compasse of denial or coÌ„tradiction And truly no one thing in al this storie of Iesus life doth more establish the certaintie of his being the true Messias then that Iohn Baptiste whos wisdome learning vertue and rare sanctitie is confessed and recorded by the writings of al our aduersaries should refuse the honour of Messias offred to hym self and lay it vpoÌ„ Iesus as also should direct thos disciples that depended of hym to the only folowing and embrasing of Iesus doctrine Which is most euideÌ„tly prooued that he did for that fo so many folowers and disciples as hym self had no one appeared euer after that was not a ChristiaÌ„ WHEN Iesus was baptised he beganne to preache his whole doctrine was directed to the manifestation of his Fathers will and amendment of mans life It tended all to this one ground and principle thou shalt loue thy Lord vvith all thy soule and thy neyghbour as thy self It was plaine easie perspicuous and euideÌ„t though it treated of most high mysteries It had nether poÌ„pe nor pride of Rhetorical wordes nor flattering of mans wickednes as the doctrine of manie Philosophers had Neither consisted it of vnpro ficable externall ceremonies is the later obseruations of the Iewishe laye did nor was it fraught with carnalitie and spirit of this world as the Turkishe Alcoran and other sectaries doctrine is But all was simplicitie all was spirit all was trueth all was honestie all was humilitie all was charitie It tooke awaye or disanulled no one perfecte or spirituall point of Moyses lawe but rather reuiued interpreted fulfilled and made perfect the same For wheras that commannded external obseruance this added also internall obedience Whereas that said loue your frieÌ„des this adioyned loue also your enemies Wheras that commaunded we should not kill this further commaundeth to speake no angrie wordes Wheras that prohibeted to committ actual adulterie this also forbiddeth to couet in minde Wheras that said take no interest or vsurie of a Iewe that is thy couÌ„trie-man this saieth take it of no man what soeuer Wheras that accoumpted euerie Iewe only to be thy neyghbour this teacheth euery person liuing to be thy brother Wheras that taught thee to offer vp a calse or a sheepe or an oxe for thy finnes this instructeth thee to offer vp a contrite harte in the blood of hym that died for all with a firme purpose of amendement of life And finallie this doctrine tendeth whollie to the true sincere perfect seruice of God thy Lord that made and redeemed thee to th' exaltatioÌ„ of his onlie name power goodnes and glorie to the depression of mans pride by discouering his miserie to the contempt of this world and vaine pompe therof to the mortification and subdueing of our sensuall appetit to the true loue and vnfeigned charitie of our neighbour to the stirring vp of our spirit to celestiall cogitations to peace of conscience tranquilitie of mynde puritie of bodie consolation of our soule And in one word to reduce mankvnd againe to a certaine estate of innocencie simplicitie and Angelicall sanctitie vpon earth with his eye fixed onlie in th' eternall inheretaunce of Gods kingdome in heauen THIS was the doctrine deliuered by Iesus which is the same that Gods Prophets fortolde should be deliuered by the Messias And as for his life and conuersation by the testimony of his greatest aduersaries it was more admirable then his doctrine his life being a most liuely table wherin the perfection of al his doctrine was expressed A man of such grauitie as neuer in his life he was noted to laugh of such humilitie as being the sonne of God he scarse vsed in this world the dignitie of a seruaÌ„t of such sweet and mylde behauiour as al the iniuries of his ennemies neuer wreested from him one angry word Finally he was such an one as he was described by Esaie so many ages before he was borne in thes wordes he shal not crye nor contend nor shal any nan heare his voice in the streete he shal not crush a broken reade nor tread out a litle flaxe that lieth smoking on the grounde And an other Prophet not long after hym brake foorth into this speech vpoÌ„ consideratioÌ„ of the behaueour that should be in the Messias Reioyse thou daughter of Sion trjumphe thou daughter of Ierusalem for beholde thy king shal come vnto the thy iust sauiour he is poore and humble c. And as thes Prophets did foretel the vertue sanctetie of the Messias so the deuils theÌ„ selues could not but confesse the same to haue bene fulfilled in the person of Iesus as is most euident by the testimony of Porphyrie a professed enemie of the Christian name Who after consideration of diuers Oracles vttered by his Idoles touching Iesus he breaketh into this confession It is exceeding vvonderful vvhat testimonie the Gods doe gyue of the singuler pietie and sanctitie of Iesus for vvhich they auovvch hym revvarded vvith iÌ„mortalitie but yet thes ChristiaÌ„s are deceyued in calling him God Thus muche writeth Porphyrie And last of al Iosephê° the Iewe that was borne imediatlie after hym writeth of hym thus Ther vvas at this tyme one Iesus a vvise man if it be laufull to cal hym a man a vvorker of most vvonderful miracles and a Maister and teacher of al such men as vvillingly vvere content to embrase the truth IN WHICH testimonie of Iosephus we see mention also of Iesus miracles which is the next thing wherof we are to consider And as Iosephus in this place being a Iewe beareth witnes that Iesus performed many straunge miracles so most apparantly and according to the interpretation of Iosephus in this place were the same miracles fortolde by the Prophetes of God that they should be done by the true Messias So Esaie in his 35. chapter describeth at large how the Messias at his coming shal declare his commission by gyuing sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speech to the dombe agilitie of body to the Lame CrippleÌ„ And that which is more maruailous God reuealed this point very particularly to the Gentiles by the Sibyles among who one of them wrote thus of Christ to come as Lactantius recordeth He shal doe al by his only vvord he shal cure al infirmities he shal raise the dead he shal make the lame to runne skippe the deafe shal heare the blind shal see the dombe speake In fiue loaues and tvvo fishes fiue thousand persons shalve satisfied and the fragmentes shal fil tvvelue baskets to the hope of many He shal commande the vvindes and vvalke vpoÌ„ the furious sea vvith his feete of peace And after diuers other greeke verses to this purpose she coÌ„cludeth in thes wordes MeÌ„ shal saie that I am a madde and lying Prophetesse but vvhen at thes things shal come to passe then remember mee for then shal no man say more that I vvas a liar but rather the
nothing Where as cōtrarie wise in the scriptures it is in euerie battail recorded God deliuered them into their enimies handes God ouertbrevv them God gaue the victorie Againe consider the lawes and law makers among the Gentiles as Lycurgus Solon Draco Numa and the like and see whether you may finde any one such law or tending to such an ende as this is of the Iewes thou shalt loue thie God vvith all thie hart and vvith al thie soule and shalt loue thy neighbour as thie self Consider in all the Southesayers and Diuiners amōg the Gentiles whether they vsed to say ī their predictions as the prophetes of Israel did Dominus dixit our Lord hath spoken it or els Ego dico I doe speake it Compare their Versifiers and Poetes with those of the scripture and see whether they haue laboured in the praise of men or of God And where as heathen Poetes haue filled vp their bookes as also the most parte of ours at this day with matter of carnal loue marke whether anie of thē euer brake forth into such pangues of spiritual chaste loue as Holie Dauid did whē he said I will loue the my God my strēgth my firmament my refuge my deliuerer my helper my protector and the horne of my saluation And againe in an other verse What haue I desired vpon earth besides thee my flesh and harte haue fainted for thee thou God of my hart thou God that arte my parte and portion euerlasting By all which is euident that as prophane writinges and writers which doe treate of men extoll men seeke the grace of men referre all to the commoditie and good liking of men doe proceede of the spirite of mā are subiecte to those infirmities of falshode errour vanity wherwith man is intangeled in this life so the scriptures which handle matters aboue the compasse of flesh and blood that referre all to God and supernatural endes could not proceede of nature or of humane spirit For that by nature the Iewes were men as the Gentiles were and had their infirmities of flesh blood as th' other had And therfore it must needes be concluded that thes high and supernatural writinges amonge them proceeded from God that specially directed them gaue them lighte of vnderstanding aboue all other nations people in the world NEXT AFTER the argument and Ende of the scriptures the Iew willeth vs to consider the peculier stile and phrase which they vse for that sayeth he it being different from all other maner of writing in the world and vnimitable to man it doth discouer the fingar of God by which it was framed For where as humane writers doc labour much in adorninge their stile and in reducing their wordes to number weight measure and sounde with addition of manie figures and other ornamentes for allurement of the reader the scripture taketh quite an other course and vseth a most maruelous simplicitie therby to accommodate it self to the capacitie of the weakest but yet alwayes carying with it so greate profunditie as the best learned in searche therof shall confesse their owne ignorance For examples sake consider but the verie first wordes of the Bible In the beginning God created heauen and earth and the earth vvas emptie and voide and darkenes vvas vpon the face of the depth and the spirit of God vvas caried vpon the vvaters and God said lett light be made and light vvas made c. What can be more plaine and simple then this narration to instruct the most vnlearned aboute the beginning and creation of the world and yet when learned men come to examine euerie pointe therof how what and where and in what manner when thinges were donne it astonisheth them all to cōsider the difficulties which they finde and the depthe of so infinite inscrutable mysteries Besides this there goeth in the same simplicitie a straunge Maiestie and grauitie of speech declaring sufficientlie from how greate and potent a prince it proceedeth For as great Monarches in their edictes and proclamations are wonte to speake vnto their subiectes not in figures and rhetorical phrases but plainlie breeflie and peremptorilie to shew their authoritie so the scriptures to declare whose edictes they be doe vse the like maner of phrase and stile to all the world without alluring or flattering anie man and without respect of Monarche Emperour prince or potentate Fac hoc viues doe this and thou shalt liue Si peccaueris in me morieris in aeternum if thou sinne against me thou shalt die euerlastingly And albeit as I haue said the scripturs doe vse this simplicitie of speech and doe not admitte that kynde of painted and artificial stile which humane writers dos so much couet yet in persuading instructing mouing of affections and all other effectes whiche speech or writinge can worke there is no comparason a thing most wōderful betwene anie other writinges in the world and thes Wherof I. could alleage manie proofes and examples but that it were to longe Let anie man reade attentiuelie but the first chapter of the prophetie of Esay and cōpare it with anie one parte or parcel of Tullies or of Demostines oratiōs see whether the difference of wordes be as great as the difference of motions Let diuers hymnes and holie psalmes of the scriptures be cōferred with the most pathetical poemes that mans wit hath inuēted and see whether there be anie comparason in styrring and fiaring of affections or no This am I sure that Iosephus the Iew who for glorie of his eloquence had his image of mettal erected by Titus the Emperour ī the market place of Rome wrote the same storie which the scriptures conteine and bestowed much labour and humane cūning therin But yet euen in thos places when he endeuoured most to shew his arte as in the sacrifice of Isaac by his father and in the meeting of Iephte with his onely daughter which by vow he was cōstrained to put to death the scriptures are able to pearse the hart wring owt teares of the reader whom Iosephus will not greatelie moue with his rhetorical narration though otherwise verie learned and artificiallie penned Aristaeus that learned Gētile of whom we haue made mention before who was in special fauour with Ptolomie the second greate Monarche of Egipt aboute 300 yeares before Christes natiuitie and a chief doer in procuring the translation of the Hebrue Bible into the greeke language reported of his owne knowledge to that king two straunge accidentes which had happened in his time which he had vnderstoode of the parties themselues to whom they had happened The first was of Theopompus an eloquent Historiographer who hauing translated certaine thinges out of the Bible and endeuouring to adorne the same with vaine colours of eloquence could not perfourme his desire but was strokē with a suddain maze and gyddines
