one should accustome himselfe to see such women or by casualty light into their company if he presently turne his eyes froÌ„ them there will be no danger for not the sight but thâ— delay in seeing as S. Augustine sayth is dangerous and this is that which holy Iob taught vs out of his owne example when he sayd I haue made a pact with myne eyes that I would not so much as thinke on a mayde Where he sayth not that I haue made a pact that I would not see her but that I would not thinke vpon her that is that I would not stand long in beholding her in so much â—s that the sight might pierce the hatt â—o I do begin to thinke on her beauty and by little and little to desire her talke and company and he yieldeth an excellent reason hereof well worthy of so holy a man For then what part should God haue in me As if he would haue sayd God is my part and all my good and a good aboue all goods then which no better can be imagined and God loueth none but such as are chast vertuous And to this also tendeth that admonition of our Sauiour If thyne eye shall scandalize thee pull it out That is so possesse it as if thou didst not possesse it at all so accustome thy selfe to keepe thyne eyes from such sights as if thou wert blind and truly such as from their youth begin this care and practise they fynd no difficulty to eschew and auoyde these vices such as haue accustomed themselues vnto them fynd it more hard but yet with the grace of God they are sufficiently able to change their life and escape this most pernicious snare entanglement But some will say perhaps why hath God made fayre men and women if â—e will not haue them to be seene will 〈◊〉 haue them to be loued there is an easy 〈◊〉 twofold answere to this demaund For that God hath made men and women fâ—â— wedlocke and so he sayd from the beginning It is not good that man be solitary alone let vs make him a help like himselfe But the mâ—â— doth not neede the helpe of the woman but only to beget and bringe vp children as we sayd before out of Saint Augustine Lib. 9. de Gen. ad lit Cap. 2. the man and woman would not easily for all their liues agree so well togeather vnlesse there were beauty to delight them both make them loue ech other wherfore sithence that the woman by nature iâ— adorned with beauty that she may be beloued of her husband she court not be beloued of any other husbaÌ„d with that loue which prouokes to generation for which cause it is prohibited so expresly in the law Thou shalt not lust after the wife of the neighbour Exod. 20. Ephes 5. the Apostle sayth vnto husbands Yee husbands loue your wiues Furthermore there are many good thinges and those also fayre which all are not to be desired or sought for but of such only vnto whome they belong and to whom they agree the â—he eating of flesh and drinking of wyne â—re good thinges but for such as are in health not for such as are daungerously sicke so likewise the beauty of men and women after the common resurrection when we shall be perfectly cured from all inordinate concupiscence with which mortall men in this life are troubled may securely be beloued of all And therefore euen in this life it must not seeme strange if it be graunted vnto all euen with delight to behold the sunne moone starrs the flowers of the field and the like beautifull obiects which nourish not the inbred corruption of lust and yet it is not permitted to behold with delight faire women or faire men least that aspect doe increase nourish that malady After the sense of seeing followeth the other of hearing Hearing no lesse carefully to be kept then the former but with the eares is coÌ„ioyned the tongue which is the instrument of speech for wordes be they good or bad come not to our hearing vnlesse first they be deliuered by the instrument of the tongue for that the tongue vnles it be most vvatchfully guarded is the cause and founteyne of very many euills therefore Saint Iames sayth he who offendeth not in word is a perfect man And a little afâ—â— Behold a little fire how it kindleth a great wood 〈◊〉 the tongue is a fire and a whole world of iniquity Three things doth the holy Apostle teacâ— vs in this place First that to keepe weâ—â— the tongue is a matter of singular difficulty and such as know how to keepe the same to be very few and perfect men secondly froÌ„ a bad toÌ„gue in very short space great hurt to proceed which he explicaâ— by the similitude of a small sparke of fire which vnlesse it be suddenly quenched is able to consume a great wood of many trees so one word spokeÌ„ vnawares is able to cause suspitions of some crime committed whence presently follow emnityes brawles contentions murthers and 〈◊〉 subuersion sometymes of a whole family lastly the Apostle teacheth a bad tongue not to be one single euill but to compriâ—â— a great multitude of euills togeather 〈◊〉 by the same all mischiefs are eyther prepared as