may be afraide hauing no ill to say of you 2. Tim. 7. This is the conuersation which IESVS-CHRIST and his Apostles require of vs which is euer to be accompanied with these 4. requisit circumstances First with choyce of good company 2. with a right intention 3. with innocency And 4. with moderation for by excesse we are cloyed eue◠with the honny combe Prou. 25. Let finally all your discourse be well seasoned with prudence saith the Apost Coloss 4. that you may know how and with whom you are to conuerse and to comport your selfe with euery one according to their talent and seuerall condition whereby accommodating your selfe vnto all you may keepe charity with all and become gratefull and pleasing vnto euery one To conclude the best conuersation in this world is that which most resembles what is amongst the Saints in Heauen which only consists in praising and glorifiing God Psal 149. The meanes and best expedient to obtayne true Christian and laudable Conuersation BY the premisses you vnderstand what conditions are required for a laudable and vertuous Conuersation but because it is not so much the knowledge as the possession of what we know which makes vs happy therefore you may here expect some good expedient for gaining the practise of such a conuersation Wherein for your satisfaction I conceiue no humane meanes more powerfull to beget in Man a vertuous and gratefull Conuersation then to conuerse with such persons as frame theirs according to the former conditions for they are to vs as a true lookeing-glasse wherein beholding our defects we are mooued by a wholsome confusion both to hate and to amend them This is so well experienced a truth and so truly consonant to reason as therevpon that common prouerb is well grounded which saith tell me what companie thou keepest and I will tell thee what thou art Yea the holy Ghost assures vs that who walketh with the wise shall be wise but the frend of fooles shall be made like Prou. 13. The exceeding great power which conuersation and company keeping hath to make not only deepe impression in the hart but euen to change the strongest inclinations of nature it selfe most manifestly appeares not only in Men but also in brute and the sauage beastes as is plaine to be seene in the rauenous woolfe and in the fierce and cruell Lion both which by the company and continuall habitation with men become gentle and verie familiar And therefore if companie and society haue so conquering a force vpon natures of so quite a different kind how much more powerfull must it needs be to worke vpon a subiect of the selfesame nature wherein by reason of a Sympathy and nearenesse of condition mutuall impressions are made with farr greater facility And this experience daily teacheth vs since we see the great good which is gain'd by frequenting vertuous ciuill companie on the contrary daily sadd examples make but too manifest how extreamely dāgerous it is to frequent persons of deboist and sinfull conuersation and what a multitude of vnhappy soules perish eternally thereby for it strikes their soules with a mortall infection more pestilent and contagious then is the greatest plague O Parents be yee therefore verie carefull with whom your children conuerse and take no lesse heed to the example which you your selues shall giue them for your comportment being their Rule if that be vertuous it will giue them vndoubtedly a much better impression to vertue then anie verball instructions for to vertue saith Seneca the way by example is short but by words it is verie long and we beleeue our eyes much rather then our eares which gaue S. Gregory good cause to call Example a liuing lesson because it is perswasiue aboue all the rest This great power of perswasion had S. Austin our Apostle and his fellow brethren by their vertuous life and Conuersation in that happy worke of conuerting our first English Auncesters from Paganisme to the Cath. Faith our Chronicles mentioning that it was their holy life and religious behaueour which first disposed King Ethelbert to a good opinion of that Religion which had taught them the practise of so great Charity and contempt of all worldly commodities which pious opinion of the holy Cath. Faith being soone after perfected in him by Gods diuine grace he became a most zealous good Christian and endeauored all he could to promote throughout his Kingdome the blessed Gospel of IESVS-CHRIST To this good meanes of example for gaining a vertuous Conuersation you must also adioyne a great vigilancie ouer all passionate motions which may happen in the vnexpected and exasperating occasions of that day wherein foreseeing the danger you may in quiet peace and mildenes more easily preuent the malice both of your ghostly and worldly enemies 2. It will be of great importāce that we propose to our selues as a Patterne some Person in particular who is endued with this perfect Conuersation goe to Campagnia and imitate Paulin said S. Aug. as giuing counsaile to some who desired to aduance themselues in this perfection But our chiefe Patterne and best Modell which we are principally to imitate as neare as