particular care and protection of those that are deuoted vnto them perpetually procuring for them fauours and assistances from Alm. God this verity is Orthodox confirmed and approued by many Councels and holy Doctours Now for the Saints Founders of Religious Orders which by excellence are called Patriarcks because as Abraham for exāple was stiled by that name for that so many people descended from him so from them so many Religious are propagated in the Church Of this sort is S. Benet S. Augustine S. Francis and S. Dominick and of later-yeares S. Ignatius c. Al which are to be had in highest veneration by those of their holy Orders not only on the particular dayes when their feasts are honoured but euery day of the yeare besides and that Religious man who desires to augment in him the deuotion he hath to the Founder of his Order should do wel to assigne a particular day of the week for honouring him that Wednesday in particular as the most conuenient for this effect when with some extraordinary deuotion of fasting praying reuerēcing him and the like he is to procure to honour him more particularly referr vnto that end al which he doth that day which finally hath reference al vnto the honour of our Sauiour Christ and to imploy some houres of the day in the meditation of the particular vertues of that Blessed Saint It is the general doctrine of the learned that the Founder of each Religious Order hath a particular care not only of the Order in general but also of each Religious in particular more or lesse according as their merits are and that they assidually defend them strengthening their forces and weakening the enemies who oppugne and fight against them Of which great priuiledge and prerogatiue Brother Leo in particular had an excellent reuelation vision of holy S. Francis which I wil heer recount S. Francis being happily departed vnto rest hauing rendred his body to the earth and his soule to heauen Brother Leo one of his most affectionat disciples bearing impatiently the absence of one whom he loued so dearely wel prayed instantly vnto Alm. God to make him so happy that once more in this life he might enioy the happy aspect againe of his beloued Maister and iterating his petition both earnestly often it pleased Alm. God that one day he being retired into a solitary place he beheld S. Francis appearing vnto him in a strāge mysterious shape al shining with glorious light but for the rest winged with golden wings and tallonted both hands and feete with Eagles clawes The Brother transported with ioy al sight of him was running to embrace and kisse his hands and feete but espying in what strange equipage they were he al amazed demanded of the Saint the reason why he appeared in that sort the Saint answered againe vnderstād these are no other then markes of the affection I beare my Order and the Religious thereof and these do signifie that amongst al the other riche prerogatiues his diuine Maiesty hath honoured me withal since my arriuing into heauen one is the authority power to vindicat my Religious from their necessities and defend them from any aduersity that presses them as often as with confidence they invoke my aide and these wings and tallons now I haue assumed to signify my readines and promptitud in succouring mine and the force and violence with which I oppugne al those who iniure them Good reason then haue the Children of this great Pattiarcke to reioice on earth for hauing so powerful a protector of him in heauen so louing a father and so careful an Aduocate I would aduise them to be assidual in honouring him with those reuerences of which we haue spoken and particulary to salute him euery day with fiue times bowing their knees vnto the ground in honour of the fiue woūds so miraculously imprest vpon him while he liued reioycing and congratulating with him for so highe and so sublime a dignity It being no doubt one of the most acceptable deuotions we can exhibit vnto him now he is in heauen Of the Adoration of the Angels CHAP. XI AND if we be obliged to honour the B. Saints with that due reuerēce appropriated their worship as we haue amply proued in the precedent Chapters with farr more reason are we to honour the holy Angels as the noblest in substance of al created things and representing most liuely their Creatours vnlimited power and magnificence And although it be true that both men and Angels are both Creatures of Alm. God and workes of that soueraigne Artificer that they are either framed according to his Image and by the faculties of their memory vnderstanding their wil capable of his grace and of being participant of his glory and eternal felicity and that many circumstances there are which equal Man with Angels yea and in consideration of the