voice Vici I haue ouercome and questionles the conquerours of nations are but wickedly ambitious Thou art that wise man who though burned tormented and put into Phalaris Bul mayst notwithstanding say Quam suaue est hoc quam hoc non curo beatus sum Very sweet is this little doe I care for it happy am I. These voices haue been heard in the very shop of pleasure itself why therefore should they not obtaine credit with them that honour vertue Seneca saith very wel although a body in dowed with a good conscience should perish yet the fire shal be pleasing vnto it by which so great confidence shal appeare Laetius est quoties magno sibi constat honestum And honesty deare bought brings greater ioy That Christian Doctour S. Ambrose confirmeth this A wise man saith he is not broken with the griefes of his body but remaineth blessed euen amogst miseryes themselues And so likewise didest thou o Benedict nay doubtles thou hadst not remained Blessed if thou hadst not contemned that beatitude which the body falsly pretendeth to uselfe thou hast ouercome the sinne in punishing it O you brambles no man hath lesse cause to be ashamed of you then Benedict You may rather be said to make Venus blush be ashamed it was she that came to sow brambles and was ouercome in the brambles She brought flames from Mount Ida to Mount Cassmo but with flames she was driuen away The mind of Benedict was fired with pleasures but this fire was quenched with fire of bryars and stinging netties Better was it for those thornes freely to ransack his veines then that lust entring into his bowels should suck the very marrow from his bones §. V. Theocritus faineth that wanton Cupid stung with a bee returned weeping to his mother Venus and often cryed out I am slaine mother I am vndone But more truly may I say al the Cupids how many soeuer insulted ouer Benedict departed from their conquerour with teares in their eyes deploring their disastre And this is called to this day the Bulwarke of Thistles wherin this holy man disarmed both himselfe and his enemy offered a tast of his bloud to this thorny thicket triumphed ouer Venus and quenched the impure fire of concupiscence Thus that braue souldier by wounding his body cured his soule not so much auoiding as changing his flames and preseruing the spirit trampled vpon his flesh for had he been indulgent to the one he had proued a tyrant to the other With wounds he preuented wounds and with flames extinguished flames He exposed his body to be torne by angry briars that he might preserue his soule from blasting And had he not inflicted wounds on his body there had been deeper gashes made in his soule and this he could not haue cured vnles he had first wounded the other A maruelous kind of healing by impairing the health and a new kind of gaining by suffering some losse Although truly heer was no losse vnles it were of durt mixed with bloud to wit of his body And can there be any losse of this body which as witnesseth Solon when it is borne is nothing but putrefaction whilst it liueth a beast in constitution and when it dieth no other then wormes meat Can it I say be any losse to punish this that is no better then a beast or beasts meats How smal a thing is this or rather nothing in respect of the victory obtained thereby He ouercometh twice that ouercometh himselfe And I adde moreouer there can not be a more pleasing nor more profitable victory then that a man obtaineth ouer himselfe Innumerable men haue had Vassals vnder their dominion but very few haue held themselues in subiection Boast not Sceâ—ola the burning of thy right hand get thee gone thou wouldest neuer haue been such an actoâ—r hadst not thou had such spectatours Benedict Nicetas a thousand others in the presence of heauen in the fight of God alone desired not but abandoned al applause so much the more worthy of glory as they lesse desired it Paâ—k hence you Mâ—…ij and Lucretiaes who laid violent hands on yourselues after you were violated but these Champions of ours fought couragiously to preserue their chastity I wil not heer dispute what right a man hath to take from himselfe that life he neuer gaue Benedict Nicetas and others preserued their liues or to say more truly mortifyed their members by a liuing death that they might auoid the death of their soules being so much the more famous then others as they were more valiant They wrastled with themselues making good vse of those thornes and corporal punishments it seemed to them too much slouth to purchase that with sweat which they might atchieue with bloud They did truly couet Pulchram per vulner a worrem By wounds a seemly death A death I say not of body but of impure lust a death of al vices They discouered not to vs a pleasant way to heauen strawed with roses or such as might be paced with euen footing but such as was sharp and thorny with briars and brambles neither did they only shew it vs but went and arriued by this way to their iourneys end which most men desire but wil not follow them For they by cherishing the body suffer it to grow strong and the soule to starue Wheras this is to be cherished that restrained And as the rapier that is growne dul and blunt with long vse wearing is sharpned which a stone so our body is oftentimes to be pricked forward whither of itself it desireth not to goe Verily