Whole Works, Tracts 2 · Tract 1
A treatiſe made by the ſayd Iohn Frith whiles he was priſoner in the Tower of London. Anno. M. D. xxxij. called a Myrrour or glaſſe to know thy ſelfe.
I Was deſired of a faith full frende (to whom I am ſo much bound that he might lawfully hauehave commaunded me) that I would make him a litle treatiſe, by the which he might be ſomewhat inſtructed to knowe himſelfe, and ſo geue God thanckes for the benefites which he hath ſo aboundantly poured vponupon him. This thing I tooke vponupon me very gladly, partly to fulfill his right wiſe requeſt, which I truſt ſhall be to the great profite of Chriſtes flocke, and partly to declare what I thinke both of my ſelfe, and of all other.
Herein may all men ſée, what they hauehave receaued of God, and how they ought to beſtow the talent that is cō mitted vntounto them, which if you note well, it will cauſe you to ſay with the wiſe man Salomon: Vaiuerſa vanitas omnis homo viuens, that is, EueryEvery mā Eccle. 1.liuing is nothing but vanitie: which alſo the Prophet Dauid confirmeth Pſal. 62.ſaying, If all men liuing were pondered in one ballance, and vanitie hanged in the ballaunce agaynſt them, it Eccle. 5.ſhould quite way them downe, and be heauier then all they. As by example, if a man prayſe a very foole and thinke Note.his witte good and profounde, then is that perſon in déede more foole thē the other. And euē ſo ūth mā doth prayſe and commende riches, honour, beautie, ſtrength, and ſuch other vaine and tranſitorie things which are but as a dreame, and vaniſhe lyke a flower in the fielde, when a man ſhoulde hauehave moſte néede of them, it foloweth well that he hymſelfe is more vayne then thoſe thyngs whych are but vanitie. For if it were poſſyble that thou ſhuldeſt hauehave al theſe things an hundreth yeare continually wythout any trouble or aduerſitie as neuer man had, yet were it but a vaine dreame if it be compared vntounto that euerlaſting lyfe, whych is prepared for Chriſtes electe and faythfull followers. So that all fleſh is as hay, and all hys glory lyke a flower of the hay is withered,Eſay. 40. and the flower fallen, but God and his worde endure for euer.
Heb. 9.Therfore let not the wyſe man reioyſe in his wiſedom, neither ye ſtrong man in hys ſtrengthe, nor the ryche in hys riches. But he that reioyſeth, let hym reioyſe in the Lord, to whome be all honor & praiſe without end.… Amen.
The firſt Chapter. That all goodneſſe commeth of God, and all c… o. ourſelues.
THe Philoſophers to … God had enſpired…of Ro….truthe, knowledged that the ch… poynte of wiſdome and direction of a mannes lyfe, was to know hym ſelfe, whych ſentence the ſcrypture eſtablyſheth ſo clerely, that no man may diſſent from the truthe of the ſame. For Salomon ſaythe that the feare of the Prouer. 1.Lord is the beginning of wiſedome. Nowe who can feare the Lorde, but only he that knoweth himſelfe, as the ſcripture teacheth him? For if I perceiue Roma. 8.not the imperfection of my nature, which is ſubiect vntounto corruption and voide of all ſtableneſſe: If I perceiue Roma 7. Math. 25.not the vnſtableneſſe of my fleſh being prone to all ſynne, and rebellyous to rightwyſeneſſe, and that there dwelleth no goodneſſe in me: If I perceiue not the poyſon of the old ſerpent and hell, and ſynne whych lyeth hidde wythin me, vntounto whych are prepared paines intollerable, I ſhall hauehave none occaſion to feare God, but rather to aduaunce my ſelfe equall …yth God, Eſay. 14. Daniell. …. Actes. 12.as Lucifer, Nabuchodonozor, Herode and ſuch other hauehave done, which after were ſore chaſtened for theyr follye.
