to haue told the Tutour that he wanted a Head himselfe when he demanded of me why partridges were serued without heads I was not sory quoth Lazarus that the question of the head was proposed for the taile thereof proued good and Theodosius had a doctour who expounded his answere with an honourable glosse surely quoth Theodosius that fellow deserued to be well payed as he was God giue him grace to know himselfe Discoursing in this sort the Pilgrims had dispatched foure leagues which was more by halfe then they had to the house of Lazarus his Father which was called the Castle built neer vnto a towne they came to a place called Bonuoison where they dyned cheerfully and would presently haue beene gone but that a chance stayed them And that was that there were two poore men sicke in the Inne who the night before had confessed demaunded extreme-vnction and euen now entred into the agony of death hauing no body that in so dangerous a distresse might exhort them for the Curate was gone to the obsequies which that day were kept at the Castle They thought that charity bound them to assist vntill the Curate should come who they sayd would returne presently Lazarus tooke one in one chamber Theodosius and Vincent the other in another chamber and seeing that they had perfect memory they exhorted them both Lazarus exhorted his in this sort My dearest brother you know well that death is a common debt which all mortall men must pay without exception An exhortation to the sicke great and small soone or late according vnto the tyme which God the soueraine mayster of death and life hath prefixed He hauing giuen vs this world nor as a permanent Citty to dwell in alwayes but rather as an Inne to lodge like Pilgrims and passengers and to go out when it shall be tyme to walke to a better life then this present is Heb. 13.14 Of the which we must not make any great account for being full of miseries Math. 1.10 and wherein the longer we liue the more we offend and where our sinnes do multiply with our dayes and houres Remember acknowledge my most deere Brother the graces gifts which hitherto you haue receiued of God namely that he hath made you partaker of his grace calling you to his heauenly inheritance by the light of his true and Catholike faith and that in this last conflict period of your life he hath granted you your sense and reason to remember him tyme to repent you of your sinnes and to cry for mercy meanes to obtaine pardon and remission not suffering you to be surprised by sudden death nor to leaue this life loaden with sinnes to be condemned at the tribunall of the rigorous iustice haue therefore great sorrow for your offences and with a profound humility demaund if it please him to shew you mercy through the precious bloud of his onely deere sonne Iesus dead vpon the Crosse for vs and for all sinners Suffer patiently the dolours of your infirmity beseeching him to take your anguishes and your death with those of Iesus Christ in satisfaction of the punishmeÌ„t you haue deserued Recommend your selfe to the glorious Virgin to S. Peter and S Paul to your good Angell and other Saints if the enemy lay before your eyes the enormity of your sinnes to thrust you into despaire lift vp your eyes to the mercie of God which is infinitely more great then your iniquity If he tempt you with vaine glory by reason of your good workes oppose thereunto your owne sinnes to hold you in Christian humility Theodosius said the like to his Patient after this exhortation they sayd the Litaâ—ies which being sayd Lazarus went forward as also Theodosius for his part saying Dearest brother if you cannot speake vnto God with your tongue yet speake with your soule for God vnderstandeth the hart follow me and say I will liue and dye in the fayth of Iesus-Christ in his Catholike Apostolike and Romane Church I belieue the Contents of the Creede the seauen Sacraments and all that God hath commaunded me to belieue by his Church and detest all heresy contrary thereunto I humbly demand pardon of my sinnes and purpose fully to abstaine if God shall perhaps suffer me to liue any longer I pardon all my enemies and aske pardon of all I haue offended I desire to endure these dolouâ—s this death for the honour of God and for the satisfaction of my sinnes They had no sooner done but the Curate came and had leasure to anneile them after which they departed in great peace It came in Vincents mynde to thinke whether these two men should rise againe and if in them should be fulfilled the Hermits verses which he gaue to Lazarus whereof notwithstanding he spake not a word They sayd certaine praiers for the departed without informing themselues of any thing of the place whence the Curate came they went their way that they might come betymes to the Castle which was but a league a halfe distant they went ioyfully remembring now well the coastes of the country and the places they had not seene seauen yeares before Hauing gone halfe a league Lazarus met a country fellow all alone comming from the castle whome he knew well but was not knowne againe he asked how Monsieur of the Castle did I thinke quoth the fellow that he is in health but he hath beene very melancholy these last foure dayes for the death of his sonne whose obsequies were kept this day Lazarus was pierced with this newes and sayd not a word more vnto him but let him go on his way entred into an extreme apprehension and melancholy within himselfe for he ghessed by this newes that Francis his yoÌ„ger brother was dead who onely was left with their Father when he and Pauline vndertooke their voiage Theodosius and Vincent went before he followed alone after and lamented thus to himselfe in silence Alas how shall I present my selfe to this desolate old man this day bringing him newes of the death of