Here followeth dyuers holy instrucyons and teachynges very necessarye for the helth of mannes soule, newly made and set forth by a late brother of Syon Rychard whitforde — Here followeth dyvers holy instrucyons and teachynges very necessarye for the helth of mannes soule.

Author: Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?1541

❧: Here foloweth dyuers holy instrucyons and teachynges very necessarye for the helth of mannes soule, newly made and set forth by a late brother of Syon Rychard whit forde.

¶ CVM PRIVILEGIO AD IMPRIMENDVM SOLVM.

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¶ The contentes of this Boke.

FYrste a deuoute worke of pacience.
A worke of dyuers impedimentes and lettes of perfectyon.
An instruction to au [...] [...] eschewe vyces and folowe good maners.
Of Detraction.

¶ A preface.

GOOD deuoute reders: I made myne excuse as foloth & shewed you the verye cause of the settynge forth of my name. But nowe I am cōpelled not onely to setforth my name, but also to ioyne therunto thꝭ cata loge and wryttynge of the contentes (by noūber) of thꝭ volume. And that I do: charitably to gyue you warnyng to serche well / and suerly that none suche other workes, be put amonge them: that myght deceyue you. For (of a certente) I founde nowe but very late: a worke: ioyned and bounde with my pore labours & vnder the cōtentes of the same volume / and one of my workes that was named in the same contentes: lefte out, in sted wherof: was put thꝭ other worke y ^e was not myne. For the tytle of myne, was, thus. A dayly excercyse, & experience of death. An the other worke hathe no name of any auctour and all such workes in thys tyme be euer to be suspected. For so the heretykes do vse to sende forthe theyr poyson, amonge the [Page]people: couered with suger. For they seme to be good, and deuout workes: & be in very dede very starke hereses, as of late I sawe a boke, & worke of the archeheretyke Luter, trāslate into Englysh worde for worde, and I sayde y ^t boke was against the kyuges honour, bycause he had (by hys noble worke) condempned hym for an heretyke. Be you ware therfore of all suche fatherles bokes, that nother haue the name of the auctour, nor of the translatour. Knowe what you rede, and what you suffre your chyldren to lerne. Specially (after my pore aduise) medle not w ^t the workes of nameles & vnknowne auctours I haue shewed you why.

¶ The preface vnto the deuout reders.

I Byseche you all good deuout reders: take euer myne excuse (in setting forth of myne name) for a verye trothe, not otherwyse to be done: then that none other person shuld be supposed in blame, for my defaultes: yf the worke went forth w ^t out any named auctour I wrote thꝭ worke: many peres ago (as I sayd of y ^e worke of deth) & by lyke occasion: haue nowe sende hyt forth in prynte I byseche our lorde: you may take profete, and edification therby (for that is my mynde and desyre) And troth hyt is: that in the redynge, and recount of any vertu, pfet may be takē. And (for a suerte) thys vertue of pacyence: is a noble vertu & muche [Page]necessarie for euery faythfull Christiane, Cipriauus de Pacientia. as shall playnly appere vnto you, yf hyt maye please you, to rede hyt ouer, notwithstandyng hyt is better to haue hyt: then to rede hyt. Better to practise hyt: then to knowe hyt. Better to worke hyt, then to wyshe hyt. And yet by redyng: hyt may the better be knowne. And wel knowne: the vetter be put in vse, excercyse and practise. And well vsed, and excercysed: the more may hyt profet. Rede hyt therfore I praye you and take with charite, and good wyll: that therof is offred, and thus euer fare you wel in our lorde god and most swete sauiour Iesu Chryste, and of youre charite, praye for the olde wreche youre assured bedeman late of Syon Rycharde Whytforde.

¶ Here foloweth the chapters of the fyrst boke called the boke of pacience.

THe definicion of paciēce in generall. Fol. i.
Of naturall pacience. Fol. i.
Of artificiall pacience and of the defynycyon, or determynacyon therof. Folio. iiii.
Of the very true determynacyon, discripcion and declaracyon of meritorious pacience. Fo. v.
Of the ymage and byhauour of paciēce. Fo. v.
Of the cōmodites, or frutes of pacience, in generall. Folio. vii.
Howe pacience is profitable and necessarye vnto the true gettynge, and vnto the lawfull kepynge [Page]and increasynge of worldly goodes. Fol. vii.
That pacience is necessarie for the due, and lawfull kepynge of suche goodes as be truely, & lawfully goten. Folio. viii.
That pacience is cōmodious & profytable vnto the good state of the body of man. Fol. x.
Howe pacience is cōmodious and necessarie, vnto good fame and good name to be obtayned holden and kept. Fol. xi.
¶ Of the fourth cōmodite frute, and procete of pacyence. folio. xiii.
That pacience is profitable, and necessary, vnto the quietude and reste of mans mynde. fo. xiiii.
Of the circūstances of pacience. folio. xvii.
Howe paciēce is adquired gotten & lerned. fo. xxii
Of the example of worldly persons. fo xxv.
Of the example of gostly persons Fo. xxviii.
¶ Of the paciēce of our lorde and sauiour Iesu. Folio. xxxv.
¶ That our owne meserye and multitude of our synnes shulde moue vs vnto paciēce. fol. xl.
¶ A brefe recapitulacion and short recounte of y ^e sayde cōmodites of pacience, by the respecte and consideracion of impacyence and of the merites and rewardes of pacience. folio xiii.
Of the merite, & of y ^e rewarde of paciēce. fo. xiv.

¶ The chapters of the boke or worke of dyuers, impedimentes and lettes of perfectyon. ☞:☜

[Page]OF the fyrste impediment. Folio. xlix.
Of the secūde impediment or let of spiritual profete, and increase. folio. li.
Of the thyrde impediment, or let of spiritual profete, and good spede. folio. liii.
¶ Of the fourth impediment and let of spiritual profete, and spede. folio. lv.
Of the fyfte impediment or let of spiritual pfete, and increase of perfection. folio. lvi.
Of the syxte impediment & let of spiritual pfete & good spede in the lyfe of perfection. fo. lvii.
¶ Of the seuynth impediment & let of spirituall profete & forwarde spede of perfection. fo. lviii.
¶ A lytle lessen of foure vertues, good and profe table to be had of euery ꝑson: but not to be called vnto remēbrans but rather to be forgotten. fo. lx.
Of the secūde poynt y ^t shulde rather be forgoten: then remēbred. Folio. lxii.
Of the thyrde poynt to be put clene away & neuer to be called ne kept in remēbrans. folio. lxiii.
¶ Of the forth thynge to be forgotten, and to be put frō our cogitacyon & remēbrans. fo. lxiiii.

¶ The chapters of an instruction to auoyds and eschewe vyces and folowe good maners. ❧:❧

Of yuell thoughtes. Folio. lxvi.
Of chastite. folio. lxvii.
¶ Of prayer. folio. eodem
Of superfluous fedynge. folio. eodem.
[Page]Of aspecte or cast of the syght. folio. eodem
¶ Of the cūpanye and presence of the contrarye sexes. folio. lxviii.
Of labour occupacyon, and of the contrarie, that is, ydelnes. folio eodem.
¶ Of redynge. folio. lxix.
Of humilite or mekenes. folio. eodem.
Of the constancie of mynde. folio. lxx.
Of pacience in aduersite. folio. eodem.
Of the imitacion & folowyng of good mē. fo. lxxi.
Of peace and charite. folio eodem.
¶ Of pitie and compassion. folio. eodem.
Of y ^e cōtēpt & dispising of worldly praise. fo. lxxii.
Of honest conuersacyon. folio. eodem.
Of y ^e cūpanye or felyshyp of good ꝑsōs. fo. lxxiii.
¶ Of the custodye or kepynge of the eares or hearynge. folio. eodem.
Of the custody & kepyng of y ^e mouth. fo. lxxiiii.
Of detraction or bachytynge. folio. lxxv.
Of a lye or lyenge. folio. lxxvi.
¶ Of swerynge. folio. eodem.
Of ꝓmyse, & vowe to he rendred & kept. fo. lxvii.
That al thynges be open and knowne vnto god. Folio. eodem.
¶ Of good conscience. folio. lxxviii
That all thynges shulde be attrybuted and applyed vnto god. folio. eodem.
¶ That the vertues of man shulde be hydde and kept clos. folio. eodem.
¶ Of confessyon. folio. lxxix.
[Page]¶ Of premeditacyon. folio. lxxix.
Of sapience and wysdome. folio. eodem.
Of doctrine or lernynge. folio. lxxx.
¶ To take oft, kepe, that is taken. And to teache that lerued was. These. iii. do the scoler make hys mayster for to ouer pas. folio. eodem.
¶ Of curyosyte. folio. lxxxi.
Of obedyence. folio. eodem.
Of prelacye. folio. lxxxii.
¶ Of contempte, and despysynge of the worlde. Folio. lxxxiii.
Of almes dede. folio. eodem.
¶ Of Detraction. Chrisostomus homilia texcia. Folio. lxxxvi.

¶ FINIS TABVLE.

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¶ The definicion of pacience in generall. Capi. primo.

THe definicion, or determinacion, of euery thyng that is intreated, & spoken of: is fyrste necessarye to be knowen y ^t is to saye: that you may knowe what is ment by thꝭ terme or worde paciēce, and what thynge it is, and that fyrst in generall. The definicion of Pacience, seʒm Lactan. Firmia num. Exemple. Pacience is a voluntarie, and wylfull tolerance / and sufferance of all suche paynes hurtes aduersi tes / & yules: as be put, or as do fortune, ar happe / vnto any parson. And this paciēce I cal general: bycause it doeth extende, and strech vnto the body as wel as vnto the soule / or mynde. As by exeample when a parson maye and wyll suffre hongre, thurst, colde, labours & such other paynes and incōmodites of the body, then is that parson called pacient of that thynge that he so doeth suffre. Vt de Catelina refert sal [...] stius. But this pacience of it selfe: is no thynge meritoriouse although the cōplexiones, and disposicions of y ^e body: may helpe muche or hyndre pacience & therfore the sayde incōmodites / wylfully borne / & suffred for a good cause: may be meritorious, but nat (as I sayde) of them selfe but of the grace of our lorde. And therfore a grete lerned man doth make a forther definicion of pacience saynge. another definition. Cicero. prime. rethorices. Pacience is a voluntarye, and wylful perpession and sufferance of those thinges that be greuous and harde to be borne and suffred for any of these cause y ^t is to saye: For honesty. For ease, or pleasure or for [Page]auayle, profet or auan̄tage. And yet thꝭ paciēce, is cōmune vnto man, and vnto brute bestes. For the bestes, althoght not for any honesty, yet for theyr ease pleasure, and ꝓfet done sumtyme suffre incō modites. And sumtymes for feare or drede, But y ^t is not proprely pacience bycause it is not wylful. And therfore that you may knowe whiche is the very pacience that I wolde here speke of: we shall dyuyde this pacience into pacience natural, and pacience artificiall that is to saye suche a pacience as is gotyn & had by craft, conyng, or labour, and diligēce, and of grace. ❧:☞:❧:☜

¶ Of naturall pacience. Capt [...]ii.

NAturall pacience: is a sufferance y ^t is in man, or best: by the disposicions of the natural cō plexions of the body. For in euery man, and beste. be .iiij. cōplexions that haue theyr names of .iiij. principal humors that be in the body y ^t is to saye Colexe, Bloude Flegme, or flewme, and melācoly so that of this humour colere, is named, the coleryke, cōplexion, and of the bloude the cōplexcion Sangwyne. And of slewme: the flewmatyke. And of the humour melaneoly: the cōplexion melanco lyke. And these .iiij. humours, and cōplexions in in the body: haue the same qualites and disposicions in simititude: that be in the .iiij. elementes, the Fyre, the Ayre, y ^e water, and the yerth. For as the fyre is drye, and hote: so is colore, and the coleryke cōplexion. And as the ayre is hote, and moyste: so is the bloude / & the sang wyne cōplexion. And as [Page 2]the water is moyste, and colde: so is the flegme, or flewme and y ^e cōplexion flewmatyke. And as the yerth is colde, & drye, so is melancoly, and the cō plexion melancolyke. And therfore accordyng vnto y ^t humour that hath in the body most dominacyon, and rewle: that body is called of y ^t cōplexion As where colere moste reygneth: y ^t body is called coleryke of cōplexion. And so in lyke maner of the tother. And bycause that these cōplexions haue a respecte vnto the bodyes aboue and thereafter do naturally moue man or beste accordynge vnto theyr disposiciōs: they may muche helpe, or hyndre pacience, notwithstandyng man may: by wysdom grace, and goodwyll rule, and gouerne all bodyly and naturall disposicyons. And also educacion, bryngyng vp and doctrine, & teachynge: do bylde frame, and make maners in man or best, cōtrarye vnto naturall disposicions. For custum, and vse: may alterate nature, yet I say that (of them selfe) bothe man, and beste do muche, and cōmunly, folowe naturall mocions, & disposecions. And therfore sum men, and sum bestes be naturally more disposed vnto paciēce, or inpacience then sū other be. For sume parsones lyke vnto the ore: be al disposed to pacience, and yf by chaūce they be moued vnto the contrary: yet be they sone, and shortly appeased sume ꝑsones, be naturally disposed to loue pacience, & to lyue restfully: but yet wyll they sone be moued for a lyght occasion. And yet forthwith whan they ꝑceyue them selfe: they wyl sone be appeased [Page]& yf in that passion: they sayde or dyd any thynge amysse, they wyl mekely make amendes. And these maner of ꝑsonꝭ: Inregula. C [...]. 6. doeth saynt Augustyne preferre byfore thē that wyll not so sone be wrogh and yet when they be moued wyl not so lyghtly be appeased nor make amendes. For suche a kynde of ꝑsons ther is in .ii. maners on of those persons that yf they be wroth wyll nener be appeased tyll they be reuenged, or at the lyest tyll they so ferre haue the vectory and maystry: y ^t they might be reuenged. For vnto sume ꝑsons to haue the power to reuenge: Satis est potu isse vincere. is sufficient and ynough. But sume other wyll not so be content, ne euer be appeased vnto the tyme the haue done as muche vengaūce as is possible for them to do, and yet ouer y ^t, haue they wyll to do more vengaunce yf hyt lye or were in theyr power. As the lion & y ^• [...]gle. And yet these persons be in .ii. mauers. For some of them wyl not lyghtly be moued vnto wrath, but kepe long theyr pacience, & suffre, greate wronges or peynes but when they be ons fulvexed: they be (as is sayde) mercyles all venge able. Theto ther kynde is of them: that wyll sone be moued of a lyght occasion for a tryfle, & sūtyme wyll seke occasion, and make quarelles. And yet then when they be angry: wyll they neuer as is sayd be appeased without extreme, & moste cruell vengaunce. And these ꝑsons be of the worst kinde of impaciēce. For these in maner, haue no paciēce at all. Ther is yet an other kynde of pacience naturall called A vnlpyne pacyence. That is to saye [Page 3]suche pacience as the fox hathe sume tymes, or the catte that wyll lye, or syt full styll, and paciently byde vnto the tyme theyr praye be within danger & then sodenly shewe what they be. This pacience had the Iewes vnto our sauiour, & so haue many wyked parsons. But of all maner of paciences naturall: pacience that is most excellent that is in y ^e lambe, and in the innocent parsons that neuer do shewe any sygne, or token of wrath, displeasure or reuengance. Yet is there an other pacience, which is alwaye kept inwardly, and in effect, & yet outwardly semeth muche contrarye as it was in our sauyour: Math. 21. b. Marci. 11. c. Lu. 19. [...] Io. 2. [...] When he dyd byet and dryue out with a whyppe, or slayle the byers, and sellers in the tēple and when he caste downe the tables of them that made exchaūges and solde dowues there, wherin he semed outwarde very impacient, and angrye, and so he was in dede as the prophete, dauid bade and cōmaūded saynge. P [...]al. [...] Irascimini et nolite peccare Be you wrath (sayeth he) or angry, and yet haue no wyll to synne. This maner of pacience, may be naturally in man, or best, as in the mothers, or parētes that do: with semyng angre, or hasty wrath: dryue or put a waye theyr chyldren frō fyre, or water, or other parylouse places, and so wyl the bestꝭ and bryddes do vnto theyres, and yet do they naturally loue them. And so haue they pacience inwarde in effecte, although hyt seme outwarde otherwyse. All these maner of paciences haue we shewed vnto you by cause, you maye knowe, that [Page]the disposicions of nature, whiche communely be moued of the cōplexions: may helpe much, or hynder pacience, but yet they can not of thē self: make the pacience meritoriouse. For as the philosofour sayeth. Aristot. For those thynnges that be in vs of nature: we be not worthy any prayse, or yet disprayse / rewarde or payne, I saye determinately of them selfe, Notwithstandynge, a man is bounde by the cōmaundement of God: to restrayne all naturall disposicions, and inclynacious vnto vice, and to force them forth by violence, vnto vertue. For the greate meryte standeth in the great violence. For the scripture sayth. Regnum coelorum vim patitur. &c. Math. 11. b. The kyngdome of heuen doeth suffre violēce, and the violent parsons: do rauysh, and wynne it. And saynt Paule vnto his disciple Timothe. No parson shall wynne the crowne: 2. Timo 2. a. but y ^t doeth feght accordynge vnto the lawe of batell. And in the Apocalyps. Who so euer hath here y ^t victorye, shall neuer be hurte w ^t the secunde death, Apoc. 2. c. that is damp nacion. And agayne, I wyl make him, that geteth or wynneth y ^t victorye a pyler, or post in y ^t churche of Christe. 3. c. Thus you may ꝑceyue that those parsons that haue moste pacience by naturall dispocion: haue lyest meryte therby. And cōtrarye those that haue lyest pacience but be all disposed of nature vnto passions, may restraynyng those naturall passions by grace, and goodwyl: haue moste hygh merite. For the more greuous the batell be: the more noble is the victorye, and the merite, and [Page 4]rewarde more large. And therfore we leue this naturall pacience sum what to intreate of the paciēce artificial that is more merytorious.

¶ Of artificiall pacyence and of the definicion, or determinacion therof. Capitulo tercio. ❧ : ❧

ARtificiall pacience: we cal that pacience that (all natural disposicion venquyshed by violence) and ouercūmen, is obteyned, and gotten by doctryne, labour, and vse, with grace, & goodwyl. And this pacience may be thus defined or determined. Pacience, is a volūtarie or wylful, & cō tinual sufferauns, another definic [...] on of pacience. of those thynges y ^t be greuous noyouse, or paynfull taken, and suffred: not onely (as the pagane sayde) for honestie / or profet / and auayle but also for vertue, and for the increas of merite, I say here that pacience, is a suffraūce, but euery sufferaūce, is not pacience. For pacience is a vertue, & many parsons do suffre greate paynes without any vertue, but rather theyr sufferaunce is much viciouse. Therfore that sufferaunce that maketh pacience: muste be voluntarye, so that the parsons do suffre: with theyr owne goodwyll and consent of mynde. For yf they be cōstrayned, & cō pelled for any cause contrarye vnto the wyll, it is a sufferaunce but not pacience. Except we call hyt as the Frenchman doth. Pacience per force. The sayde sufferaūce therfore must be voluntarye, hyt must also be cōtinual. For els it is not meritorioꝰ [Page]ne worthy rewarde. For many ꝑsons do incerprise and begyn many thinges with great paynes, and greuouse sufferaunce for the tyme. But they sone gyue ouer, they say they cā suffre no lenger. That sufferance therfore is not pacience nor yet meritoriouse. Math. [...]0. [...] and 24. b. For the scripture sayeth Qui perseuerauerit vs (que) in finem: hic saluus erit. Who so euer doth per seuer and continue vnto the ende: that ꝑson shall haue the merite, and rewarde of saluacion. The sufferaūce also muste be, of those thynges that be greuous. For euery man may lyghtly suffre, and here that thynge y ^t is not peyneful ne dothe greue although sume persons (they saye) can not here welth, but that is not bycause it is greuouse, but for defaulte of wysdome & discrecion. But where is no greue: is no sufferaunce, and therfore no pacience, but when the greue or payne is borne, and suffered for a good cause, w ^t good wyl (as is sayd) and cōtinually: then is y ^t sufferaūce called paciēce notwithstandynge: those causes that the Pagan setforth, that is to saye honesty or profet: be not sufficient to rendre and declare our pacience. For many prowde, and lyght mynded persons, do suffre muche for honeste. The cōmune prouerbe is, y ^t hit is good to dyete, or stryke the prowde persons For they wyl suffre well for theyr honeste without cōplaynt, & kepe al counsel, but y ^t sufferaūce is nat patiēce, although to suffre for some honeste: may be a good degre of pacience. And to suffre for ꝓfet alon: is not alwaye pacience. For so (as we sayd by [Page 5]fore) the fox or other bestes: myght haue y ^t paciēce. But bycause the pacience, that we haue purposed here to intreate: is a noble vertue▪ & meritorious, apperteynynge onely vnto man: we shal setforth, as we haue gedred of dyuers catholyke, & lerned doctours a more exacte, and playne definicion of pacience. ❧ : ☜ : ❧ : ☞

¶ Of the verey true definicion, determinacion, descripcion and declaracion of meritotiouse pacience. Capi. iiij. ❧ : ⚜ : ❧

PAcience meritorioꝰ: is a myght. power, Definicion. auctorꝭ strēgth and vertue of the soule, wherby we may (with grace, and goodwyl) represse, restreyne, rebate, and withdrawe, all inordinate passions & mouynges wherunto we be stered, prouoked and moued, by any of our enimies, the dyule, the worlde, or the flesh. And wherby we do gladly with euen mynde and goodwyll: suffre continually, and here. For y ^t loue of God, and saluacion of our soules: all aduersites troubles, paynes, and yules that be done vnto vs, or y ^t (by any meanes) chaunce fal, happe, or fortune vnto vs hauyng therwith a reuerrēde, Aug. de paciēci a Capi. 2. drede lest we, by any cōtrarye impacient & wyked wyl, shulde forgo & lose any vertu or good thingꝭ: wherby we myght atteyne, and come vnto better thynges. This is our definicion, or descripcion of pacience. And this paciēce doeth saynt Augustine call the greate gyfte, and rewarde of God.

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¶ Of the ymage and byhauour of pacience. Capi. v. ☜ : ⚜ : ☞

Ciprianus de paciencia. And sait Cyprya nesayth [...] same. NOwe here I was in mynde to haue set forth an ymage of thys good lady and excellent prynces dame pacience, that not onely you myght knowe, by the definicion, what she is in substāce: but also by onde y ^t knowledge of vnderstandynge you shulde perceyue by outwarde sens, and se the beaute maner, and by hauour of her ꝑson. But I lacke a paynter, and I can not paynte my selfe. A grete lerned man called Prudencius, in a boke that he made of the cōflictes, batayles, feldes, or feghtꝭ of vices & vertues: doth setforth in goodly verses the ymage and byhauiour of thys lady dame pacience. Shewynge howe that when the lothsome, and vgglye, wrythyn wyche, and pale faced scolde called dame. Ire, or wrath: came forth agaynst her in batayle with a cruell cūpeny and w ^t wepynes and artilerie of dedly myschef: she dame pacience I saye stode vpryght in the fronte of the batayle with a countenance of grauite and sadnes & with out mouinge or sterynge, cast vp hyr syght with a sobre sinylynge coūtenaūce, without feere or drede holdly dyd beholde al the fassion of the fylde. And when that gresty goste dame Ire, sawe her of ferre of, she began to swell and fome at the mouth, & with a fyrye inflamed face grēnynge & gnastynge rolled her eyes, castynge her syght and her heda [Page 6]wrye, disdaynynge that pacience durst, wout harnes or wepyn, no thynge appareled, vnto warre: mete with her, in the felde. And fyrst she mocked her, and then rayled vpon her, and when she sawe that no thynge she was moued withall, but euer stode styl stablye in one countenauce, & behauour: she then (w ^t a fell furious stomake) made a shoute and crye vpon her / and so let flye a darte streght towarde her herte, but dame pacience had priuey harnes of precyous stones: that made all her shotte to starte backe / all voyde without noyans, and so she stode styll all quiete & restfull, no thyng moued / but all stronge and myghty, redy to byde al the forther and furious assaytes of that barbarous best, which therwith chafed, as a wode and madde brayneles body: Rysped out her swerde / & ranne forth in a rage and swapped that louynge lady, vpō the mydle of the hed supposyng verely: to haue clouyn her skull and to haue dashed out her braynes, but the stroke lyght vpon her pryuey skull, and range withall. So harde that the edge of the swerde, partly bended and pertly brake ther with, and yet the hed was whole, and she no thing moued with the braynles brayde of y ^t barbarous mōstre, but smyled therat whiche monstre (Ire I meane, or wrath) when she sawe / & perseyued that all her shotte was loste, and all her wepynes wasted, and all her ordinaunce spent / & she no thynge spedde: she rane vnto the remedye / that best becū med her malyce, and myschefe, that was to wreke [Page]all her wodenes vpon her owne selfe. And so she caght vpon quikly a pece of a brokyn spere, and thrast the spylde, fast into the yerth & rane fyersly vpon the poynt which persed throgh the mydle of her hert, and so she, grēnynge and gnastyng, gaue vp her sory goste, whom / the sobre / & mylde maystres dame pacience, byheldyng sadly, sayde vnto the people present? here you may se fryndes howe, lyghtly, and easely (by our naturall & accustomed vertue, we haue without bloudshed / or blemyshe, without hurte, or harme, and without all peryll or Ioperdy, vēquished, & ouercomen thys gryme and grysly gost, Ire / or wrath. For this is the maner of our batayle, and our meane to venquishe, onercome, and to tryumphe, that is to saye: by sufferaunce only, to quench sle, & destroy all the furious rages, malice / and myschef, of the wrathfull and yule persones. For the hasty man (sayeth the prouerbe) wāteth neuer wo. The hasty passionate angry persons: be most enimies vnto them selfe. Theyr owne furie doeth frete them to deth, when this louely lady had spoken thys lesson: she went forth with greate glorye, & her true faythfull seruandꝭ folowed her full ioyfully, that by her meanes / & helpe: had myghtyly also ouercūmen theyr enemies and fose. That is to say, holy Iob, all the holy appostles, martirs & sayntꝭ. For this myghty lady doeth euer ioyne, and accūpeny her selfe with al maner of vertue. And no vertue can be perfect: without paciēce. Thus nowe you may se, and beholde [Page 5]the very ymage of paycience after the sayde greate clerke, but that he doeth set it forth, more expressl, with muche goodly eloquence. Nowe than let vs go forth with our institute, & purpose, which shal be to shewe vnto you certeyne cōmodites or ꝓfitable frutes of paciēce, euerych to excede other in perfection. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ Of the comodites, frutes of pacience, In generall the .vi. Chapiter ❧:❧

EVery thyng is called cōmodious, frutfull, or profitable vnto man: accordyng vnto the necessites and nedes of those thynges that do apper teyne vnto the welth of man, as by example, man cā not lyue: without meate, and drynke, & clothes, wherfore: the goodes of the worlde be cōmodious frutful, and profitable vnto man, yf they be well vsed. And yet be those worldly goodes in the lowest degre of those thynges that do apperteyne vnto man. For they do onely serue proprely vnto the body. And therfore is y ^• state of y ^e body: aboue the wordly goodes. And yet that state of the body (as we sayde) is p̄serued by the sayde goodꝭ which worldly goodes, I sayde be cōmodious proprely, vnto y ^t body alon, although they may (by accidence in case) be profitable vnto the soule. And vnto bodely honor, or dignite fame & good name, for the which paynimes or paganes dyd preferre, & in price, set byfore, & a boue the body, bycause hyt doeth remayne, byde, and last lenger then doth the body [Page]wherfore many of thē called wyse: haue wylfully lost theyr lyfe rather then they wolde lose theyr honour, Aag. de Citutate dai. lib 10.4. name or fame / as saynt Augu, doeth shewe, in his boke de Ciuitate dei? Yet aboue all worldly honours: the soule of man doth excede. These .iiij. that we haue named, appertenynge vnto man do stande and kepe an order, of dignite, and degre amonge them selfe as you may perceyue. For the goodes of the worlde do stāde in the lowest degre. The body next whiche is preferred & more set by. The fame, and name aboue both them. And the soule aboue all thynges vnder God: our mynde is nowe to shewe vnto you: howe pacience, is commodious, frutfull, profitable and necessary: vnto all these .iiij. And fyrst.

¶ Howe pacience is profitable and necessarye vnto to the true getynge, and vnto the lawful kepynge and increascynge of worldly goodes. The vii. Chapiter. ⚜:⚜

BEcause that worldly goodes be not alwaye well gotyn: ne alwaye well reteyned, & kept / ne yet wel increased, or multiplied: we therfore put in these termes truly and laufully. For althogh pacience largely taken (as we shewed before) may be ꝓfitable to gete holde and to increase goodes falsly and vnlawfully, yet our pacience: that we intreate: doeth neuer so. For when the seruantes of our pacience do put them selfe to labour, study / [Page 8]and to gyue diligence, to gete worldly goodes, for the necessarie lyuynge of them that they haue in charge: they do take pacience with al that god sendes, and (as saynt Iames sayeth) they do, Iac. [...] with all pacience, abyde the tyme, and wedder that god prouideth and euer do thanke hys goodnes, where the vnpacient persons do murmure, and grudge agaynst god, and cōplayye vpon the wedder, and yf any thynge fortune cōtrary vnto theyr mynde in theyr labours they more hynder them selfe, and destroy theyr goodes by theyr lacke of pacience. Vitas patrum As we rede in Vitas patrum of a person that wolde nedely go into wyldernes to be alone (bycause he coulde not be pacient amonge his compeny) And he wente vnto a well to feche water in an erthen pot for his necessite, and when he had set downe y ^e pot vpō the gronde (whyle he couered y ^e foūteyne) the pot fell ouer, and (he sum what displeased) fylled hyt agayne, and yet hyt fell agayne, and so by the laste (forgetynge all pacience he brake the pot, in a furie, but yet when he came vnto hym selfe: he returned vnto his monastre. And I sawe my selfe a man that, in shutyng, amonge cumpeny, was so moued into passion (because he myssed his marke, and purpose) that he brake hꝭ bowe all to shyuers. Many suche braydes haue we sene of impaciēce. And many persons bycause they lacked pacience in theyr labours, and in the beryng of y ^e rebukes / and intreates of theyr Maysters or suffraymes, haue cōmen to beggry / or fallen to thefte, of such [Page]other vnlawful lyuynges. The pacient persons: haue euer a fore syght what is necessarie to be don accordynge vnto theyr charge, and that wyll they do w ^t diligence, and w ^t good ꝑseuerant pacience: hauyng euer a good garde & warenes y ^t no goodꝭ be gotyn vnlawfully or cōtrarye vnto cōscience. And thys maye suffice to shewe that pacience is good and profitable for the true obteynynge, and getynge of worldly goodes, nowe for the garde, & kepynge and for the increace of those goodes.

