multiplied vpon them and after that they made hast to come And God saieth generallie of al good men They vvil rise betimes in the morning and come to me in their tribulation Wherfore holy king Dauid desiring the weale of certaine men and to winne them to God saieth in one of his psalmes Fil their faces o Lord vvith shame and confusion and then vvil they seeke vnto thy name And this is true as I said in the elect and chosen seruantes of God But in the reprobate this rope draweth not this yoke holdeth not nor doth this chaine of loue winne them vnto God wherof God him self complaineth saying In vaine haue I stricken your children for they haue not receaued my discipline And againe the prophet Ieremie saieth of them to God thou hast crushed them and they haue refused to receaue thy discipline they haue hardened their faces euen as a rocke and vvil not returne to thee Behold they haue rent the yoke and broken the chaines OF THIS NOVV ensueth an eight reason why God bringeth his seruantes into affliction to wit therby to shew his power and loue in deliuering them For as in this world a princelie mind desireth nothing more thē to haue occasiō wherby to shew his habilitie good wil vnto his deare frend so God almightie which hath al occasions in his owne handes and passeth al his creatures together in greatnesse of loue and nobilitie of mind worketh purposely diuers occasions and opportunities wherby to shew and exercise she same So he brought the three childrē into the burning fornace therby to shew his power and loue in deliuering them So he brought Daniel into the liōs dēne Susanna vnto the point of death Iob into extreme miserie Ioseph into prison Tobie vnto blindnes therby to shew his power and loue in their deliuerance For this cause also did Christ suffer the shippe to be almost drouned before he would awake S. Peter to be almost vnder water before he would take him by the hande AND OF THIS one reason many other reasons and most comfortable causes doe appeare of Gods dealing herin As first that we being deliuered from our afflictions might take more ioy and delite thereof then if we had neuer suffered the same For as water is more grateful to the waiefaring man after a long drouth a calme more pleasant vnto passingers after a troublesome tempest so is our deliuerie more sweet after persecution or tribulation according as the scripture saieth Speciosa misericordia Dei in tempore tribulationis the mercie of God is beautiful and pleasant in time of tribulation This signified also our Sauiour whē he saied your sorovv shal be turned into ioy that is you shal reioice that euer you were sorowful This had Dauid proued when he saied thy redie o Lord and thy staffe haue comforted me that is I take great comfort that euer I was chastised with them And againe according to the multitude of my sorovves thy consolations haue made ioiful my mind That is for euery sorow that I receaued in time of afflictiō I receaue now a consolation after my deliuerance And again in an other place I vvil exult and reioice in thy mercie ô Lord. And wherfore good king wilt thou so reioice it foloweth immediatly For that thou hast respected my abasement and hast deliuered my soule frō the necessitie vvherin shee vvas and hast not left me in the handes of mine enemie This then is one most gracious meaning of our louing and merciful father in afflicting vs for a time to the end our ioy may be the greater after our deliuerance as no doubt but it was in al thos whom I haue named before deliuered by Gods mercie I meane Abrahā Ioseph Daniel Sidrach Misach and Abdenago Susanna Iob Thobias Peter and the rest who tooke much more ioy after their deliuerance then if they had neuer bene in affliction at al. When Iudith had deliuered Bethulia and returned thither with Holofernes head there was more hartie ioy in that citie then euer there would haue bene if it had not bene in distresse When S. Peter was deliuered out of prison by the Angel there was more ioy for his deliuerance in the Church then could haue bene if he had neuer bene in prison at al. OVT of this great ioy resulteth an other effect of our tribulation much pleasant to God and comfortable to our selues and that is a most hartie and earnest thankesgeuing to our Lord for our deliuerance such as the prophet vsed when he saied after his deliuerance I for my part vvil sing of thy strength and vvil exalt thy mercie betimes in the morning for that thou hast bene my aider and refuge in the daey of my tribulation Such hartie thankes and praise did the childrē of Israel yeeld to God for their deliuerance when they were passed ouer the read sea in that notable song of theirs which beginneth Cantemus domino and is registred by Moyses in Exodus From like hartie affect came also thos songes of Anna Debora and Iudith moued therunto by the remembrance of their afilictions past And finally this is one of the cheefest things that God esteemeth and desireth at our hādes as he testefieth by the prophet saying cal vpon me in the day of tribulation I vvil deliuer thee and thou shall honour me BESIDES AL thes effects God hath yet further reasons of laying persecution vpon vs as for example to the end that by suffering perceiuing in deed Gods certaine assistance and consolation therin we may come to be so hardie bold and constant in his seruice as nothing afterward can dismay vs. Euē as Moyses albeit he were first afeard of the serpent that was made of his rodd and so fled away from it yet afterwardes whē he by Gods commandement had once taken it vp by the taile he feared it no more This the prophet Dauid expresseth notablie whē he saieth God hath bene our refuge and strēgth and helper in our great tribulations and therfore vve vvil not feare if the vvhole earth should be troubled and the mountaines cast into the middest of the sea What greater considence can be imagined then this AGAINE by persecution afflictiō God bringeth his children to the exercise and perfect possession of al the holy vertues belonging to a Christian man As for example faith is exercised in time of tribulation by considering the causes of Gods permission and beleeuing most assuredlie the promises he hath made for our deliuerance Hope is exercised in conceauing assuring our selues of the rewards promised to thē that suffer patiently Charitie is exercised in considering the loue of Christ suffering for vs and therby proueketh the afflicted to suffer againe for him Obediece is exercised in cōforming our willes to the wil of Christ. Patience in bearing quietlie
the sonne of Barachias Wherof the first was a Prophet in Ieremies tyme a hundred years after Esay the secoÌ„d liued fowers kore years after that againe in the dayes of pari ' as by the beginig of his prophetie appeareth and yet both as you see were distinctely named by Esay so long before And whereas this booke of Esay was pronouÌ„ced opeÌ„lie to the people as other propheties also were and published into manie thousand handes before the captiuitie of Babylon fellowt and then carried also with the people and dispersed in Chaldea other partes of the world there can be no possible suspition of forgerie in this matter for that all the worlde both sawe it and redde it manie yeares before the thing came to passe yea when there was no opinioÌ„ of suche possibilitie The same captiuitie and destruction of Ierusalem by the Babyloniens was prophetied by Ieremie a hundred yeares after Esay and a litle before the matter came to passe Yea whiles the Babylonians were aboute the walles of Ierusalem and besieged the same for two yeares together Ieremie was within and tolde euerie man that it was but in vaine to defende the Citie sor that God had now deliuered it And albeit he were accompted a traitour for so speaking especiallie when by an armie of Egipt that came to th' ayde of Ierusalem froÌ„ Pharao the siege of Babylonians was raised for a certaine tyme yet Ieremie continued still his asseueration and said to Zedechias the king thou shalt be deliuered into the handes of the king of Babylon And to the people haec dicit Dominus tradendo tradetur haec ciuitas c. this sayeth our Lord this Citie most certainlie shal be deliuered into the handes of the Babylonians And so he continued notwithstanding he were putt in prison and whipt threatened daylie to be hanged vntil in deed the Citie was taken and Zedechias eyes puld out his children slaine before his face and all other thinges perfourmed which Ieremie had prophotied and fortolde them before And which is yet more maruelous Ieremie dyd not onelie fortell the particulers of this captiuitie but also the determinate tyme how longe it should indure sayinge And all this land of Jurie shal be into vvildernesse and astoniednesse and all this people shal serue the kinge of Babycon for threescore and ten yeares and vvhen three scare and ten yeares shal be complete I vvill visite vpon the kinge of Babylon and vpon that NatioÌ„ sayeth our Lordo and I vvill lay the same into aeternal desolation Eut vpon Iuda vvill I cast my pleasant eyes and vvil bringe them backe to this land againe c. In which prophetie is conteined first the particuler tyme how longe this captiuitie should indure Sechdlie the destruction of Babylon and of that Monarchie by the Persians and thirdlie the returning home of the Iewes againe which three thinges to haue bene after fulfilled not onelie Esdras that liued at that tyme and was an actor in perfourmaunce of the last but all other heathen writers besides doe recorde and testifie And this prophetie of Ieremie was so famous and certainlie beleeued amongest all the Iewes in the tyme of their captiuitie as when the daye of expiration drew neare Daniel writeth thus of hym selfe In the first yeare of Darius I Daniel vnderstoode in the scriptures the number of the seueÌ„tie yeares vvherof God spake to Ieremie that they should be fulfiled touching the desolation of Ierusalem and I turned my face to my Lord God and besoght hym in fasting and sakcloth c. Mother onelie the Iewes vnderstoode and beleeued this prophetie but euen Cyrus hym self that was a GeÌ„tile gaue full credit ther vnto therby was iuduced to restore the Iewes as appeareth both by his owne wordes and proclamation sett downe by Esdras that executed the same by his deedes also in restoring home the Iewes and rebuilding their temple at his owne great charges as all historiographers of the heathens doe confesse I might here alleage infinite other examples and make no ende if I would followe the multitude of propheties which are dispsed throughout the whole scripture I might shew how Daniel fortolde to Balsasar king of Babylon in the myddest of his triuÌ„phe and in the hearing of all his peeres the destruction which in sned vpon hym the verie same night after I might alleage how the same Daniel in the first yeare of Darius the Median in the beginning of that second Monarchie of Medians and Persians fortolde how manie kinges should regine after in Persia how the last who was the fowerth after hym his name also Dariê° should fight against the GraeciaÌ„s be ouercome by a GraeciaÌ„ king which was AlexaÌ„der and how that kingdome also of Greece should be deuided torne in peeces after Alexanders death and not passe to his posteritie as Iustine and other heathen writers doe testifie that it was by Antigonus Perdiccas Seleucus Antiochus Ptolomaeus and other Captaines of Alexander that deuided the same among them selues aboue a hundred yeares after Daniel was deade I might declare how the same Daniel forsawe and fortolde the fower greate Monarchies of the world and described the same as distinctelie as if he had liued in them all and as by experience we finde since to be true I might alleage the particuler descriptioÌ„ of the fight betwene Darius and Alexander sett downe by Daniel vnder the names of the greate Ramme the fearce Goate with one horne which Goate hymself interpreteth to be meant of a Graecian kinge that should conquer the Persians And therfore Alexander as Iosephus reporteth comming to Ierusalem about a huÌ„dred yeares after and reading this prophetie of Daniel interpreted vnto hym by Iaddus the highe priest assured hym self that he was the man therin signified and so after sacrifice doÌ„ne to the God of Israel of whom he affirmed that he had appeared vnto hym in Macedonie had exhorted hym to take this warre in hand and after he had bestowed much honour and manie benefits vpon the highe priest and inhabitans of Ierusalem he went forward in his warre against Darius with greate alacritie and had that famous victorie which all the world knoweth A hundreth such propheties more which are as plaine as euident and as distincte as this I might alleage of Elias Elizaeus Samuel Dauid Ezechiel the twelue lesser prophetes and of other which I haue not named And in verie truth the whole scripture is nothing els but a diuine kynde of bodie replenished throughout with the vital spirit of prophetie and euerie daye some prophetie or other is fulfilled though we marke it not and shal be to the worldes ende And the miracle of this matter is yet more increased if we consider what manner of people they were for the moste parte by whome thes propheties of hydden thiges were vttered to witt not such men as
the consideratiō of this starre for that after the appearance therof he perceyued the power of his Godes decayed toke a iourney into Iury in company of other Astronomers to informe hym self further of the matter Wherunto Chalcidius a Platonike doth adde that the Chaldaean Astronomers did gather by contemplatiō of this Starre that some God discended from heauen to the benefit of mankinde And finally the Sibyls talking of the cōming of Christ affirmed plainly Rutilans cum sydus monstrabit a blasing Starre shall declare his comming Which prophetie Virgile the Poet hauing read in Augustus tyme and soone after hauing seene the same fulfilled applied it as I shewed before of al the rest to the flattering of Caesar and therfore he saieth in the place before alleaged Ecce Dionaei processit Caesaris astrum Beholde the Starre of Caesar descended of Venus hathe now appeared which Starre in deede was the Starre of Caesars Lord and Mayster AFTER fortie daies past ouer S. Luke reporteth how Iesus by his mother was presented in the temple of Ierusalem and there withall recounteth two straunge thinges that happened at the same time to witte that two graue and reuerend persons Simeō surnamed Iust and Anna the Prophetesse both of singuler sanctity amongst the Iewes cōmig into the Temple at the very time when Iesus was there in his mothers armes tooke notice of him and acknowledged him publiquely for the Messias and Saue our of the world Fortelling also by the spirit of prophetie diuers particuler thinges that were to ensue both to Christ and Christians and especially to his mother the blessed Virgin Which thinges being published at that time confirmed afterward by the euent doe well declare that this narration of S. Luke could not be forged as doe also the number of particuler circumstances set doune about the time place persones most notoriouslie knowen to al Lerusalem For as for Anna she had liued from her youth vntil four skore yeares of age in the temple therby was knowen to the most parte of Iurie And as for Simeon he was the scholler of the most famous HILLEL and cōdisciple to Ionathan maker of the 〈◊〉 paraphase of whō I spoke before and the Iewes Thalmud confesseth that by the death of thes two mē but especially of Simeon failled the spirit of the great Synagogue called Sanhedria which after the captiuity of Babylō vntil Herods time supplied in a sorte the spirit of prophetie that was expresly in Israel before the said captiuity OF CHRISTS flight into Egypt for feare of Herod S. Luke well noteth that it was prophetied by Osee longe before that God vvould call his sonne oute of Egypt And the prophet Esay describeth the same very particulerlie when he sayeth Behold our Lord Iehoua shall ascende vp or ride vpō a light cloude which was his flesh or humanitie and shal goe dovvne into Egypt and all th' idoles of Egypt shall shake at his presence Which later pointe Eusebius sheweth that it was fulfilled most euidentlie in the sight of all the worlde for that no Nation came to Christian religion with so greate celeritie or with so greate feruour as did th' Egyptians who threw downe their Idoles before any other heathen Nation And as they had bene the first in idolatrie to other countries so were they the first by Christes cōminge vnto them that afterwarde gaue example of true returne to their Creatour It followeth in Esay And I vvil gyue vp Egypt into the handes of cruel Lordes and a Potēt kinge shall take dominion ouer them Which was fulfilled aboute the verie time wherin Christ was to come For that then after manie spoiles and cruelties excercised vpon Egypt by the Roman Lordes and Princes Pompey Caesar Antonie and others in th' ende Cleopatra their Qiene that was the last of all the bloode and lyne of the Ptolomces was inforced to slea her selfe and so Augustus th' Emperour tooke possession of all Egypte and subiected it as a prouince to the Romans Empire But consider you how Esay concludeth the matter after all thes temporal afflictions threatened against Egypt and confesse that suche aduersitie is no signe of Gods disfauour to them who receaue it For thus sayeth God after all his cominations In that day there shal be an Aulter of Iehoua in the middest of Egypt they shall crie to God in their tribulation and he shal send them a SAVEOVR c. Blessing shal be in the middest of that lande to vvhome our Lord God of hostes hath gyuen his benediction saying Blessed is my people of Egypt And here we make an ende of our second consideration IN THE THIRD PLACE there cōmeth to be considered according to our former diuision the life conuersation doctrine and miracles of Iesus And first touching things done by hym after his cōminge out of Egypt whiche might be about the sixt or seuēth yeare of his age vntil his Baptisme by S. Iohn whiche was the 30. there is litle recorded either in Prophane or Ecclesiastical writers For that as S. Iustin S. Chrysostome S. Augustine and others doe write he bestowed that time in the common exercises and labours of mans life therby to shew hymself trueman and giue demonstration how much he detested idlenes OF S. Iohn Baptist all Hebrue writers of that time doe make mention with exceeding praise and admiration of his holines especially Iosephus that liued īmediately after Christs dayes sayeth hewas Vir optimus Iudaeos excitans ad virtutum studia A most excellent man stirring vp the Iewes to the exercise of vertue He addeth also that partly for feare of the great concourse of people which flocked vnto hym and partly by the sollicitation of Herodias cōcubine and brothers wife to Herode Antipas the great Herodes sonne for whos cause he had turned of his owne wife daughter of Areta king of the Arabians he was apprehended and imprisoned in the Castle of Acherun and therin soone after put to death Which murther Ioseph esteemed to be the cause of all the miserie whiche ensued afterward to Herode and his whole familie Of this man it was writen by Malachie the prophet Beholde I send my messenger or Angel before me and he shal prepare the vvay before my face and presently shal come to his Temple the RVLER vvhom you seeke and the MESSENGER OF THE TESTAMENT vvhich you desire Which prophetie was fulfilled most euidently when vpon the preaching of S. Iohn Christ came vnto hym and albeit S. Iohn had neuer sene hym before yet he acknowledged hym for the Messias in the presence of infinite people and his acknowledgment was confirmed by the visible descending of a doue voyce frō heauen in the sight and hearing of all the people present accordinge as three of our Euangelistes doe reporte Which they would neuer haue presumed to doe had not the matter bene most euident without al
of the reader to reduce the whole summe vnto two general heads partes In the first wherof shal be shewed the manifold sundry helpes that almightie God doth lend to man for the faciliting of the way of his holie commandementes and in the second shal be layed doune certaine instructions admonishmentes and examples how to make our auaile of thos helpes that are lent vnto vs. The first part Of the helpes that are geuen to Christians for making vertuous life easie IT were a verie hard and difficil matter for any man to take vpon him to set forth al and euerie the particuler waies and meanes wherby our most merciful Lord and Saueour doth comfort strengthen and cherish the soule that resolueth to liue faithfullie in his seruice Ther are infinite secretes that doe passe betwene them infinit priuie tokens and significations of loue that none els can expresse or conceaue wherof the Prophet Esay hauing had a taste cried out Secretum meum mibi Secretum meum mihi My secret is to my self my secret is to my self But yet of thos publique and ordinarie waies wherby it is euident in holie write that almightie God is accustomed to worke this effect of making sweet and easie his commandementes I shal here recount the chiefe and principal for our common consolation encoragement AND FIRST OF AL other we must recon in this number the infusion of Gods most holie pretious grace into our mindes and soules wherby they are beautified and strengthened against al difficulties and temptations as S. * Paul was in particular against the tribulations and temptations of the flesh And this grace is of such efficacie and force in the soule where it once entereth that it altereth the whole state thereof making thos thinges cleare which were obscure before thos thinges pleasant which were bitter before thos thinges easie which were hard and difficult before And for this cause also it is saied in scripture that it maketh a new spirit a new hart wher it is bestowed by almightie God which his diuine Maiestie signifieth by the Prophet Ezechiel in thes wordes when he treateth of the graces that should be geuē at the comming of Christ in flesh I vvil geue vnto them a nevv hart and vvil put a nevv spirit in their bovvelles to the end they may vvalke in my preceptes and keepe my commandementes What can be spokē more effectuallie of the power of Gods holie grace to the perfourmance of good workes In like maner of the force and efficacie of the same grace to resist mortifie conquer the passions of our flesh and sensualitie which by their rebellion against vertue doe make the way of Gods commandementes vnpleasant S. Paul testifieth clearlie when he writeth thus to the Romans This vve knovv that our old man is crucified to the ende that the bodie of sinne may be destroyed vve be in bondage no more therūto In which wordes by the old man and the bodie of sinne S. Paul vnderstandeth our rebellious appetite and concupiscence which is so crucified and destroied by the most noble sacrifice of Christ our Saueour as we may by the grace purchased vnto vs in that holie sacrifice resist and conquere this appetite and so keepe our selues from the seruitude of sinne that is from any consent and guilt of mortal sinne if we wil our selues And this is that noble entire victorie which God promised so long agoe to euerie Christian soule by the meanes of Christ when he said Be not a feard for I am with thee step not aside for I thy God haue strengthened thee and haue assisted thee and the right hand of my iust MAN hath taken thy defence Behold al that fight against thee shal be confonded and put to shame thou shalt seeke thy rebelles and shalt not find thē they shal be as though they were not for that I am thy Lord and God Loe here a ful victorie promised vpon our rebelles by the helpe of the right hand of Gods iust man that is a ful cóquest vpon our disordinate passiōs and temptations by the aide of grace from IESVS Christ. And albeit thes rebelles are not here promised to be taken cleane away but onelie to be cōquered and confonded yet is it saied that they shal be as though they vvere not Wherby is signified that they shal not hinder vs in the way of our saluation but rather aduance and further the same if we wil. For as wild beastes which of their owne nature are fearse would rather hurt then profite mankind being mastred and made tame become verie cōmodious necessarie for our vses so thes rebellious passions of ours which of thē selues would vtterlie ouerthrow vs being once subdued and mortified by Gods grace and our own diligence doe stand vs in singular steade to the practise and exercise of al kinde of vertues As for exāple choler or angre to the inkendling of zeale hatred to the pursuing of sinne a hautie mind to the reiectig of the world loue to the embracing of algreat and heroical attemptes in consideration of the benefites receaued from God Besides this the verie conflict and combat it self in subduing thes passions is left vnto vs for our great good that is for our patience humilitie merite and victorie in this life and for our glorie and croune in the life to come as S. Paul affirmed of him self and coufirmed to al others by his example Now then lett the slothful Christian goe put this handes vnder his girdlie and saye There is a lyon in the vvaye and a lyonesse in the parthredie to deuoure hin for which he dare not 〈◊〉 furth of dores Let him crie It is colde and therefore he dareth not goe to plovve Let him excuse him self that it is vneasie to labour and therfore he can not purge his vineyarde of nettles and thistles nor build any vval about the same That is let him saye that his passions are strong and therfore he can not conquere them his body is delicate and therfore he dare not put it to trauayle the way of vertuous life is hard and vneasie and therfore he can not applie him self therunto Let him saye al this and much more which ydle and slothful Christians are accustomed to bring for their excuse let him alleage the same as much and as often times as he wil it is but an excuse and a false excuse and an excuse moste dishonorable and detractorie to the force of Christ holie grace purchased vnto vs by his bitter passion that now his yoke should be vnpleasant seing he hath made it sweete that now his burden should be heauie seing he hath made it light that now his commaundementes should be greeuous seing his most deuine Maiestre affirmeth the contrarie that now we should be in seruitude of our passions seing he hath by his grace deliuered vs and made vs truelie free
you doune againe and breake your necke douneward except ye repent for that in deed there is no one thing which may be more iniurious to Gods diuine maiestie then to make him the foundation of our sinful life who lost his owne life for the extinguishing of sinne But you wil say perhappes And is not God then merciful yes truely deare brother he is most merciful there is neither end nor measure of his mercie he is euen mercie it self it is his nature and essence and he can no more leaue to be merciful then he can leaue to be God But yet as the prophet here saith he is iust also We must not so remember his mercie as we forget his iustice Duleis rectus dominus our Lord is swete but yet vpright iust also saith holy Dauid And in the same place al the vvaies of our Lord are mercie and trueth Which words S. Barnard expounding in a certaine sermon of his saieth thus There be two feete of our Lord wherby he walketh his waies That is Mercie Trueth and God fastneth both thes feete vpon the hartes of them which turne vnto him And euery sinner that wil truely conuert him self must lay hand-fast on both thes feete For if he should lay hande on mercy onely letting passe truth iustice he would perish by presumptiō And on th' other side if he should apprehend iustice onely without mercie he would perish by desperation To the end therfore that he may be saued he must humblie fal doune and kisse both thes feete that in respect of Gods iustice he may retaine feare and in respect of his mercie he may conceaue hope And in an other place Happie is that soule vpon which our Lord IESVS Christ hath placed both his feete I wil not sing vnto thee Iudgement alone nor yet mercie alone my God but I wil sing vnto thee with the prophet Dauid mercie and iudgement ioined together And I wil neuer forget thos two iustifications of thine S. Austen handleth this point most excellently in diuerse places of his workes Let them marke saieth he which loue so much mercie and gentlenes in our Lord let them marke I say and feare also his trueth For as the prophet saieth God is both swete and iust Doest thou loue that he is sweete feare also that he is iust As a sweete Lord he said I haue held my peace at your sinnes But as a iust Lord he addeth And thinke you that I vvil hold my peace still God is merciful and ful of mercies say you it is most certaine yea adde vnto this that he beareth long But yet feare that which commeth in the verses ende verax That is he is also true and iust There be two things wherby sinners doe stand in danger the one in hoping to much which is presumptiō th' other in hoping to litle which is desperation Who is deceiued by hoping to much He which saieth to himself God is a good God a merciful God therfore I wil doe what pleaseth me and why so because God is a merciful God a good God a gentle God Thes men runne into daunger by hoping to much Who are in daunger by despaire they which seing their sinnes greuous and thinkīng it now vnpossible to be pardoned say within them-selues wel wee are once to be damned why doe we not then whatsoeuer pleaseth vs best in this life Thes mē are murdered by desperation th' other by hope What therfore doeth God for gaining of both thes men To him which is in daunger by hope he saieth Doe not say vvith thy self the mercie of God is great he vvil be merciful to the multitude of my sinnes for the face of his vvrath is vpon sinners To him that is in danger by desperation he saieth At vvhat time soeuer a sinner shal turne him self to me I vvil forget his iniquities Thus farre S. Austē besides much more which he addeth in the same place touching the great peril and folie of thos men who vpon vaine hope of Gods mercie doe perseuer in their euil life It is truely deare brother a verie euil consequent and a most vniust kind of reasoning to say that for so much as almightie God is merciful long suffering therfore wil I abuse his mercie and continue in my wickednes The scripture teacheth vs not to reason so but rather quite contrarie God is merciful and expecteth my conuersion and the longer he expecteth the more greeuous wil be his punishment when it commeth if I neglect his patience and therfore I ought presently to accept of his mercie So reasoneth S. Paul who saieth doest thou contemne the riches of his long suffering and gentlenes Doest thou not know that the patience of God towardes thee is vsed to bring the to repentāce But thou through the hardnes of thy hart and irrepentant mind doest hoard and heape vp to thy self wrath in the day of vengeance at the reuelation of Gods iust iudgemēt In which wordes S. Paul signifieth that the longer God suffereth vs with patiēce in our wickednes the greater heape of vengeance doth he gather against vs if we persist obstinate in the same Wherunto S. Augustin addeth an other consideration of great dread and feare and that is if he offer thee grace saith he to day thou knowest not whether he wil doe the same tomorow If he geue thee life and memorie this weeke thou knowest litle whether thou shalt enioy that benefit the next The holie prophet beginning his seuentie and second Psalme of the dangerous prosperitie of worldlie men vseth these wordes of admiration Hovv good a God is the God of Israel vnto thē that be of a right hart And yet in al that Psalme he doth nothig els but shew the heauie iustice of God towardes the wicked euen when he geueth thē most prosperities worldlie wealth and his conclusion is Behold ô Lord they shal perish vvhich departe from thee thou hast destroyed al those that haue broken their faith of 〈◊〉 vvith the. By which is signified that how good soeuer God be vnto the iust yet that pertaineth nothing to the releefe of the wicked who are to receiue iust vengeance at his handes amiddest the greatest mercies bestowed vpon the godlie The eyes of our Lord are vpon the iust saieth the same prophet and his eares are bent to heare their praiers but the face of our Lord is vpon them that doe euil to destroie their memorie from out of the earth It was an old practise of deceiuing prophetes resisted stronglie by the prophetes of God to crie peace peace vnto wicked men when in deed their was nothing towardes them but daunger sword and destruction according as the true prophetes fortolde and as the euent proued Wherfore the prophet Dauid geueth vs a notable sure rule to gouerne our hope and confidence withal when he saith sacrificate sacrificiū
vp some thinges whetin before for want of leasure and time I could not geue to my self any reasonable conteatation as also to a dioine certaine new chapters which partly in mine owne concept and partly also vpon information of others I thought not vnmeet for the furnishing of this first argument and subiect of Resolution And standing determined vpon this as also comprehending in mind and cogitation the whole general corps of that which was to ensue in th' other two bookes I wel saw that I should not be able according to my first designement to compact the whole in one reasonable volume and therfore I resolued to deuide the same into two Waerof the first should conteine matter of discourse know edge speculation and confideration to moue vs to resolue the second should handle things appetteining to exercise vse and practise for putting in execution our good desires after resolution This being my cogitation and the matter now wel forward for the print I was enformed of two other editions come forth of my forsaid booke without my knowiedge the one by a Catholique as it seemeth who perceuing ai copies of the former print to be spēt for satisfying of them that desired the booke procured the same to be set forth againe albeit somewhat incorrected and very disordrely not hauing the consent or aduise of such as therin should haue geuen him best direction The second was published by one Edmund Bany minister at Bolton Percy as he writeth in the liberties of Yorke who with publicke licence vnder my Lord Archbishop of Yorke his protection set forth the same to the benefice of his brethren but yet so punished and plumed which he termeth purged as I could hardly by the face discerne it for mine when it came vnto my handes and I tooke no smale compassiō to see how pitifully the poore thing had bene handled Of this edition then of M. Buny letting passe th' other as a matter onely of a discretion without malice I haue to a laertise the reader some few things as wel for mine own discharge wherin I am charged by him as also for the readers admonishment not to thinke in deed that booke to be mine which in my name this preacher hath published And for vttering that which I haue to say in some kinde of order and conueniencie of methode I shal touch breefly in this preface thos principal pointes insuing First how this booke came foorth from me in the first edition Secondly how it was set foorth afterwardes by M. Edm. Buny Thirdly what he meaneth by his treatise annexed therunto tending as he saith to pacification Fourthly how the same booke commeth foorth at this present and how the discret reader may vse it to his best commoditie of the first edition TO shew how this booke came foorth at the first it shal be requisite perhaps to repeate breefly ī this place the things that I saied in my first preface induction which preface and induction M. Buny hath left out in his edition protesting That he durst not in conscience and in dutie tovvardes God commend the same in my vvordes vnto the reader And yet trulie was ther nothing in effect therin Gentle reader but that which here in this place shal be repeated First that the primatiue occasion inducing me to thinke vpon this worke was the sight of a booke intituled The excrcise of a Christian life writen in Italian by Doctor Loartes of the Societie of IESVS and translated some years since by a vertuous learned gentilman of our countrie Which booke for that I vnderstood of certaintie to haue profited many towardes pietie and deuotion I was moued to cause the same to be printed againe with certaine ample additions to the furnishing of some matters which that author had omitted deuiding my whole purpose into three seueral bookes wherof the first was to persuade mē vnto true resolution the secōd to instruct vs how rightely to beginne the third how a man may hould but and perseuer Secondly I shewed that being entred into the worke and hauing set downe an other order and method to my self then that treatise of D. Loartes did obserue and hauing begunao the first booke touching resolution whereof no part was handled in that other treatise I found by experience that I could not wel conioine th' one with th' other if I would satisfie either th' order or argument by me conceaued and therfore that I was inforced to resolue vpon a further labour then at the first I had intended and this was to draw out the whole three bookes my self not omitting any thing that was in the said exercise or other like good treatisses to this effect And al this to the end that our countriemen might haue some one sufficient directiō for matters of spirit and vertuous life among so many bookes of controuersies as haue bene writen are in writing daily Which bookes said I albeit in thes our troblesome and quarrelous times they be necessary for defence of our faith against so manie seditious innouations as now daily are attempted yet help they litle oftentimes to good life but rather doe fil the heades and hartes of men with a spirit of contradiction and contention which for the most part doe hinder deuotion which deuotion is nothing els but A quiet calme and peacable state of our soule induced 〈◊〉 a iotful promptnes and alacritis to the diligent execution of al things that doe or may apperteine to the honour and seruice of almightbe God For which cause the holie Apostle dehorted greatly his scholer Timothie from this contention and contradiction of wordes affirming clearly that it was profitable to nothing but to subuect the hearers I affirmed further that our forfathers were most happie in respect of vs who receauing with humilitie one vniforme faith without contention or contradiction from their mother the holie Catholique Church did attend onlie to build vpon that foundatiō good workes and vertuous life as holie scripture commandeth vs to doe wheras we spending now al our time in iangling about this first foundation of faith haue no leasure to build either gould or siluer theron as th' Apostle exhorteth vs but doe weary out our selues and our owne contentious spirits without commoditie dying with much labour and litle profit with great disquiet and smale reward For which cause I exhorted the discret reader of whatsoeuer religion and faith he were to moderate this heate and passion of contention and to enter into the careful studie and exercise of good deedes which are alwayes better among true Christians then wordes assuring him that this is the right way to obteine at Gods hāds the light of true beleefe if he were amisse Alleaging for example therof the most famous conuersion of Cornelius the Gentile whos vertuous life praiers and almouse deedes obteined at the hands of almightie God as S. Luke doth testifie that S.