one of his dearest children hard vpon the fresh funerals of another who was his onely stay What comfort can I giue him in this griefe for his sonne reporting vnto him the death of his Sonne and his Sonne Pauline whome he loued so tenderly and whome he recommended vnto me so fatherly at our departure Is it not inough to make him dye of griefe and to defile my selfe with the crime of parricide O Noble old man who shall sollace thy sorrowes O my deere Pauline who hast remained in the sepulchers of Africa that thou wert now present to comfort eyther thy father or thy brother O the bitter and dolefull conclusion of my pilgrimage Thus complayned he in his hart Theodosius and Vincent seeing him follow so slowly and so pensiuely stayed for him and perceiuing his countenance changed asked if he felt him selfe ill Alas yea quoth he Why sayth Theodosius I doubt me my good
plagues to the families of Men and hath marked them all with her infernall brood her malignity was so great and strong that there must be an eternity of punishments to chastice it the infection so deadly that the quickening and life-giuing bloud was necessary to cleanse it O mortall men whereof thinke you when you do the works of death Where is your memory not remembring what is passed Where is your prouideÌ„ce not regarding what is to come Where is your hart and wit yielding your loue to so monstrous and detestable an enemy O sweet Iesus made man for my sinnes crucifyed for my sinnes and raised againe for my iustice pardon me my sinnes which were too great to be pardoned were not thy mercy infinit and by the same mercy keep me from offending thee any more giue me tears to bewaile those I haue committed force to forbeare heerafter both which guifts are worthy of thee and both most necessary to me O Blessed Virgin yet againe To the B. Virgin now alwayes be my Aduocate it is the honour of thy sonne that I may obtaine my suite and the saluation of thy poore and deuoted Pilgrime The after-dinner and Euening of the seauenteenth dayes Iourney The effects of S nne and diuers paines CHAP. XXXIX THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall imploy his houres to ruminate and repeat some particuler effects of sinne the better to know and detest it He shal see how it made the chief Angell so impudent and wicked The first exploit of the diuel that with the first vse of his language he durst accuse his Creatour of enuy and malice in that he had forbidden the tree of knowledge of good and euill to Adam and Eue that they might not be like Gods carrying vnder the colour of this blasphemous calumniation Gen. 3. that poisoned â—art wherewith he stroke to death this poore ill aduised woman and by her her husband Adam by him all mankind he shall cast his eyes vpon the enuy of Cain Gen. 7.21 which made him lift vp his hand to embrew the earth with his brothers bloud to the dissolution of all mortall men togeather buryed in the reuenging waues of the vniuersall Deluge to the pride of the Babylonians bâ—ilding against heaueÌ„ to their owne confusion the impurity of the fiue sinning Cittyes drowned in fire and brimstone the auarice of Giezi Gen. 11.4 Gen. 19.25 4. Peâ— 50. â—atth 26 Luc. 16.19 and of Iudas to the riot of the rich Glutton and other sinners and sinnes By the view whereof he shall conceaue an immortall hatred and shal firmely purpose to serue God withall his hart for the tyme to come without euer offending him neuer so little willingly and towards night hauing made some particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall thinke of his lodging The eighteenth day A meditation of Death the first effect of sinne CHAP. XL. To whoÌ„ the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death is grieuous to whom profitable THERE is nothing more vnpleasant then the memory of death to them that doe not liue well nothing is more profitable to those that desire well to gouerne their actions for to liue and reigne alwayes and therefore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with the meditation of death very fitly after that of sinne the father of death This meditation shal haue all his whole and entire partes The Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first Preamble shall represent a man stretched on his bed in the agony of death The second shall demand grace to reape particuler profit of this exercise The first point shall set before myne eyes that decree and sentence of death giuen by the supreme Iudge on the person of our first Father Adam Gen. 3. Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne againe and executed on the body of him al that haue come of him except Enoch and Elias who notwithstanding shall dye also in their tyme. And therefore S. Paul sayth It is ordayned for all men once to dye Heb. 9.17 Of this meditation he shall marke that as there is nothing more sure and certaine then Death so also there is nothing more vncertaine then the houre and manner thereof and the estate wherein it shall find the soule Eccles 9. whether in grace or in sinne when it shall dislodge and remoue from her body By which circumstance he must stirre vp himselfe to watch and seeke all the meanes and wayes he can to put himselfe in good order and preparation for feare of being surprised and taken vnawares by reason of such vncertainty The second shall be to consider the accidents that do accompany this last conflict The conflict of death as well in soule as in body the remembrance of thinges passed the feare of that is to come the prickinges of griefs and desires the assaults of the Diuell the fayling of our senses and facultyes the coldnes of our members and the benumming of all partes of the body the dole and extreme anguish in the distresse of death all which thinges foreseene will teach vs what danger