the fier of hell and to come to heauen with Iesus Christ counter garding him selfe against all tentations and not suffering him selfe to be corrupted by prosperity nor beaten downe with aduersity and who arriueth to this perfection that he more loueth God then he feareth hell Who though God him selfe should say vnto him vse and enioy the pleasures of the world commit all the sinnes thou wilt thou shalt not be damned would not for all this commit sinne for feare of offending almighty God such an one is truly Christian lib. de Catech. rud c. 16. 17. tom 4. Acknowledge thy dignitie o Christian saith S. Leo and take good heede that thou returne not by a degenerate and vnworthy conuersation to thy wonted vilenes and basenes Ser. 1. de Nat. EXAMPLES 1. S. Lewis kinge of France went more willingly to Poissi then to any other place in all his kingdome for that he had bene there baptised and made a Christian and was wont to say that he had receiued more dignitie and honor in that place then in any other in the whole world Nicol. Aegid Franc de Belleforest vpon his life Behould o Christian the dignitie thou hast sith such a Kinge preferreth the same before his crowne 2. Now to be a true Christian one must first flie and detest all sinne as well mortall as veniall as well that of will only and of thought as of wordes and worke 3. And touching wordes to keepe him selfe from swearing without necessitie and reason from blaspheming cursing and wicked imprecations from speaking wordes of contumelie detracting lying vttering of dishonest songes or wordes 4. As touchinge sinnes of worke parents ought to take heede that they be not negligent both to instruct and correct their children and children not to disobey their parents 5. Aboue all the sinne of Pride Couetousnes Luxurie Enuie Gluttonie Drunkenes Anger and Sloth is to be auoided 6. The most effectual remedies are to fly the occasion the memorie of the presence of almightie God of the passion of Iesus Christ of death Iudgement Hell and the kingdome of Heauen thus much concerninge the flight of sinne 7. Secondly one must addict him selfe to the exercise of virtues and of good workes as 8. To make the signe of the Crosse in rising vp and lying downe before eating and drinking before worke and in euery necessitie 9. To pray to God and to giue him thankes both morning and eueninge both before and after meate and to inuoke the assistance of our B. Ladie his Angell Guardian and of the Saintes namly of him whose name he beareth 10. To sprinkle him selfe with holie water and to beare about him an Agnus Dei. 11. To learne the most necessarie pointes of faith and of Christian religion 12. To haue a distrust of him selfe and a great trust and confidence in almightie God 13. To loue God aboue all thinges and his neighbour for God 14. To heare Masse both with reuerence and attention 15. To Confes often game Indulgences and to pray for the soules that are in Purgatorie 16. To fast pray and willingly to giue almes vnto the poore 17. To receiue often the holy Communion to heare gladly sermons and to beare a singular deuotion to our B. Ladie Loe these are the most necessarie pointes to liue and die a good Christian whereof I pretend to treate thorough all the chapters that doe ensue THE II. CHAPTER Of mortall and veniall sinne 1. AMongst all the euills that raigne in the world the greatest and most to be deplored is that men know not nor apprehend not the euills and miseries of the soule regarding none but those of the body The Asse falleth into the myre saith S. Bernard and both the master and the neighbours runne with speed to pull him forth the soule falleth into sinne and perdition none at all takes care thereof 2. What doth it profit a man saith our Lord if he gayne the whole worlde and sustaine the damage of his soule Mat. 16. 26. O yee fathers mothers apprehend this point and teache it betimes vnto your children make them to suck it with their milk whilst they are yet in their infancie and often singe vnto them this goulden sentence of our Sauiour Feare yee not them that kill the body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him that can destroy both soule and body into hell Mat. 10. 28. which nether is nor neuer shall be but for sinne §. What mortall sinne is and what detriments it bringeth to the soule 1. S. Augustin speaking of sinne in generall saith that it is a word thought or deede against the law of almightie God lib. 22. cont Faustum cap. 27. 2. Diuines say that it is a foulenes and deformitie of the reasonable creature wherby it is made displeasing to God and wherwith it can not see God in his glorie 3. To be mortall it must be committed freely and voluntarily against some commandement of God or the Church in a matter of importance 4. It is called mortall because it depriueth vs of our spirituall life and bringeth death vnto the soule separating it by this death from the kingdome of God and making it worthie of fire and paines that are perpetuall 5. The soule that shall haue sinned â—hall dye the death Ezech. 18. If I doe this said the chast Susanna being solicited vnto sinne it is my death Dan. 3. And the father of the prodigall child said vnto his eldest sonne thy brother was dead and is reuiued Luc. 15. 32. 6. Besides the spirituall life that is to say the grace of God which is lost by mortall sinne he likewise looseth all the merits he had got Ezech. 18. 24. All the giftes and the familiaritie of the holy Ghost and his virtues Sap. 1. 4. 5. Abdias 5. 6. He looseth the right of the children of God that is to say euerlasting life The especiall particular protection of God Psal 32. 18. The protection of his good Angell S. Basil in psal 33. Communication in the merits of all the Saints that is to say of all good Christians He becometh in an instant the slaue of the deuill prickt gnawen coÌ„tinually with the remorce of conscience it being the greatest of all torments that are in this life S. August in Psal 45. Iob. 15. 21. Pro. 28.1 throughout Sap. 17. Psal 50. He meriteth nothing in doing any good worke Isay 59. Luc. 5. 5. But that which is the greatest of al mischiefes he remayneth obliged to euerlasting paines Eccles 21. 10. 11. Iis procella tenebrarum seruata est in aeternum Cath. ep of S. Iude to whom the storme of darknes is reserued for euer Blessed Lord how many euills doth one only pleasure bringe EXAMPLES 1. Lysimachus kinge of Thracia rendring him selfe with his whole kingdome vnto his enimie for the thirst which he could no longer suffer after he had drunk a glasse of water Good God said this poore Pagan how great a miserie is it
downe therein he applied and laid his nostrils vnto the carion as longe as he was able to suffer the stinke that proceeded thēce but at the last he fel backward as halfe dead Being come to him selfe he issued thence most victorious in such sort that he neuer after felt any prouocation of the flesh Tho. de Cantip. affirmeth to haue knowen this Priest and writes the historie in his 2. booke of Ezech. c. 30. 10. A holy Ermit did almost the like for not able to blot out of his imagination a woman which was already dead he went into her graue to cut a piece of her flesh which he applied afterwards vnto his nostrils as oft as the remembrance of this woman returned vnto him and the stinke which issued forth of this rotten flesh rendred him as many times victorious In vitis patrum p. 2. de fornic n. 10. §. 5. Of the memorie of Iudgment The memorie of Iudgment is a most stronge bridle to with hould and stay a man in the course of sinne For who I pray you is so hardy as to commit any sinne who considereth that within a litle while and perhaps also the selfe same day he is to giue an account of all the thoughtes wordes workes of his whole life vnto a Iudge infinitly iust infinitly wise infinitly powerfull and receiue from his mouth according to the good or euil he shall haue done the definitiue irreuocable sentence ether of life or death eternall It is appointed to men to die once and after this the iudgment Heb. 9. 27. We must all be manifest before the iudgment seate of Christ that euery one may receiue the proper thinges of the body according as he hath done ether good or euill 2. Cor. 5. 10. I will search Ierusalem with lampes Sophonia 1. 12. It is horrible to fall into the handes of the liuing God Heb. 10. 31. What shall I doe when God shall rise to iudge And when he shall aske what shall I answer him c. I haue alwaies feared God cap. 9. 28. I feared all my workes knowing that thou didst not spare the offender What can a man imagin more dreadful more repleat with anxiety and vehement sollicitude then to be presented at this so terrible tribunall there to be iudged and to awaite there vpon a Iudge so exact and for a sentence so doubtfull S. Bern. Ser. 8. in psal qui habitat Before sicknes take medicine and before iudgment examin thy selfe and in the sight of God thou shalt finde propitiation Eccl. 18. 19. 20. Feare the examen of the Iudge dread him who saith by his prophet in that day I will search Ierusalem with lampes he is sharp of eye-sight he will suffer nothinge to escape S. Ber. Ser. in 55. in Cant. The iust doe feare whatsoeuer they doe considering before what Iudge they must one day infallibly be presented S. Greg l. 8. Moral c. 13. O what feare and affrightment will there then be what teares and groninges For if the pillars of heauen doe tremble before him what then shall sinners doe If the iust shall scarcely be saued where shall sinners then appeare Who is he that redouteth not a Iudge infinitly powerfull infinitly wise infinitly iust Innoc. 3. l. 3. of the contempt of the worlde c. 15. Sensuall loue and the prickinge of lubricitie shall soone be extinguisht if one doe set before his eyes the latter iudgment said S. Anthonie to his Disciples S. Athanas in his life As often as thou feelest thy selfe prouoked forward to any sinne call to minde the day of iudgment and thou shalt by this meanes giue a bridle vnto thy soule S. Basil in psl. 35. S. Ambrose also saith the same ad virg lap c. 8. Climachus grad 20. EXAMPLES 1. S. Hubertus Bishop of Liege said to his seruants at the houre of his death that he greatly feared the iudgement of God wherat he was to rendre account of all his life Sur. 3. of Nouemb. 2. S. Hilarion likewise a litle before he rendred vp his blessed soule said Goe forth my soule goe forth what doost thou feare thou hast serued God nighe seauentie yeares why fearest thou then to goe forth S. Hierom in his life 3. S. Arsenius trembling and bitterlie weeping a litle before his death demanded by his disciples wherfore he wept answered Since the time I haue bene religious I neuer was without this feare Sur. ex Metaphrast c. 27. Iuly 19. If the Saints them selues doe tremble what shall the sinners doe at that dreadfull houre 4. In the yeare 1082. a Doctor of Paris reputed of all for a holy man being dead as they read for him the office of the dead being arriued at the Lesson Responde mihi he lifted him selfe vp out of his coffin in the open church before all and said I haue bene accused before the iust iudgment of God This gaue great matter of feare vnto all and was cause that the office was deferred vntill the morrow Vpon the morrow they began againe and being come to the selfe same wordes he that was dead arose againe and said I haue bene iudged by the iudgment of God These wordes were very fearfull but yet gaue clearly enough to vnderstand the estate of his soule wherfore it was thought good to defer this office yet once more It can not be spoken how many people ran flockinge on the morrow to so strange a spectacle They singe as before and when they were come to the selfe same wordes the dead arose againe and said with a voice much more lamentable then before I am condemned by the iust iudgment of God S. Bruno was then amongst the other spectators a Doctor of Paris and Canō of Rhemes who affrighted with so horrible a fact resolued frō that instant freelie to forsake all the vanities of the worlde and to this purpose hauing found forth six others of the same resolution went together with them and shut vp them selues in one of the desert mountaines which are seated vpon the confines of France and Sauoy and there gaue begining to the holy order of Charterhouse monkes Franc. Puteus generall of the same order vpon the life of S. Bruno Sur. tom 5. Ribad 6. of Octob. Thus the Saintes forsooke all the occasions of sinne at the only memorie of their iudgment thou o Christian remembring thee of a thinge so horrible which most infallibly also must arriue to thee darest thou to dwell in the occasions of sinne See that which followeth after §. 6. Of hell and of the Eternitie of the accursed If the feare of death or some temporall paine doth hinder vs ordinarily to doe that which otherwise we would doe the apprehension of the euident danger of a death and punishment which is eternall shall it not haue the force to bridle our will not to consent vnto some sinne There is a hell it is a point we must beleeue a place designed for all those which die in mortall sinne where in the
