with exceeding more fruite than if it had proceded from my owne inuention here being conteined for the most parte as it were so many godly deâ—â—ute homelies as there are diuerse allegations of Fathers so that this treatise may serue euery distressed Catholicke in steed of a comfortable sermon whansoeuer he waÌ„teth other meanes of fruitfull encouragements Wherin also euery one shall so much more effectually be moued because he is sure that he readeth the deuout speaches of those in whom he may not doubte but God inhabited and he may very well hope that eueÌ„ in these particuler discourses it is not they them selues which speake Mat. 10. but the spirit of their Father within them Secondly for that the misery of our tempestuous time continually more and more increasing and the huge billous of our troublesome sea daily with more violence seeking to beat against the fortresse of our faith vntill such time as it shall please him who hath shutte the sea within his fludgates and bolted it within the compasse of certaine bounds Iob. 38. to say hitherto thou shalt come and not proceed any farther and here thou shalt breake thy swelling waues it may surely happen that this worke may be more necessary hereafter than at this present For wheras now perhaps parents and husbands are ready to preuent vniust lawes and to do before they be vrged that which hereafter may chaunce to be vrged vnto all it will be no small aduantage at that time to haue in readines a Parliament of Gods Saintes and of his most holy and auncient Pastours for the declaration of our dewty in so waighty a matter The third cause which moueth me to make this a worke of auncient Fathers rather than mine owne is least happely the like befall in this question which we handle 〈…〉 here to 〈…〉 which doth ordinarily happen in other questions of the same importance Our present difficulty is I call it a difficulty although in deed the case be most euideÌ„t because to worldly riche men there is nothing but seemeth difficult an inheritance which Christ hath permitted them Mat. 19. vntill they leauing their Camells hugenes will submit themselues vnto the lowlines of Christ But this our present question is whether a child by the commandment of parents or a wife for obedience to her husband or a seruant or inferiour for dewty to his Superiour or a father for prouiding for his children may lawfully doe that which of it selfe is against the law of God and preiudiciall to the necessary confession of his faith contemptuous withall vnto Christ his Church a very separation from the same Whether I say by these respects of temporall dewty these hainous deformities may be taken away and a contrary bond caused of such teÌ„porall obedience or duety or rather any of those may with meritte in case of perfection yea be bound necessarily whan Gods honour so requireth to renounce all worldly persons and temporall respects onely cleauing vnto Christ and his holy will This is our case this is our question But what do we see in the like who knoweth not how often the question of going to hereticall Churches hath bene tossed in our countrey And who is ignorant of the generall resolution of all those learned reuerend and godly Priests which are and haue bene in the same * The enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is 〈◊〉 belly 〈◊〉 their 〈◊〉 in their cofufioÌ„ which mind 〈◊〉 dly 〈◊〉 Philipâ—â— But what hath happened Certaine priuate persons who haue wholly addicted them selues to make them Gods either of their belly and ease or of the 〈◊〉 ked mammon setting God behind all things 〈◊〉 may delight them will not onely 〈…〉 their pernicious custome of frequenting hereticall conuenticles which were a crime more tolerable but they refuse also to beleeue that they do amisse and that which is more hainous and a most high degree of pride they defend their wickednes neither content with this as though it were no comfort to perish alone they induce and by all possible meanes allure their frendes subiectes to the same iniquitie But with what foundation grouÌ„d because forsooth the coÌ„trary doctrine proceedeth only from the persuasions terrours or feares of some selfe minded and wilfull persons whom if you desire to know they will tell you they be the young clergy These men vndoubtedly after they haue once learned to conster latin and to turne our Ladies Primer and perhaps the Breuiary or at Oxford to talke a little of logicke Dion c. 2 de diuin nom where it may be they haue looked into the Diuinitie schoole as for Diuinitie who knoweth not that amongst heretickes none can be learned these men I say betaking them selues afterwardes to the study of Bucolicall and georgicall affaires and attending to that worldly substance which God hath cast vpon theÌ„ no otherwise than that young man