it is Math. 25. to deferre our preparation to the concurrence of so many calamityes miseryes and infirmityes and to go buy oyle for our lampes What followeth after death the soule saued oâ— damned when it will be tyme to enter into the bridegroomes chamber The third point shall meditate what followeth incontinently after death which is the iudgment of the soule either to saluation or damnation for she is eyther placed among the children of God be it by passing by if she need purgation oâ— presently if she be cleane to enter into heauen reigne there for euer or els carryed away in company of the Diuells to hell there to suffer eternall torments if she left the body seized with any mortall sinne The body in the meane tyme is put into the ground for food to wormes serpents his goods are parted to the liuing who will make merry therewith perhaps will laugh at him for hauing laboured so much for them The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes O my sweet Redeemer thou hast suffered death to deliuer me from death and hast ouercome death to make me conquerour thereof graunt me by this thy infinit charity and diuine victory the grace to vse and enioy the benefit which thy death hath brought to me and so well to prepare my selfe against this combat of death so valiantly to wrastle with it Psal 115. and so happily to ouercome it that my death may be of those the Prophet speaketh The death of his Saints is precious in the eyes of God and not of those of whome the same Prophet sayth Psal 33. The death of sinners is most miserable Thou saydst sometimes to thy Apostles and Disciples VVatch and stand ready for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when you thinke not of him And againe Math. 24. 25. VValke
brimstone with an intolerable stench and ech of all their partes and specially of those that haue been instruments of their villanies The Cholericke and cruell shal haue for their whips and scourges their owne passions and the fury of the fiends The Gluttons shall be serued at the table of Hell fed with serpents and toades and drinke of the cuppe of the wrath of God The Enuious shall beare in their bosomes euer-liuing scorpions who shall sting them to an immortall rage The Slouthfull shall be beaten with the rodes of his owne rechlesnes vexed with a particuler torment of body and soule These shall be the proportions of euery one and all in generall shall haue the horrour of that hellish company of darknes of cries howlinges one of another The eternity of hell torments The third point shall be to consider that al these torments besides that they are vnspeakable and continuall shall also be euerlasting This eternity is that which giueth the forme the name of Hell to that hellish misery and without it there should be no Hell of torments nor paradise of pleasure This shall be the great hart-breake to the damned The cause of the daÌ„neds rage and sting their soule with a raging grief that they shal suffer without ceasing they shall also see without ceasing that it shall alwayes be so They shall alwayes pay the interest of their sinnes committed and yet shal alwayes be behind in errerages they shal alwayes pay and their debt increase still that which shall be past though it were ten milions of ages shall be reckoned for nothing and the future tyme shall be followed with another future as long as all Eternity The forme of this Eternity shall flye as a fierce fury continually before their eyes beating her vnwearied wings and hissing her horrour into their eares shall couch it selfe in the depth of their imagination and grauing there the marke and round circle of these eternall ages shall breed therein the sting and immortall rage of a furious desperation O soueraigne bounty What monster may sinne be that could so incense either thyne anger or thy clemency against it O sinne how abhominable art thou seeing no payne is sufficient to punish and chastice thee but eternall O mortall men what thinke you of when you defile your soules with the familiarity of this plague this death this confusioÌ„ Where is your wit to loose glory delight and riches of heauen for a fond pleasure for a foule delight for a brutish vanity with this inestimable losse throwing your selues head-long into euerlasting damnation O my soule thinke heereof delay no longer thinke of it betymes all tyme of repentance is good tyme flye the danger of eternall euills whilest the mercy of God inuiteth thee and doth promise thee help and assistance and recompence for thy labour O my Lord I will serue thee with all my soule and withall my soule renounce all vanity and doe vow from henceforth eternal emnity to thy great and immortall enemy who hath furnished so much matter to thy iustice to build these mansions of darknes confusion death O Virgin Queene and Mother most pure most great and puissant further the desires of thy Pilgrime and deuoted suppliant and by thy credit obtayne that he may happily performe the good desires and designements which thy Sonne his Redeemer and Lord hath by thyne intercâ—ssion planted in his hart The After-dinner and Euening of the twentith dayes Iourney Other Meditations of the paynes of the damned CHAP. XLV THE two other partes of the day shall be employed in the consideration of the infinite number of soules lost The lost soules since the beginning of the world vnto this tyme also an infinit number that daily are and will be lost from this tyme to the end of this world Soules alas lost dead deadly groaning in the gulfe of their torments byting their tongue for fury that seeke for death and cannot find it Apo. 18.10 being buryed in the bowells of death it selfe dying alwayes and yet cannot dye liuing alwayes and yet cannot liue that curse the day of their birth and the name and memory of their