A Pleasant New Nosegay, Flower 4
¶The fourth floure / called / Redy assistence.
Philemon.
BEholde here it is. Let eueryevery manne looke not for his oVVne profit, Phil. i… ▪but for the profit of other. Howe doth ye sauour of this floure please you?
Euse.
How so euer it pleaseth me, I thynke verely, the ayer & breath of this flour is so strong, ye few at this presēt tyme can abyde the sauour of it.
Phil.
Why so? It is the sayēge of Saynt Paule to the Philippians.
Euse.
I knowe that well, but ye should rather hauehave rehearsed this sayeng in ye same Epistle. All seke theyr owne auaūtage, & not that, which is Iesus Christes. For this flour do men now a dayes beare chefely in theyr bosome, as we may se by dayly experiēce. Theyr noses are stopped, and they hauehave lost one of theyr fyue wittes, whan ony such floure is offred them for to smell vponupon, as ye hauehave nowe gyuen vsus. They hauehave rooted other herbes in theyr hertes, vponupon whome they smell dayly,Eccl. x. Lato. lib. i. Menander. Inuenalis. euen such as theyse are. Pecuniae obediunt omnia. Bonus est odor lucri ex re qualibet. Semper tibi proximus esto. Tantū fidei, quā tum pecuniae. Nummi uirum faciunt. Virtus post nummos. Miser est, qui nūmos non habet. Quisquis habet nummos, secura nauiget aura Fortunam que suo temperet arbitrio. That is to saye, al thinges are obedient to mony. The sauour of lucre is good, how so euer a man come by it. Be euer nearest & moost frend to thy selfe. A man shal euē be so much trusted, as he hathe monye. Mony maketh the man. Fyrst monye, and afterwarde vertue. He is a wretch yt hath no mony. Who soeuer hathe monye, maye go where he lyste, & do what so euer he wyll at hys owne pleasure.
The sauour of these floures, hath so infected the senses of many now a dayes, that they cā by no meanes smell on this floure, whiche ye hauehave nowe gyuen vsus.
Phil.
It is the more pytye. Not withstondynge neyghbours, be not ye infected withe lyke pestiferous contagion. Remember your profession, and followe not the cōmon fasshion, vnlesse ye fall into damnacion, and lose the fauoure of GOD.
Smel wel on this your floure,Phil. ii. Redy assistence. Let eueryevery man looke not for his owne profit, but for the profyt of other. For seynge ye hauehave hytherto learned your dutye both toward your selfe▪ God, & our kynge, ye must now learne also your office & duty toward youre neyghboure. For God hath also gyuen vsus a commaūdemēt to louelove our neyghbour.Leuit. x…x. Math. xxii. Rom. xiii. Thou shalt louelove thy neyghbour as thy selfe, sayth the scripture. That thou wylte not a nother shoulde do to the,Iacob. ii i. Ioan. iiii. do thou not the same to him. And this cōmaundement hauehave we of God, that he, which loueth God, should also louelove his neighbour. For he ye loueth not his brother, whome he seethe, God, whome he hathe not sene, howe can he louelove?
That ye myghte natiuely & vnfaynedlye on this sorte louelove your… neyghbour, I hauehave selected this sē tēce of s. Paule to put you in remē brāce of your duty.Phil. ii. Let eueryevery man loke not for his own profyt, but for the profit of other.Mat. .xxiiii
Chri.
It is a very hard sayeng, & followed but of few iniquite doth so abound, & the louelove of many abateth and waxeth cold.
Theo.
Me thyncke, S: Paule would here hauehave no man prouyde for him selfe, but for other. And this is contrary to his owne sayeng,i. Tim. v. wher he sayth, If ony mā doth not prouyde for thē that do pertayne vntounto him he hath forsaken the faythe, andis, worse than an Infidell.
Phil.
