of is aucthority Especially when we go about any parte of his religious seruice let vs seriously suppose we come more particulerly into his presence then let vs consider him present as one of greatest maiesty and then let vs consider him present as one of the Best goodnes on the other side then let vs acknowledge our selues before him as exceeding vnworthy creatures and allso then let vs acknowledge our selues before him as maruelous wicked and malicious enemyes that so we may reuerencâ— and feare his majesty as Greatest and with hope and loue praye vnto his Goodnes as Best especially humbling and confounding our selues before him as wonderfull lewde enemyes and vnworthy base creatures 4. Yet herein let vs take comforte o my soule as well as feare for as he is the Greatest to be feared so he is the Best to be loued And as he seeth all so he seeth not as man seeth his giftes of nature are admirable but any one gifte of his grace as S. Thomas saith is of more value then all his giftes of nature in the whole worlde therfore we will doo reuerence before thy majesty and before thy Goodnes we will sing prayses o lordè thou seest not as man seeth neither imperfectly to be deceiued taking good for euill nor partially to be corrupted by fauor or affection thine eye is not cruell in malice but mercifull euen in justice if we seeke to hide our faultes thou seest and doost punish if we humble our selues as Dauid here before thee then thou beholdest vs with pity 5. If we sinne before men many wil say why doth not fire come downe from heauen to chastize such wickednes But as Calicratidas hauing a prisoner whom his enemyes hated and a great summe of mony desidered to be deliuered vnto them to the end they mighte torment and kill him as they desidered thoughe Calicratidas wanted mony to pay his army yet he would not sell his captiue to their malice wherupon saith Cleander who was a Capteyn of his counsell surely if I were Calicratidas I woulde sell this prisoner for this mony the other wittily replyed In sooth so woulde I if I were Cleand insinuating the difference betweene a base couetous minde and a noble generous spirite In the same maner because our lorde is not of ignoble disposition like Cleander but much morâ— heroycall then Calicratidas therfore with a munificent kingly minde he suffers our faultes rewardes vs with benefites when men would haue deliuered vs to the diuell he granteth pardon to much euill committed before him where men woulde take sharp vengeance for one worde of reproche thoughe spoken behinde their backes And in this sense Iob pleadeth vnto his pitifull eye saying Are thine eyes of fleth or dâ—ost thou see as a man seeth that thou shouldest seeke my iniquity and searche out my sinne so let vs say o lord we hope well to finde fauour in thy face for thine eyes are not vnmercifull nor doo they exaggerate our faultes as men being offended rather thoughe it doo aggrauate my sinne to haue bene committed before thee yet this doth coÌ„forte my soule because I doo knowe thee a most heroycall lorde and a gracious God full of pity not like malicious men reuengefull in cruelty OF DIVERSE WAYES BY WHICH OVR lorde is justifyed and may be said to ouercome when he is judged Sect. 6. 1. VT iustificeris in sermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris That thou maist be iustfyed in thy wordes maist ouercome when thou arte iudged They that desire any benefite of kinges vse to alledge their passed merites or future ability in his seruice but of thee O God I aske mercy without merite only for mercy sake I suffer misery I abhorre my iniquity I see confesse my sinnes therfore haue mercy I haue principally-offended thee and thou hast promised pardon and passed thy worde to forgiue euery penitent therfore haue mercy that so thou maict be iustifyed in thy wordes and if any woulde doubte of the truthe of these promises that allso thou mayst ouercome such when thou arte iudged in their mistrustfull discourses 2. If directly thou shalte auouch that I all men are sinners absolutely thou shalte ouercome in this plea all meÌ„ who dare trauerse their enditemeÌ„t shal be found lyers thou shalte be iustifyed Or thus my sinne may be an occasion of thy greater bounty and iustification not causally but consequently thy iustification reckoned for an effecte not my sinne accompted for a cause so here is placed this coniunction vt that which is allso vsed by our Sauiour in the same sense saying sitt downe in the laste place that he coming who inuited thee may say freind sitte vp higher where he meaneth not to teach fayned humility to sit lowest to the end to be aduaÌ„ced for such counterfet humility were indeede worse then ordinary pride but our Sauior foretelleth that so it will folowe succede that if we be sincerely humble we shall certeinly be exalted not to be so intended by vs but it will be so órdeyned of God And so S. Paul alledgeth these wordes concluding that our wickednes doth more manifest commend the iustice of God And so we may say I haue sinned o lorde before thee vnto thee and by how much more my sinnes are greater by so much the more thou haste occasion to magnifie thy mercy in my pardon to testifye to all the worlde the truthe of thy promises and against any mistrustfull or murmuring censurer to prooue thy selfe an vndoubted a gracious Iudge 3. O lorde thou haste sworne vnto thy seruante Dauid that of the fruite of his loynes thou wouldest set the Messias on his throne althoughe I haue sinned greiuously because I haue hartily repented yet let it appeare that thou hast forgiuen my sinnes and wilte still accomplishe thy former promises that so in respecte of doubtefull weakelinges thou maist be iustifyed in the assurance of thy worde and maist ouercome all misdeeming enemyes in their enuious imaginations who otherwise will iudge me as a reprobate or blaspheme thee as a promise breaker 4. Or else we may construe it thus o lorde thou haste threatned temporall publique punishment against me some paraduenture knowing me to be great in thy fauor yet ignorante of my great sinnes if they should see me so afflicted not knowe howe I haue offended it may be they woulde wonder or murmure or take some other scandall wherfore be it knowne to all the worlde that I haue sinned and hauing demerited all those punishments which shall come vpon me let it appeare that I am faulty and thou arte iuste both iustifyed in thy wordes accomplishing what thou haste threatned and allso maist ouercome in proofe that thou haste threatned punished me duely if any shoulde judge or censure thee rashly Thus o my soule let vs humble our selues for our sinnes and giue glory to God in his iustice thus said
then our harte searching our entralls prouing our reynes to thee we refer this iudgment and fearing our selues to bee far the worse we humbly sincerely craue more penitence more pity O IESV giue me strength in satisfaction to beare what thou wilte impose and then impose coorrectioÌ„ what our wilte O sweet Sauiour thou knowest how absolutely herein I doo resigne my will O continue me this grace and teach me more in true penaÌ„ce still to begge for more mercy I haue dishonored thee scandalized men for I was a publique preacher of the protestantes false Doctrine wherin peraduenture by my meanes some haue bene seduced many hardened others offended I haue profaned thy sacred churches somtime dedicated to thy catholique seruice and for mine owne body soule which should haue bene thy spirituall temples o how haue they bene polluted by errors which I supposed to be truthes by presumption of knowledge when I was in ignorance by some vices which I reputed vertues by many faultes which I neglected 4. If to affirme this as I doo penitently be my shame let it be O God as I desire thy glory If the worlde the diuells mine owne conscience doo accuse me O Father of mercy I confesse all wherof any of these can justly impeache me and allso whatsoeuer else thou doost know more in me then I haue coÌ„fessed or can call to minde in transgressions against thy deuine majesty in offences against my neighbors in many sinnes against my selfe O wretched and vile sinner that I am what should such a sinner doo whither shall I go shoulde I despayre No for that one sinne were greater then all these What though my sinnes haue bene many bad according to my religion my profession worse wherby like the prodigall sonne I was a Swynehearde a protestante minister feeding my selfe others with the huskes of heresy Et non satiabar in which I coulde neuer taste of true comforte nor obteyne peace vnto my conscience therfore with him I will Arise go to my heauenly Father I am resolued To arise from sinne Sectaryes To go vnto God our Father by meanes of the Catholique churche our mother and with this perpetuall purpose I doo say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruantes 5. Amongest Protestantes against malice I might wel plead ciuill honesty morall integrity wherin I liued among them without reprehension but in comparison of thy Catholique seruantes Sayntes O God before thy heauenly purest eyes I dare not present my former best innocence here I renounce any plea of passed integrity I disclayme my wonted profession I lament detest my errors my sinnes Thou knowest O lord I haue acknowledged them vnto my Ghostly Father in confession I beseech thee to confirme his absolution and as I doo entreate so I doo truste that thou wilte vnbinde in heauen what he hath vnbound on earthe O forgiue them for Iesus sake and so keepe me euer hereafter in thy loue grace that I may rather chuse miseryes disgraces reproches tormentes ten thousand deathes then at my time to retourne to the like sinnes errors or to my former estate And thou o blessed Virgin the mother of our only Sauiour and all the Angells