whoredoms and thefts or committed as periuryes and false testimonyes or else defended as when a wicked maâ— eyther excuseth the fault he hath commited or dissembles the good that he hath not done again the toÌ„gue is worthiâ—y called a whole world of iniquity because by â—he tongue a man synnes against God by â—lasphemy and periury against his neighâ—ours by detraction and railing against â—imselfe by boasting of the deeds which â—ndeed he hath not done or by lying in â—he denyall of that which he hath committed To this testimony of Saint Iames I will add another of the Prophet Dauid Psal 119. where he sayth O Lord deliuer my soule from wicked lipps and from a bad tongue If this holy king had such feare of a wicked and deceitfull tongue what ought priuate men to do and much more if they be not only priuate but poore base and obscure The Prophet doth add VVhat may be given vnto thee or what may be added vnto thee to a deceitfull tongue The words are obscure by reason of the hebrue phrase but they seeme to me to beare this sense not without cause am I affrayed of a wicked and deceitful tongue because such a tongue is so great an euill that nothing as it seemes can be added vnto it the Prophet goeth on and sayth The sharpe arrowes of the mighty with burning consuming coales in which wordes is layed open an excellent similitudc to declaâ—â— how great a mischiefe a wicked tonguâ— is for the Prophet compareth it vnto fiery arrowes cast forth from a strong handâ— first arrowes do strike a farre off and flâ—â— with so great swiftnes as it is hard to auoyd their blow againe these arrowes vnto
7. tempus breue est This therefore my brethren I say vnto you the tyme is short it remayneth that such as haue wiues be as though they had them not and those who weep as though they wept not those who are glad as though they were not glad those who buy aâ— though they did not possesse they whâ—â— vse this world as though they vsed it not for the figure of this world doth passe away Of which words this is the sense that the Apostle exhorteth the faithfull that hauing their hope fixed on heauenly happines they be so litle addicted to worldly thinges as though they had nothing at all to do with them that they loue their wiues but with so moderate loue as if they had them not if necessity cause them to mourne for the losse of their children or goods that they mourne in such manner as though they were neyther grieued nor mourned at all if they haue cause to reioyce for the wealth or honour they haue gotten that this ioy be so small as if they did not reioyce that is as if their ioy apperteyned not vnto them if they buy lands or howses to shew so little affection to those things as if they did not possesse them as their owne and finally the Apostle commaundeth vs so to liue in the world as if we were strangers guests or pilgrimes in the same and not true inhabitants which the Apostle S. Peter more plainly teacheth saying 1. Pet. 2. Obsecro vos taÌ„quam aduenas peregrinos abstinere vos à carnalibus desiderijs quae militant aduersus animam I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to refraine your selues from all carnall desires which warre against the soule By which wordes this most blessed Prince of the Apostles will haue vs so to liue euen in our owne town and howse as if we liued in another mans howse and in some forren countrey abroad not heeding at all whether therâ— be plenty or want in the place whicâ— therefore he doth commaund vs That wâ— may absteyne from carnall desires which warre against the soule for these carnall desires doe not so easily assault vs when we see other mens things that do not belong vnto vâ— as when we see those which we esteem our own This then is to be in the world and not to be of the world which properly concerneth them who are dead tâ— the world and liue to God and for thaâ— cause they feare not temporall death which endomageth them nothing buâ— rather is gainfull vnto them according to that of the Apostle Phil. 1. mihi viuere Christâ—â— est mori lucrum Christ is my life and death my gaine But how many trow you shall we fynd in these dayes so dead to the world as that they haue already learned to dye also well to the flesh and thereby to make sure their saluation Truly I doe not doubt but that in the Cath. Church not only in Monasteryes in the Clergye but amongst secular people also many holy men may be found and such as are truly dead to the world who haue learned this Art how to dye well yet withall this cannot be denyed that far many more without comparisoÌ„ are to be fouÌ„d not only not dead to the world but so without measure tyed and addicted to the same and so feruent louers of pleasures honours riches and the like that vnles they determine with themselues to dye to the world and doe dye indeed will doubtles come to a miserable death and as the Apostle sayth be