or nature which she inherited from Adam then any way belonging to any sinne in herselfe Or else thoughe grace had preuented destroyed all sinne in her soule yet it had not extinguished nor was conuenient to destroye the ordinary naturall qualityes of her body firste because enduring those she merited so much more in heauen secondly that it mightâ— appeare to the worlde she was a true humane creature of whose pure flesh our Sauiour tooke our true humane nature 5. If Originall sinne had polluted and possessed her she had bene during that time abhominable vnto God for such sinne and in bondage thervnto and so by it vnto Satan But was it meete that at any time she should be said to be odious to our lorde or that the diuell or sinne shoulde haue her subiect in their captiuity or defiled in pollution who was to be the mother of God himselfe Secondly if it were in our pouer would we not choose to be borne of the most vertuous vnspotted parents that we coulde And was it not in the power of God thus to prepare preserue his mother froÌ„ originall sinne if it were in his power doubteles he had will to doo it because out of question he caried extraordinary loue vnto her for thoughe primarily she merited not to be his mother but of his sole mercy he did chuse her not another yet hauing made this election he may be said afterward by his owne law of honoring parentes bound in dutifull loue to giue her all the honor merite possible wherof a pure creature mighte he capable Wherfore S. Bonauenture concludeth that in deede our lord could haue made for vs amore comely beautifull worlde but it is probable he could not make for himself a more excellent mother Thirdly it was inconuenient in regarde of himselfe that any blemish of originall sinne should defile her soule for the honor or dishonor of the parent redoundeth to the childe and so it had bene a diminution of his owne honor to haue bene the sonne of an impure mother 6. Fourthly S. Ihon Baptist was sanctified in his mothers wombe at the very voyce of her who had our Sauiour in her wombe is not she herselfe more worthy of a greater priuiledge in the same kind vidz the mother of God sooner then the messenger Fifthly S. Andrew the Apostle auowched and after him Theodoret that she excelled the cherubim and Seraphim in purity But how was this if she had originall sinne or how is she aboue the Angells in dignity and glory if she were inferior in purity and grace or is it meete that any meere creature should be more excellent or aboue the mother of God 7. Sixtly S. Augustin saith he would euer haue her excepted when he treated of sinne And as he judged it absurde to suppose that her flesh was eaten of wormes or corrupted in rottennes which had norished and giuen substance to the manhood of Christe and therfore he auowed and beleued her boody to be assumpted into heauen immediatly after her death according to her story and the tradition of the churche So me thinkes it is more inconuenient we should yeild him to be borne of flesh which at my time had bene subject to sinne for sinne is much more base then the wormes and pollution of soule is farre worse then any corruption of body Seauenthly I am sure if it were in the handes of any good ChristiaÌ„ to grante her this preheminence he woulde not deteyne it why then should he deny to beleeue it in his harte when it is permitted and commended as a probable and most pious opinion and when he woulde giue it her if he were able Eightly this pure conception of our blessed Lady hath bene manifested by diuerse reuelations to S. Brigitte which are amongest those that be approued And to Elpinus a Reuerend English Abbot the verity therof confirmed by S. Anselmus Archbish. of Canterbury and after his soleÌ„nization in England of the Feast of her pure conception it was firste permitted and since receiued in all Catholique cuntryes Thus doth the Catholique churche honor her And this hath bene permitted by seuerall Counâ—ells And resteth commended by sundry Popes Wherfore let vs confesse that as the first Adam was made of earthe before it was cursed with thornes or weedes so our Lord Iesus the second Adam tooke flesh of her flesh which was blessed and neuer cursed with any nettles of concupiscence or thornes of originall sinne 8. O holy Virgin more pure then the heauens They are moste cleare and yet but a generall habitation for Sayntes there to see God Thou werte a speciall tabernacle both to enterteyne God himselfe and to affoarde him parte of thy substance O how coulde that be at any time vncleane where he dwelled how could that be euer touched with sinne which he assumed The diligent Bees wil not harbour in an vncleane hiue but doth annoynte them with sweete moystures before they make their hony The cleanly Ermyne will rather be killed by the Huntesmen then to saue his life enter into any place which is filthy Much lesse will the pure wisdome of God dwell in a body subject to sinne as said wise Solomon wherfore he allso saith in the Canticles many Doctors applye it to our blessed Ladie Thou arte all fayre O my loe and in thee there is no spotte And therfore with the Catholique Churche let vs say in her seruice O holy and immaculate virginity I know not with what prayses to extolle thee because whom the heauens coulde not conteyne thou diddest maynteyne in thy bosome Blessed arte thou among women and blessed be the fruite of thy wombe Because whom the heauens coulde not conteyne thou diddest maynteyne in thy bosome O happy and sacred Virgin Mary O most worthy of all honor pray for the laity entreate for the clergy make request for all deuoute womankinde O let all sortes finde thy certeyn succor whosoeuer doo celebrat thy sacred Conception 8. O founteyn sealed vp for the water oflife let thy intercession helpe to quench in vs all coales of concupiscence O Garden of paradise well guarded to keepe the tree of life let thy prayers preserue vs from too much liberty of our senses and all loosenes of life O brightest glasse of Chrystall without any spotte obteyne for vs all clearenes of harte and body freed from all foule thoughtes or other fleshly pollution 9. O swetest rose of the valley fayrest Lily of the mounteyn o precious balme of Gilead and comely Cypres of Sion thy wonderfull beauty of face and rare comelynes of person were euer accompanyed with such modesty of countenance and sobriety of behauior and besides so blessed with an extraordinary grace that thy beauty neuer allured but abashed thy comelynes did not entise but amaze nor could any harbour an vnchaste thoughte whiles he behelde thy Virgins eye O let thy gracious eyes of chastity so looke downe vpon vs in
