prepare a precipice for the despair of other Let us not in this article make God so liberal that he gives us blessings wherewith we may take occasion to be evil and think his mercy will countenance our sluggishness He sleepeth too much at ease who thinks to carry his happiness behind him (b) (b) (b) Note the danger that followeth if the consideration of good works be taken away What care would you have a man take of his salvation who thinks it depends not at all upon his care and what despair will not strike down a feeble brain who shall imagine all his travels do nothing for his avail towards beatitude since the conclusion of his good or ill hap were estimated without any consideration of his merit A labourer would not trouble himself to till the ground which were infallibly condemned to barrenness or to a certain proportion of fruit and his industry to be idle And who would care to pollish his soul if his glorie were confined without any regard to his free will All labours would seem nought but wretched accessories and good works but frivolous amusements 2. But when we fix our thoughts upon this verity True doctrine of Praedestination which says Praedestination to be a Divine Providence by which certain persons are mercifully drawn out of the mass of corruption and picked out to be exalted to eternal beatitude by ways infallible and that it is chiefly done by the mercy of God who decreeth in his eternal counsel to prevent us with his grace and that according to the correspondence we therein ought to use he judgeth of our good or ill hap we call it a proposition conform to the doctrine of the Church advantagious to the glory of God and infinitely available for repose of conscience These are the three points upon which we must Three points of reasons of this doctrine insist in this discourse And first there is no cause to become jealous upon the words of Saint Paul and Saint Augustine who S. Paul and S. Augustine interpreted in the matter of praedestination seem sometime to attribute all to the meer will of God without admitting any consideration of our good works For we must weigh with our selves these two great men like two huge seas that through impetuous power of water swell so upon one brink that they seem for a time to leave the other drie But as the Ocean after he hath largely dilated himself upon one side returns within the limits God prescribed him so these men falling upon contumacious spirits who rebel against truth return into a peacefull equality to build the house of God The one sought to overthrow a Judaical opinion which maintained the eternal happiness of Praedestination was of necessity tied to the bloud of Abraham to Circumcision to works and ceremonies of the old Law without observation of which the Jews acknowledged no salvation Behold the cause why the excellent Apostle who saw in this a contempt of grace and a manifest foil given to Gentilism which he had taken into his protection strongly insisteth and argueth with a torrent of reasons to confound this arrogance of the Hebrews who boasted the reliques of a dying law and ran after it with chymaeraes From whence it comes to pass that all the reasons he produceth have no other aim but to exalt the mysteries of redemption and to shew that the origin and beginning of our salvation consisteth in the grace of Jesus Christ who calleth us to Christianity of his meer mercy without consideration of the observation of the Mosaical Law or other works which preceded this calling And it is in this sense he saith grace is life eternal Rom. 6. 23. Ephes 1. 4. 6. Aug. l. de praedest Sanctor c. 19. because it is by its means we obtain beatitude and in this sense that he assureth us God chose us before the worlds creation to be Saints to wit according to the same interpretation of Saint Augustine we were selected in the idaeaes of God from all eternity to participate in the grace of the Gospel we thereto contributing nothing on our part For the first grace being the beginning of all merit cannot be produced by merit Finally it is in the same sense he maintaineth God loved Jacob and hated Esau before they Rom. 3. 11. had done good or evil For it is to be understood he gave temporal favours and spiritual graces likewise to Jacob which he gave not to Esau although he had bestowed on him favour sufficient for his accommodation Otherwise if one would bring this passage to the point of Praedestination to glory who seeth not we must conclude that as Jacob was praedestinated to eternal beatitude without any consideration of good works so Esau had been reprobated without any regard of his demerits which is most false and condemned by the Church Let us then undoubtedly hold that all passages of S. Paul which he alledgeth in this point have no other scope but to exalt the free gift of redemption and fruits of the Cross of Jesus above all legal ceremonies 3. And as for Saint Augustine he labours mainly S. Augustine onely pretendeth to ruin the opinion of Pelogians to ruin from the top to the bottom the opinion of Pelagians and Semipelagians whereof the one said we were chosen to glory immediately by the good works we do by our own natural forces and the other to exercise some corrective upon this opinion which seemed too rigid have written The works of nature dispose us to grace and grace to glory Now our eminent Doctour undertaking to humble this proud nature which they sought to raise to the prejudice of grace and the bloud of our Saviour gives many assaults wherein he hath no other aim but to teach us this Praedestination which he calleth preparation to grace is not due to the merits of our free-will but that God by his mercifull bounty poureth it into our hearts to be the beginning of good works to which he affordeth life eternal crowning the favours himself inspired and in this regard he with S. Paul exalteth good works which are productions of that seed of grace which the Holy Ghost sowed in our hearts Doth not the Apostle say (a) (a) (a) Quos praescivit pradestinavis conformes fieri imagini filii sui Rom. 8. Aug. l. de praedest Sanctor c. 3. Antequam faceret nos praescivit nos in ipsa nos praescientis cum nondum fecisset elogit Aug. l. 13. God praedestinated those he foresaw would be conformable to the Image of his Son where four of the most famous Fathers of the Church S. Cyril S. Ambrose S. Chrysostom and Theodoret no otherwise understand this passage but that praedestination to glory followeth the prescience of good works And what would S. Augustine affirm when he said (b) (b) (b) Quae voluntas Dei injusts esse non potest venit enim de occultissanis meritis Apud Mag. l.
learning of Jesus who was never taught 502 Upon S. John the 9. Of the blind man cured by clay and spittle 503 Upon S. Luke the 7. Of the widows son raised from death to life at Naim by our Saviour 504 Upon S. John the 11. Of the raising up Lazarus from death 505 Upon S. John the 8. Of our Saviours words I am the Light of the world ibid. Upon S. John the 8. Of these words Who can accuse me of sin 506 Upon S. John the 7. Jesus said to the Pharisees You shall seek and not find me and he that is thirsty let him come to me 507 Upon S. John the 7. Jesus went not into Jury because the Jews had a purpose to take away his life  Upon S. John the 10. The Jews said If thou be the Messias tell us plainly ibid. Upon S. John the 7. Of S. Mary Magdalen's washing our Saviours feet in the Pharisees house 509 Upon S. Mary Magdalen's great repentance 510 Upon S. John the 11. The Jews said What shall we do for this man doth many miracles ibid. Upon S. John the 12. The Chief Priests thought to kill Lazarus because the miracle upon him made many follow Jesus 511 Upon S. Matthew the 21. Our Saviour came in triumph to Jerusalem a little before his passion 512 Upon S. John the 12. Mary Magdalen anointed our Saviours feet with precious ointment at which Judas repined 513 Upon S. John the 13. Of our Saviours washing the feet of his Apostles ibid. Moralities upon the garden of Mount Olivet 514 Moralities of the apprehension of Jesus 515 Aspiration upon S. Peter's passionate tears ibid. Moralities upon the Pretorian or Judgement-Hall 516 Moralities for Good Friday upon the death of Jesus Christ ibid. The Gospel for Easter day S. Mark the 16. 518 The Gospel for Easter Munday S. Luke 24. 519 The Gospel on Tuesday S. Luke 24. 520 The Gospel on Low-Sunday John 20. 521 A TABLE Of the Treatises and Sections contained in this fourth Tome OF THE HOLY COURT The First TREATISE Of the necessity of Love SECTION Page 1 AGainst the Philosophers who teach Indifferency saying We must not Love any thing 1 2 Of Love in generall 3 3 Of Amity 5 4 Of Amity between persons of different sexes 7 5 Of the entertainment of Amities 11 6 Of Sensuall Love its Essence and Source 14 7 The effects of Sensuall Love 17 8 Remedies of evil Love by precaution 18 9 Other Remedies which nearer hand oppose this Passion 19 10 Of Celestiall Amities 22 11 Of the Nature of Divine Love Its Essence Qualities Effects and Degrees 25 12 The practise of Divine Love 27 13 A notable Example of Worldly Love changed into Divine Charity 29 The Second TREATISE Of Hatred 1 ITs Essence Degrees and Differencies 32 2 That the consideration of the goodnesse of the heart of God should dry up the root of the Hatred of a neighbour 33 3 That Jesus grounded all the greatest Mysteries of our Religion upon union to cure Hatred 34 4 Of three notable sources of Hatred and of politick remedies proper for its cure 35 5 Naturall and Morall Remedies against this passion 37 6 Of the profit may be drawn from Hatred and the course we must hold to be freed from the danger of being Hated ibid. The Third TREATISE Of Desire 1 WHether we should desire any thing in the world the Nature the Diversitie and Description of Desire 39 2 The Disorders which spring from inordinate Desires and namely from Curiosity and Inconstancy 40 3 The foure sources out of which are ill rectified Desires 42 4 That the tranquility of Divine Essence for which we are created ought to rule the unquietnesse of our Desires ibid. 5 That we should desire by the imitation of Jesus Christ 43 6 The Condemnation of the evil Desires of the World and the means how to divert them 44 THE FOURTH TREATISE Of Aversion SECTION Page 1 THe Nature and Qualities thereof 44 2 The Sweetnesses and Harmonies of the heart of God shew us the way how to cure our Aversions ibid. 3 The consideration of the indulgent favours of Jesus Christ towards humane nature is a powerfull remedy against the humour of disdain 47 4 The Conclusion against disdain ibid. THE FIFTH TREATISE Of Delectation 1 THat Delectation is the scope of Nature It s Essence Objects and differences 48 2 The basenesse and giddinesse of Sensuall voluptuousnesse 49 3 The Sublimity Beauty and Sweetnesse of heavenly delights ibid. 4 The Paradise and Joyes of our Lord when he was on earth 50 5 Against the stupidity and cruelty of worldly pleasures 51 6 The Art of Joy and the means how to live contented in this world ibid. THE SIXTH TREATISE Of Sadnesse 1 ITs Description Qualities and the diversity of those who are turmoiled with this Passion 54 2 Humane Remedies of Sadnesse and how that is to be cured which proceedeth from Melancholy and Pusillanimitie 55 3 The remedie of Sadnesses which proceeds from divers accidents of humane life 56 4 That the Contemplation of the Divine patience and tranquility serve for remedie for our temptations 58 5 That the great temper of our Saviours soul in most horrible sufferings is a powerfull lenitive against our dolours 59 6 Advise to impatient soules 60 THE SEVENTH TREATISE Of Hope 1 THe Description Essence and appurtenances thereof 61 2 That one cannot live in the world without Hope and what course is to be held for the well ordering of it ibid 3 That God not being capable of Hope serveth as an Eternall Basis to all good Hopes 63 THE EIGHTH TREATISE Of Despair 1 ITs Nature Composition and effects 65 2 The causes of Despair and the condition of those who are most subject to this Passion 66 3 Humane Remedies of Despair 67 4 Divine Remedies 68 5 The Examples which Jesus Christ gave us in the abysse of his sufferings are most efficacious against pusillanimity 69 6 Encouragement to good Hopes ibid. THE NINTH TREATISE Of Fear 1 THe Definition the Description the Causes and effects thereof 70 2 Of the vexations of Fear Its differences and Remedies 71 3 Against the Fear of the accidents of humane life 72 4 That the Contemplation of the power and the Bounty of God ought to take away all our Fears 73 5 That the Example of a God-man ought to instruct and assure us against affrightments of this life 74 THE TENTH TREATISE Of Boldnesse SECTION Page 2 THe Picture and Essence of it 76 2 The diversitie of Boldnesse ibid 3 Of laudable Boldnesse 77 4 That true Boldnesse is inspired by God and that we must wholly depend on him to become Bold 78 5 That Jesus hath given us many pledges of a sublime confidence to strengthen our Courage 79 THE ELEVENTH TREATISE Of Shamefactnesse 1 THe decencie of Shamefac'tnesse It s nature and definition 81 2 Divers kinds of Shamefac'tnesse ibid. 3 The Excellency of Shamefac'tnesse and the uglinesse of Impudency 83 4 Of Reverence
the Roman People contrary to the command of Laws and honesty I declare him from this time forward unworthy both of the Common-wealth and my house The unfortunate son was so overwhelmed with melancholy upon this judgement given by his father that the next night he killed himself and the father esteeming him degenerate would not so much as honour his funerals with his presence Good God what severity what thunders what lightnings against the disobedience of sons among Pagans And you wicked sons in Christianity where the Law of love should oblige you to the duty which I prove unto you with an adamantine knot do you think all is permitted you And you fathers are not you most worthy of your unhappiness when you cherish by a negligent and soft indulgence the disobediences of your children which you should root up from their infancy and not suffer them to grow to the prejudice of your houses with so many bloudy tragedies as are daily seen in the mournful theater of the worlds Fili suscipe senium tam patris tui non contristes eum in vitâ illius si defecerint sensus veniam da non spernas eum in tuâ virtute Eccles 3. Qui timeâ— Deum honorat pareâ—tes quasi Dominis serviet iis qui segenuerunt miseries Let us conclude upon the fourth duty of children which is succour Son receive the old age of thy father and mother in thy bosom Take heed thou do not contristate them in any kind Beware thou scornest them not if they chance to fall into any debility of spirit Assist them with all thy might It followeth The child which feareth God never fails either in the honour or ayd he should yield to his parents nay more be shall serve them as a servant his Master We need not here seek out examples in holy Scripture or where the Law of nature is handled the more our proofs are taken from Infidels who had nothing at all but the light of reason so much the more clour and weight they have I will not make mention here of a Roman daughter (a) (a) (a) Fulgos l. 5. c. 3. who fed her father from her own breasts condemned to dye of hunger between four wals you may sufficiently see that often recorded in writing Yea under Peter of Castle there lived a man that never ceased weeping until he were put to death instead of his father who was to be executed I speak nothing now at all of that but cannot omit an example recounted in Bibliotheck of the great with Photius who telleth on a time there happened in Sicily as it hath often been seen an eruption of Aetna now called mount Gibel It is a hydeous thing and the very image of hell to behold a mountain which murmurs burns belches up flames and throws out its fiery entrails making all the world fly from it It happened then that in this horrible and violent breach of flames every one flying and carrying away all they had most precious with them two sons the one called Anapias the other Amphinomus carefull of the wealth and goods in their houses reflected on their father and mother both very old who could not save themselves from the fire by flight and where shall we said they find a more precious treasure than those who begat us The one took his father on his shoulder the other his mother and so made passage through the flames It is an admirable thing that God in consideration of this piety though Pagan did a miracle for the monuments of all antiquity witness the devouring flames stayd at this spectacle and the fire roasting and broyling all round about them the way onely through which these two good sons passed was tapistred with fresh verdure and called afterward by posterity the holy field in memory of this accident What may we answer to this what can we say when the virtues eâ—en of Pagans dart lightening-flashes of honesty and duty into our eyes What brasen or adamantine brow can covetous and caytive sons have who being rich and abounding in means deny necessary things to those who brought them into the world yea have the heart to see them struggle with extream misery whilst they offer a sacrifice of abomination to their burning avarice Wicked son wreched daughter know you what you do when you commit such a crime You hold the soul bloud and life of your progenitours in your coffers you burn them with a soft fire you consume them with a lingring and shameful death you are accountable before God for what they suffer And for whom is remorse of conscience For whom infamy For whom necessity For whom punishments in the other life but for such as in this manner abuse a treasure so recommended by God Take heed O children take heed of breaking this triple cord of the Law divine natural and civil which indissolubly tie you to the exercise of that piety which you have abjured Take heed of irreverence disobedience and ingratitude towards your parents expect not onely in the other life the unavoydable punishments of Gods Justice against such contumacy but in this present life know you shall be measured with the same measure you afforded others You know the history of the miserable father dragged by the hair with the hand of his son unto the threshold of his door where seeing himself unworthily used Hold son saith he it is enough the justice of God hath given me my due I committed the like outrage heretofore against my father thy Grand-father which thou at this instant actest upon me I dragged him hither and behold me hither haled Go no further O Justice O terrour O dreadful spectacle Great eye of God which never sleepest over the crimes of mortals O divine hand which ever bearest arms of vengeance hanging over the heads of rebellious children How terrible thou art who can but fear thee who will not heareafter tremble at the apprehension of thy judgements Children be pious live in the duty you have vowed and resigned to your progenitours and to all your superiours Live full of honour and glory in this world live in expectation of palms and crowns which you shall enjoy in the other world And you likewise fathers and mothers embrace charity towards your good children with all affection and if any forget their duty and afterward stretch out hands humbly to your obedience receive them into favour exercise mercy towards them as you desire should be done to you by God our common father But if you still groan under the ingratitude of wicked children and the fear of future evils wipe away your tears sweeten your acerbities season your bitterness with the comfort of a good conscience When you have done all you can and all you ought to do leave the success to God and say unto him My God who hast seen the cause of my afflictions to proceed from my self accept my good desires for the works of this evil child
