Saint Iohn S. Iohn when he shal appeare we shall be like vnto him and shall see him as he is we shall bee like vnto him there is our vnion and shall see him as hee is there is our vision Others adde to the beatitude of the soule two other actes one the fruition another the eternall retention of God And it is controuers'd among the learned in which of these foure actes the felicitie of the soule doth consist Henri Ganda Henricus Gandauensis thinkes the soules happinesse resides in her vnion with GOD because that vnion doth deifie the essence of the Soule Thomas laies it to the vision of the Soule because Aquin. that vision doth blesse and beatifie the vnderstanding of the Soule Scotus Scotus drawes it to the fruition of the Soule because that fruition doth satisfie the will of the Soule Aureo Aureolus puts it to the retention of the Soule because that and that only doth fully glad and reioice the Soule I will not determine Onely I say blessed soules and bodies shall haue triumphum gaudium triumph and ioy They shall haue triumph first ouer death for death shall be no more Secondly ouer him that hath the power of death that is the Diuell for they shall be freed from his power Againe they shal haue ioy first in the Maiestie of God secondly in the humanity of Christ and thirdly in the societie of Angels and Saints There is also after iudgement poena a punishment for wicked soules And this punishment is double Aquin. sensus damni of sense and losse of sense for there the wanton eye shall see fearefull obiects the delicate smell feele filthy odors the dainty eare heare ghastly howlings In so much that a good Father breakes out thus O si O that we could lay our eares to the mouth of hell O that we could heare and see what men suffer in hell doubtless we would descend viui ad inferos to a liuely consideration of hell in this life that so we might escape it after this life For there is a fire for the body and a spirituall worme for the soule and both these eternall For well were it with the damned if they might bee no longer in hell but till a Doue could take vp all the sand of the shore or a Wren drinke vp all the water of the Sea or a Child gather all the grasse of the earth or a man count all the starres of heauen for then there might be at length some hope of release but this is Orcus orci the hell of hell that the wicked must reside for euer in hell So I come to the order that God will vse in iudgement Quaeret hee will question all our wayes and workes God will resolue foure questions in the day of iudgement First the question An sit Deus against the Atheist who shall then finde that there is a God Secondly the question Quid sit Deus against the Papist who shall then see that stockes and stones are not God Thirdly the question Quotuplex Deus against the presumers and despairers for then the presumer shall feele that God is iust as well as mercifull and the despairefull behold that God is mercifull as well as just Lastly the question Propter quid homo against all the wicked who shall then know that though God made the world for man yet hee made man for himselfe and not the world And in this Quaere and inquisition of the iudge though it will extend to all things yet suffer me to obserue but two things Quid Quos what and whom God will then visite and enquire of First Quid what will God visite Man and the estate of man Man to see if man remember whence he was and had his creation and whither hee haue not lost the image of his Creator God will demand of man what he was by nature who hee was in person of what ranke and order hee was in life and conuersation Nay God will scan and sift all that is in man He wil demand if our wisedome haue not beene craft our seueritie rigor Musso our iustice crueltie and our gouernment tyranny Hee will aske if our autoritie haue not beene oppression and our zeale contention He will visite and see if our humblenes haue not been basenes and our curtesie haue not beene flatterie our iesting scurrilitie our free life dishonestie and our silence singularitie He will demand if our simplenes were not folly and our feruor in religion formall hypocrisie And if we dare contest with God and say Quid mali What euill haue I done the Lord will aske at quid boni but hast thou not left much good vndone If thou say I haue not hindered alienaā vitam the life of another he wil aske at qutuam but how hast thou ordered thy owne life If thou say non blasphemaui Christum I haue not blasphemed Christ hee will aske nonne blasphemasti Christianum but what didst thou neuer speake ill of any Christian If thou say Neminem occidi I haue kild no man hee will aske but hast thou not hated so killed thy brother in thy hart S. Luke If thou say I fast God will visite and see whether thou fast for thy purse or