you doune againe and breake your necke douneward except ye repent for that in deed there is no one thing which may be more iniurious to Gods diuine maiestie then to make him the foundation of our sinful life who lost his owne life for the extinguishing of sinne But you wil say perhappes And is not God then merciful yes truely deare brother he is most merciful there is neither end nor measure of his mercie he is euen mercie it self it is his nature and essence and he can no more leaue to be merciful then he can leaue to be God But yet as the prophet here saith he is iust also We must not so remember his mercie as we forget his iustice Duleis rectus dominus our Lord is swete but yet vpright iust also saith holy Dauid And in the same place al the vvaies of our Lord are mercie and trueth Which words S. Barnard expounding in a certaine sermon of his saieth thus There be two feete of our Lord wherby he walketh his waies That is Mercie Trueth and God fastneth both thes feete vpon the hartes of them which turne vnto him And euery sinner that wil truely conuert him self must lay hand-fast on both thes feete For if he should lay hande on mercy onely letting passe truth iustice he would perish by presumptiō And on th' other side if he should apprehend iustice onely without mercie he would perish by desperation To the end therfore that he may be saued he must humblie fal doune and kisse both thes feete that in respect of Gods iustice he may retaine feare and in respect of his mercie he may conceaue hope And in an other place Happie is that soule vpon which our Lord IESVS Christ hath placed both his feete I wil not sing vnto thee Iudgement alone nor yet mercie alone my God but I wil sing vnto thee with the prophet Dauid mercie and iudgement ioined together And I wil neuer forget thos two iustifications of thine S. Austen handleth this point most excellently in diuerse places of his workes Let them marke saieth he which loue so much mercie and gentlenes in our Lord let them marke I say and feare also his trueth For as the prophet saieth God is both swete and iust Doest thou loue that he is sweete feare also that he is iust As a sweete Lord he said I haue held my peace at your sinnes But as a iust Lord he addeth And thinke you that I vvil hold my peace still God is merciful and ful of mercies say you it is most certaine yea adde vnto this that he beareth long But yet feare that which commeth in the verses ende verax That is he is also true and iust There be two things wherby sinners doe stand in danger the one in hoping to much which is presumptiō th' other in hoping to litle which is desperation Who is deceiued by hoping to much He which saieth to himself God is a good God a merciful God therfore I wil doe what pleaseth me and why so because God is a merciful God a good God a gentle God Thes men runne into daunger by hoping to much Who are in daunger by despaire they which seing their sinnes greuous and thinkīng it now vnpossible to be pardoned say within them-selues wel wee are once to be damned why doe we not then whatsoeuer pleaseth vs best in this life Thes mē are murdered by desperation th' other by hope What therfore doeth God for gaining of both thes men To him which is in daunger by hope he saieth Doe not say vvith thy self the mercie of God is great he vvil be merciful to the multitude of my sinnes for the face of his vvrath is vpon sinners To him that is in danger by desperation he saieth At vvhat time soeuer a sinner shal turne him self to me I vvil forget his iniquities Thus farre S. Austē besides much more which he addeth in the same place touching the great peril and folie of thos men who vpon vaine hope of Gods mercie doe perseuer in their euil life It is truely deare brother a verie euil consequent and a most vniust kind of reasoning to say that for so much as almightie God is merciful long suffering therfore wil I abuse his mercie and continue in my wickednes The scripture teacheth vs not to reason so but rather quite contrarie God is merciful and expecteth my conuersion and the longer he expecteth the more greeuous wil be his punishment when it commeth if I neglect his patience and therfore I ought presently to accept of his mercie So reasoneth S. Paul who saieth doest thou contemne the riches of his long suffering and gentlenes Doest thou not know that the patience of God towardes thee is vsed to bring the to repentāce But thou through the hardnes of thy hart and irrepentant mind doest hoard and heape vp to thy self wrath in the day of vengeance at the reuelation of Gods iust iudgemēt In which wordes S. Paul signifieth that the longer God suffereth vs with patiēce in our wickednes the greater heape of vengeance doth he gather against vs if we persist obstinate in the same Wherunto S. Augustin addeth an other consideration of great dread and feare and that is if he offer thee grace saith he to day thou knowest not whether he wil doe the same tomorow If he geue thee life and memorie this weeke thou knowest litle whether thou shalt enioy that benefit the next The holie prophet beginning his seuentie and second Psalme of the dangerous prosperitie of worldlie men vseth these wordes of admiration Hovv good a God is the God of Israel vnto thē that be of a right hart And yet in al that Psalme he doth nothig els but shew the heauie iustice of God towardes the wicked euen when he geueth thē most prosperities worldlie wealth and his conclusion is Behold ô Lord they shal perish vvhich departe from thee thou hast destroyed al those that haue broken their faith of 〈◊〉 vvith the. By which is signified that how good soeuer God be vnto the iust yet that pertaineth nothing to the releefe of the wicked who are to receiue iust vengeance at his handes amiddest the greatest mercies bestowed vpon the godlie The eyes of our Lord are vpon the iust saieth the same prophet and his eares are bent to heare their praiers but the face of our Lord is vpon them that doe euil to destroie their memorie from out of the earth It was an old practise of deceiuing prophetes resisted stronglie by the prophetes of God to crie peace peace vnto wicked men when in deed their was nothing towardes them but daunger sword and destruction according as the true prophetes fortolde and as the euent proued Wherfore the prophet Dauid geueth vs a notable sure rule to gouerne our hope and confidence withal when he saith sacrificate sacrificiū
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
noli altum sapere sed time Be not high minded but feare Againe he reasoneth thus vpon the olde and the new lawe He that brake the lawe of Moyses being conuicted by two or three witnesses died for the same without commiseration or mercye how much more greeuous punishment then doth he deserue who breaking the law of Christ by wilfull sinne treadeth the Sonne of God vnder his feete polluteth the bloode of the new testament and reprocheth the holie Ghost In like maner reasoneth S. Peter and S. Iude towching the sinne of Angels and ours If God spared not the Angels when they sinned but did thrust them downe to hell there to be tormented and to be reserued vnto iudgement with eternall chaines vnder darckenes how much lesse will he spare vs And agayne if the Angels which passe vs in power and strength be not able to beare gods horrible iudgement against them what shall we doe And yet further in an other place the same Apostle reasoneth thus if the iust man shal hardlie be saued where shal the wickedman and sinner appeare By al which examples we are instructed how to reason maturely sincerely in our owne cause As for example eche man may truly saie thus vnto hym self if God haue punished so seuerelie one sinne in the Angels in Adam and in others before recited what shall I looke for which haue committed so manie sinnes against hym If God haue damned so manie soules for lesser sinnes then mine are what will he do to me for mine that are farre greater If God haue borne longer with me then he hath done with many other whom he hath cut of without geuing them of repentance what reason is there that he should beare longer with me If Dauill and others after their synnes forgyuen tooke such paines in afflicting them selues for satisfaction of the temporal punishement in this life what punishemēt remaineth for me either here or in the wold to come for satisfaction of so manie sinnes cōmitted If it be true that our Sauvour saith that the waye is harde and the gate narrow wherby men goe into heauen and that they shal aunswere for euerie ydle worde before they enter therein what shal become of me that doe liue so easie a life and doe keepe no accounte at al of my deedes and much lesse of my wordes If good men in olde time did take such paines for their saluation and yet as S. Peter saieth the verie iust were scarcely saued what a state am I in which take no paine at al but doe liue in all kinde of pleasure and worldly contentations Thes argumētes consequentes and conclusions are more true good Christian and would proue more profitable vnto vs if we would excercise our selues therin and therby enter into some cogitation of our owne daungers and into iust feare of Gods seuere iudgementes without flatteringe or deceyuinge our selues For wāt wherof either onlie or principallie the most parte of enormous sinnes from time to time are committed according as holy Dauid most euidentlie declareth when hauing shewed and detested the multitude of sinnes which the world committeth he reduceth al as it were vnto two prin cipal causes Wherof the first is that men deceyue them selues and others by vaine flatterie in deminishing their sinnes of whom he saith they are taken in their ovvne deuises for that they praise the vvicked man in the lustes desires of his ovvne minde The second is for that this deceipt and flatterie is referred commōlie by the vitious man to the driuing of Gods iudgementes out of his memorie to the end he may sinne with lesse feare and scruple For so saith the prophet expresselie The sinner hath exasperated God against him in that he hath said god in the multitude of his vvrath vvil not require an accounte of my doinges But what effect ensueth of this heare the wordes immediatelie folowing he hath not God before his eyes his vvayes are filthie from time to time And what is the cause of al this for that thy iudgementes o Lord are remoued from his sight that is for that he wil not see he wil not behold he wil not heare he wil not consider or beare in mind thy iudgementes ô Lord but wil needes flatter delude and deceyue hym self Herof it commeth that he neuer maketh an end of his filthie life wicked wayes but exasperateth thie iustice o Lord against him vntil it be ouer late to repent or amende Thus said this holie Sainte of wicked sinners but what of him self heare his wordes deare brother and imprint them in thie memorie I haue kept the vvayes of my Lord saith he haue not donne vvickedlie in the sight of my God for that al his iudgements are before my eyes and I haue not tast his iustices from me Beholde the vertuous life of king Dauid beholde the cause therof For that Gods iudgemētes were continuallie before his eyes therfore was his life pure and voide of wickednes or as in other wordes at an other time he expresseth I vvil cōfesse vnto the o Lord in the direction or puritie of my hart for that I haue learned the iudgementes of thie iustice And againe in the same place I haue chosen to vvalke the vvay of truth for that I doe not forget o Lord thy iudgementes that is as a litle after he expoundeth the same for that I doe feare and trēble at thy iudgementes O most excellent effecte of the feare of Gods iudgementes No maruaile though it be called the beginning of al wisdom and the verie dore and entrance to eternal saluation no maruaile if the same holie prophet in the verie same psalme doe pray so hartilie strike through my flesh vvith thy feare ò Lord. S. Paule after he had shewed to the Corinthians that we must al be presented before the tribunal of Christ euerie man to receyue according to his merites he maketh this conclusiō VVe knovving therfore thes thinges deare bretheren doe persuade the feare of our Lord vnto al men And S. Peter hauing made a longe declaration of the Maiestie of God and of Christ now raining in heauen concludeth thus yf then you cal him father vvhich doth iudge euerie man according to his vvorkes vvithout exceptiō of persons doe you liue in feare during the time of this your habitation vpon earth A necessarie lesson no doubt for al men but especiallie for such who by reason of their sinful life doe remaine in displeasure and hatred of almightie God and hourelie doe stand obnoxious as I haue shewed to the seueritie of his most dreadful iudgementes wherinto if once they fal especiallie by departure from this life the matter remaineth remediles for all eternitie insuinge as God him self hath forwarned vs. Which thing being so what man of wisdome would not feare what Christiā that is careful of his owne estate would eate or drinke or take his repose with quiet vntil by
