Againe Rom. 3. 29. Is he God of the Iewes only Is he not also of the Gentiles for it is one God that iustifieth Circumcision by faith and Prepuce by faith Doe we then destroy the Law by faith God forbid but we do establish the Law by denying Iustification by Faith onely without Workes and Iustification by Workes onely without Faith in Christ Iesus he established the Law and the Prophets The same Law-giuer Moyses and the same Law which telleth vs that we ought to obserue it the same also telleth vs that we ought to beleeue Deu. 18. 13. in Christ Iesus A Prophet Act. 3. â—â— sayth Moyses shall the Lord your God raise vp to you of your brethren as my selfe And Deu. 18. â—5 it shall be euery soule that shall not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed out of the people So the Apostle by denying Iustification by Workes of the Law onely without Faith in this Prophet our Sauiour and by denying Iustification by faith onely without obseruing the Law saying Not the hearers of Rom. 8. 13. the Law are iust with God but the doers of the Law shall be iustified establisheth the whole Law Faith in Christ and keeping the Commandements of God And for the vnderstanding of many places of S. Paul thou must obserue that the Faith which Saint Paul speaketh of when he saith that we are iustified by faith is a Faith that worketh by Charitie a Faith rooted Gal. 5. 6. and founded in Charitie Eph. 3. 18. So likewise when our Lord promiseth saluation by faith saying He that beleeueth in me Io. 21. 26. shall liue c. He meaneth such a faith as is rooted and founded in Charitie Faith without Charitie being but a dead faith deserueth not the name of faith no more then a dead man deserueth the name of a man As it is an error in speech to discourse of men without addition and meane dead men so it should be an error in speech to speake and discourse of faith without addition and meane a dead faith vvhich serueth those who haue it for nothing else but encrease of eternall Torments According to the Testimonie of our Lord who sayth Hee Luc. 12. 47. that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Faith Ia. 2. 17. if it haue not Workes is as dead in it selfe Without Loue Aug. in Ioan. trea 10. sayth S. Augustine Faith is vaine the Faith of Christians is with Loue the Faith of Deuils without Loue. Againe If neglecting De Fide et Operib c. 1â— tom 4. the Commaundements we might be saued by onely Faith which without Workes is dead how should it be true which he wil say to them whom he shall place on his left hand Goe ye into eternall fire which was prepared for the Deuill and his Angels neither doth he find fault with them for that they did not beleeue in him but because they did not good Workes c. So they shall goe into euerlasting combustion there shall be an euerlasting combustion as of Fire and they shall goe into it saith Truth whose not Faith but good Workes he hath declared to be wanting So Saint Augustine Whereby is manifest that Faith is necessarie to Content and Happinesse but not Faith only CHAP. V. That Man cannot be content and happie without embracing and beleeuing the Faith which was planted vpon Earth by our Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ the Sonne of God HAuing found out that Faith is necessarie to Mans Content and Happinesse and excluded the Faiths of all sorts of Protestants who defend Iustification by Faith only from euer finding any true Content or Happinesse it followeth to seeke out what Faith is necessarie to Mans Happinesse that we may embrace it and be happie First That it is the faith vvhich vvas planted vpon Earth by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is manifest to reason for that the Faith which our Lord planted teacheth vs many Truths Secrets and Mysteries which to the greatest Philosophers were not knowne neither in any other Doctrine can or may they be learned as of the Trinitie the Creation and Redemption of the World the Communion of Saints the Forgiuenesse of Sinnes the Resurrection of the Dead the Life to come and many things more of the greatest content and comfort that can be to the heart of Man which were not made known vnto the World but by the Sonne of God our Sauior that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets saying The Orient from on high Luc. 1. 78. hath visited vs to illuminate them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death to direct our feet in the way of peace Againe The Land of Zabulon and Land Mat. 4. 16. of Nephtali the way of the Sea beyond Iordan of Galilee of the Gentiles the people that sat in darknesse hath seene great Light and to them that sat in a Country of the shadow of Death Light is risen to them By knowing Truths Verities before the comming of our Sauiour not knowne vnto the World Secondly It is manifest by the Scriptures that the Faith which conducteth vs to Happinesse is the Faith which was planted by our Lord and Sauior Iesus Christ for that when the Scriptures say that we are iustified by faith they intend the Faith planted by our Sauior as Iustifying him Rom. 3. 26. that is of the faith of Iesus Christ Againe We also beleeue in Iesus Gal. 2. Christ that we may he iustified by the faith of Iesus Christ Againe Gal. 3. 23. The Scriptures haue concluded all things vnder sinne that the Promise hy faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen Whereby is manifest that none can be truely content or happie who doe not beleeue and embrace the Faith planted vpon Earth by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the Sonne of God Wherefore it is necessarie that we seeke it out that thou mayest embrace it and lay a sure foundation of thy happinesse which I will doe in the three next ensuing Chapters CHAP. VI. That our Catholike Faith which Protestants call Papistrie is the Faith of God planted by our Lord and Sauiour vpon Earth is proued by the light of Reason in generall FIrst by reason taken from the vnitie of our Catholike Faith that people of all Nations Tribes and Countries differing in Languages and Gouernment dispersed ouer the whole Earth should all beleeue as one and one as all and all with one voice and in one sense and signification professe one and the same Articles of Faith and those of so deepe vnderstanding high mysteries and secrets as in particular the reason of Man is not able to reach or comprehend is a sufficient demonstration to anie reasonable Man that our Catholike Faith is the Faith of God planted by our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ For as God Almightie is so must his Faith and Religion be God Almightie as Aristotle
Epicurisme vnder the pretext of Religion they seeme to their followers neither to deceiue nor bee deceiued in their opinions or practise of Happines but by this craft preserue their credits and liue without suspition of wretchednes and yet take to themselues libertie to doe what their Flesh or concupicences doe desire without respect either to God or man more then the warinesse not to incurre the forfeitures and pennalties of Penall Lawes Insomuch as that they haue put Conscience which in Catholicke times men vsed to carry in their hearts and soules into their neighbours eyes that if he see them not doing amisse to accuse them to a Iudge bring them within the compasse of some penall Lawe all is well Cal lib. 3 inst ca. 14. Melāct in locis anni 1521. tit de peccato and their followers Cicero de leg In the sight of God their best and worst workes are of their owne nature as they say all equally mortall sinnes And he who feareth nothing but a Iudge and a witnes as Cicero a Heathen man well obserued What will not he doe in the darke And this policy these Libertines haue borrowed from Epicurus a heathen Philosopher who hartily louing carnall libertie and sensuall life not to be of all men contemned and accounted as a beast would not in plaine tearms defend publickely That man had no other happines then sensuall life but coloured his Lasciniousnesse vnder pretext of Religion and taught for truths That the Soule of man was mortall and that after death there was no reward for good deedes and so by denying of merite for good workes and punishment condigne to wicked deedes with the Lutherans and Caluenistes English Creed Art 11. of this age he founded his Sect Happines and Religion vpon the groundes of Faith onely without merite for good workes or exercises of vertue and by this craft did what his concupiscences desired and yet preserued his credit of being a Philosopher and found many followers in all ages Insomuch as St. Augustine before his Conuersion to our Catholicke Church if he could haue beleeued the Epicurian Articles had made himselfe of the Sect of the Epicures as hee saith in these wordes Nothing did call me from the deepe gulfe of carnall August lib. Conf. 8. cap. 16 pleasures but the feare of death and the Iudgement of God to come which notwithstanding the diuers opinions I held neuer departed from my brest And I did dispute with my friends