it is a shameful thing for a Princes followers as Tacitus saith not to be equal to him in vertue Doe we admire this fact of Benedict or Nicete we may likewise imitate it for no man as blessed Iob affirmes shal sooner be dismissed from this warfare then out of this life That blind God is an vnquiet boy yea disquiet itselfe notwithstanding he striketh those that are quiet and blind or at least maketh them blind by strâ—king His impious shaft touched Benedict but killed him not He suffered an infamous repulse and his weapon returned back to him blunted yea euen broken and insteed of victory he reaped shame confusion who would haue put the like vpon Benedict But it is too hard saist thou to leape into briars and brambles to cloth a mans selfe in thornes and draw bloud Wouldest thou haue easier remedy Then heare me doe but warily fly from this enemy and thou hast vanquished him THE BATTEL OF NICETAS and his victory described in heroical verse CHAP. II. EDESIMVS Verily most illustrious was this victory that S. Benedict abtained ouer himselfe but more admirable is it for a man to ouercome who is bound hand and foote as Nicetas was S. Benedict when he began to fight that battel was at liberty not bound Besides youthful bloud was not so hot and boyling in his veynes neither did any woman lay enticing hands vpon him or with her
his hunger In the holy weeke he fed vpon nothing els but lupines a bitter kind of pease Out alas shal so great a Prince impose vpon himself such rigid lawes of fasting and yet we who in comparison of him haue strong and able bodies our bloud boiling and prone to lust so much abhorre abstinence that if our belly be not alwaies wel stuffed we straight dreame of death or sicknesse whereas hunger is the best remedy against al diseases §. V. In Italy the chiefest medicine for euery disease amongst the skilfullest phisitians is hunger and fasting These things stand with very good reason For the principal cause of al diseases is gormaÌ„dizing and excesse which is only best cured by abstinence Therefore as hunger cureth diseases of the body so it doth of the soule being a soueraigne Antidote against al the vices thereof Doe you not see how hunger breaâ—es the neck of a proud man The couetous is perswaded by hunger to draw forth is rusty treasure The angry pinched with want becomes gentle and tractable An idle man by hunger is pricked forward to worke He that auoides the mill auoides likewise the mealing of his clothes And whereas hunger is not so loathsome as superfluity that causeth surfets it drawes a glutton from his dainty viandes to frugality a luxurious man from obscene lust to be sober and continent Hunger maketh resistance against al vices but chiefly against luxury There haue been armyes saith Seneca Epist 17. that haue suffered extreame want of al things they haue liued on roots and herbs and by hunger haue endured that which is euen most loathsome to be spoken Al these things haue they suffered which you may maruel at onlie to subdue anothers kingdome and shal any one for deliuering his owne soule from the thraldome of carnal concupiscence think much to endure hunger Rusâ—us Aquileiensis relateth a thing worthy of memory Lib. 3. apud Râ—svâ—eid â— 62. There came a certaine person to visit a religious old man and said vnto him Father what shal I doe I am not able longer to endure so many obscene cogitations wherwith I am troubled they so fil my mind with abhominable impurityes To whom the old man answered I remember not that euer I haue been subiect to such vncleane thoughts The other tooke his answer in il part and iudged it almost impossible How said he can that be that you should neuer be infested with these troublesome cogitations The old man answered that from the time he had put on the habit of a Monke he had neuer eaten his fil of bread neuer drunke his fil of water neuer taken his fil of sleep By which meanes hauing neuer been satiated I rather desire sleep or meat and so am neuer tempted by carnal suggestions This yong man gaue eare and profited very much by this modest commendation of abstinence I inculcate my former saying and so make en end Hunger is a friend to virginity THE SEAVENTH ANTIDOTE against Incontinency Labours and the loue of exercise CHAP. VIII EDESIMVS You haue said enough of fasting PARTHENIVS More ought to haue been said but I imagine you conceaue how neere abstinence is allied to chastity But doe you remember our verses Lectio flagra preces confessio lympha labores Bookes prayers stripes confession labours fasting I haue expounded what the meaning of Lympha and fasting is Doubtles abstinence to lust is the same which water is to fire But let vs goe forward I wil demonstrate in few wordes that labour is as great a freind as idlenesse an enemy to chastity You may find some perhaps that wil not endure to be termed idle persons notwithstanding they labour in such sort that it may be doubted whether it be better to be idle then so employed They prattle and talke of nothing but vaine matters and this they cal discourse and serious conference they sport themselues walk vp and downe drinke read ouer no good bookes but only looke vpon them for curiosity they ouercome tediousnesse with idlenesse spend the day with a thowsand fopperyes and in doing al things doe nothing at al. And