A17689:52
Of the Life or Conversation of a Christian Man
Of the life or conversation of a Christen man, a right godly treatise, written [sic] in the latin tongue, by master John Calvin, a man of right excellent learning and of no less godly conversation. Translated into English by Thomas Broke Esquire Paymaster of Dover. An[no] M. D. XLix. The first day of JanuaryOf the life or conuersation of a Christen man, a right godly treatise, wyrtten [sic] in the latin tonge, by maister Iohn Caluyne, a man of ryghte excellente learnynge and of no lesse godly conuersation. Translated into English by Thomas Broke Esquier Paymaister of Douer. An[no] M. D. XLix. The first day of Ianuary
London: printed by John Daye and, 1549London: printed by Iohn Daye and, 1549
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
So shall it come to pass, that with what soever kind of cross we be vexed, yea in the greatest anguishes of our heart, we shall still keep patience steadfastly. For, the adversities ⟨image 56⟩shall have their sharpness or pinchings, whereby we shall be grieved: so, being afflicted with diseases, we shall mourn and be unquieted, yea and desire health to: so, being punished with poverty, we shall be wrong with the grief both of carefulness, & sadness: so, shall we be stricken with the sorrow of open shame, vile estimation, and wrongs: and so, in burials of our friends, we shall pay the tears that nature oweth. But yet this sentence shall always be at hand. ☞Well our Lord would have it thus, therefore let us obey his will. Yea while we shall be presently stung with sorrows, even amongest our groanings and weepings, needs must that same thought beat a stroke with us, which will incline our heart gladly to bear and suffer ⟨image 57⟩those things, which are the very cause, why the heart is so grieved. But because we have groū dead the chief cause of patient bearing of the cross, upon our considering of the will of God, it is to be showed in few words, what diversity there is, between the patience of Philosophers and of christians. Few of the philosophers attained to the knowledge, to understand, that by afflictions we are exercised of Gods hand, & to think that it is our duty to obey God in this behalf. No, they bring no other reason but this, because it is of necessity, or needs must be so. But what is that to say, but thou must give place to god, because thou labourest in vain to resist him? for truly if we obey God, only because we must do so: than, if we could otherwise do, we ⟨image 57⟩would no longer obey him. But the scripture biddeth us to consider a far other thing in the will of god, that is to say, first his justice & equity: & then the diligent care of our salvation. ☞ Therefore such as these be, are the exhortations of a christian unto patience: whither poverty, banishment, imprisonment, rebuke, sickness or loss of friends, or what soever like thing trouble us: we must think that none of these things happen, without the beck & providence of our Lord: & that God doth nothing, but by most just order.
So shal it come to passe, that wyth what soeuer kynde of crosse we be vexed, yea in the greatest anguishes of our herte, we shall styll keepe patience stedfastly. For, the aduersities