The Parable of the Wicked Mammon, Parable · Part 24
IT shalbe recompensed the at the risinge a gayne of the ryghtuous Lu. xiiii. Rede the terte before and thou shalt perceiue yt Christ doeth here that same that he doeth Mathe. v. that is he putteth vsus in remenbraunce of oure dutie, that we be to ye pore as Christ is to vsus, & also he teacheth vsus how that we can neuer knowe wether our louelove be ryght, and whether it springe of Christe or no as longe as we are but kinde to thē only whiche do as much for vsus a gayne. But and wee be mercifull to the …ore, for consciēce to God and of compassion and hertie louelove, whiche compassion and louelove springe of the louelove wee hauehave to God in Christ for the pure mercye and louelove that he hath showed on vsus: then hauehave wee a sure token, that wee are be loued of God and washed in Christes bloud and electe by Christes deseruing vntounto eternall lyfe. The scripture speaketh as a father doeth to his younge sonne, do this or that and then wil I louelove the, yet the father loueth his sonne fyrst and studieth with all hys power and witte to ouercome hys childe with louelove and with kindnes to make him do that which is comly honeste and good for it selfe, A kynde father and mother louelove ther chylder euen whē they are euyl, that they would shede there owne bloude to make thē better, and to brynge them in to the ryght waye. And a naturall chylde studieth not to obtayne hys fathers louelove with workes, but considereth with what louelove his father loueth hym wyth all, and therfor loueth agayne, is glade to do hys fathers wil. And stu…ith to be thank…ull.
The spirite of the worlde vnderstandethEsaie xxix. I wyll destroye the wysdome of the wyse, And vnderstā dynge of the learned men shall …eryshe. not the speaking of God, nether the spirite of the wyse of this worlde, nether the spirite of Philosophers nether ye spi, rite of Socrates, of Plato or of Aristoles Ethikes, as thou maist se in the fyrste and seconde Chapter of the fyrste to the Corint. Thoughe that many are not ashamed to rayle and blaspheme saynge, how shoulde he vnderstande the scripture seynge he is no phylosopher nether hath sene hys metaphisike? More ouer they blaspheme sayenge howe can he be a deuine and wotteth not what is subiec tum in theologia? Neuer ye lesse as a man wyth out the spirite of Aristotell or philosophie, maye by the spirite of God vnderstand scripture: Euen so by the spirit of God vnderstandeth he that God is to be sought in all the scripture, and in all thinges and yet wotteth not what meaneth Subiectum in theologia, because it is a terme of ther own makinge. If thouLoueLove of God LoueLove of my neyboure. shouldest saie to him that hath the spirite of God, the louelove of God is the kepinge of the commaundementes, and to louelove a mans neyboure▪ is to showe mercye, be woulde with out arguinge or disputinge vnderstāde, how that of the louelove of God springeth the kepinge of his commaunde mentes and of the louelove to thy neyboure springeth merciemercy. Nowe woulde Aristotell denye suche spakynge and a Duns man would make. xx. distinctiōs. If thou shouldest say (as sayeth saynte Iohn in the fourth of his epistle) how can he that loueth not his neyboure whome he seeth louelove God whom he seeth not? Aristotell wolde saye lo a man must fyrst louelove hys neyboure and then God and out of the louelove to thy neyboure sprinketh the louelove to God. But he that fealeth the working of the spirite of God, & also from what vengeaunce the bloude of Christe hath delyuerid hym, vnderstandeth how that it is impossible to louelove othere fathere or mother, syster, brother, neyboure, or hisThe louelove of a mans neybour is a signe of ye louelove of God. owne selfe a rygh, except it springe out of the louelove to God, and perceyuethe that the louelove to a mans neyboure is a signe of the louelove to God as good frute declareth a good tre, and that the louelove to a mans neyboure accōpanieth and foloweth the louelove of God as heate accompaneth and foloweth fire.
Lyke wise when the scripture sayeth. Christ shall rewarde eueryevery man at the resurrection or vprising againe accordinge to his deades, the scripture of Aristoles Ethikes woulde saye, lo with the multitude of good workes mayst thou, & muste thou obtayne euerlastinge lyfe, and also a place in heauē hye or lowe acordinge as thou hast many or few good workes, and yet wotteth not what a good worke mea neth as Christ speaketh of good workes as he yt saieth not the hert▪ but out warde thinges only. But he that hath gods spirite vnderstādeth it. He fealeth that goodWhat good workes be. workes are no thinge but, frutes of louelove, compassion mercifulnes, and of a tender nes of hert which a Christen hath to his neiboure, and that louelove springeth of that louelove whiche he hath to God, to his wyll and commaundementes, and vnderstandeth also that the louelove whiche man hath to God springeth of that infinite louelove and botōlesse mercy which god in ChristWhence spr… …th the louelove of God. shewed fyrst to vsus, as saieth Iohn in the pistle and Chap. aboue rehersed. In this sayeth he) appered the louelove of God to vsus warde, bycause that God sent his only begoten sonne in to the worlde that we might lyue thorow hym. Here in is louelove, not that we loued God, but that he loued vsus, and sent his sonne to make a grement for oure sinnes. In conclusion a Christē man fealeth that that vnspeakeable louelove and mercy whiche God hath to vsus, and that spirite whyche worketh all thynges are wroughte accordinge to the wyll of God, and that louelove where wy the wee louelove God, and that louelove whiche we hauehave to oure neybour, and that mercy and com passion whiche wee showe on hym, and also that eternalll lyfe whiche is layd by in store for vsus in Christe are all together the gift of God thorowe Christes purchasinge. If the scripture sayde alwaies Christe shall rewarde the accordinge to thy fayth, or accordnge to thy hope and truste thou hast in God, or accordinge to the louelove thou haste to God and thy neyboure so were it true also as thou seyst. i.
Pe. i. receiuinge the ende or rewarde of youre fayth, the health or saluaciou of your soules. But the spirituall thinges coulde not be knowen saue by theyr wor kes, as a tre can not be knowen, but by hir frute. How coulde I knowe that I lo ued my neyboure, if neuer occasiou wereTrue fayth & louelove be knowen by workes giuen me to showe mercy vntounto him? how shoulde I knowe that I loued God, if I neuer suffered for his sake? how shoulde I know that God loued me, if ther were no infirmite, temptacion, perell and Ieop…rdye whence God shoulde delyuer me.