thy prayses with great ioy and to serue thee with most ardent loue Nor doest thou content thy selfe O Lord to open thyne eares towards our prayers so to heare them with attentiue speed but as one that loues another in all truth of affection and doth take pleasure to heare him speake or sing so thou O Lord doest say to the soule which is redeemed by thy bloud Shew (y) Canâ— â— 2. me thy face let thy voice sound in myne cares for thy voyce is sweet thy face is very faire What is this O Lord which thou sayest That thou desirest to heare vs and that our voyce is sweet How doth our face seeme fayre in thyne eyes which we hauing defiled with many sinnes committed by vs euen whylest thou wert looking on are a shamed to let thee see Infallibly it is true that eyther we merit much in thy sight or else thou doest loue vs much But (z) The true humility which is taught by the doctrine of the holy Catholike Church far be it from vs O Lord far be it froÌ„ vs that out of thy mercifull proceeding we should draw a reason of being proud Since that whereby we please thee and are acceptable to thee is thyne owne grace which thou didst giue vs. And besides that thou doest regale and thou doest reward thy seruants more aboundantly then becomes any merit of theirs Let glory therfore begâ—uen to thee O Lord from whom all our good proceedeth and in whome all our good consisteth to vs in vs let confusion be for our vnworthynesse and wickednes Thou art our ioy and thou art that glory wherein we glory and this we do not vniustly but vpon great reason For a high honour it is to be beloued by thee and so beloued as that thou wouldst deliuer thy selfe ouer for our sakes to the tormentes of the Crosse from whence all blessings are deriued downe vpon vs. CHAP. LXXXVI Of the great loue wherewith our Lord doth behold such as are iust and of the much that be desyreth to communicate himselfe to creatures and to destroy our sinnes which we must behold with detestation that God may looke vpon them with compassion NOvv that thou hast vnderstood the speed wherwith God heareth the prayers of such as are iust it remaineth for thee to know the great loue wherwith he behouldeth them that (a) God heareth seeth our prayers as he requireth vs to looke vp to him to giue eare to his holy inspiratioÌ„s so he may entirely performe in himselfe that of hearing and seeing which he commaundeth of vs. The eyes of our Lord saith Dauid are vpon the iust to deliuer them from death but the face of our Lord is vpon the wicked that he may cast out the memory of them from the earth Heereby it appeares that our Lord placeth his eyes vpon the iust as the pastour doth vpon his sheep that they may not perish And so also doth he place them vpon the wicked to the end that they may not passe without the punishment which their sinnes deserue Two (b) What God made and what we make thinges there are in vs one which God made and that is the creature consisting of a Body and Soule with all the good that we haue the other which our selues did make and that is sinne Now if we did not accompany that good which we haue of God by somewhat else which is an euill of our owne there could be nothing in vs which our Lord would behold with the eyes of Anger but only of Loue since it is a naturall thinge for any cause to loue the effect of it selfe But now though we haue defiled and destroyed that which the beautifull God had made fayre in vs yet will he not totally cast vs off Nor can our wickednesse hinder his supereminent goodnes which for the recouering of that which he made good resolueth to destroy that euill which our selues did make For (c) An excellent comparison set forth with great life of circumstance if we see that this corporall sunne do with so liberall a hand impart it selfe and goeth as it were inuiting men to receiue it bestoweth light and heat vpon all them who giue no impediment thereunto yea when they do yet doth it as it were euen become obstinate in making them remooue the same and if it meete with any chinke or crany how little so euer it doth by that conuey it selfe and fill the whole house full of light what shall we say of that supreame diuine goodnesse which with so great anxiety as it were and force of loue doth go circling round about the creatures that he may bestow himselfe vpon them and fill them with liuely and diuine splendours What occasions doth he seeke of doing good to meÌ„ And to many for some smal seruices he hath vouchsafed to do no small fauours What entreaties doth he vse to them who depart that they will returne againe What imbracementes doth he giue them when they come backe What seeking of such as are lost What addressing such as are gone astray What pardoning of sinnes without reproach What ioy in restoring men to saluation Letting them know that he more desireth to graunt a pardon then they care to sue it out And therefore it is that he sayth to sinners Why (d) Ezech. 33. will you needs dye Know that I desire not the death of a sinner but that he may returne and liue Returne to me and you shall liue Our (e) Note this excellent consideration death consisteth in our departure from God and therefore to returne to him is to liue Whereunto we are inuited by Almighty God whose principall intention is not to lodge the eyes of his wrath vpoÌ„ the worke of his hands which is our selues but vpon the worke of ours which are our sinnes These would God faine destroy if we did not hinder him but this we do when we loue our sinnes giuing them life by our loue which by being loued do murther vs. And so great is the hungar which that soueraigne bounty hath towards the destruction of our wickednesse to the end that so his creature may not be destroyed that (f) Let all the Angels prayse our Lord for so infinite goodnes when soeuer a man will and how oft soeuer he will and how great soeuer the sinnes be which he hath committed if he will dispose himselfe to do pennance and to begge pardon of our Lord for his part he is ready to receaue vs. Forgiuing that which we haue deserued curing that which we made sicke straightning that which we made crooked and giuing vs grace to abhorre those thinges which formerly were by vs beloued Yea in such sort doth he destroy our wickednes and deuide it from vs that Dauid (g) Psalâ— 102. sayth Looke what distance there is betweene the rising and setting of the Sunne so far hath he separated our sinnes from vs. So that the beginning and first
arriue to man Hereby God gained more honour then by hauing created heauen and earth and all that is therein And therefore this worke is for the eminency and excellency of it called the work of God as our Lord sayd This is my foode to do the will of my Father in my finishing his worke which is the redemption of men Not but that God hath wrought other workes but because the Inâ—ernation and redemption which follow hereupon is the greatest worke of them all and that which he prizeth most as the thing whereby he receiueth most honour For (h) The same excellent discourse continued although to haue scourged Egypt for the loue of his people and to haue drawne it out from thence to haue conducted it through the desert did giue honour to God as Isaias saith yet already thou canst not chuse but see which is the more high and heroicall act of loue for God to whip his enemies for the loue of his people or to suffer himselfe to be scourged in his owne flesh for the loue both of his domestiques and of strangers and both of his friends and of his enemies One thing it is for God to carry his children through the desert like an eagle that would teach his yong ones how to fly taking them vp vpon his shoulders when they are weary that so they might vnweary themselues whylest yet God groweth not weary thereby and another thing it is to ouerloade his owne shoulders with a heauy Crosse which did euen flea them of their skin togeather with all the sinnes of the whole world which like the beame of a wyne-presse did straine him so far as to depriue him of life vpon the same Crosse and this to the end that men might be out of paine Who is he that will not discerne that this was a most excellent heroicall act of loue the like whereof was neuer seene which gaue more honour to God then all that was past That other was to him but a common thing and there was no need of so great loue for the doing of it But this later was a busines that would haue byn imbraced by few and hardly wil there be found a man vpon earth who would suffer himself to be publikely whipped or put to death for any good man or any frend And yet if such a man could be found there would still be no comparison to be made betweene that and the much that our Lord did loue and suffer for vs. For he hath no equal Nor is it to be greatly meruaâ—led at if a Lion carry himselfe like a Lion but that a Lion should be content to suffer like a Lambe and that the only cause therof should be his loue this is a busines of a strang extent and worthy of eternall honour And since in former tymes they sayd Let (i) Exod. 15. vs sing vnto our Lord for he hath byn magnified in a glorious manner Let vs also say with a most profound gratitude Let vs sing vnto our Lord who hath byn magnifyed in a most humble manner For as much as formerly God did neither abase himselfe nor take paines in the ease which he gaue vs nor although he imparted riches did he impouerish himselfe but here he impouerished himselfe he did sweat yea he abased himselfe to death and death of the Crosse to raise his seruantes from sinne and to conduct them to heauen and he preuailed in his enterprize and that which Isaias (k) Isa 55. sayd was fulfilled that insteed of the little shrubbe there should grow the Firre-tree and insteed of the nettle there should grow the myrtle And that our Lord should be renowned by an eternall token which shall neuer be taken away For the honour which God did gayne in placing of of this signe which is the Crosse and to dy thereon and to make men good of bad shall last for euer and there shall none be able to ouerthrow it CHAP. XLI That not only the glory of our Lord doth shine in the humble thinges of God which our Faith teacheth but also our owne great profit our strength and vertue NOT (a) He stil prosecuteth the same excelleÌ„t discourse in an excellent manner only doth the honour of God shine after an excellent manner in the workes of his humanity and humility but from thence also doth result the great profit and glory of man whome