neglect the Consideration of Gods Worke in his heart through the Word doth amisse both are to be done the Scriptures still used and Gods worke within us still observed who workes by his Word and ever in the reading of it As for the Text They shall be all tâ—…ught of God it being Scripture cannot be spoken to the disparagement of Scripture but the meaning is this That God in the dayes of the Gospell will not give an outward Law of Ceremonies as of old buâ—… such a one as shall still have the assistance of the holy spirit applying it to our hearts and ever outrunning the Teacher as it did when Peter taught Cornelius there the case iâ—… plaine Cornelius had revelation yet Peter was to be sent for and those that have inspirations must still use Peter Gods Word if we make another senâ—…e of that Text wee shall overthrow all means save catechizing and set up Enthusiasmes In the Scripture are Doctrines these ever teach more and more Promises these ever comfort more and more Ro. 15. 4. To the 33 CONSID. The Doctrine of this Consideration cleareth that of the precedent For as the servant leaves not the letter when he hath read it but keepes it by him and reads it againe and againe and the more the promise is delayed the more he reads it and â—…ortifies himselfe with it so are wee to doe with the Scriptures and this is the use of the promises of the Scriptures But the use of the Doctrinall part iâ—… more in regard it presents us not with the same thing only when it is read as the promises doe but enlightens us with new Considerations the more we read iâ—… Much more might be said but this sufficeth he himselfe allowes it for a holy conversation and refreshment To the 36 CONSID. On these words Neither fearing chastisement for transgressiion nor hoping for reward for observation c. All the discourse from this line till the end of this Chapter may seeme strange but it is sutable to what the Author holds elsewhere for he maintaines that it is Faiith and Infidelity that shall judge us now since the Gospell and that no other sin or vertue hath any thing to doe with us if we believe no sinne shall hurt us if we believe not no vertue shall helpe us Therefore he saith here we shall not be punished which word I like here better then chastizement because even the godly are chastized but not punished for evill doing nor rewarded for weldoing or living for all the point lies in believing or not believing And with this exposition the Chapter is cleare enough but the truth of the Doctrine would be examined however it may passe for his opinion in the Church of God there is one fundamentall but else variety To the XXXVII CONSID. On these words That God is so delicate and sensitive c. The Apostle saith that the wages of Sinne is death and therefore there is no sinne so small that merits not death and that doth not provoke God who is a jealous God To the 46 CONSID. On these words Exercise not thy selfe in anything pretending Iustification He meaneth I suppose that a man presume not to merit that is to oblige God or justify himselfe before God by any acts or exercises of Religion but that he ought to pray God affectionâ—…tely and fervently to send him the light of his spirit which may be unto him as the sunne to a Travellour in his journey hee in the meane while applying himselfe to the duties of true Piety and syncere Religion such as are Prayer Fasting Almeâ—…-deedes c. after the example of devout Cornelius To the 49 CONSID. On these words Remaining quiet when they perceive no motion c. In indifferent things there is roome for motions and expecting of them but in things good as to relieve my Neighbour God hath already revealed his Will about it Therefore wee ought to proceed except there be a restraining motion as S. Paul had when hee would have preached in Asia and I conceive the restraining motions are much more frequent to the godly then inviting motions because the Scripture invites enough for it invites us to all good according to that singular place Phil. 4. 8. A man is to embrace all good but because he cannot doe all God often chuseth which he shall doe and that by restraining him from what he would not have him doe To the same CONSID. Vpon these words A man's free-will doth consist c. He meanes a mans fre-will is only in outward not in spirituall things To the same CONSID. On these words Neithor Pharaoh nor Iudas c. could cease to be such This doctrine however true in substance yet needeth discreâ—…t and wary explaining To the LVIII CONSID. Vpon the seventh difference By occasions I suppose hee meaneth the ordinary or necessary duties and occasions of our calling and condition of life and not those which are in themselves occasions of sinne such as are all vain conversations For as for these pious persons ought alwaies to avoid them but in those other occasions Gods Spirit will mortify and try them as gold in the fire To the LIX CONSID. Upon these words And with doubtfulnesse I see he prayed in the Garden To say our Saviour prayed with doubtfulnesse is more then I can or dare say But with condition or conditionally he prayed as man though as God he knew the event Feare is given to Christ but not doubt and upon good ground To the LXII CONSID. This Chapter is considerable the intent of it that the world pierceth not godly mens actions no more then Gods is in some sort true because they are spiritually discerned 1. Cor. 2. 14. So likewise are the godly in some sort exempt from Lawes for Lex iusto non est pofita But when he enlargeth them hegoes too farre For first concerning Abraham and Sara I ever tooke that for a weaknesse in the great Patâ—…k And that the best of Gods Seâ—…vants should have weaknesses is no way repugnant to the way of Gods Spirit in them or to the Scriptures or to themselves being still men though godly men Nay they are purposely accorded in holy Writ Wherefore as David's Adultery cannot be excused so need not Abraham's Equivocation nor Paul's neither when he professed himselfe a Pharisee which strictly he was not though in the point of Resurrection he agreed with them and they with him The reviling also of Aâ—…anias seemes by his owne recalling an oversight yet I remember the Fathers forbid us to judge of the doubtfull actions of Saints in the Scriptures which is a modest admonition But it is one thing not to judge another to defend them Secondly when he useth the Word Iurisdiction allowing no Iurisdiction over the godly this cannot stand and it is ill Doctrine in a common-wealth The godly are punishable as others when they doe amisse and they are to be judged according to the outward fact unlesse it be
