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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01368	The vviddoves mite cast into the treasure-house of the prerogatiues, and prayses of our B. Lady, the immaculate, and most glorious Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. With reasons why we are to haue great confidence in her prayers. Whereunto is annexed, A prayer, for the loue of God, made in contemplation of the passion of Christ our Sauiour.	A. G., fl. 1619.; Matthew, Tobie, Sir, 1577-1655, attributed name.	1619 (1619)	STC 11490; ESTC S118624	73,100	210

THE VVIDDOVVES MITE Cast into the Treasure-house of the Prerogatiues and Prayses of our B. Lady the Immaculate and most Glorious Virgin Mary the Mother of God With Reasons why we are to haue great confidence in her Prayers WHEREVNTO Is annexed A Prayer for the Loue of God made in Contemplation of the Passion of Christ our Sauiour Published by allowance of Superiours ANNO M.DC.XIX TO MY NOBLE AND MOST DEARE FRIEND S. A. I Should haue byn most gladde to print your name at large and in capitall Letters in this front of the Dedication vvhich might haue passed for some little testimony of the much seruice that I ovve desire to pay you But insteed of doing you seruice I vvould be sure not to do you displeasure and vve are fallen into so miserable tymes as vvherein I might better cheape intreate you to protect some thiefe or outlavv then to patronize a vvorke that tends to the honour of our B. Lady It shall therefore suffice that heerein vve knovv the mind of one another And although there vvas no remedy but I must needs spare to mention your name yet I could not thinke of fayling to addresse the Treatise to your Fauour Both for the entiere deuotion vvhich you carry to the Glorious Queene of Heauen and that of the best kind because it leads you to as exact an imitatiō of her high Purity as euer I haue discouered in any creature of your condition vocation besides for that this Patterne vvas most due to you to vvhome the vvhole Peece of that belongs vvherby I may any vvay acknovvledge the noble Fauour of a most vvorthy and vvell deseruing Friend I hope you vvill excuse it for his sake by vvhome it is vvritten nay I knovv you vvill esteem it for her sake of vvhome it is vvritten And I hope that both you and I shall one day be so happy vnder the patronage of this immaculate Virgin the Mother of God as to discouer and behould that incōprehensible Glory vvhich she obtayned by cooperating vvith Gods incomparable Grace Your humble Seruant true Friend A. G. Faultes escaped in printing Page Line Fault Correction 2. 20. which with 6. 14. dele of degrees 9. 16. their turnes the turnes 15. 17. and not but rather 27. 1. most moist 43. 13. is were 44. 22. which with 46. 2. beleeue to beleeue 46. 8. with which 62. 4. were need were in need 79. 6. speach her speach 122. 21. done due 124. 15. is no question is question 124. 24. plaine great 126. 9. of the by the 133. 25. comfortable comfortably 137. 4. for now and now 143. 4. misery mistery 184. 16. duety drily 155. 14. distinct distinctiu● 159. 1. assumeth assureth 18● 14. tottering torturing 184. 3. thy tast the tast 192. 1. This not T' is not 195. 24. protection proiection THE WIDDOWES MITE CAST INTO THE TREASVRE-HOVSE OF OVR B. LADYES PRAYSES With reasons why we are to haue great confidence in her Prayers CHAP. I. THERE was neuer foūd within the compasse of Morality a more excellent Receipt and Secret then that of Friendship towardes the softning sweetning of all the miseryes of this life Friendship it is which doubleth our comforts it diuideth our cares it locketh vp our secrets it reuengeth our wrongs and it maketh a large and liberall contribution of succour towardes the reliefe of all our necessityes I speake not this of the thing which some miscall by the name of Friendship and which indeed is no more then a meere acquaintance or familiarity of conuersation though the world be growne to the conceipt of taking such froath as this for the quintessence which I heer commend But I meane that most faythfull and inuiolable Friendship which mingleth or confoundeth fortunes and vniteth minds and which accompteth it for one of the greatest hart soares it hath that it cannot euer reach out the giuing hand And yet euen this truest Friendship which being all that I haue sayd is subiect both to imperfection destruction for sometymes it is changed by ficklenes sometymes it is vnstitcht by absence sometims it is torn in sunder by vnfaithfullnes at least it is sure to dye when they dye that did professe it and in fine it euer carryeth such a testimony and superscription in the forhead of it as serueth to point men out to somewhat els assuring them that it cannot possibly be complete because all the parties to this contract are no better then sinnefull and mortall creatures One help there is whereby we may feed vpon this sweet bitt without being troubled and tyred with gnawing vpon such bones as these it is by translating our affection from these inferiour obiects to