efficacy of thy generall medicin which is great mercy declare the variety of thy manifolde skill in multitude of miserations Thou arte miserator misericors pitifull in great mercy mercifull in multitude of pity in great mercy hauing the inwarde bowells of compassion and in multitude of pity shewing the outward actions fruites of commiseration I crye with that distressed man in the gospell if thou wilte thou canst make me whole thou canste by the greatnes of thy mercy thou wilte for the multitude of thy miserations Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to thy miserations blotte out my iniquity wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne 3. Miserere Shew mercy on me by blotting out the iniquity of my harte miserere by washing away the wickednes of my lippes miserere by cleansing all the sinnes of my handes By desire of blotting of washing of clensing I acknowledge my sinnes to be vgly and ill fauored to the eye to be filthy in the touche to be lothsome to the smel o cleanse this lothsomenes washe this filthynes blotte out this vglynes Beside these my sinnes are great in quantity many in number and diuerse in kinde o therfore let my great sinnes finde great mercy let my many sinnes haue multitude of miserations and being of sundry sortes I haue neede to be seuerally washed from my iniquity and clensed from my sinne from iniquity of commission and from sinnes of omission THE MISERABLE EFFECTS OF SINNE are declared according to the Scholmen and some shorte petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. 1. THe misery of sinne in generall is lamentable therfore let vs all cry miserere but my sinnes in particuler are abominable wherfore I must say miserere mei haue mercye on mee He must be allmighty who can be able to helpe our generall and lamentable misery and to succour me from my abhominable sinnes he must be one most merrcifull but who is so mighty in power and so mercifull in fauor excepte it be only thou O Lorde who arte the Creator of the worlde and the Redeemer of mankinde wherfore vnto thee I directe my prayer haue mercy vpon mee O God 2. All sinne is a separation of the soule from God as therfore the soule being separated from our body we are corporally dead so when by sinne we are separated from God then we are dead in soule Mortall sinne consistes in auersion from God doth separate vs totally veniall sinne doth also separate thoughe but in parte yet by remissenes it loseneth the feruor of our affection In mortall sinne we are dead therfore miserere haue mercye on a dead man in venial sinne we are as in a sound or a sicke fleepe therfore miserere haue mercy on a weake faynte man In mortall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth kill vs therfore miserere as on a man mortally wounded in veniall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth blemish vs therefore miserere as on a man with many spottes deformed yea so diuerse are the spottes of veniall sinnes that thoughe by Gods grace we can euer avoyde any one or all at someteine yet not euer at all times all veniall faultes and of this kinde it is said the iust man offendeth seauen times a day naming a certeyn number for an vncerteyne because more or lesse in many thinges we offend all therfore in our penance for them we must purpose in generall to diminishe them all to absteyne as much as we can from euery one in particuler thoughe we cannot from all in vniuersall and in our prayers against them we haue neede to say miserere o be mercifull to theses frailtyes blemishes of our life that in the merites bloud of our Lord Iesus we may haue all spottes at our death washed of our faces all teares wiped from our eyes 3. Whersoeuer there is misery there is neede of mercy but there is misery in all sinne 1. by Corruption of nature 2. by Deformity of the soule 3. by Guiltynes of punishment In nature we had 1. the essence or substance of our Being 2. An Inclination to vertue 3. the gifte of originall iuctice Our substance indeede and our Being is not corrupted nor diminished but our vertuous disposition is by sinne diminished and we haue quite loste our Originall justice And thoughe all our Vertuous inclination be not so quite rooted out but that there remayne in vs certyen seedes of morality yet according to our custome practise of sinne more or lesse we doo lay caste so many impedimentes as great stones vpon this roote that thoughe it retayne his nature hidden in the grounde yet as ouerburdened with sinne his sprowtes are so suppressed that seldome hardely it can bringe forthe true fruite of vertue vntill throughe Gods grace we remoue these hinderances The deformity of the soule is caused by the blottes spottes of sinne as spottes are blemishes of some comelynes so in the soule there is a double beauty blemished by sinne One is the clearenes of naturall reasō another is the brightnes of supernaturall light of wisdome grace but euer by sinne we doo blemish eyther one or both of these which spotte as the shadowe of a body keepeth off the lighte and as seuerall bodyes giue seuerall shadowes so seuerall blottes procede of seuerall sinnes as long as any body of sinne is betwene vs these lightes so long we shall be folowed with these shadowes spottes vntill we be illuminated by the brightenes of Gods mercy grace for thoughe the action of sinne cease wherby we did separate our selues from Gods lighte yet the blemish doth remayne which maketh the shadowe And as he who is departed into darkenes from a brighte place is not presently in lighte agayne so soone as he ceaseth to go but he must come backe or else remayne in the darke so before we can returne to the lighte which we loste it is not enoughe to cease from sinne so stand still but we must haue in our Will a contrary motion to that which before we had to come into the lighte of grace to proceede in the pathe of goodnes And these are our miserable deformityes 4. The misery of our guiltynes vnto punishment must needes folowe where the faulte is gone before for as when nature findes his contrary it labors to suppresse it so because sinne is opposite to order it should not be suffered Wherfore our will being subject to three orderly gouernors when it transgresseth against any of them it may be punished by them It is firste subject to our owne reason secondly to humane gouernement and thirdly to the order of Gods authority and accordingly when we offend against these orders of our reason of humane or of deuine lawes we are to be punished by the remorse and byting of our owne conscience
