with God growing one with him in charitie who was and is the only fountaine of all charitie neuer rose the sunne but preuented by his praiers neuer shut the euening but out worne by his meditations neuer was he pensiue but beholding the presumptions neuer more pleasant then in confirming a Conuertite his riches was a hiue yéelding him hony and the honie of his persuations suckled and fed the weake mindes Whilest thus he liued and thus perfited It for tuned that certian straglers that had left the Army of the Lumbards to intend folow pillage ignorāt in the waies of Italie lost their direct way and by good hap fell into this desert where trauelling long without either pleasure or profit and in a desert disinhabited where no victuals might be had to assuage hunger they at last hit on Menas caue where they found him slacking his hunger with hearbes quenching his thirst with water and rather féeding to continue life then to pamper nature Where shewing themselues by their inciuilitie they not only robbed him of his meat spoiled tooke away his hiue but beyond all reason beat him cruelly The good old man that had no helpe but from heauen nor weapon in his hand to defend him but his tongue praying earnestly whilest he was persecuted at last brake out into this persuasion What outrage is this you souldiers whereas you neither respect age nor regard deuotion neither feare God nor regard the lawes wild beasts assaile not vnprouoked Serpents sting not vntrod on the harmelesse bird is no Harpies prey shall then a Hermit in deuotion an old man in yeares a poore man in fortune be subiect to your tirannies In the law of kind you are cursed for by it you are to endure no more to be done to others then you can quietly admit in your owne causes then since none of you can easily suffer iniurie beware to be ouer earnest in offering it to other men In the law written all theft is forbidden then what are you but law breakers that vse violence The law of grace condemneth you for it enioineth you to giue of your owne to other men but you driue other men from their own O what impietie is this to defraud nature to abuse God to despise grace and afflict man In the Romane lawes as Cato witnesseth théeues were punished by the double and taxed to restore twise that thing in value which they had taken away by villany in Gods law thieues are excluded from Gods kingdome Oh earthly men consider what you loose by winning so wickedlie you loose your liuing soules to norish your deadlie sinnes you loose heauen to purchase hel You loose honor to win infamie brieflie the poore curse you the rich hate you the Prince condemneth you the Magistrate plagueth you what miseries then worke you for your selfe when on earth you are estranged from all societie in heauen forsaken for your impietie in hell euerlastingly plauged for your securitie Oh repent you presentlie or too lately is too lamentably who deferreth his repentance hasteneth his plague where time is swift the world but a shadow mans life but a moment his death imminent how vaine is his delay in repentance where reuenge outstrippeth time terrifieth the world shortneth the shortnesse of life and whets on death and damnation Further would this holie father haue discoursed and more earnestlie would he haue vrged his arguments But that a miscreant wretch who had neuer God in his lips but to blaspheme him nor remorse in his heart where blood was to bée shead séeing the rest of his fellowes some what amazed at these his persuasions drew out his sword and purposelie ran at him to pierce his brest when loe after a terrible and hideous crie the heauen ouercast the earth opened and from the lowest hel a fiend appeared in shape ouglie in threats dreadfull who seazing the sinfull wretch first flong him vp into the aire then threw him on the ground sometime turning his lims from their naturall places other whiles thundring out oracles of the wretches condemnation till Menas mooued by compassion and his companions terrified by example humbly knéeling dispossessed him by praier whom the Deuil had possessed for his sinne finallie the catiue reconciled his soultiers scholed and Menas recompenced they returned to their armie reporting his fame whilst he resorted to his meditations to yéeld thanks for their reconcilements Neither was Gods power so tied to defend him from men but that he likewise protected him from sauage beasts so that being earnest in their prey he subdued them by praier making them feare at his presence who otherwise caused all men to runne from their pursute His studie likewise was to haue nothing in this world and hauing nothing to contemne all things his charitie was to embrace all that visited him and to conuert all that heard him frée was he in reproouing the prowd and reconciling the penitent To be short his solitude made him beloued of God defended from men preserued from beasts and lastlie a Citizen of heauen Metrodorus that had left his solitarie thoughts to listen to his holie historie hearing so many miracles at first grew amazed but subdued by self opinion which quicklie peruerteth our faith he brake out into this reply which be wrated his infirmitie Though thy life old Hermit be the example of modestie yet thy words are so wonderfull as they deserue no credit miracles are for more then men and those are our best obiects that are subiect to our sences bring therefore better authoritie to confirme our beliefe or for my part I shal thinke