is greiuous to be depriued the communion of Sayntes But to be caste out from the fruition ioye of Gods presence is most lamentable The Mary-golde flower another which may be called Follow-suÌ„ne whiles the cherfull sunne shynes vpon them doo alwayes turne themselues towardes his beames moouing their heades after his course from East to west and whiles they feele his comfortable heate they remayne open beautifull fresh but so soone as the sunne is downe or couered with a sharpe storme or great thicke clowde they close shut vp their stowers they hang downe their heades or altogeather wither if they long wante his presence as in winter O Iesu thou arte my eternall sunne I am this fading flower yet if I will followe the as thou wilte neuer go downe so I shall neuer dâ—caye o let me euer be turned toward thy face 7 Pliny writes of a birde named Coladion which brought to a sicke body if she willingly looke directly vpon him there is much hope of life but if she turne away her eye and would not see him it is a signe of death O Iesu beholde me for my soule is sicke if thou turne away thy face from me I must needes dye for only in thy presence is true life Iob was an eye to the blinde as that sea fish Squilla doth serue for eyes vnto another shellfish called Pina O Iesu kepe me in thy presence and fixe thy face vpon me according as thy prophet Zachary said Our lord is the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel As Ester with Assuerus let me find grace in thyne eyes O lord cast me not out from thy face least so I should wante thy fauour thy guydance and thy defence for euen among men we fasten our eyes vpon another either for loue or for gouernement or for protection O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of fauorable loue O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of directing gouernement O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of protecting defence so shall I reioyce in thee as my kind Patron I will obey thee as my prudent Tutor and I shal be safe with thee as my allmighty Capteyn AMONG SVNDRY OTHER GIFTES OF the holy Ghoste let vs inparticuler labour to be thankefull and to be constante Sect. 4. 1. ANd thy holie spirite doo not take from me I am a penitent and yet I presume to suppose I haue thy holy spirite whose effectes I desire may be encreased not diminished It is an effecte of thy holy spirite to be displeased with sinne for wickednes is a delighte to an vncleane spirite As therfore by this gifte of thy spirite I am come thus farre forwarde to dislike my former sinnes and to seeke pardon so I beseech the not to take froÌ„ me because of my vnworthynes that little which I haue but rather in thy goodnes to giue me yet more whatsoeuer I wante No man can call our lorde Iesus but in the holie ghoste To name him in worde they may but not to beleue in him loue him with their harte aboue any thinge in this worlde this none can doo without the holy spirite which is a spirite or inward breath of holynes no more then any can vocally speake without the breath of ayre O Iesu I beleue helpe my fainte beleefe O Iesu I loue increase my colde charity The small loue poore faith which I haue doo come from thy holy spirite O take not this holie spirite from me thou hast giuen it freely o encrease it graciously 2. In vertue memory of our deare Sauiours fiue woundes some vse to pray to the holy ghoste in fiue wordes 1. Veni come 2. purga cleanse 3. Reple fill 4. Accende inflame 5. Perseuera Continue Come with thy inspirations Cleanse by expulsion of sinne Fillfull with abundance of grace inflame with heat of thy loue and continue all these vnto the end all are necessary good but without perseuerance no vertue is crowned I haue begun in the spirite let me not end in the fleh O take not thy holie spirite from â—e 3. It is a question among schoolmen which is most bound to allmighty God One who was euer innocent or one truly penitent Some doo resolue it thus Innocens maiora debet sed poenitens magis debet Innocency is a greater benefite and so he is in debted for a better gifte But penitence is more difficulte and allso a demerited or disdeserued vertue for which therfore such a one is indebted so much more To preserue one alwayes innocent is to doo good vnto a man not ill To drawe a sinner to repentance is to doo good to an ill man The first did neuer merite his innocence but the other had demerited his penitence Allso it is easyer for him to go forward who is sounde standing on foote then for him who is sicke fallen vnder foote And finally Innocence is a Iewell of more price in the substance and penitence of more value for the workemanship wherfore the one owes more vnto God for being reserued in excellency and the other because he is deliue red with such difficulty 4. And as both procede of mercy vndeserued so if they doo not continue in perseuerance neither of them shal be crowned The fayre blade of corne must come to a good eare to a full kernell to a seasonable haruest to yeildable flowre The beautifull blossome must growe to a welâ— set budde and continue to a kind ripe fruite Saint Paul saying There is reserued for me a crowne of iustice Saint Bernard enquireth what proportion betwene our eternall reward our merites of a few yeares and allso what iustice of rewarde can be due to vs who receiue all of mercy Doubtles becauses our merites procede of his mercy and so doth not mercy exclude merite or iustice but rather vpholde them And as sinners are eternally punished for offending an infinite maiesty so iust men thirsting after righteousnes do merite an eternall crowne of iustice for if they were immortall on earthe they would perpetually serue God And being once sincerely penitent with S. Augustin they would so abandon all their sinfull pleasures that from the instante of their repentance they shoulde no more returne vnto them for euer euer such must be the purpose of a true conuerte for euer to caste of sinne least at any time he be caste out from the face of God and for euer to take care of perseueranae least at any time he loose the holy spirite which he hath receiued for so eternall iustice will giue him an eternall rewarde herin proportionable to his eternall purpose and care to serue God 5. Not like those peicemeale penitentes who still reserue some sinne nor those changeable conuertes who are weary euery moone or such as for a time cease to sinne for a lent for a sicknes for a good sermon or by any such present admonition but
by mans penaltyes and by our Lordes chastisements yea such is the misery of sinne that one sinne is the punishment of another and many times of it selfe though not directly by it selfe yet by accident indirectly first because when by former sinne we caste from vs Gods grace giuen or offred he then leaueth vs to our owne corrupte weakenes to Sathan the worldes forcible tentations whose continual batteryes whiles without grace we cannot resiste we doo afterwardes justly fall captiues vnto many sinnes who by some former faulte did rejecte his grace so vnkindly 2. there are some sinnes which are punishments both offormer faultes of themselues not only in their effectes as prodigality hath for his followers wante and robberye but allso in their very actions some are a payne vnto themselues eyther inwardely as enuy anger doo vexe their owne maysters or outwardly when men doo passe much labor perill or coste to effecte some sinnes As Plutarche saith men adjudged to be crucifyed or to other tormentes were forced first to beare their owne crosses or such other instruments of theyr owne execution so sinners by sinne it selfe doo here begin their owne payne damnation and so they confessed who the wiseman saith were in hell lassati sumus in via iniquitatis we were tyred wearyed in our way of iniquity 5. Wherfore among so many miseryes should we not often crye miserere haue mercy in respecte of sinnes punishing themselues one another by outward toyle danger losse by inward feare remorse vexation by depriuing vs of Gods grace leauing vs to our owne concupiscence miserere for we are guilty out of order against God against men against our owne conscience miserere to bring backe our Will eâ—ring in darkenes to cleare our Vnderstanding shadowed with blemishes to repayre our giftes of grace decayed by frailtyes miserere haue mercy by reuiuing the seedes of vertue remoouing the hindrances customes of Vice miserere restoring vs to justice which we lost forfeyted inclyning encreasing vs in holynes which we forsooke diminished and finally miserere preseruing vs in substance of soule body from sufferance of payne vnto fruition of glory for in all these viz by corruption of nature by deformity of soule by guyltines of punishment we are all miserable therfore in all these o blessed Iesu miserere haue mercy OTHER WRETCHED EFFECTES OF sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. SAlomon saith that sinne maketh people to be miserable and S. Augustin defyneth sinne to be Deedes wordes or desires which be against the eternall lawe of God which are made mortall sinne when we adde vnto any of these a full consent of our will with auersion or forsaking of God Consider then o my soule in what estate thou arte when thou abydest in sinne If in our lorde be all happynes and to be in fauour with him be our felicity o how great wretchednes is it to forâ—ake his loue to fall into his hate But Esay said our sinnes deuide betwene him vs and both Salomon Dauid affirme that he hateth all who worke iniquity wherfore S. Chrysostome said I judge it to be harder more intolerable then a thousand hell fyres to be hated of Christe to heare him say I knowe you not it were better to endure a thousand thumderboltes then to see his face of mildenes to be turned from vs or enraged against vs for the eye which vseth to be fauorable when it becometh fierce is most terrible 2. Alas o