God forbyd that ony contrariete should be founde in the wordes of so noble & worthy Apostle. In your floure he doth not forbydde you, but that ye may with good conscience prouide for your selfe & for yours But to admonysh mē of thys so streyghtly as of the other, it was not nedeful nor expediēt.Mark well. For we are naturally bēt to seke our owne profyt, yea & that many tymes to the great hinderaū ce & vtter decay of our neyghbour, neyther nede we a spurre to prycke vsus forwarde in this behalfe. Which thynge, S. Paule replete with goddes spirite consyderynge, exorteth men rather to seke for theyr neighbours profyt, than for theyr owne, meanynge that they shoulde not be so bent to seke theyr owne auauntage,Phil. ii. that they should vtterly neglecte the profyt of theyr christen brother. For ye very same mynd ought to be in vsus that was in Christ Iesu whiche beynge in the shape of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made hym selfe of no reputaciō, & toke vpō hym y• shape of a seruaunt, became like a nother man, & was founde in his apparel, as a man. He humbled hym selfe, & became obediēt vntounto the death, euē the death of y• Crosse. Here is youre floure, Redy asistence. Here is an example that ye shoulde be redy to assist & helpe your neyghbour at al tymes. Howe dyd our moost blyssed Sauiour Christe vtterly neglecte & caste awaye, as I may so speke, his owne glory, honour and worshyp, to seke our health, conforte & saluacion? This redy assistence & helpe oughte also to be in vsus, yf we pertayne vntounto Christ. For we oughte to hauehave y• care for our neighbour, that Christ had for vsus, or elles we walke not accordynge to Charite. This redy assistence also se we in that Samaritane of the Gospell,Luke. x. which seynge a certayne man spoyled, robbed, greuouslye wounded and halfe deade, had pytye on hym, came vntounto hym, bounde vp his woundes, powred in oyle & wyne, & layenge hym on hys beaste brought hym vntounto an Inne, & made prouision for hym. Here is a nother godlye example of redy assistence. Here is a myrrour for all menne to looke in. Here is a payre of spectacles for to shewe eueryevery man, what his dutye is toward his neyghbour.What oure duty is toward our neyghboure
Euse.
As how I pray you for an example.
Phil.
Certes as this Samaritane dyd. To be bent at all tymes to healpe so manye as hath nede of our helpe, & to procure no lesse the helthe & furtherance of other, than of our selues. As for an example. Arte yu a Iudge,The duty of a iudge, Iustice of peace.. &c. a Iustice of peace, a Constable, a Baliffe, or ony other cōmō officer: So hast yu ye lawe in thy hande. Matters of contrauersye are broughte before the. Looke therfore, that thou iudgeste all thynges accordynge to equite. Be not parciall. Fauoure not one parte more than another. Shewe indifferency. Do as ryght require. Gyue no wronge sentence, neyther for feare nor louelove of ony parsonne. Practise none iniquite: Condemne not the innocēt for lucres sake. Be not corrupt with gyftes. Eate not the poore mā, neyther deuour thou his substaūce, but helpe to sustayne hym in his ryght agaynste the violence of the wicked Tyrantes and cruel oppressours accordyng to thy office, yf thou doste this, than haste thou this flour, Redy assistence. about the, & doste to thy neyghboure, as yu arte bound by the commaundemēt of God. If thou doste this, that is, iudge contrary to equite, suffer the poore to be oppressed for fauoure or lucres sake, or els bycause thou bearest a cruell harte and spytefull stomacke agaynst the parte, so gettest thou the great displeasure of God, & hepest vp to thy selfe euerlastinge damnacion.