and Sayntes of heauen O praye for me that during my life I may say this psalme with Dauid in true contrition And so throughe our Lord Iesus obteyning mercy at laste I may with him and all you be admitted into glory MEDIT. II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out mine iniquity Washe me yet more from my iniquity cleanse me from my Sinne. A SHORTE DIVISION AND EXPLIcation of all these wordes Sect. 1. S. Ambrose saith Dauid sinned which Kinges are wonte but he performed penance he wepte he mourned which Kinges are not wonte he confessed his faulte he craued pardon prâ—strate on the ground he bewayled his wretchednes he fasted he prayed he hath published for euer a testimony of his confession priuate men are ashamed to doo this a King is not ashamed to confesse c O come my soule let not Dauid thus condemne vs nor S. Ambrose thus accuse vs rather because we haue ouertaken ouergone Dauid in sinning let vs be stayed by S. Ambrose to followe such a king in repenting Let vs consider our owne misery and our Lordes mercy not mercy without misery least we presume nor misery without mercy least we despayre Many thinke not how wretched they are by sinne in their hartes and therfore they sighe not with miserere in their mouthes but we are readyer to talke or thinke of our worthynes theÌ„ of our sinfulnes especially we will sooner compare our selues with other men in wisedome in knowledge in authority riches or such like with the proude pharisy then with the huÌ„ble publican acknowledge our ignoraÌ„ce our faultes and our infirmityes but what auayle such comparisons we shall be judged by that which we are in our selues not by what we seeme to be in respecte of others a dwarfe is not à gyante thoughe he stande on the toppe of a steeple or on a mounteyn a stately towre is not a lowe Cottage thoughe it be placed in the bottome of a valley consider o my soule what thou arte in the vale of misery not what thou maist seeme on a mounte of vanity let one depthe call vpon another out of the depthe of our sinfull misery o God we call vpon the depthe of profounde mercy 2. A deepe wounde must haue a large tente abondance of soares must haue many playsters o graunte vs great mercy for our deepe woundes and multitude of miserations for our innumerable botches let them seeke for smaller mercy whose faultes procede of meaner ignorance but my sinnes o lord haue neede of a strong warriour to redeeme me and of a skilfull phisition to heale me All sinners descend from IerusaleÌ„ to Ierico from the highest vertues to the basest vices they fall among theeues divells tentations delightes I allso among these was dangerously wounded in naturall facultyes spoyled generally of spirituall graces o gracious Samaritan miserere take pity on me passe not by me vnregarded O let the greatnes of thy mercy heale my naturall woundes and by the multitude of thy miserations repayre my spirituall losses come nere me come to me o compassionate Samaritan powre in wyne of compunction to cleanse my filthynes make me feele my misery powre in oyle of absolution to heale my soarenes by thy mercy o great phisitian here shew the
by mans penaltyes and by our Lordes chastisements yea such is the misery of sinne that one sinne is the punishment of another and many times of it selfe though not directly by it selfe yet by accident indirectly first because when by former sinne we caste from vs Gods grace giuen or offred he then leaueth vs to our owne corrupte weakenes to Sathan the worldes forcible tentations whose continual batteryes whiles without grace we cannot resiste we doo afterwardes justly fall captiues vnto many sinnes who by some former faulte did rejecte his grace so vnkindly 2. there are some sinnes which are punishments both offormer faultes of themselues not only in their effectes as prodigality hath for his followers wante and robberye but allso in their very actions some are a payne vnto themselues eyther inwardely as enuy anger doo vexe their owne maysters or outwardly when men doo passe much labor perill or coste to effecte some sinnes As Plutarche saith men adjudged to be crucifyed or to other tormentes were forced first to beare their owne crosses or such other instruments of theyr owne execution so sinners by sinne it selfe doo here begin their owne payne damnation and so they confessed who the wiseman saith were in hell lassati sumus in via iniquitatis we were tyred wearyed in our way of iniquity 5. Wherfore among so many miseryes should we not often crye miserere haue mercy in respecte of sinnes punishing themselues one another by outward toyle danger losse by inward feare remorse vexation by depriuing vs of Gods grace leauing vs to our owne concupiscence miserere for we are guilty out of order against God against men against our owne conscience miserere to bring backe our Will eâ—ring in darkenes to cleare our Vnderstanding shadowed with blemishes to repayre our giftes of grace decayed by frailtyes miserere haue mercy by reuiuing the seedes of vertue remoouing the hindrances customes of Vice miserere restoring vs to justice which we lost forfeyted inclyning encreasing vs in holynes which we forsooke diminished and finally miserere preseruing vs in substance of soule body from sufferance of payne vnto fruition of glory for in all these viz by corruption of nature by deformity of soule by guyltines of punishment we are all miserable therfore in all these o blessed Iesu miserere haue mercy OTHER WRETCHED EFFECTES OF sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. SAlomon saith that sinne maketh people to be miserable and S. Augustin defyneth sinne to be Deedes wordes or desires which be against the eternall lawe of God which are made mortall sinne when we adde vnto any of these a full consent of our will with auersion or forsaking of God Consider then o my soule in what estate thou arte when thou abydest in sinne If in our lorde be all happynes and to be in fauour with him be our felicity o how great wretchednes is it to forâ—ake his loue to fall into his hate But Esay said our sinnes deuide betwene him vs and both Salomon Dauid affirme that he hateth all who worke iniquity wherfore S. Chrysostome said I judge it to be harder more intolerable then a thousand hell fyres to be hated of Christe to heare him say I knowe you not it were better to endure a thousand thumderboltes then to see his face of mildenes to be turned from vs or enraged against vs for the eye which vseth to be fauorable when it becometh fierce is most terrible 2. Alas o lorde we haue forsaken thy infinite goodnes we haue loste thy inestimable fauour wherfore to free vs from thy hate restore vs to thy happynes miserere haue mercy Haue mercy not only for the good which by sinne we doo loose but allso in respecte of the euill which for it we doo suffer because many are the whippes of a sinner for sinne the earthe was cursed to bring forthe thornes the woman cursed to beare children in payne and man was cursed to eate his bread with labour Vpon sinners our lorde rayneth snares fire brimstone and the spirites of tempestet are in the portion of his cuppe his very prayers are turned into sinne and his table is a snare vnto him all wickednes is as a sharpe two edged sworde 3. But if we be neither mooued with loue of goodnes nor with feare of wrathe I knowe not whither we be more miserable who must suffer the punishment or blockish who will not see to auoyde the faulte yet let vs consider the nature of sinne which is contrary to our nature we were created doo desire to enioy liberty but sinne maketh vs slaues and the wiseman saith Euery sinner is bounde in the fetters of his owne sinnes We naturally abhorre hell the diuell deathe but sinne caused the very angells offending to be throwne downe from heauen to be reserued in the chaynes of hell S. Augustin saith that euery sinner selles his â—oule to the diuel taking for his price the sweetnes of some temporall delighte nay S. Chrysostome calleth euery sinner a certeyn willing diuell a self-willed madnes And as for death which we so much feare the scripture saith that they which committe sinne doo kill theyr owne soules we knowe it were horrible to murder our Father but to murder thy selfe it is more damnable wherfore as the wiseman sayd take mercy on thine owne soule pleasing God which then we doo when penitently we say vnto him miserere haue mercy 4. What shoulde I say of sinne tormenting the conscience offending the communion of Sayntes among men it is a discredite among Christians it causeth excoÌ„munication and S. Basil doth write that as smoke driueth bees from their hiues and loth some smells driue pigeons from their houses so from the custody of our persons â—l sauoring sinnes driue away our holy Angells And is not euery inordinate minde a penalty to it selfe as S. Augustin auoucheth for couetousnes gripes pride swells enuy consumes concupiscence inflames luxury stingeth gluttony stinketh dronkennes besotteth sclander scratcheth ambition vndermyneth it selfe iniuryes gette hatred discorde teareth anger burneth lighte heades are neuer quiet idlenes is wearisome lazynes combreth hipocrysie deceiueth his owne harte flatterye giues himselfe the lye in his owne throate O miserable sinnes which make men so wretched which seldome come alone without seauen worse diuells folowing them which make our present prayers not purposing amendment to be rejected which cause all our good deedes paste not to be regarded which are so hardly cured because they are not so easily as we thinke repented In time therfore o lord with the first worde of this psalme against all these for-meÌ„tioned miseryes we humbly hartily crye miserere haue mercy OF THE NAME AND NATVRE OF GOD who he his vvhat we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. 1.