to be compared with the beauties of Sion Whilest there are letters and men there shall ever be praise for the excellent Books which come from the pens of so many worthy Prelates and other persons of quality yea even from the Laity who have exercised their style upon arguments chaste honourable and well-worthy of all recommendation I speak this as it were by the way having at this time no purpose to enlarge upon recital of an infinite number of able men who stand ready with pen in hand nor likewise to commend those of my habit who have exposed their excellent labours to publick view and which I know might be well waited on by a large number of choice wits of the same Society But for as much as concerneth my self I have already discharged my promise and doubt not but that in these four models I have sufficiently comprized the whole scope of my design For the rest I think the Books of devotion that are published ought to be rare and extraordinarily well digested because such is the quantity of them that the number of Authours will quickly exceed the proportion of Readers Distast is a worm which sticketh on the most resplendent beauties and although a thing may be excellent we must not therefore glut any man with superfluity lest good offices turn into contempt and charity make it self tiresom Yet so it is that we must confess pieces well selected and curiously handled can never so superabound in number as to offend those who can distinguish of merit For if it be true as I have heard that there are many good and learned Religious men of divers Orders who prepare themselves to write upon this same subject I am very glad and protest it shall be acceptable to me because so they may perfect what I have begun with more profit than my self Note here the cause why I stay my pen and if there be ought good in this Volumn I look upon it as that mirrour which was fixed on the wall of the Arcadian Temple where those who beheld themselves saw in stead of their faces the representation of Pausan in Arcadicis the Divinity they adored So in all this which here may profit my Reader I see nothing of mine own but in it acknowledge the Father of Light who is the source and end of all which is in us esteemed laudable and whom I humbly beseech if there be any thing attractive in this Discourse he would be pleased to draw it upward as the adamant transporting such as shall read it to the love of their CREATOUR to whom is due the tribute of all honours as to Him who is the beginning of all perfections This is the onely comfort of our labour For not to dissemble a truth he that more regardeth to write than to live courting his pen and neglecting his own conscience shall always have trouble enough to defend himself from mothes rats and oblivion Centrum terrae validius accenditur ex limpiditate flamma caelestis Viennâ ex Ptolomaei Almagesto And though he should be laden with the applauses of the whole world in a passionate life it were but to gain a silly sacrifice of smoke without him to harbour fire and tempests within his own house It is said the Stars by contribution of their rays strengthen the activity of hell fire and I may say all the lights of understanding and reputation will serve but to encrease the torments of a reprobate soul who shuts his eyes against God not to open them to other object than vanitie TO THE NOBILITIE Dedicated to the CHURCH SIRS THe benefits you have received from God and examples the Weal-publick expecteth from you are so essential obligations of duty that when we speak of the piety of Great-ones you instantly are selected out to hold the first rank therein and to be the cause that virtues which ever are voluntary may turn as it were into title of necessity For to joyn the Clergie to Nobilitie is to connect two things together which are both in Nature and the Gospel very eminent It is to profess ones self an honest man by birth and dignity to stand on a pinacle and serve as a torch to change your word into law and life into example The Bishops of all Ages have been esteemed amongst men as the stars in the firmament whereof the Prophet Daniel speaketh as the Senatours of Heaven the Fathers of the Commonwealth the Interpreters Daniel 12. 3. Dionys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Ecclesiasticâ Hierarchiâ of God the Mediatours of the marriage contracted between the Lamb and the Heavenly Jerusalem This is the cause why we ever think it is to desire a good work to desire a Bishoprick taking the words of the Apostle in a sense which flattereth sensuality informeth not the conscience but now that the passage to Offices and secular dignities is closed up from many with bars of gold and silver whom birth seemeth to invite thereunto they hope to repair themselves on the spoils of the Church where such as proceed by sensual and worldly ways oftentimes find poison and death hidden under a seeming sweetness For Sirs we must tell you your dignities how eminent soever they be are like the roof of the Temple in Jerusalem which had flowers among guilded prickles in my opinion to teach Bishops that Myters bordered with Villalpandus upon Ezechiel out of Josephus de bello Judaico lib. 6. c. 6. gold and diversified with stones have notwithstanding their points and prickings Had we as many eyes open towards Heaven as Heaven openeth to behold here below the most secret actions of men we should be strucken with horrour to see an Ecclesistical dignity fall to the lot of a depraved soul which changeth all the abilities thereof to incentives for sin and to make of his proper honours the true snares of his soul But it is a common disaster that the smoke which in the book of Tobie driveth away the devils doth here daily surprize men We stick on apparences and if we retain some Maxims of verity we use them as letters written with the juyce of a lemon which can hardly be read but by the help of fire So that when the day of Judgement shall manifest it self by fire and that at the departure of the soul Hermanus Hugo de primâ scribendi origine flames shall be presented to enlighten it even to the bottom of the conscience then shall it be when all the knowledge of virtue which we here on earth retain so poor and languishing shall appear with enflamed characters for our condemnation It is an admirable thing which the good Cardinal Hugo who flourished about four hundred years ago as he lay on his death-bed where with much advantage the vanities of the world are discovered and when perhaps some too indiscreetly flattered him upon the splendour of his dignity spake in the voice of an Oracle Take away these vanities for I
who is Authour of Marriage to direct your spirit in this choice and dispose it to that which shall be to his greater glorie wherein you shall ever find your contentments When she had spoken this she drew out of a box a golden apple enameled with precious stones which she had purposely caused to be made that it might be presented to her who should be chosen out for the bed of her son and putting it into the Emperours hand Behold saith he the golden apple which I leave to your discretion to give it to the most absolute You have the Commission of Paris in your hands but you shall do well to dispose of it more discreetly than he The Emperour after he had most affectionately given thanks to his mother for so many excellent prooss of her affection asked of her by what note might one know a wife truly virtuous and so accomplished as she wished Euphrosina replied It is no sleight demand O Emperour nor can that so readily be resolved yet by your good favour I will roughly delineate this discourse with so much sinceritie as not to attribute any thing to my sex to the prejudice of truth There are three sorts of men who cannot speak well of us whereof the first are certain scoffers who to put themselves into an humour and to give scope to their wits have no discourse more familiar in their mouthes than the condemnation of women and God forbid these should be any other than Poets or Philosophers for they frame discourses of our nature and extravagances to no purpose I revenge my self commonly upon these kind of men by silence for it is to cast water on coals to hear them without reply and to punish their tattle by contempt Others are men wounded in sport and who have not well digested some disgraces they have received from women to whom either vice folly or malice hath engaged them more than was expedient for their quiet These are as if a dog hurt with a stone should run up and down to bite all the stones he finds in his way yea those which are laid by work-men in the buildings of Churches and houses They fall upon all women for having been deceived as they say by a woman and cease not to scratch the wound to renew the smart of it But who sees not it is a meer passion to blame the general for the deserts of particulars In the third rank are certain melancholly furious creatures or such as have something worse in them than furie who have not so much proclaimed war against our sex as denounced it against total nature which covereth us with its arms in this point and confirmeth us in our right by their silence Some of these who are strong in passion and discover their revenge with pretext of learning would perswade us that the meanest spirit of all the men in the world is more eminent than that of the most capable woman Verily I will not raise my sex above the merit thereof thinking we shall ever be high enough if we abide in the rank which God hath given us But whether we consider reason or whether we regard experience they very pertinently make void this chymera of conceit which hath taken birth from self-love and folly as from its two most suitable elements I would willingly demand of these discoursers whether Tertul. l. de animâ Animae non habent sexum they hold souls to have a sex Never will they avow this opinion unless they mean to renounce faith and reason And if our souls be indifferently created by God why do they thereupon go about to forge distinctions which have not any subsistence but in their depraved imaginations If some say this diversitie proceedeth from the bodies who knoweth not that the disposition of Organs from which it is thought the goodness of wit proceedeth is as advantagious in women as men See we not even at this day in all sorts of conditions men sometimes so abject in wit and capacitie that if one degree should be taken from them it seems they would have but sufficient to become beasts And have we not seen in all times women intelligent and capable some whereof have made themselves appear as miracles in arts and others shewed that if they were ignorant we could attribute it to no cause but to the modestie of their condition I should be too copious if I now went about to enlarge my self upon the goodly Works of Sophia Erinna Sosipatris Cleobulina Theomistoclea Telesilla Zenobia and Eudoxia Those who condemn in us the want of wit oftentimes wish we had less and would settle a good part of their contentment in our stupiditie We hold for an undoubted truth that God having created us with this equalitie of souls we have as much right in knowledges necessarie for us in matter of grace virtue and glorie as men can have One thing I may well say that the complexion of feminine bodies may distil into our souls inconstancies infirmities and passions which perhaps would take an irregular flight were they not repressed by pietie and reason For my part I think Simonides hath not very ill expressed the ten Orders which he hath made of the humours of women and this will much help you in the choice you are to make if your Majestie will take so much pain as to be informed thereof In saying this she caused her Virgins to draw near and as heretofore those of Sparta shewed drunken men to their children to make them to abhor drunkenness so framed she a description of the bad natures of women to procure a detestation thereof and exalt the merit of the virtuous by the counterpoize of their contrary The third SECTION The ten Orders of women and the vitious qualities which Ladies ought especially to avoid BEhold Maidens saith she and advise in good time to lay hold on the tenth rank for there are nine neither pleasing nor laudable In the first sphere are those which are of the nature Sus toto in volutabro Pet. 2. 2. of a hog creatures unworthy to be named who soil the honour of their sex by the disorder of their carriage for leaving all that which is either honest or generous in our manners they let themselves loose to all kind of infamous pleasures of gluttony and lust which ruineth them in conscience fortune and reputation They are whoups proud birds which have nothing but crest and naturally delight in ordure they are bats which cannot endure one little ray of light but seek to hide themselves under the mantle of night they are horse-leeches which draw bloud from the veins of a house and state where they exercise their power They are Syrens of the earth which cause ship-wracks without water They are Lamiae Vide Petrum Damianum in Gomorrheanis who have hosteries of Cut-throats that kill men under pretext of good usage They are harpies who surprize even from Altars and in the end become envenomed dypsades
c. Et hi carnem quidem maculant dominationem autem spernunt majestatem autom blasphemant Hi sunt in epulis suis macule c. as are utterly impudent in words and Libertines in actions of whom the great S. Jude made a lively description Certain men are crept in among us reprobate and impious spirits who apply all talents of grace and nature to lust and to deny him that made them to wit our Lord Jesus Christ Master and sole Monarch of the whole world Then he addeth they are such as defile their flesh and revolt against lawfull powers such as blaspheme the Divine Majesty They are gluttenous cruel and arrogant who onely think to satiate themselves by others hunger clouds without water tossed with turbulent winds autumntrees barren trees trees twice dead trees rooted out of the territory of the Church They are waves of an enraged sea which foam nothing but confusions wandering commets to which God reserveth a tempest of darkness The Causes of Libertinism well observed by the Apostle S. Jude 3. NOte that this great Apostle doth here touch Jud. Epist Job 20. four sources of infidelity which are in this very considerable The chief and original of this corruption is a bruitish lust which with much infamie overfloweth as well in pleasures of the throat as sensuality which he was willing to express by these words when he said The impious not onely act impurities Hi sunt in epulis suis macula but are the impurities themselves For the Libertines are true Borborites so were certain hereticks called as one would say bemired because they naturally delighted in uncleanness they are dissolute people who have no other God but their belly good cheer and unbridled lust from whence it cometh their understandings clouded with bodily pleasures thicken and become wholly unable for things divine The people heretofore beloved is puffed up with Incrassatus est dilectus reâ—alcitravit deâ—eliquit Deum factorem suum Deut. 31. fat hath kicked against and forsaken its Creatour said Moses Tertullian very well termeth gourmandize the palsey of the understanding for as a body is deprived of sense and motion by the corporal palsey which obstructeth the nerves so the spirit oppressed by sensuality is wholly darkened without any feeling of Religion or any motion to works which concern salvation To live in fat is to shut up the gate of wisdom Opimitâ—â— sapientiam impedit exilitas expedit paralisis mentem prodigit pâ—isis servat Tertul. de anima c. 20. There is a palsey of corporal pleasures which wasteth the spirit and a ptissick which preserves it Nay Oecumenius discovereth somewhat more mysterious unto us when interpreting the word maculae according to the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith They are certain rocks hidden under the waves which surprize Saylours and cause hydeous shipwracks This very well agreeth to Libertines and one may call them according to another translation rough rocks bollow Confragosa in mari saxa cavernosaâ— rupes tenias stones and shelves which are the causes of so many falls They are in feasts as gulphs in the Ocean and overtake ere aware spirits already possessed with the vapours of wine and meats at which time they are most Bos ductus ad victimam agnus lasciviâ—â—s ignoram quod ad vincula stultus trahatur donec transfigat sagitta guttur ejus Prov. 7. 2â— open to sottish mirth Ah how many young men deceived by these impostures after they have made shipwrack of reason in a tavern have thereunto added the shipwrack of their faith He was led as an ox to the slaughter or as a skipping lamb not foreseeing his captivitie before the mortal arrow had transfixed his entrails saith the Wiseman The second cause of infidelity is a certain barrenness of wit of judgement discretion of Christian virtues and namely of humility of good works and worthy employments and consequently a swelling of presumption of imaginary ability of vanitie of idleness which is much supported by wicked nature effeminate education too free conversation access of evil company which render a man absolutely barren A matter excellently well signified by these words They are clouds without water such kind of trees as we see in Judea unfurnished Nubes sine â—qua of fruits in Autumn and despoiled of leaves twice dead that is to say quite rotten Faith will be manured by the exercises of piety by presence at Divine Service by keeping of fasts by alms and frequentation of Sacraments Now these wicked ones employed in sensual pleasures and evil company forsake all the characters of their Christianity which maketh them by little and little fall into a great forgetfulness of God into disdainfull pride insupportable neglects and into the maledictions uttered by our Saviours lips against the unfruitfull tree Of these is understood the decree of Heaven Earth Jer. 22. 29. Terra terra terra audi sermonem Domtni Haec dicit Dominus Scribe virum istum sterilem virum qui in diebus suis non prosterabitur Fluctus feri maris despumontes confusiones suas earth earth hearken to the word of God Our Lord hath said Write down this man as a man barren who shall never prosper during his life The third source is a tumult of enraged passions which are waves of the sea that vomit up their confusions for these kind of spirits are in perpetual disturbances nor hath the sea so many waves as they anxieties pride puffeth them ambition precipitateth them hatred gnaweth them delights conquer them choller burneth them fury transporteth them hardness of heart makes them untractable and impudence insupportable And being unable to restrain their passions within themselves they throw them abroad as the froath of waves and scum of confusions That is it which Saint Ambrose said Tunc videbitur ignominia tua adulterium hinnitus alienatio fornicationis tuae supra colles Ambr. l. de Abra. interpreting a passage of Jeremie Then is it thy ignominie thy adulterie thy neighing and strangeness of thy fornication shall be seen to all the world on the mountains Lastly the fourth root which rendereth their evil very desperate is a perpetual inconstancy excellently compated in the passage of the Apostle to flying fires formed in the air from exhalations of the earth This sort of men perhaps may have qualities which may give them some Iustre according to the world and make them appear as stars in the firmament of worldly honour causing some to reflect on them with admiration of their wit their eloquence and behaviour But they are to speak properly stars of earth and smoke like unto that S. John calleth the Apoc. 8. star of worm-wood which being not of the stars enchased by the hand of God in celestial globes but flying flames enkindled by some gross exhalations proceeding perhaps from a dung-hill fall back again Crinemque volantia sydera ducunt on earth from whence they came
when it comes to extend it self in the world and to draw it to it The natâ—â—e of love Lib. 1 de civit â—8 Amor inhians labere quâ—â— amatuâ— cupiditâ— est idem â—mor habens cóque fruenâ— letitia est fugiens quod adversatur el timor est quod si acciderit eitristitia est proinde mala sunt ista si malus est amor bona si bonus self it is called love But if you consider it in the condition wherein it gathereth together all Creatures to the first cause and makes its works re-ascend to God they say it then takes the name of Pleasure which is a most happy satisfaction of to all Nature in its Authour So love is a circle which turns from good to good by an everlasting revolution Now if you desire I should in few words explicate the nature thereof its origen progresse causes qualities and effects you must observe a notable doctrine of S. Augustine who saith That Love whilest it is in the search of what it loveth is called Desire and when it enjoyeth the thing beloved it is changed into joy But if it avoid that thing which is contrary to it either in effect or opinion it is Fear and if the Fear hath its effect by the arrivall of the evil it apprehendeth it turns into Sadnesse This love takes sundry countenances according to divers Circumstances I agree all this is said with good reason yet notwithstanding we must affirm with divines that this Oracle of Doctours hath in this difinition rather comprised the cause the effects and progresses of love then its essence and nature For to speak properly love is neither Desire Fear Joy nor Sadnesse but A Complacence of the Appetite or will in an object conveniont 5. Definition of love either according to verity or apparence But if we will speak more generally we say it is nothing but an inclination Richard de Medvill dist 27. l. 3. Art 1. q. 1. propending and moving to a good which is conform to it For by the definition we include all the kinds of love which are divided principallly into three branches to wit Naturall Animall and Reasonable It s division love Naturall love consisteth in things inanimate which have their sympathies and Antipathies As Palmes male and female Amber and straw Iron and the Adamant Animall love is that Beginning which giveth motion to the sensitive appetite of beasts to seek for that which is fit for them and to be pleased in the enjoying what they fought for Reasonable love is an Act which pursueth and accepteth the good represented by the understanding wherein we may also comprehend Angelicall and Divine love which S. Denis addeth to these three kinds whereof we speak Reasonable love is also divided into love of Amity and love of Concupiscence Love of Amity which wisheth good to the thing beloved for it self without enquiry into its own proper interesse As when it desired to one Health knowledge grace virtues wealth honours without pretence of any benefit to it self This Gabriel d. 27. q. 1. l. 3. is to affect with a love of amity which is very rare now a daies so mercenary are affections and when this love is not onely Affective as Divines speak contenting it self with bare desires but Effective by plentifully opening hauds to liberality it mounteth to a huge degree of Complacence Love of Concupiscence is an interessed love which causeth one to love a thing not for it self but for the pleasure and commodity derived from it or to be hoped in time to be dersved from it So the Horseman desireth beauty strength and courage in his horse and dog not for their sakes but his own contentment Such love is worldly love commonly defiled with base and animall consideration nor is ever purified but when it for God loveth that which cannot in it self be lovely Behold the nature and Essence of Love in its whole latitude Now to speak of the proceedings of the soul in its loves The first step it makes when it beginneth to love is the degree of the conformity of the will with The steps and progressions of â—ove the good is proposed The senses imagination understanding give it notice of some Beauty Goodnesse or Commoditie which it conceiveth to be fit for it Thereupon it beginneth to take fire and to have sparks of desires 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which make it to wish the good proposed unto it Thence it passeth to the second Degree which is that of Sharp-sweet Complacence which pleasingly each moment holds it fixed upon the thoughts of its object Sometimes between hope to possesse it another while between fear to lose it and many other passions which accompany this as yet suffering Complacence From this degree it goes to the third which is inqui +sitioâ— and motion where love putteth on wings to fly speedily into the bosome of its repose employing all possible means for its contentment and if it be favoured in its pursuit it advanceth to the fourth degree which is union esteemed the principall scope of Amities From this union ariseth another Complacence which is not painfull and dolorous but satisfied and pleased in the fruition of its object which is the heighth of love By the sides of love are lodged Beauty and Goodnesse for that as S. Denis saith they are the objects Its causes and motive of love which are so allied together that the Grecians call them by one self same name The Sages have ever sought for the true causes which dispose the wils of men to love and there are many different opinions upon this point Some hold it is a quality which God imprinteth on nature others imagine it comes from the aspect of starres and from divers constellations Others make it to proceed from Parents and education others from a certain Harmony and consonancy of hearts which meeting in accord upon the same Tone have a naturall correspondence Lastly the Maxime of Divines and Philosophers much swayeth which saith that Fair and Good make all loves I hold that to accord these opinions a notable distinction must be made of three loves which we have proposed in the beginning to wit Naturall Animall and Reasonable Forasmuch as concerneth Naturall or Animall love besides the order of nature it is God which giveth to each creature necessary inclinations to arrive at their end Well there may be influency of starres which bear sway over humours and bodies and with the starres bands of bloud temperature of Humours education and secret qualities which tie creatures with the knot of a certain love the cause whereof is not well known For how many are there who love things which are neither lovely nor good I not onely say in effect but in their own opinion and judgement yet are they thereunto fastned by some Tie nor can they free themselves from it but by the absolute power of Reason Do we not daily find by experience that a Man who is
