begin to consider thy creatures and so from them I will rayse vp my thoughtes vnto their Creator For haec spectari voluit non tantùm aspici he woulde that these creatures should be veiwed seriouslie not alone slightlie gazed on by the interior consideration euer to learne some what of God at least for his prayse otherwise he that studyes vpon the nature of the heauens starres ayre water sea earthe flowers herbes fishes beastes other creatures pondering no more but their nature and alltogether omitting to collecte somewhat touching their Author he is like a man who hath skill meanes matter wherwith to builde a pallace and yet spendes all his time among children boyes only to make little houses of claye durte or cockle shells 3. Adam is said to haue bene placed in Paradise to kepe to cultiuate that garden but we knowe that before his fall the earthe had no neede much lesse Paradise to be tilled by labour of the body wherfore his cheife dressing keeping of Paradise was by labour of the minde in contemplation loue prayse of God Beholde O my soule where thou maist haue both an office a place in paradise wouldest thou liue in paradise wouldest thou here beginne to be happy If heauen be on earthe it is in a deuout religions mans cell If the life of Angells be among men it is in the quyre or among them who prayse God like Angells To burne to boyle in the loue of God is a most pleasant refreshing to a thirsty soule O my soule be thou thus thirsty this heate will coole thee this thirste will refresh thee this ferueÌ„t loue will make thy prayses fruitfull these prayses as they delighte drawe vnto vs the Angells Sayntes so they vexe and driue away the diuells all bad spirites for this is the musique of Dauids harpe which droue away the euill spirite from Saul and these are like the desires meditations of our blessed lady when the Angell came to salute her 4. Thus Plato called the body a musicall instrument and the soule a musician who according as he handleth vseth his body so it affoardes him bad or good melody learne theÌ„ o my soule to keepe thy body in tune release stretche touch his stringes with order for harmony that is with charitable discretioÌ„ towardes our selues other men for heauenly respecte to the greater glory of God so let vs labour or rest feede or faste talke or praye doo euery thinge else in domino as in the sighte for the seruice to the prayse of allmighty God Thus the ancyent Christians as Pliny wrote to Trajan were a people which liued innocently and exercised themselues in the sileÌ„ce of nighte to sing hymnes vnto Christ before the dawning of the daye Thus S. Paul and Silas being in prison they worshipped praysed God thus o my soule let vs often accorde with the holy Angells in a deuout Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus holy holy holy father sonne holy ghoste or with our Sauiour himselfe who in his humanity as he is man singeth Sanctus and the Blessed Virgin his mother with all the triumphante quyre of heauen singeth Sanctus Sanctus must be our songe with the preist at the Altar and with all the Churche militant here on earthe Thus allso let vs often ioyne with the whole courte of heauen in Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia with harte and voyce Alleluia with instrument and lippes Alleluia with mouthe tongue Alleluia reioycing Alleliua singing Alleliua or meditating Alleluia Thus all honor glory prayse power to God to the Lambe Alleluia Thus I beseech the o lorde that thou wilte opeÌ„ my lippes theÌ„ my mouthe shall thus declare thy prayse MEDITATION X. Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique holocaustis non delectaberis Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus cor contritum humiliatum Deus non despicies Because if thou wouldest haue had sacrifice I woulde haue giuen it accordingly with whole burnte offeringes thou wilte not be delighted An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice to God a contrite and humbled harte O God thou wilte not despise THE DIVERSITY OF SACRIFICES and some differences betwene the lawe and the Gospell Sect. 1. 1. OF sacrifices we read of three kindes 1. victimae animalium the bodyes of liuing creatures 2. oblationes aridorum the substances of fruites 3. Libamina humidorum the moysture of liquors The first were called victimes eyther because they were for victoryes or because they were tyed or bound to the Altar as vincta the second were oblations giuen to be offred The thirde were Libamina liquors to be powred out or to drinkâ— of The firste were killed the second were pownded or bruysed the third were powred out and all of them must be one way or other somewhat altered from their former existence Wherfore if we will beginne a sacrifice of our selues we must purpose a change of our qualityes our waterish pleasing thouhtes must be powred out in teares of repentance our drye vnprofitable speeches bruysed into well relished wordes and we must kill the concupiscence of all our bodily workes Or it will be good to mortifye the desires of our will as a victime tyed or bound to the Altar To pownde or bruyse the drye meditations of our memory for an oblation to be consecrated vnto God To powre out the flowing vnsethed cogitations of our vnderstaÌ„ding referring all to the wisdome and prouidence of our heauenly Father So shall he haue humbled thoughtes a memorie contrite an afflicted spirite which kinde of sacrifices O God thou wilte neuer despise especiallie when like the olde sacrifices they haue fyre salte that is some heate of feruent deuotion and well seasoned and â—alted with some discretion 2. These sacrifices shall euer be accepted But it may be our Dauid prophecyed thâ—t there woulde come a time of grace when thou wouldest not be delighted with any sacrifice of the lawe The legall sacrifices were but as the scaffoldes of the building when the building is finished the scaffoldes must be remooued and yet our Sauior came not to dissolue but to fullfill the lawe To fullfill the inwarde substance and truthe of the lawe which is eternall and to dissolue the outwarde figure shadowes which were temporall And so another psalme saith in the person of our Sauiour Sacrifice and oblations thou wilte none but thou hast perfected a body for me c. then I sayd beholde I come But when the kinge himselfe comes his Viceroy must giue place 3. Allso the sacrifices of the lawe did rather signifye then iustifye but ours doo as well iustifye as signifye The lawe of Moyses receiued obedience more for feare then for loue the lawe of Christe more for loue then for feare And so that lawe did rather restreyne the hande then the minde rather the outwarde deede then the inwarde intente But our lawe
why parentes iustifyed in state of grace doo neuertheles beget children subiecte to sinne originall corruption as much as others not so much becauâ—e generation is an acte of our carnall man iustification is an effecte in our spirituall man for the wholeman is iustifyed but especially because we and euery creature generamus nobis similes in specie magis quà m in indiuiduo we doo procreate our of-spring ech creature like himselfe rather like in speciall kinde of nature then in particuler propertyes of person as of men to proceede mankind c. For as the progeny was neuer like the parent in euery personall respect so when they are a like in many such particulers yet it is rather accidentally contingent then essentially necessary And so we see foolish or lame parents haue sound or discreete children and contratiwise As then parents doo not necessarily communicate to children their personall propertyes no not of nature much lesse of grace so to be in state of grace a iustifyed man is a personall property and therfore mo more maruell to haue children vnregenerate borne of iuste parentes then to see a childe borne vncircumcised of a circumcised lew or to see a cleansed wheat corne bring forthe an eare of wheate which againe hath fazells chaffe HOW ORIGINALL SINNE IS DERIVED from Adam by meanes of our parents and yet we haue not our soules from them ex traduce Sect. 5. 1. ANd allthoughe Originall sinne be a corruption of our nature rather then an personall faulte yet it is not any parte of our nature as proceding from nature positiuely but only a priuation or defecte folowing nature and proceding from Adams freewill and infecting our will as partes branches of Adam Wherfore it is properly a sinne because it had consent of will thervnto which we cannot say of other naturall defectes as to be borne deafe dumbe blinde lame or disfigured because these are no way referred to any consent of will Allso infantes neither haue thoughtes wordes nor deedes against the eternall law of God and yet they haue this originall sinne which is not conteyned in that description for that description is vnderstood of actuall sinne only But originall sinne consistes not in any action for it is only a gultines a spotte or blemish noâ— any actuall transgression 2. As for that Argument of the Pelagians which so much pressed S. Augustin about the traduction of our soule it is thus propounded and answered Sinne say they hath his seate in the soule not in the flesh But the soule is created not deriued from Adam nor our parents therfore neither is this originall sinne deriued from the one or from the other by generation but foloweth by imitation Firste it is answered in generall that it cannot be by imitation because neither can children imitate their parents so soone as they are borne and yet euen then most agree they are guilty of originall sinne Nor is this sinne any action and therfore no imitation for to imitate is to doo somewhat but it is called sinne originall not actuall and is accompted a guilte of our nature not a facte of our person 3. Next about the proposition As all deuines agree that the soule is the seate of sinne so yet if the soule may herin be depraued by the flesh as some thinke then may originall sinne be transfused into the soule by generation of the body These men say the flesh must needes be the meanes of coÌ„ueying this sinne vnto the soule as vnto his seate for if the soule should be created alone and not be ioyned to the body it should in that case be free from this infection And it seemes iuste that as Adams flesh was firste corrupted by his soule which firste admitted sinne so now the soule shoulde be firste corrupted by the flesh still deriuing sinne and so originall sinne is both a corruption of penality subiecting vs to all misery and a corruption of viciosity inclyning vs to all sinne 1. by rebellion against the spirite 2. by drawing the soule downeward 3. because the soule of it selfe is not able to gouerne all our appetites without diuine grace 4. Thus therfore say they that the flesh doth depraue the soule being vnited vnto it as a wounde in the body maketh the soule grieue but if you cutte the flesh wanting life it feeles no payne So the flesh hath not sinne in it selfe as in his seate no more then wyne hath in it selfe dronkennes and yet maketh others dronke and so the body is able to infecte to worke vpon the soule 1. not by predominance as one elemeÌ„t or mixte body vpon another 2 nor by influence as the heauens vpon these inferior bodyes 3. nor by deuine power as the fyre vpon dammed spirites but. 4. by Sympathy of vnited correspondence as in a phrensy or lunacy such a distemper or quality of the body makes the minde to be madde or foolish And so the corrupte distemper of our flesh doth disorder our soule whit sinfullnes which sinfull disteÌ„per is not actually but dispositiuely in the seede of the parent or flesh of the infante nor is it in the flesh vntill it come to be ioyned to the soule which is only the full finall seate of sinne 5. And note that all this may be true in respecte of that radicall concupiscence which is as it were the positiue materiall parte of originall sinne but the formall true nature of originall sinne consisting priuatiuely in the waÌ„te of originall iustice this priuation is not caused nor conueyed vnto the soule by the flesh Nor by that carnall luste which more or lesse is in the naturall generation of all men For if by supernaturall priuiledge any parents should engendre without all luste yet the childe shoulde be infected with originall sinne or if luste were the cause therof â—hen according to the excesse of luste in the parents shoulde originall sinne be more or lesse in the children Wherfore thoughe S. Augustin doo often say that it is not generation but luste which doth deriue this sinne he only intendes to shew that the sole acte of generation is not the only cause of originall sinne for euen in paradise there shoulde haue bene the acte of generation and yet therin shoulde haue bene no sinne But by luste may be meante the propagation of our corrupte nature of which corruption luste is a certein signe effecte wherfore when he saith originall sinne is deriued by luste he meaneth that this corrupte propagation of our nature wherof luste is a signe is the meanes to deriue originall sinne 6. And so when S. Augustin saith of the body and the soule that the one is corrupted in the other as in an Vncleane vessell eyther it may be true by way of morall comparison in regarde of that concupiscence radicall as is afore said which in some is the materiall positiue parte of originall sinne hauing his materiall seate in the flesh by this dispositiuely
is greiuous to be depriued the communion of Sayntes But to be caste out from the fruition ioye of Gods presence is most lamentable The Mary-golde flower another which may be called Follow-suÌ„ne whiles the cherfull sunne shynes vpon them doo alwayes turne themselues towardes his beames moouing their heades after his course from East to west and whiles they feele his comfortable heate they remayne open beautifull fresh but so soone as the sunne is downe or couered with a sharpe storme or great thicke clowde they close shut vp their stowers they hang downe their heades or altogeather wither if they long wante his presence as in winter O Iesu thou arte my eternall sunne I am this fading flower yet if I will followe the as thou wilte neuer go downe so I shall neuer dâ—caye o let me euer be turned toward thy face 7 Pliny writes of a birde named Coladion which brought to a sicke body if she willingly looke directly vpon him there is much hope of life but if she turne away her eye and would not see him it is a signe of death O Iesu beholde me for my soule is sicke if thou turne away thy face from me I must needes dye for only in thy presence is true life Iob was an eye to the blinde as that sea fish Squilla doth serue for eyes vnto another shellfish called Pina O Iesu kepe me in thy presence and fixe thy face vpon me according as thy prophet Zachary said Our lord is the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel As Ester with Assuerus let me find grace in thyne eyes O lord cast me not out from thy face least so I should wante thy fauour thy guydance and thy defence for euen among men we fasten our eyes vpon another either for loue or for gouernement or for protection O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of fauorable loue O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of directing gouernement O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of protecting defence so shall I reioyce in thee as my kind Patron I will obey thee as my prudent Tutor and I shal be safe with thee as my allmighty Capteyn AMONG SVNDRY OTHER GIFTES OF the holy Ghoste let vs inparticuler labour to be thankefull and to be constante Sect. 4. 1. ANd thy holie spirite doo not take from me I am a penitent and yet I presume to suppose I haue thy holy spirite whose effectes I desire may be encreased not diminished It is an effecte of thy holy spirite to be displeased with sinne for wickednes is a delighte to an vncleane spirite As therfore by this gifte of thy spirite I am come thus farre forwarde to dislike my former sinnes and to seeke pardon so I beseech the not to take froÌ„ me because of my vnworthynes that little which I haue but rather in thy goodnes to giue me yet more whatsoeuer I wante No man can call our lorde Iesus but in the holie ghoste To name him in worde they may but not to beleue in him loue him with their harte aboue any thinge in this worlde this none can doo without the holy spirite which is a spirite or inward breath of holynes no more then any can vocally speake without the breath of ayre O Iesu I beleue helpe my fainte beleefe O Iesu I loue increase my colde charity The small loue poore faith which I haue doo come from thy holy spirite O take not this holie spirite from me thou hast giuen it freely o encrease it graciously 2. In vertue memory of our deare Sauiours fiue woundes some vse to pray to the holy ghoste in fiue wordes 1. Veni come 2. purga cleanse 3. Reple fill 4. Accende inflame 5. Perseuera Continue Come with thy inspirations Cleanse by expulsion of sinne Fillfull with abundance of grace inflame with heat of thy loue and continue all these vnto the end all are necessary good but without perseuerance no vertue is crowned I haue begun in the spirite let me not end in the fleh O take not thy holie spirite from â—e 3. It is a question among schoolmen which is most bound to allmighty God One who was euer innocent or one truly penitent Some doo resolue it thus Innocens maiora debet sed poenitens magis debet Innocency is a greater benefite and so he is in debted for a better gifte But penitence is more difficulte and allso a demerited or disdeserued vertue for which therfore such a one is indebted so much more To preserue one alwayes innocent is to doo good vnto a man not ill To drawe a sinner to repentance is to doo good to an ill man The first did neuer merite his innocence but the other had demerited his penitence Allso it is easyer for him to go forward who is sounde standing on foote then for him who is sicke fallen vnder foote And finally Innocence is a Iewell of more price in the substance and penitence of more value for the workemanship wherfore the one owes more vnto God for being reserued in excellency and the other because he is deliue red with such difficulty 4. And as both procede of mercy vndeserued so if they doo not continue in perseuerance neither of them shal be crowned The fayre blade of corne must come to a good eare to a full kernell to a seasonable haruest to yeildable flowre The beautifull blossome must growe to a welâ— set budde and continue to a kind ripe fruite Saint Paul saying There is reserued for me a crowne of iustice Saint Bernard enquireth what proportion betwene our eternall reward our merites of a few yeares and allso what iustice of rewarde can be due to vs who receiue all of mercy Doubtles becauses our merites procede of his mercy and so doth not mercy exclude merite or iustice but rather vpholde them And as sinners are eternally punished for offending an infinite maiesty so iust men thirsting after righteousnes do merite an eternall crowne of iustice for if they were immortall on earthe they would perpetually serue God And being once sincerely penitent with S. Augustin they would so abandon all their sinfull pleasures that from the instante of their repentance they shoulde no more returne vnto them for euer euer such must be the purpose of a true conuerte for euer to caste of sinne least at any time he be caste out from the face of God and for euer to take care of perseueranae least at any time he loose the holy spirite which he hath receiued for so eternall iustice will giue him an eternall rewarde herin proportionable to his eternall purpose and care to serue God 5. Not like those peicemeale penitentes who still reserue some sinne nor those changeable conuertes who are weary euery moone or such as for a time cease to sinne for a lent for a sicknes for a good sermon or by any such present admonition but
we may be free from all these neither partaking in passion nor for opinion consulting with flesh and bloudde but hauing power giuen to be made sonnes so be borne of God let vs proceede with Dauid earnestly to repeate the name which we loue and to shew the strong desire of our petition by a zealous and vehement repetition Deus Deus salutis meae O God O God of my saluation SOME SHORTE PETITIONS DIRECTED vnto the name Goodnes of God Sect. 2. 1. O God O God of my saluation Some interprete this worde God in greeke to signifye one who beholdeth or one who runneth He seeth our saluation in his foreknowledge and in his exceding loue he runneth spedily to performe all our redemption O God looke vpon vs O God runne vnto vs. Beholde vs for our saluation and hasten vnto vs in our redemption See vs allso in thy foreknowledge of our redemption o God O God come running vnto vs in thy loue of our saluation Furthermore because we hauâ— neede to be saued and sanctifyed in the knowledge of our vnderstanding and in the affections of our will therfore allso bring vs saluation of vnderstanding to see thee and knowe thee O God· O God hasten vs by willing affection to runne vnto the and to loue thy saluation as in another pâ—alme it is said Thou arte my illumination and my saluation viz vnto my will saluation and illumination to my vnderstanding Therfore o God so looke vpon me that I may allso see thee being rightly illuminated O God so runne vnto me that I may come vnto thee being deuoutly affected 2. O God the Author o God mediator of my saluation O infinite Deity O mercifull humanity of my Redeemer O Iesus who arte God! O Christe who arte man O Emmanuel who arte God with vs men O soÌ„ne of man because thou tookest maÌ„hood of a blessed pure Virgin O sonne of God! because thou arte God of God and the eternall substance of the eternall Father O God which arte man O man who arte God! Thou hast auowed of thy selfe I am the saluation of the people working our saluation by suffring as man and accomplishing our saluation by ouercoming as God o deliuer vs from blouddes by the bloud of thy saluation It is a worke of great power to deliuer me from my sinfull corruption of blouddes O God O God it is a fauour of much mercy to shed thine owne bloud for my saluation O God deliuer me from those blouddes for only the power of God can worke it O God grante me saluation in thy bloud for only the mercy of God will accomplish it deliuer and cleanse me from my abhominable corruption of humane bloud by the inestimable preciousnes of diuine bloud this I doo accompte desire as a mysterye of God and a mercy of God for my admirable saluation Deliuer me from blouddes O God O God of my saluation WE DOO REIOYCE OVR LORDES iustice by trusting in his promises or by acknowledging of his mercy which forgiueth the offendour and yet fullfilleth iustice Sect. 3. 1. ANd my tongue shall rejoyce thy iustice O lorde thou wilte open my lippes and my mouthe shall declare thy prayse Saint Gregory saith that the iustice of God is faith in his true religion and we doo reioyce his iustice when we resiste or forsake heresy for Gods cause neither coueting the aduancements or aboundances of this worlde nor fearing his disgustes or pouerity for it is better to liue depending vpon the worde and promises of God in a patient firme hope then to relye vpon the best vncerteintyes of all this worlde in any present possession For without true catholique faith it is impossible to please God and by this faith a iuste man shall liue First spiritually reioycing more that he is a poore member of the Catholique Churche then if he were a mighty riche Prince in heresye and secondly for his body and for his necessityes praying trusting vnto him whose most fatherly prouidence feedeth the Birdes of the ayre and clotheth the lillyes of the feilde and with whom if there be prouision for sparrowes there is more for men and as he hath done good to our soules so he will not neglecte our bodyes 2. O my soule for thy life kepe euer this confidence on him and so reioyce on his fatherly iustice for if we aske him bread he will not giue vs a stone But especially let vs reioyce in his iustice for hauing deliuered vs from the lothsome blouddes of our sinne and broughte vs to the knowledge of his truthe into the estate of iustice of iustification by his grace Allso with men it semes iustice to reuenge an iniury and to free a malefactor is accounted iniustice neither will the rigor of mans sentence be satifyed thoughe an hundred others woulde giue their liues for one offendor coÌ„demned but the party who is guilty must be executed therfore o lord we will reiâ—yce in thy iustice which is appeased by the death of thy only sonne to make him a Sauiour of life for millions of slaues this thy iustice doth both free and aduance heynous offendors this thy iustice doth release any iniury and pardon any penitent malefactor Thy mercy hath propounded promised all this and this thy iustice doth performe ALL THE WORDES OF OVR MOVTH should proceede from God and agayne be referred vnto God Sect. 4. 1. O Lord thou wilte open my lippes and my mouthe shallâ— declare thy prayse Excepte thou O Lorde doo open my lippes excepte thou doo giue me this grace neither can my tongue reioyce nor my mouthe declare thy prayse It is not you which speake said our Sauiour but the spirite of â—y father which is in you therfore with Dauid I will harken what our Lorde speaketh within me andso by his assistance in mine owne comforte for his honor I will exercise all the instrumentes of my voyce my tongue my lippes and my mouthe My tongue shall frame wordes my lippes shall grace their soundes and my mouthe shall pronounce their full sense to reioyce in his iustice to declare his prayse 2. The wise man said It is thou o lord who doost shut vp the mouthes of the proud and makest the tongues of infantes to become eloquent If we open our mouthes of our selues we eyther speake vainly or falsely and sometime we ioyne theÌ„ both together speaking falsely to obteyne vainglory wheras if thou O God diddest open our lippes If we did directe our speeche to thy honor we shoulde euer haue truthe in our tongue and thy prayse in our harte It is conuenient alwayes to remeÌ„ber that saying Quis Cui Quid Quare tu dicas fac saepe requiras Who to whom what wherfore thou arte about to speake firste doo thou examine thy selfe If I be to teach O Lord open my lippes that it may be to profite soules not to set out my selfe not insisting in persuasible wordes of humane wisedome
