The Amendment of Life, Book 2 · Chapter 15
Of Ʋoluptuouſneſſe in generall. Chap. 15.
THe vanitie and exceſſe in banquetes before reprooued, doeth heere miniſter occaſion to ſpeake of the luſtes and pleaſures of the fleſh: firſt in generall: Then perticulerlie in ſome kindes, as in drunkenneſſe, gluttonie, licorouſneſſe, and fornication. As concerning voluptuouſneſſe in generall, wee hauehave a number of ſayings euen of the heathen, whereby with common conſent of all the world, and in all ages, the ſame hauehave beene reproued, and condemne, as daungerous, pernitious and not beſeeming man. Architas the Tarentine ſayde,Cicero in his booke of olde age. there is no peſtilence more mortall then voluptuouſneſſe, adding, that thereof proceede all treaſons againſt the countrie, ſubuerſions of common wealthes, ſecrete communications with enemies, to be ſhort, that there is not any enterpriſe ſo wicked, but by voluptuouſneſſe a man may bee wrought thereunto. And proceeding in his argument, by many reaſons he proueth that nothing is more repugnant to the excellencie of man, or more deteſtable and pernicious then the ſame: And concludeth that there can bee no fellowſhip betweene luſt and vertue, and therefore that in the kingdom of voluptuouſnes, vertue cannot ſubſiſt. He ſaith farther, that about the ſame time that Cayus Fabritius was ſent to King Pirrhus, hee heard that at Athens there was one that maintained, that eueryevery thing that man doth, ought to hauehave relation to voluptuouſneſſe, and that when two Romaine Lordes heard him talking thereof, they wiſhed that the Samnites and King Pirrhus (then their enemies) might be perſwaded to that doctrine, that ſo they might with greater facilitie be ouercome. The like did Antiſtenes hearing one commaund pleaſures, alſo wiſh to his enemies: As alſo the like counſell did Cyrus follow and put in practiſe againſt the Lydians,Iuſtine in his firſt booke, whom he had ſubdued: for taking away their horſe and armour, hee commaunded them to follow theyr luſtes and pleaſures, to the ende that thereby looſing their accuſtomed valour and vertue, they might together therewith forget alſo all courage to rebell.
2 This voluptuouſneſſe engendereth ſo manie vices and villanies, that ſuch as compare it to a dreame, the pleaſure whereof at a mans waking vaniſheth awaie, doe ſay ſomewhat, yet nothing to the purpoſe. The Emperour Adrian goeth a little farther, when he compareth it to pils outwardly fairely guilt and rouled in Sugar, but within full of bitterneſſe. Yet goeth he farther then they all, which ſayth that pleaſure and ſorrow are twinnes: For pleaſure is no ſooner hatched, but repentaunce is at hand, holding her as it were by the head readie to ſupplant her. And thereupon ſome hauehave ſaide, that ſhee reſembleth a ſmile, which preſently is turned to ſorrow and teares. And indeede, pleaſure flyeth and ſlideth away, leauing rather cauſe of repentaunce, then occaſion of remembraunce. Other hauehave compared her to a painted ſepulcher, faire without, but within full of mortall infection and ſtench. And Plato terming it a bayte for all miſchiefe, thereby ſufficiently ſheweth, that ſuch as giuegive themſelues thereto, are taken and killed, euen as the fiſh that taketh the hooke couered with the baite. Neither were they much miſtaken that compared it to venome or ſtrong poyſon tempered with hypocras or ſweete milke. And indeede this voluptuous pleaſure ſo poyſoneth man, that it depriueth him of the reaſon and vertue of his ſoule, together with the helpe of his bodie, and maketh him vnworthie to bee reckoned among men. And in that reſpect, ſayth Cycero, hee that is giuen to luſt, iudgeth all thinges, not by reaſon but by his owne ſence, and ſo thinketh that to be the beſt, which moſt delighteth him, and ſo doth eaſilye conſent to bee caryed awaie with pleaſures, which longe him more and more in calamitie. Neither can we follow pleaſure vnleſſe wee renounce vertue, becauſe that pleaſure reſpecteth the particular, and vertue the good of the common. And therefore there is not ſo badde a Lord and maſter, as pleaſure and voluptuouſneſſe, whoſe nature is to make a man readie to all miſchiefe, and ſlowe to anie goodneſſe. It weakneth the bodie, as Diogenes noted, when to one giuen to luſt and pleaſure, hee applyed this ſaying of Homer, Child, thy life is ſhort. The ſame Diogenes alſo acknowledging that which wee hauehave ſaide, namely, that it is a vice vnbeſeeming man, doth aptly