Persons but not his Person that he cannot communicate for if it were to be communicated the distinction of persons would be takeÌ„ away But God who is only good did participate himselfe vnto men when he coÌ„municated his word full of grace truth He took not vpon him the nature of Angels as Paul saith but humane nature In this first communication God is in himselfe but in his second after a sort without himselfe Such a one did Dionysius Areopagita regard him to be when he said This we dare speake for truth that almighty God suffered on earth by the power and force of charity viz. he was not in himselfe Of this participation S. Iohn writes and the other Euangelists And seeing God made nothing in vaine this communication also was made for some purpose For it was to take away the sinne committed by our first parents and by propagation Christ accepted past ouer and transmitted vnto mankind By reason whereof as Paul saith we are all borne the sonnes of wrath because we all sinned in Adam Wherefore the right which we had to the inheritance of eternall life before the fall of Adam we afterwards lost as the Lawyers teach But God that as a father loueth vs the sonnes of adoption decreed in his vnchangeable counsell to send forth his Sonne made of a woman and made vnder the law for what loue exceeds the loue of a father that we might receiue the adoption of the sonnes And as Iohn witnesseth God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Son c. by whose coming and participation Saint Paul saith We are saued from wrath and redeemed The Sonne of God is also communicated vnto vs that he might instruct vs in his holy wisedome and vnderstanding because in him are had all the treasure of wisedome and knowledge For he was the chiefe Maister and teacher when he was appointed by God the Father that all should receiue vnderstand from him the doctrine of truth for thus God spake of him This is my wel-beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare him Besides Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread c. By which it manifestly appeares that it continues to be bread And the very Priests of Rome themselues after consecratioÌ„ of the SacrameÌ„ts which according to their opinion is eueÌ„ the body of Christ not bread vse the signes of the crosse vpon the same Sacrament calling it an holy ✚ Sacrament a pure ✚ Sacrament an vndefiled ✚ Sacrament the sanctified ✚ bread of eternall life and the cup of ✚ euerlasting saluation So that they name it bread and yet are contrary to themselues The same truth teacheth that holy father Irenaeus saying Now it is no common bread but the Eucharist consisting of two things that is earthly and heauenly In which words he expresly teacheth the bread to remaine there still Moreouer the forme of the body of Christ is the soule for Aristotle saith that Anima est actus corporis physici potentiâ vitam habentis But it cannot be said that the substantiall forme of bread is conuerted into the soule Therefore the same substance of the bread remaineth Further if the substantiall forme of bread be conuerted into the body of Christ it would then follow the body of Christ to consist of two formes which is most false Also the Accident without the substance cannot be ministred or giuen but there the Accidents are seene tasted smelt c. Therefore the substance is giuen The refuge of the Papists is to make it a miracle by which the whitenesse of the bread continues and other accidents thereunto belonging But it is a false reply for it is not found in the holy Scriptures neither was it needfull that Christ should worke such a miracle Saint Augustine saith These things may be honoured as religious but to worke wonder or astonishment they cannot as miraculous Also the accidents are alwaies destroyed by the corruption of the substance But as I will make manifest hereafter the very accidents of bread are destroyed in time therefore transubstantiation of the bread is not giuen By reason whereof the Papists at their times renew such sacrifices reserued in their Vestries or other places appointed to keepe their holy things and reliques that is euery weeke in Sommer time but in the Winter time at 15 daies And this is done to take away the scandall of their corruption Therefore Transubstantiation is not giuen In a matter so plaine and euident I neither desire to spend much time nor to be too tedious or troublesome to the readers But if any shall be desirous to reade more concerning this point let them looke vpon Christophorus Pezeline and Iohn Caluin who very manifestly and learnedly teach the truth and make it cleare and apparant to the eyes and vnderstanding of such as are blind and ignorant Of the Corporall absence of Christ in the Sacrament BEcause it is the ground and foundation of the tyrannicall monarchy of the Papists to blind the eyes of the faithfull which according to their enchaunting speeches beleeue the body and bloud of Christ to be really in the consecration of many sacrifices and as they say in euery one of them and in the cup and chalices I will speake somewhat by the way against their false opinions not to the satisfaction of them that reade for of this matter they may peruse the Institutions of Doctour Caluin c. but to expresse mine owne minde I say first The Papists do adde and detractmany times from the words of the true text to confirme and establish their owne inuentions as it is to be seene by the Inquisitors who adde to the Gospell of Christ what may serue their owne purpose For Christ doth thus admonish