O God who canst not be deceiued for thou arte wisedome nor corrupted for thou arte justice nor ouercome for thou arte allmighty nor escaped for thou arte euery where present O God who by thy omnipotence as thou arte able to punish the careles with terror so thou arte able to cure the sorowfull with fauor O God whose property is to haue mercy in whom there is no difference betwene thy mercy thy essence and as the Churche prayeth who doost manifest thy omnipotency in pity aboue all and in showing mercy Miserere mei Deus O God shew towardes mee thy omnipotent mercy O God whose name is shorte but thy majesty is great not like men who haue an ell of great names not an inche of good nature or a vayne preface of Titles longer then the whole booke of their true vertues But thy excellent goodnes is vespeakable O God and we name thee to signifye whom we meane in our shallowe capacity not to expresse what thou arte in thy infinite majesty Wherfore thoughe I be miserable yet thou arte powerfull pitifull to releiue me for thou arte God and thoughe I be wicked yet thou as God art infinitely gracious abundantly mercifull to forgiue me 2. Miserere mei haue mercy on mee not haue mercy on Dauid as in another psalme O Lord remember Dauid nor dare I say haue mercy on thy seruante for I haue broken thy commandements nor haue mercy on the king for as my name and person is now odious so to mention my dignity were to aggrauate my offence O foule sinne which makes me ashamed of mine owne name yet I will pointe to my wretched substance thoughe I dare not declare my guilty person for the respecte of the partye doth often much encrease the offence Haue mercy on mee I acknowledge my faulte I denye it not with Cayn I caste it not vpon another as Eue I excuse it not as Saul nor with Iudas do I confesse and yet despayre but as I condemne my selfe for my sinnes so I trust in thy goodnes for thy mercy miserere mei haue mercy on mee On mee who ioyned and coupled so many sinnes in one fardell about fullfilling my desire and pleasure On mee who consented to the motions of luste who corrupted messengers to further it who abused another mans wife to fullfill it who deuised practises to conceale it and would haue had my bastarde misbegotten to be reputed as another mans heyre legitimate On mee who added murder to adultery who repayed iniuryes for requitall of seruice On mee who thus wronged a man altogether innocent with him procured diuerse others to be slayne who were allso harmeles On mee who caused him by fraude to cary letters like Bellerophon contriuing the manner of his owne death On mee who receiued the tydinges of his murder with gladnes and presently with delighte maryed his widowe On mee who long lay sleeping in these sinnes without remorse and if I had not bene rebuked by thy prophet paraduenture of my selfe I had neuer repented On mee whom thou diddest deliuer from the malice of Saul and yet I my selfe wroughte mischeife against Vrias On mee who was aduanced from a shepheard to a kinge yet towardes mee Nabal was not so vnthankefull as by this offence I haue bene against thee ingratefull Finally thou werte wonte to powre thy spiritte of prophecy on mee in which I vsed to sing psalmes vnto thee but beholde I haue expelled thy spirite which was my trusty comforter and I haue enterteyned the spirite of luste a trecherous stranger I haue changed the ioye of the spirite into the delighte of the flesh I haue forsaken my psalmes and prayers of deuotion I haue lefte my good-workes and carefull exercise of religion O haue mercy On mee who began with much feruor to sequester all my thoughtes from the worlde like a religious man but since I haue giuen place to some coldenes of desires and bene content to passe along like another worldly man On mee therfore O God miserere mei haue mercy on mee 3. According to thy great mercy according to the multitude of thy miserations Thou O God diddest so loue the worlde that thou gauest thy only sonne being God equall to thy selfe to take our flesh and to taste of our misery for the redemption of vs men O great mercy O multitude of miserations we of our selues are thy desperate enemyes yet as S. Peter said According to thy great mercy thou haste regenerated vs vnto the hope throughe Christe of an inheritance incorruptible In thee therfore O blessed Iesus is conteyned this great mercy by thee we receiue this multitude of miserations It were not so much for a man to abase himselfe to become a toade as it was for thee being God to become man this was great mercy but it was a multitude of miserations to endure our miseryes to suffer tormentes and to vndergoe death for distressed enimies herein saith S. Paul God doth commend his charity vnto vs seeing when we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. 4. It is mercy to giue vs food rayment it is more mercy to continue vs life it was yet more to create vs being nothing and it was greater mercy to affoarde vs the vse of all his creatures both in necessity for which we owe him thankes and in delighte which requireth prayse Before we were we merited nothing but if now God still shew mercy after we haue shewed our selues vnthankfull to such a Lord is not this great mercy to giue his soone to redeeme a rebellious seruant nay to redeeme his enemye out of bondage is it not a multitude of miserations To see water run downe the hill it is no marueill nor being powred on euen playne grounde to see it run on euery side euery way but it were a wonder to see a riuer run vp a monteyn So to giue rewarde vnto deserte it is our Lordes naturall iustice to bestowe benefites on them who haue neither done good nor hurte it is his euerflowing goodnes but to doo so well vnto vs who haue demerited so ill against him what can I call it but his miraculous great mercy nay that is not enoughe it hath in it an infinite multitude of miserations It was admirable humility for God to become man it was patience without a paterne being man to suffer so much of men for men but to performe all this for men who worse then beastes were become his reuolted enemyes this was great mercie in this was multitude of miserations 5. It is mercie to forgiue our offences they are miserations to releiue our necessityes both great and with multitudes in all kind of continued and discreet quantityes vnmeasurable mercyes because so great and innumerable miserations because so many And not alone seuerally a magnitude of great mercie and a multitude of many miserations but allso intermiâ—te great multitudes of many mercyes and many magnitudes of great miserations
SVNDRY EXCELLENT OBSERVATIONS of S. Bernarde applyed to this meditation of our Lordes great mercyes and multitude of miserations Sect. 4. SAynt Bernard in seuerall places describeth the greatnes multitude of these mercies and miserations As there be sinnes so there be mercies some small some great and some in a meane betwene both The firste mercy expecteth a sinner not punishhing presently the second giueth a penitent harte which freeth vs from smaller sinnes paste by our daily compunction deliuereth vs from present veniall trangressions But thirdly for great crimes paste we haue neede of great contrition and against mortall sinnes which may followe we haue neede of great caution these are harde matters wherfore this thirde great mercy is necessary for all great sinners to lament faultes passed to preuent followable offences 2. The multitude of his miserations are 1. somtimes in bitternes of any sorte of greife which withdraweth our minde from our vsuall delightes of ordinary sinne 2. somtimes by remouing the occasions of our wonted sinnes 3. somtime by giuing vs grace of resistance that thoughe we be tempted yet we withstand our motions ouercome our affections 4. somtimes not so much taking away the outward occasions as alltogether healing our inwarde affection and herin consisted the absolute perfection of our blessed Lady and S. Ihon Baptiste preserued from all sinne and in one particuler S. Thomas of Aquine had his loynes so girded by an Angell that there neuer after came into his desire any fleshly thoughte and so somtimes some other haue one or other affection so mortifyed by meanes of Gods especiall grace that not only they doo not followe them no nor so much as any wit feel them 3. O blessed IESV in the goodnes of thy great mercy thou haste preserued me from many sinnes into which of my selfe I woulde haue fallen o continue the multitude of thy miserations sending any greife of harte which may holde me from any delighte of sinne O take away occasions of sinnes giue me power to resiste tentations or so heale my affections that neither in euill they doo molest me nor in good become weary eyther driue away my buffeter or giue me thy sufficient grace to be a conqueror O gracious God in thy great mercy thou diddest a long time expect my repeÌ„tance o continue the multitude of thy miserations in thy long sufferance to permitte me time and grace of satisfaction and amendement O holy Iesu in thy great mercy thou diddest touche my harte with some sorowe for my great sinne O continue the multitude of thy miserations against all my faultes to shew me their lothsomnes as soares to make me some what feele their smarte as woundes and both to desire to obteyne hope that they shall be cured 4. O swete Iesu in thy great mercy thou hast giuen me strength to arise from sinne and error to come vnto thy truthe and Catholique Churche and hitherto to continue in thy seruice quia fecit magna qui potens est thou hast done great thinges for me who arte mighty and abounding in great mercy o continue the multitude of thy miserations against the multitude of myne enimyes which daily seeke my downefall and destruction 1. against myne owne flesh from whom I can neither flye nor put him to flyghte neither may I kill this foe but rather norishe him to liue thoughe not to reigne nor