our Lord saying Loue your enemies doe Mat. 5. 44. good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute and abuse you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heauen Whereby thou mayest see how happie a thing it is to liue in persecution and haue persecutors to loue and pray for since God Almightie hath ordayned it as a meanes for the greater encrease of thy temporall and eternall Content and Happinesse and that of so great a Happinesse as is to be the sonne of God And consider with thy selfe what a great error it should be in thee not to pray dayly with heartie and sincere affection for all such as persecute and abuse thee since by doing such acts of high and perfect Charitie God Almightie intendeth to aduance thee to so great a dignitie as to be his sonne and with what great reason our Lord said Blessed are you when they shall reuile you and persecute you and speake all that naught is Felons Traytors c. against you vntruly for my sake be glad and reioyce for your reward is verie great in Heauen so great a reward as to be the sonne of God And if sonnes heires also heires Rom. 8. 1 truly of God coheires of Christ Againe Whosoeuer shall doe the will of my Father that is in Heauen he is my brother my sister and mother Such as loue God with all their hearts doe his will and keepe his Commandements he is so ouercome with affection towards them that hee is not onely content to diuide what hee hath amongst them and communicate whatsoeuer he hath vnto them as to his brothers and sisters but to obey them as children doe their mother And he went downe with them Luc. 2. 51. and came to Nazareth and was subiect to them and so saith If you abide in me and my Io. 13. 7. wordes in you that is if you loue me with all your hearts for God is Charitie and hee 1. Io. 4. 16. that abideth in Charitie abideth in God You shall aske Io. 15. 7. what thing soeuer you will and it shall be done to you Againe Aske and you shall receiue that Io. 16. 25. your ioy may be full Such as loue our Lord with their whole hearts doe neuer aske any thing that is good and conuenient for themselues for these two Conditions are necessarie in asking but it is graunted them And thou mayest obserue that hee doth not wish them to entreat or beseech but Aske Mat. 7. 7. and it shall be giuen you Verily verily I say to you If you Io. 15. 7. aske the Father any thing in my Name he will giue it you Aske Io. 16. 24. and you shall receiue as if they had authoritie ouer God Almightie And thou must not maruell at it If God haue Rom. 8. not spared his owne proper and only begotten Sonne but hath giuen him vp to death for gaining vs vnto him how can it be that with him he hath not giuen vnto vs all other things Euerie one â— Io. 4. 7. that loueth sayth Saint Iohn is borne of God not as the Women of this World bring forth their children who many times after they be borne put them to Nurses and then regard them no more but with eternall Charitie which on his part neuer decayeth but alwayes remaineth with such feruour and constancie that before hee would part from one soule borne of him by Charitie hee professeth that hee will rather abandon whole Nations Euer since Isa 48. 4. thou hast beene gracious and glorious in mine eyes I haue loued thee and for thy soule will I giue whole Nations There is no mother so tenderly affected towards her only sonne as God Almightie is to such as loue him as he also witnesseth saying Can the Mother Isa 19. 16. forget her owne Infant Or can she not be mercifull to the Child of her owne Wombe If she could yet can I not forget or reiect thee Daughter of Sion behold I haue written thee in my hands Againe Touch not the vncleane and I will receiue you and I will 2. Cor. 6. 17. be a Father vnto you and you shall Ier. 31. 1. be my Sonnes and Daughters saith our Lord omnipotent And if it be esteemed a happinesse amongst the sonnes of Adam to be borne Sonne and Heire to a King of the World where the greatest Possessions are but pieces of Earth and power ouer mortall men for some seuen yeares and afterwards God knoweth what will become of their soules when at the day of Iudgement they shall not only giue account of all their sinnes committed but of all the good they haue omitted to doe and that to their eternall torment See what 1. Io. 3. 1. manner of Charitie the Father hath giuen vs that we should bee named and bee the sonnes of God Who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings Eph. 1. 3. in heauenly things in Christ as hee chose vs in him before the constitution of the World that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in Charitie Who hath predestinated vs vnto the adoption of sonnes by Iesus Christ Whereupon presently after his resurrection our Sauiour sent this most comfortable Embassage to those who had left all thinges for his loue Goe and tell my brethren Io. 20. that I do ascend vnto my Father and vnto your Father vnto my God and vnto your God By which two words of God and Father he expresseth the happinesse of such as loue him signifying vnto them that God Almightie of infinite power riches glorie wisedome beautie is become so inamored of them that hee beareth them endlesse good will So God Almightie reioycing at the Content he receiued in a soule that loued him with all his heart saith Verily Ephraim is an honourable Ier. 31. 20. sonne to me certainely a delicate child therefore are my Bowels moued with a passionate affection towards him pittying him I will pittie him saith our Lord. And this for the third Happinesse and Content which such enioy as loue our Lord with all their hearts and their neighbours as themselues CHAP. XXI Of the fourth Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is the dwelling of God Almightie in their hearts and soules as in his Temple house and home SO great is the happinesse of those who flye sinne loue God Almightie with all their hearts and keepe his Commandements that the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the Blessed Trinitie one God with all his Diuine Attributes Excellencies and Perfections commeth to dwell by grace and fauour in their soules as in his Seate Tabernacle Temple and House of Content according to the Promises and Prophecies of the Scriptures saying Beare 2. Cor. 6. 14. not the yoake with Infidels for what participation hath Iustice with Iniquitie or what Leuit. 26. 11.
to Abraham was to be fulfilled in Christians S. Paul euerie where witnesseth saying Of Act. 13. 25. his Seed God according to his Promise hath brought forth to Israel a Sauiour Iesus Againe Wee preach vnto Act. 13. 32. you the Promise which was made to our Fathers that God hath fulfilled the same to our Children Againe Paul Rom. 1. 1. the Seruant of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle separated in the Gospel of God which before he had promised by his Prophets in the holy Scriptures of his Sonne by whom we receiue grace and Apostleship for obedience to the Faith in all Nations Againe Abraham contrarie to Rom. 4. 18. hope beleeued in hope that he might be made the Father of many Nations according to that which was said to him So shall thy Seed be as the starres of Heauen and the sand of the Sea Againe Know yee therefore that they that are Gal. 3. 7. of Faith the same are the children of Abraham And the Scripture fore-seeing that God iustifieth the Gentiles by Faith shewed vnto Abraham before that in thee all Nations shall be blessed Againe Christ hath Gal. 3. 17. redeemed vs from the Curse of the Law that on the Gentiles the blessing of Abraham might be made in Christ Iesus that wee may receiue the Promise Againe to the Galathians conuerted to Christianitie he saith Wee brethren according to Isaack are the children of the Promise And speaking of this Promise of God to Abraham more at large saith God promising Heb. 6. 13. to Abraham because he had none greater by whom hee might sweare hee sware by himselfe saying Vnlesse blessing I shall blesse thee and multiplying I shall multiply thee c. for mensweare by greater then themselues and the end of their controuersie for confirmation is an oath Wherein God meaning more abundantly to shew to the Heires of the Promise the stabilitie of his Counsell he interposed an Oath that by two things vnmoueable wherby it is impossible for God to lye we may haue a most strong comfort who haue fled to hold fast the Hope promised which wee haue as an Anchor of the Soule sure and firme So S. Paul Whereby thou seest deare Reader that our Catholike Faith is as certaine the Faith of God Almightie planted by our Sauiour as it is certaine that God Almightie cannot lye or be forsworne since there is not nor euer was any one Faith or Religion so dilated ouer the World as our Catholike Faith is at this day in the East West North and South in Europe Asia Africa and America ouerflowing the Isa 66. 