Progenitours detesting the earth they so much loued the heauens and the starres that they could not see and foâ—â—ul measure of theâ— impiety they blaspheme the Maiesty of thy Creatour and haue no rest neither day nor night All thinges are to them affliction all is night and darkenes all is gall and bitternes all tears and gnashing all griefe and despaire Death can neither end them nor ouercome them wheresoeuer they cast the eyes of their vnderstanding they find themselues on euery side coÌ„passed and inclosed with the barres of eternity without all hope not only to escape out of the prison of this dolefull and lamentable being and worse a thousand times then not being at all but also to haue ease or respit By this consideration the Pilgrime shall learne more and more the malignity of sinne and shall harden himselfe to the hatred thereof and at night he shall yield thankes to the mercy of God for the tyme and respit he hath giuen him with a thousand meanes to do pennance in this life and to abstaine from sinne that he might auoyd these paines reserued for sinners in this euerlasting prison And after he hath in good time taken vp his lodging to prepare himselfe with leasure to the last meditation of his third weeke and the day of his arriuall The one and twentith Day Of Generall Confession and of the parts of Pennance CHAP. XLVI THIS one and twentith day is the last of the first part of this Pilgrimage wherin the Pilgrime must prepare him selfe with his best endeauour to pennance purgation of his soule which is the end of this part the more worthily to appeare in the house of the B. Virgin that he goeth to visit a Virgin of purity mother of purity and Queene of purity This preparation shall be in the chiefe foundation and exact and entire confession of all his sinnes since his last Confession or if need be To whoÌ„ generall confessioÌ„ is necessary generally of all his life since his yeares of discretion or from some other markeable time This is the Confession commonly called Generall necessary to him that was neuer so confessed or was ill confessed either by concealing any mortall sinne willingly or for want of good disposition necessary to a Penitent that is without sorrow for sinnes committed Sorrow and purpose of amendement necessary or firme purpose of amending or for hauing beene confessed to such as wanted either knowledge to help him or authority to absolue him to others that haue beene daily confessed this generall is not necessary yet to them also it is profitable for thereby gathering as it were into one heape the multitude of our sinnes we procure a confusion so much the more holesome by how much it is greater The profit of general
soueraigne Maiesty hast thou loued man so as to make thy selfe man to be his Neighbour so happily hast thou made such account of humility as not only to annihilate thy self in ioyning thy selfe in an insoluble bond to so small a creature infinitely distant from thy greatnes but so to subiect thy selfe therunto O B. Virgin I behold thee rauished at euery moment in this chamber of Nazareth when thou sawest this little infant this great God whome thou didst adore to obey honour and serue thee O my soule fixe thy sight vpon this beautiful obiect and kindle the coldenes of thy will by the lightenings of this great wonder and follow with fiery feet the example of such a Lord. It shall not be besides the purpose also to meditate vpon the markable punishments of such as haue beene vngratefull to their Progenitours And so the pilgrime shall passe the day till his retire The ninth Day A Meditation vpon the fifth Commandement Thou shalt not kill CHAP. XXI THE morning meditation shall be vpon the fifth Commandement The preparation ordinary The first preamble shall propose the words of the fifth Commandement THOV SHALT NOT KILL The second shall demand grace well to vnderstand it and effectually to obserue it The first point shall note that as life is the most precious present which man hath and holdeth of his Creatour Life is the goodliest guift of God so to loose it is one of the greatest grieues he can incurre therfore with good reason it is prohibited to assault the life of our Neighbour and heerein shineth the prouidence and iustice of our Creatour prouiding for the safety and security of the principall good of his creature in his family of this world By the same law is forbidden sayth S. Aug. a mans killing of himselfe Aug. l. 1. ciuil c. 20 26. Lib. de poenit c. 13 Lib. 1. con Gaud. c. 30. ep 61. S. Tho. 2. 2. qu. 64. art 5. so much the more detestable by how much a man is neerer neighbour to himselfe then to another and for that he destroyeth himselfe with a double death that is with the temporall death of his body and the euerlasting death of his soule And this sinne is in such sort against nature that there is no creature though neuer so cruell that dareth kill himselfe and therefore the law doth punish with extraordinary ignominy such furious folkes after their death as guilty of an extraordinary crime The second point shall marke that by this commandmēt is also forbidden to hurt strike or otherwise to endomage our Neighbour in body though we kill him not yea euen with our tongue to touch his good name by any iniury or to beare any hatred to him in our hart or desire reuenge and therefore our Sauiour a sage interpreter of his owne law to shew what meeknes is required in his children to obserue this law Matth. 5. sayth VVhosoeuer is angry with his brother shal be guilty of iudgement and who shall speake iniury to his brother shall be guilty of hell fire This is to rule draw the first motions of the soule to meekenes and to barre and banish a farre off the occasions of man-slaughter Matth. 