is dronkard a glutton or a luxurious person for whiles they pronounce that with their mouthes wherof they haue no sauour or delighte in their hartes they doo but counterfeyte or borrowe the mouthe of other true religious men who vtter with deuotion what these doo but pronounce for fashion like puppeets which speake by arte not by nature Rather excepte they woulde amend their liues it were better for themselues they should holde their tongues as Bias sayling in a shippe with certeyn maryners and passengers whose conditions he noted to be very vicious therfore in a storme which presently folowed when they all began to lifte vp their voyces crye vnto their Gods he earnestly desired them to holde their peace Silâ—te ne voshic nauigare Dij sentiant be silent least the Gods perceiue that you sayle here Meaning that the prayers of such companions woulde rather prouoke then appeaâ—e the wrathe of heauen 3. And so Dauid here desires firste to be freed from blouddes or sinnes and afterwarde he entreats for grace to haue his lippes opened for as it is in another psalme If I haue respecte to iniquity our lorde will not harken for how should I obteyne remission of sinne if yet I haue any intention still to sinne O lorde open my lippes o lord doo thou make me worthy doo thou make me able to pray vnto the and to prayse thee My tongue of it selfe is of no value it is only a small peice of flesh which yet according to his vse may worke great effectes maruelous good or extreme bad as Anacarsis being asked what was the best of man he answered the tongue And agayne being asked what was the worste he answered the tongue and therfore nature hath placed it in the close vaulte of our mouthe besette it with teeth as a percullice and our lippes are as the gates to the end that with such Guardes it should be warily kepte in for it must be carefully gouerned as the Rudder or sterne of a shippe the minute wheele of a clocke the trice or pully of a Crane And one compares it to a mattocke or pickaxe which may serue to dig a dungill or to worke in a myne of golde because our tongue may be an instrument to blaspheme sweare reuile sclander c. or to defend Righte to teach truthe to perswade vertue to pray vnto God for his mercy or to prayse him for his goodnes And so I desire o lorde thou wilte open my lippes my mouthe shall declare thy prayse ALL CREATVRES DOO PRAYSE OVR LORD by declaring his goodnes of necessity let vs yeild him all honor for loue and dutye Sect. 7. 1. WHat prayse shall we giue thee o God who diddest make man of the slyme of the earthe what honor shall we ackwoledge to be due vnto thee who hast redeemed vs being loste by the death of thy sonne in the firste we confesse thy gracious power inthe second we doo admire thy powerfull grace All the honor and prayse glory which possibly we can giue vnto thee is not to adde any thing to thy prayse or honor which thou haste in thy selfe infinite without our commendation But to declare some parte of thy glory and prayse which from all creatures is due vnto the. And hence it is that the heauens are said to declare thy glory and hence it is that vsually in thy honor we doo inuite all thy workes euen dumbe creatures to manifest thy prayses 2. All creatures O God doo declare thy prayse euen wicked men diuells whither they will or no they doo affoarde matter occasions to shew forthe thy iustice prouidence wisedome power goodnes long sufferance But betwixte these prayses of thy freindes and enimyes there is much difference for the one is willing the other vnwilling or the one is giuen of purpose the other drawne from them without their purpose or the one procedeth from the nature of their substances or order of their actions but the other especially from the loue of their will from the lighte of their vnderstanding and from the grace goodnes which is in them both O lorde giue my soule such grace and let this grace be diffused in my lippes to loue the honor thee in my harte and so with my mouthe to declare thy prayse O thus let me desire euer that my whole life and all my actions passions may be directed intended by thy loue vnto thine honor O let my harte burne in this loue and let the flames of thy prayse procede out of my mouthe to giue heate vnto others as well as feel warmthe in my selfe 3. And as it is the nature of great heate not so suffer our mouthe to be close shutte nor will we cease to prayse what we loue so contrarily the dead coldnes of sinne doth both quenche this heate and stoppe our mouthes and so will not suffer vs to prayse our lorde Thus S. Basil noteth that it is the nature of sinne to make vs tongue-tyed and to shutte vp our mouthes least we should be able to pray vnto God or to prayse him and else where Dauid saith obstructum est os loquentium iniqua they that speake wickednes their mouthes are euen stopped whiles they speake ALL OVR CONSIDERATIONS AND actions shoulde haue some relation vnto the prayse of God Sect. 8. 1. O Lorde open my lippes to take in breath of thy grace and my mouthe shall set forth thy prayse in wordes of thankesgiuing Thy honor glory O God shall be the scope and end of all my life my soule shall serue for thy prayse and my body shall herin helpe to serue my soule Because as Seneca said I am more noble and borne allso to a more noble end then to serue my bodie as a bruite beast But in my soules contemplation I will consider for thy greater honor thy omnipotency in creating thy prouidence in disposing thy vertue in finishing in preseruation of what is finished thy power in gouernement of what is preserued thy wisedome thy mercy in dooing good to all and thy iustice in punishing the bad These thinges I will consider in mine vnderstanding in my senses I will admire them reioyce for them in my will and with my voyce I will declare thy prayse 2. Saint Peter said this is one end why our lorde redeemed vs that we shoulde shew forthe his vertue And so a philosopher being asked why man was created he answeree to contemplate and beholde the heauens the deuine powers O my soule let vs endeuour thus to meditate on God by contemplation to knowe him by knowing to loue him by louing to possesse him by possessing to enioye him and in this ioye to prayse him O how wonderfull great are thy workes o lorde thy cogitations are exceding deepe an vnwiâ—e man will not knowe and a foole will not vnderstand these thinges If I be not able or not worthy to fasten mine eyes vpon thy selfe I will
wonderfull loue and bitter passion with such attentiue reuerence such reuerent loue and such louing attention that most effectually we may euer obteyne the blessed communion of all thine infinite mercyes and goodnes In this treasure is hidden the value worthe of more then many hundred markes let others threaten prisons or by their lawes make it felony or treason to be present or assistante at this heauenly sacrifice of the masse yet let all zealous Catholiques rather yeild and loose their liues then not to render vnto God this diuine and deuoute seruice and so to be partakers of the vnualewable merites of this most holy and precious sacrifice 6. O my soule let vs frequent these holy mysteryes of the masse as the dayly bread of our life here we haue spirituall foode medicine it giues vs foode for nourishment in grace and it affoardes vs medicine for remedye against sinne O come we will offer it as a sacrifice and receiue it as a sacrament as it is a sacrifice it payes the debtes of the offerer and as it is a sacrament it giueth iustice to the receiuer O sacrifice of Iustice make me iuste and be my sacrifice O most gracious Sauiour let my soule melt in thy loue let me be partaker of thy grace thou werte once offered in thy selfe and thou arte euery day offered in this sacrament O be my sacrifice by the firste by the second make me iuste O sacrifice of iustice O mirrour of loue O treasure of grace did euer any loue so willingly paye an enemyes debte or who hath suffered torments for his freinds with like rigor of iustice was there euer any fauour and grace more plentifull or so riche as this vnestimable sacrifice O sacrifice of iustice make me iust and be my sacrifice Allâ—houghe according to Saint Bernards vision I haue no Title vnto heauen by mine owne iustice alone yet my Sauiour hath a double iust clayme of merite and inheritance one for himselfe and the other for me O â—weete Sauiour throughe thy sacrifice make me so iust that I may inherite heauen by thy iustice and be thou my sacrifice and my Iesus 7. It is not diligence enoughe for the sicke or wounded to knowe that in the Apothecaryes shoppe be salues and medicines which can heale him or who will excuse a soldyer vnarmed in the feild because he knowes there are weapons and armor in the Garrison O no we must by daily and particuler exercise of religion apply the merites of our Sauiour and alwayes stand girded and put vpon vs the armour of our lord Iesus if we will be defended from the Diuells and Hell or if we will be cured from sinne and imperfection as Esay said Iâ—xtà est qui iustificat me he is here at hande who iustifyeth me Not alone iâ— the churche where I shoulde be and yet am not present nor only vpon the Altar before which I am kneeling in body whiles my harte is absent But iâ—xta est he is where I am and I am where he is O deare Iesus be my Iesus and vouchsafe in some good sorte that as of S. Gertrude so of me thou maist say In corde eius inuenies me in his harte you shall find in me or at least O lorde let my hart be alwayes found and founded in thee O let me be partaker of thy sacrifice of iustice by offering vp all my doinges sufferinges in the company with the value of thy iust merites not only to haue parte in thy merites by offring this sacrifice but allso to become parte of thy selfe by receiuing this sacrament to haue participation with thee withall thy Sayntes who serue thee O giue vnto vs the efficacy of this sacrament and accept for vs the dignity of this sacrifice that so we may become one with thee in grace as thou diddest become one with vs in nature not by changing thy selfe into our bodily substance but by assuming of vs into thy spirituall qualityes by this sacrament receiued making vs to be thine by this sacrifice offered making thy selfe to be ours to be cleansed from our euill in the one and in the other to be enriched with thy goodnes both making our owne merites to be of more worth by this sacrifice and by this sacrament to make all thy merites to become ours SOME CONSIDERATIONS PERTEYNING to the deuout hearing of masse and ending of our life Sect. 6. 1. O sacrifice of justice an oblation and a whole burnte offeringe more worth then all the calues in the worlde which can be laid vpon thine Altar A medicine saith S. Cyprian to heale all infirmityes and to purge all iniquityes A sacrifice as S. Augustin said which in it selfe alone conteyneth all the vertue and more then all the valewe of all the sacrifices in the olde lawe Vnto this they were then all referred and in this they are nowe all included All their lambes their goates their oxen their fatlinges their pigeons their turtles all their beastes and birdes all their fruites and herbes all their meat offringes their drinke offringes and whole burnte offringes all their oblations for sinne or for thankes in sorowe or with ioye all of them must giue place vnto this for in this alone they are all conteyned accomplished and perfited 2. Wherfore let vs frequent hearing of Masse with all deuotion for it is a sacrifice of iusticâ— aboue all other sacrifices let vs bow downe our heades and our hartes firste to accuse confesse our owne faultes defectes with sorowe humility let vs secondly lifte vp our hartes our handes to magnifye prayse our Lordes mercy goodnes with ioye gladnes Thirdly let vs stand vp on our feete as ready to obey his Gospell and professing to beleeue his Creede let vs fourthly offer adore the sacrifice and the substance of so diuine a mysterye by acknowledgment of our homage vnto him and with remembrance of his passion for vs so to yeild him our duty for all his benefites and to entreat him for his pity to all our sinnes Fiftly let vs accompany this most effectuall sacrifice with our supplications petitions in generall particuler for the whole churche for our selues for our Benefactors our freindes for the liuing for the dead and for all the communion of sayntes in all our necessityes wantes of our bodyes goods liues or soules Sixtely let vs prepare proceede to be partakers of the communion at least spiritually desiring our Lordes peace his mercy considering our vile vnworthynes his incomparable loue And seuenthly let vs conclude with all thankesgiuing liuely cherfullnes for this sacrifice all other his benefites for his infinite loue vnspeakable goodnes reioycing vnto him for that which is paste and trusting in him for what is to come 3. O summa Bonitas O greatest goodnes O almighty goodnes O all goodnes infinitely good in our Creation redemption vocation iustification
perseuerance and glorification what can we render for so great goodnes Let vs agayne agayne euery day receiue this cuppe of saluation call vpon the name of our Lorde First after some conuenient preparation for so great a sacrifice let vs beginne with Confiteor and kyrie eleyson c. to acknowledge our fall in Adam and to accuse our owne sinnes 2. to laude prayse our Sauiors Goodnes redemption with Gloria in excelsis or Sanctus Sanctus c. 3. To professe our constant Catholique faith by the Gospell Creede 4. At the Consecration eleuation by adoring remembring our Sauior his passion to offer sacrifice homage 5. in the Collectes mementos to make our petitions prayers for our selues others according to our necessityes deuoute desires 6. with the Pâ—ter noster to beginne with the Pax Agnus Dei to prodeed and with Domine non sum dignus to accomplish the communion 7. lastly with the laste Collectes and Ite Missa est to giue all thankes in gratitude and to receiue the preistes Blessing with hope that what we haue offred prayed at the Altar shal be admitted granted in heauen throughe the mercy merites mediation passion of our swete Sauior Iesus who is our cheife preist our best Aduocate and our dearest sacrifice abundantly to procure vnto vs by his goodnes whatsoeuer he shall see to be necessary for vs in his wisedome 4. Thus O my soule let vs euery day consider reioyce beleeue obey worship wonder praye or giue thankes during all the time of the Masse Let vs consider the holy action we are about and our owne wretched vnworthy estate Let vs reioyes with the Angells all the hoste of heauen for our gracious deliuerance Let vs Beleeue what our lorde teacheth by his Churche and euer obey whatsoeuer he coÌ„mandeth Let vs worship him as Really Royally preseÌ„t and wonder at his infinite wisedome power goodnes who hath vouchsafed to leaue vs such a sacrament Let vs praye for his mercyes and supplyes to all our wantes and giue him most harty thankes for his admirable loue all his benefites O my harte canst thou holde in my body wheÌ„ thy Sauiour comes downe froÌ„ heauen vnto the Altar shouldest thou be wandring or dull whiles such a sacrifice is in the preistes handes or before thine eyes O sacrifice of iustice which as S. Augustin said significando causat gratiam O gracious Sauiour let it signifye and imprinte in our hartes the memory fruite of thy death passion therby in patience to order our life to prepare vs for death with ioyfullnes 5. Then wilte thou accepte oblations of secular people according to their deuotion and the whole burnte offringes of religious persons who renounce themselues and all they haue into thy peculiar obedience Then shall both these sortes be willing ready to lay calues vpon thine Altar that is saith Innocentius to suffer martyrdome for the Catholique faithe for which in this worlde we may be tormented sacrificed as vpon thy crosse or vpon thine Altar of payne or disgrace but Then in the next worlde we shall assuredly remayne with those martyred soules which S. Ihon saw in his reuelation to rest vnder thine Altar of quiet glory O gracious Sauiour I am of my selfe most vnworthy in any of these sortes to serue at thine Altar O sweete Iesu thou haste begonne among lay people to make me a little worthy If it be thy blessed will I humbly doo beseeche thee among religious persons or martyrs to make me more blessed O giue me this strenghte confirme me in this will Then if I willingly forsake the earthe for thee I shall in heauen â—â—ore speedily more certeinly for euer raigne with thee where with all Angells â—yntes o Lord let vs all offer the sacrifice of iust prayse yeilding the celestiall oblations of our bodyes incorruptible and the glorious immortality of our soules transported into an holocauste of heauenly zeale louing praysing and reioycing with all our harte with all our minde with all our soule that is in all our vnderstanding without any error in all our memory without any forgetfullnes and in all our will without any contrariety Thus euer let vs offer eternall sacrifice and alwayes enioye thy happy presence O blessed Sauiour this we beseech thee for thine owne precious merites and by the prayers of thy most deare Mother and all Saynts Amen Omnia Sanctae Romanae Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae submissa sunto FINIS A TABLE OF THE MEDITATIONS AND SECTIONS CONTEYNED IN THIS BOOKE MEDITATION I. Psalmus Dauid cùm venit ad eum Nathan Propheta quando intrauit ad Bersabee OF the occasion and number of this Psalme by Dauids example to beware of Lust. Sect. 1. OF witty plaine reprehensions and of the Authors lamentation of his former life Sect. 2. MEDITATION II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Ampliùs laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me A Short Diuision explication of all these words Sect. 1. The miserable effects of sinne are declared according to the Schoolmen And some short petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. Other wretched effects of sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. Of the Name Nature of God Who he is what we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. Sundry excellent obseruations of S. Bernard applyed to this Meditation of our Lords great Mercies multitude of Miserations Sect. 5. What mercy is of the effects Also how synnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 6. Of the great care we must vse to purge all sinne that we our selues must do heerin some diligence not standing idle to leaue all vnto Christ. Sect. 7. We must dayly proceede in zeale against all sinne in particuler against the sensualities of the flesh Sect. 8. MEDITATION III. Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco peccatum meum contra me est semper Tibi soli peccaui malum coram to feci vt iustificeris in fermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris HOw we must marke abhorre beware sinne as a trecherous and dangerous enemy Sect. 1. That euery one must acknowledge his owne faultes laying his hand on his own harte rather accuse himself then censure any other Sect. 2. It is necessary to remember harmes of sinne therby learning to amend take-heede of sinne Sect. 3. Diuers interpretations of these wordes Tibi soli Vnto thee alone c. Sect. 4. When we comitte sinne before our Lord And that he seeth not as man seeth Sect. 5. Of Diuers wayes by which our Lord is iustifyed and may be said to ouercome when he is iudged Sect. 6. MEDITATION
