meanes of one of them as hauing their force and vigour from them This is the essence of prayer let vs see now what are the conditions partes and vse thereof How Prayer should be made and of the partes and vse thereof CHAP. III. THE Prayer of a Christian must be attentiue deuout The principal partes of Prayer full of loue respect and reuerence to God before whom he speaketh who is King of Kinges and very wisedome bounty and maiesty it selfe It hath three principall partes as haue all other well ordered discourses The entry the body or corps and the end and conclusion The entry or beginning contayneth a short and generall preparatiue prayer also a locall representation of the matter we meditate of which is as the first essay and preamble of prayer It contayneth a particuler prayer which is insteed of a second preamble the generall prayer demandeth of God that it would please him to direct all our intentions to his honour and glory which may be done with hart alone or with hart and mouth also vsing the accustomed prayer of the Church framed for the same end in these termes We beseech thee O Lord to preuent our actions with thy aspiration and to follow them with thy help that all our prayer worke may euer begin at thee and by thee be ended Amen The representation or first preamble The first preaÌ„ble is a certaine imaginary composition or framing of a place where the thing we meditate of was done or of the thing it selfe as of the desert where our Sauiour fasted Mat. 4. if we meditate of his victory against the Diuell or the mount Caluary where he was crucifyed if we meditate of his death or of the B. Virgins chamber where she was saluted by Gabriel if we meditate of the Annunciation and so of other mysteries But if the subiect of the meditation be spirituall insteed of this composition of place The representation of sinne we must imagine some thing conuenient and agreable in maÌ„ner of a parable as if we meditate vpon sinne we may imagine the soule shut vp and imprisoned within the body as in an obscure and loathsome prison and sinne as a cruell and monstrous tyrant a dragon a serpent and such as the Diuell is painted and all the holy Doctours doe sometymes describe it It will help also to haue before our eyes some picture or image of the matter we meditate which may serue insteed of these representations to them that cannot frame this themselues This preamble is very profitable to meditate attentiuely for thereby is setled and restrained our imaginaition which is a flying and wandering faculty going for the most part out of the house without leaue carrying our thoughts sometymes before they are aware as far from the marke or matter as the North is from the South The secoÌ„d preamble The particuler prayer and second preamble is a demand or petition we make to God to graunt vs the grace to reape the fruit we seeke for in the subiect of prayer For example to giue vs charity if our prayer be of that vertue or compunction if we meditate of our sinnes The body or substance of the prayer The body or corps of the prayer contayneth the points of the subiect of the meditation one two three or more as if meditating of the ResurrectioÌ„ of our Sauiour we should make the first point of the tyme or houre of his rysing the second of the glory of his body the third of the souldiers feare that kept the Sepulcher the fourth of the apparition and testimony of the Angells and so in other matters The speach or colloquy endeth the Prayer The end of the prayer containeth a speach which the soule maketh vnto God either with the hart alone or with hart mouth togeather thanking him for his guifts offering our selues to his seruice asking pardon of our sinnes and grace to amend for afterward and finally speaking vnto him as the nature of the meditation shall require and communicating it self in such sort as a deuout and respectiue hart may doe before God This is the right prayer of a Christian which the Pilgrime shall performe euery day Those that haue not yet learned to meditate and contemplate may also pray saying their houres or reading some deuout booke or taking some prayer which they can say by hart as the Pater noster Credo or the like meditating sentence by sentence or word by word Of Iaculatory prayer CHAP. IV. THERE is another kind of prayer Why it is called Iaculatory which is commonly called Iaculatory because it is made shortly and sodenly as if one should throw a dart which is very ordinary and familiar to spirituall persons It is a sodaine excursion and eleuation of the soule ayming at heauen praysing or praying to God or his Saints in short tyme and in few wordes according vnto the occasion we shall presently take of place tyme or other thing saying with hart or mouth God be blessed My God show me thy wayes Iesus help me Glorious Virgin pray for me and such like verses taken out of the Scripture or out of our owne deuotion which manner of praying is figured by the Brocâ—es of gold that were set on the top of the Temple of Hierusalem Ioseph l. 6. de bâ—â—â—o Iudaiâ— c. 6. to the end the Birdes might not perch or sit therein nor either file it with their donge or nestle there and the similitude agreeth well for these prayers being our highest and most subtill thoughts are like little golden Rods sharp on the top of our soule hauing alwayes the point towardes heauen and are very proper to chase away euill suggestions of the Diuells those soule birds and to make all sortes of temptations vanish away at all tymes and places in night and day in coÌ„pany and alone in the citty in silence in talke and discourse the soule may cast out a sodaine sighe a request a desire a prayse of God or some Saint and pray in secret effectually without disturbance Therefore the well aduised Christian must alwayes haue this prayer at hand help himselfe with it as often as he can in the day and specially our Pilgrime all the tyme of his pilgrimage to the end to entertaine himselfe in continuall deuotion and to ouercome temptations alwaies to haue his eare harkening after the mercy of God and to obtaine help and succour of him We will now speake of the Beades and Rosary and of the examination of our conscience Of the Rosary and the manner how to say it CHAP. V. AMONGST the Prayers and meditations which should be frequent and familiar to our Pilgrime of Loreto it is good reason to reckon the Rosary Corone Chaplet in French Of the name of Chaplet oâ— Corone For seeing that all Christian Catholikes doe vse it in the honour of the mother of God much more should her deuoted seruant pilgrime This word
point shal consider that this honour worship is payed by the fine of the three Theologicall vertues How this honour is yielded to God Fayth Hope and Charity By Fayth we belieue that God is an essence infinite eternall incomprehensible one God in three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost God that hath created the world and gouerneth it with his power and wisedome and hath redeemed it by his bounty and by his iustice shall giue vnto euery one according to his workes This is the subiect of Fayth and the rest that is contayned in the Apostles Creed By Hope we haue our soueraigne trust in him expect of him as of our first cause and last end help and succour in the necessityes of this world and eternall glory in the other By Charity we loue and serue him with all our hart aboue all thinges according to his titles of Maiesty adoring honouring him with the inward acts of our soule and outwardly by corporall workes agreeable to our fayth and inward actions also by first fruits and tithes of our goods but principally by sacrifices as the iust haue alwayes done before the comming of our Sauiour by their sacrifyces made of the bodyes of mortall creatures Masse the great sacrifice of the ChristiaÌ„s and afterward Christians by that of the Holy Masse wherein is offered vnto God the immortall body of his only Sonne in an vnbloody sacrifyce after the Order of Melchisedeth The third point shall obserue as conclusions drawne out of the two precedent that all those that adore many Gods giue the soueraigne honour due to God only to their Idols and false Gods as the Pagans did and doe still that they are Idolatours and breakers of his first Commandement as are also all other Infidels Iewes Turkes Heretikes Magicians Sorcerers and all sortes of superstitious people as also they that despaire or put their chiefe trust or coÌ„fidence in creatures of whome Hieremy sayeth Accursed is he that trusteth in man Ierem. â—7 5. that is as in God and that putteth flesh for his arme and draweth his hart from God They also that loue any creature more then God eyther Angells men women children goodes landes or any thing els whereby they leaue to serue God with all their hart or which is worse doe altogeather forsake him despising his Lawes and Commandements The fourth point shall teach To honour Saints is not against this commaÌ„demeÌ„t that it is not against this coÌ„mandment to honour with a second not soueraigne honour some creatures according vnto that degree of excellency that God hath bestowed vpon them as Fathers Mothers Kings Magistrats with a ciuill honour The B. Virgin the Angels and Saints departed and reigning in heauen with a religious honour to prayse them and pray to them and desire their help as being the friends of God and faithfull Hier. in Vigil epist. 53. Damas l. 14. ortho fidei c. 16. Basil in 40. Mart. Naz. ora 55. Cyp. Athan. Basil and charitable intercessours for our necessityes in heauen as when they liued they were vpon earth And this honour and seruice doth not derogate to the Maiesty of God but doth increase his honour praysing and honouring him not only in himselfe but also in his seruants whome he hath made heeretofore instruments of our saluation in his Church militant and afterwards glorious lightes in his Church triumphant where they pray him without ceasing and intercede for vs are carefull for vs as for the members of the same body In the fifth point he must consider how that Images and the honouring of them vsed in the Church of God Chrys de cateâ— S. Petri. is not repugnant to that part of the commandement which forbiddeth carued Idolls for an Idoll is the representation of a false Deity as those of the Paynimes that represented Saturne Iupiter and other false Gods or those that euery ones fancy did faine and forge vnto himselfe An Image is a representation of a true thing of God of Iesus Christ of an Angell of a Saint and the honour done vnto it is referred and redoundeth to the patterne therof and therefore as it is piety to honour Iesus Christ his Angells and Saints although with diuers degrees so also is it to honour their Images as things appertayning vnto them in that they represent them and as heÌ„ honoureth the King with a ciuil honour The Image of a king capable of ciuill honour who honoureth his Image so he honoureth God and his seruants deceased who honoureth their representations This is not therfore to adore the gold siluer wood stone after the manner of Idolatours but to honour God and his Saints in those thinges that represent their memory after the manner of Christians The speach shall giue thankes to God for the light of this his commandement and shall aske his ayde to performe it The after-dinner and Euening of this fourth dayes Iourney How the iustice of God doth shine in his first Commandement Prayers to auoyd the Idolls of false Christians CHAP. XI IN the Afternoone hauing made some Meditation proper for the day or some other spirituall exercise vpon the occasions of tymes How straitly man is bound to serue God or places he shall resume the pointes of his morning meditation and shall admire the iustice the importance and fruit of this Commandment for what can be more due and agreable then the soueraigne honour to the soueraigne Lord Supreme loue to the supreme Bounty Supreme respect to the supreme wisedome What more strait bond of Obedience can there be then of the creature to the Creatour of the sonne to the Father of the vassall to his Lord Liege To whose glory should man employe all the actions of his soule and body better then on him of whome he hath both soule and body vnderstanding will memory all the interiour facultyes of his soule his eyes eares nose tongue hands and all the exteriour parts and members of his body And finally of whome he hath his being of whome he dependeth by whome he is redeemed and from whome he expecteth endlesse glory So shall our pilgrime discourse and say vnto himselfe A speach to his soule O my soule adore this Lord seeing he is thy soueraigne serue him with all thy might seeing he is Almighty loue him with all thy hart seeing he is all louely serue him with al thy powers seing they come all of him seing thou hast nothing good that commeth not from him that made thee that redeemed thee who preserueth thee and hath giuen thee all this world and his owne only Sonne will giue thee himselfe at the last of himselfe prepare thee a blessed banquet and feast of felicity He shall speake also vnto God and say O my soueraigne Lord my Father my all in all be thou alwayes my Lord my Father my God and let me be alwayes thy seruant and thy sonne Let my vnderstanding adore
soueraigne Maiesty hast thou loued man so as to make thy selfe man to be his Neighbour so happily hast thou made such account of humility as not only to annihilate thy self in ioyning thy selfe in an insoluble bond to so small a creature infinitely distant from thy greatnes but so to subiect thy selfe therunto O B. Virgin I behold thee rauished at euery moment in this chamber of Nazareth when thou sawest this little infant this great God whome thou didst adore to obey honour and serue thee O my soule fixe thy sight vpon this beautiful obiect and kindle the coldenes of thy will by the lightenings of this great wonder and follow with fiery feet the example of such a Lord. It shall not be besides the purpose also to meditate vpon the markable punishments of such as haue beene vngratefull to their Progenitours And so the pilgrime shall passe the day till his retire The ninth Day A Meditation vpon the fifth Commandement Thou shalt not kill CHAP. XXI THE morning meditation shall be vpon the fifth Commandement The preparation ordinary The first preamble shall propose the words of the fifth Commandement THOV SHALT NOT KILL The second shall demand grace well to vnderstand it and effectually to obserue it The first point shall note that as life is the most precious present which man hath and holdeth of his Creatour Life is the goodliest guift of God so to loose it is one of the greatest grieues he can incurre therfore with good reason it is prohibited to assault the life of our Neighbour and heerein shineth the prouidence and iustice of our Creatour prouiding for the safety and security of the principall good of his creature in his family of this world By the same law is forbidden sayth S. Aug. a mans killing of himselfe Aug. l. 1. ciuil c. 20 26. Lib. de poenit c. 13 Lib. 1. con Gaud. c. 30. ep 61. S. Tho. 2. 2. qu. 64. art 5. so much the more detestable by how much a man is neerer neighbour to himselfe then to another and for that he destroyeth himselfe with a double death that is with the temporall death of his body and the euerlasting death of his soule And this sinne is in such sort against nature that there is no creature though neuer so cruell that dareth kill himselfe and therefore the law doth punish with extraordinary ignominy such furious folkes after their death as guilty of an extraordinary crime The second point shall marke that by this commandmēt is also forbidden to hurt strike or otherwise to endomage our Neighbour in body though we kill him not yea euen with our tongue to touch his good name by any iniury or to beare any hatred to him in our hart or desire reuenge and therefore our Sauiour a sage interpreter of his owne law to shew what meeknes is required in his children to obserue this law Matth. 5. sayth VVhosoeuer is angry with his brother shal be guilty of iudgement and who shall speake iniury to his brother shall be guilty of hell fire This is to rule draw the first motions of the soule to meekenes and to barre and banish a farre off the occasions of man-slaughter Matth. 6. to cut vp that vice by the root in another place he forbiddeth reuenge and after him his Apostle S. Paul Heb. 10. and in the prayer himselfe taught and gaue vs for a patterne and modell of all our prayers he put in this clause of pardoning our Neighbour for iniuryes receaued Pardon vs our offences as we pardon them that offend vs. Matth. 6.12 The third point shall be to meditate vpon those killings which are not forbidden as those which the Prince or Magistrate ordayneth according to the lawes against malefactours such as are committed in a lawfull warre or in iust defence of a mans life being vniustly assaulted not otherwise able to saue himselfe The speach shall prayse God in his iustice of this Commandement and his Sonne Iesus in the perfect practise therof and shall beg grace to be able to follow his sweetnes and clmency and shall say All thy lawes O Lord are iustice and mercy Th prayer thou hast giuen life to man a guift worthy of thy goodnes and a law for the safegard thereof thou hast made man sociable and to make him liue peaceably with his Neighbour thou hast prescribed a law of peace and tyest therewith as with a stronge cord his handes and will that he hurt not neyther in hart or deed his Neighbour Thou hast at last sent thy deere Sonne into the world made man among men remayning alwaies God with thee Prince of peace and our true peace who hath honoured this commandement with his rare doctrine Esay 9.4 Eph. 12.14 and by the exploites of his singular sweetnes no man could euer complaine that euer he did him any wrong his hart was full of loue louing all the world friendes and enemies his eye was full of mercy and compassion towards all his handes full of liberality and his doctrine agreable to his actions For he taught his Disciples not to hurt any in word or deed to pardon vnto seauenty tymes seauen that is To par◠vnto 70. tymes 7. as often as we shal be offended and neuer leaue pardoning and what he taught he practised vnto death in the greatest conflict of his tormēts and reproches praying his heauenly Father for his very enemyes that crucifyed him The Captaines of this world triūph of killing many enemies in the battel his great triumph hath beene to dye for his enemyes vpon the Crosse and to giue life euerlasting to those that would take it O my Creatour and Redeemer how rich art thou in mercy and clemency O my sweet Iesus powre it to me this spirit of thy sweetnesse and graunt me for thyne own loue that I may exactly keep what thou hast commanded that I may perfectly follow what thou hast taught by word and example and that pardoning all and profitting all I may obtaine thy mercy and at thy great day be partaker of thy glory with thy elect So hauing walked a little and finished his ordinary deuotions he may if he will sing for his spiritual solace the Canticle following A Canticle of the loue of God and our Neighbour O worldly wights who loue this world so deere And prize so high the presents of this life Riches sports pleasures glory and good cheere Alas how can these last where all is briefe You that affect which perish shall And where with eke your selues shall fall All heere below is brittle and doth fade Al 's vaine deceitfull false and variable Loue thy Creatour then who all thinges made And is ' boue all he made most amiable The louely obiect of our hart VVho only doth true blisse impart Loue thou his louely Clemency whose brest Did from eternall times thy soule imbrace Loue him at last who loued thee thus first And shew
that is Almighty Conclusions out of Nature soueraignely respect him who is all wisedome Out of which principles and maximes are deduced aâ— the foresayd Commandements as conclusions and decrees recorded in the register of nature to wit that we must loue God with all our hart serue him and not offend him that we must loue our Neighbour and doe him no wrong neither in body goodes nor credit nor desire vniustly any thing that is his All these were hidden in the foresayd Maximes neither had there beene need of another law had mans sight remayned sound and cleare and that naturall light had not beene darkened in him But seeing that by the corruption of men their vnderstanding was weakened and the whole order of their morall actions confounded therfore God would help them by the Law of the ten Commandements set a part and brought in euidence out of the treasure of Nature almost buried and forgotten The second instruction is All lawes referred to the Decalog and the law of Nature that as these ten Articles are coÌ„clusions out of the generall maximes of nature so are they also as ten generall springs of all other particuler lawes as well of the Iewes heeretofore as now of Christians neither is there any law at this day either in Ciuill or Canon law which is not referred to one of these ten The Iewes drew six hundred and thirteen Commandments wherof two hundred and fourty eight were affirmatiue 613. CoÌ„mandements drawen out of the decalog which as Physitians do say is the number of the bones in a mans body and three hundred and sixty fiue negatiue which is the number of the sinewes and ligatures in the same body as also of the dayes in the yeare The affirmatiue were such VVe must belieue in God and that he is one and we must loue him with all our hart we must instruct our children in the Law of God we must scare him The bones of mans body 248. the sinewes bindings 365. we must say grace after dinner and such other written in their bookes The negatiue are such No Idol must be suffered among the people No Sorcerer suffered No stranger admitted to the Temple No man to weare womans apparrell no woman to weare mans And such others to be found in their foresayd books Their Rabbins philosophating vpon this nuÌ„ber say that the faculties of the soule signifyed by the bones The faculties of the soule signified by the bones which we sayd were 248. and their accord and agreement signifyed by the sinewes bindings which we sayd were 365. are perfected by all these 613. CoÌ„mandements to make a man strong and constant in the seruice of God they add also that the 17. first verses which comprehend the Catalogue The accord by the sinnewes containe so many letters as be their CoÌ„mandements affirmatiue and negatiue togeather to wit 613. but indeed there are 34. letters more For the third and last instruction the Pilgrime shall remember the words of S. Augustine who speaking of the Decalogue There be 647 letters which is 34. more then 613. sayth in Psal 32. Con. 1. The Commandements of the law are ten In the ten Commandements thou hast the Psalter of ten stringes This is a perfect worke There thou seest the loue of God expressed in three God speaketh aloud The Lord thy God is one God Behould one stringe Take not the name of God in vaine Behould another Sanctify the Saboth Behould the third Honour thy Father Mother Aug. in Psal 31. and strike the rest aloud Playe vpon this Harpe and performe this law which our Sauiour came to fullfill teaching thee to performe it not with feare but with loue And hauing well considered these thinges he shall in the euening sing with mouth or hart these wordes of Dauid O Lord I will sing a new song I will sing vnto thee vpon my Harp and instrument of ten stringes Or els he may sing the Canticle following A Canticle of the Decalogue My Lute and Harpe let 's sound aloud Vpon the ayre of thy ten stringes A holy song of ioye and prayse Vnto the maker of all thinges These ten stringes so sweet and shrill Doe represent in mystery One God the giuer of these lawes His wisedome and their harmony The highest string doth beare the base And that which it low'st of all Doth sound the trebble giuing grace Of coÌ„cord with the meane smal The first and formost of the Ten Of all the rest is th' only ground In it as in the graue and base All the other nyne doe sound The last which vnto carnall thoughtes Giues bridle but and bound Is cal'd the little trebble string Low in place but high in sound Such cleare voices with cleane hartes Beset with workes of sanctity Wrought by leuell of his Lawes Flye aloft and pierce the skie Then hart and Harp sound we alwayes The ten strings of this Instrument To prayse the soueraigne supreme God And to his lawes and loue consent And hauing ended his iourney and shut vp the day with thankes giuing he shall take his lodging and rest The fourtenth day Of the Euangelicall Counsels and of Grace gratuite and making gratefull and of the effects thereof CHAP. XXXI IN the law of grace besides the ten Commandements giuen to the Iewes and common to al the children of God 1. Cor. 7. Matth. 19 Luc. 10. Aug. 61. de temp Ambr. ep 28. ad Eccles Hier. l. 1. adu Iouin ep 22. ad â—ustoâ— there be also some other instructions and doctrines which the Christian Church calleth Euangelicall Counsells because they are not commandements of necessity to be kept as those the Pilgrime hath hitherto meditated vpon but aduices of perfection which euery one may choose without constraint to attend more worthily and with more facility to the seruice of the diuine Maiesty in following more neerly Iesus Christ who by worke and word hath thereunto inuited his Apostles and Disciples and in their persons all those that haue generous and noble hartes and the sinewes of their soules strong to vndertake and performe a life more perfect in following his steppes The Pilgrime then in the end of his second weeke shall make his Meditation of this matter as the perfection of the Commandements adding some other pointes as well concerning the Commandements as the Counsels The preparation shall be as before Math. 19. In the first point he shall marke that these counsels left by Iesus christ are three principall The first to leaue all goods dignities honours of the world for the honour of God which is performed by the vow of Pouerty Ibid. The second to make deadly warre with all bodily pleasures euen such as are lawfull and for this end is made the vow of Chastity Math. 16. Luc. 9. The third to renounce our proper will and to sacrifice it vpon the Altar of God by the vow of Obedience In the second point he
shall note that for the performance as well of the Commandements as of the Counsells God giueth his grace The grace of God the general meanes to keep the CommaÌ„dements and all necessary vertues And as hauing made the world for the sustenance of his Creatures he hath withall giuen them naturall industrie to seeke for it proper and fit instruments to practise and vse their industry to the bird his wings and beake to flie to the fish his sinnes and bones as oares to swimme force for fishing to beastes clawes and teeth for hunting In like sort giuing to man the Commandements of life euerlasting he hath also giuen him meanes to practise the one to the end to gayne the other S. Thom. 1.2 qu. 111. art 16. This meanes is Grace not only that which Deuines call Grace that maketh gratefull but also the other called Grace gratuite which is indeed a fauour of God but of it selfe maketh him not absolutly good who hath it such as are Eloquence Prophecy discerning of spirits guifts of healing and such like presents and gifts from heauen common to the good and bad which S. Paul comprehendeth in few wordes in his first Epistle to the Corinthians They are both giuen freelie but the first is called Grace making grateful for the noble effect thereof 1. Cor. 12. which is to iustify by remission of sinnes and to make him that possesseth it the friend of God whose singular spirituall guift it is supernaturall a diuine quality Effects of grace to iustify adorne the soule which infused into the soule cleanseth from all filth maketh it iust by those supernaturall vertues she bringeth with her doth beautify her in all her faculties enlighteneth the vnderstanding rectifieth the will fortifieth the memory quencheth concupiscence and finally driuâ—th out all that may displease the eyes of that soueraigne beauty furnisheth her with all vertues as it were with heauenly dressings and attires that might worthily adorne her as a spouse decked with her mariage garment and iewells as S. Iohn speaketh Apoc. 21.2 so maketh her euery way gratious to her espouse Creatour Now then as God produceth in nature food and corporall sustenance by natural causes as Fishes by the water apples by the aple-trees Figs by fig trees and so other effects by their proper causes in like sort doth he giue in his Church his graces by the Sacraments as by supernaturall causes SacrameÌ„ts vessels instrumeÌ„ts of this grace contayning it as the cause doth the effect which are therfore called vessells and instruments of grace which they containe as the cause coÌ„teyneth the effect as the Sunne heat the cherry-tree cherryes and so in others And these be seauen all which haue this in common to powre the grace of God into the soule or to increase and augment it besides euery one produceth his particuler fruit and effect Baptisme giuing vs fayth maketh the spirituall birth or regeneration and placeth a man in the number of the children of God Confirmation giueth increase of heauenly strength couragiously to confesse the same faith and the name of Iesus Christ The Eucharist is ordayned for the food of the soule to keep it in good case to preserue it from euill and to put in the body the seed of a glorious resurrection Pennance is a medicine against sinne physike for the soule and a reconciliation thereof with God Mariage is for the comfort of the maried and for the holynes of corporal generation Order is for the lawfull creation and multiplication of Priestes Officers in the house of God Extreme vnction is for necessary armour and defence in the last conflict of this life The third shall consider that this grace on one side bringeth with it as we haue sayd This grace â—aâ—s with it al vertues the ornaments and riches of all the most goodly vertues euen as the heaueÌ„ly riuer that flowed out of earthly Paradise carrying in her course and streame sands of most fine gold and many sortes of precious stones wherewith it enriched the land it watered and on the other side it puts force and vigour to the vertues Gen. 2 11 which finding themselues in a sullied soule are in a manner dead wiâ—hout fructifying to life euerlasting It giueth fayth to those that haue it not as in Baptisme and quickeneth their faith who haue it but dead as to Christians in mortall sinne whome she calleth to a better course cleansing their sinne by the Sacrament of Pennance she giueth hope to them that want it and fortifyeth them that haue it weakly she giueth charity or rather is charity her selfe the most precious pearle that is in the treasury of the holy Ghost a vertu aboue all other most acceptable to God and making the soule acceptable to him These three vertues are called Theologicall The vertues Theological Why so called because they haue God Theón as their first and direct obiect they speake of him as of their proper subiect and do most neerly concerne his seruice for by them we belieue in him hope in him and loue him and honour him as our soueraigne Lord according to his law as we haue sayd els where The same Grace giueth or perfecteth the other vertues called Morall The vertues Cardinall wherof some be called Cardinall-vertues for being the principall spring of diuers others and they are foure Prudence that maketh vs aduised in our actions to the end not to deceaue our selues or our Neighbour Iustice that teacheth vs to giue euery one his owne Temperence which is the bridle of our desires and appetites And Fortitude which giueth our soule courage to sustaine any dangerous encounter and valiantly to expose her selfe to death for the honour of God and our owne saluation or our Neighbours and out of these foure springs do arise Diligence Liberality of Humility The daughters of the Cardinal vertues Religion Piety Chastity and other qualityes which she giueth eyther altogeather or els doth perfect theÌ„ and adorne them as that Queene was adorned of whome Dauid song in these wordes The Queene stood on thy right hand cloathed in garments of gold Psal 44.10 compassed about with variety This Queene is the deuout Soule the gold is the grace of God this variety are the sondry and diuers vertues and graces wherewith she is garnished as the body with precious attires of sundry stuffes and fashions The fourth and fifth pointes of the precedent Meditation The seauen guiftes of the Holy Ghost and the eight Beatitudes CHAP. XXXII THE fourth point shall consider how further to purify these foresayd vertues and to rayse the prayse of them by some particuler quality God hath ioyned vnto them the guifts of the Holy Ghost Wisedome Vnderstanding Counsell Fortitude Knowledge Piety and the Feare of God Esa 11. Hier. 16. Amb. c. 20 Aug. 209. de temp 17. de Sanctis By Wisedome we doe perfectly know our end and constantly doe
beginning and is cleansed by fayth in the Messias certaine ceremonies in the law of nature Moyses Conc. Tri. sess 5. and after the comming of the Messias by the fayth of the same professed in Baptisme by the which we are made children of God as by a second spirituall birth and generation Actuall mortall sinne Actuall is that which man committeth by his owne free-will and worke which if it be grieuous that is committed in any important matter with deliberate will and full consent is called Mortall because it bereaueth the sinner of the grace of God which is the life of his soule maketh it guilty of death euerlasting called by s. Iohn The second death 2. Cor. 6. Gal. 5. Apo. 21. Rom. 6. Apoc. 21. Rom. 6. And by S. Paul The reward of sinne Such a sinne was the pride of the first Angell his Complices made Diuells thereby Such a sinne was the disobedience of Adam Actuall in himselfe and Originall to all his children If the Actuall sinne be not grieuous that is if it be committed in a small matter without full consent as an idle word a light negligence an euill thought a foule motion without any stayed consent it is that we call Veniall of the Latin word Venia which signifyeth Pardon because it is easily pardonable not making man enemy to God and for defacing whereof no Sacrament is necessary as it is for mortal Notwithstanding we must keep our selues as farre from it as we can for that it cooleth and quencheth charity and christian deuotion and maketh way for mortall and it is well done to confesse them dayly both to purge them and to preuent them Aug. ser de Sanctis 41. epist. 19. Conc. Tri. sess 14. c. 5. Now this distinction taught by the Catholike Church as we learne in the Councell of Trent and the ancient Doctours namely S. Augustine may be vnderstood by a similitude in the body For as there be certaine diseases and woundes deadly of their owne nature as tâ—e Plurisie the hoat ague the wounds of the brayne hart or the like others are not so as the tertian ague and quartaine the Migrame Moratll woundes or diseases and other woundes or blowes on the lesse vitall and noble partes of the body which are small healed soone so it happeneth to the soule the diseases and wouÌ„des whereof are vices and sinnes which if they depriue it of the Grace of God are mortall maladies Sinne the wound of the soule deadly woundes and is mortall sinne if they doe not depriue him thereof but alter a little the harmony of his peace with God these are light diseases and are veniall sinnes The third point shall ponder how sinne beginneth by suggestion groweth by delectation and is perfected by consent By suggestion of the diuell the world or the flesh some of these three enemies casting into our mynd some obiect coÌ„trary to the lawe of God to which suggestion sucâ—edeth a pleasing and lyking of the sense willingly beholding the obiect as Eue was delighted to see the forbidden fruit To pleasure succeedeth Consent and to consent the execution consummation of the sinne So Eue after she had receaued the suggestion of the Serpent cheapening it at the sight The steps of sinne vnto the depth and giuing her hart to delight thereon she reached her hand to the execution and bit of the apple and tooke that morsell that infected all the race of mankind Behold here say our Doctours the linkes Gre. l. 4. mora c. 25 Isido l 1. de sumâ—o boâ—â— c. 23 Psal 118. 2. Reg. 22. Prouer. 5. Aug. l. 8. contest c. 5 Greg. l. 25 moral c. 12 rings of this strong chaine of sinne Of suggestion commeth thought of thought pleasure of pleasure consent of consent the worke of the worke custome of custome despaire of despaire defence of ill of defence boasting of boasting damnation This is the chayne which that old Tyrant made of the worke whereof himself was authour that is of sinne these are the cordes and boltes wherewith he fettereth the poore sinner and in fine doth cast him hedlong bound hand foot into the shipwracke of eternal damnation In the speach the Pilgrime shal desire of God grace to auoid sinne and shall say O infinite bounty keep me from sinne if it please thee The speach and preserue me from any alliance with that abortiue impe so monstrous and infected Let death armed with all sortes of torments pull my soule out of my body rather than I should consent to any sinne though neuer so small against thy holy Law O sweet Iesu and infinit bounty how should I offend thee being so milde good and bountifull Chast Ioseph said to his Mistresse who sollicited him to vnchast loues How can I commit so great an offence against my Maister of whome I haue receiued so many benefits How can I then sinne against thee O my Maister and souueraigne Lord seeing thou hast bound me with many better titles by so many fauours and promises Seeing thou hast bought me not with gold or siluer or any corruptible price but with the ransome of thy most precious bloud how can I then offend thee O glorious virgin Mother of the Allmighty and who by speciall priuiledge from his Omnipotency wast preserued froÌ„ all spot in thy Conception and Birth To the B. Virgin and in all thy actions wast preserued all pure and beautified enriched and adorned with a thousand vertues help thy poore Pilgrime with thy credit and grace and procure me pardon of my sinnes passed and effectuall grace for hereafter to remaine without stayne of any sinne euen veniall if it may be by the grace of thy Sonne Let myne eyes be enlightened with the heauenly beames that they may neuer slumber into this deadly sleep and that myne enemie may neuer say Psal 124. I haue preuailed against him This guift O happy virgin will redound to the glory of the Maiesty of thy Sonne to the health of thy wearied Pilgrime who honoureth serueth thee and by thy assistance desireth to serue with all his soule that Lord whome thy self adorest The After-dinner and Euening of the sixteenth dayes Iourney Of the seauen Capitall sinnes commonly called Mortall and of their Branches CHAP. XXXVII IN the Afternoone and in the rest of the day the Pilgrime shall persist vpon the same matter for though it be but sowre to the taste yet taken with a holy Meditation and digested into the stomake of the deuout soule it helpeth much to deface and detest sinne He shall discourse vpon the seauen sinnes commonly called mortall or more properly Capitall for being the heades and springes of diuers others They are The 7. Capitall sinne Pride Couetice Lechery Enuy Gluttony Anger Slouth hauing so many vertues opposite to encounter them Humility Liberality Chastity Charity Abstinence Patience The contrary vertues Deuotion or Diligence Pride is an
whole world shall be iudged when the iustice of the Iudge shall be made manifest to all the world when the iustice of the good shal be published by open iudgement in the full assembly of Angells and men and rewarded with a crowne of immortall glory There sayth one Saint shall be no complaint Aug. l. 20. ciuit c. 11. such as often in the presse of this world saying one to another why is this wicked man so happy in his wickednes VVhy is such a good man vnhappy and miserable in his vertue VVhy do Robbers prosper and poore Pilgrimes haue their throtes cut For then true felicity shall be reserued only for the good and extreme and true misery reserued only for the wicked This then is called the day of our Lord all other dayes are the dayes of men this which is the shutting vp of them all shall be our Lords day for therein he shall shew manifestly the treasures of his infinit mercy and iustice making for his glory the heauens and earth to leape all the most strong peeces of his power wisedome bounty O my soule tremble with feare The Prayer at the remembrance of this fearefull day for if Dauid Iob the Prophets if the pillars of vertue haue shaked how great ought thy feare to be poore sinnefull and feeble creature that thou art With what sense feeling shouldest thou meditate vpon the holding of this day the Iudgement of iudgements and the last of all What wilt thou then doe What Aduocate shalt thou haue Who dareth defend thee from this iust Iudge if he be offended with thee How shalt thou heare the irreuocable sentence when it shall be pronounced What shalt thou do if he condemne thee O sweet Iesus keep me from thy wrath to come if it please thee and giue me now a penitent hart that may deserue both now and then the voice of thy mercy Let me in this banishment suffer a thousand deathes but at that day let me liue with thee Afflict me whippe me cut me burne my soule my life my flesh my bones with al sorts of tribulation persecution trauaile and torments but may it please thee to pardon me then for euer O Lord. O Blessed Virgin my good Aduocate whome I often see represented in this Iudgement by the pious pictures of the holy houses in the Church of thy Sonne as suppliant for all mankind intreat I beseech O Virgin for al and for me who am of the number and the most needy and performe what the pictures represent They signify that thou art now Aduocate of mortall men to the end that at that day they may be out of paine and danger Aske now O B. Virgin for this is the tyme of asking and mercy and not then when there shall be no question but of iudging rewarding and punishing aske and in good tyme obtaine for me and for all those that seeke vnto thee obtaine for me O puissant Aduocate the grace throughly to bewaile my sinnes vertuously to correct my faultes wisely to order my senses and actions that at that day I may confidently behould the eye and countenance of that soueraigne Iudge set in his throne of Iustice ioyfully heare the sentence he pronounceth and happily be placed on the right hand in the number of his beloued The After-dinner and Euening of the nineteenth dayes Iourney The separation of the good from the wicked after Iudgement CHAP. XLIII AFTER dinner the Pilgrime shall imploy his deuotioÌ„ in meditating what followeth Iudgement setting before his eyes how the one sort take their flight vp to heauen with Iesus Christ and his Angells there to reigne with him happy and blessed for euer The other full of misery and anguish broken-harted desperate shall be swallowed downe body and soule to the Center of the earth with the Diuells whome they serued and hauing gone foreward a while in this thought he shall also in the euening make some prayer to our Lord and to the B. Virgin his glorious Mother to the same end with that before dinner and shall looke about to lodge himselfe in some place proper for a poore wearied Pilgrime to repose The twentith Day A Meditation of Hell CHAP. XLIV THE Pilgrime hauing purposed to cleanse his soule in this his Pilgrimage and in good earnest to sweare emnity for euer against sinne the better to moue himselfe to peÌ„nance and to conceaue contâ—ition requisite for such an effect he shall help himselfe with the meditation of Hell the second death and reward of sinne as he helped himselfe hitherto with the meditation of the first death and iudgement This is a thundring peece Eccl. 7.40 to beat at the eares and soule of a sleepy sinner and with a wholsome alarum to awake him and make him take armes and looke to himselfe Good men are also holpeÌ„ therby for though they follow vertue rather for loue then for feare and serue God for himselfe which is the seruice of true children it profiteth them notwithstanding to meditate as well the punishmeÌ„t as the reward drawing from theÌ„ce matter to prayse God in his iustice and mercy and to stirre vp themselues to serue him well The Meditation shall haue his partes The prayer preparatory accustomed The first Preamble shall represent an obscure and darke bottomlesse dungeon in the Center of the earth ful of horrour and stench of fire brimstone and smoke and soules inclosed in their bodyes plunged in these flames The second shall demand particuler grace well to meditate of Hell for euer to auoyd it Hell most intollerable The first point shall consider that as there is nothing in this life more horrible then death nothing so dreadfull as Iudgement that followeth after so nothing is more intollerable then Hell and the punishments therof Matth. 8.33.22.24 There sayth the Scripture is weeping gnashing of teeth there is the worme gnawing of the soule and neuer dying and killing alway without killing Marc. 9.44 There is the fire that neuer quencheth there is the darke Countrey couered with the cloud of death There is the shaddow of death where no order but perpetuall horrour inhabiteth Iob. 10.25 Apoc. 21.14 There the portion of the damned is in a lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death where the wicked shall be tormented world without end The second point shall represent the diuers sortes of paines ordayned according to the diuersity of sins Diuers paines for diuers crimes for notwithstanding the horrour and disorder of this gulfe the order of Gods iustâ—â—e neuerthelesse shall be kept as the Apostle signifyeth when he sayth that he heard a voice from heauen condemning the Lecher to paynes saying Apec 18.7 Giue him torments in that measure that he hath had glory and delight in this life Therfore there the Proud shall be oppressed with an extreme confusion and shame The Couetous suffer an vnspeakable hunger and thirst The Adulterers buryed in fire and