Alipius and Nebridius of the ends of good and euill and Epicurus had caried away the prize in my minde had I not beleeued that after death there did remaine a life of the Soule and places proportionable to our merits which Epicurus would not beleeue So S. Augustine And from this Epicurian Doctrine of Protestants and libertie of their Gospell proceedeth their aboundant fruites and workes of the Flesh which are so copious that as their owne Authors doe testifie In Flaunders Richard Iefferie in his Serm. printed 1605. page 31. was neuer more drunkennesse In Italie more wantonnesse c. In Iurie more hypocrisie In Turkie more impietie In Tartarie more iniquitie then is practised generally in England The people of Stubbes in his Epistle dedicatory before his Booke of good Workes England saith another of their Authors are in most places dissolute proude enuious malitious disdainfull couetous ambitious carelesse of good workes So these two English Protestant Authors yet the one affirmeth * Iefferie that hee spoke what he had plainely seene in the course of some trauels and the * Stubbes other what hee had found in trauelling the whole Realme round about And according to the testimonies of these two is the Lamentation of the Puritans in their milde defence alleaged in Mr. Powels Booke of thinges indifferent saying What eye so blinde that it doth not gushe out with teares to behold the misery of our supposed glorious Church I meane the great ignorance the Superficiall worship of God the fearefull blasphemies and swearings in houses and streets c. The dishonour of Superiours the pride cruelty fornications adulteries drunkennes couetousnes vsuries and other like abominations c. O beholde and pitty the wofull and lamentable estate of our Church in these thinges And with this agreeth the testimonie of their Apostle Luther saying The world by this Doctrine In Postil super Euang Domini Aduentus of Protestants is dayly made worse Againe in the same Postile In so bright a light of the Gospell of Protestants men are more couetous more craftie more vniust more cruell more froward and to conclude they are much woorse then they were before in the Papacie Againe Before time when we were seduced by the Pope euery man did willingly follow good works and now no man saith or knoweth any thing but how to get all to himselfe by exactions pillage theft lying vsurie c. Againe It is saith hee a wonderfull thing and full of In Serm. coni Ger. Fer. 5. scandall that from the time in which the pure Doctrine of the Gospell was first called to light the world should dayly growe worse Of this Henry the eight after hee was a Protestant lamented saying I am sory that the Readers of the worde of GOD follow it in Fox Act. 1 pag. 1124 dooing so faintly and coldly For of this I am sure that Charitie was neuer so faint amongst you and vertuous and Godly liuing was neuer lesse vsed nor God himselfe amongst Christians was neuer lesse reuerenced honored and serued And with this testimonie of K. Henry the 8. agreeth the testimony of Fox saying Fox considerat 4. To rip vp all our deformities in particular I meane not heere neither need I the same being so euident to all mens eyes that who cannot see our excessiue outrage in pompeous Aoparell our carnall desires and vnchaste demeanors without feare of God our carelesse securitie without Conscience as though there were no Iudgement to come our studdy vpon this world as if there were no other Heauen And the same also affirmeth Caluin saying In cap 11 Dan. 5. 34 Ampugst the small number of those who haue withdrawen themselues from the Idolatry of the Papists the greater part is full of treachery and craft they counterfeit indeed great zeale but if thou looke into them thou shalt finde them full of deceit Againe There is scarsely to bee found the In com 2 Pet. 1. 2. tenth Protestant who hath for any other end giuen his name to the Gospell of Protestants then that hee might with greater libertie flowe in all Laciuiousnes Whereupon Andreas Musculus another In libro de nouissimo die Protestant saith If we would confesse the truth then are wee compelled to witnes this of vs Gospellers that there are not to bee found in the whole world men more giuen to whooring vsurie cousening and deceite then we Againe the thing it selfe doth speake and truth doth compell vs to confesse although
found out by the light of Reason is most Simple One Actus purus without composition so must his Faith and Religion be one most simple and without composition of diuers Faiths as Saint Paul sayth One God Eph. 4. 5 one Faith Againe God Almightie is One and of infinite Goodnesse without Malice or Diuision and so could not plant a Faith or Religion that should diuide Men into Sects Dissentions and Diuisions in Faith because it is contrarie to his Goodnesse and Vnitie in himselfe he being God 1. Cor. 14. 33. of Vnitie and Peace and not of Dissention So that Faith and Religion by all reason must be his which can endure no Dis-vnion or Disparities in matters of Faith vvhich all men see to be our Catholike Faith which with such zeale maintaineth her vnitie that shee reiecteth all that differ from her in matters of Faith as Heretikes and Schismatikes and refuseth to make composition of her Faith with any other in any the least thing vpon any condition or benefit whatsoeuer Insomuch as that the vnitie of our Catholike Faith is one as Punctum a point Vnum one or Indiuisibile that which cannot be diuided vnto which you can neither adde nor abstract any thing but they passe either into nothing or into things of another nature as to be a line a number or a bodie So to our Catholike Faith if either you adde any Opinion or take away any Article it is no more Catholike Faith but humane opinion Schisme or Heresie As for example if you take away the Reall Presence of the Body and Bloud of our Lord in the Communion and affirme that it is but a signe then it is Zwinglianisme of Zwinglius who was the first Author of this Opinion Againe if you adde any thing vnto it and say that both the Bodie Bloud of our Lord is there really and also the Bread then it is Lutheranisme and so forth of any other Article of our Catholike Faith And if any oppose and say that some esteemed Catholikes haue or doe obstinately maintaine anie one point of Doctrine contrarie to the Catholike Faith held and receiued ouer the World and would not nor will not submit his or their iudgements to the Catholike Church and her Superiors I answere that hee or they were and be Schismatikes or Heretikes and haue or are to perish euerlastingly According to the Article of our Creede which sayth Whosoeuer Athana Creede will be saued it is needfull before all things that he hold the Catholike Faith the which vnlesse each one shall keepe whole and inuiolate hee shall without doubt eternally perish Insomuch as that it is impossible for any one of our Catholike Church to dissent obstinately from our Catholike Church since hee is bound by his Faith to beleeue inuiolately and before all things all the Articles of our Catholike Faith and if hee obstinately faile herein in any one point of Faith hee is bound to beleeue that hee shall without doubt eternally perish according to our Creede So that the words which S. Ireneus who liued so neere the Apostles times that hee affirmed to haue seene S. Policarpe who was S. Iohn the Euangelists Scholler vsed against the diuers Sects of Heretikes in his time wee may vse now without exchange The Church sowne throughout the World doth diligently keepeth is preaching which it hath receiued and this Faith as wee haue said as it were dwelling in one house and doth beleeue them as if it were hauing one soule and one heart and consonantly doth preach teach and deliuer these things as if it had but one mouth For although in the world there are different Languages yet the vertue of Tradition is one and the same So that neither the Churches which are founded in Germanie doe beleeue otherwise neither otherwise doe deliuer these which are in Spaine neither those which are in Aragon neither those which are in the East neither those which are in Egypt nor those which are in Libia nor those which are founded in the middest of the world So Saint Ireneus in his first Booke and second Chapter against Heresies and we with him Protestants though they haue but few affirmatiue Articles which in the same words and sense they defend as matters of Faith and are but few in number in respect of Catholikes yet are they in them few Articles first generally diuided into many Sects as into Elizabethians Lutherans and Caluinists and many more lesser Sects as Anabaptists Brownists Desperates Pig-Recusants or Trasquites c. The Elizabethians defend that a woman may be Head of the Church and hold the Supremacie in all causes and ouer all Ecclesiasticall persons whosoeuer and put those to death as Traitors who refuse to swear it as true and giue Authoritie to Parliaments to alter formes of Religion Lutherans and Caluinists