A breefe methode or way teachinge all sortes of Christian people, how to serue God in a moste perfect manner written first in Spanishe, by a religious man, named Alphonso ; and reduced owte of Latin into English in manner of a dialogue for the easier vnderstanding and capacities of the simpler sorte, by I.M.

THE SECOND INSTRVC∣tion, of two manners how to serue god, & how Man is bounde vn∣to them. CAP. 3.

THere be two sortes of seruinge god said Alphonso, & two waies in lyke manner are we bounde to serue him. The sirste is in the ob∣seruing of godds commaundementes, which we are all bounde to kepe vn∣der paine of eternall damnation to hell fyre. The second is more perfect, & is this, that (forsakinge all earthlye thinges, and withdrawinge our hartes from the loue thereof) we caste oure affection wholly vpon our heauenlye Father which is an infinite goodnes, & in all thinges laboure to be of the same spirit & will with him, accordinge to the example which our Sauioure the naturall Sonn of God left vs whiles he serued here on earth, not for any nede of his owne, but to instruct vs how we

ought to serue our Lorde. This way Christ taught the yong man which had kept the commaundementes when he said, If thou wilt be perfect, geue all thou hast to the poore, & com & folow me. How are Christians bounde to this manner of seruice said Probus?

Not vnder payne of eternall damna∣tion said Alphonso, as in the first way, but by a Law of frendshipp with god of equity & gratitude, wherein all the children of God that woulde not be reckned base-minded, vngratefull, & foolish, should moste carefully keepe them selues, that they may appere the worthy children of so graceous a Fa∣ther. For to all it is geuen in com∣maundement, that we loue our Lord with all our soule, with all our hart, with all our minde, and with all our strength. And to all he said: Be you perfect as your heauenly Father is.

As he deserueth much blame that go∣ing to som place for dispatch of som weightie & necessary affaires, & neg∣lecting & leauing the thing he wente to doe, trifleth away his tyme in vyle

sportes & abiect thinges: so likewise is he much blame worthy, that being borne into this world to serue the high maiestie of God with all his powers & abilities, (which seruice is most due vnto God, & most profitable to the seruant) yet omittethe it because it is not commaunded him vnder paine of death, bestowing him self in the mean season, in a meaner and more abiecte kynde of seruice, mixed with muche worldly vanitie, that most swiftly pas∣seth away, & bringethe with it much euill. And albeit God haith left it in our free choice and curtefye, yet the bound of frendshipp, equitie & grati∣tude, requireth that we endeuoure to serue him (to whom all honour and seruice is most due) in the best man∣ner we are able. The first way to serue God said Probus, is plame & manifest to all Christians, but the other apper∣teyneth onely to you Eremites, to re∣ligious persons, and Clargie men.

As the first said Alphonso, is com∣mon to all Christians, & taught eue∣ry where: so there is no Christian but

he may be taught, learn, & performe the seconde. I can hardly think so said Probus, for we may not all forsake the world & cast all our hartes vpon this perfect seruinge of God you speake of. No person said Alphonso, is made a Christian, before he first solemnly renownce the worlde, with all the pompes & vanities thereof, & yelde him self to the obedience & seruice of God. And therefore the profession, not onely of Ermits, religious persons & Priestes: but of all true Christians also, is to forsake the world, & serue their Lord with all they are & haue. For as I said God created man for this ende, & for all temporall & earthly things, no man doth rightly vse them or can haue them, but to his excee∣dinge harme, vnlesse he turne them wholly to the seruice, & honoure of his Lorde, whose in truth they be & not mannes but for a litle tyme to vse as god haith ordeyned & commaun∣ded, which seruice we ought to yeld to God, not onely in keping his ge∣nerall commaundements, but in the

perfectest manner, as Christ our Lord by his owne exawple haith taught vs all. And this seconde is that, which now I purpose to teach you, that is, how ryche men, artificers, & all sorts of people, may serue their Lord and God most perfectlye. This will be most comfortable to vs of the world said Probus, but it semeth a most dif∣ficult thing to be done.