for me to loose a whole kingdome for so litle a pleasure Plutarch Ah sinner thou doost the same for lesse when for a pleasure but of a momeÌ„t of a wicked worke of a disordered word or of consent to some euill thought thou loosest in an instant the whole kingdom of heauen thine owne soule 2. What a subiect of griefe was it to accursed Esau to haue lost for a litle dishe of pottage all his birth-right Gen. 25. 3. Susanna seeing her selfe solicited to the sinfull concupiscence of two â—ould men of Babilon who threatned her in case of refusall to accuse her of adulterie she sighing said Perplexities are to me on euery side for if I shal doe this it is death to me and if I doe it not I shall not escape your handes But it is better for me without the act to fall into your handes then to sinne in the sight of our Lord. Dan. 13. 22. 4. Eleazer one of the princes of the Scribes being fourscore and ten yeares ould being vrged to eate swines flesh against the commandement of God or else to die answered That he would rather be sent vnto hell that is to say that he had rather die For quoth he although at this present time I be deliuered from the torments of men yet neither aliue nor dead shal I escape the hande of the almightie God so at the last was put to death 2. Mac. 6. 5. Seauen bretheren also together with their mother being taken and most cruelly scourged for the same cause one of them which was the first said What seekest thou and what wilt thou learne of vs we are ready to die rather then to transgresse the lawes of God coming from our fathers ibid. cap. 7. 6. All the martyrs both of the ould and the new Testament haue they not chosen rather to die then to sinne 7. This also was that which S. Blanche so greatly recommended vnto S. Lewis Kinge of France saying vnto him That she had rather to see him die then to see him offende God mortallie which point he imprinted so deepely in his pious hart that it is houlden for certaine that in his whole life he neuer committed any mortall sinne 8. And the same S. Lewis in the instruction which he gaue to his sonne Phillip at the houre of his death said vnto him My sonne take heede to thy selfe that thou offende not God mortallie although thou shouldest suffer all the torments in the worlde 9. S. Thomas of Aquin said that he knew not how a man who saw him selfe in mortall sinne could ether laughe or be merry in any time whatsoeuer Ribad 7. of March. And the kinge of Spaine Philip the third could not comprehend how such an one could euer sleepe 10. S. Stillites of Edessa obtained this fauor of almightie God as to see his Angell gardian and that of others but differently for those which were in the grace of God he saw them accompanied with their good Angells who guided them with a torche alighted but those which were in mortall sinne he saw them detained in chaines by the diuells and their Angells which followed them a far off heauilie weeping Ex Patrico Grecorum M. S. Biblioth Reip. Augustana Raderus in virid sanct pag. 2. cap. 6. Weepe weepe yee ô yee blessed Spirits sith the sinner him selfe is so vnfortunat as not to see nor deplore his owne ill fortune Desire you to see yet more reade the § that doth ensue §. 2. How much mortall sinne is detestable horrible and stinking 1. Fly from sinne saith the wise man as from a serpent Eccle. 21. 2. One may well say of a soule fallen into mortall sinne that which the Prophet Ieremie said of the sonnes and daughters of Ierusalem during the time of their affliction From the daughter of Sion all her beautie is departed Thren 1. 6. 2. And againe How is the gold darkned the best color changed the stones of the sanctuarie dispersed in the head of all streetes The noble children of Sion and they that were clothed with the principall gold how are they reputed as earthen vessels the worke of the potters handes Her Nazarits whiter then snowe purer then milke ruddier then the ould yuorie faâ—rer then the saphire their face is made blacker then coales and they are not knowen in the streetes Ibid. cap. 4. 3. They are become abhominable like to the thinges which they loued Osee 9. Aske saith S. Ambrose the conscience of the sinner if it be not more stinking then all the sepulchers of the dead lib. 1. offic cap. 12. 4. Euen as the rottenes taketh away all the beautie color sent and fauor of the apple euen so sinne taketh away the beautie of the soule the odor of her good name the goodnes of grace and the sauor of glorie S. Bon. in Dieta salutis c. 2. EXAMPLES 1. The Sonne of God hauing taken vpon him selfe the sinnes of men lost in such wise his excellent beautie that of the fairest that he was amongst all men he became so disfigured that the prophet behoulding him said There is no beautie in him nor comelines and we haue seene him and there was no sightlines Isay 53. 2. Now if the only paine of sinne hath so disfigured our B. Lord what shall the guilt it selfe doe vnto vs 2. The diuel is most horrible gastly but mortall sinne is yet much more for a holy hermit seeing him selfe honored for the miracles which he did in driuing diuells forth of bodies for feare of falling into vaine glorie he instantly asked of almightie God to be him selfe possest of the diuell as he was Seuer Sulpit. in the life of S. Martin c. 1. Doe you see how this holie man was more afraid of sinne then of the diuell 3. Our B. Ladie appeared to S. Catharine virgin and martyr before such time as she was baptised houldinge her litle Sonne betwixt her armes and she recommended Catharin vnto him our Lord turned his face from her saying that she was too il fauored Which was the cause that she made haste to be baptised and within awhile after our Lord bethrothed him selfe vnto her in the presence of his holy mother and of an inâ—init number of B. Angells and put a ringe vpon her fingar the which she kept during her life Pet. de natal l. 10. c. 105. Ribad in her life 4. S. Catharine of Sienna discoursing with a gentlewoman which was defiled with the sinne of the flesh stopt her nose And when father Raimond her coÌ„fessar was amazed therat she said vnto him that vnles she should haue done so she should haue been forced for to vomit because of the stinke which came forth of the soule of the same woman 5. S. Anthonie relateth the like of an Angel who passing with an Hermit hard by an effeminat youngster stopt his nostrils which he had not done passing by a dead carion And when the Hermit was astonished therat he said vnto him that young man by reason of
his sinnes was much more stinking and abhominable vnto him then was the most corrupted carion D. Antonij 4. p. sum tit 14. c. 6. § 1. O sinne how horrible detestable cruell gastly and stinking art thou c Let vs fly from a monster so abhominable 6. S. Edmond had an exceedinge horror therof sith he said that he had rather cast him selfe into a burning fornace then to fall into one mortal sinne Sur. in his life c 29. Nou. 16. 7. Yea S. Anselme said that he had rather fall into hell then into sinne S. Ansel de similit Sur. 2. of Aprill See hereafter lib. 2. c. 3. § 1. the like answere of an old Iaponian §. 3. By mortall sinne we crucifie againe Iesus Christ. 1. O the full measure of all mischiefe that sinne is not only extremly iniurious to him who committeth it but euen to God him selfe the author of health It is the sentence of S. Paul Heb. 6. 6. saying that sinners crucify againe to themselues the Sonne of God and make him a mocquerie And in the 10. c. 29. he saith that they tread the Sonne of God vnder foote and esteeme the blood of the testament polluted wherin they had bene sanctified By one mortall sinne we crucifie againe the Sonne of God because we doe that which was the cause of his crucifixion And if his death had not bene sufficient for the ransome of all the sinnes of the world he must for the expiation of euery sinne which we commit haue againe bene crucified and put to death 2. With great reason then said that good doctor Ioannes Taulerus if God would suffer some one to see his owne sinnes as they are seene of God him selfe he would burst a sunder with very sorrow at the same instant perceiuing the iniurie and contempt that he hath done by them to his Creator and Redeemer lib. de vita pass Christi c. 7. EXAMPLES 1. At the time that the Albigensian heretiques ransacked France our Lady appeared vnto S. Leutgarde with a sad and weeping countenance The saint hauing enquired the cause of her heauines she answered vnto him that it was because that the heretiques and euil Christiās crucified againe by their sinnes her deare Sonne Iesus Christ Sur. tom 3. ex Tho. Cantiprat 2. S. Bridgit of Sueede haueing heard preached vpon a day the passion of our B. Sauiour the night ensuinge our Lord appeared vnto her al bloody and full of dolors as when he was fastned to the Crosse and said vnto her Behould my woundes The Saint beleeuing that they were fresh said vnto him in weeping wise Alas my Lord who hath hurt thee in this maner They quoth he that doe contemne and make none account of my charity Sur. to 4. Ribad in her life the 23. of Iuly 3. See more in the 2. booke c. 7. § 3. Example 4. of S. Collect. O execrable malice of mortall sinne Let vs now speake of veniall sinne §. 4. Of veniall sinne 1. Veniall sinne doth not exclude the grace of God nor charitie it diminisheth notwithstanding the feruor thereof and as S. Paul speaketh Ephes 4. doth contristat the holy Ghost obfuscat the conscience and hinder the aduancement in virtues and by litle and litle draweth a man to mortall sinne He that contemneth smale thinges shall fall by litle and litle saith the wiseman Eccles 19. 1. S. Aug. compareth veniall sinnes vnto the itche which spoyle the beautie of the face and disgusteth the behoulders feare them not saith he because they are lesser then the others but because they are in greater nombre The gnattes and flies are litle beastes which yet if they be many in number are able to take from a man his life Graines of Sande being multiplied doe sinke the Shippes and droppes of waters gathered together make riuers swell and ruine houses 2. Veniall sinne is like to a thrid tied to the foote of the soule which hindreth it to fly to perfection It is a mothe which eateth by litle and litle beames and summer postes which not able at the last to support the waight that is laid vpon them doe cause the fall of the whole house No polluted thinge shall enter into the celestiall Ierusalem saith S. Iohn Apoc. 21. 27. vnles therfore veniall sinnes be blotted forth in this life they traile a man to the fire of Purgatorie a fire so terrible that in respect therof the paines of this life are in a maner nothinge as both S. Aug. and S. Greg. say in psl. 37. ser 41. in 3. psl. paenit And our Lord him selfe saith That euery idle word that men shall speake they shall render an account for it in the day of iudgement Mat. 12. 36. And doost thou set so light by veniall sinne EXAMPLES 1. The Abbot Moises was posessed with the diuell for hauing thorough impatience spoken a litle ouer roughly vnto another Cassian Colat. 7. c. 27. Another Monke was also possest for hauing drunke with too much sensuallitie a glasse of water S. Greg. dial l. 1. c. 4. And another for hauing bene distracted voluntarily in his prayer Ibid. l. 2. c. 1. Is not this enough to giue to vnderstand that veniall sinnes are not so litle before God as men imagin 2. S. Marie of Ognia was so circumspect and so aduised in her actions euen in the very least of all that none could euer obserue the least idle word to issue out of her mouth nor anie other vncomely cariage and was accustomed to confes her selfe of her least faultes with as much contrition as if they had beene mortall sinnes Iac. de vitriaco Card. in her life l. 1. c. 6. 3. Eusebius Monke casting once his eye thorough curiositie vpon the the workmen which laboured in the fieldes whilst Amyan read the gospels vnto him for this cause not hauing well vnderstood a certaine passage whereof the other asked him the explication had so great repentance for it that he euer after mortified his sight duringe the time of his whole life carying continually his head enclined towards the earth by meanes of a great iron chaine which tyed his neck vnto his girdle and this for the space of forty yeares so great esteemed he this litle fault Theodore in hist sanct pat sect 4. Sophron. in prato◠spirit 4. The B. Mother Teresa of Iesus foundresse of the discalceat Carmelits makes mētion in her writinges of her sinnes with such excesse of exaggeration albeit they were but very litle as if they had bene exceeding greuous If in reciting any lesson in the quire she chanced to fayle but a litle she presētlie prostrated her self vpō the groūd in the midst of the quire which all the other sisters seeing could not abstaine from teares and were constrained to interrupt their seruice for the great feeling they had therof Ribera in her life and in the 10. c. of that which she wrote with her owne hande Now if the Saintes haue so apprehended the malice of veniall sinne what
