man sinneth in this world we should alwaies pardon him and charitably correct him because the senary number or that of sixe is a number of paine and labour and appertaineth to this present life But if hee perseuer obstinately in sinne as in the contempt of eternall life signified also in the septenarie number being the number of rest and quiet wherein God him selfe ceased from all the workes he made in the creation Remission nor correction is then any longer in our power because eternall are the torments prepared for such transgressions specified by the paines of hell then he is wilfully cut off and diuided from the Church And that is it which he sayth Si EcclesiaÌ„ non audierit sit tibi et hâ—icus Publicanus If he refuse to heare the Church also let him bee vnto thee an heathen man a Publican Thus haue I prooued by the number of seauenty seauen that it alludeth vniuersally by the sense to the time present and at all times else wherein we ought to labour our very vttermost for the good and welfare of our neighbour Lodouico A very excellent and witty discourse whence may be gathered howe much we ought to esteeme of brotherly affection obserue the rule of perfect charity For Christ him selfe hath commaunded vs to vse such diligence for our neighbours amendment not suffering him to run on vntill the houre when no hope at all is to be expected And therefore hee hath set vt downe a manner how First alone by him selfe and thee to correct him Afterward with two or three Then in the presence of all which bringeth to my remembrance the sentence of the holy ghost speaking of the Church and comparing it to a well ordered army Terribilis vt castorum acies ordinata When an army is encamped about the armed squadrons Sentinelles are appointed who whatsoeuer they heare they impart it to one another or else altogether doe aduertise the corps du garde therof With this goodly order is the Church defenced Terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata Wherefore when any hellish rumour of sinne is heard which might disranke or disorder this noble Army one Sentinell aduiseth an other in this manner Si peccauerit in te frater tuus corripe cum inter te ipsum soluÌ„ there is the first Sentinell Si te non audierit adhibe adhuc vnum vel duos vt in ore duorum vel trium testium stet omne verbum there is the second Sentinell Si eos non audierit dic Ecclesiae there is the whole corps du garde and the very nerues of the Army of the militant Church And well shall it become vs to vse all diligence in the safety of our neighbour for whose soules freedome Christ instituted his Sacraments and suffered patiently so many torments And if so many euils are easily committed by our ouer-ready tongue well may we conuert it then to our neighbours benefit as being assured that such speaking is acceptable to God neither doe we breake the eternall silence imposed by his diuine Maiesty because this is our silence and his speech Dabo vobis os sapientiam FINIS Cap. vlt. The Table of the Arguments IT is here discoursed in a pleasing controuersie whether Silence or speaking merits most praise And the one contrarying the other very familiarly each striues to maintaine his cause by soundest reasons sometime producing authorities from holy writ and other whiles froÌ„ the auncientest Philosophers At length after a sweete and sent entious arguing they conclude that there is more securitie in silence then indiscreete talking in regard that while each man striues to speake best his owne conceipt doth soonest deceiue him And this is confirmed by diuine proofes witty sayings of Philosophers and naturall reasons Chap. 1. Fol. 1. Proceeding further on it is here approoued that the first instruction a man ought to haue is to speake discreetely without offence to any Heere in an ample discourse the negligence of Fathers in their families is much reprooued for not instructing their children in silence whereby they may attaine to a perfect order of speaking For which purpose many curious sentences of the auncient Philosophers are herein entercoursed beside diuers other out of holy Scriptures Chap. 2. Fol. 11. Heere are deliuered many examples of worthy men true affecters of silence And in this Chapter they discourse on the foure excellent qualities of silence and how they doe adorne a man a very sweet and profitable Dialogue for such as desire to talke discreetly Chap. 3. Fol. 25. Herein is handled which is the hardest matter for a man eyther silence or speaking And to this purpose each one alleageth seuerall reasons with many examples out of the auncient Philosophers as also authorities out of the sacred Scriptures they shew