him to blaspheme God Ioseph felt his part of miserie when he was solde of his brother and imprâ—soned without cause Noah felt his part of miserie being grieuouslye mocked and persecuted of the wicked Poore Lazarus was both sicke â—oâ—e hungry and thirsty Father Iacob complayned that his daies were fewe and euill Dauid said hee was a worme and no man Solomon was weary of his life because all that euer he saw vnder the Sunne was nothing but vanitie miserie and vexation of minde Father Ierom complayned that Satan sought to ouerthrowe him and that his weake fleshe was readie to consent The Prophet Ieremy cursed the daye of his birth Ionas said it was better for hâ—m to die then liue Chrisostome called the daies of his life the daies of his sorrowe Naziensen wept that his mother had brought him forth to see such miserable daies Such trauell hath God giuen vnto men vnder the sunne to be exercised therin Chapter IIII. Of the breuitye of mans life and certaintye of Death ANd as the dayes of this our painefull pilgrimage are vayne and miserable so are they short and tedious The one foote no sooner on the ground but the other readie to slip into the graue Man that is borne of woman saith Iob hath but a short time to liue and is full of miserie He springeth as a flower fadeth like a shadowe and neuer continueth in one state My daies saith he are more swifte then a runner We bring our yeares to an ende saith Dauid as it were a tale that is tolde We are dying continually all our life long euery yeare day and houre Our infancie lasteth a small while and dyeth Our youth florisheth a time and vanisheth Our manhood a time and departeth Our age a time and by and by it is gone The dayes of our life saith the Psalmist are three-score yeares and tenne and though men bee so strong that they rubbe out till foure score yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow so soone passeth it away and we are gone The life of man is aptly compared to a vapour to the trace of a cloude to a shippe passing ouer the waues of the sea tossed and beaten with tempest to a birde that flyeth in the aire or a shaft that is shot at a marke and neuer staieth till it light vpon the ground Euen so man assoone as he is borne beginneth immediately to draw to his ende The godly Patriarkes who liued in the firste age of the world saw many yeares yet at last the dyed Death was alwaies the ende of their song Adam lyued 930-yeares Seath 912 Enoch 905 Kenan 910 Mahelaell 895 Iared 962 Mathusala 969 Lamech 777 Noah 950 and they died saith the text ABraham the father of the faithfull Dauid a man according to Gods owne hart Iohn Baptist of whom our Sauiour Christ said there hath not risen a greater amongst the children of women yâ—t they dyed All the Prophets Apostles and godly martires were greatly in Gods fauour yet they died Rich and poore wisemen and fooles learned and ignorant godly and vngodly all must follow the dauÌ„ce of death Many are gone before the rest must followe after when God doth call nature must obey Wise Salomon rich Iob strong Sampson and faire Absolon haue trode the path of all flesh Great Alexander Conquered the whole world yet could hee finde no weapon to conquer death The stiffest steele yeeldeth to the hammer the strongest oake to the axe and the stoutest heart vnto nature And therefore king Phillip of Macedonia wallowing in worldly wealth and prosperity commaunded his chamberlaine euery daye at his vp rysing sadly to repeate vnto him these wordes Remember king Phillip and forget not that thou art a man subiect to mortality All flesh is grasse and euerye man the flower of the grasse the grasse shall be withered and the flower shall fall away And as death is a thing of all other most certaine and sure so is the time of dâ—ath most vncertaine and doubtfull The Lord in his word hath reueaâ—ed vnto man many notable lessons touchâ—ng the knowledge of his wâ—ll yet not the day of death bâ—cause he would haue vs liue so as euery day migâ—t be the day of death Knowing that as the course of this life is the râ—ce vnto death so is death the gate to eternal life And therefore as at night we do willingly put of our garments in hope the next morning to put them on againe so ought wee willingly to put of these our mortall bodies assuring our selues that after we haue slept a while in tâ—e dust to receiue them againe immortall O homo Nosce Teipsum The wheat and other seede though it dye and rot in the ground yet springeth vp more beautiful then before It is written how certain summer birds lye dead all winter and reuiue in the spring The Phenix being burnt vnto ashes yet of the same ashes is bred to liue againe So though our bodies layd shall be to rot in lothsome graue Yet afterwards in glorious state more bewty they shall haue When death hath held them downe awhile Anon they shall arise Eternally in ioy to liue With Christ aboue the skyes Chapter V. The passage to Paradise is aptly compared to a warfare PLato calleth a