doth sende them for thy benefite the enriching of thy crown knowing that it is impossible to come by so great a reward as we look for without great paines and trauail And truelye great reason is it that Christians like good souldiers should folow their 〈◊〉 Christe tracing his steps and walking the same waye he went before and entred into his glorye REMEDIES against the sinne and tentations of Enuye ¶ Cap. 25. IT NOWE remaineth to set thee downe some remedies against the temptations of enuie or malice wherewith the fiende is in like maner wont to assault tempt vs For as holy writt doth witnes Through the malice of the deuil death first entred into the world This made the Iewes to seeke our Lorde and Sauiour his death and by this vice haue manye murders and innumerable wicked actes been committed in the world This is also that moste cruel beast which Iacob said had deuoured his sonne Ioseph And therefore must thou carefully foresee that this venemous vipre beginne not at any time to nourishe her-selfe in thy soul but forth-with at the very first brunt to kil and cast her out vsing for that purpose these instructions and aduises folowing FIRST consider howe this sinne of malice or enuie which is according to S. Austin a griefe and sorowe at others felicitie is more hurtful and vnprofitable then any of the other for albeit other sinnes doo hurt the soul yet afforde they I knowe not what kinde of miserable taste and pleasure to the fleshe but this vrle vice doth both hurt the soule and afflict the fleshe sith it sealdeth the heart pineth the body withereth the face appaleth the countenauce and comelye sanguine hewe briefly it tormenteth ouerthroweth the whole mā being like to the worme that consumeth the wood whereof she commeth And thē is it that the enuious mā findeth him-self in worst case most wretched whē th' other whō he maliceth is best at case and happiest SECONDLY consider howe by shaking off this so fretting and fruitlesse a vice and by being in the sta'e of Gods good grace thou art a partaker of al such good things as others doo possesse sith charitie doth make them thine and therefore oughtest thou to be ioyful that others enioye goodes and liue so happilye rather then to be sorowful or any whitt greeued therat For by reioysing with charitie thou art made happye in their happines and by malitiouslye repining therat thou losest thy part and they remaine stil with their prosperitie which albeit they lost yet shouldest not thou recouer it THIRDLY what-soeuer helpeth against pride doth like-wise helpe against Enuie as proceeding for the most part out of the other fithens the proude man bearing impatientlye that any other should be his better or pheere and felowe with him he maliceth those whom in any respect he deemeth to be his betters or more happy then he is See therfore thou indeuoure thy selfe to plucke this poisoned roote out of thee and not to set thy loue vppon the temporal thinges of this world which are so miserable spare and scant that if thy neighbour haue them thou must goe without them and many times must lacke that which an-other might conueniently leaue But if on other side thou set thy minde of spiritual and heauenly things no man can bereaue or barre thee of them yea looke howe much the number of suche is greater that enioye and possesse the same goodes thou doest and so much shal thy happines increase and growe the greater And by this meanes shalt thou be so farre off frō malicing of any man as thou shalt hartilye desire that eche one might gaine the goodes which thou possessest woting wel that so should thy ri ches blisse be not a litle multiplied FOVRTHLY if the desire of thine owne excellencie make thee malice thy neighbour for being thine egall or more high in dignitie then thou art consider that in doing thus thou losest that thou so gretly seekest for sith herein thou debasest thy selfe geuest others occasiō to cōtēne thee perceuing this thy cankred vile nature which thus dishonestly thou thy selfe discouerest But if contrari-wise thou striuedst to master thy self to reioyce at thy neighbours wel-fare as at thine owne then shoulde thine estimation and credite growe muche greater sith euery good man woulde esteeme thee better and highly commend this charitie and noble minde of thine wherof by thus doing thou geuest the world an apparant and plaine testimonie Thy spiritual profite should herewith be in like maner greatly increased for either wold God geue thee the same goodes and graces thou reioysest at in thy neighbour or at least wise reward thee plentifully for the merite of thy charitie And therfore doth S. Chrisostome saye that the vertue of charitie is very great and meruailous which without spoyling any man doth rob and take al sithens by reioysing at other mens wel-fare and goodes we make them ours and winne possessiō of al that which others doo possesse FIFTLY al such meanes as help to excite and stirte vp Charity towards al shal likewise help greatlye to subdue and vanquishe this vice as for example to thinke howe we are al brethren as-touching our flesh descending from the same parentes Adam and Eue and as for the spirite al created of one Lord regenerated by one verrue redeemed by one price and hy the selfe same Redeemer We haue al of vs one mother the holye Catholike Churche the same faith the same Sacramentes and al of vs hope for the same blisse where