World and that Heaven makes me be born again in your Person If you will reign happily fear God which is the source of Empires and the Sovereign Father of all Dominions keep his Commandments and cause them to be observed with an inviolable fidelity Take the care and the Protection of his Church Love your young brothers and your sisters rendring your self good and officious to your Kindred Honour the Church-men as your Fathers cherish tenderly your subjects as your children and be all your life time the comforter and the Protectour of the Poor Chastise the vicious and recompense the men of merit Establish not Governments Judges and Officers which are not capable and without reproch and when you have established them deprive them not of their charges without a most just cause Serve first of all for an example to all the world and lead before God and Man a life irreprochable After this action he stayed about a year longer in the world purifying continually his spirit by repentance by good works and by the contemplation of heavenly things And when he saw himself infected with an extraordinary sicknesse he caused immediately the Sacraments to be administred to him and dyed with a most pious and most exemplary death at the age of seventy two years the fourty seventh of his reign and the four teenth of his Empire His Corps were exposed in publick clothed after the manner of a King with a sword and the Gospel which he had so gloriously defended Then he was interred with a stately Magnificence in the Church of Aix the Chappell which he had built He was universally lamented by all the world as the Father of the Universe and the singular ornament of Christianity The Pagans themselves wept for him abundance of tears so true it is that the goodnesse and sweetnesse of a King towards his subjects is a ray of God that renders him lovely in his life and gives splendour even to his ashes after his death He was afterward Canonized by Paschal that was not a lawfull Pope but forasmuch as the true successours of Saint Peter never retracted that action He is held for a Saint and honoured publickly in the Church with the approbation of all ages Saint LEVVIS S. LEWIS K. OF FRANCE I Do not forget that I have already spoken of Saint Lewis in the first Tome but because that was by accident and by the way I will here extend my thoughts somewhat more largely and give you a more compleat Elogium of him It is very true that an Antient faith That great Goodnesse is seldome joyned with great Power and that well-accomplished Kings are so few in number that their names might be comprehended all together within the circumference of a Ring But I may add that if God did take delight to carry this Ring in very deed as the Scripture doth attribute it to him in an Allegory and if he would engrave there the names of all the good Kings that of great S. Lewis would possesse the first place This Monarch was so like unto virtue that if it should have shewed it self on the one side incarnate to mortall eyes and Saint Lewis on the other one should hardly have been able to judge which had been the Copy and which the Originall It is not my intention to write of his life here upon which so many excellent pens have laboured very fortunately but to make a reflexion upon some principall points of his Government Great things do not alwayes cause themselves to be known by a multitude or great variety of discourse but oftentimes by draughts abbreviated And no man in my opinion ought to conceive amisse of this seeing that we measure every day the greatnesse of the Sun by the shadow of the earth and his goings in the Dyals by a little thread I know that heretofore three lines onely represented upon a Table did set forth an Idea of the perfection of the excellentest Painter in the world in the understanding of the skilfull and I will draw here three little draughts for to set before your eyes the beauty and bignesse of the virtues of S. Lewis In one word he hath done three mervellous things whereof the first is that he found out the means to joyn the wisedome of State with that of the Crosse The second that he hath planted humility upon Sceptres where it hath ordinarily very slippery footing and hath likewise placed it amongst the Rubies and Diamonds of the Crown where its lustre is often darkened by the too stately glittering of the World A third is that he hath joyned the devotion of one consecrated to Religion to the courage of the Alexanders and Cesars As for that which concerns the first conjunction it The first marvel the joyning of the wisdom of State with the Gospel Tert. Apol. is so rare that Tertullian who flourished two hundred years after the Nativity of our Lord when as yet there had no speech been of any Emperour that had embraced Christianity said That if the Cesars should become Christians they would cease to be Cesars and if the Christians should become Cesars they would cease to be Christians He conceived that poornesse of spirit could not agree with so high and stately riches nor humility with a sovereign Empire or the tears of Repentance with the delights of the Court that the hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse could not stand with the desire of Conquerours nor pitifulnesse with Arms nor purenesse of heart with the conversing with most pleasing beauties nor peace would consist with the licentiousnesse of warre and suffering persecutions with an absolute power to revenge ones self And neverthelesse Saint Lewis alone hath found means to joyn things together which seem so contrary in the highest degree that ever they were found to be in so-Kingly an estate Amidst the riches of a Kingdome so abundant he was not rich but onely towards the poor and if God had permitted him he would have as willingly covered himself with the habit of Saint Francis as with his Royall Purple He did never consider himself otherwise amongst all the goods that he possessed but as the Steward of Jesus Christ he left unto God willingly the glory of having given them him to needy persons the benefit of receiving them and kept nothing to himself but the pains of distributing them He assaid a thousand times to enter into Religious Orders and yet still answer was made him that God would have him to be King he wore the Crown by way of obedience he used riches onely for necessity and had no other thing in his desire then spiritual nakednesse and a perfect unloosing himself from all worldly things In the midst of an Absolute power he was so meek that his heart seemed a Sea where a calme perpetually reigned The Scarlet of his attire did never colour his face with the heat of anger Arrogance did never puff up his words he made it his glory to communicate himself
not sending their terrour unto the labouring world have attained unto solid and unshaken honour What forbiddeth you to follow what retardeth your emulation There is one rock which is often to be feared unto which the cares and cogitations of some Politick men who differ much from your Piety do cleave They think if the administrations of the Publick should be regulated by the law of God and the judgement of pious men they would become base low and unesteemed they would be exposed to prey and direption and is he penitent I insult not doth he crave audience I grant accesse doth he submit his neck my mercy shall meet his submission At the destruction of Cannae Hannibal was heard to say Miles parce ferro Marcellus wished he could quench the flames of burning Syracusa with his tears Titus with erected hands and eyes to heaven wept over the prostrate carcasses of the Jews What should be then the most decent and laudable behaviour of a Christian King towards a subdued and almost suppliant Enemy Should he strut with pride Should he inebriate himself with passion Or should he strengthen his fury to an utter desolation The more generous beasts abhorre this practice Vast and inexorable wraths should not cohabit with royall mind many things are to be pardoned to humane frailty many things to ignorance something truly to affection but all things to repentance It behoves him to preserve many even to the prejudice of their obstinate or erroneous wit neither are all those to be heard that are resolved to perish Errour illaqueates some men and Opinion sets the complection upon the procedures of most men others are ensnared by the counsels of a treacherous vigilancy and some there are who have no fault but their fortune His pardon he will extend and communicate to many whosoever can really desire to obtain from God his own pardon Further I adde that those reasons which are produced as subservient to the attainment of a just end ought themselves also to be legitimate otherwise the foundations may be firm yet the superstructures may totter That is not good which is not well done the means we use must be as innocent and unreproveable as our meaning That which knoweth no mediocrity I know not how to term a virtue A depraved intention by a kind of contageous force ever infected the most austere and sacred conduct of affairs subdolous inventions also and crafty artificers shade and eclipse the beauty of sincere intentions Grosse and scandalous is their errour who having proposed to themselves some laudable mark are little sollicitous of the arrows they shoot They who have trusted to this footing have many of them slipt and dasht themselves against such a rock of absurdities as hath endangered their brains I shall instance in those who have thought that health might be innocently purchased from the Devils themselves by the virtue of Magicall forms and that this is the safety which the Divine Oracles pronounce we may acquire from our enemies But Paul is peremptory in the confutation hereof saying That evil must not be done that good may come thereof No man is mercifull by thefts nor charitable by surreptitious gains no innocent person seeketh convalescence by wicked accommodations To go to War is lawfull to kill is lawfull when you are backt with the Authority of your Prince and seconded with a just Cause but on the contrary to do injustice is never not unlawfull We may incline and bow the ears of the Deity to a condescendence but we may not sollicit hell for Auxiliaries we may not contemerate things sacred nor violate the Divine Charters of the Church we may not subvert Religion nor contaminate Chastity we must not attempt facinorous art nor invade the lives of Princes with poniards or venomous potions we ought not to destroy Military Discipline by transgressing the Rights of Warfare nor adventure upon certain villains to promote a desperate ambition That Warre ceaseth to be just however pretended to have a just beginning when the future events are intermixed with palpable injustice and being well begun if they degenerate into evil progressions they ought speedily to have an end We are faln by degrees greatest Princes upon the matter intended of which it is your part to judge and from sound deliberations to provide for the felicity of Christians both Temporall and Eternall Your Authority is or ought to be unquestioned and your disposednesse of mind and intentions what can they be in good Princes but unsuspected but the Cause is perplexed and involved yet the Reasons that seem to conspire the end are violent A fierce and cruel Warre is carried on among you exercised in the besieging of Cities acquainted with destructions terrible for its monstrous spreadings under which the Church laboureth the wishes of the oppressed evaporate into sighs and the convulsed world mourneth it hath not proceeded in an ordinary way nor is it continued after a humane manner Sift out if you please the causes and weigh diligently with your selves the occasions of such an amazing tumult If at any time we behold things natural acting within the limits of their prescriptions this doth not elevate our considerations to a wonder but when we see them irritated by some vehement impetuosity or the determined confinements of Natures Law to be perverted we suspect some hidden force within which suddenly bursteth forth and is circumfused from whence such various motions do arise As often as we see the winds to be ordinarily stirred we either judge it to be some breath or exhalation or we conjecture that the air hath a naturall faculty to move it self lest it should become dull and torpid in an inagitable Globe but as often as we behold boisterous tempests to arise by the sharp and violent conflicts of the winds which compell vast trees from their roots and level strong built houses with the ground which devour whole navies and shake the foundations of the world we ascribe these to the aiery Principalities dissipated through the regions of the Earth In like mnaner when Warres are managed among men in their accustomed forms we attribute these to the ambitious designs of men to cholerick temperaments and to the easie impatience of an objected contumely but if they exceed proportion and example also we suspect that there is some undiscovered origin of evils transcending our understandings and astonishing our senses He that will duly and sadly weigh the matter will confesse this of such a cruel Warre for it is not actuated with a civil mind neither hath it those decencies and Military ornaments which are wont to accompany great minds but it is tainted with a virulent malignity which devoureth both parts and creeping as it were with a slow contabescence it eats up all things the Countreys are in a mourning estate the Cities are dejected the Bloud of gallant men is prodigally wasted the choicest flowers of the Nobility are destinated to butchery and the shambles of prevailing Rebels private
due to God ibid. 5 Of the Reverence which the Holy Humanity of our Lord did bear to his Eternall Father 84 THE TWELFTH TREATISE Of Anger 1 THe Origen of Anger its Nature Causes and Diversities 86 2 Three principall kinds of Anger 87 3 The Contemplation of the serenity of the diuine Spirit is the mistresse of meeknesse 88 4 That the example of our Saviour doth teach us the moderation of Anger ibid. 5 Politick Rimedies to appease such as are Angry 89 6 Morall Remedies against the same passion ibid. THE THIRTEENTH TREATISE Of Envie and Jealousie 1 THe Picture thereof 91 2 The Definition of Envie its severall kinds and first of Jealousie ibid. 3 Two other branches of this stock which are Indignation and malicious Envie with Calumny its Companion 93 4 Humane remedies of Envie 94 5 Divine remedies drawn from the benignity of God 95 6 The mercifull eye of Jesus serveth for an antidote against all sorts of Envie 96 7 A Detestation of Envie 97 THE FOURTEENTH TREATISE Of Mildnesse and Compassion 1 THe great misery of Man makes Compassion necessary in the world 98 2 The Essenc of Compassion and how it findeth place in hearts most generous 99 3 Moderate severity is necessary in Government but it ought to be free from Cruelty 100 4 The goodnesse of God beateth down the rigour of men ibid. 5 The Mercies of the incarnate word are able to soften the harshest hearts 101 HISTORICALL OBSERVATIONS Vpon the four Principall Passions which are as four Devils disturbers of the HOLY COURT OBSERVAT. Page 1 THe disasters of such as have yielded to the Passion of Love and the glory of souls which have surmounted it 107 2 Observations upon the Passion of Desire wherein we may behold the misery of Ambitious and turbulent spirits 112 3 Observations upon Anger and Revenge 117 4 Observations upon Envie which draweth with it Jealousie Hatred and Sadnesse 121 A TABLE Of the LIVES and ELOGIES of Illustrious Persons contained in the Fifth Tome MOnarchs 131 David 139 Solomon 151 Justinian 158 Charlemaign 172 S. Lewis King of France 177 Judith 181 Hester 187 Josuah 196 Judas Machabeus 197 Godfrey 207 George Castriot 209 Boucicaut 211 Bayard 214 Joseph 218 Moses 227 Samuel 235 Daniel 241 Eliah 248 Eyisha 265 Isaiah 260 Jeremiah 263 S. John Baptist 267 S. Paul and Seneca 271 Mary Stuart 291 Cardinall Pool 313 A Treatise of the Angel of Peace to all Christian Princes 1 THE HOLY COURT FIRST BOOK Of Reasons which should excite men of qualitie to Christian Perfection That the COURT and DEVOTION are not things incompatible The FOUNDATION of this TREATISE THe wise Hebrews have observed a matter worthy of consideration for the direction of Great-ones to wit that between the bed of the Kings of Judea The gloss upon Isaiah ch 38. observeth also Juxta parietem Templi Solomon extruxit palatium A notable observation of the Hebrews and the Altar of God there was but one single wall and they adde that David one of the most holy Monarchs had reserved for himself a secret postern through which he passed from his chamber to the house of God that is to say the Tabernacle which served as a sanctuarie for his afflictions and an arsenal for his battels They say likewise he left the key of this sacred postern to his Posteritie a key a thousand times more pretious than Fortune the golden Goddess of the Romans giving to it the imitation of his virtue as an everlasting inheritance Achaz was he who stopping up the gate of the Temple Parali 2. 28. clausit januas Templi shut against himself the gates of Gods mercie and thereby opened the passage to his own confusion This is to instruct Princes and all persons of quality that as the element of birds is the air and water of fishes so the element of great spirits if they will not betray their own nature nor bely their profession is piety Yet notwithstanding it is a wonder how the Court where the most noble spirits should reside hath in all Ages been cried down in matter of virtue You will say hearing those speak who make many fair and formal descriptions of the manners of Courtiers that the Court is nothing else but a den of darkness where the heavens and stars are not seen An admirable definition of the Court drawn out of divers ancient Authors but through a little crevis that it is a mil as the Ancients held it always skreaking with a perpetual clatter where men enchained as beasts of labour are condemned to turn the stones That it is a prison of slaves who are all tied in the golden guives of speciors servitude yet in this glitter suffer themselves to be gnawn by the vermine of passion That it is a list where the combatants are mad their arms nothing but furie their prize smoke their carreer glassie ice and utmost bounds but precipices That it is the house of Circes where reasonable creatures are transformed into savage beasts where Buls gore Lions roar Dogs worrie one another Vipers hiss and Basilisks carrie death in their looks That it is the house of winds a perpetual tempest on the firm land ship-wrack without water where vessels are split even in the haven of hope Briefly that it is a place where vice reigneth by nature misery by necessity and if virtue be found there it is but by miracle Such discourses are often maintained with more The Answer fervour of eloquence than colour of truth For to speak sincerely the Court is a fair school of virtue for those who know how to use it well In great seas great fishes are to be found and in ample fortunes goodly and heroick virtues This proposition which putteth an incompatibilitie of devotion and sanctitie into the life of men of eminencie seemeth to me very exorbitant for three reasons The first for that it is injurious to God the second prejudicial to humane societie and the third sheweth it to be false by the experience of all Ages To prove these three verities The Defence of the Court. is to ruin it in the foundations the proofs whereof are easie enough which we will begin to glance at that hereafter we may deduce them more at length For as concerning the first it cannot be denied to be a great injurie to almightie God to strike at his heavenly and paternal providence This is to touch him in the apple of his eye and in the thing which he esteemeth most pretious Now so it is this maâ—ime which establisheth an impossibilitie of devotion the first wheel of virtue in the life of Great ones imputeth a great defect unto the government of God The divine providence is a skilful posie-maker who knoweth artificially how to mingle all sorts of flowers to make the Nosegay of the elect called in holy Scripture Fasciculus viventium It constituteth the different manners of lives different qualities and conditions It leadeth men by divers way