which as the Poets faine being sent by his father to keepe sheepe by dreaming that he was made a Poet became in deed a Poet Hesiodus haue so soudainly become Deuines that they are more learned more humble discreet and vertuous than those which scornfully they call the young clergy but should in deed if they were such as they flatter them selues to be acknowledge as the rulers and shepheardes of their soules For otherwise what clergy must we send these men vnto for their spirituall reliefe or wherin differeth the young clergy from the ould or what Catholicke clergy can they find in the wholl world of contrary iudgement But let vs send them to the Conuocation house there shall they find the auncient reuerend clergy which they appertaine vnto for vnto the clergy of Christ his Church they nothing belong And let vs permitte these new Doctours with 〈◊〉 ould Prelates to gage theire soules so often soulâ— already to the Deuell not vnderstanding as S. Paule saieth neither what thing they speake nor of what they affirme 1 Tim. 1. daily prospering to the worse erring driuing into errour 2. Tim 3 It is no maruaile if refusing to be of the sheepe of Christ they disdaine to acknowledge the shepheardes of Christ Those who esteeme their soules and tremble at Gods iudgemeÌ„ts in so ruled a case will flye from such Counsailours as from the Deuells instruments This am I willing and desirous that they should know that although the Church of Christ hath learned by the mildnes of her spouse to tender the case of those which of humane frailty fall into sinne and can handle with lenitie such as go from her and yet in hart are with her yet doth she and all her trew children professe an eternall hatred vnto those which are peruerters and seducers of soules as vnto heretickes themselues as I hope they shall shortly be discouered what they are if after the definition of the cheife Pastour they will remaine selfe minded and wilfull in theire so pernicious
necessary a precept of Christian life infinite multitudes of all maner of estates do daily perish I see that such is the forgetfulnes of those which should be the souldiers of Christ that as though this vertew of renunciation were a ceremony only of Monkes Ermittes Freers and other religiouse persons they esteeme the same as no parte of their Christian dewty I see that in steed of that vertuous and fruitfull hatred of ones selfe the necessary effect of this renunciation euery one almost is ouercome with a blinde flattering perniciouse selfeloue and in steed of building in him selfe a spirituall Hierusalem by loue of God buildeth a confused Babylon by loue of the world And that we may bring examples onely of our owne countrey and those in one kind onely of iniquity although what iniquity is there committed amongst Christians but for want of renunciation into the handes and will of God who is there in our poore and lamentable estate either withhoulden from God holy Church their tender mother or made shamefull by reuolte and fall froÌ„ the same but for want of renunciation where do we not see that either parents by children or children by parents husbandes by wiues or wiues by husbandes one frend by an other the subiects by the superiours and superiours by subiectes are hindered from the seruice of God and that as our Sauiour saide Math. 10. inimici hominis domestici eius the enimies of a man are those of his owne houshould Which generall pestilent disease we can surely impute to no other cause than to the want of renunciation So that we see nothing in the world so ordinarily so daily so generally renounced as God him selfe and Christian dewty Those which are by Gods law Parents and the very law of nature commanded to bring vp their children in the discipline and correction of our Lord Ephes 6. are now bent to no other thing so much as to dedicate them vnto the Deuell Psal 105. Maried persons as Dauid also complained of the like case those which should in the holy estate of wedlocke represent the vnspotted and vnseparable coniunction of Christ and his Church Sicut equus mulus in quibus non est intellectus Psal 31. not regarding any other thing but base affections seek to draw one another froÌ„ Christ the spouse of their soule and doe deuide Christ his spouse froÌ„ Christ whose perpetuall lincke they should reseÌ„ble Obedience And that which is most sacrilegious and blasphemous to speake or thinke all these so great and hainous disorders are oftentimes fathered either vpon that sacred power which God hath ordeined wherby either wiues vnto their husbandes or children to theire parents or other subiectes to their superiours doe owe a kinde of dewty and obedience or vpon the most honest lincke of humane frendshippe as though either wiues had sould both body soule to be by their husbande 's