12. glorie of the Gentiles according to the Oath of God and Promises to the Patriarks and Prophets Though Sects and Heresies haue somtime occupied many parts of the World yet they either in short time returned to the vnion of our Catholike Church or else were conquered by barbarous Nations and made their slaues according to the Promises and Prophecies As the Arrians in Lumbardie and other places by the Gothes the Donatists in Africa by the Vandales the Greekes by the Sarazens and Turkes The Brittans auncient Inhabitants of this Island admitting of the Pelagian Heresie were soone after conquered by the Pagan Saxons and their name extinguished and they for the most part destroied that poore remnant of them excepted which were hemmed vp in that part of the Realme which is now called Wales For a few yeares before the comming of the Saxons into this Land the Pelagian Heresies were brought in saith Beda in his first Book and 15. Chapter Since Schismatikes and Heretikes will not honour God by maintaining his Oathes and Promises to his Seed and returne vnto the vnion of our Catholike Church that they may be partakers of his Blessings God Almighty will be honoured by manifesting the fulfilling of his Maledictions and Curses vpon them that the Iust may see and feare and Ps 51. 8. confesse that God is true and iust in all his Wordes and Oathes Reuenge is mine saith Deut. 32. our Lord and I will repay them in time that their foote may slide They haue prouoked me in that which was no God and haue angred me in their vanities and I will prouoke them in that which is no People and in a foolish Nation will I anger them And in this God Almightie hath been so faithfull in his Promises that he alwaies raised vp the most barbarous foolish Nations of the Earth to be their Conquerors And as for Protestants if euer there hath beene any Kings Kingdomes or Nations which haue made profession of that Faith Protestants doe now before King Henrie the eight we see by experience that the Curses and Maledictions of God Almightie spoken of by the Prophets hath so fallen vpon them that they were as people that descended into Hell quick Ps 54. 16. of vvhom there is no memorie in any Booke Chronicle Antiquitie or Historie Those enemies of God vpon whom the Prophet Moyses speaking sayth in the Person of GOD I said Deut. 32. 26. Where are they I will make their memorie to cease from among Men. In such sort that there is lesse memorie of them then of Sodome and Gomorra vvhich vvas destroyed by fire from Heauen or of Core Dathan and Abiron who were swallowed vp into the Earth quicke of whom yet there is some mention made in other mens Writings But of Protestant Kings Kingdomes or Nations professing the Faith Protestants doe now there is not anie mention or memorie Yet a little while and the Ps 36. 10. sinner shall not be and thou shalt seeke his place and shalt not finde it The enemies Ps 36. 20. of our Lord forthwith as they shall be honoured and exalted vanishing shall vanish as smoake I haue seene the Impious highly exalted and aduanced as the Caedar of Libanus And I passed by and behold he was not and I sought him and his place was not found The Vniust shall perish together the remaines of the impious shall perish Againe He loued Cursing it shall come Ps 108. to him and he would not Blessing and it shall be farre from him In one generation let his name be cleane put out Which Prophecie wee see of late yeares to be fulfilled in Henrie the eight King of England and Henrie the second King of France Henrie the eight was the first founder of the Parliamentarians and author of giuing authoritie to Parliaments to determine matters of Faith and Religion Henrie the second Serres in the life of Henry the second King of France became Protector of the Protestants of Germanie rebelling against Charles the fift their lawfull Emperour and went in person to their ayde with thirtie thousand men Henrie the eight had sixe Wiues and fiue or sixe Children Henrie the second had fiue Sons Francis the second after King of France Lewis Duke of Orleans Charles after King of France Henrie the third King of France and Hercules after called
So Saint Augustine God Almightie who is in all places and euerie where present is inuisible to the eyes of the bodie and visible to the pure cleane of heart yet not so visible to the cleane of heart in this life as that they shall see him as he is in his essence or diuine nature or as he inhabiteth Light 1. Tim. 6. 16. not accessible whom no man hath seene yea neither can see and Exo. 33. liue but as S. Paul saith in 1. Cor. 13. a darke sort in comparison of the blessed seeing of him in the other life or as the Saints say in such sort as his Will hath chosen and not his Nature formed whose delights are as he saith to be with the children of men Whereupon Pro. 8. 31. S. Augustine saith What doe I Li. Con. li. 10. ca. 6. loue when I loue thee my Lord I doe not loue the beautie of Bodies nor the glorie of Time nor the brightnesse of Light nor the sweete melodie of all kind of delightfull Songs nor the pleasing smels of Flowers and Oyntments and Spices not Manna and Honey nor Members acceptable to the embracements of the Flesh I doe not loue these when I loue my God and yet I loue a certaine Light and a certaine Voice and a certaine Odor and a certaine Meate and a certaine Imbracing when I loue my God the Light the Voice the Odor the Meate the imbracing of my inward Man where doth shine to my Soule that which Place doth not comprehend and where doth sound that which Time doth not take away and where doth smell that which a puffe of Wind doth not scatter and where doth taste that which eating doth not diminish and where doth cleaue that which satietie doth not take away This is that which I loue when I loue my God So great are the mercies of God Almightie and so infinite is his loue towards them who loue him with all their hearts that since they are not capable liuing in this life of seeing his substance and Diuine Nature Essence Deitie and Glorie hee will accommodate himselfe so as that they shall finde know and see him as they may and so enioy the greatest Ease Rest Content and Happinesse that they are capable of in this life and rest in some sort satisfied quiet and content as a Stone in his Centure Fire in his Sphere and Ayre in his Region according as in other places our Lord sayth Io. 17. 3â— This is life euerlasting that they know the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And againe I will see you againe and your heart shall reioyce and your ioy no man shall take from you and in that day you shall not aske any thing because they had by seeing our Lord all that they could desire and all Ease Rest and Content that in this life they were capable of so much content and so great that wee cannot expresse it but by saying that they had more then ynough of Rest and Content Thy friends are Ps 138. honoured too much Insomuch as there ariseth many times a pious contention betweene our Lord and a soule that loueth him who knowing her owne vnworthinesse how vnworthie shee is of any such fauours desireth to loue him and shew her loue towards him onely for his goodnesse without receiuing in this life such infinite rewards and therefore with thankfulnesse and humilitie as farre as resignation to his will permitteth refuseth the acceptance of his great contentments and fauours And then God Almightie being as it were more ouercome with these her humble proceedings poureth them out vpon her the more for in louing her humilitie and making great account of her resignation and desire of louing him onely for his goodnesse as vpon one fit to receiue greater fauours hee will communicate his goodnesse more abundantly vnto her and so they both rest as it were more then satisfied God Almightie in the humilitie resignation and faithfulnesse of the soule that loueth him and the soule that loueth him in the infinite mercies of her Lord. Thou must not thinke that I put Content and Happinesse in Visions Reuelations Gustes Consolations or spirituall delights such errors be farre from me but I put them in Charitie and diuine Loue the louing of God Almightie with all thy heart and thy neighbor for God as thy selfe according to the Precept and speake of those spirituall delights as they doe fill and satisfie Loues motions and so both giue content and encrease thy content and happinesse by mouing thee the more to loue his Diuine Maiestie as hauing tasted of his goodnesse according to the prayer of S. Paul for the Ephesians saying Hearing of your Eph. 1. 15. faith that is in our Lord Iesus and loue towards all the Saints I cease not to giue thanks for you making a memorie of you in my prayers That God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glorie giue you the spirit of Wisdome and of Reuelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your heart illuminated that you may know what the hope is of his vocation and what are the riches of his inheritance in the Saints Thou mayest be happie and neither haue Vision nor Reuelation nor yet many sensible spirituall Consolations yet more cause there is for thee to hope that thou art in a happie estate the more thou partakest of the Promises which God Almightie hath promised to such as are happie and loue him with all their hearts and so saith Blessed are your Mat. 13. 