vs by Math. Chap. 18. before cited If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone c. If he heare thee not tâ—ke yet with thee one or two witnesses If he will not vouchsafe to heare them tell it vnto the Church The Church of Rome to these words of Christ addeth praeter causam fidei but for faith or religions sake so that they take away and cut off the meaning of the Gospell and contradict Christ himselfe so charitably admonishing and exhorting So do they contradict Saint Hierome Saint Ambrose and many other holy Fathers and many times adde and detract from the very words of the holy Scripture as manifestly appears in that vnchristianlike booke intituled the Index expurgatorius But now to returne to our purpose The Church of Rome to the words of Christ saying This is my body addeth for which Christ neuer pronounced nor Saint Peter whatsoeuer Thomas affirmeth And if the Priest pronounce not for among the Papists he sinnes hainously Also the Church of Rome addeth that the bread of consecration ought to be vnleauened which precept was neither deliuered
Sometimes also poyson as they say is put into that Sacrament that so men may be bereaft of their liues as it is read of the Emperour Henry the 7 and of Pope Victor the third whereof the first losse his life by the Sacrament of bread poysoned by his Consessour the last by wine transsubstantiate Therefore we must conclude that the body of Christ is not there or otherwise the body of Christ to be the instrument of sin and the meanes of euill which is blasphemy This corporall absence Christ hath manifestly shewne saying The poore you shall haue alwaies with you Me you shall not haue alwaies Christ also speaketh of the absence of his humanity for his Diuinity fils both heauen and earth in which humanity he shall not come vnto vs till the day of iudgement Moreouer the Papists affirme that the matter of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ought to be determinate They are also possessed with many mad imaginations saying this is a true Proposition Out of bread becomes the body of Christ And this also is false Of bread becomes or is made the body of Christ These are words of exceeding folly and dotage and are differing and repugnant to themselues although Thomas expound them supernaturally In conuersions also that which is conuerted is corrupted and that into which the conuersion is had is begotten and ingendred Thus after their opinion we must say that Christ is so begotten and ingendred which is an heresie The Diuell getteth much and enlargeth his power and number by the idolatry of the Church of Rome which he still perswades them to maintaine and so they will vntill it shall please God of his infinite goodnesse and mercy to open their eyes and make their vnderstanding perfect that they may truly see and reade the booke of God for they yet liue in error and darknesse But if they would looke vpon and heare the booke which Hilkiah the high Priest found in the house of the Lord they would do as that godly king Iosiah did in the 18. yeare of his Monarchy who as soone as Shaphan the Chancellor had shewed it and read it to the king and that he had heard the words of the booke of the Law he was so moued therewith that he rent his clothes and wept before God and crauing pardon at Gods hands humbled himselfe destroyed the idols and walked according to the will and word of the Lord. I was also much troubled in minde about the power of the Pope when he doth those things which almighty God neither doth or can do For although God be omnipotent and nothing is vnpossible with him he yet worketh no sinne or euill neither is there any guile found in his mouth neither can he do that which is wrapt or encombred with controuersies and contradictions But the Pope takes vpon him to do this for if any come vnto him and desire the reliques of some Saint as of Hermolaus or any other he will answer that he hath none because his bones are dispersed But he takes the bones perhaps of some reprobate and wicked person and blesseth them and baptised in the name of Hermolaus he deliuereth them to him that makes suite for the same and then the bones of him are worshipped whose soule in hell is cruciated And thus it begets scandall and contradiction that the bones of any wicked or idle persons are the bones of some Saints or others at his pleasure I obserued the power couetousnesse and tyranny of the same Pope I beheld his exceeding pompe and pride and with these things and many more of this nature my minde was much tormented For seeing Christ is the fulnesse of all grace in that he endues the Church with spirituall grace and vnderstanding we ordaine him to be the head thereof with S. Paul saying He hath made all things subject vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be the head of the Church And seeing both Men and Angels are ordained to enioy Gods glory euen as of men so also of the Angels he may rightly be called the head For the mysticall body of the Church doth not onely consist of men but of Angels But of all this multitude and number Christ is the head for that his seat is neere vnto God and doth partake of his gifts not onely more absolutely then men but more perfectly also then the very Angels so that from his influence both men and Angels receiue their benefits As Saint Paul witnesseth saying He hath set him at his right hand in the heauenly places farre aboue all principality and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come and hath put all things vnder his feete And