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
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
that they tooke litle pleasure in the wayes they had walked not withstanding they were esteemed most prosperous and happie by men of this world Iosephus the Iewe recompteth two very rare examples of humane felicitie in Herode the first and Agrippa his Cosine wherof th' one by Antonie the Triumuir and th' other by Caligula th' Emperour both of them being otherwise but priuate gentilmen and in great pouertie and miserie when they fled to Rome were exalted vpon the suddaine to vnexpected great fortune and made riche Monarches and glorious Potentates They were indued at seueral tymes with the kingdome and crowne of Iurie that in such ample sorte as neuer any of that Nation after them had the like For which cause they are called in the Hebrue storie for distinctions sake Herode the Great and Agrippa the Great They ruled and commaunded all in their dayes they wanted nether siluer nor gold nor pleasures nor pastimes nor friendes nor flatterers And besides all thes gyftes of fortune they abounded also in ornamentes and excellencie of bodie and witte And all this was increased and made the more admirable by reason of their base low estate before in respect wherof their present fortune was esteemed for a perfect paterne of most absolute felicitie This they enioyed for a certaine space and to assure thē selues of the continuāce they bent all their cares cogitations and studdies to please the humours of the Roman Emperours as their Gods and authours of all their prosperitie and felicitie vpō earth In respect of whose fauours as Iosephus noteth they cared litle to violate their owne religiō of the Iewes or anie thing els that was most Sacred And this forsooth was esteemed of manie a most wise politique prosperous and happie course But what was th' ende and consummation of this their rase First Herode fell sicke of such an incurable and lothesome desease and was tormented in the same with so manie terrours and horrible accusations of his conscience as he pronounced hym self to be the most miserable afflicted creature that euer liued and so calling one daye for a knife to pare an aple would nedes haue mundered hym self with the same if his arme had not bene stayed by them that stoode by And for Agrippa Iosephus reporteth how that vpon a certaine daye which he kept festiual in Caesarea for the honour of Claudius the Roman Emperour when he was in his most extreme pompe and ioylitie in the middest of all his Peeres Nobles and Damosels cōming foorth at an hower appointed all glittering in golde siluer to make an oration vnto the people his voice gesture countenāce and apparel so pleased as the said people began to crie being sollicited ther vnto by some flaterours that it vvas the voyce of God and not of man wherin Agrippa taking pleasure and delectation was stoocken presentlie from heauen with a moste horrible putrifaction of all his bodie wherof he died repeating onlie to his friendes thes wordes in the middest of his tormētes Behold ye mee that doe sente to you a God hovv miserablie I am Inforced to departe from you all Now then would I demaunde of thes two so fortunate men who laying a side all care of God and religion did follow the prefermentes of this world so freshelie and obtained the same so luckelie how they liked of this their course and rase in th' ende Trulie I doubt not but if they were here to answer for them selues they would assure vs that one hower bestowed in the seruice of God and of their saluation would more haue comforted them at that last instant then all their labours toiles which they tooke in their liues for pleasing of Emperours and gathering the grace and good likinge of mortal men Vse then ô Christian vse this experience to thy commoditie vse it to thy instructiō vse it to thy forwarning That which they are now thou shalt be shortlie and of all follies it is the greatest not to profite or flee daungers by th' exāple of others The difference betwene a wise mā and a foole is that th' one prouideth for a mischiefe while tyme serueth th' other would doe whē it is to late If thou mightest feele now the state and case wherin thy poore hart shal be at the last daye for neglecting the thing that of all other it should haue studdied thought vpō most thou wouldest take frō thy meate sleepe and other necessaries to repaire that is past Hytherto thou hast time to refourme thy course if thou please which is no small benefite if all were knowen For in this sense no doubt is it most true which the wise man saith that better it is to be a lyuing dogge then a dead Lyō For that while the daye tyme of this life indureth all thinges amisse may easelie be amēded But the dreadful night of death will ouertake thee shortlie then shall there be no more space of reformation Oh that men would be wise and forsee thinges to come sayeth one prophet The greatest wisdome ī the world deare brother is to looke and attēde to our owne saluation For as the scripture sayeth most trulie he is a vviseman in deede that is vvise to his ovvne soule And of this wisdome it is writen in the verie same booke as spoken by her self In mee is the grace of all life and truth and in mee is the hope of all life and vertue In moral actions and humane wisdome we see that the first and chyefest circumstance is to regarde well and consider the ende And how thē doe we omit the same in this greate affaire of the kingdome of heauen If our ende be heauē what meane we so much to affect our selues to earth if our ende be God whie seeke we so greedilie the worldlie fauour of men if our ende be the saluation and eternitie of our soule why doe we follow vanities and temporalities of this life vvhie spende ye your monie and not in breade sayeth God by Esay vvhie bestovve ye your labour i thinges that vvill not yeld you savuritie If our inheritance be that we should reigne as kinges whie putt we our selues in suche slauerie of creatures if our birth allow vs to feede of bread in our fathers howse whie delighte we in huskes prouyded for the swine But alas we may saye with the wise man in scripture Fascinatio nugacitatis obscurat bona The bewitching of worldlie trifles doth obscure and hyde from vs the things that are good behouesull for our soules ô most daungerous inchantement But what shall this excuse vs no trulie for the same spirite of God hath left recorded Populus non intelligens vapulabit The people that vnderstādeth not shal be beaten for it And an other prophet to the same effect pronounceth This people is not vvise and therefore he that made them shall not pardon them neither
cōming the Prophete Malachies wordes are Beholde our Lord shal come and vvho shal be able to abide the daie of his comming And the Prophete Esaie addeth further touching the same cōming that the verie mountaines shalmelt at that daie before his face And yet further he describeth the same in an other place thus Beholde our Lord shal come in strength and sortitude as a storme of haile and as avvhyrle vvinde breaking and throvving doune vvhat soeuer standeth in his vvaie as a rage of many vvaters that ouer-stovve and rushe together c. Wherunto the Prophet Dauid annexeth that burning fire shal runne before his face and on euery side of him a violent tempest This terrible Iudge then being set and al creatures of the world conuented before him the Scripture laieth doune vnto vs the order of that iudgment described by Daniel in thes wordes I stoode saieth he vvith attention and I savve certaine seates placed and the Auncient of yeares sate doune in iudgment Thousand thousands vvere attendant to serue him and ten hundreth thousand thousands stood vvaiting before him The iudgment vvas settled and the bookes vvere opened Thus much was reueyled to Daniel without declaration what bookes thos were But to S. Iohn the same were made manifest who expoundeth the matter thus I savve saieth he a great bright throne and one that sate vpon the same before vvhos face both heauē and earth did tremble c. And I savve al thos that vvere dead both great and smal standing before the throne And the bookes vvere ther opened and al thos that vvere dead had their iudgemēt according to the thinges vvhich vvere vvriten in thos bookes euery one according to his vvorkes By which wordes we are gyué to vnderstand that the books which at that daie shal be opened and wherby our cause must be discerned shal be the euidences of our deedes and actions in this life recorded in the testimonie of our owne consciences and in the infallible memorie of Gods inscrutable wisdome Wherūto shal gyue witnes in that place against the reprobate both heauen and earth which were created for them the Sunne and Moone with all the starres and planetes which from the beginning of the world haue serued them the elements and other creatures inordinately loued and abused by them their compagnions ther present with whom they sinned their brethern whom they afflicted the preachers and other Saints of God whom they contemned and aboue al other thinges the ensigne and standard of their redemption I meane the triumphant Crosse of Christ which shal at that daie be erected in the sight of all the world Al thes I saye with infinite other thinges shal thē beare witnes against the wicked and condemne them of intollerable ingratitude in that they offended so gratious and bountiful a Lord as by so manifold benefites allured them to loue and serue him At this daie saieth the Scripture shal the iust stand in great constancie against thos by whom they were afflicted and oppressed in this life And the wicked seeing this shal be surprised with a horrible feare and shal saie vnto the hilles fal vpō vs and hide vs from the face of him that fitteth vpon the throne and from the indignatiō of the Lambe for that the great daie of wrath is now come O merciful Lord how great a daie of wrath shal this be how truly said thy Prophete in his meditation of this daie vvho can conceyue the povver of thy vvrath or vvho is able for very scare to recount the greatnes of thine indignatiō This is that daie of thine wherof thy seruant said so long before that thy zeale and surie should spare none in this daie of reuenge nether should yeeld or be moued vvith any mans supplication nor should admit revvards for the deliuery of any man This is that most dreadful daie of thine wherof thy holy Prophete admonished vs when he said Behold the daie of our Lord shal come a cruel daie ful of indignation vvrath and surie to bring the earth into a vvildernes and to crushe in peeces the sinners therof And an other Prophete of the self same daie behold the daie of our Lord dot bcome a daie of darknes and dimnes a daie of cloudes and stormes a most terrible daie and such an one as vvas neuer from the beginning of the vvorld nor shal be after in al eternitic This is thy daie ô Lord and so properly thou wilt haue it called like as it pleaseth thy goodnes to terme the course of this present life the daie of man For that as in the time of this present world thou art content to holde thy peace and be patient and suffer sinners to doe their wil euen so at this last daie thou wilt rise vp pleade for thine owne glorie and wilt make thy self knowen to the terrour of thine enimies according as thy seruant Dauid foretold of the when he said Cognescetur Dominus iudicia faciens God wil be knowé when he shal come to doe iudgment Good God what a maruailous daie shal this be when we shal see al the children of Adam gathered together from al corners and quarters of the earth when as S. Iohn saieth the sea and land shal yeeld their dead bodies and both hel and heauenshal restore the soules which they possesse to be vnited to thos bodies What a wonderful meeting wil this be deare Christian how ioyful to the good and how lamentable doleful and terrible to the wicked The godlie and righteous being to receyue the bodies wherin they liued into the league felowship of their eternal blisse shal embrase them with al possible swetnes and delight singing with the prophet Behold hovv good pleasant a thing it is for brethern or parteners to dvvel together in unitie But the miserable damned spirites beholding the carcaies which were the instruments and occasiós of their sinne wel knowing that their inspeakable tormentes shal be encreated by their mutual coniunction and association shal abhorre and vtterly derest the same curse the daic that euer they were acquainted together inueighing most bitterly against all the partes and semes therof as against the eies for whos curious delighte so many vanities were seught the eares for whos pleasure and daliance so great varietie of sweet sounds and melodie was procured the mouth and taste for whos contentemēt and fond satisfaction so innumerable delicacies were deuised And to be short the backe and belly with other sensual partes for contentatió of whos riotous volupteoulnes both sea and land were sifted and turmoiled This shal be the most sorowful condition of thes infortunate soules at that daie but this sorowe shal not auaile them For the iudgment must passe on And then saieth the Scripture shal christ separate the sheepe frō the goates shal place his sheepe on the right hand and the goates on the lest
vttereth the same ī otherwordes they vvhich commit sinne are enimies to their ovvne soules Wherfore they laye downe to al men this general seuere most necessarie commaundement vpon al the paines before recited Flee from sinne as from the face of a snake And againe Bevvare thou neuer consent to sinne For how soeuer the worlde may make litle accounte of this matter by whome as the scripture noteth the sinner is praised in his lustes and the vvicked man is blessed for his vvickednes yet most certaine it is for that the spirite of God auoucheth it that he vvhich committeth sinne is of the deuil and therfore is to receyue his portion amonge deuils and damned spirites at the latter daye And is not al this sufficient most deare brother to breed in vs a detestation of sinne with feare and horrour to commit the same Is not this of force and strength sufficient to shake the hartes of them that wallowe perpetually in the pudle of sinne and doe commit the same daylie without scruple remorse or consideration what desperate obstinacie obduration is this Surely we find now by experiēce that the holye Ghost prophesied ful truelie of thes men when he sayed sinners alienated from God are possessed vvith a surit like a serpent and like a deafe cocatrise vvhich stoppeth her eares against the enchaunter This surie I saie is the furie or madnesse of willfull synners which stoppe their eares like serpentes to all the holy enchauntmentes that God can vse vnto them for their conuersiō that is to all his internal motions and good inspirations to all remorse of their owne consciences to all threatninges of holie scriptures to al admonishmentes of gods seruauntes to al examples of vertuous liuers to al the punishementes that light vpon the wicked and to all the other meanes which God can vse for their saluation Good Lorde what man would commit a mortal sinne for the gayning of ten thowsande worldes if he considered the infinite dōmages hurtes inconueniences mileries which doe ensue by cōmitting of the same For first who soeuer sinneth mortallie leeseth the grace of God inherent in his soule which is the greatest gift that can be gyuen to man in this life cōsequētlie he leeseth al those thinges which did accompanie that grace as are the vertues infused and the seuen giftes of the Holy Ghost wherby the sowie was beautified in the sight of her spouse and armed against al assaultes of her ghostlie enimies Secondlie he leeseth the fauour of God and consequentlie his fatherly protection care and prouidēce ouer him enforceth hym to be his professed enimie Which how great a losse it is we may esteeme in part by the state of a worldly princes seruant and fauorite who being in highe grace and credit with his Soueraine should by some one great offence lose al his fauour at one instant and incurre his mortal hatred and displeasure Thirdly he leeseth all his inheritance clayme and title to the kingdome of heauē which is due onlie by grace as S. Paul wel noteth and consequentlie he depriueth hym self of all dignities and commodities depending therupon in this life as are the condition and high priueledge of being the sonne of God the communion of Sainctes the protection of holie Angels and the like Fourthlie he looseth the quiet ioye and tranquillitie of a good conscience and all the fauours cherishmentes consolations and other comfortes wherwith the holie Ghost is wont to visite the mides of the Iust. Fifthly he looseth the merit and rewarde of his good workes done al his life before and whatsoeuer he doth or shal doe while he continueth in that miserable and sinful state Sixtlie he maketh hym self guiltie of eternall punishment and enrolleth his name in the booke of perdition and consequentlie byndeth hym self to althose miseries and inconueniences wherunto the reprobate are subiect that is to saie to be an inheritour of hel and damnation to be in the power of the deuill and his Angels to be thral to synne and euerie temptation therof and his sowle which was before the temple of the holy ghost the habitation of the blessed Trinitie the spouse of God place of repose for holy Angels to visit now to be a dēne of dragons a nest of scorpions a dongeō of deuilles a sincke swine-stie of al filth and abhomination and hym self a companion of the miserable damned spirites Lastlye he abandoneth Christ and renounceth al the interest and portion he had with hym treading hym vnder his feete defiling his most pretious blood Crucifying hym againe as S. Paul auoucheth in that he sinneth agaist him who died for sinne and maketh hym self a persecutour of his redeemer For which cause the same Apostle pronounceth a most hard and heauie sentence against such men in thes wordes If vve synne vvillfullye novv after vve haue receyued knovvledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for synnes but rather a certaine terrible expectation of iudgement and rage of fyre vvhich shall consume the aduersaries To which S. Peter agreeth when he saieth It had bene better not to haue knovvē the vvay of iustice thē after such knovvledge to slyde backe agayne from the holye commaundement vvhich vvas gyuen This being so let sinful worldlinges goe now and solace them selues in their vanities and watōnes as much as they lift Let them excuse and pleasantlye defend the same by saing pryde is but a pointe of gentrye glouttonie good fellowship anger and reuenge but an effect of courage lecherye and wantonnes a trycke of yowth they shall one daye finde that these excuses will not be receyued but rather that al such pleasant deuises toies wil be turned into teares al such fond concepts into doleful lamentations They shall proue to their great cost that God will not be iested with but that he is the same God still and will aske as seuere accounte of them as he hath done of other before although now it pleasenot them to keepe any accounte at al of their life and actions but rather to turne all to disporte and pleasure persuading them selues that how soeuer God hath delt before with other yet vnto thē he wil pardon al. But this is a mere madnes and a voluntarie deluding of our selues for that God hym self by his sacred word instructeth vs to reason after an other sashion Which I wil here breefly touch exhorting euery prudent Christian seriously to examine the same At what time the great Apostle of the Gentiles S. Paul tooke vpō him to make a comparison betweene the grieuous sinnes of his nation the Iewes for which they were reiected and made reprobate by God and thos which Christians doe commit after their Redemption he framed this collection concerning Gods iustice due vnto them both saing If God spared not the naturall boughes take heede least he spare not thee And there-vpon he inferreth this admonition