16. eyes because they see the Sonne of God and your eares because they heare God Almightie speaking and preaching And Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona Mat. 16. 17. because flesh and bloud hath not reuealed it vnto thee And againe he sayth Learne of me Mat. 11. 28. for I am meeke and humble of heart and you shall finde rest that is himselfe who is all the Content and Rest that wee either shall finde or can hope to attaine vnto in this life or in all eternitie Whereupon it is said Seeke God and Ps 68. 33. thy soule shall liue not that thou shalt be happie by onely seeing him in this life but by louing him hee being an infinite Good and the chiefest Good of all Goods and onely sufficient to satisfie thy heart with complete content For by seeing him hee will so pierce thy heart with his loue and wound thy soule and all thy affections with the excellencie of his Goodnesse that thou wilt say with S. Paul I esteeme all things to Phil. 3. 8. be detriment and as dung that I may gaine Christ Though thou wert the greatest King Queene Prince or Emperour of the Earth as great as were Assuerus and Ester who reigned ouer the Medes and Persians an hundreth twentie seuen Prouinces Est 1. yet wouldest thou heartily say with Queene Ester to our Lord Thou knowest Est 4. 16. Lord my necessitie that I
thy blessing All things created being finite and hauing limited perfections cannot satiate the heart of Man as wee see by experience in the most famous Mynions and greatest Potentates of the Earth who though the world ambitious to shew and set forth her pride and iolitie hath raised to the highest fortunes and greatest glorie shee had yet could she neuer bestow vpon them one moment of true Content or Rest but forced them to march like galld-backt Mules couered ouer with painted Saddles and burdened with heauie burdens of Cares and Iealousies all the time of their liues after death to descend into eternall Miseries and Torments And to begin with Nynus who liued in the third hundreth yeeres after the Floud and was the Earths first famous Mynion exalted by her to that height of worldly honor and dignitie that his Father Belus and his Grandfather Nemrod were stiled Gods his Father called Iupiter and his Grandfather Saturne as Sator Deorum the Father of the Gods that for Nobilitie of Birth Stiles Titles Discents and Dignities he was not inferiour to the highest that euer was vpon the Earth and that his earthly power and might might be correspondent to his Styles Oros li. 1. c. 1. et 4. and Titles he was aduanced to the Monarchie of the Assyrians Medes and Persians so large Dominions that vpon the first view hee alone seemed to enioy all the pleasures and best commodities of the Earth from the South vnto the Sea Euxinus of foure Empires Yet if wee seriously looke into the Content hee had in this his Greatnesse you shall find nothing but that the poore man was deceiued with bare Imaginations liued fortie yeeres the time of his reigne vnder a heauie burthen of Cares Iealousies Warres and Dangers to die a miserable death wounded with an Arrow shot from his enemies without any other benefit of all his worldly Greatnesse Maiestie and Might then encrease of eternall Torments The same we shall find in 4. Reg. 18. 19. Senacherib the Earths second Fauorite whom shee raysed to the Monarchie of the Assyrians and made Conqueror of manie Kingdomes and Vanquisher of manie Kings to adorne him with all their Treasures and Pleasures All which could not endue him with one moment of true Content but loadened him for eighteene yeeres the time of his reigne with manie Troubles and much Discontents afterward to be miserably murdered by two of his owne sonnes so to descend into eternall Torments The like we read of Nabucadonosor Dan. 2. another Mynion of the Earths Monarch of the Chaldeans and ouer so many Countries and Nations that Daniel affirmed of him that he had all earthly things vnder his power yet this was so farre off from yeelding him true Content that he was put to liue like a Beast Cyrus so high a fauorite of 1. Esd cap. 1. Iust lib. 1. Oros li. 2. c. 6. et 7. the Earths that hee had the Monarchie of the Medes Persians and Chaldeans conquered King Cressus and posfessed all his Wealth yet therein could finde so little content that after two and twentie yeeres the time of his reigne passed in Warres Troubles and Afflictions of Minde he was killed miserably by a woman and so descended into eternall Torments The like wee shall finde in Alexander the Great Iulius Caesar Aniball and all Heathen or Christian Kings who liued vnchristian liues and did not seeke after God with all their hearts that they liued in this life in perpetuall anguish and affliction of minde and died Wretches discontent and miserable This is the generall maladie of all the sonnes of Adam but especially of the Princes and Nobles of the Earth who pretend to be wise and will by no meanes seeme to be deceiued and yet all deceiue themselues and that so egregiously as that by pretending pleasures they are turned into paines and by seeking for Riches Ease and Content they fall into Penurie Disgusts and eternall Torments for that they seeke them where neuer yet they were found in the sensual pleasures of the earth and vgly pretentions of sinne which obtained loathe and ended breed affliction when they are onely to be found in God Almightie who being of infinite wisdome beautie riches honour glorie with all that is great precious and delicious that thou canst wish is able to endue thy soule with Happinesse and thy body with true Content So that hauing him thou mayest haue all things and possessing him possesse all things and knowing him know all things and louing him be filled and rauished with all diuine delights Seeke him and He healeth all Ps 10◠3. thy infirmities follow him and He redeemeth thy life frō deadly falling serue him and He crowneth thee with Mercie and Commiserations loue him and He replenisheth thy desire in good things enioy him and thy youth shall be renewed as the Eagle As the Soule is life of the Body from whom the Body hath his liuely motions sensible gustes and pleasures so God Almightie is God life of the Soule from whom in whom and by whom shee hath her spirituall diuine motions heauenly gustes pleasures delights Wherupon the Prophet called our Lord The God of his Ps 4. ◠life And as the Bodie howsoeuer it may haue some false and deceitfull contents of his owne without the consent of the Soule or Spirit as witnesseth S. Paul saying For that Rom. 7. 15. which I worke I vnderstand not for not that which I will the same I doe but that which I hate that I doe Yet it cannot haue any full Content Pleasure or Delight without the consent pleasure and concurrence of the Soule or Spirit as is manifest by experience when the will of the Mind resisteth the desires of the Flesh so the Mind or Spirit howsoeuer it may haue some false and deceitful contents which it may enioy without the will and consent of God Almighty such as are Ambitious Thoughts vaine Imaginations and pride of Mind yet it can neuer haue any true Content perfect Pleasure or Delight without the full consent and concurrence of the will and consent of God Almightie according as it is written Without me you can Io. 15. 5. doe nothing that is good or of true content Againe Our 2. Cor. 3. 5. sufficiencie is of God So our Sauiour exhorting vs sayth Seeke first the Kingdome of God Mat. 6. 3◠and the Iustice of him which is his Will and Law and all these things Meat Drinke Apparrell c. shall be giuen you besides Whereupon S. Augustine De Ciuit. Dei li. 19. c. 25. et 26. sayth As it is not of the flesh but aboue the flesh that which maketh the flesh liue so it is not of man but aboue man which maketh man to liue happily Wherefore as the life of the flesh is the Soule so the happie life of man is God Whereby it is manifest that happy life cannot be without the enioying of God Almightie CHAP. IIII. That Faith or