nothing doth so much exalte as that God hath put himselfe into Brotherhood with him Nor is there any thing which doth so much strengthen his hart against the swooning afflictions which sinne causeth in it as to see that God died for the remedy thereof and that he gaue himselfe to man as his owne Nor is there any thing which can so mooue him to loue God as to see himselfe beloued by him euen to the death nor to make a man despise prosperity or suffer aduersity nor to humble himselfe to God and to his Neighbour nor indeed to any good thing be it great or smal as to see God abased humaned that he was pleased to passe through these thinges giuing vs commandements to performe examples to behold and strength to go through And since this way of remedying our humility and basenes turneth more to the glory of God and to the good of men it is a signe that this is a worke of God since in that which God worketh he pretendeth the manifestation of his owne glory and mans good And therefore he that either denyeth this worke or hindreth it is an enemy of God and of all mankind Since thereby he will depriue God of the greatest honour which by his workes can come to him and man of the greatest glory and benefit that can be imagined And since he declareth himself as an enemy both to God and man it is but reason that he be punished and that with eternall death in hell And the answere that he will be able to giue when God shall aske him this question Why (b) Read this with great attention didst thou not belieue those high things of me must be this Because O Lord they seemed so high to me that I did not thinke thou hadst been so high And being asked why he did not belieue those mysteryes of his humanity and humility since they were the testimonyes of his goodnes of his loue he must answere That he did not thinke the loue and goodnes of our Lord to haue beene so great that he could find in his hart to do and suffer so much for the loue of men So that he stumbleth both vpon the high and vpon the low And the roote of all is because he thinketh basely of God And that he tooke his height and his goodnes to be a limitted kind of thinge Which root and that which proceeds thereof shall iustly burne in the fire of hell as being iniurious to the most high God whom it doth diminish and confine with in a certaine narrow compasse How much better
Iesus Lord but by fayth inspired as S. Paul sayth yet not doing that which our Lord commaunded they were not in state of grace it followeth cleerely that a man may haue Fayth without grace which S. Paul affirmeth also in another place where he fayth That if a man should haue the gifte of speaking tongues and should comprehend and possesse all knowledge and prophesie and haue all fayth so farre as that he could remooue mountaynes from one place to another and yet should be without charity all this were nothing And since it is certayne that the gifte of tongues with the rest which is there recounted is compatible vvith mortall sinne it stands not vvith reason that men should make it impossible for fayth to be without charity though it be true that charity cannot be without fayth They are the words of the diuine scripture That iustice is giuen by fayth but that it should be giuen by fayth alone is an inuention of men a very ignorant and peruerse errour Whereof our Lord did warne vs when he sayd to S. Mary Magdalen That many sinnes were forgiuen her because she loued much Which words are as cleare to shew that loue is requisite as there are any in the whol scripture to shew the necessity of fayth And that not only there must be loue in the iustification of a sinner but because loue is a disposition towards the obteining of pardon as fayth is they both must go hand in hand and of both did our Lord make mention in the conuersion of S. Mary Magdalen For at the end of the discourse he sayd Thy fayth hath saued thee go in peace Nor in that which our Lord sayd before That many sinnes were forgiuen her because she loued much would he say that it was because she belieued much giuing the effect the name of the cause since it is euident that our Lord hauing asked which of these two debters did loue him most who released the debt it was answered He to whom the more was released and not he to whome the lesse he was to haue concluded his discourse with speaking of loue and not of Fayth And if liberty may be taken for a man to say that he called Fayth Loue tearming the effect by the name of his cause let vs also take liberty to say that in those places of the Scripture where it is affirmed That man is iustifyed by Fayth Loue is to be vnderstood by the name of Fayth by considering in the cause the effect In plaine manner did our Lord speake heer vnles a man be disposed to hood wincke himself in so faire a light and he called fayth and loue by their owne names and both of them are requisite to iustification as we haue sayd already And our Lord did settle the same coniunction when he sayd afterward to his disciples The (c) Ioan. 16. Father himselfe loueth you because you haue loued me and haue belieued that I issued froÌ„ him And fince Fayth loue are both requisite to a man without doubt he will haue griefe for his sinnes as hauing grieuously offended God whome he loueth aboue all things as it is plaine by the example of S. Mary Magdalen and of other sinners who were comuerted to God Now (d) If this be well considered it wil ouerthrow the fancyes which the Caluinish haue concerning Fayth because both these thinges are requisite and others also which flow from them towardes the obtaining of Iustice therefore doth the holy Scripture sometymes name Fayth and sometymes Loue sometymes sorrow griefe of Repentance and sometymes The humble prayer of the penitent who sayth Lord haue mercy vpon me a sinner and sometymes the knowledge of the sinne it selfe I haue sinned O Lord sayd Dauid instantly he heard the word of pardon in the name of God But yet he who should be induced by this to say that sinne is pardoned by a mans only knowledge of the sinne should fall into no small errour since Cain and Iudas and Saul and many others did know their sinne and yet came not to obtayne pardon of it And so farre without all ground is it for them to say That by only Fayth it is obtayned in respect that the Scripture doth in some places make mentioÌ„ of Fayth alone as it is that for the same reason we might also exclude fayth out of this businesse as being vnnecessary because in other places the Scripture sayth That sinnes are forgiuen by pennance other meanes without making any mention at all of Fayth But (e) The doctrine of the Catholike Church concerning this point the truth of Catholike doctrine is this That both the one and the others are requisite as dispositions towards the obtayning of pardon and grace And if any man shall reflect vpon this That Fayth is named many tymes by way of attributing iustice to it and that by fayth we are made the sonnes of God and partakers of the merits of Iesus Christ and such like effects as do accompany grace and charity it is not because fayth alone is sufficient for it but because when the Scripture attributeth these effects to Fayth it is to be vnderstood of that Faith which is formed by charity and which is the life thereof Neither yet must these effects be attributed to Fayth as if necessarily vpon our hauing fayth we must haue loue because true fayth may remayne as hath beene sayd euen when grace and loue are lost which loue as S. Paul sayth is greater then either fayth or hope And when our Lord spake of fayth and loue as well in that passage of S. Mary Magdalen as in that other which we mentioned with his disciples he named loue before fayth giuing the precedent place of perfection to that which was the act of the will which yet after a sort is subsequent if it be compared with an act of the vnderstanding to which fayth belongeth It is also to be vnderstood that although the Sacraments of Baptisme and Pennance are necessarily to be receaued or at least a purpose of receauing them must be intertayned for the obtayning of that Grace which is lost the former by Infidells and the latter by belieuers who after Baptisme haue committed mortall sinne yet is there not in holy Scripture so frequent speach of them as of fayth for the reason which shortly I shall relate But yet neither is the mention of them forborne least any one should thinke that they were not necessary towardes the obtayning of Iustice S. Paul (f) Tim. 3. fayth That God saued vs by the Baptisme of regeneration and renouation of the holy Ghost and that Christ did cleanse his Church by the Baptisme of water in the word of life And it because the Scripture sayth That we are iustifyed by fayth we were to cast away the Sacraments as iustly were we to cast away saâ—th since it sayth That saluation and cleanesse is giuen by holy Baptisme But our Lord doth couple these
