[Page] [...] then full worthy art thou to be called cha­ritie or a charytable man. This that I wryte good reader is true, wherfore I ex­horte the to followe it, yf thou denye the folowyng therof, thou art no Christē man thou art neyther good nor vertuous. For that I hearein teache is charitie, and if thou haue no charitie, thy fayth is nought and of no value. There be now a dayes as me semeth. iii. kyndes of fayth vsed. The fyrst is fayth faynte, and that is he which I talke of euen nowe, for he hath fayth but it is not a ryght fayth, and so it semeth by his behauour, for he takethe so feruente paynes in persecutyng his brother, that he waxeth so faynt he may no lenger bere any goodnes or charite, but like a faint mā fayntly letteth all fall from him. Some o­ther haue a fayned fayth, that is to preach one thyng and beleue an other, I pray god we haue none of these Anabaptystes, Ly­bertynes, Arryans, and Maris aduersa­ris, of which sorte last resyted we had one not longe synce. A great aduersary to that moste blessed and pure vyrgyn, and not onely to her, but also to her sonne Iesus Christ, and to vs his members. I praye God I say that we haue no more of these heresyes raynyng, I feare lest many may be lykened to an aple which is fayre with [Page] out and rotten within: Yf there be any suche faynyng people: I pray god sone o­pen theyr hartes, least they shulde infecte simple soules: and make them lyke to their selues, past al remedy, then there is fayth faythfull, and those be they. Math. v.

Whiche suffer persecution for a iuste and ryght cause, of them I wyll not muche speke, for although some haue so done, yet not so many as ought, the more pytie, and all for lacke of charitie. For yf they hadde loued Christe, so wel as Christ loued them they wolde not haue stopped: but wyl­lyngly with all theyr harte, haue suffred some payne for his sake, that payed so greate a pryce for theyr redempcion, this charite is good loue, and good loue is none other thing but charitie, for whether it be loue to god or to thi neighbour, so thy loue be good it is charitie it selfe. But yf it be a fayned loue, or a noughty loue, then may it in no wyse bare the name of charitie, for this worde loue, without any other con­sequence or matter folowyng, is a worde indyfferente bothe to good and bad as in example. I haue harde a man saye to his wyfe, wyfe I loue the, to whome she aun­swered agayne and sayd, ye mary husbād [Page] but your loue is so lytell, that I can ney­ther fele it nor se it. Nowe (quod he) thou hast iudged as iustly as though thou had­dest knowen my meanyng, for in deede I sayde that I loued the, but I tolde the not howe, nor after what fashyon, so that I say, yf loue be lefte alone, she may choose whether she wyll loue well, or loue yl, but yf charitie be once named it can none o­therwyse be vnderstanded, but of good loue, without which a mans fayth is no­thyng worth, as wytnesseth with me the blessed apostle saynte Paule wrytyng vn­to the Corinthyans. Epist. i. Chapi. xiii. On this wyse. Yf I haue all fayth so that I may remoue moūtaines, and haue ther­with no charitie. I am nothyng, that is to say, my fayth is nothynge, ye heere nowe this lyttell peece of saynte paules Epistle telleth you what your fayth is without charitie, wherefore styll I desyre you con­tynually to call for charitie, and to vse charitie, as nedefull it is nowe to preache charite, as it was in the premityue church to preache fayth, syth faythe is no faythe without charitie. But a lacke who shall preache charitie, oure preestes? Nowe in good fayth it greueth me somtyme to here charitie so scante amonge them, some of thē be not so charitable as I wold wyshe [Page] them, for one preacheth agaynst an other, one despyseth an others promocyon, one an others learning, & one an others belefe: so that a man can not well tell howe to a­uoyde the venemus enuye of this worlde, but yet I wolde aduyse eche preste to loue other, consyderynge that all the Epy­stles saynte Paule wrote almoste, he hath in them a treatynge for vnitie. Saynte Iames in his Epistle wylleth that yf we fall at varyaunce we shulde reconcyle our selues one vnto an other, and open our sin­nes before god, he wylleth vs alwaye to loue one an other, he specyally there put­teth ryche men in remembraunce of theyr dutye towarde theyr poore neyghboures. Saynte Peter also gyueth greate comfort for one to loue an other, declaryng to eche man his dutye towarde maiestrates, for where disobedience is, there is no charitie. Saynt Iohn in his epistles feruently doth declare what charitie is, fyrste exortynge all men to kepe gods commaundementes, declaryng that yf they do otherwyse cha­ritie and feruent loue to god is excluded, he sheweth the loue that god bare towarde vs, whē he sent downe his onely begotten sonne to suffre death for our synnes: and he concludeth of charitie, sayenge, that who so hath charitie hath god: and who [Page] so loueth not his brother, hath no charitie in hym. Our sauyour Christ sayth also to his Apostles Iohn. Chap. xiii.