for the poore if thou say as did the Pharisee I giue almes God will visite and see if thou haue giuen them for his glorie or thy owne pride and vaine-glorie Secondly I obserued Quos visitabit whom God will visite Indeed God will visite all sinners but because a world of time would not serue me to open all the sinnes of the world suffer me to set but three regnant and praedominant sinnes before you First then God will visite the Vsurer Thesaur nonus and if that of the Postill be true this will be a heauy Visitation for him For he is a bloudy a crimson a scarlet sinner nay wurse then any other sinner Hee is wurse then the thiefe for the theefe takes it priuily and in the night but the Vsurer takes openly and in the day nay hee takes both night and day Secondly a Vsurer is wurse then the graue for the graue restor'd hirded at the Passion of Christ but hee neuer restores though the poore bee ready to fall into many and many a bitter passion Thirdly a Vsurer is wurse then hell for hell tormenteth only the euill but hee crusheth and oppresseth both good and euill Fourthly a Vsurer is wurse then a Iew for a Iew will not take of a Iew but a Christian Vsurer will take and ouer-take a Christian Fiftly a Vsurer is wurse then death for death kils but the body but hee pines and kils both body and soule Sixthly a Vsurer is wurse then Iudas for Iudas sold Christ but once but he buyes and sels Christ in his Christians euery day Lastly the Vsurer is wurse then any sinner for the Glutton will sometime fast the proud man wil sometime be humble euery
descension for hee descended and came as it were backe from God to man He passed Libra in his Passion where his mercie and his merits ouer-wayed our misery and sinne And not to be although I might bee curious in all hee passed Leo in his resurrection when hee rose strong as a Lyon and ouercame the graue death and hell and that hellish roaring and deuouring Lyon Now then that Christ hath passed all these signes it is a signe that the world and all must passe away Alas then why doe some and some Christian men so liue as if there were no iudgement after this life Nay more as if they were Aduocates and Orators and Sophisters for the Diuell why doe they dispute against the iudgement of our God For say some why should God iudge man after his death since hee hath his iudgement at his death I answere S. August that in death wee haue a particular iudgement but God will also haue a generall Secondly S. Bern. in death we haue the iudgement of the Soule but God will iudge both Body and Soule Lastly S. Hiero. in death wee haue a secret doome but God will haue an open assise a publike Sessions and a manifest iudgement O then put not farre from you the euill day but so liue as if you were to make your personall appearance before your God this present day For be you sure if any heare mee this day and regard not in his heart the iudgment day that euen this Text these words this Sermon of iudgement will rise vp against them in the day of iudgement So I come to my fourth obseruation the end of Christs comming it is to iudgement 4 And here I note these things First the multiplicitie of iudgement Secondly the qualitie of Gods iudgement Thirdly the prodromi and fore-runners of the iudgement Lastly the followers and attendants on this iudgement There is a manifold and various iudgement Bonauen For as Bonauenture notes their is in God iudicium praescientiâ— a iudgement for those sinnes that were but intended Secondly there is iudicium causae a iudgment for the cause whence they sprang and the end wherevnto they tended Thirdly there is iudicium operationis a iudgement for euerie euill act committed And lastly iudicium approbationis a iudgement of euery iust punishment inflicted There is a iudgement of retribution for the good a iudgement of reprobation for the euill and a iudgement of discussion both for good and euill There hath beene already a iudgement of water S. Peter which did wash away sinners but not sinne and there shall bee a iudgement of fire which shall burne away both sinne and sinners Secondly I noted the qualitie of Gods iudgement and first it is full of Maiestie for the King of heauen shall come cum militia caelesti with all the armie troupe and traine of heauen He shall send forth as it were his Herald and Beedle and call a Conuocation of Angels and Saints heauen and earth to cull and seuer and marke out his sheepe from the goates Posuit thronum God is come as it were to the Kings Bench of his iustice hee hath opened a booke and another booke as it is in the Reuelation Reuel to wit the booke scientiae diuinae of diuine knowledge and science and a booke humana conscientiae of mans guilty and accusing conscience O wretched man saith a good Father tanta contra te fit praeparatio