holie man Iob considering and hearing but one word vttered by his friend which in his conceit did sauour of presumption against this God burst forth into thes wordes Whom wilt thou teach my friend wilt thou teach him which hath inspired breath into man which hath stretched out the heauens ouer the vacuitie of this world and hath hanged vp the earth in the aire without staie before whom hel is wide-open and ther is no couering from perdition The pillers of heauen doe tremble and quake at his only fight And if we should heare but the lest whispering of his speech who should be able to abide the thunder of his maiesties greatnes Imagine then novv my louing brother after althes testimonies that thou seest before thy face this great and mightie king sitting in his chaire of maiestie with chariottes of fire vnspeakable light and infinite millions of Angels aboute him Imagine further which also is most trew that thou seest al the creatures in the world stand in his presence and trembling at his maiestie and most carefullie attending to doe that for which he created them as the heauens to moue aboute the Sunne moone and Starres to geeue lighte and influence the earthe to bringe foorth her sustenance and euerie other creature diligently to labour for perfourmance of the dutie assigned vnto him Imagine besides that thou seest al these creatures how bigge or litle soeuer they be to hange and depende onlie of the power and vertue of this God and therby only to stande moue and consist and that there passeth from God to eche creature in the world yea to euerie parte that hath motion or being in the same some beame of his vertue euen as from the sunne we see infinite beames passe into the ayer Consider I say that no one parte of anie creature in the world as the fishe in the sea the grasse on the ground the leaues of trees or the partes of man vpon the face of the earth can grow moue or consist without some litle streame of vertue and power deriued to it continuallie from God So that thou must imagine God to stand as a most glorious and resplendent Sunne in the midle or center of al thinges created and from him to passe foorth innumerable beames and streames of vertue to all the creatures that are either in heauen earth the ayer or waters to euerie parte and particle of the same and that vpon thes beames of his deuine vertue all creatures doe depend in so much as if he should stop or diuert but any one of them al it would destroye and annihilate presentlie some creature or other This I saye if thou shalt consider touching the maiestie of God and the infinite dread that all creatures haue of him except onlie a sinner for the deuils also doe feare him as S. Iames affirmeth thou wilt not meruaile at the seuere iudgemēt appointed for his offence For sure I am that very shame of the world maketh vs to haue more regarde in offending the poorest friende we haue in this life thē a wicked man hath in offending almightie God which is an intollerable contempt of so great a maiestie such a cōtempt in deed as God him self doth account to pro ceede of plaine infidelitie For wheras at a certaine time he had declared his owne great power by the mouth of Ieremie threatened manie punishmentes to the Iewes for their wickednes thei werenothig moued therwith Wherupō he cōmaūded hī to returne againe vnto thē to say thes wordes Heare thou folishe people vvhich hast no hart you that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not And vvil ye not then feare me vvil ye not trēble in my sight vvhich haue sett the sandes for a bounde vnto the sea and haue gyuen him an eternal precept vvhich he shal not breake c. This people hath a faithles hart c. Which is as much as if he had said that this lacke of feare in the Iewes proceeded of their defect of faith For if they had belieued him to be in deed so powerful terrible ful of maiestie as the holie scripture setteth him doune they would haue conceyued more feare in offending him BVT NOVV IF VVE adioine to this contemplation of maiestie an other consideration of his benefites bestowed vpon vs our default wil grow to be far greater For that to iniury him who hath done vs good is a thinge moste detestable euen in nature itself And there was neuer yet so fearce a harte no not among brute beastes but that it might be wonne with curtesie and benefites But much more among reasonable creatures doth beneficence preuaile especiallie if it come from great personages whose loue and friendshippe declared vnto vs but in small gyftes doth greatlie by nde the hartes of the receyuers to loue them againe Consider then deare Christian the infinite good turnes and benefites which thou hast receyued at the handes of this great God therby to winne the to his loue and that thou shouldest leaue of to offende and iniurie him And albeit no tongue created either of man or Angel can expresse the one halfe of thes giftes which thow hast receyued from him or the value therof or the great loue and hartie good will wherwith he bestowed the same vpon the yet for some better helping of thy memorie stirring vp thine affection to be grateful I will repeate certaine generall and principall pointes therof wherunto the rest may be easilie referred First then cal to minde that he hath bestowed vpō thee the benefite of thy creation wherby he made the of nothing to the likenes of hymself and appointed the to so noble an ende as is to serue him in this life and to raigne with him in the life to come hauing furnished thee besides for the better attainmēt therof with the vse seruice and subiection of al his other creatures The greatnes of which benefite may partly be conceyued if thou doe imagine thy self to lacke but any one parte of thy bodie as a legge an arme an eye or the like and that one should freelie euen of pure good wil and loue supplie thy want and gyue the same vnto thee Or if thou wantest but any one of thy senses as that thou were deafe blynde or dumme and some man should restore thy sight hearing or fpeech vnto thee howe wouldest thou esteeme of this benefite how much wouldest thow professe thy self beholdig vnto him for the same And if the gyft of one of these partes onlie would seeme vnto thee so singuler a benefite how greatly oughtest thou to esteeme the free gyfte of so manie partes together Adde now hereunto as I haue sayde that he hath created the to thee lyknes of no other thing but of him self to no other ende but to be his honorable seruante in this world and his compartener in kynglie glorie for all eternitie to come and this he hath done to the
for where as the wiseman saieth the hope of vvicked men shal perish Iob saieth the hope of hypocrites shal perish calling wicked men hypocrites for that they say they put their hope in God where as in deede they put it in the world Which thing not only Scripture but also experience teacheth For with whom doeth the wicked man consult in his affaires and doubtes with God principallie or with the world to whom doeth he seeke in his afflictions whom doeth he cal vpon in his sickenes from whom hopeth he to receiue comfort in his aduersities to whom yeeldeth he thankes in his prosperities When a worldly man taketh in hande any worke of importance doeth he first consult with God about the euent thereof doeth he fal downe on his knees and aske his aide doeth he referre it wholie or principallie vnto his honour if he doe not how can he hope for aide therein at his hādes how can he repaire to hym for assistance in the daungers and lettes that fal out about the same how can he haue any cōfidence in hym which hath no part at al in that woorke It is hypocrisie then as Iob truely saieth for this man to affirme that his confidence is in God whereas in deede it is in the world it is in Pharao it is in Egypt it is in the arme of man it is in a lie He buildeth not his house with the wise man vpon a rocke but with the foole vpon the sandes and therfore as Christ wel assureth him vvhen the rayne shal come and studdes descend vvindes blovv al together shal rush vpō that house which shal be at the hower of his death thē shal this house sal the sal of it shal be great Great for the great chaunge which he shal see great for the great horrour which he shal conceaue great for the great miserie which he shal suffer great for the vnspeakable ioyes of heauen lost great for the eternal paines of hel incurred great euery way assure thy self deare brother or els the mouth of God would neuer haue vsed this word Great And this is sufficiēt for the first reason why the hope of wicked men is vaine for that in deede they put it not in God but in the world The second reason is for that albeit they should put their hope in God yet liuing wickedlie it is vaine and rather to be called presumption than hope For vnderstanding wherof it is to be noted that as there are two kindes of faithes recounted in holy scripture the one a deade faieth without good woorkes that is which beleeueth al you say of Christ but yet obserueth not his commaundementes the other a liuelie iustifying faieth which beleeueth not onelie but also woorketh by charitie as S. Paules woordes are So are there two hopes folowing these two faithes the one of the good proceeding of a good conscience where of I haue spoken before the other of the wicked resting in a guiltie conscience which is in deede no true hope but rather presumption This S. Iohn proueth plainlie when he saieth Brethren if our hart reprehend vs not then haue vve confidēce vvith God That is if our harte be not guiltie of wicked life And the wordes immediatlie folowing doe more plainly expresse the same which are these VVhat so euer vve aske vve shal receaue of hym for that vve keepe his commaundementes and doe those thinges vvhich are pleasing in his sight The same confirmeth S. Paule when he saieth that the end of Gods commaundementes is charitie frō a pure harte and a good conscience Which wordes S. Austen expounding in diuers places of his workes proueth at large that without a good conscience there can no true hope be conceaued S. Paul saieth he addeth from a good conscience because of hope for he vvhich hath the scruple of an euil conscience dispareth to attaine that vvhich he beleeueth And againe Euery mans hope is in his ovvne conscience according as he feeleth hym self to loue God And againe in an other booke the Aposlle putteth a good conscience for hope for he onelie hopeth vvhich hath a good conscience and he vvhom the guilt of aneuil conscience doeth pricke retireth backe from hope and hopeth nothing but his ovvne damnatiō I might here repeate a great many more priuileges prerogatiues of a vertuous life which make the same easie pleasant and comfortable but that this chapiter groweth to be long and therfore I wil onelie touche as it were in passing bie two or three other pointes of the most principal vvhich notwithstāding would require large discourses to declare the same according to their dignities THE FIRST wher of is the inestimable priuilege of libertie freedome which the vertuous doe enioy aboue the wicked accordig as Christ pmiseth i thes words If you abide i my cōmademēts you shal be my scholers in deed you shal knovv the truth and the truth shal set you free Which wordes S. Paul as it were expounding saieth vvhere the spirit of our Lord is there is freedome And this freedome is meant from the tyranny and thraldome of our corrupt sensualitie and concupisēce called by diuines the inferior parte of our minde whereunto the wicked are so in thraldome as neuer was any bondslaue more to a most mercilesse cruel and bloody tyrant This in part may be conceaued by this one example If a man had married a riche beautiful and noble gentlevvoman adorned with al induments which might be deuised or desired in that sexe and yet notwithstanding should be so sotted entangled with the loue of some foule and dishonest begger or seruile maide of his house as for her sake to abandone the company friendship of his saied wife to spende his time in daliance and seruice of this base houswife to rūne to goe to stād stil at her appointment to put al his liuing and reuenues into her handes for her to consume and spoile at her pleasure to deny her nothing but to waite and serue her at a becke yea and to compel his saide wife to doe the same wolde you not think this mans life miserable and most seruile And yet surely the maner of seruitude whereof we talke is farre greater and more intolerable than this For no woman or other creature in this world is or can be of that beautie or nobilitie that ladie Reason is to whom mā by his creatiō was espoused which notwithstanding we see abandoned contemned and reiected by hym for the loue of Sensualitie her hand-maid a most deformed creature in respect of reason in whose loue notwithstanding or rather seruitude we see wicked men so drouned as they serue her day and night with al paines perils and expenses and doe constraine also reason her self to be subiect to al the beckes and commaundementes of this new tirannical and vile mistresse For wherefore doe they labour wherefore doe they watch wherfore doe
remembrance Besides this we must consider that the appointing and tempering of this cuppe being now in the handes of Christ our Sauiour by the ful commission graunted him from his Father he hauing learned by his owne sufferinges as S. Paul notifieth what it is to suffer in flesh and blood we may be sure that he wil not laie vpon vs more then we can beare For as if a man had a Father or brother that were a most skilful phisition and should receaue a purgation from them tempered with their owne handes he might be sure it wold neuer hurt him what rōbling soeuer it made in his bellie for the time so and much more may we be assured of this potion of tribulation ministred vnto vs by the hand of Christ howsoeuer as S. Paul saieth it seeme vnto vs vnpleasant in the operation BVT ABOVE al other comfortable cogitations this is the greatest and most ful of consolatiō to consider that he diuideth this cuppe onelie of loue as him self protesteth and as S. Paul proueth that is he geneth out portions of his crosse the richest Iewel that he maketh accōpt of as worldlie princes doe their treasine vnto none but vnto his chosen and picked freendes and among them also not equally to 〈◊〉 but to euerie one a measure according to the measure of good wil and special affection wherwith he loueth them This is euident by the examples before set downe of his dearest frendes most of al afflicted in this life that is to say they receaued greatest portiōs of this treasure for that his good wil was greatest towardes them This also may be seene manisestly in the exaple of S. Paul of whom after that Christ had saied to Ananias vas electionis est mihi he is a chosen vessel vnto me he geueth immediatlie the reason therof For I vvil shevv vnto him vvhat great thinges he must suffer for my name Loe here for that he was a chosen vessel therfore he must suffer great matters for Christ. Doth not the measure of suffering goe then according to the measure of Gods loue vnto vs Surely S. Peter knew wel how the matter went and therfore he writeth thus If you liuing vvel doe suffer vvith patience this is a grace or priuilege before God And againe alitle after Yf you suffer reproche in the name of Christ you are happie for that the honour and glerie and povver of God and of his holy spirit final rest vpon you Can there possibly be any greater rewarde promised to man or anie more excellēt dignitie thē to be made partaker of the honour glorie and power of Iesus Christ Is it maruaile now if Christ saied Happie are you vvhen men reuile and persecute you Is it maruaile though he saied gaudete in illa die exultate reioyse and triumphe ye in that daie Is it maruaile though S. Paul said I take greate pleasure and doe glorie in my infirmities or afflictions in my reproches in my necessities in my persecutions in my distresses for Christ Is it maruaile if S. Peter and S. Iohn being reproched and beaten at the Iudgement seat of the Iewes went away reioysing that they were esteemed worthie to suffer contumelie for the name of IESVS Is it maruaile thogh S. Paul accounted this such a highe priuilege geuen to the Philippiens when he saied It is geuen vnto you not onelie to beleeue in IESVS Christ but also to suffer for him and to haue the same cōbat vvhich you haue seene in me and novv heare of me Al this is no maruaile I save seing that suffering with Christ and bearing the crosse with Christ is as great a prefermēt in the court of heauen as it should be in an earthlie courte for the prince to take of his owne garment to laye it on the backe of one of his seruantes Of this now foloweth an other consequent of singular consolation in time of affliction and that is that tribulation especiallie when grace is also geuen to beare it patientlie is a great coniecture of our predestination to eternal life For so much doe al those argumentes before touched insinuate As also on the cōtrary part to liue in continual prosperitie is a dreadful signe of euerlasting reprobatiō This point is maruailouslie proued by S. Paul vnto the hebrewes and greatlie vrged And Christ geueth a plaine signification in S. Luke when he saieth Happie are you that vveepe novv for you shal laugh And on th' other side VVoe be vnto you that laugh novv for you shal vveepe vvoe be vnto you rich men vvhich haue your consolation here in this life And yet more vehementlie then al this doth the saying of Abraham to the riche man in hel or rather Christs wordes parabolicallie attributed vnto Abraham confirme this matter For he saieth to the riche man complayning of his torment Remēber child that thou receauedst good things in thy life time He doth not say as S. Barnard wel noteth rapuisti thou tokest them by violence but recepisti thou receauedst them And yet this now is obiected against him for a sufficient cause of his damnation as wee see Holy Dauid handleth this matter in diuers places but purposelie in two of his psalmes and that at large And after long search and much admiration his conclusion of wicked mē prospering aboue other in the world is this Veruntamen propter dolos posuisti eis deiecisti eos dum alleuarentur Thou hast geuen them prosperitie ô Lord to deceaue them withal and thou hast indeed throwen them downe by exalting them That is thou hast throwen them downe to the sentence of damnation in thy secret and inscrutable determination Here then the comparison of S. Gregorie taketh place that as the oxen appointed to the slaughter are let runne to feed at their pleasure and the other kept vnder dailie labour of the yoke so fareth it with euil and good men In like maner the tree that beareth no fruite is neuer beaten as we see but onelie the fruitful yet th' other as Christ saieth is reserued for the fire The sick man that is past al hope of life is suffered by the phisition to haue whatsoeuer he lusteth after but he whos health is not dispaired can not haue that libertie graunted To conclude the stones that must serue for the glorious temple of Salomon were hewed beaten and polished without the Church at the quarrie side for that no stroke of hammer might be heard within the temple S. Peter saieth that the vertuous are chosen stones to be placed in the spiritual building of God in heauen where there is no beating no sorow no tribulation Here then in this life must we be polished hewed and made fit for that glorious tēple here I say in the quarrie of this world here must we be fined here must we feele the blowe of the hammer and be most gladde when
Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor strength nor height nor depth nor any creature els shal be able to separate vs frō the loue of God which is in Iesus Christ our Lord. Finallie this was the resolution of al the holie Martyrs and Confessors and other seruantes of God wherby they haue withstood the temptations of the deuil the allurementes of flesh and bloode and al the persecutions of tirants exacting things vnlauful at their handes I wil alleage one example more out of holy scripture and that before the comming of Christ but yet nigh vnto the same and therfore no manuaile as the holy fathers doe note though it tooke some heate of Christian feruour and constancie towardes martyrdome The example is wounderful for that in mans sight it was but for a smal matter required at their hādes by the tirantes commandement that is onelie to eate a peece of swines flesh for thus it is recorded in the scripture It hapened seuen brethren to be apprehended together in those dayes and to be broght with their mother to the tyrannous king Antiochus and there to be cōpelled with tormentes of whipping and other instrumētes to the eating of swines flesh against the law At what time one of thē which was the eldest said what doest thou seke or what wilt thou learne out of vs ô king we are readie here rather to die then to breake the auncient lawes of our God Wherat the king being greatlie offended commanded the frying pānes and pottes of brasse to be made burning hote which being redie he caused this first mannes tongue to be cut of together with the toppes of his fingers and toes as also with the skinne of his head the mother and other brethern loking on after this he caused him to be fried vntil he was dead Which being done the second brother was brought to torment after his heare pluckt of from his head together with the skinne they asked him whether he wold yet eate swinnes flesh or no before he was put to the rest of his tormentes wherto he answered noe thervpon was after many tormentes slaine with the other Who being dead the third was taken in hand and being willed to put forth his tongue he held it forth quicklie together with bothe his handes to be cut of saying confidentlie I receaued both tongue and handes from heauen and novv I despise them bothe for the lavve of God for that I hope to receaue them al of him againe And after they had in this forte tormented and put to death six of the brethrē euerie one most cōstantly protesting his faith and the ioye he had to die for Gods cause there remained onelie the yongest whome Antiochus being ashamed that he could peruert neuer a one of the former endeuoured by al meanes possible to draw from his purpose by promising and swearing that he should be a rich and happie man and one of his checi frēdes if he wold yeld But when the youth was nothing moued ther with Antiochus called to him the mother and exhorted her to saue her sonnes life by persuading him to yeld which she feigning to doe therby to haue libertie to speake to her sonne she made a most vehement exhortation to him in the hebrew tongue to slād to it and to die for his conscience which speech being ended the youth cried owt with a loud voice and vttered this noble sentence worthie to be remembred Qucon suslinetis non obtempero praecepto regis sed praecepto legis Whom doe you staye for I doe not obey the commandement of the king but the commādement of the law of God Wher vpon both he and his mother were presentlie after many and sundrie tormentes put to death This then is the constant and immouable resolution which a Christian man should haue in al aduersitie of this life Wher of S. Ambrose saieth thus Gratia praeparandus est animus exercenda mens stabilienda ad constantiam vt nullis perturbari 〈◊〉 possit terroribus vullis frangi mole sliis nullis suppliciis cedere Our minde is to be prepared with grace to be exercised and to be so established in constancie as it may not be troubled with anie terrours brokē with any aduersities yeld to anie punishmentes or tormentes whatsoeuer IF YOV aske me here how a man may come to this former resolution I answere that S. Ambrose in the same place putteth two waies how to attaine the same the one is to remember the endles intolerable paines of hel if we haue it not or doe yeld against our own cōscience for feare the other is to think of the vnspeakable glorie of heauen if we perseuer constant Whereto I wil adde the thirde which with a noble hart may perhappes preuaile as much as either of thē both and that is to consider what others haue suffered before vs especiallie Christ him self and that onelie of mere Ioue and affection towardes vs. We see that in this world louing subiectos doe glorie of nothing more then of their daungers or hurtes taken in bataille for their prince though he neuer tooke blowe for them againe What thē would they doe if their prince had bene afflicted voluntarilie for them as Christ hath bene for vs But if this great example of Christ seeme vnto the to high to imitate looke vpon some of thy brethren before thee made of flesh and blood as thou art see what they haue suffered before they could enter into heauen and thinke not thy self hardlie dealt withal if thou be called to suffer a litle also Saint Paul writeth of al the Apostles together Euen vnto this houre we suffer hungar and thirst lacke of apparel we are beaten with mennes fistes we are'vagabondes not hauing where to staie we labour and worke with our owne handes we are cursed and we doe blesse we are persecuted and we take it patientlie we are blasphemed and we pray for them that blaspheme vs we are made as it were the verie out-castes and purgings of this world euen vnto this day That is though we be Apostles though we haue wrought so many miracles and conuerted so many millions of people yet euen vnto this day are we thus vsed And a litle after describing yet further their liues he saieth we shew our selues as the ministers of God in much patience in tribulations in necessities in distresses in beatinges in imprisonmentes in seditions in labours in watches in fastinges in chastitie in longanimitie in sweetnes of behauiour And of him self in particular he saieth In laboribus plurimis c. I am the minister of God in many labours in imprisonments more then the rest in beatinges aboue measure and oftentimes in death it self Fiue times haue I bene beaten of the Iewes and at euery time had fortie lashes lacking one three times haue I bene whipt with roddes once I was stoned three times haue I suffered ship
