the Prophet told him Fables such like as these that we may be saued and iustified by onely Faith or only Hope but not as the Law of God which teacheth saying Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God from thy whole heart c. Fourthly It esteemeth them to be malignant people who out of their malice would fraudulently conduct others into Hell and Torments saying Depart from me ye malignant V. 115. and I will search the Commandements of my God which consist in Loue and not in onely Faith or onely Hope If I should haue saith Saint 1. Cor. 13. 2. Paul Prophecie and know all Misteries and all Knowledge and I should haue all Faith so that I could remoue Mountaines and haue not Charitie I am nothing and if I should distribute all my goods for meat for the poore and if I should deliuer my bodie so that I burne and haue not Charitie it doth profit me nothing If wee will beleeue Saint Paul neither Prophecies nor Science nor Knowledge nor Faith nor Almes-deeds nor Martyrdome for the Religion any one professeth is sufficient to the attayning vnto Happinesse without Charitie and so he concludeth saying Now these remaine Faith Hope and Charitie these three but the greater of these is Charitie according to the words of our Lord where he saith He that shall breake one of Mâ—â— â— 20. these least Commandements and shall so teach men shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heauen But he that shall doe and teach he shall be called great in the Kingdome of Heauen So our Sauiour saith I tell Mat. 5. 21. you that vnlesse your iustice abound more then that of the Scribes Pharises you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Yet the Scribes and Pharises had Faith as witnesseth our Sauiour saying Vpon the Mat. 23. 2. Chaire of Moyses haue sitten the Scribes and Pharises All things therefore whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you obserue yee and doe yee Whereby is manifest that the Scribes preached faithfull and true Doctrine otherwise our Sauiour would not haue wished their Auditors to obserue and doe whatsoeuer they said But they wanted Charitie in themselues to doe good Workes and keepe the Law as witnesseth our Sauiour saying But according Mat. 23. â— to their workes doe yee not for they say and doe not and so for want of Charitie or loue towards God they shall not as our Sauiour sayth enter into the Kingdome of Heauen or euer enioy Rest or Happinesse but endlesse Paines Againe our Sauiour sayth If God were your Father verily Io. 8. 42. you would loue me for from God I proceed Whereby our Sauiour giueth vs to vnderstand that such as doe not loue God with all their hearts according to the Commaundement haue not God for their Father and are not the sonnes of God but of the Deuill As in another place he sayth You are of your Father the Deuill and the desires Io. 8. 43. of your Father you will doe who though he beleeue that there is a God as S. Iames witnesseth Iam. 2. yet hee doth not loue God with all his heart and keepe his Commandements Whereupon it is written of our Sauiour That for this appeared 1. Io. 3. 8. the Sonne of God that he might dissolue the workes of the Deuill bring men to loue God Almightie vvith all their hearts and winne them to keepe his Law and so saith of the reprobate Iewes I haue Io. 5. 42. knowne you that the loue of God you haue not in you And of the elect Apostles You haue Io. 16. 27. loued me Loue being the fulnesse of the Rom. 13. 19. Law the want of loue is the worke of the Deuill in the hearts of all the wicked and the loue of God the workes of our Lord in the hearts of the elect Whereupon our Sauiour saith Verily verily I Io. 8. 15. say vnto you if any man keepe my word hee shall not see death for euer and yet againe saith He that loueth me not keepeth not my words So loue God Almightie with all thy heart and thou shalt not see death for euer He that loueth not abideth in Io 3. 14. death dead to Grace in this life and to Glorie in the other By which is manifest that happie life cannot be without the louing of God Almightie with all our hearts Insomuch as if thou haddest Happinesse and Content and yet diddest not loue it with all thy heart thou shouldest not be happie as witnesseth S. Augustine saying He is not De Ciuitat li. 14. ca. 15. happie of whom happie life is not beloued Which thou mayest find true by experience seeing thy selfe and all others to take comfort and content in that which they loue and not in that which they neglect Whereupon S. Paul sayth If any man loue not 1. Cor. 16. 2. our Lord Iesus Christ be he Anathema his bodie cut off from the communion of the Catholike Church vpon earth and his soule excluded from the ioyes of Heauen CHAP. XI How to attaine vnto the loue of God and how to loue his diuine Maiestie with all our hearts SEeing that Diuine Loue or Charitie is necessarie to the Content and Happinesse of Man it is requisite also to set downe the meanes by which thou mayest attaine vnto this Diuine Loue or Charitie that thou mayest be happie Charitie saith S. Paul is 1. Tim. 1. 15. from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained So that the first thing which thou oughtest to doe if thou desire to loue God Almightie with all thy heart is to separate thy selfe for a time from all other affaires and businesses onely to attend vnto the examining of thy Conscience how thou hast spent thy life past and to call to minde all thy cuill thoughts words deeds and vniust actions which haue stayned and made filthie thy heart and soule to confesse them with contrition and sorrow to one of the Pastors of the Church of God to whom God Almightie hath giuen authoritie to forgiue sinnes saying Whose sinnes you shall forgiue Io. 20. 23. they are forgiuen that thy sinnes being forgiuen thou mayest haue a cleane and pure heart fit to receiue Diuine Loue or Charitie and God Almightie will bestow it vpon thee according to his Word saying Returne to me and I Mat 3. 7. will returne to you No bodie putteth new Wine Mat. 9. 17. into old Bottles otherwise the Bottles perish But new Wine they put into new Bottles and both are preserued together So if thou wilt receiue the new Wine of Diuine Loue and Charitie thou must first lay away thy old Conuersation Eph. 4. 22. the old Man which is corrupted according to the desires of Error thy self-selfe-loue proper iudgement priuate spirit inordinate appetites and passions and by sorrow for thy sinnes and Penance be renued in the spirit of thy mind and put on the new Man
which according to God is created in Iustice and holinesse of the Truth Whereupon Saint Iohn Baptist speaking of the way or meanes how to attaine vnto Content and Happinesse sayth Who hath shewed Mat. 3. 7. you to flye from the wrath to come yeeld therefore fruit worthie of Penance Which is as if he should haue said If any one hath shewed you the way to Content and Happinesse and not by contrition and detestation of sinne the fruites of Penance hee hath deceiued you So our Lord and Sauiour in his first Sermon according to Saint Matthew taught Penance as the first meanes to Happinesse the Text saying that Mat. 4. 17. Iesus began to preach and to say Doe Penance for the Kingdome of God is at hand Heere thou mayest see how many men which are of short Capacities and weake and shallow Wits and Vnderstandings are deceiued in framing to themselues a conceit that to doe Penance is to be tormented deiected and oppressed in minde when it is nothing lesse but the greatest ease remedie and rest to a deiected and oppressed minde that can be had or found and the way and meanes to all true Content and Happinesse If thou wilt beleeue the Scriptures and Experience Contrition or sorrow for sinne doth much differ from the sorrow or lamenting of worldly men when out of self-selfe-loue they lament the losse of their worldly Commodities or Pleasures The fruites of this Sorrow are Sadnesse Oppression of Minde and Discontent as being inordinate and not ordained by God to be vsed as a meanes of finding Happinesse vvhereas Penance Contrition and Sorrow for Sinnes beeing meanes ordained by God to Content and Happinesse the more thou vsest them the more rest and content of heart thou shalt finde because God Almightie doth reuiue the Isa 57. 15. heart of the Contrite by the assisting of the holy Ghost Gal 5. whose fruits are Charitie Ioy of heart and Peace of minde of which wee are to speake more in his place A second meanes of attayning vnto the loue of God is often to Communicate according to the words of our Lord saying He that eateth Ioh. 6. my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud abideth in me and I in him which is the Charitie wee seeke for A third meanes is Meditation seriously to consider all the benefits thou hast receiued from his diuine Maiestie as Creation Redemption Conseruation and whatsoeuer graces thou hast or expectest and likewise to meditate often vpon his diuine Attributes as his infinite Goodnesse Beautie Maiestie and Power c. for the onely meanes to loue any thing that is very good faire pleasing and beautifull is but to looke seriously vpon it and consider it well and the loue or liking of it presently is begotten in thy heart And it being excellently good the more thou thinkest or meditatest vpon it the more the loue of it increaseth in thee So if thou wilt loue much GOD Almightie doe not omit thy Meditations A fourth meanes is alwaies to keepe the Presence of God that hauing alwayes before thine eyes an infinite Good from whom all things else borrow whatsoeuer good they haue thou canst not but little esteeme of all other goods in comparison of it and loue it with thy whole heart and all things else as they may conduct thee vnto it of which Presence wee are to speake in our third Booke A fifth meanes is to make many Acts of the loue of God As in Arts and Sciences thy continuall practise increaseth thy knowledge and skill so the making of many Acts of the loue of God increaseth in thee the loue of God And to that end heere I set downe these Acts following Acts of Charitie or Loue towards God AS the chased Hart thirsteth after the Fountaine of Water so I desire that my heart should perpetually thirst after thee deare Lord. O Lord of infinite beautie that my heart were so wounded with thy loue that out of feruour of spirit I might in silent speech perpetually breath forth When shall I come and appeare before thy face O most amiable Sonne of the liuing God take now possession of this my heart which was created for to loue thee and pierce it with a thousand wounds of pure loue that I may for euer sweetly languish after thy eternall beautie How beloued are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts my soule coueteth and fainteth after the Courts of my God Decre Iesu to thee I consecrate my heart O deere King of all beautie and glory I will no other inheritance but thee O Life of my life and more beautifull then all beauties created put together inflame me with a most desired burning after thy eternall beautie O Lord of infinite mercy how great are the multitude of thy mercies that thou commandest mee to loue thee and if I doe not thou art angrie and threatenest eternall miseries when in louing thee consisteth all my ioyes and good O who will giue to me my Lord that I may die for thee that by my corporall death my soule may be ingulfed in thee her rest and chast bed-Chamber of all diuine delights Too late haue I loued thee Beautie so ancient and so new too late haue I loued thee but pardon my negligence past deere Lord and graunt that this my beginning may last and increase for euer Thou deere Lord was within mee and I was without my selfe and amongst these faire things which thou hast created I sought thee and fowly erred faire they were because thou createdst them but to me foule for that I loued them and loued them not in thee O how I lament deere Lord that my poore soule hath beene so deceiued with sensuall loue and worldly vanitie now conuert mee so wholly vnto thee deere Lord that nothing created may please me but the only louing of thy diuine Maiestie Thou art all faire my Loue thou art all faire and there is not a spot or staine in thee O my infinite Good I resigne to thee all that thy liberalitie hath bestowed vpon me that thereby I may please thee and offer without ceasing in the Altar of my heart my selfe in Sacrifice If I forget to loue thee my Lord let all my pleasures be turned into sorrowes and let my right hand be forgetfull of her actions if I doe not offer vnto thee vpon the Altar of my heart a Sacrifice of perpetuall Loue Morning Mid-day and Euening CHAP. XII That true Content and Happinesse cannot be without Charitie or loue towards our neighbours and keeping of the Commandements of God SO great is the Obligation and bond of Societie interposed betweene all things created that the good of one in some sort dependeth vpon the loue and societie with the other The Angels in Heauen reioice one at anothers good and Happinesse and receiue increase of Content by the increase of Glory bestowed vpon any one The Heauens send downe showers and dew to water and make pleasant the Earth and the Earth shooteth vp all her fruits
of God with all our hearts and our neighbour for Gods sake as our selues And first it is necessarie to speake of temporall blessings and contentments and after of spirituall and eternall The practise of this our Doctrine of louing God with all our hearts and our neighbours for Gods sake as our selues yeeldeth such abundance of temporall Happinesse and Content as that it taketh away all the causes of temporall discontent and miseries from amongst men and planteth in their places all temporall Happinesse and Contentments for supposed that this our Doctrine were practised amongst men and that euerie one would loue God with all his heart and his neighbour for God as himselfe first it would take away all Vsurie Theft Murder Fornication Adulterie Suits in Law Sects Controuersies Rebellions Conspiracies Enuie Hatred Malice Emulations Oppressions Contentions and whatsoeuer miserie is in any Kingdome State or Common-wealth and all the euils which are prohibited and forbidden by Lawes For if we did loue God Almightie with all our hearts wee should be verie sorrie to offend him As wee see by experience euerie one hath great care not to offend him whom hee loueth So if men loued God Almightie with all their hearts there would bee no such sinnes committed as are spoken of in the Tenne Commaundements or in anie other Ciuill or Common Law According to the wordes of our Sauiour saying If any loue mee hee Ioh. 14. 23. will keepe my Word Againe Hee that loueth me not keepeth Io. 14. 24. not my wordes So establish the loue of God in the hearts of men and you take away all Idolatrie Theft Fornication Adulterie Couetousnesse Extortion Iniustice Sinne and Wickednesse forbidden by any Law To the verifying of the vvordes spoken by the Prophet Isay saying Iustice shall be Isa 11. 5. the girdle of his Loynes and Faith the girdle of his Reynes The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye with the Kid The Calfe and Lion and Sheepe shall abide together a little child shall leade them The Calfe and the Beare shall feede their young ones shall rest together And the Lion shall eate Straw as it were an Oxe And the Infant from the Breast shall be delighted vpon the hole of the Aspe and he that is weyned shall thrust his hand into the hole of the Cockatrice They shall not hurt and they shall not kill in all my holy Mountaine because the Earth is replenished with the knowledge of our Lord the loue of God and Man for he that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commaundements 1. Ioh. 2. 4. is a lyar and the truth is not in him Whereby thou seest deare Reader that the practise of our Doctrine taketh away all temporall miseries and wretchednesse from amongst men insomuch as if that it vvere practised there vvould bee no neede of Lawes nor any vse of any Lawyers Againe supposed that euerie one would loue his neighbour as his second selfe then all would relieue the poore and euerie one would reioyce at others good and prosperitie as at his owne and all seeke to aduance one and one all and found a perfect Monarchie in defence inuincible and in offence against the enemies of their common good alwayes conquerors euery one faithfully seconding of his companion as his second selfe they would remaine inuincible and euerie one louing his neighbour as himselfe euerie one would willingly supply to his power his neighbours wants and by this meanes they would all liue in happie and quiet temporall Content like perfect friends confirmed in sociable amitie according to the Prophecies Thy People all Isa 60. 