by mans penaltyes and by our Lordes chastisements yea such is the misery of sinne that one sinne is the punishment of another and many times of it selfe though not directly by it selfe yet by accident indirectly first because when by former sinne we caste from vs Gods grace giuen or offred he then leaueth vs to our owne corrupte weakenes to Sathan the worldes forcible tentations whose continual batteryes whiles without grace we cannot resiste we doo afterwardes justly fall captiues vnto many sinnes who by some former faulte did rejecte his grace so vnkindly 2. there are some sinnes which are punishments both offormer faultes of themselues not only in their effectes as prodigality hath for his followers wante and robberye but allso in their very actions some are a payne vnto themselues eyther inwardely as enuy anger doo vexe their owne maysters or outwardly when men doo passe much labor perill or coste to effecte some sinnes As Plutarche saith men adjudged to be crucifyed or to other tormentes were forced first to beare their owne crosses or such other instruments of theyr owne execution so sinners by sinne it selfe doo here begin their owne payne damnation and so they confessed who the wiseman saith were in hell lassati sumus in via iniquitatis we were tyred wearyed in our way of iniquity 5. Wherfore among so many miseryes should we not often crye miserere haue mercy in respecte of sinnes punishing themselues one another by outward toyle danger losse by inward feare remorse vexation by depriuing vs of Gods grace leauing vs to our owne concupiscence miserere for we are guilty out of order against God against men against our owne conscience miserere to bring backe our Will eâ—ring in darkenes to cleare our Vnderstanding shadowed with blemishes to repayre our giftes of grace decayed by frailtyes miserere haue mercy by reuiuing the seedes of vertue remoouing the hindrances customes of Vice miserere restoring vs to justice which we lost forfeyted inclyning encreasing vs in holynes which we forsooke diminished and finally miserere preseruing vs in substance of soule body from sufferance of payne vnto fruition of glory for in all these viz by corruption of nature by deformity of soule by guyltines of punishment we are all miserable therfore in all these o blessed Iesu miserere haue mercy OTHER WRETCHED EFFECTES OF sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. SAlomon saith that sinne maketh people to be miserable and S. Augustin defyneth sinne to be Deedes wordes or desires which be against the eternall lawe of God which are made mortall sinne when we adde vnto any of these a full consent of our will with auersion or forsaking of God Consider then o my soule in what estate thou arte when thou abydest in sinne If in our lorde be all happynes and to be in fauour with him be our felicity o how great wretchednes is it to forâ—ake his loue to fall into his hate But Esay said our sinnes deuide betwene him vs and both Salomon Dauid affirme that he hateth all who worke iniquity wherfore S. Chrysostome said I judge it to be harder more intolerable then a thousand hell fyres to be hated of Christe to heare him say I knowe you not it were better to endure a thousand thumderboltes then to see his face of mildenes to be turned from vs or enraged against vs for the eye which vseth to be fauorable when it becometh fierce is most terrible 2. Alas o lorde we haue forsaken thy infinite goodnes we haue loste thy inestimable fauour wherfore to free vs from thy hate restore vs to thy happynes miserere haue mercy Haue mercy not only for the good which by sinne we doo loose but allso in respecte of the euill which for it we doo suffer because many are the whippes of a sinner for sinne the earthe was cursed to bring forthe thornes the woman cursed to beare children in payne and man was cursed to eate his bread with labour Vpon sinners our lorde rayneth snares fire brimstone and the spirites of tempestet are in the portion of his cuppe his very prayers are turned into sinne and his table is a snare vnto him all wickednes is as a sharpe two edged sworde 3. But if we be neither mooued with loue of goodnes nor with feare of wrathe I knowe not whither we be more miserable who must suffer the punishment or blockish who will not see to auoyde the faulte yet let vs consider the nature of sinne which is contrary to our nature we were created doo desire to enioy liberty but sinne maketh vs slaues and the wiseman saith Euery sinner is bounde in the fetters of his owne sinnes We naturally abhorre hell the diuell deathe but sinne caused the very angells offending to be throwne downe from heauen to be reserued in the chaynes of hell S. Augustin saith that euery sinner selles his â—oule to the diuel taking for his price the sweetnes of some temporall delighte nay S. Chrysostome calleth euery sinner a certeyn willing diuell a self-willed madnes And as for death which we so much feare the scripture saith that they which committe sinne doo kill theyr owne soules we knowe it were horrible to murder our Father but to murder thy selfe it is more damnable wherfore as the wiseman sayd take mercy on thine owne soule pleasing God which then we doo when penitently we say vnto him miserere haue mercy 4. What shoulde I say of sinne tormenting the conscience offending the communion of Sayntes among men it is a discredite among Christians it causeth excoÌ„munication and S. Basil doth write that as smoke driueth bees from their hiues and loth some smells driue pigeons from their houses so from the custody of our persons â—l sauoring sinnes driue away our holy Angells And is not euery inordinate minde a penalty to it selfe as S. Augustin auoucheth for couetousnes gripes pride swells enuy consumes concupiscence inflames luxury stingeth gluttony stinketh dronkennes besotteth sclander scratcheth ambition vndermyneth it selfe iniuryes gette hatred discorde teareth anger burneth lighte heades are neuer quiet idlenes is wearisome lazynes combreth hipocrysie deceiueth his owne harte flatterye giues himselfe the lye in his owne throate O miserable sinnes which make men so wretched which seldome come alone without seauen worse diuells folowing them which make our present prayers not purposing amendment to be rejected which cause all our good deedes paste not to be regarded which are so hardly cured because they are not so easily as we thinke repented In time therfore o lord with the first worde of this psalme against all these for-meÌ„tioned miseryes we humbly hartily crye miserere haue mercy OF THE NAME AND NATVRE OF GOD who he his vvhat we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. 1.