What haſt thou (vain man) wherof thou maiſte reioyſe? For the ſcrypture teſtifieth that eueryevery good and perſecte gifte commeth from aboue from the father of lyght, wyth whome is no Roma. 3. …am. 1tranſmutation. So that whether they be outward giftes or inward, pertaining eyther to y• body or ſoule, if they be good, they come from aboue from the father of lyght. For if thou behold Math. 6.the proportion of thy body, ſtature or beauty, thou ſhalt eaſily perceiue that it cometh of God, euen by the words of Chriſte whych exhorteth vsus not to be carefull. For there is none of vsus all Math. 5.thoughe we be neuer ſo carefull, that can adde one ſtature, eyther make one white heare or blacke.
And as touching our wiſedome, eloquence, long lyfe, victory, glory, and ſuch other, the ſcripture teſtifieth that they come of God and not of oure ſelues. For S. Iames ſaythe: If any Iames. 1lacke wiſedom, let hym aſke it of god, which giueth it abundantly. As it is euident by Salomon, whych of God deſired wiſedome to iudge betwéene …. Kinge. 3good and euill. And the Lorde made hym aunſwere, that becauſe he aſked that thing, and not long lyfe, nor ryches, nor the deſtruction of hys ennemyes, but rather wiſedom to diſcerne in iudgement. Behold, I hauehave geuen vntounto thée an heart full of wiſedome & vnderſtanding, in ſo muche that none before thée hathe bene like vntounto thée, neyther yet after thée ſhall any be like vntounto thée. And beſides that, I hauehave giuen thée riches and glory.
Furthermore, the moſte gloryous giftes concerning oure ſoules, come from God euen of his méere mercye and fauoure whych he ſheweth vsus in Chriſt, and for Chriſt, as predeſtination, election, vocatiō and iuſtification: and albeit M. More wyth hys painted Mores miſte.Poetrie and craftye conueyance doe caſt a miſte before your eyes, that you might wander oute of the right way, endeuoring hym ſelfe to inſtructe you that God hathe predeſtinate and choſen vsus before the beginnyng of the worlde, becauſe he knewe before that we ſhould do good workes, yet will I ſet you vponupon a cādel which ſhall ſhine ſo bright, and ſo clerely diſpel his miſt & vaine Poetrie, that you ſhall plainely perceiue hym daunſing naked in a nette, whiche notwithſtanding thinketh M. More daunſing in a net, thinketh hym ſelfe inuiſible. Iohn. 15.himſelfe to go inuiſible. And although there be ſcriptures inoughe, bothe Tit. 3. and Rom. 11. to proue the ſame true, yet wil I let that paſſe, and alleage for me S. Auſtine, which is the candell that I ſpeake of, whiche ſhall diſcloſe hys iuggling, and vtter hys ignorance: for S. Auſtine ſaythe, ſome man will affirme that God dyd chuſe vsus, becauſe he ſawe before that we ſhould do good workes: but Chriſt ſayeth not ſo, which ſayeth: ye hauehave not choſen me, but I hauehave choſē you, for (ſayeth he) if he had choſen vsus becauſe he ſawe before that we ſhoulde doe good woorkes, then ſhoulde he alſo hauehave ſéene before that we ſhould firſte hauehave choſen hym, which is contrary to the woordes of Chriſt, and minde of the Euangeliſte. Héere may you ſée howe euidently S. Auſtine confuteth M. Mores Poetrie, and openeth hys ſerpentine deceite.
Finally S. Paule ſaythe Epheſ. 2. Ephe. 2.that we are ſaued thorowe grace, and that it commeth not of oure ſelues, it is the gifte of God, and commeth not of workes, leaſt any man ſhould boſte himſelf, which words M. More might be aſhamed to heare if he were not an other Lucian, neither regarding God nor man. But S. Auſtine addeth thus much more vntounto it: Non erit gratia vllo modo niſi fuerit gratuita omni modo: That is to ſay, that it cā in no wiſe be grace or fauoure, except it be alwayes frée. And therfore I may conclude that it is neyther of the workes going before, nor of the works comming after, but only of the frée fauor of God.