THE CONTRITION OF A PROTESTANT PREACHER CONVERTED TO BE A CATHOLIQVE SCHOLLER CONTEYNING Certayne Meditations vpon the Fourth Penitentiall Psalme Miserere Composed by Iames Waddesworth Bachlour of Diuinity in the Vniuersity of Cambridge late Parson of Cotton and of Great-Thorneham in the County of Suffolke Who went into Spaine with the Kinges Maiesties first Embassadour-Legier as his Chaplayne Where by the great Goodnes of Almighty God he was fully conuerted to the Catholique Faith Haec mutatio dexterae Excelsi Psal. 76. Imprinted with Licence at S. OMERS by CHARLES BOSCARD at the signe of the Name of IESVS Anno M. DC XV. TO THE HONORABLE AND MOST RELIGIOVS KNIGHT SYR VVILLIAM STANLEY One of the Maisters of his Catholique Maiestyes Army and of his Counsell of Warre in the Low Countreys c. All Health and Happynes present and in Eternity HONOVRABLE SYR IF I be accused of indiscretion for publishing this Treatise which may seeme needles yet I hope to be accounted either happy or prudent in finding so worthy a Patron to so simple an Orphan which I destinated vnto your HONOVR when you were lately heere in this Courte of SPAINE from whence I now send it to follow his good fortunes vnder the protection acceptance which then it pleased you to promise him Also it comes vnto your HONOVR in a double duty acknowledging both those Titles for which commonly all Authors doo seeke Patrons vnto their Bookes to wit either for the manifest excellent Dignities of the Protectors whose fauour is sufficient to giue them courage against malice or els for certayn priuate Duties Respectes wherin the writer is obliged vnto his Patron to shew some thankfullnes In both these Rightes I do heerin send nothing but your owne iust Due and my humble Duty intreating you by acceptance to giue life comforte both to this Booke to the Author who relyeth on your accustomed fauours and among diuers others doth beare himselfe bold vpon your former Curtesyes And surely he were extremely fearfull whosoeuer shoulde shew himselfe a Coward vnder the assurance protectiō of so Honorable so Noble so Valorous so Ancient so Religious and so Expert a Commāder as Syr William Stanley whose name hath present renowne in all Christendome and his memory will be famous to all posterity All his vertues are so bright that I knowe no malice which dare barke against them or if any slaunderers do reproache him yet for him that saying of A. Gellius may be a sufficient defence Numquam vir bonus veriùs laudatur quà m cùm à malis vituperatur A good man is neuer more truly praysed then when by euill men he is reproached for indeed such mens wordes are no slaunders and it is an euident signe of vertue to be maligned by the vicious In Religion he is a Catholique as his Ancestors haue bene and herein so zealous strict and deuout that some do well resemble him to the good Centurion whose seruant our Sauiour healed for his Humility Faith Obedience and Gouernement Others do accounte him another Cornelius for his feruorous Prayers many Almes-deedes and continuall Hospitality And besides all these I do esteeme him a second Ioseph of Arimathia principally for his notable Deuotion vnto the most holy Sacrament of the Altar which is the same Body of our Sauiour Christ taken downe from the Crosse embalmed and buryed in the new sepulcher of our garden when with a cleane new sweet conscience we receiue the blessed Communion applying to our soules therby the merits of our Sauiours Passion and embalming his most precious body with the odours of our good workes performed in his grace Neither is he vnlike the same Ioseph in Honorable Authority or in Nobility of birth being regarded for both of thē as a principall man not only amōg his owne Nation but euen among Strangers As for the one I call to witnesse the Ancyent and Present Noble Earles of Derby of which renowned Family he is a true Stanley an Honour to his Name and the glory of his House Next for the other I appeale vnto the testimonyes of Spaniardes French Dutch Italians Germans Scottish Irish and euen to the Hollanders his Enemyes who haue often seene or heard for certain the vndoubted tryal of his Prowesse in so much that all sortes do no lesse acknowledge him Honourable for his Desertes then for his Dignityes as a man worthy of high place in Commaund and Counsell Noble in his Nature besides his birth Valourous in the Feild or at a Fort in defending like a strōg Sheild like a sharp Sword in assaulting and so in both like Fabius Marcellus conjoyned wherof the one was called the Buckler and the other the Sword of the Romans against Hanibal And furthermore in all these so happy that he hath liued to be Old and Ancyent in yeares hauing passed many perills and so blessed of Allmighty God whom he hath serued with such Deuotion that he neuer yet tooke any foyle or suffred disgrace whersoeuer he had any Cōmaunde and Time was when if his Counsell had bene followed the Enemy had bene more fully defeated or vtterly ruyned Wherfore lastly I may conclude that he is an Experte Warriour because he is so Ancyent in his art and so happy in his successe wherin although fortune many times for our sinnes do fayle the Valiant yet neuer did any atcheiue a lucky enterprise who was not also Prudent And so I affirme his Merites and his Memory to be so notable and so durable that as of Cato it was sayd He shall need no Statua nor any Graue-stone wherin to continue or engraue his Heroycall Name but rather if he should want any such Monument or other rewarde as of the same Cato so of him it will better be said Why hath Memorable Stanley so little when others haue so much For it is a more glorious fame to haue had excellent great merites with a small monument then to haue exceeding rich Tropheys for some poore desertes And these thinges HONOVRABLE SYR I haue spoken in a third person of you rather then vnto you as in your absence not before your face because I knowe you loue not to heare your owne prayses how True Iust or Due soeuer they be yet because they are your Due Iust True Ensignes of Honour according to the custome of most Epistles Dedicatory I am bound to display them in the forefront of this Bookes array for the encouragement of freindes for the terror of foes because the Honorable Vertues of the Patron are the comfort safegarde of the Suppliant Wherfore I humbly beseech you to haue patience for these intentes to endure the rude rehearsall of your prayses wherso you may take these deformed lineamentes rather for a mortification then any commendation by viewing your glorious colours blotted by my pen which otherwise are sufficient to frame a most comely picture by the hand of skill But I intreate you to pardon my playne boldnes to accept
he not worthy to perish in his wickednes who will neither admit good desires nor be mooued vnto harty prayers O what will mooue vs if consideration of eternall perdition cannot stirre vs Or if we doo not pray for mercy because we doo not consider our misery Agayne and agayne I beseech you to examine your Religion to try your faithe and to take an vnpartiall view of your whole life that seing your danger you may seeke for fauour for as in the Spanish Prouerb it is truly said of our corporall eyes Quienbien vee bien llora He that sees clearely weepes easily so in the eye sight of our soule he that clearely beholdes his faultes will more easily shed teares for his pardon 15. Let vs examine our selues by the 10. Commandements of God by the 5. Preceptes of his Church by the 7. workes of mercy corporall and 7. spirituall by the 7. deadly sinnes or by some or by all of these according to our abilitye particuler obligations or other degrees which doo bind vs often not to omit that which is Good and doo forbid vs neuer to commit that which is ill Let vs consider by what meanes our Lord hath sought to bring vs to the knowledge of his truth and to become members of his Catholique Church infusing good illuminations into our vnderstanding or good desires into our will inuiting vs to vertue or truthe disswading vs from vice or error eyther by good examples by vertuous bookes by holy preistes or by our friendes yea sometime by our enemyes whom we hate or by them whom we doo persecute for either all or some of these shal be witnesses against vs if we rejecte their meanes or doo willfully loose the time of fauour Or if we doo admit these good beginninges yet we must proceed with care and cherfullnes to imploy our time meritoriously andto reape benefite by the exercise of our Religion by the sacramentes of the Catholique Churche and by all the Goodnes of God directed to his greater glory and our saluation eyther in his giftes of grace arte or nature whether it be in diuine contemplation or in lawfull Action spirituall meditating of his diuine mysteryes or vsing of his creatures orderly for his seruice and for our necessitye O admirable happynes of religious or discreet holy men who doo thus order theyr liues O lamentable wilfullnes of obstinate or proud people who doo refuse to saue their soules O detestable vnthankefullnes of wicked or careles creatures who doo neglecte or abuse so many helpes The tractable diligent and humble seruant shal be exalted vnto eternall glory when the peruerse carelesse and high-minded Despiser shall be throwne downe into euerlasting torment 16. And therfore to auoyde the one and obtayne the other let vs betake our selues to penitent Prayer with humility on our partes considering our vncertaine faith and our certayn faultes and yet in regard of our most gracious God with comfort and confidence respecting his great mercy and infinite kindnes to hope trust in him as a pittifull louing Father and yet to be humble and reuerent towardes him as a King of high Majesty For so our Sauiour taught vs to prepare our thoughtes to the petitions of his prayer by saying for an introduction Our father which art in heauen that because he is Our father therfore we should be assured to find fauour and yet not to be presumptuous or heedles because he sittes on a high throne of justice in heauen 17. Thus let vs pray with Dauid in repeating or perusing this psalme of Miserere not alone because the exercise of prayer is both meritorious as a good worke and allso impetratorious as a deuout petition but furthermore because it is an Acte of Gods worship expressely commaunded in those wordes Petite accipietis quaerite c Aske and you shall receiue Seeke and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened vnto you Which wordes S. Thomas and other Doctors do affirme to haue the nature of Preceptes binding vs to pray and annexeth promises assuring vs to preuayle for we shall receiue finde and haue it opened if we aske in hart and thought seeke with our mouth and wordes and knocke with our hands and workes eyther by all these or at least by the first when we cannot performe the rest 18. Or if Prayer were not absolutely commaunded yet our necessityes danger do require it as S. Gregory said The euills which do heere oppresse vs do compell vs to flye vnto God as the prodigall sonne feeling famine he desired to satisfye his hunger Et nemo illi dabat and no body gaue him where withall For nothing in this worlde can affoarde vs full content Therfore in se reuersus returning into himselfe and into his wittes out of which we may say he had bene wandring vntill now he considered his misery then He returned to his father humbly confessing his folly and intreating pitty And lastly he flyeh to this submission of prayer as to his cheife refuge Dicam Patri I will say vnto my Father I will make my moane vnto him he is my Father and therfore I will declare my want and supplication vnto him Quid enim nisi vota supersunt For a sinfull wretch hath no better meanes left then by prayer to beginne his conuersion and to begge his reconciliation according to that of Iob Pâ—lli meae consumptis carnibus adhaesit os meum dâ—relicta sunt tantummodo labia circa dentes meos My bones cleaâ—ed vnto my skin the flesh being consumed and only were my lippes remayning round about my teeth As if when all the body is consumed in payne weakenes wretchednes and deformitye yet whiles our lippes are able to vtter our greifes we haue hope of ease so whiles our soule continueth in the body howsoeuer deformed by sinne yet we haue possibility by opening our lippes in prayer and confession to obteyne mercy and absolution But whereas many differre these vnto the laste by negligence or presumption so by the iust iudgement of God many are cut off without these Wherfore with Dauid in another psalme let vs praye vnto our Lord whiles we haue opportunity But in the floudde of many waters they shall not come nigh him For he that is drowned vnawares cannot speake and therfore cannot be heard but taking opportunity although like Iob we haue nothing left beside our lippes or though like Ezechias we be as yonge swallowes in the fowle blacke sooty chimneys and filthy nestes of our sinnes as amiddes our owne dunge yet Sicut pullus hirundinis sic clamabo like the yonge swallowe so I will crye thoughe I be not able to helpe my selfe no more then a yonge swallowe new come out of the shell though I be vnfethered naked of Good workes though I am blind in right knowledge nay because I am so blinde and naked like a yong swallowe I will crye amiddes mine owne dunge in the blacke fiery fowle sooty chimney of
sinne therfore I will crye and praye because I would fayne see because I woulde be fed and haue my nakednes couered and because I would be freed from all this filthynes 19. Therfore our Sauiour said oportet semper orare we must alwayes praye and S. Paul exhorteth that we should be praying without intermission thoughe not Actually in outward prayers like the fond Euchetae omitting all other dutyes yet habitually by inward deuout readynes to make our petitions so often as we are bound or haue leasure and just occasion alwayes answerable to our daily necessityes and to our continuall warfare which hourely we haue with our affections passions concupiscences vaine cogitations and other occasions in all which according as they neuer cease so we should not intermit to resist or auoyd them and instantly call to God for help against them if not by reciting some generall petition or other short sentence alwayes ready in our memory against such occurrences yet at least by some inward sighe or knocking of our breast with our desire lifted vp in our secret thoughts immediatly vnto God himselfe or mediatly by some Saynt to cry vnto him for his succour as Moyses cryed though he spake not for S. Gregory said Verba animae desideria sunt clamor magnum desiderium est our desires be the wordes of our soule and our cry a great desire 20. And last of all it is surely a wonderfull comfort herein which S. Chrysostome noteth that there is scarse any losse or misery in all the worlde which can be repayred by prayer sorrowe and repentance except the losse of God and the misery of sinne which though they be aboue all other domages incomparably the greatest yet is their redresse much the easyer for the losse of life or goods consumed or of honor impeached the misery of payne sickenes of many other extremityes cannot be recouered by sighing or lamenting though our sorrow be neuer so great But if with syncere contrition of our hart we be greiued for our sinnes because for them we haue lost the loue of God and if we pray humbly for their remission with purpose to confesse them as well as we can and do intend neuer agayne willfully to commit them vndoubtedly this purpose and sorrowful conuersion on earth shall obteyne most certayn and ioyfull reconciliation in heauen for our Lord IESVS hath said vnto his Preistes and he is most true of all his wordes Whose sinnes on earth you remitte in heauen they shal be remitted why then should we not seeke to disburden our heauy consciences vnto some Ghostly Father that we may through his Authority granted by our Sauiour so receiue his heauenly Absolution his ghostly comfort his spirituall direction in all these submitting our selues vnto our Confessor not as to a Man but as to the Deputy of our Lord IESVS and to the Pastour of our soules and then in all true amendment endeauouring as we can to performe our penance or other satisfaction Beleeue me o Sinners amongst whom I haue bene a Ring-leader by experience I say beleeue me it is a most comfortable and wonderfull experience For your selues shall presently feele comfort in your soules and with continuance of time others allso will perceiue amendment in your liues 21. To conclude therfore as in generall I would perswade you to practise the examination of your consciences and the exercise of deuout prayer directing vs all vnto Contrition Confession and Satisfaction so I do commend as helpes for these purposes a serious accompt how we spend our liues an indifferent obseruation why vpon what occasions these new-found sclanderous opinions did banish the Catholique religion of our Auncestors wherin full many a hundred yeares togeather they serued God so deuoutly and so hartily loued their neighbours and for the same purpose I intreat a view and a detestation of our former sinnes and auoydance of their occasions an endeauour to practise their contrary vertues sometime by reading of good bookes sometime by deuout meditations or prayers sometime by almes deedes or fasting abstinence or other bodily chastisement sometime by humbling our thoughtes alwayes by mortifying our passions and vnlawfull affections and alwayes being carefull to keep the commandements of God our Father and of our Mother the Church And to bringe these good purposes and cogitations into our mindes the oftener and to mooue and imprint them the better it is good for vs sometime to giue an edge and to whet on ech other by vertuous or spirituall talke and conference not contending in disputes but by modest teaching or by freindly encouragements and aboue all by frequenting the most holy sacrifice and sacrament of our deare Sauiours most precious Body and Bloud by often calling to memory some examples of his life and more in particuler his bitter passages vnto death both for our meditation and for our imitation so to giue good example one vnto another whiles all are labouring to follow Christ our cheife Maister And to this end it is allso good to reuiue our deuotion by reading or hearing of Sayntes liues or by the reuerent beholding of their deuout Images or paynted storyes especially of the passion of our sweet Sauiour IESVS by marking his sufferinges to be mooued for our owne sinnes and so by viewing the memory of other Saintes to be stirred vp to follow their vertues as they were followers of Christ for we may learne and are mooued by our eye sometime as much or more then by our eare and in these thinges which are so good and wherein we are so dull verily euen common sense doth teach vs that it is profitable and needfull to stirre vp our memory deuotion by any sense and by how much the more by so much the better 22. And yet further vnto them that be sufficiently able I commend the reading and meditation of Dauids Psalter which holy Church vseth so much in all her diuine Offices and particulerly of the seauen Penitentiall Psalmes and according to the practise of Catholiques especially of this psalme Miserere as admonished therby and informed to call and cry vnto God for mercy and pardon to confesse and acknowledge our faultes and iniquityes to desire their purging washing and clensing to lament our sinnes originall and actuall to pray for cleane hartes right spirites escaping of anger and continuance of grace to purpose amendmenâ— being forgiuen to direct others by our experience and example to humble our selues for our owne offences to be ioyfull and thankfull towardes allmighty God for our particuler fauours and to desire that he may be serued praysed and honored in our publique Churches and at his holy Altars Amen Thy Wellwiller in Christ Iesus Iames Waddesworth AN ACT OF CONTRITION O My Lord Iesus-Christ very God and Man my Creatour Redeemer thou being whome thou art and for that I loue thee aboue all thinges it greiueth me from the bottome of my hart that I haue offended thy diuine Maiesty And I firmely
then our harte searching our entralls prouing our reynes to thee we refer this iudgment and fearing our selues to bee far the worse we humbly sincerely craue more penitence more pity O IESV giue me strength in satisfaction to beare what thou wilte impose and then impose coorrectioÌ„ what our wilte O sweet Sauiour thou knowest how absolutely herein I doo resigne my will O continue me this grace and teach me more in true penaÌ„ce still to begge for more mercy I haue dishonored thee scandalized men for I was a publique preacher of the protestantes false Doctrine wherin peraduenture by my meanes some haue bene seduced many hardened others offended I haue profaned thy sacred churches somtime dedicated to thy catholique seruice and for mine owne body soule which should haue bene thy spirituall temples o how haue they bene polluted by errors which I supposed to be truthes by presumption of knowledge when I was in ignorance by some vices which I reputed vertues by many faultes which I neglected 4. If to affirme this as I doo penitently be my shame let it be O God as I desire thy glory If the worlde the diuells mine owne conscience doo accuse me O Father of mercy I confesse all wherof any of these can justly impeache me and allso whatsoeuer else thou doost know more in me then I haue coÌ„fessed or can call to minde in transgressions against thy deuine majesty in offences against my neighbors in many sinnes against my selfe O wretched and vile sinner that I am what should such a sinner doo whither shall I go shoulde I despayre No for that one sinne were greater then all these What though my sinnes haue bene many bad according to my religion my profession worse wherby like the prodigall sonne I was a Swynehearde a protestante minister feeding my selfe others with the huskes of heresy Et non satiabar in which I coulde neuer taste of true comforte nor obteyne peace vnto my conscience therfore with him I will Arise go to my heauenly Father I am resolued To arise from sinne Sectaryes To go vnto God our Father by meanes of the Catholique churche our mother and with this perpetuall purpose I doo say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruantes 5. Amongest Protestantes against malice I might wel plead ciuill honesty morall integrity wherin I liued among them without reprehension but in comparison of thy Catholique seruantes Sayntes O God before thy heauenly purest eyes I dare not present my former best innocence here I renounce any plea of passed integrity I disclayme my wonted profession I lament detest my errors my sinnes Thou knowest O lord I haue acknowledged them vnto my Ghostly Father in confession I beseech thee to confirme his absolution and as I doo entreate so I doo truste that thou wilte vnbinde in heauen what he hath vnbound on earthe O forgiue them for Iesus sake and so keepe me euer hereafter in thy loue grace that I may rather chuse miseryes disgraces reproches tormentes ten thousand deathes then at my time to retourne to the like sinnes errors or to my former estate And thou o blessed Virgin the mother of our only Sauiour and all the Angells and Sayntes of heauen O praye for me that during my life I may say this psalme with Dauid in true contrition And so throughe our Lord Iesus obteyning mercy at laste I may with him and all you be admitted into glory MEDIT. II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out mine iniquity Washe me yet more from my iniquity cleanse me from my Sinne. A SHORTE DIVISION AND EXPLIcation of all these wordes Sect. 1. S. Ambrose saith Dauid sinned which Kinges are wonte but he performed penance he wepte he mourned which Kinges are not wonte he confessed his faulte he craued pardon prâ—strate on the ground he bewayled his wretchednes he fasted he prayed he hath published for euer a testimony of his confession priuate men are ashamed to doo this a King is not ashamed to confesse c O come my soule let not Dauid thus condemne vs nor S. Ambrose thus accuse vs rather because we haue ouertaken ouergone Dauid in sinning let vs be stayed by S. Ambrose to followe such a king in repenting Let vs consider our owne misery and our Lordes mercy not mercy without misery least we presume nor misery without mercy least we despayre Many thinke not how wretched they are by sinne in their hartes and therfore they sighe not with miserere in their mouthes but we are readyer to talke or thinke of our worthynes theÌ„ of our sinfulnes especially we will sooner compare our selues with other men in wisedome in knowledge in authority riches or such like with the proude pharisy then with the huÌ„ble publican acknowledge our ignoraÌ„ce our faultes and our infirmityes but what auayle such comparisons we shall be judged by that which we are in our selues not by what we seeme to be in respecte of others a dwarfe is not à gyante thoughe he stande on the toppe of a steeple or on a mounteyn a stately towre is not a lowe Cottage thoughe it be placed in the bottome of a valley consider o my soule what thou arte in the vale of misery not what thou maist seeme on a mounte of vanity let one depthe call vpon another out of the depthe of our sinfull misery o God we call vpon the depthe of profounde mercy 2. A deepe wounde must haue a large tente abondance of soares must haue many playsters o graunte vs great mercy for our deepe woundes and multitude of miserations for our innumerable botches let them seeke for smaller mercy whose faultes procede of meaner ignorance but my sinnes o lord haue neede of a strong warriour to redeeme me and of a skilfull phisition to heale me All sinners descend from IerusaleÌ„ to Ierico from the highest vertues to the basest vices they fall among theeues divells tentations delightes I allso among these was dangerously wounded in naturall facultyes spoyled generally of spirituall graces o gracious Samaritan miserere take pity on me passe not by me vnregarded O let the greatnes of thy mercy heale my naturall woundes and by the multitude of thy miserations repayre my spirituall losses come nere me come to me o compassionate Samaritan powre in wyne of compunction to cleanse my filthynes make me feele my misery powre in oyle of absolution to heale my soarenes by thy mercy o great phisitian here shew the
