the fier of hell and to come to heauen with Iesus Christ counter garding him selfe against all tentations and not suffering him selfe to be corrupted by prosperity nor beaten downe with aduersity and who arriueth to this perfection that he more loueth God then he feareth hell Who though God him selfe should say vnto him vse and enioy the pleasures of the world commit all the sinnes thou wilt thou shalt not be damned would not for all this commit sinne for feare of offending almighty God such an one is truly Christian lib. de Catech. rud c. 16. 17. tom 4. Acknowledge thy dignitie o Christian saith S. Leo and take good heede that thou returne not by a degenerate and vnworthy conuersation to thy wonted vilenes and basenes Ser. 1. de Nat. EXAMPLES 1. S. Lewis kinge of France went more willingly to Poissi then to any other place in all his kingdome for that he had bene there baptised and made a Christian and was wont to say that he had receiued more dignitie and honor in that place then in any other in the whole world Nicol. Aegid Franc de Belleforest vpon his life Behould o Christian the dignitie thou hast sith such a Kinge preferreth the same before his crowne 2. Now to be a true Christian one must first flie and detest all sinne as well mortall as veniall as well that of will only and of thought as of wordes and worke 3. And touching wordes to keepe him selfe from swearing without necessitie and reason from blaspheming cursing and wicked imprecations from speaking wordes of contumelie detracting lying vttering of dishonest songes or wordes 4. As touchinge sinnes of worke parents ought to take heede that they be not negligent both to instruct and correct their children and children not to disobey their parents 5. Aboue all the sinne of Pride Couetousnes Luxurie Enuie Gluttonie Drunkenes Anger and Sloth is to be auoided 6. The most effectual remedies are to fly the occasion the memorie of the presence of almightie God of the passion of Iesus Christ of death Iudgement Hell and the kingdome of Heauen thus much concerninge the flight of sinne 7. Secondly one must addict him selfe to the exercise of virtues and of good workes as 8. To make the signe of the Crosse in rising vp and lying downe before eating and drinking before worke and in euery necessitie 9. To pray to God and to giue him thankes both morning and eueninge both before and after meate and to inuoke the assistance of our B. Ladie his Angell Guardian and of the Saintes namly of him whose name he beareth 10. To sprinkle him selfe with holie water and to beare about him an Agnus Dei. 11. To learne the most necessarie pointes of faith and of Christian religion 12. To haue a distrust of him selfe and a great trust and confidence in almightie God 13. To loue God aboue all thinges and his neighbour for God 14. To heare Masse both with reuerence and attention 15. To Confes often game Indulgences and to pray for the soules that are in Purgatorie 16. To fast pray and willingly to giue almes vnto the poore 17. To receiue often the holy Communion to heare gladly sermons and to beare a singular deuotion to our B. Ladie Loe these are the most necessarie pointes to liue and die a good Christian whereof I pretend to treate thorough all the chapters that doe ensue THE II. CHAPTER Of mortall and veniall sinne 1. AMongst all the euills that raigne in the world the greatest and most to be deplored is that men know not nor apprehend not the euills and miseries of the soule regarding none but those of the body The Asse falleth into the myre saith S. Bernard and both the master and the neighbours runne with speed to pull him forth the soule falleth into sinne and perdition none at all takes care thereof 2. What doth it profit a man saith our Lord if he gayne the whole worlde and sustaine the damage of his soule Mat. 16. 26. O yee fathers mothers apprehend this point and teache it betimes vnto your children make them to suck it with their milk whilst they are yet in their infancie and often singe vnto them this goulden sentence of our Sauiour Feare yee not them that kill the body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him that can destroy both soule and body into hell Mat. 10. 28. which nether is nor neuer shall be but for sinne §. What mortall sinne is and what detriments it bringeth to the soule 1. S. Augustin speaking of sinne in generall saith that it is a word thought or deede against the law of almightie God lib. 22. cont Faustum cap. 27. 2. Diuines say that it is a foulenes and deformitie of the reasonable creature wherby it is made displeasing to God and wherwith it can not see God in his glorie 3. To be mortall it must be committed freely and voluntarily against some commandement of God or the Church in a matter of importance 4. It is called mortall because it depriueth vs of our spirituall life and bringeth death vnto the soule separating it by this death from the kingdome of God and making it worthie of fire and paines that are perpetuall 5. The soule that shall haue sinned â—hall dye the death Ezech. 18. If I doe this said the chast Susanna being solicited vnto sinne it is my death Dan. 3. And the father of the prodigall child said vnto his eldest sonne thy brother was dead and is reuiued Luc. 15. 32. 6. Besides the spirituall life that is to say the grace of God which is lost by mortall sinne he likewise looseth all the merits he had got Ezech. 18. 24. All the giftes and the familiaritie of the holy Ghost and his virtues Sap. 1. 4. 5. Abdias 5. 6. He looseth the right of the children of God that is to say euerlasting life The especiall particular protection of God Psal 32. 18. The protection of his good Angell S. Basil in psal 33. Communication in the merits of all the Saints that is to say of all good Christians He becometh in an instant the slaue of the deuill prickt gnawen coÌ„tinually with the remorce of conscience it being the greatest of all torments that are in this life S. August in Psal 45. Iob. 15. 21. Pro. 28.1 throughout Sap. 17. Psal 50. He meriteth nothing in doing any good worke Isay 59. Luc. 5. 5. But that which is the greatest of al mischiefes he remayneth obliged to euerlasting paines Eccles 21. 10. 11. Iis procella tenebrarum seruata est in aeternum Cath. ep of S. Iude to whom the storme of darknes is reserued for euer Blessed Lord how many euills doth one only pleasure bringe EXAMPLES 1. Lysimachus kinge of Thracia rendring him selfe with his whole kingdome vnto his enimie for the thirst which he could no longer suffer after he had drunk a glasse of water Good God said this poore Pagan how great a miserie is it
for me to loose a whole kingdome for so litle a pleasure Plutarch Ah sinner thou doost the same for lesse when for a pleasure but of a momeÌ„t of a wicked worke of a disordered word or of consent to some euill thought thou loosest in an instant the whole kingdom of heauen thine owne soule 2. What a subiect of griefe was it to accursed Esau to haue lost for a litle dishe of pottage all his birth-right Gen. 25. 3. Susanna seeing her selfe solicited to the sinfull concupiscence of two â—ould men of Babilon who threatned her in case of refusall to accuse her of adulterie she sighing said Perplexities are to me on euery side for if I shal doe this it is death to me and if I doe it not I shall not escape your handes But it is better for me without the act to fall into your handes then to sinne in the sight of our Lord. Dan. 13. 22. 4. Eleazer one of the princes of the Scribes being fourscore and ten yeares ould being vrged to eate swines flesh against the commandement of God or else to die answered That he would rather be sent vnto hell that is to say that he had rather die For quoth he although at this present time I be deliuered from the torments of men yet neither aliue nor dead shal I escape the hande of the almightie God so at the last was put to death 2. Mac. 6. 5. Seauen bretheren also together with their mother being taken and most cruelly scourged for the same cause one of them which was the first said What seekest thou and what wilt thou learne of vs we are ready to die rather then to transgresse the lawes of God coming from our fathers ibid. cap. 7. 6. All the martyrs both of the ould and the new Testament haue they not chosen rather to die then to sinne 7. This also was that which S. Blanche so greatly recommended vnto S. Lewis Kinge of France saying vnto him That she had rather to see him die then to see him offende God mortallie which point he imprinted so deepely in his pious hart that it is houlden for certaine that in his whole life he neuer committed any mortall sinne 8. And the same S. Lewis in the instruction which he gaue to his sonne Phillip at the houre of his death said vnto him My sonne take heede to thy selfe that thou offende not God mortallie although thou shouldest suffer all the torments in the worlde 9. S. Thomas of Aquin said that he knew not how a man who saw him selfe in mortall sinne could ether laughe or be merry in any time whatsoeuer Ribad 7. of March. And the kinge of Spaine Philip the third could not comprehend how such an one could euer sleepe 10. S. Stillites of Edessa obtained this fauor of almightie God as to see his Angell gardian and that of others but differently for those which were in the grace of God he saw them accompanied with their good Angells who guided them with a torche alighted but those which were in mortall sinne he saw them detained in chaines by the diuells and their Angells which followed them a far off heauilie weeping Ex Patrico Grecorum M. S. Biblioth Reip. Augustana Raderus in virid sanct pag. 2. cap. 6. Weepe weepe yee ô yee blessed Spirits sith the sinner him selfe is so vnfortunat as not to see nor deplore his owne ill fortune Desire you to see yet more reade the § that doth ensue §. 