21. iust for euer shall inherite the Land the Budde of my planting the worke of my hand to glorie The least shall be into a thousand and the little one into a most strong Nation the Lord in the time thereof will suddainely doe it Againe I will make thy visitation Isa 60. 18. Peace and thy Ouerseers Iustice Iniquitie shall no more be heard in thy Land Waste and Destruction in thy Borders and Saluation shall occupie thy Walls and Praise thy Gates And this wee see fulfilled in the Christians of the Primitiue Church Of whom it is said The multitude Act. 4. 32. of Beleeuers had one Heart and one Soule neyther did any say that ought was his owne of those thinges which hee possessed And is euen vntill this day fulfilled in all poore reformed Religious Orders dilated ouer the World who neuer stand in need to vse Suites or Lawyers And it is also fulfilled in all Countreyes more or lesse accordingly as they are Christians Catholike or stayned with spots of Heresie All the temporall Blessings of Monarchies Kingdomes and States are founded vpon the keeping of the Commaundements of God according to that Pact or Couenant which Moyses made with the people of Israel which now wee Christians are saying If thou wilt heare Deut. 28. the voice of our Lord thy God that thou doe and keepe all his Commandements which I commaund thee this day our Lord thy God will make thee higher then all Nations that be on the Earth and all those Blessings shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee yet so if thou heare his Precepts Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie and blessed in the Field blessed shall be the fruit of thy Wombe and the fruit of thy Ground and the fruit of thy Cattell the troopes of thy Heards and the foulds of thy Sheepe c. Our Lord will raise thee vp vnto himselfe to be a holy People as he sware to thee if thou keepe the Commaundements of our Lord thy God and walke in his wayes And all the people of the Earth shall see that the Name of our Lord is inuocated vpon thee and they shall feare thee c. And our Lord will make thee the Head and not the Tayle and thou shalt be alwayes aboue and not vnder yet so if thou wilt heare the Commandements of our Lord thy God which I commaunded thee this day and keepe and doe them c. Which wee see to haue beene fulfilled in all Ages amongst Christian People Emperours Kings Empires Kingdomes and States insomuch as that these were alwayes the most renowmed happie blessed and fortunate Kingdomes who most followed the Doctrine of the Catholike Church and attended to the keeping of the Commaundements of God As of Constantine the Great Saint Augustine writeth saying Ciuit. Dei li. 5. ca. 6. Constantine the Emperour not suppliant to Deuils but worshipping the true God receiued so many gifts and blessings from God as none durst presume to wish This one Augustus held possessed and defended the whole Romane Empire In administrating of Warre he was iust and victorious in vanquishing and repressing Tyrants wonderfull prosperous being of great yeares he died of sicknesse and old age his sonnes Emperours to succeed him Of Theodosius the elder S. Augustine sayth That hee De Ciuit. Dei li. 5. ca. 26. had wonderfull
successe in all his affaires because hee was a pious Catholike Emperour that in the Battailes he fought with his Enemies their owne Weapons Darts and Arrowes were turned vpon themselues God Almightie fighting for him Of Honorius a most Catholike Emperour S. Augustine De Ciuit. Dei li. 5. ca. 28. writeth That God did so fight for him as in one Battaile he slew of the Gothes aboue a hundreth thousand and tooke their King and his sonne prisoners and not so much as one of his Armie killed or wounded Of Theodosius the yonger a verie pious Emperor writeth Socrates That making Lib. 7. hist ca. 18. his prayers to God while his Armie skirmished with the Sarazens a hundred thousand of them were driuen by Angels into the Riuer Euphrates and there perished The same prosperitie followed Iustine the elder and Hieraclius whilest they were Catholike Emperors but after they became Heretikes they neuer did any thing prosperously And to let passe Charles the Great Charles the fift and manie more Catholike Christian Kings and Emperors who attained to prosperous successe in their affaires aswell in warre as in peace by being pious Catholike Princes carefully seeking to keepe the Commaundements of God And to speake of the Kings and Princes of this Island In S. Austines time there were seuen Kings heere in England and the rest extinguished the Crowne remained together with the Monarchie in the Line of the West Saxons who were of all the rest most Catholike and pious defendors of the keeping of the Commaundedements of God And if wee looke yet further into the estate of this Monarchie of England wee shall finde it most true that the most flourishing times that euer England saw was when it most zealously professed Catholike Religion and piously labored to keepe the Commandements of God as in the reigne of Egbert who first reduced England into a Monarchie in the time of Alfred his sonne Edward the first and Athelstan his sonne Edmund Edred Edward the Confessor Henrie the first fourth and fifth to the verifying of the Promises and Prophesies saying I would thou haddest attended to Isa 48. 18. my Commandements thy Peace had beene as a floud and thy Iustice as the waues of the Sea And thy Seede had beene as the Sand and the Stocke of thy Wombe as the grauell stones thereof his name had not perished neither had it beene destroyed before my face Againe Whosoeuer 1. King 3. 30. wil glorifie me I wil glorifie him and they that contemne me shal be base Whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith Tribulation and Psa 118. 143. Distresse haue found me Thy Commaundements are my meditation Thy testimonies are equitie for euer giue me vnderstanding and I shall liue by keeping them enioying the Blessings and Promises of God comfort and helpe in all his tribulations and necessities Blessed are all that feare Ps 127. 1. our Lord that walk in his wayes Because thou shalt eate the labor of thy hands Blessed art thou and it shal be wel with thee in this life and in all eternitie which God of his goodnesse graunt thee Reader CHAP. XVIII Of the first spirituall Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God with all their hearts and keepe his Commaundements which is Beautie spirituall THe first spirituall Content and Happinesse vvhich God Almightie bestoweth vpon such as loue him is remission of their sinnes cleansing and washing of their soules with the water of life and decking and adorning them with spirituall Beautie Let the impious forsake his way and the vniust Isa 55. 7. man his cogitations and returne to our Lord and he will haue mercie vpon him and to our God because he is bountifull to forgiue So great are the mercies of God Almightie that at what time soeuer a sinner shall desist from violating the Commaundements of God and returne to loue him with his whole heart hee will haue mercie on him and obserue with him the faithfull mercies which hee promised to Abraham and his Seed saying Whosoeuer shall Eze. 11. 32. 34. 37. depart from his wicked wayes and turne vnto me I will receiue him into the Couenant which hee made with Abraham Dauid and the Patriarkes and their Seed for euer When Deut. 30. 1. thou shalt be turned sayth Moyses with repentance of thy heart and shall returne to our Lord and obey his Commaundements in all thy heart our Deut. 30. 9. Lord will turne to reioyce vpon thee in all riches as he reioyced in thy Fathers yet so if thou heare the voice of the Lord thy God and keepe his Precepts For thus sayth our Lord Dissolue the bands of Impietie Isa 58. 6. loose the bands that ouer-load dismisse them free that are broken and breake in sunder euerie burden Depart from sinne and doe works of Charitie Breake thy Bread to the hungrie and the needie and harbourlesse bring into thy house when thou shalt see the naked couer him and despise not thy flesh then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health shall sooner arise and thy Iustice shall goe before thy face and the glorie of our Lord shall imbrace thee with spirituall grace and fauour in this life and eternall glorie in the other And so sayth Cease to doe peruersly learne to Isa 1. 17. doe good to keepe the Commandements seeke iudgement succour the oppressed iudge for the fatherlesse defend the widow and come and accuse me saith our Lord if your sinnes shal be as scarlet they shal be made white as snow and if they be red as vermilion they shal be white as wooll Presently vpon the heartie conuersion of a sinner from his euill wayes and imbracing the Commandements of God and louing him with all his heart our Lord maketh his heart pure clean neat his cōscience good his faith not fained which hee doth by spirituall Water according to his Word saying If thou diddest Io. 4. 10. know the gift of God and who he is that saith vnto thee Giue me to drinke thou perhaps wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thee liuing Water He that shall drinke of the Water that I will giue him shall not thirst for euer but the Water that I will giue him shall become a Fountaine of Water springing vp to life euerlasting Again He that beleeueth in me with a faith that worketh according to charitie as the Scriptures say out of his bellie shall flowe riuers of liuing Water Whereupon it is said of such as loue God with all their hearts and keepe his Precepts that they are whiter Ier. Lam. 4. 7. then Snow purer then Milke ruddier then the old Iuorie fairer then Saphire And moreouer the soule of a sinner heartily conuerted to God is made so pure and gracious by Charitie that all the Saints and Angels in Heauen doe take pleasure and ioy to behold it as witnesseth our Sauiour saying Luc. 15. 7. There shall be ioy in Heauen
our Lord saying Loue your enemies doe Mat. 5. 44. good to them that hate you and pray for them that persecute and abuse you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heauen Whereby thou mayest see how happie a thing it is to liue in persecution and haue persecutors to loue and pray for since God Almightie hath ordayned it as a meanes for the greater encrease of thy temporall and eternall Content and Happinesse and that of so great a Happinesse as is to be the sonne of God And consider with thy selfe what a great error it should be in thee not to pray dayly with heartie and sincere affection for all such as persecute and abuse thee since by doing such acts of high and perfect Charitie God Almightie intendeth to aduance thee to so great a dignitie as to be his sonne and with what great reason our Lord said Blessed are you when they shall reuile you and persecute you and speake all that naught is Felons Traytors c. against you vntruly for my sake be glad and reioyce for your reward is verie great in Heauen so great a reward as to be the sonne of God And if sonnes heires also heires Rom. 8. 1 truly of God coheires of Christ Againe Whosoeuer shall doe the will of my Father that is in Heauen he is my brother my sister and mother Such as loue God with all their hearts doe his will and keepe his Commandements he is so ouercome with affection towards them that hee is not onely content to diuide what hee hath amongst them and communicate whatsoeuer he hath vnto them as to his brothers and sisters but to obey them as children doe their mother And he went downe with them Luc. 2. 51. and came to Nazareth and was subiect to them and so saith If you abide in me and my Io. 13. 7. wordes in you that is if you loue me with all your hearts for God is Charitie and hee 1. Io. 4. 16. that abideth in Charitie abideth in God You shall aske Io. 15. 7. what thing soeuer you will and it shall be done to you Againe Aske and you shall receiue that Io. 16. 25. your ioy may be full Such as loue our Lord with their whole hearts doe neuer aske any thing that is good and conuenient for themselues for these two Conditions are necessarie in asking but it is graunted them And thou mayest obserue that hee doth not wish them to entreat or beseech but Aske Mat. 7. 7. and it shall be giuen you Verily verily I say to you If you Io. 15. 7. aske the Father any thing in my Name he will giue it you Aske Io. 16. 24. and you shall receiue as if they had authoritie ouer God Almightie And thou must not maruell at it If God haue Rom. 8. not spared his owne proper and only begotten Sonne but hath giuen him vp to death for gaining vs vnto him how can it be that with him he hath not giuen vnto vs all other things Euerie one â— Io. 4. 7. that loueth sayth Saint Iohn is borne of God not as the Women of this World bring forth their children who many times after they be borne put them to Nurses and then regard them no more but with eternall Charitie which on his part neuer decayeth but alwayes remaineth with such feruour and constancie that before hee would part from one soule borne of him by Charitie hee professeth that hee will rather abandon whole Nations Euer since Isa 48. 4. thou hast beene gracious and glorious in mine eyes I haue loued thee and for thy soule will I giue whole Nations There is no mother so tenderly affected towards her only sonne as God Almightie is to such as loue him as he also witnesseth saying Can the Mother Isa 19. 16. forget her owne Infant Or can she not be mercifull to the Child of her owne Wombe If she could yet can I not forget or reiect thee Daughter of Sion behold I haue written thee in my hands Againe Touch not the vncleane and I will receiue you and I will 2. Cor. 6. 17. be a Father vnto you and you shall Ier. 31. 1. be my Sonnes and Daughters saith our Lord omnipotent And if it be esteemed a happinesse amongst the sonnes of Adam to be borne Sonne and Heire to a King of the World where the greatest Possessions are but pieces of Earth and power ouer mortall men for some seuen yeares and afterwards God knoweth what will become of their soules when at the day of Iudgement they shall not only giue account of all their sinnes committed but of all the good they haue omitted to doe and that to their eternall torment See what 1. Io. 3. 1. manner of Charitie the Father hath giuen vs that we should bee named and bee the sonnes of God Who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings Eph. 1. 3. in heauenly things in Christ as hee chose vs in him before the constitution of the World that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in Charitie Who hath predestinated vs vnto the adoption of sonnes by Iesus Christ Whereupon presently after his resurrection our Sauiour sent this most comfortable Embassage to those who had left all thinges for his loue Goe and tell my brethren Io. 20. that I do ascend vnto my Father and vnto your Father vnto my God and vnto your God By which two words of God and Father he expresseth the happinesse of such as loue him signifying vnto them that God Almightie of infinite power riches glorie wisedome beautie is become so inamored of them that hee beareth them endlesse good will So God Almightie reioycing at the Content he receiued in a soule that loued him with all his heart saith Verily Ephraim is an honourable Ier. 31. 20. sonne to me certainely a delicate child therefore are my Bowels moued with a passionate affection towards him pittying him I will pittie him saith our Lord. And this for the third Happinesse and Content which such enioy as loue our Lord with all their hearts and their neighbours as themselues CHAP. XXI Of the fourth Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is the dwelling of God Almightie in their hearts and soules as in his Temple house and home SO great is the happinesse of those who flye sinne loue God Almightie with all their hearts and keepe his Commandements that the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the Blessed Trinitie one God with all his Diuine Attributes Excellencies and Perfections commeth to dwell by grace and fauour in their soules as in his Seate Tabernacle Temple and House of Content according to the Promises and Prophecies of the Scriptures saying Beare 2. Cor. 6. 14. not the yoake with Infidels for what participation hath Iustice with Iniquitie or what Leuit. 26. 11.