doth God so prepare so muster vp his men for thy iudgement and wilt thou either not feele thy imminent iudgement or if thou feele it not amend thy life that thou maiest escape in that fierie triall and fierce iudgement If our gracious King whom the King of Kings set for euer as a signet vppon his right hand should take his Peeres and Nobles Bishops and Iudges to iudge a rebell or a malefactor how would the countenance of that Traitor fall his tongue faulter his bodie tremble and his heart and spirit euen thawe and melt away And yet good God such is our frailtie that though we be traitors to our iudge our Sauior and our own soules yet we more awe feare a temporall then an eternall iudgement and are more daunted with him that can but kill the bodie and that for a time then with him that can destroy both bodie and soule and that for euer Secondly there is mercie in this iudgement For Christ will iudge vs not by the letter and rigor of the Law but as it were in a Court of Conscience Et Conscientia qualis sententia talis and our verdict shall bee giuen in according and agreeing with the Conscience wee haue within Neither will our mercifull iudge proceed against vs without witnesse nay not without a thousand witnesses and those no forraine aliene or strange witnesses but such as are in our owne bosome such as are more inward with vs then that soule which is within vs For vnlesse our conscience which is as the soule of the soule doe like another Cerberus barke within vs we shall escape that true Cerberus and dog of hell Besides our mercifull iudge will not condemne vs for one accuser for except Moses and the Law accuse vs S. Iohn as Saint Iohn hath it except Singuli errores our particular and singular errors single vs out and become singuli accusatores ech of them accusers of vs nay more except man himselfe doe condemne himselfe Christ who is God and Man will not condemne Nay more except Sin and Satan come with plaine direct and vnauoidable euidence against vs it shall yet maugre all their malice goe well with vs. And Lord how will that accuser of his brethren in that day accuse vs S. August S. Augustine brings him in thus inditing man Iuste iudex marke he doth not say Bone Deus good God to mooue clemencie and mercie but iust iudge to whet and sharpen him on to rigor and seueritie and the bill of his enditement runnes thus Indeed iust iudge these sinners were thine per gratiam by thy grace to them committed but they are become mine per culpam by that sin which they committed They were thine per misericordiam in thy mercie but they are become mine through their own misery They were thine per passionem through thy crosse and passion but they are become mine per persuasionem by my slie subtle perswasion They were thine creatione in the creation but they are become mine destructione since they haue brought themselues to their destruction They haue forsaken Sacramenta tua thy Sacraments haue followed blandimenta mea my allurements and therefore iust iudge since they belong to mee let them bee condemned with me Alas good Christians being thus arraigned at the barr of Gods iustice by whom will you bee tried By your God Why he must be iust by a Iurie of Angels and Saints why they cannot quit you For it is God that condemnes and who can iustifie by your owne hearts
sinner wil sometime leaue of rest from his deare darling sin but the vsurer wil neuer rest frō taking interest Nay more the house of a Vsurer is the bank of the Diuel the purse of a Vsurer it is Os diaboli the mouth of the Diuel Secondly God will visite the Temple-pirate and the Church-robber for he can dispute from Christ against the Ministers of Christ Christ saith he was poore and naked and why then do the Ministers of Christ ruffle it in silkes strut it in their sattin Christ was a foote man and neuer rid but to Ierusalem on an Asse why then are the Ministers of Christ growne so gay that they must haue their change and choise of horses Christ had not a place where to lay his head why then haue the Messengers of Christ not onely places but Lordly pallaces Yea yea hoc vrit homines it is this that grieues the harts of some to see the Church hold vp her head not that they so malice the Church but because they would also inclose the land of the Church But tell mee haue the Legates and Embassadors of earthly Kings and that iustly their honour and place and shall the Legates of the King of heauen haue no place no honour or because the Infant-church nedd not so large so faire a garment shall now the church being in her full growth goe more then halfe bare and naked You make your Sonnes and Daughters clothes according to their stature and their growth and shall the Kings Daughter grow shee neuer so high goe alwaies in the same attire No no since wee giue