2. How much mortall sinne is detestable horrible and stinking 1. Fly from sinne saith the wise man as from a serpent Eccle. 21. 2. One may well say of a soule fallen into mortall sinne that which the Prophet Ieremie said of the sonnes and daughters of Ierusalem during the time of their affliction From the daughter of Sion all her beautie is departed Thren 1. 6. 2. And againe How is the gold darkned the best color changed the stones of the sanctuarie dispersed in the head of all streetes The noble children of Sion and they that were clothed with the principall gold how are they reputed as earthen vessels the worke of the potters handes Her Nazarits whiter then snowe purer then milke ruddier then the ould yuorie faâ—rer then the saphire their face is made blacker then coales and they are not knowen in the streetes Ibid. cap. 4. 3. They are become abhominable like to the thinges which they loued Osee 9. Aske saith S. Ambrose the conscience of the sinner if it be not more stinking then all the sepulchers of the dead lib. 1. offic cap. 12. 4. Euen as the rottenes taketh away all the beautie color sent and fauor of the apple euen so sinne taketh away the beautie of the soule the odor of her good name the goodnes of grace and the sauor of glorie S. Bon. in Dieta salutis c. 2. EXAMPLES 1. The Sonne of God hauing taken vpon him selfe the sinnes of men lost in such wise his excellent beautie that of the fairest that he was amongst all men he became so disfigured that the prophet behoulding him said There is no beautie in him nor comelines and we haue seene him and there was no sightlines Isay 53. 2. Now if the only paine of sinne hath so disfigured our B. Lord what shall the guilt it selfe doe vnto vs 2. The diuel is most horrible gastly but mortall sinne is yet much more for a holy hermit seeing him selfe honored for the miracles which he did in driuing diuells forth of bodies for feare of falling into vaine glorie he instantly asked of almightie God to be him selfe possest of the diuell as he was Seuer Sulpit. in the life of S. Martin c. 1. Doe you see how this holie man was more afraid of sinne then of the diuell 3. Our B. Ladie appeared to S. Catharine virgin and martyr before such time as she was baptised houldinge her litle Sonne betwixt her armes and she recommended Catharin vnto him our Lord turned his face from her saying that she was too il fauored Which was the cause that she made haste to be baptised and within awhile after our Lord bethrothed him selfe vnto her in the presence of his holy mother and of an inâ—init number of B. Angells and put a ringe vpon her fingar the which she kept during her life Pet. de natal l. 10. c. 105. Ribad in her life 4. S. Catharine of Sienna discoursing with a gentlewoman which was defiled with the sinne of the flesh stopt her nose And when father Raimond her coÌ„fessar was amazed therat she said vnto him that vnles she should haue done so she should haue been forced for to vomit because of the stinke which came forth of the soule of the same woman 5. S. Anthonie relateth the like of an Angel who passing with an Hermit hard by an effeminat youngster stopt his nostrils which he had not done passing by a dead carion And when the Hermit was astonished therat he said vnto him that young man by reason of
blindnes of spirit inconsideration inconstancie precipitation selfe-loue hatred of God too great a desire of this life horror of death and of the iudgment of God together with dispaire of eternall felicitie Greg. l. 31. Mor. c. 31. Ose 4. 2. Reg. 11. Dan. 13. Pro. 13. Sap. 4. Psl. 51. Tim. 3. Psal 20. Iac. 4. Ephes 4. Fornication and all vncleanes let it not so much as be named among you as it becometh Saints that is to say Christians Ephes 5. 3. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Taking therfore the members of Christ shall I make them the members of an harlot God for bid 1. Cor. 6. 15. 19. Doe not erre nether fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate shall posesse the kingdome of God ibid. 10. If you liue according to the flesh you shall die Rom. 8. 13. You haue heard that it was said to them of old thou shalt not commit adulterie but I say to you that whosoeuer shal see a woman to lust after her hath already committed adulterie with her in his hart Mat. 5. 28. S. Bernard saith that Luxurie is one of the chariots of Pharao who pursued the seruants of God and carries them that sit thereon to the red sea of the infernall flames Her four wheeles are Gluttonie and drunkennes curiositie of apparell iâ—lenes and ardor of concupiscence The two Coursers or horses are prosperitie of life and aboundance Vpon these two horses doe sit stupid ignorance and blinded assurance Sor. 39. in Cant. EXAMPLES Behould the horrible punishments which God hath imposed vpon this sinne 1. For the sinne of the flesh God hath drowned all the world Gen. 7. 21. 2. The citties of Zodome and Gomorah and all the contrie round about with their inhabitants were con-consumed by fire sent from heauen Gen. 19. 25. 3. Hemor sonne of Sichem with all the inhabitants of the cittie of Sichem were put to the sword Gen. 34. 26. 4. All the tribe of Benianim were cut off for the same cause Iudg. 20. 48. 5. Sampson was blinded with ouermuch affection towards his wife Iudg. 16. 21. 6. Amnon was slaine by his brother Absalon 2. Reg. 13. 29. 7. Dauid was persecuted of his sonne 2. Reg. 11. 15. 8. Salomon became an adulterer 3. Reg. 11. 9. The husbands of Sara were strangled by the deuil Asmodeus Tob. 3. 8. 10. The two old men that coueted the chast Susanna were stoned to death Dan. 13. 11. Four and twentie thousand of the people of Israel were put to death Num. 25. 12. Marie daughter to the kinge of Arragon wife to the Emperor Othon the 3. hauing solicited the Count of Modena to condescend to her lubricitie and he most constantly refusing her was accused by her calumniously that he would haue induced her to sinne wherupon the Emperor cut off his head But before he died hauing declared his innocencie to his wife he prayed her to carry his head after his death vpon her bare feete into a great fire in witnes of the integritie of her husband which she performed nether that head nor yet her body being hurt any whit at all Which the Emperor seeing he commanded the Empresse to be cast into the fire Thus God permitted that this terrible chasticement shauld befall her not only for this calumnie and filthie desire but also for that she had somtimes abandoned her body to a young youth disguised like a wenche who serued her for a chamber maide and was also burnet aliue by the commandement of the Emperor but she receiued pardon by the intercession of the princes and Lordes of the court The 2. Chron. Gotscalcus Holenser 23. p. Hyem Licosthemes in theatro mundi D. Antonin p. 2. tit 6. c. 3. Baron anno 998. Iacobus Serada in thes Imp. Krantz l. 4. Saxon. c. 26. 13. Raimond of Capua confessar to S. Catharin of Sienna writeth that this Saint could nether see nor abide to come neere those which were infected with the sinne of the flesh that if she spake with them she was enforced to stop her nose Sur. 20. of Ian. 14. Palladius writeth that S. Pachomus hauing giuen a box on the eare vnto the diuell which appeared vnto him in the forme of an Ethiopian had his hande so infected that he spent more then two yeares to take away the stink therof In his Lausiaca 15. S. Euthimius Abbot as Cyrillus Monke writeth in his life passing by one who had consented to a dishonest thought smelt such a stinke that he supposed him selfe to haue bene posest of the diuell See before a terrible and fearfull historie of this matter in the 3. cap. example 3. and another in the 4. cap. § 2. example 6. and in the 2. booke cap. 2. § 2. Loe here the gayne and reward which is got by this sinne for a beastly pleasure and which lasteth so litle plunging ones selfe into so many euills temporall and eternall Let vs say with that wise Pagan Demosthenes I will not buy a repentance at so deare a price Agell noct Act. l. 1. c. 8. §. 4. Particular Considerations against the sinne of voluntarie Pollution It is with great griefe that I speake at all of this sinne yea that I doe so much as name it because it is so enorme and detestable yet so it is that I cannot altogether ommit the same for that it is o heauie case so coÌ„mon and so vniuersall Hearken hereupon to Cardinal Toletus The sinne of voluntarilie pollution is amongst al others the most difficult to be amended and this by reason that one hath alwaies with him the occasion for to fall therein and is so vniuersall that I beleeue that the most part of those that goe to hell are damned for the same sinne l. 5. Instruct sacerd c. 13. Ioannes Benedictus in his Summe vpon the 6 commandement of the deâ—alogue writen after Conradus Clinâ—ius be it that the same be knowen by reuelauelation or else by experience that those which are habituated in this sinne as many yeares as our Lord liued that is to say thirtie three are incurable and as it were without hope of their saluation vnles that God doe succour them by a maruellous rare and extraordinarie grace This is that which this author saith But touching the sinne it selfe accordinge to the minde of the Cardinall before alleadged there is no better remedy then to be confessed often to communicate twice or thrice aweeke and this vnto the same confessar Note all this Christian and if euer thou felst into this curssed sinne resolue to rise out of it from this very instant that thou readest this page for feare lest habituating thy selfe therin thou canst not afterwardes rid thee thereof and that thou twist not by litle and litle the netts and vnloosable lines which draw thee in the end into the abisse of mischiefe and eternall torments For accordinge to the Apostle Effeminat nor liers with mankinde shal not possesse the kingdom of God 1. Cor. 6. 10. EXAMPLES 1.
