to be healed but only if her sinnes were forgiuen her and vnderstanding that they were she died with most exceeding consolation S. Greg. l. 4. dial c. 13. 5. The Emperor Mauritius hauing bene the cause of the massacre of sundry of his captiue subiects which he might haue set free for a smale matter besought of God to haue his punishment in this life and wrote to all the Patriarkes and Monkes of the easte to the end they should offer vp to God their praiers for this effect God granted him his demand for he saw all his children put to death before his eyes he saying no other thinge saue only that verse of the psalme 118. Thou art iust o Lord and thy iudgment is right and within a while after he him selfe had his head cut off Niceph. l. 18. hist. c. 38. and Card. Baron anno 602. 6. S. Liduuine natiue of Holland from the age of fifteene yeares to fifty three was neuer without sicknesses and diseases And first hauing an Apostume broken within her body was afterwards smitten with the palsie and fire of S. Anthonie had al her members rotten and full of holes Out of her breasts wormes issued by whole hundreds which eate and gnawed all her body She had her head afflicted with most sharp paines her fore-head open her chinne cleft one eye out and the other not able to behould the light cast commonly blood out at her mouth eyes nose and eares had the squinzie in her throate the tooth-ache agues single double triple quadruple and the dropsie and besides all these euills she was accused of witcherie Now what feeling could she haue amongst so many and such afflictions notwithstanding she said no other thinge but. O my sweete Lord augment my paines Wretch that I am alas what is it that I endure Alas how litle is it in comparison of that which thou endurest for me Surius to 7. 14. of Aprill See the example of Saint Frauncis here before lib. 1. c. 7. § 7. example 1. 7. S. Nichola or Colecta hauing craued of our Lord to make her partaker of his paines for the space of fiftie yeares was neuer without sicknesses and most greeuous dolours which allwayes redoubled vpon solemne feastes And as they that looked vnto her wept at the very sight of her torments she in smyling wise said vnto them Wherfore weepe yee my good sisters that which I suffer deserues not so much as to be thought of If God haue sent it me alas should I be so perfidious as to quarrell against the bountie of my sweet Lord who hath so great a care of his poore seruāt And as she ommitted not for all her paine to come and goe to doe some seruice vnto God some saying vnto her You will die by the way So that quoth she we die betwixt the armes of good Iesus what forces it my poore sisters whither we die in the fieldes or in the cittie vpon the pauement or vpon a matteras We cannot fall amisse falling betwixt the handes of God Surius 6. of March ex Stephano Iuliaco See Binet in ses consolations des malades c. 7. § 4. 8. S. Spiridion being called by the Emperor Constance as he entred the pallace a courtiar seeing him poorely apparelled gaue him a box vpon the eare the Saint presented him the other Which touched in such sort the hart of this arrogant person that he cast him selfe before his feete and asked him forgiuenes Surius 24. of December 9. S. Romuald of the house of the Dukes of Rauenna being often strucken with a pole by Marinus the Hermit when he hapned to misse in saying his psaulter replied not a word vntill such time as after certaine daies seeing that by this meanes he lost the hearing of one eare he said vnto him that if he thought good he should frō thence forth strike him vpon the right side because he had lost the hearing of the left by reason of the blowes that he had giuen him Marinus was extreamly amazed at this patience and was the cause that he euer afterwards respected him so much the more The B. Card. Damian in his life Ribad 7. of Feb. 10. Our Lord said vpon a day to the B. mother Teresa of Iesus Beleeue my daughter that he that is most beloued of my Father is he to whom he giueth the greatest troubles Behould and consider my woundes neuer will thy euills be equall to my paines This so encouraged her that she had no other desire but to suffer so that being buffeted spit on and trode vnder foote she fell a laughing being calumniated in all that possible might be said she set not by it Yea she prayed to God that she might neuer be without paines as she was not And after she had bene once tormented for the space of fiue houres by the deuill with great dolors and interior and exterior troubles so that she thought that she was able to endure no more she notwithstanding ceased not to craue patience of our Lord offring her selfe according to her custome that if he would make vse therof that then this paine might last her till the day of iudgment and this was her ordinarie prayer My Lord be it to dye or to endure I for my selfe aske naught else of thee 11. Blessed Father Zauerius endured much in the Indies but it was nothing in regard of that which he desiered to endure for amidst his greatest paines he praied to God to giue him greater And when vpon a day our Lord had shewed him the crosse and torments by the which he was to passe he began to cry Yet more yet more o Lord yet more Ribad in the abridgment of his life 12. S. Iohn Gualbertus hauing pardoned from his hart the murdering of his brother as he praied a while after before a crucifix our Lord. who was nayled theron enclined his head downe vnto him Blas Mediolan general ord val vmbrosae circa annum 1040. Baron tom 11. anno 1051. 13. An English gentilman hauing likewise pardoned him who had kild his father as he praid before a Crucifix the Kinge who was present perceiued that at eache genuflexion which he made the Crucifix bowed its head vnto him Math. Paris hist. Anglic. anno 1090. Thou confirmest o Lord by this miracle the truth of thy doctrine vttered so many ages past Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen you Luc. 6. Mat. 6. 14. Our Lord said vpon a time vnto S. Gertrude that euen as the ringe which is giuen at a making sure is a signe of the faith which the parties promise one to another euen so patience in corporall and spiritual aduersities endured for the loue of God is a signe of diuine election and of the mariage of the soule with almightie God Blos l. de consol pusillam He said the same to the B. Mother Teresa Thou knowest full wel quoth he vnto her the mariage there is betwixt thee and me and that by this meanes all that I haue is thyne I
THE TRVE CHRISTIAN CATHOLIQVE OR THE MANER HOW TO LIVE CHRISTIANLY GATHERED Forth of the holie Scriptures and ancient Fathers confirmed and explained by sundrie Reasons apt◠Similitudes and Examples By the Reuerend Father F. PHILLIP DOVLTREMAN of the Societie of Iesus And turnd out of Frenche into Englishe By IOHN HEIGHAM AT S. OMERS With permission of Superiors Anno 1622. TO THE RIGHT WORTHY LADY THE LADY ELIZABETH WILLOVGHBY DAVGHTER to I. Thornbrough Lord Bishopp of Worcester MADAM The Sonne of God the supreame wisdome of the Father setting vp his diuine conclusions and daring as it were the greatest wittes of all the worlde to enter in dispute against them saith Doe men gather grapes of Thornes or Figges of thistles What shall we say to this demande Must it needes be granted and can it no way be denied Surely yes me thinkes it may First therfore I say with my Lord and masters leaue that he himselfe being perfect man doth gather from many sinful men sonnes and daughters of whom he maketh glorious Saints but this is to gather grapes of Thornes ergo Secondly who may better helpe me to maintaine this assertion Madam then your selfe For from whence hath he gathered your selfe so worthie a grape but of a Thorne A grape so rare albeit gathered of a very Thorne that hauing bene pressed by him in his sacred presse hath yelded such store plentie of pretious liquor as hath not only filled his house with the odor therof but hath further kindled and enflamed yea plainly inebriated the harts of many cold ones in his burning loue The presse wherin this Lord doth presse such pretious grapes as your selfe what other is it then the pressor of persecution The pretious iuyce which is pressed out of these excellent grapes are those most pretious and excellent Christian virtues which manifest thē selues amidst persecutions The glorious Apostle S. Paul desirous to giue vnto vs a proofe and tast of that pretious liquor which was pressed out of him selfe after his conuersion to the faith of Christ saith Vntill this houre we doe both hungar and thirst and are naked are beaten with buffets and are wanderers and labor working with our ovvne handes And which is there of all these that you may not truly say as well as he Verely it seemeth to me that God would in some sort paragonize you Ladyshipp with this glorious Apostle and make you a spectacle or rather patterne to women as he was to men in eache of these probations and persecutions First therfore in hungar and thirst as well as he hauing bene reduced to that extremitie as to be forced to send to the Spanish and Venetian Embassadors to beg your bread and on Fridayes and Saturdayes to be taxed to the allowance of three pence a day for the maintenance of your selfe your man your maide In nakednes as well as he as being not only despoiled of your plate ie wells and rich apparell but also to be stript so nere euen of necessaries as to be forced to set in your chamber in your naked sleeues not able to goe out of doores for lack of clothes In being beaten with buffets as well as he pittifully swollen with black and blue yea trailed by the haire of the head and trodden vnder foote treatment truly fitter for a dog then for a Christian Lady which yet for the loue you still beare to your abuser I ommit to enlarge In wandring as well as he who haue bene forced to trauell many miles not in the day time and in your Coache as your custome was and your ranck requireth but on foot in the dead of the night and to fli◠from place to place thorough vncoth and vnknowen wayes and last of all to flie the lande to liue in a strange and forrein contrie In labor and working with your own handes to get your liuing wherof many gentlemen of worth can yet beare witnes who coming to visit you in that poore estate found you labouring with your handes to get your liuinge But to say in a word with what incredible patience and inward confort you sustained and suffered the pressures aforsaid let this remaine for an euerlasting memory that to as many of your acquaintance as you met with all with great pleasure and contentment you said that you could tell them great good newes to wit that you were now no more a Protestant but were become a Roman Catholique Which you vttered to all with such alacritie of minde that many who heard you deemed you mad for making that answer like as the Apostles for their enflamed feruor in the faith of Christ were esteemed drunke But o happie foode which causeth such a happie frensie And o happie drinke which so makes drunke I neede not Madam the premisses considered frame any apologie for my selfe in this place why I made choise of your Lady-ship to protect and patronize this present treatise intituled The true Christian Catholique for eache one may easily iudge that a booke of this title meriteth to be dedicated to none other then to such a true and virtuous Christian Catholique as your haue manifested your selfe to be by so euident triall assuring my selfe that of all the bookes which euer you saw you neuer met with anie of so smale a bulke which doth expresse with more liuelye examples the virtues meete for a true Christian Catholique nor yet set forth with more fearful presidents the punishments inflicted by God vpon such as are vicious Receiue the same then I doe beseeche you into the armes of your protection and I shall neuer cease to pray that you may become peereles in the practise of the virtues and be perpetually preserued from the vices and finally of a Thorne in this life you may become an euerlastinge Lillie in the life to come Amen Your Ladyships euer humble seruant in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus IOHN HEIGHAM THE PREFACE THis Title of a True Christiā Catholique is not of so base of so smale a reckning as perhaps my friendly Reader thou doost account it for I finde that the greatest and renowned of the world haue glorified more therof then of all their other titles of honor and nobilitie Non principis non terrenae c. We are not honored saith Saint Chrisostome Hom. 8. in Ioan. circa finem with the name of Prince or of some earthly power not of Angell not of Archangell but with the name of the Kinge of the whole worlde That valerous martyred Deacon called Sanctus as Eusebius writeth l. 5. hist Eccl. c. 1. being asked of the tyrant vvhat his name vvas ansvvered I am a Christian Of vvhat familie art thou I am a Christian quoth he Of vvhat quallitie free or a bondman To all the demandes vvhich vvere made him he returned no other ansvvere but I am a Christian The same author vvriteth that S. Blandinas martyr in her confession of faith and in the midst of all her torments as often times as she pronoūced these