Diligite inuicem, that is to saye. Loue ye together, and then afterwarde he tellethe them how they shuld loue together saieng. Sicut dilexi uos. That is euen as I haue loued you. Nowe howe Christ loued vs to eche man it is knowen, parte therof might herein be expressed but for tediousnes, it is omytted, wherefore let vs all vse charitie and especially I say▪ to you that be prestes shewe charitie one vnto an other, remem­bryng that Christ our mayster sayth vnto you. Math. v. Let your lyght shyne so before men that they maye se your good workes and gloryfye your father whiche is in heauen. Nowe syth you shulde be a lyght to the worlde, for gods sake let cha­ritie be vsed amonge you, that other men may the rather through your good ensam­ples learne to lyue charytably: then shall eche man louyngely lyue in this worlde, then shall sedcyyon ceasse and charitie flo­ryshe: then brotherly loue shalbe amonge vs. And without this as I haue alredye tolde you, your fayth is nothyng worthe, yf you lyste not to beleue me, looke what saynt Paule sayth in his fyrst epystle, and xiii. Chapiter to the Corinthyans, reade [Page] forth that charitie and then shall you sone se what fruites charitie bryngeth forth. Agayne I say that fayth and charitie so charyshe one an other, that the one in no wyse can be without the company of the other. Wherefore styll I crye after one sorte and maner, for Goddes sake let eche man endeuour hym selfe to attayne chari­tie, and then vse it and loue God (as I knowe no good Christen man dothe other­wyse) aboue al thinges and thy neighbour as thy selfe. Mary there be some that shewe smale loue towardes hym, for they feare not to blaspheme him, to sweare and stare by hym, as though he were more vy­ler then anye creature that lyuethe, his woundes, his soule, his harte, his bloude, his sydes, his nayles, so that frome the crowne of the heade to the sole of the foote, they leaue not one member of Christe vnrecyted, ye and for a moste com­mon othe they take his hole precious body and make it theyr sweryng stocke, ye and this is done in the moste excesse of fylthy­nes that they vse, for when they are moste dronke, then swere they most, when they are moste angry then they swere and teere Christ in peeces. But O wycked people, O blasphemers of God, O tormenters of Chryste, O ye worse then beastes, what [Page] shall I call you, what shall I saye vnto you, ye fearelesse people, ye shamelesse peo­ple, haue you no regarde of nature, haue you no respecte to Christ? Knowe you not what you are, what you were, and what you shall come to? O thou earth and ashes wylte thou blaspheme hym so rygruslye, whiche came downe from his maiestye to delyuer the, whome the Deuyll fast hadde bounde in the chaynes of syn? Thou arte muche lyke vnto the Adder or Serpent, of whome Ysope telleth a prety fable, a hus­bande man founde this Adder in the colde snowe, and of his gentylnes broughte her home, and layde her by a fyer, where she was wel recouered and rendred to her for­mer state agayne. (But nowe marke the gentylnes of this Adder) when the good husband man came to her and touched her, to se howe she fared, for his kyndenes she caught holde aboute his boddy and stonge hym sore, wherewith the good man beyng vexed (and not without greate cause) toke his Axe in his hande and cut her in peces. Euen so our mayster and sauyour Iesus Chryst, perceyuyng vs vyle and poysoned wretches, lyeng and quiuering in the cold snowe of synne: to our euerlastynge