those other of Saints and Angells in whome there liueth a faculty of corresponding with vs much more nobly togeather with an impossibility of transgressing the true lawes of Friendship which consist in the entire communication of all things and hath for spurs an extreme ardour of affection for bridle an impuissance to offend in the least degree A patterne or proofe heerof may be taken from those extaticall wishes of the Patriarch Moyses and the Apostle S. Paul who did so thirst after the eternall happynes of their brethren as that they seemed content to lay aside the consideration and care of their owne Now ●f whilest they were yet encumbred with the heauy cloaths of flesh and bloud they could soare so high into that spher of fire how much more eminent are they now in this kind togeather with all those other celestiall spirits since now they are freed from all impediments stand enioying feeding face to face vpon the essence of God which is the fountayne of Loue it selfe into which by him they are transformed We are also taught by holy Scripture with what zeale the holy Angels do behould protect their seuerall charges heere on earth Gen. 32. The Angell Guardian of Iacob was a Champion that defended drew him out of all inconueniences The Angel Raphael mentioned in the book of Tobias Tob. 11. was both a Phisitian in restoring his sight and a sollicitour or Maister of requests in preferring his suites to the throne of Almighty God Our Sauiour Christ himselfe hath inferred Matt. 18. that if we scandalize any of his little ones their seuerall Angells who see the face of God will resent their wrongs And which yet may seem more strang the Angel to whose care the Medes were cōmitted Dan. 10. did contradict and oppose to that other Angell of the Persians in the quarrells and combats which their people had with one another to shew vs that they do not only watch ouer our soules but euen ouer our fortunes and bodyes also with all which dependeth thereupon concerning our good This care and loue of those happy soules and spirits towards the poore inhabitants of this world proceedeth from the knowledge they haue of the bounty which his diuine Maiesty hath vsed in bestowing parts of

his owne perfection and in designing that vnspeakable glory which he hath prepared for vs so that in their louing of vs and cooperating to our saluatiō by their assistance they performe an act of reuerence and homage to our common Creatour And therfore if the Angells and other Saints desire and procure our happines if they haue compassion of our affliction if they interpose for vs the merits of Christs death and passion in the degree of one there can be no question amongst Christians if indeed they be so but that the Queene of Saints and Angels the sacred and perpetuall Virgin the immaculate and glorious Mother of God doth performe to vs all these things with infinite others which through our basenes and blindnes we cannot thinke of I say not in the degree of one but in the degree of so many millions of degrees as she exceedeth all the Angells and Saints of Heauen in the perfection and height of the knowledge and loue of God One particuler reason of her vnspeakable tendernes towards vs all to omit many others may be the consideration of Christ our Lords humanity with he tooke wholy of her which he spent wholy vpon vs besides that vpon the Crosse he resigned her as it were to be the Mother of all mankind whereof heereafter I shall haue occasion to make further mention Now as the vnspeakable loue of God which he inspired her hart withall and wherewith so admirably she cooperated maketh God vnspeakably to loue and delight in her so it is reason that for her loue to vs we procure to correspond in all such deuotion reuerence to her who is so gracious in the sight of God and so well deseruing of vs as may be affoarded to the most incomparably sublime Creature of a meer creature that euer was the most abundant deere benefactour of mankind that can be thought of vnder God There is not in this world so great a Monarch to whome if we had obligation and meant to make any retribution we might not impart somewhat which might concerne him in a substantiall and solid manner For a very wealthy man might make him somewhat the richer a valiant man might make his dominions the larger a wise man might make his gouernement the happyer a skillful man might make his health the firmer and a confident faythfull man might chance to make his life the safer But with the Saints of heauen it is not so for al they and especially this Queene of Heauen hath such a fullnes of all that whereof they are capable as excludeth the possibility of mankind from giuing any thing to them and much lesse to her which may increase her happynes in any thing that inwardly concerneth her but whatsoeuer we can offer is extrinsecal vnto her as namely Honour whereof she is only capable at our hands The expression of this Honour may be made by diuers wayes by praysing her by praying vnto her by imitating in some small measure of her admirable vertues