his sinnes was much more stinking and abhominable vnto him then was the most corrupted carion D. Antonij 4. p. sum tit 14. c. 6. § 1. O sinne how horrible detestable cruell gastly and stinking art thou c Let vs fly from a monster so abhominable 6. S. Edmond had an exceedinge horror therof sith he said that he had rather cast him selfe into a burning fornace then to fall into one mortal sinne Sur. in his life c 29. Nou. 16. 7. Yea S. Anselme said that he had rather fall into hell then into sinne S. Ansel de similit Sur. 2. of Aprill See hereafter lib. 2. c. 3. § 1. the like answere of an old Iaponian §. 3. By mortall sinne we crucifie againe Iesus Christ. 1. O the full measure of all mischiefe that sinne is not only extremly iniurious to him who committeth it but euen to God him selfe the author of health It is the sentence of S. Paul Heb. 6. 6. saying that sinners crucify againe to themselues the Sonne of God and make him a mocquerie And in the 10. c. 29. he saith that they tread the Sonne of God vnder foote and esteeme the blood of the testament polluted wherin they had bene sanctified By one mortall sinne we crucifie againe the Sonne of God because we doe that which was the cause of his crucifixion And if his death had not bene sufficient for the ransome of all the sinnes of the world he must for the expiation of euery sinne which we commit haue againe bene crucified and put to death 2. With great reason then said that good doctor Ioannes Taulerus if God would suffer some one to see his owne sinnes as they are seene of God him selfe he would burst a sunder with very sorrow at the same instant perceiuing the iniurie and contempt that he hath done by them to his Creator and Redeemer lib. de vita pass Christi c. 7. EXAMPLES 1. At the time that the Albigensian heretiques ransacked France our Lady appeared vnto S. Leutgarde with a sad and weeping countenance The saint hauing enquired the cause of her heauines she answered vnto him that it was because that the heretiques and euil Christiās crucified againe by their sinnes her deare Sonne Iesus Christ Sur. tom 3. ex Tho. Cantiprat 2. S. Bridgit of Sueede haueing heard preached vpon a day the passion of our B. Sauiour the night ensuinge our Lord appeared vnto her al bloody and full of dolors as when he was fastned to the Crosse and said vnto her Behould my woundes The Saint beleeuing that they were fresh said vnto him in weeping wise Alas my Lord who hath hurt thee in this maner They quoth he that doe contemne and make none account of my charity Sur. to 4. Ribad in her life the 23. of Iuly 3. See more in the 2. booke c. 7. § 3. Example 4. of S. Collect. O execrable malice of mortall sinne Let vs now speake of veniall sinne §. 4. Of veniall sinne 1. Veniall sinne doth not exclude the grace of God nor charitie it diminisheth notwithstanding the feruor thereof and as S. Paul speaketh Ephes 4. doth contristat the holy Ghost obfuscat the conscience and hinder the aduancement in virtues and by litle and litle draweth a man to mortall sinne He that contemneth smale thinges shall fall by litle and litle saith the wiseman Eccles 19. 1. S. Aug. compareth veniall sinnes vnto the itche which spoyle the beautie of the face and disgusteth the behoulders feare them not saith he because they are lesser then the others but because they are in greater nombre The gnattes and flies are litle beastes which yet if they be many in number are able to take from a man his life Graines of Sande being multiplied doe sinke the Shippes and droppes of waters gathered together make riuers swell and ruine houses 2. Veniall sinne is like to a thrid tied to the foote of the soule which hindreth it to fly to perfection It is a mothe which eateth by litle and litle beames and summer postes which not able at the last to support the waight that is laid vpon them doe cause the fall of the whole house No polluted thinge shall enter into the celestiall Ierusalem saith S. Iohn Apoc. 21. 27. vnles therfore veniall sinnes be blotted forth in this life they traile a man to the fire of Purgatorie a fire so terrible that in respect therof the paines of this life are in a maner nothinge as both S. Aug. and S. Greg. say in psl. 37. ser 41. in 3. psl. paenit And our Lord him selfe saith That euery idle word that men shall speake they shall render an account for it in the day of iudgement Mat. 12. 36. And doost thou set so light by veniall sinne EXAMPLES 1. The Abbot Moises was posessed with the diuell for hauing thorough impatience spoken a litle ouer roughly vnto another Cassian Colat. 7. c. 27. Another Monke was also possest for hauing drunke with too much sensuallitie a glasse of water S. Greg. dial l. 1. c. 4. And another for hauing bene distracted voluntarily in his prayer Ibid. l. 2. c. 1. Is not this enough to giue to vnderstand that veniall sinnes are not so litle before God as men imagin 2. S. Marie of Ognia was so circumspect and so aduised in her actions euen in the very least of all that none could euer obserue the least idle word to issue out of her mouth nor anie other vncomely cariage and was accustomed to confes her selfe of her least faultes with as much contrition as if they had beene mortall sinnes Iac. de vitriaco Card. in her life l. 1. c. 6. 3. Eusebius Monke casting once his eye thorough curiositie vpon the the workmen which laboured in the fieldes whilst Amyan read the gospels vnto him for this cause not hauing well vnderstood a certaine passage whereof the other asked him the explication had so great repentance for it that he euer after mortified his sight duringe the time of his whole life carying continually his head enclined towards the earth by meanes of a great iron chaine which tyed his neck vnto his girdle and this for the space of forty yeares so great esteemed he this litle fault Theodore in hist sanct pat sect 4. Sophron. in prato◠spirit 4. The B. Mother Teresa of Iesus foundresse of the discalceat Carmelits makes mētion in her writinges of her sinnes with such excesse of exaggeration albeit they were but very litle as if they had bene exceeding greuous If in reciting any lesson in the quire she chanced to fayle but a litle she presētlie prostrated her self vpō the groūd in the midst of the quire which all the other sisters seeing could not abstaine from teares and were constrained to interrupt their seruice for the great feeling they had therof Ribera in her life and in the 10. c. of that which she wrote with her owne hande Now if the Saintes haue so apprehended the malice of veniall sinne what
his faith for any respect or humane consideration EXAMPLES 1. Such an one was S. Paul who in the 8. of the Romans saith v. 38. I am sure that nether death nor life nor Angells nor Principallities nor Powers nether thinges present nor thinges to come nether might nor height nor depth nor other creature shall be able to seperate vs from the charitie of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Whence had he this assurance saith S. Ierom but from the firmitie of his faith In cap. 1. epist. ad Galat. 2. Surius in the life of S. Hughe bishop of Lincolne writeth that a certaine Priest of a scandalous life vpon a day saying Masse when he was come to the breaking of the B. Hoste he saw the blood runne downe wheÌ„ce being touched inwardly he amended his life published the fact to euery one It came to passe that S. Hughe passing by the village where this Priest dwelt not to see this miraculous blood but to discourse with him of spirituall thinges for this priest had at that present the bruit and fame of a holy maÌ„ after sundry discourses the Priest began to speake of this stupendious miracle and besought S. Hughe to goe as far as the Church for to see that miraculous blood which was there reserued vnto that present but the holye Bishop would not goe And as his followers did likewise presse and importune him he said that those who will shew some signes of their infidelitie may goe but to vs who firmelie beleeue that the body and blood of Iesus Christ is truly vnder the Sacramental species what doe these signes and miracles profit And then alleadged that worthie sentence of our Sauiour Blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued Iohn 20. 29. 3. See the like answere of S. Lewis kinge of France in Ribadeniera in the discourse vpon the feast of the most holy Sacrament 4. S. Bernard writing to Pope Innocentius against the heretique Peter Abailard saith If our faith be doutfull as this heretique said shall not our Hope also be in vaine All the martyrs then were great fooles to suffer so great torments for thinges doutfull and vncertaine No no our saith is founded vpon the truth c. Epist. 190. Seeing that from the Easte vnto the West saith Lactantius Firmianus the diuine faith is receiued and that euery sex age and nation are found who serue God vnanimously and that we see in all one selfe same patience one selfe same contempt of death we ought to knowe that there is great reason for this law sith it is defended vnto death for the ground and soliditie of this religion sith iniuries and torments can not ouerthrowe it but rather from day to day doe make it stronger lib. 5. c 13. Of Popes only there are found twentie seauen who chose rather to loose their life then their faith And in the Church of Rome only there haue bene aboue three hundred thousand Christians who to maintaine the faith haue endured death wherof a hundred and eightie thousand are buried in the Churchyard of S. Calistus Tho. Boziâ—s de signis eccle l. 20. Now if in one cittie alone so many are founde how many are there in the whole worlde Where are the eleuen thousand virgins where those twentie thousand which in the time of Diocletian were all burnt for the faith in one church Niceph. l. 7. hist. eccl c. 6. All ages haue furnished vs with these braue soldiars and AmazoÌ„s who to defend their faith promised to Iesus Christ their Captaine haue giuen their liues 5. In Iaponia in our age the yeare 1613. eight persons were burnt aliue men women and children in the cittie of Arima for the Catholique faith and were accompanied with more then twentie thousand Christians in white robes and with their Beades in their handes and seauen twentie beheaded in another place The yeare 1614. two brethren with another Christian were likewise burnt aliue and their sister beheaded Others had their noses and their thumbes cut off and the toppes of their handes and feete and were marked with a hot iron vpon their foreheades And the yeare 1618. other fiftie endured death also for the same cause 6. The yeare 1612. at Cocura in the same Iaponia as the Prince persecuted the Christians a Neophite demanded of a litle childe of foure yeares olde saying If the Tyrant would kill thee wouldest thou forsake the faith No Sir said the infant What then quoth the Christian will you be a martyr I forsooth said he and my father and mother and I with them shall all be martyrs But perhaps you knowe not replied the Christian what it is to be a martyr Yea but I doe yea but I doe answered the childe it is to haue our heads cut off for the faith of Iesus Christ I marry but yet when this shall happen you will cry a pace quoth the Neophite Quite contrary I will reioyce replied the childe and with a cheerfull countenance will I present my head vnto the hangman These answeres made the Christian to stand astonished and ceased not to giue thankes to God for hauing put into so litle a body a soule so manly and so generous 7. Another childe of six yeares old vnderstanding of the Gouernor that he caused twentie Crosses to come from the cittie of Sanga to crucifie the Christians answered O how glad I am of so good newes for I hope that there will also come a litle one for me Goe Christians goe to schoole to these litle children you who at euery least occasion turne your backes to almightie God 8. In the same Iaponia and the same yeare aforsaid nere vnto Nangasachi an olde man a Christian very simple and of litle vnderstandinge who could neuer learne other prayer then Iesus Maria the which he had continually in his mouth fell sick his frieÌ„des who were pagaÌ„s endeuored to make him forsake his faith but he said vnto theÌ„ I am very sorry that being a Christian I am so ignorant in heauenlie thinges but yet knowe you that if I knew for certaine that I were to be condemned by God to euerlasting fire I would not for al this forsake the Christian faith for I had rather be tormented in hell being a Christian then if it were so possible to be in heaueÌ„ and be a GeÌ„tile O excellent answere All this hitherto is taken out of the historie of Iaponia sent to our reuerend father Generall §. 2. Of Ignorance in thinges of faith how dangerous it is and which the points are that necessarily are to be knowen It is not enough to haue habituall faith which we haue receiued in holy Baptisme but moreouer being come to age and vnderstanding we must excite actes thereof but how can we doe it if we know not in particular what we ought to beleeue There is then a strict obligation to learne the principall pointes of our faith which is the cause also that God doth threaten so oft with such efficacie those
hurtfull to it shall we not haue the same of our soule What permutation shall a man giue for his soule Matt. 16. 26. Marc. 8. §. 2. Of the mindfulnes of the presence of God This also is a most singular remedy for who is he I pray you vnles he be quite out of his wittes that dares and would offende when he calls to minde that God that almightie and redoubted iudge seeth euen to the very bottome of his hart In all thy waies thinke on him and he will direct thee in thy steppes Pro. 3. 6. I will shew thee o man what is good what our Lord requireth of thee verely to doe iudgment and to loue mercie and to walke solicitous with thy God Mich. 6. 8. He hath said in his hart God hath forgotten he hath turned away his face not to see foreuer psal 10. 11. Remember God thou shalt neuer sinne saith S. Ignatius Martyr epist. 6. Behould the whole meanes neuer to sinne if one suppose God to be alwaies nere vnto him Clem. Alex. 1. 3. pedag c. 5. The remembrance of God shuts the gate to all sinne S. Hierom. l. 7. c. 22. Euen as at the arriuing of the Prouost theeues withdraw them selues from their commō hauntes euen so at the remembrance of the presence of God the infamous passions of the soule are chased away and it becometh the temple and habitation of the Holie Ghost But where the memorie of God is not there doth darknes dominiere with stench and all kinde of wickednes is there exercised S. Ephrem l. de virtute tom 2. c. 10. Thinkest thou that thou art alone when thou committest fornication And rememberest not that the eyes of God doe behould the whole worlde All the holy Trinitie is hard by thee the Angells his ministers the Cherubins and Seraphins which continuallie cry Holy holy holy all the earth is full of thy maiestie Thinkest thou that in the brothel house Iesus Christ doth not behould thee he who saw thee enter into the same Thinkest thou that he seeth thee not committing adulterie he that seeth the adulterie which thou conceiuest in thy soule S. Amb. in psl. 118. Serm. 1. O carelesse Christians o mortall men how then liue you You offend God as if God saw you not What God that great God doth he not see you He that is aboue you beneath you round about you yea euen within you GOD IS EVERY WHERE What doost thou then forgetfull of thy God what doost thou Hearken in what place soeuer you be Shall a man be hid in secrets and shall not I see him saith our Lord Ierem. 23. 24. Heare this tremble for feare for GOD SEETH ALL. What saist thou thou who art forgetfull of God What doost thou say What he that planted the eare shall he not heare psl. 93. 9. I liue saith our Lord according as you haue spoken I hearing it so will I doe to you Num. 24. 