he first beganne to conceale although he had Confessed them he must Confesse them all ouer againe with those which he concealed for although they were Confessed they were not forgiuen The deuill noe doubt but laboureth all he can to hinder the fruit of this Sacrament by which he looseth soe many soules and because he preuaileth sometimes with such as I haue mentioned I will speake a word or two for their good that they may abhorre this sinne First I tell them that this Sacrament is the onely remedy which God hath ordained for actual sinne Our soules were first lost by original sinne and by Baptisme they were saued from that shipwrack but falling after Baptisme into actual sinne there is noe hopes to be saued but by duely receiuing the Sacrament of pennance Hiero. ep 8. ad Domerriad Amb. ad virg laps c. 8. and therfor Saints and spiritual men commonly call it the second planke of saluation in the shipwracke of our soules Tell mee then O faintharted Catholike that art affraide to Confesse thy sinnes if that thou wert floating on the waues of the sea vpon a good and sure planke wouldst thou be ouercome with feare to forsake it why then art thou ouercome with feare to conceale thy sinnes in that pittifull state of damnation seeing that by concealing them thou dost let goe the planke in which is all thy hope and without which thou sinkest downe and art sure to perish Thou hast suffered shipwracke by mortal sinne wilt thou let goe thy sauing planke and perish in the waues Thou art wounded mortally and art sicke vnto death if thou discouer not thy wounds thou dyest with out remedy wilt thou languish vnto death and willfully refuse all helpe Thou hast a physitian that can cure thee and that as priuatly as thou canst desire and with as litle shame to thee but thou must either tell thy disease and shew thy wounds or dy Thus doe the holy fathers declare the necessity of intire Confessions Further if thou dissemblest with the priest thou dissemblest with God and adding sinne vnto sinne thou woundest thy soule with a new and deeper wound and with a sinne which is most opposite to grace and to the forgiuenesse of any sinne and that very sinne which now thou wilt not Confesse priuatly thou shalt be forced to Confesse it one day in the sight and hearing of all the world when the deuill shall accuse thee publikely saying I gotte him to committe such a sinne and to conceale it in Confession I accuse him of the sinne and of a sacrilegious Confession And Christ will then be ashamed of thee before his Angels that wert ashamed of him before thy ghostly father and thou shalt be condemned as guilty of both sinnes and shalt goe amongst the damned This is all that thou shalt gett by thy shame for in this world thou didst gett nothing at all Other sinnes when they are committed bring either some profit or pleasure with them but this hath neither profit nor pleasure in it but euen then when thou committest it thou hast an inward horurour and paine to thinke of the losse which theÌ„ tho susteinest and of the comfort of a good ConfessioÌ„ and how greeuously thou woundest thy soule with a new and more greeuous wounde If thou didst see thy vtter enemy laid pittifully wounded in danger of death and the surgeon dressing him and binding vp his wounds couldest thou finde in thy hart to come to him and tearing of his plaster to wounde him againe with a new and worse wounde Such an enemy thou art vnto thy selfe when being at Confession vnder the hands of the priest thou hidest any mortal sinne Thou abusest the onely remedy of thy soule and being wouÌ„ded and then in cure thou tearest of the plaster and woundest thy selfe againe with a new and more greeuous mortal sinne and such an one as in it selfe is contrary to all remedy It was very remarkable to this purpose that which happened not long since in a citty of Spaine A notorious malefactour being sentenced to dy was put into the place of retirement which they haue in the prison for condemned persons to prepare themselues in for their death And comming to Confession he beganne to be troubled and could not goe on but made strange gestures and shewes of affrightment when he would haue Confessed some sinnes The Priest who was my very charitable good freind and who told mee himselfe all that I am now relating perceiuing it and asking the cause of it with much difficulty at last he answered and told him planely that the deuill was there and threatened him that he durst not Confesse At which the priest roze vp and with the signe the Cros vanquished him But the deuill who vseth not to yeeld at the first repulse returned againe and at the Confessing of some sinnes troubled him as before and the priest againe vanquished him And thus returning seueral times he putte the poore man into such an amaze and feare that he durst not Confesse but made an end concealing some of his sinnes The priest gaue sentence of absolution but it was in vaine and of noe value as a iudge