¶ That pacience is necessarie for the due, and lawfull kepyng of such goodes as be truly, & lawfully goten. The viii. Capiter. ☞: ☜

THis cōclusion is sure and certeyne fyrst, that no goodes vnlawfully gotyn: may be lawfully kept. An other cōclusion, that in tyme of the extreme nede of the neghbur: no person may kepe: lawfully gotyn goodes: frō the due releue of such nedy ꝑsons. Dette also must uedely be payde as the dayse appoynted. For if any ꝑsones beynge in dette, and hauynge sufficient to paye (without the greate extreame hynderance of theyr state / and cō dicions of lyuyng I wolde, for y ^e increase of theyr owne goodes by the gaynes of that det: kepe hy [...] vnpayde they shulde do wronge, and that gaynes were vnlawfully goten, & lyke wyse of the reteyne and withholdynge of dettes for the mayntenaūce of vayneglorious astate. These poyntes, & suche [Page 9]other, secluded and put on parte, by due pacience. (for suerly they be euer done for lacke of pacience to departe with the goodes, all such goodes as be lawfully goten: may be lawfully reteyned & kept. But euer to be kept vnto a good and lawful purpose and intent and a good effecte & ende. And accordynge vnto the state and degre, or cōdicion of the persons. And so of the lawfull increasce of the same w ^tout vsurie, symony, fraude, gyle, desceyte or any suche other vnlawfull meanes, howe thys good lady our Maystres dame pacience, doth inserue and auayle vnto thys custodie / & increasce: may appere vnto you thus, yf you consyder howe the pacient persons done euer lyue amonge theyr neyghburs restfully, without discorde, or debate, euer redy rather to suffre wronge hurte, and losse: then to be at debate or to stryue with any ꝑson, so that euermore pacience induceth concorde. And concorde doeth folowe pacience, as her syster, and most by loued frende. And suerly by concorde: Salust. pacient, and peasfull lyuynge: small goodes, a lytle stocke: shall growe. encreasce, and multiplie. And by dyscorde, stryfe, and debate: greate substance of ryches, is sone sparpuled, & broght (in short tyme) vnto ryght noght, yf you wyl more clerely se and perseue thys truth: set before you, vnpacience and vnrestfulnes. For the philosopher sayth. Philo. Qui bene definit, contraria assignat. He that wold wel determyne & declare a thynge: wyl apoynt with hyt a contrary thynge. For contrary thynges ioyned [Page]and set forth together: do euerych more euydently appere, and shewe eche the better for other. For yf you set blacke, by whyte: the whyte colour, shall seme the whyter / & the blacke: the blacker. Sette nowe before you .ii. suche neghburs as haue bene knowne, bothe in one towne, bothe ryche, and of good substance, that for a tryfle, a thynge (as I was credible informed) passed not the valure of a grote or .vi.d. fell at stryfe / & went vnto the lawe, so longe, that nother of them was worth y ^e grote / or yet .i [...].d. And but late two ma [...]er of persons in dyuers cuntreyse dwellynge: and makyng sute at London at the lawe for landes came hyder vnto the pardone: and ared counsell: whiche ꝑsons not withstandynge dyd not folowe the counsell, vnto the tyme that they had spende more then y ^e landes were worth after .xxuij. yeres purches, and yet, in the ende, were fayne to folowe the same counsell that fyrst was gyuen vnto them. Dame pacience wolde here, haue saued, kept, & increasced all those goodes, your Englysh prouerbe than is full true. Sufferaunce doth ease, many other meanes, there bene as pride ꝓdigalite, and vnlawful pleasures: that done lyghtly sparpoyle & destroy great goodꝭ and substance for lackh of due pacience. So that we may well conclude / that pacience is profetable vnto the lawful getynge, kepynge; increascyng: & also spendyng of the wordely goodꝭ, which goodꝭ: (as we sayde) be the lyest / and in the lowest place of those cōmodites that do apparteyne, & belonge [Page 10]vnto man. Then foloweth of the cors, and body of man, which is more precious, then any worldly goodes. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ That pacience is cōmodious and profitable vnto the good state of y ^e body of man. The .ix. Chapiter. ☞:⚜:☜

WE put the body of man in y ^e secunde place as muche more worthy then y ^e goodꝭ, and yet vnder the fame, & good name or honour: in dignite and degre, althogh sume ꝑsons do set more by the sory carcas, then other by theyr name, or yet by the soule, vnto the good state than of the body to be kept, or recouered: our pacience is much necessarie, and profitable. For the pacient person is euer sobre, prouident and ware, bothe in wordes dedes, coūtenaūce, & behauiour. And the hasty man (sayeth the cōmune prouerbe) wanteth neuer wo. The countenaunce of man in lokes or gestures: doth many tymes, prouoke vnto Ire, and hathe ben occasion of bodely hurte / and harme, many ꝑsons by hasty passions: haue hurte them selfe. Yee, and some slayne them selfe / for lacke of pacience, many (for default of pacience: haue exceded in wordes, which haue bene occasion, and cause of bodyly hurte, and bludshed, Eccli. 6. a. where the pacient ꝑsons by soft and swete, wordes haue mytigate and swaged Ire, and restrayned hasty passions, and appeased the parties, Ibidem let neuer therfore (sayth the wysemā) a prowde hasty worde [Page]passe thy mouth, hasty passion & lacke of pacience haue brought and cast many persons into feuers, axes, variāt sekenece / and diseases. And also kept them longe therin, and increasced the same. And sume, for lacke of pacience, do rayle, & blaspheme god. And many wylfully done byde, and continue in sekenes: because they wyll not suffre to be laū ced, Qui pri ceptame dici nō seruat seip̄m intimit. cut or otherwyse cured. And sū wyll not kepe prescribed dyete, ne kepe the preceptes & cōmaundemeutes of theyr phisicions, surgions or leches, wherby they bene oftymes, causers of theyr owne death. And some haue had so greate malyce / and hatered vnto some ꝑsons: y ^t they had leuer suffer greate paynes in the body: then to be cured by y ^t / or those ꝑsons. Many and very many variāt and sondry incōmodites haue comen vnto the body of man, for lacke of pacience, whiche the meke paciēt ꝑsons do avoyde, and exscape. And yf by chaunce they be in ꝑyll, yet by paciēce they sone, & lyghtly recouer, and finde remedy. Some for very angre: freate them selfe to death, and that is for lacke of pacience. Thus you se and perceyue that vnto the good state of the body: pacience is commodious / and profetable. ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧

¶ Howe pacience is cōmodious and necessarye, vnto good fame and good name to be obteyned holden and kept The .x. Chapiter. ❧: ❧

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GOod fame, or good name: doth kepe y ^e thyrde place in ordre, as in dignite, & degre: more worthy then other y ^e worldly goodes, or yet the body of mā. For the fame doeth last, & byde after that the body is dede and roten. And doeth (in maner) rendre, and presente the ded ꝑson by recorde, and memory, as yet and euer lyuynge in honour, or dishonour accordynge vnto the merites of the ꝑson. Fame therfore is so precious: that (as I sayde before) some ꝑsons haue rather lost theyr lyues, then they wolde lose theyr fame, and honour. The cronicles and stories do cōtinue & kepe in mynde the fame, and the noble actes and dedes of armes of the pagans and hethyn men and be rehersed for examples. And so be the holy legendes or lyues of the blessed saintes: vnto theyr great glorye, and honour in our lorde, and vnto our edification. All Christians therfore shuld much cure and regarde theyr fame. Timo. 5 Timo. 2. Cor. 2. prope finem. For saynt Hierom sayth that our fame and good name: is a fragrant pleasant odour / or smell vnto Christe, as saynt Paule wryteth vnto the Corrinthꝭ. And in an other place he sayth that those be cruell ꝑsons that be negligēt and carelis of theyr fame. Fame than and good name: is a glorious thynge & muche to be desyred, & chyfely and derely to be kept, so hyt be ryghtly goten. For the good fame of the ypocrite is not well goten. Aug. de bond vi duitat [...]. And good fame doth folowe vtuous dedes (whether the ꝑson wyll or not) as the shado in the son: [Page]doth folowe the bodye. Let euery person loke wel than howe they desyre to haue good name, & fame For yf hyt be desyred for veyneglory, and so outwardly (by feyned vertue) and not inwordely before god de [...]e [...]ed hyt is then a lyer & shall (in the ende) come vnto the greate shame & rebuke of the person, Aug. cō tra pela [...]ium. Epist. 109. let therfore: very, and vnfeyned vtue: obteyn [...] & wyne the fame. And let the loue of honesty and the intente and mynde, of y ^e edificacion of the neghbur: reteyne and kepe the same. The persons of good name, and fame: be had in great loue, and fauour, in greate honour, and reuerence. And in great feare or drede. The holy wydowe Noemy, and her doghter in lawe Ruth: Ruth. 1. d. e. & 2 [...]ester. 9 b. Iudit. 8. a. Ph.. [...]. b 3. Regū. 10. a. 2. Para. 9. a. Math. 12. d. Hiero. ad Pau linum. were greately beloued, and fauored by theyr fame, and good name so were bothe Hester, and Iudit. And saynt Paule wylleth that the ꝑsons of good name, and fame: shulde be promoted vnto office rule, dignite / and honour: aboue other. The fame of kynge Salomon: caused the Quene of Saba to come frō ferre coūtreyse vnto hym, whose vertue she sayde, exceded the fame. The fame of Ti [...]us Liuius (as saynte Hierome writeth) caused many ꝑsones to come vn to Rome onely to se that man. And so we rede of many other ꝑsons that haue made great [...]orneyse passed the seese and many large, [...]ferre coūtreyse, in greate spens of theyr goodes; Hiero [...]bis̄. [...]great labours of theyr bodyes, & in great toperdy of theyr lyues: onely to se them in presēce: whose fame they herde of ferre, Iosue, Dauid, Salomon / & many other [Page 12]noble men: were had in great feere, & drede, onely by theyr fame. The cōmine prouerbe is in englysh it is a good thynge / to haue a good name. For he that hathe an yule name (saye they) is more then halfe hanged. For no waysh ne crafte: can purge clense, Hiero. nor put a waye the spottes and fylth of an yule name or fame. For the name of yule & wyked ꝑsons (sayeth the wyse man) shall putrifye & rote. Prouer 10. c. Eccli. [...]. f. I [...]dō. Pr [...]uer [...]2. a. Ecclesi. 7. a. Encli. 37. d. But the name of good persons shall indure laste & byde for euermore. Trake therfore greate care, & diligense: for thy good name and fame, For better is a good name: then greate ryches. And man other place he sayeth: that a good name is more holsome vnto the body: then precious oyntemētꝭ. And the fame of the wyse man: shall inheryte honour amonge the people, and shall lyue, and laste for euermore. But no man can be truly wyse: with out pacience. For euery vtu hathe nede of paciēce. The great clerke Pudencius sayeth in the place by fore named. De bel [...]tur & vic̄. Inde quieta manet, Paciencia fortis ad omnes. Omnibus vna quies, vittutibus associ [...]. Nam vidua est vi [...]rus: quam non Paciencia firmat. That is to say. Pacience doth euer remayne / and byde quiete, restfull, stronge, and myghty agay [...]t all enemies. And she alon: so quiete / and restfull: is associate, and accūpenied with all vertues. For that vertue is a wydo we / all without cōforde, and he [...]pe: that is not fyrmed stayde & made stedfast by pacience. Pacience than is not only the wynner, & [...]obteyner: but also the sure custos / & keper of all [Page]vertues, without whom all other vtues: do flowe, vanysh, and vttexly perysh. Paciēce is y ^e doghter of humilite, or mekenes. And in all maner of vertues: y ^e doghter is of more ꝑfection then y ^e mother by cause that doghter doeth conteyne the mother, paciēce cōteyneth mekenes. For euery paciēt ꝑson is meke, Sapie. 8. a. paciēce than doth vaynquish & ouercome all malice, and yule. And doth atteyne strech forth from the fyrst vertue of all vertues vnto the last / and doeth dispose and ordre all vertues swetely, gentelly in the best maner. August. Cato. For the most hygh honour of wordly persons is gotyn by pacience that is victorie. And the most noble & most honorable kynde of victorie (after saynt Augustyne, and the wyse cato, is goten by pacience. For crueltie / and vengeaūce can neuer wyn suche victorye as doth pacience. For pacience vaynquisheth & subdueth her enimies w ^tout strokes, Prouer 16. & w ^tout any Ioperdy of death wherfore, the victorye of pacience (sayeth the wyse man) is more noble, ysidorꝰ Solo. 2. Chriso. super Epi. ad Hebre. and more honorable then is the conquest of realmes or kyngdomes. Paciēce than in wronges, & to suffre mekely when a person myght resist, and doth wylfully susteyne and bere: is y ^e most hygh glorie, and prayse of the pacient ꝑson, and most disprayse / and condempnacion of the noyer and hurter. Cato. Catho sayeth, that amonge al the good maners of man pacience is y ^• greatest vertu, and doeth ingendre and gete most loue, most fauour and fryndeshyppe. And a boue all other vertues: doeth purches and wynne most [Page 13]laude and prayse. The wyse Solon, Salon. was therfore called or named of the people of athens not onely pacient: but also selfe paciēce. Paciēce than dothe syngularly & chesty wynne good name, good fame laude and prayse. So that without pacience: no ꝑson / in any storyes, or wryttynge, was euer praysed or yet accounted for wyse or vertuous. For pacience is called the custos and keper of innocence, the perfection of charite. And the preseruer of all vertues for without pacience al other vertues do flowe, perysh, and come to non effecte. Syth than (to conclude) no prayse of good name or fame cā be iuste / and true, without vertue, and no vertue may continue, and be preserued without pacience, we may well say, hyt must necessaryly folowe that pacience is profitable to obteyne, and wyn and to kepe good name, and fame, which (as we sayde) is more precious, then is other the goodꝭ or y ^e body. For hit indureth / & lasteth lenger. For as the prophet sayeth. Paciencia pauperum non peribit in finem, that is. The pacience of the ꝑson that is pore in spirite for our lorde: shal neuer perysh, but euer more induce. Amen. ❧:⚜:❧

¶ Of the fourth cōmodite frute and profecte of pacience. The xi. Chapter. ☞:☜

THe soule of man is more excellēt: then be the goodes of the worlde, or yet then is the body or the sayde fame and name. For the soule of man [Page]is the most noble creature of y ^e morlde, except only Angell. And yet many mans soule (althogh not in nature) but by grace & merite to be aboue angell. and so it is in dede in our sauiour, & in his blessed mother, and may so be in many other holy sayntꝭ, yf than we can shewe that thys goodely lady paciēce, is cōmodious, frutful, pfetable, & necessarie vnto the welth of the soule: then shal we accōplesh our promysse and enterprise. Fyrst than we muste cōsydre / & wey: what thynges do apperteyne vnto the welth of the soule, most directly, that is to say, shortly, fayth, hope, & charite. For these do set the soule in state of saluacion, without which no man may be saued, but of these .iij. charite is the chefe. Maior horum charitas, sayeth saynt Paule. And pacience (as we shewed byfore) is the perfection of charite: 1. Cor. 13. D. Ergo dame paciēce is necessarie vnto the saluacion of the soule. Of hope the apostle sayth. Spe enim salui facti sumus. By hope shall we be saued, Ro. 8. but we hope for that thynge y ^t we se not, that we ꝑceyue not, and therfore by pacience we byde, [...]nd tarye the due tyme. And the prophet sayeth. Good lorde, Psal. 7. thou arte my pacience. And my hope from my youth hyderto, But se what very paciēce spake and sayde by the flame of charite in y ^e herte of th [...] apostle who (sayde he) shal departe vs from the charite of Christe? Rō. 8. shall trouble or anguysh, shall persecucion▪ or yet honger▪ thurst or colde, or any peryl, or dent of swerde departe vs? nay certenly, but all thynges shall we bere by pacieuce, [Page 14]rather then departe frō the charite y ^• is in christe Iesu, without charite then we can not haue pacience. And yet pacience (as I sayde) doeth make that charite ꝑfecte. But without fayth can be no charite, nor hope. For no mā can loue ne hope that thynge that he knoweth not, but all the suerte of knowledge that we haue in thys lyfe: is by fayth alon. For no man euer sawe or hathe sene God in hys natural substance, but because we beleue that is taught vs by holy churche: we hope, and truste vpon the promises of god, and then of these: doth folowe charite for these do cause vs to loue god that made those promises vnto his louers. And so consequently: we suffre for his sake. And thus thā doeth pacience: ꝑfourme all those vertues moste necessarye vnto y ^e helth & saluacion of our soules. But nowe, bycause that our pacience is sometyme taken for the losse of worldly goodes. Sometyme for the hurte & noyance of the body. Sometymes for the blottynge, steynynge, and hynderance of fame. And sūtyme (byonde all these thynges) for the trouble of the mynde alon: we shall shewe you howe cōmodious and profitable pacience is vnto the quietude, and reste of the mynde.

¶ That pacience is profitable, and necessarye, vnto the quietude and reste of mans mynde The .xii. Chap. ☞:☜

[Page]

THe losse of wordly goodꝭ: may fortune vnto any person, without any hurt or noyance of his body, or of the fame or good name or yet without any ioꝑdy of soule, as when theues, or soden fyre do steyle and destroye the goodes, and yet when the persons hauynge y ^t losse: haue knowlege therof, the mynde is (cōmunely) troubled and gruged therwith. But ther then hath paciēce a place. For then doth the ꝑson, that is disciple vnto pacience: call vnto mynde: that al maner of worldly goodꝭ: be not gyuen vnto vs, as vnto propriete as our owne goodes but they be cōmitted and delyuered by our lorde, as his goodꝭ, vnto our necessarie vse and administracion and euer vpon a counte. For without any feyle: we shal rendre, & yelde a count of euery peny. And also y ^• sayde disciple knoweth well hyt is but lent good, and that also: without any day appointed or set, but euer at y ^e wyll of the owner, wherfore he wyl saye mekely and with due pacience, Iob. 1. b with holy Iob. Dominus dedit, dominus abstulit. &c. Our lorde gaue al and our lorde hath take it as it pleaseth our lorde: so be it, blessed be euer the name of our lorde. And lykewyse a ꝑson may be hurt, or greued in his body, although ther be no losse ne hurt in the goodꝭ, nor yet in y ^• fame and that when the mynde is quiete. But yet sone after: the mynde wyl be vnrested withall, and seke for remedy. And yf no remedy can be had, then the disciple of this good lady calleth for his maystres [Page 15]and she ful louengly is redy at hande, and sayeth. Remēbre (good chylde) what botches & skabbes / had holy Iob, & specially what payne thy sauyour Iesu suffred for the, and take me thy maystres to be thy leche, or phisicion, & thou shalte be lyghtly and well cased. Yet forther, the fame may be sore assayled and in greate ioperdye, without any losse of goodes or greaf of the body, and without any blemysh of the soule. As was in holy Susan, whē she was in harde case & shamefully accused: but se what her maystres, my lady dame paciēce dyd for her. For she neuer accused her fals accusers, ne yet vnto her dere fryndes, dyd she excuse her selfe: but bydynge with her lady pacience: she remytted and cūmytted her holle cause vnto our lorde and (with as fewe wordes, as myght shewe y ^t she was not careles, nor neglygēt of fame) sayde vnto our lorde O eterne, and euerlastynge god: that haste the perfecte knowledge of all hydde, Daniel. 13. e. and pryuey thynges, & that knowest all thynges before theyr bygynnynge: Thou knowest wel (lorde) that these men haue borne fals wytnes agaynste me and se (good lorde) I go to death, whyle I dyd none of all these thynges that they haue malyciously cō powned / and made (of theyr owne hedes) agaynst me. And forthwith (by the meane of my lady pacience) and of her mother mekenes: helpe came, & she was delyuered, and her fame and good name, not only p̄serued & kept, but also (vnto her eterne glorye) multiplied & increased. Nowe yet go forther [Page]vnto the selfe mynde: And you shall percey [...]e that althogh in a ꝑson the state of the goodes; of the corps, or body, of the fame, and good name, ye and also of the selfe soule: be whole & sounde / and stoude al vpryght: yet may y ^• mynde be sore vexed and troubled, Aug. de pacien. cap. as dayly happeth in euery tētacion, of the gostly enymyes, the dyule the worlde, and the flesh, & by many other occacions of theyr mē bers, and seruandes, 2. Reg. 16. b. as was in dauid whē he sled from his son absolon: a man called semet, a lym of the dyule: rebuked him extremely, in so much, that hys seruandes were greately moued therwith, so that one of them wolde haue slayne the wreche but dauid turned vnto my lady pacience, and so was not only rested in hys owne mynde: but also (with his wyse, & godly wordes) he appeased hys sayde seruandes. Thus appereth that pacience is good and profitable vnto the quietude and reste, of mynde. For the mynde is not onely moued and troubled by tentacions, and suche outwarde occasions but also many tymes without knowne occasion, when the persons within them selfe ben troubled & vexed, & can not tel why, nor w ^t whom & yet wyll they lum / & lowre, Tertulianꝰ in Apolo. & loke all of a ded fashon, and no thyng can please for that tyme. The cause wherof: may be an humour in y ^e body, and many tymes that vnrest of mynde cūmeth of opinion or suspicion, Seneca ad Lucil epla 78. whiche many tymes do muche greue & vnrest the mynde. For let a person put a way opinion and suspicion (sayeth seneke) and greate outwarde [Page 16]trouble: shall lytle, or nothynge greue. Aug. de pacien. La. 9. For pacience wylfully taken: doeth (by good deliberacion) auoyde all suche trouble: and wynneth / and geteth therby: great ease and rest of mynde. For y ^e person that hath wylfull pacience: Quinti lianus. La. 10. hathe but lytle payne. And the impacient person (by cause he wyll not suffre) doth not auoyde the payne & hurt that greueth hym and that he dredeth, but rather doth he multiplye hys payne by impacience, where the pacient person, that hath determinate wyll: rather to suffre: then to do any wronge, or puyl: doth mynushe, & make hꝭ payne, Ouidiꝰ 8. M [...] tha. fa. 7. or trouble much lighter & lesse by pacience. Aud yet doeth also auoyde / and excape many wors or greater troubles & paynes: wherinto he shulde (by impacience) haue siypped / and be drowned. The wyse seneke therfore sayde vnto a frynde of hys that was troubled and not pacient therwith. Vbi supra ad Lucil. Make not (sayde he) thy mater wors, and thy trouble more greuous: by thy quarelles, cōplayntes, and impacience. And vnto an other frende he sayde. Bere and suffer, sayth he) w ^t euyn mynde, Ad Pau linum episco 6 and good wyll and take also and account (as gaynes of marchandes) al suche aduersites, & troubles as fortune doth sende, or as happe, & fall by chaunce in this lyfe: for the tyme shall come in a whyle, & very shortly: Macto. that felicite and ioy, shall make an ende of al myseryes and yuyls. And macrobius sayeth, who so euer (for the tyme) wyll dissimble and lytle care for troubles, & vexacions: shall (in a shorte space after) haue (by the [Page]beniftce of pacienc [...], great rest of mynde, and ease and pleasure. Your cōmune englysh ꝓuerbe doth so affirme. valariꝰ maxi. libro. 3. Who so wyl suffre and be styl: shal (sone after) haue al theyr wyl. For thē is fortune playnly vaynquished & ouer comen, when she fyndeth a pacient person. Hyt muste nedely be true that our sauiour sayde vnto his apostles and disciples. virgiliꝰ eue. 5. In paciencia vestra, possidebitis aias, vestras. In your paciece (sayth he) shal you haue possession of your hertes and myndes, Lue. 21. when a man is troubled, and vexed: the mynde (as they saye) is not at home, the mynde is not quiet ne at rest, and so hathe he not (for y ^t tyme) the possession, of hym selfe. But when so euer he doeth returne ꝑfectly vnto pacience: thē shall he (in that pacieace) haue agayne the ryght possession of his herte / and mynde. Ther is great differēce bytwixe the possessyon of the mynde, and losyng of the inynde? But though a man had (by trouble) in manor loste hys mynde: yet he myght (by pacience) recouere that losse, & brynge y ^e sycke / and feble brayne vnto great strength, & hahylyte, where many ꝑsons (by impacience) haue lost theyr myndes, theyr lerning, and hygh wyttes, and gon starke madde and furious. For certēly one of the causes of furye, & madde rages: is prowde impacience, or impaciet pride. Pacience then euer doth rendre the mynde quiete, restfull sobre, wyse / & cō stant, And so is pacience cōmodious ꝓfitable and necessarie: vnto the quietude / and rest of y ^• mynde and cosequently vnto the welth of the soule, not [Page 17]yet that in the sayde text of y ^e gospel: Chryst sayde. In your paciēce: shal you haue possession of your myndes or of youre soules, he sayde not you shall in your pacience haue power, & possession of your worldly goodes or landes, nor of yo ^r bodies, nor yet of your name or fame, not w ^tstandyng y ^t vnto all these paciēce is ꝓfetable, yet shal you not haue in youre pacience, any possession of these. For you may be put from the possession of them all, & lose them and yet haue full good, and meritorious pacience, and yet you knowe wel y ^t for these thynges men do take full great pacience although they be of small price towarde y ^e soule. For they shal ꝑysh, but the soule remeyneth for euer. So muche the more therfore shulde pacience be taken for y ^e quietude of mynde, and saluacion of the soule. August. sermo [...]. 223. de tēpore. Thus haue we shewed of .iiii. commodities of pacience, nowe remayneth that we shewe vnto you of the merites, & smal rewarde of paciēce. Not w ^tstāding you muste knowe that the pacience that shall deserue rewarde: must be perfect and haue all due circūstaunces that bylongeth therunto.

¶ Of the circūstances of pacience The .xiij. Chapter.

TO knowe well y ^• due circūstances of pactēce hit shalbe cōueniēt y ^t you knowe the causers and mouers, vnto impacience, y ^t accordynge thervnto your pacience may reaunswere. For by .iiij. maners is pacience assayled and atempted. That is to say of God, and of the dyuyle. Of mā to mā / [Page]and of mans owne sensualite. Scripture sheweth y ^t almyghty god dyd ꝓue the pacience of Abrahā: when he cōmaūded hym to folowe the wyll of his wyfe Sate & so to put out his owne son Hismael, and hꝭ mother Agar vnto wyldernes, to go forth at a venture, Genes. 21. b. they wyst not whyder. A greate prof of pacience. And yet agayne when our lorde commaunded him to offre his son Ysaake in sacrifice. A meruelous excercise of pacience, Ibid. 12.8. a mā to slee his owne son, yet was Abraham euery where most paciently obedient. And lykewyse of holy Iob. The seconde assayler of paciēce: is the dyuyle, by tentacion. For he spareth no ꝑson of any degre, ne any place, [...]. Pet. or any tyme, but (as saynt Peter sayeth) he cumpaseth and roleth about and seketh whom he may deuoure. You knowe well, he tented & assayled our sayour. But w ^t greate paciēce he resisted and venquished hym. The thyrde assayler: is man on of another. And this assayle is so cōmune, that hyt nedeth non other declaracion but onely oure dayly expiēce. The fourth assayler is man of him selfe. For the sensualyte or concupiscence of euery man, doeth some tyme assayle hym, and tenteth to proue his pacience. Iacobi. 1. b. Vnus quis que (sayeth saynte Iames) Tentatur a concupiscencia sua abstractus & illectus. Euery man (sayeth he) is tented & assayled drawne away, & intyced from hym selfe: by his owne cūcupiscence. These assaylers wel cōsidered take hede nowe what circūstances and cōdicions our pacience must haue / yf hyt be perfecte. The [Page 18]fyrst cōdicion is, that it be true, and do procede / of loue, and neuer be feyned but alwaye to be as hyt semeth. Grego, in Homelia, suꝑ C [...] [...]udr. And that euer hyt dwel / and byde styll in the herte, inwarde: although hyt maye seme outwarde to be contrarye. Then muste hyt be shewed vniuersally, vnto euery ꝑson, in euery place. At al tymes. And in all thynges, but euer accordynge vnto y ^e assaylers or assayls therof. And of y ^• cause or mater moued. For some ꝑsons do seme very pacient, and do kepe good pacience, when they haue losse of theyr goodes, hurte in theyr bodies, or hyn draūce of fame and good name. And all wyll they paciently suffre: but not of al ꝑsons. For some can bere theyr souerynes and suꝑiours, but not theyr equalles, or inferiours. And some can suffre / and bere theyr fryndes, but not theyr foose or enemyes and yet some can better bere theyr enemyes: then any other ꝑsons, and fewe men can bere all ꝑsons Thys circūstance of the person therfore: muste be cōsydred. For hyt forsyth muche, who or what the person is: that doeth assayle, and moue the mater of impacience, and also the mater that is moued. For when god is the assayler and mouer? what so euer the mater be, y ^e verye disciple of paciēce: may neuer grudge therat, but though the mater were so greuouse that he coulde not well bere hyt: yet shulde he euer haue good wyll to bere hit & much more. And to be sory y ^t he doeth not bere hyt as he wolde, & shulde. And euer to saye w ^t Iob. Dominꝰ dedit dn̄s abstu [...]it. Sicut dn̄o placuit, ita factū est, si [...] [Page]nomen domini benedictū. That is. Our lorde hath gyuen vs all, and our lorde hath taken hyt a way, As it hathe pleased our lorde. So be it. Blessed be euer the name of god. We shewed you before that the mater of impacience maye be ministred sometyme by the assayle of y ^• dyuyle that neuer resteth to tēte / and assayle man in al that he can: but whē the discipe of my lady pacience doeth ꝑceyue that hyt cūmeth of hym: then must he myghtly, & manfully resiste and withstāde, as dyd saynt Katerine, saynt Marget, and dyuers other, that made opyn batayle with the dyule, & had noble victorie ouer hym. I [...]. 4. v. For (as saynt Iames sayeth) Resistite diabolo, et fugiet a vobis. Resiste and withstāde you the dyuyle: & he wyll fle frō you I sayde also thyrdly that the mater of impaciēce is ministred sūtymes of man vnto man, and thys is cōmune and dayly in experiēce, here then must the disciple of paciēce consydre the state of the person that doeth assayle, and proue the pacience. For although pacience shulde be had vnto all ꝑsons: yet the maner / and byhauiour of that pacience is not alway to be excerced and vsed after on fourme and lyke maner. For vnto the soueryns vnto the parentes, & vnto Maysters and suꝑiours: pacience must be shewed and had with due reuerence, and honour, & with wordes and countenan̄ce accordynge what soeuer the mater be. But of the suꝑio ^r vnto y ^e inferiours / may sometyme seuerite, and ernest byhauiour be shewed outwarde so that euer charitable pacience [Page 19]be had inwarde. Howe correccion shulde be done of them that haue charge: we shewed you in your boke of housholders. And howe, equals: that is ꝑsons of lyke degre: shuld byhaue them selfe, eche vnto other in pacience: the apostle Paule techeth saynge. Honore inuicem preuenientes. That is euerych to preuent theyr cōperes in honour, Ro. 12. c. reuerence, and good brotherly byhauiour. Vnto oure frendes: our pacience must be shewed, with frēdly thankes, kynde & louynge wordes. And vnto our foose and enemyes: math. 5. g. Lucke. 6. d. e. our sauiour doeth teach vs in the gospel howe we shulde behaue our selfe, sayng I byd you that you loue your enimyes, do good vnto them that do you harme, and yuyle. Speke fayre and blesse them, that do speke, rughly, & that do banne, and curs you. And this may serue and content you as vnto the circūstances apꝑteynyng vnto the person nowe vnto the circūstance of the place. For sume ꝑson can well and ordrely fuffre / and bere all persons accordynge vnto theyr astate and degre, but not in al places. For some that bere the losse of suche landes or goodes as be in y ^e cūtre ferre from them: can not bere the losse of theyr inheritaunce, or of those goodes that be at home in theyr house, and sure possession, as we haue in the boke of kynges of a man that was called naboth Iezrahelita, that by no meanes wolde departe frō hꝭ inheritance y ^t kyng achab, wolde haue bought, 3. Regst. 12. a. and bycause he sayde hym nay: hyt coste hym hys lyfe, although by wronge which wrong was after [Page]reuenged by almyghty god. Sū ꝑsons can bere & suffre rebuke of any ꝑson but not in the presēce of people. And fewe ꝑsons wyll haue pacience in all places. And therfore the disciple of pacience must haue inwordly pacience in all places, although the maner be outwarde erneste. As by case, a wyse man wyll bere a large rebuke of hys wyfe or of hys seruantes in secrete place, that in open place: may iustly seme not to take hyt with paciēce. And lykewyse of the circūstance of tyme. For some that can bere both the ꝑsons & the place: wyll not bere at all tymes. For when the brayne is troubled by surfete, Eccle. 3. A. & b. or the mynde sodenly assayled with vnacustomed and vnused vexacions, dyseases, or troubles: many ꝑsons do then forget paciēce. But the disciple of my lady pacience: wyll take good hede vnto the tyme. For although the wyse man saye, ther is a tyme to wepe, & a tyme to laugh, a tyme of silence, to speke lytle, or no thynge. And a tyme of spekynge, to talke and commune, yet is ther no tyme of impacience, wherin my ladyes disciple may cōtrary vnto her discipline, be inwardly moued at any tyme. Notwithstandynge that the respecte and greate weyght of all these .iij. forsayde circūstances, that is to saye, the person, place, and tyme: doth hange much vpō the fourth circūstāce that is to saye the mater, and cause ministred. For the mater and cause may be agaynst god, and his lawes, or agaynst the neyghbour, kynne, or frendꝭ or agaynst our owne ꝑson, nowe yf the mater and [Page 20]cause be agaynst god vnto the iniury & wrong of hym or his lawes: to suffre then that wrong is no pacience, but rather iniquite, and wykednes. And yf the mater be agaynste the neyghbour: then to dissymble that wronge and as hyt were no thyng to medle therwith he cate therfore: is a negligēce, and greate vnkyndnes, bycause y ^t euery brother. Chriso. super [...]ath. and faythfull Christiane hathe cure, and charge of other. Nowe muste the disciple of pacience loke well what the mater is. And vnto whom hyt doth apperteyne and belonge, and therafter must he ordre hys pacience. For in the mater or cause that belongeth vnto hys propre person: to suffre muche wronge: is laudable, & much to be praysed, yet must you here remēbre, that on man: may bere and vse two persons, that is to saye, a cōmune person, and a priuate ꝑson, euery man is fyrst in hym selfe a syngular priuate person of soule and body, on man. And when so euer any suche priuate ꝑson is (by the eleccion or suffraūce of god) called vnto any cōmune office, rowlme, dignite or degre, as to be a kynge a soureyne, or a ruler and gouerner of any cōmunalty, or cūpany or as theyr curate then bereth that man two ꝑsons, and then yf wrong or rebuke, be done vnto his owne propre person, hyt may be laude and prayse, and also meritorious to suffre, but yf lyke thynges be done vnto hym / as the cōmune ꝑson, Kyng, Mayre, Shyryf, Byshop Abbate, soureyne Curate / and al suche other: then may it nat be suffred without the offence of that [Page]cōmunaltye / whose ꝑson he bereth, & so is it of thē that in prechynge or in ministracion of the sacramētes: do bere the ꝑson of Chryst, or of the church And therfore the iniurie, and wronge done vnto any suche a publique and cōmune ꝑson: muste be corrected, Iohn. [...]. f. refourmed, or at the least excused. For of both do we rede in scripture. For our sauiour him selfe dyd excuse hym vnto the Iewes when they sayd he had a dyuyle within hym, he sayde, nay, I haue (sayd he) no dyuyle, but I honour my father. And so may any priuate person excuse hym selfe, when the iniurie or wrong leyde vnto his charge: dothe sowne, or appere to be agaynst the honour of god, or vnto the rebuke of any other persons / then hī selfe, Daniel [...]. c. f. as we haue of Susan, when she was fasly accused. And y ^t the iniurie of the neyghbour shulde be defēded: we haue in the boke of Daniel, howe he defended the sayd Susan. But the iniurye of god: maye neuer be ouerpassed, nor yet of those publique and cōmune ꝑsons that do vse his rowlme. Moyses dyd reuenge and punysh the in iurye, Erodi. 32. f. and offence of god in them that dyd ydolatrye: and caused them to be slayne by theyr owne kynne and frendes. Io. 2. [...]. And our sauiour dyd punish, and dryue out of the temple, byers, & sellers. And howe they were punyshed that vexed & despysed, Nume. 16. d. Deut. 11. a. Psal. 105. b. his prelates doth appere, in Dathan and Abiron, and Chore, that by y ^e vengaūce of god, dyd synke into hell quycke, with theyr tabernacles / and all theyr substance. And by mary also the syster of [Page 21]Moyses, that for grudgyng agaynst Moyses her brother and soueryne vnder God, was stryken sodenly with a plage of leper, Nume. 12. C. and so remayned vnto the tyme that by the prayer of her brother: she was cuxed & healed by miracle. The same thynge is setforth in the fourth boke of kingꝭ, howe those saldiours that (with despecte) came to assayle, and vexe the prophet of god Helias: Ca. pri. were al destroyed by vēgaūce of god. Many such exāples, be shewed in scripture. The iniurie also of al cōmune ꝑsons: is in maner the iniurie of both god & man, whiche therfore may not be suffred vnpunyshed yet may not any correccion be done by impaciēce with Ire of stomake to reuēge & wreke the selfe wrong, but rather by the zele of equite, and iustice, as by the exeample of our sauyour, when (as is sayde) he droue the byers and sellers out of the temple, and of Moyses when he brake the tables, & cōmaūded the correccion, and manslaughter that I spake of before, bothe they semed to be angry, wroth, Ioan. 2. & impacient yet were they not so in dede. But they shewed & taught howe correccion must be done duely and iustly. So that pacience be euer kept withinforth in the herte, mynde & cōcience. And yet withoutforth to be done with seuerite & ernest maner, in contenaunce, wordes, dedes, and byhauiour, as best may cōduce, and profet vnto y ^e welth of the synners & trespasers accordyng vnto the qualyte and quantite of the synne and offence for the saluacion of theyr soules, & the reformacion of theyr [Page]maners. And where the synners & offenders may be refourmed, and appeased, or made better, by pacience, 23. q. 4 Tolera dum. there, wyl the meke, and true disciple of my lady pacience, vse her, & take bere and fuffe wroge and despecte, or rebuke of the noughty & yuel persons. For suerly, that person was neuer perfecte disciple of pacience ne yet of any other vtue: y ^t (in suche case) wolde not gladly suffer, Grego. 2. Moral. et in Homel. suā Cuz audiretis. & bere y ^e wyked ꝑson. For though in dede many persons be verye frowarde and muche importune yet there then to suffre (sayeth Seneke) is most glorious victory, & most hygh prayse. Thus haue we shewed you, of the circūstances of pacience, vnto whom, where, when, wherin, and in what maner: pacience is to be kept and vsed. Seneca de Clemētia. lib. pri. And so is pacience, hauynge all due circūstauce: much ꝓfetable vnto y ^e soule, both in that hyt doth remoue, and put away therfrom, all that shulde be noyans and hurtfull therunto, and maketh the body subdued, Aug. de pacien. and obedient (as seneke sayeth) vnto the soule. And also wynneth most merite and fynally hath most hygh rewarde of the whiche merite, and rewarde we shuld nowe speke, Ad Lucil. cp̄m 78. but that I thynke least to shewe you / fyrste howe this pacience that so doth merite / & obteyne rewarde: maye be adquired and gotyne, and ons gotyne: howe hyt may be preserued & kept / or (at the least) recouered.