28. Take heede then what you say for GOD VNDERSTANDETH ALL Alas what thinke you in your hart What doe you thinke What knowe you not then that at that great day he wil visit and examin Hierusalem with torches Sophon 1. Deceiue not your selues it is a point most assured that GOD KNOWETH ALL. Yea euen the most secret thoughtes What dare you then offend God in his owne presence No Christian let vs say now let vs say for euer rather die then be dāned rather die then be defiled rather die then to offende before the face of so great and so good a God Dan. 13 28. EXAMPLES 1. The holie scripture speaking of the old men who coueted carnally the chast Susanna saith And they subuerted their sence and declined their eyes that they would not see heauen nor remember iust iudgments Dan. 13. 9. And a litle after Perplexities are to me on euery fide for if I shall doe this it is death to me and if I doe it not I shall not escape your handes But it is better for me without the act to fall into your handes then to sinne in the sight of our Lord. v. 22. O right worthie and generous resolution 2. S. Dorotheus Abbot writeth that at the begining whē Dosithus his disciple tooke the habit of religion he gaue this sentence worthy to be written in letters of gould Let God be neuer out of thy hart thinke alwaies that God is present with thee and that thou art before his face Which Dosithus imprinted so deeply in his hart that he neuer forgot it no not in his greatest sicknes And by this exercise of the presence of God he profited so well that of a knight and soldiar of the worlde of one debauched and vtterly addicted vnto vanities he became a most perfect and a most holy religious person and was seene after his death of diuers holy personages most glorious and triumphant in heauen amongst the holy Anchorets S. Doroth. in his life 3. Saint Catharine of Sienna to keepe her selfe alwayes recollected amiddest the distractions and occupations which her mother prescribed her made according as her heauēly spouse had taught her an oratory of her hart in the midst wherof she placed her God O most goodlie and wholsome practise Raymond in her life 4. Palladius affirmeth to haue learned of a certaine religious man called Diocles that a deuout person as soone as he leaueth the remembrance of the presence of God becomes a beast or else a diuell In hist lausia c. 93. 5. An vnmannerly woman who dwelt hard by the house where S. Ephrem was one day lodged in Edessa came and solicited him to lubricitie The Saint asked her if she were content to come vnto the open market and that there he would satisfie her demand What quoth she dare we doe this before men If we dare not doe this before men replied the Saint how dare we to doe it before God who vnderstandeth all thinges euen the most secret and is to iudge vs of all our workes These wordes touched the woman so exceeding deeply that detesting this enterprise and all her fore-passed life from that very houre she gaue the farwell to the flesh and the worlde retyring her selfe according to the councell of the Saint into a monastery where she liued and died most holily Blessed Lord what change doth thy remembrance make within a hart Giue it vs we beseeche thee continually to the end that this euill neuer arriue vs as to sinne in thy presēce §. 3. Of the remembrance of the most dolorous passion of our Lord. O Christian canst thou offende thy God and thy Redeemer when thou remembrest that he was wounded for our iniquities and that he was broken for our sinnes I say 53. 5. Canst thou well commit any kinde of sinne when thou remembrest those lamentable cries of thy Sauiour all peirced and wounded vpon a Crosse O all yee that passe by the way attend and see if there be sorrow like to my sorrow Thren 1. 12. If in the greene wood they doe
these thinges that is to say to him who was euen iustice it selfe in the drie what shall be done Luc. â—3 31. Who is he so irreligious saith S. Bernard that remembringe himselfe of the passâ—on of his Sauiour is not touched with compunction Who so proude that is not humbled Who so cholericke that is not appeased Who so voluptuous that is not cooled Who so wicked that is not restrained Who so malicious that doth not pennance And this with great reason sith the passion of our Lord hath moued euen the earth it selfe brused the stones and opened the monuments In serm seria 4. heb poenosae Acknowledge saith the same Saint in another place how greuous the woundes are for the which it behoued that the SoÌ„ne of God should be wounded if they had not bene deadly and to death eternall neuer had the Sonne of God died for their remedy Ser. 3. de natiuit Greater loue then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends Ioan 15. 13. And if loue be not requiâ—ed but by loue art thou not more cruell more in human theÌ„ the Tygers that remembring thee of this exceeding charity of the SoÌ„ne of God who gaue his dearest life for thee thou wilt offende him and crucifie him againe anew Heb. 6. 6. EXAMPLES 1. Zenophon writeth that Cyrus kinge of Persia hauinge vpon a day caused Tigranes kinge of Armenia whom together with his wife he helde captiue to come vnto his table demanded of him how much he would giue to ransome his wife I should be content replied Tygranes to giue for her all that kingdome which thou by force hast taken from me and yet more all my blood and my life Cyrus admiring so great affection restored them their realme and their libertie A while after Tygranes being in his pallace demanded of her what she thought of the beautie of Cyrus In sooth quoth she I doe not know what you would say nor what Cyrus is for all the time of our capâ—iuitie I neuer cast mine eye vpon other then vpon him who was ready to giue his blood and his life for the loue of me O Christian admire and imitate this pagan princesse Thou hast before thine eyes the Sonne of God who was not only content to giue his life his blood for thee but de facto hath giuen it wouldest thou theÌ„ leaue him to loue a vile and catife creature 2. Our Lord said vpon a day vnto S. Gertrude that a man casting his eyes vpon the crucifix ought to imagin that our Lord who is nayled thereon saith vnto him Thou seest what I haue endured for thee to suffer my selfe to be hanged all naked vpon a Grosse c. and yet notwithstandinge I loue thee â—o much that if it were expedient for thy saluation I would endure for thee alone all that which I haue endured for the whole worlde Lud. Blos Moâ—il spirit c. 1. He somtime said the selfe same vnto S. Carpus as S. Denis of Areopagita reporteth Ep. 2. ad Demophil Baron â—…m 1. anno 59. 3. But he said yet more vnto Saint Bridgit I loue men said he vnto her â—t this present euen as much as I did when I died for them yea if it were â—ossible I would be ready to dye for â—uery one in particular and as many â—imes as there are damned soules in â—ell Ibid. 4. S. Collecta reformer of the orâ—er of S. Clare praying to our Lady â—…the behalfe of sinners our B. Lady appeared vnto her with a platter full of peeces of flesh as of an infant newly slaine and shewing her the same said vnto her How wilt thou that I pray for them who by their sinnes as much as lyeth in their power cut and dismember my Sonne into more peeces â—hen heere thou seest Surius tom 7. ex Stephano Iuliaco S. Coletae contemporaneo 5. S. Elzear Count of Arie in Prouence being asked by his wife Delphina whence it was that he neuer troubled nor vexed him selfe answered that he set before him the iniuries done vnto our B. Lord and that at the selfe instant his choler ceased Surius 27. of Sept. c. 23. See thou now o Christian the singular efficacie of this remedie §. 4. Of the memorie of death Who is he that would offend God that doth reflect vpon his death Who pondereth that peraduenture he is already arriued to the last degree and step of his life and now at the point to make the last leape vnto happie or vnhappie eternitie It is appointed to men to die once saith S. Paul vnto the Heb. 9. 27. I know that thou wilt deliuer me to death quoth holy Iob where a house is appointed for euery one that liueth Iob. 30. â—2 And yet nether know we when nor how Watch yee therfore saith our Lord because you know not the day nor the houre Mat. 25. 13. Whether at eueninge or at midnight or at the cock crowinge or in the moringe lest cominge vpon a sodaine he finde you sleepinge and that which I say to you I say to all watch Marc. 13. 35. In all thy workes remember thy latter ende and thou wilt not sinne for euer Eccl 7. 40. Thou art afraid to die ill and art not afraid to liue ill Correct thine euil life for he can neuer dye ill who hath liued well S. Aug. l. de disciplina christiana c. 2. There is nothing which doth more withhould a man from sinne then the memorie of death Ibid. l. 2. de Gen. cont Maniche ser 3. de Innoc. Cassian c. 6. col 10. He who hath promised pardon vnto the penitent hath not promised to the sinner the day of to morrow We must then feare continually this latter day which we can neuer foresee S. Greg. Hom. 10. in euang Fleres si scires vnum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan vna dies If one monthes certaintie thou hadst to liue And couldst not haue thy death deferd no longer Thy eyes would poure forth teares thy hart would greiue For that thou hadst not fallen to penance sooner Yet now vncertaine of the shortest day Thou spendst thy time in dalliance sport and play It is a thinge of great moment wheron eternitie doth depend Eternitie dependeth vpon death death vpon life life vpon an instant Choose whither thou wilt if once thou be lost it is for all eternitie EXAMPLES OF SODAINE death 1. The children of Iob feasting together were sodainly ouer-whelmed with the fall of a house Iob. 1. Isboseth a Sisara b Holofernes c lost they not their liues in the dead of their sleepe a 2. Reg. 4. b Iudg. 4. c Iudith Balthasar making great cheere receiued the sentence of his death Dan. Manlius Torquatus in eating a cake P. Quintus Scapulus in supping Decimus Sauferus in dyning Apeius Saufeius in supping off an egge Fabius Maximus eating of milke swallowed downe a haire and died Plin. hist l. 7. c. 53. The poet Anacreon swallowinge downe the stone of
a reasin at a weddinge Plato Foulques Count of Aniou runinge after a Hare Cardinal Columnus vice-Roy of Naples in the time of Charles â—he fift tasting of Figges refresht in yce gaue vp the ghost betwixt the armes of his seruants P. Coton in the sermon of death And that foolish Richman in the gospell who thought him selfe so sure of his health and of his substance heard he not all vnexpected the sentence of his soddaine death Luc. 12. Finally deceiue not thy selfe for death slayeth in euery place Aristobulus in the bathe The Apostata Emperor amidst his armie Philippes by the Altar Caligula in a caue vnder ground Carloman a hunting Cesar in the senat Erricus by his mother Alboinus by his wife Ariston by his seruants Baiazeth by his sonne Mustapha by his father Conrad by his brother and Cato by him selfe EXAMPLES OF THOSE who refrained from sinne by the remembrance of death 1. A certaine brother Conuerse an Alman called Leffard hauing for many yeares exercised the office of a porter in his monasterie at the last debauched him selfe thinking that notwithstanding his nobilitie and decrepid age he was still put vnto so base an office he who might be in pleasures and delightes in the worlde and so resolued to leaue his monasterie and his habit Now as he was on a night in this fond fansie waytinge for the breaking of the day ro runne his way behould a venerable old man which appeared vnto him and commanded him to follow him the which he did They came at the last to the gate of the Church which opened of its owne accord from thence they went into the church-yard where they were not so soone entred but all the graues opened of them selues The old man caused this religious to draw nere to the one and shewed him the carion that was therin Seest thou quoth he this man Thou shalt be like vnto him within a while why then wilt forsake thy cloister From thence he would haue led him to another but Laffard had conceiued such horror at the sight of that one the he besought the old man to bringe him back vnto his dortorie swearing vnto him that from that time forward he would neuer more thinke of departinge thence which he performed Vincent de Bauuais in his miroir Hist. P. Albertinus in his treatise of our Angell Gardien c. 6. O how many such repentants would there be at this present day in the worlde if only by a serious reflection of spirit they would looke downe in to the sepulcher Arise and goe downe into the potters house said God our Lord vnto leremie that is to the church yardes and sepulchers where the pots of earth that is bodies are turned into earth by the almightie hande of him that made them and there thou shalt heare my wordes Ierem. 18. 2. 2. A younge effeminat fellow who could by no meanes or reason be brought into the right way was at lenght visited of a good religious man who at his departing from him said vnto him Vnder thee shall the mothe be strawed and wormes shall be thy couering Isay 14. 11. and therupon withdrew him selfe These wordes though few yet were not spoken in vaine for this young man imprinted them so profoundly in his hart that whasoeuer he did he could not thinke of any other thinge Hence by litle and litle he had a holy disgust of the worlde and in the end quite forsooke it and became religious Plautus l. 3. de bono stat relig c. 38. 3. Theodosius chiefe superior of a monastery taught his disciples for the first foundation of a religious life to haue euer before their eyes the remembrance of death And to this effect commanded them euery one to make him a graue the sight whereof should reduce to their mindes that they must die Sur. tom 1. Ribad 11. of Ian. ex Metaphrast 4. Lord Francis of Borgia Duke of Gandia and vice-Roy of Catalognia by one only sight of the dead body of the Empresse Isabella wife to Charles the fift was so touched that he resolued from that time to forsake the worlde and within a while after hauing geuen order to his affaires entred into the Societie of Iesus and therin died the third Generall leauing to all persons great opinion of his sanctitie Tom. 1. Hist of the Societie 5. A noble Knight named Rouland hauing passed a whole day in feasting and dancing as he was returned to himselfe he fell to consider how al the pleasures of that day were past and vanished and that all the rest that he could take would slide away in the same maner and in the end what shall I haue said he within him selfe what will all these vanities auaile me These thoughtes lasted him the whole night and made such a breach in his hart that the morning being come he went and askt the habit of the Friar Preachers receiued it liued dyed therin most holily Plautus as before 6. A certaine Damosell wholy giuen vnto vanities refused all the pennances which her CoÌ„fessar proposed vnto her but at the last she accepted this as the most easie of all the rest in her opinion to say within her selfe as often as she washt her handes This flesh shall be eaten vp of wormes she performed it and with such good successe that she whollie changed her selfe within a while after and became so virtuous as she had bene vitious and as exemplar as she had bene scandalous P. Coton in his sermon of death 7. A monke of Egipt being vpon the point to satisfie his sensuallitie was hindred by the remembrance of death as he confest him selfe to S. Iohn Climacus 8. Another which had liued very licentiously and scandalously fell sick was reduced to the point of death yea held for dead And hauing bene an houre in that estate he came to him selfe and presently besought his companions to withdraw them selues and to stop and damme vp his chamber dore with stones The which was done and so shut vp liued there for twelue yeares without speakinge to any person and eating nothinge but bread and water hauing his eyes continually fixt vpon the selfe same place with aboundance of teares At last when he was to die his fellowes brake a passage into his chamber and praid him to giue then some wordes or councell of edification Pardon me said he vnto them for no man can euer sinne who doth effectually remember him of his death S. Iohn Climachus as an eye witnes relateth the same in his booke intituled Scala coeli grad 6. 9. M. Guido Priest of Niuelle being Regent at Schonege in Hainault hauing thorough curiositie cast his eye a litle too fixedlie vpon a woman was in such wise tempted that for the space of three yeares he could doe nothinge but thinke of her although she was dead And seing that this tentation was most perillous vnto him to surmount the same he went by night to open the graue of the same woman being slidden
