The Life of a Christian Man, Title page – To the reader
¶ Of the life or conuersation of a Christen man, a right godly treatise, wrytten in the latin tonge, by maister Iohn Caluyne, a man of ryghte excellente learnynge and of no lesse godly conuersation. Translated into English by Thomas Broke Esquier Paymaister of Douer. An: M.D.XLix. The first day of Ianuary.
☞Matth. v. Let your lyght so shine before men, that they may se your good workes, and maye prayse your father whiche is in heauen.
☞Luke. xix. Be doing tyl I come.
☞Eph. vi. b: walke as children of lighte, for the fruite of the spirite consisteth in all goodnes rightuousnes and truth
Ia. ii. c. shewe me thy fayeth, by thy worckes. ⸫
¶ Thomas Broke, vntounto the Reader,
GRace & peace frō God the father, through oure lord Iesus Christe, be with the (Christen Reader) and wyth al ye louelove our Lord vnfaynedly, Amen. The right godlie, and no lesse famous clearke, Master Iohn Caluyne, wrote in the laten, this treatise: of the conuersation of a christen man. Which litle worcke to hauehave been made in the treasurie, or store house of God, it doth so euidently apere: that for me, to spende tyme in the commendation of it, it were but superfluous. This muche onelyonly I wyl say: it so setteth furth, and paynteth before our eyes, what is the office or dutie of a christen man: yea how in al thinges, and at al times, we ought to be hauehave oure selues: that who …o shal attētiuely, reade this worke, cannot be deceiued in iudginge whether he him selue be a christē mā or not, neither shall nede, to seke elleswhere besides the scripture a perfct rule, to order his life by. Here may we learn that it is not inoughe for vsus,Gal. v. a. vi. d, to hauehave receiued the outward sacramente of Baptime,Ga. iii. d. but that nowe, we must also put on Christe,Ephe. v. a. Ro, vi. a. and expresse him in our cōuersacion. For, as many of vsus, as are christened or baptised into Christe, are baptised into his death, that, as Christ was raised vp frō deth, through the glorie of hys father, euen so we shoulde walke in a newenes of life.Bat. vii. c For, not al that say, Lord, Lorde, shal enter into the kyng…ome of heauen, but they which do, the wyl of the father, which is in heauen. Here maye we also learn, yt we ought not to rekē our selues christians, whē our dedes decleare, that we know not, what Christe hath done for vsus: neither to thynke it sufficiente to saye, or wene, yt we hauehave fayth, when contrariwise, oure dedes shew,Ia. ii. d yt we hauehave onelyonly a dead faith, or rather no fayth at al, but a vayne opinion yt lacketh the fruites of a liuely fayeth, whiche are here by the auctor euedentlye set furth. For fayth (as S Paulle discribeth it) is a sure confidence of thynges hoped for,Heb. xi. & a certentie of thynges, whiche are not sene. Thou hearest (good reader) ye fayth is a sure cōfidēce (or, as it were, an hauinge alredy) of thynges to be hoped for, & a certentie of thynges, yt are not sene. Yea, for howe cā it be otherwise,Ga. iii. d when we thorowe it,Ephe. iii. d be made the chyldren of God: and hauehave Christ him selfe, therby dwellynge in our hertes? cā it be, ye God hath made the his sonne, & yet keepeth it so secrete frō the, yt thou cāst by no fatherly touche nor tēder kindnes of his, hauehave any experience or certentie therof, no more thē his enemies, the vngodly persons hauehave: who, though they hauehave often times in thys world plētie of riches, very good helth, high estimation, multitude of friendes, & an idle and longe lyfe, yet are they the chyldren of Sathan & cary about wt them an vnquiet cōscience?Esa. xlviii. d. Nay nay,i. Cor. ii. d. God hydeth not so, from his children, his fatherly louelove, for by his spirite in vsus we knowe what he hath geuē vsus, yea & we knowe & beleue the louelove whiche he hath vntounto vsus, and know that he dwelleth in vsus and we in him, neither dwelleth his sonne Christ idlely in our hertes. For if thou hauehave a true fayth & not an opinion onelyonly, thou hast now a certentie that thou art the childe of God,i. Io. v. c. & (as S. Iohn sayth) that yu arte translated frō death into lyfe.i. Io. iii. c. Nowe therfore, that thou maiest feele, & knowe, yt thou hast a true faith, a sure cōfidence, & an infallible certentie, in thy herte of gods mercy towards the, I wil, by discribing vntounto yt, what I take a true saieth to be, induce the thereunto, after the pore talent of my knoweledge: ☞Fayth is such a trust in the promise of God, as worketh in a mans herte an ernest repentaunce of sinne and a desire to do Goddes wyll.Act. …, … Io iii, b. Askest thou what that promise is? I answere: it is thys, that all that beleue in hym, hauehave remission of their synnes & euerlastynge lyfe. Or els: fayth is suche a sure confidence in the mercy of God the father (promised vntounto vsus, for his sonne Christes sake) as worketh in our hert, an earnest lothyng of our synne, and a louelove to his