vp some thinges whetin before for want of leasure and time I could not geue to my self any reasonable conteatation as also to a dioine certaine new chapters which partly in mine owne concept and partly also vpon information of others I thought not vnmeet for the furnishing of this first argument and subiect of Resolution And standing determined vpon this as also comprehending in mind and cogitation the whole general corps of that which was to ensue in th' other two bookes I wel saw that I should not be able according to my first designement to compact the whole in one reasonable volume and therfore I resolued to deuide the same into two Waerof the first should conteine matter of discourse know edge speculation and confideration to moue vs to resolue the second should handle things appetteining to exercise vse and practise for putting in execution our good desires after resolution This being my cogitation and the matter now wel forward for the print I was enformed of two other editions come forth of my forsaid booke without my knowiedge the one by a Catholique as it seemeth who perceuing ai copies of the former print to be spēt for satisfying of them that desired the booke procured the same to be set forth againe albeit somewhat incorrected and very disordrely not hauing the consent or aduise of such as therin should haue geuen him best direction The second was published by one Edmund Bany minister at Bolton Percy as he writeth in the liberties of Yorke who with publicke licence vnder my Lord Archbishop of Yorke his protection set forth the same to the benefice of his brethren but yet so punished and plumed which he termeth purged as I could hardly by the face discerne it for mine when it came vnto my handes and I tooke no smale compassiō to see how pitifully the poore thing had bene handled Of this edition then of M. Buny letting passe th' other as a matter onely of a discretion without malice I haue to a laertise the reader some few things as wel for mine own discharge wherin I am charged by him as also for the readers admonishment not to thinke in deed that booke to be mine which in my name this preacher hath published And for vttering that which I haue to say in some kinde of order and conueniencie of methode I shal touch breefly in this preface thos principal pointes insuing First how this booke came foorth from me in the first edition Secondly how it was set foorth afterwardes by M. Edm. Buny Thirdly what he meaneth by his treatise annexed therunto tending as he saith to pacification Fourthly how the same booke commeth foorth at this present and how the discret reader may vse it to his best commoditie of the first edition TO shew how this booke came foorth at the first it shal be requisite perhaps to repeate breefly ī this place the things that I saied in my first preface induction which preface and induction M. Buny hath left out in his edition protesting That he durst not in conscience and in dutie tovvardes God commend the same in my vvordes vnto the reader And yet trulie was ther nothing in effect therin Gentle reader but that which here in this place shal be repeated First that the primatiue occasion inducing me to thinke vpon this worke was the sight of a booke intituled The excrcise of a Christian life writen in Italian by Doctor Loartes of the Societie of IESVS and translated some years since by a vertuous learned gentilman of our countrie Which booke for that I vnderstood of certaintie to haue profited many towardes pietie and deuotion I was moued to cause the same to be printed againe with certaine ample additions to the furnishing of some matters which that author had omitted deuiding my whole purpose into three seueral bookes wherof the first was to persuade mē vnto true resolution the secōd to instruct vs how rightely to beginne the third how a man may hould but and perseuer Secondly I shewed that being entred into the worke and hauing set downe an other order and method to my self then that treatise of D. Loartes did obserue and hauing begunao the first booke touching resolution whereof no part was handled in that other treatise I found by experience that I could not wel conioine th' one with th' other if I would satisfie either th' order or argument by me conceaued and therfore that I was inforced to resolue vpon a further labour then at the first I had intended and this was to draw out the whole three bookes my self not omitting any thing that was in the said exercise or other like good treatisses to this effect And al this to the end that our countriemen might haue some one sufficient directiō for matters of spirit and vertuous life among so many bookes of controuersies as haue bene writen are in writing daily Which bookes said I albeit in thes our troblesome and quarrelous times they be necessary for defence of our faith against so manie seditious innouations as now daily are attempted yet help they litle oftentimes to good life but rather doe fil the heades and hartes of men with a spirit of contradiction and contention which for the most part doe hinder deuotion which deuotion is nothing els but A quiet calme and peacable state of our soule induced 〈◊〉 a iotful promptnes and alacritis to the diligent execution of al things that doe or may apperteine to the honour and seruice of almightbe God For which cause the holie Apostle dehorted greatly his scholer Timothie from this contention and contradiction of wordes affirming clearly that it was profitable to nothing but to subuect the hearers I affirmed further that our forfathers were most happie in respect of vs who receauing with humilitie one vniforme faith without contention or contradiction from their mother the holie Catholique Church did attend onlie to build vpon that foundatiō good workes and vertuous life as holie scripture commandeth vs to doe wheras we spending now al our time in iangling about this first foundation of faith haue no leasure to build either gould or siluer theron as th' Apostle exhorteth vs but doe weary out our selues and our owne contentious spirits without commoditie dying with much labour and litle profit with great disquiet and smale reward For which cause I exhorted the discret reader of whatsoeuer religion and faith he were to moderate this heate and passion of contention and to enter into the careful studie and exercise of good deedes which are alwayes better among true Christians then wordes assuring him that this is the right way to obteine at Gods hāds the light of true beleefe if he were amisse Alleaging for example therof the most famous conuersion of Cornelius the Gentile whos vertuous life praiers and almouse deedes obteined at the hands of almightie God as S. Luke doth testifie that S.
noli altum sapere sed time Be not high minded but feare Againe he reasoneth thus vpon the olde and the new lawe He that brake the lawe of Moyses being conuicted by two or three witnesses died for the same without commiseration or mercye how much more greeuous punishment then doth he deserue who breaking the law of Christ by wilfull sinne treadeth the Sonne of God vnder his feete polluteth the bloode of the new testament and reprocheth the holie Ghost In like maner reasoneth S. Peter and S. Iude towching the sinne of Angels and ours If God spared not the Angels when they sinned but did thrust them downe to hell there to be tormented and to be reserued vnto iudgement with eternall chaines vnder darckenes how much lesse will he spare vs And agayne if the Angels which passe vs in power and strength be not able to beare gods horrible iudgement against them what shall we doe And yet further in an other place the same Apostle reasoneth thus if the iust man shal hardlie be saued where shal the wickedman and sinner appeare By al which examples we are instructed how to reason maturely sincerely in our owne cause As for example eche man may truly saie thus vnto hym self if God haue punished so seuerelie one sinne in the Angels in Adam and in others before recited what shall I looke for which haue committed so manie sinnes against hym If God haue damned so manie soules for lesser sinnes then mine are what will he do to me for mine that are farre greater If God haue borne longer with me then he hath done with many other whom he hath cut of without geuing them of repentance what reason is there that he should beare longer with me If Dauill and others after their synnes forgyuen tooke such paines in afflicting them selues for satisfaction of the temporal punishement in this life what punishemēt remaineth for me either here or in the wold to come for satisfaction of so manie sinnes cōmitted If it be true that our Sauvour saith that the waye is harde and the gate narrow wherby men goe into heauen and that they shal aunswere for euerie ydle worde before they enter therein what shal become of me that doe liue so easie a life and doe keepe no accounte at al of my deedes and much lesse of my wordes If good men in olde time did take such paines for their saluation and yet as S. Peter saieth the verie iust were scarcely saued what a state am I in which take no paine at al but doe liue in all kinde of pleasure and worldly contentations Thes argumētes consequentes and conclusions are more true good Christian and would proue more profitable vnto vs if we would excercise our selues therin and therby enter into some cogitation of our owne daungers and into iust feare of Gods seuere iudgementes without flatteringe or deceyuinge our selues For wāt wherof either onlie or principallie the most parte of enormous sinnes from time to time are committed according as holy Dauid most euidentlie declareth when hauing shewed and detested the multitude of sinnes which the world committeth he reduceth al as it were vnto two prin cipal causes Wherof the first is that men deceyue them selues and others by vaine flatterie in deminishing their sinnes of whom he saith they are taken in their ovvne deuises for that they praise the vvicked man in the lustes desires of his ovvne minde The second is for that this deceipt and flatterie is referred commōlie by the vitious man to the driuing of Gods iudgementes out of his memorie to the end he may sinne with lesse feare and scruple For so saith the prophet expresselie The sinner hath exasperated God against him in that he hath said god in the multitude of his vvrath vvil not require an accounte of my doinges But what effect ensueth of this heare the wordes immediatelie folowing he hath not God before his eyes his vvayes are filthie from time to time And what is the cause of al this for that thy iudgementes o Lord are remoued from his sight that is for that he wil not see he wil not behold he wil not heare he wil not consider or beare in mind thy iudgementes ô Lord but wil needes flatter delude and deceyue hym self Herof it commeth that he neuer maketh an end of his filthie life wicked wayes but exasperateth thie iustice o Lord against him vntil it be ouer late to repent or amende Thus said this holie Sainte of wicked sinners but what of him self heare his wordes deare brother and imprint them in thie memorie I haue kept the vvayes of my Lord saith he haue not donne vvickedlie in the sight of my God for that al his iudgements are before my eyes and I haue not tast his iustices from me Beholde the vertuous life of king Dauid beholde the cause therof For that Gods iudgemētes were continuallie before his eyes therfore was his life pure and voide of wickednes or as in other wordes at an other time he expresseth I vvil cōfesse vnto the o Lord in the direction or puritie of my hart for that I haue learned the iudgementes of thie iustice And againe in the same place I haue chosen to vvalke the vvay of truth for that I doe not forget o Lord thy iudgementes that is as a litle after he expoundeth the same for that I doe feare and trēble at thy iudgementes O most excellent effecte of the feare of Gods iudgementes No maruaile though it be called the beginning of al wisdom and the verie dore and entrance to eternal saluation no maruaile if the same holie prophet in the verie same psalme doe pray so hartilie strike through my flesh vvith thy feare ò Lord. S. Paule after he had shewed to the Corinthians that we must al be presented before the tribunal of Christ euerie man to receyue according to his merites he maketh this conclusiō VVe knovving therfore thes thinges deare bretheren doe persuade the feare of our Lord vnto al men And S. Peter hauing made a longe declaration of the Maiestie of God and of Christ now raining in heauen concludeth thus yf then you cal him father vvhich doth iudge euerie man according to his vvorkes vvithout exceptiō of persons doe you liue in feare during the time of this your habitation vpon earth A necessarie lesson no doubt for al men but especiallie for such who by reason of their sinful life doe remaine in displeasure and hatred of almightie God and hourelie doe stand obnoxious as I haue shewed to the seueritie of his most dreadful iudgementes wherinto if once they fal especiallie by departure from this life the matter remaineth remediles for all eternitie insuinge as God him self hath forwarned vs. Which thing being so what man of wisdome would not feare what Christiā that is careful of his owne estate would eate or drinke or take his repose with quiet vntil by
which should haue many children crying to her at once for meate she hauing no bread at al or not sufficient to breake vnto them so the wicked man being greedilie called vpon without ceasing by almost infinit passions to yeld vnto their desires must needes be vexed and pitifullie tormēted especiallie being not able to satisfie any one of the least of their petitions An other cause of vexation in thes mē is for that thes passions of disordinate concupiscence be oftentimes contrarie the one to the other and doe demāde most opposite and contrarie thinges representing vnto vs most liuelie the confusion of Babel where one tongue spake against an other and that in diuerse and contrarie languages So we see oftentimes that the desire of honour saieth to his maister spend here but the passion of auarice saieth hold thy handes Lecherie saieth venture here But pride saieth No it may turne thee to dishonour Anger saieth reuenge thy self here but ambition saieth it is better to dissemble And finallie here is fulfilled that which the prophet saieth vidi iniquitatem contradictionem in ciuitate I haue seene iniquitie and contradictiō in the self same citie Iniquitie for that al the demandes of thes passions are most vniust for so much as they are against reason her self Contradictiō for that one contradicteth the other in their demandes From al which miseries God hath deliuered the iuste by geuing them his peace vvhich passeth al vnderstanding as the Apostle saieth and which the world can nether geue nor taste of as Christ hym self affirmeth And thus many causes may be alleaged now besides many other which I passe ouer to iustifie the veritie of our Saue ours wordes affirming that his yoke is svveet and easie to wit the assistance of grace the loue of God the light of vnderstanding the internal consolation the quiet of cōscience the confidēce therof proceeding the libertie of soule and bodie with the sweet rest and peace of our spirites both towardes God our neighbours and our selues By al which meanes helpes priuileges and singuler benefites the vertuous are assisted aboue the wicked as hath bene shewed and their way made easie light and pleasant TO AL VVHICH yet we may adioine one other great priuilege as the last but not the least comfort to them that walke vnder the yoke of Christs seruice and this is the promise and most assured expectation of reward to wit of eternal glorie and felicitie to the good and of euerlasting damnation and tormētes vnto the wicked O good God what a matter is this to comfort the one if their life were paineful and to afflict the other amiddest their greatest pleasures and swetest delectations The labourer when he thinketh of his good paye at night is encouraged to goe thorough with the heat of the day though it be painful vnto hym Two that should passe together towardes their countrie the one to receaue honour for good seruice done abrod th' other as prisoner to be arraigned of treasons committed in forraine dominions against his Soueraigne could not be alike merie in their inne vpon the way For albeit he that stood in danger should sing or make shew of courage and comfort and set a good face vpon the matter yet th' other might wel thinke that his hart had many a cold pul within hym as no doubt but al wicked men haue when they think with themselues of the life to come If Ioseph and Pharaos baker had knowē both their distinct lottes in prison to wit that on such a day one should be called furth to be made Lord of Egypt and th' other to be hanged vpon a paire of new gallowes they could hardly haue bene alike merie whiles they liued together in the time of their imprisonmēt The like may be sayed and much more truely of vertuous and wicked men in this world For when the one sorte doe but thinke vpon the day of death which to thē is to be the day of their deliuerance from this prison their hartes can not but leape for verie ioye considering what is her after to ensew vnto thē But th' other are afflicted and doe fal into melancholie and extreme desolation as oftē as mention or remembrāce of death is offered for that they are sure that it bringeth with it their eternal bane according as holy scripture saieth The vvicked mā being dead there remaineth no more hope vnto hym Wel then deare Christian brother if al thes thinges be so what should stay thee now at length to make this resolution wherunto I exhort thee wilt thou yet say notwithstanding al this that the matter is hard and the way vnpleasant or wilt thou beleeue others that tel the so albeit they know lesse of the matter then thy self Beleeue rather the word and promisse of thy Sauiour Christ which assureth thee the contrarie Beleeue the reasons before alleaged which doe proue it most euidentlie Beleeue the testimonies of them which haue experienced the matter in them selues as king Dauid S. Paul S. Iohn Euangelist and others whos testimonies I haue alleaged before cōcerning their owne proofe Beleeue many hundredes which by the holy grace of God are conuerted day lie in Christendome frō vicious life to the perfect seruice of their Lord al which doe protest that them selues haue found much more facilitie and comfort thē ether I haue said in this place or can say in the matter And for that perhaps thou mayest replie that such men as haue experiēced this in them selues are not now liuing in the place wher thou art to geue this testimonie of their owne experience I can and doe assure thee vpon my consciēce before almightie God that I haue had conserēce with no smal number of such persons my self and that to my singuler comfort in beholding the strong hand and exceeding bountifulnesse of Gods sweetnes towards them in this case Oh deare brother no tongue can expresse what I haue seene herin and yet sawe I not the least part of that which they inwardly felte But yet this may I say that they that attend in the Catholique Church to deale with soules in the holy sacrament of Confession are in deed thos of whom the prophet saieth that they vvorke in multitudes of vvaters and doe see the maruailes of God in the depth In the depth I say of mens conscieuces vttered with infinit multitudes of teares whē God toucheth the same with his holy grace Beleeue me good reader for I speake in truth before our Lord IESVS I haue seene so great and exceeding consolations in diuers great sinners after their conuersion as no hart can almost cōceaue and the hartes which receaued thē were hardlie able to-containe the same so abundātlie distilled doune that heauēlie dewe from the most liberal and bounteful hand of God And that this may not seme strange vnto thee thou must know that it is recorded of one holy man called
