sinne therfore I will crye and praye because I would fayne see because I woulde be fed and haue my nakednes couered and because I would be freed from all this filthynes 19. Therfore our Sauiour said oportet semper orare we must alwayes praye and S. Paul exhorteth that we should be praying without intermission thoughe not Actually in outward prayers like the fond Euchetae omitting all other dutyes yet habitually by inward deuout readynes to make our petitions so often as we are bound or haue leasure and just occasion alwayes answerable to our daily necessityes and to our continuall warfare which hourely we haue with our affections passions concupiscences vaine cogitations and other occasions in all which according as they neuer cease so we should not intermit to resist or auoyd them and instantly call to God for help against them if not by reciting some generall petition or other short sentence alwayes ready in our memory against such occurrences yet at least by some inward sighe or knocking of our breast with our desire lifted vp in our secret thoughts immediatly vnto God himselfe or mediatly by some Saynt to cry vnto him for his succour as Moyses cryed though he spake not for S. Gregory said Verba animae desideria sunt clamor magnum desiderium est our desires be the wordes of our soule and our cry a great desire 20. And last of all it is surely a wonderfull comfort herein which S. Chrysostome noteth that there is scarse any losse or misery in all the worlde which can be repayred by prayer sorrowe and repentance except the losse of God and the misery of sinne which though they be aboue all other domages incomparably the greatest yet is their redresse much the easyer for the losse of life or goods consumed or of honor impeached the misery of payne sickenes of many other extremityes cannot be recouered by sighing or lamenting though our sorrow be neuer so great But if with syncere contrition of our hart we be greiued for our sinnes because for them we haue lost the loue of God and if we pray humbly for their remission with purpose to confesse them as well as we can and do intend neuer agayne willfully to commit them vndoubtedly this purpose and sorrowful conuersion on earth shall obteyne most certayn and ioyfull reconciliation in heauen for our Lord IESVS hath said vnto his Preistes and he is most true of all his wordes Whose sinnes on earth you remitte in heauen they shal be remitted why then should we not seeke to disburden our heauy consciences vnto some Ghostly Father that we may through his Authority granted by our Sauiour so receiue his heauenly Absolution his ghostly comfort his spirituall direction in all these submitting our selues vnto our Confessor not as to a Man but as to the Deputy of our Lord IESVS and to the Pastour of our soules and then in all true amendment endeauouring as we can to performe our penance or other satisfaction Beleeue me o Sinners amongst whom I haue bene a Ring-leader by experience I say beleeue me it is a most comfortable and wonderfull experience For your selues shall presently feele comfort in your soules and with continuance of time others allso will perceiue amendment in your liues 21. To conclude therfore as in generall I would perswade you to practise the examination of your consciences and the exercise of deuout prayer directing vs all vnto Contrition Confession and Satisfaction so I do commend as helpes for these purposes a serious accompt how we spend our liues an indifferent obseruation why vpon what occasions these new-found sclanderous opinions did banish the Catholique religion of our Auncestors wherin full many a hundred yeares togeather they serued God so deuoutly and so hartily loued their neighbours and for the same purpose I intreat a view and a detestation of our former sinnes and auoydance of their occasions an endeauour to practise their contrary vertues sometime by reading of good bookes sometime by deuout meditations or prayers sometime by almes deedes or fasting abstinence or other bodily chastisement sometime by humbling our thoughtes alwayes by mortifying our passions and vnlawfull affections and alwayes being carefull to keep the commandements of God our Father and of our Mother the Church And to bringe these good purposes and cogitations into our mindes the oftener and to mooue and imprint them the better it is good for vs sometime to giue an edge and to whet on ech other by vertuous or spirituall talke and conference not contending in disputes but by modest teaching or by freindly encouragements and aboue all by frequenting the most holy sacrifice and sacrament of our deare Sauiours most precious Body and Bloud by often calling to memory some examples of his life and more in particuler his bitter passages vnto death both for our meditation and for our imitation so to giue good example one vnto another whiles all are labouring to follow Christ our cheife Maister And to this end it is allso good to reuiue our deuotion by reading or hearing of Sayntes liues or by the reuerent beholding of their deuout Images or paynted storyes especially of the passion of our sweet Sauiour IESVS by marking his sufferinges to be mooued for our owne sinnes and so by viewing the memory of other Saintes to be stirred vp to follow their vertues as they were followers of Christ for we may learne and are mooued by our eye sometime as much or more then by our eare and in these thinges which are so good and wherein we are so dull verily euen common sense doth teach vs that it is profitable and needfull to stirre vp our memory deuotion by any sense and by how much the more by so much the better 22. And yet further vnto them that be sufficiently able I commend the reading and meditation of Dauids Psalter which holy Church vseth so much in all her diuine Offices and particulerly of the seauen Penitentiall Psalmes and according to the practise of Catholiques especially of this psalme Miserere as admonished therby and informed to call and cry vnto God for mercy and pardon to confesse and acknowledge our faultes and iniquityes to desire their purging washing and clensing to lament our sinnes originall and actuall to pray for cleane hartes right spirites escaping of anger and continuance of grace to purpose amendmenâ— being forgiuen to direct others by our experience and example to humble our selues for our owne offences to be ioyfull and thankfull towardes allmighty God for our particuler fauours and to desire that he may be serued praysed and honored in our publique Churches and at his holy Altars Amen Thy Wellwiller in Christ Iesus Iames Waddesworth AN ACT OF CONTRITION O My Lord Iesus-Christ very God and Man my Creatour Redeemer thou being whome thou art and for that I loue thee aboue all thinges it greiueth me from the bottome of my hart that I haue offended thy diuine Maiesty And I firmely