brimstone with an intolerable stench and ech of all their partes and specially of those that haue been instruments of their villanies The Cholericke and cruell shal haue for their whips and scourges their owne passions and the fury of the fiends The Gluttons shall be serued at the table of Hell fed with serpents and toades and drinke of the cuppe of the wrath of God The Enuious shall beare in their bosomes euer-liuing scorpions who shall sting them to an immortall rage The Slouthfull shall be beaten with the rodes of his owne rechlesnes vexed with a particuler torment of body and soule These shall be the proportions of euery one and all in generall shall haue the horrour of that hellish company of darknes of cries howlinges one of another The eternity of hell torments The third point shall be to consider that al these torments besides that they are vnspeakable and continuall shall also be euerlasting This eternity is that which giueth the forme the name of Hell to that hellish misery and without it there should be no Hell of torments nor paradise of pleasure This shall be the great hart-breake to the damned The cause of the daÌ„neds rage and sting their soule with a raging grief that they shal suffer without ceasing they shall also see without ceasing that it shall alwayes be so They shall alwayes pay the interest of their sinnes committed and yet shal alwayes be behind in errerages they shal alwayes pay and their debt increase still that which shall be past though it were ten milions of ages shall be reckoned for nothing and the future tyme shall be followed with another future as long as all Eternity The forme of this Eternity shall flye as a fierce fury continually before their eyes beating her vnwearied wings and hissing her horrour into their eares shall couch it selfe in the depth of their imagination and grauing there the marke and round circle of these eternall ages shall breed therein the sting and immortall rage of a furious desperation O soueraigne bounty What monster may sinne be that could so incense either thyne anger or thy clemency against it O sinne how abhominable art thou seeing no payne is sufficient to punish and chastice thee but eternall O mortall men what thinke you of when you defile your soules with the familiarity of this plague this death this confusioÌ„ Where is your wit to loose glory delight and riches of heauen for a fond pleasure for a foule delight for a brutish vanity with this inestimable losse throwing your selues head-long into euerlasting damnation O my soule thinke heereof delay no longer thinke of it betymes all tyme of repentance is good tyme flye the danger of eternall euills whilest the mercy of God inuiteth thee and doth promise thee help and assistance and recompence for thy labour O my Lord I will serue thee with all my soule and withall my soule renounce all vanity and doe vow from henceforth eternal emnity to thy great and immortall enemy who hath furnished so much matter to thy iustice to build these mansions of darknes confusion death O Virgin Queene and Mother most pure most great and puissant further the desires of thy Pilgrime and deuoted suppliant and by thy credit obtayne that he may happily performe the good desires and designements which thy Sonne his Redeemer and Lord hath by thyne intercâ—ssion planted in his hart The After-dinner and Euening of the twentith dayes Iourney Other Meditations of the paynes of the damned CHAP. XLV THE two other partes of the day shall be employed in the consideration of the infinite number of soules lost The lost soules since the beginning of the world vnto this tyme also an infinit number that daily are and will be lost from this tyme to the end of this world Soules alas lost dead deadly groaning in the gulfe of their torments byting their tongue for fury that seeke for death and cannot find it Apo. 18.10 being buryed in the bowells of death it selfe dying alwayes and yet cannot dye liuing alwayes and yet cannot liue that curse the day of their birth and the name and memory of their Progenitours detesting the earth they so much loued the heauens and the starres that they could not see and foâ—â—ul measure of theâ— impiety they blaspheme the Maiesty of thy Creatour and haue no rest neither day nor night All thinges are to them affliction all is night and darkenes all is gall and bitternes all tears and gnashing all griefe and despaire Death can neither end them nor ouercome them wheresoeuer they cast the eyes of their vnderstanding they find themselues on euery side coÌ„passed and inclosed with the barres of eternity without all hope not only to escape out of the prison of this dolefull and lamentable being and worse a thousand times then not being at all but also to haue ease or respit By this consideration the Pilgrime shall learne more and more the malignity of sinne and shall harden himselfe to the hatred thereof and at night he shall yield thankes to the mercy of God for the tyme and respit he hath giuen him with a thousand meanes to do pennance in this life and to abstaine from sinne that he might auoyd these paines reserued for sinners in this euerlasting prison And after he hath in good time taken vp his lodging to prepare himselfe with leasure to the last meditation of his third weeke and the day of his arriuall The one and twentith Day Of Generall Confession and of the parts of Pennance CHAP. XLVI THIS one and twentith day is the last of the first part of this Pilgrimage wherin the Pilgrime must prepare him selfe with his best endeauour to pennance purgation of his soule which is the end of this part the more worthily to appeare in the house of the B. Virgin that he goeth to visit a Virgin of purity mother of purity and Queene of purity This preparation shall be in the chiefe foundation and exact and entire confession of all his sinnes since his last Confession or if need be To whoÌ„ generall confessioÌ„ is necessary generally of all his life since his yeares of discretion or from some other markeable time This is the Confession commonly called Generall necessary to him that was neuer so confessed or was ill confessed either by concealing any mortall sinne willingly or for want of good disposition necessary to a Penitent that is without sorrow for sinnes committed Sorrow and purpose of amendement necessary or firme purpose of amending or for hauing beene confessed to such as wanted either knowledge to help him or authority to absolue him to others that haue beene daily confessed this generall is not necessary yet to them also it is profitable for thereby gathering as it were into one heape the multitude of our sinnes we procure a confusion so much the more holesome by how much it is greater The profit of general
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
Bread one Body one Bloud one Flesh in Iesus Christ to the likenes of materiall Bread which is composed of diners graines and wine made of many grapes as our Doctours doe expound The third point Of the effects of this Holy Sacrament CHAP. IV. The effects of B. Sacrament S. Tho. 3. quest 79. THE third shall be to consider the effects of this diuine mystery which are many The 1. wherof is to Quicken and giue the grace of God the life of the soule as our Sauiour sayth He that eateth me shall liue by me The second to Nourish and increase the same grace euen as corporall meate maintaineth life Ioan. 6. and maketh the body to growe The third to Enlighten the spirit as appeareth by the first Communion which our Sauiour after his resurrection gaue vnto his two Disciples at Emaus by the which their eyes were opened they knew their Maister presently Luc. 24. Aug. epist. 59. ad Paulin. whome before they knew not they belieued that he was risen againe whome they thought had beene still in his graue The fourth to Vnite the soule with God and with our Neighbour and to dissolue all emnity and discord so teacheth our Sauiour He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Ioan. 6. Act. 4.31 remaineth in me and I in him An effect which did manifestly appeare in the first Christians who receaued euery day of whome it is sayd that they were one hart one soule The fifth to Enkindle deuotion and Charity towardes God and men euen as bread and wine doth increase the vitall spirits and heate the body The sixth to Extinguish quench the concupiscence of flesh and to preserue from sinne as a remedy against the flesh of our first Father Adam by the which men were defyled and made prone to sinne The seauenth to Fortify and strengthen vs against all the stormes and tribulatiōs of this mortall life Dauid prophesying of this effect sayd Thou hast prouided a table for me Psal 22.5 against those that trouble me So we read that the Prophet Elias persecuted by Queene Iezabel and constrained to fly through the desert 3. Reg. 19 sustained the trauaile of fourty dayes and fourty nights with the refection of that bread which the Angell had brought him which was a figure of this our Angelicall bread the flesh of our Sauiour The eight to Contente fill and reioyce the soule which of it selfe cannot be satisfyed or filled or find any firme or solid repose in things of the earth although she had them all alone euen so Christians in the beginning of the Church made no reckoning of riches but reioyced in possessing nothing and in suffering some thing for the name of Iesus The last to Bring to euerlasting glory for this deified Flesh holily and deuoutly receaued breedeth in the soule an insatiable desire of her heauenly Cōtrey and transporteth and carryeth the hart and affection to heauen and giueth to the body a seed of the glorious resurrection which is signifyed by the wordes of our Sauiour Ioan. 6.54 He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud hath life euerlasting and I will rayse him againe at the last day After these considerations the Pilgrime shall admire the greatnes of this guift and benefit and in his admiration shall say this prayer following A speach to God and thankesgiuing CHAP. V. O My soueraigne Lord and sweet Redeemer I behould in all thy diuine workes and especially in the Sacramēt of thy Blessed Body that thy power is infinite that thy wisedome is a depth thy bounty a sea without bottome or bounds thou hast made all this visible world of nothing for the vse of man thou hast allied thy selfe to the house of Adam The liberality of our Sauiour and taking thereof a mortall body and matching and marrying it with thy diuinity wast made man to make man God thou hast giuen this body on the Crosse a ransome for our redemption not content with so great a liberality hast also left it in this mystical Table of thy Church for the nourishing of our soules and the resurrection of our bodyes tying thy selfe with this second band of loue and charity neuer heard of with all euery one of thy members What shall I wonder at in this mystery and guift Thy almightines His power Who hast so wonderfully changed this common and mortall bread into thy glorious and immortall Body by the same authority and power wherwith it made the whole world of nothing but with greater meruaile and miracle for this Body is more worth then a thousand worlds Shall I admire thy wonderfull wisedome His wisedome which in the heauēly Table of this thy body dost teach vs Faith Hope and Charity Humility Obedience Prudence Chastity Fortitude Piety Meeknes and all other goodly Christian vertues And whereas other bodyes could not nourish ours but for a tyme this Body duly receaued doth feed and fat the soule with spirituall riches His boūty and powreth into our flesh the seed of immortality Shall I admire thy infinit bounty in making vs this present of thy Body a present that surpasseth the price of al things created a present of thyne owne selfe of infinit valew for with the same Body thou gauest vs thy soule and deity which are inseparable companions and therefore in this holy Table we haue a liuely figure and pledge of the future felicity which shall be to liue in heauen of thy selfe and to enioye the immortall food of thy selfe what shall I then say of this banquet O my Redeemer but only that I am oppressed and ouerwhelmed in the consideratiō of thy infinite power wisedome and goodnes O deere depth O sweet Sauiour what wilt thou worke in them who haue this grace to receaue thee holily Do me sweet Iesus this fauour thus to eate and receaue thee and to see my selfe alwayes drowned in the depth of thy infinite charity How to Heare Masse CHAP. VI. HAVING finished his prayer he shall heare the diuine Office and goe to Confession if he need and shall heare Masse to receaue afterward which to do profitably it is good to know the manner that euery Christian must keep to heare it well Purity deuotion to heare Masse First he must haue his soule not only pure as much as may be from sinne but also prepared with a speciall deuotion for sinne is a generall barre to all blessinges and therefore whosoeuer will fruitfully assist the diuine mysteryes get good by hearing or dealing with them he must be cleansed from sinne by Confession and if he want meanes therto by holy contrition and sorrow for his faults with purpose to confesse at his next commodity as we haue sayd elswhere Attentiō to help deuotiō Secondly he must be attentiue to euery part thereof to enkindle deuotion Our Pilgrime as also any man els that loueth piety shall consider three thinges which he must haue learned in
the Cathechizme schoole Masse the chiefe actioÌ„ in the Church The 1. that Masse is the most noble and high Action that is or euer was done in the Church of God for it is the sacrifice of Christians a sacrifice of all sacrifices the verity and vnity of all the old ones in the law of Nature and of Moyses Old sacrifices gaue no grace which were but figures and shadowes heereof In those were only the bodyes of bruit beastes other offeringes of small vertue or valew as which could not forgiue sinne in this is offered an vnbloudy sacrifice after the order of Melchisedech that very body which was offered on the Crosse in a bloudy sacrifice after the order of Aaron Chrys â— c. 6â— ad po â—ntiâ—◠〈◊〉 13 in Mat the body not of the creature but of the Creatour the Body of God of inestimable valew the Body whereby the soueraigne Iustice was fully satisfyed the whole world redeemed and wherwith the soules of the faithfull are nourished and their bodyes quickened and in which the world shall be iudged that Body which maketh an offering most highly acceptable to God and most profitable to his Church because it is the body of his Sonne by the which he hath beene most highly honoured as also because it was offered by the same Sonne himselfe whose vicar only the Priest is as in Baptisme and the other Sacraments wherein our Sauiour as the first cause worketh baptizeth confirmeth absolueth by the meanes of the Priest as by an instrument and this being the body of God there is also his soule and deity and all the Court of heauen to honour the body of their King The second thing which the Pilgrime shall consider is the admirable manner whereby this Body is made present vpon the Altar and there remayneth present How the body of Christ is present in the Masse for it is not by any naturall or common cause but as we haue sayd by the almighty word of our Sauiour who made the world of nothing the which word doth transubstantiate the Bread Wine into his Body and Bloud that is make the substance of his Body succeed the substance of Bread which departeth there remaineth notwithstanding the colour tast and other accidents of Bread and Wine vnder the which as vnder a veile the Body and Bloud of our Sauiour are present as long as these accidents remaine in their being which are so many wonders aboue nature as there be sortes of thinges therein The profit which the well disposed soule receaueth of the Masse and so many testimonies of the infinit power wisedome and goodnes of God the worker of such high effects The third is the fruit we may reape by the good disposition wherewith we heare Masse and the danger in hearing it negligently our Pilgrime therefore shall come prouided and instructed in the meditation of these three sayd thinges and thereby shall take occasion to conceaue a profound respect and a great admiration with a like affection towardes this diuine and most admirable mystery Besides this generall preparatioÌ„ he shall endeauour also to be attentiue to all the parts of the Masse and to draw particuler profit from each of them following with his eares eyes mouth and hart all the actions of the Priest sacrificing and therefore hauing answeared him to the prayers and the Confession which he maketh at his entrance vnto the Altar he shall accompany him through all the Actions of the Sacrifice which are foure How the Christian should behaue himselfe in euery part of the Masse CHAP. VII IN the first part of the Masse which is from the beginning to the Offertory Foure parts of the Masse he shall heare the Introite or Entry of the masse the Epistle the Ghospell the Creed the Offertory and specially the prayers and if he vnderstand no latin it shall suffice that he know in generall that the Priest readeth Scripture that he prayeth to God and prepareth himselfe to the sacrifice which knowledge is sufficient to giue life and quickening to his deuotion and so for his part shall prepare himselfe saying his owne prayers to God The Masse an abridgemeÌ„t of al old Sacrifices and of all actes of deuotio and specially he shall haue regard to the ceremonies of the Priest which are naturall marks and signes speaking in a language common and intelligible to all the world both learned and ignorant and distilling into the soule the Maiesty of this diuine action by all the meanes wayes that a mystery can be carryed to the hart of the beholders For as the Eucharist is an abridgement of all the old Sacrifices so is the Masse of all the ceremonies which man doth naturally vse to confesse Chrys in Psalm 9. Aug. ciuit l 17. c. 20. Leoho 8. de passio Domini Psal 121. â— reuerence and adore the supreme deity and which holy men haue vsed as holy Scripture do teach vs. Therein the Priest employeth the noblest parts and gestures of his body with all the facultyes of his soule his vnderstanding will and memory He hearkeneth what he readeth and what God sayth to him in his Scriptures he lifteth his eyes to heauen in token that there he acknowledgeth God to reigne whome he imploreth he casteth them downe in signe of humility he lifteth vp and ioyneth his handes Luc. 18.13 Psal 13â— Phil. â— stretcheth abroad his armes boweth his knees turnes him from the East vnto the West from the West vnto the East from the South vnto the North from the North vnto the South he kisseth the Altar with his mouth he prayseth God with his tongue he speaketh high he speaketh low he keepeth silence he serueth the smelling with Incense he takes giues the refection of the sacrifice Finally he imployeth togeather with his soule all the senses and religious offices of his body to the homage of this mysterious and diuine seruice and affoardeth as many meanes to excite the hart vnto deuotion The Pilgrime then shall note the whole and shall draw profit from the whole conforming himselfe to the mouinges and exteriour ceremonies and performing interiourly according to his power togeather with the Priest that which they signify In the second part The 2. part of the Masse which is from the Offertory to the Consecration where the Priest offers to God the Bread and Wine to consecrate and pronounceth with a low voice sundry godly prayers asking the diuine assistance He shal offer with him the bread and the wine offered by him and shall offer vp himselfe namely when the Priest turneth him exhorting the assistants to pray to God to the end â—e â—â—ceaue this sacrifice in a gratefull odour saying Orate fratres Pray Breâ—hren c. at which warning he shall say the prayer which he sayeth who serueth in the name of all the people in these wordes Our Lord receaue this sacrifice at thy handes to the prayse and glory of his name
purgation for their faultes wherof they had not done pennance whilst they liued Aug. epist 99. ad Exod lib 10. in Genes cap. 33 all which soules the soule of our Sauiour did enlighten and deliuer out of paine and prison and put them in possession of the vision of God which was the Paradise he promised to the good theefe The third place was that of eternall prison which properly we call Hell Greg. moral c. 120. where were enclosed the damned soules with that great Diuell the rebellious Angell and his complices These soules were neither deliuered nor enlightened no more then the Diuels themselues Nâ—ss l. de resurr because they dyed in the disgrace of God without pennance and repentance of their sinnes and had no hope in God which the soule of our Sauiour did reproach to them shewing theÌ„ that 〈◊〉 was not long of God that they were not redeemed and saued but of their owne obstinate malice In this descent Lazarus beheld the burning loue and great power of our Sauiour his great loue so soone deliuering those imprisoned soules and making them so soone feele the fruit of his death his power in entring freely into the kingdome of death Psalm 87 there brauing his enemies death and the Princes of darknes frighted with this power neuer hauing seene the like in that region of dead men and in the kingdome of death The Resurrectio of our Sauiour Vpon the second point he obserued how the victorious soule of our Sauiour leading from hell the soules of his elected came to resume his body in the Sepulcher made it liuing and glorious which thing yet neuer happened to any deceased for all the soules departing out of theit bodies remained captiue below and neuer any were so farre remoued from those regions where death had raigned long in peace This was an exploite reserued for the sonne of God thereupon called The first Borne amongst the dead Col. 1.18 and therefore the Poets who feigned that Vlisses Hercules and other heroicall fellowes to haue gone and returned from Hell The vanity of profane Poets spake against the truth being therein both liers and sacrilegious attributing falsly to mortall men that which the Prophets and Sibilles haue written of the Sauiour of mortall men the true triumpher of hell by his death and death by his Resurrection Those that were miraculously raised agayne before him as Lazarus and the like were not victorious of death for they died againe but he issuing out of his tombe killed death with his victory and by his descent he had subiugated Hell for so had he foretold by the mouth of his Prophet O death Ose 1.13 14. I will be thy death O Hell I will by thy consumer Vpon the 3. point Lazarus noted that our Sauiour being risen againe shewed himselfe first to his most honourable Mother Our Sauiour first appeared to his mother after his Resurrection For it was iustice that she who had honoured him by her fayth followed him in his Crosse and did suffer with him in sufferings aboue all other Creatures should be the first in the ioy of his Resurrection O sweet Iesus quoth Lazarus what ioy didst thou bring to thy desolate mother shewing her vpon that fayre Sonday the glory and brightnes of thy body which she had seene the friday before so vnworthily hanled in the conflict of the Crosse What consolation feltst thou O glorious Virgin seeing thy well beloued returne victorious from Hell and his graue clothed with immortall glory and carying with him that noble spoile the soules of his Elect 1. Of the first Resurrection 2. A horrible Spectacle CHAP. XXI THIS was the Meditation of Lazarus Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and hauing heard Masse The Pilgrims departure and taken a small breakfast they bad Gratian farewell and with the blessing of Dom-Prior and a thousand thankes they began their iourny they sayd first their Itinerarium and after their beads in this manner Lazarus declared the mystery which they must meditate at euery Tenne after recited an Aue Maria. Theodosius followed with Vincent saying another Lazarus began againe and continued praying ouer the beads in turne as those that sing in the quire or recite their houres This being done they began to discourse of the spirituall resurrection of man to the which S. Paul exhorteth Christians after the similitude of the resurrection of our Sauiour The first Resurrection saying As our Sauiour is risen from the dead by the glory of his Father so let vs walk also in the newnes of life Where the Apostle meaneth that the glorious Resurrection of our Sauiour doth teach vs a spirituall resurrection Resurrection spirituall which is made by rising froÌ„ sin which is the death of our soule by lyuing working in the grace of God which is our true life and glory in this world Rom. 6.4 and this is that which S. Iohn calleth the first resurrection necessary to all those who will be partaker of the second Apoc. 2â— which shall be when at the great rising againe of mortall men and the generall iudgement the bodies of the iust shall rise out of their graues and vnited to their soule shall shine like the sunne and the bodies of the damned that made no reckoning of the first resurrection shall rise agayne to dye to death euerlasting Vincent demaunded of Lazarus what shall be the qualities of the bodies of the iust being risen againe Lazarus answered him that neither tongues of men or Angells were sufficient to expresse the glorious beauty and qualities which God shall bestow vpoÌ„ the bodies of the blessed yet the Christian Schoole doth teach vs in generall that these bodies shall be endewed with foure speciall and principall qualities of brightnes agility impassibility and subtility and that whatsoeuer is goodly or beautifull dispersed among all other naturall bodies as heauens starres stones plants birds beasts fishes should be assembled meete all in the body of man For as in the Creation God made in him an abridgment of all nature so shall he in their bodies risen againe make an abridgmeÌ„t of al the corporal beauties of the same nature Theodosius hearing this discourse of Lazarus Alas saith he sighing if men thought of this Resurrection what would they not doe to obtaine it And if they make so great account of goodly and braue apparell and of wearing ornaments which adorne the body and yet belong not vnto the body how should they esteem the glorious array of this future Resurrection which shall be infinitely more beautifull which shall be proper and affects to the body and shall last for all eternity These and such like were their discourses from morning vntill noone about which tyme they arriued at a little village and lay at the signe of the Sunne where after they had examined their conscience they made a light dinner and learned of their host that they
THE PILGRIME OF LORETO PERFORMING HIS VOW MADE TO THE GLORIOVS VIRGIN MARY MOTHER OF GOD. Conteyning diuers deuout Meditations vpon the Christian Cath. Doctrine By Fa. Lewis Richeome of the Society of IESVS Written in French translated into English by E.W. PRINTED At Paris Anno Dom. M.DC.XXIX TO THE MOST HIGH AND EXCELLENT PRINCESSE MARY BY GODS SINGVLAR PROVIDENCE QVEENE OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND c. MADAME This Pilgrime being drawn with a great desire to present himselfe and his seruice to your Maiesty was driuen backe by a double feare the one of offending with his ouer-boldnes in presenting himselfe poore Pilgrime to so great a Princesse the other least the very name of Pilgrime might debar him of all accesse and Audience Yet at last he resumed his first resolution considering that he was to appeare before a Queene not so Great as Gracious as all that conuerse in your Royall Court do try and testify You are the daughter of that great and Gracious King who heertofore hath with gracious acceptaÌ„ce intertained this same Pilgrim in FraÌ„ce presented vnto him by that eloquent learned and Religious Frenchman F. Lewis Richeome Accept then MADAME in England what your renowned Father imbraced in France He desireth only to be graced and honoured with your Maiestyes Name and to shroud himselfe vnder the winges of your Princely protection and to be admitted your Maiesties poore beadesman For the bare Name of Pilgrime though it may chance to breed some iealousy at the first yet whosoeuer shall but search him and examine his instructions and directions find nothing but of deuotion meditation prayer and particulerly for your Maiesty he may hope rather to be admitted for his innocency and loyall Intention then excluded for the only name of Pilgrime which Name though now strange hath heertofore beene so vsuall and esteemed in our Court S. Helene and Country as Kinges and Queenes haue not only vndertaken it but gloried therein Canutus And so great sayth an ancient Authour 900. yeares since was the deuotion of Englishmen in that tyme Ceadwalla after all the Country was conuerted and christened that not only the Noble men and the meaner sort Clerickes and Layickes but the Kinges the Kinges children leauing their kingdomes and the wealth of the world Marcelliâ— in vita S. Switbâ—râ—â— haue out of their great deuotion chosen for a tyme to go Pilgrims for Christ on earth This Pilgrime was presented to your Maiestyes Father in France of purpose to offer his prayers for the then Daulphin now King the benefit and fruit whereof he hath found and felt in good successe of his affaires and for all the Royall house Realme of France wherein your Maiesty had a part he commeth now wholy and particulerly to do the like for both your Maiesties that God by the intercession of his Blessed Mother would blesse your Royall persons your people and kingdome with all earthly and heauenly benedictions And namely that hauing vnited you in the sacred bandes of holy Matrimony and lincked your hearts with so fast Loue and Affection as all your Subiects do ioy to see and heare that he would also blesse you with the happy fruit thereof and make his Maiesty a ioyfull Father and You a Mother of many goodly and Godly Princes who may longe sway the Scepter of great Britaine after you may imitate in vertue and sanctity S. Edward and S. Lewis your Maiesties glorious predecessours and in wisedome and valour your Maiesties noble Father of famous memory Neither doe I see MADAME why this Pilgrime should feare to come to any Court or company seeing he coÌ„meth euery where but among his fellowes for though all be not Pilgrimes of Loreto neither is this booke only or principally to direct such yet whilest we liue in this world we are though as Kinges Queenes and Emperours all Pilgrimes as a great King sayd of himselfe Aduena peregrinus sum ego Psal 38. Who though they haue thousandes of Castles and Citties yet haue they not heere any one Ciuitatem permanentem which shall not be taken from them before they dye or they taken from it by death but futuram inquirimus hauing no mansion-house or byding place in this world we goe seeking one in Heauen where be multae mansiones Which this Pilgrimage vnder the shadow of his other Pilgrimage doth exactly teach vs to do exhorting vs with S. Peter 1. Pet. 2. as strangers and Pilgrimes to abstaine from carnall desires which fight against the soule and to seeke the spirituall and eternall the increase whereof will make your Maiesty greater before God and man For the honours and glory of this mortal life your Maiesty hath as much as your heart can reasonably desire You haue for your Ancestours great Emperours and Kings of Hungary and Bohemia for your Progenitors the great Dukes of Tuscany for your Father Great Henry of France and for your husband the King of Great Britaine all Great Being placed in the top of these honours there is no roome for more nor cause to desire any greater fortunes but only those which may and alwayes should increase in vs in this life and prouide matter for a Crowne of glory in the next These MADAME are holy vertues which adorne noble deuout soules as silke siluer gold pearles and precious stones doe the body these are the ornaments which haue aduanced meane women aboue Queenes Queenes aboue theÌ„selues as they did Hester who though she were exceeding beautifull yet her humility modesty charity wisedome other diuine qualities of her soule made her more admired in her life theÌ„ the beauty of her body or the Diademe of her head and after her death hath left her Name grauen in the memory of all following ages These goodly ornaments I say togeather with the corporall guifts which the hand of God hath liberally cast vpon You wonne the harts of those who knew you in France and were the titles wherby you were iudged to be a Princesse worthy of a Kingdome and a fit Consort for so great a King To conclude these are the treasures which only You shall carry with You departing this life to raigne for euer in the other with the Blessed The other guifts as beauty riches honour Iewelles the Crowne it selfe and all other earthly treasures the spoyle of tyme do passe from their being to their buriall as a shadow that vanisheth as a Post that gallopeth away as a Ship on the sea as a Bird in the ayre who leaue no path nor trace behind them as dust or a lock of woll hoysted with the wind as the froth and fome of the Sea broken with a storme as smoke dispersed in the ayre and as the memory of a guest which stayeth but one night Thus sayd Salomon out of his owne experience and we see as much euery day by ours Sap. 5. How vaine then O most Christian Queene is all this world
the forrest to the mountaine by reason of the robberies and murders that by theeues were there committed vpon Pilgrims from the mountaine to the place where now it is for that the Brethren maisters of the place insteed of shewing themselues deuout and merciful became couetous and contentious in danger to cut one anothers throte The diuine prouidence I say making these changes and remoues iust vpon their folly and excesse did teach men to reuerence his guifts if they will not loose the sight of them beare the weight of his iustice seeing they would not make their profit of his liberality If then this house had beene traÌ„sported but once from Galiley into Italy and set in one onely place we had wanted the profit of all these instructions How the Chappell of Loreto was knowne to be the Chamber where the B Virgin liued and was saluted by the Angell and of the forme thereof CHAP. VII AS the translation of this house was done by the power of God so it was knowne by the reuelation of God The house of Loreto knowne by miracles the beliefe thereof confirmed by often miracles in the sight of men First the same house being perceaued on the top of a hill by the Sclauonians a world of people there abouts came froÌ„ all parts to feed their eyes with the sight thereof They saw a little Chappell that was neuer seene there before of forme quadrangle longer then it was wyde almost by halfe being 40. foote long and about 20. wide and 25. high built of ordinary small stones hard and squared long of the colour of bricke the walles a foot and halfe thicke painted after the old fashion parjetted within adorned with the sacred stories of the misteryes of our Religion the vaulte seeled with wain-scot painted also and the roofe of the house somewhat rising with a little steeple At the vpper end there was an Altar squared out of hard stone The Altar breathing as it were some thing diuine and a little aboue that was behind vpon a piller the Image of the B. Virgin Mary standing made of Cedar-wood of a reasonable stature The Image of the B. Virgin crowned with a crowne of precious stones her haire hanging like the Nazarenes vpon her shoulders clothed with a gowne of cloth of gold girded with a large girdle after the fashion of the country with a sky-coloured mantle fastened ouer that euen to her feet She carryed in her left armâ— the little child Iesus hauing a countenance full of grace and maiesty cloathed with a little garment with his haire wauing about his head like the Nazarens also as it were giuing his blessing with his right hand and holding in his left a golden Globe a Hierogliphical figure of the whole and vniuersall world Iust vndâ—r the Image appeared behind the Altar a little low chimney of simple work with a top tonnell and on the Epistle corner towards the South was a little window and on the Ghospell side was a little Cupborde to put her vessells and her poore necessary houshold stuffe in These good people then beholding with their eyes the frame and body of this Chappell The astonishmeÌ„t of the Sclauonians which they perceaued was of the mother of God considering the fashion the parts the scituation brought into that place and not built there they were astonished in their soules and rauished with an extraordinary feeling of deuotion and did verily persuade themselues that this could not be any other but the worke of God and guift from heauen but they could not learne in particuler from whence it came nor how it came thither And therefore God who was the author thereof was also the reuealer by his Mother who appearing to the Bishop of Tersact Alexander a very holy man and extremely desirous to honour God in this new sanctuary An apparition of the B. Virgin wherof euery body told him woÌ„ders but he could not goe by reason of an incurable disease that had long held him in his bed The B. Virgin appearing to him in the night with great light and maiesty accompanied with holy Angells shewed him in his sleep and particulerly declared vnto him that this was the chamber where she was borne where she was brought vp in her first yeares The B. Virgin brought vp in Nazareth vntill the 3. years and from 14. to 45. See Nicephorus and dwelt most part of her life where she was saluted by the Angell Gabriel and which after the Ascension of her Sonne was dedicated for a Chappell by the Apostles now transported from Nazareth to this place by the hands of the Angels for the good of men And that he might be a credible witnesse heerof denounce this with authority she sodainly restored vnto him the health and strength of his body so that the next morning rauished with this vision and miracle he went to giue thankes to God and his glorious mother preaching that which he had heard with the testimony of his vnexpected health recouery He put the people there out of all doubt and brought them an vnspeakeable comfort with this ioyfull newes How the transportation of the House of Loreto was verifyed by the Sclauonians and Recanatines CHAP. VIII THAT this matter might yet be more assured by humane meanes 4. men sent into Palestine the most certaine that can be desired in such a case by the couÌ„sel of the sayd Bishop Alexander the Lord of Tersact and Flumen called Frangipan foure men of wisedome and credit were deputed to goe to Palestine there in Nazareth to search the place of this chamber and the Bishop himselfe was one of the foure who comming to the Holy Land and visiting the holy Sepulcher were brought by the fauour of God without any disturbance to Nazareth where being informed by certaine poore Christians who remayned there as relickes of the finall desolation of Christianity in those partes they found the ruines of the Church A church built by S. Helen at Nazareth Niceph. l. 8. c. 30. which S. Helen had caused to be built neere to this most happy Virgins house where they saw the foundations of the house newly razed from the ground equall in length and breath they perceaued that it was carried from Nazareth in the same tyme that it was found in Sclauonia though no man knew how retourning sound and safe they gaue publicke attestation of what they had seen with their eyes Sixteene men of Recanati sent to Sclauonia and Palestine The inhabitants of Recanati foure yeares after when this house was brought into their country did double this diligence by the same tryall and testimony For they appointed sixteene sufficient men who going first to Sclauony did vnderstand as well by the testimony of their publike griefe lamenting their late and vnexpected losse as also by their report of the measure and scituation of the Chappell that it was the place whence this holy house
