wherof he maketh mention in his writings As also al godly men by his example have used the like helps since for the better resisting of sinful temptations when need required and the like Wherof I could here recite great store of examples out of the holy fathers which would make a man to woonder and afeard also if he were not past fear to see what extream pain and diligence those first Christians tooke in watching every little sleight of the devil and in resisting every little temptation or cogitation of sin wheras we never think of the matter nor make account either of cogitation consent of hart word or work but do yeeld to al whatsoever our concupiscence moveth us unto do swalow down every hook laid vs by the devil and most greedily do devour every poisoned pleasant bait which is offered by the enimy for the destruction of our souls and thus much about resisting of sin 9 But now touching the second point which is continual exercising our selves in good works it is evident in itselfe that we utterly fail for the most part of us in the same I have shewed before how we are in scripture cōmanded to do them without ceasing and most diligently whiles we have time of day to do them in for as Christ saith The night wil come when no man can work any more I might also shew how certein of our forefathers the saints of God were most diligent and careful in doing good works in their dais even as the husbandman is careful to cast seed into the ground whiles fair weather lasteth and the merchant to lay out his mony whiles the good market endureth They knew the time would not last long which they had to work in and therfore they bestirred themselves whiles opportunitie served they never ceased but came from one good work to another wel knowing what they did and how good and acceptable service it was unto God 10 If there were nothing els to proove their wonderful care and diligence herein yet the infinite monuments of their almes-deeds yet extant to the world are sufficient testimonies of the same to wit the infinite churches builded and indued with great abundant maintenance for the ministers of the same so manie schooles colledges vniversities so many bridges highwais and publik commodities Which charitable deeds and a thousand mo both private and publik secret and open which I cannot report came out of the purses of our good ancesters who oftentimes not only gave of their abundance but also saved from their own mouths and bestowed it upon deeds of charitie to the glorie of God and benefit of others Wheras we are so far of from giving awaie our necessaries as we wil not bestow our very superfluities but wil imploy them rather upon hawks and dogs and other brute beasts and somtimes also upon much viler uses than to the releefe of our poore brethren 11 Alas deer brother to what a carelesse and senseles estate are we come touching our own salvation and damnation S. Paul crieth out unto us Work your own salvation with fear and trembling and yet no man for that maketh account therof S. Peter warneth us gravely and earnestly Brethren take you great care to make your vocation and election sure by good works and yet who almost wil think upon them Christ himselfe thundereth in these words I tel you make your selves frinds in this world of uniust mammon that when you faint they may receive you into eternal tabernacles And yet for al that we are not moved herewithal so dead we are and lumpish to al goodnes 12 If God did exhort us to good deeds for his own commoditie or for any gain that he is to take therby yet in reason we ought to pleasure him therin seing we have receaved al from his only liberalitie before But seing he asketh it at our hands for no need of his own but only for our gain to pay us home again with advantage it is more reason we should harken unto him If a common honest man upon earth should invite us to do a thing promising us of his honestie a sufficient reward we would beleve him but God making infinit promises unto us in scripture of eternal reward to our wel doing as that we shal eat with him drink with him raigne with him possesse heaven with him and the like can not move us notwithstanding to works of charitie But bicause those forefathers of ours were moved herewithal as having harts of softer metal than ours are of therfore they brought foorth such abundant fruit as I have shewed 13 Of al this then that I have said the godly Christian may gather first the lamentable estate of the world at this day when amongst the smal number of those which bear the name of Christians so many are like to perish for not performing of these two principal points of their uocation Secondly he may gather the cause of the infinit difference of reward for good and evil in the life to come which some men wil seeme to marvel at but in deed is most just and reasonable considering the great diversitie of life in good and evil men whiles they are in this world For the good man doth not only endevor to avoid sin but also by resisting the same daily and hourly encreaseth in the fauor of God The loose man by yeelding consent to his concupiscence doth not only lose the favor of God but also doubleth sin upon sin without number The good man besides avoiding sin doth infinit good works at the least wise in desire and hart wher greter abilitie serveth not But the wicked man neither in hart nor deed doth any good at al but rather seeketh in place therof to do hurt The good man imploieth al his mind hart words and hands to the service of God and of his servants for his sake But the wicked man bendeth al his force and powers both of body and mind to the service of vanities the world his flesh Insomuch that as the good man increaseth hourly in the favor of God to which is du increase of grace and glory in heaven so the evil from time to time in thought word or deed or in al at once heapeth up sin and damnation upon himself to which is du vengeance and increase of torments in hel and in this contrarie course they passe over their lives for twentie thirtie or fortie yeeres and so come to die And is it not reason now that seeing there is so great diversitie in their estates there should be as great or more diversitie also in their reward Especially seeing God is a great God and rewardeth smal things with great wages either of everlasting glorie or everlasting pain Thirdly and lastly the diligent and careful Christian may gather of this what great cause he hath to put in practise the godly counsel of Saint Paul which is That every man should prove
that to persuade our selves the contrarie therof were to mok and abuse God which hath laied down this law unto us 20 Notwithstanding as I have said this barreth not the mercie of God from using a priuilege to some at the very last cast But yet miserable is that man which placeth the ankor of his eternal wealth or wo upon so ticklesome a point as this is I cal it ticklesome for that al divines which have written of this matter do speak very dowtfully of the conversion of a man at the last end And although they do not absolutely condemn it in al but do leave it as uncertain unto Gods secret judgement yet do they incline to the negative part and do alledge four reasons for which that conversion is to be dowted as insufficient for a mans salvation 21 The first reason is for that the extreme fear and pains of death being as the philosopher saith the most terrible of al terrible things do not permit a man so to gather his spirits and senses at that time as is required for the treating of so weightie a matter with God as is our conversion and salvation And if we see often that a very good man cannot fix his mind earnestly upon heavenly cogitations at such time as he is troubled with the passions of cholik or other sharp diseases how much lesse in the anguishes of death can a worldly man do the same being unacquainted with that exercise and loden with the guilt of many and great sins and cloied with the love both of his bodie and things belonging therunto 22 The second reason is for that the conversion which a man maketh at the last day is not for the most part voluntarie but upon necessitie and for fear such as was the repentance of Simei who having greevously offended king David in time of his affliction afterward when he saw him in prosperitie again himselfe in danger of punishment he came and fel down before him and asked him forgivenes with tears But yet David wel perceived the matter how it stood and therfore though he spared him for that day wherin he would not trouble the mirth with execution of justice yet after he gave order that he should be used according to his deserts 23 The third reason is for that the custome of sin which hath continued al the life long is seldome remooved upon the instant being grown into nature it selfe as it were for which cause God saith to evil men by the prophet Ieremie If an Ethiopian can change his blak skin or a leopard his spots that are on his bak then can you also do wel having learned al dais of your life to do evil 24 The fourth cause for that the acts of vertu themselves cannot be of so great valu with God in that instant as if they had been done in time of health before For what great matter is it for example sake to pardon thine enimies at that time when thou canst hurt them no more To give thy goods away when thou canst use them no more To abandon thy concubine when thou canst keepe hir no longer To leave off to sin when sin must leave thee Al these things are good and holie and to be done by him which is in that last state but yet they are of no such valu as otherwise they would be by reason of this circumstance of time which I have shewed B. * A fift reason might be taken of experience for that we see oft times that such as repent after that maner if they recover again they are afterward as bad as they were before and somtimes much woorse which without quaestion was not tru repentance in them 25 These are reasons why there is such dowt made of this last conversion not for any want on Gods part but on theirs which are to do that great act Mark wel saith one again what I say and it may be it shal be needful to expound my meaning more plainly least any man mistake me What say I then That a man which repenteth not but at the end shal be damned I do not say so What then Do I say he shal be saved No. What then do I say I say I know not I say I presume not I promise not I know not Wilt thou deliver thy selfe foorth of this dowt Wilt thou escape this dangerous and uncertain point Repent then whiles thou art whole For if thou repent while thou art in health whensoever the last day shal come upon thee thou art safe And why art thou safe For that thou didst repent in that time wherin thou mightest have sinned But if thou wilt repent then when thou canst sin no longer thou leavest not sin but sin leaveth thee 26 And heer now would I have the careful Christian to consider with me but this one comparison that I wil make If those which do shew a kind of repentance at the last day do passe hence notwithstanding in such dangerous dowtfulnes what shal we think of al those which lak either time or ability or wil or grace to repent at al at that hour What shal we say of al those which are cut off before Which dy suddenly Which are striken senseles or frentik as we see manie are What shal we say of those which are abandoned by God and left unto vice even unto the last breath in their bodie I have shewed before out of Saint Paul that ordinarily sinners die according as they live So it is as it were a privilege for a wicked man to have his repentance to be begun when he is to die And then if his repentance when it doth come be so dowtful what a pittiful case are al others in I mean the more part which repent not at al but die as they lived and are forsaken of God in that extremitie according as he promiseth when he saith For that I have called you and you have refused to come for that I held out my hand and none of you would vouchsafe to looke towards I wil laugh also at your destruction when anguish and calamitie commeth on you You shal cal upon me and I wil not hear you shal rise betimes in the morning to see me but you shal not find me 27 When a worldling doth see that the brightnes of his honor vainglorie and worldly pomp is consumed when the heat of concupiscence of carnal love of delicate pleasures is quenched when the beautiful summer day of this life is ended and the boisterous winter night of death draweth on then wil he turn unto God then wil he repent then wil he resolve himselfe and make his conversion When he can live no longer he wil promise any pains what hearing or studieng of the word of God you wil what toil or labor in his vocation you wil what praier you wil what fasting you wil what alms deeds you can desire what austeritie you can imagin he
caused him to yeeld and put off not only his cloke but also his cote Wherby is ment saith this father that the allurements of pleasure are more strong harder to be resisted than the violence of persecution The like is shewed by the example of David who resisted easilie many assaults of adversitie but yet fel dangerouslie in time of prosperitie Wherby appeereth that vertuous men have no lesse war in time of peace than in time of persecution and that never there wanteth occasion of bearing the crosse and suffering affliction to him that wil accept of the same And this may suffice for this first point to proove that every man must enter into heaven by tribulation as Saint Paul saith 7 Touching the second why God would have this matter so it were sufficient to answer that it pleased him best so without seeking any further reason of his meaning heerin even as it pleased him without al reason in our sight to abase his Son so much as to send him hither into this world to suffer and die for us Or if we wil needs have a reason heerof this one might be sufficient for al that seeing we look for so great a glory as we do we should labor a little first for the same and so be made somwhat woorthy of Gods favor exaltation But yet for that it hath pleased his divine majestie not only to open unto us his wil and determination for our suffering in this life but also divers reasons of his most holie purpose and pleasure therin for our further encouragement and consolation which do suffer I wil in this place repeat some of the same for declaration of his exceeding great love and fatherly care towards us 8 The first cause then and the most principal is to increase therby our glorie in the life to come For having appointed by his eternal wisdome and justice that none shal be crowned there but such as endure in some good measure a fight in this world the more and greater combats that he giveth togither with sufficient grace to overcome therin the greater crown of glorie prepareth he for us at our resurrection This cause toucheth the apostle in the words alledged of the saints of the old testament to wit that they received no deliverance from their miseries in this world to the end they might find a better resurrection in the world to come This also ment Christ expresly when he said Happie are they which suffer persecution for theirs is the kingdome of heaven happie are you when men speak evil and persecute you c. Reioice and be glad I say for that your reward is great in heaven Hither also do appertain al those promises Of gaining life by leesing life of receiving a hundred for one and the like Heerhence do proceed al those large promises to mortification and newnes of life In both which are great conflicts against the flesh world and our own sensualitie and cannot be performed but by sufferings and affliction Finally Saint Paul declareth this matter fully when he saith That a little and short tribulation in this life worketh a weight of glorie above al measure in the hight of heaven 9 The second cause why God appointed this is to draw us therby from the love of the world his professed enimie as in the next chapter shal be shewed at large This cause Saint Paul uttereth in these words We are punished of God to the end we should not be damned with this world Even then as a nurse that to wean hir child from the liking of hir milk doth annoint hir teat with alloes or some other such bitter thing so our merciful father that would retire us from the love of worldly delites wherby infinite men do perish daily useth to send tribulation which of al other things hath most force to work that effect as we see in the example of the prodigal son who could by no means be staied from his pleasures but only by affliction 10 Thirdly God useth tribulation as a most present and sovereign medicin to heal us of many diseases otherwise almost incurable As first of a certain blindnes and carelesse negligence in our estate contracted by wealth and prosperitie In which sense the scripture saith that Affliction giveth understanding And the wise man affirmeth that The rod bringeth wisdom as also the sight of Toby was restored by the bitter gall of a fish And we have cleer examples in Nabuchodonosor Saul Antiochus and Manasses al which came to see their own faults by tribulation which they would never have done in time of prosperitie The like we read of the brethren of Ioseph who falling into som affliction in Egypt presently entered into their own conscience and said We suffer those things woorthily for that we sinned against our brother And as tribulation bringeth this light wherby we see our own defects so helpeth it greatly to remoove and cure the same wherin it may be wel likened unto the rod of Moises For as that rod striking the hard rocks brought foorth water as the scripture saith so this rod of affliction falling upon stonie harted sinners mollifieth them to contrition and oftentimes bringeth foorth the fluds of tears to repentance In respect wherof holie Toby saith to God In time of tribulation thou forgivest sin And for like effect it is compared also to a file of iron which taketh away the rust of the soul also to a purgation that driveth out corrupt humors and finally to a goldsmiths fire which consumeth away the reffuse metals and fineth the gold to his perfection I wil try thee by fire to the quik saith God to a sinner by Esay the prophet and I wil take away al thy tin and reffuse metal And again by Ieremie I wil melt them and try them by fire This he ment of the fire of tribulation whose propertie is according as the scripture saith to purge and fine the soul as fire purgeth and fineth gold in the fornace For besides the purging and remooving of greater sins by consideration and contrition which tribulation worketh as hath ben shewed it purgeth also the rust of infinit evil passions appetites and humors in man as the humor of pride of vain glorie of sloth of choler of delicate nisenes and a thousand mo which prosperitie ingendereth in us This God declareth by the prophet Ezechiel saieng of a rustie soul Put hir naked upon the hot coles and let hir heat there until hir brasse be melted from hir and until hir corruption be burned out and hir rust consumed There hath been much labor and sweat taken about hir and yet hir over-much rust is not gone out of hir This also signifieth holy Iob when having said that God instructeth a man by discipline or correction to the end he may turn him from the things that he hath done and deliver him from pride which
dul harted Why do you love vanitie and seek after a lie He calleth the world not a lier but a lie it selfe for the exceeding great fraud and deceit which it useth 38 The third name or propertie that Christ ascribeth unto the pleasures and riches of the world is that they are thorns of which Saint Gregorie writeth thus Who ever would have beleeved me if I had called riches thorns as Christ heer doth seeing thorns do prik and riches are so pleasant And yet surely they are thorns for that with the priks of their careful cogitations they tear and make bloody the minds of worldly men By which words this holie father signifieth that even as a mans naked bodie tossed and tombled among manie thorns cannot be but much rent and torn and made bloodie with the pricks therof so a worldly mans soul beaten with the cares and cogitations of this life cannot but be vexed with restles pricking of the same and wounded also with manie temptations of sin which do occur This doth Salomon in the places before alledged signifie when he doth not only cal the riches and pleasures of this world Vanitie of vanities that is the greatest vanitie of al other vanities but also Affliction of spirit giving us to understand that where these vanities are and the love of them once entered there is no more the peace of God which passeth al understanding there is no longer rest or quiet of mind but war of desires vexation of thoughts tribulation of fears pricking of cares unquietnes of soul which is indeed a most miserable and pittiful affliction of spirit 39 And the reason heerof is that as a clok can never stand stil from running so long as the peazes do hang therat so a worldly man having infinite cares cogitations and anxieties hanging upon his mind as peazes upon the clok can never have rest or repose day or night but is inforced to beat his brains when other men sleep for the compassing of those trifles wherwith he is incombred Oh how manie rich men in the world do feel to be tru that I now say How many ambitious men do proove it daily and yet wil not deliver themselves out of the same 40 Of al the plaegs sent unto Egypt that of the flies was one of the most troublesome and fastidious For they never suffered men to rest but the more they were beaten off the more they came upon them So of al the miseries and vexations that God laieth upon worldlings this is not the lest to be tormented with the cares of that which they esteem their greatest felicitie and cannot beat them off by any means they can devise They rush upon them in the morning as soone as they awake they accompanie them in the day they forsake them not at night they follow them to bed they let them from their sleep they afflict them in their dreams and finally they are like to those importune and unmerciful tyrans which God threateneth to wicked men by Ieremie the prophet Qui nocte ac die non dabunt requiem Which shal give them no rest either by day or night and the cause heerof which God alledgeth in the same chapter is Quia abstuli pacem meam à populo isto dicit Dominus misericordiam miserationes for that I have taken away my peace from this kind of people saith God I have taken away my mercie and commiserations a very heavy sentence to al them that lie under the yoke and bondage of these miserable vanities 41 But yet the prophet Esay hath a much more terrible description of these mens estate They put their trust in things of nothing and do talk vanities they conceive labor and bring foorth iniquitie they break the egs of serpents and weave the webs of spiders he that shal eat their egs shal die and that which is hatched thence shal be a cocatrice their webs shal not make cloth to cover them for that their works are unprofitable and the work of iniquitie is in their hands These are the words of Esay declaring unto us by most significant similitudes how dangerous thorns the riches and pleasures of this world are And first he saith They put their hope in things of nothing and do talk vanities to signifie that he meaneth of the vanities and vain men of this world who commonly do talk of the things which they love best wherin they place their gretest affiance Secondly he saith They conceive labor and bring foorth iniquitie Alluding heerin to the child-birth of women who first do conceive in their womb and after a great deal of travel do bring foorth their infant so worldly men after a great time of travel and labor in vanities do bring foorth no other fruit than sin and iniquitie For that is the effect of those vanities as he speaketh in the same chapter crieng out to such kind of men Wo be unto you which do draw iniquitie in the ropes of vanitie 42 But yet to expresse this matter more forcibly he useth two other similitudes saieng They break the egs of serpents and do weave the webs of spiders Signifieng by the one the vanitie of these worldly cares and by the other the danger therof The spider we see taketh great pains and labor many dais togither to weave hir selfe a web and in the end when al is done commeth a puff of wind or some other little matter and breaketh al in peeces Even as he in the Gospel which had taken great travel and care in heaping riches togither in plucking down his old barns building up of new and when he was come to say to his soul Now be merry That night his soul was taken from him and al his labor lost Therfore Esay saith in this place that The webs of these weavers shal not make them cloth to cover them withal for that their works are unprofitable 43 The other comparison containeth matter of great danger and fear For as the bird that sitteth upon the egs of serpents by breaking and hatching them bringeth foorth a perilous broode to hir own destruction so those that sit abroode upon these vanities of the world saith Esay do hatch at last their own destruction The reason wherof is as he saith For that the work of iniquitie is in their hand Stil harping upon this string that a man cannot love and follow these vanities or intangle himselfe with their ropes as his phrase is but that he must indeed draw on much iniquitie therwith that is he most mingle much sin and offence of God with the same which effect of sin bicause it killeth the soul that consenteth unto it therfore Esay compareth it unto the broode of serpents that killeth the bird which bringeth them foorth to the world And finally Moises useth the like similitudes when he saith of vain and wicked men Their vineyard is the vineyard of Sodomites their grape is the grape of