Philosophers life a meditation of death But it may truly be said that the whole race of a Christian mans life is nothing else but a continuall warfare For as the Israelites by bodily resistance did assaile fyght against and ouercome seuen Nations before they could obtaine a temporall inheritance in the land of Canaan so must Gods children by spirituall resistance assaile fight against and ouercome their lewd lustes wicked appetits and fleshly affections with the hole host of vicâ—s enemies most odious to God and dangerous to man before they can come to inioy their eternall inheritance in the kingdome of heauen The chiefe Captaine generall in this continuall conflict is the mighty Lion of the tribe of Iuda the prince of peace the conqueror of death hell and sinne the great Iudge of the world and bishop of our soules which is Christ himselfe The grande Captaine of our ennemyes part is the great red Dragon the old crafty serpent the deceauer of the world accuser of his bretheren and gouernor of darknes which is Satan himselfe Mighty in power subtil in pollicy skilfull in war Apt and ready what in him lyeth to hinder the glory of God and saluation of man Who like a ramping and roring lyon seeking continually whom he may deuoure knoweth how to vse both riches and pouerty prosperity and aduersity health and sicknesse strength and weakenes bewty and deformity as instruments and weapons to serue his purpose Hee tempted Adam to eate the forbâ—ddeÌ„ fruit Aaron to make the goldeÌ„ Calfe Dauid to commit adultry and murther Iudas to betray Christ Peter to forsweare him
them And often times those thinges which are taken for punishmentes are rather profitable medecins For euen as the Nurse by annointing her brest with Aloes doth weane hir Infant from sucking so doth God by tribulation and aduersity weane his Children from sensuall delightes And as Moses by striking the hard stonie Rocke with his Rodde brought forth plenty of Water euen so GOD by stryking the stony Hart of Man with affliction bringeth foorth teares of contrition And as in the Gold-smithes Forge the golde is fined while the Coales are burned so in the Forge of temptation and trouble the faithfull are tryed and fined while the wicked are hardned and consumed And as the seed which is cast vpon the land vnlesse it indure the coldnesse of raine frost and snowe can bring forth no fruit no more can man vnlesse he do patiently beare the crosse of tribulation and aduersity bring forth true fruites of the Gospell The patient abiding of the righteous saith Salomon shall be turned into gladnesse The Lorde correcteth all those whom he loueth and scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth So as there is no greater temptation then neuer to be tempted nor sorer whip then neuer to be scourged Yet such is the naturall infirmitie of man that it God beginne a little to chastice wee sorow and lament as though there were none other hell And if we florish a little in prosperity we laugh and sing as though there were none othâ—r heauen Hauing more respect how the world is inclined then what the Lorde hath commaunded Whereas wee shoulde not so much regard what we are here as what here after wee shall bee Not what we haue now but what we shall haue in time to come For all that Christ dyed for is yet behinde His kingdome is not of this world The effect of his death is not to make vs florish in this life The ioy of Gods children and sorrow of his enimies beginneth not till after death Hoc momentum vnde pendet eternitas This is a place of temptation and triall a moment of time whereof dependeth eternity of life to come The figure of this life withall the glory pompe and vanity thereof shall vanish and passe away and all thinges must be new New heauen new earth new bodies new mindes and all thinges new such as neither eye hath seene eare hath heard nor heart hath vnderstand before Chapter XVI Of the ioyfull state of Gods children after the laste iudgement AS the worlde had a beginning so shall it haue an ending The heauens saith the Apostle shal passe away in manner of a tempest the eliments shall melt with heat and the earth with all thinges therein contained shall burne with fier and be consumed But the Lord will creaâ—e newe heauens and a new earth and the former saith the prophet shall not bee remembred nor come to minde I saw saith the Euangelist a newe heauen and a newe earth for the first heauens and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea And I saw the holy citie new Ierusalem come downe from God out of heauen prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband And I heard a great voyce out of heauen saying beholde the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and he himselfe shall bee their God with them and shall wipe awaye all teares from their eies And there shall bee no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither shall there bee any more paine for the first things are gone And there shall be no