able to separate him from the love of God And that which he shewed in the outward is seen by the miracles which he did and by the many people that he converted And I understand that the power which S. Paul felt in the inward was much greater then that which he shewed in the outward I would say that which S. Paul shewed in the outward was not in that degree of power as that which he felt in the inward The selfe same which I consider in S. Paul I consider in every one of them which are the members of Christ more or lesse according as is that part of faith and of the spirit which every one of them possesseth understanding that from S. Pauls being a member of Christ it proceeded that he was in all that hath been spoken like unto Christ. Farther I understand that the consideration of the two weaknesses considered in Christ workes the same effect in him that considers them I that the weaknesse which he feeles in the inward goes abating in him in as much as his affections and appetites goe on dying and the weaknesse which he shewes in the outward goes increasing in as much as he is esteeâ—…ed more vulgar more vile and more of litle regard and is more mocked more outraged more persecuted and worse intreated And I understand also that the consideration of these two powers vertues and efficacies considered in Christ workes that effect in him that considers them that in him growes increasing the power the vertue and the efficacy that he feeles in the inward in as much as he hath more peace in conscience hath more spirit and more other knowledges divine conceptions of God and of the things of God And there goes abating in him the power the vertue the efficacy which he shewes in the outward in as much as he only shewes himselfe when he is inspired and moved of God to shew himselfe in such manner as that so much iâ—… one the more like to Christ in as much as he is more weak in that which is seen and in as much as he is more powerfull in that which is not seen I will adde this that the saints of the world know the power in God by the power that Christ shewed in the outward knowing weaknesse in God through the weaknesse that Christ shewed in the outward They know power in God through the transfiguration of Christ. And they know weaknesse in God by the death of Christ. And I understand that the Saints os God know without all comparison greater Power in God through the weaknesse which Christ shewed in the outward then through the power which Christ shewed in the outward and it is so indeed that they knew greater Power in God by the grace of Christ then by the transfiguration of Christ knowing that it is so indeed And so it is perceaved that from Christs shewing himselfe weak his death on the Crosse did result and from his death on the crosse is resulted all the good of the world all the felicity and the prosperity which they who are Christs members doe enioy and shall enioy together with Christ there being in them that which was and that wich is in Him to whom be glory for ever CGNSID LXXXII In what properly consisteth that Agony which Jesus Christ our Lord felt in his Passion and in his Death HAving oftimes heard speak of the Agony of the feare and loathing and sorrofulnesse which Jesus Christ our Lord felt in his passion and death by persons who pretended to shew the cause why Christ felt so much his sufferings and his death many other men having suffered and died some as men and some as Christians some of them without having shewed so much sence others having shewed none at all and others having made shew to rejoyce and delight themselves in their suffering and to rejoyce in their Death And never having remained satisfied in my minde neither with that which I heard say nor with that which I read in their books which handled this matter Last of all joyning that which I heard a Preacher say with that which is read in Isaia and in S. Peter I have made this resolution That God having put all our sinnes on Christ to chastize them all in him and he having taken them all upon himselfe and known them all in generall and in particular he felt for every one of them that confusion that shame and that griefe which he should have felt if he himselfe had committed them Whereupon seeing himselfe in the presence of God contaminated and defiled with so many and so abominable sinnes it came to passe that he felt all that Agony all that feare all that sorrowfulnesse within himselfe and all that shame and confusion which appertained to every one of us to have felt for every one of our sinnes had we been punished for them Whence proceeded that he sweat drops of blood in the garden for the anguish which he felt not because he saw himselfe neere unto death but to see himselfe in the presence of God full of so many sinnes for which reason he prayed putting his face to the earth as if he had been ashamed to have looked up to heaven knowing that there lay upon him so many offences committed against God And this truly is the cause why Christ shewed more sense of griefe in his Passion and in his death then any of the Martyrs that have suffered for the Gospell and then any other man of the world that hath dyed for the world And of this shame and confusion which Christ felt seeing himselfe defiled with our sinnes he may have felt some litle parcell that hath seen himselfe in the presence of some great Prince praying him for the pardon of one that hath been a Traytor he feeling the shame that belonged to the other to have felt Now that it is true that God hath laid on Christ all our sinnes and that Christ hath taken them all upon him is plain by Jsaia where he saies He took our infirmities and our griefes he suffered And a litle after he was scourged for our Rebellions and beaten for our iniquities And a litle after he took on him the sinnes of many And more then this he saith we were healed by his blewnesse of stripes And this selfe-same is proved by Saint Peter who seeling the selfesame which Isai felt saith as it were the selfe-same which Jsaiah doth And wretched man that I am for now am I well aware of the evill that I have done offending God not living according to the will of God in as much as with every one of my offences and with every one of my sinnes I have augmented the Agony the fears and the sorrowfulnesse which my Christ suffered in his death and passion Hereby I understand two most important things The one that if the rigour of the justice that was executed on Christ as well in the outward as in the inward had been executed upon
