Co[m]mon places of Scripture ordrely and after a co[m]pendious forme of teachyng set forth with no litle labour, to the gret profit and help of all such studentes in Gods worde as haue not had longe exercyse in the same, by the ryghte excellent clerke Eras. Sarcerius ; translated in to Englysh by Rychard Tauerner.

Of humilitie. CA. XXXII.

HUmilitie or lowlynes towardes god is y^• true fear of god, wherby the {con}sciēce being terrified & made affrayd w^t the iudgemēt of god, cast frō thē their hole cōfidēce of theyr own po¦wers of their owne wisdome, of theyr owne ryghtousnes. &c.

THIS diffinition is {pro}ued sufficiētly by the {pro}phet Esaie, saying. Thus saith the lord, heuen is my seate, & the erth is my fote stole, wher shal now the house stand y^t ye wil buyld vnto me? & where shal be y^• place y^• I wil dwel in? As for these thinges my hand hath made them al, & they are al created sayth the lorde. which of thē shal I regarde? euen him that is a lowly troubled spirite, & stan¦deth in awe of my wordes. An exemple of this humilitie is excellent i•• Dauid who being rebuked of the prophet Na¦than, espieth his syn, & not trustīg y^• by

his own {pro}pre iustice, he might appease the wrath & displeasure of god, whē he saw he shold he put out of his kingdom he knew y^• the thing was done by gods coūseyle & prouidēce, wherfore he tru∣sted not to his own powers or wisdom that he mighte retayne & kepe styll his kyngdome. The vessel wherin this hu∣militie reposeth is the mynd, and ther∣fore s. Peter calleth it the lowlynes of mynde, saying: se ye haue lowlynes of mynde fixed in you.

OF humilite the cause is tholy ghost whose gift it is. To which is also gods worde added, for the word of god tea∣cheth & instructeth vs to distrust & con¦demne our selues, & to commyt our sel∣ues holly to Chryst. S. Bernarde ma∣keth the knowlege of a mans selfe the cause of humilitie, for thus he saythe. I know that no man w^tout the knowlege of him self is saued. For of this know∣lege of a mans owne self springeth hu∣militie mother of saluacion, & also the feare of the lord which in lykewyse as it is the beginnyng of wisdom, so also it is of helth.

THIS humilitie, of which we speke hath no {per}tes. For it is one certeyn mo∣ciō of mynd towardes god by which y^•

cōsciēces feared by y^• iudgemēt of god distrust thē selues, to thītēt they might be holpē by the mercy & ayd of god. The ciuil humilite or lowlynes wherby we despise not other before oure selues, is theffect of this humilitie towardes god For who so euer knoweth his own vn∣clēnes and wickednes shal neither con¦tēne ne despyse other. Certes an hypo∣critical & coūterfeyt humilite is y^• whi¦che our mōkes, freres, chanōs & nūnes haue fayned in ceremonies & outwarde apparel. This humilitie may be rather called arrogaunce or pryde.

Theffectes of this lowlynes of herte or humilitie in scripture be knowen to be these. To fear god truly. To be fray¦ed by y^• knowlege of a mās own sin tru¦ly. To cast away in the sight of god al his own rightousnes, holines, wisdom confidence. To be a cōtrite & humbled hert. To be a token that god wil haue mercy on vs. For god resisteth y^• proude but to the lowlyons he gyueth grace. To be a signe y^t we be in the kyngdom of heuen, accordynge to the sayinge of Chryste. Blessed are the meke. Nowe, the humble be called blessed, not by∣cause of the verye worke of humilitye, but bycause they be in the kyngdome

of heuē. Itē to be herd of god, as Iudith sayth. There was neuer proude {per}son y^• pleased the (oh lord) but ī the prayer of the hūble & meke hath thy pleasure ben euermore. Also ps. 101. God hath loked vpō the praier of y^• hūble, & hath not de¦spised their peticiōs. To be exalted of god. Lu. i. He putteth downe y^• mighty frō their seates & exalteth the lowlye. To bere y^• weyknes of others. Of this effect s. Paul treateth manifestly to the Gala. saying. Brethren, if any man be fallē by chaūce ī to any fault, ye which are spūal, help to amēd hī in y^• spirit of mekenes. &c. Also Christ Mat. 7.

CONTRARYES to humilitie be these. To hold y^• humilitie or lowlynes stādeth in outward gestures, clothing, ceremonyes, rytes, & outward thinges. To say lowlynes of mynde before god is our owne worke. To saye humilitie euen of it selfe giueth remission of syn∣nes. To make decrees of humilite, and certayne rewardes of them in the lyfe to come.

Notes

• Diffinition.
• Proue Esay. ••xvi. ••
• ii. Reg. xii. ••
• ••. Pet. v. a.
• Causes
• Barnar. sup¦rant. serm̄. 37
• No partes
• Humilitie of religious per¦sonnes.
• Effectes of lowlynes.
• Gsaye. lxvi.
• Psalm. l.
• ••. Petr. v. ••
• Iudith. ix. c
• Galath. vi. a.
• Cōtraries. The errour of Religiouse personnes.