Attourneyes now to the Iudges now to the friends and allyes of all these to haue the definitiue sentence giuen in their fauour at our death the cause of all causes being brought before the supreme Iudge to wit of euerlasting life or death the defendant that is guilty oftentimes fouÌ„d vnprouided so oppressed with sicknes as he is not his owne man and is then compelled to giue an account of these things of which perhaps whiles he waâ— in good health he neuer so much as thought vpon Hence it cometh that miserable meÌ„ do fall so fast headlong into hell fire truly as S. Peter sayth If the iust maÌ„ shall scarce be saued 1. Pet. 4. where shall the wicked and the synner appeare VVherefore I esteeme it a matter of speciall moment first to admonish my selfe then my brethren that they duly regard this art and if there be any that haue not learned it of better maysters at least that they contemne not these thinges which we haue laboured to collect or gather togeather out of the holy Scriptures the writings of our ancient maisters But before we come to the rulâ—s or precepts of this Art I haue thought it expedient to search somewhat into the nature of death and to seâ— in what ranke it is to be placed eyther amongst the thinges that are good or else the contrary amongst the euill And truly if death be absolutly takeÌ„ without any other respect or relation then doubtlesse is it to be esteemed euill as being that priuation which is opposed to life which life no man can deny to be a good thing Agayne we may add that God is not the Authour of death for as the VVise man teacheth vs Through the enuy of the Diuell Sap. 1. 2. death entred into the world which is confirmed by Saint Paul when he sayth By one maÌ„ synne entred into the world Rom. 5. by synne death in whome all haue synned hence I coÌ„clud that if God made not death then is not death in it self good because al that God hath mad is good as Moyses sayth God saw all things that he had made and they were all very good Genes 1. Notwithstanding although that death be not good yet hath the wisdome of God so found out a meanes as it were to temper or season the same as that out of this bitter root much sweet sruit may growe Hence it comes that Dauid sayth The death of the Saints of our Lord is precious in his sight Psal 115. and the Church in the preface of the Masse of the Resurrection speaking of Christ sayth Who by dying destroyed our death by rising agayne repayred our life Truly that death which destroyed ours repayred our life cannot be otherwise then very good and therfore albeit euery death be not good yet we must graunt that some are therfore Saint Ambrose feared not to entitle one of his bookes De bono mortis of the good of death in which he cleerly demonstrateth death although begotten of synne to bring with it many and no small vtilityes Finally the same is confirmed by reason which doth shew death howsoeuer in it selfe ill by the grace of God to worke and procure much good for first we reape great good by death in that it riddeth vs from all the miseryes of this life which are both very many Iob. 14. and very great Holy Iob in playne words lamenteth of these miseries thus Man born of a woman liuing but a short tyme is replenished with many myseryes Eccles 4. And Salomon sayth I haue commended more the dead then the liuing haue iudged him more happy then both who is not yeâ— borne nor hath seene the wickednesse committed vnder the sunne And Ecclesiasticus addeth saying Ecl. c. 40. A great turmoyle is made for all men and a heauy yoke is layed on the children of Adam from the day of their issuing forth from their mothers wombe vntill the day of their buriall or returne to the common mother of all to wit the earth which finally as the parent of all receaueth them into her bosome and turneth them into corruption The Apostle in like maÌ„ner coÌ„plaineth of the miseryes of this life and sayth Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death By these testimonyes of sacred VVrit is sufficiently proued death to haue this good annexed vnto it that it deliuers a man from infinit miseryes of this life Moreouer it yieldeth vs another farre more eminent good then this because it is the gate by which we enter and passe from a prison to a Kingdome This was reuealed by our Lord to Saint Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist whiles for the fayth of Christ he liued in banishment in the I le of Pathmos Apoc. 14. I heard sayth he a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Blessed are the dead who dye in our Lord from hence foorth now sayth the spirit they may rest from their labours for their workes doe follow them Blessed truly is the death of Saints which at the commaund of the heauenly King deliuereth the soule from the prison of the flesh bringeth it to the Kingdome of heauen where the holy soules now free from all labours doe sweetly repose and for reward of their works do receaue the crown of a Kingdome and euen vnto the soules which are caryed to Purgatory death yieldeth a great benefit whiles it deliuereth them from the feare and danger of hell and makes them secure of their future euerlasting felicity yea euen vnto the damned death seemeth to yield some good when deliuering them the sooner from their bodyes it maketh that the measure of their torments shal no more increase by the synnes they would haue committed in their longer life For these so notable vtilityes death sheweth not a dreadfull but a smiling not a terrible but an amiable countenance towards the good hence it proceeded that the Apostle so securely cryed out Christ is my life and death my gayne Phil. 1. being desirous to be dissolued and to be with Christ in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians he warneth the good Christians not to be contristated with the deaths of their deerest friends neyther to bemoaâ— them as dead but rather to behold theÌ„ resting as it were in a sleepe And there liued not long since a holy woman called Catharine Adorna of the Citty of Genua who was so enflamed with the loue of Christ that shee had an incredible desire to dye and go to her beloued Sauiour for this cause transported with the loue of death shee did often prayse the sam as most fayre and beautifull only misliking that she fled from such as sought her and sought for such as fled from her The Reader may see more hereof in the 7. Chapter of her life Out of these things which we haue sayd we see that death as it is the childe of sin is euill but
in this life either good or euill and yet not to furnish himselfe with true merits by the practise of vertue which alone will crowne him with euerlasting felicity Filij hominum vsquequo graui corde Psalm 4. O you sonnes of men how long will you be heauy-harted But in vaine do I speake to them who haue their eyes shut their eares stopt and their harts hardned who will not vnderstand to do well who are fallen into the depth and therfore contemne all counsaile and will not be with-held from running headlong into the gulfe of perdition there is no salue for such desperate soares vnles God by a singular mercy Psalm 135. in manu potente brachio excelso in a strong hand powerfull arme do reclaime them which in many yea most he doth not For albeit his Mercy be great yet is his Iustice exact and the number of the damned in hell fyre is farre greater then of the seruants of God that are crowned in heauen often it is repeated in the Scripture that many are called but few elected that the way to heauen is narrow few enter the way to hell is wyde and troden by many with the like All which will not awake them out of this dead letargy drowsy sleep no warnings no bookes no threats no perswasion wil auayle them And albeit I could wish that this worke might benefit all yet that I may wel wish but cannot expect To your self I know it will be gratefull and beneficiall also I hope vnto yours and others at least so from my hart I do desire it may be and the subiect therof being so necessary and pointes therein treated so important they cannot but much stir vp any well disposed mind to reflect vpon them For in this little Treatise you haue the principles and precepts of good Life the vse of Prayer Fasting Almes and other vertues you haue Aduertisements for the SacrameÌ„ts how to prepare your selfe vnto them how to receaue them you haue remedy against Tentations Comforts in afflictioÌ„s Instructions for security Fore-warninges against dangers in one word hence you haue what to feare what to follow what to fly So as this little booke to such as can vse it well and frame their liues to the prescript thereof is a rich Iewell heauenly Treasure of which we may truly say Prouer. 21. procul de vltimis finibus pretium eius and the Author being perhaps neuer to write more by reason of his great age and weaknes for he wants not two yeares of fourscore this his last begotten Beniamin deserueth more respect For besides the subiect and substance thereof it layes open the true Idaea or Image of the Writer what his Iudgment is of all wordly felicity where all his thoughts and endeauours haue still beene fixt and directed how he is disposed to shut vp the last period of his life although his own actions are more liuely characters heerof then any of his books haue yet expressed in so much as of his Familiars he is more admired for his rare vertue then he is renowned amongst Strangers for his exquisite learning These motiues with the band of Gratitude for former Merits haue emboldened me to make this Present vnto your Honour aswell by this meanes seeing by better I cannot to discharg my duty for your deserts as also for that I tender your spirituaâ— good which heereby may not a little be aduanced The root seemes bitteâ— but the fruit is pleasant yea the bitternes it selfe is intermingled witâ— delight for the contemplation oâ— death is only fearfull to such as arâ— vnacquainted with it when vse hatâ— made it more familiar then will thâ— remembrance thereof be delightfull because as the Prophet sayth Cù◠dederit dilectis suis somnum ecce hereditas Domini Psalm 126 when he shall bestow thiâ— sleep on his friendes then loe is the inheritance of our Lord at hand So as death is the end of all our labours in this life and the end as the Philosopher sayth is or ought to be first intended and specially regarded because all doth depend thereon What auayleth it a Ship to haue escaped many stormes in the wide Ocean if in the returne within sight of the hauen it be cast away What is the Husbandman the better who hauing had a prosperous spring if a little before haruest his corne be blasted Or for Souldiers to haue fought a long and sharp battel with valour if in the end they be ouerthrowne discomfited The end must carry the crowne till then all is subiect to vncertaine mischance And so we see many for a long tyme to haue liued well and euen then when they seemed ready to haue receaued their rewards to haue miscaryed lost all but this commonly neuer befalls theÌ„ who hauing their end still before the eyes of their soule do with continuall feare and trembling worke their Saluation Of which point for that the worke it self will speake at large I shall not need to adioyn more but leauing the same to your serious view coÌ„meÌ„d the successe of all vnto Almighty God vnto whome I commit you this second of Nouember wherein we pray for all faythfull soules departed that they may be fellowes with the Saints and for our selues that we may be fellows of them both in euerlasting happynes 1620. Your Honours poore Beadsman and dutifull seruant C. E. The Preface of the Authour CONSIDERING with my selfe in the last tyme of my vsuall retirement in which setting aside all publike affayres I attend only to my selfe what should be the reason that so few doe labour to learne the Art of dying well which should be best knowne and most familiar vnto all Eccles 1. no other answere did occurre vnto my mynd but that of the VViseman Stultorum infinitus est numerus the number of fooles is infinit For what greater folly can there be thought or imagined then for men to neglect that art on which all their chiefest good and euerlâ—sting weale do depend and with so great care and no lesse labour to practise so many and almost innumerable other arts by which their temporall good so soone to be left lost may eyther be kept or increased For truly none can deny the art of dying well to be the art of arts who with due attention will consider that in the hower of our death we are to render an account vnto God of whatsoeuer we haue done sayd or thought in the whole course of our life and that â—â—en vnto the least idle word that we haue spoken â—he Diuell being then our accuser our conscience the witnes God the Iudge nothing then remayning but … sting glory for the blessed neuer eÌ„ding woe for the wicked VVe see by daily experience in such as contend euen for small matters when the tyme of iudging the same is at hand both the plaintiffe and defendant to take no rest but to recurre now to their lawyers now to their
through the grace mercy of Christ who vouchsafed to dy for vs to become many wayes profitable and wholsome amiable and delightfull THE CONTENTS THE FIRST BOOKE Chap. 1. Of the first Precept which is That he who desireth to dye well doe liue well pag. 1. Chap. 2. Of the second Precept of dying well which is to dye first to the world pag 5. Chap. 3. Of the third Precept of the Art of dying well which is of the three Theologicall Vertues p. 17. Chap. 4. Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well which conteyneth three Euangelicall documents 26. Chap. 5. Of the fifth precept in which is detected the errour of the Rich meÌ„ of this world pag. 39. Chap. 6. Of the sixth precept of the Art of dying well in which are explicated three Morall Vertues 47. Cap. 7. Of the 7. precept which is of Prayer 57. Cap. 8. Of the eight precept which is of fasting 71. Cap. 9. Of the 9. precept which is of almesdeeds 72. Chap. 10. Of the tenth precept of dying well which is of the Sacrament of Baptisme pag. 97. Ca. 11. Of the 11. precept of CoÌ„firmation 107. Chap. 12. Of the twelfth precept which is of the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Altar pag. 113. Cap. 13. Of the 13. precept of Pennance 122. Chap. 14. Of 14. Precept of Order pag. 132. Chap. 15. Of the 15. Precept which is of Matrimony pag. 142. Chap. 16. Of the 16. precept which is of Extreme Vnction pag. 154. THE SECOND BOOKE Chap. 1. The first Precept of dying well when our death is neere at haÌ„d which is meditatioÌ„ of death 181. Chap. 2. Of the 2. Precept is of Iudgment 199. Cap. 3. Of the third precept which is of Hel. 204 Chap. 4. Of the fourth precept which is of the glory of the Saints pag. 213. Chap. 5. Of the 5. precept when our Death is neere which is of making our last will testament pa. 223 Cap. 6. Of the 6. precept which is of CoÌ„fessioÌ„ 228 Cap. 7. Of the 7. precept which is of receauing thâ— B. SacrameÌ„t giueÌ„ vs for our Viaticum pag. 234 Chap. 8. Of the 8. precept which is of Extremâ— Vnction pag. 250 Chap. 9. Of the first Tentation of the Diuell 〈◊〉 wit of Heresy pag. 256 Cap. 10. Of the 2. tentation to DesperatioÌ„ 162 Chap. 11. Of teÌ„ptatioÌ„ to the hatred of God p. 269 Chap. 12. Of the first Remedy against the temptations of the Diuell pag. 270 Cap. 13. Of the 2. Remedy against TeÌ„ptatioÌ„s 283. Ca. 14. Of such as dy not of an ordinary death 290 Chap. 15. Of the happy death of such as haue learned well this Art of dying well pag. 296 Chap. 16. Of the vnfortunate death of such as hauâ— neglected this Art of dying well pag. 304 Chap. 17. The suÌ„me of the Art of dying well 320 THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of this Art of Dying well which is That he who desyreth to dye well do liue well I Begin now to treat of the precepts or rules of this Art which I will deuide into two parts In the first we wil set downe rules which men should obserue whiles they are in good health In the second others which shall be necessary when they are dangerously sicke and by all probability in danger to dye soone In the first part we shall deliuer the precepts which appertayne vnto the vertues then those which appertayne vnto the Sacraments For by these two wayes we are most of al holpeÌ„ both to liue and to dye well But before both these this generall rule is to be premised to wit that he liuâ— well that desires to dye well for since that death is the end of our life certainly euery one who liueth vertuously vntil the end doth dye well and he cannot dye ill who neuer liued ill As on the other side he who hath alwayes liued ill doth so dye and he cannot but dye ill who neuer liued well and so it fareth in all other like things For euery one who keepeth on the right way to the place where he goeth arryueth without any missing or going out of the way but he who mistaketh the right way shal neuer come to the end he would he who studyeth diligently to attayne learning wil soone become learned doctor also in that he professeth and he who goeth alwayes to schoole but applyeth not his mynd vnto learning doth but leâ—se both tyme and labour Some perhaps will alleadge the example of the good theefe who alwayes liued ill and dyed well and made a happy end But it is not so For that good theefe rather liued deuoutly and religiously and therfore dyed also so saintly For notwithstanding that he spent the greatest part of his life wickedly yet he so well bestowed the other as he easily blotted out all former offences attayned vnto great singular merits For enflamed with charity towards God he openly defended Christ from the flaunders of the Iewes and hauing the like loue towards his neighbour he warned and checked his blaspheming companion and endeauored all he could to recall him to a better life for as yet he was in this mortall life when he said vnto his fellow neque tu times Deum qui in eadem damnatione es Et nos quidem iustè nam digna factis recipimus hic verò nihil mali gessit Neyther doest thou feare God who art in the same condemnation and we indeed iustly for we receaue according to our deserts but this maÌ„ what hath he done amisse Neyther was the same theefe as yet departed this life wheÌ„ he spake those noble words in which he confessed Christ Luc. 23. and inplored his help Domine memento mei cùm veneris in regnum tuum O Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome and therefore this good theefe seemeth to be one of those who came last into the vinyard receaued his reward before the first Matth. 20. True then generall is this principle he who liueth well doth dye well And this other in like manner he who liueth ill doth dye ill Neyther can it be denyed that it is a very dangerous matter to delay the change of our life froÌ„ vice to vertue vntill the last cast and those to be far happier who begin to beare the yoke of the law of God Thren 3. as Hieremy saith ab adolescentia sua from their youth and those in euery respect to be happiest of all Apoc. 14. who as the Apostle saith empti sunt ex hominibus primitiae Deo et Agno were bought from among men the first fruites vnto God and the Lambe who not only were not defiled with women but neither was there any lye found in their mouth they are without spot before the throne of God Such was Hieremy the Prophet S. Iohn Baptist aboue al the Mother of our Lord and many other Saints of both
7. tempus breue est This therefore my brethren I say vnto you the tyme is short it remayneth that such as haue wiues be as though they had them not and those who weep as though they wept not those who are glad as though they were not glad those who buy aâ— though they did not possesse they whâ—â— vse this world as though they vsed it not for the figure of this world doth passe away Of which words this is the sense that the Apostle exhorteth the faithfull that hauing their hope fixed on heauenly happines they be so litle addicted to worldly thinges as though they had nothing at all to do with them that they loue their wiues but with so moderate loue as if they had them not if necessity cause them to mourne for the losse of their children or goods that they mourne in such manner as though they were neyther grieued nor mourned at all if they haue cause to reioyce for the wealth or honour they haue gotten that this ioy be so small as if they did not reioyce that is as if their ioy apperteyned not vnto them if they buy lands or howses to shew so little affection to those things as if they did not possesse them as their owne and finally the Apostle commaundeth vs so to liue in the world as if we were strangers guests or pilgrimes in the same and not true inhabitants which the Apostle S. Peter more plainly teacheth saying 1. Pet. 2. Obsecro vos taÌ„quam aduenas peregrinos abstinere vos à carnalibus desiderijs quae militant aduersus animam I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims to refraine your selues from all carnall desires which warre against the soule By which wordes this most blessed Prince of the Apostles will haue vs so to liue euen in our owne town and howse as if we liued in another mans howse and in some forren countrey abroad not heeding at all whether therâ— be plenty or want in the place whicâ— therefore he doth commaund vs That wâ— may absteyne from carnall desires which warre against the soule for these carnall desires doe not so easily assault vs when we see other mens things that do not belong vnto vâ— as when we see those which we esteem our own This then is to be in the world and not to be of the world which properly concerneth them who are dead tâ— the world and liue to God and for thaâ— cause they feare not temporall death which endomageth them nothing buâ— rather is gainfull vnto them according to that of the Apostle Phil. 1. mihi viuere Christâ—â— est mori lucrum Christ is my life and death my gaine But how many trow you shall we fynd in these dayes so dead to the world as that they haue already learned to dye also well to the flesh and thereby to make sure their saluation Truly I doe not doubt but that in the Cath. Church not only in Monasteryes in the Clergye but amongst secular people also many holy men may be found and such as are truly dead to the world who haue learned this Art how to dye well yet withall this cannot be denyed that far many more without comparisoÌ„ are to be fouÌ„d not only not dead to the world but so without measure tyed and addicted to the same and so feruent louers of pleasures honours riches and the like that vnles they determine with themselues to dye to the world and doe dye indeed will doubtles come to a miserable death and as the Apostle sayth be damned with the world But these Worldlings will say it is too hard a matter to dye to the world whiles yet we liue in it and to neglect these benefits which God hath created for men to enioy To these I answere that God doth neyther will nor commaund men altogeather to cast away wealth honours and other worldly emoluments for Abraham was a speciall friend of God and yet abounded in riches Dauid also and Ezechias and Iosias were very rich Princes and withall deere friends vnto Almighty God and the same we may say of many Christian Kings Emperours and therefore the commodityes of this world riches honours pleasures aâ—e not absolutly forbidden vnto Christian people but the immoderate loue of the things of this world which are called of S. Iohn the concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life Abraham certes was exceeding wealthy but he not only vsed moderatly his riches but was most ready presently aâ— the commaund of God to spend them all for he who spared not his only Sonne most vertuous and most deere vnto him when God coÌ„maunded that euen by the hands of Abraham himselfe he should be sacrificed how easily at the same comaund had he bestowed or giuen away al his other wealth Therefore Abraham was rich in substance but richer in faith and charity for that cause was not of the world but rather dead vnto it the same we may say of other holy men who abounded with riches power and glory yea with Kingdomes also and Empires because being poore in spirit dead to the world and liuing only to God they had most exactly learned this art how to dye well And therefore not abundance of wealth or sublimity of honour or Kingdome or Empire make a man to be of the world or that he liue in the world but concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eyes and pride of life which in one word is called Cupidity or disordinate affection is opposite to the Theologicall vertue of Charity therefore if any through the grace and mercy of God begin to loue God for himselfe and for his sake his neighbour he beginneth to go out of the world and this Charity increasing the other disorderly appetite will go lesse and lesse and so he will begin to dye to the world for charity cannot increase without the diminution of the other by this meanes it will come to passe also that that thing which whiles those other passions were predominant seemed impossible to wit that a maÌ„ liuing in the world should not be of the world through this increase of the loue of God decrease of disordinat affections will become most easy for that which to this cupidity is a hard and insupportable yoke is vnto charity a sweet yoke and light burthen That then which before we said to wit that to go out of the world and to dye to the world is not the play of boyes or pastime of babes but a most weighty and difficult thing most truly said of such as haue not knowne the power of the grace of God nor tasted the sweetnes of his charity and of such as are sensuall without spirit for he who hath once tasted of the spirit of God doth loath whatsoeuer flesh bloud do suggest therefore euery one who earnestly desireth to learne this art of dying well vpon which his euerlasting weale and all