to rule in me 2. against this alluring worlde flattering with pleasures entising with honors and deceiuing with riches Our flesh is an enemye within vs the worlde is an enemye round about vs these twoo are to many but alas I see a vehement winde blustring from the northe o lorde helpe me in thy multitude of miserations or I shall perish in the great danger of this storme beholde it is Satan the hammer of the worlde a serpent more subtile then all beastes a dragon more cruell insatiable then any monster he is an enemy whom we cannot easily discerne how then shall wee certeinly avoyde him his arrowes are shotte closely and his snares hidde secrettly how shall we escape them somtime he assaltes openly with violence somtime priuily with fraudes allwayes cruelly with malice of our selues we are not able to resiste him much lesse to ouercome but thankes be to God who giueth vs victory throughe Christe our lorde faciens potentiam in brachio suo strenghthening vs with power in his arme 5. O bountifull God in thy great mercy thou hast enabled vs to performe good workes which may merite heauen o continue the multitude of thy miserations enduing me with grace still to abhorre the wickednes of my sinne which is paste to despise the present vanity of this worlde and earnestly to desire the futuâ—e happynes of heauen O comfortable Iesu in thy great mercy thou haste quieted my harte with a good hope of eternall life o continue the multitude of thy miserations that neither the scarsity of my owne merites nor the vnworthynes of my selfe nor the estimation of heauens inestimable valew may caste me downe from the heighte of my hope because it is huÌ„bly and firmely rooted in the charity of thy adoption in the verity of thy promise and in the ability of thy performance I knowe in whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that in his exceeding great charity there shal be no defecte and as he did promise it in his great mercy so in the multitude of his miserations he will performe it O God we haue neede of thy great mercy to supply the defectes of our great necessityes and we desire the multitude of thy miserations for our defence against the multitudes of our mighty enemyes and therfore I will euer repeate this effectuall prayer Haue mercy on mee O God according to thy great mercy according to the multitude of thy miserations WHAT MERCY IS AND OF THE EFfects Also how sinnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 5. 1. MErcy in latin is called misericordia which according to S. Augustin is a compassion in our harte of another creatures misery so it is misericordia quasi miserans Cor. Somtime it is a foolish womanish pity then it is only a passion in the sensitiue parte but being grounded on reason it is a vertue in the will in which laste sorte it is in God but no way as a passion And it is in him as in a Superior to an inferior either as munificence to releiue our wantes or as clemencie to forgiue our faultes not as among men by affection feeling our freindes misery as if it were our owne for how can any misery touch him who is all happy hauing all which he willeth willes nothing which is euill Nor can he haue any feeling of our misery by occasion of feare as olde men wise men who consider the dangers incertainties of all euentes nor as timorous feeble minded people who doubte in pusillanimity least vpon any occasion they shoulde fall
owner it is mine as receiuer and giuer it is mine by open bargayne by secret conueyance it is mine it is mine by practise by application by coniunction by participation by infection by defection by custome by counsell commaunde consent prouoking praysing by not discouering not hindring not punishing or by not reprehending when I mighte and oughte By all or by some of these titles propertyes euery one must knowe his owne faulte set theÌ„ against himselfe saying it is mine 4. In a common assembly of a city said Socrates if the cryer shoulde will all the merchantes to stande vp so they would and no other if all the goldesmithes all the mercers grocers drapers taÌ„ners taylers c. were seuerally required to staÌ„de a parte euery trade by it selfe they would doo it orderly but if the cozening vnconscionable sellers shoulde be commanded by the Mayor himselfe to come stand by him no man woulde stirre yet contrarily if the basest sergeant should in the Mayors name will all the honest iuste dealing men to remooue all to one side it is like that all would go apace thruste harde not to stande nere the middest least he should be thoughte to remayne nere the dishonest side Thus men are not so vnwilling to shew their trades how meane soeuer as to acknowledge their faultes how small soeuer because all men would seme innocent or iuste no man will talke with Dauid of my iniquity my sinne But as in worldly matters we gladly talke of my ancestors my landes my Lordships my houses my tenantes my dignityes my credite my authority or of any thing wherof we can vante all that is mine so also in spirituall thinges or matters perteyning to the minde vnderstanding we are willing to speake of anything wherof we may somewhat glory either openly with a full mouthe or with halfe a mouthe nicely or at least in thoughte secretly call it mine as my deuotion my fasting my losses or constancy for religion my knowledge my discretion c. of these or other such like we doo willingly talke somtime to the end we may insinuate how or which of them is mine yea somtime we doo them because afterwarde we may boast such a good deede was mine like the gleade or kyte which mountes vpwarde to heauen but alwayes his eye is looking downewarde to the earthe where to espye some cary on or garbage on the grounde and so we doo often seeme to flie vpward to heauen in our intentions whiles we fixe our eye much more vpon the action to call it mine In fine thus any good we doo readily call it mine thoughe it be as Batillus chalenged Virgillis verses for his owne but we disclayme all euill thoughe it be like him who talking much yet denyed stoutly that he had any tongue IT IS NECESSARY TO REMEMber harmes of sinne therby learning to amend and take heede Sect. 3. 1. THis is our corrupte inclination to deny our faultes and to boaste of our worthynes neuertheles o my soule be thou carefull to knowe my iniquity be diligent to haue my sinne alwayes against me that so it may moderate thy mirthe diminish thy delightes in thy meditations often to thinke of it with inwarde greife in time of tribulation to suffer chastizement for it with outward sorowe alwayes to keepe it in thine eye to humble thee or to warne theâ— let him euer plucke thee by the sleeue As Abimelech hauing taken Sara being warned in a vision not to touche her for she was â—brahams wife he set her free and giuing her a 1000. peeces of syluer to buy vayles for herselfe her women to couer their faces he saith remember whithersoeuer thou go that thou werte taken as if he meante being fayre going with thy face open men are more easily entangled in thy beauty wherfore buy vayles to couer thine eyes remember thou werte taken broughte in danger of sinne by this faulte of open shewing thy face So likewise with vs by what occasion soeuer we haue bene taken or put in hazarde of any sinne let vs remember and set our former occasions faultes alwayes against vs that wee may against another time beware to be taken by any such like occasion in any such sinne 2. Thus S. Gregory vseth a strange petition but in this sense a very good speache prosit mihi Domine quod peccaui according to our english phrase after our meate much good may it doo me o Lorde that I haue sinned as if he should say out of the euill which I haue committed by my faulte let me drawe good by thy mercy let it make me more humble gentle towardes others lesse trusting to my selfe most dutifull towardes thee both to prayse thy mercy which pardoneth me and to desire thy grace to vpholde me Neuertheles these seme strange speeches to be against me yet to doo me good as also that speech of Origen seemes strange who calleth Dauid a very good sinner a sinner yet very good to doo vs good yet to be against vs how can this be surely in this pointe we must imitate our lordes goodnes who drawes good out of euill causeth the most wicked men vilest diuells to serue his purpose for good so we must make mithridate or trâ—aclâ— against poysoÌ„ euen of most poysonous vipers the more we haue bene sinners by consideration therof to mooue our selues to be so much more good such a one is a good sinner such a good sinner was the good theefe on the crosse whom we therfore call the good theefe many ancyent Fathers call him Sanctum latronem holie theefe not holie because he had bene a wicked theefe but because he beâ—ame so zealous a penitent Such good sinners were Zacheus S Mary Magdalen S. Mathew S. Peter S. Paul S. Augustin S. Mary of Egipte S. Anastase the Necromancer diuerse others such a good sinner was Dauid in this place who therfore sette his sinne alwayes against himselfe to the end it might doo him much good so may we by considering often the greatnes of our sinne how they haue bene much euill 3. And as Agesilaus being resolued to passe with an army throughe his neighbors cuntry sent not to aske leaue for passage but only to demande how they would haue him to passe whither with his pike trayled along or set on end that is whither peceably or by force for passe he woulde muste So our sinnes must be set against vs either to condemne vs being not amended or being repented to admonish vs since therfore we must passe their pikes is it not better to make our selues free from vnauoidable aduersaryes then to adde rancor to cruell hostility And as an olde shippe which lyes wracked on some shelfe remaynes for a sea marke that no more shoulde folowe her in that course so the danger horror misery of our passed sinnes set against vs or