Finally if we will give any credit to ancient monuments the marbles in Churches and tombs of our Ancestours speak for us Behold verily the powerful and invincible reasons Most wholesome advise how to resolve on choise of Religion Augustin contra ep fund which made S. Augustine resolve upon the Religion we profess Many great considerations said he with much reason keep me in the obedience of the Catholick Church The consent of people and Nations hold me The authority of the same Church which is risen up by miracle nourished with hope augmented by charity established by its antiquity The succession of Bishops holds me therein whith beginning in the See and authority of S. Peter to whom God recommended Evangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclisiae Catholicae commoveret authoritas Contra ep Manich. Most weake foundation of the Pretenders the care of the flock is maintained to this present time Lastly the name of Catholick holds me in it He addeth he would not believe the Gospel it self if he were not convinced by the authority of the Church Let us now see whether you have better choise and more consideration than this worthy man who is one of the prime wits of the world Let us see what your Ministers oppose against so many infallible proofs to cover their want of antiquity mission succession miracles sanctity judgement and reason They cease not to buzze out every where a false pretext of Scripture which verily is the greatest illusion that ever was For these wicked ones seeing themselves battered on every side from the beginning of this reformation knew well in their consciences the Scripture was against them Yet notwithstanding said they to mock at the faith of mankind and lead them into Atheism we must avoid the decisions of a Power lively and lawful we must onely take colour from the holy text we will make it say what we list we will maintain nothing is to be believed but what is written and that which is written we will disguise with our glosses and consequences to catch those who think they have some wit Behold the onely means to colour our pretences You then who are endowed with sufficient and Reasons which shew the nullity of this foundation solid judgement consider a little how deceitfull weak and ruinous this foundation is First it appears the devil and all Hereticks of former times have 1. Reason taken the same foundation ever saying the Scripture was on their sides which is most untrue Notwithstanding behold to what pass all hereticks came Munter proved by Scripture he was the Prophet Neque enim natae funt haereses nisi dum scripturae bonae intelliguntur non bene August ad Consentium ep 222. David George a diabolical man that he was God Eon condemned by the Councel of Rhemes that he was the true Messias even by the same Scripture Secondly the world having been two thousand years and more without Scripture the first were 2. Reason written in Hebrew by abbreviation with such ambiguity that every one following his own opinion might frame a Bible to his own liking Yea sometimes such diversity was found in the Hebrew Greek Latine and Chaldaick letter that where one read David another read a bowl where one the liver another a pillow where one beauty another a savage beast where one the word another life where one read the liâ—â—â—g another the dead And you who neither know Hebrew Greek nor Latine on whom will you relie Thirdly upon passages written in every express 3. Reason terms as This is my body the spirits of men have forged two hundred opinions quite different what then will become of difficulties more thorny Julian Bishop of Tolledo wrote a volumn of apparent contradictions Juliani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture which in substance hath none but which notwithstanding seem many times to say things directly contrary such obscurity there is in some passages Whom should we believe Do you not see this were a means to maintain eternal divisions if there were not Judges to decide differences in a kingdom but that every one should carry the cause according to the proportion of his loud crying to make his texts and allegations to be of force What would this come unto And you would bring the like disorder into the Church Fourthy in the ancient law the Bible was in the 4. Reason Ark and no man durst open it and turn it to resolve controversies upon this Rule but did expect the decision thereof from the Priests mouth who had a lawful succession The lips of the Priest are the Malach. 2. 7. store-houses of knowledge and from his mouth you shall enquire the law said the Prophet Malachie Fiftly the wisest men in the world after they had 5. Reason maturely thought upon it found no other way to determin controversies but to have recourse to the decision of a Head Such is the opinion of S. Irenaeus S. Augustine and S. Hierome Vincentius Lirinensis and all other Sixthly it is the commandment of God When any Ezech. 44. 24. A most just proceeding controversies shall be raised my Priest shall hold sessions and shall judge For of necessity we must have an authority commanding magistral and decisive For Conclusion can one speak any thing more 6. Reason just than that in case any place of Scripture hath obscurities in it it were to much better purpose to hear thereupon the decision of ancient Fathers disinteressed from our controversies than to enforce our selves to pass upon the judgement of a passionate Adversary without warrant or authority When in the year 1523. heresie began first in France and that there was but one Minister a wool-carder called John Clarck in the Citie of Meaux where should we find the interpretation of Scripture in the mouth of this carder or in a lawful Councel Judge behold what you go about you may hereby see how much this pretext of Scripture is malicious shifting and frivolous I adde that they overthrow themselves by those 7. Reason ways wherewith they seek to establish themselves For if we ought not believe any thing but that which is written in what place of their Bible will they find that twenty thousand passages must be taken out of ours In what place will they shew us the books of the Macchabees are not Canonical In what place that Sunday must be kept holy and not Saturday In what place that vows must be broken In what place that Iesus Christ is eaten by the mouth of faith and so many other places which make us sufficiently understand they ruin themselves by their own hands Finally for the fourth consideration take the 4. Point Math. 7. Effects of heresie maxim from the Son of God To judge well of a sect you must judge by the fruits and the effects What fruits and what effects have we seen to come from this pretended Religion The fear of God stifled
death and you must render an account to the Sovereign Judge for that you have against his laws erected that Idol of worldly respects and always made Heaven bow under the will of the earth What are you to do Of necessity to cast away the opinions of the world contrary to the doctrine of Jesus Christ You say it is impossible to live in the world without pursuing the ways of the world and accommodating ones self to the doctrine thereof Forsake it then break your fetters enfranchize your self when you no longer hope in it you shall no more be in danger to fear it What would it avail you to have in your life the whole world for an inheritance and after death hell for a prison Why are you daily handling your sore making it itch by your tenderness You need but one blast of wind one stroke of the air to put your self into the assured haven of the liberty of the Children of God The fourth OBSTACLE Inconstancie of manners MErcury Trismegistus said that the seed of Mercur. Tris serm 4. Heaven was immortality and the seed of the earth was inconstancy All here below is filled with this grain in every place it produceth its effects but principally in man he hath more in his heart than all the rest of the world it is the true image of instabilitie as Aristotle affirmeth And Arist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fable of inconstancy very well it is said that inconstancie exiled for ever from the Palace of eternity came upon the earth as to the real place of her inheritance and would needs there cause herself to be painted It was plainly told her there was no pencil so bold which durst undertake this work because she was sometimes great sometimes little sometimes gross sometimes slender sometimes straight sometimes crooked sometimes white sometimes black finally ever unsettled and uncapable of stay in any place that notwithstanding she might address herself unto Time for he was a notable work-man who intermedled in all things Time after he had well eyed and observed this Inconstancy resolved to paint her and at that season finding no table better primed for his purpose he painted it on man It is a goodly invention which bringeth to us an undoubted veritie marked and designed out as with a pen of adamant by holy Job when he speaketh Job 14. 2. Quasi flos egreditur conteritur sugit velut umbra nunquam in eodum statu permanet of man in these express terms The flower which shutteth up his date in the course of one morning and evening if it be not hayl-stroken at midday the shadow which ever flieth from the hand that would grasp it and all which you may imagine to be transitory is nothing in comparison of the inconstancy of man Philip a good Authour who flourished about the time of S. Hierom and hath written a Commentary upon Job searching out the causes of the instability of mans heart hath these remarkeable words Inconstancy Animus hominis quia star◠noluit cum potuit jam non potest stare cum velit sed semper desideriis variatur ut quietus actionem desideret occupatus quietem Philip in Job is a chastisement of sin The spirit of man would not rest it self with firm footing upon the foundation of contentments which God presented to it in the state of grace and therefore the Sovereign Judge for punishment suffereth him to go continually floating as in a tempestuous sea of thoughts without either finding bottom or shore He is ever turmoyled with new desires and disturbances If he be employed he wisheth repose and if he hath never so little repose be is vexed and requireth business And although all men resent the effects of this inconstancy yet she notwithstanding oftentimes beareth sway in the Palaces of Great men There are to be found many Endymions who embrace the Moon hearts wheeled about in strange labyrinths surcharged with quick-silver and changeable atomes spirits which perpetually are upon turbulencies gnawn with a certain itch of novellism distasted with what is past and always perplexed with what is to come they hear all the minutes strike but the hour of repose they know not The causes of this exorbitancy are manifest and the consideration is profitable that remedy may thereunto be sought To some it happeneth by a certain natural levity of a spirit ever gliding and jumping upon all sorts of objects as a butter-flie amongst flowers To others by a certain facility which they have to take distast upon the sudden against all things yea even the most delightful To others by a certain greediness Senec. de tranquil Salvian l. 1. gubernat human Humanae mentis vitium magis semper vede quae dosunt which maketh them ever to have things present in scorn and things to come in esteem They resemble the dog in the fable they no sooner have the substance but forsaking it they reach at the shadow and afterward passionately seek what they did forego To others by a certain curiosity and impatience of too much repose They do as those who having no great desire to sleep cast themselves upon a bed of ease turning from one side to another until they found sleep by their own weariness To others by a distemper of passions commixed together which sharply bite them like vermine To others by certain timerous appetites in such sort that they dare not do all they desire and cannot obtain all they dare wish for this ever holdeth them with a throat open for prey which by its flight leaveth them nothing but a meer illusion To others by a certain mouldiness of a dul spirit which cannot dis-involve their thoughts nor fairly accommodate their purpose to establish them in any kind of a confident life They resemble that little bird of the sea called Aetian 12. de animal Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cinclus which during his whole life as it is said useth no endeavour to build his own nest but goeth ever wandring up and down if other for pure pitie do not contribute of theirs All this inconstancy of life is an essential obstacle which totally hindereth the progress of perfection the reasons whereof are most evident The first is that one can execute nothing in matter Reasons against inconstancy of virtue if he have not an aim and purpose well rectified otherwise it is not to live but to fright crows and pyes with fancie Now so it is that all those who dance this jigge of inconstancy have neither but nor scope of assurance they perpetually are transported where the storm carrieth them they are always strangers in their own Countries and guests in their proper houses you would say they had but one sole motion one sole action in this life which is to turn topsie-turvie all things and to do nothing and if they do good it is when they least think of it and oftentimes they find they must leave to live
humble he is and the more humble the less sensible is he of the crosses which happen to things without us VIII We must prevent occasions and not afford them too much power over our hearts in all those things the loss whereof may trouble us IX To eschew the occasions of places of persons recreations and affairs which use to disturb the peace of our minds X. If one feel himself inwardly moved to bridle the tongue that so the apprehensions of the heart may not break forth To reenter into your self To ask truce of your passion stedfastly believing that you shall pardon many offences if you begin to understand before you grow angry Against vanitie I. To represent to ones self very often the extream vanitie of all worldly things II. The misery of the present state wherein all things invite us to humility III. The vanity of opinions which afford us nothing but wind IV. The blindness incapacity inconstancy perverseness of mens judgements who often love and admire all that which is the most vitious V. The frailty of honour and reputation which is sought by unlawful ways VI. The tortures and torments of a vain spirit VII The ostentation in good successes the discouragement in bad VIII The surprizal of his practices and imperfections which cannot be hidden from the most judicious IX The worm which gnaweth all good works by the means of vanity and the shameful deprivation of eternal comforts to attend the search of earthly smokes Against gluttony I. Represent unto your self the miserable state of a soul bruitish and bemired in flesh II. Hardness of heart III. The dulness of understanding IV. The infirmities of body V. Loss of goods VI. Disreputation VII What a horrour it is to make of the members of Jesus Christ the members of an unclean creature VIII What indignity it is to adore and serve the belly as a bestial and base god IX The great excess of sins which proceed from this source X. The punishments of God upon the voluptuous Against intemperance of tongue I. To consider that it is the throne of vain-glory II. An evident sign of ignorance III. The gate of slander IV. The harbinger of scoffing V. The Architect of lying VI. The desolation of the spirit of piety VII The dissipation of the hearts safety VIII The inseparable companion of idleness as saith S. John Climacus Against Sloth The indefatigable labour of all creatures in the world both civil and natural II. The facility of good works after grace given by Jesus Christ III. The anxiety of an inconstant and fleeting spâ—rit IV. Shame and contempt V. The confusion at the day of Judgement VI. The irrecoverable loss of time Of three temptations which hinder many in the way of perfection to wit shame of well-doing over-much affection to some creature and pensiveness in well-doing The nineteenth SECTION Against the shame of well-doing MAny would quickly be in the way of a life truly Christian having souls of an excellent temper and pious relishes of God but that they have one temptation who would believe it it is the shame of well-doing Their souls are big with Eagles stone good desires resembling the Eagles stone which ever hath another in it and never brings it forth So have they in their hearts according to their own opinion a good resolution seriously to embrace devotion but the fear of what men will say scattereth as many good thoughts as the heart can conceive What practice of remedies will you have against this pusillanimity effeminate soul Onely consider what you do and if you be ashamed it can be of nothing but of your self Unworthines to be ashamed of wel-doing First I ask who maketh you blush in the service of your spouse Do you blush at his poverty At his deformity At his ignorance Or tell me what decay have you observed in him to imprint a blushing vermillion on your face Poor How can he be so since he maketh all rich Deformed How can he be so since he is original beauty spred over all the creatures of the world Ignorant How can he be so since he is the Eternal Wisdom Tell me then what have you to be ashamed of Some will say that you would seem to be virtuous and devout Do not so but be so indeed If you have not cause to blush for Heaven why should you blush for virtues which are the daughters of Heaven Behold what sacriledge you commit Shamefac'dness is made for vices It is the veil wherewith nature covereth them when they endeavour to hide themselves and you will shadow virtues Alas the Martyrs have become red with bloud to preserve devotion and you blush with shame to betray it A feaverish respect towards some creature which passeth away in the turning of a hand hindereth perhaps thirty or forty years of virtue O misery Secondly what have you so much to excite and Number of the devout should settle you drive you forward in well-doing Think you your self to be at this present the onely creature in the world which tasteth devotion A thousand and a thousand well qualified have advanced the standard of piety If the number of the bad authorize wickedness why should not so goodly a troup of honest men furnish us with confidence enough to vanquish one impious fantasie which verily is nothing nor hath any substance but what your remisness affordeth it Then tell me in the third place what is it you so Doubt and childishness of this shame much fear to addict your self wholly to devotion The twinkling of an eye a silly smile a breath of words which quickly passeth and hurteth none And behold why you forsake God What is more easie to be overcome than all that A little silence answereth all It is not required of you you should oppose your arms against the violent stream of a torrent Silence onely is demanded and to hope well which are the two easiest things of the world Will Isai 11. In silentio spe erit fortitudo vestra you put a great affront upon a babler who flouteth at your devotions Answer him not All he saith is to put you into passion your impatience pleaseth him your silence confoundshim In the end he cannot say so much but that you may hear much more He hath but one mouth and you have two ears Let Michol revile and persist you in dancing 2 Reg. 9. before the Ark your patience shall stop all mouths and in the end purchase all crowns But you fear What ' you should fear you cannot persevere in the way of virtue and that many changes may cast some aspersion of inconstancy upon you You do well to fear your self if you so much expect perseverance from your self But if you look for it from God ought you not to have more hope of his goodness than fear from your own infirmities You are not advised to make your devotions eminent by some notable alteration extraordinary in the exteriour
