point shal consider that this honour worship is payed by the fine of the three Theologicall vertues How this honour is yielded to God Fayth Hope and Charity By Fayth we belieue that God is an essence infinite eternall incomprehensible one God in three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost God that hath created the world and gouerneth it with his power and wisedome and hath redeemed it by his bounty and by his iustice shall giue vnto euery one according to his workes This is the subiect of Fayth and the rest that is contayned in the Apostles Creed By Hope we haue our soueraigne trust in him expect of him as of our first cause and last end help and succour in the necessityes of this world and eternall glory in the other By Charity we loue and serue him with all our hart aboue all thinges according to his titles of Maiesty adoring honouring him with the inward acts of our soule and outwardly by corporall workes agreeable to our fayth and inward actions also by first fruits and tithes of our goods but principally by sacrifices as the iust haue alwayes done before the comming of our Sauiour by their sacrifyces made of the bodyes of mortall creatures Masse the great sacrifice of the ChristiaÌ„s and afterward Christians by that of the Holy Masse wherein is offered vnto God the immortall body of his only Sonne in an vnbloody sacrifyce after the Order of Melchisedeth The third point shall obserue as conclusions drawne out of the two precedent that all those that adore many Gods giue the soueraigne honour due to God only to their Idols and false Gods as the Pagans did and doe still that they are Idolatours and breakers of his first Commandement as are also all other Infidels Iewes Turkes Heretikes Magicians Sorcerers and all sortes of superstitious people as also they that despaire or put their chiefe trust or coÌ„fidence in creatures of whome Hieremy sayeth Accursed is he that trusteth in man Ierem. â—7 5. that is as in God and that putteth flesh for his arme and draweth his hart from God They also that loue any creature more then God eyther Angells men women children goodes landes or any thing els whereby they leaue to serue God with all their hart or which is worse doe altogeather forsake him despising his Lawes and Commandements The fourth point shall teach To honour Saints is not against this commaÌ„demeÌ„t that it is not against this coÌ„mandment to honour with a second not soueraigne honour some creatures according vnto that degree of excellency that God hath bestowed vpon them as Fathers Mothers Kings Magistrats with a ciuill honour The B. Virgin the Angels and Saints departed and reigning in heauen with a religious honour to prayse them and pray to them and desire their help as being the friends of God and faithfull Hier. in Vigil epist. 53. Damas l. 14. ortho fidei c. 16. Basil in 40. Mart. Naz. ora 55. Cyp. Athan. Basil and charitable intercessours for our necessityes in heauen as when they liued they were vpon earth And this honour and seruice doth not derogate to the Maiesty of God but doth increase his honour praysing and honouring him not only in himselfe but also in his seruants whome he hath made heeretofore instruments of our saluation in his Church militant and afterwards glorious lightes in his Church triumphant where they pray him without ceasing and intercede for vs are carefull for vs as for the members of the same body In the fifth point he must consider how that Images and the honouring of them vsed in the Church of God Chrys de cateâ— S. Petri. is not repugnant to that part of the commandement which forbiddeth carued Idolls for an Idoll is the representation of a false Deity as those of the Paynimes that represented Saturne Iupiter and other false Gods or those that euery ones fancy did faine and forge vnto himselfe An Image is a representation of a true thing of God of Iesus Christ of an Angell of a Saint and the honour done vnto it is referred and redoundeth to the patterne therof and therefore as it is piety to honour Iesus Christ his Angells and Saints although with diuers degrees so also is it to honour their Images as things appertayning vnto them in that they represent them and as heÌ„ honoureth the King with a ciuil honour The Image of a king capable of ciuill honour who honoureth his Image so he honoureth God and his seruants deceased who honoureth their representations This is not therfore to adore the gold siluer wood stone after the manner of Idolatours but to honour God and his Saints in those thinges that represent their memory after the manner of Christians The speach shall giue thankes to God for the light of this his commandement and shall aske his ayde to performe it The after-dinner and Euening of this fourth dayes Iourney How the iustice of God doth shine in his first Commandement Prayers to auoyd the Idolls of false Christians CHAP. XI IN the Afternoone hauing made some Meditation proper for the day or some other spirituall exercise vpon the occasions of tymes How straitly man is bound to serue God or places he shall resume the pointes of his morning meditation and shall admire the iustice the importance and fruit of this Commandment for what can be more due and agreable then the soueraigne honour to the soueraigne Lord Supreme loue to the supreme Bounty Supreme respect to the supreme wisedome What more strait bond of Obedience can there be then of the creature to the Creatour of the sonne to the Father of the vassall to his Lord Liege To whose glory should man employe all the actions of his soule and body better then on him of whome he hath both soule and body vnderstanding will memory all the interiour facultyes of his soule his eyes eares nose tongue hands and all the exteriour parts and members of his body And finally of whome he hath his being of whome he dependeth by whome he is redeemed and from whome he expecteth endlesse glory So shall our pilgrime discourse and say vnto himselfe A speach to his soule O my soule adore this Lord seeing he is thy soueraigne serue him with all thy might seeing he is Almighty loue him with all thy hart seeing he is all louely serue him with al thy powers seing they come all of him seing thou hast nothing good that commeth not from him that made thee that redeemed thee who preserueth thee and hath giuen thee all this world and his owne only Sonne will giue thee himselfe at the last of himselfe prepare thee a blessed banquet and feast of felicity He shall speake also vnto God and say O my soueraigne Lord my Father my all in all be thou alwayes my Lord my Father my God and let me be alwayes thy seruant and thy sonne Let my vnderstanding adore
