the Apostle Nubes testiuÌ„ a whole cloude of witnesses suddaynly dissolued into the bloudy rayne of death that vpon the consenting testimony of so many dying men we may belieue and still remember that our life when it is at the best is but vapour Iacob 4. 15. Eccl. c. 7.3 ad modicum parens a shining cloude or vapour which in a trice ere one can thinke is vanished The holy Ghost wisheth vs to resort often vnto the house of Mourning wherein we are warned of the end of all liuing thinges Behold here that holy House of Mourning which ringes of this Warning with so sharpe and shrill a sound as may penetrate into the deafest hart For the Auditors of that sermoÌ„ became Preachers in their death crying vnto all men BE READY FOR GOD IN EVERY PLACE AT EVERY MOMENT who will come when men least think This is ours to morow will be your dying day in this dolefull cry we must breath out our soule that the wholsome souÌ„d thereof MAY NEVER DYE IN YOVRS This accident is a Triall not of your Fayth which being built on the Rocke cannot be shaken with the fall a roome Matt. 16.15 Matt. 5.51 yea the same would stand though Heauen and earth should passe away but of your Charity To loue Protestants that in their noble and courteous disposition pittyed the mischance to loue those worthy Magistrates that being in authority did their endeauour to shew their humanity by their deedes Euen as those foure renowned Magistrats of the Citty of Samaria stood against the immanity of their brethren that would haue tyranized vpon them they had taken of the Tribe of Iuda â— Paral. 28 v. 12. sequent crying vnto them Nequaquam facietis grande enim Peccatum est Quid vultis noua cumulare delicta And hauing freed them out of their handes restored them with all kind of courtesy vnto their friends To loue these I say with inmost affections to shew towardes them all kind of gratefull acknowledgment as farre as you are able both by word and fact you will be as Duty requires most foreward You may rather feare promptnes of Nature heerein will preuent or out-runne Grace and so depriue you of a Reward Matt. 5.48 For as our Sauiour sayth If you loue them that loue you vpon human and no higher behoofes what reward shall you haue But to respect them that insult vpon you to requite bitternes with loue iniuryes with good turnes Rom. 1â— 10 to heape the coales of charity on their heades that cast stones of cruelty at yours This is the patience this is the charity of Saynts in the exercise whereof these our Saynts dyed For the pardoning of iniuries the rooting reuenge out of their hart was the Testament last will they made vpon earth in the sermoÌ„ of that subiect by a publick Notary according to the autheÌ„ticall instrumeÌ„t of Gods word And as they haue left you the heyres of their Fayth so likewise they haue made you the executors of their Will neyther can you do them any greater pleasure then to pray for these their enemyes and yours whom for their part in that their last will they did aforehand eternally pardon Excuse this their zeale with all kind of mild interpretation within your hart Belieue that in many it was but a passion in the heate of bloud wherof perchance since they are abashed do not forget to alleadge vnto God our Sauiours excuse of his crucifiers nesciunt quid faciunt Consider with hope that they may happily repent call to mynd the sweet saying of S. Augustine Lib. 1. de ciuit c. 35. sufficient to banish all bitternes out of heart In inimicis nostris latent conciues futuri adhuc ignoti non solum nobis sed etiam sibi Amongst our now enemyes ly hidden those that shall be our fellow cittizens in Heauen as yet vnknowne not only vnto vs but euen to themselues You heard the seuere senteÌ„ce of Gods iustice agaynst theÌ„ That they shall neuer enter into his righteousnes and shall be blotted out of the booke of life Seeke with teares of sorrow and earnest intreaty to blot out this sentence agaynst them offer vnto God your bloud if need be to be shed by their handes for the inke wherewith to write their names amongst the saued O that there were a Moyses now vpon earth so gracious with God so charitable towardes these men that he might and would effectually say Lord â—â—â—don them 〈◊〉 1â— â—â— or blot me out of the Booke of Life But in your Charity towardes other forget not the perâ—ection of â—our owne conscience for which God permitted this accident to giue you an occasion to increase 〈◊〉 mortification pennance 〈…〉 As holy Iob vpon the newâ—◠〈◊〉 the dolefull death of hiâ— children rent in peeces his 〈…〉 and â—ate in sacke-clâ—â—n and ashes so take you hold of 〈…〉 to cast away from you such needâ—esse vanitye 〈◊〉 â—he choyce of youâ—â—art but the 〈◊〉 of tyme hath put vpon you 〈…〉 Now sayth S. Pete◠〈…〉 that iâ— chasâ—isment and affliction 〈…〉 â—f God so that they that are of his household his seruaÌ„ts his Saynts must nyther themselues mortify â—nd chastiâ—â—â—â—eir desires of worldly content or thâ—â—â— expect punishment restrainâ—â— from Gods heauâ—eâ—â—â—nde If we did iudge our selues sayth S. Paulâ— we shoulâ—â—ot be iudged â—â—d when we are iudged we are chastized of God 〈…〉 〈◊〉 with the world we be not damned For the heauenly Father aâ— he loueth you so is he iealous of you he will 〈◊〉 let you liue without a Crosse to puisâ—e you that your Loue may neuer rest vpon earth but still be flying towardes him and your true country 〈…〉 Which â—atherâ— Prouidence he shewed towards his speciall Saynts Meâ—â—eâ— Samuel as Dauid sayth Propitius suit eis vleiscens in 〈◊〉 affectiones eorum as S. Augustine reade He was â—â—â—â—ull vnto them taking reuenge of their affections vnto life by tâ—â— crosse of contradictious people who made life a torment vntâ—â—hem You haue more need of admonitions in this kind now â—hen before as you stande now in greater danger 〈…〉 his life which some mitigation of troubles had â—â—de lestâ— bitter The safe ariuall of your Hopefull â—oâ—â—â—â—â—â—ed Prâ—nce deliuered from the daungers of sea 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of conâ—ent wherein though you were in 〈…〉 Dutifull and Diuine â—spects yet i◠〈…〉 Nature many tymes hath secretly a part And if heâ—â—â— your mortall flesh ouerdesirous of ease from persecution made you sicke of a Plurisy of Ioy you see the carefull hand of our heauenly Surgeon comes in tyme to let you bloud Finally God permitted this accident to be a presage of your approaching Comfort of the speedy ouerthrow of your hoater Aduersaries Their ouerthrow I meane in their errour and heresy not in the life of their bodyes which we desire may not be shortned but runne out according to the full length of Natures race and Gods holy will You