fauour and for vs so looke vp to thy Sonne in prayer that we may be always vertuously sober in our actions religiously ciuill in our speeches in our very thoughtes pure and chaste in all our conuersation All which we earnestly entreate for the all sufficient merites mercyes of our Sauiour thy Sonne and by the immaculate purity of thy conception THE MOST GRACIOVS AND WONDERfull remedyes of our originall sinne Sect. 7. 1. THus was our blessed Lady preuented with grace But how shall we be made cleane who are conceiued by such vncleane seede excepte only as Iob answered By thee alone o Lorde whose grace saith S. Paul doth superabounde our sinne For sinne came by man but grace is of more power as proceeding from God Sinne did not take away from vs all good nor bring vpon vs all euill But grace doth deliuer vs from all the euill wherinto we mighte fall and is sufficient to giue vs all the good we can desire Adams sinne brought a curse only to his descendentes and to the earthe But by the merites of Christe all creatures except the diuells who hate him eyther haue or may haue parte of his blessing For by him not only all mankind is redeemed but the good Angells are confirmed in their grace and euen these senceles creatures shal be renued in their nature 2. And in the saluation of our soule there is more force in Gods grace then in mans sinne for it is easie and we are prone to fall or to dye in sinne but we are lumpish heauie and it is exceeding harde to be raysed vp to life of grace wherfore grace is the stronger and the more worthy and therfore we are the more indebted considering how weake we are and how vnworthy And it is maruelous to consider the proportion betwene our sinfull misery and our gracious remedie As against originall sinne is appointed Baptisme to regenerate vs in grace from that wherin we were generated by nature that as infantes are defyled by meanes of Adams corruption without their owne facte so they are washed by meanes of Christes redemption without their owne helpe Children are spotted before they be aware of it and they are cleansed before they knowe of it In their conception vnwitting and in their baptisme ignorante We are raysed by others before we haue reason to aske helpe as by others we were caste downe before we had sense of our fall Or if some be of yeares of discretion before they be baptyzed as infidels conuerted or if christians after Baptisme become sinners and come agayne to repentance in the firste sorte the grace of baptisme takes away all sinne originall and actuall and all punishment eternall and temporall in both sortes there is first a iustification without foregoing merites quae fit in hominâ— which of God alone is effected in man and then a second iustification quam facit homo in which man doth his parte and hath following good workes In wâ—ich second iustice it is reason we follow Gods grace to performe some satisfaction and to obteynes merites as we had runne after our concupiscence to incurre guiltynes and suffer punishments 3. All our merites and all our good are deriued from God but our first iustice in our first conuersion doth so come from him alone that we are not so much guilty by Adam of originall sinne without our owne faulte as Christ alone doth iustifye vs from all sinne without our owne merite O greatnes O goodnes of grace more powerfull and more abundant then sinne O swete IESVS who doost in wisdome so answer iustice with mercy that neither doo we wante any fauour nor is the lawe vnsatisfyed in all rigor and euery pointe balanced with conuenient counterpeyse Sinners in Adam iuste in Châ—iste In our selues actually and really wicked throughe Christe truly and inherently iuste We were inthralled by our sinfull liues he redeemed vs by his holy death By his passion and sufferinges he satisfyed for our punishments and our good workes haue merite by the vertue of his actions 4. But to insiâ—te especially in his comparison with Adam His crosse stood vpon Adams graue there beginning life where death began By a tree we perished and we were ransomed on a tree He repayred his churche his beloued spouse by the water and bloud which issued out of his side dying as Eua the wife of Adam was taken out of his side sleeping and by that water he clenseth our spottes of sinne and by that bloud he purchased to vs the beauty of grace By occasion of a woman came a generall curse and a greater blessing by meanes of a woman wherfore Adam called the firste Eua. and we salute the second quite turning the same letters into Aue. The first man Adam loste all by ambitions pride because being but a man he aspired to be as God and the second man IESVS restored all by obedient humility who being in deed God yet descended to become a man ALL THE GVILTE OF ORIGINALL SINNE is quite forgiuen in Baptisme and the first motions of concupiscence are not sinne vntill we delighte or consent vnto them Sect. 8. 1. ANd althoughe our Sauiour in Baptisme haue cleared vs from all Guilte of originall sinne yet not during this life from all temporall punishment therof as not from Death hunger sicknes nor from all ignorance or motions of concupiscence And althoughe he hath freed vs from all punishment destroying our soule yet not from all punishment which may encrease our merite as they say sustulit omnem paenam destruentem non omnem paenam promonentem and so he hath lefte in vs these infirmityes of our motions in concupiscence of hunger sicknes and death to be as skarres and markes of our soare and woundes which are healed 1. to the intent that seing and remembring our hurte our helpe we should remayne thankefull and not forgetfull 2. to humble vs by consideration of these infirmityes who else would be proud 3. to exercise vs in diligence of mortification and in vigilance of prayers lest we should be negligent and careles 4. to affoard vs occasion of more merite and so to crowne vs with more glory 2. Or we may lay that he hath freede vs from all effectes and personall punishmetns of originall sinne which so perteyned to our persons that they would condemne our particuler soules but not from all naturall defectes which necessarily belong to our generall nature wherby we remayne in the estate of all mankinde for as a wise phisicyan he hath sufficiently cured euery mans particuler soule not quite changing his generall nature abundantly prouiding and in better sorte for our corrupte nature to be helped and preserued by grace rather then to extinguish this nature and to create another For he will saue the same which had offended which is greater mercy to vs and more power wisdome in himselfe And is it not more to preserue a vessell of glasse then of yron 3. I said he hath lefte vs
least his speach fauour of pride or vaynglorie Wherfore in S. Ihon it is said The freind of the spouse doth stande heare him and S. Augustin there notes that if we heare dutifully we are freinds of Christe and by hearing we stande more stedfast wheras he that is speaking is alwayes in danger by his wordes to fall into some folly 3. Wherfore o lord doo thou speake vnto my soule the wisdome of thy misteryes the comforte of thy promises and the desires of thy loue o let me heare the musique of thy voyce in all these harmonyes and last of all let me heare that swete close of happynes venite benedicti come you blessed There is ioye gladnes In the soules felicity is ioye in the bodyes immortality is gladnes as the propet said in their owne country they shall possesse double benefites Then our bones that is our vertues shall reioyce now they may be despised of worldlinges or of Diuels assaulted but if now they so humbled then they shal be crowned 4. Thy prophet NathaÌ„ hath let me heare the pardoÌ„ of my guilt so the release of eternal paynes but he hath left a teÌ„poral puÌ„ishmeÌ„t stil vpoÌ„ me that the sword shal not depart my house c. o let me heare allso the relaxation of these temporall calamityes For as in euery sinne there is auersion from God Conuersion to some creature so it hath a double punishment first because so we forsake him who is infinitely Good and for our conuersion to creatures sensible punishments are due because we were too much delighted in transitory vanityes O mercifull Iesu let me haue ioye for the remission of eternall payne and gladnes for the pardon of temporall punishments Or ioye for sinne pardoned and gladnes for grace restored In euery sorte for all my sinnes let my conscience be fully pacifyed which till I was conuerted would neuer suffer me to liue without feare or disquiet THE IOYES AND GLADNES OF GOOD men different from those of sinners with a harty reioycing of the Author for his Coâ—uersion Sect. 6. 