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
of the cleare vision and contemplation of their Creatour the cause of all beauties that are in heauen or earth and infinitly more beautifull then all other beauty put together Of the body He meditated in the second place of the glory which the bodies of the â—ust shall haue after the ResurrectioÌ„ which can not otherwise be declared but as the Apostle declareth the whole felicity That the eye hath not seene nor the eare heard nor the hart of man comprehended â— Cor. 2. what God hath prepared for those that loue h m he could say no more then in saying as he did that it is impossible to conceiue that felicty The scripture sayth that the iust shall shine like the sunne and compareth them to eagles Matt. 15. signifying the beauty agility of their body Our Sauiour to whose similitude we shall rise agayne came out of the graue that he rose out subtile impassible such in similitude shall our bodies be in such qualities shining Phil. 3.20 transpareÌ„t agile subtile penetrant and immortall heere withall euery particular part of the body shall haue a supernaturall beauty as now it hath a naturall with this difference that then all the body being transparent like christall all parts shall be visible in it as well the inward as the outward the bones the muscles the sinewes the veines the arteries the lungs the liuer the hart all shall be cleansed and cleared from all imperfectioÌ„ indewed with their proper beauty in propoâ—tion clearenes and colour This of Saphire that of Emeraldes one of Carbuncles another of Diamonds and aboue all shall be most adm rable those which haue beene employed in some speciall and peculiar seruice of the diuine Maiesty So the skinne of S. Bartholomew stead off for the faith shall shine with a particular beauty the armes and feete of S. Peter crucifyed the head of S. Paul cut of the tongues of true preachers the hands of Almoners the armes of the true souldiours of Iesus-Christ the eyes of chastity the hayres of virginity nothing shall be without recompence without excellency without particular glory Lazarus was plunged in this meditation and sayd O my soule if thou beest rauished meditating these beauties how great shall thy ioy be in enioying them O Lazarus what doost thou to deserue them What giuest thou to buy them What sufferest thou to gaine this honour And with what pace walkest thou to get the goale of this glory O soules redeemed with the precious bloud of Iesus thinke vpon these honours O Christian Dames who so highly esteeme the beauty of the body that not hauing it you would gladly purchase it with great summes of gold and siluer hauing it do hold it so deere tender it so carefully by art by gold by apparell by chaynes carkenets and iewels your beauty is nothing it is foule and ill fauoured in respect of this and if it were any thing you know well it shall finally perish eyther by some misfortune or by touch of sicknes or by age or surely by death Where is the beauty of AbsaloÌ„ of Lucrece of so many men women admired in the world Loue then the beauty of this Resurrection which shall be proper for euer vnto your bodies and to obtaine it loue now the beauty of your soules O my soule be thou amorous and in loue with this beauty O glorious Virgin O faithfull aduocate aduaÌ„ced this faire and ioyfull day aboue all the thrones of the heauenly and happy spirits the wonder of all goodly creatures on earth whilst thou wert aliue the wonder of all the creatures in heauen for euer the honour of the triumphant Church the refuge of the militant the comfort of the afflicted the guide of wanderers helpe vs with thy graces and credit with him by whome thou wert this day carryed vp into heauen with the company of all the heauenly hostes Procure o most B. Virgin that we obtaine grace holily to liue vpon earth to the imitation of thy selfe and happily to dye to thy example and one day to enioy eternally the riches of the triumphant Resurrection in the Kingdome of thy Sonne Iesus 1. An exhortation to a sick person in agony of death 2. The affliction of Lazarus 3. His arriuall at his Fathers house 4. His farewell to his Father and to the world CHAP. XXV THVS Lazarus ended his prayer Theodosius and Vincent ended then also and had felt great inward ioy therein The steward came early to their chamber hauing made ready their breakfast but they would eate nothing saying it was to soone They desired him humbly to salute in their behalfe Monsieur the Marquesse the Abbot the Vicount the Baron his children and to assure them that they would pray to God for their prosperity The steward had closely put into Lazarus bagge ten Crownes wrapped in a paper with these words of the Marquesse owne writing Pray to God for the Marques which Lazarus found at night in his fathers house He imbraced the Steward with many thankes after they had sayd their Pilgrims prayers they went out of the Castle and hauing beene a while silent they began to talke Lazarus praised much the prudence and liberality