deceits which keepe bak from the same he runneth to this only refuge that is to persuade men that they defer a little and that in time to come they shal have better occasion and opportunitie to do it than presently they have 3 This Saint Austen prooved in his conversion as himselfe writeth For that after he was persuaded that no salvation could be unto him but by change amendement of his life yet the enimie held him for a time in delay saieng unto him Yet a little stay yet defer for a time therby as he saith to bind him more fast in the custome of sin until by the omnipotent power of Gods grace and his own most earnest endevor he brake violently from him crieng to God Why shal I longer say to-morrow to-morrow Why shal I not do it even at this instant And so he did even in his verie youth living afterward a most holie and severe Christian life 4 But if we wil discover yet further the greatnes and peril of this deceit let us consider the causes that may let our resolution and conversion at this present and we shal see them al increased and strengthened by delay and consequently the matter made more hard and difficult for the time to come than now it is For first as I have said the continuance of sin bringeth custome which once having gotten prescription upon us is so hard to remoove as by experience we proove daily in al habits that have taken roote within us Who can remoove for examples sake without great difficultie a long custome of droonkennes Of swearing Or of any other evil habit once setled upon us Secondly the longer we persist in our sinful life the more God plucketh his grace and assistance from us which is the only mean that maketh the way of vertu easie unto men Thirdly the power and kingdome of the divel is more established and confirmed in us by continuance and so the more harder to be remooved Fourthly the good inclination of our wil is more and more weakened and daunted by frequentation of sin though not extinguished Fiftly the faculties of our mind are more corrupted as the understanding is more darkened the wil more perverted the appetite more disordered Sixtly and lastly our inferior parts and passions are more stirred up and strengthened against the rule of reason and harder to be repressed by continuance of time than they were before 5 Wel then put al this togither my frind and consider indifferently within thy self whether it be more likely that thou shalt rather make this resolution heerafter than now Heerafter I say when by longer custome of sin the habit shal be more fastened in thee the divel more in possession upon thee Gods help further off from thee thy mind more infected thy judgment more weakened thy good desires extinguished thy passions confirmed thy bodie corrupted thy strength diminished and al thy whole Common-wealth more perverted 6 We see by experience that a ship which leaketh is more easily empited at the beginning than afterward We see that a ruinous pallace the longer it is let run the more charge and labor it wil require in the repairing We see that if a man drive in a nail with a hammer the mo blowes he giveth to it the more hard it is to pluk it out again How then thinkest thou to commit sin upon sin and by perseverance therin to find the redresse more easie hereafter than now That were much like as if a good fellow that having made to himselfe a great burden to carry should assay it on his bak and for that it sat uneasie and pressed him much should cast it down again and put a great deal more unto it and then begin to lift it again but when he felt it more heavie than before he should fal into a great rage and ad twise as much more to it therby to make it lighter For so do the children of the world who finding it somwhat unpleasant to resist one or two vices in the beginning do defer their conversion and do ad twentie or fortie mo unto them thinking to find the matter more easie afterward 7 Saint Austen expounding the miracle of our savior in raising Lazarus from death to life which had been dead now four dais as the evangelist saith examineth the cause why Christ wept and cried and troubled himselfe in spirit before the doing of his act wheras he raised others with greater facilitie and out of it giveth this lesson to us that as Lazarus was dead four dais and also buried so are there four degrees of a sinner the first in voluntary delectation of sin the second in consent the third in fulfilling it by work the fourth in continuance or custome therof wherin whosoever is once buried saith this holie father he is hardly raised to life again without a great miracle of God and many tears of his own part 8 The reason heerof is that which the wise man saith Languor prolixior gravat medicum An old siknes doth trouble the physition Brevem autem languorem praecidit medicus But the physition cutteth off quikly a new or fresh disease which hath indured but a litle time The very bones of an old wicked man shal be replenished with the vices of his youth saith Iob and they shal sleep with him in the dust when he goeth to the grave We read that Moises in part of punishment to the people that had sinned in adoring the golden calfe broke the same in peeces made them drink it So the vices wherin we delited during our youth are so dispersed by custom in our bodies bones that when old age doth come on we can not rid them at our pleasure without great difficultie and pain What folly then is it to defer our amendement unto our old age when we shal have more impediments and difficulties by a great deal then we have now 9 If it seem hard to thee to amend thy life now painfully to be occupied in thy calling and withal for thy better help to fast to pray and to take upon thee other exercises which the word of God prescribeth to sinners to their conversion how wilt thou do it in thine old age When thy bodie shal have more need of cherishing than of painful exercise If thou find it unpleasant to resist thy sins now and to root them out after the continuance of two three or four yeers what wil it be after twentie yeers more adjoined unto them How mad a man wouldest thou esteem him that traveling on the way and having great choise of lustie strong horses should let them al go emptie and lay al his carriage upon some one poore and lean beast that could scarse beare it selfe or much lesse stand under so many bags cast up on it And surely no lesse unreasonable is that man who passing over idlely the lusty dais and times of his life reserveth al the
take it warrant inough for thē to touch us so neer as they did Their punishment was very extreme both in that they did to our persons by imprisonment torments cruel death and in that they made the cause haeresie and so overwhelmed us with the greatest reproch that could be devised Wheras notwithstanding neither the traditions that the church appointeth and wherof there may somtimes be had a verie good use nor the profit or superioritie of their prelacie are of that importance that they may make them matter of death nor haeretiks those that speak against them When they saw it come to that point even common charitie me think should have obtained thus much of them that neither they would have urged their own traditions so far nor stood so stiff to their profit or honor but that the life of those their brethren might have obtained some mitigation especially when as the substance of christianitie may stand without them as in ancient time it is known to have done for manie hundred yeers togither The practises that they use against us now are so wel known unto al and so greevous I think to the greater and better part of themselves to hear of that forsomuch as we do not use to greeve those whom we would persuade it is not needful heer to display them although we take them so far to exceed in that kind as that lightly they cannot be over-matched with any such like of the former ages But it shal be sufficient for them to consider but this one point only whether those practises of theirs be not so contrarie to the civile state as that they cannot stand togither but that the establishing of the one must needs be the overthrow of the other If it be so which I think they wil quikly finde then may themselves also be able to gather that such execution as now is done on certain of them is not onlie just but needful also and such as in no wise might be omitted til themselves do grow to better advisement 11 That other hinderance of the lesser sort that doth somwhat respect the cause in variance betwixt us is for that they wil seem to suppose though indeed it otherwise seemeth that manie of them are not so persuaded for which cause I have put this but among their lesser hinderances that how much soever we praetend to have the word of God to direct us in al our doings yet by the means of wrong translations we have it nothing at al indeed and therfore that it may stand with great probabilitie that so much as we swerve from our adversaries in those our doings so much also should it seem that we swerve from the word of God it self And this heertofore they have but seldom and more faintly alledged but now of late they have avouched it with greater confidence upon the hope of sufficient ground that they have conceived by those quarreling labors of master Martin and certain others of the Seminarie at Remes about the translation of the new testament that they have put foorth in the English toong Wherin how injurious they are unto us and how far they have overslipped themselves although it do alreadie sufficiently appeer both in the weaknes of their own doings and in the labors of others therin as also we trust that so it wil yet further appeer every day more than other yet to help forward the weaker and those that are not able to judge of the toongs by an easier way I would wish them to be somwhat better advised what is the advantage they seem to have gotten therby if the case so stood that we had been overseen in our translations in al those things that they lay to our charge and that they had therin attained unto the truer sense of the text For though so it were yet notwithstanding if we come to the matter that is to consider how weightie those points of religion are that they would seem to have gained therby although at the first they carrie with them a glorious shew yet in truth their advantage would so also fal out to be very smal both in respect of those places themselves and in respect of al the residu that they leave unto us untouched by them For if in those very places wherin they think they have special advantage against our translations in the substance of the matter notwithstanding they gain little therby then howsoever our translators have overslipped themselves yet do our adversaries get therby no sound advantage in respect of the cause that they do defend So likewise if those places wherin they finde fault with us be very few in respect of the rest that they leave untouched then do they both justifie our fidelitie in translating of them and not only make themselves and their doctrines liable unto the trial of them but also bar themselves for ever to lay to our charge in so absolute maner as they do that we have not the scriptures among us For unlesse they can shew that such as we have in such sort translated as that themselves do finde no fault therwith do not contain the effect and substance of the Christian faith which as yet I think not one of them al did ever alledge or lean unto for his warrant therin it is not for them to lay to our charge though in al those points we had been deceived that we have not the word of God among us so far as it is needful for our ful instruction in the faith and doctrine of Christ. Therfore to let passe whether we have rightly translated or not let us a little enter into the consideration of the matter it selfe and see what advantage themselves may hope to have gotten therby Which course if we take then do we finde that in their discoverie they do charge us two principal wais first with divers things more specially by name in the first twentie chapters then with a pak of others togither as matters belike of lesse importance in two of the last We are charged by name first of al with our inward meaning that of purpose we translate the holie scriptures falsely in favor of the haeresies that they suppose us to hold in the first chapter then with our open and plain dealings correspondent as they say to so il a meaning in al the rest unto the end of the twentith chapter And hitherto the method is good and the order plain and therfore have I set these things down as they stand there In that which followeth it seemeth that it was not the authors purpose to digest them into a method but only to make recital of them as they came to hand Nevertheles that to us both it may appeer more plainly what they or we have gained or lost by our translations in the pith or substance of religion it shal be good for both parts to lay them foorth in some plain easie method Those doings of ours therfore that they charge
A Booke of Christian exercise appertaining to RESOLVTION that is shewing how that we should resolve our selves to become Christians in deed by R. P. Perused and accompanied now with a Treatise tending to Pacification by Edm. BVNNY Heb. 13 8. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever Imprinted at London by N. Newton and A. Hatfield for Iohn Wight 1584. Hoc insigne priùs proavis musÃsque decorum Postremò Petri concelebravit honos TO THE MOST REverend Father in God his very good Lord and Patron EDWIN by the providence of God Archbishop of York Primate of England and Metropolitan c. MAY it please your Grace to understand that wheras at the first by a frind of mine and after by mine own experience I perceived that the booke insuing was willingly read by divers for the persuasion that it hath to godlines of life which notwithstanding in manie points was corruptly set down I thought good in the end to get the same published againe in some better manner than now it is come foorth among them that so the good that the reading therof might otherwise do might carrie no hurt or danger withal so far as by me might be praevented For this cause I have taken the pains both to purge it of certain points that carried either some manifest error or else some other inconvenience with them and to join another short Treatise withal to â—â—â—ort those that are not yet persuaded to join with us likewise in the truth of Religion For so to accept of our adversaries labors so much as is good may I trust bring to passe with some few of them that themselves wil better perceive that wherin they shal do wel they may looke to be as readily incouraged by us as when they do il to be admonished or reprehended either as the case doth require and others likewise of their welwillers yet notwithstanding in this varie from them that they stand more indifferent in the cause of religion and mean not otherwise to persist in their opinions but so far as they think they have reason for them may so be the rather induced to assure them selves as the truth indeed is that wherin they have sufficient warrant for the points that they stand on they are not in any wise misliked by us but onlie for those wherin they have no sufficient groundwork to bear them out I was also very glad both that some of them had taken pains in that kind of labor and that others of their profession were somtimes occupied in reading of such For wheras by their bookes that are of the Controversies the readers of them that are before smitted with that kind of infestion are oft times therby the more intangled in their errors and more kindled likewise with inordinate heat against al those that more sincerely hold the Christian faith by this kind of labor it may fal out that comming therby to the fear of God though but after a corrupter maner yet therin may they possibly finde a readie way first to draw them somwhat on to a better advisement of their wais and then after that to espie their wonted errors likewise and to join with us in the truth of religion In which course the better to help them I have added this other Treatise withal so to bring before their eies how the case for that matter doth stand betwixt us and how little cause there is for them so much to be afraid of our profession as some have born them in hand that they ought trusting withal that as they do already agree with us in many points of great importance so they can be content to condescend unto us in the rest likewise if it may appeer unto them that in so doing they shal do none otherwise than as of conscience and dutie they ought Both which bookes when I thought to have praesented unto your Grace I was for a time staied by this for that I thought them not a praesent woorthie inough in respect of my labors therin But when I did more deeply consider that I might very wel hope of better acceptance than the strict woorthines of the thing should deserve I was then fully resolved to be so bold as to praesent your G. with them such as they be and for whatsoever wanteth either in them or me to rest in the good assurance that I have that your G. wil notwithstanding of your own inclination in good part take them As also I take it that I am by good reason induced so to do both for that the dignitie of your place in the church of God among us and mine own special dutie besides doth of right require it and much more than it if mine abilitie might accordingly serve and the nature of the matter in one principal point is such as that by a certain kind of necessitie it leadeth me therunto For wheras it may be the persuasion of some that no such work as is at the first so corrupt in it selfe should be brought foorth to light by any of us though never so warily we purged it before wherin notwithstanding there be many good reasons to ground upon for those that are otherwise minded hence is it that your Graces censure especially heer in these parts is of me and others of the same jurisdiction especially to be regarded for the place that God hath given you among us In which kind of labor as Castalion first then also Maister Rogers have done very wel in that little booke of Kempicius that is called The Imitation of Christ leaving out the corruption of it and taking onlie that which was sound so hath Iohn Baptist Fikler been very bold in wresting that which another had written so wel of the power of the magistrate over his subjects and the dutie of subjects to him again altogither to the establishing of the Popes supremacie and to animate their own confoederates against their godlie and lawful princes changing nothing else to speak of but those very titles and otherwise using the others matter method and stile Nevertheles as the former of these examples shew us how such things may rightly be used so the other likewise may admonish those that would mislike to have their oversights so holpen that they had need as much to go about to excuse their own fellows as to impugn any others therfore that use their freedom more moderately As for my selfe having used my libertie so easily as I have done altering no more than need required and doing the same in quiet maner without any greefe against the Author whosoever it were or disgrace to his doings so much as might be not betraieng the truth I am the lesse careful under the protection of your Graces censure either of the censure or assalts of others that are more led by affection than reason To be short wheras the former of these two bookes calleth men from the love of the world and the latter likewise doth cal men from their
their minds may be altered and they yeeld themselues unto the humble and sweet service of their Lord and Saviour and that the Angels in heaven may rejoice and triumph of their regaining as of sheepe most dangerously lost before CHAP. II. How necessarie it is to enter into earnest consideration and meditation of our estate THE prophet Ieremie after a long complaint of the miseries of his time fallen upon the Iewes by reason of their sins vttereth the cause thereof in these words Al the earth is fallen into utter desolation for that there is no man which considereth deeply in his hart Signifieng hereby that if the Iewes would haue entered into deepe and earnest consideration of their liues and estate before that great desolation fel vpon them they might haue escaped the same as the Niniuites did by the fore-warning of Ionas albeit the sword was now drawen and the hand of God stretched out within fortie daies to destroy them So important a thing is this consideration In figure wherof al beasts in old time which did not ruminate or chew their cud were accounted vnclean by the law of Moises as no dowt but that soule in the sight of God must needs be which resolveth not in hart nor cheweth in often meditation of minde the things required at hir hands in this life 2 For of want of this consideration and du meditation all the foul errors of the world are committed and many thousand Christians do find themselves within the verie gates of hel before they mistrust any such matter towards them being caried thorough the vale of this life blindfolded with the veile of negligence and inconsideration as beasts to the slawghter how 's and never suffered to see their own danger vntil it be too late to remedie the same 3 For this cause the holy scripture doth recommend vnto us most carefully this exercise of meditation and diligent consideration of our duties to deliver us thereby from the peril which inconsideration leadeth us unto 4 Moises hauing delivered to the people his embassage from God touching al particulars of the law addeth this clause also from God as most necessarie These words must remain in thy hart thou shalt meditate vpon them both at home and abroad when thou goest to bed and when thou risest again in the morning And again in another place Teach your children these things that they may meditate in their harts upon them The like commandement was given by God himselfe to Iosua at his first election to govern the people to wit that he should meditate vpon the law of Moises both day night to the end he might keepe and perform the things written therein And God addeth presently the commoditie he should reap thereof For then saith he shalt thou direct thy way aright and shalt vnderstand the same Signifieng that without this meditation a man goeth both amisse and also blindly not knowing himselfe whither 5 Saint Paul having described vnto his scholler Timothie the perfect dutie of a Prelate addeth this advertisement in the end Haec meditare Meditate ponder and consider vpon this And finally whensoever the holy scripture describeth a wise happie or iust man for all these are one in scripture for that justice is only tru wisdome and felicitie one cheefe point is this He wil meditate upon the law of God both day and night And for examples in the scripture how good men did use to meditate in times past I might here reckon vp great store as that of Isaac who went foorth into the feelds towards night to meditate also that of Ezechias the king who as the scripture saith did meditate like a dove that is in silence with his hart only without noise of words But above al other the example of holie David is singular herein who every where almost maketh mention of his continual exercise in meditation saieng to God I did meditate upon thy cōmandements which I loved And again I wil meditate vpon thee in the mornings And again O Lord how have I loved thy law It is my meditation al the day long And with what fervour and vehemencie he used to make these his meditations he sheweth when he saith of himselfe My hart did wax hot within me and fire did kindle in my meditations 6 This is recorded by the holy Ghost of these ancient good men to confound vs which are Christians who being far more bound to fervour than they by reason of the greater benefits we have received yet do we live so lazily for the most part of us as we never almost enter into the meditation and earnest consideration of Gods laws and commandements of the mysteries of our faith of the life and death of our Saviour or of our dutie towards him and much lesse do we make it our daily studie and cogitation as those holie kings did notwithstanding al their great busines in the cōmonwealth 7 Who is there of vs now adaies which maketh the laws and commandements or justifications of God as the scripture termeth them his daily meditations as king David did Neither only in the day time did he this but also by night in his hart as in another place he testifieth of himselfe How many of vs do passe over whole dais and months without ever entring into these meditations Nay God grant there be not many Christians in the world which know not what these meditations do mean We beleeve in grosse the mysteries of our Christian faith as that there is an hel an heaven a reward for vertu a punishment for vice a judgement to come an accompt to be made and the like but for that we chew them not wel by deepe consideration and do not digest them wel in our harts by the heat of meditation they helpe vs little to good life no more than a preservative put in a mans pocket can helpe his health 8 What man in the world would adventure so easily vpon sin as commonly men do which drink it up as easily as beasts drink water if he did consider in particular the great danger and losse of grace the losse of Gods favour and purchasing his eternal wrath also the death of Gods own son sustained for sin the inaestimable torments of hel for the everlasting punishment of the same Which albeit everie Christian in summe doth beleeve yet bicause the most part do never consider them with du circumstances in their harts therefore they are not moved with the same but do beare the knowledge thereof locked vp in their breasts without any sense or feeling even as a man carieth fire about him in a flint stone without heat or perfumes in a pommander without smel except the one be beaten and the other be chafed 9 And now to come nere our matter which we mean to handle in this booke what man living would not resolve himselfe thorowly to serve God in deed