likewise many inconueniences which arise by the tongue A discourse very excellent curious and sententious Chap. 4. Fol. 32. Heerein is declared how God spake so little as he spake but once or twise onely And how man ought to keep an eternall silence otherwise he that alwais talketh sinneth Who was the first that brake silence as well in heauen as in earth How it is to be vnderstood that God onely is truth and euery man a lyer considering that many haue spoken the truth as well Philosophers of the Gentiles as also many Christians A discourse ful of learning and pleasing curiosities Chap. 5. Fol. 43. Declaring what custodie we ought to haue of our tongue to auoide errour in our speaking Of the seuerall waies whereby the tongue passeth when we talke which although they be foure in number yet one onely guarde is sufficient for them all Chap. 6. Fol. 54. Declaring that to keepe our selues from idle wandering in our talking it behooueth that our speech should haue fiue conditions or qualities which the tongue it selfe hath namely sweet Rose coloured sharpe flexible and close couched which are approoued by many authorities of Scripture as also witty sayings of the Philosophers and naturall examples Chap. 7. Fol. 66. Approouing that indiscretion in talke makes the wise man him selfe to be reputed as a foole and many haue incurred very great daungers by talking careleslie vnaduisedlie Among al tongues the tongue of the flatterer is most perillous by breathing foorth many euils it interdicteth the truth especially among Noble personages in whose houses flatterers do most of all abound onely to enioy the goods which they possesse This is confirmed by many liuely examples sundry probabilities out of holy Scripture other similitudes All which do plainly prooue how displeasing to God and hurtfull to men is this wicked vice of flattery that like another Iudas kils a man with kissing Chap. 8. Fol. 82. Discoursing of the leasing and lying tongue what an infamous sinne a lye is and how highly God is pleased with truth of whose excellencie and beautie ariseth a profitable short discourse concluding that a strict
wisedome fol. 28 Chap. 17. 18. The sound or Eccho that answereth again in the hollow mountaine fol. 88 Chap. 1. 11. The mouth that speaketh lyes sleyeth the soule fol. 106 Chap. 7. 30. Malice cannot ouercome wisedome fol. 118 Saint Matthews Gospell Chap. 12. 37. By thy words thou shalt be iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned fol. 39 Chap. 10. 20. It is not you that speake but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you fol. 51 Chap. 26. 65. 66. He hath blasphemed what haue we any more need of witnesses Now you haue heard his blasphemy he is worthy to dy fol. 52 Chap. 5. 22. Guilt of iudgement guilt of a Councell and guilt of hell fire fol. 114 Chap. 22. 16. Master we know that thou sayest and teachest right neither dost thou accept mans person but teachest the way of god truly c. fol. 117 Chap. 25. 33. He shall set the sheep on his right hand fol. 112 Chap. 12. 22. Then was brought to him one possessed with a diuell both blind and dumb and he healed him so that he which was blinde and dumb both spake and saw c. fol. 160 Chap. 5. 11. Blessed are you when men reuile you fol. 163 Chap. 15. 7. 8. VVoe be to you hypocrites Esay prophecied well of you This people draweth neere vnto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lippes but their hearte is farre off from me fol. 169 Chap. 7. 16. You shall know them by their fruits fol. 170 Chap. 6. 2. They haue their reward fol. 174 Chap. 6. 16. 17. VVhen you fast looke not sowre as the hypocrites doo for they dissigure their faces that they might seeme vnto men to fast But when thou fastest c. fol. 176 Chap. 23. 3. 4. All therfore whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that obserue and doe but after their works do not for they say and do not They bind heauy burthens and greeuous to be borne and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselues will not mooue them with one of their singers fol. 183 Chap. 7. 16. Do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles fol. 184 Chap. 25. 1. 2. 3. The kingdome of heauen shall be likened vnto ten virgins c. ibid. Chap. 23. 5. All their workes they do for to be seen of men fol. 189 Chap. 26. 73. Thou also art a Galilean for euen thy speech bewrayeth thee fol. 210 Chap. 27. 51. And behould the vaile of the Temple rent in twain from the top to the bottom fol. 246 Chap. 27. 52. And the graues opened themselues fol. 247 Chap. 2. 2. VVhere is the king of the Iewes that is borne ibid. Chap. 5. 2. And he opened his mouth and taught them saying c. fol. 253 Chap. 18. 