of the Marques and of his brother the sincere and harty loue of his children full of humility and courtesy the true markes of true nobility as contrariwise pride and disdaine is a true token of a base and rude mynd he commended also greatly the modesty diligence of all the officers and seruants and tooke this for a sure signe of the Marquesse his vertue for commonly like maister like men and the subiects doe for the most part frame themselues after the fashions of their Lord. Theodosius sayd that he noted at supper a meruailous contentment of all in the answere that was made to Syre Cime and that he did neuer better perceiue the leuity obstinacy of heresy then in that man who sought nothing but to talke and shew himselfe though he shewed himselfe alwayes void of good learning Pride the Father of heresy Whereupon Lazarus sayd Pride is the Father of heresy and vanity is her Mistresse and therefore you may not meruaile to see an Heretike both proud and vayne togeather Wherefore then quoth Vincent doth not the Marquesse his nephew shew himselfe like his maister Because sayth Lazarus he is not so much an Heretike as bred and brought vp in heresy neuer hauing beene Catholike knowing nothing but what they haue giuen him to vnderstand without contradictioÌ„ it is well to be hoped that as he is of a noble tractable nature and of a goodly spirit that as soone as he shall haue free liberty to conferre with some learned man or cast his eyes vpon some learned booke he will discouer the deceits of these impostures which his maister hath commended vnto him for rules and maximes of his Religion will imbrace the truth of the Catholike fayth Surely sayd Vincent I longed much
life to the pilgrimages of deuotion The spirituall habits of the Pilgrimes CHAP. II. GOING on his way after he hath sayd the prayers of trauailers admited blessed the diuine Maiesty at the behoulding of the Heauens the chiefe and principall worke of his handes he shall ruminate his morning meditation to draw thereout some new tast and deuotion For this is the force of prayer to giue alwayes new light according vnto the measure and manner that it is vsed To ruminate or chew the Cudde and the proper exercise of deuout persons is often to remember in their mindes what they haue once learned to the imitation of those Beasts who in the law of God are called cleane whose property is to chew the cudde and to take thereof new gust and new substance Cleane beastes Leu. 11.3 he shall gather then a new and consequently of that he hath meditated that the pilgrimage he maketh to Loreto and all others that men make vpon the earth are but figures and similitudes of the pilgrimage that all mortall men do make from their birth to their graue and comparing the figure to the truth he shall find the one most liuely expressed and represented in the other The likenes of the earthly pilgrime to the spiritual The true Pilgrime hath alwayes in his thought the place whither he tendeth he chooseth the shortest and surest way he goeth forward without any markable stay The Citties buildings paâ—laces fields gardens places of pleasure if he musâ— needes see them yet he seeth them only as in passing by them being alwaies attentiue to his end He endureth in towne field all the incommodities and dangers of men and beasts contempt iniury hunger thirst want heat cold haile snow sometyme lying vnder the house-roofe sometyme vnder the cope or canopy of heauen sometimes merry and wel disposed somtime againe weary crazed humble patient courteous wise and circumspect in all his actions He shall find all this point by point practised in the pilgrimage of mans life The spirituall Pilgrime by those that are well aduised pilgrimeâ— these walking vpon the earth haue heaueÌ„ in their hart whicâ— is the end of their mortal course they striue walke withouâ— rest towards vertue holding the directest surest way whicâ— is that which the Catholike Church our good and commoâ— Mother doth shew vs in her great Itinerarium of the lawes anâ— commandments of God The Itinerarium of the lawes of God they make no reckoning of worlâ—ly magnificence and take with an equall mynd prosperity aduersity If their affaires goe well forward they thanke thâ— diuine prouide are without pride if they suffer shipwrack they lift their hands to heauen blesse the same prouidence They are sober in aboundance abound in want they are humble in honours and magnanimous in the midst of disgraces Finally there is no accident in the variety of this changeable inconstant life wherof he reapeth not some profit towardeâ— eternity Our pilgrime shall marke all these similitudes to thâ— true pilgrimes and shal contemplate in the figure of his thâ— forme and tenour of the other and make his profit thereof He shall also allegorize all the parts of his furniture and appartell and shall attire his soule to the likenes of his body For his Hat he shall take the assistance of God his shooes shaâ— be the mortification of his affections Patience shall be 〈◊〉 mantle or lether cloake Ciuility shall be his coate or caâ—ssacke Chastity his girdle contemplatioÌ„ meditation shall his bag and bottle the loue of the Crosse his pilgrimes staffe Faith Charity and good workes shal be his purse and mony so shall he spiritually attire the inward man of the spirit to the imitation of the Apostle S. Paul who arming the Christian souldier giueth him his furniture framed of the stuffe of such like allegories and armes forged of the same mettal Ephes 6. The shield of Verity a breast-plate of Iustice shooes of the preparation to the Gospell the buckler of faith the helmet of saluation and the sword of the spirit of God In such exercises shall he passe the after noone talking to God and himselfe making his prayers and examen as before saluting the B. Virgin in her houres saying his beads