therby he vvas not iustified Of the third kinde of annotations which are both wicked impious ther might many examples be alleaged but thes few insuing shal suffise to discouer M. Bunies spirite First then page 212. as concerning the life of that holie and most wonderful man S. Antonie the first monke of AEgipt whom al antiquitie so much admired and whom S. Athanafius in writing his life so highely extolled and whos doinges S. Augustin so hartely reuerenced as he made the same a principal motiue paterne to his owne conuersion especially for that he tooke thos wordes of our Sauiour Goe and sel al thou hast and geue to the poore as spoken to him self in particuler vpon this mans conuersion I say most wonderful life M. Buny maketh this scorneful irreligious note that it may vvel be doubted vvhether he had in that place sufficient ground-vvorke of thos his doings vnles he had some other special motion besides Condemning herin not only S. Antonie but also S. Athanasius S. Hierome S. Augustine al other fathers that so highely commend S. Antonie for putting in execution thos wordes of our Sauiour To like purpose or rather more vvickedlie he maketh an other annotation page 308. vpon the most famous conuersion of S. Augustin recorded by the pen of that holy father him self to vvit that some pointes of the storie vvhich S. Augustin vvriteth are such as a man may as vvel doubt they proceeded of Sathan as of God therby to bring in question that excellent mans cōuersion But of al other that annotation of his is most ridieulous and yet blasphemous wher he wil needes bring in our blessed Ladie to haue brokē fower seueral commandemēts forsooth at one clappe for that she defended not her sonne vpō the Crosse. For page 369. wher I in commendation of the confessiō which the theefe made said in my booke that it was at such a time when al the world abādoned our Sauiour and the very Apostles thē selues either doubted or lost their faith of his Godhead this man noteth in the margēt that the blessed Virgin likevvise vvas by and saied nothing that vve reade of in his defence a plaine breach saieth he of the first fist sixt ninth cōmandomentes A strange matter that thes men should be so desirous to skore vp make Catalogues of our Ladies sinnes which she neuer committed But let vs see with what shew of reason He saith that she brake fower commandementes at one time Let vs then examine them what they are The first commandemēt according as S. Augustine in old time Catholiques now a daies are accustomed to number them is Thou shalt haue no strāge Godes before me nor make vnto thy self any grauen Idole to adore the same The fift is Thou shalt not kil The sixt Thou shalt not commit adulterie The ninth Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife And this as Catholiques doe number the commandementes But according as some protestantes wil recon the same The fift is Honor thy father thy mother The sixt Thou shalt not kil The ninth Thou shalt not beare false vvitnes against thy neighbour Now thē gentle reader consider with indifferencie how in reason it may be said that the blessed Virgin the sacred mother of God for not defending her sonne vpon the Crosse against the Magistrates soldiers did breake any of thes fower commandementes that is to say did either make vnto her self any strange God or Idole or did dishonour her father and mother or did cōmit murder or adulterie or did beare false witnes against her neighbour or did couet her neighbours mate whether I say it be credible that in not defending her sonne at that instant she committed any one of thes hainous mortal crimes and much more whether she cōmitted fower of them together as M. Buny affirmeth Let I say the indifferent and Christian reader iudge of this accusation as also consider whether M. Buny be not worthio of a very good fee at the deuils hādes for indeuoring to bring into his clawes so rich a pray as was the most excellēt pure sacred mother of our Sauiour by accusing her of fower deadlie sinnes together AND THVS much of annotations passing ouer diuers other thinges that might be examined if time and place did not prohibite But the greatest shift of al others which M. Buny hath to ridde his handes when nether changing of the wordes not putting in of pareutheses nor annotations in the margent wil cleare and pacific the matter is to strike and thrust out what so euer he misliketh whether they be my wordes or els the discourses of ancient fathers yet authorities them selues of sacred scripture For vnderstanding wherof it is to be cōsidered that first generally whersoeuer he findeth the mētion of certaine thinges that please him not as of abstinence fasting chastesing the bodie penance satisfaction virginitie merit hier gayning of heauen laboring for reward or the like he commonly striketh al out together with th' Authours that treat therof or els so mangleth the same as is pitiful to behold Secōdly whatsoeuer authoritie commeth in his way which he cānot mangle out it goeth without redēption be it Father Doctor Counsel or Scripture Herof you may see exāples Page 29. of his booke wher he thrusteth out S. Hierome and Ioannes Cassianus for that they mētiō Mōkes of the primatiue Church So againe page 98. he thrusteth out S. Cyprian Possidonius for that they geue testimonie of an apparitiō which Christ our Sauiour made to a godly man at his death In like maner Page 109. he trusteth out S. Ambros S. Augustin S. Gregorie and S. Bernard together for that they persuade men by their examples to be affeard of Purgatorie Further Page 98. he striketh out S. Augustin S Gregorie and venerable Bede with their large discourses which they make concerning appatitions of certaine Angels to godlie people So againe Page 305. he thrusteth out the exāple of S. Paul the first heremite with the authoritie of S. Hierome that wrote his life And this in hatred of Monkes and heremites After that againe Page 374. he thrusteth out S. Augustin with al that he cā alleage about satissactiō and final penance Page 60. he thrusteth out the weping fasting watching lying on the ground wearing of sack clothe and other bodilie punishmētes that King Dauid vsed vpon him self albeit they be recorded and set downe in holie scripture Page 169. he thrustath out the exāple of S. Paul th' Apostle how he was assisted made able by Gods holie grace to resist ouercome the temptatiōs of the flash to the end by like that no man should take courage by that exāple to fight resist thes temptations as he did Page 2. he striketh out the promisses made in scripture to virginitie chastetie golding of our selues for the kingdome of
heauen voluntarie pouertie and the like al I say he thrusteth out together with the scripture alleaged for the same And finally not to hold the reader any longer in the enumeratiō of thos thinges which he shal finde almost in euery other leafe of the booke Page 157. he thrusteth out not only S. Augustin talking of the price of heauē and of the facilitie to gaine the same but also striketh out in like maner the very wordes of Christ him self saying the kingdome of heauen doth suffer violence men doe lay handfast vpon it by force And what may be said then gentle reader of thes mē who spare neither Fathers Doctours Prophetes Apostles nor Christ him self when they stand in the way against their foolis he herefies AND THIS of thrusting out But now if I would speake of mangling I might say much more but that this place beareth it not and therfore thous halt be content good reader to accept of one example only among infinite that might be alleaged and by this one thou maist make vnto thy self some certaine coniecture of the rest Page 367. it is handled and proued by me against the impedimēt of delay how that vvee by deferring our cōuersion doe alwaies binde our selues to greater penance satisfaction afterwardes c. In which discourse M. Buny first in steed of the worde Penāce vseth alwaies the worde repētance as though al were one and so runneth on smoothly so long as it wil hold out And as for the worde Satisfaction for that he had no other word to put in for it he thrusteth it cleane out Then commeth he to S. Cyprian who saith that a diligint and long medicine is to be vsed to a deepe sore which wordes M. Buny admitteth and setteth downe as good and currant But the other part of the sentēce immediatly following was that our penance must be no lesse thē vvas our fault cōmitted which part M. Buny striketh out of the text as also al the rest ensuing wherin S. Cyprian prescribeth that this penance must be made with teares watching wearing of hear-cloth the like which seeme to be thinges nothing pleasant to the bodie of a Minister After S. Cyprian followeth S. Augustin in the very same page affirming That it is not sufficient for a sinner to change his maners to leaue of to sinne except he make satisfaction also to God for his sinnes past by sororrful penance geuing of almes c. With which wordes M. Buny would haue nothing to doe for that they were incorrigible therfore he ' thrust thē quite out yet out of S. Hierome that in the third place insued he was content to admit thes wordes Our bodie that hath liued in many delightes must be chastised vvith affliction our long laughing must be recōpenced vvith much vveping But the wordes immediatly following in the same seutence our soft linning and fine silke apparel must be changed into sharpe hear-cloth seemed to harde to this delicate doctour and therfore he thrust them quite out In the end of the ranke came graue S. Ambros affirming That vnto a great vvound a deepe long medicine in needful Which wordes M. Buay very quietly and courteously let passe But vpon th' other that immediatly followed he gaue a deade blow thrust them by head shoulders out of the booke to wit Grāde seelus grādē necessariā habet satisfactionē A great offence requireth of necessitie a great satisfaction Now thē gentle reader what shal we thinke or say of thes mē or of their maner of dealing Haue they honest meaning trow you Haue they sidelitie Haue they a conscience Haue they respect of God or man that deale in this order Is it hard to found any new religiō or to defend it or to auouch what folie or falsaood soeuer by this maner of proceeding If thes mē had habilitie to doe what their consciences would permit thē in the world abrod what an alteration what a subuersiō what a metamorphosis would they make in al matters of antiquitie If they had to them selues the setting forth of the holy fathers doctours workes how would they loppe and circumcise the same how would they set them foorth in their Ierkins yea barehose and doubletes cutting of al other garmentes and furniture that liked thē not or were not sutable to the season of thes mens senses If thes men I say had the keeping of al antiquities of fathers Councels and scriptures that to thē selues alone in their owne custodie without the knowledge or cōtradiction of any one Catholique for the space of only fiue hundred yeares together as they graunt we held thē al in our handes for a thousand what maner of bookes trow you should we finde them How currant and absolute for the protestant religiō No doubt but we should heare thē speake euē as Iohn Caluin speaketh in al matters of controuersie or rather as that good man for the time would haue them to speake vnto whos handes the last edition of such workes should be committed And thus much shal suffice for discouerie of M. Bunies editiō of my booke now remaineth ther only a word or two to be saide of the treatise which he adioined tēding as he saith to Pacification Of M. Bunies Pacification AND first of al a man would thinke that M. Buny did take but a very strange way to pacification in offering me the greate iniurie which before hath bene shewed in his editiō But for that he pretendeth his peace to be towardes the general by labouring the aduersaries as his phrase is I shal be content to passe ouer my particuler and to examine peaceably what he saieth and how he laboreth vs to that effect But here againe at the very first enterance ther riseth a new stoppe against al vnion or pacification with vs for that he is so singulerly persuaded of the rare light and knowledge of truth which they haue alone among them selues as he dareth to pronounce That to their knovvledge God neuer yet bestovved the like on others In which asseueratiō for that he excepteth neither the fathers or doctours of the primatiue Church nor yet th' Apostles them selues whom we hoped to haue had at least wise for iudges and arbiters in making this peace what probabilitie can ther be of vnion or composition amōg vs seing that at the very first word he maketh his cause better not only then ours but also then the case and condition of any other whatsoeuer since Christes departure frō earth or before But yet this I wil let passe also as a vaunt proceeding of an humour peculier to mē of his stampe For if you goe to al the petie sectes of thes our times or of any other times that haue bene from the beginning ech one wil sing the self same song affirming euery other bodies candel to be out but only theirs And if they should not say so they were not sectes or
life men can see and confesse that nothing may be ether begunne prosecuted or well ended without consideratiō and yet in this greate affaire of gayning heauen or falling into hell few thinke consideration greatelie necessarie to be vsed I might stand here to shew th' infinite other effectes and commodities of consideration as that it is the watche or l'arme-bell that stirreth vp and awaketh all the powers of our minde the match or tynder that cōceyueth and nourisheth the fyar of deuotiō the belloes that enkyndleth and inflameth the same the spurre that pricketh forward to all vertuous zelous and heroical actes and the thing in deede that gyueth both light and life motion to our soule Our Faith is confirmed increased by consideration of gods workes and miracles our Hope by cōsideratiō of his promisses and or the true performance therof to all them that euer trusted in hym our Charitie or loue of god by consideration of his benefites and innumerable desertes towardes vs our Humilitie by cōsideratiō of his greatenesse and of our owne infirmitie Our Courage Fortitude by cōtēplation of his assistance in all causes for his honour our Contempte of the world by consideration of the ioyes of heauen eternall and so all other vertues both moral and deuine doe take their heate and quickening and vital spirite from consideration By th' excercise of consideratiō and meditation holy Dauid sayeth that he felt a burning fyar to flame within his breast that is the fyar of zeale the fyar of feruour in religion the fyar of deuotion the fyar of loue towardes god and his neighbour And in an other place he sayeth that by the same excercise he svvept and purged his ovvne spirit which is to be vnderstoode from the dust of this world from the dregges of synne from the cōtamination and coinquination of humaine creatures for that consideration in deede is the verie fanne that seuereth and driueth away the chaffe from the corne For which cause we shall neuer reade of any holie man from the beginning of the worlde nether before Christ or after who vsed not much and familiarlie this moste blessed excercise of cōsideration pondering And for the first three Patriarches it shal be sufficient to remember the custome of yonge Isaac recorded in Genesis VVhich was to goe foorth towardes night into the fieldes ad meditādum that is to meditate consider and ponder vppon the workes and iudgementes and commādemétes of god And this he did being yet but a childe and vnmarryed far different from the custome of yong gétlemé now a dayes who frequent the fieldes to follow their vanities And as litle Isaac could not haue this custome but from his father Abraham so no doubt but he taught the same to his sonne Iacob and Iacob againe to his posteritie And as for Moyses and his successor Iosue it may easelie be imagined how they vsed this excercise by the most earnest exhortations which they made therof to others in their speech and writinges The good kinges of Iuda also notwithstāding their many great temporal affaires doe testifie of them selues cōcerning this excercise as Dauid almost euery where that the commandementes of god were his daylie meditation not onlie by day and that tota die all the day per singuios dies euerie day in matutino in the morning septie in die seuē tymes a day But also he insinuateth his custome by night meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo I doe meditate by night in my harte vppon thy commaundementeso Lord signifying hereby both his watchfulnes by night when other men were a sleepe and the hartie care that he had of this exercise which we esteeme so litle Salomon also king Dauides sonne so long as he liued in the grace and fauour of god obserued this excercise of his father and exhorteth other men to haue continual and daylie cogitation in this affaire VVhich if hymself had continued still it is liklie he had neuer fallen from god by women as he did The good king Ezechias is reported to haue meditated like a doue that is in silence solitarines with hymself alone which is the true way of profitable meditation Esaye testifieth of his owne watching by night in this excercise and how he did the same with his spirite alone in the verie bowels of his harte Holy Iob maketh mention not onlie of his maner of considering but what also he cōsidered what effect he found in hym self by the same First he considered as I said the wayes foot-stepes cōmandemetes of god thé his dreadful power to witt how no man was able to auerte or turne away his cogitation but that his sowle did what soeuer it pleased and by this sayeth he considerans eum timore sollicitor I am made sollicitous or watcheful with feare when I doe consider hym In which wordes he insinuateth two most excellent effectes of cōsideratiō first the feare of god of which it is writen salutis the saurus timor Drnini the feare of God is the treasure of saluation and the second that by this feare he was made sollicitous watchfull and diligent in gods seruice of whiche the prophet Micheas saith thus I vvil tell the ò man vvhat is good and vvhat our Lord requireth at thie handes to witt to doe iudgement and loue mercie and to vvalke sollicitous and vvatchfull vvith thie God But ò thou holie and blessed man Iob did this excercise of consideration bring foorth in thee so greate feare and terror of god and so carefull watchfulnes for obseruing his cōmandementes now I see well the cause why thou wrytest of thv self that thou dydste doubte and feare all thy workes and actions were they neuer so circumspect But what shall we say now a dayes most happie Sainte who do not doubt so much as our owne dissolute careles and inordinate actions who feele no terror of God at all nor doe vse anie one iote of watchfulnes in obseruing his commandementes trulie this proceedeth of nothing els but of inconsideration it proceedeth of lacke of knowledge both of god and of our selues For doubtelesse yf we knewe eyther of thes two thinges a-right as in deede neyther of them can be well vnderstoode without th other it could not be but that manie of vs would chaunge our wrong courses O merciful Lord what synful māin the world would lyue as he doth if he knew ether thee or hymself as he should doo I meane if he considered what thou arte what thou hast bene to other that lyued cōtinued in synne as he doth Not without greate cause cried so often and earnestlie to the that holy Doctor of thy church for obteyninge of thes two poynctes at thie handes vt cognoscam te vt cognoscam me that I may know thee and that I may know my selfe saith he that is that
learner or els so manifest casie and euident of them selues as they neede no other proofe but onely declaration So when we take in hand to instruct a man in chvualrie or feates of armes we doe sappose that he knoweth before were he neuer so rude what a man what a horse what armour what fighting meaneth as also that warre is lawful and expedient in diuers cases that princes of the world may wage the same that soldiars haue to liue in order and discipline vnder their regiment 2nd that kinges for this cause doe hold their Generales Lieutenantes Coronels Captaines and other like officers in their bandes garrisons campes and armies In manual artes and occupations likewise it is euidēt that diuers thinges must be presupposed to be foreknowen by the learner as in husbadrie or agriculture in buylding in paynting and other such excercises when a man is to be taught or instructed it were not conuenient for the teacher to stand vppon euerie pointe or matter that apperteineth to the same but must leaue and passe ouer many things as apparent of them selues or easilie to be discerned of euerie learner by nature sense reason or common experiēce But yet in liberal sciencies and professions of learning is this more apparent where not onely such commō and vulgar poītes are to be presumed without proofe or discourse but also certaine propositiōs are to be graunted in the beginning as growndes wheruppon to buylde all the rest that insueth So the Logitian for example wil haue you yelde ere he enter with you that contradictorie propositions can not be together ether false or true nether that one thing may be affirmed and denied of an other in one and the self same respect and tyme. The Moral philosopher will haue you graunte at the beginning that ther is both good and euyl in mens actions and that the one is to be follovved and the other refused The Natural Philosopher wil haue you confesse that all physicall bodies which depende of nature haue motion in themselues and are subiect to alterations and vvhat soeuer is moued is moued of an other The Mathematique at his first enterance will demande your assent that euerie vvhole is bygger then his parte as also the Metaphysique or supernatural Philosopher that nothing can bee and not bee at one tyme. And so other such lyke principles and common growndes in thes and all other sciences are to be demanded graunted and agreed vppon at the beginning for the better pursute and establishment of that which hath to follow being thinges in them selues as you see eyther by nature comon sense or experience most cleare and manifest And is not this also in diuinitie trow you in the affaires that we haue now in hand yes trulie if we beleeue S. Paul who writeth thus to the hebrues Credere oportet accedētem ad Deum quid est inquirētibus se remunerator sit He that is in cōming towardes God must beleeue that there is a God that he is a rewarder to such as seeke hym Behold here two principles wherin a man must be resolued before he cā seeke or draw neere vnto god The one that ther is a god and the other that the same god is iust to revvard euerie man that seeketh hym according to his desertes VVhich two principles or general groūds are so euidēt in dede of their owne natures and so ingrassed by gods owne hande into the mynde and vnderstanding of euerie particuler man at his natiuitie according to the saying of the prophet the light of thy countenance is sealed vpon vs ò Lord that were not the tymes we lyue in to-to wicked and the shameles induration of sinners intollerable we should not neede to stande vpon the proofe of thes pointes for confirmatiō of our cause that we now intreate of resolution but rather supposing and assuring our selues that no reasonable creature lyuing could doubt of thes principles should pursue onely the consideration of other thinges that might stirre vp our wills to perfourmance of our duties towardes this God that hath created vs and remaineth to paye our rewarde at th' ende But for so muche as iniquitie hath so aduaūced her selfe at this day i the hartes of many as not onely to contemne and offend theyr maker but also to denye hym for patronage of their euyl life and for exstinguishing the worme of their owne afflicted and most miserable consciences I am inforced before all other thinges to discouer this fonde and fowle errour of theirs and to remoue also this refuge of desperate iniquitie by she wing the inuincible veritie of thes two prīciples th' one depending of the other in suche sorte as the first being proued the second hath of necessitie to follow For if once it be manifest that there is a God which hath care and prouidence of all thos whome he hath created and gouerneth thē must it insue by force of all consequence that he is also to rewarde the same men according to their merites and desertes of this life First then to proue this principle that there is a God I neede vse no other argument or reason in the world but onlie to referre eche mā to his owne sense in beholding the world wherof euerie parte and portion is a most cleere glasse representing God vnto vs or rather a sayre table wherin God hath drawen imprinted hymself in so manifest characters and legible letters as the simplest man lyuing may reade and vnderstand the same In respect hereof said the wise man so longe agoe That vaine and foolishe were all thos who cōsidering the workes that are sene in this world could not therby rise to vnderstād the worke-man And he gyueth this reason a magnitudine enim speciei creaturae cognoscibiliter poterit Creator horum videri For that by the greatenes of bewtie in the creature may the Creator therof be sene and knowen Which S. Paul cōfirmeth when he sayeth that the inuisible thinges of God may be sene and knowen by the visible creatures of this world Which is to be vnderstoode in this sense that as a prisonner in a dungeon may easilie by a little beame that shyneth in at a chyncke conceaue ther is a sunne from whence that beame descendeth and as a trauailer in the wildernesse that falleth vpon some channel or brooke may ascende by the same to the well or fontaine euen so he that beholdeth and cōsidereth the wonderful workes of this world may therby conceaue also the wonderful Artificer or workeman that made them If a man should passe by sea into some foraine strāge sauuage countrie wher nothing els but birdes and beastes did appeare yet if he should espie some exquisite building or other worke of arte and reason in the place he would presentelie assure hymself that some men dwelt or had bene in that countrie for that suche thinges
voide of all sinne both voluntarie and involuntarie whose father shal be God and this worde shal be that fathers wisdome by which all thinges in this world-were created His head shal be annointed with oyle his kingedome shall florishe shine for euer This wrote Philo at that tyme whē he litle imagined that the same high priest whom he so much expected and the same worde of God whose kingdom he describeth was now alredie come into the world And this shal suffice for our second consideration what maner of Messias the Iewes did expect NOVV IN THE third place commeth it to be considered what authoritie and power the Messias should haue at his appearance vpon earth and whether he should change and abrogate the lawe of Moyfes or no wherin there is no lesse controuersie betwene vs and the later Iewes then in the former pointe of his diuinitie For we holde with S. Paul that the lawe of Moises was gyuen vnto the Iewes but for a tyme to entertaine that people withall and by th' outward signes ceremonies which it had wherof the most parte or all prefigured Christ to come to be their schoolmaster leader to the tymes of faith wherin it should be abrogated and a farre more perfect law sett downe by Christ in place therof This we proue first for that the law of Moyses was an imperfecte law bringing nothing to perfection as S. Paul well noteth It was as S. Peter saith a burdensome law which the Iewes them selues were not able to beare for the multitudo of ceremonies therin contained It was a carnal and seruile law consisting most in th' external It was a law of terrour and feare more then of loue and libertie of spirit It was a law as I said before of signes and figures for thinges to come consequentelie to cease when those thinges which it prefigured should come to be present It was a law peculier and properfor the Iewes alone without respect of all the rest of the world and th' excercise therof was allowed onlie in the coūtrie of Iurie that which is more it was not pmitted but ī one place onlie of that countrie that is in Hierusalem whether euerie mā was boūd to repaire thre tymes a yeare to witt at the Pasqua at the Pētecoste at the feaste of Tabernacles in that place alone to make their sacrifices in no other countrie or place besides Now then reasoneth the learned Diuine if this law of Moyses were for the Iewes and Iurie onlie how could it serue for the tyme of the Messias who was to be kinge as well of the Gentiles as of the Iewes to rule all people in the world that should beleeue in hym vnder one law If th' excercise of this law were allowable onlie and lauful in Hierusalemt how coulde it possiblie bee fulfilled by Christians that are dispersed ouer all the world As for example how could they repaīre to Hierusalem thrise euerie yeare how could euerie woman that should dwell in England or India repaire to Hierusalem for her purification after euerie childebirth as by the law she was commāded Most euident it is then which we said before that this law was gyuen but to idure for a tyme. And to vse S. Pauls owne wordes it was but introductio melioris spci an introduction to a better hope It was but an entertainement of that people which by their being amōg th' Egyptians were prone to idolatrie vntill Christ should come and ordaine a perfect law That is a law of spirit and internal affection a law of loue and libertie a law that should be common to all men serue for all countries tymes places and persons a law that should be writen in the bowels of our hartes a law that should be tollerable easie sweet plaine light brief and factible as well to the poore as to the riche a law to conclude that should consist in charitie This signified Moyses when he said to his people after he had deliuered the former law vnto them your Lord shall raise vnto you a Prophet of your ovvne Nation and from among your ovvne brethren as my self hym shall you heare As though he had said you shall heare me but vntill he come that must be a law gyuer as my self but yet of a more perfect law and therfore more to be heard and obeyed And then he addeth vvho so euer shall refuse to heare the vvords of this Prophet I my self vvill reuenge it sayeth our Lord God Which wordes can not be verified in anie other Prophet after Moyses vntill Christ for that of those Prophetes the scripture sayeth there arose no Prophet like vnto Moyses in israel Which is to be vnderstoode that they had no authoritie to be Lawmakers as Moyses had but were all bounde to th' obseruation of that law onlie which Moyses left vntill Christ came whom Moyses here calleth a Prophet as hym self that is a Lawmaker exhorteth all men to heare obey hym This yet is made more plaine by the prophetie of Esay who sayeth out of Sion shall come a lavve and the vvorde of God out of Hierusalem Which can not be vnderstood of Moyses law that had bene published 800. yeares before this was spoken and that from the mount Sinai and not from Sion but Christs law began from Sion and Hierusalem and from thence was spred into all the world Which the same Esay forsawe when talking of the comming of Messias he sayeth In that daye there shal be an Aulter to God in the middest of the lād of Egypt And the title of our Lord at the ende therof c. and God shal be knovven to the Egytians at that daye and they shall honour hym vvith sacrifices and oblations Which wordes could not be verified i th' old law of Moyses for that by that law th' Egyptiās could haue neither aulter nor sacrifice but at Christes comming it was fulfilled when th' Egyptians were made Christians and enioyed both th' Aulters sacrifices that Christians doe vse The same thing was fortolde by God in Malachie wher he sayeth to the Iewes and of the Iuishe sacrifices I have no pleasure in you neither vvill I receyne oblations at your handes For that from th' vprising of the sunne vnto the going dovvne therof my name is great among the Gentiles and they doe sacrifice vnto me euerie vvher and doe offer vnto my name a pure oblation saith the Lord God of hostes In which worlds we see first a reprobation of the Iuishe sacrifice and consequentlie of the law of Moyses which depended principallie of that sacrifice Secondlie we see that among the Gentiles there should be a pure maner of sacrifice more gratefull vnto God then th' other was and such as might be perfourmed in euerie place of the world and not be tied to one place onlie as the Mosaical law and sacrifice was And finallie I
