A Pleasant New Nosegay, Flower 5
¶The fyfte floure / called / Christen Charite.
Philemon.
i. Ioan. iii.AT hande it is euen here redy▪ Take it I pray you. Let VsUs not louelove in vvorde nor tonge, but in vvoke and trueth.
Theo.
This floure maye be called Christen Charite in dede aright
Phil.
It is not without a cause, that I hauehave gyuen you this floure. For the sauour of all your aforsayd floures profyteth without this but lytle.Behold y• excellency of Charite. This floure is the very same to your Nosegay that a precious stone a costious pearle, a goodly owch, is to a ryng or ony other Iewel. With out this floure all ye other wyll sone wyther awaye, & come to noughte. But so longe as the beauty of this your flour lasteth, so longe can not your Nosegaye decaye & perysh. Cā ony thynge be good & godly, where louelove & Charite wantethe? And bycause ye shoulde knowe, yt I meane none vnfayned louelove, I hauehave named your floure, Christen Charite. For our Charite & louelove ought not to be carnall, fleshly, beastlyke, worldly,What louelove we ought to hauehave amōge vsus. fayned, vncleane & flyttynge, but spirituall, ghostly, christē, heauēly, true, pure, & abydyng for euermore. And this is that Christē Charite, wherof your floure speketh,i. Ioan. iii. Let vsus not louelove in vvorde nor tonge, but in VVork & trueth. Withoute this Charite S. Paule affirmethe in his Epistle to the Corinthiās, that no worke,i. Cor. xiii. seme it neuer so good & godly, profyteth onye thynge at all.Rom. xiii. i. Tim. i. Rede y• Chapter whā ye come home. Certes this Charite & christen louelove must nedes be an excellent thynge, seynge it is the ende of the Cōmaundement, & the fulfyllynge of all the law, seyng also that Christ in his last sermon, whiche he made to his Disciples a litle before his passhon exorteth vsus with so many wordes vntounto it. S. Iohn̄ fereth not so greatlye to auaūce and commende Charite,Ioan. xiiii.xv.xvi. i. Ioan. iiii. yt he affirmeth God to be Charite, sayeng, God is Charite, & he that abydethe in Charite, abydeth in God, & God in hym. Unto thys true and Christen Charite. S. Peter also mouethe vsus on thys manner:…. Pet. iiii. Rom. xii. Co…. iii. Before all thynges, saythe he, hauehave feruēt charite among you. For Charite couereth y• multitude of synnes. And S. Paule saythe, aboue al thīges hauehave Charite, which is the bonde of perfeccion. For he y• hath this christē Charite can none otherwyse but louelove God wythe all his harte,What y• louelove of god doth. mynde, strength, power & soule. He can none otherwyse but forsake the worlde, the dyuell & the flesh, & cleue to God alone as a true and faythfull wyfe doth to her husbond. He wyl by no menes swere by y• name of his lord god, but reuerēce honour, worship & prayse it. He wyl not breake the Sabbothe daye, but sanctify it accordyng to the worde of God. Agayne,what y• louelove of our neighbour doth. he that loueth his neyghbour sincerly, wyl by no meanes hurte hym, nor worke any euel agaynst hym. He wyll not disobeye his superiours. He wyl commyt no manslaughter, whoredome, thefte, nor beare ony false wytnes nor yet couyt that, which shoulde be hynderaūce to his neyghbour, but he wyl gladly & with a free spirite do vntounto the vttermooste of his power, what so euer the Scripture requireth of hym, as Christ sayth, yf ony man loueth me, he wyll kepe my word, and my father shall louelove hym, & we wyl come to hym & dwell with hym. He that loueth not me, kepeth not my wordes.Io…n. xiiii. He that hath my Commaū dementes & kepeth thē, he it is that loueth me, & he that loueth me, shall be loued of my father, & I wyl louelove hym & shewe my selfe vntounto hī. How dothe this youre floure please you?
Euse.
I neuer smelled a sweter and more pleasaunt odoure in my lyfe.
Theo.
I praye you rehearse it once agayne.i. Ioan. iii.
Phil.
Let VsUs not louelove in vvord no… tonge, but in vvorke and trueth.
Theo.
Is not this the sayenge of S. Iohn in his Epistle?
Phil.
Yies verelye.
Theo.