pace that the eyes of God do make is not against the man whome he created but against the sinne which we committed And whensoeuer he looketh vpon a man to his destruction it is then when the man will not suffer him to execute his wrath against sinne which he would (h) By drawing that soule to pennance fayne destroy But man would needs continue in sinne giue life to that which destroyed himself and displeased God It is therefore but reason that his death remaine aliue and that his life be for euer dead since he would not open the gate to him who for loue and with loue both could and would haue murthered his death and endued him with life But some will say what remedy shall I meet withall that God may not behold my sinne to punish but that he may looke vpon his creature to saue it S. Augustine (i) Hearken to the great and good S. Augustine doth briefly and truely answere thus Let thy selfe looke vpon thy sinnes that is do thou consider them and do pennance for them and God will not see them but if thou cast them behind thy backe then will God place them before his face Dauid did beseech our Lord to forgiue his sinnes saying thus Haue (k) Psal 50. mercy on me O Lord according to thy great mercy and he also sayd Turne thy face O Lord from my sinnes But what did he alleadge towards the obtayning of so great a fauour Nothing lesse then any seruice that he had done For he wel knew that if a seruant should commit a treason against his Lord his seruices would not be considered though he should haue serued many yeares before with diligence For if he serued before he was obliged so to do and he brought not his Lord in debt thereby but his treason is the thing that must be thought of which he was bound not to haue committed and therefore by paying that which he did owe before he came not to ransome himselfe from that penalty which afterward he incurred Neither yet did Dauid offer sacrifices as well knowing that God takes no pleasure (l) Vnles it were accompanied by a penitent Religious hart for if it were it was acceptable to God in the old law for so himself had ordained in the burning of beasts But he who could find no remedy eyther in seruices that were past or in pious external works which then vvere present did find it in an humbled contrite hart And he desired to be pardoned vpon this ensuing reason For I know my wickednes and my sinne doth euer stand before myne eyes An admirable power did God giue to this our beholding and profoundly sighing for our sinnes since Gods seeing of them doth follow to the end that he may dissolue them And we conuerting our eyes with griefe towardes that which vve did wickedly commit he conuerteth his towards the saluation and consolation of him vvhome he did create CHAP. LXXXVII Of the many and great benefits which come to men in that the Eternall Father doth behold the face of Iesus Christ his Sonne BVT some wil say whence commeth so great force to our looking and to our weeping that so instantly it should draw after it Gods seeing and that so as to forgiue vs. It is far from comming from our looking it selfe For the theef deserueth not to be pardoned the gallowes because he knowes that he did ill in stealing and how much and yet much more soeuer he lamenteth But this proceedeth from another sight which is more fauourable and withall so full of power that it is the cause and fountaine of al our good This is that whereof Dauid (a) Psal 83. sayth Behold O God our defendour behold the face of thy Christ. He twice beseecheth God to behold to giue vs therby to vnderstand with how much affection we are to thinke of this and how much it importeth vs to obtaine it For as the sight of God vpon vs doth bring all benedictions to vs so Gods looking vpon Christ doth draw the sight of God to vs. Do not thinke O Virgin (b) How Almighty God commeth to loue mankind that the gracious and amorous beames of the eyes of God descend in a right line vpon vs when he receaueth vs inâ—o his grace or euen when already we are in grace that they desceÌ„d vpon vs as vpon a differeÌ„t thing from Christ For if so thou thinke thou art no better then blind But know that first they addresse themselues to Christ and from thence to vs by him and in him Nor (c) No creature can obtaine the least cast of an eye of â—erev from God but only for the loue of Christ our Lord. will our Lord vtter one word nor cast one countenance of loue to any creature of the whole world if he see it separated from Christ but for the loue of Christ he so behouldeth all them as to pardon them who although they be neuer so wicked will behould and lament themselues in Christ he also behoâ—ldeth such persons for their preseruation and for their increase in the good which already they haue receaued Christ being beloued is the cause that we are receaued into grace And if Christ Iesus were not no creature at all would be acceptable or beloued in the sight of God as was sayd before Know therefore O Virgin what necessity thou hast of Christ and be thou (d) Al woe will be to such as are not so internally and profoundly gratefull to him For the good which thou hast came towardes thee by no other meanes then by Christ and in him is it to be conserued to thee and augmented by the eternall Father And this is that which was figured in the beginning of the world when the iust Abel that Pastour of sheep did offer a sacrifice to God out of his flocke which sacrifice was accepted as the Scriptore sayth For our Lord did looke on Abel and his guifts And this looking on him doth import that Abel was gratefull to him and for that agayne his guifts were gratefull And in testimony that so they were God sent downe visible fyre which consumed the sacrifice Now this is a figure of our iust soueraigne Pastour who sayth himself I (e) Ioan. 10. am the good Pastour and he is also a Priest consequently as S. Paul (f) Hebr. 5. sayth he is to offer guifts and sacrifices to God But what can (g) Leuit. 22. Deut. 22. he offer that shall be worthy of him Certainly not brute beasts and much lesse sinfull men for such do rather serue to prouoke the wrath of God theÌ„ to obtayne his mercy Nor without cause did God commaund in the old law that the beast which was to be offered should be male not female and of such an age neither too little nor too great nor blind nor lame nor subiect to any of those conditions which are there described to the end that the
there heires in being made sinners by them and full of many other miseryes but by the second we are made the brethren of Christ and ioyntly the heires of heauen with him For the present we receyue the holy ghost but we hope hereafter to see God face to face Well (k) An ignorant most inexcusable errour then and what dost thou thinke that God will say to that person who shall prize himselfe more as being borne of men wherby he became a sinfull and miserable creature then for the being borne againe of God wherby he presently becommeth iust and may afterwardes be happy These (l) Note this comparison men are like to some one who being begotten by a King vpon the body of some most vgly slaue should prize himselfe for being her sonne and should talke much thereof and should neuer consider or remember himselfe to be the sonne of the King Forget therefore thy people that so thou mayst be of the people of God The wicked people is thyne owne and therefore it is sayd Forget thy people for of thy selfe thou art a sinner and a very vile one But if thou wilâ— shake of that which is thyne our Lord will receaue thee into that which is his into his nobility into his iustification into his loue but as long as thou wilt cleaue to thy selfe thou shall not be inriched by him Christ will haue thee all naked for he meaneth to giue thee a dowry and he hath where withall Of thy selfe thou hast nothing but to be full of debts Forget (m) We must forget our people more wayes theÌ„ one thy people That is forget to be a sinner and grow a stranger to thy ancient faults Forget thy people and set not so high a price vpon Nobility of bloud Forget thy people by casting all kind of tumult out of thy hart and make account that thou art in some desert hand to hand with Almighty God Forget in fine thy people since there are so many solide reasons why thou shouldst forget it CHAP. C. Wherin he beginneth to declare that other word And forget the house of thy Father And how much it importeth vs to fly from our owne will in imitation of Christ our Lord â—or the auoyding of those inconueniences which grow from thence THERE followeth heere another word which saith And forget the house of thy Father This Father is the (a) How the diuell may be called the Father of sinnefull men why Diuell for as S. Iohn saith He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell for the Diuell did sin from the beginning Not that he did create or beget wicked men but because they imitate his workes and he according to the holy Ghospell is said to be anothers Sonne who imitates the workes of that other This wretched Father liueth in the world that is in wicked men as it is written in (b) Iob. 4. Iob He sleepeth in the shaddow and in the hollow part of a reed and in moyst places A (c) A place of holy Scripture excellently pondered shaddow are the riches of this world For they giue not that rest which they promise but pricking the hart which cares like so many thornes the owners of them do find by experience that they are not true riches but they are a meere shaddow of riches and they are true pouerty and nothing lesse then that which their name doth pretend A (d) The vanity of transitory honour glory cane or reede is the glory of this world and how much the fairer and bigger it appeares exteriourly so much the more hollownes doth it hold Yea and euen that very exteriour is so very subiect to change that with reason it may be called a reede which declines at the commaundement of euery wind Moist (e) The basenes weaknes of men giuen ouer to worldly pleasures places are those soules which are dissolued by carnall pleasures after which they runne without any bridle Iust contrary to them of whome the holy ghospell saith That (f) Matt. 11. the vncleane spirit departing out of that man whome he had formerly inhabited goes seeking where he may be and he walkes his round through dry places desiring entertainment but findeth none For in soules which keepe a loofe from these carnall appetites the diuell cannot find a lodging but his place of aboad is in couetousnes ambition and sensuality Therefore is it that he is called the Prince of this world the ruler and the Lord thereof not still in any respect of his hauing created it but because wicked men who are of God by creation will needes be of the Diuell by imitation Conforming themselues to his will that so with iustice they may also be made conforme with him in the torments of hell as at the latter day it wil be sadly and plainly said to them by the mouth of Christ Go (g) Matt. 25. you cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and for his Angells And if we consider well what kind of thing this house of the Diuell is we shall find that it is the lewd will of wicked men wherein (h) How the Diuell is seated in a sinnefull will the diuell takes vp his seate as he would do in a chaire commaunding from thence the whole man To forget therefore thy Fathers house is no other thinge but to forget and to forsake thyne owne will wherein thou maiest haue sometimes giuen entertainment to this wicked Father and to imbrace insteed thereof the will of God with an entire and faithfull hart saying to him Thy will O Lord and not myne be done This admonition is one of the most profitable that can be giuen vs. For by casting away our will we shall put away our sinnes as (i) The will is the root and the sinne is the braunch braunches are cut off from the roote This (k) 2. Tim. 3. S. Paul doth note when recounting the multitude of sinnes which (l) These dayes of ours in the latter day would be committed he saith That men would be louers of themselues Giuing vs thereby to vnderstand as the commentary declareth That the inordinate loue of a mans selfe is the head and root of all sinnes and that vpon the taking away thereof a man growes to be in subiection to God from whome all his good proceedeth Againe (m) A most profitable consideration the cause of all our disgustes our melancholies and our affliction is no other thinge then our owne will which we would faine haue to be accomplished and when it is not we are in paine but this being taken away what is there that can trouble vs For (n) Note as much as sadnes doth not necessarily rise from the very comming of any troublesome thing towards vs but from our vnwillingnesse that it should come Nor is the paine alone of this world put away by the putting away of our will but of the other also For as S. Bernard saith Let