And thys are we ſure of, yt whome ſoeuer he chuſeth, them he ſaueth of his mercy: and whome he repelleth, them of his ſecrete and vnſearchable iudgement he condemneth. But why he chuſeth the one and repelleth the other, enquire not (ſaythe S. Auſtine) if thou wilte not erre. In ſo muche that S. Paule coulde not attaine to the Roma. 11knowledge therof, but cried oute: O the depth of the riches and wiſedome of the knowledge of God, howe vnſearchable are hys iudgementes, and how incomprehenſible are his waies. But M. More had leuer loude to lye, and farre to erre, than to let God alone with hys ſecretes, or to acknowledge hys ignorance in any thing.
And to be ſhorte, S. Paule ſaythe, what haſt thou that thou haſt not receiued? If thou haſt receiued it, whye doſt thou auaunce thy ſelfe, as though thou hadſt not receiued it? So we may conclude that all goodneſſe commeth of God, and all ſinne or miſchéefe of oure owne poyſoned nature. In ſo muche that we may ſay with the Prophet Daniel: Tibi domine gloria, nobis autem confuſio faciei. O Lord all glory be vntounto thée, and vntounto vsus ſhame and cōfuſion, ſo that he that reioyſeth, may 1. Cor. 1.reioyſe in the Lord.
The ſecond Chapiter. For what intent God geueth vsus theſe giftes, and that they are rather a charge and a carefull burthen, then any pleaſure to reioyce at.
LIke as there are many members of oure body, and eueryevery member 1. Cor. 11.hathe his offyce appoynted vntounto hym which he muſt doe, not for hys owne wealth and ſauegard only, but for the preſeruation of the whole body, in ſo muche that the moſte honeſt member muſt ſerue the vileſt at his neceſſitie, for if the hande woulde not ſerue the …lowe belly, they ſhould bothe periſhe together, euen ſo hathe God appoynted his giftes, and diſtributed them in this world vntounto vsus (whych ſhoulde be as one body) that eueryevery nation hathe néede of other, eueryevery occupation néede of an other, and eueryevery man néede of hys neighboure. This is ſo plain that it can not be denyed. Neuertheleſſe I will more ſpecially touche the matter, becauſe I woulde hauehave it ſo rooted in you, that you might endeuoure youre ſelues to fulfill it towards eche other.
If God hauehave opened the eyes of thy mynde, and hauehave geuen thée ſpirituall wiſedome thorough the knowledge of his word, boaſt not thy ſelfe of it, but rather feare and tremble, for a chargeable office is committed vntounto thée, whiche (if thou fulfill it) is lyke to coſt thée thy life at one tyme or other with much trouble and perſecution. But if thou fulfill it not, then ſhal that office be thy damnation. For 1. Cor. 9.S. Paule ſayth: Wo is to me if I preach not. And by the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 23.God ſaith: If I ſay vntounto the wicked that he ſhall dye the death, & thou ſhew hym not of it, the wicked ſhall dye in his iniquitie, but I ſhal require his bloud of thy hand.
But peraduenture our Diuines would expounde theſe textes onelyonly vponupon them that are ſent and hauehave cure of ſoules. Wherunto I anſwere that eueryevery man whiche hath the light of Gods worde reuelated vntounto hym, is ſent when ſoeuer he ſéeth neceſſitie, & hath cure of his neighbours ſoule. As by example. If God hauehave geuen me my ſight, and I perceiue a blynde man goyng in the way, which is ready for lacke of ſight to fall into a pytte wherein he were lyke to periſh, then am I bounde by Gods commaundement to guide hym till hee were paſt that ieopardy, or els if he periſh there in, (where I might hauehave deliuered hym) his bloud ſhalbe required of my hand. And lykewiſe if I perceiue my my neighbour lyke to periſh for lacke of Chriſtes doctrine, then am I boūd to inſtruct hym with the knowledge that God hath geuen mee, or els hys bloud ſhalbe required of my hand.