great horror had they of mortall sinne THE III. CHAPTER Of sinnes of will only and of thought 1. THere is a great abuse ignorance and blindnes which raigneth amongst simple people and such as are idiots to thinke that one offendes not God vnles by worke and by worde and not with the wil alone for he that hath forbidden to commit the sinne of the flesh and adultrie hath likewise forbidden to couet his neighbours wife You haue heard that it was said to them of old thou shalt not commit aduoutrie but I say to you that whosoeuer shall see a woman to luste after her hath already committed aduoutrie with her in his hart Mat. 5. 28. And the like is of euery other euill will Concupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne but sinne when it is consummate ingendreth death Iac. 1. 15. Blessed is he that shall dashe his litle ones that is to say his first thoughtes against the rock that is to say Iesus Christ psl. 136. 9. Whilst your enemie is but litle kill him saith S. Herom and crush malice in the very seede Epist 12. ad Eustoch Man seeth those thinges which appeare but our Lord behouldeth the hart ◠Reg. 26. 7. EXAMPLES 1. Kinge Pharao for hauing coueted Sara the wife of Abraham albeit he touched her not in any sort both he him selfe and all his familie were out of hande chasticed of God most rigorously with diuers great and sharp afflictions 2. A Iew gotten into a temple by night saw a troupe of diuells which gaue account to one who seemed to be the chiefe of the rest of all their comportment towardes men and heard one who bragged that he had induced Andrew Bishop of Fonda to embrace a dishonest thought S. Greg. l. 3. Dial. c. 7. 3. At Cosma a towne of Itallie a cittizen giuen for a long time to follow a concubine felt him selfe at last to be brought to the point and pinche of death A father of the Societie of Iesus was called to heare his Confession At the first begining being informed of his life as he was before he represented vnto him that the houre was now come that he must needes depart this worlde and therfore exhorted him to forsake his harlot The obstinat and accursed wretch hauing death in his face replied that he could not be without her in that extremitie but that she would serue him very well The father pressed him againe cast him selfe at his feete and besought him with teares to take compassion on his soule causing all the fathers and brothers of his colledge to pray to this effect and purpose At the last our Lord touched him he caused this shee wolfe to depart his lodging confest him selfe with exceeding sorrow and with other signes of true repentance and the very day after this confession he dyed Vpon the morrow as this father went from his chamber to the sacristie to say Masse for his soule he felt him selfe scuffeld with al and thrust back and heard a voice most distinctly which said vnto him Whether goest thou The father went on his way and being arriued at the vestrie doore he felt him selfe pusht back more forceibly then before and was constrained to recoyle two or three great steps He ommitted not for all this to inuest him selfe and to goe vnto the Altar As he descended thence he that asisted him being come to the Confiteor behold a horrible monster most gastfull and fearfull shewed him selfe visiblie vpon the Altar on that side where the Epistle is read and looking vpon the priest said Pray not for me beware thou doost not The father replied why not art not thou such an one Didst thou not confes thy selfe to me yesterday with so great contrition and with teares Hadst thou no◠pardon of thy sinnes What then is betided of new vnto thee Yea quoth the Spirit I am euen he in very deed I confest my selfe it is true and that entirely and withall receiued pardon of my sinnes But after that thou wast departed that accursed strumpet that had kept me captiue all my life entred againe into my house drew nere vnto me to doe some seruice and forthwith the accustomed fancies awaked in me I yelded entrie to a wicked thought stayed therein and consented and therupon I died For which I now burne and shall burne for all eternitie Extracted out of the annuall histories of the Societie and alleadged by Vallad in the sermon vpon the Thursday of the passion who assureth to haue learned it of a religious mā who knew the father that heard the confession of this miserable man and had it from his owne selfe Good God what a tragicall example And shall we then say that euill desires are no sinnes THE IV. CHAPTER Of the sinnes of the Tongue DEath and life are in the hande of the tongue saith the wise man Prou. 18. 21. Out of the mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing The tongue is certes a litle member and vanteth great thinges Behould how much fire what a great wood it kindleth and the tongue is fire a whole worlde of iniquitie Finally he concludeth saying If any man offend not in worde this is a perfect man Iac. 1. 2. 10. 5. That is to say according to Hugo of S. Victor it is a signe that he hath a great care to keepe his hart therfore hath a great inward perfection In cap. 13. ep ad Rom. Philo saith that the worde is as the hande of the diall which giues to vnderstand the estate of the inward springe and of the wheeles that is to say of the good or bad constitution of the soule And our Sauiour saith That out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. Luc. 6. EXAMPLES 1. Nicephorus writeth that a certaine learned man went vpon a day to visit S. Pambonus Abbot one very holie but somwhat simple and laboured to perswade him to ioyne linke learning with his virtu And when the Saint had shewed him that he was well content as he was this Doctor tooke the Bible and openinge the same expounded vnto him the first passage that he fell vpon which was out of the 36. Psalme I haue said I will keepe my wayes that I offend not in my tongue Enoughe quoth the Saint you shall teache me the rest when I shall haue first well learned practised this Geuing to vnderstande that the first and principalest point of a spirituall life is to refraine and bridle the tongue Niceph. Socrat. l. 4. hist eccles c. 18. hist trip Cassiod l. 8. c. 1. §. 1. of Swearing The second commandement of the first table is Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vaine for God wil not hould him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine Exod. 20. Deut. 5. 11. Thou shalt not sweare at all nether by heauen because it is the throne of God nether by the earth because it is the foot-stoole of his feete c. but let your
Indian woman to lie with him behould how at mid-night a tempest arose with a terrible thunder The woman stricken with feare cryed out saying O blessed virgin Marie keepe me Which this dissolut companion hearing he said vnto her That it was needles to call vpon our Lady for that she had not the meanes how to helpe her Scarce had he vttered the last wordes but a thunderbolt caried him out of the bed into the midest of the chamber burnt all his shirt The woman lept forth of the bed and puld him by the feete but his feete remayned in her haÌ„des as if they had not held to his body She endeuored to draw him out of the chaÌ„ber but a flame entring at the doore hindred him that he could not get forth She cryed for helpe and the neighbours runne and finde this accursed caytiffe starke dead with his mouth open in a horrible manner without teeth without tongue and all his members brused and grounden in such a sort that in pulling of them though neuer so litle one deuided and rent them from the body Franciscus Bencius in the Annales of Col. of Pacen of the societie of Iesus in Peru. in the yeare 1588. And Matheus Timpius in the Theatre of the diuine vengance Happie was this poore wenche that she called vpon our B. Lady so luckelie but cursed was this hoore-master and blasphemer so to haue mocked her §. 3. Of Malediction and of wicked Imprecation To curse any one is to wishe him some euill as the plague death the diuel to take him or the like In the old law he that cursed father or mother was to be put to death Leuit 20. 9. c. 24. 15. The mothers curse rooteth vp the foundation Eccles 3. 11. that is to say ouerthrowes her whole familie MaledictioÌ„ according to S. Thomas is of its nature mortall sinne because it repugneth vnto charitie and is so much the more greuous as the person which one curseth ought to be more loued and reuerenced as for example God Saints Superiors and our parents S. Thom. 2. 2. q. 76. a. 3. EXAMPLES 1. Surius vpon the life of S. Zenobius martyr writeth that a mother angrie with her childe who afflicted with a terrible ague asked her drinke vnto the fourth time in one night said vnto her childe in choller in giuinge him the goblet Hould drinke and swallow downe the diuell and all together at the same instant the childe was posessed of the diuell He writeth likewise of another mother who being beaten of her children sent them all vnto the diuell and that forthwith they were seased and possessed in such sort that they fell a bytinge and tearing of one another The mother repenting her of her fact albeit a panim brought them vnto S. Zenobius who by the signe of the holy Crosse deliuered them and baptised them together with their mother and all the houshold Ioannes Archipresbiter Aretin in the life of S. Zenobius and Surius 25. of May. 3. S. Aug. in his 22. booke of the cittie of God de diuers ser 94. writeth that a certaine woman in Capadocia hauing seauen sonnes and three daughters was stricken of her eldest sonne with the consent of all the others Which she supported so impatiently that she went to Church to curse them vpon the holy Font wherein they had bene baptised As she was in the way the diuel appeared vnto her in the likenes of her husbands brother who hauing aked her whither she went she answered that she went to curse her sonne The diuel tould her that she should curse them all When she was come to the place of the Font all in a furie she toused her haire and discoueringe her breastes besought God that he would sende vpon her children the punishment of Cain making them all trembling and rogues This being said she retourned and behould instantly her eldest sonne was stricken with a trembling of all his members and before the end of the yeare all the others were in the like perplexitie The mother seeing the vnfortunat disaster of her children conceiued so great sorrow therfore that she hunge and strangled herselfe her children became vagabound rogues here and there about the contrie wherof two bretheren and sisters were seene of S. Aug. at Hippo who healed them at the reliques of S. Steuen Learne here you fathers and mothers to restraine your choller and to bridle the intemperance of your tongue that you become nor the cause of such disaster vnto your children 4. That famous posessed person at Laon in Lannois in France anno 1566. fell she not into the power of the diuell thorough the wicked imprecation of her parents which hath likewise hapned to so many others §. 4. Of contumelious wordes To giue one some euill name or to obiect vnto him some vice ether of body or minde as to cal him lyer dolt theife drunkard or the like is a contumelie which of its nature is a mortall sinne Whosoeuer shall say to his brother Thou foole shall be guiltie of the hell of fire Mat. 5. 23. And the Apostle S. Paul Rom. 1. 30. â—ancketh the coÌ„tumelious with those that doe deserue death EXAMPLES 1. As the holy prophet Eliseus went vp to Bethell certaine children came â—oorth of the cittie who seeing him with his head balde mockt him saying Goe vp bald-pate which the Saint hearing he turned him towards them and cursed them and behould at the selfe same instant two Beares which came forth of the forrest ran vpon these children and deuoured of them fortie two 4. Reg. 2. 2. The Chamberlain of the Emperor Valens hauing vomited forth a number of iniurious contumelious wordes against S. Aphrates went to prepare the Emperors bayne but he was come no sooner in but he became stark madde and cast him selfe into the scalding water wherin he dyed Theodoret l. 4. hist. eccles c. 26. Card. Barron tom 4. of his eccles Annales in the yeare of our Lord 370. 3. Iohn Aratus a great fauorer of the Iewes in Lacedemonia after he had disgorged a many of contumelies against S. Nicon was in the night time whipt in his sleepe of two venerable old men who hauing sharply rebuked him for his sinne cast him into a deepe prison Hereupon he awaked and found him selfe taken with a stronge ague and knowing that this was a punishment from God arose and went and sought forth the Saint and asked him forgiuenes S. Nicon forgaue him but withall told him that God had decreed to take him out of this life and that therfore he should dispose him selfe for his death Hereupon he returned to his house layes him downe on his bed and three dayes after gaue vpp the ghost Baron tom 10. of his annales anno 932. See you not by these examples that contumelie is a great sinne You shall then be chasticed ether in this life or in the other you fathers and mothers who hearing your children to pronounce the like wordes doe not punish