then our harte searching our entralls prouing our reynes to thee we refer this iudgment and fearing our selues to bee far the worse we humbly sincerely craue more penitence more pity O IESV giue me strength in satisfaction to beare what thou wilte impose and then impose coorrectioÌ„ what our wilte O sweet Sauiour thou knowest how absolutely herein I doo resigne my will O continue me this grace and teach me more in true penaÌ„ce still to begge for more mercy I haue dishonored thee scandalized men for I was a publique preacher of the protestantes false Doctrine wherin peraduenture by my meanes some haue bene seduced many hardened others offended I haue profaned thy sacred churches somtime dedicated to thy catholique seruice and for mine owne body soule which should haue bene thy spirituall temples o how haue they bene polluted by errors which I supposed to be truthes by presumption of knowledge when I was in ignorance by some vices which I reputed vertues by many faultes which I neglected 4. If to affirme this as I doo penitently be my shame let it be O God as I desire thy glory If the worlde the diuells mine owne conscience doo accuse me O Father of mercy I confesse all wherof any of these can justly impeache me and allso whatsoeuer else thou doost know more in me then I haue coÌ„fessed or can call to minde in transgressions against thy deuine majesty in offences against my neighbors in many sinnes against my selfe O wretched and vile sinner that I am what should such a sinner doo whither shall I go shoulde I despayre No for that one sinne were greater then all these What though my sinnes haue bene many bad according to my religion my profession worse wherby like the prodigall sonne I was a Swynehearde a protestante minister feeding my selfe others with the huskes of heresy Et non satiabar in which I coulde neuer taste of true comforte nor obteyne peace vnto my conscience therfore with him I will Arise go to my heauenly Father I am resolued To arise from sinne Sectaryes To go vnto God our Father by meanes of the Catholique churche our mother and with this perpetuall purpose I doo say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruantes 5. Amongest Protestantes against malice I might wel plead ciuill honesty morall integrity wherin I liued among them without reprehension but in comparison of thy Catholique seruantes Sayntes O God before thy heauenly purest eyes I dare not present my former best innocence here I renounce any plea of passed integrity I disclayme my wonted profession I lament detest my errors my sinnes Thou knowest O lord I haue acknowledged them vnto my Ghostly Father in confession I beseech thee to confirme his absolution and as I doo entreate so I doo truste that thou wilte vnbinde in heauen what he hath vnbound on earthe O forgiue them for Iesus sake and so keepe me euer hereafter in thy loue grace that I may rather chuse miseryes disgraces reproches tormentes ten thousand deathes then at my time to retourne to the like sinnes errors or to my former estate And thou o blessed Virgin the mother of our only Sauiour and all the Angells and Sayntes of heauen O praye for me that during my life I may say this psalme with Dauid in true contrition And so throughe our Lord Iesus obteyning mercy at laste I may with him and all you be admitted into glory MEDIT. II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out mine iniquity Washe me yet more from my iniquity cleanse me from my Sinne. A SHORTE DIVISION AND EXPLIcation of all these wordes Sect. 1. S. Ambrose saith Dauid sinned which Kinges are wonte but he performed penance he wepte he mourned which Kinges are not wonte he confessed his faulte he craued pardon prâ—strate on the ground he bewayled his wretchednes he fasted he prayed he hath published for euer a testimony of his confession priuate men are ashamed to doo this a King is not ashamed to confesse c O come my soule let not Dauid thus condemne vs nor S. Ambrose thus accuse vs rather because we haue ouertaken ouergone Dauid in sinning let vs be stayed by S. Ambrose to followe such a king in repenting Let vs consider our owne misery and our Lordes mercy not mercy without misery least we presume nor misery without mercy least we despayre Many thinke not how wretched they are by sinne in their hartes and therfore they sighe not with miserere in their mouthes but we are readyer to talke or thinke of our worthynes theÌ„ of our sinfulnes especially we will sooner compare our selues with other men in wisedome in knowledge in authority riches or such like with the proude pharisy then with the huÌ„ble publican acknowledge our ignoraÌ„ce our faultes and our infirmityes but what auayle such comparisons we shall be judged by that which we are in our selues not by what we seeme to be in respecte of others a dwarfe is not à gyante thoughe he stande on the toppe of a steeple or on a mounteyn a stately towre is not a lowe Cottage thoughe it be placed in the bottome of a valley consider o my soule what thou arte in the vale of misery not what thou maist seeme on a mounte of vanity let one depthe call vpon another out of the depthe of our sinfull misery o God we call vpon the depthe of profounde mercy 2. A deepe wounde must haue a large tente abondance of soares must haue many playsters o graunte vs great mercy for our deepe woundes and multitude of miserations for our innumerable botches let them seeke for smaller mercy whose faultes procede of meaner ignorance but my sinnes o lord haue neede of a strong warriour to redeeme me and of a skilfull phisition to heale me All sinners descend from IerusaleÌ„ to Ierico from the highest vertues to the basest vices they fall among theeues divells tentations delightes I allso among these was dangerously wounded in naturall facultyes spoyled generally of spirituall graces o gracious Samaritan miserere take pity on me passe not by me vnregarded O let the greatnes of thy mercy heale my naturall woundes and by the multitude of thy miserations repayre my spirituall losses come nere me come to me o compassionate Samaritan powre in wyne of compunction to cleanse my filthynes make me feele my misery powre in oyle of absolution to heale my soarenes by thy mercy o great phisitian here shew the