Paraduenture they will ſay that there is all ready one appoynted to Obiection.watch the pitte, and therefore if any man fall into it he ſhall make it good, and that therfore I am diſcharged & néede to take no thought. Wherunto I aunſwere I would be glad that it Solution.ſo were. Notwithſtandyng if I perceaue that the watchman be a ſléepe, or runne to yt ale houſe to make good cheare, or gone out of the countrey a whorehunting and thorough his necligence eſpy my neighbour in daunger of the pitte, then am I neuertheleſſe bounde to leade hym from it, I thinke that God hath ſent me at that tyme to ſaue that ſoule frō periſhyng. And the law of God and nature byndeth me therto, which chargeth me to louelove my neighbour as my ſelfe, and to doe vntounto hym as I would be done to. And I thinke there is no mā (that is in this caſe) but he would hauehave hys neighbour to helpe hym, and therfore Math. 7.is he bound to helpe his neighbour if he be in lyke ieopardy. And euen thus art thou bound to geue good counſell to hym that lacketh it, & to diſtribute what ſoeuer talent thou haſt receiued of God vntounto the profite of thy neighbour. Moreouer beſides that ye can not auoyde this my ſolution, yet I deſire you to note how the text it ſelfe which I alleged doth condemne your vayne obiection, the wordes are theſe Ezech. iij. If I ſay vntounto the wicked that he ſhall dye the death, and thou ſhewe him not of it, the wicked ſhall die in his iniquitie, but I ſhall require his bloud of thy hande. Marke I pray you that the Prophet ſaith not as you obiect that he which ſhould ſhewe the wicked his iniquitie, and doth not ſo, ſhall periſh only, and the wicked hym ſelfe to be ſaued, bicauſe his faut was told him, by him which take charge to teach him: But contrarywiſe ye wicked ſhall periſhe in his iniquitie (ſaith God by his prophet Ezechiel) and his bloud ſhall be required of the hand of him which ſhould hauehave inſtructed him in the truthe.
If God hauehave geuen thée faythe in Roma. 11.Chriſtes bloude, be not proude of it, but feare: for ſith God hathe not ſpared the naturall braunches (I meane 2. Pet. 2.the Iewes which were hys elect people) ſith he ſpared not the angels that ſinned, but hath caſt them into hell, to be reſerued vntounto iudgement, ſithe he ſpared not the olde worlde, but ouerwhelmed them with waters, deliueryng Noe the preacher of righteouſnes, take héede leſt he alſo ſpare not thée. Truth it is that where fayth is preſent no ſinne can be imputed, but this faith is not in thy power, for it is the gift of God. And therfore if thou 1. Cor. 12.be vnkynde & endeuour not thy ſelfe to walke innocently, & to bryng forth the fruites of fayth, it is to be feared that for thyne vnkyndneſſe God will Math. 3.take it from thée, and hyer out his vyneyard to an other, whiche ſhall reſtore the fruite in due ſeaſō, and then ſhall thyne end be worſe then thy begynnyng. Let vsus therfore with feare and tremblyng ſéeke our health and make ſtable our vocation and electiō, Math. 21, Math. 12. Phil. 2. 2. Pet. 1.mortifiyng our members and man of ſinne, by exerciſing our ſelues in Chriſtes preceptes, that we may be the children of our father that is in heauen, and felow heyers with our Sauiour and brother Chriſt Ieſu.