damned with the world But these Worldlings will say it is too hard a matter to dye to the world whiles yet we liue in it and to neglect these benefits which God hath created for men to enioy To these I answere that God doth neyther will nor commaund men altogeather to cast away wealth honours and other worldly emoluments for Abraham was a speciall friend of God and yet abounded in riches Dauid also and Ezechias and Iosias were very rich Princes and withall deere friends vnto Almighty God and the same we may say of many Christian Kings Emperours and therefore the commodityes of this world riches honours pleasures aâ—e not absolutly forbidden vnto Christian people but the immoderate loue of the things of this world which are called of S. Iohn the concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life Abraham certes was exceeding wealthy but he not only vsed moderatly his riches but was most ready presently aâ— the commaund of God to spend them all for he who spared not his only Sonne most vertuous and most deere vnto him when God coÌ„maunded that euen by the hands of Abraham himselfe he should be sacrificed how easily at the same comaund had he bestowed or giuen away al his other wealth Therefore Abraham was rich in substance but richer in faith and charity for that cause was not of the world but rather dead vnto it the same we may say of other holy men who abounded with riches power and glory yea with Kingdomes also and Empires because being poore in spirit dead to the world and liuing only to God they had most exactly learned this art how to dye well And therefore not abundance of wealth or sublimity of honour or Kingdome or Empire make a man to be of the world or that he liue in the world but concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life which in one word is called Cupidity or disordinate affection is opposite to the Theologicall vertue of Charity therefore if any through the grace and mercy of God begin to loue God for himselfe and for his sake his neighbour he beginneth to go out of the world and this Charity increasing the other disorderly appetite will go lesse and lesse and so he will begin to dye to the world for charity cannot increase without the diminution of the other by this meanes it will come to passe also that that thing which whiles those other passions were predominant seemed impossible to wit that a maÌ„ liuing in the world should not be of the world through this increase of the loue of God decrease of disordinat affections will become most easy for that which to this cupidity is a hard and insupportable yoke is vnto charity a sweet yoke and light burthen That then which before we said to wit that to go out of the world and to dye to the world is not the play of boyes or pastime of babes but a most weighty and difficult thing most truly said of such as haue not knowne the power of the grace of God nor tasted the sweetnes of his charity and of such as are sensuall without spirit for he who hath once tasted of the spirit of God doth loath whatsoeuer flesh bloud do suggest therefore euery one who earnestly desireth to learne this art of dying well vpon which his euerlasting weale and all
from fayth for no man can hope in God who eyther knoweth not the true God or else doth not beleeue him to be either powerfull or mercifull but to stir vp and strengthen hope in so much that it may be tearmed not hope only but also confidence nothing so much auaileth as a good conscience for with what face will he come vnto God and aske any blessings and benefitts of him who is guilty of sinne committed against him which yet by true pennance he hath not blotted out For who will aske for any fauours at his enemyes hands Or who thinketh that such an one will help him whom he knoweth to be greuously inceÌ„sed against him Heare I pray you what the Wise man sayth of the hope of the wicked Spes impij tanquam lanugo c. Sap. 5. The hope of the wicked is like light dust which is caried away with the wynd or as thinne froth of water which by the tempest is dispersed or like smoke which is dissolued by the wynde or as the memory of a passenger that stayeth but one day so the Wise man who most wisely warneth the wicked that their hope is a fraile and no solid thing short and not permanent for they whiles yet they are aliue in some sort hope that they may do pennance and be reconciled vnto God but when death shall approach vnlesse God of his speciall mercy preuent them and moue their harts to doe pennance their hope will be turned into desperation they will say with the other wicked that which followeth in the same place Errauimus c. We haue erred from the way of truth and the light of iustice hath not appeared vnto vs what hath our pride auailed vs or what hath the boasting of our riches holpen vs All haue passed away like a shaddow Thus the Wiseman who grauely aduiseth vs that if we