Church did leaue vnto them from the Apostles time They saw wel and were so tould by the Apostles them selues that ther was no other certaine waie to vnderstand and hold the truth first planted but to stick to this tradition for vnderstanding of scriptures which should passe from hand to hand from bishope to bishope frō doctor to doctour from Councel to Councel frō Church to Church from age to age vntil the worldes end and without this they saw by experience of thos first heresies that euery heretique would make his part as good as the catholique Church from time to time by interpreting the scriptures after his owne deuise To the end thē that Christes Catholique people might stād together firmly in vnitie of faith and arme them selues iointly to the contempt of this world suffering for their master thes holy men did so carefully crie vpon them hauing heard at the Apostles own mouthes as it may be supposed how detestable a thing heresie was ī the sight of God and whersoeuer it entred that ther was no more hope of any vertue or other good thing to saluation For which cause it is recorded in like maner that diuers of thes first martyrs being brought foorth to die in the company of certaine heretiques that offered to die also for defence of Christian religion they refused to goe forth or die in their company affirming thē in truth to be enimies to IESVS Christ howsoever otherwise they made profession to die for him This be spoken by the way concerning thes notable mens zeale in detestation of schisme and heresie and of new expositiōs of holy scripture against the tradition of antiquitie which no man can thinke to be from our purpose if he consider the times wherin we liue and how litle this tradition is now regarded by many in respect of their own new deuises and fresh inuentions But now it foloweth in the forsaid storie of Eusebius that S. Irenaeus in processe of smal time came also to make his combat for the confession of his maister in the citie of Liōs in France wher after infinit torments and afflictiōs that he suffered he ended his life the xxviij day of Iune vnder th' Emperour Seuerus But before this he was sent into Asia to the Christians there from the Christians in France that liued in persecution and in the way he had letters also to the bishop of Rome Eleutherius in his own commēdation Which letters doe wel declare what a reuerend opinion the martyrs of God had of him And th' other letters that he carried into Asia doe set foorth the maruailous trial that our Sauiour vsed at that time vpon his seruantes wherof for our instruction as also for our comfort in aduersities that fal vnto vs I haue thought good to recite some part also in this place The letters beginne thus The seruantes of IESVS Christ that dwel at Lions and Vienna in France send peace in our Lord IESVS vnto their brethern in Asia and Phrigia who haue the same faith and hope of redemption c. The greatnes of our afflictions which grow vpon vs in this place and the multitude of torments that we suffer neither can we nor any man els by writing expresse And then they shew first how they were forbid by publique edict to enter into any common house boothe or market place or to come abrod out of their own dores Secōdly frō their owne houses they were fetcht out by officers led to the market place and in the way reuiled and spit on by the people beaten with stones and other weapons which ech mā had in his hand their apparel pulled from their backes and this before iudgement was geuen against thē while yet they expected the comming of the President to determine their cause Who whē he came demaunding no other question of them but only whether they were christiās or no commaunded al maner of torments to be exercised vpon thē And for that a noble yong gentilman named Vetius began to speake a word or two in their behalf he was also condemned among the rest as aduocate of the christians Thirdly they shew that al their frindes acquaintance and kindred among the Gentils at that time forsooke them Their owne seruants for feare of tormēts came in and accused them most falsly of eating of mans flesh and that which greeued them most of al ten of their companie vpon the first sight of torments abiured Christ openly And yet al this notwithstāding they declare that Christ their Sauiour forsooke thē not in thos extremities but cōforted thē aboue al measure by the noble cōfessiōs and cōbates of diuers others wherof they recite very strang examples namely of one Sanctus a deacon who for al the torments the enemies could vse vpon him from morning vnto night could not be inforced to answere the President to no one question that he demanded but onely by those two latin wordes Christianus sum I am a Christian. Thes two wordes saith the storie serued for answere to whatsoeuer he was asked either touching him self or others The like they write of one Blandina a noble woman which wearied out al her tormentours and therfore in a rage towardes the end of the day they tied her to a great beame and hanged her vp in the aire Which beame for that it represented the forme of a Crosse as shee hanged vpon it did comfort both her and al other Christians infinitly They declare besides that their holy old bishope named Pothenus in whose place Irenaeus succeded after being four score and ten yeares old and not able so much as to stād on his feete was caried to the place by the hands of souldiours and there ended his life with incredible fortitude And of the foresaid Blandina they write that being put downe from the beame againe she was beaten with whippes rent with yron hookes set vpon a burning frying pan and after that wrapt in a net and cast amōg wilde bulles In al which torments she kept a mery countenance thanking God most hartelie for this benefit and for that shee had sene her owne children die constantly in the same place for the same cause before her They report also of one Attalus a man of great name authoritie in that cittie who being drawē forth of his house was first lead about the place of spectacle with a table borne before him wherin was writen in great latine letters This is Attalus the Christian and afterward he was abused by the people in al kinde of most extreme villanous maner but yet because of his calling the president durst procede no further against him vntil he had writē to Rome to the Emperour and receaued answer which soone after was had he in the meane space being kept in prison wher he did singuler much good then vpō the solemne day of the publike faires that were in Lions he was brought forth againe and first
heauen voluntarie pouertie and the like al I say he thrusteth out together with the scripture alleaged for the same And finally not to hold the reader any longer in the enumeratiō of thos thinges which he shal finde almost in euery other leafe of the booke Page 157. he thrusteth out not only S. Augustin talking of the price of heauē and of the facilitie to gaine the same but also striketh out in like maner the very wordes of Christ him self saying the kingdome of heauen doth suffer violence men doe lay handfast vpon it by force And what may be said then gentle reader of thes mē who spare neither Fathers Doctours Prophetes Apostles nor Christ him self when they stand in the way against their foolis he herefies AND THIS of thrusting out But now if I would speake of mangling I might say much more but that this place beareth it not and therfore thous halt be content good reader to accept of one example only among infinite that might be alleaged and by this one thou maist make vnto thy self some certaine coniecture of the rest Page 367. it is handled and proued by me against the impedimēt of delay how that vvee by deferring our cōuersion doe alwaies binde our selues to greater penance satisfaction afterwardes c. In which discourse M. Buny first in steed of the worde Penāce vseth alwaies the worde repētance as though al were one and so runneth on smoothly so long as it wil hold out And as for the worde Satisfaction for that he had no other word to put in for it he thrusteth it cleane out Then commeth he to S. Cyprian who saith that a diligint and long medicine is to be vsed to a deepe sore which wordes M. Buny admitteth and setteth downe as good and currant But the other part of the sentēce immediatly following was that our penance must be no lesse thē vvas our fault cōmitted which part M. Buny striketh out of the text as also al the rest ensuing wherin S. Cyprian prescribeth that this penance must be made with teares watching wearing of hear-cloth the like which seeme to be thinges nothing pleasant to the bodie of a Minister After S. Cyprian followeth S. Augustin in the very same page affirming That it is not sufficient for a sinner to change his maners to leaue of to sinne except he make satisfaction also to God for his sinnes past by sororrful penance geuing of almes c. With which wordes M. Buny would haue nothing to doe for that they were incorrigible therfore he ' thrust thē quite out yet out of S. Hierome that in the third place insued he was content to admit thes wordes Our bodie that hath liued in many delightes must be chastised vvith affliction our long laughing must be recōpenced vvith much vveping But the wordes immediatly following in the same seutence our soft linning and fine silke apparel must be changed into sharpe hear-cloth seemed to harde to this delicate doctour and therfore he thrust them quite out In the end of the ranke came graue S. Ambros affirming That vnto a great vvound a deepe long medicine in needful Which wordes M. Buay very quietly and courteously let passe But vpon th' other that immediatly followed he gaue a deade blow thrust them by head shoulders out of the booke to wit Grāde seelus grādē necessariā habet satisfactionē A great offence requireth of necessitie a great satisfaction Now thē gentle reader what shal we thinke or say of thes mē or of their maner of dealing Haue they honest meaning trow you Haue they sidelitie Haue they a conscience Haue they respect of God or man that deale in this order Is it hard to found any new religiō or to defend it or to auouch what folie or falsaood soeuer by this maner of proceeding If thes mē had habilitie to doe what their consciences would permit thē in the world abrod what an alteration what a subuersiō what a metamorphosis would they make in al matters of antiquitie If they had to them selues the setting forth of the holy fathers doctours workes how would they loppe and circumcise the same how would they set them foorth in their Ierkins yea barehose and doubletes cutting of al other garmentes and furniture that liked thē not or were not sutable to the season of thes mens senses If thes men I say had the keeping of al antiquities of fathers Councels and scriptures that to thē selues alone in their owne custodie without the knowledge or cōtradiction of any one Catholique for the space of only fiue hundred yeares together as they graunt we held thē al in our handes for a thousand what maner of bookes trow you should we finde them How currant and absolute for the protestant religiō No doubt but we should heare thē speake euē as Iohn Caluin speaketh in al matters of controuersie or rather as that good man for the time would haue them to speake vnto whos handes the last edition of such workes should be committed And thus much shal suffice for discouerie of M. Bunies editiō of my booke now remaineth ther only a word or two to be saide of the treatise which he adioined tēding as he saith to Pacification Of M. Bunies Pacification AND first of al a man would thinke that M. Buny did take but a very strange way to pacification in offering me the greate iniurie which before hath bene shewed in his editiō But for that he pretendeth his peace to be towardes the general by labouring the aduersaries as his phrase is I shal be content to passe ouer my particuler and to examine peaceably what he saieth and how he laboreth vs to that effect But here againe at the very first enterance ther riseth a new stoppe against al vnion or pacification with vs for that he is so singulerly persuaded of the rare light and knowledge of truth which they haue alone among them selues as he dareth to pronounce That to their knovvledge God neuer yet bestovved the like on others In which asseueratiō for that he excepteth neither the fathers or doctours of the primatiue Church nor yet th' Apostles them selues whom we hoped to haue had at least wise for iudges and arbiters in making this peace what probabilitie can ther be of vnion or composition amōg vs seing that at the very first word he maketh his cause better not only then ours but also then the case and condition of any other whatsoeuer since Christes departure frō earth or before But yet this I wil let passe also as a vaunt proceeding of an humour peculier to mē of his stampe For if you goe to al the petie sectes of thes our times or of any other times that haue bene from the beginning ech one wil sing the self same song affirming euery other bodies candel to be out but only theirs And if they should not say so they were not sectes or
of the Protestant magistrate towardes Catholiques in EnglaÌ„d wherwith he supposeth many are staied from comming vnto them but al with as great discretion and foundation as he hath done the former demanding of vs in very good earnest why we should stand so much vpon Limbus Patrum vpon Christes descending into hel vpoÌ„ real presence freedome of wil and merit of workes vpon traditions preestood and sacrifice vpon worshiping of Saintes and Images mariage of preestes inherent iustice and the fiue SacrameÌ„tes that we numbre more then they doe why I saie we should so relie and sticke vpon thes thinges as for their sakes not to ioyne with theÌ„ and be Protestantes wheras notwithstanding al thes thinges the ProtestaÌ„tes saith as he saith and ours is al one in substance and we al are members of one true Catholique and Apostolique Churche albeit some of vs be somewhat better members in that Church then others And this last point of the Church therby to allure vs the more he vrgeth very often and earnestly to wit that we are al members of one true Church reprehending greatly his fellow Ministers and brethren who vpon indiscrete Zeale as he saith vrged first this separation and did vvrite in not so sensed a maner as they ought to haue done adding further vve are to iustifie that of departing from the Church ther ought to be no question at al among vs. But what is the cause thinke you of this so greate and suddaine curtesie which now at length M. Buny against al custome of his brethren doth offer vnto vs you shal heare it vttered if you please in his owne wordes for by consâ—â—â—ing so far vvith them saieth he as to graunt that vve are not both of one Church vve bring our selues to needles trouble For that it is greate probabilitie vvith them that so vve make our selues aunsvverable for to finde out a seueral and distinct Church from them from vvhich vve descende vvhich hath continued from the Apostles age to this present els that needes vve must acknovvledge that our Church is sprung vp of late or at least since thers This is his confession which we hauing heard we neede not stande any longer in doubt wherfore he is become so kinde as at length to make vs al of one true Catholique and Apostolique Church with them whom hitherto they haue detested as the Sinagogue of Antechrist Why also M. Buny tooke in hande to write this treatise of pacification to wit for that in deede as he confessed before He novv perceaueth that men held vvith them rather for respect of state and ciuil commodities then of conscience and beleefe Which regarde of temporal commoditie in very truth Gentle reader is the only reason or baite that they can lay before vs at this time wherby to moue vs to come vnto their parte Which respect and motiue notwithstanding our Lord knoweth how bare and brickle a matter it is and how longe or litle while it may endure But this only thing set a side in al other respectes reasons allurementes motiues or considerations which heauen or earth can yeld wherby to stirre a Christian minde to embrace any religion they are al for vs and none for them as perhaps hereafter may be declared more largelie in some special treatisse which by occasion of this may be taken in hand In the meane space let this suffice for answere of so much as M. Buny hath writen in his pacification Of this present edition vvith certaine instructions to the Reader THER remaineth now then gentle reader for the ending of this preface to admonish the only in a worde or two what thou hast in this later edition more then in the former and how thou maist reape the commoditie that is intended and wished to the therin First the whole booke hath bene reuewed and both amplified and bettered in diuers pointes throughout al the chapters that doe remaine as before Secondly the title therof is altered as may appeare in the beginning for that the other booke of Christian exercise since the first edition therof hath bene set foorth a parte by it self Thirdly diuers treatises and chapters haue bene wholy altered especially in the first part wher vpon a purpose of greate breuitie which in the beginning was conceaued but afterwardes could not be held many things were shifted ouer and diuers discourses knit vp with more imperfection then in the second part therof Fourthly sundrie new chapters and treatises haue bene added in this edition And thes partly of mine own liking imagining that the matter might perhappes affect other men as much as it did me among which I may accompt the chapter of examples of true resolution and some other Partely also vpon aduertisement of good and reuerend Catholique preestes that liue in England who finding by their experience in dealing with mens soules as my self also did that this long time of schisme and sectes wherein they heare nothing but weangling and contradictions in matters of courtouersies their life in the meane space running at al libertie without discipline and loding their consciences with infinite burden of sinne hath wroght in mens mindes a certaine contempt and carles insensibilitie in thes affaires esteeming al things to stand vpon probabilitie only of dispute to and fro and so by litle and litle doth bring them also to thinke the same of Christian religion it self imagining that the Iewes Turkes Saracens and other enimies therof being worldly wise men may haue as greate reason perhaps to stande against the same as thes later learned men of oar owae time haue to staud in so many rankes and diuisions of sectes against the Catholique faith and as the old Philosophers pretended to haue against the being of one God him self Thes thinges I saie being so which is alwaies the effect of diuision and heresie thos vertuous and discrete men were of opinion that it should not be amisse in this second edition to adioyne two chapters of the certaintie of one God and of our Christian faith and religion Besides this I was admonished by the writinges of our aduersaries since the publishing of my first edition how they misliked two principal pointes in that booke First that I speake so much of good workes and so litle of faith secondly that I talked so largely of Godes iustice and so breefly of his mercie In both which pointes albeit an indifferent man might haue bene satisfied before and easilie perceaue that the aduersarie doth but picke quarels of calumniation yet to giue more ful contentement in this matter euen vnto our enemies I haue besides that which is spoken els wher and namely in the 2. and 4. chapters touching faith adioyned also a special chapter of the two seueral partes of Christian profession which are beleefe and life And for the second I haue framed a whole new chapter in the begiuning of the second part intituled against dispaire of Godes mercie Thos were
the causes of my large and ample additions in this booke And yet was ther besides al thes one cause more which also I conceaued by information of others An I this was that diuers persons as I was tolde hauing desire in them selues to reade the former booke but yet being weake and feartul to be touched so nere in conscience as they imagined this booke would doe durst neuer intermedle therwith being informed that ther was nothing in the same wherwith to intertaine them selues but only such vehement matter of persuasiō as would troble and afflict thom For remedie of which inconueniencie if it were an inconueniencie I haue inserted diuers chapters and discourses of matters more plausiole and of them selues more indifferent whervvith the reader may solace his minde at such times as he findeth the same not willing to feele the spurre of more earnest motion to perfection And to the end he may the better be able to serue him self at al times and to al purposes of whatsoeuer is contayned within this booke I haue thought good to set downe in the end of al a short draught or methode for the particuler vse of euery part and parcel therof how it may sorue either to prayer or meditation or els to instruction exhortation consolation or other effect according to the time and place or to the neede state condition other qualetie of the person that shal come to reade the booke Now then good reader and my deare Christian brother hauing nothing els at this time to admonishe the of I wil end this preface and remit the to the reading of the booke it self that followeth exhorting the most earnestly for thine owne soules sake in the tender bowels of our sweet Sauiour IESVS that thou reade the same with attention as matter that appertaineth nearest of al other vnto the and with al to yeld most hartie and humble thākes to almightie God that in his Catholique Church fayleth not from time to time to sende diuers strange and stronge meanes whereby to stirre vp men to consideration of their estate and to the gayne of their saluation in the life to come This I say by almightie Gods diuine goodnes and prouidence is ordinarie in his spouse the Catholique Church wher his spirit abideth vntil the worldes end and it is so in her alone as it is her proper and peculier possession and neuer trulie to be founde in them who liue out of her albeit for a time and in some pointes they maye haue a shewe or shadoe therof This we see fulfilled in al heretiques and sectaries both of old and of our daies who albeit some times they wil seeme to writ bookes of institutions to manners and good life yet their doctrine therin being as wilde as their faith is wandering they neuer bring any thing to passe but from worse to worse wherof the whole world at this daye doth giue experience The reason of this in general may be taken from the nature and spirit of heretiques described vnto vs for our admonishment in holie scripture wherof one principal point is that they shal be as S. Paul saith Sine pace without al rest or peace and consequently alvvaies learning and neuer attaining to the knowledge of truth They shal bestow al their time in iangling and quarreling and in the meane space as S. Peter wel noteth they shal vvalke according to their ovvne concupiscences albeit they talke neuer so much of mortification and of their quickning spirite for which cause he calleth them also illusores mockers and deceauers that is as S. Paul seemeth to interprete the same fellovves that vvith seigned vvordes shal make their ovvne gaine and vvhich hauing a shevv of pietie shal in life deny the force or vertue thereof And this why heretiques in general can neither teach true pietie and deuotion not yet giue example therof in their owne liues But now if we looke into the particuler sectes that are of this our most vnhappie time we shal finde a more peculier reason why they in special much lesse may doc the same For that in truth the very groundes of their opinions doc resist altreating of such affaires neither can you vrge almost any one point of true pietie but that 〈◊〉 must impugne some principal article of their doctrine As may appeare by that which hath bene declared before concerning the places both of fathere and scriptures thrust out by M. Buny in my former booke wherof also it were not hard to make diuers most cuident demonstrations in this place For if for example sake you exhort men to labour for their owne saluation as S. Paul did Philip. 