Hypostatical vnion and the Mother of our Sauiour Christ it may pretend some pre-eminence aboue them also Yet if we weigh their natures and ballance them equally one against the other no doubt but we shal find the one farr exceeding the other and as lead can neuer arriue to the excellency of siluer nor siluer of gold no more can a body any way equal in excellency a soule nor the soule of man naturally speaking the most inferiour Angel that is in heauen Vnto which our B. Sauiour infallibly alluded when he sayd Verily I say vnto you amongst the sonnes of men hath not been borne a greater then Iohn Baptist neuerthelesse the least in the Kingdome of heauen is farr greater then he But now before we wade any further into this matter we are to vnderstand that the word Adoration is a notion general to good Angels and men In conformity to which we find it in holy Scripture indifferently vsed for either as where it is sayd that the Israelits adored both their king God they bowed downe sayes he and adored God and afterwards their King So the Children of Israel adored their brother Ioseph then Gouernour of AEgypt after his brothers had adored him c. For which reason the Doctours both ancient moderne haue distinguished it into three seueral species of Adoration Latria Dulia and Hyperdulia the first being exhibited only vnto God himselfe as a souueraine kinde of adoration only fitted to the soueraine power he hath with the second we honour Saints and Angels And as for the third it appertaines to the B. Virgin alone and vnto her who surpasseth in excellence both Angels and al rest of Saints besides and of this in the precedent Chapters we haue discours't at large In breefe then we establish this conclusion we are to adore Angels and men deseruing it and this is an Article of faith according to Suares defined by Pope Felix the first of that name in the Councel at Rome the 7. th Synod And S. Augustine speaking of the B. Apostle S. Peter sayes An infinit number of the
reuerently taken their Crownes of their heads and offered them at her feete What titles of prayse and honour by the Doctors of the Church haue anciently been bestowed vpon her by S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Chrysostom and innumerable others how Diuinely hath S. Thomas spoken in her prayse how deuoutly S. Bonauenture and how affectionatly Albert the Great in humble acknowledgement of the learning which hereceiued from her Let vs fixe vpon Alexander de Hales amongst the rest as one singularly deuoted vnto her and recount the motiue he had to leaue the world and inrol himselfe in the seruice of our Sauiour Christ vnder the banner of s. Francis of Assisium This Alexander of Hales being English by nation was of a sublime spirit and of singular erudition the first professor of Theologie in the Vniuersitie of Paris one so affectionatly deuoted to the B. Virgin as he made a vowe neuer to refuse any thing that should be asked him in her name A certaine Gentle woman vnderstanding this persuaded the Bernardines to make their vse of it by winning him to their Order and illustrating it by so great a light of learning which they resolued to doe and repairing to him they made their approaches a farr off discoursing of learning and deuotion but God Alm. permitted not that at that time they should come neerer to him the Gentle woman vnderstanding what was done had recourse vnto the Frier Preachers next animating them and putting them in the way to make him one of their Order as she done the Bernardines before which was attempted also by them iust as they were putting him to his vowe by chance two Frier Minors coming in one of them diuinely inspired thus sayd vnto him Alexander it is highe time for you to with draw your selfe from those vanityes which haue abused you so long wherefore in the name of God and his B. Mother I coniure you to take the habit of S. Francis for I know his Order hath need of such as you are Alexander touched with these words as by the finger of the holy Ghost and remembring the vow he had made answered him presently Goe you hence good fathers and I wil instantly follow to the ful effecting of your desires and so he did taking on him the holy habit til being in his probation he was greeuously tempted to cast it off agayne by reason of some austerities he could not vndergoe so wel and iust as he was vpon the point of doing it behold S. Francis appeared vnto him in his sleepe bearing on his shoulders a heauie Crosse with which he endeauoured to clime a stipe hil at which he was so moued with compassion as he offered him his seruice to helpe him vp with it wherupon the Saint beholding him with an angrie eye goe offer thy seruice sayd he to suche weaklings as thy selfe for if thou canst