into like misery no such mercy is in our Lorde vpon any of these considerations for he is neither subiect to humane affection nor to feare nor any way in hazarde of changeable infelicity 2. And among men thoughe charity be the greatest of all vertues because it vnites ioynes vs as inferiors to God our beste highest Superior yet in God who is aboue all creatures vpon which he powreth out all the godnes they haue receiues nothing from any other to himselfe in him mercy is the greatest of all vertues to him therfore the Churche saith it is proper more then to any herein his omnipotency most to be manifested For thoughe the vertues attributes of God be in himselfe equall yet in their effectes operations towardes his creatures one may appeare more or lesse then another so here S. Augustin saith that mercy miserations be all one S. Bernarde calls miserations the daughters of mercy which are diuerse in sundry streames yet all one water of the same founteyn as in a garden-water potte the water within is all one in substance with those many spinning streames yssuing out of those seuerall holes 3. Aristotle said that no place of the worlde is alltogether empty eyther of ayre or some what else yet he could not tell wherof it was full so well as Dauid who said All the worlde is full of the mercy of our Lord. Another philosopher being asked what was greatest of all answered Locus place is greatest for place which conteyneth all is greater then those thinges which are conteyned but Dauid would haue said it is our Lordes mercy which is aboue all his workes so all places giues place as inferior to his mercy takes place within it as lesser then his mercy In heauen his mercye shynes in glory on earthe he raynes mercy both on the iuste iniuste his mercy is in purgatory where sowles are purifyed prepared for heauen yea euen in hell there is some parte of his mercy for as he rewardes his Angells Sayntes much aboue their merites so punisheth the diuells the damned both lesse then their demerites and not so much as he is able 4. These are thy mercyes O God which none can deny but we humbly desire releife pardon according to thy great mercy to blotte out our iniquity in the multitude of thy miserations thy justice o lord reacheth vnto the heighte of mounteynes thy truthe vnto the clowdes thy great mercye to the heauens and the multitude of thy miserations is aboue all thy workes O let vs taste of these mercyes sent downe from thee to vs and deriued by vs to others that we may learne to be mercifull as thou arte mercifull And so in thy day of iustice iudgment if we haue bene mercifull we shall obteyne mercy when it shall not be so much recounted that Abel was murdred for his good sacrifice that Noah tooke care to saue the olde world that Abrahā was faithfull that Moses deliuered the lawe that Elias went vp to heauē in a charyot that S. Peter was crucified with his head downeward that S. Paul was beheaded that S. Laurence was broyled or S. Edmonde our English king a martyr shotte full of arrowes as it shall be there demāded what workes of mercy euery one hath performed especially in feeding the hungry clothing the naked or visiting the sicke imprisoned O teach vs to be mercifull in such smal matters that we may find great mercy at thy handes and in euery one of thy fingers multitude of miserations Great mercy o God because thou arte great and it fittes thee not to giue little great mercy because our necessityes haue neede of great supplyes our offences are great our punishments deserue to be great therfore what can we aske lesse then great mercy 5. And according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out my iniquity O thou who doost forgiue very often euen seauenty times seuen times we are many offenders and are guilty of exceeding many sinnes in many thinges offending all euery day many times a day o shew the multitude of thy miserations vpon such multitudes of offences of times of persons pardoning so many sinners for so many crimes so many times repeated O blotte them out as thou hast said by the Prophet Esay that thou arte he who blotteth out our iniquityes for thine owne sake And Ieremy saith our sinnes are grauen in a harde Adamante stone with an yron pen who can blotte out such a recorde euen thou only o mighty redeemer who by thy handes nayled to the crosse wert blotting out all handewrytinges against vs O raze and blotte out we entreate thee all the sinnes accusations which Satan writes against vs O blotte them out not to be read and scrape them out as blottes not to be seene for otherwise they will blotte our names out of thé booke of the liuing Del◠put out or take away from thy sighte or vewe all spottes from our soule all memory from thy booke all byting wormes from our conscience all sinnefull appetites from our affections all vnlawfull consent from our desires O blotte out all malice or frailty from our will and out of our vnderstanding all error blindnes In the vertue of thy precious bloud and by the sacramēt of extreme Vnctiō we beseech thee blotte out at our death all the sinnefull delightes of our eyes all the follyes of our eares all vanityes of our smelling all the iniquityes of our tōgue all the voluptuousnes of our touche or of our taste all vnserchable or secret sinne of our hartes all the idlenes or wickednes of our handes all the forwardnes of our feete to committe euill all the slackenes or crookednes of our wayes vnto good O Iesu helpe vs by wyping out our blottes now to cleāse our soules euer by great mercy to forgiue our sinnes OF THE GREAT CARE VVE MVST VSE to purge all sinne and that we our selues must doo herin some diligence not standing idle to leaue all vnto Christe Sect. 6. 1. WAsh me yet more from mine iniquity cleanse me from my sinne O lorde I haue so much offended that me thinkes I cannot well enoughe expresse my guiltynes nor enoughe begge remedye nor can I tell when I haue enoughe repented Amplius laua me wash me yet more both from the filthynes and allso the stinkingnes of all wickednes wash me from iniquity which is filthy and cleanse me from sinne which stinketh from sinne against God from iniquity eyther against my neighbor or against my selfe yet more both from the heynousnes of that which is paste that I be perfectly cured and least I should fall agayne from the dangerousnes of that which may come Let not the prophet complayne against me saying O how vile arte thou become iterating thy wayes all sinne in my soule is like lothsome stinking durte on my