denie both Caluinists denie the Authoritie of Bishops and Ordination of Ministers by Bishops Lutherans and Elizabethians defend both The Lutherans defend Consubstantiation in their Supper which they esteeme a Sacrament both Caluinists and Elizabethians denie it And secondly besides this Diuision into generall Sects they are all so particularly diuided one from all and all from euerie one that there cannot be found anie two of them which agree in vnitie of Faith one to beleeue the same Faith in the same words and sense that his companion doth beleeue to Saluation All beleeuing that the whole The English Creed art 19. et 2â— Church and generall Councels may erre yet euerie one beleeueth of himselfe in particular that he is assured to be saued and that he cannot erre So that Faith which one Protestant beleeueth to be saued by all the rest doubt whether it be true or no And no other else will beleeue that which his companion beleeueth for an Article of Faith videlicet That Titius is assured to be saued and cannot erre Whereby they are diuided into as manie Sects as Men. So that supposed that vnitie of Faith in the same sense and meaning were necessarie to Saluation Content and Happinesse as it is and that any one Faith professed by any one Protestant man could saue and bring to Content and Happinesse yet of all the Protestants that are or euer were or shall be one only can be saued and happie since onely one agreeth with himselfe in vnitie of faith and with none of his companions Protestants whosoeuer Secondly it is manifest by reason taken from the goodnesse of God Almightie that our Catholike Faith is the Faith of God planted by our Sauiour for that God Almightie is of infinite goodnesse and vertue and so could not plant a Faith or Religion wherby men might be saued and attaine to all goodnesse content and happinesse but it must consist of all vertues because hee cannot doe contrarie to his will which is alwaies to will good vertue which is our Catholike Faith which teacheth that it is not possible for any man to be saued or enter into Heauen
beleefe in God Almightie is necessarie to Mans Content and Happinesse but not onely Faith without the coniunction and connextion to other vertues THat Faith and beleefe in God is necessarie to Mans Content Happinesse is first manifest by reason for that the first thing which is to be sought for in any Question is Whether the thing be or no and Arist post li. 2. c. 1. vntill we beleeue it to be it is in vaine to seeke how or after what manner it is Secondly by the Scriptures which say that without faith it Heb. 11. 5. is vnpossible to please God for he that commeth to God must beleeue that he is and is a rewarder of them that seeke him Againe He that beleeueth not shall be Mat. 16. 16. Io. 3. condemned Again He that doth not beleeue is alreadie iudged Yet that Faith only without the connexion to other vertues is not of it selfe sufficient to Happinesse is manifest by the light of Grace Nature First For that wee beleeue many things to be which we would not haue nor enioy as Hell and eternall paines Secondly To beleeue that there is Happinesse is not to be happie otherwise the Deuils and damned soules in Hell should be happie since they beleeue that there is Happinesse and lament for the losse of it saying Wee Sap. 5. 4. sencelesse esteemed their life madnesse and their end without honour Behold how they are accounted among the Children of God and their lot is among the Saints Thirdly Faith endeth with 1. Cor. 13. 12. 1. Io. 3. 2. this life so if Happinesse consisted in onely Faith there were no Happinesse after death Fourthly Faith may stand with sinne and malice sinne and malice is wittingly to doe against that we beleeue in conscience and so one might be both happie and wretched together which is contrarie to experience Fiftly If onely Faith were sufficient to Happinesse without the connexion or coniunction to other vertues there could be no impietie committed nor no man should be wicked vniust or vnhappie for any fact how horrible soeuer vnlesse hee denied Articles of Faith and all Lawes and execution of Iustice vpon any one whosoeuer but vpon such as denyed Articles of Faith should be Tyrannie and Crueltie as made to put to death a happie and iust man who had committed no vnhappinesse or impietie Sixtly It is contrarie to experience that a man should be happie by Faith onely For though the whole English Clergie of Protestants in the eleuenth Article of their English Creed affirme in these words That we are iustified by Faith onely is a most wholesome Doctrine and very full of comfort yet we shall neuer heare or find that any of their Clergie hath left the comfort of a Benefice good Fare fine Apparrell worldly Riches and Commodities to practise and enioy this most wholesome Doctrine and very full of comfort Happinesse by faith onely Neither will they be well content to be put to the practice of their Doctrine and liue separated from all other Contents to enioy no other comforts but what they can receiue by Faith onely without connexion or adherence to any other vertue Againe the Scriptures neuer absolutely affirme but absolutely denie Iustification by Faith onely saying By Workes Ia. 2. 23. a man is iustified and not by Faith onely Againe Doe not 1. Cor. 6. 9. erre neither Fornicators nor seruors of Idols nor Adulterers nor the Effeminates nor the Lyers with Mankind nor Theeues nor Couetous nor Drunkards nor Raylers nor Extortioners shall possesse the Kingdome of Heauen Againe The workes of the flesh Gal. 5. ◠are manifest which are Fornication Vncleanenes Immodestie Lechery seruing of Idols Witchcraft enmity cōtentions angers brawles cōmessations such I foretell you as I haue fore-told you that they which doe such things shall not obtaine the Kingdome of God Not onely such as want faith shall goe to Hell but also the Apo. 21. 8. fearefull and incredulous and execrable and Murderers and Fornicators and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyers their part as well as the incredulous shall be in the Poole burning with fire and brimstone and the smoake Apo. 14. 11. of their torments shall ascend vp for euer and euer And our Lord esteemeth those who should heare the Scriptures read or preached and doe not practise what they say to be so farre off from Happinesse that he accounteth them fooles saying Euery one that heareth these Mat. 7. 26. my words and doth them not shall be like a foolish man that built his house vpon the Sand. And to conuince fooles there cannot be found a more forcible argument then that of Aristotles When they are in affliction necessitie paines to let them haue neither the loue of God nor loue of their Neighbours to helpe comfort or giue content vnto them but their comfortable Doctrine of onely Faith and you shall see how quickly they will not onely beleeue with S. Iames that by workes a Ia. 2. 23. man is iustified and not by faith onely but also preach the doctrine of our Sauiour and his Saints Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie Mat. 5. 7. Againe Get you away from me Mat. 25. ye cursed into fire euerlasting which was prepared for the Deuill and his Angels for I was an hungred and you gaue me not to eat I was thirstie and you gaue me not to drinke I was a stranger and you tooke me not in naked and you couered me not sicke and in Prison and you did not visit me as long as you did it not to one of these lesser neither did you it to me And these shall goe to punishment euerlasting not for want of faith but for want of good workes That S. Paul in his third Epistle to the Romans and third to the Galathians sayth that we are iustified by faith he there and many times explicateth himselfe saying The Rom. 3. 22. Iustice of God by faith of Iesus Christ Againe Iustifying him Rom. 3. 26. that is of the faith of Iesus Christ whose faith was as he fayth not to breake the Law but to fulfill For assuredly I say vnto Mat. 5. 18. you vntill Heauen and Earth passe one iot or one tittle shall not passe of the Law vntill all be fulfilled This is the faith of which S. Paul speaketh of a faith that doth establish the Law as hee himselfe in plaine words confesseth saying Doe we then destroy the Rom. 3. 31. Law by faith God forbid but we doe establish the Law Whereas S. Paul in the same Chapters seemeth to speake against Iustification by workes hee disputeth against workes done without faith in Iesus Christ such as are Circumcision the Ceremoniall Law and workes done before our Conuersion to the Faith as is manifest by his words in the same Chapters and places saying What preheminence Rom. 3. 1. hath the Iew or what is the profit of Circumcision
