by the world who had nothing in the world wherby he might be ouerthrowen he would follow our Lord easely and freely as the Apostles and many in the Apostles time and others haue donne who forsaking their goods and parents with vnseparable coniunction were fastened to our Lord. But how can they follow Christ who are holden fast with the bandes of their patrimony or how can they go vp vnto heaueÌ„ or clime vp vnto high heauenly things who with earthly desires are pulled downward They thinke they possesse who rather are possessed slaues of their substance and not masters of their money but rather their moneis prentises This time and these men doth the Apostle signify 1. Tim. 6 saying They that will be made riche fall into tentation and the snare of the Deuill and many desires vnprofitable and hurtefull which drowne men into destruction and perdition for the roote of all euills is couetuousnes which certaine desiring haue erred from the faith and haue entangled them selues in many sorrowes But our Lord ô with how great rewards he inuiteth vs to contempt of riches these small and trifling losses of this life ô with what hire he recompenseth Mar. 10. There is none saieth he which leaueth house or landes or parents or brethren or wife or children for the Kingdome of God which receaueth not seauen times as much in this time and in the world to come life euerlasting Losse of riches is not to be feared but wished These things being once knowen and warranted by the assurance of our Lord which promiseth such losse is not onely not to be feared but also wished for the same Lord againe affirming warning vs Blessed shall you be whan they shall persecute you Luc. 6. and separate you cast you forth and curse your name as wicked for the sonne of man Be gladd in that day and reioise for your reward is much in heauen Cypr. lib. de Opere Eleemosinis §. 2. Lett not that thing my deare brethren hinder a ChristiaÌ„ from good and iust workes Prouiding for children is no excuse of want of loue to god that any man thinke him selfe excused by the benefitte of his children wheras in that which is bestowed spiritually we ought to thinke of Christ who acknowledgeth that he receiueth it and herein we do not preferre our fellow seruants but Christ him selfe before our children him selfe instructing vs. Mat. 10. Who loueth his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and who loueth his sonne or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Deut. 33. and in Deuteronomie for the strengthning of our faith and the loue of God the very like is written Who saieth vnto his father or mother I know you not neither haue knowen their childreÌ„ these haue kekpt thy precepts and obserued thy testament for if we loue God with all our harte we must not preferre either parents or children before God for if by almes geuen vnto the poore Christ borroweth vpon interest and whan we geue to the little ones we geue to Christ there is no cause why any man may preferr earthly things vnto heauenly or esteeme more humane things than Diuine 3. Reg. 17 So that widdow in the third booke of Kings whan in a drought and famine hauing spent all The wonderfull reward of Almes of a little meale and oile which was lefte she had made her a cake which being eaten she might dye with her children Helias suddainly came and requested that first she would geue him for to eate and of that which was lefte she and her children should feed neither did she sticke to obay him or in that hunger and necessity preferred her children before Helias Yea she did in the sight of God that which pleased God readily and willingly she offered what was asked neither of plenty did she geue a litle but of a little she gaue all and her children famishing she first feedeth another neither in penury and famine doth she thinke of meate before mercy that whilest in a holsome worke she despiseth her carnal life she might keepe the spirituall life of her soule Helias therfore bearing the figure of Christ and shewing that he rewardeth euery one for his almes answered and saied This saieth our Lord the potte of meale shall not faile and the vessell of oile shall not be deminished vntill that day in which our Lord will send water vpon the earth According to the faithfulnes of Gods promise there was multiplied vnto the widow and augmented which she bestowed and her iust workes merittes of mercy receiuing increase the vessells of meale and oile were filled Neither did the woman take from her children that which she gaue to Helias That which is geuen in almes is not taken from children but rather she gaue to her children that which liberally and deuoutly she performed And she as yet knew not Christ she had not as vet heard his precepts she did not being already redeemed with his Crosse and passion render meate and drinke for blood that hereby it may appeare how much he offendeth in the Church who preferring him selfe and his children vnto Christ keepeth his riches If