securely meet with our Sauiour at his retourne from the marriage There remayneth the third office or duty of a faithfull seruant that he alwayes watch because he is vncertayne when his maister will come Blessed are those seruants saith Christ whome their maister when he shall come shall fynde watching God Almighty would not haue all men at a certeyne tyme or period of their age to depart this life least they should bestow all the tyme of their life til then in gluttony and drunkennes plaies and desportes or in other ill works and then afterwards a little before their death to recal themselues retourne vnto God wherefore his diuine prouidence hath so ordeyned that nothing should be more vncerteyne then the houre of our death whiles some as we see dye in their mothers wombe others as soone as they are borne if not in their very birth some in hoary old age others in the very flower of their youth againe some we see by long lingring to languish away others to dye sodenly some to recouer from a most desperate sicknes others to be but a little sicke whiles they seeme free from death the disease increaseth and they depart this life and to make vs the better see this vncertaynty our Sauiour sayd Et si venerit c. Luc. 12. If he shall come in the second watch or if in the third watch so shall fynd his seruants to wit watching blessed are those seruants for know you this that if the maister of the house shold know at what houre the theefe would come truly he would watch and not suffer his house to be ransacked and be you prepared because the Sonne of man will come at such an hower as you thinke not on Moreouer that we might vnderstand of what weight this matter is to be well perswaded of the vncertainty of our life of the houre in which our Lord will call vs to iudgement eyther in the death of euery particuler or else at the later day the Scripture doth repeate nothing so often as that one word Vigilate watch and the similitude of a theefe who vseth not as you know to come but at such a tyme and place where and when he is least expected the word watch is in many places repeated in the Ghospells of S. Mathew Marke and Luke and the similitude of a thiefe is not only in the Gospels but also in the Epistles of the Apostles Apocalyps of S. Iohn Of all which we may euidently perceaue how great the negligence and ignorance not to say madnes and folly of most men is that so often admonished by the spirit of truth by the pens of the Apostles who could not lye nor deceaue vs that we be still prepared for death as a thing most great and difficult and on which dependeth our greatest and euerlasting happines or our greatest and euerlasting destruction and yet that there be so few that are stirred vp by these wordes or rather thunderings of the holy Ghost to prepare themselues thereunto Heer some will say what counsaile do you giue vs that we may watch as we should and by watching be prepared to make a happy end I can thinke of nothing better then that we often prepare our selues to death by a serious and due examination of our conscience and truly Catholike people when they come euery yeare to confession omit not to examine their consciences and againe when they begin to be sicke and the Phisitians by the decree of Pope Pius V. are forbidden to come the second tyme vnto them vnlesse after the examination of their conscience they haue also made a confession of their syns finally there are none in the Catholike Church but neere the hower of their death examine their consciences and confesse their synnes But what shall we say of such as are taken away by soden death What of such as become mad or leese their witts before they can make their confession What of those who are so ouerburthened with the extremity of sicknes as they cannot so much as thinke how many or what sins they haue coÌ„mitted What of those who in dying do synne or in synning doe dye as those who fight in vniust warre or in single combat or are taken in adultery To auoid therefore prudently and religiously these and the like inconueniences nothing better can be deuised then that all those who esteeme and make account of their saluation do twice euery day to wit at noone and night diligently discusse their conscience what the night or day before they haue done what they haue sayd what they haue desired what they haue thought in which any spot of synne may be found and if they fynd any such especially any thing that may seeme a mortall synne let them not delay the remedy of true contrition with firme purpose at the first opportunity to come to the Sacrament of pennance wherefore let them aske of God the gift of true compunction and sorrow let them call to mynde the grieuousnes of synne let them detest from their hart the fault committed let them seriously discusse who it is that doth offend whome he hath offended to wit a vile wretch Almighty God an vnprofitable seruant the Lord of heauen and earth let not their eyes cease from teares nor their hands froÌ„ knocking their brest and finally let them make a true and resolute purpose neuer more to prouoke Gods wrath nor to offend their most louing Father This examination if it be well made morning and euening or at least once in the day it can very hardly happeÌ„ that any one in dying should synne or in synning dye or be preuented with giddines madnes or other like misfortunes and so being well prepared to dye neyther the vncertainty can hurt vs or we be depriued of the glorious reward of euerlasting life CHAP. V. Of the fifth precept or rule of the Art of dying well in which is detected the errour of the Rich men of this world TO that which hath been sayd we are to adioyne the refutation of a certeyne errour very vulgar amongst the rich men of this world and it much hindereth the good life and death we haue spoken of The errour consisteth in this that rich men do esteeme the goods which they possesse to be absolutely and truly their owne if they possesse them by due clayme tytle and therefore that they may lawfully wast them giue them as they list neyther may any man say vnto them why do you thus Why go yoâ— so braue in apparell Why do you faâ—â— and feast so daintely Why are you so prodigall and lauish in feeding doggs oâ— hawkes or in play at dâ—ce or cardes oâ— in like delighting pastimes For the will forth with answere you what 〈◊〉 that to you May I not do with myâ—â— owne goods what I list or must I askâ—â— your leaue and counsaile how to bestow them This truly is a most grieuous and pernicious errour For suppose the rich
the table pulse as beanes pease c. and herbes and sometimes for his guests or such as were sicke flesh I omit all other Saints let this suffice thaâ— if any one attentiuely consider what he wâ—â— is Lord and Father of all did doe when he tooke vpon him the office of feeding the people in the desert without doubt he shâ—l need no other Maister to teach him this art of sobriety for God who is only powerfull only wise and only good who could and knew and would well prouide for his beloued people he I say for fourty yeares togeather did rayne them Manna from heauen and caused water to flowe out of the rocke This Manna was lik a cake made of meale and hony as is sayd in the booke of Exodus behold with what sobriety our most wise prouident Lord wold haue his people to dyne sup a cake was their meate water their drinke and yet were all in health all sound vntill such tyme as they began to desire flesh The sonne of this euerliuing Father Christ Iesus in whom were All the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God Coloss 2. imitating the former example Ioan. 6. whereas he would make a dinner and supper for many thousands of his auditour he layd before them pieces of bread and fish drink of water and this he did not only whiles yet he remained in this mortall life but also after his resurrection when as there was giuen him all power in heauen and in earth Matt. vlt. he made a dinner for his Apostles at the sea side of a little bread and fish Ioan. 21. and there is no mention there of wyne or any other thinge o how farre are the counsayles of God different from counsailes of men The King of heauen taketh pleasure in the simplicity of the earth is delighted with sobriety specially carefull for the enriching filling and cherishing of our soule and yet men had rather giue care vnto their owne coÌ„cupiscence vnto the diuel their enemy theÌ„ vnto God Philip vnlesse we conclude with the Apostle that the God of carnall men is no other but their belly There resteth the sense of touching Touching which of all the rest is most grosse yet most quicke and full of life by this sense the works of the flesh do enter in to defile our soule and corrupt others which the B. Apostle recounteth saying The workes of the flesh are manifest which are fornication vncleannes lasciuiousnes So as in three words he expressed all the kindes of leachery neyther is it needfull to proceed further in the explication of these thinges which should rather be vnknown amongst Christians their names not so much as once to be heard oâ— for so sayth the same Apostle writing vnto the Ephesians Let not fornication or any vncleannes be named amongst you Ephes 5. as it becommeâ—â— Saints These remedyes occur vnto me against all the synnes in this kinde they aâ—e in maÌ„ner the same wherwith PhisitiaÌ„s doe vse to cure the sicke First they begin with fasting or abstinence they forbid such as fall sicke the eating of flesh and drinking of wine the selfe same must he do that is giuen to carnall lust abstaine I say from ouer liberall diet and excesse in drinking the same did Saint Paul prescribe vnto Timothy saying Vse a little wyne for your stomacke and for your frequent infirmityes That is to say vse wine for the weaknesse of your stomacke but a little to auoyd lust for in wine is leachery Againe the Phisitians do assigne bitter potions Ephes 5. letting of bloud and the like which are repugnant to nature 1. Cor. 9. so holy men did say with the Apostle I do chastize my body and bringe it into subiection least whiles I preach to others I become reprobat my selfe hence it comes that the ancient Hermites and monks did institute new orders â—f life quite repugnant to the delights and â—leasures of the flesh in fastings in watchings in lying one the ground in disciâ—lins in haire-cloths not for hate of their â—ody but for hate of their rebellious flesh out of many I will alleadge one example Saint Hilarion as testifyeth Saint Hierome in his life when he was tempted with lasciuious thoughts Ego sayth he speaking to his body faciam vt non c. I will take order that thou mayest not kicke I will not feed thee with barley but with straw I will make thee to starue for hunger thirst I will loade thee well with weight I will follow thee through heate and could that thou mayest thinke more vpon thy meate then vpon wanâ—onnes So he Besides this the Phisitians appoint moderate exercise of the body as walking playiâ—g at ball or the like to to preserue health and this also doth much help for the health of the soule that is to say if a man desirous of euerlasting saluation bestow one houre euery day in meditating on the mysteryes of our redemption or on the foure last thinges death iudgement heauen and hell or in some such like arguments of deuotion if the meditatioÌ„ succeed not as we would â—t least let him bestow some tyme euery daâ— in reading the holy Scriptures or otheâ— spirituall bookes or else in the liues of Saints Finally to ouercome all the tentations of the flesh and synnes of leachery the only and most effectuall remedy is to auoid idlenes for none is so much subiect vnto filthy thoughts as he who hatâ— nothing to do and bestowes his tyme iâ— loking on such as walke vp and down before his window or in talking with his frinds or in play and gaming And againe none are more free from impure thoughts then such as for whole days togeather are imployed in tilling the ground or continuall exercise in other occupations for which cause our Lord and maister Christ did chuse poore parents that they might get their liuing by their owne labour and himselfe also before he would vndertake the labour of preaching would haue his supposed Father to be a Carpenter and did help him to labour in tâ—â— same trade for the people sayd of him Iâ— not this the Carpenter the Sonne of Mary This haue I thought good to adioyn in the end of this booke that artificers and husbandmen may not repent them of their state of life seeing that the wisdome God chose the same state for himselfe and for his mother and for the holy man Ioseph his supposed Father not for that they needed this remedy but that they might warne vs that are weake to fly all sloth in case we will auoyd many other synnes The end of the first Booke THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of dying well when our death is neere which is of the Meditation of Death WE deuided in the beginning this Art of dying well into two Partes in the first of which are set downe those precepts of dying well
which belong vnto that tyme in which Death might seeme to be further off in this other which we haue now in hand we will lay downe those which apperteyne vnâ—o Death when it is present or neere at hand Death is said to be at hand or expecting vâ— at the gate when we are eyther worne out with old age the Apostle telling vâ— Quod antiquatur senescit prope interitum est That which groweth auncient waxeth old is neere vnto death or destruction Heb. 8. or else are taken with some great sicknes in the iudgement of Phisitians very dangerous whether this do befall an old man or a young a youth or a child Of this second ranke it seemes to vs the first precept to be the meditatioÌ„ of death for although Death be thought vpon and considered with neuer so great diligence or attention whiles we are in our youthfull yeares yet doth it very little moue vs because we apprehend it as farre off and therefore lesse dreadfull but when we see it so present as it may in a manner be felt with our handes then it stirreth vs vp indeed and the consideration thereof is very profitable all Artes are better attayned by practise then by teaching and those who if not more often did twice at least dye as Saint Christine Drithelmus the English man of whome I made mention in my booke De gemnitu Coâ—umbae of the mourning of the Doue the noble woman raysed by Saint Malachy of whome I shall speake in the 8. chapter and that Hermite whose history Climacus doth relate of whome also we in the end of this Chapter will say somewhat it is euident that they died cheerfully but for vs who are permitted to dye but once there is no better way then to meditate to thinke often of what is done or to be done in that houre First then we are to thinke that then there shal be a separation made of the soule from the body that neyther the soule is to be extinguished nor the body to fall be resolued to dust without hope of rising againe and being reunited vnto the soule for in case the soule should be annihilated and the body be subiect to eternal corruption as the Atheists do surmize then shold they seeme to haue spoken well who contemned death and sayd Edamus bibamus eras enim moriemur Let vs eate let vs drink for to morrow we shall dye which prouerbe is most ancient as we may see in the Prophet I say Cap. 22. Cap. 15. and in the first of S. Paul to the Corinthians and surely there are some euen amongst Christians who in wordes say that they do belieue but deny it by their deeds which may be proued out 〈◊〉 this principle that very many euen iâ— their old decrepit age neuer thinke vpon death as though that they were neuer 〈◊〉 dye or as if they thought with the death of the body the soule also did perish and resolue to nothing but whatsoeuer such men do dreame the separation of the body from the soule as it were of thâ— spouse from her husband is but an absencâ— for a while not a perpetuall diuorce for the soule is immortall and the flesh without all doubt shall rise againe at the later day We must therefore if we be Christians and haue any wit dayly thinke of death at hand in this standeth the totall summe of all our weale that we dye well In this life the passage is not hard froâ— vertue to vice and with the grace of God from vice vnto vertue for he who is now heir of the Kingdom of God may to morrow by synne fall from the inheritance oâ— God and become guilty of hell fire coâ—trarywise he who is a slaue of the Diuell may be deliuered from that bondage and be againe enrolled amongst the children â—f God and heyres of the heauenly Kingâ—ome But he who dyes the enemy of God â—nd guilty of euerlâ—sting fire he shall alwayes remayne the enemy of God tyed to these torments and on the other side he who dyeth the friend of God and heir of the Kingdome of heauen shall neuer fall from grace and that most excellent glory wherefore all our feliciâ—y or infelicity dependeth vpoÌ„ our good or bad death who then that hath not lost all is wit and iudgement will aduenture to depart out of this life vntill withall diligence he hath learned and prepared also himselfe to dye well Another consideratioÌ„ that most profitable touching death may be to conceaue well that although death be most certeyn the prophet worthily demaunding VVho is the man that liueth and shall not see death Psal 88. with whome Saint Paul agreeth saying It is decreed for all men once to dye Heb. 9. Yet is there nothing more vncerteyne then the day and houre of our death which the Scripture cleerly pronounceth saying VVatch because that you do not know the day nor houre many are taken away in their infancy some arryue arryue vnto crooked old age some dyâ— young some at matures yeares and which is more miserable some do dy so sodeÌ„ly as they haue no leasure left then to call vpoâ— God or to commend their soules to his mercy and these thinges doth the diuiâ—â— prouidence of God according to the treasures of his wisdome for no other cause ordeyne after this manner but to the end that none of his elected children and seruaunts should presume or be so hardy as to remayne for one moment plunged iâ— the durt of deadly synne and therefore whosoeuer thou be that doest reade thesâ— thinges if perhaps thy conscience giue testimony against thee of a deadly synne be not so bold as to stay till to morrow in it nor yet to expect till the end of this day or houre but presently with a contrite and humble hart before God detest and be sorrowfull for the same The third Consideration no lesse profitable then the former may be if in the morning before thou go out to thy daily busines at night before thou goest to bed least soden death should takâ— thee at vnawares that thou diligently examin thy conscience what thou hast done the night past what the day immediately â—efore especially whether there be any â—ing that may seeme a deadly syn and if â—ou find nothing yield thanks vnto God â—e Authour of all good and it thou fynd â—â—y thinge committed against God seriâ—usly repent thee from thy hart and at the â—rst occasioÌ„ prostrating thy selfe at the feet of the Priest confesse the same receaue willingly the pennance imposed faithfully performe it â—his method of examiâ—ing our selues twice in the day wonderâ—ully helpeth that death neuer take vs heÌ„ce â—nprouided The fourth consideration may be that which Ecclesiasticus setteth downe that In euery thinge thou doest remember the last things â—nd thou shalt neuer synne For how can he oâ—â—end in any worke who first doth weigh â—ll his works in the ballance
of Gods iudgement as they shal be weighed at his death To which purpose we may apply that remarkeable saying of a man twice dead which Climacus in his booke entituâ—ed the Ladder recouÌ„teth for thus he saith Grad 6. Non omittaÌ„ c. I wil not pretermit to recouÌ„t the history of that Anchoret who dwelled in Choreb this man after that he had liued most negligently for a longe tyme togeather and had had no care at al of his soule taken at length with sicknes and by â—â—â—nes with the death when as he was pâ—â—fectly departed after the space of an hoâ— the soule retourned againe to the bod◠〈◊〉 then he desired vs that were present 〈◊〉 incontinently we would all depart 〈◊〉 then stopping vp the dore of his cell wiâ—â— stones he remained there for twelue yearâ— neuer speaking one word to any or 〈◊〉 tasting any other thing then bread wâ—ter and sitting with great amazement 〈◊〉 reuolued in his mynd the thinges whiâ— in the tyme of his departure he had seene and that with so stedfast apprehension aâ— he neuer changed his countenaÌ„ce but remayning alwayes astonished he shed in silence great abundance of teares but when the tyme of his departure was at haâ—â— breaking downe the wall and opening the dore we went in vnto him and humbly intreating him to speake somewhat for our instruction this only we heard froâ— him Nemo qui reuerà mortis memoriam agnâ—â—rit peccare vmquam poterit No man who indeed shall throughly conceaue the remembrance of death can euer synne Hitherto Climacus Now let the Reader consider â—ell and know that this is a true history â—d no fiction or fable written by one â—ho was a very holy man and he wrote 〈◊〉 otherwise then he saw with his owne â—â—s heard with his eares Out of which it is easy to perceaue â—w important a thinge it is daily to meâ—ate vpon death alwayes to haue the sâ—â—e present in our remembrance this maÌ„ had beene before very negligent in procuring his owne saluation but out of the great mercy of God he tasted death and risiâ—g againe vnto life for twelue yeares togeather he did daily thinke vpon death moreouer bewayled his synnes with conâ—iâ—uall teares and those thinges which beâ—e his first death he accounted light and â—iall matters hauing tasted the bitterâ— of death he iudged to be most grieuous â—nd such as required the penitential teares â—welue yeares to blot theÌ„ out This then â—he true commentary of these wordes of 〈◊〉 Scripture Remember the last thinges to wit â—th iudgement heauen and hell and 〈◊〉 shalt neuer synne if the remembrance 〈◊〉 one only of these foure was so auailable 〈◊〉 this Monke as that for twelue yeares pennance he redeemed the euerlasting toâ—ment of hellfyre and gayned the glory 〈◊〉 a neuer ending Kingdome what will 〈◊〉 perpetuall memory of al foure work in 〈◊〉 in case we wold exercise our selues theriâ— I would to God men would but know 〈◊〉 try this short and compendious way to 〈◊〉 great and vnspeakable a gaine CHAP. II. Of the second Precept of dying well wheâ— our Death is neere which is of the last day of Iudgment THE second of the foure last thinges iâ— Iudgment which is twofold the one particuler in which euery soule in particuler is iudged at the departure from the body the other generall which shal be of altogeather in the later day both are most horrible and dreadfull vnto the wicked delightfull and glorious vnto the good And often and attentiuely to thinke of tâ— one and other is most profitable for sâ—â— as desire to atteyne a happy death No 〈◊〉 can doubt but that the particuler Iudgement of euery man alone is to be made preâ—â—ntly at his death when as in the Counâ—ell of Florence it is declared against the heâ—etiks that such as depart out of this life in â—eadly sinne streight wayes to descend inâ—o hell fire and those who dye out of the â—tate of deadly synne but with the debt of â—emporal punishment to be caried to purgatory and finally such as after baptisme are free from synne and debt of punishment presently to ascend into heauen to receaue euerlasting felicity And it is very credible as Deuines do hold S. Tho. in 4. dist 47. Dom. Soto in 4. dist 45. the iudiciall sentence of Christ eyther to be signifyed vnto them by Angells or to be reuealed immediately vnto their soules by God himselfe and the soules of the vertuous guarded by Angells either to ascend into heauen or to descend into Purgatory but the soules of the daÌ„ned to be carryed by the Diuells and by them to be cast headlong into hell This iudgement may be dispatched in a moment because the Iudge is present who being God and man according to his diuine nature is euery where and as he is man doth know all things For most truly did Saint Peter say vnto our Sauiour Domine tu omnia nosti Ioan. 21. O Lord thou knowest all thinges the accuser which is the Diuell called in the Apocalips Accusator fratrum nostrorum the accuser of our brethren is at hand he runneth to such as are sick and ready to dye as a wolfe lion or dogg to his prey The witnes is also ready the coÌ„science it selfe of the soule which now separated from the body can no more be deceaued by ignorance or obliuion but throughly knoweth it selfe and incontinently seeth whether it be gratefull or hatefull vnto God and therefore nothing hindereth but that this iudgement may presently be made and put in execution this iudgement is to be called priuate if it be compared with the iudgement at the the later day which shal be publike generall before all the Angells and men of the world But heere briefly is to be yelded a reason why it is required that such shold be iudged againe who not only are iudged already but are also eyther punished in hell 〈◊〉 rewarded in heauen for this point noâ— one reason alone but six may bâ— alleadâ—â—â— The first is in respect of God for in this liâ—â— there want not many who seeing many vertuous men to be vniustly afâ—licted and punished by the wicked on â—he other side many wicked meÌ„ to abound with temporall wealth prosperityes do â—uspect that eyther God doth not see these â—hinges or else that he hath no care of â—hem therefore that all mankind may â—now this world to be most prudently â—uyded by God he hath determined at â—he later day before all the Angells and men to manifest his iustice and to render vnto euery man according to his deserts rewards to the good punishments to the wicked Apoc. 16. that all may be compelled to auouch and say Iustus es Domine vera iusta iudicia tua thou art iust o Lord thy Iudgements are true and iust The second reason is that Christ who before men was so vniustly iudged â—nd suffered so many grieuous and most vnworthy torments
