about the divine and blessed Nature on whose lightnings and grace whosoever fixes his eye participates somewhat from it as it were in a tincture dying his owne sight with a flourishing lustre Psal 4.6 7. Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us and thou shalt put gladnesse in our hearts For as f Gradu 30. Climacus takes up a Simile If the face of a Friend whom wee love doth most truely change us and render us all chearie and pleasant and voyd of heavinesse what shall the face of GOD doe comming invisibly on the Soule that is cleansed from all filthinesse CHAP. 9. CHAP. IX Of the fulnesse of this Beatitude in beatificall vision FOrasmuch as Man is an intelligent creature therefore his Happinesse must needs bee in the acts and exercise of his intellectuals hence our fruition of GOD is set out by sight Iohn 17.3 The prelation of Man above Beasts is to know his Maker the highest exaltation of man in the best and immediate knowledge of his maker if 1. King 10.48 the Queene of Sheba was strooke with admiration at the order of SOLOMON'S Court how shall it not bee full happinesse to see the forme of the celestiall Court I extoll the wit of PICVS Earle of Mirandula a In Heptapio in proumio lib. septâ—â—i Haec est vera faelicitas vt simus vâ—us cum Deo Spiritus vt apud Deum non apud nos Deum possâ—â—â—mus cognoscâ—mâ—â— sicut 〈…〉 ille enim nos non per nos sed per seipsum aguavit ita nos cognoscamus illum per ipsum non per aut 〈◊〉 est tota mercer haec est vtt◠〈◊〉 Naturally the Creatures cannot know GOD as hee is in himselfe but as hee is in their selves This is true felicity that wee may be one spirit with God that wee may possesse God in God not in our selves knowing as wee are knowne for he knowes us not by us but by himselfe so wee shall know him by himselfe and not by our selves this is the whole reward this is Life eternall 1. Cor. 13.12 That which mortals cannot wee shall see God as he is 1. Iohn 3.2 and arrive to immediate conjunction with God without any creatures intervening the Lord plainely and without any riddles manifesting himselfe and his Essence to us in his owne light b Ostendum meipsum illâ— â—tique in forma Dei non in forma ser 〈…〉 In thâ—t 〈…〉 of him â—â—lfe â—s eternall Liâ—e Ioh 〈…〉 B Aug de Spiritu litera c 22. Iohn 14 21. And in the forme of GOD not the forme of a Servant or any created forme or representation Luke 12.37 The Lord disposes himselfe to reward in his owne person the fidelity of his servants and makes his faithfull fit downe in eternall rest comes forth and ministers because hee satisfies us with illustration of his owne light and immediately by himselfe and in his owne person wee receive our repast as St. Gregorie c In Evang hom 13. Transiens autem Dominus maistrat quia lucis sua illustratione nos saetiat expounds it unto us Wee shall be as Angels beholding the face of God not onely his back-parts Exod. 33.20.23 as hee is knowne in his effects by his words and workes For the back parts are all notifications of himselfe d The back parts of God are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Nazian serm 34 after himselfe but wee shall see his face also Matth. 18.10 his nature and substance that which is distinctive and essentiall to God as men are distinguished and knowne by their faces so God by his Essence which knowledge of God is the end wherein meet all the desires of rationall natures And that naturall desire in all Soules tending to see God as St. ANTONINVS e Hist tit 5. cap. 8. sect 17. S. Aug epist 111 112. cap. 8. St. Greg. in Iob. L. 28. c. 28 Inter opera B. Athanasii disputationem cum Arrio p 117 reasons cannot bee in vaine whence it appeares erronious to hold that wee shall not see the divine Essence The request of MOSES Exod. 33.18 I beseech thee shew mee thy glory is the Petition of every good man Iohn 14.8 Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us sight of the Father suffices a reasonable Soule and without that it is not sufficed whatsoever it sees and knowes glorious are the sights which God here shewes his pure-hearted yet as it is in St CYPRIAN f In Prolâ—go ad Cardinalia opera Christi Nec tamen in hac visione plena potest esse sufficientia donec in splendoribus SanctoruÌ„ in die virtutis suae cognoscatur ratio gignentis geniti procedentis They cannot bee fully satisfied in those sights till in the glory of Gods Saints in the day of his Power the mysterie of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost bee disclosed When wee shall see God as he is we shall alike see all the Divine persons because they are one in the same Essence the Father in the Sonne the Sonne in the Father both in the holy Ghost all in each and each in all So the Essence cannot bee seene without sight of the Persons nor one person without the rest otherwise PHILIP and his fellow Apostles would not be satisfied in the sight of the Father if hee could be seene without sight of the Sonne and the blessed Spirit whom they equally desired to see But