2. ver 12. then you teach them to put confidence in their owne workes which with protestantes is abhominable If you encourage men to suffer in respoct of rewarde as Christ did Matth. 5. ver 12. then fal you flatly vpon the doctrine of merite If you tel them that heauen is put in their owne handes to gaine as our Sauiour did Math. 11. ver 12. then allow ye not only of morite but also of free wil. If you wish men to liue in feare and trembling in respect of Gods secret iudgements and of the vncertaintie of our saluation as S. Paul did Phi. 2. ver 12. Hob. 3. ver 14. and S. Peter 2. ep 3. ver 17. then impeach you the certaintie of protestantes predestination If you counsail men to make amendes by good workes forth 〈◊〉 euil life past as S. Iohn Baptist did Luke 3. ver 8. then you reach satisfaction If you terrifie them with the feare of hel and with the declaration of the paines in the world to come as Christ did Math. 8. ver 12. then with them you offer iniurie to Gods infinit mercie If you exhort men to fasting praying loue of virginitie desire of pouertie chastesing their own bodies restitutió penance and the like as al the course of holie scripture doth then runne you into plaine and open papistrie And then deare Christian brother what treating can ther be of pietic in life wher none of thes important matters may be once named Truly good brother wel may a man vainlie talke in the aire of a quick ening spirite and mstrification as they are wonte in pastime to doe but nothing in sinceritie-wil euer be brought to passe where thes weightie pointes be not soundly and seriously handled For take away the mention of thes thinges forth of holie scripture it self together with the large and frequent exhortations that therin are made vnto them and very litle wil remaine about other affaires the cheefe indeuour of Gods holie spirit being bent as is manifest to the setting forthe and inculcating of thes matters aboue al other vnto Christian people Which spirit of almightie God the Catholique Church his holie and deare spouse taking vpon her to imitate after the foundation of true faith once laide calleth vpon her children both daily
and hourly by infinit wayes and mianes to remember and put in vre thes pointes of vertuous life while her enimies in the meane space doe lye wrangling and cauiling about contradictions in beleefe And therfore in the Catholique Churche onlie gentle reader shalt thou finde the true spirite of teaching and of execution of thes pointes touching pietie within the lappe and bosome wherof if thou alredy be thou hast humbly and hartely to thanke God for the same and with al sollicitous diligence and care to make thy gaine of such helpes as she offereth the for attayning thy saluation But if thou finde thy self in other estate as alas many may at this daye in our poore afflicted countrie then I beseeche the tender marcie of our Soueraine Lord and Sauiour that by readings of this present booke thou maist the sooner be moued to make thy selfe partaker both of the one and of the other benefite that is to saie not onlie to enter into the vnion of his Catholique Church but also which more importeth to leade a true Christian and vertuous life within the same And so to our Lord IESVS I commit the. At S. Omer in Artoys this present xxix of Iulie 1585. Being the daye of the holie virgin S. Martha Thy harty vvel vviller and seruant in IESVS Christ. R. P. OF THE MANY-FOLDE PERILS THAT ENSVE TO THE vvorld by inconsideration And hovv necessarie it is for euerie man to enter into cogitation of his ovvne estate CHAPT I. THE Prophetes and Sainctes of God who from tyme to tyme haue bene sent by his merciful prouideÌ„ce to aduertise and warne synners of theyr perilous estate and conditioÌ„ for synne haue not onlie fortold them of their wickednesse and imminent dangers for the same but also haue reueiled the causes therof wherby they might th' easyer prouide remedie for the inconuenieÌ„ces to come Such is the charitable proceeding of our moste mercifull Lord with the childreÌ„ of meÌ„ And amoÌ„g other causes none is more general or more often alleaged then the lacke of consideration by which as by a common snare and decept of our aduersarie most men fall into synne and are holden also perpetuallie in the same to their final destruction and eternal perdition So Esay the prophet speaking of the carelesse nobilitie and gentrie of Iurie that gaue them selues to baÌ„ketting disporte without consideration of their duties towardes god repeateth often the threat of vvoe against them and thé putteth downe the cause i thes wordes The lute and harpe and tymprel and shalme and good vvyne aboundeth in your bankettes but the vvorkes of god you respect not nor haue you consideration of his doinges And then insueth Therfore hath hell enlarged his soule and opened his mouth vvithout all measure or limitation the stoute and high and glorious of this people shall descende into it Here are two causes as you see and two effectes lynked together of thes Iewes damnation th' one depending of th' other For as good cheere and sensualitie brought thes men to inconsideratioÌ„ of gods workes and proceedinges towardes synners so IncosideratioÌ„ brought them to the mouth and pittes brymme of hell I say that inconsideration of gods workes towardes sinners brought them to this peril for that it followeth in the verie same place And the Lord of hostes shal be exalted in indgemeÌ„t and our holie god shal be sanctified in iustice as if he had sayed that albeit you will not consider now gods iudgemétes and iustice amiddest the heate and pleasure of your seastinges yet shall he by excercising the same vpon you hereafter be knowen exalted and sanctified throughout the world The like discourse maketh God hym self by the same prophet to the daughter of Babylon and by her to euerie finful and sensual soule figured by that name Come downe sayeth he sitte in the dust thou daughter of Babylon thou hast said I shal be a Ladye for euer and hast not put vpon thy harte the thinges thou shouldest nor hast thou had remembraÌ„ce of thy last ende c. Now therfore harcken thou delicate daughter which dwellest so coÌ„fideÌ„tlie ther shall come vpon the an euel wherof thou shalt not know the ofspringe and a calamitie shall rushe vpoÌ„ the froÌ„ which thou shalt not be able to deliuer the. A miserie shall ouertake the vpon the suddain which thou shalt not know c. Holie Ieremie after he had weyghed with hym self what miseries for synne the prophetes Esay Amos Ozee Ioel Abdias Michaeas Nahum Sophonias and hym self all which prophetes lyued within the coÌ„passe of one huÌ„dred yeares had fortolde to be imminent vppon the world not onlie to Samaria and the ten tribes of Israel which were now alredie caried into banishmeÌ„t to the furthest partes of th' east but also to the states couÌ„tries that most florished at that tyme as by name to BabyloÌ„ Egypt Damasco Tyrus Sidon Moab and finallie to Hierusalem and Iudaea it self which he forsaw should soone after moste pittifullie be destroyed when he saw also by longe experience that nether his wordes nor the wordes and cries of th' other forenamed prophetes could anie thing moue the hartes of wicked men he brake foorth into this moste lamentable complaint Desolatione desolata est omnis terra quia nulius est qui recogitet corde The whole earth falleth into extreme ruine desolation for that there is no man which considereth depelie in his hart This complaint made good Ieremie in his dayes for compassioÌ„ of his people that ranne miserablie to perdition for want of consideratioÌ„ And the same complaint with much more reason may euerie good ChristiaÌ„ make at this tyme for th' infinite soules of such as perishe daylie by incoÌ„sideration Wherby as by a general and remedilesse inchantement manie thousand soules are brought a slepe and doe synde them selues within the gates of hell before they misdoubt any such inconuenieÌ„ce being ledde through the vale of this present life as it were blyndfolded with the veile of carelesse negligence lyke beastes to the slaghterhouse and neuer permitted to see theyr owne danger vntil it be to late to remedie the same Propterea captiuus ductus est populus meê° quia non habuit scientiam saith god by the mouth of Esaye Therfore for this cause is my people led away captiue in all bondage slauerie to perditioÌ„ for that they haue no knowledge no vnderstaÌ„ding of their owne estate no forsight of the tymes to come no consideration of their danger Herehence floweth all the miserie of my people and yet this is a mysterie that all men wil not know Will you see what a mysterie and sealed secret this is harcken then how one describeth the same and with what circumstances Furthermore saith he a certaine hydden word was spoken vnto me and mine eare as it were by stealth receiued the veines of his whyspering it was iÌ„ the horror of a vision by night when deade
shall he that created them take mercie vpon them It is writen of fooles ventum seminabunt turbinem metent They shall sowe and cast their seede vpon the windes and shall receyue for their haruest nothing els but a storme or tēpest Wherby is signified that they shall not onlie cast away and leese their labours but also be punished and chastened for the same Consider thē I beseeche the my deare brother attētiueiie what thou wilt doe or saye when thie Lord shall come at the last daye and aske the an accompte of all thy labours actiōs and tyme spent in this life when he shall require a recōning of his talentes lent vnto the when he shall say as he said to the Farmour or Steward in the Gospel Redde rationem villicatiouis tuae gyue accompt of thie Stewardshippe and charge committed vnto the what wilt thou saye when he shall examine weigh trie thie doiges as golde is examined and tried in the fornace that is what ende they hade wherto they were applied to what glorie of God to what profite of thie soule what measure and weight and substance they beare Balsasar king of Babylon sitting at his banket merry vpon a tyme espyed suddainlie certaine fingares without a hande that wrote in the wall ouer right against his table thes three Hebrue wordes MANE THEKEL PHARES Which three wordes Daniel interpreted in thre sentences to Balsasar it his maner MANE God hath numbered thee Balsasar and thie kingdome THEKEL he hath weyghed thei the Goldsmiths balāce thou art founde to light PHARES for this cause hath he deuided thee from thie kingdome and hath gyuen the same to the Medes and Persians Oh that thes three golden and most siggnificant wordes ingrauen by th' angel vpon Balsasars wall were regestred vpō euerie dore and poste in Christiādome or rather imprinted in the harte of eche Christian especiallie the two first that importe the numbering and weighing of all our actions and that in the weightes and ballance of the Goldsmithe where euerie graine is espied that wanteth And if Balsasars actions that was a Gentile were to be examined in so nise and delicate a payre of balance for their triall if he had so seuere a sentence pronounced vpon hym that he should be deuided from life and kingdome as he was the same night followinge Quia inuentus est minus habens for that he was founde to haue lesse weight in hym then he should haue what shall we thinke of our selfes that are Christians of whom it is writē aboue all others I vvill search the sinnes of Ierusalem vvith a candle What shall we expect that haue not onlie lesse weight thē we should haue but no weight at all in the most of our actions what may such men I saye expecte but only that most terrible threat of diuision made vnto Balsasar or rather worse if worse may be that is to be deuided from God and his Angels from participation with our Saueour from cōmunion of Sainctes from hope of our inheritance from our portion celestial and life euerlastinge according to th' expresse declaration made hereof by Christ hym self in thes wordes to the negligent seruant The Lord of such a seruant shall com' at a daye vvhen he hopeth not and at an houre that he knovveth not and shal deuide hym ovvt and assigne his parte vvith hypocritos vvher shal be vveeping and gnashing of teeth Wherfore deare brother to conclude this chapter I can saye nothing more in this dangerous case wherin the world so runneth awrie but onlie exhorte thee as th' apostle doth not to conforme thy self to the common errour that leadeth to perdition Fall at length to some reconning and accompt with thy life and see where thou standest and whether thou goest If hytherto thou haue wandred and gone a straye be sory for the tyme lost but passe no further If hytherto thou haue not cōsidered the weightines of this affaire serue thy selfe of this admonition and remember that it is writen that a wise man profiteth by euerie occasion Esteeme thy resolution in this one pointe the chiefest menage that euer shall passe through thy handes in this world albeit thou were 2 Monarche and Ruler of ten worldes together And finallie I will ende with the verie same wordes wherwith the wise man concludeth his whole booke Deum time mandataeius obserua hoc est enim omnis homo Feare God and obserue his commaundements for this is euerie man That is in this doth all and euerie man consist his ende his beginning his life and cause of being that he feare God and directe his actions to th' obseruance of his commaundementes for that without this he is no man in effect seing that he looseth all benefite both of his name nature redemption and creation THAT THE SERVICE WHICH GOD REQVIRETH OF MAN IN this present life is religion VVith the particuler confirmations of Christian religion aboue all other in the vvorld CHAPT IIII. HAVINGE prouedī the former chapiters that there is a God which created man and that man in respecte hereof of other benefites receyued is bounde to honour and serue the same God the question may be made in this place what seruice this is that God requireth and wherin it doth consist Whereunto th' answere is brief and easie that it is Religiō which is a vertue that cōteyneth properlie the worshippe and seruice that we owe vnto God euen as Pietie is a vertue conteyning the dutie that children doe owe vnto their parentes and Obseruance an other vertue that comprehēdeth the regarde that schollers and seruantes beare vnto their masters In respect of which comparison and likenes betwene thes vertues God faith by a certaine Prophet The fonne honoureth his father the seruát his master if thē I be a father vvher is my honour if I be a Master vvher is my feare The actes of Religiō are diuers and different some internal as deuotion and prayer some other external as adoration worshippe sacrifice oblations vowes such like that are declarations and protestations of th' internal It extendeth it self also to stirre vp and putt in vre the actes and operations of other vertues for the seruice of God in which sense S. Iames nameth it Pare and unspotted religion to visite Orphanes VVidovves in their tribulation and to keepe our selues vndefiled from the vvickednes of this vvorld Finallie how so euer some heathens did vse this worde Religion to some other significations yet as S. Augustine well noteth th' vse therof among the faytheful hath alwayes bene to signifie therby the worshippe honour and seruice that is due vnto God so that if in one worde you will haue it declared what God requireth of man in this life it may be rightelie said that all standeth in this that he be Religious Hereof it proceeded that what so
countriman Apollidorus Erythraeus and Varro doe reporte that she liued before the warre of Troie pro phetied to the Graecians that went to that warre that Troie should be taken Which was more then a thousand years before Christ was borne Cicero also that was slaine more then fortye yeares before Christs natiuitie translated into Latine the former Acrostike verses as Constantine sayeth which translation was to be seene in his workes when Constantine wrote this oration so that by no meanes they could be deuised or brought in by Christians Thirdlie he sheweth that the same Cicero in diuers places of his workes besids the mention of these Acrostike verses insinuateth also an other prophetie of Sibylla touching a king that should rise ouer all the world wherwith hym self and the Romans were greatlie troubled and therfore in one place after a longe inuectiue against his enimie Antonie that would seeme to gyue credit to that prophetie or rather as Cicero doth vrge against hym would haue had the same fulfilled in Iulius Caesar he concludeth thus lett vs deale vvith the prelates of our religion to alleage onle one thing rather out of the bookes of Sibylla then a KINGE vvhom nether the Gods nor yet men came suffer hereafter to be in Rome The like prophetie of Sibylla touching a king is insinuated by the same Cicero in his first booke of Epistles to Lentulus to witt that when the Romans should restore a king in Egypt by force theÌ„ should insue the vniuersal king that should be Lord ouer Romans and all other Which prophetie being much vrged by Cato the Tribune against the restoring of Ptolomaeus Auletes late king of Egypt that for his euil gouernment was expulsed by his subiects the matter was to be of such weight by all the Roman Senat I meane the sequel of this prophetie that whereas otherwise for manie respectes they were greatelie inclined to haue restored the said Ptolomie yet in regarde of this religion as they called it they changed their mindes But what could they alter by this the determination of God No truly for sone after king Polomie perceyuing the Senatours mindes to be altered fled secretely from Rome to one Gabinius that was Gouernour of Siria and for fiue Millions of gold that he promissed hym he was by the forces of Gabiniê° restored and so not longe after was Christ borne according to the meaning of the Sibyl prophetie Fowerthlie the say de Emperour Constantine proueth th' authoritie of thes Sibylles verses for that Augustus Caesar before Christ was borne had such regarde of them that he layed them vp in more straite order then before according as Suetonius a heathen in his life reporteth vnder the Alter of Apollo in the hill Palatine wher no man might haue the sight of them but by special licence which licence Constantine proueth that Virgil the Poet had for that he was in highe fauour with Augustus And therfore in a certaine Ecloge or composition of verses that he made in praise of a yong chylde named Saloninus newlie borne to Asinius Pollio Augustus great friende or as other take it of Marcellus a litle boye that was nephue to Augustus by his Sister Octauia or rather of them both for adulation of Augustus he applieth I say to one or both of thes yonge infantes the whole prophetie which he had reade in the verses of Sibilla touching the birthe of Christ of the peace grace golden world that should come with hym Vpon which subiect he beginneth thus Vltima Cumaei venit iam temporis aetas Magnus ab integro saeculorum nascitur ordo Iam redit virgo rediunt Saturnia regna That is now is come the last age prophetied by Sibylla called Cumaea now coÌ„meth to be fulfilled the great ordinaunce and prouidence of God appointed from the beginning of the world thes were Sibylles wordes now coÌ„meth the virgine and the first golden dayes of Saturnus shall returne againe Thus much translated Virgile out of Sibylla touching th' eternal determinatioÌ„ of God for Christs comming into this world as also of his mother the virgine and of the infinit blessings that should appeare with hym Now ensueth in the same Poet what Sibylla had said for Christs actual natiuitie Iam noua progeniescaelo dimittitur alto Chara Deum soboles c. Now a new progenie or ofspring is sent downe from heauen the dearlie beloued issue or childe of the Gods And note here that Sibilla said plainlie chara Dei soboles the dearlie beloued sonne of God and not of Gods but that Virgile would follow the style of his time And thirdlie he setteth downe out of Sibylla th' effect and cause of this sonne of Gods natiuitie in thes wordes Te duce si qua manent sceleris vestigia nostri Irrita perpetua soluent formidine terras That is thou beinge our leader or Captaine the remnant of our sinnes shal be made voide or taken awaye and shall deliuer the world for euer froÌ„ feare for the same Thes are virgils wordes translated as I said out of Sibilla And now consider you in reason whether thes propheties might be applied as Virgile applied them to those poore children in Rome or no who died soone after this flatterie of Virgile without doing good either to them selues or to others Albeit perhappes in this pointe the Poet bee to be excused in that he being not able to imagine what the Sibyl should meane made his aduantage therof in applying the same to the best pleasing of Augustus Thes then are the proofes which Censtantine vseth for the credit and authoritie of the Sibyl verses And of Sibilla Erithraea in particuler that made the Acrostik verses before mentioned of Christes death and passion he concludeth in thes wordes Thes are the thinges vvhich sell from heauen into the mynde of this Virgin to surtell For vvhich cause I am induced to accompt her for blessed vvhom our Saucour did voutel safe to chuse for a prophet to denounce vnto the vvorld his holie prouidence tovvardes vs. And we may consider in this whole discourse of Constantine for authoritie of thes verses First that he vseth onlie the testimonie of such writers as liued before Christ was borne or Christians thought vpon Secondlie that he vseth thes prooses to no meaner audience the to a Councel and congregation of learned men Thirdlie that he was an Emperour which vseth them that is one that had meanes to sce and examine the original Copies in the Romane treasarie Fowerthelie that he had greate learned men aboute hym who were skilful and would be diligent in the searche of suche an antiquitie of importance especiallie Lactantius that was Master to his sonne Crispus who most of anie other authour reciteth and confirmeth the said Sibyls verses Eusebius Caesariensis that wrote th' ecclesiastical historie recordeth this oration of Constantine therin And