by carrying in our harts a continuall tendernes of deuotiō towards her By this tyme if the Reader be a Caluinist he beginneth to shrincke he desireth to be excused he reuerenceth forsooth the Mother of God as he ought if you will beleeue him but he would faine be thought a zealous preseruer of Gods honour and holdeth that the termes we vse in professing our deuotion to her with the custome which we haue in directing to her our prayers is to carry our selues idly if not impiously and he will needs take vpon him to ground himselfe vpon holy Scripture It is strang to see how these yong Prentices will needs be Merchant-venturers in the art of vnderstanding that diuin booke to the deep sea wherof they lanch out in the shallow Cock-boats of their owne conceipts and thinke they are sailing into some safe port when indeed they are splitting vpon rockes Strāg I say it is to see how they are blinded by the desire they haue to make the Scripturs serue their turnes of their passion which suffereth them not to discern the euidence wherewith it establisheth often tymes the very point in Controuersy which they contradict For how could they otherwise make themselus beleeue as they vsually obiect that the Scripture authorizeth any lessening of our Ladyes honour that it excludeth her Inuocation and abridgeth her Prayse whilest indeed it doth abundantly testify her excellency and giue great warrant for all that the Catholike Church doth practise concerning her There be holy learned men that affirme it is full of reason that if the Scripture had sayd no more of her but these only words Maria de qua natus est Iesus Matt. 1. Mary of whome Iesus was borne it had sayd sufficiently of her or rather that it had sayd so much as to which no point of dignity could be added For to affirme that the Virgin was the Mother of God is to giue a title which euidently inuolueth supreme excellency which is so great in regard of the alliance and coniunction it hath with God himselfe as that no power of mind created no man no Saint no Angell nor they all togeather are able entierly and exactly to comprehend what dignity it is to be the Mother of God If therfore we are so far from being able to conceiue the excellēcy of the glorious Virgin shall we feare to expresse it in such poore fashion and with such short termes as we are able to vse Or can we be in any danger of cōmitting excesse heerin so that we swarue not as we neuer do from making her a meer creature and from imputing the first cause of her greatnes to the infinite goodnes of Almighty God The Aduersaryes of her glory might consider that the wordes of holy Scripture are not to be valewed after the rates of number but of weight and who hath armes wherwith to weeld the ballance into which that massy quality of being the Mother of God is layd It goeth not euen in ordinary Audits by the great number of figures but if one be placed before a greater number of cyphers that alone may stand for many others so this halfe line alone wherof I spake may doth import a greater eminency then could haue beene expressed in the whole Bible without it although both these Testaments all those pens of all the Prophets and Apostles had spent themselues in the celebration only of her prayses But because all their cunning-men and women though they should be able to write and read the Scriptures cannot yet cast accompt especially after this manner and that vulgar eyes are neuer satisfyed with the riches of a Iewell vnlesse it consist of many stones I wil therfore endeauour to let them see that in holy Scripture there is no scarcity of that which themselues desire or rather of that which I feare they desire not which is the great aduantages prerogatiues and priuiledges of the B. Virgin CHAP. II. IN the

being assembled with other Bishops vpon a tyme of solemnity spake thus in a sermon made against the Heretike Nestorius Hilarem video coetum fidelium omnium c. I see this Congregation of all the faythfull to be full of alacrity who are come togeather with cheerefull mindes being called by the holy Mother of God yet euer Virgin Mary Prayse glory be to thee O Holy Trinity who hast conducted vs all to this solemnity Praise also to thee O thou Holy Mother of God For thou art that precious pearle of the whole world Thou art a lampe neuer to be extinguished The crowne of virginity The scepter of true fayth A temple not to be dissolued conteyning him who could within no place be contayned A Mother and a Virgin Blessed art thou amongst women being the parent of him who being blessed came in the name of our Lord. By thee the Trinity is glorifyed By thee the precious Crosse is celebrated adored throughout the whole world By thee heauen triumpheth Angells and Archangells reioyce Diuells are driuen away and man himselfe is recalled to heauen By thee all creatures once deteyned in the errour of Idolatry are conuerted to the knowledg of the truth The faythfull are come to Holy Baptisme Temples are built throughout the whole world By thee do the Nations come to pennance What shal I say more