efficacy of thy generall medicin which is great mercy declare the variety of thy manifolde skill in multitude of miserations Thou arte miserator misericors pitifull in great mercy mercifull in multitude of pity in great mercy hauing the inwarde bowells of compassion and in multitude of pity shewing the outward actions fruites of commiseration I crye with that distressed man in the gospell if thou wilte thou canst make me whole thou canste by the greatnes of thy mercy thou wilte for the multitude of thy miserations Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to thy miserations blotte out my iniquity wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne 3. Miserere Shew mercy on me by blotting out the iniquity of my harte miserere by washing away the wickednes of my lippes miserere by cleansing all the sinnes of my handes By desire of blotting of washing of clensing I acknowledge my sinnes to be vgly and ill fauored to the eye to be filthy in the touche to be lothsome to the smel o cleanse this lothsomenes washe this filthynes blotte out this vglynes Beside these my sinnes are great in quantity many in number and diuerse in kinde o therfore let my great sinnes finde great mercy let my many sinnes haue multitude of miserations and being of sundry sortes I haue neede to be seuerally washed from my iniquity and clensed from my sinne from iniquity of commission and from sinnes of omission THE MISERABLE EFFECTS OF SINNE are declared according to the Scholmen and some shorte petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. 1. THe misery of sinne in generall is lamentable therfore let vs all cry miserere but my sinnes in particuler are abominable wherfore I must say miserere mei haue mercye on mee He must be allmighty who can be able to helpe our generall and lamentable misery and to succour me from my abhominable sinnes he must be one most merrcifull but who is so mighty in power and so mercifull in fauor excepte it be only thou O Lorde who arte the Creator of the worlde and the Redeemer of mankinde wherfore vnto thee I directe my prayer haue mercy vpon mee O God 2. All sinne is a separation of the soule from God as therfore the soule being separated from our body we are corporally dead so when by sinne we are separated from God then we are dead in soule Mortall sinne consistes in auersion from God doth separate vs totally veniall sinne doth also separate thoughe but in parte yet by remissenes it loseneth the feruor of our affection In mortall sinne we are dead therfore miserere haue mercye on a dead man in venial sinne we are as in a sound or a sicke fleepe therfore miserere haue mercy on a weake faynte man In mortall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth kill vs therfore miserere as on a man mortally wounded in veniall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth blemish vs therefore miserere as on a man with many spottes deformed yea so diuerse are the spottes of veniall sinnes that thoughe by Gods grace we can euer avoyde any one or all at someteine yet not euer at all times all veniall faultes and of this kinde it is said the iust man offendeth seauen times a day naming a certeyn number for an vncerteyne because more or lesse in many thinges we offend all therfore in our penance for them we must purpose in generall to diminishe them all to absteyne as much as we can from euery one in particuler thoughe we cannot from all in vniuersall and in our prayers against them we haue neede to say miserere o be mercifull to theses frailtyes blemishes of our life that in the merites bloud of our Lord Iesus we may haue all spottes at our death washed of our faces all teares wiped from our eyes 3. Whersoeuer there is misery there is neede of mercy but there is misery in all sinne 1. by Corruption of nature 2. by Deformity of the soule 3. by Guiltynes of punishment In nature we had 1. the essence or substance of our Being 2. An Inclination to vertue 3. the gifte of originall iuctice Our substance indeede and our Being is not corrupted nor diminished but our vertuous disposition is by sinne diminished and we haue quite loste our Originall justice And thoughe all our Vertuous inclination be not so quite rooted out but that there remayne in vs certyen seedes of morality yet according to our custome practise of sinne more or lesse we doo lay caste so many impedimentes as great stones vpon this roote that thoughe it retayne his nature hidden in the grounde yet as ouerburdened with sinne his sprowtes are so suppressed that seldome hardely it can bringe forthe true fruite of vertue vntill throughe Gods grace we remoue these hinderances The deformity of the soule is caused by the blottes spottes of sinne as spottes are blemishes of some comelynes so in the soule there is a double beauty blemished by sinne One is the clearenes of naturall reasō another is the brightnes of supernaturall light of wisdome grace but euer by sinne we doo blemish eyther one or both of these which spotte as the shadowe of a body keepeth off the lighte and as seuerall bodyes giue seuerall shadowes so seuerall blottes procede of seuerall sinnes as long as any body of sinne is betwene vs these lightes so long we shall be folowed with these shadowes spottes vntill we be illuminated by the brightenes of Gods mercy grace for thoughe the action of sinne cease wherby we did separate our selues from Gods lighte yet the blemish doth remayne which maketh the shadowe And as he who is departed into darkenes from a brighte place is not presently in lighte agayne so soone as he ceaseth to go but he must come backe or else remayne in the darke so before we can returne to the lighte which we loste it is not enoughe to cease from sinne so stand still but we must haue in our Will a contrary motion to that which before we had to come into the lighte of grace to proceede in the pathe of goodnes And these are our miserable deformityes 4. The misery of our guiltynes vnto punishment must needes folowe where the faulte is gone before for as when nature findes his contrary it labors to suppresse it so because sinne is opposite to order it should not be suffered Wherfore our will being subject to three orderly gouernors when it transgresseth against any of them it may be punished by them It is firste subject to our owne reason secondly to humane gouernement and thirdly to the order of Gods authority and accordingly when we offend against these orders of our reason of humane or of deuine lawes we are to be punished by the remorse and byting of our owne conscience
by mans penaltyes and by our Lordes chastisements yea such is the misery of sinne that one sinne is the punishment of another and many times of it selfe though not directly by it selfe yet by accident indirectly first because when by former sinne we caste from vs Gods grace giuen or offred he then leaueth vs to our owne corrupte weakenes to Sathan the worldes forcible tentations whose continual batteryes whiles without grace we cannot resiste we doo afterwardes justly fall captiues vnto many sinnes who by some former faulte did rejecte his grace so vnkindly 2. there are some sinnes which are punishments both offormer faultes of themselues not only in their effectes as prodigality hath for his followers wante and robberye but allso in their very actions some are a payne vnto themselues eyther inwardely as enuy anger doo vexe their owne maysters or outwardly when men doo passe much labor perill or coste to effecte some sinnes As Plutarche saith men adjudged to be crucifyed or to other tormentes were forced first to beare their owne crosses or such other instruments of theyr owne execution so sinners by sinne it selfe doo here begin their owne payne damnation and so they confessed who the wiseman saith were in hell lassati sumus in via iniquitatis we were tyred wearyed in our way of iniquity 5. Wherfore among so many miseryes should we not often crye miserere haue mercy in respecte of sinnes punishing themselues one another by outward toyle danger losse by inward feare remorse vexation by depriuing vs of Gods grace leauing vs to our owne concupiscence miserere for we are guilty out of order against God against men against our owne conscience miserere to bring backe our Will eâ—ring in darkenes to cleare our Vnderstanding shadowed with blemishes to repayre our giftes of grace decayed by frailtyes miserere haue mercy by reuiuing the seedes of vertue remoouing the hindrances customes of Vice miserere restoring vs to justice which we lost forfeyted inclyning encreasing vs in holynes which we forsooke diminished and finally miserere preseruing vs in substance of soule body from sufferance of payne vnto fruition of glory for in all these viz by corruption of nature by deformity of soule by guyltines of punishment we are all miserable therfore in all these o blessed Iesu miserere haue mercy OTHER WRETCHED EFFECTES OF sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. SAlomon saith that sinne maketh people to be miserable and S. Augustin defyneth sinne to be Deedes wordes or desires which be against the eternall lawe of God which are made mortall sinne when we adde vnto any of these a full consent of our will with auersion or forsaking of God Consider then o my soule in what estate thou arte when thou abydest in sinne If in our lorde be all happynes and to be in fauour with him be our felicity o how great wretchednes is it to forâ—ake his loue to fall into his hate But Esay said our sinnes deuide betwene him vs and both Salomon Dauid affirme that he hateth all who worke iniquity wherfore S. Chrysostome said I judge it to be harder more intolerable then a thousand hell fyres to be hated of Christe to heare him say I knowe you not it were better to endure a thousand thumderboltes then to see his face of mildenes to be turned from vs or enraged against vs for the eye which vseth to be fauorable when it becometh fierce is most terrible 2. Alas o lorde we haue forsaken thy infinite goodnes we haue loste thy inestimable fauour wherfore to free vs from thy hate restore vs to thy happynes miserere haue mercy Haue mercy not only for the good which by sinne we doo loose but allso in respecte of the euill which for it we doo suffer because many are the whippes of a sinner for sinne the earthe was cursed to bring forthe thornes the woman cursed to beare children in payne and man was cursed to eate his bread with labour Vpon sinners our lorde rayneth snares fire brimstone and the spirites of tempestet are in the portion of his cuppe his very prayers are turned into sinne and his table is a snare vnto him all wickednes is as a sharpe two edged sworde 3. But if we be neither mooued with loue of goodnes nor with feare of wrathe I knowe not whither we be more miserable who must suffer the punishment or blockish who will not see to auoyde the faulte yet let vs consider the nature of sinne which is contrary to our nature we were created doo desire to enioy liberty but sinne maketh vs slaues and the wiseman saith Euery sinner is bounde in the fetters of his owne sinnes We naturally abhorre hell the diuell deathe but sinne caused the very angells offending to be throwne downe from heauen to be reserued in the chaynes of hell S. Augustin saith that euery sinner selles his â—oule to the diuel taking for his price the sweetnes of some temporall delighte nay S. Chrysostome calleth euery sinner a certeyn willing diuell a self-willed madnes And as for death which we so much feare the scripture saith that they which committe sinne doo kill theyr owne soules we knowe it were horrible to murder our Father but to murder thy selfe it is more damnable wherfore as the wiseman sayd take mercy on thine owne soule pleasing God which then we doo when penitently we say vnto him miserere haue mercy 4. What shoulde I say of sinne tormenting the conscience offending the communion of Sayntes among men it is a discredite among Christians it causeth excoÌ„munication and S. Basil doth write that as smoke driueth bees from their hiues and loth some smells driue pigeons from their houses so from the custody of our persons â—l sauoring sinnes driue away our holy Angells And is not euery inordinate minde a penalty to it selfe as S. Augustin auoucheth for couetousnes gripes pride swells enuy consumes concupiscence inflames luxury stingeth gluttony stinketh dronkennes besotteth sclander scratcheth ambition vndermyneth it selfe iniuryes gette hatred discorde teareth anger burneth lighte heades are neuer quiet idlenes is wearisome lazynes combreth hipocrysie deceiueth his owne harte flatterye giues himselfe the lye in his owne throate O miserable sinnes which make men so wretched which seldome come alone without seauen worse diuells folowing them which make our present prayers not purposing amendment to be rejected which cause all our good deedes paste not to be regarded which are so hardly cured because they are not so easily as we thinke repented In time therfore o lord with the first worde of this psalme against all these for-meÌ„tioned miseryes we humbly hartily crye miserere haue mercy OF THE NAME AND NATVRE OF GOD who he his vvhat we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. 1.
let me hunger after iustice yet more for my last howre now approcheth nearer then when firste I did beleeue and alâ—so that I may redeeme the time and so recouer strength Amplius laua me Purge me yet more 2. In perticuler this faulte of the fleshe against which Dauid prayeth is pecâ—liarly called a fyre and filthynes and therfore aboue all other vices it is most proper aâ—aiâ—st this to praye for more water Yet more water of contrition against this filthy sinne to washe it more and more water of mortification against this burning sinne to quenche it more Yet more o lorde enable vs in our bodyes to extinguish these coales and yet more in our hartes to purifie this filthe for if wâ— doo but thinke of it with delighte we begin to burne and if we doo consent to such a thoughte yet it is so filthy that we are ashamed to publish or to speake it vnlese we be past shame Achilles being washed ouer all his body excepte only the plantes of his feete could not be wounded whersoeuer he had bene washed and yet at laste he kneeling a poisoned arrowe was shotte into his foote and so killed So not only the principall partes of our body but amplius laua me yet more lord washe euen the soales of our feete as well as our heade our handes our eyes our eares all our senses and all our facultyes of soule and body for if we leaue any parte vnwashed there the diuell will watche to haue vs wounded Especially let vs beware of this poisoned arrowe of luste which is purposely called vncleannes because there is no filthynes of sinne like the lothesomnes of luste which cleanes to such a carnall soule as the poxe to the bones and he that hath bene once so filthy will hardly cease to be still more filthy Wherfore on the contrary if we become once cleane Amplius laua me let vs be yet more cleane and as the swanne after those actions will not eate till he get into the water to bathe him nor the lyonesse returne to her companion vntill she be all washed after copulation with the parde so much more haste and care shoulde we haue to bâ— cleansed from this filthy vice and not be content with a lâ—ttle waâ—er but euer labouâ— and praye to be washed yet morâ— MEDITATION III. Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco peccatum meum contra me est semper Tibi soli peccaui malum coram te feci vt iustificeris in sermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris For I knowe mine owne iniquity my sinne is alwayes against me Vnto thee alone I haue sinned haue committed euill before thee that thou maist be iustifyed in thy wordes and maist ouercome when thou arte iudged HOW WE MVST MARKE ABHORRE and beware sinne as a trecherous and a dangerous enemye Sect. 1. 1. IF the black More looke vpon himselfe he cannot chuse but say that he is blacke and if we looke vpon our owne soules will not our coÌ„science conuince vs that we are lothesome vnles as the Mores doo painte their Angells foule and blacke like themselues the diuells fayre and white like christians so we will peruerte the true opinion of vertue calling it vice and falsely esteeme foule vice to be fayre vertue Or if we doo confesse sinne to be sinne yet it is not enoughe to acknowledge our sinne to be foule and filthy but allso we must marke how he standes against vs like an enemy as Dauid here saith he knowes him and obserues that he alwayes standes against him 2. Ego cognosco I knowe my sinne And sinne is knowne by sundry otkens 1. as a whore eyther by an impudent face or by her wanton eyes or by fylching and couetous handes or by affected flattring speeche for some one or other of these markes Solomon hath set downe wherby to knowe a bad woman And such is all sinne which entreth eyther with flattring promises of pleasure profite or honor or else with a bolde forhead passeth all shame or neglecting all thinges else doth cheifly seeke delightes or despising other men doth most aduance his owne propertyes and doth neuer fayle to robbe or begge from thy soule some jewell or other ornament of grace yea to steale thy soule it selfe from God and all goodnee 2. Or sinne is knowne like a monstar which maruells not at it selfe whiles all others stand wondring at his deformity 3. or it is knowne like a twoo hande sworde by his sharpe edges long blade for all mortall sinne doth euer separate by Gods excommunication which kills a farre of with a long reache and deuides a sunder entire bodyes and cuttes off whole lymnes at one bloue 4. And laste of all if sinne be not discouered by any of these yet fley from him as from the face of a serpent whose stinge hath once put vs to a long time of great payne and if a man were freed from such payne danger were it not good to take marke care how to knowe his like least agayne we should suffer the like and therfore it were conuenient to set vp his perfecte figure in the place of our vsuall abode ouer against our eye for an remembrance of our passed tormentes for a warming of our future perill 3. Thus O my soule let vs alwayes place the remembrance of sinne before vs or against vs In the day let vs thinke of him dreame of him in the nighte as alwayes against vs that so me may knowe him to beware of him euer to kepe him from vs. Thus if we knowe sinne our lorde will not knowe him and if we set him against vs to mooue our selues to voluntary penance our lorde will spare vs from greater vengeance for as vnto a Physitian if we would be cured we offer him his hyre so vnto God saith S. Augustin we must offer him sacrifice of some satisfaction if by our Lord Iesus we will obteyne full remission we call vpon God but consider saith S. Augustin that we call vpon one who is juste who hates all sinne call vpon his mercy but not to neglecte his justice His mercy pardons an offendor eternally but his justice will temporally punish the offence and therfore as we beseech him to remitte the guilte because we knowe acknowledge it so because we doo voluntarily set some temporall punishment against vs therfore o lord doo not thou allso punish vs temporally 4. And if we doo thus we shall haue his justice satisfyed double mercy obteyned one mercy changeth eternall payne into temporall and againe temporall punishment of many yeares paraduenture much smarte is changed by his second mercy into some shorte easy penance justly imposed or voluntarity assumed or into some deuout Iubiley or other religious indulgence which are all grounded on the merites of our Sauiour but that these may be applyed we proforme our diligence to knowe our iniquity in the contrition of
sinne rather then our Father wheras indeed it comes more from Adam then from either Sect. 3. 1. NExte let vs coÌ„sider why he rather mentioneth his mother in this case of originall sinne and not his father especially seing all our Deuines affirme that althoughe Eua had sinned yet if Adam had remayned innocent originall sinne should not haue bene deriued vnto their posterity Because they say Adam alone as a publique person and generall father of all mankind did represent the persons of all his successors and for them as well as for himselfe did receiue originall iustice by the losse wherof he broughte vs all as being partes of him as our natural head into this detriment of originall sinne Wherfore in the same respecte allso thoughe Cayn or any other sinner had first sinned Adam being still vprighte yet their sinne should only haue deformed themselues and not haue perteyned to vs because we are comprehended in none as our generall father saue only in Adam 2. Further it is alledged in fauor of the woman that she concurreth but passiuely vnto generation as only giuing the materiall parte of conceptione not inducing the actiue forme which procedeth from the man who therfore by phylosophers and physicians is accompted the principall partye and cheifer cause of generation And yet here about originall sinne the mother is named only and not the father because at the time of our quickening when first in deede we doo contracte originall sinne then we are in her wombe then she kepeth and norisheth vs and not the father and so she is said to conceiue vs in sinne not mentioning the father 3. And thoughe Eua coulde not be Author of original sinne to all her posterity as is afore sayd yet our nexte parentes both man and woman being alwayes the instrumentes and successiue conueyors of originall sinne by descendence from Adam I say our parentes and auncestors are conueyors and instrumentes not causes or Authors ' for only Adam is so to be accompted And seing the mother is the materiall instrumente and conduyte which is more euident to our sense then the formall theâ—fore is she allso named rather then the father 4. Allso I said that in deede and really we doo only contracte originall sinne at the time when we are quickened and receiue life in our mothers wombe for thoughe at the instante of the very first conception those informed and mixed seedes may be said improperly in debito to haue an obligacion to be afterward subiect to originall sinne when it comes to be a liuing humane creature yet properly and truly in effecto the childe is not infected with originall sinne vntill it come to haue the soule infused and vnited to the body which is not till the quickening and hauing no soule it is not a perfecte humane creature but only little more then a masse of flesh which without soule cannot be said to be really capable of any sinne 5. Wherfore at that time being in the mothers wombe and allso hauing bene there norished vntill that time and so maynteyned afterwarde vntill the Birthe the mother is rather named then the father And so here the hebrew worde Hama doth signifye to giue heate which naturall heaâ—e of the mothers wombe cherishing the infante some read it thus with sinnes my mother gaue me heate and S. Augustin readeth it In sinnes my mother norished me and S. Ierome In sinnes my mother broughte me forthe 4. And allso as S. Thomas distinguisheth twoo birthes Nasci in vtero and nasci ex vtero to be borne in the wombe when the soule is infused and we become reaâ—onable creatures And to be borne out of the wombe when we firste come into this lighte So there is a twofolde conception as hath bene said first of humane seede which is at the very first generation and secondly a conception of humane nature when at the quickening we receiue our soule This second conception and the first Birthe in vtero are all one and because then properly we are first in deede capable of originall sinne therfore we may be so sayd eyther to be borne of our mother in originall sinne viz in the first birthe or to be conceiued of her in originall sinne viz in the second conception But at any of these Birthes or conceptions we are rather said to be conceiued or borne of our mother then of our father because to conceiue or beare children they are termes and propertyes perteyning to our mothers and cannot be said or aptely affirmed of our fathers WHAT ORIGINALL SINNE IS AND how it is deriued vnto vs allso how it is accompted a guilty faulte in children 1. NOw let vs see what Originall sinne is in his owne nature what effect it hath in vs. In his owne nature Originall sinne is a priuation or wante of Originall iustice which iustice God haue vnto Adam and he oughte to haue preserued in our nature In vs the effect of originall sinne is a corrupte disposition and deformitie of our nature proceeding from the losse of originall iustice by wante wherof there ariseth in vs that same fewell of sinne concupiscence deriued vnto vs from the publique disobedience of Adam by ordinarie humane generation It is a corrupte disposition as is sicknes It is a deformity for all sinne spotteth blemisheth It perteynes more to our nature then to our person for it is alike common to all The formall cause is the priuatiue losse of originall iustice Adams publique faulte as being our generall Father was the efficient cause And the instrumentall is humane generation which is ordinary not with priuiledge as was the conception of our Blessed lady nor extraordinary miraculous as the incarnacion of our Sauiour 2. This corrupte disposition of our nature according to Hugo de sancto Victore some others we contracte from our birthe By ignorance in our minde and By concupiscence in our flesh Not denying but there is concupiscence allso in the minde which blindeth our vnderstanding which concupiscence of the minde is moste cheifly a sinne and that concupiscence which is in our flesh is both a sinne punishment For so deuines say that Originall sinne is in vs both a faulte and a punishment his faulte consistes in the losse of originall iustice and by wante of that iustice in the deformity of our nature his penalty consistes in that concupiscence or fomes peccati which foloweth that former losse is an harbenger of succeding actuall sinne which fomes is in Infantes concupiscibilitie and in them of riper age is called concupiscence 3. Nexte let vs see How this originall corruption is our owne sonne deriued vnto vs from Adam without faulte of our other auncestors or parentes generation In respecte of which difficultyes S. Augustin aduiseth them who cannot comprehend it as being secrete yet not to reprehend it as vniuste rather let such content themselues to know and vse the remediâ— then to repyne or cauill because they vnderstand