three â—â—ings occurre to be considered the place The Place â—â—e tyme the manner The place is depth â—â—e tyme eternity the manner without â—easure I say that the place is depth for â—â—at the reprobate persons for their great synnes committed against the diuine Maieâ—y of God shall haue their prison in the deepest place of the world and which is furthest of from the pallace of God which is in heauen for it was conuenient that the pride of the Diuell and of proud men shold be condemned to this ptnishment Isa 14. for the Diuell sayd I will ascend into heauen I will aduance my throne ouer the starrs I will be like vnto the highest but it was answered him Thou shalt be throwne down into hell into the depth of the lake and the same shall befall vnto all such as are the children of pride Out of this first infelicity oâ— the reprobate there do flow three other darkenesse straitnes of place and beggary For whereas hell is in the center of the earth to which place neyther the beames of the sunne Moone or starrs can penetrate there can be no â—ight therein morâ— then that which proceedeth froÌ„ the brimstone fire which shall increase and not diminish their torment for by that darke stinking light they shall see the Diuells their most cruell enemyes they shall see also those men whether their frends or kinsfolkes who were cause of their destruction they shall finally see their owne nakednesse their beggary their bandes or chaines their owne torments all which perhaps they would desire not to see certeine it is that any thing which may yeld them any comfort they shall neuer see O darkenesse not darkenesse darkenesse to keep from our sight all that is good noâ— darkenes in laying open before vs all that may be to our discomfort affliction and torment As for the straitnesse of place that â—halbe so great as it shall scarce be able to â—ake the multitude of the damned bodyes For if the whole earth seeme in compariâ—on of the vastnes of heauen to be as Pliny with morall Philosophers say but an inâ—iuisible point or pricke of a pen and the place of hell comprizeth not the whole â—arth nor yet the one halfe but the lower part and center only and the number of the damned be farre greater then the number of the saued Apoc. 5. of which notwithstanding we reade in the Apocalyps I saw a â—reat multitude which no man was able to number who can conceaue or imagine what straites there be in hell Now let the great Kings Nabuchodonosor Darius Alexander Iulius Caesar and others whome the whole world cold not coÌ„teyn whiles they liued on earth go and enlarge if they can their straite habitation in hell let them see with all their wit and power if they can procure to lye more at ease or more mildely to be tormented O vanity of vanityes all mortall men labour to extend and enlarge their fields their territoryes their Kingdomes that for a short time they may vaunt and brag of the great multitude that is vnder their commaund and neuer thinke what a strait place expects them in hell where not for a short tyme but for all tyme and eternity will they nill they they must dwell Now what shall I say of the incredible beggary of the damned All the inhabitants of hell want all thinges that be good and are only in the abundance and multitude of then toâ—ments rich there shall the rich remember how they wallowed in their delights whiles they did liue on earth eyther in meate and drink or in braue apparell or in hunting or hauking or in gardens or vineyards or in theaters playes or other disportes but all this remembrance shall increase their punishment when they shall see themselues naked in hell lying in torments contemned and most miserably despoiled of all their wealth and prosperityes then will they say that which we read in the booke of wisdom spoken in the person of such men Sap. 5. VVhat hath our pride profited vs and what haue we goften by the bragging of our wealth All these thinges haue passed away like a shadow Let vs come to the second head which is Tyme Tyme How long shall this banishment of the damned endure in hell fire I would â—o God no longer then was the length of our mortall life But there will be no coÌ„â—arison betweene the one and the other â—ndurance for to tyme past there shall not succeed a set tyme to come but eterniâ—y which is beyond all tyme therefore so â—onge shall the wicked dwell in these torments as long as the eternity of God himselfe shal endure which as it wanteth a beginning so is it without al end euerlasting â—he wicked shall be tormented so long as â—he Saints shall be in glory and the damned shall dye as long as God shall liue and vnlesse God do cease to be that which he â—s which is impossible the reprobat shall neuer cease to be in the torments wherin they are O deadly life o mortall death If thou be life how doest thou kill If thou be death how doest thou endure Truly thou art neyther to be tearmed death nor life for eyther of them haue some good thing in them life hath rest and death an end But thou hast neyther rest nor end What then shall we say that thou art but the heape of all that euill which life and death haue in them A great thing doubtles it were if we could but meanly vnderstand what the eternity of torments doth meane this thought alone as a bridle would hinder all licentious liberty so make vs order and direct our liues â—s we should all seeme not to be Christians only but most holy Anchorets most vertuous religious men There remayneth of three things proposed the maÌ„ner Manner only which as we said is punishment without measure for the punishment of hell is not one particuler punishment but the heape of all punishments and torments togeather for in hell al the powers of our vnderstanding soule and all the senses as well internall as external are tormented that not by course or one after the other but all these torments like a torrent rush on altogeather violently vpon man here on earth as we haue no triall or experience of the generall ioyes or comforts of Saints so neyther of the generall calamnityes of the damned for heere he that hath sore eyes hath not commonly at the same tyme a king teeth and he who is troubled with hiâ— teeth complaines not of his eyes so likwise in the rest of the senses and corporall infirmityes but in hell at the selfe same tyme are susteined most cruell torments in all and euery member togeather when as thâ— fire compasseth about the whole body most seuerely torments it and yet consumes it not Goe you sayth the Iudge into euerlasting fire and the Prophet Isay Matth. 25. Isa 66. their worme doth not dye
Christ be entiere liuing both vnder the one and other forme Our Lord then would that by these mysteryes there should be extant amongst vs a continual daily remeÌ„brance of his passion by which we haue escaped all euill obteined al good heÌ„ce it came that our Lord said vnto his Apostles speaking of this Sacrament Do ye this in my remembrance the Apostle S. Paul expounding these-wordes of our Lord sayth As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke the cup you shall shew forth the death of our Lord vntill hecome That is to say as often as you shall come vnto this most sacred mystery you shal be mindfull that Christ left his life for you and this remembrance shall still endure or continew vntil the second coming of our Lord that is euen vntill the end of the world And our Lord wold haue vs daily to be mindful of his passion death because he knew this remembrance to be very profitable for vs that being mindeful of his great charity towards vs we should as well in our life as in our death repose all our trust or confidence in him for what will he be able to deny them for whome so freely and liberally he hath bestowed his owne life Another fruit of this celestiall banquet is designed in these wordes mens inpletur gratia the soule is replenished with grace which is the singular priuiledge of this Blessed Sacrament when it is receaued with due preparation and disposition of the receauer for as corporall food is but one thinge and by eating is conueyed into the stomacke yet notwithstanding it doth repayre nourish strengthen comâ—rt all the members of the body and conâ—ary wise to much abstinence from meate â—ot only makes the stomake empty but â—eakens and extenuates all the members it maketh them vgly and languishing in fine kills the body so this Diuine meat doth repaire nourish and strengthen all the spirituall power of our soule the memory by this sacred food is filled with grace of the most sweet remembrance of the benefits of God and especially of our Lords passion by which we are deliuered and saued our vnderstanding by this food is filled with the grace of fayth not habituall only but also actuall and fayth purifyes the hart from very many errours and filleth our mind with the knowledge of duiine things which breeds an vnspeakable ioy and comfort within vs and last of all the wil by this diuine food is filled with the grace of most certeyne hope and most ardent charity which for that shee is the Queene of vertues drawes all vertues vnto it with the possession wherof a man becometh most rich of spirituall wealth By these meanes then is our soule filled with grace by this most Diuine Sacrament and on the other side too much abstinence from this food hinders all the former effects it makes vs in them alâ— feeble weake deformed and drawes in the end vnto spirituall death The last fruite is futurae gloriae 〈◊〉 pignus datur there is a pledge giuen vs 〈◊〉 this most soueraygne Sacrament of thâ— glory to come the metaphor of a pledge 〈◊〉 taken from the ordinary condition annexed to a promise made amongst men because that which is promised cannot be denyed when there is a pledge giuen for the performance our Lord left his body in the SacrameÌ„t of the Eucharist as a pledge of our heauenly felicity and therefore he who at his death receaueth his Blessed body with due purity of mynde and reuerence he shall before his Redeemer shew his pledge and cannot be excluded from hiâ— celestiall happinesse And he indeed sheweth this pledge who dyeth vnited with Christ by true charity which the worthy receauing of this Sacrament did leaue in the soule for then the soule issueth forth of the body as an Espouse leaning vpoÌ„ her beloued Cant. 8. And this is that which S. Iohn writeth in the Apocalips when he sayth Apoc. 14. Blessed â—re the dead who dye in our Lord That is blesâ—ed are they who do dye conioyned vnto â—ur Lord as members vnto their head Ioan. 3. No man ascendeth into heauen but he who came downe from heauen the Sonne of man who is in heauen The Sonne of man is Christ who ascended not without his body of which he is the head and for thiâ— cause only such doe dye in our Lord who in their deaths doe adhere vnto him as meÌ„bers to their head which blessing al they do get who a little before they dy do worthily receaue Christ in the holy Eucharist And this hitherto haue we sayd touching the preparation of the sicke man to receaue his last food and heauenly Manna before that it be present brought vnto him For as soone as it is brought the sick man must as he is able lift himselfe vp and eyther on his knees or with humble bowing downe his head adore his Lord and Sauiour often it falls out that our Lord giueth such strength and vigour that men eueÌ„ ready to dye do rise at that tyme fal on their knees and so we reade of Saint VVilliam Archbishop Bourges in France Vt autem c. When he knew that his Lord Creatour was come vnto him presently recouering his strength he lept out of the bed as though that the ague had quite left him not without the amazement of such as were present especially for that he seemed to be at the last gaspe went wiâ—â— a speedy pace to meet his Sauiour chariâ—â— yielding him strength thereunto kneeling downe all bede wed with teares he adored him and to the end he might often kneele he was often lifted vp from his knees and with singular deuotion he coÌ„mended his last agony vnto Christ earnestly praying that if yet any thinges remayned to be purged that he would heere cleanse it that the wicked enemy might fynd nothing in him So farre the history of his life Now it seemeth to me a thing most requisite and to be practised at that tyme that before the sicke man do receaue the body of his Lord he repeat or heare an other read vnto him those verses of Saint Thomas of Aquin which at once do professe our fayth stirre vp our hope and kindle our charity the verses are these Adoro te deuotè latens Deitas Quae sub his figuris verè latitas c. I thee aÌ„dore O hidden Deity who couered in these outward signes doest lye My hart to thee doth tender all his might which contemplating is dazeled quite My sight my tast my touch in thee do faile me my hearing only doth for fayth auaile me To all that Christ hath spoken I agree then this truths word no truth can euer be Vpon the Crosse thy Godhead sole was shrowded thy Godhead heere maÌ„hoodly or ' clowded Yet them beleeuing both and both confessing I begge the happy theefs obtayned blessing Thy wounds with Thomas I nor see nor touch Yet thee
dolour like a damned wretch beganne to tell them that he saw hell open and the Diuell drowned in the depth of the pit neere vnto him Caiphas and others that killed our Lord giueÌ„ ouer to those reueÌ„ging flams neere also vnto theÌ„ he said Owre tâ— that I am I see a place prepared for 〈◊〉 euerlasting daÌ„nation the BrethreÌ„ hearing this began earnestly to perswade him that yet whiles he was in his body he would repent he vtterly despayring answered it is now to late to chaunge my life seeing that I haue seene my iudgement ended thus speaking without receauing the B. Sacrament he departed this life and was buried in the vtmost part of the monastery So Saint Bede and whereas this wretched Monke sayd there was now no tymâ— left to amend his life he speake not that out of truth but out of the suggestioÌ„ of the Diuell for the holy Ghost expresly pronounceth by the Prophet Ezechiel â—zechiel â— 33. that God is alwayes ready to imbrace such who are conuerted from synne to repentance and more plainly S. Leo in his epistle to Theodorus Bishop of Forotulia in these wordes To the mercy of God we can assigne no measure or apoint any tyme to whose presence a true conuersion fyndes no delay the spirit of God saying in the Prophet when thou shalt lament thy sin then thou shalt be saued I will add an example or two more to shew that vertuous men also at their passadge out of this life are often tempted with the sin of desperation there is extant in Surius the life of the Count Eleazarus who liued a Virgin with his wife Dalphina and shined after his most holy death with many miracles this Count notwithstanding at his death endured most stronge tentations for thus writeth the Authour of his life in the last Chapter Ad extremum in agone positus c. At last in the agony of death he shewed a very dreadfull looke whereby it might be coniectured that he was in perplexity for somethings that were obiected vnto him in this conflict he cryed out the power of the Diuells is great but the force and meritts of the sacred incarnation and passion of Iesus Christ hath broken and made weake their forces and a little after cryed out agayne Planè vici Now I haue ouercome a little after that agayne with a strong cry he sayd I do commit my selfe wholy vnto the iudgment of God so saying his contenance retourned to the former wont and graced with a fayre red in his cheeks with a splendour and very much beauty he yielded vp his soule vnto God There is another example much more dreadfull then this in Iohn Climacus who râ—counteth that a certeyne very Veneâ—able Monk called Stephen after that he had liued well neere forty yeares in the wildernes in fasting watching teares and prayers being adorned with many vertues he came at length to dye and when in his last agony the Diuells had found him guilty of many great crimes therâ—by to cast him into despayre he was sodenly amazed in mynde and his eyes being open with a loud voice he beganne to say sometymes thus Ita sanè reuera ita est sed poenitentia lachrimis crimen dilui It is iust as you say so indeed it is but with pennance and teares I haue washed away that spot sometymes thus Non estita mentimini it is not so you doe bely me Then agayne Verum loquimini sed fleui sed ministraui you speak the truth but I haue wept I haue serued in some other things he sayd Verè me accusatis quid respondeam non habeo You do truly chargâ— me and I know not what to answere and so dyed leauing it in doubt whether he were saued or damned These theÌ„ other the like examples do admonish vs with all diligence to cleanse our conscience before that houre that so we may not distrust in â—he mercy of our Lord. CHAP. XI Of the eleuenth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the third tentatioÌ„ that is of the hatred of God OVR Aduersary the Diuell doth not only labour as much as he can to rob such as are to dye of their fayth and hope to draw them into heresy desperation but also striues to separate the friendes of God from his frendship and to draw them into his hatred by blasphemies magical arts these men for the most part neyther feare death nor hel persuading themselues that in hell they shall lead a merry life being now become the fellowes of Diuells who raygne and rule in those parts of this point writeth Grillandus Lib. desor quaest 9. num 2. lib. 6. dâ— mag ca 1. sect 3 and out of him Martinus Delrio affirming that wheÌ„ the witches are taken by the officers as themselues haue often confessed that then the Diuell seeketh for no more or is busied in any other thing but in persuading them to remayne obstinate euen vntill death yâ—â— though they shold be brought to the placâ— of execution and the fire should be kindled promising them to deliuer their bodyes from the halter or fire and to procure that they shold feele no payns in the flams or in case they should dye by that burning yet that their death should be without all sense or feeling of any paine and so to passe without torment out of this life into the happines of the next that there they shal be like the Diuels themselues endued with as great strength knowledge wealth power pleasure as the Diuell himselfe is So doth the lying Diuell delude and deceaue them There is also another sorte of these people who albeit they be not properly witches or magitians yet are so blinded with the inordinate loue of worldly wealth as that they differ very little from Infidells â—hes 5. â—lloss 3. neyther was it without cause that the Apostle called couetousnes the worship of Idols for that wealth is the Idoll the God and all the loue and delight of the couetous My selfe going one day to visit one that was sick very neere his death when I beganne to speake vnto him about the â—reparing of himselfe to dy he with stout courage and without all feare answered me and sayd I haue desired Sir to speake with you not for my selfe but for my wife and children for I now hasten vnto hell so as you need not for me to trouble your selfe any further And this he spake with as great a peace and quiet of mind as if he had talked of walking into the fields or going to some towne neere at hand for so farre foorth had the Diuell subdued possessed his soule as now it desired not nay it would not be separated from him and yet was this man no Magitian or Necromancer but practised an art which was very dangerous and wholy set vpon gains whether by right or wrong and thus he forgot not only God but also his owne
yet belieue learned men that affirme the same why wil they not belieue those thinges which God himselfe by his Apostles Prophets hath reuealed of his owne nature and by so many so great signes and miracles hath confirmed the same If the tentation be touching those things which we beliue God to haue done or still to doe as specially the transmutation of bread and wyne into the body and bloud of Christ the accidents of bread wyne remayning as before diuers exaÌ„ples are to be alleadged of innumerable thingeâ— which we beliue God to haue done when as yet we are able to yield no reasoâ— heroâ— Who can conceaue the whole worlde aâ— the only will and commaund of God to haue beene able to be made of nothinge And yet many doe belieue it who yet cannot be brought to belieue the mystery of the Blessed Eucharist Who also were it not warranted by diâ—ine authority wold belieue the bodyes of all dead men turned into ashes or into dust or deuoured by beasts or changed into grasse in a moment at the commaund of our Lord to rise agayne And yet all Catholikes belieue this and confesse it in their Creed and the same belieued the holy Iob before some thousands Iob. 19. of yeares for he sayth I know that my Redeemer doth liue and in the last day I shall rise againe out of the earth and shall be clad againe with my skinne out of these then and other woÌ„derfull workes of God which fâ—r surpasse our reach and capacity and are by the holy Catholike Church propounded for all to belieue we may be induced to belieue the other because the Church as testifyeth the Apostle is 1. Tim. 3. The piller foundation of Truth These things and the lik may be proposed vnto such as are tempted about matters beâ—onging vnto fayth Such as are tempted about their hope to them the greatnes of Gods mercy which is infinit and farre exceeding the number or greatnes of all our synnes is to be explicated Holy Dauid sayth in the psalme Our Lord is gratious and mercifull Psal 144. he is patient and very mercifull our Lord is good vnto all and his mercyes are ouer â—ll his workes Againe he is to be put in mynde of the propitiation or sacrifice to appease Gods wrath offered vp by the mediatour of God man Christ Iesus vpoÌ„ the crosse of which S. Iohn saith He is the propitiatioÌ„ for our sins not for ourâ—alon 1. Ioan. 2. but also for the sins of the whole world Thirdly the force of pennance is to be layed open before him which if it proceed from a hart truly contrite it neuer hath any repulse from God for the prophet most truly wrote Psalm 50. God will not despise a contrite humbled hart Then also let such a one call to his remembrance the example of the prodigall childe who had scarsely pronounced these wordes Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee when as presently the bowells of his louing Father were moued to compassion and he cast himselfe on his sonnes armes imbraced him vested him a new put a ring on his fingar and caused a greaâ— banquet to be made ready for him and all this because his sonne that had beene lost was now found agayne Last of all the example of the Apostle S. Paul is to be proposed who whiles yet he did persecute the Church was preuented by the grace of God and changed from a persecutour into a prâ—acher and this as the same Apostle writeth hapned to him that all sinners by his example might be conuerted no maÌ„ though neuer so wicked might despaire of the mercy of God This is a faythful saying worthy of al acceptance that Christ Iesus came into this world to saue sinners of whome I am the first or chiefe but therefore haue I obteyned mercy that in me Christ Iesus might shew all his patience for the instruction of such as should heerafter belieue in him to euerlasting life But such as are tempted with the most grieuous tentation of al other I mean with that which is against the loue of God and are prouoked to hate him and to loue the Diuell First they are to be taught that the Diuell is a lyar for thus sayd our Sauiour of him VVhen the Diuell speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne because he is a lyar and Father of it where these words and Father of it Tract 41. in Ioan. hom 42. in Ioan. Genes 3. do signify the Diuell to be the Father of lyes as both Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome doe teach for the Diuell first before all other beganne to lye when he sayd vnto Eue and by her vnto Adam nequaquam moriemini you shall not dye for God had said vnto Adam that he should not eate of the forbidden tree if he would neuer dye on the other side the Diuell sayd that they should eate because they should not dye therefore there is no credit to be giuen vnto the Diuell because he is a lyar and the Father of lyes agayne the Diuell is already adiudged vnto hell fire withall his complices for thus God will speake vnto the wicked at the day of iudgement Goe yee accursed into hell fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angells they do therfore greatly erre who submit themselues to the Diuell hoping after death to rule and raigne in hell with him and there to haue great wealth and all manner of pleasures and finally it is cleere by experience that al the promises of the Diuell are deceatfull for hitherto there hath not beene one found that euer I could heare of who hath euer receaued the great treasures which the Diuell promised him or being condemned by lawfull authority to prison or to the galleys or to death hath beene able by his meanes â—o be deliuered These three things if they were seriously considered of such as desire their owne saluation perhaps there would be very few or rather none at all that would euer presume to fall from him who is true God truly most powerfull most wise most good to the diuel most lying most beggarly most miserable Of the fourth tentation we need not speake seeing that it hath euidently beene shewed that this tentatioÌ„ is not so hurtfull as healthfull vnto such as doe dye or if any desire a remedy out of the Scriptures to be able the better to beare endure the same let him whils that horrible spectacle doth last eyther reade or cause to be read vnto him the six twentith psalme which beginneth thus Dominus illuminatio mea salus mea quem timebo Our Lord is my light and my saluation whome shall I feare CHAP. XIII Of the thirteenth Precept of this Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the secoÌ„d remedy against the tentation of the Diuell VVE haue â—â—spatched the first remedy against the particuler assaults of the Diuell now we