Me thynketh that he gyueth here a cōmaundemente that we shoulde not louelove in worde nor tonge but in worke & trueth.
Phil.
Ye saye trueth.
Theo.
It is not lawefull than for vsus to e…presse the louelove that we beare in oure hartes towardes oure neyghboure by manifeste, open & euident wordes? as to speake gentylly, to cō mon frendely, & to wysh wel with louynge wordes to all men?
Phil.
S. Iohn in this place forbyddethe no more gentle speache & louynge communicacion,Phil. ii. thā S. Paule in your other flour dyd forbyd to make prouision for you and yours. But his mynd is this, they which wyl crake & boste by outwarde wordes, yt they louelove God & theyr neyghbour, & yet shew it not in workes and truethe, they are lyers, & hauehave not in thē the christen Charite, which the Scripture cōmendeth so greatly in eueryevery place. Such are lyke thē, of whome S. Paule speaketh on this māner, they saye they knowe God, but wt theyr dedes they denye it playnely,Titus. i. seynge they are obhominable, disobedient and mynded vntounto no good workes.i. Ioan. iii. He that hath the substance of the world, sayth S. Iohn, & seeth his brother hauehave nede, & is moued with no compassion towardes him, howe doth the louelove of God abide in hym? As though he should say, albeit a mā craketh neuer so much yt he loueth God,Mark well. yet yf he fulfylleth not that, which God cōmaundeth him, howe dare suche one boste that he louethe God? A man loueth so muche as he worketh. If he worketh no thynge, nother doth he louelove any thing. For as S. Gregory sayth in a certayne homely,Gregorye. the louelove of GOD is neuer idle. For he worketh great thinges, yf it be louelove, but if it seaseth to worke,i. Cor. xiii. than is it no louelove in dede. LoueLove, sayth S. Paule is pacient & curtious. LoueLove enuiethe not, louelove dothe not frowardely. LoueLove is not puffed vp, dealeth not dishonestly, seaketh not her owne. LoueLove is not prouoked to anger, thynketh not euell, reioysethe not of iniquite, but reioyseth in the trueth, suffereth al thinges, beleuethe all thynges, hopethe all thynges, abydethe all thynges. What a poynt is this of louelove, to say that I louelove God,Note thys well. & yet run a whorehuntynge after straunge Goddes?
Agayne what a poynte of louelove is this to saye, that I honour ye name of God, and yet blaspheme it withe mooste shamefull & abhominable othes? What louelove is this toward my neyghbour to saye that I louelove him and yet wyll do no thynge for hym, whan I se him in necessite? Is this louelove? Peryshe moughte suche louelove. Agaynste these wicked Hypocrites & open dissemblers dothe S. Iohn in this place thonder,i. Ioan. iii. whā he sayth let vsus not louelove in worde nor tonge, but in worke & trueth. There were in the tyme of the Apostles manye false Christians, whiche by wordes pretended muche louelove both towardes God and theyr neyghbour, and yet dyd they expresse & shew none at all by theyr outward dedes. Such hauehave we nowe a dayes also among vsus, which styffely affyrme that they louelove God & his worde, yet do theyr workes proue the contrarye. The scripture reiecteth that louelove which is fayned, and is not in spirite and trueth, that is to say, fyrst engraffed in the harte, & afterwarde declared by manifeste & euident workes, worthy such a louelove. Therfore neighbours, yf ye wyll smell aryght and to your conforte of this your floure Christen Charite, prouide that youre louelove benot fayned. Let it not only be in worde and tonge, but also in worke and trueth.Ofloue toward God. Fyrst as concernynge youre louelove towarde God, it shall appeare in nothynge more manifestly, than yf you laboure wythe all mayne in al your workes to seke the glory of God, the honour of his moost blyssed name & the promociō of his holy worde. Agayne as towchynge your neyghbour your louelove shallnot be fayned towardes hym,Ofloue toward oure neyghbour. yf ye helpe hym in all such thynges as he hath nede of, as for an example. If ye perceyue hym ignoraunt in the lawe of God, teach hym Goddes worde, bryng hym vntounto Christ, teache hym where, of whom and by what meanes he shal obtayne helth & saluacion? Declare to hym what y• true & christē faythe is? & of what great strength, vertue, efficacy and power it is. Exhorte hym vntounto the true good workes, which god approueth