6. to cut vp that vice by the root in another place he forbiddeth reuenge and after him his Apostle S. Paul Heb. 10. and in the prayer himselfe taught and gaue vs for a patterne and modell of all our prayers he put in this clause of pardoning our Neighbour for iniuryes receaued Pardon vs our offences as we pardon them that offend vs. Matth. 6.12 The third point shall be to meditate vpon those killings which are not forbidden as those which the Prince or Magistrate ordayneth according to the lawes against malefactours such as are committed in a lawfull warre or in iust defence of a mans life being vniustly assaulted not otherwise able to saue himselfe The speach shall prayse God in his iustice of this Commandement and his Sonne Iesus in the perfect practise therof and shall beg grace to be able to follow his sweetnes and clmency and shall say All thy lawes O Lord are iustice and mercy Th prayer thou hast giuen life to man a guift worthy of thy goodnes and a law for the safegard thereof thou hast made man sociable and to make him liue peaceably with his Neighbour thou hast prescribed a law of peace and tyest therewith as with a stronge cord his handes and will that he hurt not neyther in hart or deed his Neighbour Thou hast at last sent thy deere Sonne into the world made man among men remayning alwaies God with thee Prince of peace and our true peace who hath honoured this commandement with his rare doctrine Esay 9.4 Eph. 12.14 and by the exploites of his singular sweetnes no man could euer complaine that euer he did him any wrong his hart was full of loue louing all the world friendes and enemies his eye was full of mercy and compassion towards all his handes full of liberality and his doctrine agreable to his actions For he taught his Disciples not to hurt any in word or deed to pardon vnto seauenty tymes seauen that is To par◠vnto 70. tymes 7. as often as we shal be offended and neuer leaue pardoning and what he taught he practised vnto death in the greatest conflict of his tormēts and reproches praying his heauenly Father for his very enemyes that crucifyed him The Captaines of this world triūph of killing many enemies in the battel his great triumph hath beene to dye for his enemyes vpon the Crosse and to giue life euerlasting to those that would take it O my Creatour and Redeemer how rich art thou in mercy and clemency O my sweet Iesus powre it to me this spirit of thy sweetnesse and graunt me for thyne own loue that I may exactly keep what thou hast commanded that I may perfectly follow what thou hast taught by word and example and that pardoning all and profitting all I may obtaine thy mercy and at thy great day be partaker of thy glory with thy elect So hauing walked a little and finished his ordinary deuotions he may if he will sing for his spiritual solace the Canticle following A Canticle of the loue of God and our Neighbour O worldly wights who loue this world so deere And prize so high the presents of this life Riches sports pleasures glory and good cheere Alas how can these last where all is briefe You that affect which perish shall And where with eke your selues shall fall All heere below is brittle and doth fade Al 's vaine deceitfull false and variable Loue thy Creatour then who all thinges made And is ' boue all he made most amiable The louely obiect of our hart VVho only doth true blisse impart Loue thou his louely Clemency whose brest Did from eternall times thy soule imbrace Loue him at last who loued thee thus first And shew
whole world shall be iudged when the iustice of the Iudge shall be made manifest to all the world when the iustice of the good shal be published by open iudgement in the full assembly of Angells and men and rewarded with a crowne of immortall glory There sayth one Saint shall be no complaint Aug. l. 20. ciuit c. 11. such as often in the presse of this world saying one to another why is this wicked man so happy in his wickednes VVhy is such a good man vnhappy and miserable in his vertue VVhy do Robbers prosper and poore Pilgrimes haue their throtes cut For then true felicity shall be reserued only for the good and extreme and true misery reserued only for the wicked This then is called the day of our Lord all other dayes are the dayes of men this which is the shutting vp of them all shall be our Lords day for therein he shall shew manifestly the treasures of his infinit mercy and iustice making for his glory the heauens and earth to leape all the most strong peeces of his power wisedome bounty O my soule tremble with feare The Prayer at the remembrance of this fearefull day for if Dauid Iob the Prophets if the pillars of vertue haue shaked how great ought thy feare to be poore sinnefull and feeble creature that thou art With what sense feeling shouldest thou meditate vpon the holding of this day the Iudgement of iudgements and the last of all What wilt thou then doe What Aduocate shalt thou haue Who dareth defend thee from this iust Iudge if he be offended with thee How shalt thou heare the irreuocable sentence when it shall be pronounced What shalt thou do if he condemne thee O sweet Iesus keep me from thy wrath to come if it please thee and giue me now a penitent hart that may deserue both now and then the voice of thy mercy Let me in this banishment suffer a thousand deathes but at that day let me liue with thee Afflict me whippe me cut me burne my soule my life my flesh my bones with al sorts of tribulation persecution trauaile and torments but may it please thee to pardon me then for euer O Lord. O Blessed Virgin my good Aduocate whome I often see represented in this Iudgement by the pious pictures of the holy houses in the Church of thy Sonne as suppliant for all mankind intreat I beseech O Virgin for al and for me who am of the number and the most needy and performe what the pictures represent They signify