the storie is rather an Hiperbole then a historie Metrodorus quoth Anthonie this prooues thée to be carnall because thou comprehendest nothing that is eternall and therfore worldlie wits as Gregorie saith beléeue not spirituall things because they behold not that in experiment which they heare by report the reasons whereof I will expresse thée because I am willing to confirme thée Looke as a child borne in prison and nourished in obscuritie bearing nothing but the solitarie cries of his mother séeing nothing but the desolation of all delight seemeth holie assured in the 〈◊〉 of his sences suspitious in all other approued certainties so that if his mother tel of the sunne he beléeueth nothing but obseuritie if she talke of 〈◊〉 Moone and Starres he trusteth nothing to be in that he sées not their being so carnall men hauing all things by hearsay beléeue nothing but in experience liuing in the obscurities of the world they admit nothing that excéedeth their conceits and hauing the marke of sinne in their bodies norish not the light of contemplation in their soules With Adam their father they are taxed to labours but with Adam their father they conceaue not their fall for the memorie of his former pleasures remaineth in him but the remisconceit worldlie blindnesse choketh thē he remembring his former happinesse vert they nourished in their worldlie frailties delight therein
extinguish the studie of vertue mortifie the thought of celestiall things disturbe the memorie diuert the loue and conuert all sanctitie to sensualitie who so is gréedie to get is readie to doe wrong purchase bréedeth much fruit vsurie more hate marchandise much feare all manner of gain al māner of trouble Pouerty is the parent of vertue Wealth the stepdame who contemneth secular ioies deploreth sempiternall Hierome so thought and so writ That vertues and riches could not agrée in one brest vsing in this cause the example of Crates the rich Theban who going to Athens to studie Philosophie cast away a great sum of money thinking it impossible for riches and vertues to agrée in one possession Blessed is he saith a father who hath not followed those things which being possessed burthen man beloued defile him and lost crucifie him Besides all this the miserie and daunger in getting the sorrow and harme in vse and possessing consider the infinitie and affinitie of vices that follow lewd increasing The memorie of death martireth the rich Temporall abundance bréedeth forgetfulnesse of eternall briefly as wéed hath his worme so the worme of wealth is his pride What is a rich man but a liuing dead man Or what can he challenge to be his who hath his wealth Lord of himselfe his mind subiect to his wealth and all estranged from God how shall I cal riches but the chains of sin where pride is coupeled with lust and lust is mounted in this chariot The foure whéeles that draw it are foure vices the abuse of surfet the delicacie of attire the abundance of sléepe and idlenesse and lastly the heat of filthy lust the horses of this chariot are backt by these two guides The dulnesse of sloth and the blindnes of securitie and of purpose are these coachmen without spurs because in y e kingdome of pleasure there should be nothing that might induce sadnes or produce remorse only dissimulation improuidence beare the canapie to shadow mans eie from repentance vntill he fall into the snare of his own damnation Thou blamest me for not being ambitious not considering this that ambition is a subtile euill a secret poyson a hidden plague a srautfull workeman the mother of hipocrisie the parent of hate the fountaine of sinne the bait of offence the rust of vertue the moth of holinesse the blinder of hearts creating diseases of remedies and begetting griefes of medicines Thou willest me to cherish and to norify my bodie but vertue to chasten it for the flesh by euery light motion is subiect to commotion and he that wil sit surelie on an vnbrideled colt must cunningly breake him Pithagoras séeing one of his followers pampering his flesh and affecting belly chear why saith he art thou about to build a prison for thy selfe And Plato vnderstanding what wounds the mind receiued by the wicked inticements of the bodie purposelie chose out an vnhealthfull Academy in Athens that by such meanes he might correct the good disposition of the fare Thus in their blindnesse perceiued these Philosophers that contemplation hath no enemie more capitall then our prowd and fraile flesh O Metrodorus I hate not my bodie but the corruptions therof and I only in this loue my selfe in that I chastise my selfe worthilie said Leo in a certaine sermon So much more euery man loueth himselfe by how much he hateth himselfe for Gods loue Thou persuadest me to wed to encrease the world and I say the world had more néed of wéeding then wedding Thou saiest that mariage is a blessing but I know it to be the sourse of miseries for children being borne make their parents carefull and vnborne miserable liuing vnfortunate and dead desolate To this man the multitude of children bréedeth a ioy to possesse thē but this ioy is extinct if he want to relieue them to that man the want of an heire is noisome who hath toild away life to get great possessions and wanteth a son to encrease his posteritie so that the ones good fortune is the others calamity and each of them desireth that successe wherwith he séeth his neighbor to be excruciat This mā hath lost a swéet boy by