be weeping and gnashing of teeth Neither can the Passion of our Lord or merite of his Sacrifice vpon the Crosse as it sanctifieth and iustifieth be applyed by parts as that any one might be sanctified iustified by only Faith or only Hope in him also haue iniquitie for that grace which iustifieth and mortall sinne or iniquitie cannot dwell together in one and the same Soule For what participation 1. Cor. 6. 14. hath Iustice with Iniquitie or what societie is there betweene Light and Darkenesse and what agreement with Christ and Belial or what part hath the Faithfull with the Infidell Againe No Mat. 6. 24. man can serue two Masters you cannot serue God and Mammon Not onely Faith nor onely Hope nor Faith and Hope with Impietie and Vice and want of other Vertues are sufficient to Rest Content and Happinesse There shall Apoc. 21. 27. not enter into it any polluted thing nor that doth abhomination and maketh a lye without euer finding Rest or Ioy are Dogges Heretikes whom S. Peter calleth Dogges for that they hauing beene once conuerted to Christianitie are returned to Infidelitie and Sorcerers and the Vnchast and Apoc. 22. 15. Murtherers and seruers of Idols and euery one that loueth and maketh a lye according to the words of our Sauiour saying Mat. 7. 23. Depart from me you that worke iniquitie I neuer knew you and they shall goe into punishment euerlasting As in Arts Sciences euery one is made expert cunning in his Art by frequent acts so in Vertues euery one becommeth groūded in Vertue Pietie Godlinesse by frequent acts and exercises of Vertue according to the saying of the Holy Ghost Ps 17. With the holy thou shalt be holy and with the peruerse thou shalt be peruerted So it resteth here to set down acts of Hope in God Acts of Hope MOst mercifull Lord and my God I most firmely hope by meanes of thy helpe and the good workes which by thy particular grace I intend to doe at the end of my life to enioy eternall glorie Deere Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ although in euerie moment I commit manie Imperfections yet I hope by thy gracious helpe to arriue to Christian perfection Most mercifull Lord whose Mercies are aboue all his Workes if I alone had committed all the sinnes and enormious crimes vvhich haue beene committed from the beginning of the World vntill this day yet would I not despaire of thy mercie I hope most firmely O Sonne of God and my Redeemer by meanes of thy holy Sacraments to come to possesse eternall glorie All my hope deere Lord and Sauiour is in the merite of thy sacred Passion Graunt sweet Sauiour that I may vse the meanes which thou hast ordained should be vsed by all those who shall receiue benefite by it O Lord of infinite Mercie there was neuer sinner that did call vpon thee to whom thou diddest not shew mercie so I hope that thou wilt haue mercie vpon mee who calleth vpon thee with all my heart In thee onely I hope O Lord Thou art the portion of Ps 15. 5. mine inheritance thou art he that will restore mine inheritance vnto me From them that resist thy right hand keepe me as the apple of thine eye vnder the shadow Ps 16. 8. of thy wings protect me from the face of the impious that haue afflicted me Our Lord is my firmament and my refuge and my deliuerie Ps 17. 1. my God is my helper and I will hope in him Deere Lord in all my tribulations Ps 21. 6. I will hope in thee In thee our Fathers haue hoped they hoped and thou diddest deliuer them They cryed to thee and were saued they hoped in thee and were not confounded Lord of infinite power and Maiestie Although I Ps 22. 4. shall walke in the middest of the shadow of death I will not feare euill because thou art with me Our Lord is my saluation whom should I feare our Lord is the Protector of my life of whom shall I be afraid If Campes stand together against mee my heart shall not feare If Battels rise vp against mee in thee will I hope In thee O Lord haue I hoped Ps 30. 1. let me not be confounded Be vnto mee for a God a Protector and for a house of refuge that thou mayest saue mee because thou art my strength and my refuge Into thy hands I commend Ps 30. 4. my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of Truth Be delighted my Soule in Ps 36. 4. our Lord and he will giue thee the petition of thy heart Reueale thy way vnto our Lord and hope in him and he will doe it Why art thou heauie O my Ps 41. 12. Soule And why doest thou trouble me Hope in God because yet I will confesse to him the Saluation of my Countenance and my God CHAP. X. That Charitie or loue of God together with Faith and Hope is necessarie to the Content and Happinesse of Man THat it is not possible for Man to be content and happie without the loue of God is manifest by the light of Reason For if I had what things soeuer can be giuen me and yet did not loue them I should not find or receiue any true content or ioyes from them and yet those who loue things that are not good are deceiued and Time discouering Deceits they will remaine afflicted Againe those who loue such things as haue an end at their end or parting they will rest comfortlesse whereby is manifest by the light of reason that true Content and Ioyes cannot be without true Loue nor true Loue vnlesse it be placed in louing a perpetuall Good Againe this perpetuall Good must be such as I may at all times and in all places loue talke with and in some sort enioy which is God Almightie who is euery where and in all places eternall and of infinite goodnesse Neither is it lesse manifest by the light of Grace the Scriptures euery where promising Happinesse to such as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and Miserie and Wretchednesse to such as fornicate from him saying If thou wilt enter into Mat. 19. 17. life keepe the Commandements whereof the first is Thou shalt Mat. 22. 37. loue the Lord thy God from thy whole Heart and with thy whole Soule and with thy whole Minde Insomuch as the holy Ghost pronounceth them first Accursed who who doe not loue God with their whole hearts saying Cursed are they that decline from thy Commandements Ps 118. 21. Secondly the holy Ghost accounteth them Fooles without wit and vnderstanding saying Giue me vnderstanding and I will search thy Law and Psal 118. will keepe it with my whole heart Thirdly It tearmeth them vniust reserued for to endure Torments in the Poole of Fire and Brimstone for euer and euermore saying The vniust Ps 118. 85. haue told me Fables but not as thy Law Wicked people sayth
in the great Multitude which no Apoc. 7. 9. man could number of all Nations Tribes and Peoples and Tongues which are to be signed with thy Marke and to be conducted Apoc. 7. 17 to the Fountaine of liuing Waters O Lord of infinite Maiestie let the petition of thy seruant be accepted in thy sight and graunt that this my King and his Seed may be numbred amongst that Seed to which thou promised I will put his Seed for euer and Ps 88. 30. his Throne as the dayes of Heauen Thou art faithfull deare Lord and iust and right without any iniquitie and hast promised That whosoeuer shall 1. King 2. 30. glorifie thee thou wilt glorifie him and they that contemne thee shal be base Graunt deare Lord that this my King Queene and Prince may so glorifie thee in all their actions and deeds that thou mayest glorifie them vpon Earth and in Heauen eternally Most mercifull Lord I beseech thy infinite Goodnesse so to illuminate the hearts of all sinners that they may come to doe heartie penance for their sinnes and seeke to loue thee with all their hearts Graunt deare Lord for the Passion of thy onely Sonne Iesus Christ that all those Schismatikes and Heretikes who in effect defend that thou hast fayled in maintaining thy Oath and Promises to Abraham the Prophets and Patriarkes for many hundred yeares may see their errors and returne vnto our Catholike Church in which are abundantly fulfilled all thy Oathes and Promises Forgiue sweet Sauiour all those who persecute me and graunt that they may come so to loue thee in this life that after death they may for euer enioy thee in Heauen I beseech thee my Lord by the bowels of thy infinite mercie that all such as seeke after Ambition and earthly Dignities may turne all their Affections vpon thee who art their onely true felicitie Graunt deare Lord that I may rather die then not heartily loue and pray for my seuerest Persecutors Deare Lord for thy infinite mercies I beseech thee so to illuminate the hearts of all the Protestant English Clergie our deare Countreymen that they may see thy Oathes and Promises fulfilled in our Catholike Church and returne vnto it with all their hearts CHAP. XIIII Of the wretchednesse and miseries into which those fall who liue in breach of the Commandements of God and doe beleeue that it is not necessarie or impossible to keepe them HAuing shewed thee deare Reader that it is not possible for thee euer to be happie or find any true Content Ease or Rest vnlesse thou keepe the Commaundements of God and also hauing set downe vnto thee the meanes by which thou mayest easily keepe them Now it resteth to set downe the miseries and wretchednesse into which those fall who liue in breach of them and esteeme it a thing impossible for to keepe them that either for the loue of thine owne good and content or else for feare of thy falling into miseries torments thou mayest be woon to keepe them zealously so be happy which is that I heartily wish vnto thee First those who doe not loue God with all their hearts and keepe his Commaundements are spirituall Idolaters and doe liue in spirituall Idolatrie For our Sauiour explicating of the first Commaundement which is made against Idolatrie and the hauing of Exod. 20. 1. strange Gods sayth Thou shalt Mat. 22. 37. loue the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soule and with thy whole mind This is the greatest and the first Commandement sayth our Sauiour So if thou wilt beleeue our Sauiour himselfe thou must confesse that those who doe not loue God with their whole hearts and keepe his Commandements are Idolaters And the part of Idolaters Apoc. 21. 8. saith S. Iohn shal be in the Poole burning with fire and Brimstone An Idoll of it selfe is not 1. Cor. 10. 19. any thing as witnesseth Saint Iohn but the loue affection which any one beareth to any creature imagination or conceit more then to God contrarie to the first Cōmandement whereupon couetous men are called Idolaters because that Col. 3. 5. they loue Gold and Riches more then God and lasciuious Men or Gluttons are said Phil. 3. 19. to make their bellies their God And according to this our Sauiour sayth You cannot Mat. 6. 24. serue God and Mammon God will haue all thy heart and loue or none Whereupon S. Iohn sayth Euery one that In his 2. Epist Ver. 9. reuolteth and persisteth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God that is hath no true God but is an Idolater Againe He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar Whereupon it commeth to passe that howsoeuer these who thinke it impossible to keepe the Commaundements of God seeme to adore laud and praise God and haue the Lord the God alwaies in their mouths sing Geneua Psalms in their Congregations yet they doe neither serue their God nor acknowledge him in their words or song but commit spirituall Idolatrie apprehending vnder these termes the Lord the God c. such a God as they haue feigned and not such a God as he is indeed All Heathen and Cicero de Leg. li. 1. Pagan people that euer were haue acknowledged a God and haue sung songs in praise but they did not acknowledge him to be as he is but as they feigned him to be as those doe who affirme that they are assured to be saued without keeping the Commandements of God confesse that there is a God a Trinitie c. but doe not confesse him to be such a God as he is that is a God who curseth all these who decline from his Commandements Psal 118. according to his Mat. 25. word but such a God Trinitie as they haue feygned that is to say a God which will admit and receiue into Heauen filthie soules stained with Pride Idolatrie Fornication Couetousnesse c. when there is no such God but onely in their imaginations as witnesseth Saint Paul saying Doe not erre neither ◠Cor. 6. Fornicators nor seruers of Idols nor Adulterers nor the Effeminate nor the Lyers with mankinde nor Theeues nor the Couetous nor Drunkards nor Raylers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God For he that hath done iniurie shal Col. 3. 25. receiue that which he hath done vniustly and there is no acception of Persons with God There shall Apoc. 22. not enter into Heauen saith S. Iohn any vncleane thing or that doth abhomination or maketh a lye Whereby is manifest that all those who do liue in the breach of the Commandements of God do beleeue that either it is not necessary or else that it is impossible to keepe them are spirituall Idolaters and doe adore and serue strange Gods in their soules and spirits contrary to the first Commandement as it is also manifest to experience for aske of any one of these
Ministers if when he Praieth or Preacheth and saith The Lord The God hee doe not meane the Lord the God that sent him to Preach that it is impossible to keepe the Commandements of God and he will say Yes and yet there is no such God but in there imaginations as we haue proued before Againe aske of these Ministers if they doe not adore as God the Lord the God who sent them to Preach this and the like doctrine and they will say Yes Moreouer aske of their Disciples and followers if they doe not beleeue in the God who sent these Ministers to Preach Iustificatiō by Faith only without keeping the Commandements and they will say Yes and yet if thou wilt beleeue the liuing God there is no such God but in their imaginations as we haue shewed in the former Chapters Whereby is manifest that all those who liue in the breach of the Commandements of God and do beleeue that it is not necessary or impossible to keepe them are Idolaters and haue made to themselues strange Gods Gods who will saue and make happie by Faith in them or beleefe in them onely without keeping their Commandements or louing them with all their hearts Strange Gods that are so black and vgly that it is impossible for men to loue them with all their hearts Secondly they are sonnes of the Deuill as witnesseth our Sauiour saying You are Io. 8. 44. of your Father the Diuell and the desires of your Father you will doe that is breake the Commandements as our Sauiour testifieth saying He was a man-killer from the beginning Io. 44. and he stood not in veritie And the Law of God is Ps 118. 242. veritie So our Lord saith of Iudas that hee was a Diuell Haue I not chosen you twelue Io. 6. 71. and one of you is a Diuell and he meant Iudas who by liuing in the breach of the Commandements of God became a Diuell Saint Paul saith Giue not place to the Diuell He Eph. 4. 27. that stole let him now not steale Hee that doth not loue God with all his heart doth not steale from men but doth steale from God the loue and respect which is due vnto his diuine Maiestie whereupon Saint Iohn saith He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell 1. Io. 3. 8. because the Diuell sinneth from the beginning For this appeared the Sonne of God that he might dissolue the workes of the Diuell which are the the violating of the Commandements of God Againe In this are the Children of God manifest and the Children 1. Io. 3. 10. of the Diuell Euery one that is not iust is not of God and he that loueth not his brother is not of God because he fulfilleth not the law for al the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou Gal. 5. 14. shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Thirdly the Diuell dwelleth in them as in his house and home as witnesseth our Sauiour saying And when Mat. 12. an vncleane Spirit shall goe out of a man he walketh through dry places mortified men seeking rest but findeth not Then he saith I will returne into my house whence I came out and comming he findeth it vacant of good works Then goeth he and taketh with him seuen other Spirits more wicked then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there Againe of Iudas Io. 13. 26. it is said When our Sauiour had dipped Bread he gaue it to Iudas Iscariot and after the morsell then Sathan entred into him And our Sauiour cast out of Mar. 16. 9. Luk. 8. 2. Mary Magdalene seuen Deuils which dwelt in her before her Conuersion Thou must not imagine that all those who haue the Diuell dwelling in them are sensibly Lunatike and Mad neither Mary Magdalene nor Iudas were sensibly Mad but had the Diuell dwelling in them vnsensibly and secretly keeping and possessing their soules as his right Those who are sensibly Lunatike and Mad are generally of the two the least possessed by the Diuell for that such as are sensibly Lunatike may be possessed only in body to doe outward foolish corporall actions and not be possessed in soule to giue free consent of heart to what they doe whereas the other who liue in breach of the Commandements of God are possessed in spirit with a spirituall frensie giddinesse and madnesse in spirituall things to the perdition of their owne soules and many others and to the committing of greeuous sinnes by the vnion of their spirits and free consent of minde to the desires of the Diuell though it be neither sensible to themselues nor others Fourthly the Diuell is their Master in spirituall things insomuch as they must doe for the most part what he will for they being void of inherent grace and of the assistance of the holy Ghost Which will Wis 1. 4. not enter into a malitious soule nor dwell in a body subiect to sinne for what agreement 2. Cor. 6. is there with Christ and Belial and hauing none other strength or force to resist him dwelling in them more then their naturall forces he obtaineth of them for the most part what he will according to the words of our Lord You are of your Father Io. 8. 44. the Diuell and the desires of your Father you will doe What the Deuill suggesteth vnto them that they will doe being obedient vnto him as sons to their Father and so he calleth their hearts his house saying I will returne into my Mat. 12. 46. house his house and home where as a Master hee commandeth and as captiues they obey Such as resist truth saith Saint Paul are intangled in the snares of the Diuell Tim. 2. 25. of whom they are held captiue Ps 118. at his will and the Law of God is truth So by resisting the Law of God and not keeping his Commandements they become slaues captiues of the Diuell so thou must not maruel that these who affirme it to be impossible to keepe the Commandements of God or that the keeping of them is not absolutely necessary to Saluation doe Teach and Preach in effect and deeds that God Almightie is forsworne by suffering his Church to decay and become inuisible for many hundreth yeares together contrary to his Oathes and that now after 1500. yeares they are sent from Heauen to Preach the Gospell before not knowne vnto the World and such like follies as these For the Diuell as our Sauiour saith dwelling in them as in his house and home holdeth them as S. Paul saith captiues at his will that they must say what he will and obey him as his slaues and captiues 2. Pet. 2. 19. For wherewithall a man is ouercome saith S. Peter of that he is the slaue also Whereupon S. Paul saith Rom. 6. 16. Know you not to whom you exhibite your selues seruant to obey you are the seruants of him whom you obey whether it be of sinne to death or of obedience to iustice