my eyes sleepe or rest to the temples of my head vntill I find out the place that is appointed for my Lord the tabernacle or house for the God of Iacob And then the mysterie being reueiled vnto hym he sayeth presentely Beholde vve haue heard of it novv in Ephrata or Bethleem vve haue founde it out in the fieldes of vvoode And to shew how he reuerenced the place for that cause he addeth immediatelie vve vvill adore in the place vvher his seete haue stoode Wherby he for prophitieth not onlie th' adoration vsed after in that place vnto Iesus by the Magi or three kinges of th' east but also of all other adoratiō vsed in the same place in the memorie of Iesus by other deuout Christians vntill this daye For which respect Origē sayeth that the place of Bethleem was most famous and renoumed in his dayes For th' Angels appearing to the shepheardes in the night of the Natiuitie there can be no more said but the credite honestie and simplicitie of them that reported it and likelie it is they would neuer feigne a thing that might haue bene refuted by testimonie of the sheapheards them selues if it had bene false Of the name of IESVS gyuen to hym in his circumcision it was to be seene sett downe in a booke that how so euer it were not scripture yet was it extant in the worlde before Christ was borne I meane the fowerth booke of Esdras which hath thes wordes in the person of God the father Beholde the tyme shal come vvhen the signes shall appeare that I haue tolde c. And my sonne IESVS shal be reueiled vvith these vvho are vvith hym c. And after those yeares my sonne CHRIST shall dye and th' earth shall render thos that sleepe therin Rabi Hacadosch also proueth by arte Cabalist out of manie places and textes of scripture that the Messias name at his comming shal be IESVS And among other he addeth this reason that as the name of hym who first brought the Iewes out of bondage into the lande of promisse was Iesus or Iosue which is al one so must his name be Iesus that shall the second tyme deliuer thē from the bondage wherin they are and restore them to their olde aunciēt possession of Iurie which is the chiefe benefite they expect by the Messias Finallie it is not probable that the virgine Marie should feigne this name of her self for that among the Iewes there were manie other names of more honour and estimatiō at that tyme as Abraham Isaac Iacob Moyses and Dauid And therfore if she would haue feigned any it is like shee would haue taken one of thē as soone as this which had not bene the name of anie greate Patriarche THERE followeth the comming of the three Magi or wise men from th' easte of whom Cyprians wordes are it is an olde tradition of the churche that the Magi of th' easte vvere kinges or rather litle Lordes of particuler places Which is to be vnderstood such litle kinges as Iosue slew thirtie in one battaile And it is to be noted that S. Mathew maketh mention of the comming of thes kinges to Hierusalem as of a knowen and publique matter wherof all Ierusalem and Iurie was able to beare hym wituesse For he talketh of their open comming to Ierusalem and of their inquirie for the new borne king of their speech and conference had with Herod as also of Herodes consultation with the Scribes and Pharasies about the place of the Messias birth And finallie he sheweth the most pittiful murder that insued of almost infinite infantes in all the circuite of Bethleem for this matter Which could not be a thinge vnknowen to all Iurie much lesse feigned by S. Mathew for that he should haue gyuen his aduersaries the greatest aduātage in the world if hè had begunne his Ghospell with so notorious and opē an vntruth which might haue bene refuted by infinite persons that were yet a liue Epiphanius is of opinion that thes kinges arriued in Hierusalem two yeares after Christs Natiuitie for that Herod slew all infantes of that age But other hold more probablie that the starre appeared vnto them two yeares before Christs Natiuitie so that they came to Bethleē the thirtienth daye after Christs birth according as the Church doth celebrat th' epiphanie S. Basil thinketh that they were learned men and might by their learning and art magike wherin those countrimen at that tyme were verie skilful vnderstand and feele that the power of their heathē Godes was greatlie deminished and broken They might also be stirred vp with that commō brute and general prophetie spred ouer all th' east in those dayes as both Suetonius and Iosephus doe recorde that oute of Iurie should come an vniuersal Kinge ouer all the vvorld By thes meanes I say and by the prophetie of Balaam left a nonge them from Moyses tyme for he was a Gētile wherby was signified that a starre should rise and declare a greate and mightie king in Israel they might be induced at the sight of this Starre to take so longe a iourney as they did towardes Iurie This Starre as I haue said was fortold by Balaam a heathen Prophete aboue 1500. yeares before it appeared And after Balaam againe it was prophetied by Dauid that kinges of Arabia Saba and other Eastren countries should come and adore Christ and offer both gold and other gystes vnto hym The murder also of those infantes of Bethleem was presignified by Icremie in the weeping of Rachel for thee slaughter of her children which Rachell was buried in Bethleem and for that cause thos infantes were called her children albeit she were dead aboue 2000. yeares before they were slaine and aboue 1500. before Ieremie wrote the prophetie Amongest which infantes Herode also for more assurance slewe an infant of his owne For that as Philo noteth he was descended by his mother of the lyne of Iuda Which crueltie comming to Augustus eares he said as Macrobius reporteth that he had rather bee Herods swyne thē his sonne for that he being a Iewe was forbidden by his religion to kill his swine though not ashamed to kill his sonne The same Starre wherof we speake is mentiōned by diuers heathen writers as by Plinie vnder the name of a Comete for so they termed all extraordinarie Starres which appeared in the later ende of Augustus daies and was farre different from al other that euer appeared And therfore contrary to the nature of thos kind of Starres it was adiudged by the whole college of Southsaiers to portend vniuersal good vnto the earth and for that cause had an image of metal erected to it in Rome and as Plinies wordes are Is Cometa vnus toto orbe colitur that only Comete is worshipped throughout the whole world Origine also writeth of one Chaeremon a Stoike that was much moued with
desolation and afflictiō to haue had among them the dead bodie of him on whos only life their vniuersal hope and confidence depended The Scribes Pharisees beīg a stonished with the sudaine newes of his rising againe cōfirmed vnto them by their owne souldiars that sawe it found no other waie to resist the fame therof but onely by saying as also their posteritie doe vnto this dave that his disciples came by night and stole away his bodie whiles the souldiours were a sleepe But what likelihood or possibilitie can there be in this For first it is euident to al the world that his Apostles thēselues who were the heads of al the rest were so dismaied discomforted and deiected at that time as they durst not once goe out of the dore For which cause only thos seely women who for their sexe esteemed them selues more free from violence presumed alone to visite his Sepulcher which no one man durst for feare of the souldiours vntil by thos women they were informed that the forsaid band of souldiours were terrefied and put to flight by Christes Resurrection And how then was it likely that men so much amazed ouercome with feare should aduenture to steale a bodie from a Guarde of Souldiours that kept it Or if their hartes had serued them to aduenture so greate a daunger what hope or probabilitie had ther bene of successe especiallie consideringe the said bodie lay e in a new sepulcher of stone shutt vp and locked and fast sealed by the Magistrate How was it possible I say that his disciples should come thyther breake vp the Monument take out his bodie and carie the same away neuer after to be sene or founde without espial of some one amōgest so many that attended ther Or if this were possible as in reason it is not yet what profite what pleasure what comfort could they receaue hereby We see that thes apostles and disciples of his who were so abandoned of life and hart in his Passion after two dayes onlie they were so changed as life and death can be no more contrarie For wheras before they kept home in all feare and durst appeare no wher except amonge their owne priuate friēdes now they came foorth into the streetes and common places and auouched with all alacritie and irresistible constancie euen in the faces and hearinge of their greatest enimies that Iesus was rysen frō death to life that they had sene hym spoken with hym and enioyed his presence And that for restimonie and confirmation hereof they were most redie to spēd their liues And could all this trow you proceede onlie of a dead bodie which they had gotten by stealth into their possession Would not rather the presence and sight of such a bodie so torne mangled deformed as Iesus bodie was both vpō the Crosse and before haue rather dismayed them more then haue gyuen them cōfort Yes trulie And therfore Pilat the Gouernour considering thes circumstances and that it was vnlikelie that either the bodie should be stolne without priuitie of the Souldiars or if it had bene that it should yeeld such life hart consolation courage to the stealers beganne to gyue eare more diligentelie to the matter and calling to him the Souldiars that kept the watch vnderstoode by them the whole truth of th' accident to witt that in their sight and presence Iesus was risen out of his sepulcher to life and that at his rising ther was so dreadful an earth-quacke with trembling opening of sepulchers rounde about such skriches cries cōmotion of all elementes as they durst not abyde longer but ranne and tolde the Iuishe magistrates therof who being greatelie discontented as it seemed with th' aduertisement gaue them money to saye that while they were sleeping the bodie was stolne by his disciples frō them All this wrote Pilate presentlie to his Lord Tyberius then Emperour of Rome And he sent withal the particuler examinations and confelsions of diuers other that had sene and spoken with such as were risen from death at the same tyme and had appeared to many of their acquaintance in Hicrusalem assuring them also of the resurrection of Iesus Which informations when Tyberius th' Emperour had considered he was greatelie moued therwith proposed to the Senate that Iesus might be admitted among the rest of the Roman Godes offering his owne consent with the priuiledge of his supreme royal suffrage to that decree But the Senate in no wise would agree therunto Whervpon Tyberius being offended gaue licence to all men to beleeue in Iesus that would and forbydde vpō paine of death that anie officer or other should molest or trouble such as bare good affectiō zeale or reuerence to that name Thus much testifiethe Tertulian againste the Gentiles of his owne knowledge who liuing in Rome a learned man pleader of causes diuers years before he was a Christian which was about 180. yeares after Christes Ascension had great abilitie by reason of th' honour of his familie learning and place wherin he liued to see and know the recordes of the Romās And the same doth cōfirme also Egesippus an other Auncient writer of no lesse authoritie then Tertulian before whom he liued Neither onlie diuers Gentiles had this opinion of Iesus resurrection againe from death but also sundrye Iewes of great credite and wisdome at that tyme were inforced to beleeue it notwithstanding it pleased not God to gyue them so much grace as to become Christians This appeareth plainelie by the learned Ioiephus who writing his storie not aboue fortie years after Christs Passion tooke occasion to speake of Iesus and of his disciples And after he had shewed how he was Crucified by Pilat at th' instance of the Iewes and that for all this his disciples ceased not to loue hym still he adioyneth furth with these wordes Idcirco iliis tertio die vita resumpta denuo apparuit That is for this loue of his disciples he appeared vnto them againe the third daye whē he had resumed life vnto hym Which expresse plaine and resolute wordes we may in reason take not as the consession onlie of Iosephus but as the common iudgement opinion and sentence of all the discrete and sober men of that tyme layed downe and recorded by this Historiographer In whose dayes ther were yet manie Christians a lyue that had seene spoken with Iesus after his resurrection and infinite Iewes that had heard the same protested by their fathers brethren kinlfolke friends who had bene them selues Eye-witnesses therof AND thus hauinge declared and prooued the resurrection of our Saue our Iesus both how it was forshewed as also fulfilled there remaineth nothing more of necessitie to be said in this Section For that who soeuer seeth and acknowledgeth that Iesus beinge deade could rayse hym selfe againe to life will easilie belieue also that he was able to ascende to heauē Wherof notwithstandinge S. Luke alleageth six
schollers and auditours Papias Ignatius Policarpus al which agree of the foure Ghospels and other writinges left vnto vs in the newe Testament affirming S. Iohn to haue approued the same These men were maisters againe to Iustinus Martyr Irenaeus and other whose writinges remaine vnto vs. And if they did not yet their sayinges and iudgementes touching the Scriptures are recorded vnto vs by Eusebius and other fathers of the next age after and so from hand to hand vntil our dayes So that of this ther can be no more doubt then whether Rome Constantinople Hierusalem and other such renoumed Cities knowen to al the world at this day be the very same wherof Authours haue treated so much in auncient times AND THVS MVCHE of Christs Euangelistes for whose more credit and for confirmation of thinges by them recorded his diuine prouidence preordained that infinite witnesses whom we cal Martyrs should offer vp their blood in the primatiue Churche and after Wheras for no other doctrine profession or religion in the world the like was euer heard of albeit among the Iewes in the tyme of the Machabies and at some other tymes also when that nation for their sinnes were affâ—icted by Heathen Princes some fewe were tyrannized and iniuriouslie put to death yet commonly and for the most parte this was rather of barbarous furie in the Paganes for their resistaÌ„ce theÌ„ directly for hatred of Iuishe religioÌ„ And for the number ther is no doubt but that more Christians were putt to death within two monethes for their beliefe throughout the world then were of Iewes in two thouland yeares before Christs comming Which is vndoubtedly a matter verie wounderful considering that the Iuishe religion impugned no lesse the Pagan Idolatrie then doth the doctrine of the Christians But this came to passe that Christes wordes might be fulfilled who said I come not to bring peace but the svvorde And againe I sende you forth as sheepe among vvolues That is to saye to be torne and harried and your bloud to be deuoured In which extreme and most incredible sufferinges of Christians thre pointes are worthie of great consideration The first what infinite multitudes of al states conditions sexe qualities and age did suffer dailie fortestimonie of this truth The second What intollerable and vnacustomed tormentes not hard of in the worlde before were deuised by Tyrantes for afflicting this kinde of people The third what inuincible courage and vnspeakable alacritie the ChristiaÌ„s shewed in bearing oute these afflictions which the enimies theselues could not attribute but to some diuine power and supernatural assistance And for this later point of comfort in their sufferings I will alleage onlie this testmonie of TertuliaÌ„ against the GeÌ„tiles who obiected that wicked men suffered also as wel as Christians Wherto this learned Doctour made answere in these wordes Truth it is that many men are prone to yl and do suffer for the same but yet dare they not defend their euil to be good as ChristiaÌ„s doe their cause For that euery euil thig by nature doth bring with it either feare or shame therfor we see that malefactours albeit they loue euill yet would they not appeare so to the world but desire rather to lie in couert They tremble when they are taken and when they are accused they deny all and do scarse oftentimes coÌ„fesse their doings vpon torments And finally when they are condemned they lament mone and do impute their il fortune to destinie or to the planets But the Christian what doth he like to this Is their any man ashamed or doth any man ' repent him when he is taken except it be for that he was not taken rather If he be noted by the enemy for a Christian he glorieth in the same if he be accused he defendeth not him self if he be asked the question he confesseth it willingly if he be coÌ„demned he veldeth thankes What euil theÌ„ is ther in this Christian cause which lacketh the natural sequele of euil I meane feare shame tergiuersatioÌ„ repentance sorowe and deploration what euil I say can this be deemed whose guiltines is ioye whose accusation is desire whose punishment is happines Hitherto are the wordes of learned Tertulian who was an eye-witnes of that he wrote had no smal part in the cause of thos that suffred being him self in that place and state as daily he might expect to taste of the same affliction To which combat how redie he was may appeare by diuers places of this his Apologie wherin he vttereth besides his zeale feruour a most confident securitie and certaine assurance of Iesus assistance by that which he had sene performed to infinite other in their greatest distresses from the same Lord before So that nothing doth more a-certaine vs of the diuine power and omnipotencie of Iesus then the fortitude inuincible which aboue al humane reason force and nature he imparted to his Martyrs AFTER VVHICH consideration there coÌ„meth to be weighed the fifte point before mentioned which is of the same power and omnipoteÌ„cie of Iesus declared and exercised vpon the spirites insernal Which thing partely may appeare by the Oracles alleaged in the ende of the former section wherin thos spirites foretolde that an Hebrew Childe should be borne to the vtter subuersion and ruine of their TyraÌ„nical dominion And much more at large the same might be declared by other answers Oracles vttered after Christes natiuitie and registred in the monumentes euen of the heathens them selues Wherof he that desireth to see more ample mention especially out of Porphyrie who then was liuing let him read Eusebius sixte booke de preparatione Euangelica where he shal finde store and namely that Apollo many times exclamed Hei mihi congemiscite Hei mihi hei mihi Oraculorum defecit me claritas Woe vnto me lament yee with me woe vnto me woe vnto me for that the honour of Oracles hath now foresakeÌ„ me Which coÌ„plaintes and lamentations are nothinge els but a plaine confession that Iesus was he of whom a prophet said diuers ages before Attenuabit omnes Deos terrae he shal weare-out bring to beggarie al the Godes or Idols of the earth This confessed also the wicked spirites them selues when at Christs appearing iÌ„ Iurie they came vnto him at diuers times and besought him not to afflict or torment them nor command them presently to returne to hel but rather to permit them some litle time of entertainment in the sea or mountaines or amoÌ„g heardes of swine or the like Which confession they made in the sight of all the world and declared the same afterwardes by their factes and deedes For presently vpon Iesus death vpon the preaching of his name and Ghospel throughout the worlde the Oracles which before were aboundant in euery prouince and countrie were put to sileÌ„ce Wherof I might alleage the testimonies of verie many GeÌ„tiles them selues as that of Iuuenal