riches are to be forsaken for the poore how much more for to keepe fidelity towards God not imparting his abundant patrimony vnto the poores necessity But thou hast many children at home and the number of children hindreth thee that thou dost not attend to good workes so liberally But in this respect thou shouldest worke more largely because thou arte a father of many children Thou hast the more for which thou must pray thou must satisfy for the sinnes of many thou must purge the consciences of many thou must deliuer the soules of many As in this seculer life in nourishing and maintaining of children the greater the number is Spirituall care of children Iob. 1. the greater is the coste so in a spirituall and heauenly life the greater number of children thou hast the greater also must be thy charge So did Iob offer vp many sacrifices for his sonnes such number of hostes he gaue vnto God as was the number of his children and because there cannot any day want wherby God may be offended there wanted not daily sacrifices wherby sinnes might be clensed if therfore thou louest thy children sincerely if thou cariest towardes them a perfect and fatherly sweetnes of charity thou oughtest the more endeuour with iust actions to commend them vnto God neither thinke him to be the father of thy children who is mortall and weake but prepare them that father whâ— is an euerlasting stable father of all spirituall childreÌ„ tâ— him do thou assigne thy riches whiâ—h thou keepest for thy heires lett him be the tutor and guardian of thy children and by his diuine maiesty a protectour from all worldly iniuries Patrimony is safe in Gods hand Thy patrimony once committed vnto God neither the common wealth
a Sacrifice and Christ really present in it Of the hating of car nall kinred for perfection In our time a certaine maiden once noble in the world now more noble vnto God when she was vrged to marâ—age by her parents and kinsefolkes tooke her refuâ—â—e to the holy altar for whither better could a Virgin flye than where the sanctuary of Virginity is offered vp But here was not the end of her boldnes There stood before the altar of God the boast of purity the sacrifice of chastitie sometimes laying the Bishops hand vpon her head demaunding consecration other whiles impatient of that iust delay laying her head vnder the aultar Canst thou saieth she o mother As well in marriage as in consecation are giuen veiles the one beinge a marriage to the world the other to God veale me better than the aultar can veale me which sanctifieth the veiles them selues more comely is that veâ—le in which Christ the head of all men is daily consecrated What meane you my Cosins why do you yet still turmoile my mind by soliciting my mariage I haue it long since prouided Do you offer me a spouse I haue found a better Reckon vp neuer so great riches boast of nobility vaunt of autoritie I haue him to whom none may be coÌ„pared riche with the wholle world authorized with absolute empyre noble with heauen it selfe If such a one you haue I refuse not your choise if you cannot finde the like you prouide not for me but you enuye me Than the rest being silent one onely saied very abruptly what if thy father liued would he suffer thee to remaine vnwedded But she with greate religion and modest piety and therfore happely he died that there might be none to hinder me Which answere concerning the father A daungetous thinge to hinder vertew that person by his speedy death shewed to be a prophesie of him selfe By that meanes the rest euery one fearing his owne case beganne to fauour her whom they sought to hinder Neither did the Virgin suffer any losse of her riches but rather receiued the increase of her integrity You haue heard o maidens the reward of deuotion beware o parents the example of offending Greg. lib. 7. mor. c. 17. 18. §. 3. THose which with earnest study and not with disordered steppes do follow the reward of euerlasting promise euen as they despise them selues for the loue of God euen so do they sette at nought all thinges by which they feele them selues hindered and wheras for Goditis necessary they serue to whosoeuer they are able for God they deny euen vnto their kinsmen their priuate seruices Hence is it that whan one saied sufferme first to go and bury my father Mat. 8. he presently heard froÌ„ the mouth of truth suffer that the dead bury the dead but thou go and preach the Kingdome of God wherin is to be noted that whilest that chosen Disciple is restrained from the buriall of his father no deuoute man may of carnall affection perfourme that to his father which for the loue of our lord he is bound to do eueÌ„ for others Hence againe saith the truth if any man come vnto me Luc. 14. and hate not his father and mother and wife and sonnes and brethren and sisters yea and also his owne soule he cannot be my Disciple in which place whereas the hate of our owne soule is ioyned with the hate of our kinsefolke it is manifestly