he shall enter into the kingdome of Heauen Againe Whosoeuer shall doe the will of my Father that is in Heauen he is my brother and sister and mother For this 1. Thess 4. 5. is the will of God your sanctification that you abstaine from fornication that euery one may know to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour not in the passion of lust as also the Gentiles that know not God and that no man ouergoe nor circumuent his brother in businesse because our Lord is the Reuenger And according to this Saint Aug. de fide ad Petrum Augustine saith Hold it most firmely and doubt not any waies that not all which are baptised within the Catholike Church shall receiue life euerlasting but they which being baptised liue well that is which haue abstained from the vices and desires of the flesh For the kingdome of Heauen as faithlesse Heretikes and Schismatikes shall not haue so sinfull Catholikes cannot possesse And our Sauiour praying for vs saith And not for the Io. 17. 20. Apostles onely do I pray but for them also that by their word shall beleeue in me that they all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one by Charitie that the world may beleeue that thou diddest send me to fulfill the Promises which say This Ezek. 11. shall be the Couenant I will make with the house of Israel After these daies saith our Lord I will Deut. 30. Ier. 31. Heb. 10. giue my Law in their bowels and in their heares I wil write it c. and so concludeth his prayer saying I will that the loue Io. 17. 26. wherewith thou hast loued mee may be in them and I in them Whereby is manifest that the Elect and all those who shall be saued shall keepe the Law loue God Almightie with their whole hearts and their Neighbours as themselues CHAP. XVI What it is to be content and happie and how Content and Happinesse consisteth in louing God Almightie with all our hearts and our Neighbour for Gods sake as our selues WE see by experience that then euery one is well pleased when he hath that which he loueth and loueth that which he ought Of all the affections in the soule Loue is the strongest insomuch as Loue is said to be Cant. 8. as strong as Death and Iealousie or feare to lose that which wee loue is said to be as hard as Hell euery one beeing so loth to part from that which he loueth that of all paines it is the greatest So that in Loues motion are satisfied and filled all the other affections of our soules for who is delighted but in that which he loueth or who hateth flyeth or is sorrowfull but for some euill which may separate him from the good he loueth or who hopeth or despaireth but in the difficultie he findeth in obtaining the good he loueth or who feareth dareth or is angrie but at the euill which opposeth it selfe to the good he desireth so that in Loues motions are complete all our happinesse and affections If a man shall Cant. 8. giue all the substance of his house for loue as nothing he will dispise it He is violently carryed whom loue driueth and he was neuer poore or discontent that found what he desired and all so earnestly desire that which they loue as aske of any one whosoeuer what is that which hath greatest force with him and he will answere his loue and pleasure Yet all the pleasures which a man can take are in some speciall good that is honest profitable and delightfull for he that desireth that which is dishonest is ashamed he that desireth that which is not profitable looseth and he that desireth that which proueth not delightfull repenteth and he that obtaineth that which is honest and yet hath not in it all honestie is defectiue and hee that obtaineth that which is profitable yet hath not all the profit that he is capable of to receiue is still poore and hee that hath that which delighteth him and yet not all delights wanteth whereby we gather that the good which may giue vs complete content may be of all things honest the most honest of all things profitable the most profitable and of all things delightfull the most pleasing and yet one it must needes be for if in one thing I should loue honestie and in another profit I should be diuided and diuision weakeneth loue breaketh affection and bringeth affliction Againe this one thing must be euery where and in all places present vnto me otherwise I could not alwaies and in all places be present vnto it and happie Whereupon I answere that according to the light of naturall reason Content doth not only consist in Loue but in louing one thing which hath in it all honestie profite and pleasure and all other things for it and that one thing is to be euery where and in all places which is God Almightie call it what you will This is my God and Exod. 15. 2. I will glorifie him the God of my Fathers and I will exalt him who is most high most sweet most potent most mercifull most iust most secret most present most strong most incomprehensible most wise most beautifull most happie of infinite Honestie Wisedome Beautie Content and Happinesse who giueth all that any hath and yet is neuer the poorer and accepteth what is giuen him and yet is neuer the richer in louing him and all other things for him consisteth all our Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse O deceiued sonnes of Men you seeke Ease Rest and Content in the Earth and it is in your inward soules turne sinners into your hearts and there you shall finde it it is within you and you are without your selues it is present to you and you are absent to it it is before your faces and you put your selues vpon your backs you seeke for it without and it is within your hearts as witnesseth the Prophet Dauid Ps 72. saying God of my heart and God my portion for euer and in all places more present to you then you are to your selues For in him Act. 17. 28. wee liue and moue and bee This is thy Rest Repose Content and Happinesse The Mat. 6. 33. kingdome of Heauen the iustice of our Lord to loue thy God Mat. â—2 37. from thy whole heart and with thy whole soule with thy whole minde and thy Neighbour as thy selfe On these two Commaundements Mat. 22. 38. as our Lord saith doe depend the whole Law the Prophets this is the Mirth Ioy Peace and Content which is not giuen to the wicked but to such as serue God gratis whose Ioy and Content he is This is happie life O Lord to Au. li. Con. 10. ca. 22. reioice in thee of thee for thee this is it and other there is none O all ye that thirst come to the Isa 55. waters
and you that haue no siluer make hast buy and eate come buy without siluer or without any exchange wine and milke why bestow you siluer not for bread Boetius li. 2. Pro. 4. and your labour and not for satietie O mortall men why seeke you for your happinesse abroad which is placed within your selues Hearing heare you me Isa 55. and eate that which is good and your soules shall bee delighted with fatnesse with content vpon Earth and happinesse for all eternitie in Heauen Blessed is the man whose will Ps 1. is in the Law of our Lord and in his Law shall meditate day and night all things whatsoeuer he shall doe shall prosper To them that loue God all Rom. 8. 28. things cooperate vnto good to such as according to purpose are called to bee Saints Loue thou God Almightie with thy whole heart and thy Neighbour for Gods sake as thy selfe and all things will be pleasing all things delightfull all things profitable all things that to thee which thou wouldest desire or wish in Charitie or the loue of God and our Neighbour is satisfied and filled all our affections Charitie Col. 3. 14. is the bond of perfection which comprehendeth in it all other vertues Charitie 1. Cor. 13. 4. is patient is benigne Charitie enuieth not dealeth not peruersly is not puffed vp is not ambitious seeketh not her owne is not prouoked to anger thinketh no euill reioiceth not vpon iniquitie but reioiceth with the truth suffereth all things beleeueth all things Charitie 1. Tim. 4. 8. neuer falleth away is profitable to all things hauing promise of the life that now is and of that to come Whereupon Saint Augustine saith The Apostle Paul Tract 8. in Ioan. initio when against the workes of the flesh hee would commend the fruits of the spirit put Charitie as head saying the fruits of the spirit is Charitie and then putteth the rest in order as rising from this head and bound to it which are Ioy Peace Longanimitie Benignitie Goodnesse Faith Mildnesse Continence Chastitie Which the Saint shewing to be true by experience addeth For who doth well reioice but he who loueth some good wherein he may reioice who hath any true friendship or peace with any but with him whom he sincerely loueth who deth long perseuere in doing good workes vnlesse he be hot in louing who is benigne but he that loueth those whom hee may helpe who is good vnlesse hee bee made by louing who is faithfull to saluation but by that faith which worketh by loue who is courageously meeke but whom loue doth moderate who doth abstaine from that which may make him filthie but hee that loueth something by which hee may be honested Worthily therefore doth our good Master so often commend Loue as though it were onely to be commended without the which other goods can nothing profite vs and which cannot bee had without other goods wherewith a man is to bee made good so Saint Augustine And according to these words of Saint Augustine are the words of Saint Paul saying Circumcision is nothing and Prepuce is nothing 1. Cor. 7. 19. but the obseruation of the Commaundements of God Againe In Christ Iesu neither Gal. 5. 5. Circumcision auaileth ought nor Prepuce but Faith that worketh by Charitie Againe Thes 3. 12. Our Lord multiplie you and make your Charitie abound one towards another and towards all men as we also in you to confirme your hearts without blame in holinesse before God and our Father in the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ with all his Saints Who when hee shall come to Iudgement if wee will beleeue himselfe shall condemne to euerlasting paines all those who wanted Charitie towards their Neighbours and haue broken this Precept Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe Iewes Gentiles and Heretikes who doe not beleeue the Oathes of God and the Faith planted by our Lord are alreadie Ioh. 3. 18. iudged because they doe not beleeue in the Name of the onely Sonne of God And shall arise onely to receiue their finall doome and damnation with such Catholikes as had Faith but wanted Charitie To feede Mat. 25. the hungrie giue drinke to the thirstie harbour the stranger couer the naked visit the sicke c. These for all their faith if we will beleeue the Iudge himselfe shall goe into punishment euerlasting which was prepared for the Diuell and his Angels But the Iust such as feede the hungry giue drinke to the thirstie c. shall goe into life euerlasting according to the Prophecies Our Lord Ps 144. keepeth all that loue him and he will destroy all sinners Whereupon S. Paul sayth That the 1. Tim. 1. 5. end of the Precept is Charitie from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained From a pure Heart according to the words of our Lord Happie are the cleane of Mat. 5. 8. heart for they shall see God and a good Conscience according to the words of S. Peter With modestie and feare 1. Pet. 3. 15. hauing a good Conscience that in that which they speake euill of you they may be confounded which calumniate your good conuersation in Christ A Faith not fained not such a Faith as Protestants haue who faine that they are assured to be saued without keeping the Commaundements of God when neither the Apostles nor Prophets make any mention of any such thing but a Faith founded vpon the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the Ephe. 2. 20. highest corner Stone A Faith which doth establish the Law Rom. 3. 31. a Faith conioyned to a good Conscience according to the words of S. Paul Hauing Faith 1. Tim. 1. 19. and a good Conscience which certaine repelling haue made shipwracke about the Faith Saint Augustine speaking of this definition of Charitie sayth Charitie is our fruit Tract 8. in Ioan. which the Apostle defineth of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained by this we loue one another by this wee loue God neyther should wee loue one another with true loue but by louing God For euery one doth loue his Neighbour as himselfe if hee loue God for if hee doe not loue God hee doth not loue himselfe Since all Content and Happinesse consisteth in louing of God and all other things for God hee depriueth himselfe of all true good and content who doth not loue God with all his heart as in another place the said Saint further confesseth saying Let vs heare De moâ—ib Ecc. Catho O Christ what end or rest of goods thou prescribest vnto vs that is without all controuersie the end or rest to which thou commandest vs to encline vnto with all loue Thou sayest thou shalt loue the Lord thy God from thy whole Mat. 22. 37. heart and with thy whole soule and with thy whole mind Thither we are altogether to tend to
that all our Counsels are to be referred the chiefest of all good God is vnto vs. God is to vs the chiefest good neither are we to remaine lower nor yet to seeke any thing beyond him The one is dangerous and the other is nothing The following of God is the desire of Happinesse and the attaining God Happinesse it selfe and we follow him by louing him and attaine to him when we are not altogether made that which he is but adorned with his vertue and sanctitie we are neere vnto him and touch him after a wonderfull and vnderstanding manner Againe For what other thing Aug. de morib Ecc. Catho should be the chiefest good of Man but that to which to cleaue vnto maketh most happie and that is onely God to whom verily we cannot cleaue vnto but by Loue and Charitie And if Vertue doth lead vs to happie life I would affirme Vertue to be nothing else but the casting of all our loue vpon God And therefore I will not doubt to define these foure Cardinall Vertues after this manner That Temperance should bee Loue giuing it selfe wholly to him that is beloued Fortitude to be Loue easily suffering or enduring all things for the thing beloued Iustice to be Loue seruing onely the beloued and therefore rightly ruling Prudence to be Loue wittily separating and discerning those thinges wherewith it is helped from those by whom it is hindered But we say that this loue is not of what thing soeuer but of God that is to say of the chiefest Good chiefest Wisedome chiefest Concord Wherefore wee may also after this manner define these foure Cardinall Vertues and say That Temperance is Loue preseruing it selfe whole and vnspotted to God Fortitude to be Loue patiently suffering all things for God Iustice to be Loue onely seruing God and for his sake well gouerning other things which are vnder his charge Prudence to be Loue well discerning these things wherewithall it is helped into God from these by which it may be hindered Againe Charitie is the most Aug. de Nat. et gra ca. 42. ibi ca. 70. true the most full and most perfect Iustice vnperfect Charitie is vnperfect Iustice encreased Charitie is encreased Iustice perfect Charitie is perfect Iustice but we vnderstand Charitie from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained which then is the most perfect that it can be in this life when for the loue of it life is despised So Saint Augustine Whereupon the Councell of Trent Sess 6. ca. 7. saith Although none can be iust but to whom the mercies of the Passion of our Lord Iesus Christ are communicated that yet is done by the iustification of the wicked whiles by the merite of his most holy Passion the Charitie of God by the holy Ghost is poured into the hearts of them who are iustified and doth inhere in them Whereupon in Iustification with remission of sinnes a man doth receiue all these infused together by Iesus Christ to whom he is ingraffed by Faith Hope and Charitie For Faith vnlesse Hope be added vnto it and Charitie neither doth perfectly vnite with Christ neither doth it make a liuing Member of his Bodie And according to this are the words of S. Paul saying of Rom. 13. 10. Loue That it is the fulnesse of the Law Diuine Loue or Charitie comprehendeth in it all other Vertues fulfilleth the whole Law or Commandements of God If there be Rom. 13. any other Commandement it is comprehended in this word Thou shalt loue thy Neighbour as thy selfe The loue of thy Neighbour worketh no euill So Saint 1. Ioh. 3 10. Iohn sayth Euery one that is not iust that keepeth not the Commandements is not of God and he that loueth not his Brother because this is the Annunciation which you haue heard from the beginning That you loue one another Againe Ioh. 13. 35. In this all men shall know that you are my Disciples if you haue loue one to another Whereupon Saint Augustine sayth In 1. Ep. Ioa. tract 5. Therefore Loue onely discerneth betweene the sonnes of God and the sonnes of the Diuell All signe themselues with the signe of the Crosse of Christ all answer Amen all sing Alleluia all are Baptized all come to the Church and build the walls of Churches The sonnes of God are not discerned from the sonnes of the Diuell but by Charitie Those who haue charitie are borne of God those who haue not charitie are not borne of God Haue a great Iudgement haue a great Discretion or haue what thou wilt if this thou hast not the other doe nothing profit thee Whereupon the Prophet Dauid saith Blessed are Ps 118. 1. the immaculate in the way who walke in the Law of our Lord and loue God with all their hearts and their Neighbours for Gods sake as themselues Blessed are they that search his Ps 118. 2. testimonies that seeke after him with all their hearts for they shall be happie vpon Earth and eternally blessed in Heauen according to the words of our Sauiour saying Blessed Mat. 5. 3. Mat. 19. 29. are the poore in spirit such as haue left all things for the loue of God Blessed are the Mat. 11. 2â— meeke such as for his loue learne meekenesse of him Blessed are they that mourne for that they haue offended God and broken his Law Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Iustice the keeping of the Law Blessed are the mercifull who feede the Hungrie giue drinke to the Thirstie cloathe the Naked c. Blessed are the cleane of heart such as haue Charitie which S. Paul defineth to be of a pure Heart a good Conscience and Faith not fained Blessed are the Peace-makers such as teach men to loue their Neighbours as themselues thereby to take away all Suites and Controuersies no man commencing a Suit against himselfe Blessed are they that suffer persecution for Iustice out of their loues to God defending his Honor the fulfilling of his Oathes and seeking inuiolably to keepe his Commandements Whereupon we conclude that in the louing of God Almightie with our whole hearts and with our whole soules and with our whole mindes and our Neighbour for Gods sake as our selues consisteth all our Ease Rest Repose Content and Happinesse So God graunt thee deare Reader abundance of Charitie towards God and man that thou mayest be abundantly happie CHAP. XVII Of the temporall Blessing and Contentments which such enioy as loue God with their whole hearts and their neighbour for Gods sake as themselues HAuing established our Doctrine of Content and Happinesse and sufficiently shewed that it consisteth in Charitie from a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained which comprehendeth in it all other vertues and also hauing shewed thee how thou mayest become charitable now it resteth to set downe the Blessings Repose and Happinesse which we may by Gods grace attaine vnto by the practise of this Doctrine The loue