understand by that which I read that the selfesame instant in which our first Parents being deceived by the Serpent did eat of the fruit of the Tree they had the knowledge of good and evill in such sort as suddenly their eyes were opened and suddenly finding defect in the works of God they knew themselves to be Naked Whence I come to understand that God did with the first man as the mother doth with her litle son I would say that as a mother seeing her litle son hath a knife by him fearing if he take it in his hand he would cut himselfe with it commands him that he should not come nigh unto it telling him if he come neer shee will knock him So God setting the first man in earthly Paradise and knowing the inconvenience wherein he was to fall if he did eat of the fruit of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evill commāded him that he should not eat thereof telling him that if he did eat he should dye Furthermore I understand that as the child comming nigh the knife cutting himselfe falls into the inconvenience of which his mother had given him warning and his mother beats him for his disobedience ac◅ording as she had threatned him so that the child falls into two inconveniences the one is of having cut himselfe through the propriety of the knife and the other is of blowes for the disobedience towards his mother So the first man eating of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evill fals into the inconvenience which God gaue him warning of and God chastised him with death as he had threatned him in such sort as man falls into two inconveniences the one is of having his eyes opened to know good and evill whereby he lost the spirituall light and got the naturall light he lost the divine science and got science and humane discourse and that was through the proper nature of the Tree by which he should without the commandement haue done the same effect And the other inconvenience is that of death and that was for the disobedience with which he did eat the fruit of the Tree disobeying God Whence I come to gather that God shewed most exceeding great loue to man in commanding him that hee should not eat of the fruit of that Tree I understand that he commanded him because hee should not fall into the inconvenience in which he ◅ell at the knowing of good and evill Which inconvenience I understand is much greater then that which we can imagine This is conformable to what S. Paul saith that sin entred by disobedience and death entred by sin which was executed on all the descendents of the first Adam For in his disobedience they all disobeyed and so all sinned therfore all dy As on the cōtrary by the obediēce iustice or iustification entered and by the iustification life entred unto which all the members of the second Adam Iesus Christ our Lord shall be raised up glorious For he obeying all they obeyed and so they are all justified and shall therefore all of them be raised up to glory and immortality This intelligence which I haue set of the vertue of these two Trees satisfies me in as much as thereby the benefit of Christ i◅ illustrated For the rest I remit my selfe to better intelligence In this Consideration some things offer themselues to me which I would desire to know but holding them for curious I leaue them untill it shall please God to make me to understand them And this I hold for certaine shall be when the desire of knowing shall be mortified in me in every thing and altogether For God will that as the first man desiring to know lost himselfe so wee should gain our selves mortifying and slaying every desire to know contenting our selves only to know Christ crucified who is to us the Tree of life to him be glory for ever Amen CONSID. LXXXIX Six causes for which it seemes necessary that the Son of God should liue in that manner and that forme of life wherein he did liue AT present I finde six causes in the Consideration from which it seems to mee to see the marvellous counsell with which the only begotten Son of God being made man lived amongst men in that forme of life we read that he did li◅e The first cause is this that God having determined t◅ deceive humane wisdome in saving not them that were wise but them that believed as Saint Paul understands it 1. Cor. 1. It was necessary that Christ should take upon him in the world a form of living in which hee could by no means be known by humane wisdome If Christ had taken on him S. Iohn Baptist his form of life humane wisdome would haue found in that outward austerity whereon to found it selfe to accept him for the sonne o◅ God And if hee had taken upon him Moses his forme of life humane wisdome would in the selfesame manner haue found in that outward greatnesse whereon to found it selfe to accept him for the son of God And therefore it was necessary that he should take upon him that form of life which he took wherein was no appearance at all of austerity nor of greatnesse And so it comes to be that by how much the more humane wisdome considers it so much lesse doth it finde whereon to found it self to come to accept Christ for the son of God And hereto squares fitly a letter which I remember to haue written pretending to shew the cause wherefore Christ did sometimes shew his divinity and at other times hid it The second cause is this that the life of Christ being to be as it were an example of life for them whom he came to make the sons of God it was necessary that hee should take that form of life which was most imitable of all the rest If Christ had taken the forme of S. John Baptist his life he would haue frighted many with the asperity and austerity And if he had taken that of Moses few could haue been able to imitate it And therefore it was necessary that he should take that which he did take so imitable to all sorts of people that no man can excuse himself say◅ng I cannot imitate Christ I cannot liue as Christ lived I doe not understand that Christ taking that forme of life which he took did pretend that every one who was to be the Sonne of God should imitate him in that outward living but that amongst all others it should be the most easy to imitate by them who would altogether imitate him in his outward and in his inward living as for the inward in his obedience to God in charity in meeknesse and in humility of mind and as for the outward in living without austerity and without greatnesse but with poverty basenesse and vilenesse The third cause is this that Christ coming to save all sorts of people it was necessary he should take a forme of life in which he
sonne would not for all that ac◅ompt themselves pardoned and so not return to the kingdome And I understand likewise that neither that Prince to whom this should thus happen should attaine his intention in as much as hee sent his sonne to no other purpose then to the end that being acknowledged for his Sonne hee might bee credited in that which hee manifested so neither doth it seem that God attaines his intention in those who knowing Christ for the sonne of God yet not giving confidence to that which hee gives them notice of on Gods behalfe doe not esteem themselves for reconciled to God He attaines his intention onely in those who knowing Christ to be the son of God and giving confidence to that which hee gives them notice of on Gods behalfe doe accompt themselves for reconciled to God and so for pious for just and for holy It is very true indeed that the knowledge which they haue of Christ as the son of God who feel not themselves reconciled to God cannot properly be tearmed knowledge being more properly opinion then knowledge for were it knowledge it would work in them the same effect that it doth in others certifying them of their reconciliation with God and giving them