not how they came into this misery As one falling into a Well where was so much water as serued to saue him from bruysing to death yet not so much as suffized to styfle him from speache being found and asked with wonder how he came to fall into such a place he answered I pray seeke meanes how to helpe me out and stand not marueiling how I fell in Neuertheles among learned deuines euen this difficulty is vnfolded against Pelagius Faber Erasmus Zuinglius the Anabaptistes 4. First S. Paul saith Sicut per vnum hominem as by one man sinne entred into the worlde and by sinne death afterward In whom all haue sinned and againe By the disobedience of one man many are made sinners Therfore it appeares that children being subject to death are subject to this sinne But infantes haue no actuall sinne therfore he must needes meane sinne originall And this he saith comes by one maâ— and by Adam in whom all are By him as our generall father in whose publique disobedience we are all partakers as the children of a Traytor are taynted and the body of a towne corporate are subject to the actes of their head gouernors 5. And so to that obiection How can it be sinne in infants who neuer had vse of will to giue consent It is answered That originall sinne is on our behalfe iâ— some sorte voluntary in Adam in whose Wille person all our persons and wills were included for he was our Head a publique person representing all mankind our first roote wherof all the branches must sauour and our Generall father in whom we are all so comprised that what he did it was allso our deede As among men the fathers facte often redoundeth to the benifite or prejudice of his sonne and as vnto lawes are not requisite the expeesse consent of euery man in the cuntry but only of those parlament men who as publique persons doo represent all the common wealthe But with God none are punished absolutely for others faultes but euery one for his owne And therfore the Councell of Trent hath defined of original sinne that it is cuiusque proprium in which respecte euery infante is punished therein for his owne faulte whose punishment as it bringeth no sensible payne because it hath exilem rationem voluntarij only a consent included in the publique will of Adam yet it wanteth the blessed fruition of glory propter latissimum foeditatem mali because it is so generall a deformity or spotte of our corrupte nature spread ouer all our powers of body soule with which blemishes no creature may appeare in the glorious presence of allmighty God before whom there can remayne nothing vncleane 6. Infantes then being subject to this punishment for originall sinne it must needes be properly their owne sinne and not for their fathers faulte For as Ezechiel saith The soule which sinneth shall dye the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of his father nor shall the father beare the iniquity of the sonne Nor is that contrary hereunto which is in the firste commandement Visiting the sinnes of the fathers on the children vnto the thirde and fourthe generation in them that hate me for the auncyent and present wryters doo generally vnderstand this visitation to be when the children doo imitate or participate the sinnes of theyr predecessors and so visitare is visum iterare to visite is to come and see the same sinnes Or admitte it be to visite 1. to chastize and punish yet he threatens it only to the 3. and 4. generation in them which hate him meaning if these generations doo hate him as their fathers did for a generation which shoulde loue God shall not be punished for their faultes who before did hate him At least not in eternall punishments Wherfore eternall losse of glory being an eternall punishment laid vpon Infantes dying in originall sinne doubtles they vndergoe it for their owne and not for any parents faulte 7. And thoughe I graunted that somtime temporally in this worlde God punished the children in regarde of the parentes offences so far forthe as the damage of the children may be a greife or a penalty to the parentes yet I verily thinke saluo semper meliori judicio praesertim sâ—nctae matris Ecclesiae that euen such their temporall punishment are not alone for their parentes faultes but that the children themselues haue allso deserued the same And then both at once the parentes are punished by the calamityes of their children as being partes of themselues and the children likewise suffer such temporall punishments justly for their owne originall guyltynes or offences actuall ORIGINALL SINNE COMES FROM Adam alone as Principall and how bad parentes haue good children c. Sect. 4. 1. WHerfore I say Originall sinne and his punishments are deriued only from Adam as principall vnto vs as Accessaryes with whom as our Generall head all mankinde maketh but one body And no Infantes are herein punished for their other mediate or imediate next parentes offences For S. Paul saith By one man sinne entred into the worlde which the Mileuitan Councell saith is originall sinne contracted by generation from Adam 2. And therfore diuerse Auncyent Fathers wrote against those Heretiques who woulde conclude that the Acte of mariage was of it selfe euill because the children begotten were borne in originall sinne which they suppose falsely to be deriued from the copulation of the parentes as the next causes as well of the Accidentall sinne as of the reall substance of the infantes wheras in truthe distinguishing betwene the one the other they shoulde haue referred the cause of that sinne vnto Adam alone as doth S Paul saying By one man and should haue ascribed only the substance of the soule body to God the parentes For suppose the Parents be odious Adulterers or doo sinne much in other circumstances of generation yet as allmighty God doth concurre cooperate to the naturall worke of conception creating ininfusing soules euen in children vnlawfully begotten where he forbiddes abhorres the morall dishonesty So likewise the parents doo participate in the naturall propagation without communicating this originall corruption Euen as stolne corne being sowen in forbidden grounde doth neuertheles growe as other corne doth by the helpe of God nature of the earthe and yet herein neither doth our lorde consent to the thefte nor is it a bad action to sowe corne but to steale it or to sowe it contrary to commandement where he should not 3. And thoughe the infante that is borne offend not actually nor the parents who beget the body nor our lorde who creates the soule yet we are borne polluted with originall sinne not as the proper effecte of mariage or generation but as an ordinary accident vsually following the conception of our humane nature in respecte we are the posterity members of Adam our head By whom only sinne entred vpon all mankind And herehence is the reason
the soule may be infected in the body Or it must be vnderstooâ— of the complete coÌ„iunction of the soule with the flesh which is seminally deriued from Adam at which time of their conioyned vnion we firste become perfect humane creatures and so then not before we are corrupted when the soule body are conioyned for then firste are we perfect humane creatures capable of sinne and then are we firste complete sonnes members of Adam And so then is originall sinne contracted and the soule seemeth as is were to be polluted in the body as in an vncleane vessell not that any actuall infection of sinne was in the flesh before the soule was infused which corruption should streight redounde out of the nature of the flesh into the soule so soone as euer it was infused nor when the soule was created a parte by it selfe in the body for in the body it is created that then alâ—â—ighty God created it with originall sinne cleauing to it I say that neither of these can be for the body alone or soule alone is not a complete perfect man nor so capable of sinne and therfore till they be ioyned they are not Adams posterity nor so infected with originall sinne which for better memory sake vnderstanding agayne I say is then firste fastened on vs so soone as we become perfect humane creatures deriued from Adam and so are considered as partes progeny of him by whom alone originall sinne is entred vpon all mankinde 7. And so lastly it is answered to the Pelagians assumption and inference Vidz The soule is not deriued from Adam nor therfore originall sinne which is in the soule That originall sinne in the soule is not considered to belong thervnto whither we falsely suppose the soule to be traduced from Adam or whither we beleeue it truly to be created of God but only in respecte that the soule being ioyned to the body then makes a complete creature who is a parte or member of Adam and so only capable subiect to this originall sinne Allso furthermore consider that to the end that sinne should be deriued from Adam it is not necessary that the soule allso be deriued from him but it is enoughe if the complete reasonable creature wherof the soule is a parte be in descent a member of Adam And obserue that generation is not finished in the production of the forme or soule alone nor of the matter or body alone but in the complete coniunction vnion of both together wherfore he may be said to be the next cause of generation who is the next cause of this coniunction But our parentes doo so dispose affoarde the materiall parte which is the seede or body that the soule which is the forme must in order of nature necessarily followe come to be conioyned thervnto in which sense a man is said to beget a man and so thoughe he be not Author of the soule yet he is called father of the whole creature because he is in nature the next cause of this vnion coniunction of the soule with the body Thus therfore I conclude that we deriue originall sinne from Adam only as being our generarll father alone for thoughe our other auncestors parents be the instrumentall causes or as conduytes the conâ—eyors hereof yet only Adam is the cheife cause founteyne from whom we doo deriue this originall corruption but not from him nor them as Authors of our soules saue only from him as the roote by our parents as the branches all we doo participate of this bitter fruite OVR SAVIOVR AND OVR B. LADY WERE exempted from Originall sinne Sect 6. 1. NEuertheles from this generall rule are exâ—epted our Sauiour Christ his holy mother Vnto our L. Iesus originall sinne did neither perteyne in facto nor in debito Vnto the blessed Virgin in debito as duâ— but not in deede in facto Vnto all vs it belongeth both in deede and as our due As the vndefiled virgin was a member a daughther of Adam seminally deriuâ—d so was Original sinne due to her nature as a parte of him And besides there is a conception of seede to frame the body when the childe is firste of all engendred and a conception of of complete nature when the soule coming to that body it is so first quickened â—rom the first engendring till the perfect quickening originall sinne is in preparatiue possibility due to that body which is in framing because it descendes semiâ—ally frâ—m Adam But it cannot take possession in facte vntill the soule be ioyned the whole creature perfectly quickened for where there is no soule there can be no sinne 2. In the firste conception Originall sinne was due to our blessed lady according to naturall possibility But in the very instant of the second conception and before the complete vnion of the soule by supernaturall grace it was kepte from my possession in facte she was extraordinarily preuented preserued in all cleare purity Some few others haue bin cleared and purifyed from originall sinne after their perfect quickening before their birthe But our blessed lady before both so that she was no sooner a liuing creature but she was of God the father a sanctifyed daughter for so it behooued to haue an immaculate mother of God the sonne and of God the holy ghoste a perfecte pure vndefiled spouse 3. This is the most pious probable opinion thoughe it be not decreed as a poynt of faithe no may the contrary be called heretically false Neither can I see what inconuenience can folowe of this pious opinion that as our L. Iesus alone was free from all possibility and possession of originall sinne so our holy virgin was free from all possession but not from all possibility therof He was so in the very nature of his generation because conceiued by the holy ghost She only by miraculous vertue of grace altering the course of nature She was indebted by nature to be a childe of wrathe but an especiall priuiledge of grace payed that debte and preuented her attachment 4. And so neuertheles she had neede and was indeede redeemed of her sonne both from that debte which she owed and allso from all those sinnes euills wherinto without this priuiledge she should haue fallen So when Dauid said Thou hast taken out my soule from the lowest hell Saint Augustin interpreteth those wordes not as if Dauids soule euer had bene in the lowest hell but he was so freed that he should neuer come thither And it is more for the physitian to preuent a sickenes wherto I am certeinly subiect then to heale me afterwarde when I haue bene sicke And so our Sauiour redeemed his mother from sinne which naturally she should haue contracted and may be estemed a more worthy redemption then if by sinne she had bene once polluted And yet she suffered bodily death and some other humane miseryes rather as perteyning to her abouesaid debte
fauour and for vs so looke vp to thy Sonne in prayer that we may be always vertuously sober in our actions religiously ciuill in our speeches in our very thoughtes pure and chaste in all our conuersation All which we earnestly entreate for the all sufficient merites mercyes of our Sauiour thy Sonne and by the immaculate purity of thy conception THE MOST GRACIOVS AND WONDERfull remedyes of our originall sinne Sect. 7. 1. THus was our blessed Lady preuented with grace But how shall we be made cleane who are conceiued by such vncleane seede excepte only as Iob answered By thee alone o Lorde whose grace saith S. Paul doth superabounde our sinne For sinne came by man but grace is of more power as proceeding from God Sinne did not take away from vs all good nor bring vpon vs all euill But grace doth deliuer vs from all the euill wherinto we mighte fall and is sufficient to giue vs all the good we can desire Adams sinne brought a curse only to his descendentes and to the earthe But by the merites of Christe all creatures except the diuells who hate him eyther haue or may haue parte of his blessing For by him not only all mankind is redeemed but the good Angells are confirmed in their grace and euen these senceles creatures shal be renued in their nature 2. And in the saluation of our soule there is more force in Gods grace then in mans sinne for it is easie and we are prone to fall or to dye in sinne but we are lumpish heauie and it is exceeding harde to be raysed vp to life of grace wherfore grace is the stronger and the more worthy and therfore we are the more indebted considering how weake we are and how vnworthy And it is maruelous to consider the proportion betwene our sinfull misery and our gracious remedie As against originall sinne is appointed Baptisme to regenerate vs in grace from that wherin we were generated by nature that as infantes are defyled by meanes of Adams corruption without their owne facte so they are washed by meanes of Christes redemption without their owne helpe Children are spotted before they be aware of it and they are cleansed before they knowe of it In their conception vnwitting and in their baptisme ignorante We are raysed by others before we haue reason to aske helpe as by others we were caste downe before we had sense of our fall Or if some be of yeares of discretion before they be baptyzed as infidels conuerted or if christians after Baptisme become sinners and come agayne to repentance in the firste sorte the grace of baptisme takes away all sinne originall and actuall and all punishment eternall and temporall in both sortes there is first a iustification without foregoing merites quae fit in hominâ— which of God alone is effected in man and then a second iustification quam facit homo in which man doth his parte and hath following good workes In wâ—ich second iustice it is reason we follow Gods grace to performe some satisfaction and to obteynes merites as we had runne after our concupiscence to incurre guiltynes and suffer punishments 3. All our merites and all our good are deriued from God but our first iustice in our first conuersion doth so come from him alone that we are not so much guilty by Adam of originall sinne without our owne faulte as Christ alone doth iustifye vs from all sinne without our owne merite O greatnes O goodnes of grace more powerfull and more abundant then sinne O swete IESVS who doost in wisdome so answer iustice with mercy that neither doo we wante any fauour nor is the lawe vnsatisfyed in all rigor and euery pointe balanced with conuenient counterpeyse Sinners in Adam iuste in Châ—iste In our selues actually and really wicked throughe Christe truly and inherently iuste We were inthralled by our sinfull liues he redeemed vs by his holy death By his passion and sufferinges he satisfyed for our punishments and our good workes haue merite by the vertue of his actions 4. But to insiâ—te especially in his comparison with Adam His crosse stood vpon Adams graue there beginning life where death began By a tree we perished and we were ransomed on a tree He repayred his churche his beloued spouse by the water and bloud which issued out of his side dying as Eua the wife of Adam was taken out of his side sleeping and by that water he clenseth our spottes of sinne and by that bloud he purchased to vs the beauty of grace By occasion of a woman came a generall curse and a greater blessing by meanes of a woman wherfore Adam called the firste Eua. and we salute the second quite turning the same letters into Aue. The first man Adam loste all by ambitions pride because being but a man he aspired to be as God and the second man IESVS restored all by obedient humility who being in deed God yet descended to become a man ALL THE GVILTE OF ORIGINALL SINNE is quite forgiuen in Baptisme and the first motions of concupiscence are not sinne vntill we delighte or consent vnto them Sect. 8. 1. ANd althoughe our Sauiour in Baptisme haue cleared vs from all Guilte of originall sinne yet not during this life from all temporall punishment therof as not from Death hunger sicknes nor from all ignorance or motions of concupiscence And althoughe he hath freed vs from all punishment destroying our soule yet not from all punishment which may encrease our merite as they say sustulit omnem paenam destruentem non omnem paenam promonentem and so he hath lefte in vs these infirmityes of our motions in concupiscence of hunger sicknes and death to be as skarres and markes of our soare and woundes which are healed 1. to the intent that seing and remembring our hurte our helpe we should remayne thankefull and not forgetfull 2. to humble vs by consideration of these infirmityes who else would be proud 3. to exercise vs in diligence of mortification and in vigilance of prayers lest we should be negligent and careles 4. to affoard vs occasion of more merite and so to crowne vs with more glory 2. Or we may lay that he hath freede vs from all effectes and personall punishmetns of originall sinne which so perteyned to our persons that they would condemne our particuler soules but not from all naturall defectes which necessarily belong to our generall nature wherby we remayne in the estate of all mankinde for as a wise phisicyan he hath sufficiently cured euery mans particuler soule not quite changing his generall nature abundantly prouiding and in better sorte for our corrupte nature to be helped and preserued by grace rather then to extinguish this nature and to create another For he will saue the same which had offended which is greater mercy to vs and more power wisdome in himselfe And is it not more to preserue a vessell of glasse then of yron 3. I said he hath lefte vs
