¶The fifth flour / called / Christen Charity.: A pleasant new nosegay full of many godly and sweet… by Thomas Becon | AskReformation

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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,⁸ mynde, strength, power & soule. He can none otherwyse but forsake the worlde, the dyuell & the flesh, & cleue to God alone as a true and faythfull wyfe doth to her husbond. He wyl by no menes swere by ⟨image 94⟩y• name of his lord god, but reuerēce honour, worship & prayse it. He wyl not breake the Sabbothe daye, but sanctify it accordyng to the worde of God.

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Phil. S. John in this place forbiddeth no more gentle speech & loving communication,¹ than S. Paul in your ⟨image 95⟩other flour did forbid to make provision for you and yours. But his mind is this, they which will crake & boast by outward words, that they love God & their neighbour, & yet show it not in works and trueth, they are liars, & have not in them the christen Charity, which the Scripture commendeth so greatly in every place. Such are like them, of whom S. Paul speaketh on this manner, they say they know God, but with their deeds they deny it plainly,² seeing they are abominable, disobedient and minded unto no good works.³ He that hath the substance of the world, saith S. John, & seeth his brother have need, & is moved with no compassion towards him, how doth the love of God abide in him? As though he should say, albeit a man cracketh never so much that he loveth God,⁴ yet if he fulfilleth not that, which God commandeth him, how ⟨image 96⟩dare such one boast that he loveth God? A man loveth so much as he worketh. If he worketh no thing, neither doth he love any thing. For as S. Gregory saith in a certain homely,⁵ the love of GOD is never idle. For he worketh great things, if it be love, but if it ceaseth to work,⁶ than is it no love in deed. Love, saith S. Paul is patient & courteous. Love envieth not, love doth not frowardly. Love is not puffed up, dealeth not dishonestly, seeketh not her own. Love is not provoked to anger, thinketh not evil, rejoiceth not of iniquity, but rejoiceth in the trueth, suffereth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, abideth all things. What a point is this of love, to say that I love God,⁷ & yet run a whorehuntynge after strange Gods? Again what a point of love is this to say, that I honour the name ⟨image 96⟩of God, and yet blaspheme it with most shameful & abominable oaths? What love is this toward my neighbour to say that I love him and yet will do no thing for him, when I see him in necessity? Is this love? Perish mought such love. Against these wicked Hypocrites & open dissemblers doth S. John in this place thunder,⁸ wham he saith let us not love in word nor tongue, but in work & trueth.

Phil. S. Iohn in this place forbyddethe no more gentle speache & louynge communicacion,¹ thā S. Paule in your ⟨image 95⟩other flour dyd forbyd to make prouision for you and yours. But his mynd is this, they which wyl crake & boste by outwarde wordes, yt they loue God & theyr neyghbour, & yet shew it not in workes and truethe, they are lyers, & haue not in thē the christen Charite, which the Scripture cōmendeth so greatly in euery place. Such are lyke thē, of whome S. Paule speaketh on this māner, they saye they knowe God, but wt theyr dedes they denye it playnely,² seynge they are obhominable, disobedient and mynded vnto no good workes.³ He that hath the substance of the world, sayth S. Iohn, & seeth his brother haue nede, & is moued with no compassion towardes him, howe doth the loue of God abide in hym? As though he should say, albeit a mā craketh neuer so much yt he loueth God,⁴ yet yf he fulfylleth not that, which God cōmaundeth him, howe ⟨image 96⟩dare suche one boste that he louethe God? A man loueth so muche as he worketh. If he worketh no thynge, nother doth he loue any thing. For as S. Gregory sayth in a certayne homely,⁵ the loue of GOD is neuer idle. For he worketh great thinges, yf it be loue, but if it seaseth to worke,⁶ than is it no loue in dede. Loue, sayth S. Paule is pacient & curtious. Loue enuiethe not, loue dothe not frowardely. Loue is not puffed vp, dealeth not dishonestly, seaketh not her owne. Loue is not prouoked to anger, thynketh not euell, reioysethe not of iniquite, but reioyseth in the trueth, suffereth al thinges, beleuethe all thynges, hopethe all thynges, abydethe all thynges. What a poynt is this of loue, to say that I loue God,⁷ & yet run a whorehuntynge after straunge Goddes? Agayne what a poynte of loue is this to saye, that I honour ye name ⟨image 96⟩