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
of Iewes whom we see dispersed ouer al the world at this daie in bondage both of bodie soule Which worke of Gods Iustice though it be most terrible yet was his mercie greater to thē as appeareth by Christs wordes if they had not reiected the same Thirdlie his mercie exceedeth his iustice euen towardes the damned them selues in that he vsed many meanes to saue them in this life by geuing them freewil and assisting the same with his grace to doe good by mouing thē inwardlie with infinite good inspirations by alluring thē outwardlie with exhortatiōs promisses examples of others as also by sicknes aduersities and other gentle corrections By geuing them space to repent with occasions opportunities and excitations vnto the same By threatning thē eternal death if they repented not Al which thinges being effectes of mercie and goodnes towardes them they must needes confesse amiddest their greatest furie and tormentes that his iudgementes are true iustified in them selues and no waies to be cōpared with the greatnes of his mercies By this then we see that to be true which the prophet saieth Misericordiam veritatem diligit dominus God loueth mercie and trueth And againe Mercie and trueth haue met together Iustice and peace haue kissed on an other We see the reason why the same prophet protesteth of him self I vvil sing vnto thee mercie and iudgement ô Lord not mercie alone nor iudgement alone but mercie and iudgement together that is I wil not so presume of thy mercie as I wil not feare thy iudgement nor yet wil I so feare thy iudgement as I wil euer despaire of thy mercie The feare of Gods iudgement is alwaies to be ioined with our confidence in Gods mercie yea in verie Saintes them selues as Dauid saith But what feare that feare trulie which the scripture describeth whē it saith the feare of our Lord expelleth sinne the feare of God hateth al euil He that feareth God neglecteth nothing he that feareth God wil turne and looke into his owne hart he that feareth God wil doe good woorkes They which feare God wil not be incredulous to that which he saith but wil keepe his waies and seeke out the things that are pleasant vnto him They wil prepare their hartes sanctifie their soules in his sight This is the description of the true feare of God set downe by holie scripture This is the description of that feare which is so much commended and commanded in euerie part and parcel of Gods worde Of that feare I saie which is called Fons vitae radix prudentiae corona plenitudo sapientiae gloria gloriatio beatum donum That is the fountaine of life the roote of prudence the crowne and fulnes of wisdome the glorie and gloriation of a Christian man a happie gift Of him that hath this feare the scripture saith happie is the man vvhich feareth our Lord for he vvil place his minde vpon his comman lementes And againe the man that feareth God shal be happie at the last end and shal be blessed at the day of his death Finally of such as haue this feare the scripture saith that God is their foundation God hath prepared great multitude of sweetnes for them God hath purchased them an inheritance God is as merciful to them as the father is merciful vnto his children And to conclude Voluntatem timentium se faciet God wil doe the wil of those that feare him with this feare This holie feare had good Iob when he said to God I feared al my vvorkes And he yealdeth the reason therof For that I knevve that tbovv sparest not him that offendeth thee This feare lacked the other of whō the prophet saieth The sinner hath exasperated God by saying that God wil not take accompt of his doings in the multitude of wrath Thy iudgementes ò Lord are remoued from his sight And againe vvherfore hath the vvicked man stirred vp God against him self by saying God vvil not take account of my doings It is a great exasperation of God against vs to take the one halfe of Gods nature from him which is so make him merciful without iustice and to liue so as though God wold take no account of our life wheras he hath protested most earnestlie the contrarie saying that he is like a hard and couetous man which wil not be contēt to receiue his owne againe but also wil haue vsurie for the lone that he wil haue a straite reckoning of al his goodes lent vs that he wil haue fruite for al his labours bestowed vpon vs finallie that he wil haue account for euery word that we haue spoken Our Sauiour Christ in the three score and eight psalme which in sundrie places of the gospel he interpreteth to be writen of himself among other dreadful curses which he setteth down against the reprobate he hath these let their eyes be daseled in such sorte as they may not see povvre out thy vvrath my Father vpō thē let the furie of thy vengeance take hād fast on thē Adde iniquity vpō their miquitie let him not enter into thy iustice Let them be blotted out of the booke of life let them not be enrolled together vvith the iust Here loe we see that the greatest curse which God can laye vpon vs next before our blotting out of the booke of life is to suffer vs to be so blinded as to adde iniquitie vpon iniquitie and not to enter into cōsideration of his iustice For which cause also this confident kinde of sinning vpon hope of Gods mercie is accounted by diuines for the first of the six greuous sinnes against the holie Ghost which our Sauiour in the gospel signifieth to be so hardlie pardoned vnto men by his Father And the reason why they cal this a sinne against the holie Ghost is for that it reiecteth wilfullie one of the principal meanes left by the holie Ghost to retire vs from sinne which is the feare and respect of Gods iustice vpon sinners Wherfore to conclude this matter of presumption me thinkes we may vse the same kinde of argumēt touching the feare of Gods iustice as S. Paul vseth to the Romanes of the feare of Gods ministers which are temporal princes Wouldest thou not feare the power of a temporal prince saith he doe wel then and thou shalt not onelie not feare but also receiue laude and praise therfore But if thou doe euil then feare for he beareth not the sword without a cause In like sort may we saye to those good felowes which make God so merciful as no man ought to feare his iustice Would ye not feare my brethrē the iustice of God in punishmēt liue vertuouslie then and you shal be as voide of feare as lions are saieth the wiseman For that perfect charitie expelleth feare But if you liue wickedlie then haue you cause to feare
and hourly by infinit wayes and mianes to remember and put in vre thes pointes of vertuous life while her enimies in the meane space doe lye wrangling and cauiling about contradictions in beleefe And therfore in the Catholique Churche onlie gentle reader shalt thou finde the true spirite of teaching and of execution of thes pointes touching pietie within the lappe and bosome wherof if thou alredy be thou hast humbly and hartely to thanke God for the same and with al sollicitous diligence and care to make thy gaine of such helpes as she offereth the for attayning thy saluation But if thou finde thy self in other estate as alas many may at this daye in our poore afflicted countrie then I beseeche the tender marcie of our Soueraine Lord and Sauiour that by readings of this present booke thou maist the sooner be moued to make thy selfe partaker both of the one and of the other benefite that is to saie not onlie to enter into the vnion of his Catholique Church but also which more importeth to leade a true Christian and vertuous life within the same And so to our Lord IESVS I commit the. At S. Omer in Artoys this present xxix of Iulie 1585. Being the daye of the holie virgin S. Martha Thy harty vvel vviller and seruant in IESVS Christ. R. P. OF THE MANY-FOLDE PERILS THAT ENSVE TO THE vvorld by inconsideration And hovv necessarie it is for euerie man to enter into cogitation of his ovvne estate CHAPT I. THE Prophetes and Sainctes of God who from tyme to tyme haue bene sent by his merciful prouideÌ„ce to aduertise and warne synners of theyr perilous estate and conditioÌ„ for synne haue not onlie fortold them of their wickednesse and imminent dangers for the same but also haue reueiled the causes therof wherby they might th' easyer prouide remedie for the inconuenieÌ„ces to come Such is the charitable proceeding of our moste mercifull Lord with the childreÌ„ of meÌ„ And amoÌ„g other causes none is more general or more often alleaged then the lacke of consideration by which as by a common snare and decept of our aduersarie most men fall into synne and are holden also perpetuallie in the same to their final destruction and eternal perdition So Esay the prophet speaking of the carelesse nobilitie and gentrie of Iurie that gaue them selues to baÌ„ketting disporte without consideration of their duties towardes god repeateth often the threat of vvoe against them and thé putteth downe the cause i thes wordes The lute and harpe and tymprel and shalme and good vvyne aboundeth in your bankettes but the vvorkes of god you respect not nor haue you consideration of his doinges And then insueth Therfore hath hell enlarged his soule and opened his mouth vvithout all measure or limitation the stoute and high and glorious of this people shall descende into it Here are two causes as you see and two effectes lynked together of thes Iewes damnation th' one depending of th' other For as good cheere and sensualitie brought thes men to inconsideratioÌ„ of gods workes and proceedinges towardes synners so IncosideratioÌ„ brought them to the mouth and pittes brymme of hell I say that inconsideration of gods workes towardes sinners brought them to this peril for that it followeth in the verie same place And the Lord of hostes shal be exalted in indgemeÌ„t and our holie god shal be sanctified in iustice as if he had sayed that albeit you will not consider now gods iudgemétes and iustice amiddest the heate and pleasure of your seastinges yet shall he by excercising the