infinite and consequently deserueth infinite hatred and infinite punishment at gods handes Hereof foloweth the reason of diuers thinges both sayed and donne by God in the scriptures and taught by diuines towching the punishments of sinne which seeme verie straunge vnto the wisedome of the world and in deede to them scarce credible As first of al the most dreadful punishment of eternal and irreuocable damnation of so manie thowsandes or rather millions of Angels that were created to glorie with almost infinite perfection that for one onlie sinne but once committed and that onlye in thought as diuines are of opinion Secondlie the rigourous punishment of our first parents Adam and Eue and al their posteritie for the eatinge of a seely aple for which fault besides the chastisinge of the offenders themselues and al the creatures of the earth for the same and al their children and ofspring after them both before our redemption and after for albeit we are deliuered frō the guilte of that sinne yet tēporal punishmētes doe remaine vpon vs for the same as hunger thirst cold sicknes death and a thousand other miseries besides also the infinite soules damned for the same before the comming of Christ by the space offower thousand yeres as also since as wel infidels which are not baptized as others besides al this I say which in mās reason maye seeme seuere enough gods wrath and iustice could not be sufficiētly satisfied except his owne onlie sonne had come downe into the worlde takē our flesh vpon him and by his paines death made satisfaction for the same And when he was now come into the world had in our flesh subiected him self vnto his fathers iustice albeit the loue his father bare vnto him were infinite and euery litle paine that he endured for vs or at leastwise euery droppe of bloode which he shed for our cause had ben sufficient for the whole satisfactiō for that his fleshe being vnited to his godhead made euerie such satisfactorie action of his of infinite value and merite and consequently of infinite satisfaction correspondent to the infinitie of our first parents sinne yet to the ende that God might shew the greatnes of his hatred and iustice against the said sinne and al other he neuer ceased to adde affliction to affliction and to heape tormentes vpō the bodie and flesh of this his most deare and blessed sonne for by Esaye he sayeth that him self was the doer therof vntil he had brought him vnto that most rueful plight that his flesh being all mangled and most lamentably torne in peeces retained no one droppe of blood within it He spared him not I saye euen then when he beheld him sorowful vnto death and bathed in that agonie of blood and water when he hard him vtter thos most dolorous and compassionable speeches O my father if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me And after that againe muche more pitifully vpon the Crosse O my God my God vvhy hast thou forsaken me Notwithstanding al which cries and lamentatiōs his most merciful father louing him as he did would not deliuer him but for satisfying of his Iustice laied vpon him stripe vpon stripe paine vpon paine torment after torment vntil he had rendred vp his life soule into his sayed fathers handes which is a wounderful dreadful documēt of godes hatred against sinne I might here mention the sinne of Esau in selling his inheritance for a litle meate of which S. Paule sayeth he founde no place of repentance after though he sought the same vvith teares Also the sinne of Saule whos sinne beinge but one and that onlie of omissiō in not killinge Agag the kinge of Amalech and his cattel as he was willed was notwithstanding vtterlie cast of by God for the same though he were his annointed and chosen seruāt before could neuer get remission therof albeit both he and Samuel Gods holie prophet did greatly lament and bewaile and made intercession in that behalfe In like maner might I alleage the exāple of kinge Dauid whose two sinnes albeit vpon his hartie repentance God forgaue yet notwithstanding the said repentance and sorrow and all the weepinge fastinge watchinge lyinge on the grounde wearinge of sackloth and other bodilie chasticementes which this holie prophet recordeth that him self did put in vre God punished him besides with maruelous seueritie as by the death of his dearlie beloued childe by manie other continual afflictions and temporal punishementes during the rase of his whole life And al this to shew his hatred against sinne thereby to terrifie vs from committinge the same Of this also doe proceede al those harde and seuere speeches of holie write touching sinners which comming from the mouth of the Holie Ghost and therfore no doubt both true and certaine may iustlie yeeld greate cause of feare to al such as liue in sinful state As for example where it is saied death bloode contentiō edge of svvorde oppression hunger contrition and vvhippes all thes thinges are created for vvicked sinners And againe God shal raine snares of fyre vppon sinners brimstone vvith tēpestuous vvindes shal be the portion of their cup. And yet further ī manie other places thes most dreadful speeches and comminations are to be founde God wil be knowen at the day of iudgement vpon the sinner who shal be taken in the workes of his owne handes manie whippes belong vnto a sinner let sinners be turned into hell God shal scatter al sinners and shal dash ther teeth out of their mouthes God shal scoffe at a sinner when he seeth his daye of destructiō cōmeth on the sworde of sinners shall turne into their owne hartes The armes of sinners shal be crushed and broken and they shal wither and dry vp like haye from the face of the earth desire not the glorie and riches of a sinner for thou doest not know the suddaine subuersion which shall come vpon hym for God hath gyuē him riches to deceyue him therwith beholde the daye of our Lord shal come a cruel daye and ful of indignation wrath and furie to make desolate the earth and to crush in peeces her sinners within her Thē shal the iust man reioice seinge this reuenge and shal wash his handes in the blood of sinners Thes loe my deare brother and innumerable other such sentēces of scripture pronounced by the holie spirit of God against sinners maye instruct vs of their pitifull estate of the vnspeakable hatred of his diuine Maiestie against thē so lōg as they persist in their sinful life and cōuersation Of all which considerations the self same holie scriptures doe gather certaine conclusions greatelie to be obserued wherof the first and more general is that sinne bringeth al people to miserie secondlie and more particulerlie that he vvhich loueth sinne bateth his ovvn soule Or as the Angel Raphael
other so beholding daily the wounderful examples of godes infinite mercie towardes them that doe repent we may therby conceyue the seueritie of his Iustice towards such as he reserueth to punishment in the life to come and whom for that cause he calleth in holy writ Vasa furoris that is vessels of furie wheron to exercise the rage of his dreadful and most terrible indignation A third consideration to induce vs to the vnderstāding of the greatnes of Gods punishmentes in general may be his maruailous patience and long suffering of sinners in this life As that for example he permitteth diuers mē from sinne to sinne from day to day from yeare to yeare frō age to age to liue continually in the contempt of his Maiestie and transgression of his commaundementes refusing al persuasions allurementes good inspirations or other meanes of grace and fauor that his merciful goodnes can deuise to offer for their amendment And what man in the world could suffer this or what mortal hart were able by inestimable sufferāce for bearing in this life to shew such patience but now if al this should not be requited with seueritie of punishment in the worlde to come it might seeme to be against the law of iustice and equitie and so one arme in God to be longer then the other S. Paule toucheth this reason in his epistle to the Romans where he saith duest thou not knovv that the benignitie of God is vsed to bring thee to repentance and thou by thy bard and impenitent hart doest heape vp vengeace vnto thy self in the day of vvrath and appearance of Gods iust iudgementes vvhich shal restore to euerie mā according to his vvorkes In which sentence S. Paul vseth the phrase of heaping wrath or vēgeāce to signifie therby that like as the couetous man doth laie vp money daily to make his heape encrease so the irrepentant sinner doth heape sinne vpon sinne and God on the contrary side heapeth vengeance to vengeance vntil his measure be ful to restore in the ende measure against measure as the prophet saith and to paye vs home according to the multitude of our ovvne abhominations This was the meaning of almightie God when he said to Abraham that the iniquities of the Amorrheans vvere not yet complet As also in the reuelations vnto S. Ionn Euangelist when he vsed this conclusion of that booke He that doth euil let him doe yet more euil and he that lieth in filth let him yet become more filthie for beholde I come quicklie and my revvard is vvith me to render to euerie man according to his deedes By which wordes God signifieth that his forbearance and tolleration with sinners in this life is an argument of his greater seueritie in the life to come which the prophet Dauid doth insinuate in like maner when talking of a careles sinner he saieth God shal deride him for that he seeth before hand that his daie vvil come Which daie no doubt is to be vnderstoode the daye of account and punishmēt after this life for so doth God more at large declare him self in another place in these wordes And thou sonne of man this saieth thy Lord God the end is come now I save the end is come vpon the. And I wil shew on the my furie and wil iudge the according to thy waies I wil laye against the al thine abominatiōs myn eye shal not spare the nether wil I take anie mercie vpon the but I wil laie thine owae waies vpon the thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold affiction commeth on the end is come the end I saie is come it hath watched against the and beholde it is come destruction is now come vpon the the time is come the daie of slaughter is at hand Shortlie wil I power out my wrath vpon the and I wil fil my furic in the and I wil iadge the according to thy waies and I wil lay al thy wickednes vpō the myn eye shal not pitie the nor wil I take any compassion vpon the but I wil lay thy waies vpon the and thy abhominations in the middest of the and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of almightie God deliuered by the mouth of his holie Prophete SEING THEN we now vnderstand in general that the punishmentes of God in the life to come are most certaine to be greate and seuere to al such as fal into thē for which cause S. Paul affirmeth that it is a horrible thing to fal into the handes of the liuing God Let vs consider some what in particuler what maner of paines and punishmentes they shal be For better conceyuing wherof it is to be noted that there be two sortes of sinners in this worlde the one which die in the guilt of mortal sinne and in the disfauour and hatred of almightie God of whom it is said the portion of vvicked men shal be in the lake burning vvith fire and brimstone vvhich is called the second death The other which haue the guilt of their sinne pardoned by their repentance in this life but yet haue not made that temporal satisfaction to gods iustice nor are so thoroughlie purged in this world as they may passe to heauen without punishmēt and of these it is writen They shal suffer detrimēt but yet they shal be saued as by fire Vpon which wordes of S. Paul the holie father S. Austen writeth thus Because S. Paul sayeth that these mē shal be saued by fire therfore this fire is cōtemned But surely though they shal be saued by it yet is this fire more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life albeit you know how greate and intollerable thinges men haue or maie suffer The same S. Augustine in an other place expoundeth yet further the words of the said Apostle i this maner They which haue donne thinges worthie of temporal punishment of whom the Apostle saieth they shal be saued by fire must passe through a firie riuer and most horrible shallowes of burning flames signified by the prophet when he saith and a fludd of fire vvent before him and looke how much matter there is in their sinnes so longe must they sticke in passing through how much the fault requireth so much shal the punishment of this fire reuenge And because the word of God doth compare the soule of a sinner to a pot of brasse saying put the pot emptie vpon the coles vntil al the rust be melted of therfore in this fire al idle speeches al filthie cogitations al light sinnes shal boile out and consume which by a shorte waie might haue bene seperated from the soule in this life by almes teares Hitherto S. Augustine And the same holie father in an other place hath these wordes If a sinner by his conuersion escape death and obtaine life yet for al that I can not promise him
euery sinful conscience commeth to answere almightie God as did Ierusalem when being admonished of her sinnes exhorted by his prophet to amendment of life she said Desperaui nequaquam faciam I ame become desperate I wil neuer thincke of any such thing To which lamentable estate when a sinful man is once arriued the next steppe he maketh is for auoiding al remorse and trouble of consciēce to engulfe him self into the depth of al detestable enormities and to abandone his soule to the verie sincke of al filth and abhominations according as S. Paul said of the Gentiles in like case that by despaire they deliuered them selues ouer to dis solute life therby to commit al maner of vncleanes Which wicked resolution of the impious is the thing as I haue noted before that most of al other offences vpon earth doth exasperate the ire of Almighty God depriuing his deuine Maiestie of that most excellent propertie wherin he cheifly deliteth and glorieth which is his infinite and vnspeacable mercie This might be declared by diuers and sondrie examples of holy writt how be it two only shal suffice for this present The first is of the people of Israel not long before their banishment to Babilon who being threatned from God by the Prophet Ieremie that manifold punishments were imminent ouer their heads for their grieuous sinnes committed against his Maiestie begāne in stead of repentance to fal to desperation and consequently resolued to take that impious course of al dissolute life alleaged before out of S. Paul for thus they answered God exhorting them by his threats to reforme their wicked liues VVe are novv grovven desperate therfore vve vvil hereafter folovve our ovvne cogitations and euerie one sulfil the vvickednes of his ovvne conceite Wherat God stormed infinitely and brake forth into this vehement interrogation Interrogate Gentes quit audiuit talia horribilia Aske and enquire of the verie Gentiles whether euer among them were heard any such horrible blasphemies And after this for more declaration of this intollerable iniurie herin offerred to his Maiestie he commaunded the Prophet Ieremie to goe forth of his owne house and to get him to a potters shope which in the village was framing his vessels vpon the wheele Which Ieremie hauing done he sawe befor his face a pot crushed and broken by the potter al in peeces vpō the wheele and thincking therby that the vessel had bene vtterly vnprofitable and to be cast away he saw the same clay ptesently framed agayne by the potter into a new vessel more excellent then before Wherat