morgaged to perpetuall slauery of the Deuell or parents had autoritie to kill the soules of their children ouer whose bodies they haue no such power or those which are as it were Gods Lieuetenants in their seuerall offices might conuert theire forces to fight for hell and lawfully constraine their souldiers and subiectes to rebell against God or finally as if there were any perfect frendship where there wanteth honesty All these many other iniquities in the like sorte as by defaulte of renunciation they are committed so by the performance of the same according to the most sacred law and will of Christ they may easely be auoided The purpose of this Treatise I purpose therfore by Gods assistance to whose glory I direct my labours in this treatise briefly to shew how necessary and meritorious a thing Christian renunciation is and that for no respectes of kinred obedience or affection in the world it is to be neglected RenunciatioÌ„ is somtimes of Counsell sometimes of precept See chap. 2 out of S. Augustin â—p 89. q. 4 And that the same sometime is of counsaile to those which are free but many times of necessity from which none can be free It is of counsell whan voluntarily he which aspireth vnto perfection without any bond at all selleth that which he hath and geueth to the poore followeth Christ that he may haue a great treasure in heauen Yet I say that this is of counsaile for those which are free For those which are in the estate of mariage cannot without mutuall consent seuere them selues except in some cases as we will declare herafter Bishops also bondslaues and whosoeuer for some condition or circumstance haue not free power to alter the estate of their life cannot vndertake a religious or solitary life Parents can not hinder their children from religion Yet this we say that neither parents may hinder their children nor any other superiour his subiect which is free in this point from such a resolution We vrge also defend that in some case that which is of counsaile may be of necessity and that which is of counsaile for some onely because it is not lawfull for all may be a thing so absolutely required of all maner of persons that they may vnder paine of daÌ„nation be bound to forsake not only riches externall goods of fortune but parents husband wife children all whatsoeuer is not God him selfe The child is not bound to forsake his parents but yet he may doe it with meritt for the seruice of God A wife may be bound to forsake her husband See chap. â— The wife may not forsake her husband at her pleasure although it were for to be religious yet if either the sonne must forsake his faith or his father or the wife her husband or her maker most certaine it is that the thing which was lawfull before in the sonne is now necessary and that which the wife could not doe before but sinfully now she cannot neglect but daÌ„nably Hence shall it easely appeare what account as well childreÌ„ as wiues ought in this lamentable contagious time for to make either of the euell examples or of the peruerse commandements of their superiours the first wherof sheweth them the way wherfore this treatise was compiled of sentences of holy Fathers the second euen driueth them to hell And of this matter we will not bring our owne discourses but the most graue sentences of auncient holy Fathers at large for three causes First for that they doe not onely declare vs their vncorrupted iudgemeÌ„t in these matters which we desire to perswade but according to the aboundance of that spirit which dwelled wtin them they are very earnest and copious in exhorting vs to all Christian feruour and perfect abnegation of our selues Wherfore I doubt not but hence it will come to passe that although both the searching and translating of these places haue cost me no lesse labour than if I had vndertakeÌ„ a wholl worke of my owne yet this treatise shall be reade
we may both espye and keepe backe the enemie of euerlasting life The heauenly trompett doth inuite the souldier of Christ vnto the combateâ— and thy mother doth withdraw thee not such a mother truely as was that of the Machabees nor yet like vnto the Lacedemonian mothers 2. Mach. 7. of whâ—m it is recorded that more effectually and earnestly then the very displaiing of banners and sound of trompetts they incited their children to shedd their blood for their earthly countrey For that mother which for the learning of life doth not suffer you to be estraunged from seculer cares doth sufficiently shew how well she would permitt you if such necessity happened vtterly to abandon the world for to suffer death But what saieth she What doth she alleage perhapps those tenne monethes in which you loaded her bowells the trauailes of her bringing forth and the labours of your bringing vp O this this o kill this