same vpon you hereafter be knowen exalted and sanctified throughout the world The like discourse maketh God hym self by the same prophet to the daughter of Babylon and by her to euerie finful and sensual soule figured by that name Come downe sayeth he sitte in the dust thou daughter of Babylon thou hast said I shal be a Ladye for euer and hast not put vpon thy harte the thinges thou shouldest nor hast thou had remembraÌ„ce of thy last ende c. Now therfore harcken thou delicate daughter which dwellest so coÌ„fideÌ„tlie ther shall come vpon the an euel wherof thou shalt not know the ofspringe and a calamitie shall rushe vpoÌ„ the froÌ„ which thou shalt not be able to deliuer the. A miserie shall ouertake the vpon the suddain which thou shalt not know c. Holie Ieremie after he had weyghed with hym self what miseries for synne the prophetes Esay Amos Ozee Ioel Abdias Michaeas Nahum Sophonias and hym self all which prophetes lyued within the coÌ„passe of one huÌ„dred yeares had fortolde to be imminent vppon the world not onlie to Samaria and the ten tribes of Israel which were now alredie caried into banishmeÌ„t to the furthest partes of th' east but also to the states couÌ„tries that most florished at that tyme as by name to BabyloÌ„ Egypt Damasco Tyrus Sidon Moab and finallie to Hierusalem and Iudaea it self which he forsaw should soone after moste pittifullie be destroyed when he saw also by longe experience that nether his wordes nor the wordes and cries of th' other forenamed prophetes could anie thing moue the hartes of wicked men he brake foorth into this moste lamentable complaint Desolatione desolata est omnis terra quia nulius est qui recogitet corde The whole earth falleth into extreme ruine desolation for that there is no man which considereth depelie in his hart This complaint made good Ieremie in his dayes for compassioÌ„ of his people that ranne miserablie to perdition for want of consideratioÌ„ And the same complaint with much more reason may euerie good ChristiaÌ„ make at this tyme for th' infinite soules of such as perishe daylie by incoÌ„sideration Wherby as by a general and remedilesse inchantement manie thousand soules are brought a slepe and doe synde them selues within the gates of hell before they misdoubt any such inconuenieÌ„ce being ledde through the vale of this present life as it were blyndfolded with the veile of carelesse negligence lyke beastes to the slaghterhouse and neuer permitted to see theyr owne danger vntil it be to late to remedie the same Propterea captiuus ductus est populus meê° quia non habuit scientiam saith god by the mouth of Esaye Therfore for this cause is my people led away captiue in all bondage slauerie to perditioÌ„ for that they haue no knowledge no vnderstaÌ„ding of their owne estate no forsight of the tymes to come no consideration of their danger Herehence floweth all the miserie of my people and yet this is a mysterie that all men wil not know Will you see what a mysterie and sealed secret this is harcken then how one describeth the same and with what circumstances Furthermore saith he a certaine hydden word was spoken vnto me and mine eare as it were by stealth receiued the veines of his whyspering it was iÌ„ the horror of a vision by night when deade
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
other benefites Which thinge if S. Paul might trulie saye vnto these Gentiles before his tyme who had onelie natural knowledge and vnderstanding of God that is so much as by his creatures was to be gathered what may or shal be said vnto vs who haue not onelie that light of nature which they had but also the wrytinges à nd lawe of God hymself communicated speciallie vnto the Iewes and aboue that also haue hearde the voyce of his onelie sonne vpon earth and haue receiued the doctrine of his most holie ghospel and yet doe liue as negligentelie manie of vs as did the verie heathens touching good life and vertue Surelie in this case I must denounce against my self that if it be true as it can not be false which this blessed Apostle affirmeth here of thes heathen philosophers that by that litle knowledge they had of God they vvere made inexcusable then by the most iust certaine rule of Christ layed downe in S. Luke cui multum datum est multum quaretur ab eo that of euerie man which hath receiued much a greater accompte shal be taken for the same we are forced to inferre that our accompt shal be greater and our selues much more inexcusable before his diuine maiestie thē the verie Gentiles and heathens are if after all our knowledge and manifest vnderstanding of his Godhead and iustice vve vanishe avvay in our cogitatiōs as they did as most parte of the world at this day are sene to doe that is if we applie our cogitatiōs cares aboute the vaine affaires of this tēporal life and trāsitorie cōmodities which we should bestowe vpō the seruice and honour of this our Lord and Creator OF THE FINAL ENDE AND CAVSE WHIE MAN WAS CREATED BY GOD and placed in this world And of th' obligation he hath therby to attende to th' affaire for vvhich he came hyther CHAPT III. BY the Chapter precedent I nothing doubt gétle reader but if thou haue sene and perused the same thou remainest sufficientlie informed of thy Creator Now followeth it by order of good consequence that we cōsider with some attention for that it standeth vs much vpon what intent purpose God had in creating vs and this world for our sakes and in placing vs therin as Lords of the same By the former considerations we haue learned that as among other creatures nothing made it self so nothig was made for it self nor to serue it self The heauens we see doe serue th' ayer th' ayer serueth th' earth th' earth serueth beastes the beastes serue man and then is the questió whom mā was made to serue For in hym also holdeth the former reason that seig he was not made by hym self it is not likelie that he was made to serue hym selfe If we consult with the scripture herein we finde a general sentence layed downe without exception Vniuersa propter semetipsum operatus est Dominus our Lorde hath made all thinges for hym self And if all the man likewise no doubte who is not the least of the rest which he hath made And hereby it cometh to passe that man can not be said to be free or at his owne appointement or disposition in this world but obliged to perfourme that thing for which he was sent into this habitation Which pointe holie Iob declareth plainelie in a certaine inuectiue that he maketh against such men as were careles and negligent in consideration of this affaire A vaine man sayeth he is lifted vp in pride and thinketh hym self to be borne as free as the colt of a vvilde asse That is he thinketh hym self bound to nothīg subiect to nothīg accōptable for nothing that he doth in this life but onlie borne free to passe his time ī disporte pleasure as a wilde colte in a desert that hath no Master to tame hym Whiche in other words the wise mā vttereth thus He estremeth this life of ours for aplaigame therfore careth not how he liueth or wherin he spéd passe-ouer the tyme. And this of the man whó the scripture calleth Vaine But now for the sooer wise and discrete of whom it is writen the vvay of life is vpon the learned to th' ende they may decline from the lovvest hell they are farre from so greate follie as to imagine that no accompt shall be demanded of our being in this world for that they haue reade that God shall bring into iudgement vvhat so euer is donne for euerie fault that is commytted And the Christian man knoweth further by the mouth and asseueration of his Saue our and Redeemour that he shall be accomptant for euerie idle worde that he misvttereth and finalie there is no man that is ether of reason or conuersant in the writinges and testament of his Creator but remembreth well that among all other irritations wherby the wicked man is said to prouoke Gods patience to indignation none is more often repeated or more greeuouslie taken then that he said in his harte God vvill as ke no accompt With thes men then alone shall be my speeche in this present chapter who haue a desire to discharge well this accompte For attayning wherof trulie I can gyue them no better counsaile instruction or aduise then to doe in this case as a good marchant-factour is wonte to doe when he arriueth in forraine Countries or as a souldiar or Capitaine sent by his prince to some greate exploite is accustomed when he cometh to the place appointed that is to weigh and consider deepolie for what cause he came thither whie he was sent to what ende what to attempte what to prosecute what to perfourme what shal be expected and required at his handes vpon his returne by hym that sent hym thyther For thes cogitations no doubt shall stirre hym vp to attende to that for which he came not to imploy his tyme in impertinent affaires The lyke would I counsail a Christian to putt in vre concerning the case proposed and to demande of hymself betwene God and his conscience why and wherfore and to what endo he was created sent hythe into this worlde what to doe wherin to bestowe his dayes c. And then shal he fynde that for no other cause matter or ende but onlie to serue God in this life and by that seruice to gaine heauen and saluation in the lyfe to come This was the condition of our creation as Moyses well expresseth and this was the consideration of our redeeming fortolde by Zacharie before we were yet redeemed that vve being deliuered foorth of the handes of our enimies should serue God inholines and righteousnes all the dayes of our liues Of this consideration doe ensue two consequentes to be obserued Whereof the first is that seinge our ende and final cause of being in this worlde is to serue God and therby to worke our owne saluation whatsoeuer thinge we doe or bestowe our tyme