shewed vs that so we are commanded to hate out kinsefolkes as we are coÌ„manded to hate our selues that drawing them vnto euerlasting things neglecting their carnall frendship whan it hindereth vs we may learne with the temperate Skill of discretion both to loue them conueniently to hate them holesomely that our hatred may so arise through loue that we may be able by hating theÌ„ more sincerely to loue them Hence also is it saied by Moises Deut. 33 Who saieth to his father and his mother I know you not and to his brethren I do not know them neither haue knowen their children these haue obserued thy word thy bargaine haue kept thy iudgements For that man doth desire to know our Lord more familiarly who for desire of piety desireth not to know whom he knew carnally For with great losse is the knowledge of God diminished if therwith there be any parte for fleshly knowledge Euery one therfore must be seuered from his kinsemen and frendes if he will the more truely be ioyned vnto the father of all that so much the more soundly he may loue those whom valiantly he neglecteth for God by how much the more he forgetteth the fading affection of carnall society We must truely euen temporally do more good to those vnto whom we are nearer because euen the fire burneth that which is applied vnto it but first it consumeth that wherof it was kinled We must acknowledge the nearenes of earthly alliance and yet whan it letteth the course of the mind not so much as know it that so the faithfull mind inflamed with godly deuotion may neither despise those things which are so neare it here below and yet setting the same in coÌ„uenient order within him selfe he may surmount them for the loue of those things aboue With diligent care therfore must we prouide least the loue of the flesh creepe vpon vs and diuerte the gate of our harte from the true way and hinder the force of the supernall loue and with the laying on of a heauy burden presse downewarde our arising mind For so must euery one haue compassion of his kinreds necessitye that through compassion he suffer not the force of his intention to be hindered that the affectioÌ„ of his mind may fill his bowells and yet not auerte him from his spirituall purpose Neither truely do not holy men loue their kinred to helpe their necessities but this very loue do they ouercome with the loue of spirituall things that so they may temper it with the measure of discretion that they may not therby swarue from the direct way neuer so little Whom therfore those Kye do very well signifie vnto vs Affection to children which going vnder the arke of our Lord vnto the mountaines do shew at once both their affection and rigour as it is written They tooke two Kye which did suckle their calues 1. Reg. 6. and yoaked them to the carte and shutte vp their calues at home and laide the arke of God vpon the carte And presently there followeth the Kye went directly by the way w e leadeth vnto Bethsames and they went with eqnall pace still going forward and bellowing and declining neither on the right hand nor on the lefte For beholde the calues being shutte vp at home those Kye which are tied to the carte vnder the arke of our Lord do groane and go forward froÌ„ within they send forth bellowings and yet from the way they change not their freppes through compassion they feele
is afflicted with our Lords PassioÌ„ and weeping bitterly he â—eareth Feed my sheepe Paule a rauening woolfe and another young Beniamin is strooken blind in a traunce that he may receiue his sight and being compassed with a soudaine horrour of darknes calleth him Lord whom before he persecuted as man Euen so now o Marcella we haue seene our louing Blesilla thirty daies coÌ„tinually to haue bene tormented with the burning of an ague that she might learne to reiect the delightes of that body which shortly after is to be coÌ„sumed with wormes To her also came our Lord Iesus and touched her hand and behould she arising now serueth him she sauoured somewhat of negligence and being tied with the bandes of riches she lay in the sepulcher of the world But Iesus groned and being troubled in spirit cried out Blesilla come forth Who arose whan she was called and being come forth now sitteth at the table with our Lord. Lett the Iewes threaten swell These men are like to Iewes spiritually seeking to murder Lazarus lett them seeke to murder her which hath bene raised vp againe and lett the onely apostles reioise she knoweth that she oweth her life vnto him who did restore it she knoweth that she embraceth his fecte whose iudgement lately she feared her body lay almost dead and death approching did shake her gasping members Where were than the helpes of her kinred where were than the wordes full of vanity she oweth nothing vnto thee o vngratefull kinred which dying to the world is reuiued vnto Christ Who is a Christian lett him reioise he that is angry sheweth that he is no Christian A widow loased from the bond of mariage