misinformed the party remaining guilty of all his former sinnes and of one more and that perhaps greater then any which he had to Confesse That night the deuill appeared vnto him all in flames threatening him â—ot to Confesse such and such sinnes which he had concealed and with all he commanded him to throw away that which he had about his necke which was a litle Cros and image of our blessed lady which the priest sent to a brother of his owne liuing then aboue a thousand miles from him who wore them and after some yeares shewed them to mee In what a terrour may we imagine that man then to haue bene and fearfull perplexity to obey or to disobey the deuils commande he thought them then to be his onely armes and saw that if he threw them away he disarmed himselfe and on the otherside he feared his threatning if he obeyed not But he chose for better to disobey him and it was a happy disobedience for his prowde enemy confounded with it vanished away presently with out hurting him The man expected vntill morning longing to see the priests returne whom as soone as he saw he ranne presently to him and glasping him in his armes he besought him to heare his Confession againe and then he made a better Confession declaring intirely the sinnes which he had concealed and the sacrilege which he had committed in concealing them And relating all that had passed with him he desired at his death the priest to tell it vnto others that they might learne by him to make good Confessions Who related it accordingly in his sermon to all that were present at the malefactors execution This happened in a place of Spaine which I know very well and there can be noe question of the truth of it Those who in Confession conceale
thee downe instantly into hell and what it is to want the mediation of Christ of our B. Lady thy good Angell thy patrone and of all the Saints and the suffrages of the Church thou wouldst not remaine one moment in that state It is a humane thinge saith S. Gregory to erre but diabolical to perseuer in it If we fall into sinne we doe but like men if we rize againe we doe as the Saints haue done but if we perseuer in sinne we are like the deuil who must remaine in sinne for euer OF EXTREME-VNCTION THIS Sacrament hath for its propper effect to giue grace and strength against temptations at our death For the hopes of our enemy being then at the last he striueth all he can against vs. Apoc. 12. The deuill is descended to you hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle time Said the heauenly voice which S. Iohn heard Some he tempteth to presumption others to dispaire some by too much loue to their freinds and family some thinke of nothing but the riches which they leaue some by too much desire of life that they will not apprehende nor prepare themselues for death and generally as we draw neerer to our ends we grow more subiect to extremitys of passions all which the deuill knoweth how to make vse of to our hurt But his commune temptation is to terrify sinners with greeuous feare and affrightments at their sinnes past Sap. 4. They shall come fearefull in cogitation of their sinnes and their iniquitys on the contrary shall conuince them Saith holy wisdome Neither shall their naturall courage and strength then auaile them any thinge though neuer soe bold and bragging in time of health Great Saints haue shewed much feare at their death S. Hilarion whose perfection S. vita Hilar. Hierome describing saith that great concourse of bishops priests Clergymen and monks sought to him the temptation of christian matrons followed him multitudes of the common people potentates and iudges came to receiue holy bread and oile of him and yet his minde continued fixed on solitude yet for all this when he came to dy he was oppressed with such a feare and horrour of death that to encourage his soule he said Goe forth what dost thou feare goe forth my soule what dost thou doubt of thou hast serued Christ now almost seuenty yeares and dost thou feare death If Saints at their death haue bene thus terrifyed what may they expect who haue committed many sinnes and perhaps but lately repented for them and perhaps but sleightly and haue but few good works then for their comfort Therefor our Sauiour hath prouided this Sacrament as an armour for vs against that time S. Iames Iam. 5. is any man sicke among you let him bring in the priests of the Church and let them pray ouer him anoiling him with oile in the name of our Lord. And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and our Lord shall lift him vp and if he be in sinnes they shall be remitted him By which words we haue the practise of the Catholike Church well prooued and Etreme Vnction declared to be a Sacrament that is an outward signe that sanctifyeth vs. There is an outward signe in the external rite of anoiling and in the forme of words signifyed by prayer And that this outward signe causeth grace vnto sanctification the words following doe