1Phil. ii.
2Titus. i.
3i. Joan. iii.i. Ioan. iii.
4Mark well.
5Gregory.Gregorye.
6i. Cor. xiii.
7Note this well.Note thys well.
8i. Joan. iii.i. Ioan. iii.

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Phil. All this that ye have hitherto spoken is true. For I have taught you no ⟨image 99⟩thing of mine own brain & fantasy, but only the pure word of God, & the sentences & minds of the holy and catholic Doctors. Therefore I pray you heartily good neighbours be as diligent to observe and keep these flowers as I have ben studious to gather them together for you, so shall I both think my labour well bestowed & ye also of all pleasures shall do me the greatest. Well I will now rehearse to you in few words, what your whole Nosegay containeth in many. Your first flour is called Unfeigned Humility. Hereof have ye learned the true knowledge of your selves,¹ & that ye ought not to be proud of any thing, but embracing Humility & lowliness of mind always confess that what so ever ye have, be it never so good & precious, it is the gift of GOD coming down from the father of lights, and that ⟨image 100⟩therefore ye ought studiously to labour above all things that it be bestowed according to the will of God,² that is, unto the glory of God the profit of your neighbour & the salvation of your own souls. Your second flour called, Pure Innocency. Of this ye have learned your duty toward God, & how ye ought to walk before him according to his word and be perfect. Of your third flour, which is, Faithful Obedience. Ye have learned your duty toward our most puissant & excellent king, & all those civil magistrates & head officers, which are appointed to rule & govern the matters of the public weal under his graces mayest. Ye learned also, that by the word of GOD ye owe to them obedience, fear, honour and tribute. Your fourth flour, called, Ready assistance ▪ taught you your duty toward ⟨image 100⟩your neighbour, & how ye ought to serve him according to the rule of the Gospel, seeking no less his profit than your own. Your fifth & last flour, called, Christen Charity, declared to you that without this true, christen & pure love, all your other flowers profit but little, neither can any work being done of a malicious heart and out of Charity please God. Again ye heard, that your love both toward God & your neighbour was declared to be unfeigned, if ye did express it outwardly in such works as are prescribed of God in the holy Scriptures, this is the whole sum of your Nosegay.

Phil. All this that ye haue hytherto spoken is true. For I haue taughte you no ⟨image 99⟩thyng of myne owne brayne & fantasye, but onelye the pure worde of God, & the sentences & myndes of ye holy and catholyke Doctors. Therfore I pray you hertely good neyghbours be as diligent to obserue and kepe these floures as I haue ben studious to gather them togyther for you, so shall I both thyncke my laboure well bestowed & ye also of all pleasures shall do me the greateste. Well I wyll nowe rehearse to you in fewe wordes, what youre whole Nosegaye contayneth in many. Your fyrst floure is called Vnfayned Humilite. Hereof haue ye learned ye true knowledge of youre selues,¹ & that ye ought not to be proud of ony thynge, but enbrasynge Humilite & lowlines of mynd alwayes cō fesse that what so euer ye haue, be it neuer so good & precious, it is the gyfte of GOD commynge downe frō the father of lyghtes, and that ⟨image 100⟩therfore ye oughte studiously to laboure aboue all thynges that it be bestowed accordynge to the wyll of God,² that is, vnto the glory of God the profitte of youre neyghboure & the saluacion of your owne soules. Your seconde flour called, Pure Innocency. Of this ye haue lerned your duty toward God, & howe ye ought to walke before hym accordynge to his worde and be perfecte. Of your thyrde floure, which is, Faythfull Obedience. Ye haue learned your duty toward our moost puissaunt & excellent kynge, & all those ciuile magistrates & heade officers, which are appoynted to rule & gouerne the matters of the publique weale vnder his graces maieste. Ye learned also, that by the worde of GOD ye owe to them obedience, feare, honour and tribute. Your fourthe floure, called, Redy assistence ▪ taught you your dutye towarde ⟨image 100⟩youre neyghbour, & howe ye oughte to serue hym accordynge to the rule of the Gospell, seakynge no lesse his profyt than your owne. Your fyfte & laste floure, called, Christen Charite, declared to you that withoute this true, christen & pure loue, all youre other floures profyt but lytle, neyther can any worke beinge done of a malicious harte and out of Charite please God. Agayne ye hearde, that your loue bothe toward God & your neyghbour was declared to be vnfayned, yf ye dyd expresse it outwardly in suche workes as are prescribed of God in the holy Scriptures, this is the whole summe of your Nosegaye.