in the great Multitude which no Apoc. 7. 9. man could number of all Nations Tribes and Peoples and Tongues which are to be signed with thy Marke and to be conducted Apoc. 7. 17 to the Fountaine of liuing Waters O Lord of infinite Maiestie let the petition of thy seruant be accepted in thy sight and graunt that this my King and his Seed may be numbred amongst that Seed to which thou promised I will put his Seed for euer and Ps 88. 30. his Throne as the dayes of Heauen Thou art faithfull deare Lord and iust and right without any iniquitie and hast promised That whosoeuer shall 1. King 2. 30. glorifie thee thou wilt glorifie him and they that contemne thee shal be base Graunt deare Lord that this my King Queene and Prince may so glorifie thee in all their actions and deeds that thou mayest glorifie them vpon Earth and in Heauen eternally Most mercifull Lord I beseech thy infinite Goodnesse so to illuminate the hearts of all sinners that they may come to doe heartie penance for their sinnes and seeke to loue thee with all their hearts Graunt deare Lord for the Passion of thy onely Sonne Iesus Christ that all those Schismatikes and Heretikes who in effect defend that thou hast fayled in maintaining thy Oath and Promises to Abraham the Prophets and Patriarkes for many hundred yeares may see their errors and returne vnto our Catholike Church in which are abundantly fulfilled all thy Oathes and Promises Forgiue sweet Sauiour all those who persecute me and graunt that they may come so to loue thee in this life that after death they may for euer enioy thee in Heauen I beseech thee my Lord by the bowels of thy infinite mercie that all such as seeke after Ambition and earthly Dignities may turne all their Affections vpon thee who art their onely true felicitie Graunt deare Lord that I may rather die then not heartily loue and pray for my seuerest Persecutors Deare Lord for thy infinite mercies I beseech thee so to illuminate the hearts of all the Protestant English Clergie our deare Countreymen that they may see thy Oathes and Promises fulfilled in our Catholike Church and returne vnto it with all their hearts CHAP. XIIII Of the wretchednesse and miseries into which those fall who liue in breach of the Commandements of God and doe beleeue that it is not necessarie or impossible to keepe them HAuing shewed thee deare Reader that it is not possible for thee euer to be happie or find any true Content Ease or Rest vnlesse thou keepe the Commaundements of God and also hauing set downe vnto thee the meanes by which thou mayest easily keepe them Now it resteth to set downe the miseries and wretchednesse into which those fall who liue in breach of them and esteeme it a thing impossible for to keepe them that either for the loue of thine owne good and content or else for feare of thy falling into miseries torments thou mayest be woon to keepe them zealously so be happy which is that I heartily wish vnto thee First those who doe not loue God with all their hearts and keepe his Commaundements are spirituall Idolaters and doe liue in spirituall Idolatrie For our Sauiour explicating of the first Commaundement which is made against Idolatrie and the hauing of Exod. 20. 1. strange Gods sayth Thou shalt Mat. 22. 37. loue the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soule and with thy whole mind This is the greatest and the first Commandement sayth our Sauiour So if thou wilt beleeue our Sauiour himselfe thou must confesse that those who doe not loue God with their whole hearts and keepe his Commandements are Idolaters And the part of Idolaters Apoc. 21. 8. saith S. Iohn shal be in the Poole burning with fire and Brimstone An Idoll of it selfe is not 1. Cor. 10. 19. any thing as witnesseth Saint Iohn but the loue affection which any one beareth to any creature imagination or conceit more then to God contrarie to the first Cōmandement whereupon couetous men are called Idolaters because that Col. 3. 5. they loue Gold and Riches more then God and lasciuious Men or Gluttons are said Phil. 3. 19. to make their bellies their God And according to this our Sauiour sayth You cannot Mat. 6. 24. serue God and Mammon God will haue all thy heart and loue or none Whereupon S. Iohn sayth Euery one that In his 2. Epist Ver. 9. reuolteth and persisteth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God that is hath no true God but is an Idolater Againe He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar Whereupon it commeth to passe that howsoeuer these who thinke it impossible to keepe the Commaundements of God seeme to adore laud and praise God and haue the Lord the God alwaies in their mouths sing Geneua Psalms in their Congregations yet they doe neither serue their God nor acknowledge him in their words or song but commit spirituall Idolatrie apprehending vnder these termes the Lord the God c. such a God as they haue feigned and not such a God as he is indeed All Heathen and Cicero de Leg. li. 1. Pagan people that euer were haue acknowledged a God and haue sung songs in praise but they did not acknowledge him to be as he is but as they feigned him to be as those doe who affirme that they are assured to be saued without keeping the Commandements of God confesse that there is a God a Trinitie c. but doe not confesse him to be such a God as he is that is a God who curseth all these who decline from his Commandements Psal 118. according to his Mat. 25. word but such a God Trinitie as they haue feygned that is to say a God which will admit and receiue into Heauen filthie soules stained with Pride Idolatrie Fornication Couetousnesse c. when there is no such God but onely in their imaginations as witnesseth Saint Paul saying Doe not erre neither ◠Cor. 6. Fornicators nor seruers of Idols nor Adulterers nor the Effeminate nor the Lyers with mankinde nor Theeues nor the Couetous nor Drunkards nor Raylers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God For he that hath done iniurie shal Col. 3. 25. receiue that which he hath done vniustly and there is no acception of Persons with God There shall Apoc. 22. not enter into Heauen saith S. Iohn any vncleane thing or that doth abhomination or maketh a lye Whereby is manifest that all those who do liue in the breach of the Commandements of God do beleeue that either it is not necessary or else that it is impossible to keepe them are spirituall Idolaters and doe adore and serue strange Gods in their soules and spirits contrary to the first Commandement as it is also manifest to experience for aske of any one of these
Fiftly the Diuell not onely causeth them to doe what he will as his captiues slaues but also for the most part maketh them to thinke and beleeue what he will as witnesseth our Sauiour saying Euery one that heareth the Word Mat. 13. 19 of the Kingdome and vnderstandeth not there commeth the wicked one and snatcheth away that which was sowne in his heart To these who do not keepe the Commandements of God the Diuell becommeth so rigorous a Master that they must not onely doe what hee will but also beleeue meditate and thinke what he will so that if either they happen to reade any pious Booke or heare any Christian Speech Sermon or Exhortation the Diuell will not permit them to thinke vpon it long but dwelling in their hearts presently snatcheth it out of their memorie and fantasie and putteth in of his owne suggestions that they can neuer haue for any long space any one good thought but must be occupied continually in thinking vpon such things as it shall please the Deuill to suggest vnto them and sowe in their hearts and soules As further witnesseth our Sauiour saying He that soweth the good Seed Mat. 13. 37 is the Sonne of Man our Sauiour and the Cockle are the Children of the wicked one who doe the workes of their Father the Diuell and the Enemie that sowed them is the Diuell The Diuell according to the testimonie of our Sauiour hath such power and authoritie ouer those who doe not keepe the Commaundements of God that he soweth in their hearts for the most part what he pleaseth insomuch as they must not haue a thought long remayning there that is not of his planting and sowing And from hence ariseth their assurednesse of saluation without keeping the Commaundements of God and the feeling of the Spirit as they call it which is a sensible delight stirred vp by the Diuell in the concupiscible inferior part of their soules whereby hee puffeth them vp with such swelling pride of minde and selfe-conceit of themselues of being endued with the holy Ghost as that presently they contemne the iudgement authoritie and knowledge of all others as inferiour to their owne and of lesse certaintie then is their feeling of the spirit Insomuch as though you alledge vnto them the Oathes of God and Promises and Prophecies of both Testaments Councels Fathers and experience of former Ages nothing will preuaile against their priuate spirit it telleth them that the whole Church generall Councels ancient Fathers all others may be deceiued but they are assured they are not And thus deceiued by the Diuell they liue in this life in a kind of frenzie of spirit in spirituall things like the Diuels in Hell who being confirmed in pride and malice thinke well of themselues and basely of all others For the sixt and last Miserie of this people in this life wee put their Blindnesse which is so great that liuing in all these Miseries they cannot see them to haue compassion of themselues And who is more miserable then he that is in miserie and in danger to fall into eternall miserie and yet can haue no compassion of himselfe Man beeing a reasonable creature and Sinne and breach of the Commaundements of God being a worke done or made against reason and it being a naturall thing for one contrarie to destroy the other Hereupon it commeth to passe that those who liue in breach of the Commaundements of God become blinde in their vnderstandings and void of the true light of reason and true discourse of things passed or to come and so as blinde men without discourse or apprehension of Dangers Doe spend their dayes in sensuall pleasures and in an instant descend into Hell The God of this World saith 2. Cor. 4. 