fauour and for vs so looke vp to thy Sonne in prayer that we may be always vertuously sober in our actions religiously ciuill in our speeches in our very thoughtes pure and chaste in all our conuersation All which we earnestly entreate for the all sufficient merites mercyes of our Sauiour thy Sonne and by the immaculate purity of thy conception THE MOST GRACIOVS AND WONDERfull remedyes of our originall sinne Sect. 7. 1. THus was our blessed Lady preuented with grace But how shall we be made cleane who are conceiued by such vncleane seede excepte only as Iob answered By thee alone o Lorde whose grace saith S. Paul doth superabounde our sinne For sinne came by man but grace is of more power as proceeding from God Sinne did not take away from vs all good nor bring vpon vs all euill But grace doth deliuer vs from all the euill wherinto we mighte fall and is sufficient to giue vs all the good we can desire Adams sinne brought a curse only to his descendentes and to the earthe But by the merites of Christe all creatures except the diuells who hate him eyther haue or may haue parte of his blessing For by him not only all mankind is redeemed but the good Angells are confirmed in their grace and euen these senceles creatures shal be renued in their nature 2. And in the saluation of our soule there is more force in Gods grace then in mans sinne for it is easie and we are prone to fall or to dye in sinne but we are lumpish heauie and it is exceeding harde to be raysed vp to life of grace wherfore grace is the stronger and the more worthy and therfore we are the more indebted considering how weake we are and how vnworthy And it is maruelous to consider the proportion betwene our sinfull misery and our gracious remedie As against originall sinne is appointed Baptisme to regenerate vs in grace from that wherin we were generated by nature that as infantes are defyled by meanes of Adams corruption without their owne facte so they are washed by meanes of Christes redemption without their owne helpe Children are spotted before they be aware of it and they are cleansed before they knowe of it In their conception vnwitting and in their baptisme ignorante We are raysed by others before we haue reason to aske helpe as by others we were caste downe before we had sense of our fall Or if some be of yeares of discretion before they be baptyzed as infidels conuerted or if christians after Baptisme become sinners and come agayne to repentance in the firste sorte the grace of baptisme takes away all sinne originall and actuall and all punishment eternall and temporall in both sortes there is first a iustification without foregoing merites quae fit in hominâ— which of God alone is effected in man and then a second iustification quam facit homo in which man doth his parte and hath following good workes In wâ—ich second iustice it is reason we follow Gods grace to performe some satisfaction and to obteynes merites as we had runne after our concupiscence to incurre guiltynes and suffer punishments 3. All our merites and all our good are deriued from God but our first iustice in our first conuersion doth so come from him alone that we are not so much guilty by Adam of originall sinne without our owne faulte as Christ alone doth iustifye vs from all sinne without our owne merite O greatnes O goodnes of grace more powerfull and more abundant then sinne O swete IESVS who doost in wisdome so answer iustice with mercy that neither doo we wante any fauour nor is the lawe vnsatisfyed in all rigor and euery pointe balanced with conuenient counterpeyse Sinners in Adam iuste in Châ—iste In our selues actually and really wicked throughe Christe truly and inherently iuste We were inthralled by our sinfull liues he redeemed vs by his holy death By his passion and sufferinges he satisfyed for our punishments and our good workes haue merite by the vertue of his actions 4. But to insiâ—te especially in his comparison with Adam His crosse stood vpon Adams graue there beginning life where death began By a tree we perished and we were ransomed on a tree He repayred his churche his beloued spouse by the water and bloud which issued out of his side dying as Eua the wife of Adam was taken out of his side sleeping and by that water he clenseth our spottes of sinne and by that bloud he purchased to vs the beauty of grace By occasion of a woman came a generall curse and a greater blessing by meanes of a woman wherfore Adam called the firste Eua. and we salute the second quite turning the same letters into Aue. The first man Adam loste all by ambitions pride because being but a man he aspired to be as God and the second man IESVS restored all by obedient humility who being in deed God yet descended to become a man ALL THE GVILTE OF ORIGINALL SINNE is quite forgiuen in Baptisme and the first motions of concupiscence are not sinne vntill we delighte or consent vnto them Sect. 8. 1. ANd althoughe our Sauiour in Baptisme haue cleared vs from all Guilte of originall sinne yet not during this life from all temporall punishment therof as not from Death hunger sicknes nor from all ignorance or motions of concupiscence And althoughe he hath freed vs from all punishment destroying our soule yet not from all punishment which may encrease our merite as they say sustulit omnem paenam destruentem non omnem paenam promonentem and so he hath lefte in vs these infirmityes of our motions in concupiscence of hunger sicknes and death to be as skarres and markes of our soare and woundes which are healed 1. to the intent that seing and remembring our hurte our helpe we should remayne thankefull and not forgetfull 2. to humble vs by consideration of these infirmityes who else would be proud 3. to exercise vs in diligence of mortification and in vigilance of prayers lest we should be negligent and careles 4. to affoard vs occasion of more merite and so to crowne vs with more glory 2. Or we may lay that he hath freede vs from all effectes and personall punishmetns of originall sinne which so perteyned to our persons that they would condemne our particuler soules but not from all naturall defectes which necessarily belong to our generall nature wherby we remayne in the estate of all mankinde for as a wise phisicyan he hath sufficiently cured euery mans particuler soule not quite changing his generall nature abundantly prouiding and in better sorte for our corrupte nature to be helped and preserued by grace rather then to extinguish this nature and to create another For he will saue the same which had offended which is greater mercy to vs and more power wisdome in himselfe And is it not more to preserue a vessell of glasse then of yron 3. I said he hath lefte vs
subiect to the motions of concupiscence which are not properly sinne but only the remnantes and effectes of originall sinne and inclinations alone to actuall sinne For Baptisme doth alltogether so abolish originall sinne that nothing therof remayneth in vs which hath still the true nature of sinne Otherwise how are we cleansed by his washing as S. Paul saith And hath reconciled vs to exhibite vs immaculate And to be renati borne agayne by water the holy ghoste therby to be as free from originall sinne quasi modo geniti euen as new borne infantes are cleane from actuall sinne 4. And in circumcision the foreskin was not imputatiuely but really cut away In Iordan Naamans leprosy was quite taken away And S. Gregory saith That he who auoucheâ—h that sinnes are not altogether released in Baptisme let him say that the Egiptians were not indeede truly drowned in the red sea And S. Paul proueth that as in Adam all dye so in Christe all shall be reuiued viz truly verely really not so alone estemed or reputed And that we are buryed together with Christe by Baptisme in his death S. Augustin inferreth expressely That as in him was fulfilled a true death so in vs a true remission of sinnes and