our selues wholy in the cōtinual exercise of good workes for augmētation of our merite and treasure in the world to come Thes then are the two partes of a good Christian life the two principal pointes wherupon we should meditate the exercises wherin we should be occupied the two legges wherupon we should walke towards our Countrie the two armes wherwith we should laye faste-faste-hand on Godes eternal kingdome the two winges wherby we must flie and mount vp to heauē So that whosoeuer doth want any one of thes two partes albeit he had the other yet can he neuer ascende to Godes blisse no more then a bird can flie being maimed of one of her winges My meaning is that neither integritie of life is sufficiēt without good workes nor good workes auailable without a pure and vndefiled life The later is made cleare by Gods owne speeches to the people of Israel whos sacrifices oblations praiers and other such workes that were commended and commaunded by hymself he oftentimes reiected and accompted abhominable for that the presentours and exhibitours therof were men of impious and wicked conuersation The former also is apparantly shewed by Christes parable of the foolishe virgins who albeit they were Virgins and incontaminate from sinne yet because they lacked the oile of good workes to giue light in their lampes they were excluded from the mariage banquet as also that other most infortunate fellow was who wanted his wedding ornament Both thes pointes then are necessarie to a Christian mans saluation that so necessarie as the one without the other is not auailable AND FOR THE FIRST which is resisting of sinne we are commaunded by Godes holy worde to doe it manfully vigilantly and constantly And S. Paul addeth moreouer that in this resistance we ought to striue euen vnto death and to the shedding of our last blood if occasion doe require The same are we taught by diuers other Apostles and Saintes in Christes Church exhorting and instructing vs to this fight and cōbat with the flesh world deuil that entice vs to sinne For proofe wherof it shal suffice in this place to alleage thos last wordes of Iob which doe conclude his large discourse of the most dreadful power and crueltie of Leuiathā Memento belli be not vnmindeful of the warre which thou wagest with this ennimy Which warre and resistance is to be performed with such exquisite diligence and firme resolution on our behalf as it behoueth vs not only to withstand the committing of any one actual sinne but also the very consent of minde therunto For so we are commaunded expresly bevvare least at any time thou giue consent vnto any sinne Concerning which thing it is briefly to be noted that sinne may be committed either in deed or in wil alone And to this later kinde al diuines agree and proue it by S. Iames that ther are three degrees to witt Suggestion Delectation and Consent Wherof as the first is of the ennimie the second of our sensualitie the third of reason so may the first be without fault the second includeth for the most part some negligence the third conuinceth vs alwaies of iniquitie Or to vse the verie wordes of S. Gregorie the great In Suggestion is the seede of sinne in Delectation the norrishment in Consent the persection So that who soeuer doth but only yeeld consent of minde to the perfourmance of any vnlauful act so farr foorth as he would committ the same if he had time place and abilitie therunto is condemned by holy write in the guilt of that sinne as deeply as if in deed he had now actuallie committed the same So Christ him self in the matter of adulterie expresly pronounced and long before that by the mouth of Moyses he determined the like in other offenses of the people of Israel In consideration of which seuere determination it is most wonderful and dreadful to consider our selues being so negligent herein as we are what great attention watche care and feare holy Saintes of God in times past had in this point of resisting sinne and the very first motions and temptations therof In times past I saie in thos blessed daies of antiquitie when the spirite of God was yet hoate and boiling in the breastes of his deuout seruants and when recheles sensualitie had not so ouerwhelmed the world as now it hath We read of the iust and most blessed man Iob that notwithstanding all his integritie perfection of life yet did he diligently discusse and feare euery the least of his owne actions being wel assured as he protesteth that God doth not pardon such as are negligent and doe offend him therin Holy Dauid also though he were a king yet did he euery night brushe or svveepe his spiri e by diligēt examination or the very cogitations and inward motions of his hart In which exercise S. Paul that most worthie Apostle and exact obseruer of his maisters commaundemētes was so precise and careful as albeit he were assaulted with many strong and violent temptations of the flesh by Satans suggestion yet by his owne diligent resistance together with the assistance of Gods holy grace which was giuen vnto him particularly for that combat he preserued his minde so pure and vnspotted from al blot of cōsent as after the victorie obtained he durst affirme of him self that to his knowledge he was guiltie of no fault or offence For better obtaining of which victorie it is most probable that he vsed thos external helpes remedies of much fasting lōg praying paineful watchig rigourous chastising of his owne bodie which he mentioneth in his writinges To which ende appertained in like maner the same and like exercises recorded by S. Paul and other writers to haue bene vsed by the rest of the Apostles that is to saie diuers and frequent austerities and bodely mortifications therby to bring their flesh in subiection to their spirites and to make them selues more able to withstand al sinful temptations and suggestions of the aduersarie So Egisippus Eusebius and others doe make wonderful narrations of the strait diet apparrel and forme of life vsed by S. Iames the iust in whom they recorde among other thinges that with continual praying vpon his knees the skine therof was made so hard as the braune of a Camels knee The like or rather more straunge thinges doth Philo the Iewe set foorth in the life and exercises of S. Marke of his disciples that liued in Alexandria who by their exquisite seueritie in this behalf droue into admiration euen thos that were aduersaries of their religion By imitation of which first and perfect Christians in this combat of resisting sinne diuers other did afterward take in hand that strait course of life wherof we read with admiration in aunciēt writers as S. Anthonie whos life is recorded by holy Athanasius Paul and Hilarion
good workes which his hand or hart may possibly performe Which kinde of life if it were exactly fulfilled in such sort as it was prescribed by Christ the authour of our profession most euident it is that the common weale of Christianitie should be a most heauenly blessed and Angelical estate vpon earth wherin no fraude no deceipt no malice no contention no wickednes iniustice or violence should raigue and consequētly either few or no tēporal lawes should be necessarie for punishment of the same For that by the only lawe of religion and conscience al would be simplicitie al puritie al truth and honestie concorde loue and charitie one towardes the other euē as we read that it fel out in the first daies and ages of Christian religion when this lawe of conscience was yet obserued But now for that the world hath abandoned commonlie in euery place thes two principal partes of Christian dutie I meane the resistance of synne and performance of good workes the most part of Christians are become more sensual and dissolute in maners and life then euer were the more ciuile part of Gentiles and Infideles which is a most intollerable and supreme dishonour to our Saueour that gaue his life for reducing vs to a better conuersatiō For which cause in al reason right and equitie the punishment of such vnworthie Christians must needs be farre greater at the later daie then of the verse Paganes who had not that light and assistance for their direction according to that speech of Christ to certaine ingrateful Townes places wherin he had preached woe be to thee Corozain woe be to the Bethsaida for that if the like thinges had bene done in Tyrus and Sidon which are heathen Cities that haue bene done in the they would haue repented therfore I tel you that it shal be easier for them in the daie of iudgement then for you Which point would God that men now adayes would attentiuely consider Secondly it may appeare by thes and other thinges before set doune what a maruelous different life the good and euil doe passe in this world and consequently how different a lot they are to receyue in the next from hym that rewardeth eche man as S. Paul saieth according to his actions either good or euil For first the vertuous Christiā doth not only abstaine from committing sinne especially that which diuines cal mortal which eche man by Gods assistance may eschewe but also by cōtinual resisting fightīg against the same he encreaseth daily and hourely his merite for the Crowne of heauē But the careles man by yeelding consent of hart to euery leude concupiscence that offereth it self doth not only not gaine any merite at al but heapeth vp sinne vpō sinne without ende or number Againe the careful man besides auoiding sinne the gaine which he gathereth by fighting in that combat performeth also infinite good workes at lest wise in hart and desire which is accepted by God for deedes wher further habilitie faileth But the lose Christiā neither in hart or deed doth any good at al but in place therof committeth infinite euils so that as the one employeth his whole mīde hart wordes and handes with al the forces and other habilities that God hath lent him to the doing of good and resisting of euil so the other bendeth al his powers both of bodie minde and fortune to the seruice of vanities the world and of his owne flesh and to the encrease of Christes enimies kingdome And hereby as the former encreaseth hourely in merite before God wherunto by his holie promisse belongeth encrease of grace in this life and of glorie in the life to come so the later cōtinually by all his thoughts wordes deeds and endeuours doth multiplie in stane frō time to time wherunto of Gods iustice doe appertaine both vengeance and damnation with the tormente of hel And in this contrarie course they passe ouer their liues for twentie thirtie fortie more or fewer yeares and so come to die eche man with his cōtrarie accompt which being such as I haue said can it be maruailous to any man liuinge if ther be so great diuersitie in their pavementes euerlastinge conditions for the world to come seing their dealinges recōninges were so opposite and vnequal in this life present Learne then my deare brother if thou be wise by thes and like considerations to awaken thy self while thou hast tyme. If thou finde by examination of the two forsaid partes of Christian dutie that hyterto thou hast walked avvrye hast not perfourmed the life required in that vocation thanke God for this so great a benefite as is the reuciling of thy daunger while yet ther is tyme and place to make amendes Many no doubt are this day in tormentes and shal be euerlastinglie who passed ouer their liues without euer thinking of thes affairs and if they had receyued so special fauour as thou doest now in hauing thes matters so particulerlie layed before the perhappes they had escaped thos eternal calamities wherin now they are fallen without possibilitie of redresse Vse then Gods mercie to thy gayne deare Christian and not to thy greater and more intollerable damnation Cast not awaye wilfullie that most precious Inel thy soule which Christ hath bought so dearlie and which he desireth so vehementelie to saue enriche with grace euer lasting glorie if thou wouldest yeeld the same into his handes and be content to direct thy life according to his most hoiie and sweet commaundementes OF THE ACCOMPT WHICH CHRISTIANS MVST YEELD TO GOD of the duties and offices before rehearsed As also the Maiestie seueritie terrour and other circumstances of that reconinge day vvith tvvo seueral times appointed for that purpose CHAPT VII AS IN euerie office and charge committed to a seruant in this life it is a principall point of wisdome to consider and beare in minde what accōpt reckonig shal be demaunded therof by him who placed him in that roome as also what nature and disposition his master is of in taking his audite that is whether exact or remisse facile or rigorous milde or sterne and whether he haue power to punishe at his pleasure if he finde hym faultie euen so it behoueth a careful Christian man in the charge of his life and dutie before mentioned and declared verie diligently to waighe and ponder with him self what maner of reckoning his Lord and Saueour wil require at his handes and in what termes either of rigour or lenitie facilitie or seueritie he will proceed with hym in that accompt or audite Which thing a prudēt man may easelie conceyue by consideration of thes two points which ensue First if he waighe the manner order and circumstances wherby his charge that is the lawe and rule of his conuersation was published and proclaymed by God vnto the world Which thing is set forth at large in the booke of Exodus wher is described with
any more the one the other And that which shall be as great a grief as any of the rest the sonne or daughter going to rest and ioye shal not take pitie of their owne parents or friends that are caried to calamities but rather shall reioice therat for that it redoundeth to Gods glorie for execution of his Iustice O my soule which now art here considering of thes thinges a farre of and thē shalt be present to see them actuallie before thine eyes what a doleful separation wil this be what a fare-wel what a parting whos hart would not breake at that daie to abide this intollerable seuering if a hart could then breake therby make some ende of his paines But so much ease wil not be permitted O yee children and louers of this world wher will al your delights recreations and vanities be at this daie Al your pleasant pastimes al your pride and brauerie in apparel your glistering in gold your sweet sauours of perfumes your honours of cappe and knee your adulation of flatterers your delicate faire and daintie dishes your musike your wanton daliances and pleasant entertainments Wher are all your good friēdes and merie compagniōs accustomed to laugh and disport the time with you Are al now gone O vanitie of vanities now when you haue most need of them they are furthest of from you and the remēbrāce therof shal doe nothing but tormēt you O my deare brethern how soure wil al the pleasures past of this world seeme at that howre How doleful wil the cogitation therof be vnto vs how friuolous a thing wil al our dignities riches offices and other preferments appeare wherin we take such excessiue delight now and doe weary out our spirites for gaining the same And on the contrarie side how ioyful wil that man be at this instant who hath attended to lead a vertuous life in resisting of finne doing good works albeit it were with much paine and contempt in this world Most happie creature shal he be that euer he was borne and ouer-whelmed with al ioye that euer he tooke that path in hād and no tongue but Gods can expresse his happines Wherfore here my louing brother to make an ende and to frame no other cōclusion of al this whole declaratiō but only that which Christ himself doth make vnto vs who being the chief actour that shal deale in this affaire knoweth best of al other what counsail to giue let vs cósider with our selues euē in the very bottō of our hartes how easie a matter it is now in this life with a litle paine and diligéce to auoide the danger of this most dreadful daie For which cause also it is most certaine that the same is foretolde vs and so often vrged in holy write to our remembrance as in like manner so particulerly described by our most merciful iudge Saueour to the ende we should by thes seuere earnest admonishmits be stirred vp to prepare our selues for it So Christ himself doth most euidentlie declare whē after al his former threatniges he cōcludeth in thes most sweete wordes of exhortation Looke about your selues watch and praie for you knowe not whé the time shal be But as I saie to you so I saie to al men be watchful And yet further in an other place he adioineth Attēd vnto your selues that your hartes be not ouercome with eating and drincking with the cares of this life and so that daio ouertake you vpon the suddaine c. Be you therfore watchful and alwayes praye that you may be worthie to escape althes thinges which are to come and to stand confidently before the sonne of mā at that daye Thes are the words and forewarnings of thy Iudge and Saueour vnto thee my soule And what more friendly and fatherly exhortation couldest thou desire Canst thou plead ignorance in this affaire hereafter If thou thincke so heare yet a further admonishment of his chief Apostle The daie of our Lord saieth he shal come as a theef when men thincke not of it In which the heauens and elemēts shal be dissolued and al the earth with her inhabitants shal be consumed with fire Which being so what maner of men ought we to be in holie conuersation and pietie expecting and going on to meet with this daie of our Lord c. In which wordes of S. Peter is diligently to be noted that this meeting with the daie of Iudgment wherunto he exhorteth vs is nothing els but the due examination of our present perilous estate and the speedie amendment of our life to the workes of pietie and holy conuersation which in deed is that onlie soueraine remedie wherof the wise man forwarneth vs when he saieth Prouide a medecine before the maladie and examine thy self before iudgment and so shalt thou finde fauour in the sight of God Wherunto S. Paul wel agreeth saying If vve vvould iudge our selues vve should not be iudged But for that no man entreth into this due iudgemét of himself his life state and actions here of it cōmeth that so few dot preuent this dangerous daie so few prepare themselues so fewe doe accept of the good counsaile of Christ so feweare watchful and so infinite doe fal a sleepe in the ignorance of their owne peril to their remediles destruction and vnauoidable damnation Our blessed Lord giue vs his holie grace to looke better about vs. OF THE NATVRE OF SINNE AND OF THE VNVVORTHINES OF HIM that committeth the same For iustifyinge the seueritie of gods iudgement setdoune and declared in the chapter going before CHAPT VIII TO THE ende that no man may iustly complaine of the seuere accoumpte whiche God is to take of vs at the last daye or of the rigour of his iudgemēt set doune in the chapter before it shal not be amisse to cōsider in this place the cause why God doth shew such seueritie against sinne and sinners as both by that which hath bene saide may appeare that he doth as also by the whole course of holy scripture where in euerie place almost he denounceth his extreme hatred wrath and indignatiō against the same as where it is sayed of hym that he hateth al those that vvorke īiquitie And againe that both the vvicked mā and his vvickednes are hateful in his sight And finallie that the whole life of sinners their thoughts wordes yea and their good actions also are abominations vnto him whiles they liue i sinne And that which yet is more he can not abide nor permit the sinner to praise him or to name his testament with his mouth as the Holie Ghost testifieth and therfore no meruaile if he shew such seueritie against him at the last daye whom he so extremelie hateth abhorreth in this life Of which great hatred there might be manie reasons alleaged as the vndutiful transgressiō cōtēpt of godes cōmandementes the great ingratitude of a sinner in respect of his diuine
benefites and such other which might iustifie sufficientlie his indignation and seuere hatred against him But there is one reason aboue al the rest which openeth the verie fountaine and origine of the matter and this is the intollerable iniurie donne vnto almightie God in euerie mortall sinne that we commit which in deede is so opprobrious abhominable an iniurie as no meane worldly potentate could beare the same at his subiectes handes and much lesse God him self being the omnipotent Lord of al glorie and Maiestie may in reason tollerate an outrage so often iterated against him as is sinne daily committed by the wicked For the better vnderstanding of which iniurie we are to consider that euerie time we cōmit a mortal sinne there doth passe thorough our hart minde though we marke it not a certaine practik discourse of our vnderstandinge as there doth also in euerie other electiō whereby we lay before vs on the one side the profit of that sinne which we are tempted to commit that is to saie the pleasure which allureth vs therunto and on thother parte the offence of God which is the leesinge of his grace and friēdshippe by that sinne yf we yeeld vnto it And thus hauinge as it were the balances there before vs and setting God in one end therof and in the other the aforesaide pleasure we stand in the middest deliberatinge examininge the waight of both partes and finallie doe make choise of the pleasure and reiect almightie God that is we chuse rather to loose the fauour of God together with his grace and whatsoeuer he is worth besides then to lacke that pleasure and delectation of sinne Now then what can be more opprobrious and horrible then this what cā be more reprochful to God then to prefer a most vile pleasure before his infinite Maiestie is not this farre more intollerable then the disgrace offred to him by the Iewes when they made choise of Barrabas the murderer and reiected Iesus their Saueour surely how hamous soeuer that sinne of the Iewes were yet in two poites this doth seeme to exceede the same First in that the Iewes knew not whome they refused in their choise as we doe Secondly in that they refused Iesus but once wheras we refuse him both daily and hourly whensoeuer in our hartes we giue consent vnto mortal sinne And is it meruaile then that God dealeth so seuerely sharplye with sinners in the worlde to come whoe doe vse hym so opprobriouslie and contemptuouslie in this life Vndoubtedly the malice of a sinner is greate towardes God and he doth not onlie dishonour hym by contempt of his commaundementes and by preferring most vyle creatures before hym but also beareth a secrete hatred grudge against his maiestie and woulde if it lay in his power offer his endeuour to pull hym out of his seate or at the least wise 〈◊〉 in his hart there were no God at all to punish sinne after this present lyfe Let euerie sinner examine the botome of his conscience in this point whether he could not be content there were no immortalitie of the sowle no reckoninge after this life no iudge no punishment no hell and consequentlye no God at al to the ende he might the more securelie enioye his pleasures And because God who searcheth the harte and reynes seethe well this most vndutiful trayterous affectiō towardes hym lurking within the bowels of sinful men how smoth so euer their wordes may be here of it commeth that in the whole course of holie Scripture he denounceth them for his enimies and professeth open warre and hostilitie against them And then suppose yoa what a pitiful case thes vnfortunate men are in being but seely wormes and wretches of the earth whē they haue so puissant an enimie to fight against them as doth make the verie heauens to tremble at his looke And yet that the case is so heare what himself sayeth what he threatneth what he thundreth out against them After he had by the mouth of Esaye the Prophet re peated many sinnes abhominable in his sight as the taking of bribes oppressing of poore people and the like He defieth the doers therof as his open enymies saying This saieth the Lord God of hostes the stronge Lord of Israel Beholde I vvi be reuenged vpon mine enimies and vvill comfort my self in their destruction And the Prophet Dauid as he was a man in most high fauour with God and made preuie to his secretes aboue many other so he more than any other doth expresse this seuere meaning of God his infinite displeasure against sinners calling them his enimies vessels of his wrath and ordayned to eternal ruine and destruction and complaineth that the world will not beleeue this point An vnvvise man saieth he vvill not learne this neither vvill the foole vnderstand it And what is this ô holy Prophet it foloweth That siners and vvorkers of iniquitie after they haue appeared i the vvorld doe perishe euerlastingly And what is the reason of this he answereth immediatly because toy enimies o Lord thy enimies I saie o Lord shal perishe til they that vvoreke iniquitie shal be cosumed Wherby we see that all sinners be enimies to God and God to them as also vpō what grounde and reason But yet for the further iustifyinge of godes seueritie let vs consider in what measure his hatred is towardes sinne how great how far it proceedeth withi what boundes it is comprehended or whether it haue any limites or bondes at all or rather be infinite and without limitation And to vtter the matter as in trueth it stādeth if all the tongues in the world were made one tongue and all the vnderstandinges of all creatures I meane of Angels and men were made one vnderstandinge yet could nether this tongue expresse nor this vnderstanding conceiue the great hatred of gods harte towards euery mortall sinne which we commit And the reason hereof standeth in two pointes First for that God by how much more he is better than we are by so much more he loueth goodnes and hateth synne than we doe And for that he is infinitelie good therfore his loue to goodnes is infinite and his hatred to euil immesurable and consequentlie his rewardes to them both are infinite the one in hell with euerlasting miserie thother in heauen by eternal felicitie Secondlie we see by experience that how much more great and worthie the person is against whom an offence is cōmitted so much greater is alwayes the offence as for example the self same blow or iniurie offred to a bond-slaue and to a prince differeth greatlie in qualitie and in the nature of offence and consequentlie deserueth farre different hatred and punishment And for that euerie mortal sinne which we commit is donne directlie against the person of God hym self as hath bene declared before whose dignitie is infinite therfore the offence or guilt of euery such sinne is