seeke myne owne honour and doe thou after the same manner And (e) Note if thou wilt rayse vp the eares of thy soule to heare that lamentable Edict with attention which was made against innocency it selfe proclayming Iesus Christ our Lord throughout those streets of Hierusalem for a malefactour thou (f) Sure I am that we ought to be so wilt be confounded when thou seest that thou art honoured or when thou shalt desire so to be And thou wilt say with a deep cordial sigh O Lord. art thou proclaymed for wicked and I praysed for good What is there that can giue vs greater griefe And not only wilt thou loose the hungar of wordly honour but thou wilt couet greedily to be despysed in conformity of our Lord whome to follow as the Scripture (g) Eccles â—â— sayth is great honour And then wilt thou say with S Paul God forbid that (h) Galat. â— I should receaue honour but in the Crosse of Iesus Christ our Lord yea thou wilt desire to fullfill that which the same Apostle sayth els (i) Heb. 13. where Let vs go out and seeke Christ in the campe and let vs imitate him in his dishonour Now if this passion of vayne glory be a powerfull kind of thing much more powerfull is the remedy of the example and grace of Christ Which (k) The bloud of our Lord worketh wonders vpon the proud hart of man doth in such sort ouercome roote it out of the hart as to make it find that it is a thing to be abhorred for a Christian to see the Lord of Maiesty abase himselfe to such contempt whilest he vile worme swelleth vp with the loue of honour Therefore is it that our Lord inuiteth encourageth vs by his example saying Haue confidence for I haue ouercome the world As if he had sayd Before I came hither a hard point it was to wrastle with the deceitpfull world casting away that which flourisheth therein and imbracing that which it contemnes but after that it imployed all the forces it had against me inuenting new kinds of torments and dishonour all which I endured without once turning my face aside it is now not only growne weake for hauing encountred with one who was able to suffer more then that but it is euen ouercome outright to your benefit since by my example which I gaue you and by the strength which I haue gayned for you you may at case subdue and trample it vnder your feet Let the Christian man consider that since the world dishonoured the Blessed Sonne of God who is Eternall Truth and our Soueraigne Good there is no cause why any man should esteeme or belieue it in any thing Nay seeing (l) A demonstration why we ought to beleeue the world no more that it was deceaued in not discerning such a light of extreme clarity and in not honouring him who is most true and perfect honour let the Christian man reiect that which the world allowes let him prize loue that which the world doth despise hate Flying with much care from being esteemed by that (m) The World which did despise his Lord and holding it for a great signe of being beloued by Christ to be despised by the world with him and for his sake Out of which this resultes That as they who are of this world haue no eares wherewith to hearken to the truth and doctrine of God nay rather they despise the same so (n) The seruant of our Lord ought at least to be as careful to please him as the seruants of the world are to please it he who taketh the part of Christ is to haue none wherewith to hearken to or to belieue the lies of the world For in fine whether it flatter or persecute whether it promise or threaten whether it speake frightfully or fayre it doth euery where deceaue and hath a mind to doe so and with such eyes we are to looke vpon it And (o) Note this for a most certaine truth it is certayne that for so many lies and false promises wherein we haue taken it tripping if any man should haue told vs but the one halfe we would trust him now in nothing yea hardly should we credit him althogh he might chaunce in other things to say true That (p) If the world do either promise or threaten it lyes which the world can do is indeed neither good nor bad since it cannot eyther giue or take away the grace of God Nay euen in that ouer which it seemeth to haue power it is yet not able to do any thing since it cannot reach to the least hayre of our head without the will of our Lord. And if it tell vs any other tale of it selfe we must not belieue it And who then will not dare to encounter an enemy who hath no power at all CHAP. IV. In what degree and to what end it is lawfull for a man to desire Honour in the world and of the extreme danger which there is in holding places of Authority and Commaund THAT thou mayst the better vnderstand what hath byn sayd thou art to know that it is one thing to loue honour and humane estimation for it selfe as resting therin this is euil as hath byn shewed But another thing it is when these things are beloued for some good end and this is not euill It is a cleare case that a person who hath coÌ„mand holdeth place may for doing good to others desire that honour and estimation which is fit for the discharge of his employment therby the more to do good (a) Men of authority may desire to be well reputed so that it be to a good end For if men haue him who commaundeth in meane account they will not much esteeme of his commaundement though it be iust And not only this kind of persons but all Christians ought to practise that which is writreÌ„ Take (b) Eccles 41. care of thy good name Not as if he were to rest in that but because a Christian ought to be such a kind of man as that whosoeuer should vnderstand or behould his life (c) Note might giue the glory to God as we vse to do when we see a rose or a tree full of shade fruite This is that which the holy Ghospell requires That our light may so shine before men that they seing our good workes may giue glory to the celestiall Father from whome all good things proceed This ayme at the honour of God and the profit of men did mooue (d) 1. Cor. 4. S. Paul to recount those great and secret fauours which our Lord had done him without holding himselfe for a transgressour of that other (e) Prou. â—7 Scripture which sayth Let the mouth of another prayse thee and not thine owne For (f) He might safely do so but other men must take heed he recounted his own prayies so much without the sticking of
But (g) Tremble and take heed if we receiue him ill or do not serue our selues wel of this benefit iust the contrary effect doth follow and such an one shall find himselfe more enthralled by dishonesty then he was before he communicated If with all these considerations and remedies this bestiall flesh grow not quiet thou art to vse it like a beast laying good sound loads vpon it since it will not hearken to so iust reason Some find helpe by pinching themselues very hard in memory of the excessiue paine which those nayles did cause to Christ Iesus our Lord Others by whipping themselues seuerely calling so to mind how our Lord was scourged others with spreading their armes into the forme of a Crosse others with fixing their eyes on heauen others with beating their face and such other thinges as these which put the flesh to paine for at that tyme she vnderstands no other language This (h) The example of Saints is the manner which by reading we find that the Saintes did hold wherof one did strip himselfe starck naked and did all tumble in thorny bushes and so by meanes of his bloudy and afflicted body the warre which was made against his soule did end Another did cast himselfe in the depth of winter into a poole of water which was extreamly cold wherein he stayed till the body came forth halfe dead but the soule was freed from all danger Another thrust his fingers into the fyre and with burning them that other fyre which tormented his soule was quenched And a martyr there was who being bound hand and foote then tempted to vnlawful pleasure by cutting of his owne tongue with his owne teeth became victorious in that combate And although some of these things are not to be imitated because they were inspired by particuler instinct of the holy Ghost and not by the ordinary law vnder which we liue yet hereby we may learne That in the tyme of spirituall warre when there is question or hazard of the soule we are not to be lazy or to expect till our enemyes do giue vs thrustes but we must leape backe from sinne as from the face of a serpent as sayth the Scripture and euery one must apply that remedy to himselfe wherein he findes most profit according to the addresse which shall be giuen him by his prudent Ghostly Father CHAP. XI Of other meanes besides the former whereby some grow to loose their Chastity that we may fly from them if we aâ—so will not loose ours and by what meanes we may strengthen our selues NO care or labour though neuer so great which is employed towards the proseruatioÌ„ of Chastity will be esteemed too much by any if he know how to put the true price vpon the merit and reward thereof Now since our Lord hath made thee vnderstand the valew of this treasure hath giuen thee grace both to choose it and to make (a) This Ladv had vowed Chastity promise therof againe to him I shall not be put into so much necessity to declare the excellency thereof as to giue thee good directions how thou mayst be sure not to loose it and to tell thee of some errours besides the former through which it is lost by others that so thou knowing them mayst auoyde them least thou also come to loose it and thy selfe with it Some (b) Of the diuers wayes whereby chastity groweth to be lost loose it in respect that hauing fierce violent inclinations against it and they on the other side being not earnest