the Faith Word of God planted by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ vpon Earth to the great Content Ease and Rest of thy minde and assurednesse of knowing diuine Truths and Verities without deceit because God Almightie cannot deceiue thee nor faile of his Oath and Promises whereupon they are grounded So Saint Paul telleth the Colossians and in them all Christians that they shall be holy and immaculate and blamelesse Col. 1. 27. before God if yet you remaine in the Faith grounded and stable and vnmoueable from the hope of the Gospel which you haue heard which is preached among all Nations that are vnder Heauen CHAP. VIII How our Catholike Faith is so founded vpon the Oathes and Promises of God that it is not possible for any man to be an Heretike or Protestant of any Sect or sort without affirming in effect and deed that God Almightie is periured and forsworne OVR Catholike Faith which Protestants call Papistrie is not founded vpon Men as Protestant Ministers tell thee but vpon two things immoueable The Oath of God and That it is impossible for God to lye By my selfe Gen. 22. haue I sworne saith our Lord I will multiply thee and I will multiply thy Seede as the Starres of Heauen and as the sand which is by the Sea-shore thy Seede shall possesse the Gates of his enemies and in thy Seede shall be blessed all the Nations of the Earth Not only the Brittans in an Iland diuided from the whole World but all the Nations of the Earth The Scripture foreseeing that God Gal. 3. 8. iustifieth the Gentiles by Faith by Faith that worketh by Gal. 3. 22. Charitie shewed vnto Abraham before that in thee shall all Nations Gal. 5. 6. be blessed For God promising Heb. 6. 13. to Abraham because he had none greater by whom hee might sweare hee sware by himselfe saying Vnlesse blessing I shall blesse thee and multiplying shall multiply thee c. for mensweare by greater then themselues and the end of all their controuersie for confirmation is an oath So God meaning more abundantly to shew the heires of the Promise the stabilitie of his Counsell hee interposed an Oath that by two things vnmoueable whereby it is impossible for God to lye wee may haue a most strong comfort who haue fledde to hold fast the Hope proposed That in the Seede of Abraham our Sauiour not one or few Nations but all the Families of the Earth Act. 3. 25. should be blessed Vpon these two things vnmoueable are founded our Catholike Church holy Faith the Oath of God That it is impossible for God to ly or violate his Oath Promises euery where spoken of in the Scriptures to be fulfilled vpon Christians beleeuing in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ of the Seed of Dauid of the Seed of Abraham that in his Seed Gen. 22. Luc. 1. 55. should be blessed all the Nations of the Earth as hee spake to our fathers to Abraham and his Seed for euer So that it is not possible for any man by any means to become an Heretike or Protestant of any Sect or sort vnlesse he affirme in effect and deeds that God Almightie is a lyer and forsworne nor possible for any man sincerely to maintaine or defend in effect and deeds that God Almightie cannot lye or be forsworn but he must be of that Religion which Protestants call Papistrie doe what hee can Whereupon S. Paul sayth An Heretike sinneth being condemned 1. Tit. 3. 10. by his owne iudgement For that he knoweth that he preacheth against the Oathes and Promises of God and pronounceth in his workes and deeds God Almightie to be forsworne and a lyar and hereupon our Sauiour sayth He that doth not beleeue is alreadie iudged Hee that will not beleeue God Almightie when hee sweareth and reneweth his Oath so often as hee doth in the Scriptures there are no meanes left to conuince him but by Aristotles argument viz. Punishment and Paines Those who Li. 1. Top ca. 9. doubt sayth Aristotle whether they should honour the Gods or no stand in need of Paines And according to this are the words of our Sauiour where Luc. 16. 30. hee sayth If they heare not Moyses and the Prophets neither if one should rise from the dead will they beleeue Such as will not beleeue the Oathes of God Almightie recorded by Moyses and the Prophets there is no other meanes left for to make them confesse truth but by eternall Torments Eua beleeued the Deuill that God Almightie could lye when he told her No you shall not die whereas God Almightie Gen. 3. 4. had told her that shee should if she eate of the forbidden fruit and by this meanes deceiuing her hee depriued her and all her posteritie of the Ioyes of Paradise and brought them to Miseries and temporall Death Take thou example by thy Mothers fall and doe not beleeue the Deuill or Sectaries when in effect and deeds they shall perswade thee that God Almightie can lye or be forsworne and suffer his Catholike Church to erre faile and decay contrarie to his Oath and Promises that they draw thee not from the Content and Happinesse of Grace in this life and Glorie in the other into the horror of all temporall Discontents and after death into eternall Torments Saint Augustine in his time vrged the Donatists with this foundation of our Catholike Faith the Oath of God and the Impossibilitie for him to lye saying to them as wee in his wordes say now to Protestants changing onely Donatists for Elizabethians and Africa for Brittanie To you Elizabethians the Catholike Church doth say O sonnes of men how long are yee of heauie heart Why doe you loue vanitie and seeke after a Lye Wherefore haue you diuided your selues by a wicked sacrilegious Schisme from the vnitie of the whole World You giue eare to Falsehoods which are told you of Man either lying or erring from the tradition of the Scriptures that you may die in your Hereticall Seperation And doe not attend what the Bookes themselues say that you may liue in Catholike 〈◊〉 Wherefore doe you open your eares to Men telling you that which they could neuer proue and are deafe against the Word of God which saith Our Lord Ps 2. 7. said to me Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee Aske of me and I will giue thee the Gentiles for thine Inheritance and thy Possession the ends of the Earth To Abraham are the Promises Gal. 3. 16. made and to his Seed hee doth not say to his Seedes as in many but as in one and to thy Gen. 22. Seed which is Christ In thy Seed Gal. 3. 8. shall be blessed all Nations Lift vp the eies of your hearts and consider the whole Globe of the Earth how in the Seed of Abraham all Nations are blessed Then it was beleeued of one when it was not yet seene now you see it
the Prophet told him Fables such like as these that we may be saued and iustified by onely Faith or only Hope but not as the Law of God which teacheth saying Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God from thy whole heart c. Fourthly It esteemeth them to be malignant people who out of their malice would fraudulently conduct others into Hell and Torments saying Depart from me ye malignant V. 115. and I will search the Commandements of my God which consist in Loue and not in onely Faith or onely Hope If I should haue saith Saint 1. Cor. 13. 2. Paul Prophecie and know all Misteries and all Knowledge and I should haue all Faith so that I could remoue Mountaines and haue not Charitie I am nothing and if I should distribute all my goods for meat for the poore and if I should deliuer my bodie so that I burne and haue not Charitie it doth profit me nothing If wee will beleeue Saint Paul neither Prophecies nor Science nor Knowledge nor Faith nor Almes-deeds nor Martyrdome for the Religion any one professeth is sufficient to the attayning vnto Happinesse without Charitie and so he concludeth saying Now these remaine Faith Hope and Charitie these three but the greater of these is Charitie according to the words of our Lord where he saith He that shall breake one of Mâ—â— â— 20. these least Commandements and shall so teach men shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heauen But he that shall doe and teach he shall be called great in the Kingdome of Heauen So our Sauiour saith I tell Mat. 5. 21. you that vnlesse your iustice abound more then that of the Scribes Pharises you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Yet the Scribes and Pharises had Faith as witnesseth our Sauiour saying Vpon the Mat. 23. 2. Chaire of Moyses haue sitten the Scribes and Pharises All things therefore whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you obserue yee and doe yee Whereby is manifest that the Scribes preached faithfull and true Doctrine otherwise our Sauiour would not haue wished their Auditors to obserue and doe whatsoeuer they said But they wanted Charitie in themselues to doe good Workes and keepe the Law as witnesseth our Sauiour saying But according Mat. 23. â— to their workes doe yee not for they say and doe not and so for want of Charitie or loue towards God they shall not as our Sauiour sayth enter into the Kingdome of Heauen or euer enioy Rest or Happinesse but endlesse Paines Againe our Sauiour sayth If God were your Father verily Io. 8. 42. you would loue me for from God I proceed Whereby our Sauiour giueth vs to vnderstand that such as doe not loue God with all their hearts according to the Commaundement haue not God for their Father and are not the sonnes of God but of the Deuill As in another place he sayth You are of your Father the Deuill and the desires Io. 8. 43. of your Father you will doe who though he beleeue that there is a God as S. Iames witnesseth Iam. 2. yet hee doth not loue God with all his heart and keepe his Commandements Whereupon it is written of our Sauiour That for this appeared 1. Io. 3. 8. the Sonne of God that he might dissolue the workes of the Deuill bring men to loue God Almightie vvith all their hearts and winne them to keepe his Law and so saith of the reprobate Iewes I haue Io. 5. 