peace in their consciences And moreover know that by Letter S. Paul understands all that which a man doth saith thinketh without being inspired thereunto by God albeit they be such matters as other men have said done and thought being inspired thereunto Letter it was in S. Peter when in Antioch he severd himselfe from the conversation of the Gentiles because he would not scandalize the Iews and Spirit it was in S. Paul when he did reprehend him for it Know further that by Faith S. Paul understands the credit that a man gives to the pardon generall which Christ published which is now in Christs name on Christs behalfe published And that by Hope he understands the patience and sufferance wherewith a man that believes doth hope for the accomplishment of that which he believes without being wearied in his hope and without giving over the pursuit of that which he hopes for And that by Charity he understands that inward bowelly affection wherewith a man that believes and hopes doth loue that which he believes and that which hee hopes for loving God and Christ from whom and by whom he hopes to obtain that which he believes that which hee hopes and that which he loves and loving also all those things that are Gods and that are Christs Know moreover that by the Justice of God S. Paul understands the perfection of God As we when wee would signifie a man to be perfect say he is just our meaning being this that there is nothing in him that is not very good and in effect that there is nothing wanting to him By the Grace of God he understands the favour that God shews unto a man in drawing him to accept the pardon generall and in maintaining and increasing him with other inward favours which are called Grace inasmuch as God bestows them graciously without any respect of desert onely because it is his will That by the Guift of God he chiefly meanes his having given Christ unto us to the end that the rigor of his justice being executed on him we should hold for certain the pardon generall and hee understands particularly those outward guifts of the holy spirit which in S. Pauls time were in abundance cōmunicated to them that believed That by sinne he almost alwaies understands the affection and the appetite to sin which lives in a man through his naturall depravation and through his acquisite and I say almost in as much as some times he meanes by sinne the sacrifice for sinne That by the Old man he understands the man that is not regenerated nor renewed by the holy Spirit And by the New man he understands the man that is renewed and regenerated by the holy spirit And know likewise that by Flesh by the carnall man by the body of sinne and by the law of the members he understands the selfe same that he doth by the Old man that is nature without the spirit and know that by the law of God he understands that which God gave unto the Hebrew people by Mos◅s which sometimes he termes the Law of death because it was its part to condemne and other where he calls i◅ the Law of sinne because it stirred up in men the affections and appetites of sinning That by the Law of the spirit he understands faith by Circumcision he meanes Iudaisme and by Vncircumcision he understands the state of the Gentiles And finally know that by Christian liberty he understands the degree state and dignity unto which God advanceth a man that accepts the grace of the Gospell who being regenerated and renowed and made the son of God is free and exempt from those things whereunto other men are subject in as much as he maintaines himselfe in his regeneration and renovation and doth not deprive himselfe of that sonship for which he is governed and ruled by the spirit of God Of all this you may serve your selfe as it were of a guide by meanes whereof you may understand many of the things which you shall read in S. Paul And because it may perhaps cause admiration in you to see that S. Paul setting himselfe to reprehend vices in some of them to whom he writes and admonishing them of those vices from which they ought to beware names certain vices which are shamefull even in the men of the world So that it may seeme strange that there should be any necessity of admonishing Christian persons touching those vices and that withall he scarce toucheth those vices which are more inward and more pernitious You shall know that in as much as in S. Pauls time there were some who made carnall licentiousnesse of Christian liberty and gave themselves unto vices and villanies it was necessary that S. Paul should touch them in those particulars wherein they did most sinne In such sort as it was needfull even in that time to seek redresse for outward vices in christian persons in as much as they did not esteem them for evill nor were not ashamed of them through the false perwasion which they had run into of christian liberty and because they had put an end to the esteem of the world But it is now needfull to apply remedy to christian men for their inward vices in regard that they partly for God and partly for the world doe abstain from outward vices suffering themselves to be overcome by the inward partly because they doe not know them for vices and partly because the world holds the want of these vices for a vice You shall find some things in S. Paul which you shall not feel in your selfe and other things which you shall not understand and some other which will seem strange to you And all these it seemes fit to mee that you should passe over not ca◅ing much to weary your selfe for the understanding of them in as much as the intention with which you goe about to read S. Paul is not to understand all that S. Paul saith but to frame your mind as God shall give you grace to understand feel and tast in S. Paul I also advise you that when you begin to read an Epistle you leave not to read the argument which you shall find written before it for it gives much light to the whole Epistle But in truth all these advises are nothing and there is one of much more availe then all these that is that when ever you shall take S. Paul into your hands you should commend yo◅r'selfe to God beseeching him that he would send his Holy Spirit that may be your guide in the reading and you shall endeavour to obtain it by meanes of the only begotten son of God Christ Iesus our Lord to whom be glory for ever AMEN FINIS ERRATA PAge 17. line 6. for execution in this manner read in this manner I desire to c. p. 21. l. 1. f. all good the works r. all the good works p 23. l. 22. f. there r. them p. 24. l. 11. f. believe a lye r. unbelieve a lye p. 29. l. 18. f. perceiving r. persevering p. 29. l. 27. f. dispose r. dispoile p. 34. l. 23. f. once r. one p. 35. l. 22. f. by good r. be good p. 39. l. 25. f. meeter r. meet p. 45. l. penult f watchfulnesse r. watchfull p. 50. l. 28. f. peace and conscience r. peace of conscience p. 82. l. 24. f being a man r. being in a man p. 89. l. 20. f. doth reach unto r. doth not reach unto p. 98. l. 3. f. vocation