to all the (e) The abnegatiō of ones self which is required by the doctrine of Christ our Lord. Luc. 14. Ioan. 12. Ioan. 6. vvorld as instantly I shall touch againe that If any man would come after him he must deny himselfe take vp his Crosse follow him For he that would saue his life should loose it and he that would loose his life for him should saue it If a sectary or libertine shal heare this Doctrine he vvil be sure to say that it is Durus sermo A bit vvhich hath a bone in it so bigge as that he knovves not hovv either to chavv or svvallovv and much lesse digest it And yet this very bit this bitter pilwhich is so vnsauoury to the man vvho is all made of flesh and bloud being vvrapped vp in the golden vvords of our Lord doth in the taking it dovvne grovv so full of delight and gust through the puissance vvhich it hath ouer the soules of such as doe seriously sincerely loue him that no pennance in this life could be so grieuous to them as if they should be boüd from doing pennance And see now by this whether the Doctrine of Christ our Lord be not of strange power and strength and whether his diuine Maiesty haue not infinitely loued vs who hath made weake men so able and so willing to imbrace it for the loue of him This (f) This doctrine as it is on the one side effica cious and strong so on the other it is smooth sweet strength wherwith the Doctrine of Christ our Lord abounds is no rude or course kind of strength but rather it is like some one of those most excellēt Minerall Phisicks which is exactly well prepared For together with the discharging of peccant humours which vseth to carry with it a kind of paine it is a cordiall withall and it comforts the very substance of the soule incompably more excellently then that other Phisicke can the nature of the body Besides there is not heere any one receipt alone for the cure of soules as there be Empericks inough in the world who withall their bragges haue but some one medicine or two for the corporall cure of as many patients as they may chance to haue But heere are fully as many helpes as there can be motions in the minde this Doctrine is fit to worke vpon them al. For who sees (g) The seuerall wayes wherby the hart of man is holpen by that Doctrine of Christ our Lord. not how it abounds with exact commandements expresse prohibitions high and holy counsailes heroicall examples a clear notice of benefits already receiued and faithful promises of more sweet admonitions seuere reprehensions and terrible threats To the end that no man may be able to defend or euen excuse his disobedience with any appearance of reason but that euery one may as he ought submit himselfe What misery can that be whereof heere he may not find a remedy what doubt wherof he may not find a solution What pious affection wherof he may not find an inflamation What vertue would he obtaine or what vice would he auoyd wherin he shall not find a world of counsaile addresse And in a word what thought of God or of himselfe can he haue with any relation to his comfort either for this life or the next which being a good student of this Doctrine of Christ our Lord he may not easily apparaile in that rich and choyce wardrobe of his with iaculatory prayers and aspirations I say not only significant but which haue withall so much of the ardent of the great and of the noble as it will become the eares of God to heare will not become his mercifull hart not to harken to The incompar able purity of the Doctrine of Christ our Lord and with how great loue he helpeth vs towards the practise therof CHAP. 35. THIS diuine Doctrine of our Lord IESVS doth no way abrogate the morall law or ten commaundements but it doth auow and ratify the same Though for as much as concernes the Iudiciall and Ceremoniall lawes vnder which the people of God did liue before the coming of our Messias it perpetuated only the reall verities which were conteyned therin and it did destroy and bury though yet with honour those partes therof which were but figures of the comming of Christ our Lord. We say therfore most properly that to be the Doctrine of this diuine Doctour wherby either some Truthes were reuiued which through the wickednes of men were neglected and laid to sleepe before his comming or els wherby some others were published to the world which in perfection did exceed the former and many of them were not so properly inioyned in the nature of a comaundement as they were taught vs by the counsailes of Christ our Lord. This (a) Wher and how the body of the Doctrine of Christ our Lord is deliuered Doctrine of Christ our Lord is partly deliuered to vs by the Tradition of the holy Catholike Church as we shall see afterward and partly in holy Scripture And in this holy Scripture most of those particulars are conteyned and expressed which shew the perfection and purity of his heauenly Doctrine This is done after a most particular manner in that diuine sermon wherby his Disciples and we in them if we also will be his Disciples Cap. 5.6 and elsewhere in all the parts of the ghospell were instructed vpon that hill and S. Matthew deliuereth it by the words of our Lords owne sacred mouth He proclaimeth the eight Beatitudes where he annexeth not felicity to the comodities and pleasures of this life But to pouerty of spirit meekenes mornefulnes hungar and thirst after Iustice mercifulnes purity of hart Peace making and to the being persecuted and reuiled for the cause of Christ our Lord. He lets men know withall that for no respect they must breake the least tittle of the law of God That men must not be angry nor giue any iniurious word to others That we must not consent to so much as the least dishonest thought That no man or woman must be diuorced vpon the committing of lesse then Fornication and that neither of thē shall marry againe till the other dye That we must not sineare at all That we must not so much as resist oppression That we must loue euen our very enemies That we must giue Almes and fast and pray without ostemation That in all things we must haue a most pure intention That we must cast away all sollicitude concerning our selues and leaue all to the good prouidence of God That we must reforme our selues but not so much as iudge any other man That we must cut of and cast away all occasions causes of scandall and sinne how neere or how deare so euer they may be to vs. That we must striue to enter into he auen by the (b) Of mortification and penance narrow gate That we must aspire to chastity
by words sometimes by way of Sermōs sometimes of Parables sometymes at meales sometimes in the working of miracles That he spake at large Ioan. 14. at that supper which was the last he made on earth and in the Garden Luc. 22. when he boyled himselfe in a bath of bloudy sweate vpon that Crosse when he left his most pretious life in the midst of cruell torments and most bitter scornes which brake his hart though indeed he dyed of pure loue to vs but yet withall that those words of his were lost that they had not beene kept vpon record or if they had been kept that now they could be found no more What labour I say would we not endure what charge would we not vndergoe what danger would we not incurre with ioy so that by meanes therof one word of his might be recouered and knowne And in that case how should we be still sounding it out with our tongues and on grauing it vpon our harts and entertayning our selues day night in the cogitatiō contēplation therof But (d) They haue little knowledge of God who grow not in loue and reuerēce to him the more they treat with him now it may be feared that plenty it selfe hath made vs poore and familiarity hath bred contempt and that our queasy stomacks are ouercome and gone through the only smell of such a sumptuous feast as we are inuited to whilst such a world of those very words which Christ our Lord did vse in holy Scripture are set before not only our mind but euen our very eyes and eares by our holy mother the Church If it be so let vs pray that heerafter such a great ingratitude may be farre from vs and let vs beginne to cast our harts at the feete of our Lord for so incomparable a fauour The Canon of this holy Scripture is therfore that which doth containe as hath been said the chiefest part of that diuine Doctrine which our Lord IESVS came to teach on earth I say the chiefest part for it is not al. But our Lord IESVS taught many things both by himselfe and by his Apostles which we are all obliged to beleeue and yet they are not expressed in holy Scripture And so he told his Apostles and Disciples That (c) The proofe of Traditiō Ioan. 16. he had many things to say to them but that then they were not capable therof And the Text it selfe doth also affirme that he conuersed with them betwene his Resurrection and Ascension discoursing by the space of Fourty dayes Luc. 1. of the kingdome of God which is his Church And it cannot be but that then he told thē of many of those very things