their Cronicler to saue the credit of their Ghospell make no mention therof Neyther is it without mystery that this fire brake forth from vnder the foote of the Crosse as comming agaynst the enemyes of the signe of the Crosse and to shew Gods anger agaynst them for their contempt of that most holy instrument of our redemption What will they say vnto another Prodigy also set downe in their Annals that vpon the tyme their Religion was begotten by Q Elizabeth and christened in England Iust at the same tyme so many monstruous births happened within two or three moneths as the like is not noted in any of our antiquityes This yeare sayth the sayd M. Stow were many monstruous births In march a mare brought forth a foale with one body and two heades and as it were a long tayle growing betweene the two heades also a Sow farrowed a pig with foure leggs like to the armes of a man-child with handes and fingers c. In April a Sow farrowed a pig with two bodyes eight feete and but one head Many calues and lambes were monstruous some with collars of skins growing about their neckes like to the dubble ruffes of shirts and neckercheffs then vsed On the twentith of May a man-child was borne at Chichester in Sussex the head armes and legges wherof were like an anatomy the breast and belly monstrous bigge from the nauill as it were a longe stringe was hanging about the necke a great collar of flesh and skinne like to the ruffe of a shirt comming vp aboue the eares playting and folding Thus he Was it by chance thinke you that so many monstruous and vgly Births happened thus on a heap togeather with the birth of your Ghospell or rather were they not sent by Gods prouidence to lay before eueÌ„ your carnall eyes the fedity and deformity of your change from the fayth of all your Christian Auncestors I will heere conclude without passing into forrayne countryes only I will intreate our Aduersaries to looke out of England no further then they may almost from thence reach with their corporall sight to wit vnto the Hill on the Sea-shoare neere vnto Deepe There the ruines of one of their Temples are yet to be seen which fell vpon their reformed Puritan Auditory at the tyme of the Preach wherwith foure hundred with the Minister were oppressed The cause of this ouerthrow was not vulgar and ordinary as in our case but a strange and terrible whirle-winde raysed and sent by Gods speciall prouidence to punish them The remembrance of this whirlwind and wofull accident will happily take from them their insulting spirit or at least so blow away their vayne and friuolous clamors that this accident was Gods vengeance vpon vs for our ReligioÌ„ as they will not be heard with esteeme by any man of iudgment The death of the Catholike Preacher of this Sermon compared with the death of Caluin and Zuinglius BVt they thinke we shall not find amongst their Ministers any that was stroken with so suddayne and disastrous a death as the Iesuite Preacher of this SermoÌ„ was This shews how ignoraÌ„t they are of their owne Church and how like the Lamiae of whome Plutarch writes that being at home they pull their eyes out of their head Luther tom 7. WitteÌ„b fol. 230. a. post medium Conradus Schlusselburg in Theolog. Caluin l. 2. fol. 72. and locke them vp in coffers and they only vse them when they are disposed to goe abroad to visit their Neighbours Doth not Luther write that their great Grand-sire Oecolampadius was killed in his bedde shaken with horrible frights the Diuell appearing to him and this in punishment of his errour agaynst the Sacrament Doth not a famous Protestant Super-intendent giue this testimony of the death of the Puritans Dad Iohn Caluin God sayth he in the rod of his fury punished Caluin before the dreadfull houre of his vnhappy death with his mighty hand For being in despayre and calling vpon the Diuell he gaue vp his wicked soule swearing cursing blaspheming He dyed on the disease of lice and wormes increasing in a most loath-some vlcer about his priuy partes so as none present could endure the stench These be the wordes of that Protestant But because this happend within the walls of Geneua and in Caluins priuy Chamber we cannot haue such proofe therof but Puritans will outface both Protestants and vs. Wherfore we will bringe them out of the walls of Geneua into the open field out of Caluins closet into the sight of heauen and earth Iuell defence of the Apology pag. 6â—6 Osiander in Epitom hist Eccl. Cent. 16. pag. 203. Gualt Apol. fol. 30. a. prope finem obijt in bello Zuinglius Armatus obijt vnto a spectacle wherof two whole armyes were witnesses Behold Hulderick Zuinglius whom they honour as a Prophet ioyned in commission with Luther to preach the eternall Ghospell as an excellent man sent of God to giue light vnto the whole world in the midst of darknes wheÌ„ truth was vnknowne and vnheard off This Minister or rather Patriarke of the Ministry as themselues confesse hauing sought by famine to oppresse fiue Catholicke townes and force them by want of victuals to consent vnto his doctrine when they stood in their defence came armed into the field where hauing first embrued his sword in much Christian bloud himselfe togeather with fiue other Militant Ministers was slayne in the battayle I desire the Christian to compare togeather these two deaths the one of Robert Drury that dyed preaching by this last accident The other of the Reformitan Zuinglius which I haue set downe out of their owne recordes This done then in the sight of that God that hateth iniquity and loueth charity let him define which of the two deaths be iudgeth most Christian and happy or with which of the two Preachers he would rather wish his soule Lutherani apud GualteruÌ„ in Apol. fol. 8. a initio Gladium à Christo prohibituÌ„ corripuit Gladius Spiritus quod est verbum Dei Eph. 4.26 Zuinglius the Patriarke of Puritans Ministers dyed as he was pransing on his warlike palfrey with his pistoll at his side and launce in his hande This Father of the Society of Iesus sitting in a chayre the seate and ensigne of Apostolicall authority to preach clothed with such Priestly ornaments as the Church doth prescribe for the more decent performance of that office The one with a sworde in his hand stretching forth his arme to spill ChristiaÌ„ bloud the other with the sword of Gods holy truth in his mouth the enemy only of sinne and vice spreading abroad his armes to gather into the bosome of God and his Church soules redeemed with Christ his most precious bloud The one exhorting both by word and example his armed auditory Noui exquisitissimi facinoris fax auctor Osiand vbi supra to reuenge to murder to massacre The other * His text was serue