he maruailing God said vnto him Doest not thou thinck Ieremie that I can doe with the house of Israel as this potter hath done with his vessel Or is not the house of Israel in my handes as the clay is in the handes of this craftesman I wil denounce vpon the sodaine against a Nation and kingdome that I wil roote it vp and destroye it and if that nation or kingdome doe repent from their wickednes I also wil repent me of the punishment which I intended to laie vpon them And then he proceedeth foreward declaring vnto Ieremie the exceeding greif and indignation which he conceaueth that any sinner what soeuer should despaire of mercie pardon at his hands The second example is of the same people of Israel during the time of their banishment in Babilon at what time being afflicted with many miseries for their sinnes and threatned with many more to come for that they changed not the course of their former wicked conuersation they beganne to despaire of Gods mercie and to saie to the Prophet Ezechiel that liued banished among them exhorted them to amendment vpon assured hope of Gods fauour towards them Our iniquities and sinnes doe lye greeuouslie vpon vs and vve languish in them and vvhat hope of life then may vve haue At which cogitation and speech God being greatly moued appeared presently to Ezechiel said vnto him Tel this people I doe liue saieth the Lord God of hostes I vvishe not the death of the impious but rather that he should turne from his vvicked vvaies and liue VVhy vvil the house of Israel die in their sinnes rather then turne vnto me And then he maketh a large and vehement protestation that how greuously soeuer any person shal offend him how great punishments soeuer he shal denounce against him yea if he had giuen expresse sentence of death and damnation vpon him yet Si egerit paenitentiam a peccato suo seceritque iudicium iustitiam that is if he repent him self of his sinne and exercise iudgement and iustice for the time to come al his sinnes that he hath committed shal be forgiuen him saieth almightie God for that he hath done iudgment and Iustice. And this now might be sufficient albeit nothing els were spoken for remouing this first obstacle and impediment of true resolution which is the dispaire of Gods infinite goodnes and mercie Neuertheles for more euident clearing and demonstration of this matter and for the greater comfort of such as feele them selues burdened with the heauy weight of their iniquities committed against his deuine Maiestie I haue thought expedient in this place to declare more at large this aboundant subiect of Gods endles mercie towards al such as wil truly turne vnto him in what time state condition or age soeuer in this life which shal be shewed and set doune by thes foure points and partes that doe ensue FIRST OF AL by the infinite and incomprehēsible loue that almightie God beareth vnto man which loue is alwaies the mother of fauour grace and mercie If you demaund of me in what sort I doe proue that the loue of God is so exceeding great towardes man I answere as the Cosmographer is wont to doe who by the greatnes and multitude of the streames and riuers doth frame a coniecture of the fountaine frō which they flowe The proper riuers which are deriued and doe ronne forth of loue are good turnes and benefites which seing they are infinite endles and inestimable bestowed by God vpon man as in place before hath bene declared and the whole vniuersal frame of this world doth aboundantly beare witnesse it foloweth most euidently that the origine fountaine welspring of al thes fauours graces and good turnes must needs be infinite immeasurable and farre surpassing al compasse of mans vnderstanding If you require of me the cause and reason why almightie God should so wonderfully be affected towards man I can directly yeld you none at al but rather meruaile therat with holy Iob why so soueraine a Maiestie should set his hart vpon so base a subiect Notwithstanding the holy Scripture seemeth to alleage one principal reason of this loue when it saieth Nihil odistieorum quae secisti parcis omnibus quia tua sunt Domine quidiligis animas That is Thou O Lord which louest soules
of a Leuit God punished the whole tribe in this order as holy scripture recounteth He caused al the other eleuen tribes to rise against them first to come to the house of God in Silo to aske his aduise and to folow his direction in this warre against their brethren And thence hauing by Godes appointement ioined battaile twise with the tribe of Beniamin the third daie God gaue them so great a victorie as they slew al the liuing creatures within the compasse of that tribe except onelie six hundred men that escaped awaie into the desert the rest were slaine both man woman children and infantes together with al the beastes and cattel al the cities villages and howses burnt with fire And al this for one sinne committed onelie at one time with one woman And who then deare Christian brother wil not confesse with Moyses that God is a iust God a great God and a terrible God Who wil not confesse with S. Paul that it is horrible to fal into the handes of the liuing God Who wil not say with holy Dauid A Iudicijs tuis timui I haue feared at the remembrance of thy iudgementes If God would not spare the destroying of a whole tribe for one sinne onely if he would not perdon Chore Dathan and Abiron for once the sonnes of Aaron for once Ananias Saphira for once if he would not forgiue Esau though he demaunded it with teares as S. Paul saieth if he would not remit the punishment of one fault to Moyses Aaron albeit they asked it with great instance if he would not forgiue one proude cogitation vnto the Angels nor the eating of one apple vnto Adā without infinite punishment nor would passe ouer the cuppe of affliction from his own deare sonne though he required the same thrise vpō his verie knees with the sweate of blood and water in his presence what reason hast thou my brother to thike that he wil let passe so many sinnes of thine vnpunished what cause hast thou to induce thy imagination that he wil deale extraordinarilie with thee breake the course of his iustice for thy sake Art thou better then thos whom I haue named or hast thou any priuilege from his Maiestie aboue them If thou wouldest consider the great and strange effectes of his iustice which we see dailie executed in the world thou shouldest haue litle cause to persuade thy self so fauorablie or rather to flatter thy self so daungerously as thou doest We see that notwithstanding Godes mercie yea after the death and passion of Christ our Sauiour for sauing of the whole world yet so many infinite millions be damned daily by the iustice of almightie God so many insideles heathens Iewes and Turkes that remaine in the darknes of their owne ignorance and among Christīans so many heretiques and misbeleuers and among Catholiques so many euel liuers as Christ truely said that few were they which should be saued albeit his death was paid for al if by their own wickednes they made them selues not vnworthie therof And before the comming of our Sauiour much more we see that al the world went awrie to damnatió for many thousand yeres together excepting a few Iewes which were the people of God And yet among them also the greater part perhappes were not saued as may be cōiectured by the speeches of the prophetes from time to time and specially by the sayings of Christ to the harisees and other rulers therof Now then if God for the satisfying of his justice could let so many millions perish through their own sinnes as he doth also now daily permit without any preiudice or impechement to his infinit mercie why may not he also damne thee forthy sinnes notwithstanding his mercie seing thou doest not onely commit them without feare but also doest confidently persist in the same The 2. part of the chapter BVT HERE now perhappes some man may say if this be so that God is so seuere in punishment of euery sinne and that he damneth so many thousandes for one that he saueth how is it true that the mercies of God are aboue al his other vvorkes as holy scripture affirmeth and that it passeth and exalteth it self aboue his iudgement For if the number of the damned doe exceede so much the number of thos which are saued it seemeth that the worke of iustice doth passe the worke of mercie To which I answere that touching the smal number of them that are saued as also of th' infinit quantitie of such as are damned we may in no wise doute for that besides al other prophetes Christ our Sauiour hath made the matter certaine and out of question We haue to see therfore how notwithstāding al this the mercie of God doth exceede his other workes And first his mercie may be said to exceede for that al our saluation is of his mercie and our damnation from our selues only as from the first and principal causes therof according to the saying of God by the prophet Perditio tua Israel tantummodò in me auxilium tuum Thy perdition is onely from thy self ô Israel and thy assistance to doe good is onely from me So that as we must acknowledge Gods grace and mercie for th' author of euerie good thought and acte that we doe and consequently ascribe al our saluatiō vnto him so none of our euil actes for which we are damned doe proceede from him but onely from our selues and so he is no cause at al of our damnation and in this doth his mercie exceede his iustice Secondlie his mercie doth exceede in that he desireth al men to be saued as S. Paul teacheth and him self protesteth when he saieth I vvil not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne from his vvikednes and liue And againe by the prophet Ieremie he complaineth greeuouslie that men wil not accept of his mercie offered Turne from your vvicked vvaies saith he vvhy vvil ye die a you house of Israel By which appeareth that he offereth his mercie most willinglie and freelie to al but vseth his iustice onelie vpon necessitie as it were cōstrained therunto by our obstinate behauiour This our Sauiour Christ signifieth more plainlie when he saith to Ierusalem O Ierusalem which killest the prophetes and stonest them to death that are sent vnto thee how oftē wold I haue gathered thy children together as the henne clocketh her chickins vnderneth her winges but thou woldest not behold thy house for this cause shal be made desert and left without children Here you see thee mercie of God often offered vnto the Iewes but for that they refused it he was enforced in a certaine maner to pronounce this heauie sentence of destruction and desolatiō vpon them which he fulfilled within fortie or fiftie yeares after by the handes of Titus and Vespasian Emperours of Rome who vtterlie ouerthrewe the citie of Ierusalem and the whole nation
for God called not him self a iust iudge for nothing If the matter had bene so secure as many men by flatterie doe persuade themselues it is S. Peter would neuer haue said vnto Christians now baptized VValke you in scare during the time of this your earthely babitation Nor S. Paul to the same men VVorke your ovvne saluation in feare trembling But here perhappes some men wil aske me how then docth the same Apostle in an other place say That God hath not geuen vs the spirit of feare but of vertue loue and sobrietie to which I answere that our spirite is not a spirit of seruile feare that is to liue in feare onely for dreade of punishment without loue but it is a spirit of loue ioined with the feare of childrē wherby they feare to offend their father not onely in respect of his punishment but principally for his goodnes towardes them and benefites bestowed vpon them This S. Paul declareth plainly to the Romanes putting the differēce betwene seruile feare and the feare of children you haue not receiued againe the spirit of seruitude saith he in feare but the spirit of adoption of children vvherby vve crie to God Abba father He saith here to the Romanes you haue not receiued againe the spirit of seruitude in feare because their former spirite being gentiles was onely in seruile feare for that they honoured and adored their Idoles not for any loue they bore vnto them being so infinit as they were and such not able leudnes reported of them I meane of Iupiter Mars Venus and the like but onely for feare of hurt from them if they did not serue adore and honour them S. Peter also in one sentence expoandeth al this matter For hauing said timorem corum ne timueritis feare not their feare meaning of the seruile feare of wicked men he addeth presentlie Dominum autem Christum sanctificate in cordibus vestris c. cum modestia timore conscientiam habentes bona That is doe you sanctifie our Lord IESVS Christ in your hartes hauing a good conscience with modestie and feare So that the spirit of seruile feare which is grounded onely vpon respect of punishment is forbidden vs but the louing feare of children is commaunded And yet also about this are there two things to be noted The first that albeit the spirite of seruile feare be forbiden vs especiallie whē we are now entered into the seruice of God yet is it most profitable for sinners and for such as yet doe but beginne to serue God for that it moueth them to repētance to looke about them for which cause it is called by the wiseman the beginning of vvisdome And therfore both Ionas to the Niniuites and S. Iohn Baptist to the Iewes and al the prophets to sinners haue vsed to stirre vp this feare by threatning the daungers and punishmentes which were imminent to them if they repented not But yet afterward when men are cōuerted to God and doe goe forward in his seruice they change euery day this seruile feare into loue vntil they arriue at last vnto that state wher of S. Iohn saith that perfecti loue or charitie expelleth feare Wherupon S. Austen saieth that feare is the seruant sent before to prepare place in our hartes for his mistres which is charitie Who being once entered in and perfectly placed feare goeth out againe geueth place vnto the same But where this feare neuer entereth at al there is it impossible for charitie euer to come and dwel saieth this holy father The second thing to be noted is that albeit this feare of punishment be not in verie perfect men or at leastwise is lesse in them then in others as S. Iohn in the place before alleaged teacheth yet being ioined with loue reuerence as it ought to be it is most profitable and necessary for al common Christians whose life is not so perfect nor charitie so great as that they haue that perfection wherof S. Iohn speaketh This appeareth by that that our Sauiour Christ persuaded also this feare euen vnto his Apostles saying Feare you him vvhich after he hath slaine the bodie hath povver also to send both bodie and soule vnto hel fire this I saye vnto you feare him The same doth S. Paul to the Corinthians whoe were good Christians laying downe first the iustice of God therupō persuading thē tò feare Al vve saith he must be presēted before the tribunal seat of Christ to receiue ech man his proper desertes according as he hath done good or euil in this life And for that vve knovve this vve doe persuade he feare of our Lord vnto men Nay that which is more S. Paul testifieth that notwithstanding al his fauours receiued frō God he retained yet him self this feare of Gods iustice as appeareth by those wordes of his I doe chastise my bodie and doe bring it into seruitude least perchance vvhen I haue preached to others I become a reprobate myself Now then my frend if S. Paul stoode in awe of the iustice of God notwithstāding his Apostleshipp and that he was guiltie to him self of no one sinne or offence as he protesteth what oughtest thou to be whose conscience remaineth guiltie of so many misdeedes and wickednes This knovv you saieth S. Paul that no fornicatour vncleane person couetous man or the like can haue inheritāce in the kingdome of Christ. And immediatly after as though this had not bene sufficient he addeth for preuenting the folie of-sinners which flatter thē selues Let no man deceiue you vvith vaine vvordes for the vvrath of God commeth for thes thinges vpon the children of vnbeleef Be not you therfore partakers of them As if he should say They that flatter you say Tush God is merciful and wil pardon easily al thes and like sinnes thes mē deceiue you saith S. Paul for that the wrath and vengeance of God lighteth vpon the children of vnbeleef for thes matters that is it lighteth vpon thos which wil not beleeue Gods iustice nor his threates against sinne but presuming of his mercie doe perseuere in the same vntil vpon the sodaine Gods wrath doe rush vpon them and then is it to late to amende Wherfore saieth he if you be wise be not partakers of their folie but amend your liues presently while you haue time And this admonition of S. Paul shal be sufficient to ende this chapter against al thos that refuse or deferre their resolution of amendement vpon vaine hope of Gods pardon or tolleration THE SIXT THING THAT VSETH TO STAY AND HINDER MEN FROM MAture resolution VVhich is the deceitful hope and persuation to doe it better or vvith more ease aftervvard CHAPT VII THE reasons and authorities which hitherto haue bene alleaged might seme I doubt not sufficient in the iudgement and censure of any reasonable man to proue the necessitie of the resolution wherof we
