A declararation [sic] of the twelue articles of the christen faythe with annotations of the holy scripture, where they be grounded in. And the righte foundation and principall comon places of the hole godly scripture, a goodly short declaration, to all Christians profitable and necessarye for to come to the right vnderstondynge of holy Scripture compyled for the commodite of al christen people. By D. Vrbanum Regium.

Ryches. [ 37]

Ryches is a good creature of god, and an instrument of vertue.* 1.1 Wher∣fore doth then the holy Scripture call them thornes? Item Christe sayth. It is harde for a ryche man to enter into the kyngdome of heauen, it is

easier for a camell to go throughe the eye of a nedle, then for a ryche man to enter into the kyngdome of God. Answer. Al be it that ryches in it sel∣fe is a creature of God, and good, yet are we of nature enclyned to al euill. Therfore when we haue occasyon to synne,* 1.2 we be very swyfte, and can not withholde, and tame our selues. A man maye haue muche goodes well ynoughe, and yet for all that come to heauē, as Abrahā, Iob, Namaā of Sy∣ria, were also in great possessyons, but yet ryghteous, reasonable and godfe∣aryng menne.

Therfore is ryches not prohibited, but the misvsyng there of is prohibi∣ted, & the couetousnes, that is, the inor¦dinate and vncomely desyres towar∣des the goodes,* 1.3 for it is an Idolatry. He is properly called ryche in the scri¦pture, that putteth hys truste and con¦fidence in hys goodes, and hath hys pleasure, ioye and pastyme therein. As the ryche man sayed.* 1.4 My soule, thou haste muche goodes layed vp in store for many yeres, take thyne ease,

eate, drynke, and be mery. Thereof is it written in the Psalme, Lo,* 1.5 thys is the man that toke not God for hys strengthe, but trusted vnto the multi∣tude of hys ryches.* 1.6 And in another Psalme, he heapeth vp rychesse, and can not tell who shall gather them,

Euen suche persons trust not god, they thynke, that yf they shoulde not mistruste and be carefull, the corne & wynes shoulde not growe in the fel∣des, & yet see well ynoughe, that with all theyr thought and care they be not able to put one cubite vnto their statu¦res. They be heathen,* 1.7 and knowe not the care, prouidence, & grace of God.

Two thynges doth the Scripture speake and touche concernyng ryches First it is daungerous to medle with them.* 1.8 The scripture calleth thē thor∣nes. He must nedes haue a fayre gra∣ce of God, that doth not prycke hym selfe beynge amonge thornes. They be wytche, blynde, and hynder a man very sore. A certaine Iewe came vnto Christe, whiche was counted before the worlde a ryght honest man. But

when Christe woulde teache hym the perfection, and bad hym forsake hys goodes and possessyōs, he went away mournynge, for he had great possessy∣ons, Then sayde Christ vnto hys di∣sciples,* 1.9 with what difficultye, shal thei that haue ryches, enter into the kyng∣dome of God. The goodes are loued and man is blynded.

Secondarely, the Scripture doth not therfore denye the kyngdome of heauen vnto the ryche, but onelye she¦weth them the daunger, and ieopar∣dye thereof, and warneth them fayth∣fully, that they shoulde not suffre the goodes to be theyr mayster, and Lord, and haue none euyll concupiscence, after that which is temporal.* 1.10 And yf ryches do increase vnto them, that they shoulde not sette theyr hertes v∣pon them, and make an Idoll thereof. The ryche man in S. Luke shoulde be a warnynge vnto them.* 1.11 Verely the spirite of God, which knewe very wel the perilles & daungers thereof, saith in sayncte Paul on thys wyse.* 1.12 They that wil be ryche fall into temptation

and snares, and into many foolyssh & noysome lustes, which drowne men in perdicion and destruction. For coue∣tousnes is the rote of all euyl, whiche whyle some lusted after, they erred from the fayth, and tangled them sel∣ues with many sorrowes.

In the end of the same Epistle, ge∣ueth he vnto the ryche a very goodly rule to lyue by, and fayth. Charge thē that are ryche in thys worlde, that they be not excedyng wyse, and that they truste not in the vncertayne ry∣ches, but in the lyuynge God, whiche geueth vs aboundantly all thynges to enioye thē, and that they do good, and be ryche in good workes, and rea∣dy to geue and to distribute, layenge vp in store for themselues a good foū∣dation agaynst the tyme to come, that they may obtayne eternal lyfe,* 1.13 Men can not serue God & Mammon toge∣ther.* 1.14 Reade in the preacher of Salo∣mon of the ryche men of thys worlde.

Whosoeuer doth medle moche with goodes by the way of marchādy¦se, customes or other wyse, latte hym remembre that he medleth with

thornes, and forgette not the brother∣ly loue, but accordynge to the lawe of nature, as he would that men shoulde deale with hym truely and vprightly so let hym deale with hys neyghbou∣re.* 1.15 Vvhatsoeuer ye woulde that men shoulde do to you,* 1.16 euen so do ye to them. Thys is the lawe and the Pro∣phetes.* 1.17 Geue, and it shalbe geuen vn¦to you, sayth Christe. Lende, lokynge for nothynge agayne, and youre re∣warde shalbe greate, and ye shal be the chyldren of the hyest.* 1.18 Item in the fyfte boke of Moyses sayth the lawe. Tourne not thyne eyes from thy poo¦re brother handle not deceatfully and craftely with hym in hys necessities, that thy Lorde God maye blesse the alwayes, and in all thynges that thou goest aboute or takest in hande.* 1.19 Geue vnto thy brother no money vpon vsu∣ry.

O Lorde God why do men rage so vnmanerly and abhominable for the temporall goodes, seyng, thei mu∣ste shortely departe from them, when they dye. They can not preserue them

from death what shoulde it profite a man,* 1.20 though he shoulde wynne all the hole worlde yf he loose his owne sou¦le. Christe warneth you fatherly, in Mathewe and sayeth.* 1.21 See that ye gather you not treasure vppon the earth, where ruste and mothes corru∣pte, and where theues breake through and steale. But gather ye treasures to¦gether in heauen, where nether ruste nor mothes corrupte, and where the∣ues nether breake vp, nor yet steale. For where so euer youre treasure is, there will youre hertes be also.

It can not well be done, to followe the naked Christe, and to beare his crosse where as so greate ryches and all plentie doth abounde.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luc. viij Matth. xix
• * 1.2

  Ge. viij
• * 1.3

  Ephe. v
• * 1.4

  Luc. xij.
• * 1.5

  Psa. lij.
• * 1.6

  Psalm. xxxix
• * 1.7

  Mat. vi
• * 1.8

  Ryches∣se.
• * 1.9

  Matth. xix Mar. x. Lu. xviij
• * 1.10

  Psa. lxij
• * 1.11

  Luce. xij
• * 1.12

  i. tim. vi
• * 1.13

  Mat. vi
• * 1.14

  Ecclesi. v.
• * 1.15

  Tob. iiij
• * 1.16

  mat. vij.
• * 1.17

  Luce. vi
• * 1.18

  Deute. xv.
• * 1.19

  Deute. xxiij. & xxiiij.
• * 1.20

  Matth, xxvi.
• * 1.21

  Mat. vi