we can is the conuersation of our diuine Originall the eternall Word Incarnate here conuersing vpon earth with so great mildenesse and hnmblenesse of hart amongst Men. This is the lesson he so expresly recommended to vs to learne of him Math. 11. where it is to be obserued that he ioynes these two vertues Mildenesse and Humility togeather because they cannot well be separated Humility being properly the interiour sweetnesse of the minde as is Mildnesse the exteriour expression of the same the former is grounded in a true Christian hart and the latter dwells vpon his contenance which hauing its dependance vpon an humble hart no Choler can make impressiō in such a countenance nor anie signe of anger can rest vpon that eye no complaint can be hard from that mouth nor anie bitternesse from such a tongue no schowling frowne appeares in that brow but all is sweet and amiable both to God and Man You haue seene what conditions are required for a vertuous and laudable Conuersation as also the best expedient whereby to obtayne the same It now followes in good methode that I declare which are the vicious branches most destructiue to Christian conuersation that they first being cutt off and separated our conuersation may become gratefull both to God and Man and produce in our soules most blessed fruit for Eternity But to preuent in the beginning a common obiection wherewith the enemies of all holy Conuersation endeauourto possesse the sensuall Libertins thereby to deterr them from embracing it we must here first obserue how they would haue all to beleeue that honest recreation and ciuill myrth are incompatible with this vertuous and laudable Conuersation then which nothing is mote false as by what here followeth will verie plainly appeare Ciuill Myrth and cheerefull Alacrity are well beseeming true
disordered Passions and Affections which most incline you to sinne And principally make good reflexion vpon those faults committed against your resolution made that day in your morning prayer as also vpon such affected veniall sinnes as frequently are cōmitted by deliberate free cōsent Of which sort are idle vnprofitable words Trifling vntreuthes Slight Contempt or auersion Small Calumnies murmuratiōs against Superiours or others Sloath to refist distractions in Prayer Negligence and cooldnesse in frequenting Sacraments and all other deuotions doing all rather by custome and without fruit for want of uertuous endeavour Vanity secret self-esteeme Too-much inclination industry to seeke our owne ease commodity neglecting our Christian Perfection Selfe-loue in our actions and the like But I must seriously here recommēd to you this verie vsefull aduertisement for your examen before confession wherein although you must be serious very diligēt yet free from anxious and ouer scrupulous disquiet of minde First carefully examine whether since your last Confession your Conscience accuse you of no mortall sinne and if it be guilty but of veniall then lett your Examen and Confession also be chiefly concerning your daily and most habituall faults which you are most bound to amend of which kinde those are which cause greatest remorse to your Conscience which hinder your progresse in vertue and are most contrary to the vocation and state of life wherein you liue or those finally to the Confession of which you find most repugnance and wherevnto you haue greatest affection and inclination For it is well to be obserued that by this manner of examen and Confession of these our principally affected sinnes takeing as by taske to amende them the grace of the Sacrament is much more aboundantly obtayned then if by a long scrupulous search teadious Confession we should labour to find out all our meanest frailties and least veniall sinnes for thereby we so spend the whole force of our spirit as that small attention can be had to make with true repentance good resolutions of amendment according to which not withstanding it is that we receiue grace in this holy Sacrament not according to the tyme or toyle which we employ in too vnquiet examens or in long and scrupulous Confessions wherein though it be not needfull to confesse all our veniall frailties yet we must be truly sorrow full for them all and purpose to amende them which is the chiefest point and best disposition to a profitable Confession declaring our sinnes not as by custome only and after one set forme still repeating the same and in such generall tearmes as the greatest Saints aliue are not free We must therefore accuse our selues only of such things in particular as most require correction expressing them so humbly clearly and briefly as we can assuring our selues that the longest Confessions are not alwayes the best but those which are made with most repentance truest purpose of amendment Fourthly stir vp your selfe to true hearty Contrition for all your sinnes craue humbly pardon of God for them proposing with a firme resolution by Gods grace to amend and to confesse them with true sorrow at the next fitting tyme. Endeauour by this meanes to put your selfe in that happy state wherein you would be content