this Holy Hoste in which the Emperour was in person with other great Princes of Europe And the Saint wrought many miracles as the healing of diuers that had byn borne blind and lame to shew it was Gods will they should goe They went they were dispersed they were killed they dyed of Famine very few returned backe into their countryes A most sad accideÌ„t and so dreadfull as it filled all Europe with lamentations and teares Why was this done Gods holy purpose heerin was that men by that leauing their friends and country by the pious labour of the iourney Vide ep Bern. 333. by that offering their liues vnto danger for Christian Religion being cleansed and hauing satisfied for their sinnes might in the seruour of their pennance happily dy be eternally saued Some holy meÌ„ that liued in that Age Ioâ—annes Abbas Casaemarij had reuelations wherin whilest the whole Christian world was drowned in sorrow for the dishonour and death of their friendes they saw the Angels exult in heauen and heard them reioyce singe because many of their seates made voyd by the fall of their fellowes were filled agayne with the saued soules of them that dyed in that voyage O how contrary vnto the iudgments of flesh bloud are the courses of God! who to worke the saluation of soules little regards yea laughes at the temporall disgrace ouerthrow and slaughter of a thousand of armyes and no wonder seing in this case he spared not the bloud of his only Sonne What can Christian Piety thinke better of Gods infinite goodnes but that he ordayned this meeting for the saluation and entrance into heauen of many soules at once seing they were afore hand so Religiously prepared for death For that day the most of them were purified by the Sacrament of the Church and all of them afterward sanctified by the preaching of Gods holy Word and the doctrine of Charity which hydeth the multitude of sinnes Prouerb 10.12 1. Pet. 4.8 Isa 6.3 Why then may we not thinke that as their bodyes by the weight of nature fell to the ground so their soules with the Seraphicall winges of Charity which the Sermon gaue them tooke their flight togeather at the same tyme into the bosome of God Illuminatos oculos cordis Eph. 1.18 They that haue the eyes of their Fayth more quicke then their sight of flesh and bloud will easily belieue there was not greater weeping amongst their friendes on earth for their bodyes then was reioycing among the Angels in Heauen for their soules 〈◊〉 the saying of S. Hierome be true and what more true being taken from the mouth of Verity it selfe Hier. ep ad Heliod Luc. 12.37 Beatiserâ—â— quos cum venerit Dominus inuenerit vigilaÌ„tes Happy the â—an whom the LAST HOVRE findes imployed in the Diuine â—eruice Then were these men most happy whom the LAST HOVRE yea moment of life found in the … blest act of the Diuine seruice hearing his holy Word â—ith great content and deuotion of soule As for Protestants that were present it is likely there were few such in hart yet it there were any we may … pe yea we need not doubt of Gods mercy towardes … hem in that moment He endued their harts with the … ght of true Fayth with sorrow for their sinnes with … uall or at least virtuall desire of the Sacraments of the Church and so they found by happy experience the … th of that Diuine promise Isa 45. 1â— Ezec. 18.21 1. Pet. 3. Matth. 24.37 Hier. in qq Hebr. Bellar. l. 4 de Christ c. 11. In whatsoeuer houre the sinner … ene vnto me I will not remember any of his sinnes If many that â—â—â— been incredulous in the dayes of Noe feasting and banquetting i … derision of the Deluge he threatned to come vpon them … en they saw themselues inclosed with inundations of water cryed vnto God and God as soone as they cryed 〈◊〉 pardon sent vpon them the Spirit of his grace heard 〈◊〉 grones and sighs of their pennance notwithstanding 〈◊〉 hydeous roaring of waues may we not with more … son hope of the conuersion of these that came spontaâ—â—ously to this Sermon They were taken not feasting … d banquetting but in an exercise of piety not as they … e deriding but as they were diligent in hearing Gods … y Word and as they were by the power therof mol … ied togeather with others to sorrow for their sinnes Could the cracke of the chaÌ„ber in the fall so drown their grones as they passed not into the eare of Gods mercy Could the dust rubbish so hide their lifting vp of harts and handes for pardon as not to be perceaued by the eye of his goodnes Can we thinke that God that loueth soules brought these men desirous of sauing truth to a Sermon where the same was preached Sap. 11.17 to dye in the very preaching therof but that they should be saued He prouided them a Preacher to sound the word of Saluation to their care shall we thinke his spirit was waÌ„ting to print the same in their hart A Sparow though not worth a farthing falles not to the ground without the heauenly Father Matth. 10.27 and could men desirous of sauing truth for whome Christ dyed fall with the sound therof in their eare without the Heauenly Father working in their soules No no Surely it was for their eternall happines that he conducted them where they should be so Religlously occupyed so deuoutly disposed Eue. 13.30 so penitently affected in that moment on which eternity dependes Comming with the last they were rewarded with the first and they haue proued with the holy Prophet Psal 83.11 that it is a better choyce Abiectus esse in domo Domini quà m habitare in tabernaculis peccatorum To be abiected or cast downe to the ground in the house of God theÌ„ to liue in the Tabernacle of sinners Now to returne vnto the Catholikes slayne some may obiect that they dyed suddainly wheÌ„ they did not think I answere that suddaynes of death is a fauour in them that are prepared as these were In this their death coÌ„curred what is good and to be wished in each kind eyther of suddaine or expected death The good of suddaynes is to be quit of the terrour of expectation of death which many times is more terrible then death it selfe â— longè grauior expectata quà m illata mors Hier. in vita Malchi They that expect death as imminent their good is to be prepared by harty coÌ„trition of sinnes agaynst it the want wherof is the only thing feared in them that are suddainly taken away Now behold the happines of these men they wanted the terrour of the expectation of death but not the piety of preparation for death through the suddaines of the accident wherby they dyed the weakenes of Nature had scarse any time to feele the terrour of death through the