begin to consider thy creatures and so from them I will rayse vp my thoughtes vnto their Creator For haec spectari voluit non tantùm aspici he woulde that these creatures should be veiwed seriouslie not alone slightlie gazed on by the interior consideration euer to learne some what of God at least for his prayse otherwise he that studyes vpon the nature of the heauens starres ayre water sea earthe flowers herbes fishes beastes other creatures pondering no more but their nature and alltogether omitting to collecte somewhat touching their Author he is like a man who hath skill meanes matter wherwith to builde a pallace and yet spendes all his time among children boyes only to make little houses of claye durte or cockle shells 3. Adam is said to haue bene placed in Paradise to kepe to cultiuate that garden but we knowe that before his fall the earthe had no neede much lesse Paradise to be tilled by labour of the body wherfore his cheife dressing keeping of Paradise was by labour of the minde in contemplation loue prayse of God Beholde O my soule where thou maist haue both an office a place in paradise wouldest thou liue in paradise wouldest thou here beginne to be happy If heauen be on earthe it is in a deuout religions mans cell If the life of Angells be among men it is in the quyre or among them who prayse God like Angells To burne to boyle in the loue of God is a most pleasant refreshing to a thirsty soule O my soule be thou thus thirsty this heate will coole thee this thirste will refresh thee this ferueÌ„t loue will make thy prayses fruitfull these prayses as they delighte drawe vnto vs the Angells Sayntes so they vexe and driue away the diuells all bad spirites for this is the musique of Dauids harpe which droue away the euill spirite from Saul and these are like the desires meditations of our blessed lady when the Angell came to salute her 4. Thus Plato called the body a musicall instrument and the soule a musician who according as he handleth vseth his body so it affoardes him bad or good melody learne theÌ„ o my soule to keepe thy body in tune release stretche touch his stringes with order for harmony that is with charitable discretioÌ„ towardes our selues other men for heauenly respecte to the greater glory of God so let vs labour or rest feede or faste talke or praye doo euery thinge else in domino as in the sighte for the seruice to the prayse of allmighty God Thus the ancyent Christians as Pliny wrote to Trajan were a people which liued innocently and exercised themselues in the sileÌ„ce of nighte to sing hymnes vnto Christ before the dawning of the daye Thus S. Paul and Silas being in prison they worshipped praysed God thus o my soule let vs often accorde with the holy Angells in a deuout Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus holy holy holy father sonne holy ghoste or with our Sauiour himselfe who in his humanity as he is man singeth Sanctus and the Blessed Virgin his mother with all the triumphante quyre of heauen singeth Sanctus Sanctus must be our songe with the preist at the Altar and with all the Churche militant here on earthe Thus allso let vs often ioyne with the whole courte of heauen in Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia with harte and voyce Alleluia with instrument and lippes Alleluia with mouthe tongue Alleluia reioycing Alleliua singing Alleliua or meditating Alleluia Thus all honor glory prayse power to God to the Lambe Alleluia Thus I beseech the o lorde that thou wilte opeÌ„ my lippes theÌ„ my mouthe shall thus declare thy prayse MEDITATION X. Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique holocaustis non delectaberis Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus cor contritum humiliatum Deus non despicies Because if thou wouldest haue had sacrifice I woulde haue giuen it accordingly with whole burnte offeringes thou wilte not be delighted An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice to God a contrite and humbled harte O God thou wilte not despise THE DIVERSITY OF SACRIFICES and some differences betwene the lawe and the Gospell Sect. 1. 1. OF sacrifices we read of three kindes 1. victimae animalium the bodyes of liuing creatures 2. oblationes aridorum the substances of fruites 3. Libamina humidorum the moysture of liquors The first were called victimes eyther because they were for victoryes or because they were tyed or bound to the Altar as vincta the second were oblations giuen to be offred The thirde were Libamina liquors to be powred out or to drinkâ— of The firste were killed the second were pownded or bruysed the third were powred out and all of them must be one way or other somewhat altered from their former existence Wherfore if we will beginne a sacrifice of our selues we must purpose a change of our qualityes our waterish pleasing thouhtes must be powred out in teares of repentance our drye vnprofitable speeches bruysed into well relished wordes and we must kill the concupiscence of all our bodily workes Or it will be good to mortifye the desires of our will as a victime tyed or bound to the Altar To pownde or bruyse the drye meditations of our memory for an oblation to be consecrated vnto God To powre out the flowing vnsethed cogitations of our vnderstaÌ„ding referring all to the wisdome and prouidence of our heauenly Father So shall he haue humbled thoughtes a memorie contrite an afflicted spirite which kinde of sacrifices O God thou wilte neuer despise especiallie when like the olde sacrifices they haue fyre salte that is some heate of feruent deuotion and well seasoned and â—alted with some discretion 2. These sacrifices shall euer be accepted But it may be our Dauid prophecyed thâ—t there woulde come a time of grace when thou wouldest not be delighted with any sacrifice of the lawe The legall sacrifices were but as the scaffoldes of the building when the building is finished the scaffoldes must be remooued and yet our Sauior came not to dissolue but to fullfill the lawe To fullfill the inwarde substance and truthe of the lawe which is eternall and to dissolue the outwarde figure shadowes which were temporall And so another psalme saith in the person of our Sauiour Sacrifice and oblations thou wilte none but thou hast perfected a body for me c. then I sayd beholde I come But when the kinge himselfe comes his Viceroy must giue place 3. Allso the sacrifices of the lawe did rather signifye then iustifye but ours doo as well iustifye as signifye The lawe of Moyses receiued obedience more for feare then for loue the lawe of Christe more for loue then for feare And so that lawe did rather restreyne the hande then the minde rather the outwarde deede then the inwarde intente But our lawe