eche ones good shal-be common to al and that of al to eche one Wheras therfore so many so great causes of vni tie charitie be enuy ought to beare no griefe at others good no mirth at others miserie yea rather ought we al of vs to reioyce at others their weldoinges and lament their harmes and euils as if they were our owne perfourming therby what S Paule prescribeth to reiovce with such as reioyce and to weepe with them that weepe But if haply al these causes of vnion sufficed not to make thee recken thy neighbours goodes as thine owne he seeming stil but a stranger and a forener in thine eye how he neuer did thee any good but rather harme and iniurie Remember howe thou being a greater straunger and farre more vnwoorthy Christe hath bestowed so many so gret benefits vpon thee wherof he wil haue thee to make a recompence with other benefites not done to him-selfe sith he standeth no neede of thy good turns but bestowed vpon thy neighbour seeme he neuer so vnknowen and vnwoorthye to thee for looke what good thou doest to such a one and this Lorde wil accept it as doone vnto him-selfe SIXTLY consider howe to vanquishe this venemous vice of enuie the lawe of nature common to al ought at least to moue thee
our Lorde and Sauiour wherein amongst other things thou shalt meditate conformably to the story of the Gospel cal chiefly to minde these three points to wit that most profound humilitie wherewith he washed his disciples feete the institution of the moste holy Sacrament those moste sugred speeches he lastly preached to them ABOVT the first consider that humilitie inough to astonishe a man wherewith that most high and puissant prince into whose handes his eternal father had geuen the rule of al thinges bowed him selfe to washe and clense his disciples feete and amongst the rest those filthie feete of Iudas the Traitour neither yet did his puissance nor his wisdom nor his holines nor his greatnes eche being incomprehensible let him to do this so base a worke that we should folowe the example that he left vs therin not only to humble our selues to our betters but also our equals inferiours TOVCHING the second point cōsider that most feruēt loue our sweete Redeemer bare vs to the ende wherby he being now to depart from vs deuised this ineffable means how to 〈◊〉 stil with vs for our consolation profite and refection in this most holy Sacrament and like as he could not leue vs any gift more pretious then this so ought we not to seke or desire any other then this disposing our selues eftsons to receaue this moste sacred foode that being eftsons vnited to him we be made partakers of the inestimable fruites which are by meanes therof imparted to vs. CONCERNING the third amongst the other wordes of that longe and moste loftie sermō he made to his disciples take for thee that his newe precept of charitie so highly cōmended of him wherein he saide that his disciples should be discerned and withal note the patience thou must haue in the manifolde tribulations and persccutions which thou must needes suffer in this world wherewith the soule is purged gaineth great and inspeakable meede TVESDAY THOV maiest on Tuesday at thy wonted houre meditate three other points wherof let the first be of our Lordes prayer which he made three times in the garden of Gethsemani Beholde here the anguishe and anxietie that sacred foul of his felt which he him selfe saide was sorowful and heauie to death that is to say that the sorow he felt was inough to procure his death And note the remedie we must flee to when we hap to be thus afflicted and made heauy which is a zeale and perseuerance in praier as he vsed three times praying so muche the longer as his affliction increased and grew more greuous through the most vehement apprehension he had of his future tormentes now at hand which made him sweate great drops of bloud Take therfore this refuge of praier in al thy tribulations as Saint Iames doth also admonishe thee and seeke not after any other faithlesse vaine remedies THE SECOND point for this dai is our Sauiours imprisonment whervnto he willingly offred him selfe to loose thereby the giues and fetters of our folies Here maiest thou weighe that insuperable patience wherwith he willingly consented to be bound iniured and stroken with diuers blowes buffets without any moue making or resistance yea he founde fault with Peter who did what he could to defend him saying The 〈◊〉 that my father hath geuen me wilt thou not that I drinke it the vertue and meaning wherof thou oughtest to marke wel and lay vp in the tresure of thy hart therwith to releeue and defende thy selfe in al thy griefes and persecutions for whence soeuer they come whether of the world or the deuil al is the cup which thine euerlalting father geueth thee for the welfare of thy soule THOV MAIEST also meditate the thirde point howe the faithfullest master that euer was being abandoned and forsaken of al his disciples and accompanied onely with those cruel officers was ledd to the houses of those sacrilegious bishops Annae and Caiphas where they begonne a fresh to renewe their villanous outrages their haukinges and spittings their blowes and buffets their mocks and mowes with other their greuous vexations wherewith he passed ouer al that night abiding euery thing with incomparable patience that thou in like case shouldest indeuour thy selfe to imitate him WEDNESDAY