to be found at the houre of your death which may be done by these fowre briefe ensuing acts First by an act of holy Faith firmely beleeuing whatsoeuer God hath reuealed to his holy Cathol Church and as for such is by her proposed to vs to be beleeued Secondly by an act of diuine Hope founded in Gods great goodnesse and faithfull promisses and in the sacred meritts of IESVS-CHRIST Thirdly by an act of true Charity in louing God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selues And finally conclude with an Act of Contrition detesting all sinne because it is iniurious to so great and good a God which detestation of sinne and hearty repentance as by verie powerfull motiues may be stirred vp by these ensuing considerations First by well pondering who he is that offendeth to witt a poore abiect Man a contemptible worme yea verie dust and ashes 2ly Who he is that is offended to witt God omnipotēt infinitly good iust mercifull who hath both created continually preserues vs powring downe innumerable benefits vpon vs most vngratefull Creatures Thirdly to consider the ill effects of sinne whereby if mortall we loose Gods grace which is the life of our soule and of being the children of God we become children and slaues of the Diuell we forfeit Heauen become liable to the euerlasting flames of Hell the greatnesse horrour whereof is most extreamely formidable euē to imagine but by a serious thought And lastly to consider for how vnworthy a gaine and small a content in satisfying some fonde curiosity or sensuall and vnruly passion we renounce our eternall Blisse Out of all which considerations may well be framed this following Act of Contrion or some such like as we shall find most moouing to our hearts for that effect An act of true Contrition My Souueraigne Lord God most mercifull Redeemer for that I loue the aboue all things whatsoeuer it grieues me from the bottome of my heart for hauing offended thee I firmely porpose neuer to offende thee any more but to auoyde the occasions of my sinne to confesse and to fulfill the sacramentall pennance which shall be enioyn'd me for the same I now offer vp my life and death my body and soule with all the operations of them both in satisfaction for all my grieuous sinnes I most humbly craue that I wholy trusting in thy infinit great goodnesse and mercy and by the sacred merits of the most precious blood thou wouldest pardon me as I doe all who any way haue iniuried me and vouchsafe me thy holy grace to amend an finall perseuerance in the same vntill my end These our deuotions before bed being ended we must retire our selues in that deuout recollection from al company the best we can to our quiet repose without dissipating our hart by any further needlesse discourse or idle conuersation but beginning now to vndress our selues and to put off our cloathes we must call to minde how Death will shortly bereaue vs of all wordly things as honours wealth frends pleasures and what else soeuer we enioye we must make here a true vertuous act of perfect conformity to Gods heauenly pleasure as a most willing surrender of all which is ours to be freely disposed of by him both now and in all eternity saying O when shall I deuest my selfe deare IESV and put off the old man with all my euill acts and sinfull habits to the end I may be renewed in spirit and may put on the new man which according to God is created in Justice and Holinesse of truth Thessal 4.24 Consider that a day will come for your vncloathing neuer to reuest your selfe when your last infirmity
as the forerunner of death shall bring you to your finall lying downe when alas vnlesse our soules be fonnd adorned with the holy habits of vertuë we shall then appeare as did our first vnhappy parents naked and confounded in the diuine presence of God and in danger to be cast not only with them out of the Terrestriall Paradise but of celestial blisse for euer which being a thing so justly formidable let vs now vse all fitting industry for that darke night of death wil come suddainly vpon vs then no more time wil be granted to negotiate our saluation for on which side soeuer the tree of our life shall fall there will it for euer remaine A reflexion to be made when we enter into bed At entring into bed we may say In the Name of our Lord IESVS-CHRIST crucified I lye downe to rest he blesse me keepe me saue me defende me and bring me to life euerlasting Amen or thus O deare IESV the eternall repose of thy elect when will come th◠houre and time that my poore soule may without end receiue her rest in the eternall glory Being laid downe in your bed thinke with your selfe how sleepe is the true resemblance of death the bed represents our graue the sheets our coffin and the couering represents the earth which shall one day be cast vpon our corps to couer vs and herevpon making a serious reflexion vpon your owne mortality most humbly recommend your selfe to the diuine protection of the sacred Trinity saying God the Father blesse me IESVS-CHRIST defend and helpe me the vertue of the Holy Ghost illuminate and sanctify me this night and euer more Amen After