night there and they neede no candle neither light of the sunne for the Lorde God giueth them light and they shall raigne for euermore Thy sonne shall neuer go downe saith the Prophet and thy name shall not be taken away for the Lorde himselfe shall be thine euerlasting light and thy sorrowfull daies shall be ended The moue saith he shall then be as light as the sunne and the sunne light shall be increased seauen folde and haue as much shine as in seauen daies besides And as the newe heauens and newe earth which I will make shall remaine before mee saith the Lorde so shall your seede and your name continue and from moneth to moneth and from Saboth to Saboth shall all fleshe come and worshippe before me saith the Lord and they shall go forth and looke vpon the karcases of the men which haue transgressed against me for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring vnto all flesh As the gold is desolued in the fire saith S. Augustine not to perish but to make it more fine and pure so the first heauen defiled with the pride of Angels and the first earth corrupted with the wickednesse of man shall vanish passe away and be no more seene Not altered in verity and substance but changed in fashion forme and shape So as the nature qualitie and complexion of corruptible Elemenâ—s agreeable to these our mortall bodies shall then be transformed to agree with our immortall and purified bodies and so remaine for euer And as we are now clothed with the Image of Adams corruptible bodie subiect to death and miserie so shall wee then bee clothed with the Image of Christes glorified bodie chaunged into perfection and sincerity When Christ shall appeare saith the Apostle wee shall be like vnto him and see him as he is And though wee shall not then as now bee maintained and fed with elimentall foode but as the Angels in heauen Yet our bodies of the same humaine nature shape and fashion of flesh and bones with all partes and members of a man as in this life Not altered in substance but chaunged in property Behold my handes and my feete saith our Sauiour his Disciples for it is euen I my selfe handle mee and see for a spirite hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue Yet such was his bodie as he entred the chamber where they were assembled tâ—e dores being shut Anselmus affirmeth that y e glorifieâ— to ies of the iust shall be so pure and pâ—rfect as may easily pearce or penitrate any other body without resistance or danger and in beautâ—e shall shine as the sunne And as we shall be new men so shall we haue new sences to vnderstand thinges not as they seeme but as they are in deede And beholde the diuine mysterie of God face to face The fruition of whose glorious presence as the originall fountaine from whence all wisedome gladnes ioye vertue and true felicitie do proceede shall so rauish content and satisfie euery member power and sence of bodie and minde with fuâ—l perfection of pleasure and delight as neither eie hath seene eare hath heard tongue can expresse nor heart imagine In comparison whereof all the vaâ—ne pleasures of this world are
receiue And though our prayers be but weake faint and full of wandring fantasies yâ—t in stirring vp our selues what in vs lyeth hee will no doubt put to his helping hand sharpen our dulnâ—s strengthen our weakenes pardon our imperfections and accept our obedience But contrariwise as he is mercifull so is he iust As he is liberall so is he wise He appeared not vnto Moises before he had runne out of Egypt vnto the hilles of Madian Neither will he endewe the hartes of such with his heauenly consolatioÌ„ as are yet possessed with worldly vanities He will not cast pearles before swine not the childrens bread vnto dogges Neâ—ther giue a tast of his treasure where there is no will to receiue it He will be found of those saith the wise man that tempt him not Chapter XII Of true abstinence or fasting FAsting serueth especiallye to three endes First to mortify and subdue the lustes of the flesh Secondlye to stirre vp more feruent aptnesse to meditation and prayer And thâ—rdly to be a testimony of our inward humility and duetifull obedience to the will of God We ought to fast saith S. Ambrose to keepe our bodies from surfetting and our soules from sinning The diseases of the minde saith S. Ierom are to be healed with praying and the lustes of of the body with fasting For euen as a wanton pampered horse doth striue to cast his rider so doth a wanton pampered bodie by nature resist against reason and vertue And as a fat foule with few fethers is vnapt to flye in the aire so our praiers as it were the wings of the soule without abstinence of bodie are vnapt to fly vnto heauen The bodie of an obedient Christian is the meetest temple wherein the holy Ghost delighteth to dwell An humble penitent hart the fittest altar whereon the Lord taketh pleasure to receiue our offerings and the mortifying of our flesh the most acceptable sacrifice to appease the honorable