in making such a continuall and sharp warre against themselues do with a miserable resolution deliuer themselues ouer bound hand and foot to the will of their enemyes Not considering that the purpose of a (c) A noble word for a Christian to write in his hart â—ither to couqâ—er sinne or to dye in the battaiâ—s Christian is to be either to dye or els to ouercome by meanes of his grace who helpeth such as fight for his honour Others there are who although they be not greatly tempted haue yet naturally a certaine basenes straitnes of hart which is inclined to vile poore things And for as much as this pleasur is one of the most vile poore most at hand they quickly find meanes to meet with it to bestow themselues vpon it as a thing that is proportionable to the basenes poornesse of their owne hart which doth not rayse it selfe so high as to imbrace a life of such men as are ruled euen by naturall reason Which alone taught one so good a lesson as to make him say That in carnall pleasures there was nothing worthy of a magnanimous hart And another sayd That the life which consists in carnall pleasure is a life of beasts For not only doth the light of heauen but euen that of naturall reason condemne such as employ themselues vpon this basenes as people who liue not in the circle of men whose life must be agreable to reason but of beasts whose very life is sensuall appetite And if iustice might be done there would be a great deale of cause to take away the name of men from these fellowes in regard that although they haue the shape of men they yet lead a life of beasts are the true dishonour and reproach of men Nor would (d) How strang this is and yet after a sort it is dayly seene it be a thing moderatly strange or giue small wonder to them that saw it if a beast should lead a man bridled vp and downe and carry him whither it would directing him who ought to gouerne it And yet there are so many ruled by the bridle of bestiall appetite both of high and low condition that I know not whether it is through the multitude thereof that it cannot be so easily discerned Or els I rather belieue that it is because there are few who haue light to see how miserable a soule in a body is when it is killed by carnall pleasures and the more if that body be fresh and fayre O how many soules of these and others are burning in this infernal fire nor is there any to cast tears of compassion vpon them or to say with their hart To (e) Iod. 1. thee O Lord will I cry out because the fire hath denoured the beautifull thinges of the desert For (f) Note certainly if we had amongst vs of those (g) Luc 7. widdowes of Naim who would bitterly bewayle their dead children Christ would vse mercy for the reuiuing them in soule as he did the body of that widdowes sonne who is mentioned in the Ghospell It is not his part to sleep who hath the office in the Church to pray and intercede for the people with the tendernes of a Mother Least God do chastize both him them saying (h) Ezech. 22. I sought among them for a man who might place himself as a wall (i) See the infinit
perfect life that he hath led and of many miracles that he hath wrought Whereof if any man were curious would make search he should find no difficulty euen in our tymes to meete with miracles amongst vs and in the Indies both Orientall and Occidentall in more aboundance CHAP. XXXIII Of how firme and constant and authorized witnesses our faith hath had who haue giuen their liues for the truth thereof IT is possible that some may doubt of the truth of our witnesses which speake and write of the multitude of miracles which haue byn wroght in the Christian Church For as they are people who detest our faith so it seemeth to them that if these witnesses should be true they must not fayle to confesse that we haue much more reason to belieue our Truth then they their Errour But I aske that since they will not giue credit to our witnesses and therefore they refuse to receyue our fayth why giue they credit to their owne witnesses in receiuing their false behefe Whereas (i) A wise and excellent consideration it is certaine and cleere that if they would take the paines to consider it our witnesses do far exceed theirs in all kind of weight of authority There haue byn men in the Christian Church whose (k) The high vertue and piety of many Catholike Christians life hath euidently byn so good as to prooue that they were free from all couetousnesse from all appetite of honour and from all that which flourisheth and is esteemed in the world being full of all vertue and Truth so farre as to dye rather then loose it To what interest can he pretend by the testimony that he giueth who doth not only not pretend to any thing of this world but euen that which he hath of his owne he casteth away What interest can mooue that man to be a false witnesse who giueth his life vnder most greiuous tormentes in confirmation of what he sayth And though some vse to be drawne by force of tormentes to confesse that which the Iudge desires although it be against truth yet if ours would say that which is desired by the Iudge not only should they not loose their goods and life but much more prosperous should they haue remayned by the much which the Iudges promised and would haue performed But despâ—â—ing all this they chose to dy that they might not abandon their faith or vertue which the Iudge would so faine haue had them loose So that they loued no temporall thing nor feared they any thing that was temporall how terrible soeuer No exception therefore can be taken to that which such men say and if it should seeme to any that these proofes were sufficient to make vs hold them for good men and that willingly they would deceaue no body but that themselues were yet deceaued and did so deceaue others without knowing it To this I answeare that in the Church there haue byn men shedding their bloud for Christ so euidently full of (l) The great wisdome of many Catholike Christians who haue suffered death in confirmation of the fayth of Christ wisedom that no reason can be giuen why we should belieue of them that they were deceaued in a matter of so great weight and that so far as to loose their liues for the same For the much interest that a man hath in any thing doth make him looke looke againe what it is that he ratifyeth nor doth a man vse to lay downe his life in confirmation of a truth if he be not sufficiently certifyed thereof And it is a thing notorious that so great wisedome hath byn found among the Christian people as therein they exceed all other generations of men no lesse then wise maisters do ignorant schollers And that there haue byn not one nor one hundred but a mighty number of such persons is a very great testimony of the truth of our faith in confirmation whereof they gaue their liues And (m) Let the false martyrs of foolish Iohn Fox be vnpartially compared with out true ones and their basenesse bestiality will soone appeare although we read of some who also dyed in confirmation of their Errour yet ours do incomparably exceed them in number vertue and in wisedome CHAP. XXXIV That the perfect life of such as haue belieued our fayth is a great testimony of the Truth therof and how farre Christians haue exceeded all other Nations in goodnesse of life SINCE we haue made mention of the goodnes vertue which hath been found in our Christian Martyrs it is not reason that I forbeare to let thee know how great a testimony of their Fayth is the perfect life of them that belieue it Since (a) Another excellent consideration of the perfection of the life of many of them who professe the Christian Catholike Fayth God being good and the maker of all thinges that are good al reason telleth vs that God is a friend to the good since euery one loueth another that is like himselfe euery cause the effect which is produced by it Now if he be a friend he is to help them in their necessityes wherof the greatest of all is the saluation of their soules And c saued they can neuer be without the knowledge of God nor can they know him so as to be saued by him if he do not discouer himselfe vnto them It therefore remaynes that since none of these things can be denyed if on earth there be any such knowledge of God (b) No saluation without fayth which iâ— entirely and precisely true as by which meÌ„ may be saued God giueth this to Christians since amongst them there haue byn and are people of the most eleuated life and most perfect manners that hath beene seene in any tyme or in any generation It seemes that the Philosophers were the flower of Nature and the very beauty thereof where it seemeth that she employed al her streÌ„gth towardes that which concerned liuing well in conformity of reason But laying aside those deformed sinnes which S. Hierome imputeth to the chiefe of those Philosophers and to speake of some who appeared to carry more resemblance of vertue in them then others did so much do they of the Christian Church exceed those others as that we haue weake and young women amongst vs of more vertue then they had who were yet amongst them esteemed for heroicall men For who amongst them will be able to equall the courage and â—oy wherewith S. Catherine S. Agnes S. Lucy S. Agatha with innumerable others like to them did offer themselues to most grieuous torments and to death it selâ—e for the loue of Truth and Vertue And if in the vertue of Fortitude which seemeth to be so much estranged from the weakenes of that sexe these did so farre exceed those others as well in number as in the greatnes of the torments and their â—oy in suffering them how much greater will the excesse be in Humility Charity