1. THere is a hearing of faithe which bringes vs to giue obedience prayses and there is a hearing of wordes by reading or preaching the firste is inward leading to ioye the second is outward directing to gladnes Or the outwarde bringes vs to the inwarde and after both we come to ioye gladnes Wherfore o my soule seeke to encrease faith by hearing outwardly and allso doo thou heare what our lord speaketh within thee o seeke ioye in the pardon of thy sinnes desire gladnes in the promise of rewarde A wicked man can haue no true ioye but they may reioyce whose reward is plenteous in heauen such a harte may haue ioye and such a bodie may haue gladnes as Dauid saith elsewhere my harte my flesh haue reioyced in our liuing God the harte hath ioye beleuing it selfe purged from â—â—irituall pollution and the body hath gladnes feeling it selfe cleansed from carnall coâ—â—uption 2. In these shall our humbled bones reioyce not so much of the body as of the minde yet alas how few reioyce spiritually and how many are full of mirthe carnally but the end of such mirthe is sorowe because they are glad when they haue done ill and they recoyce in the worste thinges wheras to the other it is said Aske you shall receiue that your ioye may be full and your ioye shall none take from you It is exceeding hard to order and subordinate any ioye of this life to that ioye which is in our lorde the one doth diminish or endanger the other but carnall and spirituall ioyes can neuer dwell together and of these S. Ierome said that neuer any passed from delightes on earthe to ioyes in heauen Sara broughte not forthe Isaac which signifyes mirthe till she was olde that is till carnall pleasures be mortifyed we cannot conceiue any spirituall ioyes nor can this spirituall Isaac agree with fleshly Ismael who instead of mirthe is but a mocker wherfore let vs banish this sonne of the bondwoman for wheras the ioye of wordlinges is said in the scriptures to haue a crowne of roses which are but flowres that will fade the crowne of Gods seruantes is said to be of precious stones which are euer of value and cannot wither 3. How should we expresse o my soule the ioye and gladnes which we haue inwardly tasted since we were reconciled to God we are neither able worthely to giue thankes for it nor sufficiently to expresse it only let vs most humbly beseech our gracious lorde to continue vs this mercy which verily is alone more worthe then all the kingdomes riches delightes of the whole worlde And I dare vpon my soule assure any sinner or misbeleeuer who shall with contrition make a sincere confession reconciling himselfe to God his Churche that presently he shall find himselfe so disburdened and so comforted that he woulde not at that instante for all the worlde retourne agayne to his former estate 4. O how proper is that speach of holy S. Bernard to our heauenly father Quando câ—r nostrum visitas tunc ei lucet veritas vilescit mundi vanitas intus feruet charitas O my harte when God doth visite thee then shines to thee his veritie the worlde appeares base vanitie and in thee boiles heauens charitie I can wish my best freindes no better then to taste and see how sweete our lorde is whersoeuer I may find a Nathanael I cannot chuse but tell him I haue found the Messias let him come and see vnto his hearing and to his harte he shall receiue ioye gladnes And if his bones that is the best facultyes of his minde be humbled sincerely they shal be wonderfully reioyced This hast thou experienced o my soule for whiles thy bones would mooue and stand vpon their owne strenghte and still trust to their owne skill I could find no ease nor any rest for alwayes I felte somewhat was out of ioynte but since they were humbled to obedience of faith and submitted to the instruction and direction of the Catholique churche O what rest what ease what reioycing of bones for here be the best bâ—nesetters of a contrite soule now I feele no former doubtes nor wonted feares I haue all quiet and all assurance the truthe shynes cleare the worlde seemes base the charity and loue of God shed abroad in our hartes is so confortable that it is vnspeakable O what inwarde ioye what true gladnes O swete Iesu when thou entrest into a penitent publicanes house thy father comes with thee and thy holy spiritie comes with thee O blessed Trinity come daily into my poore harte with the riches of thy grace and ioyne me vnto thee that as our Sauiour prayed vs all so I allso may be one with you not one in substance but one in humble obedient vnitie of will and one in deuout feruent vnitie of
is greiuous to be depriued the communion of Sayntes But to be caste out from the fruition ioye of Gods presence is most lamentable The Mary-golde flower another which may be called Follow-suÌ„ne whiles the cherfull sunne shynes vpon them doo alwayes turne themselues towardes his beames moouing their heades after his course from East to west and whiles they feele his comfortable heate they remayne open beautifull fresh but so soone as the sunne is downe or couered with a sharpe storme or great thicke clowde they close shut vp their stowers they hang downe their heades or altogeather wither if they long wante his presence as in winter O Iesu thou arte my eternall sunne I am this fading flower yet if I will followe the as thou wilte neuer go downe so I shall neuer dâ—caye o let me euer be turned toward thy face 7 Pliny writes of a birde named Coladion which brought to a sicke body if she willingly looke directly vpon him there is much hope of life but if she turne away her eye and would not see him it is a signe of death O Iesu beholde me for my soule is sicke if thou turne away thy face from me I must needes dye for only in thy presence is true life Iob was an eye to the blinde as that sea fish Squilla doth serue for eyes vnto another shellfish called Pina O Iesu kepe me in thy presence and fixe thy face vpon me according as thy prophet Zachary said Our lord is the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel As Ester with Assuerus let me find grace in thyne eyes O lord cast me not out from thy face least so I should wante thy fauour thy guydance and thy defence for euen among men we fasten our eyes vpon another either for loue or for gouernement or for protection O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of fauorable loue O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of directing gouernement O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of protecting defence so shall I reioyce in thee as my kind Patron I will obey thee as my prudent Tutor and I shal be safe with thee as my allmighty Capteyn AMONG SVNDRY OTHER GIFTES OF the holy Ghoste let vs inparticuler labour to be thankefull and to be constante Sect. 4. 1. ANd thy holie spirite doo not take from me I am a penitent and yet I presume to suppose I haue thy holy spirite whose effectes I desire may be encreased not diminished It is an effecte of thy holy spirite to be displeased with sinne for wickednes is a delighte to an vncleane spirite As therfore by this gifte of thy spirite I am come thus farre forwarde to dislike my former sinnes and to seeke pardon so I beseech the not to take froÌ„ me because of my vnworthynes that little which I haue but rather in thy goodnes to giue me yet more whatsoeuer I wante No man can call our lorde Iesus but in the holie ghoste To name him in worde they may but not to beleue in him loue him with their harte aboue any thinge in this worlde this none can doo without the holy spirite which is a spirite or inward breath of holynes no more then any can vocally speake without the breath of ayre O Iesu I beleue helpe my fainte beleefe O Iesu I loue increase my colde charity The small loue poore faith which I haue doo come from thy holy spirite O take not this holie spirite from me thou hast giuen it freely o encrease it graciously 2. In vertue memory of our deare Sauiours fiue woundes some vse to pray to the holy ghoste in fiue wordes 1. Veni come 2. purga cleanse 3. Reple fill 4. Accende inflame 5. Perseuera Continue Come with thy inspirations Cleanse by expulsion of sinne Fillfull with abundance of grace inflame with heat of thy loue and continue all these vnto the end all are necessary good but without perseuerance no vertue is crowned I haue begun in the spirite let me not end in the fleh O take not thy holie spirite from â—e 3. It is a question among schoolmen which is most bound to allmighty God One who was euer innocent or one truly penitent Some doo resolue it thus Innocens maiora debet sed poenitens magis debet Innocency is a greater benefite and so he is in debted for a better gifte But penitence is more difficulte and allso a demerited or disdeserued vertue for which therfore such a one is indebted so much more To preserue one alwayes innocent is to doo good vnto a man not ill To drawe a sinner to repentance is to doo good to an ill man The first did neuer merite his innocence but the other had demerited his penitence Allso it is easyer for him to go forward who is sounde standing on foote then for him who is sicke fallen vnder foote And finally Innocence is a Iewell of more price in the substance and penitence of more value for the workemanship wherfore the one owes more vnto God for being reserued in excellency and the other because he is deliue red with such difficulty 4. And as both procede of mercy vndeserued so if they doo not continue in perseuerance neither of them shal be crowned The fayre blade of corne must come to a good eare to a full kernell to a seasonable haruest to yeildable flowre The beautifull blossome must growe to a welâ— set budde and continue to a kind ripe fruite Saint Paul saying There is reserued for me a crowne of iustice Saint Bernard enquireth what proportion betwene our eternall reward our merites of a few yeares and allso what iustice of rewarde can be due to vs who receiue all of mercy Doubtles becauses our merites procede of his mercy and so doth not mercy exclude merite or iustice but rather vpholde them And as sinners are eternally punished for offending an infinite maiesty so iust men thirsting after righteousnes do merite an eternall crowne of iustice for if they were immortall on earthe they would perpetually serue God And being once sincerely penitent with S. Augustin they would so abandon all their sinfull pleasures that from the instante of their repentance they shoulde no more returne vnto them for euer euer such must be the purpose of a true conuerte for euer to caste of sinne least at any time he be caste out from the face of God and for euer to take care of perseueranae least at any time he loose the holy spirite which he hath receiued for so eternall iustice will giue him an eternall rewarde herin proportionable to his eternall purpose and care to serue God 5. Not like those peicemeale penitentes who still reserue some sinne nor those changeable conuertes who are weary euery moone or such as for a time cease to sinne for a lent for a sicknes for a good sermon or by any such present admonition but