holie man Iob considering and hearing but one word vttered by his friend which in his conceit did sauour of presumption against this God burst forth into thes wordes Whom wilt thou teach my friend wilt thou teach him which hath inspired breath into man which hath stretched out the heauens ouer the vacuitie of this world and hath hanged vp the earth in the aire without staie before whom hel is wide-open and ther is no couering from perdition The pillers of heauen doe tremble and quake at his only fight And if we should heare but the lest whispering of his speech who should be able to abide the thunder of his maiesties greatnes Imagine then novv my louing brother after althes testimonies that thou seest before thy face this great and mightie king sitting in his chaire of maiestie with chariottes of fire vnspeakable light and infinite millions of Angels aboute him Imagine further which also is most trew that thou seest al the creatures in the world stand in his presence and trembling at his maiestie and most carefullie attending to doe that for which he created them as the heauens to moue aboute the Sunne moone and Starres to geeue lighte and influence the earthe to bringe foorth her sustenance and euerie other creature diligently to labour for perfourmance of the dutie assigned vnto him Imagine besides that thou seest al these creatures how bigge or litle soeuer they be to hange and depende onlie of the power and vertue of this God and therby only to stande moue and consist and that there passeth from God to eche creature in the world yea to euerie parte that hath motion or being in the same some beame of his vertue euen as from the sunne we see infinite beames passe into the ayer Consider I say that no one parte of anie creature in the world as the fishe in the sea the grasse on the ground the leaues of trees or the partes of man vpon the face of the earth can grow moue or consist without some litle streame of vertue and power deriued to it continuallie from God So that thou must imagine God to stand as a most glorious and resplendent Sunne in the midle or center of al thinges created and from him to passe foorth innumerable beames and streames of vertue to all the creatures that are either in heauen earth the ayer or waters to euerie parte and particle of the same and that vpon thes beames of his deuine vertue all creatures doe depend in so much as if he should stop or diuert but any one of them al it would destroye and annihilate presentlie some creature or other This I saye if thou shalt consider touching the maiestie of God and the infinite dread that all creatures haue of him except onlie a sinner for the deuils also doe feare him as S. Iames affirmeth thou wilt not meruaile at the seuere iudgemēt appointed for his offence For sure I am that very shame of the world maketh vs to haue more regarde in offending the poorest friende we haue in this life thē a wicked man hath in offending almightie God which is an intollerable contempt of so great a maiestie such a cōtempt in deed as God him self doth account to pro ceede of plaine infidelitie For wheras at a certaine time he had declared his owne great power by the mouth of Ieremie threatened manie punishmentes to the Iewes for their wickednes thei werenothig moued therwith Wherupō he cōmaūded hī to returne againe vnto thē to say thes wordes Heare thou folishe people vvhich hast no hart you that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not And vvil ye not then feare me vvil ye not trēble in my sight vvhich haue sett the sandes for a bounde vnto the sea and haue gyuen him an eternal precept vvhich he shal not breake c. This people hath a faithles hart c. Which is as much as if he had said that this lacke of feare in the Iewes proceeded of their defect of faith For if they had belieued him to be in deed so powerful terrible ful of maiestie as the holie scripture setteth him doune they would haue conceyued more feare in offending him BVT NOVV IF VVE adioine to this contemplation of maiestie an other consideration of his benefites bestowed vpon vs our default wil grow to be far greater For that to iniury him who hath done vs good is a thinge moste detestable euen in nature itself And there was neuer yet so fearce a harte no not among brute beastes but that it might be wonne with curtesie and benefites But much more among reasonable creatures doth beneficence preuaile especiallie if it come from great personages whose loue and friendshippe declared vnto vs but in small gyftes doth greatlie by nde the hartes of the receyuers to loue them againe Consider then deare Christian the infinite good turnes and benefites which thou hast receyued at the handes of this great God therby to winne the to his loue and that thou shouldest leaue of to offende and iniurie him And albeit no tongue created either of man or Angel can expresse the one halfe of thes giftes which thow hast receyued from him or the value therof or the great loue and hartie good will wherwith he bestowed the same vpon the yet for some better helping of thy memorie stirring vp thine affection to be grateful I will repeate certaine generall and principall pointes therof wherunto the rest may be easilie referred First then cal to minde that he hath bestowed vpō thee the benefite of thy creation wherby he made the of nothing to the likenes of hymself and appointed the to so noble an ende as is to serue him in this life and to raigne with him in the life to come hauing furnished thee besides for the better attainmēt therof with the vse seruice and subiection of al his other creatures The greatnes of which benefite may partly be conceyued if thou doe imagine thy self to lacke but any one parte of thy bodie as a legge an arme an eye or the like and that one should freelie euen of pure good wil and loue supplie thy want and gyue the same vnto thee Or if thou wantest but any one of thy senses as that thou were deafe blynde or dumme and some man should restore thy sight hearing or fpeech vnto thee howe wouldest thou esteeme of this benefite how much wouldest thow professe thy self beholdig vnto him for the same And if the gyft of one of these partes onlie would seeme vnto thee so singuler a benefite how greatly oughtest thou to esteeme the free gyfte of so manie partes together Adde now hereunto as I haue sayde that he hath created the to thee lyknes of no other thing but of him self to no other ende but to be his honorable seruante in this world and his compartener in kynglie glorie for all eternitie to come and this he hath done to the
diuers times he hath vsed and doth vse therby to gaine vs and our sowles vnto his eternal kingdome by stirring vs vp to abandon vitious life and to betake ourselues to his holy and swete seruice Al which most rare and excellent benefites being measured either according to their inestimable value in themselues or according to the loue of that harte from which they do proceede or els if we respect the maiestie of the giuer or meanesse of the receyuer ought in reason to moue vs most vehementlie to gratitude towardes so bountiful a benefactour And this gratitude shoulde be to resolue ourselues at length to serue him vnsaynedlie to preferre his fauour before al wordlie or mortal respectes whatsoeuer Or if we can not obtaine so much of ourselues yet at leastwise not to offende him anie more by our sinnes and wickednes There is not so fearse or cruell a nature in the world as I noted before but is mollisied allured and wōne by benefites And stories do make reporte of straunge examples in this kinde euen among brute beastes as of the gratitude of lyons dogges and other like towardes their maisters and benefactours Onliean obstinate sinner is he among all the sauuage creatures that are whom neither benefites can moue nor curtisies can mollifie nor promises can allure nor gyftes can gayne to the faithfull seruice of God his Lord and maister The greatest synner that is in the world if he geeue his seruante but twentie nobles a yeare or his tennant some litle farme to liue vpon if they for this should not serue him at a becke he crieth out of their ingratitude But if they should further malitiouslie seeke to offende him and to ioyne in amitie with his professed enimie how intollerable a matter would this seeme in his conceit And yet him self dealing much more ingratfullie and iniuriouslie with almightie God esteemath it a matter of smal consideration easely pardonable He dealeth I saie far more ingratfullie with God for that he hath receyued a thousand folde for one in respect of all the benefites that one mortal man can gyue vnto an other Seing that of God he hath receyued al in al the bread which he eateth the grounde he treadeth the light he beholdeth the aire he enioyeth and finally what so euer he possesseth ether within or without his bodie as also the minde with al her spiritual endumētes wherof eche one is more worth then ten thousand bodies Of this extreme ingratitude and iniurie God himself is enforced to complaine in diuers places of holy scripture as where he saith they repaied me euil for good And yet much more vehemētlie in an other place he calleth the heauens to witnes of this iniquitie crving out Obstupescite caeli super hoc O you heauens be you astonished at this As if he should saye by a figuratiue kinde of speech goe out of your wittes you heauens with meruaile at this incredibile iniquitie of man to wardes me For so he expoundeth the whole matter more at large in an other place Audite cals auribus percipe terra c. Harken oye heauens and thow earth bende hither thine eares I haue nourished vp children and haue exalted them and now they doe cōtemne me What a lamentable complaint is this of almightie God against most vile and base wormes of the earth But yet he amplifieth this iniquitie more vehemētly by certaine examples and comparisons The oxe saieth he knovveth his ovvner the asse knovveth the manger of his Lord and maister but yet my people knovveth not me VVoe be to this synful nation to this people loden vvith 〈◊〉 to this noughtie seede to vvicked children What complaint can be more vehement then this what threatning can be more dreadfull then this woe comming from the mouth of him which may punishe vs at his pleasure Wherfore deare brother if thou haue grace cease to be vngrateful to God any longer cease to offend him which hath by so many waies preuented the with benefites cease to render euil for good hatred for loue contempt for his father lie affection towardes the. He hath done for the al that he can he hath geeuen the al that thow art yea and in a certaine maner al that he is worth hym self and meaneth besides to make the partaker of al his glorie in the world to come and requireth no more for al this at thy handes but loue and gratitude O my louing brother why wilt thou not yelde vnto him this his desire why wilt thou not doe as much to him as thou woldest haue an other mā to doe to the for lesse then the ten thousand parte of thes benefites which thow hast receyued for I dare bouldly saye if thow haddest gyuen but an almes to a poore man at thy dore thou wooldest thike him bounde to loue the for it al beit besids this ther were nothing in the that greatly might deserue his loue But thy Lord and maister setting a parte al his giftes bestowed vpon the hath infinite causes to drawe thy loue vnto him that is to saye all the causes which any thing in the world hath in it to purchase loue and infinite more besydes For if all the perfections of thinges created both in heauen and in earth that may procure loue were ioyned together in one as al their beautie al their vertue al their wisdome al their sweetnes al their nobilitie al their goodnes and other like excellencies yet thy Lord Sauy our whom thou contemnest surpasseth all thes and that by infinite and infinite degrees for that he is not onlie all thes thinges together but morouer he is verie beautie it self vertue it self wisedome it self sweetenes it self nobilitie it self goodnes it self and the verie fountaine and welspring from which by litles peeces and parcels al thes thinges are deriued vnto his creatures Be a shamed then good Christian of this thine ingratitude to so great so good and so bountifull a Lord and resolue thy self for the tyme to come to amende thy course of life and former behauiour towardes him Say at lēgth with the Prophet hauing considered thine owne ingratitude O Lord pardon me mine offences for they are great in thy sight I know there is nothing ô Lord which doth so much displease the or drie vp the fountaine of thy mercie or so byndeth thy handes frō doinge good as doth ingratitude in the receyuers of thy benefites Wherin hitherto I haue exceeded al others But I haue done it ò Lord in mine ignorance not considering thy infinite giftes bestowed vpon me or what account thou wouldest demaunde againe of the same But now seing thou hast vouchsafed to make me woorthie of this special grace also wherby to see knowe mine owne errour default I hope hereafter by direction of the same grace to shew my self a better childe towardes the. O my God I am vāquished at lēgth with cōsideratiō of thy
loue and how can I haue the harte to offend thee hereafter seing thou hast preuented me so manie wayes with benefites euen when I demaunded not the same Can I haue hādes euermore to sinne agaīst thee which hast gyuen vp thine owne handes to be nayled on the crosse for me No no it is to great an iniurie agaīst thee ô Lord and woe worth me that haue dōneit so oftē heretofore But by thy holy assistāce I trust not to returne to such iniquitie for the time to come to which I beseeche the for thy mercie sake from thy holie throne of heauen to saye Amen OF WHAT OPINION WE SHAL BE CONCERNING THE MATTERS AFORsaid at the time of our death As also vvhat our state shal be at that passage and hovv different our iudgement from that it is novv CHAPT X. THE holy scriptures doe teach vs and experience maketh it plaine that during the time of this life the commodities prefermentes pleasures of the world doe possesse so stronglie the hartes of manie men and doe hold them chained with so forcible enchauntmentes being forsaken also vpon their iust desertes of the grace of God that saye and threaten what a man can and bring against then all the whole scripture euen from the begynning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalips as in decde it is al against synne and synners yet wil it preuaile nothing with them being in that lamentable case as either they beleeue not or esteeme not what so euer is saide to that purpose against their setled lyfe and resolution to the contrarie Of this we haue infinite examples in scripture as of Sodome and Gomorra with the cities ther about which would not heare the warninges that good I ot gaue vnto thē Of Pharao also and his court whom al that euer Moyses could doe ether by signes or sayinges moued nothing at al. Of Iudas in like maner who by no sweet meanes or sharpe threatninges vsed to him by his maister could be brought to change his wicked resolution But especially the holy Prophets sent by God from tyme to tyme to dissuade the people from their noughtie life and consequentlie to deliuer them from the plagues that hanged ouer them doe gyue abundant testimonie of this matter complaining cuerie where of the hardnes of synners hartes that wold not be moued with al the exhortations preachings promisses allurementes exclamations threatnings and thunderinges that they could vse The Prophet Zacharie shal testifie for all in this behalf who faieth of the people of Israel a litle before their destruction This sayeth the Lord of hostes iudge iustije wherunto presentlie he addeth And they vvould not attende but turning their backes vvent avvaye and stopped their eares to the ende they might not neare and they did obdurate their hartes as an adamant stone to the end they might not heare the lavve and the vvordes vvhich God did send in his spirite by the handes of the former Prophetes vvherby godes great indignatiō vvas stirred vp against them This then is and alwayes hath bene the maner of dissolute worldlinges and reprobare people to harden their hartes as an adamant stone against any thing that can be told them for the amendement of their liues and for the sauing of their soules Whiles they are in health and prosperitie they wil not know God as in an other place himself complaineth But yet as the Prophet saieth God wil haue his daye with thes men also when he wil be knowen And this is cognoscetur Dominus iudicia saciēs God wil be knowen when he begineth to doe iudgmēt which is at the daye of their death being in deed the next dore to their iudgement according as S. Paul testifieth saying it is appointed for al men once to die and after that ensevveth iudgement This I saye is the day of God most terrible sorowful and ful of tribulation to the wicked wherin God wil be knowen to be a righteous God and to restore to euerie man according as he hath donne vvhile he liued or as the Prophet describeth it he vvilbe knovven then to be a terrible God and such as one as taketh avvaye the spirite of princes a terrible God to the kinges of the earth At this daye as there wil be a great change in al other thinges mirth being turned into sorow laughinges into weepinges pleasures into paines stoutnes into feare pride into despaire and the like so especiallie wil there be a strange alteration in the iudgement and opinion of men for that the wisedome of God wherof I haue spoken in the former chapters and which as the scripture saieth is accounted folie by the vvise of this vvorld wil then appeare in her likenes and as it is in verie deede wil be confessed by her greatest enimies to be the onlie true wisedome and al carnal wisdome of worldlinges to be meere folie as God calleth it This the holie scripture setteth downe clerelie when it describeth the verie speeches and lamentations of the wise men of this world at the last daye concerning the state of holy men whom they despised in this life We senseles mē did esteeme their life to be mere madnes their end to be dishonorable but looke how they are now acconnted among the children of God and their portion is with the sainctes We haue erred from the waye of trueth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined before vs nether hath the sunne of vnderstanding appeared vnto vs. We haue weried out our selues in the waye of iniquitie and perdition and we haue walked craggie pathes but the waye of our Lord we haue not knowen Hytherto are the wordes of holie scripture wherby we may perceyue what great change and alteration of iudgement there wil be at the last daye from that which men haue now what consessing of folie what acknowledging of errour what hartie sorow for laboure lost what fruiteles repentance for hauing runne a-wrie O that men would ponder and consider attentiuely these thinges now VVe haue vveried out our selues saye thes miserable men in the vvayes of iniqnitie and perdition and vve haue vvalked craggie pathes What a description is this of lamentable wordlinges who beate their braines dailie and wearie out them selues in the pursute of vanitie and chasse of this worlde for which they suffer notwithstanding more paine often times then doe the iust in purchasing of heauen And when they arriue at the last daie to the gate of death weried and worne out with trouble and toyle they finde that al their labour is lost all their vexation taken in vaine For that the litle pelfe which they haue scraped together in this world for which they haue struggled and drudged so extremely wil auaile thē nothing at that instant but rather encrease exceedingly the burden of their afflictions Which afflictions shal be so manifold greeuous and intollerable in the wicked as no mind created
other so beholding daily the wounderful examples of godes infinite mercie towardes them that doe repent we may therby conceyue the seueritie of his Iustice towards such as he reserueth to punishment in the life to come and whom for that cause he calleth in holy writ Vasa furoris that is vessels of furie wheron to exercise the rage of his dreadful and most terrible indignation A third consideration to induce vs to the vnderstāding of the greatnes of Gods punishmentes in general may be his maruailous patience and long suffering of sinners in this life As that for example he permitteth diuers mē from sinne to sinne from day to day from yeare to yeare frō age to age to liue continually in the contempt of his Maiestie and transgression of his commaundementes refusing al persuasions allurementes good inspirations or other meanes of grace and fauor that his merciful goodnes can deuise to offer for their amendment And what man in the world could suffer this or what mortal hart were able by inestimable sufferāce for bearing in this life to shew such patience but now if al this should not be requited with seueritie of punishment in the worlde to come it might seeme to be against the law of iustice and equitie and so one arme in God to be longer then the other S. Paule toucheth this reason in his epistle to the Romans where he saith duest thou not knovv that the benignitie of God is vsed to bring thee to repentance and thou by thy bard and impenitent hart doest heape vp vengeace vnto thy self in the day of vvrath and appearance of Gods iust iudgementes vvhich shal restore to euerie mā according to his vvorkes In which sentence S. Paul vseth the phrase of heaping wrath or vēgeāce to signifie therby that like as the couetous man doth laie vp money daily to make his heape encrease so the irrepentant sinner doth heape sinne vpon sinne and God on the contrary side heapeth vengeance to vengeance vntil his measure be ful to restore in the ende measure against measure as the prophet saith and to paye vs home according to the multitude of our ovvne abhominations This was the meaning of almightie God when he said to Abraham that the iniquities of the Amorrheans vvere not yet complet As also in the reuelations vnto S. Ionn Euangelist when he vsed this conclusion of that booke He that doth euil let him doe yet more euil and he that lieth in filth let him yet become more filthie for beholde I come quicklie and my revvard is vvith me to render to euerie man according to his deedes By which wordes God signifieth that his forbearance and tolleration with sinners in this life is an argument of his greater seueritie in the life to come which the prophet Dauid doth insinuate in like maner when talking of a careles sinner he saieth God shal deride him for that he seeth before hand that his daie vvil come Which daie no doubt is to be vnderstoode the daye of account and punishmēt after this life for so doth God more at large declare him self in another place in these wordes And thou sonne of man this saieth thy Lord God the end is come now I save the end is come vpon the. And I wil shew on the my furie and wil iudge the according to thy waies I wil laye against the al thine abominatiōs myn eye shal not spare the nether wil I take anie mercie vpon the but I wil laie thine owae waies vpon the thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold affiction commeth on the end is come the end I saie is come it hath watched against the and beholde it is come destruction is now come vpon the the time is come the daie of slaughter is at hand Shortlie wil I power out my wrath vpon the and I wil fil my furic in the and I wil iadge the according to thy waies and I wil lay al thy wickednes vpō the myn eye shal not pitie the nor wil I take any compassion vpon the but I wil lay thy waies vpon the and thy abhominations in the middest of the and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of almightie God deliuered by the mouth of his holie Prophete SEING THEN we now vnderstand in general that the punishmentes of God in the life to come are most certaine to be greate and seuere to al such as fal into thē for which cause S. Paul affirmeth that it is a horrible thing to fal into the handes of the liuing God Let vs consider some what in particuler what maner of paines and punishmentes they shal be For better conceyuing wherof it is to be noted that there be two sortes of sinners in this worlde the one which die in the guilt of mortal sinne and in the disfauour and hatred of almightie God of whom it is said the portion of vvicked men shal be in the lake burning vvith fire and brimstone vvhich is called the second death The other which haue the guilt of their sinne pardoned by their repentance in this life but yet haue not made that temporal satisfaction to gods iustice nor are so thoroughlie purged in this world as they may passe to heauen without punishmēt and of these it is writen They shal suffer detrimēt but yet they shal be saued as by fire Vpon which wordes of S. Paul the holie father S. Austen writeth thus Because S. Paul sayeth that these mē shal be saued by fire therfore this fire is cōtemned But surely though they shal be saued by it yet is this fire more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life albeit you know how greate and intollerable thinges men haue or maie suffer The same S. Augustine in an other place expoundeth yet further the words of the said Apostle i this maner They which haue donne thinges worthie of temporal punishment of whom the Apostle saieth they shal be saued by fire must passe through a firie riuer and most horrible shallowes of burning flames signified by the prophet when he saith and a fludd of fire vvent before him and looke how much matter there is in their sinnes so longe must they sticke in passing through how much the fault requireth so much shal the punishment of this fire reuenge And because the word of God doth compare the soule of a sinner to a pot of brasse saying put the pot emptie vpon the coles vntil al the rust be melted of therfore in this fire al idle speeches al filthie cogitations al light sinnes shal boile out and consume which by a shorte waie might haue bene seperated from the soule in this life by almes teares Hitherto S. Augustine And the same holie father in an other place hath these wordes If a sinner by his conuersion escape death and obtaine life yet for al that I can not promise him
that he shal escape al paine or punishment For he that differred the fruites of repentance vntil the next life must be perfited in purgatorie fire this fire I tel you though it be not euerlasting yet is it passing greuous for it doth far exceede al paines that mā can suffer in this life Neuer was there founde out yet so greate a paine in flesh as that is though martyrs haue abidden straunge tormentes and many wicked mē haue suffered exceeding greate punishmentes To like effect doth S. Gregorie write of the seueritie of this punishment expounding those wordes of Dauid O Lord rebuke me not in thy surie nor correct me in thy vvrath This is as if he said saith S. Gregorie I know that after this life some must be clensed by purging fire And other must receyue sentēce of eternal damnation But because I esteeme that purgīg fire though it be transitorie to be more intolerable then al the tribulation which in this life may be suffered therfore I doe not onlie desire not to be rebuked in the furie of eternal damnatiō but also I greatlie feare to be purged in the wrath of transitorie correction Thus far S. Gregorie And I might adde a hundred like other sayinges out of the auncient holie fathers touching the extreame seueritie of this purging fire after death and of the greate feare which they had therof But that this alredy spoken may be sufficient to gyue admonishment to Catholique men that agree with thes Saints in beleef of this doctrine more carefully to looke vnto them selues for auoiding the rigour of this fier especially by thes two principal meanes of Almes-deedes and teares wherunto S. Augustine most earnestly exhorteth them in the place before alleaged wher also he frameth this notable collection We see sayeth he what men doe or may suffer in this life what racking what tearing what burning and the like and yet al this is nothing in respect of that fire Thes thinges therfore which we suffer heere are much more easie then that fire and yet you see that men wil doe any thing rather then suffer the same how much more then ought we to doe that litle which God commaundeth vs to auoide that fire which is by many degrees more grieuous This was the feeling which learned S. Augustine had in thes affaires And truly it is verie straunge and wonderful to consider how great feare and terrour holie men of auncient time conceyued at the verie cogitation of this fire and how slenderly we passe the same ouer now a daies hauing infinite more cause to feare then they had Among other that blessed deuout mā S. Bernard who lead so examplar and strict a life as the world doth know entering into contemplation of this matter brake forth into thes words ensuing O would God some man would now before hand prouide for my head abundance of water to mine eyes a fountaine of teares for so perhaps the burning fire should take no hold where running teares had clensed before And againe I tremble and shake for feare of falling into Gods hands I wolde gladlie present my self before his face alredie iudged of my self and not to be iudged thē of him Therfore I wil make a reckoning whiles I am here both of my good deedes and of my badde My euil shal be corrected with better woorkes they shal be watered with teares they shal be punished by fasting they shal be amended by sharp discipline I wil rip vp the verie bottome of my wayes workes to the ende he may finde nothing vntried at that day or not fullie discussed to his handes And then I hope in his mercie that he wil not iudge the same faults againe as he hath promised Hitherto are the wordes of S. Bernard The like great feare vttered holy S. Ambrose in thes wordes O Lord if thou reserue any thing in me to be reuenged in the next life yet I humblie beseech the that thou gyue me not vp to the power of wicked spirits whiles thou wipest away my sinnes by the paines of Purgatorie And againe in an other place I shal be searched examined as lead in this fire and I must burne vntil al the lead be melted away And if then there be found no siluer metal in me woe be vnto me for I must be thrust doune to the profoundest partes of hel or els wholie waste away as straw in the fire But if anie gold or siluer be found in me not through my workes but by grace and Christes mercie and through the ministerie of my prestoode I shal also once say surelie they that trust in the shal neuer be confounded And thus much of this temporal punishment reserued euen for the purging of Gods seruants in the life to come BVT NOVV TOVCHING the reprobate such as for their wickednesse are dessigned to eternal death we must Imagine that with them the case standeth much more hardlie for therunto may be applied that saying of our Sauiour to the good women of Hierusalem who lamented his case when he was going to his passion If they doe these things in grene vvord vvhat shal become of the drie which wordes S. Peter seemeth in some parte to expounde when he saieth If the Iudgement of God begin vvith vs vvhich are his seruants vvhat shal the end of vvickedmen be As who wold say that in al reason their ende must be intollerable For more particuler conceyuing whereof because the matter is of great importāce for al Christiās to know it shal not be perhaps amisse to consider brieflie what the holie scriptures auncient fathers of the Catholique Church directed no doubt by the holie Ghost haue reueiled vnto vs touching this punishment And first of al concerning the place it self of punishment appointed for the damned commonlie called hel the scripture in diuerse languages vsed diuerse names but al tending to expresse the grieuousnesse of torments therin to be endured As for example in the latin tongue it is called INFERNVS that is a place beneath or vnder ground as most of the olde fathers doe interprete But whether it be vnder ground or no most certaine it is that it is a place most opposit to heauen which is said to be aboue and from which lucifer was throune doune And this name is vsed to signifie the miserable deiection and hurling doune of the damned to be troden vnder the feet not onlie of almightie God but also of al good men for euer For so sayeth the scripture Beholde the day of the Lord commeth burning like a fornace and al proud and vvicked men shal be stravv to that fornace and you that feare my name shal tread them dovvne and they shal be as burnt ashes vnder the soles of your feet in that day And this shal be one of the greatest miseries that can happen to the proude and stoute potentates of the worlde to be thrown doune with