wil not come out of the danger wherin they be but wil headlong cast themselves into everlasting perdition rather than by consideration of their estate recover to themselves eternal life and glorie from which deadlie obstinacie the Lord of his mercie deliver us all that belong unto him CHAP. III. Of the end for which man was created and placed in this world NOw then in the name of almightie God and with the assistance of his holie spirit let the Christian man or woman desirous of salvation first of al consider attentivelie as a good marchant-factour is wont to do when he is arrived in a strange countrie or as a captain sent by his prince to some great exploit is accustomed when he commeth to the place appointed that is to think for what cause he came thither why he was sent to what end what to attempt what to prosecute what to perform what shal be expected and required at his hands vpon his return by him that sent him thither For these cogitations no doubt shal stir him vp to attend to that which he came for and not to emploie himself in impertinent affaires The like I saie would I have a Christian to consider and to aske of himself why and to what end was he created of God and sent hither into this world what to do wherein to bestow his daies he shal finde for no other cause or end but onlie to serve God in this life This was the condition of our creation and this was the onlie consideration of our redemption prophesied by Zacharie before That we being delivered from the hands of our enimies might serve him in holines and righteousnes al the daies of our life 2 Of this it followeth first that seing the end and final cause of our being in this world is to serve God in this life that whatsoever we do or endevour or bestow our time in either contrarie or impertinent to this end which is only to the service of God though it were to gain al the kingdoms of the earth yet is it meere vanitie follie and lost labour and wil turn vs one day to greefe repentance and confusion for that it is not the matter for which we came into this life or of which we shal be asked account at the last day except it be to receave judgement for the same 3 Secondlie it foloweth of the premisses that seing our only end and busines in this world is to serve God and that al other earthly creatures are put here to serve vs to that end we should for our parts be indifferent to al these creatures as to riches or povertie to health or sicknes to honour or contempt and we should desire only so much or litle of the same as were best for vs to our said end that we intend that is to the service of God for whosoever desireth or seeketh the creatures more than this runneth from his end for the which he came hither 4 By this now may a careful Christian take some scantling of his own estate with God make a conjecture whether he be in the right way or no. For if he attend only or principally to this end for which he was sent hither that is so serve God if his cares cogitations studies endevours labours talk and other his actions run upon this matter and that he careth no more for other creatures as honor riches learning and the like then they are necessarie vnto him for this end which he pretendeth if his daies and life I say be spent in this studie of the service of God then is he dowtles a most happy and blessed man and shal at length attain to the kingdom of God 5 But if he find himself in a contrarie case that is not to attend to this matter for which only he was sent hither nor to haue in his hart and studie this service of God but rather some other vanitie of the world as promotion wealth pleasure sumptuous apparel gorgious buildings bewtie or any other thing els that pertaineth not to this end if he spend his time I say about these trifles having his cares and cogitations his talk and delight more in them than about the other great busines for which he was sent then is he in a perilous course â—eading directly to perdition except he alter â—nd change the same For most certain it is that whosoever shal not attend vnto the service he came for shal never attain to thereward promised to that service 6 And bicause the most part of the world not only of infidels but also of Christians do amisse in this point and do not attend to this thing for which they were only created and sent hither thence it is that Christ and his holy saints have alwais spoken so hardly of the smal number that are in state of salvation even among Christians and have uttered some speeches which seeme very rigorous to flesh and blood and scarce trew albeit they must be fulfilled as that It is easier for a camel to go thorough a nedels eie than for a rich man to enter into heaven The reason of which saieng and many mo standeth in this that a rich man or worldling attending to heap riches can not attend to do that which he came for into this world and consequently never attain heaven except God work a miracle and so cause him to contemn his riches and to vse them only to the service of God as som times he doth and we haue a rare example in the Gospel of Zacheus who being a very rich man presently vpon the entering of Christ into his house and much more into his hart by faith gave half his goods vnto the poore and offered withal that whom soever he had injuried to him he would make four-times so much restitution 7 But hereby now may be seene the lamentable state of manie thousand Christians in the world which are so far of from bestowing their whole time and travel in the service of God as they never almost think of the same or if they do it is with very little care or attention Good Lord how many men and women be there in the world which bearing the name of Christians scarce spend one hour of fower and twentie in the service of God! How many do beat their brains about worldlie matters and how few are troubled with this care How manie find time to eate drink sleepe disport deck and paint themselues out to the world and yet have no time to bestow in this greatest busines of all other How many spend over whole daies weeks months and yeers in hauking hunting other pastimes without making account of this matter What shall be come of these people What wil they say at the day of judgement What excuse wil they have 8 If the marchant factor which I spake of before after many yeers spent beyond the seas returning home to geeve accounts to his maister
and were not readie jump at the very hour to go in with him and would not know them when they came after and finally he promiseth to damn al those without exception which shal work iniquitie as S. Mathew testifieth 7 Moreover being asked by a certain ruler on a time how he might be saved he would geeve him no other hope so long as he sought salvation by his works though he were a prince but only this If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements of God And talking with his disciples at another time of the same matter he geeveth them no other rule of their life but this If ye love me keepe my commandements As who should say if you were never so much my disciples if ye break my commandements there is no more love nor frindship betwixt us And S. Iohn which best of al others knew his meaning herein expoundeth it in this sense when he saith If a man saith he knoweth God and yet keepeth not his commandements he is a liar and the truth is not in him And more yet to take away al hope or expectation from his disciples of any other way pleasing him than by keeping his commandements he saith in another place that He came not to take away the law but to fulfill it and streight way he inferreth upon the same Whosoever therfore shal break one of the least of these commandements shal be called the least in the kingdom of heaven For which cause at his departure out of the world the verie last words that he spake to his Apostles were these that They should teach men to observe al his commandements whatsoever 8 By which appeereth the severe meaning that Christ had touching our account for the keeping of his commandements in this life The which also may be gathered by that being asked whether the number were smal of them that should be saved he counseleth men to strive to go into the strait gate for that many should be shut out yea even of them which had eaten and drunken with him and had enjoied the corporal presence of his blessed bodie but had not regarded to live as he commanded them In which case he signifieth that no respect or frindship must take place with him at the last day for which cause he said to the man whom he had healed at the fish pools side in Ierusalem Behold now thou art hole see thou sin no more least worse come to thee than before And generally he warneth vs in Saint Mathews gospel that we agree with our adversaries and make our accounts streight in this life otherwise we shal pay the uttermost farthing in the life to come And yet more severely he saith in another place That we shal render account at the day of iudgment for every idle word which we have spoken 9 Which day of judgement he warneth us of before and foretelleth the rigor and danger in sundrie places of holie scripture to the end we should prevent the same and so direct our lives while we have time in this world as we may present our selves at that day without fear and danger or rather with great joy and comfort when so manie thousands of wicked people shal appeer there to their eternal confusion 10 And bicause there is nothing which so fitly sheweth the severitie of Christ in taking our account at the last day as the order and maner of this judgement described most diligently by the holy scripture it selfe it shal make much for our purpose to consider the same And first of al it is to be noted that there be two judgements appointed after death wherof the one is called particular wherby ech man presently upon his departure from this world receaveth particular sentence either of punishment or of glorie according to his deeds in this life as Christs own words are wherof we have examples in Lazarus and the rich glutton who were presently caried the one to pain the other to rest as Saint Luke testifieth And to dowt of this were obstinacie as Saint Austen affirmeth The other judgment is called general for that it shal be of al men togither in the end of the world where shal a final sentence be pronounced either of reward or punishment upon al men that ever lived according to the works which they have done good or bad in this life and afterward never more question be made of altering their estate that is of easing the pain of the one or ending the glorie of the other 11 Now as touching the first of these two judgements albeit the holy ancient fathers especiallie Saint Austen do gather and consider divers particulars of great severitie and feare as the passage of our soul from the body to the tribunal seat of God under the custody both of good and evil angels the fear she hath of them the sodain strangenes of the place where she is the terror of Gods presence the strait examination she must abide and the like yet for that the most of these things are to be considered also in the second judgement which is general I wil passe over to the same noting only certain reasons yeelded by the holy fathers why God after the first judgement wherin he had assigned to ech man according to his deserts in particular would appoint moreover this second general judgment Wherof the first is for that the body of man rising from his sepulchre might be partaker of the eternal punishment or glorie of the soul even as it hath beene partaker with the same either in vertue or vice in this life The second is that as Christ was dishonored and put to confusion here in the world publikly so much more he might shew his majestie and power at that day in the sight of al creatures and especially of his enimies The third is that both the wicked and good might receave their reward openly to more confusion hart greefe of the one and to the greater joy and triumph of the other who commonly in this world have been overborn by the wicked The fourth is for that evil men when they die do not commonly carie with them al their demerit and evil for that they leave behind them either their evil example or their children and familiars corrupted by them or els books and means which may in time corrupt others Al which being not yet done but comming to passe after their death they cannot so conveniently receave their judgement for the same presently but as the evil falleth out so their pains are to be increased The like may be said of the good So that for examples sake Saint Pauls glorie is increased daily and shal be unto the worlds end by reason of them that daily profit by his writings and example and the pains of the wicked are for the like reason daily augmented But at the last day of judgment shal be an end
them Whose help wil they crave They shal see al things crie vengeance about them al things yeeld them cause of feare and terror but nothing to yeeld them any hope or comfort Above them shal be their judge offended with them for their wickednes beneath them hel open and the cruel fornace readie boiling to receave them on the right hand shal be their sins accusing them on the left hand the devils ready to execute Gods eternal sentence upon them within them their conscience gnawing without them al damned soules bewailing on everie side the world burning Good Lord what wil the wretched sinner do invironed with al these miseries How wil his hart sustain these anguishes What way wil he take To go back is impossible to go forward is intollerable What then shal he do but as Christ foretelleth he shal drie up for very fear seeke death and death shal fly from him cry to the hils to fal upon him and they refusing to do him so much pleasure he shal stand there as a most desperate forlorne and miserable caitife wretch until he receave that dreadful and irrevocable sentence Go you accursed into everlasting fire 18 Which sentence once pronounced consider what a doleful cry and shout wil streight follow The good rejoising and singing praises in the glorie of their saviour the wicked bewailing blaspheming and cursing the day of their nativitie Consider the intollerable upbraieng of the wicked infernal spirits against these miserable condemned souls now delivered to them in pray for ever With how bitter scofs and taunts wil they hale them on to torments Consider the eternal seperation that then must be made of fathers children mothers daughters frinds and companions the one to glorie the other to confusion with out ever seeing one the other again and that which shal be as great a greefe as any other if it be tru that some conceave that our knowledge one of another here on earth shal so far remain the son going to heaven shal not pitie his own father or mother going to hel but shal rejoice at the same for that it turneth to Gods glorie for the execution of his justice What a separation I say shal this be What a farewel Whose hart would not break at that day to make this separation if a hart could break at that time so end his pains But that wil not be Where are al our delites now Where are al our pleasant pastimes become Our bravery in apparel our glistering in gold our honor done to us with cap and knee al our delicate fare al our musik al our wanton daliances and recreations we were wont to have al our good frinds and merie companions accustomed to laugh and to disport the time with us Where are they become Oh deere brother how sower wil al the pleasures past of this world seeme at that hour How doleful wil their memorie be unto us How vain a thing wil al our dignities our riches our possessions appeere And on the contrarie side how joiful wil that man be that hath attended in this life to live vertuouslie albeit with pain and contempt of the world Happy creature shal he be that ever he was born no toong but Gods can expresse his happines 19 And now to make no other conclusion of al this but even that which Christ himselfe maketh let us consider how easie a matter it is now for us with a little pain to avoid the danger of this day for that cause it is foretold us by our most merciful judge and Saviour to the end we should by our diligence avoid it For thus he concludeth after al his former threatnings Videte vigilate c. Looke about you watch and praie ye for you know not when the time shal be But as I say to you so I say to al be watchful And in another place having reckoned up al the particulars before recited least any man should dowt that al should not be fulfilled he saith Heaven and earth shal passe but my words shal not passe And then he addeth this exhortation Attend therfore unto your selves that your harts be not overcome with banquetting and dronkenes with the cares of this life and so that day come upon you sodenly For he shal come as a snare upon them which inhabite the earth be you therfore watchful and alwais pray that you may be woorthy to escape al these things which are to com to stand confidently before the Son of man at this day What a frindly and fatherly exhortation is this of Christ Who could desire a more kind gentle or effectual forewarning Is there any man that can plead ignorance hereafter The verie like conclusion gathered Saint Peter out of the premises when he saith The day of the Lord shal come as a theefe in which the elements shal be dissolved c. Seeing then al these things must be dissolved what maner of men ought we to be in holy conversation and pietie expecting and going on to meete the comming of that day of the Lord c. This meeting of the day of judgement which Saint Peter speaketh of is an earnest longing after it which never is had until first there go before a du examination of our estate and speedy amendment of our life past Therfore saith most notably the wise man Provide thee of a medicine before the sore come and examine thy selfe before iudgement and so shalt thou find propitiation in the sight of God To which Saint Paul agreeth when he saith If we would iudge our selves we should not be iudged But bicause no man entreth into du judgement of himselfe and of his own life therof it commeth that so few do prevent this latter judgement so few are watchful and so many fal a sleepe in ignorance of their own danger Our Lord give us grace to looke better about us CHAP. VI. A consideration of the nature of sin and of a sinner for the iustifieng of Gods severitie shewed in the Chapter before TO the end that no man may justly complain of the severe account which God is to take of us at the last day or of the severitie of his judgement set down in the chapter before it shal not be amisse to consider in this chapter the cause why God doth shew such severitie against sin and sinners as both by that which hath been said doth appeer and also by the whole course of holie scripture where he in every place almost denounceth his extreme hatred wrath indignatiō against the same as where it is said of him That he hateth al those that work iniquitie And that both the wicked man and his wickednes are in hatred with him And finaly that the whole life of sinners their thoughts words works yea and their good actions also are abhominations in his sight whiles they live in sin And that which yet is more
in another place Audite coeli auribus percipe terra Harken ye heavens and thou earth bend hither thine eares Filios enutrivi exaltavi ipsi autem spreuerunt me I have norished up children and have exalted them and now they contemn me What a pitiful complaint is this of God against most vile and base worms of the earth But yet God amplifieth this iniquitie more by certain examples and comparisons The oxe saith he knoweth his owner and the asse knoweth the manger of his Lord and maister but yet my people know not me wo be to the sinful nation to the people loden with iniquitie to this naughtie seed to wicked children What complaint can be more vehement than this What threatning can be more dreadful than this wo comming from the mouth of him which may punish us at his pleasure 19 Wherfore deer brother if thou have grace cease to be ungrateful to God any longer cease to offend him which hath by so manie wais prevented thee with benefits cease to render evil for good hatred for love contempt for his fatherly affection towards thee He hath done for thee al that he can he hath given thee al that thou art yea and in a certain maner al that he is woorth himselfe and meaneth besides to make thee partaker of al his glorie in the world to come and requireth no more for al this at thy hands but love and gratitude O deer brother why wilt thou not yeeld him this Why wilt thou not do as much to him as thou wouldest haue another man to do to thee for lesse than the ten thousand part of these benefits which thou hast receaved For I dare wel say that if thou hadst given a man but an almes at thy dore thou wouldest think him bound to love thee for it albeit thou hadst nothing in thee woorth love besides But now thy Lord besides these his gifts hath infinite causes to make thee love him that is al the causes which any thing in the world hath to purchase love and infinite more besides for if al the perfections of al things created in heaven and in earth which do procure love were put togither in one as al their beautie al their vertu al their nobilitie al their goodnes and the like yet thy Lord and Savior whom thou contemnest doth passe al this and that by many and infinite degrees for that he is not only al these things togither but also he is very beautie it selfe vertu it selfe wisdom it selfe sweetnes it selfe nobilitie it selfe goodnes it selfe and the very fountain and welspring where hence al these things are derived by litle peeces and parcels unto his creatures 20 Be ashamed then good Christian of this thy ingratitude to so great so good bountiful a Lord and resolve thy selfe for the time to come to amend thy course of life and behavior towards him Say with the prophet which had lesse cause to say so than thou Domine propitiare peccatomeo multum est enim O Lord pardon me mine offences for it is great in thy sight I know there is nothing O Lord which doth so much displease thee or dry up the fountain of thy mercy and so bindeth thy hands from dooing good as ingratitude in the receavers of thy benefits wherin hitherto I have exceeded al other but I have done it O Lord in mine ignorance not considering thy gifts unto me nor what account thou wouldest demaund again of the same But now seeing thou hast vouchsafed to make me woorthy of this grace also wherby to see and know mine own state and default I hope hereafter by direction of the same grace of thine to shew my selfe a better child towards thee O Lord I am overcome at the lenth with consideration of thy love and how can I have the hart to offend thee hereafter seeing thou hast prevented me so many wais with benefits even when I demanded not the same Can I have hands ever more to sin against thee which hast given up thine own most tender hands to be nailed on the crosse for my sins heretofore No no it is too great an injurie against thee O Lord and wo woorth me that have done it so often heretofore But by thy holy assistance I trust not to return to such iniquitie for the time to come to which O Lord I beseech thee for thy mercy sake from thy holie throne of heaven to say Amen CHAP. VIII Of what opinion and feeling we shal be touching these matters at the time of our death THe holie scriptures do teach us and experience maketh it plain that during the time of this life the commodities preferments and pleasures of the world do possesse so strongly the harts of manie men and do hold them chained with so forcible inchauntments being forsaken also upon their just deserts of the grace of God say and threaten what a man can bring against them al the whole scripture even from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalips as indeed it is al against sin and sinners yet wil it prevail nothing with them being in that lamentable case as either they beleeve not or esteem not whatsoever is said to that purpose against their setled life and resolution to the contrary Of this we have infinite examples in scripture as of Sodom and Gomorra with the cities about which could not heare the warnings that good Lot gave unto them Also of Pharao whom al that ever Moises could do either by signes or saiengs mooved nothing Also of Iudas who by no faire means or threatnings used to him by his maister would change his wicked resolution But especially the prophets sent from God from time to time to dissuade the people from their naughtie life and consequently from the plaegs hanging over them do give abundant testimonie of this complaining everie where of the hardnes of sinners harts that would not be mooved with al the exhortations preachings promises and thunderings that they could use The prophet Zacharie shal testifie for al in this matter who saith of the people of Israel a litle before their destruction Hoc ait Dominus exercituum c. This saith the Lord of hosts iudge iustly And so foorth And presentlie he addeth And they would not attend but turning their baks went away stopped their ears to the end they might not heare and they did put their harts as an adamant stone to the end they might not heare the law and the words which God did send in his spirit by the hands of the former prophets wherby Gods great indignation was stirred up 2 This then is and alwais hath been the fashion of worldlings reprobate persons to harden their harts as an adamant stone against any thing that shal be told them for the amendement of their lives and for the saving of their souls Whiles they are in helth prosperitie they wil not know God As in
