A profitable and necessarye doctrine with certayne homelyes adioyned therunto / set forth by the reuerend father in God, Edmunde Byshop of London ...

〈◊〉〈◊〉 Thexposition or declaration of the tenthe commaundement whyche is.

Thou shalte not couet thy neygheboures house, nor desyrethy neighboures wyfe, nor hys seruaunt, nor his mayden, nor hys oxe, nor his asse, nor any thing that is his.

FOr the better vnderstandyng of this tenthe, and last commaundement, ye shall note, that as the fyfte commaū∣dement (whyche is the fyrste of the se∣cond table) vnder the names of father and mother are vnderstanded al supe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rs, and as in the syxt commaundemente, vnder the name of kyllynge, is vnderstanded all wrathe & reuengynge, and as in the seuenth commaundement vnder the name of adulterye, is vnderstande all vn∣chaste lyuynge, and as in the eyght commaundement vnder the name of thefte is vnderstande al deceitfull dealynge wyth our neighboures, and fynallye as in the ninth commaundement, vnder the name of false wytnes, is vnderstande all misuse, and vntrue vse of our tounge. So in thys tenth and last commaūde mente vnder the name of desyrynge of an other mans wyfe, seruaunte, and goodes, is vnderstande all ma∣ner of euyll; and vnlawefull desyre of anyething. Yea and as in thys precepte all euyll desyres are forbyd∣den, euen soo in the same are imployed and commaun

ded al good desyres, and the perfect obedience of our heartes vnto Gods wyll in all payntes, whyche al∣thoughe we shall not fullye and absolutelye, attayne vnto, whyle we be in thys lyfe, yet thys commaun∣dement doth bynde vs to enforce and endeuour oure felte there vnto by continuall fyghtynge and resyst∣ing agaynst concupiscence & euyll lustes or desyres, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as by them man is contynuallye tempted to euyll dede and vytyouse lyuynge, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wytnesseth Saynt James in the fyrste chapyter of his Epystle where he sayeth thus. Nemo cum tentatur, dicat quoniam a deo tentaturdeus enim intentator 〈◊〉〈◊〉 est, ipse autem neminem tentat, Vnusquisque vero 〈◊〉〈◊〉, a concupiscentia sua abstractus, et illect us, de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 concupiscentia cum conceperit, paret 〈◊〉〈◊〉. That is to saye: Let no man say when he is tempted to euyll that he is tempted of God, for god temptethe not to euill, neither tempteth he anye man, but euerye man is tempted, drawne, and al∣lurcd of hys owne concupyscence. Than whan concupiscence 〈◊〉〈◊〉 conceyued, it bryn∣geth fourthe synne. This concupyscence (wherof the apostle Saynte James doth speake, whyche is a motion, stirringe prouokynge, or alluringe of man to synne) is routed in man from his infancye, and con∣tynually doth remaine in hym, more or lesse (duryng the hole state of thys mortall lyfe) be he neuer soo per∣fyte, and yet is it no synne, so longe as he doethe not delyte therin, and consent therevnto. And therfore it is wrytten in the seuententh chap. of Ecclesiasticus,

in thys maner. Post concupiscētias tuas non eas, That is to say.

Doo thou not goe after thy concnpys∣cences, and in the same chapter it foloweth. Si prae∣stes animaetuae concupsicentias eius, faciette in gaudium inimicis tuis. That is to saye. If thou perfourme or fulfyl to thy soule her concupiscences, or lustes, she wyl make the to be a reioysyng stocke to thy enemyes. So that though we do feele in oure sel∣ues a motion or suggestion to 〈◊〉〈◊〉, eyther by euyl thoughtes remembraunce, sighte, hearyng, smelling, tastyng and touchyng, or by anye euyll counsayles, geuen vnto vs by our enemye, or any other, yea and though we begynne to haue some pleasure in the said motion or suggestion, yet yf we doo incontynentelye refrayne our wyl, so that it do not consent or graunte therevnto, we then not onelye doo not commytte anye deadely synne, but we please God, in so resistyng and suppressyng such concupyscence, and by thys ma∣ner of resistynge, we shall also put to flyghte oure ene∣mye the deuyll in hys most crafty or violent assaultes agaynste vs, accordynge to the comfortable encora∣gynge and promyse of almyghtye God, declared by hys Apostle Saynte James, in the fourthe chapter of hys Epystle, where it is wrytten. Resistite diabolo & 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉. Appropinquate deo & appropinquabit uobis. That is to saye: Resyste the deuyll, and he shall, or wyll flye from you, drawe you neare or approche to God and he wyll approche vnto you.

And agreable herevnto sayeth Saynte Paule

in the, vi, chapyter of hys epystle to the Romaynes. Let not synne reigne in your mortall bodye, that you obey the concupiscences thereof.