¶ Howe pacience is adquired gotyne and lerned. The: xiiij. Chapiter. ❧:⚜:❧

[Page 22]

TThose persons that do desyre & wold fayne haue a rewarde or a gyft: must by some meanes deserue hyt before they haue hyt. And that deseruynge is by labour, or diligence / and that labour or diligence can not be done: tyll hyt be lerned and gotyne, and yet euery labour or diligence doth not deserue lyke rewarde. All these thynges be opyn bnto your syght and knowledge as well in artes mecanicall, and handy craftes: as in speculatyue sciences. And when the science, conynge or crafte is lerned & gotyne, yet w ^tout deseruinge cā no rewarde be had. Siquis non vult laborare nō manducet. He that wyll not labour: Paule, 2. Thes. 4. c. shall haue no fode, he getes nother meate nor drinke: y ^t no thing wyl do therfore, saynte Paule agayne. No person shalbe be crowned, but that lawfully doth stryne. Thys terme stryue in Englysh dothe syngnyfye and betokyn dyuers thynges, as in wordes or dedes. But specially in cōmune camps, 2. Tim. 2. a. where bene certen rewardes or gyftes set forth, and appoynted for the stryuers of euery game, as where is a generall shutynge there is a standarde of syluer, for the arowe, and flyght theyr syluer tokens, and dyuers ꝑsons do there stryue, whiche maye shute fortheste & so wynne the best game, & lykewyse of other games & camps, as of wrasklyng, runnyng for the glayue. Iustynge for the dyamāde & suche other, euerych a propre rewarde accordynge vnto theyr merite, and deseruyng, but he that wyll not [Page]stryue, ne put hym selfe forth to do what he cā: he shal haue no game at al, he getes no rewarde. So in lyke maner of pacience, he y ^t wyl not lerne / and gete pacience & then vse & excercise pacience, accordynge vnto the lawe of the game, that is to saye: after y ^e fourme & maner byfore showed: he can not haue the garlonde, and rewarde of paciēce. Fyrst then take hede howe paciēce is lerned, and gotyn. Euerye arte or crafte that is lerned doeth fyrste byholde the ende, that is, why, wherfore, and vnto what purpose, a person doeth lerne thys crafte or that, more then an other crafte. Suerly y ^e rewarde is the cause and ende, to haue a lyuynge as they saye. Tece. in Tus [...]. And (as Cicero sayeth) men cūmunly do sette theyr chyldren vnto that crafte that best is rewarded, as in some tyme, & in some regions (sayeth he) mynstrels, Definicion of Exercise. & peynters, were most set by, but euery man lerneth that vnto hym or vnto hys frendes semeth best to brynge him vnto that rewarde, and state of lyuynge that he most desyreth, howe than euerye crafte is lerned: we shewed you in youre draught of death, Definicion of Experience. that is to say by experience, and experience, by excercise. Excercise, is an acte, dede / and an vse of workyng, or laboryng. Then doth a ꝑson excercise paciēce: when he doth put hyt vnto vse in workynge therof, or laborynge therin. Experience (after Aristotle) is a knowlege, Primo Methaphisic̄. and profe of that thynge that is founde out, and gotyne by excercise. And by many experimētes or experiēces: (sayeth he) arte or crafte is gotyne, And yet muste [Page 23]the lerner, haue some maner of teacher, or some introduccion / and bryngynge in vnto that crafte that he wolde lerne. For although, that many persons, by natural wyt, with diligent study, with the helpe of suche experiences and lernynges as they had before in other artes: may lerne some artes or craftes by thē selfe (as dyd saynte Augustyne and dyuers other) yet were they not vtterly without a teacher. For that naturall wytte, & y ^e experience of those other thyngꝭ that before they had excercised, dyd helpe them vnto that arte or crafte that they semed to can, without any teacher. The definiciō. of Practyse. Experience w ^t practise: is called also a maysters. Practyse, is the oftyne workyng, and vsynge, of that arte, or craft that was lerned and gotyne by excercise / and experience. And yet vnto all these who so euer shal lerne, gete, and can any arte or craft: must haue due, and conuenient mater, wherin, to worke and excercife / and to haue experience, and to practyse. And yet byfore all other: hyt hys necessarie, and conuenient that euery person that wolde lerne, shulde knowe what the sience, arte or craft is: that he desyreth. And that is called the definicion / & declaracyon of that thynge. As yf a ꝑson wolde be a glouer, & lerne the crafte of glouerye: he must knowe what is glouery, what is ment by that terme / and worde, glouerye, as thus. Glouerye is an arte or crafte to shape, and duely to frame an instrument or garment for a mans hande, called a gloue. And gramer is a science or conynge to speke wryte or [Page]vnderstande euery sentence ryghtly accordynge vnto congruite. Nowe I praye you se howe we haue hyderto kept this order, in al our intracty of pacience. Fyrst we setforth y ^e definicion, in dyuers maners. Then (after the due prayse of pacience) doeth folowe of the cōmodites of pacience, as the cause why and wherfore paciēce shulde be lerned and practysed. The mater (I sayde) of euery craft or conyng must be had, as lether vnto the glouer, or cordiner. Cloth vnto the Tayliour, or Draper. And the .viii. partes of reason: vnto gramer. The mater, of pacience: is trouble, vexacion, hurt, harme, gref, and losse, and these or any of them to be in wordly goodꝭ, 2. Moralium. in the body, in the name or fame, and in the soule. Which we haue sūwhat touched byfore. Saynte Gregory sayeth, that who so euer wyl be Abel: 11. Moralium. must be excercised with Cayne. That is to meane that who wolde be in the state of Abel all pacient: must be excercised with the trouble or the malyce of Cayne. And in an other place. The vertue of pacience (sayeth he) is neuer proued in prosperite, but in the cōtrarie y ^t is aduersite. For as golde & syluer be tried & fyned in the fyre, so be the disciples of pacience tried & taught in trouble, and aduersite. Aduersite than trouble & noyance is the mater wherin pacience is lerned & gotyne. For yf a person wolde byleue that he had paciēce, without trouble, and without great excercise therin: certenly that pacience were but a peynted pacience. There is muche difference bytwene a fyre [Page 24]made of wode, cols, or such other cōbustible mater that wyll sone or lyghtly brenne. And a fyre peynted vpō a wall. And certenly so is hyt of those forsayde paciences. For as peynted fyre can not bren you, so pacience without trouble can not ꝓue you Trouble than is the mater. Nowe as vnto the doctours, instructours / and teachers of pacience: ther be many. For euery thynge that doeth gyue a mā occasion vnto paciēce maybe takē as a teacher therof. Instruction than / & teachyng is required. For although paciēce, as other vtues may be had by infusion, y ^t is by the gyfte & sēdynge of god w ^t out any helpe of other creatures yet bycause thys meane, is not cōmune: but of synguler prirogatyue: we wyl not speake therof. For S. Paul knewe wel y ^t fayth myght be had by infusion, yet sayd he. Ro. 10. Howe may y ^• people byleue, & haue fayth without heryng, & teachyng as though he sayde, hyt cā not cōmunely otherwyse be had, and so saye I of paciēce. And yet also, although some artes or craftes may be lerned (as I sayde) by self study & diligēce yet is not that cōmune nother. Than is teachyng the comune way. But her vnto some ꝑson myght saye, that saynt Augustyne calleth pacience a gyft of god, certenly: so hyt is: I do not deney. And so be other vtues, although not by infusion. Paciēce is so hys gyfte, bycause that (of hys owne fre wyll & gracious goodnes) he doeth frely offre hyt vnto man, and then wyll he that man shall worke wyth hym, by good wyl and consent, and lykewyse in al [Page]vertues byfore they be had, and yet when they be had: they can not be kept w ^tout hym. For he doeth alwaye folowe & worke with man, as well to ende as to begyn, yf man do y ^• is in hym, yet muste we haue instruction, & teachyng, whiche standeth in preceptes, cōmaundementes, or reules, and in examples, or in bothe. So haue we of pacience, we haue some preceptours, maysters, and teachers by preceptes by exeamples, and some by bothe. The greate mayster almyghtye god in holy scripture doeth (by the wyse man) teach vs the way & meane vnto pacience, thys is the precept and cōmaundement, saynge. Fili accedens ad seruitutem dei, stain insticia, Act. 2. a et in timore, et prepara aiam tuam ad ten tationem. &c. That is to meane. Sonne, or childe yf thou wylt accede, approche, & drawe nere, vnto the bondage, and thrall seruyce of god (whiche: in dede: is most hygh liberte, and fredome) thou must standefast and styffly, in iustice, and ryghtwysnes and in drede. And thou must also prepare, & make redy thyne, herte & mynde, vnto tentacion. Thrast downe thy herie, and holde hit vnder. And take pacience, and suffre. And inclyne, lay to thyne eare and herynge, and so receyue, and take the wordes of vnderstandynge. Suffre thou, & bere the sufferynges of god, after hys wyl, And be thou ioyned coupled and knyt vnto our lorde, and suffre: that by the last, thy lyfe may growe and increas. What so euer is applyed, and put vnto the: take hyt, and in sorowe: suffre / and bere. And in thy vyle & lytle [Page 25]reputacion: haue thou pacience. For golde, & also syluer: is proued, and tried in the fyre. And so be the acceptable persons, in the chymney or fournes of humilite, and mekenes, that is pacience, yf you drede, and feare our lorde: then susteyne, and bere hys mercifull troubles. For the fournes doeth ꝓue the potters veselles, & so doth the reptacion & assayle of troubles, proue the iust ꝑsons: Hyderto y ^e sayde wyse mā. Saynt Paule a good mayster & teacher of paciēce: sayde, No. 5. [...]. y ^t he reioyced & was glad in troubles. For we knowe wel (sayeth he) y ^t trouble worketh pacience, & pacience worketh probacion, & probacion worketh hope. And hope in god: doth neuer cōfounde ne deceyue any ꝑson, yf you wyll lerne pacience (than) you must loue trouble & neuer fle nor auoyde the cūpeny of vnrestful and troublous ꝑsons. The holy prophet Dauid sayd Cum his qui oderunt pacem: eram pacifieus. Psal. 119. I was (sayth he) peacefull and restfull, and a maker of peace: with them that hated peace. And when I spake feyre vnto thē: they (without cause) impugned and contraried my saynge, and so thwarted with me. Iacobi 1. [...]. Blessed is that person sayeth saynt Iames that suffreth temptacion & trouble. For when he therin is proued: he shall receyue the crowne and garlonde of lyfe. And before that, he sayeth. Thynke you & iudge, or suppose (myne owne bretherne) that all ioye and pleasure is, when you fall in to variant and dyuers tentaciōs and troubles, knowynge for certente, that the probacion [Page]& ꝓfe of your fayth: doth worke paciēce & pacience shal haue the worke of perfeccion, y ^t so you may be ꝑfecte, & whole vnto god, in no thynge feyntynge feylynge, ne lackynge. Thus haue we shewed you of one mayster and teacher of pacience, which by certeyne preceptes & rules of holy scripture doeth teache the disciples and lerners of paciēce: to loue troubles and to be excercised in troubles & by no meanes to fle nor auoyde any wrongꝭ. Nowe shal we setforth some doctors that do teache pacience by exeample, and those be in two maners, that is to saye worldly persons, and gostly persons.

¶ Of the exeample of worldly persons. The .xv. Chapiture. ☞:⚜:☜

WE may take exeample to lerne pacience at the worldly folkes, and that as well of the that be yuel, & dampnable ꝑsons: as of them that be good and vtuous. The ambycious synners to atteyne, and wynne wordly honours, and dignites: by ryght or wronge: do take and suffre gladly losse of theyr goodes, Ioperdy and hurt of theyr bodyes, lytle carynge for theyr name & fame, & lesse for the welth of theyr soules, whiche thynge we haue, not only of the storyes of the getyles, Salu [...]. as of carelyne, in Saluste / and of the syege of Troye in Vergil, but also in holy scripture, as in the bokes of kynges. Vergil. In the Machabies and in many other placꝭ, although we name none [Page 26]of the cronicles of christians. Augu [...]. sermūe. 223. c. de tꝑe. et de paciencia. 3. et. 4. Cap. Theues also & robers, vnclene liuers, & sawldiours: do take meruelous pacience in all troubles, and Ioperdyes: for to obteyne that they vnlawfully couet, & desyre. And so do many full good vertuous ꝑsons as the marchantes, shypmen, pore housbādes artificers and laborers. And all worldly persons: whiche (by good reason) may moue, & make the gostly ꝑsons abashed and a shamed, when they se and perseue these maner of lyueres take suche pacience in so greate paynes, and all for to haue and gete those thynges that be vncerten vnto thē, but onely that they hope, & trust to obtayne them. And yet when they haue the full possession of them at desyre, and pleasure they be in as great vncertēte howe longe to kepe and inioye thē, or whether they shall soner be taken from theyr goodes by death, or theyr goodes from them by chaunce Rede the gospell Lucke .xii. C. But vnto the true pacient persons: Luc. 12. theyr gaynes be euer sure, so that when they haue ons the rewarde fynall, of theyr paciēce: they shal be sure neuer to departe therfrom, ne euer shal h [...] be lesse in any parte, but rather more. And cōtracie is it of those thynges for the which the worldly ꝑsons do suffer. For when they haue gotyne, & haue in possession y ^t thyngē they labored fore, & desyred yet: besyde y ^t (as we sayde) that they be vnsure of y ^• kepynge therof: they may be sure it may & shal be mynushed, & made lesse dayly. Alas howe is it th [...] that the gostly persons be not prouoked by theyr [Page]exeamples (to suffer, & bere more gladly troubles, and paynes for God, and gostly gaynes? I feare me, Lucke. 16. [...]. hyt be as our sauyour sayde of worldly wysedome / or wytte. Saynge. The chylderne of thys worlde be more prudent, and wyse, or wytty of prouision, in theyr kynd: then be y ^e chylderne of lyght and grace. So I thynke, that y ^e worldly ꝑsons do more feruently desyre those thynges that they suffre for: August. sermōe. 223. c. de [...]pore. then do y ^e gostly ꝑsons. For. S. Augustyne sayeth, that the violent feruour of desyres: doeth cause in man, the tolerance and sufferāce of troubles, labours & paynes. For no man doeth gladly suffer, and bere that thynge that doeth put hym to losse, or vnto hurte, payne, & grefe: but for the loue and desyre of that thynge that vnto him is a delectacion and pleasure. Aug. de paciētia Capi. 5. And therfore, the more vehement and huge, the more ardent & flamynge / that the sayde delectacion, cōcupiscience, and pleasure is in man: so much is he, therby rēdred, and made more paciēt to, suffer and bere all maner of sorous paynes, & greues, for that thyng y ^• he so coueteth, desyreth and loueth. That desyre (than) and loue: is the cause of pacience, and suffrance, as well in gostly as in worldly ꝑsons. The loue of y ^• worlde: in worldly ꝑsons. And in gostly persons the: loue of god, whiche two loues: as they be in them selfe dyuers: so haue they dyuers begynnynges, and sprynges. For the loue of the worlde hath begynnynge and sprynge in the frayle and corrupte fre wyll of man, procedynge of the fals flaterynge, [Page 27]voluptuous beawtye & semynge pleasure of worldly thynges. And is fastened, pyght & groūded to remayne, & cōsume in the herte & mynde, by lewde vse, & vnlawful custome, which custome (after sait Ysodore) so byndeth the person. Ysodo. Vt vix remoueri posset, That skant (sayth he) or vūeth, it may euer be remoued, But the godly, and gostly loue, is not so ingendred ne brede in man, but rather is diffused, shed and powred downe vpon vs, & so synketh into our hertes, of the holy goste & spirite, [...]o. 5. a. that (as saynte Paule sayeth) is gyuen vnto vs. And therfore the pacience of the gostly persons: is of that spirite, that so dyd sende and mynistre the sayde loue, & not of the selfe ꝑsons, though they be neuer so iuste and gostly. For (as we sayde before) it is a gyfte of god, that no person (of hym selfe) may obteyne or come by. Notwithstādinge euery man (as oftymes we saye) hath of god that grace frely gyuen of his owne bountie & goodnes: that he maye dispose hys wyll, hert & mynde to leyne vnto that grace, and to folowe the mocion therof. So than is the pacience of gostly ꝑsons: 1. Cor. [...]. Aug. de paciēti [...] grounded & hathe begynnyng & rote of charite (whiche as y ^e Apostle sayeth) doeth susteyne, suffer and bere all thynges to be borne and suffred. Accordyng therfore vnto the quantite of loue and desyre in both, the gostly and worldly ꝑsons, is the quantite of paynes and troubles, for y ^e thyng that is beloued, & desyred, is more strōgly and gladly suffred, and more mekely and myldly borne and taken. Yet is there muche [Page]differēce betwene these paciences. For the worldly pacience ingendred of worldly loue of those thynges that be transitorye, and that sone passe and be gone: Ioc. 3. [...] is not from aboue (as saynte Iames sayth) of sapience. 2. Io. 2. And saynte Iohn̄ cōmaunded his disciples therfore that they shulde not wyll ne desyre to loue the worlde, nor those thynges that be ther in. The worldly pacience (than) is al worldly, and the gostly pacience heuenly. The one bestly & carnall. The other gostly and spirituall. The one / synfull, and dyuelyshe. And the other good, and goodly. Vnto the ton pacience: man may attayne and rech by hym selfe, by his owne wyll But vnto the tother not so. And why. The cause is that the cōcupiscens, desyre, and loue wherby the worldly ꝑsons do so styffly and obstinately bere and suffre paynes and sorous: is of the worlde & all synfull, and man (of hym selfe) may fal into synne, though he can not by hym selfe aryse agayne vnto the state of grace, as by exeāple, a man cā not clymbe vnto a steple toppe without streyrꝭ or some other-helpe, but when he is at the hyghest place therof: he may of hys owne wyl without helpe fal downe But vnto the gostly pacience: man may not so attayne, and come, of hym felfe, be cause the seruou [...] loue, and desyre wherby the gostly ꝑsons done so strongly, and meruelousely, suffre so wonderfull paynes: is of god, and god is a spirite impossible that maye not suffre ne haue any payne. A man therfore can not loue that thynge impassible: with [Page 28]out he be holpyn & inflamed with that godly fyre that is the holy goste, & so then maye he loue god, and by that loue he may suffre, and gladly bere: vnsufferable and vnbereable paynes for god. For (as we sayde before) charite bereth and suffreth al thynges. Psal. [...] 3. d. From the whiche charite saynte Paule sayde no thyng shulde departe him. Nother trouble, nor anguyshe, nother hongre, thyrst, nor colde no peryle nor ioperdy, ne ꝑsecucion nor vengaūce no dent of swerde nor drede of death. For hyt is wrytten that we be mortified & put to death euery daye / in all our lyfe tyme for the (good lorde) but in all these do we venquyshe and ouercome al for hym and by hym that hathe ꝑfectly loued, vs. For I am certene (sayeth he) that nother death ne lyfe, nor angelles, nother pryncipates nor vertues, nother thynges instant or presēt, nor thyngꝭ to come. No strength nor power, nother heyght ne depthe, nor any other creature: may departe vs from the charite, and loue of god, which is in Christe Iesu, our lorde and mayster. Nowe you se what myght and strēgth loue hathe, and howe inwordly ꝑsons hyt causeth them to take great labours and suffre muche, and so to lerne pacience / and yet is hyt in dede: no pacience, nor worthy the name of paciēce, although hyt be a suffraunce, and so doeth seme only pacience. For (as we haue shewed before) the cause of the suffraūce doeth make pacience, & not the selfe suffraunce, yet may we christians take exeample at theyr suffraūce that be worldly: to lerne [Page]and wynne true faythfull & meritorious paciēce. And muche may we be abashed & a shamed of our dulnes and vnkyndenes, when we se or here howe they suffre & bere for y ^e vayne loue of theyr lewde desyres, and howe lytle payne we take and suffre for god, to wynne very pacience. Nowe let vs thā [...]urne our face frō thys maner of paciēce, because we perceyue hyt is not true paciēce, although the exeample myght moue vs and so teache vs / and let vs folowe y ^e exeamples of better maysters and more sure lernynge. ❧:☞❧:☜

¶ Of the exeamples of gostly persons. The .xvi. Chapiter. ❧:⚜:❧

SAynte Iames sayeth we may take example of the yuel labour, I [...]. 5. [...]. payne and pacience of yuel persons, but muche more of y ^e holy ꝓphetes, whom nowe we blesse and prayse, for theyr paynes and suffrynges, you haue harde (sayeth he) what Iob suffered, and what ende our lorde made: you haue sene and perceyued. Nowe than, yf we shall take the doctryne and lerdynge of our pacience / before defined, Ro. 2. [...]. and destribed, at and by exeample, We maye well begynne at the exeample of oure Lorde god that (as saynte Paule sayeth) doeth (by greate pacience) tarie, byde, and loke for oure [...]ōuersion from synfull lyfe vnto good lyfe. Aug. de paciētia Cap [...]. But here must you beware that you thynke not ne beleue, pacience to be in god as hyt is in vs. For w [...] [Page 29]can neuer haue pacience without payne, without suffrynge of losse, hurte or grefe, whiche maner of passions be neuer in god, but when god doth mynystre Iustice, & so doth punysh the synne of man: then we saye that god is angry & displeased, and yet in dede ther is no perturbacion of y ^t passion of Ire in hym. And agayne when he doeth vse vnt [...] vs his mercy, grace, benignite and goodnes: then saye we that god loueth vs, & is pleased with vs, and yet be ther non suche mutacions nor chaungynges of affec [...]yons, or passions in god. And yet may we say that god without any passion: is most hyghly paciente. And that he hath not only moste parfecte pacience: but also that he is the selfe essenciall pacience, and the founteyne, well spryng, and begynnynge of all good pacience. And therfore they erre and thynke muche a mysse: Aug. de paciē [...]s et eypr [...] anus. aug. [...] supr [...]. Cap. 5. that do saye they may haue pacience of theyr owne selfe by the libertye of theyr fre wyll. For Dauid sayde, good lorde god, thou arte my pacience. That god hath pacience, and that muche and meruelous, aboue that any tonge can speke, or any hert may thynke appereth openly from the begynnynge of the worlde. In that specially: that he so paciētly, and mercifully suffred and bare, the greate vnkyndnes (& yet forther) the great rebellious obstinacie, and disobedience, of our fyrst parētes Adame, and Eue. And also of theyr fyrst sōne Cayne in fleyng of his brother Abel. And euer (sythe that tyme hytherto) hath borne and suffred, and yet doth, bere [Page](vnto the greate contumely and dyspyte of hys mayeste, & honour) the ydolatrye of Caynes poste ryte ysshue and ofsprynge, Cyprianus vbi supra. and of al infideles that sette vp theyr fals goddes & theyr ydoles of yerth metalles, of ston, & wode, in theyr profane tēples that is to saye, such tēples as were neuer cōsecrate ne halowed, but (cōtrarye vnto all good religion) wyched & cursed, he suffreth them to do vnto them sacrifice and sacrilege. And yet god doth not only suffre, and most paciently bere them in all these & many other abhominacions: but also dothe gyue hys gyfies equally as well vnto thē as vnto hys chosen chyldren. The son, the mone, and y ^• sterres the elementes all maner of wedders, all maner of frutes and fode, in lyke vnto the good, and badde or yuel ꝑsons. And although hyt be in hys power, and also iuste vnto theyr deseruynge, to take vengaunce and wreke vpon them, & vtterly to destroy them, yet notwithstandyng y ^t he is dayly assayled and prouoked by theyr many, & cōtinuall offences and malycious hardnes of herte, yet (I saye) doth he, by great pacience, differre his iustice, and doth tary, byde and loke whether they wyll chaunge / & amende theyr lyfe. [...]cvi. 18. For he sayeth. Nolo mortem mo rientis. I haue no wyll that the synner shulde dye in his synne but rather that he shulde be cōuerted and turned from the death of synne, and that he shulde lyue. M [...]la [...]h. 3. Iohel. 2. Retourne (sayth he) and come agayne vnto me. And by hꝭ ꝓphete. Iohel Retourne you synners, & come home (sayeth he) vnto your lorde [Page 30]god. For he is merciful pytuous and pacient, and hath greate compassion vpon the myserie of man, redy euer to restrayne, and withdrawe his sentēce, and iugement agaynste the malice done & shewed vnto hym. 4. Isbr [...] Ca. 180 prope sine [...] Here nowe dothe appere that we maye take exeample at our lorde god to lerne pacience. For (as we haue in a reuelacion of our holy mother saynte Bryget) pacience dothe enter, & synke into the herte and mynde of man, by the exeample of our lorde god and of his holy sayntes. Sythe god (than) is bothe our lorde and our father (as chryste sayeth in the gospell) we ough to loue, that he loueth. For that thynge that he loueth: is to be (of ryght) beloued. And that thyng, that he loueth his goodnes, & mageste, doeth cōmende & prayse, and setforth for exeāple to be folowed. And euery seruante is bounde to folowe his lorde, & mayster and hyt becometh the chylde: to folowe the father. And so dyd the olde fathers of the olde testament: folowe god in pacience as theyr lorde, and father. Adame had greate pacience with Cayne when he had slayne his dere beloued sōne Abel, and he had no mo sonnes then but hym alon, wherby Adame had greate occasion: to fle hym agayne as iuste & due vengeaunce, for hys treaspas, & so dyd Cayne suppose, & feare he wolde haue done. Ge. 3 c, For he sayde vnto our lorde god, when he had cursed hym for hys wycked dede, lo (sayde he) nowe dost thou cast me from the face of the yerth, and I muste be hyd from thy face, and I wyll be a vagabunde, and a [Page]tenegate in the yerth, and therfore euery person that fyndeth me: shal haue wyll to fle me, but our lorde was more paciēt & wolde not suffre that: but rather let hym byde: y ^t all the worlde myght lerne paciēce, & so dyd Adam & Eue, & theyr doughters. For so paciently they bare & suffred y ^t vengeable dede, y ^t none of them dyd so muche as chalenge or rebuke hym therfore. For they knowe wel he was so indurate & styfe w ^t despere: y ^t he shulde rather be wors by theyr wordꝭ, then better. Paciēce then was best. And Abel also was an exeample of pacience, and a fygure of Chryste, sythe he wolde not resyste, Ty [...]anꝰ de paci [...]. ne withstande, nor stryue with his brother, but lyke a lambe mekely and paciētly suffred hym to do what he wolde: The pacience of Noye, was notable, that without murmure or grudge, suffred so mekely y ^• punyshmēt of our lorde, & also the mocke & dishonoure of his owne sōne Cham. [...]c. 6. [...]. And Abraham when he was cōmaūded to, fle and offre hys sonne, was (without resystence, with all pacience of deuocion moste redely obediente. And Ysaake his sonne, Ibidē. Bene. 22. b. e. Ibidē. 27. g. Be. 32. with lyke paciēce and deuocion was as redy to be offred. Iacob shewed great pacience when he flede out of his countre from hys father and mother, for drede of hys brother Esau. And yet more pacient when he mekely appoynted to appease hym, hys enimye, with large presentes and gyftes. Ibedē. 37. c. And what may be sayde of Ioseph, y ^t not only dyd bere & suffred the great & innatural vnkyndnes of his bretherne paciently: but also [Page 31]forgane them, and fedde and cōforted them moste charitable. Moyses was despysed, & suffred many rebukes and great troubles of the most vnkynde people of Israel, Exo. 32. & nere at the poynte to be stoned vnto death of them. And he most mylde & paciēt: prayed full hertely for them Dauid suffred great ꝑsecution of Saul, 1. Re. 2 [...] Ibidē. [...]4. & yet when he had hym in hys daunger: he fauored and spared hym, & also when he was ded: he mourned and bywayled hym, 2. Re. 1. and reuēged hys death, yf we shuld here recount Samuel, Helias, Helizeus, Esay, Hyeremy, and al the holy prophetes, howe they by suffraunce wanne the crowne of pacience: hyt shulde be to longe a worke. Yet one great chāpion & syngular exeāple of paciēce shall I set forth byfore you that is holy Iob. Loke vpō hym wel: and you may lerne good pacience. We shewed you before (yf you remēbre) that all the assayles and troubles, & tentacions of pacience do fall and come vnto man, other by the losse of wordly goodes or of possessions, or of the losse of fryndes, or els for the hurte of the body, or els for the blotynge and steynyuge of fame and good name, or els for the greue of mynde or ꝑyll of the soule. And in all these cōmunely mā is troubled and tented, by man, notwithstaudynge that sometyme, god (as I sayde) may, and doth ꝓue the pacience of his seruantes, and so doth the dyuyle by hys lycence, & suffraunce, also. And this assayle is most extreme & greuous, bycause of the powere subtilite, & malyce of the enemye, that alway doth [Page]as muche as he is suffred of god, which is euedēti hys dede vnto Iob. For fyrst he assayled, & examyned hym in hys worldly goodꝭ, & y ^t not after the cō mune maner of fortune, to lose a part: but he toke all, Iob. 1. [...]. d. and that substance was not small, for he was a lorde of goodes & very ryche. And yet went he more nere hym. For where he was more ryche, and greater lorde in y ^t he was a father of many fayre / and bothe goodly & godly chylderne: he toke them all, not one by one, as sekenes, & cōmune plages do: but all in one instant, by a soden and vēgeable maner of death. And yet forther, whē he was leste without all worldly helpe, and cōforde, except his wyfe alon (that vnto her housbande was as euery wyfe is one body, one flesh, and as an other selfe he and so shulde haue bene vnto hym a syngular helpe and conforde) the dyuyl armed her agaynst hym, I [...]r [...]ez. as before he had done Eue agaynste Adam / and when he had lost al the worlde, & yet beyonde all: the dyuyl had stryken hym with sekenes most myserable, not w ^t the ston, or colyke, or w ^t feuers / and cōmune plagꝭ: but so (with boytches & sores) bewrapped him that from the sole of the fote vnto the crowne of y ^e heade: Iob. 2. [...] was no place hole, nor yet without extreme and moste greuous payne, ache, and woa, and that contynually, daye and nyght euery houre & minute without any remyssion, ease or reste, and so clerely and vtterly forsakyn of all creatures: hauynge no place to byde in: but the muckehepe, or dongehyll, whervpō settynge, and [Page 32]with a shell scrapynge the skabbes, & wryngynge and a voydynge the stynkynge matter out of hys sorofull sores: she (I saye) hys wyfe, so armed and taught (as I sayde) of the dyuyle: ferre passed her mayster. For whē he had (frō most hygh, ꝓsperite) brought hym sodenly to be nother lorde of goodꝭ nor seruantꝭ, nor yet father of any chylderne, and in body without helth vnto most cruel tourmētes and miserie: she yet (beyonde al thys) assayled him with the most vnnaturall and must vnheltheably wounde of vnkyndnes, whiche most vncureable perceth the herte. For in stede of louynge & frēdly cōfortable wordes: she assayled him w ^t vpbraydes and rebukes, and (ouer all) with poysoned & more then dyuylyshe counsell, whereby, he shulde not onely haue lost for euer, his most noble and moste glorious & godly fame, & good name, of Iustice, Iob. [...]. [...] whiche he had aboue all men vpō yerth (god hym selfe to mytnes that sayde of hym, y ^t no man vpon yerth was lyke vnto him, symple, playne, without gyle or deceyte, and so dredful to offēde our lorde) but he shulde also haue dampned his owne soule, whiche was all the infors & labour of the dyuyle. For when she had sayde that all his hope & holynes was vayne and loste: she counseled, hym to blaspheme god, and then to fle or kyll him selfe, to be rydde and delyuered of his sekenes, & myserie. But nowe marke well (for your lernynge) what he aunswered vnto all these assayles, and troubles. Fyrste when all his goodes, and chyldrene were [Page]gone: he sodenly chaūged hym selfe and his aray, and fell downe prostrate vpon the yerth & worshyped our lorde and sayde. God gaue all, & god hath taken hyt awaye, as hyt hath pleased our lorde: so hath hyt come to passe, blessed be the name of god. And vnto hys wyfe he sayde. [...]ob. 2.8 Thou spekest nowe, lyke vnto one of the fols that be faythles. Sythe we haue taken of the hande, and power of god all our goodes: why shulde we not susteyne, bere, and suffre the yuels, and greues. In all these thynges (sayeth the scrypture) dyd Iob, no thynge synne nor offende, in hys lyppes nor wordes. Lo in all these conflictes and assayles, Iob was nothynge broken ne bowed, but amonge all hys anguyshes pressures, assayles, blessed god, wherby his lady & maystres dame pacience had in hym the victorye and triumphe. De pacientia. homilia. 4. For (as saynt Iohn̄ Chrisostomus sayeth) Iob had buylde his house y ^t was his soule vpon the faste and stable rocke & ston of pacience and not vpō the grauell of impacience. Math. 7. Our lorde in the gospel sayeth that the wyse mā doth buylde hys house vpō a ston, and the fole, vpō the grauel, and when the wynde, leyte, thonder, and stormes come: the one standeth & by deth all bruntes, and the other falleth to ruyne, and is destroyde. So (sayeth he) yf a person wolde passeforth vnto euer lastyng peace: let hym seke for paciēce by suffryng and beryng of trouble, and buylde his house that is to fyre and appoynt his soule hert / & mynde to byde what so euer come, be hyt aduersite, be hyt [Page 33]prosperite, and nother seke the one nor the other. For nother of thē can hurt him that is so appoynted but rather bothe, may profette hym. And contrarie, that person that doeth buylde vpō grauel, that is: that setteth hys mynde to folowe vayne & voluptuous pleasure: is hurt by them bothe. For he is as sone ouerthrowne with ꝓsperite, as with aduersite. Exeample of both, Exāple. yf fyne golde fall in to the water: take it vp agayne / and hyt wyll kepe bothe his colour, & fynes. And caste hyt forthwith into the fyre: and hyt shall nothynge be the wors, but rather the more feyre, and more fyne, and yet be fyre and water cōtrarye. And so is it of the iust person, appoynted (as I sayde) both in welth and woo. But take cley, & caste hyt into the water: and hyt wyll parte sone in sondre. And yf hyt be put in to the fyre: it wyll ware harde & out of kynde, and lykewyse of gresse, put it in water and it wyl sone wyder, and rote, and cast it into the fyre: & hyt wyl be shortly brent or burned vp. And so is hyt of the neglygent careles person without appoyntment. For it is not the nature of tentacions & assayles: that causeth the house, to stande nor fall, but the appoyntement and disposicion of the mynde. For the houses spoken of in the gospell: were all one, both were houses, bothe fully edyfyed, & buylded, both of one and lyke edificacion, the assayle of the weders were the same, here rayne, & there rayne, here flodes: & there flodes / here thonder, and leyte and there the same, here wyndꝭ & stormꝭ & there in [Page]lyke maner. And yet the one house standeth faste / and y ^e other, falleth downe, and why? because the foūdacion, and groūde was not all one It is not than the nature of the tētacions, assayles or troubles, but the foly of the buylder: that causeth the ruyne, and destruccion. Iob therfore pyght hys fundacion suerly vpon the rocke, so that the furious rage of the most malicious, & angry dyuyle, nor yet any of hys wyles or craftes coulde moue hym. Take good hede than (you desiples of pacience) and loke well vpon Iob, where & howe he sytteth in his golden throne, garnyshed & ser with the moste glorious apparell of perles, & precious stones in hys robe of purpure decked w ^t diamoū des. For so I assure you, was that mucke hepe or dongstyll where he sate amonge the extrementes and fylthy auoydance of bestes, in the robe & most ryche aray of his holy & glorious body, purpured with his precious bloude, and meruelous matter decked with the diamondes of boytches, Thriso. homilia 5. a. byles & scabbes. For (as they sayde clerke saynte Ihon̄ sayth) that donghyll was more noble, & worshypfull then any kynges throne and that aray: more ryche. For yet vnto thys daye (sayeth he) greate multitude of people of all maner of degrees and nacions do go in pylgramage, Nonate howe muche then relykes were in frō ferre coūtreyse ouer many sees: vnto the countre of Arabye, to se and loke vpon that donghyll and when they le it: they kneled downe with greate worshype & kyssed the holy groūde where his blode was shed, which [Page 34]is more precious and ryche: then any gold & those boytches and scabbes: more dere, honele▪ M. yerꝭ ago and more. and desyrable / then any gēmes or precious stones, and more be these profytable vnto euery Christiane: then all worldly goodes, and ryches. For yf (in case) a man had lost a substance of goodꝭ or had a chylde ded or a wounde in his body: what profette or cō forte shulde they syght or loke of a kyngꝭ throne, and hys apparell full of gēmes, perrye & precious stonꝭ: do vnto hym? suerly non at al, or verye lytle nor yet vnto any other ꝑson: but onely a tēporall delectacion, & pleasure, sone passed. But let him (in most hygh discōforte) loke vpō Iob, & he shal se a noble mā & very ryche (for so was Iob) spoyled & all hys goodꝭ loste in an houre. And yf hys sōne & heyre were ded & he w ^tout yshue: let hym loke vpō Iob, and se hym accūpenyed with .vii. sonnes, and thrye doughters and all maried notable persons of synguler vertue. And a verye greate houshold and all sodenly slayne. And yet hys noble corps & bodye, of tendre educacion brought vp, lyke a gentelman, and neuer seke nor sore, before y ^t tyme, & nowe sodenly stryken, not w ^t one sore or twayne but (as I sayde) from the sole of hys fore vnto the crowne of his heade, all full of moste paynfull sores. Let the sorofull ꝑson (I saye) loke hereupon and he shall suerly be eased and releued more thē by the syght of all y ^e royalte of this worlde. Nowe good Christians you that wolde lerne pacience: loke vpon thys throne, & chere, y ^t is the donghyll, [Page]and se Iob sytte there amōge those fylthy maters And ymagyne him to be an ymage of al golde set (as I sayde) and decked with diamondꝭ & gēmes of all kyndꝭ of precious stones and more rychely garnyshed then I can tell you. For I can fynde non so fyne mater vpon yerth: that myght be cō pared vnto that blody body. So much was y ^e nature of that defourmed flesh muche more worshyp full and honorable: then any yerthly mater moste p̄cious. And those boytches, & byles: more bryght then the son beames. For those do gyue lyght but onely vnto our bodyly syght, and eyes, and these do illumyne & gyue lyght vnto the eyes & syght of our soules. And also they made y ^e dyuyle blynd and put out hys syght, and also put hym (lyke a cowarde) vnto flyght. So sayth of hym saynt Iames Resyst the dyuyle, and he wyl fle frō you and saynte Paule, Iacobi 4. b. Ephe. 4. f. gyue no place vnto the dyuyle. So dyd he frō Iob, when he had so vexed hym, in hys goodes and frendes in his body, and (as much as lay in hym) in his fame, and soule. And when he herde hys aunsweres and sawe hys pacience: he flypped and stale awaye, and neuer more appered. Nowe agayne (you disciples of pacience) lerne at thys doctour and sure scolemayster the discipline, and exhortacion of the reason, meane, and way of pacience, and howe muche: trouble and tentacion is profetable therunto, and howe muche pouerte is a boue ryches: and sekenes aboue helth. And (to conclude) aduersite aboue and more profetable [Page 35]then prosperite. For when Iob was ryche, in helth, and in prosperite: then the dyuyle had somwhat to do with hym, he complayned to god vpon hym, and he fought with hym hāde to hande, as you haue herde a more meruelous batayle then euer you herde of, among the gētiles or euer redde of in any cronicles or stories. But when he had made hym pore and seke, & caste hym in al aduersite, then he durste not ons hysse any more: but venquyshed and ouercome: he ran awaye a pase lyke a these with much cōfusion, and great shame lerne you nowe thys lesson, & folowe the holsome exeample of thys valeant & most victorious champion, whiche notwithstandynge: was but a figure of the most excellent and chefe champion, y ^e prynce of pacience, and the very selfe essenciall pacience.