declare in that sinnes are remitted which can not be but by grace being receiued And it followeth hence that Christ instituted it For the Apostles had not the power of instituting such signes neither could S. Iames haue promised remission of sinnes by it if Christ had not instituted it Luth. Praef. ad nou Test and giuen it that power It is true Luther reiects this Epistle of S. Iames denying it to be canonical and calling it an Epistle of straw but the authority of the whole Church hath declared it for canonical And if the whole Church be not sufficient for Luther we will put Caluin into the ballance against him an authour at least of equall grauity with him Caluin l. 3. Instit. c. 17. and Caluin holdeth it for canonical S. Bernard in vita Malach. relateth of S. Malachy that he assisting with a sicke woman and not thinking her to be in such danger as to require the Sacrament of Extreme-Vnction departed from her without ministring it but she dying in his absence he returned againe full of sorrow and pittying that she should want the benefit of it he fell to his prayers restored her to life againe And then saith S. Bern he anoiled her knowing that by this Sacrament sinnes are remitted and that the prayer of faith saueth the sicke The holy oile is then applyed as a spiritual salue to the senses because by occasion of our senses we committe sinne But beside the spiritual remedy which our soules gaine by it it hath also a corporal effect of giuing health to the body as the Apostle declareth the sicke being saued and alleuiated by it By reason of which effect this Sacrament is not giuen in danger of death by warre or otherwise but onely by sicknes OF THE SACRAMENT of Orders THE Sacrament of Orders is that which Priests Deacons Subdeacons and others receiue when they are ordained by which they receiue spiritual power for the gouernment of the Church Tim. 1.4 That it is a Sacrament it appeareth by the words of S. Paul to Timothy Neglect not the grace which is giuen thee by prophecy with imposition of the hands of the priesthood By this it hath all which is conteined in the nature of a Sacrament the imposition of hands and the words that are said which are there signifyed by Prophecy being an external signe Amb. in Tim. by which grace in giuen Vpon which words S. Ambrose saith that Timothy by the imposition of the hands of priesthood was designed to the worke ard receiued authority that he durst offer sacrifice to God in our Lords steede The same power is expressed by the words of the bishop when heordaineth priests saying Receiue thou authority to offer for the liuing and the dead in the name of our Lord. To offer there is to offer sacrifice as S. Ambrose also expresseth it and to offer sacrifice is the most propper office of priests priest and sacrifice going allwais together soe that there can be noe priest but he must haue power to offer sacrifice The propper and peculiar effect of this Sacrament is to giue grace to exercize worthily Ecclesiastical functions Which power and grace as it is in the Church of Christ is most high and eminent aboue all dignitys For what can be compared to the dignity of christian priests Both in respect of their power of Orders by which they consecrate the most blesed host and also in respect of their power of iurisdiction by which they remitte sinnes Neither of which is within the Angels power And therefor priesthood is not obtained in
freinds This I should not doubt to prooue if neede were by whole armys of men and douils defeated by her But I will alleadge noe more but the two examples of her two notorious enemys Nestorius and Constantinus Copronymus Nestorius was her professed enemy for as he conceited a humane person in Christ as man soe by consequence he robbed his Mother of her supreme title of the Mother of God He would haue her to be called Christotoca or Christipara the Mother of Christ but not Thâ—otoca or Deipara the Mother of God S. Cyril Patriarke of Alexandria vndertooke cheifly against him and spared noe labour to reduce him from his errors often writing vnto him and giuing him seueral meetings to conuince him in presence but all proouing in vaine a General Councell was conuened at Ephesus in which Cyril praesided in place of S. Celestine then Pope Thither came Nestorius with his followers and there he was put to such a publike shame that with six onely complices he went out of the Concell refusing to submitte to it and soe his opinions became haeretical and accursed And although when he saw Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople who had some what fauoured his cause to forsake him afterwards for the disastrous ends of many of his followers he would then seeme to repent yet he had too much haeretical pride to goe thorough with his repentance and to submitte although to the whole world but continuing still in his obstinate minde he suffered condigne punishment euen in this world wandeâ—ing from place to place as a