to vse Seneca's words Epist 15. they are men occupied between oyle and wine who spend the day according to their desire and thinke they haue laboured when they haue sweat soundly powr'd in as much drinke as they haue sweat forth humours O how much of our life slippeth away whil'st we are idle how much while we are ilimployed But I wil furnish you with other labours whereby you may defend your chastity You know Diana was fained to be a virgin because she hated idlenesse and exercised her selfe daily with her Nymphes in hunting Amongst this company of virgins the Nymph Salmacis was taxed for that whil'st the rest perpetually spent their time in labour she only very idly imployd either comb'd her haire burnish'd her face painted her cheekes prancked herself in her glasse laid in order the pleites of her garments or gathered flowers Not withstanding perswaded herself she did more then al the rest and that 〈◊〉 were more holy then she Ouid speakâ—… very elegantly of this Nymph Li 4. de Metam Sape suas illi faâ—… est dixisse sorores Salmaci vel iaculum vel pictas sâ—me pharetras Et tâ—a cum duris venatibus otia miscâ— Nec iaculum sumit nec pictas illa pharetras Nec sua cum duris venatibus otia misceâ— As fame reportes her sisters often said Salmace thy dart or painted quiuer take Mixe hunting-sports with rest thou slouthful maid But she nor dart nor painted quiuer tooke Nor for their hunting toile her â—ase forsooke These speeches must often be repeated to a yong man il imployed Why loyterest thou sluggard doe doe something vnfold thy paper take thy pen note exercise thy stile compose epistles make orations sing poemes Hast thou written another while take thy booke â—eâ—d commit it to memory Hast thou read pray sometimes treat with God meditate oâ— pious and sacred things Hast thou prayed recal thy self againe to reading or writing Nature hath bestowed nothing vpon mortal men without great labour By daily labour and long exercise al thinges are acquired Yet I wish you not alwaies to hang ouer your booke or writing There must be some intercourse for recreation of your mind but so that it may not too much dissolue but rather breath and recreâ—te a man Hast thou breathed returne to thy labours take againe thy pen paper and bookes and goe forward in thy businesse Heer we must obserue a circle in our course of life either â—o labour or else take some little breathing by desisting from labour yeâ— in tâ—king breath we must not be altogether idle but in idlenesse itself 〈◊〉 hâ—…d of idlenesse §. I. Vpon a time S. Anthony grew weary of the wildernes and as they write with great anguish of mind cryed out I desire to be saued but mine owne cogitations are against me Whil'st he was thus
no moment of time wherein they are shut The same is affirm'd by Siracides Eccl. 23.28 The eyes of our Lord are much brighter then the sunne beholding round about al the wayes of men looking into the hidden parts O eyes farre brighter then the sun-beames which may be excluded by a thousand meanes but not so the eyes of God which search into the bottome of euery thing and penetrate wals though they were of iron Nothing is shut from them S. Paul most cleerly witnesseth this verity affirming there is no creature inuisible to his sight Ad Heb. 4.13 but al things are naked and open to his eyes which as the Prophet Ieremy saith Châ— 2â— ver 19. are open vpon al the waies of the children of Adam to render to euery one according to his waies and according to the fruit of his innentions §. I. King Abimelech hauing giuen to Sara the wife of Abraham a thousand pieces of siluer adioyned this admonition withal Whithersoeuer thou shalt goe remember thou wert taken Verily this ought to be written in letters of gold Memento te deprehensum Gen. 20.16 Remember thou wert taken There is no cogitation so hidden no lust so secret no these so close but the eye of God assuredly beholdes it this and that and the other are seen and discouered alike whatsoeuer thou sayest or doest be it neuer so hidden a secret whatsoeuer thou thinkest Memento te deprehensum Remember thou art taken To conclude wheresoeuer thou art whatsoeuer thou dost although so secret that not so much as a fly is in thy company yet Memento te deprehensum Remember thou art taken This is our ignorance wherof we may be ashamed We sigh after God as if he were distant from vs a farre off He is very neer vs yea in vs and we in him as a fish in the sea a bird in the ayre or a point in a circle which whithersoeuer it be moued remaines inuironed on al sides to what place soeuer the fish swimmes it is beset on al sides with water whithersoeuer the bird flyes it is encompassed with ayre S. Augustine condemning his owne errour who imagined God to be as it were farre off from him said Soliloq c. 31. I haue erred and much laboured seeking thee with out me whereas thy habitation was within me Thou wert with me I was not with thee I did il to seeke that without which was within I deformed wretch rush'd vpon those beautiful creatâ—res which thou hadst created Those things which could not subsist without thee detamed and held me so farre off from thee EDESIMVS But iâ— God so present likewise in the wicked PARTHENIVS Are you a Christian and speake thus He is present yea euen in the most wicked and to speake according to Diuines