vpon one sinner that doth Penance And againe Luc. 15. 10. I say to you that there shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth Penance Neither at this must thou maruell since a soule that loueth God becommeth by his grace so beautifull as that God Almightie taketh her for his Spouse and liueth with her in chaste delights as in his bed-chamber house and home whereof we are to speake in the next Chapters Beautie corporall is a proportion of the members with a certaine sweetnesse of the mixture of colours Beautie spirituall is a portion of vertues with a certaine sweetnesse of diuine splendor which is of such excellencie that it cannot be expressed vnto thee but by changing literall sense of wordes into spirituall so abstract from thy senses that thou mayest in some part vnderstand what the Scriptures say of the Beautie of a soule louing our Lord and keeping his Commaundements vnder these tearmes How beautifull Cant. 4. art thou my Loue how beautifull art thou Thy eyes as it were of Doues besides that which lyeth hid within thee Thy haires as the flockes of Goates which haue commed vp from Mount Galaad Thy teeth as flocks of them that are shorne which haue commed vp from washing all with twinnes and there is not a barren amongst them Thy lippes as a Scarlet Lace and thy Speech sweet as a piece of Pomegranats so are also thy cheekes besides that which lyeth hid within Thy necke is as the Tower of Dauid which is built with Bulwarkes and thousand Targuets hanging on it all the Armour of the valiants Thy low breasts are low Faunes the twinne of a Roe which feedeth among the Lillies Thou art all faire O my Loue and there is not a spot in thee So the Scriptures in expressing the beautie of a Soule endued with Charitie and louing God Almightie with all her heart Whereupon S. Augustine sayth How shall Aug. in epist Ioan. tract 9. we become faire or beautifull but by louing him who alwayes is beautifull As much as the loue of him doth encrease in thee so much doth thy beautie encrease because Charitie is the beautie of the soule And how great happinesse it is to haue this beautie of soule or cleanenesse of heart our Lord himselfe in few words setteth it downe saying Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God For Mat 5. this cause God Almightie was incarnate and suffered death that hee might dissolue sinne and present vs to God immaculate and pure that we might see him and enioy him in seeing and enioying of whom is consummated all our happinesse For this saith S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 3. 8. appeared the sonne of God that hee might dissolue the workes of the Deuill and present vs to God pure and immaculate according to the words of S. Paul saying Whereas you were Col. 1. 21. sometime alienated and enemies in sense in euill works yet now he hath reconciled you in the body of his flesh by death to present you holy and immaculate and blamelesse before him And againe Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ as he chose vs in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in Charitie And yet adding sayth Christ loued the Church and Eph. â— 15. deliuered himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it cleansing it by the Lauer of Water in the Word that hee might present to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it may be holy and vnspotted So if it be a Content vnto thee to haue and possesse Beautie corporall or cleane Linnen soft Apparrell stately Pallaces rich Gardens which are nothing but a proportion of earthly thinges mixt with varietie of workes or colours how farre greater a Content and Happinesse would it be to thee to haue a pure Heart and Soule a good Conscience and Faith not fained Which the loue of God and keeping his Commaundements would bring thee vnto as affirmeth S. Paul saying The end of the Precept is 1. Tim. 1. 5. Charitie of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained from the which things certaine straying are turned into vanitie of words desirous to be Doctors of the Law not vnderstanding neither what things they speake nor of what they affirme As wee see by experience in the Solifidians of this Age. And this for the first spirituall Content and Happinesse of such as keepe the Commaundements CHAP. XIX Of the second spirituall Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is to be beloued of God Almightie WE see by experience that to loue and not to enioy or not to be beloued againe is painefull so hauing put all our Content and Happinesse in louing his Diuine Maiestie with all our hearts and all other things for him if we should not be beloued of his Diuine Maiestie nor enioy him we could not be content or happie So supposing that thou firmely beleeuest that God Almightie is faithfull in all his Promises and cannot lye or deceiue but will performe whatsoeuer hee hath promised if there bee no impediment on thy behalfe it is necessarie to shew vnto thee how hee hath promised to loue such as loue him with all their hearts and to make them his Children Sonnes and Coheires with our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and endue them with his Spirit the holy Ghost his gifts and fruits and maintaine his Oath and Couenant with them which hee spoke to Abraham and his Seed for euer And first for the Promises to loue them that loue him and keepe his Precepts he saith He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him Againe If any man Io. 14. 23. loue me he will keepe my Word and my Father will loue him Againe If you keepe my Precepts Io. 1â— 10. you shall abide in my loue as I also haue kept my Fathers Precepts and doe abide in his loue Againe Io. 16. 27. The Father himselfe loueth you because you haue loued mee Againe Hee that keepeth 1. Io. 2. 5. his Word in him in verie deed the Charitie of God is perfited Whereby wee see that God Almightie cannot but loue those who loue him with all their hearts and heereupon ariseth all these amorous tearmes of chast loue betwixt God Almightie and a soule that loueth him so often spoken of in the Scriptures and repeated in the workes and writings of the Fathers as Spouse and Espouse Kisse me with the kisse of his mouth my loue my beloued my beautifull one How beautifull art thou my loue my sister Spouse most beautifull
amongst women And infinite other the like amorous tearmes and kind speeches expressing the passages of chast loue spirituall pleasures and delights exercised betweene God Almightie and a Soule his fauorite Whereupon S. Augustine in his Booke of Confession calleth God Almightie His sweet happinesse the God of his heart God the light of his heart the inward bread of the mouth of his soule and the vertue marrying his minde and the bosome of the thoughts of his minde c. Insomuch as all the kindnesses in nature and exchanges of lawfull naturall affections vsed amongst creatures are but shadowes infinitely a farre off imitating the kinde passages and spirituall affections betweene God Almightie and a Soule his loue and fauorite which are so great that neither eye 1. Cor. 3. 9. hath seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of sensuall man what thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him So thou must not maruell though the friendship and passages of amitie which I write of betweene God Almightie and a Soule that loueth him with all her heart seeme strange and almost incredible since such he saith they are and ought to be as exceede the capacitie of men These are the workes of God and they are maruelous in our eyes He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him And of this ariseth the filling increase or extention of Loues motions whereof the first is Feruor which is an increase of desire to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet Dauid speaking saith My heart waxed hot within me and in Ps 38. 4. my Meditation a fire shall burne The second is Languor or languishing in loue which is an extension of feruor to our Lord beloued but not yet in spirit inioyed and so remayning betweene extension of desire and not inioying little esteeming of any thing else sweetly languisheth after our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse in the Canticles speaking saith Stay me vp with Flowers Cant. 2. compasse mee about with Apples because I languish with loue The third Extasis which is a passing of the soule out of her selfe that shee may bee in our Lord beloued Whereof the Prophet Ieremie speaking saith He shall Ierem. Lam. 3. 28. sit solitarie and hold his peace because he hath lifted himselfe aboue himselfe The fourth is Liquefaction which is a certaine dilatation or ratifying of the heart for the better receiuing and inioying of our Lord beloued Whereof the Spouse speaking saith My soule melted Cant. 5. 6. as he spake The fift Vnion which is as it were a certaine being together with our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse speaking said My beloued to me Cant. 6. 2. and ◠to him The sixt Mutuall inhesion which is a cleauing to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet speaking saith It is Ps 72. 28. good for me to cleaue to God The seuenth Penetration which is an entring of our Lord into the bottome of the soule and vnion with all the powers which cannot bee better explicated then by the words of S. Paul This is Eph. 5. 32. a great Sacrament but I speake in Christ and the Church The same vnion that is betweene Christ Iesus and the whole Church the same is with one soule his beloued the Church as it is vnited with Christ our Head by Charitie cōsisting of the iust onely with whom he is so vnited that they are but one spirit as man and wife are two in one flesh so Hee 1. Cor. 6. 16. that cleaueth to our Lord is one spirit with him saith S. Paul Thou must not thinke that God Almightie in these delights with the sons of men is altered or changed who is one and the same for euer but that we are changed by his grace and fauour and so we speake of these things according to the changes which his grace doth make in our soules and explicate them the best we can by these actions of sensuall loue which are through the miserie of mankind better knowne and so though our words sound carnall yet if thou wilt vnderstand our meaning thou must abstract from the senses and vnderstand them vnder spirituall conceptions Wee speaking of the loue betweene a soule louing our Lord with all her force and our Lord rendring by his grace and fauour mutuall exchange of spirituall loue whereof the bodie for the vnion it hath with the soule hath his part at least in the two first Feruor and Languor though little in the latter which happen as S. Paul saith in bodie 2. Cor. 12. or out of bodie I know not The auersion of his intention was such from the senses of this life in his Extasis that he saith he knew not whether it was in bodie or out of bodie Aug. epist 112. That is saith S. Augustine whether as it happeneth in vehement extasies his mind was alienated from this life into the other the bond betweene it and the bodie still remaining or there was a ful dissolution of his soule from his bodie as happeneth in complete death he knew not And thou must not maruell at it for first the attention is so great and the obiects so exceeding all things that this World can afford that the admiration drowneth all other thoughts Secondly he neither can nor may see or know more in vehement extasies and rapts then it pleaseth God Almightie to shew him The chiefest effect of all or any one of these Loues motions is Zeale of the honour and glorie of God and the keeping of his Commandements and an holy impatience detestation and horror of sinne as well in himselfe as in others as is admirably to be seene in our Father Elias the Prophet 3. Reg. 19. Dauid Saint Paul and all the Apostles and Saints as to our Father our Lord said What doest thou here Elias But he answered With zeale haue I beene zealous for our Lord the God of Hostes because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant thy Altars they haue destroyed and thy Prophets they haue slaine with the Sword c. And not to see these wickednesses and miseries desired to die saying It sufficeth me Lord take my soule for I am not better then my Fathers And the Prophet Dauid Who had 3. Reg. 15. 5. done right in the sight of our Lord and had not declined from all things which he commaunded him except the matter of Vrias the Hethite had such a detestation of his sinne that hee sayth My sinne is before mee alwayes Ps 50. 5. to detest bewaile and lament it and expressing his further sorrow and griefe for the said sinne sayth For the voice of my Ps 101. 6. groaning my bone hath cleaued to my flesh I am become as a Pellican of the Wildernesse I am become as a night-Crow in the house I haue watched and am become as
a Sparrow solitarie in the house top I did eat ashes as bread and mingled my drinke with weeping So great was the detestation and sorrow this holy Prophet had for his sinne that hee withered away through sighing and groaning fled the companie of men for shame and liued as a Crow or Owle that flyeth onely by Night and as a Sparrow who hauing lost her Mate and young remayneth mourning all alone and did eat ashes as bread and would take no comfort but in weeping My teares haue Ps 41. 4. beene bread vnto me day and night I haue laboured in my sighing I will euerie Night Ps 5. 7. wash my Bed and will water my Couch with my teares And of his zeale against sinne in others hee sayth My zeale hath made me pine Ps 118. 139. away because my enemies haue forgotten thy wordes Againe I saw the Preuaricators Ps 118. 138. and I pined away because they kept not thy wordes Againe Did not Ps 138. 21. I hate them that hate thee O Lord and pined away because of thine enemies With perfect hatred I did hate them That is hee did hate their sinne and loue their persons and seeke their saluation and in this was so zealous that hee would neither permit any one who liued in the breach of the Commandements of God either to sit at his Table with him or wait vpon him or dwell in his Pallace laying One of proud eye and vnsatiable Ps 100. 5. heart with him I did not eate mine eyes are towards the faithfull of the Earth that they may sit with me A man that walketh in the immaculate way he did minnister to me He that doth proudly shall not dwell in the middest of my house And wishing all others to follow the same rule saith With the Ps 17. 16. holy thou shalt be holy and with the innocent man thou shalt be innocent with the elect thou shalt be elect and with the peruerse thou shalt be peruerted And out of his zeale of the glorie and honor of God composed the Psalmes and prepared for the building of the Temple of God The like example of Zeale wee may finde in the Apostles and Saints Loue cannot be idle nor spirituall Iealousie euer be satisfied with labouring for God Almightie and the more it laboureth and doth the lesse it esteemeth it hath done according to the words of our Lord When you haue Luc. 17. 10. done all thinges that are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants The infinite mercies and liberalitie of God Almightie so ouerwhelming and drowning all their affections in the Sea of his goodnesse that they finde no paines but in not suffering paines and vndergoing labours for his loue So Saint Paul sayth Who shall separate Rom. 8. 35. vs from the Charitie of Christ Tribulation or Distresse or Famine or Nakednesse or Danger or Persecution or the Sword In all these things we ouercome because of him that hath loued vs. Once wounded with his loue farewell all the base pleasures and delights of the sonnes of Agar and estimation of the commodities and vanities of the World I haue Phil. 3. 