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.

That a man shall not searche the iudge∣mentes of God. The .63. Chapter.

My sonne, beware to dispute of highe-matters, & of the secret iudgemēts of God, why this man is so left & forsaken of God, and why this man is taken to so great grace, why also one man is so much troubled, and another so greatly aduaunced. These thinges ouer∣passe all mans knowledge, for to serch gods iudgement no mans reason maye suffise, nor yet this disputation. Therfore, when the ghostly enemy stirreth thee to such thinges, or if any curious men aske of thee suche questions, answer with the prophete Dauid, and say thus, Lord thou art righteous, & thy iudgemēts are true, and be iustified in them selfe, thy indge∣ments are to be dread, & not to be discus∣sed by mans wit, for they be to mans wit incomprehensible. Beware also that thou search not, nor reason not of the merites of Saintes, which of them was holyer then other, or which of them is higher in heauen: Suche questions ofte times nou∣rishe great strifes and vnprofitable rea∣soninges, and proceede of pride & vaine∣glory, wherby enuy springeth and discē∣tion: that is to saye, when one laboureth

to prefer this Saint, and another that. And truely a desire to knowe such things rather displeaseth Saints then pleaseth them For I (saith our Lord) am not God of discention and strife, but of vnitie and peace, the which peace standeth rather in true meekenes, than in exalting of them selues. Some men be more stirred to loue this Saint or that, and that with muche greater affection, but truly that affection is oft time more rather a manly affectiō, than a godlye. Am not I he that haue made all Saints? yes truelye: and ouer that I haue giuen thē grace, and I haue geuen them glorye: I knowe all their merites, I preuented them with the sweetnes of my blessinges, I knewe my elect and chosen people before the worlde was made, I haue chosen them from the worlde, they haue not chosen me, I called them by my grace, I drewe them by my mercy, I led them through temptations, I sent them inwarde comfortes, I gaue them perseueraunce, I crowned their patience, I knowe the first man and the laste, I loue them all with an inestimable loue. Thus I am to be praysed in all my Saintes, and aboue all thinges to be bles∣sed and honoured in all, and in euery of them whom I haue so glorioussye ma∣gnifyed and predestinate without anye merites in them goeinge before. There∣fore he that despyseth the leaste of my

Saintes, doth no honour to the greatest, for I haue made both the lesse and the more, and he that disprayseth any of my Saintes, he disprayseth me and other of my Saintes in the kingdome of heauen, for they be all one, faste vnited and knit together in one sure bonde of perfect charitie. They feele all one thinge, and they will all one thinge, and they loue altogether all into one thinge, and they loue me muche more then them selues, or their own merites, for they be rapt about themselues, and be drawen from their owne loue, and whollie be turned into my loue, in the which they rest by eternal fruition. There is nothinge that maye turne them from my loue, nor that may thrust them downe out of their glorie, for they be full of eternall trueth, and burne inwarldlie in soule with fyre of euerla∣stinge charitie, that neuer shall be quen∣ched. Let all them cease therefore that be carnall and beastly, and that can not loue but priuate ioye, to searche the state of my blessed Saintes in heauen, for they put awaye, and adde to their merites as they fauour, and not after the pleasure of the eternall truth of God. In many fol∣kes is great ignoraunce, but moste spe∣ciallie in them that haue so litle light of ghostlie vnderstanding, that they can not loue any person with a cleane loue. Many also be moued by a naturall affection, or

by a worldly frendship to loue this saint or that, and as they imagine in earthly thinges, so they imagine of heauenlye thinges, but there is a distaunce incom∣parable betwixt thinges which imperfect men imagine by naturall reason, and which men truelye illumined with grace beholde by heauenlye contemplation. Beware therefore, my sonne, to treate curiously of suche thinges, for they passe thy knowledge, and endeuour thy selfe, that thou mayest be worthy so be nūbred with the least Saint that shall come to heauē. And if percase a man might knowe who were holyer, or who should be taken greater in the kingdome of heauen, what shoulde that knowledge auayle him, but if he would therby the more meeke him selfe, and the more ryse thereby, into the laude and praysinge of my name? truelie nothinge. Therefore he is much more ac∣ceptable to God that thinketh on the greatnes of his sinnes, and of the little∣nes of his vertues, and howe farre he is from the perfectiō of the least Saint that is in heauē, then he that argueth of their greatnes, or of their litlenes, or blessed∣nes of life, forgettinge them selfe. It is better also with deuout prayers, & with weepinges and teares meekelie to praye to Saintes, and to call to them for helpe, then vaynelie to searche for their perfe∣ction. They be verie well contented with

the ioye that they haue, if men woulde refrayne themselues from suche vayne arguments. They glorifie not them sel∣ues of their merites, ne they ascribe no goodnes to themselues, but they referre all goodnes to me, for they knowe well that I of my infinite goodnes and cha∣ritie haue geuen all vnto them. And they be so muche fulfilled with loue of the godhead, and with ouerpassing ioye, that no glorie maye want in them, nor anye felicitie. And the higher that they be in heauen, the meeker be they in them sel∣ues, and the more nighe and the more louing to me. Therefore it is written in the Apocalips, that Saintes in heauen layde their crownes before God, and fell prostrate on their faces before the meeke lambe, that is Iesu, and they woorship∣ped him as their Lorde God, that is and shalbe lyuing euermore without ending. Amen. Manye searche who is highest in heauen, that knowe not whether they shall be worthy to be numbred with the least that shall come thither: for it is a great thinge to be the least in heauen, where all be great, for all that shall come thither shall be called the sonnes of God, and so shall they be in deede: the lest there shall be counted for a thousande, and a sinner of a hundred yere shall be set at naught VVhen the Apostles asked amōg them selues, who shoulde be greatest in

the kingdome of heauen, they heard this answer of Christ: but ye (sayde he) be con∣uerted from your sinne, and be made meeke as litle children, ye maye not en∣ter into the kyngdome of heauen. He therefore that meeketh him selfe as this litle childe, he shalbe greatest in the king∣dome of heauen. VVoe then be to them that disdayne to meeke them selues with litle children, for the meeke part of hea∣uen will not suffer them to enter into it: wo also be vnto the proude riche men that haue their cōsolation here, for when the good poore men shall enter into the kingdome of God, they shall stande wee∣pinge and waylinge without. Ioye ye then, ye that be meeke and poore in spirite, for yours is the kingdome of God, so that ye walke and houlde your iorney assu∣redlye in the waye of truth.