15. 16. 17. If they brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault between thee and him alone if he heare thee thou hast won thy brother But if he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may be confiâ—med And if he will not vouchsafe to heare then tell it vnto the Church and if he refuse to heare the Church also let him bee vnto thee as an heathen and a publicane fol. 269 Chap. 7. 3. VVhy seest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye and perceiuest not the beame that is in thine owne eye fol. 276 Chap. 18. 22. I say not to thee vnto seauen times but vnto seauenty times seauen times fol. 280 Saint Marks Gospell Chap. 15. 25. And it was the third houre when they crucified him fol. 24 Chap. 1. 25. Iesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace fol. 117 Chap. 7. 35. And the string of his tongue was loosed and he spake plaine fol. 160 Chap. 5. 41. And he tooke the child by the hand and sayd vnto her Tabitha kumi which is by interpretation Maiden I say vnto thee arise fol. 167 Chap. 7. 6. This people honoreth me with their lips fol. 224 Saint Lukes Gospell Chap. 1. 29. She thought what manner of saluation that shold be fol. 8 Chap. 12. 19. My soule thou hast much goods layed vp for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pleasure fol. 23. Chap. 21. 15. I will giue you a mouth and wisedome where-against all your aduersaries shall not be able to speake nor resist fol. 52 Chap. 5. 1. And the people pressed vpon him to heare the word of God c. fol. 69 Chap. 2. 14. Peace in earth and towardes men good will fol. 75 Chap. 11. 14. Then he cast out a diuell and he was dumbe fol. 112 Chap. 4. 41. He rebuked them and suffered them not to speake c. c. fol 118 Chap. 18. 11. 12. Oh God I thanke thee that I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publicane I fast twise in the weeke I giue tithe of all that euer I possesse fol. 130 Chap. 15. 2. The Scribes and Pharisies murmured saying He receiueth sinners and eateth with them fol. 138 Chap. 1. 33. And he shall raigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer fol. 180 Chap. 1. 20. Thou shalt be dumb and not be able to speake fol. 222 Chap. 21. 14. Lay it vp therfore in your harts that you premeditate not what you shall answer c. fol. 242 Chap. 23. 43. This day thou shalt be with mee in Paradise fol. 245 Chap. 1. 64. And his mouth was opened immediately and he prophecied fol. 246 Chap. 24. 45. Then opened he their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures fol. 247 Chap. 1. 40. The sheepheards said one to another ibid. Chap. 1. 35. The holy ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouershaddow thee fol. 255 Chap. 23. 22. I will chastise him and let him loose fol. 271 Chap. 4. 23. Physitian heale thy selfe fol. 276 Chap. 10. 14. 15. Martha Martha thou carest and art troubled about many things Mary hath chosen the good parte fol. 278 Saint Iohns Gospell Chap. 8. 38. I speake that which I haue seene with my father fol. 46 Chap. 1. 12. To them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God fol. 48 Chap. 7. 46. Neuer was man heard to speake the like fol. 69 Chap. 18. 37. For this cause am I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse vnto the trueth fol. 99 Chap. 8. 46. And if I say the truth why do you not beleeue me ibid. Chap. 14. 3. It is expedient for you that I goe away but if I depart away I will send you the comforter the spirit of trueth c. ibid. Chap. 8. 44. He hath beene a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the trueth because there is no trueth in him fol. 100 Chap. 8. 45. When he speaketh a ly then he speaketh of his own fol. 118 Chap. 10. 5. 8. The sheep did not heare them for they knew not
iudgement so faln vpon the king the Prophet cryed vae mihi quia tacui As if he would haue sayd Wo is me that I haue held my peace and not constantly rebuked the king in his sinne which happily by correction he would haue amended Most wretched am I if by my negligence the king haue lost eternall happinesse because the Lord will demand of me the losse or safety of such a soule And which is worse In medio populi polluta labia habentis ego habito Regem Dominum exercituuÌ„ vidi oculis meis I dwell in the mids of a people of polluted lips and mine eyes haue seen the king and Lord of hoasts As adding thus Not only haue I fayled in admonishing the king but I dwel among a flattering people who with vncleane lips not only durst not aduenture to reprooue the kings sins for feare but rather soothed vp flattered him in euil Wherby both Crown Miter haue hatched the more iniquities nursed