¶ Of the pacience of our Lorde and sauiour Iesu. The .xvii. Chap. ❧:☞❧:☜

OVre sauyour Iesu sayde in y ^• gospell, that the chylde doeth nothynge, but y ^t he sawe hꝭ father do. Io. 5. d. And euery chyld doeth folowe y ^e father, we shewed you before somewhat of the paciēce of the father of heuen. Nowe shall we shewe you of the pacience of our Lorde, and greate mayster Iesu Chryste, hys essencial son, & our father, & sauiour. For he dyd folowe hys father. And he wolde we shulde also folowe hym, and so with him to be the [Page]chylder also of hys father. And suerly hyt is no smal prayse for a man vpon yerth to be lyke vnto god in heuen. Nor yet no smalll felicite and ioye For a person to haue that thynge in vertue, that may be cōpared or lykened vnto y ^e laude & prayse of god. And because therfore y ^t we shulde be lyke vnto hym by folowyng of hys pacience: he sayde vnto his disciples and by thē vnto vs. Estote perfecti: sicut et pater vester perfectus est. Mathe. 5. [...] fine. Be you (sayth he) perfecte: as your father is ꝑfecte. So sayde he, the chylder of god shulde be perfecte, and so he shewed and taught that those that by the celestial and heuenly natiuite, and regeneracion: were repared: shulde be made fully ꝑfecte: yf the pacience of god the father: dyd remayne, and dwel in them and yf the similityde, & lykenes of god were manyfest, openly shewed, and dyd shyne in theyr workes. He taught hys disciples, yf they were stryken vpon the one cheke: to turne the other. Our sauiour than dyd not onely teache vs paciēce by wordes and preceptes: Mathe. 5. f. Lucke. 6. c. but also he expressed & setforth pacience in his workes which workes, and howe he so dyd: is not loste labour to recoūte, although I knowe wel you haue them before you, in many bokes. But the louer (as you knowe) wyll be glad to heare, and speke oftymes of that thyng that he muche loueth. And I presuppose that you be the louers of Chryste, and therfore can neuer here ne speke to muche of hys actes. Prayse you than and wey fyrst: howe excellent pacience hyt was. [Page 36]for hym that was the sonne of god, & he the same essenciall god, equall vnto hys father and in all thynges of lyke maieste: to come downe from the throne of the trinite, vnto thys vale of myserye / although he nother lost ne lefte any parte of perfection therby. And nothyng to abhorre dedygne or disdayne the wombe of the virgyne, and there to take our vyle nature, and in the same nature to suffre and bere all the myseryes & paynes of man, that becūmeth hym to bere, and that were sufficiēt for mannes redempcion and to shewe hym to be a naturall man. Mag [...] st [...] s [...]nt [...]r [...]. 3. lib [...]. Capt. 15. And for because (as he sayde hym selfe) he dyd descende, and came downe to do and fulfyll the wyll of hys father amonge other meruelous workes of his vtues (wherby he expressed and setforth euydēt tokyns of his diuine, & godly mayeste) he also kepte (by the tenour and ordre of suffraunce) hys fathers pacience. Iohn. 6. d. For forthwith after that blessed incercacion: all hys other actes and dedes: were accumpenyed and gatnyshed all with pacience, he suffred in hys moste gloryous byrth, great incōmodites. A kynges sonne and he a kynge hym selfe: borne in a coyshe, in bytter cold and in sted of a kynges cradle: he was leyde in a chrayche wrapped in hay bytwene two bestes, he shed hys p̄cious blode as other synfull chylderne paynfully circūcysed. For he that neuer dyd, nor euer myght do any synne: wolde suffre, & bere the synne of other ꝑsons. And settyng asyde or layng on parte (for the tyme) hys inmortalite, he suffred [Page]hym selfe to be made mortall and dedly, that innocent & gyltles in hym selfe: he myght be slayne & deye for the gylty man. And yet in all hys depe pouerte he toke the due honour of kynges when he was shewed vnto them by myracle of the sterre to be the kynge and maker of the worlde. And yet sone after when he had bene presented in y ^e temple he suffred hym selfe and his dere mother and supposed forther, to be dryuē to flyght out of hꝭ owne natyue countre, vnto a strounge lande. And not longe after hys retourne: he wente mekely w ^t his parentes vnto Ierusalem at the tymes statuted and ordined to do sacrifice. And although a chyld of .xii. yeres: yet as an auncient man in wysdome and lernyng, he taught the docto ^rs in disputyng: the mystryes of theyr lawes. And for the conforte of hys soroful mother myssyng hym thrye dayes: he descended and came downe from Ierusalem w ^t her, & her housbande hꝭ supposed father: vnto nazareth. And was subiect, & obedient vnto them as a chylde (although god) vnto hys parentes, he also lord vnto S. Iohn̄ baptiste, dyd not dedygne ne disdeyne to be of hꝭ seruant baptized, & washed in the lauacre, and foūte of regeneracion amonge synners, notwithstandynge that he came to gyue remyssion and for gyuenes of synnes forthwith after hꝭ baptyme: he went into wyldernes among bestes, and there alon without any cūpeny of mā: fasted frō all maner of bodely fode .xl. dayes and forty nyghres cōtynually, be cause y ^e other ꝑsons [Page 37]shulde therby be fully fedde and made spiritually fatte. He then beganne to be hongry, & to fele the payne of honger: because that those that were famyshed for greate defaulte of the worde of grace: shulde be ful fedde with celestiall & heuenly bred. And yet before that he toke any bodyly fedynge: he suffred the tentacion and subtell assayle of the dyuell, and waged with him open batayle, hande for hande, and victoriousely venquyshed & ouercame hym, and put him to flyght. And so gaue vs bothe exeample, & also strength: so to do in euery tētacion, He than beganne to do myracles, and to shewe exeample of all perfection, and to take bodyly labours, to go aboute the countrey, in hete, & colde in cawme & stormy weders, by water and by lande, in honger and thurste. Faynte and wery, to preche and teache the worde & kyngdome of god. And amonge his disciples not as a lorde ouer his bonde seruantꝭ by worldly pompouse power: but euer beynge, gentil, mylde, and meke: he intreated them in all and withall brotherly charite and loue howe greate pacience he expressed in berynge and sufferynge of the Iwes: no tonge can tell, he shewed vnto thē: vnspekeable kyndnes & they reanswered hym euer w ^t most vnnaturall vnkyndnes, he was borne of theyr nacion in theyr countrey. Math. 15. [...]1 And (as he sayd hym selfe) he came pryncipally for that people. And there he byganne fyrst to do myracles, & to preache with all diligence to brynge them vnto the ryght fayth, & vnto the true vnder [Page]standyng of theyr owne lawe. And they wold not receyue hym, nor gyue credence vnto hym, he fede them by myracles: and the sone forgate hym, and neuer thanked hym therfore. He cured theyr seke people by hys godly vertue. And they sayde hyt was by the power of the dyuyl, when so euer they toke occasion at any of hys wordes, or workes, he euer charitably satisfyed them by auctoryte and good reason, when they proudly spake vnto hym: he mekely reaunswered when they with raylynge wordes, rebuked hym: he with softe & soubre maner: spake vnto them. And euer was he most diligente to wynne and gether them vnto god: that were moste rebellious and obstinate. And when they pursued hym: he auoyded and gaue place, tyl hys tyme, was cū that he him selfe had appoynted for his death. And then howe cruelly they behaued thē selfe towarde hym, the ordre of his passion doeth shewe, euidently. In euery artycle wereof is playnly set forth, both theyr extreme malycious crudelyte and bytter malice. And his most hygh charitable pacience. To recounte here and rehers vnto you the sayde passion: nedeth not, you haue hyt in so many workes & bokes, setforth by ordre of dyuers auncient auctours. In thys, on thynge you may note hys paciēce meruelouse wonderful and perfecte, that he dyd not onely bere, & suffre hys enimies, so mekely and constantly in all hys lyfe: but also dyd praye for thē so charitably, and wepynge so hertely vpon the crosse, at hys death. [Page 38]O meruelous and must vn declareable exeample of pacience, he taught his disciples this pacience before in precepte by wordes, as the gospell doeth wytnes in many places. Math. 5. g, In Math, he sayde vnto his disciples I bydde you (sayeth he) loue youre enymyes. Do you good vnto them that hate you and praye you for your persuers & harmeres. And for them y ^t shamefully & falsly do rebuke you that you may be the chylder of your heuenly father, & so (in conclusion) to be perfect in pacience as he is. And when our sauiour (goynge to death) had washed the fete of hys disciples and also (for y ^e great exeample of pacience) the fete (amonge thē) of hys enymye and fals traytoure Iudas: he sayd vnto them: Se sayde he, & take hede, knowe you what I haue done vnto you. Io. 3. [...]. You call me mayster and lorde, and you saye well. For in dede so I am yf than I your mayster & lorde: haue wayshed youre fete: you muste also (of duete) eueryche washe the fete of other. For I haue gyuen you exeample, y ^t as I haue done vnto you: so shulde you also do, in lyke maner. Note you, deuoute disciples, what he dyd vnto them and what exeample he gaue. In that obseruance of washynge he gaue the exeāple of profounde mekenes, and in the berynge and suffrynge of the traytour Iudas he gaue exeāple of must perfect pacience, For he knewe well before that he wolde betray hym, & yet notwithstandyng he ꝓmoted hym vnto the must hygh degre of hys church y ^e ordre appostolyke. And not only washed [Page]hym with his other byloued frendes: Augu. temo. 4. contra dona. Epist. 163. pagina. 478. d. et temo 8. In psal. 10. In do. cōfido. but also fede hym amonge thē w ^t hys owne holy sacred body, & precious blode. Remembre you nowe, howe meruelous pacience hit is to knowe a domesticall / and housholde enemye: and neuer to detect ne by wrey hym, and yet when he came vnto the dede: wolde not denye to kysse the treatour. Thus you ꝑceyue howe he bare and suffred, that his vnreasonable, and insensible creatours myght not bere. For the son, the mone & the starres, and the foure elementes: dyd not bere ne suffre his death paciently, but openly shewed them selfe to be confounded troubled and discontent therwith. The son and the mone & the starres (bycause they wolde not se, and beholde y ^t cruell dede of the Iues) dyd hyde and withdrawe theyr beames and lyght. So that the nyght dyd close, & shyt vp the day &, all remayned in darkenes. The yerth quaked the stones brake, graues opened, and ded corses dyd aryse, and all to complayne (in theyr maner) vpon the innocent death of theyr maker. And he hym selfe, in al thys wrongfull intreate: nothynge sayde, ne spake ther vnto nothyng was he moued. Nor yet (in al these paynes and passion) shewed he any sparcle or the least token of his maieste to be knowen, but perseuerantly, and cōtinually; he suffred all vnto the laste ende, bycause that my lady paciēce s [...]de in hym tryumphe, and be shewed and knowe a [...]l all / and perfect. And yet after all thys: se and by holde a pacience, aboue paciēce, that is that he dyd, and [Page 39]yet doeth, receue vnto grace them that slewe hym, and that they may be cōserued, & kepte therin. He setteth open the gates, & sacramentes of his holy churche vnto all persons that wyll retourne and come whome vnto hym. For the moste vnkynde, aduersares, the most fel blasphemers and raylers and the most cruell and hatefull enemies of hys holy name, yf they wyll repente and do penaūce: knowlegyng theyr defaulte, and trespas: he doth not only receyue vnto grace, and forgyue wholly, and fully all theyr synnes, but also he doth gyue them inestimable & vnthynkeable rewarde that is, 2. Cor. 1. e. here in thys lyfe a confortable quietude & reste of cōscience. For saynt Paule sayth. Our glorye prayse, and conforte, is the testimonie and wytnes of our conscience, and thys is no small gyfte nor lytle to be estymed or weyed, but yet that foloweth is more and greater gyfte that is the rewarde of the kyngdome of heuen in ioye and blys euerlastynge. Oh good Iesu, what may be more paciently, more benignely and gently, or what maye be more louyngly and mercifully, spoken ymagyned, or thought. Those that shedde the blode of Chryste: were quyckened, and made lyuely, by the same blode of Chryste. Suche and so greate and meruelous is the pacience of Chryste. And els, yf hyt had not bene so greate: we shulde haue lacked and myssed in the churche of Chryst many greate doctours and teachers, and examplers of paciēce As saynte Paule saynt Cypryane, & dyuers many [Page]other, yf we than do dwell, and byde in Chryste, (most dere bretherne & deuote scolers of pacience) yf we haue clothed (as saynt Paul sayeth) and put Chryste vpon vs, Ro. 5. d. as our lyuery that is, yf we wyl faythfully were hys lyuery clothynge, & bere hys connysaunce and bage of armes, yf we take hym for the way / and meane of our helth, & saluacion: let vs (then) that do folowe hys holsome steppes: go, 1. Io. 2. and passeforth after hys Exeamples, for saynt Iohn̄ sayeth, who so sayth he dwelleth in Chryst: must walke and go forth, after suche forme & maner as he walked & wente. And saynt Petre sayde vnto hys disciples, 2. Pe. 2. Chryste dyd suffre, and take payne and passion for al leuynge and gyuynge, exeample vnto all you faythfull people, that you shuld folowe hys steppes. For he dyd neuer synne nor trespas, nother in dede nor worde. Note thys poynt well (good deuote reders) that syth our sauiour Chryste neuer offended in the least thynge, and yet suffred moste, and that moste wyllyngly also without any gruge: hys exeample of paciēce: muste nede be vnto vs excellent and occacion (of good reason) for vs to take pacience and gladly to suffre / that we haue well deserued for our synnes and offences. ❧:☞:❧:☜

¶ That our owne myserie and multitude of our synnes shulde moue vs vnto pacience. The .xviij. Chap. ❧:☜:❧:☞

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YF we cōsyder how much we (of iustice) be bounde, and howe muche (of good reason) we haue deserued to suffre: we may the rather be moued vnto paciēce Fyrste than that we of iustice, & ryght: shulde suffre all paynes, and sorowes paciently: let vs remēbre the sentēce of our lorde god, which sentence (anone in the bygynnynge of the worlde, and of man kynde) he gaue vpō our parentes and forefathers Adam and Eue, because y ^t they myndeles and forgetfull of hys cōmaundement: wylfully brake hys lawe, wherby all theyr posterite, yssue, and ofsprynge: be borne, and bounde vnto pressures, cōflictacions, paynes troubles and labours: all the tyme of thꝭ lyfe. For thus our lorde sayde vnto Adam. Genes. 3. [...], d. Because thou waste obediente vnto the voyce, and counsell of thy wyfe. And so hast eaten of that tree, wherof I cōmaunded the, thou shouldest not eate: cursed be the yerth in thy worke. Thou shalt in greate labours eate therof, all the dayes of thy lyfe. And hyt shal bryng forth vnto the, thornes and breres or bremles. And the herbes of the felde: shall be thy fode. And in the swette of thy face: shalte thou eate thy brede vnto the tyme thou retourne and tourne agayne into yerth, wherof thou came / & was made. For thou arte duste of the yerth, and into duste shalte thou retourne. Thys is the sētēce of god, vnto y ^• which: all we be boūde, vnto the tyme that death departe vs from thys worlde. For by thys sayde sentence, [Page]all we must nedely remayne, and byde in sorowe, mournynge, payne, trouble, and labours, all the dayes of our lyfe. And so eate our brede in the swette of our face, and in continuall myserie. In tokyn wherof: euery man when he is fyrste borne, and receyued into the hospitall and ynnes of this worlde (for we haue here no dwellynge place) he begynneth hys lyfe with teres and wepynge. Hebre. 13. c. And although he be yet ignorant, & no thyng knoweth of thys worlde, ne any thynge els cā he do (in that fyrste natiuite and byrth) but wepe, yet by the prouidence, and disposicion of nature: he lamenteth and mourneth. And thus the rude and vntaught or vnlerned soule, and lyfe of man: forth with in the fyrste begynnyng: doeth (by hys wepyng, and mournynge) testifie and wytneseth the anxietes / anguyshes labours, storines, and turmoyles of thys worlde wherinto he entreth and cūmeth. For certenly, as longe as we lyue in thys worlde: we muste nedely swete and labour and suffre many greues: And yet in all our paynes: shall we neuer haue better solas and conforte then of paciēce. Al thys nowe haue we shewed vnto you: that you shulde euidētly perceyue, and se: howe by y ^e iustice and ryghtwysnes of god: we be boūden to suffre and take paynes, and moued by our owne miserie to lerne pacience, yet haue we a forther occasion to suffre, & to lerne pacience: of our owne deseruyng. For that I spake of before: was iuste and due vnto vs, not of our owne deseruynge: but on y ^e synne [Page 41]of Adam, called synne originall. But & yf we loke wel vpon our selfe, and duely cōsyder: howe (after our byrth) we were washed, and clensed from that synne in the blode of Chryst, by the holy sacramēt of baptyme, and yet howe muche payne we haue syth y ^t tyme deserued by our owne actuall synnes, we haue occasion of good reason to suffre mekely and so to lerne pacience. A well lerned man sayde. Qui sua metitur pondera: ferre potest. He that doth mesure well hys burthens and weyght of synnes: Marciales cocus. maye the more easly suffre & bere the paynes due therunto. Reason sheweth that he shulde iustly be punyshed: that hath deserued so to be. Grego. 5. moral But who is he that neuer dyd amysse, ne euer deserued payne, shewe vs which is he: and we shall laude, & prayse hym. The prohpete sayth. Psal. Peccauimus cum patribꝰ nostris, iniuste egimus, iniquitatem fecimus. We haue (sayeth he) done synne, as our fathers dyd, & we haue done vniustly, and wroght iniquite, and wykednes. 3. Read 8. e and. 2. Pari. 6. f. g. 2. Io. d And Salomom sayth there is no man that may not synne. And saynt Iohn̄ sayth. Yf we saye we haue no synne, we deceyue our selfe / and truth is not in vs. All than be synners, wherfore euery man (of good reason) shulde bere and suffre any temporall payne or trouble for hys synne accordynge vnto hys merite, and deseruynge, & that with a meke, and penitent herte, 9 Moralium. and with a good wyll and glad mynde (as saynt Gregorye sayeth) because he may therby, auoyde, 9 Moralium. & escape paynes and troubles eterne and euerlastynge whiche (as [Page]he sayeth) shalbe force without pacience. And a let ned Poete. Duidiꝰ Leuiter exmerito quicquid paciare ferē dum est. What so euer (sayth he) thou doste suffre, by thy deseruynge: shulde be lyghtly borne. And y ^e wyse Seneke. Seneca Quod merito pateris: pacienter ferre memento. Cū (que) reus tibi sit, ipsum (te iudice) dāpna. Remembre frende (sayth he) to bere paciently, that thyne owne merite, & deseruynge thou dost suffre. And syght (in thyne owne conscienie) thou art gyltye, make thy selfe thyne owne iudge, & cōdempne thy selfe, what hurte, or wronge can be done vnto any man, or sayde: that he hathe not by some maner of meanes deserued I cā fynde none. Peraduenture, you wolde saye, that yf a true man were called these, or accused and suffred death for that thyng he dyd not stele: that were then (you sayde) a wronge, which he had not deserued. And in lyke maner, yf a vyrgyne were accused and falsly condempned of fornicacion & vnclennes, as the holy wyfe Susan was, vnto thys I sayde. By some meanes he had not deserued. For I herde of a mā that was iudged to be hāged for stelyng of a best which he neuer touched ne euer sawe. Danie. 13. d. e. And whē he came vnto the place of execucion, the galouse, he sayde vnto the people. Lo (sayde he) I neuer stale thys beste. And yet haue I deserued thys death, not for y ^e bullocke: but for y ^e mattocke. For he had before stolne a pore mans mattocke. And though a man stale neuer any suche goodes, yet hathe he oftymes stolne, & withdrawne frō god hys duete. [Page 42]And lykewyse of the most pure and clere vyrgyne that although without any touche of man, or any delyberat consente vnto the synne of vnclennes hathe kept her bodely vyrginite: yet hathe she per aduēture done fornicacion (as y ^e ꝓphete Hieremy sayeth) with many wanton louers. Hiere, 3. a. For as oftyne as, by any other synne, she hath offēded our lorde: so oftyne hathe she done spirituall fornicacion, yf than she were accused of vnclēnes though neuer so falsly: yet were not that accusacion vtterly vndeserued. So than be we fawty in all that can be done vnto vs. And no thyng cā be sayde, ne layde vnto our charge: but y ^t we haue (by some maner or meanes) deserued that & more also whiche thyng: yf we do wel consyder, and weye: may (of good reason) moue and gyue vs occasion, and also may in duce, lede and teache vs to suffre, & so (as diligent disciples) to lerne, and to approyche vnto paciēce. Thus we conclude that our owne myserie & wrechednes: may be an occasion of pacience. Nowe shall we make you a breue recounte of the sayde cōmodites of paciēce, by the effectes of impaciēce and so make an ende with the merites & rewarde of pacience. ☞:★:❧:⚜:☜:★:❧:

¶ A breue recapitulacion and shorte recounte of the sayde cōmodites of pacience, by the respecte & cōsideracion of impaciēce and of the merites & rewardes of pacience. The .xix. Chapiter.

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BEcause (good deuoute christians) that you maye (the more redyly haue in mynde: the sayde cōmodites, and benefites of pacience: I haue here setforth a cōpendious and shorte recounte of them. And that the goodnes and profet of paciēce may the more bryghtly appere, & the more euidently be perceyued, and knowne: let vs consyder the hurtes harmes and the yuel incōmodites of impacience. For (as we sayde byfore) contraries leyde to gether (as blacke, and whyte) do eche shewe the better for other. As pacience than, is a gracious gyfte of god: So is impaciēce: a worke of the dyuyl. And as the persons: that haue god dwellynge & bydyng within them: be pacient. So those persons: whose myndes and hertes, y ^e dyuyl hathe in possession: be alwaye impacient & vnrestfull. The dyuyl hym selfe coulde not suffre y ^t god made mā after hys owne ymage. And therfore by impacience he fyrst peryshed, and loste hym selfe. And Adam by the impacience of the appul forboden, dyd breke the cōmaundemēt, and so fell into deth, bycause that he loste and lefte pacience, that shulde haue bene the keper of the grace byfore receyued of god. And impacience caused Cayne to inuye y ^e sacrifice of hys brother Abel. Esau by impacience: solde his honour, and enheritance for a messe of potage. And impacience caused the chyldren of Israell, the chefe chosen people of god, to be vnto hym most vnkynde, and after theyr meruelous [Page 43]delyueraūce out of Egypt: when Moyses was a whyle absēt, and with god for theyr welth: they made a calfe theyr god, and euer they were impacient & rebellious agaynst the goodnes of god, and slewe hys prophetes, and hys iuste & true seruantes. And neuer dyd they leue theyr impaciēce: vnto the tyme they came vnto the crosse, & p̄cious blode of Chryste, what thyng els suppose you but only impacience, doth cause these heretykes (after the exeample of the Iues, to rebell & rage agaynst Chrystes sayth. And (agaynst hys peace and charite) to moue so many odious, & hateful diuisions discencions and debates in the church of Chryst, Suerly no thynge but impacience alon. And to make (as they saye) short tale. All y ^t pacience doeth edefye and brynge vnto glorie, profet and good, impaciēce doeth destroy, and brynge to ruyne and to nought. Nowe (good deuout reders) the yuel incōmodites, and hurtes of impacience: and the good and profetable cōmodites of pacience well cōsydered peysed and weyde, let vs than (not as truandes: but as diligent scolers) kepe the scole of pacience, by the whiche pacience we do here dwell and byde in Chryste, and by whom we may come with hym vnto the presence of hys father, that by hym also is our father almyghty god. For paciēce is verye plentuouse, & largely spred, & not closed nor shyt vp in any strayte corner, nor yet lymyted nor appoynt vnto any short or narowe termes or spaces. For the vertue, and power of pacience: is [Page]open and streched forth in length, & bredth. And although the largesse, bountie, & profet of paciēce cūmeth out of the fountayne, and sprynge of thys one name pacience: yet doth hyt (by many veynes ryuers and beckes: flowe, & renne abrode, so that non of all our actes or dedes can or may profecte and go forwarde to be worthy the laude prayse, and name of vertue: except hyt take perfection of pacience. For pacience is the vertue: that doth cō mende and betake vs vnto our lorde, & ther doeth preserue, and kepe vs. Pacience doth cōpresse, and holde downe the violence and swellynge puffe of the proude herte, and bryngeth hyt lowe downe obedient vnto Maystres mekenes. And pacience doth tempre and swage Ire, and wrath stoppeth the mouth, and brydleth the tonge from brallyng wordes: gouerneth y ^e mynde vnder due discipline, and good maners, and so maketh, and kepeth qui etude, peace, and reste. She it is that quensheth & cureth the perilous poyson of Enuye, and malyce and restrayneth the raylynge rages of detraction difamacion, bacbytynge, and sclaundrynge. And she doeth open the cofres, & emptieth the bagges of the ryche: and releueth the pore. She teacheth fastynge and moderate fedynge. She auoydeth ydlenes, and putteth her disciples to labours and continuall occupacions. And she also it is that rebateth and quencheth the furie, & the fylthy mocions of the fleshe. And doth defende and saue in the virgines: theyr blessed integrite and clennes. [Page 44]And in the wydowes: theyr deuote chastite, Eccle. 25. a. in the maried persons, she teacheth thē that thynge that god sayth (by the wyse mā) doth please hys spirite, that is: the man and hys wyfe consentynge, Hebre. 13. a. & well agreyng to gether. And (as saynt Paule teacheth the Hebrues) to kepe the sacramēt of matrimonie, in all thynges honorable. And y ^e bed of wedlocke: inmaculate, & vndefuoled that is to meane: that the acte of matrimonie be euer without the offēce of god. Syth than we se, & perceyue: that pacience is so necessarie, and cōmodious vnto all maner of states, and degrees: in thys worlde: yet then is it most necessarie vnto vs that be relygious ꝑsons. Syth we haue made solen vowe, to stande continually euery daye, and houre in the front of the batayle agaynst all thre enimies, and neuer to fle, nor to auoyde, nor to take any dayes, or truce w ^t thē: but euer styfly to stande, fyersly to fyght with out feyntynge, as olde excercised and approued warriours, it is than but a small thynge for vs to suffre, and bere the amission, and losse of worldly goodes or possessions or yet kyn or frendes which we haue vtterly forsakyn alredy with al the pleasures of them, and bounde our selfe vnto wylfull pouerte. Nor yet is it any greate thynge for vs to suffre sekenes and dysease, honger thurst, & colde, waychynge and bodyly labours. Syth we haue promysed to subdue our fleshe vnto y ^e spyrite, and the body vnto the soule. And haue professed the purite, & clennes of chastite. We must abyde and [Page]bere more, and greater payne, prysonmēt, flockes fethers, chenes, flayles, fyre, y ^t rackyng, the swerde and all kyndes and maner of tourmētes, yee and also the losse of lyfe: when iuste cause requireth / & that also that (as we sayde) is aboue all bodyly noyance: must we bere contumely, rebuke fals accusacion, detraction batbytynge, sclandryng. And the persecucion steynynge blottynge defoulynge, teryng: rētynge, raggynge, & sleynge of our name, and fame. And yet as though all these troubles were of lytle regarde, we must abyde & stedfastly stande agaynst that power: which: no power vpō yerthe (of hyt selfe) maye resyst & withstande, that is to bere and manly to withstande the assayles & tentacions of the great enimie the dyuyl. And yet (by the power of god, and by the helpe of my lady pacience) we may resyste all hys power, and yf we so do: he wyll shortly fle as a cowarde vēquyshed, and we shal gloriously triumphe w ^t our maystres paciēce. But yet ther is a perilous daunger to be well wayted & loked vnto. For whē all the dyuyls in hell can not spede to ouercome some ꝑson: yet shall annother person hys owne neyghbour and semynge frende a lymme of the dyuyl falsly deceyue hym, let hym therfore: that standeth (sayeth saynt Paule) loke well, and take good hede that he fall not. [...]. Cor. [...]0. c. Pacience then inclynynge and lenyng (by loue) vnto the holy gost & cleuynge faste vnto the diuine, & heuenly helpe of god, shall (be hys castell, and defence) to fyght strongly & gloriously [Page 45]to stande agaynst the workes and mocions of the fleshe and of the body. And so to come vnto the merite of pacience. Of the whiche merite: we promysed somewhat to speke. ☞:⚜:☜