maiestie of our God Yet alwaies prouided that as he is well contented with the abstinence of the godly so much more with the conuersion of a sinner Hee is greatly moued with the prayers of the iust but much more with the restitution of the iniurious He is greatly delighted with the patience of the sicke but much more with the charitable hospitality of those that be whole It is good to fast saith S. Augustine but better to giue almesse When the lustes of the flesh are mortifyed our wronged brother satisfied and our needy neighbour releeued then God with our fast is well pleased The sicke for lacke of stomach fast the poore for want of meate The couetuous chuffe to spare his purse the glutton more to eate The apish hipocrite for praise a good man for his soules health alwaies Chapter XIII A briefe summe of Christian religion AS the wise men of the East did offer vnto Christ their costlye presents of gold frankensence and mirre so the most pretious thing that we can present vnto him is the golde of faith and sure hope the franckensence of zeale and true deuotion and the mirre of vertue charitable liuing To honor him with due obedience and depend wholy vpon his prouidence Ioyning alwaies practice with knowledge deedes with wordes keeping with hearing walking with talking and expressing with professing Knowing that not the hearers of the word but the doers shall be iustified Not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen If you vnderstand these things saith our Sauiour happy are you if you do them Blessed are they that heare the word of God and â—eepe it He that heareth the word willingly vnderstandeth it rightly belieueth it faithfuly learneth it perfectly applyeth it profitably and keepeth it diligently shall ioy with Christ assuredly And this is religion or godlines the ground of conscience and true deuotion The word of God propoundeth repentance seeketh prayer findeth faith apprehendeth hope assureth and charity perfourmeth And where faith neuer doubteth nor hope neuer shrinketh nor charity neuer ceaseth there God neuer faileth And this is the golden chaine of saluation the true pilgrimage to Paradise and right ladder to heauen To know and beleeue the truth are two winges to flye vnto ioy and to resist vice and practise vertue two legges to walke to felicity Iohn heard a voice from heauen saying blessed are the dead which die in the Lord euen so sayth the spirâ—t that they rest from their labors their works follow them And he that will die in the Lord must be carefull to liue in the Lord. It is an infallible rule qualis vita finis ita to him that liueth vertuously God doth alwayes giue grace to dye faithfully A ioyful death followeth a charitable life and a happy life insueth such a death So as hee that liueth to dye well shall surely die to liue better whereas he that will not frame himselfe to honor and obay the giuer of his life is vnworthy to haue or enioy his life And as God in olde tune was not contented to be serued with the blind lame and maimed of the flock so he that carelesly imployeth the bewty and strength of his youth in vice vanity and seruice of the Deuill as though old rotten bones and dregs of age were good ynough to vse in the seruâ—ce of God he seldome granteth either time to liue long or grace to dye well Such as liue like wolues do often dye like swine Commonly after a dissolute life without feare of death followeth a desperat death without hope of life And it agreeth with all equity right and reason that such as in lewd behauiour haue passed their time should by rygure of iustice receiue their end Chapter XIIII An exhortation to indure constant in time of tryall IT is required in a true christian Pilgram to be wel and strongly armed with patieÌ„ce and girt with constancy to abide firme and stable in the time of temptation and triall so as nether prosperity nor aduersity well nor woe life nor death can once moue quaile or discorage him Worldly riches are subiect to many mishaps bodily strength is taken away by sicknes and by age that dayly creeâ—es on bewty is soone consumed but a true constant mind comforted by Gods holy spirit no chance or misfortune can alter or quall Elias in the desert Iohn Baptist in the wildernesse and Peeter in prison with the rest of the Apostles in time of their pilgrimage had but simple clothing but the loines of their minds were weâ—l surely giâ—t Whose commendations of Christ himselfe are very great yet not so much for leauing their parents frendes goods and countrie to followe him nether for their strait kinde of liuing or valiant corage in preaching as for that they continued constant to the end You are they that