cockringly brought them vp and in reuerence to the Prince sinners haue bin honourred and soft pillows layd vnder the elbowes of wickednesse VVheron Saint Gregory sayth in his Pastorals Delinquentem namque eum redarguere nullus praesumit in exemplum culpa vehementer extenditur quando pro reuerentia ordinis peccator honoratur Now albeit many haue murmured none yet durst vndertake the corage personally to reprehend sin between him thee or face to face only through feare of punishments infliction In this case if befalleth vs as it did to the Mice who being in a deep consultation together what they might best doo for safety of their liues being euery houre subiect to their enimies the Cats mercy thought it safest for them euery one to hang a little bel about his own neck to serue as a sufficient passe or warrant Al allowed this aduise but vpon he successe of some few afterward would aduenture to put it in execution Euen so fareth it with the correction of great men who haue terrors punishments to support in themselues all vnlawful actions And this strikes a feare in too many faint harts because S. Iohn Baptist lost his head for reproouing of Herode As also the Apostles and holy Martyrs in like cases lost their liues Ludouico Such pils ought to be folded vp in Sugar and reprehension should come with sweetnesse not with bitternesse Because Prelates ought oftener to exhort then reprehend as men that are our Pastors and Fathers not Tyrantes to vs and persecutors Agreeing with the counsell of Saint Paul Seniorem ne increpaueris sed obsecra vt patrem Rebuke not an Elder but exhort him as a Father Antisthenes being asked wherefore he reprehended Princes and men placed in great dignity with so much mansuetude mildnesse and modesty answered in my mind very excellently Because Princes quoth he are like vnto Bees who if they be not warily and circumspectly handled do strike suddenly with the sting Euen so Princes if they be not reprooued with all humilitie and modesty they easilye strike with the sting of power which they haue in hould For possessed Saul to haue the diuell cast out of his body there was great need of a Musitian to play very sweetly Euen so to raise vp Princes and great men from their sin a sweet and pleasant correction behooueth rather more by entreating then by controwling And to answer to the question alredy mooued before I further forget my self if we but consider whereon we haue already discoursed we may easily resolue all intricate scruple It is true that silence is more commendable then talking but Omnia tempus habent tempus tacendi tempus loqueÌ„di To al things there is an appointed time a time to keepe silence and a time to speake Therefore in this case silence is a greeuous offence because by silence we are partly the cause of our neighbours soules losse whereas contrarywise by speaking we might be a meanes of safety to the same Moreouer somtime by speaking we do hold our peace and god speaketh by the vse of our tongue But in keeping silence contrary to the diuine precept our sileÌ„ce is a talkatiue babbling wherwith we endanger both our selues and our neighbour that is by the word of work not of the voyce Thus houlding our peace we breake silence and talking are silent Or thus being dumb we talke and yet in discoursing we speake not but God in and by vs. And further you must noate that this precept doth not alwayes bind because it is an affirmatiue precept which bindeth thus but not alwayes For such precepts as are affirmatiue meerly are vertuous actions wherin there is to be obserued both manner and rule Claudio I know not what you meane by these affirmatiue precepts how many kinds of precepts are there what are there negatiue precepts also Lodouico There are found three seuerall kindes of commaundementes whereunto all the preceptes diuine are reduced Some are negatiue which doo alwayes binde and for euer in all places and at all times As not to sweare and blaspheme Some are affirmatiue which doo bind alwayes but not for euer but onely for a time As the giuing of Almes to be continually perfourmed but yet in time of necessity the bond most bindeth Others there be which participate of both these before named natures being precepts affirmatiue and negatiue binding alwayes for euer because they haue two heads one pertinent to the negatiue precept the other appertaining to the precepte affirmatiue Of this nature is restitution For God commandeth thee not to retaine the goods of others which appertaineth to the negatiue precept He commands thee also to restore them back again this belongeth to the precept affirmatiue The precept of brotherly correction it is an