¶ Of the merite, and of the rewarde of pacience. The .xx. Chapiter. ❧:☞:❧:☜

THys worde merite: is as much to saye in cōmune Englyshe as a deserue, or a deseruynge, called also an yernynge as by exeample, yf a person be hyred to labour for a peny a daye, & yf hys labour be truly done: then hath he yerned & deserned .i. d. that is a penye. And y ^t is called hys wagꝭ, or hyre, and called sūtyme merite, August. de mori bus [...]cclis. to. primo. p [...]. 531. v Cap. 25. howe be hit that merite, & deseruynge doth precede, and go before the wages or hyre for a mā must deserue his hyre iustly, & truly before y ^t he may iustly, & ryghtwys [...]y receyued hyt. So that merite, & deseruynge, than goeth before: And rewarde foloweth, and cūmeth after. And that rewarde, or gyfte or hyre: muste be (or ryght) accordynge vnto the merite, and deseruynge. For yf a man do hys duete well: he dothe merite and deserue to be well rewarded, and yf he do yuel: he deserueth to haue hys rewarde, accordynge. But here muste you knowe, & vnderstande that no man can ne may merite or deserue to haue any rewarde of almyghty god as due vnto hym worthyly by iustice & right for any labour or dede [Page]that he can do. For a man y ^e is a bonde man vnto a lorde: can deserue nother hyre nor rewarde of his lorde, as an hyred seruant may do, because that al that he can do is his duete. So is it of man vnto god. [...]. 17. c For (as our sauiour sayde) we may iustly say when we haue done all that was cōmaunded vs: yet be we but vnprofytable seruantes, and haue deserued no rewarde. For we haue done but only our duete, wherunto: we were bounde. Yet muste you cōsyder, that yf a lorde dyd moue or require hys bondman to do a thyng for hys pleasure, and wolde promyse hym a rewarde for hys labour although hyt were hys duete to do hyt without any rewarde at the cōmaundement of hys lorde: yet nowe (when he hath fulfylled hys lordes request) he hath deserued that rewarde, not because of hys laboure or diligence (for therunto was he bonde) but because of the promyse of his lorde, whiche of cōgruence is bounde to gyue that he wylfully of hys liberalite promysed. So is it of man towarde god. For man is more then bonde vnto god, and therfore can not (of hym selfe, deserue any reward of god, as worthy to haue that rewarde of ryght and as deserued: but onely by the grace of god, whiche doth precede, and go before merite. For all merite cūmeth of grace. But when almyghty god (of his owne liberall goodnes) hathe promysed, to gyue any certeyne rewarde for a certeyne worke or dede: then is he boūde of cōgruite, & cōueniēce: to gyue that he promysed as deserued of him that [Page 46]dothe the worke, as when our sauiour sayde, Example. who so euer: dothe cōfesse me, and knowlege my fayth before the people of thys worlde: I wyll in lyke maner, cōfesse him, Math. 10. d. before my father y ^t is in heuen And yet notwithstandynge: it is not in the power of any person to knowledge that fayth: but onely by grace. So euery where: grace dothe precede & go before merite. But (as I haue oftymes sayde) god doth frely offre and gyue that grace, vnto all maner of persons: that they maye by that grace: dispose them selfe, & theyr fre wyll to receyue / and folowe that grace, & so to axe: & haue, to seke, and fynde. And to knocke, & haue the gates open. And in lyke maner, fynally, to merite and deserue. But (in my mynde) the merite of pacience passeth all other. For yf any thynge had bene of more merite then pacience: the father of heuen wolde haue gyuen hyt vnto hys dere beloued sonne our sauiour Iesu, whiche came into thys worlde, not onely to redeme man: but also to merite for man, and not for hym selfe, that man myght haue, and merite / and deserue to haue, the most hygh rewarde, the kyngdome of heuen, by the merites of Chrystes pacience. Gre [...]. hom [...] li [...]. 15. Martirdome is of excelllent merite and pacience is a kynde & maner of martirdome. For saynt Gregory sayeth, that those persons that do stryue with them selfe to venquysh and ouercome theyr passions and so to kepe pacience: be martirs Amonge vertues: is a difference, of degre, for as mekenes: is rote and founteyne of vertues: so is [Page]discrecion the maystres. Pacience: keper, and preseruer, and ꝑseuerance the ꝑfourmer, of vertues, without mekenes no vertu can be had. And with out discrecion euery vertu turneth into vice. And without pacience: Grego. supra Ezech. all vertues be sparpuled & do ꝑyshe and sone be lost. And without perseuerāce: no vertue may come vnto effecte. Mankynde by impacience: Tiprianus de paciencia. lost paradyse (as we sayde before) and (suerly) without pacience: he cā neuer come ther agayne. For man by merite and deseruynge, lost that place: by merite (than) and deseruynge muste he (of good reason) wynne hyt agayne. Aug. in sermo. ad lyp. And syth to suffre paciētly, yuel: is euer of more merite: thē to do good: pacience is the nexte and beste meane to merite, & deserue y ^t retourne vnto the possession of paradyse. Happy then and gracious be those persons that haue here in thys lyfe, trouble and punyshmēt for theyr synnes. And ferre more happy, and more gracious be those that wylfully suffryng: do optayne ꝑfecte pacience, for they cā not feyle of that most pleasant place, with much more abundance of felicite, and Ioye: then euer Adam had in hys paradyse. And yet aboue the possession of the place, shall they haue a speciall token. For some vertues haue speciall tokyns, In speculo sp [...]iali [...] et in vi tas patrum. as virginite, martirdome, doctrine, & suche other. I redde but late of a religious father that taught one of hys disciples whiche toke greate payne to lerne, & had in custome to byde by hys souerayn when he went to rest: vnto the tyme he cōmaunded hym [Page 47]to go also to rest. And so by chance hys souerayne fell sodenly on slepe, & the scoler wolde not depart without licence, & he durst not waken his mayster and so he remayned and taryed there all nyght in greate payne of colde, and wayche, and on the morowe when hys mayster a waked and sawe hym: he merueled, and bade hym go to reste, after whose departynge: hys mayster was rauyshed in spirite, and he sawe heuen open, and our sauyour Iesu makyng of a goodly garlōde, of meruilous beaute, and ryches. And he axed sayng, for whom (good lorde sayde he) is that garlonde. And he aunswered, hyt is (sayde he) for thy disciple that nowe departed, in rewarde for the paciēce he toke thys nyght with the. Many suche examples hath the deuoute father Iohannes climacus in hys boke intytled. De triginta gradibꝰ Scale celestꝭ, that is of .xxx. steppes or staues of the heuēly ladder. whiche boke: our reuerende father confessour mayster Iohn Fewterer, late deꝑted (whom Iesu pardon) began to translate out of latyn in to Englyshe and I haue made an ende therof. Nowe I praye you (good deuout reders) labour for thys garlonde call hyt (yf you wyll) a crowne (for in Vitas patrum, be .vii. crownes setforth) & labour then, and study for the crowne. But here: I se (by your countenance, and deuout behauyour) what you saye to me. Syr (saye you) here you do lade vs with an heuye burthen, an entreprise of meruelous difficultye and hardnesse. For we se well and [Page]do euidently ꝑceyue: that thys lady dame, paciēce is very goodly & good, louely and pleasant & also muche profitable vnto all maner of persons. And all we do couet and desyre paciēce, all do, loue pacience. And euery mā prayseth paciēce. But Alas, alas. We be so frayle, and incōstant that we can not atteyne: that we so feruētly desyre, we do not holde, & kepe faste, that we so syngularly loue, we do not diligently excercise, Obiec [...]io. and put in experience / & practise: y ^t we so hyghly & so excellētly do prayse. For who (syr I praye you) is alwaye pacient? and specially amonge vs worldly persons, that dayly haue so many occasiōs of displeasure, or yet amōg you religious, Answe. that call your selfe spirituall persons, we feare but a fewe Iwys. Yet good deuout disciples: despere you nothynge. For the cōmune prouerbe sayeth. Labor improbus omnia vincit. Inportune labour: doth vēquysh, and ouercome all thynges. Appoynt your selfe with herty / and full purpose: to folowe and feruently to labour in the scole of paciēce. And cal for grace, dispose your selfe to receyue it, Psal. & you shall suerly haue it. Spera in deo, et ipse faciet. Trust in god (sayeth the prophete) & he wyl ꝑfo ^rme, your desyre. Begyn fyrste to be meke, Psal. 4. & ephe. 4. f. & mylde, sobre & of fewe wordꝭ and so go forth in your scole. And nother iudge you, nor thynke y ^t euery hasty mocion or displeasure: doth breke paciēce. For the ꝓphete sayth: Irascimini, et nolite peccare, be you wroth, & yet be not in wyl to synne, you may se before, that in case: you maye be [Page 48]moued & yet kepe paciēce. Remēbre also y ^t you be nother angel, nor stone, but a lumpe of flesh of the frayle Adam y ^t may lyghly fall, your cōmune prouerbe sayeth. It is no shame to fal, but y ^• shame is to lye therby. Holy saynt Paul, y ^t neuer dyd dedly synne after his cōuercion: cryed out, vpō y ^• fleshe, sayng. O vnhappy mā y ^t I am, who shal delyuer, [...]o. 7. d & rydde me, of this dedly body, we may (after him) serue god in our myndꝭ, Ibide, although y ^• flesh be frayle Paciēce therfore (good christians) is not so lyghtly lost, for she wyll neuer forsake you: excepte you wylfully fyrst forsake her, & despice her w ^t delyberacion. For cōtēpt may lose paciēce, & y ^t is ꝑilous. For y ^• wyse mā sayth. Ve hiis, qui ꝑdūt sustinēciam. Eccli. 2. c. Woo & payne be vnto thē y ^t do lose paciēce. God dothe dissimble w ^t the fraylte of those ꝑsons y ^t be dredful to offēde him. Gyue credēce vnto god, Eccli. 2. b. & he wyl recouer the, & refourme y ^• when y ^• swaruest or doste erre. Euery man is cōmunely named, after y ^t vtue, or vice y ^t he most vseth in dayly cōuersacion As when a mā (for y ^• most part) doth shewe mekenes: then is he called a meke mā, & when he so sheweth pride: he is called proude. And in lyke wyse y ^t ꝑson y ^t doth suffre much, & is seldon moued: is called a paciēt ꝑson. And the hasty ꝑson, is called impaci [...]t. Vse you than, as diligent scolers, to suffre paciētly, for y ^• great part of yo ^r life, & if (by chaūce) you be moued, & (in that passion) say or do amysse: call your selfe quycly home, & be bothe sory and ashamed or abashed of your selfe, cry god mercy, [Page]and make amendꝭ to satisfie y ^• party, et nō occidat sol suꝑiracūdiā vestrā, let not y ^• son go downe vpō your wrath or displeasure sayth saynt Paule, and thē dar I wel say, y ^t both your good name, & fame of paciēce: shalbe cōserued, & y ^t you of god shalbe reputed as paciēt. And accordyng vnto y ^• merite & deseruyng of paciēce: to haue your hyre, wagꝭ and rewarde, whiche rewarde shalbe double or treble. For in this lyfe yf you in al ꝑsecucions, passions, aduersites troubles: turne and applie your herte, mynde, & thought vnto y ^• exāples before shewed & specially vnto y ^• exāple of our sauiour Iesu: you shall not onely haue pacience: Phil. 2. but also you shalbe glad & ioyfull to suffre for his sake as he dyd for you & so shal you be rēdred & made q [...]ete, & restful in your mynde, & cōsciēce. And for your good exāple in y ^• edifieng of your neyghbour: you shal w ^t our sauiour be exalted, & haue good name & fame aboue other. And when you depart out of thꝭ worlde your maystres lady paciēce wyl accūpeny you, & cōuey, & lede you vnto youre longe desyred home, & there p̄sēt you vnto y ^• patron y ^t sēde you y ^t paciēce, where she wyll remayne & dwell w ^t you, & neuer depart frō you in y ^• p̄sēce & euerlastyng fru [...] cion of y ^• selfe essēcial paciēce our lord god, & most swete sauiour Iesu Christe y ^t lyueth & reyneth w ^t god y ^• father & w ^t y ^• holy gost, one & selfe same god w ^t thē, worlde w ^tout ende whider of hys merciful goodnes he brynge vs all. Amen. Pray of your charite for a late brother of Syon R. Whitforde.

¶ FINIS.

[Page 49]

❧: A worke of dyuers impedimentes and lettes of perfection. ❧:✚:❧

BVt late I sēde forth a lytle worke of the lyfe of perfectyon named the pype, or tunne of the same lyfe. And here nowe one of my brethren brought vnto me a treatise or lytle draght in latyn of an vncerteyn auctor whiche he founde by chaunce: of certen impedimentes, or lettes of the spirituall profite, profitynge, good spede, & goyng forwarde in the iourney to obtayn & come vnto the same lyfe whiche tracte or draght I thought shuld frame wel vnto the same worke. And therfore I put hyt into Englysh, and added thervnto many thynges that I thought conueuient for the same. ☞:❧:☜:❧

¶ Of the fyrst impediment.

THe fyrst impediment, & let to profite, and to go forth in the lyfe of perfection: is the de faulte, want, or lacke of feruent desire…therunto. For although euery mā wolde fayne haue that lyfe and dwell therin: August. homi. 1. homiliarū. 50. yet ther be but very fewe that do profite, & go forwarde ther in, y ^e cause is, they lacke feruour & louyng desire, and therfore they do not take the paynes labours [Page]and daungers, that do apperteyne and belonge therunto. For yf they dyd they shulde gyue studie and diligēce euery day, somewhat to amēde. But when the desyre is not feruent ne hotte, or skante a lytle warme, but rather colde, and flatte: then do the ꝑsons lytle or no thynge amende, but as they dyd yesterdaye: so they do to daye, & as they do thys daye: so wyl they do to morowe, and so do they kepe on state and go no thyng forwarde, for lacke (I saye) of feruēt desyre. Quest. But here you wolde paraduēture are, why is hyt, or what is in cause, y ^t a man hath not feruent desyre. Two thyngꝭ may be in cause. Answe. One is, presūpcion of perfeccion. For many ꝑsons do stande well in theyr owne fauour and thynke, or iudge them selfe very holy & ꝑfete ynoghe. Theyr perfection doth so suffice thē: that they seke, no forther, wherof Seneke sayeth, we wyl therfore, Seneca be no better, because we suppose and thynke our selfe very good alredy, and y ^e best. An other cause is: presumption of wytte, wysdome, or connyng, which doth inflate: and flowe vp a ꝑson into pryde, & cause hym to repute hym selfe somewhat worth where in dede he is (of hym selfe) no thyng worth at al. The wysemā sayeth. Do not ex toll, Eccli. 6. a. enhauns, ne lyfte vp thy selfe, in y ^e cogitacion & thought of thy mynde, lest (by thyne owne foly) thou haue a fall. August. And saynt Augustyne sayeth, yf thou woldest come vnto a forther state of ꝑfection then thou haste: thou muste be displeased and discontent with the state, & case thou art in. Ergo he [Page 50]that wolde profete, and go forwarde: must haue, a feruent desyre therunto. For (as saynt Bernarde sayeth) that person (for a suerte) is not good: Berna [...] that wolde be no better. For when so euer y ^• bygynnest to wyll or thynke that thou woldest be no better: euen then begynnest thou to leaue, or ceasse to be good. Berna [...] For (as he sayth in an other place) the good and iust person: doth neuer thynke ne iudge that he hath cōprehended, and gotyn perfection, he neuer sayth: he hath ynough. For euermore: he hongreth; and thursteth iustice. So that yf he myght alwaye lyue: he wolde alway contende, and gyue diligence, to be more iuste, and to profete, and go forth euer frō good vnto better. They be therfore blessed (sayth our sauiour) that do hongre, Math. 5. a. & thurst iustice, for they shalbe saturate, full fedde, and sufficed. Thys is (than) the fyrst impediment or let of spirituall profete, Quest. and good spede that you speke of: I wolde fayne lerne, howe I myght obteyne, & wynne the feruour of y ^t desyre. Certēly I shal shortly shewe my pore mynde therm. Fyrst than, when you ꝑceyue that our lorde of speciall grace hathe gyuen you that mynde and wyll that you wolde fayne profete, Answe. & go forth in a good state: you may nat loke shortly vnto the most hygh perfections, such as holy sayntes haue obteyned, and vsed, as to haue all theyr thoughtes, and mynde vpō god, and godly thynges, and lytle or nothynge to sette by any thynge that is vnder god but so (by loue) to be ioyned vnto god that you shulde with hym [Page]be one spirite, as the hote red brennynge yren, is with the fyre. Marie magdalene: when she sought our sauiour in the sepulcre: was no thynge cōtent with the syght, speche, and cōforte of angels, nor yet with the presence & cūpany of our blessed lady, no thynge myght satisfye, & content her, but only Chryst hym selfe. These I saye, and suche other: be hygh poyntes of perfection wherin certeyne ꝑsons of speciall vocacion and callynge were excercised, after greate labours taken in the mortificacion of thē selfe, yf therfore you shulde at the fyrst begynnynge: steppe forth shortly, and clymbe vp quickly vnto such hygh poyntes boted & spurred or (as Moyses wolde haue done) hosed & shodde: you were more lyke to fall, then to go forwarde. Begynne you therfore at the lowest steppe, of the steyre, that is to kepe (although rudely, sembly, & bluntly) the preceptes, and cōmaundementes of god. For that is the lowest steppe, or degre of perfeccion, for vnder that is non. And yet may no mā come vnto that fyrst steppe: except he be voyde of mortall synne. The fyrst poynt than vnto thꝭ purpose, that is to obteyne the feruour of desyre: is to kepe the conscience clene, I meane not so that we neuer synne. For we be nother stockes ne stones / nor yet angels. But I meane, that you shulde appoynte w ^t your selfe stedfastlye, & obstinately neuer wyllyngly to offēde our lorde by any notable, or greuous offēce. But yf (by chaūce) you shulde do cōtrary vnto y ^t holy purpose: you wold shortly [Page 52]seke y ^• next remedy, that is fyrste to make cūpūctiō in your herte with purpose, and full mynde to be cōfessed, at due, or conuenient tyme. Then approyche vnto the sayde fyrste steppe, that is to haue a diligent eye, garde, and awhyte, vnto the lawes: cōmaundemētes, statutes, and ordinances of god and holy church. And then, the next stepppe (after myne opinion) is to appoynt your selfe vpō a certen excercyse of lawfull occupacyon: for euery houre of the daye, accordynge vnto the state, and condicion of your person, as yf you be relygious: then (with most hygh diligence) perfourme euer / the duetyes of the religion, for that vndone: no thyng can be pleasaūt vnto god, whatsoeuer you do. For euery houre of the residue: appoynt (as I sayde) some certeyne occupacion (obedience euer kept, and preferred) as studie, redyng, wryttynge, bodely labours, and euer let prayer be one, and accōpeyny euery occupacion. And do not much care althoughe your mynde chaunge often from one occupacyon vnto another, so euer, y ^t the exchaung be from good vnto good, and neuer vnto yuel, for yf all be good: no man can tell, which vnto you is best, or better, all though amonge the selfe thyngꝭ may be due cōparison. Thys poyntement doubtles (yf hyt be cōtinued) shall increas the fauour. So y ^t hyt be euer done for god alon, as in fynall effecte, & not for any worldly or bodely auantage or pleasure, notwithstandynge yet, that yf it were so done for such auantage: yet hyt may be lawful, [Page]& good to a voyde yuel, although not vnto y ^e other purpose of seruour I put the example here of religious persons: notwithstandyng: I knowe well that amonge seculare persons, be many gyuen & wholly applyed vnto godly conuersacyon. They may therfore eueryche accordyng (as I sayde) vnto theyr state, and condicion so vse thē selfe. Vpon thys dothe folowe the secūde impediment and let vnto them that do not make stedfastly the sayde appoyntement. ❧:☞:❧:☜.

¶ Of the secūde impediment or let of spirituall profete, and increas. ❧:⚜:❧:★:❧

THe secunde impediment and let of the sayde profection spirituall: is the diuision of the herte, and mynde gyuen, and applyed vnto many or dyuers thynges that be not godly, but rather frayle and vayne tryfles, wordly, or bodyly pleasures, & passions although (as I sayde) not synful wherof is wrytten ī scripture. Gene. 49. a. Etfufus est sicut aqua, non crescas. Thou art powred out, and shedde as water, and therfore thou mayste not increas / nor growe ne go forwarde. The naturall disposicion of water (when hyt is shed, or powred out) is to flowe, and renne abrode here and there, and so to be dispersed, and diuided in sondre, so is it of that mynde that is dispersed and diuided into many occupacions: hyt can not profete ne go forth in the sayde fetuour. The old ꝓuerbe sayth. Pluribꝰ intē tus, minor est ad singula sensus. Versus The sens & wytte [Page 52]of man gyuen and applyed vnto many thynges: is lesse valeant vnto the synguler thyngꝭ: that is, vnto any one thynge by hyt selfe. Howe be it you muste vnderstande that although the mynde be occupyed successyuely with many thynges and al spirituall then is all but one thynge in effecte for al is for one ende, that is god, otherwyse is hyt in vicious thynges. For as some colours do gether and cōforte the syght, and some sparspoyle & hurt the syght: So do al spiritual thynges gether and knyt the hert, and mynde vnto one god. And contrary the vicious thynges do sparspoyle all at vncertente and make the mynde euer incōstant. So than yf you wolde ꝓfete & spede in this purpose: you must gether your hert & mynde into one, that is our lorde, and most swete sauiour Iesu Chryst. Prouer 23. c. So sayth he by the wyseman. Fili prebe mihi cor tuum. Sonne, or chylde (sayeth he) gyue me thyne hert. And in the same boke before, Prouer 4. d. kepe thyne hert with al custody, and garde, for of hit doth thy lyfe procede and begynne. And agayne, put me vpon thyne herte as a seale faste prynted, Canticor [...] 8. b y ^t is that thou haue thyne herte, and mynde euer vpon me, & put me as a prynted seale vpon thyne arme, that all thy workes be done for me and in me. And recede than (sayth he) and departe thy selfe, frō all vayne perturbacions and troubles. For ther be some persons of that disposicion, that they wyl medel with euery thynge, & all thynges: that be done, or sayde cōtrarie vnto theyr mynde or affection: wyll they [Page]reproue though they be neuer so good, and nowe murmur and grudge, nowe chyde, and bral: nowe stryue, and threte, nowe boste bragge and crake, & yf they be discontent or displeased: they wyll kepe hyt well in mynde, and wayte for a tyme to be reuenged: ful of suspection, and temerarious iudgement full of cōplayntes Cruell in the punyshmēt of all defaultes, except theyr owne, and those wyll they vtterly excuse / and neuer se them, ne graunte vnto any, be they neuer so euident, neuer wyl they forgyue, and yet wyll they boldly are forgyuenes of god. These, & many other lyke cōdicions and byhauiours: do trouble the mynde, inquiete, and vnreste the herte, teare the fleshe, and waste the blode, dul the wytte, and corrupt the phantasye / brynge in scrupulosite, and many doubtes bryede yuel thoughtes, and nurysh wors. And they do let, and destroy al the swetnes, and feruour of deuocion, and drawe the persons vnto the peryll of despere, yf you wyl therfore spede in this purpose you must gether in your herte, & fyxe your mynde wholly and fully in our lorde god, and most swete sauyour Iesu Chryst, that dothe desyre (as y ^e wyse man sayeth) and hathe pleasure to be, & byde with you. My delectacion delite and pleasure (layeth he) is to be, Prouer 8. d. & byde with the chylder of men. And agayne. Se (sayth he) I stande at y ^e dore, & knocke or call, Apoca. 5. d. yf any man wyll here my voyce, and opyne hys dore or gate vnto me: I wyll entre into hys hous, and I wyll sowpe with hym, & he with me, [Page 53]our lorde dothe calle euery person by the infucion of grace, and he that wyll dispose hys wyll & hert therunto: may (by true fayth) receyue hyt. And by the workes of fayth wroght in charite: he maye sowpe with Chryst, and Chryste with hym, Ibid [...]. that is (as ther foloweth) who so euer (by the sayde workes) doth venquysh, and ouercome his enimies: I wyll gyue (sayth Chryste) hym that gyfte, that he shal sytte, & reste for euer, with me in my throne and chere as I dyd venquysh, and ouercome, and so do sytte and rest with my father, in hys throne / and chere of eterne and euerlastynge blys. Amen

¶ Of the thyrde impediment, or let of spiritual profete, and good spede ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧

THe thyrde impediment, and let of the sayde profete, and spede, is the lacke or want of discrecyon and wysdome. For discrecion: is the mother of al vertues, and where she is absēt: the persons do rather dekey then profete & go forwarde, the gostly enimie is bysye aboute them that lacke descrecion: mouynge thē to interpryse, & take vpō them greater labours then theyr disposicion, and nature may bere. And so do many ꝑsons fall into the dekey of bodyly strength, and into great sekenes, and diseases, and some into the dekye & want of wytte, and were fantasticall melancoly, & some starke madde, or folyshe. And so nother do they profete vnto god, nor yet vnto them selfe, ne theyr [Page]neyghbour, but rather be (oftymes) cūbrous & vnrestfull. And in sekynge of remedy, recouer, and helth: some do wexe more dissolute, or delicate thē euer they were before. Cassianus. Mayster Iohn Cassiane in the collacion of the fathers wryteth. Howe certen of the sayde fathers fell in argument and disputacion what maner of vertue shulde moste suerly, and sonest (auoydyng the deceytes of the enimie) lede and bryng a person vnto perfection. For the determinacion wherof: they went vnto saynt Antonie, he to be iudge, and there some of them sayde that the most redy way, and meane vnto ꝑfection, doth stande in the cōtinual vse of fastyng wache, & prayer. For by these excercyses, the body shulde best be extenuate, & mortified. And so be subdued and made obedient vnto the spirite. Some other sayde, that perfection stādeth moste in pouerte for therin Chryst was borne, & ledde all hꝭ lyfe therin, and sayde. Blessed be the pore, for the kyngdome of heuen is theyrs. An other sorte sayde, that very perfection standeth in the exhibicion, & workynge of the workes of mercy, because that Chryst sayde that in the laste iudgement: those workes onely shalbe recounted and rewarded. Math. 25. Vnto the whiche fathers, reasonynge euery man for hys owne opinion: saynte Antonie aunswered saynge all these that you rehers good brethren be very good / and hygh perfections. But to put the moste hygh perfection in any of these: can not be in any wyse, because of the chaunses that we se dayly fall in the [Page 54]persons that do excercyse these vertues without that chefe vertu, y ^t is mother, nurs, lady maystres garde, keper and perfourmer of all vertues, that is to saye: discrecion, of the which saynt Bernarde wryteth saynge, that discrecion putteth fourme, and order vnto all vertues. For put away discrecyon, and then shal any vertu: be vice. But yf you wolde are howe you shulde obteyne, and gete discrecion: the sayde Mayster Iohn̄ Cassian dothe aunswere, that discrecion is gotyn onely by mekenes, as the wyse man sayeth, where mekenes is: Prouer 11. a. there is wysdome, and discrecion. The fyrst poynt than of discrecion is to axe counsell, and y ^e secūde poynt, is to folowe the same. The wyse mā sayth. Sonne, without counsell, do no thynge, & after, Eccli. 32. d. shalt thou neuer forthynke thy dede. The thyrde poynt of discrecion: is to be playne, & to shewe the very substance of thy hert thought, & mynde vnto the person, or persons accordyng vnto theyr state and degre, of whom you wyll axe counsell. Syr (saye you) who is that? I saye (in all spirituall thynges (as in thys mater of spirituall profete & spede, or increas of vertue) axe you counsell of spirituall persons, suche as you beleue, or verely suppose: be wyse lerned, and vertuous, and specially: of your owne spirituall father that hathe the cure and charge of your soule, & by his aduyse then go vnto other persons. And euer in all thyngꝭ doubt full: rather folowe that counsell: then your owne wytte, lernynge, or reason, prompt euer and redy [Page]to do (without stoppage, or doubt) what so euer they cōmaunde, & determyne, & leue vtterly (vnto your power) all thynges, that they prohibite, and forbede. For certenly, no man is sufficient for him selfe. The ordinance therfore of god, is that one shall helpe an other. Act. 9. a. Our lorde dyd sende Paule vnto Ananie, sayng aryse, and go into the Cytie, and there shalte thou be taught what thou shalte do. And doubtles, the counsell of a symple deuout person of small lernyng, and lytle wysedome: may somtyme helpe and be much valeant vnto the persons of greate lernynge, and wysedome. ⚜ Note well that all the poyntes of discrecion before named: do spryng of humilite, and mekenes. For the proude persons do cōmunely dysdeyne to axe any counsel. And though hyt be frely geuen vnto thē: yet wyll they not folowe hyt, ne do therafter. And to shewe playnly theyr dedes, and thoughtꝭ: they be abashed / and ashamed, pryde wyl not suffer thē therunto. Thus you may perceyue y ^t the sanctite, holynes, and perfection of lyuynge standeth not in out warde bodyly excercyse as in wache and fastynge. For so: the dyuyl myght be holy. For he neuer eateth, ne drynketh ne slepeth, not w ^t stādige those excercyses, do (doubtles) much cōduce auayle, and dispose man vnto the vertues of ꝑfection, that is to saye, vnto humilite, and obediece, vnto charite, and kyndnes vnto sufferance, & pacience, vnto liberalite, & wylfull pouerte, vnto sadnes / & sobriete vnto labour & diligēce. And vnto chastite [Page 55]and clennes, which thynge yet, can they neuer do: without discrecion. Discrecion than doth triūphe and excel as lady, and maystres, and doth dispose all thynges: with pleasure, and swetnes, loue ther fore, and vse discrecion I praye you.

¶ Of the fourth impediment & let of spirituall profete, and spede. ❧:⚜:❧:⚜

THe fourth impediment, and let of y ^e spiritual profete, spede, and increas, vnto the ꝑfection and holynes of lyuynge: is verbosite, clateryng / and talkynge, the vse, and custū of many wordes or muche speche. Iob sayeth, Iob. 11 a that a person full of wordes can not be iustified, and saynte Gregory sheweth why. Grego. For a person (sayth he) gyuen vnto much speche, or talke: can not kepe the ryght way and troth of iustice. And the prophet Dauid. Vir linguosus, non dirigetur in terra. Psal. 139. A person full of tonge, and of many wordes: can not be wel ordred in thys lyfe. And the wyseman. In muche speche: Prouer 10. c. Ibidē. 18. d. synne lacketh not. And agayne. Death, and lyfe (sayeth he) is in the hande, and power of the tong. To speke fewe wordes: is (in any person) a sygne of wysdome, & sadnes. For (as the wyseman sayth) Stultus si tacuerit: sapiens reputabitur. A fole, Ibidē. 16. d. Esaye. 37. d. yf he kepe silence, and speke not: shalbe reputed & supposed or taken for wyse: The prophet Esay. In silence and good hope: is greate strength, let euery man therfore (sayeth saynt Iames) be hasty swyft quycke, and redy to here or herken. But slothfull, Ia. 10. c. [Page]and loth to speke, and to be angry or wroth. That person (sayeth he) that doth not offende in worde: is a perfecte person. Ia. 3. d. All religious persons therfore, that shulde labour, infors, and gyue diligēce vnto perfection: haue in hygh cōmaundement (by theyr statutes, and ordenances) to kepe silence frō all speche, in certen tymes & certeyne places. The reason is, because that talkynge & cōmunicacion doth spēde much tyme frutles, distract the mynde dull the deuocion, and taketh awaye the inwarde consolacion and cōforte of the spirite. Saynt Iames agayne therfore sayth, Ia. 1. d. yf a pson wolde suppose, & thynke him selfe religious: not refreynyng hys tonge, but deceyuynge hys owne herte: hys religion is vayne. An olde prouerbe sayeth. Nam nun (quam) tacuisse nocet, nocet esse locutum. Hyt neuer noyed, ne hurte to kepe silence, but often hath hit hurt me to speke. A notable lesson was taught vnto an olde father called Arsenius an abbate. Fuge race, quiesce, or a, ieiuna, stude, labora. If you wyll atteyne and come vnto perfection: kepe wel these .vij. poyntes, fie, and auoyde cūpeny, kepe silence, lyue restfully, praye, faste, study, and labour. Of thys notable vertue of silence: haue we spoken, and wryten at large: in our sayde boke of the pipe lette thys nowe suffice I praye you.