these thinges that is to say to him who was euen iustice it selfe in the drie what shall be done Luc. â—3 31. Who is he so irreligious saith S. Bernard that remembringe himselfe of the passâ—on of his Sauiour is not touched with compunction Who so proude that is not humbled Who so cholericke that is not appeased Who so voluptuous that is not cooled Who so wicked that is not restrained Who so malicious that doth not pennance And this with great reason sith the passion of our Lord hath moued euen the earth it selfe brused the stones and opened the monuments In serm seria 4. heb poenosae Acknowledge saith the same Saint in another place how greuous the woundes are for the which it behoued that the SoÌ„ne of God should be wounded if they had not bene deadly and to death eternall neuer had the Sonne of God died for their remedy Ser. 3. de natiuit Greater loue then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends Ioan 15. 13. And if loue be not requiâ—ed but by loue art thou not more cruell more in human theÌ„ the Tygers that remembring thee of this exceeding charity of the SoÌ„ne of God who gaue his dearest life for thee thou wilt offende him and crucifie him againe anew Heb. 6. 6. EXAMPLES 1. Zenophon writeth that Cyrus kinge of Persia hauinge vpon a day caused Tigranes kinge of Armenia whom together with his wife he helde captiue to come vnto his table demanded of him how much he would giue to ransome his wife I should be content replied Tygranes to giue for her all that kingdome which thou by force hast taken from me and yet more all my blood and my life Cyrus admiring so great affection restored them their realme and their libertie A while after Tygranes being in his pallace demanded of her what she thought of the beautie of Cyrus In sooth quoth she I doe not know what you would say nor what Cyrus is for all the time of our capâ—iuitie I neuer cast mine eye vpon other then vpon him who was ready to giue his blood and his life for the loue of me O Christian admire and imitate this pagan princesse Thou hast before thine eyes the Sonne of God who was not only content to giue his life his blood for thee but de facto hath giuen it wouldest thou theÌ„ leaue him to loue a vile and catife creature 2. Our Lord said vpon a day vnto S. Gertrude that a man casting his eyes vpon the crucifix ought to imagin that our Lord who is nayled thereon saith vnto him Thou seest what I haue endured for thee to suffer my selfe to be hanged all naked vpon a Grosse c. and yet notwithstandinge I loue thee â—o much that if it were expedient for thy saluation I would endure for thee alone all that which I haue endured for the whole worlde Lud. Blos Moâ—il spirit c. 1. He somtime said the selfe same vnto S. Carpus as S. Denis of Areopagita reporteth Ep. 2. ad Demophil Baron â—…m 1. anno 59. 3. But he said yet more vnto Saint Bridgit I loue men said he vnto her â—t this present euen as much as I did when I died for them yea if it were â—ossible I would be ready to dye for â—uery one in particular and as many â—imes as there are damned soules in â—ell Ibid. 4. S. Collecta reformer of the orâ—er of S. Clare praying to our Lady â—…the behalfe of sinners our B. Lady appeared vnto her with a platter full of peeces of flesh as of an infant newly slaine and shewing her the same said vnto her How wilt thou that I pray for them who by their sinnes as much as lyeth in their power cut and dismember my Sonne into more peeces â—hen heere thou seest Surius tom 7. ex Stephano Iuliaco S. Coletae contemporaneo 5. S. Elzear Count of Arie in Prouence being asked by his wife Delphina whence it was that he neuer troubled nor vexed him selfe answered that he set before him the iniuries done vnto our B. Lord and that at the selfe instant his choler ceased Surius 27. of Sept. c. 23. See thou now o Christian the singular efficacie of this remedie §. 4. Of the memorie of death Who is he that would offend God that doth reflect vpon his death Who pondereth that peraduenture he is already arriued to the last degree and step of his life and now at the point to make the last leape vnto happie or vnhappie eternitie It is appointed to men to die once saith S. Paul vnto the Heb. 9. 27. I know that thou wilt deliuer me to death quoth holy Iob where a house is appointed for euery one that liueth Iob. 30. â—2 And yet nether know we when nor how Watch yee therfore saith our Lord because you know not the day nor the houre Mat. 25. 13. Whether at eueninge or at midnight or at the cock crowinge or in the moringe lest cominge vpon a sodaine he finde you sleepinge and that which I say to you I say to all watch Marc. 13. 35. In all thy workes remember thy latter ende and thou wilt not sinne for euer Eccl 7. 40. Thou art afraid to die ill and art not afraid to liue ill Correct thine euil life for he can neuer dye ill who hath liued well S. Aug. l. de disciplina christiana c. 2. There is nothing which doth more withhould a man from sinne then the memorie of death Ibid. l. 2. de Gen. cont Maniche ser 3. de Innoc. Cassian c. 6. col 10. He who hath promised pardon vnto the penitent hath not promised to the sinner the day of to morrow We must then feare continually this latter day which we can neuer foresee S. Greg. Hom. 10. in euang Fleres si scires vnum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan vna dies If one monthes certaintie thou hadst to liue And couldst not haue thy death deferd no longer Thy eyes would poure forth teares thy hart would greiue For that thou hadst not fallen to penance sooner Yet now vncertaine of the shortest day Thou spendst thy time in dalliance sport and play It is a thinge of great moment wheron eternitie doth depend Eternitie dependeth vpon death death vpon life life vpon an instant Choose whither thou wilt if once thou be lost it is for all eternitie EXAMPLES OF SODAINE death 1. The children of Iob feasting together were sodainly ouer-whelmed with the fall of a house Iob. 1. Isboseth a Sisara b Holofernes c lost they not their liues in the dead of their sleepe a 2. Reg. 4. b Iudg. 4. c Iudith Balthasar making great cheere receiued the sentence of his death Dan. Manlius Torquatus in eating a cake P. Quintus Scapulus in supping Decimus Sauferus in dyning Apeius Saufeius in supping off an egge Fabius Maximus eating of milke swallowed downe a haire and died Plin. hist l. 7. c. 53. The poet Anacreon swallowinge downe the stone of
a reasin at a weddinge Plato Foulques Count of Aniou runinge after a Hare Cardinal Columnus vice-Roy of Naples in the time of Charles â—he fift tasting of Figges refresht in yce gaue vp the ghost betwixt the armes of his seruants P. Coton in the sermon of death And that foolish Richman in the gospell who thought him selfe so sure of his health and of his substance heard he not all vnexpected the sentence of his soddaine death Luc. 12. Finally deceiue not thy selfe for death slayeth in euery place Aristobulus in the bathe The Apostata Emperor amidst his armie Philippes by the Altar Caligula in a caue vnder ground Carloman a hunting Cesar in the senat Erricus by his mother Alboinus by his wife Ariston by his seruants Baiazeth by his sonne Mustapha by his father Conrad by his brother and Cato by him selfe EXAMPLES OF THOSE who refrained from sinne by the remembrance of death 1. A certaine brother Conuerse an Alman called Leffard hauing for many yeares exercised the office of a porter in his monasterie at the last debauched him selfe thinking that notwithstanding his nobilitie and decrepid age he was still put vnto so base an office he who might be in pleasures and delightes in the worlde and so resolued to leaue his monasterie and his habit Now as he was on a night in this fond fansie waytinge for the breaking of the day ro runne his way behould a venerable old man which appeared vnto him and commanded him to follow him the which he did They came at the last to the gate of the Church which opened of its owne accord from thence they went into the church-yard where they were not so soone entred but all the graues opened of them selues The old man caused this religious to draw nere to the one and shewed him the carion that was therin Seest thou quoth he this man Thou shalt be like vnto him within a while why then wilt forsake thy cloister From thence he would haue led him to another but Laffard had conceiued such horror at the sight of that one the he besought the old man to bringe him back vnto his dortorie swearing vnto him that from that time forward he would neuer more thinke of departinge thence which he performed Vincent de Bauuais in his miroir Hist. P. Albertinus in his treatise of our Angell Gardien c. 6. O how many such repentants would there be at this present day in the worlde if only by a serious reflection of spirit they would looke downe in to the sepulcher Arise and goe downe into the potters house said God our Lord vnto leremie that is to the church yardes and sepulchers where the pots of earth that is bodies are turned into earth by the almightie hande of him that made them and there thou shalt heare my wordes Ierem. 18. 2. 2. A younge effeminat fellow who could by no meanes or reason be brought into the right way was at lenght visited of a good religious man who at his departing from him said vnto him Vnder thee shall the mothe be strawed and wormes shall be thy couering Isay 14. 11. and therupon withdrew him selfe These wordes though few yet were not spoken in vaine for this young man imprinted them so profoundly in his hart that whasoeuer he did he could not thinke of any other thinge Hence by litle and litle he had a holy disgust of the worlde and in the end quite forsooke it and became religious Plautus l. 3. de bono stat relig c. 38. 