THE ART OF DYING WELL. Deuided into tvvo Books WRITTEN By ROBERT BELLARMINE of the Society of Iesus and Cardinall Translated into English for the benefit of our Countreymen by C. E. of the same Society â—imortui qui in Domino moriuntur TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE L. M. M. the Translatour wisheth all true Honour and Happynes HAVING nothing of myne own worthy of your Honorable Acceptance or any way proportionable to your Merits I present you with a Strangers Labour in an English attyre which although for quantity it be one of the least for tyme the last that hath come from that learned Pen yet for generall profit it may proue the best as treating a more familiar Argument then any of his other spirituall Books haue done Nothing is more certayne nothing more vsuall then Death which hath consumed all that haue gone before vs and we whether we will or nill must tread the same path and follow them There is no exemption from this passage to which such is the swift and short course of our life we doe not so much runne as fly and yet for the most part come to it before we would yea altogeather against our will and that specially for the great horrour we conceaue thereof which for the most part is grounded on the guylt of Conscience For as the Wiseman saith Sap. 17. timida est nequitia wickednesse is full of feare and condemnes it selfe and where the soule is surcharged with synne hel fire prepared to receiue the sinner no meruayle though he feare and treÌ„ble or els for want of Fayth of the future life For such as make their soules as mortall as their bodyes and stretch their thoughts no further then to that which like beasts they see with their eyes do easily with the Philosopher esteeme of death as if it were Arist 3. Moral 6. Maximè omnium rerum horribilis of all things the most dreadfull in regard that it depriues them of their temporall Emoluments their Friends Honours Disports and all esteemed Happines so as the first for feare of what is to come these for griefe of that which is past esteeme death dreadfull Or finally this falls out for want of due consideration thereof of death I meane which to such as haue it still before their eyes as it is a bridle from sinne and spur to vertue so is it an encouragement against the poyson thereof For the sting of this snake as the Apostle sayth is synne Stimulus mortis peccatum 1. Cor. 15. which by continuall meditation thereon is taken away memento mortis tuae sayth Saint Hierome non peccabis Hier. ad Cypr. Greg. 13. Moral c. 10. remember thy death and thou shalt not sin or as Saint Gregory sayth culparum laqueos euadent such shall walke so warily as they shal not fal into the snares of the enemy or sting of death and consequently shal be free from al feare which the morall Philosopher did rightly obserue and therfore gaue this aduise to his friend Lucilius Seneca ep 30. Tu vt mortem numquam timeas semper cogita that thou mayst neuer feare death be alwayes thinking on it Which contemplation is so soueraigne and effectuall as our worthy Bishop of Canterbury S. Anselme writing to one Ansel ep 113. whome he very dearly esteemed in England who had demaunded his counsayle for spirituall direction he gaue him only this aduyse saying So liue euery day as thou doest desyre to be found at the last houre of thy life and so euery day prepare thy selfe as if to morrow thou wert to dye and to giue account vnto God by this meanes thou shalt proceed from vertue to vertue So he Which graue aduise little needs any Commentary your Vertuous Disposition as little needes my incitement I know you are not vnmyndfull heerof I know your Zeale and Constancy in Gods cause I know your Charity towards the afflicted and cannot doubt of the continual vse of prayer and vertuous actions wherwith now for many yeares you haue beene so well accustomed which so dispose you to this end as you need not feare but with desire expect this passage which will open heauen which will take you from the world and restore you to God which will loose the bands of this corruptible clogge and inuest you for euer with immortall glory and which finally froÌ„ the sight of these transitory things the meere shaddows of true pleasure will bring you to the full sight of the Blessed Trinity the maine ocean of all true delights and there as the Apostle sayth semper cum Domino erimus 1. Thess 4. we shall for euer be with our Lord. This is the happynesse of the Vetuous for euer in the next life to be with our Lord who neuer in this life would forsake him but still continued in his feare and fauour vntill the end These with triumphant security tread Death vnder their feete whiles the wicked surprized conquered by his force are made a prey to his Tyranny who is not moued at all with their teares cryes or any intreaty but no lesse scornes this their fruitlesse griefe then he doth the frayle power of the most potent Monarch of the world whome he ouerthrowes with as great facility as the poorest beggar and that without all regard of degree age strength riches or what els soeuer the earth affoards This did Clotharius King of France to name one for all acknowledge when being dangerously sicke as Saint Gregory of Towers doth recount Greg. Tu. l. 4. hist or cap. 21. he sayd vnto such as stood about him Vah quid putatis qualis est ille Rex caelestis qui sic tam magnos Reges interficit What thinke you my maysters How great is the King of heauen who in this manner doth kill so potent Kings Death is the instrument of execution which to such as prepare themselues vnto it is a sleep and quiet repose to others a most dreadfull bitternes and vexing torment a Lambe where it is subdued a lyon where it doth ouercome The good wish for it the bad abhorre it but both the one the other must of necessity vndergo it and I know not what greater folly or frenzy can be imagined then to be watchfull in light matters and to forget this to behould with attentiue affection the thinges that fly from vs and not to fee whither our selues by the swift wings of tyme are incessantly carryed to see others euery where to dye and yet to liue in such careles neglect as if euen in this life we were immortall to belieue that there is a Hell Heauen neither to feare the one or to desire the other to know that euery one shall receaue according to the workes he hath done good or euill Referet vnusquisque sayth the Apostle propria corporis prout gessit 2. Cor. 5. siue bonum siue malum Euery one shall receaue according to that he hath done
praecincti Let your loynes be girded this is the literall sense of these wordes that we be ready and stopped by no entanglements to runne to meet with our Lord when he shal call vs by death to this particuler iudgement This similitude of girding the loynes is taken from the custome of the Easterne people who did weare long garments almost to their feet and when they were to walke apace they did gather vp their garment and girded therewith all their loynes least the length of their weed might hinder their hast and make them go more leasurely for which cause it is said of the Angell Raphael who â—ame to accompany the younger Toby Tunc egressus c. Then Tobias going forth Tob. 5. found a faier young man standing girt as it were ready to walke By occasion of this custome of the Easterne people 1. Pet. 1. S. Peter wrote propter quod succincti lumbos mentis vestrae soby perfectè sperate c. For the which cause hauing the loynes of your mynd girded sober hope perfectly c. and S. Paul to the Ephesians state succincti lumbos vestros in veritate stand yee hauing your loynes girded in truth Now to haue our loynes girded doth signify two thinges first the vertue of chastity secondly a promptitude or readines to meet with Christ whether he come to the particuler or generall iudgement Aug. lib. de contientia Loco citat The first sense is admitted by S. Basil in his exposition of the first chapter of the prophet Isaias by S. Augustine and S. Gregory and truly amongst all the passions and perturbations of the mynde no one doth so much hinder our swift and ready passadge to meet with Christ as the concupiscence of the flesh as on the other side nothing maketh a man more ready to runne and follow Christ then doth virginall chastity Apoc. ca. 14. 1. Cor. 7. for we read in the Apocalips that the Virgins doe follow Chrisâ— whersoeuer he shall goe to this doth S. Paul exhort vs saying qui sine vxore est c. He who is without a wife is careful of those thinges which concerne our Lord how he may please God but he who is with his wife is carefull how he may please his wife is deuided But the other exposition which doth not restraine and limit these girded loyns to chastity alone but extendeth it to prompt obedience of Christ in al thinges is of S. Cyprian Lib. de exhor Mart. cap. 8. and is generally admitted by all Commentours on S. Lukes Gospellâ— the meaning then of this place of thâ— Ghospell is that all the affaiers of this world albeit very good and necessary should not so farre forth possesse our myndes as that they should hinder this chiefest most principall care of being ready to meet our Sauiour when he shall call vs by death to yield an account of all our workes yea also of our words and thoughts euen our idle words vayne cogitations For what shall men wholy drowned in the world at that tyme doe when death at vnawares and not looked or prouided for shall come who in the whole course of their life haue neuer thought of giuing an account vnto God of all their workes of all their wordes of all their thoughts of all their desires of all their omissions shall such think you be able to haue their loynes girt runne to meet with Christ Or rather shall they not be tossed entangled in their filthy life and become both dumbe and desperate What wil they answere to the Iudge when he shall demaund of them why did you not giue eare vnto my wordes by which I warned you saying Seeke first for the Kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof and all these thinges shall be giuen vnto you why did you not consider the words so often and so publickly song and sayd in the Church Martha Martha sollicita es c. Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled about many things but one is necessary Mary hath chosen the best part which shall not be taken from her If I haue reprehended the care of Martha who most deuoutly desired to serue my selfe doe you thinke that your care of gathering superfluous riches of greedy gaping after dangerous honours of satisfying your hurtfull appetites and in thâ— meane tyme forgetting the Kingdomâ— of God and the righteousnes thereof which aboue al things in this life is most necessary can please content me But let vs come to another duty of a diligent and faithfull seruant lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris and burning candles in yours hands it is not inougâ— for a good seruant that his loynes be girâ— whereby he may freely and without leâ— runne to meet with his Lord but it iâ— further exacted of him that there be also a burning candle in his hands which may shew him the way in the night at what tyme his Lord is expected to returnâ— from this marriage feast The candle in this place signifyeth the law of God which sheweth vs indeed a good way to walke in Lucerna sayth Dauid pedibus meis verbum tuum Psal 111. Thy word is a candle to my feet and lex lux sayth Salomon in his Prouerbes Prouer. 6. the law is a light but this candle giueth no light to a traueller or sheweth any way at al if it be left at home or in our chamber and therefore if we will haue it to shew vs the way we must cary it in our hands many there be that know the diuine and humane lawes but therefore they commit many sinnes and pretermit many necessary good workes because they cary not this candle in their hands that is they apply not their knowledge vnto the workes of the law How many great learned men are there who commit most grieuous offences because in their actions they take not direction from the law of God but are transported by their owne anger lust or some other disordinate passion of their mynd When King Dauid saw Bersabee naked had he recurred to this law he had found Non concupisces vxorem proximi tui thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife and had neuer falne into such an enormous crime but because he made no further recourse then to the womans beauty fogetting the law of God though otherwise a very iust holy man he coÌ„mitted adultery We must not then haue this candle hid and shut vp in our chamber but must still haue it in our handes obey the voyce of the holy Ghost which commaundeth vs that we meditate day and night on the law of our Lord Psal 1. and that we say with the Prophet Tu mandasti c. Psal 118. Thou hast commaunded thy coÌ„maundements most diligently to be kepâ— I would to God my wayes may be directed to keep thy iustifications He who hath alwayes the candle of Gods law before the eyes of his soule Psal 118. will
vertues which teach vs the art to liue well we will adioyne somwhat out of the doctrine of the Sacraments which concurre no lesse then the former to the atteyning of this art The Sacraments ordeyned by Christ are seauen Baptisme Confirmation Eucharist Pennance Order Matrimony Extreme-vnction all which are as it were diuine instruments which God vseth by the ministery of his seruants to giue his people grace to increase it to restore it That being freed from the bondage of the Diuell and adopted with thâ— honour of being the sonnes of God theâ— may at length come to be partakers of euerlasting blessednes with the holy Angells in heauen Out of these Sacrament then our purpose is briefly to shew who profiteth and who faileth in this art of good life that so he may know how to hope for a happy death and who on the contrary may looke for a miserable end vnlesse he do the sooner change his life behauiour Let vs beginne with the first Sacrament Baptisme Baptisme in order and number of the Sacraments is the first and is fittly called the gate or entrance of the Sacraments for vnlesse baptisme go before no man can be fit to receaue the other Sacraments In the Sacrament of baptisme these rites or ceremonyes are obserued first of all who is to be baptized must eyther by himselfe or his God-fathers make confession of the Catholike fayth then he must renounce the Diuell his Pompes workes thirdly he is to be baptized in Christ in which Baptisme he is translated from the thraldome of the Diuell vnto the grace of the children of God and al his synnes being blotted quite out he receaueth the gifte of heauenly grace by which he is now made the adopted son of God the heir I say of God and fellow heyre of Christ Fourthly there is giuen him a white stole he is willed to preserue the same cleane vnspotted vntill death fifthly there is giuen him a burning candle which signifyes good workes which whiles he liueth he must ioyne with the former purity signified by the white stole for so sayth our Lord in the Ghospell Let your light so shine before men as that they may see our good workes and glorify your Father which is in heauen These are the chiefest ceremonyes which the Church doth vse in the administration of this Sacrament I omit the rest which apperteyne not vnto this matter out of this euery man may conceaue whether he haue alwayes liued wel from the tyme he receaued his Baptisme vnto this present yeare of his age I do very much doubt that there are very few to be fouÌ„d who haue performed these things which they haue promised to do Matth. 20. Matth. 5. or truly which they were bound to do For many are called but few are chosen and narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life and few there be that do fynd it out Let vs beginne with the Apostles Creed how many countrey people how many beggars how many inferiour artificers are there who eyther cannot say their Creed or neuer learnt it or know how to say the wordes but vnderstand little or nothing at all of the sense And yet they in Baptisme by their God-fathers God-mothers answered vnto euery article that they did belieue and if Christ be to dwell in our harts by fayth as S. Paul doth testify Ephes 3. how shall he dwell in their harts who can scantly rehearse the words of their Creed and haue nothing at all thereof in their harts and if God by faith do purify our harts as Saint Peter the Apostle sayth Actor 15. how impure will their harts be who haue not in their hatts receaued the fayth of Christ although in flesh they haue receaued his Baptisme I speake of such as haue the vse of reason not of infants for infants by the habit of grace of fayth hope charity are iustifyed but when they are growne in yeares they ought to learn their Creed in hart belieue the Christian faith for righteousnes and confesse it in word for saluation Rom 10. as the Apostle teacheth in the Epistle to â—he Romans Let vs come to another rite All Christians eyther by themselues or by the helpe of others who answere for them being demaunded whether they renouÌ„ce the Diuell his pompes and workes doe answere I renounce but how many be there that in word renounce but renounce not indeed Or rather how few be there who with al their hart do not loue and follow the pomps and workes of the Diuell And yet God seeth all and cannot be illuded he then who desireth to liue and dye wel let him enter into the closet of his hart and let him not deceaue himselfe but seriously and attentiuely thinke and thinke againe whether he be delighted with the pompes of this world or with the works of the Diuell and whether in his hart in his deeds in his wordes he haue giuen place vnto them for so eyther a good conscience shall comfort him or a bad conscience bring him to repentance In the third rite is layd open vnto vs a benefit of God so high so deepe so long so lardge that in case we bestowed whole dayes and nights in admiratioâ— thereof and in yelding his diuine goodnes thankes for the same we should do nothing in respect of the thing it selfe good God who can conceaue who is not astonished who doth not languish away and is not resolued into deuout teares when he considers how a wretched man most iustly condemned vnto hell sodenly by vertue of this Baptisme of Christ tâ— passe from this most miserable thraldome to the right and claime of a most happy and euer enduring Kingdome And by how much this benefit is the greater by so much is the vngratitudâ— of most men more detestable for there are not a few who as soone as they arriue vnto the vse of reason returne this admirable benefit backe vpon God againe and deliuer themselues vp for slaues to the diuell for what is it in the flower of our age to follow the concupiscence of the flesh the concupiscence of the eyes and pride if life but to contract league and friendship with the Diuell and in deeds and facts to deny Christ They are rare to finde who preuented with the speciall grace of God doe diligently keepe this Baptismall grace Thren 3. and as Hieremy speaketh beginne to beare the yoke of our Lord ab adolescentia sua from their youth but vnlesse we keepe well this grace or by true pennance do againe renounce the diuell and retourne to the seruice of Christ and remayne therein vntill our death it cannot be that we liue well or be deliuered from an euill death The fourth ceremoniall rite consisteth in this that he who is baptized receaueth a white stole and is commaunded to beare the same vntill he come before the face of our Lord. By which as we said is signified innoceÌ„cy or purity
of life obteyned by the grace of Baptisme and diligently to be kept vntill the hower of our death but who can expresse how many snares there be of the Diuell the continuall enemy of mankind who lauours nothing more then to defile this garment with all manner of spotts And therefore very few are found who if they liue any while do auoyd this filth Psal 118. Truly holy Dauid pronouÌ„ced them happy who remaine immaculate in the way of this life and walke in the law of our Lord by how much the difficulty is more great to wall in a durty and filthy way without spots so much more glorious is the conquest Crowne of an innocent life Wherefore all that desire to liue and dye well ought by all means to keep this white garment of innocency and if perchance it should happen to be spotted that then againe againe they make it white in the bloude of the Lambe which is done by true coÌ„trition and repentant teares Holy Dauid after he had bewayled a longe tyme his synne reposed at length in the hope of mercy and yielding thankes vnto God confidently sayd Thou shalt sprinkle me with hissope and I shall be made cleane thou shalt wash me and I shal be made more white then snow The last rite is to receaue a lighted candle and to beare it in our hands which signifies nothing else as I haue sayd but our workes which must accompany innocency of life what these good workes are which must be done of the regenerate in Baptisme 2. Tim. 4. the Apostle teacheth vs wheÌ„ he saith I haue fought a good coÌ„bat I haue ended my course I haue kept my fayth as for the rest there is layd vp for me a Crown of Iustice with the Iust Iudge at that day will render me in these few wordes are briefly set downe all the good workes which are to be done of the regenerate in Baptisme by Christ For we must fight stoutly against the tentatioÌ„s of the diuell who As a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may deuoure We must also accoÌ„plish or end this course of good works in the obseruance of Gods commaundements according to that of the psalme I haue runne the way of thy commaundements when thou hast enlardged my hart We must finally fulfill our promise to God in multiplying his tallents in cultiuating his vineyard in the baylifship committed vnto vs or in the gouernement of his family imposed vpon vs or in whatsoeuer other imployments committed to our charge for albeit that it hath pleased the high wisdome of God to admit his adopted children vnto the heauenly inheritance yet that this might be effected with his and our greater glory it hath pleased the same wisdome that we should merit the same heauenly inheritance that is euerlasting blessednesses by our owne good workes proceeding from his grace and our owne free will therefore that most rich and most glorious inheritance shall not be giuen to such as sleepe as loyter as play but vnto such as watch as labour as perseuere vnto the end of their liues in good workes Now let euery man discusse his workes let him diligently examine his life and manners if he will liue and dye well and if his conscience yield him testimony that he hath fought a good combat with vices and concupiscences and with all the tentations of the old serpent and that he hath happily ended his course in all the commaundements and iustifications of our Lord without complaint that he hath beene faithful to our Lord in all the charges or offices committed vnto him then let him securely reioyce and say with the Apostle There is layed vp for me a crowne of Iustice which our Lord the iust Iudge will giue me If so be that our conscience exactly discussed do testify that in this coÌ„flict with the enemy of mankind it hath been grieuously wounded and that his fiery darts haue penetrated euen vnto the very soule that also not once but often further that it hath often fayled in the course of good workes and that not onâ—y it hath not runne on cheerfully but â—hrough faintnes to haue sit downe yea â—ayne along in the way and finally if â—n the thinges committed vnto it by God it hath not kept promise but that eyther vayne glory or acception of persons or the like haue taken part of the gaine let him recurre without delay to the Sacrament of pennance and vnto God himselfe as his Phisitian let him not delay this businesse of all businesses the greatest vntill another tyme because we neyther know the day nor houre of our death CHAP. XI Of the eleuenth Precept of dying well which is of Confirmation AFTER the Sacrament of Baptisme followes the Sacrament of Confirmation out of which we may draw a document of good life no lesse agreable to that we treate then from Baptisme for notwithstanding that Baptisme be a Sacrament more necessary then is the SacrameÌ„t of Confirmation yet is the Sacrament of CoÌ„firmation more noble then the sacramenâ— of Baptisme which may be proued from the minister from the matter from the effect The ordinary minister of Baptisme is the priest or deacon and in tyme of necessity whosoeuer The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop and by dispensation of the supreame Pastour the Priest alone The matter of Baptisme iâ— naturall water the matter of Confirmation is pretious oyle mingled with balm and consecrated by the bishop the effect of Baptisme is grace and the Character such a one as is necessary to frame a spiritual child according to that of Saint Peter As children newly borne seeke or hunger yee after milke the effect of Confirmation is grace and the character such as is requisite to make a Christian souldier to fight against inuisible enemyes Ephes 6. as S. Paul writeth VVe haue not to encounter with flesh and bloud but against the Princes and powers against the Gouernours of the world of this darkenes against the spiritualls of wickednes that are aboue in the ayre as S. Hierome and S. Ambrose interpret it Last of all in Baptisme salt is giuen vnto the infants to tast in Confirmation there is a blow giuen them that the Christian soulders may learn to fight not by striking but by pacieÌ„t suffering for the loue of Christ But that we may the better perceaue the office or duty of a man annoynted with holy oile that is to say of a Christian souldier let vs see what the Apostles receaued in their Confirmation which was giuen then vpon White sonday The Apostles were not properly confirmed by the Sacrament of holy Chrisme but receaued from Christ the Prince of priests the effect of the Sacrament without the Sacrament and they receaued three giftes VVisdome Eloquence and Charity in the highest degree and besides this the gift of miracles most profitable for the conuersioÌ„ of Infidels vnto the faith these gifts did the fiery toungs which appeared on