death that lamentetha lewd son in life and both of these worthie commiseration for the one gréeueth at his boies death the other at his sons life O scope of mans vanitie where all things that are desired grow tedious and the greatest benefits that are possessed wax troublesome O Metrodorus accuse me not for flying the world for it deceiueth all men the king by securitie the prince by ambition the magistrate by corruption the merchant by misfortunes all men by being the world He that dwelleth in Sodome cannot escape the shower of fire he that loueth Egipt must liue in seruitude and who will be of the world must not be without temptations since therefore God is my portion suffer him to be mine only pleasure since the world is so wicked learne thou to forsake it Leaue thy sandie foundations of this earth to build on the sure rocke Christ honor pouertie for it mortifieth worldlie cares and trauaileth to God without let It is the end of griefe the ground of peace the cleannes of life that deliuereth vs from the cares of this transitorie world and tieth vs to the lawes of eternall righteousnesse studie obedience for it is better then sacrifice Learn humilitie for it norisheth the soul being pure Manna to féed the deuout mind Elebony to purge the ambitious Finally prowd Philosopher learne to correct thine owne life before thou condemne others for he soonest misdoeth that vainlie misthinketh No sooner had Anthony ended this discourse but Metrodorus quite confounded sat eying the ground Asterius amased beheld the heauens Whilest wéeping Frementarius broke out into this discourse Solitarie and sacred behold the fruits of thy wisdome thou hast put obstinacie to silence drawne curiositie to admiration whetted ignorance to contemplation Now therefore what thou hast wrought by word win by examples for as Tully saith examples if they sauour of antiquitie yéeld great authoritie in their proofe and pleasure when they are heard My sonne quoth Anthonie if obstinacie wax silent there is hope he will heare if curiositie admire he begins to affect and since thou in ignorance doest contemplate thy zeale bursteth out into teares which both expresse thy remorse in respect of thy deserts and thy desire to encrease in vertue to seale them therefore to God whom he hath gently sommoned I wil report a true historie as full of admiration as of certaintie and in euent so certaine as they are impudent that impugne it Amidst those lustie mountaines of Italy that deuide the indestious Sabins from the warlike Marsians there liued a reuerend and respectiue father called Menas who forsaking the sollace of the world tooke his only delight in solitarie meditation of whose life there are as many famous witnesses as Samnia hath fortunate warriors This holy Hermit forsaking the resorts of men consorted onely
heauenly and diuine are giuen thée Thou fearest perhaps that austerity of life will hasten thy death but I tell thée holy abstinence maintaineth life Then Arsenius who more abstinent Yet saw he a 120 yeares who more studied fasting then Ierome Yet liued he twice fiftie It is not austeritie that hasteneth death but superfluitie that shorteneth life Thou fearest perhaps that thou canst not cast off thine euill customes but I assure thée that Gods graces are stronger then mans frailties and spiritually tied vnto him thou shalt say as Augustine did of himselfe how sodainly wared it swéet to me to want the swéetnesse of trifles and those toies which I feared to loose I forsooke with reioice Thou fearest least thou shalt not continue thy resolution but whilest thou héedfully foreséest vncertaine euils thou retchelesly art restrained in the bond of thy sinnes If thou giue eare with Augustine thou shalt hear this happie voice Proijce te in euÌ„ nolimetuere noÌ„ te subtrahet vt cadas proijce te securus excipiet te sanabit Cast thy selfe on him and feare not hee will not suffer thée to fall cast thy selfe securely and fréely on him hee will both receaue thee and héale thée perhaps thou desirest to defer thy time of contemplation and wouldest be a worldling during youth to serue God in age Then when the world casteth thée off it seemeth thou wouldest cast thy selfe on God for shame for shame giue him the fattest sacrifice for if thou come in youth to him Anselme will compare thée to an angell Hearke how Ierome crieth Epist. 103. ad Pauli vol. 30. â—oestina quaeso te herenti in salo nauiculae funem magis precide quam solue Thou dispisest perhaps the pouertie of my estate but thou hast cause to loue it for where hunger is all things are taken with delight and where humility with thanks Thou fearest the facilitie of religious discipline but I tell thée that as the fether except stéeped in water is easily lifted vp into the aire with the least puff of wind so mans spirit except soiled with vices and detained by worldly infirmities is still mounting vp to heauen as being a portion of the same To conclude all doubts therfore and draw thée to God Asterius know that the true delight of the mind is no waies but in God and that all other are but as blemishes to the eie spots in purple and knots in timber This Aristotle perceaued who after he had very long and learnedly disputed of felicity at last after he had decided the delights thereof concluded that the whole fulnesse thereof depended on the contemplation of God That is the true and only delight saith Barnard Epist. 