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
sectaries for that they acknowledged not their true mother which is pride and singularitie After this his proud enterāce he beginneth his seely discourse and for methodes sake maketh many diuisions and subdiuisions euery thing running therin by couples wherin he is so fertile and abundant as by methode he confoundeth al memorie But yet as I may I wil here recite the cheef pointes therof First then he saith that ther is great reasō why we should ioine with them and none at al why they should yeld to vs. The first he proueth for that it becommeth the Church of God to be at vnitie in it self Which reason how far it proueth his purpose the reader can consider The second he declareth for that the gaine that they should receaue by comming to vs in his opinion should be very smal both touching matters of religion as also of state For in religion he maketh his accompt that they should haue nothing more thē now they haue except only certaine Sacramentes Images and ceremonies which he calleth representations al which he esteemeth of smale auaile In matters of state likewise he supposeth the commodities would be few and litle as namely to be deliuered from the Popes curse which he saieth they finde now by experience not to be so hurtful as hertofore it was esteemed which reason as you know may as wel serue against Godes curse also for that it doth not alwaies shew forth presently his sensible effect Next after this he declareth how that by yelding to vs they should not only not receaue gaine but also great hurtes that in double maner First in religion wherin among other things they should be bounde to coafession penance which thinges saith he are burdensome and abhorring from mans nature Then in state for that by this meane they should come vnder the gouernement of the Byshope of Rome which he estemeth intolerable adding further that this only reason of state holdeth many of their side from comming to vs who otherwise in conscience would-haue no scrupule at al which is such a confessiō as I meruail that euer my Lord Archebishope would let it passe in print For howsoeuer this poore Minister to terrifie the common people deuiseth bugges vpō the Ecclesiastical authoritie of the bishope of Rome if it should be restored in England againe yet euery man of reason can consider with him self that the Emperour the kinges of Spaine France Polonia and other Princes admitting the-same authoritie doe finde no such incōueniēces as neither our Princes of Englād euer did for so many ages together when they were more potent and glorious then they haue bene since the suppression therof Wherfore if this reason only doe stay so many from vs as M. Buny affirmeth it is very like we shal haue the greater part shortly when God shal open their vnderstanding in a matter that in it self is so plaine and palpable This being done he commeth to shew the cōmodities that we should receaue by ioining with them and thos also after his maner he maketh of two sortes First in religion and thē in our ciuil state In religiō saith he we should first receaue the free vse of holie seriptures as though amōg vs now ther were no vse therof and then also we should be deliuered from the burden of confession and penance as also from al vowes of chastitie pouertie and obedience And finally we should so cleaue to Christ alone saith he as vve should abandon al other helpes both in heauen and earth of Angels Saintes other men as also our ovvne Which saith he were a great aduantage And then he maketh a solemne protestation in thes wordes If any people can be found in the vvorld that doe more abādone al other meanes in heauen earth then vve doe then vve must pronounce against our selues that in this respect they are nerer to this aduantage then vve art Vnto which protestation notwithstanding I doubt M. Buny if he should be wel vrged would be very much ashamed to stand and cleaue For albeit I confesse that he and his felowes doe very litle in deede wherby to helpe them selues by their workes yet by this reason they should doe far better ī doing nothing at al. For he that should neuer pray nor desire other men to pray for him he that should neuer fast or doe other good deede but should rather defie the same and lay al vpon Christes passiō he should more abandone al other helpes and meanes both in heauen and earth besides Christ then many of the best protestantes doe Next in our ciuil state he saith that we should greatly be bettered by ioyning with them being made partakers of the blessednes of England which is greater as he saith at this time then euer it vvas since the lande vvas first inhabited Wherof he seemeth to alleage two reasons or causes First for that Protestantes in thes temporal affaires are alwaies prosperous for saith he how soeuer it goe with others that are not frindes to the ghospel yet shal the fauorers therof alwaies prosper howsoeuer it be with the residue of the children of Israel yet the tribe of Iuda shal alwaies florish The other places the people are going vnder their burdens but in England al is mirth and saftie The second cause of this blessednes of England is for that England saith he is gouerned by a Prince of their owne countrie one that dealeth mildly with them one that sendeth not ther pleas abrod to other cōsistories one that drieth them not vp with exactions And when conuenient collections are made the mony that is exacted of subiectes is not sent saith he out of the realme to the maintenance of forraine powers but is imployed at home to their honour and defence Wherin notwithstanding it seemeth that this good man talketh rather by meditation or fiction then by any great intelligence he hath in such affaires After al this he goeth about to remoue certaine graue impedimentes which he imagineth doe let many Catholiques from coming vnto their side For which cause he sheweth first that we Catholiques should not leese altogether our credites by making vs Protestantes or at least wise we should not leeso the same with them that be good and of their side or if we did somewhat impare the same yet patiēce were to be vsed for the Ghospels sake In like maner he sheweth that the holie saintes of heauen would not be angrie with vs as we seeme to doubt for leauīg their patronage Also that keruers kandlemakers belcasters organistes and other such like who might feare to want by following the Ghospel albeit in truth they should leese no smale part of their gaine yet might the matter be eased and they comforted otherwise Thus discourseth this wise man in very great sadues And after al this he hādleth diuers other pointes both of controuersies in religion of the harde dealings
I may consider and feele the true knowledge hereof for many men doe knowe but with lytle commoditie We know and beleeue in grosse the mysteries of our faith that there is a god who rewardeth good andeuel that he is terrible in his councels vpon the sonnes of men that there is a hell for synners a heaué for good lyuers a most dreadful day of iudgement to come a straite accompt to be demanded and the lyke All this we know and belieue in general as marchandise wrapped vp together in a bundle But for that we vnfolde not thes thinges nor rest vpon them in particuler for that we lett them not downe into our hartes nor do ruminate on them with leasure and attention for that we chue them not well in mynde by deepe consideration nor doe disgest them in hart by the heat of meditation they remaine with vs as a sworde in his scaberde and do helpe vs as lytle vnto good lyfe for which they were reueiled as a preseruatiue in our pocket neuer applyed can helpe our health We beare the general knowledge of thes mysteries locked vp in our breastes as sealed bagges of treasure that we neuer told nor opened and consequentelie we haue nether feeling sense or motion therby euen as a man may carye fyar about hym in a flynt stone without heate and perfumes in a pommander without smell except th' one be beaten aud th' other chafed All standeth then good reader in this one poinct for direction of our selues in this lyfe and for reaping benefit by the mysteries of our faithe and religion that we allot our selues tyme to meditate ponder and consider what thes thinges doe teache vs. For as the sycke man that had most excellent remedies and precious potions set before hym could expect no profit or ease therby if he onlie dyd looke vpon them or smeld them or toke them into his mouthe alone or should cast them foorthe of his stomache agayne before they were setled or had tyme to worke there operatiō euen so is it in this case of ours And therfore with greate reason said S. Paul to Timothie after he had taught hym a lōge lesson Haec meditare Meditate consider and ponder vpon thes thinges which I haue shewed you as if in other wordes he had said all that hytherto I haue told you or written for your instruction and all that euer you haue heard or learned besydes will auayle you nothing for your saluation except you meditate and ponder vpon the same and do sucke out the iuyse therof by often consideration Wherfore to conclude this chapter my deare and wel beloued brother for that consideration is so precious and profitable so needful and necessarie a thinge as hathe bene declared I thought it cōueniēt in this first fronte and entrance of my booke to place the mention and diligent recommendation therof as of a thinge most requisite for all that insueth For without consideration nether this that I haue saide alredy nor any thing els that shall or may be said hereafter cā yeld thee profit as by most lamentable experience we see daylie in the world wher manie millions of men passe ouer their whole age without takinge profit of so manie good bookes so manie preachinges so manie vertuous examples so many terrible chastismentes of God vpon synners which euerie wher they see before their face But yet for that they will not or haue not leasure or dare not or haue no grace to enter into consideration therof they passe ouer all as sickmen doe pills diuertinge as much as they may both their eyes and cogitations from all suche matters as are vngrateful vnto them But as good Ieremie sayth the tyme will come when they shal be inforced to see and know and cōsider thes thinges when perhappes it will be to late to reape great confort or consolation therby Wherfore deare brother that which perforce thou must doe in tyme to come and that perchance to thy greater damnation I meane to enter into consideratiō of thyne owne estate doe that now willinglie to thie conforte and merite for preparinge the waye to thy saluation Preuent the daye and redeeme the tyme accordinge to S. Pauls wise councel runne not head-long with the worlde to perdition staye some tyme as holie Ieremie admonisheth the and say to thy self vvhat doe I whether doe I goe what course hold I what shal be myne ende Take some tyme from thy pleasures and from the companie of thy pleasant friendes to doe this althoughe it be with some losse of pastyme and recreation for I assure the it will recompence it self in th' ende and make the merye when thy laughinge fryndes shall weepe Th' effect of all the considerations that insewe is rightlie to know god for by knowinge hym we shall know our selues and all thinges els whiche are necessarie for vs to know and without knowinge hym all knowledge ī the world is vanitie and meere follve haec est vita eterna sayeth Christ to his father vt te cognoscant solum Deum verum Et quem misisti Iesan Christian. This is lyfe euer lastinge that man know thee which art onlie true god and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent Gods nature and essence we can not know in this lyfe but the onely meane to know god in this world is to know his Maiestie to know his mercie to know his iustice to know his iudgementes to know his hatred to synne his fauour to the goode his benefites and promisses to all his grace his threates his wayes his cōmandemites his dealinges towards other men before vs all which things the cōsiderations followinge doe sett before our eyes and consequentelie they doe teach vs to know god a-right Reade them therfore deare brother with attention and rememember the wordes that God vseth to vs all vacate videte quoniam ego sum Deus Take leasure and consider that I am a God It must not be donne in haste nor as the fashion is for curiositie onlie to reade three or fower leaues in one place and so in an other but it must be dóne wich such serious attentió as appertaineth to so great a busynes which in trueth is the weightiest that possiblie vnder heauen may be takē in hand It is the busines wherof Christ meant especiallie when he said vnumest necessarium one onlie thing is necessarie For that all other thinges in this world are but trifles to this and this alone of it self of more importance then they all THAT THERE IS A GOD WHICH REWARDETH GOOD AND EVYLL against all Artheistes of olde and of our tyme. VVith the proofes alleaged for the same both by Ievve and Gentile CHAPT II. IT is a thing both common and ordinarie in sciēces artes whō they are learned or deliuered by other to suppose diuers poītes and principles and to passe them oaer without proofe as ether knowen before to the
had fower principal sciēces wherof they made profession eche one of thes hauing other lower sciences comprehended vnder it The first of thes foure is called Natural philosophie the second Moral the third Supernatural or Metaphysicke the fowerth Mathematique And for the first three they haue eche one their proper meanes and peculier proofes wherby to cōuince that there is a God The fouerth which is the Mathematique for that it hath no cōsideratiō at all of the efficient or final cause of thinges vnder which two respectes and considerations onlie God may be knowen and declared to mē in his world therfore this science hath no proper meane peculier to it self for prouing this veritie as th' other sciences haue but receaueth the same as borrowed of the former THE NATVRAL phisosopher amóg the Gentiles had infinite arguments to proue by the creatures that there was a God but all he reduced to thre pricipal general heades which he termed exMotu ex Fine ex Causa Efficiēte That is arguméts drawen from the Motions from the Endes and frō the Cause efficient of creatures that we behold which termes th' examples solowinge shall make cleare manisest Th' argument of Motion standeth vppó this general ground in philosophie that vvhat soeuer is moued is moued if an other Wherin also is obserued that in the motions of creatures there is a subordinatiō th' one to th' other As for example thes inferiour bodies vppon earthe are moued altered by the ayre and other elemēts and the elements are moued by the influence and motion of the Moone Sunne and other heauenlie bodies thes planets agayne are moued from the highest Orbe or Spheare of all that is called the first mouable a boue which we cā goe no further among creatures Now then asketh the philosopher here whoe moueth this first moueable for if you saye that it moueth it self it is against our former ground that nothing is moued in nature but of an other And if you saye that some other thing moueth it then is the questiō againe who moueth that other so from one to one vntill you come to some thing that moueth and is not moued of an other and that must be God which is aboue all nature This was the common argument of Plato and of Aristotle and of all the best philosophers And they thought it a demonstration vnauoydable and it seemeth they were admonished of this argument by consideration of the clocke whose hammer when it stryketh sheweth the next wheele wherby it is moued and that wheele sheweth an other wheele and so from one to one vntill ye come to hym that was the first cause of motion to all the wheeles that is to the clockemaker hymselfe Aristotle to king Alexander vseth this pretie similitude That as in a Quyar of singers when the foreman hath gyuē the first tune or note there insueth presentlie a sweete harmonie and consent of all other voyces both great and small sharpe and meane So God in the creation of this worlde hauing gyuen once the first pushe or motion to the highest heauen called primum mobile ther insue vppon the same all other motions of heauens planetes elements and other bodies in most admirabile order concorde and congruetie for cōseruation and gouernement of the whole And thus is God proued by th' argument of motion Th' other two arguments of th' Ende and of the Cause Efficiēt of creatures are made euidēt in a certaine maner by this that hath bene spoken of Motiō For seing by experiēce that euerie thing brought foorth in nature hath a peculier Ende appointed whereto it is directed by the selfe same nature as we see the byrde is directed to build her nest by nature the fox to make his denne and so the lyke in all other creatures the philosopher asketh here what thīg is that which directeth nature her self seing eche thīg must haue somewhat to directe it to his Ende And no answer can be made but that the Director of Nature must be some thing aboue Nature that is God hymself This argument of the final Ende is most excellentlie handled by Philo Iudaeus in his learned treatise of the vvorkemanshipe of the vvorlde From the Cause efficiēt the Philosopher disputeth thus It is euident by all reason in respect of the corruptions alterations and perpetual motiōs of all creatures that this world had a beginning and all excellēt philosophers that euer were haue agreed theruppon except Aristotle for a tyme who held a fantasie that the world had no beginning but was from all eternitie albeit at last in his old age he confessed the contrarie in his booke to king Alexander This then being so that this world had 3 begīnīg it must needes follow also that it had an Efficient cause Now then is the question whoe is that Efficient cause that made the world if you say that it made it self it is absurde for how could it haue power to make it self before it self was and before it had any beeing at all if you say that some thing within the world made the worlde that is that some one parte of the world made the whole this is more absurde for it is as if a man should say that the fingar and this before it was a fingar or parte of the bodie did make the whole bodie Wherfore we must confesse by force of this argument that a greater and more excellent thing then is the whole world putt together or then any parte therof made the world and was the Cause efficient of the frame that we see and this cā be nothing els but God that is aboue the world So that hereby we see how many wayes the Natural philosopher is fraught with arguments to proue there is a God that by reason onlie without all light or assistance of faith BVT THE Metaphisique or Supernatural Philosopher amōg the Gétiles as he to whome it appertained most in special to handle thes high supernatural affaires had manie more arguments and demonstrations to proue and cōuince the being of one God And first of all he said that it could not stande with any possibilitie in his science that eus finitum a thing finite or closed within bosides limites as this world euerie creature therin is could be but from some Maker or Creator For sayeth he the thīg that in it self is not infinite hath his boundes and limmites and cōsequētelie ther must be some thing that assigned thes boūdes and limites And seing ī this world there is no creature so great which hath not boundes and limites we must of necessitic imagine some infinite supreme Creator or Maker that limited thes creatures euen as we see that the potter at his pleasure gyueth boūdes and limites to the pot that he frameth This argument the Metaphisique confirmeth by a ruled principle in his science that euerie