Cap. omnis de Panit. remiss where expounding the fourth Chapter thus he writeth As it is lawfull for vs euer to fast or euer to pray and without intermission hauing receaued the body of our Lord ioyfully to celebrate the sonday so is it not lawfull for the Iewes to sacrifice their lambe c. And this opinion liked well Saint Thomas in the third part of his Quaest 80. art 10. theologicall Summe As touching the other point of preparation to receaue so great a Sacrament that it may be receaued to the health of our soule and not to our iudgement anâ— condemnation first of all is required thaâ— our soule be liuing with the life of grace not dead with the death of mortal sin because for this respect it is called meat giuen vnder the forme of bread for that it is not the meate of the dead but of the liuing as sayth our Sauiour in S. Iohn He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer in the same place my flesh is truly meat the CouÌ„cell of Trent addeth further that it is not a sufficient preparation to receaue duly this celestiall food that he who is defiled with mortall synne content himselfe with coÌ„trition alone but that he be carefull to purge his synnes by the Sacrament of peÌ„nance in case he can haue a Ghostly Father Againe for that this Sacrament is not only bread but also a medicine and that an excellent one and most wholsom against all the diseases of vices therefore secondly is required that a man do desire perfect health and to be cured from all the maladyes of synne and principally from â—he chiefest of them as leachery couetousnes pride That this Blessed Sacrament is a medicine Saint Ambrose cleerly auoucheth Lib. de Sac. Cap. 4. He that is wounded sayth he seeketh for a meâ—icine the wound we haue is because we are vnder â—ynne the medicine is the heauenly and venerable â—acrament So he and Saint Bonauenture He â—ho reputeth himselfe vnworthy let him thinke â—hat so much the more he needeth and hath necessary occasion to seeke for the Phisitian by how much more he feeleth himselfe to be sicke And Saint Bernard warneth his brethren that they attribute it to the grace and vertue of this Sacrament that they fynd their bad inclinations other infirmityes of the mynd to be diminished Lastly this most holy Sacrament is not only the food of trauellers and medicine of the sicke but is also a most learned and most louing Phisitian and therfore when he cometh to visit vs he is to be receaued with all ioy and reuerence and the howse of our soule is to be adorned with all manner of vertues and in particuler with the ornaments of faith hope Charity Deuotion Piety and with the fruites of good works as of prayer fasting and almes For these ornaments doth this sweet guest of our soule require who yet wanteth nothing of that which we arâ— able to giue him againe consider that thiâ— Phisitian who cometh vnto vs is botâ— King and God whose purity is infiniâ— and requireth a most cleane tabernacle 〈◊〉 our brest Let vs heare Saint Iohn Chrysostome in this matter Then what should not he be more pure who enioyeth this sacrifice Serm. 66 ad pop Antioch then whâ—â— sunne beame ought he not to be more resplendenâ— who deuideth this flesh The mouth that is replenished with this spirituall fire Now let any one who is desirous to liuâ— and dye well make recourse to his owne soule and shutting the dore against all distractiue businesses let him consider alone with his owne hart before God who searcheth the reynes and harts of all how often and with what preparation he doth coÌ„municate receaue this Sacrament of our Lords body and if he fynde that by Gods grace he doth often and with fruit receaue it and thereby in spirituall life to be nourished and by little and little to be cured from the diseases of synne and morouer that he doth more and more daily profit and proceed in vertue and good deeds let him reioyce with trembling go on to serue God in feare not with that seruile of slaues but with that sincere and chast which is of children But if he be one of those who contented with communicating once in the yeare do neuer more thinke on this most wholsome Sacrament but forget to eate this bread of life by how much more they grow fat broad in body by so much the more are their soules weakened and do wither away and let such a one know that he waÌ„teth wit and is farre of from the Kingdome of God the yearely communicating is not decreed by the holy generall Councell for this end that none should communicat but once in the yeare but that once in the yeare they should be compelled thereunto vnlesse they would be cast out of the Church and deliuered ouer to Sathan And Such men for the most part do not receaue their Lord in the Sacrament with filiall loue but with seruile feare soone after returne to the huskes of hoggs to the pleasures of the world to temporall commodityes and ambitiously to gape after false fugitiue honours that so at the day of their death they may heare with the rich Glutton Memento fili quia recepisti bona in vita tua Remember soâ— that thou hast receaued good thinges 〈◊〉 this life therefore must not expect fâ—â— any more in the next and if any be founâ— who maketh oft recourse to the misteryâ— of this most holy Sacrament and that eâ—â— uery Sonday or else euery day if perhapâ— he be Priest and yet neyther refrayneth from mortall synnes nor seriously exercyseth himselfe in good workes nor 〈◊〉 not yet truly gone out of the world but aâ—other men who are of the world thirsteâ—â— after riches is caryed away with carnall delights seeth and sigheth after higher degrees of honours and dignityes he truly eateth the flesh of our Lord to his iudgment and by how much the more he vnworthily frequenteth these mysteryes by so much the more neerly doth he imitate Iudas the traytour of whome our Lord sayd Melius erat eisi natus non fuisset homo ille it had been better for him if ho had neuer beene borne Let no man despayre of his saluation whiles yet he liueth and therfore let him with himselfe cal to account his yeares and workes and then he shall fynd that hitherto he hath runne much astray out of the path of saluation let him know that yet there is tyme left to returne so that he will seriously do pennance come againe into the way of â—ruth I thinke it conuenient to end this â—hapter withall that I adioyne what S. Bonauenture writeth in the life of the holy Father S. Francis I meane of the admirable deuotion and loue of this most holy man towards this diuine Sacrament that by the example of his feruour our tepidity or coldnes rather may be kindled
and their fire is not quenched which wordes our Sauiour Christ thrice repeated in one chapter of Saint Marke the better to imprint in our harts the punishments of hell for durance to be eternall Marc. 9. and for this eternity most cruelly to torment the bodyes of the damned with incredible griefe Those who on earth by order of iustice haue seene a man burned in the fire haue beene scant able to endure the sight of that torment which yet is dispatched as it were in a moment but in case one neuer so faulty should endure for a whole day in the flames certeinly none were able to endure so dreadfull a spectacle Let then euery one within himselfe make this discourse if I cannot endure to see the burning of a man aliue with whome I haue nothing to doe how shall I be able to endure the burning of myne owne bodye for an howre day moneth or yeare And if this breed in me so great horrour and dread that I cannot so much as thinke vpon it with what intollerable folly doe I put my selfe in so great danger as to burn for euer If we belieue not the matter to stand thus where is our fayth If we belieue it where is our iudgement where is our wit If we be Christians if we belieue the holy Scriptures how can it be that so great danger hanging ouer our head we are not waked and stirred vp to preuent it He truly that will be saued let him enter into his hart and hauing diligently weighed all these thinges in their owne ballance let him so cary himselfe as that death may fynd him prepared hell fire not receaue him but rather he may happily deserue to enter into the ioyes of his Lord. CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the glory of the Saints THERE remainâ—th now the last of the four last things which is of the glory of Saints in haÌ„dling wherof I wil briefly consider the three heads aboue mentioned in the former chapter of Hell torments the place the tyme and the manner The place of the glory of the Blessed Saints is the heauenly Paradise the tyme eternity which hath no end the manner is celestiall happines exceeding all measure Let vs beginne with the first The celestiall Paradise is a place Place most high aboue all the mounteynes of the earth aboue all the elements aboue al the starrs and therefore the Kingdom of heauen is called in the Scriptures The howse of God the citty of the great King the citty of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem Out of the most high situation of this Citty we may easily perceaue that there are many priuiledges of this place aboue all the places of this world firsâ— by how much this place is higher aâ—ongst worldly thinges created by so much it is the greater and more capable for receipt for the forme or fashion of this world as it includeth heauens elements as we see is crowned â—n so much as all the whole earth is but the center thereof and the highest heauen or vtmost sphere including al the rest must needs be of infinit capacity a thing so euident as it needeth no proofe The place therefore of the Saints as it is most high so is it also most large and spatious as on the contrary side the the place of the damned as it is of al others most low so is it also most streight as we haue sayd Againe the place that is most high is also most pure for certeinly the water is purer then the earth the ayre theÌ„ the water fire then the ayre heauen then fire the supreme heauen then that of the starrs finally the place that iâ— most high is most secure in so much as there can no harme reach thereunto and no scourge as the psalmist sayth can come â—â—â—l 60. neere vnto his tabernacle First then the seate of Saints is most â—â—mâ—le and large that they may freely go â—rom oâ—e place to another neither is there any danger least they be wearyed by their trauell for hauing the gift of agility or nimblenes they can in a moment passe froÌ„ place to place without labour or difficulty now what pleasure and delight will it be now to passe from the east to the west now to transport our selues froÌ„ the south to the north and in an instant to compasse or go about the whole world whils the damned in hell being bound hand foot remayne for all eternity without further motion in the same place and this felicity of Saints shall be the greater for that they enioy that most pure refreshing in heauen which neyther darkenes nor clowdes nor vapours nor blasts of wynd nor any contagion can defile whiles the most miserable captiues of hell are constrayned to lye in the thicke darkenesse smoke of that burning fornace in that place so ouercharged with horrour without al hope or expectation of any though neuer so little refreshment Now what shal I say of that supernall Citty most safe from all treaâ—on and harme Prayse Hierusalem our Lord prayse â—â—y God o Sion Psal 147. because he hath made stronge the bâ—â—â—s thy gates This defending or making strong of the gates doth not signify that whiâ—â— the wordes seeme to sound for it is saâ—â— in the Apocalips of the heauenly Citty Et portae eius non claudentur per diem nox enim noâ— erit illic The gates thereof shall not be shâ—â— in the daytime for there is no night there and therefore God hath made stronge thâ— barrs of the gates because he hath made iâ— impregnable by reason of the height and although the Dragon fought in heauâ—â— with Michael the Archangell the cause thereof is not for that he ascended out of hell into heauen but that being created in heauen before his confirmatioÌ„ in grace he rebelled against God and puffed vp with pride affected his equality but because tâ—â— heauenly Hierusalem is fonded in peace 〈◊〉 enemy of peace could not stay therin but preseÌ„tly like a flash of lightning fell from heauen and after that time could neuer set his foot therein from that time no maâ— is admitted to inhabit this Hierusalem vnlesse he be grounded and perfectly confirmed in peace And so much of the place Let vs speake now of the tyme the time of inhabiting the celestiall Hierusalem is â—ftâ—â— the fall of the diuell Tyme a tyme without â—yme that is an euerlasting durance without the enterchange of daies and nights so in the Apocalips the Angell swore by him that liueth for euer that there shall be no more tyme and Christ in the Ghospell the iudgement being ended will say Hi ibunt sic in ignem aeternum iusti autem in vitam aeâ—ernam so they shall go to wit the wicked into euerlasting fire and the iust into euerlasting life but this difference there shall be between these eternities that they damned
shall against their will endure theirs and shall seeke for death and shall not fynde it but contrarily the iust shall heare nothing so ioyfully as their eternity that is a life without feare of dying standing in vertue without feare of falling It resteth that in few wordes we explicate the manner how the Saints shal be in heauen after the resurrection Manner And I hold this may most truly be affirmed that whatsoeuer good thinges are wished for on earth although combined mingled with many bad the same but farre better and without all mixture of any euill â—o be enioyed of the Saints in heauen The thinges that on earth are valued and esâ—eemed for good are these three honouâ—s riches pleasures the honour of the Saints in heauen is such as it seemeth incredible vnlesse it were warranted by his worde who cannot lye heare our Sauiour Christ who is truth it selfe thus speaking in the Apocalips of Saint Iohn To him that ouercoÌ„meth I will graunt to sit in my throne Apocal. 3. as I also haue ouercome and sitten in my Fathers throne what I pray you can be added to this honour Doubtles the throne of the Sonne of God is the highest in heauen and he who sitts thereon may well be thought to haue gotten vnspeakable honour what applauses what prayses shall there sound out in heauen before God and all the Angels when as a man once mortall and frayle shall by the hands of God himself be placed in the throne of the Sonne of God who is the Prince of all Kings of the earth and King of Kings and Lord of Lords nothing I say can be added vnto this glory As touching the power of a Saint that also shal be so great as that we are scaÌ„t able to imagine it for there is extant a promise of the same Christ the eternall â—ruth in the Ghospell of the faythfull serâ—ant Matth. 24. 〈◊〉 men I say vnto you he shall mak him gouerâ—ur ouer â—ll his goods which words do plainâ—y shew this faithfull seruant to be made partaker of that power in heauen which God himselfe hath ouer all his creatures and how great thinke you is the power of God ouer all creatures Truly most great most incomparable therfore al the Saints shall be called and truly shal be Kinges of the whole world not for a few yeares but for euer and this is the sentence which Christ the supreme Iudge will pronounce in the last iudgement when he shall say to the iust Come ye Blessed of my Father Matth. 25. possesse a Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde Of the riches of the Saints this alone might suffice that the riches shall be most copious and for euer permanent the Prophet telling vs Psalm 112. Glory and riches are in his howse and God himselfe wil be all in all as the Apostle sayth in his epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 15. which wordes Theophilact and S. Anselme do so expound as they make them to yield this sense God shall be all in all for heere meate is one thinge vnto vs drinke another another our garment another our howse another honour another power in heauen after the resurrection Goâ— himselfe will be to all his Saints meaâ— drinke garments house riches pleasure honouâ— power all things then that the Saints shal haue in heauen shall be most precious all incorruptible all diuine all God himselfe Saint Hierome addeth in his epistle to Amandus that God will be all thinges vnto the Saints not only corporall but also spirituall for now all diuine graces are not giuen vnto all but vnto one wisdome as vnto Salomon to another piety as vnto Dauid to another patience as vnto Iob but when the end of all thinges shal be then shall all thinges be in all that so euery one of the Saints only may possesse al vertues all gifts all thinges What I beseech you would a couetous man giue in this world that he might possesse alone all the riches and wealth thereof what the leacherous man that he might atteyne all the wanton pleasures which he doth desire What the ambitious that he may get all the honours and preferments which he doth aspire vnto And yet are these temporall matters and soone to be lost and which is more miserable after a very â—â—ort tyme are to be exchanged with euer â—stiâ—g beggary griefe and shame Why â—â—en do we not seeke God in whom alone â—e shall possesse all spirituall and corpoâ—all blessings which shall last continew â—ith vs for euer But what finally shall we say of the ioy and pleasure of Saints Isay and Saint Paul do preach and â—ell vs The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard nor hath it entred â—â—to the hart of man what God hath prepared for such as do loue him Truly God hath prepared â—or the Saints who loue him in their heaâ—enly home ioy mirth pleasure delights â—weetnes and that such as no mortall maÌ„ hath euer tasted or was euer able to haue imagined three thinges are required to procure delectation the power of the soule the obiect and the vnion or coniunction of one with the other and by how much these are the greater by so much also the delectation which is caused by theÌ„ is the greater there is no power created greater or more liuely or more capable of delight then the will of man or Angells there is no obiect more noble more amiable and sweet then the essence of our Creatour Psal 33. Gustate viâ—â—teâ— sayth Dauid quoniam suauis est dominus tast and see for that our Lord is sweet and the wise man speaking of the sunne starâ—s sayth VVith whose beauty if they being delighted thought them to be Gods Sap. 13. let them know how much 〈◊〉 beautifull their maker is for the Authour of beauty hath made all these thinges and there can be no coniunction or vnion more great then is that of God with a reasonable wil the Apostle telling vs 1. Cor. 6. That he who adhereth 〈◊〉 God is made one spirit with him The coniunction of bodyes for the most part is but superficiall and doth not penetrate all the interiour parts and yet this corporal pleasure so rauisheth mens myndes as it makes them almost to become mad what suauity what sweetnesse then shall the soule tast when it shall be inwardly conioyned with God who is infinit sweetnes and â—e made one spirit with him Heere I waâ—â— wordes and am no way able to expresse what with my selfe I conceaue and ruminate Add hereunto that all humane pleasure which is caused by the creaturs is buâ— momentary or certainly very short but the pleasure that ariseth out of the coniunction of mens spirit with God who is â—nfinit sweetnes will neuer be ended and yet so great madnes is in many meÌ„ as they had raâ—her enioy carnall pleasures base â—mall and for a short tyme then those â—hat are most great most