c. 31. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Cor. 6. Eccl. 11. Zachar 8. Mat. 6. Pro. 22. The Apostle S. Paul calleth it the seruice of Idols Colos 3. 5. And to the Ephes 5. 5. They that will be made riche fall into tentation and the snare of the diuell and many desires vnprofitable and hurtfull which drowne men into destruction and perdition for the roote of all euils is couetousnes 1. Tim. 6. 9. Nothing is more wicked then the couetous man Eccl. 10. 9. S. Bonauenture compareth the couetous man vnto the hog for euen as the hog is nothinge worth so long as he is a liue and is only profitable when he is dead euen so the couetous man is nothing worth so long as he liueth because he keepeth all to him selfe and doth no good to any body vntil he be dead for then he giues his soule to the diuells his body to the wormes and his welth to his kinsfolkes S. Bon. in diaeta salutis tit 1. c. 6. The scripture likewise compares him to one sick of the dropsie who the more he drinketh the dryer he is the more he hath the more he would haue Eccl. 5. 9. S. Gregorie of Nazian compares the couetous to the cursed Tantalus who is pictured by the poets plunged in the infernall waters as high as the chinne and dies for drithe and hauing the Apples of delight hanging nere their nose can not eate them The couetous also beare their hell in their owne bosome and doe endure it the more riches they swallow the more they thirste the more they abound in victualls and foode the more are they famished Is not this a hell in this world to be oppressed with sleepe vpon a bed of fethers and to be enforced to watch To be pinched with extreame hungar at a table full of good meates and not to be able to eate To burne with thirst hauing the goblets full of delicious wine hard at his mouth and not able to drinke Beâ—hould the hell which the miserable couetous doe endure is there then a more miserable sinne in the whole worlde EXAMPLES 1. Giesi Elias seruant was for his couetousnes punished with leprosie 4. Reg. 5. 27. 2. Iudas egged by auarice sould his master for thirtie pence after hunge him selfe burst asunder in the midst and gaue his bowells to the earth and his damned soule to the diuels Mat. 26. 14. 27. 5. 3. Ananias and Saphira retayning the halfe of their goodes thorough auarice dyed both one after another with soddanie death Act. 5. Achan in Iosue 7. of Saul 1. Reg. 15. 20. Of Achaâ— and Iesabell 3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 9. 4. During the Empire of Constantine sonne of Heraclius there was in Constantinople a riche man who being in danger of death gaue to the poore thirtie pounds of gold but recouering after he repented him selfe of his almes A certaine friend of his endeuored to take this sadnes from him but seing that he profited not he said vnto him I am ready to restore you your thirtie poundes vpon condition that you shal say in the Church in my presence Lord it was not I that gaue the almes of thirtie poundes but this is he He accepted it and said it But o incomparable secret of the iustice of God as he thought to goe forth of the Church with his mony he fell to the ground starke dead Baron tom 7. annal an 553. ex Cedreno Raderus ex Menoeo Grecorum 5. A woman vnder the cloke of pietie and religion hauing made a great many of pilgrimages to holie places she had gathered together a great deale of mony which she fayned to be for the redeeming of prisoners for the necessitie of the poore â—he hid the same vnder the ground within her house that none but her selfe should singar the same Her daughter was askt what her mother had done with her mony And because she could tel no tydinges they sought so long that at last they found it The Bishop caused it to be carried to the graue of this couetous woman and to be cast vpon her carkas About midnight most pittifull cryes were heard to issue forth of the hollow places of that sepulcher and a voice which said with a lamentable accent My gold burnes me my gold burnes me These cryes lasted three whole daies at the end wherof they opened the graue a fearfull thinge and saw the gold that had beene there laid all melted and in flames to runne into the mouth of this wicked woman S. Greg. of Tours reports the same l. 1. of the glorie of Martirs c. 106. 6. S. Atoninus writeth that an aâ—aritious man admonished of his parents and friends being sick euen to death to confes him selfe answered I haue no hart how then will you that I confes And that you thinke not that I doe but ieste goe to my coffre you shall finde it amidst my gold wherin I haue put my whole hope This said he died without any repentance His coffre is visited and iust as he said his hart was found amidst his gold so true it is which our B. Sauiour somtimes said Where thy treasure is there is thy hart also Mat. 6. S. Ant. in Summa 2. p. tit 1. c. 4. § 6. 7. Behould another like case arriue vnto a couetous man whose hart was found in his coffre after his death betwixt the clawes of a Dragon which lay vpon the gold and siluer saying that hart was geuen vnto him by the dead during his life In Gabr. Inchinoser 1. of the puritie of hart 8. Another being at the point of death could neuer be induced to be confest but as soone as he saw the priest depart he called his wife and caused a platter full of gold to be brought vnto him to which he said Thou art my gold in thee it is that I doe hope let the Priests say what they please thou art it that shouldst asist me Hauinge said these wordes he bowed his head into the platter and there rubbing it amidst the gold which he kist and adored for his idoll he so died miserably Extracted out of the annales of the societie 9. Such another also was he of the cittie of Constance recounted by Niderus and Pinelli who falling sick of set purpose to spare his mony caused him selfe to be carried to the hospitall And seeing him selfe neere his end caused to be made him some pease pottage and cast his gold into the same hauing stird it with his spoone endeuored to swallow it downe but he choked him selfe and died before he had eate it vp Pinelli pag. 1. c. 5. 10. Reginherus bishop of Misne haueing buried his treasure in his own chamber was found on the morrow laid theron with his face against the ground and starke dead Lambert Schafnabur apud Baron to 11. anno 1067. O strange and tragicall deathes of couetous parsons §. 3. Of the sinne of Luxurie Luxurie is a disordinate appetite of carnall pleasure her daughters are
blindnes of spirit inconsideration inconstancie precipitation selfe-loue hatred of God too great a desire of this life horror of death and of the iudgment of God together with dispaire of eternall felicitie Greg. l. 31. Mor. c. 31. Ose 4. 2. Reg. 11. Dan. 13. Pro. 13. Sap. 4. Psl. 51. Tim. 3. Psal 20. Iac. 4. Ephes 4. Fornication and all vncleanes let it not so much as be named among you as it becometh Saints that is to say Christians Ephes 5. 3. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Taking therfore the members of Christ shall I make them the members of an harlot God for bid 1. Cor. 6. 15. 19. Doe not erre nether fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate shall posesse the kingdome of God ibid. 10. If you liue according to the flesh you shall die Rom. 8. 13. You haue heard that it was said to them of old thou shalt not commit adulterie but I say to you that whosoeuer shal see a woman to lust after her hath already committed adulterie with her in his hart Mat. 5. 28. S. Bernard saith that Luxurie is one of the chariots of Pharao who pursued the seruants of God and carries them that sit thereon to the red sea of the infernall flames Her four wheeles are Gluttonie and drunkennes curiositie of apparell iâ—lenes and ardor of concupiscence The two Coursers or horses are prosperitie of life and aboundance Vpon these two horses doe sit stupid ignorance and blinded assurance Sor. 39. in Cant. EXAMPLES Behould the horrible punishments which God hath imposed vpon this sinne 1. For the sinne of the flesh God hath drowned all the world Gen. 7. 21. 2. The citties of Zodome and Gomorah and all the contrie round about with their inhabitants were con-consumed by fire sent from heauen Gen. 19. 25. 3. Hemor sonne of Sichem with all the inhabitants of the cittie of Sichem were put to the sword Gen. 34. 26. 4. All the tribe of Benianim were cut off for the same cause Iudg. 20. 48. 5. Sampson was blinded with ouermuch affection towards his wife Iudg. 16. 21. 6. Amnon was slaine by his brother Absalon 2. Reg. 13. 29. 7. Dauid was persecuted of his sonne 2. Reg. 11. 15. 8. Salomon became an adulterer 3. Reg. 11. 9. The husbands of Sara were strangled by the deuil Asmodeus Tob. 3. 8. 10. The two old men that coueted the chast Susanna were stoned to death Dan. 13. 11. Four and twentie thousand of the people of Israel were put to death Num. 25. 12. Marie daughter to the kinge of Arragon wife to the Emperor Othon the 3. hauing solicited the Count of Modena to condescend to her lubricitie and he most constantly refusing her was accused by her calumniously that he would haue induced her to sinne wherupon the Emperor cut off his head But before he died hauing declared his innocencie to his wife he prayed her to carry his head after his death vpon her bare feete into a great fire in witnes of the integritie of her husband which she performed nether that head nor yet her body being hurt any whit at all Which the Emperor seeing he commanded the Empresse to be cast into the fire Thus God permitted that this terrible chasticement shauld befall her not only for this calumnie and filthie desire but also for that she had somtimes abandoned her body to a young youth disguised like a wenche who serued her for a chamber maide and was also burnet aliue by the commandement of the Emperor but she receiued pardon by the intercession of the princes and Lordes of the court The 2. Chron. Gotscalcus Holenser 23. p. Hyem Licosthemes in theatro mundi D. Antonin p. 2. tit 6. c. 3. Baron anno 998. Iacobus Serada in thes Imp. Krantz l. 4. Saxon. c. 26. 13. Raimond of Capua confessar to S. Catharin of Sienna writeth that this Saint could nether see nor abide to come neere those which were infected with the sinne of the flesh that if she spake with them she was enforced to stop her nose Sur. 20. of Ian. 14. Palladius writeth that S. Pachomus hauing giuen a box on the eare vnto the diuell which appeared vnto him in the forme of an Ethiopian had his hande so infected that he spent more then two yeares to take away the stink therof In his Lausiaca 15. S. Euthimius Abbot as Cyrillus Monke writeth in his life passing by one who had consented to a dishonest thought smelt such a stinke that he supposed him selfe to haue bene posest of the diuell See before a terrible and fearfull historie of this matter in the 3. cap. example 3. and another in the 4. cap. § 2. example 6. and in the 2. booke cap. 2. § 2. Loe here the gayne and reward which is got by this sinne for a beastly pleasure and which lasteth so litle plunging ones selfe into so many euills temporall and eternall Let vs say with that wise Pagan Demosthenes I will not buy a repentance at so deare a price Agell noct Act. l. 1. c. 8. §. 4. Particular Considerations against the sinne of voluntarie Pollution It is with great griefe that I speake at all of this sinne yea that I doe so much as name it because it is so enorme and detestable yet so it is that I cannot altogether ommit the same for that it is o heauie case so coÌ„mon and so vniuersall Hearken hereupon to Cardinal Toletus The sinne of voluntarilie pollution is amongst al others the most difficult to be amended and this by reason that one hath alwaies with him the occasion for to fall therein and is so vniuersall that I beleeue that the most part of those that goe to hell are damned for the same sinne l. 5. Instruct sacerd c. 13. Ioannes Benedictus in his Summe vpon the 6 commandement of the deâ—alogue writen after Conradus Clinâ—ius be it that the same be knowen by reuelauelation or else by experience that those which are habituated in this sinne as many yeares as our Lord liued that is to say thirtie three are incurable and as it were without hope of their saluation vnles that God doe succour them by a maruellous rare and extraordinarie grace This is that which this author saith But touching the sinne it selfe accordinge to the minde of the Cardinall before alleadged there is no better remedy then to be confessed often to communicate twice or thrice aweeke and this vnto the same confessar Note all this Christian and if euer thou felst into this curssed sinne resolue to rise out of it from this very instant that thou readest this page for feare lest habituating thy selfe therin thou canst not afterwardes rid thee thereof and that thou twist not by litle and litle the netts and vnloosable lines which draw thee in the end into the abisse of mischiefe and eternall torments For accordinge to the Apostle Effeminat nor liers with mankinde shal not possesse the kingdom of God 1. Cor. 6. 10. EXAMPLES 1.