all others in those first tymes of simplicitie and sinceritie were in parte translated into diuers liguages before the Monarchie of the Persians that is before any storie of the Gentiles were writen as Eusebius out of manie heathen authours declareth NEXT TO the reason of antiquitie is alleaged the manner of wryting authorising cóseruing thes scriptures which is such as greatelie cōfirmeth the certaintie of thinges conteyned therin For first what soeuer is sett downe in these wrytinges was ether taken immediatelie frō the mouth of God as were the propheties and bookes of the law or els collected from tyme to tyme by general consent according as matters miracles sell out as were the booke of iudges the bookes of Kinges and Chronicles and some other that conteine recordes and histories of tymes Which bookes were not gathered by some one priuate man vpon hearsaye or by his owne imagination longe after thinges donne as heathen histories and other prophane recordes monumtes are but they were writen by general agreement in the self same dayes when thinges were in sight and knowledge of all men and so could not be seigned Secondlie when bookes were writen they were not admitted into the canon or authoritie of scriptures that is of gods worde or diuine writinges but vpon great deliberation and most euidēt proof of their vndoubted veritie For ether the whole cōgregatió or Synagoge who had th' approuing here of and among whom commonlie were diuers prophetes did know most certainlie the thinges and miracles to be true as did also the whole people that were recorded in thes writinges conteining histories or els they saw the same confirmed frō God by signes and wonders as in the bookes of their prophetes of their-law gyuer Moises it fell out Thirdlie when anie thing was writen and admitted for scripture the care of cōseruation therof was such and the reuerence of Iewes therunto so great as may easilie assure vs that no corruption or alteration could happen vnto it For first the thig was copied out into twelue Autentical Copies for all the twelue tribes and then againe in euerie tribe ther were so manie Copies made as were particuler synagoges within that tribe All was donne by special Notaries Scribes ouerseers and witnesses The Copies after diligent renewe taken were layde vp by the whole Cōgregatiō in the treasure-howse of the temple vnder diuers lockes and keyes not to be touched but by men appointed nor to be vsed but with singuler reuerence To adde diminish corrupt or alter was present death by the lawes of the Nation And how then was it possible sayeth the Iewe that among thes writinges ether falshode should creepe in or truth once receaued could afterwardes be corrupted It is not possible sayeth he in reason and therfore obserueth he an other thing in this case which ī truth is of verie great consideration to witt that no other Nation vnder heauē did euer so much esteeme their owne writīges that they would offer to die for the same as the Iewes were redieto doe for euerie sentēce and syllable of their scriptures Wherof also it did proceede that in all their miseries and afflictions wherin they were a spectacle to all the world in all their flightes and banishementes to Egipt Babylon Persia Media and other corners of the earth in all their spoiles assaults and deuastations at home they yet euer had special care to conserue these writinges more then their owne lyues and so haue kepte the same without may me or corruptiō more ages together then all Nations in the world haue donne any other monumentes THE THIRD persuasion which is vsed by the Iewe for the veritie of his scriptures is the consideration of the particuler men that wrote them who were such as in reason can not be suspected of decept or falshod For as I haue said the Stories of the Byble were writen from tyme to tyme by publique authoritie and by the testimony of all men that saw and knew the thinges that are rehersed The bookes of propheties were endited by the prophetes them selues who were plaine simple and sincere mē authorized from God by continual miracles and yet so scrupulous and timerous of their owne speeches as they durst say nothing but only our Lord saith this the God of Hostes commaundeth that c. And when they had preached and reade their writinges in the hearinge of all the people they protested that it was not mans worde but gods and that for such they left it in the publique treasurie of their Nation vntill by tracte of tyme th' euent and fulfilling of their propheties should proue thē true as alwayes it did and their owne both liues and deathes declare that they meant no falshode their liues being such as were not subiect to the corruption pride vanitie or ambitiō of this life as other prophane and heathen writers were and their deathes for the most parte offered vp in holie martirdome for defence of that truthe whiche they had preached writen as appeareth in Esay that was sawed in peeces by kīg Manasles in Ieremie that was stoned to death by the common people in Ezechiel that was slayne by the capitaine of the Iewes at Babylō in Amos whose braines were beaten oute by Amasias the wicked idolitrous priaest in Bethel in Micheas whose necke was broken by prince Ioam sonne to kinge Achab in Zacharie that was slaine at th' Aulter and the lyke And this for the Prophetes of later tymes amōg the Iewes But now if we cōsider the first Prophete of all that wrote among that people I meane Moyses that was not only a Prophet but also an Historiographer a Law giuer a Captaine and a Prieste the first that euer reduced that people to a common wealth and the first that putt their actes gestes in writing or rather th' actes and gestes of almightie God towardes them this man I say if we cōsider hym onlie I meane the circūstances of his person the Iewe thiketh this a sufficiēt motiue to make anie mā of reason beleeue what so euer he hath lefte writen in the Bible without further confirmatiō And first for his antiquitie I haue spokē before and the heathēs doe confesse it for miracles donne by hym the greatest ennemies that euer he had in the world that is Appiō in his fowerth booke agaīst Iewes and Porphirie in his fowerthe booke agaīst Christiās d ee acknowledge them and Porphirie adioyneth more for proofe therof that he fownde the same cōfirmed by the storie of one Saconiathō a Gentile who liued as he saith at the same tyme with Moyses But what all those miracles say they were donne by artemagicke not by the power of God as Moyses boasted But thē asketh thē the Iew wher Moises a shepheard could learne so much magick or why could not the Magitians of Pharao whose studie was in that profession from their infancie ether doe 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
he was worshipped as a God in that countrie and called by many Mercurius And that the Ethiopians learned circuncisioÌ„ of him which afterward alwayes they retained and so doe vntill this day And as for his miracles donne in Egypt his leading the people thence by the reade sea his liuing with them fortie yeares in the desert the heathen writers agree in al things with the scriptures sauing onely that they recoÌ„pt diuers things to the praise of Moyses which he hath not writen of him self adding also his description to witt that he was a longe taule man with a yeolowe bearde and longe heare Wherwith also accordeth Numenius Pythagoricus touching the actes of Moyses whose life he sayeth that he had reade in the auncientest recordes that were to be had But the fornamed Eupolemus goeth yet forwarde pursueth the storie of Iosue of the Iudges of Saul Dauid of SalomoÌ„ eueÌ„ vnto the building of the temple which he describeth at large with the particuler letters writeÌ„ about thatmatter the king of Tyrus which Iosephus sayeth were in his dayes kepte in the recordes of the TyriÌ„aÌ„s And with Eupolemê° agree Polyhister Hecataeus Abderita that liued serued iÌ„ warre with king AlexaÌ„der the great and they make mention amongest other thiÌ„ges of the inestimable riches of SalomoÌ„ and of the treasures which he did hyde and burie according to the fascion of that tyme in the sepulcher of his father Dauid which to be no fable though not mentioned by the scripture Iosephê° well proueth for that Hircanus the highe Priest and kinge of Iurie being besieged in Ierusalem by Antiochus surnamed Pius not manie yeares before Christs natiuitie to redeeme hym self and the cittie and to pay for his peace opened the said sepulcher of Dauid and fecht out of one parte therof three thousand Talentes in redy monie which amounte to six hundred thousand powndes Englishe if we accompt the talentes but at the least size of talentum Haebraicum And as for the thinges which ensued after Salomon as the diuision of the tribes among them selues and their diuers warres afflictions and transmigrations into other coÌ„tries manie heathen writers doe mention and recorde them and among other Herodotus and Diodorus Sieulus And the fornamed Alexander Polyhistor talking of the captiuitie of Babylon sayeth that Ieremie a Prophet tolde Ioachim his kinge what would befall hym and that Nabuchodonosor hearinge therof was moued therby to besiege IerusaleÌ„ Of the flight of Senacharib from the siege of Ierusalem how he was killed at his returne home by his owne childreÌ„ in the temple according to the prophetie of Esay and storie of the booke of kinges for that he had blasphemed the Lord God of Israel Herodotus witnesseth and that after his death he had a Statua or image of metal erected in his memorie with this inscription in greeke He that beboldeth me lett hym learne to be godlie Conferre Xenophon also in his seuenth booke de Cyropaedia and you shall see hym agree with Daniel in his narrations of Babylon And finallie I will conclude with Iosephus the learned Iewe that wrote imediatelie after Christs ascension and protesteth that the publique writinges of the Syriaus Chaldaeans Phenicians and innumerable hystories of the Graecians are sufficieÌ„t to testifie the antiquitie truth authoritie and certaintie of holie scriptures if there were no other proofe in the world besides The coÌ„clusion of the chapter vvith th' applicatioÌ„ Sect. 4. THus farre haue I treatede of the wayes and meanes which haue bene left to the world from the beginninge therby to know vnderstande their Maker In treating which point I haue stayed my self the longer for that it is the grouÌ„d foundatioÌ„ of all that is or maye be said hereafter It is the first final chiefest principle of all our eternal saluation or damnatioÌ„ and of the total weale or woe that must befail vs possesse vs for euer Which grounde and veritie if it be so certaine and euident as before hath bene shewed by all reason and proofe both diuine and humane and that the matter be so testified and proclamed vnto vs by all the creatures of heauen and earth and by the mouth and writing of our Creator hymself as no ignorance or blindnes can excuse the same no slouthfulnes dissemble it no wickednes denie it what remaineth then but to consider with our selues what seruice this God requireth at our hádes what gratitude what duetie what honour for our creation to th' eÌ„de that as we haue proued hym a most bountiful Creator so we may fynde hym a propitious iudge munificent rewarder For it is not probable that his diuine maiestie which hath appointed euerie other creature to some action for his owne glorie as hathe bene declared at large before should leaue mankinde onelie whiche is the worthiest of all the rest without obligation to his seruice In which one pointe not withstanding though neuer so cleare such is the fondnesse of our corrupt nature without gods holie grace fayled thos auncient wise men of the world of whom S. Paul speaketh so much in his epistle to the Romans taking compassion of their case and callinge them fooles and all their great learniÌ„ge philosophie meere fondnesse for that vvheras by the meanes before mentioned they came to knovv God they did not seeke to glorifie hym as appertained vnto God not yet did render hym due thankes but vanished avvaye in their cogitations c. That is they tooke no profitt by this knowledge of theirs but applied their cogitations vpon the vanities of this worlde more then vpon the honour and seruice of this their God For whiche cause S. Paul adioyneth presentelie in the same place that forso much as they did thus did not shew foorthe by their lyfe and workes that they had the knowledge of God in deede God deliuered them ouer to a reprobate sense and suffered them to fall into horrible synnes which S. Paul doth name and detest in all that chapter and finallie concludeth that their euerlasting perdition ensued principallie vpon this one pointe that wheras they knevv the iustice of God by all the wayes and argumeÌ„tes that before haue bene declared yet would they not vnderstand saith he that death was due to all such which liued in wickednes as they did And the same Apostle vpon consideration of thes matters wherin he standeth long for th' importance therof pronounceth in sine this general sentence with great asseueration and vehemencie of spirit that the vvrath of God is reucaled from heaueÌ„ vpon al impietie and iniustice of thos men vvho holde the knovvledge of God in vnrighteousnes that is who beig indued with the knowledge of God doe liue notwithstanding vnrighteouslie or as he saidbefore doe consume their dayes in vanitie not makiÌ„g accompt of the seruice which they doe owe to that God for their Creation and
countriman Apollidorus Erythraeus and Varro doe reporte that she liued before the warre of Troie pro phetied to the Graecians that went to that warre that Troie should be taken Which was more then a thousand years before Christ was borne Cicero also that was slaine more then fortye yeares before Christs natiuitie translated into Latine the former Acrostike verses as Constantine sayeth which translation was to be seene in his workes when Constantine wrote this oration so that by no meanes they could be deuised or brought in by Christians Thirdlie he sheweth that the same Cicero in diuers places of his workes besids the mention of these Acrostike verses insinuateth also an other prophetie of Sibylla touching a king that should rise ouer all the world wherwith hym self and the Romans were greatlie troubled and therfore in one place after a longe inuectiue against his enimie Antonie that would seeme to gyue credit to that prophetie or rather as Cicero doth vrge against hym would haue had the same fulfilled in Iulius Caesar he concludeth thus lett vs deale vvith the prelates of our religion to alleage onle one thing rather out of the bookes of Sibylla then a KINGE vvhom nether the Gods nor yet men came suffer hereafter to be in Rome The like prophetie of Sibylla touching a king is insinuated by the same Cicero in his first booke of Epistles to Lentulus to witt that when the Romans should restore a king in Egypt by force theÌ„ should insue the vniuersal king that should be Lord ouer Romans and all other Which prophetie being much vrged by Cato the Tribune against the restoring of Ptolomaeus Auletes late king of Egypt that for his euil gouernment was expulsed by his subiects the matter was to be of such weight by all the Roman Senat I meane the sequel of this prophetie that whereas otherwise for manie respectes they were greatelie inclined to haue restored the said Ptolomie yet in regarde of this religion as they called it they changed their mindes But what could they alter by this the determination of God No truly for sone after king Polomie perceyuing the Senatours mindes to be altered fled secretely from Rome to one Gabinius that was Gouernour of Siria and for fiue Millions of gold that he promissed hym he was by the forces of Gabiniê° restored and so not longe after was Christ borne according to the meaning of the Sibyl prophetie Fowerthlie the say de Emperour Constantine proueth th' authoritie of thes Sibylles verses for that Augustus Caesar before Christ was borne had such regarde of them that he layed them vp in more straite order then before according as Suetonius a heathen in his life reporteth vnder the Alter of Apollo in the hill Palatine wher no man might haue the sight of them but by special licence which licence Constantine proueth that Virgil the Poet had for that he was in highe fauour with Augustus And therfore in a certaine Ecloge or composition of verses that he made in praise of a yong chylde named Saloninus newlie borne to Asinius Pollio Augustus great friende or as other take it of Marcellus a litle boye that was nephue to Augustus by his Sister Octauia or rather of them both for adulation of Augustus he applieth I say to one or both of thes yonge infantes the whole prophetie which he had reade in the verses of Sibilla touching the birthe of Christ of the peace grace golden world that should come with hym Vpon which subiect he beginneth thus Vltima Cumaei venit iam temporis aetas Magnus ab integro saeculorum nascitur ordo Iam redit virgo rediunt Saturnia regna That is now is come the last age prophetied by Sibylla called Cumaea now coÌ„meth to be fulfilled the great ordinaunce and prouidence of God appointed from the beginning of the world thes were Sibylles wordes now coÌ„meth the virgine and the first golden dayes of Saturnus shall returne againe Thus much translated Virgile out of Sibylla touching th' eternal determinatioÌ„ of God for Christs comming into this world as also of his mother the virgine and of the infinit blessings that should appeare with hym Now ensueth in the same Poet what Sibylla had said for Christs actual natiuitie Iam noua progeniescaelo dimittitur alto Chara Deum soboles c. Now a new progenie or ofspring is sent downe from heauen the dearlie beloued issue or childe of the Gods And note here that Sibilla said plainlie chara Dei soboles the dearlie beloued sonne of God and not of Gods but that Virgile would follow the style of his time And thirdlie he setteth downe out of Sibylla th' effect and cause of this sonne of Gods natiuitie in thes wordes Te duce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri Irrita perpetua soluent formidine terras That is thou beinge our leader or Captaine the remnant of our sinnes shal be made voide or taken awaye and shall deliuer the world for euer froÌ„ feare for the same Thes are virgils wordes translated as I said out of Sibilla And now consider you in reason whether thes propheties might be applied as Virgile applied them to those poore children in Rome or no who died soone after this flatterie of Virgile without doing good either to them selues or to others Albeit perhappes in this pointe the Poet bee to be excused in that he being not able to imagine what the Sibyl should meane made his aduantage therof in applying the same to the best pleasing of Augustus Thes then are the proofes which Censtantine vseth for the credit and authoritie of the Sibyl verses And of Sibilla Erithraea in particuler that made the Acrostik verses before mentioned of Christes death and passion he concludeth in thes wordes Thes are the thinges vvhich sell from heauen into the mynde of this Virgin to surtell For vvhich cause I am induced to accompt her for blessed vvhom our Saucour did voutel safe to chuse for a prophet to denounce vnto the vvorld his holie prouidence tovvardes vs. And we may consider in this whole discourse of Constantine for authoritie of thes verses First that he vseth onlie the testimonie of such writers as liued before Christ was borne or Christians thought vpon Secondlie that he vseth thes prooses to no meaner audience the to a Councel and congregation of learned men Thirdlie that he was an Emperour which vseth them that is one that had meanes to sce and examine the original Copies in the Romane treasarie Fowerthelie that he had greate learned men aboute hym who were skilful and would be diligent in the searche of suche an antiquitie of importance especiallie Lactantius that was Master to his sonne Crispus who most of anie other authour reciteth and confirmeth the said Sibyls verses Eusebius Caesariensis that wrote th' ecclesiastical historie recordeth this oration of Constantine therin And
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