treate and to remoue al impedimentes that offer them selues against the same But yet for that as the wiseman saieth he which is once minded to breake with his frind seeketh occasiōs how to doe it with some colour and shew there be many in the world who hauing no other excuse of their breaking houlding of from God doe seeke to couer it with this pretense that they meane by his grace to amend al in time And this time is driuen of from day to day vntil almightie God in whos handes onely the momentes of time are doe shut them out of al time and doe send them to paines eternal without time for that they abused the singular benefite of time in this world This is one of the greatest most dangerous deceites and yet the most ordinary and vniuersal that the enemie of mankind doth vse towardes the children of Adam And I dare say boldlie that more doe perish by this deceite among Christians thē by al his other guiles and subtilities that he vseth besides He wel knoweth the force of this snare aboue al others and therfore vrgeth it so much vnto euerie man He considereth better then we doe the importance of delay in a matter so weightie as is our conuersion and saluation He is not ignorant how one sinne draweth on an other how he that is not fit to day wil be lesse fit to morow how custome groweth into nature how old diseases are hardly cured how God withdraweth his grace how his iustice is redie to punish euery sinne and how by delay we exasperate the same and heape vengeance on our owne heades as S. Paul saieth He is priuie to the vncertaintie and perils of our life to the dangerous chaunces we passe through to the impedimentes that wil come daily more and more to let our conuersiō Al this he knoweth and wel considereth and for that cause persuadeth so many to delay as he doeth For being not able any longer to blind the vnderstāding of many Christians but that they must needes see clearlie the necessitie and vtilitie of this resolution and that al impedimentes in the world are but trifles mere deceites which diuert them from the same he runneth to this onely refuge that is to persuade men that they deferre a litle and that in time to come they shal haue better occasion and opportunitie to doe it then presentely they haue This S. Augustine proued in his conuersion as him self writeth For that after he was persuaded that no saluation could be vnto him but by change and amendement of his life yet the enemie held him for a time in delaie saying vnto him staye yet a litle yet deserre for a time Therby as he saith to binde him more fast in the custome of sinne vntil by the omnipotent power of Gods grace and his owne most earnest endeuour he brake violentlie from him crying to God vvhie shal I longer saye to morovv to morovv vvhy shal I not doe it euen at this instant And so he did euen in his verie youth liuing afterward a most holie and seuere Christian life But if we wil discouer yet further the greatnes and peril of this deceit let vs consider the causes that may let our resolution and conuersion at this present and we shal see them al increased and strengthened by delaie and consequentlie the matter made more hard and difficult for the time to come then now it is For first as I haue said the continuance of sinne bringeth custome which once hauing gotten prescription vpon vs is so hard to remoue as by experience we proue daily in al habites that haue taken roote within vs. Who can remoue for examples sake without great difficultie a longe custome of dronkennes of swearing or of any other euil habite once setled vpon vs Secondlie the longer we persist in our sinful life the more God plucketh his grace and assistance from vs which is the onelie meanes that maketh the waie of vertue easie vnto men and their conuersion possible Thirdlie the power and kingdome of the deuil is more established confirmed in vs by continuance and so the more hardely to be remoued Fourthlie the libertie of our free wil is more more weakened and daunted by frequentation of sinne though not extinguished Fiftlie the faculties of our mind are more corrupted as the vnderstanding is more darkened the wil more peruerted the appetite more disordered Sixtlie and lastlie our inferiour partes and passions are more stirred vp and strengthened against the rule of reason and harder to be repressed by continuance of time then they were before Wel then deare Christian brother put al this together and consider indifferentlie with thy self whether it be more likelie that thou shalt rather make this resolution hereafter thē now Hereafter I say when by longer custome of sinne the habite shal be more deeply rooted in thee the deuil in more firme possession of the Gods helpe further of frō thee thy minde more infected thy iudgement more weakened thy good desires extinguished thy passions confirmed thy bodie corrupted thy strength diminished and al thy whole common wealth more peruerted We see by experiēce that a ship which leaketh is more easily emptied at the beginning then afterward We see that a ruinous palace the longer it is let runne the more charge and labour it wil require in the repairing We see that if a mā driue in a naile with a hammer the more blowes he geueth vpon it the more harde it is to plucke out againe How then thinkest thou to commit sinne vpon sinne and by perseuerance therin to finde the redresse more easie hereafter then now It is writen among the liues of old heremites how that on a time an Angel shewed to one of them in the wildernes a certaine good felow that hewed doune wood who hauing made to him self a great burden to carie thence laied it on his backe and for that it was vneasie and pressed him much he cast it doune againe and put a great deale more vnto it and thē beganne to lift at it a new But when he felt it more heauie then before he fel into a great rage and added twise as much more vnto it therby to make it lighter Whereat when this holy mā mused much the Angel told him that this was a figure of them in the world who finding it some-what vnpleasant to resist one or two vices at the beginning doe deferre their conuersion and doe adde twentie or fortie more vnto them thinking to finde the matter more easie afterward Saint Austen expounding the miracle of our Sauiour in raising Lazarus from death to life which had bene dead now fower daies as th' Euangelist saieth examineth the cause why Christ wept cried out and troubled him self in spirit before the doing of this acte where as he raised others with greater facilitie And he concludeth the mysterie to haue bene for that Lazarus was
baptised for the gaining of heauen But it shal not be amisse perhappes to alleage S. Austens very wordes vpon this matter For thus he writeth It is a remediles peril when a man giueth him self ouer so much to vices as he forgeteth that he must geue accōpt therof to God And the reason why I am of this opinion is for that it is a great punishment of sinne to haue lost the feare and memorie of the iudgement to come c. But dearlie beloued least perhappes the newe felicitie of the beleeuing theefe on the Crosse doe make any of you too secure and remisse least peraduenture some of you saye in his hart my guiltie cōscience shal not trouble nor torment me my naughtie life shal not make me verie sadde for that I see euen in a momēt al sinnes forgeuen vnto the theefe we must consider first in that theefe not onelie the shortnes of his beleefe and confession but his deuotion and the occasion of that time euen when the perfection of the sust did staggar Secondlie shew me the faith of that theefe in thy self and then promise to thy self his felicitie The deuil doth put into thy head this securitie to the end he may bring thee to perdition And it is vnpossible to number al them which haue perished by the shadowe of this deceitful hope He deceiueth him self and maketh but a ieste of his owne damnatiō which thinketh that Gods mercie at the last daie shal help or releeue him It is hateful before God when a man vpon confidence of penance in his old age doth sinne the more freelie The happie theefe wherof we haue spoken happie I saie not for that he laied snares in the waie but for that he tooke hold of the waie it self in Christ laying handes on the praie of life and after a strange maner making a bootie of his owne death he I saie nether did deferre the time of his saluatiō wittinglie nether did he deceitfullte put the remedie of his estate in the last momēt of his life nether did he desperatlie reserue the hope of his redemotion vnto the houre of his death nether had he any knowlege ether of religion or of Christ before that time For if he had had perhappes he would not haue bene the last in number among the Apostles which was first in the king some of heauen By thes wordes of S. Augustin we are admonished as you see that this particular facte of Christ maketh no general rule of remission to al men not for that Christ is not alwaies redie to receaue the penitent as he promiseth and was to receaue this theef but for that euerie man hath not the time or grace to repent as he should at the last houre according as hath bene declared before The general waie that God proposeth to al is that which S. Paul saith Finis secundum opera ipsorum The end of euil men is according to their workes Looke how they liue and so they die To that effect saieth the prophet Once God speke and I heard thes tvvo things from his mouth Povver belongeth to God and mercie vnta thee ô. Lord for that thou vvilt render to euery man according to his vvorkes The wise man maketh this plaine saying the vvay of simers is paued vvith stones and their ende is hel darkenes and punishmentes Finally S. Paul maketh this general and peremptorie cōclusion Be not deceiued God is not mocked looke vvhat a man sovveth and that shal be reape He that sovveth in flesh shal reape corruption he that sovveth in spirit shal reape life euerlasting In which wordes he doeth not onely lay downe vnto vs the general rule wherto we must trust but also saieth further that to persuade our selues the cōtrary therof were to mocke abuse God which hath laied doune this general law vnto vs. Notwith standing as I haue said this general law barreth not the mercie of almightie God from vsing a priuilege to some particular man euen at the verie last cast But yet miserable is that soule which placeth the ancker of his eternal wealth or woe vpon so tyclesome a point as this is I cal it ticlesome for that al diuines who haue writen of this matter doe speake verie dowtfullie of the penance or conuersiō of a man at the last end And albeit they doe not absolutely condemne it in al but doe leaue it as vncertaine vnto Gods secret iudgement yet doe they incline to the negatiue part and doe alleage fower reasons for which that conuersion is to be doubted as insufficient for a mans saluation The first reason is for that the extreme feare paines of death being as the philosopher saith the most terrible of al terrible thinges doe not permit a man cōmonlie so to gather his spirites senses at that time as is required for the treating of so weightie a matter with almightie God as is our conuersion and saluation And if we see often times that a vetie good mā can not fixe his minde earnestlie vpon heauenlie cogitations at such time as he is troubled with the passions of cholicue or other sharpe diseases how much lesse in the anguishes of death can a worldlie man doe the same being vnacquainted with that exercise and lodened with the guilt of many and great sinnes and cloyed with the loue both of his bodie and things belonging therunto The second reason is for that the conuersion which a man maketh at the last day is not for the most part voluntarie but vpon necessitie and for feare such as was the repentance of Semei who hauing greeuously offended king Dauid in time of his affliction afterward when he saw him in prosperitie againe and him self in daunger of punishment he came and fel doune before him and asked him forgiuenes with teares But yet Dauid wel perceiued the matter how it stood and therfore albeit he spared him for that day wherein he would not trouble the myrth with execution of iustice yet afterwards he gaue order that he should be vsed according to his deserts The third reason is for that the custome of sinne which hath continued al the life long can not easely be remoued vpon the instant being growen now as it were into nature it self For which cause God saieth to euil men by the prophet Ieremie If an Ethiopian can change his black shinne or a leoparde his spottes that are on his backe then can you also doe vvel hauing learned al dayes of your Life to doe euil The fowerth cause is for that the actes of vertue them selues can not be of so great value with God in that instant as if they had bene done in time of health before For what great matter is it for exāple sake to pardō thy enemies at that time when thou canst hurt thē no more to geue thy goodes awaie when thou canst vse them no more to abandon thy concubine when thou canst keepe her