with the word of saluation destroy this of your mother yâ— you may find her for life euerlasting This do you remember to hate in her if you loue her if you be the Nouice of Christ if you haue laied the foundation of the tower least the passengers say Luc. 14. Carnall affection this man beganne to builde and could not finish For this is a carnall affection and yet smelleth of the olde man This carnall affection as well in our selues as in our frendes doth the warfare of a Christian exhorte vs to destroye Yet lett no man be vnthankfull to his parents neither sette light by these very benefittes of his bringing forth and nourishing in this life but lett him rather obserue euery where piety Lett these things take place The Church our mother where greater thinges do not inuite vs. The Church our mother is mother also of thy mother she hath conceiued vs of Christ she hath brought vs forth by the blood of Martyrs she hath borne vs vnto euerlasting light she hath nursed vs and yet doth nourish vs with the milke of faith and preparing still more perfect meates quaketh to see you yet little ones and like toothles infants to do nothing but crye This mother enlarged ouer the wholle world is tossed with so many and so diuerse incursions of errours that her vntimely childreÌ„ are not now affraid with deadly armour to warre against her Also through the sluggishnes and benummed dulnes of certaine which as yet she hath in her lappe Necessity of the Church she bewaileth that her members are in very many places waxen colde and now vnfitte for to cherish her little ones Whence but of her other children whence but of her other members amongst which your selfe are one doth she require her iust and dew succour And you forsaking her necessities will you turne backe vnto carnall speaches doth not she with more greeuous complaints fill your eares doth not she shew vnto you more louing bowells and heauenly pappes Herunto adde her spowses taking flesh vpon him that you should not cleaue vnto fleshly things the eternall word vndertaking those things which your mother doth contumeliously reproue least you should deale therwith adde also reproches whippings death yea and the death of the Crosse O you which were conceiued of such see o you borne vnto a new life in such a wedlocke do you languish and consume away againe into the olde man Example of Christ Yea had not your Emperour an earthly mother who notwithstanding whilest he was busie in heauenly thinges hearing tidings of her answered Which is my mother or which are my brethren and stretching out his handes towardes his Disciples saide Mat. 12. that none belonged to his kinne but such as did his Fathers will In which number vndoubtedly he comprehended the holy Virgin her selfe for she also fulfilled the will of his Father And so that excellent and Diuine master both despised in comparison of heauenly alliance the name of a mother which was spoken vnto him as priuate and peculier because it was earthly and declaring the same heauenly alliance in his Disciples shewed with what lincke of kinred that same Virgin with other of his Saintes was ioined vnto him But least by this most holesome instruction wherin he taught that carnall affection in parents should be conteÌ„ned he might geue any colour vnto errour wheras some men deny that he had a mother in another place he warneth his Disciples that they should not say they haue a father on earth to the intent that as it was manifest that they had fathers so it might be euident that he had a mother whose earthly alliance yet he despising might geue vnto his Disciples example of despising the like affinities And are these things interrupted by the voices of thy mother and amongst these thinges is there any roome for the memory of a bigge belly and of a nurse that of Adame and Eue thou mightest be borne another Adam Beholde rather beholde the second Adam from heauen and cary now the likenesse of the heauenly Adam as thou hast carried of the earthly Yea here lett take place those motherly benefittes which are reckoned vp vnto thee for the effeminating of thy minde Let them in any wise take place be not vngratfull returne spirituall things for carnall for temporall euerlasting if she will not follow thee lett her not hinder thee Will she not be conuerted vnto better lett her not peruert thee vnto worse and so ouerthrow thee What Skilleth it whether in a wife or in a mother so that in enery woman Eue be auoided For this pretence of piety and dewty All excuses in the seruice of God are Adames leaues Gen. 3. commeth from the leaues of that tree wherw t our first parents did first couer them selues in that damnable nakednes And whatsoeuer in those wordes and suggestions she alleageth vnto you as an office of charity that she may wrest you from the most