greuousnes and horrour which hitherto hath bene declared to be in thes paines and tormentes the holie spirit of God reueileth vnto vs an other condition or qualitie no lesse terrible then the former which is the most seuere straitnes therof without al possibilitie of anie one iote of help aide ease intermission relaxation respiration or comfort This is signified by thos seuere wordes of our Saueour so often times repeated that the daned shal be cast into hel bounden hand and foote that is without al habilitie of resistance or strugling against their tormentes Also by that most dreadful shutting vp of the gate wherof our Saueour spake in such dolful maner when he said clausa est ianua the gate is shut vp and made fast for euer that is to say in hel the gate of al mercie of al pardon of al ease of al intermission of al comfort is shut vp foreuer and that both from heauen from earth from the creator and from al creatures in so much that no consolation is euermore to be hoped for as in the miseries of this life there is alwaies some but extreme desolation for al eternitie This straitnes is likewise most liuelie expressed in that dreadful parable of the riche glutton in hel who was driuen to that necessitie as he desired most pitifullie that Lazarus might dippe the top onlie of his fingar in water therwith to coole his tōgue in the middest of that fire wherein he was tormēted yet could not he obtain it A smal refreshing it semeth that it wold haue bene vnto him if he had obtained his request but yet to shew the straitnesse of the place it was denied vnto him O ye that liue in sinful welth of the world consider but this one example of Gods seueritie and be a fearde This man was in that russe iolitie a litle before as he wolde not gyue the verie crommes of his table to buy heauen and now wolde he gyue a thousand worldes if he had them for one drop of water to coole his tongue Good God what demaund could be lesse then this what request more humble He durst not aske to be deliuered thēce or to haue his torments diminished or to haue a great vessel of water wherwith to refresh his whole bodie but onely so much as would sticke on the top of Lazarus fingar to coole his tongue To what extreme need was this poore man now driuen what a strong imagination had he of the force of one drop of water to what pitiful chaunge was his tongue now come that was accustomed to be so daintelie bathed and diligentlie tended with al kindes of pleasant liquors O that one mā can not take example by an other ô that Ooliba wil not learne to be wise by seing the punishmentes of her elder sister Oolla God reueiled the calamitie of the former inflicted for her wickednes therby to terrifie the latter from the like sinne but for that she profited nothing by that exāple he saieth for so much as thou Ooliba hast walked in the waies of thie sister Oolla this saith God vnto the I wil lay the cup of thie sister vpō the thou shalt drinke it as she did both in depthe and largenes thou shalt drinke it vp euen vnto the verie dregges Thus said the prophet of God then to Hierusalem that would not be warned by the punishemētes of Samaria and thus saith the sonne of God now to al men that wil not be terrified by thes tormētes of the damned Glutton and if al this be true as it must be except the wordes of our Saueour could be false then what wonderful people are we that seing our selues in danger of this intollerable miserie doe not seeke with more diligence to preuent the same In respect of these extremities strait dealings of God in denying al comfort consolation at this day holie scripture sayeth that men shal fal into rage furie and vtter impatience blasphening God cursing the day of their natiuitie with eating their own tongues for griefe and desiring the rockes and mountaines to come and fal on them therby to ende and finish their paines But now if we adde to al this the eternitie and euerlasting continuance of these torments we shal see that it encreaseth the matter beyond al hu nane cogitation For in this world there is no torment so great or affliction so violēt but that time either taketh away or diminisheth the same For either the tormentor or the tormented dieth or some other occasion happeneth wherby the extremitie of the tribulation is mitigated But here no such hope or cōfort may be expected for that as holie writ affirmeth Cruciabuntur in saecula saeculorū in stagne ardente igne sulphure They shal be tormented for euer and euer in a poole that burneth with fire brimstone As long as God is God so long must they burne therin Neither shal the tormentour or the tormented die but both must liue eternallie for the eternal miserie of him that suffereth O sayeth one holie father in a godlie meditation if a sinner damned in hel did know that he had to suffer those torments no more thousand yeres then there be sandes in the sea and grasse leaues on the grounde or no more thousand milliōs of ages then there be creatures in heauē hel and in earth he wold greatlie reioice for that he wolde comfort him self at the least wise with this cogitation that once yet the matter wold haue an ende But now saieth this good man this word Neuer breaketh his hart considering that after a hundred thousand millions of worldes if ther might be so many he hath as farre to his iournies end as he had at the first day of his entrāce into thos torments Consider good Christian what a length one houre wold seme vnto the if thou haddest but to hold thy hand in fire and brimstone onelie during the space thereof or to be stretched on a racke or other torture We finde by experiēce that if a man be grieuouslie sick though he be laid vpon a verie soft bed yet one night seemeth a long time vnto him He turneth and tosseth him self from side to side telling the clock and counting euerie houre as it passeth which seemeth to him a whole day And if a man should saye vnto him that he were to abide that pain but seuen yeres together he wold goe nigh to dispare for griefe Now if one night seeme so long and tediouse to him that lieth on a good soft bedd afflicted onelie with a litle ague what wil the lying in fire and brimstone doe whē he shal know euidentlie that he shal neuer haue ende thereof O deare brother the satietie of continuance is lothsome euen in things that are not euil of them selues If thou shouldest be bound alwaies to eate one onelie meate albeit otherwise of it self it were not ingrate yet would it be displeasant vnto the
canst not hate thos thinges which thou hast made but doest vse mercy towards al for that they are thine And the like maner of reasoning vseth God him self when he saieth by his Prophet Ezechiel behould al soules are mine and hereupon he inferreth a litle after Numquid voluntatis meae est mors impij Can I haue the wil to damne a wicked man seing that his soule is mine created and redeemed by me as who would saie this were a case against al order and equitie And the reason of this maner of speech and argument is for that euery man naturally is enclined to loue the things that be of his owne making So we see that if a mā haue an orchard wherin be great varietie of trees and plantes yet if ther be but one of his owne peculier grafting that florisheth and prospereth wel he taketh more delite therin then in any of the rest for that it is his owne workemanship So in like maner if a man haue a vineyard of his owne planting and trimming For which respect the holy prophet Dauid finding him self and the whole kingdome of Iurie in great affliction calamitie thought no other means so forcible to draw God to compassion and commiseratiō of their case as to crie out to him in this maner Thou vvhich gouernest Israel looke tovvards vs and be attēt Thou hast brought forth a vineyard out of Egipt thou hast purged the same from Gentiles and hast planted it Thou ô God of al povver turne tovvards vs looke vpon vs from heauen and visite this thy vineyard vvhich thy ovvne right hand hath planted The like maner of persuasion vsed the holy prophet Esaie to moue God when he said looke vpō vs I beseech the ô Lord vvhich are the vvorke of thine ovvne hands But aboue al other the blessed man Iob standeth as it were in argument and disputation with God about this matter saying haue not thy hāds made me haue they not framed me of clay and earth hast not thou compacted me as cheese is made of milke hast not thou knit my bones and sinowes together and couered my flesh with skinne hast not thou giuen me life and conserued my spirite with thy continual protection how soeuer thou seme to dissemble thes matters and hide them in thy hart yet I know that thou remēbrest them al and are not vnmindful of them By which words this holy man signified that albeit God suffered him greatly to be tempted and afflicted in this life so farre forth as he might seme to haue forgotten him yet was he wel assured that his deuine Maiestie could not of his goodnes forsake or despise him for that he was his creature and the proper workemanship of his owne hands In which verie name of vvorkemanship holy Dauid tooke such great comfort considering that the workeman can not chuse but be louing and fauourable towards his owne work especially so excellent and bountiful a workeman as is almightie God towards a worke made as mā is to his owne shape and likenes that in al his necessities yea euen in his greatest infirmities of flesh and most grieuous offenses committed against his Maiestie he conceaueth most assured hope of mercie and pardon vpon this cōsideratiō that he was his workemanship and consequentlie wel knowen to his deuine wisdome of how bricle infirme a metal he was made For thus at one time among other he reasoneth of this matter Looke how farre distant the east is from the west so farre of hath God remoued our iniquities from vs. Euen as a father doth take compassion of his owne children so doth our Lord take mercie vpon vs for that he wel knoweth the mould wherof we are made and doth remember that we are nothing els but dust In which discourse the holie Prophet maketh mention of two thinges that did assure him of Godes mercie th' one that God was his Creator and maker and therby priuie to the frailtie of his constitution nature th' other that he was his father whos propertie is to haue compassion on his children and this is a second reason more strong and forcible perhappes then the former whie euerie man maie be most assured of pardon that hartely turneth vnto almightie God considering that it hath pleased his deuine Maiestie not only to be vnto man a creatour as he is to al other thinges but also a father which is the title of the greatest loue and coniunction that nature hath left to thinges in this world Wherof a certaine philosopher said wel that no mā could conceaue the loue of a parents hart but he onlie that had a child of his owne For which respect our Sauiour IESVS to put vs in mind of this most feruent loue and therby as it were by one fire to enkendle an other within our hartes did vse often times and ordinarily to repeat this sweet name of Father in his speeches to his folowers and therupon founded diuers most excellent and comfortable dissourses as at one time when he dehorted them from ouer much care and worldlie solicitude he addeth this reason Your father in heauen knovveth that you haue need of thes thinges as who would saie he knowīg your wantes and being your father you shal not need to trouble yourselues with too great anxietie in thes matters for that a fathers hart can not but be prouidēt and careful for his children The like deduction maketh he in the same place to the same effect by comparison of the birdes of the aire and other irreasonable creatures for which if God doe make saith he so aboundant prouision as al the whole world may witnesse that he doth much more careful wil he be to prouide for men that are his owne children which are more deare vnto him then any other terrestrial thing created Al which speeches and reasons of our Sauiour are deriued from the nature and propertie of a parent which can not but affect and loue his children especially such a father whom Christ calleth celestial who in this perfection of true father ly loue so farre exceedeth al earthly parents put together as in power clemencie and goodnes almightie God surpasseth the infirmitie of his feeble creatures Such a father as hath not only geuen life and being vnto his childrē but also as S. Paul saieth hath powred into their hartes the deuine spirite of his only eternal sonne stirring them vp to most assured confidence and inuincible hope in his fatherly goodnes and protection And vpon assurance of this hope haue aswel sinners as Saints from the beginning fled vnto him confidently vnder this title of paternitie and neuer were deceaued So the prophet Esaie aswel in his owne name as in the name of the sinful people of Israel doubted not to crie Thou art our father Abraham hath not knovven vs and Israel is ignorant of vs Thou o Lord art our father thou art our redeemer And to cōfirme
him to laie doune a price for vs which he so infinitely esteemed what shal we thincke that he wil doe vnto vs now we being made his owne by our redemption if we returne willingly vnto him whē onr receauing shal cost him nothing els but only a merciful looke vpon vs which is not so much from the infinite bowels of his botomeles mercie as is one droppe of water from the most huge gulfe of the maine Ocean sea And this shal suffice for this first point of Gods loue declared vnro vs by the three most sweete and comfortable names respectes of Creator Father and Redeemer NEXT AFTER VVHICH we are to consider in what maner God is accustomed to expresse and declare this loue of his in his dealings proceedīgs towards sinners And first of al the wise man hauing had long experience of this matter beginneth to describe and set it forth in this sort saing vnto God himself Thou O Lord doest dissemble the sinnes of men to geue vnto thē time of repentance And thē when they wil not vse this benefite of his forbearing but wil needs enforce him to punish and correct them he saieth further of this correction Such as vvilfully doe runne astraie O Lord and vvil not turne vnto the thou doest correct thē svveetly by litle litle admonishing and exhorting them to leaue their sinnes and to beleeue in thee Thes two pointes then of exceeding clemencie by the testimonie of the wise man are found in almightie God first to winke at the wicked life of men and to expect their conuersion with inspeakable patience and longanimitie according as also the Prophet Esay beareth witnes adioining the cause therof in thes wordes Your Lord doth attēd your conuersion to the end he may take mercie on you and therby be exalted And secondlie for the same respect when he is enforced by reason of his Iustice to chastice them yet doth he the same with such moderation and mildnes as alwaies in this life he reserueth place of pardon And to thes two we may adioine yet a third propertie of his mercie more admirable perhaps then the former which is as Tertulian excellently noteth that he being the partie offended yet first and principally desireth reconsiliation he hauing receaued the wrong and iniurie yet doth he most busely entreate for amitie attonment And wheras in al right and equitie he might denie vs pardon and for his power take reuenge of vs at his pleasure yet doth he not only offer vs peace of his owne accord but also sueth vnto vs by al means possible to accept therof humbling in a certaine maner his deuine Maiestie to our basenes and vilitie and behauing him self in this respect as a prince that were inamoured of his bondslaue and abiect seruant This might be declared by many of his owne speeches and doinges in holy Scripture but one place out of the Prophete Esaie shal serue for al wher almightie God so earnestly wooeth the conuersion of Ierusalem as no louer in the world could vtter more signes and testimonies of a hart inflamed and set on fire with loue then he doth towards that citie which so highly had offended him For first after many threats poured out against her if she did not returne lest she might perhapps fal into despaire he maketh this protestatiō in the beginning of his speech Indignatio non est mihi c. Angrie I ame not ò Hierusalem but what soeuer I haue spoken I haue spoken of good wil and loue Secondlie he entreth into this dispute and doubt with him self about punishing her for her sinnes what shal I doe Shal I tread her vnder my feete and put her to the fiar or els vvil she staie my puissant hand and make peace vvith me vvil she I saie make attonment vvith me After which doubt and cunctation he resolueth him self to chāge his maner of stile and to fal a litle to chide with her and then saith harken O yee deafe inhabitants of Ierusalem looke aboute you ye blind folke that vvil not see vvho is blind and deafe but my seruant that vvil not regard or listen to the messingers vvhich I send O thou vvhich hast opē eares vvilt thou not heare And then a litle after he beginneth to smooth and speake faire againe saing Euer since thou hast bene gratious glorious in mine eyes I haue loued the and for thy soule vvil I yeue vvhole natiōs Feare not for that I ame vvith the. Wherwith she being litle or nothing mooued he returneth to a sweet maner of complaint saing Thou hast enthralled me by thy sinnes and vvith thine iniquities thou hast greatly afflicted me Which being said and she somewhat wonne therby to loue him as it seemeth he turneth vnto her with this most comfortable and kind speech I ame he I ame he vvhich cancelleth thine iniquities for mine ovvne sake and vvil neuer thincke any more vpon thy sinnes Al which being done and they now reconciled and made fast frends together his diuine Maiestie beginneth a verie louing conference as it were and sweet expostulation with her saing in thes wordes Cai thou to memorie the things that are past and let vs iudge our selues here together Tel me if thou haue any thing vvherby thou maiest be iustefied Thy first parent vvas a sinner c. Wherat she being ashamed and hauing nothing in the world to answere for her self almightie God comforteth her and knitteth vp the whole matter in this most kind and amiable sort Feare not for I wil power out my spirite vpon the and vpon thy seed and my benediction shal be vpō thine ofspring thy children shal budde vp and florish as willoes planted by the water side Thus saieth the Lord and king of Israel the Lord of hostes that is thy redeemer I ame the first and the last and besides me ther is no other God Be mindful of this thou house of Iacob I haue dissolued and dissipated thy sinnes as a cloud is dissolued in the aire be mindful of this and haue an assured confidence Thus farre continueth the treatie betwene God and his citie of Ierusalem And now tel me deare Christian brother whether it be possible for any hart or tongue in the world to conceaue or expresse more waies or significations of most vehement good wil and burning affection then of Gods part in this treatie hath bene declared What louer or enamoured person vpon earth what passionate hart could wooe more earnestly sue more diligently sollicite more artificially complaine more pitifully expostulate more amiablie conferre more intrinsically remit offences more redely offer benefites more aboundantly conclude more sweetly and giue more pregnant testimonies of vnfeined loue or more assured certaintie of eternal league amitie thē doth almightie God vnto this natiō that so grieuouslie had offended him who wil not confesse now with the prophet Dauid that
founde no place of repētāce albeit with teares he sought the same Wherof S. Chrisostome geueth the reason in thes wordes For this cause Esau obtained not pardon for that he did not repente as he should haue done his teares proceeding rather of anger and temptation then of true sorovv When the people of Israel came to be a distinct nation and to be gouerned at Gods appointement how greeuouslie trow you did they offend day lie and almost howerlie his diuine Maiestie And how gratiouslie did his vnspeakable clemencie remitt and pardon their manifold and innumerable sinnes trespasses done agaist him The whole scripture in truth seemeth nothing els but a perpetual narration of Gods incredible patience and infinite mercies towardes them And if I would speake of particuler persons amōg them which he receaued to his fauour after greate and manifold offences committed ther would be no end of that recital Let Manasses that most impious and wicked king be an exāple for al of whos enormous life and most detestable actes whole pages are replenished both in the bookes of kinges and Chronicles and yet afterwardes notwithstanding the same man falling into miserie and calamitie among the Babylonians a fortunate schoole oftentimes for Princes who in their prosperitie are wont to contemne God he begā to be sorowful for his former life and actions and to doe great penance as the scripture saith in the sight of God for the same Wherat his diuine and incomprehēsible mercie was so much moued presentlie as he receaued him to fauour and brought him backe from his prison and fetters to his kingdome and imperial throne of Maiestie The exāple also of the Niniuites is very notable singuler in this behalf against whom almightie God hauing decreed a sentence of death to be executed within a certaine time he commanded Ionas the prophet to goe and denounce that sentēce vnto them But Ionas wel knowing the nature and disposition of God towardes mercie forsaw as afterwardes he signifieth that if he should goe and beare that embassage vnto them and they therupon make change of ther liues his Maiestie would presentlie pardon them and so he should be taken for a false and lying prophet For auoiding which inconuenience he chose rather to flee away by sea to the citie of Tharsis and ther to hide himself But almightie God raised a tempest in that iourney and disposed in such sort as Ionas was cast into the sea and ther receaued and deuoured by a whale from whos belly he was commanded afterwardes to repaire to Niniue and to doe his former message which he perfourmed And the tenour of his message was that within fortie dayes that huge citie of Niniuie should be destroyed Which he hauing denounced vnto them the sequel fel out as Ionas before had suspected For the Niniuites beleeuing the message and betaking them selues to repentance God forgaue them presentlie wherat Ionas was exceedinglie greeued offended complained sweetlie to God of his strāge dealing herin demanding whie he had inforced him to come and preach destruction vnto them knowing wel before hād that he would pardon them But his merciful Lord answered him fullie to this pointe by a certaine accident that fel out wherto Ionas was not able to replie one word For so it chanced that Ionas sitting without the walles of Niniuie vnder an Iuie bush that in one night by Gods appointment was sprōg vp to couer him frō the sunne the same Iuie by Gods ordināce perished vpon the suddaine and was consumed by a worme leauing the poore prophet destitute of that consolation of shadoe which he receaued by it Wherwith he being not a litle disquieted and afflicted God said vnto him thou Ionas art sorowful and much grieued for losse of thine Iuie tree which not withstanding thou diddest not plant nor make to grow nor tookest any labour at al about it But the same grew vp in one night and in one night it perished againe And shal not I then be careful to pardon my greate citie of Niniuie wherin ther be aboue an hundred and twentie thousand innocent people which can not distinguish betwene their right hand and their left This was the answer of almightie God to Ionas for defence of his singuler inclinatiō to mercie in respect that the Niniuites were his owne creatures his owne workmanship and the labours of his own handes as al other people also are Of which kinde of reason and consideration ther haue bene diuers thinges said and declared before for manifestation of Gods infinit mercie And al this that hitherto hath bene spoken is of thinges onlie donne in time of the old testament before the appearance of Christ our Saueour in flesh But now if we looke into the time of grace when God incarnate came him self in person to shew the riches of his endles mercie vnto mortal men vpon earth we shal see more examples without comparison of this exceeding clemencie For that now our Creator and shepheard ouercome as it were with extreme compassion came down into the vale of our miserie with resolution not onlie to offer pardon and forgeuenes to al his sheepe that were a stray and would returne but also to follow seeke them out being found to lay them on his own shoulders and so to beare them backe vnto the fold againe and ther to geue his life and blood for their defence against the wolfe O sweet Lord what greater loue cā be imagined then this what more pregnant signification of inflamed charitie can mans cogitation conceaue or apprehend is it maruaile now if he which descēded vnto vs with this hart and with thes bowels of burning affectiō did set open the gates of al his treasures fauours graces vnto vs Is it maruaile if the holie apostle S. Paul doe saye of this time Superabundauit gratia that grace did ouer abounde and yet further in an other place that Christ being verie God did in a certaine sort impouerish and emptie him self with the most wonderful effusion of mercies and hauoke of heauen which at this time and euer since he hath made Herehence it proceeded that al his delite and pleasure vpon earth was to conuerse with sinners and to geeue them cōfort corage and cōfidence in him Which he did so manifestlie in the sight of al the world as he was very scandalous and offensiue therby to the Scribes and Pharisees and other principal rulers among the Iuish nation Herehence also did proceed thos his most maruailous speeches and strange inuitations of wicked men vnto him as for example at one time among other when he cried out in publique Come vnto me al ye that doe labour and be heauie loden and I vvel refresh you And at an other time going into the temple of Ierusalem vpon a high festiual day when al the people were gathered together he stood vp in the middest of
them al and brake forth into this vehement inuitation with a lowd voice as S. Iohn Euangelist recordeth if any man among you be thirstie let him come vnto me he shal drinke Hereby it came to passe that his diuine Maiestie was termed commonlie Publicanorum peccatorum am cus The frend and familiar of wicked Publicans and sinners And herof finallie it did proceed that he receaued al imbraced al and forgaue al that repaired vnto him were they Scribes Pharisees Souldiars Publicans Vserers Harlotes Theeues Persecutours or whatsoeuer most grieuous offendours besides wherof particuler examples in eche kinde might be alleaged assuring vs furthermore that after his resurrection and blessed ascensiō to the right hand of his father he would be more bountiful yet in this maner of proceeding and dravv al vnto him self being at one time both our Iudge and Aduocat our king and Mediatour our God and Redeemer our Father and brother our Priest and Sacrifice and he that both pleadeth and determineth our cause together What then should not we hope at this time deare Christian brother at the handes of this our Lord and Maister which hath left vnto vs such wordes such deedes such assured euidencies of his infallible loue and abundant mercies towards vs why should not his dealinges with other men before vs geeue vs hart and corage to confide assuredlio in him for the time present and to come why should not his former most infinit mercies be vnto vs oderiferous alluring sauours and oyntmentes to make vs as the spouse did in the Canticles follow and runne after him Heare what deuout S. Bernard doth meditate vpō this passage of Christs fragrant ointmentes O sweet Iesus saith he the freshe and oderiferous smel of thie wonderful clemencie doth allure vs to runne after the when we heare saye that thou despisest not beggars nor abhorrest sinners Wee know right wel ô Lord that thou didest not reiect the theefe that confessed thee nor the sinful woman that wept vpon thee nor the Chananaean that humbled her self before thee not the wicked adulteresse brought vnto thee nor the toullar or tribut gatherer that followed thee nor the publican that repaired vnto thee nor the disciple that denied thee nor Saul that did persecute thee nor thie tormentours that did naile thie sacred bodie vpō the crosse O Lord al thes are fragrant smels and sauours of thie most sweet mercie and at the sent of thes thie ointmentes we doe follow and runne after thee Thus farre S. Bernard AND SO VVITH THIS to come to the fourth and last part of this chapter and to applie al that hath bene said of Godes mercie to our present purpose What man is ther liuing in the world that reading and beleeuing thes thinges can doubt or mistrust to receaue pardon for his sinnes If God be he that iustifieth vvho is able to condemne vs saieth the holie Apostle S. Paul If God be minded to deliuer vs who can take vs out of his hands If God protest that he wil pardon vs why should we make any doubt or questiō therof at al Why should not we ioine rather with that confident and faithful seruāt of his S. Paul who saieth vnto vs and to al other sinners liuing in his maisters name let vs repaire vnto him vvith a true hart in fulnes of faith hauing purged our hartes from an euil conscience let vs hold fast an immouable confession of our hope seing he is faithful vvhich hath giuen vnto vs his promis and let vs consider hovv one of vs may prouoke an other to charitie and good vvorkes By which wordes the holy Apostle signifieth that what sinner soeuer shal resolue with him self to purge his conscience frō wickednes for the time to come and to employ the rest of life in charetie good workes he may confidently and boldly repaire vnto almightie God with most certaine assurance to receaue pardon and remission And alas deare brother why then should anie man despaire wherfore should any man cast away his owne soule that God so much desireth to saue what a pitiful and lamentable case is it to behold so many Christians in the world to goe languishing in ther sinnes and to giue thē selues ouer to al kind of careles and dissolute sensualitie which by God him self is called desperation vpon this conceit wicked cogitation that now they are gone so farre and so deeply rooted and habituated in this kind of life as either it is impossible or in vaine for them now to thincke of change or amendements O deare Brother let thes men harken to this excellent discourse of holy Chrisostome which ensueth If thou be a wicked man saieth he thincke vpon the Publicane If thou be vncleane of life consider the harlot If thou be a murtherer remember the theef If thou be a swearer cal to mind the Blasphemer Cast thine eyes vpon Saul and Paul first a persecutour and then a preacher first a violent robber afterward a good steward and Dispenser First chaffe afterward corne first a wolfe afterward a sheppard first lead after gould first a pirate afterwards a good pilot first a dispersour afterward a gatherer first a breaker doune of Gods vineyard afterward a plāter first a destroier afterward a builder Thou hast sene manifold wickednes but now behold vnspeakable mercie Thou hast heard the pride of the seruant consider now the loue and clemencie of the Maister I wil not thou saie to me I ame a blasphemer I haue bene a persecutour I haue lead an vncleane and abhominable life and therfore I doubt lest I shal not haue pardon Saie not so vnto me for here thou hast examples to the contrarie in euerie of thes manie other sinnes Thou maiest safely fly to what port thou list and that either in the old or new Testament For in the old thou hast Dauid in the new thou hast Paul I wil not haue the therfore alleage excuses vnto me for couering thine owne cowardnes Hast thou sinned doe penance hast thou sinned a thousand times repent a thousand times vnfainedly This is the only ointment that may be poured in to an afflicted consciēce the torment wherof I doe wel knowe For the Diuel standeth by whetting his sword of desperation and saing vnto the Thou hast liued wickedly al thy youth thy former yeares thou hast mispent thou hast hanted plaies and spectacles with thy companions and hast folowed after louse and lasciuious women thou hast taken other mēs goods from them wrongfully thou hast bene couetous dissolute and effeminate thou hast foresworne thy self thou hast blasphemed committed many other hainous and enormous crimes and therfore what hope canst thou haue of saluation Truly none at al. Thou art a mere castawie and canst not now goe backe and therfore my counsaile is that now thou vse the pleasures and commodities of this world and passe ouer thy time in mirth of hart without cogitation