pure most perâ—ect and to continew for all eternity and â—his may suffice in this place for the foure â—ast thinges Death Iudgement Hell and Heauen CHAP. V. Of the fifth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of making our last will and Testament THE consideration of Death at hand and the foure last thinges being premised it followeth that he who maks himselfe ready to go out of the world doe dispose of his house Isay 38. for so the Prophet Isay warned King Ezechias saying Dispose of thy house for thou shalt not liue from which trouble all Religious men are discharged who can say with the Apostle Ecce nos reliquimus omnia secutisuâ—â—s te Be hold we haue left all and haue followed thee Matt. 19. of which number Saint Augustine was one of whome Possidius writeth thâ—â— in his life He made no will or testament because the poore seruant of Christ had not whereof to make it for albeit he were a Bishop yet according to the custome of Religious men he kept nothing as his owne But this Wil is to be mad at the beginning of the sicknes in case the patieÌ„t haue not prudently preuented it by making it whiles he was in good health they doe much hurt hinder themselues who neuer thinke on making a Will vntill their sicknes still increasing they be forced thereunto by their friendes at what tyme they eyther beginne to leese their senses or certainly cannot then dispose of their thinges with that wisdome iudgement and maturity as they had disposed them had they made their Wills whiles they were in good health First of all before the sicke men make their wills they must think of paying their debts if so be that they be charged with any then to leaue their good vnto them to whome of right and equity they shall know them to appertayne not suffer themselues to be caryed away with affectioÌ„ towards those persons whoÌ„ they most loue in case this be any way repugnant to iustice In such thinges as depend on their owne free gift let them first lay before their eyes the glory of God and then the necessityes of their neighbours and if they be very rich those thinges which before they ought to haue giuen to the poore let them not now thinke to haue satisfyed their conscience if with their other synnes they confesse also this vnto the priest their ghostly Father vnles they take order that the same thinges be giuen to the poore or rather vnlesse that they themselues do presently giue them For it is a common opinion of the holy Fathers and chiefe schoole Doctours that all superfluous thinges which the rich enioy are due vnto the poore of which thing we haue writen in the former book and ninth chapter and it is not needfull heere againe to repeate what I haue there sayd but of thinges which they may dispose of at their pleasure let them conferre with vertuous discreet men which be the workes of charity that then for the tyme and place are more acceptable vnto God somewhere perhaps it will more import to buyld a Church or place for common buriall elswhere to place poore maydes in honest wedlocke elswhere to â—uyld an Hospitall to help the number of sicke persons elswhere to bestow almes on such as begge in the streets elswhere to redeeme captiues and the like and finally in such distributions there if no better rule to be obserued Lib. 3. off Cap. 48.3 p. Past adm 21. then as Saint Ambrose sayth sincere Fayth and discreet prouidence or as Saint Gregory sayth Charity with prudence or prudence conioyned with charity This in my iudgement is of speciall moment and seriously to be considered that the almes which are giuen by the liuing or else are appointed to be giuen by such as are to dye that then they be specially giuen or appointed when as he that giueth or appointeth them is gratefull vnto God for then both to the one other they are very meritorious and such bountifull almes-giuers are receaued of their good friendes into the euerlasting tabernacles according vnto Christ his promise in S. Luke for if they be giuen or appointed to be giueÌ„ by a wicked man the almes auaile nothing to euerlasting life whatsoeuer it doe in respect of other merits neyther for them are the giuers receaued into the euerlasting tabernacles wherefore the party that is guilty of mortall synne and hath made his last will and testament in that state is to aske counsaile of a discreet ghostly Father or some other of his vertuous frends that after a Confession entierly and perfectly made he confirme allow and ratify whatsoeuer he had disposed in his former will especially for the bestowing of almes on the Church or poore people after his death Hereunto last of all is to be added that he who in his last will and testament hath beene liberall vnto his neighbours that he be not vnmyndfull of his owne soule when as it may very well fall out that he go not directly after his death into heauen but first passe through the place of purging fire wherefore he shall do both prudently and religiously if he command one part of the almes to be giuen vnto Priests who may offer vp sacrifices vnto our Lord for his soule for as the Scripture testifyeth It is a holy and wholsome thought to pray for the dead 2. Mach. Cap. 12. that they may be deliuered from their syns so in the second of the Machabees out of which place Saint Augustine gathereth à fortiore that the soules of faythfull Christians departed this life are much more holpen by the sacrifyce of the body bloud of Christ in the Masse then they other were by the sacrifices of beasts in the old testament CHAP. VI. Of the sixt Precept of this Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the Confession of our sinnes AFTER the consideration of the former points it is necessary that a man gone in yeares or taken with a dangerous sicknes do seriously casting aside all other cares apply his mynd duly to receaue the Sacrament of Pennance for it often happens that at what tyme the Sacrament of Pennance is most necessary that then it is with lesse disposition receaued of the Penitent such as are grieuously sicke or hindered with sorrowes or weakenesse or want of iudgement or horrour of death at hanâ— or loue of their deere frends whoÌ„ vnwillingly they leaue make a very maymed and imperfect confession for being in those â—nguishes they can hardly stirre theÌ„selues vp vnto true and sincere contrition or sorrow for their offences My selfe can be a witnesse of this difficulty which such for the most part doe fynd for when at a tyme I visited a frend a rich Gentleman who by reason of a great synne he had committed fell into a deadly disease told him that there was nothing better for him to seeke
for as thinges then stood then true repentance and contrition for his synne because that God neuer despiseth a contrite and humbled hart he answered me with this demaund VVhat is Contrition I do not vnderstand what you would haue me do I replyed that which I require is that froÌ„ your hart you abhorre your synnes and be sory that you haue offended God thereby and firmely determyne with your selfe if longer life should be graunted you neuer more to offend God and al this for the loue that you be are his diuine Maiesty who hath bestowed vpon you innumerable benefitts and to whome you most vngratefull for benefitts haue retourned iniuryes He answered agayne I vnderstand you not I am not capable of these matters and so dyed leauing behind him euident signes of his damnation These and the like examples are admonitions for vs that whiles we are well we do so disburthen our conscience do true pennance as though euery confession were the last that euer we shoulde make Yet notwithstanding euen in the sickenes it selfe a confession is to be made with as great diligence as may be especially the sicke man is to be stirred vp to coÌ„trition out of true griefe for his sinnes past and firme purpose of not sinning againe if his life should be prolonged and we must not only do pennance for our sinnes committed but also for the omission of good workes to which by reason of our office or out of charity we were bound to doe for many there be that do curiously inough consider theyr sinnes committed against God and their neighbour but easily forget their omissions or set light by them I can add for demonstration hereof a very profitable example A very learned and deuout Bishop was deadly sicke there came a Priest vnto him that was his frend and myne of whoÌ„ I heard what I now relate he demaunded of the Bishop as a familiar frend whether his conscience were quiet and free from trouble the Bishop answered that by the grace of God all was wel that since his last confession he could call to mynde nothing of momenâ— wherein he had offended God the Priest further demaunded whether his conscience did not accuse him of Omissions 2. Tim. 4. seing that the Apostle so carefully warned Timothy a Bishop saying I testify before God and Christ Iesus who shall iudge the liuing and the dead by his comming and Kingdome preach the word be vrgent in season out of season reproue beseech rebuke in all patience and doctrine the Bishop hearing this did sigh and sayd indeed my omissions doe much terrify me and foorthwith there came from his eyes whole streames of teares But aboue all Contrition is requisite for one that will dispose himselfe to dye well for confession without contrition or true attrition is not sufficient for saluation and without contrition satisfaction is inualid or of no force which yet at that tyme can hardly be performed of the sicke man but contrition which in his owne nature includeth charity although with confession and satisfaction when they cannot be performed is alone sufficient for as we sayd a little before God will not despise a contrite and humbled hart the sicke man then must carefully labour to haue true contrition of which endeauour we haue a notable example in S. Augustine as Possidius testifyeth who in his last sicknesse whereof he dyed caused to be written out for him the psalmes of Dauid which belonge vnto pennance and seâ—ting the leaues against the wal lying in his bed he did looke on them and reade them Et iugiter vbertim flebat and did always that abundantly weepe and he tooke order before that none should hinder or distract him for ten dayes before his departure he gaue order that none of hiâ— house shold enter or come vnto him but at such tyme of the Phisitians came to visit him or else when he was to take some meate all the other tyme he bestowed in prayer O most Blessed and most prudent man he liued after his Baptisme and after that the sinnes of his former life were remitted him three and fourty yeares in which euen vntill his last sicknes he dayly preached the word of God he wrote innumerable bookes and most profitable for the whole Church he liued without complaint an innocent and most holy life and yet at the very end of his yeares and in his sicknes he so gaue himselfe for many dayes togeather â—o contrition pennance that in reading the penitentiall psalmes he continually and abundantly wept and these two wordes are much to be noted iugiter vbertim continually abundantly for this study to attayne contrition was not for one day or houre but for many dayes and he did very often and with great abundance of teares bewayle his synnes and what manner of synnes were they which this most holy man did thus bewayle Truly I am of opinion that they were only veniall that so he might not only be deliuered from hell fire but from Purgatory also and so presently ascend into heauen And if so holy and wise a man did weepe continually and abundantly for so many dayes togeather his veniall synnes what should they doe who are yet to mak satisfaction vnto God not only for their venial but also for their mortall synnes Therefore let all old men who are neere the end of their dayes so dispose of themselues before they fall sicke that they may not need in their old age or sicknesse to blot out any deadly synnes but to do pennance only for such as are light and veniall and let them before hand so prouide to arme themselues against che snares of the Diuell by holy Confession Communion and Extreme Vnction that God being their guyde and their good Angell acccompayning them they may happyly arryue vnto their heauenly countrey CHAP. VII Of the seauenth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the B. Sacrament theÌ„ giuen for a Viaticum or parting-food THE auncient Christians in the administration of this sacred food Extreme vnction vnto the sicke did first anâ—ise the sick with holy oyle then after â—ue vnto then the most sacred body of â—r Sauiour and to alleadge a testimony 〈◊〉 two for this matter there is extant in the first tome of Surius the life of S. VVillian Archbishop of Bourges in France who liued in the time of Pope Innocent the third in which it is sayd He humbly and deuoutly receaued the Sacrament of Vnction and hauing receaued that he desired most earnestly the Blessed Sacrament to be giueÌ„ him that being armed with so good a guyde for his iourney he might the better passe through all the squadrons of his enemyes So he and the same is related in the life of Saint Malachias written by Saint Bernard to wit that he tooke his last voyage foode the most Blessed Sacrament I meane after that he had receaued the Sacrament of Extreme vnction Besides these
two testimonyes which shew the order obserued betweene the two Sacraments Extreme Vnction and â—he holy Eucharist there may be produced â—wo other which shew the Blessed Sacraâ—ent to haue beene the last although no â—ention be made in them of extreme Vnction In the life of Saint Ambrose which Paulinus wrote there is mentioned that he at the point of death receaued this heaueÌ„ly food and hauing receaued it presently departed this life and the same writeth Methaphrast of Saint Iohn Chrysostome in his life so as it is cleere that this was the last Sacrament that was giuen to the sicke in â—ncient tymes Now a dayâ—s we first arme the sicke with the Blessed Sacrament then after some dayes the disease continuing or encreasing we anneyle them with holy oyle both customes haue their reasons for approuance the ancient Fathers did coÌ„sider the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to be instituted both for the recouery of perfect health and to take away synnes or the relikes that remayned of them for so speaketh Saint Iames Is there any sicke amongst you Iac. 5. Let him fetch the Priests of the Church and let them pray ouer him annoynting him with oyle in the name of our Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and our Lord shall rayse him vp and if he be in sinns they shall be forgiuen him The ancients then hoping by this sacred Vnction the corporall health of the diseased delayed not this Sacrament vntill that tyme when in the iudgement of Phisitiâ—ns the disease was desperate but as soone â—s it seemed in their iudgement to be danâ—erous presently they made recourse vnto â—he holy vnction which also may be gathered of that which Saint Bernard writeth in the life of Saint Malachy the same Saint being sicke came downe on his feet from his chamber which was in the top of the howse to the Church that first he might receaue the holy Vnction then the Blessed Sacrament and hauing receaued them both he returned againe on his feet without the helpe of any to his chamber bed But now a dayes when they heare any mention to be made of extreme Vnction they thinke all at an end that the sicke man cannot escape for which cause the kinsfolkes and friendes of the partyes that be sicke not to terrify them with the apprehension of present death do delay as long as they can this Sacrament There is also another reason hereof which moued the ancients first to anâ—eyle the sicke then to giue them their â—eauenly foode because in the SacrameÌ„t of Extreme Vnction the synnes are forgiuen as we haue heard out of the Apostle Sainâ— Iames and therefore of some ancient writers Extreme Vnction is called Poâ—nitentiâ— infirmorum the pennance of the sicke and remission of synnes togeather with pennance are most worthily premised as a preparation or dispositioÌ„ to the most high diuine SacrameÌ„â— of the Eucharist which requireth the greatest pâ—â—ity that can be gotten in this life Finally all the Sacraments are ended and as it were sealed vp with the Sacrament of the body of our Lord and so we see that such as are of rype age when they are baptized as Turkes Iewes the like are presently after their baptisme confirmed admitted to be present at the sacrifyce of the Masse and to receaue the holy Eucharist so likewise such as did publike pennance after their pennance performed at least according to the auncient custome al wayes receaued the Blessed Sacrament and they who take Orders whether the lesser or greater after they haue taken them come to the holy communion and lastly such as are marryed doe strengthen and confirme the Sacrament of Marryage with the Sacrament of the Altar now in our dayes this order is alteâ—ed and that not without a iust cause For oftentymes it happynes that Extreme Vnâ—tion that the sicke person may not be aâ—frighted is put of for a longe tyme and there is danger least he leese his senses or vse of â—eason or for some other cause become vnfit if not vnable to receaue the B. Sacrament and therâ—fore this wholsome food is giuen before for it is better that the order of giuing these Sacraments be changed then that the sicke should be depriued of the one that also most wholsome and comfortable and Extreme Vnction may be giuen vnto the sicke albeit he be in his agony or last pangs and conflicts with death although he neyther vnderstand or feele what is done so as yet he be aliue for the dead are capable of no Sacraments and so much of the order of ministring these Sacraments to the sicke Now I come to speake of the pretious body of Christ to be fruitfully giueÌ„ to the sicke and first I will briefly explicate what the sicke man is to doe before this Sacrament be brought vnto him then what the same sicke man is to do wheÌ„ the body of Christ is present lastly how he ought to behaue himself after that he hath receaued it As for the first my counsayle sholâ— be vnlesse his Ghostly Father should suggest some other thinge according to the present occasions more necessary that the sicke man diligently ponder these wordes of Saint Thomas O sacred banquet in whiâ—â— Christ is receaued the remembrance of his passâ—â—â— is recounted the soule is filled with grace a pledge is giuen vs of the glory to come First then he shal attentiuely consider the holy Eucharist to be giuen to vs trauellers which tytle by Deuines is applyed vnto all mortall men by way of food that we faint not in the way in which we trauell towards out countrey especially at that tyme in the which we being wearyed with a longe iuorney we become weake and feeble this food is called a banquet and a sacred baÌ„quet for although it be giueÌ„ vnder the forme of bread alone yet is it an entiere great banquet a banquet not prophane but sacred not of the body but of the soule and therefore it is added In quo Christus samitur in which Christ is receaued for vnder the formes or accidents of bread is the true body of Christ not separated from his soule and diuinity and for that it is a most great most excellent and most pretious thinge a great and most sweet banquet farre exceeding the tast of all earthâ—y sweetnes but fit to feed and delight the â—oule not the body What the fruites or commodityes are of this food is added when it is sayd The remembrance of our â—auiour his passion is recounted the soule is filled with grace and a pledge is giuen vs of our future glory The first fruite then is the remembrance of our Sauiours passion for which cause the body bloud of our Lord are consecrated vnder the twofold formes of bread and wyne that the forme of breade may represent his body separated from the bloud and so consequently dead and the forme of wyne represent his bloud separated from the body although that
my God to be I do auouch Make me belieue in thee still more more Of hope charity increase my store O sweet remembrance of my dying Lord true bread that vnto man doest life affoord Daigne to my soule on thee alone to liue and alwayes with that food sweet tast to giue Sweet Pellican deerest Soueraigne my vncleane hart clense with thy bloudy rayne VVherof one drop sufficient power contaynd to purg the world though al with sin destaind Iesus who now doest vnder veyles appeare when shall it be which I esteeme so deare That I beholding thy reuealed face May by that glorious sight with thee find place Amen Hauing dououtly sayd or heard these verses hauing made the ordinary confession which beginneth with Confiteor Deo c. and hauing taken the absolution and blessing of the priest and sayd Domine non sum dignus let him add with as great â—â—mility deuotion as he can these wordes Into thy handes O Lord I commend my soule and then he may securely â—â—ceaue this sacred celestiall Sacrament After the communion there remayneth thanksgiuing vnto God for this so excellent a benefit and besides vocall prayers which he may reade out of some pious bookes it were also very behofull that he who hath now receaued his last food for his iourney and passadge vnto heauen should enter into the closet of his hart and meditate with himselfe in silence on those most sweet wordes of our Lord Iesus in the Apocalips I stand at the dore and knock if any shall open it vnto me Apoc. 3. I will enter in vnto him I will sup with him and he shall sup with me for these wordes doe most fittly agree with those who come from the holy communion for our Lord who instituted this Sacrament in the forme of a baÌ„quet desireth nothing more then that all Christians should repaire vnto this feast and this is signifyed â—y those wordes Ego sto ad ostium pulso I â—tand at the dore and knocke that is I doe â—nuite my selfe to this common feast that â— may also be fed si quis mihi aperuerit if any shall open the dore vnto me assenting vnto this good desire which I haue inspired that we may feed and feast togeather intrabo ad eum I wil enter in vnto him by the communion of this holy banquet Psal 103. I will sup with him he shall sup with me Because that God is sayd to sup with vs when he is delighted with our spirituall progresse in vertue according to that of the Psalmist Our Lord will reioyce in his workes And in another place Let my speach be delightfull vnto him and I will be delighted in our Lord in which wordes is expressed the mutuall delight as it were a sweet banquet of God with the soule and of the soule with God for God is delighted with the spirituall profit of the soule and the soule is delighted with the benefitts receaued from God of which the chiefest is that by this sublime Sacrament he vouchsafeth to linke and vnite himselfe after a sweet manner with our soule Wherefore let the faythfull soule after the receauing of this Sacrament reflecâ— and thinke with it selfe how sweet soueraigne a thing it is to haue Christ himselfe as a guest within it whiles the Sacramentall formes remayne not only as God but also as man and to be able to deale confidently with him to conferre with him our dangers and anguishes 〈◊〉 our passadge from this body from his haâ—â— to commend himselfe vnto him and to desire of him to beate backe the common tempter of mankynd then most busy to send vs an Angell to accompany vs and to bring vs safely into the port of saluation CHAP. VIII Of the eight Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of Extreme Vnction THE last Sacrament is holy Vnction which is able to yield great comfort vnto the sicke if the force and vertue therof be well vnderstood and the SacrameÌ„t itselfe taken in due tyme. There be two â—fects of this Sacrament as we sayd in the â—rmer Chapter corporall health and reâ—ission of synnes let vs speake a little of â—yther Of the first thus writeth S. Iames â—s any sicke among you Let him bring in the priests â—f the Church and let them pray ouer them annoynâ—ing them with oyle in the name of our Lord and â—he prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke These wordes are playne and conteyne a promise Two reasons may be giuen why in our dayes so few sicke men do recouer their sickenes notwithstanding that they receaue this Sacrament one is for that now a dayes this remedy is applyed to the sicke later then it should for we must not expect miracles by this or any other Sacrament and it were a miracle if one that is at the last gaspe should presently recouer but if this Sacrament were ministred vnto then when first of all they beginne to be daungerously sicke we should then often see this effect of recouery which wold not be done in a moment but would follow in tyme and this is the cause why that such as are to be executed by way of iustice are not anneyled because that they cannot without a manifest miracle be deliuered from the danger of death Anothâ— reason is because it is not expedient euâ— for the sicke man to he deliuered from hâ— disease but rather it is better for him to dy and the prayer of the Church which is made in this Vnction doth not absolutely desire the health of the sicke party but only to recouer his health at that tyme if iâ— be auayleable for his saluation Another effect of this Sacrament is remission of sinnes for thus speaketh Saint Iames Et si in peccatis fuerit remittentur ei and if he shall be in synnes they shall be forgiuen him But for that the remission of originall synne doth belong properly vnto Baptisme the remission of actuall to baptisme also in case the baptized be growne in yeares or to the Sacrament of peÌ„nance for syns committted after baptisme therefore the Deuines do teach the sins which are remitted in the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to be the relickes or remuants of synne of which relikes or remnants there be two sorts sometymes relikes of synnes are called eyther the mortall or venial sins which are committed after that we haue receaued the Sacrament of pennance and are no afterward confessed to our ghostly Father â—yther out of ignorance for that â—he penitent did no take them for mortall or out of forgetfulnes because he did not â—hen remember them and therefore the sicke man sought not for a priest to whom he might confesse them These reliks doth the SacrameÌ„t of Extreme Vnction take away and of this kynde of synnes Saint Iames sayth If he shall be in sinnes they thall be remitted him which the Councels of Florence Trent doe teach especially the latter in the