wherof he had knowne them to be incapable till that tyme and yet the holy Scripture giues very little account therof The Baptisme of infants was not particularly taught in holy Scripture the Sacraments indeed were instituted by our B. Lord and S. Paul said 1. Cor. 11. he would giue particular orders in that of the blessed Sacrament when he should arriue with the Corinthians but what those orders might be we can know no otherwise then by the tradition of the holy Church The Sabaoth was translated from the Saturday to the Sunday Many Ceremonies of the old Law were abrogated and some of them permitted as namely (f) S. Paul did circumcise Timothy Act. 15. Circumcision with many others and some euen commaunded for a tyme as the abstayning from the eating of bloud or strangled meates and the like But how long or short that tyme was to be we haue no newes out of holy Scripture Nay this Canon of the very Scripture it selfe wherin we are so happy as hath bene said and whervpon the Aduersaries of the Church for the disguysing of their disobedience and pride will needs pretend to relye as vpon the entiere rule of Faith the sole Iudge of controuersies in religion is no way declared to vs by any one text of holy Scripture But it is only authorized in respect of vs by the voyce sentence of the holy Church Many many other instāces might be also giuē by the cleare light wherof it would appeare that the whole Doctrine of our Lord is not conteyned in holy Scripture Nor (g) In what sense the holy Scripture may improperly be said to contayne the whole Doctrine of Christ our Lord. can it be truly said to be all cōtayned there in any sense vnlesse it be because the holy Scripture doth plainely shew the markes of the true visible Church of Christ our Lord and doth teach that the decrees therof Matt. 18. are to be obeyed in all things without appeale Which Church because it possesseth and dispenseth that whole Dopositum of true Doctrine concerning the seruice of God which S. Paul did so recommend to S. Timothy the holy Scrpture 1. Tim. 6. may in some sense be sayd to containe the whole doctrine of Saluation because it sends vs to the Church which doth indeed particularly containe and teach it all But neuerthelesse it is certaine and we still confesse it agayne and agayne to the vnspeakeable ioy of our harts that the holy Scripture it selfe holds the greatest part of the Doctrine of Christ our Lord. And therfore as I was saying much of that which I deliuered before concerning the excellency of his Doctrine both may and ought to be most fitly applyed to holy Scripture And because there occurreth somewhat concerning the particular eminency of this holy booke which hath not particularly bene touched before I will heere the rather reflect vpon it because we may easily see thereby the dignity of our Lords loue therin How carefull we must be not to berash in the vse of holy Scripture and of the great obscurity therof CHAP. 37. FIRST therfore for our comfort and to the end that no place at all might be left for doubt he was pleased that it should be written by the spirit of God wherby (a) The infallible truth of holy Scripture it growes to be as true as truth it selfe And in this we are of so firme beliefe as that there is not one little in it for the defence wherof from the least aspersion of the least iniury or errour we are not willing to lay down a million of liues This is an homage which we neither owe nor pay to any other booke But to this it is most due both for the irrefragable truth which it carrieth and for the loue wherwith our Lord resolued that in cases which did so much concerne vs he would haue vs know his mind Yet heerin his meaning was that still for our relying vpon the true sense thereof we should be ruled by our betters For els how (b) Howsoeuer holy Scripture is infallibly true in it selfe we shall grow into errour by it vnlesse it be interpreted by the Church infallible soeuer the holy Scripture were in it selfe we might make it through
our Lord and in a word in re-acquiring for so much as can be done in this life that state of innocency and that perfect subordination of sense to reason and of reason to God which by Adam was lost in Paradise And if still it shall appeare to vs that euen supposing but ordinary grace this enterprise doe carry difficulty in the bosome of it yet consider at least that no great thing can be done without some difficulty Consider how (h) The infinite paynes vvhich is taken by vvorldly men for trash the souldier labours for a little pay The Courtier for a miserable suite the scholler for a smacke of vayne knowledge The Merchant for increase of gaine The husbandman for the hope of a good haruest The Sheepheard for the thriuing of his flocke Cōsider the torments which sicke and wounded men indure for the recouery of a little corporall health and the sensuall person for the obteyning of his bestiall pleasure And be thou sure to beleeue this most certaine truth that the perfect seruice of God deserues in no sort to be accounted painefull in respect of that deadly affliction and torment which the tyranny of our inordinate affections worldly pretences doth dayly and hourely put vs to And know this withall that still the strōger those passions grow the more vn worthy seruitude doe they also grow euery moment to hold thee in besides the mortall wounds which they oftē inflict vpon the soule wherin if it dye it is damned withall Wheras a true (i) The happines of a true seruant of God Disciple of this Doctrine of Christ out Lord hath the happines to study vnder the care and in the eye of an omnipotent Doctour He walkes perpetually secure because he is euer in conformity to the holy and wise wil of God He is dayly gayning vpon himselfe He is fed now and then with particular cōforts of Gods holy spirit in comparison wherof all the lying pleasures of flesh and bloud are no better then a smoky chimney to a tēder sight He findes himselfe generally to grow stated in a kind of quiet ioy and an immoueable peace of mind though this indeed admits of great variety of degrees more or lesse according to his indeauour and concourse with the diuine grace And although (k) The very desire of perfection is ◠good step towards it a man should neuer arriue to the very top of perfection yet that proportion wherof he cānot misse if he faithfully endeauour to procure it will be a liberall reward of greater paines then he can take For besides the contentment of being still in strife towards God he will find it seated in his very soule as a most certaine truth That the very meere desire of perfection if it be a sound one indeed giues such a sauoury kind of comfort as puts all the base contentment of this world to silence By this endeauour he shall also be defended not only from mortall but euen from willfull veniall sinnes And he is already possessed of as great security as can be had in this mortall life of ours that he is ordeyned for heauen in reward of that reuerence and obedience which heere he hath performed in learning and practising the diuine Doctrine of Christ our Lord which he came to teach vs with so infinite loue But yet further we ought to be his euerlasting slaues in that he was pleased that so principall a part of this very doctrine should not only be deliuered but should remaine recorded and written in holy Scripture for our instruction and comfort as partly we haue seen already and will yet appeare more particularly in the Chapter following Of the vnspeakeable Loue of our Lord Iesus in ordeyning that the greatest part of his diuine Doctrine should remaine in wryting and of the great benefit which growes to vs by the holy Scripture CHAP. 36. HOw clearly is our mercifull God as good as his word in fulfilling the promise which he was pleased to make to vs by the mouth of the Prophet Esay Isa 30. Non faciet auohere à te vltra Doctorem tuum erunt oculi tui videntes praeceptorem tuum c. and againe by the Prophet Ioel Filij Sion exultate laetamini in Domino Deo vestro quia dedit vobis Doctorem Iustitiae Our Lord will not make thy Doctour fly away any more and thine eyes shall see thy (a) A most tender expression of the loue of God in the teaching of man Teacher And thine eares shall heare the word of him who admonisheth thee behinde thy backe This is the way walke you in it and decline you neither to the right hand nor to the left Reioyce yee children of Sion and be ioyful in the Lord your God because he hath giuen you a Doctour of Iustice That God did giue vs this Doctour for the instruction of our soules we know by faith and we feele by grace and the Church his Spouse is dayly recomending it to our memory But (b) The holy Scripture doth most liuely represent Christ our Lord as it were to our very eyes that yet he was so to be heere as neuer to remoue euen as it were his visible instructing presence from vs this blessing is chiefly affoarded to vs by the holy Scripture For therby we are dayly and howerly