lorde we haue forsaken thy infinite goodnes we haue loste thy inestimable fauour wherfore to free vs from thy hate restore vs to thy happynes miserere haue mercy Haue mercy not only for the good which by sinne we doo loose but allso in respecte of the euill which for it we doo suffer because many are the whippes of a sinner for sinne the earthe was cursed to bring forthe thornes the woman cursed to beare children in payne and man was cursed to eate his bread with labour Vpon sinners our lorde rayneth snares fire brimstone and the spirites of tempestet are in the portion of his cuppe his very prayers are turned into sinne and his table is a snare vnto him all wickednes is as a sharpe two edged sworde 3. But if we be neither mooued with loue of goodnes nor with feare of wrathe I knowe not whither we be more miserable who must suffer the punishment or blockish who will not see to auoyde the faulte yet let vs consider the nature of sinne which is contrary to our nature we were created doo desire to enioy liberty but sinne maketh vs slaues and the wiseman saith Euery sinner is bounde in the fetters of his owne sinnes We naturally abhorre hell the diuell deathe but sinne caused the very angells offending to be throwne downe from heauen to be reserued in the chaynes of hell S. Augustin saith that euery sinner selles his â—oule to the diuel taking for his price the sweetnes of some temporall delighte nay S. Chrysostome calleth euery sinner a certeyn willing diuell a self-willed madnes And as for death which we so much feare the scripture saith that they which committe sinne doo kill theyr owne soules we knowe it were horrible to murder our Father but to murder thy selfe it is more damnable wherfore as the wiseman sayd take mercy on thine owne soule pleasing God which then we doo when penitently we say vnto him miserere haue mercy 4. What shoulde I say of sinne tormenting the conscience offending the communion of Sayntes among men it is a discredite among Christians it causeth excoÌ„munication and S. Basil doth write that as smoke driueth bees from their hiues and loth some smells driue pigeons from their houses so from the custody of our persons â—l sauoring sinnes driue away our holy Angells And is not euery inordinate minde a penalty to it selfe as S. Augustin auoucheth for couetousnes gripes pride swells enuy consumes concupiscence inflames luxury stingeth gluttony stinketh dronkennes besotteth sclander scratcheth ambition vndermyneth it selfe iniuryes gette hatred discorde teareth anger burneth lighte heades are neuer quiet idlenes is wearisome lazynes combreth hipocrysie deceiueth his owne harte flatterye giues himselfe the lye in his owne throate O miserable sinnes which make men so wretched which seldome come alone without seauen worse diuells folowing them which make our present prayers not purposing amendment to be rejected which cause all our good deedes paste not to be regarded which are so hardly cured because they are not so easily as we thinke repented In time therfore o lord with the first worde of this psalme against all these for-meÌ„tioned miseryes we humbly hartily crye miserere haue mercy OF THE NAME AND NATVRE OF GOD who he his vvhat we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. 1.
perseuerance and glorification what can we render for so great goodnes Let vs agayne agayne euery day receiue this cuppe of saluation call vpon the name of our Lorde First after some conuenient preparation for so great a sacrifice let vs beginne with Confiteor and kyrie eleyson c. to acknowledge our fall in Adam and to accuse our owne sinnes 2. to laude prayse our Sauiors Goodnes redemption with Gloria in excelsis or Sanctus Sanctus c. 3. To professe our constant Catholique faith by the Gospell Creede 4. At the Consecration eleuation by adoring remembring our Sauior his passion to offer sacrifice homage 5. in the Collectes mementos to make our petitions prayers for our selues others according to our necessityes deuoute desires 6. with the Pâ—ter noster to beginne with the Pax Agnus Dei to prodeed and with Domine non sum dignus to accomplish the communion 7. lastly with the laste Collectes and Ite Missa est to giue all thankes in gratitude and to receiue the preistes Blessing with hope that what we haue offred prayed at the Altar shal be admitted granted in heauen throughe the mercy merites mediation passion of our swete Sauior Iesus who is our cheife preist our best Aduocate and our dearest sacrifice abundantly to procure vnto vs by his goodnes whatsoeuer he shall see to be necessary for vs in his wisedome 4. Thus O my soule let vs euery day consider reioyce beleeue obey worship wonder praye or giue thankes during all the time of the Masse Let vs consider the holy action we are about and our owne wretched vnworthy estate Let vs reioyes with the Angells all the hoste of heauen for our gracious deliuerance Let vs Beleeue what our lorde teacheth by his Churche and euer obey whatsoeuer he coÌ„mandeth Let vs worship him as Really Royally preseÌ„t and wonder at his infinite wisedome power goodnes who hath vouchsafed to leaue vs such a sacrament Let vs praye for his mercyes and supplyes to all our wantes and giue him most harty thankes for his admirable loue all his benefites O my harte canst thou holde in my body wheÌ„ thy Sauiour comes downe froÌ„ heauen vnto the Altar shouldest thou be wandring or dull whiles such a sacrifice is in the preistes handes or before thine eyes O sacrifice of iustice which as S. Augustin said significando causat gratiam O gracious Sauiour let it signifye and imprinte in our hartes the memory fruite of thy death passion therby in patience to order our life to prepare vs for death with ioyfullnes 5. Then wilte thou accepte oblations of secular people according to their deuotion and the whole burnte offringes of religious persons who renounce themselues and all they haue into thy peculiar obedience Then shall both these sortes be willing ready to lay calues vpon thine Altar that is saith Innocentius to suffer martyrdome for the Catholique faithe for which in this worlde we may be tormented sacrificed as vpon thy crosse or vpon thine Altar of payne or disgrace but Then in the next worlde we shall assuredly remayne with those martyred soules which S. Ihon saw in his reuelation to rest vnder thine Altar of quiet glory O gracious Sauiour I am of my selfe most vnworthy in any of these sortes to serue at thine Altar O sweete Iesu thou haste begonne among lay people to make me a little worthy If it be thy blessed will I humbly doo beseeche thee among religious persons or martyrs to make me more blessed O giue me this strenghte confirme me in this will Then if I willingly forsake the earthe for thee I shall in heauen â—â—ore speedily more certeinly for euer raigne with thee where with all Angells â—yntes o Lord let vs all offer the sacrifice of iust prayse yeilding the celestiall oblations of our bodyes incorruptible and the glorious immortality of our soules transported into an holocauste of heauenly zeale louing praysing and reioycing with all our harte with all our minde with all our soule that is in all our vnderstanding without any error in all our memory without any forgetfullnes and in all our will without any contrariety Thus euer let vs offer eternall sacrifice and alwayes enioye thy happy presence O blessed Sauiour this we beseech thee for thine owne precious merites and by the prayers of thy most deare Mother and all Saynts Amen Omnia Sanctae Romanae Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae submissa sunto FINIS A TABLE OF THE MEDITATIONS AND SECTIONS CONTEYNED IN THIS BOOKE MEDITATION I. Psalmus Dauid cùm venit ad eum Nathan Propheta quando intrauit ad Bersabee OF the occasion and number of this Psalme by Dauids example to beware of Lust. Sect. 1. OF witty plaine reprehensions and of the Authors lamentation of his former life Sect. 2. MEDITATION II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Ampliùs laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me A Short Diuision explication of all these words Sect. 1. The miserable effects of sinne are declared according to the Schoolmen And some short petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. Other wretched effects of sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. Of the Name Nature of God Who he is what we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. Sundry excellent obseruations of S. Bernard applyed to this Meditation of our Lords great Mercies multitude of Miserations Sect. 5. What mercy is of the effects Also how synnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 6. Of the great care we must vse to purge all sinne that we our selues must do heerin some diligence not standing idle to leaue all vnto Christ. Sect. 7. We must dayly proceede in zeale against all sinne in particuler against the sensualities of the flesh Sect. 8. MEDITATION III. Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco peccatum meum contra me est semper Tibi soli peccaui malum coram to feci vt iustificeris in fermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris HOw we must marke abhorre beware sinne as a trecherous and dangerous enemy Sect. 1. That euery one must acknowledge his owne faultes laying his hand on his own harte rather accuse himself then censure any other Sect. 2. It is necessary to remember harmes of sinne therby learning to amend take-heede of sinne Sect. 3. Diuers interpretations of these wordes Tibi soli Vnto thee alone c. Sect. 4. When we comitte sinne before our Lord And that he seeth not as man seeth Sect. 5. Of Diuers wayes by which our Lord is iustifyed and may be said to ouercome when he is iudged Sect. 6. MEDITATION