so S. Matthew saith Behold the Angels came and ministred vnto him And albeit the Angels themselues lacke faith Quia non per fidem sed per speciem ambulant and the Church is the congregation of the faithfull neuerthelesse Christ is their head There fore besides that diuine wisedome which Christ had from the beginning he had also a humane knowledge notwithstanding the position ofsuch as deny that there be two sorts of wisdomes in Christ which in the sixth Synode is held a thing damnable for as S. Ambrose saith God did assume the perfection of humane nature in the flesh tooke vppon him the sence of man but not the pride of carnall sensualitie But to the sence of man appertaineth an humane knowledge created Therefore in Christ is giuen that experimentall knowledge of which S. Luke speaketh So did loel prophetically see him taught saying to the people Reioyce in the Lord your God for he hath giuen you the raine of righteousnesse c. And the spouse saith I will leade thee and bring thee into my mothers house and there thou shalt instruct me And Isaias I haue giuen him for a Prince and a maister vnto the people comprehending these two things namely that he was a Redeemer and a Maister for whereas he termes him a Prince he meanes him to be a Redeemer but calling him Maister he signifies him an instructer or teacher Christ therfore is endued with all these sciences by which mē were instructed by him as out of Mathew opening his mouth he taught his Disciples and out of Iohn Iesus ascended into the Temple and taught the people and as it is written in Luke They found him sitting in the Temple c. By two wayes then he taught the people that is by example and words For Iesus began to do and afterwards to teach the true and simple doctrine without any kind of commixtion Seeing therefore Christ came to teach mankind and to redeeme them with his most pretious blod my selfe being one among the rest to be redeemed and taught through his vniuerse and exceeding goodnesse was at the length called to the true
God all the dayes of my life I likewise desire those on whom God hath powred his grace hauing miraculously preserued them in his Church with constancy and perseuerance without hauing diuorced themselues or committed apostacie as I haue done to praise God with all their hearts and continually to giue him thanks for it is a most great miracle which proceedeth not from their owne force and vertue but from the holy and liberall hand of God our Father Wherefore let them perseuere in louing of God and flie from finne and vices and being of a good courage the kingdome of Antichrist will fall and that of Iesus Christ shall be established but before that hapneth the diuell will enforce himselfe more then euer he did to make warre against the Church Behold wherefore if euer the children of God haue had need of prudence and wisedome surely to direct their vncertaine paths according to the word of God it is now in this pitifull and sorrowfull time wherein Satan enimy vnto all righteousnesse and godlinesse seemeth to haue so much authoritie euen ouer the elect that if they were not miraculously aided and defended by the holy and liberall hand of God our Father they should not onely be vtterly cast downe but the earth would soone be reduced vnto the same state that Sodome and Gomorra was in times past Let prayer therefore accompanied with true repentance be our refuge vnto him who will neuer forsake his inheritance and that will cause the assaults of Antichrist to perish as he once drowned Pharaoh in the sea To make an end I beseech you pray vnto God for me and if any one among you haue any bookes which in times past haue beene printed in my name in diuerse languages bookes full of iests lies and false suppositions I desire they may be burnt and consumed to ashes I will not likewise passe ouer in silence that in the confutation of those bookes and in some histories wherein mention is made of my fall there are some clauses ignorantly set downe which I impute not so much to the inconsiderate zeale of the Authors as to mine owne fault which God would iustly punish and correct hauing placed me vpon the scaffold of his wrath and indignation as I had most iustly deserued If you aide me with your prayers vnto God and if you be imitators of that great mercy which he hath shewed this day vnto me which I beseech you beare in minde I will praise God for your pietie and pray vnto him to continue his mercy towards you and yours with long life and happy dayes The prayer of king Manasses when he was prisoner in Babylon O Lord Almightie God of our fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob and of all the righteous seed of thine elect which hast made heauen earth with all their ornaments which hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandement which hast shut vp the deep and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name whom all doe feare and tremble before thy power for the Maiestie of thy glory cannot be borne and thine angry threatning towards sinners is importable but thy mercy is vnmeasurable and vnsearchable for thou art the most high Lord of great compassion long suffering and most mercifull and repentest for mans miseries Thou O Lord hast promised of thy great mercy to giue grace of repentance and mercy vnto those that haue sinned against thee and hast appointed repentance vnto those that are sinners that thou mightest saue them by the greatnesse of thy compassions Thou therefore O Lord which art the God of the iust hast not appointed repentance