that thou art now Aduocate of mortall men to the end that at that day they may be out of paine and danger Aske now O B. Virgin for this is the tyme of asking and mercy and not then when there shall be no question but of iudging rewarding and punishing aske and in good tyme obtaine for me and for all those that seeke vnto thee obtaine for me O puissant Aduocate the grace throughly to bewaile my sinnes vertuously to correct my faultes wisely to order my senses and actions that at that day I may confidently behould the eye and countenance of that soueraigne Iudge set in his throne of Iustice ioyfully heare the sentence he pronounceth and happily be placed on the right hand in the number of his beloued The After-dinner and Euening of the nineteenth dayes Iourney The separation of the good from the wicked after Iudgement CHAP. XLIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall imploy his deuotioÌ„ in meditating what followeth Iudgement setting before his eyes how the one sort take their flight vp to heauen with Iesus Christ and his Angells there to reigne with him happy and blessed for euer The other full of misery and anguish broken-harted desperate shall be swallowed downe body and soule to the Center of the earth with the Diuells whome they serued and hauing gone foreward a while in this thought he shall also in the euening make some prayer to our Lord and to the B. Virgin his glorious Mother to the same end with that before dinner and shall looke about to lodge himselfe in some place proper for a poore wearied Pilgrime to repose The twentith Day A Meditation of Hell CHAP. XLIV THE Pilgrime hauing purposed to cleanse his soule in this his Pilgrimage and in good earnest to sweare emnity for euer against sinne the better to moue himselfe to peÌ„nance and to conceaue contâ—ition requisite for such an effect he shall help himselfe with the meditation of Hell the second death and reward of sinne as he helped himselfe hitherto with the meditation of the first death and iudgement This is a thundring peece Eccl. 7.40 to beat at the eares and soule of a sleepy sinner and with a wholsome alarum to awake him and make him take armes and looke to himselfe Good men are also holpeÌ„ therby for though they follow vertue rather for loue then for feare and serue God for himselfe which is the seruice of true children it profiteth them notwithstanding to meditate as well the punishmeÌ„t as the reward drawing from theÌ„ce matter to prayse God in his iustice and mercy and to stirre vp themselues to serue him well The Meditation shall haue his partes The prayer preparatory accustomed The first Preamble shall represent an obscure and darke bottomlesse dungeon in the Center of the earth ful of horrour and stench of fire brimstone and smoke and soules inclosed in their bodyes plunged in these flames The second shall demand particuler grace well to meditate of Hell for euer to auoyd it Hell most intollerable The first point shall consider that as there is nothing in this life more horrible then death nothing so dreadfull as Iudgement that followeth after so nothing is more intollerable then Hell and the punishments therof Matth. 8.33.22.24 There sayth the Scripture is weeping gnashing of teeth there is the worme gnawing of the soule and neuer dying and killing alway without killing Marc. 9.44 There is the fire that neuer quencheth there is the darke Countrey couered with the cloud of death There is the shaddow of death where no order but perpetuall horrour inhabiteth Iob. 10.25 Apoc. 21.14 There the portion of the damned is in a lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death where the wicked shall be tormented world without end The second point shall represent the diuers sortes of paines ordayned according to the diuersity of sins Diuers paines for diuers crimes for notwithstanding the horrour and disorder of this gulfe the order of Gods iustâ—â—e neuerthelesse shall be kept as the Apostle signifyeth when he sayth that he heard a voice from heauen condemning the Lecher to paynes saying Apec 18.7 Giue him torments in that measure that he hath had glory and delight in this life Therfore there the Proud shall be oppressed with an extreme confusion and shame The Couetous suffer an vnspeakable hunger and thirst The Adulterers buryed in fire and
pride so in the sinne of Couetise and the rest Of the fiue senses he shall remember if he hath abused his eyes by any curious or lasciuious lookes his tongue by speaking detraction Of the 5. senses or his eares by hearing it and other vaine thinges and so of the other senses If he be a Church-man besides that which is common to all Christians he shall consider in particuler how he hath carried himself in his estate if he hath assisted at diuine seruice if he hath sayd his Canonicall houres if he hath learned what is required to his charge to heare confessiōs say Masse preach If he be Religious Religious he shall call his consicience to account about his Vowes and rules if he haue beene a proprietary against the vow of Pouerty if he hath committed any thing against Chastity or hath beene disobedient If he be a Prince Prince whether he hath maintained the honour of God if he haue kept iustice if he hath gouerned like a Father Gentleman or grieued his people A Gentlemā if he hath done wrong to his neighbours or abused them If he be a Magistrate Counseller President Iudge if he haue diligently examined the right of euery one Magistra◠Iudge and iustly rendred euery one his owne if he hath taken bribes or iudged against his conscience If he be a Consull Consul or chiefe Magistrate of the Citty if he hath beene willingly or negligently wanting to the publike good An Aduocate Aduocat if he hath vndertaken the defence of vniust causes or if he hath faithfully defended