creatures vnder heauen being obedient to the body of man as the subiects to the Prince The naturall body obedient to the reasonable soule as the seruant to the maister And the reasonable soule with his affections obedient to God the Creator as the child to the father till that cursed serpent our mortall enemie found means to set them at variance and discord Synce which time the nature of man became so fraill and weake the occasions vnto euill so many and the illusion of Satan so prompt and ready that except Gods special grace preuâ—nt him he is apt and prone vpon euery light occasion to yeeld vnto sinne and wickednes Being more easily brought to conâ—eaue an error by one little word then the truth by a long tale And sooner seduced to consent vnto vice by one small example then conuerted vnto vertue by many vehement perswasions And as the Iewish Church was likened vnto a garden Oliue tree whose branches in time growing baren were cutt off as vnprofitable And the gentles though by nature wild oliues yet being grafted in the same were by grace made fruitfull So is euery naturall man very aptly compared vnto a wild bitter crab-tree And as Abraham was remoued from the forest of Babilonia and replanted in the fruitfull garden of Canaan Moses from the wood of Pharaos court to the fieldes of Madian hils And the Israelites from their hellish bondage in Egipt through the red sea to the florishing land of promise So must euery child of Adam bee remoued from the wild Wood of nature And by baptim replanted in the fruitfull orchard of grace regrafted with the sweete Garden imps of true christian doctrine and with the pruning knife of ecclesiasticall discipline haue thei superfluous branches of sinne and wickednes daily clensed and cut away or they cannot bring forth true spirituall fruits acceptable vnto Gods diuine tast Chapter 3. Of the miserie of Adams brats and vanitie of the world FOrasmuch as of all other vices that olde rooted infection of pride vaineglorie and presumption is most vniuersallie grafted in man there is no thing more necessarie or profitable to suppresse and subdue his hautie affections then continuall remembrance what he is from whence he came and whether hee shall That in calling to minde his base mettall his wretched condition and mortall generation he may the rather be moued more humblie and lowlie to conceiue and esteeme of himselfe What is man telluris inutile pondus an vnprofitable lump of earth like as one might saie to a peece of yse thou wast water thou art water and to water thou shalt turne againe So man was earth he is earth and to earth hee shall turne againe Thou hast fashioned mee of mould and earth saith Iob and I am become like dust and ashes Oh homo saith Chrisostome si consideras quid per oâ— quid per nares quid per ceteros meatus egrediatur nunquam vilius sterquilium inuenisti What is man â—is matter is base slime and clay his nature weake and feeble his birth paine and sorow his life vaine and miserable his state sliperie vncertaine his time short and tedious his sinnes horrible and filthie and his ende greeuous and lothsome What is man A mirror of miserie a play of fortune and a prâ—y of death He is borne weping and wailing to shew his wretchednes he liueth laughing and toying to bewraie his folly and dieth sighing and sobâ—ing to declare his weake infirmitie What is man Appulius a Philosopher and scholler to Plato describeth him in this wise MeÌ„ saith he are liuing creatures dwelling vpon the earth hauing soules immortall brutish seruile bodies subiect to death light careful minds apt to errour vaine in labours diuers in conditions long or they bee wise their time but short and during life neuer content What is the state of man Saint Bernard describeth it in this maner There commeth before thine eies saith he a man poore naked and miserable mourning that he is a man blushing that he is naked weeping for that he is a wretch replenished with miserie and feareâ—ull for that his tâ—me is but shoâ—t A great part of his life passeth away in doing that is euill a greater part in doing nothing and the greatest part in doing thinges to small purpose And as the life of man is vaine transitorie and miserable euen so is the world with all thinges else wherein humaine nature taketh pleasure and delight as health wealth honor wisedome strength beautie or whatsoeuer What is the world A vaile of miserie A sinck of sinne a mould of mischiefe a den of theeues a court of Satan a purgatorie of paine a mother to the wicked and a stepdame to the good Where the proud and vitious are daily advanced without desert and the humble and vertuous oppressed without cause the weiwarde and seditious befrended and the quiet and obedient molested the ignorant and foolish permitted to speake and the wise and discreete put to silence crafty dissemblers extolled and simple insiocents dispised What is the world A second hell full of ambitious desires couetuous conceates carefull studies wicked willes and diuelish intents A cruell serpent that biteth vs with her teeth scratcheth vs with her nailes and swelleth vs with her poison Much like the deceitful Laban Who made poore Iacob serue seauen yeares for faire Rachell and in the ende deceiued him with foule Lea. Euen so the world promiseth health wealth and long