42. knowne you that the loue of God you haue not in you And of the elect Apostles You haue Io. 16. 27. loued me Loue being the fulnesse of the Rom. 13. 19. Law the want of loue is the worke of the Deuill in the hearts of all the wicked and the loue of God the workes of our Lord in the hearts of the elect Whereupon our Sauiour saith Verily verily I Io. 8. 15. say vnto you if any man keepe my word hee shall not see death for euer and yet againe saith He that loueth me not keepeth not my words So loue God Almightie with all thy heart and thou shalt not see death for euer He that loueth not abideth in Io 3. 14. death dead to Grace in this life and to Glorie in the other By which is manifest that happie life cannot be without the louing of God Almightie with all our hearts Insomuch as if thou haddest Happinesse and Content and yet diddest not loue it with all thy heart thou shouldest not be happie as witnesseth S. Augustine saying He is not De Ciuitat li. 14. ca. 15. happie of whom happie life is not beloued Which thou mayest find true by experience seeing thy selfe and all others to take comfort and content in that which they loue and not in that which they neglect Whereupon S. Paul sayth If any man loue not 1. Cor. 16. 2. our Lord Iesus Christ be he Anathema his bodie cut off from the communion of the Catholike Church vpon earth and his soule excluded from the ioyes of Heauen CHAP. XI How to attaine vnto the loue of God and how to loue his diuine Maiestie with all our hearts SEeing that Diuine Loue or Charitie is necessarie to the Content and Happinesse of Man it is requisite also to set downe the meanes by which thou mayest attaine vnto this Diuine Loue or Charitie that thou mayest be happie Charitie saith S. Paul is 1. Tim. 1. 15. from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained So that the first thing which thou oughtest to doe if thou desire to loue God Almightie with all thy heart is to separate thy selfe for a time from all other affaires and businesses onely to attend vnto the examining of thy Conscience how thou hast spent thy life past and to call to minde all thy cuill thoughts words deeds and vniust actions which haue stayned and made filthie thy heart and soule to confesse them with contrition and sorrow to one of the Pastors of the Church of God to whom God Almightie hath giuen authoritie to forgiue sinnes saying Whose sinnes you shall forgiue Io. 20. 23. they are forgiuen that thy sinnes being forgiuen thou mayest haue a cleane and pure heart fit to receiue Diuine Loue or Charitie and God Almightie will bestow it vpon thee according to his Word saying Returne to me and I Mat 3. 7. will returne to you No bodie putteth new Wine Mat. 9. 17. into old Bottles otherwise the Bottles perish But new Wine they put into new Bottles and both are preserued together So if thou wilt receiue the new Wine of Diuine Loue and Charitie thou must first lay away thy old Conuersation Eph. 4. 22. the old Man which is corrupted according to the desires of Error thy selfe-loue proper iudgement priuate spirit inordinate appetites and passions and by sorrow for thy sinnes and Penance be renued in the spirit of thy mind and put on the new Man
saith the Apostle Phi. 4. in him that comforteth mee Comfort vs O Lord and wee can doe all things yea loue our heauiest Persecutors as our selues Since from God Almightie proceedeth all our good and strength the first means of atteining vnto the loue of our Persecutors as our selues is much to loue his Diuine Maiestie To them Rom. 8. that loue God all things cooperate in good Againe If any Io. 14. 23. loue me he will keepe my word loue his Enemies and pray for his Persecutors Loue is Cant. 8. 6. as strong as Death The Loue of God nothing can ouercome Many Waters of tribulation Cant. 8. cannot quench Charitie neither shall Flouds of Persecution ouerwhelme it Wherefore the first meanes is much to loue God Almightie and often to make the aforesaid Acts of Loue and Charitie towards God set downe in the eleuenth Chapter and then thou wilt easily loue thy most alienated enemies with all thy heart The second meanes is often to reflect vpon the prouidence of God Almightie who since hee intendeth to crowne none but such as 2. Tim. 2. shall ouercome in combate first giueth the grace and force to ouercome and then permitteth myserable people to practise cruelties and persecutions vpon thee that thou by his grace ouercomming them and remaining through Patience and Charitie a Conquerour he may crowne thee with abundance of temporall Content in this life and after death in the other with eternall glory according to the words of S. Iames saying Blessed is the man that suffereth Iam 1. 12. temptation for when he hath beene proued he shall receiue the Crowne of life which God hath promised to them that loue him Insomuch as by ouercomming thy gaine is so great that if a persecuting King Prince or Potentate should spoile himselfe of his Scepter and Crowne and bestow them both on thee together with his Kingdome yet thou shouldest not receiue by his meanes so great a benefit as the Martyr whō he putteth to death either publikely or by long priuate imprisonment or other distresses for our Catholike Faith My Num. 23. 10. soule die the death of the iust and my last ende be made like to them So in truth and veritie there is no cause why thou shouldest hate or wish any euill vnto thy seuerest Persecutors but much cause why thou shouldest wish well vnto them and loue them tenderly since that by their meanes and by their losse both of temporall and eternall Content and Happinesse thou perseuering in Charitie art to receiue a greater benefit then otherwise thou couldest expect euer to haue receiued viz. to be crowned with a Crown of Apoc. 3. 10. eternall glory to rest in the ioy of our Lord before the throne of God and serue him Apoc. 7. day and night in his Temple and be conducted by the Lambe our Sauiour to the liuing Fountaines of Waters And for this cause the wisest men that be vpon the face of the Earth haue a pious enuie at our happinesse here in England For that we are killed Ps 43. 22. all the day we are esteemed as Sheepe of slaughter for the Catholike Faith which wee professe and goe continually as the Prophet Dauid sayth With our liues alwayes Ps 118. in our hands to offer them to God Almightie in Sacrifice knowing that our reward is very great in Heauen for so Mat. 5. 12. they persecuted the Prophets Apostles and Martyrs that were before vs To whom our Sauiour sayth You are they that haue remained with me in my temptations and I dispose to you as my Father disposed to me a Kingdome that Luc. 22. 28. you may eate and drinke vpon my Table and in my Kingdome and may sit vpon Thrones iudging the twelue Tribes of Israel Thou seest what labour paines and dangers euerie worldly man would be content to take if he might but hope to ascend vp to be an earthly King or Prince or come to attaine some grace and fauour in the Court where in truth and veritie their greatest Pleasures are mixt with so many Woes that if they would but looke vpon them with reason they haue more cause to lament their euill mishap then to take glorie in their seeming high estate How much more shouldest thou be content gladly and willingly to suffer some seuen yeares paines and persecution in hope to enioy the Kingdome of Heauen the glorie of the other life and that eternally A third meanes is to stirre vp and reuiue thy Faith in thee by making many Acts of Faith founded vpon the Promises to patient suffering Iniuries and Persecutions for the loue thou bearest to God as often to make these or the like Acts. He that will saue his life Mat. 16. 25. shall lose it and he that shall lose his life for me shall finde it What doth it profit a man if Mat. 16. 26. he gaine the whole world and sustaine the dammage of his Soule What permutation shall a man Mar. 26. giue for his Soule What wilt thou take that the Deuill may haue thy Soule for to burne in Hell eternally and trie but for a quarter of an houre how thou canst endure thy hand or foot to be burnt in this fire vpon Earth And then thou wilt laud the mercies of our Lord that by his Grace and thy suffering patiently so little paines he hath ordained to redeeme thee from eternall Torments Wee suffer with Christ Iesu Rom. 17. that we may be glorified also with him The sufferings of this time are not condigne to the glorie to Rom. 8. 18. come that shall be reuealed in vs. Our tribulation which is momentarie 2. Cor. 4. 17. and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glorie in vs. If 2. Tim. 2. 11. wee be dead in Christ then wee shall liue also together with him If we shall sustaine we shall also reigne together So to liue by Faith according as it is written The iust Gal. 3. 12. liueth by Faith for without Faith it is impossible to please God For hee that commeth to God Heb. 11. 6. must beleeue that hee is and is a rewarder of them that seeke him And this is the Faith of the Saints so renowmed and often spoken of in the Scriptures the Faith of Henoch Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moyses Gedeon Barac Sampson Iephte and the Apostles who by Faith ouercame Kingdomes wrought Iustice obtained Promises stopped the mouth of Lyons extinguished the force of Fire repelled the edge of the Sword recouered of their Infirmities had triall of Mockeries and Stripes of Bonds and Prisons were Stoned Hewed Tempted dying in slaughter of the Sword went about in Sheepe skinnes and Goats skinnes needie in distresse afflicted of whom the World was not worthie wandering in Desarts in Mountaines and Dennes and in Caues in the Earth As thou seest Religious men and Priests and Lay Catholikes doe in the time of this our persecution