needeth nothing but perseuerance The discription of an holy widow But doth the browne garment offend any person lett Iohn offend him than whom amongst the sonnes of women there was none greater who being called an Angell baptized our Lord him selfe for he also was cladd with a camells Skinne and girded with a girdle of heare do grosse meates displease theÌ„ nothing is more grosse than locusts Let those women rather offend Christian eies who with vernish and colourings paint their cies and cheekes whose plaistered countenances deformed with ouermuch shining do resemble idolls who if they happen for want of heed to let fall a teare it trickleth down in a furrow whom not so much as the very number of their yeares can perswade that they are olde who with other folkes haire sett forth their head and paint out in aged wrinckles their youth fore spent who finally in presence of many nephewes are trimmed like trembling girles Let the Christian woman blush if shee force the comelinesse of nature if she make prouision for the flesh vnto concupiscence in which according to the Apostle whosoeuer are delighted cannot please Christ Our widow before was very carefully dressed and all the day at the glasse she studied what might be amisse now she confideÌ„tly saith But we behoulding the glory of our Lord with face reuealed 2 Cor. 3. are transformed into the same image from glory vnto glory as of our Lords spirite Than the maides did platte her heare and the harmeles head was wringed with friseled toppes but now the vntrimmed head knoweth this to suffise it that it is couered Than did the very softnes of feathers seeme hard and she could scarce lye in the raised beddes now she riseth betime for to pray with her shrill voice preuenting the others in singing Alleluia she is the first which beginneth to praise her Lord. shee kneeleth vpon the â—are ground and with often teares that face is purged which before was defiled with painting after praier there are soung psalmes and the feeble necke and wearied knees and sleepy eyes for the earnest feruour of the mind can scant obtaine any rest the mourning gowne is leaste fouled whan she lieth on the ground The course pantoffle affordeth the price of gilte shoes vnto the poore the girdle is not besette with golde pretiouse stones but wollen and most pure because of the simplicity and such as may rather straiten the vestiments than adorne theÌ„ If the scorpion enuieth fo good a purpose and with flattering speach perswade againe to eate of the forbiddeu tree in steed of a shoe lett him be crusshed with ANATHEMA A deseription of Antichrist and whilest he dieth in his poison lett him haue this answereâ— Go after me Satan which is as much to say as aduersary for he is the aduersary of Christ and an Antichrist whosoeuer is displeased with the precepts of Christ I pray you what haue we donne like vnto the Apostles that they are so offended The Apostles forsooke their Parents They forsake their aged father with their shippe and nettes the publicane riseth from the custome house and followeth our Sauiour The Disciple which desired to returne home and bidd his frendes farewell is forbidden by our masters voice The buriall of a father is not allowed and it is a kind of piety for our Lord to be voide of piety We because we go not in silkes are esteemed Monkes because we are not droncke neither open our mouthes vnto dissolute laughter we are called graue and melancholy if our coate be not gorgeouse we straite heare that coÌ„mon prouerbe he is an hypocrite deceiuing GreciaÌ„ See how Let theÌ„ vse euen yet more rude scoffes and carry about with theÌ„ men stuffed with fatte paunches earnest Gods Saints haue bene against the Persecutors of vertue our Blesilla will laugh and not disdaine to heare the reproches of croking frogges wheras her Lord and master was called Beelzebub A notable epistle of Saint Bernard in the person of one Helias a monke vnto his parents ep 111. §. 6 THe onely cause for which it is not lawfull to obey our parents He defendeth his entry into religiâ—n against them Mat. 10 True loue of parents toward the is children Mat. 10. Mich. 7 is God For he saieth Who loueth his father and mother more than me is not worthy of me If you loue me in deed as good godly parents if you carry a true and faithfull piety towardes your sonne why do you disquiet me being about to serue God the father of all and endeuour to drawe me backe from the feruice of him to whom for to serue is to raigne Verely I now perceiue that a mans enemies are those of his owne houshould In this I must not obey you in this thing I taâ—e you not for my parents but for my foes If you loued me you would certainely reioise because I go to my father yours yea and the father of all otherwise what haue I to do with you What haue I of you but sinne and misery onely this corruptible carcase which I carry I confesse and acknowledge that I haue of yours is it not sufficient for you that wretches that you are you haue brought me a wretch into the wretchednes of this world and