4. Saint Paul hath blinded the eyes of the Infidels that the illumination of the Gospell of the glorie of Christ who is the Image of God might not shine to them That which euerie one loueth hee easily seeth and embraceth and that which hee loueth not though it be before him he will flye from it and not see it and being impossible for these as they confesse to loue God with all their hearts it is impossible for them to see or know his Truths So our Lord said Io. 8. 17. If any man will doe the will of him that sent me loue God with all his heart he shall vnderstand of the Doctrine whether it be of God Againe If any one loue me he Io. 14. 23. will keepe my Word Againe He that saith he knoweth God 1. Io. 2. 4. and keepeth not his Commaundements is a lyar Againe Euery Io. 3. 20. one that doth euill hateth the Light hateth our Sauior who is as he saith Io. 9. 6. the Light of the World And what canst thou expect from the haters of Light but Doctrine of Darknesse and Miserie Our Sauiour speaking of their Miseries in the other life saith that receiuing his Curse they shall goe into fire Mat. 25. euerlasting which was prepared for the Diuell and his Angels that is to say they shall goe into Hell which is as the Prophet Isay saith A profound Isa 30. and spacious roome His food is fire and store of wood the breath of our Lords mouth doth kindle the same like a maine Riuer of Brimstone And there bound hands and feet they shall lye in a Bed of Moathes couered ouer with a Couerlet of Wormes or Lice and bee deliuered vp into the hands of the Diuels to poure out the wrath vengeance and rage of God Almightie vpon them as is manifest by the Scriptures saying Mat. 22. 13. Bind his hands and feete and cast him into vtter darkenesse Againe Ps 149. This glorie is to all his Saints to doe reuenge in the Nations chastisement among the Peoples to bind their Kings in Fetters and their Nobles in Iron Manicles Againe Ps 139. Thou shalt cast them downe into fire in miseries they shall not stand vp Againe Isa 14. Thy Pride is drawne downe into Hell thy Carkas is fallen the Moathe shall be strowed vnder thee and Wormes shall be thy Couering And lying thus in this wofull and lamentable estate they shall be giuen vp into the hands of Diuels to heape yet more Torments vpon them as witnesseth the holy Ghost saying Eccl. 39. There are spirits created to reuenge and in their furie they haue fortified their Torments When the finall Day shall come they shall poure forth the force and rage of him that created them Fire Haile Famine Death teeth of Beasts Scorpions and Serpents And besides these Torments their Eyes shall be tormented with vgly shapes of Diuels together with the horror of the Place wherein as Iob sayth Iob. 10. 21. no order but a perpetuall horror doth remaine Their Eares shall be tormented with horrible Schrikes Lamentations Rorings Curses and Blasphemies of Diuels and damned Soules He loued Cursing sayth Ps 108. the Prophet
vpon one sinner that doth Penance And againe Luc. 15. 10. I say to you that there shall be ioy before the Angels of God vpon one sinner that doth Penance Neither at this must thou maruell since a soule that loueth God becommeth by his grace so beautifull as that God Almightie taketh her for his Spouse and liueth with her in chaste delights as in his bed-chamber house and home whereof we are to speake in the next Chapters Beautie corporall is a proportion of the members with a certaine sweetnesse of the mixture of colours Beautie spirituall is a portion of vertues with a certaine sweetnesse of diuine splendor which is of such excellencie that it cannot be expressed vnto thee but by changing literall sense of wordes into spirituall so abstract from thy senses that thou mayest in some part vnderstand what the Scriptures say of the Beautie of a soule louing our Lord and keeping his Commaundements vnder these tearmes How beautifull Cant. 4. art thou my Loue how beautifull art thou Thy eyes as it were of Doues besides that which lyeth hid within thee Thy haires as the flockes of Goates which haue commed vp from Mount Galaad Thy teeth as flocks of them that are shorne which haue commed vp from washing all with twinnes and there is not a barren amongst them Thy lippes as a Scarlet Lace and thy Speech sweet as a piece of Pomegranats so are also thy cheekes besides that which lyeth hid within Thy necke is as the Tower of Dauid which is built with Bulwarkes and thousand Targuets hanging on it all the Armour of the valiants Thy low breasts are low Faunes the twinne of a Roe which feedeth among the Lillies Thou art all faire O my Loue and there is not a spot in thee So the Scriptures in expressing the beautie of a Soule endued with Charitie and louing God Almightie with all her heart Whereupon S. Augustine sayth How shall Aug. in epist Ioan. tract 9. we become faire or beautifull but by louing him who alwayes is beautifull As much as the loue of him doth encrease in thee so much doth thy beautie encrease because Charitie is the beautie of the soule And how great happinesse it is to haue this beautie of soule or cleanenesse of heart our Lord himselfe in few words setteth it downe saying Blessed are the cleane of heart for they shall see God For Mat 5. this cause God Almightie was incarnate and suffered death that hee might dissolue sinne and present vs to God immaculate and pure that we might see him and enioy him in seeing and enioying of whom is consummated all our happinesse For this saith S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 3. 8. appeared the sonne of God that hee might dissolue the workes of the Deuill and present vs to God pure and immaculate according to the words of S. Paul saying Whereas you were Col. 1. 21. sometime alienated and enemies in sense in euill works yet now he hath reconciled you in the body of his flesh by death to present you holy and immaculate and blamelesse before him And againe Eph. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed vs in all spirituall blessings in heauenly things in Christ as he chose vs in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in Charitie And yet adding sayth Christ loued the Church and Eph. â— 15. deliuered himselfe for it that he might sanctifie it cleansing it by the Lauer of Water in the Word that hee might present to himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it may be holy and vnspotted So if it be a Content vnto thee to haue and possesse Beautie corporall or cleane Linnen soft Apparrell stately Pallaces rich Gardens which are nothing but a proportion of earthly thinges mixt with varietie of workes or colours how farre greater a Content and Happinesse would it be to thee to haue a pure Heart and Soule a good Conscience and Faith not fained Which the loue of God and keeping his Commaundements would bring thee vnto as affirmeth S. Paul saying The end of the Precept is 1. Tim. 1. 5. Charitie of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and a Faith not fained from the which things certaine straying are turned into vanitie of words desirous to be Doctors of the Law not vnderstanding neither what things they speake nor of what they affirme As wee see by experience in the Solifidians of this Age. And this for the first spirituall Content and Happinesse of such as keepe the Commaundements CHAP. XIX Of the second spirituall Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is to be beloued of God Almightie WE see by experience that to loue and not to enioy or not to be beloued againe is painefull so hauing put all our Content and Happinesse in louing his Diuine Maiestie with all our hearts and all other things for him if we should not be beloued of his Diuine Maiestie nor enioy him we could not be content or happie So supposing that thou firmely beleeuest that God Almightie is faithfull in all his Promises and cannot lye or deceiue but will performe whatsoeuer hee hath promised if there bee no impediment on thy behalfe it is necessarie to shew vnto thee how hee hath promised to loue such as loue him with all their hearts and to make them his Children Sonnes and Coheires with our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and endue them with his Spirit the holy Ghost his gifts and fruits and maintaine his Oath and Couenant with them which hee spoke to Abraham and his Seed for euer And first for the Promises to loue them that loue him and keepe his Precepts he saith He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him Againe If any man Io. 14. 23. loue me he will keepe my Word and my Father will loue him Againe If you keepe my Precepts Io. 1â— 10. you shall abide in my loue as I also haue kept my Fathers Precepts and doe abide in his loue Againe Io. 16. 27. The Father himselfe loueth you because you haue loued mee Againe Hee that keepeth 1. Io. 2. 5. his Word in him in verie deed the Charitie of God is perfited Whereby wee see that God Almightie cannot but loue those who loue him with all their hearts and heereupon ariseth all these amorous tearmes of chast loue betwixt God Almightie and a soule that loueth him so often spoken of in the Scriptures and repeated in the workes and writings of the Fathers as Spouse and Espouse Kisse me with the kisse of his mouth my loue my beloued my beautifull one How beautifull art thou my loue my sister Spouse most beautifull