procession at the Church of our B Lady of Guifts fell from the platforme which is before the sayd Church about 24. foot high vpon the stones they that saw him in the aire when he fell they that tooke him vp from the ground thought surely he had beene all crushed and bruised and hauing wrapped him quickly in a Sheepe skinne they found at the last that he had no harme at all and the next morning he was to the procession sound liuely to giue thankes to God and our B. Lady by whose intercession there was reason to thinke that he was preserued not only from death but also from any harme This happened in a publicke place and the chance was great and strange and yet marked but by a few for the Post of Auinion comming to Lions but some moneths after and seeing this in print denyed stoutly that any such thing had happened there and his denyall had preuailed against the truth if there had not beene some there that were eye-witnesses thereof A like accident hapned at Bourdeaux the yeare 1600. to the sonne of M. Antony Valet a renowned Physitian The like happ of Antony Valet of Bourdeaux this child being six or seauen yeares old fell out of a window foure and twenty foote high or more vpon a paued court without any hurt and how few are there in that towne that know that speciall fauour and protection of the holy Angell who as an instrument of the diuine prouidence preserued that little child committed to his custody from harme to make him a name of honour with a long life At the same towne of Auinion in the yeare 1592. by the great prouidence of God In Auinion a child found buried quicke was found by Hunters a little child about a yeare old buryed quicke in his clothes by the bankes of Durence perceauing him by the toes of his feet stricking vp whether he had put them out of himselfe or the Dogs wynding him had so discouered it and it seemed that he had been in that case aboue foure and twenty houres for they saw his eyes nose eares and mouth stopped with earth now waxen hard and dry a chance which did astonish the beholders who could no wayes conceaue how this little creature could liue so long not only without sustenance but also without breathing It was christened with condition because they doubted some saying it was not like to liue so long without Baptisme others ghossing that some vnnatural Mother or sorcerer hauing of negligence deferred tâ— baptize it was at last driuen by the Diuell to bury it in this sort that it might be depriued of life both of body and soule for a more cruell and bloudy offering to this Tyrant Mounsier Bartelesse an honorable and vertuous gentleman the chiefe Consull of Auinion that yeare caused him to be called Iohn Ioseph which second name is that he now beareth who I doubt not doth well remember the matter as also I thinke but few then tooke any great heed therof and fewer thinke of it at this present At Tolouse the yeare of our Lord 1595. the 19. of May an other elder then this At Tolouse a youth buried in the ruines of a fallen house 1595. was in a sort buried aliue and saued miraculously he was called Bernard Gentiald a youth of that town of 18. or 19. yeares old dwelling with a merchant called Syre Caluet who by good or euill chance being all alone in his masters house which was in the street of Exchange when it fell downe to the ground betwixt 9. and 10. of the clocke in the night was also taken in the fall and found an houre after on the ground in the midst of the timber and plaister full of dust and astonishment without any harme at all as my selfe did see him some dayes after in our Nouiciate How many be there at Tolouse that were ignorant of this singular grace of God shewed in the behalfe of this yong man to the end to binde him more to loue him hauing preserued his life euen in his graue as he did to Ionas and kept him from all harmâ— in so dangerous a ruine In the same month the yeare 1597. at Vitescall fiue leagues from Burdeaux certaine little rockes seated vpon the side of Garumna At Vitescal 1597. wherin were framed certaine smal houses which serued for tauernes falling downe oppressed 19. persons and there was found a little girle safe and whole betweene the legges of her father who was al crushed I think but few marked this wonder of God There be a thousand like that happen before the eyes of men which are not perceaued wherefore we must not meruaile if few did marke this transport specially at that tyme when Italy as I haue sayd was in tumult and on fire with seditions and ciuill warres of the Guelfes and Gibellines which lasted about 250. yeares Plâ—t l. 7. decâ—d 1. Trith iâ— Clâ—mâ— was the obiect whereunto most men attended and which Writers of histories tooke for the subiect of their bookes so that this small attending might be the first cause of their silence in this miracle There may be also another contrary to this and that is the famousnes and manifest knowledge thereof which often maketh Writers neglect or disdaine to write of that all the world knoweth euery one referring himselfe to his companion At what tyme our Sauiour preached the Piscina probatica was in vigour in Hierusalem and recommended through all Palestine and with good reason for that it wrought continuall miracles healing all sortes of diseases though neuer so desperate and incurable and yet Ioseph that diligent and famous Writer of the Iewes and their matters speaketh not one word thereof Ioan. 11. and if S. Iohn had not in his Ghospell made mention thereof we should haue knowne nothing of it nor yet of the miracle of Lazarus raysed from death written onely by him being notwithstanding the most famous miracle that our Sauiour wrought The same Ioseph was silent also of that prodigious massacre of Herod vpon the childreÌ„ about Bethlem which notwithstanding was a very markable history and a thing which Rome and all the world knew Macrob. l. 2. Saturn cap. 4. Dion in Caesa Aug Philo lib. 3 de Herod for Macrobius and Dion Heathens do touch it in their writings The Eclipse of the sun and that admirable darknes which happened at the passion of our Sauiour extended ouer all Palestine and was manifest in Syria Aegypt and in all the places of our Hemisphere yet neuer a Heathen wrote thereof but only Phlegon a franchised seruant of Adrian the Emperour a silence almost as strange as the worke was manifest And how many thinges haue vanished from before the eyes of men PhlegoÌ„ Orig in Mat tract 35. tom 5. S. Tho. 3. p. q 44. and remayne buried in the dust of â—unning ages which in the beginning were notorious and knowne to all the world Therefore we
that such workes cannot proceed but from the handes of God or from such as he giueth power vnto only â—od authour of miraracles This hath made admirable an infinite number of the Tombes and sepulchers of Martyrs Confessors and Virgins infinite Temples dedicated to the honour of God in their name infinit Images hallowed in their remembrance as all doe know Temples that are not altogeather ignorant of the histories of Christians namely of the glorious Virgin in a thousand places of christendom Images as are for exaÌ„ple to choose the neerest to our knowledge in the Kingdome of France of our B. Lady of Clary of Charters of Puy of Vaultfleury of Grace of Ioy of Argilliers In Spaine Montserat Piemont Montdoni and diuers others where God hath done and doth still powre downe his benedictions by works proper to his omnipotency but in this holy House he hath wrought so many and so markable besides those I haue already spoken off that he seemeth to haue made choice thereof out of the whole word for a Theater there to shew the maiesty the power treasure and graces of his omnipotency wisedome and bounty There the bodyes and soules of mortall men haue not ceased since the first arriue thereof into Europe to receaue heauenly benefits in sicknes in health in warre in peace by land by sea against Diuells against men euery way and to all sortes of men whereof the histories do testify and namely that of Horatius Turselinus as also the people that see them with their eyes and thousands of images tables of deuotion which those that receaue benefits there do hang vpon the walls of the Temple which eÌ„closeth this Chapell for thankesgiuing and testimony of the bounty of God neither is it possible but that he who belieueth this in his hart should also conceaue in his soule a great respect and loue towardes the maiesty of God the chiefe giuer of so many guifts towardes the glorious Virgin Mary by whose intercession they are giuen vnto men Admirable conuersions of Loreto and he that belieueth them not maketh vs belieue that he is depriued not only of christian fayth but of humane faith also who will not yield to the depositioÌ„ of so many witnesses nor be persuaded by so many supernaturall workes so open and manifest vnto all And if there were no other miracles then the admirable conuersion of many great sinners which is there wrought euery yeare it were inough to testify the fauour and grace of God singularly preseÌ„t in that place Multitude of penitents there do sometymes in a weeke confesse 60000. Pilgrimes where an 100. Confessours if there be so many caÌ„not suffice to heare all that come and who can reckon al that come for this purpose in a whole yeare all that haue done penance since 300. yeares in visiting this place all that haue left their riches honours and commodityes togeather with their sinnes to consecrate themselues liuing sacrifices to God in a true holocaust and to passe the years of their mortall life vnder the straite obseruance of a religious law farre from the vanity of the lost world Are not these meruailes great inough to make the place meruailous And if heertofore diuers places haue beene admired for only one miracle done there what admiration deserueth this for hauing beene honoured with millions of meruailes Why God worketh more miracles in one place then in another CHAP. XX. BVT whence coÌ„meth it that God doth make such choice and difference of places and that in some he hath beene so liberall Aug. epist. 137. ad clerum pop Hyp. and specially in those of the mother of his Sonne and in this of Loreto aboue all the rest S. Augustine speaking of miracles which were done in certaine places dedicated to Martyrs and not in others toucheth this question and doth in a sort confesse that he cannot playnly decide the matter Who can search sayth he the secrets of God and know wherefore miracles are done in some places and not in others And hauing told how a certaine thiefe comming to Miln with inteÌ„tion to take a false Oath in the Church oâ— the Martyrs Geruasius and Protasius where the Diuells were terribly tormented and forced to tell what they would not Epist 137. was constrayned to confesse his fault to restore what he had stollen he addeth Is not Africa full of the bodyes of Martyrs and yet these things are not done there for as the Apostle sayth 1. Cor. 12 as euery Saint hath not the guift of healing nor euery one the guift of discerning spirits so he that distributeth to euery one their proper vertues would not that these thinges should be done at euery memory of Martyrs So that the only reason he assigneth for these priuiledges of diuers places is the will of the Creatour who maketh his miracles shine where he listeth and diuideth his guifts as he thinketh good So we see that according vnto his pleasure Nature is fertill and plentifull in one place of that she cannot bring forth in another and though there be natural causes therof yet they are for the most part vnknown to vs and we know nothing thereof but in generall It is God that hath so wrought or as the Naturalists doe say it is Nature that hath done it Palestine yieldeth Balme Arabia Incense India Rubarbe the Philippines and the neighbour Hands Spices Aeygpt the bird Ibis Peru the bird of Paradise Brasil Ibis enemy to Serpents the bird Toucan the lake of Bourget in Sauoy the fish Lauaret contrary Peru most fertill in a thousand rare plantes and trees cannot nourish diuers of ours The birds called Woodpeckers abound in many Countreyes yet they are not to be seene in the country of Tarento no more then Wolues in England in the I le of Rhodes we cannot find one ayrie of Egles nor in the territory of Fidena neere vnto Rome one Storkes neast Plin. â—lâ— 20. 29. nor one Storke within two leagues of the lake of Como in Italy Who hath giuen these priuiledges and boundes vnto Nature Who knoweth or can declare it It is not the diuersity of Heauen or earth for we see that diuers of these places we haue named diuers others which we might name be of the same scituation and climate which yet are very different in the production of thinges And contrarywise diuers of different country and climate to be a like either in wanting or abounding It is therfore the only will of God Particuler causes of the diuersity of effects in nature aboue nature which is the supreme cause of all this diuersity As therefore the Creatour who is the father of the family of this world and maister and dispenser of all therin hath made Nature the diuision of his guifts so hath he made certaine holy places more fertill and more honourable with his guifts and wonders because so it pleased him This is the general reason which
their health and recouery of body or soule or both togeather F. Horatius Turselinus hath made a Catalogue of those he knew himselfe there haue beene many thousands which men haue not knowne written in the booke of God Secret almes great merit Mat. 6.4 who can well find their names in the day of generall Iudgement to giue them openly and in good company the reward and recompence of the good they haue done for his name in secret The wretched misbelieuer who draweth poison out of all this good iuice and turneth light into darkenes will say that this was the marke wherat the couetousnes of Priests did shoot and that to obtaine that they haue so much preached magnifyed this place drawing thither all the world by affected commendations but the faythfull which haue eyes to see the workes of God doe acknowledge the treasures of his heauenly blessing hauing by the meanes of this sacred House brought aboundance of all good as heeretofore to the house of Obededom by the presence of the Arke of Testament 2. Reg. 6. not for to fill the auarice of the Priests but for his owne glory for the ornament of his house and for the maintenance of his seruants and of the poore for all which there is spent euery yeare 30000. Crownes Moreouer it is answered to Calumniatours and misbelieuers that this place hath not beene made famous by the tongues of men this not being in their power but by the wonderous workes of God euen before men could frame any designement of the celebrity of this place or settle any hope of temporall goods therein it is the hand of God that hath done this great worke and hath wrought these blessinges and whosoeuer doth attribute it vnto auarice he is ignorant of the power of God and blasphemeth against his graces and benefits But leauing these calumniations of those that haue lost their fayth let vs say for the end of this discourse that seeing the proofes which we bring doe manifestly teach that the markes and tokens whereof each one might make a place honourable are found altogeather in this place we must necessarily conclude Loreto an abridgement of all holy places that it is an abridgement of all the holy places in the holy Land and of all Christianity as we sayd at the beginning and therefore a place worthy aboue all the places in the whole world to be honoured and visited It remayneth now to speake of the preparation furniture of our Pilgrime and to declare the condition of all mortall men and after to set downe the meanes and way happily to performe his pilgrimage according to the lawes and rules of that condition THE PREPARATION AND Furniture of the Pilgrime Of the end and Allegorie of Christian pilgrimages and of the continuance of our mortal course signified and taught by the number of Fourty CHAP. I. THE Pilgrime of Loreto hauing beene instructed in the knowledge he should haue of the place All men pilgrims vpon the earth must now take some aduertisements and afterward learne the necessary meanes to vndertake and performe his voyage He shall note then in generall in the first place that all men haue euer beene and are still in their condition pilgrimes and trauailers vpon the earth as the liues and wordes of Saints do teach vs and these whome we call in special pilgrimes to certaine places of the world doe no more sauing that they doe that of a speciall purpose and desire which all mortall men do of necessity walking to their graue if they be prudent Pilgrimes drawing towardes their heauenly couÌ„try Of this we haue diuers examples and figures in diuers ages of the world The Patriarcheâ— who trauailed in the law of nature In the law of Nature we know the pilgrimages of the holy Patriarches which we touched before and shall declare further for it is a point meet for the Pilgrime to know we know the voiages of Abraham who going out of his Countrey of Chaldea by the calling of God became a straÌ„ger and pilgrime in the land of Canaan of Iacob who trauailing from Canaan to Syria saw in his sleep a wonderful Lader of the pilgrime Iacobs trauailling from Canaan and the vision of the lader reaching vp vnto heauen hauing God leaâ—ing on the toppe thereof and the Angells ascending and descâ—nding vpon the same his children also to wit the Hebrews were Pilgrimes in Aegypt three or foure ages before the Law and after the law was giuen in the mountaine of Sina they walked pilgrimes in the desert of Arabia fourty years at which tyme they had the Arke of the Testament as a Tabernacle a moueable Temple to carry with them for their comfort solace of religion in their pilgrimage Afterward being come to the land of promise all the iust and holy men among them caried themselues as pilgrimes So Dauid for al sayd vnto God I am a stranger and pilgrime before thee Psalm 38 18. aâ— all my forefathers were Therefore these particuler pilgrimages were figures and mysticall instructions of mans condition and the wordes of this King and Prophet containe an exposition of the same In the law of Grace Pilgrims of the law of Grace Christians haue so much cleerer acknowledged this condition and directed their life according to the forme of true pilgrimes by how much the more they haue receaued the light and heate of the Holy Ghost so much the more piously and diligently haue they practised these particuler pilgrimages to holy places and namely to this holy house as well in Galilee as in Italy since it came there as they haue receaued more aboundance of truth of loue and of desire of the life to come and other guifts of the same spirit The pilgrime shall marke this instruction as being the mayne and maister-point of his pilgrimage Three ends of pilgrims as he shall perceaue by by by an expresse meditation In the second place he shall note that these Christian pilgrimages are vndertaken principally for three ends all which tend to one which is perfectly to performe the pilgrimage of this life The first is to honour God and his Saints visiting those places 1. To honour god and his Saints 2. To doe pennaÌ„ce 3. To increase deuotion where he manifesteth himselfe by his guifts graces bestowed by their prayer and intercession vpon the true pâ—lgrimes the members of his Church The second to do penneÌ„ce in patiently enduring the trauaile and incommodityes of the way and the third to increase deuotion beholding and imitating the notable exploits of Saints they visit and all this to obtaine the felicity of our heauenly countrey walking by the wayes of Gods coÌ„mandements This is the marke that Christian pilgrimages do shoot at and therefore those that vnder the title of pilgrims wander ouer countreyes without deuotioÌ„ or which is worse leade in their pilgrimages a disorderly life are dissolute vagabonds not Christian pilgrimes
a great Desert through which doe passe two sortes of Pilgrimes the one that go vnder a faythfull and good Capraine patiently enduring the incommodity of places and tymes fighting valiantly at all occasions with robbers beastes We must walke while it is day Ioan. 12.35 measuring their refection not by pleasure but by necessity not thinking of any thing all the day long but to gayne way toward the place end of their pilgrimage The other lead by a naughty and treacherous guide walke all the day wandering vp and downe staying to behold curiously euery thing betaking themselues at euery houre to rest and repast like drunkards and vagabondes Those that are surprised by death And at the last being surprised by night in ill termes and ill wether and ill prouided they fall into the mercy partly of cruell beastes Lyons Wolues Beares and such like that deuoure them and partly of theeues and robbers who cut them in peeces and make merry with their spoile and booty In the second Preamble he shall demand of God with humble and feruent hart the grace whereby he may liuely see and know the manner how to be a good pilgrime in this world to auoyd the dolefull end of the bad The first point shall begin with that which God sayd to Adam for the pennance of his dolefull dinner Because thou hast heard the voice of thy wife Gen. 3.17 and hast eaten of the tree I forbad thou â—houldest not eate the earth shall be accursed in thy worke and thou â—halt feed therof in trauaile all the dayes of thy life it shall bring thee forth thornes and thistles and thou shalt eat the grasse of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread vntill thou returne to the â—arth whereof thou wert made By which wordes he shall see that all the race of man wrapped in the condemnation of our first Father hath gotten a necessity to suffer paine and trauaile â—n this life vntill death as himselfe did In the second he shall heare and consider the wordes of S. â—ames saying Happy is he that suffereth temptation for after that â—e hath beene proued he shall receaue the crowne of Glory 2. Tim. 2.5 And that of S. Paul He that fighteth not duly shall not be crowned The third point shal set before his eyes the great multitude of the Hebrewes trauailing in the desert of Arabia amongst whome those that were valiant suffered and fought valiantly vnder the conduct and direction of Moyses the seruant of God in hope to enter into the land of promise to the which they alwayes aspired The other slaues of the Diuell and their own bellies murmurers and rebels sought nothing but to eate and drinke not caring for the countrey for the which they were come out of Aegypt and they perished miserably in the desert made a prey to their enemies their bodyes were a spoile to the earth their soules to hell Iesus Christ pilgrime for men In the fourth point he shall contemplate on the one part Iesus Christ descended from heaueÌ„ to the desert of this world to be pilgrime among the children of Adam the true guide of our pilgrimage and captaine of our warres In the one being made vnto vs the way to leade vs to our heauenly Country and giue vs light and strength to walke directly thither and in the other hauing taught vs by his word and example how we must fight against our enemies the Flesh the World and the Diuell and all the squadrons of vices and furnished vs with instructions weapons forces with the assistance of his grace and Sacraments valiantly to assaile and endure the assault and to beare away the victory and crowne also if we will our selues The blindnes of men On the other part he shall bewaile the blindnes forgetfullnes peruersity of those that straggling from the conduct of their King and Sauiour cast themselues into the wayes troupes of Sathan walking to perdition in perpetual misery darknes slauery to this tyrant and their own sinnes and vices In the fift point he shall weigh how profitable pleasing a thing it is to God to suffer in this life somwhat for his sake not for that he needeth our paynes It is profitable honourable to suffer for God or taketh any pleasure in them of themselues but for that to haue a wil to suffer and in effect to suffer for him is to beare towards him the depth of true charity to giue an assured proofe therof For prosperity is not the true touch and triall of loue but aduersity and therefore our Sauiour the patterne of all perfection to shew his infinit loue to his Father vs hath made choice of this way hath performed his pilgrimage in the thickest of a thousand trauaile and did end it by the torment and ignominy of the Crosse in the meane tyme he hath often with a loud voice exhorted his Apostles Disciples to suffer he councelled euery one to carry his crosse he preached those happy that suffer for his name he promised rest for paine honour for shame eternity for tyme. This exercise is so honourable and so precious that if enuy could find place in the harts of the glorious and happy Spirits they would enuy iust men this honour and happines If Angels could be enuious they would eÌ„uy our suffering that they can suffer for so great a Prince after the example of such a Captaine and for so great pay and reward By which meditation the pilgrime shall not only be comforted in the trauaile of this his pilgrimage but shal also be liuely encouraged and enabled to labour more and more euery day considering that he cannot haue a more high and royall way towardes heauen then that of the Crosse beaten by the King himselfe and as the Apostle sayth 2. Cor. 4. Our tribulation which is heere short and light worketh in vs an eternall weight of endlesse glory he shall be then animated and stirred forward to suffer in fighting and fight in suffering seeing that his tribulations his discommodities his wearynes his teares his watching his hunger his thirst fasting disciplines hayre-clothes and all his afflictioÌ„s and combats thinges of themselues of small worth and short yet suffered for this maister shall be reckoned vnto him for so many crownes of glory and so many increases of felicity in the great day when all true pilgrimes and valiant champions shall enter in triumph to the kingdome of their heauenly couÌ„trey In the end he shall make his prayer and speach to God speaking to him with the wordes and sentences of his meditation and shall say with an humble and submisâ—e hart My Creatour and Lord behold me in the progresse of my pilgrimage full of desire and courage but inexpert and vnskilfull to choose and find my way and weake to support the future difficulties thereof Thou hast giuen me the meanes to vndertake it with
a courage Each one may say this specially beginners and a desire faythfull to finish it giue me also if it please thee strength and force let me suffer vpon the earth of my pilgrimage seeing I am one of Adams children condeÌ„ned to traâ—aile but let it be for thy sake and vnder the banner of thyne only Sonne Iesus Christ for I know that torments and death suffered by such a title vnder such a Captaine containe an earnest of the ioyes of thy felicity and of life euerlasting Aboue all keep me O Lord from being of the number of those who like euill pilgrimes seeke the labyrinthes of this world and not the wayes of heauen who forgetting their owne condition become insteed of wise pilgrimes as they should be mad and senseles vagabondes and after many courses perish in the desert buried in the dust which they should tread vnder foot Alas What seek they in their base dwelling Doe they thinke to find true repose in the countrey of famine of thornes of thistles Life in the region of death The vanity of worldlinges Triumph in the field of battell place of warre Heere is not the place that they must seeke such aduentures nor yet aske them Neither doe I aske it of thee O Lord I desire of thee heere the victory ouer thyne enemies and myne let the honour of the triumph if I deserue any be reserued to a better tyme and place in the spring time of thine eternity in the land of thy children in myne owne home not in a strange Countrey let the wise of this world triumph in their countrey The Romans triumphed in Rome not in strange CouÌ„treys and thy children in heauen the house and citty of their Father O glorious Virgin most pure Mother most puissant Queene in this eternity in this countrey we speake of thou art my Aduocate seeing thou art content to be so to all men that choose thee for such and fight for Heauen vnder thy protection fortify and second my prayers by thy intercession and procure them to be heard that hauing learned to honour and adore with all my hart thy Sonne in thy house of Loreto I may also adore him enioy him and magnify him for euer in his celestiall pallace The Pilgrime being refreshed with this spirituall repast shall march on his morning with his accustomed exercises The after dinner and Euening of the second day That euery Christian must suffer and beare his Crosse CHAP. IIII. IN the Afternoone he shall repeate the points of his morning Meditation and doing it with attention he shall draw thence two instructions The first The errour of worldly men that they are greatly deceaued who carrying the name of Christians and calling themselues pilgrimes vpon earth giue themselues notwithstanding to pleasures enemies of the Crosse of all that may afflict the body and for the good of the soule they thinke it sufficient that our Sauiour hath endured for vs yea and that we doe iniury to the merits of his passion to suffer any thing with him or after him people buried in the blindenes of their sensuality neither acknowledging what they haue receaued of him nor what they should render him againe nor the good they may get by suffering for him The benefit that man reapeth by the paines and passion of our Sauiour is no exemption from al payne An instructioÌ„ but from the eternall which only is to be feared to which sinne hath bound and tyed vs from the which bond no other fine Profitable and glorious to suffer with Christ Ioan. 14. and ransome could deliuer vs but the infinite merits of such a Redeemer as for temporall paynes it is so farre of that he hath therby exempted vs as that cleane contrary he hath inuited and bound vs by his example his wâ—rd and promise of reward recompense I haue giuen you example sayth he that you may doe as you haue seene me doe And againe Whosoeuer will follow me let him deny himselfe take vp his Crosse and follow me And S. Mat. â—6 Peter plainely sayth Our Sauiour hath suffered for vs leauing you an example to follow his steppes And S. Paul Rom. 8.17 We shal be glorifyed with him if we suffer with him And surely naturall reason doth teach vs that to be true which our Sauiour sayth Luc. 6.40 The Scholler is not aboue his Maister And it were a monstrous thing to see a souldier playing at Dice and drinking himselfe drunke in his Pauilion whilest his Generall with his armour on his backe in the field endureth the heat and the dust exposing himselfe to labours and dangers of death By the example and wordes of our Sauiour we haue eternall glory promised to our trauailes Happy are you sayth he to his Apostles and in them to all Christiansâ— when men curse you and persecute you Matth. 5. for great is your reward in heauen A promise that should liuely stirre vs vp if we haue any feeling of true glory to runne with a great courage in this race of tribulations and wants and to endure all paine for the loue of God and thus doing we honour him following and seruing him and accomplish his commandement and winne to our selues therein a crowne of immortality And those that do contrary are the children of confusion vnfaithfull seruants cowardly souldiers very sluggards taking occasion of dastardy of the same thinges that should moue them to fight valiantly The true Christian must alwayes goe forward in vertue CHAP. V. THE second instruction the Pilgrime shall take of his Meditation is that as he that will well performe his pilgrimage must euery day gayne ground so he that will come to heauen must euery day profit in vertue and iustice And as the true Pilgrime doth not cease to walke whilst he is Pilgrime Pern epist 91. 204. so sayth S. Bernard He that is truely iust neuer saith it is inough He is alwayes hungry alwayes thirsty of iustice and if he should liue alwayes he would labour alwayes to be wiser so that if it be a perfect desire to haue a will alwayes to profit and goe forward not to haue this will is to go backeward and where a man beginneth to haue a will not to be better there he ceaseth to be good The true Pilgrime should alwayes winne ground and aduance himselfe to God wardes and this endeauour concerneth not only Religious persons as people doe thinke but all men Inclination to perfectioÌ„ is natural and namely Christians Reason teacheth vs that each thing tendeth to be better then it is plants and trees liue to increase to flourish and fructify which is their perfection and if a Cherry-tree could expresse his naturall inclination it would say that it desireth to grow to the highest degree of goodnes that any tree of that kind could attaine vnto and so would all other creatures say Why then should not man haue the like inclination
and seeke all the possible meanes to attaine it And seeing that euery man is thereunto obliged by nature is not the Christian much more bound then other by reason of the law he professeth which is a law of perfection How can he worthily beare his name if he endeauour not to be a perfect Christian according to his name and degree The King a perfect Christian in his rule and roialty the Captaine a perfect Christian in his warres and managing of Armes the Magistrate in gouernment the Iudge in administration of iustice the Merchant Artificer Labourer in then trafike shop and trauaile as the Religious in his vocation Is heauen only for Religious If it be for all why doe not all seeke the way with Religious Heauen is not oÌ„ly for Religious euery one as we haue sayd according to his estate and degree This instruction will teach the Pilgrime to make dayly progresse in good life as he doth in his way and with so much the more courage as the merit and fruit of vertue is more precious and to be desired then the wynning of way in the world and this shall suffice for the afterdinner and euening of the second day The third Day The Commandements of God are the way of our pilgrimage of this life CHAP VI. IN the third day our Pilgrime being well forward on his way and iourney and hauing attentiuely meditated the conditions and qualityes of his mortall pilgrimage The way to heaueÌ„ is the coÌ„mandements of God Psal 118. â—2 he shal enter into meditation of the heauenly way by which he must come to the heauenly countrey as by the other he shall come to Loreto marching with the feet of his body he shall cause his soule also to walke with hers which are her affectioÌ„s This way is the keeping of the law coÌ„mandments of God wherof Dauid sayd I haue runne the way of thy commandements when thou hast enlarged my hart This way is Iesus Christ who comming into this world hath from point to point fullfilled the law giuen by himselfe he hath cleered bettered it with his doctrine and instructions and hath made it easie both to the eye and to the hand and in his owne pilgrimage hath traced the true path of saluation for which cause he is called Ioan. 14 1 The Way Verity Life This is the spirituall way which the pilgrime shall first consider a far off and in generall as if he were vpon some high mountaine like vnto Moyses when from the mountaines of Abarin Nebo in the land of Moab Deut. 32.9 he beheld the way and countrey of the land of Promise and after he shal run ouer all the commandements in particuler from the first to the last one by one A Meditation vpon the ten Commandements of God in generall The first and second pointe why the Law was giuen with so great Ceremonies in ten Articles and two Tables CHAP. VII THE Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first preamble shall frame in the imagination the figure of the mountaine of Sina couered in the top with a thicke bright cloud rebounding with the noise of trumpets and thunder God appearing in soueraign Maiesty to Moyses to giue him his law and the Hebrewes incamped in the plaine by terrifyed and attending the issue of this new spectacle In the second Preamble he shall demaund grace of God whereby he may throughly vnderstand the beauty and importance of this law and the whole length and continuatioÌ„ of the way that leadeth vnto Heauen The first point shall recite the law with the clause going before it Preface of the Law where God speaketh thus vnto his people I am the Lord thy God who hath brought thee out of the land of Aegypt and the house of bondage And after giueth the same Law contayned in ten Articles 1. Thou shalt not haue strange Gods before me Exod. 20. 2. Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine for our Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 3. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabboth day 4. Honour thy Father and Mother 5. Thou shalt not kill 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery 7. Thou shalt not steale 8. Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy Neighbour 9. Thou shalt not couet thy Neighborus house 10. Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours wife nor his seruant nor his mayde nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his In meditating the foresayd Preface he shall make this coÌ„clusion God when he would dictate his law putteth in the beginning what he is saying I am the Lord thy God as also the deliuerance of the Hebrewes he would haue vs therefore in the first place set before our eyes his greatnes and maiesty afterwardes the benefits he hath bestowed vpon vs to the end we may be stirred vp to the keeping of his commandements by that obligatioÌ„ we owe vnto him by the title of our Creatour and soueraigne Lord and our Benefactour our Conseruatour and rewarder meditating the rest he shal gather these or the like conclusions God published the law with great ceremonies with thunder and lightning Exod. 19.16 trumpets with cloudes and fire and smoke earth-quakes he will therefore that it be receaued of vs with great reuerence Psal 11â— feare and humility For the Feare of God is the beginning of wisedome He would haue it sinke deep into our soules seeing it was sent with fire voice and extraordinary noise and by whatsoeuer might most mooue our eyes and eares our two most noble senses and might most deeply print any thing in our harts He published it in the top of an high mountaine therfore would haue vs meditate thereof with a spirit eleuated and lifted vp from the earth this is the conclusioÌ„ which Dauid practised often and aduised others also to practise Psal 811.24 Psal 118.14 Psal 118.47 Psal 1.2 Thy testimonyes are my meditation Also Giue me vnderstanding I will meditate thy law I haue meditated vpon thy commandements which I haue loued Happy is the man that thinketh of thy law day night He gaue it to Moyses to communicate it vnto the people and make them to keep it he would haue them put it in execution and that as we ascend to meditate it so we should descend to execute it This is the signification of that heauenly Ladder which Iacob saw in his sleep vpon the which Angells did ascend and descend Gen. 28. for the children of God do mouÌ„t and ascend by the steppes and degrees of contemplation in the knowledge of the Law of God descend againe by the workes of the same law as it were by the same steps in the actiue life for the loue of God and profit of their Neighbour The nuÌ„ber of 10 a note of perfection He hath giuen it in ten Articles signifying by the number of perfection that it
the good we haue in body and soule and in all the whole world and at whose handes we expect eternall felicity By these such like discourses the Pilgrime shal kindle the fire of his meditation to heate himselfe in the loue of God and to make his soule diuinely amorous of him whome he is bound to honour and serue withall his hart and all his strength and shall shut vp his discours with this speach or a better if God shall put it in his mouth A prayer to God O Lord how iust and absolute is thy Law in al respects and how reasonable are thy precepts Is it not iustice it selfe that he hath ordayned who is al wise that he hath commanded who is Almighty That he may be acknowledged who is all good Is there any thing more iustly due on our part or more fit and conuenient for vs thy creatures then to loue the supreme beauty To admire the supreme wisedoeme To adore thee supreme Deity To serue thee supreme Power To embrace thee to reuerence thee to accomplish all thou commandest with so many titles of right and maiesty But to whome shall I giue my loue and seruice if I refuse it to thee to whome I owe seruice and homage of all that I possesse hauing receaued all of none other but of thy holy handes And who dost further promise to giue me thy selfe also in recompence if I acknowledge thy benefits in keeping thy holy Law And what profit hast thou of my loue and seruice Why God would be loued serued by vs. or what harme if I doe not loue and serue thee None at all O my Lord what then moueth thee to demand this deuotion at my hand but thine owne infinit bounty thereby to find occasion to shew thy selfe yet more liberall vnto me Be then more liberall still O my King and most mercifull Father grant me if it please thee sufficient light vnderstanding to penetrate the beauty of thy Lawes The mouÌ„taine of God is the knowledge of his Law and the bond I haue to keep them Take me vp into thy mountaine that I may heare thee speake kindle in me the heauenly fire of thy holy loue that I may cleerly see thy holy will and happily descend to the practise of thy commandements that I may walke with a light foot and a fiery affection the way of thy holy Law and that at the end of my course I may find thee aboue in heauen there to admire and adore thee for euer in the mountaine of thy eternall felicity The after dinner and the euening of the second day CHAP. IX AFTER dinner the Pilgrime eyther alone or with coÌ„pany shall for his spirituall recreation sing the Canticle following concerning the ten Commandements A Canticle of the Law of God the way of this life Now fellow-Pilgrimes euery one Our harts and voices let vs tune To sing with a glad courage The Law which must vs alwayes lead And teach vs truely how to tread The paths of this our pilgrimage Adore one God that 's Soueraigne Take not his holy Name in vaine Rest vpon the Sabboth day To holy workes see thou attend Thy sighes vnto thy maker send Him in all thinges prayse and pray Honour with a reuerence milde Father and Mother as a child The soueraigne high Iustice Shall be thy helper alwayes And will prolonge thy dayes On earth for that seruice Stretch not thy murderous hand nor knife To kill or hurt thy Neighbours life Nor with aduoutry staine his couch Fly all light and wanton nicenes Forbeare eke of couetousnes Thy Neighbours goods to touch False witnes see thou beare gainst none Speake good not ill of euery one Let thy sayings be sooth and true Couet not of others good Neyther VVife nor liuely-hood Nor ought of any value These are Gods ten holy Sawes These are his ten diuine Lawes This is the Harpe of ten stringes Which King Dauid playd vpon That sweet Psalmist and whereon The soule deuout Gods prayses sings Let this Harpe be day and night Our hart our loue our whole delight Alwayes sounding in our eare Let our eyes still this behould Let our hands this Harpe fast hould Let our feet still this way weare This sayd he shall repeat his morning meditation or meditate some other matter that may seeme proper to the circumstances of the time place and his owne deuotion And he shall not faile to bespeake the B. Virgin for his Aduocate to God that he may well hold the way of his Law in this banishment and exile and attaine the end of his great pilgrimage which is heauen He shall say the old deuout Salue Regina or some other Hymne to the honour of the sayd Mother of God And in these and such like exercises solacing his trauaile he shall end his iourney when tyme shall aduertise him to take his lodging to repose if he find any Inne or to merit by patience if he must endure some discomodity of the seraine or ayre without dores at the signe of the Starre The fourth Day A Meditation vpon the first Commandement Thou shalt not haue any other Gods before me Thou shalt not make any grauen Idol CHAP. X. AFTER the Pilgrime hath meditated in generall of the Law of God Thou shalt adore and loue one oÌ„ly God perfectly he shall come to euery Article in particuler and goe forward in spirit as well as in body and therfore his principall meditation vpon the fourth day shall be of the first commandement The prayer preparatiue and the first preamble shal be as before The second preamble shall frame in his imagination the two Tables of the Law and shall behould them as before his eyes In the first he shall read the first Commandement written with the finger of God in great letters THOV SHALT NOT HAVE ANY OTHER GODS BEFORE ME THOV SHALT NOT MAKE ANY GRAVEN IDOLL The first point of meditation shall marke The expâ—â—â—tion of the wordes of the CoÌ„mandement that this commandement is the conclusion of the clause precedent I am the Lord hy God as if God had sayd I am thy God therefore thou shalt haue no other but me And the meaning is that as he is the only God so only should he be acknowledged for God and Lord Almighty all wise all good Creatour of heauen and the first cause of all thinges This acknowledgement is called of the Deuines by a Greeke word Latria which soundes as much Argu. de â—â—â—ip Deâ— l 10. c. 1. 4. Idem con Faust. lib. 19. 20. cap. 21. as soueraigne honour and supreme worship due to God only and to none other and comprehendeth two parts the one inward in the soule which requireth that we haue such esteeme and beliefe of God in verity as we should without any mixture of errour or heresie the other outward in the body whereby we honour him with sacrifices visible adoration and the fruites of our goods The second