se dixit c. where he said He performed not by the affection of consent and fullfilling action but in the very motion of concupiscence calling that a Deede which was but an vnwilling motion of a thoughte And sâ— the lawe non concupisces bindeth against actuall desires with consent not against the first motions remayning as effectes of originall corruption and so concupiscere est post concuspiscentias ire and those first motions are fomes peccati the fewell of sinne and without consent no way indeede sinne no more then wood is fiâ—e vntill it be kâ—nled And so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. the wisdome or sensuality of the flesh is enemy to God by which sensuality he allso meaneth actuall sinne and not originall And so generally for the moste parte when any Ancyent Doctor calleth concupiscence indefiniâ—â—â—â— sinne they speake of actuall concupiscence with consent Or doo so terme the effectes of originall sinne after baptisme not because they are absolutely sinne but because they are remnants of sinne and doo allure vnto sinne 9. If it be said that all is sinne which agreeth not to the lawe of God or is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is true taking sinne in a generall sense for viâ—ium a defect as there be vitia naturae vel artis defectes of nature or of arte viz to be blind lame c and such an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or sinne we may calle our naturall concuâ—iscence which of it selfe without conâ—ent is no more sinne speaking properly strictly then to be hungry or thirsty against our will Or no more then dreames of murder vnchaste imaginations of men asleepe wherof they gaue no faulty occasion being awake And thoughe such dreames doo not agree eâ—actly with the lawe of God yet who will strictly properly call them sinnes They agree not with the lawe in their substance materially but formally in their intention they are not against the lawe As a woman raviâ—hed or forced against her will without any consent the Action materially agreeth not with the lawe exactly and yet therin who can accompte her guilty of sinne 10. Finally we cannot say the first motions of coÌ„cupiscence are sinne because we oughte to abhorre them because God doth hate them for all is not sinne which deserueth to be hated Because euill of punishment may be hated as well as euil of Guiâ—te and whatsoeuer allureth to sinne may be hated thoughe it selfe be not sinne And so we abhorre the first motâ—ons of concupiscence as occasions not indeede as sinnes And allmighty God hateth all euill euen of punishment and so he detesteth Death and is said not to haue made death not as the first Author sed vt peccati vlâ—or but as the iust punisheâ— of sinne by death He hateth all euill of punishment or of guilte in respecte of the evill it selfe not in respecte of the occasioÌ„ of good which he draweth out of the evill And so of our worldly aflictions saith S. Augustin Vvho would suffer miseryes or difficultyes Thou doost coÌ„mand vs o lord to endure them not to loue them none doo loue what they suffer thoughe to suffer they doo loue for thoughe he ioye in suffring yet he had rather he had nothing to suffer In like sorte we may not desire concupiscence not because it is sinne except we consent but because it induceth to sinne and is troblesome greiuous c. neyther ought the iudgment of God to displease vs who woulde haue it to remayne for an Agony and exercise of vertue and tolde his Apostle My Grace is sufficieÌ„t vnto thee for his strenghte is perfited in our weakenes THE CONCLVSION OF THE FORMER DEclarations about Originall sinne with some shorte admonitions to mortifie his force Sect. 9. 1. THus I haue said somewhat of sundry questions about Originalle sinne wherin if I be tedious to some yet to others I know it will seeme to shorte I confesse it is a matter more lamentable then disputable for all wherfore in our meditation vpon this corruption let vs mourne with Dauid That in iniquityes we were conceiued and our mothers broughte vs forthe in sinnes 2. For thoughe Baptisme doo cleanse vs yet some sorowful remembrance therof is good to humbâ—e vs. Baptisme takes away omnem labem all the guilte all the spottes and nature of sinne paste non omnem somitem not aâ—l the fewell and inclination vnto sinne to come Wherfore come o my soule in our present conforte let vs prayse our Redeemer who had purifyed and washed all the vncleannes of our Birthe and in our folowing diligence by the helpe of his grace let vs be carefull to mortefy and kepe vnder all corruptions of our life O my soule be thou watchefull ouer my body I will not say kill my flesh because it is a parte of my selfe and I may not hate it yet remember it was a meanes in our conception by which the purity was stayned I say when thou werte infused it did blemish that lustre and integrity which now thou shouldest haue if thou werte not in his corrupte prison thoughe it defiled not the cleannes and purity of thy nature which thou first haddest by creation and which we may recouer and better by the grace of Christe if we keepe our flesh in due mortification Let vs make gaynes by our losse and winne more reward by our paynes O blessed be our Redeemer Iesus who hath giuen vs this possibility Let vs resiste and suppresse the motions of our concupiscence that we may aduance and increase the vigor of our spirite Nay o my soule thou arte bound to doo no lesse for if in Adam his soule had not first consented to her owne fond affections and desires the body had bene yet still in obedience therfore as the rebellion of the flesh was first occasioned on thy parte so to pay for this faulte the disquietnes of continuall concupiscences must be endured by thy mourning patience and ouercome by thy mortifying diligence 3. Be thou watchfull ouer thy discerning reason least ignorance make falsehood truthe be heedfull to thy irascible corage least impatience driue a way that which is good and be carefull about thy concupiscible choyse least sensuality follow that which is bad Wheras contrarily our concupiscibility should only embrace good our irascibility should only hate bad and our reason should only be fixed on truthe But alas we are witty and apte for errors therfore labour to be discrete we are headdy subject to passions therfore endeuour to be moderate we are headlong prone to pleasures therfore striue to be temperate 4. O my soule these are our frailtyes our reason dimme our passions strong and sottishnes in our desires neither is it marueil for we are conceiued in sinnes conceiued in iniquityes In our carnall generation the vse of reason is suspended the heat of luste is enflamed and pleasure is soughte in vncleannes O 〈◊〉 better remedyes then in the merites and examples of our Redeemer
Let vs vs◠〈…〉 and prayer to enlighten our dimmed knowledge let vs vse patience 〈…〉 to humble to quench our strong enflamed affections let vs vse mortificatâ—â—◠〈◊〉 abstinence to restreyne refreyne our sottish vncleâ—â—â—leasures O swete 〈…〉 vs these graces o most pure immaculate and blessed 〈◊〉 Mary pray for vs o most feruorous penitent Saynt Marie Magdalen be thou 〈…〉 Aduocate that our regeneration may be more perfect then our generation was 〈…〉 that whatsoeuer poore integrity we haue it may he continued and how great 〈◊〉 our vncleannes hath bene that with contrite teares it may be washsd O we coâ—â—esse our base birthe conceiued in sinne to remember vs to be humble and because wâ— were conceiued in iniquities we doo entreat compassion on our naturall frailtyes for thou arte most graciously pitifull MEDITATION V. Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti incerta oculta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi For beholde thou hast loued truthe and thou hast manifested vnto me the doubtfull and secret thinges of thy wisdome DIVERSE DEVOVTE INTERPRETATlONS of these wordes And an humble thankesgiuing of the Author for his vndeserued conuersion Sect. 1. THere is a threefolde Truthe 1. of life against hypocrisie in which they are faulty who are clad in the wolle of sheepe whiles they dissemble the malice of wolues 2. in Truthe of doctrine against heresie which sercheth out false and foolish deuices 3. In Truthe of justice against partiall accepting of persons which is an abomination vnto God O founteyn and author of Truthe deliuer my soule from all these lyes of partialitie of heresie and of hipocrisie let my life be true in deuotion of harty actions rather then in any ostentation of wordes or seming labor of lippes let my doctrine be true guided by thy holy spirite and in euery title submitted to thy Catholique churche rather then in trusting to myne owne witte or relying on any others priuate conceyte let my vprighte dealing be true respecting others as I would be vsed my selfe neither bending for feare nor leaning for affection for beholde o lord it is euident in all thinges thou louest truthe 2. Wherfore in my particuler Cases of conscience in my priuate sinnes and other doubtes what should I doo some men are ignorant some men are negligent some excuse all and some doo much extenuate their faultes but I knowe my iniquities against ignorance I haue my sinne alwaies against me and I will set my selfe alwayes against sinne without negligence I may not defend my faulte but I doo accuse my selfe to haue sinned aboue all vnto thee and before thee to haue committed euill Nor woulde I extenuate but aggrauate my offences fearing least they be worse then I suppose for I knowe thou shal be be iustified in thy wordes and wilte ouercome when thou arte iudged Beholde therfore I spare not to discouer eueÌ„ my natural infirmityes I was conceiued in iniquityes And all this playnnes I vse in confession with sincerity for thou louest truthe 3. Allso thou louest truth not alone in confession but as well in satisfaction for so thou giuest prerogatiue to mercie that yet thou wouldest kepe truth thou doost pardon him that confesseth yet if he punish himselfe So is obserued both mercie truthe mercie because the man is freed truth because the sinne is punished O blessed S. Augustin it appeareth thou werte a Catholique penitent somtime punishing thy body not a carnall protestante euer pampering thy fleshe thou doost require some sharpe satisfaction after an entire confession but these will not vndergoe the blushing of confession much lesse endure the rigor of satisfaction they are content with the liberty of their ghospell and an easy faithe and therfore they refuse the necessity of satisfaction and all harde truthe But thoughe our Lordes truthe haue harde sayinges yet we must repent O let vs not abhorre these truthes which to flesh and bloud doo breede hatred for thou o lord louest truth 4. Thy prophet Nathan promised my sinnes should be translated from me wherfore I haue great hope of pardon and doo relye on all thy promises for thou louest truth and doubtles wilte performe I allso haue some comforte in this respecte because thoughe I committed a fowle faulte in matter of vice yet in poyntes of faith I haue not swarued from that Truthe which thou doost loue I haue caste thy grace and loue out of my will but yet in my vnderstanding I haue reteyned thy truthe It is naughte and too bad to haue one dore barred against thee as a vicious Israelite but it is worâ—e like a heatheÌ„ or an hetetique to shutte thee out with a doble barre or with two gates vidz neither to beleeue righte nor to liue well 5. Or peraduenture thoughe the wicked Beleeuer be somewhat easier to be conuerteâ— yet remayning obstinate he is in danger to be worse punished Wherfore Euthymius supposeth Dauid to say thus In my former wordes lamenting my naturall frailty I mighte seeme to extenuate my faulte ô no I reuoke any excuse rather o lord I accuse my selfe according to truthe I was great in thy fauor or as thy Secâ—etary thou diddest manifest vnto me the secret and doubtfull thinges of thy wisdome O how many hidden prophecyes hast thou reuealed to me which I haue published to others but the more I consider these fauors the greater I acknowledge my offences more abhominable is the treason of a Secretary then any falsehood of an enemy 6. Thus I doo deeply sincerely in all truthe accuse my selfe yet I cannot tell whether herin it were presumption for me to intreate thy reconciliation mercy because I was once thy inward freind fauorite To remember passed iniuryes doth prouoke a malicious minde to reuenge and contrarily why should it not mooue thy mercifull nature to pity him sooner whom thou diddest once loue I will plead earnestly yet with humility I will acknowledge my faultes to be so much more detestable because being once so gracious in thy secret and especiall loue I was so graceles as to deserue thy iuste open hate Among men great loue is often changed into great hate as the best wyne into the sharpest vineger but thou o lord seest not as men see neither so variable to be soone changed nor so inflexible to be hardly reconciled As it increaseth my faulte to haue abused such gracious fauor so the remembrance of this fauor loste by my faulte doth so much more afflicte my harte as my sinne is greater so my losse is greater my payne is greater and my sorowe is greatâ—r O let these entreate by the greatnes of thy loue that hauing bene a secret freind of thy priuy chamber thou wouldest not leaue me as a base sclaue to the despite of the publique worlde I hope thy honor will not permitte it and that thy great fauor will not be so much diminished 7. Thus may they pray who haue fallen from especiall fauors that from their depe
our spirite is olde or loste therfore must be renued And all these defectes are in our bowells euen in the principall inward partes of our nature if our eye be blind how great is our darkenes and when our bowells our cheife nature is faulty how great is our wickednes O God! create renue a harte a spirite cleane harte a righte spirite a cleane spirite a righte harte we haue neede of all in all our nature euen in our very bowells O furnish all our defectes Deus meus in quem deficio vt fortis sim as said S. Augustin O mie Iesu vpon whom I doo desire to relye and fainte that so fainting vpon him I maie be reuiued more strong 9. By cleansing my harte from all worldly filthynes thou shalte cheere it lighten it in thy loue and so I shall liue more cherfully for as no creature say philosophers can long liue without some sorte of loue so such as our loue is such is our life If we woulde haue our life pure at liberty glorious let not our loue be slauish corrupte or base O swete Iesu create in me a cleane harte of loue and because our soule is not mooued by paces of the feete but by affections of the harte therfore vnto this loue adde a righte spirite not to be as wicked men who walke in a circle but like Ezechiels beast which went righte onward turned not Allso a righte spirite euen in the bowells of our syncere intentions which as a direct winde at sterne may further and order all our actions holde all our courses streight for heauen TO BE CASTE OVT FROM THE FACE of God is to be caste into all misery Sect. 3. 1. NE proijcias me c. Doo not cast me out from thy face thy holie spirite doo not take from me Dionysius Areopagita vsed to say that our Lord Iesus comes to vs firste goes from vs laste for till we forsake him he doth neuer forsake vs. And as Innocentius tertius saith The holy Ghoste is taken from vs not so much when he ceaseth to be possessed as when he beginneth not to be possessed for he of himselfe ceaseth not to remayne with vs but we firste begin to dispossesse our selues of him for in the day time if any be blind the defecte is in the eye not in the sunne and lighte departeth not till darkenes come 2. Let vs consider o my soule with Ieremy how euill how bitter a thinge it is to haue forsaken our Lord God the faulte is euill the punishment is bitter It is euill because it is sinne which is the worste euill It is bitter in diuersity of the payne which in his sensible parte hath exterior fyre and an interiour worme which allso in his losse is worthely depriued of the presence of God whom we did forsake vnworthely O Iesu let vs neuer forsake thee of our owne frailty nor suffer our selues to be plucked from thee by any tentation least we deserue for euer to be caste out from thee whensoeuer we yeild or loue any thing else more then thee If thou turne awaie thy face of mercy all will be in confusion and from thy face of iustice whither shall we flye O illuminate thy countenance vpon vs and shew vs thy mercie thou arte our lighte our saluation 3. Dauid releasing Absoloms banishment gaue leaue he mighte returne to his owne house but with this commandement my face he shall not see Afterward Absolom complaynes to Ioab saying If my Father be still offended against me let him rather take my life then forbid me his face for it is a matter full of disgrace empty of comforte and wantes a cheife meanes to worke reconciliation because we are sooner mooued in fauour or in pity towardes those whom we haue much conuersante in our eye Wherfore o gracious Lorde caste vs not out from thy face thrust vs not out of thy fauor reiect vs not from thy mercy exclude vs not from thy sighte or knowledge exempte vs not from thy care or prouidence nor let vs be estranged from thy loue or contemplation O let vs neuer heare it said against vs Take awaie the wicked so that he neuer see the glorie of my face for so was Lucifer cast headlong out of thy presence as lightening from heauen and so shall all they be caste with violence from thy face to whom thou shalt say Go you cursed into eternall fire 4. It is miserable to be cast into captiuity bondage as our lord threatned the Iewes I will cast you from my face vidz into Babylon It is terrible to be throwne from an highe Clyffe or a steep mounteyn downe vpon rockes or stones as were those in the chronicles of whom the scripture saith crepuerunt they burste and cracked in peices with their fall It is most horrible intollerable to be reprobate from Gods presence and caste into hell and of such the scripture saith The soule of thine enimyes shal be tumbled as in a wheele or in a whirlewinde or as in the violence or circle of a slinge We beseech thee caste vs not into the miserable bondage of concupiscence or slauish passions nor into the terrible downefall of pride or ambition nor into the vnsufferable torments of future perdition or of present desperation for he sinnes against the holy ghoste who supposeth his sinnes to be greater then thy mercie which applyeth forgiuenes by meanes of the holie ghost and therfore from him who casteth himselfe into such finall desperation thou doost take awaie thy holie spirite O cast me not out by any of these from thy face and thy holie spirite in any sorte doo not take awaie from me 5. Origen saith that when our lord promiseth to looke vpon vs he promiseth all that is good for all our wellfare comes from his fauorable countenance O let vs not be Runnegates like Cayn from the face of God vpon the face of the earthe 1. to forsake God for the worlde But let vs beseech him to looke vpon vs like as he looked vpon S Peter and vpon that yong man in the Gospell whom when he saw he loued him to giue vs lookes of admonition that we may repent and lookes of fauour that we may reioyce To turne away his face of indignation from our sinnes whose faultes doo vrge him to iustice and yet not to caste our persons out of his presence because our misery may mooue him to compassion 6. To be caste out of our owne country by banishment is a ciuil death and it is an ecclesiasticall death to be caste out of the churche by excoÌ„muncation The first is next neighbor to death of body and the other to death of soule But to be caste out from the presence of God is more then both theâ—e for it is indeede the death it selfe both of body and soule It is irckesome to be debarred our owne natiue country and it
forgiuen thee because thou hast loued much and althoughe perfect loue is not in vs till we haue the holy ghoste fully dwelling in vs yet we may haue imperfect loue before this complete spirituall habitation thoughe indeede neither this loue nor any of these other dispositions are in vs before and without the preuenting grace or speciall helpe of God 5. Fiftely from this loue of our gracious Benefactor we must procede to Penitence which is a sorowe and contâ—iâ—ion for hauing sinned against him whom now we beginne to loue aboue all the worlde and therfore doo detest and greiue for what is passe and this sorowe saith S. Paul worketh penitence vnto firme saluation therfore this allso doth hâ—lpe to iustifye And with this sixtely is ioyned a purpose and desire of coming to Baptisme if the patty be vnchristened or to Confession and Satisfaction if since our Baptisme we haue mortally offened And that these are necessary entrances vnto iustification as well as faith it is manifest for except we be borne of water the holie ghoste we cannoe enter into the kingdome of heauen and the successiue substitutes of Christe haue auctority from him that whose sinnes they remitte they are remitted therfore only to beleue is not sufficient except we haue allso a syncere purpose to be Baptized and Confessed And lastly we must haue a resolute determination by Gods grace to lead a new life amending our faultes and endeuouring to kepe our lordes commandements as Ezechiel said cast from you all your iniquityes and make in you a new harte a new spirite 6. In fine our Sauiour doth often require besides faith allso charity workes of which two consisteth the wedding garment that is so necessarily required saying allso that if we will enter into life we must kepe the commandements and that at last we shall be iudged by our workes And holy scriptures in many places require iustice and good deedes for not the hearers only or beleeuers but the Doâ—ers of the will of God shal be iustifyed Doo this and thou shalte liue said our L. Iesus And S. Iames of purpose against onlie faith in expresse wordes auoucheth that a man is iustifyed by workes and not by faith onlie Denying the worde onlie for which they sâ—riue so extremely that rather then they will not haue their will they will doubte of S. Iames Example whither it be true scripture as Luâ—her diuerse of his folowers did And Illyricus shameth not to say of all scriptures requiring good workes that when certyen excessiâ—e effectes and prayses and euen saluation it selfe is attributed in scriptures vnto good workes we must iudge that to be ascribed to them which is not conuenient for them O blasphemous impudency he boasteâ— of scriptures yet will thus controlle scriptures as giuing too much prayse excessiue effectes vnto good workes he confesseth scripture to ascribe vnto good workes euen saluation it selfe but he hath authority forsooth to call this an excessiue prayse effecte and that herin the holy ghoste doth ascribe that to good workes which is not conueniâ—nt to be ascribed And thus doo all heretiques euer bragge of scriptures yet so that they will reiecte them or interprete or controlle them according to their owne fancyes whensoeuer they find them contrary to their owne opinions 7. Much more modestly discretely S. Augustin aduertiseth that where faith in scriptures is extolled required there good workes are not excluded and where good workes are praysed commanded there faith is not debarred But wheras diuerse thinges are necessary vnto our iustification saluation they are seldome or neuer all expressely reckoned together in any one place much lesse in euery place or scripture or of any other writer but somtime one soÌ„time another according as occasion is offered And so the holy scripture doth not exclude what it concealeth but doth require what it expresseth and when seuerall thinges are mentioned in diuerse places yet all about one purpose we cannot denye them to haue all some vertue in the same office and therfore we must acknowledge good workes to haue vertue in them about the acte of our iustification neither separating faith nor reiecting workes from their mutuall assistance founded vpon our Sauiour Christe and in his merites concurring both of them to the very worke of our saluation OF THE HOLY WAYES AND OF THE sacred feete footesteps of our heauenly Guide Teacher Thus I shall teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and the vngodlye will be conuerted vnto thee Sect. 7. 1. THE wicked misbeleeuers haue neede of a righte faith and all vngodly liuers do wante good workes these will be conuerted by thy grace and inspirations and the other must we teach by our example instructions Vnto both of them we will shew the wayes in which all of vs must walke with those twoo feete of workes faithe 2. Thy wayes O lord are mercy truthe not only truthe in verity of faith and mercie in the rewarde merite of workes but allso thou haste truthe of iustice against obstinate presumers and mercie of fauour for tractable penitents If these would learne to walke in thy wayes it were good they shoulde be taughte to folowe thy footesteppes but how shoulde we better discerne thy footesteps then by knowing thy feete Therfore let S. Bernarde teach vs how the feete of our Sauiour are mercie iudgement with these feete he walketh vpon the water waues trampling downe both our proud highe mindes swelling as waues and our softe delicate flesh as mooueable as water with these twoo feete he traueleth vp and downe in all places to doo vs good to free vs from ill to giue vs healthe to caste out diuells as Abacâ—c prophesyed the diuell shoulde flye awaie from before his feete both visibly out of bodyes and out of soules spiritually 3. Wherfore come O my soule we will sitte vs downe at these feete with S. Mary Magdalene let vs marke well his feete and consider his fotesteps his feete are mercy iudgemeÌ„t his footesteps are hope feare O happy soules in whom are imprinted the steppes of both these feete and this happynes tâ—ey haue whosoeuer with S. Mary Magdalene will washe them both will annoynte them both will wipe them both and will kisse embrace them both to washe them to wipe them by cleansing sorowe to kisse them to annoynte them by swete smelling loue to sorowe in feare to loue in hope to feare his foote of iudgement and to hope in his foote of mercy not to be busy about the one foote to neglecte the other but to embrace them both If I be timorous sorowfull without hope I shall despayre If I be coÌ„fident secure without feare I shall be presumptuous more slothfull in negligence more colde in prayer my actions will growe more careles my laughter more loose my talke more inconsiderate and the whole estate of my outwarde