¶ Of the fyfte impediment or let of spiritual ꝓfete, & increas of ꝑfection. ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧ ⚜: ★: ⚜

[Page 56]

THe fyfte impediment and let of spiritual profete, good spede and increas of perfection: is incōstance vnsted fastnes chaungeablenes. Howe be hyt you muste here remēbre what we sayde before that to chaunge the exercise of lyfe, or lyuyng from good vnto good, and all to the intent of the ende before purposed: is not incōstance. For in cō stance is a vice that cūmeth proprely of a double herte. So sayth the Apostle Iames. Ia. 1. [...]. Vir dublex aio inconstans est in oibus viis suis, that man that hath a double mynde and herte: is incōstant in all hys wayes or workes, what meaneth that to haue a double mynde and herte. That is to serue two maysters, nowe god, nowe the worlde, nowe the fleshe, yet take hede. For lawfull occupacions bodely labours, and recreacion or due fedynge: for necessite, or to be the more apte vnto the seruice of god, & vnto spiritual excercise: be alway well allowed, & be not seruice but rather the dominacion, & lordshyp, of y ^e worlde & y ^e fleshe. But whē a person doth often chaunge y ^e fourme or state of lyuynge for very pleasure of the worlde, or of the fleshe, as nowe to be religious, nowe seculer, nowe of thys, nowe of y ^e relygion, & so to trāsfourme, & chaūge hym selfe, as the poetes do feyne of one proteus, that could (at his pleasure) transfourme & chaūge hym selfe in to what fourme or fashon he wolde. So the persons that ofte do flytte, and chaunge: can not profete nespede. The Englysh ꝓuerbe is, that the rollynge stone: gendreth no mosse. And [Page]saynte Bernarde sayth yf a person shuld purpose to go vnto a certen place: Bernar yf he kepe one streght waye: he may come (at the lēgth) vnto the ende of hys iourney, but yf he take nowe one, and nowe an other way: he can neuer come vnto hys purposed ende. For errour hathe neuer ende / but alway begynneth newe. Marcꝰ merulꝰ libro. 1. Cap. 13. And as a deuout lerned man sayth. The ofte shystynge, and chaunge of the inconstant person: is cōpared, and lykened vnto a rede that moueth, and waggeth with euery wynd But saynte Iohn̄ baptiste (sayeth our sauyour) was no rede. Lu. 7. d. A rede also: is frayle and brycle, and bereth no frute. Holowe withinforth, and full of knottes. So is the wauerynge ꝑson, brokyn sone or brused with euery tentacion, voyde of vertue, and good maner, & full of knottes, cūbrous, and frowarde, nowe he hathe anappetite, and desyre vnto thys thynge, nowe vnto y ^t, nowe thys thyng pleaseth: nowe displeaseth / & what nowe displeased, anon agayne shall please. And yf he begynne any good worke: he wyll before hyt cū vnto ende: leue of: & go vnto some other, and so bryngeth no thyng vnto ꝑfection, & he cā nother syt, ne stande ne lye longe ne byde longe in any place he is so lyght so variant, so chaungeable, so flyttyng, & so much cōtrarious vnto hym self: y ^t nother in wordꝭ nor dedes, is he the same person thys day / that he was yesterdaye, no nor yet scant bydeth he one houre in one mynde, but rather (as they saye in prouerbe) he chaungeth, ix. tymes in a drynkynge [Page 57]whyle. Suche a person therfore may not profete ne go forwarde, but rather is lyke to dekey & go bacwarde. Incōstance ergo, and vnstablenes: is a greate impediment, and lette vnto thys purpose of spede. ❧: ☜: ❧: ☞: ⚜: ☜

¶ Of the .vi. impediment and let of spirituall profete and good spede, in the lyfe of perfection. ❧: ⚜: ❧

THe .vi. impediment and lette of spiritual profete, and good spede / in thys purpose: is the negligence, and lytle care, or hede that is gyuen, or takyn to auoyde venial synnes. For all though they be not (of them selfe) dampnable: yet be they greate hyndrans and let, vnto the profete, and for warde spede, vnto vertu, & good maners. For (as they saye in the worlde) he that setteth nought by small gaynes: ne careth much for lytle losse: shall neuer be ryche: so he that gyueth not diligēt hede and warnes vnto small synnes: may the soner fall into greater. So sayth the wyseman. Eccle. 19. [...]. Qui sperni [...] minima: paulatim decidet. He y ^t despiseth y ^e small: shall by lytle, and lytle: fall downe, and dekey, and saynt Gregory. Who so euer is negligent, In postolaribus. & warles to bywele, & auoyde smal sinnes: shal doubtles (although not sodenly, but by lytle and lytle) fall from the state of iustice, and ryghtwyse lyuynge. Here ꝑaduēture, some ꝑson wolde axe by question: Questi. howe veniall synnes myght drawe a ꝑson frō the state of iustice: Answer sythe they do not quenche ne take [Page]awaye grace Wherunto may be aunswered, that the passage, and forwarde spede vnto Iustice, & vnto the state of perfection: standeth moste in the feruour of charite, and (as is sayde before) in the feruent desyre of the sayde state. But sure hyt is, that venial synnes (specially) in vse: do mynyshe much that feruour (as a lytle colde water doth the hotte sethynge mater) although not quenche hyt clene: ergo the veniall synnes, do let the forwarde spede of the sayde profete, and passage spirituall. But any dedly synne: doth not onely let, but also clerely quenche not onely the feruour of charite, but also the selfe charite, and so doth take awaye the lyfe of the soule, and spiritually sie the person. And thus I saye, Crimial sinue those persons y ^t do not obsteyne, and diligently haue them selfe in garde, & awayte of or from veniall synnes: do wexe dul, and colde, and euery daye more drye then other, & all baren of deuocion. Therfore hyt is not sufficiēt for that person y ^t wolde go forwarde in vertue, to auoyde, and kepe hym selfe from Criminall synnes, that is to saye all suche synnes as be worthy vpō correction by the lawe, whether they be dedly or veniall: but also he muste care for the least, and moste priuy synnes veniall. Notwithstandynge hyt is verye harde for any person to auoyde all veniall synnes. For as saynte Augustyne sayeth. There be some synnes without whiche our dayly lyfe, & cōuersacion can not lyghtly passe. I [...]. 3. a. And saynt Iames sayeth, that we all do offēd [...] in many thyngꝭ, [Page 58]and the wyseman. Prouet 29. b. The iust person (sayth he) doth fall .vii. tymes in the daye. And in an other place. There is no man: y ^t doth not synne. And agayne, 3. reg. 8. Prouet 2. b. who is he: that maye saye: my hert is clene, and I am pure, and clene frō synne, as though he sayde, no man may so saye, wherfore although we maye not indure longe in thys lyfe without some ventall offences: yet shuld no man be careles of them: but rather infors and gyue diligēce to auoyde al, and neuer by presūcion wyllyngly, & knowyngly: to cōmytte or do the lyest synne. For saint Hierom sayeth that the mynde, and soul that is dedicate, Hicrō & halowed vnto Christe: shulde euer be ware, & intende, and purpose to auoyde and fle as well the swall as the greate synnes. For although the veniall synnes do not suppose and thrast downe the soul into hel: yet when they be multiplied: they do wey heuy, & greately greue. August And saint Augustyne sayeth: that smal synnes be greuous, and heuy: as grauell stones be. And saynte Gregory, Greg [...]. yf y ^u haue ouercomen greate synnes: beware (sayth he) thou be not cūbred, and ouerthrowen in the grauelles. Thus maye you perceyue: that veniall synnes be an impediment, and much do let and hynder this sayde spiritual profete and forwarde spede of the lyfe of perfection, and shulde therfore: of all them that do intēde therunto: be auoyded with diligēce A verye good remedy (as semeth vnto me) to be voyde of veniall synnes: is fyrste to statute & suppose in mynde: neuer by presumcion, & knowledge [Page]to do any synne, and then yf hyt come so to passe, that by chaunce you do veniall synne: as sone as you ꝑceyue hyt: to make a cōpūction w ^t a knocke vpon your brest, or to loke vp towarde the heuen or to make any other sygne or tokyn to satisfye priuely your owne cōscience, that you forsake hit, and wolde you had not so done, & when you come vnto cōfession: to make cōfession of al in general / and of those inspeciall y ^t be present in remēbrans, and thus an ende of the .vi. lette.

¶ Of the .vij. impediment, and lette of spirituall profete and forwarde spede of perfeccyon. ☜:⚜:☜

THe .vii. impedimēt or let of thys profete, and passage forth in the lyfe of perfection: is a loue inordinate, and folysh fauour that many persōs haue vnto theyr propre body. Feryng to hurte the body or to hynder the helth & state therof, & so they fal into a pusillaminite, y ^t is to say a cowardnes of herte, that they dare not enterpryse ne auenter vpon any streytnes of lyuynge, they wyll not put the tender flesh vnto payne. And that cowardnes is cōpared vnto the wynter tyme whiche wyll not suffre the herbes of the groūde to florysh, and bryng forth frute. So in like maner theyr cowardnes, and folysh feare doth let them to bryng forth the flowres / and frute of vertu, & doth (in maner) make them slothful and lothe to labour, Prouer 8. b. and euer to excuse them self: as the wyse man sayth. Pigi [...] [Page 59]deiicit timor. Feare or drede doth sone ouerthrowe the sluggyshe or slowe person. And agayne. Ibidē. 26. c. The slugge sayth. A lyon is in my waye, and a lyonesse in the walke. So do these cowardes excuse theyr sloth, and sluggyshnes. For in all harde or sharpe labours: they put more feare, & ioperdy. And more hardenes and diffultye then there is in dede, and so groweth a batell betwene conscience, and that tender, and feerful cowarnes, Vbi supra. 10. [...] when (as the sayde wyseman sayth) the slugge turneth in hys bedde, as the dore doth in the heare, or hynges. For concience moueth hym to ryse when he waketh / and sluggyshnes causeth hym to walowe, I [...]ra. Ibidē. and turne ouer in hys bedde. For he is afrayde of colde, And so shortly to say w ^t the wyseman: nowe the slugge, Prouer 1 [...]. a. wyll, and nowe he wyll not, & so he neuer runneth backe & loseth vertue. Where the labour waxeth ryche, and hys soule increaseth in vertue, and perfection, we maye nowe (of these auctorites) gether thys cōclusion of troth that our propre fleshe, and bodies: shuld not, be inordinately beloued ne ouer much charyshed, but rather to be had in a discrete hatered. And that for dyuers causes, one is because that (saynt Paule sayeth) the body is enimie vnto the soule, and the flesh: doth moue cōcupiscens, Ga. 5. c. and vnlawful desyre agaynst the spirite. For they be euer aduersaries, and enimies eche vnto other, and yet must they nedely dwell to gether in thys lyfe tyme, wherfore the secunde cause is that the body is a great grefe vnto y ^e soule. And y ^e corrupt, [Page] [...] [Page 59] [...] [Page]and frayle flesh doth muche vexe, and trouble the spirite. Gapi. 9. So sayeth the scripture. Corpus quod corrumpitur: aggrauat animam. The body, that is corrupt and doth waste doth greue the soule. For the good soule wolde (many tymes) aryse, and waych and pray, and labour, but the body is greued ther with, and so doth muche let and hynder, wherfore a great lerned man sayth. Cicero in tuse. Multū refert, in quo corpore: anima bona sit posita. It forceth much (sayth he) into what body: a good soul be put. The thyrd cause why y ^e flysh shulde be had in discrete hatred is the synguler loue that the flesh hathe vnto hyt selfe wherof (as frō the rote) doth spryng all vice, and causeth the synne of the whole worlde euer to multiplye, as the holy apostle Paule dyd se / and perceyue by the spirit of god saynge vnto his disciple Timothe. Timo. 3 Knowe thou (sayth he) that in the last dayse towarde the ende of the worlde, ꝑilous, and troubles tymes shal come. And such mē shall be then: that wyl loue thē selfe, proude, couetous, hyght mynded, blasphemers of god, & hys sayntꝭ, not obediēt vnto theyr parentes and theyr elders, and betters, vnkynde, cursed, & shrewde, without affection or loue. without peace quarelers all vnrestfull rebukers checkers and chalengers incō tinent of theyr bodyes, wylde ragers, & raylers, without benignite, or gētelnes, without pyte, and mercy, traytours, deceyuours, frowarde, and fals braggers, and bosters. And the louers rather of theyr owne voluptuous pleasures: then of god. [Page 60]And yet wyll they haue a countenance, and behauiour of faythfull religion: but the vertu, & troth therof: wyll they (as ypocrites) deney, fle y ^u (sayeth he) and auoyde all suche ꝑsons. Ga. 5. e. Thys sayde selfe loue of the bodye: doth also bryed nurysh, & bryng in, the vices of y ^e flesh, glotony, sloth, and lechery, as the same apostle sayeth, and noumbreth, thus Fornicacion vnclennes, bolde vnbashfulnes, and shameles, auarice which is y ^e bondage of ydoles, stryfte and debate cōparison and wrath, sectꝭ and opiniōs. Inuie, & malice, homicide, & māslaghter dyuers, festes and fedynge. Drunkenes, and such other, whiche (sayeth he) I tel you, as I haue told you before: who so vseth or doth; shall neuer come vnto the kyngdome of god, let vs therfore (sayth he) cast awaye, and forsake y ^e workes of darkenes and arme or cloth our selfe: Ro. 13. e. with the armour / or harnes of lyght. And let vs walke honestly as in the day tyme, or thus. So that we may in the day tyme: walke honestly. Not in festes and fedynge, not in drunkenes, & surfetes. Not in sluggyshnes and vnclennes. Not in contencions, stryfte / and debates, not yet in malice, or inuie, but let Iesu Christe, be our garment, clothynge, and aray that is, that hys vertues & examples do appere in vs, and in all our workes. And not to cure ne charysh the flesh, in vnlawfull desyres & pleasures. For all these thynges: do let the spirituall profete & spede full passage in the lyfe of perfection. The poyson christiane religion. For they do not suffre the influxion, [Page]and moyster of goddes grace, towater / & seasone the bared drught, or drines of our harde hertes, what meruel is hyt than, though we workynge these wreched vices: be made partcles of al diuine consolacion and godly cōforte. August. For saynte Augustyne sayeth. Thou shalte neuer taste the swetnes, & pleasure of diuine consolacion & godly cōforte: yf thou spotte, & defowle thyne herte and soule, with carnall delectacion, & fleshly pleasure. From the whiche delectacion: he saue, kepe & by hys grace delyuer vs: that derely bought vs out lord god, & most swete sauiour Iesu Christ. Amē.

❧ A lytle lesson of .iiij. vertues, good, and profetable to be had of euery person: but not to be called vn to remēbrans but rather to be forgoten. ☞: ❧: ☜

THe serpent (sayth holy scripture) was more wyly, G [...]. 3. a. and deceytfull: then al the other bestes of the yerth by whom is ment the great gostly enimie y ^e dyuyl, that in the serpent deceyued our fyrst parentes. The properte of the serpent is, y ^t where so euer hys▪ hede may entre: al the body may lyghtly folowe. The hede of thys serpent: is the pryncypall suggestion, and mouynge vnto synne, which mouynge receyued into deleciacion: may lyghtly brynge a person vnto confent. inregula. Ca. 4 And although not vnto the consent of actuall synne: yet may it cause the distruction of vertue: For saynte Augustyne [Page 61]sayth, al other sinnes do worke, & labour to bryng the person vnto the acte & dede of synne, but pride by vayneglory: doth subtelly lye in wayte vpō the good werkes, and vertues: that they maye ꝑyshe, and not come vnto effecte. So than, bountie and goodnes, sauntite, holynes, and vertue: shulde be in euery good faythfull chrystiane, but to call thē wylfully vnto remēbraunce, & loke or cōsyder thē to be in hym selfe: is grete ioperdy, excepte in certen causes of scrupulosite, or mocions of despere / or such other necessite, els I saye: yt were better to forgete them. For the remembrans of them: maye lyghtly brynge a person to reioyce and take pleasure in them, and so to fall into vaygneglory and spirituall pride: whiche vnto almyghty god, and all hys angeles, and saintes: is much odious, and hatefull, wherof saynte Gregory, sayeth, Grego. he that in remēbryng hys owne good worke or dede: doth reioyce therin, may lyghtly: in alowans, & reysing vp of hym selfe: fall ful lowe: in the syght of him that is auctor of all humilite, and mekenes. And well & worthely may he be called a madde fole: y ^e vaynly bosteth him selfe of other mennes goodes or ryches which he had borowed. But (as saynte Paule sayeth) what thynge haste thou man, that thou hast not receyued in prest, & borowed goodꝭ as though he sayde no thyng. And syth than thou so hast taken, and borowed hyt, why doest thou reioyce, bost, and crake therof, as though thou haddest not so taken, and borowed hyt. And saynte [Page]Gregory agayne, Grego. he y ^e sheweth out borded goodꝭ as hys owne: doth feght with god with his owne rewardes and gyftes. Dessende therfore (sayeth saynte Augustyne) and come downe lowe: y ^t thou mayst ascēde and clymbe suerly vp, make thy selfe vyle, meke, & lowe: that y ^u mayst be exalted & promoted, lest peraduenture, yf thou exalte thy selfe: thou be plucked downe: agaynst thy wyll: For so sayth our sauyour in the gospell. Qui se exaltat, humiliabitur. Who so euer: doth exalte, et enhauns, or set vp hym selfe: shall be brought downe, & made vyle, and lowe. By these auctorites, & many mo: dothe, appere, that to call vnto remēbrans / our good dedes; or vertues, is not profetable, but rather perilous. Notwithstandynge: for such causes as I shewed before in extreame disconforte, it may be lawfull and good as we haue of the holy father Iob, Iob. 31. in the .xxxi. Chapiter throughout. And specially at the houre, or in the Ioperdy of death as is euident in the boke of kynges of the good kynge Ezechias. 4. Regū 20. a. So may we do at suche tymes / or in such necessites, that is to saye to cal wylfully vnto mynde, and remēbrans our good dedes and workes, or the paynes that we haue suffred, for the loue of god to quench vi [...]e, and to kendle, and increas vertue. And therfore I wolde aduyse all them that shall fortune to be present with any persons drawynge vnto death, to put them in remē brans, of all suche, and that they neuer thynke (at that tyme, vpō any fy [...]e [...]off [...]ns that euer they [Page 62]dyd, but to cōmytte all those, with stedfast fayth / and pure hope: vnto the passion and death of our sauyour: and vnto hys mercy. Amen.

¶ Of the secūde poynt that shulde rather be forgotyn: then remēbred. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜

LYke as we shulde not call vnto mynde, or remēbrance our good dedes: So shulde we clerely forgete all yuel and wronges done vnto vs / of any ꝑson for any cause. And yf by chauns any suche come vnto mynde: put them quycly awaye with violence. So was cōmaunded in the olde lawe. Seke not vengauns, nor to wreke thy selfe, Leuiti. 19. d. nor kepe in thy mynde: the iniurie, or wronge of thy neyghbour. But here, some persons wyl saye. Syr I can fynde well in myne herte to forgyue the wronge: but I can not forgete hyt. And although I do not seke, or mynde any meane of vē gauns: yet my hert doeth some tyme aryse, and I then murmure and go out of cūpeny, [...]er [...]er supra cautiē. & wyll nother salute, ne be saluted of the parties, and yf (by chauns) I can not auoyde: then I checke, or vpbrayde the person of the wronge. Thys forgyuenes can not discharge the conscience byfore god. And yet be they in wors case, that make outwarde a fayre face, as though all were clerely forgyuen, and yet inwarde they bere rancore and grugge, & wolde be glad that god, or some other persons: shulde take vengauns, or do some hurte vnto the parties, Thys is in dede a very hatered, & who so [Page]kepeth hyt in herte: be homicides, and manslers. Qui odit fratrem suum, 1. Io. 3. c homicida est. Who so euer (sayth the scripture) hateth his brother: is a mansleer That hert or mynde, that lyghtly forgeteth y ^e benifetes of his frynde: and that holdeth & kepeth well in mynde, the hurt and iniurye of hys foo, or enimie: is well assimuled and lykened vnto a colender, or streyner, that putteth ont the beste, and reteyneth, and kepeth the worst. A very faythfull christiane therfore: shulde clerely, & fully forgyue, and vtterly forgette (with al hys herte) al iniures, wronges, and hurtes done in any wyse vnto his goodes, or body. Takynge euer example of oure sauiour, and his holy folowers. For he prayde his father vpon the crosse: to forgyue hys foose and cruel crucifiers. And saynt Stephan in lyke maner. And saynt Bernarde sayeth, that god doeth lyberally, Gernar and frely forgyue, all penitentes: al iniuries & wronges, so that nother he wyl (by damp nacyon take vēgeance: nor yet cōfounde or make them abashed by vpbrayde, nor impute ne lay any thynge vnto theyr charge by lesse loue, or fauour, so that they onely haue perfete wyl to do no more. And yf we do in lyke maner, eche vnto other, we shall fullfyll the greate, and laste cōmaundement that our sauiour gaue vnto hys disciples, saynge Hoc mando vo bis. &c. Io. 15. c. This one thing I cōmaūde you (sayde he) that you loue to gether, that you fauore, eche other. For in that shal euery mā knowe (sayeth he) y ^t you be my disciples: yf you loue eche [Page 63]other. Thus shall we than haue perfete, and vnfayned charite in our hertes: yf we forgete, and neuer kepe in mynde, or remēbrance: iniuries, wronges, hurtes hyndrances, and al displeasures done vnto vs. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜: ⚜: ❧

¶ Of the thyrde poynte to be put clene a way, and neuer to be called ne kept in remembrance. ☞: ⚜: ☜

THe thyrde to be forgoten, is the dilectacion of synnes past which is very perilous. For although the recorde, and remembrans of synnes past may be good, and profitable vnto some persons: yet is that recorde neuer good, Augu [...]. but rather yuel, except ther folowe forthwith: some maner of repentance, sorowe, and displeasure for the offēce of god in the synnes, or by those synnes. But to haue delectacion in that recorde or remembrans: is neuer good, but alway nought. For as saynte Hugh De sancto victory sayeth: Huge. when so euer our lorde god (by his holy sarramētes, or by cōtricion) doth louse the penitent from hys synnes & forgyueth hys transgressions, and offences: he dothe therwith also bynde hym vnto perpetual detestation, & hatred of them that is, that when the sayde synnes come vnto remembrans by any meanes: that the person be abashed of them with hatred, and sory that he so dyd, with purpose, and mynde neuer to cōmit any suche agayne, and thus that recorde may be good, and profetable as I sayde [Page]vnto some ꝑsons. For theyr be some maner of persons: that (after myne opinion) shulde neuer call wylfully theyr synnes vnto mynde, nor yet when they come vncalled: kepe them in remēbrance. For some persons be carnall, very frayle and sone set one fyre, in flamed, or at the least sore assayled w ^t a lytle remēbrans, and so intendynge by recount of theyr synnes: to make a mendes: sodēly they fal vnto forther daunger. Let these maner of ꝑsons therfore beware, and neuer call those synnes vnto mynde that were cōfessed. And yf (by chaūce) they come to remēbrance: let them caste them quicly a way with feare, horror, detestacion, & indignacion as they wolde cast an edder, or a snake from theyr hande, or a venemus tode that sodenly shulde fall in theyr lappe, and with reuerēde drede, retourne vnto our lorde god, and most swete sauiour Iesu as the rediest remedye agaynst all such mocions, or tentacions. An other sorte of persons there be: that be scrupulouse incōsciēce & therby do thynke that the cōfession made ons or twys [...] of theyr synnes, is not sufficiēt: but yf agayne they go newely vnto cōfession as often as theyr synnes come vnto mynde. And I saye these ꝑsons do much cūber them selfe, and be therby, wauerynge in the fayth, bycause they do not byleue and fully truste that theyr synnes were forgyuen in the foremade confessions. For that among other is necessarie vnto the penitentes that they byleue, and fully truste: y ^t in euery cōfession duely made: all theyr synnes [Page 64]be fully forgyuen, so that they nede neuer any mo cōfessions except they be newely cōmytted, & done agayne. Howe be hyt no man may do ouermuche penance, for the redēpcion of the payne, although the least penaūce receyued of the gostly father: be sufficiēt for the forgyuenes of the synne. And therfore they do not amysse that oftymes be confessed of the same synne or synnes: to the intent to be the more abashed, or ashamed of them, & to take, and do more penance for them, hauynge euer (notwithstandynge) full fayth, and trust that they were all forgyuen before. And so his ther a thyrde maner of persons: that shulde neuer call vnto mynde / theyr synnes ons cōfessed, that is to say timerous persons and feerfull of conscience, & that (as the prophete sayeth.) Psal. Trepidauerunt timore, vbi non erat timor. That do often, and greately feere, and drede: where is no iust cause of feere at all. And that therby be apte, & disposed to fal into despere. These persons (I say) shuld not suffer the ymage and remēbrance of theyr synnes to byde ne tarye in theyr mynde in any wyse. For they shall neuer therby haue cōforte, but euer stande in ioperdy / & peryle, let them therfore make (with ful fayth and trust) thys cōclusion, that is, that none of al those synnes / be nowe theyr synnes. For they haue forsaken them, and do nowe forsake, and so wyll do for euermore, neuer to medle with them ne any other. And to say troth those haue no beyng, they be not For they be distroyed and wasted, as waxe in the [Page]fyre: by the holy sacrament of penance. Let them then care no thynge for them, but let them passe without recorde, or remembrance, and byware of them to come, & put euer theyr whole truste in our lorde, for doutles suche persons can not lyghtly fall into any mortall offence, bycause they be so affrayde of them that be past. And although our lorde suffre them sometyme to be excercised with feares: 1. Cor. [...]0. [...]. yet (doubtles) he wyll make, cū tentacione prouentum, that is, a prouision, and ordinance for that tentacion. Thus haue we shewed you, that although the recounte, and remēbrance of synnes past: may be good vnto some ꝑsons: yet not vnto all, but the delectacion of them can neuer be good and therfore neuer to be called ne kept in remembrans. ❧: ⚜: ☞: ★: ❧: ⚜: ☜

¶ Of the fourth thyng to be forgotyn and to be put from our cogitacion and remebrans. ❧: ★: ❧

HYt is a good thynge, and an hygh syngules grace: to thynke much vpon god, and often to recounte, and remēbre hys bowntie goodnes, & benifites, but to cal vnto mynde and remēbrance / and in mynde to be occupied with the profundite, depth, and with the misteries, and secretes of god or to reason with the articles of the fayth: is euer perilous. For euery faythful Christiane shulde receyue with reuerēce and deuocion, and stedfastly byleue what is taught by the auctorite of god, his [Page 65]holy scripture, and catholyke churche without sekyng or serchyng of any forther reason. Eccl. 3 c The wyse man sayth. Seke not (sayeth he) those thyngꝭ that be aboue the capacite of thy wytte nor serche those thyngꝭ that be more stronge then thy brayne may bere. But what so euer our lorde hathe cōmaūded the: those thynges: thynke thou euer, & haue them euer in remēbrance, and in many of his workes be not curious. For hit is not necessarie for the, to se with thyne eyes or outwarde syght nor to ꝑceyue by thy reason those thinges that be hydde frō the. Hyt is not good therfore: that man shuld rol and tumble in hys thought, and mynde the hygh mysteries of the fayth, as (by example) to ymagyne, or study: howe good is .iii. and one. Howe a virgyn myght conceyue, and bere a chylde, and yet euer remayne a virgyn. Howe Christe a very naturall man: maye be conteyned in so small a rowine as y ^• hoste is, and in that fourme of breade, al these and suche other poyntꝭ of the fayth: shulde not be kept in memory or remēbrance, but w ^tout any discusse / or triall of curiouse reasonynge, to be reuerendly receyued in true, clere, and whole fayth. Ro. 12. [...] So dothe the apostle Paule counsell the Romaynes, I saye (sayeth he) by that grace that is gyuen vnto me / and I speke vnto al that be among you: that non of you fauour, or take vpon hym to vnderstande / more then is necessarye, and behoueth him to vnderstande and sauer, but that you all sauer, & vnderstande, vnto sobrenes & due meane, accordyng [Page]vnto that mesure of fayth, & grace, that our lorde hathe gyuen you, let thē therfore: that haue subtel wyttes, and be disposed to seke and serch out the reason, and causes of all thynges, leue of and vtterly forsake the serch of al, or any of the misteries of the fayth, or of the ordinans of god and holy church. And (yf they do my counsel) let thē occupie that wytte, and mynde vpō the contemplacion of the actes of our saluacion, that is to say, the whole lyfe of our sauyour Iesu. And auoydynge all syn, they shall be sure to be therin well and vertuously occupyed. For suerly ther is nothynge that shall so sone, and lyghtly chase away the gostly enimie and gether vertue: In ser [...]no ^e. 22. super canc. g. as the remembrance of the passion of Iesu Christe. So sayeth saynt Bernarde. Thy passion lorde (sayeth he) is the vttermoste refuge, and surcour, and the moste syngular, & sure remedy. For when wytte and wysedome fayleth, & iustice dothe not suffice, and when the merites of sanctite, and good lyfe: wyll not reche, ne auayle yet doeth the recorde of thy passion, helpe / and succour in all cases. 2. Cor. 5. For the apostle sayeth we be not [...]fficiēt of our selef, as of our self: vnto any good dede / or good thought, but all our suffiencie is of god, who is euer blessed worlde w ^tout ende. Amen

¶ Of your charite praye for the olde wrech of Syon Rychardr Whytforde. *⁎*

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¶ Vnto the deuout reders.

HEre be many good and profetable lessōs ascribed vnto saynt Isodor whiche maye be rather called & taken for notes gadred, then for any worke digested and ordered, yf you rede thē and note them well (you shal I doubt not) be edified therby. A deuout brother of ours instantly requirynge: forsed me to stranslate the mater, which I haue done, more after the sens and meanyng of the auctour: then after the letter, and somewhere I haue added vnto the auctour, rather than mynushed any thynge. Ascribe, and take all vnto the beste I byseche you, good deuoute Christiane reders whom our lorde god, & moste swete sauiour Iesu, saue kepe, & increace in his grace and mercy euermore. Amen. Your assured bedeman the olde wreched brother of Syon Rycherd Whytforde.

❧: An instructyon to auoyde and eschewe vices and folowe good maners, ascribed vnto saynt Isodor and translate into Englyshe by a late brother of Syon Richarde Whytforde. ⁎

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MAn knowe thy selfe / knowe what y ^u arte, knowe whens thou came, howe and whetof thou wast begotyn how thou wast nury shed in thy mothers wombe, howe thou wast borne, know vnto what ende and purposethou wast create, and made, & frame, and order thy selfe vnto the same. As thy maker hathe institute, and taught the: so go forth by due obedience. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ Of yuel thoughtes.

FYrste haue thy selfe in a good awayte of thy thoughtes, dayly discusse, and trye thy herte / examyne dayly thy cōscience, kepe well thy mynde from vayne and yuell thoughtꝭ. Let neuer fylthy or vnclene cogytacion crepe into thy soule. Yf y ^u be assayled and tempted w ^t an yuel thought: gyue no place therunto, when the serpēt appereth fyrst: kyll hym, trede vpon hys hedde, and crush hyt in peces. Put awaye the yuel thought at the fyrst enter, at the fyrst mocion and begynnynge, and then shall hyt nothynge noye. For better is to auoyde synne: then to make amendes therfore. The mendes is beste made: wher, and when the synne fyrst spryngeth, and begymieth. Be ware at the begynnynge, and thou shalt lyghtly auoyde and excape all daungers and periles of the soule, & cōscience.

¶ Of chastite.

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NEuer than be thou polluted or defoled with any vnclennes. Let neuer thy mynde be occupied nor thy soule be spotted with any fylthy pleasures of the bydy. Let no lechery preuayle in the, ne haue restynge place in thy hert or mynde. Chastite, dothe ioyne man vnto god. Chastite dothe drawe, conuey, and carye man vnto heuen. Vnto the chaste person, is heuen promysed. And yf yet thou fele the greuous vexacion and troubles, of the body, yf thou be touched with the stynge and prycke of the fleshe, yf thou be assayled w ^t the suggestion, & tentacion of the fylthy lust or stynkyng pleasure of vnclennes, yf by any mynde thoughtes or remēbrance of fornicacion: thou fele or perceyue any tytillacions or rysynge of y ^e frayle flesh and bestly body: thē renne streght way, in all ha [...]t vnto the nexte remedy. Cast forthwith byfore the face, and syght of thy soule: the memorie and remēbrance of death. Put before thy face, y ^e passage of thy soul from thy body, loke vpō thy last ende, beholde, and se the terrible, and most dredeful day of iudgement. Thynke what tourmētes & paynes be ordened for synne, the perpetuall & euerlastyng fyre of hell, with other innumerable horrible / and abominable punyshmēt vnspekable. And yet the moste suer, and spedefull remedye agaynst al maner of tentacions is the remembrance of the acres of our saluacion specially the bytter passion / and paynfull, and shamefull death of our lorde Iesu, prayer helpeth muche. ❧: ⚜: ❧

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¶ Of Prayer.

PRaye therfore contenually, cease not to praye our lorde daye, and nyght, pray with teares & wepe, mourne and by wayle the synne of y ^e worlde Let prayer be your armour harnes, and defence. For prayer is a principal vertu, & violēce agaynst the assayles of al tentacions. For the dyuyl is vē quished, and ouercomen by prayer, & prayer dothe preuayle agaynste all yuels. And obteyneth / and geteth grace, so that fastynge go therwith.

¶ Of superfluous fedynge.

SVperfluous fedynge, bybbynge and bollyng: be the instrumētes of lechery, as by fewel fore cast vnto the fyre: the heate more increaceth. Mater cōbustible, and that wyll lyghtly bren, maketh the flame more feruent so doth the pomprynge of the body, moue, and sturre the blode, and doth ingender vayne and vnclene thoughtes.

¶ Of aspecte or cast of the fyght.

ONe of the fyrste, and principall grynnes, sun res or lymeroddes of vnclēnes: is the eye or syght. The chefe cōcupiscence that frayle persons haue eche vnto other: is by lokynge and caste of the syght. For therby is the mynde, sone & lyghtly netted, 2. Re. 11. Psal. 118. caught, and taken. Dauid to wytnes, and he prayed afterwarde vnto our lorde sayng. Au [...]rte oculos meos ne videant vanitatem. Turne and plucke awaye (good lorde) myne eyes, and syght / that I byholde not or se, any vanite, withdrawe therfore your syght, holde backe your eyes frō all [Page 68]lyght & wanton lokes. Neuer fyxe or fasten youre syght vpon the fauour beauty or countenance of the contrary sexe that is, man vpō the woman, or contrarye. the woman vpon the man. Remembre the gospell. who so euer loketh vpon afrayle ꝑson of the cōtrarie sexe: with the consente of cōcupiscence: hath euen then: Math. 5. d. done fornicacion in his hert and mynde. Yf you wyl than be safe and in suerty frō vice of fornicacion & vnclēnes: auoyde / & put away all occasions therof take away the mater & cause: & the offēce is sone auoyded. Aristo. The philosopher sayeth. Remota causa, remouetur et effectus. Remoue, and put awaye the cause, and the effecte is forthwith remoued. Be therfore discrete & ware as well of your loke & syght: as of your touchyng and other byhauiour of the body.