vnto the iust as to Abraham Isaac and Iacob nor for those that haue not sinned against thee but for me that am a sinner for I haue sinned aboue the number of the saud of the sea my transgressions are exceeding many and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of the heauens For the multitude of mine vnrighteousnes I am bowed downe with many and great sinnes and cannot lift vp my head neither haue any release but onely in thy free mercy for I haue prouoked thy wrath and done euill before thee I haue not done thy will neither kept thy commaundements but haue most wickedly committed sinne and iniquitie in thy presence and wilfully multiplied sinne vpon sinne Now therefore O Lord I bowe the knees of my heart beseeching thee of grace and mercie I haue sinned O Lord I haue sinned done euill before thee but I humbly beseech thee forgiue me O Lord forgiue me and destroy me not in the multitude of mine vnrighteousnesse be not angry with me for euer by reseruing euill for me neither cast me into the bottomlesse pit of hel for thou art the God euen the God of them that repent And in me I beseech thee shew foorth thy goodnesse in sauing me that am vnworthy in the multitude of thy great mercie and I will praise thee all my life long for euer for all the powers of heauen praise thee and thine is all glory for euer and euer Amen The Conuersion of a Doctor in Spaine SEeing Almighty God who is the chiefest goodnesse and felicity and maketh his grace and goodnesse communicable to other things hath participated himselfe in things we see not and touching the Diuinity to the Son by generation contrary to the opinion of Arrius and Samosatenus and to the holy Ghost by proceeding contrary also to Macedonius and Eunomius arch-heretiques euen according to his infinite Essence without any distinction or deuiding of the same and to be equall with him in deity stance Therefore the Sonne begotten of the Father and not made and the holy Ghost which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as from one beginning haue the same essence in number and inseparable nature with the Father contrary to the opinion of the Valentines which faine more then one yet his Persons viz. of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost are in number distinguished and deuided contrary to the Sabellians who dreame they are all but one Person For the Person of the Father is one of the Son another and of the holy Ghost another But of the Father the Sonne and the holy God there is but one Diuinity one equall glory and one coeternall Maiesty God himselfe is immutable in his counsels neither can he be any way hindered or deceiued in the same By reason whereof it comes to passe that whasoeuer happeneth the same he hath determined from eternity who in things that we see by his word as he saw good hath created all things of nothing and made and disposed in order the heauens the earth the sea and whatsoeuer is therein contained by his euer-liuing Sonne working with the Father who also by his infinite and consubstantiall power and vertue viz. by the holy Ghost administers all things in his diuine Prouidence In this participatiō God remaines in himselfe imparting his Essence to other
a true Bishop which doctrine amongst many other father Bazquez maintained being one of the society of the Iesuits which comming straight way to the eares of the Bishop he caused both him and them to be presently called beforehim And because amongst many other reasons that haue moued me to this separation from the Church of Rome this of the vsurped power of the Pope hath of long time bene the chiefest I thought it my part to say something of his tyranny of his name and hypocrisy But for that this little labour hath bene onely vndertaken by me to satisfie mine owne minde and to make some declaration thereof vnto others lest I should be tedious and troublesome to the Readers I will for this time pretermit the further handling of these things yet God willing in their place and time shall they be particularly expressed more at large imitating the doctrine of Saint Paul who after his owne conuersion did conuert his brethren which Christ also our heauenly Schoolmaister doth teach vs saying to Peter Now thou art at length conuerted strengthen thy brethren And I my selfe conuerted am bound in duty to do the same yet in the meane time reade Doctour Caluin li. 4. Institut Cap. 6 7. 11. Of Purgatory and the Sacraments INsomuch as I am now determined to imbrace the truth of the reformed Church I do with stedfast resolution looke into the sentences thereof being consonant and agreeable vnto the Gospell of Christ lest the words of the Lawyers may be inferred against me who hold this opinion That it is a foule dishonorable thing for any that liues in the common-wealth to be ignorant of that law in which he is conuersant And so there is no other Church allowed of more then the Church militant and triumphant But amongst the Papists Purgatory is ordained the third Church which I vtterly deny and abiure For as Saint Paul saith Christ is the purger of our sinnes and sitteth at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest places Besides hell and heauen there is no middle place found in the holy Scriptures where our soules should rest or be detained The opinion which the Papists hold of Veniall sinnes and the ceremonies by which the same is absolued I wholly disalow as vile and excreable nor is there any other then mortall sinne which is onely washed away by true contrition of heart by the mercy