nowe dis­payre (excepte we were so madde men as to wene, that either his power or hys mercye were worne oute al­ready, when we see so many a thousande holy martirs by his holy helpe suffred as much before as any man should be put [...]o now. Or what excuse can we haue by y ^e tēdernes of our fleshe, whē we can be no more tēder, thā were many of thē among whō were not onely mē of strength, but also weake women and children & sith the strength of them all s [...]ode in the helpe of god, and y ^t the very strongest of them all was neuer able of them selfe & with gods helpe the feblest of thē al was strong inough to stand against al y ^e world, let vs prepare our self with praier, with our whole trust in his helpe with­out any trust in our own strength, let vs thinke th [...]ron and prepare vs in our myndes therto, long beefore: let vs therin cōforme our wil vnto hys, not desiring to be brought vnto the peril of persecucion, for it semeth a proude high minde to desire martirdom, but desiring help and [...]rength of god, if he suffre vs to come to the stresse eyther being sought, founde, or broughte oute a­gainst our wils [...] beyng by hys commaundemente (for the comfort of our cure) bounden to abide: let vs fal to fasting [...] to praier to almose dede in time, and geue that vnto god that may be taken from vs. If the deuil put in our mind [...] y ^e sauing of our land & oure goodes, let vs remember that we cannot saue thē long. I [...]he feare vs with exile and fleing from our countrey, let vs re­membre y ^t we be borne into y ^e brode world (& not lyke a t [...]ee to s [...]i [...]ke stil in on [...] place) and y ^t whither so euer we go god shal go w ^t vs. If he thre a [...]ē vs w ^t captiuitie, let vs tel him again, better is it to be thral vnto mā a [...]hile for y ^e pleasure of god, thā by displeasīg of god, be perpe­tual thral vnto y ^e deuil: if he threate vs w ^t imprisōmēt [Page] let vs tel him we wil rather be mans prisoners a while here in earth, than by forsaking the faith, be his priso­ners for euer in [...]el. If he put in our mindes the terror of the Turkes, let vs consider his false sleight therin, for this tale he telleth vs to make vs forgeat him. But let vs remember wel y ^t in respect of himself, the Turke is but a shadow, nor al that they al can doe, can be but a fle a biting in comparison of the mischief that he goeth ab [...]ut. The Turkes are but his tormentors for himself doth the dede. Our Lord saith in the Apocalips, Diabo­lus m [...]tret aliquos vestrum [...]n carcerem, vt tentemini. The deuyll shall send some of you to prison to tempt you. He saith not y ^• men shal, but that the d [...]uil shal himself. For withoute question the deuils owne dede it is to bring vs by hys temptacion with feare and force thereof into eternall damnacion. And therfore saith, S. Paul. Non est nobis col­luctatio aduersus carnem & sāguinem, fed &c. Our wrestlyng is not against flesh and bloud. &c. Thus may you see that in suche persecucions it is the mid day deuil himself that maketh suche incursion vpon vs, by the men that are his ministers, to make vs fal for feare. For [...]y [...] we fal, he can neuer hurt vs [...] And therfore sayth. S. Petre, Resi­stite diabolo & fugiet a vob [...]s [...] Stand againste the deuill, and he shal flye from you. For he neuer [...]unneth vpon a man to season him with his clawes, til he see him downe on the ground willingly fallen himself. For his fashion is to set his seruantes again [...]t vs, and by thē to make vs for feare or for impacience to fal, & himself in y ^e meane whyle compasseth vs running and roaring like a rā ­ [...]ing Lion about vs, loking [...]o w [...]l fal, y ^t he than may deuoure him, Aduer [...]riu [...] v [...]ster diabolus (saith. S. Peter) Sic [...]: leo rugiens c [...]rcuit queren [...] quem de [...]oret, Your aduersa [...]ye the deuill l [...]ke a roring Liō, rūneth about incircui [...]e, seking whō [Page] he may deuoure. The deuil it is therfore that if we for feare of men wil fal) is ready to runne vpon vs, and de­uoure vs. And is it wisedome than so muche to thinke vpon the Turkes that we forgeat the deuil? what mad man is he that when a Liō wer about to deuoure him, would vouchesafe to regard the biting of a litle fysling [...]urre? Therfore whē he roareth out vpō vs by y ^e threts of mortal men, let vs tel him that with our inward iye, we see him wel ynough, and entend to stande & fighte with him, euen hand to hand: if he threaten vs that we be to weake, let vs tell him that our Captain Christ is with vs, and that we shal fi [...]hte with his strength, that hath vanquished him already, and let vs fence