the right A Proctor Proctour if he hath dealt truely with his Clients if he hath not vsed craft and cunning in prolonging suites and hindering the course of Iustice Capitaine Captaine if he hath kept caused to be kept the military and martial laws if he hath faithfully serued his Prince if he hath beene cowardly or stricken any wrongfully A Souldiar if he spoiled poore men Souldier if he hath beene true and faithfull if he hath beaten or killed any man in villany out of warre If he be a Superiour or Prelate Superior whether he hath commanded iustly and prudently if he haue beene arrogant or impious in his charge A Regent or Maister if he haue diligently and faythfully taught his scholless Scholler giuing them in word and workes example of vertue A Scholler if he hath lost his tyme or kept the lawes and order of the Schoole Physitiā A Phisitain if he hath beene diligent and faythfull in attending his Patient if by his fault any haue dyed Apothecary or fallen into any inconuenience of body An Apothecary if he hath made his Medicines of sound entire Drugs not sophisticated if he hath faithfully followed the Physitians bill Surgeon A Surgeon if he hath beene negligent in attending his hurt and sicke patient if he hath prolonged the wound to get more money Merchant and fill his purse A Merchant if he hath sold to deare or vsed false weights or measures Printers or Booke-binders Printer Booke-binder if they haue printed or sould pernicious hereticall wanton or diflamatory libells Artificer if he hath done his work fraudulētly if he hath filched wrought vpon the holy dayes Artificer and thus of other estates Women and Maides shall also particulerly examine themselues about the vanity of their apparell their too much speaking or speaking euill of their too much care of their corps of impatience choler couetise of the goods of this world and of other vices more familiar to their sexe The Penitent shall discourse ouer all and shall note wherin he hath failed and shal make as it were a table of his sinnes and kinds in his memory or in paper to confesse them This examen being thus made he shal say the prayer following immediatly before he goeth to Confession A Prayer to say before Confession CHAP. LI. Mercy ready for the Penitent ALMIGHTY God who desirest the conuersion and life of a sinner and not his death and perdition and hast promised the grace of thy benediction and mercy whensoeuer and how often soeuer repenting and confessing he shall cry thee mercy with an humble and contrite hart giue me if it please thee a firme voice tongue to confesse the sinnes I remember and say wholsomly before thy secret Tribunall with the Prophet I haue sinned and done ill before thee alone Psal 50.5 Take frō me all feare and vicious shame that I may freely simply purely and entirely discouer all the faults woundes griefes of my wounded soule to him whome thou hast giuen me for Lieutenant of thy iustice for the iudgement and remission of my sinnes And if I haue dared with a damnable boldnes to incense thee with thousandes of sinnes that I may dare also now with an humble confidence to confesse them to aske and receaue pardon in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer The order we must keep in Confession CHAP. LII THIS prayer being sayd and his sinnes noted he shall present himselfe at the place and houre appointed to the Priest and hauing asked and receaued his blessing shall say his Confiteor vnto mea culpae and shall beginne to confesse his sinnes according to the order of his examen and memorial runing ouer his whole conscience faythfully purely simply humbly and without affected ceremonies of wordes or gestures without accusing any other to excuse or diminish his owne fault without telling what he hath not done but accusing himselfe alone and only of his sinnes with the greatest sense and feeling of deuotion and compunction that he can and after he hath told all in his memory he shall make an end of his Confiteor and desire his Ghostly Father to aske him and to bring into his remembrance what he might haue forgotten and this done he shall receaue of him pennance absolution and shall prepare himselfe all the rest of the day and some part of the night to communicate the next morning and going from the place of Confession shall for thankes-giuing say this prayer following A prayer to say after Confession CHAP. LIII O sweet Iesu the true Physitian healer of my diseases the true life and peace of my soule the true solace of my hart I humbly thanke thee for all the benefites I haue receaued of thee since my first being and namely for this last wherby thou hast giuen me meanes to cast my selfe at thy feet to aske thee mercy reconcile my selfe vnto thy Maiesty iustly offended with my faults and to reuiue in me the ioy and riches of thy good fauour and friendship Alas O my souueraigne Sauiour what had become of my poore soule if thy iustice had according to my demerit drawne her out of this body and life in so miserable a plight all couered and infected with