the enflamed wordes of the holie fathers and examples Thou seest then o Christian by what hath bene said how pernicious and horrible sinne is and consequently what reason thou hast to detest and fly it as much as thou maist But yet perhaps thou wouldest willingly haue some remedies to preserue thy selfe from this accursed monster Besides the feare and loue of God the â—istrust of ones selfe the due frequentinge of the Sacraments of Penance and of the Eucharist spirituall lecture daylie examen of conscience and holy prayer wherof we will treate by Gods asistance in the booke ensuing behould here seauen singular remedies most effectuall 1. To fly the occasions as are dangerous places and euill companies The memorie 2. Of the presence of God 3. Of the passioÌ„ of our Lord. 4. Of death 5. Of iudgment 6. Of hell and of the eternitie of the damned 7. Of heauen and of the eternitie of the saued §. 1. Of flying the occasions of sinne The Prouerbe saith that the occasion causeth the thiefe The Flies and Gnattes houering about the candle fall at the last into the flame He must not walke nere the water who will not be drowned If thou then o Christian wilt keepe thy selfe so as not to fall into sinne flie the occasions such as are euill companies the dangerous places of tauernes and other houses of dissolute women in the euening and time of night For a maide for example doth put her selfe in great hasard of offending God and of her owne honor who vndertakes to talke with a younge man alone in a place apart in the darke or in the night You shall rendar account fathers and mothers who giue such libertie vnto your daughters See l. 2. c. 3. § 4. examp 3. He that loueth danger shall perish in it Eccl. 3. 27. Can a man hide fire in his bosome that his garments burne not Or walke vpon heate coales that his soales be not burnt Pro. 6. 27. My sonne if sinners shall entise thee condescend not to them If they shall say come with vs c. walke not with them stay thy foote from their pathes Pro. 1. 10. Depart from the wicked and euill shall fayle from thee Eccl. 7. 2. He that toucheth pitche shall be defiled with it he that communicateth with the proude shall put on pride Eccl. 13. 1. With the holie thou shalt be holie and with the innocent man thou shalt be innocent psl. 17. 26. If thy right eye scandalise thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is expedient for thee that one of thy limmes perish rather then thy whole body be cast into hell Mat. 5. 30. By the eye that scandaliseth is to be vnderstood all occasion of scandall and of offence The master then must quit him selfe of his maide if she giue him occasion to offende God and if it be the master which inciteth the maide to commit euill then must she leaue him and so of others There is no assurance saith S. Hierom to sleepe nere vnto a serpent it may be that he will not bite me but it may be also that he will bite me l. cont Vigilant And writing to Furia touching her widdowhood he saith Fly the companie of younge youthes let not your house admit these young courters of girles which weare their perewigges who haue their haire fâ—…sled their habits spruce and their lookes lasciuious admit not likewise neere vnto you singers and players c. but insteed of these holie widdowes Epist. 10. S. Aug. bewayling the stealth of apples which he had committed in his youth saith If I had bene alone I had neuer done it it was wicked company that caused me to doe it O frindship too too iniust seduction of spirit when one saith Let vs goe let vs doe it and one is ashamed not to be without shame l. 3. Conf. c. 8. 9. EXAMPLES The children of Seth were good before they were married but as soone as they were allied with the daughters of Caine they became so wicked that God was constrained to drowne them all by the deluge Gen. 4. 6. 7. 2. Loth being retired from the holy company of Abraham was taken by the Infidells all his goods were burned in Sodome he made himselfe drunke and being drunke violated his two daughters Gen. 14. 19. 3. SalomoÌ„ coÌ„uersing with the EgiptiaÌ„ Ladies became an Idolater 3. Reg. 11. 4. 4. S. Peter leauing the companie of our Ladie and the Apostles and rancking him selfe amongst the wicked denied thrice his Lord and Master Mat. 26. 70. 5. Gordiana aunt to S. Gregorie delighting ouer-much to be in company of certaine secular maydes forgot the vow she had made to serue God and by litle and litle turned all worldly after the death of her two sisters Tharsilla Emiliana which weÌ„t to heauen she plunged her selfe entirely in vanities with the finall perdition of her soule S. Greg. 4. Dial. c. 14. Hom. 38. in Euang. 6. A younge scholler studying in the dioces of Mastrick finding him self vpon a day in the company of some younge and dissolute libertines was conducted into a certaine house where it wanted litle that together with the puritie of his hart he lost not the flower of his virginitie Seing him selfe therfore assaulted with an impudent woman he forsooke his companions and departing forth of that debauched lodging it being now night he went towards his owne dwelling and as he went he began to thinke not without great astonishment vpon the euident perill which he had passed to make an irreparable losse of the pretious treasure of his chastitie As he entertayned him selfe in this thought behould a young man of a most maruellous beautie appeared vnto him and gaue vnto him a box on the eare that so fierce and soundly set on that he feld him flat vpon the ground saying vnto him Learne then learne thou for another time to flie euill company and so disappeared sodainly The schollar all shaking and trembling for very feare got him selfe vp some while after and waighing more seriously what had passed knew more clearly that this younge man was his Angell gardien which had deliuered him that day from so great danger and had admonished him so charitably of the fault which he had committed for which cause he gaue thankes vnto God and to his good Angell makinge a firme purpose to fly for the time to come more carefully then euer before all kinde of euill company And the better to assure that it was not a dreame the cheeke wheron the Angell smote remayned sweld sundry dayes after P. Francis Albertin in his treatise of our Angell Gardien c. 7. ex speculo ex dist 10 ex 9. See also another as remarkable in the treatise aforsaid c. 19. and here before c. 4. § 7. examp 3. of S. Edmond in the 2. booke c. 3. § 4. exampl 3. If we haue so great care to conserue our body from euill ayres and from all that which may be
hurtfull to it shall we not haue the same of our soule What permutation shall a man giue for his soule Matt. 16. 26. Marc. 8. §. 2. Of the mindfulnes of the presence of God This also is a most singular remedy for who is he I pray you vnles he be quite out of his wittes that dares and would offende when he calls to minde that God that almightie and redoubted iudge seeth euen to the very bottome of his hart In all thy waies thinke on him and he will direct thee in thy steppes Pro. 3. 6. I will shew thee o man what is good what our Lord requireth of thee verely to doe iudgment and to loue mercie and to walke solicitous with thy God Mich. 6. 8. He hath said in his hart God hath forgotten he hath turned away his face not to see foreuer psal 10. 11. Remember God thou shalt neuer sinne saith S. Ignatius Martyr epist. 6. Behould the whole meanes neuer to sinne if one suppose God to be alwaies nere vnto him Clem. Alex. 1. 3. pedag c. 5. The remembrance of God shuts the gate to all sinne S. Hierom. l. 7. c. 22. Euen as at the arriuing of the Prouost theeues withdraw them selues from their commō hauntes euen so at the remembrance of the presence of God the infamous passions of the soule are chased away and it becometh the temple and habitation of the Holie Ghost But where the memorie of God is not there doth darknes dominiere with stench and all kinde of wickednes is there exercised S. Ephrem l. de virtute tom 2. c. 10. Thinkest thou that thou art alone when thou committest fornication And rememberest not that the eyes of God doe behould the whole worlde All the holy Trinitie is hard by thee the Angells his ministers the Cherubins and Seraphins which continuallie cry Holy holy holy all the earth is full of thy maiestie Thinkest thou that in the brothel house Iesus Christ doth not behould thee he who saw thee enter into the same Thinkest thou that he seeth thee not committing adulterie he that seeth the adulterie which thou conceiuest in thy soule S. Amb. in psl. 118. Serm. 1. O carelesse Christians o mortall men how then liue you You offend God as if God saw you not What God that great God doth he not see you He that is aboue you beneath you round about you yea euen within you GOD IS EVERY WHERE What doost thou then forgetfull of thy God what doost thou Hearken in what place soeuer you be Shall a man be hid in secrets and shall not I see him saith our Lord Ierem. 23. 24. Heare this tremble for feare for GOD SEETH ALL. What saist thou thou who art forgetfull of God What doost thou say What he that planted the eare shall he not heare psl. 93. 9. I liue saith our Lord according as you haue spoken I hearing it so will I doe to you Num. 24. 28. Take heede then what you say for GOD VNDERSTANDETH ALL Alas what thinke you in your hart What doe you thinke What knowe you not then that at that great day he wil visit and examin Hierusalem with torches Sophon 1. Deceiue not your selues it is a point most assured that GOD KNOWETH ALL. Yea euen the most secret thoughtes What dare you then offend God in his owne presence No Christian let vs say now let vs say for euer rather die then be dāned rather die then be defiled rather die then to offende before the face of so great and so good a God Dan. 13 28. EXAMPLES 1. The holie scripture speaking of the old men who coueted carnally the chast Susanna saith And they subuerted their sence and declined their eyes that they would not see heauen nor remember iust iudgments Dan. 13. 9. And a litle after Perplexities are to me on euery fide for if I shall doe this it is death to me and if I doe it not I shall not escape your handes But it is better for me without the act to fall into your handes then to sinne in the sight of our Lord. v. 22. O right worthie and generous resolution 2. S. Dorotheus Abbot writeth that at the begining whē Dosithus his disciple tooke the habit of religion he gaue this sentence worthy to be written in letters of gould Let God be neuer out of thy hart thinke alwaies that God is present with thee and that thou art before his face Which Dosithus imprinted so deeply in his hart that he neuer forgot it no not in his greatest sicknes And by this exercise of the presence of God he profited so well that of a knight and soldiar of the worlde of one debauched and vtterly addicted vnto vanities he became a most perfect and a most holy religious person and was seene after his death of diuers holy personages most glorious and triumphant in heauen amongst the holy Anchorets S. Doroth. in his life 3. Saint Catharine of Sienna to keepe her selfe alwayes recollected amiddest the distractions and occupations which her mother prescribed her made according as her heauēly spouse had taught her an oratory of her hart in the midst wherof she placed her God O most goodlie and wholsome practise Raymond in her life 4. Palladius affirmeth to haue learned of a certaine religious man called Diocles that a deuout person as soone as he leaueth the remembrance of the presence of God becomes a beast or else a diuell In hist lausia c. 93. 5. An vnmannerly woman who dwelt hard by the house where S. Ephrem was one day lodged in Edessa came and solicited him to lubricitie The Saint asked her if she were content to come vnto the open market and that there he would satisfie her demand What quoth she dare we doe this before men If we dare not doe this before men replied the Saint how dare we to doe it before God who vnderstandeth all thinges euen the most secret and is to iudge vs of all our workes These wordes touched the woman so exceeding deeply that detesting this enterprise and all her fore-passed life from that very houre she gaue the farwell to the flesh and the worlde retyring her selfe according to the councell of the Saint into a monastery where she liued and died most holily Blessed Lord what change doth thy remembrance make within a hart Giue it vs we beseeche thee continually to the end that this euill neuer arriue vs as to sinne in thy presēce §. 3. Of the remembrance of the most dolorous passion of our Lord. O Christian canst thou offende thy God and thy Redeemer when thou remembrest that he was wounded for our iniquities and that he was broken for our sinnes I say 53. 5. Canst thou well commit any kinde of sinne when thou remembrest those lamentable cries of thy Sauiour all peirced and wounded vpon a Crosse O all yee that passe by the way attend and see if there be sorrow like to my sorrow Thren 1. 12. If in the greene wood they doe
eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor yet hath entred into the hart of man This answere moued him so much that he also would be enrolled in the catalogue of the martyrs and endured constantly to haue his members cut asunder peece by peece in the sight of his wife who likewise encouraged him therunto Ribad vpon his life 4. Theophilus aduocate hauinge receiued certaine Roses and Apples from heauen which S. Dorothe dying sent vnto him by an Angell found them so faire and so good that desiring to enter in the garden from whence they were gathered he became Christian and suffered martyrdome Ribad in the life of S. Dorothe virg and mart 5. Sir Thomas Moore Lord Chancelor of England being in prison his wife came and importuned him to condescend vnto the pleasure of the Kinge presentinge vnto him on the one side her future pouertie and the miserable estate of all her familie and on the other part the honors and riches which kinge Harry had promised him if he would be on his side Sir Thomas demanded of her How longe my dearly beloued shall we enioy these honors and riches Very easily yet quoth she these twentie yeares Then Sir Thomas all angrie with her said vnto her Get thee gone quoth he thou foolish marchant what shall I for twentie yeares of temporall goodes loose all the infinite goods of life eternall God forbid that I euer make any such market yea know that I had rather lie in this prison as longe as I liue suffer confiscation of my goodes all kindes of contumelies and death it selfe then to expose so foole-hardily my felicitie as indeed he did for he was put to death for this cause Sanderus de schismate Angl. Would to God we did the same as often as ouer flesh like to this womā incites vs to sinne and that at the smiting of the clock yea in all times we had in our mouth and in our hart this short sentence O glorie eternall what is it to haue thee and what is it to loose thee The true Christian Catholique or The maner how to liue Christianly THE SECOND BOOKE THE PROLOGVE IT is an error of the heretiques who vnder the name of a Christian which they carrie with false markes and vnder the skin of a sheepe nourish the hart of a woulfe that to go to heauen it is not necessarie to doe good workes Such an one was Valentinus as S. Ireneus testifieth l. 1. c. 1. and S. Epiphanius l. 1. cont heres c. 32. And Eunomius and Aetius his Disciple of whom S. Aug. maketh mention l. de heresibus c. 54. and in the age last past Luther Caluin Melancthon c. Bellar. tom 11. controuer l. 4. c. 20. de iustificatione Yea Luther saith that faith is nothing worth vnles it be depriued of all good workes how litle soeuer Did any euer heare more absurd and pernicious doctrine Thou art better taught ô true Christian Catholique and it is by the fruites also of thy good workes that the sanctitie of thy soule is knowen for thou houldest with the vniuersall Church according to the lesson which the holy Ghost hath taught her in the scripture and the holy Fathers that he who intends to goe to heauen ought to to keepe the cōmandements of God to exercise him selfe in good workes This is that which our Lord said vnto a certaine Doctor in S. Mat. 19. 17. c. 7. 22. Not euery one that saith to me Lord Lord like as heretiques doe who haue often in their mouth the name of the Lord but haue the diuell in their hart shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Lord saith Dauid who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shall rest in thy holie hil Psal 14. 1. Thou wilt render to euery one according to his workes Ps 61. 13. Mat. 16. 27. And if I should haue all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing 1. Cor. 13. 2. See the sentence of S. Peter in the 1. booke last chap. § 7. We haue before brought and alleadged that whick maketh for the extirpation of vice And sith it is not enough for a Gardener to haue rooted vp the naughtie herbes out of his garden vnles he likewise sowe good seede therein and set good plantes I will with Gods asistance in this secōd booke giue aduice vnto the Christiā who desires to liue as a good and virtuous Catholique ought do doe and shew him the meanes proper and easie how to plant in his soule such virtues as are most necessary for the exercise of good workes following the selfe same order which I did before to wit of holie Scripture holie Fathers Examples THE 1. CHAPTER Of the signe of the Crosse THE soldiars of this world accustome to weare vpon them a scarfe or riban of the same color of their Ensigne to giue to vnderstand vnder what head banner they beare armes In like maner the Christian who is the soldiar of Iesus Christ and serueth vnder the stādart ensigne of the Crosse hath a custome to giue this signe a at all times in euery houre imprinting it ether on his fore-head on his mouth or on his breast b in the morninge at his vp risinge in the eueninge at his downe lying at the striking of the clock in yaninge both before and after worke eating drinking and in eache necessitie which from all antiquitie hath bene vsed in the Church c yea both prefigured and fore-tould by the Prophets d in the old law and taught and recommended by our B. Sauiour in the new e a S. Ephrem l. de ver a poenitentia c. 3. S. Aug. l. de Cat. rud c. 20. b S. Ambrose de Isaac anima c. 8. c Tertul. de corona milit c. 3. d Ezech. ◠e Mat. 28. §. 1. Of the ancient vse and custome to make the signe of the Crosse at the begining and ending of our workes and how dangerous it is ether to eate or drinke not makinge before hand this holy signe The prophet Ezechiel saw vpon a day six men enter into the temple of Ierusalem and heard a voice which commanded them to passe thorough the middes of the citty and to strike or kill without mercie al the inhabitants except euery one vpon whom they should see the signe of Thau Ezech. 9. 5. S. Iohn in the Apoc. c 7. 1. saw four Angells who had commandement from almightie God to afflict all the men vpon the earth And as they went to execute this commandement another Angell came from the risinge of the sunne hauing the signe of the liuing God who turning him selfe towards the others said Hurt not the earth and the sea nor the trees till we signe the seruants of our God in their foreheades And S. Iohn saith that the number of those that were thus signed were a hundred fortie four thousand of euery tribe of Israell Ibid.
to be healed but only if her sinnes were forgiuen her and vnderstanding that they were she died with most exceeding consolation S. Greg. l. 4. dial c. 13. 5. The Emperor Mauritius hauing bene the cause of the massacre of sundry of his captiue subiects which he might haue set free for a smale matter besought of God to haue his punishment in this life and wrote to all the Patriarkes and Monkes of the easte to the end they should offer vp to God their praiers for this effect God granted him his demand for he saw all his children put to death before his eyes he saying no other thinge saue only that verse of the psalme 118. Thou art iust o Lord and thy iudgment is right and within a while after he him selfe had his head cut off Niceph. l. 18. hist. c. 38. and Card. Baron anno 602. 6. S. Liduuine natiue of Holland from the age of fifteene yeares to fifty three was neuer without sicknesses and diseases And first hauing an Apostume broken within her body was afterwards smitten with the palsie and fire of S. Anthonie had al her members rotten and full of holes Out of her breasts wormes issued by whole hundreds which eate and gnawed all her body She had her head afflicted with most sharp paines her fore-head open her chinne cleft one eye out and the other not able to behould the light cast commonly blood out at her mouth eyes nose and eares had the squinzie in her throate the tooth-ache agues single double triple quadruple and the dropsie and besides all these euills she was accused of witcherie Now what feeling could she haue amongst so many and such afflictions notwithstanding she said no other thinge but. O my sweete Lord augment my paines Wretch that I am alas what is it that I endure Alas how litle is it in comparison of that which thou endurest for me Surius to 7. 14. of Aprill See the example of Saint Frauncis here before lib. 1. c. 7. § 7. example 1. 7. S. Nichola or Colecta hauing craued of our Lord to make her partaker of his paines for the space of fiftie yeares was neuer without sicknesses and most greeuous dolours which allwayes redoubled vpon solemne feastes And as they that looked vnto her wept at the very sight of her torments she in smyling wise said vnto them Wherfore weepe yee my good sisters that which I suffer deserues not so much as to be thought of If God haue sent it me alas should I be so perfidious as to quarrell against the bountie of my sweet Lord who hath so great a care of his poore seruāt And as she ommitted not for all her paine to come and goe to doe some seruice vnto God some saying vnto her You will die by the way So that quoth she we die betwixt the armes of good Iesus what forces it my poore sisters whither we die in the fieldes or in the cittie vpon the pauement or vpon a matteras We cannot fall amisse falling betwixt the handes of God Surius 6. of March ex Stephano Iuliaco See Binet in ses consolations des malades c. 7. § 4. 8. S. Spiridion being called by the Emperor Constance as he entred the pallace a courtiar seeing him poorely apparelled gaue him a box vpon the eare the Saint presented him the other Which touched in such sort the hart of this arrogant person that he cast him selfe before his feete and asked him forgiuenes Surius 24. of December 9. S. Romuald of the house of the Dukes of Rauenna being often strucken with a pole by Marinus the Hermit when he hapned to misse in saying his psaulter replied not a word vntill such time as after certaine daies seeing that by this meanes he lost the hearing of one eare he said vnto him that if he thought good he should frō thence forth strike him vpon the right side because he had lost the hearing of the left by reason of the blowes that he had giuen him Marinus was extreamly amazed at this patience and was the cause that he euer afterwards respected him so much the more The B. Card. Damian in his life Ribad 7. of Feb. 10. Our Lord said vpon a day to the B. mother Teresa of Iesus Beleeue my daughter that he that is most beloued of my Father is he to whom he giueth the greatest troubles Behould and consider my woundes neuer will thy euills be equall to my paines This so encouraged her that she had no other desire but to suffer so that being buffeted spit on and trode vnder foote she fell a laughing being calumniated in all that possible might be said she set not by it Yea she prayed to God that she might neuer be without paines as she was not And after she had bene once tormented for the space of fiue houres by the deuill with great dolors and interior and exterior troubles so that she thought that she was able to endure no more she notwithstanding ceased not to craue patience of our Lord offring her selfe according to her custome that if he would make vse therof that then this paine might last her till the day of iudgment and this was her ordinarie prayer My Lord be it to dye or to endure I for my selfe aske naught else of thee 11. Blessed Father Zauerius endured much in the Indies but it was nothing in regard of that which he desiered to endure for amidst his greatest paines he praied to God to giue him greater And when vpon a day our Lord had shewed him the crosse and torments by the which he was to passe he began to cry Yet more yet more o Lord yet more Ribad in the abridgment of his life 12. S. Iohn Gualbertus hauing pardoned from his hart the murdering of his brother as he praied a while after before a crucifix our Lord. who was nayled theron enclined his head downe vnto him Blas Mediolan general ord val vmbrosae circa annum 1040. Baron tom 11. anno 1051. 13. An English gentilman hauing likewise pardoned him who had kild his father as he praid before a Crucifix the Kinge who was present perceiued that at eache genuflexion which he made the Crucifix bowed its head vnto him Math. Paris hist. Anglic. anno 1090. Thou confirmest o Lord by this miracle the truth of thy doctrine vttered so many ages past Forgiue and it shall be forgiuen you Luc. 6. Mat. 6. 14. Our Lord said vpon a time vnto S. Gertrude that euen as the ringe which is giuen at a making sure is a signe of the faith which the parties promise one to another euen so patience in corporall and spiritual aduersities endured for the loue of God is a signe of diuine election and of the mariage of the soule with almightie God Blos l. de consol pusillam He said the same to the B. Mother Teresa Thou knowest full wel quoth he vnto her the mariage there is betwixt thee and me and that by this meanes all that I haue is thyne I