this compose your self gently to sleepe vpon this consideration that once you must lye down to rise no more but by their hands who beare you to the graue nor haue we any assurance but that very night may prooue the same Gods blessed Prouidence so dispofing it that none shall know the comming of that dreadful houre to the end that we should alwayes be ready and prepared for it with our lampes of holy Faith replenished with the oyle of good workes expecting the call of our heauenly spouse A deuout Practise to be vsed in the night when we cannot sleepe It is a very good remedy to driue away euil fancies when we cannot sleepe to make some eleuation of our hart to God for his innumerable great benefits and aboundant prouision of all fitting necessaries we hauing a soft bed and well couered whilst so many poore and needy soules are forc't to repose their hungry bare and wearied carcasses vpon the hard ground or perchaunce vpon some little straw without all other defense against the great rigour both of hungar and could and yet their innocency and holy merits may be likely to deserue much better all these great blessings then we here let vs againe raise vp our harts by some such like feruent ejaculations as these O IEVS be thou vnto me a Iesus and saue me O my most merciful Father and dreadful Iudge am I now in that condition and state for my conscience wherein I should be content to be found at the houre of my death O when shal I truly loue thee with my whole hart and soule or as composing your selfe to rest at the foot of the sacred Crosse rehearse these blessed words which IESVS-CHRIST pronounced there to his Heauenly Father Father into thy hands I commend my spirit Luke 23. Recite this holy Sentence with great feruour loue and humility beseech him so to imprint it in your hart and soule as that you may cōclude your life last breath in pronouncing these sacred words in vnion of that intention and disposition wherein IESVS-CHRIST prosented that his last prayer to his eternall Father vpon the Crosse This done without any further straining your minde compose your selfe againe to sleepe endeauoring that your last interiour act be euer of the loue of God I will conclude this Rule with a very serious admonition to all such as it may most concerne which is that they so regulate the houre of their going to bed that hauing had sufficient time for their rest they may rise in a good houre in the morning not conuerting day into night and night into day to the great preiudice both of their corporall and spiritual health as also to the exceeding hinderance of their whole dayes employment totally peruerting the naturall order which God hath ordained vs who made the night for repose and the day wherein to labour and expedite our affaires THE THIRD RVLE FOR THE EXERCISE of Prayer Shevving hovv profitable and necessary it is and vvhat conditions and dispositions are required thereunto vvith a sett Exercise for daily prayer THE former Rule being properly to regugulate our morning and euening actions due order requires that this should treate more particularly and at large of Prayer which is a needfull food defence and chiefe preseruer of spiritual life in a Christian soule an vsefull fountaine without which the holy plants of vertue could neither take life nor grouth in vs were they not very often watred with this Celestiall dewe by holy Prayer which giues both force and vigour to resist the schorching heate of our sensuall affections as also the vnruly passions of our corrupt and intemperate nature The necessity and happy fruit of Prayer is most excellently expressed by S. Augustin Serm. de Temp. 226. who calls it the key of Paradise which opens all the dores and coffers of Gods diuine treasure and leaueth nothing shut or hidden to which it makes not way and free accesse yea and which farr yet exceedeth all this it opens also the doore to the cabinet of Gods owne diuine Presence giues vs admittance at all times and in euery place vnto his Heauenly Majesty there leasurely to conferre and treate with him all our necessities concerning either body or soule This is that golden key of highest honour priuiledge giuen vs by the Eternall King of Heauen whereby without controle we approach the diuine Throne and Majesty of God there to contemplate his greatnesse to admire his beauty to loue his goodness to tast his sweetnes to represent our owne wants to begg pardon for our sinnes to craue his grace and to obtaine great guifts both temporall and spirituall By this happy key is open'd to vs the whole magazin of his Celestiall treasures nor is there any thing which he refuseth to this powerful addresse of holy Prayer Vvhatsoeuer you aske by prayer beleeue that you shall receiue it and it will be granted to you Mark 11. The very same he also promisseth and confirmeth in Saint Iohn 14. and 16. therefore it hath not been without great cause that Gods chiefest Saints haue euer made so high an esteeme of holy prayer which they haue also done in respect of an other great prerogatiue which it hath in communicating to our soule supernaturall knowledge wisedome by a diuine light immediatly