told so many particulars of his sacred person how he lookt how he walkt how he spake how he groād how he wept how he prayed and how he preached so that besides his reall presence in the B. Sacrament for vpon that I shall reflect heereafter we esteeme our selues to haue him still euen personall after a sort amongst vs and to be as it were chayned with our eyes to that diuine countenance of his and vvith our eares to those heauenly vvords and vvith our harts to those immense benefits vvhich vve find him to haue povvred vpon our fore fathers and by them on vs. Our Lord forbid Psalm 32. that vve should be like that horse or mule which hath no vnderstanding but vvhen the Maister hath fed him full and fat doth abuse his care and giue him perhaps a kicke insteed of doing him painefull seruice yea and that for nothing else but because he had bene so liberally fed For euen such shall we be if the riches of Gods mercy towards vs should incline vs rather to a fastidious kind of contempt then to an obsequious reuerence respect If our (c) Consider well of this truth Lord IESVS had not bene so gratious as to inspire his seruants to write his story or to enable his Church to preserue it from the consumption of tyme and the Canker of Heresy and the inundation of Infidelity how willingly would we haue sould our selues into our shirts to haue obtayned so great a fauour at his hands If we should only haue knowne that when our Lord liued on earth he had conuersed with men had expressed himselfe to thē at large
to spirituall from temporall to eternall from the Kings of Israell to the King Messias and so also there is often passage the other way from the spirit to the letter and so in the rest It is also made very hard by the Equiuocatiō (n) The ambiguity of the Hebrew tongue of words wherof the Hebrew tongue is so full Which since it was the first and consequently the most compendious and short of all others it must necessarily containe many seuerall significations in few words And from hence it growes that generally such variety hath bene found in the Translations of the old Testament and some part also of the new Nay (o) The misplacing of points c. the very difference in placing a point doth make sometimes a different sense and so doth the manner either of writing or pronouncing a proposition As namely whē it is ambiguous whether any thing be affirmatiuely or Ironically or Interrogatorily to be read This with more is shewed by Father Salmeron For these and for many other reasons the vnderstanding of holy Scripture is very hardly learnt and we see by sad experience what diuisions doe abound in the world by occasion therof when men will call disobedience and pride by the name of holy Ghost and Euangelicall liberty There are amongst Sectaries of seuerall cuts and kindes sixteene different opinions concerning their Doctrine of Iustification All which they seuerally doe yet pretend to be grounded in holy Scripture and yet this Scripture it is which they will haue to be so cleere and plaine And vpon those fower words Hoc est corpus meum This is my body there are almost fourescore diuersities of opinion Our aduersaries themselues doe by their deeds of disagreement with one another proclayme the difficulty of holy Scripture which yet in words they will deny that so they may be excused in making it say what they list The truth is this That indeed it is full of difficulty and our Lord who made it so did with infinite loue prouide therin for our good and that more wayes then one For (p) The many and great goods we get by the very difficulty of holy Scripture See Salmeron vhi supra therby we are obliged as Father Salmeron doth also further shew to confesse the vnspeakeable wisedome (q) We are brought to a great beliefe of the high wisedom or God of Almighty God which doth infinitely surpasse all knowledge or conceyte of ours euen then when he vouchsafeth to expresse himselfe by words the ordinary signification wherof we vnderstand And (r) Our pride is humbled by this meanes he depresseth pride in vs and depriues vs of all confidence in our selues Heerby (s) It spurres vs on to prayer Psalm 119. he doth also stirre vs vp to make with all humility most earnest prayer to his diuine in maiesty that he will open to vs the secrets of his law as we see S. Augustine did and all the Saints haue done especially King Dauid who was euer singing of this songe It also growes through the great obscurity of holy Scripture that the Church is filled with much variety (t) It breds great variety of diuine knowled◠in the Church of diuine knowledge neither is there that possibility to draw seuerall true senses out of plaine easy places as out of such as are obscure According to that of S. Augustine The obscurity of diuine Scripture is profitable for this that it begetteth bringeth to light seuerall Doctrines of truth whilst one man vnderstandeth it after one manner and another after another And (u) It breeds diligence in study and care to conserue in memory for this very reason also learned men are incited to a more diligent and earnest study therof And consequently they wil entertaine that knowledge with more gust which they haue acquired with more labour This (x) It inuiteth vs to purity of life obscurity is also a cause which makes vs purify our soules the more because like loues his like And holy things will neuer be well comprehended but by holy persons Moreouer it helpes to maintaine and make good that order (y) It helpes to maintaine the Church in due sub ordinatiō Order in the Church which our Lord God hath thought fit to hold in the dispensation of his guifts and graces For as the superiour Angells doe illuminate them who are inferiour so hath he bene pleased that amongst men some should excell others in learning and diuine knowledge who as Doctours and Pastours might interpret the same to others It (z) It saueth Pearles from being cast to swyne keepes impure and wicked persons from knowing those misteries which belong to God wherof they are vnworthy vncapable since they will not vse them well And our Lord himselfe hath said in his Ghospell that so it was fit to be and that seeing Marc. 4. Matt. 7. they might not see and that hearing they might not vnderstand and that pearles must not be cast before swyne And lastly the frailty of our corrupted nature is excellently prouided for by this meanes since through the difficulty which we find in holy Scripture we are (a) It nourisheth vs in reuerence and a holy awe kept in reuerence and in a kind of holy awe wheras if throughout they were familiar and gaue easy accesse to all cōmers they might through our fault grow instantly to be contemned On the (b) The Scripture is wouen both with hard and easy thinges and this is of great vse to vs. other side if all the parts thereof were hard a like we should giue ouer to seeke that which we despayred to find And therfore the good pleasure of our Lord hath bene to make the holy Scriptures obscure yet with a kind of plainenes and plaine but yet with an obscurenes That by their plainenes in some places they might illuminate vs and by their difficulty in others they might exercise vs. And that the easy places might helpe vs towards the vnderstanding of the hard and the hard might serue to imploy our wits and to make vs know withall how much we are bound to God for hauing made some others easy And this is the substance of that which Father Salmeron hath deliuered both concerning the reasons which make the holy Scriptures hard and the fruits which grow to vs therby Through which we may easily discerne the tender and wise care and loue of this diuine Doctour of our soules Not only in giuing vs such excellent lessons but for hauing done it in such an admirable manner as (c) A demonstration of the loue of our Lord to vs in this particular that whilst we are studying them we must almost in despight of our owne proud hartes be imploying our selues withall both vpon the exercise of prayer and the practise of the solide vertues of humility patience obedience purity and charity And if yet we shal not think that our Lord hath shewed vs loue