life and in the ende deceiueth vs with pouertie sicknes and death What is the world Her miâ—th is but sorow her pleasure but paine her wisedome but foolishnesse and her wealth but misery Where nothing is to be looked for but euen a rancke of troubles one folowing in aâ—others necke A great trauell is created for all men saith Iesus Sirach and a heauie yoake vpon all mens câ—ildren Some so pâ—nched with pouerty oppressed with miserie Some tossed and turntoiled with strife and contention some tormented with sickenes sores and contagious diseases that if an olde man shoulde set forth the tragidie of his life from the daie of his birth till his departure to the graue a man would wonder that the bodie could suffer and the hâ—art could beare so painefull and dolorus a pilgrimage All the godly from the beginning haue tasted the troubles of their time Adam felt his part of miserie when his children did one kill an other and saw the fall of his posterity 900. yeares Abraham felt his part of miserie when at Gods commaundement he wandred into a straunge countrie and suffered great troubles Iob felt his part of miserie when hee sawe the spoyle and hauocke of all his goods the distruction of his children and his owne bodie from toppe to toe tormented with botches and sores hauing nothing remaining but his wicked wise who seemed to be left of the deuill not to comfort but vexe and tempt
He is the prince of this world hauing all those which are without or against Christ either by ignorance not knowing him or by heathenish life not following him or by violence resistâ—ng him at his bâ—cke to take part against vs with tooth and naile The Lieutenants of the field are fleshly sensuality against spirâ—tuall reason The Sargeants of the band the cursed children of darknes against the faithful châ—ldren of light The common souldiers the law of our members against the law of our mind the effectes of the flesh agâ—iâ—st tâ—e fruites of the spirite oppression and wrong against right and iustice subtill craft and deceit against true simple meaning pride and presumption against humility and lowlines and all other vice against vertue Chapter VI. The armour and weapons of a Christian Soldiour NOw forasmuch as our enimies the children of the world are more subtill craftie and politicke in their generation then the children of God able to deceiue if it were possible euen the very elect Satan can transfoâ—me himselfe into an Angell of light Pharaos sorserers could work maruelous strange wonders turne a rod to a Serpent water into bloud and make quick Frogs It is written that Simon Magus could by sorserye flye in the aire turne stones into bread make quicke Serpents of brasse sicles to reaâ—e corne without hands Images of stone to laugh and dogges to sing And being so many in number as which way soeuer we turne be sure to haue one enimie or other to incounter with vs. At our right hand the world the flesh and the deuill watcheth to intice vs to our vtter distruction At our left hand aduersitie pouertie and affliction of bodie is readie to cast vs downe into the dungeon of dispaire Behinde vs our sinnes are at hand to bewray vs. Within vs our owne conscience belaieth to accuse vs. Before vs are Gods iudgements readâ—e to condemne vs and hell mouth open to deuour vs. And seeing also that the soldiours of Satan are so mightie in force and strongly armed against vs hauing on the brest plate of iniury the girdle of falshood the shoes of discord the sheeld of infidelity the helmet of mistrust the pearcing dartes of crueltie the cannon shotte of spitefull reproches the arrowes of lying slaunders and the sworde of the flesh which is the doctrine of man seeking continually to tempt peruert and vtterly confound vs. To resist their tyranny therefore it standeth vs in hand to be also well and strongly armed with the brestplate of equitie the shielde of vndoubted faith in Christ the helmet of assured hope the shoes of knowledge and peace in the holy Ghost the girdle of truth well buckled with patience and constancie the cannon shotte of deepe sighes proceeding from a true penitent heart the arrowes of bitter teares brought forth by remorse of conscience the pearcing dartes of humble fasting deuout praying charitable giuing and vertuous liuing and the two edged sworde of the eternall word of God which is liuely in operation entreth through euen to the diuiding of the soule and the spirite and the ioyntes and the marow Mighty and strong to cast downe holdes and ouerthrow the imaginations of euerye thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bring into captiuity euery thought to the obedience of Christ. In which spirituall conflicâ— are three kinds of soldiours Some painefull warriours placed for a time to be tryed in this irkesome vale of miserie on earth Some triumphat conquerours for whom is appointed a crowne of victorie in the glorious kingdome of heauen And some cowardly fugitiues for whoÌ„ are reserued most greeuous