when God manifests himselfe as St. Gregorie the Divine declares g S. Greg. Nazian in plagam grandinis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ineffable light receives the godly and the vision of the Holy and kingly Trinitie shining most clearely and most purely and mingling its whole selfe with the whole minde in which alone I chiefly place the Kingdome of Heaven Because wee shall see God as he is we shall 〈◊〉 knowledge of all the divine attributes which in him are one with themselves and with the divine Essence bee devided onely by our imperfect manner of understanding and therefore in Gods light present themselves as one primary object to the minde Then in thâ—ir platformes and Ideas wee shall see the Idea's of all naturall things in their severall h Ioseph Angles in 4. part 2. p 117. Quilibet beatus videt omnia quae in Deo formaliter id est quidditativè continentur verbi gratia attributa omnia quae formaliter id est quidditativè conveniunt constat ex B. Iohanne dicente videbimus eum sicuti est ergo omnia quae sunt in ipso quidditativè scilicet attributa omnia omnes relationes alioquin enim si beatos aliquod divinum attributum lateret non illuÌ„ sicuttest viderent They see also in God the quiddities of all things c. kinds tho not all individuals for that Beatitude satisfies all naturall desire and the intellect hath a naturall desire to know them and therefore could not bee at rest without knowing them Now the Creatures are perfectly
triumphant and preferre their lot that went out of the world by the glorious way of Martyrdome before any other departure and would rather have lived a Confessor and dyed a Martyr then have beene great Alexander or very Caesar yea or any beleever that was no sufferer Therefore in reverence of the opinion which all Christians have touching their blessednesse which indured much for CHRIST we may noâ— only admire it in others but desire if God please to share in it with others and by name with the goodly fellowship of Prophets And so I am come to the argument that concludes the cause that urges all joy in the happinesse of suffering For so persecuted they the Prophets that were before you it manifests conformity to the chiefest Saints and servants of God CHAP. 5. CHAP. V. That the best of men have beene Persecuted SO Persecuted they the Prophets from ABEL to ZACHARY Origen in Ier. hom 11 Matth. 23.35 From the first to the last no Prophet without his Persecution From the beginning to the end of the Churches race a Abel esse renuit quem Cain malitia non exercet S. Greg. l. 20 c. 29. he must refuse to be an ABEL that is not exercised with the malignitie of a CAIN therefore thinke it not strange to be reviled and persecuted all holy men before us did suffer all CHRISTS fraternity doe suffer and all that will live godly shall suffer say then with venerable BEDE in 1. Pet. 5.9 b Pudeat solos non posse pari Let not us then for shame be the sole impatients that cannot suffer There never was Prophet that was not persecuted except it was SOLOMON of whom it is scarce more agreed that he was a Prophet then disputed whether he be a Saint Wisely IDIOTA c De vera patientia c. 9. Solus Solomon in delitiis fuit ideo fortè corruit S. Hier. ad Eustochium all the Saints were trained through miserie onely SOLOMON was the worlds darling and perhaps therefore fell so greevously Well whiles wee live by the Rivers of Babylon let us sing this song wee are not better then our fathers they of the world are alwayes like themselves repugnant what they can to the true Church Iam. 5.10 Take my Brethren the Prophets that have spoken in the name of our LORD for an example of suffering affliction and knowing that God is unchangable and that hee will free and honour you in distresses and oppositions as he did them bee not addaunted when CHRIST calles to appeare for him use no indirect meanes to escape as Clandestine teachers that have one faith in Widowes houses another in Consistories before authoritie say what they would have them when they come at home deliver womens dreames for Oracles and for Gospell And considering that the closser any draw to GOD and more they bee separate from the world the greater is the rage of the Divell and his agents against them to vexe them in all harsh trials let us not bee scandall'd at the flâ—nders that are raised against the Orthodoxe neither conceive the worse but have wee the higher thoughts of them GOD will exercise his grace where hee gives it if wee goe scot-free remember GODS lot was not on the scape-goue It is to bee feared our strength is little that GOD doth not vouchsafe us that honour or that wee are not faithfull in our vocations but let the world sleepe that wee may bee â—â—iet Their case is ill that effeminate themselves and their doctrines and their doings to avoyd female displeasure but much worse theirs who to escape the scourge of them whose tongue acknowledges no Lord cavill and carpe at the zeale of others who are stirring in their places to