vagabond and desperate Cain and in the end was swallowed vp by the earth aliue It being also recorded of him that his blasphemous tongue was eaten out with wormes before his death Pratcol verb. Nestorius The second example is of Constantin the fift Emperour of that name soe contemptible to posterity that he hath purchased the fowle Surname of Copronymus for that he defiled the font in baptisme He was a very euill man a prophanour of holy things euen to the breaking of Crosses and Crucifixes and a publike scoffer especially at the B. Virgins merits in derision of whom he vsed to hold vp a purse full of money and to aske his souldiers what it was worth and when they had told him what they thought he put forth the money and held vp the empty purse asking them what it was worth then and when they answered that it was worth nothing noe more said he was Mary when Christ was out of her But God punished his blasphemys with many and greeuous punishments First as one sinne is punished with another soe he punished him by most horrible sinnes and by a most enormious course of life which he permitted him to fall into euen to the denying of his christendome and to set vp altars vnto Venus whose nightly solemnitys he kept and killed children to sacrifice vnto her But in the end his pleasures forsooke him and the punishments of God came as a deluge vpon him afflicting him by grecuous paines of feauers goutes and soe horrible a leprosy that in a rage of torment he died crying out I am burnt with euerlasting fire Prateol verb. Constantinus Pray for vs blessed Mother of God NOW AND IN THE HOWER OF OVR DEATH ALTHOVGH the enemy of God be allwais laboring against vs going about as a Lyon to deuoure our soules yet he striueth most against the hower of our deaths waiting then as a serpent at our heeles that is to say at the hinder end of our liues to supplant vs knowing that his time is then but short Apoc. 12. The deuill is descended to you saith the voice from heauen hauing great wrath knowing that he hath but a litle time And therefor amongst many other helpes which we haue then in the Catholike Church we implore the assistance of the Mother of God especially against that hower The death of S. Steuanking of Hungary is worthy of memory in which it was a more honorable spectacle both in the sight of God and man to see his Peeres rounde about him to weepe teares of deuotion when he commended them and his kingdome to our B. Ladys protection then the sweetest hower that euer they enioyed of his wordly maiesty He fell sicke against the feast of her Assumption and made his prayer that he might dy on that day on which the death and Assumption of the Mother of God is celebrated by the Church The day being come the Sacraments and holy rites were administred to him and in the presence of his Prelates and Peeres hauing made a speech in which he tendred his crowne into her hands he departed this life leaâ—ing them with their eyes and faces bathed in teares It hath often bene a comfort to mee to thinke of the happy passage of a yong Gentleman with whom I assisted at his death Who being at the last assalted with a strong and violent agony he constantly called vpon our B. Lady with a lowde and earnest voice often repeating Blessed Mother of God be my Aduocate Blessed Mother of God be my Aduocate And presently casting his eyes towards the bedfeete he seemed there to receiue comfort and putting on a sweet and pleasant aspect with a smiling contenance he departing this world as though some had called him out of prison I say noe more but that which S. Hierome expresly saith and that is that our B Lady helpeth and is present with those that dy That she helped him Hier. ad Eusto I make noe question of it for his earnest prayer but both at that time and euer since I haue thought that she was also visibly then present with him I haue now performed what I promised in honour of the B. Virgin You haue heard her saluted full of grace and you haue seene how this salutation was new and reserued onely for her You haue seene her become the Mother of God and the sonne of God declared to haue bene subiect to her you haue heard her extolled by Prophets in the house of Zachary whilst she liued and what hath bene written of her after her death you haue heard the fathers of the primitiue Church one by one singing her prayses and the whole Catholike Church in a full quire answering after them to desire her prayers you haue seene by some examples how beneficial her prayers are to her freinds and the iudgments of God vpon her enemys Let vs honour her whom God hath soe honored and let vs dedicate our selues from this very instant to her protection all our life time and at the hower of our death Amen THE NINTH DISCOVRSE OF THE ROSARY I Intende now to declare to you the mysterys of the Rosary or Beades which as it is a deuotion so much frequented by all sorts of Catholiks not onely vnlearned but also euen by the most learned and holiest of the Catholike Church soe it is fitting that all should vnderstande it and know how solid and pious it is But fist we will say