declare his minde. For in that the Athenians were much addicted to luſt and pleaſure, and the Lacedemonians to ſobrietie and temperancie, as himſelfe was trauayling from Lacedemon to Athens, beeing demaunded whence hee came and whither hee woulde: hee anſwered, that he came from among men, but was going toward women. And the ſame doeth Iuſtine note in Sardanapalus, who, ſayd he,Iuſtin is his firſt booke. liued in pleaſures more ſit to bee a woman than a man, eſpecially one that raigned ouer ſo many prouinces. And in deed, that luſtfull lyfe was the worker of his death,Cicer. li. 2. de finibus. through the conſpiracie of ſome that could not lyke to bee gouerned by ſo voluptuous a king. And therefore dyd Cicero iuſtly ſaie, that he that giueth himſelfe ouer to luſt but one day, is vnworthie the name of a man. And in deede, luſt is more ſit and conuenient for hogs, than for a man endued with reaſon and vnderſtanding.
3 To conclude, what greater iniurie can our enemie worke vsus,Sen. Epiſt. 28 ſayth Seneca, than theſe luſts doth vntounto many? for plunging them ſelues therein, they get ſuch a cuſtome, that they become moſt miſerable, in that they grow into neceſsitie of things before ſuperfluous, becauſe they cannot bee without them, and ſo doo ſerue their luſts, which they cannot inioy, yea, which is the type of all calamitie, they louelove theyr owne miſhap. And this enemie is ſo much the more dangerous, becauſe wyth the outward face & alluring baites thereof, it hath ouercome the ſtrongeſt and moſt valyant men in the world, as Hanibal, who after he had ouercommen his enimies, was conquered by luſt and pleaſure. It is a gulfe or fire that deuoureth mans ſubſtance and wealth, wherwith he ſhould liue & maintaine himſelfe and his familie: and (which is another miſerie) a path to all wicked practiſes, namely, to popular ſeditions, wherein men may fiſh in troubled water, and finde ſome pretence to get other mens goods, to proſecute theyr owne pleaſures. Pythagoras to that purpoſe ſayde, that pleaſure once entered into townes, engendered ſacietie, then violence, and laſtly deſtruction: and contrarywiſe, that ſobrietie & temperance are the two means to ſhun ſuch inconueniences. In lyke ſenſe the Philoſopher Heraclitus being required to ſhew the originall of ſedition, and how it might bee reſtrained, in ſtead of ſome long oration to the people, called for a little water and meale, & tempering them together, he drunk it, and ſo without anie more ſpeeches departed, thereby declaring that continence and ſobrietie were the meanes to maintain peace and concord.
4 If the heathen, who had reſpect onelyonly to man, and to this preſent life, could ſaie thus much a againſt luſt, how farre ought Gods children to deteſt it in reſpect of the life to come?Auguſt in a certain Sermō And in deed he, ſaith Saint Auguſtine, who for a ſmall pleaſure giueth that for the which Chriſt dyed, namely, his bodie and ſoule, ſheweth that hee eſteemeth Ieſus Chriſt to be but a fooliſh and vnwiſe marchant, that would redeeme with ſuch a price that which the voluptuous man eſteemeth ſo little of, and giueth ſo cheape, when he giueth ouer himſelfe to deſtruction for ſo ſmall a pleaſure, which wil ſoone be ouer. When luſts & pleaſures, ſaith Saint Ambroſe, hauehave wounded a man, they are gone, when they hauehave brought him into miſerie, they are retired, and when they hauehave made him moſt wretched they hauehave forſaken him. Saint Barnard noteth three ſorts of perſecutions in the Church: the firſt by tyrants: the ſeconde by heretikes, and the laſt by luſts and pleaſures, whereto hee addeth, that this laſt is the moſt pernitious, applying to that purpoſe this ſentence, which hee alleadgeth out of Eſaie, In my peace my bitternes is most bitter. Eſay 38.17And then ſaith, B…tter is the perſecution of tyrantes, more bitter of heretikes, but moſt bitter of all, is that of luſts and pleaſures. The ſame doth Chriſoſtome confirme, ſaying, We incur more harme by the pleſures of the fleſh, than by the moſt grieuous torments of tormentors, for torments do beget martyrs, but luſts do beget Epicures. Of torments we forme vertues, but of luſts we noriſh & increaſe vice. And therfore we may compare our luſts to the apple which our firſt parents, tranſgreſsing Gods cōmandemēt did eat in paradiſe,Gen 3.6 1. Tim. 5.6. which being faire to the eie, was mortal to the mouth. Whereupon S. Paul ſaith, The widow that liueth in pleaſure, is dead while ſhe liueth.