animate wholesome lawes with execution and to reforme their charges Art thou bee that troublest Israel 1. Reg. 18.17 Thinke yee the Propets were not counted too busie I will not deny Gods people to have their slips but the world doth not for that cause molest them as it might be thought they were reviled and persecuted onely for their infirmities and indiscretions if the Prophets that were priviledged men and had the spirit of infallibility and gift to fore-see and fore-tell futures that in their whole carriage were guided by the spirit that spake in the spirit and by direction and authoritie from GOD if those Prophets had not beene crossed and ill used before and above others nay if CHRIST himselfe Prophetarum opus the end of all Prophets the fountaine of innocencie wisdome and all perfections had not for the best works met with the worst use possible both in words and deeds But now e Nec nobis ignominia pati a fratribus quod passuâ— est Christus nec illis gloria facere quod fecit iudas S. Cypr. it is neyther shame for us to suffer of our Brethren what CHRIST hath suffered nor credit for them to doe what IUDAS hath done Matth. 10.23 24 25. It is enough for the Disciple to bee as his Master and the Servant as his Lord if they have called the Master of the house BELZEBUB how much more shall they call them of the houshold feare them not therefore CHRIST they said that hee was a Samaritane worser then a simple Pagan by a hereticall idolatrous Religion sometimes that he had a Devill and wrought by Belzebub sometimes that hee was Belzebub himselfe the chiefe of Devils therefore wee are not to feare the suppositions and bruits of men being the world is transported with such fury against orthodoxalitie and puritie of Doctrine and Life that if God himselfe bee incarnated and dwell and teach among them they will slander him to bee not onely a Devill but the Prince and worst of Devils This then is a soveraigne remedy of impatience in crosses and tribulations to call to minde the vsage of Christ and holy Prophets who meekely indured farre greater calumniation and persecution And after the sentence of de Kempis f De imitatione Christi l. 2. c. ult Si eligendum tibi esset magis optare deberes pro Christo adversa pati quam multis consolationibus recreari quia Christo similiâ—r esses omnibus Sanctis conformiâ—r If thou mightest bee at thy choyce thou oughtst to wish rather to indure adversitie for Christ then to bee recreated with many delights because so thou shouldst be more agreable vnto Christ and conformable to all Saints CHAP. 6. CHAP. VI. That to bee persecuted for Christ is the chiefe happinesse out of Heaven I Have made a survey of this Beatitude in the parts and will now gather from the whole these foure deductions First that the chiefe happinesse under Heaven is to be reviled and persecuted for righteousnesse and CHRIST'S sake Secondly that the persecuted therefore must not hate but love and pray for their Persecutors Thirdly that the Apostles and their successours are of all most incident to be persecuted Fourthly yet they and others
they should be imagined to persecute when they are persecuted or to suffer as erring and evill men Now beloved this is a great piece of self-denyall which must be antecedent to crosse-bearing that we deny our owne will in suffering and take up crosses not of our choosing but of Gods appointing And the Lord will have it thus that it may be a matter of Faith not of sence to suffer one thing to dye for Heaven another thing to dye for our Country Christ himselfe suffered as a company-keeper as a usurper as a seducer To intire patience we must beg wisdome Iam. 1. to distinguish betwixt the allegations of craftie opposers the true reasons of their opposition and attend Gods discerning eye that lookes through vizards and dislikes not his own causâ—s for forged aspersions St. Basil the great gravely informes e Ep. 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist 71. That this is most grievous when neither the afflicted undergoe passions in full assurance of martyrdome nor the people repute reverence them in the ranke of Martyrs because the name of Christians is vested upon the persecutors There is one crime now vehemently pursued the accurate observation of the traditions of our Ancestors How much better pretences shewes the enemies of truth make and how much greater fame and opinions be of them in the world so much more â—ifficultie there is in suffering and therefore so much more deserving is the passion Some may aske what Persecution there can be where the supreme Magistrate is a defender of the true antient Faith I answer that which is the wonder of all Persecutions that he and Governours under him should by disobedients of the Church whom they curbe be slâ—ndered for Persecutors For the cause making the Martyr when the cause is good the Sufferer is persecuted when the cause is uncatholicke the complayner persecutes charging Gods vicegerents with wrongfull chalenges of the