14. session second Canon Another kind of the relikes of syns is a certayne horrour or stupidity or rather sorrow and heauines which oppresse sicke to which apperteyneth the promise of Saint Iames Et alleuiabit eum Dominus and our Lord will lift him vp this SacrameÌ„t recomforteth the sicke when they marke the diuine promises expressed in the same and for that cause it should not be differred vntill the last houre when the sicke man doth not heare or else vnderstandeth nothing at all What vtility is reaped out of this Sacrament may be gathered by the words of the forme thereof Fiue places there be which are specially annoynted in which the fiue seÌ„ses are scituated to wit the sense of seeing the sense of hearing the sense of smelling the sense of tasting and the sense of touching and in the meane tyme the priest sayth Indulgeat tibi Dominus quicquid deliquisti per visum auditum c. Our Lord pardon or forgiue thee in whatsoeuer thou hast synned by sight by hearing and so of the rest and because that prayer is the forme of the Sacrament without all controuersy it effectually worketh that which the words doe sound and signify vnlesse there be some impediment on the behalfe of the receauer How great the bountifulnesse and mercy of our Lord God is in this Sacrament he will soone fynde that shall consider with himselfe what a mayne multitude of synnes do flow from these fiue fountaynes and this was the occasion why Saint Malachy a Bishop of Ireland whose life Saint Bernard wrote after that for some houres he had delayed to minister this Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to a certeyne noble woman that was sicke and she the meane tyme had departed out of this life he so farre foorth repented himselfe that with his priests he lay in the chamber of â—e dead woman all the night praying â—d lamenting imputing it to his owne â—ult that the vertuous woman eyther had â—ot recouered by the vertue of Extreme Vnction or had not receaued that ample pardon of her sins from the liberall mercy of our louing Lord and because this holy Bishop was the friend of God by his prayers and tearâ—◠〈◊〉 obteyned of him that the sayd woman should come agayne to life receaue from the hands of the same Saint both the effects of this holy VnctioÌ„ for she recouered her health liued many yeares after as we may piously coniecture gayned also the pardon of her sins This example of so worthy a man and of another most holy man faithfully related is inough to persuade all who with reasoÌ„ or authority wil be perswaded how much they ought to esteeme this venerable Sacrament CHAP. IX Of the ninth Precept of this Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the first tentation of the Diuell to wit Heresy VVHEN our death drawes neere our aduersary the diuel as a roâ—ring lyon is not wanting to himselfe but swiftly approacheth as vnto a prey with all his power assayles the sicke man in his last conflict and he is wont to make his first assault with the tentation concerning fayth for the things which we belieue do transcend not only our sense but also naturall reason and fayth it selfe the ground of our iustification and that being ouerthrowen all the buylding of our good workes falleth downe this of all other tentations it most grieuous because we are to encounter with an Aduersary not only most learned subtile but trained in this warfare from the beginning of the world He it is that hath seduced all the heads or ringleaders of heretikes of whome not a â—w were excellent and very wise men â—ell therefore doth the Apostle warne vs â—ur combat or conflict is not agaynst flesh bloud Ephes 5. â—hat is to say agaynst men but against the â—iritualls of wickednes that are aboue That is â—gaynst the Diuels which are spirits most â—icked and crafty spirits and see vs all from the ayre aboue called Coelum aëreum the aiery heauen our weapons in this batâ—ell are not disputations but simple beliefe of the truth for so do the two chiefe Aâ—ostles teach vs. S. Peter sayth Ephes 6. Your aduerâ—ary the Diuell goeth round about as a roaring lion â—eking whome he may deuoure agaynst whome mak â—esistance being stronge in sayth and Saint Paul 1. Pet. 6. In all things taking the shield of fayth in which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked enemy Therefore out of the doctrine of the Apostles we must dispute with the Diuell but with the shield of fayth take all his darts and beate them backe agayne although they seeme to be both fiery and burning that is efficacious subtle There is a very dreadfull example hereof in Peter Barocius Bishop of Padua who wrote three bookes of the methode of dying well he his second booke thus speaketh Fuere quemadmodum audiui c. Two there were as I haue heard in their tyme most learned and of all others of thâ—â— vniuersity in which they studied the chiâ—fest disputers both of good behauiour anâ— very deuout of which one of them aftâ— his death appeared vnto the other at sucâ— time as he was in his library and studyinâ— of the holy Scriptures and that all in buâ—ning fire the student a mighted at this spectacle and asking what the cause sholâ— be of so great torment the other witâ— griefe and sighes replyed saying when I was to depart out of this life the enemy oâ— mankynd to wit the Diuell came vnâ—â— me and for that he knew me to be weâ—â— learned he beganne to aske me about mâ— fayth what I did belieue I answered that 〈◊〉 belieued whatsoeuer was conteyned in the Apostles Creed he willed me to explicate somethinges vnto him which seemed not to be so cleere I did so and that in such manner as I had reade in the Creed of Athanasius for I thought that they could not be more carely or more truly explicated Then the Diuell It is not so as thoâ— doest surmize for those thinges which belong to God the Father are in part playne and true in part obscure and false for 〈◊〉 indeed is eternall but as he hath euer â—â—ene God so hath he not euer beene a faâ—â—er but first God and after a Father aâ—â—inst this when that I cryed out and sayd â—â—at it was an heretical position diaboâ—call doctrine the Diuell sayd this matter 〈◊〉 not to be decided by clamours but arguâ—ents if we be moued with desire of fynâ—ing out of truth I can easily alleadge reaâ—ons for my opinion as for your opinion defend it if you can and then shall you deliuer me from a great errour I poore wretch who presumed more on my wit â—nd learning then was fit beganne seriously to dispute with him as with some ordinary man till at length by little little with the arguments that he obiected against me he drew me into that
wicked errour as now I neyther belieued the Son nor the holy Ghost to be God presently death tooke my soule hence and in what state it found it in the same it presented it vnto the Iudge and by him I am adiudged vnto this fire which although most raging yet in some sort I should thinke more tolerable if that after a thousand thousand yeares it might haue an end but it is eternall and there withall so great thaâ— none whatsoeuer that euer hath beenâ— seene in earth can match it in so much 〈◊〉 almost euery houre I repeÌ„t me of my leaâ—ning which hath brought me to thiâ— dreadfull destruction And hauing thâ— spoken he vanished away but the otheâ— exceedingly astonished as well for the nâ—uelty of the thing aâ— with the miserabâ—â— case of his daÌ„ned frend as soone as he recouered himselfe coÌ„ferred with such as weâ—â— his greatest frends touching this vision asked their counsayle what they thought best in such a case to be done and it wâ—â— determined by them all that euery one aâ— such a tyme and occasion should without dispute refer himselfe to that faith which the Catholicke Church doth mayntayne Not longe after he fell into a sickenesse whereof he dyed when loe the same enemy emboldened with the successe of the former dispute asked him of his fayth what he did belieue to whome he answered that he did belieue that which the holy mother the Church did belieue agayne the Diuell demaunded what doth the Church belieue he answered the same that I belieue and in this manner in the hearing of all that were present as though â—e had sâ—oken vnto him he neuer ceased â—om saying I belieue what the Church â—â—liueth and the church belieueth what I â—elieue vntill he gaue vp the ghost and by this meaÌ„s deluding the subtilty of the enemy he passed into heauen And a few days after he appeared vnto his friends of whoÌ„ before he had asked â—â—unsayle what was to be done in such a case in a farre differeÌ„t shape from that wherin his fellow before had appeared vnto him and he gaue them thanks for that by their couÌ„saile he passed all difficultyes and aryued vnto heauen which things we haue not thought amisse to set downe as they hapned that so eyther out of feare by the misfortune of the one or out of confideÌ„ce by the good successe of the other euery one may learn that there is no disputing with the Diuell that it is inough to referre himselfe to that fayth which the Catholike Church doth teach mainteyne Hitherto Barocius I need not heerin say any more then he already hath sayd CHAP. X. Of the tenth Precept of the Art of â—â—ing well when our Death is neere which is of the second tentatation of the Diuell to wit of Desperation ANOTHER tentation at this tymâ— wont to be touching Despayre bâ— which the Diuell if often wont to trouble not only wicked men but also such as be very vertuous and truly as for wicked meâ— when their death is at hand he easily casteth downe into the pit of desperation for he layes before their eyes al the offenceâ— which in the whole course of their life they haue committed as Venerable Bede in the fifth book of his history recounteth of a certayne souldier in these wordes Fuit quidam temporibus Coenredi qui post Edilredum regnauit c. There was one in the time of Coenred who raygned after Edilred a lay man and by profession a souldier who by how much the more gratefull he was to the King for his exteriour diligeÌ„ce so much was he displeasing vnto him for the inteâ—â—our negligence of himself and therefore â—â—e King carefully warned him that he â—ould confesse his synnes that he would â—â—mend leaue them before that he were â—â—rprized by death and before that it were â—â—olate for him to repent and amend them but the souldier notwithstanding his ofteÌ„ admonitions despised all good counsaile and promised his Admonitours that afterwards he would doe pennance in the meane time falling sicke he lay on his bed â—nd beganne to be tormented with great â—ayne whome the King visiting for he â—eerly esteemed him did earnestly perâ—uade him that now at last before he departed that he would doe pennance for his synnes but he answered that he wold not then confesse them but would doe it after that he were recouered least that his fellowes should vpbraide him and say that he had done that out of feare in his sicknes which he would not do whiles he was in good health speaking as he thought couragiously but indeed as after appeared miserably deluded by the Diuell for the sicknes increasing when as the King came againe to visit admonish him he foorthwith with cryed out with a pitifull voice what wil you now haue for what are you come hither now there is no more saluation tâ— be hoped for vnto whome the Kinâ— sayd speake not in this manner see that now you leese not your selfe I am not maâ— quoth he but I haue now my most wicked conscience before myne eyes a little since there entred into my chamber two most beautifull young men and they sate by me one at my head and the other at my feet and one of them tooke out a booke very fayre but wonderfull little and gaue it me to read and reading the same I fouÌ„d registred therein all the good deeds that I had done and these were to few and to little or small then presently rushed in an army of wicked and horrible spirits and he who for the darkenesse of his clowdy face and for his preferment in sitting seemed to be chiefe brought foorth a booke of a dreadfull aspect of an excessiue greatnes and for weight almost importable and commaunded the same to be brought me to read by one of his guarde which when I had read I found all my wikednes and whatsoeuer I had offended in not only in worke and word but also in my secretest thought to be written most cleerly in vgly letters Thus spake this desperate wretch and soone after dyed and that pennance which for a short tyme he omitted to do with the fruite and pardon of remission of his synnes he now without all fruite doth vndergo in euerlasting torments Hitherto Saint Bede Where euidently we see the Diuell first to haue persuaded this miserable souldier not to do pennance vnder the precept of longer life and then to haue brought him into desperation There is another example in the same Authour in the next Chapter where thus he writeth Noui ipse fratrem c. Lib. 5. c. 1 historiae Angl. I knew a brother whome I would to God I had not knowen whose name also I could tell if the telling thereof wold auayle any thing who was placed in a famous monastery though he liued infamously this man being ouertaken with sicknesse and brought euen vnto the point of death called for the brethren of the monastery and with great
soule The conclusion in fine was that hauing longe laboured to reclaime him and draw him to a better mynde I could doe nothing with him Some perhaps wil desire to know of what profession this man was of which to the end his death may be a warning vnto others that practise the same in case that any be like him as there are to many I will not dissemble he was a lawyer but one of the number of theÌ„ which care full little whether the cause whicâ— they doe defend be iust or wronge aâ—d aâ— little doe they care though the iniure both partes so that they may fill their owne purses And for that I am fallen into this mattter I will add this also when on a tyme a very learned lawyer talked with me and explicated the â—quity of a certayne cause I breaking off his speech sayd you seeme to me to defend a bad cause The lawyer answered that so indeed it was but quoth he I am not an Attorney for truth or iustice but for my clyent I am to make the best of the cause with I haue taken vpon me to defend let the Iudge looke how he pronounce the sentence and in fauour of whome I replyed that in this matter I did not desire that he should belieue me but that he shold belieue Saint Thomas of Aquin a most learned 2. quaest pâ—art 3. most holy Doctour who writeth in this manner Respondeo Dicendum c. I answere and conclude that it is vnlawfull for any man to cooperate eyther by counsayling helping or consenting to doe euill because he who is the counsailour or cooperatour is in some sort also the dooer the Apostle writing vnâ—â— the Romans sayth that not only such as â—o sin â—â—t such also as consent to the doers â—â—e worthy of death and hence followeth 〈◊〉 before hath beene sayd that all such are â—ound to restitution but it is cleere that â—he Lawier Attourney or Aduocate doth â—ffoard his client both help and counsayle therfore if wittingly he defeÌ„d a wrong cause doubtles he sinneth grieuously and â—s bound to the restitution of whatsoeuer â—osse the other party hath incurred by his meanes helpe or assistance if out of ignorance he do defend an vniust cause thinking it to be iust he is excused in such sort as ignorance can be excused So farre Saint Thomas and his Commentour Cardinall Caietan explicateth the last wordes of Saint Thomas saying Qui omnino defendisset c. He who had defended the cause whether it were iust or vniust although he know it not to be vniust doth pleade vniustly not out of ignorance but with ignorance which doth not excuse and they also who care not to see and penetrate whether the cause that they maynteyne be iust or vniust do manifestly neglect to know that which they are bouÌ„d to know So he To these tentatioÌ„s another may be added which doth not so much hurt as help 〈◊〉 although the Diuell vse it with in 〈…〉 only of hurting for the Diuel vseth ofteâ—tymes to be present to shew himselfe iâ— most dreadfull vgly shape to such as aâ—â— tody that in case he be not able to deceaue them yet that therby at least he may hinder their alacrity and feruour of prayer so writeth Sulpitius of Saiâ—t Martin to wit that the Diuell appeared vnto him when he was to dye vnto whome Saint Martin sayd VVhat staÌ„ds thou heere for thou bloody beast Thou shalt fynde no filth in me and the venâ—rable man Petrus Damianus in the life of S. Odilo doth write that the Diuell appeared to the same Saint in a most fearefull shape a little before his death of whome Saint Odilo is recounted to haue spoken In the hower of my departure in that corner for he pointed as it were at the place with his finger I saw a cruell most dreadfull shape which endeauoured to strike a horrour and dread into me of a most monstrous vision but Christs grace assisting me it could do me no hurt And Saint Adelinus Bishop of Sagium writeth of Saint Oportuna the Virgin extant in Surius that the Diuell appeared vnto her when shee was to dye in the forme â—2 April of a blackemore from whose a head and â—eard did drop downe hoat and liquid â—ytch his eyes were like burning iron that â—s taken out of the forge when it casts out many sparkes out of his mouth and nose issued foorth a flame of fire and a stinking vapour like vnto brimstone The cause why God permitteth holy men to be tempted with those fearefull visions is deliuered by an Angell of our Lord in the life of Saint Aicardus to be seen in Surius 15. Sepâ— for whereas the Diuell at a certeyne monastery was busy to get his prey a holy Angell who was the Guardian Angell of that monastery sayd vnto the diuell Thou shalt heere haue an imployment fruitfull for the monkes but not profitable for thee for the Monkes to cleanse their synnes for thee to confusion and the diuell replying am I bound eyther to these or to any other Christians to further their saluation The Angell answered in this thou art bound because whatsoeuer is in them that is to be cut of through the horrour of thy vision shall be purged or made cleane And a little after the same Angell speaking of the diuell sayd vnto S. Aicardus Be not afraid of him he hath no power giuen him to hurt any in this family but that only his vgly visioÌ„ shall cast the beholders now ready to departe out of their bodyes into a wholsom feare which shal take away whatsoeuer yet remayneth to be purged CHAP. XII Of the twelfth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the first remedy against the Tentations of the Diuell VVE haue layed open in the former Chapters foure tentations which do much molest such as are to dye against which tentations there may be applied two sorts of remedies one of them is for such as yet haue the vse of reason and can both heare and vnderstand what is sayd vnto them the other is more generall and common vnto all and it is most profitable secure Concerning the first if the tentation impugne the Catholike faith it is no way conuenient as before we sayd to dispute with the Diuell but in generall such as be â—o teÌ„pted are to be aduertised that if the tentation be touching the nature of God whom we are to belieue to be one in substance and three in person the sicke man is to be taught that he reflect with himselfe that there be many things created not only spirituaâ— but also corporall of which we are ignorant for most men wil not be drawn easily to belieue al the starrs of the firmameÌ„t to be greater theÌ„ the whol world and yet the mathematitians do easily demonstrate it to be most true and in case this thinge which is corporall be of many not vnderstood who
Saint Paul in his second epistle to the Corinthians Id enim quod in praesenti est momentanem c. 2. Cor. 4. For our tribulation which in this life is momentary and light worketh in vs aboue measure on high an euerlasting weight of glory we not contemplating the things that are seene but which are not seene for the thinges which are seene are temporall the thinges which are not seene eternaâ—â— These Apostolicall and golden words to a spirituall man are most easy and plaine and out of them alone without alâ— difficulty he learnes the art of liuing and the art of dying well but to a carnall sensual man they are as obscure as any Cymmerian darkenes and sound as the Hebrue or Arabicke tongues do to one who knoweth no other but the Latyn or Greeke A spirituall man gathereth out of these wordes the tribulations of this life although most grieuous endured born foâ— the loue of God to be most light and most short albeit they should last for many yeares because whatsoeuer hath an end cannot be properly sayd to be of long continuance and the same tribulations to merit before God so great riches as that an vnmeasurable euer during treasure of glory and all good things is purchased by them out of which al men of capacity may see that these tribulations are not to be feared but we are to feare our sins neyther are temporall emolumeÌ„ts to be much regarded but eternall only And hence it followeth that men are to liue well on earth that they may happily raigne in heauen and consequently liue dy most securely But sensuall men that haue no spirit who in wordes say that they belieue the words of the Scripture and deny it in deeds they doe plainly peruert the words of the Apostle and say if not with their tongue yet in their hart that pouerty ignorance ignominy iniuryes tribulations are most grieuous therefore with all care to be auoyded preuented repelled albeit they should for that end lye deceaue commit murther offend God and afterwards go to hell firâ—â—or say these men who knoweth whether any where there be a hell Or who hath euer seene this eternall weight of glory But we fynde by experience we know for certeyne yea we feele with our hands pouerty ignominy and iniuryes to be ill Thus doth the world and such as are of the world not deliuer in wordes but testify in their actions and this is the cause why the greatest part of men doe liue ill and dye most miserably And to alleage an example or two of the bad death of the damned we haue in the fourth booke of S. Gregoryes Dialogues the example of one Crisorius who being one of them whom I now described a politike fellow wise and in worldly affayres very practicall but withall as S. Gregory noteth very proud and couetous this man being now come to the end of his life opening his eyes saw most filthy and vgly spirits to stand before him to draw neere that they might take him away perforce and carry him into hell the poore man began to tremble to wax pale and with loâ—d cryes to aske for respit crying and saying Inducias vel vsqâ—â—ane inducias vel vsque mane resâ—it 〈◊〉 till to morow respit but till to morrow and whiles he thus cryed euen in the very speaking his soule was taken away from his body by which it is most cleere that he saw that vision for our instruction that it might be a warning to vs seeing that in respect of himselfe it was nothing auayleable And this vsually hapneth vnto such as differ or delay their amendment vntill the last houre of their life and of this number are they to be reckoned who as Saint Gregory sayth in the beginning of his fourth booke doe not easily belieue any thinge that they do not see with their eyes or if they belieue they doe not belieue as they should by reforming their liues to the prescript of vertue Another example is in the same place where Saint Gregory writeth of a Monke that was an Hypocrite who was thought to fast whiles in the meaâ—e tym he did secretly eate and drinke and the same Saint affirmeth the sayd Monke to be damned in hell fire for he acknowledged his synne but did no pennance for it for God on the one side would haue his Hipocrisy detected and on the other gaue him not grace to repent that othâ—â—â—ay learne not to delay their coÌ„fession â—â—peâ—nance vntill the end of their life But not to stay longer in discoursing of such who through their owne negligence haue not learned the art of liuing well therfore haue miscaryed in their ends I returne to the wordes of S. Paul which are very full of mysteryes most wholsom documeÌ„ts First it is good to note how far the Apostle doth extenuate his owne merits and labours endured for Christ and extolleth the glory of the Kingdome of heauen which is the reward of our merits That sayth he of our tribulation is momentary and light this is the extenuation of his merits The Apostle with all possible endeauour had laboured almost fourty yeares for when he was called by a voice from heauen vnto Christ he was a young man Cap. 7. for so it is written in the Acts of the Apostles the stoners of Saint Stephen deposuerunt vestimenta sua secus pedes adolescentis qui vocabatur Saulus they layed their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul He liued a Christian euen vnto his old age for so he writeth of himselfe vnto Philemon cùm sis sicut Paulus senex seeing thâ—â— arâ— like Paul an old â—an therfore he â—â—towed his youth his middle and old age in the seruice of Christ and yet hâ— sayeth that his tribulations which were continuall without intermission from his conuersion vntill his MartyrdoÌ„ were out momentary and what he sayth is true if his tribulations be compared vnto the eternity of euerlasting felicity though in respect of our tyme they dured for a long while To the shortnes he addeth their lightnes Momentaneum leue tribulationis nostrae And yet how sharâ— and cruell his tribulations were himself declareth wheÌ„ in the first to the Corinthians he sayth 1. Cor. 4. Vsque in hanc horam c. Euen vnto this houre we hunger and thirst are naked and are beaten or buffetted with fists and haue no place of aboad and labour with our own hands we are cursed and we blesse we suffer persecution and endure it we are blasphemed and we entreat we are made as it were the filth of the worlde and the scum of all euen vntill this present tyme and in his other Epistle vnto the same Corinthians he addeth further 2. Cor. 11. In laboribus plurimis c. In very many labours in prisons more often in strips aboue measure in deaths often of the Iewes fiue â—â—â—es had I fourty lashes saue one thrice was I