singing some hymne proper for the tyme or some spirituall song drawn out of his meditation as this that followeth A Canticle of the Pilgrimage of this world O brightsome day which makes me cleere perceiue The state of this life mortall And in my soule for to conceiue A liuely expectance of th' eternall Heere I seeke in Pilgrimes weed The way that vnto heauen doth lead This path mâ—â—â— faire I walking winde By shaddow of my pilgrimage Wherein at euery steppe I find An heauenly draughâ— and image Of my fraile mortality Tending to Eternity O mortall men who tread the ground Of this false earth disastrous As though beneath were to be found The blisse of life delicious You mâ—cke your selues this world below No such pleasure can bestow The woods affoard no fish nor wine Nor from the Sea doth timber flow In this vaine world naught els in fine But thornes and fayned fruite doth grow Of fayned ioy vnfayned griefe The fruit of this our dying life This life we lead heere in exile All fraught with danger and deceyte Resembleth passengers by Landes hostile Seeking after Heauens retraite Such was Adam and such was Eue Whilst in earthly Paradise they liue Such was IESVS though God and Man Such was MARY his Mother deare Such were all Saints both now and than In this vale of woe and feare Teaching vs to seeke by hand The milke and hony flowing land Merily then let 's march apace Vnto this Blessed Virgins Hall There shall we see the Heauens Grace Inclosed in a Chappell small And learne to be of this mayde-wife Perfect Pilgrimes all our life At night he shall take vp his lodging such as he shall find to take some rest and to get new strength of body and spirit the more cheerfully to continue his iourney the next day The second dayes Iourney The meane and way happily to performe the pilgrimage of this life is to suffer and fight vnder the banner of Iesus Christ and goe alwayes forward in vertue CHAP III. IN the second dayes iourney a good while before the Sun rise the Pilgrime shall examine his actions of the night past he shall say the Credo Pater and Aue and after continuing the matter begun he shall meditate of the meanes and manner how to performe happily the Pilgrimage of this humane life hauing already obserued in his first meditation that euery man must of necessity make it seeing that euery man is a Pilgrime vpon the earth and that some make it well of which number he desireth to be one and others ill whome he would not follow The prayer preparatory heere after shall be alwayes as before The first Preamble shall represent
that dolorous mystery when thy Sonne praying in the garden to his eternall Father in his agony swet drops of bloud in such aboundance that they ranne downe vpon the ground and after was by one of his disciples betrayed and deliuered to the ministers of the Iewes by whome he was taken and his hands being manicled with a cord about his necke was cruelly haled to the houses of Annas and Cayphas The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me of thy deare Sonne the gift and grace of true prayer and that in all my tribulations and afflictions I may conforme my will vnto Gods bearing them all with patience and that he will assist me in the agony of my death Amen Of the Whipping The Oblation O Virgin most afflicted I humbly offer thee 10. Aues and one Pater noster in memory of the griefe and shame which thy Sonne felt Dolo ∣ rous 2 when after all the scoffing beating and spitting of that darke and dolefull night the next day he was in the house of Pilate despised and put to shame being he that cloathed the heauens with beauty and is himselfe the most beautifull of all the children of men bound to a piller and whipped most cruelly with no lesse then 5000. stripes and more The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee aske of thy Sonne for me that he would rid me of all earthly affections giue me grace and courage to chastice and subdue myne owne flesh that it preuaile not against the spirit and that I may patiently beare the rods and chasticements which in this life his diuine Maiesty shall send me Of the Crowning The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 3 O Virgin distressed I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster in reuereÌ„ce of that griefe which thy Sonne our Lord Iesus-Christ suffered when the cruell tormentors crowned him with a crowne of thornes which pierced his most tender and holy head in such sort that his precious bloud trickled downe round about most aboundantly They mocked him also put in his hand a reed for a scepter striking him therewith on the head The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee pray for me that I may auoid all desire of pride presumption and may rather desire â—â—ame iniuries for my sweet Sauiour Christ his sake that in this life being crowned with thornes of tribulation I may deserue hereafter to be crowned with glory in thy blisse euerlasting Of the carrying of the Crosse The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 4 O Virgin so darkened and filled with griefe sorrow I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster for the sorrow thy holy soule felt when thou didst see thy dearely beloued Sonne led through the streetes of Hierusalem with proclamation condemned to death as a malefactour and disturber of the people carying all along that heauy Crosse vpon his weake shoulders and sawest him failing to the ground with the weight thereof with which dolefull sight thou wert euen pierced with griefe and sorrow The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me perfect feeling and tendernes of hart and compassion in these sufferings of thy Sonne and tâ—â—e repentance whereby I may weepe also for my selfe confessing correcting and satisfying for my sinnes and that with promptitude and alacrity I may carry