114 which is not receiued by the creature but the creator and which when thou inioiest no man may take from thée in comparison of which all other sollace is sadnes all swéetnesse gréefe each blessing bitter all beautie filthy finally whatsoeuer other thing may moue delight troublesome Besides there is in no created thing any degrée of goodnesse any sparke of beautie any appearance of pleasure which is not more fréely more effectually and perfectly in God first because his nature is infinit and if any thing should be defectiue in him he could not be infinit Againe whatsoeuer earthly things they haue they haue them from God and no man can giue that to another which he hath not himselfe and therefore well said Barnard Thou admirest saith he in the sunne brightnesse in the flowers beautie in bread sanor in earth fecundity but all these things are of God neither is it to be doubted but that he hath reserued far swéeter for himselfe then that which he hath giuen to his creatures which being so it must necessarily follow that he who possesseth God possesseth al things with him and receineth the same or greater delectation then he could take from all other wordly delights were they vnited together For as he who enioieth gold enioieth the price of much siluer and hath more easie cariage of the one then of the other so he that is vnited with God hath all the suck and marrow of true goodnesse and with the possession thereof an alienation from all other earthly frailties and infirmities which are incident to fraile fickle and finite nature Speake thou thus therefore with Augustine to God 10. Confes. b. What loue I when I loue thée Not the beauty forme or fauor of the bodie not the ornament of time not the brightnesse of light befriendring mine eies not the swéet melody of delightfull songs not the oderiferous smell of flowers spices and ointments not Manna not hony not soft pleasing members fit for fleshly embraces I loue not these when I loue my God and yet I loue a certaine light and a certaine voice and a certaine smell and a certaine meat and a certaine embrace when I loue my God the light the voice the odour the food the embrace of my inferiour man where that shineth to my mind the place comprehendeth not and where that soundeth which time carieth not away and where that smelleth which breath disperseth not and where y t sauoureth which eating diminisheth not and where that sticketh which sacietie pulleth not away This is that which I loue when I loue my God Come away from this world Asterius for like a théefe it will betray thée like a net it will catch thée like a Serpent it will sting thée like a syrren it will inchant thée like a Crocodile wéepe ouer thée Briefly come and dwell with me that thou maist dwell with God As soone as Anthony had finished this discourse and his auditorie considered on his oration both Metrodorus and Asterius the one forsaking his curiosity the other renouncing both Astronomy and Magicke cast away their vain vainnesse of Philosophy and humbly submitted them to Anthony and euer after from worldly minded men became zealous and contemplatiue fathers only Frumentarius that had yet vndisclosed his cause of discontents after he had applauded these conuersions at last thus expresied his purposes Though I haue cause to reioice O Anthonie to behold these conuerts and a desire in my selfe to be partaker of their profession yet because a common-weale dependeth on my hands I am restrained from that I would and wholy tied to my countrie Why hast thou sought me out quoth the Hermit To be aduised by thée said Frumentarius in choice of my counsaile in that I am Prince in disposition of my warres because I feare to be inuaded and in execution of iustice what is to be followed Thou shalt not depart vnsatisfied qd Anthony though the world be not my science I will become a mortal man to helpe an honest mind First therefore for counsaile thou oughtest to require it from almighty God next from thy selfe thirdly from others in God thou oughtest to be wise deuout in thy selfe prouident and in others carefull and wary in examining counsailes discréet in auoiding seuere mistaking learned
whose equals cannot be found out Should I discourse at full of this subiect define deuide subdeuide and examine particulars it would rather require a volume then a discourse such as I can yéeld thée I will therefore only touch things necessarie and leaue the rest to thine own reading instructing thée only in those things which are lawfull and prescribing thée certaine rules when it is lawfull to enter fight and admit contention which may be referred to these eight causes Thou maist lawfully fight first of all for the maintainance of thy faith next for iustice sake Thirdly to maintaine peace Fourthly to conserue liberty Fiftly to auoid dishonestie and turpitude Sixtly to repell violence Seuenthly for the defence of a mans owne bodie Eightly for a necessarie cause First touching war to be vndertaken for faith there is nothing more iust nothing more reasonable neither anie thing more honest for faith is our buckler where vnder we gard all vertues our seale of inheritance our linck of Christianity our aliance with God rather is death to be suffered then religion to be forsaken we ought likewise to fight for Iustice sake euen to the vtterance of our liues for except iustice be maintained Common-weales are ruinated for peace likewise war is lawfull because by peace iustice and communities are maintained war likewise is lawful