3. Theodosius chiefe superior of a monastery taught his disciples for the first foundation of a religious life to haue euer before their eyes the remembrance of death And to this effect commanded them euery one to make him a graue the sight whereof should reduce to their mindes that they must die Sur. tom 1. Ribad 11. of Ian. ex Metaphrast 4. Lord Francis of Borgia Duke of Gandia and vice-Roy of Catalognia by one only sight of the dead body of the Empresse Isabella wife to Charles the fift was so touched that he resolued from that time to forsake the worlde and within a while after hauing geuen order to his affaires entred into the Societie of Iesus and therin died the third Generall leauing to all persons great opinion of his sanctitie Tom. 1. Hist of the Societie 5. A noble Knight named Rouland hauing passed a whole day in feasting and dancing as he was returned to himselfe he fell to consider how al the pleasures of that day were past and vanished and that all the rest that he could take would slide away in the same maner and in the end what shall I haue said he within him selfe what will all these vanities auaile me These thoughtes lasted him the whole night and made such a breach in his hart that the morning being come he went and askt the habit of the Friar Preachers receiued it liued dyed therin most holily Plautus as before 6. A certaine Damosell wholy giuen vnto vanities refused all the pennances which her CoÌ„fessar proposed vnto her but at the last she accepted this as the most easie of all the rest in her opinion to say within her selfe as often as she washt her handes This flesh shall be eaten vp of wormes she performed it and with such good successe that she whollie changed her selfe within a while after and became so virtuous as she had bene vitious and as exemplar as she had bene scandalous P. Coton in his sermon of death 7. A monke of Egipt being vpon the point to satisfie his sensuallitie was hindred by the remembrance of death as he confest him selfe to S. Iohn Climacus 8. Another which had liued very licentiously and scandalously fell sick was reduced to the point of death yea held for dead And hauing bene an houre in that estate he came to him selfe and presently besought his companions to withdraw them selues and to stop and damme vp his chamber dore with stones The which was done and so shut vp liued there for twelue yeares without speakinge to any person and eating nothinge but bread and water hauing his eyes continually fixt vpon the selfe same place with aboundance of teares At last when he was to die his fellowes brake a passage into his chamber and praid him to giue then some wordes or councell of edification Pardon me said he vnto them for no man can euer sinne who doth effectually remember him of his death S. Iohn Climachus as an eye witnes relateth the same in his booke intituled Scala coeli grad 6. 9. M. Guido Priest of Niuelle being Regent at Schonege in Hainault hauing thorough curiositie cast his eye a litle too fixedlie vpon a woman was in such wise tempted that for the space of three yeares he could doe nothinge but thinke of her although she was dead And seing that this tentation was most perillous vnto him to surmount the same he went by night to open the graue of the same woman being slidden
3. Gabr. Inchino chanon Reg. Lateran 3. An other concealing in confession a sinne of the flesh seemed to cast out to take in toades at his mouth and after his death appeared to his confessar horribly tormented saying that he was daÌ„ned for that he had concealed his sinne Adding that people went to hell by all sortes of sinnes but women principally by four by the sinne of the flesh by vaine ornaments by witchcraft and by shame for to confes them Iâ— Iunior in scala coeli Gulielmus Pepin 1. sup Confiteor c. 13. 4. At Itate a cittie of the orientall Indies the yeare 1590. a christian maiden called Catharin giueing and abandoning her selfe secretly to the filthines of the flesh neuer confest her selfe at all Falling sick a father of the Societie went to see her and endeuored to induce her to a good confession She confest her selfe nine times but allwaies coÌ„cealing her sinnes of the flesh And as the other seruants of the house fell a talking with her she said vnto them that euery time her ghostly father was nere vnto her a Black a More appeared vnto her by her beds side who said vnto her that she should take good heede not to confes all her sinnes saying that they were but petty faults and that on the other side S. Mary Magdalen exhorted her to confes them The seruants hearing these her speeches called back the father but he profited nothing so that she dyed in that estate After her death she appeared to one of the seruants all in fire saying that she was damned for hauing confessed none but litle sinnes and concealed the great adding that she was forced to tell them this for their example An Angel appeared also at the same time who willed the seruant to harkne vnto her and to related the whole vnto the rest Taken forth of the historie of the Indes written by F. Iacques Samâ—tiego superior of the mission of the Itatins anno 1590. P. Thyreus de loco infest p. 1. c. 1 fusâ— narrat pat Delrio in suis disq mag 5. At Arone in Lombardie the yeare 1595. and litle maide but six yeares old dyed crying out that certaine Black a Mores went about to throw her into a boyling cauldron and finally she said Deuil cary me away deuill carry me away and in saying this she gaue vp her soule vnto the diuels Her parents knew by her no other thinge but that she was of a quick spirit had bene seene to play too liberally with litle youthes and that she neuer had bene at holie confession Taken out of the historie of the Societie anno 1595. §. 3. Of frequent Confession and how daÌ„gerous it is for to delay it If thou hadst swallowed poison that thou knewest it wouldst thou tarry to seeke after phisick and after the phisitian til the poison were dispersed thoroughout all thy body If thou wert taken of the enimie mightest instaÌ„tly be deliuered wouldst thou tarrie till some one had tyed thee with more chaines put thee into a deeper dungeon As long as a man is in mortall sinne he meriteth nothing by his good workes he doth not participat of the merits of our Lord nor of his Church he is depriued of the particular asistances of almightie God and of his Angell Gardien And that which yet is worst of all he is hunge by a thrid ouer the welle of the infernall pit and who knowes whither this thrid shall not perhaps be cut a sunder before to morrow Why then in an affaire of such importance and wherein is treated of thine eternall saluation doost thou defer the time vntill to morrow wherof thou art vncertaine to doe that which thou maist now doe assuredly Slack not to be conuerted to our Lord and differ not froÌ„ day to day for his wrath shall come sodainly Eccl 5. 8. Sonne hast thou sinned doe so no more but for the old also pray that they may be forgiuen thee Eccl. 21. 1. Doost thou contemne the riches of his goodnes and patience and long animitie not knowing that the benignitie of God bringeth thee to pennance But according to thy hardnes and impenitent hart thou heapest to thy selfe wrath in the day of wrath Rom. 2. 4. He that hath promised the penitent pardon hath not promised the sinner the day of to morrow S. Greg. Hom. 10. in Euang. He that doth penance and reconcileth him selfe at the end of his life that he departs this life with assurance I am not assured I say not that such an one is damned nor yet say I that he shall be saued Wilt thou be deliuered from this dout Wilt thou auoide that which is vncertaine Doe penance whilst yet thou art in perfect health whilst thou canst as yet sinne for if thou wilt doe penance when thou caÌ„st sinne no more sinne leaueth thee but thou hast not left sinne S. Aug. lib. â—… Homil. EXAMPLES 1. Chrysaurius a riche man hauing passed all his life in pleasures seeing him selfe reduced to the point of death and compassed about with diuells ready to carry him to hell turned him towards heauen crying out Inductas vel vsque mane inducias vel vsque mane Truce only till to morrow truce only til to morrow with these wordes gaue vp the ghost S. Gre. Hom. 12. in Euang. l. 4. dial c. 38. 2. A Courtiar of Coenredus kinge of England admonished by the kinge himselfe to be confessed in his sicknes refused to doe it saying that he would not be confessed then but when he was well recouered and able to goe broad saw being nere his death the diuells who shewed him all his sinnes written in a huge booke and the Angells who gaue place vnto them he saying that two deuils were entred into his bodie the one by his head the other by his feete to deuoure his soule and so dyed at the same time Venerable Bede lib. 5. hist Aug. c. 14. anno 704. 3. An other deferring his repentance after the like maner saw a litle before his death his place in hell neere vnto Caiphas The same author cap. 15. 4. At Squira a cittie of the Philippine isles an Indian woman feeling her selfe moued of God to make a Confession of her whole life and that for many dayes together she imparted the same vnto her parents who gaue her councell to defer it A litle after she fell sick a Priest was called but he could not heare her for he found her dumbe to euery thinge saue in these wordes which she repeted oftentimes stretching forth her handes towardes her parents Take hence these Caâ—…s what make they here Ah wretch that I am behould the blackmores who will carry me away They prayd for her but all in vaine for she sunge no other songe and hauing cryed that they burnd her she gaue vp the ghost After her death God declared that she spoke into these thinges thorough idle rauing for as they went about to winde her vp and to burie her her body
month should receiue the B. Sacrament 4. That none should be so bould as to speake any blasphemy othes or dishonest wordes And if any one were fallen in to ether of these thinges he made them to sit vpon the ground whilst the others dined not giuing him ought for his dinner but bread and water 5. He would not suffer that anie should play at dice in his house or at other forbidden game 6. He was carefull that all agreed well together and if he perceiâ—ed any quarrell to be moued amongst them he endeuored that they should forthwith be reconciled 7. After dinner or towards the euening he made them in his presence to speake of spirituall thinges Sur. 27. of Sept. c. 18. vpon his life 8. The mother of S. Marie of Ognies appeared vnto her vpon a day as she prayed for her in the time of Masse and said vnto her that she was damned for that she was careles of that which was done in her house against God by those of her famillie Iacobus de Vitr Card. in the life of S. Marie of Ognies lib. 3. c. 11. Thomas à Cantip. lib. 2. ep c. 54. p. 18. O that God would be pleased to giue to famillies a great many of CeÌ„turions and Elzears and preserue them from such mothers or fathers of families as this wretched womaÌ„ was What great good would ensue thereof not only to famillies but to the whole common welth THE VI. CHAPTER Of the Seauen capitall sinnes THe sinnes of Pride Couetousnes Lecherie Enuie Gluttonie Anger Slouth are called capitall because they are as the heades and fountaines from whence as from a corrupted roote doe proceede the pestiferous fruites of all sortes of sinnes and vices Canis Hic §. 1. Of Pride and Superbitie Pride a is a disordinate appetite of ones proper excellence and is as the b mother and Queene of all vices Her principall daughters c are disobedieÌ„ce boasting hipocrisy debates pertinacitie discord and curiositie a Chrisostome hom 43. ad pop Bernard de grad humil Greg. 34. mor. c. 17. seq l. 23. c. 7. Isidor de sum bo l. 2 c. 38. b Greg. l. 13. mor. c. 31. Prosper l. 3. de contemplat c. 2. August ep 56. Bern. ser 3. ex paruis ser 4. de Aduent c Deut. 17. Sap. 5. Mat. 23. Pro. 13. Gen. 49. Pro. 6. 1. Tim. 5. 