will liue well and dye happily that we presume not to liue one minute of an hower in synne deceauing our selues with a vaine persuasion that as yet we haue a longe tyme to liue and that hereafter at fitter opportunity we wil do penance for this vaine hope hath deceaued many and will still deceaue them vnlesse prudently they learne this Art whiles yet they haue tyme to doe it There remayneth the third vertue which worthily is called the Queene of Vertues to wit Charity with which none can perish without which none can liue eyther in the passage of this life or in our desired home of euerlasting happines that charity is sayd to be true and sincere which proceeds from a pure hart not for that purity of hart doth properly beget charity for charity as S. Iohn sayth is from God and S. Paul 1. Ioan. 4. Rom. 5. The charity of God is powred forth in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs wherefore charity is said to be from a pure hart because it cannot be kindled in an impure but in such a one as is purged from all errour by diuine Fayth according to that of S. Peter the Apostle Act. 15. fide purificans corda eorum cleansing their hart by faith and by diuine hope being cleansed from al loue and desire of earthly things for euen as fire is not kindled in greene stickes full of moist humours but in dry euen so the fire of charity requireth clean harts purged froÌ„ al earthly loue vaine confidence in our own strength forces By this may we vnderstand which is true Charity which false counterfeit for if any one do willingly speake of God shed teares through compunctioÌ„ of mynd in his prayers and do other good workes as giuing much almes and fasting often yet so as he enterteyneth impure loue in his brest vaine glory hatred towards his neighbour and the like which make the hart impure and filthy this man hath not diuine and true charity but a vaine shew or resemblance thereof for which cause the Apostle most prudently named not absolutly faith hope charity when he spake of true and perfect vertue but said Finis praecepti c. The end of the commaundement is charity from a pure hart and a good conscience and faith not feigned and this indeed is the true Art of liuing well and of a happy death if any perseuere vnto the end in this true and perfect charity CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well which conteyneth three Euangelicall documents ALTHOVGH to liue and dye well that which we haue said of faith hope and charity may seeme to suffice yet to performe the same the better and witâ— more facility Christ himselfe hath voucâ— saued in the Ghospell to giue vs threâ— lessons or documents for thus he sayth in the Euangelist S. Luke Sint lumbi vestrâ—â— c. Luc. 12. Let your loynes be girt burning candles in your hands and be you likâ— vnto men expecting their Lord when hâ— retourneth froÌ„ the Marriage that wheÌ„ he shall come knocke they may presently open the gate vnto him blessed are those seruants whom our Lord when he shall come shall fynd watching This parable may be vnderstood two waies either for the preparatioÌ„ to be made for the coÌ„ming of our Lord at the day of iudgment or els for his coÌ„ming at the death of euery particuler man this later which is the exposition of S. Gregory maketh more for our purpose in hand Greg. hoÌ„ 13. in Euang. for the expectation of the last day shall apperteyne only to those who shall then liue and Christ spake this parable to his Apostles and to vs all certainly the Apostles and those who succeeded them were by many ages very farre off from the last day againe there shall many signes goe before the last day which shall stir vp men to attendance for Christ saith Erunt signa c. There shall be signes in the sunne and moone and starrs and the earth Luc. 21. great calamity of nations men withering away for feare and expectation of those things which shal come vpon the whole world But no certayne signes shall go before the comming of God to particuler iudgemeÌ„t which euery man is called vnto at the hower of his death and this coming is signifyed by those wordes so often repeated in the holy Scriptures that our Sauiour will come as a theefe to wit when he is least thought vpon or expected Let vs now then briefly expound this Parable let vs well conceaue that this preparation to death is a thing most of all to be respected of al because of al other things it is most necessary Three things doth our Lord heere commaund vs first that we haue our loynes girded that we haue candles burning in our hand last of al that we watch expect his coÌ„ming who when he will come we know as little as most men do when the theefe will come to robbe their howses Let vs explicate the first sentence Sint lumbi vestri