slocke nor shall they bee anie longer lest to the spoile c. I vvil raise ouer them ONE PASTOR vvhich shall seede them my seruāt DAVID he shal seede them and he shal be their Shepheard Prince and I vvill be their God and vvil make vvith them a conenant of peace c. In which wordes not onlie we that are Christians but the later Iewes also them selues doe confesse in their Thalmud that Messias is called by the name of Dauid for that he shall descende of the seede of Dauide as by reason also it must needes be so for that king Dauid being dead fower hundred yeares before thes wordes were spoken as hath bene noted could not now come againe to feede gods people or gouerne them hym self Esay the prophet who Iyued about a hundred yeares before Ieremie and Ezechiel had maruelous for knowledge of the Meisias and his affaires and describeth hym verie particulerlie beginning i this maner In the later dayes the HILL of gods house shall be prepared vpon the toppe of mountaines and all Nations or Gentiles shal flovve vnto hym And manie people shal say come and lett vs ascende to the HILL of our Lord he shal teach vs his vvayes and vve shall vvalke in his pathes it shall iudge Nations c. Which verie wordes are also repeated in Micheas the prophet and are applied there as also here vnto the Messias and can haue no other meaning by the iudgement of the Iewes and Hebrues themselues And Esay doth prosecute the same matter afterwardes in diuers chapters As for exāple in the sowerth talking of the same Messias which before he calleth the HILL of Gods hovvse he addeth thes wordes In that daye shall the issue of our Lorde be in 〈◊〉 and glorie and the fruite of the earth in 〈◊〉 and exultation to all such as shal be saued of Israel In which wordes he calleth the Messias both the issue of God and the fruite of the earth for that he should be both God and man And in the nynthe chapter he calleth hym by thes termes Admirable Councelour God Stronge Father of the future vvorld and Prince of Peace In the eleuenth chapter he describeth hym most wonderfullie in thes wordes there shall goe soorth a bransh of the stock of Iesse whiche Iesse was Dauids father and out of the roote of that branche there shall mounte up a flovver and the spirite of our lord shall rest upon hym the spirite of vvisdome and of vnderstanding the spirit of councel and sortitude the spirite of knovvledge and pietie he shall not iudge according to the sight of fleshely eyes nor yet condemne according to the hearing of fleshely eares but he shall iudge poore men in iustice and shall dispute in equitie for the mylde men of the earth He shal strike th' earth vvith the rodde of his mouth and vvith the spirite of his lippes shall he flea the vvicked man Iustice shall be the girdle of his loynes faith shall be the bande of his reines c. Hytherto are the wordes of the Prophet wherin nothing trulie can be more plaine and euident then that by the rodde or branche of Iesse is meant the Virgine Marie who directelie descended of the linage of Iesse and by the flovver ascending from this branche must needes be vnderstoode Christ that was borne of her had all those excellences priuileges aboue other mē which Esay in this place assigneth vnto hym Whose further graces yet and speciall diuine properties the same Prophet expresseth more particulerlie in the chapters following wher he sayeth he shall for euer ouerthrovve and destroye death he shal open the eyes of the blinde and th' eares of the deafe he shal not crie nor cōtēde nor shal he accept the person of any man but in truth shal he bring foorth iudgement He shal not be sorrovvful nor turbulēt c. And finallie in the fortie and ninthe chapter he alleageth the wordes of God the father vnto Christ touching his commission in this sorte it is too litle that thou be to me a seruant to raise vp the tribes of Iacob and to conuert vnto me the dregges of Israel Behold I haue appointed thee also for a light vnto the Gentiles that thou he my saluation vnto the vttermost partes of all th' earth And to conclude this matter without alleaging more propheties for the same which in truth are infinite throughout the Bible Daniel that liued in th' ende of the captiuitie of Babylon a litle before Aggaeus Zacharias and Malachias who were the last Prophetes that euer florished amongest the Iewes almost fiue hūdred years before the natiuity of Christ this Daniel I say reporteth of hym self that being in Babylon and hauing fasted worne heare-cloth and prayed longe vnto God there came the Angel Gabriel vnto hym at the tyme of Euening sacrifice and fortolde hym not onlie of the deliuerance of the people of Israel from the captiuitie of Babylon out of hande for that the seuentie yeares of their punishement fortolde by Ieremie were now expired but also he tolde hym further that the tyme of th' vniuersal deliuerance of mankinde from the bondage and captiuitie of sinne was now shortened that after seuentie hebdomades which as shal be shewed after make vp iust the tyme that passed from the rebuilding of the temple of Ierusalem after their deliuerance from Babylon vnto the birth of Christ there should be borne the Saueour of the world and be putt to death for redemption of mankinde The Angels wordes are thes I am come to shevv vnto thee ô Daniel for that thou art a man of goode desires And therfore doe thou marke my speeche vnderstande this vision The seuētie hebdomades are shortened upon thie people and upon thie holie Cittie to th' ende preuarication may be consumed and sinne receyue an ende to th' ende iniquitie maye be blotted out and eternal iustice brought in her place to th' ende visiōs propheties maye be fulfilled and the SAINCTE OF SAINCTES annointed Knovv thou therfore and marke that from the ende of the speeche for rebuilding of Ierusalem vnto Christ the CAPTAINI there shall chebdomades seuen and hebdomades sixtie tvvo and after sixtie tvvo hebdomades Christ shal be putt to death and the people vvhich shall denie hym shall not be his people I might passe on futher to other Prophetes and propheties and make no ende if I would alleage what might be said in this behalfe for that the whole scripture runneth all to this one pointe to fortell and manifest Christ by signes figures parables and propheties and for this cause was it principallie writē But that which is alredie spoken shall be sufficient for our first consideration wherby is seene that among the Iewes from age to age Christ was prophetied and fortolde together with th' eternite of his kingedome that should be spiritual NOVV FOLLOVVETH there a
will conclude this whole matter with th' expresse wordes of God hym self concerning the ceremonies and preceptes of the olde law Dedreis praecepta non bona iudicia in quibus non viuent I gaue vnto them preceptes that were not good and iudgementes wherin they shall not lyue That is they were not good to continue perpetuallie nor shall they lyue in them for euer but vntill the tyme by me appointed of which tyme he determineth more particulerlie by Ieremie the prophet in thes wordes Beholde the dayes shall come and I vvil make a nevv Couenant or Testament vvith the house of Israel and Iuda not according to that Couenant vvhich I made vvith your fathers vvhēn brought them foorth of the land of Egypt Where you see that at the comming of Christ into this world for of hym and his birth he talketh at large in all this chapter there shal be a new Testament conteining a different law from that of th' old testament which was giuen to the Iewes at their going foorth of Egypt Thus much then hytherto hath bene shewed that Christ in all ages was fortolde promissed that he should be God and that his authoritie should be to chāge the law of Moyses that was gyuen but for a tyme and to establishe a new law and Couenant a new Testament of his owne that should endure and continue for euer AND ALBEIT thes thinges be very wounderfull and sufficient to establishe any mans beliefe in the world whē he shall see them fulfilled which shal be th' argument of my second Section yet resteth not the scripture here but passeth further and fortelleth euerie particuler acte accident and circumstance that shall fall oute of importance aboute the Messias in his comming incarnation birthe life death and resurrection As for example at what particuler tyme and season he should appeare Gen. 49. v 10. Dan. 9. v. 26. That he should be borne of a virgine Esay 7. v. 14. That the place of his birth should be the Toune of Bethleē Mic. 5. v. 1. That at his birth all the infantes rounde about Bethleem should be slaine for his sake Ierem. 31. v. 15. That the kinges of the easte should come and adore hym and offer gold and other giftes vnto hym Psal. 71. v. 10. That he should be presented by his mother in the Temple of Hierusalem Malach 3. v. 1. That he should flee into Egypt and be recalled thence againe Osee 11. v. 2. Esa. 19. v. 1. That Iohn Baptiste should goe before hym and crie in the desert Esa. 40. v. 3. Malach. 3. v. 1. After this that he should beginne his owne preaching with all humilitie quietnes and clemencie of spirit Esa. 42. v. 2. That he should doe straunge miracles and heale all diseases Esa. 29. v. 8. 35. v. 5. 61. v. 1. That he should die for the sinnes of all the world Esa. 53. Dan. 26. That he should be betrayed by his owne disciple Psal. 40. v. 10. 54. v. 14. 108. v. 8. That he should be solde for thirty peeces of siluer Zach. 11. v. 12. That with those thirtie peeces there should be bought afterward a field of Potshards Jerem. 30. That he should ride into Hierusalem vpon an asse before his passion Zacha. 9. v. 9. That the Iewes should beate and buffet his face and defile the same with spitting vpon hym Esa. 50. v. 6. That they should whippe and teare and rent his bodie before they putt hym to death Esa. 53. v. 2. Psal. 37. v. 18. That they should putt hym to death among thieues and male factours Esa. 53. v. 12. That they should gyue hym vineager to drinke deuide his apparel and cast lottes for his vpper garment Psal. 68. v. 22. 21. v. 19. That he should rise againe frō death the third daye Psal. 15. v. 19. Osee. 6. v. 3. That he should ascende to heauen and sitt at the right hande of God his father for euer Psal. 67. v. 19. 109. v. 1. All thes particularites and a number more were reueiled in scripture touching the Messias some fower thousand years some two thousand some a thousand and the last of all aboue fower hūdred yeares before Christ was borne Which if we laye together and doe consider withal how exactelie they were fulfilled afterward in the person of Iesus as in the next section shal be declared if we adde also to this that we haue receyued thes prophesies and predictions from a Nation that most of all other doth hate vs and that the same are to be seene and reade in their Bibles euen worde for word as they are in ours if you holde in memorie also what inuincible proofes were alleaged before in the second chapter for th' infallible truth certaintie of those Hebrue scriptures you shall fynde that hardlie anye thing can be imagined for manifestation of a truth before it come to passe which God hath not obserued in forshewing the Messias AND ALL THES cōsiderations are touchinge the Iewes There remaineth some what to be said of the Gētiles Who albeit they were to receyue their principal knowledge in this affaire from the Iuishe Nation to whom the Messias was first and principallie promissed and from whom the Gentiles had to expecte both their Saue our and his Apostles as also the scriptures for testimonie and witnesse of them both and finally all their certaine knowledge and sounde vnderstanding in the mysteries of Christ Yet had they also among them selues some kynde of notice and forwarning in this matter whiche being ioyned with that whiche I haue set downe before of the Iewes and examined at the light of Gods diuine propheties before alleaged it will make verie muche for confirmation of our Christian veritie And therfore this last consideration shal be of the fore-knowledge of Gentiles in this behalf For better vnderstanding wherof it is to be noted that besides all knowledge of the Messias that diuers Gentiles might haue by the Hebrue scriptures whiche as I haue shewed before were in the Greeke language diuers ages before Christ was borne or by th' instruction conuersation of Iewes with whom manie Pagans did liue familiarlie there remained three wayes peculier to Gentiles wherby they receyued some vnderstanding forwarning of this great mysterie The first was by tradition and writinges of their auncestours The second by propheties of their owne The third by admonishement of their Idoles Oracles especiallie when the tyme of Christes appearance drew neare And for the first way it is euident that as the Iewes receyued diuers thinges by succession from their forfathers they againe from Moyses Moyses from the Patriarches Iacob Isaac and Abraham who was the first man from whom that whole natiō proceeded and in whō they were distinguished from all other people in the world so had the Gētiles other Natiōs their succession also of