called it AFLIA after th' Emperours name He droue al the progeny and ofspring of the Iewes furth of all thos countries with a perpetual lawe confirmed by the Emperour that they should neuer returne no nor so much as looke backe from any highe or eminent place to that countrie againe And this was done to that Iuishe Natiō by the Roman Emperours for accomplishing that demaund which their prīcipal elders had made not longe before to Pilate the Romau Magistrate concerning Iesus most iniurious death cryinge out with one cōsent and voice to wit Let his blood be vpon vs and vpon our posteritie AND HEERIN ALSO I meane in the most wonderful notorious chastisment or rather reprobation of this Iuishe people which of all the world was Gods peculier before is sett out vnto vs as it were in a glasse the seuenth and last pointe which we mentioned in the beginning of this section to witt the fulfilling of such speeches propheties as Iesus vttered when he was vpon earth as namely at one time after a long and vehement commination made to the Scribes Pharisees and principal men of that Nation in which he repeateth eight seueral times the dreadful threat woe he concludeth finally that al the iust blood iniuriouslie shedde from the first Martyr Abel should be reuenged verie shortelie vpon that generation And in the same place he menaceth the populous Citie of Ierusalē that itshould be made desert And in an other place he assureth thē that one stone should not be left standing therof vpon an other And yet futther he pronounced vpon the same Citie thes words The daies shal come vpon thee and thy enemies shal enuiron thee vvith a vval and shall besiege thee they shall straiten the on euery side and shal beate the to the grounde and thy children in thee And yet more particulerly he foretelleth the verie signes wherby his disciples should perceyue when the time in deed was come vsing this speeche vnto them VVhen you shal see Ierusalem besieged vvith an army then knovve ye that her disolation is at hand for that thes are the daies of reuenge to the ende al may be fulfiled vvhich is vvritten Great distresse shal fal vpon this earth and vengeance vpon this people They shal be slaine by dint of the svvord and shal be led as slaues into al countries And Jerusalem shal be trodden vnder seete by the Gentiles vntil the times of Nations be accomplished This foretold Iesus of the miserie that was to fal vpon Ierusalem and vpon that people by the Romanes and other Gentiles when the Iewes seemed to be in most securitie and greatest amitie with the Romanes as also they were when the same thinges were writē and consequently at that time they might seeme in all humane reason to haue lesse cause thē euer before to misdoubt such calamities And yet how certaine and assured foreknowlege and as it were most sensible forefeeling Iesus had of thes miseries he declared not only by thes expresse words and by their euēt but also by thos pittiful teares he shed vpon sight and consideration of Hierusalem and by the lamentable speeche he vsed to the women of that Citie who wept for him at his Passion persuading them to weepe rather for thē selues and for their children in respect of the miseries to followe then for him Which wordes and predictions of Iesus together with sundrie other his speeches fore shewing so particularlie the imminent calamities of that Nation and that as I haue said at such time when in humane discourse ther could be no probabilitie therof when a certaine heathen Chronicler and Mathematique named Phlegon about an hundreth yeares after Christs departure had diligently considered hauing sene the same also in his dayes most exactelie fulfilled for he was seruant to Adrianus th' Emperour by whos commandement as hath bene said before the final subuersion of the Iuishe nation was brought to passe this Phlegō I say though a Pagan yet vpon consideration of thes euentes and others that he saw as th' extreme persecution of Christians fortold by Christ and the like he pronounced that neuer any man foretold things so certainlie to come or that so preciselie were accomplished as were the predictions and propheties of Iesus And this testimonie of Phlegon was alleaged and vrged for Christians again't one Celsus a heathen Philosopher and Epicure by the famous learned Origen euen the very next age after it was writtē by th' authour so that of the truth of this allegation ther can be no doubt or question at all And now albeit thes predictions and propheties concerning the punishment and reprobation of the Iewes fulfilled so euidently in the sight of al the world might be a sufficient demonstration of Iesus for knowlege in affaires to come yet are ther many other thinges besides foreshewed by him which fel out as exactly as did thes notwithstanding that by no learning mathematical reason or humane cōiecture they were or might be forsene As for example the foretelling of his owne death the maner time and place therof as also the person that should betraie him together with his irrepentantende The flight feare and scandal of his disciples albeit they had promissed protested the contrarie The three seueral denials of Peter The particuler time of his owne resurrection and Ascension The sending of the Holy-Ghost and many other the like predictions propheties promisses which to his Apostles Disciples and folowers that heard them vttered and left them written before they fel out and saw them afterwarde accomplished and who by the falsehood therof should haue receyued greatest dōmage of all other mē if they had not bene true to thes men I saie they were most euident proofes of Iesus diuine prescience in matters that should ensue But yet for that an Infidell with whom onlie I suppose my self to deale in this place may in thes and the like thinges find perhapes some matter of cauillation and saie that thes propheties of Iesus were recorded by our Euangelistes after the particularities therin prophetied were effectuated and not before and consequentlie that they might be forged I wil alleage certaine other euentes both foretolde and registred before they came to passe and diuulged by publique writinges in the face of al the worlde when ther was smal semblance that euer the same should take effect Such were the particuler foretelling of the kinde maner of S. Peters death whiles yet he liued The peculier and differēt maner of S. Iohn th' Euāgelists ending from the rest of the Apostles The prerogatiue giuen to Peter aboue the rest that his Faith and Chaire should neuer faile which we see miraculouslie verefied euen vntil this day the successions of all other Apostles hauing failed and his not The forshewing describinge to his disciples the most extreme and cruel persecutions that should insue vnto Christians for his sake
deedes the wil and commaundementes of his father in this life For want wherof he assureth them that manie at that daye who had not onlie belieued but also donne miracles in his name should be denied reiected and abandonned by hym Which longe lesson of vertuous life being the first that euer our Saueour gaue in publique to his Disciples then newlie gathered together as S. Mathew noteth hauing treated verie litle of pointes of faith before but onlie in general by some miracles and preachinge hauinge shewed hymself to be the true Messias doth sufficientlie teache vs that it is not enoughe to beleeue in Iesus and to make professiō of his name and doctrine except we conforme our lyues and actions accordinge to the prescript of his commaundmentes For albeit in Christian religion faith be the first and principal foundation whervpon all the rest is to be stayed and grounded yet as in other material buildinges after the foundation is layed ther remaineth the greatest labour time cost cunning and diligence to be bestowed vpon the framinge and furnishinge of other partes that must insue euen so in this celestial edifice or buildinge of our soule hauing layed once the foundation and grounde of true beliefe which a Christian oftentimes dispacheth in the space of one weekes learninge the rest of al our life time labour and studies is to be employed in the perfecting of our life and actions and as it were in raising vp the walles other partes of our spiritual buil ding by the exercise of al vertues and diligent obseruation of Gods commaundements Without the which our faith is to no more purpose or profite then is a foundation without a building vpon it or a stocke or tree that beareth no fruite Which thinge S. Iames expresseth most excellentelie in this fit similitude Euen as a bodie vvithout spirite is dead so is saith vvithout vvorkes Which necessary point of vertuous life and obseruing Gods commandements for that certaine carnal and sensual Christiās in the primatiue Church euen yet whiles the Apostles thē selues were aline would in no wise vnderstande aright but for pleasing their owne appetites deuised vpon certaine darke and hard speeches of S. Paul that only faith was sufficient to saue them S. Austine and other auncient fathers were of opinion that not only thes last wordes of S. Iames the whole discourse which he maketh of this matter in that chapter but also both his and all other Apostles writinges set forth and published after S. Pauls epistles were prin cipally to represse this most absurde and pernicious errour For declaratiō wherof I wil allege only thes words of S. Augustine folowing expresly writē in a booke for this purpose intituled of faith good workes Thus then he beginneth For that this wicked opinion of only faith was sprong vp in the Apostles time by ill vnderstāding of S. Paul al the other Apostolical epistles which ensue of S. Peter S. Iohn S. Iames and S. Iude were directed principally to this ende to proue with al vehemencie that faith without good workes is nothing worth Euen as in deed S. Paul him self did not define euery maner of faith wherby we beleeue in God but only meaneth that profitable euangelical faith which hath workes annexed proceeding of charitie And as for that faith which is without workes and yet seemeth to thes men to be sufficient for their saluation he protesteth that it is so vnprofitable as he doubteth not to save of hym self If I should haue all faith in such sort is I vvere able to moue mountaines yet had not charitie I vvere nothing By which charitie no doubt good life is meant for that as in an other place it is said Charitie is the fulfilling of al the lavv Wherfore S. Peter most euidently in his secōd epistle hauing exhorted men to holines of life and maners sheweth that certaine wicked persons tooke occasion by some obscure sentēces of S. Paul to promisse them selues securitie of saluatiō by only faith Which hard sentences S. Peter affirmeth that thes miserable mē peruerted to their owne destruction as they did also other holiescriptures seing that S. Paul was of the verie same opinion that the other Apostles were concerning life euerlasting to be obtained by none but by such onlie as ioined vertuous life with their beliefe But S. Iames of al other is most vehement against al such as thinke that faith can suffice to saluation without good workes in so much as he compareth them to the deuils thē selues saying Doest thou belieue that there is one God thou doestvvel the deuils also doe belieue the same and tremble What could be spokē more truly briefly and vehemently then this seing in the Ghospel we read that the deuils made the same confession of Christes deitie that did S. Peter and yet Christ commended the one and reprehended the other c. Wherfore let not simple mindes be deceyued thincke that they knowe God if they confesse hym with a dead faith that is with a faith voide of good works as deuils doe for that they read perhappes in scripture thes wordes of Christ this is life euerlasting that men knovve thee the true God and Iesus Christ vvhom thou hast sent Lett them not I saye be deceyued with this but lett them remēber how Christes Apostle expoundeth that saying when he writeth By this vve knovve God trulie is vve keepe his Commaundementes and vvho soeuer sayeth that he knovveth hym and yet keepeth not his Commaundementes he is a liar and the truth is not in hym Thus farre S. Augustine declareth this veritie out of the scriptures and he addeth further in an other place the testimonie of S. Paul for comprobation hereof who admonished the people of Corinthus in thes wordes Deceyue not your selues nether fornicatours nor adulterours nor theeues nor couetous persons nor backbiters nor drunckards shal obtaine the kingdome of God Which S. Augustin proueth that S. Paul in truth could neuer haue auouched if the Corinthians by onlie faith might haue escaped damnation The very same discourse maketh S. Gregorie the great out of holie write vpon this pointe For hauinge considered thos most confortable wordes of Christ to S. Thomas blessed are they vvho haue not seene and yet haue beleeued he annexeth as followeth Perhaps here euerie Christian will saye within hym self I doe belieue and therfore I am blessed shal be saued Wherin he saith truth if his life be answerable to his beleefe For that a true faith doth not contradicte in maners the thiges which it professeth in wordes For which cause it was said of certaine false Christians by S. Paul that they confessed God in vvordes but denied hym in deedes and by S. Iohn that vvho soeuer saith he knovveth God and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyar Which being so we must examine the truth of our faith by consideration of our
lyfe for then and not otherwise are we true Christians if we fulfill in workes that wherof we haue made promisse in wordes that is in the daye of our baptisme we promissed to renounce the pompe of this world togyther with all the workes of iniquitie which promisse if we perfourme now after baptisme thē are we true Christiās and maye be ioyful And in an other place the same holie father addeth this For that diuers men are Christians in profession and faith onlie and not in life herehence it is said by the voice of truth it self Not euerie one that shall say to me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen And againe vvhie doe you call me Lord Lord and doe not perfourme the thinges that I tell you Herehence it is that God cōplained of his olde people the Iewes saying this people ho noureth we vvith their lippes but their hart is sarre of from me And the Prophet Dauid of the same people they loued hym vvith their mouth and vvith their tongues they lyèd 〈◊〉 hym Wherfore lett no man trust that his faith may saue hym without good deedes seing that we know it is writen expresselie that faith vvithout vvorkes is dead and consequentelie can not be profitable or saue vs from damnation Hytherto S. Gregorie Which verie conclusion S. Chrysostome maketh with great vehemencie vpon consideration of that woesull chaunce and heauie iudgemet that happned vnto him who in the Ghospel was admitted to the feast of Christian faith and knowledge but for lacke of the ornament or garment of good life was most cōtumeliouslie depriued of his expectatiō of whō S. Chrysostoms wordes are thes He was īuited to the feast brought into the table but for that by his fowle garment he dishonored our Lord that had īuited hym heare how miserable and lamentable a punishemēt he suffered He was not onlie thrust from the table banquet but also bounde hand foote and cast into vtter darkenes wher ther is eternal weepinge and gnashing of teeth Wherfore lett vs not deare bretheren lett vs not I saye deceyue our selues and immagine that our faith will saue vs without good worckes For except we ioyne pure lyfe to our beleefe and in this heauenlie vocation of ours doe apparrel our selues with worthie garmentes of vertuous deedes wherby we may be admitted at the mariage daye in heauen nothing shall be able to deliuer vs from the damnation of this miserable man that wanted his weddinge weede Which thingt S. Paul well noteth when hauinge said vve haue an euerlasting hovvse in heauen not made by mans handes he addeth presentelie this exception sitamen vestiti non nudi inueniamur that is if we be founde at that daye well apparreled not naked Would God euerie Chistian desyrous of his saluation would ponder well this discourse and exhortation of S. Chrysostom And so with this alone to conclude our speech in this chapter without allegation of further matter or authorities which are infinite to this effect it may appeare by that which hath already bene set doune wherin the true profession of a Christian consisteth and therby eche man that is not partial or blinded in his owne affection as many are may take a vewe of his estate and condition and frame vnto him self a verie probable coniecture how he is like to speed at the last accompting daie that is what profite or dōmage he may expect by his knowledge and profession of Christian religion For as to him that walketh vprightly in that vocation and perfourmeth effectually euerie waye his professed dutie there remaine both infinite and inestimable rewardes prepared so to him that strayeth a syde and swarueth from the right path of lyfe or faith prescribed vnto him there are no lesse paines and punishmēts referued For which cause euery Christian that is careful of his saluation ought to fixe his eye verie seriouslie vpon them both and as in beleefe to shew him self constant firme humble obedient and in one worde Catholique so in life and conuersation to be honest iust pure innocent and holie And for that this second point concerning life and maners is of more difficultie as hath bene shewed then the other of beleefe wherof notwithstanding we haue also treated sufficiently in the former chapters the rest of this whole worke shal tende to the declaration of this later part I meane of good life therby to stirre vp and awake if so it may please the merciful goodnes of our blessed Saueour the slouthful hartes of Christians to the cogitatiō of their owne estate and make them more vigilant in this greate affaire wheron dependeth their endles woe or welfare ANNOTATION THE PRINT BEING come to this place M. Bunneys edition of this booke vvas deliuered to me out of vvhose infinite corruptions maymes and māglinges diuers thinges shal be noted hereafter in the margent OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL POINTES THAT DOE APPERTAINE TO A Christian life that is to saye To resist all synne and to excercise all kynde of vertue vvith the meanes and methode hovv to perfourme them both CHAPT VI. SVPPOSINGE that in the partes of this booke which ensue we are to deale only with suche as are instructed and settled in true Christian faith wherunto we haue proued before that vertuous life and good deeds are necessarily to be adioined it semeth conuenient in this place to treate of the pointes or prīcipal partes belonging therunto Which partes are briefly prescribed by God hym self in the writinges of Dauid Esaie and other prophetes of the olde testament exhorting men to decline from vice and to embrace vertue But much more plainly by S. Peter S. Paul and other Apostles of the Euangelical law the first affirming that the fruite and effect of Christes death and passion was that vve being dead to sinne should liue to Iustice and the other adioining that the grace of God our saueour appeared to al men instructing vs to this ende that vve renouncing al vvickeanes should liue iustly and godly in this vvorld By which testimonies of holy write is made cleare and euidēt that the whole dutie of a good Christian is reduced to thes two heades or principles to wit to the resistance of al euil and to th' exercise of al pretie and vertue In respect of the first wherof our life is called in holie scripture a warfare vpon earth and vertuous mē are termed souldiours for that as good souldiours doe lye in continual wayte to resist their ennemies so vigilant Christians doe carefully stand vpon their watche for resisting the suggestions and temptatiōs of sinne In regarde of the second pointe we are named labourers husbandmen sowers marchātes bankers stewards fermers and the like and our whole life is termed a marte and trafique for that as thes kinde of people doe attēd with diligēce to their gaine and encrease of tēporal riches in this life so ought we to applie