not carry thine that is so light how canst thou help me to beare my heauier one the Novice perceiuing strait his mind from this his reprehension resolued to continue in the Order not withstanding al the difficulties thereof and concluded there was no other waye to heauen then by bearing the Crosses which are offered vs. That the quality of Mother of God obliges both men and Angels to the adoring of her CHAP. III. AMONG al dignities graces greatnesses and prerogatiues with which Alm. God hath honored the B. Virgin there is none more highe and sublime then that of being Mother of God it surpassing al of which any creature can be capable surmounts the heauens and the celestial Hierarchies comes neere to diuine immense and incomprehensible in fine goes beyond al that can be express't by words or conceiued by any Angelical or humane thought This S. Augustine in the beginning of his book of the B. Virgins Assumption doth intimate where he sayes There is no hart that conceiue or tongue that can expresse the effect of this grace and dignity And S. Bernard in diuers places and diuers manners aymes at the expression of this great dignity S. Anselme in his Treatise of the B. Virgins magnituds sayes that next to the being God there is no dignity in heauen or earth can equal hers To say only sayes he of the B. Virgin that she is Mother of God is a thing that exceeds al sublimity which next to God can be said or imagined From hence the holy Fathers inferr that the title of being Mother of God is the foūtaine from whence do flow al her other graces and prerogatiues for so say they whence was it that from al eternity she was in a particular māner predestinat because she was to be the Mother of God Why was she sanctified by the holy Ghost in her Mothers wombe to be the more worthy receptacle of the Sonne of God Why in her Conception was she exempted from original sinne that the eternal Word might from her body take immaculat flesh Why was she exalted aboue al the Thrones celestial Hierarchies but because she was the Mother of God who is the soueraine King of heauē earth Whence in fine is it that the Princes of heauen and earth nay euen of Hel it selfe bow downe and do reuerence at mention of her name but only because she is Mother to the supreme Lord of al to whom al do homage and in whose presence al the great ones that are shrinke vp to nothing and not appeare at al. O wonderful greatnes of this highe and excellent dignity bestowed vpon a simple Virgin Who is not astonished who is not alienated from his senses with admiration to be at once a mother and a Virgin to containe in the narrow inclosure of her wombe him whom the heauens with al their height latitud can not containe to be Mother of the most deare delights of the Eternal Father and the most glorious obiects of Angels and finally which is the most prodigious of al to haue produced her Creatour and brought her Father forth These are things aboue al capacity rauishing nature with astonishment and wonder so as with good reason the holy Church sayes of her Nature admired when you brought forth that holy one who brought forth you The B. Virgin then merits in being Mother of God al imaginable honour from one creature to another and in particular that which the Diuines intitle Hyperdulia which also admits of a subdiuision according to Suarez into superiour inferiour with the Inferiour those are honored who haue some particular excellence aboue the rest as to S. Iohn Baptist the Apostles for their eminency of place to S. Francis for the singular testimony of his sanctity giuen by Alm. God in the impression of the sacred Stigmats but with the superiour the Mother of God alone who only had the honour to beare bring forth nourish educat the only Sonne of the only Eternal God And in regard of this high and most eminent dignity of hers al Creatures in heauen and earth reuerence
ground and lifting his hands and eyes to heauen Seeing it is so O B. Vigin sayd he and that each poore thing that is don for you is so richly rewarded I heere promise and vow in imitation of this deuout seruant of yours euery saturday to fast in your honour as long as it shal please Alm. God to giue me life and health which afterwards he inuiolatly obserued but for the rest continuing stil his haunt of robbing it happened once that being ouer matched by passingers he had his head cut off and they thinking they had made him sure went on their way glorying in what they had done whē behold the head cried out Confession for the loue of God Cōfession when imagine in what affright they were vnable a long while for amazement to stirr or moue vntil at last they came vnto the next village and certified the Curat of what had hapned who running thither accompanied with