my sufferings in satisfaction and my patience for sacrifice THE FOVRTH BOOK Of the impietie of COURTS The unhappie Politician HItherto having proposed the motives and obstacles that men of qualitie find in the way of Christian perfection I have made a collection of the most wholesom instructions which may guid them to the wisdom of heaven Consequently I purpose according as time and leasure will permit to write the historie of the holy Courts pursuing the course which I proposed in the Preface But this volume being become big alreadie in the press requireth nothing but the seal upon it Behold the cause why I have been willing to affix it thereon with two books of grave and admirable histories which may serve as a scantling of the whole piece I intend The scope of all this work is to declare a most worthy saying of S. Augustine That nothing is so miserable as the prosperitie of the wicked nothing so happie as true and solid pietie To bring these two verities into their full lustre of light as well by example as precept I have chosen two Courts very different The one is the Court of Herod the other of Theodosius the younger In the one the disasters of impietie are beheld in the other the happiness of virtue Verily I have cast the eye of my consideration upon divers histories and have seen none which may make great men more sensibly apprehend how those who rule in Courts and places of dignitie by meere policie and humane prudence accommodating Religion to their own interest are deceived than the life and death of this unfortunate King of Judea He had an infinite natural judgement an admirable penetrating wit a courage unspeakably dauntless A man who derived from nothing advanced his fortune even to the Regal throne and established it amongst so many thornie affairs as to make himself admired by the wisest of the world But because he built upon this Maxim of impietie that Religion and Law must be made to serve our proper interests he led a life full of crimes and disturbances concluded with the most disastrous death that may be imagined That also which hath made me resolve upon this historie drawn from Josephus with some other little fragments and memorials dilating it according to the talent of my stile without using any other transcription is that besides the unhappie Polititian you shall read therein Innocencie persecuted in the life of a Lady who hath been a true mirrour of patience and whom I purpose to propose as one of the greatest ornaments of our holy Court It is from hence I may truly gather a most beautiful rose amongst the sharpest throns shew calmest serenitie in the roughest storms and seek the honey-comb in the lions throat since I in Herods Court endeavour to find out the patient and chast Mariamne the true Table of innocencie Mariamne wife of Herod the picture of patience unworthily used The sufferance of this poor Queen would deserve to be consecrated with a pen of Adamant in the Temple of Eternitie since she is able to dazle the eyes of the most hardie to replenish the mouthes of the most eloquent and ravish the minds of those who admire no vulgar things God who ever raiseth the glorie of his Elect as it were upon the depth of the greatest miseries seeing the soul of this Princess amongst the most eminent and illustrious thought he must give her a large field for encounter to reap the richest palms of patience and he gave her Herod a bad husband a barbarous persecutour an infamous executioner but ever more sutable to the patient Mariamne in the qualitie of a persecutour and a hang-man than in the office of a husband To conceive the strength of this anvil we must know the force of the hammer which beateth on it To speak sufficiently of the singular virtue of this Queen we must thereunto oppose the malice of Herod we necessarily must behold how this disloyal man holding his life scepter and crown from the house of Mariamne for recompēce therof took from her her scepter crown and life after he had drawn her bowels out causing her nearest of kin to be put to death before her eyes then casting her all bloudie upon the pyle where the bodies of her parents and brethren were burned as the last sacrifice of his furie yet never at all startling her invincible patience Every man speaketh of Herod as of a man of morter steeped in bloud as of a Tyrant who would murder mercie it self but every one knoweth not the wiles he used to possess himself both of the Queen Mariamne and scepter of David oppressing the one with all ingratitude and governing the other with unspeakable mischief About some fiftie years before the Nativity of our The estate of the Kingdom of Judea before Herod came to the crown Lord and Saviour the kingdom of Judea which had subsisted although amongst strange eclypses and horrible vicissitudes from King David almost a thousand years after it had so many times tottered and so often by many shocks and concussions been established in the end found its total ruin and tomb in the discord of two brothers At that time Hircanus Hircanus reigned a good man but a bad King who neither had fortitude valour nor courage He used as much remisness in his charge as he practiced innocencie in his manners His overmuch easiness made him degenerate into a certain stupiditie and being unapt to do ill he rendered himself capable to be an instrument of all kind of evils by being too easie for the impressions of another He acknowledging his own weakness freely resigned the dignitie and burden of rule to his brother Aristobulus a valiant and Aristobulus hardie man who had little success and many enterprises In the mean time Palestine during the inconstant Antipater the father of Herod affected the Kingdom of Judea wavering of this Royaltie was much courted by her neighbours but above all by Antipater father of Herod an Idumcan by Nation an Arabian in manners wealthie factious able to overturn a large Empire by his subtil wiles had for a long time a plot upon the Kingdom of Judea He well foresaw it would be a matter very difficult for him to force a passage for his wicked ends whilst this couragious lion Aristobulus bare sway but were he dismounted and Hircanus seated again in his throne all would be in his own power What doth this Arabian then he soweth in the souls and minds of the people seeds of revolt against Aristobulus saying They were very remiss and disloyal so to suffer Hircanus their lawful King to be dethroned to whom nature had granted Empire to transfer the Kingdom to a mutinous and turbulent spirit who quickly would with ill manage make them feel the ruin and desolation of all Palestine That they had forsaken a King blame-worthie in nothing but in surplusage of goodness to take another who having made entry into principality
answered their desires For in this second Volumn I treat of the Courts of Constantine the Great the two Valentinians Gratian Theodosius the Elder Theodorick in Boetius his cause Clodoveus Clotilda Levigildus Hermingildus and Indegondis in such sort that I have selected the principal sanctities of Great-ones in the first six Ages of Christianity which will not be sleightly valued by those who better love to finish a Work than unboundedly distend it Moreover also to be better than my promise in my first Volumn having taken the Court in general I here descend into particulars and there being four sorts of persons which compose the life of Great-ones that is to say the Prelate the Souldier the States-man and the Court-Ladie I have made a brief Table of the conditions necessary in every state couched in four discourses pursued with as many Books of Histories which contain excellent models of virtues proper to all orders and states of life in persons most eminent I can assure my Reader these Summaries of Precepts which I have so contracted in so few words it being in my power to enlarge them in divers Volumns are not unprofitable and the Histories are so chosen that besides their majesty which unfoldeth the goodliest affairs and passages of Empires in the beginning of their Christianity they have also a certain sweetness which solid spirits shall find as much to transcend fables and modern eloquence as the satisfaction of truth surpasseth the illusions of Sorcerers You shall perpetually therein observe a large Theater of the Divine providence wherein God himself knoweth I have no other aim but to dignifie virtue and depress vice without any reflection upon the persons of these times no more than if I wrote in the Reign of Charlemain or St. Lewis I heartily entreat all those spirits of application who cannot hold their nose over a piece of work unless they find it to suit with their own fantasies imagining that all literature is the eccho of their own thoughts that if they have any Commentary to produce they would rather make glosses upon their own dreams than my Books We are not as yet God be thanked in so miserable an Age that we dare not offer sacrifice to truth without a disguise since it is the glory of Great-ones openly to wage war against vices as their greatest enemies For to speak truly after I had presented my First Tome at the feet of the sacred person of our great King I likewise considered in his Court rich and resplendent lights in all orders which might serve as models for my Treatises but to avoid affectation of all worldly complacence I have purposely declined it my nature and habit having already so alienated me from all worldly pretences that it would prove painfull to me to court any man if he had not Heaven and the Stars to give me for reward For so much as concerneth the form of writing observed by me in this Second Volumn I will truly confess to my Reader that I have therein proceeded rather guided by my proper Genius than art or cunning And although I heretofore have been curious enough to read and observe all what ever Greek or Roman eloquence hath produced of worth yet I confess there is a certain ray of God which encountering with our spirit and mixing with nature is more knowing than all precepts and I may affirm this for the instruction of youth which hath asked my opinion concerning the qualities and conditions of stile True it is I have handled many books written in all Ages and have found the wisest of them to be elevated in conceits and words above the ordinary strain but always free from affectation Others are so passionately enamoured of certain petty courtships of language which are capital enemies of perswasion and which we most especially ought to avoid in discourses of piety the nerves whereof they weaken and blemish the lustre since even those who speak to us out of Chairs by word or writing although in terms discreetly modest make the less impressions on our hearts and many times so seek after their own reputations as they forget how much they are engaged to truth We see some who through over-much wit search out strange ways conceptions different from common understanding words extravagant and in all other things so vehemently adore their own imaginations that they cannot endure any but themselves in paper which is the cause they very seldom meet with the habit of humane understanding as being true Citizens of Plato's Commonwealth of ability to controle all and to do nothing Some glory in barrenness and would willingly be displeased with God that he hath more plentifully sown stars in some parts of the Heaven than in others They can brook nothing that is generous without snarling at it and taxing it supposing beauties and splendours are defects because they surpass their capacities Finally there are some who so furnish themselves with the worth of others ceaseless allegations that they frame discourses like to those Helena's all of gold where we can behold nothing but drapery not being able to distinguish the hand from the foot nor the eye from the face I enter not into the consideration of our times having learned rather to regard the Works of the meanest Writers than censure them But to speak sincerely I never thought it fit to advise or pursue such courses And as in this Work I have not wholly declined learning nor ornament of language which I supposed apt for the purpose endeavouring many times to enchase them with seemly accommodation so have I been unwilling to replenish my leaves with Authours and forreign tongues this being undertaken rather to perswade virtue among men eminent than to fill the common places of young Students I likewise have so intermingled my style that not descending into a petty language of complement which had been below my subject I thought to make it intelligible yea even unto those who make no profession of arts or study My onely aim is to speak and to be understood perswaded thereunto by the saying of Philo That speech and thought are two sisters they youngest whereof is created that the eldest may be known I have more laboured upon the weight of sentences than ornaments of words not at all pretending to the honour of earthly pens which we daily behold to grow in so many Authours of this Age who would be much more absolute did they apply themselves to graver subjects and in some sort imitate the Sun who affording admiration to the world hath none himself Notwithstanding it often happeneth not with the most eminent Writers who ordinarily are endowed with much modesty but certain extreamly profane wits to idolatrize their own inventions to condemn all treatises of worth and value that it is impossible to be eloquent in our language but in the expression of vanities and impurities Truly if question were made to judge of French eloquence the riches of Babylon are not so exquisite as
enough and a great talker to stupifie weak judgements She perswaded her self that of two things one would happen either that S. Ambrose refusing disputatioÌ„ would leave some suspition of his inability or accepting it engage his authority This powerful woman unable to bow heaven resolved to stir hell She obtained a Mandat from the Emperour her son by which it was enjoyned to S. Ambrose to be on a day nominated at the Palace to confer in his presence upon points of Religion against Auxentius on this condition that Judges should be appointed for both parts to decide their difference The Tribune Dalmatius was the bearer of this Mandat who wished S. Ambrose by word of mouth that he should hasten to name the Judges which he intended to choose for his party and that Auxentius had already nominated his who were all Pagans to take away thereby the suspition might be framed against those of his Sect. He caused also certain words silently to slip from him by the subtility of Justina by the which he advised him handsomly to escape and go whither he thought good if he would not accept of this challenge S. Ambrose had a strange horrour upon this MaÌ„dat seeing how the cunning of a passionate woman the impudence of a shameless Heretick tyrannized over the feeble spirit of an infant enforcing him to demand this hateful Conference which seemed to be permitted for nothing but to expose the venerable Mysteries of our Religion to the scorn of Pagans He would by no means go to the Palace to excuse himself fearing he might seem to transfer a cause meerly Ecclesiastical to a Princes Court but he made a grave answer to the Emperour which is now extant in his Works where among other things the Arians condemning his refusal and taxing him of contumacy for giving occasion of jealousie to the Emperour Lib. 2 ep 15. upon the over-great authority of S. Ambrose he saith Sacred Majesty He that accuseth my refusal of Resolution of S. Ambrose contumacy accuseth the law of your father of injustice He who was a man most accomplished in arms and great affairs who signed his faith with the seal of his constancy and the wisdom of his counsels by the happiness of his State ever witnessed both by his words and Edicts that it appertained to none but Bishops to judge of Bishops You who are tender of age little experienced nay a Catechumene in faith will judge of mysteries which you have not yet learned If this seem reasonable unto you the laity may hereafter mount into the Chair and have those for their flock whom they have had for their Pastours which can never be done but by perverting the order of this Universe God forbid I should choose Judges of the laity to make them either Prevaricatours of faith or victims of the vengeance of our enemies It sufficeth me to leave my life therein which I so long have consecrated to the defence of the Church and not engage others in the peril I hold the faith of the Nicene Councel from which neither the sword nor death shall ever separate me I am ready to defend it at the Church not in the Court where never had I been but for you and whereof I better love not to know the customs than learn the cunning As concerning this which I hear that your Majesty offereth me peaceably to retire where I shall think good God himself knows with how much endeavour I avoided the burden your father himself of glorious memory laid on my shoulders Now I cannot with freedom discharge my self in conscience since the Bishops my associates crie out aloud unto me that it were one and the same crime in my person either to leave or betray the Altars Justina much moved with the liberty of these words complained in her Palace that among so many Legions there could not be a man so faithfull as to deliver her from the importunities of a Priest promising offices and singular favours in Court to any that would lead him into exile One named Euthymius offered himself who having purposely hired a house near to the Church provided a Coach well furnished to carry away S. Ambrose at his coming from divine Service but never was iâ— possible for him to perform his promise by reason of the great press of the people which perpetually environed their Pastour But much otherwise this miserable undertaker the year circumvolving the same day whereon he resolved to execute his design upon the holy man after he had shamefully been disgraced was banished and carried away in the same Coach he had prepared for S. Ambrose as it is said Perillus Authour of Phalaris his bull was the first that hanselled it and Hugh Ambriot who caused the Bastille to be built was the first that went into it in the quality of a Prisoner there to end his days Another named Caligoâ—ius a Groom of the Chamber to the Emperour threatned S. Ambrose to cut off his head with his own hands the holy man answered If God permit Genebrar Chronic. thee to execute what thou sayest thou will act but what Eunuchs do and I shall endure that which ordinarily the Bishop suffer Some time after as if Heaven had fought against the Prelates enemies this wicked man although an Eunuch being accused of some impurity by a Curtezan passed the dint of the sword which he would have drawn against his Bishop In the end the Empress resolved to play out the rest of her game and exercise the whole extent of her power She obtained bloudy Edicts which she her self made to satisfie her own passion She armed her Auxentius as the instrument of her fury She caused it to be published aloud that all Ecclesiasticks who would not deliver the Church which was in question should be held as criminals of treason She caused Squadrons of insolent souldiers to run up and down the streets and cast terrour into the minds of the most confident That was the time when the bruit of peril wherein S. Ambrose was being spred through the Citie universally drew all the people to the Church each one endeavouring to make a bulwark for him of his own body and never forsaking him either day or night Tribunes and Captains were dispatched to him who signified the Emperours pleasure which consisted of three articles The first was he should speedily deliver the holy vessels and all the moveables of the Church The secoÌ„d he should leave the place questioned in the Empresses dispose The third that in all haste he must go out of Milan and that he should have free liberty to travel whither he pleased The Bishop made answer That those holy vessels were the inheritance of Jesus Christ and as the Emperour had not abandoned the state of his Ancestours to Tyrants so Ambrose would never betray the patrimony of his Master Were gold and silver demanded which were his own proprieties be would make no difficulty to afford them but as for the