vttereth the same ī otherwordes they vvhich commit sinne are enimies to their ovvne soules Wherfore they laye downe to al men this general seuere most necessarie commaundement vpon al the paines before recited Flee from sinne as from the face of a snake And againe Bevvare thou neuer consent to sinne For how soeuer the worlde may make litle accounte of this matter by whome as the scripture noteth the sinner is praised in his lustes and the vvicked man is blessed for his vvickednes yet most certaine it is for that the spirite of God auoucheth it that he vvhich committeth sinne is of the deuil and therfore is to receyue his portion amonge deuils and damned spirites at the latter daye And is not al this sufficient most deare brother to breed in vs a detestation of sinne with feare and horrour to commit the same Is not this of force and strength sufficient to shake the hartes of them that wallowe perpetually in the pudle of sinne and doe commit the same daylie without scruple remorse or consideration what desperate obstinacie obduration is this Surely we find now by experiēce that the holye Ghost prophesied ful truelie of thes men when he sayed sinners alienated from God are possessed vvith a surit like a serpent and like a deafe cocatrise vvhich stoppeth her eares against the enchaunter This surie I saie is the furie or madnesse of willfull synners which stoppe their eares like serpentes to all the holy enchauntmentes that God can vse vnto them for their conuersiō that is to all his internal motions and good inspirations to all remorse of their owne consciences to all threatninges of holie scriptures to al admonishmentes of gods seruauntes to al examples of vertuous liuers to al the punishementes that light vpon the wicked and to all the other meanes which God can vse for their saluation Good Lorde what man would commit a mortal sinne for the gayning of ten thowsande worldes if he considered the infinite dōmages hurtes inconueniences mileries which doe ensue by cōmitting of the same For first who soeuer sinneth mortallie leeseth the grace of God inherent in his soule which is the greatest gift that can be gyuen to man in this life cōsequētlie he leeseth al those thinges which did accompanie that grace as are the vertues infused and the seuen giftes of the Holy Ghost wherby the sowie was beautified in the sight of her spouse and armed against al assaultes of her ghostlie enimies Secondlie he leeseth the fauour of God and consequentlie his fatherly protection care and prouidēce ouer him enforceth hym to be his professed enimie Which how great a losse it is we may esteeme in part by the state of a worldly princes seruant and fauorite who being in highe grace and credit with his Soueraine should by some one great offence lose al his fauour at one instant and incurre his mortal hatred and displeasure Thirdly he leeseth all his inheritance clayme and title to the kingdome of heauē which is due onlie by grace as S. Paul wel noteth and consequentlie he depriueth hym self of all dignities and commodities depending therupon in this life as are the condition and high priueledge of being the sonne of God the communion of Sainctes the protection of holie Angels and the like Fourthlie he looseth the quiet ioye and tranquillitie of a good conscience and all the fauours cherishmentes consolations and other comfortes wherwith the holie Ghost is wont to visite the mides of the Iust. Fifthly he looseth the merit and rewarde of his good workes done al his life before and whatsoeuer he doth or shal doe while he continueth in that miserable and sinful state Sixtlie he maketh hym self guiltie of eternall punishment and enrolleth his name in the booke of perdition and consequentlie byndeth hym self to althose miseries and inconueniences wherunto the reprobate are subiect that is to saie to be an inheritour of hel and damnation to be in the power of the deuill and his Angels to be thral to synne and euerie temptation therof and his sowle which was before the temple of the holy ghost the habitation of the blessed Trinitie the spouse of God place of repose for holy Angels to visit now to be a dēne of dragons a nest of scorpions a dongeō of deuilles a sincke swine-stie of al filth and abhomination and hym self a companion of the miserable damned spirites Lastlye he abandoneth Christ and renounceth al the interest and portion he had with hym treading hym vnder his feete defiling his most pretious blood Crucifying hym againe as S. Paul auoucheth in that he sinneth agaist him who died for sinne and maketh hym self a persecutour of his redeemer For which cause the same Apostle pronounceth a most hard and heauie sentence against such men in thes wordes If vve synne vvillfullye novv after vve haue receyued knovvledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for synnes but rather a certaine terrible expectation of iudgement and rage of fyre vvhich shall consume the aduersaries To which S. Peter agreeth when he saieth It had bene better not to haue knovvē the vvay of iustice thē after such knovvledge to slyde backe agayne from the holye commaundement vvhich vvas gyuen This being so let sinful worldlinges goe now and solace them selues in their vanities and watōnes as much as they lift Let them excuse and pleasantlye defend the same by saing pryde is but a pointe of gentrye glouttonie good fellowship anger and reuenge but an effect of courage lecherye and wantonnes a trycke of yowth they shall one daye finde that these excuses will not be receyued but rather that al such pleasant deuises toies wil be turned into teares al such fond concepts into doleful lamentations They shall proue to their great cost that God will not be iested with but that he is the same God still and will aske as seuere accounte of them as he hath done of other before although now it pleasenot them to keepe any accounte at al of their life and actions but rather to turne all to disporte and pleasure persuading them selues that how soeuer God hath delt before with other yet vnto thē he wil pardon al. But this is a mere madnes and a voluntarie deluding of our selues for that God hym self by his sacred word instructeth vs to reason after an other sashion Which I wil here breefly touch exhorting euery prudent Christian seriously to examine the same At what time the great Apostle of the Gentiles S. Paul tooke vpō him to make a comparison betweene the grieuous sinnes of his nation the Iewes for which they were reiected and made reprobate by God and thos which Christians doe commit after their Redemption he framed this collection concerning Gods iustice due vnto them both saing If God spared not the naturall boughes take heede least he spare not thee And there-vpon he inferreth this admonition
that he shal escape al paine or punishment For he that differred the fruites of repentance vntil the next life must be perfited in purgatorie fire this fire I tel you though it be not euerlasting yet is it passing greuous for it doth far exceede al paines that mā can suffer in this life Neuer was there founde out yet so greate a paine in flesh as that is though martyrs haue abidden straunge tormentes and many wicked mē haue suffered exceeding greate punishmentes To like effect doth S. Gregorie write of the seueritie of this punishment expounding those wordes of Dauid O Lord rebuke me not in thy surie nor correct me in thy vvrath This is as if he said saith S. Gregorie I know that after this life some must be clensed by purging fire And other must receyue sentēce of eternal damnation But because I esteeme that purgīg fire though it be transitorie to be more intolerable then al the tribulation which in this life may be suffered therfore I doe not onlie desire not to be rebuked in the furie of eternal damnatiō but also I greatlie feare to be purged in the wrath of transitorie correction Thus far S. Gregorie And I might adde a hundred like other sayinges out of the auncient holie fathers touching the extreame seueritie of this purging fire after death and of the greate feare which they had therof But that this alredy spoken may be sufficient to gyue admonishment to Catholique men that agree with thes Saints in beleef of this doctrine more carefully to looke vnto them selues for auoiding the rigour of this fier especially by thes two principal meanes of Almes-deedes and teares wherunto S. Augustine most earnestly exhorteth them in the place before alleaged wher also he frameth this notable collection We see sayeth he what men doe or may suffer in this life what racking what tearing what burning and the like and yet al this is nothing in respect of that fire Thes thinges therfore which we suffer heere are much more easie then that fire and yet you see that men wil doe any thing rather then suffer the same how much more then ought we to doe that litle which God commaundeth vs to auoide that fire which is by many degrees more grieuous This was the feeling which learned S. Augustine had in thes affaires And truly it is verie straunge and wonderful to consider how great feare and terrour holie men of auncient time conceyued at the verie cogitation of this fire and how slenderly we passe the same ouer now a daies hauing infinite more cause to feare then they had Among other that blessed deuout mā S. Bernard who lead so examplar and strict a life as the world doth know entering into contemplation of this matter brake forth into thes words ensuing O would God some man would now before hand prouide for my head abundance of water to mine eyes a fountaine of teares for so perhaps the burning fire should take no hold where running teares had clensed before And againe I tremble and shake for feare of falling into Gods hands I wolde gladlie present my self before his face alredie iudged of my self and not to be iudged thē of him Therfore I wil make a reckoning whiles I am here both of my good deedes and of my badde My euil shal be corrected with better woorkes they shal be watered with teares they shal be punished by fasting they shal be amended by sharp discipline I wil rip vp the verie bottome of my wayes workes to the ende he may finde nothing vntried at that day or not fullie discussed to his handes And then I hope in his mercie that he wil not iudge the same faults againe as he hath promised Hitherto are the wordes of S. Bernard The like great feare vttered holy S. Ambrose in thes wordes O Lord if thou reserue any thing in me to be reuenged in the next life yet I humblie beseech the that thou gyue me not vp to the power of wicked spirits whiles thou wipest away my sinnes by the paines of Purgatorie And againe in an other place I shal be searched examined as lead in this fire and I must burne vntil al the lead be melted away And if then there be found no siluer metal in me woe be vnto me for I must be thrust doune to the profoundest partes of hel or els wholie waste away as straw in the fire But if anie gold or siluer be found in me not through my workes but by grace and Christes mercie and through the ministerie of my prestoode I shal also once say surelie they that trust in the shal neuer be confounded And thus much of this temporal punishment reserued euen for the purging of Gods seruants in the life to come BVT NOVV TOVCHING the reprobate such as for their wickednesse are dessigned to eternal death we must Imagine that with them the case standeth much more hardlie for therunto may be applied that saying of our Sauiour to the good women of Hierusalem who lamented his case when he was going to his passion If they doe these things in grene vvord vvhat shal become of the drie which wordes S. Peter seemeth in some parte to expounde when he saieth If the Iudgement of God begin vvith vs vvhich are his seruants vvhat shal the end of vvickedmen be As who wold say that in al reason their ende must be intollerable For more particuler conceyuing whereof because the matter is of great importāce for al Christiās to know it shal not be perhaps amisse to consider brieflie what the holie scriptures auncient fathers of the Catholique Church directed no doubt by the holie Ghost haue reueiled vnto vs touching this punishment And first of al concerning the place it self of punishment appointed for the damned commonlie called hel the scripture in diuerse languages vsed diuerse names but al tending to expresse the grieuousnesse of torments therin to be endured As for example in the latin tongue it is called INFERNVS that is a place beneath or vnder ground as most of the olde fathers doe interprete But whether it be vnder ground or no most certaine it is that it is a place most opposit to heauen which is said to be aboue and from which lucifer was throune doune And this name is vsed to signifie the miserable deiection and hurling doune of the damned to be troden vnder the feet not onlie of almightie God but also of al good men for euer For so sayeth the scripture Beholde the day of the Lord commeth burning like a fornace and al proud and vvicked men shal be stravv to that fornace and you that feare my name shal tread them dovvne and they shal be as burnt ashes vnder the soles of your feet in that day And this shal be one of the greatest miseries that can happen to the proude and stoute potentates of the worlde to be thrown doune with
this assurance vnto vs Christ sent that most sweet and comfortable embassage vnto his disciples presentlie vpon his resurrection Goe and tel my brethren that I doe ascend vnto my father and vnto your father vnto my God and vnto your God By which two wordes of Father and God the one of loue and th' other of power the one of wil the other of abilitie he tooke away al doubt of not speeding from each man that should make recourse to this merciful Lord and Father God him self also after many threates vsed by the prophet Ieremie against the people of Israel for their sinnes in the end lest they should dispaire turneth about his talke and changeth his stile assuring them of many graces and fauours if they would returne vnto him telling the house of Israel that he had loued her from the beginning and had sought to draw her vnto him by threates to the end he might take mercy vpon her and that now he intended to build her vp againe to adorne her with ioy and exultation to gather her children from al corners of the earth to refresh them with the waters and riuers of life al this saith he quia factus sum Israeli pater for that I am become now a Father to Israel And in the same place to wicked Ephraim the head citie of the rebellious kingdome of Samaria he saith Ephraim is become my honorable sonne my delicate and dearely beloued child therefore my bovvels are moued vvith compassion vpon him and in abundance of mercy vvil I take pitie of him So much attributed God to this respect of being a father vnto Israel and Ephraim and of their being his children that for this cause only notwithstanding their infinit enormous sinnes his bowelles of endles mercie were moued with loue and compassion towardes them And thes are thos tender merciful bowelles which holie Zacharie father to S. Iohn Baptist protesteth to be in almightie God towardes mankind that had offended him Thes are thos which were in that good old father mentioned in the Gospel who being not only offended but also abandoned by his yonger sonne yet after he saw him returne home againe notwithstanding he had wasted al his thrist and substance and had weried out his bodie with wicked life he was so far of from disdaining to receaue him as he came forth to meete with him sel vpō his neck and kissed him for ioy adorned him with new apparel and riche iewelles prouided a solemne banket for him inuited his friēdes to be merie with him and showed more exultation and triumph for his returne then if he had neuer departed from him By which parable our Saueour IESVS endeuored to set forth vnto vs the incomprehensible mercie of his heauenly Father towardes sinners in which respect he is truely called by his Apostle pater misericordiarum the father of mercies For that as S. Bernard wel noteth this sea Oceā of mercies doth flow peculiarly frō the hart of a father which can not be said so properly of the gulfe and depth of his iudgementes For which cause he is called in Scripture the God of iustice and reuēge and not the Father And finally this blessed name of father in God doth import vnto vs by Godes owne testimonie al sweetenes al loue al frendship al comfort al satherly prouidēce care and protection al certaintie of fauour al assurance of grace al securitie of mercie pardon and remission of our sinnes whensoeuer vnfainedly we turne vnto him And in this point his diuine Maiestie is so foreward and vehement to geue vs assurance that being not content to set forth his loue vnto vs by the loue of a fathers hart he goeth further and protesteth vnto vs that his hart is more tēder towardes vs in this behalf then the hart of any mother can be to the only child and infant of her own wombe For thus he saith to Sion which for her sinnes begā to doubt least he had forsaken her Can the mother forget her ovvainfant or can she not be merciful to the child of her ovvne vvombe if she could yet can I not forget or reiect thee behold I haue vvritten thee in the flesh of my ovvne handes And this for so much as God is called our Father Ther remaineth yet a third consideration which more setteth forth Gods inestimable loue then any of the other demonstrations before handled And this is that he gaue the life and blood of his only begotten and eternal sonne for purchasing and redeeming vs when wee were lost a price so infinite and inexplicable as no doubt his diuine wisdome would neuer haue giuen but for a thing which he had loued aboue al measure Which our Sauiour him self that was to make the paiment doth plainly signifie and therfore also seemeth as it were to wonder at such a bargaine when he saieth in the Ghosple So dearly hath God my father loued the vvorld that he hath giuen for it his only begotten sonne In which wordes he ascribeth this most wōderful dealing of his father vnto the vehemencie and exceeding aboundāce of loue as doth also his dearest disciple and Apostle S. Sohn saing In this appeareth the great loue and charitie of God towards vs that he hath sent his only begotten sonne into the world to purchase life for vs. In this I saie is made euident his exceeding charitie that we not louing him he loued vs first and gaue his owne sonne to be a ransome for our sinnes Wherunto also the holie Apostle S. Paul agreeth admiring in like maner the excessiue loue of God in thes wordes God doth maruailouslie commend and set forth his great loue vnto vs in that we being yet sinners he gaue his sonne to the death for our redemption And in an other place framing out as at were a measure of Gods mercie by this aboundance of his loue faieth thus God who is rich in mercie thorough the exceeding loue which he bore vnto vs we being dead in sinne he reuiued vs in Christ and raised vs vp euen vnto heauen making vs to sitte doune ther with him to the ende he might declare to al ages and worldes ensuing the most abundant riches of his grace and goodnes towards vs. This was the opinion of that noble Apostle S. Paul and of al his coequals Apostles Euangelistes Disciples Saints that this worke of our redemption proceeded only from the inflamed fornace of Gods immeasurable loue And therfore to make no other conclusion her of then that which S. Paul him self doth make If God haue not spared his owne proper only begotten soone but hath geuen him vp to death for gaining vs vnto him how can it be that with him he hath not geuen vnto vs al other thinges If when we were his enemies and thought not vpon him he sent to seeke vs so diligently by such a messinger as he loued so dearly allowing