many of his parishioners brought thither by Curiosity behold rhey hauing ioyned the head vnto the body he with a loue and audible voice that al might heare him sayd vnderstand al of you that I neuer did any good in al my life but only in honour of the B. Virgin fasting Saturdayes for which reason when my soule was issuing forth of my body as it was seperated from my head and the diuels ready to intercept it were al assembled behold the B. Virgin hindred them nor would she suffer it to issue forth of my body vntil by Cōfession it were expiated of its crimes and therupon hauing confest himselfe and desiring al the assistants to pray for him he exchanged this life for a happier on This day then being particularly consecrated to the honour of the B. Virgin we should do wel to add vnto our fasts this deuotion of lowly inclining and reuerencing her It being of such excellency as we haue declared before of which each one may offer vp as many as his deuotion shal suggest and time and place permit How euer for the more certainty might I prescribe them a taxed number it should be the number of the Beads to wit sixty three in honour of those yeares which according to some Doctours the B. Virgin liued vpon earth and so it were best to number them vpon their Beads performing them the while with that attention as if the B. Virgin were really present there and while they do it they may at earth one pronounce those first words of the Angelical salutation Aue Maria which some are of opinion the Angel pronounc't in actually bowing his knee and lowly reuerencing her with bowing downe his head But of this we shal speak more amply in the 11. chapter of this booke where we shal teache an apt Method of putting in practise this exercise and what I say of the Saturday may be obserued when any of her lesser feasts occurr As for the Greater feasts the greater the solemnity is with the greater deuotion we are to solemnize it wherfore it were wel if on such dayes as those we encreased to a hundred the number of those reuerences it being a number much celebrated in the holy Scripture for perfect and mysterious but I would not wishe you to performe them al at once for feare of taediousnes but to diuide them so as both morning noone afternoone euening and night may haue its parting which in the former number of sixty three I would likewise haue obserued that we may come to it with fresh deuotion and renue the memory of our B. Lady more affectionatly and often And if the feast be celebrated with an Octaue we may celebrat each day of the Octaue with this deuotion when if we begin the vigil with a hundred and ten and so continue the Octaue out we shal make compleatly vp the number of a thousand a number perfect sacred and mysterious This excellent deuotion was most frequent with S. Margaret daughter of the king of Hungary Religious of the Order of Saint Dominick who as Doctor Querin of the same Order recounteth in her life was so affectionatly deuoted to the Queene of heauen as she no sooner sawe her Image in any place but she presently kneeled downe before it reciting in her honor the Angelical salutation and on the Eues of her most solemne feasts she alwayes fasted with bread and water from which day til the conclusion of the Octaue she sayd a thousand Aue Marias at each one of which she humbly prostrated her selfe on the ground making it her greatest delight next to honouring Alm. God to honour his B. Mother Of the Feasts of our Sauiour Christ CHAP. IX VPON occasion of treating of the feasts of our B. Lady I am put in minde to speake a word of the feasts of our B. Sauiour which we are to honour aboue al the rest and with good reason for if the feasts of creatures as we haue sayd may be celebrated in their honour how much is the Creatour on his feast to be honoured Al those deuotions we may exercise on his feast which we haue taught to be exercised on the feasts of our B. Lady alwayes prouided that we reuerence him in a higher straine of Latria only proper to God himself Thou sbalt honour serue the Lord thy God c The principal feasts of our Sauiour Christ which are celebrated with their Octaues are fiue the Natiuity the three Kings adoration the Resurrection the Ascension that of Corpus Christi or the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist amongst which I place in the highest ranke that of the Natiuity because on that al the Quires in heauen descended vnto the earth to adore their King then an infant lying in the manger or in his mothers lap And so the deuout soule that exerciseth theis deuotions on that day is to frame a liuely imagination of the place imagining themselues in Bethleem and adoring amongst the rest him whom al both in heauen and earth adore The feast of the