for the maintainance of liberty and auoidance of seruitude for as Tully saith When time and necessitie require man may fight and a valiant death is to be preferred before a seruile and obscure life for happily is he killed who ignominiously serueth Thou maist also fight to auoid Turpitude for no death is so odious as the indurance of dishonestie Thou maist likewise fight to repell violence for all laws rights permit this to repell force by force In thine owne defence likewise maist thou war for the law saith that what man doth in his owne defence is lawfully done And law of nature likewise teacheth vs to detest iniuries for it is better to withstand in time then reuenge after wrongs Resist thou therefore bouldly iniustice violence and iniurie done vnto thée for as greatly is he in fault saith Tully that resisteth not if he can as he that being of abilitie leaueth both his friends and his countrie Thou maist rightly war also vpon a iust cause as being sommoned by denuntiation and generall proclamation For assuredly that enemie thinketh himselfe strong or in effect is rash and vnaduised that calleth his equall to combate and maketh open profession of displeasure Againe touching war these few notes are to be considered That God hath therefore ordained and commaunded the law of the sword to bring them in peace by the sword that will not otherwise obay the lawes of right and charitie That war likewise is held lawfull it appeareth because God himselfe vouchsafeth the name of the Lord of hostes To conclude battaile according to other is only lawfull in thrée causes First when the cause is rightfull Next the intention good Thirdly if it be done by the authoritie of a lawfull Prince It is néedfull first of all that the cause bée rightfull and that men fight only for the right and to maintaine right and for the preseruation of the communaltie and those that are guiltlesse and would haue peace for as Augustine saith the end of battaile should be peace Their intention also must be rightfull not that they fight for ambition to get the authority or for couetousnesse to get riches or for malice to be reuenged of grutches or for cruelty to murther men For if their intention be wicked though their cause be iust they sinne in manslaughter and for their wicked intention God suffereth them to be ouercome in a rightfull cause it must likewise be executed by the authoritie of a lawfull Prince not raised by iniustice but made by common custome by authority of law by rightfull election for although a man gather a multitude against his prince and by the rebels his followers is made their head yet is he neither to command neither ought they vniustly to obay for both their election in him is vnlawfull and obedience towards him vniust This sufficeth quoth Frumentarius only good Anthony discourse of iustice and thou leauest me well resolued Frumentarius quoth Anthony iustice hath best execucion where there foregoeth good election for a prince that chooseth good iudges is sure his laws shall be well executed First therefore in choice of thy iudges out of many chuse few out of few the wisest out of the wisest the expertest out of the expertest y e most prudent of the most prudent the most quietest of the quietest the eldest for the true and worthie iudge without all doubt must be of a generous noble blood old in years of life honest of little follie much experience in spéech resolute and in knowledge profound The true iudge must not relent by praiers nor be corrupted with gifts nor deceiued with words nor disturbed with threatnings or misseled with money nor ouercome with pittie The good iudge must haue alwaies one hand readie to sustaine the good and the other to punish the wicked A good iudge is hée that dealeth in truth speaketh truth and is a friend of truth and an enemy to liers A good iudge must be wise in that hée commandeth iust in his iudgements and moderat in his executions and that which is more then all that in matters of iustice the determination thereof he shew neither passion nor affection No man in this world is so perfect but there is in him to be amended neither any man so euill that hath not in him to be praised The historie writers doe note Homer of vaine spéech taske Alexander for fury Caesar for ambition Pompey for pride Demetrius for vices Hanniball for periurie Vespatian for couetousnesse Traian for a winebibber Aurelius for amorous Amongst men so great glorious and famous as these Iudges may wel think to be noted of faults and therefore ought to be very carefull to direct a circumspect and warie course in their liues that they may auoid scandalizers and slanderers Iudges likewise ought to bée good Christians and not weake in patience For there is no vertue more requisit in a Common-weale then patience for the iudge that is measured in that he speaketh and dissembleth the iniuries done vnto him he may not lightly fall Those that gouerne people and determin causes much more then other men ought to liue warely and be of more sufferance for as they iudge so are they regarded measured and considered There is nothing in this world more sure as I haue said before then that he which is feared of many ought also to feare many and therefore it commeth to passe that many times the iudge is more damnified in his fame then the sutor in his goods I mean this of iudges who are proud and melancholie But such as are mild and gentle in suffering the people examine not the liues they