I may consider and feele the true knowledge hereof for many men doe knowe but with lytle commoditie We know and beleeue in grosse the mysteries of our faith that there is a god who rewardeth good andeuel that he is terrible in his councels vpon the sonnes of men that there is a hell for synners a heaué for good lyuers a most dreadful day of iudgement to come a straite accompt to be demanded and the lyke All this we know and belieue in general as marchandise wrapped vp together in a bundle But for that we vnfolde not thes thinges nor rest vpon them in particuler for that we lett them not downe into our hartes nor do ruminate on them with leasure and attention for that we chue them not well in mynde by deepe consideration nor doe disgest them in hart by the heat of meditation they remaine with vs as a sworde in his scaberde and do helpe vs as lytle vnto good lyfe for which they were reueiled as a preseruatiue in our pocket neuer applyed can helpe our health We beare the general knowledge of thes mysteries locked vp in our breastes as sealed bagges of treasure that we neuer told nor opened and consequentelie we haue nether feeling sense or motion therby euen as a man may carye fyar about hym in a flynt stone without heate and perfumes in a pommander without smell except th' one be beaten aud th' other chafed All standeth then good reader in this one poinct for direction of our selues in this lyfe and for reaping benefit by the mysteries of our faithe and religion that we allot our selues tyme to meditate ponder and consider what thes thinges doe teache vs. For as the sycke man that had most excellent remedies and precious potions set before hym could expect no profit or ease therby if he onlie dyd looke vpon them or smeld them or toke them into his mouthe alone or should cast them foorthe of his stomache agayne before they were setled or had tyme to worke there operatiō euen so is it in this case of ours And therfore with greate reason said S. Paul to Timothie after he had taught hym a lōge lesson Haec meditare Meditate consider and ponder vpon thes thinges which I haue shewed you as if in other wordes he had said all that hytherto I haue told you or written for your instruction and all that euer you haue heard or learned besydes will auayle you nothing for your saluation except you meditate and ponder vpon the same and do sucke out the iuyse therof by often consideration Wherfore to conclude this chapter my deare and wel beloued brother for that consideration is so precious and profitable so needful and necessarie a thinge as hathe bene declared I thought it cōueniēt in this first fronte and entrance of my booke to place the mention and diligent recommendation therof as of a thinge most requisite for all that insueth For without consideration nether this that I haue saide alredy nor any thing els that shall or may be said hereafter cā yeld thee profit as by most lamentable experience we see daylie in the world wher manie millions of men passe ouer their whole age without takinge profit of so manie good bookes so manie preachinges so manie vertuous examples so many terrible chastismentes of God vpon synners which euerie wher they see before their face But yet for that they will not or haue not leasure or dare not or haue no grace to enter into consideration therof they passe ouer all as sickmen doe pills diuertinge as much as they may both their eyes and cogitations from all suche matters as are vngrateful vnto them But as good Ieremie sayth the tyme will come when they shal be inforced to see and know and cōsider thes thinges when perhappes it will be to late to reape great confort or consolation therby Wherfore deare brother that which perforce thou must doe in tyme to come and that perchance to thy greater damnation I meane to enter into consideratiō of thyne owne estate doe that now willinglie to thie conforte and merite for preparinge the waye to thy saluation Preuent the daye and redeeme the tyme accordinge to S. Pauls wise councel runne not head-long with the worlde to perdition staye some tyme as holie Ieremie admonisheth the and say to thy self vvhat doe I whether doe I goe what course hold I what shal be myne ende Take some tyme from thy pleasures and from the companie of thy pleasant friendes to doe this althoughe it be with some losse of pastyme and recreation for I assure the it will recompence it self in th' ende and make the merye when thy laughinge fryndes shall weepe Th' effect of all the considerations that insewe is rightlie to know god for by knowinge hym we shall know our selues and all thinges els whiche are necessarie for vs to know and without knowinge hym all knowledge ī the world is vanitie and meere follve haec est vita eterna sayeth Christ to his father vt te cognoscant solum Deum verum Et quem misisti Iesan Christian. This is lyfe euer lastinge that man know thee which art onlie true god and Iesus Christ whome thou hast sent Gods nature and essence we can not know in this lyfe but the onely meane to know god in this world is to know his Maiestie to know his mercie to know his iustice to know his iudgementes to know his hatred to synne his fauour to the goode his benefites and promisses to all his grace his threates his wayes his cōmandemites his dealinges towards other men before vs all which things the cōsiderations followinge doe sett before our eyes and consequentelie they doe teach vs to know god a-right Reade them therfore deare brother with attention and rememember the wordes that God vseth to vs all vacate videte quoniam ego sum Deus Take leasure and consider that I am a God It must not be donne in haste nor as the fashion is for curiositie onlie to reade three or fower leaues in one place and so in an other but it must be dóne wich such serious attentió as appertaineth to so great a busynes which in trueth is the weightiest that possiblie vnder heauen may be takē in hand It is the busines wherof Christ meant especiallie when he said vnumest necessarium one onlie thing is necessarie For that all other thinges in this world are but trifles to this and this alone of it self of more importance then they all THAT THERE IS A GOD WHICH REWARDETH GOOD AND EVYLL against all Artheistes of olde and of our tyme. VVith the proofes alleaged for the same both by Ievve and Gentile CHAPT II. IT is a thing both common and ordinarie in sciēces artes whō they are learned or deliuered by other to suppose diuers poītes and principles and to passe them oaer without proofe as ether knowen before to the
contende This yet maketh the Patriarche Iacob more plaine who prophesing at his death of the comminge of Christ hathe thes wordes the scepter or gouernment shall not be taken from the house of Iuda vntill be come that is to be sent and he shal be the expectation of Nations Which later wordes the fornamed Chaldie paraphrase as also great Onkelos both of singuler authoritie amōgest the Iewes doe interprete thus Donee Christus seu Messias veniat c. vntil Christ or the Messias come which is the hope and expectation of all Nations as well Gentiles as of vs that are Iewes the gouernment shall not ceasse in the house or tribe of Iuda By which sentence of scripture and interpretation of the Iewes thē selues we come to learne besides the promisse for the Messias two cōsequences in this matter against the Iewes of later tymes First that if their Messias must be the hope and expectation as well of Gentiles as of Iewes then can he not be a temporal kinge to destroye the Gentiles as the latter Iewes would haue it but a spiritual king to reigne ouer them and to bring in subiection their spiritual enimies for them I meane the fleshe world and deuil as we Christians doe beloeue Secondlie if the temporal kingdome of the house of Iuda where of Christ must come shall ceasse and be destroyed at the comming of Messias as this scripture auoucheth how then can the Iewes expect yet a temporal king for their Messias as most fondlie they doe But to leaue this controuersie with the later Rabines and to goe forward in declaration of that which we tooke in hand that is to shew howe Christ was fortolde fore-promissed to the Iewes it is to be noted that after the death of Iacob last mentioned there is litle recorded in scripture of the doinges of his people during the fower hundred yeares of their bondoge in Egypt But yet the tradition of that Nation teacheth that as soone as they were deliuered out of Egypt and were in the desert towardes the lande of promisse the three sonnes of Chore called Aser Eleana Abiasaphe of whome there is mention in the sixth chapter of Exodus and other where made diuers songes and Psalmes in the praise and expectation of the Messias to come and that the holie men of that tyme did solace thē selues with singing the same and that king Dauid afterward in the second parte of his Psalmes begining from the 41. vnto the 87. gathered the most parte of those olde songes together as yet they are to be seene in his psalter But Moyses who liued with that people gouerned them in the wildernes had a cleare reuelatiō from God of this Messias in thes wordes I vvill raise vp a Prophet to this people from amongest their brethren euen as thy self and I vvill putt my vvordes in his mouth and he shal speak vnto them all thinges vvhich I shal ordaine vnto him and he that shal refuse to heare the vvordes vvhich he shal speake vnto thē in my name I vvill he reuenged vpon that man Which wordes that they can not be vnderstoode of anie other Prophet that euer liued after Moyses among the Iewes but onlie of Christ it appeareth plainelie by this testimonie of the holye ghoste And were arose not anie other Prophet in Israel like unto Moyses c. After Moyses about fower hundred yeares ensued Dauid whoe for that he was a holie man and the first king of the howse of Iuda out of whose linage the Messias was to come the particulers of this mysterie were more abundantlie and manifestlie reueiled vnto hym then vnto anie other And first for assurance that Christ should be borne of his stocke and linage thes are the wordes of God vnto hym I haue svvorne to Dauid my seruant I vvil prepare thie seed for eternitie and vvill build vp thie seat to all generations Which wordes albeit the later Iewes will applie to king Salomon that was Dauides sonne and in some sense they may so bee for that Salomon was a figure of Christ to come yet properlie thes wordes and his kingdome shal stand for euer and for all eternitie which are so often repeated in this and other places of scripture can not be verified in Salomō whose earthelie kingdome was rent torne in peeces straight after his death by Ieroboam and not longe after as it were extinguished but they must needes be vnderstoode of an eternal king which should come of Dauids seede as must also thes other wordes of God in the psalmes Thou arte my sonne this day haue I begotten the I vvill gyue vnto thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance Which was neuer fulfilled in Salomon nor in anie temporal king of Iurie after hym And muche lesse thes wordes that follow He shall endure vvith the sunne and before the moone from generation to generation There shal rise vp in his dayes peace vntil the moone be taken avvay he shal reigne from sea to sea vnto the endes of the vvorld All kinges shal adore hym and all Nations shal serue hym for that he shal deliuer the pooreman that had no helper he shal saue their soules and deliuer them from vsurie and from iniquitie all tribes of the earth shal be blessed in hym and all Nations shal magnisie hym Thes wordes of Christs eternal kingdome of his enduring to the worlds ende of his vniuersal raigne ouer Iew and Gentile of his adoration by all Nations of his deliuerie of soules from bondage of iniquitie and finallie of his making blessed all tribes of the earth can not possiblie be applied to anie temporal kinge that euer was among the Iewes or euer shal be but onlie to Christ. This promisse made vnto Dauid for Christ to come of his seede is repeated after his death by manie prophetes and confirmed by God as in Ieremie where God vseth thes wordes Behold the dayes come on and I vvill raise vp to Dauid a iust seede and he shal reigne a kinge and shal be vvise and shal doe iudgement and iustice vpon earth And in his dayes shal Iuda be saued and Israel shal dvvel confidentlie this is the name that men shall call hym OVR IVST GOD. All this was spoken of Dauids seede aboue fower hundred yeares after Dauid was dead Whiche proueth manifestlie that the former promisses and speeches were not made to Dauide for Salomon or for anie other temporal kinge of Dauids lyne but for Christ who was called so peculierlie the sonne and seede of Dauid for that Dauid was the first king of the tribe of Iuda and not onelie was Christs Progenitor in flesh but also did beare his Type and Figure in manie other thinges For which cause likewise in the prophet Ezechiel who lyued about the same tyme that Ieremie did the Messias is called by the name of Dauid hym self For this God spake at that tyme vnto Ezechiel I vvil saue my
and two thousand after that vnder the Messias Which last two thousand yeares by all computation could not beginne much from the birth of Iesus And the Rabbines a great while gone complained in their Talmud that ther seemed to them in thos dayes seuen hundred fourtiene yeares past since Christ by the scriptures should haue appeared and therefore they doe maruaile whie God so longe deferreth the same Another obseruation they haue vpon the wordes of Esay paruulus natus est nobis a lytle childe is borne vnto vs. In which wordes for that they finde th' Ebrue letter MEM to be shutt in the middest of a worde which is strange in that tongue for that MEM is wont to be open in the middest of wordes and shutt onlie in the ende they gather manie secretes And amonge other that seinge MEM signifieth six hundred years so longe it should be after Esay vntill the tyme of Christe Which accompt of theirs falleth out so iust that if you recone the yeares from Achaz kinge of Iuda in whose tyme Esay spake thes wordes vntil the tyme of king Herode vnder whome Christ was borne you shall perceyue the number to faile in litle or nothing A muche like obseruation hath Rabbi Moses the sonne of Maimon whom the Iewes doe holde in extreme greate reuerence calling hym the doctor of iustice in his epistle to his countrimen of Africa concerning the tyme of Christs appearance Which he thinketh to be past accordinge to the scriptures aboue a thousand yeares in his dayes he lyued about the yeare of Christ. 