com­forte, he discended from his hyghe trone, noryshinge vs with the hot fyer of feruent [Page] loue, in preachyng and workynge for our behoofe, and washynge vs in the swete bathe of his most precyous bloud, through the warmthe and swetenes whereof, we were brought agayne into the fauoure of God, for which kynde acte and vnspeaka­ble benefyte, we tormente hym a freshe, we do our dylygent to vexe hym, we blas­pheme hym: we sette his moste precyous body in the fore fronte of al our marchaū ­dyse, we are most redy to do those thynges whiche moste ernestly he dothe forbydde. Beware beware, beware be tyme, beware lest by your importunable vexyng of God throughe your venemus and blasphemus othes and abhomynable lyuyng: without eyther vertue, shame or feare, he sodaynely with his axe or swerde (the sharpnes wher of can not be expressed) cut and souder you from the lyuely members of his mystycall body, and cast you into the deepe Donge­on of hel, where shalbe wepyng and gnas­shyng of tethe, where you shal suffer eter­nall payne, where you shall contynually blaspheme, and neuer cease thoughe you wolde, and yet shall you alway suffer the tormentes due for the same, I thynke yf you loued god, you wolde not on suche wyse blaspheme hym, you wold I thynke feare somewhat the punyshemente dulye [Page] ordeyned for suche blasphemers. Are you paste feare? remember ye not that the be­gynnynge of wysedome, is feare of oure lorde? Wherefore wysely loke vppon your synfull soule: and lose not wylfully that thyng whiche Christ so derely bought, but leaue your sweryng, leaue your blasphe­myng. Ywys you learne it not in the new Testamente, for I am sure that our sauy­oure and redemer Iesus Chryste sayth. Math. v. Thou shalt not swere by heauen for it is the seate of God, neyther yet by the earth, for it is his fotestole. Nowe in this worde heauen, is comprehended all thynges therein contayned, and lykewyse by this worde earth, is vnderstanded eue­rye thynge conteyned within the same, so that Christ leaueth you nothyng to swere by, as appeareth by his wordes folowyng in the same Chapiter where he sayth, lette your cōmunicacion be ye ye, and nay nay. O my lorde & God where be they that kepe those sayenges? verelye neuer so fewe in England, and agayne I thynke that there was neuer so many that red these saiengs But nowe we maye se that there be many readers and fewe folowers. What, nowe there maye not a boy tell a tale but or he come to the ende thereof, he muste other swere by Christ or by some member perteynyng [Page] to his moste blessed body, nor nowe a woman can not sel a poore pot with ale, but she must swere some othe to set it forth withal, ye, euē though it be starke nought. O good God what meane these people? thinke they to haue here (Eternam mencionē an eternall restyng place? Wyll they be of the Adders kynde we spake of euen nowe? Wyll you so vncurteouslye handell hym that so gentely ordered you? I must nedes say you loue not Christe, for he sayth hym selfe. Iohn. xiiii. Yf ye loue me kepe my commandementes. Nowe you breake his commaundementes, wherof it must nedes followe, that you loue hym not, and in that you do not loue him, you commyt sin. And Stipendium peccati mors. The reward of synne is death. Rom. Cap. vi. wherfore for gods sake loke well vpon your selues. But ye dryue of the tyme tyll the houre of death, or at the leaste tyll syckenes or some other grefe happen to you▪ and then wyll you crye. Escchyel. Cap. xviii. Thou wylt not lorde