ON WEDNESDAY meditate the ignominious progres and wearisome iourney our Sauioure made on the morowe being conducted from one Iudge to another and pause a while in eche of their houses to weigh the wordes he spake and the iniuries that were done him but chiefly cal to minde those wordes he answered Pilate withal asking him if he were a king which were these My kingdome is not of this world which if thou mashe and ruminate wel wil make thee knowe the blindnes of worldly men who with so great carke and care desire to reigne and to enioye the prosperitie pleasures and pompes of this world wherof the true and only king confesseth in these wordes that his kingdome consisteth not that thou shouldest thereby frame thy selfe to contemne the world which he so litle regarded learne to liue like a pilgrime and straunger therein making no accompt of the pompes riches credite therof which be so vaine and transitorie CONSIDER likewise the scornes done to him in Herodes house that vniust Iudge who to make him be mocked caused him to put on that white fooles cote and thus hauing fooled and doulted him sent him afterwardes backe againe to Pilate in the which voiage he suffered suche paines and spiteful reproches as thou wel maiest thinke of Learne here to holde thy peace when thou art despised mocked or otherwise curiouslye questioned thou maiest see likewise what paines and trauaile thou must prepare thy selfe to take when neede shal require for his sake thy neigh bours sithens he hath thus both for thee and al their sakes made so many wearisome iourneys THVRSDAY ON THVRSDAY at thine accustomed time and place thou shalt meditate firste the cruel scourging of the sonne of God in Pilates house who weening thereby to appease the rage and furie of the Iewes caused him to be whipped and beaten most bitterlye Beholde then howe they pul off his clothes stripp him naked who adorneth the fieldes with al their beautie and howe they binde those handes to the piller which created earst the heauens and being thus naked and fast tied howe the cruel executioners beginne then with might and maine to laye on that virginal flesh fleaing the tender skinne of the immaculate Lambe and causing that moste sacred bloud to issue and spin out of al the partes of his body in so great quantitie as it wet and couered the ground he stoode vpon yea in suche sort was that most daintie and beautiful fleshe fleane and wounded as thereby was rightly fulfilled the prophecie of Isay saying We reputed him as a leper and as one smitten of God and humbled In the middest of al these grieslye griefes the
written that who so loueth peril shal perishe in it GENERAL remedies to be vsed against temptations ¶ Cap. 17. SITHENS it is so weightie a matter and of so great importance to fight and to resist tentations for feare of being ouercome and falling into sinne it behoueth vs to haue alwayes a vigilant eye and to be furnished of suche wepons as be moste requisite for this future combat Such therfore as may serue generally to defend thee from al kinde of sinne be these considerations folowing which thou must exercise not onely in time of fight but in time of peace too that when neede requireth thou may thē haue them in more readines FIRST consider the dignitie of thy soule created to the very likenes and similitude of God and how whiles it persisteth in grace it is so beutiful bright that the maker him-selfe delighteth tobdwel in it and al the holy Angels and quiers of heauen doo reuerence and reioyce in it but anone after it hath once consented to sinne God straight-waies departeth out and the deuil entreth in polluting chaunging it into so vgglye and abhominable a state as if the sinner could then see him-selfe he woulde be therewith vtterly confounded and haue him-self in extreme horrour If therfore thou wouldest so lothly soile any fresh and gay garment thou haddest lately bought how muche more thē oughtest thou to detest that consent to sinne which so filthily polluteth thy soule a much more pretious thing without al comparison then any most gorgious and glittering attire of body SECONDLY consider howe besides this euil euen one sinne doth cause thee to incurre innumerable other miseries sith by committing but of one mortal sinne thou loosest the grace of God and his amitie annexed to his grace Thou loosest the infused vertues and the gifts of the holye Ghoste which adorned thee and made thee beautiful in the sight of god Thou losest the repose and serenitie of a good conscience Thou losest the meed and merite of al such good deedes as thou hast done before and the participation of the merites of Christ our head sith thou art not now vnited to him by grace and charitie so remainest an enemy to thy Creator depriued of the inheritāce which Christe by his pretious bloud had purchased for thee condemned to euerlasting tormentes a thral and bond-ssaue to the deuil who by al meanes possiblye seeketh thine vtter ouerthrow Briefly thou incurrest so many other daungers as no mannes tongue can sufficiently declare them What man is he then that wil- be so madd as for a short and beastlye delight that sinne affordeth him to incurre such huge heapes of extreme miseries and incurable calamities THIRDLY consider howe by striuing to resist tentations they tarye not long but vanish and fleete away and thou by hauing vanquished thē shalt remaine enriched with greater