Angel keeper when blessing the children of his sonne Ioseph he sayd The Angel who hath preserued me from al euil blesse these children c. And so did Iudith returning victorious from Holofernes campe So it hath seemed good vnto our Lord said she whose Angel hath guarded me in going forth in remayning there and in returning backe And though the B. Angels care extends it-selfe as wel vnto the bad as to the good yet not withstanding they more specially impart their aide vnto the iust as the Psalmist testifies where he sayes Qui habitat in adiutorio Altissimi c. Who dwelleth in the aide of the Highest remaynes in the protection of the God of heauen And there is no doubt but God hath a most particular care of the iust and vertuous and consequently commends them in a most deare manner vnto their Angels Guardians as may be gathered out of that passage of holy Scripture He hath giuen his Angels charge of you c. As if he would saye those who are Gods faithful seruants may goe securely in the midst of dangers for God hath giuen the charge vnto his Angels to haue especial care of them Whether they sleepe or wake they need not feare for being in this particular protection of God and their Angel Guardian it may be sayd vnto them They may walke on the Aspick and the Basiliske and tread the Lion Dragon vnder their feet What a wonderful priuiledge is this to be able to contemne the Aspick and Basiliske which euen kils with its sight and the Lion and Dragon the most formidable of al other beasts and who restraynes the killing lookes of the one or cohibits the others fieccenes but only our Angel Guardian The second benefit which we receiue from them is the wholsome Counsel and aduice which they are stil infusing into our minds And of this we haue a cleere example in the Angel that accompanied Tobias on his way and gaue him such wise and prudent instruction in point of his mariage how he should comport himselfe with his new spouse for to escape the fate which had sent so many of her husbands vnto death as namely that he was to begin his mariage quite contrary to the custome now a dayes with watchings prayers and deuotion In the like manner an Angel Guardian is continually suggesting wholsome counsels vnto vs now deterring vs from euil now inciting vs to good which without their incitement we should neuer doe now proposing to vs the example of our Sauiour Christ before our eyes now of some other Saint for to awake our Imitation then inflaming our wils to embrace the occasion of imitatating them lastly they go somtymes spurring vs on by the consideration of the mercy of Alm. God now refrayning vs againe by that of his iustice and seuerity so euer directing euen our course betwixt heauen and hel that neyther the consideration of the one extoll vs too much nor the other too much depresse vs. And tel me now haue you neuer experienced when you were about to committ any greeuous crime a remorse of Conscience and certaine shrinkings backe and bidding vs forbeare and what should this be but our Angel Guardian appointed to this office by Alm. God Besides how oftentymes may we imagine God offended with our crimes to haue been in mind to haue pluck't vs from the earth like vnfruitful trees and throwne into the fire of Eternal hel had it not been for their interceding for vs like him who sayd vnto the man in the parable being minded to pluck vpp his figg-tree which for three yeares he had obserued never to haue borne fruit that he should haue patience with it another yeare and after he had cultiuated it if it bore not fruit he should doe his pleasure with it The Doctours in explicating this passage saye We are these vnfruitful trees Alm. God the Lord of the Orchard and our Angel Guardian he that intercedes and vndertakes for vs Imagine then how much we contristat him if we be wanting vnto his promises and to the hopes which he conceiues of vs The third and last benefit for which we are liable to our Angel Guardian is that he accompanies vs perpetually from the houre of our birth to the final period of our liues and neuer abandons vs euen when we are abandoned by euery one besides and such a freind we haue of him as the world hath none For behold a beautious Virgin in the flower of her yeares and pride of her beauty how many seruants she hath that make court to her and with what obsequiousnes they obserue her til that flower fading and the winter of her yeares and decayes of age falne on her beauty once they fal of as fast and she is left only to solitud and neglect who was before the only one frequented and to whom al respects were payd Whereas our good Angel is so constant a freind of ours as no change of fortune qualifyes or time makes vs goe lesse with him but he is euer the same and neuer alters in loue vnto vs euen when he sees vs hated of God and man and the reason of this is because he knowes not as yet the final reprobation of him whom he hath in charge otherwise he would not haue such care of wicked men