torments in the lothsome prison of hell For as that professed soldiour which in time of battaile doth flye the field and suffer his captaine amongst his enimies to be buffited and beaten downe is but a dastardlye coward worthy of death so that professed christian which in time of persecution and trouble doth flye the spirituall combat and suffer Christ his louing redeemer amongst his enimies to be buffited and borne downe is but a dastardly hipocrite worthy of eternall torments Forasmuch therefore as he is nowe readie comming in maiâ—stie and honor to muster reward and crowne with glorie his conquering soldiours and punish with seuerity all cowardly fugitiues whose signes and tokens as messengers being alreadie come before to shewe that himselfe is not farre behind It standeth vs vpon to keepe our battle ray orderly fight valiantly watch carefully pray hartily belieue faithfully hope assuredly indure constantly and march on charitably to stand fast perseuer and quite our selues like men the quarrell is Gods the victorie ours the ende the saluation of our soules Let vs keep amâ—ane course as it were betwixt Silla and Caribdes presumption and desperation traueling our painefull pilgrimage in humble obedience with feare and trembling alwaies ready to do our best and trusting in Christ to performe the rest Chapter VII He that in Paradise will come to ioy with Christ must trauell with patience vnder the crosse of Christ. AS the Israelits could not come to the land of promise but by long painefull trauell through the wildernes no more can we come to the promised land of rest but by long painefull trauel through the wildernes of tribulation The law of Adams children is to liue in labor and the curse of Eues brats to suffer affliction yea all mankinde do feele the biting of the serpent Our elders in times past before they learned their A B.C. to put them in mind of their calling began alwaies their fyrst lesson with Christs crosse Who in building their churches did imitat the fashion of Salomons temple so as the bodies thereof might seeme to represent the church militant and the chancell the church triumphant And in the time of ignorance was placed right ouer the doore betweene theÌ„ a Rood or crosse of wood to signify that there is no way left vs to passe from the one to the other but onely vnder the crosse of our louing Redeemer He that will tast of his glory in heauen must first be partaker of his cuppe vpon earth Hee that after death will reioyce at his presence must first in his life time mourne for his absence Hee that will imbrace him in his diuine robes of honor must thinke no skorne of his earthly ragges of contempt Whosoeuer is ashamed of his crosse in this life he will bee ashamed of him in the life to come Hee can not passe from ioy to ioy but ether from earthly misery to heauenly felicity or else from earthly felicity to infernall extremity There is no other way left for the members then to follow their head The Disciple is not aboue his maister nor the seruant aboue his Lord. Seeing the good man of the house hath beene called Belsabub glutton and a companion of the wicked how can the seruants looke for
better entertainment If the Prophets Apostles and godly Martirs of the primitiue Church who suffred so patiently the persecutions and troubles of their time might haue come to the ioyes of heauen by liuing here at ease in sensual pleasure and security they were madde men so to dispise the world and afflict their bodies as they did Esay had his carkas cut a sunder with a woodden saw Amos thrust into the temples with a naile Iohn Baptist beheaded Daniel condemned to be eaten of Lyons The three Israelites committed to the flamâ—ng fyre Ieremie and Steeuen stoned to death Paul behâ—aded Thomas preaching the Ghospell in India slaine with a Dart. And Symon Zelots preaching in Britany was there crucifyed c. But these valiant and victorious conquerours were wâ—ll assured that prosperity and aduersity riches and poueâ—ty life and death are all Gods giftes to trye the hartes of men That godly and valianâ— chaâ—p on Ignatius scholler to Iohn and Byshop of Antioch being condemned for tâ—e Gospell to be torne and deuoured of wild â—eâ—sses brast sodenly out in these words So I may finde Christ saith he I passe neyther for beastes teeth fyre Iebet crashing my bones renting my body nor all the cruell torments the Deuill and his instruments can inuent Who in the middest of his greeuous panges did valiantly comfort himselfe saying Iam incipio esse discipulus Christi For as a Noble mans seruant is knowen by his maisters cognisance so is a faithfull Christian by bearing his crosse with patience It is written how a certaine Pagan on a time vsyng great iniury and outrage against a godly christâ—an asked him in great disdaine what fruit or profyt he receiued by his Christ. Is not this a singuler profyte quoth he that for all the bitter tants cruell inâ—urie and grieuous outrage against mee yet I do patiently