as in him a true resurrection so in vs a true iustification But the death of Christe and resurrection were true euery way not true in regarde of somewhat and in another respecte false Therfore allso the remission of sinnes is a true death of sinne not in respect of the Guilte only but in regarde of all thinges which haue respect of sinne 5. Not taken away in the Guilte alone as heretiques auouch and remayning in the Acte for how can the Acte of sinne be separated from the Guilte in this concupiscence Nay they themselues must needes confesse it hath still some Guilte whiles they say it is still true sinne for how can true sinne remayne wâ—thout some Guilte Or if we be free only from the dominion not free from all blemish or consideration of true sinne thoughe it be said this blemish is not imputed vnto vs yet if there remayne true sinne then are we not in deede free but in opinion And if that blemish or spotte remayning be true sinne then according to their owne doctrine it is a true mortall sinne for they admitte none veniall But to remayne in true mortall sinne and yet not to be in fauor of God is impossible for the same person to be in state of grace â—nd of saluation and in mortall sinne and so in state of damnation all at the same instante is as possible as to ioyne light and darknes Christe Beliall 6. But Protestants finding in our weake natures after Baptisme certein motions of concupiscence vnto sinne they deceiue themselues supposing these to be in deede sinne Some of ignorance because they distinguish not betwene the prouenes or inclinations of concupiscence and betwene the Acte of concupiscence for the firste is most especially perteyning to originall sinne thoughe after baptisme it is no sinne but only the effecte of originall sinne And the second which is an Actuall motion vnto sinne perteynes rather to Actuall sinne then to originall to which if there be added consent or full delighte then it is a complete actuall sinne otherwise no sinne These men therfore are deceiued in accompting that originall sinne which perteyneth to actuall But some others doo accompte the very firste pronenes or concupiscibility without any acte or consent to be of it seâ—fe sinne because it seemes the roote of sinne Wherin they doo manifestly admitte that defecte and ignominy of the vertue of our lordes grace in Baptisme which S· Augustin was so carefull not to admitte viz that in baptisme originall sinne only is razed of not vtterly rooted out 7. And in this poynte whether the first motions of our concupiscence be sinne Caluin himselfe is driuen to confesse the Ancyent Doctors to be against him His wordes are these Neyther is it needfull to labour in serching what the Ancyent doo thinke herein when therabout one Augustin may suffice who faithfully and with great diligence hath collected all their judgements and a little after he addes Yet betwene him and vs there is this difference That he in deede dare not call the mâ—lady of concupiscence a sinne but being content to decipher it by the name of Infirmity he teacheth it then finally to become sinne when eyther action or consent is added therunto Which is the same and no other then that which S. Iames said Concupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forthe sinnâ— and sinne when it is complete bringeth death Vpon which wordes S. Gregory and our venerable Countryman Bede maketh three daughters or effectes of concupiscence 1. suggestion when any vnlawfull thoughte doth sodeinly present it selfe to our minde whervnto if we doo not consent but resiste it doth not bringe forthe sinne but a crowne of life 2. Delectation when we doo not perfectly resiste the first motion or suggestion but in a mixte sorte we are somewhat delighted therin althoughe not with a full but with an imperfect consent then hath sinne conceiued venially not mortally But in the 3. if we proceede to a deliberate full consent althoughe it be only in thoughte yet then is it a complete sinne either veniall or mortall according as the matter of sinne wherunto we haue consented is veniall or mortalll As it is a mortall deadly sinne to see a woman and with full consent of thoughte deliberately to lust after her this is a complete sinne bringing forthe death thoughe it neuer come to action because as our Sauiour saith he hath allready committed adultery in his harte and as he hath fully in thoughte consented and either purpoâ—ed or deliberately desired to put his thoughte in execution so if he had meanes he woulde in deede practise it in Action 8. As for those Textes in the 6. and 7. chapters to the Romanes thoughe concupiscence be there diuerse times called sinne Eyther he meaneth concupiscence actuall which hath some delighte or consent Or else if he vnderstand the first motions which are the remnantes of originall sinne yet he calleth them sinne improperly and so these are termed sinne because they are following effectes and remnantes of originall sinne Not that either of these after baptisme are in themselues sinne excepte we doo consent vnto them In like sorte S. Paul was soulde vnder sinne where S. Chrysostome saith he speaketh in the person of wicked men not absolutely of himselfe Or as S. Augustin interpreteth him against the Pelagians He was soulde vnder the sinne of Adam but now is redeemed throughe Christe our lord And so he complayneth of some remnantes of that bondage that he had still the sensâ— of concupiscence but did not consent and therfore addeth what he did that he did not approoue it viz not allowe of those motions which he did feeâ—e And so he performed the euill which he hated vbi facere
our spirite is olde or loste therfore must be renued And all these defectes are in our bowells euen in the principall inward partes of our nature if our eye be blind how great is our darkenes and when our bowells our cheife nature is faulty how great is our wickednes O God! create renue a harte a spirite cleane harte a righte spirite a cleane spirite a righte harte we haue neede of all in all our nature euen in our very bowells O furnish all our defectes Deus meus in quem deficio vt fortis sim as said S. Augustin O mie Iesu vpon whom I doo desire to relye and fainte that so fainting vpon him I maie be reuiued more strong 9. By cleansing my harte from all worldly filthynes thou shalte cheere it lighten it in thy loue and so I shall liue more cherfully for as no creature say philosophers can long liue without some sorte of loue so such as our loue is such is our life If we woulde haue our life pure at liberty glorious let not our loue be slauish corrupte or base O swete Iesu create in me a cleane harte of loue and because our soule is not mooued by paces of the feete but by affections of the harte therfore vnto this loue adde a righte spirite not to be as wicked men who walke in a circle but like Ezechiels beast which went righte onward turned not Allso a righte spirite euen in the bowells of our syncere intentions which as a direct winde at sterne may further and order all our actions holde all our courses streight for heauen TO BE CASTE OVT FROM THE FACE of God is to be caste into all misery Sect. 3. 