5. Tob. 4. Neuer permit pride to rule in thy word for in it all perdition tooke its begininge Tob. 4. 6. God resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble Iac. 4. 6. 1. Pet. 5. 5. He that exalteth him selfe shal be humbled and he that humbleth him selfe shall be exalted Mat. 23. 12. Pride is odious before God and men Eccl. 10 7. S. Bonauenture compareth the proud man to the winde for that euen as the winde putteth out the light drieth vp the dew and sturres vp the duste euen so the proud man putteth out the light of wisdome drieth vp the dew of grace and stirreth vp the dust of vanitie 2. He compares it next vnto the smoke for as much as the smoke the more it ariseth the more it vanisheth and scattereth it selfe 3. To the spider for that as the spider emptieth out his owne bowells weauing his cloth to catch a flie euen so the proud man looseth all the good he hath in his soule to catch a litle honor and humain praise Isay 59. 4. To the henne who as soone as she hath laid an egge she makes it knowen to all the house by her cackling which is the cause her egge is taken away as S. Chrisostome saith And so doth the proud man for as soone as he hath done any good thinge he makes it knowen and publisheth it abroad desiring that euery one should know it S. Bon. in dieta salut tit 1. c. 5. And of such persons our Lord saith that they haue receiued their reward in earth and that therfore they shall haue none in heauen Mat. 6. 2. EXAMPLES 1. Lucifer the noblest and fairest amongst the Angels for his pride hath lost heauen and hath encurred an eternitie of paines Isay 14. 12. seq 2. Pharo kinge of Egipt after diuers most horrible chasticements was swallowed vp with all his troope chariots and baggage within the waters of the sea Exod. 14. 3. Chore Dathan and Abiron were swallowed vpp aliue of the earth which gaue way vnto them to lett them sinke downe in to hel Num. 16. 4. Kinge Senacherib was slaine of his owne children 4. Reg. 19. 37. 5. Nabuchodonoser became like a beast and for such liued for the space of seauen yeares of nothinge else but of grasse and hey Dan. 4. 30. 6. Holofernes had his head câ—t off with his owne sword by the hande of a woman Iudith 13. 10. 7. A man was hanged vpon the same gallous which he had caused to be made for humble Mardocheus and he exalted to honor in his place Esther 7. 10. 8. Kinge Antiochus hauing first endured a worlde of dolors was at the last eaâ—en vp of lice 2. Mach. 9. 9. Kinge Herod dyed of the same death Act 12. 23. 10. Iesabell was cast downe head-long from a windoe and eaten of dogges 4. Reg. 9. 33. 37. Of all which that may be verefied which Dauid said of all the proud I haue seene the impious highly exalted and aduanced as the Cedars of Libanus and I passed by and behould he was not and I sought him and his place was not founde psal 36. 35. 11. About the yeare of our Lord 1570. in a certaine conuent after Complin appeared in the refectorie at all the tables certaine religious which being coniured by the Prior of the Conuent in virtu of the most holy Sacrament which he helde in his handes to tell who they were He that seemed to be chiefe of the rest answered that they were all religious of the same ordre and the greater part of them Doctors Bachelors Priors Subpriors Readers and al of them daÌ„ned for theire pride and ambition Which hauing said they opened all their robes and appeared all in fire Anno 1599. Brother Tiberius a holy man entring into the same refectorie saw and vnderstood the same This fearful history is recounted by brother Anthonie of Sienna in the Chronicles of the brothers preachers anno 1570. Loe here the end of the smoke of worldly honors to vanish sodainly away and not to leaue to him who was addicted to them but teares in his eyes teares I say eternall confusion §. 2. Of Couetousnes Couetousnes is a disordinate appetite of hauing See touchinge this vice S. Basil in ditesc auar hom 6. 7. S. Prosper l. 2. de vita contemplat c. 1â— c. 16. Isid de summo bono l. 2. c. 41. S. Aug. l. 3. de lib. arb c. 17. serm 196. de temp S. Amb. l. de Nabuthe Iesaraelita Her daughters are treason fraude deceit periurie vnquietnes violence want of mercie or inhumanitie and hardnes of hart S. Greg. l. 31. mor.
c. 31. 2. Tim. 3. 1. Cor. 6. Eccl. 11. Zachar 8. Mat. 6. Pro. 22. The Apostle S. Paul calleth it the seruice of Idols Colos 3. 5. And to the Ephes 5. 5. They that will be made riche fall into tentation and the snare of the diuell and many desires vnprofitable and hurtfull which drowne men into destruction and perdition for the roote of all euils is couetousnes 1. Tim. 6. 9. Nothing is more wicked then the couetous man Eccl. 10. 9. S. Bonauenture compareth the couetous man vnto the hog for euen as the hog is nothinge worth so long as he is a liue and is only profitable when he is dead euen so the couetous man is nothing worth so long as he liueth because he keepeth all to him selfe and doth no good to any body vntil he be dead for then he giues his soule to the diuells his body to the wormes and his welth to his kinsfolkes S. Bon. in diaeta salutis tit 1. c. 6. The scripture likewise compares him to one sick of the dropsie who the more he drinketh the dryer he is the more he hath the more he would haue Eccl. 5. 9. S. Gregorie of Nazian compares the couetous to the cursed Tantalus who is pictured by the poets plunged in the infernall waters as high as the chinne and dies for drithe and hauing the Apples of delight hanging nere their nose can not eate them The couetous also beare their hell in their owne bosome and doe endure it the more riches they swallow the more they thirste the more they abound in victualls and foode the more are they famished Is not this a hell in this world to be oppressed with sleepe vpon a bed of fethers and to be enforced to watch To be pinched with extreame hungar at a table full of good meates and not to be able to eate To burne with thirst hauing the goblets full of delicious wine hard at his mouth and not able to drinke Beâ—hould the hell which the miserable couetous doe endure is there then a more miserable sinne in the whole worlde EXAMPLES 1. Giesi Elias seruant was for his couetousnes punished with leprosie 4. Reg. 5. 27. 2. Iudas egged by auarice sould his master for thirtie pence after hunge him selfe burst asunder in the midst and gaue his bowells to the earth and his damned soule to the diuels Mat. 26. 14. 27. 5. 3. Ananias and Saphira retayning the halfe of their goodes thorough auarice dyed both one after another with soddanie death Act. 5. Achan in Iosue 7. of Saul 1. Reg. 15. 20. Of Achaâ— and Iesabell 3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 9. 4. During the Empire of Constantine sonne of Heraclius there was in Constantinople a riche man who being in danger of death gaue to the poore thirtie pounds of gold but recouering after he repented him selfe of his almes A certaine friend of his endeuored to take this sadnes from him but seing that he profited not he said vnto him I am ready to restore you your thirtie poundes vpon condition that you shal say in the Church in my presence Lord it was not I that gaue the almes of thirtie poundes but this is he He accepted it and said it But o incomparable secret of the iustice of God as he thought to goe forth of the Church with his mony he fell to the ground starke dead Baron tom 7. annal an 553. ex Cedreno Raderus ex Menoeo Grecorum 5. A woman vnder the cloke of pietie and religion hauing made a great many of pilgrimages to holie places she had gathered together a great deale of mony which she fayned to be for the redeeming of prisoners for the necessitie of the poore â—he hid the same vnder the ground within her house that none but her selfe should singar the same Her daughter was askt what her mother had done with her mony And because she could tel no tydinges they sought so long that at last they found it The Bishop caused it to be carried to the graue of this couetous woman and to be cast vpon her carkas About midnight most pittifull cryes were heard to issue forth of the hollow places of that sepulcher and a voice which said with a lamentable accent My gold burnes me my gold burnes me These cryes lasted three whole daies at the end wherof they opened the graue a fearfull thinge and saw the gold that had beene there laid all melted and in flames to runne into the mouth of this wicked woman S. Greg. of Tours reports the same l. 1. of the glorie of Martirs c. 106. 6. S. Atoninus writeth that an aâ—aritious man admonished of his parents and friends being sick euen to death to confes him selfe answered I haue no hart how then will you that I confes And that you thinke not that I doe but ieste goe to my coffre you shall finde it amidst my gold wherin I haue put my whole hope This said he died without any repentance His coffre is visited and iust as he said his hart was found amidst his gold so true it is which our B. Sauiour somtimes said Where thy treasure is there is thy hart also Mat. 6. S. Ant. in Summa 2. p. tit 1. c. 4. § 6. 7. Behould another like case arriue vnto a couetous man whose hart was found in his coffre after his death betwixt the clawes of a Dragon which lay vpon the gold and siluer saying that hart was geuen vnto him by the dead during his life In Gabr. Inchinoser 1. of the puritie of hart 8. Another being at the point of death could neuer be induced to be confest but as soone as he saw the priest depart he called his wife and caused a platter full of gold to be brought vnto him to which he said Thou art my gold in thee it is that I doe hope let the Priests say what they please thou art it that shouldst asist me Hauinge said these wordes he bowed his head into the platter and there rubbing it amidst the gold which he kist and adored for his idoll he so died miserably Extracted out of the annales of the societie 9. Such another also was he of the cittie of Constance recounted by Niderus and Pinelli who falling sick of set purpose to spare his mony caused him selfe to be carried to the hospitall And seeing him selfe neere his end caused to be made him some pease pottage and cast his gold into the same hauing stird it with his spoone endeuored to swallow it downe but he choked him selfe and died before he had eate it vp Pinelli pag. 1. c. 5. 10. Reginherus bishop of Misne haueing buried his treasure in his own chamber was found on the morrow laid theron with his face against the ground and starke dead Lambert Schafnabur apud Baron to 11. anno 1067. O strange and tragicall deathes of couetous parsons §. 3. Of the sinne of Luxurie Luxurie is a disordinate appetite of carnall pleasure her daughters are