the thresshould goe on though thou tread on thy father and with drye eyes flye away to the banner of the Crosse It is the onely kind of piety in this thing for to be cruell There will come there will come hereafter the day whan thou shalt returne a conquerour into thy countrey and like a valiant champion goe crowned into heauenly Hierusalem Than shalt thou with Paule become a citizeÌ„ than shalt thou demaund the like freedome for thy parents than shalt thou also pray for me A great aduantage to haue one in heauen by our meanes who haue incouraged thee that thou maiest ouercome Neither am I ignorant with what impediment thou saiest thou art settered we are not of an iron brest nor of a stony harte we were not borne of a flinte nor nourished by the Tygres of Hircania We also haue passed through such thinges our selues Sometimes with flattering armes thy widdow sister hangeth vpon thee sometimes those bondslaues which haue bene brought vp with thee do say vnto whom will you leaue vs to serue Otherwhiles thy dry Nurse once but now an olde graundame and thy fosterer or second father in affection do cry out stay a while vntill we dye and bury vs Happely also thy mother with the shaking Skinnes of her breastes and her furrowed and wrinckled browe according to her olde custome ceasâ—eth not to lulle thee to the pappe Obedience Vnto paterits Lett the grammarians also say if they please In teomnis domus inclinata recumbit the wholle decaâ—ing house leaneth vpon thee Easely are these baÌ„ds ouercome by the loue of God and feare of hell But the scripture commandeth vs to obey out parents Yee but who loueth the more than Christ loseth his soule The enemy holdeth his sword for to kill me shall I regard my mothers teares Shall I forsake Christs warfare for my father to whoÌ„ for Christs sake I owe not the labour of buriing which yet for Christs sake I owe to euery one Peter geâ—ing fearfull counsell to our Lord before his Passion was a scandall vnto him Paule whan the brethren held him least he should go to Hierusalem saied what meane you to weepe trouble my harte I am not onely ready to be bound but also to dye in Hierusalem for the name of our Lord Iesus Christ This engine of piety which shaketh our faith must be brused with the wall of the Gospell Those are my mother and brethren which do the will of my father which is in heauen If they beleeuâ— in Christ let them than faâ—our me which am about to fight for his name if they do not beleeue lett the dead bury the dead But thou wilt say this is true in Martyrdome Thou art deceaued mybrother thou art deceiued if thou thinkest that a Christian is euer free from persecution than arte thou most of all assaulted whan thou knowest not that thou arte impugned Our aduersarye like a roaring Lion Psal 10. seeking to deuour goeth about and dost thou thinke there is peace he sitteth in ambushes with the riche that secretly he may kill the innocent his eyes are bent toward the poore man he laieth waite in secrett as a Lion in his denne he awaiteth to deuour the poore man and doest thou that thou maiest be his pray vnder the shadow of a thicke leaued tree geue thy selfe to sleepe And towards the end he exhorteth him to leaue the world with such deuoute sentences as we may very well apply vnto our owne estate and matter of perfect renunciation O deserte which blossoumest the flowers of Christ Apply this vnto the prison which is our wildernesse O wildernes in which do grow those stoues of which the house of the great King in the Apocalips is builte O solitude which enioyest the familiarity of God What dost thou ô brother in the world which arte greater than the world how long wilte thou be oppressed with the shadow of houses how long wilt thou be kepte fast in the prison of smoaking citties Beleeue me I see I know not what greater light I long that hauing cast of the carriage of my flesh I may flye away vnto the pure brightnes of aire arte thou afraide of pouerty but Christ calleth those blessed which are poore arte thou terrified with labour But no wrastler without sweat can be crowned Dost thou take care for meate but faith feareth not hunger Fearest thou to rubbe against the bare ground thy body consumed with fastings but our Lord lieth with thee Dost thou loath the vntrimmed haire of an ill fauoured head but Christ is thy head Doth the huge vastenes of the wildernes amaze thee but thou must walke with thy mind in heauen So ofte as thy harte ascendeth thither so ofte shalt thou not be in the wildernes Doth thy vnsmothe Skinne waxe rugged for want of bathing But who is once washed in Christ needeth not againe to be washed And that I may briefly answere all heare the Apostle saying The Passions of this world are not condigne to the glory to come that shall be reuealed in vs. Rom. 8. Thou arte very dainty my brother if thou wilt both here reioise with the world and hearafter raine