owner it is mine as receiuer and giuer it is mine by open bargayne by secret conueyance it is mine it is mine by practise by application by coniunction by participation by infection by defection by custome by counsell commaunde consent prouoking praysing by not discouering not hindring not punishing or by not reprehending when I mighte and oughte By all or by some of these titles propertyes euery one must knowe his owne faulte set theÌ„ against himselfe saying it is mine 4. In a common assembly of a city said Socrates if the cryer shoulde will all the merchantes to stande vp so they would and no other if all the goldesmithes all the mercers grocers drapers taÌ„ners taylers c. were seuerally required to staÌ„de a parte euery trade by it selfe they would doo it orderly but if the cozening vnconscionable sellers shoulde be commanded by the Mayor himselfe to come stand by him no man woulde stirre yet contrarily if the basest sergeant should in the Mayors name will all the honest iuste dealing men to remooue all to one side it is like that all would go apace thruste harde not to stande nere the middest least he should be thoughte to remayne nere the dishonest side Thus men are not so vnwilling to shew their trades how meane soeuer as to acknowledge their faultes how small soeuer because all men would seme innocent or iuste no man will talke with Dauid of my iniquity my sinne But as in worldly matters we gladly talke of my ancestors my landes my Lordships my houses my tenantes my dignityes my credite my authority or of any thing wherof we can vante all that is mine so also in spirituall thinges or matters perteyning to the minde vnderstanding we are willing to speake of anything wherof we may somewhat glory either openly with a full mouthe or with halfe a mouthe nicely or at least in thoughte secretly call it mine as my deuotion my fasting my losses or constancy for religion my knowledge my discretion c. of these or other such like we doo willingly talke somtime to the end we may insinuate how or which of them is mine yea somtime we doo them because afterwarde we may boast such a good deede was mine like the gleade or kyte which mountes vpwarde to heauen but alwayes his eye is looking downewarde to the earthe where to espye some cary on or garbage on the grounde and so we doo often seeme to flie vpward to heauen in our intentions whiles we fixe our eye much more vpon the action to call it mine In fine thus any good we doo readily call it mine thoughe it be as Batillus chalenged Virgillis verses for his owne but we disclayme all euill thoughe it be like him who talking much yet denyed stoutly that he had any tongue IT IS NECESSARY TO REMEMber harmes of sinne therby learning to amend and take heede Sect. 3. 1. THis is our corrupte inclination to deny our faultes and to boaste of our worthynes neuertheles o my soule be thou carefull to knowe my iniquity be diligent to haue my sinne alwayes against me that so it may moderate thy mirthe diminish thy delightes in thy meditations often to thinke of it with inwarde greife in time of tribulation to suffer chastizement for it with outward sorowe alwayes to keepe it in thine eye to humble thee or to warne theâ— let him euer plucke thee by the sleeue As Abimelech hauing taken Sara being warned in a vision not to touche her for she was â—brahams wife he set her free and giuing her a 1000. peeces of syluer to buy vayles for herselfe her women to couer their faces he saith remember whithersoeuer thou go that thou werte taken as if he meante being fayre going with thy face open men are more easily entangled in thy beauty wherfore buy vayles to couer thine eyes remember thou werte taken broughte in danger of sinne by this faulte of open shewing thy face So likewise with vs by what occasion soeuer we haue bene taken or put in hazarde of any sinne let vs remember and set our former occasions faultes alwayes against vs that wee may against another time beware to be taken by any such like occasion in any such sinne 2. Thus S. Gregory vseth a strange petition but in this sense a very good speache prosit mihi Domine quod peccaui according to our english phrase after our meate much good may it doo me o Lorde that I haue sinned as if he should say out of the euill which I haue committed by my faulte let me drawe good by thy mercy let it make me more humble gentle towardes others lesse trusting to my selfe most dutifull towardes thee both to prayse thy mercy which pardoneth me and to desire thy grace to vpholde me Neuertheles these seme strange speeches to be against me yet to doo me good as also that speech of Origen seemes strange who calleth Dauid a very good sinner a sinner yet very good to doo vs good yet to be against vs how can this be surely in this pointe we must imitate our lordes goodnes who drawes good out of euill causeth the most wicked men vilest diuells to serue his purpose for good so we must make mithridate or trâ—aclâ— against poysoÌ„ euen of most poysonous vipers the more we haue bene sinners by consideration therof to mooue our selues to be so much more good such a one is a good sinner such a good sinner was the good theefe on the crosse whom we therfore call the good theefe many ancyent Fathers call him Sanctum latronem holie theefe not holie because he had bene a wicked theefe but because he beâ—ame so zealous a penitent Such good sinners were Zacheus S Mary Magdalen S. Mathew S. Peter S. Paul S. Augustin S. Mary of Egipte S. Anastase the Necromancer diuerse others such a good sinner was Dauid in this place who therfore sette his sinne alwayes against himselfe to the end it might doo him much good so may we by considering often the greatnes of our sinne how they haue bene much euill 3. And as Agesilaus being resolued to passe with an army throughe his neighbors cuntry sent not to aske leaue for passage but only to demande how they would haue him to passe whither with his pike trayled along or set on end that is whither peceably or by force for passe he woulde muste So our sinnes must be set against vs either to condemne vs being not amended or being repented to admonish vs since therfore we must passe their pikes is it not better to make our selues free from vnauoidable aduersaryes then to adde rancor to cruell hostility And as an olde shippe which lyes wracked on some shelfe remaynes for a sea marke that no more shoulde folowe her in that course so the danger horror misery of our passed sinnes set against vs or