1. NE proijcias me c. Doo not cast me out from thy face thy holie spirite doo not take from me Dionysius Areopagita vsed to say that our Lord Iesus comes to vs firste goes from vs laste for till we forsake him he doth neuer forsake vs. And as Innocentius tertius saith The holy Ghoste is taken from vs not so much when he ceaseth to be possessed as when he beginneth not to be possessed for he of himselfe ceaseth not to remayne with vs but we firste begin to dispossesse our selues of him for in the day time if any be blind the defecte is in the eye not in the sunne and lighte departeth not till darkenes come 2. Let vs consider o my soule with Ieremy how euill how bitter a thinge it is to haue forsaken our Lord God the faulte is euill the punishment is bitter It is euill because it is sinne which is the worste euill It is bitter in diuersity of the payne which in his sensible parte hath exterior fyre and an interiour worme which allso in his losse is worthely depriued of the presence of God whom we did forsake vnworthely O Iesu let vs neuer forsake thee of our owne frailty nor suffer our selues to be plucked from thee by any tentation least we deserue for euer to be caste out from thee whensoeuer we yeild or loue any thing else more then thee If thou turne awaie thy face of mercy all will be in confusion and from thy face of iustice whither shall we flye O illuminate thy countenance vpon vs and shew vs thy mercie thou arte our lighte our saluation 3. Dauid releasing Absoloms banishment gaue leaue he mighte returne to his owne house but with this commandement my face he shall not see Afterward Absolom complaynes to Ioab saying If my Father be still offended against me let him rather take my life then forbid me his face for it is a matter full of disgrace empty of comforte and wantes a cheife meanes to worke reconciliation because we are sooner mooued in fauour or in pity towardes those whom we haue much conuersante in our eye Wherfore o gracious Lorde caste vs not out from thy face thrust vs not out of thy fauor reiect vs not from thy mercy exclude vs not from thy sighte or knowledge exempte vs not from thy care or prouidence nor let vs be estranged from thy loue or contemplation O let vs neuer heare it said against vs Take awaie the wicked so that he neuer see the glorie of my face for so was Lucifer cast headlong out of thy presence as lightening from heauen and so shall all they be caste with violence from thy face to whom thou shalt say Go you cursed into eternall fire 4. It is miserable to be cast into captiuity bondage as our lord threatned the Iewes I will cast you from my face vidz into Babylon It is terrible to be throwne from an highe Clyffe or a steep mounteyn downe vpon rockes or stones as were those in the chronicles of whom the scripture saith crepuerunt they burste and cracked in peices with their fall It is most horrible intollerable to be reprobate from Gods presence and caste into hell and of such the scripture saith The soule of thine enimyes shal be tumbled as in a wheele or in a whirlewinde or as in the violence or circle of a slinge We beseech thee caste vs not into the miserable bondage of concupiscence or slauish passions nor into the terrible downefall of pride or ambition nor into the vnsufferable torments of future perdition or of present desperation for he sinnes against the holy ghoste who supposeth his sinnes to be greater then thy mercie which applyeth forgiuenes by meanes of the holie ghost and therfore from him who casteth himselfe into such finall desperation thou doost take awaie thy holie spirite O cast me not out by any of these from thy face and thy holie spirite in any sorte doo not take awaie from me 5. Origen saith that when our lord promiseth to looke vpon vs he promiseth all that is good for all our wellfare comes from his fauorable countenance O let vs not be Runnegates like Cayn from the face of God vpon the face of the earthe 1. to forsake God for the worlde But let vs beseech him to looke vpon vs like as he looked vpon S Peter and vpon that yong man in the Gospell whom when he saw he loued him to giue vs lookes of admonition that we may repent and lookes of fauour that we may reioyce To turne away his face of indignation from our sinnes whose faultes doo vrge him to iustice and yet not to caste our persons out of his presence because our misery may mooue him to compassion 6. To be caste out of our owne country by banishment is a ciuil death and it is an ecclesiasticall death to be caste out of the churche by excoÌ„muncation The first is next neighbor to death of body and the other to death of soule But to be caste out from the presence of God is more then both theâ—e for it is indeede the death it selfe both of body and soule It is irckesome to be debarred our owne natiue country and it
is greiuous to be depriued the communion of Sayntes But to be caste out from the fruition ioye of Gods presence is most lamentable The Mary-golde flower another which may be called Follow-suÌ„ne whiles the cherfull sunne shynes vpon them doo alwayes turne themselues towardes his beames moouing their heades after his course from East to west and whiles they feele his comfortable heate they remayne open beautifull fresh but so soone as the sunne is downe or couered with a sharpe storme or great thicke clowde they close shut vp their stowers they hang downe their heades or altogeather wither if they long wante his presence as in winter O Iesu thou arte my eternall sunne I am this fading flower yet if I will followe the as thou wilte neuer go downe so I shall neuer dâ—caye o let me euer be turned toward thy face 7 Pliny writes of a birde named Coladion which brought to a sicke body if she willingly looke directly vpon him there is much hope of life but if she turne away her eye and would not see him it is a signe of death O Iesu beholde me for my soule is sicke if thou turne away thy face from me I must needes dye for only in thy presence is true life Iob was an eye to the blinde as that sea fish Squilla doth serue for eyes vnto another shellfish called Pina O Iesu kepe me in thy presence and fixe thy face vpon me according as thy prophet Zachary said Our lord is the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel As Ester with Assuerus let me find grace in thyne eyes O lord cast me not out from thy face least so I should wante thy fauour thy guydance and thy defence for euen among men we fasten our eyes vpon another either for loue or for gouernement or for protection O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of fauorable loue O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of directing gouernement O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of protecting defence so shall I reioyce in thee as my kind Patron I will obey thee as my prudent Tutor and I shal be safe with thee as my allmighty Capteyn AMONG SVNDRY OTHER GIFTES OF the holy Ghoste let vs inparticuler labour to be thankefull and to be constante Sect. 4. 1. ANd thy holie spirite doo not take from me I am a penitent and yet I presume to suppose I haue thy holy spirite whose effectes I desire may be encreased not diminished It is an effecte of thy holy spirite to be displeased with sinne for wickednes is a delighte to an vncleane spirite As therfore by this gifte of thy spirite I am come thus farre forwarde to dislike my former sinnes and to seeke pardon so I beseech the not to take froÌ„ me because of my vnworthynes that little which I haue but rather in thy goodnes to giue me yet more whatsoeuer I wante No man can call our lorde Iesus but in the holie ghoste To name him in worde they may but not to beleue in him loue him with their harte aboue any thinge in this worlde this none can doo without the holy spirite which is a spirite or inward breath of holynes no more then any can vocally speake without the breath of ayre O Iesu I beleue helpe my fainte beleefe O Iesu I loue increase my colde charity The small loue poore faith which I haue doo come from thy holy spirite O take not this holie spirite from me thou hast giuen it freely o encrease it graciously 2. In vertue memory of our deare Sauiours fiue woundes some vse to pray to the holy ghoste in fiue wordes 1. Veni come 2. purga cleanse 3. Reple fill 4. Accende inflame 5. Perseuera Continue Come with thy inspirations Cleanse by expulsion of sinne Fillfull with abundance of grace inflame with heat of thy loue and continue all these vnto the end all are necessary good but without perseuerance no vertue is crowned I haue begun in the spirite let me not end in the fleh O take not thy holie spirite from â—e 3. It is a question among