commaundemētes. Or els, to discribe it more at large, fayth is such a sure confidēce in the mercy of god (which for Christes sake he hath promised to all that beleue in him) that it not onelyonly feeleth our synnes to be so vile, yt for them God myght by his iustice, worthily dampne vsus: but also feeleth goddes mercy to be so greate (first, in the free forgeuenes of oure synnes: then, in the enrichynge of vsus, wyth the enheritaunce of euerlasting lyfe: and thirdly, in keepynge & defendyng vsus in thys wretched world, vntyll the tyme of our departure from hence) that it worketh now in our hertes towarde God (euē of a thākfulnes for his goodnes) suche an ernest louelove, as, not only repenteth our sinnes, and abhorreth them, but also hertely desireth to do the wyl and cōmaūdementes of God. Here thou seest (good christian) a lyuely fayth & a sensible or feelynge fayth. But here considre wel that first herein is required of the, yt thou knowe, the vilenes of thy synnes to be such as God by his iustice might worthily dampne the for thē for,Rom. vi. d. before thou seeste thē so vyle and daungerous, thou canste neuer be forgeuen of them. And thys is also very true, that thou canst neuer to much consider the vilenes of sinne, so far furth as thou dispeireste not of the mercy of God. Nowe that thou maiste therefore consider thy sinnes and the greuousnes of them,Lu. v. …. Mat. ix. b. it is expediente that thou loke in the moste holly and ryghtuous lawe of God, for it sheweth vntounto the, boeth what thou shouldest folowe, and what thou shouldest flie from, if thou shalt therfore truly compare thy lyfe and it together thou shalte vndoubtedly fynde thy selfe, innumerable wayes a synner by transgressynge agaynste it, and mayest see the vilenes of thy sinnes to be excedyng greate by the punishemente that is thretened therūto, which is the curse of god and euerlastynge dampnation. Unto the knowledge of sinne,Rom. iii. c. by the lawe are broughte, not onelyonly the faythful, but also the wicked. But in deede it worketh in either of them cōtrary effectes. For, the vngodly, when by the law is declared vntounto them, the ryghtuous wyl of God, and the punishment that is due to the transgressours of the same: they streighte waye, either vtterly dispayre of the mercy of God (whiche of al synnes is the greatest) or els turning their hertes awaye frō that holy lawe,Gen. iiii. b. Mat. xxvii. a whiche should be a lyght to their feete to lead thē vntounto ryghtuousnes, they geue thē selues ouer into securitie of synne, murmuring agaynst God the geuer of ye law.Ephe. iiii. c. Rom. iiii. c But contrawise the faythful whē by the law they knowe them selues innumerable wayes trāsgressours, are thē by it,Rom. iii. c Gal. ii. d. as by a scole maister, broughte vntounto Christe. But thē, wher before by the lawe they saw their offēces to be hainous & great:Heb ix. d. Ro. vii. d now by the price ye was payed for their raunsome, the vilenes of thē appearth more horrible and greuous a greate deele: so that they are vtterly dismayed, and as it were in an extasy, therby. But considre & marke well that then they herken and geue eare mooste gladlye vntounto Christ.Ie. iii. d. Who sayth: he yt beleueth in me, hath euerlastynge lyfe. O most merciful promes & most confortable newes. He saieth also:Mat. xi. d. come vntounto me al ye ye laboure and are ladē and I wyll refreshe you. O moste ioyefull voyce, to thē that are burthened with fear of hel paynes for the iust reward of their sinnes ther owne consiences witnessinge agaynste thē. But howe wil he refreshe them? for soth meruelously,Rom. ii. c Ro. iii c. d Iohn. iii, c Mat. x. c. for he promiseth vntounto al that beleue in him firste, fre forgeuenes of their sinnes: secondarily, after this life euerlasting ioye: and thirdli, whil thei lyue in this wretched world, to kepe and defend them so, that one here of theyr head, cannot be minished without his wyl & pleasure:Rom. viii. c yea and therwithal promyseth to turne vntounto the beaste for them, what so euer thyng, at any tyme shal come to them, either by the deuyll, or any other euyl creature. Me thinke I here the say: if I were assured to atteyne this greate mercy at Goddes hande, then shoulde I hauehave greate ioye in my herte: I answere, considre dearely beloued, two thynges: fyrste,Io. iii. c. that it is God that hath made the promise, who is faythfull, and can no more cease to be true,i. Cor. i. …. Nu. xxiii. c. then he can cease to be god, therefore he wyll fulfyll his promise for his truethes sake.Mat. xi. d I… iii. c. Ro. iii c. d Mat. x. …. Ga. iii. d And agayne considre, yt he hath made that promise to all that beleue it to be true. Nowe why doest thou not then, beleue it? thou doubtest peraduenture of thy fayth, lest it be but an opinion: well I shal tel the, or rather, I hauehave told the already, and nowe once agayne I do tell the, howe yu mayest know and feele whether it be a lyuely fayth. For if, it worcke in thy hert