you spirituall things and that in abundance you should not pare nor lop nor cut off our temporall estates Thirdly God will visite the Simonist for he enters into the Church not by the doore as Christ the head did but he betrayes Christ for money as Iudas did Hee comes Thesaur nouus in locum spiritus into a spirituall place but it is respectu carnis for some carnall respect so that hee may be collector pecuntae well monied but he can neuer be rector animae well minded And heere me thinkes I see a couetous patron that like Iudas sels CHRIST for Quid mihi dabitis what will you giue me and a sacrilegious person that thinkes Christ can bee bought with that of the Diuell Haec omnia dabo S. Iohn all this will I giue We reade in Saint Iohn that Saint Peter was victus per ancillam ouercome of a Maide and I feare there bee some patrons in the world that will not giue liuings before they be victi pro filiis filiabus ouercome for the good of their wiues and children yet the Prophet Micha pronounceth a woe to them Micha qui aedificant Sion sanguinibus I know the sense litterall but giue me leaue to apply that giue the goods of Sion and the Church to those onely of their owne bloud as if the possession of the Lord went by descent and not desert Visitabit Deus God the great Bishop of the whole earth will visite for these things So much of the Maiestie of the iudge iudgement now of the miserie and state of those that must stand in iudgement and that shall be so great that they shall not know what to doe or say First Quid faciam what shall I doe 1 This part of my speech must be reall and personall Reall and then what will those doe that make the world and the things of the world their stay S. Bernard when the world Et res reculae mundi and all the wealth and substance of the world must passe away What will the penny-father and couetous person doe who like the Serpent Gen. is euer licking vp the dust of the earth and scraping vp gold and siluer that red S. Bernard and white earth when siluer and gold and earth shall be no more What will the proud ones doe that fold themselues in silkes and loade themselues with pearles S. Hiero. and iewels when iewels and pearles shall be no more what will the wantons doe that crowne themselues with buds of Roses Prou. when there shall be no budde nor Rose What will the bibber doe that washeth away his soule in Wine when there shall bee nor Vine nor grape How will the magnificent and stately builder doe when building and state shall fall to the ground What will the grand purchaser doe that layes house to house and land to land when he shall see nor house nor land In a word what will any worldling doe when the world it selfe must be vndone when there shall be no earth to beare vs no skie to please vs no fountaines to coole vs no shades to hide vs no sunne to warme and light vs no foule or fish no hearb or beast for to feede vs no houses to receiue vs no Temples or Churches to instruct vs in this Chaos and confusion of all things what ioy can there be in any thing And now must I turne my topicke place a rebus ad personas from beeing a Reall to be personall First therefore you graue and reuerend Iudges suffer not me for who am I or what is the house of my father that I should speake before you yet suffer my text to speake not onely to your eares but to your hearts Then graue and reuerend Iudges you that are the fortresses of this Land for securitie the walles of this land for strength the flowers of this land for fairenes Et faui and the hunny-combes of this land for sweetnes if you that bee called gods iudge against God if you iudge not as God doth with tranquillitie Wisedome but as the wicked iudge did for importunitie if you that be as Hugo speakes homines primi Hugo the first and chiefest men iudge not your selues first before you iudge other men if in iudgement you beate downe S. August aegrotum potius quam morbum rather the offender then the offence if you be iudices quasi ius dicentes Cyprian rather speakers then dooers of the Law if you that sit to condemne sinne haue either the same or a greater sinne if you bee pricers non iuris sed muneris not of the cause but of the coine if you iudge for fauour or feare or faction or affection if you delay or hasten inuert or peruert iudgement here is a Quid facietis for you what will you doe when God shall call you to iudgement and shall visite as it is in the Prophet Osee Osee the Iudges and their wayes And you the Right Honorable Lord Maior of this honored and admired Citie you that are the head the eye the hand and heart of this great bodie if you cut not off the head of sinne if you strike it not euen to the heart if your eye spare and will not finde offenders or your hand be shortned and will not reach them if you put not to death