of God and the shedding of the bloud of Christ as Saint Paul saith The Sacrament also of extreme vnction by mediation of which as the Papists dreame the reliques of sinnes mortall are taken away is a very idle and ridiculous matter and no Sacrament For if it were a Sacramēt the redemptiō of Christ were imperfect and in vaine which is against the truth of Gods word which saith The Lord is mercifull and righteous and our God is full of compassion The Lord preserueth the simple I was in misery and he sauedme I reiect also the Sacrament of Confirmation and the rest which the Pope hath ordained and onely reuerence and embrace the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper instituted by our Sauiour By this I am instructed in the rules of Christ and by this I am more and more strengthened and confirmed in him Of Auricular confession AVricular confession which the Papists call the Sacrament of Penitence is very foolish For this tyrannicall confession is neither found in the law of nature nor in the Law of God but in the diuell and the Popes kitchin to increase their fare and delicacies Neither did the Apostles teach the same or Saint Iohn Baptist as Caluin directly proueth And Chrysostome also maintaineth whose words Con. 3. t. 2. Pag. 1371. are these Why dost thou blush and art ashamed to tell thy sinnes Take heed thou reueale them not to any man lest he vpbraid thee nether confesse them to thy fellow seruant lest he publish them but vnto him which is the Lord who hath care and charge ouer thee And againe Tell thy faults only vnto me priuately God here speaketh that I may heale thy disease and deliuer thee from sorrow Which words because they are repugnant and contrary to that great beast are by the commandement of the Inquisitors taken away and blotted out in the booke called Index expurgatorius Many in the same manner of confession haue reuealed their sins willingly to their Confessours and the Confessour to the Iudges and others A certaine Bishop of Girona in the time of Iames the second king of Arragon being his Confessour reuealed his confession to the Pope and the king forthwith cut out his tongue I my selfe can faithfully witnesse that being many times present at the talke communication of Confessours they haue so foolishly behaued themselues and so openly in their talke reuealed the sinnes that haue bene confest vnto them priuately by the penitents that their names and persons haue easily become knowne to me and perhaps to many others that haue heard the conference And although there be diuers lawes ordained by the Pope to punish Confessours thus offending they yet commit this crime of reuelation and which is worse without a summe of money the Penitents haue no grant of absolution as appeares in the bookes of Taxes c. By which feare many euen in the very act of confession do conceale the truth till they be compelled to confesse the same I could speake much of this matter and point it out with my very fingar but I will obserue my oath and with good aduice forbeare to relate it In this matter of auricular confession the Confessours are wont to seduce and auert the minds and affections of women from God and to turne and conuert them to their owne lusts and filthinesse To proue this true I present as witnesses those Confessours that haue bene punished by iudgement of the Inquisition for such abhorred and abhominable wickednesse and such as haue bene adiuged to punishment and by sentence of the Prelats and others for being found guilty of the like misdemeanours For by auricular confession many monstrous enormities arise and are begotten To auoid the imputation of tedioulnesse I will not continue to make any longer discourse or discouery of the errours of the Church of Rome But with all my heart with all my minde and with all my soule I reuerence and confesse all things whatsoeuer our new reformed Church doth allow and embrace And if any of the Church of Rome shall vpbraide me that I haue falsely and perfidiously fallen from the same I answere with Saint Ambrose In leauing it I forsake not Christ Him onely no man ought to forsake or change to whom it is worthily said Lord to whom shall we flie Thou hast the words of euerlasting life For the faith of the Church is commanded chiefly to be sought for in which if Christ haue habitatiō it may vndoubtedly be chosen and followed But if the people be perfidious and the maister an
owne proper power and vertue because he was God which according to Diuinitie was cause of his resurrection as Iohn saith No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and haue power to take it againe We confesse also that he ascended into heauen sate at the right hand of his Almighty Father which ascension Christ made not according to his diuine nature which was neuer out of heauen but as he was man for so he entred into heauen and by his owne power ascended We confesse further that with great Maiestie and glory he shall come to iudge both the quicke and the dead and to reward euery man according to his workes which are all matters of faith and to be beleeued and are taught in the reformed Church With true faith we imbrace the Apostolicke Creed the Creed of Nice and Athanasius And so to that Church whose confession I find to be agreeing and conformable to the holy Scriptures I wholly yeeld and subscribe vnto But lest any man should thinke that either for want and necessitie or for any horrible offence committed and so for feare of punishment I haue left and separated my selfe from the Church of Rome I