meede honour and consolation The blessed Angels of heauen shal also come and serue thee like as they did our Sauiour hauing ouercome his tentations But if on th' other side thou let thy self be lewdly ouercome the delight of sinne shal forth with fleete away and the gripes confusion and discontentment that remain behinde and gnawe thy giltie conscience shal afflict thee much more thē any resistance making might possiblye haue done FOVRTHLY consider that if thou easily consent to sinne thou must afterwardes painfully redresse the euil thou hast committed sith thou must needes suffer much sorowe in bewailing it shame in confessing it pain in doing penance for it besides a milliō of many mo difficulties al which thou maiest auoide by fighting manfully and not consenting vnto sinne FIFTLY consider that looke how much more thou vsest to consent to sinne and so muche more shal thy temptations increase and thy strēgth decay and thus at length shalt thou cause a wicked custome which afterwardes wil almost be impossible for thee to forsake and leaue For as S. Austin sayth Whiles we resist not a custom we make it become a necessitie but contrariwise if thou force thee to resist in the beginning thy strength shal daylye increase and the tentations waxe more weake and feeble Suffer not therfore thy selfe through a litle negligence at the first to receaue afterwardes a desperate and incurable wounde In these and such like consultations if thou eftsons exercise thy selfe beleeue verilye to receaue great helpe therby against al kind of temptations There be yet mo wepons and general remedies as is the often frequētation of prayer a remedie that our Sauior gaue to his disciples the night of his holy passion exhorting them so sundry times to praye for feare of being ouercome by tentation It helpeth greatly in like maner to meditate the foure last thinges to witt Death Iudgement Hel and Heauen according to that saying of holye writt In al thine actions remember the last thinges and thou shalt not sinne everlastingly An-other general remedie is the reading of holy scripture committing certaine sentences and particuler authorities therof to memory suche as may most fitly helpe thee against the tentations that shal assault thee This remedie did our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus-Christe teache vs when being tēpted by the deuil in the wildernes he ouerthrew and repulsed al his temptations by the textes of holye scripture The remembrance of particuler examples of holy saints shal likewise helpe thee setting before thine eyes what they did in suche tentations as thou feelest It helpeth also not a litle against al tentations to cal eftsons vpō the holy name of IESVS with a zeale and feruour of faith and withal to forme the signe of the holy Crosse vpon thee which the deuil doth greatlye dreade especially being made with a liuely fayth as where-with he was once vtterly confounded And if for al this thou finde thy selfe stil infested with these tentations it shal help thee very much to beholde our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe crucified with the eyes of thy soule remembring those most greeuous torments which he endured for thy sake and so shalt thou wel knowe what a smal matter it is to abide patiently for his sake al that trouble and toile thou presently feelest An-other remede and that of great efficacie is the often frequentation of those two moste holy Sacramentes of Penance and Receauing sith these are the soueraine remedies and medicines which our Sauiour desirous of our wel-fare left vnto vs as-wel to cure our present woundes caused through our former sins as also they being already healed to preserue vs hence-forth from incurring the like dangers And albeit the vse of these diuine Sacramentes is as I haue saide before at al times verye profitable yet much more doth it helpe vs in the time of our tentation sithens thē doth a man stand most need of grace and strength when he is moste greeuously assailed by his aduersary and then no doubt but
errour of beliefe especially touching those articles wherwith otherwhiles in life time they assailed foūd him som-what feeble To which tēptatiō thou canst not resist better then as I told thee heretofore in the. 26. Chapter to wit by despising it scorning the deuil and not regarding to solute his reasons But if of force thou must needes aunswer som-thing let it be this I beleeue firmely what our holy mother the Churche beleeueth and that which the holy Apostles Martirs and Confessours haue beleued and taught whose faith and doctrine 〈◊〉 God whom none can deceaue hath confirmed with innumerable miracles and for the confession wherof hath so much bloud of Martirs been spilt of whose holines no man can iustly doubt Sticke fast to this aunswere and care not to satisfie his other obiections demaunds which he may propound to thee about this matter and no doubt but by thus behauing thy self thou shalt remain a Conquerour and gain the goale thou striuest for Thus reade we of a seely simple man albeit in this point wise and considerate ynough who in a much like matter de meaned him-self in like maner This good man being in conflict with the fiende shaped him this aunswer touching an importunate adoo he made to know his beliefe I beleeue quoth he al that our holy mother the Churche beleeueth Why quoth the diuel And what is that your holye