1. Pet. â— O that we had many such Clergy men who in their life abd conuersation would performe that which their white garment doth be tokeÌ„ signify Finally it is the duty of Clergy men with Angelicall purity deuoutly grauâ—ly dayly and diligently to assist at the diuine sacrifyce in which dayly the lambe of God is offered I know that in the Church there are many deuout Clergy men and I do not only know but I haue very often seene many very male part of the same ranke so casting their eyes hither and thither when they were at the Altar as if they were about a matter not only not full of sacred horrour but triuiall light and of no account and perhaps this great fault is not so much to be imputed vnto the minister as to the priest that doth celebrate who sometymes doth so huddle vp his words and so without deuotion cary himselfe as he seemeth not 〈◊〉 know or vnderstand what he doth 〈◊〉 both the one and the other heare what 〈◊〉 Iohn Chrysostome speaking of the time of celebrating of Masse sayth Lib. 6. de sacerdotio At the tyme 〈◊〉 the sacrifice the Angells assist the Priest 〈◊〉 the whole Order of the heauenly powerâ— are heard and the place neere the Altar in the honour of him who is offered iâ— filled with the quiers of Angels Which without further proofe by reason of thâ— singular sacrifice then offered we may easily belieue Let them also heare S. Gregory who writeth heereof as a thing not doubted of saying 4. Dialog cap. vltim What faithfull man can make any doubt that in the tyme of the sacrifice at the voice of the priest that the heauens are opened the quiers of Angells are present the lowest and highest things are coupled togeather earthly thinges are conioyned which heauenly and one thing made of visible and inuisible thinges togeather So he which if the Priest that doth celebrate and the Clarke that doth serue did seriously ponder how could it be that they shold haÌ„dle so great a matter in such sort as they doe O how doleful and lamentable a spectacle were it in case the eyes of our soule were â—pen to see the Priest handling the di-â—iuine mysteryes enuironed on all sides with quiers of Angells who all stand aâ—â—onished tremble and make spirituall clamours at that which they see him to do whiles the Priest himselfe in the middest of them all is cold and as one without sense doth neyther marke what he doth nor vnderstand what he sayth and so to poast to an end as he distinguisheth not the ceremonyes choppeth vp his words as he seemeth not to know what he doth and in the meane tyme the Clarke who serues him is alwayes gazing on this and that or tatling with some other body so is God scorned so are the most sacred mysteryes contemned so is occasion giuen vnto Heretiks to detract contemne our rites and religion Which being so I admonish all Clergy men as well greater as lesser as much as I can do exhort them that being dead to the world they liue to God alone that they seeke not for abundance of teÌ„porall things that with great zeale they preserue purity of life that religiously as it is fitting they do handle diuine things and that they procure the sâ—me to be done of others so shall they 〈◊〉 great confidence in God and shall coâ—nually fill the Church of Christ with sweet and fragrant odour of their gâ—â— example CHAP. XV. Of the fifteeâ—â—â— precept of the Art 〈◊〉 dying well which is of Matrimony VVE come now to Matrimony which hath a twofold institution or ordinance one as it is a ciuill contract by the law of nature another as it is a Sacrament of grace by the law EuaÌ„gelical both which we wil speak not absolutely but according to the subiect of this worke which is only in respect of liuing and dying well The first institution was appointed by God in the earthly paradise for these words of God It is not good for man to be alone let vs giue him a help like himselfe cannot well be vnderstood but of the help to propagate mankind Lib. 9. de Gen. ad lit cap. 7. and bringe vp children for as S. Augustine well noteth men need not the help of women in any thing â—â—t in these respects for in other thinges â—en are better holpen by men then by â—omen and therfore a little after that the â—oman was made Adam out of diuine inâ—piration sayd A man shall leaue his Father mother and adhere vnto his wife which words our Sauiour in Saint Mathewes Gospell atâ—ributeth not to Adam but vnto God himselfe saying Matth. 