any Crosse which God shall lay vpon my shoulders Of the Crucifying The Oblation Dolo ∣ rous 5 O Virgin spring and fountaine of teares at the foote of the crosse crucifyed in hart with thy Sonne I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster to the incomparable griefe which thou feltst when in mount Caluary thou â—awest thy good Iesus that lambe without spot fastened to the Crosse with cruell blowes which pierced thy hart where after pardoning of his enemies and fulfilling the scriptures with a great cry and teares he commended his soule to his eternall Father thou sawest him yield vp his ghost The Prayer BY the greatnes of thy griefes which heare B. Lady thou didst suffer obtayne for me that I may pardon and loue myne enemies that our Lord may pardon me all my sinnes and not forsake me in the houre of my death but that hauing performed all my duty I may yield my soule into his holy hands Amen Of the Resurrection The Oblation O Queene of heauen full of ioy I humbly offer thee 10. Aues one Pater noster for the ineffable ioy thou tookest in the Resurrection Glori ∣ ous 1 of thy well-beloued Sonne when to thee before all others he appeared glorious risen from the dead and conuerted all thy sorrow into ioy and gladnes and after in token of his great loue and for confirmation of the fayth of this Resurrection he appeared often to his Apostles and disciples The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee procure me the true ioy of a good coÌ„science and that my soule may rise againe in newnes of life and manners and firmely belieue the misteries of the fayth which our holy Mother the Catholike Church teacheth Amen Of the Ascension The Olation O Glorious Lady full of comfort I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues Glori ∣ ous 2 and one Pater noster for the ioy thou haddst in the wonderfull Ascension of thy Sonne our Lord when thou sawest him with glorious triumph mounted vp accompanied with the blessed soules of the holy Fathers adored and worshipped of all the quires of Angels ascending into the heauens there sitting at the right hand of God his Father leauing thee heere on earth for the stay and light of his Apostles for the example comfort of his Catholike Church The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee obtaine for me that my hart may be lifted vp to loue heauenly things and that thou wilt be to me a sweete comforter in the iourney of this present life that I may deserue life euerlasting Amen Of the comming c. The Oblation O Excellent Spouse of the holy Ghost mother of the motherles comfort of the comfortles I humbly offer 10. Aues and one Pater noster to the sacred mystery of the coÌ„ming of the holy Ghost when Glori ∣ ous 3 in the figure of fiery tongues he descended vpon thee most B. Virgin and the whole company of the Apostles euen as thy Sonne promised in such sort did inflame and fill their harts that immediatly they began to speake in diuers tongues the wonders of God The Prayer PRay for me O B. Lady that I may deserue to receyue plentifull grace the gifts of the holy Ghost the language of ChristiaÌ„ loue in all my conuersation with my neighbours and perseuerance in vertue and all good purposes Of the Assumption The Oblation Glori ∣ ous 4 O Soueraigne Lady and Virgin the honour of mankind beauty of the heauens I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues and one Pater noster to the glorious mystery of thy Assumption when by the B. Sonne thou wert called to his euerlasting glory deseruedst at thy happy passage to
Bread one Body one Bloud one Flesh in Iesus Christ to the likenes of materiall Bread which is composed of diners graines and wine made of many grapes as our Doctours doe expound The third point Of the effects of this Holy Sacrament CHAP. IV. The effects of B. Sacrament S. Tho. 3. quest 79. THE third shall be to consider the effects of this diuine mystery which are many The 1. wherof is to Quicken and giue the grace of God the life of the soule as our Sauiour sayth He that eateth me shall liue by me The second to Nourish and increase the same grace euen as corporall meate maintaineth life Ioan. 6. and maketh the body to growe The third to Enlighten the spirit as appeareth by the first Communion which our Sauiour after his resurrection gaue vnto his two Disciples at Emaus by the which their eyes were opened they knew their Maister presently Luc. 24. Aug. epist. 59. ad Paulin. whome before they knew not they belieued that he was risen againe whome they thought had beene still in his graue The fourth to Vnite the soule with God and with our Neighbour and to dissolue all emnity and discord so teacheth our Sauiour He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud Ioan. 6. Act. 4.31 remaineth in me and I in him An effect which did manifestly appeare in the first Christians who receaued euery day of whome it is sayd that they were one hart one soule The fifth to Enkindle deuotion and Charity towardes God and men euen as bread and wine doth increase the vitall spirits and heate the body The sixth to Extinguish quench the concupiscence of flesh and to preserue from sinne as a remedy against the flesh of our first Father Adam by the which men were defyled and made prone to sinne The seauenth to Fortify and strengthen vs against all the stormes and tribulatiōs of this mortall life Dauid prophesying of this effect sayd Thou hast prouided a table for me Psal 22.5 against those that trouble me So we read that the Prophet Elias persecuted by Queene Iezabel and constrained to fly through the desert 3. Reg. 19 sustained the trauaile of fourty dayes and fourty nights with the refection of that bread which the Angell had brought him which was a figure of this our Angelicall bread the flesh of our Sauiour The eight to Contente fill and reioyce the soule which of