foote not able once to moue as the scripture expressie noteth The third gift and qualitie is supernatural strength wherewith the glorified bodie shal so abound as Anselmê° saieth that he shal be able to moue the whole earth if he wold and contrariwise the damned body shal be so weake and impotent as he shal not be able to remoue the verie wormes frome his owne face and eyes The fourth qualitie is penetrabilitie or free power of passage whereby the glorified bodie shal be inabled to pearse and penetrate any other bodies what soeuer as walles doores the earth or firmament without any resistance quite contrarie to the nature of a corruptible bodie So we see that Christs bodie glorified after his resurrection entered the house wher his disciples were the dores being shut and pearsed also the heauens at his AscensioÌ„ The fift rare qualitie is most absolute health whereby the glorified body shal be deliuered from al diseases paines of this life and from al troubles encombrances belonging to the same as are eating drinking sleeping and other like and shal be set in a most perfect and florishing state of health and freedome neuer decayable again whereas the damned bodie in contrarie maner shal be filled and stuffed with innumerable diseases paines and torments which no tongue of man is able to expresse The sixt perfection is delite and pleasure wherewith the glorified bodie aboue al measure shal be replenished al his senses together finding now their peculier and proper obiects in much more excellencie then euer they could in this world Now I say euerie part sense meÌ„ber and ioint shal be filled with exceeding delectation and pleasure according as in the damned ech part and sense shal contrariwise be afflicted and tormented I wil alleage S. Anselmus his wordes for that they expresse vnto vs this matter most liuelie Al the whole glorified body layeth he shal be filled with abundance of al kind of comfort the eyes the eares the nose the mouth the hands the throte the lungs the hart the stomacke the backe the bones the marowe and the very-entrales them selues and euery part thereof shal be replenished with such vnspeakable swetenesse and pleasure that truelie it may be sayed that the whole man is made t drinke of the riuer of Gods diuine delites and made-dronke vvith the abundance of Gods house In contrarie wise the damned bodie shal be tormented in al his partes and members eueÌ„ as if you saw a man that had a burning yron thrust into his eyes an other into his mouth an other into his brest an other into his ribbes and so through al the ioints partes and members of his bodie Would you not thinke him miserable and the other man happie The seuenth and last excellencie of a glorified body is called perpetuitie or securitie of life wherby it is made assured neuer to die or alter more from his felicitie according to the saying of holie scripture the iust shal liue for euer And this is one of the chiefest prerogatiues most excellent dignities of a glorified bodie wherby al care doubt and feare is taken away al danger of hurt and noyance For if al the world should fal together vpon such a bodie it could not hurt or harme it any thing at al where as the damned bodie lieth alway in dying and is subiect to the griefe of euery blow and tormeÌ„t laied vpon it so must remain for al eternitieÌ„ Thes seuen most excellent qualities prerogatiues dignities and preemineÌ„cies shal adorne and beautifie or rather deifie in a certaine sorte the bodies of the iust in the life to come And albeit this vniuersal happinesse be but accidental as I haue sayed and nothing in deed to the essential felicitie of the Queene mistres her self that is our soule yet is it a matter of no smal importance as you see but such as if any bodie in this life had but any one iote of the least part therof we should esteeme it most happie And to obtaine so much in this world many men wold aduenture farre whereas to get theÌ„ al together in the life to come no man almost wil moue his fingar But now to leaue this to come to the most excelleÌ„t essential point of this felicitie that is to the part which pertaineth to the soule it is to be vnderstood that albeit there be many things that doe coÌ„curre in this felicitie for the accoÌ„plishment perfection of ful happinesse Yet the fontaine of al is but one onelie thing called by diuines Visio dei beatifica the sight or visioÌ„ of god that maketh vs happie Haec sola est summuÌ„ bonuÌ„ nostruÌ„ sayeth S. Augustin this onelie sight of god is our intire happinesse Which Christ also affirmeth wheÌ„ he sayeth to his father this is life euerlasting that men knovv the true god and Iesus Christ vvhome thou hast seut S. Paul also putteth our felicitie in seing god face to face And S. Iohn in seing god as he is And the reason of al this is for that al the pleasures delites and coÌ„tentations of this world wherin mortal meÌ„ doe solace them selues being nothing els but litle peeces crummes of Gods incomprehensible felicitie the same are coÌ„tained much more perfectlie and excellentlie in god him self from whom they are deriued then they are in their owne natures imparted vnto man as also al the perfections of Gods creatures are more fullie in him theÌ„ in them selues Whereof it foloweth that who soeuer is admitted to the visioÌ„ presence of almightie God the Creatour and fontaine of al delites he shal ther finde al the goodnesse and perfections of worldlie thinges compact and vnited together and presented vnto him at once So that whatsoeuer may delite either bodie or soule there he shal enioye it wholie knit vp together as it were in one bundle and with the presence thereof shal be rauished in al partes both of mind and bodie in such sort as he shal not be able to imagine think or wish for anie one ioye whatsoeuer but there he shal finde the same in his ful perfectioÌ„ There he shal finde al knowledge al wisedome al beautie al riches al nobilitie al goodnes al pleasure and whatsoeuer besides may deserue either loue or admiration or woorkethanie pleasure or contentation vnto man Al the powers of our mind shal be filled with this sight presence and fruition of God al the senses of our bodie shal be satisfied passinglie contented with the same God shal be the vniuersal felicitie of al his saints containing in him self alone al particular felicities without end number or measure He shal be a glasse to our eyes musike to our eares honie to our mouthes most swete pleasant balme to our smel He shal be light to our vnderstaÌ„ding contentation to our wil continuation of eternitie to our memorie In him shal we
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
Humilitie in abasing our selues in the sight of God And so likewise al other vertues belōging to a good Christian are stirred vp exercised confirmed strengthened and established in man by tribulation according to the saying of S. Peter God shal make perfect confirme and establish them vvhich haue suffered a little for his name FINALLY Gods meaning is by laying persecution and affliction vpon vs to make vs perfect Christians that is to say like vnto Christ our captaine whom the prophet calleth Virum dolorum scientem infirmitatem a man of sorowes and one that had tasted of al maner of infirmities therby to receaue the more glory at his returne to heauen and to make more glorious al thos that wil take his parte therin To speake in one word God wold make vs by tribulation to become crucified Christians which is the most honorable title that can be geuen vnto a creature in heauen or earthe Crucified I say and mortified to the vanities of this world to the flesh and to our owne concupiscence and carnal desires but quicke and ful of al liue lie spirit to vertue godlines and deuotion This is the heauenly meaning of our Soueraine Lord and God in sending vs persecution tribulation and affliction in respect whereof holy Iob douteth not to say Blessed is the man that is afflicted by God And Christ him self yet more expresselie Happie are they vvhich suffer persecution If they be happie and blessed therby then is the world no doubt greatlie a vvrie which so much abhorreth the sufficiance therof thē is almightie God but vnthankfully dealt with al by many of his childrē who repine at this happines bestowed vpon them where as indeed they should accept it with ioye and thankes-geuing For proofe and better declaratiō wherof I wil enter now into the third point of this chapter to examine what reasons and causes there be to induce vs to this ioifulnes contentation in tribulation The third part AND FIRST of al for proofe and declaration of this third part the reasons and causes before alleaged of almightie Gods merciful and fatherly meaning in sending vs affliction might be sufficient to comfort and content any Christian mā or woman who taketh delite in Godes holy prouidence towardes them For if God doe send affliction vnto vs for the encrease of our glorie in the life to come for drawing vs frō infectiō of the world for opening our eyes and curing our diseases and for preseruing our soules from sinne hereafter as hath bene shewed in the former part who can be iustly displeased therwith but such as are enemies vnto their owne eternal welfare We see that for the obtaining of bodilie health we are content not onely to admit many bitter and vnpleasant medicines but also if neede require to yeeld willingly some parte of our blood to be taken from vs. And how much more should we do this for the eternal health and saluation of our soules But now further if this medicine haue so many more commodities besides as haue bene declared if it serue here for the punishment of our sinnes due otherwise in an other place in farre greater quantitie and rigour of iustice if it make a trial of our estate and doe draw vs to God if it procure Godes loue towardes vs yeeld matter of ioy by our deliuerāce prouoke vs to