1â— Haue you not read that he who from â—he beginning made man made them man and woman and sayd for this shall a man leaue his Father and mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they shal be two in one flesh That therefore which God hath conioyned let not man separate Our Lord then doth asscribe these wordes vnto God because that Adam did not speake them of himselfe but by his inspiration And this was the first institution of Matrimony Another institution or rather aduancement of Matrimony is the excellency of a Sacrament Ephes 5. this we haue in the Apostle in these wordes of his Epistle to the Ephesians For this cause shall a man leaue his Father and mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they shall be two in one flesh this is a great Sacrament but I say this in Christ and his Church and that Matrimony is a true Sacrament Saint Augustine doth teach saying Lib de bono Coniu cap. 18. In the Marriâ—â—â— of our women the sanctify of the Sacrament is 〈◊〉 to be valewed then the frutefullnes of the womâ—â— And againe The good of matrimony with all nations and people standeth in the cause of begetâ—â— children and in the fidelity of coniugall that chastity 〈◊〉 in respect of the people of God it consisteth also in the Sanctity of the Sacrament Cap. 24. Lib. de fide oper cap. 7. And in anothâ— booke in the Citty of our Lord and in his 〈◊〉 hill that is in the Church not only the band of Marriage but also the Sacrament is commendabâ—â— but to dispute more exactly of this point belongeth not to our present purpose but rather this more properly apperteyneth thereunto that we explicate how men women ioyned in matrimony may so liue as that confidently they may trust to dye well Three thinges in Schooles are called the good of Matrimony if it be well vsed to wit issue fidelity and the grace of the Sacrament he who will vse Matrimony well must not only haue care to beget children but also and that much more to bring them vp well and oâ— the other side he most grieuously sinneth who seeketh not for children by Marriage but only for carnall pleasure for this cause one of the
may be seene before all the world in his high throne to iudge all synners to the end that it may be fulfilled which is written in the booke of Iob Iob. 16. Thy cause is iudged as the cause of a wicked maÌ„ thou shalt receaue or take to thy selfe both cause and Iudgement And therefore the ignominious shame of the passion of the sonne of God shall be iustly recompensed with the glory of his being Iudge and maiestically sitting in the Theatre of whole world and then shal be fulfilled that of the Apostle At the name of Iesus let euery knee be bowed of all that are in heauen in earth aâ—â—â— hell The third reason is that the reward of the good may be full and entiere the reward of vertue is honour and glory for that many men for their vertue most excellent haue openly beene put to death as wicked malefactours it is meete that their vertue and innocency should be declared in that open Court and Theatre of the world To this ranke the holy Martirs of God do specially apperteyne who shall there appeare triumphantly crowned before the eyes of their persecutours Pagans or heretiks Princes or Kings or of what degree soeuer The fourth reason is for the confusion of hypocrites for there are some who dye with the opinion of Sanctity wheras indeed they are impure and wicked as are all heretikes Caluinists Aâ—â—baptists and the like and such were they of whome Saint Cyprian writeth in his booke of the vnity of the Church Ardeant â—icet flaÌ„mis c. Let them burne in flames â—et them leese their liues eyther by the fire â—r beasts that death of theirs shall not be â—he crowne of faith but the punishment â—f their perfidiousnes it shall not be esteemed the glorious issue of religious vertue â—ut a wicked or desperate death So he Therfore it is necessary that the hipocriâ—y of seducers or seduced people be at least detested and layed open in the vniuersall Iudgement which in the particuler cannot so conueniently be done The fifth reason is that the soules bodyes may be iudged both togeather for in the particuler iudgement only the soules are iudged and receaue eyther reward or punishment but in the generall â—udgement the whole men must appeare both in soule and body and because the soules haue synned togeather with the bodyes or else haue done well and merited so likewise is it expedient that after the resurrection the soules receaue togeather with their bodyes eyther glory or confusion happines or woe ioy or torment To conclude the sixth and last reaâ—on is that not only the good or bad deeds which we haue don in this life may haue their rewards or punishments but also the good or il which do proceed from 〈◊〉 good or bad workes and are propagated spread and continued vnto the end of the world that such in the end of the woâ—â—d may haue their due praise or reproofe And to make this more plaine we will expresse it by some examples there want not good men who do build hospitalls or monasteryes or schooles in which many sicke recouer their health many religious are trayned vp in vertue many schollers are instructed in learning thesâ— works well founded continew for a long tyme some write bookes profitable for the spreading abroad of wisdome of artes of vertue of all good actions by which many in all ages do profit and help their neighbours On the other side there bâ— many lewd men who with their waÌ„toâ— or seditious or hereticall books do seduce and