our Lord is a Sacrifice The Masse is a Sacrifice that is the action of Sacrifizing the body and blood of our Lord is a Sacrifice that is the thinge which is Sacrifized or offered at Masse The worship of Sacrifice hath bene esteemed at all times and by all religions soe necessary to be giuen to God that there neuer was any religion in the world according to Turseline before the Turks soe Barbarous but as they allwais worshipped some God soe they offered some kind of Sacrifice to him in soe much that Plutarch could say that it was easier to finde cittys without temples Plut. aâ— uers Color and coynes of moneys without inscriptions Then temples without altares To wit to Sacrifice vpon For the same natural reason that teacheth all people to defende themselues and to honour their superiors teacheth them also to worship God with some high and soueraigne worship aboue all propper onely to him And therefor it was a good expression of this authour to declare by the foresaid similitudes the nature and necessity of Sacrifice for as cittys are defended by walles and principalitys destinguished and acknowledged by the impressions of their coynes soe the worship of God is mainteined and his supreme principality destinguished and acknowledged by the worship of Sacrifice as due and propper onely to him L. 10. de Ciu. Dei Quis enim Sacrificandum censuit sayeth S. Augustine nisi ei quem Deum aut sciuit aut putauit aut finixit for who euer deemed that Sacrifice was to be offered to any but to him whom he either knew or thought or feigned to be God And therefor saith he the deuill hath labored soe much to haue Sacrifice offered by Infidels vnto him because it is the highest and properly diuine worship And therefor shall Antichrist striue soe much to take away the daily Sacrifice of Masse as Daniel figuratiuely Prophecyed in wicked Antiochus because it is the highest externall act of religion We offer vp to God the acts of our minde as spiritual Sacrifices and we offer vp also some corporall thinge to him to acknowledge him the authour both of our body and soule and of all spiritual and corporal thinges In the Law of nature Sacrifices were offered to God and in the Law of Moyses which was more perfect then that Sacrifices also were offered to him and shall he want his supreme worship in the Law of Christ which they did but praesigure as to be perfected by it Noe The shall haue a much more perfect Sacrifice and that is the sacred body and blood of our Lord offered euery day to him This is our Sacrifice the very same that was offered on the Cros the most noble and pretious of all corporal thinges and therefor most worthy to be the Sacrifice of that Law and Religion which the sonne of God in his owne person was to institute amongst vs. ALL TRVE SACRIFICES BEfore Christ were but Types and Emblemes of honour to setforth the dignity of our Sacrifice THE Sacrifices of the Law of Nature and of the Law of Moyses were good and holy Sacrifices yet as those Lawes did but signify the more perfect Law of Christ which was to come soe their Sacrifices which were the cheife things of those Lawes were but figures of ours Their Sacrifices of Beeues Calues Rammes Lambes Turtles and the like were killed and their blood was shed vpon the Altare to signify the Lambe of God whose blood was to be shed vpon the Altare of the Crosse There were in the Law of Moyses three kindes of Sacrifices the Holocaust the Placable host and the Peaceable host The Holocaust is as much as to say all burnt For it was not offered for any particular end or intention but onely to giue supreme honour to God and therefore it was all totally consumed in honour of him The Placable host was to appease the diuine wrath when by some sinne they had offended him and it was diuided part of it being consumed to God and part giuen to the Priest to signify that the remission of sinnes proceedeth cheifly from God as the principal cause and secondarily from Priests as the instruments and meanes by which his poweris applyed to vs. The Pacifique or Peaceable host was offered for the obtaining of some benefit which they desired or in thanks-giuing for some which they had obtained and it was diuided into three parts the one of which was consumed to God another was giuen to the Priest and another remained to the party that offered it to signify that all benefits proceede from God by the help of Priests and by our owne endeauours concurring with them All these Sacrifices were fullfilled in ours to wit in the sacred Body of Christ our Sauiour He was our Holocaust quite consumed in his death vpon the Crosse he was our Placable host that appeased the wrath of God against vs he our Peaceable host by whom we haue all benefits Their bloody Sacrifices more expresly signifyed his body as it is was offered on the Crosse and their vnbloody