efficacy of thy generall medicin which is great mercy declare the variety of thy manifolde skill in multitude of miserations Thou arte miserator misericors pitifull in great mercy mercifull in multitude of pity in great mercy hauing the inwarde bowells of compassion and in multitude of pity shewing the outward actions fruites of commiseration I crye with that distressed man in the gospell if thou wilte thou canst make me whole thou canste by the greatnes of thy mercy thou wilte for the multitude of thy miserations Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to thy miserations blotte out my iniquity wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne 3. Miserere Shew mercy on me by blotting out the iniquity of my harte miserere by washing away the wickednes of my lippes miserere by cleansing all the sinnes of my handes By desire of blotting of washing of clensing I acknowledge my sinnes to be vgly and ill fauored to the eye to be filthy in the touche to be lothsome to the smel o cleanse this lothsomenes washe this filthynes blotte out this vglynes Beside these my sinnes are great in quantity many in number and diuerse in kinde o therfore let my great sinnes finde great mercy let my many sinnes haue multitude of miserations and being of sundry sortes I haue neede to be seuerally washed from my iniquity and clensed from my sinne from iniquity of commission and from sinnes of omission THE MISERABLE EFFECTS OF SINNE are declared according to the Scholmen and some shorte petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. 1. THe misery of sinne in generall is lamentable therfore let vs all cry miserere but my sinnes in particuler are abominable wherfore I must say miserere mei haue mercye on mee He must be allmighty who can be able to helpe our generall and lamentable misery and to succour me from my abhominable sinnes he must be one most merrcifull but who is so mighty in power and so mercifull in fauor excepte it be only thou O Lorde who arte the Creator of the worlde and the Redeemer of mankinde wherfore vnto thee I directe my prayer haue mercy vpon mee O God 2. All sinne is a separation of the soule from God as therfore the soule being separated from our body we are corporally dead so when by sinne we are separated from God then we are dead in soule Mortall sinne consistes in auersion from God doth separate vs totally veniall sinne doth also separate thoughe but in parte yet by remissenes it loseneth the feruor of our affection In mortall sinne we are dead therfore miserere haue mercye on a dead man in venial sinne we are as in a sound or a sicke fleepe therfore miserere haue mercy on a weake faynte man In mortall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth kill vs therfore miserere as on a man mortally wounded in veniall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth blemish vs therefore miserere as on a man with many spottes deformed yea so diuerse are the spottes of veniall sinnes that thoughe by Gods grace we can euer avoyde any one or all at someteine yet not euer at all times all veniall faultes and of this kinde it is said the iust man offendeth seauen times a day naming a certeyn number for an vncerteyne because more or lesse in many thinges we offend all therfore in our penance for them we must purpose in generall to diminishe them all to absteyne as much as we can from euery one in particuler thoughe we cannot from all in vniuersall and in our prayers against them we haue neede to say miserere o be mercifull to theses frailtyes blemishes of our life that in the merites bloud of our Lord Iesus we may haue all spottes at our death washed of our faces all teares wiped from our eyes 3. Whersoeuer there is misery there is neede of mercy but there is misery in all sinne 1. by Corruption of nature 2. by Deformity of the soule 3. by Guiltynes of punishment In nature we had 1. the essence or substance of our Being 2. An Inclination to vertue 3. the gifte of originall iuctice Our substance indeede and our Being is not corrupted nor diminished but our vertuous disposition is by sinne diminished and we haue quite loste our Originall justice And thoughe all our Vertuous inclination be not so quite rooted out but that there remayne in vs certyen seedes of morality yet according to our custome practise of sinne more or lesse we doo lay caste so many impedimentes as great stones vpon this roote that thoughe it retayne his nature hidden in the grounde yet as ouerburdened with sinne his sprowtes are so suppressed that seldome hardely it can bringe forthe true fruite of vertue vntill throughe Gods grace we remoue these hinderances The deformity of the soule is caused by the blottes spottes of sinne as spottes are blemishes of some comelynes so in the soule there is a double beauty blemished by sinne One is the clearenes of naturall reasō another is the brightnes of supernaturall light of wisdome grace but euer by sinne we doo blemish eyther one or both of these which spotte as the shadowe of a body keepeth off the lighte and as seuerall bodyes giue seuerall shadowes so seuerall blottes procede of seuerall sinnes as long as any body of sinne is betwene vs these lightes so long we shall be folowed with these shadowes spottes vntill we be illuminated by the brightenes of Gods mercy grace for thoughe the action of sinne cease wherby we did separate our selues from Gods lighte yet the blemish doth remayne which maketh the shadowe And as he who is departed into darkenes from a brighte place is not presently in lighte agayne so soone as he ceaseth to go but he must come backe or else remayne in the darke so before we can returne to the lighte which we loste it is not enoughe to cease from sinne so stand still but we must haue in our Will a contrary motion to that which before we had to come into the lighte of grace to proceede in the pathe of goodnes And these are our miserable deformityes 4. The misery of our guiltynes vnto punishment must needes folowe where the faulte is gone before for as when nature findes his contrary it labors to suppresse it so because sinne is opposite to order it should not be suffered Wherfore our will being subject to three orderly gouernors when it transgresseth against any of them it may be punished by them It is firste subject to our owne reason secondly to humane gouernement and thirdly to the order of Gods authority and accordingly when we offend against these orders of our reason of humane or of deuine lawes we are to be punished by the remorse and byting of our owne conscience
or nature which she inherited from Adam then any way belonging to any sinne in herselfe Or else thoughe grace had preuented destroyed all sinne in her soule yet it had not extinguished nor was conuenient to destroye the ordinary naturall qualityes of her body firste because enduring those she merited so much more in heauen secondly that it mightâ— appeare to the worlde she was a true humane creature of whose pure flesh our Sauiour tooke our true humane nature 5. If Originall sinne had polluted and possessed her she had bene during that time abhominable vnto God for such sinne and in bondage thervnto and so by it vnto Satan But was it meete that at any time she should be said to be odious to our lorde or that the diuell or sinne shoulde haue her subiect in their captiuity or defiled in pollution who was to be the mother of God himselfe Secondly if it were in our pouer would we not choose to be borne of the most vertuous vnspotted parents that we coulde And was it not in the power of God thus to prepare preserue his mother froÌ„ originall sinne if it were in his power doubteles he had will to doo it because out of question he caried extraordinary loue vnto her for thoughe primarily she merited not to be his mother but of his sole mercy he did chuse her not another yet hauing made this election he may be said afterward by his owne law of honoring parentes bound in dutifull loue to giue her all the honor merite possible wherof a pure creature mighte he capable Wherfore S. Bonauenture concludeth that in deede our lord could haue made for vs amore comely beautifull worlde but it is probable he could not make for himself a more excellent mother Thirdly it was inconuenient in regarde of himselfe that any blemish of originall sinne should defile her soule for the honor or dishonor of the parent redoundeth to the childe and so it had bene a diminution of his owne honor to haue bene the sonne of an impure mother 6. Fourthly S. Ihon Baptist was sanctified in his mothers wombe at the very voyce of her who had our Sauiour in her wombe is not she herselfe more worthy of a greater priuiledge in the same kind vidz the mother of God sooner then the messenger Fifthly S. Andrew the Apostle auowched and after him Theodoret that she excelled the cherubim and Seraphim in purity But how was this if she had originall sinne or how is she aboue the Angells in dignity and glory if she were inferior in purity and grace or is it meete that any meere creature should be more excellent or aboue the mother of God 7. Sixtly S. Augustin saith he would euer haue her excepted when he treated of sinne And as he judged it absurde to suppose that her flesh was eaten of wormes or corrupted in rottennes which had norished and giuen substance to the manhood of Christe and therfore he auowed and beleued her boody to be assumpted into heauen immediatly after her death according to her story and the tradition of the churche So me thinkes it is more inconuenient we should yeild him to be borne of flesh which at my time had bene subject to sinne for sinne is much more base then the wormes and pollution of soule is farre worse then any corruption of body Seauenthly I am sure if it were in the handes of any good ChristiaÌ„ to grante her this preheminence he woulde not deteyne it why then should he deny to beleeue it in his harte when it is permitted and commended as a probable and most pious opinion and when he woulde giue it her if he were able Eightly this pure