Cessant Oracula Delphis Al Oracles at Delphos doe nowcease etc. That also of an other Poete Excessere omnes adytis arisque relictis Dij quibus imperium hoc steterat c. That is the Goddes by whom this empire stood are al departed from their temples and haue abandoned their Altars places of habitatiō Strabo also hath thes expresse wordes The Oracle of Delphos at this daye is to be sene in extreme beggarie and mēdicitie And finally Plutarche that liued within one hundreth yeares after Christ made a special booke to search out the causes why the Oracles of the Goddes were ceased in his time And after much turning winding many waies resolued vpon two principal pointes as causes therof The first for that in his time ther was more store of wise men then before whos answers might stād in stead of Oracles and the other that peraduenture the spirits which were accustomed to yeeld Oracles were by length of time growen olde and dead Both which reasons in the verie common sense of al men must needs be false and by Plutarch him self can not stand with probabilitie For first in his bookes which he wrote of the liues of auncient famous men he confesseth that in such kinde of wisdom as he most esteemed they had not their equals amōg their posteritie Secondlie in his treatises of Philosophie he passeth it for a ground that spirits not depēding of material bodies can not die or waxe olde and therfore of necessitie we must conclude that some other cause is to be yeelded of the ceasing of thes Oracles which can not be but the presence and commaundement of some higher power according to the saying of S. Iohn To this ende appeared the sonne of God that he might dissolue or ouerthrovve the vvorkes of the deuil Neither did Iesus this alone in his owne person but gaue also power and authoritie to his disciples and folowers to doe the like according to their commission in S. Matheus ghospel Super omnia Demonia spiritus immundos c. You shal haue authoritie ouer al deuils and vncleane spirites Which commission how they afterward put in execution the whole world yeeldeth testimonie And for examples 〈◊〉 onlie I wil alleage in this place an offer or chalēge made for proof therof by Tertullian to the heathen magistrates and persecutcurs of his time his wordes are thes Let ther be brought here in presence before your tribunal seats some person who is certainly knowen to be possessed with a wicked spirite and let that spirite be commaunded by a Christian to speake and he shal as trulie confesse him self to be a deuil as at other times to you he wil falselie say that he is a God Againe at the same time let there be brought forth one of thes your priests or Prophets that wil seeme to be possessed by a diuine spirite I meane of thos that speake gasping c. in whom you imagine your Gods to talke and except that spirit also commaunded by vs doe confesse him self to be a deuil being indeed afraid to lye vnto a Christian doe you shedde the blood of the Christiās in that very place c. None wil lye to their owne shame but rather for honour or aduantage yet thos spirits wil not saye to vs that Christ was a Magician as you doe nor that he was of the common condition of men They wil not saie he was stolne out of his sepulcher but they wil confesse that he was the vertue wisdome and worde of God that he is in heauen and that he shal come againe to be our iudge c. Neither wil thes deuils in our presence denie them selues to be vncleane spirits and damned for their wickednes and that they expect his most horrible iudgment professing also that they doe feare Christ in God and God in Christ and that they are made subiect vnto his seruantes Hytherto are the wordes of Tertullian conteining as I haue said a most confident chalenge and that vpō the liues and blood of al Christians to make trial of their power in controlling thos spirites which the Romanes and other Gentiles adored as their Godes Which offer seing it was made exhibited to the persecutors them selues then liuing in Rome wel may we be assured that the enemie would neuer haue omitted so notorious an aduauntage if by former experience he had not bene persuaded that the ioining herein would haue turned and redounded to his owne confusion And this Puissant authoritie of Iesus imparted to Christians extended it self so farre forth that not only their wordes and commandemētes but euen their very presence did shut the mouthes and driue into feare thes miserable spirites So Lactantius sheweth that in his daies among many other exāples of this thing a seely seruing-man that was a Christiā folowing his maister into a certaine temple of Idoles the Godes cried out that nothing could be weldone as long as that Christian was in presence The like recordeth Eusebius of Diocletian th' Emperour who going to Apollo for an Oracle receyued answere that the iust mē vvere the cause that be could saye nothing Which iust men Apollos priest interpreted to be meant ironically of Christians therevpon Diocletian beganne his most cruel and fearce persecution in Eusebius daies Sozomenus also writeth that luliā th' Apostata endeuoring with many sacrifices and coniurations to drawe an answere from Apollo Daphnaeus in a famous place called daphne in the suburbes of Antioche vnderstood at last by the Oracle that the bones of S. Babylas the Martyr that laie nere to the place were the impedimēt why that God could not speake And therupō Iulian presently caused the same bodie to be remoued And finally here of it proceeded that in all sacrifices coniurations and other mysteries of the Gentils ther was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian Exeant Christiani let Christians depart for that while they were present nothing could be wel accomplished To conclude the Pagane Porphyrie that of al other most earnestly endeuored to impugne and disgrace vs Christiās and to holde vp the honour of his enfeebled idoles yet discoursing of the great plague that raigned most furiously in the Citie of Messina i Cicilie wher he dwelt yeeldeth this reason why Aesculapius the God of Physike much adored in that place was not able to helpe them It is no maruailes sayeth 〈◊〉 this Citie so many yeares be vexed vvith the plague seing that both Aesculapius and al other Godes be novv departed from it by the comming of Christians For since that men haue bigunne to vvorship this Iesus vve could neuer obtaine any profite by our Godes Thus much confessed this Patrone of paganisme concerning the mayme that his Godes had receyued by Iesus honour Which albeit he spake with a malitious minde to bring Christians in hatred and persecution therby yet is the confession notable and confirmeth that storie
is we see the Iuishe people abandoned and afflicted aboue al Nations of the world dispersed in seruilitie throughout al corners of other Nations without dignitie or reputation without king prince or common wealth of them selues prohibited by al Princes both Christian other to make their sacrifices wher they inhabite depriued of al meanes to attaine to knowledge in good literature wherby daily they fal into more grosse ignorance and absurdities against common reason in their later doctrine then did the most barbarous infidels that euer were hauing lost al sense and feeling in spiritual affaires al knowledge and vnderstāding in celestial thinges for the life to come hauing among them no Prophet no graue teacher no man directed by Gods holy spirite and finally as men forlorne and filled with al kinde of miserie doe both by their inward and external calamities preach denounce testifie to the world that Iesus whom they Crucified was the only true Messias and Saucour of mankinde and that his blood as they required lieth heauilie vpon their generatiō for euer Wherfore to conclude this whole discourse and treatise of the proofes and euidences of our Christian religion seing that by so manifolde and inuincible demōstratiōs it hath bene declared laied before our eyes that Iesus is the only true Saucour and redeemer of the world and consequently that his seruice and religion is the only waye and meane to please almightie God and to attaine euerlasting happines ther remaineth now to consider that the same Iesus which by so many Prophets was promised to be a Saucour was also foretolde by the self same Prophetes that he should be a Iudge and examiner of al our actions Which later point no one Prophet that hath forshewed his cōming hath omitted seriously to inculcate vnto vs. No not the Sibyls them selues who in euery place where they describe the most gracious cōming of the Virgins sonne doe also annexe therunto his dreadful appearance at the day of iudgmēt especially in thos famous Acrosticke verses wherof there hath bene so much mention before the whole discours vpon the words Iesus Christ the sonne of God Saucour and Crosse containeth nothing els but a large and ample description of his most terrible cōming infire and flame and conflagration of the world at that dreadful daie to take accompt of all mēs wordes actions and cogitations To which description of thes Pagane Prophetes is consonāt the whole tenour and cōtext of the olde Bible foreshewing euery where the dreadful Maiestie terrour and seueritie of the Messias at that day The new Testament also which tendeth wholy to comfort and solace mankinde and hath the name of Euangile in respect of the ioyful newes which it brought to the world omitteth not to put vs continually in minde of this point And to that ende both Iesus him self amiddest al his sweet and comfortable speeches with his Disciples did admonishe them often of this last daie and his Apostles Euangelistes Disciples after him repeated iterated and vrged this important consideration in al their wordes and writinges Wherfore as by the name and cogitation of a Saueour we are greatly stirred vp to ioye alacritie confidence and consolation so by this admonishment of Gods Saints and of Iesus himself that he is to be our Iudge and seuere examiner of al the minutes and moments of our life we are to conceyue iust feare and dread of this his second comming And as by the whole former treatise we haue bene instructed that the only waie to saluatiō is by the profession of Iesus religion so by this accompt that shal be demanded at our handes at the last daie by the Authour and first institutour of this religion we are taught that onles we be true Christiās indeed and doe performe such duties as this law and religion prescribeth vnto vs so farre of shal we be from receyuing any benefite by the name as our iudgment shal be the more grieuous and our final calamitie more intollerable For which cause I would in sincere charitie exhorte euery man that by the former discourse hath receyued any light and is confirmed in his iudgment concerning the truth of Christian religion to employ his whole endeuours for the attainemēt of the fruite and benefite therof which is by being a true and real Christian for that Christ him self foresignified that many should take the name without commoditie of their profession And to the ende ech man may the better knowe or coniecture of him self whether he be in the right way or no and whether he perfourme in deede the dutie required of a true Christian I haue thought conuenient to adioyne this chapter next following of that matter and therin to declare the particuler pointes belonging to that profession Which being knowen it shall be easie for euerie one that is not ouer partial or wilfullie bent to deceaue hym self to discerne of his owne estate and of the course and waye that he holdeth Which is a highe pointe of wisdome for all men to doe while they haue tyme least at the later daye we hauing passed ouer our liues