him to laie doune a price for vs which he so infinitely esteemed what shal we thincke that he wil doe vnto vs now we being made his owne by our redemption if we returne willingly vnto him whē onr receauing shal cost him nothing els but only a merciful looke vpon vs which is not so much from the infinite bowels of his botomeles mercie as is one droppe of water from the most huge gulfe of the maine Ocean sea And this shal suffice for this first point of Gods loue declared vnro vs by the three most sweete and comfortable names respectes of Creator Father and Redeemer NEXT AFTER VVHICH we are to consider in what maner God is accustomed to expresse and declare this loue of his in his dealings proceedīgs towards sinners And first of al the wise man hauing had long experience of this matter beginneth to describe and set it forth in this sort saing vnto God himself Thou O Lord doest dissemble the sinnes of men to geue vnto thē time of repentance And thē when they wil not vse this benefite of his forbearing but wil needs enforce him to punish and correct them he saieth further of this correction Such as vvilfully doe runne astraie O Lord and vvil not turne vnto the thou doest correct thē svveetly by litle litle admonishing and exhorting them to leaue their sinnes and to beleeue in thee Thes two pointes then of exceeding clemencie by the testimonie of the wise man are found in almightie God first to winke at the wicked life of men and to expect their conuersion with inspeakable patience and longanimitie according as also the Prophet Esay beareth witnes adioining the cause therof in thes wordes Your Lord doth attēd your conuersion to the end he may take mercie on you and therby be exalted And secondlie for the same respect when he is enforced by reason of his Iustice to chastice them yet doth he the same with such moderation and mildnes as alwaies in this life he reserueth place of pardon And to thes two we may adioine yet a third propertie of his mercie more admirable perhaps then the former which is as Tertulian excellently noteth that he being the partie offended yet first and principally desireth reconsiliation he hauing receaued the wrong and iniurie yet doth he most busely entreate for amitie attonment And wheras in al right and equitie he might denie vs pardon and for his power take reuenge of vs at his pleasure yet doth he not only offer vs peace of his owne accord but also sueth vnto vs by al means possible to accept therof humbling in a certaine maner his deuine Maiestie to our basenes and vilitie and behauing him self in this respect as a prince that were inamoured of his bondslaue and abiect seruant This might be declared by many of his owne speeches and doinges in holy Scripture but one place out of the Prophete Esaie shal serue for al wher almightie God so earnestly wooeth the conuersion of Ierusalem as no louer in the world could vtter more signes and testimonies of a hart inflamed and set on fire with loue then he doth towards that citie which so highly had offended him For first after many threats poured out against her if she did not returne lest she might perhapps fal into despaire he maketh this protestatiō in the beginning of his speech Indignatio non est mihi c. Angrie I ame not ò Hierusalem but what soeuer I haue spoken I haue spoken of good wil and loue Secondlie he entreth into this dispute and doubt with him self about punishing her for her sinnes what shal I doe Shal I tread her vnder my feete and put her to the fiar or els vvil she staie my puissant hand and make peace vvith me vvil she I saie make attonment vvith me After which doubt and cunctation he resolueth him self to chāge his maner of stile and to fal a litle to chide with her and then saith harken O yee deafe inhabitants of Ierusalem looke aboute you ye blind folke that vvil not see vvho is blind and deafe but my seruant that vvil not regard or listen to the messingers vvhich I send O thou vvhich hast opē eares vvilt thou not heare And then a litle after he beginneth to smooth and speake faire againe saing Euer since thou hast bene gratious glorious in mine eyes I haue loued the and for thy soule vvil I yeue vvhole natiōs Feare not for that I ame vvith the. Wherwith she being litle or nothing mooued he returneth to a sweet maner of complaint saing Thou hast enthralled me by thy sinnes and vvith thine iniquities thou hast greatly afflicted me Which being said and she somewhat wonne therby to loue him as it seemeth he turneth vnto her with this most comfortable and kind speech I ame he I ame he vvhich cancelleth thine iniquities for mine ovvne sake and vvil neuer thincke any more vpon thy sinnes Al which being done and they now reconciled and made fast frends together his diuine Maiestie beginneth a verie louing conference as it were and sweet expostulation with her saing in thes wordes Cai thou to memorie the things that are past and let vs iudge our selues here together Tel me if thou haue any thing vvherby thou maiest be iustefied Thy first parent vvas a sinner c. Wherat she being ashamed and hauing nothing in the world to answere for her self almightie God comforteth her and knitteth vp the whole matter in this most kind and amiable sort Feare not for I wil power out my spirite vpon the and vpon thy seed and my benediction shal be vpō thine ofspring thy children shal budde vp and florish as willoes planted by the water side Thus saieth the Lord and king of Israel the Lord of hostes that is thy redeemer I ame the first and the last and besides me ther is no other God Be mindful of this thou house of Iacob I haue dissolued and dissipated thy sinnes as a cloud is dissolued in the aire be mindful of this and haue an assured confidence Thus farre continueth the treatie betwene God and his citie of Ierusalem And now tel me deare Christian brother whether it be possible for any hart or tongue in the world to conceaue or expresse more waies or significations of most vehement good wil and burning affection then of Gods part in this treatie hath bene declared What louer or enamoured person vpon earth what passionate hart could wooe more earnestly sue more diligently sollicite more artificially complaine more pitifully expostulate more amiablie conferre more intrinsically remit offences more redely offer benefites more aboundantly conclude more sweetly and giue more pregnant testimonies of vnfeined loue or more assured certaintie of eternal league amitie thē doth almightie God vnto this natiō that so grieuouslie had offended him who wil not confesse now with the prophet Dauid that
them al and brake forth into this vehement inuitation with a lowd voice as S. Iohn Euangelist recordeth if any man among you be thirstie let him come vnto me he shal drinke Hereby it came to passe that his diuine Maiestie was termed commonlie Publicanorum peccatorum am cus The frend and familiar of wicked Publicans and sinners And herof finallie it did proceed that he receaued al imbraced al and forgaue al that repaired vnto him were they Scribes Pharisees Souldiars Publicans Vserers Harlotes Theeues Persecutours or whatsoeuer most grieuous offendours besides wherof particuler examples in eche kinde might be alleaged assuring vs furthermore that after his resurrection and blessed ascensiō to the right hand of his father he would be more bountiful yet in this maner of proceeding and dravv al vnto him self being at one time both our Iudge and Aduocat our king and Mediatour our God and Redeemer our Father and brother our Priest and Sacrifice and he that both pleadeth and determineth our cause together What then should not we hope at this time deare Christian brother at the handes of this our Lord and Maister which hath left vnto vs such wordes such deedes such assured euidencies of his infallible loue and abundant mercies towards vs why should not his dealinges with other men before vs geeue vs hart and corage to confide assuredlio in him for the time present and to come why should not his former most infinit mercies be vnto vs oderiferous alluring sauours and oyntmentes to make vs as the spouse did in the Canticles follow and runne after him Heare what deuout S. Bernard doth meditate vpō this passage of Christs fragrant ointmentes O sweet Iesus saith he the freshe and oderiferous smel of thie wonderful clemencie doth allure vs to runne after the when we heare saye that thou despisest not beggars nor abhorrest sinners Wee know right wel ô Lord that thou didest not reiect the theefe that confessed thee nor the sinful woman that wept vpon thee nor the Chananaean that humbled her self before thee not the wicked adulteresse brought vnto thee nor the toullar or tribut gatherer that followed thee nor the publican that repaired vnto thee nor the disciple that denied thee nor Saul that did persecute thee nor thie tormentours that did naile thie sacred bodie vpō the crosse O Lord al thes are fragrant smels and sauours of thie most sweet mercie and at the sent of thes thie ointmentes we doe follow and runne after thee Thus farre S. Bernard AND SO VVITH THIS to come to the fourth and last part of this chapter and to applie al that hath bene said of Godes mercie to our present purpose What man is ther liuing in the world that reading and beleeuing thes thinges can doubt or mistrust to receaue pardon for his sinnes If God be he that iustifieth vvho is able to condemne vs saieth the holie Apostle S. Paul If God be minded to deliuer vs who can take vs out of his hands If God protest that he wil pardon vs why should we make any doubt or questiō therof at al Why should not we ioine rather with that confident and faithful seruāt of his S. Paul who saieth vnto vs and to al other sinners liuing in his maisters name let vs repaire vnto him vvith a true hart in fulnes of faith hauing purged our hartes from an euil conscience let vs hold fast an immouable confession of our hope seing he is faithful vvhich hath giuen vnto vs his promis and let vs consider hovv one of vs may prouoke an other to charitie and good vvorkes By which wordes the holy Apostle signifieth that what sinner soeuer shal resolue with him self to purge his conscience frō wickednes for the time to come and to employ the rest of life in charetie good workes he may confidently and boldly repaire vnto almightie God with most certaine assurance to receaue pardon and remission And alas deare brother why then should anie man despaire wherfore should any man cast away his owne soule that God so much desireth to saue what a pitiful and lamentable case is it to behold so many Christians in the world to goe languishing in ther sinnes and to giue thē selues ouer to al kind of careles and dissolute sensualitie which by God him self is called desperation vpon this conceit wicked cogitation that now they are gone so farre and so deeply rooted and habituated in this kind of life as either it is impossible or in vaine for them now to thincke of change or amendements O deare Brother let thes men harken to this excellent discourse of holy Chrisostome which ensueth If thou be a wicked man saieth he thincke vpon the Publicane If thou be vncleane of life consider the harlot If thou be a murtherer remember the theef If thou be a swearer cal to mind the Blasphemer Cast thine eyes vpon Saul and Paul first a persecutour and then a preacher first a violent robber afterward a good steward and Dispenser First chaffe afterward corne first a wolfe afterward a sheppard first lead after gould first a pirate afterwards a good pilot first a dispersour afterward a gatherer first a breaker doune of Gods vineyard afterward a plāter first a destroier afterward a builder Thou hast sene manifold wickednes but now behold vnspeakable mercie Thou hast heard the pride of the seruant consider now the loue and clemencie of the Maister I wil not thou saie to me I ame a blasphemer I haue bene a persecutour I haue lead an vncleane and abhominable life and therfore I doubt lest I shal not haue pardon Saie not so vnto me for here thou hast examples to the contrarie in euerie of thes manie other sinnes Thou maiest safely fly to what port thou list and that either in the old or new Testament For in the old thou hast Dauid in the new thou hast Paul I wil not haue the therfore alleage excuses vnto me for couering thine owne cowardnes Hast thou sinned doe penance hast thou sinned a thousand times repent a thousand times vnfainedly This is the only ointment that may be poured in to an afflicted consciēce the torment wherof I doe wel knowe For the Diuel standeth by whetting his sword of desperation and saing vnto the Thou hast liued wickedly al thy youth thy former yeares thou hast mispent thou hast hanted plaies and spectacles with thy companions and hast folowed after louse and lasciuious women thou hast taken other mēs goods from them wrongfully thou hast bene couetous dissolute and effeminate thou hast foresworne thy self thou hast blasphemed committed many other hainous and enormous crimes and therfore what hope canst thou haue of saluation Truly none at al. Thou art a mere castawie and canst not now goe backe and therfore my counsaile is that now thou vse the pleasures and commodities of this world and passe ouer thy time in mirth of hart without cogitation
of the reader to reduce the whole summe vnto two general heads partes In the first wherof shal be shewed the manifold sundry helpes that almightie God doth lend to man for the faciliting of the way of his holie commandementes and in the second shal be layed doune certaine instructions admonishmentes and examples how to make our auaile of thos helpes that are lent vnto vs. The first part Of the helpes that are geuen to Christians for making vertuous life easie IT were a verie hard and difficil matter for any man to take vpon him to set forth al and euerie the particuler waies and meanes wherby our most merciful Lord and Saueour doth comfort strengthen and cherish the soule that resolueth to liue faithfullie in his seruice Ther are infinite secretes that doe passe betwene them infinit priuie tokens and significations of loue that none els can expresse or conceaue wherof the Prophet Esay hauing had a taste cried out Secretum meum mibi Secretum meum mihi My secret is to my self my secret is to my self But yet of thos publique and ordinarie waies wherby it is euident in holie write that almightie God is accustomed to worke this effect of making sweet and easie his commandementes I shal here recount the chiefe and principal for our common consolation encoragement AND FIRST OF AL other we must recon in this number the infusion of Gods most holie pretious grace into our mindes and soules wherby they are beautified and strengthened against al difficulties and temptations as S. * Paul was in particular against the tribulations and temptations of the flesh And this grace is of such efficacie and force in the soule where it once entereth that it altereth the whole state thereof making thos thinges cleare which were obscure before thos thinges pleasant which were bitter before thos thinges easie which were hard and difficult before And for this cause also it is saied in scripture that it maketh a new spirit a new hart wher it is bestowed by almightie God which his diuine Maiestie signifieth by the Prophet Ezechiel in thes wordes when he treateth of the graces that should be geuē at the comming of Christ in flesh I vvil geue vnto them a nevv hart and vvil put a nevv spirit in their bovvelles to the end they may vvalke in my preceptes and keepe my commandementes What can be spokē more effectuallie of the power of Gods holie grace to the perfourmance of good workes In like maner of the force and efficacie of the same grace to resist mortifie conquer the passions of our flesh and sensualitie which by their rebellion against vertue doe make the way of Gods commandementes vnpleasant S. Paul testifieth clearlie when he writeth thus to the Romans This vve knovv that our old man is crucified to the ende that the bodie of sinne may be destroyed vve be in bondage no more therūto In which wordes by the old man and the bodie of sinne S. Paul vnderstandeth our rebellious appetite and concupiscence which is so crucified and destroied by the most noble sacrifice of Christ our Saueour as we may by the grace purchased vnto vs in that holie sacrifice resist and conquere this appetite and so keepe our selues from the seruitude of sinne that is from any consent and guilt of mortal sinne if we wil our selues And this is that noble entire victorie which God promised so long agoe to euerie Christian soule by the meanes of Christ when he said Be not a feard for I am with thee step not aside for I thy God haue strengthened thee and haue assisted thee and the right hand of my iust MAN hath taken thy defence Behold al that fight against thee shal be confonded and put to shame thou shalt seeke thy rebelles and shalt not find thē they shal be as though they were not for that I am thy Lord and God Loe here a ful victorie promised vpon our rebelles by the helpe of the right hand of Gods iust man that is a ful cóquest vpon our disordinate passiōs and temptations by the aide of grace from IESVS Christ. And albeit thes rebelles are not here promised to be taken cleane away but onelie to be cōquered and confonded yet is it saied that they shal be as though they vvere not Wherby is signified that they shal not hinder vs in the way of our saluation but rather aduance and further the same if we wil. For as wild beastes which of their owne nature are fearse would rather hurt then profite mankind being mastred and made tame become verie cōmodious necessarie for our vses so thes rebellious passions of ours which of thē selues would vtterlie ouerthrow vs being once subdued and mortified by Gods grace and our own diligence doe stand vs in singular steade to the practise and exercise of al kinde of vertues As for exāple choler or angre to the inkendling of zeale hatred to the pursuing of sinne a hautie mind to the reiectig of the world loue to the embracing of algreat and heroical attemptes in consideration of the benefites receaued from God Besides this the verie conflict and combat it self in subduing thes passions is left vnto vs for our great good that is for our patience humilitie merite and victorie in this life and for our glorie and croune in the life to come as S. Paul affirmed of him self and coufirmed to al others by his example Now then lett the slothful Christian goe put this handes vnder his girdlie and saye There is a lyon in the vvaye and a lyonesse in the parthredie to deuoure hin for which he dare not 〈◊〉 furth of dores Let him crie It is colde and therefore he dareth not goe to plovve Let him excuse him self that it is vneasie to labour and therfore he can not purge his vineyarde of nettles and thistles nor build any vval about the same That is let him saye that his passions are strong and therfore he can not conquere them his body is delicate and therfore he dare not put it to trauayle the way of vertuous life is hard and vneasie and therfore he can not applie him self therunto Let him saye al this and much more which ydle and slothful Christians are accustomed to bring for their excuse let him alleage the same as much and as often times as he wil it is but an excuse and a false excuse and an excuse moste dishonorable and detractorie to the force of Christ holie grace purchased vnto vs by his bitter passion that now his yoke should be vnpleasant seing he hath made it sweete that now his burden should be heauie seing he hath made it light that now his commaundementes should be greeuous seing his most deuine Maiestre affirmeth the contrarie that now we should be in seruitude of our passions seing he hath by his grace deliuered vs and made vs truelie free
the temptations of the world and deuil the resisting wherof is much more difficult in time of peace and wealth then in time of external affliction and persecution for that thes enemies are stronger in flatterie then in force which a godly father expresseth by this parable The sunne and wind saieth he agreed one day to proue their seueral strengthes in taking a cloke from a waiefaring man And in the forenoone the wind vsed al violence that he could to blow of the said clok But the more he blew the more fast held the trauailer his clock and gathered it more closely about him At after noone the sunne sent forth her pleasant beames by litle and litle so entered into this man as he caused him to yeeld to put of not onely his cloke but also his cote Whereby is proued saieth this father that the allurementes of pleasure are more strong and harder to be resisted then the violence of persecution The like is shewed by the example of king Dauid who resisted easily many assaults of aduersitie but yet fel dangerously in time of prosperitie Wherby appeareth that vertuous men haue no lesse warre in time of peace then in time of persecution Nor euer wanteth there occasion of bearing the crosse and suffering affliction to him that wil accept of the same And this may susfice for this first point to proue that euery man must enter into heauen by tribulation as S. Paul saieth The second part TOVCHING THE second why God wold haue this matter so it were sufficiēt to aunswer that it pleased him best so without seeking any further reason of his meaning herein euen as it pleased his diuine Maiestie without al reason in our sight to abase his sonne so much as to send him hither into this world to suffer and die for vs. Or if we wil needes haue a reason hereof this one might be sufficiēt for al that seing we looke for so great a glory as we doe we should labour a litle first for the same and so shew our selues worthie of Gods fauour and exaltation But yet for that it hath pleased his diuine Maiestie not onely to open vnto vs his wil and determination for our suffering in this life but also diuers reasons of his most holy purpose and pleasure therin for our further encouragement and consolation that doe suffer I wil in this place repeate some of the same for declaration of his exceeding great loue and fatherlie care towardes vs. THE FIRST cause then and the most principal is to encrease therby our merit and glorie in the life to come For hauing appointed by his eternal wisdome and iustice that none shal be crouned there but according to the measure of his fight in this world the more and greater cōbates that he geueth together with sufficient grace to ouercome them the greater crowne of glorie prepareth he for vs at our resurrection This cause toucheth S. Paul in the wordes before alleaged of the saintes of the olde testament to wit that they receaued no redemption from their miseries in this world to the end they might find a better resurrection in the world to come This also meant Christ expresselie when he saied Happie are they vvhich suffe persecutiō for theirs is the kingdom of heauen happie are you vvhen men speake euil and persecute you c. reioyse be glad I saye for that your revvard is great in heauē Hereunto also appertaine al those promises of gaining life by leesing life of receauing a hundred for one and the like Herehence do procede al those large promises to virginitie and chastitie and to such as geld them selues for the kingdom of heauen to voluntarie pouertie and to the renouncing of our owne wil by obedience Al which are greate conflictes against the fleshe world and our owne sensualitie and can not be performed but by sufferings and affliction Finally S. Paul declareth this matter fullie when he sayeth that a litle and short tribulation in this life vvorketh a beape of glorie aboue al measure in the hight of heauen THE SECOND cause why God appointed this is to draw vs therby from the loue of the world his professed enemie as in the next chapter shal be shewed at large This cause S. Paul vttereth in these wordes VVe are punished of God in this life to the end vve should not be damned vvith this vvorld In like maner as a Nurse that to weane her child from the loue and liking of her milke dothe anointe her teat with Aloes or some other such bitter thing so our merciful Father that wolde retire vs. from the loue of wordlie delites wherby infinite men doe perish daily vseth to send tribulation which of al other thinges hath most force to woorke that effect as we see in the example of the prodigal sonne who could by no meanes be stayed from his pleasures and retired home to his olde Father but onelie by affliction THIRDLIE God vseth tribulation as a most present and soueraine medicine to heale vs of many diseases otherwise almost incurable As first of a certaine blindenes and careles negligence in our estate contracted by wealth and prosperitie In which sense holy scripture saieth that affliction geueth vnderstanding And the wise man affirmeth that the rodde bringeth vvisdom This was shewed in figure when the sight of Tobie was restored by the bitter gaule of a fish And we haue cleare examples in Nabuchodonasor Saul Antiochus and Manasses al wich came to see their owne faultes by tribulation which they wolde neuer haue done in time of prosperitie The like we read of the brethren of Ioseph who falling into some affliction in Egypt presentlie entred into their owne conscience and sayd VVe suffer those thinges vvorthely for that vve sinned against our brother And as tribulation bringeth this light wherby we see our owne defectes so helpeth it greatlie to remoue and cure the same wherin it may be wel likened vnto the rodde of Moyses For as that rodde striking the hard rockes brought foorth water as the scripture saieth so this rodde of affliction falling vpon stonie harted sinners mollifieth them to contrition and often times bringeth forth the fluddes of teares to repentance In respect wherof holy Tobie saieth to almightie God In time of tribulation thou forgeuest sinnes And for like 〈◊〉 it is compared also to a file of yron which taketh away the rust of the soule In like maner to a purgation that driueth out corrupt humours And finallie to a goldsmithes forge which cōsumeth away the refuse metals and fineth the gold to his perfection I vvil trie thee by fire to the quick saieth God to a sinner by Esay the prophet and I vvil take avvaie al thy tinne and refuse metal And againe by Ieremie I vvil melt them and trye them by fire This he meant of the fire of tribulation whose propertie is according