all the rest which hath bene said as himselfe doth incomparably surpasse whatsoeuer other thing which it is euen in his power to giue I will also in this place sorbeare to hearken to that other diuine consort of Musicke which he made in that least Sermon of his next before his sacred Passion which S. Iohn relates in his holy Ghospell For that of the B. Sacrament is considered in a discourse therof a part and that of the infinite loue of our Lord in his last Sermon is toucht in the beginning of that of the Passion And we haue heere I hope bene shewed inough to make the loue of our B. Lord appeare Not only in regard of what he conceaued in his owne pretious hart towards man but moreouer for the abundant blessings which he hath imparted to the world exteriourly For we see to what greatnes and happines the meanest of vs is sublymed through the high account into which we are taken by Almighty God Only we must be sure that his infinite goodnes do not giue vs occasion and colour for contynuance in our wickednes For as much as in God all is infinite a like (i) All is a like Infinite in God and therfore euen the very infinitenesse of his Mercy doth shew vs how Infinite his Iustice also is and euen by the excesse of his mercy when men are sory for their sinnes we may inferre the intollerable rigour of his Iustice against such as are impenitēt The holy Scripture is also ful of most particular proofe how deepely our Lord doth detest al sinne and willfull sinners This hath bene pointed at before vpon another occasion in the discourse of the infinite power of God and in the end of the Passion it will also be resumed agayne For the present therfore I conclude concerning the most excellent Doctrine of Christ our Lord deliuered especially in holy Scripture and I passe on to the consideration of his Miracles Of the excessine Loue which our Lord Iesus shewed to man by the Mirac'es which he wrought on earth CHAP. 41. THE excessiue loue of our Lord Iesus was farre from being content to expresse it selfe towards man by any one single way alone but it was solliciting him in euery minute of his most holy life to try as many as might be found for our good He therfore considering with diuine wisedome that men were composed of flesh and spirit and consequētly (a) Men being cōposed of flesh and spirit are to be wrought vpō both by spirituall and sensible meanes that they must be wrought vpō aswell by sensible as by spirituall meanes knowing also that through the miserable disorder of their mindes they were then more capable would be more obliged by ease health of body then by graces powred into the soule he was therfore pleased to accompany the purity and perfection of his Doctrine with the power and Maiesty of his miracles And as by creation of the world he led men vp by meanes of visible things towards a knowledge and beliefe of the inuisible so in the case of our reparation and redemptiō he would also vse the corporall cure of men from sicknes as a disposition wherby theyr soules might be recouered from sinne Heerby our Lord doth euidently discouer to be a true perfect louer of mankind For as the property of loue is not (b) The measure of our loue of God is to exceed all measure to be tyed vp within the compasse of any ordinary law and the measure which that power vseth is to exceed all measure so did our Lord out of the nobility of his loue to man refuse to walke within so small a circle as the lawes of nature did lead him to These lawes of nature were made by almighty God at the creation of the world it is not al the power of heauen or earth vnder him which can inuert that order Psal 148. Praeceptum posuit non praeteribit He gaue the precept and it shall not passe away And it was good cheape for him who made al things of nothing to commaund that nothing should faile of that inuiolable course wherin all things were appointed to proceed According to the law of nature no returne is made from priuation to the habit as from a fixed blindnes to sight and much lesse from death to life But the law of the loue of our Lord IESVS did ouertop that other law made those things grow true and samiliar which otherwise were not only hard but impossible Moyst bodies were appointed by the law of nature to giue place and such as are heauy and solid to sinke downe below thē But yet when there was question of giuing comfort to his poore Apostles Matt. 14. the loue of Christ our Lord made him lay those lawes aside and he went walking towards them vpon the sea which was glad to performe the Office of a pauement to his pretious feete Penerration of bodies is a thing wherof nature cannot endure to heare but yet for the vnspeakeable loue which he bare to (c) The honour which was done by Christ our Lord to the purity of his B. Virgin mother the honour and excellency of his all-immaculate mother that ornament and glorious gemme of heauen earth he was not affrayd to giue that principle of Philosophy the lye And he passed out of those bowells of supreme Purity into those armes of matchlesse Piety without the least offence to her most entire Virginity But yet in this there is the lesse wonder because he wrought the like in fauour of his Apostles whom he loued by innumerable degrees lesse then his most excellent mother Isa 7. For in their case also his loue was transcendent in the selfe same kind vnto his lawes For hauing first passed through the sepulcher he went afterward through Ioan. 20. Ibid. through those doores which were shut betwene them him that so he might as it were perfume them all at once with his sweet breath of Peace But why doe I name those persons who were so highly priuiledged as if our Lord had only bene in loue with them and not indeed as yet indeed he was enamoured of all mankind so farre as to make his miracles distill down vpon them like so many drops of dew for their reliefe or comfort in all occasions And although these miracles of Christ our Lord could not haue bene wrought but by the omnipotent power of almighty God yet may that power be accounted to haue been but as a kind of instrumēt wherby he wrought them and that indeed they flowed from his loue as from their prime cause and roote He wrought no miracles for the ostentation of his power and therfore we see how often he precisely comaunded both men and deuills Marc. 3. 5. 7. Luc. 5. Luc. 4. Matth. 20. Matt. 21. Marc. 11. that they should not publish what he had done He wrought none for any commodity of
Blessed Lady was figured in the old Testament after Eue vnder (a) The principall figures of our B. Lady Gen. 24. Indith 13. the person of Rebecca as a fit and choice spouse for the true Isaac which was found out and adorned by God himselfe he being the Father She was figured by Iudith who by cutting of the head of Holofernes that type of the Diuell gaue victory to her people as according to Gods first prediction our Blessed Lady was to do it in a higher and nobler manner by bruizing the head of the Serpent And the honour which once the people did to Iudith by that Elogium of theirs was incomparably better and more authorizedly fulfilled by the Angell Gabriel himselfe and by the holy Prophetesse S. Elizabeth and now dayly by the whole Church of God and vpon the person of our B. Lady She was also figured by Hester for she found so much fauour with the great Assuerus according to the Angells asseueration of Inuenisti gratiam apud Deum as to discharge the decree of death which had bin published against the world by her conceauing bringing him forth Ester 8. who tore the hand-writing which was so full of preiudice to vs. She was that excellent creature whome Moyses saw figured in the Bush Exod. 3. which was not blasted by the fyer Which Aron saw Num. 17. Exod. 37. in the rodd and flower which the Israelites saw in the Arke of the Testament which was made of incorruptible wood Shee was foreseen by the Prophet Isay in the root of Iesse Isa 11. Ezech. 44. which was neuer bent By Ezechiel in the Orientall gate which was euer brightly shining and euer shut By Gedeon in that Fleece of Wool which was moystned with dew from heauen Iud. 6. she being fulfilled by the descēt of the holy Ghost and the obumbration of the vertue of the most high Num. 24. She was that Starre which sprunge from Iacob and from whence that beame did flow which serued to illustrate the whole world She was the mysticall Arke of the Testament cōteyning the celestiall Manna Ad Hebr 9. Exod. 37.3 Reg. 7. which is the bread both of men and Angells She was the Propitiatory of gold who by bringing vs a Sauiour of the world did appeale the diuine lustice which was so incensed against it She was the Temple and the Sanctuary of God the very Way of Saints because by her as through a Triumphall Arch the Saint of Saints made his entry into the world in flesh and bloud and appeared vnder the eyes of mortall men She in (b) Certaine Allusions Appellations of honour which set forth the excellēcy of our B. Lady fine was that pretious and choice Spouse and friend of God whome Salomon being then full of the holy Ghost did foresee and celebrate after a most eminent manner in that mysticall espousall of all holy soules to the King of heauen but particularly and especially of hers which was so much more holy then they all Nor could that Propheticall diuine Poet content himselfe with any one single allusion But he calls her what he can Cant 2.6 Immaculate most faire worthy to be crowned perfect doue A woman who for her excessiue beauty did resemble Ierusalem that most beautifull and most goodly citty A woman whome the daughters of Sion did see and prayse and Queenes themselues did proclayme her to be more happy Cant. 4. then they And not content with this he compares her to a most pure fountaine to a most cleere well and to a most delicious garden but most