better life then I haue liued and if thou be wise quoth he thou will goe render thy selfe religious nere S. Melanius which being said he disappeared returning to his accursed centre there to burne in all eternitie The other for feare lest one day he should follow him turned back from the way of hell which he had taken vntill that time and impathed him selfe in the good and happie way of heauen making him selfe a religious man Vincent spec hist l. 25. c. 89 Math. Paris in hist. Ang. in the yeare 1072. in the time of William kinge of England What will it profit thee o mortall man to haue two or three daies weekes monthes or yeares of contentment if thou must be afterwardes tormented and tortured for all Eternitie That is momentary which delighteth that eternall which tormenteth §. 7. Of the memorie of heauen and of the eternitie of the blessed O Israel how great is the house of God and how great is the place of his posession It is great and hath no end high and vnmeasurable Baruch 3. 24. And he shewed me the holie cittie of Hierusalem Apoc. 21. 10. The building of the wall thereof was of Iaspar v. 18. the gates of Saphire and Emraulds Tob. 13.19 and the streete of the cittie pure gold Apoc. 21.21 There are nether the coldes of winter nor the heates of sommer but an euerlastinge spring-time nothinge is heard thoroughout all this cittie but a perpetuall Allelâ—ia Tob. 13. 20. Farwell teares from all those that are there for they shall neuer weepe more for God shall wipâ— away all teares from their eyes and death shall be no more nor mourning nor crying Apoc. 21. 4. They all follow the Lambe who leadeth them to the liuing waters and to the fountaines of the water of life ibid where they drinke their full draughts of that Angellicall Nectar which contayneth in it all the pleasures and contentments that can be wished Will you knowe how great this contentment is Eye hath not seene noâ— care hath heard nether hath it ascendâ—… into the hart of man what thinges Goâ— hath prepared for them that loue him Isay 64. 4. 1. Cor. 2. 9. The passions of this time are not condigne to the glorie to come that shall be reuealed in vs. Rom. 8. 18. For that our tribulation which presently is momentary and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall waight of glorie in vs. 2. Cor. 4. 17. S. Peter said vpon a day vnto our Lord. Behould we haue left all thinges and haue followed thee what therfore shall we haue And Iesus said to them Amen I say to you that you which haue followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit in the seate of his maiestie you also shall sit vpon twelue seates iudging the twelue tribes of Israell And euery one that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my names sake shall receiue an hundred fold and shall posesse life euerlasting Mat. 19. 27. c. Come yee blessed of my father posesse you the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the worlde for I was an hungred and you gaue me to eate I was a thirst and you gaue me to drinke Mat. 25. 34. For this soueraigne good it was that all the Saintes haue suffered so much choosing rather to be afflicted yea rather to loose their liues after a thousand torments then to enioy for a litle while the delights of sinne for they looked vnto the remuneration Heb. 11. 26. I haue fought a good fight saith the same Apostle I haue consummate my course I haue kept the saith Concerninge the rest there is laid vp for me a crowne of iustice which our Lord will render to me in that day a iust iudge and not only to me but to them also that loue his cominge 2. Tim. 4. 7. S. Augustine by the pleasures of this life coniectured the contentments of the life eternall If thou doost vs so much good Lord quoth he in this prison what wilt thou doe vs in thy pallace If there be so much contentment in this day of teares what wilt thou giue vs in the day of mariage Silloq c. 21. These are certaine testimonies drawen forth of the booke of God touching the pleasures of heauen and of the life eternall Now so longe as thou art the friend and childe of God by grace thou art inheritor of all these goods If sonnes heires also heires truly of God and coheires of Christ. Rom. 8. 17. Wouldest thou then expose and aduenture at a cast at dice or a momentarie pleasure all the right thou hast to an enheritance so riche and so delightfull If thou offend God mortallie thou loosest in an instant all this right Who shall ascend into the mount of our Lord who shall stande in his holie place the innocent of handes that is in his workes and of cleane hart psal 23. 3. There shall not enter into it any polluâ—ed thinge Apoc. 21. 27. Labour the more that by good workes you may make sure your vocation and election c. for so there shall be ministred vnto you aboundantly an entrance into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus 2. Pet. 1. 10. What lamentations reade we of the miserable damned at the consideration of so great a good as they haue exchanged and forgone for a fading pleasure Sap. 5. EXAMPLES 1. S. Francis being one day extreamlie afflicted with the head-ache gaue thankes to God and asked strength of him to suffer the same and behould he heard a voice which said vnto him Francis if all the earth were conuerted into gold the sea the riuers and the fountaines into baulme the rockes and stones into pretious pearles and further that thou hadst found a treasure as much more pretious then all this as gold is more estimable then the earth baulme then water pretious pearles then common stones and that it were giuen thee for this infirmitie shouldst thou not haue matter to reioyce thee Alas Lord said Saint Francis I am not worthy of such a treasure The voice replied vnto him Know notwithstading that this treasure is the life eternall which I prepare thee and this head-ache which thou endurest is the earnest Tom. 2. Chron. frat minor l. 1. c. 51. The glory which I expect would he somtimes say is so great that all paine all sicknes all humiliation all persecution all mortification doth reioyce me 2. S. Thomas being asked of his sister to whom he appeared what the glory of heaueÌ„ was vntil the time that you haue tried it quoth he no man is euer able for to tell you Rib. in his life 3. S. Adrian being as yet a soldiar of the age of eight and twentie yeares behoulding the coÌ„stancy of the martirs amidst the sharpest of their torments asked of them what good they hoped to haue by those torments who made him answer We hope for those goods which nether
eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor yet hath entred into the hart of man This answere moued him so much that he also would be enrolled in the catalogue of the martyrs and endured constantly to haue his members cut asunder peece by peece in the sight of his wife who likewise encouraged him therunto Ribad vpon his life 4. Theophilus aduocate hauinge receiued certaine Roses and Apples from heauen which S. Dorothe dying sent vnto him by an Angell found them so faire and so good that desiring to enter in the garden from whence they were gathered he became Christian and suffered martyrdome Ribad in the life of S. Dorothe virg and mart 5. Sir Thomas Moore Lord Chancelor of England being in prison his wife came and importuned him to condescend vnto the pleasure of the Kinge presentinge vnto him on the one side her future pouertie and the miserable estate of all her familie and on the other part the honors and riches which kinge Harry had promised him if he would be on his side Sir Thomas demanded of her How longe my dearly beloued shall we enioy these honors and riches Very easily yet quoth she these twentie yeares Then Sir Thomas all angrie with her said vnto her Get thee gone quoth he thou foolish marchant what shall I for twentie yeares of temporall goodes loose all the infinite goods of life eternall God forbid that I euer make any such market yea know that I had rather lie in this prison as longe as I liue suffer confiscation of my goodes all kindes of contumelies and death it selfe then to expose so foole-hardily my felicitie as indeed he did for he was put to death for this cause Sanderus de schismate Angl. Would to God we did the same as often as ouer flesh like to this womā incites vs to sinne and that at the smiting of the clock yea in all times we had in our mouth and in our hart this short sentence O glorie eternall what is it to haue thee and what is it to loose thee The true Christian Catholique or The maner how to liue Christianly THE SECOND BOOKE THE PROLOGVE IT is an error of the heretiques who vnder the name of a Christian which they carrie with false markes and vnder the skin of a sheepe nourish the hart of a woulfe that to go to heauen it is not necessarie to doe good workes Such an one was Valentinus as S. Ireneus testifieth l. 1. c. 1. and S. Epiphanius l. 1. cont heres c. 32. And Eunomius and Aetius his Disciple of whom S. Aug. maketh mention l. de heresibus c. 54. and in the age last past Luther Caluin Melancthon c. Bellar. tom 11. controuer l. 4. c. 20. de iustificatione Yea Luther saith that faith is nothing worth vnles it be depriued of all good workes how litle soeuer Did any euer heare more absurd and pernicious doctrine Thou art better taught ô true Christian Catholique and it is by the fruites also of thy good workes that the sanctitie of thy soule is knowen for thou houldest with the vniuersall Church according to the lesson which the holy Ghost hath taught her in the scripture and the holy Fathers that he who intends to goe to heauen ought to to keepe the cōmandements of God to exercise him selfe in good workes This is that which our Lord said vnto a certaine Doctor in S. Mat. 19. 17. c. 7. 22. Not euery one that saith to me Lord Lord like as heretiques doe who haue often in their mouth the name of the Lord but haue the diuell in their hart shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Lord saith Dauid who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shall rest in thy holie hil Psal 14. 1. Thou wilt render to euery one according to his workes Ps 61. 13. Mat. 16. 27. And if I should haue all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing 1. Cor. 13. 2. See the sentence of S. Peter in the 1. booke last chap. § 7. We haue before brought and alleadged that whick maketh for the extirpation of vice And sith it is not enough for a Gardener to haue rooted vp the naughtie herbes out of his garden vnles he likewise sowe good seede therein and set good plantes I will with Gods asistance in this secōd booke giue aduice vnto the Christiā who desires to liue as a good and virtuous Catholique ought do doe and shew him the meanes proper and easie how to plant in his soule such virtues as are most necessary for the exercise of good workes following the selfe same order which I did before to wit of holie Scripture holie Fathers Examples THE 1. CHAPTER Of the signe of the Crosse THE soldiars of this world accustome to weare vpon them a scarfe or riban of the same color of their Ensigne to giue to vnderstand vnder what head banner they beare armes In like maner the Christian who is the soldiar of Iesus Christ and serueth vnder the stādart ensigne of the Crosse hath a custome to giue this signe a at all times in euery houre imprinting it ether on his fore-head on his mouth or on his breast b in the morninge at his vp risinge in the eueninge at his downe lying at the striking of the clock in yaninge both before and after worke eating drinking and in eache necessitie which from all antiquitie hath bene vsed in the Church c yea both prefigured and fore-tould by the Prophets d in the old law and taught and recommended by our B. Sauiour in the new e a S. Ephrem l. de ver a poenitentia c. 3. S. Aug. l. de Cat. rud c. 20. b S. Ambrose de Isaac anima c. 8. c Tertul. de corona milit c. 3. d Ezech. ◠e Mat. 28. §. 1. Of the ancient vse and custome to make the signe of the Crosse at the begining and ending of our workes and how dangerous it is ether to eate or drinke not makinge before hand this holy signe The prophet Ezechiel saw vpon a day six men enter into the temple of Ierusalem and heard a voice which commanded them to passe thorough the middes of the citty and to strike or kill without mercie al the inhabitants except euery one vpon whom they should see the signe of Thau Ezech. 9. 5. S. Iohn in the Apoc. c 7. 1. saw four Angells who had commandement from almightie God to afflict all the men vpon the earth And as they went to execute this commandement another Angell came from the risinge of the sunne hauing the signe of the liuing God who turning him selfe towards the others said Hurt not the earth and the sea nor the trees till we signe the seruants of our God in their foreheades And S. Iohn saith that the number of those that were thus signed were a hundred fortie four thousand of euery tribe of Israell Ibid.