22. de ciuit 4. We asist the soules detayned in Purgatorie Greg. l. 4. dial c. 57. Ioan. Damas ser de â—efunct Aug. l. de cura pro mortuis alij 5. Our Lord is wont also to impart a great deale of prosperitie to the temporall goods of those who deuoutly asist or serue at Masse Chrysost hom 77. in Ioan. hom 18. in Act. Apost O what fruites and vtilities are these for those who daily asist at the holy Masse §. 2. Of the reuerence and attention we ought to haue during the sacrifice of the Masse Where the Kinge is there is the court we haue already said that the Masse is no other thinge then the sacrifice of the pretious body and blood of the Sonne of God which is offered vp to God him selfe Here then is present the Kinge of Kinges yea all the most holy Trinitie together with the whole celestiall court what attention then and modestie ought we to bring with vs vnto the same Hearken how S. Iohn Chrisostome speaketh The lambe of God is offered vp the Seraphins asist therat couuering them selues with their winges all the Angells intercede for thee with the Priest the spirituall fire descends from heauen blood is drawen forth of the side of the immaculat Lambe and put into the Chalice for thy purification and thou hast nether shame nor respect nor endeuorest not to make thy God propitious to thee The weeke hath 168. houres and God hath retayned but one only for his seruice and yet thou employest this in secular and ridiculous affaires Serm. de Euch. Hom. 36. vpon the first of the Corinthians The Church is nether a Barbers nor Apoticharies shop but the place of Angells and Archangells the court of God heauen it selfe So S. Chrisostom EXAMPLES 1. The same holy Doctor saith that a certaine deuout person saw one day as Masse was said a great multitude of Angells in shining garments about the Altar with their heades enclined Lib. 6 de Sacerdot Which the same S. Chrisostom was wont also to see as B. Nilus Abbat writeth Epist. ad Anastas Baron tom 5. annal anno 407. Other holy persons haue had the like visions as is to be seene in Sophron. prat spirit cap. 199. And in Cyril Ermite in the life of S. Euthymius The Angells for lack of asistants haue some times them selues serued Masse as amongst others S. Oswald bishop of Vigorina Sur. 16. of Octob. To Saint Gregorie Pope Ioan. Diaconus in his Life To brother Iohn of Parma a Fraunciscan Friar after he had discharged him selfe of his Generalls-ships Chron. Fratr Minor tom 2. l. 1. c. 57. Hence you see what honor it is to asist at Masse and what attention and reuerence is required therto sith the Angells them selues asist and serue therat 2. S. Ambrose writeth after Valerius the great that whilst Alexander the mghitie Kinge of Macedony sacrificed one of his pages let fall at vnawares a burning coale into his sleeue betwixt his shirt and his flesh and albeit that his flesh burnt yet he shewed no maner of signe nor cast so much as one only sighe for feare he should disturb the sacrifice Learne o virgin saith S. Ambrose with what modestie thou oughtest to asist at the Sacrifice of thy God lib. 3. de virgin 3. S. Iohn the Almes-giuer Patriarch of Alexandria had a custome to cause those to goe forth of the Church whom he saw to talke or tatle during Masse Sur. tom 1. fol. 569. 4. The kinge of Porca in the Indies being yet but a young man the yeare 1605. had nine hundred Pagodes or Idoles to eache of which he exhibited euery day a particular reuerence and adoration and offered vp a present vnto them entring into the place where they were at six a clock in the morning and remayning there vntill twelue during which time he gaue no audience to any person O what confusion is this for Christians who scarclie once in eight daies deuote so much as one houre to the onely true God which they adore P. Petrus Iarrâ—c l. 6. hist Ind. orient c. 10. 5. The father in law of the kinge of Congo being baptised as vpon a day he heard Masse there were some of his pages Princes children who playd the fooles during the same and and made a noize at the entrie of the chappell He iudging it a haynous cryme not to bringe such attention and reuerence as was conuenient for so dreadfull a sacrifice commanded that his pages should instantly be put to death And de facto they had bene executed if the Portugalls takinge compassion on the tender age of these young nobles had not begged and obtained their pardon The same author in the 2. tome of the historie of the orientall Indies anno 1484. §. 3. Of the vtilities of the Masse proued by examples with some remarkable punishments of those who haue despiced the same 1. S. Thomas of Aquin after he had said Masse was wont to heare another wherat he serued wherin as he confest to S. Bonauenture he receiued more light and more knowledge then he had done in all his studies Aut. Sennen Ribad 2. S. Monica made so great account of the Masse that coming to die she requested no other thinge of her sonne S. Augustin and his brother then to remember her when they should stande at the holie Altar wherat she had not her selfe omitted to asist one only day which he performed Aug. Cons l. 9. c. 11. c. 13. Inspire o Lord saith he inspire my bretheren thy seruants who shall reade these thinges to remember thy seruant Monica at the Altar and her husband Patricius 3. Ferdinandus Antolinus being vpon the point to giue battaile to the Sarazens would first before hand heare Masse And whilst he was busied in this good office the battaile was begun and his Angell Gardian tooke his place mounted vpon Ferdinandus horse eache one thinking that it was he with so good successe that the victorie was attributed to him And there was afterwards founde in his armour and his horse the markes and woundes which it seemed he had receiued who fought in his place Ioan. Vaseus in Chron. Hâ—span anno 941. Simile refert Caesarius l. 7. mirac c. 39. 4. The like hapned to Paschalis Viuas a great knight of the troupe of Don Garcias Ferdinandes Count of Castile in the battaile which was fought against Almancor kinge of Cordoua For as he heard Masse in S. Martius Church he was seene to fight kill the Standar bearer and beare away the victorie Ioan. Osorius ex hist Hâ—spanic tom 4. conc de Sacrificio Missae 5. Andreas Dacq being in Hierusalem would not goe with his companions vnles he first had heard Masse And behould at his coming forth of the Church a horsman presented him selfe vnto him who inuited him to get vp behinde him vpon his horse wher being got vp he fell asleepe and at his waking he found him selfe the selfe same day in his contrie iust
3. Gabr. Inchino chanon Reg. Lateran 3. An other concealing in confession a sinne of the flesh seemed to cast out to take in toades at his mouth and after his death appeared to his confessar horribly tormented saying that he was daÌ„ned for that he had concealed his sinne Adding that people went to hell by all sortes of sinnes but women principally by four by the sinne of the flesh by vaine ornaments by witchcraft and by shame for to confes them Iâ— Iunior in scala coeli Gulielmus Pepin 1. sup Confiteor c. 13. 4. At Itate a cittie of the orientall Indies the yeare 1590. a christian maiden called Catharin giueing and abandoning her selfe secretly to the filthines of the flesh neuer confest her selfe at all Falling sick a father of the Societie went to see her and endeuored to induce her to a good confession She confest her selfe nine times but allwaies coÌ„cealing her sinnes of the flesh And as the other seruants of the house fell a talking with her she said vnto them that euery time her ghostly father was nere vnto her a Black a More appeared vnto her by her beds side who said vnto her that she should take good heede not to confes all her sinnes saying that they were but petty faults and that on the other side S. Mary Magdalen exhorted her to confes them The seruants hearing these her speeches called back the father but he profited nothing so that she dyed in that estate After her death she appeared to one of the seruants all in fire saying that she was damned for hauing confessed none but litle sinnes and concealed the great adding that she was forced to tell them this for their example An Angel appeared also at the same time who willed the seruant to harkne vnto her and to related the whole vnto the rest Taken forth of the historie of the Indes written by F. Iacques Samâ—tiego superior of the mission of the Itatins anno 1590. P. Thyreus de loco infest p. 1. c. 1 fusâ— narrat pat Delrio in suis disq mag 5. At Arone in Lombardie the yeare 1595. and litle maide but six yeares old dyed crying out that certaine Black a Mores went about to throw her into a boyling cauldron and finally she said Deuil cary me away deuill carry me away and in saying this she gaue vp her soule vnto the diuels Her parents knew by her no other thinge but that she was of a quick spirit had bene seene to play too liberally with litle youthes and that she neuer had bene at holie confession Taken out of the historie of the Societie anno 1595. §. 3. Of frequent Confession and how daÌ„gerous it is for to delay it If thou hadst swallowed poison that thou knewest it wouldst thou tarry to seeke after phisick and after the phisitian til the poison were dispersed thoroughout all thy body If thou wert taken of the enimie mightest instaÌ„tly be deliuered wouldst thou tarrie till some one had tyed thee with more chaines put thee into a deeper dungeon As long as a man is in mortall sinne he meriteth nothing by his good workes he doth not participat of the merits of our Lord nor of his Church he is depriued of the particular asistances of almightie God and of his Angell Gardien And that which yet is worst of all he is hunge by a thrid ouer the welle of the infernall pit and who knowes whither this thrid shall not perhaps be cut a sunder before to morrow Why then in an affaire of such importance and wherein is treated of thine eternall saluation doost thou defer the time vntill to morrow wherof thou art vncertaine to doe that which thou maist now doe assuredly Slack not to be conuerted to our Lord and differ not froÌ„ day to day for his wrath shall come sodainly Eccl 5. 8. Sonne hast thou sinned doe so no more but for the old also pray that they may be forgiuen thee Eccl. 21. 1. Doost thou contemne the riches of his goodnes and patience and long animitie not knowing that the benignitie of God bringeth thee to pennance But according to thy hardnes and impenitent hart thou heapest to thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath Rom. 2. 4. He that hath promised the penitent pardon hath not promised the sinner the day of to morrow S. Greg. Hom. 10. in Euang. He that doth penance and reconcileth him selfe at the end of his life that he departs this life with assurance I am not assured I say not that such an one is damned nor yet say I that he shall be saued Wilt thou be deliuered from this dout Wilt thou auoide that which is vncertaine Doe penance whilst yet thou art in perfect health whilst thou canst as yet sinne for if thou wilt doe penance when thou caÌ„st sinne no more sinne leaueth thee but thou hast not left sinne S. Aug. lib. â—… Homil. EXAMPLES 1. Chrysaurius a riche man hauing passed all his life in pleasures seeing him selfe reduced to the point of death and compassed about with diuells ready to carry him to hell turned him towards heauen crying out Inductas vel vsque mane inducias vel vsque mane Truce only till to morrow truce only til to morrow with these wordes gaue vp the ghost S. Gre. Hom. 12. in Euang. l. 4. dial c. 38. 2. A Courtiar of Coenredus kinge of England admonished by the kinge himselfe to be confessed in his sicknes refused to doe it saying that he would not be confessed then but when he was well recouered and able to goe broad saw being nere his death the diuells who shewed him all his sinnes written in a huge booke and the Angells who gaue place vnto them he saying that two deuils were entred into his bodie the one by his head the other by his feete to deuoure his soule and so dyed at the same time Venerable Bede lib. 5. hist Aug. c. 14. anno 704. 3. An other deferring his repentance after the like maner saw a litle before his death his place in hell neere vnto Caiphas The same author cap. 15. 4. At Squira a cittie of the Philippine isles an Indian woman feeling her selfe moued of God to make a Confession of her whole life and that for many dayes together she imparted the same vnto her parents who gaue her councell to defer it A litle after she fell sick a Priest was called but he could not heare her for he found her dumbe to euery thinge saue in these wordes which she repeted oftentimes stretching forth her handes towardes her parents Take hence these Caâ—…s what make they here Ah wretch that I am behould the blackmores who will carry me away They prayd for her but all in vaine for she sunge no other songe and hauing cryed that they burnd her she gaue vp the ghost After her death God declared that she spoke into these thinges thorough idle rauing for as they went about to winde her vp and to burie her her body