A vvord of Comfort OR A DISCOVRSE CONCERNING The late lamentable Accident of the fall of a roome at a CATHOLIKE Sermon in the Black-friars at London wherwith about fourscore persons were oppressed WRITTEN For the Comfort of Catholiks and Information of Protestants By I. R. P. Printed Anno M.DC.XXIII TO THE READER LET the duty of weeping for the Dead Tempus flendi Eccl. 3.6 in this late dismall Accident so rufull to flesh and blood which from our hartes both common Humanity and priuate Friendship enforce Tempus loquendi giue place vnto the duty of writing in the behalfe of the liuing which at our handes both Christian Charity and Priestly obligation exact Let Nature which at this present makes me more willing to wett my paper with teares then with inke Ipsi pene viuendi vsui cessationem hoc tempus indicit neduÌ„ studijs l. 2. de Consid Cap. 4. 31. Cap. 9. 1. and as S. Bernard sayth of himselfe in a like dolefull disaster weary not only of studying but euen almost of liuing that in lieu of penning discourses of erudition and learning I could much rather powre forth vntaught sighs in the language of Ieremy his Threnes Defecit anima mea propter Inteâ—fectos My soule is gone from me in sorrow of them that are slayne and Quis dabit capiti meo aquam oculis meis flumina lachrimarum plorabo die ac nocte Interfectos filiae populi mei Who will giue me water vnto my head and fluds of teares vnto mine eyes that I may be wayle day and night the Slayne of my Country Let I say this weake inclination of Nature yeeld vnto Gods holy will and vnto the motion of heauenly Grace concurring with Obedience to preferre before priuate sorrow for friendes the publicke defence of our Catholike Cause seeing ignorant zeale is ready vpon any the least occasion to disgrace it Let mourning for corporall Death which the Holy Ghost confines within the compasse of seauen dayes Eccl. 22. v. â—â— Luctus mortui septem dies especially for them whose soules as we with reason hope do raigne in glory be changed into mourning for blind Ignorance and Impiety which the same Holy Spirit will haue commeasured vnto the length of their life luctus fatui impij omnes dies vitae eorum to wit so long as there is hope by teares of instruction to reclayme them This Duty is necessary for foure ends and vndertaken for the satisfaction of foure sortes of persons First to refute their folly who with this darke mist of Gods vnsearchable Counsels seeke to obscure the cleare light of his reuealed Doctrine shyning in the Catholike Church Secondly to still their teares who thinke they cannot weepe inough for their Friendes not so much at their death as at their being taken away by so strange and dreadfull a mischance Thirdly to allay the wondering of them that secretly may complayne of the seuerity of Gods iudgments that in these circumstances he would not spare his owne People not spare his owne Name Fourthly to somewhat asswage their sorrow who grieue not for temporall respects Psal 41.3 but their teares are to them bread day and night to see Gods Enemyes insult vpon his Church to say vnto her where is thy God Which foure kinds of persons styrred vp and troubled with different affections by one and the same commiserable mishappe we shall endeauour to quiet by foure kind of Arguments by Testimonies of holy Scripture by Examples of former Christian tymes by comparison with some more prodigious euents vnto our Aduersaries finally by shewing Gods ends in the permission of this Accident of which we may make our Profit CHAP. I. Comfort from the holy Scriptures THere is not any greater affliction vnto Gods seruants in this life nor any more sharpe corrasiue vnto their hart then the happening of strange dreadfull mischances that carry a shew of his anger agaynst their Religion wherby the enemies therof harden their soules as stone agaynst it And Gods Omnipotent Wisdome as he resolued for reasons best known to himselfe to deuide indifferently amongst the good bad these terrible casualityes of mortall life So likewise in his Mercy Cui vanitati intimandae totum illuÌ„ librum vir Sapientissimus deputauit Aug. l 10. de Ciuit. c. 3. The Preacher c. 8. 14. he would haue his seruants warned heerof abundantly by his holy Word For not only euery Booke of the diuine Scriptures be full of documents agaynst this discomfort but also as S. Augustine noteth one whole booke of that heauenly learning to wit that of Ecclesiastes beginning Vanity of Vanities and all things vanity is entyrely spent in the prosecution of this argumeÌ„t That there is this Vanity vpon earth that there be iust men vnto whome it happeneth according to the worke of the wicked agayne there be wicked men vnto whome things happen as if they were iust that so sayth the same Father Men might loue the life that hath not Vanity vnder the sunne but verity vnder him that made the sunne Out of which booke I will alleadge only one sentence but the same so full and so fit for our purpose Cap. 9. initio as it may seeme written a purpose by the spirit of PrescieÌ„ce to be vsed in this occasion This is the worst of all things vnder the sunne that the same things happen alike vnto all to the iust and to the wicked to the good and to the bad to the cleane and to the vncleane to them that sacrifice and to them that contemne Sacrifice to them that sweare the Truth and to them that are forsworne Hence the hearts of the sonnes of men are filled with malice contempt in their life tyme and afterward shall be carried vnto Hell To these wordes of the Holy Ghost what can be added as more cleare in proofe of our Argument what may be spoken more complete proper and pithy for our comfort in this accident Heere by Gods holy Word we are informed that such is his prouidence in this life that an house or roome may fall no lesse vpon the Iust as they are hearing his heauenly Doctrine then vpon the Wicked as they are blaspheming his blessed Name No lesse vpon the Good that are weeping for pardon and remission of their sinnes then vpon the Badde that feast and banquet riot and reioyce in their sinnes No lesse vpon the Cleane that by humble Confession and penall Satisfaction purify their soules Psal 6.26.2 then vpon the vncleane whose wayes are at all tymes impure the iudgments of God by the doctrine of only Faith being taken away from before their eyes No lesse vpon them that offer the Christian vnbloody Sacrifice of the immaculate Lambe then vpon theÌ„ that contemne this holy Sacrifice would rather massacre the Priests that coÌ„secrate the same Finally no lesse vpon them that sweare the Truth that that doctrine is Christian which from the mouth of Christ