If God hauehave geuen thée riches, Math. 5.thou mayſt not thincke that he hath committed them vntounto thée for thine owne vſe only, but that he hath made thée a ſtuard ouer them to deſtribute them to the profite of the commontie. For indéede thou art not the verye owner of them, but God is the owner, whiche ſayth by the Prophet Agge, Golde is mine, and ſiluer is Agge. 2.mine: and he hath committed them for a ceaſon to thy hande, to ſée whether thou wilt be faythfull in diſtributing thys wicked Mammon, according Luke. 16.to his commaundementes. And that it ſo is thou mayſt well note by the parable of the riche man, whych was clothed in ſilke and fared delicately in this worlde, and after was buryed in hell. Wheruppon S. Gregory noteth that he was not damned becauſe he deſpoiled any other mans, but becauſe he did not diſtribute his own, as yt proceſſe of y• Text doth alſo well declare. Wherefore if we muſt geue accompts of all that is geuē vsus, then hauehave we litle cauſe to glory, but rather to feare and tremble, and to count him moſt happy, to whom leaſt is committed. For God to whom this accomptes muſt be made, can not be deluded, although the world may be blinded.
If God hauehave geuen thée thy perfite limmes and members, then gette to ſome occupation, and woorke wyth thyne owne handes, that thy members which are whole and perfite, may miniſter to theyr neceſſitie that lacke theyr members: for that is acceptable in the ſight of God, and the contrarye ſo deteſtable, that if thou withdraw thy members from ayding thy neighboures, thou ſhalt of God be recounted for a théefe and a murtherer. And therfore I affirme that all our holy hypocrites and idle bellyed Monkes, chanons, and prieſtes, whether they be regulare or ſeculare, if they laboure not to preache Gods woorde are théeues and alſo murtherers: for they maintaine their ſtrong members in idleneſſe, which ought to labour for the profite of theyr neyghboures, that theyr perfite members might miniſter vntounto the neceſſitie of them that lacke theyr members. As the eye muſt miniſter her fruite of ſight vntounto the féete, handes and other members which lacke it: or els are they in ieoperdie to periſhe at eueryevery pit, and the eye giltie of their deſtrution for withdrawing her office from them. And this may we eſtabliſh by the wordes of S. Paule which ſayth, Epheſ. 4.He that dyd ſteale, let hym ſteale no more, but rather laboure wyth hys owne handes that he may hauehave to diſtribute to them that lacke. And ſome doctoures do very well expounde it of certaine perſons that walked inordinately, and would not worke themſelues though they were ſturdye lubbers, but liued on other mens charitie, which thing the Apoſtle calleth theft, and exhorteth them to woorke with theyr own hands, that they may both helpe themſelues and other.
And for becauſe ſome perſons which féele them ſelues gréeued, becauſe they are giltie, will not be content to allow this expoſition I will alledge an other text of the Wiſe man, which ſhall not onelyonly allow this ſentence, but alſo bite them better: for he ſayth, Panis egentium vita pauperis Eccl. 34.eſt, qui autem defraudat eum homo ſanguinis eſt. that is to ſay, The bread of the néedy is the life of the poore, and he that defraudeth him of it is a murtherer. This text holdeth their noſes ſo hard to the grindſtone that it clean diſfigureth theyr faces, for it proueth our Byſhops, Abbotes, and ſpirituall poſſeſſionaries double theues and murtherers, as concerning the body (beſides their murdering of the ſoule for lacke of Gods worde, which they will neyther preache, nor ſuffer any to doe it purely, but perſecute and put them vntounto the moſt cruell death) firſte they are théeues and murtherers, becauſe they diſtribute not that which was appoynted by our faythfull forefathers to the entent it ſhould hauehave bene miniſtred vntounto the poore (for then they ſéemed to be very vertuous) but now they beſtow it vponupon hawkes, houndes, horſes, &c. vponupon gorgious apparell and delicate fare. And glad are yt poore whē they may get the ſcrappes. They may hauehave not ſo much as a pigge of their own ſow, no ſcant a fether of their own gooſe. For he that may diſpend foure or v. thouſand markes a yeare, would thinke it were too much if he gaue xx. nobles of it vntounto the poore, which notwythſtanding are the owners vnderunder God of all together the miniſters lyuyng deduct, which (as the Apoſtle ſayth) hauing theyr foode and clothes to couer them ought therewith to be content. 1. Tim. 6.And thus they defraude the poor of theyr bread, & ſo are they théeues, and (becauſe this bread is theyr life) as the aforeſayd text teſtifieth, he that defraudeth hym of it, is not onelyonly a théefe, but alſo a murtherer.