prouided a day for thy selfe wherein thou wilt complaine of this offence and say My name is blasphemed vpon your occasion amongst the infidells and to chastize him with seuere punishment who in steed of gathering togeather with thee that which was scattered as he ought to haue done doth eyther scatter that which was gathered or doth hinder it from being so And (l) Let men be as wicked as they will God will stil be iust good then wilt thou make the whole world vnderstand well mough that thou art good though thou haue seruantes that be wicked For the sinnes which they commit displease thee And thou doest forbid them by thy commaundmentes and thou doest seuerely punish them CHAP. XXXV That the very conscience of him that deâ—yreth to obtaine vertue doth testify that our Faâ—th is true and how the desire of leading an euill life doth both procure the loosing of Faith and hinder the getting it BY how much more the witnesse of any thing in question is nearer to vs and well knowne by vs so much doth his credit increase towards the making vs belieue that be sayth true And therefore since I haue â—old thee of some of the meanes which giue testimony of the truth of our Fayth Hearken heere to some others and those not past but present And they againe are so neere thee that they are in thy very hart if thou wilt receaue them and take particuler knowledge of them as thou vsest to take of those thinges which passe there This is grounded vpon the word which our Lord spake If (a) Ioan. 7. any man will doe the will of my Father he shall know whether my doctrine be of God or no. Blessed be thou O Lord who art so assured of the iustice of this thy cause that is the Truth of thy doctrine that thou leauest the sentence which is to proceed vpon it in the hands of whosoeuer will whether he be friend or enemy with this only condition That he who shall make himselfe the Iudge thereof will do the will of God which is but that he should be vertuous and so be saued It is (b) Note this well for it is a wise and most certayne truth certaynely so that if a man should cordially desyre to be good both towards God and towards himselfe and towards his neighbours and would seeke out the fittest doctrine that he could find for making himselfe such if before such an one I say they should lay all the Lawes and doctrines which are in the whole world both true and false to none of which he already carried any particuler affection or passion but did only ayme at the finding out of Truth this man laying aside all the rest would take in hand the Ghospell doctrine of Christ if he (c) According to the true sense therof which is only taught by the holy Catholique Church vnderstood it as a thing which might addresse him better to the end of his iust desires then any other And as he were practising the vertue that he aspired to he would be making experience of the efficacy of this doctrine how fit it were for all that is good for the soule and how wel it were framed for the reliefe of our necessityes and in how short a tyme with how great clarity it did help a man to be vertuous So that such a man comming on by the very experience of the power of this doctrine would confesse as our Lord hath sayd That it came from God and he would also say that which others sayd when they heard Iesus Christ our Lord preaching to them neuer did man speake so well And if euen they who know not Christ by fayth did but heare that admirable charitable word which our Lord himselfe did vtter with so loud a voice If (d) Ioan 7 any man be thirsty let him come to me and drinke and if they would come and make triall of that delicious fullnes and so take experience of this doctrine with desire of being vertuous it is certaine that they would not remain in their infidelity and blindnes But (c) Behold heere the most true cause why Catholik Religion is no more imbraced in England for as much as they are friendes of the world and not of true and perfect vertue nor do they seeke with care the certainty of Truth and the knowledge of God they continue without hearing receauing it And although they heard it yet would it not be receaued by some because it would be contrary to the things which they desire And for this our Lord sayd to the Pharisees certaine wordes which I cyted once before How (f) 1. Ioan. 5. will you be able to belieue since you seeke honour one of another and seeke not the honour which is of God alone And not without great waight of reason did S. Paul (g) 1. Tim 〈◊〉 affirme That some had lost their faith by giuing themselues to couetousnes Not that a man doth instantly loose fayth by committing of any sinne except heresy but for that a hart which is affected to thinges of the world disaffected from vertue when it finds in Christian doctrine certaine Truthes which are contrary to the wicked desires of the same hart and which condemneth vnder so grieuous paynes the thinges which it selfe desires to practise it growes by little and little to seeke other doctrine which may not be of so bad tast in the mouth nor keep such a barking against the ill affections actions thereof And (h) The case of most Protestants who are intelâ—â—gâ—â— so the will being ill inclined is wont to be a meanes of putting blindnes vpon the Vnderstanding and preuailes so farre at last as to make a man giue ouer that Fayth which cryeth out against wickednes that he may follow and belieue other doctrines wherin he may be more at ease and liue how he listes And as this corrupted will is a meanes sometymes to make him loose Fayth that hath it so is it also a meanes to deâ—aâ—ne him from it that hath it not For both these those carry a fastidious kind of mislike against perfect vertue without alleaging in very deed any other cause but only That it is vnsauoury or too highly good so they haue also such a mislike against the Truth of Fayth as being contrary to that wickednes which they loue CHAP. XXXVI That the admirable change which is made in the hart of sinners and the great fauours which our Lord doth to them who follow him with perfect vertue and do call vpon him in their necessityes is a great testimony to the Truth of our Fayth IN how much better case are they who with desire to serue God haue chosen to imbrace this perfectioÌ„ of vertue though al they that serue him do enioy otherwise if they will marke it many testimonyes which Fayth placeth in their hart But especially do they enioy it who serue him with a profiting and
thee a true and reall being and consider thy selfe not as a thing of thyne owne making but as a present which (d) Our creation is of God God was pleased to bestow vpon thee and looke vpon thyne owne being as a thinge as farre from thy strengh to compasse as thou lookest vpon another mans belieuing that thou couldst as little create thy selfe as him And as little couldst thou haue come out of that darcknesse of not being as they can who remaine therein And those thinges which are not at all be equall to thee for as much as concerneth thy selfe and it is God to whom thou must attribute the aduaÌ„tages which thou hast aboue them Be (e) Our conseruation is of God sure not to thinke now that thou art created that thou doest conserue thy selfe in thy selfe For thou hast no lesse need of God in euery moment of thy life to the end that therein thou mayst not agayne loose the Being which thou hast then thou hadst before to the end that of nothing thou mightest come to the being which now thou hast Enter into thy selfe and consider that now thou art a certaine thing which hath both being and life Aske thy selfe this question Is this creature depending vpon it selfe or vpon some other Doth it susteine it selfe or hath it need of some other hand And S. Paul will answere thee (f) Act. 17. That God is not farre from vs but that in him we liue and mooue and haue our being And doe thou consider God who is the being of all that which is and without him nothing is And he is the life of all that which liues and without him all is death And he is the strength of all that which hath any power and without him all is weakenesse And he is the entiere good of al that which is good without whom the least of good things can haue no goodnesse in it Therefore doth the Scripture (g) Isa 40. say All nations are before God as if they were not and they are reputed as vanity and as nothing in his presence And in another place it is written He (h) Galat. 6 who thinketh himselfe to be somewhat whereas indeed he is nothing doth but deceaue himselfe And the prophet (i) Psal 3.8 Dauid speaking to God did say In thy sight I am as nothing By which passages thou art not to vnderstand that creatures haue no being or life or operations which are not proper euen to them and distinct from those of the Creatour but because that which they haue they hold not of themselues nor are able to conserue it but only of God and in God they are said not to be because they hold their being strength from the hand of God and not from their owne Learne therefore to sound well into the bottom of the being and power which thou hast and giue not ouer till thou arriue to the (k) which is the power and wisdome goodnes of Almighty God very first foundation thereof which as being most firme and neuer fayling nor being founded vpon any other but being the foundation of all the rest doth mainteyne thee that so thou mayst not fall agayne into that profound pitt of Nothingnesse out of which he drew thee before Know that the protection which he hath of thee and the hand which he carrieth ouer thee keeps thee still on foote and confesse thou with (l) Psalm 138. Dauid Thou O Lord didst make me and thou didst place thy hand aboue me And know that thou doest so hang vnder this power of God that at the same instant wherein that should fayle thee thou wouldest also fayle as the light which was in a chamber would fayle if the torch which gaue it were remoued or as all light is retired from the presence of the earth by the absence of the Sunne Thou (m) Our Lord Iesus make vs able to do it must therefore adore this Lord with profound reuerence as the sole beginning of thy being and thou must loue him as the perpetuall benefactour and preseruer of it and say to him both with thy hart and with thy tongue Glory be to thee for euer O thou Omnipotent power by which thou doest maintaine me There is nothing O Lord for me to seeke out of my selfe since thou art more internally to me then I am to my selfe and by myselfe through my selfe it is that I must first passe that so I may enter into thee Come close with thy hart and vn â—e it to him in an amourous manner say to him (n) Psalm 13â— This is my ioy for all eternities heere will 〈◊〉 dâ—ell because I haue chosen is And (o) Nâ—te this well begge of God that thou may est â—augrace 〈◊〉 practise 〈◊〉 from thence forward know how to carry the presence of God in thy selfe withall reuerence since he is most present to thee And as thou hast vnderstood by that which passeth within thee that it is God who hath giuen thee thy being and thy working so art thou to vnderstand the same in all the creatures And considering God in all things they all will serue thee for a bright glasse which may represent their Creatour to thee and so thy soule may go well vnited to God and deuoutly singing of his prayses if thou seeke nothing but God in the creatures CHAP. LXV How the exeâ—cising of our selues in the knowledg of the supernaturall being which we haue of grace doth serue towards the obteyning of Humility IF thou haue byn carefull to resolue by the knowledge of thy selfe for as much as concerneth thy being to giue the glory thereof to God much more must thou attend to know that thy well being is not of thy selfe but that it is a gracious guift of our Lord. For (a) A necessary coÌ„sequence if whilst thou ascribest the glory of thy being to him by confessing that not thy selfe but his hands did make thee thou shouldst appropriate the honour of thy good works to thy selfe conceauing it to be thy selfe that made thee good thou wouldst take so much more honour to thy self theÌ„ thou didst giue to God as a good or happy being is a more excellent thing then a mere being It is therefore necessary that with extraordinary diligence thou do attend to know God and to acknowledge him for the cause of all thy good Liue thou in such a fashion that there may not be so much as a seame or stitch of foolish (b) There is nothing which more properly doth belong to Pryde theÌ„ that it is a fooliâ—h thing pride in thy soule but as thou knowest that thou canst not haue the least being that can be thought of if God do not giue it so also know that thou canst not possesse in thy selfe the least good thing if God do not open his hand to bestow it on thee Consider also that as that which is nothing hath no naturall being amongst the creatures so