thankfulnes embolden and strengthen vs in his seruice and finally if it furnish vs with al vertues and doe make vs like to Christ him self crucified then is there singular great cause why we should take comfort and consolatiō therein for that to come neare and to be like vnto our maister and Sauiour is the greatest dignitie and preeminēce that can be imagined Lastly if Gods eternal wisdom haue so ordained and appointed that this shal be the meares of his seruātes saluatiō the badge and liuerie of his sonne the high way to heauen vnder the standard of his Crosse then ought we not to abhorre thes meanes not to refuse this liuerie not to flie this way but rather with good S. Peter and Iohn to esteeme it a great dignitie to be made worthie of the most blessed participation therof We see that to weare the colours of the prince is thoght aprerogatiue among courtiers in this world but to weare the robe or crowne it self were to great a dignitie for any inferiour subiect to receaue Yet Christ our Lord and king is content to imparte both the one th' other of his vnto vs. And how then ought we I pray you to accept therof And now as I haue said these reasons might be sufficient to comfort and make ioyful al those that are so happie as to be called to suffer affliction and tribulation for Christes cause But yet there want not some more particular considerations besides Wherof the first and most principal is that this matter of persecutiō and affliction commeth not by chance or casualtie or by any certaine general direction of starres and planetes vnto Christians but by the special prouidence and peculiar dispositiō of God as our Sauiour Christ sheweth at large in S. Matthews gospel that is to say this heauenlie medecine or potiō is made for vs by the very hand of almighty God Which Christ signifieth expresly when he saied to his disciples at it were in anger shal I not drinke the cuppe vvhich my Father hath geuen to me That is for as much as mine ownfather hath tempered a potion for me shal I not drinke it as who would saye it were too much ingratitude Secōdlie is to be noted that the verie same hand of God which tempered the cuppe for Christ who was his owne natural sonne hath done the same also for vs according to Christs saying You shal drink of my cuppe to wit of the same cuppe which my Father hath tempered for me Herof it foloweth that with what hart and loue almightie God tempered this cuppe vnto his owne most dearlie beloued sonne with the same he hath tempered it also to vs that is altogether for our good for his glorie Thirdlie is to be considered that this cuppe is tēpered with such special care as Christ sayeth that what trouble or danger soeuer it may seeme to woorke as al purgations for a time doe yet shal not one heare of our head perish by the same Nay further is to be noted that which the prophet sayeth O Lord thou shalt geue vs to drinke in teares in measure That is the cuppe of teares and tribulation shal be so tempered in measure by our heauenlie phisition as no man shal haue aboue his strength The dose of Aloes and other bitter ingredients shal be qualified with manna and sufficient sweetnes of heauēlie consolation God is faithful saieth S. Paul and vvil not suffer you to be tempted aboue your abilitie This is a singular point of comfort and ought alwaies to be in our
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
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
gyue vp his accomptes of so much tyme and monie spent in singinge so much in daunsinge so muche in fencinge so much in Courtig who would not laugh at so fond a recoÌ„ning but being further demauÌ„ded of his master what tyme he had bestowed vpon the marchandise and affaires for which he was sent if the man should answer that he had not leasure to thinke vpon that thing for the great occupation whiche he had in th' other who would not esteeme hym worthie of all punishement and confusioÌ„ And much more shame and confusion no doubt shall they sustaine at the last dreadfull day in the face and presence of God and all his Angels who being sent into this world to traffique so riche a marchaÌ„dise as is the kingdome of heauen haue neglected the same and haue bestowed their studdies vpoÌ„ the moste vaine tryfles and follies of this world without cogitation or care of th' other O ye children of Adam saith the spirit of God whie loue you so vanitie and seeke after lies Whie leaue you the fouÌ„taine and seeke after Cesternes If a goldeÌ„ Game of inestimable value should be proposed to suche as would ruÌ„ne and could winne the same and when the course or rase were begunne if some should steppe asyde and follow flies or fethers that passed in th' ayer without regarde of the price Goule proposed who would not maruaile and take pittie of their follie Euen so is it with men of this world if we belieue S. Paul who affirmeth that we are all placed together in a Course or rase and that heauen is propounded vnto vs for the Game or Price But euerie man saith he arriueth not thyther and why for that most men doe steppe a syde and leaue the marcke Most men doe runne awrie and doe followe fethers vp and downe in th' ayer most men doe pursue vanities and doe wearie them selues oute in the pursute therof vntill they can nether runne nor goe nor moue their limmes anie further and then for the most parte it is to late to amende their follie Will you heare the lamentations of suche vnfortunate men These are their owne wordes recorded by scripture We are wearied out in the waye of iniquitie and perdition and the waye of God we haue not knowen What profitt haue we receyued of all our pompe pride and vaunting riches what good haue they donne vs They are now past awaye as a shadoe and as a messenger that rideth in post and we are consumed in our owne iniquities This is the lamentable complainte of such men as ranne awrie and followed a wronge course in their actions of this life Thes are they who pursued riches honour pompe and like vanities and forgate the busines for which they were sent Thes are they who were esteemed happie men in this world and thought to runne a most fortunat course in that they heaped much riches together aduaunced them selues and their families to greate dignities became gorgeous glorious and dreadful to others and finallie obtained what so euer their lust and concupiscence desyred This made them seeme blessed to earthelie cogitations and the waye wherin they ráne to be most prosperous and happie And I make no doubt by experience of thes our tymes but they had admirours and enuiours in great abundance who burned in desire to obtaine the same course And yet when I heare their complainte in this place and their owne confession wherin they saye expresselie vve senseles men did erre from the vvay of truth when I consider also th' addition of scripture Taliadixerunt in inferno they spake thes thinges when they were in hell I can not but esteeme their course for most miserable and condemne wholy the iudgement of flesh in this affaire Wherfore my brother if thou be wise yelde not to this decept of worldlie lippes and tongues that vse to blesse sanctific such as are in most daunger and nearest to perdition Leane rather to the sincere councel of S. Paul who willeth the to examine vprightlie thy owne workes and wayes and so to iudge of thie selfe without decepte If thou walke the waye of Babylon most certaine it is that thou shalt neuer arriue at the gates of Hierusalem except thou chaunge thie course O my brother what a gryese will it be vnto thee when after longe labour and much toyle thou shalt finde thie self to haue gone a wrie if a man had trauailed but one whole daye and therby made wearie should vnderstande at night that all his labour were lost that his whole iourney was out of the waye it would be a marueloê° afflictioÌ„ vnto hym no doubt albeit no other incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce were therin but onlie the losse of that dayes trauaile which might be recouered and recompenced in the next But if besides this his busines were great if it laye vpon his life to be at the place whether he goeth at a certaine hower if the losse of his waye were irrecouerable if the punishment of his errour must be death and confusion and hym self were so wearie that he could stirre no one foote further imagine then what a gryeuous message this would be vnto hym to heare one say Sir you are amisse and haue ridden wholie besides your way So then wil it be vnto the my soule at the daye of death and separation from my bodie if in this life thou attende not to thy saluation for which thou were created but shalt passe ouer thy dayes in followinge of vanities Thou shalt finde thy self a straye at th' ende of thy iournei thou shalt finde thy self wearie and inforced to saye withe those miserable damned spirites I haue vvalked hard and craggie vvayes for that in deede the waye of wickednes is full of thornes and stones though in shew it be couered with faire grasse manie flowers Thou shalt finde at that daye that thou hast lost thy labour lost thy tyme lost all opportunitie of thy owne commoditie Thou shalt finde thie errour to be irrecouerable thie dauÌ„ger vnauoydable thie punishement insupportable thie repentance vnprofitable and thie griefe and sorrow and calamitie inconsolable Oh he that could beholde and feele th' inwarde cogitations of a worldlie mans hart at that instant after all his honours and pleasures were past no doubt but he should finde hym of an other iudgement and opinion in thinges then he was in the ruffe and heate of his ioylitie He doth well perceyue then the fondnes of those triffles which he followed in this life albeit it were to make hym self a Monarche If a man did know the cogitations that Alexander the Great had when of poison he came to die after all his victories and incredible prosperitie if we knew the thoughtes of Iuliê° Caesar at the day of his murder in the Senate house after the conquest of all his enimies and subiection of the whole world to his owne onlie obedieÌ„ce we should well perceiue