Chuch they being neither necessary nor yet profitable I know not what scripture hath giuen you any such warning God only worketh miracles Psal 135. but the holy scripture teacheth vs another thing when it sayth that God alone doth wonders and miracles or those to whome he hath giuen power of which number Antichrist cannot be A miracle is a worke raysed aboue the power of nature as therefore neyther the diuell nor his Deputies could do any thing aboue nature but onely God who is the author and maker thereof so neither is it in the power of Antichrist and â—ll the Diuels to do one onely miracle Will you say that God hath giuen or will giue him in later tymes this power which in the beginning he bestowed on his Apostles and on his Church thereby to seduce his children and that he would giue these weapons into his hands to deface and oppugne truth and the honour of the same Church I thinke you will not dare to mainteine so euideÌ„t a blasphemy against the honor of the supreme soueraine prouidence That which hath deceiued you is that you haue tâ—keÌ„ a false glosse of your ministers for the holy Scripture S. Paul said to the Thessalonians speaking of Antichrist 2. Thes 2.9 that he shall do lying woonders but not that he shall do miracles as your Doctours do expound it for a lying miracle is no miracle but in enormously as a Colossâ—s of a man is a great Image of a man 〈◊〉 true man And therefore your ministers and you 〈…〉 abuse this place of the Apostle alledging it to the 〈◊〉 your affectioâ— you falsity the scripture seduce th◠〈◊〉 dishonour God and his truth and performe a plea◠〈…〉 Satan and Antichrist As Lazarus said this Toâ—â— came againe into the pl ce staring vpon Cime whom he saw veâ—y pensiue and made them laugh with his lookes and would faine haue spoken bâ— the Marquesse made a signe to him to be quiet The Tutour would gladly haue broken off all this dispute hauing already his ful charge Lazarus going forward you assure vs also quoth he that the Church doth no miracles Of your Church it is true but if you speake of the Church of God which is ours I demande what place of scripture affirmeth that which you say or any thing neere it The scripture saith that God is Almighty as well now as when he made the world and that his hand and power is not shortened then he can do miracles when he pleases now that it pleaseth him to do them we seâ— by experience of those which he doth for he would not do them if they pleased him not and therefore you speake against truth and manifest reason saying that there are no miracles done now a dayes in the Church and further against the truth when you say that they be neyther necessary nor profitable when God doth them teacheth he not that they are necessary and profitable Will you say they are superfluous Will you be wiser and better aduised then God himself to know better then he what is necessary and profitable If you say they are not necessary to plant the fayth which is already planted I answere that if it were necessary to haue miracles to plant the fayth at the beginning of the Church among the Paynims it is so still amongst the Paynims of the new world where the fayth beginneth and therefore it is that God doth them there I say secondly that if amongst Christians they be not necessary to plant the faith as at the beginning yet they are for other effects They are to manifest the glory of God his power his prouidence his mercy his iustice to shew alwayes as by some marke of note that he is maister of nature and that he can do more then she to honour his Saints to nourish and entertaine the fayth of his children to confute heresies to conuert sinners al which effects haue followed the miracles which haue beene done at Loreto by the intercession of the B. Virgin and els where by the intercession of other Saints Is it not a thing necessary that God be glorifyed and sinners conuerted and saued But are not your ministers wicked and vniust to thinke that God will not do any miracle for the good of his Church and yet will suffer Antichrist to do lying miracles to the ruine of the same who euer saw a Captaine so ill aduised who hauing vndertaken the defence of a Fort permitteth his enemy to batter to his vttermost and yet himselfe stirreth not nor permitteth any other to moue to the resistance and repelling of the enemy Will Iesus-Christ then permit yea command that his Church shall be battered and assaulted with signes lying miracles by Antichrist which are the strongest engines of the Diuell and will let him batter without once mouing or working against him any true miracle for the truth Moreouer doth not your doctrine a notable iniury to the Church of God Miracles a note of the true Church to take from her the vse of miracles which is one of the fairest markes that she hath alwayes had to shew that she is the true and lawfull espouse of Christ against all heresies and sects which attribute to themselues the name of the Church which neuer yet could worke miracle no more then your selues For since your first Father Luther we could neuer get from you one miracle though the Ministers haue taken great paines thereabouts and finally loosing all hope euer to do any they are aduised to couer their owne shame with the net of this negation saying there are no more miracles wrought in the world wherein very experience refuteth you all ouer the world and to deny that miracles are wrought is to deny palpable experience it is to say there is neither sunne moone nor starres in the heauens that is to be shamelesse and to mocke at all authority And to come to the miracle that hath most moued you Whether a man maâ— liue without his bowels you cannot belieue that a man can liue without his entrailes because say you reason and philosophy do not tell you how And I demand of you Syr do you know the nature of fayth and that she goeth beyond reason When there is a question of a miracle must we learne our lesson of humane reason and of nature Is not this as if one should learne philosophy of a poore Grammarian and measure the water of the Ocean with a nut shell Reason nature philosophy cannot worke or iudge any thing but what is in their own compasse and iurisdiction A miracle is an effect which goe h beyond the marches of nature as the heauen aboue the ea th Philosophy 〈◊〉 vnderstood is the mother of heresy how do you rule your fayth by the measure of nature Are you not so doing a Paynim philosopher rather then a faythfull Christian After the fashion of old heretikes who by such like Maximes would ouerthrowe all the Articles of