prevent it now by amendment of life which only can yeeld thee comfort in that sorrowful day For of good men the judge him selfe saith His autem fieri incipientibus respicite levate capita vestra quoniam appropinquat redemptio vestra When these things begin to come upon other men do you lift up your heads for that your redemption commeth on from the labors and toils of this world And the holie prophet saith of the vertuous man which hath done good works in this life that he shal be at this time Beatus vir An happie man And he giveth the cause Quia in die mala liberabit eum dominus opem feret illi super lectum doloris eius For that God wil deliver him in this evil day and wil assist him upon the bed of his sorrow Which is ment no dowt of the bed of his last departure especially for that of al other beds this is the most sorrowful as I have shewed being nothing else but an heap of al sorrows togither especially to them which are drawn unto it before they are readie for the same as commonly al they are which defer their amendement from day to day and do not attend to live in such sort now as they shal wish they had done when they come to that last passage CHAP. IX Of the pains appointed for sin after this life AMongst al the means which GOD useth towards the children of men to moove them to this resolution wherof I intreat the strongest and most forcible to the common sort of men is the consideration of punishments prepared by him for rebellious sinners and transgressors of his commandements Wherfore he useth this consideration often as may appeer by al the prophets who do almost nothing else but threaten plaegs and destruction to offenders And this mean hath oft times prevailed more than any other that could be used by reason of the natural love which he bare towards our selves consequently the natural fear which we have of our own danger So we read that nothing could moove the Ninivites so much as the foretelling them of their imminent destruction And Saint Iohn Baptist although he came in a simple and contemptible maner yet preaching unto the people The terror of vengeance to come and that the ax was now put to the tres to cut down for the fire al those which repented not He mooved the verie publicans and soldiers to fear which otherwise are people of verie hard metal who came unto him upon this terrible embassage and asked what they should doo to avoid these punishments 2 After then that we have considered of death and of Gods severe judgement which insueth after death and wherin everie man hath to receave according to his works in this life as the scripture saith it followeth that we consider also of the punishments which are appointed for them that shal be found faultie in that account hereby at lestwise if no other consideration wil serve to induce christians to this resolution of serving God For as I have noted before if every man have naturally a love of himselfe desire to conserve his own ease then should he also have fear of peril wherby he is to fal into extreme calamitie This expresseth saint Bernard excellently according to his woont O man saith he if thou have left al shame which apperteineth to so noble a creature as thou art if thou feele no sorrow as carnal men do not yet lose not fear also which is found in verie beasts We use to load an asse and to wearie him out with labor he careth not bicause he is an asse but if thou wouldest thrust him into fire or fling him into a ditch he would avoid it as much as he could for that he loveth life and feareth death Fear thou then and be not more insensible than a beast fear death fear judgement fear hel This fear is called the beginning of wisdom and not shame or sorrow for that the spirit of fear is more mightie to resist sin than the spirit of shame or sorrow wherfore it is said Remember the end and thou shalt never sin That is remember the final punishments appointed for sin after this life Thus far Saint Bernard 3 First therfore to speak in general of the punishments reserved for the life to come if the scriptures did not declare in particular their greatnes unto us yet are there manie reasons to persuade us that they are most severe dolorous and intollerable For first as God is a God in al his works that is to say great woonderful and terrible so especiallie he sheweth the same in his punishments being called for that cause in scripture Deus iustitiae God of iustice As also Deus vltionum God of revenge Wherfore seeing al his other works are ful of majestie and exceeding our capacities we may likewise gather that his hand in punishment must be woonderful also God himselfe teacheth us to reason in this maner when he saith And wil ye not then fear me And wil ye not tremble before my face which have put the sand as a stop unto the sea and have given the water a commandement never to passe it no not when it is most trobled and the floods most outragious As who would say If I am woonderful and do passe your imagination in these works of the sea others which you see daily you have cause to fear me considering that my punishments are like to be correspondent to the same 4 Another conjecture of the great and severe justice of God may be the consideration of his infinite and unspeakable mercie the which as it is the very nature of God and without end or measure as his Godhead is so is also his justice And these two are the two arms as it were of God imbracing and kissing one the other as the scripture saith therfore as in a man of this world if we had the mesure of one arm we might easily conjecture of the other so seeing the woonderful examples daily of Gods infinite mercie towards them that repent we may imagin by the same his severe justice towards them whom he reserveth to punishment in the next life and whom for that cause he calleth in the scriptures Vasa furoris vessels of his furie or vessels to shew his furie upon 5 A third reason to persuade us of the greatnes of these punishments may be the marvelous patience and long suffering of God in this life as for example in that he suffereth divers men from one sin to another from one day to another from one yeere to another from one age to another to spend al I say in dishonor and dispite of his majestie adding offence to offence and refusing al persuasions allurements good inspirations or other means of frindship that his mercie can devise to offer for their amendement And what man in the world
the tormentors togither with the most lothsom filthines of the place which is otherwise described in the scriptures by the names of adders snakes cocatrices scorpions and other venemous creatures as shal be afterwards declared 10 Having declared the names of this place and therby also in som part the nature it remaineth now that we consider what maner of pains men suffer there For declaration wherof we must note that as heaven and hel are contrarie assigned to contrarie persons for contrarie causes so have they in al respects contrarie properties conditions and effects in such sort as whatsoever is spoken of the felicitie of the one may serve to infer the contrarie of the other As when Saint Paul saith that No eie hath seene nor eare heard nor hart conceived the ioies that God hath prepared for them that shal be saved We may infer that the pains of the damned must be as great Again when the scripture saith that the felicitie of them in heaven is a perfect felicitie containing Omne bonum Al goodnes So that no one kind of pleasure can be imagined which they have not we must think on the contrarie part that the miserie of the damned must be also a perfect miserie containing al afflictions that may be without wanting any So that as the happines of the good is infinite and universal so also is the calamitie of the wicked infinite and universal Now in this life al the miseries pains which fal upon man are but particular and not universal As for example we see one man pained in his eies another in his bak which particular pains notwithstanding somtimes are so extreme as life is not able to resist them and a man would not suffer them long for the gaining of many worlds togither But suppose now a man were tormented in al the parts of his bodie at once as in his head his eies his toong his teeth his throte his stomak his bellie his back his hart his sides his thighs and in al the joints of his bodie besides suppose I say he were most cruelly tormented with extreme pains in al these parts togither without ease or intermission what thing could be more miserable than this What sight more lamentable If thou shuldest see a dogly in the street so afflicted I know thou couldest not but take compassion upon him Wel then consider what difference there is between abiding these pains for a week or for al eternities in suffering them upon a soft bed or upon a burning grediron and boiling fornace among a mans frinds comforting him or among the furies of hel whipping and tormenting him Consider this I say gentle reader and if thou wouldest take a great deal of labour rather than abide the one in this life be content to sustain a little pain rather than to incur the other in the life to come 11 But to consider these things yet further not onlie al these parts of the body which have been instruments to sin shal be tormented togither but also every sense both external internal for the same cause shal be afflicted with his particular torment contrarie to the object wherin it delited most took pleasure in this world As if for example the lascivious eies were afflicted with the uglie fearful sight of devils the delicate eares with the horrible noise of damned spirits the nise smel with poisoned stench of brimstone other unsupportable filth the daintie taste with most ravenous hunger and thirst al the sensible parts of the bodie with burning fire Again the imagination shal be tormented with the apprehension of pains present and to come the memorie with the remembrance of pleasures past the understanding with consideration of the felicitie lost and the miserie now come on O poore Christian what wilt thou do amidst the multitude of so greevous calamities 12 It is a woonderful matter and able as one father saith to make a reasonable man go out of his wits to consider what God hath revealed unto us in the scriptures of the dredful circumstances of this punishment and yet to see how little the rechlesse men of the world do fear it For first touching the universalitie varietie and greatnes of the pain not only the reasons before alleaged but also divers other considerations in the scriptures do declare As where it is said of the damned Cruciabuntur die nocte They shal be tormented day and night And again Date illi tormentum Give hir torment speaking of Babylon in hel by which is signified that the pains in hel are exercised not for chastisement but for torment of the parties And torments commonly we see in this world to be as great and as extreme as the wit of a man can reach to devise Imagin then when God shal lay his head to devise torments as he hath done in hel what maner of torments wil they be 13 If creating an element here for our comfort I mean the fire he could create the same so terrible as it is in such sort as a man would not hold his onlie hand in it one day for to gain a kingdom what a fire think you hath he provided for hel which is not created for comfort but onlie for torment of the parties Our fire hath many differences from that therfore is truly said of the holie fathers to be but a painted and fained fire in respect of that For our fire was made to comfort as I have said and that to torment Our fire hath need to be fed continuallie with wood or else it goeth out that burneth continuallie without feeding Ours giveth light that giveth none Ours is out of his natural place and therfore shifteth to ascend and to get from us as we see but that is in the natural place where it was created therfore it abideth there perpetually Ours consumeth the matter laid in it and so quiklie dispatcheth the pain that tormenteth but consumeth not to the end the pain may be everlasting Our fire is extinguished with water and greatlie abated by the coldnes of the aire about it that hath no such abatement or qualification Finallie what a strange and incredible kind of fire that is appeereth by these words of our savior so often repeated There shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Weeping is to be referred to the effect of extreme burning in that fire for that the torment of scalding and burning inforceth teares sooner than any other torment as appeereth in them which upon the sudden do put an hot thing into their mouth or scald any other part of their bodie And gnashing of teeth or chattering at least as everie man knoweth proceedeth of great and extreme cold Imagin then what a fire this is which hath such extreme effects both of heat and cold O mightie Lord what a strange God art thou How woonderful and terrible in al thy works and inventions How bountiful art thou to those
for this purpose which is this world a place of intertainment and trial for a time which afterward is to be destroied again But yet in creating of this transitorie world which is but a cottage of his own eternal habitation what power what magnificence what majestie hath he shewed What heavens how woonderful hath he created What infinite stars and other lights hath he devised What elements hath he framed And how marvelouslie hath he compast them togither The seas tossing and tumbling without rest and replenished with infinite sorts of fish the rivers running incessantly thorough the earth like veins in the bodie and yet never to be emptie nor overflow the same the earth it selfe so furnished with al varietie of creatures as the hundred part therof is not imploied by man but only remaineth to shew the ful hand and strong arm of the creator And al this as I said was done in an instant with one word onlie and that for the use of a smal time in respect of the eternitie to come What then shal we imagin that the habitation prepared for that eternitie shal be If the cottage of his meanest servant that made onlie for a time to bear off as it were a shower of rain be so princely so gorgeous so magnificent so ful of majestie as we see this world is what must we think that the kings pallace it selfe is appointed for al eternitie for him and his frinds to raign togither We must needs think it to be as great as the power and wisdome of the maker could reach unto to perform and that is incomparable and above al measure infinite The great king Assuerus which raigned in Asia over an hundred twentie and seven provinces to discover his power and riches to his subjects made a feast as the scripture saith in his citie of Susa to al princes states and potentates of his dominions for an hundred and fourscore daies togither Esay the prophet saith that our God and Lord of hosts wil make a solemn banket to al his people upon the hil and mount of heaven and that an harvest banket of fat meats and pure wines And this banket shal be so solemn as the verie Son of God himselfe cheefe Lord of the feast shal be content to gird himselfe and to serve in the same as by his own words he promiseth What maner of banket then shal this be How magnificent How ful of majestie Especiallie seeing it hath not onlie to endure a hundred and fourscore dais as that of Assuerus did but more than a hundred and fourscore millions of ages not served by men as Assuerus feast was but by Angels and the verie Son of God himselfe not to open the power and riches of a hundred twentie and seven provinces but of God himself King of kings and Lord of lords whose power and riches are without end and greater than al his creatures togither can conceive How glorious a banket shal this be then How triumphant a joy of this festival day O miserable and foolish children of men that are born to so rare and singular a dignitie and yet can not be brought to consider love or esteme of the same 8 Other such considerations there be to shew the greatnesse of this felicitie as that if God hath given so many pleasures and comfortable gifts in this life as we see are in the world being a place notwithstanding of banishment a place of sinners a vale of miserie and the time of repenting weeping and wailing what wil he do in the life to come to the just to his frinds in the time of joy and mariage of his Son This was a most forcible consideration with good Saint Augustine who in the secret speech of his soul with God said thus O Lord if thou for this vile bodie of ours give us so great and innumerable benefits from the firmament from the air from the earth from the sea by light by darknes by heat by shadow by dews by showers by windes by rains by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by multitude of herbs variety of plants and by the ministery of al thy creatures O sweet Lord what maner of things how great how good and how innumerable are those which thou hast prepared in our heavenly countrie where we shal see thee face to face If thou do so great things for us in our prison what wilt thou give us in our pallace If thou givest so many things in this world to good evil men togither what hast thou laid up for onlie good men in the world to com If thine enimies frinds togither are so wel provided for in this life what shal thy only frinds receive in the life to come If there be so great solaces in these dais of tears what joy shal there be in that day of mariage If our jail contein so great matters what shal our countrie and kingdome do O my Lord and God thou art a great God And great is the multitude of thy magnificence and sweetnes And as there is no end of thy greatnes nor number of thy wisdome nor measure of thy benignitie so is there neither end number nor measure of thy rewards towards them that love and fight for thee Hitherto Saint Augustine 9 Another way to conjecture of this felicitie is to consider the great promises which God maketh in the scriptures to honor and glorifie man in the life to come Whosoever shal honor me saith God I wil glorifie him And the prophet David as it were complaineth joifullie that Gods frinds were so much honored by him Which he might with much more cause have said if he had lived in the new testament and had heard that promise of Christ wherof I spake before that his servants should sit down and banket and that himselfe would serve and minister unto them in the kingdome of his father What understanding can conceive how great this honor shal be But yet in some part it may be gessed by that he saith that they shal sit in judgement with him and as Saint Paul addeth shal be judges not onlie of men but also of Angels It may also be conjectured by the exceeding great honor which God at certain times hath done to his servants even in this life Wherin notwithstanding they are placed to be dispised and not to be honored What great honor was it that he did to Abraham in the sight of so many kings of the earth as of Pharao Abimelech Melchisedech and the like What honor was that he did to Moises and Aaron in the face of Pharao and al his court by the woonderful signes that they wrought What excessive honor was that he did to holie Iosue when in the sight of al his armie he staied the sun and moone in the midst of the firmament at Iosue his appointment obeing therin as the scripture saith to the voice of
smal cause to envie their felicitie If they talk basely of the glorie and riches of saints in heaven not esteeming them indeed in respect of their own or contemning them for that carnal plesures are not rekoned therin make little account of their words for that The sensual man understandeth not the things which are of God If horses were promised by their maisters a good banket they could imagin nothing else but provender and water to be their best cheer for that they have no knowledge of daintier dishes so these men accustomed to the puddle of their fleshly pleasures can mount with their mind no higher than the same But I have shewed thee before gentle reader some wais and considerations to conceive greater matters albeit as I have advertised thee often we must confesse stil with Saint Paul that no humane hart can conceive the least part therof for which cause also it is not unlike that Saint Paul himselfe was forbidden to utter the things which he had seen and heard in his miraculous assumption unto the third heaven 22 To conclude then this game gole is set up for them that wil run as Saint Paul noteth and no man is crowned in this glorie but such onlie as wil fight as the same Apostle teacheth It is not every one that saith to Christ Lord Lord that shal enter into the kingdome of heaven but they onlie which do the wil of Christ his father in heaven Though this kingdome of Christ be set out to al yet every man shal not come to raign with Christ but such onlie as shal be content to suffer with Christ. Thou art therfore to sit down and consider according to thy Saviors counsel what thou wilt do whether thou have so much spiritual money as is sufficient to build this tower and make this war or no that is whether thou have so much good wil and holie manhood in thee as to bestow the pains of suffering with Christ if it be rather to be called pains than pleasure that so thou maist raign with him in his kingdome This is the question this is the verie whole issue of the matter hitherto hath appertained whatsoever hath been spoken in this book before either of thy particular end or of the majestie bountie and justice of God and of the account he wil demand of thee also of the punishment or reward laid up for thee Al this I say was meant by me to this only end that thou measuring the one part and the other shouldest finaly resolve what thou wouldest do and not to passe over thy time in careles negligence as many do never spieng their own error until it be too late to amend it 23 For the love of God then deer brother and for the love thou bearest to thine own soul shake off this dangerous securitie which flesh and blood is woont to lul men in and make som earnest resolution for looking to thy soul for the life to come Remember often that woorthy sentence Hoc momentum unde pendet aeternitas This life is a moment of time wherof al eternitie of life or death to come dependeth If it be a moment and a moment of so great importance how is it passed over by wordly men with so little care as it is 24 I might have alledged heer infinite other reasons and considerations to move men unto this resolution wherof I have talked and surely no measure of volume were sufficient to contein so much as might be said in this matter For that al the creatures under heaven yea and in heaven it selfe as also in hel al I say from the first to the last are arguments and persuasions unto this point al are books and sermons al do preach and crie som by their punishment som by their glorie som by their beutie and al by their creation that we ought without delay to make this resolution and that al is vanitie al is folly al is iniquitie al is miserie beside the only service of our maker and redeemer But yet notwithstanding as I have said I thought good only to choose out these few considerations before laid down as cheefe and principal among the rest to work in any tru Christian hart And if these cannot enter with thee good reader little hope is there that any other would doo thee good Wherfore heer I end this first part reserving a few things to be said in the second for remooving of som impediments which our spiritual adversarie is woont to cast against this good work as against the first step to our salvation Our Lord God and Savior Iesus Christ which was content to pay his own bloud for the purchasing of this notable inheritance unto us give us his holy grace to esteeme of it as the great weight of the matter requireth and not by negligence to leese our portions therin The end of the first part THE SECOND PART OF THIS BOOKE CHAP. I. Of impediments that let men from this resolution and first of the difficultie or hardnes which seemeth to manie to be in vertuous life NOtwithstanding al the reasons and considerations before set down for inducing men to this necessarie resolution of serving God there want not manie Christians abroad in the world whose harts either intangled with the pleasures of this life or given over by God to a reprobate sense do yeeld no whit at al to this batterie that hath been made but shewing themselves more hard than adamant do not only resist contemn but also do seeke excuses for their sloth and wickednes and do alledge reasons to their own perdition Reasons I cal them according to the common phrase though indeed there be no one thing more against reason than that a man should becom enimie to his own soul as the scripture affirmeth obstinate sinners to be But yet as I say they have their excuses and the first and principal of al is that vertuous life is painful and hard and therfore they cannot indure to follow the same especially such as have been brought up delicately never were acquainted with such asperitie as they say we require at their hands And this is a great large and universal impediment which staieth infinite men from imbrasing the means of their conversion for which cause it is fully to be answered in this place 2 First then supposing that the way of vertu were so hard indeed as the enimie maketh it seem yet might I wel say with Saint Iohn Chrysostom that seeing the reward is so great and infinite as now we have declared no labor should seem great for obteining of the same Again I might say with holie S. Austen That seeing we take daily so great pain in this world for avoiding of smal inconveniences as of siknes imprisonments losse of goods and the like what pains should we refuse for avoiding the eternitie of hel fire set down before The first of these