1A brief rehearsal of the Nose gay.A brefe rehersal of the Nose gaye.
2Jaco▪ i.Iaco▪ i.

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Now dear brothers, I beseech you by the great mercies of God, that ye will by no means suffer the smell, odour & savour of these herbs to fall out of your breasts, but that you alway bear this your Nosegay ⟨image 101⟩about with you, & smell on it at all times without ceasing. For these are those flowers, which shall preserve you from all pestiferous and contagious airs, from all perils and dangers, from all mischances and evil fortunes. They also shall inspire and breath into you such comfortable odours & sweet savours, that ye shall by no means be so infected, that ye may either offend your selves, God, the king, or your Neighbour, but what so ever ye work, shall be acceptable both to God and man. What will ye have more? Thus much have I done now for you neighbours, and am ready at all times to do, what soever lieth in my power, when occasion shall be given, desiring you favourably to accept this my good will toward you, as of one, which wisheth no less well to you than to him self, tendereth your health no less ⟨image 101⟩than his own, seeketh your true knowledge in Christ Jesus even as his own, to conclude, which is ready at all times both to give him self and all that he hath, so that ye may be in the most glorious bowels of our Saviour Christ, and therein continue until the day o• his triumphant appearing. Which thing (most dear brothers) that it may come to pass, I will not cease neither night nor day to pour out my prayers to our LORD god, that he may be present alway with you by the assistance of the holy Ghost in all your godly enterprises, which thing also I most heartily desire you, that ye will likewise do for me.

Nowe deare brothers, I beseche you by the great mercyes of God, yt ye wyl by no meanes suffer ye smell, odoure & sauour of these herbes to faull oute of your brestes, but that you alwaye beare this youre Nosegay ⟨image 101⟩about wt you, & smel on it at al tymes wtout ceasyng. For these are those floures, whiche shall preserue you from all pestiferous and contagious ayres, from all perelles and daungers, from al mischaūces and euell fortunes. They also shall enspire and breath into you such confortable odoures & swete sauours, that ye shall by no meanes be so infected, that ye maye eyther offende your selues, God, the kyng, or your Neygheboure, but what so euer ye worke, shall be accceptable bothe to God and man. What wyll ye haue more? Thus muche haue I done nowe for you neyghbours, and am redy at al tymes to do, what soeuer lyethe in my power, whan occasion shall be gyuen, desiryng you fauourably to accepte this my good wyll towarde you, as of one, which wyssheth no lesse well to you thā to him selfe, tendereth your health no lesse ⟨image 101⟩than his owne, seakethe youre true knoweledge in Christe Iesus euen as his owne, to conclude, whiche is redy at all tymes both to gyue him selfe and all that he hath, so that ye may be in the moost gloryous bowels of oure Sauioure Christe, and therin continewe vntyl the daye o• his tryumphant apperyng. Which thynge (moost deare brothers) that it maye come to passe, I wyll not cease neyther night nor daye to powre oute my prayers to our LORDE god, that he maye be present alway with you by the assistence of the holy Ghost in all your godly enterprises, which thynge also I moost hertelye desyre you, that ye wyll lykewyse do for me.