by his worde, & leueth not vnrewarded.Psal. xlix. Charge hym to flye vntounto y• name of God as vntounto a strong Bulwarke in all his aduersite and trouble. Furthermore yf ye ꝑceyue that he is gyuen altogyther to wickednes and wyll not gladlye heare anye wholesome admonicion, yette cease not to praye for him,Gen. xvii▪ as Abraham dyd for the fylthy Sodomites and Moses for the disobedient Iewes.Exo. xxxii. Yea thogh he be your extreme enemye and seaketh youre lyfe,Luke. xxiii. Ac…. vii. yet wysh wel vntounto hym, praye for him, and desyre God to forgyue him, as Christ and Steuen dyd. Agayne yf ye perceyue that he is poore & hath nede of your helpe, fayle not to succoure his miserye and to helpe hym in his nede euen to the vttermoost of youre power, to make an ende, yf ye perceyue that youre neyghboure hath nede of any thyng that ye are able to do for hym, I charge you in Goddes behalfe, that ye with al expedicion, helpe and conforte hī. If ye do this, thā do ye smel aright on this your flour, Christē Charite, & shal receyue rewardes abūdāt for your good dedes, but if ye do it not know yt though ye bost neuer so muche in word and tong of your louelove towardes god & your neyghbour,Note. yet shal ye go to the dyuel headlong lyke abhominable Hypocrites and wycked dissemblers, & shall receaue greater damnacion than they which neuer knewe truelye no parte of God, seing your louelove is only in worde and tong, but not in spirite and trueth.
Euse.
As concernynge oure louelove towarde God, we wyll employe al our industrye and laboure to hauehave that louelove toward hym,Ioan. xxii. which Peter had whan he sayde vntounto Christ, LORDE thou knoweste that I louelove the, & as towchynge our neyghbour we wyll labour no lesse hartely to louelove him, than Ionathas dyd Dauid,ii. Reg. xviii which as the Scripture sayth, loued him as his owne lyfe.
Phile.
Theyse are goodly exāples vndoubtedly neighbours. Loke therfore that ye folow them. If ye bryng out of your louelove suche dedes, as Peter dyd, thā may ye be bolde to say, that ye louelove God vnfaynedly. Agayne, yf ye shew by youre outwarde workes suche louelove towarde your neyghbour, as Ionathas dyd to Dauid thā nede ye not feare to saye, yt ye louelove youre neighbour in worke & truethe, & so are ye perfecte and true christen men, and maye be certayne after the departure oute of this transitorye lyfe, yf ye so continue vntounto the ende, for to receaue the crowne of life, which the LORDE hathe promised to them that louelove hym,Iaco…. i. as S. Iames sayth.
Here is nowe your Nosegay perfecte. For I hauehave gyuē you al your fyue floures, as I promised you at your fyrst cōmynge.
Chri.
We thāke you right hertely for this Nosegay
Euse.
I thynke such a Nosegay was neuer gyuen before of onye man to his frende, as you hauehave nowe gyuē vsus.
Theo.
I beseche GOD gyue vsus grace so to smell on this Nosegaye, that the sauoure of it maye euer abyde in vsus, & neuer departe nor go awaye from our hartes. So maye we be sure neyther at onye tyme to offende our selues, God, our Kyng, nor our neyghbour, but leade suche a lyfe, as wherwith bothe God and man shall be well pleased.
Phil.
All this that ye hauehave hytherto spoken is true. For I hauehave taughte you no thyng of myne owne brayne & fantasye, but onelye the pure worde of God, & the sentences & myndes of ye holy and catholyke Doctors. Therfore I pray you hertely good neyghbours be as diligent to obserue and kepe these floures as I hauehave ben studious to gather them togyther for you, so shall I both thyncke my laboure well bestowed & ye also of all pleasures shall do me the greateste. Well I wyll nowe rehearse to you in fewe wordes, what youre whole Nosegaye contayneth in many.
Your fyrst floure is called Vnfayned Humilite. Hereof hauehave ye learned ye true knowledge of youre selues,A brefe rehersal of the Nose gaye. & that ye ought not to be proud of ony thynge, but enbrasynge Humilite & lowlines of mynd alwayes cō fesse that what so euer ye hauehave, be it neuer so good & precious, it is the gyfte of GOD commynge downe frō the father of lyghtes, and that therfore ye oughte studiously to laboure aboue all thynges that it be bestowed accordynge to the wyll of God,Iaco▪ i. that is, vntounto the glory of God the profitte of youre neyghboure & the saluacion of your owne soules.