holy grace Amen At the Creede The Declaration AFter the Gospel followeth the Creede to put vs in minde of the multitude of Gentils who by preaching and miracles receiued the light of faith Here eleuate your hart with much feruour to God and offer him this humble request The petition ILluminate my soule o Lord with a true knowledge in the diuine Mysteries of our most holy Faith and giue me constant courage in the faithfull profession thereof yea to the cheerefull hazard of my life and of what else soeuer may be dearest to me for thy sake Vouchsafe also I beseech thee through the sacred meritts of thy beloued sonne IESVS a speedy reduction of our poore English Nation to a happy reconcilement with his only deare spouse the holy Catholike Church O lett not the meritts of his most precious blood be further frustrated in those soe dearely redeemed soules by this soule destroying sinne of vnhappie Schisme and Heresie At the second Dominus vobiscum The Declaration THis Dominus vobiscum immediately after the Creed or after the Gospel when the Creed is not said signifies the presence of our Lord Sauiour vpon Earth working stupēdious miracles to establish his holy Faith in the harts of his followers We must here craue that by the presēce of Gods heauenly grace our life may be answerable to his holy example and that we contradict not by our actions what we professe by the Christian maximes of our Faith The petition GRant me good Lord the continuall memory of thy diuine presence since it belongs onely to thee to reward or punish my thoughts my words and my deeds according to their due desert O let me be the subiect of thy diuine iustice in this world that I may enioy thee by eternall mercy in the other Amen At the offertory The Declaration THe offertory or oblation which is made of the Host vpon the paten and of the wyne in the chalice signifies the great promptitude and feruent affection proceeding from a deliberate will which our Sauiour had during his whole life to offer himselfe vnto God his Eternall Father to suffer his most bitter death and Passion for our Redemption Here now in all due gratitude we are bound in vnion of this most holy oblation to offer our selues to God most redily for his sake to suffer whatsoeuer his blessed will and prouidence shall ordayne for his honour and for the good of our ow ne soules yea death it selfe for his greater glory if occasion should soe require the same and to this effect say from a feruent hart The petition ACcept o heauenly Father this holy oblation of the body blood of thy only begotten sonne IESVS-CHRIST which together with all the powers both of my body and soule I here most humbly present to thy heauenly Maiesty in due gratefull acknowledgment of thy great mercy and for the expiation of all my grieuous sinnes Amen At the Lauatorie The Declaration THe Priest washeth only the ends of his fingers to signifie that in this diuine action he ought to be pure and free euen from veniall sinne for as concerning mortall had he been guilty it is to be supposed he has bene purged from that by precedent repentance nor is he worthy saith diuine S. Dennis to be present at these sacred Mysteries who voluntarily and with a deliberate purpose shall continue in the least veniall sinne The petition CLeanse blessed Lord IESVS by thy most precious blood my defiled soule O immaculate and most pure Virgin obtayne me grace by thy powerfull intercession soe rightly to detest all sinne as that by true repentance being entirely reconciled to thy blessed sonne I may the more fruitfully assist at this diuine sacrifice make more a pleasing oblation to his Eternall praise glory Amen At orate fratres c. and at the secret prayers The Declaration THe matter for the holy sacrifice now being prepared the Priest turnes to the people and desireth their prayers that it may become an acceptable oblation to God both for himselfe and them By the ensueing secret prayers we are put in minde how our most milde and patient Sauiour was constrayned by the malitious Iewes to retyre himselfe from his beloued Hierusalem to the valley of Ephraim where priuately he informed the Disciples of his approaching death and passion Here say with a compassionate hart The petition O What incomparable great griefe oppressed thy tender hart o my most louing and deare Redeemer IESVS to see thy selfe most iniuriously excluded from thy beloued Hierusalem by these vngratefull Iewes From whence by due reflexion vpon my selfe I haue iust cause to be confounded with exceeding shame considering how often I haue by my enormous sinnes constrayned thee to abandon thy desired habitation in my soule Blessed Iesu for thy tender merci's sake vouchsafe that I neuer more be separated from thee but that in life and death in tyme in all Eternity thou maist be the sole possessor of my whole hart soule Amen At the Preface The Declaration THe Preface or entrance into the sacred Canon of the Masse which is said with a loude voyce and ends with that high exclamation to Christs honour and praise of Hosanna in Excelsis signifieth the solemne entrance