life known to me Also when he said of himselfe Super senes intellexi I have understood more than old men And again in another place Incerta occulta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi Thou hast opened to me the unknown and hidden secrets of thy wisdome This is that light wherwith Saint Iohn saith that Christ lighteneth his servants as also that unction of the holie Ghost which the same Apostle teacheth to be given to the godlie to instruct them in al things behooveful for their salvation In like wise this is that writing of Gods law in mens harts which he promiseth by the prophet Ieremie as also the instruction of men immediately from God himselfe promised by the prophet Esay And finally this is that sovereign understanding in the law commandements and justifications of God which holy David so much desired so often demanded in that most divine psalm which beginneth Blessed are the unspotted in the way that is in this life 14 By this light of understanding and supernatural knowledge and feeling from the holie Ghost in spiritual things the vertuous are greatly holpen in the way of righteousnes for that they are made able to discern for their own direction in matters that occur according to the saieng of S. Paul Spiritualis omnia iudicat A spiritual man iudgeth of al things Animalis autem homo non percipit quae sunt spiritus Dei But the carnal man conceiveth not the things which appertain to the spirit of God Doth not this greatly discover the privilege of a vertuous life The joy comfort and consolation of the same with the exceeding great miserie of the contrarie part For if two should walk togither the one blind and the other of perfect sight which of them were like to be wearie first Whose journey were like to be more painful Doth not a little ground wearie out a blind man Consider then in how wearisom darknes the wicked do walk Consider whether they be blind or no. Saint Paul saith in the place before alledged that they cannot conceive any spiritual knowledge is not this a great darknes Again the prophet Esay describeth their state further when he saith in the person of the wicked We have groped like blind men after the wals have stumbled at midday even as if it had been in darknes And in another place the scripture describeth the same yet more effectuously with the painfulnes therof even from the mouths of the wicked themselves in these words The light of iustice hath not shined unto us and the sun of understanding hath not appeered unto our eies we are wearied out in the way of iniquitie and perdition c. This is the talk of sinners in hel By which words appeereth not only that wicked men do live in great darknes but also that this darknes is most painful unto them and consequently that the contrarie light is a great easement to the way of the vertuous 15 Another principal matter which maketh the way of vertu easie and pleasant to them that walk therin is a certain hidden and secret consolation which GOD powreth into the harts of them that serve him I cal it secret for that it is known but of such only as have felt it for which cause Christ himselfe calleth it Hidden manna known only to them that receive it And the prophet saith of it Great is the multitude of thy sweetnes O Lord which thou hast hidden for them that fear thee And again in another place Thou shalt lay aside O Lord a special chosen rain or dew for thine inheritance And another prophet saith in the person of God talking of the devout soul that serveth him I wil lead hir aside into a wildernes and there I wil talk unto hir 〈◊〉 By al which words of Wildernes separating choise and hidden is signified that this is a secret privilege bestowed only upon the vertuous and that the carnal harts of wicked men have no part or portion therin But now how great and inestimable the sweetnes of this heavenlie consolation is no tong of man can expresse but we may conjecture by these words of David who talking of this celestial wine attributeth to it such force as to make al those dronken that tast of the same that is to take from them al sense and feeling of terrestrial matters even as Saint Peter having droonk a little of it upon the mount Thabor forgat himselfe presently and talked as a man distracted of building tabernacles there and resting in that place for ever This is that Torrens voluptatis that sweet stream of pleasure as the prophet calleth it which comming from the mountains of heaven watereth by secret wais and passages the harts and spirits of the godlie maketh them droonken with the unspeakable joy which it bringeth with it This is a little tast in this life of the very joies of heaven bestowed upon good men to comfort them withal and to incourage them to go forward For as merchants desirous to sel their wares are content to let you see and handle and somtimes also to tast the same therby to induce you to buy so God almightie willing as it were to sel us the joies of heaven is content to impart a certain tast before hand to such as he seeth are willing to buy therby to make them come off roundly with the price and not to stik in paieng so much and more as he requireth This is that exceeding joy and jubile in the harts of just men which the prophet meaneth when he saith The voice of exultation and salvation is in the tabernacles of the iust And again Blessed is that people that knoweth iubilation that is that hath experienced this extreme joy pleasure of internal consolation S. Paul had tasted it when he wrote these words amidst al his labors for Christ I am filled with consolation I overflow or exceedingly abound in al ioy amidst our tribulations What can be more effectually said or alledged to proove the service of God pleasant than this Surely good reader if thou haddest tasted once but one drop of this heavenly joy thou wouldest give the whole world to have another of the same or at the leastwise not to leese that one again 16 But thou wilt ask me Why thou being a Christian as wel as other hast yet never tasted of this consolation To which I answer that as it hath been shewed before this is not meat for every mouth but A chosen moisture laid aside for Gods inheritance only This is wine of Gods own seller laid up for his spouse As the Canticle declareth That is for the devout soul dedicated unto Gods service This is a teat of comfort only for the child to suk and fil himselfe withal as the prophet Esay testifieth The soul that is drowned in sin and pleasures of the
afflicted by God And Christ himselfe yet more expresly Happie are they which suffer persecution If they are happie and blessed therby then are the worldly greatly awry which so much abhor the sufferance therof then is GOD but unthankfully dealt withal by many of his children who repine at this happines bestowed upon them wheras indeed they should accept it with joy and thanksgiving For proofe and better declaration wherof I wil enter now into the third point of this chapter to examin what reasons causes there be to induce us to this joifulnes and contentation of tribulation 21 And first the reasons laid down alreadie of Gods merciful and fatherly meaning in sending us affliction might be sufficient for this matter that is to comfort and content any Christian man or woman who taketh delite in Gods holie providence towards them For if God do send affliction unto us for the increase of our glorie in the life to come for drawing us from infection of the world for opening our eies and curing our diseases and for preserving our souls from sin heerafter as hath been shewed who can be justly displeased therwith but such as are enimies unto their own good We see that for the obtaining of bodilie health we are content not only to admit many bitter and unpleasant medicins but also if need require to yeeld willingly some part of our blood ro be taken from us And how much more should we do this to the end that we hazard not the eternal health and salvation of our soul But now further if this medicin have so many mo commodities besides as have been declared if it serve heer for the punishment of our sin du otherwise at another place in far greater quantitie and rigor of justice if it make a trial of our estate and do draw us to God if it procure Gods love towards us yeeld matter of joy by our deliverance provoke us to thankfulnes embolden and strengthen us and finally if it furnish us with al vertues and do make us like to Christ himselfe then is there singular great cause why we should take comfort and consolation therin for that to come neer and to be like unto Christ is the greatest dignitie and preeminence in the world Lastlie if Gods eternal wisdome hath so ordained and appointed that this shal be the badge and liverie of his Son the high way to heaven under the standard of his crosse then ought we not to refuse this liverie nor to flie this way but rather with good Peter and Iohn to esteem it a great dignitie to be made woorthy of the most blessed participation therof We see that to wear the colors of the prince is thought a prerogative among courtiers in this world but to wear the robe or crown it selfe were to great a dignitie for any inferior subject to receive Yet Christ our Lord and king is content to impart both of his with us And how then ought we I pray you to accept therof 22 And now as I have said these reasons might be sufficient to comfort and make joiful al those that are called to suffer affliction and tribulation But yet there want not some more particular considerations besides Wherof the first and most principal is that this matter of persecution commeth not by chance or casualitie or by any general direction from higher powers but by the special providence and peculiar disposition of God as Christ sheweth at large in Saint Mathews Gospel that is this heavenly medicin or potion is made unto us by Gods own hand in particular Which Christ signifieth when he saith Shal I not drink the cup which my father hath given me That is seeing my father hath tempered a potion for me shal I not drink it As who would say it were too much ingratitude Secondly is to be noted that the very same hand of God which tempered the cup for Christ his own Son hath done the same also for us according to Christ his saieng You shal drink of my cup. That is of the same cup which my father hath tempered for me Heerof it followeth that with what hart and love God tempered this cup unto his own Son with the same he hath tempered it also to us that is altogither for our good and his glorie Thirdlie is to be noted that this cup is tempered with such special care as Christ saith that what trouble or danger soever it seem to work yet shal not one hair of our head perish by the same Nay further is to be noted that which the prophet saith O Lord thou shalt give us to drink in tears in measure That is the cup of tears and tribulation shal be so tempered in measure by our heavenly physition as no man shal have above his strength The dose of aloes and other bitter ingredients shal be qualified with manna and sufficient sweetnes of heavenlie consolation God is faithful saith Saint Paul and wil not suffer you to be tempted above your abilitie This is a singular point of comfort and ought alwais to be in our remembrance 23 Beside this we must consider that the appointing and tempering of this cup being now in the hands of Christ our Savior by the ful commission granted him from his father and he having learned by his own sufferings as the apostle notifieth what it is to suffer in flesh and blood we may be sure that he wil not lay upon us more than we can bear For as if a man had a father or brother a most skilful physition and should receive a purgation from them tempered with their own hands he might be sure it would never hurt him what rumbling soever it made in his bellie for the time so and much more may we be assured of the potion of tribulation ministred us by the hand of Christ though as the apostle saith it seem unto us unpleasant for a time but above al other comfortable cogitations this is the greatest and most comfortable to consider that he divideth this cup only of love as himselfe protesteth and the apostle prooveth that is he giveth out portions of his crosse the richest jewel that he maketh account of as worldly princes do their treasure unto none but unto chosen and picked frinds and among them also not equally to ech man but to everie one a measure according to the measure of good wil wherwith he loveth him This is evident by the examples before set down of his deerest frinds most of al afflicted in this life that is they received greater portions of this treasure for that his good wil was greater towards them This also may be seen manifestly in the example of Saint Paul of whom after Christ had said to Ananias Vas electionis est mihi He is a chosen vessel unto me He giveth immediatly the reason therof For I wil shew unto him what great things he must suffer for my
received and imbraced as it is among al Christians and yet bringeth not foorth good life there the cause is for that it is choked with the vanities of this world 3 This is a parable of marvelous great importance as may appeer both for that Christ after the recital therof cried out with a lowd voice He that hath ears to hear let him hear as also for that he expounded it himselfe in secret only to his disciples and principally for that before the exposition therof he useth such a solemn preface saieng To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven but to others not for that they seeing do not see and hearing do not hear nor understand Wherby Christ signifieth that the understanding of this parable among others is of singular importance for conceiving the tru mysteries of the kingdome of heaven that many are blind which seem to see and many deaf and ignorant that seem to hear and know for that they understand not wel the mysteries of this parable For which cause also Christ maketh this conclusion before he beginneth to expound the parable Happy are your eies that see and blessed are your ears that hear After which words he beginneth his exposition with this admonition Vos ergo audite parabolam Do you therfore hear and understand this parable 4 And for that this parable doth contain and touch so much indeed as may or needeth be said for remooving of this great and dangerous impediment of worldly love I mean to stay my selfe only upon the explication therof in this place and wil declare the force truth of certain words heer uttered by Christ of the world and worldly pleasures and for some order and methods sake I wil draw al to these six points following First how and in what sense al the world and commodities therof are vanities of no valu as Christ heer signifieth and consequently ought not to be an impediment to let us from so great a matter as the kingdome of heaven and the serving of God is Secondly how they are not only vanities and trifles in themselves but also deceptions as Christ saith that is deceits not performing to us indeed those little trifles which they do promise Thirdly how they are Spinae that is pricking thorns as Christ saith though they seem to worldly men to be most sweet and pleasant Fourthly how they are aerumnae that is miseries and afflictions as also Christs words are Fiftly Quomodo suffocant how they strangle or choke us as Christ affirmeth Sixtly how we may use them notwithstanding without these dangers and evils and to our great comfort gain and preferment 5 And touching the first I do not see how it may be better prooved that al the pleasures and goodly shewes of this world are vanities as Christ heer saith than to alledge the testimonie of one which hath prooved them al that is of one which speaketh not of speculation but of his own proofe and practise and this is king Salomon of whom the scripture reporteth woonderful matters touching his peace prosperitie riches and glorie in this world as that al the kings of the earth desired to see his face for his wisdome and renowmed felicitie that al the princes living besides were not like him in wealth that he had six hundred sixtie and six talents of gold which is an infinite sum brought him in yeerly besides al other that he had from the kings of Arabia and other princes that silver was as plentiful with him as heaps of stones and not esteemed for the great store and abundance he had therof that his plate and jewels had no end that his seat of majestie with stooles lions to bear it up and other furniture was of gold passing al other kingly seats in the world that his pretious apparel and armor was infinite that he had al the kings from the river of the Philistians unto Egypt to serve him that he had fortie thousand horses in his stables to ride and twelve thousand chariots with horses and other furniture readie to them for his use that he had two hundred spears of gold born before him and six hundred crowns of gold bestowed in everie spear as also three hundred buklers three hundred crowns of gold bestowed in the gilding of everie bukler that he spent everie day in his house a thousand nine hundred thirtie and seven quarters of meal flower thirtie oxen with an hundred wethers beside al other flesh that he had seaven hundred wives as queenes and three hundred others as concubines Al this and much more doth scripture report of Salomons worldly wealth wisdome riches and prosperitie which he having tasted and used to his fil pronounced yet at the last this sentence of it al Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas Vanitie of vanities and al is vanitie By vanitie of vanities meaning as Saint Ierom interpreteth the greatnes of this vanitie above al other vanities that may be devised 6 Neither only doth Salomon affirm this thing but doth prove it also by examples of himself I have been king of Israel in Ierusalem saith he and I purposed with my selfe to seek out by wisdome al things I have seen that al under the sun are meer vanities affliction of spirit I said in my hart I wil go and abound in delites and in every pleasure that may be had And I saw that this was also vanitie I tooke great works in hand builded houses to my selfe planted vineyards made orchards and gardens and beset them with al kind of trees I made me fish ponds to water my trees I possessed servants and hand-maids and had a great familie great herds of cattel above any that ever were before me in Ierusalem I gathered togither gold and silver the riches of kings and provinces I appointed to my selfe singers both men and women which are the delites of the children of men fine cups also to drink wine withal and whatsoever my eies did desire I denied it not unto them neither did I let my hart from using any pleasure to delite it selfe in these things which I prepared And when I turned my selfe to al that my hands had made and to al the labors wherin I had taken such pains and sweat I saw in them al vanitie and affliction of the mind 7 This is the testimonie of Salomon upon his own proof in these matters and if he had spoken it upon his wisdome only being such as it was we ought to beleeve him but much more seeing he affirmeth it of his own experience But yet if any man be not mooved with this let us bring yet another witnes out of the new testament and such a one as was privie to the opinion of Christ heerin that is Saint Iohn the evangelist whose words are these Do not love the world nor those things that are in the world if any man love the
world the love of God the father is not in him For that al which is in the world is either concupiscence of the flesh or concupiscence of the eies or pride of life In which words S. Iohn beside his threat against such as love and follow the world reduceth al the vanities therof unto three general points or branches that is to concupiscence of the flesh wherin he comprehendeth al carnal pleasures to concupiscence of the eies wherin he containeth al matters of riches and to pride of life wherby he signifieth the humor disease of worldly ambition These then are the three general principal vanities of this life wherin worldly men do wearie out themselves ambition covetousnes and carnal pleasure wherunto al other vanities are addressed as to their superiors And therfore it shal not be amisse to consider of these three in this place 8 And first to ambition or pride of life belongeth vainglorie that is a certain disordinate desire to be wel thought of wel spoken of praised and glorified of men and this is as great a vanitie though it be common to many as if a man should run up and down the streets after a feather flieng in the air tossed hither and thither with the blasts of infinite mens mouths For as this man might wearie out himselfe before he gat the thing which he followed and yet when he had it he had gotten but a feather so a vain glorious man may labor a good while before he attain to the praise which he desireth and when he hath it it is not woorth three chips being but the breath of a few mens mouthes that altereth upon every light occasion and now maketh him great now little now nothing at al. Christ himselfe may be an example of this who was tossed to and fro in the speech of men some said he was a Samaritan and had the divel other said he was a prophet other said he could not be a prophet or of God for that he kept not the sabboth day others asked if he were not of God how he could do so many miracles So that there was a schism or division among them about this matter as Saint Iohn affirmeth Finally they received him into Ierusalem with triumph of Hosanna casting their apparel under his feet But the friday next ensuing they cried Crucifige against him and preferred the life of Barrabas a wicked murderer before him 9 Now my frind if they delt thus with Christ which was a better man than ever thou wilt be and did more glorious miracles than ever thou wilt do to purchase thee name and honor with the people why dost thou so labor and beat thy selfe about this vanitie of vain glorie Why dost thou cast thy travels into the wind of mens mouthes Why dost thou put thy riches in the lips of mutable men where every flatterer may rob thee of them Hast thou no better a chest to lok them up in Saint Paul was of another mind when he said I esteem little to be iudged of you or of the day of man and he had reason surely For what careth he that runneth at tilt if the ignorant people give sentence against him so the judges give it with him If the blind man in the way to Iericho had depended of the liking and approbation of the goers by he had never received the benefit of his sight for that they dissuaded him from running and crieng so vehemently after Christ. It is a miserable thing for a man to be a windmil which maketh no meal but according as the blast endureth If the gale be strong he surgeth about lustily but if the wind slake he relenteth presently So praise the vainglorious man and ye make him run if he feel not the gale blow he is out of hart he is like the Babylonians who with a little sweet musik were made to adore any thing whatsoever 10 The scripture saith most truly As silver is tried in the fire by blowing to it so is a man tried in the mouth of him that praiseth For as silver if it be good taketh no hurt therby but if it be evil it goeth al into fume so a vain man by praise and commendation How many have we seen puffed up with mens praises and almost put beside themselves for joy therof and yet afterward brought down with a contrarie wind and driven ful neer to desperation by contempt How many do we see daily as the prophet did in his dais commended in their sins and blessed in their wickednes How many palpable and intollerable flatteries do we hear both used and accepted daily and no man crieth with good king David Away with this oile and ointment of sinners let it not come upon my head Is not al this vanitie Is it not madnesse as the scripture calleth it The glorious angels in heaven seek no honor unto themselves but al unto God and thou poore worm of the earth desirest to be glorified The four and twentie elders in the Apocalips took off their crowns and cast them at the feet of the lamb and thou wouldest pluk fortie from the lamb to thy self if thou couldest O fond creature How truly saith the prophet Homo vanitati similis factus est A man is made like unto vanitie That is like unto his own vanitie as light as the verie vanities themselves which he followeth And yet the wise man more expresly In vanitate sua appenditur peccator The sinner is weighed in his vanitie That is by the vanitie which he followeth is seen how light and vain a sinner is 11 The second vanitie that belongeth to ambition is desire of worldly honor dignitie and promotion And this is a great matter in the sight of a worldly man this is a jewel of rare price and woorthy to be bought even with any labor travel or peril whatsoever The love of this letted the great men that were Christians in Iewrie from confessing of Christ openly The love of this letted Pilat from delivering Iesus according as in conscience he saw he was bound The love of this letted Agrippa Festus from making themselves Christians albeit they esteemed Pauls doctrine to be tru The love of this letteth infinite men daily from imbracing the means of their salvation But alas these men do not see the vanitie heerof Saint Paul saith not without just cause Nolite esse pueri sensibus Be you not children in understanding It is the fashion of children to esteem more of a painted bable than of a rich jewel And such is the painted dignitie of this world gotten with much labor maintained with great expenses and lost with intollerable greefe and sorrow For better conceiving wherof ponder a little with thy selfe gentle reader any state of dignitie that thou wouldest desire and think how many have had that before thee Remember how they mounted up how they descended
asked it thrise upon his knees with the sweat of blood what reason hast thou to think that he wil let passe so many sins of thine unpunished What cause hast thou to induce thy imagination that he wil deal extraordinarily with thee and break the course of his justice for thy sake Art thou better than those whom I have named Hast thou any privilege from God above them 15 If thou wouldest consider the great and strange effects of Gods justice which we see daily executed in the world thou shouldest have little cause to persuade thy selfe so favorably or rather to flatter thy selfe so dangerously as thou doest We see that notwithstanding Gods mercie yea notwithstanding the death and passion of Christ our savior for saving of the whole world yet so many infinite millions to be damned daily by the justice of God so many infidels heathens Iews and Turks that remain in the darknes of their own ignorance among Christians so many that hold not their profession truly or otherwise are il livers therin as that Christ truly said that few were they that should be saved albeit his death was paid for al if they made not themselves unwoorthy therof And before the comming of our savior much more we see that al the world went a-wry to damnation for many thousand yeers togither excepting a few Iews which were the people of God And yet among them also the greater part it seemeth were not saved as may be conjectured by the speeches of the prophets from time to time and specially by the saiengs of Christ to the Pharisies and other rulers therof Now then if God for the satisfieng of his justice could let so many millions perish through their own sins as he doth also now daily permit without any prejudice or impechment to his mercie why may not he also damn thee for thy sins notwithstanding his mercie seeing thou dost not only commit them without fear but also dost confidently persist in the same 16 But heer som man may say If this be so that God is so severe in punishment of everie sin and that he damneth so manie thousands for one that he saveth how is it tru that The mercies of God are above al his other works as the scripture saith and that it passeth and exalteth it selfe above his iudgements For if the number of the damned do exceed so much the number of those which are saved it seemeth that the work of justice doth passe the work of mercie To which I answer that touching the smal number of those that are saved and infinite quantitie of such as are damned we may in no wise dowt for that beside al other prophets Christ our Savior hath made the matter certain and out of question We have to see therfore how notwithstanding al this the mercie of God doth exceed his other works 17 And first his mercie may be said to exceed for that al our salvation is of his mercie and our damnation from our selves as from the first and principal causes therof according to the saieng of God by the prophet Perditio tua Israel tantum modo in me auxilium tuum Thy only perdition is from thy selfe O Israel and thy assistance to do good is only from me So that as we must acknowlege Gods grace mercy for the author of every good thought and act that we do and consequently ascribe al our salvation unto him so none of our evil acts for which we are damned do proceed from him but only from our selves and so he is no cause at al of our damnation and in this doth his mercie exceed his justice 18 Secondly his mercie doth exceed in that he desireth al men to be saved as Saint Paul teacheth and himselfe protesteth when he saith I wil not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn from his wickednes and live And again by the prophet Ieremie he complaineth greevously that men wil not accept of his mercie offered Turn from your wicked wais saith he why wil ye die you house of Israel By which appeereth that he offereth his mercie most willingly freely to al but useth his justice only upon necessitie as it were constrained therunto by our obstinate behavior This Christ signifieth more plainly when he saith to Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets and stonest them to death that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children togither as the hen clocketh hir chickins underneath hir wings but thou wouldest not Behold thy house for this cause shal be made desart and left without children Heer you see the mercie of God often offered unto the Iews but for that they refused it he was inforced in a certain maner to pronounce this heavy sentence of destruction and desolation upon them which he fulfilled within fortie or fiftie yeers after by the hands of Vespasian emperor of Rome and Titus his son who utterly discomfited the citie of Ierusalem and whole nation of Iews whom we see dispersed over the world at this day in bondage both of bodie and soul. Which work of Gods justice though it be most terrible yet was his mercie greater to them as appeereth by Christ words if they had not rejected the Son 19 Thirdly his mercie exceedeth his justice even towards the damned themselves in that he used many means to save them in this life by calling upon them and assisting them with his grace to do good by mooving them inwardly with infinite good inspirations by alluring them outwardly with exhortations promisses examples of other as also by siknes adversities and other gentle corrections by giving them space to repent with occasions opportunities and excitations unto the same by threatening them eternal death if they repent not Al which things being effects of mercie and goodnes towards them they must needs confesse amidst their greatest furie and torments that his judgements are tru and justified in themselves and no wais to be compared with the greatnes of his mercies 20 By this then we see that to be tru which the prophet saith Misericordiam veritatem diligit Dominus God loveth mercie and truth And again Mercie and truth have met togither iustice and peace have kissed themselves We see the reason why the same prophet protesteth of himselfe I wil sing unto thee mercie and iudgement O Lord not mercie alone nor judgement alone but mercie and judgement togither that is I wil not so presume of thy mercie as I wil not fear thy judgement nor wil I so fear thy judgement as I wil ever dispair of thy mercie The fear of Gods judgement is alwais to be joined with our confidence in Gods mercie yea in verie saints themselves as David saith But what fear That fear truly which the scripture describeth when it saith The fear of the Lord expelleth sin the fear of God hateth al evil he that