cheerfully we do the same where the daÌ„ger is both corporall and spirituall temporall euerlasting Lastly there remayneth a consideration for these men who are so carnal sensuall that they esteeme not the losse of eternall life and that glory which surpasseth all vnderstanding these men are to be warned that in case they esteeme not the glory of heauen which they neuer saw at least they contemne not the fire brimstone and other corporall punishments which they know and which in hell are found to be most outragious truly carnall pleasure which in this life is light and momentary doth worke in the wicked aboue measure an euerlasting weight of misery And truly our Lord Sauiour Christ in the last day in few words will make this euident saying go ye accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell his Angells But S. Iohn iâ— his Apocalips hath expressed more fully what maÌ„ner oâ— torments are prepared for the Diuell and his Angells for men circumuented seduced by these Apostata spirits of the Diuell Prince of the wicked thus we reade in the Apocalips Apoc. 20. Et Diabolus c. And the Diuell who seduced them was cast into the sake of fire and brimstone where the beast the false Prophet shall be tormented day and night for euer in the next Chap. of others condemned to hell he sayth Cap. 21. to the fearfull vnbelieuing and to the execrable murtherers fornicatours and sorcerers idolaters al lyars their part shal be in the lake that burneth with fire brimstone which is the second death of which words the very first only needeth explicatioÌ„ for the other sins are manifest cleere S. Iohn calleth the fearefull those who dare not resist the tempter be he Diuell or man but presently yield and consent to the tentatation to such S. Iames sayth resistite Diabolo fugiet à voâ—is resist the Diuell he will fly from you there are not a few but rather innumerable who haue not learned to fight in our Lords warfare but without all resistance receaue the wounds of the Diuell dy the first death which is deadly syn because they are fearfull also in doing pennance whiles they dare not chastise their body bring it in subiection they fall vpon the second death which is hell therfore S. Iohn put the fearefull in the first place because this timidity drawes infinit men into hell What heere will carnall men say For that all temporale moluments whatsoeuer are momentary light we haue all learned by our owne and other mens experience that the torments of hell fire are most weighty to eÌ„dure for euer the holy Scripturs in which no falsity can be coÌ„teyned do cleerly testify Out of which it followeth that the total summe of this Art of dying well is that which is comprized in the three ensuing propositions or which is euinced in the sillogisme following in the next and last Chapter of this booke CHAP. XVII The Summe or Abridgement of the Art of dying well AS well the comfort as the tribulation of this life is momentary and small the comfort and tribulation of the next life is for duraÌ„ce euerlasting for greatnesse without measure therefore they are fooles who contemne the comfort tribulation of the next life The first proposition of this argument is cleere by experience the assumption is more cleare in the Scriptures which are penned by the holy Ghost the conclusion followeth ineuitably out of them both if theÌ„ any one will easily and soone learne this art let him not content himselfe with the reading of this or the like bookes but let him attentiuely consider not once but often not of curiosity to learne but out of sincere intention to liue and dye well what distance there is betweene momentary things and euerlasting betweene thinges of no moment and such as are of most importance most weighty and if he desire to be throughly grounded in this most profitable perspicuous truth let him call to mynde the examples of such as haue beene before vs whether by good life they came to a good end or by their il behauiour haue euerlastingly perished to case him of the labour of seking after examples I will help him to three payre of them one of Kings one of priuate men the last payre of Clergy men and all these I wil take out of the holy Scripture The first shall be of Saul and Dauid Saul whiles that he was a priuate man poore was so honest and good as that the Scripture testifyeth there was not a better then he amongst the children of Israel being made King he changed his behauiour 1. Reg. 9. in so much as there was not found a worse then he for he persecuted Dauid who was innocent euen vnto death and that for no other cause but for that he suspected that Dauid should be a King raigne after him and when he had raygned 20. yeares he was slayne in warre descended to hell Dauid a faythfull and vertuous man after a long persecution procured by Saul was declared King and for forty yeares raygned gouerned his Kingdome most prudently and iustly in which tyme he endured many tribulations at length rested in peace Now let vs compare togeather the comforts and tribulations of them both see whether of theÌ„ had better learned the art of liuing dying well Saul whils he liued had not that cleere and perfect delight which yet of all others is wont to be greatest in Kings and men of supreme authority whiles he swayed the scepter that for the great hatred wherwith he pursued Dauid therfore he tasted not in the twenty yeares of his raign the sweetnes of his crowne without the gall of enuy those yeares being expired all the pleasure of this life left him and there succeeded a perfect and euerlasting calamity and now for the space well neere of two thousand threescore ten yeares his chiefest part to wit his soule liueth in vnspeakable torments that which is more miserable these torments are to endure for euer Dauid on the other side liued 70. yeares and raigned of that number forty and although he tasted of tribulations and these neyther few nor small yet found he very frequent singular comforts out of the reuelations he had from God which he expressed in his most sweet and heauenly psalmes after his death descended not into tormeÌ„ts but with the holy Fathers into repose the bosome of Abraham and after the resurrection of our Sauiour he ascended with Christ into the euerlasting Kingdome of heauen Let the Reader now iudge whether the passadge of the wicked froÌ„ their body be not most miserable although it be of Kings and Emperours and the passage of the iust most happy be it also eyther of Kings or Emperours Saul as I sayd raygned twenty yeares and now after his death for
are to fast that our fasting may auayle vs to good life thereby also to dye wel Many there be that doe fast on all the dayes appointed by the Church to wit on eues on ember dayes and in Lent and there are some who also voluntatily fast in Aduent â—â—reby deuoutly to prepare themselues 〈◊〉 celebrate the fast of our Sauiours natiuity some on euery friday for the memoâ—â— of his passion and some on the saturday in the honour of the Blessed Virgin â—nd mother of God but whether they do 〈◊〉 fast as that they reape the fruites of fasting may well be doubted The first and principall fruite of fasting is mortification of the flesh that our spirit may becom more stronge and to attayne this end it is necessary that we feed on sparing and course diet and truly our mother the Church insinuateth this when she commandeth vs to eat not twice but one in the day and to eat not flesh and white meate but hearbes pease beames fish and the like this Tertullian explicateth in two words when he calleth lenten fare ser as aridas escas stale and dry meates Lib. de res Carnis ceâ—teinly they do not obserue this who when they do fast eate as much at one dinner as in other dayes they do at dinner and supper togeather and who in that dinner dresse so many dishes of all sortes of fish and other meates as they seeme not to prepare a dynner for mourners and penitents but a marriage supper that 〈◊〉 last for a great part of the night such 〈◊〉 so fast without question reape not 〈◊〉 fruites of fasting Neyther in like manner attayne thâ— this fruit who though they feed not â—daintily but much more moderately yâ— on the fasting dayes do no more refraâ—â— from plaies and sportes from brawlinâ— wranglings from wanton songs â—ceÌ„tious mirth that which is more gâ—â—uous from synnes naughtines then â—pon other dayes which are not fasteâ— heare what the Prophet Isaias sayth 〈◊〉 such fasters Isay 58. Behold in the day of your fast yâ— selfe-will is found and you call all your debters toâ— count behold you fast to make debates and wrâ—lings and wickedly strike with your fist fast noâ— you haue done hitherto that your cry may be heâ—â— on high This kinde of fasting did Goâ— mislike in the Iewes because in the fâ—sting dayes which are dayes of pennanâ— they would follow their owne wills aâ— not the will of God and that they wouâ—â— not only not forgiue their poore debtours as they desired to be forgiuen oâ— God but that they would not so much aâ— graunt them any respit in the payment againe for that the tyme which those who truly fast ought to haue bestowed on prayers vnto God they bestowed in prophane wrangling and contention last of all that not only as was requisite in fasting dayes did not atteÌ„d vnto spirituall matters but adding syn to sinne they did wickedly beate their neighbours abuse them Vertuous men must beware and auoyd these and the like offences if they desire indeed to haue their fasting gratefull vnto God and profitable vnto themselues that fâ—om thence they may be able to hope for a good life a pretious death There remayneth of the three workes Almes which the Angell Raphael praysed proposed vnto all to imitate CHAP. IX Of the ninth precept of the Art of dying well which is of Almesdeeds OF Almesdeeds three things briefly are to be explicated as in the former the necessity fruite and manner That there is a precept of giuing almes no man hath euer doubted of for in case we had no â—ther testimony the sentence of the 〈◊〉 iust supreame Iudge might abundâ—ly suffice who in the last iudgement 〈◊〉 say vnto the wicked Matt. 25. Discedite à me â—ledicti in ignem aeternum c. Depart from ye accursed into euerlasting fire whicâ— prepared for the Diuell and his Angeâ— for I was hungry and you gaue me nâ— eate I was thirsty and you gaue meâ— drinke I was a stranger and you enâ—teyned me not I was naked and you 〈◊〉 not cloth me I was sicke and in prisâ— you did not visit me And a little aftâ— added As long as you did it not to one of 〈◊〉 lesser ones you did it not vnto me Our of whâ— we do gather that none are bound to gâ— almes but such as are able for our Lâ— himselfe is not recorded to haue giueâ—â—ny but only to haue commaunded 〈◊〉 part of the money that was giuen hâ—◠〈◊〉 be bestowed on the poore as may appear out of that place of the Ghospell whâ—â— when our Lord had sayd vnto Iudas Qâ— facis fac citiùs That which thou doest dâ— quickly the Apostles did thinke that 〈◊〉 had commaunded him out of the puâ— which he did beare to giue somewhaâ— the poore But the deuines will haue this precept 〈◊〉 conteyned in that commandement not a parentes honour thy parents others that non occides thou shalt not kill but it not necessary that this precept be conâ—yned in the ten commandments When 〈◊〉 almes belongeth vnto charity and the â—ommandements of both tables vnto iuâ—ice but if all morall precepts be to be â—educed to the ten commandements the â—pinon of Albertus the Great is probable â—ho will haue this commaundement of â—iuing almes to belonge vnto that non fuâ—aheris thou shalt not steale for it is a kind â—f theft not to giue that vnto the poore which we owe vnto them but more proâ—able is the opinion of Saint Thomas of Aâ—uin who assigneth it to the first commandement of the second table Honora parentes honour thy parents for by the honour of our parents in this place is not vnderstood only a reuerentiall honour or dutifull respect but also the prouision of all necessaryes for their life and sustenance which is a certeyne almes which specialâ—y we do owe to our principall neighâ—ours as Saint Hierome saith In com ad 15. Matth. of which we â—nfere that this almes is due also vnto other neighbours that are in want mâ—ouer for that the precept of giuing aâ— is not negatiue but affirmatiue buâ—â—mongst all the commandements of thâ—â—cond table there is none affirmatiue 〈◊〉 only the first Honour thy parents but to â—pute more of this matter staÌ„deth not 〈◊〉 my purpose in this place this may â—fice for the necessity of almes Now for the fruite of this vâ— that is most copious and abundant 〈◊〉 first is that Almes deliuer a man from eâ—â—sting death whether this be done by wâ— satisfaction or by way of disposition 〈◊〉 to grace or by any other way this 〈◊〉 haue cleerly in the Scriptures Tob. 12. in Toby 〈◊〉 reade Almes doth deliuer a man from all 〈◊〉 and from death and permitteth not a soule to gâ— to darkenes And in the same booke the â—gell Raphael sayth in expresse wordes 〈◊〉 deliuereth from death and it is almes whicâ—â—geth synnes and makes a man fynde mercy
â—uerlasting life Dan. 4. and Daniel vnto King Nâ—chodonsor sayth VVherefore O King folloâ— counsaile and redeeme thy synnes with almes thy iniquities with the mercyes of the poore Againe almes if it be done by a 〈◊〉 man out of true charity hath the 〈◊〉 of euerlasting life of the truth whereof Christ himselfe wil be wittnes when being Iudge of the liuing and dead he shall say in the last day Come ye blessed of my Father Matt. 25. receaue a Kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and you gaue me to eate And afterwards That which you haue done to one of my least brethren you haue done to me Thirdly almes hath the effect of a certayne Baptisme to wit of cleansing sinne as wel the fault as the punishmeÌ„t Ecclesiasticus telling vs As water quencheth fire so doth almes extinguish sinne And water doth so qu nch the fire as it leaueth not so much as any smoke and this also is the doctrine of the ancient Fathers so S. Cyprian Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome and Saint Leo do teach S. Cyprian in his sermon of almes thus writeth As the fier of hell is quenched with the lauer of healthfull water so with almes and good workes is allayed the flame of our faults Saint Ambrose Serm. 31. Almes in a certayne manner is an other lauer of our soules as our Lord sayth Giue almes and all thinges are cleane vnto you and without preiudice of fayth be it spoken almes is more indulgent or remissiue then the lauer for the lauer is giuen but once and once also it doth pardon but as often as thou giuest almes so often doest thou merit pardon Saint Ioâ— Chrysostome There is no synne that almes cannoâ— mak cleane Hom. 25. in Act Apost Leo. serm 5. de Coll. or that it cannot quite blot out Saint Leo Almesdeeds do blot out syns do kill death anâ— take away the punishment of euerlasting fire And this is a great prerogatiue of this vertue ought to stirre vp all men to the loue thereof But this is not to be vnderstood of all almes whatsoeuer but of that alone which proceedeth in vs from great contrition and great feruour of charity such was the almes of Saint Mary Magdalen who out of the teares of her contrition bathed our Sauiours feet and annoynted the same with the almes of a most pretious oyntment Fourthly almes do increase our confidence to God and engender a spirituall ioy or comfort in vs and although that this be common to all vertues yet in speciall manner it apperteyneth vnto this wherby in one action we performe a double duty and that very gratefull both to God and our neighbour is a worke which not by signes or deductions but of his owne nature is most euidently descerned to be good Tob. 4. Hence is it that Toby sayd almes will yeild great confidence before the suprem or soueraigne God vnto all such as giue it Hebâ— 10. And that oâ— the Apostle You haue had compassion on the imprisoned do not therefore leese your confidence And to conclude Saint Cyprian in his sermon of almesdeeds calleth it the comfort of the faithfull Fifthly almes getteth the loue and good will of mâ—ny who doe pray vnto God for their benefactours and obteyne of God for them eyther the grace of their conuersion or the gift of perseuerance or the increase of grace and glory for all these wayes may that saying of our Sauiour be vnderstood Make your selues frendes of the mammon of iniquity that when ye shall fayle Luc. 16. they may receaue you into their euerlasting tabernacles Sixthly almes is a disposition vnto our iustifying grace of which fruit Salomon speaketh in the prouerbes when he sayth Syns are cleansed by almes and faith Prouer. 15. and Christ hauing heard of the liberality of Zachaeus saying Behold I giue halfe of my goods vnto the poore if I haue defrauded any man I render him foure tymes as much he sayd vnto him To day saluation is brought to this house And in the Acts of the Apostles it is recorded of Cornelius not yet a Christian who was a bountiful bestower of almes Act. 10. Thy almesdeeds haue ascended into the remembrance in the sight of God oâ—â— of which place Saint Augustine prouetâ— Cornelius by his almes to haue obteyned oâ— Almighty God the grace of ChristiaÌ„ faith and perfect iustification Lib. 1 de praedestin Sanctor cap. 7. Last of all almesdeeds are oftentimes the cause that our temporall store doth increase and is augmented which Salomon doth approue when he sayth he taketh vsury of our Lord who hath compassion of the poore and againe he who giueth to the poore shall neuer waâ— which our Sauiour confirmed by his owne example when he commanded his Disciples to distribute fiue loaues and two fishes Prouerb 19. Prouerb 26. which was al he then had amongst the multitude and so handled the matter as they gathered vp twelue baskettâ— full of the leauings of the bread and fisheâ— which sufficed his Disciples for many dayes after Tobias who imparted so liberally his goods to the poore got in short tyme great wealth the widdow of Sarephta who bestowed a little meale and oyle on the Prophet Elias receaued that blessing at Gods hand that herselfe neuer waÌ„ted for for a long tyme eyther meale or oyle there are many and most worthy examples in this kinde extant in the fifth booke of the history of France written by Saint Gregory of Towers Cap. 105. 201. in Leontius in the life of S. Iohn the Almenor and Sophronius in prato spiritualli and the same auerreth Saint Cyprian in his sermon of fasting almes and Saint Basil in an oration he made vnto rich men in which by an excellent similitude he compareth riches vnto well-water out of which if much be drawne there do spring continually more abundant and better waters if they be let to to stand still they decrease and corrupt rich men as they wil not willingly heare these matters so will they scarce belieue them but after this life they shall know it to be so and belieue it to be true when their knowing and belieuing shall steed them nothing Let vs now speake of the manner of bestowing Almes for that is necessary more then any other thing that we may vertuously liue dye most happily First it is necessary that we giue almes with a most sincere intention of pleasing God and not for seeking of popular prayse this doth Christ teach vs when sayth VVhen thou doest giue almes do not sound the trumpet and let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth Matth. 6. Saint Augustine explicateth this place in his commentary on the Epistle of Saint Iohn where by the left hand he vnderstandeth the intention of giuing almes for temporall honour â—ract 6. or whatsoeuer commodity by the right hand he wil haue to be
two thousand yeares and more hath remayned without all rest in hell fire what comparison deere Christian is there betweene twenty and two thousand yeares who would desire to haue twenty yeares of all possible and perfect pleasure in this life if for certeyn he shold know that for the same he shold remayn two thousand yeares in a burning fornace And is there any so sensles who would vndergo the greatest torment that can be deuised I say not for two thousand but two hundred yeares that he might here enioy neuer so great pleasure Whaâ— if hereunto I should add the torment of hel which is not to endure for two thousand yeares only but for euer without any end at all Surely this eternity of torments without all intermission without all rest of repose is so great a matter as it may make euen an iron hart or brazen brest to stoope and do pennance And the same consideration may the reader apply vnto Dauid and weigh as it were in a ballance his tribulation which was momeÌ„tary and light with that eminent and euerlasting glory and pleasure which the same King now after his death atteyned in heauen although the torments of hell vse more to moue vs then the ioyes of paradise The second example shal be of the Glutton and Lazarus in S. Luke The rich Glutton for a small while made merry with his friends for he was clad in purpose and silke and feasted euery day suÌ„ptuously Lazarus on the other side was a beggar lay sicke at the gate of the glutton full of soares and desired to bâ— fedd with the crummes which fell fâ—â—m the rich mans table no man did giue theÌ„ but a little after al these things were chaÌ„ged and turned vpside downe the rich â—lutton dyed and descended into hell Laâ—arus also dyed was caryed by the Anâ—ells into a place of rest to wit into the â—osome of Abraham And truly the Glutton â—fter a very short comfort beganne to be â—ormented in the infernall flames and â—here now is tormented and for euer shal â—e without all rest or stop Lazarus being â—oore patient and vertuous after a short â—ribulation passed vnto rest in the bosom of Abraham and after the resurrection of Christ entred into heauen where for euer he shall remayne in glory Certainly had we liued at that tyme few or none of vs would haue desired to be like Lazarus but all or the most part had desired to be like the rich Glutton and yet now all of vs doe esteeme Lazarus to be most happy and the Glutton most miserable why then do we not now whiles the choyce is in our hands chuse the vertue of Lazarus rather then the vices of the glutton I say not that riches are to be condemned seeing that Abraham Dauid and many other Saâ—â—ts were rich but gluttony ryot vanity â—ant of compassion and other vices which brought this Glutton vnto hell fire are to be condemned neyther do we only looke on the pouerty and soares of Lazarus but we commend his patience piety although that this be much more to be admired in vs that we knowing things to stand thus and esteeming the glutton most foolish and Lazarus most wise yet that there are so many found that continually imitate the folly of the gluttoÌ„ when as they may be assured that they shall be like vnto him in torments as they haue been like him in their vicious life and wicked courses The third example that remayneth is of Iudas the traytour and S. Matthias 〈…〉 1. 〈…〉 who succeeded the sayd Iudas in the Apostleship Iudas was vnhappy in this world most vnhappy in the next 〈…〉 â—ra three yeares he followed our Sauiour still labouring by sacrilegious theft to fill his purse not conteÌ„ted with that mony which he took for himself out of the coÌ„mon allowance but the infectioÌ„ of couetousnes pricking him forward he came at last to that point as he sold his Lord and maister but afterwards being driueÌ„ by the diuell into despaire he restored the mony and hanged himself so lost both temporaâ— euerlasting life therefore our Sâ—â—â—our pronounced that dreadfull sentâ—â—â—e of him It had beene good for him that he had neuer beene born S. Matthias wâ—â— succeeded him Matth. 2 that is to say was chosen in his place endured a momeÌ„tary labour trouble not without great aboÌ„ndance of heauenly delights now al his labour trouble being ended he raigneth most happily with Christ in heauen whome most faithfully he serued honoured vpon earth This comparison of Iudas with S. Matthias perteyneth vnto Bishops religious meÌ„ Iudas was an Apostle consequentâ—â— designed to be Bishop for of Iudas and S Matthias S. Peter interpreted these words of the psalm Let another tak his Bishoprike the same Iudas is to be reckoned among the religious because S. Peter sayd of al the Apostles Behold we haue left all haue followed thee what shall we haue for the same Iudas then of al others most vnfortunat after he had fallen down from the soueraigne state of perfection by restoring the mony he lost that little gayn which he had so il gotteÌ„ making himselfe his own hang-maÌ„ is now damned to endles punishment who may be an example vnto al Bishops religiouâ— men to looke about them see how thâ—â—alke what daÌ„ger hangs ouer their hâ—â—ds vnles by good life they be answereable to the perfeâ—â—â—oÌ„ of their staâ— vnto which God h◠〈◊〉 called theÌ„ for Saâ— the Glutton departed by death froÌ„ the teÌ„poral felicity came into endles misâ—ry Iudas had no teÌ„poral felicity at all buâ— the shadow oÌ„ly hope of felicity yâ—â— by killing himself he came to euerlastinâ— daÌ„nation that more grieuous then thâ— oâ—her eyther Saul I mean or the gluttoÌ„ Anâ— in case that Iudas had enriched himself aâ—â—â—â— all meÌ„ of the world yet had afteâ—â—on to eternall pouerty endles torments of hell as indeed he came what good had the huge heap of all his riches done him Let then the argument which I made in the beginning of this Chap. which now I repeat out of the wordes of the Apostle remayn most firme vncoÌ„troled Our tribulation which now is but for a moment light worketh aboue measure most eminently an euerlasting weight of glory in vs we not looking at the things that are seene but at the things that are not seene for the things that are seene are Temporall but the thinges which are not seene are Eternall FINIS