carefully shut He falls then into exclamations as not being able to expresse himselfe home after a positiue manner and he askes Cant. 3.8 Who that is which riseth vp as a perfume could doe out of most pretious and odoriferous gumms Who that is which ascendeth out of the desert euen drowned as it were in most pure delights and leaning so vpon her beloued These I say are Salomons descriptions of this Queene of heauen although he call her not in those places by her proper name And (c) The same passage of holy Scripture hath many true sense◠although those passages of holy Scripture are capable of many seuerall sēses which are all true as S. Augustine proueth at large that all the holy Scripture is yea they containe a litterall an historicall an Allegorical an Analogicall sēse yea there are euē of the very selfe same places of holy Scripture diuers senses which are litterall and all which are true and intended to be vnderstood by the holy Ghost as appeares by what was said in that discourse of the Doctrine of Christ our Lord. And (d) The seuerall senses of the Canticles do all most particularly set forth the sanctity of our B. Lady although some doe in some sense take these places of the Canticles to be spoken of the Church of God and others of any soule in state of grace yet if it should be but so what Christian would doubt but that euen out of these very Tytles they most properly must belong to the All-immaculate Virgin Mother of God whose soule being so deere beyond all others in his sight must needs haue bin espoused to him in a manner so sublime as no Angell is able to conceaue For who is so eminent a part of the Church as shee De symb ad Catech. l. 4. c. 1. S. Augustine sayth of her Mulierem illam Virginem Mariam significasse quae caput nostrum integra integrum peperit quae etiam ipsa siguram in se sanctae Ecclesiae demonstrauit The woman mentioned in the Apocalips at whose child-birth the dragon that is the diuell watched to deuoure the Infant did signify the Virgin Mary who being entyere brought forth our head namely Christ our Lord intyere and who also in her selfe did declare and beare the figure of the holy Church But besides the weight of this consequēce which yet is ful inough of force we see that numbers of most learned wryters Vide Canis l. 1. c. ◠doe apply many passages not only of these Canticles the Prouerbes and Apocalips to this blessed Virgin but euen the Rabbins of the Iewes themselues haue affirmed that they were to be vnderstood of the Mother of the Messias And the Catholike Church of IESVS Christ our Lord which is taught by the voyce of the holy Ghost doth in the Lessons and Responsories and Antiphonies which are vsed in the festiuities of our B. Lady resort for her honour to those books and texts We may therfore heere in some part discerne by the figures which did foreshew our B. Lady and by the allusions which set her forth to be admired by resembling the most pretious and delicious things to her that she was is the most excellent pure creature which can be thought of But yet figures and shadowes do not fall so far short of bodyes substāce as the
publishing his Ghospell did expresse in his holy Baptisme and consequently to that Charity which cast him vpon the practise of this profound impenetrable humility For it was (a) Our Lord Iesus began all from Charity we must beginne all from Humility not in him as it is in vs who must beginne with acts of humility as with the foundation that so we may arriue to Charity afterward which is the consummation of a spirituall building But in him all moued at the very first from pure and perfect Charity which was as a kind of cause of his humility They want not good ground of reason who affirme that betwene the Birth and death of Christ our Lord he neuer performed an act of greater loue then in being thus Baptized For as the expression of true loue consisteth more in doing then in saying so consisteth it also much more in suffering then in doing And as the least sinne is more abhorred by a soule which is faithfull to God then the sensible toâ—ments euen of Hell it selfe So the dishonor for that soule to be thought sinfull which is not only pure but wholly impeccable as that of Christ our Lord and Sauiour was doth sarre outstrippe all other aspersion and infamy whatsoeuer as was also insinuated else where Yet (b) By how rugged waies our Lord Iesus was content to passe in his loue to vs. by these rugged wayes would he passe and vpon these bitter pills would he seed yea and he did it with vnspeakeable ioy for loue of vs. And not only had he bene content to be Circumcised which shewed as if he had bene obnoxious to Originall sinne but to declare that the his loue longer he liued amongst vs the more care he to vs. tooke to shew how he loued vs he now vouchsafed to be baptized which according to all apparence did betoken as if he had been subiect euen to actuall sinne To this let it be added that since Circumcision was ordayned by the law to which although he were not boÌ„d indeed yet was it thought that he was bound it might not only seeme fit but euen iust that he should be Circumcised both to doe honour to the law and to preuent all scandall of the people But for him to receiue the Baptisme of S. Iohn was no appointement of the law of God but a meere voluntary deuotion which might haue bene forborne without any sinne or the iust offence of any man And (c) It was a farre greater act of humility for our Lord to be baptized theÌ„ to be circumcised therfore as I was saying it was admirable humility performed out of vnspeakeable charity that for our example and benefit our Lord would fasten such a marke of actuall sinne vpon himselfe But the gratious eye of our Lord being lodged vpon the miseries of man and his hart beeing full of most ardent desire of our felicity he contemned himselfe and resolued to enter into the waters Luc. 7. And though S. Iohn being then the greatest among the sonnes of men did well know and with a most deiected faythfull hart acknowledge how farre he was from being worthy to baptize that true naturall Sonne of God yet so precise was the pleasure of Christ our Lord in this particular that the holy Baptist betooke himselfe to his obedience And our Lord vouchsafed to let him know and vs withall that perfect Iustice is not obserued where the heroycall acts of Humility and Charity are not performed S. Iohn had bene preaching the doctrine of pennance to the levves immediatly vvherupon they vvere baptized by him in Iordan Matt. 3. And the holy Scripture affirmes that Christ our Lord vvas baptized after them as resoluing belike to be the last of the company And vvithall it is very probable by the sacred Text Ibid. that he vvould also be present at the sermon of S. Iohn like a common Auditour and being the increated wisedome of God he vouchsafed to seeme as if he had needed to be taught by man What proclamations are these of his affection to vs and of direction how we are to proceed with others It being reason that we should blush euen to the bottome of our harts when we take our selues in the manner of striuing for precedence euen of our equalls whilst yet we see the SoÌ„ne of God place himselfe after all his inseriours And (d) Lay good hold on these lessons when we shall thinke much to resort for Sacraments other spirituall comforts to such as we conceaue to be any way of inferiour TaleÌ„ts to our selues Or els when we shal haue shame to frequent the remedies of sinne when heere we may behould the Sauiour of all our soules and the institutor of all the holy Sacraments through ardent charity assist at a sermon and receaue the water of Baptisme with profound humility from the tongue from the hand of a mortall man himselfe being the King and the God of men But the seuerall spirituall aduices which our Lord IESVS did giue vs by the example of his high vertues in this mistery though they be in themselues of great importance towards the shewing of his loue yet doe they lessen when they are compared to that maine drift which he had in this holy Baptisme of his For his prime (e) The principall scope which it seemes that Christ our Lord had in his being baptized meaning was vpon the cost of his Humility and Charity expressed by his being thus baptized to institute a more high soueraigne Baptisme in the nature of a Sacrament By the grace wherof all soules might be washed and cleansed from sinne as certainly as any body is from spots vpon the application of common water O boundles sea of loue which no baÌ„cks of our iniquity could keepe in from breaking out ouer the whole world His loue it was which made him vndergoe the paine of putting his pure naked body vnder water and of shame to be thought a sinfull creature That so by the merit of such loue as water washeth other creatures himselfe might wash euen the very water yea and sanctify all the water in the world towards the beautifying of soules by the meanes of his pretious merits How clearly doth it shew that Christ our Lord is an equall and incomparable kind of friend to all for he placed the remedy of all the Originall sinne of little children and both of the Originall sinne and actuall of such as are already coÌ„uerted baptized to the faith of Christ our Lord when they are of yeares not (f) How good cheape a Christian man be Baptized in the taking of generous wines nor in the application of costly Bathes nor in the drinking pearles and pretious stones distilled into some pretious liquor but only in being touched by a little pure simple water wherin the beggar is as rich as the King And howsoeuer his holy Church which is inspired and guided by his holy spirit hath ordeyned in the exercise