it by true vsing of his grace Loue that rare and boundlesse beauty Loue eke thyne owne felicity Thy Neighbours friends and foes must be inclos'd VVithin the boundes of thy vnfeyned loue For this iust Law was framed and compos'd By God that sittes and ruleth from aboue VVho sayth he loues God not his brother Loueth neither th' one nor th' other The mortall race of mortall men we know Of one sole man did their beginning take So all that from this one did spring and grow One houshold only and no more do make Euery of whome by right of kind To fastest loue doth straitly bind Yet straiter is the knot and neerer band VVherewith God bindes vs in his holy house Sweetly vs conioyning with his blessed hand To be all one in his sole Sonne IESVS VVherto in reason all are lead Since all are members of one head Blessed is that soule which this Law keeps And is found faythfull to her spouse aboue VVho daily him doth seeke and neuer sleeps Burning in the flames of his holy loue VVho ' boue all thinges loues God the best And for his sake loues all the rest The After-dinner and Euening of the ninth dayes Iourney Threats and punishments of man 〈…〉 CHAP. XXII IN the After-noone the 〈…〉 make some repetition of what he meditated 〈…〉 setting before his eyes the threates which God 〈…〉 against mankillers also some examples of such as haue from heauen beene discouered and punished for this sinne contrarywise some others of such as haue byn easily pardoned Math. 2◠All those that take the sword sayth our Sauiour shall perish by the sword And long before that he sayd VVho so shall spill the bloud of man Gen. 9. his bloud shall be spilled for God hath made man to his Image Cain was accursed for killing his brother Gen. 3. and by his owne mouth he condemned himselfe for well worthy of banishment death Plutar. lib Quae animalia sūt prudentiora for his murder Before Pyrrhus King of Epyrus a dogge discouered the murderers of his Maister who were therefore punished Hesiodus his dogge also discouered them who had killed him The swallowes him that had killed his Father The greatest men haue beene most sweet and courteous Moyses Dauid yea euen among Paynimes Alexander Iulius Caesar and the like Great men gētle and courteous and contrarywise slaues base and cowardly people haue beene fierce and cruell to reuenge Our Sauiour the patterne of all perfect and high vertue was wonderfull in this which he shewed at all occasions where he might make triall but most cleerly in the last distresse of his death and passion when he prayed that diuine prayer for his enemyes who crucifyed him encountring with a singular exploite of clemency the cruelty of his crucifyers Hauing discoursed vpon these examples and the like and sayd his beades or some other prayer to the B. Virgin he shal end his iourney betake him to his lodging The tenth day A Meditation vpon the 6. Commandement Thou shalt not commit Adultery CHAP. XXIII THE sixth Commandement shall be the matter of the tenth dayes Meditation The sixth commādement well placed after forbidding to kill which followeth very fitly after the forbidding of killing for the second and next iniury a second death whereby a man may offend and hurt his owne body or his neighbour is adultery and as by murdering the society of men is iniuried so also by adultery fornication and other such vices of the flesh the cōmon wealth is dishonoured disturbed with confusion of children The preparation and preamble shall be as before the substance of the meditatiō shal consist in these pointes following The first point shall ponder that this precept prohibiteth not only adultery Al impurity forbidden which man or wife committeth but also all kind of impurity all that may cause it as thoughtes words touchings lookes kissings gestures dishonest songs vaine superfluous attire wanton talke dissolute beholding paynting vnchast bookes and such like allurements to this vice Adultery is named as the principal head the other acts as making way thereunto and as complices to the crime How pleasing to God purity of body is The 2. shall be employed to meditate how cleanesse and purity of body is in it self pleasing to God and his Angels It is a vertue wholy heauenly diuine for to liue in flesh and not to sinne with the flesh is to liue in spirit and to be like those heauenly spirits who liue without stayne of flesh The Sonne of God made thereof so great account that he would be borne of a virgin he preached chastity and by all meanes inuited mē thereunto he would haue about his Altars ministers not maried but perpetually chast virgins also in his house as Queens betroathed to his maiesty by vow of virginity barren in body but in soule fertill in all sortes of vertuous workes Finally he hath restrained the mariage of all those that liuing vnder the name of Christians Chastity in euery vocatiō will be maried to one only wife establishing a law of Chastity in all estates and degrees of his houshould The 3. point shall consider how contrariwise Impurity is as pleasing to the Diuell our capitall enemy The sin of the flesh pleasing vnto the Diuel wherfore as it is displeasing to God our Creatour For though this wicked spirit hauing no body cannot directly take any pleasure therein notwithstanding it pleaseth him wonderfully well knowing that it displeaseth God and that aboue all other sinnes it maketh a man forget both heauen and hell for there is none doth so darken the iudgement and vnderstanding of man and take away the tast of heauenly things the feare of hell fire that doth more draw man from heauen and from saluation and that maketh him more carnall more stupide and beastly By meanes wherof this old preuaricator vseth all his craft deuises possible to make men fall thereinto therein to hold and keep them vnto old age yea euen vnto death Against playes wanton bookes To this purpose he inflameth their flesh with extraordinary fire by al sortes of enticements he chafeth them by charmes he proposeth them playes and comedyes which in Threaters may represent vnto them the fond fancies and loues as Painters do in the pictures of Amadis and such other wanton Writers which paint them in the bookes of base soules Against lasciuious Poets vnder the name of Poets who like trumpets of flesh and ignominy blow forth without blushing and with full mouth the shame of their owne others passions and finally he worketh al the wayes to giue the reines and liberty to this Cupid infernal Theon euen vnto the transforming himselfe into man or woman cloathing himselfe with figure and fantasticall body to pollute and defile the bodyes and soules of those whome he would hold fast in the fetters and chaynes of his tyranny thence
a certaine Paynim with good reason The holy Doctours and namely S. Augustine do thinke that it is in no sort lawfull for any man not only to tell a lye against the good of their Neighbour or the honour of Religion but not the least that may be not for recreation nor profit nor any thing in the world for that action or word cannot be vertuous which is done or sayd against the truth of God or with hurt of our conscience of which discourse he shall ayde himselfe to make a full purpose neuer to lye and so shall retyre himselfe The thirteenth Day A Meditation vpon the ninth and tenth Commandements Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours wife Thou shalt not couet thy Neighbours house Exod. 20.17 nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his CHAP. XXIX THESE two Commandements shall be the matter of Meditation for the thirtenth day The beginning shal be as before In the first point the Pilgrime shal consider how these two Commandements do indirectly respect all the former but directly the sixth which forbiddeth adultery and the seauenth which prohibiteth theft so that those do bind the will haÌ„ds and feet that we neither consent nor proceed to the outward execution of the sinne S. Thom. 1. 2. q. 77. art 5. 2. 2. qu. 122. art 6. but these two doe command the will to rule the concupiscence and desires of the sense that they incline not to Couetise nor retaine any cogitation of what is not lawfull to doe by these is forbidden the deed and the wil of the deed and by these is forbidden in generall to imbrace any vnlawfull desire of reuenge of harme or the like and in especiall not to see or heare any sensuality or carnall thought with delight or pleasure nor admit any vnlawfull desire of other mens goods for such cogitation retayned with liking and consent is a sinne although we passe no further or haue no will to put it in execution euen as he that of brauery or lightnes of hart should receaue malefactours willingly see them and make them good cheere is intangled in their crime although he be not nor would be eyther counseller or cooperatour to their offence For the second point he shal note that this prohibition of carnall desire extendeth it selfe to that which may cause it also as to eating drinking disordinatly Il thoghtes forbidden and all that may cause theÌ„ which are neere and next causes of adultery vaine and superfluous attire wanton bookes lasciuious pictures curious sightes and such other baites whereof we haue spoken before For the third point he shall consider that carnall thoughts not consented vnto but rather resisted and reiected are not only no sinne but also matter of merit and therefore the deuout soule must not be dismayd when she feeleth against her will those thornes of her flesh as the Apostle when he sayd I know that in me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good Rom. 7. I see another law in my members fighting against the law of my mind and making me captiue to the law of sinne which is in my members The corruption of his flesh made his members rebell and made warre against him but he resisted wonne the victory ouer his rebelles he would gladly haue beene altogeather deliuered from them but they will beare vs company as long as we liue heere These are the thornes and thistles of our cursed earth friends to our enemy from which we cannot be altogeather exempt in this life It is reserued for the next Gen. 3.17 where without all rebellion our soule shall rule and reigne in her body in pure and plentifull peace and therefore she must not loose courage if she be assailed but rather reioyce that she may with the grace of God ouercome all assaults if not without any pricking yet without any deadly or mortall wound and of these briers to erect monuments and trophies of vertues and gaine a crowne of eternall glory by the victory The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes A prayer to Iesus Christ Heere it is O Redeemer of my soule that I haue need of thy help valiantly to fight my selfe against my selfe to get a goodly victory ouer my selfe by resisting and ouercoming my owne flesh If thy strength will assist I am strong inough with my weakenesse to go conquerour from the combat therewith I shall be maister ouer all couetise and be a faithfull obseruer of this thy Commandement neither shall any enemy stand in my handes but I shall tread them vnder my feet My sweet Iesus my Lord my hope and my strength thou madest thy selfe little and weake to make vs great and strong reach thy hand to thy poore seruant help and rectify my crookednes rule and direct my senses and cogitations according to the purity and right of thy holy law that my lookes and my loue may leuell at nothing but thy beauty my eares to thy wordes and my handes to thy commandments that nothing may settle in my soule but for the desire of thy glory and for sorrow of my sinnes that my appetite and couetise be not of the flesh but of the spirit not of earth but of heauen and that I may sooner giue to my Neighbour of my owne then vniustly desire any thing that is his that my hart may be full of thee and empty of all the rest for all besides thee cannot content me thou art the only center of my soule the All of my nothing and the heap of my happines The After-dinner and Euening of the thirteenth dayes Iourney The Decalogue is a spring or branch of the law of Nature CHAP. XXX THE Pilgrime hauing now runne ouer all the ten Commandementes in particuler in the afternoone returning as it were to the whole and entire subiect shall shut vp his circle resuming the compasse and contents of the Decalogue in generall discoursing vpon those three instructions which the Christian and Hebrew Doctours haue noted The Decalogue is of the law of nature The first is that these ten Commandements are conclusions and branches of the law of nature This law is a natural light giuen by God teaching certaine generall maximes out of which doe rise as out of rootes certaine documents like little springs or branches One of these Maximes is VVe must do good Psal 33. 36. 1. Pet. 3. Rom. 12. Math. 7.12 Luc. 6.31 and flye euill A maxime marked by Dauid when he sayd â—â—rne from euill and doe good And afterward by S. Peter and S. Paul Also we must do vnto others as we would be done vnto our selues and not to do vnto others what we would not haue done vnto vs. A maxime expounded by Iesus Christ in these termes All that you would haue men do vnto you doe you the like vnto them for this is the law and the Prophets Also VVe must soueraignly loue him that is all goodnes soueraignely feare him
inordinate desire of excellency whether it reigne within the soule only or be manifested or discouered by wordes or workes outwardly This is the King of sinnes altogeather abhominable before God Aug. ep 5â— Greg. 3. Mora. 31. and the Capitall enemy of all vertue thence as from a pestilent root do all vices spring and take life and especially these Disobedience Boasting Hypocrisy Contention Pertinacy Discord and Curiosity Couetice is a disordinate appetit of hauing an insatiable thirst making continually more drye the more it drinketh Basil hom in diuites 117. from thence come Treason Fraudes Deceit periury Disquietnes violence inhumanity and hardnes of hart Lechery is a disordinate appetite of pleasures of the body she bringeth forth blindnesse of spirit inconsideration Isido l. 2. de bono 39. inconstancy precipitation in affaires seâ—fe loue hatred of God greedines of this life feare â—nâ— horror of death and iudgment and despaire of life euerlasting Basil hom 11. de liuore Cir de zelo liuore Enuy is a sadnes or griefe at the good of others and hate of their prosperity or good successe either of their Superiours because they cannot equall them or of their inferiours in that they would not haue them equalls her daughters are Hatred Murmuring Detraction wicked Ioy of the euill wicked Grieft at the good of another Gluttony is an inordinate desire of eating and drinking her children are Foolish mirth lesting Prating Scurrility Stupidity of senses Greg. mor. 31. and Vnderstanding Anger is a disordinate desire of reuenge of whome do rise Debates Swellings Contumelies Clamours Indignation Bern. ser de Asc Blasphemy Slouth is a languour of spirit remisse and flow to doe well Greg. 3. part curae past 10. and a heauines and sadnes in spirituall thinges of her groweth Malice Rancour Pusillanimity Despaire a loathing of necessary commandements Euagations The Pilgrime hauing this afternoone cast his eyes atteÌ„tiuely vpon these bodyes and branches vpon these Captaines and their companies and recommending himselfe in the euening with some particuler prayer to God the B. Virgin his good Angell that he may be alwayes assisted by their ayde against these enemies he shall looke for lodging and rest The seauenteenth Day Of the first sinne which was of the Angells and of the second which was of Adam and of their effects and of the sinnes of euery one in particuler which maketh the third sort CHAP. XXXVIII WELL to penetrate and discouer the deformity of sinne and to conceaue a duâ— hatred thereof the Pilgrime shall bestow one day in the meditation of the effects of sin therein cleerely to see it selfe for as by the fruit the tree is knowne and the workeman by his worke so is the malice of sinne manifest by the euills thereof The sin of the Angells The first point shall bâ— to bring into his mind and memory the sinne of the first Angel and his Confederates in that faction who hauing beene created to the Image of God in estate of grace and endowed with many excellent guifts of nature rebelling afterward against their Lord and Maker of such noble spirits as they were were made Diuels thrown headlong from heauen to hell there for their rebellion to suffer the torments of euer-burning flames Whereupon the Pilgrime vsing the light of his vnderstanding How to discourse of the sin of Angells to enlighten and moue his will and to stirre it vp to a detestation of sinne in generall and to shame and confusion for his owne in particuler shall thus discourse If these diuine spirits and the most goodly and glorious creatures that were in heauen for one onely sinne were so turned and transformed from an extreme beauty to a monstrous foulnes and deformity how abhominable are those who commit many Who doe nothing els Who are plunged in their vices as Swine in their durt 2. Pet. 25 And with what filthines haue I deformed my owne soule by so many as I haue committed And if God spared not these noble CittizeÌ„s of heauen and seruants of his owne houshould but hath cast them as the Apostle sayth with chaines of darknes into the dungeon of hell reserued for that great day and generall iudgement what entertaynement may I expect at the handes of this soueraigne Iudge if I amend not my life The 2. point shal be appropriated to the consideration of the sinne of Adam which is the second sinne in regard of the person which is man differing in nature from the Angells The sine of Adam heere the Memory shal represent to the Vnderstanding the dolefull fall of our first Fathers and their honourable estate chaÌ„ged into a miserable exile banishment how Adam hauing beene formed of durt and quickned with a soule bearing the Image and likenes of God and Eue brought forth to the likenes of man of one of the sides and ribs of Adam suffering theÌ„selues to be persuaded by their capitall enemy did eat of the forbidden fruit and sodainly lost the grace and fauour of their Creatour the life of the soule and all that they had good besides the guifts of the Holy Ghost Iustice Charity their right to heauen and the immortality of their body Our Pilgrime then shall behould them as present driuen out of Paradise cloathed in beastes skins and from the place of pleasures and delights cast into a countrey of death and malediction Gen. 3.2 in which they performed a long seuere pennance that is 900. yeares and more and finally he shall consider the great corruption that hath come from this root hauing like a generall plague infected all mankind and thrust thousand-thousandes of persons to euerlasting death out of which consideration he shall draw light to discouer the poison of sinne to hate and detest it Euery ones proper sins The third point shall be to meditate in himselfe his owne faultes which is the third sort of sinne in regard of the person Heere our Pilgrime calling to remembrance his owne enormityes shall consider that many thousands are in hell that perhaps had committed but one of those sinnes that he hath done himselfe he shall thinke that many are coÌ„demned to the same hell of euerlasting death for sinnes lesse and fewer then his are whereby he shall learne how great the goodnes of God is toward him hauing thus patiently expected him to pennance and how great is the malice malignity of sinne hauing moued and incited the infinite bounty so farre as to ordaine paines vnspeakable for the grieuousnes of them and eternall for the lasting to punish it withall With which consideration being heat and warmed he shall speake in his speach thus to our Sauiour The speach O souueraigne Lord and Redeemer of my soule how great is the peruersity of this monster whose foulenes thy light hath discouered to me in her effects It made a reuolt in heauen among thy domesticalls making them rebell against thee It hath brought confusion and
plagues to the families of Men and hath marked them all with her infernall brood her malignity was so great and strong that there must be an eternity of punishments to chastice it the infection so deadly that the quickening and life-giuing bloud was necessary to cleanse it O mortall men whereof thinke you when you do the works of death Where is your memory not remembring what is passed Where is your prouideÌ„ce not regarding what is to come Where is your hart and wit yielding your loue to so monstrous and detestable an enemy O sweet Iesus made man for my sinnes crucifyed for my sinnes and raised againe for my iustice pardon me my sinnes which were too great to be pardoned were not thy mercy infinit and by the same mercy keep me from offending thee any more giue me tears to bewaile those I haue committed force to forbeare heerafter both which guifts are worthy of thee and both most necessary to me O Blessed Virgin yet againe To the B. Virgin now alwayes be my Aduocate it is the honour of thy sonne that I may obtaine my suite and the saluation of thy poore and deuoted Pilgrime The after-dinner and Euening of the seauenteenth dayes Iourney The effects of S nne and diuers paines CHAP. XXXIX THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall imploy his houres to ruminate and repeat some particuler effects of sinne the better to know and detest it He shal see how it made the chief Angell so impudent and wicked The first exploit of the diuel that with the first vse of his language he durst accuse his Creatour of enuy and malice in that he had forbidden the tree of knowledge of good and euill to Adam and Eue that they might not be like Gods carrying vnder the colour of this blasphemous calumniation Gen. 3. that poisoned â—art wherewith he stroke to death this poore ill aduised woman and by her her husband Adam by him all mankind he shall cast his eyes vpon the enuy of Cain Gen. 7.21 which made him lift vp his hand to embrew the earth with his brothers bloud to the dissolution of all mortall men togeather buryed in the reuenging waues of the vniuersall Deluge to the pride of the Babylonians bâ—ilding against heaueÌ„ to their owne confusion the impurity of the fiue sinning Cittyes drowned in fire and brimstone the auarice of Giezi Gen. 11.4 Gen. 19.25 4. Peâ— 50. â—atth 26 Luc. 16.19 and of Iudas to the riot of the rich Glutton and other sinners and sinnes By the view whereof he shall conceaue an immortall hatred and shal firmely purpose to serue God withall his hart for the tyme to come without euer offending him neuer so little willingly and towards night hauing made some particuler prayer to the Blessed Virgin he shall thinke of his lodging The eighteenth day A meditation of Death the first effect of sinne CHAP. XL. To whoÌ„ the remeÌ„braÌ„ce of death is grieuous to whom profitable THERE is nothing more vnpleasant then the memory of death to them that doe not liue well nothing is more profitable to those that desire well to gouerne their actions for to liue and reigne alwayes and therefore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with the meditation of death very fitly after that of sinne the father of death This meditation shal haue all his whole and entire partes The Prayer preparatory as alwayes before The first Preamble shall represent a man stretched on his bed in the agony of death The second shall demand grace to reape particuler profit of this exercise The first point shall set before myne eyes that decree and sentence of death giuen by the supreme Iudge on the person of our first Father Adam Gen. 3. Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne againe and executed on the body of him al that haue come of him except Enoch and Elias who notwithstanding shall dye also in their tyme. And therefore S. Paul sayth It is ordayned for all men once to dye Heb. 9.17 Of this meditation he shall marke that as there is nothing more sure and certaine then Death so also there is nothing more vncertaine then the houre and manner thereof and the estate wherein it shall find the soule Eccles 9. whether in grace or in sinne when it shall dislodge and remoue from her body By which circumstance he must stirre vp himselfe to watch and seeke all the meanes and wayes he can to put himselfe in good order and preparation for feare of being surprised and taken vnawares by reason of such vncertainty The second shall be to consider the accidents that do accompany this last conflict The conflict of death as well in soule as in body the remembrance of thinges passed the feare of that is to come the prickinges of griefs and desires the assaults of the Diuell the fayling of our senses and facultyes the coldnes of our members and the benumming of all partes of the body the dole and extreme anguish in the distresse of death all which thinges foreseene will teach vs what danger it is Math. 25. to deferre our preparation to the concurrence of so many calamityes miseryes and infirmityes and to go buy oyle for our lampes What followeth after death the soule saued oâ— damned when it will be tyme to enter into the bridegroomes chamber The third point shall meditate what followeth incontinently after death which is the iudgment of the soule either to saluation or damnation for she is eyther placed among the children of God be it by passing by if she need purgation oâ— presently if she be cleane to enter into heauen reigne there for euer or els carryed away in company of the Diuells to hell there to suffer eternall torments if she left the body seized with any mortall sinne The body in the meane tyme is put into the ground for food to wormes serpents his goods are parted to the liuing who will make merry therewith perhaps will laugh at him for hauing laboured so much for them The speach shall be to Iesus Christ in these wordes O my sweet Redeemer thou hast suffered death to deliuer me from death and hast ouercome death to make me conquerour thereof graunt me by this thy infinit charity and diuine victory the grace to vse and enioy the benefit which thy death hath brought to me and so well to prepare my selfe against this combat of death so valiantly to wrastle with it Psal 115. and so happily to ouercome it that my death may be of those the Prophet speaketh The death of his Saints is precious in the eyes of God and not of those of whome the same Prophet sayth Psal 33. The death of sinners is most miserable Thou saydst sometimes to thy Apostles and Disciples VVatch and stand ready for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when you thinke not of him And againe Math. 24. 25. VValke
whilest you haue light least darkenes do apprehend you And againe by one of thy Scribes Doe iustice before thy d parture Ioan. 12. Luc. 19. Eccles 14.17 for there is no food to be found in hell These are thy aduertisements most excellent and most worthy of a prudent valiant Capitaine for they comprehend and teach all that is necessary well to defend our selues well to fight and to ouercome well to liue and well to dye Graunt then O my soueraigne Lord that I may follow this point by point execute with a faithfull and constant obedience all that thy loue wisedome hath aduised me for my saluation that my life may be nothing but a prudent and continuall preparation to death my death a doore to life euerlasting The After-dinner and Euening of the eighteenth dayes Iourney Diuers sentences of Death CHAP. XLI THE rest of the day the Pilgrime shall passe his tyme way Psal 101.4.12 meditating some sentences of the Scripture or the holy Fathers written of this subiect As are My dayes haue sailed as a smoke and my bones haue withered and dryed vp like small stickes My dayes haue passed like a shaddow and I haue withered like grasse Iob. 14.5 And againe The dayes of man haue passed and the number of his monthes are in thy handes thou hast set boundes which he cannot passe 1. Pet. 1. And againe All flesh is grasse and the glory thereof like the flowre of the field Eccl. 9.12 the grasse hath faded and his flower hath fallen And man knoweâ—h not his end but as Fishes are taken with netts and Birds with snares so are the children of men taken in an euill tyme when it cometh sodainly vpon them Eccl. 9.10 And againe Labour and doe well with thy handes while thou canst for in the graue whither thou goest there is neyther worke nor industry nor knowledge nor wisedome Aug. l. 50 hom 27. Also The gate of pennance is open to vs and the day of death hidden from vs that by despaire we doe not increase our sinnes Item All the rest of our good and euill is vncertaine onely death is certaine Item Idem de verb. De. serm 21. de ciuit l. 13. cap 10 All the tyme of our life is but a race to death With thâ—se sentences and the like he may also remember the happy death of many persons Martyrs and others borne to heauen dying to the earth of diuers wicked men who by disastrous death haue begunne their hell in this world and so he shall passe this day and the next night and euery night after when he goeth to bed he shall remember death and his graue represented by that action and place for sleep is the image of death as the bed is the graue Death is a long sleep and the graue a long lying sleep and the bed are transitory death the graue firme and lasting The nineteenth Day A Meditation of Iudgement Particuler and Generall CAHP. XLII AFTER death sayth S. Paul followeth Iudgment Heb. 9. After the death of euery one in particuler cometh particuler Iudgement after the generall death of all men The Meditation of iudgemeÌ„t profitable commeth the generall Iudgement The memory and meditation of these two is a strong bridle to hold men from sinne a sharp spur to incite him to pennance and to prepare his pleas and books before he be presented to the examination of a Iudge so iust wise and mighty as he that must heare and iudge him Therfore the Pilgrime shall help himselfe with this consideration to cleare himselfe before the iudgment come and also to make him worthy to enter into the Sanctuary of that noble house the end of his Pilgrimage and to visit it with the profit of his soule The Prayer preparatiue as alwayes before The first Preamble for particuler Iudgement shall be to imagine a soule gone out of the body Matth. 25. as presented before God to be iudged and for the general to behould Iesus Christ coÌ„ming in maiesty accompanied with Angells and Saints to make a publike triall and iudgement of all mortall men both in bodyes and soules and to reward or punish euery one according to his workes good or bad The second Preamble shall demand a holsome feare of this fearefull day The first point shall be to meditate the sentences of Scripture that make mention of that day with some great exaggeration of speach as that Sayings of this IugemeÌ„t 2. Cor. 5.10 Heb. 10. Psal 142.2 Iob. 3. 2. Pet. 4.18 VVe must appeare before the Tribunall of Christ that euery one may receaue in his body as he hath done good or bad And It is a horrible thing to fall into the handes of the liuing God The wordes also of Dauid who though he were an holy man yet trembling at the expectation of that day he sayd Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for none liuing can be iustifyed in thy sight And of Iob VVhat shall I doe when God shall rise to Iudgement and when he shall aske what shall I answere And of S. Peter If the lust shall hardly be saued where shall the sinner appeare With which sayings the soule shall spurre forward her selfe saying If the Saints haue so feared this iudgement what shall I poore sinnefull creature do The maiesty of the Iudg. The second point shall bring in consideration the quality of the Iudge wise to know all iust to punish all mighty to execute all his Iudgements and Decrees Whose power none can escape whose wisedome none can deceaue whose equity none can bow Aug. l. de 10. chordis c 1. 2. Innoc. l. 3. de ciuit mundi and from whose sentence none can appeale as the Doctours say And if we tremble before a Iudge whoÌ„ we thinke will not be corrupted what shall the Proud doe before that Iudge who infinitly detesteth that vice What the couetous before the supreme bounty and liberality The Lecher before Purity it selfe What other sinners before him who is the Capitall enemy of all sinne The generall iugement The third point shall set before our eyes that dreadfull generall Iudgement whereof holy men speaking could not find wordes great inough proportionably to expresse the greatnes of it Sound forth sayth one of them sound forth the trumpet in Sion cry out on my holy mountaine that all the Inhabitants of the earth may tremble for the day of our Lord coÌ„meth it is at hand Seph 1.4.15.16 a day of darknes and obscurity a day of cloudes and tribulation And another The great day of our Lord is after this day this is a day of wrath a day of tribulation and anguish a day of tumult and desolation a day of darknes and obscurity a day of cloudes and tempestes a day of the sound of trumpets and alarums This is the day which properly is called the Day of our Lord. The day of Iudgement when the
merits of thy pretious bloud and to offer my selfe to thy seruice for euer with a full and faythfull hart This is my intention end it is thy grace and fauour that must succour my intention and crowne my end the good of thy assistance and the crowne of my end shal be thy glory O glorious Virgin I shall this day see that happy and holy house magnificall with thy greatnes may it please that it may be to thy Sonnes honour and thyne to the health of thy humble and deuoted Pilgrimes soule Going out of his lodging in the morning after his meditation he shall sing the Canticle following as continuing to aske the ayde help of the B. Virgin and stirring himselfe vp to goe forward with a great courage A Canticle to the glorious Virgin Mary Of Gods owne Sonne O Mother glorious Heare my voice O Mother gracious Heare my sighes heare my prayer Obtaine the graunt of my desire My groaning voice doth tell my griefe My instant prayers require reliefe To heauen I sigh with eyes all weeping Heauen I seeke the land of the liuing Obtaine me grace to tread alway The steps of Saints and not to stray To walke on earth straight and euen True Pilgrim-like the way to heauen To see the Chamber that lodg'd Christ And then thy glory in the highest This being done he shall make hast to come if he may soone inough to heare Masse at that holy Chamber and to haue all the after noone free to prepare himselfe to Confession and as soone as in his way he shall haue discouered and discerned the house of Loreto he shall kneele downe saluting the B. Virgin according to the custome of Christiah Pilgrimes which is to salute the places of their Pilgrimage as soone as they see them So the Christians going to recouer the holy Land prostrated themselues at the first sight of Hierusalem he shall therefore salute this noble discouery greeting the B. Virgin and saying O sacred Virgin honour be vnto thee honour be vnto thee Mary full of grace who hast happily brought me hither O happy houre in which I beginne to see that little pallace of my great King and Redeemer and of his glorious Mother O heauely house when shall I kisse the threshold of thy doore The walles of thy house and within the walls admire the wonders that haue made thee admirable And hauing sayd this he shall sing Te Deum Thankes giuing at the arriuall at Loreto and being come vnto the place as he shall feele himselfe comforted and rauished he shall say in thankes-giuing O holy Virgin Holy Mother Virgin of Virgins Mother of Iesus Mother of Grace most pure most chast most inuiolate Mother without touch immortall thankes for thy fauours ptaise honour and eternall glory for thy benefits immortall thankes be to thee for that by thy intercession I am happily arriued at this long desired place and that with myne eyes I see the house I haue so much longed and sighed after Perfect and finish to my good O gracious and faythful Aduocate that which thou hast begun in me and procure that to the prayse of thy deere Sonne my Lord and Redeemer I may cleanse my soule from all sinne and so holily bestow my dayes in this holy Temple that I may depart stored and enriched with all such meanes as shall be necessary forme to performe the rest of my way as well for my returne to myne owne temporall house home as of my great Pilgrimage to the country of heauen and this being sayd he shall heare Masse and Matines of that morning The after-dinner and Euening of the one and twentith dayes Iourney Of choosing a good Ghostly-Father or Confessour CAHP. XLVIII IN the afternoone hauing visited the most markeable places there and hauing vsed some prayers To chose a good Confessour he shall choose some pious Priest learned and wise and one who must be his spirituall Father Iudge and Physitian to conferre with him about the estate of his soule and to appoint a fit houre to make his Confession at euening and shall for that tyme attend to the examen of his conscience for his Confession at the appointed houre and shall prepare himselfe to receaue the next morning the Blessed Body of our Lord and Sauiour Before the examen he shall demand the assistance and grace of God by this or the like prayer A prayer to be sayd before the Examen which is made before Confession LORD God who making me according to thine owne Image and likenes hast giuen me memory principally to remember thy good and myne owne euill to thanke thee for the one cry mercy for the other and confesse them graunt me by thy holy mercy Eccl. 38.15 thy grace with the fruit of compunction to bring before thee all my yeares in the bitternes of my soule and to shew my selfe to my selfe and liuely to represent to the eyes of my soule the estate of my life passed the benefits I haue receaued the sinnes I haue committed in thought word or deed against thy holy Lawes and Commandements by Pride Couetise Impurity Enuy Gluttony Anger Slouth with my eyes eares and other my senses giue me throghly to know the woundes and defects of my soule that I may faithfully confesse them and by confessing be pardoned cured and strengthned to serue thee my Lord and my life better thē hitherto I haue done And this I desire by the merits of thy Sonne Iesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen Of the examen before Confession CHAP. XLIX THIS examen must be so much the more exact and diligent by how much the longer the tyme is that must be examined as ten twenty thirty or more yeares It is performed in running ouer the ten Commandements the seauen Capitall sinnes the fiue senses with the circumstances The particular calling of euery one as of Clarke Priest Religious Magistrate Souldiour Prelate Superiour Aduocate Physitian Artificer euery one beside the general duty of a Christiā hath proper pointes of his owne particuler calling which he must looke ouer if perhaps he hath failed in any of them How he must examine his Conscience for Confession CHAP. L. An examen vpō th Commandements HE shall therefore examine himselfe vpon the first Commandement searching if he hath thought spoken or done any thing against fayth hope or charity which he oweth to God If he hath doubted in any point of the Catholike Religion or spoken against it read any hereticall bookes or had any familiarity with Witches or Southsayers and finally if he hath serued God with all his hart soule as this first Precept importeth He shall doe the like in the second and the rest running ouer the Capitall vices called Mortall Of the mortall sinnes he shall examine himselfe in his conscience if he hath had any thought in presumption if spoken any vanity shewed any
pride so in the sinne of Couetise and the rest Of the fiue senses he shall remember if he hath abused his eyes by any curious or lasciuious lookes his tongue by speaking detraction Of the 5. senses or his eares by hearing it and other vaine thinges and so of the other senses If he be a Church-man besides that which is common to all Christians he shall consider in particuler how he hath carried himself in his estate if he hath assisted at diuine seruice if he hath sayd his Canonicall houres if he hath learned what is required to his charge to heare confessiōs say Masse preach If he be Religious Religious he shall call his consicience to account about his Vowes and rules if he haue beene a proprietary against the vow of Pouerty if he hath committed any thing against Chastity or hath beene disobedient If he be a Prince Prince whether he hath maintained the honour of God if he haue kept iustice if he hath gouerned like a Father Gentleman or grieued his people A Gentlemā if he hath done wrong to his neighbours or abused them If he be a Magistrate Counseller President Iudge if he haue diligently examined the right of euery one Magistra◠Iudge and iustly rendred euery one his owne if he hath taken bribes or iudged against his conscience If he be a Consull Consul or chiefe Magistrate of the Citty if he hath beene willingly or negligently wanting to the publike good An Aduocate Aduocat if he hath vndertaken the defence of vniust causes or if he hath faithfully defended the right A Proctor Proctour if he hath dealt truely with his Clients if he hath not vsed craft and cunning in prolonging suites and hindering the course of Iustice Capitaine Captaine if he hath kept caused to be kept the military and martial laws if he hath faithfully serued his Prince if he hath beene cowardly or stricken any wrongfully A Souldiar if he spoiled poore men Souldier if he hath beene true and faithfull if he hath beaten or killed any man in villany out of warre If he be a Superiour or Prelate Superior whether he hath commanded iustly and prudently if he haue beene arrogant or impious in his charge A Regent or Maister if he haue diligently and faythfully taught his scholless Scholler giuing them in word and workes example of vertue A Scholler if he hath lost his tyme or kept the lawes and order of the Schoole Physitiā A Phisitain if he hath beene diligent and faythfull in attending his Patient if by his fault any haue dyed Apothecary or fallen into any inconuenience of body An Apothecary if he hath made his Medicines of sound entire Drugs not sophisticated if he hath faithfully followed the Physitians bill Surgeon A Surgeon if he hath beene negligent in attending his hurt and sicke patient if he hath prolonged the wound to get more money Merchant and fill his purse A Merchant if he hath sold to deare or vsed false weights or measures Printers or Booke-binders Printer Booke-binder if they haue printed or sould pernicious hereticall wanton or diflamatory libells Artificer if he hath done his work fraudulētly if he hath filched wrought vpon the holy dayes Artificer and thus of other estates Women and Maides shall also particulerly examine themselues about the vanity of their apparell their too much speaking or speaking euill of their too much care of their corps of impatience choler couetise of the goods of this world and of other vices more familiar to their sexe The Penitent shall discourse ouer all and shall note wherin he hath failed and shal make as it were a table of his sinnes and kinds in his memory or in paper to confesse them This examen being thus made he shal say the prayer following immediatly before he goeth to Confession A Prayer to say before Confession CHAP. LI. Mercy ready for the Penitent ALMIGHTY God who desirest the conuersion and life of a sinner and not his death and perdition and hast promised the grace of thy benediction and mercy whensoeuer and how often soeuer repenting and confessing he shall cry thee mercy with an humble and contrite hart giue me if it please thee a firme voice tongue to confesse the sinnes I remember and say wholsomly before thy secret Tribunall with the Prophet I haue sinned and done ill before thee alone Psal 50.5 Take frō me all feare and vicious shame that I may freely simply purely and entirely discouer all the faults woundes griefes of my wounded soule to him whome thou hast giuen me for Lieutenant of thy iustice for the iudgement and remission of my sinnes And if I haue dared with a damnable boldnes to incense thee with thousandes of sinnes that I may dare also now with an humble confidence to confesse them to aske and receaue pardon in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer The order we must keep in Confession CHAP. LII THIS prayer being sayd and his sinnes noted he shall present himselfe at the place and houre appointed to the Priest and hauing asked and receaued his blessing shall say his Confiteor vnto mea culpae and shall beginne to confesse his sinnes according to the order of his examen and memorial runing ouer his whole conscience faythfully purely simply humbly and without affected ceremonies of wordes or gestures without accusing any other to excuse or diminish his owne fault without telling what he hath not done but accusing himselfe alone and only of his sinnes with the greatest sense and feeling of deuotion and compunction that he can and after he hath told all in his memory he shall make an end of his Confiteor and desire his Ghostly Father to aske him and to bring into his remembrance what he might haue forgotten and this done he shall receaue of him pennance absolution and shall prepare himselfe all the rest of the day and some part of the night to communicate the next morning and going from the place of Confession shall for thankes-giuing say this prayer following A prayer to say after Confession CHAP. LIII O sweet Iesu the true Physitian healer of my diseases the true life and peace of my soule the true solace of my hart I humbly thanke thee for all the benefites I haue receaued of thee since my first being and namely for this last wherby thou hast giuen me meanes to cast my selfe at thy feet to aske thee mercy reconcile my selfe vnto thy Maiesty iustly offended with my faults and to reuiue in me the ioy and riches of thy good fauour and friendship Alas O my souueraigne Sauiour what had become of my poore soule if thy iustice had according to my demerit drawne her out of this body and life in so miserable a plight all couered and infected with