and it shall come to him and he would not Blessing and it shall be farre from him in all eternitie he shall neuer heare any Their Noses shall be tormented with stinke For sweet sauour sayth the Isa 3. 24. Prophet Isay there shall be stinke The cursed Carkas of one damned man in Hell for want of charitie shall stinke worse then all the carrion vpon the Earth so imagine if thou canst what a pestiferous stinke all the carkasses of the damned together shall make Their Taste shall be tormented with raging hunger and thirst and yet they shall neuer taste so much as one drop of Water to coole their Luc. 16. Tongues Their Touch and whole bodie shal be scorched with fire gnawne vpon by wormes Their Phantasie shall Isa 14. be frighted with vgly formes Their Memorie shal be afflicted with a perpetuall memorie and a continuall thinking vpon their miseries and torments alwaies so present as that they cannot possibly forget them for that they are eternally the same Their Vnderstandings shall be vexed with frensie folly and ignorance according to the saying of the Prophet Our Lord Ps 2. from Heauen shall laugh them to scorne Their Wills shall bee tormented with the losse of eternall weale and the possessing of eternall woe And thus confirmed in this rufull estate without hope of euer finding any alteration comfort or change The smoake of Apo. 14. their torments shall ascend vp for euer and euer And this is sufficient for to shew vnto thee deare Reader the miserable estate of these who liue and die in the breach of the Commandements of God that if the loue of thy owne good and content doe not moue thee to keepe them yet the feare of miserie and torments may winne thee to obserue them that thou maiest by one meanes or other attaine vnto the Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse which I heartely wish vnto thee CHAP. XV. That the Happie Elect and Iust and all those who shall be saued shall keepe the Law loue God with their whole hearts and their Neighbours as themselues FIrst it is an horror to Nature that any man should be truely Happy or Content who keepeth not the whole Law or Commandements of God as that a Fornicator Adulterer Drunkard Man-killer Vsurer Extortioner Periured person or Hater of God should be receiued into Heauen or liue with any Content vpō earth for because we see that such as are guiltie of these crimes and publikely professe in print that they cannot loue God with all their hearts or liue chast according to the Law are not content to be stiled or called haters of God Adulterers or Fornicators because of the repugnance which Nature hath against the guilt of sinne and breach of the Commandements of God which repugnance forceth them to esteeme the very stile of being so called as an infamous thing and badge of vnhappinesse If the guilt of such sinnes were not a horror to Nature there would be no repugnance in such as professe they cannot loue God or liue chast to be stiled haters of God fornicators and adulterers But they would like well of those names more then of others as most agreeable to their Natures and correspondent to their Faith and Religion And if the onely styling of men with these names of fornicators and haters of God which is but an extrinsecall denomination bee so disgustfull that no man though guiltie of the crime for the good opinion fame and estimation he desireth to haue before men will be content to take them for his name and be generally counted a fornicator or hater of God how much more will the vgly guilt and crime of sinne it selfe be disgustfull before men Angels and God Almightie Whereby it is manifest to reason that no man liuing with the guilt or staine of the breach of any one Commandement in his soule can euer bee Content or Happy in this life or in the other but that the Happy Iust and Elect shall keepe the Commandements of God loue him with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues And with this reason agreeth the consent of both the Old and New Testament saying Our Lord Deut. 31. 6. thy God will Circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy Seede that thou mayest loue our Lord thy God in all thy heart and in all thy soule that thou mayest liue Againe Ezek. 11. 19. And I will giue them one heart and will giue a new spirit in their bowels and I will take away the stonie heart out of their flesh and giue them a fleshy heart that they may walke in my Precepts and keepe my Iudgements and doe them and they may bee my People and I may bee their God Againe This Ier. 31. 33. shall bee the Couenant that I will make with the house of Israel After these daies saith our Lord I will giue my Law in their Bowels and in their hearts I will write it And I will be Heb. 8. 10. their God and they shall bee my People And Saint Heb. 10. 15. Paul making mention of this Prophesie affirmeth that the foresaid words of Ieremy are to be verified vpon Christians saying Our Lord hath obtained a better Mysterie then Moyses by so much as he is Mediator of a better Testament which is established in better promises For if the former had beene void of fault there should not certainely a place of a second beene sought for blaming them he saith Behold the daies shall come saith our Lord and I will consummate vpon the house of Israel and vpon the house of Iuda a new Testament For this is the Testament which I will dispose to the house of Israel after these daies saith our Lord giuing my Lawes in their minde and in their heart will I subscribe them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith The mouth of the Ps 36. 30. iust shall meditate wisedome and his tongue shall speake iudgement The law of God is in his heart and his steps shall not be supplanted Againe The Iustice Ps 102. 17. of our Lord is vpon the Childrens Children to them that keep his Testament and are mindfull of his Commandements to doe them The Prophet Isay speaking of the estate of our Catholike Church to come saith All thy Children taught of our Isa 54. 13. Lord and a multitude of peace to thy Children and in Iustice thou shalt be founded in keeping the law which is iust iustified Ps 18. in it selfe Whereupon our Lord saith That he came not to breake the Law but to Deut. 30. 6. fulfill it and giue grace vnto euery one to loue God with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues without the which no man can be saued as witnesseth our Sauiour saying If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements Againe He that doth the will of my Father Luc. 7. 21. which is in Heauen
of God with all our hearts and our neighbour for Gods sake as our selues And first it is necessarie to speake of temporall blessings and contentments and after of spirituall and eternall The practise of this our Doctrine of louing God with all our hearts and our neighbours for Gods sake as our selues yeeldeth such abundance of temporall Happinesse and Content as that it taketh away all the causes of temporall discontent and miseries from amongst men and planteth in their places all temporall Happinesse and Contentments for supposed that this our Doctrine were practised amongst men and that euerie one would loue God with all his heart and his neighbour for God as himselfe first it would take away all Vsurie Theft Murder Fornication Adulterie Suits in Law Sects Controuersies Rebellions Conspiracies Enuie Hatred Malice Emulations Oppressions Contentions and whatsoeuer miserie is in any Kingdome State or Common-wealth and all the euils which are prohibited and forbidden by Lawes For if we did loue God Almightie with all our hearts wee should be verie sorrie to offend him As wee see by experience euerie one hath great care not to offend him whom hee loueth So if men loued God Almightie with all their hearts there would bee no such sinnes committed as are spoken of in the Tenne Commaundements or in anie other Ciuill or Common Law According to the wordes of our Sauiour saying If any loue mee hee Ioh. 14. 23. will keepe my Word Againe Hee that loueth me not keepeth Io. 14. 24. not my wordes So establish the loue of God in the hearts of men and you take away all Idolatrie Theft Fornication Adulterie Couetousnesse Extortion Iniustice Sinne and Wickednesse forbidden by any Law To the verifying of the vvordes spoken by the Prophet Isay saying Iustice shall be Isa 11. 