¶ Of the cūpeny and presēce of the contrarye sexes. ❧: ★: ❧

THer is no thynge more ꝑilous for the frayle persons: then the presence, cūpany, & famuliarite of the cōtrarye sexe. For when they be disioyned and in sondre departed: selden haue they any intent or purpose of synne, harde to lye or dwell longē by a serpent without some hurt. Byde nere the face of a continuall fyre: & (though thou were yron) thou shalte be dissolued, and wasted who so euer is very nere vnto perile, and ioperdy: cānot belonge in iuerte to be safe therfrom. Eccli. [...] d The wyseman sayth Qui amat piculum in illo pecibit. Who [Page]so loueth perile: shall therin perysh. The frayle lyght person: is euer in perile: byding in familier presence of a lyke frayle person, specially of the cō trarie sexe. The most redy, and most suer remedy / than: is to fle and to auoyde presence. For often hathe hyt chaunced and cūmen to passe: that familiarite in accustomed presence, hathe, venquyshed, ouercomen & brought vnto effecte, that vnclene acte of y ^e flesh: which the voluptuous desyre and appetite therof coulde neuer brynge aboute.

¶ Of labour occupacion, and of the cō trarye, that is, ydelnes. ☜:⚜:☞

THe ydel persons be sonest, and most lyghtly venquished, & ouercomen with the fole synne of the body. For the fylthy appetite of the fleshe dothe most greuously bren and sturre those ꝑsons that be founde ydel. Ydelnes doth not onely hynder all vertues: but also (as the wyseman sayeth) dothe teache much malice and nuryshe many vices. Eccli. 33. d. The furie of the flesh dothe auoyde and gyue place vnto labour, and al synnes be dryuen away or rebated by occupacion. Do therfore alwaye sū good worke or labours, that thyne enimies maye fynde the occupied for then dare they not assayle the. For they can not lyghtly venquyshne ouercome the persons well occupied. Beware therfore of ydelues. Loue not, but rather hate, and abhorre ydelnes, dryue not forth thy lyfe in ydelnes. The tylth or ryllynge of landes with labour / and [Page 69]diligence: wyll not onely destroy wedes, in baren groundes: but also brynge forth good frute. Excercise thy body with labours, & occupacions: and hyt wyll distroy vyce and ingender, & brynge forth vertue. Seke therfore / and fynde out with care and diligēce some, ꝓfitable occupacion, wher vnto the intēt of thy mynde may be applied, and gyue thou thy selfe therunto. ❧: ❧

¶ Of redynge.

LEction, and redynge, or herynge of good holy bokes and auctorysed workes: is a good occupacion. Study and lerning, & also techyng is a good occupacion, meditacion of holy scripture: is a holy ocupacion. Applie thy selfe therunto, & vse thy selfe therin. For the occupacion of redynge & meditacion: shal teche the what to fle, and auoyde, and whyther thou shuldest intende and passe. By redynge: and lernynge: thy wytte, and vnderstandynge shall increase. And muche mayst thou ꝓfet therby yf thou worke & do therafter. Prayer also / is a synguler good occupacion, vse thē interchan̄ geable, nowe from one vnto another, and so with out werynes thou shalte go forth with great ease pleasure, and profete in all them, that is to say, in bodyly labours, in redyng in meditaciō, in prayer and contemplacion. ☜: ❧: ☞: ❧

¶ Of humilite or mekenes.

Yf you than wyll effectuoufly profete, in the premisses: you must be meke. Founde than, & groōde your selfe in mekenes. Thynke your selfe [Page]the lowest and most vnworthy of al your cūpeny / and therafter byhaue your selfe. In what rowme, state or condicion so euer you be: yet by mekenes of herte: make youre selfe, and account youre selfe for the least or worst. Do not prepone or set forthe your selfe byfore any other. Do not repute, thynk not ne reken your selfe supiriour, & aboue any person. Let not your mynde aryse to inhauns youre selfe, neuer bost your selfe. Do not extoll and sette vp youre selfe by any lyght byhauiour. Sprede not a brode the wynges of pryde. For the more de specte, and vyle that you be in your owne syght: the more shall you be glorious and prayseable in the syght of god, Let therfore your lokes & countenaunce be euer bashfull. Be you (with the publicane) affrayde, and ashamed (for the multitude of your synnes) to loke vp towarde the heuen. Loke downe vnto the groūde, bere a lowe sayle, in your countenance and in all your byhauiour. And yf you be in honour, dignite hygh rowme or degre: let the cōsideracion of your synnes: represse / and rebate your pride. Let none honour of this world extoll nor lyft you vpwarde aboue your selfe, but take hede what thy wyseman sayeth. Eccli. 3. c. Quo maior es, humiliate in ominibus, et corā deo inuinies graciam. The more greate, and hygh thou art in dignite: the more do thou meken thy selfe: & so shalt y ^u byfore god, fynde grace. Yf the hygh states shuld meken and make them selfe lowe: what abomina nacion is hyt to se them that came from the carte, [Page 70]to clymbe, and inhaunce them selfe. Lucke. 14. c. &. 18. e. Our sauyour sayth in the gospell. He that doth exalte: and sette vp him selfe: shalbe brought downe, & be vile & of no reputacion, & cōtrary: he y ^t doth hūble humilite and make hym selfe lowe vile, & nought: shall be exalted, & taken vp vnto honour & dignite, Than lette them y ^t be disciples vnto Christ: lerne, & loue mekenes, and myldenes, at hym or of hym.

¶ Of the cōstancie of mynde.

THe very true meke person: is euer constant / and neuer variable. In tyme of sekenes or disease: he neuer murmureth ne grudgeth, but euer he thanketh out lord. Yf prosperite rayne, and the worlde do laugh or smyle vpon hym: he dothe not regarde or sette therby, ne any thynge is he at tolled or lyfte vp therwith. Yf aduersite happe or fall vnto hym: he is no thynge deiecte ouercaste, ne any thynge discōforted or broken therby. But euer is he constant, one and the same man / as wel in welth as in wo, he kepeth in both, a due meane In the one: due temperance: in the other due pacience. For in bothe, is he proued, and by nother ioy, nor sorowe is chaunged in mynde. For he knoweth well, that the state of mā is euer accidēt and may sone be chaunged. And euer he casteth & wayteth in mynde byforehande what may fall / & so is hyt more lyght to bere, what so euer hyt be.

¶ Of pacience in aduersite.

THys sayde cōstancie: doth brynge in paciēce. And dothe order the person in all thynges / [Page]rather to suffer, and bere: then to do any hurte or displeasure, or yet to gyue any occasion therun to. The nature of approued mekenes: is to bryng forth pacience, as the mother doth the chylde. Be you therfore: meke, mylde, softe, sober, & cōstante: and then shal you be sure of paciēce. For nothyng then may greue you. Loke vpon our lorde / and sauiour Iesu, he had muche wronge, and you can haue none. For you haue deserued all that can be sayde or done vnto you. And he neuer deserued any payne, yet dyd he suffre moste paciently: not onely most cōtumelious, most sharpe & shamefull wordes: but also most greuous, and moste cruell tourmentes, and (at the last) most paynful death. And in al: he neuer sayde nor dyd any thynge to withstande. Folowe you hym, yf you be wronged, rebuked, chydde, and with most obprobious raylynge, and ragynge wordes assayled, neuer gyue you any worde of aunswere, except you wyll saye, Mea culpa, I crye god mercy, els: saye nothynge / lerne to kepe silence. For so (doubtles) shall you most suerly saue your selfe, kepe youre conscience most clene, best appease your owne herte, & mynde Sonest venquysh your assaylers, & moste hyghly please our lorde, vnto your owne profete & moste hygh merite. For no vertue may wynne more merite, more laude and prayse of god, and man: then pacience. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ Of the imitacion and folowynge of good men.

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FOr the opteynynge, and kepynge of pacience, and also of all other vertues: the imitacion / & folowynge of good & holy persons, is a nere / and redye way, or meane. In all your dedes (than) & workes, in all your cōuersacion, and forme of lyuynge: folowe you euer the good: and vertuous persons. Take example euer of the best, and kepe you cūpany with them, and euer auoyde the contrarie. For as the prophet sayeth: Cū sancto sanctus eris &c. With the good, & holy persōs: Psal. 17. you shalbe good and vertuous, and with the peruers & yuel persons, you shalbe, as they be: For the examples of our fore goers: be vnto vs documētes, lessons / and fourmes of lyuyuge.

¶ Of Peace and charite.

PEace / and charite may kepe you in good lyfe, where so euer you be, loue peace therfore, and desyre loue & charite. Psal. 33. Seke peace (sayeth the prophete) and persue and violently or fyerfly folowe peace. Study and applie to loue, & fauour euery man, & to excede in loue (that is) to loue: more then thou art beloued. Prouoke enery man vnto peace yee: your enimies. Shewe vnto all maner of persons a louynge countenance. And gentell byhauyour. Speke feyre and curtesly and deale kyndly, and fauorably with all persons. Neuer do wronge / ne hurte or yuel vnto any person, rather suffer hate, al stryfte, and debate. Neuer contende ne thwart, ne cōpare with any man. Eccli. 6. a. Holde neuer styffly thyne owne opinion. A swete worde (sayeth [Page]the wyse man) doth multiplye, increace, and gete frēdes, and doth mitigate and swage foose. Our sauiour byquethed peace vnto his disciples when he wolde deye. Math. 5. a. And he / pronounced them blessed that were peacefull, and makers of peace.

¶ Of Pitie and compassion.

YF you perceyue any ꝑson vnpeacefull or vnrestfull: haue pitie, and cōpassion vpon hym and thynke that yf you were in lyke case, and lyke passion: you shulde (peraduenture) be forther out of the waye then he is, neuer reioyce nor be glade of any mannes hurt, no nor of your enemies hurt lest lyke chaunce fall vnto you and that god displeased: turne hꝭ wrath frō hī, vnto you. For who so ioyeth in hys enemies fallmay lyghtly fal him selfe into like, or wors case. Be neuer harde harted but rather as sory for the miserie of your neyghbour, as of your owne, haue pite and cōpassyon vpō all ꝑsons, Math. 5. a. accordynge vnto theyr nede. Beati misericordes (sayth our sauiour) Blessed be the ꝑsons mercyfull and pituous, youre Englysh prouerbe sayeth, he that hath no mercy: of mercy shal mysse and he shall haue mercy, that mercyfull is. The mercyful and pitious persons do best proue thē selfe to kepe that hygh precepte and cōmaūdemente. In the whiche saynte Paule sayeth: al the lawe hangeth and the ꝓphetes. Roma. 13. c. That is: loue thy neyghbour as thy selfe. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ Of the cōtempt and dispisynge of worldly prayse.

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BVt in all your mercy, pitie, and compassion: beware euer of the appetite or desyre of worldly prayse. For els you shal haue (as christ sayth) that prayse onely, for your rewarde. Math. 6. a. Despise you therfore al the vayne prayse of y ^e people. Study rather to be good, then so to be called or noted. Be more glad to be worthy prayse: then to here hyt, or haue hyt. Do not you require or couet, that any person shulde extol and set vp your name, ne care you thogh you be rebuked or lytle set by. Let not the vayne fauour or flatery deceyue and brynge you vnto vayneglorye nor yet the rebuke, ouercast you to be sory. For yf you wyll despice, & sette nought by all worldly prayse: then shal no rebuke greue you, ne any prayse: please you, hit is a great foly for you to suppose & thynke youre selfe good: bycause you be so called or named. In all youre neyghbours well sayng of you: loke you wel vpō your owne conscience. Be you iudged rather by your owne, then by any other mans iudgement. And neuer wey nor measure your selfe by any other mans tonge or sayng, but by your owne mynde and cōscience. No man can better knowe what you be: then your selfe. Yf you be nought: what auayleth hyt you to be praysed, and called good.

¶ Of honest conuersacion.

LEtte your conuersacion be honest and good: & then shall you be praysed whether you wyll or no. For laude and prayse doth folowe vertu, as the shado in the son, doth folowe y ^e body. Fle you [Page]euer and auoyde simulation, and ypocry [...]y, Feyne not in any wyse, but rather be better the you seme The prouerbe sayeth, fayned sanctite: is dowbte iniquite. Shewe therfore your selfe, i habite aray, and all byhauiour: accordynge vnto your profession, state / and cōdicion. For the religious ꝑsons haue theyr maner in theyr pase, goyng, standing, inclinaciōs prostracions, genuflections, y ^e garde of theyr syght, and silence, for the tyme place / and persons all accordyng vnto theyr statutes and ordinances. The states of the worlde: haue maners and byhauiours of other grauite: then haue the cōmune people. The citezyns haue also other maners / then haue the rude people of the cūtre vplandysh. The lyfe: maye be suffred to haue some tyme more dissolute maner, lyght byhauiour, wā tan wordes or gestures: then shulde become the clergy. The women haue theyr maners by them selfe accordynge vnto theyr degrees, & condicion. Lette eueryche, therfore behaue hym selfe accordynge vnto hys callynge: so that he make not of hym selfe a starynge stocke to be shewed with a sygne, as a wonder. He shal least offende that foloweth the most cōmune good maner / of hys sorte or felyshyppe. And the most newfāgle: doth gyue most occasion. The most godly conuersacion shal beste please god. ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧

¶ Of the cūpenye or felyshyppe of good persons. ☞: ⚜: ☜

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THe cōuersacion cōmunely of euery person: is muche after the maner / and fashon of the cō pany wherin he is nuryshed and brought vp. Se neke sayeth. Educacio et doctrina: efficunt mores. Se [...]. The edicacion, y ^e is the nuryshynge or bryngynge vp of a person / and the doctrine & teathynge that the person hathe: do make the maners. Take you good hede therfore, and warenes vnto whom you put your chylde, or frēdes to be taught or brought vp. Yee, & also with whom you cūpany your selfe. Auoyde the yuel persons. Beware of the wycked, Fle ferre frō the vnfaythful. Lyers, detractours, or bachyters, swerers, cursers, or bāners: hate you as poyson. Drawe not nere vnto wantan, and vnclene lyuers. For who so toucheth pyche: Eccli. 13. a. may sone be spotted or defouled therwith. Drawe euer vnto the beste, and vnto the moste vertuous / and beste manered pērsons, and so shal you haue good maners, and with the rude: you shalbe rude: with the wyse: you shalbe wyse. Psal. 17. And (as is sayde) with the holy: you shalbe holy. And with the innocent, and hurtles person: shal you be innocent, and hurtles. And with the electe and chosen person of god, you shalbe electe and chosen. And with the peruers & frowarde person: you shalbe peruerted & turned from god. And shorttly to conclude with the olde blunt prouerbe. Est et semper erit: similis, simulem sibi querit. Thys is to saye.

Hyt hathe bene euer,

Versus

and euer shall be

That the lyke wyl seke, with the lyke to be.

[Page]

In man and beast,

Versus.

In herbe; and tre

Where they be bredde: lyke shall they be.

¶ Of the custodie or kepynge of the eares or hearynge. ❧: ⚜: ❧

ALl the lernynge & maners, of man: be receyued into the soule: by the .v. wyttes, heryng, seynge, smellynge, tastynge, and touchynge. And although amonge philosophers: the syght is accounted for the principall of all the fyue wyttes: yet (in myne opinion) the wytte of herynge shulde be taken for the chefe wytte amonge Christians, because that the appostel Paule sayeth. Fides ex auditu. Ro. 10. d We receyue, and haue oure fayth, by the wytte of herynge, and also al the lernyng that we haue in wordes and spekynge: we haue by that wytte of herynge. For that ꝑson that neuer herde: can neuer speke u [...] vnderstande. Howe be hit that by the wytte of syght or seyng: a ꝑson may worke and lerne to worke, and to vnderstāde by sygnes what is ment, though he neuer herde, and smell, and taste, that is to saye, the wytte of smellynge & tastynge: do sexue for the iudgemēt of the fode of man, and beast. And the wytte of touchyng is generall vnto all and vnto euery mēber / and euery parte of the naturall body of man or beast / that is in natural state. Syth (than) that, by these fyue gates of the body: we receyue naturally, all thynges that be good, and profetable, and also that be yuel or noyous, vnto both the soule, and body: we [Page 74]had nede to kepe well these gates, & specially the gate of herynge, wherby (as is sayde) we receyue our fayth, w ^tout which (as the same apostel sayth) hit is impossible, Hebre. 11. a. or vnpossible to please god / we must haue I saye of this gate, most suer garde & most diligent custody. Lest in sted of ryght fayth: we receyue errour and heresies, vnto our vtter destruction. Close therfore, and shyt vp your eares and herynge from all yuel. Eccli. 28. d. Sepi aures tuas spinis. Sayth the wyse man, hedge vp thyne eares with thornes. Blasphemyng othes: be to be shyt out of your soule, by the thorny hedge of sharpe rebukꝭ or of correction / or at the least by the auoydynge of presence. And lyke wyse. Of detraction & bacbytynge. For hyt is no lesse synne to here, then to speke detraction, wordes of rybaldy and of vncle nes: be euer cōtrarie vnto Christiane honeste. For saynt Paule sayth. 1. Cor. 15. e. Corruinpunt bonos mores colloquia mala. Yuel cōmunicacion and mysordred wordes, do corrupt, infecte and destroye good maners. Fylthy wordes: do sone moue y ^e mynde, and that thynge y ^t is gladly harde: is lyghtly brought vnto effecte in dede. Kepe well (than) thys wytte of hereynge from all yuel. And open your eares vnto the worde of god onely and to them that in hys name speke godly wordes. Your syght also, that is your wytte of syeyng: must haue due custodye / and garde. For els may death lyghtly enter by that wyndo. The basiliske: doth sie w ^t a syght. Remember therfore what the prophete sayeth. [Page] Auerte oeulos meos ne videant vanitatem. [...]sal. [...]. Turne away (good lorde) myne eyes and syght, that they se no vanite / kepe your syght: & so shall you kepe your soule. The delectacion of pleasant odours & swete smelles, and the taste of delicatꝭ, be oftymes (bysyde theyr other yuels) occasion of suꝑfluite, and the mysuse of touchyng is the most perilous enimie of chastite. Of these. in. wyttes is litel here spoken, because they be bysyde the auctour.

¶ Of the custody, and kepynge of the mouth. ❧: ❧

I Haue made promys (sayeth the prophete) that I wyll loke well vnto all my ways, [...]sal. 3 [...]. [...]. so that I do not offende in my tonge. And therfore haue I put and ordened a custody, & garde for my mouth and I haue bene as doume and spechles, & haue kept silence, [...]. from those thynges that were good & lawfull to speke. Nam (sayeth the wyse Catho) Nūquam tacuisse nocet: nocet esse locutum. For hyt neuer hurt man (sayeth he) to kepe sylence and no thynge to saye, but to speke: hathe noyed & hurte many persons. Haue therfore (good christians) a good awayte of youre mouth. Loke well what goth in, & what cūmeth forth of your mouth. For by that goth in: your body is fedde and nuryshed, and your lyfe continued, good dyete much auayleth vnto the helth and longe lyfe of y ^e body. And the due temꝑance, & good disposicion of the body helpeth muche vnto the disposicion, and order of [Page 75]the soule. Beware therfore what gothe in at your mouth. And be as well ware: what cūmeth forthe. Math. 12. [...]. For our sauyour sayeth. Ex abundancia cordis, or loquitur. The mouth speketh of the abundance of the hert. Beware (than) fyrst what thoughtes you suffer to come into your hert. For therafter wyll the mouth speke. The tonge dothe shewe the maners and dysposicion of the man. And after the speche of the mouth, shall a person be iudged. A vayne, lyght, and vnclene tale of the mouth: is a testimony, wytnes and token of an vnclene, lyght and vayne herte and cōscience. The mynde herte and conscyence of the man: is iudged muche after hys wordes. Beware therfore what you saye. Let no thynge passe your mouth: that shulde displease god, charge or lade your cōscions, or hurt, offēde / or gyue occasion vnto your neyghbour. Math. 12. c. Remēber that our sauiour sayeth, in the gospell. The good man (sayth he) of the good thresour (that is vertu) doth brynge forth, and speke good wordꝭ, and the yuell man, of the yuell tresour of vice: doth bryng forth and speke yuel wordes. For thys I tell you (sayeth he) men shal gyue account and reknynge: at the daye of dome or the daye of iudgement: of euery ydel worde they speke, For of thy wordꝭ mā: shalt thou be iustified: and of thy wordes shalte y ^u be cōdempned. ⚜ Note here that yf so streyte reknynge shalbe made for ydel wordes: what a rekenynge (thynke you) shalbe gyuen for more synfull and shameful wordes. The best porter (than) [Page]and the most suer custody & garde of your mouth, and tong: is silence and neuer to speke but in due tyme, and place. Of due mater & vnto due ꝑsons.

¶ Of Detraction or bachytynge.

AMonge al the wordes or saynges that maye passe the mouth of man: Detraction or bacbytynge: is of most difficulte, and moste harde to be amended and recouered. For no synne maye be forgyuen, without restitution satisfaction & suche amendes as the person maye make as yf a man had stollen an hors: he may be sone forgyuen: yf he be sory & haue full mynde to do no more theft, and be confessed therof, and take penance, & then r [...]store the hors or an other hors as good or the price therof, & so of other sinnꝭ. But not so lyghtly o [...] detraction. For when a mā hath defamed, and hurte his neyghbours good name, and fame, and though he be sory, and confessed therof: yet muste he restore that name, and fame, and that is harde to do when y ^• mater is in many mouthes, yet must he do what he can therunto. Consyder nowe (I praye you) howe harde thys thynge is to be done: although hyt be in a true tale, and vnto fewe persons, as vnto thre or two or one person alon. Let (in case) a man se hys neyghbour do fornication, & he telleth thys forth: he doth therin dedly synne. For hyt hys contrarye vnto the lawe of nature / & vnto the good [...]der of charite, Math. 18. c. and directly contrarie vnto the wordes and mynde of the gospell. Howe shal he nowe make restiticion, & a mendes. [Page 76]For yf he speke vnto the party where he made the detraction: he may not saye he lyed, & tolde a fals tale. For than shulde he make an vnlawfull lye, vpon hym selfe, and also defame hym selfe. And if he shulde say hyt was true, that he sayde: he shuld so more depely defame the sayde ꝑson, howe shuld he nowe do in thys case. I wyl tell you howe. And I praye you Note hit well. He must seke the ꝑson, or persons, vnto whom he made the detraction / when he may conueniently. And saye after thys fourme. Frende or frēdes: I tolde you such a tale of suche a persone or ꝑsons: hyt was a detraction, he nedeth not to say, hyt was true, or false, but (as I fayde) hyt was a bachytynge and sclauuder, of my neyggbour & a greate offence agaynst god I shuld not haue tolde you any such: nor you shuld haue herde hyt, nor bylyued hyt, but you shuld rather haue axed me what profe, and wytnes I had of my tale and yf I had sayde: none but my selfe: then shulde you haue rebuked me for my so sayng and at the least, you shulde haue gyuen vnto me no credence, but rather warned and counseled me to shewe hyt no forther. And thus I crye our [...]ord mercy: I dyd bothe offende hym and you. For yf you haue (vpon my mouth) tolde hyt any forther: then be you bounden to do vnto them, as I haue done nowe vnto you. Loke well nowe (good christians) howe harde, hyt is to make amendes for detraction, and yet some ꝑsons when they knowe howe to make the amedꝭ: wyl not so do for shame, [Page]but rather do put theyr soules in [...]operdy. Kepe therfore your mouth, from detraction. Recounte well your owne synnes: & you shall rather be sory for all other synners: then be redy to rehers them. Serche not what other men do or say. For so may you lyghtly fall into suspicion, & therby saye that is not true, & so fal frō an yuel synne into a wors.

¶ Of A lye or lyenge.

IN detraction: be communely many lyes. And suerly hyt is a great shame for a chrystiane to be a lyer. For Chryste is the essenciall truth and father vnto all the true christians. Io. 8. f. And the dyuyl (from the bygynnyng) is a lyer, and father of all lyes, and lyers. Defoule not therfore your mouth with any lye. Sap. 1. c For the wyseman sayeth. Os quod mentitur: occidit animam. That mouth that maketh a lye: doth slee the soule. Sane your soule, vse to speke the truthe playnly, without crafte or colours, other in your worde or worke.

¶ Of swerynge.

TO affirme and bynde a lye with an othe: is erectable, & much abominable. Sweryng is forboden by y ^e law except it be, for a lawfull cause, required by lawful psōs: in lawful in tyme & lawful place [...]. Otherwyse, haue you no wyll, appetite, pleasure to swere (sayth our sauyour) omnino, y ^• is [...]or, vtterly, so y ^e we shulde vtterly haue, no mynde ne desure to swere & neuer to swere but constrayned therunto and then that the other (in consciēce) be true, Math. 5. [...]. with y ^• circumstances byfore sayde. The [Page 77]vse of swerynge is perilous, bothe for the body / & soule. For that vse may ingender a custū, so that a man shall swere greate othes, and not perceyue hym selfe y ^t he swereth any othe at all, & although so to swere by custome, be not alway dedly synne: yet is it harde to excuse the ingendrynge of that custome from dedly synne. In customable othes: a man maye lyghtly, fall into for swerynge. And to forswere wyttyngly, and wyllyngly by deliberacion: is alway dedly synne. To auoyde all ioperdies therfore: vse not youre mouth vnto othes. For trothe nedeth none othes. A true saynge shal be well byleued without any othe. Yee and nay, is ynough for a faythful christian. And though a man were dredles of god, yet the periel of the body shulde moue hym to leue sweryng and the custome therof. For holy scripture sayeth. De domo iurantis, non recedet plaga. Eccli. 23. b. The vengeance of god hāgeth euer styl ouer the house of the swerer, and he is euer full of iniquite. And then must nedely all that housholde be euer in perile, and ioperdy: where the customable swerer dwelleth. Vse not (thā) to swere your selfe, not yet suffer you any other to swere that you may let.

¶ Of promyse, and vowe to be rendred and kepte. ❧:⚜:❧

NOtwithstādyng yf you by sworne othe make any promyse or vowe: that vowe muste you nedely rēder, kepe, and perfourme, yf you so maye [Page] [...] [Page 77] [...] [Page]do without the offence of god. For our lorde god sayde by hys prophete Moyses. Deut. 23. d. Cum votū voueris domino deo tuo. &c. That is when thou hast made a vowe vnto thy lorde god. Make hast, and tarye not, ne make any stoppage to rēder, and ꝑfourme hyt, For thy lorde god, wyll require hyt. And yf it be holden backe, and thou tarye and stoppe therat: hyt shal be reputed: and layde vnto thy charge for synne, yf thou wylt make none suche promyse thou mayst be without any synne, but that vowe that ons hathe passed out from thy lyppes: shalte thou obserue kepe, and perfourme, accordynge as thou hast promised vnto thy lorde god, & by thyne owne proper wyll and with thyne owne mowth: thou hast spoken. And the prophete Dauid sayth. Vouere et reddite. Psal. & Make you vowe at youre wyl, and then render, & perfourme the same vnto your lorde god. Be not therfore, lyght to promyse and harde or loth to paye. Proue you by deliberation (as saint Iohn saith) what spirit moueth you to make the promise, 1. Io. 4. & then neuer slycke ne tarye to paye. For muche displeaseth god: a folysh promyse. And they be accounted and nōbred amonge infideles and faythles persons: that do not perfourme, & fulfyll y ^t they haue vowe [...], & ꝓmyssed.

¶ That all thynges be open and knowne vnto god. ❧:⚜:❧

ANd let no man thynke nor byleue: that the vowe or promyse that he maketh in secrete [Page 78]maner vnto hym selfe alon: be vnknowen vnto god. For suerly all thynges be playne opyn vnto hym. Thynke none yuell in your herte therfore. For by no sylence: may hyt be hyd from hym. No thynge can be so couered ne cloked, but that hyt shalbe reueled, and shewed, nor any thyng so hyd but hyt shall be knowen. For those thynges that you haue sayde in darke corners: shall be tolde in open lyght, and that you rowned in your felous care: shall be openly preched vpon the house toppes. Nother (therfore) do you, Lucke. 12. [...] say nor thynke yuel any where but where you knowe well: god is not ne can se you. Do no thynge (than I say) nor yet saye or thynke: but that you byleue: all y ^e worlde maye and shall se, and knowe. God seyth, & beholdeth, al thynges nowe present. And man shal here after, se and knowe, that nowe is hydde.

¶ Of good conscience.

ALthough our mercyfull lorde god, se nowe / and byholdeth & doth take pacience w ^t your synne and though nother the publyke and opyn fame, ne yet any synguler person can accuse you: you cā not yet so excape vnaccused. For your proper conscience: doth bothe accuse, and cōdempne you. And suerly ther is no payne more greuons: then the murmur and gruge of cōsciēce. Wyl you than auoyde all sorowe. Kepe then your cōscience clene. For a clene and suer cōscience, dothe lyghtly bere all troubles, & the spotted conscience: is euer in paine, & woo. The greatest glorye, laude prayse [Page]ioye, or pleasure that man may haue in thys lyfe, is (after saynte Paule) the testimonie, 2. ro. 1. c. and wytnes of a clene and clere cōscience. And the cūbred conscience, is euer vnstedfast, and redy to despere.

¶ That all thynges shulde be attributed and applied vnto god. ❧:☞:❧:☜

BVt yet be you ware y ^t you presume not vpon your owne vertue, to haue a clene conscience, by your owne merites, but rather, yf you so truste and byleue: ascrybe, and applye hyt vnto god. For saynte Paule sayeth. 1. co. 15. d Gracia dei sum id quod sum. What so euer I am: that am I by the grace of god. And yet although you trust and byleue that your cōsciēce be good & clene: yet make neuer yo ^• selfe [...]eker and sure therof. For the same apostle sayth in an other place. 1. co. 4. [...] Licet nihil mihi conscius sum. &c. Though I knowe not my cōscience gyltyne greued with any offence, yet am not I therin iustifyed & made ryghtwyse byfore god. Retourne you therfore, and turne backe all your vertues / & good dedes vnto god from whom they came, and knowlege, that you haue no thynge that is good, of your selfe, but all of hym. ☞:★☜:⚜

¶ That the vertues of man shulde be hydde and kepte clos. ☞:⚜:☜

ANd sythe you so knowe / hyt is a greate foly for any man to set forth and shewe as to be sene and praysed for hys: that is not hys. For so [Page 79]were he worthy to lose y ^e vse and profete y ^t he hath therof, by the goodnes of the oner. Yf you wyll therfore kepe, and inioye the prophete of those vertues that god hathe sende you: boste thē not. Set not them forth to be supposed as yours and therby to haue the prayse, & fauour of man. Kepe thē secrete and then shall they increase, and multiplie vnto youre more conforte. When fyne pouder is kept clos in a boxe: it wyl wexe more fast & stycke, to gether. Bere hyt opyn in the wynde: & hyt wyll flye a brode, and peryshe. And so certenly is it of al vertues shewed a brode in the wynde of vayne glorye. Lose not than by vayne wordes: that may be kept by silence. ❧:☞:❧:☜

¶ Of confession.

ANd as your vertues & al good dedes shulde alway be kept priuey and secrete except whē they may be shewed vnto y ^e glorye of god: so must you nedely shewe forth your sinne and yuel dedes in due tyme and place, accordynge vnto the / condicion and maner of the same, as yf your synne be opyn: then must you openly confesse the same / as hyt is knowen. And yf hyt be secrete, then shewe hyt vnto your gostly father the priste. Senec. Qui sponte fatetur facimus: (sayeth Seneke) habetur tan [...] non reus. He that dothe wylfully vncōstrayned cōfesse & playnly knowlege his default & offens (though hyt be neuer so greate and greuous) yet shal he be taken as he were no thynge gyltye. Shewe you therfore the vices of your herte. Let nother worde [Page]nor thought be vncōfessed. For the synne that is playnly cōfessed: is sone and lyghtly cured, & the hyd synne: rancleth and increaseth and poysoneth and wexeth euer more and more incurable and vnhealable as abodely sore. Yet it is alway better to auoyde synne: then to make amendes therfore.

¶ Of premeditacion.

HYt is good therfore to haue euer a foreloke a foresyght, and wyll to remember, and cōsyder before the dede, what shall come therof. The saynge of a lerned man. Salust. Ante [...] incipias, consulto: & post [...] consulueris mature, opus est facto. Byfore thou bygynne: take counsell, and when thou haste rypely and sadly well counseled: Eccli. [...]1. c. Prouer 11. b. and 24. a. then is tyme to worke, and do therafter. The wyse man sayth. Let stable and sadde counsel: go byfore euery acte, and dede thou dost. For ther is much helth, & saluaciō: where be many counsels. But when that counsell is had: then is it not good to tarie, stoppe ne make deley: in good dedes, yuel dedes cā neuer be done be good counsell. Counsell (sayth Salomon) wyll kepe you, and prudence wyll preserue you frō all yuel wayse, Proser 13. b. who so euer (than) do worke & do all thynges by counsel premeditacion, and foresyght those be ruled and ordred by wysdome.

¶ Of sapience and wysdome.