affirmatiue precept therfore bindeth alwayes but not euer Therefore there is great need of obseruing both the rule and manner for feare of fayling Which by our Sauiour Christ himself is thus taught vs. Si peccauerit in te frater tuus vade corripe eum inter te ipsum solum si te audierit lucratus es fratrem tuum Si autem non audierit adhibe te cum adhuc vnum vel duos vt in ore duorum vel trium testium stet omne verbum Quòd si non audiâ—rit eos dic Ecclesiae si autem Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi sicut ethnicus publicanus If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault between thee him alone if he heare thee thou hast won thy brother But if he heare thee not take yet with thee one or two that by the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word may be confirmed And if he will not vouchsafe to heare then tell it vnto the Church and if he refuse to heare the Charch also let him be vnto thee as an heathen
disgrace in thy teeth and say thou art an hypocrite a dissembler makest a shew of outward holinesse and art indeed but a very deuill So euery one will be doubtfull of conuersing with thee as hating hypocriticall and formall holinesse and where before thou wast reputed for an honest man of fellowly friendly and sociable conuersation thou shalt now be held for a reformed foole a melancholy precise captious companion with a thousand other such hellish obiections wherwith you are better acquainted in this kind then I can expresse them Lodouico This toothe is to bee broken in his mouth with a god sound stroke and let it bee the perfect consideration that at length hee shall bee discouered to all the worlde according as God spake by the Prophet Nahum Reuelabo pudenda tua in facie tua ostendam in Gentibus nuditatem tuam regnis ignominiam tuam c. I will discouer thy skirtes vpon thy face and will shewe the nations thy filthinesse and the kingdomes thy shame c. Socrates walking through the city espied a yong maÌ„ who stood ready to step forth of an harlots house but so soone as he saw Socrates he returned into the infamous house as one ashamed But Socrates passing on sayd to the young man Non te pude at exire sed intrasse Thou oughtest not be ashamed to come foorth of that bad house but rather for thy entring into it Euen so the sinfull soule it should not be ashamed to issue foorth of the infamous house of sinne the mansion and dwelling of the deuill but for first entering into it rather it behooueth vs therefore to bee carefull of breaking out this tooth Claudio The second tooth is the feare of repentance whereto the offended conscience speaketh and â—aith it is the sinne of luxury for chastisement whereof let the pampered ouer-hot body fast with bread water But the deuil watching as before his fit opportunity tunes the tongue with this answer I am not able to fast or forbeare what my appetite desireth what repentaunce then is likely to ensue vpon this nice nature Lodouico This tooth is to be broken and that very easilie by due consideration of the paines eternall So may wee soone refute put down the deuil when he frights vs with the feare of repeÌ„tance to tell him That a greater feare hath surprised thee euen the sufferaÌ„ce of those paines which neuer will be ended Claudio The third tooth is the vaine hope of long life vrging the sinner to procrastination of repentance by a false perswasion of liuing long time as trusting in the iocond youth of years the strength of our members and the present health of bodie Neuer remembring how fraile this mortall life is compared by holy Iob to the wind to a shadow and to a flour things that vanishe altogether with a glaunce of an eye or a puffe of breath Lodouico If we would breake this toothe with small trauaile let vs then consider that there is nothing more certaine then death nor more vncertaine then the houre thereof And that as the fish becomes taken by the hooke and dyes when he thinkes to liue a longer date and voide of â—aking euen so is man in the hand of death caught when he most hopeth of long life According as the wise man sayth Nescit homo finem suum sed sicut pisces capiuntur hamo sicut aues laqueo comprehenduntur sic capiuntur homines in tempore malo cum eis extempso superuenerit No man doth know his timâ— but as the fishes which are taken in an euill net or as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the children of men snared in the euill time when it falleth vpon them suddenly When the simple bird feedes most sauourly on the baite then without any meanes of escape is she taken And euen the very same is the case of man when least he thinketh on the hour of death in