Sacrifices of first fruits corne flower bread and the like represented more particularly the same body as it is offered after an vnbloody manner vpon the holy Altare at Masse But the Planest figure of the Sacrifice of Masse was a Lambe with Bread and Wine offered euery day in the Law of Moyses to signify the Lambe of God offered vnder the signes of bread and wine as the daily and continuall Sacrifice of the Law of Christ then to come Our Sacrifice then is the substance of those shaddowes and the glorious mystery which they were to signify This S. Andrew the Apostle of Christ professed as the Priests of Achaia in his Martyrdome rehearse when being vrged by Aegeas to offer Sacrifice to Idols he had this answere ready for him I offer euery day vpon the Altare an immaculate Lambe whose flesh when all the people haue eaten the Lambe that was sacrifyzed remaineth whole and aliue Thus did he glory in our immaculate Lambe which euery day as a Priest he offered and which the people then vsed euery day to receiue And in these words he planely intimateth that the sacrifices of the Law of Nature and of Moyses and especially that of the daily Lambe were but sigures to dicipher shaddows to denote and emblemes of honour to setforth the dignity of ours that was then to come a Sacrifice like them but infinitly more perfect And those Sacrifices being shaddowes of ours then to come they were to vanish away and to be offered noe more when it once came because then they lost their nature which was to signify ours as future But the holy Sacrifice of Masse representing noe other future Sacrifice and being the most perfect of all Sacrifices can neuer be made voide by any nor shall euer haue an end vntill the end of the world But we will shew THAT THE SACRED BODY OF our Lord as it is offered at Masse is a true Sacrifice THE
which we loose by them is without comparison more to be valued then his was and therefore are we much more to be blamed Besides that which he did was partly constrained perhaps to saue his life but we haue noe need of the sinnes which we committe the pleasure which wee take doth vs noe good but much hurt it saueth not our liues but depriueth vs of a farre sweeter life then this is Iob. 20. The praise of the impious is short and the ioy of the hypocrite as it were for a moment It is also a base and contemptible delight bringing shame and reproch euen in this world and therefore wee see sinners to deuise sleights and shifts to conceale their sinnes and to hide them from others Euery one that doth euill hateth the light Ioan. 3. saith Christ King Dauid hauing filthily adulterated with Vtias his wife as soone as he perceiued her to be with child in the absence of her husband he sends presently for him to come home that he might father it and he comming out of the campe to him he wished him to goe to his house and to rest himselfe but the goodman although he suspected nothing of his wifes disloyalty refused to goe home but as a souldier would ly before the Kings gates Then the King made him drunke that he might desire more the company of his wife and when he saw that by noe meanes he could gett him to goe to her he dispatched him away with letters to the generall in which he commanded him to be put into some place of danger that the husband being killed he might marry the adulteresse to legitimate the child All these shifts did King Dauid vse to hide his sinne◠which then shamed and troubled him and when he could not hide it to lessen it in the sight of the world Adam clothed with innocency although naked was ashamed of nothing for then he had no cause of shame but falling into sinne he fell into shame and had reason to be ashamed and to hide his nakednesse he couered himselfe with the leaves of a tree By which we may see how base and vngratfull we are to God that as deceitfull short and sordid as the pleasure of sinne is we preferre it notwithstanding before his diuine goodnesse and forsake him to choose it This the holy Ghost complained of in sinners when he said They violated mee to my people for a handfull of barley Ezec. 13 that is to say for a thing of noe worth The sixt euill of sinne is that it bringeth remorse and terrors of conscience and must cause at the best the sorrow of repentance before that it can be forgiuen and this remorse and terrour of conscience cannot be auoided by sinners for as long as men are reasonable creatures they must hate that which is contrary to reason and haue a naturall feeling and feare of God and when they haue offended him presently without disputing of it they condemne themselues as guilty of punishment and not knowing how nor when their punishment shall be they are allways in feare that the Scripture saith Leu. 26. The sound of a flying leafe shall terrify them So when Cain had slaine his brother he ranne away out of the company of men and went hanging downe his head like a desperate vagabond thinking that euery man whom he mette with would