inwarde man much more vnsetled 4. Therfore I will teach the wicked presumer thy wayes in thy footesteps of feare and the vngodly mistruster shall be conuerted vnto thee in thy harbour of hope and so we will sing of mercie together and of iudgement vnto thee O lorde And so likewise let the iuste man reprehend me in mercy and chyde me The vines are made fruitfull both by cutting of their superfluous branches and by adding to their rootes necessary norishing dunge Profitable reprehension is a proyning knife of vnprofitable imperfections for necessary vertues a milde admonition is a manuring of mercy Wherfore woe vnto them said the Wiseman who turne the dunge of oxen into stones nor let me euer be made fatte with the oyle of sinners Let me neuer growe abundante in vice by the softe oyley flattery of worldly freindes nor at any time turne the fruitfull dunge of good counselors into harde stones of obstinacy Rather let them teach me me thy wayes firste by sharpe reprehension when I wander from thy footesteps of feare and next by cherfull encoragement when I faynte in following the footesteps of hope 5. Yea o Father of mercy iudgement I desire the to be angry with me according to thy mercy and to teach me thy wayes according to thy iustice Correcte me in that anger by which thou â—oost reclayme a wanderer not wherby thou doost exclude a runneagate Say not thou hast taken away thy zeale from me as from one who is vncurable and so because I am desperate thou wilte no more be angrie with me for whoÌ„ thou doost loue thou doost chasten If therfore thou wilte not chasten me going amisse thou doost not loue me to teach me thy wayes It is said thou werte mercifull vnto the Israelites taking vengeance vpon all their fond inuentions O gracious Father whensoeuer I followe inuentions of mine owne appetite teach me to come home to to thy wayes by the vengeance of thy mercy For it is thy peculier condition to remember mercy when thou arte angry and therfore hauing offended I shall then haue confidence in thy fauour not when in pleasure I feele no smarte of punishmeÌ„t but when in affliction I feele thine anger for amendement SOME DEVOVTE DESIRES AND THANKSgiuinges of the Author vnto Almighty God Sect. 8. 1. THus o lorde I desire to be taughte By thy selfe and By others By encoraging exhortation or By seuere admonition By feare or By hope By iudgement or By mercy To auoide all desperate feare to beware any careles securitâ— To amend faultes and to profite in goodnes and with these to be instructed in thy wayes of true faith and conuerted vnto thee in workes of good life that so in some poore sorte like S. Peter being conuerted in my selfe I may better confirme others and allso being confirmed with thy principall spirite like Dauid I will be bolde to teach thy wayes vnto the wicked the vngodly shall be conuerted vnto the. 2. As I am mightily obliged to endeuour this satisfaction as thou haste giuen me o lord an earnest desire to performe this obligation so I beseech the giue force vnto my endeuours and let me see some effectes of these desires I desire to teach them not the secrets of Philosophie nor the pollicyes of statesmen but thy waies For there be two kinde of scieÌ„ces one of holy meÌ„ another of wise men one of iust meÌ„ another of learned meÌ„ if both be ioyned both are good but if wisdome or sort of our coÌ„mo learning be without holynes we may wel cal theÌ„ as Erasmus termed the coÌ„moÌ„ lawyners in England Indoctum genus doctissimorum hominum an vnlearned kinde of moste learned men 1. subtile and acute in their quirkes of lawe but ignorante or vnskillfull in other true learning so all knowledge without skill in Christes way is to be a speedy post maister out of the waye 3. Allso I will endeuour to teach not as a maister in Israel but as a scholler at the feete of Gamaliel I will helpe my fellowes in the same lesson which I haue learned not to seeke vaynglory by teaching nor by setting out my selfe vnto the worlde to ayme at the worlde But I beseech thee o Inspirer of all good teachers herein euer to directe my purposes sincerely by conuerting or teaching of soules to seeke them not theirs nor any thinge else of this worlde Rather in this and all other thinges to intend aboue all thy heauenly Glory their spirituall God and my bounden duty 4. And were it not vanity to ascribe much to our selues about the conuersion of soules we can but teach thy waies by our outwarde voyce and so they shall be conuerted vnto thee by thy inwarde grace as Dauid heer promiseth to teach them but their conuersion he leaueth vnto thee Paul may plante Apollos may water but thou o lorde must giue the encrease men may remooue the stone from Lazarus graue and some haue authority to loozen vntye his handes and his feete but our Sauiour himselfe must rayse Lazarus to life we will teach o lorde but thou must conuerte 5. And verily neither are any so ready to learne nor we so willing to teach nor yet so desirous that our dearest freindes shoulde be conuerted as thou who diddest thirste vpon the crosse that all should be saued so that we are farre inferior vnto thee o Iesu in our charitable desires and they who will not be taughte thy wayes nor be conuerted vnto thee such are still worthy to wander out of thy waye and continuing such are for euer vnworthy to come vnto thee For as thou haste appoynted the End so thou doost declare the waye 6. O sweete Iesu if we be taughte thy way outwardly as Catholiques it is thy mercy it is greater mercy inwardly if we be conuerted vnto thee O what recoÌ„pence should we make nay what thankes can we returne Our thankes cannot expresse what we owe much lesse will our recoÌ„pence discharge our debte If thy wayes be thy lawe thy lawe be immaculate conuerting soules o how excellent a priuiledge is this to be taughte such awaie such a lawe a lawe of grace and a way of life which is immaculate both because it makes vs immaculate and allso in comparison of the lawe of Moyses which was maculated with many shadowes spotted with much difficulty did discouer our blemishes sinnes For Moyses lawe did commande to obey but not as the lawe of Christe giue grace to fullfill it that turned awaye from euill the hande or the eye by feare this conuerteth vnto good the harte and soule by loue that was a lawe for seruantes this for sonnes O let Dauid teach vs thy waye in this lawe and hereby let our soules be conuerted vnto thee from captiuity vnto liberty not pressing vs by terror but drawing vs by swetenes from thinges temporall vnto thinges eternall from the hope of rewarde to the charity
a person whose life doth much importe the publique good of the common wealthe or of diuerse others beside himselfe But in no case may we aduenture the death of our soule rather saith our Sauiour if it coste vs our hande or our foote or the very eyes of our head we must sooner pull them out or cutte them of then loose our soule to saue them all or to gayne all the worlde So let vs say and performe it with Dauid If a million of sacrifices or millions of millions were requisite O God if they were in our power we would yeild them all most willingly not alone for some recompence of our sinnes but allso to testifye our willing loue and our bounden obedience vnto so gracious a lorde vnto whom we doo owe our selues our soules our bodyes and that we haue or can haue so that if occasion be we may say with S. Peter and the Apostles Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Beholde we haue forsaken all to yeild our selues vnto thy good pleasure for allbeit we haue no kingdomes no lordships no landes nor other great riches or dignityes to forsake no more then had those poore Fishermen yet as they did if we willingly parte from all we haue in present possession or in future possibility and no lesse from the loue affection desire of this worlde then from the honors wealthe and pleasures themselues in this case we may wel say reliquimus omnia we haue lefte all thoughe we enjoyed neuer so little for herein to subdue our will and to yeild our Desire is as much as to giue him all the worlde if it were ours to giue and he that so resignes his Desire and his will vnto all doubtles he resignes All and so much more then All. 5. Thus therfore let vs offer him All with Dauid that whensoeuer it shall please him to take all we haue or any parte we doo gladly giue him All euery parte and in this kinde althoughe we doo not in facte render vnto God a thousand sacrifices not whole barnte offeringes because we vnderstand that he doth not absolutely exacte them yet should we alwayes be such poore men in spirite that in our hartes we be prepared to yeild him all we haue whensoeuer we perceiue that he doth necessarily require them And so let vs say Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique Holocaustis non delectaberis O lorde I giue thee no whole burnt offeringes because I doo suppose thou doost not require them But if it were thy will to exacte a million of sacrifices Dedissem vtique verily I am ready to obey thy will and if it were in my power I woulde willingly giue thee all the worlde WE HAVE NEEDE TO BE PENITENT and how acceptable vnto our Sauiour is any soule contrite for sinne Sect. 4. 