persons aliue Either for nobility and power out of the Citty of Rome which was the Empresse of the world or out of the Prouinces of Greece which was the Seminary of all morality and learning or out of the citty of Hierusalem which the opinion of sanctity the maiesty of Religious rites did easily outstrip all other places But (d) Why our Lord made not choyce of the noble wise or learned men of the world for conuersion therof 1. Cor. 1. he who afterward did condemne the pride pleasure of the world vpon the Crosse had before in the choice of his Apostles both confounded all discourse of flesh and bloud and withall he tooke care to magnify the attributes wherof I spake before of his power his wisedome and his goodnes By choosing as S. Paul affirmeth the meane things of the world to confound the noble the weake to cōfound the strong and the things which scarse were thought to haue any substance or being at all to confound other things which seemed as it were to beard and braue the vvorld It is true that he admitted of some few learned men for his Disciples as Gamaliel and Nathanael And of some fevv vvho vvere rich and noble as Lazarus Nicodemus and Ioseph of Arimathia that so he might not seeme to disdaine nobility and learning but yet his Apostles in a manner vvere all obscure and poore vnlearned men Both because such persons are vvont to goe more vvillingly after the call of Gods holy inspirations and partly also yea and chiefely to make the vvorld cōfesse that vvhen it should see vvhole Prouinces subdued to the faith of Christ our Lord by the preaching of his doctrine out of such ignorāt mouthes as theirs vvere knovvne to be it might be obliged to impute the same to no other cause but the omnipotēt povver of God the Father the infinite vvisedome of God the sonne vvho is Christ our Lord and the inexhausted goodnes of God the holy Ghost vvhich was able to doe such vvonders by such weake instruments Novv that (e) How Moyses in some respect was an extract of the Apostles 2. Cor. 2. vvhich vvas heere fulfilled in the person of the rude Apostles vnder the lavv of grace vvas punctually prefigured vnder the vvriten lavv in the person of Moyses vvho vvas but a sheepheard and a stammerer and so could haue no grace or guift of speech But Virtus Dei in infirmitate perficitur The strength and power of God is perfected and proclaymed in the weakenes of man And Moyses could not be so vntovvard either in fortune or nature for the busines which God imployed him in but the same God could vvith ease doe those wōderfull things by his meanes which he designed for the deliuery of his people from the seruitude of Pharao And this he wrought aftervvard in a more admirable māner by the ministery of his poore Apostles in freing soules from the tyranny of the spirituall Pharao which is the deuill The rebellious Angells and our fraile forefather Adam were grounded at the first in great priuiledges both of grace and nature but through disobedience and pride they all fell headlong downe The Angells to hell Adam into a deepe darke hole full of infirmity and worldly care But the Apostles had their foundation and first beginning in pouerty ignorance and simplicity and in fine in a being nothing of themselues And now as the pride of the former was abased so the humility of these latter as we shall see in the Chapter following was exalted by the holy and mighty hand of God whose name be euer blessed for the glory which he giues himselfe by his owne goodnes The incomparable Loue wherwith our Lord instantly rewarded the speedy obedience of the Apostles CHAP. 28. SVCH men as these they were whome our Lord designed to the Apostolate which yet was the most excellent and most eminent office in the Church of God And he vouchsafed to inuite them with such strength as well as with such tendernes of loue that they came when they were called They did it instantly and cheerfully and absolutely Saint Peter and S. Andrew Marc. 1. were casting their netts into the Sea and immediatly vpon the fight and voyce of our Lord Iesus who bad them come and follow him Matth. 4. they went and left their netts in the act of their falling into the water without staying so long as might serue to draw them vp againe And much lesse did they delay till they saw what draught they might chaunce to haue Ibid. S. Iohn and S. Iames were in the act of mending their netts and vpon the very first sight and hearing of the voyce of Christ our Lord who called them to him they did not so much as fasten one stitch or tye one knot but immediatly they put themselues vpon following him Leauing not only their netts but abandoning euen their very father through the desire they had to comply at full speed with the inspiration of God which spake more lowdly to their harts then the voyce of Christ our Lord as man had done to their eares of flesh and bloud S. Matthew as is touched Matt. 9. both before and afterward was in the (a) The admirable conuersion of S. Matthew Custome house in the midst of a world of reckonings accounts he was in the very act of sinning the company which he was in would not faile to encourage him in doing ill but yet our Lord had no sooner bid him follow him but he left all at the very instant without so much as saluting his friends yea this he did with such excesse of ioy as that to shew the comfort of his hart he feasted his new Lord and maister The world is full of men who can write and read but there are not so very many who cast account so well as this B. Apostle knew how to doe Preferring God before the world and the treasures of diuine grace before the corruptible riches of this life and lending such a watchfull and listning care to the inspirations of almighty God in the obedience wherof it was but for our Lord to call and him to come But neither he nor those others were in danger of (b) Men are far frō loosing by giuing much to God loosing any thing by obeying the voyce of Christ our Lord. To vvhom although for the tryall of their loue and for the increase of their merit he made no promise at all vvhen he called thē but only to those fishers that he would make them fishers of men yet aftervvards he made them knovv that they had to doe vvith a liberall God And for as much as they had left their little comodities to follovv him vvho seemed to haue lesse and for that they had so generously contemned the care of friends and goods for his loue and in regard that they had put themselues instantly and franckly vpon his seruice vvithout asking any day or desiring to be
enriched his Church Whose faith he hath strengthned whose hope he hath reuiued whose charity he hath inflamed whose holy feare and reuerence he hath rooted deeply by meanes therof Instructing vs as Father Salmeron doth excellently obserue concerning the B. Trinity (f) The Father the Sonne the holy Ghost in the voyce in the sonne the cloud Concerning the Incarnation of Christ our Lord his Doctrine Preaching by the addresse which we receiue of harkening to him His pasion and death by the excesse which he was to fulfill in Ierusalem The certainty of his Resurrection and glory and consequently of our owne The abrogation of the old law through the establishmeÌ„t of the new by the Fathers voyce concerning the sonne It taught them of Lymbus from whence the soule of Moyses came It taught the Terrestriall Paradise where Elias is belceued to repose It taught the militant Church in the person of the three B. Apostles But let vs as I was saying giue eare to Christ our Lord whose doctrine his heauenly Father and ours hath assigned vs to For he it is who will teach vs both these and all things else which it may any way import vs to vnderstand as I will instantly beginne to shew Of the vnspeakeable loue which our Lord Iesus shewed by deliueriug to vs his admirable Doctrine and of the manner which he held in teaching vs. CHAP. 32. OVR Lord Iesus came into the world for three maine reasons amongst aboue many others To teach vs the way to heauen by his diuine Doctrine and to guide vs by his admirable example and to redeeme vs by his most pretious bloud But as we should be nothing the better for knowing the way to any place Ser. de Ascen Dom. 4. if still we were deteyned in some prison so neither as S. Bernard