which Plutarch in his forenamed booke doth report that in the later yeares of Tyberius raigne a strange voice and exceeding horrible clamour with hideous cries skriches and houlinges were heard by many in the Greciāsea complaining that the great God PAN was now departed And this Plutarch that was a Gētile affirmeth to haue bene alleaged and proued before th' Emperour Tyberius who maruailed greatly could not by al his diuines and South sayers whom he called to that consultation gather out any reasonable meaning of this wonderful accident But we Christians comparing the time wherin it happened vnto the time of Iesus death and passion and finding the same fully to agree may more then probably persuade our selues that by the death of their great God PAN which signifieth all was imported the ruine and vtter ouerthrow of all the wicked spirites and Idoles vpon earth AND THVS HATH the Deitie of Iesus bene declared and proued by his omnipotent power in subduing infernal enimies Now resteth it for vs to make manifest the same by his like power and diuine iustice shewed vpon diuers of his enimies here on earth whos greatest punishment albeit for the most part he reserueth for the life to come yet sometimes for manifestation of his omnipotēcie as especially it was behoueful i thos first daics of his appearāce in the world he chasteneth thē also euen here on earth in the eye and sight of al men So we read of the most in famous and miserable death of Herode the first surnamed Ascolonita who after his persecution of Christ in his infancie and the slaughter of the infantes in Bethleem for his sake was wearied out by a lothsome life in feare and horrour of his owne wife and children whom after he had most cruelly murdered was enforced also by desperation thorough his inspeakable vexations grieues and torments to offer his owne hand to his owne destructiō if he had not bene staied by friends that stood about After him Archelaus his eldest sonne that was a terrour to Iesus at his returne from Egipt fel also by Gods Iustice into maruailous calamities For first being left as king by his father Augustus would not allow or ratefie that successiō but of a king made him a Tetrarch assigning to him onlie the fourth part of that dominion which his father had before And then againe after nine yeares space tooke that away in like maner with the greatest dishonour he could deuise seazing vpon al his treasure and riches by way of confiscation and condemning his person to perpetual banishment wherin he died most miserablie in Vienna in France Not long after this the second sonne of Herode the first named Herode Antipas Tetrarch of Galiley who put S. Ihon Baptist to death and scorned Iesus before his passion wherat both him self and Herodias his concubine were present was deposed also by Caius th' Emperour being accused by Agrippa his nearest kinseman and most contumeliously sent in exile first to Lions in France and after that to the most desert and inhabitable places of Spaine wher he with Herodias wandered vp and doune in extreme calamitie so long as they liued and finally ended their daies abandonned of al men In which miserie also it is recorded that the daunsing daughter of Herodias who had in her Iolitie demaunded Iohn Baptists Head being on a certaine time enforced to passe ouer a frosen riuer the yse brake and she in her fall had her head cut of by the same yse without hurting the rest of her body to the great admiration of al the lookers on The like euent had an other of Herode familie named Herod Agrippa th' acculer of the fornamed Herod the Tetrarch who in his great glorie and triumphe hauing yut to death S. Iames the brother of S. Ihon Euangelist and imprisoned S. Peter was soone after in a publique assemblie of Princes and Nobles at Caesarea striken from heauen with a most horrible disease wherby his bodie putrified and was eaten with vermine as both S. Luke reporteth and Iosephus confirmeth And the same Iosephus with no small maruaile in hym self declareth that at the verie time when he wrote his storie which was aboute 70 yeares after the death of Herod the first the whole progenie and ofspring kinred and familie of the said Herod which he sayeth was exceeding great by reason he had niene wiues together with many children brothers sisters nephews and kinsefolke were all extinguished in most miserable sorte and gaue a testimonie saith Iosephus to the world of the most vaine confidence that men doe put in humane felicitie And as thes punishements lighted openlie vpon Iesus professed enimies in Iurie So escaped not also the Romans their chastissement I meane such as especiallie had their handes in persecution of hym or of his followers after hym For first of Pontius Pilate that gaue sentence of death against hym we reade that after great disgrace receyued in Iurie he was sent home into Italie and ther by manifold disfauours shewed vnto him by the Emperour his maister sel into such desperation as he slewe him self with his owne handes And secondlie of the very Emperours them selues who liued from Tyberius vnder whom Iesus suffred vnto Constātine the great vnder whom Christian religion tooke dominion ouer the world which contained the space of three hūdreth yeares very few or none escaped the manifest scourges of Gods dreadful iustice shewed vpon them at the knitting vp of their daies For examples sake Tyberius that permitted Christians to liue freely and made a lawe against their molestation as before hath bene shewed died peaceably in his bedde But Caligula that folowed him for his contempt shewed against al diuine power in making him self a God was soone after murdered by the cōspiracie of his dearest friendes Nero also who first of al other beganne persecution against the Christians within fewe monethes after he had put S. Peter and S. Paul to death in Rome hauing murdered in like manner his owne mother brother wife maister was vpon the sudaine from his glorious estate and maiestie throwen doune into such horrible distresse and confusion in the sight of al men as being condemned by the Senate to haue his heade thrust into a pillorie and ther most ignominiously to be whipped to death was cōstrained for auoiding th' execution of that terrible sentence to massacre him self with his owne handes by the assistance of such as were dearest vnto him The like might be shewed in the tragical endes of Galba Otho Vitellius Domitian Commodus Pertinax Iulian Macrinus Antoninus Alexander Maximinus Gordianus Aurelianus Decius Gallus Volutianus Aemilianus Valerianus Galienus Caius Carinus Maximianus Maxentius Licinius and others whos miserable deathes a noble man Councellour wel neare a thousand yeares past did gather against Zosimus a heathen writer to shew therby the pouerful hand of
men in this life For of this were vttered thos wordes especiallie beare in minde the last end of all thinges and thon shalt iot synne euerlastinglie Which holie Dauid seemed to haue experienced in hym self when he wrote as foloweth I haue obserued the vvayes of my Lord neither haue I committed vvickedness against my God for that his iudgements vvere alvvaye in my sight and his iustice I haue not cast out of my mynd And by thes meanes I shal be vnspotted in his presence and vvill keepe my self from committing iniquitie Hence it is that the blessed Prophet Moyses when he saw the people of Israel careles in committing synne cried out in zeale ō foolishe Nation vvithout vvisdom or councel vvould God they had vvitt and vnderstanding and vvould forsee the end of thinges to come As who would say if they had so much witt as to consider this and what accompt they must gyue to God at the last day of their doinges they would not offend hym as they doe But as the scripture saith in an other place for that this day of reconing is disterred and for that Gods iudgment is not pronounced presentelie against the vvicked the children of men doe commit vvickednes daylie vvithout ail feare We haue then to consider in this place for our owne instruction and good admonishement in life what maner of accompting daye this shal be whos remembrance is so much and often commended vnto vs in holie scripture For better conceyuing wherof we shall deuide this chapter into three principal heades or pointes The first wherof shal be of preparatiōs or preābles assigned to goe before this daye The second of thinges that shall passe and be executed at that daye The third of that which is to ensue vpon the sentence gyuen and the iudgement ended CONCERNING THE FIRST it is to be noted that for the more dread and Maiestie of this great daie the eternal wisdome of God hath ordained and reuealed vnto vs that before the comming therof when it approcheth nere thershal most wonderful and horrible preparations signes and tokens appeare in the world The first wherof shal be the garboiles tumultes and commotions of all Nations kingdomes and people vpon earth Which our Saueour hymself described in thes wordes to his Apostles VVhen you shal heare the fame or brute of vvarres and vprores be not afraid for that thes thinges must be and yet presently the ende of the world shal not ensue One nation shal rise against an other and one kingdome shal impugne another ther shal be great earth-quakes pestilence and famine most terrible signes and tokens from heauē Vpon which wordes of our Saueour the blessed father S. Gregorie hath this discourse The last tribulation must haue many tribulations going before it and by thes manifold afflictions precedēt are declared the eternal afflictions that must ensue And therfore Christ said that after warres and vprores the ende should not immediatly folowe for that it behoueth that many transitorie calamities should goe before to denounce vnto vs the endles woes which are to come after Thes warres tumultes and most dreadfull confusions here signified by Christ are specified more plainly in other places of holie writ but especially by Ezechiel Daniel and S. Ihon in his reuelations Wher it is prophetied that a litle before the last general daie of iudgment ther shal be reuealed the man of sinne called Antechrist who after the conquest of many kings kingdomes shal make hym self the Monarch and absolute owner of the world and shal exercise vpon good Christians more barbarous crueltie and shed more innocent blood within the space of three yeares and a half which shal be the terme of his outragious tirannie then al other ennimies of God haue done from the beginning The matter is described most strangely by the Prophete Ezechiel Who after declaration of one most bloodie bataile to be fought by Ierusalem wherin he saieth figuratiuely that the weapons of such as shal be slaine shal be sufficient to make fire for seuen yeares after he adioyneth in the person of God this narration I haue spoken in my zeale and in the fire of my wrath haue I promised that in the last daies when Gog and Magog shal come into the world by thes names are signified the armie of Antechrist ther shal be a great commotion vpon the earth and the fishe of the sea the birdes of the aire the beastes of the field al that crecpeth on the groūd together with al humane generation which liueth vpon the face of the earth shal be in an vprore before my face Hilles shal be ouerturned hedges shal be broken doune euery strong wal shal fal to the ground I wil cal against them the sword from the toppes of al mountaines and euery mans sword shal be bent against his owne brother My iudgment shal be in pestilence and blood and vehement stormes in huge stones that shal fal doune I wil raine fire and brimstone c. And thou sonne of mā tel vnto al the foules birdes of the aire and to al the rauenous beastes of the field assemble your selues make haste come together from al quarters to feede of the sacrifice which I shal prepare vnto you a great sacrifice vpon the mountaines of Israel You shal eate the flesh of stoute champions and shall drincke the blood of Princes You shall feede of their fat vntil you be cloide and you shal drincke their bloode til you be druncke You shal be filled at this my table and al Nations shal see this my iudgement that I haue exercised and in what maner I haue stretched out my potent hād vpon them Thus much hath the word of God and muche more which for breuitie I doe omit of the greate miseries cōfusions that shal be among men some litle time before the daie of iudgment Which time being expired ther shal ensue other preparations in the heauens and eliments of the world much more dreadful then thes Which by Christ hym self and his Saintes are described in this maner At that daie ther shal be signes in the Sunne in the Moone in the starres The sunne shal be darkened the moone shal giue no light the starres shal fal from the skies and al the powers of heauen shal be moued The firmament shal forsake his situation with great violence the elements shal be dissolued with heat and the whole earth with al that is in it shal be consumed with fire The firme land shal moue and leaue her place and shal flie away like a doae the pressures of Nations vpō earth shal be inestimable by reason of thes thinges and through the confusion of hideous noise from the sea and floudes and men shal wither away and drie vp for feare and expectation of the thinges which at that day shal happen to the vniuersal world Thus farre out of the Ghospel But S. Iohn the
dearly beloued disciple of our Saueour setteth out the same more at large according as it was reuealed vnto him i this maner I heard saieth he a voice like the sound of a thunder saing come and see and I did see And beholde a white horse and one that sat vpon him that had a bowe and he went to conquere After which folowed a blacke horse and he that rode vpon him had a paire of balance in his hande After him passed forth a pale horse and he that sat vpon him was called DEATH and HEL folowed behinde him and he had authoritie giuen to him to slea by sword by death and by the beastes of the earth The earth did shake the sunne grewe blacke like a sacke the moone like blood the Starres fel from heauē the skie doubled it self like a folded booke euery hil and Iland was moued from his place the kinges of the earth and princes and tribunes and the riche and stoute hid thē selues in dennes and in the rockes of hilles Then appeared ther seuen Angels with seuen trumpetes and eche one prepared him self to blowe his blast At the first blast came ther haile and fire mixt with blood At the second blast came a whole mountaine of burning fire into the sea and the third part of the sea was made blood At the third blast fel ther a great Starre from heauen named Absinthiū burning like a torch and infected the riuers and fountaines At the fourth blast was stricken doune the third part of the sunne moone Starres an egle flewe into the element crying with a hideous voice woe woe woe to al them that dwel vpon the earth At the fifte blast fel an other starre from heauen which had the keye of the pit of hel he opened the pit and ther arose a smoke as from a great fornace and ther came forth certaine locustes like scorpions who tormented al such as had not the marke of God in their foreheads And at thes daies men shal seeke death and shal not finde it And thes locustes were like barbed horses with Crounes on their heads Their faces like men their heare like women their teeth like lions and the noise of their winges like the noise of many chariotes running together their tales like scorpiōs and their stinges were in their tailes their king was an Angel of hel named Abbadō which signifieth an vtter destroier At the sixt blast of the trumpet were loosed foure Angels tied before then rushed forth an army of horsmen in number twentie hundreth times tē thousand And I sawe the horses and they which sat vpon them had brestplaces of fire and brimstone The heads of thes horses were as lions out of their mouthes came fire smoke and brimstone wherby they slewe the third part of men which had not repented and their strength was in their tales which were like serpentes Then was ther an Angel which putting one foote vpon the sea an other vpon the land did sweare by him that liueth for euer and euer that after the blast of the seuenth trumpet ther should be no more time And so when the seuenth Angel had sounded ther came great voices from heauen saying the kingdome of this world is made to our Lord and his Christ and he shal raigne foreuer And I heard a great voice saying to the seuen Angels goe and poure out seuen cuppes of Godes wrath vpon the earth and so they did And the first brought forth cruel woundes vpō men The lecōd turned the sea into redde blood The third turned the riuers and fountaines into like blood The fourth afflicted men with fire and made them blaspheme God The fifte made them eate their owne tongues for sorowe The sixt dried vp the water And I sawe three foule spirites like frogges issue out of the mouth of a dragon And finally the seuenth cuppe being poured out ther came a mightie voice from the throne of God saying it is dispatched And ther folowed lightenings and thunders and voices and earthquakes such as neuer were since men dwelt vpon the earth Thus farre this Apostle Euange list and prophet S. Iohn And now tel me my good Christiā brother is it possible for any tongue either humane or Angelical to expresse a thing more forceblie thē this is here set doune what mortal hart can chuse but tremble euen at the reading and remembrāce only of thes inspeakable and incomprehensible terrours What maner of daie will that be trowest thou when the heauens shal mourne the whole earth shal shake the sunne and moone loose their light the Starres fal doune the sea and floods forsake their chanels and natural courses al the elementes be dissolued the face of the earth ouerflowed with blood and the vniuersal world on a flaming fire Is it maruaile now if the Scriptures auouch that the iust men and Angels them selues shal be afraid of that daie And then to reason as S. Peter doth if innocency Iustice shal scarsely esteeme them selues secure in that fearful trial what shal become of sinne and iniquitie what shal become I saie of the careles and dissolute Christian when he shal see so infinite a sea of miseries rushe vpon him O that mē would thincke vpon this daie while they haue yet time O that they would awake and prepare them selues by vertuous life to stand secure confident at this woful houre Who is ther now a daye which taketh that care that holy Ierome did who was wont to saie hauing much lesse cause then wee that he did neuer eate nor drincke nor sleepe nor take any other action in hand without the fearful remembrance of this accompting daie And this of the preparations There foloweth the execution of thinges done in that iudgment VVHEN THE FORMER preparations shal be fulfilled and finished and the whole world brought to that pitiful state and plight which I haue described then saieth the Scripture shal the signe of the fonne of man appeare in the skie and al the tribes of the earth shal see him cōming in the cloudes of heauē amiddest al his Angels with much power and glorie in great authoritie and maiestie And ther in a moment in the twinckling of an eye he shal send his Angels with a trūpet with a great crie at midnight they shal gather together his elect from the foure partes of the world euen from heauen to earth Hitherto are the wordes of holie Scripture Wherin is set doune the first act of this dreadful iudgment which is the cōming of the Iudge to his throne and tribunal seate so much the more terrible and ful of maiestie in this his second appearāce by how much more contemptible he was and despised in his first being vpon earth for the worke of our redemption So S. Iohn affirmed that he which was siaine as a lambe should come againe to iudge as a Lion Of which
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
loue and how can I haue the harte to offend thee hereafter seing thou hast preuented me so manie wayes with benefites euen when I demaunded not the same Can I haue hādes euermore to sinne agaīst thee which hast gyuen vp thine owne handes to be nayled on the crosse for me No no it is to great an iniurie agaīst thee ô Lord and woe worth me that haue dōneit so oftē heretofore But by thy holy assistāce I trust not to returne to such iniquitie for the time to come to which I beseeche the for thy mercie sake from thy holie throne of heauen to saye Amen OF WHAT OPINION WE SHAL BE CONCERNING THE MATTERS AFORsaid at the time of our death As also vvhat our state shal be at that passage and hovv different our iudgement from that it is novv CHAPT X. THE holy scriptures doe teach vs and experience maketh it plaine that during the time of this life the commodities prefermentes pleasures of the world doe possesse so stronglie the hartes of manie men and doe hold them chained with so forcible enchauntmentes being forsaken also vpon their iust desertes of the grace of God that saye and threaten what a man can and bring against then all the whole scripture euen from the begynning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalips as in decde it is al against synne and synners yet wil it preuaile nothing with them being in that lamentable case as either they beleeue not or esteeme not what so euer is saide to that purpose against their setled lyfe and resolution to the contrarie Of this we haue infinite examples in scripture as of Sodome and Gomorra with the cities ther about which would not heare the warninges that good I ot gaue vnto thē Of Pharao also and his court whom al that euer Moyses could doe ether by signes or sayinges moued nothing at al. Of Iudas in like maner who by no sweet meanes or sharpe threatninges vsed to him by his maister could be brought to change his wicked resolution But especially the holy Prophets sent by God from tyme to tyme to dissuade the people from their noughtie life and consequentlie to deliuer them from the plagues that hanged ouer them doe gyue abundant testimonie of this matter complaining cuerie where of the hardnes of synners hartes that wold not be moued with al the exhortations preachings promisses allurementes exclamations threatnings and thunderinges that they could vse The Prophet Zacharie shal testifie for all in this behalf who faieth of the people of Israel a litle before their destruction This sayeth the Lord of hostes iudge iustije wherunto presentlie he addeth And they vvould not attende but turning their backes vvent avvaye and stopped their eares to the ende they might not neare and they did obdurate their hartes as an adamant stone to the end they might not heare the lavve and the vvordes vvhich God did send in his spirite by the handes of the former Prophetes vvherby godes great indignatiō vvas stirred vp against them This then is and alwayes hath bene the maner of dissolute worldlinges and reprobare people to harden their hartes as an adamant stone against any thing that can be told them for the amendement of their liues and for the sauing of their soules Whiles they are in health and prosperitie they wil not know God as in an other place himself complaineth But yet as the Prophet saieth God wil haue his daye with thes men also when he wil be knowen And this is cognoscetur Dominus iudicia saciēs God wil be knowen when he begineth to doe iudgmēt which is at the daye of their death being in deed the next dore to their iudgement according as S. Paul testifieth saying it is appointed for al men once to die and after that ensevveth iudgement This I saye is the day of God most terrible sorowful and ful of tribulation to the wicked wherin God wil be knowen to be a righteous God and to restore to euerie man according as he hath donne vvhile he liued or as the Prophet describeth it he vvilbe knovven then to be a terrible God and such as one as taketh avvaye the spirite of princes a terrible God to the kinges of the earth At this daye as there wil be a great change in al other thinges mirth being turned into sorow laughinges into weepinges pleasures into paines stoutnes into feare pride into despaire and the like so especiallie wil there be a strange alteration in the iudgement and opinion of men for that the wisedome of God wherof I haue spoken in the former chapters and which as the scripture saieth is accounted folie by the vvise of this vvorld wil then appeare in her likenes and as it is in verie deede wil be confessed by her greatest enimies to be the onlie true wisedome and al carnal wisdome of worldlinges to be meere folie as God calleth it This the holie scripture setteth downe clerelie when it describeth the verie speeches and lamentations of the wise men of this world at the last daye concerning the state of holy men whom they despised in this life We senseles mē did esteeme their life to be mere madnes their end to be dishonorable but looke how they are now acconnted among the children of God and their portion is with the sainctes We haue erred from the waye of trueth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined before vs nether hath the sunne of vnderstanding appeared vnto vs. We haue weried out our selues in the waye of iniquitie and perdition and we haue walked craggie pathes but the waye of our Lord we haue not knowen Hytherto are the wordes of holie scripture wherby we may perceyue what great change and alteration of iudgement there wil be at the last daye from that which men haue now what consessing of folie what acknowledging of errour what hartie sorow for laboure lost what fruiteles repentance for hauing runne a-wrie O that men would ponder and consider attentiuely these thinges now VVe haue vveried out our selues saye thes miserable men in the vvayes of iniqnitie and perdition and vve haue vvalked craggie pathes What a description is this of lamentable wordlinges who beate their braines dailie and wearie out them selues in the pursute of vanitie and chasse of this worlde for which they suffer notwithstanding more paine often times then doe the iust in purchasing of heauen And when they arriue at the last daie to the gate of death weried and worne out with trouble and toyle they finde that al their labour is lost all their vexation taken in vaine For that the litle pelfe which they haue scraped together in this world for which they haue struggled and drudged so extremely wil auaile thē nothing at that instant but rather encrease exceedingly the burden of their afflictions Which afflictions shal be so manifold greeuous and intollerable in the wicked as no mind created