Iuda as no one iote of gouernment dignitie or principallitie remained therin And when he had donne all this then was Iesus of the same house and line borne in Bethleē the proper Cittie of Dauid which Dauid was the founder and first authour of Regalitie in Iuda Now then consider the prophetie of Iacob concerning the particuler tyme of Christes appearāce almost two thousand years before thes thinges fell out Come hyther my childrē said he that I may tell you the thinges vvhich are to happē in the later dayes c. The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda untill he come vvho is to be sent and he shall be th' expectation of Nations Which prophetie that it was fulfilled now at Christes Natiuitie when Herod had extinguished all gouernment in Iuda no man can denie that will acknowledge the thinges sett downe before which are recorded by writers both of that tyme and of the Iuishe Nation and religion And that it neuer was fulfilled from Dauids dayes who began the gouernment to the house of Iuda vntil this time appeareth plainlie by all histories and recordes both Diuine and Prophane For that frō Dauid who was the first kinge vnto Zedechias that was the last and died in the Captiuitie of Babylon the Scripture sheweth how all kinges descended of the house of Iuda And during the tyme of the captiuitie in Babylon which was 70 yeares the Iewes were alwayes permitted to chuse to them selues a gouernour of the house of Iuda whom they called RESCHGALVTA And after their deliuerie from Babylon Zorobabel was their Captaine of the same tribe and so others after hym vntill ye come to the Machabies who were both Captaines priests for that they were by the mothers side of the tribe of Iuda by the fathers side of the tribe of Leui as Rabbi kimhi holdeth And from thes men downe to Hyrcanus and Aristobulus whom Herod slew there continued stil the same line as Iosephus declareth So that by this prophetie it is euident that Iesus was borne at the propper tyme appointed for the Messias whē there was neither king nor Captaine nor highe prieste nor Councelour nor anie one gouernour of the house and tribe of Iuda left in Iurie An other prophetie ther is no lesse euident then the former wherin it is affirmed that the Messias shall come before the secōd Temple of Ierusalem that was builded by Zorobabel after the Iewes returne from their captiuitie in Babylon should be destroyed by the Romans For better vnderstanding wherof it is to be noted that the Temple of Ierusalem was builded twise first by Salomon which lasted about 442. yeares and then it was burned and destroyed by Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babylon Wherfore aboute seuētie yeares after it was builded againe by Zorobabel who reduced the Iewes frō Babylon and so it continued vntill it was destroyed the second tyme by Titus sonne to Ve pasian the Roman Emperour about fortie yeares after Christs Ascension At what tyme it had lasted from Zorobabel almost six hundred yeares And from Salomon aboue a thousande And as in tyme of the second building the people of Israel were poore and much afflicted in respecte of their late longe banishement though much assisted to this worke by the liberalitie and munificēcie of Darius kinge of Babylon so was the building and workeman hippe of this seconde temple nothing comparable for excellēcie to the first building of Salomō when the Iewes were in the flower of their glorie and riches This testifieth Aggaeus the Prophet who was one of the builders and he testified the same to Zorobabel and to the rest of thos that were with hym by Gods owne appointement in thes wordes The vvorde of God vvas made to Aggeus the Prophet Tell Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel Captaine of Juda and Iesus the sonne of Iosedec highe prieste and the rest of the people VVho is there leste of you that savv this temple in his first glorie before our transinigration vvhat say you to this vvhich Novv vve see is it not in our eyes as though it vvere not at all that is is it not as though it were a thinge of nothing in cōparison of the former temple which Salomon builded Thus said Aggaeus by Gods commissiō of the material building of this second Temple And yet to comfort the Iewes withall he was commaunded presentelie in the sane chapter to say thus Comfort thie self Zorobabel and comfort thie self Iesu sonne of Iosedec high priest and comfort your selues all ye people of the earth saith the Lord God of hostes doe ye the thinges vvhich I couenanted vvith you vvhen ye came foorth of the land of Egypt and feare not for that my spirit shall be among you Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes a litle time yet remaineth vvhen I vvill moue both heauen and earth both sea and lande vvith all countries in the vvorld And then shall come the DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS and I will fill this hovvse or temple vvith glorie sayeth the Lord of hostes Siluer is mine and gold is mine sayeth the Lord of hostes great shal be the glorie of this ast hovvse or temple more then of the first sayeth the Lord God of hostes Hytherto are the wordes of God by Aggaeus and the often repetition of the Lord God of hostes is to signifie the certaintie great weight of the matter promissed Now consider then that wher as God had said immediatelie before that this second temple was nothing in respect of the first for pompe and riches of the material building which the olde men in the booke of Esdras did testifie by their weeping when then they saw this seconde remembred the first yet now God saith that Gold and seluer is his ovvne as though he made no accompt of th' abundāce therof in the former temple or of the want of the same in this and that not withstanding the pouertie of this second building yet shall it be filled and replenished vvith glorie and that in such sorte as it shall farre passe in glorie the former and that shall bee as both here is expressed and other where most plainlie by the comming of Christ into the second temple which shal be a greater dignitie then anie dignitie what soeuer was found in the first building of Salomons temple Concerning which point it is to be cōsidered that the learned Iewes besides the material difference of building before mentioned doe note fiue thinges of great importance to haue bene wanting in the seconde temple which were in the first To witt the fire sent from heauen to burne the Holocaustes The glorie of God or Angels appearing among the images of Cherubins that stoode in the temple The manifeste inspiration of Gods spirit vpon Prophetes for that prophetie fayled in the second temple The presence of the Arcke And last of all the Vrim and Thumim All which great wantes and differences not
Cessant Oracula Delphis Al Oracles at Delphos doe nowcease etc. That also of an other Poete Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dij quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is the Goddes by whom this empire stood are al departed from their temples and haue abandoned their Altars places of habitatiō Strabo also hath thes expresse wordes The Oracle of Delphos at this daye is to be sene in extreme beggarie and mēdicitie And finally Plutarche that liued within one hundreth yeares after Christ made a special booke to search out the causes why the Oracles of the Goddes were ceased in his time And after much turning winding many waies resolued vpon two principal pointes as causes therof The first for that in his time ther was more store of wise men then before whos answers might stād in stead of Oracles and the other that peraduenture the spirits which were accustomed to yeeld Oracles were by length of time growen olde and dead Both which reasons in the verie common sense of al men must needs be false and by Plutarch him self can not stand with probabilitie For first in his bookes which he wrote of the liues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kinde of wisdom as he most esteemed they had not their equals amōg their posteritie Secondlie in his treatises of Philosophie he passeth it for a ground that spirits not depēding of material bodies can not die or waxe olde and therfore of necessitie we must conclude that some other cause is to be yeelded of the ceasing of thes Oracles which can not be but the presence and commaundement of some higher power according to the saying of S. Iohn To this ende appeared the sonne of God that he might dissolue or ouerthrovve the vvorkes of the deuil Neither did Iesus this alone in his owne person but gaue also power and authoritie to his disciples and folowers to doe the like according to their commission in S. Matheus ghospel Super omnia Demonia spiritus immundos c. You shal haue authoritie ouer al deuils and vncleane spirites Which commission how they afterward put in execution the whole world yeeldeth testimonie And for examples 〈◊〉 onlie I wil alleage in this place an offer or chalēge made for proof therof by Tertullian to the heathen magistrates and persecutcurs of his time his wordes are thes Let ther be brought here in presence before your tribunal seats some person who is certainly knowen to be possessed with a wicked spirite and let that spirite be commaunded by a Christian to speake and he shal as trulie confesse him self to be a deuil as at other times to you he wil falselie say that he is a God Againe at the same time let there be brought forth one of thes your priests or Prophets that wil seeme to be possessed by a diuine spirite I meane of thos that speake gasping c. in whom you imagine your Gods to talke and except that spirit also commaunded by vs doe confesse him self to be a deuil being indeed afraid to lye vnto a Christian doe you shedde the blood of the Christiās in that very place c. None wil lye to their owne shame but rather for honour or aduantage yet thos spirits wil not saye to vs that Christ was a Magician as you doe nor that he was of the common condition of men They wil not saie he was stolne out of his sepulcher but they wil confesse that he was the vertue wisdome and worde of God that he is in heauen and that he shal come againe to be our iudge c. Neither wil thes deuils in our presence denie them selues to be vncleane spirits and damned for their wickednes and that they expect his most horrible iudgment professing also that they doe feare Christ in God and God in Christ and that they are made subiect vnto his seruantes Hytherto are the wordes of Tertullian conteining as I haue said a most confident chalenge and that vpō the liues and blood of al Christians to make trial of their power in controlling thos spirites which the Romanes and other Gentiles adored as their Godes Which offer seing it was made exhibited to the persecutors them selues then liuing in Rome wel may we be assured that the enemie would neuer haue omitted so notorious an aduauntage if by former experience he had not bene persuaded that the ioining herein would haue turned and redounded to his owne confusion And this Puissant authoritie of Iesus imparted to Christians extended it self so farre forth that not only their wordes and commandemētes but euen their very presence did shut the mouthes and driue into feare thes miserable spirites So Lactantius sheweth that in his daies among many other exāples of this thing a seely seruing-man that was a Christiā folowing his maister into a certaine temple of Idoles the Godes cried out that nothing could be weldone as long as that Christian was in presence The like recordeth Eusebius of Diocletian th' Emperour who going to Apollo for an Oracle receyued answere that the iust mē vvere the cause that be could saye nothing Which iust men Apollos priest interpreted to be meant ironically of Christians therevpon Diocletian beganne his most cruel and fearce persecution in Eusebius daies Sozomenus also writeth that luliā th' Apostata endeuoring with many sacrifices and coniurations to drawe an answere from Apollo Daphnaeus in a famous place called daphne in the suburbes of Antioche vnderstood at last by the Oracle that the bones of S. Babylas the Martyr that laie nere to the place were the impedimēt why that God could not speake And therupō Iulian presently caused the same bodie to be remoued And finally here of it proceeded that in all sacrifices coniurations and other mysteries of the Gentils ther was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian Exeant Christiani let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing could be wel accomplished To conclude the Pagane Porphyrie that of al other most earnestly endeuored to impugne and disgrace vs Christiās and to holde vp the honour of his enfeebled idoles yet discoursing of the great plague that raigned most furiously in the Citie of Messina i Cicilie wher he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why Aesculapius the God of Physike much adored in that place was not able to helpe them It is no maruailes sayeth 〈◊〉 this Citie so many yeares be vexed vvith the plague seing that both Aesculapius and al other Godes be novv departed from it by the comming of Christians For since that men haue bigunne to vvorship this Iesus vve could neuer obtaine any profite by our Godes Thus much confessed this Patrone of paganisme concerning the mayme that his Godes had receyued by Iesus honour Which albeit he spake with a malitious minde to bring Christians in hatred and persecution therby yet is the confession notable and confirmeth that storie