as soone as they had cast their net vpon his worde they had a great and happy draught For this it is that S. Paul so much recommendeth that all whatsoeuer we doe we would doe it in the name of God Col. 3. 17. 1. Cor. 10. 31. Dauid compareth himselfe to a litle childe newly weaned psal 130. 2. Euen then as a litle infant newly taken from the dugges can not goe a step if his mother guide him not by the arme and as soone as she lets him stand alone without houlding he extendeth his armes and cryeth with teares after his mother euen so wee for we are a great deale yea infinite lesse before God neuer ought to goe nor to doe ought whatsoeuer but to holde God by the hande and as soone as we feele our selues in any distresse to implore more then euer his asistance saying with Dauid O God intend vnto my helpe Lord make haste to helpe me Psal 69. 1. EXAMPLES 1. I thought said S. Aug. that I was some body of my selfe and I saw not that thou art he who didst coÌ„duct me vntill such time as thou retyredst thy selfe a litle from me and thus forthwith I fell Then I saw knew that thy hande gouerned me that to be fallen came from me and to be risen againe came from thee Soliloque c. 15. 2. S. Dominique nether did nor euer vndertooke ought without hauing first recommended him selfe to God and to our Ladie by the intercession of whom he said he alwayes obtained what he would of her Sonne Sur tom 4. Ribad 4. August 3. Albeit S. Francis had triumphed ouer his flesh and quenched the flames of sensual fire and that it was reuealed to brother Leo his companioÌ„ that S. Francis was numbred in heaueÌ„ in the number of those which were true virgins both in soule body yet was he neuertheles maruellously retired strange amonge women hauing his eye so modest when he spake vnto them that he hardly knew so much as anie one by sight For he was wonte to say that by occasions the stronge became weake and the weake was vanquished that to conuerse familiarly in the coÌ„panie of women or women with meÌ„ without being burned or soÌ„what singed was as harde as to walke vpon hoate coales or to beare fire in ones bosome without being hurte He further added that he who is hardy is not crafty and that the diuel so that he finde wheron to take hould although it be but at a bare haire will make thereupon a terrible warre Ribad 4. of Octob. 4. Our holy Father Ignatius so much distrusted his owne selfe that in al his affaires he neuer resolued ought albeit he knew all reasons probable without first recoÌ„mending it to God Ribad in his life 5. The sixt of Nouember together with the four crowned martyrs the Church celebrateth the feaste of fiue other martyrs Claudius Nicostratus Simphorianus Castorus and Simplicianus which were most excellent grauers and Christians except Simplicianus who was a panim who seeing that the workes of marble of other riche stuffes of his companions were founde so perfect and compleate and that in labouring of them all thinges succeeded as they desired where to the contrarie he spoyled a number of tooles about his art he demanded of Simphorianus who was the chiefest of the rest whence this proceeded Who answered him that alwayes in taking any instrument to worke with all they called vpon the name of Iesus Christ their God and instructed him so well that thorough the grace and goodnes of our Lord he was conuerted and baptised and after martyred in their companie Ribad 6. of NoueÌ„br So true it is which our Lord said to his Disciples so many ages past He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth much fruite for without me you can doe nothinge Ioan. 15. 5. §. 5. Of Charitie and particularly of that which we owe vnto God Charitie is a virtu diuinely infused by the which we loue God for him selfe and our neighbour for God Canis cap. 3. de charitate decal q. 2. ex S. Aug. l. 3. de doctrina Christ. c. 10. A certaine lawâ—er asked of our Lord vpon a day Master which is the greatest commandement in the law Mat. 25. 35. Or according to S. Luke c. 10. 25. By dooing of what thinge shall I posses life euerlastinge Our Lord made answere Thou shalt loue thy Lord the God with thy whole hart and with thy whole soule and with all thy strenght and with all thy minde and thy neighbour as thy selfe Vpon which passage S. Bernard saith The reason to loue God is God him selfe the maner and the measure to loue God is to loue him without measure God must be loued for him selfe and that for two reasons First because we can loue nothing more iustly Secondly because we can loue nothing more profitable God deserueth to be loued for him selfe yea euen of an Infidell for although he know not Iesus Christ yet Iesus Christ knoweth him This is the cause why euen a Panim is inexcusable if he loue not God with his whole hart with his whole soule and with all his strenght for the iustice and the reason which is in him cry that we ought to loue him aboue all whose dettor we know our selues to be in all Tract de diligendo Deo With how much more reason oughtest thou to loue him o Christian who illuminated with the light of faith hast more particular knowledge of his bountie All the other virtues are meerly nothing without this for If I speake with the tongues of men and of Angels haue not charity I am become as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball And if I should haue prophecie and knew all misteries and all knowledge and if I should haue all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothinge And if I should distribute all my goodes to be meate for the poore and if I should deliuer my body so that I burne and haue not charitie it doth profit me nothinge 1. Cor. 13. 1. Will you haue a certaine proofe of the loue of God If you loue me saith our Lord to his Apostles keepe my commandements Ioan. 14. 15. This is the charitie of God saith S. Iohn that we keepe his commandements and his commandements are not heauie 1. Ioan. 5. 3. How doost thou loue him whose commandement thou hatest Who is he that will say I loue the Emperor but I hate his lawes S. Aug. tract 9. in ep Ioan. The proofe of loue is the performance of the worke and the keeping of the commandements of God S. Greg. Hom. 30. in Euang. The properties of the loue of God The first propertie of the loue of God is gladly to be with God and not to be auerted froÌ„ him but with griefe So the espouse loued her spouse in the Canticles saying I founde him whoÌ„ my soule loueth I helde him nether will I let him
goe Can. 3. 4. 2. To be insatiable and neuer to become wearie to doe any thinge for the loue of God for this cause it is that the Holy Ghost compareth charitie vnto death to the graue to hell and vnto fire who neuer say it is enough Prou. 30. 15. Cant. 8. 6. 3. To haue a simple and vpright intention addressing all his thoughtes wordes and workes only to God That saith S. Bernard is called true simplicitie which hath a wil perfectlie conuerted to God alone and which with Dauid desireth but one thinge alone that is to say to please God S. Bernard ad fratres de monte Dei. The espouse saith in the Canticles In our gates all fruites the new and the old my beloued I haue kept for thee Cant. 7. 13. By the fruites of the yeare passed are to be vnderstood the workes of nature as to eate to drinke to sleepe and the like By the new the workes of grace or supernaturall as all the workes of virtu are as if she said I offer vnto thee all my workes good indifferent supernaturall and naturall without any sort or manner of reseruation 4. To be inuincible that is to say neuer to suffer him selfe to be beaten downe for any kinde of difficultie Who shall seperate vs saith the Apostle from the charitie of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8. 35. 5. To thinke allwayes vpon God and by the creatures as by so many steppes to ascend and lift vp him selfe allwayes to him Come my beloued saith the spouse let vs goe forth into the fielde my beloued to me and I to him that I may behould thee as thou behouldest me Cant. 7. 10. EXAMPLES 1. S. Marie Magdalen so greatly loued our Lord after her conuersion that she could in no wise be separated from him following him euen in his passion amidst the presse of soldiars and people vnto the mount of Caluarie and there also standing nere vnto him vntill such time as he was dead and buried And what greater proofe of her loue could be giue then the testimonie of our Lord him selfe who saith defendinge her against Simon the Pharisie Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she loued much Luc. 7. 44. 2. Who then shall separat vs from the charitie of Christ Tribulation or distres or famine or nakednes or danger or persecution or the sworde But in all these thinges we ouercome because of him that hath loued vs for I am sure that nether death nor life nor Angells nor Principallities nor Powers nether thinges present nor thinges to come nether might nor height nor depth nor other creature shall be able to separate vs from the charitie of God which is in Christ Iesus Lord. Rom. 8. 35. 3. S. Peter beinge asked by our Lord if he loued him bouldly answered him three seuerall times Thou knowest Lord that I loue thee Ioan. 21. 15. 16. 17. 4. S. Ignatius bishop and Martir was so enflamed with this burninge charitie that he said writing to the Romans when he was led prisoner to Rome there to be executed I make it knowen to all the Churches that I die for Iesus Christ with exceeding ioy vnles you trouble me I beseeche you let not your affection be domageable to me let me be torne in pieces by the wilde beastes that so they may send me soone to God I am the corne and graine of God and shall be ground betwixt their teeth so to be made the wheate delicious bread of Iesus Christ And a litle after he saith Let fire crosse beastes come let all my members be cut in peeces brused and ground let the death of this miserable body and all the torments of the diuell come vpon me so that I may come and be vnited with Iesus Christ Epist. ad Rom. Hier. in Ignat. Ribad 1. of Feb. After his death his body being opened the name of Iesus was found engrauen in his hart 5. S. Bonauenture writeth of Saint Francis that he considered God in euerie thinge making of all the creatures a ladder to ascend to him who is to be desired aboue all thinges In his life cap. 9. 6. S. Iacopon of the order of Saint Francis being all alone in a certaine garden ran as a man besides him selfe embracing the first tree that there he founde crying O sweete Iesus ô my well beloued Iesus c. Raderus in vita sanct p. 2. c. 3. 7. Our Lord vpon a day commanded S. Gertrude that she should offer him more especially then she had yet done vntill that time all her actions as all the letters which she wrote the meate she eate the wordes the steps the respirations and beatinges of her hart all in the vnion of the life and naturall actions of his Sonne She did so and by meanes of this exercise she arriued vnto so great perfection that our Lord speaking of her to S. Mechtildis a religious woman of the same monasterie said There is no place vpon the earth after the most B. Sacrament wherein I abide more particularly then in the hart of B. Gertrude Lud. Blos in monil spir 8. The blessed father S. Xauerius seeing in the night by diuine reueuelation in an hospitall in Rome all the paines and afflictions which he was to suffer in the Indes cryed out to God Yet more yet more o Lord yet more Ribad in the abridgment of his life and Horatius Turselinus so greatly desirous was he to endure and suffer for the loue of God If these examples doe not suffice reade the liues of the B. Saintes and you shall finde no man nor woman Sainte which were not enflamed with this loue §. 6. Of Charitie towards our neighbour After that our Lord had deliuered the first commandement of charitie he said And the second is like to this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe on these two commandements dependeth the whole law and the prophets Mat. 22. 37. If any man shall say that I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyer For he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth God whom he seeth not how can he loue 1. ep c. 4. 20. Before all thinges haue mutuall charitie continually among your selues 1. Pet. 4. 8. The maner how to loue our neighbour is comprehended in these few wordes According as you will that men doe to you doe you also to them in like maner Luc. 6. 31. And contrary-wise That which thou hatest to be done by thee to another see thou doe it not to another at any time Tob. 4. 16. The properties of this charitie are set downe by S. Paul 1. Cor. 13. 4. Charitie is patient is benigne charitie enuieth not dealâ—th not peruersly is not puffed vp is not ambitious seeketh not her owne is not prouoked to anger thinketh not euill reioyceth not vpon iniquitie but reioyceth with thee truth suffereth all thinges beleeueth all thinges hopeth all thinges beareth all thinges We are all bretheren Mat. 23. 8. members of the same body 1. Cor. 12.