8. made all things as detriment and doe esteeme them as dung that I may gaine Christ and may be found in him to know him and the vertue of his Resurrection and the societie of his Passion configured to his death If by any meanes I may come to the Resurrection which is from the dead Then so high an estimation of God Almightie and of the glorie of the other life entreth into his soule by the taste of a few droppes of his grace and fauour that paines are turned into pleasures and labours into delights for his loue and all earthly things seeme dung base and vile as they are indeed in comparison of the enioying God Almightie and the attaining vnto eternall life the force of Charitie hauing so ouercome the weakenesse of humane nature that now they liue not they but Christ in them Loue hauing so drawne them out of themselues as that they are no more that they were but that they loue To the fulfilling of the Promises and Prophecies saying in the person of our Lord I will Osce 11. 4. pull them vnto me in the coardes of Loue in the bonds of Charitie Againe This is the Iero. 31. Testament which I will make with them After these dayes Heb. 10. 15. saith our Lord giuing my Lawes in their hearts and in their mindes will I superscribe them This is the Testament which God made with our Fathers That hee would giue vs his Loue and Charitie in our hearts and soules and draw and pull vs vnto him with coardes and chaynes of Loue and Charitie This is it which our Lord promised before his Passion saying If I be exalted from the Earth Io. 12. 32. I will draw all things to my selfe Signifying that by his Passion hee would obtaine so great Charitie and Loue for his Elect who are all things all things being for them That he would draw them to himselfe into Heauen according to the saying of S. Paul Our conuersation is in Heauen and Phil. 3. 20. the wordes of our Lord saying For where thy treasure is Mat. 6. 22. there is thy heart also The treasure of the Saints is our Lord Iesus in Heauen and their hearts being wounded with the abundance of his Loue and Charitie of them it may more properly be said that they liue in Heauen then here vpon Earth for that their hearts and affections are there and man is said rather to be there where his soule loueth then where his bodie liueth and according to this our Lord saith Father whom thou hast giuen Io. 17. 24. me I will that where I am they also may be with me by grace in this life and glory in the other and so saith Iust Father Io. 17. 2â— I will that the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them This he said before his Passion and before his Ascension and by his Ascension Hee departed Aug. li. con 4. ca. 12. from our eyes that wee might returne into our hearts and finde him Hee departed indeed and yet he is heere He would not be long from vs and yet he neuer left vs Hee is in our inward hearts but our hearts haue erred from him turne sinners into your hearts and keepe his Commandements that made you stand with him and you shall stand rest in him and you shall finde Ease and Rest which God of his infinite mercies grant thee deare Reader CHAP. XX. The third Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with their whole hearts and their Neighbours for God as themselues which is the becomming sonnes of God and coheires with our Sauiour THe next happines of such as loue God Almightie with all their hearts is that they become the sonnes and children of God according to the wordes of
societie is there betweene light and darknesse And what agreement with Christ and Belial or what part hath the faithfull with the Infidel and what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For you are the Temple of the liuing God As God saith That I will dwell and walke in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people God Almightie aduanceth those who forsake sinne and iniquitie to so high a degree of Content and Happinesse that he electeth their soules for his Temple for his chiefest place of honour and glorie dedicated to the setting out of his Magnificence Laudes and Praises vpon Earth a place where are to be sung the Songs of Syon Ps 136. 3. the Song of our Lord in a Ps 104. 27. strange Land and his wonders in the Land of Cham for a place appropriated to his recreation and pleasures as God said I will dwell and walke in them Againe I am come into my Garden Cant. 5. O my sister Spouse I haue reaped my Myrrhe with mine aromaticall spices I haue eaten the hony combe with my honie I haue drunke my wine with my milke Eat O friends drinke and be inebriated my dearest my sister Spouse is a Garden inclosed a Fountaine sealed vp Thy Off-springs a Paradise of Pomegranates with Orchard fruits Cypres with Spikenard and Saffron sweet Cane and Cinnamon with all the Trees of Libanus Mirrhe and Aloes with all the chiefe Oyntments The Fountaine of Gardens the Well of liuing Waters which runne with violence from Libanus To the fulfilling of that which was spoken by the Prophet Isay saying Our Lord therefore will comfort Sion Isa 5. 3. and will comfort all the ruines thereof and he will make her Desart as Delicacies and her Wildernesse as the Garden of our Lord Ioy and gladnesse shal be found in it giuing of thanks and voice of praise Making the soule of such as loue him with all their hearts a kind of Paradise vpon Earth as God Almightie said I will dwell and walke in them in some sort as he did in Paradise with our first Parents Adam and Eua who Gen. 3. 8. heard the voice of our Lord walking in Paradise at the afternoone aire To the fulfilling of the words spoken by the Prophet Isay saying They shall Isa 6. 11. 4. build the Desarts from the beginning of the World and shall erect the old Mines and shall repaire the desolate Cities that were discipated in generation and generation Whereupon our Lord saith If any man loue me hee Io. 14. 23. will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come to him and will make our abode with him Our Lord will not only dwell in the soules of them who loue him with all their hearts but will make their hearts his house and home and abiding place Insomuch as the soules of those who loue God with all their hearts are a kinde of Heauen heere vpon Earth Our Lord said Heauen is my Isa 66. 1. Seat Againe Our Lord hath prepared his Seat in Heauen Ps 102. 19. and of the soules of such as loue him with all their hearts hee saith That he will dwell and walke and abide in them Whereby wee see that the soules of such as loue God Almightie with all their hearts are as it were a kind of Heauen vpon Earth where God Almightie keepeth his Court walketh and dwelleth As the hearts of Heretikes and those who liue in breach of the Commandements of God are a kinde of Hell euen heere vpon Earth paines and confirmation in malice excepted So those who loue God with all their hearts keepe his Commandements and seeke to please him in their actions are in a kinde of Heauen heere vpon Earth glorie and confirmation in grace excepted Whereupon our Lord promiseth to those who liue chast Keepe his Sabboths choose the thinges that hee would and hold his Couenant saying I will giue vnto them in Isa 56. 5. my House and within my Walls a Place and a Name better then Sonnes and Daughters an euerlasting Name will I giue them which shall not perish That is he will giue them to be recollected within their soules his Temple wherein he dwelleth and abideth as in his House as hee said before I will dwell in them we 2. Cor. 6. Io. 14. 2. Cor. 6. will make our abode with him You are the Temple of the liuing God Whereupon the Prophet Dauid speaking of his being recollected within his Soule in his Meditations sayth These things haue Ps 41. 5. I remembred and haue poured out my soule in me because I shall passe into the place of a maruelous Tabernacle euen to the house of God So in like manner S. Augustine sayth Our Aug. con li. 12. ca. 31. Lord is high and the humble of heart are his house Againe If we liue holy and iustly whatsoeuer Aug. ser 252. de tempore is done in Temples made with hands the same is wholly fulfilled in vs by spirituall Building Whereupon Saint Paul sayth Christ as the Sonne is Heb. 3. 6. in his owne house which house are we This is Sion and new Ierusalem Isa 62. vpon Earth the soule of him that loueth God Almightie with all his heart and recollected within it hee hath a place within the house and walls of God his owne soule the Bed-chamber of our Lord. And hee will giue him a better name then Sonnes and Daughters which is his Name Isa 7. 14. of Emanuel which is by interpretation God with vs or the Luc. 1. 23. Names of Gods not by nature but by grace and participation from his Goodnesse according as before it is said I will dwell with them wee will Io. 10. 34. make our abode with him It is written in your Law that I said you are Gods If he called them Gods to whom the Word of God was made those may be called Gods in whom God Almightie dwelleth as in his Temple house and home Here Pennes and Tongues and Thoughts and Meditations and Contemplation and whatsoeuer else with excesse of ioyfull Admiration sweetly lose themselues with a happie losse of an infinite gaine and sit alone in silent speech more eloquent then all the eloquence of Greekes and Romans sellers of vaine words and crie out Lord Mat. 8. 8. I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter into my Roofe Thy friends are honoured too Ps 138. 17. much How beautifull are thy Ps 83. Tabernacles O Lord of Hostes my soule coueteth and fainteth vnto the Courts of our Lord my heart and my flesh reioyceth towards the liuing God There the Sparrow hath found her a House and the Turtle a Neast for her selfe where she may lay her young Thine Altars O Lord of Hostes my King and my God Blessed are they that dwell in thy House O Lord for euer and euer they shall praise thee Blessed is the man whose helpe is in
thee he hath disposed ascension in his heart in the vayle of teares they shall goe from vertue into vertue the God of Gods shall be seene in Sion Whereof Boetius speaking in his third Booke and tenth Verse sayth Come hither all yee that are bound Whose base and earthly mindes are drownd By such which doth them tye in cruell Chaines Here is a Seat for men opprest Here is a Port of pleasant Rest Here may a Wretch haue refuge from his Paines No Gold which Tagus Sands bestow Nor which on Herma's Banks doth flow Nor precious stones which scortched Indians get Can cleare the sharpenesse of the minde But rather make it farre more blinde And it in farther depth of darknesse set For this that sets our soules on worke Buried in caues of Earth doth lurke But Heauen is guided by another Light Which causeth vs to shun the Darke And who this Light doth truly marke Must needs denie that Phoebus beames are bright CHAP. XXII Of the fifth Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is the finding knowing and seeing of God Almightie in this life not as he is in his Essence for so no man can see him and liue but as the Saints say in the disposition of a visible matter sauing the vision of his Diuine Essence for the glorie of the other life HE that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them he it is that loueth me and I will Io. 14. 9. loue him and will manifest my selfe to him and he that seeth me seeth also my Father God Almightie will not onely dwell and abide in his heart and soule that loueth him with all his heart but also will manifest himselfe vnto him and thereby giue him the greatest Content Rest and Happinesse that he is capable to receiue in this life the seeing of God or God Almightie manifesting himself vnto him not according to his Diuine Essence for so man is not capable of seeing his Diuine Maiestie and liue but in the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie or which is all one by taking that likenesse which his Will hath chosen and not his Nature formed as affirmeth S. Ambrose in Luc. ca. 1. S. Augustine in his Epistle de videndo Deo S. Gregor Nazia cited there by S. Augustine S. Athanasius quaestio 12. S. Hierome de verb. Isa vid. Dominum S. Chrysostome Hom. 4. de Dei Natura That he may walke by faith and not by sight 2. Cor. 5. or happie Vision Moyses the Patriarks Prophets and Saints did see God in this life as the Scriptures say but not as hee is in his Essence or Diuine Nature for so No man hath seene God Io. 1. 18. at any time nor shall see God and Exo. 33. 20. liue but vnder the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie Moyses conuersing with God face to face as a man is wont to speake to his Exo. 33. friend said vnto him Shew me thy glorie or as S. Augustine In Epist de videndo Dei translateth Shew me thy selfe and our Lord answered Thou canst not see my face or Diuine Nature for man shall not see me and liue Whereupon our Lord to satisfie the desire of Moyses shewed himselfe yet more manifestly to Moyses but still vnder the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie by taking that likenesse which his Will had chosen and not his Nature formed and so sayth to Moyses Behold there is a place with Exo. 33. 21. me and thou shalt stand vpon the Rocke and when my Glorie shall passe I will set thee in a hole of the Rocke and protect thee with my right hand vntill I passe and I will take away my hand and thou shalt see my backe parts In like manner our Lord shewed himselfe in the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie to the rest of the Saints and Prophets as to our Father Elias 3. Reg. 11. in the whistling of a gentle Wind To the Prophet Isay like a Isa 6. man sitting vpon a high Throne and eleuated his Face and Feete couered with the Wings of Seraphins To the Apostles and Saints of the Act. 2. Primitiue Church the holie Ghost appeared in Tongues as it were of fire And S. Iohn in Apo. 4. et 5. et 6. the Apocalypse often maketh mention to haue seene God sitting vpon a Throne And S. Augustine affirmeth That Conf. li. 11. c. 8. wheresoeuer hee did looke hee did see God saying How commeth it to passe my Lord God that wheresoeuer I I looke I see thee but how I should declare or make others vnderstand it I know not vnlesse it be because all that doth begin to bee and doth cease to bee doth then begin to bee and end when it is knowne that it ought to begin or end with eternall reason So the Prophet Dauid did see Ps 15. 8. God alwaies according to his words saying I foresaw our Lord in my sight alwaies not with the eyes of his bodie which dayly decay but with the eye of his heart which was renewed from day to 2. Cor. 4. 16. day according to the words of S. Paul saying God that 2. Cor. 4. 6. commanded Light to shine in darknesse he hath shined in our hearts to the illumination of the knowledge of the glorie of God So our Sauiour sayth Blessed Mat. 5. 8. are the cleane of heart for they shall see God And Saint Paul Heb. 12. 14. sayth Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see God Whereupon Saint Augustine sayth That Aug. ep 111. the wicked though they shall rise in the Day of Iudgement yet they shall not see God Because they would not make cleane their hearts by a true Faith that worketh by Charitie For God is not seene in a Amb. in 111. ep of S. Aug. Place sayth Saint Ambrose but in a cleane or pure heart Whereupon Saint Iohn sayth 1. Io. 4. 8. He that loueth not knoweth not God And Saint Paul defineth 2. Tim. 1. 5. Diuine Loue or Charitie to be from a pure heart And Saint Augustine further Aug. ep 111. sayth That great men truly and most learned in the Scriptures who haue much benefited the Church and the studies of the faithfull as often as occasion hath beene offered haue said That the inuisible God is seene inuisibly that is to say by that nature which in vs is also inuisible that is by a pure heart and minde Againe Because that according Aug. ep 112. to the custome of speech bodies are said to be visible therefore God is said to be inuisible least he should seeme to be a bodie and not because he doth defraud cleane hearts of the contemplation of his substance seeing this great and high reward is promised to the adorers and louers of God