to our profit and of his whole holy Church Suscip â—â— Dominus ho. sacriâ—cium c. After he shall offer vp his soule and body with all that he hath in holocaust to this soueraigne Maiesty who hath beene so liberall and so gentle to vs as to giue himselfe after so many fashions and to familiarize himselfe in this action Per â—mâ—â—aâ— sâ—â—ula â—e 〈◊〉 Dominus â—oâ—â—â—â—m Suâ—â— coâ—â—â— with so amiable a presence and so straite an amity When the Priest pronounceth the foure precedent clauses of the Preface he shall answere therto with hart and mouth and withall his might shall excite his fayth and loue towardes God especially at these words Sursum corda Our harts on high what is myne Come O my Lord and enter into the house of thy poore seruant to strengthen it to beautify it to make it pure with thy purity and beautifull with beauty capable of thy blessings enriched with 〈◊〉 â—races and happy with thy present goodnes Amen After he shal receaue the body of our Lord at the handes of the Priest withall the humility that a poore seruant can bring receauing into his house the Maiesty of his God and if any foolish conceit happen to fall into his fancy such as the Diuell often vseth at that tyme to cast into the bosome of the deuout soule to breake and disgust the tast of his deuotion he shall contemne it and make no reckoning thereof but shall passe on sticking to the MeditatioÌ„ of the B. Sacrament which he commeth to receaue In the last part of the Masse which is all that followeth after the Communion consisting in nothing but prayers and thankesgiuing he shall thanke God and say the prayer following A prayer after receauing CHAP. X. IMMORTAL thankes be vnto thee for thy fauour O my Creatour Redeemer thanks for this heauenly food this virginall flesh this deified body for this precious purifying quickening and deifying Bloud In this banquet O my Lord I behould the meruailes of thy almighty power of thy infinite goodnes and wisedome and acknowledge that to be true which thy Prophet did sing long since Psal 110. Our Lord hath made a memoriall of his wonderous workes he hath prepared food for those that feare him O my soule now fill thy selfe seeing that hauing taken this food thou hast within thee him that filleth all satisfy thy selfe on this meat which giueth glory life euerlasting O my senses heere be you astonished you my eyes see nothing but the whitenes roundnes of the bred thou my tongue feelest only the tast of a fraile elemeÌ„â— and thou my vnderstanding canst not with the wings of thy discourse ascend to the height and knowledge of this mystical banquet It is true but be not therefore sory O my senses for such a noble dish must be serued to a more noble taste the tast of the soule not to the palate of the body as other earthly meates are taken indeed by the body but chewed and tasted by the spirit considered by the eyes of faith and consumed and digested by the fire of heauenly charity not by the heat of our body or mortall stomacke But you are not here left without your part also for this flesh that seedeth the soule giueth also immortality to the body and will bring you to the immortal glory in the general resurrection of al mankind O flesh immortall O flesh virginall O flesh diuine O fruitfull virgin O most pure Mother who hast seasoned this flesh and bread for vs blessed be thou and blessed be the fruit of thy wombe for euer and euer Procure O Virgin by thy intercession that it may conserue me in the loue of thy SoÌ„ne in the purity of thy grace and nourish me vnto life euerlasting Amen Masse being done and his prayers said he shal retourne to his Inne to his refection How to heare a Sermon CHAP. XI BECAVSE the hearing of the word of God after Masse is one of the most common important actions of Christians and wherein diuers errours are committed which depriue the soule of the fruit it might receaue thereby the pilgrime that will profit The art of hearing is as necessary as the art of speaking wel and get saluation by his deuotion must needes be instructed in this exercise and know as well how to vse his eares as the Preacher his tongue The common sort thinke it sufficient that the Preacher can speake well and mount vp to a pulpit or chaire furnished with goodly stuffe thence to sell his words to the eares of hearers but it is not so for reason doth tell vs that the art of hearing is as necessary as the art of speaking our Sauiour the true wisedome doth teach vs that the greatest part of the hearers of his word loose their tyme for want of this art and preparation For of foure sortes he assigneth he signifyeth Matth. 1â— that three reape no profit thereof The word of God is the meat and medicine of the soule as the body if it be ill prepared insteed of being nourished by its materiall meat The word of God the medicine of the soule or helped by the potion it receaueth into the stomack were it the most exquisite in the world waxeth worse and ingendreth crudities and dyeth by the medicine in like sort he getteth little good by the sermon who heareth it without due preparation and the Aphorisme of that great Physician Hippocrates The more we nourish the body ill affected the more we hurt it is found most true by similitude in the soule for the more that an impure and indisposed soule is preached vnto Why the Pharisies waxed worse by our Sauiours sermons the more it becometh ouercharged and weake And therefore the Scribes and Pha isies waxed worse by hearing the sermons of our Sauiour And that which Aristotle wrote that young men that is such as suffer themselues to be câ—ryed away with the heat of their sensuality and passion are not proper schollers for the schoole of Philosophy may b tter be verified of Chri tians ill disposed and prepâ—red to heare good instructions that they are not capable to heare the word of God How it importe h to be prepared for the word of God Contrarywise a good and due preparation reapeth an vnspeakable fruit euen from a meane Pre cher and we haue knowne sometimes hearers well disposed to haue vndertaken notable resolutions of pennance and vertue by one word yea by some one gesture of him that spake who at other tymes without that disposition haue beene hardened and obstinate to the amplifications and forces of the most fine and rare eloquence One sparke of fire is sufficient to kindle a whole barrell of powder but a great cole is not sufficient to heat a peece of Brasse The word of God is the electuary of the soule This therefore is a most necessary knowledge to heare well the word of God the word of
all wordes the electuary of the soule the bird of Paradise which caryeth in her becke and vnder her wings the Manna of the true and heauenly philosophy Our Sauiour the essential word of his Fa her taught vs this science Matt. 13. in that notable sermon he made of the Seed where assigning foure sorts of hearers wherof three were ill he sheweth what faults they should want Three so tes of ill hearers signified and what qualities they should haue that would reape profit by his word The first sort were those whome he compareth to the high way where the seed of the sower falling and not being couered with the earth is piâ—ked vp and eaten by the Birds The second those who â—ike a stony field where the seed hauing sprung a little vp and not finding root is dryed vp and withered by the heat of the Sunne The third those who are as a good field but full of thornes where the seed growing vp is at last choaked By the first similitude are declared those who negligently heare the Sermon The first are the negligeÌ„t 〈…〉 or only to seed the eares with curiosity to heare some fine wouen discourse 〈…〉 choice wordes some subtill sentences without â—y â—aâ—e to learne how to know or amend themselueâ— and finally who go to the sermon as to some lecture or 〈…〉 Philosopher or Sophister Such people haue their soule◠〈◊〉 with a thousand fond cogitations and are â—â—poâ—â—l to the prekings of the Diuells who like spirituall 〈…〉 snatch out of their memory the graine of that diuine seed and will keep it from bringing forth any fruit or growing to any greenesse The 2. and â—â—ut and sinners By the second is noted the vice oâ— those who receaue and hide this seed in their soule with some spiritual ioy and gladnes but into a small depth of good ground oâ— true deuotion whether it be that they are lâ—â—den with diuerse sinnes as it were inward stones hardened by ill customes or for that they are not throughly resolued to do well and therfore subiect to wither at the least heate of temptation The third worldly and couetous By the third he reprehendeth those who are ouerwhelmed with the solicitude of worldly affaires who though they haue a soule good and well disposed yet the heauenly seed cannot there growe but is stifled and choaked with the presse and multitude of their worldly and thorny businesses True hearers of the word of God To haue then the field of our soule we â—â—isled and our eares well prepared to heare and receaue fruitfully the word of God we must be free and exempt from these vices and haue the contrary qualities and to bring vnto the sermon a sound and straight intention to seeke our owne health and saluation The hireling and vaine preacher which is also the true end of the Preacher For he that preacheth for profit is but a poore Mercenary and a poore merchant in the house of God giuing gold for straw and he that preacheth for vaine glory and to be esteemed is a simple fellow and is like him that chargeth his harquebtize with pellets of gold or Saphires to shoot at Crowes The faithfull Preacher A faithfull preacher seeketh God and the good and saluation of his hearers and his Auditours must heare to that end also and receaâ—e their instruction with a reciprocall eare and equall intentioÌ„ whereby he shall come with great desire well to vnderstand the Preacher with a firme resolution well to amend himself and put in practise what he heareth For to heare it attentiuely only to remember it and repeate it is not to attaine to the chiefe point of profit he must put it in execution shew by his workes and not by wordes only that he doth well remember it Epiâ—tetus in lâ—nchâ—r The sheep sayth a certaine Philosopher doth shew by her good milke by her fine fleece and by her sweet and sauoury flesh that she is well fed and not by casting what she eateth So our Sauiour pronounceth happy not those that heare his word but those that heare and keep it Those that haue their soule and eares so qualifyed before and after the sermon make the fourth kind of hearers whome our Sauiour approueth and prayseth Luc. 1â— 86 and those are only they that take profit in hearing his word and do reap greater or lesser haruest according to the measure that the field of their soule is cultiuated with these vertues by more or lesse preparation Our Pilgrime therefore shall endeauour to be of the best prepared most diligent that he may be of the richest in the reaping of those spirituall blessings The After-dinner and the Euening of the two and twentith day Exercises of Deuotion CHAP. XII HE shal passe the Afternoone in the exercise of pious workes in the reading of some good booke in visiting the holy place in viewing the votiue tables hanging vpon the Church walls contayning the miracles done there by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin in hearing the sermon Euensong Litanies and Hymnes that there are song by diuers Pilgrimes to the honour of the Sonne and his glorious Mother to giue almes if he hath wherewithall to conferre with spirituall men about some matters meet â—or the Virgins Deuote especially hauing that day beene admitted to the Table of our Sauiour Hauing thus bestowed the day he shall retire himselfe to his refection and rest at his lodging with his accustomed prayers taking some point of his morning meditation or of the Ghospell read that day in the Masse or some other subiect which he shall chuse or take of his spirituall Father The three and twentith day A Meditation of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin CHAP. XIII THE Pilgrime in the second day of his ariue the three and twentith of his voyage Epiph. cont Collirid ser 10. ser de laud Mar. hauing prayed a while in his chamber shall go early in the morning to the Chapell and there shall make his principall meditation of the morning drawne out of the subiect of the Conception of the B. Virgin For entry thereunto he shall set before his eyes the history of S. Ioachin S. Anne who being past hope of children but by speciall fauour from heauen Greg. Niss hom de hum Chr. gener 17. finding themselues both barren by nature and ouer-aged they perseuered in prayer demanding of God issue to be deliuered from the reproch of sterility and making a vow to consecrate vnto God what he should send them Niceph. l. 1. c. 17. Germ. CoÌ„stant Pat. de Mariae oblation Niceph. l. 1. c. 7. ex Epiph. Niss The first point shall containe the message which the Angell brought from â—eauen that they should haue a daughter of great vertue Ioachim being on the mountaine praying and S. Anne in her garden The second point shall propose certaine figures of this future Conception the first shal be taken
from the history of the creation of the world where it is sayd That God created light before all thinges This light was the matter whereof God framed the Sunne the fourth day as S. Denu sayth which is a figure of the Conception of the B. Virgin Gen. 1.26 S. Denis c. 4. de diu nominibus the mysticall light whome God brought forth without corruption out of the barenesse of Ioachim and Anne as of nothing therof afterward to forme the humanity of Iesus Christ the Sunne of the world and to cause of her to be borne both God and Man S. Tho. 3. p. q. 60. c. 12. the fourth day that is in the Law of grace which is the fourth estate o◠day of the world the first day hauing beene vnder sinne the second vnder the law of Nature the third vnder the law of Moyses Procl ser de natiuit Deiparat The second figure shall be the earth whereof Adam was made which was free from malediction wherto it was after subiect for sinne As therefore the first earth the matter of the first Adam was in the beginning without any curse or malediction S. Bruno Carth. in Psal 101. so the second earth whereof the second Adam Iesus Christ was to be formed was without the malediction of that originall staine in her conception Pet. Dam. in serm de virg Ass Dominic tract de corpore Christi The third shal be Gedeons Fleece wherein the Pilgrime shall consider that as the Fleece is ingendred without corruption and feeleth no passion of the Body so the Blessed Virgin was in her generation without sinne or any stayne of concupiscence a prerogatiue giuen only to her aboue al other children of Adam ingendred by the ordinary course in respect that she was to be the mother of God by another prerogatiue vnheard of before Luc. 2.44 Ieremy and S. Iohn were indeed sanctifyed in the wombe of their Mother notwithstanding they were first infected Ierem 15. Hier. in 3. Isa they were healed but not exempted from that wound The B. Virgin by a more noble priuiledge was preserued both from the wound and from the scarre thereof The third point shall consider some prophecyes of the same Conception Psal 84. as out of Dauid Lord thou hast blessed thy earth that is the Sonne of God who should preserue from sinne the Virgin that was to be his Mother Ar. ibid. Isid ad Floren. Also The Highest hath sanctifyed his Tabernacle that is the Virgin who was to be the Tabernacle of God and therefore was by him prepared and sanctifyed from the beginning with a sanctificatiō most meet for such a Sonne Psalm 48. and such a Mother In the same sense sayth Salomon Sap. 9. Wisedome hath built her selfe a house It is then a most perfect house seeing Wisedome it selfe hath built it a house all beautifull in the foundation and euery part according to an other prophecy Cant. 4. Thou art all beautifull and there is no spot in thee In the fourth point he must consider that for diuers reasons Why her conception was sāctified The first reason The 2. this Conception was to be exempted from Originall sinne 1. For that it was no way decent that the Virgin which should conceaue the Sonne of God should be marked in her generation with that spot which maketh men children of the Diuell for thereby the Sonne had beene some way dishonoured 2. Seeing that sundry seruants of her Sonne were both before and after her sanctifyed in their mothers wombe as Hieremy and S. Iohn as we haue sayd it were reason that the generation of the Mother of the Holy of Holyes should be honoured with some more noble prerogatiue and that not ōly she should be cleansed from sinne as other Saints were but also preserued from all vncleanesse in her Mothers wombe as she was in all her life The third 3. For that in this prerogatiue do shine the power wisedome and goodnes of God for heere appeared the worke of an Almighty Power in hindring that the poison which infected all the children of Adam in their origen should not in any sort touch either flesh or soule of her who was chosen to beare the soueraigne Physician of mankind There appeared the glory of his infinite wisedome Wisedom in that he could separate vnto himselfe a Mother free from all sort of sin therin appeared the liberality of his soueraigne bounty not only in hauing so plentifully bestowed his graces vpon this glorious Virgin but also in hauing preserued her from all euill Bounty from the first instant of her being These shall be the 4. points of his morning meditation out of all which the Pilgrime shall gather cōclusions either to exalt the greatnes of the diuine Maiesty and to admire it in this his worke or to stirre vp himselfe to the reuerence of the Mother of God and to enkindle himselfe to deuotion in her holy seruice to the glory of the Creatour admirable in th◠framing of this his Creature Be thou therefore eternally praysed A Prayer to God O Creatour of all thinges and soueraigne Maker of the Mother of thy Sonne Thou didst appeare great admirable in creating the heauēs the throne of thy Maiesty and the earth thy footstoole yet dost thou appeare more wonderfull in this worke for thou madest in her an heauen and earth of which stuffe thy Sonne was to make and take the cloake of his holy humanity a heauen which out of her substance should giue the Sunne of the world an earth that should bring forth the Sauiour of the world a heauen and earth conceiued miraculously of the barren to conceaue afterward by a greater miracle him that made heauen and earth and all things of nothing O happy houre that gaue the beginning to this diuine generation and more happy that measured the progresse and most happy that saw it perfect and finished To the B. Virgin O noble Virgin O noble seed of our heauenly light O earth of our fruit O mother of our saluation who can worthily speake of the course of thy life seeing the very beginning thereof exceedeth the tongues and capacities of men and Angells The After-dinner of the three and twentith Day Of the purity of Christian actions in their intention CHAP. XIIII IN the afternoone the Pilgrime shal attend as the day before to pious works shall hear◠the sermon diuine Office shall read some good booke shall conferre with his Ghostly Father or other deuout persons shall say his beads giue almes or beg for himselfe or others sing some Hymne of the B. Virgin or heare the Salue Regina song or some other for the tyme. In the euening he shall make his meditation in the Church vpon some point of his morning meditatiō labouring throughly to know and prayse the greatnes and goodnes of of God in the excellent purity of this Conception shall vnderstand
that it is much more beseeming the Maiesty of God and his Mother to be conceaued without original sinne then to be cleansed from it more noble to haue been light from the beginning then of darknes to haue beene made light more approaching to the sense and mind of the Catholike Church which honoureth this conceptioÌ„ with a solemne feast though she doth not condemne of heresy those who belieue that she was touched with originall sinne but after from heauen sanctifyed Pure intion the foundation of all Christian actions Luc. 11.34.36 He shall gather also certaine conclusions and practicall rules of his spirituall discourse as that our actions should be pure in their conception and beginning in the thought in the will that we must beginne by the light to be children of the light that the good and pure intention which our Sauiour calleth The eye of the soule ought to be the foundatioÌ„ of all our workes These and such like rules he shall frame in his mynd and shall verify them in the life of the Blessed Virgin who from her infancy neuer sought in her actions any thing but the glory of God This hath beene her light her beginning her end in all that she did thought or sayd VpoÌ„ these reasons and examples our Pilgrime shall make a full purpose to reforme his life to Godward and to serue him with all his hart to the imitation of his glorious Mother and shall say O B. Virgin To the B. Virgin all bright and beautifull cast some beames of thy diuine fauour vpon the soule of this poore sinner thy deuoted seruaÌ„t driue away my darkenes with my holy light and my coldnes with thy heauenly heaâ—e and strengthen my weaknes with thy mercifulâ— power Make me see that Sunne that came out of thy bowels make me feâ—le the vanity of this vaine world and the firmenesse and solidity of those goods which this thy Sonne hath gâ—tten for vs with his precious bloud and that this may be the profit of the piâ—grimage which I haue vndertaken to thy house and of the vow I haue made to thee O Virgin of all Virgins The foure and twentith Day A Meditation of the Natiuity of the glorious Virgin CHAP. XV. THE meditation of this morning shall be of the Natiuity of the Blessed Virgin in three points The first shall consider some figures of this Natiuity The firmament as the Firmament which God made and filled with many goodly starres to the likenes of this B. Virgin a liuing heauen and firmament as the holy Doctours call her high and solâ—d in perfectioÌ„ marked with a thousad goodly vertues in her soule Earthly Paradise as with spirituall starres Also the earthly Paradise pâ—anted with most excellent fruites and made in the Month of Septer for the dwelling of the first Adam which is a figure of the Virgin giuen vnto the world in the same month adorned with all sort of graces a garden of delights where the second Adam Iesus Christ should dwell much more happily Exod. 2â— 20 pleasantly then the other in the earthly paradise Also the Arke of the Testament made of incorruptible wood couered with plates of gold within without Heb. 9. where the heauenly Manna was kept as this Virgin exempt from all corruption in her Conception beautifyed both in soule and body with excellent guifts hath giuen and kept the Manna that feedeth our soules Iesus Christ discoursing vpon these figures he shal admire the goodnes of God bestowing on the world so noble a creature and shall thanke him therefore and stirre vp himselfe to deuotion of the Creatour and of this B. Virgin Prophecies of her Natiuity Num. 24. For the second point he shall take some Prophecye as among others this A starre shall rise out of Iacob and a man from Israell The B. Virgin is signifyed by this starre so called by the Saints by reason of her heauenly and eminent vertues her Sonne by the name of Man For he is verily the Man of men Cant. 6. and Sauiour of men Also VVho is she that coÌ„meth ascending like the morning rising beautifull as the Moone chosen as the Sunne terrible as a battaile in aray This is the B. Virgin appearing comming to the world with her celestiall purity next and before the Sunne the spirituall morning and more beautifull a thousand tymes then our worldly morning for she did not only bring tydings of the day at hand but brought him forth not only did make the end of the night of this world but also the day of the grace of our Redeemer Also A rodd shall rise out of the roote of lesse Isa 11. and from the roote thereof shall spring a flower This Rod is the B. Virgin sayth S. Hierome hauing no other shrubbe ioyned with her Hier. 16. The flower is her Sonne Iesus Christ Cant. 2. The flower of the field as he is called issued from this Virgin whereof the same Prophet sayd cap. 7. Behold a a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a sonne Vpon these like prophecies he shall discourse in his meditation still gathering the fruit of loue or admiration to the prayse of God and this holy Virgin In the third point he shall meditate the Natiuity it selfe reioycing therin honouring it as the chiefest that hath byn among men The natiuity of the B virgin most honourable and ioyfull worthy of all ioy and honour Others hitherto haue beene of misery and sadnes as the wiser sort of men haue acknowledged and the Princes of the earth that made feastes vpon their birth day were ill aduised and ignorant of their owne estate and condition for their birth was but vncleanes and an entry vnto misery but this is of good fortune and ioy being without al deformity of sinne the only cause of al euils and for that therin the world hath receaued the neerest beginning of saluation the Mother of Messias to come of the Sauiour at hand of that Sunne rysing which should bring vs the day so much desired and therefore the Church singeth and inuiteth her children to reioyce in this day saying Let vs with solemnity celebrate this feast of the Natiuity of her who was euer a Virgin the mother of God Mary This is the day that saw borne the liuing heauen this blessed earth this starre of the Sea this paradise of pleasure this Arke of the Testament this Rod of lesse this faire morning that bringeth the Sunne and so shall discourse on the ioy of this Natiuity and conclude with these or the like wordes O day desired aboue all the dayes of the precedent ages or rather the only day all the rest being but night To the birth day of the B. Virgin for seeing the morning did not appeare before thee and the bright shyning and quickening sunne was yet farre distant from the Horizon of our Redemption surely all the dayes before thee were
nightes and men that liued in those dayes liued in darknes altogeather or at most in that small weake light of the Moon and starres of the law of Nature and Moyses Be thou therefore O day of such a Natiuity blessed aboue all the dayes of the world and be thou O chamber honoured aboue all the Princely palaces of the earth for hauing receaued into thy bosome this rysing starre O people of Sion reioyce yee in the birth of this Virgin whome your mysteryes haue so much celebrated your Prelats so much foretould your Fathers so desired as the best and most noble flower of the race of your Kinges of your Synagogue Reioyce also O yee Gentils behould the morning that endeth the night of your ignorance and bringeth you the light of heauen a Virgin that shal beare you a Redeemer a Queene that shall giue you a King that shall make you all Kinges Reioyce thou also O my soule that thy eyes doe see the place where this morning this Virgin this starre was first seene and pray her there with a deuout hart that with the aboundance of her graces she wold obtayne of this great God whome she gaue vnto the world light to vnderstand his holy lawes loue to imbrace them force to performe them as long as thou shalt walke Pilgrime vpon the earth that thou mayst prayse him eternally in heauen Hauing made his prayer he shall heare Masse and communicate with his accustomed preparation and employ all the morning in like exercises The After-dinner and euening of the foure twentith Day Of the B. Virgins Auncestours and of the vanity of worldly greatnes CHAP. XVI IN the Afternoone hauing taken some honest recreation in reading some good booke or talking with his Ghostly Father or some other of good conuersation he shall heare Euensong and the diuine Office and shall haue his meditation ready against night The B. Virgin her Auncestours which shall be of the same matter of the first gathering some new instructions and points as of the nobility of the B. Virgin hauing for her Auncestours the holy Patriarches Abraham Isaac Iacob so many Kinges Princes and Lords as are recited and named in the Ghospel of the day The vanity of worldly greatnes Of the vanity of worldly greatnes and the solidity of vertue and eternall goods setting before his eyes on the one side the long list of those Princes and that notwithstanding the house of Dauid was brought to the condition of a poore Artificer the Scepter thereof being vsurped by Herod a straÌ„ger and forrenner How god raysed the house of Dauid Considering on the other side how God would rayse this royal house of Dauid not by ordinary wayes by aboundance of honours and worldly treasures but by giuing a Virgin that should surpasse the nobility of all the Kings of the earth and who should bring forth a Sonne that should restore the Kingdome The spiritual kingdome of Dauid established by Iesus Christ and seat of his Father Dauid by a way worthy of an Almighty King changing earth to heauen tyme to eternity writing his heauenly lawes in the harts of mâ—n and making them to be published ouer all the world establishing with the price of his owne precious bloud an heauenly and euerlasting kingdome therin to crowne for Kings all his friends and seruants and to heape on them glory and euerlasting riches Of these and like considerations he shall take occasion to prayse our Lord so wise as to find such wayes to repaire the ruines of mankind so liberall to communicate his goods and graces to his creatures and namely to this sacred Virgin to make her Mother of his Sonne and his Sonne Redeemer of the world And hauing made his speach and conclusion of his deuotion he shall draw towardes his lodging shall finish the rest of his Iourney saying our Ladyes Litanies or other prayers to take his repose and rise the more fresh fit for his morning exercise The fiue and twentith Day A meditation of the Presentation of the B. Virgin in the Temple CHAP. XVII THIS day The B.V. presented to the Temple the Pilgrime hauing sayd his accustomed prayers at his lodging shall goe to the holy House there to performe his principall Meditation which shall be of the presentation of the holy Virgin when her father Ioachim and Anne her Mother Niceph. l. 1. cap. 7. Niss ser de human Christi S. Euod epist. ad Antioch did bring her to the Temple of Hierusalem at three yeares of age there to offer and consecrate her to God The prayer preparatory as before The first preamble shall represent S. Ioachim and S. Anne as standing at the gate of the Temple to offer their little creature this Virgin to the high Priest to be admitted receaued among the virgins consecrated to Almighty God The second preamble shall demand grace duely to vnderstand this mystery The first point shall be to consider Our Bl. Ladyes childhood wonderfull euery way that as the Conception of the B. Virgin was a worke beyond the ordinary course and law by a singular grace wherby she was so conceiued of barren and old parents and by a speciall priuiledge aboue all the children of Adam preserued from all sinne and vncleanes being all pure and heauenly as also her Natiuity was diuine correspondent to her Conception so her childhood exceeded the common course of others and was endowed with all the blessings that might make that age admirable And if the holy Scripture sayth nothing thereof The son of Cresus Zoroastes Hercules S. Ambrose Plato it is because it may necessarily be presumed Some children haue beene meruailous for speaking a little after their birth others for laughing when they were borne others for hauing killed serpents S. Ambrose was honoured with a prodigious swarme of Bees that set themselues on his mouth who will not then belieue that the infancy of our B. Lady was honoured with all spirituall and rare graces and that this part of her life was agreeable proportionate to the two preceding The vertus of this virgin infant and ensuing parts thereof which were all admirable therfore heere the contemplatiue soule must represent her a little creature as a wonder of creatures a child prudent sage aduised modest deuout hauing nothing childish but body and yeares and hauing a great soule in a small body and finally a Virgin bearing in her childhood all the qualityes conditions that should make the fouÌ„dation of vertue for the most noble wise couragious and most vertuous Lady of the world And in such discourses he shall prayse the greatnes of the workeman for hauing made such a creature and shall stirre vp his loue and deuotion to the seruice of him and of this Virgin for the loue of him Why she was presented The first cause The second point shall containe two causes among many other of this oblation wherof the neerest
84. yeares Luc. 2.37 who departed not from the Tēple giuing her selfe to fasting and praying day and night as S. Luke in his Ghospell sayth Chap. 2. In the company then of these Virgins and holy Women was consecrated to God this Virgin of Virgins and Mother of al mothers and Widow of widowes to sanctify and beginne a foundation for other virgins and widowes that should serue God in the Law of Grace consecrating to him by solemne vow their body and soule not for a tyme but for all their life long The B.V. remained in the Temple vntill the 14. yeare of her age ended Niceph. l. 2. cap. 3. Heere the Pilgrime shall meditate attentiuely first what this chosen child might do during her infancy in the house of her Father which was euen this heauēly Chamber wherein he maketh his meditation how many signes she gaue in this her yong age of her present and future sanctity In her cariage In her words and actions In her modesty in her obedience in her going in her eyes and in the gouernement of all her senses and gestures Secondly with what ardour and feruour of deuotion and piety with what innocent purity of body and soule with what consent and harmony of al the great vertues of a celestiall virgin she serued that supreme Maiesty in the Temple for eleuen yeares she remayned there O little habitation O happy house of Nazareth which first didst behould to moue and shine this beautifull shining starre performing the course of her infancy within thy walles closure that first heardst her speake first didst see her go didst first behold her graue modest footesteps and marchings O Temple most honourable in the holynes of this offering in the greatnes of this Queene in the dwelling of this Virgin her selfe a Temple more royall then thou builded of more precious matter and by a wiser workman then he that made thee a liuing Temple a worke of the Holy Ghost built of precious stone and adorned withall sort of graces who was to be a Tabernacle and Pauilion to the King of Kinges and a refuge to mankind O God great worke man of this wonder as of all others be thy name blessed for euer in her thy liberality praysed thy goodnes exalted and magnifyed O glorious Virgin O great-little Lady an offering most pure most beautifull and most acceptable to the eyes of the diuine Maiesty in thy infancy and in all thy youth which thou didst spend in the seruice of thy Creatour obtaine for me that I may be a pure cleane offering vnto his altar that I may serue thee day and night and that if my yeares passed haue beene ill spent at least the rest of my life may be consecrated to the prayse of thy Creator myne that my thoughts wordes and workes may be a continuall offering to his Temple and that such may be the life and pilgrimage of thy deuoted Pilgrime This shall be the speach and the end of his morning meditation after he shall heare Masse and the rest of the diuine seruice vntill dinner tyme. The After-dinner and euening of the fiue twentith Day IN the afternoone he shall vse the same exercises of deuotion that he vsed the dayes before In the euening he may read the history of the Presentation of our B. Lady and gather thence some new profit of admiration loue zeale deuotion towardes God and the B. Virgin the like he may do at midnight except he had rather chuse some other subiect The six and twenty Day The morning Meditation of the Espousall of the B. Virgin with S. Ioseph CHAP. XIX THIS morning the Pilgrime shal take as following the former the Espousall of the B. Virgin with S. Ioseph which was done by diuine dispensation for causes which we must consider afterward after she had remayned in the Temple vntill fifteen years of age at which tyme the virgins were commonly wont to be placed in mariage according to the ordinary course and practise of the Iewes The prayer preparatory shall be as accustomed The first preamble shall represent the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph betrothed togeather The Scripture telleth not by whō but we may thinke it was by the high Priest Iosep lib. cont Ap◠or one of the principall as the common tradition of the Iewes touched by Gregory Nissen or by the chiefe or neerest of kindred in the Fathers absence according to the custome of the Iewes Tob. 7.24 wherof we haue an example in the booke of Tobie where it is sayd that Ragnell maried his daughter with young Tobie ioyning their right handes with these words and ceremonies Vide Gereb in Rituali Iudaorum de Sponsalibus The God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob be with you ioyne you togeather and fullfill his blessinges vpon you The second preamble shall demand a speciall light to know this mystery The first point shall be to consider how meruailous this mariage was The meruailous mariage of the B. Virgin and accompanied with prerogatiues extraordinary of honour and grace as well as her Conception Natiuity Infancy and Presentation and all the degrees of the life of this most happy Virgin as we haue sayd in the former Meditation The wonders and prerogatiues of this Mariage amongst others were these 1. That both parties were not only virgins but purposed so to continue Of the B. Virgin Mary none may doubt for the Scripture doth euidently shew Maried with vow of continence that she had made a vow of perpetuall chastity the fayth of the Church is that she was alwayes a Virgin before in after her child-birth S. Hierome disputing against Heluidius that infamous heresiarch Aug. l. de S. Virg. Greg. Niss de Cr natiuit Ioseph a pertuall virgin adu Helu ad finem Aug serm 15. de nat Domini Thou houldest sayth he without reason that Mary did not continue a Virgin but I hould with reason not only the contrary but that Ioseph also was a virgin by Mary and giueth the reason saying To the end that the Sonne of God might be borne of a virginall mariage S. Augustine of the same spirit Hould thou O Ioseph thy virginity common with the Virgin thy spouse for that the power and strength of the Angells shall be borne of her Let Mary in her flesh be the spouse of Christ in keeping her Virginity be thou also the Father of Christ by thy care of chastity and honour of thy Virginity Againe Reioyce thou Ioseph and be glad of the virginity of Mary who only in thy mariage hast deserued to haue a virginall affection for by the merit of thy virginity thou art depriued of the act of mariage with this gaine that thou art called the Father of our Sauiour And diuers other Fathers Saints Theodoret Beda Bernard Anselme Thomas Gerson and almost all the Latin Doctours that haue written since Petr. Da. ep 11. c. 4. ad Nicol
honour the estate of virginity and mariage and therin to figure and represent the condition of the Church which being a virgin is notwithstanding marryed to Iesus Christ and remayning a virgin doth bring forth children by Baptisme The 3. first causes concerne the person of our Sauiour the fourth and fifth his Mother and the other the Church and altogeather the honour of God and his Mother and our good and saluation The Espousals being done the Virgin remayned in Nazareth in her Fathers house Philo Iud. de special legib which espousalls were as fast of as great force a the mariage it self so that if the espoused should commit any fault in the house of her Father she should be stoned as an Adulteresse who had broken her fayth in her husbands owne house In the same house the B. Virgin was saluted by the Angell and there dwelt with Ioseph after the death of Ioachim and Anne and not in the house of Ioseph which by likelihood was at Bethleem wherof the Scripture giueth no reason but only that by silence it signifyeth that these espousals were of another quality then others were and that she was alwayes a virgin as those that remayne alwayes in the house of their Fathers and go not to the house of their husband to celebrare the marriage as other marryed folkes do who must loose their virginity The Pilgrime shal marke all this thereby to prayse the diuine Maiesty and to giue him thankes ending in this speach O heauenly marriage The mariage of Adam Abraham Isaac Iacob Tobie and worke worthy of the soueraigne Wisedome a marriage all spirituall and diuine hauing nothing carnall or earthly in it a marriage that did beâ—re the beauty of all the goodliest alliances of the world doth exceed them in honour as farre as the heauens in largenes exceed the earth The marriage of Adam and Eue made and blessed by the hand of God himselfe the mariage of Sara with Abraham of Rebeca with Isaac of Rachel with Iacob of Sara with Tobie All these mariages were nothing in comparison of this and the most worthy of them were honourable in this respect that they gaue seed and beginning to these two maried folkes of this husband and this wife children of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of twenty other Kinges their ancestours in the house of Iuda married to God by an excellent band of Fayth Charity and inuiolable Virginity O noble paire O noble husband Psal 44.10 and more noble wife and verily the daughter of the great King clothed in gold and adorned with the richest iewells that euer came out of his cabinet O worthy mariage of this couple A mariage most worthy to be honoured with the most glorious fruit that euer woman bare Spirituall mariages O daughter of Sion O Christian daughters learne thus to marry your selues to marry your selues to God to giue him your body and soule feare not either the priuation of that pleasure which passeth like a dreame nor yet the barrennes of your body for your pleasures you shall haue the delightes of earth and heauen and for the children of your body a thousand goodly workes that shall accompany you aboue as an honourable and immortall posterity and a thousand crownes of glory insteed of the children you might haue had but if you be marryed already after the fashion of these holy Dames let it be to the same end for posterity not for pleasure and alwayes with the honour of christian chastity and coniugall fidelity O soueraigne Lord authour of these virginall marriages be thou alwayes praysed in them as in all thy workes O Virgin obtaine for me that spirit that made thee so to marry and thou holy Ioseph a heauenly branch of the house of Dauid giuen for solace and succour to this diuine Virgin solace vs with thy prayers succour vs with thy help that we may follow thy fayth and word and may be made partaker of that reward and recompence which thou hast receaued in heauen This shall be the Pilgrimes meditation in the morning after which he shall heare Masse and doe his accustomed deuotions vntill Noone when he shall take his repast The After-dinner and euening of the six and twentith Day Of the rare vertues of S. Ioseph CHAP. XXI IN the afternoone he shall follow his former exercises only the subiect of the meditation changed which he shall vary according to the diuersity of the thinges he did meditate in the morning Hauing heard Euensong he shall employ some tyme to read or meditate the vertues of S. Ioseph The vertues of Ioseph which without doubt were rare and worthy of a man chosen to be the spouse of the greatest Lady of the world before God and the foster-father of the sonne of God himselfe His innocency his fayth his hope his charity obedience magnanimity prudence humility and other royall vertues appeared in his actions performed in matters most difficult to belieue and most hard to execute Why he is called Iust which may easily be verified by some examples First when it was first perceaued that the Virgin had conceaued not knowing either the cause or the mystery he shewed himselfe a perfect wise man when on the one side he deliberated to dwell no more with her not to consent in his conscience to any suspicion of dishonesty and on the other side he would not defame nor rayse scandall without cause about her reputation Matth. 1 19. for the which cause he is called Iust by the Euangelist by a name that comprehendeth al the qualityes of a holy soule SecoÌ„dly he shewed his fayth and vertue when without contradiction he belieued the words of the Angell aduertising him that his wiues being Great was a worke of the Holy Ghost and obeyed him with promptitude and humility taking againe his Spouse at that instant louing reuerencing her more then euer seeing she was chosen to be the mother of such a child so much the more assisting her with loue and solid respect His respect to the B. V. by how much it was founded more in the soule then in the body more in the beauty of the spirit then in the fairenes of the face and if holy Elizabeth was thought to haue so much reuerenced the Virgin for hauing by sweet inspiration vnderstood that she was the mother of God how great may we thinke was the reuerence that Ioseph did beare her in this respect being informed by so cleare testimonyes and oracles of this truth of her vertues hauing also experience thereof by dayly and domesticall conuersation What care besides what diligence what patience what prudence His prudence must he needes haue shewed in conducting this Virgin from one Country to another flying the persecution and fury of Herod the Tyrant Dwelling so long in Aegypt a strange Country Alwayes firme in fayth and Charity Surely the holy Doctours could not tell with what wordes to expresse his