27. created for the same end to enioy the celestiall enheritance 1. Pet. 1.4 What should let vs then to loue one another Blessed is he saith S. Aug. whom thou louest o Lord his friend in thee and his enimie for thee For he alone loseth no friende who loueth all his friendes in him who can not be lost Confes l. 4. c. 9. Euen as saith S. Dorotheus two lines drawen from the circumference after the centre the nerer they approache vnto the centre the nerer are they one to the other euen so the nerer that we approache vnto God who is our centre the nerer also are we by affection one to another In the 6. discourse not to iudge our neighbour The same doth S. Bonauenture say In stimulo amoris p. 2. c. 7. EXAMPLES 1. Our Lord hath so exceedingly loued vs that he hath giuen his very life for vs. He could not possibly giue a greater proofe of his loue as him selfe saith in S. Iohn cap. 15. 2. The first Christians loued one another so entirely that S. Luke saith The multitude of beleeuers had one hart and one soule Act. 4. 32. And Tertulian who liued about that time writeth that the Infidells seing the Christians so to loue as to dye one for another said Behould how they loue together 3. Moyses so loued his people that seeing God would punish them for their sinnes he said Lord pardon them or blot me out of the booke of life Exod. 32. 4. I wished my selfe said S. Paul to be an anathema from Christ for my bretheren Rom. 9. 3. 5. S. Serapion became a slaue to certaine tumblers and players to the end to haue some meanes to discourse with them and to conuert them to the faith which he effected Theod. in hist sanct pat c. 83. Marulus l. 3. c. 2. 6. Paulinus bishop of Nola did as much to deliuer the sonne of a poore widdow forth of captiuitie S. Greg. l. 3. dial c. 1. 7. S. Leo Abbot to redeeme certaine of his monkes that were captiues gaue a good somme of mony to the barbarous people which detained them and praid them to accept him in their place as they did and within a while after they cut off his head Sophon prat spirit c. 112. Baron tom 7. anno 586. 8. S. Sanctulus of the prouince of Nursie hauing accesse vnto the prison where a Deacon was detained caused him to get out secretly and he remayned in his place And when afterwards those of Lūbardy would haue behedded him he cald vpon S. Iohn and the hangmans armes instantly became benumd Which the Barbariās seeing admiring they gaue him life and libertie and to all the other captiues also S. Greg. dial l. 3. c. 37. O great renowned Saintes who after the example of our Lord haue postposed their owne liues to their neighbours And thou o Christian for a litle point of good or honor wilt enter into processe quarrels against thy neighbour O how far is this to giue thy life for him Let vs now come to the seauen virtues contrarye to the capitall sinnes ommitting the others lest we be too tedious THE IV. CHAPTER Of the seauen virtues contrary to the capitall sinnes GOod the Creator cōmanded the prophet Ieremie at the very beginning of his missiō to goe thorough the realmes to pluck vp destroy wast and dissipate and to build and plant Ieremie 1. 10. to wit to take from soules by the force of his wordes and examples sinnes and vices and to plant virtues in their places This is the whole endeuour of a good Christian which we labour to perswade in these two bookes In the first I haue laid downe the meanes to take away sinnes amongst others the seauen capitall which are as the fountaine and roote of all the rest I will now God willing open the way to plant virtues in their places and namlie those which are also by contrarie as the springe and fountaine of all the others §. 1. Of the virtu of Humilitie Humilitie according to S. Bernard is a virtu by the which a man doth villifie or despice him selfe by a true and perfect knowledge of him selfe Lib. de grad Humil. This virtu is so noble that the Sonne of God him selfe would teache the same both by wordes and by examples Learne of me saith he because I am meeke and humble of hart and you shall finde rest to your soules Mat. 11. 29. And in cap. 5. 3. he placeth the poore of spirit euen of this life in the ranck and number of the blessed and by the poore of spirit S. Aug. vnderstandeth the humble De sancta virginit c. 232. Humilitie is called by the holy fathers the firme foundation of a spirituall buildinge a the head b the mother c the mistris d and the treasure e most assured of all virtues a Cassian Collat. 15. c. 7. b Ambros in Psal 118. ser 20. c Greg. l. 23. mor. c. 13. d ibid Cassian e Basil in const mon. c. 17. The swathing clothes and cloutes of our B. Sauiour are more pretious then all purples the manger much more glorious then all the golden throanes of Kinges the pouertie of Iesus Christ is much more riche then all the treasures and store-houses in the world for what is there more riche and pretious then humilitie wherwith the kingdome of heauen it selfe is bought and purchased S. Ber. ser 4 in vig. nat Dom. And in the 2. ser of the Ascension he saith that humility is the marke of the predestinate What shall we say of the necessitie therof That which Truth him selfe hath pronounced of it A men I say to you vnles you become as litle children you shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Mat. 18. 3. Perseuer my dearest saith S. Bernard in the discipline which you haue vndertaken to the end that by humilitie you may ascend vnto sublimitie for she is the way nor is there any other He that walketh by any other way he rather falleth then ascendeth for it is humilitie alone which exalteth it is humility alone which leadeth and conducteth vnto life Ser. 2. de Ascensione Her profit is great for she it is who procureth vs accesse to the secret cabinet and especiall graces of the kinge of heauen and makes vs to participate of all his treasures behould the proofes The prayer of him that humbleth him selfe shall penetrate the cloudes Eccl. 35. 18. The prayers of the humble haue euer bene agreeable vnto thee said the chaste ludith c. 16. God resisteth the proude and giueth grace to the humble Iac. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. Will you that I comprehend all in one worde He that humbleth him selfe shall be exalted saith our Lord. Luc. 14. 11. To attaine to the top of this virtu S. Anselme giueth seauen degrees or stepps 1. To acknowledge ones selfe contemptible or worthie to be despiced 2. To reioyce therat 3. Freely to confes it 4 To persuade it to others 5. To suffer patiently that
those that are chast and modest They fill them selues as those who remember that they are to pray vnto God in the night They talke together as those that know that God doth heare them After meate they washe their mouth and handes and after discourse turne by turne vpon some point of holy scripture and by this meanes it is one knowes how much they haue drunke They arise from the table not to enter into debates and quarrells not to talke of lasciuiousnes and knauerie but of that which is both honest and modest vt qui non tam caenam coenauerint quam disciplinam as those who had not so much fed of a supper as of discipline so that a man would iudge that they rather came from some lesson then from the table Tertul c. 39. Apologet. O admirable sobrietie of these first Christians from which how far off are we at this present §. 6. Of the virtu of Patience Patience is a virtu wherby we endure voluntarily and with tranquillitie the euils which doe happen to vs sent from God from the diuell or from men as sicknesses losse of goodes of children of parents iniuries sadnesses scruples and other afflictions of spirit and this for the hope we haue of better goodes There are six degrees of patience 1. To receiue the iniurie or the euill without any resistance 2. Not to reuenge it 3. To beare no hatred to the partie from whome the euill doth proceede 4. To loue him 5. To doe good vnto him 6. To pray to God for him All that shall be applied to thee receiue and in sorrow sustaine and in thy humiliation haue patience saith the wiseman for gold and siluer are tried in the fire but acceptable men in the fornace of humiliation And v. 16. Woe be to them that haue lost patience He that is patient is gouerned with much wisdome but he that is impatient exalteth his follie Pro. 14. 29. My sonne cast not away the discipline of our Lord nether doe thou faint when thou art chasticed of him for whom our Lord loueth he chasticeth and as a father in the sonne he pleaseth him selfe Pro. 3. 11. The same doth the Apostle say Heb. 12. 17. and S. Iohn in the Apoc. 3. 19. The most effectuall motiues which one can giue to excite and aduance him selfe to this holy virtu are 1. To consider the patience of God the Creator who giues so many good thinges vnto sinners and indures so gently all their iniuries who maketh his sunne to rise vpon good and bad and rayneth vpon iust and iniust as our Lord saith in S. Mat. 5. 45. Which point Tertullian deduceth elegantly lib. de patientia and S. Cyprian lib. de bono patientiae 2. To consider the patience which our Lord Iesus Christ had during his whole life in whom God as Tertullian speaketh hath placed his spirit with all patience who when he was reuiled did not reuile when he suffered he threatned not not but deliuered him selfe to him that iudged him vniustly 1. Pet. 2. 25. 3. To consider all the Saintes of the old Testament as Abell Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moyses Dauid Tobie Iob what is it they haue no◠endured Now if in that rude worlde before the doctrine and examples of Iesus Christ all these holy Saintes haue bene so patient in their aduersities what ought we to be saith Tertullian in the light of the gospell in the schoole of Iesus Christ in this abundance of grace amongst the infinit examples of the Saintes of the new testament 4. To consider the great vtilities of this virtu 1. It satisfieth for sinnes redeeming by a litle paine the most horrible torments of the other life It is easie to suffer the losse of ten crownes when one knowes that by this meanes one redeemeth the confiscation of then thousand 2. It aideth confirmeth and perfecteth all virtues Esteeme it my bretheren al ioy when you shall fall into diuers tentations saith S. Iames knowing that the probation of your faith worketh patience and let patience haue a perfect worke Iac. 1. 2. 3. It maketh vs also to merit euerlasting life 2. Cor. 4. 17. And our Lord saith Blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are you when they shall reuile you and persecute you and speake all that naught is against you vntruly for my sake be glad and reioyce for your reward is verie great in heauen Mat. 5. 10. EXAMPLES 1. Iob one of the greatest Princes of all the east being spoiled by the deuill of all his goodes afflicted with al sorts of diseases that might befall vnto a man and this thoroughout all the members of his body and for the space of many yeares despiced of all men yea euen assaulted by his owne wife who prouoked him to deny God hauing no other lodging then a dunghil and for all sortes of moueables an ilfauored piece of a broken pot to scrape his soares and to cleanse the filth that issued out of them not withstanding all these afflictions he neuer changed nor lost his courage no not so much as of speeche or of visage but singing cherefully these wordes so full of resignation to the will of God As it hath pleased our Lord so is it done Iob. 1. 22. 2. Tobias falling a sleepe against a wall a Swallow let fall her dunge vpon his eyes which made him blinde at the same instant God permitted this affliction to happen to him saith the holy scripture that an example might be giuen to posteritie of his patiēce as also of holie Iob. For wheras he feared God alwayes from his infancie and kept his commandements he grudged not against God for that the plague of blindnes had chanced to him but continued immoueable in the feare of God giuing thankes to God all the dayes of his life Iob. 2. 12. And after the Angel Raphael had healed him he said vnto him Because thou wast acceptable to God it was necessary that tentation should proue thee Tob. 12. 13. 3. S. Serulus a beggar lying paralitique his whole life at a gate of Rome at eache new accesse of dolor alwaies rendred thankes and praise to almightie God for which cause he deserued at his death to be visited and recreated with the musick of Angells S. Greg. Pope writeth it in his Dialogues l. 4. c. 14. Hom. 15. in Euang. 4. S. Galle daughter to Simachus Consull of Rome being left a widdow in the flower of her age had all her body couered ouer with an infamous scale and the Phisitians assuring her that she should soone die yea that a beard would growe out at her chinne like to a man vnles she married her selfe againe she chose rather to endure both the sicknes and death then to marry againe the second time At last as she drewe by litle and litle vnto her death hauinge one of her breastes all full of soares and that S. Peter appeared vnto her she asked not of him
giue thee then all the sorrowes and paines which I haue suffered In the booke aforsaid cap. 10. Length of time can nether be yrksome nor tedious vpon this subiect there being nothinge more profitable and necessarie for vs as S. Paul saith Heb. 10. 36. §. 7. Of spirituall diligence That which I haue alleadged heretofore against Slouth and Idlenes sufficeth to excite vs to the loue of this virtu yet to the end to say somwhat more directly and particularly We must consider that this life is giuen vs for no other end but to negociat our saluation for which cause it is that our Lord compareth vs to labourers sent to the vyniard there to worke who are to receiue our wages answerable to our labour Mat. 20. 8. 16. 27. The Sonne of man shall come in the glorie of his Father with his Angells and then will hee render to euerie man according to his workes The same also S. Paul saith 1. Cor. 3. 8. Euery one shall receiue his owne reward according to his owne labor And S. Iohn in the last of the Apocalips 12. and in the Galat. 6. 9. Doing good let vs not faile for in due time we shall reape not fayling therfore while we haue time let vs worke We shall haue no more glorie in heauen then we haue acquried merits in our life If the Saints could be sorrie nothing would so much peirce their hart as to haue let the time to passe so vnprofitably which was giuen them for the gayning of their glorie Our Lord compareth him selfe vnto a maister who going to trauell into a far contrie gaue to eache one of his seruants certaine tallents to trasique with all who at his returne was to call them to account for the diligence or negligence losse or gayne which they had made in their trasique and accordingly to giue them recompence What ioy hath a Christian at the houre of his death who hauinge carried him selfe like a good seruant may truly say Lord thou didst deliuer me two talents behould I haue gayned other two And to heare his Master say Well fare thee good and faithfull seruant because thou hast bene faithfull ouer a few thinges I will place thee ouer many thinges enter in to the ioy of thy Lord. Mat. 25. 22. How much more courageous oughtest thou to be in the field of God saith S. Aug. sith thou hast the promise of the truth which can nether fayle nor deceiue And what is it which is promised to thee Gold or siluer which men doe loue so excessiuelye Or enheritances for which men doe melt gold Or gardens houses or heardes of beastes No this is not the recōpence for which God doth encourage vs for to trauaile What is it then Life eternall Aug. tract 3. in ep Ioan. S. Gregorie of Nazianzen compares our life to a faire or market the day wherof being expired one findes no more to sell of that which he desired In sentent Behould the industrie of sundrie tradesmen who moyle and toile from the breake of day vnto midnight and this with ioy and songes of myrthe only to gaine a litle bread and thou o Christian to gaine the bread of Angells heauen it selfe and life eternall wilt thou refuse the labor and diligence of a few daies EXAMPLES 1. In the monasterie of Arnsberge of the order of the Premonstrenses a certaine English monke called Richard to fly idlenes spent the time which he had free to write forth the bookes of the monasterie hoping that for this paine diligence God would one day recompence him Twentie yeares after his death his graue being opened his whole body was turnd to ashes excepting only his right hande which was still as fresh and as whole as if at that instant it had bene cut or pluckt from the liuing body This arme is yet kept vnto this day in the same monasterie Caesarius l. 12. c. 47. 2. S. Bernard seing vpon a day one of the bretheren of his couent labouring in the field with great feruor and aboue his forces said vnto him in the presence of all the other religious who laboured as well as he Follow on my brother I assure thee that thou shalt haue no other purgatorie after this life Thom. à Cantipr lib. 2. ap cap. 5. 3. S. Marcian Anchoret meeting with a hunter was demanded of him what he did in that desert But the Saint demanded likewise of him what he did there The hunter answered that he hunted there after Hares and Deeres And I said S. Marcian hunt here after my God nor will neuer giue ouer this goodly chace vntill I take him and embrace him Theodor. in Philotheo Blessed is he who emploies his time and labour in such a chase See more vpon this matter c. 6. the Examples of the 7. § THE V. CHAPTER Of the holy sacrifice of the Masse THe Masse is a sacrifice a wherin the body and blood of Iesus-Christ is consecrated and offered vp to God with sundrie ceremonies prayers and sacred wordes instituted by our Lord him selfe as touching the substance in his last supper b and as concerning the rest by the B. Apostles and principallie by Saint Peter Saint Iames and by their successors c a Iustin. in dial cum Tryph. Basil ser 2. de baptis c. 2. Tertullian de orat Aug. ep 23. lib. 20. cont Faust. c. 21. b Luc. 22. Iren. l. 4. c. 32. Cypr. ep 63. Aug. l. 10. de ciuit c. 20. alibi sepe Conc. Trident. sess 2. c. 1. c Conc. Trid. ibid. cap. 5. §. 1. Of the fruites and vtilities of the Masse By meanes of this Sacrifice we rēdre thankes vnto God for all the benefits we haue receiued of his infinit boūtie as we are infinitly bound obliged vnto him so is there nothing by the which we can better satisfie him then to offer vnto him the immaculat hoste of his B. Sonne which of it selfe is of infinit value and merit Nether are they Priests only which may make this offringe but all those likewise who asist at Masse Moreouer by meanes of this sacrifice there is obtained and applied vnto vs all that which our Lord hath purchased for vs by his death and passion a And what other thinge is the holy Masse but the selfe same representation of the passion of our Lord b a Greg. Naz. orat 1. in Iulian. Greg. mag Hom 37. in euang b Luc. 22. Chrisost Hom. 17. in ep ad Heb. Aug. ser 4. de Innoc. See the Catechisme of Bellarmin There are yet many more vtilities 1. By the sacrifice of the masse we satisfie for our sinnes and venial sinnes are forgiuen vs. Cyp. Basil Chrisost Ambros citati a Canisio Hic 2. We receiue grace to resolue to confesse our mortall sinnes how enorme or in how great number soeuer they be and not to fall againe into them 3. We receiue sundry graces and helpes to resist the malignant spirit and to surmount the difficulties of this life Aug. l.