spared to use many love-dalliances but the affection she bare to this good Queen was so great that it razed out of his heart all other love as the ray of the sun scattereth the shadows and phantasms of the night The holy Lady perceiving the spirit of her husband already moved in hers and that there was no need of power but example so composed her manners in her marriage that she made her self a perfect model of perfections requisite for this estate Royal Crowns loose their lustre on heads without brains and brows without Majesty But this Lady made it presently appear that although her birth had not made her worthy of a Crown nor her good fortune had afforded it her merit alone had been of power to make her wear the best diadem in the world She practised in the Court of a Pagan King a strong vigorous devotion which was not puffed up with outward shews and vapours but wholy replenished with wisdom For she had a fear of God so chast that she apprehended the least shadows of sin as death a love so tender that her heart was as a flaming lamp which perpetually burned before the Sanctuary of the living God Her faith had a bosom as large as that of Eternity her hope was a bow in Heaven all furnished with emeralds which never lost its force and her piety an eternal source of blessings She had made a little Oratory as Judith in the royal Palace where she attended as much as time would permit to prayers and mortifications of flesh abiding therein as in a fortunate Island which made the sweetness of her immortal perfumes to mount up to heaven Yet did she mannage all her actions with singular discretion that she might not seem too austere in the eyes of her Court for fear weak souls might be diverted from Christianity by observing in her carriage perfections transcendent above ordinary capacities But all that which most passed in a common life was done by her and her maids with much purity fervour majesty and constancy It was an Angelical spectacle to see her present at Mass and dispose her self to receive the blessed Sacrament which she very often frequented to draw grace and strength from its source She honoured Priests as Messengers descended from Heaven as well to discharge her conscience as to hold her Religion in much estimation among Pagans The zeal of the houses of God which are Churches enflamed her with so much fervour that she had no delights more precious than either to cause new to be raised or to adorn those which had been erected so far as to make them receive radiance from the works of her royal hands Her charity towards the poor was a sea which never dryed up and her heart so large that all the hearts of the miserable breathed in hers She composed and decked herself dayly before the eyes of God putting on all virtues as it were by nature and rich attire of Ladyes for necessity But the King her husband she honoured as if she had seen the Saviour of the world walking upon the earth and not staying alone on the body she penetrated even to the center of this infidel soul which she beheld with eyes of unspeakable compassion She most particularly endeavoured to observe all his humours and follow the motions of his heart as certain flowers wait on the sun All that which Clodovaeus affected took presently an honourable place in the soul of Clotilda if he delighted in arms in dogs in horses she for his sake praysed arms dogs and horses regarding even the objects of the honest pleasures of her husband as her best entertainments Her conversation was full of charms and attractives which ever carryed profit along with them Sometimes she sweetened the warlick humours of her husband with harmony of reason sometimes she comforted him upon occasion of troubles which might happen in the world sometime she withheld very soberly and with prudent modesty his spirit which took too much liberty sometime she repeated unto him certain precepts of wisdom and practices of the lives of Saints and worthy personages that he might love our Religion sometime she pleased him with an eloquent tongue and an entertainment so delicate that nothing might be said more accomplished She was magnificent and liberal towards her household servants most exactly taking notice of the faithful services they yielded to her husband and kept her house so well united within the bands of concord and charity that it seemed as it were a little Temple of peace Slander uncleaness idleness impudence were from thence eternally banished virtues industry and arts found there a mansion and the miseries of the world a safe Sanctuary For she embraced all pious affairs of the Realm and governed them with so much equality of spirit that she resembled Angels who move the Heavens not using in themselves the least agitation May we not very well say this divine woman was selected out by God to a set golden face on an entire Monarchy by the rays of her piety The fifth SECTION The prudence which the Queen used in the conversion of her husband THe holy Queen brought forth a King and a great Monarch to Jesus Christ bearing perpetually his Court and the whole Kingdom in the entrails of her charity She had her Centinels day and night before the Altars who ceased not to implore the assistance for Heaven of the salvation of her husband and she her self often in deep silence of darkness caused her weeping eye to speak to God and adressed many vows to all the elect for the conversion of this unbelieving soul She very well considered that that which oftentimes slackeneth these wavering spirits in their endeavour to find the way of eternal life is certain interests of flesh and bloud certain impediments of temporal affairs some inordinate passion which tortureth and tyrannizeth over the mind Behold the cause why she took great care to sweeten the dispositions of her husband calm his passions and through a certain moral goodness facilitate unto him the way of the mysteries of our faith This being done she took her opportunity with the more effect and found the King dayly disposed better and better for these impressions He alreadie had the arrow very deep in his heart and began to ask questions proposing conditions which shewed he would one day render himself He said to Clotilda Madam I should not be so far alienated from your Religion were it not that I saw therein matters very strange which you would have me believe by power and authotity not giving any other reason thereof You would have me believe that three are but one in your Trinity that I adore a Crucified man and that I crucifie my self in an enforced and ceremonious life wherein I was never bred My dearest had I your good inclinations all would be easie to me but you know that all my life time I have been trayned up in arms If I should to morrow receive
your Baptism which blotteth out all sins according to your maxims I were no sooner washed but I should fear to plunge my self again into an infinity of occasions which might dayly present themselves to my understanding Then would you threaten me with the judgement-day and Hell with terrours able to over whelm my mind Consider whether it would not be more to the purpose to let me persevere in my Sect therein performing all the good I may Can you think that for all this I should be excluded from the mercy of God who will save all men The wise Clotilda replyed thereunto Sir I beseeth your Majesty not to flatter your self with this specious title of mercy for there will be none in the other world for those who have performed it in this without profit Now is the time that God spareth not to stretch out his arms for your obedience if you despise him you will loose him without recovery One can never do too much for eternall life and whatsoever we suffer Paradise may still be purchased at a good penny-worth Alas Sir why do you find so many difficulties in our Religion Think you God doth wrong in desiring to make you believe things which you cannot conceive by humane reason It is he who hath made the soul of man and who accommodateth all the wheels thereof nor is there any one of them which moveth not at his pleasure What marvel is it if man offer the homage of his understanding to God If weakness submit to strength littleness to greatness the finite to the infinite that which is nothing to him who is an abyss of essence goodness wisedom and light If you make a promise to any of your servants although it be unreasonable and almost incredible yet would you have him to believe it without reply and that he take no other ground for this belief but the greatness and infallible word of your Majesty One man exacteth faith of another though both of them are but earth and dust and you think the Sovereign Creatour of Heaven and earth is unjust to make us believe that which our bruitish senses cannot comprehend Is this the submission and obedience we ow Eternal Truth Why should not I believe that three are but one that is to say three persons one onely God since I dayly find my memory understanding and will make but one soul Wherefore should we scorn to adore a Crucified man The Cross is so far from weakening my belief that there is not any thing which more confirmeth it For if the Saviour of the world had come as your Majesty to the conquest of the universe with legions horses treasures and arms he should in my opinion retain that esteem which great Captains hold but when I consider that by the punishment of the Cross he hath reduced the whole world under his laws and planted the instrument of his excessive dolours even on the top of Capitols and the heads of Monarchs I affirm that all is of God in such an affair since there is nothing in it of man Alas Sir if you have a faithful servant who would suffer himself to be tormented and crucified to make you Master of a rebellious Fort would not you find more glory in his loyalty than ignominy in his torments And think you if the Eternal Wisdom having taken a humane body and voluntarily exposed it to extream rigour to wash our offences in his bloud and subdue the pride and curiosities of the earth to the power of Heaven it hath done ought therein reprehensible Have we not much more cause to adore the infinite plenty of his charities than to dispute upon honours which onely consist in the opinion of the world I beseech your Majesty figure not to your self our Religion as an irksome and austere Law when you have submitted to the yoak God will afford you so much grace that all these difficulties which you apprehend will no more burden you than feathers do birds And although it should happen you after Baptism fall into some sin which God by his grace will divert the bloud of Jesus Christ is a fountain which perpetually distilleth in the Sacraments of the Church to wash away all our iniquities Sir I fear least you too long defer to resign your self to the many advertisements which you have received from Heaven If you weigh the favours that God hath done to your Majesty having set a Crown on your head at the age of fifteen years having preserved you against so many factions defended you from so many perils adorned you with so much glory honoured you with so many prosperours successes you shall find he hath reason to require at this time from you what he demandeth of your by my mouth What know you whether he have chosen out yâ—â—r person to make you a pattern to all other Kings and constitute you such in France as Constantine hath been in the Roman Empire which will render you glorious in the memory of men and happy in Heaven to all eternity Verily Sir if you yield not your self up to my words you ought to submit to the bloud of so many worthy Martyrs who have already professed this faith in your Kingdom you ought to submit to so many great Confessours as knowing as Oracles of as good life as Angels who denounce truth unto you You ought to submit to miracles that are every day visibly done at the Sepulcher of great S. Martin which is an incomparable treasure in your Kingdom Sweet-heart answereth the King say no more you are too learned for me and I fear least you should perswade me to that which I have no desire to believe and although you had convinced my soul to dispose it to this belief think you it would be lawful for me so soon to make profession of your faith You see I am King of an infinite people and have ever at my commanda great Nobility who acknowledge no other Gods but those of the Country Do you believe that all spirits are so easy to be curbed and that when I shall go about to take a strange God will it not make them murmur and perhaps forge pretexts to embroil something in my Kingdom For Religion and the State are two pieces which mutually touch one another very near one cannot almost stir the one without the other the surest way is not to fall upon it and to let the world pass along as our predecessours found it Clotilda well saw this apprehension was one of the mainest obstacles of his salvation and she already had given good remedy thereunto practising the dispositions of all the greatest of the Court. Behold the cause why she most stoutly replyed thereunto Sir it is to apprehend fantasies to form to your self such imaginations You are a Prince too absolute and too well beloved to fear these commotions but rather much otherwise I assure you upon mine honour your people are already much disposed to receive our Religion and your Nobility
in the list of combat Clodovaeus quickly alighted from his horse to rid him of life and being about to mend some defect in his cuirass he was treacherously assaulted by two Goths but he having dispatched his adversary defended himself from both these and mounted up again on his horse whom he made to curvet in a martial manner demeaning himself so bravely in all that he seemed to be as it were a flash of lightening sent from the hand of God rather than a man This defeat ruined the hopes of the Goths and cut off all the designs of heresie which subsisted not but by their favour From thence Clodovaeus marched all covered over with laurels into the Countreys of his conquests with so much good success that being before the Citie of Angoulesm which made shew of resistance the walls miraculously fell down as did heretofore those of Jericho he having by the advise of Apronius his Chaplain caused some holy reliques to be lifted up whereunto he dedicated a singular devotion What need we here make mention of the adventures which he had with the Kings Chararic and Ragvachairus whom he defeated as it were without blows This man went every where as confidently as one who seemed to have a Guard of celestial Virtues by his side his hands were fatal to purge the earth from many infidel Princes that infected it with heresie tyrannies and sacriledges Who can but wonder that in so short a time he extended his Empire from Rheine to Seine from the river of Loyre to Rosne and from the Pyrenei to the Ocean Who can but admire that he was so feared by all the Monarchs of his Age as the Grecians who have written Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after that time under the title of King intended for the more excellency to speak onely of the King of France Who will not highly esteem his great authority in that he first of all stampt golden coyn which the Emperours had always forborn through extream jealousie causing the marks of his faith to be impressed on this money And who can sufficiently marvel that having at his death left four sons to succeed him he hath besides been followed by seven and fifty Kings who constantly rendering themselves imitatours of his belief have likewise shared with him in his felicity I demand of you whether one must not become blind deaf and dumb not to see understand nor declare that all the happiness and prosperity of France is inseparably tied to the piety of our Ancestours since the hand of God thundering and lightening at the same time upon so great a number of Diadems of heretical Kings as of Gombaut Godemar Chilperic Godegisilus Alaricus and in the end on Theodorick himself led Clodovaeus by the hand through so many smoking ruins so many swords and such flames to establish him with all his posterity in a Throne whereunto the great Saint Remegius hath promised an eternity of years so long as it should remain cemented with the same faith and religion which first of all consecrated the Lilies to the service of the Divine Majesty The holy Clotilda amongst all these conquests of her husband lifted her innocent hands up to Heaven to apply the forces of the Saviour of the world to his Royal banners In the end having drawn him to Paris after so many bloudy wars and sweetened the extravagancies of his nature a little too violent propending to excesses of cruelty she caused him to tast in his repose devotion and justice in such sort that having closed up his eyes in the exercises of piety she enterred him with a most honourable reputation V. Kal. Dec. Depositio magni Regis Clodovaei Du Pleix There is yet to be found an old Calendar of the Church of S. Genovefue which maketh mention of the day of his death on the seven and twentieth of November The ninth SECTION The life of Clotilda in her widow-hood her afflictions and glorious death CLotilda vehemently desired to bring forth male children for the establishment of her State and though this affection seemed to be most just notwithstanding God who purgeth all the elect in the furnace of afflictions found a rough Purgatory for this good soul in the enjoying her desires She had sons as she wished whom she endeavoured with all her power to breed in the fear of God whilest she might bow them but these children who tasted too much of the warlike humours of the father and had not enough of the piety of the mother being arrived to an age wherein it was not possible any longer to restrain them they fell into many terrible extravagancies which transfixed the heart of the mother with a thousand swords of sorrow It happened that Sigismund the cousin-germain of Clotilda for whom she had procured the Kingdom of Burgundie after the death of his wife by whom he had a son named Sigeritus suffered himself to be surprized with the love of a Ladie waiting in Court whom he afterward married to the great heart-burning of the son who could not endure to see her clothed with the spoils of his mother This step-dame being drawn from servitude and wantonness to enter into the bed of a King beholding her self crossed in her loves by this Heir of the house conceived so much gall and rage against him that she prepared a most fatal calumnie for his ruin accusing him to have a plot upon the life of his father Sigismund who was of an easie nature stirred up with love and ambition quickly believed this shameless creature and after he had called this poor young man to dinner under colour of affection he commanded him in his sleep to be strangled by the hands of his servants But the miserable man delivered out of the gulf of his passion and seeing himself defiled with an act so black and wicked publickly confessed his sin and for it performed a most austere penance but God who ordinarily blotteth out the crime not forgiving the pains and satisfactions due to his justice deprived him of Scepter and life by the hands of his allies raising up a sharp revenge to give to such like an eternal horrour of his iniquitie The children of Clodovaeus who had already shared the Kingdom of their father were not yet satisfied but desired to advance the limits of their division as far as the point of their launce might extend Behold the cause why Clodomer who was the eldest of the legitimate seeing the Kingdom of Burgundie in this danger entereth thereinto with great forces and found little resistance Sigismond being formerly convinced by his crime Having possessed himself of the places most important he took the miserable King and led him away prisoner to Orleans to dispose of him according to his pleasure But Godimer the brother of Sigismund who had retired to the mountains while the French made all this notable havock returned with a great power and having slain the French Garrisons made himself Master of the Kingdom Clodomer