of other affaires Thes are the wordes of the Deuil louing brother Thes are the counsailes persuasions of our enemie But mine are contrarie If thou haue fallen thou maiest rise againe If thou haue bene a lost companion yet thou maiest be saued If thou haue committed fornication and adulterie in time past thou maiest be continent for the time to come If thou haue hanted playes games thou maiest drawe backe thy foot from hence forth If thou haue delighted in leud and euil companie thou maiest herafter acquaint thy self with good Thou hast free wil to chuse ether part This only is necessarie that thou beginne thy conuersion out of hand that thou repent and take in hand to reforme thy self though it be at the first but a litle Let thine eies beginne but to shed forth one teare enter into thy conscience consider thy self but indifferently examine thine actions and what they deserue lay before thy face the daie of Iudgment with the torments of hel on the one side and the ioyes of heauen on the other Repēt confesse amend thy life seeke a medicine for thy wound out of hand while thou art in this life in what state or condition soeuer thou be Yea if thou be vpon thy death-bed ready to breath out thy soule and spirit feare not to repent for that Gods mercie is not restrayned by the shortnes of time Which I speake vnto you my deare brethren not to make you hereby the more negligent but only to stirre you vp to the confidence of Gods mercie and thereby to auoyde the most dangerous gulfe of desperation Hitherto are the wordes of this holie and learned Father In which long and large discourse of his we are to note that together with most excellent encoragement which he geueth to al sinners of what state and cōdition soeuer they be in al times and seasons to confide in Gods mercie and neuer to despaire he geueth also an holsome admonishment that we should not by this confidence become more necligent in reforming our liues but rather do it out of hand without al delay or procrastinatiō Whereunto in like maner the holy father S. Augustine in a like exhortation against despaire doth endeuour most vehemently to stirre vs vp in these wordes Let no man after a hundred sinnes nor after a thousand despaire of Gods mercie but yet so let him not despaire as he seeke presently without al stay to recōcile him self to God by amendment of life least perhaps after that by custome he hath gotten a habit of sinne he be not able to deliuer him self from the snares of the Diuel albeit he would And in the very same sermon he discourseth yet further of the same matter in manner folowing Not euery man that hath sinned but he that perseuereth in sinne is hateful and abominable in the sight of God For that no man must distrust of Gods mercie towards him that wil amend and leaue his sinnes For that God him self as a most sweete comforter hath said by his Prophet that the impietie of a vvicked man shal not hurt him at vvhat day soeuer he shal turne from the same But yet this great mercie of our Lord is thē only profitable vnto vs if we delay not our conuersion nor doe multiplie sinnes vpon sinnes Which I wil declare vnto you by th' example of woundes and ruptures of our bodie by which th' infirmities also of our mind and soule may be conceaued Thus then we see if a mās foote leg or arme be broken with how great paine the same is restored to his accustomed strength But if any member of our body should be broken twise or three times or more often in one and the self same place your charitie cā imagin how hard a thing it were for that part to recouer her perfit health againe So fareth it deare brethrē in the woundes and ruptures of our soule If a man doe commit sinne once or twise and doe vnsainedly without dissimulatiō make his refuge to the medicine of perāce he doth out of hand obtaine health againe and that sometimes without any skar or blemish of the disease past But if he begin to adde sinnes vpō sinnes in such sort that the woundes of his soule doe rather putrifie within him by couering and defending them then heale by repentance and confession it is to be feared least that heauy speach of th' Apostle be fulfilled in him to whom he saith dost thou not knovv that the benignitie of God is vsed to bring thee to repentance but thou by the obdurate and irrepētant hart dost heape to thy self vvrath in the day of vengeance and of the reuelation of Gods iust iudgement Thus far S. Augustine But now deare Christian brother what can be spoken more effectually either to 〈◊〉 vs to hope and confidence in Gods mercie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 presumption in delaying our amendment thē here hath bene vttered by these noble pillars and fathers of Christes Church and most excellent instrumentes and temples of his holie Spirit The diuine wisdome of almightie God i a certaine place saith that the wordes of wise men ought to be spurres vnto vs and as it were nailes driuen into the depth of our hartes meaning thereby that we should be stirred vp and most vehemently moued when we heare such wise men as the holie Ghost there meaneth which in deede are only they that haue the knowledge and true feare of God make such exhortations vnto vs and ue vs such holsom admonishmentes as thes godlie fathers in this great affaire haue donne And how is it then deare brother that we are nothing stirred vp thereby nothing quickned nothing awaked Wel I wil conclude this whole chapter and treatise with an other exhortation and admonition of S. Augustine for that besides the graue authoritie of the mā which ought to moue vs much I thinke nothing can be spoken more excellently or more agreeing to our peculiar purpose Thus then he saith Almightie God doth neuer despise the repentance of any mā if it be offered vnto him sincerely simply nay he accepteth the same most willingly embraceth the penitent and endeuoreth to reduce him to his former state wherein he was before he fel. And that which is yet more if a man be not able to fulfil the whole order of his satisfaction yet doth not God refuse the least penance that is though it be dōne in neuer so short a space Neither doth he suffer the reward to perish of any litle conuersion And this doth the prophet Esaie seeme to me to signifie when he faith in Gods person to the people of Israel I haue contristed thee a litle for thy sinne I haue striken thee and haue turned my face from thee thou hast bene sad and hast walked in sorow and I haue cōforted thee againe These examples then of penance deare brethren we hauing before our eyes let vs not perseuer in our wickednes nor despaire
This was a feigned labour in a commandement For Isaac being offered he was not killed but sanctified therby Thou therfore if thou heare the voice of God within thy hart willing thee to offer vp Isaac which signifieth ioy or laughter feare not to obey it faith fuilie and constantlie What soeuer thy corrupt affection iudgeth of the matter be thousecure Not Isaac but the Ramme shal die for it thy ioy shal not perish but thy stubburnes onelie whose hornes are entangled with thornes and can not be in thee without the prickinges of anxietie Thy Lord doth but tempt the as he did Abraham to see what thou wilt doe Isaac that is thy ioy in this life shal not die as thou imaginest but shal liue onelie he must be lifted vp vpon the wood to the end thy ioy may be on high and that thou maiest glorie not in thine owne flesh but onelie in the crosse of thy Lord by whom thy self also art crucified crucified I say but crucified to the world for vnto God thou liuest stil and that much more then thou diddest before THE THIRD IMPEDIMENT THAT STAYETH DIVERS MEN FROM REsolution in Gods seruice VVhich is the feare they conceaue of persecutution affliction losse danger or tribulation CHAPT III. THER want not many persons in the world who either moued by the reasons and considerations before recited or conuicted by their owne experience for that they behold daily no smal numbers of godly persons to liue as contentedly as them selues doe yeld thus much vnto vertuous life that in very deed they esteeme the same to be easie and pleasant inough to such as are once entered in therunto And that in good sooth for their owne partes they could be content to embrace and folow the same if they might doe it with quiet and peace of al handes But yet to request them vnto it in such time or place or with such order and circumstances as tribulation affliction or persecution may fal vpon them for the same they think it a matter vnreasonable to be demaunded and them selues verie excusable both before God and man for refusing it But this excuse deare brother is no better then the other going before of the pretēded difficultie for that it standeth vpon a false ground as also vpō an vniust illation or consequent inforced vpō that ground The ground is this that a man may liue vertuouslie and serue God truelie with al worldlie ease without any affliction tribulation or persecution which is false For that albeit external contradictions and persecutions be more in one time then in an other more in this place then in that yet can there not be any time or place without some both external and internal Which although as I haue shewed before in respect of the manifold helpes and consolations sent from God in cōterpoise of the same they seeme not heauie nor vnpleasant vnto the godlie yet are they in them selues both great and weightie as would appeare if they fel vpon the wicked and impatient Secondlie the illation and consequēce made vpon this ground is vniust for that it alleageth tribulation as a sufficient reason to abandone Gods seruice which God him self hath ordained for a meane to the contrary effect that is to draw men therby vnto his seruice and from the seruice of the world For better declaratiō wherof the matter being of verie great importance I wil handle in this chapter thes fower pointes insuing First whether it be ordinarie for al that must be saued to suffer some kinde of persecution tribulation or affliction that is whether this be appointed an ordinary or vsual meane of mans saluation in this life Secōdlie what are the causes whie God louing vs as he doth wold chuse appoint thes sharpe meanes of our saluation Thirdlie what principal reasons of cōfort a man may haue in his tribulations and afflictions Fourthlie what is required at his hādes in hat state which fower pointes being declared I doubt not but great light shal appeare in this whole matter which seemeth to flesh and blood to be so ful of darknes and improbabilities The first part AND TOVCHING the first there needeth litle proofe for that Christ him self hath affirmed to his Disciples by them to al other his seruantes In mundo pressuram sustinebitis In the world you shal sustaine affliction And in an other place In your patience shal you possesse your soules that is to say by suffering patientlie the aduersities that shal be layd vpon you which S. Paul yet vttereth more plainlie when he sayeth Al they that vvil liue godlie in Iesus Christ shal suffer persecution Yf al then none can be excepted And to signifie yet further the necessitie of this matter bothe S. Paul and Barnabas also did teach as S. Luke reporteth that vve of necessitie must enter into the kingdome of God by many tribulations vsing the worde oportet which signifieth a certaine necessitie And Christ him self yet more plainly reuealeth this secret whē he sayeth to S. Iohn th' Euangelist that he chastiseth al those vvhō he loueth Which wordes S. Paul as it were expounding to the hebrewes sayeth flagellat omnem filium quē recipit he whippeth euery child whom he receaueth And S. Paul vrgeth this matter so farre in that place as he affirmeth plainlie al those to be bastardes and no children of God who are not afflicted by him in this life The same position he holdeth to Timothie Si sustinemus conregnabimus if we suffer with Christ we shal raigne with Christ not otherwise Wherin also cōcurreth holie Dauid when he sayeth Multe tribulationes iustorum The iust are appointed to many tribulations The same might be proued by many other meanes as by that our Sauiour sayeth He came not to bring peace but the svvord into the vvorld Also by that S. Paul sayeth That no man can be crovvned except he fight laufullie But how can we fight if we haue no enemie to oppugne vs The same signifieth Christ in the Apocalips when he repeateth so often that heauē is onelie for him that conquereth The verie same is signified by the shippe wherinto Christ entered with his disciples which was tossed and tumbled as if it wold haue bene drouned this I saie by al the auncient Fathers exposition was a figure of the troubles and afflictions that al they should suffer which doe saile in the same shippe with Christ our sauiour The same also is proued in that the life of man is called a warfare vpon earthe and by that he is appointed to labour and trauaile while he is here also in that his life is replenished with many miseries euen by the appointement of almightie God after mans fal The same also is shewed in that that God hath appointed euery man to passe through the paines of death before he come to ioye In like maner by the infinite
we heare or feele the same for that it is a signe of our election to that most glorious house of Godes eternal mansion BESIDES THIS matter of predestination and election there is yet an other thing of no smal comfort to the godlie afflicted founded on these wordes of almightie God cum ipso sum in tribulatione I am with him in tribulation Wherby is promised the companie of God him self in affliction and persecution This is a singular motiue saith S. Barnard to stirre men vp to embrace tribulation seing that euen in this world for good companie men aduenture to doe many hard and difficult things Ioseph was caried captiue into Egypt and God went downe with him as the scripture saieth yea more then that he went into the dongeon and was in chaines with him Sidrach Misach and Abdenago were cast into a burning fornace and presentlie there was a fourth sene that did beare them companie of whom Nabuchodonasor saieth thus did we not put three men onelie bound into the fire And his seruantes answered yea verilie Sir But behold sayeth he I see fower men vnbounde walking in the middest of the fire and the shape of the fourth is like the sonne of God Christ restored as he passed by a certaine beggar vnto his sight which had bene blind from his natiuitie For which thing the man being soone after called in question and speaking somewhat in the praise of Christ for the benefit receaued he was cast out of the sinagoge by the pharasies Wherof Christ hearing sought him out presentlie and conforting his hart bestowed vpon him the light of minde much more of importāce then that of the bodie geuen vnto him before By this and like examples it appeareth that a man is no sooner in affliction and tribulation for iustice sake but streight waie Christ is at hand to beare him companie and if his eyes might be opened as the eyes of Elizeus his disciple was to see his companions the troupes of Angels I meane which attend vpon their Lord in this his visitation no doubt but his hart wold greatlie be comforted therwith BVT THAT which the eye can not see the soule feeleth that is she feeleth the assistance of Gods grace amiddest the depth of al tribulations This he hath promised againe and again this he hath sworne and this he performeth most faithfullie to al those that suffer meeklie for his name This S. Paul most certainlie assured him self of when he saied that he did glorie in al his infirmities and tribulations to the end that Christ his vertue might dwel in him that is to say to the end that Christ should assist him more abundantly with his grace Cūenim infirmor tunc potens sum for when I am in most infirmitie then am I most strong saith he That is the more tribulations and afflictions are layed vpon me the more potent is the aide of Iesus Christ his grace vnto me And therfore the same Apostle writeth thus of him self and of al th' other Apostles together VVe suffer tribulation in al things but yet vve are not distressed vve are brought into perplexities but yet vve are not forsaken vve suffer persecution but yet vve are not abandoned vve are throvvē dovvne to the ground but yet vve perish not This thē ought to be a most sure and secure staffe in the hand of al Christians afflicted that whatsoeuer befal vnto them death or life yet the grace of almightie God wil neuer faile to hold them vp beare thē out therin for most true and certaine is that saying of S. Austen so often repeated by him in his workes that God neuer forsaketh anie man except he be reiected and forsaken by man first FOR THE LAST reason of comfort in affliction I wil ioine two thinges together of great sorce and efficacie in this matter The first wherof is the expectation of rewarde th' other is the shortnes of time wherein we haue to suffer both are touched by S. Paul in one sentence when he saith that a litle and momentanie tribulatiō in this vvorld vvorketh an eternal poise of glory in the hight of neauen By momentanie he sheweth thē litle time we haue to suffer and by eternal poise of glorie he expresseth the incomprenensible greatnes of the reward prepared in heauen for recompence of that suffering Christ also ioineth both thes comfortes together whē he saieth Behold I come quicklie and my revvard is vvith me In that he promiseth to come quicklie he signifieth that our tribulation shal not enduie long and by that he bringeth his reward with him he assureth vs that he wil not come emptie hāded but redie furnished to recompence our labour throughly And what greater meanes of encouragement deare brother could he vse then this If a man did beare a verie heauy burden yet if he were sure to be wel paied for his labour and that he had but a litle way to 〈◊〉 the same he would straine him self greatlie to goe through to his waies end rather then for sparing so short a labour to leese so large and so present a reward This is our Lordes most mercirul dealing with vs to comfort vs in our affliction and to animate vs to hold out māfully for a time though for the present the poise seeme heauie on our shoulders The comming of our Lord is euen at hand and the iudge is before the gates who shal refresh vs and wipe away al our teares and place vs in his kingdom to reape ioy without fainting And then shal we prooue the saying of holy S. Paul to be true That the sufferinges of this vvorld are not vvoorthie of that glorie vvhich shal be reuealed in vs. And this may be sufficient for the reasons left vs of comfort in tribulation and affliction The fourth part AND THVS now hauing performed the first three partes before promised there remaineth onelie to saye a worde or two of the fourth which is what we haue to doe for our partes in time of persecution tribulation and affliction And this might be dispatched in saying onelie that we haue to conforme ourselues to the wil and meaning of almightie God vttered before in the causes of tribulation But yet for more ease and better remembrance of the same I wil breeflie runne ouer the principal pointes that are to be borne in memorie AND FIRST of al we should indeuour to aspire vnto that perfectiō wherof our Sauiour speaketh wherunto he exhorteth vs when he saith gaudete exultate reioyse and triumph in your aduersities Or els if our corrupt and lumpish nature wil not permit vs to arriue vnto this so singular a perfectiō yet ought we at least wise to performe that which the Apostle so expresly commandeth when he saieth omne gaudium existimate cum in varias tentatianes incideritis esteeme it a matter worthie of al ioye when ye fal into diuers temptations
men that knew wel what they saied and had often tasted of affliction them selues and therfore could say of their owne experience how infallible Gods assistance is therin To this supreme courage magnanimitie and Christian fortitude the scripture exhorteth vs when it saieth If the spirit of one that is an authoritie doe rise against thee see thou yeeld not from thy place vnto him And againe an other scripture saith striue for iustice euen to the losse of thy life and stand for equitie vnto death it self God shal ouerthrow thine enemies for thee And Christ him self yet more effectually recom nēdeth this matter in thes wordes I say vnto you my freendes be not a fearde of them vvhich kil the body and aftervvard haue nothing els to doe against you And S. Peter addeth further 〈◊〉 cōturbemini That is doe not onely not feare them but which is lesse doe not so much as be troubled for al that flesh and blood cā doe against you Christ goeth further in the Apocalips and vieth maruailous speeches to entise vs to this forticude For thes are his wordes he that hath an eare to heare let him heare what the spirit saith vnto the churches To him that shal conquere I wil geue to eate of the tree of life which is in the paradise of my God This saieth the first and the last he that was dead and now is a liue I know thy tribulation and thy pouertie but thou art riche in deed and art blasphemed by thos that say they are true Israelites and are not but are rather the Sinagogue of Satan Feare nothing of that which you are to suffer behold the deuil wil cause some of you to be thrust into prison to the end you may be tempted you shal haue tribulation for tēne daies But be faithful vnto death and I wil geue the a croune of life He that hath an eare to heare let him heare what the spirit saieth vnto the churches He that shal ouercome shal not be hurt by the second death And he that shal ouercome and shal keepe my workes vnto the end I wil geue vnto him authoritie ouer nations euen as I haue receaued it from my father and I wil geue him besides the morning starre He that shal ouercome shal be appareled in white garmentes and I wil not blot his name out of the booke of life but wil confesse his name before my father and before his Angels Behold I come quicklie hold fast that thou hast lest an other man receaue thy croune He that shal conquere I wil make him a pillar in the temple of my God he shal neuer goe foorth more and I wil write vpon him the name of my God and the name of the citie of my God which is new Ierusalem He that shal conquere I wil geue vnto him to sit with me in my throne euen as I haue conquered and doe sit with my father in his throne Hitherto are the wordes of Christ to S. Iohn And in the end of the same booke after he had described the ioyes and glorie of heauen at large he concludeth thus And he that fate on the throne said to me Write thes wordes for that they are most faithful and true Qui vicerit possidebit haec ero illi Deus ille erit mihi 〈◊〉 timidis autem incredulis c. pars illorum erit in stagna ardenti igne sulphure quod est mors secunda He that shal conquer shal possesse al the ioyes that I haue here spokē of and I wil be his God and he shal be my sonne But they which shal be fearful to sight or incredulous of thes thinges that I haue saied their portiō shal be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death Here now we see both allurements threates both good and euil life death the ioyes of heauen and the burning lake of hel proposed vnto vs. We may streach out our handes vnto which we wil. If we fight and conquere as by Gods grace vve may then are we to enioy the promises laid doune before If we shew our selues ether vnbeleuing in thes promises or feareful to take the sight in hand being offered vnto vs then fal we into the danger of the contrarie threates euen as S. Iohn affirmeth in an other place that certaine noble men did amōg the Iewes who beleeued in Christ but yet durst not confesse him for feare of persecution HERE THEN must ensew an other vertue in vs most necessary to al tribulation and affliction and that is a strong firme resolution to stand and go through what opposition or contradiction soeuer we find in the world ether of fauning flatterie or of persecuting crueltie This the scripture teacheth crying vnto vs esto firmus in via domini Be firme and immouable in the way of our Lord. And againe State in side 〈◊〉 agite Stand to your faith playe the men And yet further conside in Deo mane in loco 〈◊〉 Trust in God and abide firme in thy place And finally 〈◊〉 nō dissoluantur 〈◊〉 vestrae Take courage vnto you and let not your handes be dissolued from the worke you haue begonne This resolution had the three children Sydrach Misach Abdenago when hauing heard the flattering speech and infinite threates of cruel Nabuchodonasor they answered with a quiet spirit O king we may not answere you to this long speech of yours For behold our God is able if he wil to deliuer vs from this furnace of fire which you threaten and from al that you cā doe othervvise against vs. But yet if it should not please him so to doe you must know Sir king that we doe not worshippe your goddes nor yet adore your golden Idole which you haue set vp This resolution had Peter and Iohn who being so often brought before the councel and both commanded threatned and beaten to the end they should talke no more of Christ they answered stil Obedire oportet Deo magis quam hominibus we must obey God rather then men The same had S. Paul also when being requested with teares of the Christians in Cesarea that he wold forbeare to goe to Ierusalem for that the holie Ghost had reuealed to manie the troubles which expected him there he answered what meane you to wepe thus and to afflict my hart I am not onelie readie to be in bondes for Christs name in Ierusalem but also to suffer death for the same And in his epistle to the Romanes he yet further expresseth this resolution of his when he sayeth what thē shal we saye to these thinges if God be with vs who wil be against vs who shal separate vs from the loue of Christ shal tribulation shal distresse shal hungar shal nakednes shal peril shal persecution shal the sworde I am certaine that nether death nor life nor
wrake A day and a night was I in the bottome of the sea oftentimes in iourneys in dangers of fluddes in dāgers of theeues in dangers of Iewes in dāgers of Gentiles in dangers of the citie in dāgers of wildernes in dangers of sea in dangers of false brethren in labour and trauaile in much watching in hungar and thirst in much fasting in cold and lack of clothes and besides al thes external thinges the matters that dailie doe depēd vpō me for my vniuersal care of al Churches By this we may see now whether Christs holy Apostles taught vs more by wordes then they shewed by their owne examples about the necessitie of suffering in this life Christ might haue prouided for them if he would at leastwise thinges necessarie to their bodies and not haue suffered them to come into thes great extremities of lacking clothes to their backes meate to their mouthes and houses to pat their heades in He that gaue thē authoritie to doe so manie other miracles might haue suffered them also to haue procured sufficient maintenance for their bodies which should be the first miracle that worldly men would worke if they had such authoritie Christ might haue saied to Peter when he sent him to take his tribut from out of the fishes mouth take so much more as wil suffice for your necessary expēces when you trauaile ouer foraine countries But he woulde not nor yet diminish the great afflictions which I haue shewed before though he loued them as dearely as euer he loued his owne soule Al which was done as S. Peter interpreteth to geue vs example what to folow what to looke for what to desire what to comsort our selues in amiddest the greatest of al our tribulatiōs Saint Paul vseth this as a principal consideration when he writeth thus to the Hebrewes vpon the recital of the sufferinges of other saintes before thē Wherfore we also brethren saieth he hauing so great a multitude of witnesses that haue suffered before vs let vs lay of al burdens of sinne hanging vpon vs and let vs runne by patience vnto the battaile offered vs fixing our eyes vpon the authour of our saith and fulfiller of the same IESVS who putting the ioyes of heauen before his eyes sustained patiētly the Crosse contemning the shame and confusion therof and therfore now sitteth at the right hand of the seate of God Thinke vpon him I say which sustained such a contradictiō against him self at the hādes of sinners be not wearie nether faint yee in courage For you haue not yet resisted against sinne vnto blood and you haue for gotten perhaps that comfortable saying which speaketh vnto you as vnto children My sonne doe not contemne the discipline of our Lord and be not vvearie vvhee thou art chastised of him For whom God loueth he chastiseth and he whippeth euery sonne whom he receaueth Perseuer therfore in the correctiō laied vpon you God offereth him self to you as to his children For what child is there whom the father correcteth not if you be out of correction wherof al his children are made partakers then are you bastardes not children Al correction for the present time when it is suffered seemeth vnpleasant and sorowful but yet after it bringeth foorth most quiet fruite of iustice vnto them that are exercised by it Wherfore strengthen vp your wearie handes and loosed knees make way to your feete c. That is take courage vnto you and goe forward valiantly vnder the Crosse laied vpon you This was the exhortation of this holy captaine vnto his countrie man souldiers of IESVS Christ the Iewes Saint Iames the brother of our Lord vseth an other exhortation in his Catholike epistle to al Catholikes not much different from this Be you therfore patient my brethren saith he vntil the cōming of our Lord. Beholde the husbandman expecteth for a time the fruite of the earth so pretious vnto him bearing patientlie vntil he may receaue the same in his season be you therfore patient and comfort your hartes for that the cōming of our Lord wil shortlie draw neere Be not sadde and complaine not one of an other Beholde the Iudge is euen at the gate Take the prophetes for an example of labour and patience who spake vnto vs in the name of God Beholde we account them blessed which haue suffered You haue heard of the sufferance of Iob and you haue seene Isa e that our Lord is merciful and ful of compassion I might here alleage many things more out of the scripture to this purpose for that the scripture is moste copious herein and in verie deed if it should al be melted and poured out it would yeld vs nothing els almost but touching the crosse and patient bearing of tribulatiō in this life But I must end for that this chapter groweth to long as the other did before And therfore I wil onelie for my conclusion set down the confession and most excellent exhortation of olde Mathathias in the time of the cruel persecution of Antiochus against the Iewes The storie is thus reported in the scripture At that time the officers of Antiochus said vnto Mathathias thou art a prince of greatest estate in this citie adorned with children and brethern come thou therfore first and doe the kinges commādement as other men haue done in Iuda and Ierusalem and thou and thy children shal be the kings freends and enriched with gold and siluer and many giftes frō him Wherto Mathathias answered with a loude voice if al nations should obey Antiochus to depart from the obedience of the lawes of their auncestours yet I my children and brethern wil folow the lawes of our fathers Let God be merciful vnto vs at his pleasure c. And the daies came of Mathathias his death and then he saied vnto his children Now is the time that pride is in her strength Now is the time of chastisemēt towardes vs the time of euersion indignation is come Now therfore ô Children be you zelous in the lawe of God yeld vp your liues for the testament of your fathers remember the workes of your auncestours what they haue done in their generations and so shal you receaue great glorie and eternal name Was not Abraham found faithful in time of temptation and it was reputed vnto him for iustice Ioseph in time of his distresse kept Gods commandementes and was made Lord ouer al Egypt Phinees our Father for his zeale towardes the lawe of God receaued the testament of an euerlasting presthode Iosue for that he fulfilled Gods word was made a captaine ouer al Israel Caleb for that he testified in the Church receaued an inheritance Dauid for his mercie obteined the seat of an eternal kingdome Elias for that he was zealous in zeale of the lawe was taken vp to heauen Ananias Azarias and Misael through their beleefe were deliuered from the flame of the fire Daniel for