what cause of sorow you haue which he had not in greater measure what solace had Iob that you want That his Children so suddainly slayne were of holy life Lib. 1. in Iob. The same you may presume of these your Friendes and take the wordes of Origen as agreeing equally vnto them both They were simple and sincere of hart chast and pure in soule of vnspotted conscience beloued of God deare to his Angels for their innocency full of brotherly charity one towards another not any did or could speake of them an euill word That they had byn sanctified not long before by the sacrifices then in vse These also on the very same day were expiated by the Christian Sacraments by a sacrifice of a farre greater force yea of infinite price De sanctitate secuÌ„ loquentes cum sororibus c. That they died holily in an action of brotherly charity and loue In a farre more holy action and exercise of piety were these taken away that what Origen sayth of theÌ„ is much more certayne of these They were taken as they were discoursing of Piety and Sanctity among themselues honouring God in their hartes praysing him as their Creatour adoring him as their Benefactour giuing him thankes as vnto their Foster-father Filij sancti sanctissimi Patris As little Innocents sit and stand play and sport togeather without any malice or vncleanes in minde so were these holy Children of their most holy Father when the blow came vpon them On the other side what cause haue you of afflictioÌ„ that did not presse more heauily vpon the fatherly hart of holy Iob You haue lost them that were deare vnto you but not more deare then was vnto him his whole family of children A stroake sayth Origen whereof none can coÌ„prehend the dolefulnes but such as know by experieÌ„ce what is the loue of a Father though the sole imaginatioÌ„ therof may moue any mans hart vnto teares of compassion He lost his Sonnes whom he had nourished to whom he had giuen best education Orig. l. 1. in Iob. that now were come to ripe yeares His Sons whom he had brought vp in piety seasoned with the feare and worshippe of God settled in charity and mutuall loue made in all kind of sanctity like to himself His Sonnes whose yssue he did desire to see whose posterity he did so earnestly expect from whom in his old age he did hope for comfort These Sonnes and not they only but also his Daughters so chast so pure so religious immaculate without blemish on whose heades on the day of their mariage he did intend to set garlands of ioy All these perished togeather at once and togeather with them spes quanta nepotum all his ioyfull hopes of glorious ofspring The death of your Friendes was dreadfull horrible wherof the very remembrance is execrable how much more the sight Not more rufull terrible then the death of the holy Children of this blessed Patriarke which Origen describes in these wordes Orig. vbi supra They dyed not an ordinary but a most lamentable death they were most miserably slayne Their bodyes were torne in peeces with stones bruysed with the weight of beames couered and defiled with dust lime and rubbish Mamocks of their torne flesh togeather with peeces of their broken bones their braynes their bowells their bloud the brothers with their sisters the sisters with their brothers lay mingled with clay morter and stone in one inseparable masse For the Diuell left nothing of them entyre not their sculls not their bowels not their stomackes not their armes not their handes not their leggs not their feete in summe not any part of their body A rufull spectacle a wofull sight yea rather no spectacle no fight at all For nothing was to be seen nothing that could be known flesh and bones stones and timber clay and morter bloud and wine lay so confusedly togeather in one heape Neyther the maisters from the seruants nor the brothers from the sisters nor his children among themselues were discernable the one from the other eyther by their faces or by their persons Thus dyed the holy innocent Children of Iob whose death yet was deare and precious in Gods sight that we might not iudge of the sanctity of mens liues by the hydeous â—hew of their deaths But Iob his Religion you will say was not reproached in regard of this accident Yes and perchance much more then the Catholike now is in respect of this late Euent For I am perswaded that all moderate Protestants behold this mischance with the eye of pitty as a misery indifferently incident vnto mankind not with eyes of disdayne as an argument of iust contempt of the ReligioÌ„ of them that stood obnoxious therunto Neyther do I thinke that they vnto whome indiscreet auersion from euery thing of our Church hath giuen the name of Pure do presse this fall as a iust reason to fall from our Religion except they be so voyd of discretion and vnwise as to make the truth of GODS Word which will not fayle though heauen earth passe away to depend on the staÌ„ding or falling of an house If some whom the temporalities they haue gotten by the banishment of our ReligioÌ„ engage and late vayne and idle feares of loosing what they haue gotten enrage against the Roman Church if these men I say by their declamations in pulpit incense the rude vulgar multitude to take this occasion to insult vpon our Religion Beato Iob insultabaÌ„t Reges Tob. 2.15 they do no more vnto vs then was also done vnto the most holy Iob in his distresse by the Ministers of Satan For who knowes not how he was assaulted and iusulted vpon by them that vpon the newes of his mishapp came to comfort him Orig. l. 1. in Iob. but the Diuell changed their hartes into bitternes agaynst him filled their mouths with blasphemyes and iniurious wordes So that in place of consolatioÌ„ they fell to reproach his Religion vrging the sayd mischance to condemne his sincerity of diuine seruice true practise of piety Wherfore as you are the consorts of holy Iob in your triall so be like vnto him in your trust and confidence in God and from his goodnes expect in deuout silence the like reward of your constancy not only a crowne of patience in the next world but also increase of temporall comfort in the present CHAP. II. Comfort by the Examples of former Christian tymes THe comfort of holy Scripture is seconded by the practise of Gods Prouidence in the Christian Church QuaecuÌ„que sunt carnis incoÌ„moda SaÌ„ctis sunt cum ceteris sine exceptione communia Cyp. ser de mortal which hath been still subiect vnto the dreadfull mischances of mortality no lesse then other men wherby both Pagans and Heretikes haue byn moued to insult vpon the Catholike Christians as I shall demonstrate by diuers Examples of the first six hundred yeares during which tyme most