Mary sayd Behould the hand-mayde of our Lord be it done vnto me according to thy word And the Angell departed from her Behould first a wonderfull saluation The Angel pronounceth the blessed Virgin full of grace and fullnes cannot be but diuine he sayth that God is with her no doubt with a singular and speciall assistance and therefore he calleth her Blessed among women A salutation neuer heard or giuen to any crearure by a heauenly spirit The most humble and wise Virgin was troubled seeing the Maiesty of this messenger and much more hearing the prayses he pronounced The modesty of the Virg. and not presuming to open her mouth to answere she thought vpon that she heard A spirit very differeÌ„t from that of our worldly Dames who insteed of troubling themselues at the prayses which the world giueth them euen without ground or desert they reioyce and tickle at the least blast of glory that bloweth in their eare they lift vp themselues and swell in their hart The lightnes of worldly women and the more is sayd to them in that kind the wider haue they their hart and eares open to heare more of their prayses The Angell seeing the heauenly Mayd to blush and reading as it were in her face and silence her astonishment called her familiarly by her name did assure her and aduised her not to feare hauing cause rather to reioyce hauing so good a place in grace and fauour of God by him cherished chosen to be Mother of a King without a match of a Sonne who should succeed in the throne of Dauid who should reigne for euer in the house of Iacob and of whose kingdome there should be no end finally Mother of the Sonne of God pronounced her Great in that measure that she accounted her selfe little But behould a question and doubt worthy of such a Virgin She had consecrated to God her soule and body The B.V. first vowed virginity by the vow of Chastity the first in this prayse and magnanimity among all the daughters of Israell She was troubled at his first wordes by reason of humility but hearing him speake of coÌ„ceauing and bearing a sonne she was troubled by reason of her virginity she highly esteemed the grace promised but she was carefull also of her owne fayth promised and of her integrity which she would not loose for all the treasure of the world How many Virgins be there cleane contrary who willingly abandone their body and soule so they may get the loue of some earthly Lord The Angell doth deliuer her also from this feare and sheweth her that this Generation shall not be like others by the company or seed of man or by any violation of the body but heauenly without hurt of her virginall integrity by the worke of the Holy Ghost by the power of the Highest by the grace of the same Sonne that shall be borne the Holy of God the sonne of God Adding that Elizabeth her cousin being now both old barren Why the Angell maketh mention of Elizabeth had conceaued a Sonne that it is as easy to God to make a Virgin conceaue as an old and barren woman The B. Virgin vnderstanding that her vow of virginity should be kept preserued agreed and gaue her consent belieued that God could doe what he sayd and she that was called the Mother of the most Highest The Dialogue of the Angel and the Virgin differing from that of the diuell and Eue. calleth her selfe his seruant O happy conference dialogue and much more fortunate then that of the seducing Angell and the seduced Virgin in the earthly Paradise who harkening to a promise of Deity if she would eate of the forbidden fruit suffered her selfe to be deluded with vanity and made the first breach and entrance to the fall and ruine of maÌ„kind O Virgin happy by thy virginity more hapyy by thy humility yet most happy by thy liuely fayth Thy virginity hath made the Sonne of God amorous of thee thy humility hath made him descend into thy wombe but thy fayth made thee conceaue rather of the spirit then of the body The excellency of virginity O verily full of grace full of God and verily blessed aboue all women blessed aboue all Virgins in purity aboue all Wiues in fecundity aboue all Saints in fayth hope and charity chosen from heauen to be the Mother of the Highest For if a Virgin may be with child nothing can she more fitly bring forth then the â—onne of God and if the Sonne of God will be conceaued and borne he cannot more fitly be borne then in the wombe of a Virgin The third point of the Meditation How the Sonne of God was conceaued in the wombe of the Virgin CHAP. XXV THE third point shall meditate how so soone as the B. Virgin had pronounced the wordes of her consent Behould the hand-mayde of my Lord Luc. 1.38 be it vnto me according to thy word the Word of God was incarnate and made man in her wombe not after the manner of other men whose bodyes are organized after 40. dayes and then receaue a reasonable soule yet without the vse of reason but in a manner altogeather diuine and supernaturall this body was at that very instant prepared to lodge and receaue the soule to be animated He was happy at the same instant S. Thom. part 3. q. 34. art 4. although by little and little it did grow vnto the natiuity And this soule vnited to the word of God togeather with the body had also at the same instant the vse of reason free will was filled with al sort of spirituall graces aboue all men Angels and found it selfe ioyfull and happy in the vision of God And al this in fauour of this admirable vnioÌ„ though by dispeÌ„sation of God the body that was to be the subiect of our RedemptioÌ„ remayned passible and mortall which otherwise had beene immortall and the soule subiect to sadnes and sorrow which hath no place with beatitude so desirous was our Sauiour of our saluation and so prodigall of his mercy as willingly and cheerefully and quickly to beare our sorrowes and miseries in part he depriued himselfe of the possession and vse of his happines to make vs thoroughly happy This Conception then was full of the meruailes of the bounty of God in so markeable signes of his loue and of his almighty power in ioyning things so difficill which the Prophet foretold as an effect neuer happened before Ierem. 31. Our Lord hath created a new thing vpon earth A woman hath compassed about a man This is the B. Virgin conceiuing a Sonne in her wombe who was a man as soone as a Child hauing from the first instant of his Conception all the vertues of men of perfect age God made man and man God and that in higher title of perfection then euer was giuen to any creature Behold then God made man
giuen vs so notable a pledge of his loue he must needes giue vs great cause of hope and trust in him There was nothing sayth S. Augustine more necessary to vphold our hope Lib. 13. de Trinit c. 10. then to haue some token of his loue and what token greater can there be then to see the Sonne of God vnited to our nature Now by the demonstration of this loue he hath most liuely inuited and incited man to loue him for there is nothing so naturall as to loue him of whome we see our selues beloued August de catech iudâ—â—us c. 4. VVherefore sayth the same Doctour if heertofore we were slow to loue yet now let vs be ready to render loue Moreouer could there be a more noble meanes to make man partaker of this supreme nature our happynes then by this alliance whereby God is made Man and man God To breake the hart and pride of the Diuell then to see the nature of man which he so much despised and abased to be exalted aboue the nature of Angells To tame his arrogancy and presumption and to remoue the yoke of his tyranny by a Man God man alone not being sufficient to satisfy and ouercome for mankind and God alone could not suffer being impassible To teach man humility the foundation of all vertue Phil. 2. seeing God not only humbled but also annihilated taking the forme of a seruant and suffering the death of the Crosse To teach obedience purity liberality deuotion prudence constancy Philip. 2. magnanimity and other vertues whereof he hath giuen so good instructions both by word and worke all his life long and specially in the three last yeares that he manifested himselfe to the world and most clearely and effectually in that admirable conflict of the Crosse To teach finally to doe nothing against the dignity of man so much honoured by this alliance Are these meanes effectuall inough to redeeme man Do they sufficiently declare the infinit wisedome of God Of the power of God in the same Mystery CHAP. XXVIII DOTH not the power of God also diuinely appeare in this mystery The power of God in the IncarnatioÌ„ for therein we see two natures infinitly different to be ioyned togeather the diuine and the humane and by a bound so admirable and so strait that remayning distinct and without confusion they make but one person the closest and neerest vnion that can be of thinges diuerse This therefore is a worke of one Almighty and a most manifest demonstration of an infinit power It is without comparison greater then that he shewed in the Creation of man in ioyning his spirit and body an heauenly soule with an earthly body making as it were an abridgement of the whole world for the soule was not infinitly distant from the condition of the body as the diuine nature is from the humane this was only to ioyne two creatures of diuers rankes and degrees but to ioyne the word of God with our flesh in one person is to haue vnited two natures infinitely vnequall S. Berna serm de Natiuit to haue made an admirable abridgement of the whole world and of the Author of the world and to haue inclosed infinitenes in littlenes and eternity in tyme. This is infinitely more then to ioyne East to West or North to South or heauen and earth together for such a coniunction should be of things farre different yet with some proportion and measure but this is of two natures infinitely distant the one from the other the diuinity with the humanity the infinit with the finit the most souerain maiesty with the least reasonable creature stable Eternity with floting Time the supreme power with infirmity impassibility with sufferance God with man the Creatour with his Creature which are so many exploites and testimonies of an Almighty power Motiues to the loue of God Heere then the contemplatiue soule shal admire shall prayse and exalt the wonders of this soueraigne God in this mystery he shall stirre vp himselfe to his loue seeing the effects of his wonderfull bounty to reuerence and respect seeing the signes of his infinit wisedome to his feare considering the greatnes of his maiesty He shall thanke the Father for sending his Sonne and the Sonne for taking our flesh by the will of the Father and also the Holy Ghost the bond of the Father and the Sonne and shall adore this diuine soueraigne Trinity one God in three persons all and euery one the maker of this admirable and principall worke greater then had beene the Creation of a thousand worldes The eight and twenty day and the seauenth of his Aboade Of the Visitation of the B. Virgin CHAP. XXIX THIS day the Pilgrime shall make his meditation of the voiage of the B. Virgin to the house of her Cousin Elizabeth The modesty of the virgin in her voiage whome she went to visit immediatly after she was saluted by the Angell For the first point of the meditation the Pilgrime shal take the first part of the history In those dayes Mary rose went quickly to the mountaines vnto a towne of Iudea he nameth not this towne as he did Nazareth because it concerned not the mystery of the visitation such a writer puts nothing superfluous in his history he declareth only the courage and diligence of the B. Virgin to vndertake and performe this Pilgrimage which principally he meant to report Here the deuout soule shall first cast her eyes vpon this heauenly mayd great with God Almighty walking the fieldes not with the traine or company of an earthly Queene in Coach or Litter garnished with veluet or cloth of gold with soft beds and cushions but in the simplicity of a daughter of Sion on foot in company of her Spouse Ioseph though assisted with a great company of Angels for the guard of him they caried and of her and followed her foot by foot through all the places she passed Secondly she shall consider the humility of the B. Virgin practising by worke the vertue which she professed in word Her humility in visiting S. Elizabeth calling her selfe the seruant of our Lord the greater goeth to the lesse the virgin to the wife the daughter of Dauid to the daughter of Aaron the mother of God to the mother of a man the mother of our Lord to the mother of a seruant which are so many proofes of an heauenly humility It was also very coÌ„uenient that she should excell in this vertue meete for the Mother of him who descended from heauen to her wombe by humility to beginne to walke in humility The Daughters of this world do not so for when they are by others exalted to any greatnes they make themselues also greater in their own hart and do highly disdayne their inferiours and the ordinary fashion of women with child is to become heauy and to seeke rest and ease of body This B. Virgin goeth another way as she
which was made there and els where ouer all the world by the appointement of Augustus Caesar who commanded to be made a generall description ouer all countries The description of the world by Caesar as S. Luke saith ◠Cap. 1. He shall then behold the B. Virgin as a Pilgrime walking on foote with her husband light with that precious load which she caried in her wombe burning with loue and charity towards God whome shortly she was to bring forth Secondly he shall draw in his imagination the picture of the place where she was to lye in and be deliuered giuing saluation to the world Our Sauiours Cribbe This place was a desert or forsaken Caue and stable to set beastes in where she was constrayned to lodge not fynding any place in the Inne by reason of the great concourse of people that then repayred thither vpon this imagination he shall demaund of God light well to penetrate the wonders of a Natiuity so admirable in al the circumstances The first point shall be to meditate some figures and prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour Figurs prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour The figures were all the ancient apparitions wherein the Sonne of God shewed himselfe in the forme of man as in Paradise to Adam in Canaan to Abraham and Iacob for he that was borne this midnight was the God who before had spoken to men therefore called Verbum the Word of God and he shewed himselfe to them in humane shape S. Chrys hom 2. Greg. orat 4. de Theo Clem. Ale in exhort ad gentes in paeda cap. 12. but as a passenger not staying in it as it were making a proofe or tryall of that nature which he was once to marry and ioyne by an eternall vnion to his diuinity be borne God and Man to conuerse with men and be to them the Word and interpreter of the mysteries of heauen of the Commandements of his Father And this was in his Natiuity when he shewed himselfe meerly cloathed with our nature performing what he had prophecyed caused to be foretold by his Prophets My delight is to be with the children of men for heere he began to be among the children of men Psalm 8. a true Man already conuersing with them as a little child heere he did first effectuate what I say sayd in his person Isa 52. Behould I that did speake am present and that he sung of the Natiuity Behould a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a child And againe A little child is borne to vs Isa 9. Bar. 3. and a sonne is giuen vnto vs. And another And thou Bethleē Ephrata thou art not the least among the principall towns of Iudea for out of thee shall come a Captayne to gouerne my people This therfore is that little Sonne that Prince prophecyed of by these and like passages of Scripture who was borne this night The second point shall consider the circumstances of this Natiuity 1. Circūstance of this meruailous natiuity which being well vnderstood will teach vs a good lesson of the greatnes of God and of the misery of man He was borne as he was conceaued that is miraculously conceaued of a Virgin without man borne of a Virgin without the breach of her Virginity without the panges and throwes or griefe of childbirth which was the effect of the malediction giuen to the first Woman and to all her race So hath the Prophet foretold speaking of this Virgin Before she did labour Isa 66. she was deliuered before the houre of her deliuerance she brought forth a man child Verily a man child hauing nothing effeminate God and man togeather all mighty all wise all good and though the B. Virgin did beare only the body The Virgin verily the Mother of God and not his diuinity which was from all eternity yet was she verily the Mother of God for hauing conceaued that body which was vnited to the diuine person and so brought forth that person euen as other Mothers are mothers of those they beare although the soule is not begotten of them because they ingender that body which is personally vnited to the soule It is therfore a more admirable natiuity Isa 53. then that of al the world in the Creation and so what was sayd of the eternall generation of the Sonne of God VVho shall declare his generation may also be sayd of this temporall Conception and Natiuity He was borne in the sixth age of the world foure thousand yeares or there about after the Creation in the night The circumstāce of the tyme of the sixth age in the hart of Winter when the world was most couered with darkenes and frozen in the filth of all vice and Idolatry when the temporall Kingdome of the Iewes was dismembred and translated to the gouernement of forraine Princes strangers Herod his brethren who deuided it into 4. parts or Tetrachies and made so many particular tyrannies gouerned by the great and soueraine Pagan tyranny of Rome Why Caesar described the world which commanded all and therefore Caesar commanded that description a commandement that carried the signe of soueraignty And these fiue temporal tyranies did in mystery signify the miserable estate of mākind ouerwhelmed oppressed with so many spirituall tyrannies of diuers sinnes which it serued vnder the great and generall tyranny of the diuell who held the world in his dominion as peaceable as Augustus held his Empire At midnight He was borne at midnight in the hart of winter the true sunne of our Night to driue away the deep darknes hard Ice from the harts of men to bring them day and heate them in the loue of heauenly things to bring in the beautifull seasō of the spirituall spring-time of summer and Autumne of sweet smelling flowres of the heauenly heate of the Holy Ghost of the fruit of good workes whereof the world had hitherto beene barren And this is what the Prophet sayd The people that walked in darknes haue seene a great light Isa 9. and light hath risen to them who dwell in the shadow of death He was borne in a stable among beasts Psalm 48.13 to restore man to his old ranke and place who by sinne was cast downe to the basenes of bruit beastes and was made like vnto them The third point of the Meditation Our Sauiour encountreth and ouercometh vices in his Infancy CHAP. XXXIII THE third point shall be to contemplate how this little child beginneth to handle his weapons and to fight for vs betymes euen from his cradle for this being happened not by chance but by his owne prouidence in a stable he bruized in his birth with this onely circumstance the head of the old Serpent which before he had threatned He crushed the pride of the diuell the ancient enemy of our saluation Genes 3. the authour of all our miseries In
circumcised vndergo the law which himselfe had giuen making his first entry into the world and beginning the reparation therof by obedience as by the same obedience he went out of the world dying vpon the Crosse in counterpoise of the first man who as soone as he came into the world became disobedient and lost the world This is the benefit wherewith our Sauiour signed the first day of the yeare giuing to the world for a new yeares guift Herodian lib. 2. not a peece of gold or siluer or fruites as the world doth figs dates hony laurell and such other presents of the earth or of the sea but his precious bloud which he shed in this Circumcision for our only good and not for any necessity or bond he had of the law which himselfe had made and might therein dispense as the soueraigne Iudge or any profit he might get thereby The humility of the Sonne of God Phil. 2. The second point shall be to note in this action how our Sauiour goeth forward stil shewing more more humility for in his Incarnation he humbled himselfe in becoÌ„ming man and taking the forme of a seruant in his natiuity he humbled himselfe beneath man placing himselfe among the least and the poorest in his Circumcision he humbled himselfe more then all this making himselfe to be enroled among sinners vsing the remedy of sinners he who was not only without sinne but the couÌ„terpoison of sinne come with his innocency and vertue to destroy it so did he alwayes more descend in humility the more his works did ascend and shew themselues before God and his Church so necessary did he iudge it to authorize and credit this vertue and to batter pride which had ouerthrowne both Men and Angells How farre from this spirit are they who knowing themselues to be sinners will not be so esteemed and are ashamed to vse the remedy that should heale them They are ashamed to confesse and do pennaÌ„ce are not ashamed of the foule filth of sinne Who would not willingly endure any thing to deface their faults seeing our Sauiour began to shed his bloud for them within 8. dayes after he was borne The 3. point shal be to meditate the glorious name of Iesus this day giuen to the Sonne of God which signifieth Sauiour and is taken of the end effect of his charity Of the name of Iesus for he came into the world to saue it and in effect did saue it if it had would As therefore heeretofore great Personages haue often gotten their names by their notable actions Great meÌ„ surnamed by their actions and were called by them as Ioseph the Patriarch Sauiour of the world because by his prouideÌ„ce he had preueÌ„ted the famine in Aegypt the Roman Captaines and Embassadours were called Africani Parthici Germanici by reason of the victory they had wone in Africa Gen. 4â— Parthia and Germany In like sort but by better title without comparison the Sonne of God is called Iesus that is Sauiour because he came to saue man and this was the reason which the Angell gaue to Ioseph Math. 1.28 fortelling him that the Son which Mary should beare should be called IESVS because he should saue his people And S. Peter sayth Act. 4.12 There is no other name vnder heauen whereby to be saued This is the name so song by the Prophets Isay sayth Isa 30.17 Behould the Name of our Lord commeth from farre He commeth at the beginning of the world for it was written in the booke of God from all eternity Also my people shall know my name in that day for my selfe that doe speake will be present that is to say when I shall be made man Exo i. 6.1 Prou. â—0 S. Tho. 1 q 13. a. 1. I shall take a name that my people shall know for that which I beare from all eternity which is the essentiall name of my Deity is a name hidden to men and Angells and cannot be knowne but to God It is a name ineffable This name IESVS shall be vnderstood of men for I wil make it knowne by good effects I will make manifest sayth another Prophet my holy name in the midest of my people And Isay Zaâ—h 39. He shall haue a new Name giuen him by the mouth of our Lord. He could not haue a fitter God-father Isa 62.2 for it to impose a name according vnto his nature be the worke and office of wise men who could better name the Son of God then the mouâ—h of God which is Wisedome it selfe To impose names iâ— the worke of a wise maÌ„ Plato in Crat. This name comprehendeth all the goodly names that are noted in the bookes of the Prophets Emanuel Counseller of God Prince of peace A strong God an admirable Name and other like are contayned within the compasse of this for Iesus is al this and much more O sweet and admirable name a name more beautifull then the morning or day more sweet then milke or hony more strong then armies wider then the whole world higher then heauen deeper then hell more noble then the crowne of Kings more rich then gold a Name full of Maiesty the glory of the heauens the terrour of the Diuels A speach to the name of Iesus the hope health of mankind By Thee death is life without thee pleasure is death with thee ignominy is nobility without thee nobility is ignominy with thee infirmity is strong without thee strength is weake and infirme by thee nothing is made all thinges and without thee all thinges doe vanish to nothing Be thou therefore alwayes with vs O admirable Name be thou graued in euerlasting letters in our spirit in our hart in our memory in tyme of peace in tyme of warre by night by day in ioy and sadnes in Towne and field be thou our direction and saluation in our Pilgrimage and our glory in our country To Iesus Sweet Iesus heire of this Name be vnto vs Iesus giue vs the grace to circumcise and cut off the superfluities of our flesh of our desires of our thoughts and actions of our harts eyes eares and of all our senses that after this spirituall and Christian Circumcision signifyed by that carnall of the Iewes we may be partaker of the wholsome effect of the same of the immortall glory of this Name To the B. Virgin And thou most benigne Mother who this day seest thy deere child Innocency it selfe enrolled in the catalogue of sinners for sinners and giuing his precious bloud as a pledge of his infinite charity and of our saluation who pierced with sorrow in thy soule didst shed virginall teares in compassion of him obtaine for vs by the merit of thy griefe and compassion the fruit of this guift the good fortune of this name that our bodyes may be circumcised and purged from all impurity that our soules may be cleane our thoughts and desires well
Christ who cōming then in spirit into the Temple when the B. Virgin and S. Ioseph brought him hauing confessed and adored him tooke him in his armes and song a Canticle of thankesgiuing which the Church hath vsed euer since for the conclusion of the diuine Office sayd Nunc dimittis c. Now thou dimissest thy seruant O Lord according to thy word in peace For my eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to the reuelation of the Gentills and the glory of thy people Israell And as the B. Virgin and Ioseph meruailed at these thinges that were sayd Simeon did congratulate them and call them happy and spake to Mary the Mother of the child saying Behould he shall be put for the ruine and the resurrection of many and for a signe which shall be contradicted and the sword of sorrow shall pierce thy hart that the cogitations of many may be made manifest In which history the pious soule shall contemplate the notable faith charity deuotion and ioy of this noble old Man expressed by his wordes and gestures he confessed and adored by his confession the Annointed of God though a little child in the eyes of men He foretold the redemption at hand of mankind which he should bring to passe he straitly imbraced this precious pledge of our saluation he did exalt and magnify him Our Sauiour the ruine of the obstinate and prophecyed of him and of his Mother he foretold that he was set for the fall of many obstinate for their malice such as were Herod the Scribes and Pharisies such like who running against him as against a hard stone should ruine both their soule and body and as since them haue done many Tyrants and persecutours of the same Sauiour his Church all in the end buryed in the ditch themselues diged and strucken to eternall death by the Iustice of him whome they persecuted He foretould also the resurrection of many The resurrectiō of the good who belieuing in him should liue holily and should be raysed from sinne to be made afterwards happy and glorious and by this meanes haue the cogitations of many beene knowne the hate or the loue which the Iewes and Paynimes did beare to our Sauiour he foretould that he should be a signe or marke of contradiction Our Sauiour a signe or marke of contradiction and as a butt for the vnbelieuing to shoot the arrowes of their tongues against this marke but most plainely and cruelly in his Passion when he was not only the marke of the calumniations and blasphemies of the wicked but also of the cruelty of those butchers striking all partes places of his body And this was the sword that pierced the soule of the Blessed Virgin beholder of his cruell Passion The like contradiction hath alwayes followed the mēbers of the same Sauiour his Church by the Iewes and Paynims neither was there euer Religion planted or maintayned with more contrarieties and opposition of all sortes of people then the Christian for as it is the perfectest of al other The height of the Christiā fayth enemy to the flesh the world and the diuell so hath it found most resistance in the corruption of mankynd which were very great very generall Behold the Christiā perfection it eleuateth the vnderstanding of man to the beliefe of things altogether repugnant to fleshly humours It preacheth the Crosse contempt of wisedome of the world as also of her honours and riches and by many Maximes to the world so many Paradoxes striketh iust vpon the face of her pride maketh warre to defiance with the pleasures of the body honoureth Virginity a chiefe enemy to sensuality imbraceth fastings watchings disciplines and such like austerities that hāper the body otherwise then it well liketh promiseth in this life nothing but persecution This world being corrupted could not digest this doctrine nor the flesh vnderstād it but had it in horrour and abhomination Sathan bestirred himselfe and entred into a rage and kyndled fire to those fond and foolish soules and put them in a fury therefore the more maligne the malady was the stronger the medicine so much more obstinate hath beene the contradiction and the sicke so much the more incensed against his Physitian Psal 117.13 as his frensy was fierce and burning But if the Sauiour hath beene persecuted and so contradicted he hath not for all that beene ouercome he hath beene thrust at Why God permitted these persecutiōs but not throwne downe to the ground and God hath permitted these persecutions to shew therein that his Sonne was God omnipotent and too strong for the strength and gates of hell and to draw from them his owne glory and the good of his elect The Pilgrime hauing meditated all this The zeale of Saint Anne shall turne the eyes of his Spirit vpon that which is sayd That at the same houre the most holy and deuout widow Anne did praise our Sauiour in the Temple and spake of him to all the faithfull Iewes whome she found there so was our Sauiour magnified in his Temple by the testimony of two persons diuerse in sex venerable in age singular in sanctity Heere the Pilgrime hauing found in his meditation the sense of this ceremony shall learne the truth in the shadow shal acknowledge the misery and corruption of man from the first instant of his Conception infected with original sinne he shall learne to humble himselfe and to make small account of the nobility of his birth which he seeth to be so base and abiect in the beginning he shal offer what he hath good to God the giuer of all good he shall imitate holy Simeon imbracing in his armes with like loue and purity the litle child Iesus either when he receaueth the B. Sacrament of the Altar couered vnder the visible forme as a child swadled in his litle cloathes or when he doth meditate ioyne himselfe to him by loue He shall praise him with holy Anna the Prophetesse and shall preach him to euery one by good speaches and examples of good workes and finally he shall offer him vnto God his Father as the B. Virgin did for our saluation and shall offer himselfe for his honour and seruice Hauing ended his meditation and heard Masse he shall receaue the blessed Body of our Sauiour the Viaticum of his Returne as it was of all the rest of his Pilgrimage and shll say to God the prayer following The Pilgrimes prayer at his departure from Loreto CHAP. XLI MY Lord and most merciful Father myne eyes behold thy bounty and myne owne misery more cleerly then euer heeretofore by the light it hath pleased thee to giue me It remayneth to finish my vowes and desires and to conclude my most humble prayers and requests at the end of my aboad heere If thy clemency doth willingly harken to the groanes of poore sinners to heare
and Aue Mari◠and cast himselfe vpon his bed in his cloathes as his custome was Vincent did the like and being weary of their way they fell a sleep straight About midnight Lazarus had a dreame which frighted him for hee seemed to see Theodosius his companion present himselfe before him Lazarus his dreame all disfigured with a face pale blacke desiring him to call for the ayde and help of the B. Virgin for him for that he was brought to a pittifull estate and extreame danger both of body and soule he leaped off his bed and asked Vincent if any body had beene in their chamber Vincent answered that he thought no body and knew well it was the violence of some vision whereof he would question no further at that tyme but wished him to go to bed againe and not trouble himselfe with dreames and that he himselfe had dreamed also he could not tell what and so they slept againe Lazarus sayd not one word more vnto him but prayed God in his hart in this sort O my sweet Iesus Lazarus his prayer I haue been depriued of the company of my little Brother who I hope is now with thee thou gauest me him as a faythfull companion of my Pilgrimage him whose image was presented vnto me this night thou knowest if he be in that distresse my dreame told me help him according to thy fauourable prouidence wherwith thou assistest thy children and seruants Content thy selfe if it please thee with taking one and forbeare this other for a while aboue all keep him from offending thee or committing any thing against thy holy Law conserue in him the will which thou didst giue him to serue thee alwayes with an entire and perfect hart and if that which was represented to myne imagination were only a dreame and not a presage of some misfortune and if my companion be not in that danger I feare I know notwithstāding that in what estate soeuer he standeth he taketh care of me as I doe of him do vs the fauour once againe to see ech other And thou glorious Virgin help thy deuote if he be tossed on the Sea by any furious tempest thou art the Starre of the Sea reach him thy helping hand if he be in danger of Theeues thou hast deliuered many deliuer him also that we may togeather alwayes sing this thy fauour among thousands of others we haue receaued of thee Hauing thus prayed he slept vntill three of the clocke when the day began to breake and the Cockes to crow Then he arose and awaked Vincent to make their prayer who was quikly ready The two and thirtith Day and the second of his Returne A Meditation of the history of little Iesus lost and found amidst the Doctours in the Temple CHAP. V. LAZARVS began his Meditation in this manner 〈◊〉 2.42 I presume to present my selfe at the feet of thy Maiesty hauing confidence in thy infinit Clemency which vouchsafeth to harken to the prayers of thy seruant It is to meditate the Pilgrimage of thine only Sonne my Redeemer when being twelue yeares old according to his humanity he wēt from Nazareth to Hierusalem to celebrate the feast which thou didst command thy people to obserue euery yeare He hid himselfe from his mother three dayes and at the end of the third day he was found againe in the Temple among the Doctours hearing and demanding Heere is presented to the eyes of my vnderstanding thy deare and only Sonne that walked with his Mother a litle Pilgrime towards thy Temple where he was honoured with thee but was hidden in the cloud of his humanity and was not seene but to those to whome thou hadst giuen the eyes of fayth He went thither on foot and grew in labour as he did in yeares when he fled into Aegypt he was carryed in the armes of his deare Mother now he is carryed vpon his owne feet with more paine O Lord make thy light shine vpon the eyes of my soule that I may see the points of this mystery and to thy glory reape profit therby By expresse Law it was commanded to all the Iewes to go offer sacrifice at Hierusalem where the Temple was Thrice yeare mē went to Hierusalem thrice in the yeare at Easter Pentecost and the feast of Tabernacles The women were left at liberty whether they would go or no by reason of the inconueniency of their sexe yet the deuout did willingly vndertake the paine choosing rather to vse their deuotion Exod. 34.23 then their Priuiledge The B. Virgin then watchfull of all occasions to doe well went to Hierusalem as alwayes in the company of women leading her little sonne with her Ioseph with men went another way Take heere O my soule matter to condemne thine owne coldnes and flouth and to stirre thy selfe vp to thy duty thou seest Ioseph came from farre to adore God in his Temple how often hast thou omitted it being hard by How often hast thou omitted to heare Masse when thou wert bound to be present Or hast thou at least adored and serued God in the Temple of thy body Our body the Temple of the holy Ghost the Temple of his holy spirit which thou carryest alwayes about thee The B. Virgin taketh her iourney choosing rather to haue merit with paine then to vse her priuiledge for ease and how often hast thou better liked of exemption then of merit How many tymes hast thou beene glader of some occasion or let that hindred thee 1. Cor. 3. 6. 2. Cor. 6. to watch fast or to performe some other worke of piety then to be constrained to do thy diligence and walke with others to the seruice of God Iesus goeth with his mother his mother with him Iesus and Mary fit company and who should rather walke with the Virgin of virgins then purity it selfe and who rather with Iesus then the Virgin of Virgins O heauenly company O little Pilgrime O way of my soule and the goale guerdō of my Pilgrimage Graunt that I may be Pilgrime with thee and with thee and thy holy Mother walke in this exile to enter in your companie into the Temple of the celestiall Hierusalem But heere behould a meruailous accident Luc. 2.45 Iesus is gone from Mary Mary hath lost Iesus Iesus without the knowledge of his Father or mother Our Lady seeketh Iesus remayned behind in Hierusalē but without disobedience for himselfe was maister might dispose of himselfe at his pleasure and that he was subiect or obedient to any creature it was humility and not duty Mary and Ioseph returning from Hierusalem to Nazareth walked without him the first day thinking he returned with his Vncles or kinsefolkes another way as often it happened thinking to meet him againe at night But Iesus appealed not and Mary was amazed and not without reason for though there were no fault in her and that the will of her Sauiour was the only
among such a company of theeues sauing for the comfort I had to suffer some thing for Iesus Christ who endured death for me betwixt theeues and to consider on the one side the grace God had done me in giuing me the feare loue of his lawes and on the other side the misery of those poore rogues who suffered so much euill at the last to endure the heape of all euils Alas said I within my selfe if thou didst endure but as much for heauen as these do for hell if thou wert as constant to employ thy selfe in good works to passe whole nights in prayer to saue thy selfe and others as these do whole dayes in workes of iniquity and vndertake a thousand paines in discomodities of body and soule to destroy other men themselues O Lord of the whole world I render thee immortall thankes for all benefits bestowed on me of thy infinite bounty and beseech thee by the same bounty to enlarge my hart and to make it more capable of thy heauenly loue to increase the strength of my soule that I may suffer more and with a better courage for the glory of thy name Open the eyes of these poore blynd soules giuing them to see the indignity of their condition and the miserable estat of their soule or els take from them all meanes to do any more harme In these and the like discourses did I passe day and night and learned to make purpose of liuing better of the disdaine I conceaued in the ill life of this people as it happeneth oftentimes that by the contemplation of the foulnes of vice men betake themselues more earnestly to the loue of vertue Now there was amoÌ„gst them a certaine yong man called Tristram about 25. years of age born of a good house neighbour to France valiant and expert in armes The conuersion of Tristram and in that respect much esteemed by their Captaine who seemed to haue some particular compassion of my captiuity and came often to visit me asking if I had need of any thing that was in his power he came one day among others and sayd to me in secret Friend Theodosius for now euery body knew my name for that I haue holden you for a man of honour and conscience euer since I first knew you I desire to declare one thing vnto you which is very important but you must sweare secrecy Syr TristraÌ„ sayd I theÌ„ if the secret be against God or iustice I pray you tell it me not no saith he the thing that I meane to tell you is iust and the intention good and therefore I wil tel it you Then I promised him on faith of a Christian Pilgrime that I would keepe his secret he said this is the matter They heere haue resolued either to make you follow our manner of life or els to kill you for ransome they looke for none of you All that haue come to see you haue beene so many spies to sound you and see if there were any hope to persuade you wherein they make diuerse and different reportes to our Captaine and therefore looke to your selfe thus much I know because I was at the counsell and deliberation when it was taken When I heard this sectet I doubted whether himselfe also came to sound me and to feele my resolution neither was I deceaued though he did it with a good intention and meaning and therefore I answered him roundly that I was ready rather to dye theÌ„ make shipwracke of my conscience yea or of my reputation and honour in imbracing a vocation proper not for Christians but for Tartars or Ethiopians who beleeue neither hel nor heauen and I should make a dolefull reuolution of my Pilgrimage to become of a Pilgrime of Loreto a robber thiefe This answer pleased him much though I did not make it therefore but only to declare vnto him my mynd in respect of God and as a man of honour and an honest man as he esteemed me Continuing his discourse he tolde me Friend Theodosius I would know this of you I greatly commend your courage and am not deceaued in the opinion I haue of your vertue But this is not all I tell you further that I am determined with what hazard soeuer to leaue this Labyrinth into which I was drawne fiue yeares since by the â—â—and of some and myne owne folly neitheir can I endure to stay any longer in such a dungeon the very image of hell This is the principall point which I desire you to keep secret and to assist me with your prayers that I may put this proiect in execution and deliuer my selfe from these chaines though for regard of your selfe I aduise you to dissemble a while make no difficulty in leauing your habit and taking another when they shall offer it you for therwith they wil beginne and in the meane time seeke occasion to saue your selfe when it shall be offered which in my opinion will be shortly I shall waâ—te from one houre to another with good deuotion to put in execut on my own designes of leauing this lewd execrable life Here also I thoght he dissembled as it were by digression to persuade me to make me by little little to passe by the midst from one extreme to another so I sayd vnto him A strong resolutioÌ„ Syr TristraÌ„ I haue told you my resolution there is neither death nor torments that shall make me swarue froÌ„ honesty nor to do any thing contrary to the law of God the faith of an honest man for my apparrell it is in their poer to take it away and giue me other such as they please so it be without my fault it is all one to me to be in my shirt or to be clad in sackcloth or silke our Sauiour was spoiled of his cloathes and clad in derision in a royall robe For the rest Syr TristraÌ„ if you speake in good earnest your resolutioÌ„ is worthy of a noble courage and you shall haue the honour thereof towards God and man and doubt you not but he who hath opened your eyes to discerne the danger you liue in will also giue you meanes and direction to performe your desire I shall not faile to help you with my poore prayers if they can preuaile any thing with God in any sort wherein my industry may be employed He seeing me speake so frankly and hartily imbraced me and sayd Syr Theodosius I reade in your wordes the sincerity and the magnanimity of your courage and count my selfe happy in the midst of all my misfortunes to haue beene acquainted with you for not onely you haue confirmed me in my designement but also haue giuen me a certaine hope happily to put it in execution by the help of God and of the B. Virgin vnder whose protection you walke her pilgrime and began to weepe then I doubted no more of his vnfaynednes but firmely belieued that he spake from his hart I