destroy many and building vp Theaters for Fencers or Stageplayers or the like do hurt their neighbours for a long time after their death wherfor seing thâ— in the end of the world all processâ— shall haue also an end and â—he merittâ— and demeritts of all shal be finished it is very meet that in that day of all others which euer were from the beginning of the world most remarkable the definitiue seÌ„tence of the most suprem powerful most iust iudge be deliuered to end decide determyne all These are the causes why besides the particuler iudgment which shall be made in the death of euery particuler man there is another generall to be expected in the end of the world It remayneth now to explicate who shall be the Iudge in this dreadful iudgement from whence he shal come to what place he shall come whom he shall iudge and what shall be the sentence The Iudge without al doubt shal be our Lord Iesus Christ Matt. 25. Act. 10. for thus himselfe speaketh in S. Matthew VVhen the Sonne of man shall come in his maiesty all his Angells with him then he shall fit on the seat of his maiesty and all nations shal be gathered togeather before him and the rest which followeth The same is confirmed by the Apostles Saint Peter Saint Paul and Saint Iohn Saint Peter sayth in the Acts It is he who is appointed Iudge of the liuing and dead Saint Paul in the same Acts Act. 17. God hath appointed a day in which he is to iudge the would in iustice by the man whome he hath ordeyned raising him from death Ioan. 5. S. Iohn thus writeth in his Ghospell The Father hath giuen him power to do iustice because he is the Sonne of man And in another place The Father iudgeth not any man but hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne The place from whence he shal come to iudgement is from heauen and he shall come as farre as the ayre neere vnto the earth that he may be seene and heard of all that shal be on the earth vnder him Heare I pray Christ himselfe in Saint Matthew You shall see the Son of man comming in the clowds of heauen 1. Thess 4. Heare the Apostle Saint Paul writing vnto the Thessalonians VVe shal be taken vp with them to meet with Christ in the ayre Ioel. 3. And the same did the Prophet Ioel foretell saying All nations shal be gathered togeather and I will bring them into the vale of Iosaphat there will I pleade with them Out of the wordes into the vale of Iosaphat we may well gather this iudgement to be the greatest that euer was for the hebrue word Iosaphat signifyes properly the iudgement of God and for that the vale of Iosaphat is neere vnto Hierusalem at the East side of the Temple as S. Hierome testifyeth in his Commentary on the third chapter of Ioel then which no place can be more fit for so great a iudgement for from thence is seen Hierusalem wheÌ„ our Lord did preach and foretold that the last iudgement should be from thence also is seene mount Caluary where Christ for the redemption of mankynd was nayled on the Crosse and mount Oliuet from whence as a Conquerour he ascended into heauen To this place Christ shall come in the clouds of heauen with al his Angels which are at the least thousands of thousands ten
14. session second Canon Another kind of the relikes of syns is a certayne horrour or stupidity or rather sorrow and heauines which oppresse sicke to which apperteyneth the promise of Saint Iames Et alleuiabit eum Dominus and our Lord will lift him vp this SacrameÌ„t recomforteth the sicke when they marke the diuine promises expressed in the same and for that cause it should not be differred vntill the last houre when the sicke man doth not heare or else vnderstandeth nothing at all What vtility is reaped out of this Sacrament may be gathered by the words of the forme thereof Fiue places there be which are specially annoynted in which the fiue seÌ„ses are scituated to wit the sense of seeing the sense of hearing the sense of smelling the sense of tasting and the sense of touching and in the meane tyme the priest sayth Indulgeat tibi Dominus quicquid deliquisti per visum auditum c. Our Lord pardon or forgiue thee in whatsoeuer thou hast synned by sight by hearing and so of the rest and because that prayer is the forme of the Sacrament without all controuersy it effectually worketh that which the words doe sound and signify vnlesse there be some impediment on the behalfe of the receauer How great the bountifulnesse and mercy of our Lord God is in this Sacrament he will soone fynde that shall consider with himselfe what a mayne multitude of synnes do flow from these fiue fountaynes and this was the occasion why Saint Malachy a Bishop of Ireland whose life Saint Bernard wrote after that for some houres he had delayed to minister this Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to a certeyne noble woman that was sicke and she the meane tyme had departed out of this life he so farre foorth