inwarde man much more vnsetled 4. Therfore I will teach the wicked presumer thy wayes in thy footesteps of feare and the vngodly mistruster shall be conuerted vnto thee in thy harbour of hope and so we will sing of mercie together and of iudgement vnto thee O lorde And so likewise let the iuste man reprehend me in mercy and chyde me The vines are made fruitfull both by cutting of their superfluous branches and by adding to their rootes necessary norishing dunge Profitable reprehension is a proyning knife of vnprofitable imperfections for necessary vertues a milde admonition is a manuring of mercy Wherfore woe vnto them said the Wiseman who turne the dunge of oxen into stones nor let me euer be made fatte with the oyle of sinners Let me neuer growe abundante in vice by the softe oyley flattery of worldly freindes nor at any time turne the fruitfull dunge of good counselors into harde stones of obstinacy Rather let them teach me me thy wayes firste by sharpe reprehension when I wander from thy footesteps of feare and next by cherfull encoragement when I faynte in following the footesteps of hope 5. Yea o Father of mercy iudgement I desire the to be angry with me according to thy mercy and to teach me thy wayes according to thy iustice Correcte me in that anger by which thou â—oost reclayme a wanderer not wherby thou doost exclude a runneagate Say not thou hast taken away thy zeale from me as from one who is vncurable and so because I am desperate thou wilte no more be angrie with me for whoÌ„ thou doost loue thou doost chasten If therfore thou wilte not chasten me going amisse thou doost not loue me to teach me thy wayes It is said thou werte mercifull vnto the Israelites taking vengeance vpon all their fond inuentions O gracious Father whensoeuer I followe inuentions of mine owne appetite teach me to come home to to thy wayes by the vengeance of thy mercy For it is thy peculier condition to remember mercy when thou arte angry and therfore hauing offended I shall then haue confidence in thy fauour not when in pleasure I feele no smarte of punishmeÌ„t but when in affliction I feele thine anger for amendement SOME DEVOVTE DESIRES AND THANKSgiuinges of the Author vnto Almighty God Sect. 8. 1. THus o lorde I desire to be taughte By thy selfe and By others By encoraging exhortation or By seuere admonition By feare or By hope By iudgement or By mercy To auoide all desperate feare to beware any careles securitâ— To amend faultes and to profite in goodnes and with these to be instructed in thy wayes of true faith and conuerted vnto thee in workes of good life that so in some poore sorte like S. Peter being conuerted in my selfe I may better confirme others and allso being confirmed with thy principall spirite like Dauid I will be bolde to teach thy wayes vnto the wicked the vngodly shall be conuerted vnto the. 2. As I am mightily obliged to endeuour this satisfaction as thou haste giuen me o lord an earnest desire to performe this obligation so I beseech the giue force vnto my endeuours and let me see some effectes of these desires I desire to teach them not the secrets of Philosophie nor the pollicyes of statesmen but thy waies For there be two kinde of scieÌ„ces one of holy meÌ„ another of wise men one of iust meÌ„ another of learned meÌ„ if both be ioyned both are good but if wisdome or sort of our coÌ„mo learning be without holynes we may wel cal theÌ„ as Erasmus termed the coÌ„moÌ„ lawyners in England Indoctum genus doctissimorum hominum an vnlearned kinde of moste learned men 1. subtile and acute in their quirkes of lawe but ignorante or vnskillfull in other true learning so all knowledge without skill in Christes way is to be a speedy post maister out of the waye 3. Allso I will endeuour to teach not as a maister in Israel but as a scholler at the feete of Gamaliel I will helpe my fellowes in the same lesson which I haue learned not to seeke vaynglory by teaching nor by setting out my selfe vnto the worlde to ayme at the worlde But I beseech thee o Inspirer of all good teachers herein euer to directe my purposes sincerely by conuerting or teaching of soules to seeke them not theirs nor any thinge else of this worlde Rather in this and all other thinges to intend aboue all thy heauenly Glory their spirituall God and my bounden duty 4. And were it not vanity to ascribe much to our selues about the conuersion of soules we can but teach thy waies by our outwarde voyce and so they shall be conuerted vnto thee by thy inwarde grace as Dauid heer promiseth to teach them but their conuersion he leaueth vnto thee Paul may plante Apollos may water but thou o lorde must giue the encrease men may remooue the stone from Lazarus graue and some haue authority to loozen vntye his handes and his feete but our Sauiour himselfe must rayse Lazarus to life we will teach o lorde but thou must conuerte 5. And verily neither are any so ready to learne nor we so willing to teach nor yet so desirous that our dearest freindes shoulde be conuerted as thou who diddest thirste vpon the crosse that all should be saued so that we are farre inferior vnto thee o Iesu in our charitable desires and they who will not be taughte thy wayes nor be conuerted vnto thee such are still worthy to wander out of thy waye and continuing such are for euer vnworthy to come vnto thee For as thou haste appoynted the End so thou doost declare the waye 6. O sweete Iesu if we be taughte thy way outwardly as Catholiques it is thy mercy it is greater mercy inwardly if we be conuerted vnto thee O what recoÌ„pence should we make nay what thankes can we returne Our thankes cannot expresse what we owe much lesse will our recoÌ„pence discharge our debte If thy wayes be thy lawe thy lawe be immaculate conuerting soules o how excellent a priuiledge is this to be taughte such awaie such a lawe a lawe of grace and a way of life which is immaculate both because it makes vs immaculate and allso in comparison of the lawe of Moyses which was maculated with many shadowes spotted with much difficulty did discouer our blemishes sinnes For Moyses lawe did commande to obey but not as the lawe of Christe giue grace to fullfill it that turned awaye from euill the hande or the eye by feare this conuerteth vnto good the harte and soule by loue that was a lawe for seruantes this for sonnes O let Dauid teach vs thy waye in this lawe and hereby let our soules be conuerted vnto thee from captiuity vnto liberty not pressing vs by terror but drawing vs by swetenes from thinges temporall vnto thinges eternall from the hope of rewarde to the charity
and loue of God himselfe O let vs be conuerted vnto thee and let vs be taughte this lawe this waye which leades sinners vnto repentance kindles them who are colde inflames theÌ„ who are warme rayseth him vp who is downe hastens his pace who is slowe cleanseth the vncleane for it is a lawe immaculate and iustifyeth the vniuste for it conuerteth soules We are wicked o teach vs this way and conuerte vs vnto thee for we are vngodly Teach thy wayes vnto our body anâ— outwarde senses which are wicked and let our vngodly soule and inwarde thoughtes be conuerted vnto thee 7. This is all the recompence we can make these are all the thankes we can returne to giue thee our wicked bodye and vngodly soule to desire from thee more benefites that so we may be able to paye our debtes and in this payment we shall be gayners but thou shalte be no richer for when we giue thee all yet we render the but thyne owne wheras by this gifte we haue our wicked bodyes sanctifyed being taughte in thy wayes and our vngodly soules iustifyed being conuerted vnto thee yea thus o lord we doo lesse then pay thee thine owne nay we doo worse because we doo kepe no proportion in our exchange For neither doo we learne all thy teaching inspirations nor doo we answer all thy conuerting vocations and besides we giue wicked bodyes and receiue them holy we giue vngodly soules and receiue them iuste O happy men who haue to deale with such a God! o gracious God thus we entreate thee to teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and let the vngodlie be conuerted vnto thee MEDITATION IX Libera me de sanguinibus Deus Deus salutis meae exultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam Domine labia mea aperies os meum annunciabit laudem tuam Deliuer me from blouddes O God O God of my saluation and my tongue shall reioyce thy iustice O lorde thou wilt open my lippes and my mouthe shall declare thy prayse FROM ALL CORRVPTE AND CRVELL Blouddes let vs all desire deliuerance Sect. 1. 1. IN the former verse our Prophet had shewed whom he would teach namely the wicked what he woulde teach namely thy wayes and wherfore he woulde teach namely to the end the vngodlie may be conuerted Nowe he addeth who is a fitte meete teacher namely he that is freed deliuered from sinne and next adioyneth how he shall teach namely By declaring thy prayse reioycing thy iustice 2. In charity towardes our neighbor we will teach others thy waâ—es In charity towarde our selues we deâ—ire to be deliuered from our sinnes And in charity towardes God we will shew forthe his honor prayse Allso we must make our conuersion a matter of much consequence not idle but to teach others by our experience not vnprofitable but that others may be conuerted and we our selues deliuered from sinnes nor vnthankefull but reioycing in Gods iustice and giuing glorie to his goodnes Thus O lorde I desire to teach others thy wayes for so I am bound in satisfaction I desire to be deliuered from mine owne sinnes for so it behooueth me to be free from the slauery of the diuell and I desire to reioyce and declare thy prayse for so it becometh them who receiue such fauor and fredome Libera me de sanguinibus Deliuer me from blouddes From the bloud of Vrias and his companions slayne throughe my subtilty and from all my heynous mortall sinnes which procede of the concupiscences of flesh and bloudde If the phrase and speeche of blouddes be improper in the latin or in our language yet rather had the Interpreter speake somewhat rudely then to alter the worde phrase of the holy ghoste Or in mentioning blouddes plurally he vnderstandeth many sinnes and many offences which the Hebrewes attributâ—e to bloud as we ascribe our faultes to flesh somtime to both saying our vices doo proceede of flesh bloud And so S. Paul saith that flesh bloud shall not possesse the kingdome of God that is neither our sinnes which procede of the corruption of flesh bloud nor that flesh bloud which is subject to the sensuality of sinne so he excludeth the sinnefull corrupuion of our nature but not our nature it selfe he denyeth not place in heauen to our bodyes which consiste in substance of flesh bloudde but debarreth our sinnes which arise and depend as effectes vpon flesh bloud so sinnes are called flesh and bloud as wordes and languages are called tongues and as an ill tongue is harshe and not estemed and corrupte flesh and bloud are abhorred so on the contrary sanctifyed bodyes shall be honored and tongues seruing and praysing God shal be rewarded 3. Therfore deliuer vs o lord from blouddes both from the bloud of Vrias and his company which were vniustly slayne and from the guiltynes of my bloud which deserueth likewise to be shed in recompence of bloud for bloud And further deliuer me from all corruption of flesh bloud in abhominable cruelty in subtile deceyte in filthy fleshlynes and all other maner of vile sinfullnes O deliuer me from all crafty and bloudthirsty circumuention of any mans life for as it is in another psalme men of blouddes and craftie shall not holde out halfe their dayes not halfe their course of nature or not halfe their owne desire of long life Deliuer me from all vnlawfull luste and fleshly filthynes for none polluted and vncleane shall in such sorte enter the kingdome of heauen Deliuer me from all negligence of instructing those who are committed to my charge or whom I oughte to teach of charity for thy lawe saith Excepte thou shalte shew vnto the wicked his iniquitie I will require his bloud at thy hand Deliuer me from guiltynes of sinne present and successiue least bloud touch bloud and so iniquityes be multiplyed Deliuer me from all future punishment of sinnes paste and present least I heare it said thou wilte make thine arrowes euen dronke in the bloud of vengeance vpon me 4. Thou hast giuen them power to be made the sonnes of God who are not of blouddes nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but are borne of God O deliuer me from blouddes that I may be borne of God Our lord Iesus was borne of man corporally and men are borne of God spiritually but to proceede of blouddes is to proceede of concupiscences and carnall appetites or to be corrupted with many lothsome sinnes and offences And S. Augustine saith by flesh is meant our mother and he vnderstandes our Father by the name of man and so by the will of flesh he may well meane our womanish frayle passions and by the wil of man our humane erroneous opinions But the originall of all these is our sinfull inclination by the corrupte mixture or mixte corruption of blouddes therfore o lord deliuer vs from blouddes that so
and first martyr wherfore our lorde firste respected him and then his sacrifice And peraduenture Dauid here considering his owne vnworthynes by his sinnes so fowly committed durste not presume to offer any sacrifice because it may be doubting he had not sufficiently repented he feared his person yet to be lothsome therfore his sacrifices woulde not be accepted So let vs take heede vnto our selues O my soule that we approache not to the Altar of God whiles we haue a lothsome conscience vncleansed from sinne for vnto such Esay threatneth he that offereth an oxe is as one who killeth a man and he that sacrificeth a beast is as one who beateth out the braynes of a dogge For when a wicked wretche without repentance whiles his person is vnholy yet dare meddle with holy thinges he doth not pacifye but prouoke the wrathe of God against him because he doth prophane and abuse diuine mysteryes which if we vse them well are heauenly remedyes So he that celebrateth or heareth masse abiding in mortall sinne without remorse he is as Iudas who boughte solde our Sauiour Christe yet supped with him And like the Iewes he crucifyeth agayne our lorde of life who remayning in deadly sinne doth receiue vnworthily the moste blessed body of our Sauiour or in like sorte prophaneth any other holy sacrament O let vs not as Iewes so kill such a man nor so make our selues like vnto Iudas that dogge who as he was hanged deserued allso to haue his braynes beaten out as well as he had his belly burste so that his bowells gushed out OVR LORD DOTH MORE REGARDE THE harte then the gifte and the deuotion more then the sacrifice Sect. 3. 1. OR these wordes may haue reference to the bare outwarde figure of Mosaycall Ceremonyes not to the inwarde truthe by them figured Our lord will not haue the shadowe of the sacrifices without the substance of the Messias And so the Iewes lawe was promised to be eternall in regarde of the substance figured not in regarde of their ceremonyes figures shadowes which when Christe fulfilled they were finished And so he came not to dissolue the inwarde truthe of the lawe but to fulfill it to continue it for euer as eternall according as he dyed only in his body not in his soule for so the outwarde parte of their sacrifices signes are ceased they dyed with our Sauiours consummatum est and by the Apostles were buryed by little little with honor but their inwarde truthe is still aliue The worke of our redemption is accomplished and the fruite of our Sauiours sacrifice passion is now in force and shall remayne eternall for euer more 2. O let vs likewise offer our sacrifices with inwarde sincerity and truthe not only bring swete smelling frankinsence for outwarde smoke but especially an humbled and a contrite harte with secret flames of deuotion not to seeke beastes or birdes to kill them in sacrifice thou hast inwardly in thy selfe O my soule many appetites and faultes which should be mortifyed Our lord doth not so much require the giftes or riches of men as the man himselfe If we offer our selues together with our giftes he takes any thing in good parte but without our inwarde true harte he will accepte nothing whatsoeuer Holocaustis non delectabitur He will not be pleased which whole burnte offeringes which were the best sacrifices nor with all the best outwarde oblations Wherfore let vs exhibite our bodyes a liuing sacrifice not hartles for without the harte it is dead nor a sacrifice nor a harte defiled with sinnes but holy and pleasing to God And all this according to discretion which is our reasonable obedience Non holocaustis not in such whole burnte sacrifices where to destroye some offence or naturall infirmity we doo consume allso our very naturall substance for almighty God doth not exacte any thing too much at our handes nor will be content with any thinges too little But as it were too little thoughe we shoulde giue all our Gods in almes or suffer our bodyes to be burnte not hauing in vs the true loue of God so neither doth he require that voluntarily we shoulde too much hurte our selues with pretence of his loue or in desire of dooing penance for this were to hinder and not to further his seruice And in this sense Lycurgus and Socrates ordeyned that the people should offer small sacrifices vnto their Gods the one said because they shoulde so offer to daye and this yeare that still they mighte haue somewhat to offer the nexte yeare and to morowe the other said because God hauing no neede of our giftes he did rather regarde the harte of the giuer then the greatnes of the gifte 3. In this sense I say their ordinance was good Otherwise Dauid here refuteth them both especially as some interprete the worde Zebab a thousand sacrifices because it beginnes with the Hebrew letter Zain which in their accomptes doth stand for seauen and so by a certein number they say is often signifyed an exceeding great number as if he should say I would willingly if thou o God wouldest demande them yeild the 1000. or 1000000. sacrifices yea all that I am or haue or can haue euen all this all at once for when our lord doth require it nothing can be too much or too great or too deare or too good for his seruice or to testifye our obedience and loue vnto him And then it doth appeare that he doth require them when either he takes such thinges from vs by his prouidence or by his holy inspirations he doth mooue vs to leaue all the worlde to enter into religion And in these cases he that giues the whole orcharde or Gardeyn all at once doubtles his gifte is much more and farre better then if he should continue euery day to giue some flowers of that Gardeyn or some fruites of that orcharde And althoughe the Goates hayre giuen by poore people to the building of Moyses tabernacle and the poore widdowes mite in the Gospell were no lesse acceptable to God then was the Golde and great Giftes of rich men because if the willingnes of their hartes be equall their rewarde shall be equall yet all sortes must testifye their willingnes according to their abilityes for of him that hath many talentes there is more encrease required and if a riche woman should giue but a mite or if Goates hayre should come from the hande of a wealthy man surely of such we mighte say He or shee that being able to doo much performes but a little out of question little is their willingnes 4. The schoolmen dispute If a man being sicke cannot be cured but by a medicine which must coste all the wealthe which he hath whether with a â—afe conscience he may rather suffer himselfe to dye of that disease then so to spend all that he possesseth In some cases some are of opinion That he may Except he be such