encouraged him further with the greatest shew of friend ship that I could and counsailed him to make a vow to our Lady of Loreto which he did most hartily and departed for that time In the morning which was yesterday How he found an occasion to escape the sixth day of the moneth and the seauenth of my taking and imprisonment a little before dinner he came with more secrecy than before and told me that towardes night the troupe would dislodge from that place by reason of a rumour they had heard of certaine men of warre which were come to buckle with them and how to that end they had sent forth some to discouer the matter and this quoth he is I hope the occasion which I watch for to saue my selfe and whereof you may also help your selfe for in the night if there happen any encounter it is easy to take either party yea quoth I if we be not surprised and entrapped by the enemies I cannot quoth he fall into the handes of any enemies whome I feare so much as these being that these do often kill both body and soule As we were vpon these termes the boy of my chamber brought me a loaf a peece of biefe for my dinner Tristram went out of my chamber I passed all that after dinner in prayers and sighes desiring of God light and direction that in so dangerous a company I might do nothing against his honour and that if I should suffer any thing it might be without my fault and with perseuerance in his holy loue I prayed also hartily for good Tristram that he might happily ridde himselfe from those bandes for all the troupe that God would inspire their mynd to liue better About two of the clocke they dispatched spies to diuers places to haue intelligence of the souldiers comming whome they feared about seauen a clocke came those whome they had sent before saying for certaine there were souldiers in the field who came directly to that place The Captaine thought it dangerous to stay there any longer The theeues forsake their sort he caused the Trumpet to be sounded low through all the Castle and all about euery one heard the alarme and was ready The boye of my chamber came to call me and brought me to a stable where they brought me a Curtali sadled with a sadle of warre and well furnished and bad me mount without saying any more or giuing me any weapons I mounted guirded with my Pilgrimes weed with my beads which I had about my necke for a scarfe and my Pilgrimes staffe euery man laughed to see such a Lance-Knight and so resolute in their company so we parted in hast without our supper and walked foure houres in great silence often staying to harken or attend one another we wrought our way through very thicke woodes and hard to trauerse and were many tymes fayne to passe a row in little by-paths where six men in ambushment might haue defeated vs all I marked and so did almost all the souldiers certaine sparkes of fire blew tending towardes greene which appeared in the ayre and ouer the heades of euery one and very neere like to the wormes which shine in the month of May where we dwell some tooke this for a presage of good fortune as Mariners when they see any such light which they call the Starre of the Sea appeare in the obscurity of any furious tempest for my part I did interpret it a signe from heauen menacing and warning euery one to looke to his conscience and me thought it was a Synderesis or naturall light which was signifyed by these sparkes which is giuen by God to euery sinner to make him see that he doth ill and to bite his conscience About midnight we came to Millet whether you went to heare nowes of me we went from thence and tooke a little refection insteed of a supper and fed well our horses About morning when our Captaine saw the tyme of departing approached he called me and sayd with a merry countenance My good friend Pilgrime what thinke you of this kind of life My Captaine quoth I in truth it seemeth to me very painefull and this great labour deserueth to be employed about some good subiect He replyed are you resolued to sight if necessity driueth vs to it Captaine quoth I if it be to fight with the Diuell I haue good courage and am well armed for the purpose with my beads and staffe to breake his hornes If your courage serue you to encounter to puissant an enemy quoth the Captaine I do not thinke you will runne away from men and because I haue a good opinion of your valour I will put you in another attiâ—e furnish you with weapons for it is not meet you should be with vs in this array And commanding me to put off my prigtimes weed he brought me a souldierly suite that Theodosiu attyred like a souldier wherein you saw me enter to assault the Fort wherein you were in garrison with the Hare your Centinell Lazarus and Vincent laughed but I laughed not quoth Theodosius hearing my Captaine say thus but I was put into an extreme perplexity fearing on the one side to be brought to some ill exigent to loose either coÌ„science or honour dying with such people I stood resolued rather to loose all thinges then do any thing vnworthy a Pilgrime of Loreto or an honest Gentleman I answered my Captaine that he should haue no dishonour by my seruice with which answere he was content and Tristram more who attended the houre when the Captaine should do that act The host of the lodging tooke my staffe my cassocke and my cloake of him I thinke the Pilgrime bought it my beades I kept Then Lazarus lifting vp his handes to heauen I thanke the diuine goodnes sayth heâ— that a little before this your great affliction he presented you vnto myne eyes that I might pray for you for about this midnight past I dreamed that you were before me desolate desyring my prayers and I leaped off my bed asking Vincent if any body were in our Chamber Theodosius escapeth out of then company I remember it very well quoth Vincent From thence we came into the wood sayth Theodosius following his tale where you saw vs soaring and coasting attending for newes from our spies that were sent forth the man you saw slaine was a poore Merchant that passed that way whome two foot-men spoiled and left halfe dead whereof one was taken this day noted by the dog as you saw And as we stayed all our spies with one accord did assure vs that the Prouost-Marshall was at hand and a great company with him We fled apace whetâ—er our Captaine lead vs by good fortune my horse running with a great swiftnes entred on the left hand among certaine rootes of an old Oake halfe bare and vncouered stumbled so rudely as he cleane brake his legge and cast me vpon
suppose you could better penetrate then I. I stayed with great contentation in the first words of our Sauiour wherewith he did beare off the first assault of the enemy saying Matth. 4. Man liueth not only by bread but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God That is as I haue heeretofore heard our Preachers say by whatsoeuer God will nourish vs with all For in this answere I perceaued the wisedome goodnes and power of God who both could would and knew how to giue meanes to liue not only to man but to all creatures whereof some are nourished with herbes some with fruits some with water others with wind Man hath all the world and all creatures for his prouision and sometyme is miraculously sustained 3. Reg. 17. euen by the beastes themselues as Elias by the Crow yea euen by direction of beastes such as are hurtfull pernicious to the life of man as not long since I heard a notable example of a Pilgrime who was nourished diuers wayes with a stone which serpents had shewed vnto him Theodosius knoweth wel this story for he told it once in good company and if it please him to renew the memory thereof vnto vs he shall so farre solace our way Truly sayth Lazarus looking vpon Theodosius you may not refuse this liberall offer Theodosius answered seeing that Vincent is in company and hath so good a memory as to remember a history that I tould foure years since me thinkes he should rather pleasure and recreate the company therewith I remember that I haue forgot it replyed Vincent if you will haue me recite it first help my forgetfullnes and after I will do my best I see well quoth Theodosius Lazarus is lead away by Vincent and I must be condemned by them both to tell this history I am content to beare the sentence but if I performe it ill your eares shall beare the paine and pennance If I remember well sayth he then heare it as I learned it of that venerable Prelate Iohn Fisher an Englishman Bishop of Rochester A Pilgrime together with a serpent nourished with a stone in the booke which he put forth in the yeare 1526. against Oecolampadius the Heretike there he sayth that he learned it of Vesalius Groningensis a Frizlander a man of good learning and credit That a certaine Priest went into Italy about the beginning of winter yet it happened that one day in very ill wether walking vpon the Alpes he lost his way and turning heere and there at last descended into a valley Roff. l. 4. c. 22. con Ooecolam hoping there to find the right way where if night should surprise him he might also find some corner to couer himselfe from wind and snow but looking on euery part he found no issue or way to get out all the ground being couered with snow For his bed he espied a little hole on the right hand wrought naturally within the Rocke and a little plaine before it there he cast himselfe as into his graue not looking to liue for he had neither weapons nor munition to sustaine the siege of two so great enemies as cold hunger which already began to buckle with him and must needes shortly presse him without mercy and take him with out striking a stroke The Moone was at the full by good fortune began to shine the heauens waxing cleare a little after he had set himselfe supperles in his bed of stone he waked almost till midnight when he saw a troupe of great Serpents which came towardes his denne trayning al along the snow he was frighted at this sight and blessed himselfe and did not thinke that they had beene serpents indeed because he could not conceaue any naturall cause that should make them leaue their holes at this tyme and thus trayne vpon the snow and it came in his mind to thinke that it was some illusion of the nights fancies or perhaps some wicked spirits who came in that figure to disquiet him so he blessed himselfe againe and recommended himselfe with all his hart to God the B. Virgin The serpents approached and came to a stone close by his denne they go about it after they come to it and licked it He sate looking when they would leape on him entring into his denne to deuoure him But when they had taryed a while licking the stone they returned the same way they came He thanked God that he was deliuered from this feare and slept a little the rest of the night and was all the next day without eating or seeing any thing but the whitenes of the earth and the light of heauen In the second and third night at the same houre the serpents came againe and hauing done as they did before returned Then he persuaded himselfe that they were very serpents but he could not tell the cause why they should licke the stone In the meane tyme he was almost starued with hunger and thought that perharps those beastes did shew him what he should do to sustaine himselfe Therfore he goeth to the stone putteth his mouth to it and licketh it and as soone as he had licked it a strange thing he felt himselfe strengthned both against hunger and cold as if he had taken some restoratiue or some strange meat and in this sort he sustayned and defended himselfe all the winter long and a part of the spring vntill the moneth of April when the snow beginning to melte and the wayes to open he heard the voice of passengers whome he followed and set himselfe in way with them to finish his iourney Behould what you demanded of me and surely Vincent had good occasion to note the prouidence of God in those wordes of our Sauiour for it is easy to see in this example that God is all mercifull and almighty hauing alwayes care of his creaturs able to maintaine them not with bread only but of whatsoeuer shall please him yea euen with stones if he will And therefore Sathan though he were crafty on the one side in giuing the assault where he thought likelyest to haue sped The folly of the diuell he was notwithstanding a great foole on the other side in thinking it necessary to turne stones into bread to sustain the body it being as easy for the Sonne of God to draw nourishement out of a stone without bread as to turne a stone into bread for nourishment Loe quoth Vincent you are discharged of your history and I am contented Truly sayth Lazarus you haue reason to be contented and I know not whether we shall haue so good a dinner againe to day as Theodosius hath giuen vs for besides the spirituall refection he hath giuen vs also a good lesson teaching vs to expect with great fayth and confidence the assistance of our Sauiour both for body and soule in all our necessityes But sayth Theodosius seeing you would breake your fast vpon that little I had in the sacke of
gall to eate and vineger to drinke but himselfe neuer receiued such vsage at the Iewes hands but it was thou O sweet Lambe the true Dauid who didst tast the bitternes of this gall the sharpnes of this vineger Our Sauiour tormented ouer all his body The same Prophet sayd that they had numbred his bones of thee he did speake for he beheld with his foreseeing and Propheticall eyes thy precious body stretched out vpon the Crosse with such violeÌ„ce that men might tell thy bones and there was no part or member in thee which had not his proper torment Thy skinne was torne with the stripes of the roddes thy head crowned with thornes thy feete and hands nayled thine eyes striken with the sight not onely of thine enemies but also of thy friends and namely of thy sorrowfull mother whom I behold at the foote of thy Crosse Our B. Lady at the foote of the Crosse and whome thou seest also striken in her soule with that sword of sorrow which good old Simeon did foretell thou seest her alas with an eye watered with teares and bloud these are the torments of thine eyes Thine eares are beaten with the blasphemies and mockeries of thy persecutors thy hart is afflicted with our afflictions thy backe loaden with the waight of our sinnes and finally Dauid did forsee thee in the light of his spirit which knew things to come he did contemplate thee in this Crosse oppressed with torments and filled with reproaches as a man forlorne without all help or force The reproache of men and the refuse of the people who preferred a murderer and a thiefe before the author of life a man who was thought to be forsaken and abandoned by God there hence it is that thy grand-father wrote that verse which thou camest to pronounce O sweet Redeemer My God my God why hast thou forsaken me wordes that very emphatically doe declare the rigour of thy affliction Deus Dâ—â—â—meus Psal 21. Math. 27. Marc. 15. and with a diuine eloquence dost represent thee as forsaken of God yet by interrogation without affirming in apparence and outward shew not in truth For God had not forsaken thee yea he hath nothing so deere in heaueÌ„ or earth as thee his onely Sonne which he testifyed at that time by the dole and mourning of the whole world when he commanded the sunne to eclipse when he made the moone loose her light the earth to tremble the rockes to riue the graues to open in signe of thy griefes and sorrowes and in detestatioÌ„ of the malice of thy tormentors Why the death of our Sauiour was so long before figured foretold It was therfore the enormity of thy torments which these words declared and not any forgetfullnes of thy Father Heere suffer me O my sweet Sauiour to aske thee why thou didst cause the tenor and forme of so many torments to be so liuely expressed and fortold and why thou wouldest endure them Hast thou foretold them to proue therby that thou wert God that thy death was not by chance but a voluntary charity a designement of thy wisedome and infinite bounty towards man made long before hand a mercy proiected in the closet and counsell of thy Eternity for who could so particularly foretell so many and so diuers actions happened in this tragedy that knew them not Onely God perceiueth forseeth future things Esa 41.13 And who could know them being so remote and so vnlâ—kely but only God but thy self to whose eye all things are present And who could haue belieued that thou wouldest loue vs so soone and so happily and wouldest endure so much for vs if thou hadst not giuen vs aduertisement before hand of all that thou didest suffer vpon the Crosse But why wouldest thou endure so much O the Redeemer of my soule yea why wouldst thou suffer death or any paine at all seeing to the Redemption of man it sufficed that thou wert made man Why our Sauiour suffered so much though thou hadst suffered nothing but liued in the glory of a rich King in commanding the whole world and taking homage of all thy creatures which is due vnto thee by al titles of souerainty Why O Lord making thy selfe man wouldest thou abase thy selfe vnder our basenes after thou hadst left all and insteed of riches pleasures and honours didst choose pouerty paine and humility didst lead a life which was noâ—hing but a continuall pennance thou wouldst besides suffer death the death of the Crosse that is most bitter in griefes and anguishes most cruell in torments most shamefull and ignominious in iniuries a death armed with the fury of all the powers of hell irritated with all the vices conspired together of all notable sinners Kings Princes souldiers Iudges Priests all sorts of people wicked The 1. cause to shew his loue to his Father The 2. to shew his loue to man proper to performe an exploite of enormous cruelty Why O Lord hast thou chosen this thorny way And this field so full of asperities Is it to shew thy exceeding loue to thy Father suffering for him in our behalf whatsouer could be suffered For it is the touchstone of affliction that maketh the sure proofe of firme friendship to any man Or is it moreouer to make man see the treasures of thy charity towards him sparing nothing for his saluation not onely making thy self poore to enrich vs infirme to fortify vs little to exalt vs but also giuing thy life the most precious gift which a man can giue for his friend and vndergoing death with a thousand torments to deliuer vs from eternall death with a pleÌ„tifull aboÌ„dant fine of propitiation paiable to the diuine Iustice and therefore the same Prophet sayd that with our Lord is mercy and with him is found plentifull Redemption Hast thou not suffered so much to make man see the enormity of his sinne Psal 129. which must needs be purged with so precious a life painefull a death The 3. cause to shew the enormity of sinne My sinnes then are they that haue lifted thee vpon the Crosse they haue torne thy skinne they haue crowned thee with thornes they haue nayled thy hands and feete they haue entertained thee with gall and vineger O then my soule sinne no more for thy sinnes are the cause of this parricide bring no more forth the butchers of thy Redeemer after hauing receiued so many signes of his fauour towards thee Finally O gentle Lambe hast thou vndertaken and suffered this painfull and ignominious death To teach thy children how they must suffer 4. To giue vs example to suffer Giuing them an excellent patterne of thy life of thy death to imitate and to suffer for the honour of God and to carry his Crosse For seeing the head captaine is the formost in the fight and assalt seeing the King is the first hath the greatest part in paines and punishmeÌ„t
bringeth vs we shall be sure to loose nothing This is not all quoth Lazarus our fellow Vincent hath yet some fine things and made him draw out of his bagge his witchery trash WheÌ„ Dom-Prior saw the paper wherin was written the name of Hezares the distribution of offices and the rest O sayth he with admiration how cruell is this enemy of mankind and how abhominable are those who serue him in his cruelties But to what vse thinke you was giuen them this wolfes skinne To that end that with the application thereof this tyrant maketh those we call Loup-Garons People transformed for he charmeth enchanteth so strongly the fantasy of those he giues it vnto and that take it with a band of friendship that they altogether seeme to themselues wolues and doe indeed assumâ— diuers of their qualities as going on all foure and going like other wolues to hunt specially for little children a prey for the rage of this infernall wolfe who hateth cruelly men and specially little innocents whome Iesus-Christ loueth most teÌ„derly against the which this Antichrist setteth in fury these his wolues who not onely doe take the inward feeling of the wolues but also do outwardly so appeare to others euen as Nabuchedonozor thought himself a beast Dan. 4.3 and seemed so also to others and that woman of whome Palladius writeth Pallad 〈◊〉 cap. 19. who seemed to be turned into a mare and seemed so to euery one but to S. Macarius who hauing prayed and cast holy water vpon her made the charme vanish away both from the woman who was healed and also from the seers who beheld her as she was before in the shape of a woman Such were those illusions of men whome in old time men falsely belieued to be turned into wolues or other beasts It is not in the Diuels powre to chaÌ„ge one creature into an other for it is not in the power of the Diuel to change one creature into another specially man for so his soule must dye and the wolues or some others soule succeed in the place which is impossible mans soule being incorruptible and immortall It is therfore witchcraft and illusion and we must thinke that those wolues which came towards you vpon the oake were men transfigured in that sort by the touch of this skinne or by the meanes of some other superstition and that they were hurt with the fall they had and who so could fynd them should see that they carry the marke thereof My Father answered Lazarus this is very true and I will shew you a shadow of the effect of this charme and that is that beholding my companion that carried it me thought somtimes he looked like a wolfe but very slender inconstant vanishing as soone as it did appeare Vincent taking his wordes verily sayth he you make me bold in good coÌ„pany to tell my foolish thought that held me all this morning when I did or endeuoured to meditate still me thought I was a wolfe and I doubt there was some secret charme in this ill fauored stuffe that I carried in my bagge which I signified vnto you couertly when I told you that I thought my distraction câ—me of my cariage But good Father can this skinne haue such force to alter the imagination and sense of men in such sort How the Diuell altereth mens senses Sonne answered Dom-Prior it is not the skinne that bringeth forth these illusions but rather the secret hand and malice of the Diuel hauing as I sayd a naturall power to trouble our outward and inward senses if otherwise he be not hindered and make things seeme of other figures than they are indeed but he vseth and abuseth creatures and helpeth himselfe with the skinne of a wolfe with the head of a catt with latchets of the lions skinne with Virgin-parchement and with other such things as you found vnder the Sabboth oake putteth such stuffe to worke by ceremony and affected malice the more finely to deceiue men and to entertaine them in their superstition by these visible things and to induce them to greater sinne making them abuse the creatures against the honour of the Creator to be honoured himself in them But we haue spoken inough of sorcerers wil you now go see our prisoner Gratian knowne Good Father quoth Lazarus your good graue discourses haue enchanted vs and made me almost forget your prisoner we will gladly see him if it please you Dom-Prior brought them into the chamber where he was shut and entring said vnto him Loe my friend these good Pilgrims come to see you The prisoner as soone as he saw them cast himselfe vpon Lazarus his necke who at first knew him not and crying out O happy meeting saith he Syr Lazarus Lazarus looking on his face and beholding his attire cryed also O my good friend are you heere Theodosius and Vincent imbraced him with the same affection Dom-Prior and Dom-Procurator all that were present were astonished coÌ„sidering these entertainemeÌ„ts not knowing the cause Lazarus beholding Dom Prior Father quoth he know you that this is the great good man Syr Gratian whome we left foure dayes since at Mondeuill Verily sayth Dom-Prior I am amazed and glad both of so happy a meeting and of the testimony you giue to him whome we held for a false ladde God forgiue vs if we iudged ill and Syr Gratian also and he must attribute it to the fault misery of the time which is naught and wicked and of men who cannot see and iudge within but onely by the exteriour and are many tymes deceiued Good Father quoth Gratian if you haue esteemed me a sinner and a thiefe you haue iudged right of me for I am both not for hauing stollen any thing but for that I haue often grieuously transgressed the law of my maister Euery sinner is a theefe ofteÌ„ with held his interest and rents which I ought him of the good which I had of his and ill emploied the mony of his grace and finally I haue beene a thiefe in so many points as I haue receiued commaundements and commodities from him and therfore he is offended with me and hath beaten me but as a Father striking me with the rod he is wont to chastice his children withall shewing me mercy euen amidst the blowes of his iustice for verily he hath taken from me all my teÌ„porall goods wise children and all the hope of my house and old age but he hath giuen me in lieu of all this meanes to saue my soule and gaine heauen giuing me the mynd to mend my selfe do penance for my sinnes as I declared but foure dayes since to Sir Lazarus heere and was ready to put it in execution when the good Angell of God as I beblieue carried me to this house of Bon heur by that meanes deliuering me from the danger I incurred that day that you pâ—ssed that way Syr Lazarus For as the sports were ended and that all
and ware into the waues to discharge the ship The second contained the picture of a Virgin set by an heap of wheate compassed about with lillies and trode vnder her feete a Hyena so liuely drawne that it seemed to moue and snarle against her In the third was painted Isaac tyed and bound his eyes couered vpoÌ„ an altar Abraham his Father lifting vp his sword to sacrifice him to God and in the bottome of the table a Religious man leading in his hand a Lionesse to his Abbot Lazarus perceiued streight that these were tables of the three essentiall vowes of religion Pouerty Chastity Obedience And so did Theodosius Vincent also but Vincent indeed could not conceiue what was meant by the heap of wheate compassed with lillies by the Hyena was euen about to aske the exposition which Lazarus without thinking thereof gaue him for Dom-Prior sayd to him Hath not the holy Scripture well expressed the fecundity honour of the virginity of our B. Lady the mother of God by this heape of corne and these lillies Lazarus answered yes indeed for in the whitenes of the lilly she hath brought forth of her virginall wombe Cant. 1. the seed of immortall corne which multiplieth dayly into great heapes in the Catholike Church and nourisheth her children vnto life euerlasting without all corruption or diminution Hyena â— Hieroglysse of mortall fleâ—â— and which is more wonderfull remayning alwaies one And of this Hyena quoth D. Prior what thinke you It is quoth he to my iudgement meruailously well drawne for it is very like a wolf and yet it differeth being more rough and hauing the hayre longer ouer all the body as the haires of a woman But the inuention doth please me yet better than the paynting for in my iudgement this Virgin treading vpon this Hyena signifieth the chast soule taming her rebellious flesh well signified by the Hyena which is a beast vncleane of the night charmeur and cruell counterfaiting the voice of man digging vp graues in the night not pardoning any she can catch qualities that agree very well to our corrupted flesh for it is foule and feedeth of filth Aâ—â—t de 〈…〉 6. cap. 32. 〈◊〉 lib 8. cap. 3â— taketh her greatest pleasure and delights in darknes she flattereth singeth and charmeth by apparence of reason as by a mans voice and if once she hath gotten subiected a man to her euil customes she in a thousand sorts tyrannizeth him with her concupiscences Vincent thanked Lazarus in his hart for this expositioÌ„ and D. Prior tooke singular pleasure therin and to giue him occasion to talke still And for this Lionesse quoth he are you not afrayd of her No saith Lazarus for I see she is tame and gentle suffering herself to be lead by a simple Religious and in myne opinion this is an effect of blind Obedience represented by Isaac blindfolded for the Religious commanded by his Abbot to go fetch this fierce beast he went to bring her shutting his eyes to the danger opening them onely to the commandement of his Superiour and God in fauour of his obedience made the lionesse tractable ObedieÌ„ce is the soule of religious life obedient also This is quoth D. Prior a notable example for all Religious and I doubt not quoth Lazarus but it is well practised in this holy family I desire in truth it should be so quoth D. Prior for it is the hart and soule of all Religion this being said he brought him and his companions to the refectory and from thence to an orchard and garden where they saw goodly rowes of choice trees and knots of all sorts of rare flowers wherewith they decke the Altar Many Arbers of hasell and laurell yielding a shaddow and smell most pleasant with a thousand airies of sweet nightingals who in that season sang who should do best They saw also a great Beare whereof Vincent at the first was afraid which Lazarus perceiuing sayd vnto him smyling what are you afrayd in so sure and secure a place do you not know that lions are gentle and tame in the house of God as well as the lionesse which we saw euen now In such discourses and visits they passed the afternoone vntill Euensonge which the Pilgrims went to heare after which retyring themselues into their chamber they sayd their beades and examined their conscience and at fiue a clocke they went to supper diuers things were proposed of the vanity and misery of the world of the breuity of this life and of the prouidence of God ouer good men Theodosius was desired to tell the nights and fortunes he passed with his bandites Gratian also recouÌ„ted once againe how he was traÌ„sported from Mondeuill to this place Whereupon Dom-Prior brought diuers examples out of the holy Scripture that it was no new thing for Angells to transport bodies from one place to another and how the Prophet Abacuc was in a moment caryed from Palestine to Babilon Dan. 14. and S. Philip also from Hierusalem to Azotus And that not onely good Angells Act. 8. but the bad also haue had such power and vsed it when God did permit them as appeateth by the history of our Sauiour who was himselfe caried by the tempter to the Pinnacle of the Temple and to the toppe of a mountaine A meruailous transport of a freÌ„ch gentleman As he sayd this Theodosius beholding Lazarus I remember sayth he that I haue heard you tell an admirable transport of a French gentleman and which hath much affinity with this of Sir Gratian Dom. Prior at this word desired Lazarus presently to make the whole company partaker of that history Lazarus smyling Father sayth he doe you not marke how Theodosius by policy seeketh to prolong supper We must thanke him therefore quoth Dom-Prior for if there be any profit therein it is as well for vs as for himselfe but indeed I shall do you wrong and make you pay too deere for your reckoning making you talke when it is time to eate perhaps it will be better after supper Father replyed Lazarus when I haue done eating I haue well supped God thanke you I doe not forget my eating for speaking and therefore I thinke it better presenty to serue you with the history you demand that if it be vnsauoury you may feele it lesse taking it with other meates The history is this taken from hand to hand in Normandy The history of Bagueuille Belleforest About the yeare of our Lord 1386. Charles the 6. reigning in France when most of the French Nobility went into Hungary to defend that christian Kingdome against the inuasion of the Turke a great Lord of Normandy about 50. yeares of age yet vigorous and valiant of his body and a braue Captaine had a great desire to goe serue in this warre thinking himselfe happy if he might employ eyther his life or his labour in the defence of Religion His wife was a most
him and there was tyme inough I will add quoth he for the conclusion of my narration two miracles The one is of a knight deliuered from the gates of death by the fauour and intercession of the B. Virgin This knight was a gentleman of Catana very wealthy called Nicolas Pauonio Turs lib. 4. cap. 27. who one day ryding his horse gaue him the carriere so hardly that the horse stumbling cast him on the ground and bruised and crushed him his seruants tooke him vp and caryed him to his lodging as a dead man The surgeons and physicians were fetched after all the wounds serched and prescriptions appointed finally they condemned him to death Then aduised by some of his frieÌ„ds who assisted him to call for the help of God and to commeÌ„d himselfe to our Lady of Loreto he made a vow that if by her intercession God would restore him to his health that he would go honour him as Pilgrime and adore his Sonne in that sacred Chappell That vow being pronounced he slept and it seemed to him in sleeping that our B. Lady presented her selfe vnto him and that touching him with her hand she had healed him and awaking he found that his dreame was true and that he was healed indeed and went from thence to Loreto and there rendred his vow and immortall thankes to God and his glorious mother A miracle vpon a SclauoniaÌ„ Priest The other miracle happened sayth he about an hundred yeares since in the person of a Sclauonian Priest a simple maÌ„ but very deuout to the B. Virgin he was by some misfortune taken not farre from Loreto by certaine Turkes of base condition when these Barbarians knew that he was not onely a Christian Hor. Tiâ—s lib. 2. cap. 18. but also a Priest two qualities which they hate extremely they thought to do a great peece of worke and a great honour to their Mahomet if they could spoile him of them both making him renounce his fayth They pressed him oftentimes with threatnings and promises and by all meanes he remained firme as a rocke and the more he was thrust the faster he stood calling vpon the name of Iesus and Maria. They incensed with the inuocation of these names what meanest thou miserable dogge say they so loud to call vpon those names seeing they help thee nothing at all It is answered he because they are grounded in the bottome of my hart and in my bowels But replied they if we pull out thy hart and thy bowels what wilt thou then say Well resolue thy selfe if thou beest wise to deny them and saue thy life otherwise know thou that we will put thy bowels and thy belly in thy hands you shall so do quoth the Priest an act worthy of your selues yet for all that it is not in your power to take from me Iesus and Maria they enraged with these wordes set vpon him still calling vpon Iesus and the B. Virgin and vowing to visit Loreto wherewith yet incensed with more diuelish fury they opened his belly and put his hart and bowels pulled out in his hands saying with a tragicall iâ—rision now go accomplish thy vow and visite Iesus and Maria and so they left him and went their wayes A wonderfull thing and neuer heard of he tooke his bowels and his life in his hands and caryed by the power of God walked to Loreto with the amazement of all the people that saw him go He came to the place of his vow hauing presented himself to the officers of the Church he shewed them his entrailes which he caried the coâ—ler of his empty body he recounted vnto them the history briefly he confessed and receiued and hauing performed his vow he yielded his soule to God All the world was rauished with such a spectacle and the entrailes hung there a long tyme in testimony of the miracle and they being consumed and turned into ashes they supplied others to their 〈◊〉 made of wood and finally insteed of all this in Paul 3. tyme there was made a table wherein was painted a m n holding in his hands his bowels which is seene vnto this day and many yet aliue haue seene the wooden bowels and some the true ones as sayth Horatius Tursellinus who did write the history in Latin There are thousands more of wonders that God hath wrought in that place by the intercession of the glorious Virgin well knowne in Italy but wherewith it is needlesse to trouble you Heere the Tutour would haue spoken gainsayd Lazarus but the Marquesse gently bad hâ—â— keep his coÌ„tradiction yet a while and haue patience vntill the speaker had done his discourse Sir quoth Lazarus I haue done now if it please you The Marquesse replyed Syr I beseech you go forward for you do vs much honour in refreshing vs with the food of so goodly deuotions most worthy of Christian cares and which we vse not to heare often and we find it of much better â—ast then our late partridges If I haue any thing more to say quoth Lazarus it is to let you vnderstand that I tooke great content in your discourses of hunting Syr quoth the Marquesse you signifyed so much vnto vs before wherat I both meruailed reioyced seing that you had not only patience but also pleasure in our litle discourses furnished with matter of very small nourishment in my iudgment but onely of peeces of our poore prouision Sir quoth Lazarus there is nothing in all the world so small wherein God doth not appeare great The Marquesse and the rest began to thinke that he would say somewhat of hunting which they neuer heard before and desiring to vnderstand it requested him to gratify with that secret the gentlemen whom he saw so atteÌ„tiue Sir quoth Lazarus expect no secret at my hands for I will bring nothing that shall not be well knowne if what I shall say be any thing worth you haue furnished me with the stuffe and the commendation must be your owne First you discoursed of diuers sortes of dogs whereof some were for great beasts the Hart the Bore and Wolfe others for the lesser A spirituall discours of hunting as hares conies badgers foxes some to finde the chace some to t ke it on the earth by course some in the waters lakes and riuers some vnder the earth as terriers for the holes and burroughs you haue also spoken of the diuers natures of beasts some which defend themselues by force some by fright some couragious and hardy some cowardly and fearefull euery one hath his shifts and crafts as a mute reason to helpe themselues in their necessity hearing these things me thinkes I see a table contayning a liuing picture of many wonders of the Creatour in his creatures and in the mixture of their dissensions It is not a great wonder of the power goodnes wisedome of God to haue giuen that property to dogges to perceiue the beast rather by smelling then by seeing Of