So Saint Augustine God Almightie who is in all places and euerie where present is inuisible to the eyes of the bodie and visible to the pure cleane of heart yet not so visible to the cleane of heart in this life as that they shall see him as he is in his essence or diuine nature or as he inhabiteth Light 1. Tim. 6. 16. not accessible whom no man hath seene yea neither can see and Exo. 33. liue but as S. Paul saith in 1. Cor. 13. a darke sort in comparison of the blessed seeing of him in the other life or as the Saints say in such sort as his Will hath chosen and not his Nature formed whose delights are as he saith to be with the children of men Whereupon Pro. 8. 31. S. Augustine saith What doe I Li. Con. li. 10. ca. 6. loue when I loue thee my Lord I doe not loue the beautie of Bodies nor the glorie of Time nor the brightnesse of Light nor the sweete melodie of all kind of delightfull Songs nor the pleasing smels of Flowers and Oyntments and Spices not Manna and Honey nor Members acceptable to the embracements of the Flesh I doe not loue these when I loue my God and yet I loue a certaine Light and a certaine Voice and a certaine Odor and a certaine Meate and a certaine Imbracing when I loue my God the Light the Voice the Odor the Meate the imbracing of my inward Man where doth shine to my Soule that which Place doth not comprehend and where doth sound that which Time doth not take away and where doth smell that which a puffe of Wind doth not scatter and where doth taste that which eating doth not diminish and where doth cleaue that which satietie doth not take away This is that which I loue when I loue my God So great are the mercies of God Almightie and so infinite is his loue towards them who loue him with all their hearts that since they are not capable liuing in this life of seeing his substance and Diuine Nature Essence Deitie and Glorie hee will accommodate himselfe so as that they shall finde know and see him as they may and so enioy the greatest Ease Rest Content and Happinesse that they are capable of in this life and rest in some sort satisfied quiet and content as a Stone in his Centure Fire in his Sphere and Ayre in his Region according as in other places our Lord sayth Io. 17. 3â— This is life euerlasting that they know the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ And againe I will see you againe and your heart shall reioyce and your ioy no man shall take from you and in that day you shall not aske any thing because they had by seeing our Lord all that they could desire and all Ease Rest and Content that in this life they were capable of so much content and so great that wee cannot expresse it but by saying that they had more then ynough of Rest and Content Thy friends are Ps 138. honoured too much Insomuch as there ariseth many times a pious contention betweene our Lord and a soule that loueth him who knowing her owne vnworthinesse how vnworthie shee is of any such fauours desireth to loue him and shew her loue towards him onely for his goodnesse without receiuing in this life such infinite rewards and therefore with thankfulnesse and humilitie as farre as resignation to his will permitteth refuseth the acceptance of his great contentments and fauours And then God Almightie being as it were more ouercome with these her humble proceedings poureth them out vpon her the more for in louing her humilitie and making great account of her resignation and desire of louing him onely for his goodnesse as vpon one fit to receiue greater fauours hee will communicate his goodnesse more abundantly vnto her and so they both rest as it were more then satisfied God Almightie in the humilitie resignation and faithfulnesse of the soule that loueth him and the soule that loueth him in the infinite mercies of her Lord. Thou must not thinke that I put Content and Happinesse in Visions Reuelations Gustes Consolations or spirituall delights such errors be farre from me but I put them in Charitie and diuine Loue the louing of God Almightie with all thy heart and thy neighbor for God as thy selfe according to the Precept and speake of those spirituall delights as they doe fill and satisfie Loues motions and so both giue content and encrease thy content and happinesse by mouing thee the more to loue his Diuine Maiestie as hauing tasted of his goodnesse according to the prayer of S. Paul for the Ephesians saying Hearing of your Eph. 1. 15. faith that is in our Lord Iesus and loue towards all the Saints I cease not to giue thanks for you making a memorie of you in my prayers That God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glorie giue you the spirit of Wisdome and of Reuelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your heart illuminated that you may know what the hope is of his vocation and what are the riches of his inheritance in the Saints Thou mayest be happie and neither haue Vision nor Reuelation nor yet many sensible spirituall Consolations yet more cause there is for thee to hope that thou art in a happie estate the more thou partakest of the Promises which God Almightie hath promised to such as are happie and loue him with all their hearts and so saith Blessed are your Mat. 13. 16. eyes because they see the Sonne of God and your eares because they heare God Almightie speaking and preaching And Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Iona Mat. 16. 17. because flesh and bloud hath not reuealed it vnto thee And againe he sayth Learne of me Mat. 11. 28. for I am meeke and humble of heart and you shall finde rest that is himselfe who is all the Content and Rest that wee either shall finde or can hope to attaine vnto in this life or in all eternitie Whereupon it is said Seeke God and Ps 68. 33. thy soule shall liue not that thou shalt be happie by onely seeing him in this life but by louing him hee being an infinite Good and the chiefest Good of all Goods and onely sufficient to satisfie thy heart with complete content For by seeing him hee will so pierce thy heart with his loue and wound thy soule and all thy affections with the excellencie of his Goodnesse that thou wilt say with S. Paul I esteeme all things to Phil. 3. 8. be detriment and as dung that I may gaine Christ Though thou wert the greatest King Queene Prince or Emperour of the Earth as great as were Assuerus and Ester who reigned ouer the Medes and Persians an hundreth twentie seuen Prouinces Est 1. yet wouldest thou heartily say with Queene Ester to our Lord Thou knowest Est 4. 16. Lord my necessitie that I
or enioy God or haue anie true content that hath anie vice or iniquitie in his soule as S. Paul sayth If any man 1. Tim. 6. 3. consent not to that doctrine which is according to pietie he is proud knowing nothing because all men may and ought to know that God Almightie is of infinite pietie and so cannot plant a Faith or Religion which is not pious and teaching all vertues as necessarie to saluation and vnion of heart with him their happinesse Thirdly that Faith and Religion in all reason must be the Faith and Religion planted by God which teacheth and sheweth men the most and best meanes how to loue God this being an Argument in Nature and Grace That euerie one loueth his owne 3. Reg. 3. 26. Ioh. 5. 19. Whereby is manifest that our Catholike Religion is the true Faith for that it teacheth vs how to loue God with all our hearts and how to obtaine Saluation and Happinesse by louing God VVhereas Protestants doe teach Saluation by onely Faith and that it is impossible to loue God or keepe the Commaundements And can there be a more vile and wicked Religion inuented then to teach that it is impossible to loue God Almightie with all our hearts Fourthly by generall consent of all People and Nations though of different Religions who all generally say and affirme That Catholikes liuing according to their Faith and Religion may be saued and haue a sparing as some tearme it sauing Faith And the consent of all People and Sects and Nations cannot erre in Reason CHAP. VII That it is as certaine that our Catholike Faith which Protestants call Papistrie is the Faith of God planted by our Sauiour as it is certaine that God Almightie cannot lye or be forsworne and how easily to end and determine all Controuersies by maintaining the Oath of God as true BY my own selfe haue I sworne Gen. 22. 16. saith the Lord to Abraham because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thy onely begotten sonne for my sake I will blesse thee and I will multiply thy Seed as the starres of Heauen and as the sand that is by the Sea shoare thy Seed shall possesse the gates of his enemies and in thy Seed shall be blessed all the Nations of the Earth because thou hast obeyed my voice Againe our Lord promised to Isaack saying In thy Seed Gen. 26. 4. shall be blessed all the Nations of the Earth for because Abraham obeyed my voice Againe our Lord promised to Iacob Thy Seed shall be as Gen. 28. the dust of the Earth thou shalt be dilated to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and thy Seed all the Tribes of the Earth shall be blessed Of these Promises the Prophet Esay speaketh saying Israel shall flourish and spring Isa 27. 5. and they shall fill the face of the world with Seed Againe I Isa 61. 8. the Lord that loue Iudgement and hate Robberie in Holocaust And I will giue their worke in truth and make a perpetuall Couenant with them And they shall know their Seed in the Gentiles and their Budde in the middest of Peoples All that shall see them shall know them that those are the Seed which the Lord hath blessed And of this Oath the same Prophet speaking sayth As in the dayes of Noe is this thing Isa 54 9. to me to whom I sware that I will no more bring the Waters of Noe vpon the Earth so haue I sworne not to be angrie with thee and not to rebuke thee for the Mountaines shall be moued and the little Hills shall tremble before the Day of Iudgement but my Mercie shall not depart from thee and the Couenant of my Peace shall not be remoued said our Lord thy Miserator Of this Oath the Prophet Daniel in the Captiuitie of Babylon maketh mention saying Take not away thy Dan. 3. 35. Mercie from vs for Abraham thy beloued and Isaack thy seruant and Israel thy holy one to whom thou hast spoken promising that thou wouldest multiplie their Seed as the starres of Heauen and as the Sand that is in the Sea shoare Of this Oath the Prophet Dauid speaking sayth I will Ps 88. 28 put him the first begotten high aboue all the Kings of the Earth I will keepe my Mercie vnto him for euer and my Testament faithfull vnto him I will put his Seed for euer and euer and his Throne as the dayes of Heauen But if his children shall forsake my Law and will not walke in my Iudgements if they shall prophane my Mercies and not keepe my Commaundements I will visit their Iniquitie with a Rod and their sinnes with stripes But my mercies I will not take away from him neither will I hurt in my Truth Neither will I prophane my Testament violate his Oath Againe speaking of this Oath and these Promises hee sayth He hath beene Ps 104. mindfull for euer of his Testament of the Word which he commaunded vnto thousand of Generations which he disposed to Abraham and his Oath to Isaac and he appointed it to Iacob for a Precept and to Israel for an eternall Testament That this Oath of God and Promises to the Patriarkes were to be fulfilled in Christ Iesu and in Christians maintaining and professing the Faith of God planted by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Scriptures abundantly do testifie Our Lord expounding the Parable of the Cockle of the field sayth He that Mat. 13. 37. soweth the good Seed is the Sonne of Man and the Field is the World and the good Seed those are the Children of the Kingdome dispersed ouer the World according to the Oath of God to Abraham Againe our Lord sayth Doe Mat. 5. 18. not thinke that I come to breake the Law or the Prophets I am not come to breake but to fulfill Againe All things must needes Luc. 24. be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moyses and the Prophets and the Psalmes of me Our Blessed Ladie speaking of the fulfilling of this Oath in our Sauiour and his Seede the Christians saith Hee hath receiued Israel his Luc. â— 54. Child being mindfull of his mercie as he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his Seede for euer And Zacharie replenished with the Holy Ghost prophecied saying Blessed be Luc. 1. 68. our Lord God of Israel because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people as he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that are from the beginning to remember his holy Testament the Oath which he sware to Abraham our Father Of the fulfilling of this Oath and these Promises in our Sauiour and Christians S. Peter speaketh saying You are the Children of the Act. 31. 24. Prophets and of the Testament which God made to our Fathers saying to Abraham And in thy Seed shall all the Families of the Earth be blessed That this Oath of God
in England who firmely grounded and founded in the infallible certainetie of the Oathes and Promises of God doe thinke whatsoeuer they can suffer or endure in this life too little to manifest the constancie of their Faith and Hope in the Promises of God that as S. Paul writeth of the Romans so wee may say of the English Catholikes Your Faith Rom. 1. 8. is renowmed throughout the whole World and will be in all Ages in this life and after death for all eternitie in Heauen A fourth may be to remember that it is the Precept of our Lord saying Loue your enemies doe good to Mat. 5. 44. them that hate you pray for them that persecute you and abuse you Thou seest what paines the Pursuinants take at the commaundement of their Maysters to apprehend take spoyle and torment Priests and Catholikes and in all equitie it must needes be a great shame vnto thee that the commaundement of a Man should haue more force to moue men to breake the commaundements of God then the commaundement of God hath to moue thee to keepe them especially considering that all which they can get is but to diuide the spoyles betweene their Maysters and them and the good countenance of their Maysters to themselues And thou expectest the Kingdome of Heauen the happie Vision of God and eternall Glorie A fifth may be to consider what it is that thou desirest Is it not Content and Happinesse Wouldest thou not be Content and Happie This is the Way Looke after all those who euer attained vnto high degree of Rest and Ioy and obserue their steppes and thou shalt finde that they are all gone in this path of outward Tribulation and Persecution And supposed that thou couldest finde another way to Rest and Ioyes wouldest thou forsake the comfort of so good companie to goe alone when as by so doing thou shouldest but depriue thy selfe of much Ease and Ioy. The seruants of God who willingly take paines and readily suffer persecution for the loue of God in their sufferings and persecutions doe not suffer but in outward shew view and sight of the World hauing in their inward hearts and soules more Ioyes and Content then any Penne or Tongue is able to expresse God Almightie is more tender ouer his who will willingly suffer persecution for his loue then euer was the most affectioned Mother in the World ouer her onely Child that giue but thy consent free will and resignation of minde readily by Gods grace to suffer whatsoeuer persecution or tribulation it shall please his Diuine Maiestie to permit to fall vpon thee willingly march on in that way to Rest by which he will conduct thee and suffer paines of torment thou neuer shalt but be so full of Ioy in the greatest seeming paines that if they were sensible to others as they will be to thy selfe thy suffering would conuert not one but all the World And if thou wilt beleeue the Testimonies of all pious Men in this Age and in all Ages past thou shalt finde it most true by their Testimonies and Experiences that either all Content and Ioyes which are to be found in this life or the most part are to be found in suffering and enduring outward paines labours and persecutions for the loue of God such are the Promises of God as wee haue said immediately before and God Almightie is iust and faithfull in all his Promises if there be no defect on thy behalfe So the Prophet Dauid affirmeth saying According Ps 93. 19. to the multitude of my sorrowes in my heart thy consolations haue made my soule ioyfull Againe Thou hast proued vs O Lord by fire thou hast Ps 65. 9. tryed vs as Siluer is tryed thou hast brought vs vnto a Snare thou hast laid Tribulations on our backes thou hast set men vpon our heads we haue passed through fire and water and thou hast brought vs out into refreshing So Saint Paul often affirmeth saying As the 2. Cor. 1. 5. Passions of Christ abound in vs so also by Christ doth our comfort abound Againe We make 2. Cor. 8. 2. it knowne vnto you Brethren the grace of God that is giuen in the Church of Macedonia that in much experience of Tribulation they had abundance of Ioy. Againe to the Corinthians liuing in persecution and tribulation hee writeth saying Our hope is firme for you 2. Cor. 1. 7. knowing that as you are partakers of the Passion so shall you be of the Consolation also And further affirmeth saying All Discipline for the present truly Heb. 12. 11. seemeth not to be of Ioy but of Sorrow but after it will render vnto them that are exercised in it most peaceable fruit of Iustice So S. Peter witnesseth saying My dearest communicating â— Pet. 4. 12. with the Passions of Christ be glad that in the reuelation also of his glorie you may be glad reioycing If you be reuiled in the Name of Iesus Christ you shall be blessed because that which is of the honour glorie and vertue of God and the Spirit which is his shall rest vpon you The holy Ghost will rest vpon you with his gifts and fruites from whose communication proceedeth all our Content and Happinesse as wee will shew in his place So Saint Paul concludeth That all men without exception shall find Content by Persecution saying All that will liue godly 1. Tim. 3. 12. in Christ Iesus shall suffer Persecution Whereby thou seest that if either the light of Reason or Grace may preuaile with thee thou hast no cause to hate or wish euill vnto the persons of the Pursuinants or seuerest Persecutors but to hate and detest their sinne impietie and wickednesse and loue cherish and doe all the seruiceable offices thou canst vnto their persons since that by patiently enduring the euils and wickednesse they practise vpon thee God Almightie hath disposed to conduct thee to more temporall and eternall Rest Content and Happinesse then euer otherwise thou couldest haue expected to haue receiued Which considered thou oughtest to haue great compassion vpon those poore miserable and wretched people which serue for nothing else but by God Almighties permission to conduct thee to Happinesse after to descend themselues into eternall Torments and out of compassion to pray much for them if peraduenture God Almightie will haue mercie on them also that they may see their errors and come to loue God Almighty with their whole hearts and their neighbours as themselues and saue their soules that those whom thou hast had as persecutors vpon Earth thou mayest haue as companions of Glorie in Heauen which God Almightie graunt vs and to that end I set downe these Acts following Acts of Charitie or Loue toward our Neighbour O King of Kings in whose hands are the hearts of all Kings for thy tender mercies I beseech thee graunt that my King Queene and Prince may so liue and serue thee vpon Earth that after death they may be found