when the storme is passed the vowe is forgotten the Saynt is beguiled or they are soone weary of well dooing they must needes go backe to the flespottes of Egipte Non disceÌ„dunt à peccatis sed recedunt non desinunt sed relaxant these go not awaie from sinne they doo but go aside they do not cease but slacken their iniquityes Their time of amendement is but like a parenthesis in a speache being only inâ—erposed as in the by after which he presently followeth his former discourse â—r as a mad mery company at table full of wyne and good cheare and more full of immoderate mirthe laughter swearing scoffing and telling of lew de tales vntill peraduenture some body amongest them at the end of their meale at leastwise for custome say a grace and then all putting off their hattes euery one for shame if he haue any beginnes to set himselfe for a more sober countenance except some like a Puritan holde his hatte before his eyes to dissemble and couer his continued laughter But so soone as the grace is ended as men paste grace they presently returne to their vnruly reuell Such are they who faste a daye and become gluttons a whole weeke who are abstinent in lent and all the yeare after luxurious who are demure at sermons lasciuious in chambers who in his prayers turnes vp the white of his eye and presently in his dealing woulde teare out his neighbors harte who is sober or continent for a few dayes about Easter or any other time to come to the blessed Sacrament but ere long after he returnes to his quaffing potte or to his cursed harlotte Or whosoeuer else beginnes to be a penitent and before his end growes weary and faynte From all these faylers the grace of the sacramentes is subtracted the giftes of the holy spirite are taken away and deseruedly they are caste out from the face of our lord MEDITATION VIII Redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui spiritu principali confirma me Docebo iniquos vias tuas impij ad te conuertentur Restore vnto me the ioye of thy saluation with thy principall spirite confirme me I shall teach thy wayes vnto the wicked the vngodly will be conuerted vnto thee IESVS IS THE IOYE OF OVR SALVATlON which a sorowfull soule desireth to be restored and a confortable soule prayeth to be continued Sect. 1. 1. VEspasian the Emperor was called deliciae hominum Delighte of men because he gaue such curteous answers to all that neuer any went from him diâ—contented But with much more truthe and reason doo we call lord Iesus the Ioye of our Saluation of whom neuer any asked hartily pardon and conforte who wâ—nt away denyed or greiued He came to heale the sicke to â—eeke the loste not to condemne but to saue the wor de that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should haue life euerlasting wâ—o hath w ished vs from our sinnes in his owâ—e bloud who dyed for our offences and roâ—e agayne for our juâ—tificâ—tion who verily did beare our infirmityes and our sorowes he did vndergoe who was wounded for our iniquityes afflicted for our wickednes and by his tortures we are hâ—aled Allmighty God not sparing his only sonne and he being God equall to his Father not refâ—sing to become man and to dye for vs not his freindes nor his seruantes but his enemâ—es and slaues vnto the Diuell redeeming vs from hell and damnation to be equalâ— with Angells and heyres with himselfe of eternall glory Wherfore o my soule I will glory in our lorde and I will rejoyce in God my Iesus for in all these pointes recited He is the Ioye of my Saluation 2. Lighte is pleasing and confortable dâ—â—kenes is irkesome and odious of lighte comes deâ—ighte but blacknes followes desperation He that neuer before saw lighte yet loues the sunne at first sighte But blind Tobias who had seene daye sittes musing with himselfe o what a Ioye would it be to recouer mine eyes who now sitte in darkenes and see no lighte of heauen Holy Dauid had seene much lighte of heauen for euen now he said The doubtefull and hidden thinges of thy wisedome thou hast manifested vnto me The wisdome of God we knowe is the Sonne of God And was there or is there any thing more doubtfull in nature then God to become man or more hidden to reason then for him so to redeeme the worlde by suffering on the crosse wherfore these hidden doubtfull secretes are called a stumbling blocke to the Iewes as thinges ignominious shamefull are estemed folly by the Gentiles as matters impossible and â—idiculous for to flesh and bloud without faith they are doubtfull hidden Vnto Dauid as a Prophet these doubtes and secrets were in some sorte reuealed he knew the Messias should procede of his linage and aboue all he expected whiles he was in Gods fauour to be partaker of the Benefites of his redemption but hauing fallen into sinne he perceiued himselfe to be gone out of the ioye of lighte into the horror of darkenes and not to haue any parte of saluation in those gracious promises Therfore desirous of his former estate he doth aptely praye Restore vnto me the Ioye of thy saluation and fearfull any more to susteyne 2 like losse he carefully addeth And with thy principall spirite confirme me vid least â— fall agayne 3. O mercifull God how long haue we sitte in darkenes and in the shadowe of deathâ— vntill by thy bowells of meâ—cy thy morning starre from aboue hath visited our hartes in the Ioye of saluation and enlightened our mindes to guide our feete into the way of peace To come from hellishe darkenes to lighte from aboue is Ioye of heauen To be taken out of the shadowe of death into the way of peace is saluation of Iesus O swete Sauiour by thy bowels of mercy we beseech thee to visite vs in this Ioye and to enlighten vs in this saluation then shall thy seruante departe in peace when myne eyes doo beholde thy saluation 4. Saluation and Ioye are well joyned for euen the future hope of saluation hath present possession of ioye for who doth firmely hope to be saued he doth cherfully rejoyce in his hope But S. Iâ—rome translating this Ioye of saluation to be Ioye of Iesus he doth include much more for in Iesus are conteyned all the infinite theasures of the Deity and of our felicity vnto Iesus is committed all power in heauen and in earthe Iesus is the brightnes of eternall lighte Iesus is the figure and substance of his Father Iesus is the hope of Israell and of the nations Iesus is kinge of kinges and lorde oâ— lordes Iesus is Prince of peace Iesus is the wisdome of his Father Iesus is beautifull aboue the sonnes of men Iesus is the glorious sunne of justice Iesus is the way truthe and life Iesus is the water and founteyn of life Iesus hath the wordes of life Iesus is the bread of