murder him and cryed out to God Gen. 4. Loe now thou dost cast mee out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face I shall be hid and I shall be a vagabond and fugitiue on the earth Euery one therefore that findeth mee shall kill mee A secure minde saith the holy Prouerbe is as it were a continuall feast Prou. 15. And we may say on the contrary that a guilty conscience is a continuall worme and thorne at the heart or as a poysoned arrow that sticketh in the flesh vexing with paine and feare of death Psal 37. Thy arrowes are fast sticked in mee there is no health in my flesh at the face of thy wrath My bones haue no peace at the face of my sinnes because mine iniquitys haue gone ouer my head and as a heauy burden are become heauy vpon mee saith King Dauid And so great was the sorrow which he conceiued for his sinnes that he saith his iawes were made hoarse with crying As a man that were fallen from some high precipice lyeth wounded and cryeth our with all his force for some to come to him so Dauid fallen into sinne doubled and redoubled his cryes to God for pardon and the words of the Prophet were true in him Prou. 5. The lipps of an harlot as a honny combe distilling but her later ends are bitter as worme wood and sharpe as a two edged sword and so are all the pleasures of sinne sweet for a moment but in the end bitter and sharpe that we finde it by experience to be true in all sinnes Laughter shall be mingled with sorrow Prou. 14. and mourning occupeth the latter ends of ioy And that man that shall purpose with himselfe to put away this remorse of conscience and thought of repentance The ◠euill of sinne is in the most desperate condition of all men as being least sensible of the danger which he is in And this is the last euill which I will mention of sinne that euery sinne conteining so many and great euills as it doth one sin is the cause of another and draweth on to another worse then it selfe in punishmēt of it and the last and greatest punishmēt of sin in this world is when a sinner by much sinning hath his hart so hardened against God and against his owne salvation that he contemneth all and resolueth to liue like a beast without regard of cōscience or future life Sinne saith Saint Gregory by its owne weight draweth into another sinne Super Ezech. if it be not presently blotted out with repentance This is the depth and contour of all euills and the extreme euill of sinne that as heauy weights draw downewards and the lower they goe the more force they haue and draw more so sinne draweth on from sinne to sinne and the deeper that we descende into sinne with more inclination and violence we are drawne into it vntill we come in the end to an absolute contempt of all goodnesse And therefore the Prophet Zachary calleth sinne talentum plumbi Zac. 5. a talent that is a huge weight of lead Thus the Heathen Philosophers according to Saint Paul were replenished with all iniquity because they willfully blinded themselues and would not seeke after true knowledge which is the case of many amongst vs as they liked not saith he to haue God in knowledge God delivered them to a reprobate sense Rom. 1. to doe those things that are not conuenient replenished with all iniquity And therefore saith S. Chrysostome some are said to haue had their harts hardened in this world because
thy saluation and what he requireth to be done by thee He standeth at the doore of thy hart and desiring to enter he knocketh enlightening thy vnderstanding and inspiring thy will to open to him that is to consent to the good worke to the which he moueth thee and if thou wilt open it he entreth with his sanctifying grace and blesseth thee But he doth not enter whether thou wilt or noe he craueth entrance and giueth thee power to open vnto him and if thou wilt not open thy hart and haue blessing blame none but thy selfe Say Peccaui I haue sinned Soe did Dauid Manasses Iob and all true repenters euer say and neuer said Peccasti thou hast sinned to God but if thou makest God the authour of thy sinne and not thy owne freewill thou blamest him and sayest Peccasti thou hast sinned to him Which were noe humility in thy selfe nor repentance at all noe man repenting but for his owne sinnes There remaineth now to speake OF THE SEVERALL KINDES OF SINNE Quest How many kindes of sinne are there Ans There are two kindes of sinne Originall sinne and Actuall sinne Quest What is the difference betwixt Original and Actuall sinne Ans Original sinne is that Which we are borne in Actuall sinne is that which we committe THE first diuision of sinne may be into Original and Actuall And although Originall sinne were Actuall as it was acted and committed by Adam and were Mortall in that it brought death both to him and vs yet for more cleerenes we will destinguish first Original and Actuall and then Mortall and Veniall sinne Original sinne is that which we contract from Adam our Origen and which we committe not ourselues