pure and sincere charity of the gospell appertaineth vnto the crafte of the serpent and to the dubble dealing of that King which hath twenty thousand which we are taught by the simplicity of ten thousand that is by the simplicity of a harte wherin we seeke God to ouerthrow Carying the Crosse Harken rather vnto these thinges my dearest and take vp your Crosse and follow our Lord. for whan we being togither I perceaued that you were hindered by domesticall cares froÌ„ the study of godlines I esteemed you rather to be caried lead by your Crosse than to beare and carry it For our Crosse which our Lord will haue vs carry that we may readely follow him what doth it signifie but the mortality of this flesh For this is that which crosseth and afflicteth vs vntill death be swallowed into victory This very Crosse therfore it selfe must be crucified and pearsed with the nailes of the feare of God least with loose and not restrained members you be not able to carry her rebelling For follow our Lord but carrying her
Christ his Church concerning Christian renunciation that so all hope may be taken away from the renouncers of Gods auncient Church to blame the wilfulnes of any young Clergy How important this case was in S. Ambrose his opiniō The matter trewly seemeth vnto me so important and the case so vrgent that if the holy Bishop of Milan S. Ambrose accounted it to be the necessary dewty of Gods Priestes euen vnto death to resist those Parents which withdrew their daughters from being Nunnes a thing of indifferent choice vnto euery one l. 3. de Virg. farre greater necessity will there be in confuting those euen with daunger of death which seeke to withdrawe them from all Christian dewty Et potest esse saieth that most godly Doctour patientia Sacerdotum vt non vel morte oblata si ita necesse est integritatis sacrificium vindicetur And can a Preist haue patience that euen with manifest perill of death if occasion be offered he reschue not the sacrifice of integritye maruaile not therfore good reader if I one farre vnworthy of the least credit of any Catholicke Clergy man seeme ouer earnest in this my preface for by reading ouer this treatise thou shalt see that I differ not herin from the zeale of most graue Sainctes of God if I shall profit thē any thing by my reprehension I shall be gladd because they are made sory vnto penance if I shall do no more but incense them yet I hope I shall profit many Let them in the meane time take it for parte of penance wheras in deed this is but a pibble stone in respect of the milstone which they must expect from the iudgement of Christ if they will not be reformed and except they hould their handes from paper and auoid publicke occasion of scandalous doctrine in this behaulfe they must needs thinke that if Priests for wāt of meanes and commodit◠haue patience and hould theire peace there wil be notwithstanding some one or other alwaies ready to reuenge Gods cause and to stand in the defence of the necessary confession of Christ our Redeemer and of his holy Crosse Thus much therfore being spoken of the cause and generall maner of this Treatise The order of this Treatise I will now set downe the order of proceeding therin for although I could not easely distinguish the seuerall matters handled by the Fathers and almost in euery particuler allegation there is occasion of speaking of euery thing belonging to our purpose yet haue I for the more perspicuity and for the more ease of the reader so deuided the wholle that we may reduce all to a few principall points The first chapter therfore shall be to shew that it is very meritorious and acceptable vnto God to renounce parents and all things for perfection For if this be once fully perswaded lesse difficulty will it be to proue that it is lawfull in cases of necessity The second That a man is bound vnder paine of eternall damnation vnto a perfect renunciation of all frendes kinsefolkes parents and superiours their intreaties examples and commaundements yea and him selfe also and all that he hath whan otherwise he should be hindered from the dewty of a Christian The third shall intreate in particuler of the necessary renunciatiō sometimes to be made of husband and wife where as well for to take away occasion of errour as for to represse the arrogant peruersnes of some husbands which challenge more autoritie ouer wiues than God or nature hath geuen them We must necessarily intreat of some lawfull separations of man and wife which we must be forced to doe of our owne although if leasure will permitte we purpose to proue it out of Gods word and auncient Fathers which if we shall not for haste be permitted to perfourme yet this will we promise that we will set nothing downe but according to the common opinion of Catholicke Doctours The fourth chapter