only the Nouatian Church or meeting place for prayer escaped the houses roūd about being al in a flame Which they did attribute vnto the prayers of their Bishop who was then praying in their Church and in memory of that supposed miracle did early keep a solemne feast and yet after their triumps insultatiōs agaynst Catholike their sect vanished away within short time after there was scarse any memory therof which wil be also the end of these torrēts of errour that novv swell with waters and keep a noyse in the world How great was the ioy of the Pagans when at the time of the banishment of S. Chrysostome the Church of Constantinople being cōsumed with casuall or with procured or as other rather thinke miraculous fire togeather with the Emperours pallace house of the Senate all Christian monuments were wasted and consumed and in particular the Statua's of Constantine and Theodosius the great the two Christian Emperours whom Idolatry did most detest yet two images or Idols the one of Iupiter and the other of Minerua were found in the confused masse of ashes vntoucht Infidels did interprete this prodigy that the Gods had not forsaken the Empire but would agayne returne Which foolish conceyte of cōfort was but a lightening before death seing presently the Gothes preuayling togeather with their entrance Paganisme was wholly vtterly extinct not any practise therof being left in the Empire I will conclude with one more Example of the diuine prouidence in afflicting his seruants the Orthodoxe Christians in such sort that in the iudgment of men and Heresy he might seeme to mislike their Religiō The citty of Antioch being by situation of the place subiect to earth-quakes was free and quiet from such mischances in the gouernment of three Eutychian Emperours Zeno Basiliscus and Anastasius for the space of threescore and seauen yeares Heresy reioycing and florishing therein Euagrius l. 4. c. 5. Iustine the most Catholike Prince succeeding them in the Empire the Catholiks of Antioch were exceedingly cōforted to see their long persecution now at end For Seuerus the Eutichian and head of the Acephali being expeld a Catholike Patriarke was ordayned in his place chosen by the Pope and the Emperour Ammian l. 3. c. 6. with exact care to giue the afflicted Antiochians the best they could find The Catholiks being full of content in respect of this change and peace after so long molestations God in his secret iudgments would alay their wine with water their ioyes with sorow For their Bishop being come behold a suddan earth-quake surpriseth the citty at dinner tyme as they were at meate And a whirle-wind rysing vnfortunatly at that very instant blew the fire and flame of the kitchins then burning according to the tyme of the day vpon the buildings that were shaken by the earth-quake So the commiserable citty set vpon by a double mischiefe and enemy togeather at once was destroyed with the most of her inhabitants amongst them was her Catholike and holy Bishop Euphrasius who his head being first stroken off by the fall of a pillar was buried in a sepulcher of fire to the excessiue ioy of the Eutychians and Seuerus their ring-leader but to the great lamentation of Catholiks specially of the good Emperour Paulus Diaconus in Miscell l. 15. For vpon newes heerof he put off his Diademe and purple vested himselfe in sacke-cloth sate solitary many weekes togeather weeping in silence not admitting of any mirth though the dayes were solemne and festiuall vpō which his custome was to goe with great pompe and splendour vnto the Church Where also we may note that the ioy the Eutychians tooke in this mischance was but the dancing of death seeing presently heereupon they were so rooted out that in the hystories of the next succeeding Age there is no memory of them As Catholiks haue cause of comfort in these Examples to see things succeed with them as they did with the orthodoxe Christians and Saints of God in former ages so likewise our Censurers that making themselues of Gods Priuy Counsell giue out their Writs agaynst vs may tremble to see themselues hardened in malice as former Heretiks were and to feele the same lightenings of death as they did And for conclusion of this Chapter I will agayne repeate the wordes of the Holy Ghost wherwith I beganne in which Catholiks may receaue comfort our insulting Aduersaries may heare their doome from Gods owne mouth This is the worst of all vnder the sunne that the same things happen alike vnto all to the good and to the impious Hence the hartes of the sonnes of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lyfe-time and afterward they shal be carryed into Hell CHAP. III. Comfort by comparison with our Aduersaryes and Gods cleere Iudgments agaynst them BEfore I beginne to discourse of this Argument I must heere meete with an Obiection which I know will be made agaynst what hath byn sayd to wit If mischances happen alyke to the good and to the bad to the Christian and to the Infidell to the Catholike and to the Heretike Why doth Cardinall Bellarmine make Temporall felicity a Marke De Eccles l. 2. c. 20. wherby to discerne the true Christian Church I answere that without all doubt there is a kind of Temporall felicity proper vnto the true Church according to the prediction of the Prophets that haue spoken so much of the Tēporall glory and happines therof This felicity though the same be mingled with many priuate mischances is apparant and may be discerned from the felicity of prophane worldlings by three notes by the Authour by the End by the Effect therof The Authour of this felicity is God not working according to the ordinary course of things but by miracle sending the same downe from heauen And therfore it is tearmed by Bellarmine Diuinitùs data Lib. 5 de ciuit c. 46. especially giuen of God and by S. Augustine A Deo euidentissima largitate concessa comming apparently from the speciall bounty of God This felicity God vseth to grant when the same is necessary for the defence of true Religion agaynst Infidelity and Heresy and it appeared manifestly in the victories obtayned by Constantine the Great by Theodosius the great by Honorius his Sonne by Charles also the great Neyther hath the like speciall prouidence and supernaturall assistance been wanting or lesse apparant in sundry battayles fought in this age betwixt Catholiks and Heretikes For though God permit strange accidents sometymes which tend to particular triall of his seruants yet misfortunes and miraculous ouerthrowes dismall vnfortunate deaths fall more frequently vpō his enemies as might be proued by examples ten for one if need so required Lib. 5. de ciuit c. 18. God sayth S. Augustine that men might not thinke that the prosperity of this life were not to be gotten but by seruing the Diuell adorned the two most Christian Emperours Constantine and Theodosius with all