paines and asked him how he found himselfe Ah quoth he you haue deceiued me for you promised me that I should be but three daies in Purgatorie and behould I haue already bene here many yeares No replyed the Angell I haue not deceiued you but it is the greuousnes of the paines that doe deceiue you for you haue not as yet bene here but only an houre Alas bringe to passe then quoth hee that I may returne to life againe and I am readie to endure my sicknes not two yeares only but euen as long as euer it shall please God which was granted him and neuer after did he complaine of his paines S. Antoninus 4. p. Sum. tit 14. cap. 10. § 4. Ribad l. 1. de tribulat c. 7. The greuousnes of these paines may be further proued by all the reuelations which venerable Bede alleadgeth in the 3. and 5. booke of his historie 〈…〉 Bridgit §. 8. Of prayers or suffrages for the departed It is a holie and healthfull cogitation to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sinnes 2. Mac. 12. 46. It is holie because it commeth from a holy begining which is charitie It is healthfull first to the departed for it deliuereth them from their paines 2. To him who doth it for as much as he by this meanes encreaseth his owne merits and consequently his glorie and maketh him selfe as many friends and intercessors with God as he asisteth soules Againe that which is said of praier may be also vnderstood of fastinge almes pilgrimages and whatsoeuer good worke offered to God to this intent but aboue all the holy sacrifice of the Masse I am of the minde saith S. Ambrose speaking to Faustinus of his sister deceased that we should not so much weepe for her as asist her with prayers and recommend her soule vnto God lib. 2. ep 8. S. Aug. saith We must not dout that the dead are holpen by the prayers of the Church sacrifices almes c. Ser. 32. de verb. Apost Saint Chrisostom saith Let vs asist the dead not with teares but with prayers and almes Homil. 41. in 1. Cor. An Angel in the historie of venerable Bede came to tell in the behalfe of God to a holy personage that the prayers of the liuing almes fastinges and principally the sacrifice of the Masse did succour sundry faithfull soules departed to the end they might be deliuered before the day of iudgment lib. 5. hist. Aug. cap. 13. Who seeth not then that it is the duty of a good Christian in the morning at his arising and in the euening before his sleeping hearing or saying Masse to pray for the soules detayned in this fire which we haue seene in the precedent paragraph to be so terrible but aboue all for those of our parents to whom for sundrie respects we may be obliged and somtimes also in the day time to asist thē by some good worke If in this life we saw some one of our friendes amidst a fire from whence he could not deliuer him selfe and yet that we might doe it easily could we be so cruell to him as not to asist him With such measure saith our Lord as you shall haue measured vnto others it shall be measured to you againe Mat. 7. 2. Marc. 4. 24. EXAMPLES 1. A certaine religious of S. Francis albeit of a holie life appeared the yeare 1541. vnto a nouice who prayed for him saying that he was in Purgatorie for hauing bene negligent to pray for the departed Franc. Gonzaga de orig Seraph relig part 4. in prouincia Canariae conu 7. 2. Brother Bertrand prouinciall of the Dominicans said Masse euery day for the expiation of his sinnes but very seldome for the dead And when vpon a day he was asked the reason he answered that the soules that were in Purgatorie were assured of their saluation and therfore had not so great neede of prayers as the liuing had The night following one that was dead appeared vnto him ten seuerall times beating with his hande vpon his coffin as it were in threatning of him whence he conceiued so great a feare that the day did no sooner appeare but he went and said Masse for the dead and all the rest of his life after he employed him selfe to asist the deceased Lib. 1. Chron. frat Praedic c. 27. Theod. de Apoldia lib. 3. vitae S. Dominici cap. 8. 3. S. Christine natiue of S. Trou in Hasbaye being dead her soule was led by Angells into a place which by reason of the horrible torments which they there endured supposed her selfe to be in hell but one of the Angels tould her that it was Purgatorie Frō thence they led her to heauen before the throane of the most holy Trinity who put it to her choice ether to remayne in heauen for all eternitie or to returne to her body to deliuer by good workes all those soules which she had seene in Purgatorie and afterwards to come to heauen loaden with the more merits She accepted this last condition and immediatlie entred againe into her body whilst Masse was said the body being set in the midst of the Church Afterwards vntill her death she suffered so many and so horrible torments that she merited the name of Christine the admirable Thomas à Cantipr in her life and Surius tom 3. c. 23. of Iune 4. S. Leibertus Bishop of Cambray praying vpon a day in the churchyard of S. Nicholas of the same cittie for the soules of those whole bodies were buried in that place saying Animae omnium fidelium defunctorum requiescant in pace The soules of all the faithfull departed rest in peace this voice was heard in the ayre most intelligibly Amen In the Martyrologe 23. of Iune See the life of S. Lidwine and the discourse of the commemoration of the faithfull departed in the flowers of the liues of Saintes by Ribad 2. of Nouember THE VII CHAPTER Of satisfactorie workes Fasting Almes and Prayers THe Archangell Raphaell in the 12. of Tobie teaching young Tobias the practise of of good workes said vnto him That prayer accompanied with fasting and almes was very healthfull and profitable Yea all the satisfactorie workes which we are able to doe in this life are referred to these three for which cause S. Aug. saith Behould all the iustice of man in this life fastinge almes and prayer Will you that your prayer flie vp to heauen Giue it two winges fastinge and almes S. Aug. in psal 42. §. 1. Of Fasting The Church commands vs to fast the Lent the four Ember daies and certaine vigills that is to say not to eate then but one meale a day and to abstaine also from flesh and in Lent from flesh and egges which hath bene practised euen from the Apostles times 68. canon Ap. S. Hier. ep 54. ad Marcellam She also commandeth that the Fridayes and Saturdayes and the Rogation dayes we abstaine from flesh She declareth the vtilities of Fastinge in the preface of the Masse
in Lent taken from S. Gregorie 1. That it represseth the flesh and vices 2. That it eleuateth the spirit 3. That it acquireth virtues and merits For which cause the holy scripture recommendeth the same so much vnto vs. Ioel. 2. psal 101. 34. Luc. 5. Mar. 2. 9. 17. Luc. 4. 2. Cor. 11. and the holie Fathers S. Basil hom 1. 2. de Ieiun Aug. ser 55. de temp Amb. ser 23. 25 34. 36. 37. And our Lord him selfe hath both honored and recommended it by his example Mat. 4. EXAMPLES 1. The prophet Daniel by fasting obtained the knowledge of thinges to come Dan. 9. 2. The Niniuites appeased the anger of God Ionas 3. 3. Elias and Moyses by the fast of fortie dayes obtayned the companie and familiaritie of almightie God 3. Reg. 19. 11. Exod 24. 25. 33. 11. 4. Eleazer a gentleman of note being nintie yeares olde chose rather to loose his life after diuers greuous torments he had endured then to eate swines flesh contrary to the commandement of God 2. Mac. 6. 18. 5. The seauen Machabean bretheren together with their mother did the same 2. Mac. 6. 18. 6. The Emperor Iustinian seeing his people afflicted with famin caused the but cherie in Constantinople to be opened in the second weeke of Lent and gaue permission to buy and sell flesh but the good people chose rather to die by hunger then ether to buy or to sell flesh Niceph. lib. 17. cap. 32. At Vartisla◠or Breslaw in Silesia an hereticall Minister to deride and mock at Catholique religion hauing put a peace of meate into his mouth vpon a Friday his mouth remayned open and wistly gaping without being able to shut it againe nether by force nor yet by art In the historie of the Societie Anno 1592. 8. A woman in the same place hauing put flesh into her mouth vpō a Saturday fell downe starke dead Ibidem 9. At Poldachie a cittie of Polognia in the yeare 1585. a young man eating flesh vpon a Friday was possessed of the diuill who a litle after stopt his throate and kild him out right In the same hist. anno 1585. 10. A married man mockinge at the fast of Lent which S. Elphegus bishop of Winchester in England had recommended died sodainly the night ensuing according to the prediction of the Saint Baron tom 10. annal eccles anno Dom. 947. §. 2. Of Almes Redeeme thy sinnes with almes said Daniel to Nabuchodonoser and thine iniquities with the mercies of the poore Dan. 4. 24. Blessed is the man that vnderstandeth concerning the needie and the poore in the euill day our Lord will deliuer him psal 40. 1. Loe this was the iniquity of Sodome thy sister pride fulnes of bread and abundance and the idlenes of her and of her daughters and they raught not the hande to the needy and the poore Ezech. 16. 49. Almes giuing is a marke of predestination according to S. Paul for in the 3. of the Colos vers 12. he saith Put yee on therfore as the elect of God holy and beloued the bowells of mercie I remember not to haue read saith S. Hierom that any one came to an euill death who gladly during his life practised the workes of mercie because such an one hath many intercessors and it is impossible that the prayers of many should not be heard S. Hier. ad Nepotian And the same S. Aug. saith serm ad fratres in Eremo Heare for the last S. Chrisostom Almes saith he is one of the greatest friendes of God and which is alwayes neere vnto him She hath in such sort gained his grace that all whatsoeuer she asketh of him and for whomsoeuer she doth obtaine without difficultie She it is that vnbindes the bādes the shackles and manacles of sinners she expels darknes and puts out the fire for which respect she enters with all assurance into heauen for that the gates of this great pallais are instantly open to her and as if it were the Queene her selfe none nether porters nor gard dare say vnto her who art thou whence comest thou but contrariwise all the courtiars of heauen doe goe before her to entertayne her S. Chrisostom Hom. 9. in Matt. EXAMPLES 1. S. Catharine of Sienna hauing giuen a siluer Crosse vnto a poore bodie our Lord appeared vnto her the night following saying that he would shew that Crosse at the day of iudgement to all the worlde Ant. Senen in her life 2. S. Iohn the Almes-giuer so stiled because of the continuall almes which he bestowed called the poore his Lordes for as much quoth he as they had the power to helpe him that he should not be shut out of the kingdome of heauen Ribad in his life 3. S. Lewis kinge of France and B. Amaedes Duke of Sauoye were wont to serue the poore bare-head this latter called thē his hunting houndes where with he hunted after and caught the kingdome of heauen In their liues 4 Robert kinge of France as Hegaldus writeth and after him cardinall Baronius the yeare of our Lord 1033. whersoeuer he went drew allwayes after him great wagons all full of poore people and when any asked him why he did so I goe quoth he to besiege the cittie of paradise with these troupes God hath said that he will open the gates of paradise to the riche who haue opened to them their harts and their treasures Who then shall enter into heauen if this armie shall not enter and I also who am the Colonnel of the company See the liues of S. Martin S. Francis S. Edward Kinge of England and S. Oswald of S. Gregorie pope S. Iulian bishop of Guence S. Nicholas S. Bernardine S. Iohn Chrisostom with infinit others and you shall see them all maruellously addicted to this virtu Is it not true then that Almes giuing is a marke of predestination 5. Euagrius philosopher being conuerted to the faith by the Bishop Senesius gaue him three hundred crownes of gould for an almes receuing an obligation from the bishop vnder his hande to receaue them againe in heauen Being dead he appeared to this bishop willing him to goe vnto his graue and to open it The which he did and found his obligation in the handes of him that was dead wherin was written that he held him selfe wel content for he had receiued his mony in heauen Sophron. in prat spirit cap. 195. Ioan. Zonaras 3. annal 6. S. Gregorie writeth that two Martyrs appeared after their death in the habit of pilgrimes to a deuout matrone and as she gaue them her almes according to her custome they said vnto her You helpe vs now and we will also helpe you at the day of iudgment Hom. 32. in euang 7. The like did certaine Charter-house Monkes martyred vnder Henrie the eight to a deuout woman at the houre of her death which had somtimes asisted thē in the time of their prisonment P. Cornelius in Deut. cap. 26 12. See the happy death of Peter Velleio a