1140 but that God deferreth his manifestation for their sinnes To which purpose also apperteineth the tradition of one Elias as Rabbi Iosue reporteth it iÌ„ the Thalmud that the Messias was to be borne in deede according to the scriptures before the destruction of the second temple for that Esay sayeth of the Synagoge before she vvas vvith child she brought foorth and before the greefe of trauaile came she vvas deliuered of a man child That is saith he before the Synagogue was afflicted and putt to desolation by the Romans she brought forthe the Messias But yet sayeth he this Messias for our sinues doth hyde hym self for a tyme in the sea and other deserte places vntill we be worthie of his comming To the like effect is th' obseruation of the Talmud it self and of diuers Rabbines therin concerning the wicked manners of men that should bee at Christs appearance vpon earth of whom they doe pronounce thes wordes The vvise men in Israel shal be extinguished the learning of our Scribes and Pharisies shal be putrisied the scholles of Diuinitie shal be stevves at that tyme. Which thig Iosephus that liued in the same age with Christ affirmeth to be fulfilled in the time of Herod in so much that if the Romans had not destroyed them without doubt sayeth he either the earth would haue opened and swallowed theÌ„ doune or els fire from heaueÌ„ would haue consumed theÌ„ All then runneth to this ende both by scripture tradition obseruation and instincte of God hym self that about Herodes tyme the true Messias should be borne And hereof came that common and publique fame that is recorded by Tacitus Suetonius and Iosephus which was also writen in open sight vpon the chiefest Tower of the Cittie of IerusaleÌ„ that out of Iurie should rise a general Lord of th' vniuersal vvorld Which prophetie as the Romans either contemned or turned an other waye applying the same afterwarde to Vespasian so the Iewes vnderstood it of their Messias and Herode feared the matter greatelie and for that was so watchefull to exstinguishe the line of Dauide as hath bene shewed Hereof also it did proceede that the Magi or wise men of the Easte attended so diligentelie about that tyme to expect the Starre that Balaam had promissed at the comming of this kinge Herehence also it was that the whole people of Iurie remained so attent at this tyme more then euer before or sence in expecting the Messias Where vpon as soone as euer they heard of Ihon Baptist in the desert they ranne vnto hym askinge if he were Christ As afterward also they flocked to Iesus demauÌ„ding art thou he vvhich is to come or doe vve expect an other Which wordes importe the great expectation wherin that people remained in thos dayes Nether wanted that expectation in the chief gouernours theÌ„ selues as may appeare by that speech of theirs to Iesus hovv loÌ„ge vvilt thovv kill vs with this expectation if thou he Christ tell vs plainlie Of which fame expectation and greedie desire of the people diuers deceyuers 〈◊〉 occasion to call them selues the Messias in those dayes and the people followed them presentelie which thing had not happened in any age before And among other there is named one Iudas Gaulonites or Galilaeus as S. Luke calleth him and an other Iudas the sonne of Ezeehias both of them verie wicked and liceÌ„tious felowes One also called AtoÌ„ges a Shepheard and two other named Theudas and Egyptius most notable deceyuers And aboue all there was one Barcozbam who as the Talmud saith for thirtie years together was receyued for the Messias by the Rabbines them selues vntil at last they slewe hym for that he was not able to deliuer them from the Romans Which facilitie in the people when Herode sawe he caused Nicolaus Damascenê° as I noted before to deuise a petigree for hym from the auncient kinges of Iuda And so he as well as other tooke vpoÌ„ hym to be the Messias whom-diuers carnal Iowes that expected the Messias to be a magnificent king as Herod was would seeme to beleeue diuulgate abrode and therof in the Gospell they are thought to haue bene called Herodiani that is Herodians or followers of Herod who came to tempt Christ with the scribes and pharisees Wherfore to conclude at length this weightie pointe of the tyme of Christs appearing seing that about the birth of Iesus vnder Herodes reigne there coÌ„curred so many signes argumeÌ„tes together as the general peace of the Roman Empire the defection of the line and regimeÌ„t of Iuda the open decaye of the second temple the iust calculation of Daniels hebdomades the attestation of Oracles th' obseruation of Rabbines the publique fame and expectation of all the Iewes together with the palpable experience of more then fiftien hundreth yeares past since Iesus appeared wherin we see the Iuishe people in vaine to expect an other Messias they being dispersed ouer all the world without temple law sacrifice Prophet or promisse for their redemptioÌ„ which neuer happened to them vntill after Iesus death for that in all other their banishementes captiuities and afflictions they had some prophetie consolatioÌ„ or promisse for their deliueric Thes thinges all I say considered and putt together we may moste vndoubtedlie and assuredlie conclu le that Iesus was borne
her but by calling them reformers Illuminates vnspotted bretheren and such other names that are different from Catholiques He that protesteth with S. Ierom that he doth abhorre all sectes and names of particuler men as Marcionistes Montanistes Valentinians and the like he that doth confesse sincerlie with blessed Cyprian that one priest for the time is to be obeyed by gods ordinance as iudge in Christes roome by the vniuersal brotherhode of al Christianitie he that is modest quiete sober voide of contētion obedient as S. Paul describeth a true and good Catholique he that is humble i his owne cōcept and aggreinge to humble thinges firme in faith not variable nor delighted vvith nevv doctrines he that can captiuate his vnderstandinge to the obedience of Christ which is to beleeue humblie such thinges as Christ by his church proposeth vnto him albeit his reason or sense should stande against the same And finallie he that can be content at Christes commandement to heare the Church in al thinges without doubt or exception and obey the Gouernours therof albeit in life they be Scribes and Pharises and consequentelie can say trulie sincerlie with the whole College of Christes Apostles together Creda sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam I doe belieue the holie Catholique vniue sal Church and what soeuer that Church doth set furth teach holde or beleeue that man no doubt is in a most sure case for matters of his faith and can not possiblie walke awry therin but may thinke hym self a good Christian for this first pointe which is for matters of beliefe THERE FOLLOVVETH the second parte of Christian profession concerning life and manners which is a matter of so much more difficultie then the former by how many more wayes a man may be lead from vertuous life then from sincere faith Wherin ther can be no comparison at all seing the pathe of our beliefe is so manifest as hath beneshewed that no mā cā erre therin but of inexcusable wilfulnes Which wilfulnes in errour the holie fathers of Christes primatiue Church did alwayes referre to two principal and original causes that is to pride or ouerweening in our owne concepts and to malice against our superiours for not giuing vs contentation in things that we desire Of the first doe proceede the deuising of new opinions new glosing expounding and applying of Scriptures the calling of holy writ it self in question the contempt of auncient customes and traditions the preferring of our iudgments before al others either present or past the debasing of holie Fathers priests prelates Councels ordinances constitutions and al other thinges and proofes what so euer that stand not with our owne good liking and approbatiō Of the second fountaine are deriued other qualities conformable to that humour as are the denying of Iurisdictiō and authoritie in our Superiours the contempt of Prelates th' exaggeration of the faults and defectes of our Gouernours th' impugnation of al Bishoplike dignitie or ecclesiastical eminentie and especially of the Sea Aposto lique wherunto appertainet the correction of such like offendours finally for satisfying this deuilishe and most pernicious veine of malice thos wicked reprobates doe incite and arme the people against their spiritual pastours they enkindle factions against Gods annointed substitutes they deuise a new Church a new forme of gouernment a new kingdome and ecclefiastical hierarchie vpon earth wherby to bring men in doubt and staggering what or whom to beleeue or wherunto to haue recourse in such difficulties as doe arise Thes two maladies I save of Pride and Malice haue bene the two causes of obstinate errour in al heretiques from the beginning as ful wel noted that holy and auncient martir S. Cyprian when he said so longe agoe Thes are the beginnings and original causes of heretiques and wicked schismatsques first to please and like wel of them selues and then being puffed vp with the swelling of pride to cōtemne their gouernours superiours Thus doe they abandone and forsake the church thus doe they erect a prophane Altar out of the church agaīst the church Thus doe they breake the peace and vnitie of Christ and doe rebell against Gods holie ordination Now then as thes are the causes either only or principal of erring ī our beleefe most facile and easie as we see to be discerned so of errour in life maners ther are many more occasions causes ofspringes and fountaines to be found That is to saye so many in number as we haue euil passions inordinate appetites wicked desires or vnlauful inclinations within our mynde euery one wherof is the cause oftentimes of disordered life and breach of Gods commandementes For which respect ther is much more set doune ī Scripture for exhortation to good life then to faith for that the errour herein is more ordinary and easie and more prouoked by our owne frailtie as also by the multitude of infinite temptations Wherfore we read that our Saueour Iesus in the verie beginning of his preaching straight after he was baptised had chosen vnto hym S. Peter and S. Andrew Iames and Iohn some other few Disciples wēt vp to the moūtaine ther made his first most excellēt famous and copious sermon recited by S. Mathew in three whole chapters wherin he talketh of nothing els but of vertuous life pouertie meekenes iustice puritie sorowe for sinne patience in suffering contempt of riches forgyuing of iniuries fasting prayer penance entring by the strait gate and finally of perfection holines and integritie of cōuersation and of the exact fulfilling of euery iote of Gods lawe and commaundementes He assured his Disciples with greate asseueration that he came not to breake the law but to fulfil the same and consequentelie whosoeuer should breake the least of his commaundementes and should so teache men to doe that is should perseuer therein without repentance and so by his example drawe other men to doe the like should haue no place in the kingdome of heauen Againe he exhorted thē most earnestlie to be lightes and to shyne by good workes to all the world and that excepte their iustice did exceede the iustice of Scribes and pharises which was but ordinarie and external they could not be saued He told them plainlie they might not serue two masters in this life but either must forsake God or abandon Mammon He cried vnto them Attendite stand attent and consider well your state and condition and then againe seeke to enter by the straite gate And lastlie he concludeth that th' onlie trial of a good tree is the good fruite which it yeeldeth without which fruite let the tree be neuer so faire or pleasant to the eye yet is it to be cut downe burned that not euerie one who shal say or crie vnto hym Lord Lord at the last daye should be saued or enter into the kingdome of heauen but onlie such as did execute in
lyfe for then and not otherwise are we true Christians if we fulfill in workes that wherof we haue made promisse in wordes that is in the daye of our baptisme we promissed to renounce the pompe of this world togyther with all the workes of iniquitie which promisse if we perfourme now after baptisme thē are we true Christiās and maye be ioyful And in an other place the same holie father addeth this For that diuers men are Christians in profession and faith onlie and not in life herehence it is said by the voice of truth it self Not euerie one that shall say to me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen And againe vvhie doe you call me Lord Lord and doe not perfourme the thinges that I tell you Herehence it is that God cōplained of his olde people the Iewes saying this people ho noureth we vvith their lippes but their hart is sarre of from me And the Prophet Dauid of the same people they loued hym vvith their mouth and vvith their tongues they lyèd 〈◊〉 hym Wherfore lett no man trust that his faith may saue hym without good deedes seing that we know it is writen expresselie that faith vvithout vvorkes is dead and consequentelie can not be profitable or saue vs from damnation Hytherto S. Gregorie Which verie conclusion S. Chrysostome maketh with great vehemencie vpon consideration of that woesull chaunce and heauie iudgemet that happned vnto him who in the Ghospel was admitted to the feast of Christian faith and knowledge but for lacke of the ornament or garment of good life was most cōtumeliouslie depriued of his expectatiō of whō S. Chrysostoms wordes are thes He was īuited to the feast brought into the table but for that by his fowle garment he dishonored our Lord that had īuited hym heare how miserable and lamentable a punishemēt he suffered He was not onlie thrust from the table banquet but also bounde hand foote and cast into vtter darkenes wher ther is eternal weepinge and gnashing of teeth Wherfore lett vs not deare bretheren lett vs not I saye deceyue our selues and immagine that our faith will saue vs without good worckes For except we ioyne pure lyfe to our beleefe and in this heauenlie vocation of ours doe apparrel our selues with worthie garmentes of vertuous deedes wherby we may be admitted at the mariage daye in heauen nothing shall be able to deliuer vs from the damnation of this miserable man that wanted his weddinge weede Which thingt S. Paul well noteth when hauinge said vve haue an euerlasting hovvse in heauen not made by mans handes he addeth presentelie this exception sitamen vestiti non nudi inueniamur that is if we be founde at that daye well apparreled not naked Would God euerie Chistian desyrous of his saluation would ponder well this discourse and exhortation of S. Chrysostom And so with this alone to conclude our speech in this chapter without allegation of further matter or authorities which are infinite to this effect it may appeare by that which hath already bene set doune wherin the true profession of a Christian consisteth and therby eche man that is not partial or blinded in his owne affection as many are may take a vewe of his estate and condition and frame vnto him self a verie probable coniecture how he is like to speed at the last accompting daie that is what profite or dōmage he may expect by his knowledge and profession of Christian religion For as to him that walketh vprightly in that vocation and perfourmeth effectually euerie waye his professed dutie there remaine both infinite and inestimable rewardes prepared so to him that strayeth a syde and swarueth from the right path of lyfe or faith prescribed vnto him there are no lesse paines and punishmēts referued For which cause euery Christian that is careful of his saluation ought to fixe his eye verie seriouslie vpon them both and as in beleefe to shew him self constant firme humble obedient and in one worde Catholique so in life and conuersation to be honest iust pure innocent and holie And for that this second point concerning life and maners is of more difficultie as hath bene shewed then the other of beleefe wherof notwithstanding we haue also treated sufficiently in the former chapters the rest of this whole worke shal tende to the declaration of this later part I meane of good life therby to stirre vp and awake if so it may please the merciful goodnes of our blessed Saueour the slouthful hartes of Christians to the cogitatiō of their owne estate and make them more vigilant in this greate affaire wheron dependeth their endles woe or welfare ANNOTATION THE PRINT BEING come to this place M. Bunneys edition of this booke vvas deliuered to me out of vvhose infinite corruptions maymes and māglinges diuers thinges shal be noted hereafter in the margent OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL POINTES THAT DOE APPERTAINE TO A Christian life that is to saye To resist all synne and to excercise all kynde of vertue vvith the meanes and methode hovv to perfourme them both CHAPT VI. SVPPOSINGE that in the partes of this booke which ensue we are to deale only with suche as are instructed and settled in true Christian faith wherunto we haue proued before that vertuous life and good deeds are necessarily to be adioined it semeth conuenient in this place to treate of the pointes or prīcipal partes belonging therunto Which partes are briefly prescribed by God hym self in the writinges of Dauid Esaie and other prophetes of the olde testament exhorting men to decline from vice and to embrace vertue But much more plainly by S. Peter S. Paul and other Apostles of the Euangelical law the first affirming that the fruite and effect of Christes death and passion was that vve being dead to sinne should liue to Iustice and the other adioining that the grace of God our saueour appeared to al men instructing vs to this ende that vve renouncing al vvickeanes should liue iustly and godly in this vvorld By which testimonies of holy write is made cleare and euidēt that the whole dutie of a good Christian is reduced to thes two heades or principles to wit to the resistance of al euil and to th' exercise of al pretie and vertue In respect of the first wherof our life is called in holie scripture a warfare vpon earth and vertuous mē are termed souldiours for that as good souldiours doe lye in continual wayte to resist their ennemies so vigilant Christians doe carefully stand vpon their watche for resisting the suggestions and temptatiōs of sinne In regarde of the second pointe we are named labourers husbandmen sowers marchātes bankers stewards fermers and the like and our whole life is termed a marte and trafique for that as thes kinde of people doe attēd with diligēce to their gaine and encrease of tēporal riches in this life so ought we to applie