conception of our blessed Lady hath bene manifested by diuerse reuelations to S. Brigitte which are amongest those that be approued And to Elpinus a Reuerend English Abbot the verity therof confirmed by S. Anselmus Archbish. of Canterbury and after his soleÌ„nization in England of the Feast of her pure conception it was firste permitted and since receiued in all Catholique cuntryes Thus doth the Catholique churche honor her And this hath bene permitted by seuerall Counâ—ells And resteth commended by sundry Popes Wherfore let vs confesse that as the first Adam was made of earthe before it was cursed with thornes or weedes so our Lord Iesus the second Adam tooke flesh of her flesh which was blessed and neuer cursed with any nettles of concupiscence or thornes of originall sinne 8. O holy Virgin more pure then the heauens They are moste cleare and yet but a generall habitation for Sayntes there to see God Thou werte a speciall tabernacle both to enterteyne God himselfe and to affoarde him parte of thy substance O how coulde that be at any time vncleane where he dwelled how could that be euer touched with sinne which he assumed The diligent Bees wil not harbour in an vncleane hiue but doth annoynte them with sweete moystures before they make their hony The cleanly Ermyne will rather be killed by the Huntesmen then to saue his life enter into any place which is filthy Much lesse will the pure wisdome of God dwell in a body subject to sinne as said wise Solomon wherfore he allso saith in the Canticles many Doctors applye it to our blessed Ladie Thou arte all fayre O my loe and in thee there is no spotte And therfore with the Catholique Churche let vs say in her seruice O holy and immaculate virginity I know not with what prayses to extolle thee because whom the heauens coulde not conteyne thou diddest maynteyne in thy bosome Blessed arte thou among women and blessed be the fruite of thy wombe Because whom the heauens coulde not conteyne thou diddest maynteyne in thy bosome O happy and sacred Virgin Mary O most worthy of all honor pray for the laity entreate for the clergy make request for all deuoute womankinde O let all sortes finde thy certeyn succor whosoeuer doo celebrat thy sacred Conception 8. O founteyn sealed vp for the water oflife let thy intercession helpe to quench in vs all coales of concupiscence O Garden of paradise well guarded to keepe the tree of life let thy prayers preserue vs from too much liberty of our senses and all loosenes of life O brightest glasse of Chrystall without any spotte obteyne for vs all clearenes of harte and body freed from all foule thoughtes or other fleshly pollution 9. O swetest rose of the valley fayrest Lily of the mounteyn o precious balme of Gilead and comely Cypres of Sion thy wonderfull beauty of face and rare comelynes of person were euer accompanyed with such modesty of countenance and sobriety of behauior and besides so blessed with an extraordinary grace that thy beauty neuer allured but abashed thy comelynes did not entise but amaze nor could any harbour an vnchaste thoughte whiles he behelde thy Virgins eye O let thy gracious eyes of chastity so looke downe vpon vs in
fauour and for vs so looke vp to thy Sonne in prayer that we may be always vertuously sober in our actions religiously ciuill in our speeches in our very thoughtes pure and chaste in all our conuersation All which we earnestly entreate for the all sufficient merites mercyes of our Sauiour thy Sonne and by the immaculate purity of thy conception THE MOST GRACIOVS AND WONDERfull remedyes of our originall sinne Sect. 7. 1. THus was our blessed Lady preuented with grace But how shall we be made cleane who are conceiued by such vncleane seede excepte only as Iob answered By thee alone o Lorde whose grace saith S. Paul doth superabounde our sinne For sinne came by man but grace is of more power as proceeding from God Sinne did not take away from vs all good nor bring vpon vs all euill But grace doth deliuer vs from all the euill wherinto we mighte fall and is sufficient to giue vs all the good we can desire Adams sinne brought a curse only to his descendentes and to the earthe But by the merites of Christe all creatures except the diuells who hate him eyther haue or may haue parte of his blessing For by him not only all mankind is redeemed but the good Angells are confirmed in their grace and euen these senceles creatures shal be renued in their nature 2. And in the saluation of our soule there is more force in Gods grace then in mans sinne for it is easie and we are prone to fall or to dye in sinne but we are lumpish heauie and it is exceeding harde to be raysed vp to life of grace wherfore grace is the stronger and the more worthy and therfore we are the more indebted considering how weake we are and how vnworthy And it is maruelous to consider the proportion betwene our sinfull misery and our gracious remedie As against originall sinne is appointed Baptisme to regenerate vs in grace from that wherin we were generated by nature that as infantes are defyled by meanes of Adams corruption without their owne facte so they are washed by meanes of Christes redemption without their owne helpe Children are spotted before they be aware of it and they are cleansed before they knowe of it In their conception vnwitting and in their baptisme ignorante We are raysed by others before we haue reason to aske helpe as by others we were caste downe before we had sense of our fall Or if some be of yeares of discretion before they be baptyzed as infidels conuerted or if christians after Baptisme become sinners and come agayne to repentance in the firste sorte the grace of baptisme takes away all sinne originall and actuall and all punishment eternall and temporall in both sortes there is first a iustification without foregoing merites quae fit in hominâ— which of God alone is effected in man and then a second iustification quam facit homo in which man doth his parte and hath following good workes In wâ—ich second iustice it is reason we follow Gods grace to performe some satisfaction and to obteynes merites as we had runne after our concupiscence to incurre guiltynes and suffer punishments 3. All our merites and all our good are deriued from God but our first iustice in our first conuersion doth so come from him alone that we are not so much guilty by Adam of originall sinne without our owne faulte as Christ alone doth iustifye vs from all sinne without our owne merite O greatnes O goodnes of grace more powerfull and more abundant then sinne O swete IESVS who doost in wisdome so answer iustice with mercy that neither doo we wante any fauour nor is the lawe vnsatisfyed in all rigor and euery pointe balanced with conuenient counterpeyse Sinners in Adam iuste in Châ—iste In our selues actually and really wicked throughe Christe truly and inherently iuste We were inthralled by our sinfull liues he redeemed vs by his holy death By his passion and sufferinges he satisfyed for our punishments and our good workes haue merite by the vertue of his actions 4. But to insiâ—te especially in his comparison with Adam His crosse stood vpon Adams graue there beginning life where death began By a tree we perished and we were ransomed on a tree He repayred his churche his beloued spouse by the water and bloud which issued out of his side dying as Eua the wife of Adam was taken out of his side sleeping and by that water he clenseth our spottes of sinne and by that bloud he purchased to vs the beauty of grace By occasion of a woman came a generall curse and a greater blessing by meanes of a woman wherfore Adam called the firste Eua. and we salute the second quite turning the same letters into Aue. The first man Adam loste all by ambitions pride because being but a man he aspired to be as God and the second man IESVS restored all by obedient humility who being in deed God yet descended to become a man ALL THE GVILTE OF ORIGINALL SINNE is quite forgiuen in Baptisme and the first motions of concupiscence are not sinne vntill we delighte or consent vnto them Sect. 8. 1. ANd althoughe our Sauiour in Baptisme haue cleared vs from all Guilte of originall sinne yet not during this life from all temporall punishment therof as not from Death hunger sicknes nor from all ignorance or motions of concupiscence And althoughe he hath freed vs from all punishment destroying our soule yet not from all punishment which may encrease our merite as they say sustulit omnem paenam destruentem non omnem paenam promonentem and so he hath lefte in vs these infirmityes of our motions in concupiscence of hunger sicknes and death to be as skarres and markes of our soare and woundes which are healed 1. to the intent that seing and remembring our hurte our helpe we should remayne thankefull and not forgetfull 2. to humble vs by consideration of these infirmityes who else would be proud 3. to exercise vs in diligence of mortification and in vigilance of prayers lest we should be negligent and careles 4. to affoard vs occasion of more merite and so to crowne vs with more glory 2. Or we may lay that he hath freede vs from all effectes and personall punishmetns of originall sinne which so perteyned to our persons that they would condemne our particuler soules but not from all naturall defectes which necessarily belong to our generall nature wherby we remayne in the estate of all mankinde for as a wise phisicyan he hath sufficiently cured euery mans particuler soule not quite changing his generall nature abundantly prouiding and in better sorte for our corrupte nature to be helped and preserued by grace rather then to extinguish this nature and to create another For he will saue the same which had offended which is greater mercy to vs and more power wisdome in himselfe And is it not more to preserue a vessell of glasse then of yron 3. I said he hath lefte vs