Arte thou a Bysshop,The office of a Byshop prest or spiritual minister. prest or spirituall minister of Goddes worde? looke than well to thy office. Remē ber that it is thy dutye reuerently to minister ye moost blyssed Sacramentes of Christes Chyrche, and to preach the worde of God to y• flocke vponupon whome the holy Ghoste hath made the ouerseare, to gouerne the congregaciō of God, whome he purchased with his bloude.Act. x…. Ioan. xxi. Remember that it is sayd vntounto the, Pasce, Pasce, Pasce, fede, fede, fede. Fede ther fore thy Paryshe with good exāple of vertuous lyuinge. Fede them wt the pure Euāgelion & true Gospell of Christ. Fede thē also wt corporall foode thorowe the mayntenaūce of hospitalite. Teache them to forsake all Idolatry & supersticion, & only to cleaue to the true & lyuing God, the alone and omnisufficient sauiour. Teache them to honoure & call on the name of theyr LORDE God in all theyr aduersities and troubles. Teach them faythful obedience toward theyr superiours. Teache thē to louelove theyr wyues as theyr owne flesh, & to brynge vp theyr chyldren & familye in the feare & nourtoure of the Lord. Teach thē to labour for theyr lyuīg, & not to takeaway ony mans goodes vniustly. Teache thē to testify the truethe, & to beare no false witnes. Teache them to be no man…lears, but to louelove al men with a pure harte. Teache them to lyue of theyr owne, & not to couyt that which pertayne to other mē. Teach them to walke streyght in the path wayes of the LORDE al the dayes of theyr lyfe, vnlesse the fearce plages & cruel vēgeaunce of God fall both vponupon the & them.Esay. …viii. Crye, cease not. Shewe to the people theyr synnes, offenses, & wickednesses. Cōmaund the wicked to forsake hys iniquite. Exhorte the rytche man vntounto the glad & redy distribucion of his goodes to ye poore people.i. Tim. vi. i. Pet. v▪Fede ye flocke of Christ, so muche as lyethe in thy power. Be an example of the fayth full in word, in cōuersacion, in louelove in spirite, in fayth, in purite & clennes of lyfe. Gyue attendaunce to thy selfe & to doctrine, continew in these. Reproue them that synne opē ly before all men,i. Tim. iii▪ that y• other may be afeard. Kepe thy selfe pure, clene & honest. Suffer afflicciō & trouble as a goodsouldiour ofIesus Christ Study to shewe thy selfe acceptable to God,i. Tim v. ii. Tim. ii. a workemā that nedeth not to be ashamed, deuydynge iustly the worde of trueth. Flye the lustes of yongthe,i. Tim. v…. followe righteousnes, fayth charite peace with them that cal on the LORDE wyth a pure harte. Reproue the ennemyes of trueth fearsely, that they maye be whole in faythe. Speake yu those thīges, that become wholesome doctrine, but aboue all thynges be an exāple to other of good workes. Be not absent from thy benefice.Zacha. xi. Liue not dissolutely at the vniuersite or els wher. Be not that Spheppard and Idol, that forsaketh his flocke, but gyue them meate in due tyme.Ioan. x. Suffer not ye wolfe to deuour Christes shepe, whome he bought wythe no lesse pryce, than wythe his owne most precious bloud. Defēd the glorye of GOD, and not thyne owne dignite. Striue for the helth of thy flocke,Mark well. & not for thy rytchers & possessions. The synful of thy flocke, exhorte vntounto faythfull repentaunce. The desperate prouoke thou vntounto y• trust of Gods mercy. The weake make yu stronge. The diseased looke thou heale. The bloudye wounded looke thou cure. The broken looke thou make whole. The imperfecte, loke thou make perfecte. The strōg in Christ, loke thou make aūciente. To conclude, if thou be a true Bisshop, a faythful ouerseare, a diligēt Curate, a trusty shepparde, rather gyue thy lyfe, & spend all the bloud in thy body, than that one of ye least of Christes flocke should perysh thorowe thy faute. So mayst thou be sure,i. Pet. v. whan that Prynce of sheppardes shall appeare to receyue the immarcessible crown of glory, if yu dost not these thynges, which hytherto I hauehave rehearsed, than looke thou for none other, but wythe that vnprofitable seruaunt to be cast into vtter darkenes, where wepynge & gnasshynge of teth shalbe.