in the bare name onlie of Christianitie without the substance doe finde our selues in the number of thos most vnfortunate people who shall crye Lord Lord and receaue no comfort by that confession HOW A MAN MAY IVDGE OR DISCERNE OF HIM SELF VVHETHER HE BE a true Christian or not VVith a declaration of the tvvo partes belonging to that profession vvhiche are beleefe and lyse CHAPT V. AS IN humane learning and sciences of this worlde after declaratiō made of the vtilitie possibilitie certaintie conueniencie and other qualities cōmendations and proprieties therof the next point is to shew the meanes and way wherby to attaine the same so much more in this diuine heauenly doctrine of Christian religion which concerneth our soule and euerlasting saluation for that we haue shewed before not only the most vndoubted truth wherupon it standeth but also that the knowledge therof is so absolutelie necessary as there is no other name or profession vnder heauen wherby mankinde can be saued but only this of Iesus it foloweth by order of good consequence that we should treate in this place how a man may attaine the fruite of this doctrine that is to saye how he may come to be a good Christian or if alredy he professe that name how he may examine or make trial of him self whether he be so in deed or not Which examination to speake in briefe consisteth wholie in consideration of thes two pointes First whether he beleeue vnfainedly the total summe of documēts mysteries left by Iesus his disciples in the Catholique Church and secondlie whether he performe in sinceritie the rules and preceptes of life prescribed vnto Christians for direction of their actions So that on thes two points we are to bestowe our whole speeche in this chapter AND FOR THE FIRST how to examine
what maruelous and dreadful maiestie feare terrour thunder and sound of trumpets the ten commandements of God which containe the perfect forme of a vertuous life were pronounced by Angels vnto the people of Israel Which terrour and maiestie S. Paul applieth expressie to this meaning that we should greatly tremble to violate or transgresse this law which was deliuered with such circumstance of dread and horrour seing that the lawes of great princes potentates are exacted commonly and executed vpon the offendours with much more terrour then they were proclaimed Secondly the same in part may be conceyued if we consider what Iudge or Auditour we shal haue in this accompt Which S. Paul declareth plainly in thes words VVe must al be sommoned before the tribunal seate of Christ and euerie man receyue either good or euil according as he hath behaued him self vvbiles he liued vpon earth Which thing Christ hym self confirmeth in diuers parables when he promiseth to take accompt of al his talents lent vnto his seruants in this world And in S. Mathews Ghospel he expresseth the particuler maner of that accompt saing The Sonne of man shal come vvith his Angels in the glorie of his Father to take an accompt and then shal he giue vnto euerie man according to his vvorkes And yet more particularly and seuerely of the same matter and daie I saie vnto you that euerie idle vvord that men shal speake they shal giue accompt therof in the daie of iudgment By which speech of our Saueour we are admonished not only that we shal giue an accompt of our doinges but also that we shal yeeld the same to him self who saieth in an other place Ego sum Iudex testis I am both Iudge and witnes in this accompt We are instructed also that this accompt shal be most exact and exquisite not omitting the least errours and offenses that haue passed in our life That particuler reward or punishment shal be assigned to eche mā cōfourme to the qualitie of his accompt And finally that this accompt or day of reconning for declaration of the terrour maiestie that shal be vsed therin is called here by Christ a iudgment and tribunal wherin sentence of life or death is to be pronounced Of which iudgmente or accompting daye the scripture noteth vnto vs two kindes The first wherof is called a particuler iudgment for that it is exercised vpon euerie soule immediately after her departure from the bodie according to the wordes of holie S. Paul It is appointed for euery man once to die and after that to haue his iudgment The second is called a general iudgment for that it shal be executed vpō al the world together at the last daie when mankinde shal be translated from this terrestrial habitation And of this iudgement are to be vnderstood aswel thos former wordes of Christ touching his cōming in glorie as also infinite other places and passages of Scripture which doe forewarne and admonish vs of this most dreadful daie And albeit in the first particuler iudgment eche soule that departeth hence receyueth an irrevocable sentence either of life or death eternal as may appeare by the examples of Lazarus and of the riche glutton wherof the one was determined to euerlasting repose and the other to eternal torments immediatly vpon their separation from this world yet are ther alleaged by the holie Saintes of God diuers most cleare facile and euident reasons why his diuine wisdome besides that first priuate and particuler daie of trial hath ordained also this second which shal be publicke manifest and vniuersal The first wherof is that the bodie of man rising from his sepulcher at that daie may be partaker of eternal punishment or glorie with the soule euen as in this life it was participant of the vertues or vices which the soule did exercise The second reason is for that as Christ was contemptible in this world and dishonoured publiquily and put to confusion with his Saints after him in the sight of al men so was it conuenient that once in this world he should shewe his power and maiestie and that in the sight of al his creatures together but especially of his wicked enimies who after that daie are neuer to see or beholde him more The third is that both wicked sinners blessed Saītes of God might receyue their rewardes and final paimentes openly in the sight and hearing of eche other to the more hart breake and confusion of the impious and triumphāt ioye of the vertuous who commonly in this world were contemned ouerborne and troden doune by the other The fourth and last is for that men when they die doe not commonly cary with them al the good or euil which they haue wrought hauing left behinde them diuers thinges which may encrease their merite or demerite after their deathes as are their examples their instructions gyuen to other their temporal faculties or abilities bookes preachings exhortatiōs other like meanes wherby good or euil may proceede after their departure The reward wherof can not so conueniently be assigned vnto thē whiles this world endureth for that their ioyes or punishmentes in the places wher they are may daily be augmented by the hurt or good that may be wrought in the world by thos meanes which they left behind them So diuines doe holde for examples sake that the glorie of S. Paul is encreased daily in heauen and shal be vnto the worlds ende by reason of them that daily doe profite by his writing and rare examplar life vpon earth as also on the contrarie part that the tormentes of Arrius Sabellius and other wicked heretiques are continually augmented by the numbers of thē who frō time to time are corrupted with their seditious and pestilent writiges The like they holde of dissolute Poets and other loose writers which haue left behind them lasciuious wantō and carnal deuises as also of negligent parents maisters or teachers who by their rechelesnes and euil examples gaue occasion to corrupte the children cholers or seruants committed to their gouerment and instruction But after this general daie of iudgment once past their shal be no more place of meriting either good or euil for that the world then and ther shal receyue an ende and a final sentence be pronounced of what soeuer hath passed from the first foundation and establishment therof Of this last and general iudgment then which containeth a confirmation or ratefying of the particuler going before as also a final conclusion clearing and knitting vp of al accomptes and reckonings with mākinde for his trafique stewardship in this worldlie pilgrimage The holie Scripture of God amoni heth vs most carefully to haue continual remembrance and consideration as of the greatest and most important busines that euer we shal deale in and as the forceblest means to restraine vs from sinne that possiblie may be deuised among 〈◊〉
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
any more the one the other And that which shall be as great a grief as any of the rest the sonne or daughter going to rest and ioye shal not take pitie of their owne parents or friends that are caried to calamities but rather shall reioice therat for that it redoundeth to Gods glorie for execution of his Iustice O my soule which now art here considering of thes thinges a farre of and thē shalt be present to see them actuallie before thine eyes what a doleful separation wil this be what a fare-wel what a parting whos hart would not breake at that daie to abide this intollerable seuering if a hart could then breake therby make some ende of his paines But so much ease wil not be permitted O yee children and louers of this world wher will al your delights recreations and vanities be at this daie Al your pleasant pastimes al your pride and brauerie in apparel your glistering in gold your sweet sauours of perfumes your honours of cappe and knee your adulation of flatterers your delicate faire and daintie dishes your musike your wanton daliances and pleasant entertainments Wher are all your good friēdes and merie compagniōs accustomed to laugh and disport the time with you Are al now gone O vanitie of vanities now when you haue most need of them they are furthest of from you and the remēbrāce therof shal doe nothing but tormēt you O my deare brethern how soure wil al the pleasures past of this world seeme at that howre How doleful wil the cogitation therof be vnto vs how friuolous a thing wil al our dignities riches offices and other preferments appeare wherin we take such excessiue delight now and doe weary out our spirites for gaining the same And on the contrarie side how ioyful wil that man be at this instant who hath attended to lead a vertuous life in resisting of finne doing good works albeit it were with much paine and contempt in this world Most happie creature shal he be that euer he was borne and ouer-whelmed with al ioye that euer he tooke that path in hād and no tongue but Gods can expresse his happines Wherfore here my louing brother to make an ende and to frame no other cōclusion of al this whole declaratiō but only that which Christ himself doth make vnto vs who being the chief actour that shal deale in this affaire knoweth best of al other what counsail to giue let vs cósider with our selues euē in the very bottō of our hartes how easie a matter it is now in this life with a litle paine and diligéce to auoide the danger of this most dreadful daie For which cause also it is most certaine that the same is foretolde vs and so often vrged in holy write to our remembrance as in like manner so particulerly described by our most merciful iudge Saueour to the ende we should by thes seuere earnest admonishmits be stirred vp to prepare our selues for it So Christ himself doth most euidentlie declare whē after al his former threatniges he cōcludeth in thes most sweete wordes of exhortation Looke about your