of r. vocation to p. 103. marg f. omnes homo r. omnis p. 105. l. 1. f. that his piety r. that if his piety p. 109. l. 8. f. knowe r. knowing p. 116 l. 6. f. that then holy spirit r. then the holy spirit p. 172. l. 25◅ f. whilest his soul in his body r. his soul in his body p. 193. l. 24. f. Psal. 75. r. 95. p. 198. l. 12. f. felicity r. facility p. 208. l. 30. f. begins love r. begins to give love p. 220 l. 20. f. proceed r. precedes p. 222. l. 9 f. of man r. to man p. 227. l. 10. f. and it was r. it was p. 239. l. 24. f. the waies r. these waies p. 240. l. 35. f. would r. should p. 241. l. 29. f. justice r. justify p. 244. l. 12. f. purposes in such manner r. purposes and desu◅ in c. This note is the French Translators This note is the French Translators These 32 and 33 Consideratio◅s being read together may vindicate the Authors good meaning from his dubi ous and offen sive expressions in the present Consideration See the Preface This XXXVI Co◅sideration saith the translatour seemes expressed in difficult and ambiguous words which may justly breed exception if so it bee not taken altogether I confessed saith he it is one of them which I doe not fully understand See the Preface Hoc est omnes homo The Weeke before Easter Pretending ◅erit
whether piety be a fruit of justification 98 How that is to be understood that the holy Scripture saith attributing condemnation sometimes to infidelity and sometimes to evill works and salvation sometimes to faith sometimes to good works 99 Whence it proceeds that men believe not that all our sinnes were chastized in Christ or they believe it with difficulty 100 That the fruits which in christian persons in the beginning of their incorporation in Christ seem of the spirit are of the flesh 101 Whence it proceeds that the impious cannot believe that the superstitious believe with ease and that the pious believe with difficulty 102 That christian faith hath necessity to be confirmed with experience of what kind the experience is and how it iâ—… obtained 103 Against the imagination with which our christian faith is troubled 104 That Baptisme through the faith of the Gospell is efficacious even in children who dye before they come to the age to be able to approve their being baptized 105 Three Principles whence the ignorances arise with which men erre against God 106 That that which the Scripture calls the knowledge of good and evill the wise men of the world have called and doe call naturall light prudence and humane reason 107 In what manner from a man 's not knowing himselfe nor God there is caused in him an impossibility in accepting the grace of the Gospell 108 In what manner the evill of Adams disobedience appertaines to us all And the good of Christs obedience reacheth unto us all 109 The conceit which as a christian I have at present of Christ and of them who are the members of Christ. 110 That the spirituall guifts are not understood untill they be possessed BEing desired by Mr Vicechancelor Dr Baylie to peruse this Book entituled The Hundred and ten Considerations of IOHN VALDESSO and to give a censure of it I cannot but much approve and commend the greatest part of it as very worthy of the Presse and a Christians reading There be some passages obscure dubious and offensive wherein notwithstanding the Publisher has given me satisfaction and I doubt not but his Annotations in the Preface together with M. Herberts Apologie for the offensive places will doe the like to every unpreiudicate and unpartiall Christian Reader THOM. IACKSON CCC Pres. A Copy of a letter written by M c George Herbert to his friend the Translator of this Book MY deare and deserving Brother your Valdessâ—… I now returne with many thanks and some notes in which perhaps you will discover some care which I forbare not in the midst of my griefes First for your sake because I would doe nothing negligently that you commit unto mee Secondly for the Authors sake whom I conceive to have been a true servâ—…nt of God and to such and all that is theirs I owe diligence Thirdly for the Churches sake to whom by Printing it I would have you consecrate it You owe the Church a debt and God hath put this into your hands as he sent the fish with mony to S. Peter to discharge it happily also with this as his thoughts are fruitfull intending the honour of his servant the Author who being obscured in his own country he would have to flourish in this land of light and region of the Gospell among his chosen It is true there are some things which I like not in him as my fragments will expresse when you read them neverthelesse I wish you by all meanes to publish it for these three eminent things observable therein First that God in the midst of Popery should open the eyes of one to understand and expresse so clearely and excellently the intent of the Gospell in the acceptation of Christs righteousnesse as he sheweth through all his Considertions a thing strangely buried and darkned by the Adversaries and their great stumbling-block Secondly the great honour and reverence which he every where beares towards our deare Master and Lord concluding every Consideration almost with his holy Name and setting his merit forth so piously for which I doe so love him that were there nothing else I would Print it that with it the honour of my Lord might be published Thirdly the many pious râ—…les of ordering our life about mortification and observation of Gods Kingdome within us and the working thereof of which he was a very diligent observer These three things are very eminent in the Author and overweigh the defects as I conceive towards the publishing thereof c. Bemmorton Sept. 29. THE HVNDRED AND TEN CONSIDERATIONS OF VALDESSO Translated out of the Italian Language into English CONSIDERATION I. How it is to be understood that man was created after the Image and Likenesse of God MANY times haue I deliberated to understand in what that Image and Likenes of God after which the holy Scripture saith Man was created doth properly consist and whilst I have endeavoured to understand by reading I haue not profitted at all For reading drew me now to one opinion by and by to another untill at last endeavouring to doe it by Consideration it seemed to me to understand or at least to haue begun to understand it The selfe same God that hath given me that which I have attained shall I am assured give me that which I yet want The Image and Likenesse of God as I understand consisteth in his proper essence in as much as he is impassible and immortall and as much as he is benigne mercifull just faithfull and true With these Qualities and with these perfections I understand that God created man in earthly Paradise where before he became disobedient to God he was impassible and immortall hee was good mercifull just faithfull and true This Image and likenesse of God as I understand the first man lost for his disobedience to God and so hee remained passible mortall he remained wicked cruel impious unfaithfull and a lyar After that I haue understood this by Consideration willing to confront it with the holy Scripture I finde it doth much and well agree with that which S. Paul saith Ephes. 