bound of necessity to iterate or repeate my repentance for the same sinnes And wise men doo giue it for good counsell not to recall to our minde such passed sinnes as perteyning to delightes of our flesh or to the honors or Riches of the worlde were so pleasing vnto vs that their remembrance thoughe with pretence of remorse may mooue vs in thoughte agayne to delighte somewhat in them as soone as in deede to be contrite for them Except it be at such times when either we feele our selues in feruent deuotion or finde in our selues such abundant mortification that we neede not feare their enticement Other wise that which is delectable to our nature without speciall grace will easily drawe vs to encline to his desire 11. I said we are not bound of necessity to repeate our Contrition for the same sinnes yet when without the said danger we haue opportunity doubtles it is very conuenient somtimes to renew to repeate our contrition and so to endeauour to make it sure good least peraduenture before times it haue bene insufficient Especially at the time of our death we haue neede to repeate it and as much as we can to make all sure yea S. Augustin vsed to say thoughe his conscience accused him of no crime vnrepented yet it is very conuenient at our death to haue CoÌ„trition for whatsoeuer offences of our life and accordingly that holy Father in his sicknes before his death caused the 7. penitentiall psalmes to be set by his Bed-side in great letters that he mighte often repeate them as he did with many teares And in this I speake of generall Contrition actually to be repeated as often as conueniently we can doo it I doo not speake of the often repetition of the selfe same generall confessions which hauing bene made with diligence deuotion once twice or thrice at most in our life time as graue learned discrete men doo auouche it is abundantly sufficient for as it is requisite on our partes to vse our true diligence so it is as necessary in regarde of God allmightyes great goodnes to haue good trust much confidence in his loue mercy fatherly affection towardes vs beleeuing credibly that all is forgiuen vs most fauorably for our gracious God is not like a crafty copesman or a cauilling lawyer ready to spye euery friuolous nullity to take aduantage vpon the smallest ouersighte no no we may oughte to be assured that our Lorde is more ready to forgiue then we to aske pardon wherfore hauing done our endeuour we may comfortably relye vpon his gracious fauour 12. Yet our repentance thoughe Actually it neede not be outwardly repeated more thou once neuertheles it must euer habitually be continued inwardly during our life that is we must neuer committe any thing contrary to the inwarde habite of repentance nor may our sinnes passed at any time afterwarde agayne please vs rather they must alwayes greiue displease vs at least habitually inwardly And these are the propertyes of true contrition THE EXCELLENCYES OF CONTRITION and how in some sorte it may be compared with martyrdome Sect. 7. 1. IT is good to knowe what be the qualityes of contrition but the practise of them is much better It is true the greife sorowe of a contrite harte is vnpleasing bitter in the taste but it will be afterwarde holsome comfortable as wormewood is to the stomacke for sweete meates doo sooner cause corruption obstructions when medicines which are bitter doo open purge the body And of sinnes in the soule Dauid saith There are the dolors of a woman in childebirthe which haue payne in their trauell as they had pleasure in their conception so for the delighte of our sinnes committed we must feele some greife when they are repented and this greife thoughe it be bitter as Aloes yet it is the best medicine against the gnawing wormes of our conscience and as of yron is bred a ruste of clothe a mothe of timber a worme which consume the substances wherof they were engendred and as against poyson are made tryacles and Antidotaryes of other poysons so is sinne consumed by sorowe for sinne and against the punishment of wickednes the punishment of penance is a soueraigne remedye 2. Only hereof we must haue a care that our sorowe for sinne be sincere If thou tell me thy body is wounded shew me thy flesh bleeding or bruised if thou tell me thy harte is contrite let me see thy teares or thoughe men preceiue it not yet at least God allmighty must see thy sorowe In proyning of the vine if it distill any droppes it is a signe it will be fruitfull but if thy repentance be without teares at least of contrition surely thy amendement will be very barren 3. Wherfore Ieremy said be thou gyrded with hayrecloth that is mortifye the appetites of thy flesh and be thou sprinkled with ashes that is refrayne the motions of â—â—y proud mind And cause vnto thy selfe a bitter playnte as the lamentation of an only â—hilde not of an eldest or dearest childe for so is insinuated that more children remayne but eyther as a parent lamenting his only childe or as an only childe mouring for his parents whose greifes must be greatest because they alone must take all the greife And so not much vnlike when by our sinne we loose the fauour of good because we can haue no more Gods we must lament our losse of him as the losse of all for without him we are nothing nor can haue any thinge And eyther we must by our sorowfull repentance regayne his fauour or for euer perish in his displeasure 4. But moste happy we are if we neglecte not our possibility because as Solinus writeth of a founteyn in Epyrus which not only quencheth a burning torche but kindleth it agayne being quenched so by our teares of contrition we may at one instante both quenche the flames of hellfyre due vnto vs and inflame our selues agayne in the fauour and loue of God which we had loste and was justly taken from vs. For the exercise of contrition and daily mortification are so notable in their efficacye and in their dignitye that Dauid here calleth such an afflicted spirite a sacrifice to God and our holy mother the Churche in the hymne of Virgins being allso martyrs hath these wordes Haec tua virge duplici beata sorte dum gestit fragilem domare corporis sexuÌ„ domuit cruentum corpore saeclum Vnde nec mortem nec amica mortis saeua poenarum genera pauescens c. This thy virgin bessed in a double sorte whiles she endeuours to mortifie the frayle sexe of her body she ouercame the cruel worlde together with her body wherfore neither fearing deathe nor any sauage kindes of tortures which are the freindes of death c. Beholde here twoo causes why she is blessed 1. for mortification of her flesh 2. for conquering of the worlde And
may stand stately and proudly for a time like the walls of Babel yet in all the worlde it was neuer sene that where religion was debased but in few Ages their commanding policy was confounded 3. Wherfore let vs praye continually for the sincerity of Sion the prosperity of Ierusalem O lorde repayre the walls vnto the one and vnto the other shew the kindnes of thy good will Arise O God and haue mercy vpon Sion because it now seemes time to haue mercy vpon her and because her highe time is now come if great neede can shew when it is her highe time for now new fangled people broken oâ— from thy churche are broken into thine inheritance thy haue polluted thy holy Temples profaned thy churches thy Altars they haue caste downe and they haue caste out thy holy sacrifices they haue turned thy houses of orderly religion into habitations of moste disordinate pleasures or else haue layd them desolate in barbarous ruynes posuerunt Ierusalem in pomorum custodiaâ—t hey haue made IerusaleÌ„ which was well inhabited eyther like a poore Cottage of an orcharde where dwelles some churlish warrener or it is quite suffered to decaye since all the fruite was gathered They haue placed the dead bodyes of thy seruantes to be meate for the soules of the ayre and in some places they haue lefte the flesh of thy sayntes vnburyed to become a preye for the beastes of the earthe they haue shed the bloud of many like water in the circuite of Ierusalem and there were none permitted to bury them with sacred ceremonyes We are made a reproche vnto our neighbors a laughing stocke and a scoffe vnto them who are round about vs. How long O lord wilte thou be angry vnto the end shall thy zeale be kindled like fire O powre out thy wrathe vpon the nations which haue not known thee and vpon the kingdomes which haue not called vpon thy name For they haue eaten vp Iacob his place they haue layde desolate O remember not our olde iniquityes but let thy mercyes soone preuent vs for we are made exceding poore O God our saluation helpe vs deliuer vs O lord for the glory of thy name and be mercifull vnto our sinnes for thine owne name Least they say among the nations where is theyr God rather make knowne vnto the nations before our eyes the vengeance of the bloud of thy seruantes which hath bene shed and let the sighes of them who are in fetters enter into thy sighte and according to the greatnes of thine arme possesse and preserue the children corporall or spirituall of them who now are martyred or oppressed whether they be children of nature or of grace of succession or of conuersion 4. Deale kindly O lorde in thy good will towardes Sion Benignè sac or bonam fac make Sion to become good or thoughe it be faulty yet shew it thy fauour in thy good will Allso for the Benignity of our Sauiours incarnation as Saint Paul calleth it or according to the gracious prouidence of thy good will and pleasure both decreeing our remedy and fullfilling thy fauour Or as vnto God the Father is attributed the minde vnto the Sonne reason and will vnto the holy Ghoste so let vs particularly praye for this good will of his holy spirite therein to sanctify Sion and withall for our selues as passengers in a shippe to directe it euer by his good will as the helme 5. That the walls of Ierusalem may be builte not alone that the Temporall state may be free from domesticall suspicions forreyn feares florishing in strenghte of vnity at home amity abroade by which it shall be compassed defended as with firme walls But especially that in the quietnes of christendome free from persecution we may haue many good religious men renued and repayred to be sayntes deare seruantes of God for these are the cheife defence the best Armyes the horsemen the footemen the Artillerye the munition the shippes the walls of any kingdome And of these the scripture saith all thy walls are precious stones and all other good Catholique Christians are well squared liuing stones builte vpon our L. Iesus as the châ—ife principall foundation beside whom no man can lay any other firste foundation and then secondly nexte after him S. Paul telleth vs we are builte vpon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets And among them cheifly vpon S. Peter his successors vnto whom our Sauiour promised that vpon this rocke he woulde builde his churche 6. O gracious Sauiour thou haste hitherto continued this promise and we doubte not but thou wilte performe it vnto the end of the worlde so that the gates of hell neither by Diuells Tyrantes Heretiques nor Antichrists shall preuayle against it But in particuler we moste humbly earnestly sorowfully entreate thee not only to continue blesse Sion where it is now well seated but allso to builde and repayre the walls of Ierusalem wheresoeuer they haue bene defaced O sweete Iesu repayre our ruynes restore our breaches make vs all liuing stones of thy Temple and vouchsafe once agayne amongest vs to renue the walls of Ierusalem Let vs be so composed combyned in vnity of Catholique religion and in charity of true Christian loue so compacted that we may seeme like one of those Towres in the walls of Ierusalem which Iosephus saith was so artificially contriued that it appeared all but one stone Thy charity is the best bitume morter or cement or playster of Paris or spanish yesso wherwith to combyne vs bind vs together O let this charity be so diffused spread abroad in all our hartes that we may be all of one harte of one minde of one faith and of one flocke vnder one shepheard one God 7. Sion signifyes a watchtowre and Ierusalem a city of peace In his towre thy preistes prelates are watchemen and all thy constante Catholiques are inhabitantes of Ierusalem O how beautifull is this towre when it standes in vnity but when it crackes or breakes by diuision o how ruynous dangerous And as for the other Commons Citizens of Ierusalem how can they remayne vndestroyed by Titus Vespasian their coÌ„mon enemyes whiles they foster broyles or breede factions within their owne bowelles Wherfore O deare Sauiour O God of peace settle our towres of Sion in concorde of watchemen and vnto thy Citizens of Ierusalem send thy peace thy externall peace from outward persecution thy internall peace from inwarde diuision and thy eternall peace in euerlasting consolation By this shall the walls of Ierusalem be rebuilte if we seeke kepe peace and by this shall we be knowne to be thy disciples if in that peace which thou diddest bequeath vs we doo loue one another O mercifull Iesu take not away thy peace because of our disagreementes but rather take away our disagreements and restore vs thy peace we deserue indeede more anger yet according to thy
as in thy presence holy and consecrated to thy seruice and shal be accepted in our lord Iesus in whom alone all our sacrifices of soule body and Goods are of a most excellent sweete sauour gratefull in him who is only our Sauiour our cheife preist our best sacrifice and our principall highe Altar 3. O most gracious God! how kindly haste thou dealte with Sion when thou diddest send thy deare some from heauen to descend vnto the earthe and into the nature of man to saue vs men who are but earthe What thinge can be more kinde and gracious then for the sonne of God to take vpon him the shape of a willfull slaue to be subiect to the cruelty of deathe and to the shame of the crosse to redeeme vs by shedding of his bloud by his innocency to repayre our trecheryes by his iustice to satisfye for our sinnes to pull vs backe from the mouthe of hell gaping for vs to giue vs entrance to the gates of heauen which were shutâ—e against vs. To enlighten his churche with the clearenes of his truthe in the middest of errors to preserue it by his power against the stormes of persecution to feede it with his owne body to washe it with his bloud to cherish it with all his sacraments to directe it in generall by his holy spirite and to comforte euery particuler with the swetnes of his loue with the hartynes of his grace and with the abundance of his mercy O kinde dealing of extraordinary good will O diuine loue aboue measure O wonderfull worke without any example or paterne a worke of heauenly charity without any foregoing merite and in one worde O God a worke of thy good will 4. This is the building of the walls of Ierusalem Babell walls are builded of bricke and founded vpon sande whiles worldly men either trusting to their riches or fixed on their carnall pleasures are proud or careles but as Augustus said he found the walls of Rome made of bricke and lefte them of marble so by our mortification of the flesh and renunciation of the worlde with the helpe of our Lorde we may change bricke into marble the walls of Babel into the walls of Ierusalem and a foundation vpon sande into a foundation vâ—on a Rocke So said Esay The brickes are fallen but we will builde with square stone they haue cutte downe the wilde figge trees but we will turne them into Cedars And this they doo who turne delicacy into seuerity liberty into limites the lawe of the flesh into the lawe of the spirite the olde man into the new and Adam into Christe O happy walls which haue such a head corner stone to combine them and such a rocke to vpholde them these walls haue strenghte and comelynes strenghte vpon their rocke and by their Corner stone comelynes or by their vnited charity strenghte comelynes by their decent sanctity and of such saith the psalme strenghte and comelynes are his garmentes not in vertues alone comely yet weake against tentations but stronge against all impugnations and comely in all vertuous ornamentes 5. If IerusaleÌ„ which is the militant church here belowe be thus peopled and builded what glory shall we see in the churche triumphante which is Ierusalem aboue the mother of vs all a free citye and the highest Imperiall seate not so much as touched with any corruption or sinne nor can any misery or sorowe approache that place where no enemy can enter in nor any citizen shall desire to go out a city of all peace and prosperity whose streetes are paued with the purest golde c. in whose building is no noyce of hammer axe or sawe no more then was in Salomons temple for all our soules must be apted purged squared and fitted before we come there Dauid a warriour may make preparation but only peaceable Salomon can accomplishe the building we may in this life gather together many merites by fighting and resistance of tentations and vices but only in the peace of our lord Iesus shall we be accomplished and made perfecte WHAT A SACRIFICE IS AND THAT THE holy Masse is our peculiar Sacrifice of the new Testament Sect. 4. 1. WHerfore that we may be prepared for Ierusalem aboue we beseech the o lorde for IerusaleÌ„ here on earthe to repayre the olde wasted decayes to builde on forwarde the new Bullwarkes and walls For when or wheresoeuer Ierusalem florisheth in peace Then wilte thou accepte the Sacrifice of iustice not of sinne of constante vertuous Catholiques not of Heretiques Schismatiques nor any vicious persons 2. Allso this sacrifice of iustice is referred by S. Ambrose and others to the sacrament of the Altar which is offered and receiued in the holy masse in which religious seruice of God we doo offer vnto him a sacrifice for the liuing and the dead and we doo receiue vnto our selues a sacrament of iustice conteyning and conferring righteousnes grace 3. And the masse is not improperly or in generall only called a sacrifice as almes and euery good worke may be so termed nor is it alone an inwarde spirituall sacrifice but it is an externall sacrifice properly so called and yet more a peculiar sacrifice instituted of our Sauiour Christe himselfe in his laste supper and ordered and adorned afterwarde by the Apostles their successors as appeareth by the Canonâ— of the Apostles by the masse of S. Iames S. Marke S. Basil S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose Yea it may be colected out of the Actes of the Apostles where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiles they were liturgizing For we knowe that masses are called in Greeke liturgyes as be the liturgyes of S. Iames S. Chrysostome c. And the vulgar translation is ministrantibus illis Domino whiles they were ministring vnto our lorde which generall wordes doo somtime signifye the particuler action of sacrificing as in the olde Testament is found and Erasmus doth expressely interprete them sacrificantibus illis whiles they were sacrificing althoughe it be friuolous which he addeth that their sacrificing was preaching for neither the sense of the Texte nor the nature of the worde can beare it and were it not absurde to say they were sacrificing that is preaching to God 4. As for the vse of the Masse as a sacrifice in the primitiue times it may appeare by Ignatius who liued in our Sauiours time sawe him on earthe writing to the Smyrnians It was not lawfull then without a Bishop to offer sacrifice nor to celebrate Masse And the same Author writing ad-Trallianos ad Neronem saith when S. Peter celebrated Masse Saynt Clement and Anaclete were his deacons helping him therin And that Timothy Linus were Deacons vnto S. Paul when he celebrated Masse 5. And the same S. Clement Romanus in his 3. Epistle de officio Sacerdot and Anaclete in his Epistle ad omnes Orientales And Dyonisius Areopagita in his ecclesiasticall Hierarchy doo all
proper sacrifices which only these preistes may offer vp which therfore must be somewhat else beside prayers and meere spirituall sacrifices for the offering of these perteyneth vnto others as well as vnto preistes therfore are no proper reall sacrifices 17. As for those places of S. Paul to the Hebrewes that Christe was offered once for all and needeth no more to be offered It is most true in the maner of a bloudye sacrifice but the masse is called by the olde Doctors as you see aboue a sacrifice vnbloudye And allso he speaketh of the sacrifice of the crosse as primary independing and therfore most sufficient neuer to be iterated but this sacrifice of the masse is depending thereon secondary wherfore as representing that former sacrifice deriuing vertue from thence it is but a continuance application of the same And so S. Ambrose answereth in effecte saying What doo we doo we not offer euery day verily we doo offer but dooing it for remembrance of his death And this sacrifice is but one not many for that was once offered in sancto sanctorum but this sacrifice is a representation of that we doo alwayes offer the same sacrifice not now verily one lambe to morowe another but awayes the same sacrifice Therfore the sacrifice is one otherwise because it is offered in many places there shoulde be many Christes Not so but Christe is one euery where our Highpreist he offered a sacrifice cleansing vs we doo now allso offer the same But that which now we sacrifice it is done in commemoration of that which was sacrificed not another sacrifice as the highe preist but we doo alwayes sacrifice the same Thus farre S. Ambrose teaching that we now doo not offer a sacrifice alltogether different from the firste but the selfe same in respecte of the thing offered thoughe diuerse in regarde of the maner which in the Masse is done vnbloudily and was bloudily done vpon the crosse Neither is the Masse altogether of the same efficacye with that of the crosse for now we doo not sacrifice to reconcile mankinde vnto God anewe agayne as by another new firste Acte of reconciliation but only to deriue to applye vnto our selues the fruite of that primary principall firste infinite sacrifice on the crosse 18. The sacrifice of the crosse firste merited and the sacrifice of the Altar deriues that merite By that firste the remedye is sufficient by this second it is effectuall That had merite of infinite measures but the measure of merite in this is finite proportionable vnto vs. according as we in our deuotion doo applye it and therfore that sacrifice being infinite was but once offered wheras this is offered euery daye being proportionate finite to the end that we may daily haue more merite hereby applyed Neither doo we any more iniury to that infinite sacrifice by deriuing applying the merites therof euery day in the repetitioÌ„ of the masse then if one should say that we derogate from the merites vertue of his passion when we frequent repeate the vse of the holy communion or some other repeatable sacrament or deâ—otion whose vertue dependeth on the passion for by repeating these we doo not crucyfye him agayne nor thinke that is was not sufficient he was once crucifyed but we desire continually to profitâ— more more and to applye the merites of his crosse both by those deuotions frequented and by the daily sacrifice of the Masse THE NOTABLE PROPITIATORY VERTVES of the sacred Masse which ought to mooue vs to the frequenting applying of the benefites therof Sect. 5. 1. FVRTHER more the Masse is not only a sacrifice in generall or of comemoration only or of thankesgiuing alone but likewise it is a sacrifice propitiatory to obteyne forgiuens of our sinnes and all other thinges necessary for our soules and our bodyes for the liuing for the dead Saint Cyril Ierosolymitanus writeth thus After that same spirituall sacrifice is made and that same vnbloudy worship we doo beseech allmighty God by that same sacrifice of Propitiation for the generall peace of the church for the tranquillity of the worlde for kinges for souldyers for our fellowes for the sicke for all afflicted and in summe for all them who doo neede releife wherof indeed we haue all need Afterwarde we make mention allso of them who are dead before vs firste of Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and martyrs that almighty God by their prayers and intreates would receiue our petitions Then for the holy fathers Bishops deceased and finally we doo praye for all them who from among vs haue departed this life beleeuing it to be the greatest releife of soules for whom is offered the intreaty of that holy and reuerent sacrifice which is layd vpon the Altar 2. Hereof allso saith S. Chrysostome we doo sacrifice for the fruites of the earthe of the sea and of all the whole worlde And S. Augustine reporteth That one Hesperius a man of worship and principall credite among them in the Territory of Fussal had a Manour or Grange called Cubbedi where together with the afflâ—ction of his cattell and of his seruantes he found that his house was hanted with the violence of malignant spirites he entreated our preistes in my absence saith S. Augustine that some of them would go thither by whole prayers they mighte giue place One went he there did offer the sacrifice of the body of Christe praying as earnestly as he coulde that that vexation mighte cease And almighty God presently shewing mercy it ceased 3. Saint Athanasius auoucheth plainly wee doo vnderstand that the soules of sinners doo participate some beneficence from that same vâ—bloudy offering and gratification made for them And S. Chrysostome These thinges were not rashly ordeyned of the Apostles that in the reuerend mysteryes there should be made a commemoration of the dead for they knowe that from thence may succede vnto them much gayne and much profite 4. Saint Ambrose telleth Faustinus that he must not so much bewayle his sister with teares as rather commend her soule vnto God with oblations As for S. Augustine he is plentifull in diuerse places mentioning both suffrages and sacrifices for the dead and vsed them in particuler for his owne mother deceased not only to giue thanks for their deliuerance out of â—his worlde and in their honor who were certeinly reputed to be in glory but allso for pardon and propitiation of their soules who they were not sure had escaped purgatory 5. O most swete Iesu our blessed Sauior as thou hast giuen vs thy selfe vpon the crosse so we most humbly beseech the to grante vs in our countrye the full free vse of this sacrifice of Iustice for the religious application of all thy merites vnto the liuing and to the dead by the mysteryes and vertue of the holy masse O giue vs grace daily so to be present at those miraculous and sacred solemnityes of thy