selues watch and praie for you knowe not whé the time shal be But as I saie to you so I saie to al men be watchful And yet further in an other place he adioineth Attēd vnto your selues that your hartes be not ouercome with eating and drincking with the cares of this life and so that daio ouertake you vpon the suddaine c. Be you therfore watchful and alwayes praye that you may be worthie to escape althes thinges which are to come and to stand confidently before the sonne of mā at that daye Thes are the words and forewarnings of thy Iudge and Saueour vnto thee my soule And what more friendly and fatherly exhortation couldest thou desire Canst thou plead ignorance in this affaire hereafter If thou thincke so heare yet a further admonishment of his chief Apostle The daie of our Lord saieth he shal come as a theef when men thincke not of it In which the heauens and elemēts shal be dissolued and al the earth with her inhabitants shal be consumed with fire Which being so what maner of men ought we to be in holie conuersation and pietie expecting and going on to meet with this daie of our Lord c. In which wordes of S. Peter is diligently to be noted that this meeting with the daie of Iudgment wherunto he exhorteth vs is nothing els but the due examination of our present perilous estate and the speedie amendment of our life to the workes of pietie and holy conuersation which in deed is that onlie soueraine remedie wherof the wise man forwarneth vs when he saieth Prouide a medecine before the maladie and examine thy self before iudgment and so shalt thou finde fauour in the sight of God Wherunto S. Paul wel agreeth saying If vve vvould iudge our selues vve should not be iudged But for that no man entreth into this due iudgemét of himself his life state and actions here of it cōmeth that so few dot preuent this dangerous daie so few prepare themselues so fewe doe accept of the good counsaile of Christ so feweare watchful and so infinite doe fal a sleepe in the ignorance of their owne peril to their remediles destruction and vnauoidable damnation Our blessed Lord giue vs his holie grace to looke better about vs. OF THE NATVRE OF SINNE AND OF THE VNVVORTHINES OF HIM that committeth the same For iustifyinge the seueritie of gods iudgement setdoune and declared in the chapter going before CHAPT VIII TO THE ende that no man may iustly complaine of the seuere accoumpte whiche God is to take of vs at the last daye or of the rigour of his iudgemēt set doune in the chapter before it shal not be amisse to cōsider in this place the cause why God doth shew such seueritie against sinne and sinners as both by that which hath bene saide may appeare that he doth as also by the whole course of holy scripture where in euerie place almost he denounceth his extreme hatred wrath and indignatiō against the same as where it is sayed of hym that he hateth al those that vvorke īiquitie And againe that both the vvicked mā and his vvickednes are hateful in his sight And finallie that the whole life of sinners their thoughts wordes yea and their good actions also are abominations vnto him whiles they liue i sinne And that which yet is more he can not abide nor permit the sinner to praise him or to name his testament with his mouth as the Holie Ghost testifieth and therfore no meruaile if he shew such seueritie against him at the last daye whom he so extremelie hateth abhorreth in this life Of which great hatred there might be manie reasons alleaged as the vndutiful transgressiō cōtēpt of godes cōmandementes the great ingratitude of a sinner in respect of his diuine
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
haue mercie of the saith God to Ierusalem by his prophet Ieremie or vvho vvil be sorovvful for the at this day vvho vvil goe to intreate for thie peace Thou bast abandoned me saith God thou hast gone from me and novv vvil I strech out my hand and kil the. And yet further by an other prophet he demādeth of wicked men VVhat vvil ye doe in this day of my visitation and of calamitie that commeth vpō you to vvhose helpe vvil ye flie vvher vvil ye leaue your glorie And in an other place expressīg yet more effectuallie their state and miserie he saith they shal crie to the Godes vvhom they serued in this life and they shal not saue them in this time of affliction that is they shal crie cal vpon their frēdes acquaintance wealth honour and other idoles which they serued more then God in this life but they shal receaue no help or comfort from them O deare Christian brother what difference of cogitatiōs what chāge of iudgmentes what discouerie of vanities wil this day bring Thy harte within thee wil now beginne to reason Loe heere is an end now of al my delites and worldlie prosperities Al my ioyes al my pleasures al my mirth al my pastimes are now finished Where are my friendes that were wont to laugh with me my seruātes wont to attende vpon me my children wont to disporte the time with me where are al my coches and horses wherwith I was wont to make so goodlie a shew the cappes and knees of people accustomed to honour me the troupes of suters following me where are al my daliances and trickes of loue al my pleasant musicke al my gorgeous buildinges al my costlie feastes and banquettinges And aboue al other where are now my deare sweete frindes who seemed they would neuer haue forsaken me But alas al are now gone haue left me heere alone to aunswere the reckoninge for al and none of them wil doe so much as to goe with me to iudgement or to speake one worde in my behalfe Woe worthe me that I had not foreseene this daye rather and so haue made better prouision for the same It is now to late and I feare me I haue purchased eternal damnation for a litle pleasure and haue lost vnspeakable glorie for a fleetinge vanitie O how happie and twise fortunate are they whoe so liue as they may not be a fearde of this daye I now see the difference betwixt the endes of good and euil maruaile not though the scriptures saye of the one the death of sainctes are precious And of the other the death of sinners is miserable O that I had liued so vertuouslie as some other haue donne or as I had oftē inspirations from God to doe or that I had done the good deedes I might haue donne how sweete and comfortable woold they be to me now in this my last extremest distresse To thes cogitations and ruful speeches my louing brother shal thie soule be driuen at this last howr of her departure if now thou preuent it not by wisdome and diligence For which preuention the spirit of God hath reueiled vnto vs two principal means the first wherof is the diligent excercise of good workes in this life wherunto Christ him self assureth a good and happie passage at our death For so he pronounced plainlie by a voice from heauen to his deare Apostle S. Iohn they shal novv rest repose from their labours for that their good deedes doe follovv them And holie Dauid the prophet expresseth the maner of a good mans departure more in particuler saying Dominus opem seret illi super lectum doloris cius God shal help and assist him vpon the bed of his sorow that is vpon the bed of his last departure which to a worldlie man may rightlie be called the bed of sorow for that it is nothing els but a collection and heape of al sorowes together The second meane wherby to preuent this sorowful day is continuallie to premeditate and hold in mind the coming therof as holie Iob did who saith of him self al the dayes of my life doe I attend the comming of my change or departure from this vvorld Out of which attētion premeditation doe proceede sundrie most excellent effectes and frutes for preuention of al euil that may insue at that day The first wherof is to stand in continual awe and feare of death as holie Dauid did who confessed of him self that the feare of death vvas fallen vpon him Out of which feare doth proceed a second effect of great weight in mans life named heedfulnes or sollicitude which the blessed mā Iob had by his fornamed meditation of death for so he saith of him self that by consideration he vvas made sollicitous vvith scare and therupon he addeth further that he doubted al his vvorkes In which case S. Paul also signifieth him self to be when he exhorted al men to be careful to doe good vvorkee vvhiles they haue time and for that this time is but short so to vse this present vvorld as though they vsed it not The third effect that followeth by the meditation of death is the vnderstanding of our owne basenes and vilitie wherunto S. Paul exhorted the Corinthians when he said vnto them Except you be reprobates you knovv your selues For he that thinketh often vpon the state of a dead man shal easilie confesse with saint Iames that our life is a vapor and with Esay that al the glorie of man is but as a flovver of the field And wil finallie say to him self with the wise man Quid superbit terra cinis Whie doth earth and dust ware proude and take so much vpon it Thes are three most excellent effectes that doe insue by frequent meditation and consideration of death But besides thes ther followeth also a fowerth which is the casting from vs of al superfluous worldlie cares which are commonlie in them that consider not ther ende according as the wise man warneth vs when he saith God hath giuen or permitted to the sinner affliction and superfluous care to scrape and gather together to leaue it to such as to God it shal best please And out of this effect is ingēdred by litle and litle and by degrees an other more high and excellent thing called the cōtempt of creatures for the loue of their Greator wherunto S. Paul was arriued when he wrote thos finie wordes I doe esteeme al thinges as dunge for the gaining of Christ. And from this proceedeth an other which is the sixt and last called the cōtempt or rather the loue and desire of death Which S. Paul also had attained vnto when he said of him self I doe desire to be dissalued and to be vvith Christ. And the holie prophet Dauid who said in the beginning as you haue heard that the feare of death vvas fallen vpon him came at
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