a lothsomnes of thy synne, and a desyre to do goddes wyll 'then arte thou sure that thou haste a true fayth: for thy repentaunce on the one syde, and thy desyre to worcke rygtuously, on the other side, do testify it, yea & that yu hast already, and (as I maye saye) or euer thou arte ware, obteyned goddes mercy, for, they are the ryghte fruite of a lyuely fayeth,Ro, v. a. yea onelyonly,Eph. v. c of suche a fayeth, as through the holy goste, hath apprehended mercy, and of suche a conscience, as wherein, the same spirite, who is the earnest of euer lastynge lyfe, doth dwel for euer. Haste thou not nowe cause then to hauehave greate ioye in thy herte?Ro. xiili. c naye rather howe canst thou but hauehave excedynge greate ioye, and Phi. iiii, d.the peace of god also whiche passeth all vnderstandynge? Thus thou seest ye fayth, is not a vayne opinion, but an assured cōfidēce, of thinges hoped for, and of thinges whiche are not seene. And what is more to be hoped for, or lesse can be seene, then God hym selfe? then fayth is an assurednes and a certentie of the hauyng of god, yea of hauynge God to be oure mercifull father, oure tenderly louynge brother and sauiour, our continually present, and moste strongest comforter. Hym therefore, of a thankefulnesse for his mercy and goodnes, let vsus al our lyfe long so vnfeinedly louelove, that our lyfe and conuersation maye declare that we hauehave thus tasted of his plentuouse mercye, and in is holye ryghtuous and good lawe, lette oure meditation be daye and nyghte. And nowe that we maye the more redilie walke therein, beholde we hauehave here before oure eyes, the conuersation of a trewe beleuer or Christian, so godlie, so playnlie, and so learnedlie, sette forth, that if we shall expresse the same in oure selues, we shall declare, that we are not feyned Christians, but worthy warryours of Iesu Christe, agaynst selfe louelove, synne, and Sathan. And furthermore we shal shewe, yt Christ by fayeth, dwelleth in oure hertes not idelly, but workynge, yea myghtelie workynge, being neuer vnlyke vntounto hym selfe, so that nowe thou shalt, in thy lyfe and conuersation, shewe thy selfe an other certeyne Christe vntounto thy neighbour, in so muche, that where Christe came into thys worlde, and bestowed hym selfe vponupon vsus, and to oure vses, euen so Christ wyll nowe, do the same in vsus: as once he dyed for vsus, euen so, wyll he kyndle in oure hertes, a louelove to oure bretherne and that in so sure & ferūet wyse, that we shall reioyse, not onelyonly to be euyll spoken of, or to suffre losse of goodes or imprisonment, but allo (if neede require) to suffre death for their sakes. Thou wylt say, I am weake and fraile I am not able to do thus: no. But hauehave fayth and thou shalte be stronge,Io, xvi. g. for all thynges are possible to hym that beleueth, and thou arte able to do al thynges thorugh him that strengtheneth the & dwelleth in the. Therfore merueilous thynges shal he do by the, his instrument. For, as when Christe was conuersaunte here on earth, he lette nothynge passe hym, whereby he myghte expresse his great louelove towardes vsus, euen so nowe, Christe shall likewise be mynded in the: as thē, for oure louelove, Christe was scourged, crucified, and put to open shame, euen so nowe, Christe shal be pacient and sufferynge in the: as then Christe moste liberally, gaue hym selfe and all that he had, vntounto vsus, while we were synners and his enemies, euen so nowe Christe shall be boeth liberall and mercifull in the. And as then, Christe desired the crosse, thirsted for oure saluation, and humbled hym selfe to very death prayinge for his enemies: euen so nowe Christe in vsus, shall neither seeke his owne profite, nor thynke on aduengmente, nor disspise suche as be weake, but shall become all vntounto all men, that at the lest way he may wynne some. And by thys meanes shall we stoppe the sclaūderous mouthes of the enemies of fayeth, whiche saye that the teachynge of it, distroyeth & taketh awaye al good worckes, so that oneles they be altogether vngodly, as thei shal se the good worckes of the faithfull, they shall glorifie our father whiche is in heauen. Nowe to make an ende, I hauehave (good reader) trāslated a good parte more, of the institution of a Christen mā wrytten by thys noble clerke, whiche I can not nowe put in print, partly through myne owne busynes, as well at Douer as at Calleis, and, partly by reason the prynter hath presently no leasure for the same. Yet, by the grace of God, I wyll shortly (the Kynges maiesties busynes geuynge me leaue) put forth either the, same or part therof, to the edifiyng (I truste (of the christen cōgregation. In the meane time, the grace and peace of God be wyth the, and wyth all, that thorugh the hate they hauehave to synne, do longly loke for, and patiently abyde, the comynge of the great shepherde of our soules, Iesus Christ. To whom with the father and the holy gost be prayse worlde wythout ende. Amen.