we wolde exercise our selues in these maner of cogitations we might easilie keepe our hartes pure and vnspotted before God in beholding the beautie of his creatures But for that we vse not this passage from the creature to the creator but doe rest onely in the external appearance of a deceatful face letting goe the bridle to our foule cogitations and setting wilfully on fire our own concupiscences hence it is that infinite men doe perish day lie by occasion of this fond vanitie I cal it fond for that euerie childe may discrie the deceate and vanitie therof For take the fairest face in the world wherwith infinite folish men fal in loue vpon the sight therof and rase it ouer but with a litle scrach and al the matter of loue is gone let there come but an Ague for foure daies and al this goodly beautie is distroyed let the soule depart but one halfe hower from the bodie and this louing face is vglie to looke on let it lie but two daies in the graue and those who were so hote in loue with it before wil skarse abyde to beholde it or come neare it And if none of those things happen vnto it yet quicklie cometh on olde age which riueleth the skinne draweth in the eies setteth-owt the teeth and so disfigureth the whole visage as it becometh more contemptible and horrible now then euer it was beautiful and alluring before And what then can be more vanitie then this What more madnesse then ether to take a pride therof if we haue it our selues or to indanger our soules for the same if we behould it in others THE SIXT vanitie belonging to pride of life is the glorie of fine apparel against which the scripture saith In vestitu ne gloriaris vnquam See thou neuer take glorie in apparel Of al vanities this is the greatest which yet we see so common among men of this world If Adam had neuer sallen we had neuer vsed apparel For that apparel was deuised to couer our shame of nakednes and other infirmites contracted by that fal Wherfore we that take pride and glorie in apparel doe as much as if beggar should glorie take pride of the olde cloutes that do couer his sores S. Paul said vnto a bishop If vve haue vvhervvithal to couer our selues let vs be content And Christ touched deeplie the daunger of nice apparel when he cōmended so much S. Iohn Baptist for his austere attire adding for the contradictorie Qui moliibus vestiuntur in domibus regum sunt They which are clothed in soft and delicate apparel are in kinges courtes that is in kinges courtes of this world but not in the kinges court of heauen For which cause in the descriptiō of the riche man damned this is not omitted by our Sauiour That he vvas apparelled in purple and silke It is a wounderful thing to consider the different proceeding of God and the world herin God him self was the first tailer that euermade apparel i this world and he made it for the most noble of al our auncestous in paradise yet he made it but of beasts skinnes And S. Paul testifieth of the noblest saintes of the olde testament that they were couered onelie with goates skinnes and with the heares of Cameles What vanitie is it then for vs to be so curious in apparel and to take such pride therin as we doe we robbe spoile al creatures in the world to couer our backes and adorne our bodies From one we take his wolle from an other his skinne from an other his furre and from some other their verie excrementes as the silk which is nothing els but the excrementes of wormes Nor yet content with this we come to fishes and doe begge of them certaine pearles to hang about vs. We goe doune into the grounde for gold and siluer and turne vp the sandes of the sea for pretious stones and hauing borowed al this of other creatnres we iette vp doune prouoking men to looke vpō vs as if al this now were our own When the stone shineth vpon our fingar we wil seeme forsooth therby to shine When the siluer and silkes doe glister on our backes we looke bigge as if al that beautic came from vs. And so as the prophet saith we passe ouer our daies in vanitie and doe not perceaue our owne extreme folie AND THVS much now may suffice for declaration of the first general head of worldlie vanities termed by S. Iohu Pride of life Ther followeth the seconde which he calleth Concupiscence of the eyes wherunto the auncient fathers haue referred al vanities of riches and wealth of this world Of this S. Paul writeth to Timothie Geue commandement to rich men of this vvorld not to be high minded nor to put confidence in the vncertaintie of their riches The reason of which speech is vttered by the scripture in an other place when it saieth Riches shal not profit a man in the daie of reuēge That is at the daie of death and iudgement Which thing the rich men of this world doe confesse them selues though to late now being in tormentes diuitiarum iactantia quid nobis contulit what hath the brauerie of our riches profited vs Al which doth euidentlie declare the great vanitie of worldlie riches which can doe the possessour no good at al whē he hath most need of their help Riche men haue slept their sleepe saith the prophet and haue found nothing in their handes that is riche mē haue passed ouer this life as mē doe passe ouer a slepe imagining them selues to haue goldē mountaines and treasures wher with to help them selues in al needes that shal occurre when they a wake at the daie of their death they finde themselues to haue nothing in their hādes that can doe thē good In respect wherof the prophet Baruch asketh this question VVhere are they novv vvhich heaped together gold siluer vvhich made no end of their scraping together And he answereth him self immediatlie Exterminati sunt ad inferos descenderunt They are now rooted owt and are gone down vnto hel To like effect saith S. Iames Novvye riche mco doe ye vveepe and vvaile and houle in your miseries that come vpon you your riches are rotten and your gold and siluer is rustie and the rust therof shal be in testimonie against you it shal seede vpon your one flash as if it vvere fire you haue hoarded vp vvrath to your ovvn selues in the last daie If wealth of this world be not onelie so vaine but also so perilous as here is affirmed what vanitie then is it formen to set their mindes so vpon it as they doe S. Paul saieth of him self that he esteemed al but as dung of the earth And he had great reasō surely to say so seing in deed riches are no better then the verie excrements of the earth and fownde onelie in
the most barraine places therof as they can tel which haue seene their mines What a base matter is this then for a man to tie his loue vnto God commāded in the ólde law that what soeuer did goe with his breast vpon the ground should be vnto vs in abhomination How much more then a reasonable man that hath glewed his hart and soule vnto a peece of earth VVe came naked into this vvorld and naked vvee must goe soorth againe saieth Iob. The mille whele stirreth much about and beateth it self from daie to daie and yet at the yeres end it is in the same place that it was ī the beginning so riche men let them toile labour what they can yet at their death must they be as poore as at the first daie wherin they were borne When the riche man dieth saith Iob he shal take nothing with him but shal close vp his eies and finde nothing Pouertie shal laie handes vpon him and a tempest shal oppresse him in the night a burning winde shal take him awaie and an hurle winde shal rushe vpon him and shal not spare him it shal binde his handes vpon him and shal hisse ouer him for that it seeth his place wether he must goe The prophet Dauid in like wise forewarneth vs of the same in these wordes Be not afraid vvhen then seest a man made riche and the glorie of his house multiplied For vvhen he dieth he shal take nothing vvith him nor shal his glorie desiend to the place vvhether he goeth he shal passe into the progenies of his aunceslours that is he shal goe to the place where they are who haue liued as he hath done vvorld vvithout end he shal see no more light Al this and much more is spoken by the Holie ghost to signifie the dangerous vanitie of worldlie wealth and the folie of those men who labour so much to procure the same with the eternal peril of their soules If so many phisitions as I haue here alleaged scriptures should agree together that such or such meates were poisonned and perillous I thinke fewe men wold geue the aduenture to eate therof though otherwise in taste they appeared sweet and pleasant How thē cometh it to passe that so manie earnest admonitions of God himself can not staie vs from the loue of this dangerous vanitie Nolite cor apponere saith God by the prophet that is set not your hartes vpon the loue of riches Qui diligit aurum non iustificabitur saith the wise man he that loueth gold shal neuer be iustified I am angrie greatlie vpon riche natiōs saith God by Zacharie Christ saith Amen dico vobis quia diues difficilè intrabit in regnum calorū Truelie I saye vnto you that a riche man shal hardlie get into the kingdome of heauen And againe vvoe be to you riche men for that you haue receaued your consolation in this life Finallie S. Paul saith generallie of al and to al They vvhich vvilbe riche doe fal into temptations and into the snares of Satan and into many vnprofitable and hurtful desires vvhich doe drovvne them in euerlasting destruction and perdition Can any thing in the world be spoken more effectualie to dissuade from the loue of riches than this must not here now al couetous men of the world ether denie God or condemne them selues in their own consciences Let them goe now and excuse them selues by the pretēce of wife children kinsfolke as they are wōt saying they meane nothing els but to prouide for their sufficiencie Doth Christ or S. Paul admit this excuse wher Gods seruice and their own saluation commeth in question ought we so much to loue wife or children or other kinred as to endanger our soules for the same Tel me deare Christian brother what comfort may it be to an afflicted father in hel to remember that by his meanes his wife and children doe liue wealthelie in earth that for his eternal woe they inioy some few years pleasurs No no deare brother this is vanitie a mere deceate of our spiritual enemie For within one moment after we are dead we shal care no more for wife children father mother or brother in this matter thē we shal for a mere straunger and one penie geuen in almes while we liued for Gods sake shal comfort vs more at that daie thē thousandes of poundes bestowed vpon our kinred for the natural loue we beare vnto our own flesh blood The which one poīt would Christ al worldly men could consider and then no doute they would neuer take such care for kinred as they doe especially vpon their death beddes whence presentlie they are to depart to that place where flesh and blood holdeth no more priuilege nor riches haue any power to deliuer but onely such as were wel bestowed in the seruice of God or geuen to the poore for his names sake And this shal be sufficient for this point of riches THE THIRD branche of worldlie vanities is called by S. Iohn concupiscence of the flesh which conteineth al pleasures and carnal recreations of this life as are banquetting laughing playing and such other delites wherwith our flesh is much comforted in this world And albeit in this kind there is a certaine measure to be allowed vnto the godly for the conuenient maintenance of their health as also in riches it is not to be reprehēded yet that al thes worldly solaces are not onely vaine but also daungerous in that excesse and abundance as worldly wealthie men seeke and vse them appeareth plainlie by thes wordes of Christ. VVoe be vnto you vvho novv doe laugh for you shal vvepe VVo be vnto you that novv liue in fil satietie for the time shal come vvhen you shal suffer bungar And againe in S. Iohns gospel speaking to his Apostles and by them to al other he saith you shal ' vvepe morne but the vvorld shal reioise making it a signe distinctiue betwene the good and the badde that the one shal mourne in this life and th' other reioise and make them selues merie The very same doth Iob confirme both of the one th' other sort for of worldlinges he saith that they solace them selues with al kind of musicke and doe passe ouer their dayes in pleasure and in a verie moment doe goe doune into hel But of the godly he saith in his owne persone that they sigh before they eate their bread And in an other place that they feare al their workes knowing that God spareth not him which offendeth The reason whereof the wise man yet further expresseth saying That the vvorkes of good men are in the handes of God and no ma knovveth vvhether he be vvorthie of loue or hatred at Gods handes but al is kept vncertaine for the time to come And old Tobias insinuateth yet an other cause when he saith VVhat ioy can
was many yeares and by him made bishope of the Church of Smyrna and for that his fight and martyrdome for Christian religion ensued not longe after the death of Ignatius it shal not be amisse to speake of him also in this place The storie is set downe at large by Eusebius and others out of an Epistle writen by the Christians of the Church of Smyrna which were al present at the whole tragedie of his death the summe wherof is this that wheras at a certaine day by the commandement of the Emperour Antonius incredible and innumerable tormēts were vsed against Christiās in the citie of Smyrna diuers did beare the same out with inuincible courage to the singuler comfort of their brethren and to the great admiration of their enemies albeit one Quintus that was newly come out of Phrygia and had rashlie offered him self to the tortours before he was sought for fel shamefully the same day denied his profession Polycarpus then while thes thinges were in doing remained secretly in a house therby with other christians whether euery thing was brought to him by the brethren as soone as they were done and at length newes came that Polycarpus himself was sought for Wherat he nothing moued answered with a quiet mind and countenance that he was ready meaning in deede to expect the officers ther vntil they came for him But the christians that were present with him inforced him whether he would or no to retire him self vnto a litle village not far of where he made his abode for certaine daies whiles he was sought for in the citie During which time he did nothing els saith the storie but pray day and night and that especially for the peace and vnitie of the Church for that heresies now pubblicly begon to swarme He had a vision also which he tould vnto thos that were ther present with him signifying that he must goe to Christ by fier At length the purseuants that had sought him al about the citie came by Gods permission vnto the village where he was and therupon he sted by night vnto another whether they followed him also And ther finding two children in the street enforced the one of them by beating to discouer the house wherin he laie Comming therfore into the house and vnderstanding that he was in a chamber aboue sent for him to come downe and albeit the messenger fauouring Polycarpus shewed him a way how to escape by an other house yet he refused the same saing we haue fled inough let Gods wil be done And so comming downe with a mery countenance bid them hartely welcome and commanded the meate left in the house to be set before them beseeching them only to giue him one houres space wherin to pray vnto his Lord before he departed Which they willingly granted being much moued with his gray haires and fatherly countenance as allo cast into admiratiō with the feruour of his praiers that he made ther by him self whiles they were eating Which being ended they tooke him forthe placing him vpon an Asse and so led him towardes the citie of Smyrna very early in the morning vpon the great saboth day hauing aduertised the Magistrates before of their comming who for that cause were gathered together with al the people in the market place And to make the matter more solemne they sent forth one Herode that was prouost of the peace to mete him and fetch him in He therfore comming forth with great pompe in his coche met with Polycarpus first saluted him with great honour and reuerence causing him to come downe from the asse and to sit with him in his coche there began to flatter him saing You are a graue and wise man haue respect vnto your self what great matter man is it to say Lord Caesar or to make a sacrifice But Polycarpus held his peace and when the other went forward to vse many wordes to that purpose Polycarpus answered Syr in fine I am not to folow your counsel At which wordes he taking great disdaine thrust him headlong out of his coche and that with such violēce as he wounded pitifullie his legge in going forth But the old man making no accompt therof followed merily the soldiars that lead him And when he came to the place wher the iudges were he entred in with a mery countenance and much the more for that at the very instant when he entred ther was a cleare and lowd voice heard from heauen saying beos good corage Polycarpe bebaue thy self valiantly When he came before the high magistrate named Procōsul first ther was an insinite crie geuen out by the people against him Which being appeased the Proconsul asked him whether he were Polycarpus to which he answered yea Then said the Proconsul haue regarde vnto thy oldage Father repent desire that wicked mē may be destroied Wherat Polycarpe turned him self vnto the multitude and lifting vp his handes to heauen with a deepe sigh said ô Lord destroy or take awaie the wicked Then said the Proconsul sweare also by Caesars fortune and defie Christ. Wherto Polycarp answered I haue serued Christ now fourescore years and more and he neuer yet did me any hurt but much good and how thē can I defie my Lord king that hytherto hath so mercifully dealt with me Then vrged the Procōsul againe that he shoulde sweare by Caesars fortune Wherto th' other replied if thou name Caesars good fortune so often for oftentations sake know thou that I am a Christian which hath 〈◊〉 to doe with fortune and if thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Christian 〈◊〉 appoint a day and I wil teache the. 〈◊〉 this people quoth the Proconsul to be content with that No said Policarpe I 〈◊〉 them not worthie to be dealt withal in such a matter but to the as to a Magistrate our profession teacheth vs to haue respect and reuerence After this there passed diuers other speaches betwene them the one threatening tormentes beastes fier and sword and th' other shewing al desire and readines to susteine the same The people cried out continually that he might be torne with wild beastes But that was denied for that the beastes were wearied out vpon other martyrs before Thē cried they that he might be burned aline which Policarp hearing and remembring the vision which he had seene in the village before his apprehension fel downe of his knees and praied and soone after rising againe turned him to the people and said be ve content for you shal haue your desire for it is determined that I shal be burned aliue and a litle after the Proconsul gaue sentence for his burning When he was brought vnto the fier he put of his own apparel saith the storie but when he came to his showes he had some difficultie therin for lake of vse being neuer permitted by Christians to doe that office to him self before euery one thinking it a felicitie to be
their last extremety shal cry for help and their crie shal be as sharp to pearse mēs eares as a sword is yet notwithstāding no mā shal heare thē And thou ô Lord which onely canst help them shalt be so farre of from hearing or pitying their case as thou shalt also laugh at their miserie and destruction By al which is signified the great calamitie of such as deferre their conuersion vnto the last day expressed by three circumstances in the former sentence alleaged For first he saith they vvil turne at the euening that is at the houre of death For as the euening is the end of the day and the beginning of night euen so is this time the end of light and the beginning of al darkenes vnto the wicked In which sense Christ said I must vvorke the vvorkes of him that sent me vvhiles the day lasteth for night vvil come on vvhen no man can vvorke more At this time then that is at this euening in this twy light betwene day and darkenes when the pleasant brightnes and heate of al sunne beames is past the brightnes I meane of honour of vainglorie and of worldlie pompe is consumed when the heat of concupiscence of carnal loue of delicate pleasures is quenshed when the beautiful sommer day of this life is ended and the boisterous winter night of death draweth on thē saieth the prophet wil the wicked man beginne of force to turne vnto God then wil he forsooth repent then wil he resolue him self and make his conuersion But what shal this be accepted You haue heard the prophets request to God Non miserearis doe not take mercie on them Not for that the prophet wisheth God to be vnmerciful but for that he wel knew Gods immutable iustice towardes such kinde of men Who 's miserie in this extremitie he expresseth further by saying they shal suffer hungar as dogges which is as if he should haue saied euen as dogges when they are hungrie are rauenous doe seeke by al meanes for meate be it neuer so homelie and wil refuse nothing that is offered but wil deuoure al thos things most gredilie which they contemned whiles their bellies were ful so thes men that would not heare of penance while they were in health wil now admit any thing and make strange of nothing Now I say when they can liue no longer wil they promise any paines what praiers you wil what fasting you please what almes deedes you can desire what austeritie soeuer you can imagine They wil promise it I say vpon conditiō they might now haue life againe vpon condition that the day might be prolonged vnto them albeit if almightie God should graunt them their request in this also as many times he doeth they would performe no one point therof but would be as careles as euer they were before yet for the present you shal see thē as hungrie as dogges saieth the prophet most redie to deuour any thing that may be deuised for their saluation And not contented with this the same prophet addeth yet a further clause of miserie And that is that they shal circuite or runne about the cilic euen as dogges doe when they are hungrie putting in their heades at eucry dore for releef though it be with great danger to be beaten out againe This expresseth an vnspeakable distresse and calamitie of wicked men at the last day when they shal circuite and runne about the whole citie of God both in heauen and earth to seeke help and shal finde none When they shal crie with sighes and grones as pearsing as a sword and yet shal not be heard For whether wil they turne them selues in this distresse vnto their worldly wealth power or riches alas they are gone and the scripture saieth riches shal not profit in the day of reuenge Wil they turne vnto their carnal frends But what comfort can they geue besides onely weeping and comfortles mourning Wil they aske helpe of the Saints in heauen to pray for them in this instant It is good surely so to doe but yet they can not chuse but remember what is writen The sainies shal reioise in glorie exultation shal be in their throtes and tvvo edged svvordes in their handes to take reuenge vpon nations and increpations vpon people to binde kings in fetters and noble men in manacles of iron to execute vpon them the prescript iudgement of God and this is the glorie of al bis saintes Their onely refuge thē must be vnto God who in deed is the onely sure refuge of al but yet in this case the prophet saieth here that he shal not heare them but rather contemne and laugh at their misery Not that he is contrarie to his promise of reccauing a finner at what time soeuer he repēteth and turneth from his sinne but for that this turning at the last day is not commonly true repentance and conuersion for the causes before rehearsed To conclude then this matter of delay what wise man is ther in the world who reading this wil not feare the deferring of his conuersion though it were but for one day Who doeth know whether this shal be the last day or no that euer God wil cal him God saith I called and you refused to come I held out my hand and you vvold not looke tovvardes me and therfore vvil I forsake you in your extremitie He doth not say how many times or how long he did cal and hold out his hand God saith I stand at the dore and knocke but he saith not how often he doth that or how many knockes he geueth Againe he said of wicked Iezabel the faigned prophetesse in the Apocalips I haue geuen her time to due penance and she vvold not and therfore shal she perish but he saieth not how long this time of repentance endured We read of wonderful examples herin HEROD the father had a cal geuen him and that a lowd one when Iohn baptist was sent vnto him and when his hart was so farre touched as he willingly heard him and folowed his counsaile in many thinges as one Euangelist noteth But yet because he deferred the matter and tooke not time when it was offered he was cast of againe and his last doings made worse then his former HEROD tetrarche the sonne had a cal also when he felt that desire to see Christ some miracle done by him but for that he answered not vnto the cal it did him no good but rather much hurt What a great knocke had PILATE geuen him at his hart if he had bene so fortunate as to haue opened the dore presently when he was made to vnderstand the innocencie of Christ as appeareth by washing his handes in testimonie therof and his wife also sent vnto him an admonition about the same No lesse knocke had king AGRIPPA at his dore when he cried out vpon the hearing of S. Paul O Paul thou