the first in doinge of that seruice whersoeuer he came therby to touch his holy body He praied vehemently in the fier and gaue immortal thankes vuto almightie God that had made him worthy of that daies combate during which time the fier diuided it self in two partes and would not touch him in so much that the magistrate was constreined to send one to ronne his body through with a sword wherwith he died Thus far repeteth Eusebius out of the epistle of thes men that were present at his martyrdome they doe adde further thes wordes in the same epistle that the Iewes and Gentils ther present did suggest to the Magistrate to take heede least we did steale away his body and so begin to honour him in stead of our God crucified Vpon which suggestion his body by commandement was burned ther in our presence after it was dead but yet we afterward gathered vp his bones out of the ashes and laid them vp as things more pretious then gold or pretious stones in a place conuenient for such a treasure hoping that one day God wil permit vs to come togither in peace and to celebrate the festiual day of this his holy martyrdome I haue bene the lōger in setting downe the cōbat and end of this glorious Sainct for that he was a most rare and singuler man and his example may serue vs for our instruction to diuers purposes but especially how we ought to be firme and cōstant in holding the general vniforme doctrine and interpretation of scripturs deliuered by tradition from th' apostles in the Catholique church with detestation of al new opiniōs as also S. Ignatius warned vs before The holy bishop and martyr of God Irenaeus that liued in his time and went from Liōs in France vnto Asia to see and heare him reporteth certaine things of this blessed man which I can not in this place omit notwithstanding I make haste for that they may greatly profit such men in thes our dayes as haue grace to be moued or holpen with any thing Policarpe saith he was not only instructed by th' apostles them selues but also made bishop by them of Smirna He liued familiarly with many that had sene and spoken with our Saueour in flesh and we in our youth saw him in Asia for he liued long and ended his life by a most famous martyrdome He taught alwaies thos things which he had learned of the apostles which the Church deliuereth and which are only true Which may be proued by the consent of al the churches of Asia and by the bishopes which haue succeded after him He was a more faithful witnes of the truth then Valentinus or Marcion or al the body of other heretiques together which haue brought pestilent new sectes into the Church He wēt to Rome Anacetus being thē bishop and reduced to the church and true religion diuers that were peruerted by the for said heretiques and protested openly that he had receaued of th' apostles them selues that only and sole truth which is deliuered by the Catholique church Ther are yet a liue that haue heard him tel how that S. Iohn th' apostle of our Saue our being once at Ephesus going into a common bath and seing Cerinthus the heretique to be within ranne out againe in hast saying to them that were with him let vs flee from hence least the bath fal downe and destroy vs in which the enimie of God Cerinthus remaineth The same Policarpe at the same time when he was at Rome meeting by chance with Marcion the heretique ther and being demanded of him whether he knew him or not answered vea I know the for the cheefe child of Satan So wary were the holy apostles and their schollers not so much as to talke with such fellowes as indeuored by their new commētaries and expositiōs of scriptures to change the truth before receaued And so S. Paul warneth vs al to doe when he saith Auoid an heretical man after one or tvvo admonitions assaring thy self that such a one is peruers and sinneth being condemned by his ovvne proper iudgement Hitherto are the words of holy Irenaeus The same Irenaeus writing to one Florinus his old acquaintance in schole of Polycarpus now beginning to be an heretike in Rome as foloweth Thes opinions of thine O Florinus to speake frendly are not true nor wholsome Thes opinions are repugnant to the Church Thes opinions thou receauedst not by tradition from the Preestes that before vs were scholers to the Apostles I did see thee when I was but a child with Polycarpus in Asia at what time thou liuing very gorgiously in the Emperours court diddest indeuour to hold a good opinion with Polycarp I remember those times wel they stike in my mind more firmly then other things that passed since In so much that I can tel at this time the very place wherin this blessed man did sit whē he spake vnto vs. I can tel the order and maner of his comming in the forme and fashion of his life the shape of his body the maner of his disputing of his preaching to the multitude I remember how he was wont to recompt vnto vs the familier conuersation that he had with S. Iohn th' Euangelist with diuers others who had seene our Sauiour I remember how he would tel vnto vs their speaches what he had heard them say of Christ of his miracles vertues and doctrine which they had seene with their owne eyes and heard with their eares which were al agreing with the scriptures that now we haue Thes things through the great mercy of God towards me I heard at that time both diligently and attentiuely not so much committing them to inke papire as to the inward cogitation of my minde And while I liue I doe and shal by Gods holy grace most carfully renewe the memory therof And now here before almighty God I may truly protest that if this holy and Apostolical preest Polycarp should haue heard of such new opinions as you defende he would haue stopped his eares and cried out according as his fashion was O good God vnto what miserable times hast thou reserued me to heare thes things And presently would haue risen and runne away from the place where he had bene standing or sitting when such doctrine should haue bene vttred Hitherto Irenaeus AND NOVV deare Christiā brother who would not be moued with the graue and zelous speeches of thes reuerend men that liued so nighe to the times of the holy Apostles and of our Saueour him self How exceeding great was their care amiddest al their other tribulations and at the very last time when they were to depart out of this world for Irenaeus also soone after suffered martyrdome to forwarne Christiā people to beware of heresie and schisine and to detest al maner of new commentaries expositiōs vpon holy scriptures other then the vniuersal traditiō of the
they had said trouble vs not moleste vs not with thy persuations spend not thy wordes and labour in vaine talke vnto others who are not yet setled let them take heauen that take it wil we for our partes are resolued we are at a pointe we haue made a league that must be kept we haue made a bargaine that must be perfourmed yea though it be with hel and death euerlasting It is a wonderful furie the obduration of a hard hart not without cause compared by the prophet as I haue shewed before to the wilful furie and rage of serpentes And an other place of scripture describeth it thus Durus es neruus ferreus ceruix tua frons tua aerea Thou art hard harted and thy necke is a sinowe of yron and thy forehead is of brasse What can be more vehementlie spoken to expresse the hardnesse of this mettal But yet S. Barnard expresseth it more at large in thes wordes Quid ergo cor durum and what is then a hard hart saith he and he answereth immediatlie A hard hart is that which is neither cut by compunction nor softened by godlines nor moued with prayers nor yeeldeth to threatning nor is any thing holpen but rather hardened by chastising A hard hart is that which is ingratful to Gods benefites disobedient to his counsails made cruel by his iudgementes dissolute by his alluremētes vnshamefast to filthines feareles to perils vncourteous in humane affaires recheles in matters pertaining to God forgetful of things past negligent in things present improuident for things to come By this description of S. Barnard it appeareth that a hard hart is almost a desperate and remediles disease where it falleth For what wil you doe saith this good father to amend it If you laie the greeuousnes of his sinnes before him he is not touched with compunction If you alleage him al the reasons in the world why we ought to serue God and why we ought not to offend and dishonour him he is not mollified by this consideration of pietie If you would request him and beseeche him with teares euen on your knees he is not moued If you threaten Gods wrath against him he yeeldeth nothing therunto If God scourge him in deede he waxeth furious and becōmeth much more hard then before If God bestowe benefites on him he is vngrateful If he counsaile him for his saluation he obeieth not If you tel him of Gods secret and seuere iudgementes it driueth him to desperation and to more crueltie If you allure him with Gods mercie it maketh him dissolute If you tel him of his owne filthines he blusheth not If you admonish him of his perils he feareth not If he deale in matters towardes men he is proude and vncurteous If he deale in matters towardes God he is rashe light and contemptuous Finallie he forgetteth what soeuer hath passed before hī towardes other men either in rewarde of godlines or in punishment of sinners For the time present he neglecteth it and maketh no account of vsing it to his benefite And of things to come ether of blisse or miserie he is vtterlie vnprouident nor wil esteeme therof laie them neuer so often or vehementlie before his face And what waie is there then to doe this man good Not without great cause surelie did the wise man pray so hartelie to God Animae irreuerenti insrumitae ne tradas me deliuer me not ouer ô Lord vnto a shamelesse and vnrulie soule that is vnto a hard and obstinate hart Wherof he geueth the reasō in an other place of the same booke Cor enim durum babebit malè in nouissimo for that a hard hart shal be in an euil case at the last daie Oh that al hard harted people would note this reason of the scripture But S. Barnard goeth on and openeth the terrour hereof more fullie when he saith Nemo duri cordis salutem vnquà m adepīus est nisi quem forte miserans Deus abstulit ab to iuxta prophetam cor lapideum dedit cor carneum There was neuer yet hard harted man saued except perchance God by his mercie did take awaie his stonie hart and geue him a hart of flesh according to the prophet By which wordes S. Barnard signifieth and proueth out of the prophet that there are two kindes of hartes in mē the one a fleshie hart which bleedeth if you but prick it that is it falleth to cōtrition repentance and teares vpon neuer so smal a checke for sinne The other is a stony hart which if you beate and buffet neuer so much with hammers you may as soone breake it in peeces as ether bend it or make it bleed And of thes two hartes in this life dependeth al our miserie or felicitie for the life to come For as God when he would take vengeance of Pharao had no more greuous waie to doe it then to saie Indurabo cor Pharaonis I wil harden the hart of Pharao that is as S. Austen expoundeth I will take awaie my grace and so permit him to harden his owne hart so when he would shew mercie to Israel he had no more forcible meane to expresse the same then to saie I vvil take avvaie the stony hart out of your flesh and geue you a fles hie hart in steade therof Which is to saie I will take away your hard hart and geue you a soft hart that wil be moued when it is spoken vnto And of al other blessings and benefites which God doth bestowe vpon mortal men in this life this soft and tender hart is one of the greatest I meane such a hart as is soone moued to repentance soone checked and controlled soone pearsed soone made to bleed soone stirred to amendement And on the contrarie parte there can be no greater curse or malediction laied vpon a Christian then to haue a hard and obstinate hart which heapeth euery day vengeance vnto it self and his maister also as S. Paul saieth and is compared by the same Apostle vnto the ground which no store of raine can make fruteful albeit it fal neuer so often vpon the same and therfore he pronounceth therof Reproba est maledicto proxima cuius consuinmatis in combustimem That is it is reprobate the next dore vnto malediction whos ende or consum nation must be fire and burning Which thing being so no maruaile though the holy scripture doe dehort vs so carefully from this obduration and hardnes of hart as from the most dangerous and desperate disease that possiblie may fal vpon a Christian being in deed as S. Paul signifieth the next dore to reprobatiō it self The same Apostle therfore crieth Nolite contristare nolite extinguere spiritum Dei doe you not contristate or make sadde doe you not extinguish the spirit of God by obduration by resisting and impugning the same Againe non obauretur quis ex vobis sallacia peccati Let no