the death of a synner, but rather that he shulde lyue and mende. But yf you wyll folowe my councell, reste not to much vpon that poynte, for there is no­thynge more certayne then death, neyther any thyng more vncertaine then the houre of death. Remember, remember wel these [Page] wordes spoken by the Prophet Escchyell. Cap. xviii. Turne vnto me, and you shall be saued. Here Chryste by ddeth you turne vnto hym, and the forme howe you shulde turne vnto hym, is wrytten by the holye Prophet Iohell, loke vpon it, and turne to Chryst, whyle you haue tyme, turne from your blasphemyng and swerynge, frome your periury and euyll lyuyng, gyue your perfecte charitie vnto god. Louynge hym and fearyng hym with all your harte. Yf you turne vnto Christe on this wyse, lea­uyng your former lyuyng, and applyenge your selfe to followe goddes commaunde­mentes: I doute not but God of his in­fynyte goodnes wyll loke vppon you, re­freshe you, and saue you, because he wyl­leth not the death of a synner, but rather that he shulde lyue and mende, such is the mercy of God towardes man. But euer take heede of boldenes, bolden not your selues so much vpon his mercy, to leaue al his cōmaundementes vnfulfylled. For yf you runne so far at rouers, lyke wantons and vnbrydeled coltes, he muste needes scorge you, and beate you, wherefore I say playe not the parte of blynde bayerde. But gyue all honour, prayse, glory, feare and loue, to god aboue al thynges heauen­lye and earthly, for he is to be loued aboue [Page] eyther Saynt, soule, Emperour, Kynge, Father, Mother, Wyfe, Chylde, or any other creature. And also beare feruent loue and charitie towardes thy neyghbour, of whiche charitie I haue somewhat spoken before, and wylmore heareafter by gods lycence takyng by the waye these wordes of Criste. Math. xix. Si uis ad vitam ingredi serua mandata. Yf thou wylt entre into lyfe kepe the commaundementes. Nowe who so endeuoreth not hym selfe with all his power to folowe and fulfyl the commaun­dementes of god, can not claime any in­terest or tytle iustely in the kyngdome of heauen, and al the .x. commaundementes receyued of vs Christen men resteth onely in this worde charitie, the one towardes god, and the other toward our neyghbour Well then syth without kepynge of the commaundementes. a man can not enter into heuen. I feare sore least our Basmon­gers shall not entre into heauen, our ray­sers of rentes, oure vserers with suche lyke, as they that bye theyr neyghboures houses ouer theyr heedes. O ye Moules ye may wel be lykened to these ryche men, ye cast vp the earth hurtyng the good gar­den herbes. and the earth so caste vp you lette it lye, and putteth it to no good vse, but you go further and scrapes vp more, [Page] in whiche doynge is muche hurte, but at last commeth mayster Moulecatcher with his spade and casteth you vp pre [...]ely, and then destroy you. Euen so those ryche men castethe and scrapeth vp the gooddes of this worlde, whiche is the carthe of man, and hurdeth it on heepes profytable, ney­ther to them selues nor other men (but ra­ther hurtefull.) And at the length cōmeth deathe and catchethe the moules by the backe and then the deuyl destroyeth them. But O ye Leasemongers, ye vserers, ye raysers of rentes aboue the value of that you set it, and ye that bye your neygh­boures houses ouer theyr heedes, gyue eare a lytell to Saynte Paule, and to the charge that he gaue vnto Timothe. The Byshoppe commaundynge hym to charge other therewith sayenge. Timothe.