both by Essence Presence and Power only he is not present by his grace Almighty God with al his sanctity and wisdome with al his rich attributes was as wholy present in Iudas that betrayed Christ as in Peter that defended him Miserable and blind wretches how farre are we from thinking of these thinges We are euery moment sustained by the hand of God and as it were daily created anew Let God forbeare but for one instant of time to preserue vs and al those things we cal our's vanish into nothing Very wel saith S. Bernard For so much as there is no moment wherein we enioy not the mercy of God let vs omit no moment but haue him stil in our memory God is able in an instant to condemne vs to eternal fire or to enrol vs euerlastingly for heauen We neuer depart from God And I pray thee tel me If one stood enuironed on euery side with deuouring flames and knew he should presently perish were he but touched with the least sparkle how farre would he be from laughter how modestly would he recollect himself how would he be appal'd and tremble for feare Questionles we stand in God that most immense fire we moue we walke and whatsoeuer we doe we doe it in him being on al sides encompassed with him Nor can we be ignorant that euen one Velle that is to say one act of God's wil yea one beck is able in a moment to dâ—ssolue vs into ashes or tumble vs headlong into hel notwithstanding with this most intelligent fire we are fighting on this we are spitting this with the weapon of impiety we are stabbing this with new iniuries we daily are prouoking whilst O what can be more absurd we wretches imagin our wicked courses are not seen nor obserued Alas poore creatures we are surprized on euery side by God and as neere death as hel Why doe we with closed eyes rush blindly into destruction In euery place the eyes of our Lord bebold both the good and bad Ah how warily how submissiuely ought a man to behaue himselfe in the sight of so great a Lord from whom we cannot so much as for one moment depart or step a side Quocunque perrexeris memento te deprehensum Whithersoeuer thou goest remember thou art taken §. II. The principal and most desperate prouocation to al mischiefe is to beleeue that a man is not marked or seen Doe but aske any theef how he durst commit so many thefts so boldly and without feare he wil answer you I thought I was not seen nor obserued Goe likewise to an adulterer and demand how he dares enter into another man's house and most dishonestly violate his wife and whether if he haue no feare of God he dare also neglect the punishment the Magistrate may inflict He wil answer fearefully I thought none should haue known it I wil send you to others Goe priuately to a man giuen to detraction and finding him curse his Master with al the execrable words that he can aske against whom he disgorgeth al those virulent speeches and he strooke with terrour wil answer you I thought I had been alone that no body had heard me This is the ready way to hel for a man to liue as if no eye saw him or obserued his actions Heerupon are those sayings of the wicked Psal 7â— 11 Ps 93.7 How doth God know and is there knowledge in the highest And they haue said The Lord shal not see neither shal the God of Iacob vnderstand Against these the kingly Psalmist sharply inueighing saith Vnderstand ye foolish in the people and ye fooles be somtimes wise He that planted the eare shal be not heare or he that made the eye doth he not consider Our Lord knoweth the cogitations of men that they are vaine Behold he knoweth thy thoughts euen those that are most secret shal he be ignorant of thy actions and attempts But this fellow that playes least in sight only desiring to shun the eyes of men not regarding those of God the Wise man displayes speaking in this manner Eccl. 23.26 Who seeth me Darknes encompasseth me and the wals couer me no man beholdeth me whoÌ„
out from aboue Luc 16.22 Between vs and you there is a great Chaos that they who wil passe from hence to you may not nor come hither from thence and yet Abraham was not then in heauen Hel hath no parlours chambers or places of retirement as we haue Their sepulchers are their houses for euer neither haue the richest any better lodgings Luc. 16.22 For the rich man also dyed and was buried in hel O infinit deep sepulchere This serues now insteed of his houses towers and triumphal arches this lake is in lieu of his bathes this dungeon â—nsteed of his Theathers and pallaces Nor doe they heer range at liberty but are bound and fettred in chaines Christ commanding said Matth. 