your body by the most noble sense within you but by the help of a mirrour Nay you know so little of your self that scarcely have you observed the number of your teeth and being far from the particular distinction of the interiour parts of your body should you enter into the great labyrinths of the faculties of your soul you would quickly find out your own ignorance Compare now the science you have of your self with the great proofs which lead you to the knowledge of the Divinity First we are born to know God as the excellent Divine Alexander Alensis discourseth Alex. Alens quaest 2. de cognitione Dei A singular consideration of Aleâ— because if the sovereign Goodness be necessarily desired by our reasonable appetite we must affirm the supream truth is no less capable to be known by our understanding and as we are naturally inclined to the search of this sovereign Good which may take up al the agitatioÌ„s of our thoughts so we feel our soul almost without any other reflection stir'd up with a generous desire to be united to the first cause We behold it through so many creatures as through lattices and it seems to speak to us in as many objects as we see works of his Goodness It maketh us restless it scorcheth us with an honest flame which teacheth us there is a God and that we are created for him nor is there any other creature in all visible nature which laboureth in such inquisition but man This ardent inclination to this knowledge is not a slight facility of science and we see constant study is ordinarily recompenced with the fruition of its object 2. I likewise hold God of his part is very well to God most easie to be â—nown be known having all the conditions which may make a thing known as Essence immutability simplicity brightness and presence If you there look for Being which is a necessary object of the understanding as colour of sight God saith S. Gregorie of Nazianzen Naziâ—â—z Iâ—mbico 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Origenes homil in numer 23. Faustus de gratiâ l. 2. c. 7. Deus est quod habet Deâ— ubique est quis nullibi est is a creating Essence an Essence comprehending all things If immutability Origen teacheth the Divinity sitteth on the top of beatitude ever constant never changeable If brightness God is all light as the Scripture manifesteth in so many places If simplicity Faustus Bishop of Rhegium sheweth God is all what he hath If continual presence Porphyriâ— confesseth he is every where because he is not in any part as bodies are The Poet Orpheus in his mysterious poefie calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one would say lightsom and visible to teach us all the world is enfolded within his radiance I will not hereupon inferre that one may have in this world an absolute and perfect knowledge of God as of a thing finite but I say that amongst so many lights it is not admitted that any man should be ignorant there is a God Creatour of all things 3. What Epicurean can dis-involve himself from Reason of Mercury Trismegistus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trismegistus his reason who teacheth that were there not an Essence necessary and independent all we see all we touch all we feel in the world would have no being but this is meer illusion Wherefore Because the things which may be and not be indifferently like so many plants or transitory animals one while are and another while are not And we may truly say there hath been a certain time wherein they neither had being nor name in the world Now as nothing can actuate and produce it self must we not confess that had there not been from all eternity a first Agent which gave motion to so many causes enchained one to another whereof they are produced wherein we presently behold this great world all had been a nothing For of two we must grant one either that the world is created or not created If impiety transport a man so far as to say it is not created but hath been from all eternity he would ever be convinced by his own confession that there were such a Being as we seek for eternal necessary independent which is nothing else but God He would be reduced to this point that he no longer could deny the Divinity but was onely ignorant what this Divinity is and in stead of giving this title to a most pure Spirit as we do he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would attribute it to a body as to heaven water earth where he would instantly find himself ashamed of his folly to take for the Divinity a thing which hath no understanding and consequently is far less than himself In stead of a true God he would make a million of deities to become as many snares of his errour and witnesses of his bruitishness But if the world be created which it is not lawful to doubt of three things we must affirm one Either that it produced it self or that one piece made another or that there was one cause external supream not to be reckoned among the rest which made all the parts of the universe To say Author libri de triplici habitaculo apud Aug. tom 9. Nihil scipsum creat Quâ enim potentiâ qui omnino nâ—â— esset scipsâ—â— faceret Deâ—â— innatus infectus sine initiâ— sine fine in aternitate constitutus Tert. l. 3. advers Marcion c. 3. a thing made it self is to affirm it was before its being and to assever a proposition ridiculous to all humane understanding But if to evade this manifest contradiction one will maintain one piece made another still must he come to a last piece which was produced by it self and so fall again into the same difficulty Behold the reason why we must stick upon a general cause out of the main mass of all causes and which affording essence sense and intelligence to so many creatures according to the condition and qualities of every one remaineth eternal and immoveable Now he who says this affirmeth there is a God 4. But if some impious creature will notwithstanding Instance upon the infinite number of the wicked perplex the evidence of this proposition imitating Sorcerers who cast mists upon the brightest morning and say one thing produced another from father to son but that this still mounteth upward in infinitum and so think to make us loose our judgement and reason in the labyrinth of infinities First it is answered according to the doctrine of Philosophers There is Force of reason nothing in the world actually infinite and although an infinity of generations of men beasts and other creatures were admitted still must you confess this infinite mass of men was produced from a cause independent For that which agreeth to each part of a species and which is properly by it affected agreeth likewise to the main of the whole species as if it be proper
For if there be any it must infallibly be taken off with the file of justice The torment of purgatorie is executed with sharp transfixing pains since that imperious element which raiseth so many terrours in our world hath there the place of an officer The continuance thereof is long by certain revelations that some souls have been there many years its perseverance activity dreadful since the soul is immortal and incorruptible to its torments This made the hair stand an end on the heads of all Saints And Job 11. Semper enim quasi tumentes super me fluctus timui Deum pondus ejus ferre non potui when the great man Job all composed of innocency sanctity thought on this justice of God he conceived himself to be as a little fish crouch'd in the water that heareth all the storms rouling over its head S. Augustine grown hoary in a thousand valourous battails for defence of the Church apprehendeth purgatory the elect souls who build all in gold and silver and pretious stones fear the trial of fire and we with our edifices of stubble straw and hay walk with exalted crests as if we had all the assurances of our salvation Where are we if this torch of justice awaken us not Quis poterit habitare de vobis cum igne devorante Perhaps we have made a bargain with this fire and these punishments or that we are torment-proof not to feel them Is there any man who hath learned to abide among burning coals We are so tender so nice so impatient so the lovers of our selves that one ounce weigheth a pound with us O worldlings who shall weep over you since you know not how to bewail your selves Your bodies are dainty both by nature and education yea your souls much more you cannot endure the stinging of a bee the very sight of a Surgeons lancet affrights you and yet you daily entangle your selves in a thousand vanities a thousand courtships and a thousand worldly loves which defile your soul and must at a dear rate be discharged in the other world We know the Christians of the Indies newly converted when they felt some temptations contrary to the law of God ran to their chimney hearths and thrust their hands into the flames saying Sin soul if thou canst abide fire if not go no further Do the like touch if not in effect at least by consideration the devouring flames of Gods Justice And if they seem strange unto you engage not your self in them by your sensualities 6. From the slight apprehension we have of Purgatory Rigour of the living against the souls in Purgatory proceedeth another stupidity very unreasonable which is that we are very little careful of the souls of the dead a matter very worthy of blame for two principal reasons The first is that the providence of God which disposeth all with so great sweetness hath as it were tied the salvation of these good souls to the fervour of our prayers and would have us to be as mediatours and intercessours of their felicity which is verily one of the greatest titles of honour we can receive It is a note of Divinity to have power to oblige men faith an Ancient and Plin. l. 2. c. 7. Deus est mortali benefacere mortalem haec ad aeternam gloriam via there is no shorter way to eternal glory Now God gives us the means to oblige not mortals but immortal souls and to oblige them in a cause so great and eminent that if all the treasures and lives of the world were dissolved into one mass they could not reach to the least degree of the felicity you may procure to these faithfull souls By obliging them in this kind you gain eternal friends who will entertain no thoughts but such as may tend to render you the like and to bear you into the bosom of beatitude and yet this being most easie for you as a matter which consisteth in some prayers alms deeds and good works you neglect it Is not this a prodigious carelesness The second reason is that by such negligence we betray our soul which enclineth out of a natural propension to the sweetness and mercy we exercise even towards beasts It is the argument which the Math. 12. 11. Quis erit ex vobis homo qui habeat evem unam si ceciderit haec sabbatho in foveam manum tentabit levabit eam Her Thren De excelso misit ignem in â—ssibus meis erudivit me c. Vigilavit jugum iniquitatum mearum c. Son of God made use of If a horse an Ox a sheep fall into a ditch there is neither festival nor sabbath withholds every one who is able stretcheth out a hand and draws it forth And behold here not a beast but a soul created to the image of God irradiated with the most excellent lineaments of his beauty which is to live with Angels eternally fallen into a ditch fallen into a boyling furnace who is afflicted tormented imploreth the help of all the world and whilest we slacken to succour it hath these mournful words of Jeremie Alas God the just avenger of crimes committed against his divine Majesty hath poured fire into my bones to chastise me Behold me in the nets of justice behold me now desolate pensive and disconsolate both night and day All afflicteth me in this said abode but nothing is so irksom as the burden of mine iniquities and ingratitudes It is a yoke which surchargeth my neck like lead and pulls me down into the torments from whence I cannot go without O vos omnes qui transitis per viam attendite videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus Quoniam vindemiavit me ut locutus est Dominus in die furoris sui your charities O you my dear kindred friends and allies who pass through the Church-yard made the depositary of my bones consider and see with the eyes of faith whether there be any dolour comparable to mine since God hath cut me off on the day of his indignation with a strong and inevitable arm O ingrateful and disloyal son it is the soul of thy father which speaketh unto thee in this manner and says unto thee Son I have passed my life as the spider stil spinning ever seeking after worldly wealth perpetually exhausting my proper substance to enrich thee I lived on gall and cares that thou mightest swim in rose-water I travelled over lands and seas to build a silver bridge for thy fortune to set thee on flower-de-luces and employments of a Kingdom where is thy retribution My son I complain not my eye being shut my body was troublesom to thee in thy house and thou couldst not endure it it was a dung-hil must be yielded up to the earth but I complain that thou being well informed thy father had an immortal soul which thou mightest comfort by thy good works thou trayterously employedst the money
he fell into an extasie of holy comfort to have found a man so conform to his humour and both of them wept so much out of love over this fountain that they seemed to go about to raise those streams by their tears If he wrote a letter he imagined love gave him the pen and that he dipped it in his tears and that the paper was all over filled with instruments of the passion and that he sent his thoughts and sighs as Courtiers to seek out the well-beloved of his heart When he saw an Epistle or a letter wherein the name of Jesus was not premised it sensibly tormented him saying Sarazins had more devotion for Mahomet a man of sin setting his name in the front of all their letters then Christians had for their Redeemer A holy occasion one day drew him to a Church to hear excellent musick but he perceiving the words were of God and the tune according to the world he could not forbear to cry out aloud Cease profane men Cease to cast pearls into mire Impure airs are not fit for the King of virgins Some took delight to ask him many questions and he answered them nothing but the word love which he had perpetually in his mouth To whom belongest thou To love whence comest thou from love whither goest thou To love who begat thee Love Of what dost thou live upon love where dwellest thou In love He accounted them unworthy to live who died of any other death then of love and beholding a sick-man in an agony who shewed no feeling of joy to go unto God but onely complained of his pain he lamented him as a man most miserable At his entrance into a great Citie he asked who were the friends of God and a poor man being shewed him who continually wept for the love of heaven and heavenly things he instantly ranne to him and embracing him they mingled their tears together with unspeakable joy God often visited him by many lights and most sweet consolations as it happened at that time when he thought he saw a huge cloud between his Beloved and him which hindred and much troubled him but presently it seemed to him that love put it self between them both and gilded the cloud with great and admirable splendours in such sort that through this radiant beauty he saw a ray of the face of his well-beloved and for a long space spake to him with profusions of heart and admirations not to be expressed From this obsequious love he passed to obliging love and made a strong resolution to become profitable to all the world For which purpose feeling every moment to be replenished with sublime and divine thoughts which God had communicated to him and that he had no insight in Grammer nor other slight school-notions he resolved to learn the Latine tongue being now full fourty years old He hit upon a teacher one Master Thomas who taught him words conjugations and concords but he rendred him back again elate conceptions unheard of discourses and harmonies wholly celestiall so much honouring his Master that he dedicated the most part of his books to him wherein for the dead letter he offered unto him the spirit of life Not satisfied with this he added the Arabick tongue of purpose to convert the Mahumetans and for this end he bought a slave for whom having no other employment but to teach him it and he having therein already well profited and endeavouring to convert this wretched servant who had been his teacher the other found him so knowing and eloquent that he had an apprehension that through this industry he was able to confound the Mahumetan-law which was the cause that the Traitour espying his opportunity took a knife and sought to kill his Master but he stopt the blow and onely received a wound which proved not mortall All the house ran at the noise and there was not any one who would not have knocked down the ungratefull creature but he hindered it with all his might and heartily pardoned him in the greatest sharpnesse of his dolours Instantly the officers seized on this compassion and put him into prison where he was strangled repenting himself of nothing but that he had not finished his mischief which caused extreme sorrow in Raymond who bewailed him with many tender tears of compassion After this he undertook divers journies into France Spain Italy Greece and Africk wandring continually over the world and not ceasing to preach write and teach to advance the salvation of his neighbours Paris many times received him with all courtesie in such sort that the Chancellour Bertand who was infinitely affected to knowledges permitted him to reade them publickly in his hall The reverend Charter-house Monks whose houses have so often been sanctuaries for Learning and Devotion were his hoasts and so much he confided in their integrtty and sincerity that he with them deposed all which he had most precious The love of God which is as lightning in a cloud still striving to break forth suffered him not to rest but disposed him to undertake somewhat for the glory of God It is true he had first of all that purpose which afterwards our father S. Ignatius so gloriously accomplished for he was desirous to make Seminaries of learned and courageous spirits who should spread themselves throughout the world to preach the Gospel and to sacrifice themselves for the propagation of Faith For this cause he multiplied his voyages to Rome to Lions to Paris to Avignon incessantly solliciting Popes and Kings to so excellent a work without successe He used fervour and zeal therein but our father thereunto contributed more order and prudence The one undertook it in a crosse time during the passage of the holy See from Rome to Avignon where the Popes more thought upon their own preservation then tha conquests of Christianity The other knew how to take occasion by the fore-lock and he interessed Rome and the Popes thereof in his design The one made his first triall under Pope Boniface the Eighth who having dispossessed a Hermite of S. Peters Chair held those for suspected who were of the same profession fearing they a second time might make a head of the Church The other happened upon Paul the Third who was a benign Pope and he gained his good opinion by his ready services and submissions which tended to nothing but the humility of Jesus Christ The one embroiled himself too much in Sciences even unto curiosity and made them walk like Ladies and Mistresses the other held them as faithfull servants of the Crosse subjected to holy Humility The one stood too much upon his own wit and needs would beat out wayes not hitherto printed with any foot-steps nor conferred enough with the Doctours of his times in matters of Opinion and Concord the other passed through the surges of Universities and followed an ordinary trackt in the progression of his studies The one was of a humour very haughty the other of a spirit
and Sanctity which is an eternal rule that looketh round about on every side condemneth and censureth the works of darknesse For as in things artificiall all the perfection of works consist in the conformity they have with the rule of the art which made them and all their imperfection proceedeth from their recesse from the same rule which without speech or motion declareth the defects of manufactures that depart from its direction so all the good and all the beauty of moral actions is in the correspondence they hold with Reason and the eternall Law As all their deformity and mishap comes from their departure from this same law which is the Justice the Holinesse and Essence of God himself who perpetually stands in opposition against iniquity It is it which he drenched in the waters of the deluge whic◠he burnt in the ashes of Sodom which he swallowed in the gulf of Core Dathan and Abiram which he tormented by the plagues of Pharaoh which he gnawed by worms in the person of Herod which he consumed by ordure and stenches in Antiochus which he punished with gibbets and tormenting wheels in so many offenders which he still tortureth to all eternity sunk down into the abysse of the damned and it is out of which he produceth his glory whence he raiseth his trophies and makes his triumphs to be by Essence and Nature a perpetuall enemy and a destroyer of sinne O magnificent hatred O glorious enemy O triumphant persecution Let us enter with God into this community of glory let us hate sinne as he doth by him and for him let us destroy it in our selves by penance let us destroy it out of our selves by our good examples let us destroy it by a good resolution since Jesus hath destroyed it with so much pain and bloud How can we love such a monster but by hating God And how can we hate God but by making our selves worse then devils For if they hate him they hate an avenging God a punishing God And we will hate a God that seeks us a loving God and hate him after so many execrable punishments of sinne which we nave before our eyes and hate him after he hath offered himself up for us in the great sacrifice of love and patience Is not this intollerable We will employ some part of our life to revenge an injury and to hate a man as if we had too much of it to hate sinne we make a shew to honour the Master and wee kill his servants we make profession to adore the Creatour and we tear his images asunder Where are we and what do we when we make a divorce between our likes to disunite our selves from the first Unity which draweth all to it self by union §. 3 That Jesus grounded all the greatest Mysteries of our Religion upon Vnion to cure Hatred LEt us also contemplate our second model let us behold our Jesus and we shall learn that all the greatest mysteries of his life and death are mysteries of Union to unite us to him to unite us to his Father to unite us to our selves with sacred and indissoluble bands First all creatures of this great Universe were made Heb. 1. ◠Locut us est nobis in Filio quem constituit haeredem universorum per quem fecit secula by the Word in the Unity of Beginning He spake to us by his Sonne whom he hath established the heir of the whole universe by whom likewise he created the worlds Secondly all the parts of this great All were so streightly tyed one to the other that they never have suffered the least disunion and although many seem to have antipathy and reciprocally to pursue each other yet they will not be separated but joyn together in a manner so adherent that he who should go about to disunite one Element from another all these great pieces of the world would infinitely strive beyond their quality to replenish its place worthily and to leave nothing void And it is a wonder that from the beginning of the Aeterno complectitur omnia nexu Tot retum mistique salus concordia mundi Lucan l. 4. Plin. l. 36. cap. 17. world all things are held together by this Divine Tie Concord which in its union causeth the happinesse of the world and those sacred influences of love hath woven eternall chains to tie indissolubly all the parts of the universe All this great body resembleth the stone Scyrus which floateth on the water while it is whole and sinks into the bottome so soon as it is broken This is the cause why all creatures have from all times conspired and do still daily conspire with inviolable inclinations in the maintenance of this concord that the celestiall and elementary world may subsist in a state unchangeable There is none but Angel and Man in the intellectuall world who have made false accords and have begun to sow division the one in Heaven the other in the terrestriall Paradise He who placed it in heaven is banished into the abysse without recovery Joh. 17. 21. Ut omnes unum sint sicut tu Pater in me ego in te the other is succoured by a Redeemer who came to restore the lost world and he in Saint John professeth he aimed at nothing but Unity to make this reparation For this cause saith S. Maximus he united himself S. Max. secunda cent 146. 147. to humane Nature not by a simple union of will of love and of correspondence but by the ineffable knot of Hypostaticall union conjoyning two Natures in one sole Person and by making a communication of all he is to his humane Nature transplanted into the Divine For this he likewise doth daily unite himself to us in the Sacrament of the Altar a true Sacrament of Love where if we will speak with S. Cyril we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyril in Johan say that God is dissolved into us as one piece of wax melted and poured together with another and if we will reason with S. John Chrysostome we say He Chrys hom 46. in Johan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giveth us his virginall flesh as a most sacred Leaven to season the whole masse of Humane nature It is that which in us should work that virtue which the great Areopagite calleth a Conformity of affections and manners drawing near to Divinity It is that which giveth the name of peace to the holy Eucharist with S. Cyprian and that which so united the Christians in Cyp. ep 10. 29. 30. Dare pacem lapsis the Primitive Church that they went from this mysterious Table as from a banquet of Love after which they breathed nothing but most pure flames of perfect Vide ut invicem se diligant vide ut pro alterutro moti sint parati Tertul. in Apol. amity whereat the Pagans who saw them cryed out See how they love one another Behold how ready they are to die one for another as we have