hartie repentāce and other such means of holie Sacramentes as God hath left for this purpose in his Church he had discharged his conscience of the burden of sinne and made an attonement betwene his soule Saueour O merciful Lord how dangerous is his estate vntil he haue donne it how manie wayes may he fal into thos heauie handes of his eternal iudge wherof S. Paul conceyued horrour in onlie thinking One litle stone falling from the house toppe as he passeth by one slippe of his horse as he rideth one assault of an enimie whē he thinketh not vpon him one poore ague by a surfect or other distēperature one suddaine mischance of a milliō that may fal vnto him is able to bereaue him of this life to cast him into thos termes of euerlasting calamitie wherehence the whole world shal not be able to deliuer him And is not this then a matter to be feared is not this a case to be preuented O how trulie saith the holie scripture blessed is the man vvhich alvvaies is fearful and he that hath a hard hart shal fal into perdition Our Lord God of his mercie gyue vs his holie grace to feare him as we should and to make such accounte of his iudgementes and iustice as by threatning the same he would haue vs to doe for th' auoiding of sinne And thē shal not we delaye the time but shal resolue our selues to serue him whiles he is content to accept of our seruice and to pardon vs al our offences if we would once firmelie make this resolution from our hart AN OTHER CONSIDERATION FOR THE FVRTHER IVSTIFYING OF Gods iudgementes and manifestation of our grieuous offence Taken from the inestimable Maiestie of him vvhom vve offende and of the innumerable benifites vvhich he hath bestovved vpon vs. CHAPT IX ALBEIT the most parte of Christians through their wicked life arriue not to that state when holy Dauid was when he sayed to God thy iudgementes ô Lord are pleasant vnto me as in deed they are to all those that lyue vertuouslie and haue the testimonie of a good conscience yet at leastwise that we maye be inforced to confesse with the same Prophet that the iudgementes of our Lord are true and iustified in them selues I haue thought expedient to adde a reason or two in this chapter wherby it maye appeare how great our offence is in sinnīg against God as we doe and how righteous his iudgemētes iustice are agaist vs for the same AND FIRST OF AL IS to be considered the maiestie of hym against whom we sinne For most certaine it is as I haue noted before that euerie offence is so much the greater and more grieuous by how much greater and more noble the person is against whom it is done and the partie offending more base and vile And in this respect almightie God to terrifie vs from offending hym nameth hym self oftentimes with certaine great and dreadful titles of maiestie as to Abraham I am an omnipotēt Lord. And agayne to Esay heauen is my seate the earth is my footestole And at an other time he cōmaunded Moyses to beare to the people in his name this ambassage harden not your neckes any longer for that your Lord and God is the God of godes and the Lord of lordes a greate God both potent and terrible vvhich accepteth nether person nor bribes First then I saye consider gentle Christian of what an infinite maiestie he is whom thow a poore worme of the earth hast so often and so contemptuously offended ī this lyfe We see in this world that no man dareth to offende openly or say one worde against the maiestie of a temporal Prince within his owne dominions But what is the maiestie of all earthly princes put together if it be compared to the thowsand parte of Gods incomparable inestimable maiestie who with one worde made both heauen and earth and all the creatures therin and with halfe a worde could annihilate and destroie the same againe Whom all the creatures which he made both Angels heauens Starres and elementes doe serue at a becke and dare not once offend vnder vvhom as holy Iob saieth doe croucb and trēble euē they that beare vp susteine the vvorld Onlie a sinner is he which emboldeneth hym self against this maiestie and feareth not to offēd the same whom as the holye Catholique Church doth professe day lie in her preface to the blessed sacrifice the Angels do praise the dominations doe adore the powers do tremble and the highest heauens together with Cherubins and Seraphins thrones and al other multitudes of celestial spirites doe continually praise with hymnes of glorie Remember then deare Christian brother that euerie tyme thou doest commit a capital sinne thou gyuest as it were a blowe in the face to this great God of eternal maiestie whos mansiō as S. Paul describeth is in a light inaccessible such as no man in this vvorld can endure to behold Wherof S. Iohn th' euangelist gyueth good testimonie by his owne experiēce who notwithstādig he were an Apostle and most dearly beloued of his God and maister yet when Christ appeared vnto him after his Resurrection with certaine sparcles only of his dreadful gloric vttering words of most sweet consolation vnto hym he was for al that so astonied oppressed with feare that he fel doune starke dead as him self confesseth vntil the same his Lord and Maister vouchsafed to raise him vp againe The like trial of this inexplicable maiestie had Moyses the familiar friend and trustie seruant of God who after many conferences desiring once in his life to see him whos wordes he had so often heard made humble petition for the same But God answered that no man might see hym and lyue Yet notwithstanding to satisfie his request and to shew him in parte what a terrible and maiesticall God he was he promised Moyses that he should see some part of his glorie how beit he added that it was needfull he shoulde hyde him self in the hole of a rocke be couered with Gods owne handes for his defence whiles he or rather his Angel as diuines doe interprete did passe by in glorie Who being once past God remoued his hande and suffered Moyses to behold the hynder partes only of the Angel which was notwithstanding most terrible and dreadful The same maiestie was reuealed also in some part to Daniel who sawe God as he writeth placed vpon a most glorious throne his apparell vvas as vvhit as snovv bis beare lyke vnto fyne vvoolle bis throne vvas of a flame of fyre and his chariottes vvere a burning furnace a svvift flud of fyre ranne from his face thousand thousandes did serue him and ten thousand hundred thousands did assist him Al this and much more is recorded in holy scripture to admonishe vs therby what a wonderful prince of maiestie he is whom a synner doth offend Which thing that iust and
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
placed to be despised and not to be honoured How great honour was that trow you which he did to Abraham in the sight of so many kings and princes of the earth as of Pharao Abimelech Melchiseedech and others How great honour was that he did to Moyses in the face of Pharao and of al his court by the wonderful signes that he wrought by him What excessiue honour was that he did to holie Iosue when in the sight of al his armie he stayed the sunne and Moone in the middest of the firmament at Iosues appointement obeying therein as the scripture saieth to the voice of a man what honour was that he did to Esay in the preface sight of king Ezechias whē he made the sunne to goe backe tenne degrees in the heauens what honour was that he did to helias in the sight of wicked Achab when he yelded the heauens into his hands and willed him to say that neither raine nor dew should fal vpon the ground for certain yeres but by the wordes of his mouth onely what honour was that he did to Elizeus in the sight of Naaman the noble Syrian whom he cured onelie by his word from the leprosie whos bones also after his death raised vp by onelie touching the dead to life inallie not to alleage more examples herein what singular honour was that he gaue to al the Apostles of his sonne that as many as euer they laid handes on were healed from al infirmities as S. Luke affirmeth Nay which is yet more the verie girdles and napkins of S. Paul did the same effect and yet more then that also so many as came within the onelie shadow of S. Peter were healed from their diseases Is not this maruailous honour euen in this life was there euer Monarch prince or potentate of the world that could vaunt of such points of honor And if Christ did this to his seruantes euen in this world whereof notwithstanding he saith his kingdome was not what honour shal we think he hath resesued for the life to come where his kingdome shal be in al fulnes and where al his seruants shal be crouned as eternal kings with him Lastlie for some further declaration of this matter and for expressing th' incomparable excellencie of heauenlie blisse some diuines doe vse a consideration of the three different places wherunto man by his creation is ordained albeit in al pointes it be not necessarie to hold the same iust proportion The first of which places is our mothers wombe the second this present world the third is coelum Empireum which is the place of blisse in the life to come Now in these three places say the learned we must hold some like proportion by al reason betwene the third and second place as we see sensiblie to be obserued betwene the second and first So that in what proportion the second doeth differ from the first in like measure must the third be different from the second on rather much more for that eternal and heauēly thinges doe exceede al comparison of trāsitorie thinges amōg themselues By this proportion then we must say for exāple sake that as farre as the whole world doth passe the wombe of one priuate woman so much in al beautie delites and Maiestie doth the place of heauēlie blisse passe al this whole world with the ornamentes therof And as much as a man liuing in the world doth exceede a child in his mothers bellie for strength of bodie beautie wit vnderstāding learning and knowledge so much and farre more doth a Saint in heauen passe al men of this world in al these excellencies and infinite more besides And looke how great horrour a mā of perfect age would conceaue to returne into his mothers wombe againe so much and farre greater would a glorified soule haue to come back from that eternal blisse into this vale of miserie The nine moneths also of life in the mothers wombe are not so litle in respect of any mans age in the world as is the longest life vpon earth in respect of euerlasting life in heauen Nor the blindenesse ignorance and other miseries of the child in his mothers wombe are any way to be compared to the cecitie darknes folie other calamities of this life in respect of the cleare light most excellent knowledge deuine vnderstāding other singuler prerogatiues of the Saints in heauen So that by al thes reasons laid together ther may a general coniecture be framed of the most infinit and incomprehensible excellencie of this reward wherof we treate BVT NOVV TO CONSIDER the same thing somewhat more in particular it is to be noted that this reward or glorie of heauen shal comprehend in it self two partes or members the one called essential belonging to the soule the other termed accidental belonging to the bodie The essential part consisteth in the vision or sight of God as afterward shal be shewed The accidental consisteth