amongst women And infinite other the like amorous tearmes and kind speeches expressing the passages of chast loue spirituall pleasures and delights exercised betweene God Almightie and a Soule his fauorite Whereupon S. Augustine in his Booke of Confession calleth God Almightie His sweet happinesse the God of his heart God the light of his heart the inward bread of the mouth of his soule and the vertue marrying his minde and the bosome of the thoughts of his minde c. Insomuch as all the kindnesses in nature and exchanges of lawfull naturall affections vsed amongst creatures are but shadowes infinitely a farre off imitating the kinde passages and spirituall affections betweene God Almightie and a Soule his loue and fauorite which are so great that neither eye 1. Cor. 3. 9. hath seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it ascended into the heart of sensuall man what thinges God hath prepared for them that loue him So thou must not maruell though the friendship and passages of amitie which I write of betweene God Almightie and a Soule that loueth him with all her heart seeme strange and almost incredible since such he saith they are and ought to be as exceede the capacitie of men These are the workes of God and they are maruelous in our eyes He that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them hee it is that loueth me and hee that loueth me shall be beloued of my Father and I will loue him And of this ariseth the filling increase or extention of Loues motions whereof the first is Feruor which is an increase of desire to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet Dauid speaking saith My heart waxed hot within me and in Ps 38. 4. my Meditation a fire shall burne The second is Languor or languishing in loue which is an extension of feruor to our Lord beloued but not yet in spirit inioyed and so remayning betweene extension of desire and not inioying little esteeming of any thing else sweetly languisheth after our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse in the Canticles speaking saith Stay me vp with Flowers Cant. 2. compasse mee about with Apples because I languish with loue The third Extasis which is a passing of the soule out of her selfe that shee may bee in our Lord beloued Whereof the Prophet Ieremie speaking saith He shall Ierem. Lam. 3. 28. sit solitarie and hold his peace because he hath lifted himselfe aboue himselfe The fourth is Liquefaction which is a certaine dilatation or ratifying of the heart for the better receiuing and inioying of our Lord beloued Whereof the Spouse speaking saith My soule melted Cant. 5. 6. as he spake The fift Vnion which is as it were a certaine being together with our Lord beloued whereof the Spouse speaking said My beloued to me Cant. 6. 2. and ◠to him The sixt Mutuall inhesion which is a cleauing to our Lord beloued whereof the Prophet speaking saith It is Ps 72. 28. good for me to cleaue to God The seuenth Penetration which is an entring of our Lord into the bottome of the soule and vnion with all the powers which cannot bee better explicated then by the words of S. Paul This is Eph. 5. 32. a great Sacrament but I speake in Christ and the Church The same vnion that is betweene Christ Iesus and the whole Church the same is with one soule his beloued the Church as it is vnited with Christ our Head by Charitie cōsisting of the iust onely with whom he is so vnited that they are but one spirit as man and wife are two in one flesh so Hee 1. Cor. 6. 16. that cleaueth to our Lord is one spirit with him saith S. Paul Thou must not thinke that God Almightie in these delights with the sons of men is altered or changed who is one and the same for euer but that we are changed by his grace and fauour and so we speake of these things according to the changes which his grace doth make in our soules and explicate them the best we can by these actions of sensuall loue which are through the miserie of mankind better knowne and so though our words sound carnall yet if thou wilt vnderstand our meaning thou must abstract from the senses and vnderstand them vnder spirituall conceptions Wee speaking of the loue betweene a soule louing our Lord with all her force and our Lord rendring by his grace and fauour mutuall exchange of spirituall loue whereof the bodie for the vnion it hath with the soule hath his part at least in the two first Feruor and Languor though little in the latter which happen as S. Paul saith in bodie 2. Cor. 12. or out of bodie I know not The auersion of his intention was such from the senses of this life in his Extasis that he saith he knew not whether it was in bodie or out of bodie Aug. epist 112. That is saith S. Augustine whether as it happeneth in vehement extasies his mind was alienated from this life into the other the bond betweene it and the bodie still remaining or there was a ful dissolution of his soule from his bodie as happeneth in complete death he knew not And thou must not maruell at it for first the attention is so great and the obiects so exceeding all things that this World can afford that the admiration drowneth all other thoughts Secondly he neither can nor may see or know more in vehement extasies and rapts then it pleaseth God Almightie to shew him The chiefest effect of all or any one of these Loues motions is Zeale of the honour and glorie of God and the keeping of his Commandements and an holy impatience detestation and horror of sinne as well in himselfe as in others as is admirably to be seene in our Father Elias the Prophet 3. Reg. 19. Dauid Saint Paul and all the Apostles and Saints as to our Father our Lord said What doest thou here Elias But he answered With zeale haue I beene zealous for our Lord the God of Hostes because the children of Israel haue forsaken thy Couenant thy Altars they haue destroyed and thy Prophets they haue slaine with the Sword c. And not to see these wickednesses and miseries desired to die saying It sufficeth me Lord take my soule for I am not better then my Fathers And the Prophet Dauid Who had 3. Reg. 15. 5. done right in the sight of our Lord and had not declined from all things which he commaunded him except the matter of Vrias the Hethite had such a detestation of his sinne that hee sayth My sinne is before mee alwayes Ps 50. 5. to detest bewaile and lament it and expressing his further sorrow and griefe for the said sinne sayth For the voice of my Ps 101. 6. groaning my bone hath cleaued to my flesh I am become as a Pellican of the Wildernesse I am become as a night-Crow in the house I haue watched and am become as