saith should we be the better for knowing our iorneyes end if withall we knew not the way which leadeth thither It pleased therfore our Lord Iesus to declare his doctrine to the world And because according to Aristotle Doctio Disciplina are Relatiues for as much as he is become our Doctour we are already made his Disciples if we will The same Aristotle was Alexanders Maister and his Father Philip King of Macedon did esteeme it for no small part of his owne happines that his sonne was borne in a time when he might be instructed by so worthy a person And yet that worthy person was a mortall wicked man whose vnderstanding though very eminent was yet full of errour in many things and his will more full of disorder Wheras this diuine (a) The difference of Christ our Lord from other Doctours Doctour of ours was both truth and sanctity it selfe A Doctour he was and that most excelleÌ„t and complete without euer hauing bene any mans Disciple Such others as haue neuer bene Disciples doe no more vse to proue good Doctours then men proue good Captaines who haue neuer bene souldiers or good superiours who haue neuer bene subiects I deny not but some haue bene good Doctours who neuer were the disciples of men as for example Moyses and the other Prophets But besides that all they were instructed by the wisedom of God in supernatuall manner yet neither did they teach in such perfection as may be compararable by innumerable degrees to this of our diuine Doctour Nor yet did they giue the hand together with the torch nor the wood together with the coale of fire nor strength to execute together with the direction of what men were to doe Wheras (b) The great efficacy which only belongs to the Doctrine of Christ our Lord. Christ our Lord together with those diuine words of his own sacred mouth did make such a high way by the sweete gratious breath of his holy spirit into the harts of such as heard them though yet sometymes they were deafe inough as made then receiue them and lay them vp in conformity therof to performe things in a short tyme of extreme difficulty and contradiction to sense with excessiue gust How infinitely therefore are vve obliged to this Lord of ours vvho vvas designed from all eternity and did accept that himselfe vvould (c) An vnspeakeable mercy that Christ our Lord would teach vs by him selfe teach vs by himselfe For there vvas no remedy his loue could not be satisfied vvith doing lesse then all Nor vvould he permit that any Doctour vvho vvas lesse then his very selfe should haue the chiefe instructing (d) We are also taught by ment but that is only as by the instruments of God of our soules Novv his Doctrine being his must needs be infallible because he is God And to the end that it might not be too high or hard for our capacities he resolued as it vvere to tame that diuinity of his and to take it and tye it vp in the nets and toyles of flesh and bloud And so being incarnate he vouchsafed to conuerse amongst vs and as it vvere to vvatch his tymes those mollis fandi tempora vvherin vve might be likeliest to receiue that treasure of diuÃne knowledge vvhich had power to remoue our grosse ignorance They vvho trauaile vp and dovvne the vvorld knovv by experience hovv glad they vse to be if vvandring out of the vvay they meete some man vvho sets them right though it be but tovvards a nights lodging in a poore Inne vvhich sometymes is incomodious inough And such as giue themselues to study and are either ignorant of vvhat they vvould fayne vnderstand or perplexed othervvise through any difficulty vvhich may occurre are vvont to accompany and attend vvith extraordinary reuerence and affection those teachers vnder vvhome they vvere brought vp and by vvhose meanes they acquired knovvledge Which (e) They are very vngratefull who perfourme not great respects to such as haue been theyr teachers kind of gratitude is so deeply rooted in the mindes of such as are ingenuous that as long as they liue they retaine the memory of that benefit and there is no strangenes or small vnkindnes vvhich can blot it out We must therefore beseech our Lord IESVS to make vs thankefull to his diuine Maiesty in a high degree for his vouchsafing to exercise the office of a teacher ouer vs. Not through the care he hath to keepe vs only from vvandring betvvene tovvne tovvne or to vvorke through the difficulties of humaine knovvledge vvhich vnlesse it be vvell vsed is better left then had Nor only doth he this for some certaine tyme vvherin a course of study may be ended but he teacheth vs spirituall things vvhich are to be as long loued as eternity it selfe and insteed of discharging by any later negligence of his our former obligations to loue and serue him for it he is euer calling vpon vs vvith nevv fauours And insteed of absenting himselfe from vs his essence povver and his grace is present to our soules yea so present and especially to such as serue him
shew of peÌ„nance you said he had a deuill my selfe am come to you without any shew of such austerities but I haue applyed my self to your coÌ„uersation And now you say that I am a glution I would fayne win your loue but I know not how I would faine inflame you to the seruice of God but your powder it so wet that no coales of mine can giue it fire And I would to IESVS that through our sinnes we did not see this verified also at this day when the Sectaries and Politiques of the world are so fastidious as that they make faces at his Doctrine whatsoeuer it be Nor will they be conuinced either by the exemplar visible austerity and pennance of some of our holy Religious Ordes which were consecrated in the person of S. Iohn nor by the applyable learned prudent humble charitable endeauour of some other Institutes which hide their mortifications for feare of frighting mens weake mindes and which were designed and recommended by the liuely example expresse Doctrine of Christ our Lord and his Apostles But woe be to them vvho in case of temporall infirmity haue so ill a constitution as to conuert their Phisicke into Poyson And (f) This disease both of body and mind is very dangerous vvoe vvill be to these others in the last day vvho in cases vvhich concerne the soule doe from truth take an occasion of continuing in errour Or rather I beseech our Lord IESVS euen by the memory and merit of that Doctrine vvhich vvith so ardent loue he deliuered heere on earth they may at last find themselues conuinced by it and that imbracing it vvith their vvill they may escape all vvoe The same discourse is continued concerning the great loue which our Lord Iesus expressed in his Doctrine CHAP. 34. I Haue vvillingly entertained my selfe vpon the consideration of some circumstances vvhich concerne the aduantages of this diuine Doctour of our soules beyond all the Doctours vvhich are or euer vvere or are to be Because though no argumeÌ„t should be dravvn from the very Doctrine it selfe to proue the loue of him that taught it yet his person alone and the very manner vvhich he held therin vvas such as ought to oblige the most rebellious mindes that liue to all obedience Our Lord IESVS himselfe notvvithstanding that he had incomparably the greatest humility that euer vvas possessed by any soule did yet vvell vnderstand and iustly prize the dignity of his ovvne person so farre as to knovv that he tooke no authority from his Doctrine but that his Doctrine tooke it all from him Yet so great vvas his goodnes that although he vvere as perfect God as he vvas perfect man he (a) The sectartes will be beleeued vpon their wordes yet Christ Lord would not exact so much of the Iewes vvould not yet oblige vs to beleeue it vnlesse first he had prooued it by infallible testimonies But that being once done he was not to indignify diminish any one vvord of his Doctrine and decrees by alleaging reasons and proofes but only simply to affirme it This point I touch diuers times because occasion is ministred very ofteÌ„ and euen Popes and Princes who are but dust and ashes doe hold this stile and are wont to send out their decrees and to make their Edicts in a positiue and expresse forme And whatsoeuer earnest asseuerations or reasons should be added for the grace strength therof would many tymes be but as a contrary meanes to that end So that the (b) Euen the play nnes of the deliuery of the doctrine of Christ our Lord giues it great authority plainenes of the deliuery of the Doctrine of Christ our Lord is a vehement proose of the diuinenes of it Since being voyd of all those helpes of art in the arme wherof all other Doctrines put their hope this alone is a Doctrine which dares expose it selfe playne and naked And in despight of the whole wicked world it liues it breathes it gathers ground and strength amongst all the venemous weeds of the world And in despite of ignorance sensuality and sinne it strikes at the roote not only of all things which are contrary to God and goodnes but euen of all things which are lesse good