our fayth Demand of humane reason and of philosophy if a mans body deuoured by beasts or turned into ashes can rise againe to life They will tell you that it is impossible and will mocke at the Resurrection as hertofore did Epicurus and the Philosophers of his schoole as also your ministers do mocke other mysteries of our fayth namely that of the Altar the truth wherof they impugne saying that one body can not be in diuers places that it caÌ„not be without occupying place without being seene and touched which are reasons drawn raw from philosophy which hath onely the eyes of nature not of fayth which teacheth that God is mightier then nature That he is faythfull to performe what he had sayd Now it is he that sayd This is my body then although by the lawes of nature a body could not be in diuers places yet it may by the power of God EueÌ„ so to touch the point of our purpose although a mans body cannot naturally liue without his entrailes yet by the power of God and by miracle it may And what will you say Ios Acost hist lid lib. 3. cap. 23. if I shall adde that a man whome the Paynims in Mexico did sacrifice these yeares past did speake after they pulled out his hart And if you receiue not this history will you belieue what a great Physician affirmeth to haue happened hertofore Galen lib. 2. de Placit that diuers beasts that were to be sacrificed and cast vpon the Aultar did breath cry and rore aloud yea also runne sometime after their harts were taken out The Physician by the way sayd this is very true our Galen hath left it in writing Arist. de gen aâ—iâ—t lib. 2. c. 4. And yet sayd Lazarus proceeding Philosophy teacheth that the hart is the fountaine of life and the part that liueth first and dyeth last in the bodies of beasts Now whether you belieue these testimonies or no it importeth not much at the least you should belieue that God can make a man liue speake and walke without entrayles though humane reason and nature should say that by their lawes it could not be And if you had rather follow reason then religioÌ„ which teacheth that God can do all things you must also confesse that you had rather be a Philosopher then a Christian Thus farre Lazarus The eyes of all the company were fastened on him and there ranne through the table a soft and sweet noise and rumour euery one praising his discourse as full of learning eloquence The Abbot asked the Tutour if he had any thing to reply he answered No for that he should gaine nothing all the company being contrary to his Religion and that he would neuer belieue these miracles Then it is want of faith quoth the Abbot yea quoth the Phisician and of some things els besides Tony marking the man to be amazed could not hold his peace but sayd vnto him Cime thou maist take horse when thou wilt and saue thy self thou hast thy bootes full thy spurres on did I not tell thee so much But what thou hast no fayth The Vicount had beene very attentiue all supper long taking singular pleasure in the discourse contenance of Lazarus and sayd in his Cousins eare behold a worthy Pilgrime your maister in my opinion had rather be some where els I would quoth he that he were at the Garamantes so I had neuer seene him and vpon these termes euery man rose from the table sauing Monsieur Marquesse and Monsieur S. Leo who discoursed sometime together with the Pilgrimes and forget not to entreat Lazarus to tell them his country and his kindred he answered in generall that his country was not farre of and his parentage small modestly concealed the lustre of his house They pressed him no further doubting that he had made a vow not to make himselfe knowne So they tooke leaue as well of the Marquesse and the Abbot as of Monsieur Vicount the Baron and their cousin that they might not be constrayned to attend till they rose in the morning which would be late as also to be free to depart betymes Euery man did his endeauour to stay them the next day or longer but they could not preuayle The Vicount and the Baron and diuers others accompanyed them to their chamber and hauing talked a while they imbraced them for their farewell with a great demonstration of loue and friendship and the Baron holding Lazarus hard told him that he would remember him as long as he liued but told him not what he had already resolued in his mynd They being alone made their examen sayd the Letanies and tooke for their morning Meditation the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and the subiect of the glory of Paradise The fourtith day and the tenth and last of his Returne 1. The desires and deliberation of a deuoute soule 2. A Meditation of the glorious Assumption of the B. Virgin 3. Of the glory of Paradise CHAP. XXIV THE Baron being gone to bed all kindled with the discourse of Lazarus The desires and deliberation of a deuout soule could not sleep being tossed with the violence of his cogitations that tormented him and spake to himselfe in this manner whereon thinkest thou yong man and why takest thou not the way of glory which God hath shewed thee now many yeares What dost thou expect of the world â—ariest thou for some misfortunate end of thy life such as thou didst escape narrowly in this hunting If thou h dst died by the tuske of the wild Bore who killed thy horse in what estate preparation hadst thou left this mortall life And with what rigour had thy poore soule going out of her body loaden with her sinnes beene conuented before the tribunall of the diuine and supreme iustice And seest thou not that this good God let thee fall into this danger to make thee feare and hath deliuered thee by these holy Pilgrimes to shew thee what thou shouldest do to auoyd the iawes of that internall Lion that expected there to haue thee in couert of his holy house What expectest thou in thy vocation of this earthly warfare What caÌ„st thou gayne more then the friendship of some earthly Prince and the recompence of some humane and flittering fauour and how deare shalt thou buy it How easily shalt thou lose it And if being once gotten it would last all thy life yet what is it in respect of those goods those riches of that immortall glory which thou shalt get following the seruice of this great King who hath long inuited thee to his Court by threats by promises by secret inspirations and by a thousand fayre warnings wherby he knocketh day and night at the doore of thy hardned hart After he had long debated this matter with these and like discourses he fell a sleepe and sleeping had this vision He thought he was caryed into heauen A vision of Paradise where
he saw a Citty oâ— forme foure square great wonderfull spacious compassed with walles of squared Amâ—thystes of India and christall checker wise and pointed diamond wise fastened with gold enamelled with azure The Towres were of the same matter and fashion sauing that their batlements were made of Emeralds Iacinths The houses of the Citty were all great palaces built of Diamonds Saphires Topazes other precious stones of admirable lustre and variety cut most artificially for couerings or roofes they had the seeling of heauen-flaming varying in colours like the rainebow MeÌ„ entred in by twelue gates three towards the east and three towards the west as many towards the North and towards the south euery one made of a whole entire precious stone figured and wrought with art surpassing the stuffe The market place and streetes were paued with bricke of fine gold in the same place was seene a fountaine of liuely water which made a torreÌ„t of pleasure running through the streets and trees alwayes greene loaden with the fruite of life and with floures which cast a most sweet odour all ouer the Citty The Cittizens men and women were diuinely beautifull their bodies subtile shyning like the sunne all went and flew nymbly like to Eagles cloathed like the Kings children some in scarlet some in crimson damaske others in white satine some in beaten gold and others in other stuffe and these habits being wrought and garnished with embrodery and passe main lace of gold poudered with all sorts of exquisite and choice pearle and precious stones were couered with a garmeÌ„t of a glittering color thin swimming after them as a mantle of Cypres through the which the beauty of their ornaments appeared more admirable Their heads were crowned with Tissues of gold set with great orientall pearles Rubies Diamonds and Emeraldes and on their forhead hung a glittering Crosse made of diuers great Diamonds of wonderfull brightnes They caryed a palme of immortality in their hands and euery one had â—is pallace and liued all vnder one King and at his owne table in great aboundance of all good things without feare of any euill with a peace vnion and contentement vnspeakeable and there was heard without ceasing sundry consorts of musike of voyces instruments vpon the Towres which made all the Citty sound with an incredible melody As the Baron was plunged in the rauishment of this vision he awaked about midnight and perceiued well that it was God that shewed him the image of this Citty and of these Cittizens He resolued from thenceforth to be a Pilgrime vpon earth and to serue God with all his hart one day to be receiued in the number of these Cittizens a few dayes after he tooke his Fathers blessing became Religious In the same houre when Theodosius and Vincent had slept Lazarus dreamed that being neer his Fathers house his brother Pauline met him saying all amazed O my brother Aâ—me Dieu are you aliue Lazarus also more amazed imbraced him and said O my deare brother Pauline are you yet in the world I kept your funerals at Loreto and with the shadow of this ioy he awaked perceiued it was but a dreame slept againe Three houres after they a rose and kneeled to their prayers making their Meditation euery man by himselfe as they were wont Niceph li. 15. c. 14. ex lanen Episc Ieros Glâ—a alijs Niceph. li. 2. cap. 23. lib. 15. ca. 14. Lazarus meditated first of the piety and deuotion of the Apostles to our B. Lady perseuering three whole dayes to visite her sepulcher and to honour it with hymnes and canticles togeather with the consorts of Angels who in the same time afforded an admirable harmony of their heauenly melody to the honour of the same Virgin Secondly he considered how S. Thomas comming by the Prouidence of God the third day and desirous to honour the body of the B. Virgin whome he could not serue at her decease as his companions did was cause that they opened the sepulcher to giue him contentment and to behold that sacred treasure layd vp in it and that not fynding it there they acknowledged the glorious Asssiption of the B. Virgin caryed to heauen both body and soule and priuiledged after her death with a prerogatiue of a glorious resurrection before the great and generall day as she was priuiledged with a thousand graces all the course of her life And thereupon came into his memory the prophecy of King Dauid foretelling in these wordes the Resurrection of the Sonne of the mother Psal 133. Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Arke of thy Sanctification The wordes also of the Sonne speaking vnto his mother Cant. 4. as vnto his well beloued Spouse Arise my friend my doue and come the winter is now passed the raine is ended and gone make hast my loue without staying for the last general resurrection of men Come betimes from the shadow of the graue and come to the light of heauen for winter is passed with you the showrs of your teares are dried vp he made her make haste not letting her lye three litle and short daies in her Sepulcher So it was meete that that sacred body which had brought forth life should not be swallowed by death and giuen for a prey and foode to wormes nor the matter of incorruption turne to ashes and that she who had by priuiledge beene exempted from originall sin Gen. 3. and the common malediction of women in their childbirth should also be exempted from the paine and malediction incurred by the same which was to be by death turned into dust and ashes Heere Lazarus considered attentiuely the glory of this resurrection which doubtlesse was worthy of the Sonne mother of God and such as the Angels might well admire but not expresse and therefore seeing her ascend they sayd who is she that coming from the desert ascendeth loaden with delights Cant. â— and leauing vpon her well beloued They admired and demaunded and could not otherwise expresse the beauty of this creature And if these celestiall spirits so well seene in all great things do shew by their wondering that they neuer saw the like in heauen what can men say or conceiue of the glory of this Assumption Of the Meditation of this glory particular of the B. The ioy glory of Paradise Virgin Lazarus tooke occasion to thinke of the ioyes of Paradise â—he coÌ„sidered first the essence of that ioy which consisteth in the vision of God a perfect ioy and alone sufficient to satisfy and fill the hart of man which cannot be filled but with the possession of an infinite good and if the knowledge of creatures of the heauens of the starres of other creatures though imperfect and full of obscurity can rauish with ioy the spirits of mortall men in the darknes of this base low world what ioy may redouÌ„d to the blessed soules aboue
of the cleare vision and contemplation of their Creatour the cause of all beauties that are in heauen or earth and infinitly more beautifull then all other beauty put together Of the body He meditated in the second place of the glory which the bodies of the â—ust shall haue after the ResurrectioÌ„ which can not otherwise be declared but as the Apostle declareth the whole felicity That the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the hart of man comprehended â— Cor. 2. what God hath prepared for those that loue h m he could say no more then in saying as he did that it is impossible to conceiue that felicty The scripture sayth that the iust shall shine like the sunne and compareth them to eagles Matt. 15. signifying the beauty agility of their body Our Sauiour to whose similitude we shall rise agayne came out of the graue that he rose out subtile impassible such in similitude shall our bodies be in such qualities shining Phil. 3.20 transpareÌ„t agile subtile penetrant and immortall heere withall euery particular part of the body shall haue a supernaturall beauty as now it hath a naturall with this difference that then all the body being transparent like christall all parts shall be visible in it as well the inward as the outward the bones the muscles the sinewes the veines the arteries the lungs the liuer the hart all shall be cleansed and cleared from all imperfectioÌ„ indewed with their proper beauty in propoâ—tion clearenes and colour This of Saphire that of Emeraldes one of Carbuncles another of Diamonds and aboue all shall be most adm rable those which haue beene employed in some speciall and peculiar seruice of the diuine Maiesty So the skinne of S. Bartholomew stead off for the faith shall shine with a particular beauty the armes and feete of S. Peter crucifyed the head of S. Paul cut of the tongues of true preachers the hands of Almoners the armes of the true souldiours of Iesus-Christ the eyes of chastity the hayres of virginity nothing shall be without recompence without excellency without particular glory Lazarus was plunged in this meditation and sayd O my soule if thou beest rauished meditating these beauties how great shall thy ioy be in enioying them O Lazarus what doost thou to deserue them What giuest thou to buy them What sufferest thou to gaine this honour And with what pace walkest thou to get the goale of this glory O soules redeemed with the precious bloud of Iesus thinke vpon these honours O Christian Dames who so highly esteeme the beauty of the body that not hauing it you would gladly purchase it with great summes of gold and siluer hauing it do hold it so deere tender it so carefully by art by gold by apparell by chaynes carkenets and iewels your beauty is nothing it is foule and ill fauoured in respect of this and if it were any thing you know well it shall finally perish eyther by some misfortune or by touch of sicknes or by age or surely by death Where is the beauty of AbsaloÌ„ of Lucrece of so many men women admired in the world Loue then the beauty of this Resurrection which shall be proper for euer vnto your bodies and to obtaine it loue now the beauty of your soules O my soule be thou amorous and in loue with this beauty O glorious Virgin O faithfull aduocate aduaÌ„ced this faire and ioyfull day aboue all the thrones of the heauenly and happy spirits the wonder of all goodly creatures on earth whilst thou wert aliue the wonder of all the creatures in heauen for euer the honour of the triumphant Church the refuge of the militant the comfort of the afflicted the guide of wanderers helpe vs with thy graces and credit with him by whome thou wert this day carryed vp into heauen with the company of all the heauenly hostes Procure o most B. Virgin that we obtaine grace holily to liue vpon earth to the imitation of thy selfe and happily to dye to thy example and one day to enioy eternally the riches of the triumphant Resurrection in the Kingdome of thy Sonne Iesus 1. An exhortation to a sick person in agony of death 2. The affliction of Lazarus 3. His arriuall at his Fathers house 4. His farewell to his Father and to the world CHAP. XXV THVS Lazarus ended his prayer Theodosius and Vincent ended then also and had felt great inward ioy therein The steward came early to their chamber hauing made ready their breakfast but they would eate nothing saying it was to soone They desired him humbly to salute in their behalfe Monsieur the Marquesse the Abbot the Vicount the Baron his children and to assure them that they would pray to God for their prosperity The steward had closely put into Lazarus bagge ten Crownes wrapped in a paper with these words of the Marquesse owne writing Pray to God for the Marques which Lazarus found at night in his fathers house He imbraced the Steward with many thankes after they had sayd their Pilgrims prayers they went out of the Castle and hauing beene a while silent they began to talke Lazarus praised much the prudence and liberality of the Marques and of his brother the sincere and harty loue of his children full of humility and courtesy the true markes of true nobility as contrariwise pride and disdaine is a true token of a base and rude mynd he commended also greatly the modesty diligence of all the officers and seruants and tooke this for a sure signe of the Marquesse his vertue for commonly like maister like men and the subiects doe for the most part frame themselues after the fashions of their Lord. Theodosius sayd that he noted at supper a meruailous contentment of all in the answere that was made to Syre Cime and that he did neuer better perceiue the leuity obstinacy of heresy then in that man who sought nothing but to talke and shew himselfe though he shewed himselfe alwayes void of good learning Pride the Father of heresy Whereupon Lazarus sayd Pride is the Father of heresy and vanity is her Mistresse and therefore you may not meruaile to see an Heretike both proud and vayne togeather Wherefore then quoth Vincent doth not the Marquesse his nephew shew himselfe like his maister Because sayth Lazarus he is not so much an Heretike as bred and brought vp in heresy neuer hauing beene Catholike knowing nothing but what they haue giuen him to vnderstand without contradictioÌ„ it is well to be hoped that as he is of a noble tractable nature and of a goodly spirit that as soone as he shall haue free liberty to conferre with some learned man or cast his eyes vpon some learned booke he will discouer the deceits of these impostures which his maister hath commended vnto him for rules and maximes of his Religion will imbrace the truth of the Catholike fayth Surely sayd Vincent I longed much
this is twesday and on Saterday we had newes of your death God giue me grace quoth Lazarus well to dye and well to rise againe This being sayd they returned to the Castle Monsieur caused good almes to be giuen and Lazarus aduised Vincent to giue the steward the ten Crownes in his bagge to giue also in almes to the poore and the remaynder of their Viaticum Open house was kept all that day and the next to all commers they went quickly to supper and al supper time and after also was nothing but questions and answers and admirations About ten a clocke in the night the Pilgrimes tooke their leaue of the old man giuing him the good night and he to them They were brought euery one to their chamber their feetâ— were washed new chaÌ„ge of apparell brought them to put on when they rose In the morning all the Pilgrimes made their meditations and communicated without omitting any of their accustomed exerses of deuotion A fortnight passed in diuers recreations namely in recounting the miracles and fauours of the B. Virgin the aduentures and accidents the encounters and dangers of their Pilgrimage in Palestine in Aegypt in Africa in Asia and in Europe since Pauline was prisoner who also related vnto Lazarus and his companions how he fell into the hands of the Saracenes and the manner how God deliuered him and conducted him home Theodosius returned to his Fathers house to take his blessing and after came backe to Lazarus Pauline was alwayes in his feruour of leauing the follies of the world and pressed Lazarus as much as he could to hasten that affaire as also Vincent Lazarus was glad to see all the house in good order and his sister who had beene widdow now three yeares like a good mistresse of the house gouerne the family insteed of her mother departed and in mynd to marry no more and his brother Francis full of prudence and piety honouring and solacing his father as much as could be desired of a Sonne so that he watched nothing but a fit houre to bid his father farewell fynding him one day as he desired he spake to him in this sort Lazarus his farewel to his Father and the World My most honourable Father and Lord by Gods fauour power I am returned from my seauen yeares voyage and vpon the point to beginne another longer then that with your leaue and blessing I beseech you to permit me vpon my departure solemnely to confesse and acknowledge that I am as much bound vnto you as euer was sonne to his father or subiect to his Lord and that I vse this confession to iustify the request I meane to make make it graÌ„table I owe vnto you next to God all that I haue and all that I am for I am your Sonne and you are my Father by which title I owe you all And a Father not such as onely hauing begotteÌ„ me and giuen me my body as other fathers to leaue me heyre of your earthly possessions The obligation of the Sonne to the Father without taking any care or very small of the saluation of my soule but like a true Father you haue nourished me in my childhood in the feare of God without sparing of any care or temporall meanes haue prouided me of the best and choisest maisters in Christendome hauing learned good literature vntill 18. yeares of age you made me learne to weare handle armâ—s after the fashion of our Nobility of France in the best Vniuersities of Eâ—rope After I was sent into Hungary to wars against the Turkes where I coÌ„manded three yeares with honorable successe of my trauailes contentment of the Captaine in whose coÌ„pany I carried armes being returned from this voiage and no occasion presenting it self vnto me in our France honorable to imploy my desire and calling you were of opinion depriuing your selfe of me for loue of me that I should trauaile into the East that so I might learne vertue in the schoole of the world seeing diuers countries and diuers nations and you did condescend that my brother Pauline should go with me because he desired it and you caused vs to be furnished with honourable prouision of men and horse but I desired you to permit me to go trauaile as a Christian Pilgrime and namely to that noble place of Loreto and that enduring some paine for the loue of God and satisfaction of my sinnes I might winne heaueÌ„ you praysed mine intention yet notwithstanding you recommended vs to certaine french Gentlemen which were in the East and made vs to take letters of Banke to help vs if we should be in necessity Then I declared vnto you as also did my brother Pauline the desire I had in my soule euer since my youth to leaue the world and to dedicate my selfe to the seruice of God a desire which hath alwayes increased in me and growne so much the more earnest feruent by how much the more clearely I did discouer the vanity of this life in euery vocation and learne that there was nothing stable vnder the heauens nothing more noble or worthy then to seeke euerlasting riches a desire which came not of my self but of God for whome I haue heard you often say that we must leaue Father and Mother and all It came also of you Syr by reason of the good instructioÌ„s which you gaue me and had caused to be giuen me so that for all and euery way I am bound and obliged to you Behold then my request grounded vpon two good titles of the goodnes and will of God and of your vertue and merit towards me and this my desire is that for the honour of God whome your selfe honour aboue all things and for the holy loue you beare vnto me and haue shewed by a thousaÌ„d benefits that it would please you to take in good part that without any longer delay I may leaue the world to consecrate my selfe to the seruice of him who hath called me to follow him and that giuing me your blessing you would crowne with this benefit all others that hitherto I haue receiued of you all which I will remember whilst my body shall breath and for the which I shall demaund of God with warme teares a recompence worthy of his diuine Maiesty The manner of life which I shall choose shall not make me leaue or forget the loue and respect which I owe vnto you but will make it more solide and firme for the counsels of God which teach vs to follow him neere are not contrary to his law which commaundeth to honour Father and Mother and Religion doth not destroy the law of nature but doth purify confirme and increase it And therefore thogh I should be absent in body yet I shall be alwaies present with you in spirit in what place soeuer the prouidence of God shall let me liue I shall alwayes remaine your most humble Sonne and Seruant and will put you in the
And saying this with teares he fell on the necke of Lazarus who also wept tenderly And soone came Pauline and being iofull of this loâ—ing leaue which he saw was granted to his brother and full of hope to obtaine as much for himselfe with the like or more facility cast himselfe at his Fathers feete who was set in his closet sad pensiue desiring to haue his blessing so long desired But behold nature and some contrary and aduerse spirite helping her played her part to trouble the peace of the father and to crosse the designement of the Sonne for as the good old maÌ„ saw himselfe at the point to be depriued of the dearest of all his children pierced with the griefe of the losse and loosing the memory of his former resolution and of all he had sayd a little before to Lazarus he sodainly changed his loue into fury being traÌ„sported with anger as a Lionesse in the losse of her litle ones Well then Pauline quoth he thou wilâ— also abandon and forsake me after thy brother and insteed of succouring my solitude thou preparest to leaue my house destitute and desolate and hereto thou demaundest my blessing Tell me thou vnnaturall child and cruell Impe haue I brought thee into this world and nourished thee so fatherly to be forsaken by thee without piety at the brinke of my graue Haue I fashioned and cherished thy youth with all sorts of fauours benefits to reape in my old age these fruits of anguishe of thy vngratefull ground Doth God command thee to be forgetfull disobedient or cruell to him that begat thee To be his death after thou hast receiued of him thy being and all the good that a child could receiue of a good father But with what face wilt thou present thy offering to God after thou hast left thy father loaden with the burden of a thousand troubles torments endured for thee and wounded with a hartbreake and with a deadly stroke by thy murtherous hands God commaundeth to loue thyne enemies and thou wilt kill thy father and darest thou appeare before the holy Altar of the supreme Iustice soiled with so great a sinne And if thou wilt serue God as a perfect seruant who letteth thee to performe it in the house of thy father whome God commaundeth thee to serue and honour Of thy Father I say who hath alwayes giuen thee by his works and wordes good testimony that he caryeth the feare of God in his hart and loueth vertue and is pleased to see his children perfect in all piety Thinkest thou that there is neuer a good man in the world nor any worthy of thy company Is there no place in heauen but onely for Religious Or may we not liue a perfect life among men without leauing the company and conuersation of men After these periods and clauses shot like sharp and pointed arrowes he paused a while and as if all his choler had beene spent and disgorged yet Nature forced him to apply for a second assault and battery the force of a contrary passion He tooke the language of loue stroaking and imbracing whome he would not anger but winne and resuming his speach O sayth he my well beloued Pauline O my life and my comfort haue compâ—ssion of me thy desolate Father behold these white hayres these hollow eyes these teares hasten not my end lyue yet a while with me and if thou desirest my death thou shalt see it shortly it draweth on apace with the roll of my yeares and infirmities and knocketh already at the doore of all my senses assigning me ouer to my sepulcher Stay a litle that I may giue thee my last benediction in peace and that thou maist take it without offence expect tary till I be put in my graue and then thou maist go which way thou wilt heere he held his peace being stopped with the violence of his sighings and aboundance of teares which trickled downe his cheekes great and feruent and held the head of Pauline fast in his haÌ„ds vpon his knees a man might see in his face inflamed and his body shaking the conflict of an extreme passion that ruled in his soule Pauline was at this anger and commotion of his Father more astonished then offended for he easily perceiued that it was not of any euill will but that the subtilty of the wicked spirit had surprised the good old man by an ambushment layd behind the wals of Nature and fatherly affection and had of him great compassion and with a calme countenance sayd vnto him My most honourable Father if I had thought that my demaund would haue offended you I protest that I would neuer haue made it neither except I had long before perceiued by euideÌ„t signes that my vocation had beene full pleasing vnto you dared I to haue opened my mouth to discouer it And now Syr let not God suffer me to grieue honorable old age which I haue alwais respected as becometh a maÌ„ of honour althogh otherwise it had not touched or concerned me any thing at all nor so farre to forget my selfe eyther of your immortall benefit or of the duty of a true Sonne nor to foule my soule with the vice of such ingratitude contemning your commaÌ„dement which I am bound to obey with a thousand merits and a thousand titles of loue My most deere Lord Father be you in rest I will stay as long as it shall please you and will serue you in your house and will account my self much honoured to liue in your company and vnder your obedience and do verily belieue that God will weâ—l accept this duty done for his loue according to the directioÌ„ of his lawes And if it please you I will also do my best to perswade my brother Aime-Dieu to stay his voiage also to dwell with you and to employ himselfe with me to your contentment and comfort At these words vttered with so great simplicity of hart countenance of a child the good old Syr was in that instant pacifyed and his heat asswaged and it seemed that the speach of Pauline entring at his eares had also mollifyed and transformed his hart as it were with some sweet drinke of heauenly liquour and therefore taking againe his spirits of loue and prudence returning in a sort to himself O my God sayth he where am I And into what errours hath the iniquity of my soule transported me O mercifulâ— Father haue mercy on me and haue not regard to my folly and rashnes in speach O my well beloued Pauline I know well thy obedience and piety towards me thou hast vndertaken nothing but by the inspiration of God with my good will and lyking thou didst long since aduertise me of this desire O soueraigne God pardon me and do thy pleasure with my Sonne or rather with thine owne for thine he is and not myne Pardon me my Sonne and excuse my infirmity this was an excursioÌ„ of a child of Adam that old
that dolorous mystery when thy Sonne praying in the garden to his eternall Father in his agony swet drops of bloud in such aboundance that they ranne downe vpon the ground and after was by one of his disciples betrayed and deliuered to the ministers of the Iewes by whome he was taken and his hands being manicled with a cord about his necke was cruelly haled to the houses of Annas and Cayphas The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me of thy deare Sonne the gift and grace of true prayer and that in all my tribulations and afflictions I may conforme my will vnto Gods bearing them all with patience and that he will assist me in the agony of my death Amen Of the Whipping The Oblation O Virgin most afflicted I humbly offer thee 10. Aues and one Pater noster in memory of the griefe and shame which thy Sonne felt Dolo ∣ rous 2 when after all the scoffing beating and spitting of that darke and dolefull night the next day he was in the house of Pilate despised and put to shame being he that cloathed the heauens with beauty and is himselfe the most beautifull of all the children of men bound to a piller and whipped most cruelly with no lesse then 5000. stripes and more The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee aske of thy Sonne for me that he would rid me of all earthly affections giue me grace and courage to chastice and subdue myne owne flesh that it preuaile not against the spirit and that I may patiently beare the rods and chasticements which in this life his diuine Maiesty shall send me Of the Crowning The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 3 O Virgin distressed I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster in reuereÌ„ce of that griefe which thy Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christ suffered when the cruell tormentors crowned him with a crowne of thornes which pierced his most tender and holy head in such sort that his precious bloud trickled downe round about most aboundantly They mocked him also put in his hand a reed for a scepter striking him therewith on the head The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee pray for me that I may auoid all desire of pride presumption and may rather desire â—â—ame iniuries for my sweet Sauiour Christ his sake that in this life being crowned with thornes of tribulation I may deserue hereafter to be crowned with glory in thy blisse euerlasting Of the carrying of the Crosse The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 4 O Virgin so darkened and filled with griefe sorrow I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster for the sorrow thy holy soule felt when thou didst see thy dearely beloued Sonne led through the streetes of Hierusalem with proclamation condemned to death as a malefactour and disturber of the people carying all along that heauy Crosse vpon his weake shoulders and sawest him failing to the ground with the weight thereof with which dolefull sight thou wert euen pierced with griefe and sorrow The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me perfect feeling and tendernes of hart and compassion in these sufferings of thy Sonne and tâ—â—e repentance whereby I may weepe also for my selfe confessing correcting and satisfying for my sinnes and that with promptitude and alacrity I may carry any Crosse which God shall lay vpon my shoulders Of the Crucifying The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 5 O Virgin spring and fountaine of teares at the foote of the crosse crucifyed in hart with thy Sonne I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster to the incomparable griefe which thou feltst when in mount Caluary thou â—awest thy good Iesus that lambe without spot fastened to the Crosse with cruell blowes which pierced thy hart where after pardoning of his enemies and fulfilling the scriptures with a great cry and teares he commended his soule to his eternall Father thou sawest him yield vp his ghost The Prayer BY the greatnes of thy griefes which heare B. Lady thou didst suffer obtayne for me that I may pardon and loue myne enemies that our Lord may pardon me all my sinnes and not forsake me in the houre of my death but that hauing performed all my duty I may yield my soule into his holy hands Amen Of the Resurrection The Oblation O Queene of heauen full of ioy I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster for the ineffable ioy thou tookest in the Resurrection Glori ∣ ous 1 of thy well-beloued Sonne when to thee before all others he appeared glorious risen from the dead and conuerted all thy sorrow into ioy and gladnes and after in token of his great loue and for confirmation of the fayth of this Resurrection he appeared often to his Apostles and disciples The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee procure me the true ioy of a good coÌ„science and that my soule may rise againe in newnes of life and manners and firmely belieue the misteries of the fayth which our holy Mother the Catholike Church teacheth Amen Of the Ascension The Olation O Glorious Lady full of comfort I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues Glori ∣ ous 2 and one Pater noster for the ioy thou haddst in the wonderfull Ascension of thy Sonne our Lord when thou sawest him with glorious triumph mounted vp accompanied with the blessed soules of the holy Fathers adored and worshipped of all the quires of Angels ascending into the heauens there sitting at the right hand of God his Father leauing thee heere on earth for the stay and light of his Apostles for the example comfort of his Catholike Church The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me that my hart may be lifted vp to loue heauenly things and that thou wilt be to me a sweete comforter in the iourney of this present life that I may deserue life euerlasting Amen Of the comming c. The Oblation O Excellent Spouse of the holy Ghost mother of the motherles comfort of the comfortles I humbly offer 10. Aues and one Pater noster to the sacred mystery of the coÌ„ming of the holy Ghost when Glori ∣ ous 3 in the figure of fiery tongues he descended vpon thee most B. Virgin and the whole company of the Apostles euen as thy Sonne promised in such sort did inflame and fill their harts that immediatly they began to speake in diuers tongues the wonders of God The Prayer PRay for me O B. Lady that I may deserue to receyue plentifull grace the gifts of the holy Ghost the language of ChristiaÌ„ loue in all my conuersation with my neighbours and perseuerance in vertue and all good purposes Of the Assumption The Oblation Glori ∣ ous 4 O Soueraigne Lady and Virgin the honour of mankind beauty of the heauens I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues and one Pater noster to the glorious mystery of thy Assumption when by the B. Sonne thou wert called to his euerlasting glory deseruedst at thy happy passage to
haue present the holy Apostles thy seruants wast receiued body soule into the heauenly habitations of the celestiall spirits as Queene of the Angels mother of their Lord maister The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee be my Aduocate in all tymes and places and deliuer me from sodaine and vnprouided death and when I shall passe out of this world defend me from all the temptations of the diuell that my soule may haue free accesse to the ioyes of my God and Sauiour Of the Coronation The Oblation Glori ∣ ous 5 O Most high glorious Lady Empresse of the whole world I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues one Pater noster to the glorious mistery of thy Coronation which was the accomplishment of all thy ioyes and the crowne of all thy deserts when thou wert exalted aboue the Angelicall spirits and to the blessed Trinity the Father Son and holy Ghost thou wert crowned and appointed Queene Lady of all and the defendresse and aduocate of all that inuocate thee The Prayer WE reioyce O B. Lady at thy exaltation and glory and beseech thee that froÌ„ the high throne where thou art placed thou wouldest remember thy poore children which wander heere in this vale of teares and that thou wouldest obtaine for vs plentifull gifts and graces that we may deserue with thee and all the holy Saints to enioy the B. Trinity Amen THE CORONE OF B. LADY THe manner of saying the Corone of our B. Lady consisting of 63. Aues six Pater noster in remeÌ„brance of the 60. yeares of her life euery Pater noster with the 10. Aues are to be sayd and offered in the honour and remembrance of 10. yeares of her life and of what 〈◊〉 did or suffered in that time with a prayer eyther before or after crauing those graces and vertues which most did shine in the actions of those yeares The Oblation of the 1. O Most innocent and immaculate Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues one Pater noster in honour of the first 10. yeares of thy life and all thou didst therein in honour of thy immaculate Conception miraculous Natiuity of a barren wombe of thy blessed infaÌ„cy and Presentation into the Temple and all thy vertuous exercises and deuotions there whereby thou wert disposed and prepared to be a meete mother for the sonne of God The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that I may offer my best first times to the seruice of God and by exercise of vertue and eschewing occasions of sinne I may dispose my soule to receiue Gods grace in this life and his glory in the next The Oblation of the 2. O Most happy and chosen Virgin I humbly offer vp 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of the high vertues which dayly increased in thee first vowing chastity and espousing thy selfe to chast Ioseph receiuing with ioy humility and resignation the ioyfull newes of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God in thy virginall wombe bearing thy Creatour swadling and resting him in the manger seeing him glorifyed by the Angells visited by the shepheards adored by the Kings circumcised presented and redeemed in the Temple at thy Purification didst nurse him and giue him sucke and stedst with him into AEgypt and there in a strange Idolatrous Country didst worke for his maintenance and thine The Prayer I Beseech thee obtaine for me part of these ioyes which in this tyme thou didst receiue and the imitation of thy chastity and speciall loue of pouerty which thou and thy sonne so greatly did imbrace The Oblation of the 3. O Most B and patient Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues a Pater noster in remeÌ„brance of thy poore pilgrimage entertaynement in AEgypt and in thy returne from thence the feares thou hadst at returning thy sorrow in loosing and ioy in fynding thy Son in Hierusalem and in honour of all that sweetnes and ioy thou receiuedst in the conuersation company of thy heauenly guest child The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that in all my pilgrimage of this life I may haue thine and thy sonnes company neuer long want the comfort of his gracious presence doctrine and Sacraments The Oblation of the 4. O Most happy gracious Virgin I huÌ„bly offer vp to thee 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of all that ioy and pleasure â—ou hadst in the presence of thy sweet Iesus eating drinking talking and wo king with him that giueth meate drinke speach and strength to all creatures The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that in all my life and actions I may be so conioyned with Iesus so communicate with him that whether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I do I may do it in his presence and to his onely glory and praise The Oblation of the 5. O Most ioyfull dolorous Lady I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of those pangs and 〈◊〉 which after all the ioyes thou receiuedst by departing of thy Sonne from thee of thy cares and feares thou hadst of him and the excessiue griefe thou tookest when he was betrayed taken bound led captiue beaten spit vpon mocked whipped crowned with thornes blindefolded buffeted condemned crucifyed blasphemed pierced taken downe and buried in remeÌ„brance also of thy great ioyes in his Resurrection Apparition Ascension sending of the holy Ghost The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that among the comforts discomforts of this life I may remaine firme and constant at the foote of the Crosse with thee and thy blessed company that at last I may be partaker of the ioyes and glory of his resurrection and Ascension and of the comfort of his holy spirit The Oblation of the 6. O Most perfect patient and blessed Lady I humbly offer vnto theâ— 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of thy most holy life heere on earth after the Ascension of thy Sonne of the longing thoâ— hadst to be with him and loathing of this life of the light comfoâ—â— and example thou gauest to the Apostles and all Christians of thâ— zeale for the glory of thy Sonne of thy deuotion to his B. Body and often visitation of the holy places of his life Passion Resurrection The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that being heere on earth I may haue like longing to be with thy Sonne and loathing of this life with deuotion to all his remembrances and Sacraments The Oblation of the 7. O Most happy and glorious Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 3. Aues and a Pater noster in honour of the last three yeareâ— of thy life of the ioyfull expectation of thy depositioÌ„ with most perfect workes and more feruent desires in remembrance of thy great ioy at the calling of thy Sonne and spouse of thy visitation of Angels and their heauenly melody the presence of the Apostles praysing and lauding him and finally in remembrance honour of thy most happy passage ioyfull Assumption and glorious Coronation The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that I may so liue as I may expect a ioyfull end and a comfortable passage that I may not want the rites and ceremonies of thy holy Church nor the comfort and company of thy seruants but may be protected by my good Angels my soule by them caryed where thou doost sit in glory and behold the face of the most blessed Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Amen FINIS