we will make more particulerly of renunciation of a mans patrimony and care of prouision for children The fifth besides that which was saide in the second chapter shall intreate of renunciation of a mans selfe and necessary obligation to suffer martyrdome whā otherwise God might be offended with diuerse forceable exhortations to the same Finally shall follow the Conclusion So that in no parte of this Treatise except onely in this preface in the conclusion and in some parte of the third chapter thou must thinke that I speake gentle Reader but imagin that the Saintes of God do speake vnto thee I haue vndoubtedly lest infinite places and many Doctors which might haue bene brought but this is as much as my time and cōmodity could afford thee others perhaps may take occasion hereby to adde other like these I hope will no lesse moue them which with sincere mindes shall read them than they haue comforted my selfe whan I haue wrotten them This onely I desire of the deuout Readers that as I haue sought nothing else in this small labour but my Catholike Brethrens comfort so I may reape againe the comforte of their gratefull acceptation S. Bern. lib. de praecept dispens Siue Deus siue homo vicarius Dei mandatum quodcunque tradiderit pariprofecto obsequendum est cura pari reuerentia deferendum vbitamen Deo contraria non praecipit homo quod si contigerit Act. 5. pergendum indubitanter consulo in Petri sententiam quia obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus Whether God or man being the Vicar of God do geue any commandment with the like care it must be obeied with equall reuerence it is to be esteemed yet so long as man commandeth not contrary vnto God which if it happen than do I counsell euery one to follow Peters counsell that we must obey God rather then men A TREATISE OF CHRISTIAN Renunciation THE FIRST CHAPTER That it is very meritorious acceptable vnto God to renounce Parents and all things for perfection The 38 epistle of S Augustine vnto Laetus §. 1 I Haue read the Epistle which you sent vnto our Brethren An exhortation to an estate of perfection against the mothers will requesting that they would comforte you because your new beginnings were shaken with great tentations where also you signified that you desired our letters I was very sory and could not cease from writing least I should withdraw both from my owne and from your desire that which I sawe in deed I did owe by the duety of charity If therfore you professe your selfe a nouice of Christ forsake not the tents in the which you must euen build that tower of which in the Gospell our Lord speaketh for whosoeuer remaineth in the same tower vnder the banner of the word of God doth fight him no tentations may pearce on any side from thence both dartes being cast do flye with great force and being foreseene are with most firme repaire auoided Luc. 14. Consider also that our Lord Iesus Christ although he
you can not For how do you follow him if you be not his Gal. 5. but those which are of Iesus Christ saieth the Apostle haue crucified their flesh with her passions and desires If there be any mony in your worldly good with the trouble of which it is neither expedient nor decent you be incumbred that is truely to be geuen to your mother and domesticalls Parents if they be in necessitie must first be prouided for in distribution of almes For their necessity if you haue purposed to distribute such things vnto the poore that you may be perfect is for to be first regarded for if any man saieth the Apostle hath not care of his owne especially of his domesticalls he hath denied the faith and is become worse then an infidell For the ordering of which things and to free your owne shoulders that you might receiue vpon them the chaines of wisdome 1. Tim. 5. if you tooke your iorney from vs what hurt can you take or how can you be moued with your mothers teares flowiug forth nothing but flesh or with the running away of your seruant or death of your maides or sicknes of your brethren If charity be ordered within you Skilfully to preferre the greater thing before the lesser and to be moued with pittye that the poore may be preached vnto Cant. 2. Order of charity least the plentifull haruest of our Lorde through want of workemen may lye a pray vnto the birdes Skilfull also to haue a ready hart to followe the will of our Lord in that which he shall determine to do with his seruantes either by scourging them or by sparing them meditate these things study on these things that your profiting may be manifest in all things Beware I beseech you least you cause more sorow in your good brethren by your slacknes than before you wrought their comforte by your forwardnes Sanit Ambrose in the end of his first booke of Virgins § 2. Some man will say vnto meâ— thou euery