it selfe cannot be satisfyed or filled or find any firme or solid repose in things of the earth although she had them all alone euen so Christians in the beginning of the Church made no reckoning of riches but reioyced in possessing nothing and in suffering some thing for the name of Iesus The last to Bring to euerlasting glory for this deified Flesh holily and deuoutly receaued breedeth in the soule an insatiable desire of her heauenly Cōtrey and transporteth and carryeth the hart and affection to heauen and giueth to the body a seed of the glorious resurrection which is signifyed by the wordes of our Sauiour Ioan. 6.54 He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Bloud hath life euerlasting and I will rayse him againe at the last day After these considerations the Pilgrime shall admire the greatnes of this guift and benefit and in his admiration shall say this prayer following A speach to God and thankesgiuing CHAP. V. O My soueraigne Lord and sweet Redeemer I behould in all thy diuine workes and especially in the Sacramēt of thy Blessed Body that thy power is infinite that thy wisedome is a depth thy bounty a sea without bottome or bounds thou hast made all this visible world of nothing for the vse of man thou hast allied thy selfe to the house of Adam The liberality of our Sauiour and taking thereof a mortall body and matching and marrying it with thy diuinity wast made man to make man God thou hast giuen this body on the Crosse a ransome for our redemption not content with so great a liberality hast also left it in this mystical Table of thy Church for the nourishing of our soules and the resurrection of our bodyes tying thy selfe with this second band of loue and charity neuer heard of with all euery one of thy members What shall I wonder at in this mystery and guift Thy almightines His power Who hast so wonderfully changed this common and mortall bread into thy glorious and immortall Body by the same authority and power wherwith it made the whole world of nothing but with greater meruaile and miracle for this Body is more worth then a thousand worlds Shall I admire thy wonderfull wisedome His wisedome which in the heauēly Table of this thy body dost teach vs Faith Hope and Charity Humility Obedience Prudence Chastity Fortitude Piety Meeknes and all other goodly Christian vertues And whereas other bodyes could not nourish ours but for a tyme this Body duly receaued doth feed and fat the soule with spirituall riches His boūty and powreth into our flesh the seed of immortality Shall I admire thy infinit bounty in making vs this present of thy Body a present that surpasseth the price of al things created a present of thyne owne selfe of infinit valew for with the same Body thou gauest vs thy soule and deity which are inseparable companions and therefore in this holy Table we haue a liuely figure and pledge of the future felicity which shall be to liue in heauen of thy selfe and to enioye the immortall food of thy selfe what shall I then say of this banquet O my Redeemer but only that I am oppressed and ouerwhelmed in the consideratiō of thy infinite power wisedome and goodnes O deere depth O sweet Sauiour what wilt thou worke in them who haue this grace to receaue thee holily Do me sweet Iesus this fauour thus to eate and receaue thee and to see my selfe alwayes drowned in the depth of thy infinite charity How to Heare Masse CHAP. VI. HAVING finished his prayer he shall heare the diuine Office and goe to Confession if he need and shall heare Masse to receaue afterward which to do profitably it is good to know the manner that euery Christian must keep to heare it well Purity deuotion to heare Masse First he must haue his soule not only pure as much as may be from sinne but also prepared with a speciall deuotion for sinne is a generall barre to all blessinges and therefore whosoeuer will fruitfully assist the diuine mysteryes get good by hearing or dealing with them he must be cleansed from sinne by Confession and if he want meanes therto by holy contrition and sorrow for his faults with purpose to confesse at his next commodity as we haue sayd elswhere Attentiō to help deuotiō Secondly he must be attentiue to euery part thereof to enkindle deuotion Our Pilgrime as also any man els that loueth piety shall consider three thinges which he must haue learned in
slept not seeing any of all this Lazarus commended himselfe and them as hartily as he could to God the B. Virgin and their good Angels consulted with himselfe whether he should awake them or no he coÌ„cluded that it was best so to do that they might set themselues to their prayers so he iogged them softly but neuer were men so amazed as they when their eyes were open and saw so many candles and folks they beheld that foule goate that lead the dance drawing his daÌ„cers in a ring skipping about with their backe one against another At the end of the place one vpon a banke raised of earth as vpon an Altar made a sacrifice in derision as may be thought of that which is don in the Church of God Vincent would haue cryed out but Lazarus stopped his mouth with his hands and bad him in his eare commend himselfe to God and sit still And although neither the Goate nor his Synagogue tooke any heed of the presence of these Pilgrims as God would haue it yet they felt the effect of their prayers for they could not performe to their mind their charmes and abominations and stayed many times looking about if they could discouer any person that might trouble them At last the goate listing vp his head perceiued the three Pilgrims vpon the Oake all the dance was dashed and all their action at an end and sodainly he dispatched vnto the oake three of his troope to whome he gaue the figure of Wolues who came straight to the foore of the tree lifting vp their heads towards the Pilgrims The