Fiftly the Diuell not onely causeth them to doe what he will as his captiues slaues but also for the most part maketh them to thinke and beleeue what he will as witnesseth our Sauiour saying Euery one that heareth the Word Mat. 13. 19 of the Kingdome and vnderstandeth not there commeth the wicked one and snatcheth away that which was sowne in his heart To these who do not keepe the Commandements of God the Diuell becommeth so rigorous a Master that they must not onely doe what hee will but also beleeue meditate and thinke what he will so that if either they happen to reade any pious Booke or heare any Christian Speech Sermon or Exhortation the Diuell will not permit them to thinke vpon it long but dwelling in their hearts presently snatcheth it out of their memorie and fantasie and putteth in of his owne suggestions that they can neuer haue for any long space any one good thought but must be occupied continually in thinking vpon such things as it shall please the Deuill to suggest vnto them and sowe in their hearts and soules As further witnesseth our Sauiour saying He that soweth the good Seed Mat. 13. 37 is the Sonne of Man our Sauiour and the Cockle are the Children of the wicked one who doe the workes of their Father the Diuell and the Enemie that sowed them is the Diuell The Diuell according to the testimonie of our Sauiour hath such power and authoritie ouer those who doe not keepe the Commaundements of God that he soweth in their hearts for the most part what he pleaseth insomuch as they must not haue a thought long remayning there that is not of his planting and sowing And from hence ariseth their assurednesse of saluation without keeping the Commaundements of God and the feeling of the Spirit as they call it which is a sensible delight stirred vp by the Diuell in the concupiscible inferior part of their soules whereby hee puffeth them vp with such swelling pride of minde and selfe-conceit of themselues of being endued with the holy Ghost as that presently they contemne the iudgement authoritie and knowledge of all others as inferiour to their owne and of lesse certaintie then is their feeling of the spirit Insomuch as though you alledge vnto them the Oathes of God and Promises and Prophecies of both Testaments Councels Fathers and experience of former Ages nothing will preuaile against their priuate spirit it telleth them that the whole Church generall Councels ancient Fathers all others may be deceiued but they are assured they are not And thus deceiued by the Diuell they liue in this life in a kind of frenzie of spirit in spirituall things like the Diuels in Hell who being confirmed in pride and malice thinke well of themselues and basely of all others For the sixt and last Miserie of this people in this life wee put their Blindnesse which is so great that liuing in all these Miseries they cannot see them to haue compassion of themselues And who is more miserable then he that is in miserie and in danger to fall into eternall miserie and yet can haue no compassion of himselfe Man beeing a reasonable creature and Sinne and breach of the Commaundements of God being a worke done or made against reason and it being a naturall thing for one contrarie to destroy the other Hereupon it commeth to passe that those who liue in breach of the Commaundements of God become blinde in their vnderstandings and void of the true light of reason and true discourse of things passed or to come and so as blinde men without discourse or apprehension of Dangers Doe spend their dayes in sensuall pleasures and in an instant descend into Hell The God of this World saith 2. Cor. 4. 4. Saint Paul hath blinded the eyes of the Infidels that the illumination of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ who is the Image of God might not shine to them That which euerie one loueth hee easily seeth and embraceth and that which hee loueth not though it be before him he will flye from it and not see it and being impossible for these as they confesse to loue God with all their hearts it is impossible for them to see or know his Truths So our Lord said Io. 8. 17. If any man will doe the will of him that sent me loue God with all his heart he shall vnderstand of the Doctrine whether it be of God Againe If any one loue me he Io. 14. 23. will keepe my Word Againe He that saith he knoweth God 1. Io. 2. 4. and keepeth not his Commaundements is a lyar Againe Euery Io. 3. 20. one that doth euill hateth the Light hateth our Sauior who is as he saith Io. 9. 6. the Light of the World And what canst thou expect from the haters of Light but Doctrine of Darknesse and Miserie Our Sauiour speaking of their Miseries in the other life saith that receiuing his Curse they shall goe into fire Mat. 25. euerlasting which was prepared for the Diuell and his Angels that is to say they shall goe into Hell which is as the Prophet Isay saith A profound Isa 30. and spacious roome His food is fire and store of wood the breath of our Lords mouth doth kindle the same like a maine Riuer of Brimstone And there bound hands and feet they shall lye in a Bed of Moathes couered ouer with a Couerlet of Wormes or Lice and bee deliuered vp into the hands of the Diuels to poure out the wrath vengeance and rage of God Almightie vpon them as is manifest by the Scriptures saying Mat. 22. 13. Bind his hands and feete and cast him into vtter darkenesse Againe Ps 149. This glorie is to all his Saints to doe reuenge in the Nations chastisement among the Peoples to bind their Kings in Fetters and their Nobles in Iron Manicles Againe Ps 139. Thou shalt cast them downe into fire in miseries they shall not stand vp Againe Isa 14. Thy Pride is drawne downe into Hell thy Carkas is fallen the Moathe shall be strowed vnder thee and Wormes shall be thy Couering And lying thus in this wofull and lamentable estate they shall be giuen vp into the hands of Diuels to heape yet more Torments vpon them as witnesseth the holy Ghost saying Eccl. 39. There are spirits created to reuenge and in their furie they haue fortified their Torments When the finall Day shall come they shall poure forth the force and rage of him that created them Fire Haile Famine Death teeth of Beasts Scorpions and Serpents And besides these Torments their Eyes shall be tormented with vgly shapes of Diuels together with the horror of the Place wherein as Iob sayth Iob. 10. 21. no order but a perpetuall horror doth remaine Their Eares shall be tormented with horrible Schrikes Lamentations Rorings Curses and Blasphemies of Diuels and damned Soules He loued Cursing sayth Ps 108. the Prophet
thee deare Reader abundance of Charitie that thou maist beare much Fruit of the holy Ghost and be abundantly Happy and Content For with the same Mat. 6. 38. measure you doe mete it shall be measured to you againe saith our Sauiour OF THE SECOND Fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Ioy. THe second Fruit which the Holy Ghost produceth in the hearts of such as loue God is Ioy not such base ioyes as haue gaping hunters when they haue found their prey or sensuall Men in the Lute and Harpe and 〈◊〉 â—0 Timbrell and Psalme and Wines in their Banquets for which cause Hell hath dilated his Soule and opened his Mouth without all measure or limitation and the Strong and High and Glorious ones shall descend into it but Ioy in our Lord according to the words of the blessed Virgine Mary saying My Spirit hath reioyced Luk. 1. 46. in God my Sauiour An exultation of the Heart and Soule in the liuing God according to the words of the Prophet Dauid saying My Psal 83. 5. Heart and my Flesh hath reioyced in the liuing God who is all Pleasure Content and Good An inestimable Ioy and content of Minde and Spirit to finde our Lord there according to his Promise Now indeed you haue Io. 16. â—â— Sorrow but I will see you again and your Heart shall reioyce and your Ioy no man shall take from you Because it shall be in their inward soules with God Almightie which death will not take away but increase according to the words of our Lord saying As my Io. 15. â— Father had loued me I also haue loued you abide in my Loue If you keepe my Precepts you shall abide in my loue as I also keepe my Fathers Precepts and doe abide in his loue These things I haue spoken to you that my Ioy may be in you and your Ioy may be filled with so great Content that in this life you are neither capable nor would receiue or desire more Of this Ioy our Sauiour â—â— 17. 11. further speaking saith Holy Father keepe them in thy Name whom thou hast giuen me that they may be one as also We and these things I speake in the World that they may haue my Ioy filled in themselues Of this Ioy S. Augustine speaking saith God forbid Con. li. 10. ca. 22. my Lord that with what Ioy soeuer I should reioice I should thinke my selfe happie There is a Ioy which is not giuen to the wicked but to such as serue thee gratis whose Ioy thou thy selfe art and that same is happie Life to reioice at thee of thee and for thee this is it and other there is none Againe Con li. 10. ca. 23. Such as will not reioice of thee who only art happie Life will not be happie for happie Life is Ioy of thee who art Truth God mine illumination the health of my face â—nd my God And out of this Ioy are the abundant Prayses and Ioyes of the Prophet Dauid saying Come let vs reioyce Ps â—4 to our Lord Let vs make iubilation to God our Sauiour The habitation in thee as it Iâ— 8â— â— were of all reioycing Light is risen to the Iust and Ioy to the right of heart Be glad ye Iust 〈…〉 1â— in our Lord and confesse ye to the memorie of his sanctification Of this Ioy the Prophet A 〈…〉 〈…〉 writing saith I will 〈…〉 our Lord and will reioice 〈…〉 my IESVS Of this Ioy the Prophet 〈…〉 Isay speaking saith The ioy of 〈◊〉 Asses the pastures of flocks vntill the Spirit be poured out vpon vs from on high and the Desart shall be as Carmell and Carmell shall be reputed for a Forrest and Iudgement shall dwell in the Wildernesse and Iustice shall sit in Carmell The Ioyes and contentments of Men before they he endued with the Spirit of God are as the Prophet saith like the ioyes of wilde Asses all placed in eating drinking sleeping and following their carnall and sensuall appetites but after the Holy Ghost be poured out vpon them then they who were without Fruit and as such abandoned and forsaken and left to the ioyes of wilde Asses shall be as Carmell or Carmelites which is to say knowledge of Circumcision or a Circumcised Lamb and shall abandon and cast off all their wilde Asses pleasures to become partakers of the Promises of God to our Fathers saying Our Lord thy God will circumcise Deut. 30. 6. thy heart and the heart of thy Seede that thou maiest loue thy Lord thy God in all thy heart and in all thy soule that thou maiest liue Whereof S. Paul speaking Rom. 2. saith Circumcision of the heart in Spirit Againe Wee Phi. 3. are the Circumcision which in Spirit serue God and keepe the Commandements And Carmell the Mount from which wee take our Name and vpon which our Fathers Elias Elizeus and the sonnes of the Prophets liued in contemplation and adoration of God in Spirit and veritie shall be so dilated as a Forrest manie giuing themselues to contemplation all ouer the World And Iudgement shall dwell in contemplatiue Men and Iustice shall sit in Carmell in Carmelites or Men hauing circumcised hearts by the Spirit of God As in another place the same Prophet speaking saith Shall Isa 22. not yet within a little while and in a short time Libanus another more waste Mountaine in Palestina be turned into Carmell and Carmell reputed for a Forrest and in that day the deafe shall heare the words of the Booke and out of the Darkenesse and Mist the eies of the blinde shall see and the meeke shall adde ioyfulnesse in our Lord and the poore men shall reioice in the Holy One of Israel c. Againe of these Ioyes Ease and Rest which men endued with Charitie should attaine vnto the Prophet Isay further speaking saith When Isa 2. thou shalt poure out thy Soule to the hungrie and shalt fill the afflicted Soule thy light shall rise vp in darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the Noone-day And our Lord will giue thee Rest alwaies and will fill thy Soule with brightnesse and deliuer thy bones and thou shalt be as a watered Garden and as a Fountaine of Waters whose Water shall not faile And the Desarts of the World shall be builded in thee Thou shalt raise vp the foundations of Generation and Generation and thou shalt be called the builder of the Hedges turning the Paths into Rest. If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will in my Holy day and call the Sabbath delicate and the Holy of our Lord glorious and glorifie him whilest thou doest not thine owne waies and thy will be not found to speake a word Then shalt thou bee delighted vpon the Lord and I will lift thee vp aboue the heights of the Earth and will feede thee with the Inheritance of IACOB thy Father for the Mouth of our Lord hath spoken If the
Ioy of wilde Asses be so highly esteemed by the Princes and adorers of the Earth as that they put either all or the most part of their content in them how much more are to be esteemed the Ioyes of the holy Ghost which doe so farre exceede all the Ioyes of wilde Asses and carnall pleasures of the censuall Men of the Earth as the Soule doth the Body The one being common to pious Men and Angels the other proper to carnall Men and Beasts OF THE THIRD Fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Peace THe third Fruit which the holy Ghost doth produce in the hearts of them that loue him and their neighbour for him is Peace not such Peace as is giuen to the wicked who can finde no other Rest or Peace but in the following and feeding of their inordinate appetites with sensuall pleasures like the beasts of the Forrest But the Peace of God which passeth Phil. 4. 7. all vnderstanding an Ease Rest Repose of heart and minde in God Almightie which exceedeth the capacitie and vnderstanding of all sensuall men which S. Paul describeth to be an vnion of our hearts and all the vnderstanding Phil. 4. powers of our soule in Christ Iesus Peace which was promised by the Prophet Isay saying When the Spirit shall be poured Isa â—2 17. out vpon vs then the worke of Iustice shall be Peace and the seruice of Iustice Silence and Securitie for euer And my People shall sit in the beautie of Peace and in the Tabernacles of Confidence and in wealthie Rest Resting of their Hearts and all the powers of their Soule in Christ Iesus as a Stone in his Centre Peace spoken of by the Prophet Dauid saying Praise â—â— 147. â— thy God O Syon because hee hath strengthened the Locks of thy Gates he hath blessed thy Children in thee who hath set thy borders Peace and filleth thee with the fat of Corne. Againe In Peace in the self-same I will sleepe and rest Whereupon S. Augustine reading this verse after his Conuersion from Heresie cryed from the bottome of his heart O in Peace O Con. li. 9. 8. ca. 4. in the selfe-same O what did he say I will Repose and take Rest Thou O Lord art the selfe-same exceedingly who art not variable in thee is Rest forgetting of all labours for that there is no other with thee neither are there many more things to be had which thou art not But thou O Lord hast singularly setled me in hope I did reade and did burne in loue Neither did I finde what I should doe to the deafe dead Heretikes amongst whom I had beene an vnsauourie yeller forth of infectious Doctrine and blinde against the Letters honyed with the hony of Heauen and lightened with thy Light O that they could see the inward Eternall Light Which I because I had tasted I was angrie at my selfe for that I could not shew it them if they should bring vnto me a heart in their owne eies without thee and should say Who will shew vs good things So Saint Augustine The Peace spoken of by our Sauiour saying Peace I Io. 14. 27. leaue to you my peace I giue to you not as the World giueth doe I giue to you Againe In me you may haue Io. 16. 55. Peace in the World you shall haue Distresse Whereof the Prophet Isay speaking saith For this cause shall my people Isa 52. â— know my Name in that day because I my selfe that spake Peace I leaue you loe am present How beautifull vpon the Mountaines are the feele of him that euangelizeth and preacheth Peace of him that telleth good preaching Health that faith to Sion the Soule which loueth God with all his heart Thy God shall Isa 9. 5. raigne Because all violent taking of prey with tumult and garment mingled with blood shall be burnt and foode for the fire For a little Childe is borne to vs and a Sonne is giuen to vs and his name shall be called Prince of Peace His Empire shall be multiplied and there shall be multiplied and there shal be no end of his peace At this Peace the Angels reioyced to see it prepared to be planted in the Hearts of Men vpon Earth And Luk. 2. the Angels said I euangelize to you great Ioy that shall be to all People beeause this day is borne to you a Sauiour which is Christ our Lord you shall finde the Infant swadled in Clothes and layd in a Maunger And suddenly these was with the Angell a multitude of the heauenly Armie praysing God and saying Glorie in the highest to God and in Earth Peace to Men of good will For Eph. â— hee our Lord himselfe is our Peace who hath made both one and dissoluing the middle Wall of the Partition the enmities in his Flesh And comming he euangelized Peace to you that were farre off and Peace to them that were nigh for by him we haue accesse both in one Spirit to the Father This is the Peace which Saint Paul wished to the Thessalonians saying The 2. Thes 3. 16. Lord of Peace himselfe giue you euerlasting Peace in euery place And this is the Peace which our Lord often wished to his Disciples after his Resurrection saying Peace be to you This Peace saith S. Augustine In epist ad fratres in eremo Christ left by a Testament to the Apostles as the chiefest good without the which none ought to liue c. This is that glorious Peace which expelleth the fruit of euill Thoughts preserueth the wauering Minde from hurt and purgeth the Conscience He who hath not the peace of Heart of Mouth and Worke ought not to be called a Christian O Peace thou art the serenitie of the Minde the tranquilitie of the Soule the simplicitie of the Heart the bond of Loue and companion of Charitie This is that high Felicitie which taketh away Enmities appeaseth Warres oppresseth Anger 's treadeth downe the Proud loueth the Humble endeth Strifes maketh Enemies friends acceptable to all Men. So S. Augustine And if the Peace of the Earth which is but a cessation from worldly troubles or affaires and a satisfying of thy passions be pleasing vnto thee of how farre greater Content and Happinesse must the Peace of God be which passeth all vnderstanding and keepeth as S. Paul saith Our Hearts and all the Phi. 4. 7. vnderstanding powers of our Soule in Christ Iesus which God of his goodnesse grant thee Reader OF THE FOVRTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Patience THe fourth fruit is Patience of which it is said In Patience shall you possesse Luk. 21 19. your Soules Then a man is said to enioy a thing when he receiueth Content in it and vseth it according to the end it was created for he that possesseth a thing to vexe and afflict hath it not to enioy and possesse but to torment Whereupon it commeth to passe that angrie and chollericke men doe not possesse themselues nor