in the change and glorification of our flesh after the general resurrectiō wherby this corruptible bodie of ours shal put on incorruption as S. Paul sayeth and of mortal become immortal Al this flesh I say of ours that now is so combersom and aggreeueth the minde that now is infested with so many inconueniences subiect to so many mutations vexed with so many diseases defiled with so many corruptiōs replenished with so infinit miseries and calamities shal then be made glorious most perfect to endure for euer without change or mutation and to raigne with our soule euerlastinglie And for this purpose as diuines doe proue the same shal be endued with certaine excelles qualities and giftes from God which S. Anselm whom in this matter I wil folow doth reckon to be seuen to wit beautie agilitie fortitude penetrabilitie health pleasure perpetuitie Al which excellencies either doe want in the damned bodies or else their contraries are found therin And first of al concerning the priuiledge and high excellencie of beautie how singuler it shal be in the bodies glorified our Saueour him self in some part declareth when he sayeth At that daie shal the Iust shine as the sunne in the kingdome of their father A maruailouse speech and in humane sense almost incredible that our putrefied bodies should shine and become as cleare as the sunne Whereas in the contrarie part the bodies of the damned shal be as black and vglie as filth it self The second prerogatiue assigned to the bodies of the iust is agilitie or velocitie whereby their flesh is deliuered from al lumpish heuinesse wherwith it was pestered in this life and made as light as the Angels them selues which are spirits and doe passe from place to place with infinit swiftnesse as also doe ascend and descend of them selues against the nature of corruptible bodies whereas in the meane space the damned bodies shal be bound both hand
that passage when other men beginne to feare thou snalt lift vp thy head in hope according to thie Saueours wordes for that the time of thy saluation commeth on tel me I say what a day of ioy shal that be vnto thee whē thy soule stepping furth of prison and conducted by the Angels to the tabernacle of heauen shal be receaued there with the honorable companies and troupes of that place with al those hierarchies of blessed spirites that are mentioned in scripture as Principalities Powers Vertues Dominatiōs Thrones Angels Archangels Cherubines and Seraphines with the holie Apostles and Disciples of Christ with Patriarches Prophets Martyrs Virgines Innocentes Confessors holie Bishopes Priestes and other Saints of God Al which as they did reioice at thy conuersion from sinne so shal they triumphe now at thy coronation and glorification What ioye and iubilie wil thy soule receaue at that day deare brother whē she shal be presented by her good Angel in the presence of al thes princelie states before the seat and Maiestie of the blessed Trinitie with recital and declaration of al thy good woorkes donne trauailes sustained for the loue and seruice of almightie God when I say thos blessed spirites shal lay doune in that honorable consistorie al thy vertuous actes with their particularities al thy almes deedes al thy prayers al thy fastinges al thy innocencie of life al thy patience in bearing iniuries al thy constancie in aduersities al thy temperāce in meates and drinkes al the vertues of thy whole life when al I say shal be recounted there al commēded al rewarded shalt thou not see now the value and profite of vertuous liuing shalt thou not cōfesse now from the bottom of thy hart that gaineful and honorable is the seruice of God shalt thou not now be most ioiful and blesse the hower ten thousand times wherein first thou resoluedst thy self to leaue the slauerie of this miserable world to serue onlie so bountiful a Lord shalt thou not think thy self now beholden most deeply to him or her that persuaded thee first to make this resolution yes verily But yet more then this when thou shalt look about thee and consider into what a porte and hauen of securitie thou art arriued and shalt cast backe thin eyes vpon the daungers which thou hast passed and wherein other men are yet in hazard thy cause of ioye shal greatlie be encreased For thou shalt see euidentlie now how infinite times thou were in peril to perish in that iourney if God had not held his special hād ouer thee Thou shalt now see the daungers wherin other men are the death and damnation wherinto many of thy friends and acquaintance haue fallen the eternal paines of hel incurred by sundry that vsed to laugh and be merie with thee in the world Al which shal augment the vnspeakable felicitie of this thy so fortunate a lot And now for thy self thou maist be secure thou art out of al daunger for euer and euer There is no more need now of feare of watch of labour or of care Thou maiest now lay doune al armoure as the children of Israel did when they came into the land of promisse for there is no more enemie to assaile thee there is no more wielie serpent to beguile thee al is peace al is rest al is ioye al is securitie Good S. Paul hath no more need now to fast to watch or to punish his bodie Good old Ierome may now cease to afflict him self both night and day for the conquering of his spiritual enemie Thy onelie exercise must be now to reioice and triumphe and to sing alleluya to the Lābe which hath brought the to this felicitie and wil continue the therin for euerlasting eternitie O dear Christian and most louing brother what excessiue ioy and comfort wil it be at that day to see that holie LAMBE sitting in Maiestie vpon his seate of state If the tree wise men of the East came so farre of and so reioiced to see him lying in a Māger what wil it be to see him now triumphing in his glorie If S. Iohn Baptist did leape at his approching towardes him in his mothers wombe what shal his presence doe in this his royal and eternal kingdome It passeth al other ioye and glorie that Saintes haue in heauen sayeth blessed S. Augustine to be admitted to the inestimable sight of Christ his face and to receaue the beames of glorie from the splendour of his Maiestie And if we were to suffer tormentes euerie day yea to tolerate the verie paines of hel for a time therby to gaine the sight of Christ in heauen to be ioined in glorie to the number of his saintes it were nothing in respect of the worthines of the reward O that we made such accompt of this matter as this holie and learned man did we woulde not liue as we doe nor loose the same for such vaine trifles as most men in the world doe loose it dailie But to goe forward yet some what further in this consideratiō Imagine deare brother besides al this that hitherto hath bene said what a ioye it shal be vnto thy soule at that daye to meet with al her godlie friendes in the kingdome of heauen with father with mother with brethern with sisters with wife with husband with maister with scholers with neigboures with familiers with kinred with acquaintance the welcomes the mirth the swete embracementes that shal be there the inestimable ioy whereof the holie ancient Martyr and most blessed father and doctor S. Cyprian expresseth in thes wordes Who is ther in peregrination abrod saith he that reioiceth not exceedinglie at the verie thought of his returne to his friendes and Contrie O deare brethren heauen is our Contrie the inhabitantes of that place are our friendes and kinsfolk why make we no more haste to salute and imbrace them In heauen an infinit multitude of our parēts brethren children and acquaintance doe expect vs. What a ioy wil it be both to them and vs to meet and imbrace and solace our selues together how inestimable wil the delite of thos heauen lie kingdomes be and how extreme the felicitie wher eternitie of life shal be voide of al feare of death Thus farre S. Cyprian adding further a most vehement exhortation that we should make hast to the attaining of this meeting This then shal be a most high incomprehensible ioy but yet further adde to this the most triumphant exultation that dailie shal be in that place at the fresh arriual of new brethrē and sisters comming thither frō time to time with the spoiles of their enemies conquered vanquished in this world O what a cōfortable sight wil it be to see thos seates of Angels fallen filled vp againe with men and women of flesh frō day to day to see the crownes of glorie set vpon their heades and that in al varietie
according to the infinit varietie of their combates and conquestes One for martirdome or cōfession against the persecutor an other for virginitie or chastitie against the flesh an other for pouertie or humilitie against the world an other for many conquestes together against the deuil There the glorious quiar of Apostles saieth the forsaid holie Cyprian there the number of reioising prophets there the innumerable multitude of holie Martirs shal receaue the crounes of their deathes sufferinges There triumphing virgines which haue ouercome cōcupiscence with the strength of continencie there the good aulmners which haue liberallie fedd the poore and according to our Lordes commandement haue made ouer their earthly riches to the storehouse of heauen shal receaue their due and peculiar reward O how shal vertue shew her self at this day how shal good deedes content their doers And among al other ioyes and contentations this shal not be the least to see the poore soules that come thither at a iumpe either from the paines and miseries of this life or frō the tormēts of the purging fire how they shal be raushed remaine astonished and as it were besides them selues at the suddain mutation and excessiue honour donne vnto them If a poore afflicted man that were out of his way wandering alone in a deepe miric and durtie lane in the middest of a darke and tempestuous night farre from companie destitute of money beatē with raine terrified with thunder stiffe with cold wearied out with labour almost famished with hungre and thirst and neare brought to despare with multitude of miseries should vpō the suddain in the twinkling of an eye be taken out of that affliction and be placed in a goodlie large and tiche palace furnished with al kinde of cleare lightes comfortable fire sweete sauours daintie meates soft beddes pleasant musike delicate apparel and honorable companie al prepared for him alone and al attending his comming to receaue and imbrace him to serue honour him and to annoint and croune him a king for euer what wold this poore mā doe trow you how wold he looke what could he say Surelie I think he would be able to say litle but rather breaking forth into teares would for ioye remaine mute and dumme his hart being not able to containe the suddain exceeding greatnesse of so inestimable comfort Wel then deare brother so shal it be and much more with these twise happie soules that come to heauē from the troubles of this life For neuer was there cold shadow so pleasant in a hoate burning sunnie day nor the welsprig to the poore trauailer in his greatest thirst of the sommer nor the repose of an easy bedde to the wearied seruant after his labour at night as shal be this rest of heauen to an afflicted soule which commeth thither O that we could conceaue this that we could imprint this in our hartes that we had a feeling of this that I say wold we folow vanities as we doe wold we neglect this matter as we doe No doubt but that our coldenes in purchasing these ioyes doth procede of the smal opinion we doe cōceaue of thē For if we made such account and estimate of this Iewel of heauenlie blisse as other marchants before vs