By thee the only begotten Sonne of God that true light did shine to such as sate in darknes By thee the Prophets did foreshew saluation to the Gentils And by thee did the Apostles preach it Who can vnfold the eminency of thy prayse O thou Mother and virgin Mary Let vs celebrate her most beloued Brethren adoring her Sonne the immaculate spouse of the Church to whome be honour and glory for all Eternityes Amen S. Ephrem in an Oration of the prayses of the most Holy Mother of God Ephr. orat de laudibus SS Dei Matris Intemerata prorsusque pura c. The vntoucht and entierely pure virgin the Mother of God The Queen of all men The hope of such as despaire My most glorious and best Queene More sublime then the celestiall spirits More pure then the Sunne beames and splendours More honourable then the Cherubim more holy then the Seraphim Heare what the holy and learned S. Ambrose sayth in his booke of the Institution of Virgins Christi lilia c. Ambr. de Instit Virgin cap. 15. The lillyes of Christ are especially virgines whose virginity is bright immaculate for that Virginall wombe was the beginning and roote and perpetually springing fountaine from whence by that most powerfull example of the Mother of God all the Quires of Virgins did proceed A Maria c. sayth S. Epiphanius of the Virgin Mary Epiph. l. 3. hares 73. post med life was borne vnto the world so that she gaue life to him that liueth and Mary was made the Mother of such as liue S. Hierome vpon the eleuenth Chapter of Isay Virgam de radice c. Let vs vnderstand the holy Virgin Mary to be the Rod that springes out of the roote of Iesse S. Theodoret vpon the Canticles Inter tot animas omnium hominum c. Amongst the soules of all the men and women that shall be saued that only one is as the elected doue who brought forth Christ a virgin a Mother a mayd who doubtles did excell in purity both the Cherubim and the Seraphim Aug. l. de natur grat S. Augustine in his booke of Nature Grace Cum de peccatis agitur c. When there is any speach of sinne I will make no question of the Blessed Virgin for we know that more grace was giuen to her for the totall ouercōming of sinne who deserued to conceaue and to bring him forth of whome it is euident that he had no sinne August tract de symb ad Cach l. 3. c. 4. tom 9. The same holy Father in a Treatise of the Creed vnto Catholikes the third booke and 4. Chapter in few but massy words speaketh thus of the B. Virgin Per feminam c. death came by a woman and life also by a woman By Eue came destruction and saluation by Mary Greg. in 1. lib. 1. c. Reg. S. Gregory the great vpon the first booke and Chapter of Kinges Potest huius montis nomine c. The euer most B. Virgin Mary Mother of God may be designed by the name of this mountaine For she was a mountaine who by the dignity of her election did transcend the altitudes of elected creaturs Was not Mary a high mountaine who that she might arriue to the conception of the Eeternall Word did raise the top of her merits aboue all the Quires of Angells till she came vnto the throne of the Deity for of the most excellent dignity of this mountaine the Prophet I say doth say Isa 2. In the last dayes there shall be a mountaine of our Lord prepared in the top of the mountaines For she was a mountaine in the top of mountaines because the height of Mary doth shine aboue all Saints And she is aptly called both a mountaine and house who being illustrated with incomparable merits did prepare her sacred wombe wherein the only Sonne of God might repose S. Iohn Damascen in his booke of Catholike fayth affirmeth of our B. Lady that reuera Domina facta est c. Damasc de fide orthoxa She was indeed made the Lady with dominion ouer all creatures when she was made the Mother of the Creatour And in his second oration of the death of the Mother of God Clamemus cum Gabriele c. Let vs crye out with the Angell Gabriell All hayle O thou full of grace All hayle O thou inexhausted sea of ioy Al hayle o thou especial lightner of our burthens All hayle O thou medicine of all the afflictions of our harts All hayle O thou holy Virgin by whome death was banished and life introduced Anselm de cōcep Virg. peccat orig c. 18. S. Anselme in his Treatise of originall sinne Chapter 18. Decebat vt illius c. It was fit that the Conception of that man he speaketh there of Christ our Sauiour should be made of the most pure Virgin and therefore it was fit that this virgin should most sweetly shine with so great purity then which a greater cannot be imagined vnder God to whome God the Father resolued to giue his only Son S. Bernard in his sermon vpon the corporall Assumption of the B. Virgin into heauen sayth thus Quis cogitare sufficiat c. Who is able to conceaue how gloriously the Queene of the world went forward as vpon this day and with how great entiernes of tender deuotion the whole multitude of those celestiall legiōs came forth to meete her With what canticles she was cōducted to the throne of glory With how serene a face with how deare a countenance with how diuine imbracements she