thee he hath disposed ascension in his heart in the vayle of teares they shall goe from vertue into vertue the God of Gods shall be seene in Sion Whereof Boetius speaking in his third Booke and tenth Verse sayth Come hither all yee that are bound Whose base and earthly mindes are drownd By such which doth them tye in cruell Chaines Here is a Seat for men opprest Here is a Port of pleasant Rest Here may a Wretch haue refuge from his Paines No Gold which Tagus Sands bestow Nor which on Herma's Banks doth flow Nor precious stones which scortched Indians get Can cleare the sharpenesse of the minde But rather make it farre more blinde And it in farther depth of darknesse set For this that sets our soules on worke Buried in caues of Earth doth lurke But Heauen is guided by another Light Which causeth vs to shun the Darke And who this Light doth truly marke Must needs denie that Phoebus beames are bright CHAP. XXII Of the fifth Content and Happinesse which such enioy as loue God Almightie with all their hearts and their Neighbours as themselues which is the finding knowing and seeing of God Almightie in this life not as he is in his Essence for so no man can see him and liue but as the Saints say in the disposition of a visible matter sauing the vision of his Diuine Essence for the glorie of the other life HE that hath my Commandements Io. 14. 21. and keepeth them he it is that loueth me and I will Io. 14. 9. loue him and will manifest my selfe to him and he that seeth me seeth also my Father God Almightie will not onely dwell and abide in his heart and soule that loueth him with all his heart but also will manifest himselfe vnto him and thereby giue him the greatest Content Rest and Happinesse that he is capable to receiue in this life the seeing of God or God Almightie manifesting himself vnto him not according to his Diuine Essence for so man is not capable of seeing his Diuine Maiestie and liue but in the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie or which is all one by taking that likenesse which his Will hath chosen and not his Nature formed as affirmeth S. Ambrose in Luc. ca. 1. S. Augustine in his Epistle de videndo Deo S. Gregor Nazia cited there by S. Augustine S. Athanasius quaestio 12. S. Hierome de verb. Isa vid. Dominum S. Chrysostome Hom. 4. de Dei Natura That he may walke by faith and not by sight 2. Cor. 5. or happie Vision Moyses the Patriarks Prophets and Saints did see God in this life as the Scriptures say but not as hee is in his Essence or Diuine Nature for so No man hath seene God Io. 1. 18. at any time nor shall see God and Exo. 33. 20. liue but vnder the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie Moyses conuersing with God face to face as a man is wont to speake to his Exo. 33. friend said vnto him Shew me thy glorie or as S. Augustine In Epist de videndo Dei translateth Shew me thy selfe and our Lord answered Thou canst not see my face or Diuine Nature for man shall not see me and liue Whereupon our Lord to satisfie the desire of Moyses shewed himselfe yet more manifestly to Moyses but still vnder the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie by taking that likenesse which his Will had chosen and not his Nature formed and so sayth to Moyses Behold there is a place with Exo. 33. 21. me and thou shalt stand vpon the Rocke and when my Glorie shall passe I will set thee in a hole of the Rocke and protect thee with my right hand vntill I passe and I will take away my hand and thou shalt see my backe parts In like manner our Lord shewed himselfe in the disposition of a visible matter sauing his inuisibilitie to the rest of the Saints and Prophets as to our Father Elias 3. Reg. 11. in the whistling of a gentle Wind To the Prophet Isay like a Isa 6. man sitting vpon a high Throne and eleuated his Face and Feete couered with the Wings of Seraphins To the Apostles and Saints of the Act. 2. Primitiue Church the holie Ghost appeared in Tongues as it were of fire And S. Iohn in Apo. 4. et 5. et 6. the Apocalypse often maketh mention to haue seene God sitting vpon a Throne And S. Augustine affirmeth That Conf. li. 11. c. 8. wheresoeuer hee did looke hee did see God saying How commeth it to passe my Lord God that wheresoeuer I I looke I see thee but how I should declare or make others vnderstand it I know not vnlesse it be because all that doth begin to bee and doth cease to bee doth then begin to bee and end when it is knowne that it ought to begin or end with eternall reason So the Prophet Dauid did see Ps 15. 8. God alwaies according to his words saying I foresaw our Lord in my sight alwaies not with the eyes of his bodie which dayly decay but with the eye of his heart which was renewed from day to 2. Cor. 4. 16. day according to the words of S. Paul saying God that 2. Cor. 4. 6. commanded Light to shine in darknesse he hath shined in our hearts to the illumination of the knowledge of the glorie of God So our Sauiour sayth Blessed Mat. 5. 8. are the cleane of heart for they shall see God And Saint Paul Heb. 12. 14. sayth Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see God Whereupon Saint Augustine sayth That Aug. ep 111. the wicked though they shall rise in the Day of Iudgement yet they shall not see God Because they would not make cleane their hearts by a true Faith that worketh by Charitie For God is not seene in a Amb. in 111. ep of S. Aug. Place sayth Saint Ambrose but in a cleane or pure heart Whereupon Saint Iohn sayth 1. Io. 4. 8. He that loueth not knoweth not God And Saint Paul defineth 2. Tim. 1. 5. Diuine Loue or Charitie to be from a pure heart And Saint Augustine further Aug. ep 111. sayth That great men truly and most learned in the Scriptures who haue much benefited the Church and the studies of the faithfull as often as occasion hath beene offered haue said That the inuisible God is seene inuisibly that is to say by that nature which in vs is also inuisible that is by a pure heart and minde Againe Because that according Aug. ep 112. to the custome of speech bodies are said to be visible therefore God is said to be inuisible least he should seeme to be a bodie and not because he doth defraud cleane hearts of the contemplation of his substance seeing this great and high reward is promised to the adorers and louers of God
Ioy of wilde Asses be so highly esteemed by the Princes and adorers of the Earth as that they put either all or the most part of their content in them how much more are to be esteemed the Ioyes of the holy Ghost which doe so farre exceede all the Ioyes of wilde Asses and carnall pleasures of the censuall Men of the Earth as the Soule doth the Body The one being common to pious Men and Angels the other proper to carnall Men and Beasts OF THE THIRD Fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Peace THe third Fruit which the holy Ghost doth produce in the hearts of them that loue him and their neighbour for him is Peace not such Peace as is giuen to the wicked who can finde no other Rest or Peace but in the following and feeding of their inordinate appetites with sensuall pleasures like the beasts of the Forrest But the Peace of God which passeth Phil. 4. 7. all vnderstanding an Ease Rest Repose of heart and minde in God Almightie which exceedeth the capacitie and vnderstanding of all sensuall men which S. Paul describeth to be an vnion of our hearts and all the vnderstanding Phil. 4. powers of our soule in Christ Iesus Peace which was promised by the Prophet Isay saying When the Spirit shall be poured Isa â—2 17. out vpon vs then the worke of Iustice shall be Peace and the seruice of Iustice Silence and Securitie for euer And my People shall sit in the beautie of Peace and in the Tabernacles of Confidence and in wealthie Rest Resting of their Hearts and all the powers of their Soule in Christ Iesus as a Stone in his Centre Peace spoken of by the Prophet Dauid saying Praise â—â— 147. â— thy God O Syon because hee hath strengthened the Locks of thy Gates he hath blessed thy Children in thee who hath set thy borders Peace and filleth thee with the fat of Corne. Againe In Peace in the self-same I will sleepe and rest Whereupon S. Augustine reading this verse after his Conuersion from Heresie cryed from the bottome of his heart O in Peace O Con. li. 9. 8. ca. 4. in the selfe-same O what did he say I will Repose and take Rest Thou O Lord art the selfe-same exceedingly who art not variable in thee is Rest forgetting of all labours for that there is no other with thee neither are there many more things to be had which thou art not But thou O Lord hast singularly setled me in hope I did reade and did burne in loue Neither did I finde what I should doe to the deafe dead Heretikes amongst whom I had beene an vnsauourie yeller forth of infectious Doctrine and blinde against the Letters honyed with the hony of Heauen and lightened with thy Light O that they could see the inward Eternall Light Which I because I had tasted I was angrie at my selfe for that I could not shew it them if they should bring vnto me a heart in their owne eies without thee and should say Who will shew vs good things So Saint Augustine The Peace spoken of by our Sauiour saying Peace I Io. 14. 27. leaue to you my peace I giue to you not as the World giueth doe I giue to you Againe In me you may haue Io. 16. 55. Peace in the World you shall haue Distresse Whereof the Prophet Isay speaking saith For this cause shall my people Isa 52. â— know my Name in that day because I my selfe that spake Peace I leaue you loe am present How beautifull vpon the Mountaines are the feele of him that euangelizeth and preacheth Peace of him that telleth good preaching Health that faith to Sion the Soule which loueth God with all his heart Thy God shall Isa 9. 