repented himselfe that with his priests he lay in the chamber of â—e dead woman all the night praying â—d lamenting imputing it to his owne â—ult that the vertuous woman eyther had â—ot recouered by the vertue of Extreme Vnction or had not receaued that ample pardon of her sins from the liberall mercy of our louing Lord and because this holy Bishop was the friend of God by his prayers and tearâ—◠〈◊〉 obteyned of him that the sayd woman should come agayne to life receaue from the hands of the same Saint both the effects of this holy VnctioÌ„ for she recouered her health liued many yeares after as we may piously coniecture gayned also the pardon of her sins This example of so worthy a man and of another most holy man faithfully related is inough to persuade all who with reasoÌ„ or authority wil be perswaded how much they ought to esteeme this venerable Sacrament CHAP. IX Of the ninth Precept of this Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the first tentation of the Diuell to wit Heresy VVHEN our death drawes neere our aduersary the diuel as a roâ—ring lyon is not wanting to himselfe but swiftly approacheth as vnto a prey with all his power assayles the sicke man in his last conflict and he is wont to make his first assault with the tentation concerning fayth for the things which we belieue do transcend not only our sense but also naturall reason and fayth it selfe the ground of our iustification and that being ouerthrowen all the buylding of our good workes falleth downe this of all other tentations it most grieuous because we are to encounter with an Aduersary not only most learned subtile but trained in this warfare from the beginning of the world He it is that hath seduced all the heads or ringleaders of heretikes of whome not a â—w were excellent and very wise men â—ell therefore doth the Apostle warne vs â—ur combat or conflict is not agaynst flesh bloud Ephes 5. â—hat is to say agaynst men but against the â—iritualls of wickednes that are aboue That is â—gaynst the Diuels which are spirits most â—icked and crafty spirits and see vs all from the ayre aboue called Coelum aëreum the aiery heauen our weapons in this batâ—ell are not disputations but simple beliefe of the truth for so do the two chiefe Aâ—ostles teach vs. S. Peter sayth Ephes 6. Your aduerâ—ary the Diuell goeth round about as a roaring lion â—eking whome he may deuoure agaynst whome mak â—esistance being stronge in sayth and Saint Paul 1. Pet. 6. In all things taking the shield of fayth in which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked enemy Therefore out of the doctrine of the Apostles we must dispute with the Diuell but with the shield of fayth take all his darts and beate them backe agayne although they seeme to be both fiery and burning that is efficacious subtle There is a very dreadfull example hereof in Peter Barocius Bishop of Padua who wrote three bookes of the methode of dying well he his second booke thus speaketh Fuere quemadmodum audiui c. Two there were as I haue heard in their tyme most learned and of all others of thâ—â— vniuersity in which they studied the chiâ—fest disputers both of good behauiour anâ— very deuout of which one of them aftâ— his death appeared vnto the other at sucâ— time as he was in his library and studyinâ— of the holy Scriptures and that all in buâ—ning fire the student a mighted at this spectacle and asking what the cause sholâ— be of so great torment the other witâ— griefe and sighes replyed saying when I was to depart out of this life the enemy oâ— mankynd to wit the Diuell came vnâ—â— me and for that he knew me to be weâ—â— learned he beganne to aske me about mâ— fayth what I did belieue I answered that 〈◊〉 belieued whatsoeuer was conteyned in the Apostles Creed he willed me to explicate somethinges vnto him which seemed not to be so cleere I did so and that in such manner as I had reade in the Creed of Athanasius for I thought that they could not be more carely or more truly explicated Then the Diuell It is not so as thoâ— doest surmize for those thinges which belong to God the Father are in part playne and true in part obscure and false for 〈◊〉 indeed is eternall but as he hath euer â—â—ene God so hath he not euer beene a faâ—â—er but first God and after a Father aâ—â—inst this when that I cryed out and sayd â—â—at it was an heretical position diaboâ—call doctrine the Diuell sayd this matter 〈◊〉 not to be decided by clamours but arguâ—ents if we be moued with desire of fynâ—ing out of truth I can easily alleadge reaâ—ons for my opinion as for your opinion defend it if you can and then shall you deliuer me from a great errour I poore wretch who presumed more on my wit â—nd learning then was fit beganne seriously to dispute with him as with some ordinary man till at length by little little with the arguments that he obiected against me he drew me into that