our spirite is olde or loste therfore must be renued And all these defectes are in our bowells euen in the principall inward partes of our nature if our eye be blind how great is our darkenes and when our bowells our cheife nature is faulty how great is our wickednes O God! create renue a harte a spirite cleane harte a righte spirite a cleane spirite a righte harte we haue neede of all in all our nature euen in our very bowells O furnish all our defectes Deus meus in quem deficio vt fortis sim as said S. Augustin O mie Iesu vpon whom I doo desire to relye and fainte that so fainting vpon him I maie be reuiued more strong 9. By cleansing my harte from all worldly filthynes thou shalte cheere it lighten it in thy loue and so I shall liue more cherfully for as no creature say philosophers can long liue without some sorte of loue so such as our loue is such is our life If we woulde haue our life pure at liberty glorious let not our loue be slauish corrupte or base O swete Iesu create in me a cleane harte of loue and because our soule is not mooued by paces of the feete but by affections of the harte therfore vnto this loue adde a righte spirite not to be as wicked men who walke in a circle but like Ezechiels beast which went righte onward turned not Allso a righte spirite euen in the bowells of our syncere intentions which as a direct winde at sterne may further and order all our actions holde all our courses streight for heauen TO BE CASTE OVT FROM THE FACE of God is to be caste into all misery Sect. 3. 1. NE proijcias me c. Doo not cast me out from thy face thy holie spirite doo not take from me Dionysius Areopagita vsed to say that our Lord Iesus comes to vs firste goes from vs laste for till we forsake him he doth neuer forsake vs. And as Innocentius tertius saith The holy Ghoste is taken from vs not so much when he ceaseth to be possessed as when he beginneth not to be possessed for he of himselfe ceaseth not to remayne with vs but we firste begin to dispossesse our selues of him for in the day time if any be blind the defecte is in the eye not in the sunne and lighte departeth not till darkenes come 2. Let vs consider o my soule with Ieremy how euill how bitter a thinge it is to haue forsaken our Lord God the faulte is euill the punishment is bitter It is euill because it is sinne which is the worste euill It is bitter in diuersity of the payne which in his sensible parte hath exterior fyre and an interiour worme which allso in his losse is worthely depriued of the presence of God whom we did forsake vnworthely O Iesu let vs neuer forsake thee of our owne frailty nor suffer our selues to be plucked from thee by any tentation least we deserue for euer to be caste out from thee whensoeuer we yeild or loue any thing else more then thee If thou turne awaie thy face of mercy all will be in confusion and from thy face of iustice whither shall we flye O illuminate thy countenance vpon vs and shew vs thy mercie thou arte our lighte our saluation 3. Dauid releasing Absoloms banishment gaue leaue he mighte returne to his owne house but with this commandement my face he shall not see Afterward Absolom complaynes to Ioab saying If my Father be still offended against me let him rather take my life then forbid me his face for it is a matter full of disgrace empty of comforte and wantes a cheife meanes to worke reconciliation because we are sooner mooued in fauour or in pity towardes those whom we haue much conuersante in our eye Wherfore o gracious Lorde caste vs not out from thy face thrust vs not out of thy fauor reiect vs not from thy mercy exclude vs not from thy sighte or knowledge exempte vs not from thy care or prouidence nor let vs be estranged from thy loue or contemplation O let vs neuer heare it said against vs Take awaie the wicked so that he neuer see the glorie of my face for so was Lucifer cast headlong out of thy presence as lightening from heauen and so shall all they be caste with violence from thy face to whom thou shalt say Go you cursed into eternall fire 4. It is miserable to be cast into captiuity bondage as our lord threatned the Iewes I will cast you from my face vidz into Babylon It is terrible to be throwne from an highe Clyffe or a steep mounteyn downe vpon rockes or stones as were those in the chronicles of whom the scripture saith crepuerunt they burste and cracked in peices with their fall It is most horrible intollerable to be reprobate from Gods presence and caste into hell and of such the scripture saith The soule of thine enimyes shal be tumbled as in a wheele or in a whirlewinde or as in the violence or circle of a slinge We beseech thee caste vs not into the miserable bondage of concupiscence or slauish passions nor into the terrible downefall of pride or ambition nor into the vnsufferable torments of future perdition or of present desperation for he sinnes against the holy ghoste who supposeth his sinnes to be greater then thy mercie which applyeth forgiuenes by meanes of the holie ghost and therfore from him who casteth himselfe into such finall desperation thou doost take awaie thy holie spirite O cast me not out by any of these from thy face and thy holie spirite in any sorte doo not take awaie from me 5. Origen saith that when our lord promiseth to looke vpon vs he promiseth all that is good for all our wellfare comes from his fauorable countenance O let vs not be Runnegates like Cayn from the face of God vpon the face of the earthe 1. to forsake God for the worlde But let vs beseech him to looke vpon vs like as he looked vpon S Peter and vpon that yong man in the Gospell whom when he saw he loued him to giue vs lookes of admonition that we may repent and lookes of fauour that we may reioyce To turne away his face of indignation from our sinnes whose faultes doo vrge him to iustice and yet not to caste our persons out of his presence because our misery may mooue him to compassion 6. To be caste out of our owne country by banishment is a ciuil death and it is an ecclesiasticall death to be caste out of the churche by excoÌ„muncation The first is next neighbor to death of body and the other to death of soule But to be caste out from the presence of God is more then both theâ—e for it is indeede the death it selfe both of body and soule It is irckesome to be debarred our owne natiue country and it
is dronkard a glutton or a luxurious person for whiles they pronounce that with their mouthes wherof they haue no sauour or delighte in their hartes they doo but counterfeyte or borrowe the mouthe of other true religious men who vtter with deuotion what these doo but pronounce for fashion like puppeets which speake by arte not by nature Rather excepte they woulde amend their liues it were better for themselues they should holde their tongues as Bias sayling in a shippe with certeyn maryners and passengers whose conditions he noted to be very vicious therfore in a storme which presently folowed when they all began to lifte vp their voyces crye vnto their Gods he earnestly desired them to holde their peace Silâ—te ne voshic nauigare Dij sentiant be silent least the Gods perceiue that you sayle here Meaning that the prayers of such companions woulde rather prouoke then appeaâ—e the wrathe of heauen 3. And so Dauid here desires firste to be freed from blouddes or sinnes and afterwarde he entreats for grace to haue his lippes opened for as it is in another psalme If I haue respecte to iniquity our lorde will not harken for how should I obteyne remission of sinne if yet I haue any intention still to sinne O lorde open my lippes o lord doo thou make me worthy doo thou make me able to pray vnto the and to prayse thee My tongue of it selfe is of no value it is only a small peice of flesh which yet according to his vse may worke great effectes maruelous good or extreme bad as Anacarsis being asked what was the best of man he answered the tongue And agayne being asked what was the worste he answered the tongue and therfore nature hath placed it in the close vaulte of our mouthe besette it with teeth as a percullice and our lippes are as the gates to the end that with such Guardes it should be warily kepte in for it must be carefully gouerned as the Rudder or sterne of a shippe the minute wheele of a clocke the trice or pully of a Crane And one compares it to a mattocke or pickaxe which may serue to dig a dungill or to worke in a myne of golde because our tongue may be an instrument to blaspheme sweare reuile sclander c. or to defend Righte to teach truthe to perswade vertue to pray vnto God for his mercy or to prayse him for his goodnes And so I desire o lorde thou wilte open my lippes my mouthe shall declare thy prayse ALL CREATVRES DOO PRAYSE OVR LORD by declaring his goodnes of necessity let vs yeild him all honor for loue and dutye Sect. 7. 