three Kings puts vs in minde of nothing but adorations since on that day they al adored our Blessed Sauiour in his Mothers lapp and in them al the nations of the world and with how much deuotion it was accompained may be gathered from this pathetical expression of it by the Euangelist Saint Mathew And entring into the house sayd he they found the infant with Mary his Mother and falling on the ground adored him The glorious Resurrection to the dignity of which al other feasts giue a kinde of pre-heminence deserueth Adoration likewise because on it our Sauiour rose againe al victorious and victory charged with the spoyles of hel while the Angels adored him reioycing at his triumph and singing in his prayses their songs of ioy And what should I say of his most glorious Ascension on which our Lord and Sauiour after his victories made his magnificent entrance into Heauen and there being seated at the right hand of his Eternal Father to whom he was euery way equal in
Angel keeper when blessing the children of his sonne Ioseph he sayd The Angel who hath preserued me from al euil blesse these children c. And so did Iudith returning victorious from Holofernes campe So it hath seemed good vnto our Lord said she whose Angel hath guarded me in going forth in remayning there and in returning backe And though the B. Angels care extends it-selfe as wel vnto the bad as to the good yet not withstanding they more specially impart their aide vnto the iust as the Psalmist testifies where he sayes Qui habitat in adiutorio Altissimi c. Who dwelleth in the aide of the Highest remaynes in the protection of the God of heauen And there is no doubt but God hath a most particular care of the iust and vertuous and consequently commends them in a most deare manner vnto their Angels Guardians as may be gathered out of that passage of holy Scripture He hath giuen his Angels charge of you c. As if he would saye those who are Gods faithful seruants may goe securely in the midst of dangers for God hath giuen the charge vnto his Angels to haue especial care of them Whether they sleepe or wake they need not feare for being in this particular protection of God and their Angel Guardian it may be sayd vnto them They may walke on the Aspick and the Basiliske and tread the Lion Dragon vnder their feet What a wonderful priuiledge is this to be able to contemne the Aspick and Basiliske which euen kils with its sight and the Lion and Dragon the most formidable of al other beasts and who restraynes the killing lookes of the one or cohibits the others fieccenes but only our Angel Guardian The second benefit which we receiue from them is the wholsome Counsel and aduice which they are stil infusing into our minds And of this we haue a cleere example in the Angel that accompanied Tobias on his way and gaue him such wise and prudent instruction in point of his mariage how he should comport himselfe with his new spouse for to escape the fate which had sent so many of her husbands vnto death as namely that he was to begin his mariage quite contrary to the custome now a dayes with watchings prayers and deuotion In the like manner an Angel Guardian is continually suggesting wholsome counsels vnto vs now deterring vs from euil now inciting vs to good which without their incitement we should neuer doe now proposing to vs the example of our Sauiour Christ before our eyes now of some other Saint for to awake our Imitation then inflaming our wils to embrace the occasion of imitatating them lastly they go somtymes spurring vs on by the consideration of the mercy of Alm. God now refrayning vs againe by that of his iustice and seuerity so euer directing euen our course betwixt heauen and hel that neyther the consideration of the one extoll vs too much nor the other too much depresse vs. And tel me now haue you neuer experienced when you were about to committ any greeuous crime a remorse of Conscience and certaine shrinkings backe and bidding vs forbeare and what should this be but our Angel Guardian appointed to this office by Alm. God Besides how oftentymes may we imagine God offended with our crimes to haue been in mind to haue pluck't vs from the earth like vnfruitful trees and throwne into the fire of Eternal hel had it not been for their interceding for vs like him who sayd vnto the man in the parable being minded to pluck vpp his figg-tree which for three yeares he had obserued never to haue borne fruit that he should haue patience with it another yeare and after he had cultiuated it if it bore not fruit he should doe his pleasure with it The Doctours in explicating this passage saye We are these vnfruitful trees Alm. God the Lord of the Orchard and our Angel Guardian he that intercedes and vndertakes for vs Imagine