4. and Colos. 3. and by so much the more am confirmed in my Consideration And passing on farther I understand that this Image of God was in the person of Christ as much as belongs to the soule before his death so that he was benigne mercifull just faithfull and true And after his resurrection as much as belongs both to soule and body in as much as over and aboue benignity mercifulnesse justice truth faithfulnesse he also doth possesse immortality and impassibility And farther then this I understand that they who being called and drawne by God unto the grace of the Gospell make the justice of Christ to become their own are incorporated in Christ doe in this present life recover in part that part of the Image of God which appertaines to the soul and in the life everlasting they recover that part also which appertaines to the body And by this meanes
spirit then that of the Appetites Furthermore I consider that in the eyes of humane wisdome he is reprehended and defamed that is unbridledly aliue in his Appetites And he is praised and honoured that is moderate and temperate in them and hee is esteemed to be a Saint that hath altogether mortified thē And on the contrary he is esteemed and prized that keeps liuely his Affections of honour and his own particular esteem and he is esteemed vile and of no worth that is in all these things mortified Now it being true that to the eies of humane wisdome that alwaies appears great which to the eyes of the holy Spirit seems litle that alwaies appeares litle to humane wisdome which appeares great to the holy Spirit it will easily follow that humane wisdome holding the Appetites more dammageable then the Affections the holy Spirit will hold the Affections more dammageable then the Appetites Many other things might be considered to confirm this but these abundantly suffice to come to my intent which is this that that pe◅son who studies to be like unto Christ and like unto God and to comprehend the Christian perfection in which he is comprised by the incorporation whereby he stands incorporated in Christ must attend to the Mortification of his Affections and Appetites alwaies keeping strict account with them to kill them in that wherein hee shall see them aliue But principally hee ought to attend to the mortification of his Affections as well for that respect which we haue spoken of as also because in the death of the Affections the Appetites dye But the Affections doe not at all dye in the death of the Appetites nay it comes to passe that in the death of the Appetites the Affections revive For as hath been said in in the eyes of humane wisdome the mortification of the Appetites is very highly esteemed of Hereby I understand this that when any Person kills his Affections by Humane wisdome and industry despising Honour and reputation of the world he growes Vicious and Licentious for the Appetites live and grow unbridled And when another Person kills his Affections by the Holy Spirit hee doth together therewith kill his Appetites by which proofe a man may judge of many designes and motions pertaining to the despising of the world whether they be of humane spirit or from the Holy Ghost I would that in mee the Affections were altogether dead and likewise the Appetites so that neither my minde should be delighted with any thing that were not spirituall and divine nor my body should take of the things of the world more then that which sufficeth to maintaine and sustaine them in the world the time that God hath ordained that it should live here But if so be I must runne out in any thing and that some kinde of Livelinesse is to be kpet That of the Appetites would lesse displease me then that of the Affections I would say I should hold it for lesse inconvenient to see in me some Livelinesse of Appetites and to satisfy my selfe in them then to see in my selfe any Livelinesse of Affections and to satisfy my selfe and others in them Nay verily if the shame of the world and the ill example I should give to spirituall persons did not restraine me I could scarce containe my selfe sometimes from suffering my selfe to be transported to the satisfaction of my Appetites holding it for certaine that by that meanes I should sooner mortify my Affections and that my Affections dying my Appetites would also dye w◅th them I will adde this that the Affections are mortified when a man having opportunity to grow in Honour and reputation and in much credit with men will not but renounceth all And that the Appetites are mortified when a man properly may satisfie them and doth not satisfie them He that mortifies his Appetites doth kill his flesh and he that mortifies his Affections crucifieth himselfe entirely with Iesus Christ our Lord. In saying that sometimes satisfying my Appetites I should think to mortify my Affections I meane that the shame and confusion which I should deserve in having satisfied my Appetites would be a cause that I should not think to put in execution my Affections and that I should be wary from any more satisfying my Appetites as I hold for certaine many of those persons prove in themselves who attend unto the Spirit of which Persons only I speake CONSID. XXXII In what consisteth the abuse and in what consisteth the use of Jmages and of Holy Scriptures I Vnderstand it that learned men being without the Spirit doe suffer the selfe same deceit in the Holy Scriptures which unlearned men without the spirit of God doe in Images in this manner An unlearned man keepes a Crucifix of Christ in his Chamber by meanes whereof alwaies when he enters into his chamber hee remembers that which Christ suffered And finding Piety and Religion in this remembrance he puts in all other parts of his house other Images like unto that and knowing well that alwaies as he walkes up and downe his house and as he goes into the Churches and also through many parts of the City hee shall finde such like Images which will reduce unto his memory that which Christ suffered he cares not to imprint in his minde Christ Crucified contenting himselfe to see him Painted And as long as he doth not keepe him in his minde hee neither feeles nor tasts the Benefit of Christs Passion And it comes to passe that when this unlearned man is moved to demand any thing of Christ it seeming sufficient to him to behold him painted with his Bodily Eyes hee careth not to lift up his minde to behold him with Spirituall Eyes in such sort that a man may say that he doth not pray unto Christ but unto that Picture In the selfe same manner a learned man without the Spirit keepes written in Holy Scripture the things that pertaine to a Christian man that which hee ought to believe and that which he ought to doe in such sort that when ever he gets his book he understands both the one and the other And this seeming sufficient to him he imployes all his study and all his diligence in having many bookes that may declare unto him Holy Scripture not caring at all to imprint in his minde that which hee reads and that which he studies in Holy Scripture nor to forme his opinions nor his conceits in things pertaining unto Christian Piety according to that he there reads and studies And it comes to passe that being desirous to understand some secret of God and of spirituall matters applying himselfe to seeke it in Holy Scripture he doth not lift up his minde to pray God that he would shew it him and that hee would teach it him in such sort that he doth take for his aime the spirit of God but that which by his owne proper nature and his owne proper wit he learnes from that which was written by them