1. WHat prayse shall we giue thee o God who diddest make man of the slyme of the earthe what honor shall we ackwoledge to be due vnto thee who hast redeemed vs being loste by the death of thy sonne in the firste we confesse thy gracious power inthe second we doo admire thy powerfull grace All the honor and prayse glory which possibly we can giue vnto thee is not to adde any thing to thy prayse or honor which thou haste in thy selfe infinite without our commendation But to declare some parte of thy glory and prayse which from all creatures is due vnto the. And hence it is that the heauens are said to declare thy glory and hence it is that vsually in thy honor we doo inuite all thy workes euen dumbe creatures to manifest thy prayses 2. All creatures O God doo declare thy prayse euen wicked men diuells whither they will or no they doo affoarde matter occasions to shew forthe thy iustice prouidence wisedome power goodnes long sufferance But betwixte these prayses of thy freindes and enimyes there is much difference for the one is willing the other vnwilling or the one is giuen of purpose the other drawne from them without their purpose or the one procedeth from the nature of their substances or order of their actions but the other especially from the loue of their will from the lighte of their vnderstanding and from the grace goodnes which is in them both O lorde giue my soule such grace and let this grace be diffused in my lippes to loue the honor thee in my harte and so with my mouthe to declare thy prayse O thus let me desire euer that my whole life and all my actions passions may be directed intended by thy loue vnto thine honor O let my harte burne in this loue and let the flames of thy prayse procede out of my mouthe to giue heate vnto others as well as feel warmthe in my selfe 3. And as it is the nature of great heate not so suffer our mouthe to be close shutte nor will we cease to prayse what we loue so contrarily the dead coldnes of sinne doth both quenche this heate and stoppe our mouthes and so will not suffer vs to prayse our lorde Thus S. Basil noteth that it is the nature of sinne to make vs tongue-tyed and to shutte vp our mouthes least we should be able to pray vnto God or to prayse him and else where Dauid saith obstructum est os loquentium iniqua they that speake wickednes their mouthes are euen stopped whiles they speake ALL OVR CONSIDERATIONS AND actions shoulde haue some relation vnto the prayse of God Sect. 8. 1. O Lorde open my lippes to take in breath of thy grace and my mouthe shall set forth thy prayse in wordes of thankesgiuing Thy honor glory O God shall be the scope and end of all my life my soule shall serue for thy prayse and my body shall herin helpe to serue my soule Because as Seneca said I am more noble and borne allso to a more noble end then to serue my bodie as a bruite beast But in my soules contemplation I will consider for thy greater honor thy omnipotency in creating thy prouidence in disposing thy vertue in finishing in preseruation of what is finished thy power in gouernement of what is preserued thy wisedome thy mercy in dooing good to all and thy iustice in punishing the bad These thinges I will consider in mine vnderstanding in my senses I will admire them reioyce for them in my will and with my voyce I will declare thy prayse 2. Saint Peter said this is one end why our lorde redeemed vs that we shoulde shew forthe his vertue And so a philosopher being asked why man was created he answeree to contemplate and beholde the heauens the deuine powers O my soule let vs endeuour thus to meditate on God by contemplation to knowe him by knowing to loue him by louing to possesse him by possessing to enioye him and in this ioye to prayse him O how wonderfull great are thy workes o lorde thy cogitations are exceding deepe an vnwiâ—e man will not knowe and a foole will not vnderstand these thinges If I be not able or not worthy to fasten mine eyes vpon thy selfe I will
a person whose life doth much importe the publique good of the common wealthe or of diuerse others beside himselfe But in no case may we aduenture the death of our soule rather saith our Sauiour if it coste vs our hande or our foote or the very eyes of our head we must sooner pull them out or cutte them of then loose our soule to saue them all or to gayne all the worlde So let vs say and performe it with Dauid If a million of sacrifices or millions of millions were requisite O God if they were in our power we would yeild them all most willingly not alone for some recompence of our sinnes but allso to testifye our willing loue and our bounden obedience vnto so gracious a lorde vnto whom we doo owe our selues our soules our bodyes and that we haue or can haue so that if occasion be we may say with S. Peter and the Apostles Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Beholde we haue forsaken all to yeild our selues vnto thy good pleasure for allbeit we haue no kingdomes no lordships no landes nor other great riches or dignityes to forsake no more then had those poore Fishermen yet as they did if we willingly parte from all we haue in present possession or in future possibility and no lesse from the loue affection desire of this worlde then from the honors wealthe and pleasures themselues in this case we may wel say reliquimus omnia we haue lefte all thoughe we enjoyed neuer so little for herein to subdue our will and to yeild our Desire is as much as to giue him all the worlde if it were ours to giue and he that so resignes his Desire and his will vnto all doubtles he resignes All and so much more then All. 5. Thus therfore let vs offer him All with Dauid that whensoeuer it shall please him to take all we haue or any parte we doo gladly giue him All euery parte and in this kinde althoughe we doo not in facte render vnto God a thousand sacrifices not whole barnte offeringes because we vnderstand that he doth not absolutely exacte them yet should we alwayes be such poore men in spirite that in our hartes we be prepared to yeild him all we haue whensoeuer we perceiue that he doth necessarily require them And so let vs say Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique Holocaustis non delectaberis O lorde I giue thee no whole burnt offeringes because I doo suppose thou doost not require them But if it were thy will to exacte a million of sacrifices Dedissem vtique verily I am ready to obey thy will and if it were in my power I woulde willingly giue thee all the worlde WE HAVE NEEDE TO BE PENITENT and how acceptable vnto our Sauiour is any soule contrite for sinne Sect. 4. 1. ALL this is moste due vnto our lord who neuertheles is so gracious that An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice vnto God A contrite harâ—e humbled O God thou wilte not despise For my sinnes I will afflicte my minde my spirite with dolor and sorowe and I will humble my harte my senses my body with mortifications labor These sacrifices O God I knowe thou wilte neuer refuse For thou hast said that it is alwayes an heathfull sacrifice To attend vnto thy commandements and to departe from iniquity And that thou wilte soonest regarde the poore contrite in spirite such as feare thy wordes 2. And these sacrifices are most acceptable because in euery outward sacrifice there being 3. things 1. deuotion 2. oblation 3. signification somtime the last is impertinent or expired the second somtime is not necessary nor required but the firste is euer requisite gratefull profitable of which kinde are an afflicted spirite a contrite harte The spirite vnderstanding is afflicted by knowledge consideration of our sinnes of their enormityes our will our harte is humbled greiued by acknowledgement of our base guiltynes and with a detestation of our lothsome faultes 3. O my soule if we consider the seuere iustice of allmighty God who for sinne threwe downe Lucifer and those arrogant Angells out of heauen expelled disobedieÌ„t Adam his posterity out of Paradise drowned all the worlde except eight persons and except his seruante Lot some with him burned all the fiue cityes of Sodome so often punished Pharaoh all the Egiptians with such strange terrible plagues caused the earthe to open to swallowe Corah Dathan Abiram quicke into hell euer since in all ages places hath sundry times manifested his dreadfull iudgements against careles sinners O how oughte we to feare to afflicte our spirite that we afflicting our selues he may spare vs that beginning by peircing feare as by a sharpe needle to drawe into vs the thred of loue we may come to be sowed vnited vnto him in attonement reconciliation Thus O lorde we praye with Dauid in another psalme Confige timore tuo carnes meas O wound peirce my flesh with thy feare it will be like the â—urgeons wounde which letteth out corrupted bloud or putrefyed matter There shalle dolores parturientis the sorowes of a woman in child-birthe that as our sinnes were conceiued in voluptuous pleasure so we cannot be deliuered of them without afflicting payne 4. Nay we are happy that sinne by nature bringing vs sorowe we may if we will so vse this sorowe that it shall extinguish sinne as the wood breedes a worme the yron a rust the garment a mothe which consume the substances wherof they were engendred Nay much more happy that so easy so small a meanes as an humbled a contrite harte may change the iustice of God into mercy According to that vision shewed to a holy woman wherin she sawe our Sauiour as it were sitting on a throne with great maiesty attended on by all the Angells Sayntes holy hoste of heauen yet very often to ryse of from his seate to go to euery pitifull voyce which called vpon him she asked what voyces those were and why he himselfe so often mooued from his throne did not rather send vnto them some one or more of his heauenly attendantes which mighte well seeme more then sufficient He answered that those voyces were the sorowfull sighes of any sinners contrite harte who if they could not so much as name Iesus yet if they did in true humility sighe and with an afflicted spirite syncerily greiue for their sinnes he did so much loue rather to shew mercy then to obserue maiesty and did so much delighte in the contrite conuersion of any sinner that he did most willingly rise vp himselfe and withall in ioye to mooue the whole courte of heauen to giue comforte wellcome to euery such soule 5. Wherfore let vs be of good comforte o penitent soules for thoughe we be destitute of all worldly wealthe hauing nothing to giue
