The following of Christ translated out of Latin into Englishe, newlie corrected and amended. VVherento also is added the golden epistle of Sainct Bernarde. And nowe lastelie the rules of a Christian lyfe, made by Iohn Picus the elder earle of Mirandula.

Of the diuersities and diuers mouinges be∣tvvene nature and grace. The 59. Chapter.

My sonne, take good heede of the motions of nature and grace, for they be verie subtil, and much contrary the one to the other, and hardlie may they be knowen asonder, but it be by a ghostly man, that through spirituall grace is in∣wardlye lightned in soule. Euerye man desireth some goodnes, and pretendeth somewhat of goodnes in all his wordes and deedes, and therfore vnder pretence of goodnes many be deceaued. Nature is wylie, and full of deceit, and draweth many to her, whom she often times sna∣reth and deceyueth, & euer beholdeth her owne wealth, as the ende of her worke.

But grace walketh simplye, without de∣reyte, she declineth from all euill, she pre∣tendeth no gyle, but all thinges she doth purelye for God, in whom finallye she resteth. Nature will not gladlye dye, nor gladlye be oppressed or ouercome, neither will she gladlye be vnder other, ne be kept in subiection: but grace studieth howe she may be mortified to the world, and to the flesh. She resisteth sensualitie, she seeketh to be subiecte, she desireth to be ouercome, she will not vse her owne li∣bertie: she loueth to be holden vnder holy discipline, and coueteth not to haue lord∣ship ouer anye one creature, but to lyue and to stande alway vnder the dreade of God, and for his loue is alwaye readie to bowe her selfe meekely to euery creature. Nature laboureth for her owne profite and aduantage, & muche beholdeth what winning commeth to her by other. But grace beholdeth not what is profitable to her selfe, but what is profytable to manye. Nature receaueth gladlye ho∣nour and reuerence, but grace referreth all honour and reuerence to God. Nature dreadeth reprouinges and despising, but grace ioyeth for the name of god to suffer thē both, and take them when they come as speciall giftes of God. Nature loueth idlenes and fleshlie rest, but grace can not be ydle without doeinge some good deede, and therefore she seeketh gladlye

some profitable labours. Nature desireth faire thinges and curious, and abhorreth vile thinges and grosse: but grace deligh∣teth in meke and simple thinges, she des∣piseth not harde thinges, nor refuseth not to be clad in poore olde clothing and simple garmentes. Nature beholdeth gladlie thinges temporall, she ioyeth at worldlie winninges, is heauie for world∣lie leesinges, and anone is moued with a sharpe word, but grace beholdeth things euerlastinge, and trusteth not in thinges temporall, nor is not troubled with the losse of thē, nor she is not grreeued with a frowarde worde, for she hath layde her treasure in God, and in ghostlie thinges whiche may not perishe. Nature is coue∣tous, & more gladlie taketh than geueth, and loueth muche to haue propertie and priuate thinges: but grace is pitifull and liberall to the poore, she flieth singuler profite, she is content with litle, and iudgeth it more blessed to geue then to take. Nature inclineth to the loue of creatures, to the loue of the fleshe, and to vanities and runnings about, and to see newe thinges in the worlde: but grace draweth a man to the loue of God, and to the loue of vertues, she renounceth all creatures, she flieth the world, she hateth desires of the fleshe, restrayneth libertie and wandringes about, and escheweth asmuch as she may to be seene among re∣course

of people. Nature hath gladlye some outwarde solace, wherein she maye faylably delight in her outwarde wittes: but grace seeketh onelie to be comforted in God, and to delight her in his good∣nes aboue all thinges. Nature doth all thinges for her owne winninge and sin∣guler profite, she may doe nothinge free, but hopeth alwaye to haue like profite or better, or laude or fauour of the people, and coueteth much that her deedes and workes be greatlie pondred and praysed: but grace seeketh no temporall thing, nor none other reward for her hire, but onely God, she will no more of tēporall goodes then shall neede for the gettinge of the goodes euerlastinge, and careth not for the vayne prayse of the worlde. Nature ioyeth greatlie in many freendes & kins∣folkes, and is glorified much of a noble place of birth, and of her noble bloud and kinred she ioyeth with mightie men: she flattereth riche men, and is merie with them that she thinketh like to her in no∣blenes of the worlde: but grace maketh a man to loue his enemies, she hath no pri∣de in worldlie freendes, she regardeth not the noblenes of kynne, ne the house of her father? but if the more vertue be there, she fauoureth more the poore then the riche, she hath more compassion of an innocēt then of a mightie man: she ioyeth euer in truth, and not is falsehoode, and

alwaye comforteth good men more and more to profite and growe in vertue and goodnes, and to seeke daylie more higher giftes of grace, that they may through good vertuous workes be made like to the sonne of God. Nature complayneth anone for wantinge of a right litle thing that she woulde haue, or for a litle world∣lie heauines, but grace beareth gladlie all needines and wantinges of the worlde. Nature inclynethe all thinges to her selfe, and to her owne profite as much as she maye: she argueth for her selfe, and striueth and fighteth for her selfe: but grace rendreth all thinges to God, of whom all thinges doe flowe and springe originallie. She ascribeth no goodnes to her selfe, nor presumeth of her selfe: she striueth not, nor prefer••eth her opinion before other mens, but in euery sentence she submitteth her meeklie ••o the eternall wisedome and iudgement of God▪ Natu∣re coueteth to knowe and to here newe secret thinges, she will that her workes be shewed outwarldlie, and will haue ex∣perience of manye thinges in the worlde by her outwarde wittes, she desyreth also to be knowen, and to doe great thinges in the worlde, whereof laude and praysinge maye folowe, but gra∣ce careth not for anye newe thinges, nor for anye curyous thinges what∣soeuer they be: for she knoweth well,

that all suche vanities commeth of the corruption of sinne, and that no newe thinge maye longe endure vpon earth. She teacheth also to restraine the out∣warde wittes, and to eschewe all vayne pleasure and outwarde shewinge, and meekelie keepeth secrete thinges, that in the worlde were greatlie to be meruayled and praysed. And in euerie thinge, and in euerie science she seeketh some spirituall profite to her selfe, and laude and honour to almightie God. She will not, that her good deedes, nor her inwarde deuotion be outwardly knowen, but most desireth, that our Lorde be blessed in all his wor∣kes, which geueth all thinges freelie of his high excellent charitie. This grace is a light supernaturall, and a spirituall gifte of God, and it is the proper marke and token of elect people, and an earnest penie of the euerlastinge life, for it raui∣sheth a man fro loue of earthlie thinges, to the loue of heauenlie thinges, and of a fleshlie liuer maketh an heauenlie per∣son: and the more that nature is op∣pressed and ouercome, the more grace is geuen, and the soule thorough newe gratious vi∣sitations is daylye refor∣med more and more to the image of God.