of our Blessed Sauiour vpon Palme-sunday into Hierusalem with that generall cry and applause of all the people Blessed is he who commeth in the name of our Lord Hosanna in the highest Here say with true feruent affection The petition LEtt shame and iust confusion ouerwhelme my soule considering with what ioy the Iewes receiued this our most louing Redeemer they hauing had neither Faith nor certaine knowledge that he was the true Messias of the law whereas I hauing both remaine yet voyde of all true feruent loue piety or deuotion towards this my soueraine Lord whom the Angels praise Dominations adore and whose heauenly glory the Powers Virtues and Seraphins magnifie with mutuall gladnesse with whome lett vs also now ioyne our prayers and prayses saying Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbaoth the Heauens and Earth are full of thy glory blessed is he that commeth in the name of our Lord. Hosanna in the highest At the Canon of the Masse which beginnes at Te igitur c. The Declaration NOw followes the Canon of the Masse so called because it is a constant Rule and order which the Church obserueth in the celebration of this her highest sacrifice for it changeth not like other partes of the Masse which dayly differ according to the seuerall feastes and Mysteries which we celebrate but this being the principall part of the sacrifice is immutable as is the holy sacrifice it selfe and it puts vs in minde of the bloody agonie of our Blessed Sauiour in that prayer which he made in the garden sweating water and blood the night before his bitter passion forsaken of all his dearest friends but in most perfect conformity vnto his heauenly Fathers will In vnion and homage whereof say
it conserues our harts in perfect peace and though diuers occasions may hinder our prayer or the practise of some charitable good worke yet we haue alwayes the good oportunity giuen vs thereby to exercise the true vertue of Patience and holy Conformity which in that encounter will be much more pleasing to God and more effectuall for our perfection then would be those our other good actions which we intended to doe because therein our owne will is principally to be found but in this is the true will of God by the denyall of our owne wherein all true ad solid Christian perfection consists At the striking of the Clocke DVring the tyme of the day let the stricking of the Clock put you in minde of that vertue which in your morning prayer you resolued to practise that day or of the vice which you intended chiefly to shunn Let it be a renewing of the purity of your intention an awakeing the memory of Gods diuine presence and of his innumerable blessed benefitts bestowed vpon you offer vp our Lord IESVS with his infinit merits vnto the blessed Trinity as the most propitious sacrifice for your sinne Or finally raise vp your hart vnto God by this or some such like aspiration blessed be the houre wherein my Sauiour IESVS became Incarnate was borne and died for my sake It is a holy practise also to make then the signe of the Crosse vpon our hart offering to him thereby all our thoughts words and deeds crauing his grace that wemay neuer offend him grieuous ly thereby At the Aue Marie bell or the Angelus Domini THis is a verse ancient and pious deuotion generally obserued throughout the vniuersall Church to admonish vs both morning noone and night to make an humble and gratefull acknowledgment of thanks-giuing vnto the blessed Trinity for the chiefest Mysteries of our holy Faith by saying those three versicles adioyned to the Angelicall Salutation and the prayer there added at the end which deuotion is ordinarily called the Angelus Domini because so it beginnes And it is to be said in the morning in humble and thankfull acknowledgment of that most glorious Mystery of the Resurrection of our diuine Redeemer at noone in honour and memory of his most sacred death and Passion And finally in the Euening in homage and adoration of his blessed Incarnation and byrth This deuotion I recommend the more earnestly vnto you for that it being at the selfsame tyme so generally practised by Gods Catholike children throughout the vniuersall world you ioyne your selfe thereby to that holy vnion of so manie blessed good soules and makeing together with them your due oblation of all humble homage gratitude it will be much more acceptable to his diuine Sonne our only and most glorious Redeemer How to preuent disquiet of minde for such Crosses and afflictions as are most likely to befall vs. REflect oftentymes vpon these crosses that by foreseeing the occasions most likely in probability to fall out you may be the better prouided to resist and defend your selfe Offer them with a cheerefull hart to God in vnion of the sacred merits of IESVS-CHRIST whereby they may be made worthy to be accepted by him in pennance and expiation of your sinne But if for all this you finde your minde begin to be disquieted with them let reason conuince you that what is now without remedy ought not by fruitlesse vexation to increase your harme whereas by a sweet and milde regard with the eyes of