22.13 Bind his hands and feet and cast him into vtter darknes The damned there cannot walke about nor so much as stirre hand or foot but tyed as it were fastned to an iron spit they burne as miserable fuel to that fire How great a torture is it for a sick person to be in a burning feuer and neuer moue out of his place What a torment was that to Marcus Arethusius a most glorious Martyr S. Greg. Naz. â—rat 1. in Iulian. who starck-naked was bound fast to a stake exposed to the hot parching sunne and innoynted with hony that he might be stung and bitten with gnats flies and waspes and so endure a long and tedious martyrdome But o you Christians these are but painted torments in respect of those in hel This was accompanied with pleasure it was a comfort to this Martyr he suffered but for a short time and thereby was to obtaine euerlasting ioy in heauen for he knew what tribulation soeuer he endured it was but light momentary therefore persisted a resolute Champion of our Lord and the greater torments he suffred the greater was the reward he expected But neither time nor place shal yeald any consolation to the damned For where they first began to suffer they shal lye bound in chaines for euer Another torment is the most execrable company It is a great part of the Saints felicity in heauen to line amongst the Quires of Angels and a great part of their misery in hel to burne amongst the howlings of diuels This is the decree of diuine iustice that the wicked shal haue those or their torturers and enemies whom before they followed as Counsellours and freinds THE EIGHT Eternal despaire of al happines Beatitude is an Epitome of al ioyes as hel is of al paines and punishments Al acerbities desolations and tormenting griefes are companions to the damned al pleasures ioyes delights contentments attend the Blessed in heauen No disaster in this world is so great which may not be mitigated Reason perswades time shortens meat and drink asswages our freinds with those that haue endured the like comfort and encourage vs finally hope of seeing an end doth somewhat recreate vs in afflictions In hel al the doores are shut against consolation and al passages thereunto intercepted They can hope for no release from heauen not earth nor expect any present or future succour Which way soeuer they cast their eyes they behold cruel darts of death throwne against them on euery side mourning anguish wailing lamentation and innumerable torments The sorrowes of death Ps 114.3 haue truely compassed them about they haue found tribulation and sorrowes indeed so manifold that euery one shal suffer paines correspondent to his offence Let no man therefore pamper his body for this very flesh of our's according to it's delight shal be afflicted and punished This very body of our's if it raise more curious fabricks for itself then temples for the honour and seruice of God if it be ouer-careful in building magnificent roofes polishing pillers of marble and making stately towers and windowes if it take too much pleasure in costly gardens and shady arbours shal be banished into a darksome land couered with the thick and foggy mist and shaddow of death If it make vse of hot bathes for it's pleasure or cold streames for it's wantonnes to hazard either life or chastity there is prepared a deep and vast Topheth which hath fire and store of word to nourish it and the breath of our Lord to enkindle it as a toâ—rrent of brimstome This flesh of ours if it spend al the morning in combing and dressing itself if it be adorned with variety of rich embrodred garments rottennes and wormes shal inherit it This flesh of ours if it be delighted with sluggishnes and spend it's time in sleep the enemy of al good discipline consuming many houres of the day in this drowsy and sluggish delight it shal be tormented with perpetual vigils and euerlasting want of sleep This flesh of ours if it solace itself in immodest and lasciuious reuels bales and dances shal then be afflicted with the wrestings rackings and conuâ—lsions of al it's members not according to the measures of musical instruments but the terrible howlings and roarings of diuels This flesh of our's if it make itself a slaue to bibbing and drunkennes if during life it make an ordinary practise of excessiue eating and drinking shal be vexed heerafter with most cruel hunger and thirst This flesh of ours which suffers it's wandring eyes the bauds of incontinency to roue abroad whithersoeuer they list shal then please it self with no flower or comelines of beauty but with it's eyes whether it wil or no behold terrible Behemoth horrible Leuiathan and the shape of the foule and bloudy Dragon This flesh of ours which with it's nostrils hunted vp downe after sweetest odours of flowers shal be glutted with stench of brimstome and putrefaction of carcases This flesh of ours which had it's eares shut to sermons and wholesome admonitions but open to scurrile talke obscene verses impure songs and lasciuious discourses shal change it's pleasant carrols into a sad and doleful tune it 's merry Hah and Heida into a perpetual woe is mee and out alas This flesh of ours which hath defiled it's touch with diuers kinds of lusts shal be cast into the armes of foule vgly moÌ„sters to be hugg'd and besmeared with melted pitch insteed of sweet and pretious vnguents This very flesh of ours by itself and not by Atturney for al the offences it hath commited shal suffer torments vnspeakable innumerable alas eternal In that whereby a man offendeth in that shal he be punished According to the measure of his sinne shal be the number of his stripes Sap. 11.17 Deut. 25.2 THE NINTH Eternity ETERNITY is not to be comprehended by the vnderstanding of man This iâ— things least irkesome and painful causeth in fine an intolerable and vnspeakeable torment The consideration of Eternity is so serious that it wil be hardly contained within the limits of a verse Notwithstanding Seneca maketh a prudent obseruation Senec ep 108. that euen as our breath yealdeth a clearer sound when a trumpet gathering the same through