Arte thou a ritch man?The dutye of a rytch man. So hath God set the in a perillous state, excepte thou be ware. To auoyd ther fore all daūger, loke that with thy possessions & rytches, thou helpeste thē that hauehave nede. For vntounto this ende hath God indewed the wyth y• goodes of this world. Be not proud for thy rytches sake,Eccl xxxv. ii. Cor. ix. nor putte not thy truste in vncertayne rytches, but in the lyuynge God. Be rytche ī good workes. Be redy to minister vntounto the necessite of other, yt wante For God loueth a cherfull gyuer. Breake thy bread to the hongrye,Esa. lviii. & lead in the nedy & poore wayfaring into thy house, whā thou seest a naked man, couer hym, & thou shalte not despyse thy flesh.Luke. vi. Geue to eueryevery one that askethe, & from hym, that wyll borowe, turne not awaye thy face,Psal. xiiii. Esa. v. but lende hym thy monye, yea & that without ony vsurye. Ioyne not house to house, nor lond to lond Couytte not to reygne alone in a towne. Suffer other mē to lyue by the, yea & that of theyr owne. Helpe them to make prouision for theyr family, yt they may kepe the better hospitalite & be the more able to helpe the confortles. Let not oute thy lō des & houses on such price, that the fermers shall neuer be able to paye the, or els to do no good vponupon them So let them hyer thy fermes, that they maye not be empoueryshed, as they are now a dayes for the moost parte, but rather enryched, yt they maye be the more able vertuouslye to bryng vp theyr chyldren in good artes & godly sciēces, to helpe theyr poore neyghbours, to kepe hospitalite, & to beare the charges of the cō mon weale for theyr porcion, whan tyme requireth. For this shal make a florysshynge & wealthye Realme, abundāt in al thynges. Thus shalt thou also greatlye please God, & he agayne for this thy boūteous liberalite shewed towarde thy neyghboures, wyll open his hande, blysse the & all that pertayne vntounto the, fauoure the, & make the to be plenteous in all thynges.Deu. xxviii So that what so euer thou goest about, shall prosper & come vntounto a fortunate & good ende. Neyther shalte thou nede to doubte of theyse thynges.Titus. i. Psal. cxliiii For God hath so promised, which can not ly, but is faythefull in all his wordes. If thou doste contrary hereunto, & abusest the ritches, which god hath put into thy hande, & of whome he hath only made the his steward, so that thou art vnmercyful & hydest vp thy treasure, & knoweste not for whome, & wylte by no meanes bestow them, as God hathe appoynted the, than be thou certen & sure, that lyke an vnmercifull thefe and cruell bloudye Bocher, thou shalte be hanged in hell.Esa. lxvi. The fyre, wherwt thou shalt be tormented, shal neuer be quenched. The worme, that shal gnawe thy conscience, shall neuer dye. The paynes shal be infinite, nether shalte thou at ony tyme be releued of thē, but with that vnmerciful rytche gloton in the Gospel of Luke,Luke. xvi. lyghe cryenge & waylyng in perpetual tormentes worldes with out end. Therfore beware betymes & saye not but yt thou arte warned.
To be shorte, consider withe thy selfe in what state & condicion God hath set the, & vse that euer vntounto ye glory of God and the profyt of thy neyghboure. For knowe that what so euer God hath gyuē the, he hath gyuen it the for the profytte of thy neyghbour also. Hathe God gyuen the strength? than must thou helpe the weakenes of thy brother. Arte thou wyse, & eloquent? So muste thou make good, that whiche wanteth of them in thy neyghbour Art thou rytche? So muste thou conforte the nedy. Arte thou learned? So must thou instructe and teache the ignoraunt. Arte thou a rulare? So must thou be fauourable to thē of the inferioure sorte. Arte thou a mā of nobilite? So muste thou not despyse thē of ignobilite. Hast thou creditours and detters? So muste thou not draw thē cruelly streyght wayes into the lawe, but fauoure them, entreate them gentylly, and gyue thē respyte, vntyll they may… paye the conueniētly without daū ger or losse of theyr substaūce. Haste thou receaued ony talente or gyfte at all of God? Use that same to the profyt of thy neyghbour, & so shalt thou well please God. To make an ende, be the very same to thy neyghbour,A good lessō that God is to the. Consyder what kyndnes God sheweth to the, & shewe thou the very same agayne to thy Christē brother. And wylt yu heare me? Be euen another Christe to thy neyghboure.
Thus much dere brothers, hauehave I spoken concernynge thys youre floure, Redy assistence. of the which ye maye easely learne to knowe youre duty toward your neyghbour, and howe ye ought to behaue youre selues in all poyntes toward hym accordynge to the wyll of God.
Theo.
Undoubtedly neighbour Philemō ye hauehave gyuen vsus many godlye lessōs. I besech God, we may so walke in our conuersacion & in all our actes towarde our neyghboure, that we maye in al thynges followe and practyse this your moost godly doctrine, & be redy at all tymes bothe in thoughte, worde & dede redely to assist & helpe oure neyghboures, no lesse thā we desire that god should assist, help & socoure vsus, whā we hauehave nede.
P.
It is very godly spokē. God gyueyou grace no lesse to do & work Nowe remayneth your laste floure to be gyuen to you.
Chri.
I woulde very gladdely se it.
Euse.
The verye same also do I desyre.