whos wonderful actes are set doune by S. Ierome and infinite other whos most admirable and rare austerities are described by Cassianus almost twelue hundred yeares gone Al which exercises tended to this only ende to enhable them selues the better to stand in the fight and bataile against al wickednes and sinne This was the beginning of austeritie of life in thos first fathers and founders of our religion This was the cause of first leauing the world and flying to the desert This was the origine of al Monasteries Cloisters Eremitages Celles Solitarie habitatiōs And finally this was the reason of al breach and separation from flesh and blood and from al wordly conuersation therby to eschue al occasions of external temptations and by that meanes to gather the more force and strength for resistance of the internal In which internal conflict not with standing the combat oftentimes was so sharpe and vehement as it is most wonderful to consider what is recorded by the forsaid writers touching assaults endured in this behalfe by thos auncient Saintes that had left the world and what extreme paines and afflictions they susteined willingly for continuing their resistance against their spiritual aduersarie Which thinges were sett doune no doubt left writen to vs by Gods holie prouidence for our confusion that now liue who are so careles and negligent in resustinge th' assaultes and temptations of synne as we make no accompt or estimation ther of at all S. Ierome in a certaine epistle beareth witnes of him self that hauing abādoned the world and retired him self into a wilde desert of Syria was most terribly tempted not vnlike to S. Paul with suggestions of the fleshe But what did he for resisting of this temptation and what successe had he therin You shal heare reported by this his owne declaratiō O saieth he how often being in the wildernes vaste desert burnt vp and scorched by the extreame heates of the Sunne wherin the Moūkes of my time had their vglie habitations was I tempted with cogitations of Romane delights c. I sat alone for that I was replenished with sorowe and bitternes The partes of my bodie were now become deformed and vglie with continual wearing of my sacke and my skinne was as blacke as the skinne of an Ethiopian I wept daily and passed my time continually in groning And when at length sleepe came vpon me against my wil I laic doune did beate my bare bones scarse hanging togither against the ground Of my meate drincke I wil saie nothing wheras in this place we that are Mōkes doe vse only colde water euen when we be sicke and doe thincke it a great delicacie to taste any one thing that sauoureth of the fire I therfore being in this case and hauing shut my self vp in this prison for feare of helfire for auoyding of sinne being fellow now only to scorpions and wilde beastes and wholy worne out with continual fasting yet could I not auoide the temptations of the flesh c. Wherfore I did cast my self doune at the feet of Iesus I did bathe the ground about me with teares and dried the same vp againe with my owne heare I did represse my rebellious flesh with continual abstinence of whole weekes togyther I am not ashamed to confesse this miserie of my wretched estate I remember that I cried vnto Iesus whole daies and nightes togyther and ceassed not to beate and knocke my breaste vntil he arose rebuked my enimie and therby restored to me my former tranquillitie I perseuered in praier in that forlorne and sauuage desert being angrie and rigourous against my self I hampered with imprisonment my miserable flesh as our Lord is my witnes vntil at length after infinite teares shed and my verie sighte dazeled with long looking vp and beholding the heauens I seemed againe to be restored to the companie felowship of Angēls Wherwith being made exceeding ioyful and replenished as it were with al kinde of diuine and Celestial solace I beganne to sing againe within my self that most pleasant songe vve shal novv rūne after the svvet sauour of thy fragrant ointments O Lord. Thus did thes blessed fathers Saintes of God behaue them selues and thus did they esteeme them selues bound to doe for resisting of sinne and for maintenance of their integritie against the wicked assaultes of their ghostly enimie remembring wel how it is written fight valiantly for thy soule and striue vnto death for maintenance of iustice But alas deare brother how doe we behaue our selues in this importāt busines what doe we what paines take we what attention what vigilance doe we hold vpon our thoughtes wordes and actions what caution doe we vse what resistance doe we make Is ther any man that flieth the occasions of sinne or rather prouoketh not the same is ther any now adayes that mortisieth his fleshe or rather doth not cherishe and pamper it to wickednes is ther any man that represseth his owne appetites that standeth in fight against sensual suggestions nay rather doth not al the world runne after their owne concupiscences doe they not yeeld them selues as slaues to euery temptatiō that doth arise to euery assault that the enimie maketh doe they not deuoure euery hooke which the deuil layeth for their intrappinge and swalow doune euerie poisonned baite that is cast for their destructiō O merciful Lord what a pitiful state of the world is this harcken good Christian how this case of a careles sensual man is described euen by the very fingar of God hym self I looked forth through the barres of my wīdowe sayeth the diuine wisdome of God and I sawe and considered a fond yong fellowe who walked by corners of the streates ī darkenes c. And ther ranne vnto hym a woman decked vp like an harlot and prepared to deceyue soules c. she enticed hym by flatterie and many sweet speeches and entangled hym with stronge alluremētes Presently he folowed her as an oxe ledde vnto the slaughter and as a wanton skippinge lambe that is caried to the shambles like a birde that maketh haste to the snare so foloweth he not knowing seely sotte that he is drawen to fetters and that the daunger of his soule dependeth thereon vntill his harte be strocken through c. This is the description which the holy Ghoste vseth to set out vnto vs the miserable condition of a dissolute and recheles Christian which hath no care of resisting temptations but folovveth euery suggestion of his owne sensual appetite and therby not only woundeth to death his owne hart and soule by euery consent he yeeldeth but also as the Scripture here noteth enthralleth him self in such miserable bondage and captiuitie and casteth him self into so strong bandes inextricable fetters of his ennimie as he can not possibly afterwardes deliuer him self but by some wonderful extraordinarie miracle wrought by God For as truly Christes
men in this life For of this were vttered thos wordes especiallie beare in minde the last end of all thinges and thon shalt iot synne euerlastinglie Which holie Dauid seemed to haue experienced in hym self when he wrote as foloweth I haue obserued the vvayes of my Lord neither haue I committed vvickedness against my God for that his iudgements vvere alvvaye in my sight and his iustice I haue not cast out of my mynd And by thes meanes I shal be vnspotted in his presence and vvill keepe my self from committing iniquitie Hence it is that the blessed Prophet Moyses when he saw the people of Israel careles in committing synne cried out in zeale ō foolishe Nation vvithout vvisdom or councel vvould God they had vvitt and vnderstanding and vvould forsee the end of thinges to come As who would say if they had so much witt as to consider this and what accompt they must gyue to God at the last day of their doinges they would not offend hym as they doe But as the scripture saith in an other place for that this day of reconing is disterred and for that Gods iudgment is not pronounced presentelie against the vvicked the children of men doe commit vvickednes daylie vvithout ail feare We haue then to consider in this place for our owne instruction and good admonishement in life what maner of accompting daye this shal be whos remembrance is so much and often commended vnto vs in holie scripture For better conceyuing wherof we shall deuide this chapter into three principal heades or pointes The first wherof shal be of preparatiōs or preābles assigned to goe before this daye The second of thinges that shall passe and be executed at that daye The third of that which is to ensue vpon the sentence gyuen and the iudgement ended CONCERNING THE FIRST it is to be noted that for the more dread and Maiestie of this great daie the eternal wisdome of God hath ordained and reuealed vnto vs that before the comming therof when it approcheth nere thershal most wonderful and horrible preparations signes and tokens appeare in the world The first wherof shal be the garboiles tumultes and commotions of all Nations kingdomes and people vpon earth Which our Saueour hymself described in thes wordes to his Apostles VVhen you shal heare the fame or brute of vvarres and vprores be not afraid for that thes thinges must be and yet presently the ende of the world shal not ensue One nation shal rise against an other and one kingdome shal impugne another ther shal be great earth-quakes pestilence and famine most terrible signes and tokens from heauē Vpon which wordes of our Saueour the blessed father S. Gregorie hath this discourse The last tribulation must haue many tribulations going before it and by thes manifold afflictions precedēt are declared the eternal afflictions that must ensue And therfore Christ said that after warres and vprores the ende should not immediatly folowe for that it behoueth that many transitorie calamities should goe before to denounce vnto vs the endles woes which are to come after Thes warres tumultes and most dreadfull confusions here signified by Christ are specified more plainly in other places of holie writ but especially by Ezechiel Daniel and S. Ihon in his reuelations Wher it is prophetied that a litle before the last general daie of iudgment ther shal be reuealed the man of sinne called Antechrist who after the conquest of many kings kingdomes shal make hym self the Monarch and absolute owner of the world and shal exercise vpon good Christians more barbarous crueltie and shed more innocent blood within the space of three yeares and a half which shal be the terme of his outragious tirannie then al other ennimies of God haue done from the beginning The matter is described most strangely by the Prophete Ezechiel Who after declaration of one most bloodie bataile to be fought by Ierusalem wherin he saieth figuratiuely that the weapons of such as shal be slaine shal be sufficient to make fire for seuen yeares after he adioyneth in the person of God this narration I haue spoken in my zeale and in the fire of my wrath haue I promised that in the last daies when Gog and Magog shal come into the world by thes names are signified the armie of Antechrist ther shal be a great commotion vpon the earth and the fishe of the sea the birdes of the aire the beastes of the field al that crecpeth on the groūd together with al humane generation which liueth vpon the face of the earth shal be in an vprore before my face Hilles shal be ouerturned hedges shal be broken doune euery strong wal shal fal to the ground I wil cal against them the sword from the toppes of al mountaines and euery mans sword shal be bent against his owne brother My iudgment shal be in pestilence and blood and vehement stormes in huge stones that shal fal doune I wil raine fire and brimstone c. And thou sonne of mā tel vnto al the foules birdes of the aire and to al the rauenous beastes of the field assemble your selues make haste come together from al quarters to feede of the sacrifice which I shal prepare vnto you a great sacrifice vpon the mountaines of Israel You shal eate the flesh of stoute champions and shall drincke the blood of Princes You shall feede of their fat vntil you be cloide and you shal drincke their bloode til you be druncke You shal be filled at this my table and al Nations shal see this my iudgement that I haue exercised and in what maner I haue stretched out my potent hād vpon them Thus much hath the word of God and muche more which for breuitie I doe omit of the greate miseries cōfusions that shal be among men some litle time before the daie of iudgment Which time being expired ther shal ensue other preparations in the heauens and eliments of the world much more dreadful then thes Which by Christ hym self and his Saintes are described in this maner At that daie ther shal be signes in the Sunne in the Moone in the starres The sunne shal be darkened the moone shal giue no light the starres shal fal from the skies and al the powers of heauen shal be moued The firmament shal forsake his situation with great violence the elements shal be dissolued with heat and the whole earth with al that is in it shal be consumed with fire The firme land shal moue and leaue her place and shal flie away like a doae the pressures of Nations vpō earth shal be inestimable by reason of thes thinges and through the confusion of hideous noise from the sea and floudes and men shal wither away and drie vp for feare and expectation of the thinges which at that day shal happen to the vniuersal world Thus farre out of the Ghospel But S. Iohn the