wil promise it I say upon a condition that he might have life again upon condition that the day might be prolonged unto him though if God should grant him his request as many times he doth he would perform no one point therof but be as careles as he were before When such shal crie with sighs and grones as pearsing as a sword and yet shal not be heard what comfort then wil they hope for to find For whither wil they turn themselves in this distresse Vnto their worldly wealth power or riches Alas they are gone and the scripture saith Riches shal not profit in the day of revenge Wil they turn unto their carnal frinds But what comfort can they give besides onlie weeping and comfortles moorning Wil they ask help of the saints to praie for them in this instant Then must they remember what is written The saints shal reioice in glorie and exultation shal be in their mouthes and two edged swords in their hands to take revenge upon nations and increpations upon people to bind kings in fetters and noble men in manacles of iron to execute upon them the prescript iudgement of God and this is the glorie of al his saints Their onlie refuge then must be unto God who indeed is the only refuge of al but yet in this case the prophet saith heer that He shal not hear them but rather contemn and laugh at their miserie Not that he is contrarie to his promise of receiving a sinner At what time soever he repenteth and turneth from his sin But for that this turning at the last day is not commonly tru repentance and conversion for the causes before rehearsed 28 To conclude then this matter of delay what wise men is there in the world who reading this wil not fear the deferring of his conversion though it were but for one day Who doth know whether this shal be the last day or no that ever God wil cal him in God saith I called and you refused to come I held out my hand and you would not looke towards me and therfore wil I forsake you in your extremitie He doth not say how manie times or how long he did cal and hold out his hand God saith I stand at the doore and knok but he saith not how often he doth that or how manie knoks he giveth Again he said of wicked Iezabel the feined prophetesse in the Apocalyps I have given hir time to repent and she would not and therfore shal she perish but he saith not how long this time of repentance endureth We read of woonderful examples heerin Herod the father had a cal given him and that a lowd one when Iohn Baptist was sent unto him and when his hart was so far touched as he willingly heard him and so followed his counsel in manie things as one Evangelist noteth but yet bicause he deferred the matter and tooke not time when it was offered he was cast off again and his last dooings made woorse than his former Herod Tetrak the son had a cal also when he felt that desire to see Christ and some miracle done by him but for that he answered not unto the cal it did him no good but rather much hurt What a great knok had Pilate given him at his hart if he had been so gratious as to have opened the doore presently when he was made to understand the innocencie of Christ as appeereth by washing his hands in testimonie therof and his wife also sent him an admonition about the same No lesse knok had king Agrippa at his doore when he cried out at the hearing of Saint Paul O Paul thou persuadest me a little to be a Christian. But bicause he deferred the matter this motion passed away again 29 Twise happie had Pharao been if he had resolved himselfe presently upon that motion that he felt when he cried to Moises I have sinned and God is iust But by delay he became woorse than ever he was before Saint Luke reporteth how Felix the governor of Iewrie for the Romanes conferred secretly oftentimes with Saint Paul that was prisoner and heard of him the faith in Christ wherwith hee was greatly mooved especially at on time when Paul disputed of Gods justice and the day of judgement wherat Felix trembled but yet he deferred this resolution willing Paul to depart and to come again another time and so the matter by delation came to no effect How many men do perish daily some cut off by death some left by God and given over to a reprobate sense which might have found grace if they had not deferred their conversion from day to day but had made their resolution presently when they felt God to cal within their harts 30 God is most bountiful to knok and cal but yet he bindeth himselfe to no time or space but commeth and goeth at his pleasure and they which take not their times when they are offered are excuselesse before his justice and do not know whether ever it shal be offered them again or no for that this thing is only in the wil and knowlege of God alone who taketh mercie where it pleaseth him best and is bound to none And when the prefixed time of calling is once past wo be unto that partie for a thousand worlds wil not purchase it again Christ sheweth woonderfully the importance of this matter when entering into Ierusalem amidst al his mirth and glorie of receiving he could not chuse but weep upon that citie crieng out with tears O Ierusalem if thou knewest also these things which appertain to thy peace even in this thy day but now these things are hidden from thee As if he had said if thou knewest Ierusalem as wel as I do what mercie is offered thee even this day thou wouldest not do as thou doest but wouldest presently accept therof but now this secret judgement of my father is hidden from thee and therfore thou makest little account therof until thy destruction shal come suddenly upon thee as soone after it did 31 By this now may be considered the great reason of the wise mans exhortation For-slow not to turn to God nor do not defer it from day to day for his wrath wil come upon thee at the sudden and in time of revenge it wil destroy thee It may be seene also upon what great cause the Apostle exhorteth the Hebrews so vehementlie Dum cognominantur bodie To accept of grace even whiles that very day endured and not to let passe the occasion offered Which every man applieng to himselfe should follow in obeing the motions of Gods spirit within him and accepting of Gods vocation without delay considering what a greevous sin it is to resist the holie Ghost Every man ought I say when he feeleth a good motion in his hart to think with himselfe now God knocketh at my
omit to labor 11 The second impediment is called by me in the title of this chapter negligence But I do understand therby a further matter than commonly this word importeth For I do comprehend under the name of negligence al careles and dissolute people which take to hart nothing that pertaineth to God or godlines but only attend to worldly affairs making their salvation the least part of their cogitations And under this kind of negligence is contained both Epicurism as Saint Paul noted in some Christians of his dais who began only to attend to eat and drink and to make their bellies their God as many of our Christians now do and also a secret kind of Atheism or denieng of God that is of denieng him in life and behavior as Saint Paul expoundeth it For albeit these men in words do confesse God and professe themselves to be as good Christians as the rest yet secretly indeed they do not beleeve God as their life and doings do declare Which thing Ecclesiasticus discovereth plainly when he saith Vae dissolutis corde qui non credunt Deo Wo be unto the dissolute and careles in hart which do not beleeve God That is though they professe that they beleeve and trust in him yet by their dissolute and careles doings they testifie that in their harts they beleeve him not for that they have neither care nor cogitation of matters pertaining to him 12 These kind of men are those which the scripture noteth and detesteth for plowing with an ox and an asse togither for sowing their ground with mingled seed for wearing apparel of linsie woolsey that is made of flaxe and wool togither These are they of whom Christ saith in the Revelations I would thou were either cold or hot But for that thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot therfore wil I begin to vomit thee out of my mouth These are they which can accord al religions togither and take up al controversies by only saieng that either they are differences of smal importance or else that they appertain only to learned men to think upon and not unto them These are they which can apply themselves to any companie to any time to any princes pleasure for matters of life to come These men forbid al talk of spirit religion or devotion in their presence only they wil have men eat drink and be merry with them tel news of the court and affairs abroad sing dance laugh and play at cards and so passe over this life in lesse consideration of God than the very heathens did And hath not the scripture reason then in saieng that these men in their harts works are Atheists Yes surely And it may be prooved by many rules of Christ. As for example this is one rule set down by himself By their fruits ye shal know them For such as the tree is within such is the fruit which that tree sendeth footh Again The mouth speaketh from the abundance of the hart and consequently seeing their talk is nothing but of worldly vanities it is a sign there is nothing in their hart but that And then it followeth also by a third rule Where the treasure is there is the hart And so seing their harts are only set upon the world the world is their only treasure not God And consequently they prefer that before God as indeed Atheists do 13 This impediment reacheth far and wide at this day and infinite are the men which are intangled therwith and the cause therof esspecally is inordinate love of the world which bringeth men to hate God and to conceive enmitie against him as the apostle saith and therfore no marvel though indeed they neither beleeve nor delite in him And of al other men these are the hardest to be reclaimed and brought to any resolution of amendement for that they are insensible and beside that do also flie al means wherby they be cured For as there were smal hope to be conceived of that patient which being greeuously sik should neither feele his disease nor beleeve that he were distempered nor abide to hear of physik or physitions nor accept of any counsel that should be offered nor admit any talk or consultation about his curing so these men are in more dangerous estate than any other for that they know not their own danger but persuading themselves to be more wise than their neighbors do remoove from their cogitations al things wherby their health might be procured 14 The only way to do these men good if there be any way at al is to make them know that they are sik and in great danger which in our case may be done best as it seemeth to me by giving them to understand how far they are off from any one peece of tru Christianitie consequently from al hope of salvation that may be had therby God requireth at our hands that We should love him and serve him With al our hart with al our soul and with al our strength These are the prescript words of God set down both in the old and new law And how far I pray thee are these men off from this which imploy not the halfe of their hart nor the halfe of their soul nor the halfe of their strength in Gods service nay nor the least part therof God requireth at our hands that we should make his laws and precepts our studie and cogitations that we should think on them continually and meditate upon them both day and night at home and abroad early and late when we go to bed and when we rise in the morning this is his commandement and there is no dispensation therin But how far are those men from this which bestow not the third part of their thoughts upon this matter no not the hundred part nor scarce once in a yeer do talk therof Can these men say they are Christians or that they beleeve in God 15 Christ making the estimate of things in this life pronounced this sentence Vnum est necessarium one onely thing is necessarie Or of necessitie in this world meaning the diligent and careful service of God These men find many things necessarie beside this one thing and this nothing necessarie at al. How far do they differ then in judgement from Christ Christs apostle saith that a Christian Must neither love the world nor any thing in the world These men love nothing else but that which is of the world He saith that Whosoever is a frind to the world is an enimie to Christ. These men are enimies to whosoever is not a frind to the world How then can these men hold of Christ Christ saith We should pray stil. These men pray never Christs apostle saith that Covetousnes uncleannes or securitie should not be so much as once named among Christians These men have no other talk but such Finally the
hither the things required at thy hands in particular the account that wil be demanded of thee his goodnes towards thee his watchfulnes over thee his desire to win thee his reward if thou do wel his infinite punishment if thou do evil his callings his baits his allurements to save thee And on the contrarie part heer are discovered unto thee the vanities deceits of those impedimēts hinderances or excuses which any way might let stay or discourage thy resolution the feigned difficulties of vertuous life are remooved the conceited fears of Gods service are taken away the allureing flatteries of worldly vanitie are opened the foolish presumption upon Gods mercie the danger of delay the dissimulation of sloth the desperate peril of careles stonie harts are declared What then wilt thou desire more to moove thee What further argument wilt thou expect to draw thee from vice and wickednes that al this is 30 If al this stir thee not what wil stir thee gentle reader if when thou hast read this thou lay down thy book again and walk on thy carelesse life as quietly as before what hope I beseech thee may there be conceived of thy salvation Wilt thou go to heaven living as thou dost It is impossible As soone thou maist drive God out of heaven as get thither thy selfe in this kind of life What then Wilt thou forgo heaven yet escape hel too This is lesse possible whatsoever the Atheists of this world do persuade thee Wilt thou defer the matter and think of it heerafter I have told thee my opinion heerof before Thou shalt never have more abilitie to do it than now and it may be never halfe so much again If thou refuse it now I may greatly fear that thou wilt be refused heerafter thy selfe There is no way then so good deer brother as to do it presently whiles it is offered Break from that tyrant which deteineth thee in servitude shake off his chains cut a sunder his bonds run violently to Christ which standeth readie to imbrace thee with his arms open on the crosse Make joiful al the angels and court of heaven with thy conversion strike once the stroke with God again make a manly resolution say with the old couragious soldier of Iesus Christ Saint Ierom If my father stood weeping on his knees before me and my mother hanging on my nek behind me and al my brethren sisters children kinsfolks howling on every side to retain me in sinful life with them I would sling off my mother to the ground despise al my kinred run over my father and tread him under my feet therby to run to Christ when he calleth me 31 Oh that we had such harts as this servant of God had such courage such manhood such fervent love to our maister Who would lie one day in such slaverie as we do Who would eat husks with the prodigal son among swine seeing he may return home and be so honorably received and intertained by his old father have so good cheer and banketting and hear so great melodie joy and triumph for his return I say no more heerin deer brother than thou art assured of by the word and promise of Gods own mouth from which can proceed neither falshood nor deceit Return then I beseech thee lay hand fast on his promise who wil not fail thee run to him now he calleth whiles thou hast time and esteem not al this world worth a straw in respect of this one act for so shalt thou be a most happie and thrise happie man and shalt blesse heerafter the hour and moment that ever thou madest this blessed resolution And I for my part I trust shal not be void of some portion of thy felicitie At leastwise I dowt not but thy holie conversion shal treat for me with our common father who is the God of mercies for remission of my many sins and that I may serve and honor him togither with thee al the dais of my life which ought to be both our petitions and therfore in both our names I beseech his divine majestie to grant it to us for ever and ever Amen The end of this booke of Resolution A TREATISE TENDING TO PACIFICATION BY LABOring those that are our adversaries in the cause of RELIGION to receive the GOSPEL and to join with us in profession therof By Edm. Bunny Hosea 3 4 5. The children of Israel shal sit a great while without king without prince without sacrifice without image without Ephod and without Teraphim But afterward the children of Israel shal be converted and seeke the Lord their God and David their king in the latter dais they shal worship the Lord and his loving kindnes A Table declaring the effect and method of the Treatise following This Treatise following consisth of two principal parts In the former of which there is set down matter to move them that is First on our parts it is declared that if we should turn unto them The benefit that we should get therby would be very little Section 1. The inconvenience very great First in matters concerning religion Sect. 2. Then concerning our civile estate Sect. 3. Then on their parts it is declared likewise that if they should ioin in profession with us The benefit that they should get therby were gret First in matters of religion Sect. 4. Then as touching their civile estate Sect. 5. The inconveniences very smal cōcerning which First it is declared what they are Sect. 6. Then of how smal importance they are which is declared First in them al generally Sect. 7. Then more specially in the doctrine of iustification Sect. 8. In the latter such lets are remooved as are woont to hinder of which there be two special sorts Some that are of lesse importance Of which likewise there are Som that cheefly respect their person which also are two One that proceedeth from regard of their credit which so they think should be overthrown Sect. 9. The other ariseth from their bodily punishment wherin they think we deal hardly with them Sect. 10. One that doth somwhat respect their cause likewise which is that our translations of the holy scriptures are now in their iudgement found to be so far from the truth of the text that it seemeth to them that we have not the word of God among us to direct us in this our profession as heertofore it was thought that we had Concerning which First there is a breefe recital of those points of doctrine for which we are charged to have translated so corruptly Sect. 11. Then is declared how it may very easily appeer that the matter is not so great as they pretend First by consideration of certain general points to them al belonging Sec. 12 Then by a more special treatise of everie one apart by it selfe Sect. 13. One that is of special force with manie and most of al hindereth those that stay upon conscience in deede which is that
have little cause to fear it and then proportionably fear it as little surely it were no great pleasure to any of us to be delivered from the hurt therof that doth not hurt us nor from the fear of that wherof we stand in no fear at al. As for the spiritual censure of the church rightly proceeding against any we know it is to be feared indeed of those whom it toucheth But we are long since persuaded that we can so distinguish betwixt these two that we need not take the one for the other Then as touching those further representations of spiritual comfort such as they are which they I grant have mo than we we find no such substance in any of them neither in that they have both sacraments and ceremonies mo than we neither in that themselves alone have al the images and we are utterly void of any but that we may think our selves to be wel alreadie with those that we have although of one sort we have none at al and can further hope likewise that if themselves had no mo than we their inward comfort should be so much the greater For if in the examination of them it should fal out that they have no sufficient groundwork in the word of God as we are sure that they have there no warrant at al then are they but very cold and desperate comforts and never yeeld any sound comfort at al. For though we are not in any dowt but that they are in other respects very il as they are used by them yet now we say no more but this that al things considered we find so little comfort in them that we need not think the want to be great now that we are without them nor that it were any great benefite for to obtain them The benefite that in outward government we should get therby is no more than this that so we should be under the government of the bishop of Rome which how good it should proove I am not able certainly to say But if first we should esteeme therof by reason we may very wel dowt that no one man were able to govern us wel that should rule al the world besides notwithstanding al the under-magistrates that could be appointed and that although some one man could do it by his rare and singular wisdome which notwithstanding were such a thing as never was yet yet that it were in no wise convenient for so many and al the whole to hang upon one and such an one too as might somtime be so weak a man to bear such a burden as that many others under his government might be found much stronger than he Then if we come unto experience and lay before us in what sort he governed us before when as he had us under his government or in what sort he governeth yet those that abide under his obedience whether any thing may be said more hardly or not as yet I say not but surely thus much we may be bold to abide by that in comparison of the government under which we are now it were no very singular benefite to be holpen bak to that other again So for ought that yet appeereth we cannot see that any great benefite could come unto us if we should turn to their profession 2 What inconvenience might come therby is a thing very hard to be fully gathered being so great and so divers withal as in our judgement it seemeth to be Where first of al we cannot like that we should be so much deprived of the scriptures themselves as under them we were partly by the laws that they made against such as should read them otherwise than themselves thought good and partly for that they do so much inhibite al translations in our vulgar toong Which one thing only we take to boad very much il and whatsoever after insueth to come almost only of it For the inconveniences that we are persuaded would come in therby would be as we take it many and great some in matters of religion others as touching our civile estate heer in this life In matters of religion first we dowt that our selves should be much therby corrupted and be occasion to many others to fal to the same corruption likewise then also that on the consciences of many there should be laid over greevous burdens Our selves might be corrupted by their profession two principal wais in the aestimation of Gods goodnes to us and in the performance of our dutie to him The goodnes of God toward us is infinite but now we have to enter no further into the consideration therof than to this present purpose doth appertain And that is only in these two things first in the work of our redemption then in his providence towards us in other matters In the work of our redemption Christ hath both satisfied for us to the justice of God and therwithal himselfe directeth us towards the attaining therof In both these points we dowt very much that by joining with them in their profession we should be found blasphemous to God and very hurtful to our own souls health first in joining and that no further than their selves do either the sufferings or else the good works of any of the saints in heaven or on earth with the sufferings and merits of Christ then by helping our selves unto it by the mediation of angels or saints or by the doctrines of men on earth only so far as themselves do it and not seeking the same alone by the mediation of Christ and by the written word of God For we take the satisfaction of Christ his mediation and word to be such as that no other satisfaction mediation or word can be found any thing meete to be so far matched withal Again we find not that the work of redemption that is wrought in Christ is available to the salvation of any but only of those that so cleave unto it that they utterly renounce al other helps whatsoever they are In the former therfore we see not how it may be avoided but that needes we must be found to have done great dishonor to Christ in the other we are persuaded that we should clean overthrow our own salvation Concerning the providence of God towards us in other matters their profession we fear would lead us somwhat aside and teach us to attribute many of those things that fal out among us to some other than God alone somtimes unto creatures as the angels and saints in heaven or to the power of man on earth and somtimes to a fiction of mans devise as fate or fortune And although we willingly grant that in divers of these they use such limitation withal that it seemeth they would be loth for to go over-far therin yet going but so far as they do in their common profession we see not how we could avoid it but that if we should join with them therin we should be far amisse persuaded in