5. the girdle of his Loynes and Faith the girdle of his Reynes The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the Kid The Calfe and Lion and Sheepe shall abide together a little child shall leade them The Calfe and the Beare shall feede their young ones shall rest together And the Lion shall eate Straw as it were an Oxe And the Infant from the Breast shall be delighted vpon the hole of the Aspe and he that is weyned shall thrust his hand into the hole of the Cockatrice They shall not hurt and they shall not kill in all my holy Mountaine because the Earth is replenished with the knowledge of our Lord the loue of God and Man for he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commaundements 1. Ioh. 2. 4. is a lyar and the truth is not in him Whereby thou seest deare Reader that the practise of our Doctrine taketh away all temporall miseries and wretchednesse from amongst men insomuch as if that it vvere practised there vvould bee no neede of Lawes nor any vse of any Lawyers Againe supposed that euerie one would loue his neighbour as his second selfe then all would relieue the poore and euerie one would reioyce at others good and prosperitie as at his owne and all seeke to aduance one and one all and found a perfect Monarchie in defence inuincible and in offence against the enemies of their common good alwayes conquerors euery one faithfully seconding of his companion as his second selfe they would remaine inuincible and euerie one louing his neighbour as himselfe euerie one would willingly supply to his power his neighbours wants and by this meanes they would all liue in happie and quiet temporall Content like perfect friends confirmed in sociable amitie according to the Prophecies Thy People all Isa 60. 21. iust for euer shall inherite the Land the Budde of my planting the worke of my hand to glorie The least shall be into a thousand and the little one into a most strong Nation the Lord in the time thereof will suddainely doe it Againe I will make thy visitation Isa 60. 18. Peace and thy Ouerseers Iustice Iniquitie shall no more be heard in thy Land Waste and Destruction in thy Borders and Saluation shall occupie thy Walls and Praise thy Gates And this wee see fulfilled in the Christians of the Primitiue Church Of whom it is said The multitude Act. 4. 32. of Beleeuers had one Heart and one Soule neyther did any say that ought was his owne of those thinges which hee possessed And is euen vntill this day fulfilled in all poore reformed Religious Orders dilated ouer the World who neuer stand in need to vse Suites or Lawyers And it is also fulfilled in all Countreyes more or lesse accordingly as they are Christians Catholike or stayned with spots of Heresie All the temporall Blessings of Monarchies Kingdomes and States are founded vpon the keeping of the Commaundements of God according to that Pact or Couenant which Moyses made with the people of Israel which now wee Christians are saying If thou wilt heare Deut. 28. the voice of our Lord thy God that thou doe and keepe all his Commandements which I commaund thee this day our Lord thy God will make thee higher then all Nations that be on the Earth and all those Blessings shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee yet so if thou heare his Precepts Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie and blessed in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy Wombe and the fruit of thy Ground and the fruit of thy Cattell the troopes of thy Heards and the foulds of thy Sheepe c. Our Lord will raise thee vp vnto himselfe to be a holy People as he sware to thee if thou keepe the Commaundements of our Lord thy God and walke in his wayes And all the people of the Earth shall see that the Name of our Lord is inuocated vpon thee and they shall feare thee c. And our Lord will make thee the Head and not the Tayle and thou shalt be alwayes aboue and not vnder yet so if thou wilt heare the Commandements of our Lord thy God which I commaunded thee this day and keepe and doe them c. Which wee see to haue beene fulfilled in all Ages amongst Christian People Emperours Kings Empires Kingdomes and States insomuch as that these were alwayes the most renowmed happie blessed and fortunate Kingdomes who most followed the Doctrine of the Catholike Church and attended to the keeping of the Commaundements of God As of Constantine the Great Saint Augustine writeth saying Ciuit. Dei li. 5. ca. 6. Constantine the Emperour not suppliant to Deuils but worshipping the true God receiued so many gifts and blessings from God as none durst presume to wish This one Augustus held possessed and defended the whole Romane Empire In administrating of Warre he was iust and victorious in vanquishing and repressing Tyrants wonderfull prosperous being of great yeares he died of sicknesse and old age his sonnes Emperours to succeed him Of Theodosius the elder S. Augustine sayth That hee De Ciuit. Dei li. 5. ca. 26. had wonderfull
Holy Ghost which is Faith THe ninth fruit is Faith not such a Faith as is in Heretikes and Deuils who haue their spirits so full of malice and iniquitie that they thinke it impossible to loue God Almightie with all their Hearts But a Faith in their Hearts rooted Eph. 4. 17. and founded in Charitie that they may be filled vnto all the fulnesse of God and be now no Eph. 3. 19. more Strangers and Forrainers but Citizens of the Saints and the Domesticals of God treating with him in their Soules by Faith that worketh Gal. 5 6. by Charitie A Faith planted in a good Luk 8 15 and very good Heart which hearing the Word doth retaine it and yield fruit in Patience Mat 13 29 some an hundreth fold and other threescore and another thirtie A Faith Light of the World Mat 5 15 shining before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heauen A Faith dilated all ouer the World Teach ye all Nations Mat. 28 19. And they going forth Mar. 16. 20. preached euery where Into Rom. 16. 18. al the Earth hath the sound of them gone forth and vnto the end of the whole World the words of them In the Col. 1. 6. whole World it is and fructifieth and groweth A Faith Wherein God meaning more abundantly to shew the Heires of the Promise the stabilitie of his Counsell he interposed an Oath because he had none greater by whom he might sweare he sware by himselfe saying Vnlesse blessing I shall blesse thee and Multiplying shall Multiply thee that by two things vnmoueable whereby it is impossible for God to lye we may haue a most strong comfort who haue fled to hold fast the hope proposed in our Faith The Faith of Iesus Christ Gal. 3. 22. giuen to them that beleeue The Iustice of God by Faith Rom. 3. 22. 31 of Iesus Christ whereby we doe not destroy the Law but establish the Law according to the words of our Sauiour saying Doe not thinke that Mat. 5. 18. I came to breake the Law or the Prophets I came not to breake but to fulfill A Faith which whosoeuer beleeueth and doth according to that which he beleeueth As the Scriptures say out of his belly shall flow Ioh. 7. 38. Riuers of liuing water And Isa 12. 3. he shall draw waters in ioy out of the Fountaines of our Sauiour and be inebriated with Psa 35. 9. the plentie of the house of God and with the torrent of his pleasure be made drunke OF THE TENTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Modestie THe tenth fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Modestie which is a decencie or honest temperature of the motions of the Minde and Bodie by helpe whereof they alwaies square their actions to a beseeming comlinesse pleasing in the sight of God whom they know to be present So S. Paul exhorting the Ephesians saith All naughtie Eph 4 29. speech let it not proceede out of your mouth but if there be any good to the edifying of Faith that it may giue grace to the hearers And contristate not the holy Spirit of God in which you are signed vnto the day of Redemption And againe to Timothie The Seruant of our Lord must 2. Tim. 2 24. not wrangle but be milde towards all men apt to teach patient with modestie admonishing them that resist the Truth Heretikes and Schismatikes least sometime God giue them Repentance to know the Truth and they recouer themselues from the snares of the Deuill of whom they are hold captiue at his will Againe Let your modestie Phil. 4. 5. be knowne to all men our Lord is nigh Whereupon S. Augustine saith He made Conf. li. 4. ca. 12. these things and is not farre off from them for he did not make them and then goe his waies but of him and in Act. 17. 28. him they are for in him we liue and moue and be And by these meanes they grow and increase dayly in Pietie and tender affection towards God Almightie and liue without any iust cause of reprehension amongst men excelling in ciuilitie and decent behauiour though Modestie is practised in all actions yet it is chiefly noted in the eyes insomuch as of the Foole it is said The eyes of Pro. 17. 