with Christ There will come there will come the day whan this corruptible and mortall body shall putte on incorruption and immortality Than blessed that seruant whom our Lord shall find watching than at the sound of the troumpett shall quake the whole earth with the people therof and thou shalt reioice Whan our Lord shall come to iudge the world shall geue a mournefull groane one tribe shall strike anothers brest those which were once most mighty Kinges with naked sides shall tremble There shall be presented Venus with her sonne than fiery Iupiter shall be brought and Plato with all his foolish schollers Aristotles Arguments shall not auaile than thou a clownish and poore creature shalt reioise and laugh and shalt say Beholde my crucifixe Beholde my iudge which wrapped in cloutes cried in the cribbe this is that sonne of the Carpenter and the workewoman This is he which carried in his mothers bosome fledd being God from a man into Aegipt this is he which was cloathed with purple this is he which was crowned with thornes this is that enchaunter possessed with a deuell and a samaritane Behold the hands ô lew which thou nailedst Behold the side ô Romane which thou pearcedst See the body whether it be the same which you saled was secretly taken away by the Disciples in the night The loue which I beare thee ô brother hath compelled me to write thus vnto thee that we may once be present at those things for which we now sustaine so hard labour The spirituall mans kinred out of S. Iohn Climachus Grad 3. §. 8. Lett him be thy father who both can and will labour with thee to disburden thee of thy sinnes This man liued in the time of CoÌ„stantine the greate Lett thy mother be holy compunction which may
3 cap. Ex publico De conu coning That which God hath ioyned lett not man separate but after that he had saied now they are not two but one fresh What meruaile therfore if that mariage may by some Ecclesiasticall meanes be deuided which is not yet consummated and where they be properly as yet two and not two in one flesh Besides Hugo de S. vict lib. 2. de Sacr. par 11 in mariage there are two coniunctions the one spirituall by mutuall consent of mindes the other carnall by coniunction of bodies But it seemeth very great reason that one spirituall bond should yeeld to another more perfect which is that of religion wherby the soule is ioyned after so singuler a maner vnto God especially here being no iniury vnto the education of children because there are none nor vnto the other party now remaining free and no way blemished or made vnfitte for another mariage by the losse of virginity And wheras by the doctrine of the Apostle the carnall bond of mariage is dissolued by the naturall death of the one party 1. Cor. 7. in so much that if the same party should be miraculously reuiued againe yet might the wife choose whether she would haue him and if she had maried another she could not haue him why shall not the spirituall death of one which by religiouse profession dieth to the world be of sufficient force to take away the spirituall bond of a mariage not consummated Now if there be this difference in the firmity of these two mariages why shall we not attribute the same autority to Gods Vicar in earth for to dissolue that by his soueraigne power of binding and loasing Mat. 16. which a man may without his dispensation by his proper acte dissolue especially wheras there may be so vrgent causes of such dispensation and so important for the good of soules All this we may confirme with an other truth in Diuinity For according to the more cōmon sound opinion of Deuines the Pope may dispense in solemne vowes of religion Nauar c. 12. num 75. D. Tho. 4. d. 38. q 1. ar 4. and geue a Monke vpon iust causes leaue to returne to the world againe and to marry and this hath bene diuerse times donne and there is no reason why he may dispense in simple and not in solemne Vowes Richardus Durand Palud Maior Henricus S. Antonin Angel Innocentius Hostien Panorm Caiet now if one should thus be dispensed withall which had after a contract of mariage before the consummation entered into religion than might it happen that he should liue in the world maried his first wife being maried also to another Than why may not the Pope doe at once that which by such a circumstance he may do seuerally Lett vs than conclude that in mariage which is cōsummated none but God himselfe can dispence who hath not dispensed but onely in the mariage of infidells whan one commeth to our holy faith But in mariage onely contracted and not consummated the bond may be taken away in two sortes first by entrance into religiō of the one party without dispensation or consent of the other party secondly by the dispensation of the Pope at the suite of both parties or of the one onely whom the other hath already vniustly forsaken And although this last be not expresely defined by the Church yet is it very secure in practise and it becommeth euery deuoute Catholicke with godly affection to perswade him selfe that so many cheife Pastours of Gods Church in so waighty a matter haue not erred §. 