approach often therunto §. 2. Of the preparation and deuotion requisite to communicat well Let a man proue him selfe that is to say examine him selfe and if he see him selfe in mortall sinne that he confes him selfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of the chalice For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely in mortall sinne eateth and drinketh iudgement to him selfe that is to say his condemnation not discerninge the body of our Lord. Therefore are there among you many weake and feeble and many sleepe that is to say are in the death of sinne These are the wordes of the Apostle 1. Corinth 11. and so explicated by Theophil Saint Anselme Saint Greg. lib. 2. cap. c. 1. in l. 1. Reg. serm 1. temp Concil Trid. Sess 13. c. 7. Now four thinges are requisite to communicate well 1. Faith 1. Tim. 3. S. Basil quest 172. in reg breu That is to say to beleue the reallitie of the pretious body of Iesus Christ in the holy Sacrament 2. Penance and Confession 3. An attention of soule deuotioÌ„ excited by prayers and meditations Chrisost hom 83. in Mat. 3. ad Ephes 60. 61. ad pop 4. A decent cariage and comportment to be fasting chaste modest humble hauing our face mouth and handes cleane S. Aug. ad Ian. epist. 118. cap. 6. Orig. hom 5. â—n diuers euang locos O what horrible indignitie is it to beleeue that Iesus Christ is in the most holie Sacrament and yet to presume to receiue him hauing thorough mortall sinne the diuell harboured in his soule EXAMPLES 1. A holy Bishop hauing asked of God to know the interior estate of two of his subiects which were reported to be adulterers as they communicated he saw the one of them to haue his face black and his eyes full of blood and the face of the other bright and shining and al his garments as white as snow And not knowing what it ment an Angell tould him that the first was an adulterer and was yet in sinne The other albeit he had likewise committed adulterie yet had he cleansed him selfe by Confession before communion In vitis patrum pag. 2. § 156. The same also Saint Euthymius Abbat saw in some communicants as Surius writeth in his in life Ian. 20. 2. Widekindus Duke of Saxonie being come disguised into the campe of Charlemaigne saw the priest vpon Easter day giue to those that did communicat a very beautifull litle childe who entered into the mouth of some with a face laughing and into others with a countenance frowning and as it were by force Albertus Crautz l. 2. de hist. de Sax. c. 23. 3. A young man in Guienna anno 1600. communicating in mortall sinne had neuer power to open his mouth Wherat the priest amazed asked of him if he were confest who answered with teares no Florimond Reimond tom 1. of the begining of heresie lib. 2. cap. 12. S. Greg. of Tours writeth the like historie lib. de gloria mart c. 89. 4. Kinge Lotharius hauing for a long time kept a concubine came to Rome to Pope Nicholas to be absolued assuring that he had put her from him which notwithstanding he had not done The Pope to proue his saying caused him to communicat with all the Lordes of his trayne A strange case the kinge died within a few daies after at Placentia and within the yeare all the others of his company Sigebert in chron anno 870. 5. At Dulaca a cittie of the Phillippine Islandes a younge man receiuing the B. Sacrament in mortall sinne felt instantly most strange paines thoroughout his body He cast vp the holy Hoste in a priuie and the paine ceased our Lord choosing rather to be in that dirt then within that sinfull soule Within a while after he fell againe to his former sinnes and went notwithstanding vnto the communion and behould he was at the same instant as seased with a fire in his throate he withers and consumes quite away which his parents them selues perceiued well and yet descouered not the cause He communicats againe and behould an infinite number of litle flies which fly to his mouth and gaue him so many prickes with their stinges that at the last he knew him selfe confest him and presently all those litle flies and all his paines departed In the annales of the Societie anno 1605. O the blindnes and obstinacie of the sinner O the admirable patience and benignitie of God! THE IX CHAPTER Of hearing sermons or the word of God BLessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct o Lord and shalt teache out of thy law psal 93. 12. Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes that thou didst suck said a woman vnto our Lord after his sermon yea rather quoth he blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Luc. 11. 28. He saith yet more in another place He that is of God that is to say according to the explication of the holy fathers a he that is predestinat to eternall life he heareth the wordes of God therfore you heare not quoth he to the Iewes because you are not of God Iohn 8. 47. a Aug. tract 42. in Ioan. Greg. hom 12. in euang Ber. ser 1. in Septuag Certainly saith S. Iohn Chrisostome I haue great proofes of your profit and spirituall aduancement to see you euery day to runne with so great promptitude and to be so greedie and desirous to feede and fill your selues with spirituall doctrine For euen as the appetit to corporall meate is an argument of the good constitution of the body euen so the desire of spirituall doctrine is an euident signe of the good constitution and health of the soule Chrisost hom 32. in Gen. The wordes of sermons are called by our Lord the wordes of God because it is God who speaketh by their mouthes He that heareth you heareth me Luc. 10. And Mat. 10. 20. It is not you that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you We giues thankes to God without intermission because that when you had receiued of vs the word of the hearing of God you receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God 1. Thes 2. 12. EXAMPLES 1. S. Ephrem being one day in praier he heard a voice which said vnto him Ephrem eate What shall I eate quoth he and who shall giue me foode Goe to Basil replied the voice he will teache thee and will giue vnto thee the euerlasting bread He arose goes seeke S. Basil and found him preaching in the church Surius 1. of Feb. 2. S. Gregorie of Nice and Metaphrastes write that S. Ephrem saw a Doue to prompt vnto S. Basil all that he preached And Amphilochius addeth that he saw the tongue of S. Basil all on fire 3. An Arrian heretique and a great enimie of our faith was conuerted to the truth for that he perceiued whilst S. Ambrose preached an Angell to dictat into his eare all that
those that are chast and modest They fill them selues as those who remember that they are to pray vnto God in the night They talke together as those that know that God doth heare them After meate they washe their mouth and handes and after discourse turne by turne vpon some point of holy scripture and by this meanes it is one knowes how much they haue drunke They arise from the table not to enter into debates and quarrells not to talke of lasciuiousnes and knauerie but of that which is both honest and modest vt qui non tam caenam coenauerint quam disciplinam as those who had not so much fed of a supper as of discipline so that a man would iudge that they rather came from some lesson then from the table Tertul c. 39. Apologet. O admirable sobrietie of these first Christians from which how far off are we at this present §. 6. Of the virtu of Patience Patience is a virtu wherby we endure voluntarily and with tranquillitie the euils which doe happen to vs sent from God from the diuell or from men as sicknesses losse of goodes of children of parents iniuries sadnesses scruples and other afflictions of spirit and this for the hope we haue of better goodes There are six degrees of patience 1. To receiue the iniurie or the euill without any resistance 2. Not to reuenge it 3. To beare no hatred to the partie from whome the euill doth proceede 4. To loue him 5. To doe good vnto him 6. To pray to God for him All that shall be applied to thee receiue and in sorrow sustaine and in thy humiliation haue patience saith the wiseman for gold and siluer are tried in the fire but acceptable men in the fornace of humiliation And v. 16. Woe be to them that haue lost patience He that is patient is gouerned with much wisdome but he that is impatient exalteth his follie Pro. 14. 29. My sonne cast not away the discipline of our Lord nether doe thou faint when thou art chasticed of him for whom our Lord loueth he chasticeth and as a father in the sonne he pleaseth him selfe Pro. 3. 11. The same doth the Apostle say Heb. 12. 17. and S. Iohn in the Apoc. 3. 19. The most effectuall motiues which one can giue to excite and aduance him selfe to this holy virtu are 1. To consider the patience of God the Creator who giues so many good thinges vnto sinners and indures so gently all their iniuries who maketh his sunne to rise vpon good and bad and rayneth vpon iust and iniust as our Lord saith in S. Mat. 5. 45. Which point Tertullian deduceth elegantly lib. de patientia and S. Cyprian lib. de bono patientiae 2. To consider the patience which our Lord Iesus Christ had during his whole life in whom God as Tertullian speaketh hath placed his spirit with all patience who when he was reuiled did not reuile when he suffered he threatned not not but deliuered him selfe to him that iudged him vniustly 1. Pet. 2. 25. 3. To consider all the Saintes of the old Testament as Abell Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moyses Dauid Tobie Iob what is it they haue no◠endured Now if in that rude worlde before the doctrine and examples of Iesus Christ all these holy Saintes haue bene so patient in their aduersities what ought we to be saith Tertullian in the light of the gospell in the schoole of Iesus Christ in this abundance of grace amongst the infinit examples of the Saintes of the new testament 4. To consider the great vtilities of this virtu 1. It satisfieth for sinnes redeeming by a litle paine the most horrible torments of the other life It is easie to suffer the losse of ten crownes when one knowes that by this meanes one redeemeth the confiscation of then thousand 2. It aideth confirmeth and perfecteth all virtues Esteeme it my bretheren al ioy when you shall fall into diuers tentations saith S. Iames knowing that the probation of your faith worketh patience and let patience haue a perfect worke Iac. 1. 2. 3. It maketh vs also to merit euerlasting life 2. Cor. 4. 17. And our Lord saith Blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are you when they shall reuile you and persecute you and speake all that naught is against you vntruly for my sake be glad and reioyce for your reward is verie great in heauen Mat. 5. 10. EXAMPLES 1. Iob one of the greatest Princes of all the east being spoiled by the deuill of all his goodes afflicted with al sorts of diseases that might befall vnto a man and this thoroughout all the members of his body and for the space of many yeares despiced of all men yea euen assaulted by his owne wife who prouoked him to deny God hauing no other lodging then a dunghil and for all sortes of moueables an ilfauored piece of a broken pot to scrape his soares and to cleanse the filth that issued out of them not withstanding all these afflictions he neuer changed nor lost his courage no not so much as of speeche or of visage but singing cherefully these wordes so full of resignation to the will of God As it hath pleased our Lord so is it done Iob. 1. 22. 2. Tobias falling a sleepe against a wall a Swallow let fall her dunge vpon his eyes which made him blinde at the same instant God permitted this affliction to happen to him saith the holy scripture that an example might be giuen to posteritie of his patiēce as also of holie Iob. For wheras he feared God alwayes from his infancie and kept his commandements he grudged not against God for that the plague of blindnes had chanced to him but continued immoueable in the feare of God giuing thankes to God all the dayes of his life Iob. 2. 12. And after the Angel Raphael had healed him he said vnto him Because thou wast acceptable to God it was necessary that tentation should proue thee Tob. 12. 13. 3. S. Serulus a beggar lying paralitique his whole life at a gate of Rome at eache new accesse of dolor alwaies rendred thankes and praise to almightie God for which cause he deserued at his death to be visited and recreated with the musick of Angells S. Greg. Pope writeth it in his Dialogues l. 4. c. 14. Hom. 15. in Euang. 4. S. Galle daughter to Simachus Consull of Rome being left a widdow in the flower of her age had all her body couered ouer with an infamous scale and the Phisitians assuring her that she should soone die yea that a beard would growe out at her chinne like to a man vnles she married her selfe againe she chose rather to endure both the sicknes and death then to marry againe the second time At last as she drewe by litle and litle vnto her death hauinge one of her breastes all full of soares and that S. Peter appeared vnto her she asked not of him