then how much we contristat him if we be wanting vnto his promises and to the hopes which he conceiues of vs The third and last benefit for which we are liable to our Angel Guardian is that he accompanies vs perpetually from the houre of our birth to the final period of our liues and neuer abandons vs euen when we are abandoned by euery one besides and such a freind we haue of him as the world hath none For behold a beautious Virgin in the flower of her yeares and pride of her beauty how many seruants she hath that make court to her and with what obsequiousnes they obserue her til that flower fading and the winter of her yeares and decayes of age falne on her beauty once they fal of as fast and she is left only to solitud and neglect who was before the only one frequented and to whom al respects were payd Whereas our good Angel is so constant a freind of ours as no change of fortune qualifyes or time makes vs goe lesse with him but he is euer the same and neuer alters in loue vnto vs euen when he sees vs hated of God and man and the reason of this is because he knowes not as yet the final reprobation of him whom he hath in charge otherwise he would not haue such care of wicked men as most certaine it he hath Another benefit for which we stand infinitely obliged vnto thē is that they carefully present our Petitions vnto Alm. God our almes watchings and al our good works we doe which by those words of the Angel to Tobias is rendred euidēt When thou prayedst with teares and buriedst the dead when thou didst leaue thy repast and didst conceale the dead by day in thy house and didst bury them by night I offred thy prayer vnto our Lord. And this by that mystical ladder of Iacob was vnderstood where the Angels were seen ascending and descending betwixt heauen and earth to signifie the continual commerce they haue with either for our avayle not by local motion but by a farr more ready way Sometimes one Angel presents to Alm. God the generous victory of this man ouer his temptations another sayes behould O Lord the profitable vse which this soule makes of that precious bloud you shed for it vpon Mount Caluary and of al those other graces which with so liberal a hand you haue bestowed on it A third cries out Good Lord receiue this charitable persons almes bestowed vpon you in the person of the poore or these deuout teares shed only out of an affectionat loue of you Another finally present the oblation of this good Religious person in wholy renouncing al worldly commodityes or this Preists pietie and zeale in offering vp the holy sacrifice of the Masse or meditating our Sauiours Passion and this the Canon of the Masse confirmes saying Iube haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui in sublime Altare tuum in conspectu diuinae maiestatis tuae Command this to be carryed by
is nothing sayes S. Herom if we consider it wel of pure splendious or of vertuous which shinnes not in the glorious Virgin most particularly Now if so large a portion of vertues fel vnto her share before she was Mother of God how must they afterwards be augmented when shed was indeed assuredly no tongue is able to expresse how infinit incomprehensible they were sayes S. Bernard the greatnesses perfections of God being infinit and incomprehensible his Mothers who conceiued him in her wombe must needs participat of the incomprehensibility infinitnes of them also Besides there was also congregated in her al moral vertues in greater measure then euer was in any one nay had an Angel come to the earth inuested in humane flesh it could not haue been more perfectly accomplished then she for proofe of which assertion I wil summ vp in a catalogue those most excellent parts of hers which are recorded to haue been in her by diuers holy men the admirablenes perfection of whose life was propos'd as a paterne for virgins to imitat by S. Ambrose in these words Neuer did she offend any sayes he though she had neuer so iust a cause but she both wished and willed wel vnto euery one and did wel them too she was reuerent towards her superiours and no way molestful to her equals she shun'd al boast al her actions were conformable to reason and she loued al vertues with her heart she neuer contristated her parents and neuer with freind or acquaintance entredinto contest she disdained not the humble derided not the simple nor thought it shame to accompany the poore there was no affectation in her behauiour nor dissolution in her gate and her words were so tēpered as the modesty which shined in them and her actions sufficiently declared her interiour sanctity and in ward vertue perfectiō of mind no otherwise then a sumptuous Portal doth the magnificence of the Pallace that is within Neuer but to the Temple did she stin