had some particular favours from heaven to authorize their actions and to make men believe they had somewhat above man So Moses Joshuah Deborah Gedeon Samson David Solomon and so many others sent by God for the government of his people came with certain characters of his Divinity which gave them an admirable confidence and framed in their souls notable perswasions of their own abilities And it is a thing very remarkable that such as were not in the way of true Religion and who consequently could not have those assistances and singular protections from heaven sought at the least to fortifie themselves with some semblances All which filled Alexander with Boldnesse was that they had perswaded him he was of Divine extraction and that this belief had seized on the souls of the credulous people which was the cause that he was looked on as a man wholly celestiall destinated to the Empire of the world It is thought that Pyrrhus A notable observation of Pyrrhus who imitated him shewed his teeth in great secret to his friends on the upper row whereof the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was engraven and on the lower 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as much as to say He was a King as generous as a lion but that which most made this Elogy good was that these letters were thought to be formed by a Divine hand to give a testimony from heaven of the greatnesse of this Monarch And this being spread among the people it made them to expect prodigious things from him Augustus Cesar who changed the face of the Common-wealth into Empire mounted on the Throne of the Universe by the same means For it is said Adolphus Occo that his father Octavius whilst he sacrificed in a wood having shed a little wine on the Altar there came a flame from it which flew up to heaven whereon the Augur foretold him he should have a son who should Suetonius 9 be Emperour of the world It is added that this Prince being yet very young in his child-hood played Presages of the generosity of Cesar with Eagles and made frogs to cease their croaking by a silly command and that as he entred into Rome after the death of Julius Cesar the Sunne was Dio Ziphilinus in Augusto encompassed with a Rainbowe as a presage of the great Peace he should produce in the Roman Empire Vespatian had never dared to aspire to the Empire Cornel. Tac. histor l. 2. without the favour of presages and namely of that which happened to him on Mount Carmel when sacrificing in the same place and being in a great perplexity of mind what resolution he should make in this affair the Priest bad him to be of good courage and the secret hopes of his heart should have very good successe The world hath not been content to afford Elogies of the City of Rome these favours to men alone but it hath also given it to famous places Rome for good lucks sake was termed among other titles Valence by the name of Valour Solinus l. 1. Gergyrhius and Cephale as much as to say Head to shew it Ammianus l. 15. c. 6. should be the Head of the world Presently also it was flattered with the opinion of its Eternity so that many termed it the Eternall City which was the cause that the Romans in their greatest desolations would never forsake the place It appears out of all this that men having not the power to be ignorant of their own weaknesses never think themselves strong enough if they have not some I know not what of Divinity wherefore we must conclude that the true means to have a generous and solid boldnesse is to be well with God and to tie ones The most bold are such as have a clear conscience self to this most pure spirit by purity of heart for if a little opinion of Divine favour so much encouraged Kings and People what will not the testimony of a good Conscience do The Egyptians amidst so many plagues from heaven Sap. 17. Ipsi ergò sibi tenebris graviores eraut and that dreadfull night which took away their first-born children were dejected and couched low on the earth without any spark of courage because their evill Conscience was more weighty upon them then all their miseries as the Book of Wisdome observeth What assurance can one have in perils when after Carnifiâ—c occulto in authorem sceleris tormenta deserviunt Peleg ad Demetr S. Basil in Isa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath committed some crime he feeleth a little Executioner in his heart with pincers and hooks of iron Contrariwise a good Conscience is well compared by S. Basil to that little Kell which environeth the heart and which continually refresheth it with its wholesome waters to signifie unto us that the heart of a good man abides in perpetuall solace which among dangers preserveth it from disturbances I ask you with what assurance stood the good Malchus Hieron in Malcho with his holy wife at the entrance of the lions den when of one side the glittering sword was presented them and on the other they heard those savage beasts to roar and they notwithstanding remained immoveable With what arms but with those which S. Hierome gives them when he saith They were encompassed as Pudicitiae conscientiâ quasi muro septi with a strong wall which they found in the testimony of their innocency whereof they were most certain With what confidence went S. Macarius to lie in the sepulchres of Pagans and wholly fearlesse himself to strike terrour into the spirits of the damned was it not the assurance of his holy life which furnished his heart with all this resolution And shall we then doubt but that the true means to be replenished with a holy Courage is to set the Conscience in good order and to make entire Confession of sinnes to preserve ones self afterward in all possible purity from our infirmities § 5. That Jesus hath given us many Pledges of a sublime Confidence to strengthen our Courage LEt us next contemplate our second Model and consider a thing very remarkable which is that Jesus Christ acquired us Boldnesse by his 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ who putteth us into a holy dread by the consideration of his greatnesse hath acquired us boldnesse by his proper fear These are the words of great S. Leo I have borrowed fear from thee and I S. Leo hom de Pass have furnished thee with my confidence He expresly would admit the agony of Mount Olivet in his sacred Humanity to encourage our pusillanimity that we in mildnesse being Lambs might become Lions by courage and this is the course he hath observed in all his actions in this great contexture of pains and dolours of Christus venit suscipere infirmitates nostras suas nobis conferre virtutes humana quaerere praestare divina accipere injâ—â—ias reddere dignitates quia medicus qui
woman well bred and of good courage Ishbosheth was offended thereat for that he had done this without telling him of it But Abner for one poore word spoken to in a very mild manner entred into a rage against The insolence of Abner his King and said that it was to use him like a dog to quarrel with him for a woman after so great services as he had done for the Crown reproching his Master for that he held both his life and his Kingdome of him But seeing that he used him in this manner he would take a course with him and would translate the government from the house of Saul to that of David Masters should not give too much authority to their subjects The poor Prince held his peace and durst not answer one word onely to this bold fellow which was a pitifull thing to see him thus devoured by his own servant The houses of Great ones are very often filled with such servants who having been honoured with an especiall confidence of their Master in the administration of their affairs whether they be their Receivers or Stewards of their families take upon them authority and not contenting themselves to govern the goods enter upon the right of their Lords leaving them nothing but a name and shadow of the Power which is due unto them Abner grew so hot with anger that he dispatched He treateth with David his Messengers to David to desire his friendship and promiseth him to bring the whole Kingdome of Ishbosheth into his hands David answered that he was content to make peace with him so that he would cause his wife Michol to be restored him whom they had married to another after his departure which was readily agreed to for him for they took her away from the hands of her husband that followed her weeping this woman with her lofty spirit had some pleasing behaviour wherewith Davids affection was taken In the mean while Abner powerfully sollicits the people of Israel to betake themselves on Davids side shewing them that God had committed their safety and rest into his hands and that it was he which should unite together all the families under his obedience for to compose a Monarchy which should become happy to his people helpfull to his friends and terrible to his enemies This discourse did very much shake the principall ones of the Nation which were not ignorant of the small hopes that were in the person of Ishbosheth which was disparaged both by nature and fortune This stout Captain following the businesse came to meet with David in Hebron who made him a feast hearkened unto his propositions and conducted him back with honour Joab who was at that time absent at his return quickly understood of the coming of Abner whereat Joabs Jealousie over Abner he entred into a furious jealousie fearing lest David should be of the humour of those which delight more in making of friends then keeping of those that are made and that the friendship of a man which seemed to draw a whole Kingdome after him might much prejudice his fortunes He enters roughly into his Kings chamber telling him that this was but a deceiver which came but to spy out his secrets and to do him some ill turn that he should lay hold of him seeing he was come under his power And for that David answered him nothing seeing him in a hot anger he went out furiously and without authority sent a message to the chief Captain Abner to intreat him to return to Hebron under colour of treating more fully with David The death of Abner He lightly believed it and came back the same way when as Joab that lay in wait for him took him treasonably and killed him at the gate of the city David was indeed very much perplexed hereat and David tolerates Joab in his fault upon necessitie uttered grievous curses against Joab and his whole race neverthelesse as the wisest did judge that there was a great interest in this death and that his chief Captain had become the executour thereof this made some to think that there was some design and though that suspicion was false David did all that he could to deface the blemish thereof assisting at the funeralls of Abner very near to the corps protesting against the cruelty of those that had taken his life from him and highly setting forth the praises of the dead yet he caused not processe to be made against Joab conceiving that he was not able to destroy him in such a time when it was dangerous to provoke him Neverthelesse he kept the resolution to punish him even to his death but Joab contemned all upon the confidence that he had that none could go beyond him and measured his own greatnesse by the impunity of his great offences It is hard to excuse David upon this treaty that he David cannot be excused upon the treaty made with Abner if one have not recourse to the secret and over-ruling will of God projected with Abner traytour to his Master if one have not recourse to the secret and over-ruling will of God or to the right that he pretended to have to the Crown in consideration of his first anointment made by Samuel He knew that the Edicts of his royall dignity were written in heaven and for this cause without endeavouring by any criminall way he expected the work of Providence and applyed himself to the events for without any thought of his Ishbosheth King of Israel was slain by two murtherers Rechab and Baana which killd him as he slept upon his bed at noon-day and brought his head to him at which this great King was so highly incensed abhorring this barbarous act that he condemned them presently to death and after he had caused their heads and feet to be cut off he made them to be hanged at the fish-pond of Hebron David absolute by the death of Ishbosheth son of Saul The death of Ishbosheth the son of Saul ended the difference which was between the two Royall houses and the other families yielded themselves to David by an universall consentment It was then that he began to reign absolutely and to make to appear as in a glorious light the admirable qualities and Royall virtues wherewith he was adorned And it is certain that of all the Kings of Juda there was none hath equalled him in all kind of perfections He was one that feared God without superstition religious without hypocrisie valiant without any sternnesse liberall without reproching it to any one a good husband without covetousnesse The Royal qualities of David stout without insolency vigilant without unquietnesse wise without subtilty courteous without loosnesse humble without cowardlinesse chearfull without too much familiarity grave without fiercenesse and kind without any complements He united all those things together which ordinarily His zeal to religion make Princes great and proved in each of them so advantageous as if he had been
the assistance of God upon their Arms. He also shewed himself very sensible of the favours of Heaven and desired that God should first of all triumph in all the good successes that accompanied his Standards which he expressed visibly when having defeated the Generals of King Antiochus in manifold assaults and gotten a little rest to his dear countrey he took a pressing care to cause the Temple to be repaired and cleansed that had been horribly profaned by the Infidels It was an incomparable joy to all the people when after so many desolations that had preceded he celebrated a Triumphant Dedication by which he caused the hopes of his Nation to reflourish His cares extended even beyond the World wherein we live and one may well affirm that he was the first of the Antient Fathers of the Old Testament that expressed more openly the charitable offices that ought to be rendred to the souls of the Deceased This manifestly appears in an encounter which he had with Gorgias Generall of the Army of the Enemy in which he lost some Souldiers and when he came to visit the field of battell to view the Dead and to cause them to be carried to the Sepulchre of their Fathers he found that some amongst them had in their clothes certain pieces of the offerings presented to the Idols thinking perhaps that it was lawfull for them to accommodate themselves with it for their use though in effect the Law forbad it This gave a shock at first unto his conscience that was very delicate and he deplored the unhappinesse of those forsaken people that had loaded themselves with profane Booties yet when he thought that that befell them more for want of consideration and by the hope of some little gain then by any consent that they had given to Idolatry he sent twelve thousand Drachmes into Jerusalem to cause Sacrifices to be offered for the rest of their Souls This made him to be honoured with very particular favours of heaven for he hath been sometimes seen in a combat environed with celestiall virtues that watched for his protection and filled his enemies with terror His very dreams were not without a mystery witnesse that which shewed him the Prophet Jeremy and the high Priest Onias who prayed before the face of God for the safety of the People the former of which two put into his hand a guilded sword telling him that it was that wherewith he should bring down to the earth the enemies of his Religion The great love that he had for God reflected it self continually towards his neighbour on whom he contemplated the image of the first beauty He bore in his heart all that were afflicted and burned with a most ardent love for the good of his dear countrey The zeal of Justice possessed his soul and he had no greater delights in the world then to succour widows orphans and all necessitous persons They ran to him as to their true Father they ranged themselves under the shadow of his virtue and found there a refreshment in their most parching heats His conversation was sweet his speech affable his manners without avarice He never sold his Protection nor made any Traffick of his Valour He knew not what it was to buy his neighbours lands to build palaces to plant orchards to make gardens and to heap up treasures He was rich for the poor and poor for himself living as a man untyed from all things else and fastned to virtue alone by an indissoluble knot of duty His Temperance passed even to admiration so greatly did he contemne those pleasures and delights that others regard as their chief felicity He never dreamed of causing the beautifull women-prisoners to be preserved for himself because he was skilfull in the trade of defending Ladies honours rather then assaulting them He never had any Mistresse being perpetually Master of himself and one shall have work enough to find out his wives name it is not read that he had any other children but Virtues and Victories He lived as an Essean estranged from all the pleasures of the flesh and tasted no other contentment in the world then to do great actions He never enterprised the warre against King Antiochus to make himself great and to reign but for the pure love of his Religion and dear countrey Traytours and corrupted spirits blame him for having taken up arms saying That it behoved them rather to suffer the Destinies then to make them That it behoved them to obey the Powers that God had set over their heads That it was a great rashnesse to think to resist the forces of all Asia with a little handfull of souldiers that it could not chuse but provoke the conquerours and draw upon the vanquished a deluge of calamities The world hath been full in all times of certain condescending Philosophers who accommodate themselves to every thing that they may not disaccommodate themselves for virtue They care not what visage is given to Piety so that they find therein their own advantages By how much the more mens spirits are refined to search out reasons to colour the toleration of vices by so much the more their courages are weakned and neglect to maintain themselves in duty There are some that had rather lie still in the dirt then take the pains to arise out of it Judas considered that King Antiochus was not contented with having brought the Jews to a common servitude but would overthrow all their Laws and abolish entirely their Religion He did not believe that it was lawfull for him to abandon cowardly the interests of God He thought that there are times wherein one ought rather destroy ones self with courage then preserve ones self with sluggishnesse He looked not so much upon his strength as upon his duty He perswaded himself that a good Cause cannot be forsaken of God and that we ought to essay to serve him applying our wills to his orders and leaving all the successe of our works to his disposall This great zeal that he had of Justice was accompanied with a well tempered prudence As he never let loose himself in that which was absolutely of the Law so did he never use to rack himself by unprofitable scruples that are ordinary enough to those that are zealous through indiscretion Some of his Nation shewed themselves so superstitious that being assaulted by their enemies on the Satturday they let their throats be cut as sheep without the least resistance for fear of violating the Sabbath if they should put themselves upon a defence Judas following the example of his father Matathias took away that errour which tended to the generall desolation of his countrey and shewed by lively reasons that God who hath obliged us to the preservation of our selves by the Law of Nature had never such an intention as to give us for a prey to our enemies by an indiscreet superstition That it was a good work to defend the Altars and ones countrey against the Infidels and