1. ALL this is moste due vnto our lord who neuertheles is so gracious that An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice vnto God A contrite harâ—e humbled O God thou wilte not despise For my sinnes I will afflicte my minde my spirite with dolor and sorowe and I will humble my harte my senses my body with mortifications labor These sacrifices O God I knowe thou wilte neuer refuse For thou hast said that it is alwayes an heathfull sacrifice To attend vnto thy commandements and to departe from iniquity And that thou wilte soonest regarde the poore contrite in spirite such as feare thy wordes 2. And these sacrifices are most acceptable because in euery outward sacrifice there being 3. things 1. deuotion 2. oblation 3. signification somtime the last is impertinent or expired the second somtime is not necessary nor required but the firste is euer requisite gratefull profitable of which kinde are an afflicted spirite a contrite harte The spirite vnderstanding is afflicted by knowledge consideration of our sinnes of their enormityes our will our harte is humbled greiued by acknowledgement of our base guiltynes and with a detestation of our lothsome faultes 3. O my soule if we consider the seuere iustice of allmighty God who for sinne threwe downe Lucifer and those arrogant Angells out of heauen expelled disobedieÌ„t Adam his posterity out of Paradise drowned all the worlde except eight persons and except his seruante Lot some with him burned all the fiue cityes of Sodome so often punished Pharaoh all the Egiptians with such strange terrible plagues caused the earthe to open to swallowe Corah Dathan Abiram quicke into hell euer since in all ages places hath sundry times manifested his dreadfull iudgements against careles sinners O how oughte we to feare to afflicte our spirite that we afflicting our selues he may spare vs that beginning by peircing feare as by a sharpe needle to drawe into vs the thred of loue we may come to be sowed vnited vnto him in attonement reconciliation Thus O lorde we praye with Dauid in another psalme Confige timore tuo carnes meas O wound peirce my flesh with thy feare it will be like the â—urgeons wounde which letteth out corrupted bloud or putrefyed matter There shalle dolores parturientis the sorowes of a woman in child-birthe that as our sinnes were conceiued in voluptuous pleasure so we cannot be deliuered of them without afflicting payne 4. Nay we are happy that sinne by nature bringing vs sorowe we may if we will so vse this sorowe that it shall extinguish sinne as the wood breedes a worme the yron a rust the garment a mothe which consume the substances wherof they were engendred Nay much more happy that so easy so small a meanes as an humbled a contrite harte may change the iustice of God into mercy According to that vision shewed to a holy woman wherin she sawe our Sauiour as it were sitting on a throne with great maiesty attended on by all the Angells Sayntes holy hoste of heauen yet very often to ryse of from his seate to go to euery pitifull voyce which called vpon him she asked what voyces those were and why he himselfe so often mooued from his throne did not rather send vnto them some one or more of his heauenly attendantes which mighte well seeme more then sufficient He answered that those voyces were the sorowfull sighes of any sinners contrite harte who if they could not so much as name Iesus yet if they did in true humility sighe and with an afflicted spirite syncerily greiue for their sinnes he did so much loue rather to shew mercy then to obserue maiesty and did so much delighte in the contrite conuersion of any sinner that he did most willingly rise vp himselfe and withall in ioye to mooue the whole courte of heauen to giue comforte wellcome to euery such soule 5. Wherfore let vs be of good comforte o penitent soules for thoughe we be destitute of all worldly wealthe hauing nothing to giue
proper sacrifices which only these preistes may offer vp which therfore must be somewhat else beside prayers and meere spirituall sacrifices for the offering of these perteyneth vnto others as well as vnto preistes therfore are no proper reall sacrifices 17. As for those places of S. Paul to the Hebrewes that Christe was offered once for all and needeth no more to be offered It is most true in the maner of a bloudye sacrifice but the masse is called by the olde Doctors as you see aboue a sacrifice vnbloudye And allso he speaketh of the sacrifice of the crosse as primary independing and therfore most sufficient neuer to be iterated but this sacrifice of the masse is depending thereon secondary wherfore as representing that former sacrifice deriuing vertue from thence it is but a continuance application of the same And so S. Ambrose answereth in effecte saying What doo we doo we not offer euery day verily we doo offer but dooing it for remembrance of his death And this sacrifice is but one not many for that was once offered in sancto sanctorum but this sacrifice is a representation of that we doo alwayes offer the same sacrifice not now verily one lambe to morowe another but awayes the same sacrifice Therfore the sacrifice is one otherwise because it is offered in many places there shoulde be many Christes Not so but Christe is one euery where our Highpreist he offered a sacrifice cleansing vs we doo now allso offer the same But that which now we sacrifice it is done in commemoration of that which was sacrificed not another sacrifice as the highe preist but we doo alwayes sacrifice the same Thus farre S. Ambrose teaching that we now doo not offer a sacrifice alltogether different from the firste but the selfe same in respecte of the thing offered thoughe diuerse in regarde of the maner which in the Masse is done vnbloudily and was bloudily done vpon the crosse Neither is the Masse altogether of the same efficacye with that of the crosse for now we doo not sacrifice to reconcile mankinde vnto God anewe agayne as by another new firste Acte of reconciliation but only to deriue to applye vnto our selues the fruite of that primary principall firste infinite sacrifice on the crosse 18. The sacrifice of the crosse firste merited and the sacrifice of the Altar deriues that merite By that firste the remedye is sufficient by this second it is effectuall That had merite of infinite measures but the measure of merite in this is finite proportionable vnto vs. according as we in our deuotion doo applye it and therfore that sacrifice being infinite was but once offered wheras this is offered euery daye being proportionate finite to the end that we may daily haue more merite hereby applyed Neither doo we any more iniury to that infinite sacrifice by deriuing applying the merites therof euery day in the repetitioÌ„ of the masse then if one should say that we derogate from the merites vertue of his passion when we frequent repeate the vse of the holy communion or some other repeatable sacrament or deâ—otion whose vertue dependeth on the passion for by repeating these we doo not crucyfye him agayne nor thinke that is was not sufficient he was once crucifyed but we desire continually to profitâ— more more and to applye the merites of his crosse both by those deuotions frequented and by the daily sacrifice of the Masse THE NOTABLE PROPITIATORY VERTVES of the sacred Masse which ought to mooue vs to the frequenting applying of the benefites therof Sect. 5. 1. FVRTHER more the Masse is not only a sacrifice in generall or of comemoration only or of thankesgiuing alone but likewise it is a sacrifice propitiatory to obteyne forgiuens of our sinnes and all other thinges necessary for our soules and our bodyes for the liuing for the dead Saint Cyril Ierosolymitanus writeth thus After that same spirituall sacrifice is made and that same vnbloudy worship we doo beseech allmighty God by that same sacrifice of Propitiation for the generall peace of the church for the tranquillity of the worlde for kinges for souldyers for our fellowes for the sicke for all afflicted and in summe for all them who doo neede releife wherof indeed we haue all need Afterwarde we make mention allso of them who are dead before vs firste of Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and martyrs that almighty God by their prayers and intreates would receiue our petitions Then for the holy fathers Bishops deceased and finally we doo praye for all them who from among vs haue departed this life beleeuing it to be the greatest releife of soules for whom is offered the intreaty of that holy and reuerent sacrifice which is layd vpon the Altar 2. Hereof allso saith S. Chrysostome we doo sacrifice for the fruites of the earthe of the sea and of all the whole worlde And S. Augustine reporteth That one Hesperius a man of worship and principall credite among them in the Territory of Fussal had a Manour or Grange called Cubbedi where together with the afflâ—ction of his cattell and of his seruantes he found that his house was hanted with the violence of malignant spirites he entreated our preistes in my absence saith S. Augustine that some of them would go thither by whole prayers they mighte giue place One went he there did offer the sacrifice of the body of Christe praying as earnestly as he coulde that that vexation mighte cease And almighty God presently shewing mercy it ceased 3. Saint Athanasius auoucheth plainly wee doo vnderstand that the soules of sinners doo participate some beneficence from that same vâ—bloudy offering and gratification made for them And S. Chrysostome These thinges were not rashly ordeyned of the Apostles that in the reuerend mysteryes there should be made a commemoration of the dead for they knowe that from thence may succede vnto them much gayne and much profite 4. Saint Ambrose telleth Faustinus that he must not so much bewayle his sister with teares as rather commend her soule vnto God with oblations As for S. Augustine he is plentifull in diuerse places mentioning both suffrages and sacrifices for the dead and vsed them in particuler for his owne mother deceased not only to giue thanks for their deliuerance out of â—his worlde and in their honor who were certeinly reputed to be in glory but allso for pardon and propitiation of their soules who they were not sure had escaped purgatory 5. O most swete Iesu our blessed Sauior as thou hast giuen vs thy selfe vpon the crosse so we most humbly beseech the to grante vs in our countrye the full free vse of this sacrifice of Iustice for the religious application of all thy merites vnto the liuing and to the dead by the mysteryes and vertue of the holy masse O giue vs grace daily so to be present at those miraculous and sacred solemnityes of thy