works but to the free mercie of God So on the other side if Saint Paul had purposed to exhort to newnes of life he would there have told us as else-where he did that though we had al faith and had not love yet al were nothing So for the doctrine of justification likewise I trust there is no such absurditie held by us that any may have any just cause to fear to join with us therin 9 Those things that hinder are some of them of lesse importance and lightly hinder not but those that are of the weaker sort and one other there is of more special force with them that I take to be the greatest stay that hindereth those that take it to be a matter of conscience indeed Those lesser hinderances likewise are divers For some respect their persons especially and one other there is that somwhat respecteth the cause likewise Those that do most properly respect their persons are especially two one that proceedeth from regard of their credit which was somwhat touched before as one of the inconveniences that heerby they should have the other that concerneth certain hardnes that by bodily punishment they suppose themselves to be put unto untouched as yet And the discredit that they dowt would fal upon them is partly with al generally but especially with those with whom they have so long held togither For with al generally it is like to be some disgrace unto them for that they have al so professed and some of them besides have accordingly taught but yet no such as of right may hold them stil in the course that now they are in For as touching their profession it is very incident to the nature of man to be deceived especially in the truth of religion Howsoever we have a reasonable good sight in other things yet in this the best of us al are far to seeke for any thing that we have in our selves to help us withal Neither are we only to seeke heerin but also prone to conceive best liking of that which is wrong But besides their own natural weaknes and inclination they may wel remember that the former dais were such and their own proper education withal that whosoever is of any reasonable consideration wil easily pardon for the former time such wanderings unto them For both those things are verie forcible to lead us away with them whersoever there is not the special grace of Gods holie spirit both for to teach us a better course and to lead us therin So with men who are al of the selfe-same mould and have al had our parts of that other infection besides it is a very pardonable matter in religion to have held that course that they did pardonable I say in respect of our own natural impotencie and inclination and of those dais of ignorance that were before togither with our education then framed according to that praesent time But if we come to these dais of ours then is the case altered much For now it hath pleased the goodnes of God both to give them a more plentiful knowledge of his wil and pleasure and to offer unto them a readier direction by his holie spirit that so they may both see and walk the way to his kingdome so much the better Which diversitie of times and graces considered they may easily resolve themselves that it is no discredit unto them to alter the course of their former ignorance when as now their eies being opened they have found a better In the night it is no shame at al to go awry in the day time it is a fowl and stark shame indeed to hold on that course and not to break it off with speed Concerning those that besides their own profession have also taught the same unto others it cannot be denied but that they have done so much the more hurt and that their auditorie and disciples before may charge them with great alteration now if so they should alter their former course Nevertheles neither were their former doings to be denied their reasonable excuse with al those that are indifferent neither can they now continu on their course but that needs they must therwithal impeach their credit much more than if they had altered with al that have attained unto the knowledge of the truth For their former labors are the rather to be born withal for that being then persuaded that they were right it was their parts indeed to commend unto others that which themselves did think to be needful But that now it is rather for their credit to alter their course besides that other before recited which they have common with the rest hence also may they gather for that finding now that they have done much hurt before it standeth them upon for to amend the same so soone as they can The wound they have made it were meet that themselves should heal again Which if they should forsake to do howsoever it would stand with their credit or not it were verie like for to procure them an heavie judgement in the end For the errors that they should so leave uncorrected could not but infect manie others and likely inough so to grow on to the end of the world by which time it is not to say what heaps of iniquitie might come therby For al which they must needs stand chargeable before the judgement seat of God unlesse while they live heer among us they seek to amend al their errors delivered before In which respect Augustine hath left them in his own example a point of great wisdome diligently retracting or calling bak again whatsoever points of doctrine he found that he had unadvisedly delivered before and yet notwithstanding as it seemeth and himselfe in the praeface confesseth thought no shame with it at al as indeed it was a very good testimonie of his inward sinceritie and so consequently as much to his tru and just commendation as any thing else that ever he did If it be said that in him there was some further cause for to retract much of that which he wrote before both bicause he wrote very yoong and before he was baptised in the faith of Christ tru it is indeed that so he wrote but not so with al as leaveth to them any such advantage For the quaestion is not whether Saint Augustine or they had more need to retract some of their opinions but whether it be meete that those should do it that have taught unto others that which now they finde to be wrong And thogh it were yet I dowt much whether upon sufficient advisement any of them would so far urge the ods betwixt them either his youth to their yeers or his imperfection before his baptism to their ripenes now but that they would with good wil acknowledge rather that it were their parts if they have taught any erronious points of doctrine with him to retract them than to make any such allegation that they need not do it
so much as he Those with whom they have held hands so long togither are either the bishop of Rome or his frinds abroad for their advantage or else of their own countrimen at home that are grown to so great misliking of the praesent state If it be the bishop and his adhaerents it is but for their own advantage that they conceive that opinion of them so to make up their losses again by the help of them when opportunitie should serve them unto it And the more that their aestimation savoreth of it the more quietly may they be able to beare the losse therof If they be of our discontented countrimen at home the losse also is so much the lesse for that none such wil not mislike of them but so far as themselves are infected with the inchanted cup of forrain power and then the more they are infected therwith the lesse woorth is the best aestimation they are able to give Again whatsoever aestimation is lost either with forrain power abroad or with hollow harts at home the same wil be much more requited with the gratious favor of their natural princes and with the tru hart of faithful subjects and that so much the more in abundance of recompense as it is of greater price or valu to be wel thought on by natural princes and faithful subjects than of forren usurpers and close aides whersoever 10 The hardnes that they account themselves to be put unto to the utter aliening of their minds from us and our profession resteth especially in these two points first that divers of them are streightly handled then that certain points of their religion as they term it are now made treason They accoūt themselves to be streightly handled both in the fining of recusants and that certain of that profession are put to death Concerning both which they would not denie but that the punishment were moderate inough both in the one in the other if either they could finde that they were so heinous offenders as we do conceive and charge them to be or else but remember what dealings themselves have used to us and yet do upon lesse occasion As touching the former they wil not denie but that princes have authoritie by the word of God both to fine and to put to death as need requireth They know that such as worship any strange God or but intise others therto or stubbornly despise the word of God are by the sentence of Gods own mouth accounted woorthie to die the death and though it may be themselves do not see that by aequitie therof they are in the danger of his justice for those yet we are out of dowt that they are and but that we do alreadie know that the blindnes of man is very great we could not but woonder that they do not see it Nevertheles such is the mildnes of hir majestie and such is the peaceablenes of these dais of the Gospel so cold are we the most of us al on behalfe of the glorie God that none are executed for any of those though the selfe-same laws that they used against us be forcible against them and if need were might soone be inlarged So notwithstanding that which is done of that kinde we think there might be done much more than there is and yet that no bodie had any just cause to finde fault therwith That certain points of their religion are now made treason that so they cannot suffer as in cause of religion but of high treason it ought not to be so greevous unto them if they consider wel either the very nature of those points that are made treason or but the maner of our proceeding therin For some points of their profession are of the nature as that they are rank treason indeed to al the states that are in the world that have they proper unto themselves of al the religions that are professed on the face of the earth And this treason of theirs that we speak of resteth especially in these two points that the bishop of Rome hath power to depose the princes and potentates of the earth and to place in their roomes whomsoever he wil and that subjects ought not to remain in alleageance to any whom he deposeth but to put on armor against them Which we take to be as rank a treason as wicked an haeresie and as open a way to al confusion as any that ever was heard of before Neither doth it help them any thing if he were indeed as they would have it the vicar general of Christ on the earth for that therby he might do no more keeping within the bounds of his master but only lay their sin to their charge utterly exclude them from hope of salvation princes if they governed il and subjects likewise if they went with their princes against their obedience and dutie to God But as for deposing the one or loosing the other from their alleageance in those points we are sure that they are not only misliked of us but of many others besides that other wais are wel willers of theirs In the maner of proceeding that in this point is used against them there are two points likewise to be noted For first as touching the law it selfe it is in effect but certain ancient statutes that were made long since revived again and not sought unto til that by many naughtie practises and some rebellions open forces and slaughters contrived we were of necessitie rather constrained than easilie induced to take that order and that for the praeservation of the whole both in religion and civile tranquillitie Then also it is very wel known that although they have been never so faultie therin and so have justly deserved to die yet if they can be sorrie for their practising and utterly renounce and abandon the same they stand not in such danger of death by their former demerits as in the hope and way of life by their new repentance if it appeer to be unfeined as wel as their guiltines sufficiently prooved The dealings that they use towards us is first the rigor that they put us unto when time did serve them and yet do where they are able in that they raised up persecution against us in the cause of religion then also their disloial and unnatural practises now to recover their former usurpation again In that persecution of theirs against us we think they then delt and yet do over-hardly with us for that the cause being no greater than it was yet notwithstanding their punishment was exceeding greevous The cause we think was not so great for that cōmonly they persecuted us for nothing else but either for some tradition of their own or else for some thing that went against the earthly estate of the church of Rome either in the commoditie that they supposed to be du unto it or in the superioritie that they had obtained Howbeit neither of these being better cōsidered wil be as we
consider withal that holding so much as themselves do know and wil grant that we do it wil be verie hard to devise how the same might be brought to passe unles both we had the word among us and highly did aesteem of the same Them selves I trust think no otherwise of us but that we are persuaded that we fully hold togither with them whatsoever is catholik if it be so the matter is not so verie great if we varie somwhat in these Though a man want an arm or a leg yet notwithstanding he may be a man Let everie one take heed to his head if it be wanting the rest is nothing though there want not a joint besides And could but some of them be yet at the last as indifferent as manie of them have long been greevous against us could they now be so readie to take in good part what we have done wel as long as they have been to take to the woorst whatsoever left them any such advantage I cannot see how it should come to passe but that laieng that greater part which themselves acknowledge we have translated wel unto that lesse wherin they suppose we have done il they might see our wel doing so far to exceed that which is il that they need not think it so great a matter the truth of the text sufficiently saved more quietly to put up at our hands the one for the other especially when they themselves come in to translate so late as they do and have the benefit of our former labors For such of al others it doth not become to come in so late with such controlling that should have been with the formost at the work themselves to have seen to the orderly proceeding of it The stronger cause we think should have following the greater effect And so notwithstanstanding al the corruptions that divers of them lay to our charge not after a niggish but in liberal maner yet nevertheles so manie as shal more advisedly consider the force of that charge shal not we think finde any great cause to stand in dowt the rather for it whether we have the truth of Gods word among us or not 13 As for any more special treatise of these matters as it belongeth not to the course that I have taken so is it likewise both a needles thing in it selfe being so often and so thoroughly done alreadie by many others and such as is rather to be left to those that are to deal in the work it selfe than to be by a scanter handling incumbred by me Nevertheles if it please them with any indifferencie to consider of them what great cause have they either to mislike so much as they do of that which we do hold therin or so inexorably to urge their opinions to us A man would think that there were some passing ods else that they would never be so earnest in it That which they hold of Lymbus patrum is it so consonant to the word of God or else but so constant in it selfe that they may look to draw al men with them to be of the same opinion therin Was it ever yet taken to be so perilous a point of doctrine for a Christian man so to build upon the satisfaction that Christ made on the crosse to the justice of God that he might in no wise account it to be in force for those that died in the faith before as wel as for those that after succeeded especially when as we are plainly taught that he was yesterday and today and the same for ever that he is the lamb slain from the beginning of the world that there is no condemnation to any of those that are in Christ that God is not a God of the dead but of the living that by the sufferings of Iesus Christ the fathers also of old were releeved and by his stripes made whole and many others such like as these The sun being gotten to the height of the heavens or shrunk downward towards the midst of the afternoone or gotten almost to the very setting doth it not yet notwithstanding give a cleer light unto the east and to al other coasts of the world besides And shal not the death and suffering of Christ though it were long after the world began be available likewise to those that are gone before that lived and died in the faith of Christ An attonement we know there was before for that God dealt oft times so favorably with man and the same was grounded only in Christ. And what reason can there be given why they make it to stand with the justice of God that before the time of that satisfaction actually made he should have any favor towards them heer in this life as wel as to us and yet deprive them of that fruition of it after this life which they grant unto us And if their Lymbus be so uncertain what need they then to that end urge any such descending of Christ That in such sort he descended into hel as is fully sufficient in the justice of God both to acquit the fathers before that otherwise should have come thither and to be a discharge unto us that afterward live it is a thing that is fully beleeved of us al if they wil go further and set down with themselves in what maner also he did it further than the scripture doth warrant can they not determin therin for themselves unlesse they carrie al others likewise into the same adventure with them As touching their doctrine of the real praesence knowing that alreadie we do beleeve that the faithful receiver receiveth not any bare sign but togither with the outward sign whole Christ God and man his sufferings and merits may not this be accounted sufficient unlesse we go further to have his praesence in the very maner that they have imagined which notwithstanding was not agreed on among themselves but very lately The fathers before the incarnation of Christ could not otherwise receive him as also themselves grant that they did not and yet notwithstanding was that sufficient for their salvation And so long as they shew no further reason than they do why such a kinde of receiving of Christ might wel be available to their salvation and not unto ours especially when as otherwise we finde but one communion of saints as wel in profession as in state of salvation why may they not be content to admit that this kinde of receiving which we professe is so much as they need to require of us or else that it failed in the fathers also that were before the incarnation of Christ As for their other sacraments as they term them admit they might be vouchsafed that honor in some account among them for unities sake if needles they would have them so to be called yet what reason is it that they should so over-rule the judgements of others likewise as to account so basely of them unlesse in such needles and by-matters
nos reliquimus omnia c. * * The place being better considered it doth not appeere that David so said Nevertheles that which Barnard doth gather out of it doth stand very wel with those words of Christ that therwithal he allegeth of the light burden easie yoke Psal. 93. Gen. 22. Gal. 3. Four points to be handled in this chapter Whether al good men must suffer tribulation or no. Iohn 16. Luc. 11. 2. Tim. 3. Acts. 14. Apoc. 3. Heb. 12. verse 8. 2. Tim. 2. Psal. 33. Mat. 10. 2. Tim. 2. cap. 2. 3. Mat. 8. Iob. 7. Iob. 5. Iob. 13. The example of saints Gen. 4. Gen. 22. Iudith 8. Mat. 5.23 Luc. 13. Iob. 1. Tob. 2. Tob. 12. Heb. 11. Luc. 24. Mat. 10. Luc. 6. Mat. 10. Luc. 2. 1. Cor. 4. 2. Cor. 4.6.11.12 Acts. 20. Rom. 8. Iohn 21. Tert. lib. de prescrip heretic Ierom. lib. cont Ia. vin Mat. 10. An obiection answered Psal. 72. Psal. 37. Matt. 7. Time of peace more dangerous than of persecution A parable 2. Reg. 11. The cause why God sendeth affliction to the godly * * There was great reason in it for that seing man had sinned by mā was the justice of God to be satisfied which notwithstanding no man but he alone could do Wherby it may seem that although God hath given to this our Author a very good gift in persuading to godlines of life for which we have to aesteem of him accordingly yet hath he not given him therwithal so ful a knowlege of the mysterie of our redemption in Christ. So it is lesse marvel that he is in matters of controversie further to seek than otherwise by his godly disposition we may think that he should 1 Increase of glorie 2. Tim. 2. Apoc. 2. Heb. 11. Matt. 5. Mat. 10. Mat. 19. Esai 56. 2 Hate of the world 1. Cor. 11. Luc. 15. 3 A medicin to cure our diseases Eccl. 28. Pro. 29. Iohn 12. 〈◊〉 4. 〈…〉 Gen. 42. Exo. 17. Deut. 8. Psa. 77. Tobi. 3. Iob. 23. Pro. 17. Eccl. 2. Esai 1. Ierem. 9. Sap. 3. Zac. 13. Eze. 24. Iob. 33. verse 25. 4 A preservative Eze. 22. Psal. 17. Eccl. 31. Ierem. 1. Osee. 2. Psal. 18. 5 A prevention of punishment Serm. 55. in Cantic Naum. 1. 6 To prove us Gen. 27. Gen. 22. Deut. 8. Deu. 13. 2. Par. 32. Psal. 63. Psal. 25. Eccl. 2. Luc. 8. 7 To make men run to God Ose. 11. Psal. 31. Esai 26. Psal. 15. Ose. 6. Psal. 82. Ierem. 2. Ierem. 5. 8 To manifest Gods power and love in delivering Dan. 3.6.13 Iob. 1.2 Gen. 31. Tob. 2.12 Matt. 8. Mat. 14. 9 The ioy of deliverance Eccl. 35. Iohn 16. Psal. 22. Psal. 93. Psal. 30. Iudit 6.14.15 Acts. 12. 10 Thanks giving for our deliverance Psal. 58. Exo. 15. 1. Reg. 2. Iudic. 5. Iudit 12. Psal. 49. 11 Emboldening us in Gods service Exod. 4. Psal. 45. 12 The exercise of al the vertues Faith Hope Charitie Obedience Patience Humilitie 1. Pet. 5. 13 To make us like unto Christ. Esai 53. Crucified Christians Iob. 5. Mat. 5. The third part of this chapter why tribulations should be received ioifully Acts. 5. Special considerations of comfort in affliction Mat. 10. Ioh. 16. Mat. 10. Luc. 21. Mat. 10. Psal. 79. 1. Cor. 10. Mat. 28. Heb. 5. Heb. 12. Apoc. 3. Heb. 12. Gods measure of tribulation goeth according to the measure of his love Acts. 9. 1. Pet. 2. 1. Pet. 4. Mat. 5. Luc. 6. 2. Cor. 12. Acts. 5. Philip. 1. Tribulation a signe of predestination Heb. 12. Luc. 6. Luc. 16. Ps. 27. 73. Psal. 73. verse 18. * * In this they vary from S. Ierom who translateth according to the Hebrew In lubrico posuisti eos that is thou hast set them in slipperie places So in this also the old translation followeth not the hebrew nor Ierom but the Greek translation of the Seuentie interpreters saving that it doth omit Kaca Mala so maketh the sense obscure But so much as therin it swerveth from the purity of the text so much doth that which heeron they build want sufficient warrant in this place which notwithstāding being soberly understood is agreeable to the justice of God standeth by warrant of other places In appendice Tom. 8 Hie. in eodem psal Com. in Iob. Mat. 3.7 Ep. Iude. 3. Reg. 6. 1. Pet. 2. Apo. 21. Tribulation bringeth the companie of God himself Psal. 90. Gen. 37. Sap. 10. Can. 3. Iohn 9. Note this example 4. Reg. 16. The assistance of Gods grace in tribulation 2. Cor. 4. Serm. 88. de temp de nat gra cap. 26. 2. Cor. 4. Apo. 22. Iaco. 5. Mat. 11. Ap. 7.21 Gal. 6. Rom. 8. 4 The fourth part of this chapter 1 To reioice in tribulation or at leastwise to have patience Luc. 6. Iac. 1. Heb. 10. 2 To come to God by fervent praier Mat. 8. Psat. 43. Mark 4. Esai 63. Luc. 11. An important note Mat. 8. 1. Cor. 10. 3. Reg. 19. Psal. 30. 2. Cor. 1. Mat. 22. Psal. 21. 3 Magnanimitie with a strong faith Mat. 8. Luc. 8. Mat. 14. Psal. 17. Phili. 4. Pro. 28. Psal. 3. Psal. 21. Psal. 26. Psa. 117. Psal. 55. Esai 12. Christian fortitude Eccl. 10. Eccl. 4. Luc. 12. 1. Pet. 3. Apoc. 2. * * Those ten dais some think to have been the ten general persecutions within the first 300. yeers after Christ. * * But others rather think that ten doth heer signifie many as in some other places of scripture and dais as they are broken of by the nights that come betwixt so to signifie such times of trial as shuld now then have times of breathing likewise that so the faithful may be refeshed gather their strength against a fresh assalt ensuing Cap. 3. Cap. 21. Eccl. 15. Iohn 12. A firm resolution Eccl. 9. 1. Co. 16. Eccl. 11. 2. Par. 15. Dan. 3. Act. 4.5 Acts. 21. Rom. 8. * * Which book is not any part of canonical scripture nevertheles this example may wel be tru for that such constancie is oftē found in the children of God * * It was a manifest breach of the law of God and so no smal matter to them that knew it 2. Mac. 7. A marvelous constancie of the seven Machabees and their mother A woorthie saieng Lib. 8. off 38. How a man may come to an invincible resolution 2. Cor. 4. The sufferings of the apostles 2. Cor. 6. 2. Cor. 11. The particular sufferings of S. Paul Mat. 17. 1. Pet. 2. Heb. 12. A notable exhortation of the apostle Prou. 3. Iob. 5. Apoc. 3. Iac. 5. The exhortation of S. Iames. 1. Mac. 2. Gen. 12. Gen. 41. Num. 25. Iosu. 1. Iudg. 14. 2. Reg. 2. 4. Reg. 1. Dan. 3. Dan. 9. Iohn 12. 2. Tim. 4. Mat. 13. Marc. 4. Luc. 8. The exposition of the parable of the seed The importance of this parable Mat. 13. The parts of this chapter 1 The first part how al the world is vanitie 2. Par. 9. The
