The Institution of Christian Religion

But when they have plenty of things, to wallow in delights, to glut themselves, to make their wit & mind drunk with present pleasures & alway to gape for new, these doings are most far from the lawful use of the gifts of God. Therefore let them take away immeasurable desire, let them take away immeasurable wasting, let them take away vanity & arrogance, that they may with a pure conscience purely use the gifts of God. When the mind shall be framed to this sobriety, they shall have a rule of the lawful use. On the other side let this moderation be wanting, even base and common delicates are to much. For this is truly said, that oftentimes in frieze and course cloth dwelleth a purple heart, and sometime under silk and purple, lieth simple humility: Let every man in his degree so live either poorly,¹ or meanly, or plentifully, that they all remember that they are fed of God to live, not to be riotous: & let them think, that this is the law of Christian liberty, if they have learned with Paul to be contented with those things which they presently have: if they can skill both to be humble and to excel: if they be taught in all places and in all things to be both full and hungry, to have plenty and to suffer want.

But when they haue plentie of thinges, to wallow in delites, to glut thēselues, to make their wit & minde dronke with present pleasures & alway to gape for newe, these doynges are most far frō the lawfull vse of ye giftes of God. Therfore let them take away immeasurable desire, let them take away immeasurable wasting, let them take away vanitie & arrogance, yt they may with a pure conscience purely vse the giftes of God. When the minde shalbe framed to this sobrietie, they shall haue a rule of ye lawfull vse. On the other side let this moderation be wanting, euen base and common delicates are to much. For this is truely sayd, that oftentimes in frise and course cloth dwelleth a purple heart, and somtime vnder silk and purple, lieth simple humilitie: Let euery man in his degree so liue eyther poorely,¹ or meanely, or plentifully, that they al remember that they are fed of God to liue, not to be riotous: & let them thynke, yt this is the lawe of Christian libertie, if they haue learned with Paule to be contented with those thinges whiche they presently haue: if they can skill bothe to be humble and to excell: yf they be taught in all places and in all thinges to be both full and hungry, to haue plentie and to suffre want.