abrode and then neuer but accōpanied with her father Mother kinsfolkes or the like within doores she was delighted with solitud and imployed her thought alwayes in some what of good and profitable for her soule This much S. Ambrose who hath much more besides And S. Hierom describing her Heroick vertues celestial māner of life in the Temple amongst the sacred Virgins sayes She alwaies endeauoured to be the first at Vigils of the night to be best instructed in the law of God the most humble in her demeane the most eagre in the workes of Charity the purest in purity and most perfect in al sorts of vertues and perfections she was assidual in prayer as the Prophet sayes meditated night and day in the law of God she was iealous of the honours of those she conuersed with and that without any disgust or molestation of theirs Deo gratias was her answer to al salutations and in fine her whole life was such as for prayer humility modesty solitud silence virginal bashfulnes and the like noble vertues of her sexe she was a paterne and model for al to imitat The seauenth Starr declared THe seauenth Starr nothing inferior in brightnes to the rest is her neere Communication of trust and secrecy with Alm. God so as no earthly Prince was euer more confident with Secretary or chamberlaine then he with her nor none euer more secret and faithful then she to him When he was an Infant she with incredible care and diligence attended him made him ready and vnready gaue him milke from her sacred breasts and with her virginal lipps tenderly kissed him Al which she did with such deuotion and respect as according to Albertus Magnus she never layed him to rest nor tooke him vpp but she adored him first with profound reuerence and entred so farr on the consideration of his infinit loue that made him doe what he did for vs as for the most part she fel into extasy Afterwards for the space of 30. yeares in al times in al occasions she was present to his necessityes in al his trauails miseryes and calamities both winter and summer in cold and heat raine or snow she euer willingly would accompany him neyther was he wanting on his part to correspond vnto the dearenes of her affection communicating with her the greatest secrets of his diuinity so as she neuer desired him to vnfould any hidden mystery as of the Trinity the Quires of Angels the vocation of the Gentils the vnion of the faithful with his holy Church but he did it presently if he reuealed to his disciples with such candour and promptitud the secrets of his heauēly Father I cal you no longer seruāts but freinds says he for what I haue heard frommy Father I haue declared to you much more would he do to his B. Mother we suppose And if in frequēting of his cōpany hearing of his doctrine only during his last three yeares he could render them so learned expert in the diuine mysteries how much more learned expert must she needs be who both frequented heard him for more then 30. yeares whilst he reuealed vnto her those mysteries heere on earth which the very Angels of heauen were ignorant of As Princes then vse to ennoble those with great titles of honours and dignityes whom they entrust with their persons and secrecies so not only did our Sauiour heere on earth aduance the B. Virgin to eminent dignity but much more now in heauen doth he intitle her to the highest degree of glory and excellence not ranking her with the quires of Virgins Cōfessours Martyrs Apostles Prophets nor Patriarks but to a high sublimity aboue them and aboue al the heauenly Hierarchies he hath aduāced her seating her at his owne right hand where she sits instaled Queene of heauen The Queene is at thy right hand sayes the Prophet Dauid adorned with al varieties whilst al the Blessed grant her the precedencie willingly and deferr it vnto her as their soueraine Queen Finally she rules ouer the whole Vniuerse and al the most important affaires of the B. Trinity in a manner do passe through her hands so as al the heauenly Cittizens the inhabitants of the earth the soules in Purgatory nay euen hel it selfe acknowledge he power and reuerence her for it with al humility The eighth Starr declared THE eight starr is the high Priuiledge she had of Contemplation and enioyed al her life so as from the very first instant of her sanctification in her mothers wombe according to Suarez she had the vse of reason conuerted it to the knowledge loue and contemplation of Alm. God from which nothing could diuert her euer after and he confirmes it for if this guift sayes he was bestowed on the Angels at their first Creation with greater reason may we imagine it bestowed vpon the Mother of Alm. God and Queen of them Whilest she was resident in the Temple with those other consecrated Virgins she