forth no other fruit then confusion sinne and death And if in any sort I haue had any good thing I receaued it of thee And whatsoeuer good I haue now the same I hold of thee If at any tyme I stood fast on foot I stood by thee but when I fell I fell of my selfe and for euer should I haue remained fallen into that durt if thou hadst not raysed me and for euer should I haue beene blind if I had not beene illuminated by thee When I was fallen I should neuer haue risen vnles thou hadst reached forth thy hand and after I was once raysed I should instantly haue returned to fall if thou hadst not held me And so thy grace and thy mercy O Lord did euer march before me deliuering me out of all mischiefe sauing me from sinnâ—s stirring me vp to auoyd such as were present preuenting me in such as were to come and remouing from before my ne eyes those snares of wickednes by diuerting the causes and occasions therof And if thou O Lord hadst not done so there is no sinne in the whole world which I might not haue committed For I know that there is no sinne which hath beene committed by any man in any kind which another man may not commit if that guide retyre himselfe by whome man was made But thou didst procure that I should not do it and thou didst command me that I should abstayne from it and thou didst infuse thy grace that I might belieue thee For thou O Lord didst conduct me towardes thy selfe and didst preserue me for thy selfe and didst giue me grace and light that I might not commit adultery and all other sinne CHAP. LXVII Wherin he prosecuteth the former exercise and of the much light which our Lord is wont to giue by meanes thereof whereby they know the greatnes of God and as it were the Nothing of their littlenes CONSIDER therefore O Virgin these wordes of S. Augustine with attention thou wilt see how farre off thou art to be from ascribing any glory to thy selfe not only of raysing thy selfe from sinne but in determining thy selfe from returning to fall For as I told thee if the hand of God should once retyre it selfe from thee thou wouldest instantly fal backe into that profound pit of being nothing so if God should forbeare to preserue thee thou wouldest returne to those and more grieuous sinnes then those from which he deliuered thee Be therefore humble and gratefull to this Lord of whome thou art at al moments in so great necessity know that thou art depending vpon him and that all thy good is to be deriued from his holy hand as Dauid sayth In thy hand O Lord are my lett es for lettes he calleth the grace of God and the eternall predestination which commeth by the (a) The first grace of God is giuen vpon no other ground then his own meer goodnes goodnes of God and they are graunted to such as to whome he graunteth them And as if he should resume the being which he gaue thee thou wouldst againe be nothing so he retiring his grace from thee thou wouldest returne to be a sinner I speake not this that thou shouldest fall into any deep discouragement or desperation in that thou seest how thou art hanging vpon the handes of God but to the end that with so much the more security thou mayst enioy the good thinges which God hath giuen thee (b) Let this be the hope of any man who by the goodnes of God doth liue lesse sinfully then he was wont mayst haue confidence that through his mercy he will finish that in thee which he hath begunne And that so much the more as thou with greater humility and profound reuerence and holy feare shalt cast thy selfe trembling and prostrate at his feete not relying any way vpon thy selfe but hauing a strong hope in him For this is a great good signe that his infinite goodnesse will not forsake thee according to that which that blessed and (c) The humility of our B. Lady was aboue all the humilities of al pure creatures humble aboue all humble creatures Mary did sing when she said (d) Luc. 1. His mercy is from generation to generation vpon them that feare him And if our Lord be pleased to giue thee this knowledge of thy selfe which thou desirest thou (e) The sweet and sublyme effects of holy humility wilt find coÌ„ming into thy hart a certaine heauenly light and a kind of feeling into thy soule whereby vpon the driuing away of all darckenesse it findeth and knoweth that there is no being nor good nor strength in any thing created but that which the blessed and deare will of God hath bin pleased to giue and conserue And then he knoweth how true that part of the other canticle is The heauens and the earth are full of thy glory For in all that is created he seeth nothing good the glory whereof is not due to God And he vnderstandeth how truly God directed (f) Exod. 3. Moyses that he should say of him to men He that Is hath sent me to you and that also which our Lord said in the (g) Marc. 10. Ghospell There is none good but God alone For as all the being and all the good which thinges haue whether they be of free will or of grace is giuen and preserued by the hand of God such a person will know that God is more to be said to be in them and to worke that which is good in them then they in themselues Not (h) How God worketh in man and how man worketh with vnder God but that they doe also worke but because they worke as second causes being moued by God who is the principall and vniuersall operatour and of whome they hold their power to worke And so looking vpon them he findeth there no hand-fast nor resting place but vpon that infinite Essence which vpholdeth them in comparison wherof they doe all how great soeuer they be appear but as a little needle which is cast into an infinite sea From (i) This is an inestimable iewell but pray hard for it and by the goodnes of God thou maist purchase it this knowledge of God there doth result to the soule which profits by it a profound and loyall reuerence to the superexcellent diuine maiesty which placeth in her such a detestation of atributing any good thing to her selfe or any other creature that she will not so much as once thinke thereof Considering that as the chast Ioseph who though he were sollicited by the wife of his Lord yet would not commit such a treason against him so must not a man rise vp and robbe God of his honour which he resolueth to keep for himselfe as the husband doth his wife according as it is written My glory I will not giue to another And then also growes a man to be so grounded in this truth that although all the world
he that shal begin such a warre cannot bring in his company a thing of greater preiudice then pusillanimity of hart For he that hath this will be put to flight euen by shaddowes With much reason did God command in tymes past That when his people were in the warres his Priests should encourage them before they began to fight not by humane reasons of the multitude of their men and strength but by thinking vpon the (f) Firrne hope in God is the only souÌ„d receite against hart-breaking protection of the Lord of hoastes who holdeth victory in his hand and who is wont to conquere lofty Giants by little grasse-hoppers for the glory of his holy Name And agreably to this which God commanded the valorous S. Paul sayth to them who were entring into the spirituall warre Comfort (g) Ephes 4. your selues in our Lord and in the power of his strength that so being hartned you may fight the battailes of God with cheerefullnesse and courage So is it read of Iudas Machabaeus who fought with cheerefulnes and so he conquered And S. Anthony a man well experienced in theses piritual combats was wont to say That this spirituall cheerefullnesse was an admirable thing and a powerfull remedy towards the ouercomming of our enemyes For certain it is that the delight which is taken in doing of any worke doth increase a mans forces towards the doing of it Therefore (h) How necessary it is to haue alacrity and courage in the seruice of God doth S. Paul aduise vs thus Reioyce alwayes in our Lord. And we read of S. Francis that he reprehended such of his fryars as he saw to go sadly vp and downe as if they were ill contented and he would say to them He that serneth God should not be after this fashion vnles it were for hauing committed a sinne and if thou haue committed any confesse it and returne to thy former alacrity And of S. Dominicke it is also read That there appeared in his face a kind of cheerefull serenity which gaue testimony of his inward ioy This is wont to grow out of the loue of our Lord and from a liuely hope of his mercy whereby they are able to carry their Crosse vpon their backes not only with patience but euen with pleasure as they did whose goods were stolne yet they remayned content the reason of that was because they had lodged in their harts a better kind of riches in heauen Experimenting that which S. Paul sayd Being ioyfull in hope and patient in tribulation for (i) It is hard to haue patience in a longe-liued Crosse without hauing a great hope in