sinne rather then our Father wheras indeed it comes more from Adam then from either Sect. 3. 1. NExte let vs coÌ„sider why he rather mentioneth his mother in this case of originall sinne and not his father especially seing all our Deuines affirme that althoughe Eua had sinned yet if Adam had remayned innocent originall sinne should not haue bene deriued vnto their posterity Because they say Adam alone as a publique person and generall father of all mankind did represent the persons of all his successors and for them as well as for himselfe did receiue originall iustice by the losse wherof he broughte vs all as being partes of him as our natural head into this detriment of originall sinne Wherfore in the same respecte allso thoughe Cayn or any other sinner had first sinned Adam being still vprighte yet their sinne should only haue deformed themselues and not haue perteyned to vs because we are comprehended in none as our generall father saue only in Adam 2. Further it is alledged in fauor of the woman that she concurreth but passiuely vnto generation as only giuing the materiall parte of conceptione not inducing the actiue forme which procedeth from the man who therfore by phylosophers and physicians is accompted the principall partye and cheifer cause of generation And yet here about originall sinne the mother is named only and not the father because at the time of our quickening when first in deede we doo contracte originall sinne then we are in her wombe then she kepeth and norisheth vs and not the father and so she is said to conceiue vs in sinne not mentioning the father 3. And thoughe Eua coulde not be Author of original sinne to all her posterity as is afore sayd yet our nexte parentes both man and woman being alwayes the instrumentes and successiue conueyors of originall sinne by descendence from Adam I say our parentes and auncestors are conueyors and instrumentes not causes or Authors ' for only Adam is so to be accompted And seing the mother is the materiall instrumente and conduyte which is more euident to our sense then the formall theâ—fore is she allso named rather then the father 4. Allso I said that in deede and really we doo only contracte originall sinne at the time when we are quickened and receiue life in our mothers wombe for thoughe at the instante of the very first conception those informed and mixed seedes may be said improperly in debito to haue an obligacion to be afterward subiect to originall sinne when it comes to be a liuing humane creature yet properly and truly in effecto the childe is not infected with originall sinne vntill it come to haue the soule infused and vnited to the body which is not till the quickening and hauing no soule it is not a perfecte humane creature but only little more then a masse of flesh which without soule cannot be said to be really capable of any sinne 5. Wherfore at that time being in the mothers wombe and allso hauing bene there norished vntill that time and so maynteyned afterwarde vntill the Birthe the mother is rather named then the father And so here the hebrew worde Hama doth signifye to giue heate which naturall heaâ—e of the mothers wombe cherishing the infante some read it thus with sinnes my mother gaue me heate and S. Augustin readeth it In sinnes my mother norished me and S. Ierome In sinnes my mother broughte me forthe 4. And allso as S. Thomas distinguisheth twoo birthes Nasci in vtero and nasci ex vtero to be borne in the wombe when the soule is infused and we become reaâ—onable creatures And to be borne out of the wombe when we firste come into this lighte So there is a twofolde conception as hath bene said first of humane seede which is at the very first generation and secondly a conception of humane nature when at the quickening we receiue our soule This second conception and the first Birthe in vtero are all one and because then properly we are first in deede capable of originall sinne therfore we may be so sayd eyther to be borne of our mother in originall sinne viz in the first birthe or to be conceiued of her in originall sinne viz in the second conception But at any of these Birthes or conceptions we are rather said to be conceiued or borne of our mother then of our father because to conceiue or beare children they are termes and propertyes perteyning to our mothers and cannot be said or aptely affirmed of our fathers WHAT ORIGINALL SINNE IS AND how it is deriued vnto vs allso how it is accompted a guilty faulte in children 1. NOw let vs see what Originall sinne is in his owne nature what effect it hath in vs. In his owne nature Originall sinne is a priuation or wante of Originall iustice which iustice God haue vnto Adam and he oughte to haue preserued in our nature In vs the effect of originall sinne is a corrupte disposition and deformitie of our nature proceeding from the losse of originall iustice by wante wherof there ariseth in vs that same fewell of sinne concupiscence deriued vnto vs from the publique disobedience of Adam by ordinarie humane generation It is a corrupte disposition as is sicknes It is a deformity for all sinne spotteth blemisheth It perteynes more to our nature then to our person for it is alike common to all The formall cause is the priuatiue losse of originall iustice Adams publique faulte as being our generall Father was the efficient cause And the instrumentall is humane generation which is ordinary not with priuiledge as was the conception of our Blessed lady nor extraordinary miraculous as the incarnacion of our Sauiour 2. This corrupte disposition of our nature according to Hugo de sancto Victore some others we contracte from our birthe By ignorance in our minde and By concupiscence in our flesh Not denying but there is concupiscence allso in the minde which blindeth our vnderstanding which concupiscence of the minde is moste cheifly a sinne and that concupiscence which is in our flesh is both a sinne punishment For so deuines say that Originall sinne is in vs both a faulte and a punishment his faulte consistes in the losse of originall iustice and by wante of that iustice in the deformity of our nature his penalty consistes in that concupiscence or fomes peccati which foloweth that former losse is an harbenger of succeding actuall sinne which fomes is in Infantes concupiscibilitie and in them of riper age is called concupiscence 3. Nexte let vs see How this originall corruption is our owne sonne deriued vnto vs from Adam without faulte of our other auncestors or parentes generation In respecte of which difficultyes S. Augustin aduiseth them who cannot comprehend it as being secrete yet not to reprehend it as vniuste rather let such content themselues to know and vse the remediâ— then to repyne or cauill because they vnderstand
not how they came into this misery As one falling into a Well where was so much water as serued to saue him from bruysing to death yet not so much as suffized to styfle him from speache being found and asked with wonder how he came to fall into such a place he answered I pray seeke meanes how to helpe me out and stand not marueiling how I fell in Neuertheles among learned deuines euen this difficulty is vnfolded against Pelagius Faber Erasmus Zuinglius the Anabaptistes 4. First S. Paul saith Sicut per vnum hominem as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and by sinne death afterward In whom all haue sinned and againe By the disobedience of one man many are made sinners Therfore it appeares that children being subject to death are subject to this sinne But infantes haue no actuall sinne therfore he must needes meane sinne originall And this he saith comes by one maâ— and by Adam in whom all are By him as our generall father in whose publique disobedience we are all partakers as the children of a Traytor are taynted and the body of a towne corporate are subject to the actes of their head gouernors 5. And so to that obiection How can it be sinne in infants who neuer had vse of will to giue consent It is answered That originall sinne is on our behalfe iâ— some sorte voluntary in Adam in whose Wille person all our persons and wills were included for he was our Head a publique person representing all mankind our first roote wherof all the branches must sauour and our Generall father in whom we are all so comprised that what he did it was allso our deede As among men the fathers facte often redoundeth to the benifite or prejudice of his sonne and as vnto lawes are not requisite the expeesse consent of euery man in the cuntry but only of those parlament men who as publique persons doo represent all the common wealthe But with God none are punished absolutely for others faultes but euery one for his owne And therfore the Councell of Trent hath defined of original sinne that it is cuiusque proprium in which respecte euery infante is punished therein for his owne faulte whose punishment as it bringeth no sensible payne because it hath exilem rationem voluntarij only a consent included in the publique will of Adam yet it wanteth the blessed fruition of glory propter latissimum foeditatem mali because it is so generall a deformity or spotte of our corrupte nature spread ouer all our powers of body soule with which blemishes no creature may appeare in the glorious presence of allmighty God before whom there can remayne nothing vncleane 6. Infantes then being subject to this punishment for originall sinne it must needes be properly their owne sinne and not for their fathers faulte For as Ezechiel saith The soule which sinneth shall dye the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of his father nor shall the father beare the iniquity of the sonne Nor is that contrary hereunto which is in the firste commandement Visiting the sinnes of the fathers on the children vnto the thirde and fourthe generation in them that hate me for the auncyent and present wryters doo generally vnderstand this visitation to be when the children doo imitate or participate the sinnes of theyr predecessors and so visitare is visum iterare to visite is to come and see the same sinnes Or admitte it be to visite 1. to chastize and punish yet he threatens it only to the 3. and 4. generation in them which hate him meaning if these generations doo hate him as their fathers did for a generation which shoulde loue God shall not be punished for their faultes who before did hate him At least not in eternall punishments Wherfore eternall losse of glory being an eternall punishment laid vpon Infantes dying in originall sinne doubtles they vndergoe it for their owne and not for any parents faulte 7. And thoughe I graunted that somtime temporally in this worlde God punished the children in regarde of the parentes offences so far forthe as the damage of the children may be a greife or a penalty to the parentes yet I verily thinke saluo semper meliori judicio praesertim sâ—nctae matris Ecclesiae that euen such their temporall punishment are not alone for their parentes faultes but that the children themselues haue allso deserued the same And then both at once the parentes are punished by the calamityes of their children as being partes of themselues and the children likewise suffer such temporall punishments justly for their owne originall guyltynes or offences actuall ORIGINALL SINNE COMES FROM Adam alone as Principall and how bad parentes haue good children c. Sect. 4. 