this vnexpected hour is he taken fals into death the fowlers snare therfore with this consideration we may break the tooth of vain bootlesâ—e hope Claudio The fourth tooth is this weake opinion that by no meanes we must repent vs of any huff-cap or riotous sinne because saith he they are tearmed but good fellowship tricks of youth or manly qualities Beside if we should repent them it were but needlesse for within a day or two we shal fall into the same againe and then the labour of repentance may be very wel spared And what ensueth hereoÌ„ only this conceit is daily buzz'd into our eares by the diuell That we haue a certaine kind of good will to leaue off these vanities but the more we striue to forgo them the more our nature fastneth liking on them and sins incident to nature doe admit tolleration Lodouico This tooth must needs be puld out for by breaking it some piece or stump may be left behind Consider but thus much The knight or Souldiour may well be counted foolish that returning greeuously wounded from the battaile will not suffer himselfe to be drest or his hurts bound vp but in a brauery and to be reputed a lusty gallant saith to the Chirurgian Thou shalt bestow no paines vpon me because to morrow I must needs be in the battaile againe Foole foole might the Chirurgian answer him is it not better going wel halfe cured then weakely and with thy bloud streaming forth about thee In a far worse estate is the sinner that makes so slight an account of repentaunce and will not giue ouer sinne because his nature affecteth to sinne Fall downe vpon thy knees put on a more humble and tractable spirit and desire thy Lorde God to giue thee grace that thou maist abstaine from all sinnes whatsoeuer and if thou doe thy part in true penitence so much as lyes in thee thou shalt finde God readye at all houres to assiste and strengthen thee Claudio The fift tooth is presumption relying too much vpon the diuine mercy and saying within thy selfe God is so mercifull as hee will not permit mee any way to perish Hee pardoned Peter his owne denyer Paul his Churches greeuous persecuter Mathew the rich couetous tol gatherer Zacheus the Publican Mary Magdalen the great sinner the Samaritane her heresie the woman her adultery and the theefe his iniquitie why then he cannot chuse but pardon me too This presumptuous wretch neuer considereth the true and intire repentance of all these before named and the especial graces of God therby conferred vpon them such as he bestoweth not vpon euery one but only on those that in singlenesse of soule vnfayned repentance seeke after them Lodouico This tooth may be broken by due consideration that many are the eternall paines of hell and many are condemned to endure them for presuming too rashly vpon the diuine mercy weening to
and a publicane Herein are three things to be obserued namely the place the time and the manner The place is noted when he sayth Si peccauerit in te If thy brother trespasse against thee that is If thy neighbour sinne secretly and thou onely knowest thereof reprehend him in some remote place that no one may know thereof for feare of giuing therby scandale to others and discouering against charity another mans defects To the end also that the delinquent may the more willingly amend by perceiuing that all this is doone vnto him in loue The time also is to be respected because alwayes at all seasons it is not a time for reprehension For it often falleth out that the person offending is incorrigible Which he wel knowing or perceiuing that shold vrge the reproof he stands not bound then to mooue correctiō least the sinner shold fal into greater guilt but ought to take a fitter opportunity Or else if he know it to be no apt season euen immediatly vpon the transgression to strike with reproof his wisedom in forbearāce cannot be therfore impeached yet the sinner in due time may be also chastised Noah patiently awaited seauen dayes together hauing first sent foorth the dooue and seeing her returne to be so quickly without bringing any signe of the waters cessation then he sent her foorth againe and then shee brought back the Oliue braunche with her At illa venit ad eum ad vesperam portans ramum Oliuae virentibus folijs in ore suo Intellexit ergo Noe quòd cessassent aquae super terram And the Doue came to him in the euening and loe in her mouth was an Oliue leafe that shee had pluckt whereby Noah knewe that the waters were abated from off the earth In Noah is figured the christian soule remaining within the Arke of our body The waters of the deluge are our sinnes wherein we like poore wretches are as drowned VVhereof Dauid speaking sayth Saluum me