mother the Church beleueth She beleeueth quoth the good man that which I beleue And what beleeuest thou reiterated he the other repeting his former answer I beleue quoth he what our holye mother the Church beleeueth Neither could the diuel albeit he questioned neuer so importunatelye about this point driue him from this his first answer and so gained he the victorie and put his foe to flight and shameful ignominie In like maner maiest thou doo if thou vse the same means of resisting this tentatiō THE SECOND suggestiō wher-with the wicked spirits are wont to molest vs in this houre is of blasphemic persuading those that are nowe at point of death to beleue or think some indecent vnseemly thing of our bles sed L. God or of his holy SS With this temptation Eusebius S. Ieroms Disciple was greeuouslye infested Hereto maiest thou resist by retorting the blasphemie vpon the Diuel him-selfe that propoundeth it in this maner I am more then assured that my Lorde God is infinitely good and woorthy of al soueraine praise and lcue and that al his holy Saintes are most perfect and replenished with al vertue and thou most wicked fiende by going about to persuade me these blasphemies bewrasest plainly thy peruerse spirite pufe vp with al impietie malice falshood and deceipt and ther by most woorthy to be of eche one despised accursed and abhorred And then turning thine eyes to thy most mild sweet maker force thy selfe to powre out of thy heart right humble blessings and praises in the best wise thou canst vnto him and by howe muche the more the detestable deceauer shal infest thee with these his abhominable and beastly blasphemies by so much the more be thou diligent and attentiue to yeeld laudes and praises to his moste holy name THE THIRD temptation wherewith the deuils doo tempt such as lye a dying especially if they haue beene great offenders is dispaire For like as in time of health they litle rought of their sinnes and through the infinit number of Gods mercies and hope to doo penance at their latter ende made smal accompt therof so in that houre of death doo their sinnes seeme more greeuous and gretlye aggrauated to them by considering the rigor of diuine iustce wherto yt belongeth not to suffer any one sinne vnsifted and vnpunished and then is it the deuils persuade and make them beleeue that their contrition in that present houre is of no force and value as proceeding of seruile and slauish feare They like-wise in that houre represent al the enormous crimes a man hath committed al his life time as also the good he might haue done and by his negligence hath omitted and howe he neuer confessed many of his sinnes or at least wise imperfectlye and with lesse sorowe then he ought to haue done In this wise doo they so girde and gripe many heinous sinners as no doubt but a great number be by that meanes driuen to desperation This is one of the most terrible vexations wher-with such as haue wallowed securely in their sinnes are in this time assailed and is in very deed so violent and hard to be withstood as if the ineffable mercy of God did not geue special assistance and ayde in that houre very few could eschew and ouercome the same The remedie to releeue thee with is to humble thy selfe in the sight of God and to inuocate his diuine clemencie calling to minde the Passion of thy blessed and benigne Redeemer our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe whose moste bitter griefes torments and woundes thou must offer vp to his eternal father for al thy sinnes what-soeuer saying I knowe my Lorde and moste gratious God that albeit my sinnes be great enormous and innumerable yet is the satisfaction which thy moste obedient sonne my Sauiour Iesus Christe hath geuen thee both for these of mine and of al the whole world farre greater more pretious and more infinite I knowe like-wise that thine incomprehensible mercie and pietie doth farre surpasse al my miserie and impietie and therefore wil I not dispaire as Cain and Iudas did especially knowing howe this should be to adde a greater offence to my former trespasses sith dispaire is that which moste of al displeaseth dishonoureth and offendeth thee yea rather wil I hope in the multitude of thy mercies which thou haste vsed towardes other most vnworthy sinners and sure I am that thine eternal truth and infallible worde neither can ne wil euer deceaue whereby thou haste promised to pardon and receaue such as hope in thee calvpon thy mercy and vnfainedly turne to thee being contrite and sorowful for their sinnes as I am nowe This is the anker wher-vnto thou must cleaue fast and neuer to forsake thy holde albeit the deuils doo what they may to drowne thee as is aforesaid THE FOVRTH temptatiō is quite opposite and contrary to the former This being a rash and fond securitie and ouer-weening a man hath in his owne innocencie for that as Cassian saith when the wilye and coonning fiende can-not induce a man to that excessiue feare and pusilanimitie he thought to haue done and so to haue driuen him downe to desperation then doth he craftilye goe about to post him ouer to the other extreame by drawing him to a daungerous securitie and blind delite and pleasing of him-selfe counterfeiting falslye with him how he hath fought manfullye and wel prepared him-selfe to death and howe he is greatly bounde to God for so many his giftes moste plentifully bestowed vpon him