schoolmen which is most bound to allmighty God One who was euer innocent or one truly penitent Some doo resolue it thus Innocens maiora debet sed poenitens magis debet Innocency is a greater benefite and so he is in debted for a better gifte But penitence is more difficulte and allso a demerited or disdeserued vertue for which therfore such a one is indebted so much more To preserue one alwayes innocent is to doo good vnto a man not ill To drawe a sinner to repentance is to doo good to an ill man The first did neuer merite his innocence but the other had demerited his penitence Allso it is easyer for him to go forward who is sounde standing on foote then for him who is sicke fallen vnder foote And finally Innocence is a Iewell of more price in the substance and penitence of more value for the workemanship wherfore the one owes more vnto God for being reserued in excellency and the other because he is deliue red with such difficulty 4. And as both procede of mercy vndeserued so if they doo not continue in perseuerance neither of them shal be crowned The fayre blade of corne must come to a good eare to a full kernell to a seasonable haruest to yeildable flowre The beautifull blossome must growe to a welâ— set budde and continue to a kind ripe fruite Saint Paul saying There is reserued for me a crowne of iustice Saint Bernard enquireth what proportion betwene our eternall reward our merites of a few yeares and allso what iustice of rewarde can be due to vs who receiue all of mercy Doubtles becauses our merites procede of his mercy and so doth not mercy exclude merite or iustice but rather vpholde them And as sinners are eternally punished for offending an infinite maiesty so iust men thirsting after righteousnes do merite an eternall crowne of iustice for if they were immortall on earthe they would perpetually serue God And being once sincerely penitent with S. Augustin they would so abandon all their sinfull pleasures that from the instante of their repentance they shoulde no more returne vnto them for euer euer such must be the purpose of a true conuerte for euer to caste of sinne least at any time he be caste out from the face of God and for euer to take care of perseueranae least at any time he loose the holy spirite which he hath receiued for so eternall iustice will giue him an eternall rewarde herin proportionable to his eternall purpose and care to serue God 5. Not like those peicemeale penitentes who still reserue some sinne nor those changeable conuertes who are weary euery moone or such as for a time cease to sinne for a lent for a sicknes for a good sermon or by any such present admonition but
a person whose life doth much importe the publique good of the common wealthe or of diuerse others beside himselfe But in no case may we aduenture the death of our soule rather saith our Sauiour if it coste vs our hande or our foote or the very eyes of our head we must sooner pull them out or cutte them of then loose our soule to saue them all or to gayne all the worlde So let vs say and performe it with Dauid If a million of sacrifices or millions of millions were requisite O God if they were in our power we would yeild them all most willingly not alone for some recompence of our sinnes but allso to testifye our willing loue and our bounden obedience vnto so gracious a lorde vnto whom we doo owe our selues our soules our bodyes and that we haue or can haue so that if occasion be we may say with S. Peter and the Apostles Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Beholde we haue forsaken all to yeild our selues vnto thy good pleasure for allbeit we haue no kingdomes no lordships no landes nor other great riches or dignityes to forsake no more then had those poore Fishermen yet as they did if we willingly parte from all we haue in present possession or in future possibility and no lesse from the loue affection desire of this worlde then from the honors wealthe and pleasures themselues in this case we may wel say reliquimus omnia we haue lefte all thoughe we enjoyed neuer so little for herein to subdue our will and to yeild our Desire is as much as to giue him all the worlde if it were ours to giue and he that so resignes his Desire and his will vnto all doubtles he resignes All and so much more then All. 5. Thus therfore let vs offer him All with Dauid that whensoeuer it shall please him to take all we haue or any parte we doo gladly giue him All euery parte and in this kinde althoughe we doo not in facte render vnto God a thousand sacrifices not whole barnte offeringes because we vnderstand that he doth not absolutely exacte them yet should we alwayes be such poore men in spirite that in our hartes we be prepared to yeild him all we haue whensoeuer we perceiue that he doth necessarily require them And so let vs say Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique Holocaustis non delectaberis O lorde I giue thee no whole burnt offeringes because I doo suppose thou doost not require them But if it were thy will to exacte a million of sacrifices Dedissem vtique verily I am ready to obey thy will and if it were in my power I woulde willingly giue thee all the worlde WE HAVE NEEDE TO BE PENITENT and how acceptable vnto our Sauiour is any soule contrite for sinne Sect. 4. 1. ALL this is moste due vnto our lord who neuertheles is so gracious that An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice vnto God A contrite harâ—e humbled O God thou wilte not despise For my sinnes I will afflicte my minde my spirite with dolor and sorowe and I will humble my harte my senses my body with mortifications labor These sacrifices O God I knowe thou wilte neuer refuse For thou hast said that it is alwayes an heathfull sacrifice To attend vnto thy commandements and to departe from iniquity And that thou wilte soonest regarde the poore contrite in spirite such as feare thy wordes 2. And these sacrifices are most acceptable because in euery outward sacrifice there being 3. things 1. deuotion 2. oblation 3. signification somtime the last is impertinent or expired the second somtime is not necessary nor required but the firste is euer requisite gratefull profitable of which kinde are an afflicted spirite a contrite harte The spirite vnderstanding is afflicted by knowledge consideration of our sinnes of their enormityes our will our harte is humbled greiued by acknowledgement of our base guiltynes and with a detestation of our lothsome faultes 3. O my soule if we consider the seuere iustice of allmighty God who for sinne threwe downe Lucifer and those arrogant Angells out of heauen expelled disobedieÌ„t Adam his posterity out of Paradise drowned all the worlde except eight persons and except his seruante Lot some with him burned all the fiue cityes of Sodome so often punished Pharaoh all the Egiptians with such strange terrible plagues caused the earthe to open to swallowe Corah Dathan Abiram quicke into hell euer since in all ages places hath sundry times manifested his dreadfull iudgements against careles sinners O how oughte we to feare to afflicte our spirite that we afflicting our selues he may spare vs that beginning by peircing feare as by a sharpe needle to drawe into vs the thred of loue we may come to be sowed vnited vnto him in attonement reconciliation Thus O lorde we praye with Dauid in another psalme Confige timore tuo carnes meas O wound peirce my flesh with thy feare it will be like the â—urgeons wounde which letteth out corrupted bloud or putrefyed matter There shalle dolores parturientis the sorowes of a woman in child-birthe that as our sinnes were conceiued in voluptuous pleasure so we cannot be deliuered of them without afflicting payne 4. Nay we are happy that sinne by nature bringing vs sorowe we may if we will so vse this sorowe that it shall extinguish sinne as the wood breedes a worme the yron a rust the garment a mothe which consume