on getting that which they see in their new good and heavenly Father leaving both to appeare and to be like their mother And as before they came unto the kingdome of God◅ they had and represented in them the image the likenesse of depraved nature so likewise being entered into the kingdome of God they haue and represent in themselves the image and similitude of God recovering that which the first man lost By this I understand in what sort a man was created unto the likenesse and similitude o God and in what doth consist the benefit that men haue received by Iesus Christ our Lord. CONSID. XXXV Whence it is that that difficulty comes which pious persons haue to continue in that whith appertaines to Piety and Justification Considering that the duty of Piety is for a man to content himselfe of every thing which God doth perswading himselfe and holding for certain that all that so comes to him is Good and Holy and Iust And believing that all that which comes to passe in this present life comes to passe by divine providence without admitting that anything should come to passe by chance And considering that the duty of Christian Faith is to accept with his minde and to confesse with his mouth the Gospell of Iesus Christ our Lord. And seeing on one side in many men that haue not the spirit much conformity to the will of God in such manner that they neither grieve themselves nor resent out of measure the death of those persons whom they greatly loue nor for the losse of goods nor for the losse of Honour and that they themselves are content to dye And seeing likewise in many other men that haue not the spirit much acceptation and much confession of the Gospell without any scruple of doubt at all And seeing on the other side that some spirituall persons grieve themselves resent themselves and are very sorrowfull for the death of those persons whom they loved for other inconveniences that befall them and they cannot bring themselves to be willing to dye and that they feel the losse of estate and the losse of Honour And seeing also in other persons who haue the spirit much wavering in the acceptation and confession of the Gospell that they cannot certifie nor confirm themselves of all that is therein I haue many times set my self to consider the causes whence these contrary effects should proceed forasmuch as it seems that in him who hath not the spirit there should not be conformity with the will of God nor should he giue credit to the Gospel and in him that hath the spirit there ought to be both the one and the other And after I haue considered the matter I understand that however flesh doth sometimes a litle contradict flesh yet in the end flesh suffers her selfe to be overcome and subdued by the flesh whereupon there being a man that hath not the spirit as well an aff◅ction of the flesh willing to conform it selfe with God as to grieve to be sorrowfull and to resent it selfe for the inconveniences that offer themselves in this present life it comes to passe that one affection overcomming the other it seems that such a man doth conform himself with the will of God and it is not true For hee doth not conform himselfe but with his own proper will by which for his own satisfaction and for his own designes he doth determine to content himselfe of every thing and to cōform himselfe in all things with the will of God That this is true wee read in many Books of the Gentiles and we heare and see it in many other Nations altogether Infidels and others that counterfeit faith Likewise I understand that there being a man that hath not the spirit as well an affection of the flesh to accept and confesse the Gospell as not accept nor confesse it it comes to passe that one affection overcomming the other it seems that such an one believes the Gospell and it is not true for he doth not belieue but only his own opinion and imagination as the Iew that stands stubborn in his Law and as the Moore that believes his Alcoran On the other side I understand that the flesh alwaies repugnes against the spirit alwaies contradicts it and alwaies struggles with it by reason of the great enmity that is between them two Whereupon it comes to passe that there being in a man that hath the spirit an affection of the spirit that makes him willing to conform himselfe with the will of God contenting himself of every thing that God doth and repugning and contrasting with the flesh which suffers not it selfe to be overcome but after a long space it comes to passe that the man who hath the spirit laments resents and is grieved for the corporall incommodities and for all those other things in which the flesh suffers and aboue all things for death even as we see that the saints of the Law did grieue themselues and as S. Paul a Saint of the Gospell would haue resented it as himselfe saith if that friend of his had died and as the proper son of God our Lord God Iesus Christ did resent himselfe In like manner I understand that there being in the man which hath the spirit an affection of the spirit to be willing to accept and confesse the Gospell and the Flesh repugning and contradicting because it hath no part in such desire nor in such will it comes to passe that a man that hath the spirit feels a weaknesse in his faith goes wavering and doubting in it as wee haue read in some Saints and as we our selues see it in others in such sort that as from the small contradiction which the affections of the flesh haue amongst themselues there comes forth an appearance of Piety and appearance of Faithin them that haue not the spirit so from the great contradiction that is between the Flesh and the Spirit there proceeds in them that haue the spirit a weaknesse in faith that befalling in a man which befalls in the world in a Province or in a common-wealth I would say that as it comes to passe that when any person speaketh or publisheth any thing with an affectiō of the spirit he presently findes a contrast a contradiction and outward persecution although it be a thing which is ordinarily spoken practised but without the spirit and out of humane affections so likewise when a man goes about through the motion of the spirit to perswade himselfe and confirme himselfe in any thing pertaining to piety or iustification he suddenly findes an inward contrast and contradiction for his own affections his own appetites which are mortall enemies to the spirit rise up against him And this comes to passe not withstāding that the selfe same things haue been formerly accepted and believed of him by his own proper affection and opinion Whereupon I gather this conclusion That it is a signe that it is the holy Spirit which