a person whose life doth much importe the publique good of the common wealthe or of diuerse others beside himselfe But in no case may we aduenture the death of our soule rather saith our Sauiour if it coste vs our hande or our foote or the very eyes of our head we must sooner pull them out or cutte them of then loose our soule to saue them all or to gayne all the worlde So let vs say and performe it with Dauid If a million of sacrifices or millions of millions were requisite O God if they were in our power we would yeild them all most willingly not alone for some recompence of our sinnes but allso to testifye our willing loue and our bounden obedience vnto so gracious a lorde vnto whom we doo owe our selues our soules our bodyes and that we haue or can haue so that if occasion be we may say with S. Peter and the Apostles Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Beholde we haue forsaken all to yeild our selues vnto thy good pleasure for allbeit we haue no kingdomes no lordships no landes nor other great riches or dignityes to forsake no more then had those poore Fishermen yet as they did if we willingly parte from all we haue in present possession or in future possibility and no lesse from the loue affection desire of this worlde then from the honors wealthe and pleasures themselues in this case we may wel say reliquimus omnia we haue lefte all thoughe we enjoyed neuer so little for herein to subdue our will and to yeild our Desire is as much as to giue him all the worlde if it were ours to giue and he that so resignes his Desire and his will vnto all doubtles he resignes All and so much more then All. 5. Thus therfore let vs offer him All with Dauid that whensoeuer it shall please him to take all we haue or any parte we doo gladly giue him All euery parte and in this kinde althoughe we doo not in facte render vnto God a thousand sacrifices not whole barnte offeringes because we vnderstand that he doth not absolutely exacte them yet should we alwayes be such poore men in spirite that in our hartes we be prepared to yeild him all we haue whensoeuer we perceiue that he doth necessarily require them And so let vs say Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique Holocaustis non delectaberis O lorde I giue thee no whole burnt offeringes because I doo suppose thou doost not require them But if it were thy will to exacte a million of sacrifices Dedissem vtique verily I am ready to obey thy will and if it were in my power I woulde willingly giue thee all the worlde WE HAVE NEEDE TO BE PENITENT and how acceptable vnto our Sauiour is any soule contrite for sinne Sect. 4. 1. ALL this is moste due vnto our lord who neuertheles is so gracious that An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice vnto God A contrite harâ—e humbled O God thou wilte not despise For my sinnes I will afflicte my minde my spirite with dolor and sorowe and I will humble my harte my senses my body with mortifications labor These sacrifices O God I knowe thou wilte neuer refuse For thou hast said that it is alwayes an heathfull sacrifice To attend vnto thy commandements and to departe from iniquity And that thou wilte soonest regarde the poore contrite in spirite such as feare thy wordes 2. And these sacrifices are most acceptable because in euery outward sacrifice there being 3. things 1. deuotion 2. oblation 3. signification somtime the last is impertinent or expired the second somtime is not necessary nor required but the firste is euer requisite gratefull profitable of which kinde are an afflicted spirite a contrite harte The spirite vnderstanding is afflicted by knowledge consideration of our sinnes of their enormityes our will our harte is humbled greiued by acknowledgement of our base guiltynes and with a detestation of our lothsome faultes 3. O my soule if we consider the seuere iustice of allmighty God who for sinne threwe downe Lucifer and those arrogant Angells out of heauen expelled disobedieÌ„t Adam his posterity out of Paradise drowned all the worlde except eight persons and except his seruante Lot some with him burned all the fiue cityes of Sodome so often punished Pharaoh all the Egiptians with such strange terrible plagues caused the earthe to open to swallowe Corah Dathan Abiram quicke into hell euer since in all ages places hath sundry times manifested his dreadfull iudgements against careles sinners O how oughte we to feare to afflicte our spirite that we afflicting our selues he may spare vs that beginning by peircing feare as by a sharpe needle to drawe into vs the thred of loue we may come to be sowed vnited vnto him in attonement reconciliation Thus O lorde we praye with Dauid in another psalme Confige timore tuo carnes meas O wound peirce my flesh with thy feare it will be like the â—urgeons wounde which letteth out corrupted bloud or putrefyed matter There shalle dolores parturientis the sorowes of a woman in child-birthe that as our sinnes were conceiued in voluptuous pleasure so we cannot be deliuered of them without afflicting payne 4. Nay we are happy that sinne by nature bringing vs sorowe we may if we will so vse this sorowe that it shall extinguish sinne as the wood breedes a worme the yron a rust the garment a mothe which consume the substances wherof they were engendred Nay much more happy that so easy so small a meanes as an humbled a contrite harte may change the iustice of God into mercy According to that vision shewed to a holy woman wherin she sawe our Sauiour as it were sitting on a throne with great maiesty attended on by all the Angells Sayntes holy hoste of heauen yet very often to ryse of from his seate to go to euery pitifull voyce which called vpon him she asked what voyces those were and why he himselfe so often mooued from his throne did not rather send vnto them some one or more of his heauenly attendantes which mighte well seeme more then sufficient He answered that those voyces were the sorowfull sighes of any sinners contrite harte who if they could not so much as name Iesus yet if they did in true humility sighe and with an afflicted spirite syncerily greiue for their sinnes he did so much loue rather to shew mercy then to obserue maiesty and did so much delighte in the contrite conuersion of any sinner that he did most willingly rise vp himselfe and withall in ioye to mooue the whole courte of heauen to giue comforte wellcome to euery such soule 5. Wherfore let vs be of good comforte o penitent soules for thoughe we be destitute of all worldly wealthe hauing nothing to giue