dearly beloued disciple of our Saueour setteth out the same more at large according as it was reuealed vnto him i this maner I heard saieth he a voice like the sound of a thunder saing come and see and I did see And beholde a white horse and one that sat vpon him that had a bowe and he went to conquere After which folowed a blacke horse and he that rode vpon him had a paire of balance in his hande After him passed forth a pale horse and he that sat vpon him was called DEATH and HEL folowed behinde him and he had authoritie giuen to him to slea by sword by death and by the beastes of the earth The earth did shake the sunne grewe blacke like a sacke the moone like blood the Starres fel from heauē the skie doubled it self like a folded booke euery hil and Iland was moued from his place the kinges of the earth and princes and tribunes and the riche and stoute hid thē selues in dennes and in the rockes of hilles Then appeared ther seuen Angels with seuen trumpetes and eche one prepared him self to blowe his blast At the first blast came ther haile and fire mixt with blood At the second blast came a whole mountaine of burning fire into the sea and the third part of the sea was made blood At the third blast fel ther a great Starre from heauen named Absinthiū burning like a torch and infected the riuers and fountaines At the fourth blast was stricken doune the third part of the sunne moone Starres an egle flewe into the element crying with a hideous voice woe woe woe to al them that dwel vpon the earth At the fifte blast fel an other starre from heauen which had the keye of the pit of hel he opened the pit and ther arose a smoke as from a great fornace and ther came forth certaine locustes like scorpions who tormented al such as had not the marke of God in their foreheads And at thes daies men shal seeke death and shal not finde it And thes locustes were like barbed horses with Crounes on their heads Their faces like men their heare like women their teeth like lions and the noise of their winges like the noise of many chariotes running together their tales like scorpiōs and their stinges were in their tailes their king was an Angel of hel named Abbadō which signifieth an vtter destroier At the sixt blast of the trumpet were loosed foure Angels tied before then rushed forth an army of horsmen in number twentie hundreth times tē thousand And I sawe the horses and they which sat vpon them had brestplaces of fire and brimstone The heads of thes horses were as lions out of their mouthes came fire smoke and brimstone wherby they slewe the third part of men which had not repented and their strength was in their tales which were like serpentes Then was ther an Angel which putting one foote vpon the sea an other vpon the land did sweare by him that liueth for euer and euer that after the blast of the seuenth trumpet ther should be no more time And so when the seuenth Angel had sounded ther came great voices from heauen saying the kingdome of this world is made to our Lord and his Christ and he shal raigne foreuer And I heard a great voice saying to the seuen Angels goe and poure out seuen cuppes of Godes wrath vpon the earth and so they did And the first brought forth cruel woundes vpō men The lecōd turned the sea into redde blood The third turned the riuers and fountaines into like blood The fourth afflicted men with fire and made them blaspheme God The fifte made them eate their owne tongues for sorowe The sixt dried vp the water And I sawe three foule spirites like frogges issue out of the mouth of a dragon And finally the seuenth cuppe being poured out ther came a mightie voice from the throne of God saying it is dispatched And ther folowed lightenings and thunders and voices and earthquakes such as neuer were since men dwelt vpon the earth Thus farre this Apostle Euange list and prophet S. Iohn And now tel me my good Christiā brother is it possible for any tongue either humane or Angelical to expresse a thing more forceblie thē this is here set doune what mortal hart can chuse but tremble euen at the reading and remembrāce only of thes inspeakable and incomprehensible terrours What maner of daie will that be trowest thou when the heauens shal mourne the whole earth shal shake the sunne and moone loose their light the Starres fal doune the sea and floods forsake their chanels and natural courses al the elementes be dissolued the face of the earth ouerflowed with blood and the vniuersal world on a flaming fire Is it maruaile now if the Scriptures auouch that the iust men and Angels them selues shal be afraid of that daie And then to reason as S. Peter doth if innocency Iustice shal scarsely esteeme them selues secure in that fearful trial what shal become of sinne and iniquitie what shal become I saie of the careles and dissolute Christian when he shal see so infinite a sea of miseries rushe vpon him O that mē would thincke vpon this daie while they haue yet time O that they would awake and prepare them selues by vertuous life to stand secure confident at this woful houre Who is ther now a daye which taketh that care that holy Ierome did who was wont to saie hauing much lesse cause then wee that he did neuer eate nor drincke nor sleepe nor take any other action in hand without the fearful remembrance of this accompting daie And this of the preparations There foloweth the execution of thinges done in that iudgment VVHEN THE FORMER preparations shal be fulfilled and finished and the whole world brought to that pitiful state and plight which I haue described then saieth the Scripture shal the signe of the fonne of man appeare in the skie and al the tribes of the earth shal see him cōming in the cloudes of heauē amiddest al his Angels with much power and glorie in great authoritie and maiestie And ther in a moment in the twinckling of an eye he shal send his Angels with a trūpet with a great crie at midnight they shal gather together his elect from the foure partes of the world euen from heauen to earth Hitherto are the wordes of holie Scripture Wherin is set doune the first act of this dreadful iudgment which is the cōming of the Iudge to his throne and tribunal seate so much the more terrible and ful of maiestie in this his second appearāce by how much more contemptible he was and despised in his first being vpon earth for the worke of our redemption So S. Iohn affirmed that he which was siaine as a lambe should come againe to iudge as a Lion Of which
hartie repentāce and other such means of holie Sacramentes as God hath left for this purpose in his Church he had discharged his conscience of the burden of sinne and made an attonement betwene his soule Saueour O merciful Lord how dangerous is his estate vntil he haue donne it how manie wayes may he fal into thos heauie handes of his eternal iudge wherof S. Paul conceyued horrour in onlie thinking One litle stone falling from the house toppe as he passeth by one slippe of his horse as he rideth one assault of an enimie whē he thinketh not vpon him one poore ague by a surfect or other distēperature one suddaine mischance of a milliō that may fal vnto him is able to bereaue him of this life to cast him into thos termes of euerlasting calamitie wherehence the whole world shal not be able to deliuer him And is not this then a matter to be feared is not this a case to be preuented O how trulie saith the holie scripture blessed is the man vvhich alvvaies is fearful and he that hath a hard hart shal fal into perdition Our Lord God of his mercie gyue vs his holie grace to feare him as we should and to make such accounte of his iudgementes and iustice as by threatning the same he would haue vs to doe for th' auoiding of sinne And thē shal not we delaye the time but shal resolue our selues to serue him whiles he is content to accept of our seruice and to pardon vs al our offences if we would once firmelie make this resolution from our hart AN OTHER CONSIDERATION FOR THE FVRTHER IVSTIFYING OF Gods iudgementes and manifestation of our grieuous offence Taken from the inestimable Maiestie of him vvhom vve offende and of the innumerable benifites vvhich he hath bestovved vpon vs. CHAPT IX ALBEIT the most parte of Christians through their wicked life arriue not to that state when holy Dauid was when he sayed to God thy iudgementes ô Lord are pleasant vnto me as in deed they are to all those that lyue vertuouslie and haue the testimonie of a good conscience yet at leastwise that we maye be inforced to confesse with the same Prophet that the iudgementes of our Lord are true and iustified in them selues I haue thought expedient to adde a reason or two in this chapter wherby it maye appeare how great our offence is in sinnīg against God as we doe and how righteous his iudgemētes iustice are agaist vs for the same AND FIRST OF AL IS to be considered the maiestie of hym against whom we sinne For most certaine it is as I haue noted before that euerie offence is so much the greater and more grieuous by how much greater and more noble the person is against whom it is done and the partie offending more base and vile And in this respect almightie God to terrifie vs from offending hym nameth hym self oftentimes with certaine great and dreadful titles of maiestie as to Abraham I am an omnipotēt Lord. And agayne to Esay heauen is my seate the earth is my footestole And at an other time he cōmaunded Moyses to beare to the people in his name this ambassage harden not your neckes any longer for that your Lord and God is the God of godes and the Lord of lordes a greate God both potent and terrible vvhich accepteth nether person nor bribes First then I saye consider gentle Christian of what an infinite maiestie he is whom thow a poore worme of the earth hast so often and so contemptuously offended ī this lyfe We see in this world that no man dareth to offende openly or say one worde against the maiestie of a temporal Prince within his owne dominions But what is the maiestie of all earthly princes put together if it be compared to the thowsand parte of Gods incomparable inestimable maiestie who with one worde made both heauen and earth and all the creatures therin and with halfe a worde could annihilate and destroie the same againe Whom all the creatures which he made both Angels heauens Starres and elementes doe serue at a becke and dare not once offend vnder vvhom as holy Iob saieth doe croucb and trēble euē they that beare vp susteine the vvorld Onlie a sinner is he which emboldeneth hym self against this maiestie and feareth not to offēd the same whom as the holye Catholique Church doth professe day lie in her preface to the blessed sacrifice the Angels do praise the dominations doe adore the powers do tremble and the highest heauens together with Cherubins and Seraphins thrones and al other multitudes of celestial spirites doe continually praise with hymnes of glorie Remember then deare Christian brother that euerie tyme thou doest commit a capital sinne thou gyuest as it were a blowe in the face to this great God of eternal maiestie whos mansiō as S. Paul describeth is in a light inaccessible such as no man in this vvorld can endure to behold Wherof S. Iohn th' euangelist gyueth good testimonie by his owne experiēce who notwithstādig he were an Apostle and most dearly beloued of his God and maister yet when Christ appeared vnto him after his Resurrection with certaine sparcles only of his dreadful gloric vttering words of most sweet consolation vnto hym he was for al that so astonied oppressed with feare that he fel doune starke dead as him self confesseth vntil the same his Lord and Maister vouchsafed to raise him vp againe The like trial of this inexplicable maiestie had Moyses the familiar friend and trustie seruant of God who after many conferences desiring once in his life to see him whos wordes he had so often heard made humble petition for the same But God answered that no man might see hym and lyue Yet notwithstanding to satisfie his request and to shew him in parte what a terrible and maiesticall God he was he promised Moyses that he should see some part of his glorie how beit he added that it was needfull he shoulde hyde him self in the hole of a rocke be couered with Gods owne handes for his defence whiles he or rather his Angel as diuines doe interprete did passe by in glorie Who being once past God remoued his hande and suffered Moyses to behold the hynder partes only of the Angel which was notwithstanding most terrible and dreadful The same maiestie was reuealed also in some part to Daniel who sawe God as he writeth placed vpon a most glorious throne his apparell vvas as vvhit as snovv bis beare lyke vnto fyne vvoolle bis throne vvas of a flame of fyre and his chariottes vvere a burning furnace a svvift flud of fyre ranne from his face thousand thousandes did serue him and ten thousand hundred thousands did assist him Al this and much more is recorded in holy scripture to admonishe vs therby what a wonderful prince of maiestie he is whom a synner doth offend Which thing that iust and
come to the highest top of his felicitie Thou soole euen this night thy soule shal be taken from the and then vvho shal enioy al that vvhich thou so painfully hast scraped together O deare Christiā it is impossible for any mortal tōgue to expresse the doleful state of a worldlie man in this instāt of death when nothing of al that he hath gathered together with so much labour and toile and wherin he was wont to repose so great affiance wil now auaile him any longer but rather afflict his soule with the memorie therof cōsidering that now he must leaue al to others goe him self to gyue accounte for the gathering and vsing of the same and that perhaps to his eternal damnation whiles in the meane time other companions in the world doe liue merilie and pleasantlie vpon that he hath gotten litle remembringe and lesse caring for him that perhaps lieth burning in vnquēcheable fire for thos riches vnrighteously heaped and left vnto them This vndoubtedly is a most woful and lamentable point which shal bring manie a man to greate sorow and anguishe of harte at the last daye when al earthlie ioyes must be left al pleasures and commodities foreuer abandoned O what a doleful daye of partinge wil this be what wilt thou saie my frende at this daye when al thy glorie al thy welth al thy pompe is come to an ende What art thou the better now to haue liued in credit with the world in fauour of princes exalted of men feared reuerenced and honoured of al sortes seing at this instant al thy iolitie pride and pompe is at an ende al thy former felicitie is arriued now to her euerlasting periode BVT NOVV BESIDES al this there is a third thing which more then al the rest wil make this daie of death to be most dreadful miserable vnto a worldlie man to witt the consideration what shall become of him both in bodie and soule And as for his bodie it wil be no smal horrour to thinke vpon that saying of holie scripture the end of the vvicked 〈◊〉 fleshe shal be fire and vermine and his inheritāce shal be serpentes beastes and vvormes that is it must be throwen out to be the foode of vermine That bodie I meane which was before so delicatelie entertained with al varietie of meates softe pillowes and beddes of doune so trimlie set forth in apparel and other ornamentes wherevpon the winde might not be su fred to blow nor the sunne to shine that bodie I saye of whose beautie there was so much pride taken and wherby so great vanitie and sinne was dayly commited that bodie which in this world was accustomed to all pampering and nicenes might abide no austeritie or discipline at al must now be forlorne and abandoned of all men and left only for apraie to be deuoured of wormes Now the time is come when thos wordes of God must be fulfilled which he vttered by his Prophet against delicate people In that day God shal pul of al ornamentes chaines braselets ringes Iuels pomanders c. and then shal be in steed of svveet sauours stinch ī place of rich girdles 〈◊〉 for could heare 〈◊〉 c. Al which bodilie disgrace and miserie albeit it can not but breed much horrour in the hart of him that lieth a dying yet is this nothing in respect of the dreadful cogitations which he shal haue touching his soule to wit what shal become therof whether it shal goe after her departure out of the bodie And then considering that she must appeare before the iudgement seate of almightie God and there receyue sentence either of vnspeakeable glorie or insupportable paines he falleth to consider more in particuler the daunger therof by comparing godes iustice and threates set doune in holy write against sinners with his owne life he begineth to examine the witues which is his conscience and findeth the same readie to laye infinite accusations against him when he commeth to the place of iustice And now deare Christian brother beginneth in deed the inexplicable miserie of this poore afflicted man now doe al the multitude of his sinnes present thē selues before his face now doth he in deed see verified that sentence