suffer and willingly pardon thee without reuenge Chapter VIII Of true repentance with her inseperable furniture REpentance is an inward sorrow compunction and mourning of the hart and conscience for sinnes committed and containeth three partes Contrition of heart confession of mouth and reformation of life Lyke as a man feeling his body greeuously infected with sicknes doth first acknowledge his disease secondly seeke to the Phisition for remedie and thirdly being cured is carefull to temper his diet and keepe his body from surfetting againe So is it the manner and duty of euery christian Pilgram feeling his soule surfeted with sinnes first by earnest repentance to acknowledge his owne wickednes secondly by humble faithfull and deuout praier to seeke vnto Christ for pardon and thirdly by restraining and subduing his fleshly appetits and vnruly affections to keepe himselfe from falling againe And as when the aire is one cast with stormes the Sunne darkened with tempest the clowds torne with thunder and the ground bedâ—wed with raine straight followeth calme and faire wether So when a penitent christian feeling his coÌ„science burthened with sinnes doth humbly bewaile and confesse his faultes the teares like drops of raine trickling downe his cheekes with groning sighing and sobbing vnto God for mercy at last by earnest faithful and deuout praier being easily entreated and wonne straight followeth pardoÌ„ in Christ comfort of conscience and quietnesse of mind In this manner the Prophet Dauid confessed his sinnes to be more in number then the hairs of his head Manasses bowing the knees of his hart vnto God confessed his faultes to be more then the sandes of the Sea Ezechias turned his face to the wall and mourned heauily Mary Magdalyn fell downe behinde Iesus and lamented pitifully Peter remembring the words of Christ after he had for sworne him went out and wept bitterly Which godly conuersion for that it seemeth greeuous and painfull to flesh and bloud so to resist and striue against the corruption of nature is of some called penance For Christ neuer assigned any other penance or satisfaction for synnes but goe thy way and synne no more Thus wheresoeuer true repentance with her inseperable furniture as humble confession faithfull prayer and amendment of life goeth before their remission of sinnes belonging only to penitent synners do alwaies follow after And wher acknowledging of sinnes leadeth not the way there the gates of Gods mercy is alwayes shutte Chapter IX Of Confession of sinnes THere be foure manner of confessions allowed before God The fyrst is publike as when for some notorious crime committed the church is greeuously offeÌ„ded the gilty offender ought then to come forth in open assembly and there with an vnfained shew of repentance and earnest desire of pardon to make confession of his fault Humble thy selfe saith sainct Ambrose and intreat thy mother the church of GOD to weepe for thee and wash away thine offences with her teares The second is when one priuate person by word or deede hath done iniury hurt or wrong vnto an other the party offender ought then in charitable maner to come vnto him confesse his fault desyre a brotherly reconcillatioÌ„ and make satisfaction for the iniurie committed Non remittitur peccatum saith S. Augustine nisi restituatur ablatum that is to say the fault is not pardoned without restitution ether in effect or affect to the party offended The third when a man is distressed in mind or troubled in conscience he ought then to resort vnto his pastor or else some other learned man whose office and duty is by the word of God to instruct his mind resolue his conscience comfort his weaknesse The fourth is a daily opening of our hartes in secret before God The iust man saith Salomon falleth seauen times and riseth againe Who so hideth his sinnes saith he shal not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie Confesse thy synnes in this life saith Chrisotome that thou maist haue rest in the life to come not vnto the Preest who is but thy felow seruant but vnto God himselfe who is able to heale them I sayd I will confesse my sinnes vnto the Lord saith Dauid and thou forgauest the wickednesse of my fault If wee acknowledge our sinnes saith the Apostle God is mercifull and iust to forgiue vs our synnes and clense vs from all vnrighteousnes Chapter X. Of faith hope and charity FAith is a certainty of thinges which are not seene a sure perswasion and stedfast consent of the hart and conscience wherewith man beleeueth that which his dull capacity caÌ„ not comprehend and is deuided into three kindes The first is called a dead or fruitlesse faith referred only to Deuils reprobats who though they beleeue the story of the Bible and all the articles of the common Creede except remission of sinnes yet remaine still in their damnable state The second is to worke miracles as with a certaine assured perswasion to beleeue that a thing shall come to passe whereby