5. raigne Because all violent taking of prey with tumult and garment mingled with blood shall be burnt and foode for the fire For a little Childe is borne to vs and a Sonne is giuen to vs and his name shall be called Prince of Peace His Empire shall be multiplied and there shall be multiplied and there shal be no end of his peace At this Peace the Angels reioyced to see it prepared to be planted in the Hearts of Men vpon Earth And Luk. 2. the Angels said I euangelize to you great Ioy that shall be to all People beeause this day is borne to you a Sauiour which is Christ our Lord you shall finde the Infant swadled in Clothes and layd in a Maunger And suddenly these was with the Angell a multitude of the heauenly Armie praysing God and saying Glorie in the highest to God and in Earth Peace to Men of good will For Eph. â— hee our Lord himselfe is our Peace who hath made both one and dissoluing the middle Wall of the Partition the enmities in his Flesh And comming he euangelized Peace to you that were farre off and Peace to them that were nigh for by him we haue accesse both in one Spirit to the Father This is the Peace which Saint Paul wished to the Thessalonians saying The 2. Thes 3. 16. Lord of Peace himselfe giue you euerlasting Peace in euery place And this is the Peace which our Lord often wished to his Disciples after his Resurrection saying Peace be to you This Peace saith S. Augustine In epist ad fratres in eremo Christ left by a Testament to the Apostles as the chiefest good without the which none ought to liue c. This is that glorious Peace which expelleth the fruit of euill Thoughts preserueth the wauering Minde from hurt and purgeth the Conscience He who hath not the peace of Heart of Mouth and Worke ought not to be called a Christian O Peace thou art the serenitie of the Minde the tranquilitie of the Soule the simplicitie of the Heart the bond of Loue and companion of Charitie This is that high Felicitie which taketh away Enmities appeaseth Warres oppresseth Anger 's treadeth downe the Proud loueth the Humble endeth Strifes maketh Enemies friends acceptable to all Men. So S. Augustine And if the Peace of the Earth which is but a cessation from worldly troubles or affaires and a satisfying of thy passions be pleasing vnto thee of how farre greater Content and Happinesse must the Peace of God be which passeth all vnderstanding and keepeth as S. Paul saith Our Hearts and all the Phi. 4. 7. vnderstanding powers of our Soule in Christ Iesus which God of his goodnesse grant thee Reader OF THE FOVRTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Patience THe fourth fruit is Patience of which it is said In Patience shall you possesse Luk. 21 19. your Soules Then a man is said to enioy a thing when he receiueth Content in it and vseth it according to the end it was created for he that possesseth a thing to vexe and afflict hath it not to enioy and possesse but to torment Whereupon it commeth to passe that angrie and chollericke men doe not possesse themselues nor
Doe good and lend hoping for nothing thereby and your reward shall be much and you shall be the Sonnes of the Highest because himselfe is beneficiall vpon the vnkinde and the euill Be ye therefore mercifull as also your Father is mercifull that thereby you may be happy according to the words of our Lord saying Blessed are the mercifull for Mat. 5. they shall receiue mercie OF THE SIXT FRVIT of the Holy Ghost which is Goodnesse THe sixt fruit is Goodnesse by which they become really and truly good not by Nature but by Grace and communication of the Holy Ghost which produceth in them goodnesse and an abilitie of doing good workes according to the words of our Lord saying Euery good tree Mat. 7. 18. yieldeth good fruits and by their fruits you shall know them Againe He that abideth in me Ioh. 25. 5. and I in him the same beareth much fruit for without me you can do nothing If any abide not in me he shall be cast forth as the branch and shall wither and they the Angels at the day of Iudgement shall gather them vp and cast them into the fire Whereupon S. Paul saith Rom. 11. 22 See the goodnesse and seueritie of God! vpon them surely that are fallen the seuerity but vpon thee the goodnesse of God if thou abide in goodnesse otherwise thou also shall be cut off Againe You were 1. Cor. 6. 21. Fornicators seruers of Idols Adulterers c. but you are Washed but you are Sanctified but you are Iustified in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God because Ioh. 14. 17. he shall abide with you and be in you by whose communication they shall be renewed as S. Paul saith in the Spirit of Eph. 4. 24. their mindes and put on the New Man which according to God is created in Iustice and holinesse of Truth wherby they become truly and really good holy and iust And the excellencie of this fruit is manifest by the words of our Lord where he saith The houre commeth wherein Ioh 5. 28. all that are in the Graues shall heare the voice of the Sonne of Man and they that haue done good things shall come forth to the Resurrection of life But they that haue done euill into the Resurrection of Iudgement And by the words of S. Paul saying Tribulation and anguish vpon euery Soule Rom. 2 â— of man that worketh euill But glorie and honour and peace to euery one that worketh good Doe then good workes Reader that thou mayest attaine vnto true Glorie Honour and Peace which I wish vnto thee OF THE SEVENTH fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Perseuerance THe seuenth fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in their Soules who loue him is Persouerance a firme and constant purpose to persist in louing God Almightie with all their Hearts and their Neighbours for God as themselues for euer It is not inough to begin to doe well but to perseuere all the daies of their life in doing good to euery one for many haue begun good courses but for want of perseuerance haue perished Many false Prophets Mat. 24. shall arise and shall seduce many and because Iniquitie shall abound the Charitie of many shall waxe cold But he that shall perseuer vnto the end in a pure Heart a good Conscience and Faith vnfained shall be saued And he that shall ouercome Apoc. 2. 26. sinne and keepe my workes vnto the end I will giue him power ouer the Nations and he shall rule them with a rodde of Iron and as the vessell of a Petter shall they be broken as I also haue receiued of my Father and I will giue him the Morning Starre He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches He that shall ouer-come shall Apoc. 3. 5. be vested in white garments and I will not put his name out of the Booke of Life and I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels He that hath an eare let him heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches OF THE EIGHT fruit of the Holy Ghost which is Mildnesse or Meekenesse THe eight fruit which the Holy Ghost doth produce in the Hearts of those who loue him is as Saint Augustine calleth it a Couragious Tract 8. in Ioan. meekenesse or mildnesse which doth moderate the passion of anger and direct them to doe good with mildnesse and zeale as of our Sauiour it is said Behold my Seruant Isa â—â— 1. whom I haue chosen my beloued in whom my Soule hath well liked I will put my Spirit vpon him He shall not contend nor cry out neither shall any heare in the Streetes his voice The reede bruised he shall not Mat. 12. â—8 breake and smoaking flaxe he shall not extinguish till he cast forth iudgement vnto victorie Yet when he found in the Temple Ioh. 2. 14. them that sold Oxen and Sheepe and Doues and Bankers sitting he made as it were a whip of little Câ—rdes and cast them al out of the Temple the Sheepe also and the Oxen and the money of the Bankers he poured out and the Table he ouerthrew to the fulfilling of the Prophecie which said The zeale of thy House Ps 68 10. hath eaten me In like manner our Sauiour saith vnto his Seruants Vnlesse Mat. 18. 3. you be conuerted and become as little Children you shal not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Whosoeuer therefore shall humble himselfe as this little Childe which sate in the midst of them he is the greaâ—â—â— in the Kingdome of Heauen and yet saith That Mat. 10. 27. which I speake to you in the Darke speake ye in the Light and that which ye heare in the eare Preach ye vpon the house tops And feare ye not them that kill the Bodie and are not able to hurt the Soule Who are as the Prophet saith Ps 51. Mightie in iniquitie and loue malice rather then benignitie iniquitie rather then to speake equitie But the wayes of Peace the assents to Sion the paths to Ierusalem they haue not knowne videlicet Learne of me for I am meeke Mat. 11. 2â— and humble of heart and you shall finde Rest Because God 1. Pet. 5. resisteth the proud and to the humble hee giueth Grace to finde the assents to Ease and Rest from the wise and prudent in their owne conceits our Lord hath hid them saith our Sauiour and reuealed them to little ones for he Mat. 11. 25. that exalteth himselfe shall be humbled with tribulation and anguish and paines and hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted to Ease Content and Rest as S. Peter witnesseth saying Be yee 1 Pet. 5. 6. humble therefore vnder the mightie hand of God that he may exalt you in the time of Visitation into the Ioy of our Mat. 25. 21. Lord which God graunt thee Reader OF THE NINTH fruit of the