vilest tyrannie It is a true definitive of Pelagius the first f In Epist 3 Non persequitur nisi qui ad malum cogit qui autem malum vel factú jam punit vel prohibet ne fiat non persequitur ille sed diligit He persecutes that compels to evill but he that either punishes evill done or prohibits it to be done hee doth not persecute but love Wherefore Sectaries giving themselves out to be persecuted when they are restrained of opinionative vanities and unconformities doe therein blaspheme dignities and be themselves by unjust complaints murmurs imprecations Libels base persecutors of the higher powers Thus in the times of great Theodosius and his sonnes the Arrians bridled by penall Lawes assumed to be the only Catholickes misnamed the true Catholicks Homousians burthened the Princes and Bishops for persecutors vanted of themselves as suffering for Christ and Scripture Scripture And the Donatists in much distraction dreaming themselves to be Christs Vnica and sole peculiar exclaimed against the Emperours for not granting them toleration freely to practise their Religion of the new cut inveighed against the orthodoxe Bishops for indeavours of their cure and restraint damned Gods Church of persecuting St. Augustine oft advertises that Paucitie and Persecution have ever been the usuall pleas and prescriptions of Heretickes Paucitie as a semblance of Christs little flocke Persecution as a covert for the condigne punishments blame and shame which for their untruths they incurre before religious Authoritie But it hath lamentably hap'ned in our Church which to my knowledge hath not falne out in any other that many who yet will needs goe for her members and children before-fet with Geneva and thence full of deepe prejudices against the Doctrine discipline and government of our holy Mother so as to accuse of halting those that go not their by-way and divulge such as divert from them to decline themselves to be the sole Professors and the Church others to be temporizers usurping and practising over and against the Church And their Sect-masters under cloke and clamour of persecution suck up the fat of the earth and in poore stipendiarie and Lecturers places gather great estates in lands and monies and some now and then politickly force themselves by their open irregular carriage to be deprived of pettie livings that as deposed and persecuted men they may get up thrice the value by the benevolences of women bewitched with their long prayers and endlesse uses Which women by rude declamations against Schoole-learning and of deceit by profound Schollers and great read men they have render'd unteachable and of a speciall Faith that all who say or doe ought against them are heavie Persecutors Thus a few Schismatickes are a little snibbed for grosse absurdities and disorders and the Fathers and chiefe of the Clergie and the whole Church of England bee by them and their associates without compare persecuted and reputed as limmes of Anti-Christ whence many be abstracted partly to have the resort fees and custome partly to avoyd the censures and out-cryes of a spreading faction So necessary it is to take up our last conclusion that Christians according to their callings must not neglect Righteousnesse and to propagate the name of Christ for dread of any Persecution Revel 21.6 7. CHAP. IX CHAP. 10. That Christians must bee willing to Suffer for righteousnesse and for Christ SAint MARTIN is briefe with us a Episc Dumiens In libro de moribus Si vis beatus esse cogita hoc primum contemnere contemni If thou wilt be happie cast thy count Inprimis to despise and bee despised To despise the speech of people that are injudicious and unrighteous and be despised for courses above the spheare of carnall and corrupt aymes and judgements 2. Cor. 6 â— Heb. 13.13 Let us swim against the streame of the corruptions and errours of our times sayle against the winde of popular ayre and breath let that rather blow up the fire of the Spirit in us To contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints for the first Love first Doctrine first Discipline Devout St. Bernard laments in an Epistle That some great Prelates in his dayes though they assented not to their tenets connived at the Petrobusians because their Officers gained more by some one of them then by many hundreds of orthodoxall and conformable Christians This wee see that many in places of action coÌ„mand that by Non-Conformists they may not be proclaimed for Persecutors but spoken of as moderate persons suffer not only the Canons constitutions of their deare Mother but the Religion of the Fathers and their fore-fathers to be buried quicke But let the Prophets who were contented for ancient Faith and truths sake to suffer in their names and persons be a precedent for us to stand for the old and good way maugre the exclamations of upstarts Spirits CHAP. 9. and their conjured adherents Bee not ambitious of a false Prophets shadow thâ—t is vulgar applause Luk. 6.26 Woe unto you when all