more skilful and wiser then our selues haue done we wold bidde for it as they did or at leastwise wold not let it passe so negligentlie which they sought after so carefullie S. Paul saieth of our Saue our proposito sibi gaudio sustinuit crucem He layinge before his eyes the ioyes of heauen susteined the Crosse. A great estimation of the matter which he wold buye at so deare a rate But what counsaile geueth he to other men about the same surelie none other but to goe and sel al they haue to purchase this treasure S. Paul of him self what sayeth he verilie that he esteemed al the vvorld as dung in respect of the purchasing of this Iewel S. Pauls scholar Ignatius what biddeth he heare his own woordes Fire galowes beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my bodie al the tormentes of the denil together let them come vpon me so I may enioye this treasure of heauen S. Augustine that learned father what offereth he you haue now heard that he would be content to suffer tormentes euery day yea the very torments of hel it self to gaine this ioye Good Lord how farre did these holy Saints differ from vs how contrarie were their iudgementes to ours in these affaires who wil now maruaile of the wisdome of the world iudged folie by God and of the wisdome of god iudged foly by the world Oh children of men saieth the prophet vvhy doe ye loue vanitie seeke after a lie why doe you embrace straw and contemne gold straw I say most vile chaffe and such as finally wil set your own houses on fire and be your ruine and eternal perdition BVT NOVV TO draw towardes an end in this matter though there be no end in the thing it self let the careful Christian consider wherunto he is borne and where of he standeth in possibilitie if he wil. He is borne heyre apparent to the kingdome of heauē a kingdome without end a kingdome void of limitatiō a kingdome of eternal blisse the kingdome of almightie God him self he is borne to be ioint-heyre with Iesus Christ the sonne of God to raigne with him to triumph with him to sit in Iudgement of Maiestie with him to iudge the very Angels of heauen with him What more glorie can be imagined except it were to be God him self Al the ioyes al the riches al the glorie that heauen containeth shal be poured forth to make him happie And to make this honour and triumphe yet more the glorious Lambe that sitteth vpon the throne of Maiestie with his eies like fire his feet like burning copper and his face more shining then the pretious diamant from whos seat there procedeth thunder and lightening without end and at whos feet the fower and twentie elders lay doune their crounes this lambe I say this glorious God and man shal rise and honour him with his own seruice Who then would not esteeme of this royal inheritance who would not make greater account therof then we doe especiallie seing the gaining and winning of the same is now by the benefit of our redemptiō and grace purchased vnto vs therin brought to be in our own handes according to the expresse wordes of our Saue our saying The kingdome of heauen doth suffer violence men doe lay hand-fast vpon it by force That is to saye by the force of gods couenant made with Christias that they liuing vertuouslie shal obteine the same whatsoeuer Christian doth perfourme this vertuous life taketh heauen as it were by force and by violence The matter is put in the povver of the doer sayeth S. Augustin for that the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence
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
thou vvilt laye aside o Lord a special chosen rayne or devve for thine inheritance And almightie God him self promiseth to a denout soule by the Prophet Osee I vvil leade her a side into a vvildernesse and there vvil I talke vnto her hart that is I wil cōfort her By al which wordes of vvildernesse separating choise and hidden is signified vnto vs that this cōsolation is a secret priuilege bestowed onelie vpon the vertuous and that the carnal hartes of wicked men haue no parte or portion therin But now how exceeding great and inestimable the sweetnes of this heauenlie wine is to them that taste it no tongue of man or angels can expresse A certaine coniecture onlie may be made by the wordes of holy Dauid whoe attributeth vnto it sufficient force to make al men drunke that taste therof that is to saie to take from them al sense and delectation in terrestrial pleasures according as Peter whē he receaued but a drop or two therof vpon the mount Thabor at his Maisters transfiguratiō forgate him self presentlie and talked as a man distracted touching the building of tabernacles there and restīg in that place for euer This is torrēs voluptatis that sweet streame of pleasure according as the Prophet calleth it which comming from the mountaines of heauē watereth by secret wayes and passages the hartes and spirites of the godly and maketh them drunken with the vnspeakable ioye which it deriueth vnto them This is a kind of taste of the verie ioyes of heauen in this life bestowed vpon good men to comfort and encourage thē in their waye and to keepe them from fainting For as Marchants desirous to sel their wares are content oftē times to let you see hādle and some times also to taste the same if the nature therof so require therby the sooner to induce you to buy euen so almightie God being verie careful and willing to sel vnto vs the ioyes of heauen is content to imparte a certaine taste before hand to such as he seeth are willing to buye thereby to make them come of more roundlie with the price not to sticke to pay so much yea more labour then he requireth This is that exceding ioye and iubilie in the hartes of iust men which the Prophet meaneth when he saieth The voice of exultation and saluation is in the tabernacles of the iust And againe Blessed is that poople that knovveth iubilation That is that people which hath experienced this extreme ioye and pleasure of internal consolation S. Paul had tasted it when he wrote these wordes amiddest al his labours for Iesus Christ I am filled vvith consolation I ouerflovve and super abound in al ioye amiddest our tribulations What can be spoken deare brother more effectuallie then this to shew the diuine force of this spiritual consolation But thou wilt here aske me perhappes if this be so whie thou being a Christian as well as other hast neuer vet tasted of this sweet consolation wherunto I answere that as hath bene shewed before this is not meate for euerie mouth but a chosen moisture prouided for Gods inheritance onelie This is vvine of Gods ovvne seller layed vp for his spouse alone That is for the deuout soule dedicated vnto Gods seruice This is a teate of comfort onelie for the child to sucke as the prophet Esaye testifieth The soule that is drouned in sinful pleasures and delites of this world can not be partaker of this rare benefite neither the harte that is replenished with carnal cares and cogitations For as Gods Arcke and the idole Dagon could not stand together vpon one Aultar so can not Christ and the world stand together in one harte God sent not the pleasant Manna vnto the people of Israel so lōg as their flower and chibols of Egipt lasted nether wil he send this heauenlie consolation vnto thee deare brother vntil thou haue ridde thy self of the cogitations of vanitie He is a wise marchant though a liberal He wil not geue a taste of his treasure where he knoweth there is no wil to buye Resolue thy self once in deede to serue him and thou shalt then feele thi heauenlie ioye wherof I talke as many thousandes before thee haue done and neuer yet any man was herein deceaued Moyses first ranne out of Egipt to the hilles of Madian before God appeared vnto him and so must thy soule doe out of worldlie vanitie before she can looke for these consolations But if thou wouldest resolue thie self effectually once offer thie self througly to his diuine seruice then no doubt but thou shouldest finde most sweet and merciful intertainement aboue al expectatiō notwithstanding thy former euil life and sinnes whatsoeuer For that such is the abūdāt goodnes of his diuine Maiestie for encoraging of al mē to repaire vnto him that he alwayes sheweth more particuler and tender loue towardes them that come newlie vnto his seruice then vnto others which haue serued him of longer time Which is most euidentlie signified by the parable of the prodigal sonne whom the good father cherished with much more tendernes and sollicitude then he did the elder brother which had serued him continuallie And the causes hereof are two the one for the ioye of the new gotten seruant as is expressed by S. Luc in the Ghospel the other least he finding no consolatiō at the beginning should turne back to Egipt againe as God by a figure in the children of Israel declareth most manifestlie in these wordes VVhen Pharao had permitted the people of Israel to depart out of Egipt God brought them not by the countrie of the Philistines vvhich vvas the nearest vvaye thinking vvith him self lest perhappes it might repent them if they should see vvarres streight vvay rise against them so should returne into Egipt againe Behold here the cause whie almightie God would not presentlie permit warre and desolation to fal vpon his people after they were departed out of Egipt least they should repent them and so turne backe again What fatherlie hart can expresse more tender inflamed loue then this YET TO GOE foreward after this priuilege of internal consolation ensueth another making the seruice of God also pleasant and this is the testimonie of a good conscience wherof blessed S. Paul made so great account as he called it his glorie And the Holie Ghost saieth of it further by the mouth of the wise man Secura mens quasi iuge conuiuium a secure mind and good consciēce is as a perpetual feast Of which we may inferre that the vertuous mā hauing alwaies this secure mind and peace of conscience liueth alwaies in festiual ioye and ioiful feasting And how then is this life hard or vnpleasant as you imagine On the contrary side the wicked man hauing his cōscience vexed with the priuitie guilt of many sinnes the same is alwaies tormented with in it self