24. a Foole are in the end of the Earth gazing after euery thing But the eies of the Eph. 4. 15. Wise are in his Head looking vpon our Lord who is our Head and there so content that he little careth or desireth to see any thing else more then necessitie requireth So the Prophet Dauid saith To thee haue I lifted vp mine Ps 122. eyes which dwelleth in the Heauens Behold as the eyes of Seruants are to the hand of their Master as the eyes of the Hand-maid on the hands of her Mistres so our eies to our Lord God Againe I foresaw our Lord in my sight alwaies because Ps 15. 8. he is at my right hand that I be not moued for this thing my heart hath beene glad and my tongue hath reioiced moreouer also my flesh shall rest in hope OF THE ELEVENTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Continencie THe eleuenth fruit which the holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Continencie which is a vertue by which mē liuing amongst the occasions of vsing lawfull sensuall pleasures to get the victorie and conquest ouer their carnall appetites do abstaine from them that by denying to themselues hings which many times be lawfull or indifferent they may easily attaine vnto grace and force to ouercome and suppresse their vnlawfull Desires thereby to bring their passions and inordinate affections to a subordination vnder the obedience of right reason and so liue in great libertie of Spirit and latitude of Minde free from consenting to base Desires Wherefore S. Paul saith in the same Chapter That against such there is no Law and addeth the reason for that they haue crucified their Flesh with the vices and concupiscences Continencie in generall consisting in the acts of Abstinence and Mortification doth crucifie or make dead the inordinate desires of the Flesh That the iustification Rom. 8. of the Law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the Flesh but according to the Spirit For they that are according to the flesh are affected to the things that are of the flesh as we see by too much experience in carnall Heretikes who professe publikely in Print That they cannot liue chaste But they that are according to the Spirit are affected to the things that are of the Spirit that is to say to Continencie Chastitie Charitie c. For Rom. 8. the Wisdome of the Flesh is death but the Wisedome of the Spirit life and peace Such as liue according to the concupiscences and desires of the
Flesh are dead to Grace in this life and to Glory in the other But such as liue according to the wisedome of the Spirit in Continencie and Chastitie by mortifying their inordinate appetites shall liue with the life of Grace in this life of Glory in the other and in Temporall peace of minde in this life and Eternall in the other Because the Wisedome of the Rom. 8. 13. Flesh is an enemie to God for to the Law of God it is not subiect neither can it be for if you liue according to the Flesh you shall die but if by the Spirit you mortifie the deedes of the Flesh you shall liue For whosoeuer are led by the Spirit of God and mortifie the deeds of the Flesh they are the sonnes of God But if any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the Spirit of Continencie and Mortification the same is not his but the Deuils Whereupon Saint Paul yet further saith I say walke Gal. 5. 16. in the Spirit that is in doing acts of Mortification and Continencie and the lust of the Flesh you shall not accomplish for the Flesh lusteth Gal. 5. 17. against the Spirit so these are enemies one to another and combate for the victorie If the inordinate lust and desires of the Flesh preuaile so farre with thee as that they bring thy Will Reason and Soule to consent to their desires then the inordinate lust and concupisences of the Flesh are Lords and Masters and thy Will Reason and Soule become slaues to their owne vassals and thou becommest a beast and a beastly man to runne after thy fleshly Lusts and Concupisences like the wilde Asses and beasts of the Forrest and that is thy life and felicitie If thy Soule or vpper part make continent and mortifie thy Lusts and Carnall desires and inordinate appetites of thy flesh then thy Soule or vpper part is Lord and Master and thou liuest like a man or reasonable creature and not like a beast and commest by perseuerance in Continencie and Mortification to enioy these delicate Fruits of the Holy Ghost which heere we treate of And for this cause the Life of Man is Iob. 7. called a Warfare For the Flesh Gal. â— â—7 lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh for these are aduersaries one to another that not what things soeuer you will those you doe without combate But combating the lust of the Flesh with Continencie and Mortification which are the fruits of the Spirit you come to enioy inestimable libertie of doing alwaies by combate what you will and will nothing but that which is reasonable according as it is written Where the Spirit of our 2 Cor. 3. 17. Lord is there is Libertie Againe Brethren you are called Gal. 5. 13. into Libertie And S. Paul setting down wherein this libertie consisteth saith Make Gal. 5. â—3 not this Libertie an occasion to the Flesh but by Charity serue one another For the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy self This is the Libertie vnto which we are called a Libertie of doing good alwaies and when we will by being conquerers ouer the inordinate lust of our Flesh and wicked temptations of the World and Diuell by the assistance of the Holy Ghost his gifts and fruits in vs. Who shall deliuer me saith Rom. 7. S. Paul from the bodie of this death the Grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. Again The Grace of God our Sauiour 1. Tiâ— 2. 1â— hath appeared to all men instructing vs that denying impietie and worldly desires we liue soberly and iustly and godly in this World expecting the blessed hope and comming of the glory of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ Whereby thou seest deare Reader the excellencie of Continencie since that by instructing thee how to deny impietie and worldly desires it will bring thee to liue soberly and iustly and godly in this world euen as one that continually expecteth the comming of the great God to Iudgement which is the greatest Happinesse we can attaine vnto in this life according to the words of our Lord saying Blessed is Luk. 12. 43. the Seruant who when the Lord commeth he shall finde so doing verily I say vnto you that ouer all things which he possesseth he shall appoint him OF THE TVVELFTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Chastitie THe twelfth fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is Chastitie which is an abrenuntiation of carnall pleasures and sensuall delights not absolute necessary to Nature wherby they attaine to perfect libertie of Spirit and freedome of Minde and easily and without impediment attend vnto the Exercises of the Heauenly Ierusalem according to the words of S. Paul saying He that is 1. Cor. 7. 23. without a Wife is carefull for the things that pertaine to our Lord how he may please God But he that is with a Wife is carefull for the things that pertaine to the World how he may please his Wife and he is diuided amongst many Masters that he cannot easily serue and loue God with his whole heart according to the Commandement So likewise S. Paul saith The Woman vnmarried and the 1. Cor. 7. 34. Virgine thinketh on the things that pertaine to our Lord that shee may be holy both in Bodie and Spirit But she that is married thinketh on the things that pertaine to the World how she may please her Husband And this I speake to your profit not to cast a snare vpon you but to that which is honest and that may giue you power without impediment to attend vpon our Lord. If thou wouldest obserue it thou shalt finde that the thing which hindreth thee from meditating and practising spirituall courses pious exercises of life is thy vnchast minde which seeking after the fornications of the World and Flesh perpetually distracteth thee froÌ„ well doing or thinking by hir vntame thoughts and wandring discourses after the sensual pleasures vanities of the Earth which if by Chastitie of minde thou couldest cut off thou shouldest as S. Paul affirmeth not onely meditate vpon the things that pertaine to our Lord and be holy both in Bodie and Spirit but also without impediment attend vpon our Lord and liue an Angelicall life vpon Earth according to the words of our Sauiour saying They Luk. â—0 35. that shall be counted worthy of the Resurrection from the dead neither Marry nor take Wiues neither can they dye any more for they are equall to Angels Whereby thou seest the excellencie of chaste Life that it will free thee from Worldly cares and distractions and will indue thee with such a facilitie in seruing God as that thou shalt be able as S. Paul saith to 1. Cor. 7. attend vpon our Lord without impediment And this is sufficient in part to shew vnto thee the Ioy Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse which God Almightie