And when they thinke to beſtow it very well and beſtowe it in buildyng palaces of pleaſure, yet are they therin much to be reproued. For as an old Doctour ſayth, they are in that poynt worſe then the deuill, for the deuill would hauehave had that Chriſt ſhould hauehave turned ſtones into bréede (which might hauehave ſuckored y• poore) & theſe builders turne the bread into ſtones. For they beſtow y• good which ſhould be geuen to the poore for their ſuſtenaunce, vponupon an heape of ſtones.
But here they will obiect (as they Obiection.are neuer without euaſions) that if they ſhould diſtribute it among the poore accordyng as they are bounde, within a while all would be ſpent, & no good ſhould come of it, nor no man know where it is become or who fareth the better for it. Whereunto I Solution.aunſwere that in déede ye be to wiſe for me, for ſith ye go about to correct Chriſt, and to fet hym to ſchole and learne hym what is beſt, it were but folye for me to meddle with you. For Chriſtes minde and commaūdement is that we ſhould diſtribute it and not Eccle. 4.withhold it from them. And ſayth by his Prophet: wo be to them that couple Eſay. 5.and knit houſes together, whiche I thinke may iuſtly be verified vponupon you. Neuertheleſſe this I dare ſay, that if a Byſhop which may diſpende foure thouſād marke would vntounto the poore of his Dioces diſtribute eueryevery yeare, but the one halfe geuyng vntounto one man. xl. ſhillyng, and lendyng to an other. xx. nobles to ſet vp his occupation with all, and ſo geue and lende as he ſéeth néede, he ſhould within. v. or. vj. yeares make a floriſhyng Dioces. And I thinke verely that his face ſhould more be alowed before God, then if he had builded a thouſand Abbayes: for Gods commaundement ought firſt to be done, & is much more acceptable to him then all the workes that procede of our imaginations and fooliſh phantaſies.
Beſides that they are théeues and murtherers for withdrawyng theyr perfite mēbers from labour wherby they might miniſter vntounto their neighbours neceſſity (I ſpeake of as many as are not occupied about preachyng Gods woorde) for in that they withdrawe their members from ſuccouryng their poore neighbours, they are théeues. And becauſe this ſuccour is called their lyfe, they are murtherers for kéepyng it from them.
Here our beggyng orders of Friers would thinke to be exempt, becauſe they hauehave not receiued rentes to be diſtributed. Notwithſtandyng if we ponder this texte well we ſhall finde them cōdemned as déepe as the other. For they enter into eueryevery mās houſe, and with vnſhamefaſted beggyng polle them ſo nye, that in a maner they leaue nothing behind for the very poore which are ſicke, lame, créeple, blynd and maymed. For there is not the pooreſt deſolate widowe, but with his fayre flatteryng he wil ſo deceiue her, that he will be ſure either of money or ware: but deare brethrē mayntayne ye no ſuch murtherers, leſt ye bee partakers of their ſinnes, but rather folow the counſell of the Apoſtle, which chargeth vsus in ye name of our Lorde Ieſu Chriſt, that we withdraw our ſelues from eueryevery brother that walketh inordinatly & worketh not and byddeth if hee will not 2. Theſſ. 3.worke he ſhould not eate.
Now if they obiect that they liue in contemplation & ſtudy of Scripture, and ſay that they ought not to be let from that holy worke: for Chriſt ſayd that Marye had choſen the beſt part whiche ſhould not be taken from her.