vs with faith, and comfort vs with hope, and smite the deuill in the face with a fyrebrande of cha [...]itie. For surelye if we be of the tender louing mind that our maister was [...] and not hate them that kil vs but pitie them and praye for them, with sorowe for the peril that thei worke to them self, that fire of charitie throwen in his face, striketh the deuil sodainly so blind, that he cannot se where to fastē a stroke on vs. When we fele vs to bol [...], remember our own feblenesse. When we fele vs to fainte, remember Christes strēgth. In our feare let vs remēber Christes painefull agonye that himselfe [...]oulde (for oure coum­fort) suffer before his passiō, to thētēt y ^t no feare should make vs despaire. And euer cal for his help such as him self lust to sende vs, and than we nede neuer to doubte but that either he shal kepe vs from the painful death, or shal not fayle so to strength vs in it, that he shal ioy­ou [...]ly bring vs to heauen by it. And then doth he much more for vs then if he kept vs from it. For as god dyd more for poore Lazare in helping him pacientely to dye for hunger at the riche mannes doore, than if he hadde [Page] brought him to the dore al the riche glotous dinner, so though he be gracious to a man whom he delyuereth out of paynefull trouble, yet doth he muche more for a man, if thorowe right paynful death he deliuer him frō thys wretched worlde into eternal blisse, from whiche whosoeuer shrinke away with forsaking of hys fayth, and falleth in the perell of euerlasting fier, he shall be very sure to repent it ere it be long after. For I weene that whensoeuer he falleth sicke next, he wil wishe that he had been killed for Christes sake before. What foly is it than for feare to flye from that death, which thou seest thou shalt shortly after wishe thou haddest dyed, yea I wene almo [...]t euery good christē mā woulde ve­ry fayne thys day that he had been for Christes fayth cruelly killed yesterday, euen for the desyre of heauen, though there were no hell, but to feare while the payn is comming, there is all our let. But then if we would remembre hell payne on the other syde, into which we fal while we flye fro this, then should this shorte payn be no let at al, and yet should we be more pricked for­warde, if we were faythful by depe considering of the Ioyes of heauen of whiche the Apostle sayeth: Non sunt digne passi [...]nes huius temporis ad futuram gloriam que reuelabitur in nobis the passions of this tyme, be not worthy to y ^e glory that is to come, which shalbe shewed in vs. We should not I wene Cosin, nede much more in all this whole mat­ter, than that one text of. S. Paul if we would consy­der it wel. For surely my own good Cosin, remember that if it were possible for me and you alone [...] to suffre as much trouble as the whole world doth together, all that were not worthy of it selfe to bryng vs to the ioye which we hope to haue euerlastingly: and therefore I pray you let the consideracion of that Ioye, put our all [Page] worldly trouble out of your heart, and also pray that it maye doe thesame in me: and euen thus wyll I good Cosin, with these wordes make a sodayne ende of my whole tale, and bidde you fare wel, for now I begin to fele myselfe some what wery.

Forsoth good vncle this is a good ende, and it is no meruaile though you be waxē wery, for I haue this day put you to so much labour, y ^e sauing for the comfort that your selfe may take of your tyme so well bestowed, and for the comfort that I haue my selfe ta­ken and moe shal I trust for your good counsayle ge­uen, els woulde I bee very sorye to haue put you to so much pain, and now shal our lorde rewarde and recō ­pence you therfore, and many shal I trust pray for you for to thentent that the moe may take profit by you, I purpose vncle as my poore witte and learning wyll serue me, to put your good coūsayle in remembraunce not in our language onely, but in the Almayne tonge to, and thus praying god to geue me and all other that shall rede it, the grace to folowe your good counsayle therin, I shal commit you to god.

Sith you be minded Cosin, to bestowe so much labour therō. I would it had happed you to fetche the counsayle at some wyser man that could haue ge­uē you better, but better mē may set moe thynges and better also thereto, and in the meane tyme, I besec [...]e our lord to breath of hys holy spirite in y ^e readers brest whiche inwardely maye teache him in hearte, without whome, litle auaileth all that all [...]he mouthes of the worlde wer able to teache in mennes eares. And thus good Cosin, fare well tyll God brynge vs together a­gayne, eyther here or in heauen. Amen.