and perfect And it (c) The Trophees which the Doctrine of Christ our Lord erecteth in the hart of man erecteth Trophees and keepeth tryumphes in the profoundest part of the harts of the ciuilest the worthiest the learnedst the wisest and the holyest people of the whole world The more sublime authority this Doctrine hath and the more aduantage otherwise the more infinitely are we Catholikes bound to that diuine goodnes which with an eternall loue did make choyce of vs as the disciples thereof And to the end that we might the more easily conceaue it with the vnderstanding and the more faithfully retaine it with the memory it pleased that altitude of diuine wisedome to abase it self to our meane capacity And when the Doctrine of it selse would not perhaps haue bene so well receiued to set it out by allusions and Parables yea and many tymes euen they are borrowed but from the figures of meane bodies See euery where in the holy Ghospell as of Plowes of Corne of Netts of Fishes of Leauen of Mustard-seed and the like Establishing by that familiar and easy meanes a kind of commerce and traffique betwene things diuine humane in the mindes of men And indeed if this Doctrine had not bene brought by the sweet hand of God to carry a great proportion to mans nature assisted by his holy grace what possibility had there bene that it could haue wrought such wonders in the world Making (d) The diuine wonders which the doctrine of Christ our Lord hath wrought in the world so many Kings and Queenes for the loue of Christ our Lord become voluntary beggars Making youth become chast old age obedient knowledge humble austerity so sweete and pleasant as that there are and haue bene millioÌ„s of people in the Catholike Church and our Lord be euer blessed and praysed for it and he knoweth that it is true vvhatsoeuer any Soctary shal either say or thinke to the contrary vvho insteed of fine lynnen haue inclosed claspedthemselues vvithin Girdles of wyâ—e and shirts of haire Insteed of delighfull bathe haue taken frequent disciplines in bloud Insteed of curious and costly beds haue spent their vvhole nights vpon the hard ground Insteed of sumptuous banquets haue entertayned themselues in rigorous fasts And lastly insteed euen of lavvfull pleasures haue exercised themselues vvith great attention in the mortification of the faculties and senses both of the body and mind This I say they doe they haue done and that vvith all the secresy they could and only in conteÌ„plation of the loue of our Lord Iesvs in conformity to his diuine life and Doctrine vvhich requires men to looke vpon his example to liue therafter which proclaimes
to tyme He shewed them what a glory it would be for them to resemble their Maister in his Crosse and he made them knovv vvithall that they should not carry it alone but that in the place of his owne corporall presence which then was the obiect of their senses he would send them a comforter the Holy Ghost from heauen who should inhabit and sanctify their soules He promised them his Peace which should shew them a safe and quiet port wherin to ride in the very midst of all the difficulties and greatest daungers of this world He told thē in plaine tearmes that he loued them and he besought thē that as they loued him they would keepe his commaundements and that if they would doe so both he and his Father would come and visit and dwell with them He told them moreouer that euen his eternall Father loued them and that whatsoeuer they would akse they should be sure to haue whether they should aske it of himselfe or of his Father in his name yea and he desired them to aske somewhat of him that so their ioy might be full as if he had bid them try and be euen iudged by themselues whether he had said true or no. It serueth also to shew the very passionatenes as I may say of his loue (d) Agreat proofe of the tendernes the loue of our Lord Iesus that he was content to repeate the selfe same expressions of it many tymes To declare that he could not say that inough which he thought he could neuer doe too much We see how tenderly he called them his seruants his Disciples his friends and that he would tell them all his secrets his Sonnes and euen his little Sonnes whome yet he would not leaue as Orphans without a Father And now we shall heare him pray the eternall Father for them in most efficacious and obliging words That he would sanctify them in his Truth He presseth him by the highest points of diuine Rethoricke which could be though of He puts him in mind Of the eternall loue he bare the Sonne and of the faithfull seruice which he the Sonne had performed to the Father He also representeth the Fathers Mission of the Sonne and he avoweth That as the Father had sent him so had he seent them He begs the vnion of all his children with one another and of all those children with himselfe that so he being in God and they being in him they all might also come to be one in God In this (e) How earnest our Lord Iesus was for vs in his suyte to his eternall Father suite of his he is so importunate and proceeds so farre to vrge the same that in effect he tells the eternall Father that he will not be denyed therin Nor was he content that this should be an vnion of inferiour degree but an vnion with perfection and consummation Iust so as in a broath which is made of diuers meats there is an vnion of those meates in that broath and if they boyle in it till they euen boyle away there is not only an vnion of the meates but a consummation thereof into that broath And although in most places of holy Scripture when our Lord spake to his Apostles or Disciples he meant not that his words should be for them alone but that all the world should be comprehended in their persons to whome then he spake Yet his loue at that tyme was not content to intend vs only by way of inference but that dying flame would needs be sending out certaine flashes which yet extend themselues so farre as euen to lay expresse hold vpon euery one of our indiuiduall persons who haue the happines to be members of the holy Catholike Church Which they only are who beleeue the Doctrine of Christ our Lord by the preaching of the Apostles or of those Apostolicall men who haue a lawfull and direct mission from them And therfore he said for now I cite his owne very words I pray not only for them that is to say for his Apostles but for those others also who will beleeue in mee by their preaching that they be one as thou O Father art in mee and I in thee so they also may be one in vs and the world may beleeue that thou hast sent me And that glory which thou hast giuen me I haue giuen to them that they may be one thing as we are one thing In thee and thou in mee that they may be (f) A strāg desire for Christ our Lord to make to God in our behalfe consummated in one and the world may know that thou hast sent me and that thou hast loued them euen as thou hast loued me I will O Father that they whome thou hast giuen mee may be with me there where I shall be That they may see the glory which thou hast giuen mee because thou louedst me before the framing of the world O thou iust Father the world hath not known thee but I haue knowne thee and these haue knowne that thou hast sent me And I haue made my name known to thē and I will make it knowne that the same very loue wherwith thou hast loued me may be in thē I in thē These amongst many others were the words of our bleffed Lord in that last diuine sermon of his Wherby we may see the amourous and restlesse desire which tooke possession of his hart wherwith he sollicited his eternall Father that we might behold the glory which he had giuen to him and placing as it were his whole (g) Our Lord Iesus did place his honour in beeing Lord by his eternal Father for vs. credit vpon the obteyning of these fauours for vs when he begs it to the end that so the world might come to know that the Father had sent him As if he should haue said that in the face of the world he had giuen his word both for our Redemption and Sanctification Vnion and for our right to raigne in heauen with himselfe and that if the eternall Father should not make good that word the world might haue reason not to beleeue that he was as he had said the Sonne of God The horrour and terrour and sorrow of Christ our Lord togeather with his Prayer in the Garden CHAP. 54. NO sooner had he ended that speach but instantly he went out with his Disciples ouer the Torrent of Cedron Ioan. 18◠He did perhaps passe ouer that Torrent without once tasting any droppe therof but the whole world was a kind of Torrent of affliction to him his whole life was that way wherin he did not only tast but take deepe draughts therof before he exalted his head Psalm 109. by ascending vp to heauen Already did the sensible or inferiour part of his soule begin to be obscure and sad with care He was pleased to leaue it after a sort to it selfe for the increase of that paine which he desired to suffer For els his