Pilgrimes looked downe sadly vpon them againe without saying word not thinking that they would come vp to them but when they saw them clyme like cattes and come almost to reach them they soddenly made the signe of the Crosse all three cried out together as loud as they could Iesus Maria at which voyce the wolues fell downe vpon the earth like three sackes of corne and all the assembly vanished leauing behind them a smoke stench most horrible as if the plague had there burnt al the rags of her infection Then sayd Vincent neuer in my life was I so high mounted to see such dauncings and such a parlameÌ„t meeting of states or holding of estate and if we be out of daÌ„ger I will say we haue scaped faire I hope saith Theodosius we shal be acquited of feare We must not doubt saith Lazarus for we are in the protection of him who bridleth the fury of these rebellious spirits and without whose permission they can doe nothing the issue of this spectacle may shew vs how weake they are against the children of God for there were diuers diuels in company 66. persons besides against three poore vnarmed Pilgrims and they could not beare the sound of the name of Iesus his glorious Mother but alas in what estate are those poore wretches that by their owne sinne and folly haue enthralled themselues into the chaines of so detestable and shamfull slauery To serue God is honourable O my brethren what difference is there to serue our God and to follow the abominations of this infernall goate How will he handle them when he shal haue them his slaues bouÌ„d in his eternall prisons seeing he doth vse them so ignominiously whilst they attend to his seruice As Lazarus said this and all three gaue thankes to God for their deliuerance they heard a bell souÌ„d as a farre of which was the ringing to mattins at the Conuent of Bon-heur a league and a half from that place they thought it was the bell of some Church but knew not of what they were glad therof slept a litle wheÌ„ the day began to breake and that the starre of Andromades began to appeare aboue our Horizon Lazarus awakened his companioÌ„s aduertising them that it was time to be walking Theodosius and Vincent came downe first by the rope and Lazarus last hauing tyed it with a running knot that he might pull it downe after him They hasted to see the place where these wretches had held their Sabaoth there they found certaine gobbets of flesh rosted blacke of bread fruits which was the prouision of their banquet also a chalice and patten of siluer certaine candles of blacke matter and stinking some what like Pitch a slice of a Turneppe made blacke about the bignes of an host two papers in one whereof was written Hezares and some other barbarous and vnknowne names which were the names of Diuels Hezares In the other was a Catalog of the officers of this Hezares and what euery one should performe in his seruice The workes of witches which were to empoyson bewitch destroy the fruites of the earth make folkes sicke and to heale them or such like things by charmes and characters They found also a wolues skin and a peece of a parchment vnfolded like toile d'oignon and some graines of frankincense and other such abomiable trash some they cast away and some they caried to burne at their next lodging Vincent loaded himselfe litle knowing what imaginations that burden would breed him Theodosius tooke the chalice and the patten and wiping it with leaues put it in his bagge It was full day when they began to walke and sayd their wonted prayers for their iourny After euery one set himselfe to meditate a part the subiect of their meditation was of the Passion of our Sauiour The seauen and thirtith Day and the seauenth of his Returne 1. Of distraction and euagation of the mind in prayer 2. A Meditation of the Passion of our Sauiour CHAP. XVIII THE Pilgrims walked and meditated in the morning in great siâ—eÌ„ce but with much trouble for they felt no gust of deuotion in their soule EuagatioÌ„ of spirit and the more they forced and endeauoured to penetrate the mistery they had vndertaken the more they found themselues dry and distracted and which troubled them most was the matter of their meditation deserued much deuotioÌ„ So euery man examined his conscieÌ„ce to fynd out the cause of this drinesse and euagation of mind without discouering so much one to another Yet Lazarus perceiued somwhat in the countenance of his coÌ„panions outwardly that all went not well within and laboured for his part to follow a good threed of his meditation but when he saw that it went worse and worse The Diuels craft to trouble praier he perceiued it was an assault of those malicious spirits who incensed by the shame they receiued in their Sabaoth do reueÌ„ge themselues as wel as they can sending these waspes and flies of distraction into the fancy of them who shamed them and he remembred the importunate flying of the birds which flittered about the sacrifice of Abraham and which Abraham draue away with all his force and diligence after they had walked a mile the houre of meditation expired Gen. 15.11 Lazarus addressing himselfe to Vincent Well my brother quoth he how goeth