nequam omne debitum dimisi tibi c. Superbia crudelitate impulsus Osiand Epitom hist fol. 30 Qui manet in charitate in Deo manet 1. Io. 4.16 Qui non diligit manet in morre 1. Io. 3.15 Valerius Max. l. 4. c. 4. Daniel 12. ◠for that was the subiect his sermon preching the Precept of charity perswading his deuout Auditours to loue their enemyes to forgiue iniuryes to roote reuenge and rancour cleane out of their hart From the eyes of one sparkled fire of anger and Martiall fury not to be quenched but with the bloud of his enemyes From the eyes of the other sprunge teares of Deuotion and Piety which by Sympathy caused waters of Contrition in the harts of his hearers which flowing out at their eyes might serue as a second Baptisme to wash their soules pure in that moment of dissolution and death Is there any man so voyd of Christianity that will not preferre this death in charity and therfore in God before that death of hatred and reuenge and therfore a death not of body only but euen of soule Oh that the Spirit of God with the gale of his aspiring Grace would driue away the cloudes of human sorrow that ouer-whelme the harts of flesh and bloud that pure Christian Fayth shining in her proper brightnes might giue sentence of the quality of this accident Then we would not soe much pitty as enuy such happy passages out of this life nor tearme them disastrous but rather if I may so speake Astruous deaths For that I may apply the wordes of a prophane Authour vnto a true subiect Non ita homines ex spirant sed Astra sedes suas repetunt These be deaths by which men fall not to the ground but STARRES returne vnto their heauenly home those starres I meane wherof Daniel sayth They that informe men vnto righteousnes shall shine as STARRES in the firmament for all eternity Certainly his body fell not so fast to the ground but his soule flew vp as fast vnto heauen like the Doue into Noe his Arke with the branch of Oliue the Word of Peace and Charity in mouth King Euander in the vntimely death of his only sonne tooke comfort to consider he dyed in a glorious enterprize of human friendship in the conducting of his exiled friends into theit promised Country of rest professing that he would euer ioy in the memory of that heroicall death Ducentem in Latium Teucros cecidisse iuuabit What greater or more glorious endeauour of Diuine Charity then to guide soules made to Gods image into the felicity of their cecestiall Country that is the blissefull vision of the face of their Creatour Seing it was Gods holy pleasure to take them out of the world whose longer liues in our iudgment would haue byn beneficiall vnto his Church though we cannot but feele their immature death yet we cannot also but ioy in this happy circumstance therof that they dyed in the exercise of the highest act of Christian Mercy that their last breath was in calling men vnto God most blessedly spent that the sweat of death they felt was no other but the sweat of burning charity towardes God and man Ducentem ad caelos animas cecidisse iuuabit Here we may with reason take into our mouth King Dauid his funerall songe in prayse of Abner As the slouthfull vse to dy thou didst not dye O Abner 2. Reg. 2.3 not groning breathing forth thy soule and spirit in bed but thundering and breathing forth Gods holy Word and spirit in pulpit Thyne handes were not bound but still mouing in charitable deedes so long as they had motion of life Thy feete were not put into fetters but free and that of them particularly the Prophet may seeme to haue spoken Isa 52.7 How beautifull are the feete of him that doth preach Peace that doth denounce the best things For what thing better then charity loue as men fall before the sonnes of iniquity so thou fallest a Martyr in the sight of God his Angels though the persecutor appeared not in the sight of men What shall I say more I will conclude with the words of our Sauiour Matth. 24.45 so proper to set forth the happines of this death as I shall not need to adde so much as a word by way of application Who is the faythfull and prudent seruant whom his Lord hath put ouer his family to giue them MEATE in tyme Non in pane sed in VERBO Blessed that seruant whom his Master coming shall finde SO DOING Verily I say vnto you he will place him ouer all his goodes Protestants that were present at this Sermon defended SOme vrge this accident as a iudgment of Gods vengeance not so much agaynst Catholikes as agaynst Protestants that hauing preachers of their owne would resort vnto this Catholike Sermon whom I will refell briefly not by way of Rhetoricall discourse but by way of Syllogisme prouing by their owne principles these fower ensuing propositions vnanswerably The first Proposition Protestants by the Law of God may heare Catholike Sermons THis is proued Because Protestants may heare the Ministers of Gods holy Worde that haue Diuine Order Diuine calling Diuine Commission to preach it For whom may they heare if they may not heare them whom God appoynts But the Priests of the Roman Church haue Diuine Order Diuine Calling Diuine Cōmission to preach Gods holy Word as now Protestants euē Luther did who sayth The Papists haue the TRVE office of Preaching In Papatu est VERVM prudicandi officiū Luth. cōt Anabapt Mason his booke of this argument acknowledge with full consent yea they pretend and contend to haue a Diuine Order Calling and Commission to preach and administer Sacramēts by the Tradition of our Church from handes of Catholike Bishops originally from the Pope Therfore Protestants by the law of God may heare the Sermons of Catholike Priests at the least with the same prouiso wherwith they heare their own to approue what they find to agree with Scripture and reproue what they find preached agaynst it The second Proposition Protestants should rather heare Catholike Sermons then Puritan THis is proued Because wisedome teacheth that in doubtfull Questions we choose the surest side specially in affayres that concerne the euerlasting saluation of our soules Wherfore in this question whether Catholik or Puritā Preachers are to be heard we must rather choose the certainest part But that Catholike Priests are the Ministers of God endued with Diuine Order and authority to preach his Word and consequently the Men who by Diuine Ordination are to be heard is most sure and certayne because all agree therin in so much as Protestāts as I sayd chaleng their Orders from the Roman that if the Roman ordination be not currant M. Bridges defence of the Gouern pag. 1276. much lesse can theirs be currant as sayth the Protestant Bishop of Oxford If the Roman Priests be not Ministers then