almightie God to frame an other creature farre in nature inferiour vnto this to fil vp the places of such as were fallen and therupō created man of a peece of claye appointing him to liue in this world as a place of entertainmēt trial for a time which place God notwithstanding determined afterward to destroie againe But yet in creating this transitorie world which is but a base cotage in regard of his own eternal habitation cōsider god reader what power what magnificence what Maiestie he hath shewed what heauens how wonderful hath he created what infinit starres and other lights hath he deuised what elements hath he framed and how maruailouslie hath he compacted thē together The seas tossing and tumbling without rest and replenished with infinite sortes of fish the riuers running incessantlie through the earth like veins in mans bodie and yet neuer emptie nor ouerflowing the same the earth it self so furnished with al varietie of creatures as the hundreth part thereof is not vsed nor emploied by man but onelie remaineth to shew the ful hand and strong arme of the Creator And al this as I saied was done in an instant with one word onelie and that for the vse of a smal time in respect of the other future life which is to endure for al eternitie What then may we imagine that the habitation prepared for that eternitie shal be If the cotage of his meanest seruant and that made onelie for a time to beare of as it were a shower of raine be so princelie so gorgeous so magnificēt so Maiestical as we see this world is what must we think that the kings palace it self is appointed for al eternitie for him self and his friends to raigne together We must needes think it to be as great as the power and wisdome of the maker could reach to perfourme that is incomparablie and aboue al measure infinite The greate king Assuerus which raigned in Asia ouer a hundred twentie and seuen prouinces to discouer his power riches vnto his subiects made a feast as the scripture sayeth in his great citie of Susa to al the princes states and potentates of his dominions for a hundred and fourscore dayes together Esay the prophet sayeth that our God and Lord of hosts wil at the last daie make a solemne banquet to al his people vpon the hil and mount of heauen and that a haruest banquet of fat meates and pure wines And this banquet shal be so solemne as the very sonne of God him self chiefe Lord and Patrone of the feast shal be contēt to gird him self and to serue in the same as by his owne wordes he promiseth What maner of banquet then shal this be how magnificent and maiestical especiallie seing it hath not onely to endure a hundred and fower score dayes as that of Assuerus did but more then a hundred and fourscore millions of ages not serued by men as Assuerus feast was but by Angels and by the verie sonne of God him self not to open the power and riches of a hundred tuentie and seuen prouinces but euen of Almightie God the king of kings and Lorde of Lordes whose power riches are without end and greater then al his creatures put together can cōceaue How glorious a banquet shal this be then how triumphant the ioy of this festiual daye how in comprehensible a blisse to be partaker therof O most miserable and foolish children of Adam that are borne to so rare and singular a dignitie and yet can not be brought to cōsider loue or esteeme of the same Other many thinges ther be wherby to coniecture the exceeding greatnes of this reward and felicitie as for example to consider that if God haue geuen so many pleasures and comfortable giftes in this life as we sec innumerable in the world being a place notwithstanding of banishment an habitation of sinners a vale of miserie and appointed only for a time of repenting weeping mourning and bewailing what wil he doe in the life to come to the iust to his friends in the time of ioye mariage of his sonne This was a most forcible consideration with good S. Augustin who in the secret speech of his soule with God said thus O my Lord if thou for this vile bodie of oures hast geuen vs so great and innumerable benefites from the firmament from the ayer from the earth from the sea by light by darkenesse by heate by shadow by dewes by showers by windes by raines by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by multitude of hearbes and varietie of plants and by the ministerie of al thy creatures O swet Lord what maner of things how great how good how innumerable are thos which thou hast prepared for vs in our heauelie Countrie where we shal see thee face to face If thou doe so greate things for vs in our prison what wilt thou geue vs in our palace If thou geuest so many things in this world to good and euil men together what hast thou laid vp for onelie good men in the world to come if thine enemies and friends together are so wel prouided for in this life what shal thy onelie friēds receaue in the life to come if there be so great solaces in these daies of teares what ioye shal there be in that day of mariage if our iaile and prison containe so great matters what shal our Countrie and kingdome doe O my Lord and God thou art a great God and great is the multitude of thy magnificence and svvetnes and as there is no end of thy greatnes nor number of thy mercies nor depth of thie wisdome nor measure of thy benignitie so is there neither end number depth length greatnes or measure of thy rewardes to them that loue thee doe fight for thee Hitherto S. Augustin An other meane wherby to conceaue some parte of this reward in the life to come is to remember and weigh the manifold promisses of almightie God to honour and glorifie al thos that shal loue serue him VVhosoeuer shal honor me saieth he I vvil make him glorious and the prophet Dauid as it were complaineth ioifullie that Gods friends were to much honoured by him Which he might with much more cause haue said if he had liued in the new testament and had heard that promisse of Christ whereof I spake before that his seruants should sit doune banquet and that him self wold serue and minister vnto them in the kingdome of his father What vnderstanding can cōceaue how great this honour shal be But yet in some part it may be gessed by that he saieth that they shal sit in iudgement with him and as S. Paul addeth shal be Iudges not onelie of men but also of Angels It may also be coniectured by the exceeding great honour which he at certaine times hath done to his seruants euen in this life wherin notwithstanding they are
vnde pendet aeternitas This life is the momēt wherof dependeth al eternitie of weal or woe hereafter If it be but a moment deare brother and yet a moment of so great consequence and importance how is it passed ouer by earthelie men with so litle care and cogitation what reason may be alleaged of this so dangerous a negligence what cause may be assigned of so extreme a follie Al the creatures of earth heauen and hel euen from the very first to the last if thou examine them al may be argumentes and motiues vnto thee to leaue this perilous course wherin thou art al are or may be bookes lessons and sermōs vnto thee preaching and protesting some by their punishment some by their glorie some by their beautie and al by their creation that thou oughtest without delay to make resolution of an other kinde of life and that al is vanitie al is folie al is iniquitie al is miserie besides the onelie seruice of thie Lord and maker And so with this wil I make here an ende of this first part reseruing some other things to be spoken in the second for remouing of such impedimēts as our spiritual aduersarie is wont to cast against this good worke of Resolution as against the first step and degree of our saluation Our Lord God Sauiour Iesus Christ who was content to paye his own pretious blood for the purchasing of this noble inheritance of his kingdome vnto vs geue vs his holy grace to esteeme of it as the great weight of the matter requireth and not by negligence to loose our title and portion therin The end of the first part containing motiues to resolution THE SECOND PARTE WHICH TREATETH OF THE LETTES and impedimentes that hinder resolution THE PREFACE IN the former parte of this booke gentle reader ther haue bene layed doune sundry reasons and considerations wherby to stirre vp men to the firme resolution of seruing God which might be sufficient no doubt to that effect the nature of vertue being also cōsidered which of her self draweth reasonable men to loue and admiration of her were not the subtiltie of our spiritual enimie very greate and dangerous in this behalfe and his indeuours most diligent against our purpose For so it fareth that when he seeth by the former reasons and demonstrations alleaged that the iudgement of man is conuinced in the pointes which are treated and that it can no longer resist or deny but that the onlie true wisdome were in deed to breake of from the vanities and sinful life of this world and to be-take our selues to the gainful 〈◊〉 mightie God then this infernal foe 〈◊〉 able further to delude our iudgemente 〈◊〉 blynd our vnderstandings imployeth him self by al meanes possible for retaining of his pray to stay our wil from yelding consent vnto our iudgement all eaging for his dissuation either the difficultie of obtaining pardon or the paines and hardnes of vertuous life or the losse of worldlie honour and earthlie commodities or some other such like fraude or trifle wherby to let and hinder our resolution or at least wise to prolonge it so farre forth as he may be in hope that we shal neuer make it afterwards to our gaine or comfort For preuenting of which malitious and most perilous indeuour of our ghostelie aduersarie this second parte is adioined conteining the cheefe and principal impedimentes that vsuallie doe rise against resolution the remooual and confutation of which lettes and impedimentes shal bring no smal light vnto the studious reader for the true vnderstanding both of his owne estate and of the deceptes and illusions vsed towards him by his enimie Read then this parte also deare Christian brother vvith no lesse diligence then the former for that the profit therof shal be equal and thy contentement perhapes farre greater in respect of the varietie of matters handled therin and of the manifold comfortes which thy soule in perufing shal receaue therby OF THE FIRST IMPEDIMENT THAT IS WONT TO LET SINNERS from resolution VVhich is the mistrust and diffidence in Gods mercie through the multitude and grieuousnes of their offences CHAPT I. AMONG al other gricuous and most perilous cogitatiōs which in this world are accustomed to offer them selues to a mind entangled and lode with great sinnes this vsually is the first thorough the nature of sinne it self and craftie suggestion of our ghostly enemie to fal into distrust and despaire of Gods mercie Such was the cogitation of most vnhappie Cain one of the first inhabitantes of mankind vpon earth who after the murther of his owne only brother and other sinnes by him committed brust furth into that horrible and desperate speech so greatly offensiue to his Lord and Maker mine iniquitie is greater then that I may hope for pardon Such was in like maner the desperate conceit of wicked Iudas one of the first of them that were chosen to the peculiar seruice of our Redeemer who feeling his conscience oppressed with manifold enormous iniquities and most of al with the prodition of his owne Lord maister tooke no other ware of amendment or redresse but to destroie him self both in bodie and soule adioining only thos words ful of miserable distrust and desperation I haue sinned in betraying the innocent and iust blood By which wordes and most wreched ende he more grieuouslie offended and iniuried his most louing merciful Saueour then by al his former iniquities committed against him This then most louing brother is the first and greatest rocke wherat a sinful soule ouerburdened with the charge of her owne iniquities and tossed in the waues of dredful cogitations by the blastes and stormes of Gods threats against sinners doth commonlie make her shipwrake This is that most horrible depth and dungeon wher of the holie Scripture saieth The impious man vvhen he is come into the botome and prosonditie of his sinnes contemneth al. This is that remediles sore and incurable wound wherwith God him self charged Ierusalem when he said Insanabilis fractura tua Thy rupture is irremediable And the Prophet Michaeas considering the same people thorough the multitude of their wickednes to eneline now to despaire of Gods goodnes towards them brake forth into this most pitiful complaint for this vvil I vveepe and lament extremely I vvil strippe of my clothes and vvander naked I vvil rore like vnto Dragons and sound out my sorovve as Strutbious in the desert for that the vvound and maladie of my people is desperate This is that great and maine impediment that stoppeth the conduits of Gods holie grace from flowing into the soule of a sinful man This is the knif that cutteth in sunder al thos heauely blessed cordes wherwith our sweet Lord and Saneour endeuoureth to draw vnto repentance the hartes of sinners saing by his prophete I vvil pul them vnto me vvith the chaines of loue and charitie For by this meanes
the temptations of the world and deuil the resisting wherof is much more difficult in time of peace and wealth then in time of external affliction and persecution for that thes enemies are stronger in flatterie then in force which a godly father expresseth by this parable The sunne and wind saieth he agreed one day to proue their seueral strengthes in taking a cloke from a waiefaring man And in the forenoone the wind vsed al violence that he could to blow of the said clok But the more he blew the more fast held the trauailer his clock and gathered it more closely about him At after noone the sunne sent forth her pleasant beames by litle and litle so entered into this man as he caused him to yeeld to put of not onely his cloke but also his cote Whereby is proued saieth this father that the allurementes of pleasure are more strong and harder to be resisted then the violence of persecution The like is shewed by the example of king Dauid who resisted easily many assaults of aduersitie but yet fel dangerously in time of prosperitie Wherby appeareth that vertuous men haue no lesse warre in time of peace then in time of persecution Nor euer wanteth there occasion of bearing the crosse and suffering affliction to him that wil accept of the same And this may susfice for this first point to proue that euery man must enter into heauen by tribulation as S. Paul saieth The second part TOVCHING THE second why God wold haue this matter so it were sufficiēt to aunswer that it pleased him best so without seeking any further reason of his meaning herein euen as it pleased his diuine Maiestie without al reason in our sight to abase his sonne so much as to send him hither into this world to suffer and die for vs. Or if we wil needes haue a reason hereof this one might be sufficiēt for al that seing we looke for so great a glory as we doe we should labour a litle first for the same and so shew our selues worthie of Gods fauour and exaltation But yet for that it hath pleased his diuine Maiestie not onely to open vnto vs his wil and determination for our suffering in this life but also diuers reasons of his most holy purpose and pleasure therin for our further encouragement and consolation that doe suffer I wil in this place repeate some of the same for declaration of his exceeding great loue and fatherlie care towardes vs. THE FIRST cause then and the most principal is to encrease therby our merit and glorie in the life to come For hauing appointed by his eternal wisdome and iustice that none shal be crouned there but according to the measure of his fight in this world the more and greater cōbates that he geueth together with sufficient grace to ouercome them the greater crowne of glorie prepareth he for vs at our resurrection This cause toucheth S. Paul in the wordes before alleaged of the saintes of the olde testament to wit that they receaued no redemption from their miseries in this world to the end they might find a better resurrection in the world to come This also meant Christ expresselie when he saied Happie are they vvhich suffe persecutiō for theirs is the kingdom of heauen happie are you vvhen men speake euil and persecute you c. reioyse be glad I saye for that your revvard is great in heauē Hereunto also appertaine al those promises of gaining life by leesing life of receauing a hundred for one and the like Herehence do procede al those large promises to virginitie and chastitie and to such as geld them selues for the kingdom of heauen to voluntarie pouertie and to the renouncing of our owne wil by obedience Al which are greate conflictes against the fleshe world and our owne sensualitie and can not be performed but by sufferings and affliction Finally S. Paul declareth this matter fullie when he sayeth that a litle and short tribulation in this life vvorketh a beape of glorie aboue al measure in the hight of heauen THE SECOND cause why God appointed this is to draw vs therby from the loue of the world his professed enemie as in the next chapter shal be shewed at large This cause S. Paul vttereth in these wordes VVe are punished of God in this life to the end vve should not be damned vvith this vvorld In like maner as a Nurse that to weane her child from the loue and liking of her milke dothe anointe her teat with Aloes or some other such bitter thing so our merciful Father that wolde retire vs. from the loue of wordlie delites wherby infinite men doe perish daily vseth to send tribulation which of al other thinges hath most force to woorke that effect as we see in the example of the prodigal sonne who could by no meanes be stayed from his pleasures and retired home to his olde Father but onelie by affliction THIRDLIE God vseth tribulation as a most present and soueraine medicine to heale vs of many diseases otherwise almost incurable As first of a certaine blindenes and careles negligence in our estate contracted by wealth and prosperitie In which sense holy scripture saieth that affliction geueth vnderstanding And the wise man affirmeth that the rodde bringeth vvisdom This was shewed in figure when the sight of Tobie was restored by the bitter gaule of a fish And we haue cleare examples in Nabuchodonasor Saul Antiochus and Manasses al wich came to see their owne faultes by tribulation which they wolde neuer haue done in time of prosperitie The like we read of the brethren of Ioseph who falling into some affliction in Egypt presentlie entred into their owne conscience and sayd VVe suffer those thinges vvorthely for that vve sinned against our brother And as tribulation bringeth this light wherby we see our owne defectes so helpeth it greatlie to remoue and cure the same wherin it may be wel likened vnto the rodde of Moyses For as that rodde striking the hard rockes brought foorth water as the scripture saieth so this rodde of affliction falling vpon stonie harted sinners mollifieth them to contrition and often times bringeth forth the fluddes of teares to repentance In respect wherof holy Tobie saieth to almightie God In time of tribulation thou forgeuest sinnes And for like 〈◊〉 it is compared also to a file of yron which taketh away the rust of the soule In like maner to a purgation that driueth out corrupt humours And finallie to a goldsmithes forge which cōsumeth away the refuse metals and fineth the gold to his perfection I vvil trie thee by fire to the quick saieth God to a sinner by Esay the prophet and I vvil take avvaie al thy tinne and refuse metal And againe by Ieremie I vvil melt them and trye them by fire This he meant of the fire of tribulation whose propertie is according
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