Her the eldest sonne of Iudas was kild by the deuill Asmodeus and dyed an horrible death as Abulensis writeth as also his brother Onan for that retiringe him selfe in the coniugall act they polluted them selues Gen. 38. 7. And the scripture speakinge of Onan saith Therfore our Lord strooke him weigh well these wordes because he did a detestable thinge If God punished in this sort these two bretheren in an age so rude wherin there was so litle knowledge of the goodnes of God and malice of sinne how thinke you will he punish those which beinge enlightned with the light of the euangellicall gospell doe commit this detestable sinne 2. The admirable S. Christine saw vpon a day in spirit all the whole world repleat and drowned in this sinne and that for this cause God prepared most terrible scourges wher with to punish them who to the end to auert these horrible scourges he afflicted and chasticed him selfe with diuers horrible and strange punishments P. Cornel. a Lapide in c. 38. Gen. 7. Take heede sinner for it is a horrible thinge to fall into the handes of the liuing God Heb. 10. See the 7. cap. of this 1. booke § ◠§. 5. Of the sinne of Enuie Enuie is a sadnes and hatred at the good and felicitie of another of superiors for that one is not their equall of inferiors for feare lest one be made equall to them of like because that one is equall to them Canis ex Aug. l. 11. de Genes ad lit 6. 14. Prosper sent 292. Her daughters are hatred whispering detraction leaping of the hart at others aduersities and afliction of spirit for their prosperitie The Enuious are like vnto the diuell for the wiseman saith By the enuie of the diuell death entred into the worlde and they follow him that are of his part Sap. 2. 24. Where Enuie is saith the Apostle S. Iames there is contention inconstancie and all sorts of wicked workes Iac. 3. 16. There is nothing more pernitious in the whole worlde then Enuie who hurtes none but its owne author S. Basil Hom. 11. var. argument Enuie saith S. Cyprian is the roote of all euills the fountaine of all misfortunes the schoole or seminarie of sinnes Serm. de zelo liuore S. Bonauent are saith that Enuie is as the worme to the wood the rust to the iron the mothe to the garment In diaeta salutis tit 1. c. 4. S. Basil compareth the Enuious to vipers who teare and kill their owne mothers Supra S. Chrisostome vnto madde or enraged dogges Hom. 41. in Mat. EXAMPLES Consider the grieuousnes of this vice by its effects 1. By Enuie Caine slew his brother Abell Gen. 4. 2. Iacobs children sould their own brother Gen. 37. 3. Saul seeing that Dauid was more extolled then him selfe sought to kill him and in the end kild him selfe 1. Reg. 18. 31. 4. A man enuyinge the honor which kinge Assuerus had done to Mardocheus conspired his death and the vtter ruine of all the Iewes but all fell vpon his owne head for he him selfe was hanged vpon the same gibbet which he had set vp for him and all his race and kinred was put to the sword Hester 7. 5. Finally it was this cursed Enuie which incited the Iewes to procure the death of the Sonne of God the author of life Loe from what degree of malice this vice doth throwe downe its owne seruant §. 6. Of Gluttonie and Drunkennes Gluttonie is a disordered appetite of eating and drinking S. Greg. lib. 30. Moral c. 27. S. Bernard l. de passione Dom. c. 42. Her daughters are immoderat laughter babling scurillitie filthines and impudicitie with stupiditie of the sences and vnderstanding l. 31. morall c. 31. Aug. l. 30. c. afore alleadged S. Gregorie declareth fiue maners or fashions by which one falleth into this vice 1. Preuenting the time to eate and drinke so Ionaâ— has sinned the sonne of Saul 1. Reg. 14. 27. 2. Seeking for delicate and exquisite meates and drinkes as did the Israelites Num. 11. 4. 3. Commanding to prepare season meates albeit common with extraordinary licorish sauces like the sonne of Hely 1. Reg. 2. 4. Exceeding in the quantitie and measure as did the Zodomites Ezech. â—6 49. 5. Eating with ouer much greedines base and grosse meates as Esau did his dishe of pottage Gen. 25. 33. Let vs now see what the holy scriptures say Of surfet many haue dyed but he that is abstinent shall adde life Eccl. 37. 34. 31. 36. Psal 77. 29. 30. 31. Num 11. 33. Deut. 32. 15. 24. 32. 33 Pro. 21. 17. Looke well to your selues lest perhaps your harts be ouer-charged with surfeting and drunkennes Luc. 21. 34. A workman that is a drunkard shall not be riche Eccl. 19. 1. To whom is woe to whose father woe to whom broyles to whom ditches and dangers to whom woundes without cause to whom blood shedding eyes Is it not to them that passe their time in wine and studdy to drink out their cuppes Pro. 23 29. By wine is to be vnderstood all that which may make one drunke No drunkards shall posesse the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 6. 10. Gal. 5. 21. O see 4. 11. Pro 31. 4. Eccl. 19. 1. â— Woe to you that rise vp early to follow drunkennes and to drinke euen vnto euening Isay 5. 11. 22. 13. Pro. 23. 20. Amos 6. 6. Luc. 6. 25. Are not these thunder-darting sentences which the spirit of God doth launche forth against drunkards Let vs see if the holy fathers doe say any lesse S. Basill saith that drunkennes is a voluntarily deuill Hom. 14. The drunkard is worse then the Asse saith S. Chrisostom For an Asse can neuer be induced nether by faire meanes nor yet by force to drinke more then may suffice his thirst but the drunkard bursts him selfe with drinking without thirst or necessitie Hom. 29. in Mat. Where drunkennes is saith this Saint in another place there is the diuell Hom. 57. ad pop Ant. If this vice be so detestable in a man how much is it in a mayden or a woman A woman giuen to drunkennes is great anger saith the wiseman Eccle. 26. 11. and her contumelie and turpitude shall not be hid There is nothing more villanous and infamous then a drunken woman saith 5. Chrisostom Hom. 16. in Mat. 71. ad pop EXAMPLES 1. Noe being drunke presently was infamously vncouered mocked and dishonored by his owne sonne Gen. 9. 21. 22. 2. Lot being drunke fell into double incest Gen. 19. 33. c. 3. Holofernes readie to burst with wines and aboundance of other meates had his head cut off with his owne sword by a woman and his soule cast into the eternall flames Iudith 11. 12. 13. 4. Balthasar kinge of Babilon making him selfe drunke with his concubines and curtisans saw his sentence of death written with the fingar of God vpon the wall and the same night it was executed Dan. 5. 5. The rich glutton
companie of the wicked Angells they are depriued for euer of the sight of God and of all good and of the ioyfull societie of the Saintes and plunged in a fire vnspeakably actiue to be bruned therein so long as God shall be God for euer without end without truce without repose Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after this haue no more to doe but I will shew you whom yee shall feare feare him who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell Luc. 12. 4. Then the king will say to wit at the day of iudgmeÌ„t to the wayters binde his handes and feete and cast him into the vtter darknes there shall be weepinge and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. Then he shall say to them also that shall be at his left hande get yee away from me you cursed into fire euerlasting which was prepared for the diuell and his Angells Mat. 25. 41. The seruants of the goodman of the house coming said to him Sir didst thou not sow good seede in thy fielde whence then hath it cocle Wilt thou that we goe and gather it vp And he said No lest perhaps gathering vp the cocle you may roote vp the wheate also together with it Suffer both to grow vntill the haruest and in the time of haruest I will say to the reapers Gather vp first the cockle and binde it in bundels to burne but the wheate gather yee into my barne Mat. 13. 27. The sinagogue of sinners is as to we gathered together and their consumation a flame of fire The way of sinners is paued with stones and their end hell and darknes and paines Eccl. 21. 10 Which of you can dwel with deuouring fire Which of you shall dwell with euerlasting heates Isay 33. 14. The riche man dyed and he was buried in hell Luc. 16. 22. Consider what an euill it is to be excluded from the sweeâ—e contentment of the sight of God to be depriued of the most happie companie of all the Saintes to be bannished from heauen and to die to euerlasting life to be cast with the diuell and his Angels into an eternall fire where the second death is where damnation is exile the paine life not to feele in this fire that which doth lighten to feele that which doth torment to suffer the horrible crakinges of a fierie fornace to haue the eyes put out with a blind obscuritie of the smokinge abisse to be plunged into the bottome of the infernall waues to be euerlastinglie gnawen with most prickinge wormes To consider these thinges and manie more is nothinge else but to bid adieu to all vices and to refraine all carnall allurements Prosp l. 3. de vit contemp c. 12. But what is it to burne eternallie will you say vnto me what doth this word Eternall or Eternitie meane Eternitie is a continuation of time alwaies present or else the measure of all continuation saith S. Thomas 1. p. q. 10. a. 6. It is a circle wherof Alwayes is the centre and Euer is the circumference The measure of eternitie is Alwayes as longe as Alwayes shall last so longe shall Eternitie last so longe as heauen shall be heauen so longe as God shall be God so longe shall the blessed be blessed in heauen and so longe shall the damned be damned burne for euer alwayes and worlde without end Imagin to your selfe a mountaine as high and as large as the whole worlde and that by the permission of God a litle Wrenne the least of all the birdes should come once in euery hundred thousand yeares to beare away in her bille or breake as much of this mountaine as the tenth part of a graine of mustard seede so that at euery million of yeares she should beare away only the quantitie of a graine of mustard seed when should all this mightie mountaine be remoued away Yet notwithstanding this should one day be for albeit such yet should it be finit in all its parts And if God should giue this hope vnto the damned to be deliuered after this litle Wrenne had thus traÌ„sported the whole mountaine they would be conforted maruellouslie But alas after so longe a terme they shall haue as long to burne as they had before Dionis Rickel Charterhouse Monke in the place intituled the looking glasse of the louers of the worlde What is Eternitie saith Adamus Sasbout who shall expres or comprehend what Eternitie is I thinke a thousand yeares I thinke a thousand millions of yeares I thinke as many millions of yeares as all the time contayneth moments which hath slid and past away since the creation of the worlde and shall passe vnto the end yet neuertheles I haue thought nothing that approacheth to Eternitie O Eternitie Eternitie how longe art thou without bottome without brimme without end Hom. vpon the first sunday of Lent O heauens stand astonished for a pleasure of a moment men purchase eternall torments Eternall Eternall EXAMPLES 1. A certaine Religious man demanded vpon a day of another moÌ„ke named Achilles whence it came that being in his ceâ—le he was alwayes wearie and slouthfull The holy old man made him answere it is because thou hast not yet seene the repose which we expect nor the torments which we feare For if thou consideredst well and maturely these thinges although thy celle were full of wormes and that thou wert plunged therin to the very neck thou wouldest neuertheles remaine therein very gladly and content In vitis Patrum dist 2. parag 103. 