A pleasant new nosegay full of many godly and sweet flowers, lately gatheredA pleasaunt newe nosegaye full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered

Phil. Alas dear neighbours, wherefore or whereof should we be proud? Of our wisdom or riches?¹ Who among mortal men was ever able to compare with Solomon either in wisdom or riches ⟨image 30⟩Yet for all that unto what point came he?² Did not he fall unto all kind of dissolute & voluptuous living? Did he not forsake y• God of Israel, & fell unto Idolatry? It is not without a cause said,³ Let not the rich man glory in his riches, nor the wise man in his wisdom. For what are riches & wisdom,⁴ if they be not godly & justly used, but only instruments of tyranny & unrighteousness? The wise man is endued with wit for this purpose, that with his wisdom he should help the simple & plain people, which want the perfect experience of things, or else that have no capacity to attain unto the knowledge of such travails, as are expedient for them, and not to deceive them, to craft with them, to poll & pill them, & to make havoc of them. The rich man also hath riches given unto him unto ⟨image 30⟩to this end, that he should the more frankly nourish the poverty, and distribute them to the indigent, and not that he should hoard them up in corners, glory in them, boast and crake of them, and think himself better than any other, because he excelleth in the abundance of worldly goods.⁵ Both riches & wisdom increase damnation to the possessors of them, if they be not used, as God hath commanded, that is, unto the profit of our neighbour▪ What cause have we than for to be proud of them? If we use them well, we do but our duty, if we do other wise, the greater is our damnation. Again,⁶ may we be proud of our holiness and virtuous living? Who was more holy than David? yet for all his holiness committed he both manslaughter & whoredom.