Thereunto may I make the ſame aūſwere which that holy father and Abbot S. Siluane made. This Siluane was an Abbot an holy man, hauyng many Monkes vnderunder him, whō he cauſed after their prayers (whiche were nothyng ſo lōg as our Monkes vſe now a dayes) whiche thinke for their many wordes to be heard, lyke as dyd the Phariſeis whom Chriſt rebuked, he cauſed them I ſay to labour for theyr lyuyng, accordyng to the mynde of Paule. And vppon a tyme there came a religious man to hys abbay, and when he ſawe his Monkes working, he aſked the Abbot whye he ſo vſed them, and why they gaue not them ſelues to holye contemplation, ſéeing that Marie had choſen the beſt part. The Abbot made fewe wordes, but gaue this Monke a boke, and ſent him into a ſell, to be there occupied in ſtudie and contemplation. And at dinner time ye Abbot called all his monks to meat, and let hym ſit in contemplation. After noone when he began to ware very hūgry, he came out againe to the Abbot Siluane, and aſked whether his Monkes had not yet dined: And he anſwered, yes. And why called you not me, quod the Monke, to dine wyth them? Ʋerily ſayd the Abbot, I thought you had bene all ſpirituall, and had néeded no meate. Nay quod the Monke I am not ſo ſpirituall nor feruent in contemplation, but that I muſt néedes eate. Ʋerely ſayde the Abbot, then muſte you alſo néedes worke, for Mary hathe néede of Martha. When the Monke heard that, he repented and fell to worke as the other dyd. And I woulde to God that this aunſwer would cauſe our religious euen ſo to doe, & to fall to worke, that they might ſuccoure theyr néedie neighboures.
And as touching theyr ſtudie in ſcripture, S. Auſtine ſayeth: how ſhalt thou better learne to vnderſtande the ſcipture, then by going about to fulfill that thou there readeſt? And if thou goe aboute to fulfill it ſaythe he, then muſt thou worke with thy handes, for that dothe S. Paule teache thée. Of this I hauehave compiled an whole booke, which if God hauehave appoynted me to finiſhe it, and ſet it forthe, ſhalbe a rule of more perfection vntounto oure religious, then any that they hauehave vſed this hundreth yeare.
The third Chapter. The concluſion of this treatiſe, that no fleſh ſhould reioyce, but feare and tremble in all the giftes that he receiueth.
HEre maiſte thou perceiue that no man liueth but he maye feare and tremble, and moſte he may feare, to whome moſt is committed, for of him ſhall muche be required: and muche are we bounde to thanke God in all things. For of oure ſelues hauehave we noughte but ſinne and vanitie, but thorowe his gracious fauoure hauehave we all goodneſſe, and be that we be. And ſith all our goodneſſe commeth of hym, we muſte agayne be thanckefull vntounto him, and kéepe hys commaundements. For els we may feare leaſt he take hys gifts from vsus, and then ſhall we receiue the greater dampnation.
If thou hauehave receiued the knowledge of hys woord, geue hym thanks, and be a faithful miniſter thereof: for elſe he ſhall deliuer thée vntounto thyne owne fantaſticall imaginations, and caſt thée headlong into an heape of hereſies, which ſhall bring thée into vtter deſtruction.
If he geue thée faith in hys worde, geue him thanks, and bring forth the fruites therof in due ſeaſon, for els he will take it away from thée, and ſende thée into finall deſperation.
If he geue thée riches, then geue hym thankes, and diſtribute them according to Gods commaundement, or elſe he ſhall take them from thée (if he louelove thée) either by théeues, by water, by death of thy cattell, by blaſting thy fruites, or ſuch other ſcourges, to cauſe thée louelove hym, becauſe he wolde Eſai. 5. Ierem. 7.alienate thine heart from them, this I ſay he wil do, if he louelove thée, to make thée put thine whole truſt in him, and not in theſe tranſitorie things. But if Ier…m. 12.he hate thée, then will he ſende thée great proſperitie, and encreaſe them plenteouſly, and geue thée thy heauen in thys worlde vntounto thine euerlaſting dampnation in the lyfe to come, and therefore feare and take good héede whiles thou haſt leaſure.