in the successours And he which holdeth the name therof by descēt only without vertue is a meere monster in respect of his auncestours for that he breaketh the limites and nature of nobilitie Of which sort of men God saieth by one prophet They are made abominable euen as the things vvhich they loue their glorie is frō their natiuitie from the bellie and from their cōception It is a miserable vanitie to begge credit of dead men wher as we deserue none our selues to seek vp old titles of honour from our auncestours we being vtterlie vncapable therof by our own base maners and behauiour Christ clearlie confounded this vanitie when being descended him self of the greatest nobilitie and rase of kings that euer was in this world and besides that being also the sonne of God yet called he him self ordinarilie the sonne of man That is to say the sonne of the pore virgin MARIE for otherwise he was no sonne of man and further then this also called hi self a shepheard which in the world is a name of contempt He sought not vp this that old title of honour to furnish his stile withal as our mē doe Nether when he was to make a king first in Israel did he seeke owt the auncientest blood but tooke Saul of the basest tribe of Iewes and after him Dauid the poorest sheepheard of al his brethren And when he came into the world he soght not out the noblest men to make princes of the earth that is to make Apostles but tooke of the poorest simplest therby to cōfound as one of them saieth the folish vanitie of this world in making so great account of the preeminence of a litle flesh and blood in this life THE FOVRTH vanitie that belongeth to ambition or pride of life is worldlie wisdome wherof the Apostle saieth The vvisdom of this vvorld is folie vvith God If it be folie then great vanitie no dowbt to delite and bost so much in it as men doe It is a strange thing to see how contrarie the Iudgmentes of God are to the iudgmentes of men The people of Israel wold needes haue a king as before I haue said and they thought God would haue geuen them presentlie some great mightie prince to rule ouer them but he chose out a poore man that folowed asses vp down the countrie After that when God wold displace this man againe for his sinnes he sent Samuel to anoint one of Isay his sonnes and being come to the house I say brought forth his eldest sonne Eliab a lustie taule felow thinking him in deed most fitte to gouerne but God answered Respect not his countenance nor his taulnes of personage for I haue reiected him nor doe I iudge according to the countenance of man After that I say brought in his second sonne Abinadab and after him Samma and so the rest vntil he had shewed him seuen of his sonnes Al which being refused by Samuel they maruailed much and said there was no more left but onelie a litle read headed boye that kept the sheep called Dauid which Samuel caused to be sent for And as sone as he came in sight God said to Samuel this is the man that I haue chosen When the Messias was promised vnto the Iewes to be a king they imagined presentlie according to their worldlie wisdome that he should be some great prince and therfore they refused Christ that came in pouertie Iames and Iohn being yet but carnal seing the Samaritanes contemptuouslie to refuse Christes disciples sent to them and knowing what Christ was thought streight way that he must in reuēge haue called downe fire from heauen to consume them But Christ rebuked them saying you knovv not of vvhat spirit you are The Apostles preaching the crosse necessitie of suffering to the wise Gētiles and Philosophers were thought presentlie fooles for their labours Festus the Emperours lieutenant hearing Paul to speake so much of abandoning the world and folowing Christ said he was madde Finallie this is the fashion of al worldlie wise men to condemne the wisdome of Christ and of his Saints For so the holie scripture reporteth of their own confession being now in place of torment nos insensati vitam illorum aestimabanins insaniam we fond men esteemed the liues of Saintes as madnes Wherfore this is also great vanitie as I haue said to make such accoumpt of worldlie wisdome which is not onelie called folie but also madnes by holie scripture itself Who would not thinke but that the wise men of this world were the fittest to be chosen to doe Christ seruice in his Church Yet S. Paul saieth non multi sapientes secundum carnem God hath not chosen many wise men according to the flesh Who wold not think but that a worldly wise man might easilie also make a wise Christian yet S. Paul saith no except first he become a foole stultus fiat vt sit sapiens If any man seeme wise amongest you let him become a foole to the end he may be made wise Vaine then of no account is the wisdome of this world except it be subiect to the wisdome of God THE FIFTH vanitie belonginge to pride of life is corporal beautie wherof the wise man saith vaine is beautie and deceauable is the grace of a faire countenance Wherof also king Dauid vnderstode properlie when he said Turne avvaye my eies ō Lord that they beholde not vanitie This is a singular great vanitie dangerous and deceatful but yet greatlie esteemed of the children of men whose propertie is to loue vanitie as the prophet affirmeth and experiēce teacheth Beautie is cōpared by holiemen to a painted snake which is faire without and ful of deadlie poison within If a man did cōsider what infinite ruines and destructiōs haue come by ouer light geuing credit therunto he wolde beware of it And if he remembred what foule drosse lieth vnder a faire skinne he wolde litle be in loue therwith saith one holy father God hath imparted certaine sparcles of beautie vnto his creatures therby to drawe vs to the consideration and loue of his owne beautie wherof the other is but a shadow euen as a man finding a litle issue of water maye seeke out the fountane therby or happening vpon a smal vaine of gold may therby come to the whole mine it self But we like babes delite our selues onelie with the faire couer of the book and neuer doe consider what is writen therin In al faire creatures that man doth beholde he ought to reade this lesson saith one father that if God could make a peece of earth so faire and louelie with imparting vnto it some litle sparke of his beautie how infinite faire is he himself and how worthie of al loue and admiration And how happie shal we be when we shal come to enioye his beautiful presence wherof now al creatures doe take their beautie If
men that is God shal permit wicked mē to fal into snares which are as plentiful in the world as are the droppes of raine which fal doune from heauē Euery thing almost is a deadly snare vnto a carnal and loose harted mā Euery fight that he seeth euery word that he heareth euery thought that he conceaueth his youth his age his freendes his enemies his honour his disgrace his riches his pouertie his compagnie keeping his prosperitie his aduersitie his meate that he eateth his apparel that he weareth al are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchful Of this then and of the blindnes declared before doth folow the last and greatest miserie of al other which can be in this life And that is the facilitie wherby worldly men doe runne into sinne For truely saieth the scripture miseros facit populos peccatum Sinne is the thing that maketh people miserable And yet how easily men of the world doe commit sinne and how litle scruple they make of the matter Iob signifieth when talking of such a man he saieth bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem He suppeth vp sinne as it were water that is with as great facilitie custome ease aduētureth he vpō any kind of sinne that is offered him as a man drinketh water when he is a thirst He that wil not beleeue the saying of Iob let him proue a litle by his owne experience whether the matter be so or no. Let him walke out into the streetes behold the doinges of men vew their behauiour cōsider what is done in shoppes in halles in consistories in iudgement seates in palaces and in cōmon meeting places abroad what lying what slandering what deceiuing there is He shal find that of al things wherof men doe make any accōpt in the world nothing is so litle accounted of as to commit a sinne He shal see iustice solde veritie wrested shame lost and equitie despised He shal see the innocent condemned the guiltie deliuered the wicked aduaunced the vertuous oppressed He shal see many theeues florish many vsurers beare great sway many murderers and extorsioners reuerenced and honoured many fooles put in authoritie and diuers which haue nothing in them but the forme of men by reason of money to be placed in great dignities for the gouernmēt of others He shal heare at euerie mans mouth almost vanitie pride detraction enuie deceit dissimulation wantōnesse dissolution lying swearing periurie and blaspheming Finally he shal see the most part of men to gouerne them selues absolutely euen as beastes doe by the motion of there passions not by law of iustice reason celigion or vertue The. 5. pointe of the parable OF THIS DOTH ensue the fifte point that Christ toucheth in his parable and which I promised here to handle to wit that the loue of this world choketh vp and strangleth euerie man whom it possesseth fromal celestial and spiritual life for that it filleth him with a plaine contrarie spirite to the spirite of God The Apostle saieth Si quis spiritum Chrsti non habet hic non est cius If any man haue not the spirit of Christ this felow belongeth not vnto him Now how contrarie the spirite of Christ and the spirite of the world is maie appeare by the twelue fruites of Christs spirite reckned vp by S. Paul vnto the Galathians to wit Charitie which is the roote and mother of al good workes Ioye in seruing God peace or trāquilitie of minde in the stormes of this world Patience in aduersitie Longanimitie in expecting our reward Bogitic in hurtig no man Benignitie in sweete behauiour Gentlenes in occasion geuē of anger Faithfulnes in performig our promises Modestie without arrogancie Continencie from alkind of wickednes Chastitie in conseruing a pure minde in a cleane and vnspotted bodie Against thes men saith S. Paul there is no lavv And in the verie same chapter he expresseth the spirite of the world by the contrarie effectes saying the worcks of flesh are manifest which are fornication vncleannes wantonnes lecherie idolatrie poysonninges enemities contentious emulations wrath strife dissention sectes enuie murder drōkennes glutonie and the like of which I fortel you as I haue tolde you before that those men which doe such things shal neuer obteine the kingdome of heauen Here now may euery man iudge of the spirit of the world and of the spirit of Christ and applying it to him self may coniecture whether he holdeth of the one or of th' other S. Paul geeueth two pretie short rules in the very same place to trye the same The first is They vvhich are of Christ haue crucifie ltheir flesh vvith the vices concupisconces therof That is they haue so mortified their owne bodies as they commit none of the vices and sinnes repeated before nor yeld not willinglie vnto the concupiscences or temptations therof The second rule is if vve liue in spirite then let vs vvalke in spirit That is our walking behauiour is a signe whether we be aliue or dead For if our walking be spiritual such as I haue declared before by the twelue fruites therof then doe we liue and haue life in spirite but if our workes be carnal such as S. Paul now hath described then are we carnal and dead in spirite nor haue we any thing to doe with Christ or portion in the kingdome of heauē And for that al the world is ful of those carnal workes and bringeth forth no fruites in deede of Christs spirit nor permitteth them to grow or prosper within her thence is it that the scripture alwaies putteth Christ and the world for opposite and open enemies Christ him self saith that the vvorld can not receaue the spirit of trueth And againe in the same Euangelist he saieth that nether he nor anie of his are of the world though they liue in the world And yet further in his most vehement prayer vnto his father Pater iuste mundus te non cognouit iust father the world hath not knowen thee For which cause S. Iohn writeth If any man loue the vvorld the loue of the Father is not in him And yet further S. Iames that vvbs soeuer desireth only to be a sreend of this vvorld is therby made an enemie to God What wil worldly mē saie to this S. Paul affirmeth plainlie that this world is to be dāned And Christ insinuateth the same in S. Iohns gospel but most of al in that wonderful fact of his whē praying to his Father for other matters he excepteth the world by name Non promun lo saith he I doe not aske mercie and perdone for the world but for those which thou hast geuen me out of the world Oh what a dreadful exception is this made by the Sauiour of the world by the lambe that taketh awaie al sinnes by him that asked perdone euen for his tourmentours and crucifiers to except I saie now the world