things vvith the conclusion of this first booke CHAPT VIII BESIDES al other impedimētes lettes and hinderances which hitherto haue bene named recounted there remaine yet diuers other to be found if a mā could examine the particular consciences of al such as doe not resolue But thes three here mentioned and to be handeled in this chapter are so publique and knowen as I may not passe them ouer without discouering the same for that many times men are sicke and euil affected within and yet know not their owne diseases the onely declaration wherof to such as are desirous of their oune health is sufficient to diuert the danger of the sickenes Of Sloth FIRST THEN the impediment of slouth is a great and ordinary let of resolution to many men but especially in idle and delicate people whos life hath bene in al case and rest and therfore doe persuade themselues that they can take no paines nor abide anie hardnes though neuer so faine they would Of which kind of persons S. Paul saieth that nise people shal not inherite the kingdome of heauen Thes folkes doe proceede in this order They wil confesse to be true so much and a great deale more then is said before and that they would also gladlie for their partes put the same in execution but that they can not Their bodies may not beare it they can not fast they can not watch they can not praie They can not leaue their disportes recreations and merie companions they should die presently as they saie with melanchely if they did it yet in their hartes they desire forsooth that they could doe the same which seing they can not no doubt say they but God wil accept our good desires pardon vs in the rest But let them hearken a litle what the scripture saith hereof Desires do kil the slothful man saith Salomon his handes vvil not fal to any vvorke al the daie long he coucteth and desireth but he that is iust vvil doe and vvil not cease Take the slothful and vnprofitable seruant saith Christ and fling him into vtter darkenes vvhere shal be vveeping and gnashing of teeth And when he passed by the way and founde a figge tree with leaues without fruit which signified desires without workes he gaue it presentlie an euerlasting curse Finallie the prophet Dauid detesteth thos men and saith also they are detested of God qui in labore hominū non sunt which are not in the labours of men Of this fountaine of sloth do proceed many effectes that hinder the slothful frō al good resolution And the first is a certaine heauines and sleepie drowsines towardes al goodnes according as the scripture saith pigredo immittit soporem sloth doth bring drousines For which cause S. Paule saith surge qui dormis arise thou which art a sleepe and Christ crieth out so often videte vigilate looke about you and watch You shal see many men in the world with whom if you talke of a cowe or a calfe of a fat oxe of a peece of groūd or the like they can both heare and talke willinglie and freshly But if you reason with them of their saluation and of their inheritance in the kingdome of heauen they answere not at al but wil heare as if they were in a dreame Of thes persons then saith the wise man how long wilt thou sleepe ô slouthful felow when wilt thou arise out of thy dreame A litle yet wilt thou sleepe a litle longer wilt thou slumber a litle wilt thou close thy handes together and take rest and so pouertie shal hasten vpon thee as a run ning poste and beggarie as an armed man shal take possesse thee The second effect of slouth is a certaine fond feare of paines and labour and of casting dowtes where none be according as the scripture saith pigrum deiicit timor feare discourageth the slothful man And the prophet saith of the like they shake for feare vvhere there is no feare Thes men doe frame vnto them selues strange imaginations of the seruice of almightie God and of verie dangerous euentes if they should imbrace and folow the same One saith if I should fast much it would without dowte corrupt my blood An other saith if I should pray and stand bareheaded long I should die most certainly with rheume A third saieth if I should kepe account of al my sinnes to confesse them it would quicklie kil me with sadnes And yet al this is nothing els but slouth as the scripture testifieth in thes wordes Dicit piger leo est foris in medio platearum occidendus sum The slouthful man saith sitting stil in his house ther is a Lion without if I should goe out of dores to labour I should certainly be slaine in the middest of the streetes A third effect of sloth is pusillanimitie and faintnes of hart wherby the slouthful man is ouerthrowen and discouraged by euery litle contrarietie or difficultie which he findeth in vertue or which he imagineth to finde therin Which the scripture signifieth when it saith inlapide luteo lapidatus est piger the slouthful man is stoned to death with a stone of durt that is he is ouerthrowne with a difficultie of no importance Againe De stercore boum lapidatus est piger the slouthful man is stoned dead with the dung of oxen which commonly is such a substance as hardly can doe any hurt A fowerth effect of slouth is idle lazines which we see in many men that wil take and consult of this that about their amendement but wil execute nothing Which is most fitlie expressed by the Holie Ghost in thes wordes Sieut ostium vertitur in cardine suo it a piger in lectulo suo As a dore is tossed in and out vpon his hingels so is a slothful man lying lazelie vpon his bedde And againe vult non vult piger A slothful man wil and wil not that is he turneth him self to and from in his bedde betwene willing and nilling he doth nothing And yet further in an other place the scripture describeth this lazinesse saying the slothful man putteth his handes vnder his girdle and vvil not vouchsase to lift them vp to his mouth for that it is painful Al thes and many more are the effectes of slothe but thes fower especiallie haue I thought good to touch in this place for that they let and hinder greatlie this resolution which we talke of For he that liueth in a slumber wil not heare or attend to any thing that is said of the life to come and besides this imagineth feareful matters in the same and thirdlie is throwen downe by euerie litle blocke that he findeth in the way and lastlie is so lazie as he can beare no labour at al this man I say is past hope to be gained to any such purpose as we speake of TO REMOVE therfore this
man be hard harted among you through the deceit of sinne The prophet Dauid also crieth hodie si vocem eius audicritis nolite obdurare corda vesira Euē this day if you heare the voice of God calling you to repentance see you harden not your hartes against him Al which earnest speeches vsed by Gods holie spirit doe geue vs to vnderstand how carefully we haue to flie this most pestilēt infection of a hard hart which almightie God of his mercie geue vs grace to doe and indue vs with a tender hart towardes the ful obedience of his diuine Maiestie such a soft hart I say as the wise man desired when he said to God Da serun tuo cor docile Geue vnto me thy seruant ô Lord a hart that is docible and tractable to be instructed such a hart as God him self describeth to be in al them whom he leueth saying ad quem respiciam nisi ad pauperculum contritum sorde timentem sermones meos To whom wil I haue regarde or shew my fauour but vnto the poore and humble of hart vnto the contrite spirit and to such as tremble at my speeches Beholde deare brother what a hart God requireth at thy hādes A litle poore and humble hart for so much importeth the diminitiue Pauperculus Also a contrite hart for thy offences past and a hart that trembleth at euerie word that commeth to thee from God by his ministers How then wilt thou not feare at so many wordes and whole discourses as haue bene vsed before for awaking the for denouncing thy peril for stirring the to amendement How wilt thou not feare the threates and iudgementes of this great Lord for thy sinnes How wilt thou dare to proceede any further in his displeasure how wilt thou deferre this resolution any longer Surelie the least part of that which hath bene said might suffice to moue a tender hart an humble and contrite spirite to make a present resolution for the amendement of life But if al together can not moue thee to doe the same I can saie no more but that thou hast a verie hard hart in deed which I beseech our heauenlie father to soften for thy saluation with the pretious hoate blood of his onelie sonne our Sauiour who was content to shedde it for that effect vpon the Crosse. The Conclusion of the vvhole booke AND THVS NOVV hauing said so much as time permitted me concerning the first general point required at our hādes for our saluation that is concerning resolution appointed by my diuision in the beginning to be the subiect or matter of this first booke I wil here make an end deferring for a time the performance of my purpose for the other two bookes vpon the causes and reasons set downe in the beginning nothing dowting but if almightie God shal vouchsafe to worke in any mans hart by meanes of this booke or otherwise this first point of resolution the most hard of al other then that he wil also geue meanes to perfite the saue worke begonne of him self and wil supplie by other waies the two pointes folowing that is to saie both a right beginning and a constant perseuerance wherunto my other two bookes promised are appointed Neither would it be hard for any man that were once in deed resolued to finde helpers and instructours inough besides the Holie Ghost which in this case wil alwaies be at hande to assist him in this holy enterprise albeit thes two other bookes of mine should neuer come foorth Ther want not at this daie our merciful Lord be glorified for it neither store of godly bookes nor yet of skilful men in our owne countrie that are wel able to guide a zealous spirite in the right way to vertue And yet as I haue promised before so meane I by Gods most holie helpe assistance to send thee gentle reader as my time and habilitie wil permit the other two bookes also especiallie if it shal please his diuine Maiestie to cōforte me therunto with the gaine or good of any one soule by this which is alreadie done that is to say if I shal vnderstand conceiue or hope that any one soule so dearlie purchased by the pretious blood of the sonne of God shal be moued to resolution by any thing that is here said or shal be reclamed from the bondage of sinne and restored to the seruice of our maker redemer which is the onely ende of my writing as his deuine Maiestie best knoweth And truly deare Christian brother albeit I must confesse that much more might be said for this point of resolutiō then is here touched by me or then any man can wel vtter in any competent kind of booke or volume yet am I of opinion that ether thes reasons here alleaged are sufficient or els nothing wil suffice for the conquering of our obstinacie beating doune of our rebellious disobedience in this point Here thou maiest see and read the principal argumentes inducing thee to the seruice of God and detestation of vice Here thou maiest behold especially in this second edition which is much larger then the former first that of necessitie thou must confesse there is a God that made thee and al the rest the ende and cause whie he created thee which was to serue him the only true way of which seruice to be by fulfulling Christs holy commandemētes then what things are required at thy handes in particular the account that wil be demanded of thee the iustice and seueritie of God therin his goodnes towardes thee his watchfulnes ouer thee his desire to winne thee his reward if thou doe wel his infinit punishment if thou doe euil his calles his baites his allurementes to saue thee And on the contrarie part here are discouered vnto thee the vanities and deceites of thos impedimentes hinderāces or excuses which any way might let stay or discourage thy resolution the faigned difficulties of vertuous life are remoued the conceiued feares of Gods seruice are taken away the alluring flatteries of worldlie vanities are opened the foolish presumption vpon Gods mercie the danger of delay the dissimulation of Sloth the desperate peril of careles and stony hartes are declared What then wilt thou desire more to moue thee What other arguments wilt thou expect to draw the from vice and wickednes more then thes If al this stirre the not what wil moue thee gentle reader If when thou hast read this thou lay doune the booke againe and walke on in thy careles life as quietlie as before what hope I beseech thee may there be conceiued of thy saluation Wilt thou goe to heauen liuing as thou doest it is impossible As soone thou maiest driue God out of heauen as get thither thy self by this kind of life What then wilt thou forgoe heauen and yet escape hel also this is lesse possible whatsoeuer the Atheistes of this world doe persuade thee Wilt thou perhappes deferre
his rickes of corne And to the negligent it is said on th' other side Egestatem operata est manus remissa The lazie and slouthful hand doth worke vnto his maister nothing els but beggarie And finally the more to confound our foly lazines in this point and to make deeper impression therof in our hartes we are by holy writ referred euen vnto the schoole and instruction of vnreasonable creatures in this behalfe Goe thou slouthful and lither sellovv sayeth the wisdome of God vnto the Ant or emmote and consider his vvayes and by hym learne vvisdome He hath neither gouernour nor maister to teach hym and yet doth he in sommer make prouision of soode vvheron to liue and sustaine hym self in vvinter By which wordes we are admonished not only what is our dutie in this life concerning labour and trauaile in good workes but also that the most excellent and supreme point of wisdome which possibly can be imagined is to gather store in this time present for the time to come and to make our bancke here in this world wheron to liue in the countrie wherunto we take our iourney This is that great and rare wisdome which is called in scripture the vvisdome of Saintes or rather as S. Paul termeth it the wisdome of God him self not knowen to the world That wisdome which Esay calleth diuitias salutis the treasure of saluatiō That wherof the wise man saith cogitare de illa sensus est consummatus to thinke onlie and ponder vpon this kinde of wisdome is most perfect vnderstanding and prudent knowledge And againe God loueth no man but hym that dvvelleth or remayneth vvith vvisdome And finallie to stirre vs vp to this kinde of wisdome he maketh an ample exhortation with a declaration of the nature dignitie vtilitie therof in thes wordes Come to this wisdome as he that soweth vpon hope of haruest haue patience for a tyme to expect her fruites Thou must labour and take paines a litle in her worke and soone after shalt thou taste of the commodities she bringeth forth Oh how vngrateful is she to the ignorant and a foole will not abide her She is not reueiled to many but to whom she is once knowen with them she remaineth vntill she bringe them vnto the sight and presence of God hym self c. Harken therfore my sonne follow her wayes with all thy force c. For that at the last daye thou shalt finde rest in her she shal turne thee to great ioye and consolation This was that blessed and wise mans counsaile and for fulfilling of this counsail as also for obtaining the rest ioye final consolation wherof here is mentiō S. Paul crieth so vehementelie vnto vs exhorting vs euerie wher to doe good workes and that abundantelie instantelie in al tymes to all men vpon al occasions with immoueable constancie assuring vs that our labour herein shall not be lost but that the tyme shall come whē we shall reape incessantlie To which purpose also appertaineth the parable propounded by our Saueour of the prudent Steward with a verie effectual exhortation in the ende that in this life we should purchase our selues friendes by the vse and distribution of our wicked mammō which friendes maye afterward make vs place in heauen To this effect are directed all those admonitions of holie scripture VVorke your ovvne saluation And againe bretheren be ye careful to make your vocation and election sure by good vvorkes And yet further S. Paul adioyneth an other circumstance therby to moue vs the soner saying VVbile vve haue tyme lett vs doe good vvorkes insinuating hereby that this tyme present was allowed vs onlie for that purpose and that this tyme being past ther would be no more place for such matters a cording to that sage admonishement of our Saueour hym self the night vvill come vvhen no man can vvorke any more For preuenting of which night and to take the tyme while it serued verie straunge it is to cōsider the paines watchfulnes and diligence which auncient holie Christians in former ages did vse and the sensles forgetfulness wherin we passe our dayes now They imitated the good husbandman who is careful to cast his seede into the grounde whiles faire wether lasteth and the diligent marchāt who euer stippeth not to lay owe his money while the good market ēdureth They knew the tyme would not be lōge which they had to worke in therfore they bestirred thē selues seriously whiles opportunitie was present Hereof among other thinges proceeded all thos goodlie 〈◊〉 of almes-deedes and charitable workes yet exstant to the world as witnesses of their excercise in this kinde of wisdome So many commō wealthes established so many churches builded and indued with abundant maintenāce so many By shopprickes deanries Archedeaconries Chanonries Prebendes Chantries and Benefices So manie Hospitales and houses of Orphanes fatherles infantes as also for the reliefe of other poore impotent and distressed people So many Seminaries Schooles Halles Colleges and Vniuersities for increase of learninge So many Bridges highe-wayes Caussies Townhouses and other publique commodities So many places of prayer and deuotion as Monastaries Abbayes Priories Couuentes Nunries Eremitages Cells Oratories and other like for repose of vertuous people that would leaue the worlde and betake them selues onlie to contemplation of heauenlie thinges and excercise of a more holie and retired life Al which charitable deeds and many more that can not be recounted came out of the purses and coffers of godlie Christians in auncient times who very often gaue not only of their abondance and superstuities but spared also from their owne sustenance and necessarie releefe as also tooke awaie and aliened many things from their owne children and posteritie to emploie thē in thes charitable vses for the benefite of their soules Wheras on the contrarie side we that now liue in this miserable corrupt time are so farre of from geuing away our necessaries and plucking from our owne bodies to thes offices of charitie that we make no scruple at all to spoile the poore and godlie of thes benefites and releefes which were left vnto them by our holie forefathers And as for our owne superstuities and excesses we seeke commōlie to emploie them rather on haukes and dogges and other brute beastes as sometimes also vpō much more vile vses then in charitable deedes to the releefe of our poore brethern and to the ease of our owne soules in the life to come So vtterly faileth the whole world at this daie in performing this point of doing good deedes Wherfore to drawe to a conclusion of this whole chapter it may appeare by that which hitherto hath bene said first what a perfect and most excellent creature a good Christian is whos life is nothing els but a continual warfare and resistāce of al sinne both I thought word and deed and an incessant exercise of al pietie and
which should haue many children crying to her at once for meate she hauing no bread at al or not sufficient to breake vnto them so the wicked man being greedilie called vpon without ceasing by almost infinit passions to yeld vnto their desires must needes be vexed and pitifullie tormēted especiallie being not able to satisfie any one of the least of their petitions An other cause of vexation in thes mē is for that thes passions of disordinate concupiscence be oftentimes contrarie the one to the other and doe demāde most opposite and contrarie thinges representing vnto vs most liuelie the confusion of Babel where one tongue spake against an other and that in diuerse and contrarie languages So we see oftentimes that the desire of honour saieth to his maister spend here but the passion of auarice saieth hold thy handes Lecherie saieth venture here But pride saieth No it may turne thee to dishonour Anger saieth reuenge thy self here but ambition saieth it is better to dissemble And finallie here is fulfilled that which the prophet saieth vidi iniquitatem contradictionem in ciuitate I haue seene iniquitie and contradictiō in the self same citie Iniquitie for that al the demandes of thes passions are most vniust for so much as they are against reason her self Contradictiō for that one contradicteth the other in their demandes From al which miseries God hath deliuered the iuste by geuing them his peace vvhich passeth al vnderstanding as the Apostle saieth and which the world can nether geue nor taste of as Christ hym self affirmeth And thus many causes may be alleaged now besides many other which I passe ouer to iustifie the veritie of our Saue ours wordes affirming that his yoke is svveet and easie to wit the assistance of grace the loue of God the light of vnderstanding the internal consolation the quiet of cōscience the confidēce therof proceeding the libertie of soule and bodie with the sweet rest and peace of our spirites both towardes God our neighbours and our selues By al which meanes helpes priuileges and singuler benefites the vertuous are assisted aboue the wicked as hath bene shewed and their way made easie light and pleasant TO AL VVHICH yet we may adioine one other great priuilege as the last but not the least comfort to them that walke vnder the yoke of Christs seruice and this is the promise and most assured expectation of reward to wit of eternal glorie and felicitie to the good and of euerlasting damnation and tormētes vnto the wicked O good God what a matter is this to comfort the one if their life were paineful and to afflict the other amiddest their greatest pleasures and swetest delectations The labourer when he thinketh of his good paye at night is encouraged to goe thorough with the heat of the day though it be painful vnto hym Two that should passe together towardes their countrie the one to receaue honour for good seruice done abrod th' other as prisoner to be arraigned of treasons committed in forraine dominions against his Soueraigne could not be alike merie in their inne vpon the way For albeit he that stood in danger should sing or make shew of courage and comfort and set a good face vpon the matter yet th' other might wel thinke that his hart had many a cold pul within hym as no doubt but al wicked men haue when they think with themselues of the life to come If Ioseph and Pharaos baker had knowē both their distinct lottes in prison to wit that on such a day one should be called furth to be made Lord of Egypt and th' other to be hanged vpon a paire of new gallowes they could hardly haue bene alike merie whiles they liued together in the time of their imprisonmēt The like may be sayed and much more truely of vertuous and wicked men in this world For when the one sorte doe but thinke vpon the day of death which to thē is to be the day of their deliuerance from this prison their hartes can not but leape for verie ioye considering what is her after to ensew vnto thē But th' other are afflicted and doe fal into melancholie and extreme desolation as oftē as mention or remembrāce of death is offered for that they are sure that it bringeth with it their eternal bane according as holy scripture saieth The vvicked mā being dead there remaineth no more hope vnto hym Wel then deare Christian brother if al thes thinges be so what should stay thee now at length to make this resolution wherunto I exhort thee wilt thou yet say notwithstanding al this that the matter is hard and the way vnpleasant or wilt thou beleeue others that tel the so albeit they know lesse of the matter then thy self Beleeue rather the word and promisse of thy Sauiour Christ which assureth thee the contrarie Beleeue the reasons before alleaged which doe proue it most euidentlie Beleeue the testimonies of them which haue experienced the matter in them selues as king Dauid S. Paul S. Iohn Euangelist and others whos testimonies I haue alleaged before cōcerning their owne proofe Beleeue many hundredes which by the holy grace of God are conuerted day lie in Christendome frō vicious life to the perfect seruice of their Lord al which doe protest that them selues haue found much more facilitie and comfort thē ether I haue said in this place or can say in the matter And for that perhaps thou mayest replie that such men as haue experiēced this in them selues are not now liuing in the place wher thou art to geue this testimonie of their owne experience I can and doe assure thee vpon my consciēce before almightie God that I haue had conserēce with no smal number of such persons my self and that to my singuler comfort in beholding the strong hand and exceeding bountifulnesse of Gods sweetnes towards them in this case Oh deare brother no tongue can expresse what I haue seene herin and yet sawe I not the least part of that which they inwardly felte But yet this may I say that they that attend in the Catholique Church to deale with soules in the holy sacrament of Confession are in deed thos of whom the prophet saieth that they vvorke in multitudes of vvaters and doe see the maruailes of God in the depth In the depth I say of mens conscieuces vttered with infinit multitudes of teares whē God toucheth the same with his holy grace Beleeue me good reader for I speake in truth before our Lord IESVS I haue seene so great and exceeding consolations in diuers great sinners after their conuersion as no hart can almost cōceaue and the hartes which receaued thē were hardlie able to-containe the same so abundātlie distilled doune that heauēlie dewe from the most liberal and bounteful hand of God And that this may not seme strange vnto thee thou must know that it is recorded of one holy man called
Effrem that he had so maruailous great consolations after his conuersion as he was often constrained to crie out to God O Lord retire thy hand from me a litle for that my hart is not able to receaue so extreme ioye And the like is writen of S. Bernard who for a certaine time after his conuersiō from the world remained as is it were depriued of his senses by the excessiue consolations he had from God Houbeit if al this can not moue thee but that thou wilt stil remaine in thy distrust heare the testimonie of one whom I am sure thou wilt not for shame discredit especially speaking of his owne experience And this is the holie martyr and doctor S. Cyprian who writing of the verie same matter to a secret frend of his called Donatus confesseth that he was before his conuersion of the same opiniō that thou art now to wit that it was impossible for him to chaunge his maners to sinde such comfort in a vertuous life as after he did being accustomed before to al kinde of loose behauiour Therfore he beginneth his narration to his friend in this sort Accipe quod sentitur antequant discitur c. Take that which is first felte before it be learned and so he foloweth on with a large discourse shewing that he proued now by experience which he could neuer beleeue before his cōuersion albert almightie God had promised the same The like writeth S. Augustine of him selfe in his bookes of confession shewing that his owne passions the deuil wold needes persuade him before his conuersion that he should neuer be able to abyde the austeritie of a vertuous life especiallie touching continencie in the sinnes of the flesh wherin he had liued wantonlie vntil that time it seemed to him vnpossible that he coulde euer abandon the said sinne and liue chaste which notwithstanding he afterwards found both easie pleasant and without al difficultie For which he breaketh into these wordes directed vnto almightie God him self O my Lord let me remēber confesse thy mercies towardes me let my verie bones reioyse and saye vnto thee O lord vvho is like vnto thee thou hast broken my chaines and I vvil sacrifice to thee a sacrifice of thankes geuing Thes chaines which the blessed man mentioneth were the chaines of concupiscence wherby he stoode bounden in captiuitie before his conuersion as he there confesseth but presentlie thervpon he was deliuered of the same by the blessed helpe of Gods most holie grace My counsaile should be therfore vnto thee gentle reader that seing thou hast so many testimonies exāples reasons and promises of this matter thow shouldest at least proue once by thine owne experience whether this thing be true or no especiallie seing it is a matter of so great importance and so worthie thy trial that is to say a matter concerning so neare thy eternal saluation as it doth If a meane felowe should come vnto thee and offer for hazarding of one crowne of golde to make thee a thowsand by Alchimie albeit thou shouldest suspect him for a cousiner yet the hope of gayne being so great and the aduēture of losse so smal thou wouldest goe nigh for once to venture and see the trial And how much more shouldest thow doe it then in this case where by proofe thow canst leese nothing and if thou speede wel thou art sure to gaine as much as Gods kingdome and the euerlasting ioye of heauen is worth And thus much for this first part The. 2. part of this chapter Containing certaine instructions and examples for ouercomming of difficulties ANd now albeit this great affaire be such as I haue declared before and nothing so as the world and Satan doe beare men in hand yet may not I let passe in this place deare Christian brother to admonishe thee of one thing which the ancient Fathers and saintes of God that haue passed ouer this riuer before thee I meane the riuer deuiding betwene Gods seruice and the world doe affirme of their owne experience and that is that as soone as thow takest this worke or resolution in hand thow must expect many great encounters strong impedimentes sharpe contradictions and fearce temptations thow must expect assaultes combates and open warre within thy self This S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Gregorie and S. Bernard doe affirme vpon their owne prooues This doe Cyril and Origen shew in diuers places at large This dothe Saint Hillarie proue both by reasons and examples This dothe the scripture it self forewarne thee when it saith My sonne vvhen thou art to come to the seruice of God stand fast in iustice and in feare and prepare thy minde vnto temptation And the reason of this is for that the deuil possessing quietlie thy soule before laye stil and sought onelie meanes to cōtent the same by daily suggesting new delites of carnal and worldly pleasures But when he seeth that thow offerest to goe from him he beginneth streight wayes to rage and to moue sedition within thee and to tosse vp and downe bothe heauen and earthe before he wil leese his kingdome in thy soule This is euident by the example of him whom our Sauiour Christ cōming downe from the hil after his transfiguration deliuered from a deafe and dumme spirite For albeit this deuil wolde seeme nether to heare nor speake while he possessed that bodie quietlie yet when Christ commaunded him to goe out he bothe heard and cried out and did so teare and rent that poore bodie before he departed as al the standers by thought in deede that he had bene dead This also in figure was shewed by the storie of Laban who neuer persecuted his sonne in law Iacob vntil he would needes depart from him And yet was this more plainly expressed in the doinges of Pharao who after once he perceaued that the people of Israel meant to departe his kingdome neuer ceassed greeuouslie to afflict them as Moyses testifieth vntil God had vtterlie deliuered them out of his handes with the ruyne and destruction of al their enemies Which euent al holie doctors and saintes in Gods church haue expounded to be a plaine figure of the deliuerie of soules from the tirannie of the deuil And now if thou wouldest haue a liuelie example of al this that I haue sayed before I could alleage thee many but for breuities sake one onelie of S. Augustines conuersion shal suffice testified by him self in his bookes of confession It is a maruailous exāple and containeth many most notable and comfortable pointes And surelie whosoeuer shal but reade the whole at large especialie in his sixth seuenth and eigth bookes of his confessions shal greatlie be moued instructed therby And I beseeche the reader that vnderstandeth the latine tongue to vewe ouer at least but certaine chapiters of the eigth booke where this Saints final conuersion after infinit combates is recounted It were to long to repeate al