fac Deus quoniam intrauerunt aquae vsque ad animam meam Saue me O God for the waters are entred euen to my soule The Doue representeth brotherly correction and the Oliue branche is the fruit of this brotherly admonition VVhen we behold our brother in the deluge of sin we ought to send foorth out of the Arke of the body by the window of our mouth the doue of mild correction Which returning vnfruitfully and without any signe of amendment at all we ought not therefore to despaire of his recouery But after the example of Noah with patience to attend a time more opportune In which space perhaps the waters of this wretched floud may cease by the want of former proude conceit and better consideration of his own estate VVhereupon sending foorth againe the simple Doue in kind correction and on meere charity doubtlesse she will bring some signe of the great floods fall euen the very fruit of so good an endeauour and so thou hast won thy brother Lucratus es fratrem tuum We must in like sort obserue the manner that is charitably with sweet words and full of loue Dauid draue the tormenting spirit foorth of Saul not with stearn strokes but with mild musique Eliseus the Prophet sent his seruant Gehezie with a staffe to reuiue the son of the widdow which prooued to nothing but when afterward he came himself in person and with his own limbs warmed the dead-benummed limbs of the child being lifelesse he ioyning part to part face to face hands to hands breast to breast and feete to feet thus heating the child he raised him from death to life So when we would reuiue our brother he being mortally wounded with sin and euen almost dead in soule we should not send our seruant with a staffe to doo such correction as Pilate did to Christ Corripiam ergo illum dimittam I will chastise him and let him loose Neither ought we to vse any rough or rigorous words But like to Eliseus warme the delinquents soule with the heate of charity and by compassionating his case euen transforming our selues altogether into him According to the instruction of Saint Paul Fratres si praeoccupatus fuerit homo in aliquo delicto vos qui spirituales estis huiusmodi instruite in spiriu lenitatis considerans teipsum ne tu tenteris Brethren if a man be falne by occasion into any fault you which are spirituall restore such a one with the spirite of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also bee tempted Being thus heated with the warmth of christian charity we shal raise the sinners dying soule by the religious meanes and office of the tongue Oh how pleasing is this manner to me and I prayse the true vse therof from time to time because when we goe ouer hastily to the committed euil the offender hauing his senses blinded will not suffer himself to be reprehended but rather in haughtinesse of spirit wil euen approoue and maintaine his sin VVherefore looke how thou blowest the fire then so much the more thou kindlest it whereto if nourishment want it will extinguish of it selfe Euen so is it with thy brothers cholerick and hasty nature being reproued too quickly of his committed error Therfore it shal become vs wel to expect a while in our reprehension to vse no loftinesse because the sinner in this case may very aptly be compared to a sick man When a sick body would feede on delicate and healthfull meates for his disease and yet are to him most displeasing though in their owne nature very wholesome they vse such art in the deliuerance of them labouring to please his weak rellish as he hardly perceiueth what they are The finner by his ouersurfetting on sin abhors all spirituall meates how healthfull or delicate soeuer they be He finds no tast in preaching he hath no delight in praying no mind to the holy Sacraments no pleasure in fasting nor any godly action agrees with his relish Nay he is reduced into such an estate as he hath no feeling of any spirituall matter So that euen as Dauid sayth Omnem escam abominata est anima corū Their soule abhorreth al meat Almost they are ready to leaue their houses drawing on their latest breath euē as next neighbour to eternal death Appropinquauerunt vsque ad port as mortis VVherefore in the administring of this healthfull foode of brotherly correction that it may be willingly and louingly accepted you must shadow it in som substantial manner to make it cary a tast of kind and comfortable words after this or the like obseruation Deare brother so it might not be displeasing to you I would deliuer a few words greatly to your profit wherein God is my witnesse nothing else mooueth me but the honour of God true brotherly charity and vnfeigned regard of your good I know well that such