Litanies togeather after which TristraÌ„ was caryed to his bed in another chamber where he slept quickly The Pilgrims made their examen and tooke the subiect and points of their morning Meditation The subiect was the life of the glorious Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour into heauen in these points 1. Wherefore she liued after our Sauiours Ascension 2. Of the profit she brought vnto the Church of God 3. Of her death The nine and thirtith day and the ninth of his Returne Of the Life and conuersation of the B. Virgin after the Ascension of our Sauiour and of her death CHAP. XXII AT three a clocke in the morning when no body was vp sauing some seruants that went to labour the Pilgrims began their meditation a part Lazarus the first in feruour and heat of spirit began in admiration wondering that our Sauiour ascended into heauen and left his glorious mother amongst mortall men seeing he knew well that she should be in continuall griefe for his absence and longing for his presence and that she desired nothing more then to go out of this vale of miseries and to be with him and there was not any creature more worthy of heauen and of his company then she was Why the B Virgin was left on earth after the Ascension of our Sauiour But the heauenly light shewed vnto him in the progresse of his meditation that the Almighty and all wise Sonne of God did herein shew a singular prouidence for the good of his most honourable mother and of all his whole Church for if the scripture reporteth that for a great fauour which is sayd of the lust that God hath honoured him in making him labour and hath accomplished his trauailes this was a speciall prerogatiue and a great honour which our Sauiour did to his mother to leaue her somtime after him in this life therin to shew employ her vertues The B Virgin was left as the moone when the Sunne was gone which hitherto had beene in a manner hidden vnder the cloake of profound humility knowne onely to God and to few men besides by a thou sand goodly workes wrought in publicke make her multiply the vsury of her merits vnto the highest heape and degree and so much to increase the glory of her felicity It was also a great fauour vnto the Church to see shine in her beginning and birth vpon the earth this starre as the moone after that the great Sunne taking himselfe from the eyes of mortall men Our Sauiour his Churche both bred and brought vp by the B. Virgin was mounted into the heauens and to conteÌ„plate in her the admirable beauty of that sunne it selfe liuely represented in the lustre of the diuine actions of this B. Virgin as we behold the visible splendour of the sunne painted in the face of the moone And euen as God would that his Sonne Iesus-Christ Espouse and Sauiour of the Church should be conceiued borne and brought vp by the sayd Virgin so would he that the same Church should in some sort be ingendred by the feed of the sayd Virgins vertues should be illustrated set in view and in a manner brought forth by meanes of her nourished and brought vp by the example of her admirable workes Namely that she should be the light of the Apostles and disciples teaching them diuers misteries of the fayth that none knew but her selfe and which the holy Ghost would haue knowne by her so by her he taught the secret of the Annunciation of the Incarnation of her perpetuall virginity of the Natiuity of our Sauiour of the musique that Angells sung thereat of the Visitation of the shepheards of the Circumcision of the Adoration of the Kings of the Presentation in the Temple of Simeons prophecy and other points which the Euangelists haue recorded and specially S. Luke Luc. 2. who therefore is called the Notary of our B. Lady Greg. Nis in fest Assump It is he that sayd Marie kept all these things in her hart Signifying as an ancient Doctor sayth that she had diligently noted the mysteries she had seene to reueale them in due tyme and that what he had written he had drawne out of the mine treasury of the Virgins hart who was Secretary and of priuy Councell to the meruayles of God And as God hath giuen at diues tymes holy women to magnify his greatnes in them and to succour his people as a Debora to counsell and conduct the armies of Israell a Iudith to encounter with the great Tyrant an Hester to winne the King and oppose herselfe against the enemies of his people also amoÌ„g the heathens diuers Sibilles women emineÌ„t in knowledge in the gift of prophecy to instruct the ignorant of the mysteries of the Sauiour of the world so he left in his bodily absence this his heauenly mother to be a Debora a Iudith a Hester and the Prophetesse of the Christians the refuge of the afflicted the booke of the doctours the strength of the faintharted the force of those that fight and f nally to be a Regent in the beginning of the spirituall kingdome of her Son by the accord of her diuine contemplations actioÌ„s to giue a modell and patterne of the contemplatiue act ue life of the Apostolicall perfect Christian way She was a patterne of actiue and contemplatiue life as she did And therfore both then euer after she was ordained called the Protectrix of all religious Families a generall Aduocate of the Church of her Sonne for euer God meaning in a woman to encounter coÌ„found vice Idolatry confound Pride the forces of Sathan who in a woman had confounded all mankind thrust mortall men into all sort of sinne She liued then many yeares after the Ascension of our Sauiour 10. after the opinion of some and 21. in the opinion of others but the common tradition is foureteene 10 Nicep li. 2. cap. 3. And being arriued to that terme which he had prefixed who gouerneth the tyme and lott of the life of man she receiued a message of her departure out of this world by an Angel in the Citty of HierusaleÌ„ 21. Epiph. serm de Derp Virg. where she had remayned since the death of our Sauiour with S. Iohn the Euangelist whither the Apostles dispersed through diuers partes of the world by the power of God were assembled togeather and with them diuers other holy men amongst whome was S. Denu the Arcopagite the Apostle of France in this last period to assist the Mother of his maister and to do her obsequies Almighty God honouring with the presence of the principall lights of his Church the deposition of that Virgin who had brought forth the Sauiour of the world Dion Metapâ—r ora de obit Virg. and illustrating the death of the mother of his Sonne with this singular prerogatiue as he had by a thousand more illustrated her life