will make short repetition of what hath befallen vnto me through the whole course of my life euen from my infancie not led by ostentation or vaine glory but that in remembring thē I may be the more drawne to giue humble and hearty thankes vnto almightie God who hath had such pity and compassion on me I was borne at Caesar Augusta which is the chiefest place of the kingdome of Arragon The day before the Calends of February at two of the clocke in the afternoone and in the yeare of our Lord 1567. of honorable parentage both by father and mother as is well knowne in my countrey and by Gods prouidence without any impediments or defects of nature I was baptized in the parish Church of Saint Giles and confirmed by that excellent Prince Ferdinand Viceroy of Arragon and Arch-bishop of Caesar Augusta From my infancy with my parents great care and industry I was trained vp in the doctrine and religion of the Church of Rome and with my yeares my knowledge thereof was much increased and I did reuerence the same with such honour and ardency as no other religion appeared vnto me so profitable or pleasing My father departed out of this life when I was but 16 yeares of age but my mother as she was carefull I should be brought vp and instructed after the customes of the Romish Church for she was full of zeale and deuotion so was I taught Musicke and Military discipline and other exercises of body to my age best fitting and agreeable I was still sollicitous to reade bookes of Christian Religion and to take counsell and be conuersant with such men as seemed to me to be honest and learned So that desire of further knowledge daily increased in me The respect therefore of all temporall goods being laid aside I wholly applied my selfe to be in the number and societie of them whom they of Rome call and account Religious and contrary to my mothers minde or the good will of my brethren and kinsfolkes I followed the Religion of S. Francis and with all alacrity and willingnesse of heart I entred the Monastery of Iesus Which when my mother heard of she was moued with much sorrow and both by her words and deeds shewed that I had greatly displeased her Yet she loued me dearly alwaies hoped of me to be a refuge succour to her age Hauing therefore takē coūsell accompanied with a Noble woman her sisters daughter she came to the Couēt with an intent to alter my purpose both of them laboured byall that prayers or intreaties or faire promises might effect to draw me frō that vndertakē resolution But I was so constant in my deuotion of that Monasticke life as neither my mothers lamentations or large gifts proffered vnto me could work alteration of my mind So for that time she departed but vpon further counsell and aduice taken she came thither againe with a great troupe attending her with purpose in deed to haue taken me away by force and violence Which when I and the religious men of the Monastery perceiued we hindred their determinations so as my mother by no meanes could obtaine her purpose But she tooke it so grieuously that for the space of many dayes she fell into an extreme phrensie Hauing recouered her health and senses againe she still continued her meanes and deuices to change my mind and vsed the same almost a whole yeare so that at length she compelled me to forsake the Monasterie Neuerthelesse I promised such as I left behind me to returne againe with what speed I might possibly But I became somewhat forgetfull of my promise by reason that at that time my countrey presented vnto me many obiects of pleasure and delectation For there were great triumphs and solemnities for the celebration of the mariage of Katherine daughter to king Philip the second with Charles Duke of Sabaud with which my mind was much caried away and distracted But my former purpose and my continued deuotion vrging me I performed my promise and with great ioy of those Religious men that expected me I returned backe to the Monastery where I liued a while in much gladnesse and contentment But after a certaine time I left the Monastery againe by some occasion of businesse and retaining my first religious purpose I be tooke my selfe to the Religion of the holy Trinity and was receiued in the Conuent of Caesar Augusta in the yeare of our Lord 1585. I made choice of this Order for the singular deuotion thereof The Prelate and other religious men of the same Monasterie for many causes were desirous of my continuance amongst them I therefore began to apply my studies to humanity till at Valence by the diligence of my Tutor and my owne great labour I attained to some perfection of Logicke and Philosophy Afterwards I was sent to that famous vniuersitie of Illerd where I wholly dedicated my selfe to Diuinitie and hauing passed the seuerall termes and courses of Disputations Exercises and Lectures I was commended to be one of the best in Theologie For which I gaue God hearty thankes for these beginnings broughtme in the end to know those things which my soule euer thirsted after These foundations layd I was so well esteemed of that I was called to the Ministery contrary to their owne orders and institutions which forbid any man that dignity vnder the age of 33 yeares But the Prouinciall did willingly dispence with me and so I was made Minister of the Monastery of Liria About three yeares after I was made Minister of another monastery of higher dignitie called Nuestra senora de las sogas in which time by occasion of some contrary occurrents that befell concerning our Order by certaine learned Prelats and