2. S. Fursinus patron of Peronne hauing seene by the permissâ—on of God in one of his trances the paines of the damned conceiued so great a feare that in the very depth of winter and most peircing frost at the holy remeÌ„brance thereof albeit he had but one simple habit only sweat throughout his whole body great droppes of sweate Ven. Bedahist Aug. l. 3. c. 19. Alas what would he haue done had he endured them reallie 3. S. Iohn Climacus affirmeth to haue knowen a certaine Conuerse cooke of a monasterie who each time that he approached to his fire he alwayes wept And being asked why he wept he answered When I see the fire I alwayes thinke vpon the fire of hell and forthwith I melt into teares for the compassion which I haue of the poore damned Clim Grad 4. 4. A certaine Clearke about the yeare of our Lord 1090. appeared to his companion saying that he was damned for that not beleeuing the immortallitie of the soule he had had no kinde of care to doe good workes And to giue to vnderstand what kinde of paines he endured he wipâ—e his fore-head with his hande and let a drop fal vpon the flesh of the other which peirced it at the same instant left a hole therin as big as a hazell nut together with most terrible paines and then said vnto him This fountaine shall be vnto thee a perpetuall memorie of my misery and aspur vnto thee to incite thee to leade a
the same be said to him selfe 6. To suffer him selfe to be treated contemptibly 7. To take contentment pleasure in it De similitud c. 10. ad 18. EXAMPLES 1. The Sonne of God is the true miroir and patterne of al humilitie for which cause he said learne of me for I am humble For who saw or euer shall see the like humilitie as that of God incarnate God a litle infant God in a stable in a manger betwixt an Asse and an Oxe Who was euer more abased then God circumcised God baptised God amongst sinners seruing them washing their feete wiping them and kissing them God subiect and obedient vnto a poore carpenter and to the base hangmen God nourishing his seruants with his flesh and giuing them his blood to drinke God bound howted mocked bespitted cudgelled buffeted trampled vnder feete whipped crowned with thornes bearing his crosse nayled hunge and dying on a gibbet betwixt two theeues Behould the humilitie of the Sonne of God who as the Apostle saith humâ—led him selfe made obedient vnto death â—uen the death of the crosse for the which thinge God hath also exalted him and hath giuen him a name which is aboue all names that in the name of Iesus euery knee â—ow of the celestialls terrestrialls and infernalls Phil. 2. 8. Behould Christian and imitate this goodly example 2. The first in humilitie after the Sonne of God is his most holy and immaculat mother who albeit endued with all the graces which a pure creature could possibly haue yet was troubled at the praises of the Angell called her selfe the handmaide of God and hauing conceiued the Sonne of God went instantly to serue her cosin Elizabeth What humble patience had she in her humiliations not finding an Inne to lodge in when she was at the point of her lying downe constrained to withdraw her into a stable and to bring forth at midnight in winter time both her creature and her Creator and to lay him vpon a litle straw in a maunger betwixt beastes Moreouer what patience to beare him in haste into Egipt amongst Idolaters To see him taken bound whipt hunge and dying on the Crosse It is no maruell then if casting our eyes vpon these two so beautifull mirors so many Saints of all ages sexes and conditions haue humbled them selues If one S. Gregorie Pope a and S. Lewis b kinge of France esteemed them selues honored to serue the poore If a S. Helen Empresse c tooke some time so great contentment to giue water to poore virgins when they went to dinner if she serued in the platters filed forth drinke and set her on her knees before them If one S. Heduuige d Dutches of Polonia besides the seruices aboue said kissed when no body was aware therof the very printes and steppes where the poore had passed B. Father Ignatius e being generall of the companie of Iesus exercised him selfe with so great contentment in the most humble and basest offices euen to the playing the scullian to wipe the pots rub the stoue-house scoure the platters carrie wood kindle fire draw water serue in meate and other like seruices If infinite others notwithstandinge their estate and greatnes haue abased them selues in all sortes of humiliation they knew full well that the honor and glorie of good soldiars is to follow their captaine as nere as they can a Ioan. Diac. in eius vita b. Ribad 25. of Aug. c Rufin li. c. 8. Socrates l. 1. c. 13. Theod. l. 1. c. 18. Sozom. l. 2. c. 1. Baron anno 31. 6. d Surius tom 5. 16. Octob. e Ribad l. 3. of his life §. 2. Of Liberallitie Liberallitie is a virtu which moderateth the loue of riches and maketh a man facile and prompt to employ them and spend them when reason iudgeth it expedient S. Tho. 2. q. 117. art 1. 2. 3. ex Arist. l. 4. Ethic. l. 1. Liberalitie is a great virtu saith S. Hierom and a royall way from hence he declineth on the right hande who so is scarce nether giuing to others nor yet to him selfe that which is necessarie and on the left hande he who eateth and consumeth his meanes amongst strumpets and saith Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we must dye lib. 16. in Isay Heare how Saint Iohn Chrisostome speaketh Euen as the daughters of such as are riche and noble are wont to weare some iewell about their neck for an ornament without euer putting it off because it is a signe of their nobilitie euen so must we clothe and adorne our selues in all times with bountifulnes to declare that we are the children of him who is mercifull and causeth his sunne to shine vpon the good bad Chrisost Hom. 1. vel in praefat in ep ad Phillip See hereafter of this virtu Chap. 7 § 2. 3. 4. §. 3. Of Chastitie Chastitie is a virtu necessarie to euery Christian that preteneth to come to heauen which doth repugne to the sinne of Luxurie giues a bridle to concupiscence The Apostle calls it sanctification 1. Thes 4. 3. and holines without which no man shall see God Heb. 12. 14. Now there are three sortes of chaâ—tities The first is of virgins The second of widowes The third of married folkes Isidor Pelusian compareth virginall chastitie to the sunne that of widdowes to the Moone that of married folkes to the starres epist. 391. S. Ierom expounding the parable of the seede Mat. 13. attributeth the hundred-fould fruit to virginitie the â—xtie fould to viduitie and the thirtie fould to mariage The same S. Aug saith de virgin c. 44. venerable Bede I would all men to be as my selfe saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. 7. but euery onâ— hath a proper gift of God one so and an other so But I say to the vnmarried and to widdowes it is good for them if they so abide as I also but if they doe not conteine them selues let them marrie for it is better to marry then to be burnt And a litle lower v. 25. And as concerning virgins a commandement of our Lord I haue not but councell I giue as hauinge obtained mercie of our Lord to be faithfull I thinke therfore that this is good for the present necessity Art thou tied to a wife Seeke not to be loosed Art thou loose froÌ„ a wife Seeke not a wife And v. 32. He that is without a wife is carefull for the thinges that pertaine to our Lord how he may please God but he that is with a wife is carefull for the thinges that pertaine to the worlde how he may please his wife and he is deuided And the woman vnmarried and the virgin thinketh on the thinges that pertaine to our Lord that she may be holy both in body and in spirit but she that is maried thinketh on the thinges that pertaine to the worlde how she may please her husband And he concludeth in the end v. 38. He that ioyneth his virgin in matrimonie doth well and he that ioyneth not doth better A
those that are chast and modest They fill them selues as those who remember that they are to pray vnto God in the night They talke together as those that know that God doth heare them After meate they washe their mouth and handes and after discourse turne by turne vpon some point of holy scripture and by this meanes it is one knowes how much they haue drunke They arise from the table not to enter into debates and quarrells not to talke of lasciuiousnes and knauerie but of that which is both honest and modest vt qui non tam caenam coenauerint quam disciplinam as those who had not so much fed of a supper as of discipline so that a man would iudge that they rather came from some lesson then from the table Tertul c. 39. Apologet. O admirable sobrietie of these first Christians from which how far off are we at this present §. 6. Of the virtu of Patience Patience is a virtu wherby we endure voluntarily and with tranquillitie the euils which doe happen to vs sent from God from the diuell or from men as sicknesses losse of goodes of children of parents iniuries sadnesses scruples and other afflictions of spirit and this for the hope we haue of better goodes There are six degrees of patience 1. To receiue the iniurie or the euill without any resistance 2. Not to reuenge it 3. To beare no hatred to the partie from whome the euill doth proceede 4. To loue him 5. To doe good vnto him 6. To pray to God for him All that shall be applied to thee receiue and in sorrow sustaine and in thy humiliation haue patience saith the wiseman for gold and siluer are tried in the fire but acceptable men in the fornace of humiliation And v. 16. Woe be to them that haue lost patience He that is patient is gouerned with much wisdome but he that is impatient exalteth his follie Pro. 14. 29. My sonne cast not away the discipline of our Lord nether doe thou faint when thou art chasticed of him for whom our Lord loueth he chasticeth and as a father in the sonne he pleaseth him selfe Pro. 3. 11. The same doth the Apostle say Heb. 12. 17. and S. Iohn in the Apoc. 3. 