sanctity of the action wherin they dyed the power of grace had the fittest commodity to make them feele contrition of their sinnes The expectation of death was layd before their eyes not by the violence of sicknes but by the verity of Gods Word which caused in theÌ„ not sadnes 2. Cor. 7.10 according to the world but sadnes according to God which as the Apostle sayth worketh pennance with assured saluation Hence their purposes to leaue sinne were as harty as in the sad expectation of present death and their purposes to doe good workes as absolute as in the prudent expectation of long life They then resolued to liue better then the custome of other men Rapti suÌ„t ne malitia mutaret mentem Sap. 4. 11. when they thought as they might they should liue aswell as other men but they were straight taken away and not put to the triall wherein they might haue fayled aswell as other men In them that looke to dye griefe for sinne is stronge but commonly stayned with some seruility of feare in them that thinke to liue though griefe for sinne may be pure yet commonly it is so weake as it doth not conquer the ensuing temptations of sinne The death of these was hidden and sudden hidden from their eyes of flesh that feare might not stayne the purity of their pennance sudden comming in the very instant that tyme might not weaken the constancy of their purposes But some agayne will say their death was dreadfull their bodyes bruyzed their faces disfigured they were not knowne of their friendes Let S. Augustine answere l. 1. de ciu c. 6. Seing sayth he Christians belieue the death of Lazarus among doggs licking his sores more happy then the death of Diues in purple and fine linnen they that lead holy liues Quid illis horrenda genera mortium obfueruÌ„t qui bene vixerunt 1. Reg. 6. v. 24. 2. Reg. 6.6 7. what are they worse in that they dyed terrible deaths God will haue his children feare any the least sinne more then any the dreadfullest death and therfore sometymes he doth punish small offences with horrible slaughters The Bethsamites in the midst of their pious ioy for the returne of the Arke were slayne by fifty thousands only for a curious looke Oza that put his hand to saue the Arke from falling was strucken dead because he did it in lesse reuerent manner In the Bookes of Kings is recorded the death of an holy Prophet presently vpon his working a most strange miracle â— Reg. 13. 24. Greg. l. 3. ep 10 â— killed by a Lion for a sinne of meere ignorance S. Gregory writes of many holy Monkes and Religious Officers that digged out of deuotion for the greater ornameÌ„t of the place about the tombe of S. Laurence because though by chaÌ„ce and agaynst their will they opened his Shrine and saw his body fell presently sicke and dyed all within ten dayes after Viâ—ae Patr. Herebert 〈…〉 libell 〈…〉 In vitis Patrum we read of a godly man going â—o visit an Ermite his friend As he passed in the streete he saw the body of a great rich maÌ„ famous for wickednes that had dyed a still death in bed carryed with great honour vnto his Sepulture When he came to the wildernes he found the Ermite that had lead an holy and austere life deuoured of wild beasts Astonished therat with many teares he besought of God he might know the reason of this proceeding and God thought good for our instruction in like euents to reueale him the mystery by his Angel The richman amongst many enormous crimes had done some smaller good deedes These were rewarded with peaceble death honourable exequyes whilest his soule for the other burned in fire inextinguishable The Eâ—mite with his many dayly excellent workes had mingled some lesser offences which were expiated by that horrible death that his soule might goe preseÌ„tly to enioy his Crowne Can the world discerne any difference of vnhappines betwixt the death of our King Edmund the Martyr and the death of our King Richard the Tyrant They both were defeated in field both killed and couered with an heape of slaughter the dead bodyes of them both came into the power of their enemyes to be scorned Compare the death of King Lewis the Saynt with the death of King Antiochus the wicked no dissimilitude appeares in outward shew Both dyed in a strange country both after a shamefull repulse both stroken with a lothsome pestilent vlcer And yet these deaths such paralells in the aye of flesh and bloud did differ no lesse then Heauen Hell in the sight of God and his Angels Man iudgeth accoâ—ding to the face God looketh into the hart 1. Reg. 10. 7. It is fedity of soule not deformity of body that makes God say vnto some I know you not It little importes the dead that their bodyes be knowne of their friends who when they know them will but lay them vnder earth to be the food of wormes Matt. 25 1â— That which importes theÌ„ is that their soules be knowne of the Angels that going out of their bodyes Luc. 10. â— 22. they may be carâ—â—â—d by them into the bosome of Abraham and into the euerlasting â—â—â—â—rnacles And yet I dare say their bodyes were not so disfiguâ—â—d as they may compare in deformity with the body of their crucified Lord and Sauiour Isa 53.4 of whome the Prophet sayth We saw him and there was neyther shape nor figure in him so we know him not but made esteeme of him as of a leaper and as of a man strocken of God It is a part of their honour they were so like to their Master and the day shall come when the disfigured bodyes of their humility Phil. 5. â—â— shall be configured vnto the body of his clarity then be so much the more beautifull by how much now they seemed horrible Reasons for the Profit of Catholikes and the Conclusion TO Conclude with whome I began You the worthy Children of the Church God hath permitted this Accident to be vnto you a Warning a Triall an Occasion a Presage a Warning of Death a Triall of Charity an Occasion of more Pennance a Presage of Comfort The Deaths of these our Friends are Documents how incertayne life is and Warnings to be at all tymes and in euery place prouided for death God shewed in his Saynts what may happen vnto sinners he stroake their bodyes with suddayne and short oppressioÌ„ of death to strike into our soules longe and perpetuall meditation of death The Chambers of impurity haue no priuiledge agaynst death more then the Chapells of sanctity nor haue riotous feasters in a Tauerne a surer warrant of life then Religious hearers of a Sermon Death which came vpon these as they were in the act of abhorring may likewise set vpon them as they are in the act of committing sinne Behold here Heb. 11.1 as I may say with