as in thy presence holy and consecrated to thy seruice and shal be accepted in our lord Iesus in whom alone all our sacrifices of soule body and Goods are of a most excellent sweete sauour gratefull in him who is only our Sauiour our cheife preist our best sacrifice and our principall highe Altar 3. O most gracious God! how kindly haste thou dealte with Sion when thou diddest send thy deare some from heauen to descend vnto the earthe and into the nature of man to saue vs men who are but earthe What thinge can be more kinde and gracious then for the sonne of God to take vpon him the shape of a willfull slaue to be subiect to the cruelty of deathe and to the shame of the crosse to redeeme vs by shedding of his bloud by his innocency to repayre our trecheryes by his iustice to satisfye for our sinnes to pull vs backe from the mouthe of hell gaping for vs to giue vs entrance to the gates of heauen which were shutâ—e against vs. To enlighten his churche with the clearenes of his truthe in the middest of errors to preserue it by his power against the stormes of persecution to feede it with his owne body to washe it with his bloud to cherish it with all his sacraments to directe it in generall by his holy spirite and to comforte euery particuler with the swetnes of his loue with the hartynes of his grace and with the abundance of his mercy O kinde dealing of extraordinary good will O diuine loue aboue measure O wonderfull worke without any example or paterne a worke of heauenly charity without any foregoing merite and in one worde O God a worke of thy good will 4. This is the building of the walls of Ierusalem Babell walls are builded of bricke and founded vpon sande whiles worldly men either trusting to their riches or fixed on their carnall pleasures are proud or careles but as Augustus said he found the walls of Rome made of bricke and lefte them of marble so by our mortification of the flesh and renunciation of the worlde with the helpe of our Lorde we may change bricke into marble the walls of Babel into the walls of Ierusalem and a foundation vpon sande into a foundation vâ—on a Rocke So said Esay The brickes are fallen but we will builde with square stone they haue cutte downe the wilde figge trees but we will turne them into Cedars And this they doo who turne delicacy into seuerity liberty into limites the lawe of the flesh into the lawe of the spirite the olde man into the new and Adam into Christe O happy walls which haue such a head corner stone to combine them and such a rocke to vpholde them these walls haue strenghte and comelynes strenghte vpon their rocke and by their Corner stone comelynes or by their vnited charity strenghte comelynes by their decent sanctity and of such saith the psalme strenghte and comelynes are his garmentes not in vertues alone comely yet weake against tentations but stronge against all impugnations and comely in all vertuous ornamentes 5. If IerusaleÌ„ which is the militant church here belowe be thus peopled and builded what glory shall we see in the churche triumphante which is Ierusalem aboue the mother of vs all a free citye and the highest Imperiall seate not so much as touched with any corruption or sinne nor can any misery or sorowe approache that place where no enemy can enter in nor any citizen shall desire to go out a city of all peace and prosperity whose streetes are paued with the purest golde c. in whose building is no noyce of hammer axe or sawe no more then was in Salomons temple for all our soules must be apted purged squared and fitted before we come there Dauid a warriour may make preparation but only peaceable Salomon can accomplishe the building we may in this life gather together many merites by fighting and resistance of tentations and vices but only in the peace of our lord Iesus shall we be accomplished and made perfecte WHAT A SACRIFICE IS AND THAT THE holy Masse is our peculiar Sacrifice of the new Testament Sect. 4. 1. WHerfore that we may be prepared for Ierusalem aboue we beseech the o lorde for IerusaleÌ„ here on earthe to repayre the olde wasted decayes to builde on forwarde the new Bullwarkes and walls For when or wheresoeuer Ierusalem florisheth in peace Then wilte thou accepte the Sacrifice of iustice not of sinne of constante vertuous Catholiques not of Heretiques Schismatiques nor any vicious persons 2. Allso this sacrifice of iustice is referred by S. Ambrose and others to the sacrament of the Altar which is offered and receiued in the holy masse in which religious seruice of God we doo offer vnto him a sacrifice for the liuing and the dead and we doo receiue vnto our selues a sacrament of iustice conteyning and conferring righteousnes grace 3. And the masse is not improperly or in generall only called a sacrifice as almes and euery good worke may be so termed nor is it alone an inwarde spirituall sacrifice but it is an externall sacrifice properly so called and yet more a peculiar sacrifice instituted of our Sauiour Christe himselfe in his laste supper and ordered and adorned afterwarde by the Apostles their successors as appeareth by the Canonâ— of the Apostles by the masse of S. Iames S. Marke S. Basil S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose Yea it may be colected out of the Actes of the Apostles where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiles they were liturgizing For we knowe that masses are called in Greeke liturgyes as be the liturgyes of S. Iames S. Chrysostome c. And the vulgar translation is ministrantibus illis Domino whiles they were ministring vnto our lorde which generall wordes doo somtime signifye the particuler action of sacrificing as in the olde Testament is found and Erasmus doth expressely interprete them sacrificantibus illis whiles they were sacrificing althoughe it be friuolous which he addeth that their sacrificing was preaching for neither the sense of the Texte nor the nature of the worde can beare it and were it not absurde to say they were sacrificing that is preaching to God 4. As for the vse of the Masse as a sacrifice in the primitiue times it may appeare by Ignatius who liued in our Sauiours time sawe him on earthe writing to the Smyrnians It was not lawfull then without a Bishop to offer sacrifice nor to celebrate Masse And the same Author writing ad-Trallianos ad Neronem saith when S. Peter celebrated Masse Saynt Clement and Anaclete were his deacons helping him therin And that Timothy Linus were Deacons vnto S. Paul when he celebrated Masse 5. And the same S. Clement Romanus in his 3. Epistle de officio Sacerdot and Anaclete in his Epistle ad omnes Orientales And Dyonisius Areopagita in his ecclesiasticall Hierarchy doo all