Your seconde flour called, Pure Innocency. Of this ye hauehave lerned your duty toward God, & howe ye ought to walke before hym accordynge to his worde and be perfecte.
Of your thyrde floure, which is, Faythfull Obedience. Ye hauehave learned your duty toward our moost puissaunt & excellent kynge, & all those ciuile magistrates & heade officers, which are appoynted to rule & gouerne the matters of the publique weale vnderunder his graces maieste. Ye learned also, that by the worde of GOD ye owe to them obedience, feare, honour and tribute.
Your fourthe floure, called, Redy assistence ▪ taught you your dutye towarde youre neyghbour, & howe ye oughte to serue hym accordynge to the rule of the Gospell, seakynge no lesse his profyt than your owne.
Your fyfte & laste floure, called, Christen Charite, declared to you that withoute this true, christen & pure louelove, all youre other floures profyt but lytle, neyther can any worke beinge done of a malicious harte and out of Charite please God. Agayne ye hearde, that your louelove bothe toward God & your neyghbour was declared to be vnfayned, yf ye dyd expresse it outwardly in suche workes as are prescribed of God in the holy Scriptures, this is the whole summe of your Nosegaye.
Nowe deare brothers, I beseche you by the great mercyes of God, yt ye wyl by no meanes suffer ye smell, odoure & sauour of these herbes to faull oute of your brestes, but that you alwaye beare this youre Nosegay about wt you, & smel on it at al tymes wtout ceasyng. For these are those floures, whiche shall preserue you from all pestiferous and contagious ayres, from all perelles and daungers, from al mischaūces and euell fortunes. They also shall enspire and breath into you such confortable odoures & swete sauours, that ye shall by no meanes be so infected, that ye maye eyther offende your selues, God, the kyng, or your Neygheboure, but what so euer ye worke, shall be accceptable bothe to God and man. What wyll ye hauehave more? Thus muche hauehave I done nowe for you neyghbours, and am redy at al tymes to do, what soeuer lyethe in my power, whan occasion shall be gyuen, desiryng you fauourably to accepte this my good wyll towarde you, as of one, which wyssheth no lesse well to you thā to him selfe, tendereth your health no lesse than his owne, seakethe youre true knoweledge in Christe Iesus euen as his owne, to conclude, whiche is redy at all tymes both to gyue him selfe and all that he hath, so that ye may be in the moost gloryous bowels of oure Sauioure Christe, and therin continewe vntyl the daye o… his tryumphant apperyng. Which thynge (moost deare brothers) that it maye come to passe, I wyll not cease neyther night nor daye to powre oute my prayers to our LORDE god, that he maye be present alway with you by the assistence of the holy Ghost in all your godly enterprises, which thynge also I moost hertelye desyre you, that ye wyll lykewyse do for me.
Euse.
To gyue you condygne and worthy thancke, for your manifolde gentletes towarde vsus, we are not able. But thys dare I promyse you in ye name of vsus all, that what so euer shall lygh in oure powers to do for you at any tyme, we wyll be glad wt all our hertes to do it. And to the vttermoost of our strengthes we wyll laboure to practyse & fulfyl yt in workes, whiche ye hauehave taught vsus in wordes.
Phil.
So doynge neyghbours, my good wyll shall not only cōtinue styll, as it is toward you, but also encrese dayly more & more. Wel, now before your departure, I wyl desire you to tak… y• paynes …o dryncke with me after this our long talke & large cōmunicaciō, yt ye may go home agayne frō me being fed both spiritually & corporally.
Theo.
We thanke you neighbour Philimō
Chri.
Praysed be god for this our goodly and pleasaunte Nosegay.
Euse.
AMEN. For he alone is worthy all the honoure & prayse.
¶Gyue the glorye to God alone.
¶Imprynted at London in Botulphe lane at the sygne of the whyte Beare, by Iohn̄ Mayler for Iohn̄ Gough. Anno. Dn̄i 1543.
Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. Per Septennium.
End of the text · Thomas Becon, A Pleasant New Nosegay (1543)