5 Sith then that Ieſus Chriſt admoniſheth vsus to amend, let vsus take heed of ſo dangerous and pernitious an enemy, & to that end, let vsus remember all the ſentences before mentioned, by the which eueryevery man may vnderſtād, that vnles he mind to be altogether miſerable and wretched, he muſt ſhun ſuch luſts & pleaſures. And by them no doubt is the common prouerbe meant, For one pleaſure, a thouſand ſorrowes: not in reſpect of this life onelyonly, but in reſpect of the life euerlaſting. To this purpoſe do we reade that Liſimachus, when the Scithians had beſieged him in a place, where for want of water he was forced to yeld, after he had dronke freſh water, ſaid, Alas, what a great felicitie hauehave I loſt for a very ſhort pleaſure? If a Painim would ſo grieue for looſing a temporall felicitie, howe much rather ought we that profeſſe to beleeue Gods word, & by the teſtimonie of the ſame are to expect life and euerlaſting felicitie, both to think and ſay, when luſts do aſſalt vsus, Alas, wretch that I am, ſhall I for inioying a briefe & temporal pleaſure, looſe an infinit and eternall felicitie?
6 Moreouer, let vsus eſchue & ſhunne al occaſions that might induce vsus hereunto, namely, ſuch cōpanie as is addicted to the ſame. For, as S. Augu. ſaith, his prouocations are leaſt,Auguſt. of the ſingularitie of Cleargie. that neuer cōmeth among luſts & pleſures: for as the man ſhal hardly ſcape free from blacking or meal that cōuerſeth with millers or colliers, ſo ſhal he hardly eſcape pleſures that hanteth with thoſe that are giuen to follow their luſts and pleaſures. And as green wood laid vponupon the fire, albeit at the firſt it reſiſteth, yet in the end doeth burne and is conſumed, ſo is it with him that frequenteth thoſe that giuegive themſelues to luſts & pleaſures, albeit at the beginning he reſiſteth the euill, and for a while falleth not thereinto, yet by continuall hant, he finally falleth in with them. Furthermore, let vsus ſhun Idlenes, the mother and nurſe of all miſchiefe, namely, of pleaſure, according to the ſaying of olde Cato, that by doing nothing, men learn to doo euill: and this doo we vndoubtedly finde to be moſt verified in the pleaſures of the fleſh. For as ſtill and ſtanding waters are eaſily corrupted, ſo are idle perſons. Beſides, there is nothing more repugnant to the true repentance of Gods children, either to our griefe, heauineſſe, and ſorrowing for our ſinnes, than pleaſure. For as it is vnnaturall to kindle fire with water, ſo is it vnpoſsible for pleaſure to breede in a penitent heart that ſorroweth for ſinne. The Lorde of hoaſtes, ſayth the Prophet Eſaie, in that daie did call you to weeping and mourning, Eſay 22.12to baldnes and girding with ſackcloth, And beholde, ioye and gladneſse, ſlaying of oxen and killing of ſheepe, eating fleſh and drinking wine, and ſaying, Let vsus eate and drinke for to morrowe wee ſhall die. Whereunto hee addeth this horrible and fearefull threatning: And the Lorde of hoaſtes hath declared vntounto mee, Surelie this iniquitie ſhall not bee purged from you vntill yee die.