wrake A day and a night was I in the bottome of the sea oftentimes in iourneys in dangers of fluddes in dāgers of theeues in dangers of Iewes in dāgers of Gentiles in dangers of the citie in dāgers of wildernes in dangers of sea in dangers of false brethren in labour and trauaile in much watching in hungar and thirst in much fasting in cold and lack of clothes and besides al thes external thinges the matters that dailie doe depēd vpō me for my vniuersal care of al Churches By this we may see now whether Christs holy Apostles taught vs more by wordes then they shewed by their owne examples about the necessitie of suffering in this life Christ might haue prouided for them if he would at leastwise thinges necessarie to their bodies and not haue suffered them to come into thes great extremities of lacking clothes to their backes meate to their mouthes and houses to pat their heades in He that gaue thē authoritie to doe so manie other miracles might haue suffered them also to haue procured sufficient maintenance for their bodies which should be the first miracle that worldly men would worke if they had such authoritie Christ might haue saied to Peter when he sent him to take his tribut from out of the fishes mouth take so much more as wil suffice for your necessary expēces when you trauaile ouer foraine countries But he woulde not nor yet diminish the great afflictions which I haue shewed before though he loued them as dearely as euer he loued his owne soule Al which was done as S. Peter interpreteth to geue vs example what to folow what to looke for what to desire what to comsort our selues in amiddest the greatest of al our tribulatiōs Saint Paul vseth this as a principal consideration when he writeth thus to the Hebrewes vpon the recital of the sufferinges of other saintes before thē Wherfore we also brethren saieth he hauing so great a multitude of witnesses that haue suffered before vs let vs lay of al burdens of sinne hanging vpon vs and let vs runne by patience vnto the battaile offered vs fixing our eyes vpon the authour of our saith and fulfiller of the same IESVS who putting the ioyes of heauen before his eyes sustained patiētly the Crosse contemning the shame and confusion therof and therfore now sitteth at the right hand of the seate of God Thinke vpon him I say which sustained such a contradictiō against him self at the hādes of sinners be not wearie nether faint yee in courage For you haue not yet resisted against sinne vnto blood and you haue for gotten perhaps that comfortable saying which speaketh vnto you as vnto children My sonne doe not contemne the discipline of our Lord and be not vvearie vvhee thou art chastised of him For whom God loueth he chastiseth and he whippeth euery sonne whom he receaueth Perseuer therfore in the correctiō laied vpon you God offereth him self to you as to his children For what child is there whom the father correcteth not if you be out of correction wherof al his children are made partakers then are you bastardes not children Al correction for the present time when it is suffered seemeth vnpleasant and sorowful but yet after it bringeth foorth most quiet fruite of iustice vnto them that are exercised by it Wherfore strengthen vp your wearie handes and loosed knees make way to your feete c. That is take courage vnto you and goe forward valiantly vnder the Crosse laied vpon you This was the exhortation of this holy captaine vnto his countrie man souldiers of IESVS Christ the Iewes Saint Iames the brother of our Lord vseth an other exhortation in his Catholike epistle to al Catholikes not much different from this Be you therfore patient my brethren saith he vntil the cōming of our Lord. Beholde the husbandman expecteth for a time the fruite of the earth so pretious vnto him bearing patientlie vntil he may receaue the same in his season be you therfore patient and comfort your hartes for that the cōming of our Lord wil shortlie draw neere Be not sadde and complaine not one of an other Beholde the Iudge is euen at the gate Take the prophetes for an example of labour and patience who spake vnto vs in the name of God Beholde we account them blessed which haue suffered You haue heard of the sufferance of Iob and you haue seene Isa e that our Lord is merciful and ful of compassion I might here alleage many things more out of the scripture to this purpose for that the scripture is moste copious herein and in verie deed if it should al be melted and poured out it would yeld vs nothing els almost but touching the crosse and patient bearing of tribulatiō in this life But I must end for that this chapter groweth to long as the other did before And therfore I wil onelie for my conclusion set down the confession and most excellent exhortation of olde Mathathias in the time of the cruel persecution of Antiochus against the Iewes The storie is thus reported in the scripture At that time the officers of Antiochus said vnto Mathathias thou art a prince of greatest estate in this citie adorned with children and brethern come thou therfore first and doe the kinges commādement as other men haue done in Iuda and Ierusalem and thou and thy children shal be the kings freends and enriched with gold and siluer and many giftes frō him Wherto Mathathias answered with a loude voice if al nations should obey Antiochus to depart from the obedience of the lawes of their auncestours yet I my children and brethern wil folow the lawes of our fathers Let God be merciful vnto vs at his pleasure c. And the daies came of Mathathias his death and then he saied vnto his children Now is the time that pride is in her strength Now is the time of chastisemēt towardes vs the time of euersion indignation is come Now therfore ô Children be you zelous in the lawe of God yeld vp your liues for the testament of your fathers remember the workes of your auncestours what they haue done in their generations and so shal you receaue great glorie and eternal name Was not Abraham found faithful in time of temptation and it was reputed vnto him for iustice Ioseph in time of his distresse kept Gods commandementes and was made Lord ouer al Egypt Phinees our Father for his zeale towardes the lawe of God receaued the testament of an euerlasting presthode Iosue for that he fulfilled Gods word was made a captaine ouer al Israel Caleb for that he testified in the Church receaued an inheritance Dauid for his mercie obteined the seat of an eternal kingdome Elias for that he was zealous in zeale of the lawe was taken vp to heauen Ananias Azarias and Misael through their beleefe were deliuered from the flame of the fire Daniel for
his simplicitie was deliuered frō the mouth of lions And so doe you runne ouer by cogitation al generations and you shal see that al those that hope in God shal not be vanquished And doe you not seare the vvordes of a sinful man for his glorie is nothing els but dung and vvormes to daie he is great and exalted and to morovv he shal not be found for he shal returne vnto his earth againe and al his fond cogitations shal perishe Wherfore take courage vnto you my children and plaie the men in the lawe of God For ther in shal be your honour glorie Hitherto are the wordes of scripture which shal suffice for the end of this chapter THE FOVRTH AND GREATEST IMPEDIMENT THAT HINdereth resolution to witte The loue and respect vvhich men beare to the pleasures and vanities of this vvorld CHAPT IIII. AS the former impedimentes which now by Gods grace we haue remoued be in verie deed great staies to many mē from the resolutiō we talke of so this that presently we take in hand is not onely of it self a strong impediment and let but also a general cause as it were a commō ground to al other impedimentes that be or may be For if a man could touch the hidden pulse of al such as refuse or neglect or doe differre to make this resolution he should find the true cause origine therof to be the loue and respect which they beare vnto this world what soeuer other excuses they pretend besides The noble men of Iewrie pretended feare to be the cause why they could not resolue to coniesse Christ openly but S. Iohn that felt their-pulses and knew their disease vttereth the true cause to haue bene for that they loued the glory of men more then the glory of God Demas that for sooke S. Paul in his bandes euen a litle before his death pretended an other cause of his departure to Thellalonica but S. Paul saieth it was quia diligebat hoc seculū for that he loued this world So that this world is a general and vniuersal impediment and more largely dispersed in mens hartes thē outwardly appeareth for that it bringeth forth diuers other excuses therby to couer it self in the people wher it abideth This may be confirmed by that most excellent parable of our Sauiour Christ recorded by three Euangelistes concerning the three sortes of men which are to be damned and the three causes of their damnation wher of the third and last most general including as it were both the two former is the loue of this world For the first sorte of men ther mentioned are compared to a high waie wherin al seed of life that is sowen ether withereth presentlie or els is eaten vp by the birdes of the ayer which is as Christ expoundeth it by the deuils in such careles men as contemne what-soeuer is said vnto thē such are insidels heretikes and other like obstinate and contemptuous people The second sorte of damnable people are compared to rockie groundes in which for lacke of depe roote the seed that falleth continueth not and by this are signified light and vnconstant persons that now choppe in and now runne owt now are seruent and by and by keie-colde againe so in time of tēptation they are gone saith Christ. The third sorte are compared to a feild wherin the seed of life groweth vp but yet there are so many thornes about the same which one father expoundeth to be the cares troubles miseries and deceinable vanities of this life as the good corne is choked vp and bringeth soorth no fruite By which last wordes lie signifieth that whersoeuer the doctrine of Christ groweth vp yet bringeth not forth due fruite that is to saie whersoeuer his faith is planted receaued and professed as among Christians it is and yet bringeth not forth vertuous life holie conuersation good workes and due seruice of God corespōdent to this seed ther the principal cause is for that it is choked with the loue and care of this present world This is a parable of maruailous greate importance as may appeare both for that Christ after the recital therof cried out with a lowde voice He that hath eares to heare let him heare As also for that he expounded it him self in secrete onelie to his Disciples And principallie for that before the exposition therof he vsed such a solemne preface saying to you it is geuen to knovv the misteries if the kingdome of heauen but to others not for that they seing doe not see and hearing doe not heare nor vnder stand Wherby Christ signifieth that the vnderstanding of this parable among others is of singular importance for conceauing the true misteries of the kingdome of heauen and that many are blinde which seeme to see and many deafe and ignorant that seeme to heare and know for that they vnderstand not wel the misteries of this parable For which cause also his diuine wisdome maketh this conclusion before he beginne to expound the parable Happie are your eies that see and biessed are your eares that heare After which wordes he beginneth his exposition with this admonitiō Vos ergo audite parabolam Doe you therfore heare and vnderstand this parable And for that this parable doth containe and touch so much in deede as may or is needful to be saied for remouing of this greate and dangerous impediment of worldly loue I meane to staie my self onelie vpon the explication the ros in this place and wil declare the force and truth of certaine wordes here vttered by Christ of the world and worldlie pleasures And forsome order and methodes sake I wil drawal to these six pointes folowing First how and in what sense al this whole world and commodities therof are meere vanities in them selues and of no value as Christ here signifieth and consequentlie ought not to be an impedimēt to let vs from so great a matter as the kingdome of heauen and seruing of God is Secondlie how they are not onelie vanities and trifles but also Deceptions as the wordes of Christ are that is to say deceyte and fallaces not performing to vs in deede those litle trifles which they doe promise Thirdlie how they are spinae that is pricking thornes as our Saueour affirmeth albeit they seeme to worldly men to be most sweet and pleasant thinges Fourthlie how they are arumnae that is to saie miseries and afflictions Fiftlie quomodo suffocant how they strangle or choke their possessours according as the sonne of God in this parable auoucheth Sixthlie how we may vse them notwithstanding without these daungers euils and to our great comfort gaine and preferment The first point of the parable AND NOVV for the first albeit I might stande vpon many reasons and demonstrations yet doe I not see how breefly pithelie it may be better declared that al the pleasures and goodlie shewes of this world are mere vanities
now dead fower daies and also buried which signifieth the fower degrees of a sinner the first in voluntarie delectation of sinne the second in consent the third in fulfilling it by worke the fowerth in continuance or custome therof wherin whosoeuer is once buried saieth this holy father he is hardlie raised to life againe without a great miracle of God and many teares of his owne part The reason hereof is that which the wiseman saieth Languor prolixior grauat medicum an old sickenes doeth trouble the phisition Breuem autem languorem praecidit medicus But the phisition cutteth of quicklie a new or fresh disease which hath endured but a litle time The verie bones of an old vvicked man shal be replenished vvith the vices of his youth saieth Iob and they shal sleepe vvith him in the dust vvhen he goeth to his grauc We reade that Moyses in part of punishment to the people that had sinned in adoring the golden calfe broke the same in peeces and made them drinke it So the vices wherein we delited during our youth are so dispersed by custome in our bodies and bones that when old age doth come on we canne not ridde them at our pleasure without great difficultie and paine What folie then is it to deferre our amendment vnto our old age when we shal haue more impedimentes and difficulties by a great deale then we haue now If it seeme harde to thee to doe penance now to fast to praie and to take vpon thee other afslictions which the Church prescribed to sinners at their conuersion how wilt thou doe it in thy old age whē thy bodie shal haue more neede of cherishing then of punishment If thou find it vnpleasant to resist thy sinnes now and to roote them out after the continuance of two three or fower yeeres what wil it be after twentie yeres more adioined vnto them How madde a man wouldest thou esteeme him that trauailing on the waie and hauing great choise of lustie strong horses should let them al goe emptie and laie al his cariage vpon some one poore and leane beast that could skarse vphold him self and much lesse sustaine so great a burden cast vpon him And surelie no lesse vnreasonable is that man who passing ouer idlely the lustie daies and times of his lise reserueth al the labour trauaile vnto impotent and feble age But to let passe the folie of this deceit tel me good Christiā what ingratitude and iniustice is this towardes almightie God hauing receiued so many benefites from him alredie and expecting so great a paye as the kingdome of heauē is for thy seruice to appoint out notwithstanding the least and last and worst part of thy life unto his seruice that wherof thou art most vncertaine whether it shal euer be or neuer or whether God wil accept it whē it cōmeth or no He is accursed by the prophet which hauing whole and sounde cattel doth offer vnto God the lame or halting part therof How much more shalt thou be accursed who hauing so many daies of youth strength and vigour doest appoint vnto Gods seruice onelie thy limping old age In the law it was forbidden vnder a most seuere threate for any man to haue two measures in his house for his neighbour one greater to his frend and an other lesse for other men And yet thou art not ashamed to vse two measures of thy life most vnequal in preiudice of thy Lord and God wherby thou allotest to him a litle short maimed and vncertaine time of old age and vnto his enemie the world thou assignest the greatest the fairest the surest part therof O deare brother what reason is there why God should thus be vsed at thy handes what lawe iustice or equitie is this that after thou hast serued the world flesh and deuil al thy youth and best daies in the end to come and thrust thine old bones defiled and worne out with sinne into the dish of thy Creatour his enemies to haue the best and he the leauinges his enemies the wine and he the lies and dregges Doest thou not remember that he wil haue the fat and best part offered to him Doest thou not thinke of the punishment of thos who offered the worst part of their substance to God Folow the counsaile then of the holie Ghost if thou be wise which warneth thee in thes wordes Be mindeful of thy Creator in the daies of thy youth before the time of affliction come on before thos yeeres dravv neere of vvhich thou shalt saie they please me not How many hast thou sene cut of before thine eyes in the middest of their daies whiles they purposed in time to change their life How many haue come to old age it self and yet then haue felt lesse wil of amendement then before How many haue driuen of euen vnto the verie houre of death and then least of al haue remembred their owne estate but haue died as dum ne sensles beastes according to the saying of holie S. Gregorie The sinner hath also this affliction laied vpon him that vvhen he cometh to die he forgotteth him self vvhich in his life time did forget God O how many examples are there sene herof dailie how many worldlie men that haue liued in sensualitie how many great sinners that haue passed their life in wickednes doe end and die as if they wēt into some place insensible where no account no reckening should be demanded They take such care in their testamentes for flesh and blood the commodities of this world as if they should liue stil or should haue their part of thes vanities when they are gone In trueth to speake as the matter is they die as is there were no immortalitie of the soule and that in verie deede is their inward persuasion But suppose now that al this were not so and that a man might as easilie commodiouslie yea and as surely also cōuert him self in old age as in youth and that the matter were also acceptable enough to God yet tel me what great time is their lost in this delaie what great treasure of merit is there omitted which might haue bene gotten by labour in Gods seruice If whiles the captaine and other souldiers did enter into a rich citie to take the spoile one souldier should saie I wil staie come in the next daie after when al the spoile is gone would you not thinke him both a coward and also most vnwise So it is that Christ our Sauiour and al his good souldiers tooke the spoile of this life enriched them selues with the merites of their labours caried the same with them as billes of exchange to the bancke of heauen there receaue paie of eternal glorie for them And is it not great folie and peruersnes in vs to passe ouer this life without the gayning of any meritat al Now is the time of fight for
their last extremety shal cry for help and their crie shal be as sharp to pearse mēs eares as a sword is yet notwithstāding no mā shal heare thē And thou ô Lord which onely canst help them shalt be so farre of from hearing or pitying their case as thou shalt also laugh at their miserie and destruction By al which is signified the great calamitie of such as deferre their conuersion vnto the last day expressed by three circumstances in the former sentence alleaged For first he saith they vvil turne at the euening that is at the houre of death For as the euening is the end of the day and the beginning of night euen so is this time the end of light and the beginning of al darkenes vnto the wicked In which sense Christ said I must vvorke the vvorkes of him that sent me vvhiles the day lasteth for night vvil come on vvhen no man can vvorke more At this time then that is at this euening in this twy light betwene day and darkenes when the pleasant brightnes and heate of al sunne beames is past the brightnes I meane of honour of vainglorie and of worldlie pompe is consumed when the heat of concupiscence of carnal loue of delicate pleasures is quenshed when the beautiful sommer day of this life is ended and the boisterous winter night of death draweth on thē saieth the prophet wil the wicked man beginne of force to turne vnto God then wil he forsooth repent then wil he resolue him self and make his conuersion But what shal this be accepted You haue heard the prophets request to God Non miserearis doe not take mercie on them Not for that the prophet wisheth God to be vnmerciful but for that he wel knew Gods immutable iustice towardes such kinde of men Who 's miserie in this extremitie he expresseth further by saying they shal suffer hungar as dogges which is as if he should haue saied euen as dogges when they are hungrie are rauenous doe seeke by al meanes for meate be it neuer so homelie and wil refuse nothing that is offered but wil deuoure al thos things most gredilie which they contemned whiles their bellies were ful so thes men that would not heare of penance while they were in health wil now admit any thing and make strange of nothing Now I say when they can liue no longer wil they promise any paines what praiers you wil what fasting you please what almes deedes you can desire what austeritie soeuer you can imagine They wil promise it I say vpon conditiō they might now haue life againe vpon condition that the day might be prolonged vnto them albeit if almightie God should graunt them their request in this also as many times he doeth they would performe no one point therof but would be as careles as euer they were before yet for the present you shal see thē as hungrie as dogges saieth the prophet most redie to deuour any thing that may be deuised for their saluation And not contented with this the same prophet addeth yet a further clause of miserie And that is that they shal circuite or runne about the cilic euen as dogges doe when they are hungrie putting in their heades at eucry dore for releef though it be with great danger to be beaten out againe This expresseth an vnspeakable distresse and calamitie of wicked men at the last day when they shal circuite and runne about the whole citie of God both in heauen and earth to seeke help and shal finde none When they shal crie with sighes and grones as pearsing as a sword and yet shal not be heard For whether wil they turne them selues in this distresse vnto their worldly wealth power or riches alas they are gone and the scripture saieth riches shal not profit in the day of reuenge Wil they turne vnto their carnal frends But what comfort can they geue besides onely weeping and comfortles mourning Wil they aske helpe of the Saints in heauen to pray for them in this instant It is good surely so to doe but yet they can not chuse but remember what is writen The sainies shal reioise in glorie exultation shal be in their throtes and tvvo edged svvordes in their handes to take reuenge vpon nations and increpations vpon people to binde kings in fetters and noble men in manacles of iron to execute vpon them the prescript iudgement of God and this is the glorie of al bis saintes Their onely refuge thē must be vnto God who in deed is the onely sure refuge of al but yet in this case the prophet saieth here that he shal not heare them but rather contemne and laugh at their misery Not that he is contrarie to his promise of reccauing a finner at what time soeuer he repēteth and turneth from his sinne but for that this turning at the last day is not commonly true repentance and conuersion for the causes before rehearsed To conclude then this matter of delay what wise man is ther in the world who reading this wil not feare the deferring of his conuersion though it were but for one day Who doeth know whether this shal be the last day or no that euer God wil cal him God saith I called and you refused to come I held out my hand and you vvold not looke tovvardes me and therfore vvil I forsake you in your extremitie He doth not say how many times or how long he did cal and hold out his hand God saith I stand at the dore and knocke but he saith not how often he doth that or how many knockes he geueth Againe he said of wicked Iezabel the faigned prophetesse in the Apocalips I haue geuen her time to due penance and she vvold not and therfore shal she perish but he saieth not how long this time of repentance endured We read of wonderful examples herin HEROD the father had a cal geuen him and that a lowd one when Iohn baptist was sent vnto him and when his hart was so farre touched as he willingly heard him and folowed his counsaile in many thinges as one Euangelist noteth But yet because he deferred the matter and tooke not time when it was offered he was cast of againe and his last doings made worse then his former HEROD tetrarche the sonne had a cal also when he felt that desire to see Christ some miracle done by him but for that he answered not vnto the cal it did him no good but rather much hurt What a great knocke had PILATE geuen him at his hart if he had bene so fortunate as to haue opened the dore presently when he was made to vnderstand the innocencie of Christ as appeareth by washing his handes in testimonie therof and his wife also sent vnto him an admonition about the same No lesse knocke had king AGRIPPA at his dore when he cried out vpon the hearing of S. Paul O Paul thou