God without the former men can hardly ariue to the later But when this vigour and alacrity fayleth it deserueth great compassion to see how men that walke in the way of God are full of vnprofitable sadnesse their harts being discontented and without gust in things that belong to God and vntoward euen to themselues and to their neighbours and with so little confidence in the mercy of God that there wanteth not much to make it none There are many amongst these persons who commit no mortall sinnes or very rarely But they say that because they serue not God as they ought and as they desire and by reason of the veniall sinnes which they commit they liue in such a fashion as we see But (k) A worse effect of an euil cause if the effects of superfluous sadnes be such as these they do men more harme then the faults themselues which they committed And that which they might preuent and cut off if they had discretion and courage they make to increase and so they fall out of one euill into another Such as they ought to procure and labour to serue God withal diligence if they see they fall let (l) This is indeed good counsaile them weep but not distrust and knowing that they are weaker then they thought let them humble themselues more and demand more grace and liue with greater caution taking help of the tyme past for the tyme to come There (m) Excessiue sloath doth sointymes also cast men afterward vpon despayre are many who on the contrary syde are carelesse and slothfull in seruing God and when they fall into sinne they know not how to help themselues but they go down into the pit of disconfidence and of greater negligence Whereas in very deed for the auoyding of despaire we must auoyd to be lukewarme and negligent in the seruice of God For (n) No man can haue a good hope who endeauours not to lead a good life otherwise as long as a man hath these rootes within him he cannot though he would neuer so faigne haue that vigour and strength of minde which (o) Note this point well groweth from a good and diligent life And if such persons would consider that they endure more (p) The Diuells Martyrs trouble by these sadde and despairing thoughtes which grow from melancholy then they should in cutting vp by the roote those cuill affections and dangerous occasions which hinder them from seruing God with feruour they would especially since they loue to fly from payne make choyce of those troubles which are annexed to the perfection of vertue to fly those others which follow vpon the want thereof S. Paul (q) â— Tâ—â—â— 4. sayth That the end of the law is Charity which proceedeth from a pure hart and vpright conscience and a fayth vnfeigned And he meaneth this vpright conscience to be hope as S. Augustine sayth giuing thereby to vnderstand that vnlesse there be a good conscience hauing fayth and loue and good works which flow from thence there (r) There may be in such men a fond daÌ„gerous kind of presumption such as the Sectaryes are acquainted with but no true Christian hope which is pleasing to God wil be no liuely hope which may giue vs alacrity and if there be any want at all of good conscience there wil be also want of cheerefulnesse and consclation which are caused by a perfect hope For although such a fearefull man be not slayne perhaps by sinne but do liue in state of grace yet he shall worke but weakely So as they who tell thee Belieue that God doth pardon thee and loue thee and then thou shalt be pardoned and loued with such other words as these doe (s) As Luther and Caluin hauedone their followers grieuously deceiue thee and they giue testimony that they speake by imagination not by experience or according to the doctrine of fayth And (t) A most certaine a most soueraign truth the not vnderstanding whereof makes so many cast themselus away by violent death such braueries as those for as much as they are not of God cannot hold a man vpon his feete when tribulation coÌ„meth if it be a sound one Strength of hart and the ioy of a good conscience are the fruites of a good life which they
gather who liue well although they looke not for it And after the rate of the one increaseth the other Now from a contrary cause followeth a contrary effect as it is written The (u) Eccl. â— wicked hart giueth sorrow and from hence groweth disconfidence and other miseries in company thereof CHAP. XXIV Of two remedies for the getting of Hope in the way of our Lord and that we must not turne coward although the remooue of the temptation be differred and how there be certayne hartes which know not how to be humbled but by the knocks of tribulation and therefore that they must so be cured THE conclusion that thou must draw out of all this is That since it doth so much import to go on comforted with a good hope and with alacrity in the seruice of God thou must procure two thinges towards it The one is the consideration of his diuine goodnesse and loue which he hath manifested by giuing vs Christ Iesus for our owne The other that castng off all slacknesse and sloath thou serue our Lord with diligence and when thou fallest into any fault be not deiected with disconfidence but procure remedy and hope for mercy And if many tymes thou fallest procure thou many tymes to rise For (a) If this be not true what is no discourse of reason will endure that thou shouldest be weary of asking pardon since God is neuer weary of giuing it And since he commaunded vs to pardon our neighbours not only (b) Matt. â—â— seauen tymes in the day but seauenty tymes seauen which signifyeth that we must doe it without limitation much and much better will our Lord graunt vs pardon as often as it shal be asked since his goodnes is greater and is placed before vs for an example which we are to follow And if integrity of life and the remedy which thou desirest do not come so soone as thou couldest wish let not that make thee conceiue that it will neuer come Nor (c) Take heed that such a thought as this do not once enter into thy hart be thou like them that sayd If God send not remedy within fiue dayes we will giue our selues vp to our enemies For the holy (d) Iud. 7. Iudith reprehended such men as these with great reason and she sayd who are you that will thus tempt our Lord For such wordes as these are not to mooue him to mercy but rather to stirre vp his wrath and to kindle his fury Haue you perhaps appointed a tyme wherein our Lord is to shew mercy and haue you set downe the day according to your owne mind Learne to hope in our Lord till his mercy come and be not weary of suffering since patience importeth you as much as life And (e) Note if the straytes be great which weaken thy hope euen (f) A comfortable consideration for English Catholikes which ought to fill our soules with patience and with an humble peaceful expectatioÌ„ of the good will of God those very straites should in reason giue thee courage because they vse to be the very Eue and introduction of the remedy For the houre wherein our Lord deliuereth is when the tribulation hath lasted long and at the present afflicteth most As it appeareth plainly in the case of his disciples (*) Luc. 5. Whom he permitted to suffer during three parts of the night and in the last he gaue them comfort He also deliuered his people out of the captiuity of Egypt when the tribulation which they suffered was growne vp to the highest so wil he do with thee when thou thinkest not of it And if thou conceaue that thou wouldest faigne leade a holy life and perfect life and which all might be to the glory of God thou (g) Examine thy consciéce by this light and see if the case be not thyne art to know that there are some so proud and lofty that there is no humbling of them but vpon the price of temptations discomfortes and falling into sinne and so weake they are withall that they will not goe on in the way of God with diligence if they be not ridden vpon the spurre and their hart is so hard as that they must be hammered vpon with a great deale of misery Nor haue they any caution or discretion but vpon the experience of many of their owne errours In fine they haue a mind which is filled and puffed vp with a few graces and they haue need of many afflictions to make them proceed with humility in the sight of God and of their neighbours Thou seest already that the cure of these inconueniences cannot be wrought but with (h) If gentler pnisicke be not able to cure vs we must be cotent that God do play the Surgeon with vs. burning irons and by Gods permitting men to fall into desolations obscuritics of mind and euen into sinnes that so being much afflicted they may humble themselues and then be freed from their miseries The Prophet Micheas sayth Thou (i) Mich. 4. shalt goe as farre as Babylon and there thou shalt be deliuered and God will redeeme thee from the hand of thine enemies For by the confusion of this kind of life and by these falles in to sinne a man vseth to be humbled and both to seeke remedy of God and to find it which if he had not fallen he might perhaps haue lost by pryde or not haue sought with diligence and greâ—fe Eternall thankes be giuen to thee (k) Amen O Lord who out of such preiudiciall miseries art wont to draw these celestiall benefits and that thou art glorified as wel in pardoning sinners as thou art in making and keeping them iust and who sauest by the way of a contrite and humbled hart him who was not in disposition to serue thee with a hart of innocency and who makest a mans sinnes giue him occasion of being humble diligent and aduised that so as thy selfe did say He (l) Luc. 7. to whome more is forgiuen may loue more that so it may be fulfilled which the Apostle sayth Mercy in iustice maketh that iustice of thyne appcare more glorious as it maketh thy goodnesse seeme more in pardoning and sauing such as haue sinned and returne to thee In another place he also sayth That (m) Roun 8. all things prooue to the good of such as loue God Yea so do (n) Infinite goodnes of our God the very sinnes themselues which they haue committed as S. Augustine sayth But (o) Absâ—â— yet this must not be taken as a ground for thy tepidity or facility in sinning to buyld vpon for that must in no case be done But to the end that if thou fall into so great misfortune as to offend our Lord thou do not yet commit a greater sinne then that can be by dispayring of his mercy CHAP. XXV How the Diuell procureth to draw vs to despayre by tempting vs against fayth and the diuine mysteries of the remedies