1. WHerfore I say Originall sinne and his punishments are deriued only from Adam as principall vnto vs as Accessaryes with whom as our Generall head all mankinde maketh but one body And no Infantes are herein punished for their other mediate or imediate next parentes offences For S. Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the worlde which the Mileuitan Councell saith is originall sinne contracted by generation from Adam 2. And therfore diuerse Auncyent Fathers wrote against those Heretiques who woulde conclude that the Acte of mariage was of it selfe euill because the children begotten were borne in originall sinne which they suppose falsely to be deriued from the copulation of the parentes as the next causes as well of the Accidentall sinne as of the reall substance of the infantes wheras in truthe distinguishing betwene the one the other they shoulde haue referred the cause of that sinne vnto Adam alone as doth S Paul saying By one man and should haue ascribed only the substance of the soule body to God the parentes For suppose the Parents be odious Adulterers or doo sinne much in other circumstances of generation yet as allmighty God doth concurre cooperate to the naturall worke of conception creating ininfusing soules euen in children vnlawfully begotten where he forbiddes abhorres the morall dishonesty So likewise the parents doo participate in the naturall propagation without communicating this originall corruption Euen as stolne corne being sowen in forbidden grounde doth neuertheles growe as other corne doth by the helpe of God nature of the earthe and yet herein neither doth our lorde consent to the thefte nor is it a bad action to sowe corne but to steale it or to sowe it contrary to commandement where he should not 3. And thoughe the infante that is borne offend not actually nor the parents who beget the body nor our lorde who creates the soule yet we are borne polluted with originall sinne not as the proper effecte of mariage or generation but as an ordinary accident vsually following the conception of our humane nature in respecte we are the posterity members of Adam our head By whom only sinne entred vpon all mankind And herehence is the reason
the soule may be infected in the body Or it must be vnderstooâ— of the complete coÌ„iunction of the soule with the flesh which is seminally deriued from Adam at which time of their conioyned vnion we firste become perfect humane creatures and so then not before we are corrupted when the soule body are conioyned for then firste are we perfect humane creatures capable of sinne and then are we firste complete sonnes members of Adam And so then is originall sinne contracted and the soule seemeth as is were to be polluted in the body as in an vncleane vessell not that any actuall infection of sinne was in the flesh before the soule was infused which corruption should streight redounde out of the nature of the flesh into the soule so soone as euer it was infused nor when the soule was created a parte by it selfe in the body for in the body it is created that then alâ—â—ighty God created it with originall sinne cleauing to it I say that neither of these can be for the body alone or soule alone is not a complete perfect man nor so capable of sinne and therfore till they be ioyned they are not Adams posterity nor so infected with originall sinne which for better memory sake vnderstanding agayne I say is then firste fastened on vs so soone as we become perfect humane creatures deriued from Adam and so are considered as partes progeny of him by whom alone originall sinne is entred vpon all mankinde 7. And so lastly it is answered to the Pelagians assumption and inference Vidz The soule is not deriued from Adam nor therfore originall sinne which is in the soule That originall sinne in the soule is not considered to belong thervnto whither we falsely suppose the soule to be traduced from Adam or whither we beleeue it truly to be created of God but only in respecte that the soule being ioyned to the body then makes a complete creature who is a parte or member of Adam and so only capable subiect to this originall sinne Allso furthermore consider that to the end that sinne should be deriued from Adam it is not necessary that the soule allso be deriued from him but it is enoughe if the complete reasonable creature wherof the soule is a parte be in descent a member of Adam And obserue that generation is not finished in the production of the forme or soule alone nor of the matter or body alone but in the complete coniunction vnion of both together wherfore he may be said to be the next cause of generation who is the next cause of this coniunction But our parentes doo so dispose affoarde the materiall parte which is the seede or body that the soule which is the forme must in order of nature necessarily followe come to be conioyned thervnto in which sense a man is said to beget a man and so thoughe he be not Author of the soule yet he is called father of the whole creature because he is in nature the next cause of this vnion coniunction of the soule with the body Thus therfore I conclude that we deriue originall sinne from Adam only as being our generarll father alone for thoughe our other auncestors parents be the instrumentall causes or as conduytes the conâ—eyors hereof yet only Adam is the cheife cause founteyne from whom we doo deriue this originall corruption but not from him nor them as Authors of our soules saue only from him as the roote by our parents as the branches all we doo participate of this bitter fruite OVR SAVIOVR AND OVR B. LADY WERE exempted from Originall sinne Sect 6. 1. NEuertheles from this generall rule are exâ—epted our Sauiour Christ his holy mother Vnto our L. Iesus originall sinne did neither perteyne in facto nor in debito Vnto the blessed Virgin in debito as duâ— but not in deede in facto Vnto all vs it belongeth both in deede and as our due As the vndefiled virgin was a member a daughther of Adam seminally deriuâ—d so was Original sinne due to her nature as a parte of him And besides there is a conception of seede to frame the body when the childe is firste of all engendred and a conception of of complete nature when the soule coming to that body it is so first quickened â—rom the first engendring till the perfect quickening originall sinne is in preparatiue possibility due to that body which is in framing because it descendes semiâ—ally frâ—m Adam But it cannot take possession in facte vntill the soule be ioyned the whole creature perfectly quickened for where there is no soule there can be no sinne 2. In the firste conception Originall sinne was due to our blessed lady according to naturall possibility But in the very instant of the second conception and before the complete vnion of the soule by supernaturall grace it was kepte from my possession in facte she was extraordinarily preuented preserued in all cleare purity Some few others haue bin cleared and purifyed from originall sinne after their perfect quickening before their birthe But our blessed lady before both so that she was no sooner a liuing creature but she was of God the father a sanctifyed daughter for so it behooued to haue an immaculate mother of God the sonne and of God the holy ghoste a perfecte pure vndefiled spouse 3. This is the most pious probable opinion thoughe it be not decreed as a poynt of faithe no may the contrary be called heretically false Neither can I see what inconuenience can folowe of this pious opinion that as our L. Iesus alone was free from all possibility and possession of originall sinne so our holy virgin was free from all possession but not from all possibility therof He was so in the very nature of his generation because conceiued by the holy ghost She only by miraculous vertue of grace altering the course of nature She was indebted by nature to be a childe of wrathe but an especiall priuiledge of grace payed that debte and preuented her attachment 4. And so neuertheles she had neede and was indeede redeemed of her sonne both from that debte which she owed and allso from all those sinnes euills wherinto without this priuiledge she should haue fallen So when Dauid said Thou hast taken out my soule from the lowest hell Saint Augustin interpreteth those wordes not as if Dauids soule euer had bene in the lowest hell but he was so freed that he should neuer come thither And it is more for the physitian to preuent a sickenes wherto I am certeinly subiect then to heale me afterwarde when I haue bene sicke And so our Sauiour redeemed his mother from sinne which naturally she should haue contracted and may be estemed a more worthy redemption then if by sinne she had bene once polluted And yet she suffered bodily death and some other humane miseryes rather as perteyning to her abouesaid debte