of sacred Scripture In fine hominis denudatio operum The workes of euery man are laid open at his ende Now doe master before his eyes all Gods threats against wicked liuers nether is ther any one seuere saying of holy writ pronounced against sinners which now doth not offer it self vnto his minde Our ghostlie enimie which in this life laboured to keepe al these thinges frō our cōsideration therby the more easely to entertaine vs in sinne and pleasure wil now laye al and more before our face amplifying and vrging euerie point to the vttermost and alleaging our conscience in euery thing for his witnes Which when the poore soule in dying can not deny she must needs therby most vehemently be terrefied and so we see it daily come to passe euen in many most vertuous and holie men whereof S. Ierome reporteth a verie memorable example of blessed S. Hilarion whos soule being greatly frighted with thes confiderations and exceeding loth to depart from his bodie at length after long conflict he tooke hart said goe forth my soule goe forth vvhy art thou so sore affraid thou hast serued Christ almost threescore ten yeres art thou novv so fearful to depart To like effect also the holie martyr of god S. Cyprian telleth of avertuous and godlie bishoppe which dyinge in his time was greatlie terrified at the houre of death notwithstanding he had liued verie vettuouslie vntil at length Christ appearing vnto him in the forme of a goodlie yong man rebuked him in thes wordes you are affraid to suffer and out of this life you vvil not goe vvhat thē shal I doe vnto you which wordes and example S. Austen did often vse to recount talking of this matter as his scholar Possidonius recordeth in his life Now then if good men and saintes are so a fearde at this passage yea such as had serued God with al puritie of life perfect zeale for the space of three score and ten yeres together what shal they be which scarcely haue serued him in deed one daye in al their liues but rather haue spent their yeres in sinne and vanitie of this world shal not these mē trow you be in greate extremitie at this passage Surely S. Augustine describeth the same verie effectuously in one of his sermons and according to his manner doth gyue a notable exhortation vpon the same If you wil know dearlie beloued saith he with how greate feare paine the soule of man doth passe from the bodie marke diligently what I shal saie vnto you The Angels at that hower shal come to take the soule and bring her before the iudgement seate of a most dreadful iudge and then she callinge to minde
her wicked deedes shal beginne exceedingly to feare and tremble and would gladlie flie and leaue her deedes behinde her seekinge to entreate the Angels and to request but one hower space of delaye But that wil not be graunted and her euil workes crying out al together shal speake against her and save we wil not staye behinde or parte from the thou hast done vs and we are thy workes and therfore we wil follow the whether soeuer thou goest yea euen vnto the seate of iudgement This loe is the state of a sinners soule which partinge from his bodie with most horrible feare goeth onwardes to iudgemēt loden with sinnes and with infinite confusion Contrariwise the iust mans soule goeth out of his bodie with greate ioye and comforte the good Angels accompaininge her with exultation Wherefore brethren seinge these thinges are so doe you feare this terrible hower of death now to the ende you maye not feare when you come vnto it Foresee it now that then you maye be secure Thus farre S. Augustine And for that this holie father learned Doctour in Christes Church maketh mentiō in this place of good and euil Angels which are redie at the houre of death to receyue the soules of such as depart out of this life it shal not be from our purpose to note that oftentimes God doth permit the apparitions of Angels both good and euil as also of other saintes to some men lyinge on their death beddes for a tast ether of comforte or sorow touchinge that which shal ensue in the world to come And this is also one singuler priuiledge among other belonging to this passage And concerning the iust I haue shewed before an example out of S. Cyprian and S. Augustine touching one to whome Christ appeared at the hower of his death And S. Gregorie the greate hath diuers like narratiōs to that purpose i the fourth booke of his dialogues As for example sake of one Vrsinus to whom the blessed Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule appeared But as concerning euil spirites and wicked Angels which shewed thē selues vnto diuers sinners at the houre of death and denounced vnto them their eternal damnation and horrible tormentes appointed in hel we haue manie and most terrible exāples recorded in many graue aunciēt writers As among other that recorded by S. Gregorie of one Chrisorius a greate riche man but as ful of sinne as of wealth to whome lying on his death-bed the infernal fiendes in most vglie māner appeared shewing how now he was deliuered into their power and therfore would neuer depart from him vntil he dying left his soule vnto thē to be caried to eternal tormentes The like examples doth venerable Bede recount to haue happened in our countrie about his time And among other of a certaine wicked Courtier in great fauour with king Coenride to whom lying in the panges of death and being now a litle recouered both the good and euil Angels appeared visibly the one laying before him a verie smal booke of his good deedes the other a greate huge volume of his enormous crimes Which after they had caused him to reade by the permissiō of the good Angels they seazed vpō him assignig also vnto him the certaine houre of his departure according as both him selfe confessed openlie to al that came to visit him and as by his horrible desperate death ensuinge at the very hower by them appointed he manifestlie confirmed The like storie recordeth he in the chapter folowing of one whom he knew him self and as both he S. Gregorie and S. Cyprian also doe note al these such other visions were permitted for our sake which doe yet liue and maye take commoditie by the same and not for their good that died whom they nothing at al auailed Which being so deare Christian brother that is this passage of death being so terrible so daungerous yet so ineuitable as it is seing so manie mē doe perish and are ouer whelmed daylie in passing ouer this perilous gulfe as both holie scriptures and auncient fathers doe testifie by examples recordes vnto vs what man of discretion would not learne to be wise by other mens dangers or what reasonable creature would not take heede looke aboute him being warned so manifestlie and apparantlie of his owne peril if thou be a Christian and doest belieue in deede the thinges which Christiā faith doth teach the thē doest thou know an I most certainlic belieue also that of what state age strength dignitie or condition so euer thou be now yet must hy self which now in health mirth doest real this point and thinkest the same litle appertainig vnto thee one of these daies and that perhaps very shortlie after the readinge hereof come to proue al these thinge in thine owne person that is thou must with sorow and griefe beenforced to thy bed and there after al straggliges with the dartes of death thou must yelde thy bodie which thou louest now so dearly to be the baite of wormes and thy soule to the trial of iustice for her doinges in this life IMAGINE THEN my friend euē thou I saye which art so fresh and froelicke at this instant that the ten twentie or two yeres or perhaps two monethes or daies which thou hast yet to liue were now come to an ende and that thou were euen at this present stretched out vpon a bed wearied and worne with dolour and paine thy carnal frindes about the weepinge and howlinge and desiring thie goodes the phisitions departed with their fees as hauing gyuen the ouer and thou lyinge there alone mute and dumme in most pitiful agonie expecting from moment to momēt the last stroke of death to be gyuen vnto the. Tel me in this instāt what would al the pleasures and commodities of the whole earth auaile the what comfort or ease would it be vnto the now to haue bene of honour in this world to haue gathered wealth and purchassed much to haue borne office and enioyed the princes fauour to haue left thy children and kinred in aboundance to haue trodden donne thine enimies to haue stirred much and borne greate swaye in this life what pleasure I saye or benefite would it be to the to haue bene beautiful to haue bene gallant in apparel goodlie in personage glittering in golde would not al thes thinges rather afflict then profit thee at this instant No doubt but now thou shouldest wel see throughlie perceaue the vanitie of thes trifles thou shouldest proue true the saying of the wise man non proderūt diuitie in die vltionis riches wil profit nothing in the day of Gods reuēge That most excellent demaunde of holie Iob would oftentimes offer it self vnto thie remembrāce Quid ad cum pertinet de domo sua post se What hath a man to doe with his house familie or kinred after he is gone what good what comfort shal he take therby VVho vvil
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
now dead fower daies and also buried which signifieth the fower degrees of a sinner the first in voluntarie delectation of sinne the second in consent the third in fulfilling it by worke the fowerth in continuance or custome therof wherin whosoeuer is once buried saieth this holy father he is hardlie raised to life againe without a great miracle of God and many teares of his owne part The reason hereof is that which the wiseman saieth Languor prolixior grauat medicum an old sickenes doeth trouble the phisition Breuem autem languorem praecidit medicus But the phisition cutteth of quicklie a new or fresh disease which hath endured but a litle time The verie bones of an old vvicked man shal be replenished vvith the vices of his youth saieth Iob and they shal sleepe vvith him in the dust vvhen he goeth to his grauc We reade that Moyses in part of punishment to the people that had sinned in adoring the golden calfe broke the same in peeces and made them drinke it So the vices wherein we delited during our youth are so dispersed by custome in our bodies and bones that when old age doth come on we canne not ridde them at our pleasure without great difficultie and paine What folie then is it to deferre our amendment vnto our old age when we shal haue more impedimentes and difficulties by a great deale then we haue now If it seeme harde to thee to doe penance now to fast to praie and to take vpon thee other afslictions which the Church prescribed to sinners at their conuersion how wilt thou doe it in thy old age whē thy bodie shal haue more neede of cherishing then of punishment If thou find it vnpleasant to resist thy sinnes now and to roote them out after the continuance of two three or fower yeeres what wil it be after twentie yeres more adioined vnto them How madde a man wouldest thou esteeme him that trauailing on the waie and hauing great choise of lustie strong horses should let them al goe emptie and laie al his cariage vpon some one poore and leane beast that could skarse vphold him self and much lesse sustaine so great a burden cast vpon him And surelie no lesse vnreasonable is that man who passing ouer idlely the lustie daies and times of his lise reserueth al the labour trauaile vnto impotent and feble age But to let passe the folie of this deceit tel me good Christiā what ingratitude and iniustice is this towardes almightie God hauing receiued so many benefites from him alredie and expecting so great a paye as the kingdome of heauē is for thy seruice to appoint out notwithstanding the least and last and worst part of thy life unto his seruice that wherof thou art most vncertaine whether it shal euer be or neuer or whether God wil accept it whē it cōmeth or no He is accursed by the prophet which hauing whole and sounde cattel doth offer vnto God the lame or halting part therof How much more shalt thou be accursed who hauing so many daies of youth strength and vigour doest appoint vnto Gods seruice onelie thy limping old age In the law it was forbidden vnder a most seuere threate for any man to haue two measures in his house for his neighbour one greater to his frend and an other lesse for other men And yet thou art not ashamed to vse two measures of thy life most vnequal in preiudice of thy Lord and God wherby thou allotest to him a litle short maimed and vncertaine time of old age and vnto his enemie the world thou assignest the greatest the fairest the surest part therof O deare brother what reason is there why God should thus be vsed at thy handes what lawe iustice or equitie is this that after thou hast serued the world flesh and deuil al thy youth and best daies in the end to come and thrust thine old bones defiled and worne out with sinne into the dish of thy Creatour his enemies to haue the best and he the leauinges his enemies the wine and he the lies and dregges Doest thou not remember that he wil haue the fat and best part offered to him Doest thou not thinke of the punishment of thos who offered the worst part of their substance to God Folow the counsaile then of the holie Ghost if thou be wise which warneth thee in thes wordes Be mindeful of thy Creator in the daies of thy youth before the time of affliction come on before thos yeeres dravv neere of vvhich thou shalt saie they please me not How many hast thou sene cut of before thine eyes in the middest of their daies whiles they purposed in time to change their life How many haue come to old age it self and yet then haue felt lesse wil of amendement then before How many haue driuen of euen vnto the verie houre of death and then least of al haue remembred their owne estate but haue died as dum ne sensles beastes according to the saying of holie S. Gregorie The sinner hath also this affliction laied vpon him that vvhen he cometh to die he forgotteth him self vvhich in his life time did forget God O how many examples are there sene herof dailie how many worldlie men that haue liued in sensualitie how many great sinners that haue passed their life in wickednes doe end and die as if they wēt into some place insensible where no account no reckening should be demanded They take such care in their testamentes for flesh and blood the commodities of this world as if they should liue stil or should haue their part of thes vanities when they are gone In trueth to speake as the matter is they die as is there were no immortalitie of the soule and that in verie deede is their inward persuasion But suppose now that al this were not so and that a man might as easilie commodiouslie yea and as surely also cōuert him self in old age as in youth and that the matter were also acceptable enough to God yet tel me what great time is their lost in this delaie what great treasure of merit is there omitted which might haue bene gotten by labour in Gods seruice If whiles the captaine and other souldiers did enter into a rich citie to take the spoile one souldier should saie I wil staie come in the next daie after when al the spoile is gone would you not thinke him both a coward and also most vnwise So it is that Christ our Sauiour and al his good souldiers tooke the spoile of this life enriched them selues with the merites of their labours caried the same with them as billes of exchange to the bancke of heauen there receaue paie of eternal glorie for them And is it not great folie and peruersnes in vs to passe ouer this life without the gayning of any meritat al Now is the time of fight for