19. The most effectuall motiues which one can giue to excite and aduance him selfe to this holy virtu are 1. To consider the patience of God the Creator who giues so many good thinges vnto sinners and indures so gently all their iniuries who maketh his sunne to rise vpon good and bad and rayneth vpon iust and iniust as our Lord saith in S. Mat. 5. 45. Which point Tertullian deduceth elegantly lib. de patientia and S. Cyprian lib. de bono patientiae 2. To consider the patience which our Lord Iesus Christ had during his whole life in whom God as Tertullian speaketh hath placed his spirit with all patience who when he was reuiled did not reuile when he suffered he threatned not not but deliuered him selfe to him that iudged him vniustly 1. Pet. 2. 25. 3. To consider all the Saintes of the old Testament as Abell Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph Moyses Dauid Tobie Iob what is it they haue no◠endured Now if in that rude worlde before the doctrine and examples of Iesus Christ all these holy Saintes haue bene so patient in their aduersities what ought we to be saith Tertullian in the light of the gospell in the schoole of Iesus Christ in this abundance of grace amongst the infinit examples of the Saintes of the new testament 4. To consider the great vtilities of this virtu 1. It satisfieth for sinnes redeeming by a litle paine the most horrible torments of the other life It is easie to suffer the losse of ten crownes when one knowes that by this meanes one redeemeth the confiscation of then thousand 2. It aideth confirmeth and perfecteth all virtues Esteeme it my bretheren al ioy when you shall fall into diuers tentations saith S. Iames knowing that the probation of your faith worketh patience and let patience haue a perfect worke Iac. 1. 2. 3. It maketh vs also to merit euerlasting life 2. Cor. 4. 17. And our Lord saith Blessed are they that suffer persecution for iustice for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are you when they shall reuile you and persecute you and speake all that naught is against you vntruly for my sake be glad and reioyce for your reward is verie great in heauen Mat. 5. 10. EXAMPLES 1. Iob one of the greatest Princes of all the east being spoiled by the deuill of all his goodes afflicted with al sorts of diseases that might befall vnto a man and this thoroughout all the members of his body and for the space of many yeares despiced of all men yea euen assaulted by his owne wife who prouoked him to deny God hauing no other lodging then a dunghil and for all sortes of moueables an ilfauored piece of a broken pot to scrape his soares and to cleanse the filth that issued out of them not withstanding all these afflictions he neuer changed nor lost his courage no not so much as of speeche or of visage but singing cherefully these wordes so full of resignation to the will of God As it hath pleased our Lord so is it done Iob. 1. 22. 2. Tobias falling a sleepe against a wall a Swallow let fall her dunge vpon his eyes which made him blinde at the same instant God permitted this affliction to happen to him saith the holy scripture that an example might be giuen to posteritie of his patiēce as also of holie Iob. For wheras he feared God alwayes from his infancie and kept his commandements he grudged not against God for that the plague of blindnes had chanced to him but continued immoueable in the feare of God giuing thankes to God all the dayes of his life Iob. 2. 12. And after the Angel Raphael had healed him he said vnto him Because thou wast acceptable to God it was necessary that tentation should proue thee Tob. 12. 13. 3. S. Serulus a beggar lying paralitique his whole life at a gate of Rome at eache new accesse of dolor alwaies rendred thankes and praise to almightie God for which cause he deserued at his death to be visited and recreated with the musick of Angells S. Greg. Pope writeth it in his Dialogues l. 4. c. 14. Hom. 15. in Euang. 4. S. Galle daughter to Simachus Consull of Rome being left a widdow in the flower of her age had all her body couered ouer with an infamous scale and the Phisitians assuring her that she should soone die yea that a beard would growe out at her chinne like to a man vnles she married her selfe againe she chose rather to endure both the sicknes and death then to marry againe the second time At last as she drewe by litle and litle vnto her death hauinge one of her breastes all full of soares and that S. Peter appeared vnto her she asked not of him
Portugal marchāt for the almes which he had bestowed vpō the blessed father Zauerius In his life lib. 4. cap. 3. §. 3. That we neuer loose any thinge no not in this present life by giuing almes He that giueth to the poore shall not lack he that despiseth him that asketh shall sustaine penurie Prou. 28. 27. Giue and it shall be giuen to you Luc. 6. 38. Giue to vsurie vnto God saith S. Amb. he will keepe your pawne most faithfully and will restore you your mony augmented with vsurie lib. de virg The fauors of benefactors returne to those who giue them Hast thou giuen the poore to eate Thou hast prouided well for thy selfe for that which thou hast giuen will returne vnto thee with increase S. Basil hom 6. in ditescentes EXAMPLES 1. S. Iohn the Almes-giuer the more almes he gaue the more did God enrich him where with to giue in so much as it seemed that there was a certaine holy strife betwixt God and S. Iohn which of them should giue most S. Iohn to giue vnto the poore and our Lord to giue vnto S. Iohn For so he hath assured vs that God did alwaies restore him the double of that which he had giuen for the loue of him Going one day vnto the church he met a gentleman which besought him to asist him saying that theeues had robd him of all he had He commanded fiftene poundes of gould to be giuen vnto him The steward thinking it to be too much gaue vnto him no more then fiue At his going out of the church a Lady gaue him a bill to receiue fiue hundred poundes of gould and to distribute it to the poore in reading wherof the Holy Ghost discouered vnto him that his steward had cut off two thirds of the almes which he had commanded him to giue vnto this gentlemā Which hauing auerred he sharply reprehended him and knew by the Lady that gaue him the bill that at the first she had an intention to giue vnto him fifteene hundred poundes of gould and had so written within the bill and that afterwards not knowing how she found the thousand blotted out Surius tom 1. ex Simon Metaphrast Bredembach lib. 6. collat cap. 1◠See the like case arriued to S. German bishop in Surius tom 4. lib. 2. cap. 11. Iuly 31. And to S. Marcellus Abbat In the same Surius Decemb. 29. cap. 1. 2. In the cittie of Nisibie a christiā woman councelled her husband being a pagan to giue to the God of the christians by the handes of the poore fiftie crownes which he intended to put out to vsurie telling him that God would assuredlye pay him the double vse of his mony together with the capitall He did so and after three monthes he went and found out the same poore begging at the portall of the church to see if they would rendar him his mony But insteed of restoring to him they put forth their handes againe to receiue of him wherat he was offended with them And as he returned home all heauie he espied one of his peeces of gould vpon the ground tooke it vp carried it vnto his wife and bought therwith bread wine and a fishe And as he emptied out the gerbage of the fish he found within her guttes a pretious stone the which he sould to a gould-smith the same day for three hundred crownes This miracle touched him at the very hart and was the cause that he became a Christian Sophron. in prat spirit cap. 185. 3. S. Boniface bishop of Ferento in Italy being yet but a litle childe was wont to giue his apparrel to the poore for which his mothes often chid him Vpon a day as she was out of doores he called in the poore and gaue them all the wheate that was in the garner Which his mother finding a◠her returne she began to cry and to lament saying that she had lost the whole reuenue of a yeare The litle Saint endeuored to confort her but seeing that he profited nothing he besought his mother to goe out of the garner and then began to pray to God vpon his knees This done he calls his mother backe againe and behould a thinge most maruellous she found all her garner fild with most goodly and most excellent graine This taught her that to giue almes doth not empouerish for which cause she from that time gaue her sonne leaue to giue to the poore whatsoeuer he would S. Greg. dial l. 1. c. 9. §. 4. How rigorously God hath punished those which had no pittie of the poore He that stoppeth his eare at the cry of the poore him selfe shall also cry and shall not be heard Pro. 21. 13. Iudgment shall be done without mercie to him that hath not done mercie Iac. 2. 13. Thou hast not shewed mercy saith S. Basil thou also shalt not finde mercie Thou hast not opened thy house to the poore and God also wil not open his kingdome to thee Thou hast not giuen temporall bread and thou shalt not haue eternall life Assure thy selfe that the fruites which thou shalt reape shall be like to the seede which thou hast sowen Hast thou sowen bitternes thou shalt likewise reape bitternes Hast thou sowen crueltie thou shalt likewise reape crueltie Thou hast fled mercie and mercie likewise wil fly from thee Thou hast abhorred the poore and he likewise shall abhorre thee who for thy sake made him selfe so passing poore S. Basil orat ad diuites EXAMPLES 1. Hatto of Abbot of Fulde made Archbishop of Mayence fild his barne with an assembly of poore fayninge that he would giue them almes and then set fire at the four corners therof and burned them all saying that they were Rattes which eate and consumed the corne of the riche This crueltie escaped not vnpunished for before three yeares after were expired he him selfe was eaten of Rattes nether he nor any of his people being able to preuent it Ioan. Trithemius in Chron. monast Hirsau ad an Dom. 967. Munsterus Maria Scot. lib. 3. Genebrard l. 4. Chro. an 970. 2. A poore man asking an almes of the master of a Ship he was refused by him saying that he had nothing in his Ship but stones and at the same instant all therin was turned into stones S. Greg of Tours lib. de gloria Conf. cap. 108. recounteth this as an eye witnes And Sigebertus in Chron. an Dom. 606. Baron tom 8. an Dom. 605. 3. A certaine riche man at Constantinople being sorrie for that he had giuen a summe of mony in an almes had no sooner receiued his mony but he died sodainly Baron tom 7. annal eccles an 553. 4. A couetous person who would not heare the cries of the poore as Masse was said for him after his death at eache Dominus vobiscum the Bishop saw the Crucifix vnfasten its handes from the Crosse and stoppe its eares Was not this to confirme that which we alleadged out of the wiseman hertofore that he that stoppeth his