day settest forth vnto vs the commendation of Virgins Of maidens entering in to religioÌ„ without Parents consent Consecrating of Nunnes what shall I do whereas euery day I inculcate the same things and profit nothing But it is not my faulte Beholde out of the territory of Placentia there come Virgins for to be consecrated there come out of the state of Bonony there come out of Mauritania that here they may take the Veale A straunge case it is which you see here I preach and there I perswade if the matter go so lett vs preach other where that we may perswade here What a thing is it that euen they that heare me not do follow my aduise and those which heare me do not follow it For I vnderstand that many Virgins desire but yâ— they are forbidden so much as to go abrode by their mothers that which is worse by their mothers being widowes with whom I will now talke a while Children may choose their mariage but which their Parents direction and likinge Truely if your daughters loued a man according to the lawe they might choose whom they would than to whom it is lawfull to choose a man is it not lawfull to choose God Beholde how sweete is the fruite of purity which sauoureth euen in the actions of barbarous people From the vttermost partes of the nearer and farther Mauritania Virgins are brought desiring to be consecrated here and all their samilies being in captiuity yet cannot purity be kept captiue she professeth the kingdome of eternity which lamenteth the iniury of her seruitude For what need I speake of the Bononian Virgins a fertill flocke of purity A Nunnery which depriuing them selues of worldly delightes do dwell in a sanctuary of virginity without any company of the other sexe not without the company of purity and now arriuing to the number of twenty and the hundred fould fruite their parents houses being forsaken walke in the tentes of Christ vnwearied souldiers of chastitie sometimesthey are heard all ouer singing spirituall songes otherwhiles with their owne labours they gette their liuing and with their hands they seeke a succour for almes and liberality and if they do but smell the sauour whereby to trace out Virginity for aboue all other games It is meritorious to induce to religion they seeke after the hunting of purity which all manner of carefull diligence they tracke the hidden pray euen vnto the denne or if they perceaue any one now ready to the flight you shall see them all to rise vp with wholle winges to flutter with their feathers to daunce and leape and with a chaste quire of purity to compasse her flying vntill she being delighted with the bewtifull assembly forgetting her house and countrey fall into the nettes of purity and the haies of chastitie A good thing than it is if the endeuours of parents fauour the Virgin as certaine flabells of purity But that is more gloriouse if the fire of tender age Children may be religious without consent of Parents without anyolde tinder of it selfe do thrust it selfe into the sewell of chastity Will thy parents deny thee a dowry But thou hast a rich spouse with whose treasure thou being contented needest not to seeke the benefitte of thy fathers inheritance how much better is a chaste pouerty than the commodity of a dowry and yet whom haue you euer heard by the loue of Virginity to haue bene depriued of their lawfull portion Thy parents speake against thee but they desire to be wonne they resist at the beginning because they are loath to beleeue thee Oftentimes they are angry that thou maiest learne to ouercome they threaten disinhereting to trye if thou canst sett nought by all worldly losses They flatter thee with exquisite allurements to see if the inticementes of diuerse pleasures caÌ„not mollifie thee they exercise thee o virgin whilest they enforce thee And thisis the first Skirmish which thy parents pensiue desires doe offer thee First o maiden ouercome * Piety is the duety w e Children owe vnto Parents and Parents to children Luc. 19. piety if thououercomest thy house thou ouercomest the world But go to suppose you lose your patrimony do not the future Kingdomes in heaueÌ„ requite the losse of fading brittle possessions Although if we beleeue heauenly wordes there is no man which shall leaue house or parents or brethren or wife or childrne or sonnes for the Kingdome of God and doth not recaue seauen times as much in this time and in the world to come life euerlasting Repose thy trust in God thou which committest thy money to a man lend it vnto God The good gardian of thy pledged hope will repay the talent of thy faith with multiplied vsuries Truth doth not deceaue iustice doth not circumuent vertue doth not beguile And if you beleeue not the oracle of Gods word at the least beleeue examples An Example Auâ—tars stood in S. Ambroses time Masse