may be proued by many rules of our Sauiour him self As for exāple this is one rule set downe by him self By their fruites yee shal knovv them For such as the tree is within such is the fruit which that tree sendeth forth Againe the mouth speaketh frō the abundance of the hart and consequentlie seing thes mens talke is nothing but of worldlie vanities it is an euident signe there is nothing in their hart but that And then it foloweth also by a third rule vvhere the treasure is there is the hart and so consequently seing their hartes are onelie set vpon the world the world is their onelie treasure and not God and ther vpon are very Atheistes This impediment deare Christian brother reacheth both farre and wide at this daie and infinite are the people who are intangled therwith and the causes therof are two especiallie The first is deuision schisme and heresie in matters of our faith which by raising many doubtes and questions and by contentious quarreling which it maintaineth wearieth out a mans wit and in the end bringeth him to care for no part but rather to contemne al. The second is inordinate loue of the world which bringeth men to hate God and to conceiue enemitie against him as the Apostle saith and therfore no maruaile though indeed they nether beleeue nor delite in him And of al other men thes are the hardest to be reclaymed and brought to any resolution of amendemēt for that they are insensible and besides that doe also flie al meanes wherby they may be cured For as there were final hope to be conceiued of that patiēt which being greuouslie sicke should nether feele his disease nor beleeue that he were distēpered nor abide to heare of phisick or phisition nor accept of anie counsail that should be offered nor admit any talke or consultation about his curing so thes men are in more dangerous estate then anie other for that they know not their owne danger but persuading them selues to be more wise then their neighbours doe remoue from their cogitations al things wherby their health might be procured THE ONELIE waie to doe thes men good if there be any waie at al is to make them know that they are sicke and in great daunger which in our case may be done best as it seemeth to me by geuing them to vnderstand how farre they are of from any one peece of true Christianitie and consequentlie from al hope of saluation that may be had therby God requireth at our handes that we should loue him and serue him vvith al our hart vvith al our soule and vvith al our strength Thes are the prescript wordes of almightie God set downe both in the old and new law And how farre I praye the are thes careles men short of this who emploie not the halfe of their hart nor the halfe of their soule nor the halfe of their strength in Gods seruice nay not the least part therof God requireth at our handes that we should make his lawes and preceptes our studie and cogitation that we should thinke of thē continuallie and meditate vpon them both day and night at home and abrode early and late when we go to bedde and when we rise in the morning this is his commandemēt and there is no dispensation therin But how farre are thes men from this which bestowe not the third parte of their thoughtes vpon this matter no not the hundreth part nor scarse once in a yeare do talke therof Can thes mē saie they are Christians or that they beleeue in IESVS our Saueour Christ making the estimate of things in this life pronounced this sentence Vnum est necessarium one onelie thing is necessarie or of necessitie in this world meaning therby the diligent and careful seruice of God Thes mē finde many things necessarie besides this one thing and this nothing necessarie at al. How farre doe they differ then in iudgement from their Sauiour Christ Christes Apostle saith that a Christian must nether loue the vvorld nor any thing in the vvorld Thes men loue nothing els but that which is of the world He saith That vvho soeuer is a frend to the vvorld is an enemie to Christ. Thes men are enemies to who soeuer is not a frend to the world How then can thes men holde of Christ Christ saith vve should praye stil. Thes men praye neuer Christs Apostle saith that couetousnes vncleanesse or scurrilitie should not be so much as once named among Christians thes men haue no other but such talke Finally the whole course and canon of scripture runneth that Christiās should be attenti vigilantes soliciti instantes feruentes perseuerantes sine intermissione That is attent vigilant careful instant feruent and perseuerant without intermission in the seruice of their God But thes men haue no one of thes pointes nor any one degree therof but in euery one the cleane cōtrarie For they are nether attent to thos things which appertaine vnto God nor vigilant nor solicitous nor careful and much lesse instant and feruent and least of al perseuerant without intermission for that they neuer beginne But on the contrarie side they are careles negligent lumpish remisle key cold peruerse contemning and despising yea lothing and abhorring al matters that appertaine to the mortifiing of them selues and to the true seruice of God What parte haue thes men then in the lot and portion of Christians besides onely the bare name which profiteth nothing And this is sufficiēt to shew how great and dangerous an impediment this careles senseles and supine negligence is against the resolutiō wherof we entreate For if Christ require to the perfection of this resolution that whosoeuer once espieth out the treasure hidden in the field which is the kingdome of heauen and the right way to gaine it he should presently goe and sel al that he hath and buie that field that is to say that he should preferre the pursute of this kingdome of heauen before al the commodities of this life whatsoeuer and rather venture them al then to omit this treasure If Christ I say require this as he doeth when wil thes men euer be brought to this point who wil not geue the least parte of their goodes to purchase that field nor goe forth of the dores to treate the bying therof nor wil so much as thinke or talke of the same nor allow of him which shal offer the meanes waies to compasse it Wherfore whosoeuer findeth him self in this perilous disease I would counsaile him to reade some chapters of the first part of this booke especially the third fift entreating of the causes for which we were sent into this world as also of the account which we must yeld to God of our time here spēt he shal there vnderstand I dout not the errour dāger he standeth in by this damnable negligence wherein he sleepeth
gouernour of Iurie when S. Paul began to talke of iustice chastitie and gods iudgmentes before hym he was wonderfullie a feard and said to Paul that he should departe for that tyme and that he vvould call for hym againe aftervvard vvhen occasion should require But he neuer dyd and what was the cause For that as Iosephus testifieth he was a wicked man Drusilla his fayre ladie that was with hym at S. Pauls speeche was not his true wife but taken by allurement and violence from an other and therfore it offended them both to heare preaching of chastitie This then is one principall cause whie men of this world will not enter into consideration of their owne estate and of gods cōmandementes least they should reade and see their owne faultes beare witnesse against thē selues of their owne condemnation Wherunto the scripture annexeth an other cause not far vnlike to this which is that worldlie men doe so dro vne them selues in the cares and cogitations of this life as they leaue in their mindes no place to thinke vpon gods affaires which are the busynes of their owne soules This expresseth Ieremie the prophet most effectuallie when hauing made his complaint that not withstānding his preaching and crying in the temple-gate for long tyme together where all the people passed by hym and heard hym yet no man sayeth he would enter into consideration or say with hym self vvhat haue I donne wherof he addeth presentlie the cause and reason omnes enim conuersi sunt ad cursum suum quasi equus impetu vedens ad praelium All men are sett vpon their owne courses and wayes and doe runne in the same with as great vehemēcie and fearse obstination as a furious armed horse whē he heareth the trompett in the beginning of a battaile By which cōparison the holie ghost expresseth verie lyuelie the irrecouerable state of a setled worldlie man that followeth greedilie his owne designmentes in the negotiation of earth Thes are two of the chyefe causes of inconsideration I meane wilful malice and obstinate occupation in the vanities of this life And yet mētioneth the scripture a third sorte also of inconsiderate men who nether of direct malice nor yet of greate occupatiō in worldlie affaires doe neglect consideration but rather of a certaine lightenesse and idle negligēce for that they will not trouble their heades with any thing but disporte and recreation of whom it is written aestimauerūt lusum esse vitā nostra They esteeme this life of ours to be but a plai-game And in an other place of the same mē ita securi viuunt quasi iustorum facta habeant They lyue as securelie and considentlie without care or cogitation as if they had the good workes of iust men to stand for them But as the holie Ghost pronoūceth in the same place hoc vanissimum this is vanitie and folie in the highest degree For as in thinges of this life he were but a foolish marchant that for quietnes sake would neuer looke into his accōptbookes whether he were behind hand or before and as that ship-master were greatelie to be laughed at that for auoiding of care would sett downe and make good cheere let the shippe goe whether she would so much more in the busines of our soule is it madnesse and follie to flye consideratiō for eschuyng of trouble seing in th ende this negligence must needes turne vppō vs much more trouble and irremediable calamitie For as Ieremie sayeth to all such men in nouissimo dicrum intelligetis ca in the ende of your dayes you shall not chuse but know see and vnderstand thes thinges which now for delicacie you will not take the paines to thinke of But when shall this be trow you he telleth plainlie in the same place vvhen the furie of our lord shall come foorth as a vvhirle vvinde and shall rushe and rest vppon your heades as a tempest then shall you know and vnderstand thes thinges It seemeth that the Babylonians were a people verie faultie in this pointe of cōsideration as all wealthie people are not only by that which before hath bene touched of the daughter of Babylon that would not consider her endinge dayes but also for that not long before the most terrible destruction of that greate Citie by the Medes and Persiās God cried vnto her in thes wordes My deerlie beloued Babylō put aside the table and stand vppon thy watch rise vp you princes from eating and drinking take your targetes in your handes goe and set a watcheman vppon the walles and what so euer he seeth let hym tell you And then was there a watcheman sett vppon the wales and a Lyō to denounce with open mouth what soeuer danger he saw comming towardes them And God taught the people to crie in this sorte to their sentinel or watchman Custos quid de nocte custos quid de nocte Thow watcheman what seest thou coming towardes vs by night what espyest thou ò sentinel drawing on vs in the darkenesse By all which circūstance what els is insinuated but that god would haue vs stād vppon our watch for that his iudgementes are to come vppon the world by night when men least thinke therof they are to come as a theese at mid-night as also in an other place we are admonished and therfore happie is the man that shal be founde watcheful But now the dore and sole entrance into this watch wherof the securitie of our eternal life depēdeth can be nothing els but consideration For that where no cōsideratiō is there can be no watch nor fore-sight nor knowledge of our estate consequentlie no hope of saluation as holie S. Bernard holdeth which thing caused that blessed man to wryte fyne whole bookes of consideration to Eugenius Consideration is the thing which bringeth vs to know both god and our selues And touching god it layeth before vs his Maiestie his mercie his iudgementes his commandemēts his promisses his threatninges his proceeding with other men before vs wherby we may gather what we also in tyme must expect at this hādes And for our selues consideration is the keye that openeth the dore to the closet of our hart where all our bookes of accompt doe lye it is the looking glasse or rather the verie eye of our soule wherby she taketh the vew of her self and looketh into all her whole estate Into her riches her debtes her dueties her negligēces her good guiftes her defectes her saftie her dāger her way she walketh in her course she followeth her pace she holdeth and finallie the place and ende wherto she draweth And without this consideratiō she runneth on hedlong into a thousand brakes and bryars stumbling at euerie steppe into some one inconuenience or other and continuallie in perill of some great and deadlie mischiefe And wonderful trulie it is that in all other busines of this
gaining of our crowne now is the daie of spoile to seise on our bootie now is the market to buie the kingdome of heauen now is the time of running to get the game price now is the daie of sowing to prouide vs corne for the haruest that commeth on If we omit this time there is no more crowne no more bootie no more kingdome no more price no more haruest to be looked for For as the scripture assureth vs He that for slouth vvil not fovv in the vvinter shal begge in the sommer no man shal geue vnto him But if this consideration of gaine can not moue thee gentle reader as indeed it ought to doe being of such importance as it is and irreuocable when it is once past yet weigh with thy self what obligation and charge thou drawest on thee by euery day that thou deferrest thy conuersion and liuest in sinne Thou makest ech day knottes which thou must once vndoe againe thou heapest that together which thou must once disperse againe thou eatest and drinkest that hourely which thou must once vomite vp againe I meane if the best fal out vnto thee that is if thou doe repent in time and God doe accept therof for otherwise woe be vnto thee for that thou hoardest as S. Paul saieth wrath and vengeance on thine owne head But supposing that thou receaue grace hereafter to repent which refusest it now yet I say thou must weepe for that thou laughest now thou must be hartilie sorie for that wherin thou delitest now thou hast to curse the day wherein thou euer gauest consent to sinne or els thy repentance wil doe thee no good This thou knowest now and this thou beleeuest now or els thou art no Christian How then art thou so madde as to offend God now both willingly and deliberatelie of whom thou knowest that thou must once aske pardon with teares If thou think he wil pardone the what ingratitude is it to offend so good a Lord If thou thinke he wil not pardone thee what folie can be more then to offend a prince without hope of pardon Make thine account now as thou wilt if thou neuer doe repent and change thy life then euery sinne thou committest and euery day that thou liuest therein is encrease of wrath and vengeance vpon thee in hel as S. Paul proueth If thou doe by Gods mercie hereafter repent and turne for this is not in thy handes then must thou one day lamēt and be waile and doe penance for this delay which now thou makest Then must thou make satisfaction to Gods iustice ether in this life or in the life to come for that which now thou passest ouer so pleasantly And this satisfaction must be so sharpe and rigorous if we beleeue the aunciēt Fathers and Councels of Christ his Church as it must be answerable to the weight continuance of thy sinnes as I shal haue occasion to shew in the second booke talking of satisfaction So that by how much the more thou prolongest and encreasest thy sinne so much greater must be thy paine and sorow in satisfaction Alto vulneri diligens longa adhibenda est medicina paenitentia crimine minor non sit saith S. Cyprian A diligent and long medicine is to be vsed to a deepe sore and the penance may not be lesse thē the fault And thē he sheweth in what order it must be with prayer with teares with watching with lying on the ground with wearing of heare cloth and the like It is not enough saieth S. Austen to change our maners and to leaue to sinne except we make satisfaction also to God for our sinnes past by sorowful penance humble sighes contrition of hart and geuing of Almes Our bodie that hath liued in many delites must be afflicted saieth S. Ierom our long laughing must be recompensed with long weeping our soft linnen and fine silke apparel must be chāged into sharpe hear cloth Finally S. Ambrose agreeing with the rest saieth Grandi plagae alta prolixa opus est medicina Grande scelus grandem necessariam habet satisfactionem Vnto a great wounde a deepe and long medicine is needful A great offence requireth of necessitie a great satisfaction Marke here deare brother that this satisfaction must be both great and long and also of necessitie What madnes is it then for the now to enlarge the wound knowing that the medicine must afterwardes be so painful What crueltie can be more against thy self then to driue in thornes into thine owne flesh which thou must afterward pul out againe with so many teares wouldest thou drinke that cuppe of poisoned liquour for a litle pleasure in the taste which would cast thee soone after into a burning feuer torment thy bowels within thee and other dispatche thy life or put the in great ieoperdie The 2. part of the chapter BVT HERE I know thy refuge wil be as it is to al thē of whom the prophet saith mentita est iniquitas sibi iniquitie hath flattered and lied vnto her self thy refuge I saie wil be to alleage the example of the good theefe saued euē at the last houre vpon the Crosse and caried to paradise that same day with Christ without any further penance or satisfaction This exāple is greatlie noted and vrged by al thos who deferre their conuersiō as no doubt it is and ought to be of verie great comfort to euerie man which findeth him self now at the last cast and therfore commōlie tempted by the enemie to despaire of Gods mercie which in no case he ought to doe For the same God which saued that great sinner at that last houre can also and wil saue al them that hartelie turne vnto him euē in that last houre But alas many men doe flatter and deceiue them selues with mis-vnderstandings or rather mis-vsing of this example For we must vnderstand as S. Austen wel noteth that this was but one particular acte of Christ which maketh no general rule euen as we see that a temporal Prince pardoneth sometime a malefactor when he is come to the verie place of execution yet wore it not for euery malefactor to trust therupō For that this is but an extraordinary acte of the prince his fauour and nether shewed nor promised to al men Besides this this acte was a special miracle reserued for the manifestation of Christ his power and glorie at that houre vpon the Crosse. Againe this acte was vpon a most rare confessiō made by the theefe in that instant when al the world forsooke Christ and euen the Apostles them selues either douted or lost their faith of his godhead Besides al this the confession of this theefe was at such a time as he could nether be baptized nor haue further time of penance And we holde also that at a mans first cōuersion there is required no other penance or satisfaction at al but onely to beleeue and to be