your soule towards God adoring his blessed will and subiecting your selfe with a cheerefull conformity to his diuine and all-disposing Prouidence you would not only preserue a most weet happy repose of mâ—nde but also by a gratefull oblation and sacrifice vnto him of that little Crosse your gaines would inestimably exceed all losse whatsoeuer could happen thereby vnto you How to moderate our griefe conceiued at the suddaine newse of the death of some deare frend MOurning for the losse of frends is not to be blamed nature being allowed to shew its sense and feeling within the limits of Prudence and Reason in so iust a cause Thus Abraham bewayled the death of Sara his beloued wyfe Iacob deplored Ioseph conceiuing him as dead The Israelits bewayled the death of Moyses 30. dayes This IESVS-CHRIST himselfe approoned by his owne diuine example sighing and shedding teares for the death of Lazarus By all which we may conclude that moderate mourning for the death of frends is not reprooued it passing not due bounds nor to the notorious preiudice of our life or health which God and nature obleiges vs to preserue for the contrary would offend both God and the soules of our departed frends who euen in the paines of Purgatory are extreamely comforted with Gods blessed will and disposition euen in those their present sufferings It is therefore much more worthy of a Man to let reason preuaile with him for the cure of that which tyme would effect to his greater harme it being also most certaine that as immoderate griefe doth but hurt to the liuing so it doth no good at all to the dead it much hurtes our selues and is verie troublesome to others We must not lament saith S. Paul as the Gentils doe who neither haue assured hope as we nor are comforted with the expectation of an endlesse Blisse whereby he forbids not a moderate sorrow but only excesse which proceeds either from selfloue or from infidelity And therefore we must take heed saith S. Cyprian least we giue occasion for Pagans to think that all is but fables which Christians beleeue of the other life as in some sort they might haue cause by seeing vs so excessiuely to deplore those whom yet by death we beleeue to haue obtayned euerlasting felicity When our labours or sufferings grow teadious and seeme ouer burthensome vnto vs causing melancholy and sadnesse of hart and how to apply the remedy IN these occasions we must call to minde the laborious and wearisome paines which IESVS-CHRIST true God and man did suffer to satisfie for our offences and thereby to pourchace our saluation For which due gratitude exacts from vs that with cheerefull conformity to his blessed will we also embrace as well the laborious actions as also what sufferings soeuer he shall please to impose vpon vs. Craue huÌ„bly by earnest prayer that Gods diuine loue may be the sole possessor of your hart for enioying that you will haue both strength and courage for all the rest But if sadnesse or melancholy notwithstanding this shall deiect your hart you must then with a generous courage raise it vpp to praise with pious feruour your Creatour and mercifull Redeemer IESVS-CHRIST and in dispite of that dull heauinesse of minde reioyce with all cheerefull gratitude for that his goodnesse hath made you capable of so noble and happie an end for which he hath also afforded you so manie great and easie meanes whereby to obtayne the same for this will driue away that
faults those persons are so much to be blamed what then might we our selues deserue if all the great crymes whereof God sees vs guilty were lay'd open to Men. Let vs eleuate interiorly our harts and craue humbly his diuine grace for the amendment of our owne great faults which being so verie manie we haue small cause to busie our selues in looking after those of our neighbour and yet quite to the contrary none vsually doe looke more narrowly into other Mens faults and liues then they who make least accompt of their owne nor doe anie so seuerely examine the actions of others as those who are most licentious and haue least care to amend what belongs to themselues Be therefore verie carefull to auoyde all detraction in your owne discourse and discreetly endeauour to preuent it in others at least seeme not well pleased thereat or retyre your selfe discreetly and with the least offence you can from the companie Auoyde as much as may be all discourse about publike and state affaires experience well teaching vs that through a seeming zeale of the common good we are precipitately push't on to rash iudgment beyond the due respect we owe to soueraigne powers and to their chiefe Ministers whom oftentymes we notoriously iniure as also our owne soules and stand thereby by engaged to much more satisfaction then we can well conceiue which way to acquitt Finally speake euill of none but your-selfe neither busie your minde with other Mens faults but much rather about the mending of your owne and if by some detracting calumnie you shall be iniured I recommende to you the vertuous moderation of that morally diuine Plato well deseruing to be imitated by anie good Christian herein