Phil. It is not without a cause, that I have given you this flour. For the savour of all your aforesaid flowers profiteth without this but little.1 This flour is the very same to your Nosegay that a precious stone a costly pearl, a goodly ouch, is to a ring or any other Jewel. With out this flour all the other will soon wither away, & come to nought. But so long as the beauty of this your flour lasteth, so long can not your Nosegay decay & perish. Can ⟨image 93⟩any thing be good & godly, where love & Charity wanteth? And because ye should know, that I mean none unfeigned love, I have named your flour, Christen Charity. For our Charity & love ought not to be carnal, fleshly, beastlike, worldly,2 feigned, unclean & flitting, but spiritual, ghostly, christen, heavenly, true, pure, & abiding for evermore. And this is that Christen Charity, whereof your flour speaketh,3 Let us not love in word nor tongue, but in Work & trueth. Without this Charity S. Paul affirmeth in his Epistle to the Corinthians, that no work,4 seem it never so good & godly, profiteth any thing at all.5 Read y• Chapter wham ye come home. Certes this Charity & christen love must needs be an excellent thing, seeing it is the end of the Commandment, & the fulfilling of all the law, seeing also that Christ in his last sermon, which he ⟨image 94⟩made to his Disciples a little before his passion exhorteth us with so many words unto it. S. John feareth not so greatly to advance and commend Charity,6 that he affirmeth God to be Charity, saying, God is Charity, & he that abideth in Charity, abideth in God, & God in him. Unto this true and Christen Charity. S. Peter also moveth us on this manner:7 Before all things, saith he, have fervent charity among you. For Charity covereth y• multitude of since. And S. Paul saith, above all things have Charity, which is the bond of perfection. For he y• hath this christen Charity can none otherwise but love God with all his heart,8 mind, strength, power & soul. He can none otherwise but forsake the world, the devil & the flesh, & cleave to God alone as a true and faithful wife doth to her husband. He will by no means swear by ⟨image 94⟩y• name of his lord god, but reverence honour, worship & praise it. He will not break the Sabbath day, but sanctify it according to the word of God.
Phil. It is not without a cause, that I haue gyuen you this floure. For the sauour of all your aforsayd floures profyteth without this but lytle.1 This floure is the very same to your Nosegay that a precious stone a costious pearle, a goodly owch, is to a ryng or ony other Iewel. With out this floure all ye other wyll sone wyther awaye, & come to noughte. But so longe as the beauty of this your flour lasteth, so longe can not your Nosegaye decaye & perysh. Cā ⟨image 93⟩ony thynge be good & godly, where loue & Charite wantethe? And bycause ye shoulde knowe, yt I meane none vnfayned loue, I haue named your floure, Christen Charite. For our Charite & loue ought not to be carnall, fleshly, beastlyke, worldly,2 fayned, vncleane & flyttynge, but spirituall, ghostly, christē, heauēly, true, pure, & abydyng for euermore. And this is that Christē Charite, wherof your floure speketh,3 Let vs not loue in vvorde nor tonge, but in VVork & trueth. Withoute this Charite S. Paule affirmethe in his Epistle to the Corinthiās, that no worke,4 seme it neuer so good & godly, profyteth onye thynge at all.5 Rede y• Chapter whā ye come home. Certes this Charite & christen loue must nedes be an excellent thynge, seynge it is the ende of the Cōmaundement, & the fulfyllynge of all the law, seyng also that Christ in his last sermon, whiche he ⟨image 94⟩made to his Disciples a litle before his passhon exorteth vs with so many wordes vnto it. S. Iohn̄ fereth not so greatlye to auaūce and commende Charite,6 yt he affirmeth God to be Charite, sayeng, God is Charite, & he that abydethe in Charite, abydeth in God, & God in hym. Unto thys true and Christen Charite. S. Peter also mouethe vs on thys manner:7 Before all thynges, saythe he, haue feruēt charite among you. For Charite couereth y• multitude of synnes. And S. Paule saythe, aboue al thīges haue Charite, which is the bonde of perfeccion. For he y hath this christē Charite can none otherwyse but loue God wythe all his harte,
- 1Behold y• excellency of Charity.Behold y• excellency of Charite.
- 2What love we ought to have among us.What loue we ought to haue amōge vs.
- 3i. Joan. iii.i. Ioan. iii.
- 4i. Cor. xiii.
- 5Rom. xiii. i. Tim. i.
- 6Joan. xiiii.xv.xvi. i. Joan. iiii.Ioan. xiiii.xv.xvi. i. Ioan. iiii.
- 7•. Pet. iiii. Rom. xii. Co•. iii.
- 8What y• love of god doth.What y• loue of god doth.