But here may be moued a question, what shoulde be the cause that cōcupiscence beyng the mother and nouryce of synne, shoulde remayne in a chrysten man or woman, after baptysine or penaunce, howe good howe holy, or perfecte, soeuer they be, seyng it semeth to be an impediment to do the lawes of God perfect∣lye and full force to be agayne the wyll of good folke, who woulde fayne be quite of it, and canne not, and therefore doe lament and mourne daylye for the con∣tynuall encombraunce they haue by it: for aunswere to whych question no doubte ye shall knowe that al∣myghtye God by hys ryghteous iudgemente and in∣finite wysedome doeth permitte concupiscens to re∣mayne in vs after Baptysme, and penaunce, not for oure euyll or bynderaunce, but for oure good and furderaunce, not to oure destruction, but to be to vs an occasion of saluatyō. For none shalbe crouned in heauē with honor & glorye, excepte in thys lyfe they gette the victorye. 2 ad Timoth. 2. and vyc∣torye they can not get excepte they fyght stoutly and manfully, and no man doth fyght but wyth hys ene∣my. So yf there be no enemye there is no battayle, yf no battaile, no victorye, yf no vyctory, no Crowne, for thys cause god hath permytted concupyscence to re∣mayne in vs, that we through grace ouer commynge the same, maye obteine the crowne of glory in heauē. And y^t you may the better auoyde y^e daunger of con∣cupyscence (being alwayes so busye w^t men) we wyll

here declare vnto you foure specyall meanes greately aydyng to the auoydyng of the sayde daunger. The fyrste is to vse earnest prayer, the second to forbeare al occasions of synne, as to flye euyll companye, and to haue regarde to the vse of oure senses, by whyche as by wyndowes death dothe enter into oure soule, ar∣cordynge to the saying of Job, in his. xxxi. chapter. Pepegifoedus cum oculis meis ut ne cogitarem quidem de uirgine.

That is to say. I haue made a couenaūte wyth myne eyen, that I woulde not once thynke of a Uyrgyn. The thyrde is to tame our fleshe and to kepe it vnder, and brynge it vnto bondage, accor∣dynge to the example of Saynte Paule, declarynge in the ninth chapyter of hys fyrste pystle to the Corin∣thyans where he sayth of hym selfe thus. Subigo corpus meum, & in seruitute redicd, ne cum alijs predicem, ipse reprobus efficiar. That is to saye. I chastyce or tame my bodye, and bryng it in subiection or bondage leaste whyle I preache to other I my selfe become a cast awaye. The fourth is to auoyde Idlenesse, for Idle personnes are ful of lustes and cōcupiscence. And as it is wrytten in the. xxiii, chapyter of Ecclesy∣asticus. Multam malitiam docuit 〈◊〉〈◊〉. That is to saye: Idlenes hath taughte much euyll. As maye well be exemplyfyed in Sodoma, of whyche it is wrytten in the, xvi. chapter of Ezechyell. Beholde thys was the iniquitie of Sodom thy syster pryde, saturitie, or eatynge to the full, exces∣syue wealthe, and the ydlenes of her, and her

doughters. And here you shall note that when we aduyse you to flye euyll companye and Idlenes, we imploye therin that you shoulde alwayes haunte the companye of honest and godlye personnes, and also euer to be ententiuelye occupyed in some vertuous ex excyse or meditation. And by y^e waye we thynke thys good to note agayne vnto you as cōcernynge concu∣pyscence, that al be it not to haue it at al in thys lyfe, is a thinge to vs impossible, yet to consent vnto it, or by the grace of God to dissent from it, is a thing wel possyble vnto vs. And in dede to dissent frō or resyste concupiscence we owghte to the vttermooste of oure power, and vsyng the specyall meanes before rehear∣sed or some of them, we by the grace of GOD shalbe hable so to doo. And to procede further concernynge the declaration of this tenthe commaundemente, ye shall knowe, that all they be transgressoures of thys commaundemement who by delyberatiō and ful con sent, doo cast, or set theyr myndes, and bartes, to ac∣complyshe the concupyscence, and desyre whych they haue to obteyne, and gette vnlawefullye an other mans wyfe chylde, seruaunt, house, lande, cattayle, or any thyng that is theyr neyghboures. Secōdlye also they doo transgresse thys commaundement, who through enuy be sory for theyr neyghboures wealth & prosperitie, or be glade of theyr sorowe hynderaunce or aduersitie. Thirdelye and fynally all they do trans∣gresse and breake thys tenth commaundemente who doonot sette theyr myndes and studyes to preserue maynetaine, and defende vnto theyr neygheboures, as muche as in them lyeth, theyr wyues, chyldren,

seruauntes, houses, landes, goodes, and all that is theyr neyghboures. And thus endeth the tenne com∣maundementes wyth theyr expositions, whyche al∣myghtye God graunte that we maye obserue and kepe, for then we shalbe sure to haue the kyngedome of heauen and to lyue eternally in ioye and felicitie.