it It is very true that as they who believe the evill of Adam and the good of Christ passe through the evill of Adam the good of Christ is in part suspended in thē so they who doe not believe neither the evill of Adam nor the good of Christ passe through the good of Christ and the evill of Adam is suspended in them In as much as they who believe passe through the miseries of this present life and through death which are things of the evill of Adam and whilst they stand in this present life and whilst their bodies abide in the sepulchres the good of Christ is in part suspended in them And in as much as they who doe not believe passe in this present life through the good of Christ enjoying many things together with them that believe the good of Christ and in eternall life because they shall be raised up the evill of Adam shall be suspended in them So I understand that as the evill of Adam was efficacious to make us all dye from which death notwithstanding they who believe are free so the good of Christ is efficacious to raise us all up of which Resurrection notwithstanding they shall have no joy who doe not believe because they shall not be in good estate therein In Adam we all dye in Christ we all arise And in the evill of Adam shall they all remaine who shall not accept the good of Christ But in the good of Christ none shall remaine but only they who have believed him and shall have accepted and felt it For in effect the Resurrection of Christ shall not be glorious but only for them who believing to be dead in Adam and raised up in Christ shall give themselves to live in this present life as dead and raised up beginning even now to live a life much like unto that which they have to live in life everlasting in such manner that as the Vivification is an imperfect Resurrection so the Christian living in the state of this Vivification is imperfect albeit in respect of the living in the state of Depravation it is most perfect And the draught of living in the state of the Resurrection in as much as it is imitable in the state of Vivification we see in Iesus Christ our Lord in his purity bounty sidelity obedience and charity And here I learne two things The one that sinee a man believing the evill of Adam frees himselfe from it and believing the good of Christ enioyes it It belongs to every one to believe this evill and this good not expecting for all that to feele it that he may believe it for this were to pervert the order which God hath set who will that we shall believe before we feel but believing that he may feele it For believing together both the evill and the good the efficacy of the good will deprive us of the feeling of the evill in this present life in part and altogether in life eternall in as much as we shall be then altogether free from the evill of Adam and altogether intent to enioy the good of Christ. The other thing which I here learne is that they who in this present life doe not give themselves to live as dead and raised vp imitating the life of Christ doe not believe that they dyed in Adam and that they rose again in Christ how much soever they say and affirme to believe both the one and the other thing For if they did believe them there is no doubt but they would apply themselves to live as dead and raised up this being properly the efficacy of Faith to reduce by litle and litle them that believe in truth to be dead in Adam and raised up in Christ to live as dead and as raised up not because they intend to become just but because they doe now know and feele themselves just in Christ and because they hope for the crowne of justice that is immortality and life eternall And here I will adde this that as the acceptation of the indulgence which a King makes unto them that being fled for some excesse out of his Kingdome remain in the service of another King is efficatious to make them that leaving the stranger Kingdome and the service of the strange King they should returne to their own Kingdome and to serve their own King so the acceptation of the Gospell is efficacious to make that all men who accept it leaving the Kingdome of the world and the service of the world should come unto the Kingdome of God and to the service of God And that leaving to live according to the flesh they should live according to the spirit so that they who leave not the Kingdome of the world and the service of the world and the living according to the flesh give testimony of themselves that they have not well accepted the Gospell however much they say to believe it no otherwise then they who doe not leave the strange Kingdome and the service of the strange King returning into their own Kingdome to serve their own King give testimony of themselves that they doe not accept the indulgence of their King how much soever they say to acceptit and to believe it since they doe not the will of the same King which would the selfe same from them which God would from us that is that we should leave the Kingdome of the world and the service of the world and that we should come unto the Kingdome of God to serve God in holinesse and justice and in the Gospell of his only begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. CGNSID CIX The Conceit which as a christian I have at present of Christ and of them who are the Members of Christ. DEsiring to resolve my selfe in my selfe in the conceit which as a Christian I ought to have of Christ I goe on considering in him two generations the one divine and the other humane And two times the one of approbry and the other of glory According to the divine generation I know that Christ is the word of God the son of God of the same substance with the Father and one selfe same thing with him so like unto him that he might wel say to Philip Philip he that seeth me sees my Father also Iohn 14. This as I understand is that Word with which God created all things according as Moses saith God said let there be light And according to that which David saith by the word of the Lord were the Heavens made Psal. 33. With this selfe same word I understand that God maintaines all things conformable to that In him was life Iohn 1. And to that upholding all things by the word of his Power Heb. 1. This selfe same word I understand that by the work of the holy spirit in the wombe of the most holy Virgin God cloathed with flesh with intent to repaire all things by him as he made all things by him and maintaines all things with him And I