Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

This therefore seemeth to me to be no small cause why the good are whipped with the evil, when it pleaseth God to punish the naughty manners of men with the affliction of temporal pains. For they are scourged together, not for because they lead an evil life together, but because they love this temporal life together, I do not say alike, but together, when the better sort ought to despise it, that the evil being rebuked and corrected, might obtain the eternal life, to the getting whereof if they would not be our fellows and partners, they should be carried & lovingly drawn, even while they be our enemies, because, so long as they live, it is always uncertain whether their minds shall be changed to be better or no. Wherefore they have not the like but a far greater cause to admonish men of their faults, to whom the Lord saith by the mouth of the Prophet: He verily shall die in his sin, but his blood will I require at the hand of the watchman. For to this end are the watchmen, that is, the guides of the people ordained in the Churches, that they should not forbear to rebuke sin and wickedness. And yet for all this, that man is not altogether excusable of this fault, which although he be no guide or oversee• of the people, death notwithstanding know many things worthy controlment, & yet wink at them in those with whom he liveth and is conversant, because he will give them none offence, for fear least he loose those things, which in this world he useth as he ought not, or is delighted in, so as he should not. And so forth. For all this have I hither to rehearsed out of Saint Augustine.

This therfore séemeth to me to be no smal cause why the good are whipped wyth the euill, when it pleaseth God to punish the naughtie manners of men with the affliction of temporal paynes. For they are scourged together, not forbecause they lead an euil life together, but because they loue this temporall life together, I doe not say alike, but together, when the better sort ought to despise it, that the euill being rebuked and corrected, might obteyne the eternall life, to the getting wherof if they would not be oure fellowes and parteners, they should be caried & louingly drawne, euen while they be oure enimies, because, so longe as they liue, it is alwayes vncertaine whether their minds shalbe changed to bee better or no. Wherfore they haue not the like but a farre greater cause to admonishe men of their faultes, to whome the Lord sayth by the mouth of the Prophete: He verilie shall die in his sinne, but his bloud will I require at the hand of the watchman. For to this ende are the watchmen, that is, the guides of the people ordeyned in the Churches, that they should not forbeare to rebuke sinne and wickednesse. And yet for all this, that man is not altogether excusable of this fault, which although hée be no guide or ouersee of the people, deeth notwithstanding knowe many thinges worthie controllment, & yet winck at them in those with whome he lyueth and is cōuersant, because he will giue them none offence, for feare least hée loose those thinges, which in this world hée vseth as hée ought not, or is delighted in, so as hee should not. And so forth. For all this haue I hether to rehearsed out of Sainct Augustine.