3 Thus much being saied of the dissoluing of the very bond of mariage let vs go now to that which followeth of the separation of bedd Of the separation of bedd This separation may be with singuler meritte and with great congruency made by common cōsent according to the counsell of S. Paule that the maried persons may geue them selues for a time the more earnestly vnto praier 1. Cor. 7. For those men are farre deceiued who by the holy name of matrimony seeke to excuse their intemperate desues wholly inclining thē selues to the satisfying of their disordered appetite These should diligently consider the speach of the Angell vnto young I obye Tob. 6. I will shew thee who are those against whom the Deuell can preuaile For they which so vndertake mariage that they may exclude God from them selues and from their mind and attend vnto their lust as a horse and mule who haue no vnderstanding the Deuell hath power ouer those For this cause doth S. Augustine alleadge S. Ambrose approue his saying Lib. 2. cont Iulia. c. 7. where he calleth him which is intemperate in mariage his wiues adulterer and S Hierome worthely hath wrotten it Skilleth not for how honest a cause a man become madde Lib. 1. cont Iouin wherfore euen the Philosopher Xistus in his sentences saieth a too earnest louer of his wife is an adulterer towardes another mans wife euerye loue is shamefull and so is towardes ones owne wife that which is ouer much a wife man must loue his wife by iudgement and not by passion he will rule the hastines of pleasure neither will he be caried hedlong vnto copulation Nothing is more filthy than for to loue his wife as an aduoutresse Thus S. Hierome This we say not to condemne the acte of matrimony which God hath ordained allowed but that euery one should vnderstand that euen in that estate there is daunger The matrimoniall act how it is sometime sinfull as the acte may be meritorious whan it is donne for some vertuouse end either of desire of children so that they purpose to make them children of God and members of his Church or for to render the debt to the other party demaunding as it may be also at the least voide of sinne whan it is donne for the auoiding of fornication whan the one party doubteth that otherwise he should fall either in thought or deed so is it alwaies at the least a veniall sinne to pretend in that action onely delight and if such delight doe passe the limittes of matrimony as if it be ioyned with vnlawfull concupiscence of any other person or if the naturall order necessary decency which God hath ordained be not obserued it is alwaies a deadly sinne Those therfore which are the true children of God must before they marry The ends of mariage laye before their eyes the lawfull and godly endes of matrimony that is the desire of children for to increase Gods house the mutuall fidelity one to another and continuall seruices comforte of this miserable life the auoiding of fornicatiō if they be such as list not to fight against the assaultes of the flesh finally and principally the dignity of the Sacrament and perfect resemblance of the coniunction of Christ and his Church For reuerence of the which they must imprint in their
〈◊〉 n. 22. or sought the others death or were daungerously furiouse or finally if the one party should drawe the other in whatsoeuer maner vnto deadly sinne and could not be reformed And in these cases whan necessity vrgeth the wife may forsake her husband without iudgement of the Church for it standing her vpon to auoide so imminent daunger of body or soule she may whan she is in safety more conueniently procure the diuorce But of the last case it doth especially behoue vs to speake a little For of that it is which our Sauiour saieth If any one come vnto me and hateth not his father and mother and wife c. Luc. 14. he cannot be my Disciple also in another place Mat. 18. if thy eye scandilize thee plucke it out and cast it from thee Saint Paule also in the case of heresy commaundeth to auoide all persons without exception Tit. 3. S. Hierom. and S. Hierome vpon the place alleaged of S. Mathew thus notably discourseth Therfore saieth he all affection is cut of and all kinred is dispatched least through occasion of piety any faithfull person may be laied open vnto scandall if any man saieth he be so lincked vnto thee as thy hand thy foote thy eye and be profitable and carefull and prouident in foreseeing of things yet cause thee a scandall through disagreing of behauiour do draw thee to hell it is better for thee to want both his kinred and helpes least whilest thou wilt gaine thy kinsemen and frendes thou haue causes of ruine therfore do thou not preferre neither wife nor childreÌ„ nor frendes nor any affection which may exclude vs from the Kingdome of heauen before the loue of our Lord. Euery faithfull knoweth what hurteth him or wherin his mind is troubled often tempted it is better to leade a solitary life than for the necessities of this life to loose the euerlasting Thus S. Hierome Wherfore I do conclude that in case a woman by her husband bevrged to go to the Church or to do any vnlawfull acte of religion much more than in other carnall sinnes she may yea and is bound to forsake him least louing danger she perish therin Eccle. 