SApience, prudence, and science, wysdome / prouysyon & conynge: do go cōmunely to gether, one doth folowe vpō an other. And some tyme be put and vsed eche for other, as may be takē of the [Page 80]wyse Salolomon. No thynge is better: Prouer 8. a. b. then sapience, no thynge more profetable then prudence, no thnge more pleasand and more swete, and delectable then science. Lerne wysdome then. Ibidē. For so she her selfe sayth by the sayde wyseman. Take of me discipline and techynge: rather then money. And chuse you to haue doctrine, and lernynge rather then golde. For sapience is better then al the most precious iewels of the worlde. And no thynge is so desyrable:that may be cōpared vnto wysdome. I dwell in counsel (sayth she) and I am presente with all lerned cogitacions and thoughtes. As no thynge (than) is better then wysdome: so (cōtrarye) no thynge is wors then folyshnes. And as no thynge is more profetable then prudence, & polityke prouision, so is no thynge more noyouse, and wastful: then careles ꝓdigalite. And as no thyng is more pleasant, and delectable: then science and conynge: so is nothynge more miserable & cōfortles: then ignorance, loue well therfore sapience / & prudence: and they wyl shewe them selfe vnto you and then kepe theyr cūpany, folowe them, & gyue good hede vnto them:and they wyl teche you doctryne, and lernynge. ❧:☞:❧:☜

¶ Of doctrine or lernynge.

AN olde Englysh prouerbe. Who so no thing can, ne any thyng wyll lerne: thoughe he neuer thryue who may hym werne. Haue you therfore A desyre to haue doctryne and lernynge, and gyue great diligence, and importune labour thervnto, [Page]and you shal haue bothe profete, & pleasure therby. For as doctryne, and lernynge cūmeth of wysdome: so doth hyt bryng the person vnto wysdome and prudēce, & of the scoler make a mayster: and so cōsequently make hym honorable, & bothe byloued & dred. But yt forseth muche of whom, & what you lerne. Chuse you therfore a techer that hathe wysdome and prudence, & that lyueth and teacheth therafter. For as the mayster is, suche cō munely the scoler wyll be, & neuer lerne any thing that doth sowne or appere cōtrarye vnto the lawe of god. Lerne then that doctrine that may be profetable both vnto your soule and body. The way and meane to gete and increace lernyng: is put in two olde verses.

Sepe rogare. Rogata tenere, Retenta docere

Hec tria difcipulum faciunt fuperare magistrum.
To axe oft well to kepe, & to teache y
e lerned was
These .iii. do make y
• scoler his maister for to pas.

¶ To take oft, kepe, that is takē. And to teache that lerned was. These iii. do the scoler make hys mayster for to ouer pas. ⚜:⚜

BE you therfore, nother abashed nor lothe to axe & to lerne that thyng that you can not. & when you can hyt rehers hyt often in your mynde and lyberally teache hyt vnto some other ꝑsons. For by teachynge your lernyng shal meruelousip [Page 81]incrense, and by collaciou and communicacion of lernynge, you shall bult out, and▪ brynge vnto knowledge those thynges that be fore were harde, darke, hydde and vnknowen. But loke well whom you teache, and what you teach. For euery lernynge is not cōuenient ne mete for euery person. And beware that in teachynge of other persons you hurt not your self that is that you take no pryde therin nor yet to be chafed, angry, or vē geable vnto them that can not or do not lyghtly lerne. Be not ashamed to speke that you knowe is true, nor afrayde, deuly to defende the troth w ^t softe wordes, and sobre maner. Stryue not in disputacion to venquish, and to gete the maystre. Be not styfe in youre opinion. But euer gyue place yelde your selfe, and lyghtly gyue ouer / & graunt vnto the truthe. Speke not agayne iustice. Ne euer be aboute to defete and put a way the ryght.

¶ Of ru [...]iosite.

ANd in all your teachyng or lernyng, auoyde curiosite. Vse not to speke w ^t ynkhorne termes newe retricke, nor in da [...]ke wordꝭ & harde to be vnderstande, speke playnly y ^t your disciples or herers may perceyue what you meane. Studye not to be ouer much eloquent, nor yet in any wyse barbarous. [...] meane stile is most cūly, & most profetable. And desyre not the laude, & prayse of the worlde, for so may you los [...] all your merit & turne your science, & conyng into pryde. Sciencia inslat, 1 cor. [...]. [...]. [...]nyth saynt Paule. Science and greate conynge, [Page]dothe swel, boll, & blowe vp the person vnto pride Study not to lerne & know, priue hyd thingꝭ nor those artes or sciēces y ^t be not lawful, ordo nor apperteyne vnto you, to knowe, haue you euer (in cū pany) desyre & pleasure: rather to here / thē to speke. Be not redy to speke fyrst byfore al po ^r cūpany specially, yf your souerene or seniours be present.

¶ Of obedience.

HAue you euer a regarde vnto your souerene elders, and betters. For vnto them apper [...]ey [...]leth fyrst to speke, & vnto the subiect & iuuinours to he [...]ken to gyue hede, & euer to be obediēt vnto theyr byddinges, and to gyue them due reuerence and honor, eueryche, accordyng vnto hys dignite degre, and vnto theyr merite of sancrite, and holines, & so maye you do vnto god seriuce & honour [...]n thē, and folowe hys wyll in folowynge theyrs. Make not your selfe ma [...]e, & felowe, nor yet very [...] familier, and homely with your superiours. For after [...]e olde prouerbe. Nimia familiaritas parit conrem [...]um. Ouennuche boldnes, maketh a person m [...]lepa [...], and vnreuerene. Shewe a meke, & gentel countenance vnto all persons. And what so euer you do at comaundement: let hyt be done withou [...] mu [...]nur or gra [...]dge, & without styckynge of stop page, frely [...]lfully and spedfully Hila [...]em [...]aro [...]om dillgi [...] deu [...]. God soue [...]ha glad gyu [...], y ^t [...]the hys dut [...]t [...] with glad her [...]e, 2. co. 9. b and ther [...]full by ha [...]ion. And be you eue [...] [...]o take any honors▪ Premisne [...], sou [...] [...]yu [...] [...]or [...]te, yf you mayꝭ [Page 82]auo [...]de thē without the offence of god for doubtles he is in most perrel, & ioperdy, Aug. inregula. that is in moste hyght rowl [...]e, and dignite.

¶ Of prelacie.

EVery prelate shulde studie, and defyre, rather to be of his subiectes byloued, then dred. Ibidē. The most sure castel towre or garde that any souereyn may haue is y ^e loue of hꝭ subiectꝭ. Dion. de regno. For a souereyn that hathe many louynge subiectes: is much lyke vnto a ꝑson that shulde haue many soules in one body, and all (with lyke diligence) to serue and to prouide for then. Let therfore your vertue / your [...] goodnes & gentelnes wynne the loue of your [...] subiectes for so shall you by loue haue better seruice and more cōforte of thē: then you can haue by rygour & rugh dealynge. Yet muste you kepe a due meane, so that synne be corrected, and that euer w ^t the loue, and fauour of the persōs, Aug. in regula. and hate of the vices. And vfterly to exclude parcialite, nother to prayse any persons very much aboue the residue, and celdome to excuse any defaulte but neuer vtterly to defēde any synne. Hyt apperteyneth vnto a wyse, discrete, and vertuous prelate, to moderate and tempere euery cause, that the good persōs be not brought, or turned into yuel, by ouer much fauour, nor yet the yuel wexe wors by ouer muche rygour. Be as a very father by seuerite & ernest byhauiour and as a mother by cōpassion & pir [...]e. Currage and conforte the diligent persons that meane well, and blame and reforme the vn [...]estful [Page]and negligent, Aug. inregula. and vnto all, be patient. And euer remēber that as you haue subiectes vnder you: so haue you a prelate, and souereyne aboue you / at the least almyghty god. Do than as you wolde be done vnto. Forget not what you haue bene. The cōmune puethe is. The priste remēbreth not that euer he was clerke, nor the mayster, that he was somtyme a disciple or scoler, you may be sure that as you do intreate: you shall be intreated, as you deale with your subiectes: so wyll your soueryne / and hygh prelate (when you come home) deale w ^t you, let therfore mercy be in place, byfore iustice, although they both must be kept, & ioyned to gether. The extreme rigour of iustice: may be kepte in the discussion serche, and examynacion of the cause: but in the definicion, & gyuyng of sentence and iudgement. Let mercy haue the rule. & so yet go forth euenly to gether: that trouth be kept and nother of them excede in them selfe. For the moste hygh iustice: Eccli. 8. c. is most hygh wronge. And therfore the wysemā sayth. Nol [...] esse iustus multum. Be not [...]ueriuste. And to muche mercye: hathe bene the marrynge of many persons. Vse the dothe in due maner: and they wyll agre and stande bothe well to gether. Exelude in all iudgementes: al parrialite. And neuer gyue iudgement vpon suspicion / or supposition but alway trye, out y ^• troth byfore you gyue sētēce. For two fals & ꝑslous [...]yers ther [...] y ^t do dr [...]e, or father deceytfully lede, & brynge the soueryns or prelates from ryght iudgemetes, [Page 83]that is to saye, I herde saye, and I wende. Many wyll make a cōplaynt and tell a fals tale, & when hyt cōmeth (by trial) vnto the profe: then wyl they saye I sayde as I hardesaye. Or els, I wende hit had bene so. The iudge (than) that gyueth sentēce vpon the mouth of these two lyers: doth of tymes come vnto, had I wyst, and that cōmeth euer to late, be sure therfore of the troth, & then maye you suerly gyue sentence. Yf you be in doubte of the troth: differre or dispatche your selfe of the cause and remyt the mater vnto hym that knoweth all troth almyghty god. And remember well y ^e sayng of the gospell. Math. 7. a. By what measure you do measure your neyghbour: be the same shall be remesured vnto you. Suche iudgement as you gyue: suche shall you haue. Herein you maye perceyue that a prelate hathe a greate burthen, a greate charge. In olde tyme: the moste holy, and best lerned persons: dyd most auoyde, and fle that rowlme. And suerly who so euer dothe desyre hyt is moste vnworthy to haue hyt. ❧: ☞ ❧: ☜

¶ Of contempt, and despysynge of the worlde. ⚜: ★: ⚜

THose persons (that tyme) that most despysed the worlde were chefly chosen, yee and cōpelled (by force) vnto p̄lacie. And doubtles they were best worthy y ^e rowlme. And yet were they of more hygh merite in that rowlme: then in theyr quiete & restfull lyfe. Bycause they dyd theyr labours of [Page]obedience, and for no worldly pleasure, but onel [...] for the loue of god. And cotrarie, those that aspire and make labour, meanes and wayes to be prelates: as they be moste vnworthy: so be they neuer quiete, ne cōtent, but alway, labour styl to clymbe and gether ryches, godwottes home. Yf you wyll (therfore) be quiete to serue god, & to kepe a clene conscience: haue none appetite ne desyre vnto the worlde. The holy fathers that (in tyme past) were forced vnto p̄lacie: dyd all the labour they myght to be discharged therof. Theyr tresure, and herte were in heuen, and therfore they put away, & caste from them, al that myght set them thens. Folowe you them, despice the worlde. Our sauiour sayde he was not of thys worlde nor hys dysciples nother. Howe than may they be worldly, that wolde be of hys flocke. The perfete Christiane: shulde be ded vnto the worlde, and y ^e worlde vnto him. The ded man loketh not vpon the glorye of the worlde No more do you, yf you wyll be very disciple vnto Christe. Forsake nowe in thys lyfe, and vtterly despice and set at nought: that thynge that when you be ded you can not haue.

¶ Of almes dede.

RAther studye you, howe you may discretely departe with that you haue. Play the wyse marchant, y ^• is no thyng loth to sende his goodes ouer see. where he supposeth to haue other goodꝭ better and more pleasant, for them. And specially yf he purpose, and determine him selfe to go after [Page 84]hys goodes into that coūtre for euer to remayne / and there to byde. So do you. Remember what saynt Paule sayeth. We haue here no citie, Hebre. 13. c. towne nor home to dwell in, but we seke, and labour for an other. Sende youre goodes then before you. Delyuer them vnto a sure carier, a faythfull factour, y ^t is vnto your sauyour Iesu christe, he wyll not deceyue you, he can not deceyue you. At y ^• day of iudgemēt he wyll saye vnto you. Math. 25. d. What so euer you gaue vnto the pore in my name, & for my sake that gaue you vnto me. And all y ^t shall you fynde byfore you, with the vsurie, & gaynes accordinge. You shall haue more wynnynge then the cōmune gaynes, a shylynge of the pounde. For you shall haue more then a pounde for euery peny. Eccli. 7. a. Despice not then to gyue almes, sayth the wyse man. For almes (sayth he) claused or hydde in the herte or in the bosum of the pore man: Ibidē. 17. c. wyll praye effectually for you and wyl kepe you from all yuel. And also almes vnto a mā is lyke vnto a bagge of money or tresour, borne or caried with hym to serue hym at nede, and hyt wyll kepe hym derely in grace / & fauour and afterwarde hyt wyll aryse, & rewarde euery man accordynge. To. 4. a & 12. b. And it wyl delyuer a person from fynne and frō death. For as water doth quench fyre [...]o doth almes [...]ecke, and resyst sinne. Lu. 11. f. De [...]e and gyue almes (sayth our sauyour) & then be all thynges clene vnto you and without sinne. Ibidē. 12. d. And in another place. Sell you (sayeth he) youre possessions, and gyue in almes. Nowe you se well [Page]and perceyue that good it is to gyue almes. But yet se and loke well that you gyue hyt after a due fourme. Fyrst you must loke vnto y ^e ende, to what intet and why, or wherfore you gyue your almes. That is fyrst chefly, and principally for the loue of god, and for the rewarde that he (of his goodnes) hathe promysed therfore. Almes must also be done with a good wyll, with a glad herte and iocunde mynde, 2. [...]o. 9. b for that, god loueth, and not with murmur or grudge, as loth to depart withall, but lyberally frely hastyly forwith without stoppage when the nede appereth. And euer with pytie and compassion vpon the nedy. For so dothe that name Elemosine, sowne, that we call almes. An other cyrcumstāce of almes is to be secretely done. Math. 6.8. Cum facis eleemosinam, noli tuba canere [...]te te. When you do almes (sayth our fauiour) haue not a mynde or wyl that hyt shulde be blowne abrode bosted, and shewed forth as do ypocrites, because they wolde be praysed and honored of the people. For I assure you (sayeth he) they haue receyued here theyr rewarde therfore. But whē you do your almes (sayeth he) let not your lyfte hande knowe what your ryght hande dothe. So y ^t your almes be done in secrete maner, pryuely, and then wyll your father that byholdeth and syeth all secretes: render and rewarde you. He dothe not forbede / in thys saynge, that you shulde not deale almes opynly, For that must some persons nedely do, or els deale none, where & when hyt were most nede / [Page 85]but he sayde deale hyt not openly bycause men shulde se hyt, knowe hyt, and so prayse you therof The intent and mynde wyll he iudge / rather then the dede. The lesse mynde you haue to take here the glorye, laude & prayse of your almes: the more shall hyt be when the tyme cūmeth that god your father shall saye vnto you byfore all the worlde come blessed chylde of my father, Math. 4. d. come vnto me. For thys almes or that almes, gaue you vnto me at my nede in the pore persons, and thys glorye & prayse shall be precious, and ioyfull & neuer haue ende, and contrarie those that here wyll haue the prayse therof: shall there haue shame euerlastyng of theyr almes. Do you than all for the lyfe euerlastynge and you shall fynally there fynde hyt. One circumstance yet must you haue in gyuynge almes, byonde these, that is to say, that the almes be of your owne proper goodꝭ, & not of any other persons. For many do make large almes of other mens goodes y ^t shall haue but lytel thanke therfore. For although goodes wrongously gotten, or vnlawfully obteyned: shulde be gyuen, & moste be gyuen in almes, or as for almes, yet is not that almes: worthy the name of almes, bycause hyt is rather restitucion thē almes. And yet yf the ryght owners may be founde: hyt muste nedely be there restored, or restituted. And els hit is nother almes nor yet restitucion, but plaine robery, and stelth or thefte. Yet I do not denye, but that the dealer of such goodꝭ in restitucion whē or (where y ^e owners [Page]can not be founde) may haue suche cōpassion and suche good wyll in that distribucion & dealynge: that he may obteyne as muche merite of god, as some that do deale theyr owne goodes. Deale you than your owne proper goodes, with good wyll & good intent vnto the pore with compassion and pyte, not vnto the ryche, vnto them that can not gete theyr owne lyuynge, not vnto vacabundes. Deale hyt secretely, without desyre of worldly prayse. And for the loue of god, and the welth of your soule. And also deale hyt whyle hyt is yours and when you maye vse hyt your selfe, that is to saye in your lyfe tyme. For when you be ded, then the goodes be not yours. Nor yet maye you haue any vse of them. Nor so muche profete of them by the vse of any other ꝑson: as by your ministracion & dealynge in your lyfe. Deale almes than dayly, and be your owne executour, and so shall you be most sure to haue the gaynes and profete of them in your owne countre at your owne home w ^t your father and mother, syster and brother, in the tresorie of euerlastynge ryches in ioye & blys ꝑpetuall whyther he brynge vs that bought vs, our lorde god, and most swete fauiour Iesus chryste, that with god the father and the holy goft lyueth and [...]eygneth y ^e same god worlde without ende. Amen. Of your charite (deuout reders) praye for the translatour a late brother of Syon Rycharde Whytforde. ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧: ☜: ❧

[Page 86]

THys draught that foloweth was a pyce of a sermonde that I spake vnto y ^e people yeres ago, and because hyt was translate out of so holy a saynte and so greate a clerke: one of my brether volde nedely haue hyt sende forth with this foresayde worke bycause hyt doth agre with some artycles therin conteyned. Take all vnto the beste I praye you. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧

¶ Of Detraction. Chrisostomus homelia tercia. ❧: ⚜: ❧

THe bachyter etethe the fleshe of hys brother. He gnaweth the fleshe of hys neyghbour wherof saint Paul sayth. Gala. 5. e. Yf ye gnawe and eate eche other: byware ye be not amonge your selfe cō sumed and destroyed. Thou bachyter thou doste not festen thy tethe in y ^e bodyly flesh of thy neyghbour, but that is wors, thou haste wounded hys name and fame, and ouer that thou haste infected and hurt thy selfe and many other with woundes innumerable. For the herers be hurte & poysened by the bachytynge of the neyghbour, wylfully herde, and the same herers whether they be good persons or yuell: haue therby occasion rather of yuel then of good. For yf they be yuel: they (by the herynge of the yuel of y ^e neyghbour) be more glad to do yuel and to cōtinue theyr synne, And yf they be good persons: yet (by the herynge of that yuel) [Page]they be tempted and moued to iustitye them selfe: and to dispise theyr neyghbour. And yet forthermore, they bachyter hurteth not onely the name or fame of hym, that he speketh of: but also al other of his facultie and maner of lyuynge & oftymes of hys countre as yf he bachyte a soudiour, a marchant or a prest, the herers wyll not onely gruge / and take opinion agaynst that sowdiour, y ^t marchant or y ^t prest alon: but also agaynste all soudiours, all marchantes, and all prestes, & lykewyse of the countrese. As northerne men sotherne men welshmen yryshe men. Scottes or frēshmen. And ouer al this, y ^e bachyters causeth the glory of god to be blasphemed. For as by y ^e good name & fame of euery christiane: the name of god is glorified: so by the yuell name, is hyt blasphemed & dishonored. Thus the bachyter dishonoreth god, cōfoundeth and hurteth hys neyghbour, and rendreth hym sell gylty and worthy payne and punyshment. Syth he medleth with maters: that he hath nothynge to do withall. And let no man say that he then only bachyteth: when he sayth fals of any person. For thought hyt be neuer so true, yf hyt be yu [...], and preuely that he sayeth: he bachyteth, he [...]aundreth. For he sheweth opynly, that byfore was done, or sayde in priuue. And y ^t (as I sayde) is alwaye yuel, and forther (as semeth by the wordes of thys holy saynte) to speke that thynge, that is opynly knowne, vnto the rebuke or sclaunder of any person: is also Detraction, as he putteth [Page 87]example by the proude pharisey, that rebuked the pore publicane, whiche was openly knowne for a publicane, and yet went & departed the pharisey: cōdempned in the syght of god, and loste all hys good workes. For yf he wolde, or yf any person wyll refourme, and correcte the defaulte of hys neyghbour or brother: The way and meane thervnto: is not by detraction, by bachytynge, by shewynge of hys synne or trespace, vnto any other person: but rather by an other meane, that is to saye: by the waye of charite, and brotherly cōpassyon, remembrynge that they both be chyldren of one father, and bothe haue offended and displ [...] sed hym, and that he wolde do vnto hym as he wolde be done vnto, wepe for hym pray our lorde for hym, with all thy whole herte, monyshe and warne him gentelly, coūsel him sadly, and exhorte hym deuoutly to leue his sinne and yuel maners. So dyd saynt Paule, 2. cor. 1 [...]. saynge vnto the Corinthes after he had named many synnes. I am affrayde (sayeth he) lest when I come vnto you almyghty god wyll humble me that I shal mourne & wayle for many y ^t amonge you haue done amysse. Thus shulde we shewe, vnto the mysdoer: charite, perswade hym, counsel hym, helpe to cure, & amende hym, and not diffame ne yet vex him. Shewe him (as I sayde) hys defaulte gentelly louyngly mekely. And hertely intreate him to amende his maners and thus may we verely cure and helpe our brother. For so do phisycyons, intreate the seke [Page]persons to take that mete or medicine that y ^e seke is full lothe to receyue. So shulde we refourme our neyghbour and christiane brother. And neuer bachyte hym, ne shewe hys synne. Not onely the speker of detraction: but also the herer therof had nede to beware and stoppe well hys heres, remē brynge what the prophete sayeth. Detrahentem secreto proximo suo: hunc parsequebar. I dyd (sayeth he) pursue hym that in priuite wolde bachyte hys neyghbour. So shulde thou do christiane, when thou herest a bachyter. Saye, yf there be any person that he wyll iustly prayse: I wyll gladly here, but yf ye saye yuel by any ꝑson: I wyl stoppe myne eares, that water ne suche fylth: shall not enter myne eares, water or any wete in the eares: much noyeth, I wyl none receyue. I wyl not here you. What am I the better to here & knowe that an other man is yuel. Muche hurte and ioperdy of soule may come therof, but neuer any vertu ne goodnes. Speke vnto the self person charitably, yf he wolde amēde him. Let vs speke of our owne matters. Let vs remēber what account we muste make for our owne synnes, we shall not aunswere for hys. Let vs not therfore serche the synnes of other persōs. but our owne. For what excuse may we make vnto our lorde, yf we be curious & redy to spye and fynde the fautes of other persons: and no thynge remēber our owne, none suerly. Is hyt not a rebuke for a straunger to loke in euery corner of an other mannes house where he hathe [Page 89]nought to do, yesse suerly syr. And more rebuke is hyt to serche an other persons lyfe or actes. Notwithstādydge here ye must knowe, that maysters, souereynes, and suche persons as haue charge of people, by any offyce: may (accordynge vnto the same) serche the actes of other persons, and they be also bounde therto. But not to bachyte them / but rather to refourme them? Well syr saye you hyt is a pleasure to the bachyter to tell hys tale / & a pleasure for me to here hyt, what shal I than do be not deceyued man. For all that is gaye: is not golde, synne semeth swete, but hyt is not so. For cōmunely, these bachyters when they haue sayde yuel: they be wery of theyr owne sayng, & oftymes they wyshe they had not so sayde. For the fere hyt shulde come out that they sayde, and they be rebuked therof, and make them selfe (as oftyn they do) of theyr frēde a foo, and so is hyt also of the herer that ofte wysheth he had not cū in that cumpeny that day, hit is not therfore pleasure y ^t so frayteth a person, and putteth hym to payne. The wyse mā sayth, haste thou (sayth he) harde a tale, kepe hyt within thy selfe than, and let hyt deye in the. For byleue me, it wyl not brest ne breke thy bely, what is that to saye: Let hyt deye within the, that is (sayeth chrisostome) quenche thou hyt, burye hyt let hyt neuer come forth, ne yet be moued ne signifyed by any meane of the, but rather blame thou the bachyter, and forgete thou what thou harde / put clene of thy mynde what he sayde as yf thou [Page]had neuer herde speke therof. And so shalt thou lyue in greate peace and suerty, of consciēce. And yf thou vse to blame the bacbiters, and to thretyn thē y ^t thou wyll tell the parties: thou maye peraduenture vnto thy greate merite: brynge them frō that custū, or at the least thou shalte make them affrayde to bacbyte in thy presence. For as well saynge, laude & prayse: is a bygynnynge & nuryshynge of amyte frendshyppe, and loue: So yuel saynge is a bygynnynge of hatred discorde and debate. Byd therfore the bachyter loke vpon hym selfe, hyt is an yuel thynge for any maner of persons to be curious and bysy about other mennes dedes and to serche theyr lyues: and be neglygēt of them selfe. But the bachyter hathe no leyser to examyne hym selfe ne to serche hys owne lyfe: for lokynge vpon other mens. For whyle he gyueth so greate diligence vnto y ^t curiosite of knowynge vpon others mens dedes: he muste nede be negligent of his owne. And that is a greate foly Syth all the tyme a man may haue: is lytel ynogh and to lytle: to serche hys owne lyfe, to recounte hys owne synnes. And yf he euer be occupied with other mens maters: whē shal he haue leyser tocure & hede his owne? Beware nowe therfore christiās of thys breth. Beware of this pestilēce, y ^t infecteth bothe parties: for doubtles hit is the very assayle of the dyuel, that we by the negligēce of our owne synnes: shulde be the more in hys daunger and our synnes euer more greuous and more vnexcusable. [Page 90]For who so streytly fyndeth hꝭ neyghbours defaulte: shall the more hardly obteyne forgeuenes for hys owne. For by the same iudgemēt that we iudge our neyghbour: shall we of god be iudged, and that appereth by the gospell where oure sauiour sayth. [...]a [...]. 7. [...] Nolite iudicare [...]et nō iudicabimini. That is to saye. Haue not you wyll ne consent to iudge other persons: and then shall not you be iudged. For not onely the synne of a person: shall apere at the iugemente as hyt was: but also hy [...] shall bothe seme, and be, muche more greuous: by the iugement that he made vpon his neyghbour. For as the meke, mylde, and gentyll herte by compassyon of hys neyghbour in excusyng his faure: dothe mynyshe and make lesse his owne synne: so dothe the cruell inuious stomake in iudgynge & shewynge hys neyghburs synne: much multiplye and make greuous hys owne synne. Let vs therfore (christians) auoyde and eschue all detraction and bachytynge. And suerly knowe, that no penanance, ne good dedes may in thys lyfe auayle [...]: except we absteyne from bachytynge. For after the gospell those thynges that enter by the mouth: do not defoule the person: but those thynges that do yssue and passe out by the mouth: do defoule and blemysh the soule. Yf a person in thy presens shulde fterre in dryt or any stynkyng matter woldest thou not blame and rebuke hym. Yesse verely. So than do thou the bacbyter. For I assure the, no stynke can so moue and greue thy [Page]smellynge: as Detraction dothe hurte the soules of the herers. Auoyde therfore and beware of bacbytynge. For the bacbytynge of thy neyghbour: is also the bacbytynge of god, hys mayster and maker. And many bacbyters haue bene so madde that from the bacbytynge of the neyghbour: they haue fallen vnto the blasphemynge of god. For sake therfore and flee this bacbityng in any wyse. Yf you wyll fle synne, and please god.

☞ [...].

❧ Imprinted at London in fletstret at the sygne of the George next to saynt Dunstons churche by me Wyllyam Myddylton. Anno domino. M. CCCCC.XLI.

❧: ⚜: ❧ ⚜: ⚜ ¶ CVM PRIVILIGIO AD IMPRIMENDVM SOLVM. ❧: ❧ ✚

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Here followeth dyuers holy instrucyons and teachynges very necessarye for the helth of mannes soule, newly made and set forth by a late brother of Syon Rychard whitforde — Here followeth dyvers holy instrucyons and teachynges very necessarye for the helth of mannes soule.

Author: Whitford, Richard, fl. 1495-1555?1541

¶ The definicion of pacience in generall. Capi. primo.

¶ Of naturall pacience. Capt [...]ii.

¶ Of artificiall pacyence and of the defini­cion, or determinacion therof. Capitulo tercio. ❧ : ❧

¶ Of the verey true definicion, determinacion, descripcion and declaracion of merito­tiouse pacience. Capi. iiij. ❧ : ⚜ : ❧

¶ Of the ymage and byhauour of pacience. Capi. v. ☜ : ⚜ : ☞

¶ Of the comodites, frutes of pacience, In generall the .vi. Chapiter ❧:❧

¶ Howe pacience is profitable and necessarye vnto to the true getynge, and vnto the lawful kepynge and increascynge of worldly goodes. The vii. Chapiter. ⚜:⚜

¶ That pacience is necessarie for the due, and lawfull kepyng of such goodes as be truly, & lawfully goten. The viii. Capiter. ☞: ☜

¶ That pacience is cōmodious and profitable vnto the good state of y e body of man. The .ix. Chapiter. ☞:⚜:☜

¶ Howe pacience is cōmodious and necessarye, vnto good fame and good name to be obteyned holden and kept The .x. Chapiter. ❧: ❧

¶ Of the fourth cōmodite frute and profecte of pacience. The xi. Chapter. ☞:☜

¶ That pacience is profitable, and ne­cessarye, vnto the quietude and reste of mans mynde The .xii. Chap. ☞:☜

¶ Of the circūstances of pacience The .xiij. Chapter.

¶ Howe pacience is adquired gotyne and lerned. The: xiiij. Chapiter. ❧:⚜:❧

¶ Of the exeample of worldly persons. The .xv. Chapiture. ☞:⚜:☜

¶ Of the exeamples of gostly persons. The .xvi. Chapiter. ❧:⚜:❧

¶ Of the pacience of our Lorde and sauiour Iesu. The .xvii. Chap. ❧:☞❧:☜

¶ That our owne myserie and multitude of our synnes shulde moue vs vnto pacience. The .xviij. Chap. ❧:☜:❧:☞

¶ A breue recapitulacion and shorte recounte of the sayde cōmodites of pacience, by the respecte & cōsideracion of impaciēce and of the merites & rewardes of pacience. The .xix. Chapiter.

¶ Of the merite, and of the rewarde of pacience. The .xx. Chapiter. ❧:☞:❧:☜

¶ Of the fyrst impediment.

¶ Of the secūde impediment or let of spiri­tuall profete, and increas. ❧:⚜:❧:★:❧

¶ Of the thyrde impediment, or let of spiri­tual profete, and good spede ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧

¶ Of the fourth impediment & let of spirituall profete, and spede. ❧:⚜:❧:⚜

¶ Of the fyfte impediment or let of spiri­tual ꝓfete, & increas of ꝑfection. ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧ ⚜: ★: ⚜

¶ Of the .vi. impediment and let of spi­rituall profete and good spede, in the lyfe of perfection. ❧: ⚜: ❧

¶ Of the .vij. impediment, and lette of spirituall profete and forwarde spede of perfeccyon. ☜:⚜:☜

❧ A lytle lesson of .iiij. vertues, good, and profe­table to be had of euery person: but not to be called vn to remēbrans but rather to be forgoten. ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ Of the secūde poynt that shulde rather be forgotyn: then remēbred. ❧: ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ Of the thyrde poynte to be put clene a way, and neuer to be called ne kept in remembrance. ☞: ⚜: ☜

¶ Of the fourth thyng to be forgotyn and to be put from our cogitacion and remebrans. ❧: ★: ❧

¶ Of yuel thoughtes.

¶ Of chastite.

¶ Of Prayer.

¶ Of superfluous fedynge.

¶ Of aspecte or cast of the fyght.

¶ Of the cūpeny and presēce of the contrarye sexes. ❧: ★: ❧

¶ Of labour occupacion, and of the cō ­trarye, that is, ydelnes. ☜:⚜:☞

¶ Of redynge.

¶ Of humilite or mekenes.

¶ Of the cōstancie of mynde.

¶ Of pacience in aduersite.

¶ Of the imitacion and folowynge of good men.

¶ Of Peace and charite.

¶ Of Pitie and compassion.

¶ Of the cōtempt and dispisynge of worldly prayse.

¶ Of honest conuersacion.

¶ Of the cūpenye or felyshyppe of good persons. ☞: ⚜: ☜

¶ Of the custodie or kepynge of the eares or hearynge. ❧: ⚜: ❧

¶ Of the custody, and kepynge of the mouth. ❧: ❧

¶ Of Detraction or bachytynge.

¶ Of A lye or lyenge.

¶ Of swerynge.

¶ Of promyse, and vowe to be rendred and kepte. ❧:⚜:❧

¶ That all thynges be open and knowne vnto god. ❧:⚜:❧

¶ Of good conscience.

¶ That all thynges shulde be attribu­ted and applied vnto god. ❧:☞:❧:☜

¶ That the vertues of man shulde be hydde and kepte clos. ☞:⚜:☜

¶ Of confession.

¶ Of premeditacion.

¶ Of sapience and wysdome.

¶ Of doctrine or lernynge.

¶ To take oft, kepe, that is takē. And to teache that lerned was. These iii. do the scoler make hys mayster for to ouer pas. ⚜:⚜

¶ Of ru [...]iosite.

¶ Of obedience.

¶ Of prelacie.

¶ Of contempt, and despysynge of the worlde. ⚜: ★: ⚜

¶ Of almes dede.

¶ Of artificiall pacyence and of the definicion, or determinacion therof. Capitulo tercio. ❧ : ❧

¶ Of the verey true definicion, determinacion, descripcion and declaracion of meritotiouse pacience. Capi. iiij. ❧ : ⚜ : ❧

¶ That pacience is cōmodious and profitable vnto the good state of y ^e body of man. The .ix. Chapiter. ☞:⚜:☜

¶ That pacience is profitable, and necessarye, vnto the quietude and reste of mans mynde The .xii. Chap. ☞:☜

¶ Of the secūde impediment or let of spirituall profete, and increas. ❧:⚜:❧:★:❧

¶ Of the thyrde impediment, or let of spiritual profete, and good spede ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧

¶ Of the fyfte impediment or let of spiritual ꝓfete, & increas of ꝑfection. ☞: ❧: ☜: ❧ ⚜: ★: ⚜

¶ Of the .vi. impediment and let of spirituall profete and good spede, in the lyfe of perfection. ❧: ⚜: ❧

❧ A lytle lesson of .iiij. vertues, good, and profetable to be had of euery person: but not to be called vn to remēbrans but rather to be forgoten. ☞: ❧: ☜

¶ Of labour occupacion, and of the cō trarye, that is, ydelnes. ☜:⚜:☞

¶ That all thynges shulde be attributed and applied vnto god. ❧:☞:❧:☜