Epist. i. Cap. vi. Charge thou the ryche men of this worlde not to be hyghe myn­ded neyther to truste in the vncertentie of ryches but in the lyuyng god whiche gy­ueth vs all thynges aboundantely to do good, to be ryche in good workes, to gyue with a good wyl &c. Let this one peece of saynte Paules Epistle be marked amonge our ryche men, and then shall they soone knowe whether that they do well in hea­pynge theyr goodes and trustyng in theyr [Page] ryches or no. But I pray you to what vse do they kepe and store them vp? Uerelye euen to bye theyr neyghbours houses ouer theyr heedes, whiche is a thynge very de­testable: and the smoke of suche mennes doynges assendeth vp to the trone of God, and there stynketh odiously before the face of his deuyne maiestie▪ wherfore take good heede in tyme, leaste God sodeynely plage you. O ye wycked and vncharitable men, that do bye your neyghboures houses o­uer theyr heedes, wyl you for the entryng into a wretched house heare in earth, ex­clude and banyshe your selfe from the euerlastynge kyngedome of heauen, suerly in those your doynges, you transegresse sore the commaundementes of God, and shewe your selues to be bothe vnfaythfull and vncharitable, in handlynge your neygh­boures so vncharytably, whom you shuld loue & fauoure as your owne selfe. Remē ­ber that your lyfe flyeth as a shadow, and neuer abydeth in one state and place, wherfore moste hartely I beseche euery good man and womā to loke vpon their selues: And euen as they wolde other men shulde do to them, so wolde I thē to do vnto their neyghboure, callynge vnto theyr mynde, that hence they muste departe, but howe sone, howe early, or how late they knowe [Page] not, therefore (as the common prouerbe goeth) lyue to daye, as you wolde dye to morowe. Shake of your olde man, purge your sower leauen: put not swete wyne into musty bottels: suffer not the deuyl to rule you any longer: playe the man accor­dyng to the promes that you made at the fonte, which was to forsake the deuyl and all his workes, goo not backe frome thy worde, but lyke a good Christen man take for thy defence the buckler of fayth, and to fyght with, take the swerde of Goddes moste holy worde, stande manfully that thou mayst say with saynt Paule. Timo. Episto. ii. Cap. iiii. Bonum certamen certaui. I haue fought a good fyght. Good reader this mayste thou do through the grace of God, for whiche I pray the cal, that thou mayste ouercome the temptacyons of the deuyll, whiche is a thynge soone doone of a good wyllynge man, for as saynt Paule sayth. Phil. Cap. iiii. Omnia possum in eo qui me conferrat. I can do althyng through hym that comforteth me. Wherfore I say once agayne, stande stedfastly agaynst the deuyls temptacyons, and blaspheme not our sauyour and redemer Iesus Christ, at the hearyng of whose name: al the deuyls in hell do tremble and quake, and all the Angels in heauen gyue reuerence to it: on [Page] the other syde be not rygorus and cruell to thy neyghbour, consyder that he is thy owne brother, a Chrysten man as thou art and bought with as great a pryce as thou wast, although thy house be full of golde and syluer, and his body full of scabbes, thoughe there be as muche difference be­twene you two as was betwene poore La­sarus and the ryche man, yet at the daye of Iudgement God wyl regarde that selly soule with all his scabbes vpon his body as muche as he wyll do you with all your golde and syluer, ye and may fortune more to, onles you occupy it wel whylest you be heare. Thus far good reader, haue I sayd my mynde, because I wolde you shulde beare a feruent loue to God: and charitie towardes your neyghboure, in the doyng whereof you shall not onely please God moste hyghely, but also shewe thy selfe a good stewarde and baylye ouer that God hath lefte to the in custody whiche is thy fayth. And now I wyl leaue the, trusting that thou wylt followe this lytell lesson, by me set forth for thy furtheraunce in grace, remembryng that the chefe poynte thereof is for the augmentyng of charitie, and increase of good loue, whiche ioyned with fayth, and so vsed catholykely, brin­geth eche good manne and woman (after [Page] theyr progresse in this worlde) to the euer­lastyng kyngdome of heauen, there perpe­tualy abydyng in ioy, whereas with most melodius armony Aungels contynually synge without ceassyng, Gloria in excelcis. to whiche most glorius tabernacle and ce­lestyal kyngdome, our Lorde for his pain­full passyon and incogitable loue towards vs borne, graunte the, the reader, and me the wryter to come. Amen.

DEcetero fratres, quecunque sunt uera, quecunque pudica, quecunque iusta, que­cunque sancta, quecunque amabilia, que­cunque bone fame, si qua virtus, si qua laus dis­cipline, hec cogitate, quae et didicistis, et ac­cepistis, et audistis, et vidistis in me, hec agite, et deus pacis eritvobiscum. Phil. Cap. iiii.

BRethren as for other thynges, what so euer be true, what so euer be shame faste, what so euer be iuste, what so euer be holy, what so euer are to be loued, what so euer be of good reporte, yf there be any vertue, yf there be anye prayse of learnyng, be myndefull of those thynges, and al whiche you haue learned and recey­ued, and harde, and sene in me, those thynges do you, and the god of peace shal abyde al­way with you.