3. yet if she perceiue her selfe by Gods grace to be so strong and constant that she feareth no peruersion at all she is bound for to remaine with him and so to seeke to gaine him But if there be notorious adultery ioined withall and iniurious want of all necessary spirituall helpes of Catholicke religion I would not doubte but in our countrey where there is no lawfull Ecclesiasticall Courte euen without any danger of peruersion she may forsake him Thus much haue I thought good to say of this matter now let vs returne to the Fathers againe THE FOVRTH CHAPTER Of renunciation of a mans Patrimony and care of prouision for children more particulerly than was saied before Cyprianus libro de lapsis §. 1. BVt vnto many persons their owne destruction was not sufficient Rich men should leaue all rather than fall they quaffed as it were death one to another out of a poisoned cupp And that there might want nothing to the heape of their crime Impiety of Schismatick parents to their childre young children being brought by their fathers hands lost whilst they were little ones that which in the very entrance of life they had gotten Shall not they say whan the day of iudgement shall come we our seâ—ues did nothing neither forsaking the meate and cuppe of our Lord did we of our owne accord runne vnto profane contagion others perfidiousnes destroied vs we felte our parents our patricidial slaughterers they denied for vâ— our mother the Church and God our father The Church our mother that whilst being as yet litle ones improuident ignorant of so hainous an offence we were ioined by others to the felowship of crimes by other mens fraud we might be entrapped Voluntary Banishment and losse of patrimony neither is there ô pittifull thing any iust or waighty cause to excuse such iniquity they should haue forsaken their countrey and sustained losse of their patrimony for who is he which is borne and must dye which must one day leaue his countrey and forsake his patrimony that thou maiest not loose Christ feare the losse of thy saluation of thy eternall habitation behould the holy ghost crieth by the Prophett â—â—sa 52. Departe you departe you go forth hence and touch not that which is vncleane Go forth out of the middest of her seuer your selues you which carry the vessells of our Lord. and those which are the very vessells of our Lord and temples of God do not they go forth of the middest of her and depart least they be constraâ—ned to touch that which is vnâ—â—eane and to be polluted and defiled with deadly dishes in another place also a voice is beard from heauen Apoc. 1 forewarning the seruantes of God what they should do saying Go out of her my people least thou be partaker of her crimes and be punished with her torments who goeth forth and departeth is not made partaker of the crime but whosoeuer is found partaker of the crime is also â—ormented with the plagues And therfore our Lord did bid vs to retire our selues to flye in time of persecution and that we might do the same him selfe both did it and taught it Martyrdom is wisely to be expected for wheras the crowne of marty dome commeth from the onely liberality of God and cannot be obtained but whaÌ„ the houre is come of receiuing it whosoeuer remaining in Christ doth go for a while aside denieth not his faith but expecteth time But who by not going aside is falne remained that he might deny We must not my brethren dissemble the truth neither must we conceale the matter cause of our wound Blind loue of patrimony the blind loue of their patrimony hath deceiued many neither could they be willing and ready to departe who were fettered with their riches as with chaines These were the irons of those which remained these were the shackells wherby their force was weakned their faith oppressed their mind inchained their soule imprisoned that such as were addicted vnto earthly desires might become a pray vnto that serpent which according to Gods owne senteÌ„ce is appointed to feed vpon earth And therfore our Lord all good mens master both forewarning and counsailing for the time to come saieth in this maner Gen. 3. If thou wilte be perfect go sell all that thou hast and geue vnto the poore thou shalt haue a treasure in heauen Mat. 19. and come and followe me if rich men would do this they should not perish because of their riches if they laied vp their treasure in heaueÌ„ they should not haue an enemy persecutour at home their harte and minde and thought should be in heaueÌ„ if their treasure were in heauen neither could he be ouerthrowen