who once being tould by his frend of a notorious detraction whereby his Enemie had greatly preiudiced his good name he made this modest and verie lawdable reply I will endeauour to liue in such sort saith he as the world shall not beleeue that to be true which he hath reported of mee To conclude if you heare anie speake ill of their neighbour say with a holy Man in the like occasion O how much are we bound to God for his grace if we be not much worse our selues And therefore who well knowes but himselfe will neuer speake ill of an other but rather abhorre Detraction as an infectious poison to all good Conuersation for which the precedent discourse now sufficing the next shall bee Against Ieering Scoffing and all prophane discourse THe next neare adioyning vicious branch to Detraction Rash-iudgment is Ieering and vnciuill discourse which being so common and verie hurtfull to all humane Conuersation I will endeauour briefly to giue you here a character of this vice whereby beholding it's sinfull deformity you may the more be mooued to detest the same And for the better vnderstanding hereof it is to be obserued that there be two sorts of euill Iesters or Ieerers The first are such as mocke and scoffe at holy things and make but a ieast of our Faith or Religion of Sacraments Ceremonies and preaching c. yea they prophanely sport and make myrth with the sacred Scripture it selfe Of these the Prophet Hieremy much complayned ch 20. saying that the word of God which he preached was made but a iest and laughter Of this sort are such as ieering and laughing will say God is an honest good Man and will not be so hard to please The Diuell is not so black as they paint him Heauen is great there will be place enough for vs all These and such-like sacrilegious scoffs and mocks are most odious to God saith the holy prouerb c. 1. and his manie dreadfull punishments as likewise his angry and most fearefull threates to deride them also at the doubtfull houre of their death ought to be a sufficient warning for their speedy amendment as may be seene in this sadd example well deseruing a flood of bitter teares related by Doctor Sanders in his Schisme of England concerning K. Henry the eight where he attributes the deplorable destruction of Catholike Religion as a maine cause amongst the rest to those prophane and sacrilegious scoffings and blasphemous ieasts of Syr Francis Bryan the Kings bosome frend and of the Bullins race who thus in nature of a pleasant scoffing ieaster laboured to please the Kings licentious and luxurious humour by pernicious scoffs and ieares at all things which were sacred in the Church One amongst manie others not the least for impiety was this when being demanded by the wanton King what manner of sinne it was to lye with the daughter after he had abused the mother it was iust the same quoth this wicked Bryan as first hauing eaten the henne to feed afte wards vpon her chicken at which the King verie lowdely laughing ha Bryan said he and art thou not rightly indeed my infernall Vicar For so his accustomed blasphemous ieasting to the King had giuen him generally that name and after this he was commonly called by all the Kings Vicar of Hell By these sacrilegious and pernicious Ieeres he so fedd the Kings vicious humour as he also freed his libidinous and sinfull mind from all remorse so that by little and little his voluptuous hart became voyde of all scruple for his most horrid sacriledges which though this irreligious Sycophant by his deriding scoffs had made now to seeme ridiculous to the King yet we haue felt their sadd effects and haue had leasure aboue sixcore yeares to deplore them and the vnfortunate King much more who being come vnto the verie point of his vnhappy death he called for a cupp of white wyne and as taking his last farewell of that his most impious fauorit he dolefully pronounced those disparing words O Bryan all is lost and so immediately dyed leauing thereby for our instruction a sufficient warning against scoffing and all manner of iesting at holy things The other sort of euill iesters are such as scoffe and Ieere at the defects of other Men as did those vngracious children at the Prophet Elizeus for his bald head whom God presently reuenged by wylde beares who deuoured them euery one 4. Kings 2. This scoffing and ieering is verie vsuall at naturall defects as at want of witt want of comelinesse of riches or some corporall sense c. Others much more sinfully mocke at deuotion and vertue calling Piety Hipocrisy Patience Simplicity Cowardlinesse a good Confcience they call Scrupulosity Affability sillinesse and finally there is no vertue which hath not by them it's taunt and ieere for the simplicity of the iust man is scorned saith Iob. c. 12. but let them beware in good tyme and not be deceiued for God will not be long mocked by them saith S. Paul and Michol K. Dauids wyfe experienced her iust punishment by a perpetuall disgrace of sterility for ieering and deriding that holy King when shee beheld him in great humility meanely cloathed dancing and playing musicke vp pona harpe before the Arke of God 2.