7 The ſole conſideration of the affliction and calamitie of our brethren, might alſo ſuffice to make vsus to forſake al luſtes & pleaſures,2. Cor. 12.25. remembring what Saint Paule ſayth, That the members hauehave the ſame care one for another, if one member ſuffer, all members ſuffer with it. They therefore that with ſorrowe feele not the afflictions of theyr brethren, but giuegive themſelues to pleaſures and delightes, doo manifeſtly declare that they bee no members of the bodie, and ſo are to looke for the curſe by the Prophet Amos pronounced agaynſt thoſe who liuing at eaſe doo giuegive themſelues to the pleaſures and luſts of the fleſh,Amos 6.1 and doo not mourne for the afflictions of Ioſeph. Likewiſe, when the holy Ghoſt calleth vsus to a ſolempne acknowledgement of the feeling of our ſinnes,Ioel 2.12.16. hee exhorteth vsus to faſting, weeping, and ſorrow, adding, that the new married ought to come forth of his cloſet, & the bride out of her marriage chamber. They therefore that giuegive themſelues to luſts and pleaſures, doo ſufficiently declare that they hauehave no feeling, ſorrow or griefe, either for the afflictions of theyr brethren, or for theyr owne ſinnes, yea, which is worſe, that they ſtand in no feare of offending God. Plutarch reporteth, that when Ageſilaus was demanded what good the lawes of Lycurgus had done to Sparta,Plutarch in his Apotheg. hee anſwered, that they had engendered contempt of pleaſures, vnderſtanding thereby a ſoueraigne benefite to the common wealth. If the lawes of a mortall man were of ſuch efficacie with the people that had no knowledge of God, what a ſhame and confuſion may it breed with vsus Chriſtians, when the laws of the great and heauenly lawe-giuer are not of force with vsus to aboliſh and root out this plague of luſt & pleſure, out of the Chriſtian church? The ſame Ageſilaus hauing refuſed a preſent of ſundrie pleaſures, offered him by the Thaſiens,Plut. in his Lacon. Apo. and laſtly by their importunity being forced to take it, commanded it to bee diſtributed among the Helots, who were his ſeruants, not much better than bond men amongſt the Lacedemonians, and yeelding a reaſon for it, ſayd, that it beſeemed not the profeſſors of vertue to vſe pleſure, how much leſſe may it beſeeme Chriſtians, euen the children of God, to giuegive themſelues thereto? Agis, the laſt king of the Lacedemonians, was in his youth giuen to all luſtes and pleaſures, but beeing eſtabliſhed ruler of the land,Eraſmus in his Apotheg. lib. 1. hee quite gaue them ouer, and ſhewed ſuch an example of temperance and ſobrietie, that the vſe of pleaſures quayling among his ſubiects, they alſo addicted themſelues to ſobrietie: euen ſo wee Chriſtians, albeit before the knowledge of the truth, wee wallowed in the luſts of the fleſh, yet beeing nowe raiſed to this honour and eſtate to bee made kings and prieſts, yea euen the children of God, ought now to bee the more eſtraunged from all luſts and pleaſures, to the ende, that after our example, all others may renounce the ſame, and imitate our ſobrietie.Rom. 13.14 And to conclude, to this dutie doth Saint Pauls exhortation, that we ſhould take no care for the fleſh to fulfill the luſts of it, inuite vsus.
8 As before wee hauehave ſpoken of ambition, couetouſneſſe,Heb. 11 and pleaſure, ſo that wee may the rather deteſt theſe three plagues of our ſoules, we are ſtill to looke vppon the example of Moſes, who, as the Apoſtle to the Hebrues doth note, by faith ouercame theſe three mightie temptations. Firſt Ambition, when hee refuſed the honor and glorie to bee called the ſonne of Pharaohs daughter: ſecondly Couetouſneſſe, in accounting rebuke for Chriſte to bee greater riches than all the treſures in Egypt: laſtly pleaſure, in choſing affliction with Gods people, rather than the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſhort ſpace.