woonted errors unto the truth in both these respects I thought your G. would so much the rather accept of them For having had so long experience of the world as you have very likelihood teacheth that needs you must grow more and more from the love therof and it is sufficiently known unto al that having found this mercie your selfe to be delivered from the former ignorance to be brought to the knowledge of the truth you have in like sort in this long course that God hath given you much called on others to do the like These bookes therfore that treat of the same I thought should be the rather welcome And I beseech almightie God the fountain and giver of al good things to give you grace so to consider of the one and to go on forward in the other as that more and more departing from the love of the world and more and more performing the work of the ministerie you bring the former at length to nothing and make the other a pollished work for the day of the Lord. Your Graces most humble in the Lord EDM. BVNNY The Praeface to the Reader COncerning the former of these two Bookes gentle Reader I have to admonish thee of certain things therunto belonging and first as touching the Author of it then as touching the booke it selfe Who it is that was the Author of it I do not know for that the Author hath not put to his name but only two letters in the end of his praeface which two letters I have set down under the title of the booke it selfe But whosoever it is that was the Author of it himselfe doth set down both the occasion wherupon he wrote it and what was his intent and purpose therin The occasion of it was that one Gasper Loart Doctor of Divinitie and a Iesuit frier had before written a booke of much like argument in the Italian toong which a countrie-man of ours at Paris in France had about four yeers since translated into English and had done as he thought much good therby Wherupon the Author heerof minding to have imprinted that again and to have inriched it both with matter and method he found the course that he determined to have this issu in the end that he thought not good to imprint again that booke of Doctor Loarts but rather to make another of his own and to gather in therunto whatsoever is in that booke or others such like to this effect Which course when he had taken he thought good to follow this order therin first to shew how to resolve our selves to serve God indeed then how to begin to do it and lastly how to continu unto the end And so setting in hand with the work and having finished the first part that hath he sent over in the mean season until he shal be able to finish the rest His intent and purpose was as himselfe doth witnes that his countrie-men might have some one sufficient direction for matters of life among so many bookes of controversies for that those though otherwise he account them needful do help but little he saith oft times to good life but rather fil the heads of men with a spirit of contradiction contention that for the most part hindereth devotion Insomuch that he much misliketh that men commonly spend so much of their time so unprofitably talking of faith but not seeking to build theron as they ought to do and so do but wearie themselves in vain making much ado but getting but little profit therby much disquieting our selves and others and yet obtaining but smal reward Which complaint of his is just indeed as the matter is handled by many And so having protested his good meaning therin desireth al though they dissent from him in religion yet laieng aside hatred malice and wrathful contention to join togither in amendement of life and in praieng one for another Which we might have heard in his own words but that he interlaceth other things withal that I dare not in conscience and dutie to God commend unto thee Concerning the booke it selfe it seemeth to be most of al gathered out of certain of the Schoole-men as they are termed that living in the corrupter time of the church did most of al by that occasion treat of reformation of life when as others were rather occupied about the controversies that were most in quaestion among them And although my selfe have bestowed no great time in them yet by the little that I have bestowed I see it to resemble them so much especially for the invention of it that as we finde somtimes a readie help in the face of the childe to gesse at the father so in this likewise me think that we have in the booke it selfe that which may lead us to this conjecture But my meaning at this time is no more but this first to shew thee what it was as it is set foorth by the Author himselfe and then what is done therunto by me that so I might get it published to al. As it is set foorth by the Author himselfe if we consider the substance of it surely it was wel woorth the labor a few points only excepted and much of it of good persuasion to godlines of life But if we consider the form or maner of it therin maiest thou finde that it was needful for me before hand to admonish thee of these few things First that throughout the whole booke the Author hath used in those scriptures that he alledgeth the vulgar translation that was before in common use with them and some special words praecisely such as before they have taken upon them to observe and therin stil to discent from us The vulgar translation is known wel inough so that I need to say nothing of it Those special words that praecisely he useth are Our Lord when it is more agreeable to the text to say The Lord iustice for righteousnes poenance for repentance merit for good works or the service of God and a few others Then also in divers parts of the booke there were mingled in withal certain opinions and doctrines of their own profession most of them such as are manifest corruptions and some of them no more but over-venturous and certain places alledged out of others little appertaining to the matter or else more coldly handling the matters propounded than that wel they could match with the residu that are in the Treatise to that purpose alledged In this maner came it into my hands and so it is yet extant among them Now concerning my doings therin first for the substance of it bicause it is much of it good I have so far not only conceived liking of it my selfe but also have done my best indevor thus to publish it unto al that so many as wil may take to themselves the benefit of it In which kind of argument though many others in these our dais have done very commendably likewise Yet I
do specially commend this unto thee the rather for that it proceedeth from those that otherwise are for divers points the greatest adversaries that we have in the cause of religion And wheras inordinate contention is not only unseemly for the church of God but also hurtful to the cause of religion a special point of wisdome it is when God hath bestowed any good gift on any of us al that others should so aesteem therof as that they make the same a mean to moderate the bitternes of their affections towards al those that gladly would live peaceably with al so much as they might as also on the other side it is very cleer that those that wil not so far as the cause of religion it selfe doth permit them may have just occasion to be ashamed and therby to finde out what kind of spirit it is that doth lead them So the substance of the booke is such as that a minde that is wel disposed may with one and the selfesame labor gather out of it both lessons of godlines unto it selfe and that which may somwhat occasion some better agreement among certain of us with such of them I mean as stand more indifferent and are content to dissent no further from us than of conscience they think that they ought The former of which wil yeeld us this fruit that we shal addresse our selves to do in som good measure our service to God the other that we shal do it with a quieter conscience our selves desirous to be at peace withal so far as conveniently may be obteined On the other side likewise bicause I found the maner and form so far foorth out of order as I have declared therfore did I indevor my selfe to help it a little as need required But as touching the transsation that they use I have altogither let them alone therwith partly to condescend so far unto them as to suffer themselves in such case to use what translation they wil and with good wil to hear them therin and partly for that divers points of the matter were so grounded therupon that the translation might not be amended unlesse the matter were altered likewise So far foorth therfore as there was no manifest error taken in withal I have left it wholy unto them though otherwise it might oft times be amended For which cause also I did the rather omit to meddle with the quotations to alledge the verse of the chapter withal bicause that in distinguishing of the verses we disagree somtimes and forbearing to obtrude ours to them unlesse I thought they would take it in good part have forborn likewise to use theirs for that we finde it not so agreeable to the truth it selfe As for those special words of theirs that the Author so praecisely useth I have used my libertie therin somtimes letting them stand as they are and somtimes altering them when they were abused or otherwise the case did so require Those other points of their proper opinions wherin we dissent from them and they no dowt from the truth it selfe I have clean left out and some of those venturous points besides togither with certain of those places likewise which he hath alledged out of others that did not so much appertain to the matter that he had in hand or not so effectually touched the same as himselfe otherwise hath done The former of which I therfore left out for that neither my selfe could allow to leave any such as to my knowledge might be any hurt or else but occasion of stumbling to others neither could I so have gotten it foorth to the use of al carrieng stil such corruption with it And this have I done so much the rather for that most of those things seem rather to be added by some that had the perusing of the booke before it might be allowed among them to come to the print than by the proper Author therof they do so little oft times agree with the argument that there he hath in hand nor with the maner of handling of it As for example in the first part of the booke and third chapter setting down the end of mans life which he saith is the service of God eight or nine times in that chapter is joined withal the gaining of heaven which notwithstanding is not agreeable to the maner of the Authors handling of that point as it may appeer in the whole discourse there and namely by his place of Zacharie in the beginning of the third and by his division in the beginning of the fourth chapter where notwithstanding the gaining of heaven is very odly put in again The other sort likewise I thought good to leave foorth for that being impertinent they might discredit some part of the rest or else but weaker than the rest might so let down the affections again which were stirred up before by the other And truly the spirit in these dais doth proceed a great deal more effectually both in doctrine and exhortation than it did in the dais of divers of those that were heer alledged Wherin if there shal be any that shal think either on the one side that I have put out too much or on the other that I have put out too little neither am I desirous to overrule their judgements nor very careful to maintain mine own if any shal come with better matter contenting my selfe only with this that I have done what seemed to me to be most expedient to the glorie of God and to the benefit of his people heer And so without any further defence of my doings therin now gentle Reader I send thee over to the booke it selfe where if thou shalt bestow a little pains though it be no more but once with advisement to read it over I dowt not but that thou wilt confesse thy labor to be wel bestowed Which when thou shalt finde then descending to the Author of it seeing himselfe desireth to be holpen by thy praiers thou shalt do wel both to thank God for him for this which is done and to solicite him with thy praiers on behalfe of him and the rest that it would please him to give them a further knowledge of the truth in Christ so far as his wisdome hath thought expedient to the setting foorth of his own glorie and to the salvation of those that are his And God give us al so many as do appertain to his kingdome his grace in that measure that both we may agree togither in the truth of religion and altogither imploy our selves in his service heer in peace and quietnes one with another And so I bid thee hartily farewel At Bolton-Percy in the ancientie or liberties of York the 9. of Iulie 1584. Thy hartie wel-willer in Christ EDMVND BVNNY The booke of Christian exercise appertaining to Resolution The contents of the first part of this booke touching the helps of resolution to serve God The first Chapter Of the end and parts of this booke with a necessarie
the strength of continencie there the good almers which have liberally fed the poore and keeping Gods commandements have transferred their earthly riches to the store-house of heaven shal receive their du and peculiar reward O how shal vertu shew hir selfe at this day How shal good deeds content their doers And among al other joies and contentations this shal not be the least to see the poore souls that come thither on the sudden from the miseries of this life how they I say shal remain astonished and as it were beside themselves at the sudden mutation and excessive honor done unto them If a poore man that were out of his way wandering alone upon the mountains in the midst of a dark and tempestuous night far from companie destitute of money beaten with rain terrified with thunder stif with cold wearied out with labor almost famished with hunger and thirst and near brought to despair with multitude of miseries should upon the sudden in the twinkling of an eie be placed in a goodly large and rich pallace furnished with al kind of cleer lights warme fire sweet smels daintie meats soft beds pleasant musik fine apparel and honorable companie al prepared for him and attending his comming to serve him to honor him and to annoint and crown him a king for ever what would this poore man do How would he look What could he say Surely I think he could say nothing but rather would weepe in silence for joy his hart being not able to contain the sudden and exceeding greatnes therof 18 Wel then so shal it be and much more with these twise happie souls that come to heaven For never was there cold shadow so pleasant in a hot burning sunnie day nor the welspring to the poore traveller in his greatest thirst of the sommer nor the repose of an easie bed to the wearied servant after his labor at night as shal be this rest of heaven to an afflicted soul which commeth thither O that we could conceave this that we could imprint this in our harts deer brother would we follow vanities as we do Would we neglect this matter as we do Surely our coldnes in seeking after these joies doth proceed of the smal opinion we do conceive of them For if we made such account and estimate of this jewel as other merchants before us more skilful and wiser than our selves have done we would bid for it as they did or at leastwise would not let it passe so negligently which they sought after so carefully The Apostle saith of Christ himselfe Proposito sibi gaudio sustinuit crucem He laieng before his eies the ioies of heaven susteined the crosse A great estimation of the matter which he would buy at so deer a rate But what counsel giveth he to other men about the same Surely none other but to Go and sel al that ever they have to purchase this treasure Saint Paul of himselfe what saith he Verelie that He esteemed al the world as dung in respect of the purchasing of this jewel Saint Pauls scholer Ignatius what biddeth he Hear his own words Fire galows beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my body al the torments of the devil togither let them come upon me so I may enjoy this treasure of heaven Saint Austen that learned bishop what offereth he You have now heard before that he would be content to suffer torments every day yea the verie torments of hel it selfe to gain this joy Good Lord how far did these holie saints differ from us How contrary were their judgements to ours in these matters Who wil now marvel of the wisdome of the world judged follie by God and of the wisdome of God judged foly by the world Oh children of men saith the prophet why do ye love vanitie and seeke after a lie Why do you imbrace straw contemn gold Straw I say and most vile chaf and such as finally wil set your own house on fire and be your ruin and eternal perdition 19 But now to draw towards an end in this matter though there be no end in the thing it selfe let the Christian consider wherto he is born and wherof he is in possibilitie if he wil. He is born heir apparant to the kingdome of heaven a kingdome without end a kingdome without measure a kingdome of blisse the kingdome of God himselfe he is born to be joint heir with Iesus Christ the Son of God to raign with him to triumph with him to sit in judgement of majestie with him to judge the verie Angels of heaven with him What more glorie can be thought upon except it were to become God himselfe Al the joies al the riches al the glorie that heaven conteineth shal be powred out upon him And to make this honor yet more the glorious lamb that sitteth on the throne of majestie with his eies like fire his feet like burning copper and al his face more shining than precious stone from whose seat there proceedeth thunder and lightning without end and at whose feet the four twentie elders lay down their crowns this lamb I say shal rise and honor him with his own service Who wil not esteme of this roial inheritance Especially seeing that now we have so good opportunity to the obteining therof by the benefite of our redemption and grace purchased to us therin 20 Tel me now gentle reader why wilt thou not accept of this his offer Why wilt thou not account of this his kingdome Why wilt thou not buy this glorie of him for so little a labor as he requireth Suadeo tibi emere a me aurum ignitum probatum vt locuples fias saith Christ I counsel thee to buy pure tried gold of me to the end thou maist be rich Why wilt thou not follow this counsel deer brother especially of a merchant that meaneth not to deceive thee Nothing greeveth this our Savior more than that men wil seek with such pains to buy straw in Egypt wheras he would sel them fine gold at a lower price and that they wil purchase puddle water with more labor than he would require for ten times as much price liquor out of the verie fountain it selfe There is not the wickedst man in the world but taketh more travel in gaining of hel as after shal be shewed than the most painful servant of God in obteining of heaven 21 Follow thou not their follie then deer brother for thou shalt see them suffer greevously for it one day when thy hart shal be ful glad thou hast no part among them Let them go now and bestow their time in vanitie in pleasures in delites of the world Let them build pallaces purchase dignities ad peeces and patches of ground togither let them hunt after honors and build castels in the aire the day wil come if thou beleeve Christ himselfe wherin thou shalt have
vanitatis Wo be unto you which do draw wickednes in the ropes of vanitie These ropes are those vanities of vain glorie promotion dignitie nobilitie beautie riches delites and other before touched which alwaies draw with them some iniquitie and sin For which cause David saith unto God Thou hatest O Lord observers of superfluous vanities And lastly for this cause the holie Ghost pronounceth generally of al men Beatus vir qui non respexit in vanitates insanias falsas Blessed is that man which hath not respected vanities and the false madnesse of this world 34 Now come I then to the second part proposed in this chapter to shew how this world with the cōmodities therof are not only vanities but also deceits as Christ termeth them for that indeed they perform not unto their followers those idle vanities which they do promise Wherin the world may be compared to that wretched and ungrateful deceiver Laban who made poor Iacob to serve him seaven yeers for fair Rachel and in the end deceived him with foul Lia. What false promises doth the world make daily To one it promiseth long life and health and cutteth him off in the midst of his daies To another it promiseth great wealth and promotion and after long service performeth no part therof To another it promiseth great honor by large expences but under-hand it casteth him into contempt by beggerie To another it assureth great advancement by marriage but yet never giveth him abilitie to come to his desire Go you over the whole world behold countries view provinces look into cities harken at the doores windows of private houses of princes pallaces of secret chambers and you shal see and hear nothing but lamentable complaints one for that he hath lost another for that he hath not woon a third for that he is not satisfied ten thousand for that they are deceived 35 Can there be a greater deceit for examples sake than to promise renowm and memorie as the world doth to hir followers and yet to forget them assoon as they are dead Who doth remember now one of fortie thousand jollie fellows in this world captains soldiers counsellers dukes earls princes prelats and emperors kings and queenes lords and ladies Who remembreth them I say Who once thinketh or speaketh of them now Hath not their memorie perished with their sound as the prophet saith Did not Iob promise truly that Their remembrance should be as ashes troden under foot And David that They should be as dust blown with the wind Divers men there have been ere this that have been very mean in common account and yet bicause they have labored to be unknow to the world therfore the rather the world both remembreth honoreth now the memorie of them But many a king and emperor have strived and labored al their life to be known in the world and yet are now forgotten So that the world is like in this point as one saith unto a covetous and forgetful host who if he see his old ghest come by in beggerly estate al his money being spent he maketh semblance not to know him And if the ghest marvel therat and say that he hath come often that way and spent much money in the house the other answereth it may be so for there passe this way so many as we use not to keep account therof But what is the way to make this host to remember you saith this Author The way is to use him ill as you passe by beat him wel or do some other notable injurie unto him and he wil remember you as long as he liveth and many times wil talk of you when you are far off from him 36 Infinite are the deceits and dissimulations of the world It seemeth goodly fair and gorgeous in outward shew but when it commeth to handling it is nothing but a fether when it commeth to sight it is nothing but a shadow when it commeth to waight it is nothing but smoke when it commeth to opening it is nothing but an image of plaister work ful of old rags and patches within To know the miseries of the world you must go a little out from it For as they which walk in a mist do no see it so wel as they which stand upon an hil from it so fareth it in discerning the world whose propertie is to blind them that come to it to the end they may not see their own estate even as a raven first of al striketh out the poore sheeps eie and so bringeth to passe that she may not see the way to escape from his tyrannie 37 After the world hath once bereft the worldling of his spiritual sight that he can judge no longer between good and evil vanitie and veritie then it rocketh him asleep at ease and pleasure it bindeth him sweetly it deceiveth him pleasantly it tormenteth him in great peace and rest it hath a prowd spirit straightwais to place him in the pinacle of greedy ambition and therhence to shew him al the dignities and preferments of the world it hath twentie false merchants to shew him in the dark the first and former ends of fair and pretious cloths But he may not look into the whole peeces nor carrie them to the light It hath four hundred false prophets to flatter him as Achab had which must keep him from the hearing of Micheas his counsel that is from the remorse of his own conscience which telleth him truth it hath a thousand cunning fishers to lay before him pleasant baits but al furnished with dangerous hooks within it hath infinite strumpets of Babylon to offer him drink in golden cups but al mingled with most deadly poison it hath in every door an alluring Iahel to intise him into the milk of pleasures and delites but al have their hammers and nails in their hands to murder him in the brain when he falleth asleep It hath in everie corner a flattering Ioab to imbrace with one arm and kil with the other A false Iudas to give a kisse and therwith to betray Finally it hath al the deceits al the dissimulations al the flatteries al the treasons that possibly may be devised It hateth them that love it deceiveth them that trust it afflicteth them that serve it reprocheth them that honor it damneth them that follow it and most of al forgetteth them that labor and travel most of al for it And to be breefe in this matter do you what you can for this world and love it and adore it as much as you wil yet in the end you shal find it a right Nabal who after many benefits received from David yet when David came to have need of him he answered Who is David Or who is the son of Isai that I should know him Vpon great cause then said the prophet David O you children of men how long wil you be so