but bring into the world with vs. Adam was placed in paradise his soule endowed with Originall iustice and in his body he was immortall He had the commande of all earthly creatures enioying freely the pleasures of them and without dying should haue bene transferred after a time to the pleasures of heauen These gifts were giuen to him and his posterity and they successiuely had obtained them if they had not sinned but he sinning we are depriued of that originall iustice and other gifts and the wart and priuation of them is called Originall sinne in vs. We haue noe wrong done vs in this that we are borne depriued of our fathers gifts because they were giuen to him and his posterity onely vpon condition that they sinned not As though a King of his owne freewill should bestow some place of honour and benefit vpon a subiect for himselfe and his posterity to enioy after him vpon condition that they allwais kept themselues obedient and loyall to him but if he or any of them should be found guilty of treason then they should loose that place and benefit Now he or some of them breaking the condition by disobeying the King they are iustly depriued of that place Soe the gifts and graces which God gaue to Adam for himselfe and for vs were noe way due but of the goodnes and liberality of God and granted conditionally if we remained loyall to him we committing treason are iustly depriued of those gifts which he had and are borne without them The reason of this is because the father and children in this case are as it were all one man and haue as it were all one will and as that which is done by one onely part of man to wit by his will is attributed to the whole man and punished in all the rest of his parts soe the sinne which was committed by Adam is iustly punished in all men because all men were his children and as it were one man in him A spend thrift father wasteth his estate not onely from himselfe but also from his children because they are supposed and are indeede in riches one body and one minde with him and can blame none but him who consumed those riches which they should haue had Soe all men in Adam were one man his will was the will of all he consumed the riches which we should haue had and we are iustly depriued of them Actuall sinne is that which we committe Actuall sinne and is therefor called Actuall because we act it ourselues and bring it not originally into the world with vs. And soe the sinne which Adam committed and which is original in vs was Actuall in him because he acted it and had it not by infection from another as we haue from him Quest How many kindes of Actuall sinne are there Ans There are two kindes of Actuall sinne Mortall sinne and Veniall sinne Quest What is the difference betwixt Mortall and veniall sinne Ans Mortall sinne quite depriueth vs of Gods grace Veniall sinne onely lesseneth and diminisheth the feruour of the loue of God in vs. MORTALL sinne is as much as to say Deadly sinne It is a mortall and deadly wound bringing death to our soules in that it taketh quite away the diuine grace from them which is their spirituall life Rom. 6. The stipends of sinne saith the Apostle are death That is the reward of mortall sinne This is the sinne which is allwais vnderstoode when we read or name sinne in generall and speake of the malice of it A monster soe deformed that if we could see the deformity of it we should thinke truly that all the torments of this world were rather to be suffered then one mortall sinne to be committed It diuideth vs from God it putteth vs into the deuils power it bringeth eternall punishments and temporall to the ruine of Kingdomes cittys and many noble familys it causeth feares and terrors of conscience and leaueth our soules hatefull and most horrible in the sight of God We can not expresse nor conceiue with sufficient horrour the state of our soules when they are in mortall sinne Our bodys when they are dead become pale cold and ghastly but much more our soules in deadly sinne We behold with horrour the body of one that had killed drowned or hanged himselfe and it is not a horrour to kill our owne soules If any of this company should now suddainely fall downe and dy before vs we should all be terrifyed and affrighted at it then how should we feare to fall into mortall sinne by which we are instantly killed and dead Ber. ad Eug. l 4. c. 6. Esa 57. An asse falleth and there is allwais some to helpe her vp againe A soule perisheth and none regardeth it Saith S. Bernard soe the Prophet the iust perisheth and there is none that considereth in his hart If our head our breast or any other part paine vs we complane and cry O my head my breast c. And we wounde our soules vnto death and neuer thinke nor say O my soule How greatly haue the Saints of God detested mortall sinne how greatly haue they bewailed it in themselues and in others what pennance haue they vndergone to satisfy for it what paines haue they taken to draw others out of