that is if we can not reioyse at it in deede yet ought we to thincke it a matter in it self worthie of reioysing reprehending our selues for that we can not reach vnto it And if we cā not mount thus high nether as in deede we ought to doe yet in anie case to remēber what in an other place he saieth patientia vobis necessaria est vt reportetis promissionem You must of necessitie haue patience if you wil receaue Gods promisse of euerlasting life SECONDLIE we ought to doe as the Apostles did when they were in the most terrible tempest of the sea Christ being with them but a sleepe that is we must goe and awake him we must crie vnto him with the prophet Exurge quare obdormis domine O Lord arise why doest thou sleepe in our miserie This wakening of Christ doth please him wonderfullie as before hath bene shewed but especialie if it be done with that assured confidence of true affectioned children wherwith S. Marke describeth the Apostles to haue awakened Christ. For their wordes were these Maister doth it not appertaine vnto the that vve perish here As who would saie are not we thy Disciples and seruantes art not thou our Lord and Maister is not the cause thine is not al our trust and hope in the how chaunceth it then that thou sleepest and sufferest vs to be thus tossed tombled as if we appertained nothing vnto the With this zele and affection praied holy Esaye when he sayed attend o Lord from heauen looke hither from the holie habitation of thy glorie where is thy zeale where is thy fortitude where is the multitude of thy merciful bowels Haue they shut thē selues vp now towards vs thow art our father Abraham hath not knowen vs Israel hath bene ignorant of vs thow art our Father ô Lord turne thy self about for thy seruāres sake for loue of the tribe of thine inheritance Thus I say we must cal vpon God thus we must awake him when he seemeth to sleepe in our miseries with earnest with deuout with continual prayer alwaies hauing in our minde that most comfortable parable of Christ wherin he saieth that if we should come to our neighbours dore and knocke at midnight to borowe some bread when he were in bedde with his children and most loth to rise yet if wee perseuer in asking and beating at his dore stil though he were not our freend yet would he rise at length and geue vs our demaunde therby at least to be ridde of our crying And how much more wil God doe this saieth Christ who both loueth vs and tendreth our case most mercifullie But yet here is one thing to be noted in this matter and that is that Christ suffered the shippe almost to be couered with waues as th' Euangelist saieth before he wold awake therby to signifie that the measure of temptations is to be left onelie vnto him self It is sufficient for vs to rest vpon the Apostles wordess He is faithful and therfore he vvil not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength We may not examine or mistrust his doings we maye not inquire why he doth this or why he suffereth that or how long wil he permit the euils to raigne God is a great God in al his doings and when he sendeth tribulation he sendeth a great deale together to the ende he maye shew his great power in deliuering vs and recompence it after with greate measure of cōfort His temptations often times doe goe very deepe therby to trie the verie hartes and reines of men He went farre with Elias when he caused him to flie into a mountaine and there most desirous of death to saye They haue killed al thy prophetes o Lord and I am left alone and novv they seek to kil me also He went farre with Dauid whē he made him crie out why dost thou forget my pouertie and tribulation And in an other place againe I saied with my self in the excesse of my mind I am cast out from the face of thy eies ô Lord. God went farre with the Aposties when he enforced one of them to writ we wil not haue you ignorant brethren of our tribulation in Asia wherein we were oppressed aboue al measure and aboue al strength in so much as it lothed vs to liue any longer But yet aboue al others he went furthest with his owne deare sonne when he cōstrained him to vtter thos pitiful and most lamentable wordes vpon the crosse My God my God vvhy hast thou for saken me Who can now complaine of any proofe or temptation what soeuer laid vpon him seing God would goe so farre with his owne deare and onely sonne HEROF then enseweth the third thing necessarie vnto vs in tribulation which is magnanimitie grounded vpon a strong and inuincible faith of Gods assistance and of our final deliuerance how long soeuer he delay the matter and how terrible soeuer the storme doe seeme for the time This God require that our hādes as maye be seene by the example of the disciples who cried not vve perish before the waues had couered the ship as Saint Mathew writeth and yet Christ saied vnto them abi est sides vestra where is your faith S. Peter also was not a feard vntil he was almost vnder water as the same Euangelist recordeth and yet Christ reprehended him saying thou man of litle saith vvhy diddest thou doubte What then must we doe in this case deare brother surelie we must put on that magnanimous faith of valiant king Dauid who vpon the most assured trust he had of Gods assistance saied In deo meo transgrediar murum In the helpe of my God I wil goe through a wal Of which inuincible saith S. Paul was also when he saied Omnia possumineo qui me consortat I can doe al thinges in him that comforteth and strengtheneth me Nothing is vnpossible nothing is to harde for me by his assistance We must be as the scripture saieth quasi leo considens absque terrore Like a bolde and confident lion which is without terrour that is we must not be astonied at anie tempest atanie tribulation at anie aduersitie we must saye with the prophet Dauic experienced in thes matters I vvil not feare many thousandes of people that should enuironne or beseege me together If I should vvalke amiddest the shadovv of death I vvil not feare If vvhole armies should stand against me yet my hart should not tremble My hope is in God therfore I vvil not feare vvhat man can doe vnto me God is my helper and I vvil not feare vvhat stesh can doe vnto me God is my he per and protector and therfore I vvil despise and contemne mine enemies And an other prophet in like sense Behold God is my Sauiour and therfore vvil I deale considentlie and vvil not feare Thes were the speeches of holy prophetes of
his simplicitie was deliuered frō the mouth of lions And so doe you runne ouer by cogitation al generations and you shal see that al those that hope in God shal not be vanquished And doe you not seare the vvordes of a sinful man for his glorie is nothing els but dung and vvormes to daie he is great and exalted and to morovv he shal not be found for he shal returne vnto his earth againe and al his fond cogitations shal perishe Wherfore take courage vnto you my children and plaie the men in the lawe of God For ther in shal be your honour glorie Hitherto are the wordes of scripture which shal suffice for the end of this chapter THE FOVRTH AND GREATEST IMPEDIMENT THAT HINdereth resolution to witte The loue and respect vvhich men beare to the pleasures and vanities of this vvorld CHAPT IIII. AS the former impedimentes which now by Gods grace we haue remoued be in verie deed great staies to many mē from the resolutiō we talke of so this that presently we take in hand is not onely of it self a strong impediment and let but also a general cause as it were a commō ground to al other impedimentes that be or may be For if a man could touch the hidden pulse of al such as refuse or neglect or doe differre to make this resolution he should find the true cause origine therof to be the loue and respect which they beare vnto this world what soeuer other excuses they pretend besides The noble men of Iewrie pretended feare to be the cause why they could not resolue to coniesse Christ openly but S. Iohn that felt their-pulses and knew their disease vttereth the true cause to haue bene for that they loued the glory of men more then the glory of God Demas that for sooke S. Paul in his bandes euen a litle before his death pretended an other cause of his departure to Thellalonica but S. Paul saieth it was quia diligebat hoc seculū for that he loued this world So that this world is a general and vniuersal impediment and more largely dispersed in mens hartes thē outwardly appeareth for that it bringeth forth diuers other excuses therby to couer it self in the people wher it abideth This may be confirmed by that most excellent parable of our Sauiour Christ recorded by three Euangelistes concerning the three sortes of men which are to be damned and the three causes of their damnation wher of the third and last most general including as it were both the two former is the loue of this world For the first sorte of men ther mentioned are compared to a high waie wherin al seed of life that is sowen ether withereth presentlie or els is eaten vp by the birdes of the ayer which is as Christ expoundeth it by the deuils in such careles men as contemne what-soeuer is said vnto thē such are insidels heretikes and other like obstinate and contemptuous people The second sorte of damnable people are compared to rockie groundes in which for lacke of depe roote the seed that falleth continueth not and by this are signified light and vnconstant persons that now choppe in and now runne owt now are seruent and by and by keie-colde againe so in time of tēptation they are gone saith Christ. The third sorte are compared to a feild wherin the seed of life groweth vp but yet there are so many thornes about the same which one father expoundeth to be the cares troubles miseries and deceinable vanities of this life as the good corne is choked vp and bringeth soorth no fruite By which last wordes lie signifieth that whersoeuer the doctrine of Christ groweth vp yet bringeth not forth due fruite that is to saie whersoeuer his faith is planted receaued and professed as among Christians it is and yet bringeth not forth vertuous life holie conuersation good workes and due seruice of God corespōdent to this seed ther the principal cause is for that it is choked with the loue and care of this present world This is a parable of maruailous greate importance as may appeare both for that Christ after the recital therof cried out with a lowde voice He that hath eares to heare let him heare As also for that he expounded it him self in secrete onelie to his Disciples And principallie for that before the exposition therof he vsed such a solemne preface saying to you it is geuen to knovv the misteries if the kingdome of heauen but to others not for that they seing doe not see and hearing doe not heare nor vnder stand Wherby Christ signifieth that the vnderstanding of this parable among others is of singular importance for conceauing the true misteries of the kingdome of heauen and that many are blinde which seeme to see and many deafe and ignorant that seeme to heare and know for that they vnderstand not wel the misteries of this parable For which cause also his diuine wisdome maketh this conclusion before he beginne to expound the parable Happie are your eies that see and biessed are your eares that heare After which wordes he beginneth his exposition with this admonitiō Vos ergo audite parabolam Doe you therfore heare and vnderstand this parable And for that this parable doth containe and touch so much in deede as may or is needful to be saied for remouing of this greate and dangerous impediment of worldly loue I meane to staie my self onelie vpon the explication the ros in this place and wil declare the force and truth of certaine wordes here vttered by Christ of the world and worldlie pleasures And forsome order and methodes sake I wil drawal to these six pointes folowing First how and in what sense al this whole world and commodities therof are meere vanities in them selues and of no value as Christ here signifieth and consequentlie ought not to be an impedimēt to let vs from so great a matter as the kingdome of heauen and seruing of God is Secondlie how they are not onelie vanities and trifles but also Deceptions as the wordes of Christ are that is to say deceyte and fallaces not performing to vs in deede those litle trifles which they doe promise Thirdlie how they are spinae that is pricking thornes as our Saueour affirmeth albeit they seeme to worldly men to be most sweet and pleasant thinges Fourthlie how they are arumnae that is to saie miseries and afflictions Fiftlie quomodo suffocant how they strangle or choke their possessours according as the sonne of God in this parable auoucheth Sixthlie how we may vse them notwithstanding without these daungers euils and to our great comfort gaine and preferment The first point of the parable AND NOVV for the first albeit I might stande vpon many reasons and demonstrations yet doe I not see how breefly pithelie it may be better declared that al the pleasures and goodlie shewes of this world are mere vanities
I haue or receaue seing I sit here in darknes speaking litterallie of his corporal blindnes but yet leauing it also to be vnderstood of spiritual and internal darknes Thes are then the causes beside external affliction which God often sendeth why the godly doe liue more graue sadde and feareful in this life then wicked men doe according to the counsaile of S. Paul and why also they sigh often and weepe as Iob and Christ doe affirme to wit for that they remember oftentimes the seuere Iustice of almightie God their owne frailtie in sinning the secret iudgement of his predestination vncertaine to vs the vale of misery and desolation wherein they liue here which made euen the very Apostles them selues to grone as S. Paul affirmeth albeit they had much lesse cause then we haue In respect wherof we are willed to passe ouer this life in carefulnes watchfulnes feare and trembling In regard wherof also the wiseman saith It is better to goe to the house of sorovv then to the house of feasting And againe VVhere sadnes is there is the hart of vvisomē but vvhere mirth is there is the hart of fooles Finally inconsideration of thes things the scripture saiths Beatus homo qui semper est pauidus Happie is the man which alwaies is feareful Which is nothing els but that which the holy Ghost commaundeth euery man by Micheas the Prophet solicitum ambulare cū Deo To walke carefully and diligently with God thinking vpō his commaundementes how we keepe and obserue the same how we resist mortifie our members vpon earth how we bestowe our time talents and riches lent vnto vs how we labour in good workes for the gaining of heauen what accompt we could yeeld if presently we were to die c. which cogitations if they might haue place with vs would cut of a great many of thos worldly pastimes wherwith the careles sort of sinners are ouerwhelmed I meane of thos good feloushippes in eating drinking laughing singing disputing and other such vanities that distract vs most Hereof Christ gaue vs a most notable aduertisemēt in that he wept often times as for example at his natiuitie at the resuscitation of Lazarus vpon Ierusalem vpon the Crosse. But he is neuer redde to haue laught in al his life Her of also is cch mans own natiuitie and death a signification and figure which two extremities I meane our beginning ending being reserued by God in his own handes to dispose are appointed vnto vs in sorow greef and weeping as we see and feele But the midle parte therof which is our life being left by God in our own hādes we passe it ouer with vaine delites neuer thinking whence we came nor whether we goe A wise trauailer passing by his Inne albeit he see pleasāt meates set before him to banquet at his pleasure yet he for beareth and restraineth his appetite vpon cōsideration of the price and of the iourney he hath to make and taketh nothing but so much as he knoweth wel how to discharge the next mornig at his departure But a foole layeth handes on euerie delicate bayt that is presented to his sight and playeth the prince for a night or two But the next morning when it cometh to the reckning he wisheth that he had liued onelie with bread drinke rather then to be so troubled as he is for the paiment The custome of Gods Church is to fast the euen of euerie feast and then to make merie the next daye following which is the festiual it self And this representeth the abstinent life of goodmen in this world therby to be merie in the world to come But the fashion of the world is contrarie that is to eate and drincke merilie first at the tauerne and after to let the host bring in his reckning They eate drinke and laugh and the host he skoreth vp al in the meane space And when the time cometh that they must paye many a hart is sadde that was pleasant before This very self thing holy scripture affirmeth also of the pleasures of this world Risus dolore miscebitur extrema gaudij luctus occupat Laughter shal be mingled with sorow mourning shal ensue at the hinder end of mirthe The deuil that plaieth the hoste in this world and wil serue you at an inche with what delite or pleasure you desire writeth vp al in his booke and at the daie of your departure which is at your death he wil bring in the whole reckoning charge you with it al and then shal folow that which God promiseth to worldlinges by the prophet Amos Your mirth shal be turned into morning and lamentation Yea and more then this if you be not able to discharge the rekoning you may chaunce to heare that other dreadful sentence of Christ in the Apocalips quantum in delitiis fuit tantum date illi tormentum Looke how much he hath taken of his delites so much torment doe you lay vpon him Wherfore to conclude this point and therwithal this first parte of the parable touching vanities truelie may we saie with the prophet Dauid of a worldlie minded man Vniuersa vanitas omnis homo viuens The life of such men conteineth al kind of vanitie That is to saie both vanitie in ambition vanitie in riches vanitie in pleasures vanitie in al things which they most esteeme And therfore I may wel end with the wordes of almightie God by the prophet Esay vaevobis qui trahitis iniquitatem in funiculis vanitatis Wo be vnto you which doe draw wickednes in the ropes of vanitie These ropes are those vanities of vainglorie promotion dignitie nobilitie beautie riches delites and other such like before touched which alwaies draw with them some iniquitie sinne For which cause holie Dauid saith vnto his Lord Thovvhatest ô Lord obseruers of super fluous vanities And the scripture reporting the cause why God destroied vtterlie the familie and linage of Baasa king of Israel saith it was For that they had prouoked God in their vanities And lastlie for this cause the holy Ghostpronounceth generallie of al men Beatus vir qui non respexit in vanitates insanias falsas Blessed is that man which hath not respected vanities and the false madnes of this world The second point of the parable NOVV COME I to the second part proposed in this chapter which was also the second point contained in Christes parable to shew how this world with the commodities therof are not onelie vanities but also deceites for that in deed they performe not vnto their folowers thos idle vanities trifles which they doe promise Wherin the world may be compared to that wretched and vngrateful deceiuer Labā who made poore Iacob to serue him seauen yeeres for faire Rachel and in the end deceiued him with foule Lia. What false promises doth the world make daily To one it pmiseth