If thou aſke me what his honoure, praiſe, and thankes are? I anſwere, that his honor, praiſe and thankes, is nothing els but the fulfilling of hys commaūdementes. If thou aſke me what his commaundementes are as touching the beſtowing of thy goodes? I anſwer, his cōmaundemēts are that thou beſtowe them in the woorkes of mercye, and that ſhall he laye to thy charge at the daye of iudgement. He ſhal aſke you whether you hauehave fedde the hungrie, and geuen drinke to the thirſtie, and not whether you hauehave builded abbayes or chauntries. He ſhall aſke you whether you hauehave harbored the harborleſſe, and clothed the naked, and not whether you hauehave gilded images, or geuen copes to churches. He ſhall aſke you whether you hauehave viſited the ſicke, and gone to the priſoners, and not whether you hauehave gone a pilgrimage to Walſingham or Canterburye. And thys I affirme vntounto thée, that if thou builde a thouſand cloiſters, and giuegive as many copes and chalices to churches, and viſiteſt all the pilgrimages in the worlde, and eſpieſt and ſéeſt a poore man whome thou mighteſt help, periſhing for lack of one grote, all theſe things whereon thou haſt beſtowed ſo muche money, ſhall not be able to helpe thée. Therefore take good héede, and ſay not but that ye be warned.
If God hauehave geuen thée thy perfite limmes and members then geue him thankes, and vſe them to the tamyng of thy body, and profite of thy neighbour. For els if God louelove thée he will ſend thée ſome mayne or miſchief and take them from thée, that thy negligence and none vſing of them be not ſo extremely imputed vntounto thée. But if he hate thée, he ſhal kéepe thē whole and ſounde for thée, that the none vſing of them may be thy greater damnation. Therfore beware and feare geuing him thankes according to hys commaundementes. For we are hys creatures, and are much bounde to him that he hath geuen to vsus our perfite members: for it is better for vsus to hauehave our limmes and to woorke with them diſtributing to other, then that other ſhould diſtribute vntounto vsus: for it is a more holy thing to geue thē A…. 2.to take: yea we are much bound vntounto him, although he hauehave made vsus imperfect and mutilate: for we were Ierem. 18.in his handes (as we are yet) to hauehave done with vsus whatſoeuer had pleaſed him, euen to hauehave made vsus the vileſt creature vponupon the earth.
I hauehave read of a ſhepheard which kéeping his ſhéepe in the field eſpyed a foule Toade, and when he had wel marked her, and conferred her ſhape and nature, vntounto himſelfe and hys nature, he fell a wéeping and cryed out piteouſly. At the laſt came a Byſhop by, riding right royally: and whē he ſaw the ſhepheard ſo ſore lamenting, he reynde hys horſe, & aſked him the cauſe of his great wayling. Then aunſwered the ſhepheard, Ʋerely ſir I wéepe for mine vnkindnes toward almightie God: for I hauehave geuen thākes to God of many thynges, but yet I was neuer ſo kind ſince I was borne, as to thanke him of this thing. What is that, ſayd the Byſhop? Syr (quod he) ſée you not this foule tode? Yes (quod the Biſhop) what is that to the purpoſe? Ʋerely (ſayd the ſhep hearde) it is the creature of God as well as I am, and God might hauehave made me euen ſuch a foule and vnreaſonable beaſt as this is, if it had pleaſed him, & yet he hath not done ſo, but of his mercy and goodnes he hath made me a reaſonable creature, after his owne ſhape and likenes: and yet was I neuer ſo kynde as to thancke him that he had not made me ſo vile a creature, which thing I greatly bewayle, and mine vnkindeneſſe tauſeth me now thus to wéepe. Wyth yt the Biſhop departed, and I truſt learned to do thereafter. And I beſéeth God that we may ſo do, and be the faythfull folowers of our Sauiour Chriſt Ieſu, to whom be prayſe, honour, and glory for euer.
Amen.