306. 3. Aske nothing but what is ether profitable or necessarie to thy saluation And that which is indifferent as health prosperitie c. aske it also with condition for example Lord giue me health if it be to thy greater glorie and my saluation This is the confidence which we haue towards him that whatsoeuer we shall aske according to his will he heareth vs. 1. Ioh. 15. 14. And the will of God saith S. Paul is your sanctification 1. Thes 4. 3. 4. To aske all in the name and by the merits of Iesus Christ Amen I say to you if you aske the Father any thinge in my name he will giue it you Iohn 16. 23. EXAMPLES 1. God the Creator receiued the gift of Abel but that of Cain was reiected because Cain offred it with a hart full of enuie and rancor against his brother Gen. 4. 2. At Toulouse in France a young man being in quarrel enmity against an other albeit he frequented the churches and recited there sundry prayers yet neuer could he for the space of seauen monthes once recite the Pater noster vntill such time as following the councell of a father of the Societie he was reconciled to his enemie In the annales of the Societie anno 1584. 3. I wâ—ll speake vnto God was Abraham wont to say before prayer I that am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. 4. S. Hierom writing to Saluina sayeth that Nebridius was wont to aske nothinge in his prayer but that which God knew to be best for him Epist. â— 5. Another holy person was wont to pray reciting A. B. C. and after at the end said Lord doe thou ioyne the letters together I aske thee only that which is most agreeable to thee and most expedient for me and what this is thou knowest better then I. And S. Macarius said that this maner of praier was the best Lord giue me what thou wilt and what thou pleasest Salmeron tract 12. de orat Christi in horto 6. Iacob being reuested with the garments of his eldest brother Esau receiued the benediction of his father Isaac Gen. 27. If we will receiue the blessing of our celestiall father we must approache vnto him with the garments and merits of our eldest brother Iesus Christ It is the practise of the Church neuer to conclude any praier in the diuine office or in the Masse but. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum c. THE VIII CHAPTER Of Communion THe holie Church obligeth a euerie Christian who hath attained to the vse of reason to receiue at the least once a yeare and that about Easter but this is not to say that she is not maruellous desirous b that we receiue the same more often and that because of the necessitie which the soule hath of this nourishment and of the greate vtilities she receiueth therby a Concil Lat. Can. 21. b. Concil Trid. Sess 22. c. 26. §. Of the necessitie and vtilitie of Communion Amen I say to you vnles you eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you Saith our Sauiour in S. Iohn cap. 6. 53. Thâ— bread which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the worlde Ibid. 51. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me and I in him Ibid. 56. I am stricken as grasse and my hart is withered because I haue forgotten to eate my bread psal 101. 5. that is to say the holie Eucharist To communicat euery day saith S. Aug. I nether praise nor yet dispraise but I councell and exhorte to communicat euery Sonday Lib. de eccles dog-mat The same S. Hierom saith in apolog ad Pamachum O â—acred baÌ„quet singeth the church wherin Christ is receiued the memory of his passion is renewed a the minde is fild with grace b and a pledge of future glorie is giuen vnto vs. a Basil ser 1. de baptis cap. 3. b Amb. in psal 18. ser 15. v. 4. Concil Trid. Sess 13. cap. 2. It is the viaticum of our pilgrimage a which is giuen vnto vs as the manna to the Isralites b to passe happely the desaâ—t and warfare of this life vntill we arriue to the celestiall Hierusalem bringing to vs all consolation c vertu and graces a Concil Nice can 12. 2. Arelat can 12. Chrisost l. 6. de sacerd Paulin. in vita Ambros Greg. hom 4. in Euang. b Exod. 16. Deut. 8. c Sap. 16. Ioan. 6. Heare what S. Ambrose saith Our Lord in the Eucharist is vnto vs all in all If you will heale your woundes he is the medecin If you be thirstie he is the fountaine If you be loaden with sinnes he is iustice If you stand in neede of asistance he is virtu If you feare death he is life If you will goe to heauen he is the way If you fly darknes he is the light If you are hungrie he is foode Tast then and see how sweet our Lord is S. Amb. de virginit ad Marc. sor l. 3. tom 4. EXAMPLES 1. A certaine woman hauing bene fiue weekes without communicating appeared like a Mare Pallad in hist. Lausiac sect 17. c. 19. 2. Sister Agnes Abbesse hauinge forbidden S. Lutgarde to communicate euery Sonday was at the same instant stricken with sicknes whereof she could not be healed till after she had reuoked that sentence Surius tom 3. c. 12. 3. S. Gertrude praying for one of her religious who thorough an indiscreet zeale diuerted her fellowes to frequent the coÌ„munion our Lord said vnto her that all his delight was to be with men and that therfore this religious did ill in withdrawing others from the communion Lud. Blos in Monil spirit c. 6. 4. S. Bonauenture out of reuerence and humiliâ—ie abstayninge sundrie dayes to say Masse as he heard the same the priest hauing broken the holie Hoste one peece therof flew to the mouth of S. Bonauenture Then giuing thankes to God he vnderstood that those were more agreable vnto him who approached to the communion by loue then those who for feare abstained from it which he hath since committed to writinge In the treat of spirituall exercises intituled Fascilulus cap. 7. lib. 2. de prof relig cap. 78. 5. A litle childe after he had communicated was cast by his owne father being a Iew into a burning fornace without receiuing any hurt Gregor Turon lib. 1. de gloria mart cap. 10. Nicephor Eccles hist. lib. 17. cap. 25. 6. S. Liberalis receiuing the coÌ„munion euery Sonday tooke no other kinde of sustenance and was in good health Marul lib. 4. cap. 12. Pet. de Natal lib. 4 cap. 93. 7. Iulia Zerbina at Parma liued also many monthes without other sustenance then the B. Sacrament Orlandinus in the hist. of the Societie lib. 2. of the yeare 1539. Who sees not then that the holie Eucharist is the true nourishment of a Christian man and a soueraigne remedie against all danger and that therfore it is wisely done to
which he said S. Paulinus in his life §. 1. Of the efficacie of the worde of God Why are not my wordes as fire saith our Lord and as a hammer breaking a rocke Ierem. 23. 29. They are also called Trumpets Isay 58. Iosue 6. By the trumpets which the priests caused to be sounded the walles of Hiericho were ouerthroweÌ„ a most assured presage that at the voice and sound of the preachers the true trumpets of the church the walles and ramparts of our vices should be ouerthrowen EXAMPLES 1. A certaine woman that had poisoned her husband hearing S. Hughe bishop of Grenoble preache felt so greiuous a sorrow in her hart for hauing committed so great a sinne that without regarding where she was she confest it aloud and publiquely Ribad in the life of S. Hughe 2. S. Vincent Ferrier being about to preache he perceiued two wicked persons which were a leading to the gallouse he made them to be brought vnto him and a cloth to be put before their face Then he preached of the malice and deformitie of sinne and of the paines of hell and that with such feruour and efficacie that these two theeues touched with repentance for their sinnes began to sweate and to smoake or reake as if they had bene burnt and their faces being discouered they were seene become as black as coales Platus de bono stat relig l. 2. c. 32. O what reformation would there be both in townes and villages if sinners would frequent sermons and catechismes But al as it is to be feared lest that which our Lord said to his Apostles arriue not to sundry Christians Whosoeuer shall not receiue you nor heare your wordes amen I say to you it shall be more tollerable for the lande of the Sodomites and Gomorrheans in the day of iudgment then for that cittie Mat. 10. 14. THE X. CHAPTER Of the singular deuotion which the good Christian ought to haue to our B. Lady ALl the holy Saintes haue bene so affected to the mother of God haue thought so highly of the desire which God hath of her honor and her seruice that they haue bene bould to assure that who so shall be truly deuoâ—t vnto her shall be neuer damned but that she will obtaine him of her Sonne all that which shall be necessary for him to be saued They proue the same by the wordes of the wise man Prou. 8. 34. saying Blessed is the man that heareth me he that shall finde me shall finde life and shall draw saluation of our Lord. For this cause S. Epiphanius calleth the holie virgin the roote and seede of glorie orat de Annunt And in Eccles 24. 24. I am the mother of beautifull loue and feare and of knowledge and of holie hope in me is all grace of way and truth they that explicate me shall haue life euerlastinge S. Anselme and S. Bonauenture lib. 1. phar cap. 5. say Sicut o beatissima c. Euen as o blessed virgin all auerted from thee and despiced of thee must needes perish euen so all conuerted to thee and respected of thee it is impossible they should perish Heare S. Bernard God hath placed the whole plenitude of all good thinges in Marie that we should know that if there be any hope in vs any grace of heauen any hope of saluation all this comes from God by the handes of Marie Ser. de nat virg Mariae And in another place She is called the Qâ—eene and mother of mercie because we beleeue that she openeth the bottomles depth of diuine mercie to whom she will when she will and aâ—ter what maner and fashion she will in so much that euen the most enormous sinner caÌ„ not perish if this Saint of Saints honor him with her intercession asâ—…tance Serm. 1. in Salue regina Who hath euer saith a certaine holie personage reclaymed thy most powerfull fauour with a faithfull hart and hath bene reiected Neuer neuer hath one bene heard of Eutichianus in vita Theoph. anno 600. The same Saint Bernard saith in the sermon vpon the Assumpâ—…on EXAMPLES 1. My mother aske said king Salomon to Bersabee for it behoueth not that I turne away thy face 3 Reg. 20. Salomon was a figure of the Sonne of God and Bersabee of our B. Lady 2. When Iesus therfore had seene his mother from the Crosse wheron he was nayled and the Disciple standinge whom he loued he saith to his mother Woman behould thy Sonne And after that he saith to the Disciple behould thy mother Ioan. 19. 26. From which houre S. Iohn tooke her for his mother Our Lord recommended vs also then vnto his mother in the person of S. Iohn Haue we not then iust occasion to hould her for our mother as well as hee 3. S. Thomas of Aquin assured before his death neuer to haue asked ought of our Lord by the meanes of our B. Lady which he obtained not Ribad 7. of Marche The same is reade also of S. Dominick Ibid. 4. of August 4. Theophilus hauing giuen his soule vnto the diuell and signed the gift with his owne hande had recourse vnto our Lady and praied vnto her so feruently and so efficatiously that the diuel was forced to bring him back againe his bill Metaphrast 4. of Fâ—b and. S. Antoninus Which the B. Cardinall Damian admiring saith What may be denied thee o most holy virgin to whom was not denied to pluck Theophilus out of the very throat of hell Certainly nothing is impossible for hee sith thou canst from the very bottom of the bottomles depthe raise vp the despaired to lift them vp into the bosome of glorie 5. See such other like examples in the historie of Loretto by Horatius Turselinus lib. cap. 4. cap. 33. In Cesarias lib. 6. mirac cap. 26. 27. In Delrio disq magic lib. 6. cap. 2. S. 3. q. 3. 6. A certaine Hermit vpon a day saw our Lady sitting vpon a sumptuous throane and at her feete S. Wadrus and S. Aldegundus who besought her to doe iustice vpon Theodoric Count of Auesne who vniustlie vsurped the goods of the Church Our Lady answered them that his wife helde her handes for as much as euery day she offred for him sixtie Aue Maries In the 3. volume of the annales of Hainnaâ— cap. 19. 7. Lewis kinge of France and Emperor sonne of Chaâ—lemaine bore alwaies the picture of our Lady hanging at his neck as did also S. Heduuige Dutchesse of Polâ—gnia Sur tom 5. and if he were ether wearie of huntinge or stayed amongst the thickets he fastned this picture vpon some tree and offered vp his praiers vpon both his knees In the historie of France Canis l. 5. cap. 2â— Crautz 7. Andronicus Emperor of the caste being reduced by a sodaine acciâ—ent to the point of death and seeing that he could not receiue the most pretious body of our Lord for his voyage foode he put within his mouth a golden image of the most holy virgin which he alwaies bore about