the substances wherof they were engendred Nay much more happy that so easy so small a meanes as an humbled a contrite harte may change the iustice of God into mercy According to that vision shewed to a holy woman wherin she sawe our Sauiour as it were sitting on a throne with great maiesty attended on by all the Angells Sayntes holy hoste of heauen yet very often to ryse of from his seate to go to euery pitifull voyce which called vpon him she asked what voyces those were and why he himselfe so often mooued from his throne did not rather send vnto them some one or more of his heauenly attendantes which mighte well seeme more then sufficient He answered that those voyces were the sorowfull sighes of any sinners contrite harte who if they could not so much as name Iesus yet if they did in true humility sighe and with an afflicted spirite syncerily greiue for their sinnes he did so much loue rather to shew mercy then to obserue maiesty and did so much delighte in the contrite conuersion of any sinner that he did most willingly rise vp himselfe and withall in ioye to mooue the whole courte of heauen to giue comforte wellcome to euery such soule 5. Wherfore let vs be of good comforte o penitent soules for thoughe we be destitute of all worldly wealthe hauing nothing to giue
the soule may be infected in the body Or it must be vnderstooâ— of the complete coÌ„iunction of the soule with the flesh which is seminally deriued from Adam at which time of their conioyned vnion we firste become perfect humane creatures and so then not before we are corrupted when the soule body are conioyned for then firste are we perfect humane creatures capable of sinne and then are we firste complete sonnes members of Adam And so then is originall sinne contracted and the soule seemeth as is were to be polluted in the body as in an vncleane vessell not that any actuall infection of sinne was in the flesh before the soule was infused which corruption should streight redounde out of the nature of the flesh into the soule so soone as euer it was infused nor when the soule was created a parte by it selfe in the body for in the body it is created that then alâ—â—ighty God created it with originall sinne cleauing to it I say that neither of these can be for the body alone or soule alone is not a complete perfect man nor so capable of sinne and therfore till they be ioyned they are not Adams posterity nor so infected with originall sinne which for better memory sake vnderstanding agayne I say is then firste fastened on vs so soone as we become perfect humane creatures deriued from Adam and so are considered as partes progeny of him by whom alone originall sinne is entred vpon all mankinde 7. And so lastly it is answered to the Pelagians assumption and inference Vidz The soule is not deriued from Adam nor therfore originall sinne which is in the soule That originall sinne in the soule is not considered to belong thervnto whither we falsely suppose the soule to be traduced from Adam or whither we beleeue it truly to be created of God but only in respecte that the soule being ioyned to the body then makes a complete creature who is a parte or member of Adam and so only capable subiect to this originall sinne Allso furthermore consider that to the end that sinne should be deriued from Adam it is not necessary that the soule allso be deriued from him but it is enoughe if the complete reasonable creature wherof the soule is a parte be in descent a member of Adam And obserue that generation is not finished in the production of the forme or soule alone nor of the matter or body alone but in the complete coniunction vnion of both together wherfore he may be said to be the next cause of generation who is the next cause of this coniunction But our parentes doo so dispose affoarde the materiall parte which is the seede or body that the soule which is the forme must in order of nature necessarily followe come to be conioyned thervnto in which sense a man is said to beget a man and so thoughe he be not Author of the soule yet he is called father of the whole creature because he is in nature the next cause of this vnion coniunction of the soule with the body Thus therfore I conclude that we deriue originall sinne from Adam only as being our generarll father alone for thoughe our other auncestors parents be the instrumentall causes or as conduytes the conâ—eyors hereof yet only Adam is the cheife cause founteyne from whom we doo deriue this originall corruption but not from him nor them as Authors of our soules saue only from him as the roote by our parents as the branches all we doo participate of this bitter fruite OVR SAVIOVR AND OVR B. LADY WERE exempted from Originall sinne Sect 6. 1. NEuertheles from this generall rule are exâ—epted our Sauiour Christ his holy mother Vnto our L. Iesus originall sinne did neither perteyne in facto nor in debito Vnto the blessed Virgin in debito as duâ— but not in deede in facto Vnto all vs it belongeth both in deede and as our due As the vndefiled virgin was a member a daughther of Adam seminally deriuâ—d so was Original sinne due to her nature as a parte of him And besides there is a conception of seede to frame the body when the childe is firste of all engendred and a conception of of complete nature when the soule coming to that body it is so first quickened â—rom the first engendring till the perfect quickening originall sinne is in preparatiue possibility due to that body which is in framing because it descendes semiâ—ally frâ—m Adam But it cannot take possession in facte vntill the soule be ioyned the whole creature perfectly quickened for where there is no soule there can be no sinne 2. In the firste conception Originall sinne was due to our blessed lady according to naturall possibility But in the very instant of the second conception and before the complete vnion of the soule by supernaturall grace it was kepte from my possession in facte she was extraordinarily preuented preserued in all cleare purity Some few others haue bin cleared and purifyed from originall sinne after their perfect quickening before their birthe But our blessed lady before both so that she was no sooner a liuing creature but she was of God the father a sanctifyed daughter for so it behooued to haue an immaculate mother of God the sonne and of God the holy ghoste a perfecte pure vndefiled spouse 3. This is the most pious probable opinion thoughe it be not decreed as a poynt of faithe no may the contrary be called heretically false Neither can I see what inconuenience can folowe of this pious opinion that as our L. Iesus alone was free from all possibility and possession of originall sinne so our holy virgin was free from all possession but not from all possibility therof He was so in the very nature of his generation because conceiued by the holy ghost She only by miraculous vertue of grace altering the course of nature She was indebted by nature to be a childe of wrathe but an especiall priuiledge of grace payed that debte and preuented her attachment 4. And so neuertheles she had neede and was indeede redeemed of her sonne both from that debte which she owed and allso from all those sinnes euills wherinto without this priuiledge she should haue fallen So when Dauid said Thou hast taken out my soule from the lowest hell Saint Augustin interpreteth those wordes not as if Dauids soule euer had bene in the lowest hell but he was so freed that he should neuer come thither And it is more for the physitian to preuent a sickenes wherto I am certeinly subiect then to heale me afterwarde when I haue bene sicke And so our Sauiour redeemed his mother from sinne which naturally she should haue contracted and may be estemed a more worthy redemption then if by sinne she had bene once polluted And yet she suffered bodily death and some other humane miseryes rather as perteyning to her abouesaid debte