as most certaine it he hath Another benefit for which we stand infinitely obliged vnto thē is that they carefully present our Petitions vnto Alm. God our almes watchings and al our good works we doe which by those words of the Angel to Tobias is rendred euidēt When thou prayedst with teares and buriedst the dead when thou didst leaue thy repast and didst conceale the dead by day in thy house and didst bury them by night I offred thy prayer vnto our Lord. And this by that mystical ladder of Iacob was vnderstood where the Angels were seen ascending and descending betwixt heauen and earth to signifie the continual commerce they haue with either for our avayle not by local motion but by a farr more ready way Sometimes one Angel presents to Alm. God the generous victory of this man ouer his temptations another sayes behould O Lord the profitable vse which this soule makes of that precious bloud you shed for it vpon Mount Caluary and of al those other graces which with so liberal a hand you haue bestowed on it A third cries out Good Lord receiue this charitable persons almes bestowed vpon you in the person of the poore or these deuout teares shed only out of an affectionat loue of you Another finally present the oblation of this good Religious person in wholy renouncing al worldly commodityes or this Preists pietie and zeale in offering vp the holy sacrifice of the Masse or meditating our Sauiours Passion and this the Canon of the Masse confirmes saying Iube haec perferri per manus sancti Angeli tui in sublime Altare tuum in conspectu diuinae maiestatis tuae Command this to be carryed by
hath of vs to instruct furnish them with so great a power as they haue We see say the holy Fathers when a Criminal confessed his sinnes vnto an' earthly Iudge he is condemned for it but the contrary happens at the Tribunal of the Church where the Priest presides and represents the person of our Sauiour Christ himselfe For those who confesse goe away wholy acquited and absolued Al good Christians then as soone as they are falne into mortal sinne are presently to procure to purge themselues of the foule staine of it at the fountaine of Confession and if we be so careful when the least spott appeares vpon our garments to washe it out how much more careful ought we to be to washe out the blemishes of our soule for the which although Contrition may suffice accompanied with a firme purpose of Confession not with standing who can secure his Conscience whether he hath had true Contrition or no or that rather it hath not been a greefe lesse perfect for his sinnes proceeeding rather from the feare of punishments then a true loue of God Almighty as it ought to do such as the Diuines cal Attrition neither sufficient of it selfe to deliuer vs from our sins nor constitute vs in the state of Grace nor consequētly to free vs from damnation should we dye in that state of minde whereas but ioyne it with Confession and it is aboundantly sufficient the Sacrament supplying al that was wanting to it of true Cōtrition Who sees not then the vertue of this Sacrament and how necessary it is for our saluation For which cause the seruants of Alm. God were euer exceeding careful to Confesse them euen of their lightest faults especially 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of their deaths at which tyme although they had led such Saint-like liues as it hath pleased God to testifie it euen by miracle yet being to approach to the soueraigne purity they imagined could neuer be pure enough And so a certaine learned Authour sayes that a soule in Grace at its separation from its body if it should but see the least blemish of venial sinnes adhearing to it would be so ashamed of it as rather thē to appeare with it before the face of Alm. God it would volūtarily plunge it self into Purgatory there to be cleansed from it nay which is more wōderful he sayes that should an Angel descend thither vnto it while it were suffering the sharpest and most exquisite torments there putt it to its choice to go to heauen with some blemish of sinne vpon it or remaine there purging from it til the day of doome the soule without any demurr vpon it would make election of the last thereby to render it selfe more worthy the sight of God whom it loues so wel who cannot endure any obiect of impurity The purity of hart then being a thing of so singular recommendation with the Queene of heauen let al who professe themselues her seruants seeke to purchase it and purchasing it once embrace it with al their might to which end lett them know that according to the opinion of al there is no more efficacious way to do it then that of the Sacrament of Confession the benefits of it are so many that they are impossible to be reckoned vp For those who confesse often heape grace upon grace purity on purity beauty on beauty and make themselues the greatest treasure of it in heauen those who confesse often haue a more vigilāt eye to the cōseruing of their cōscience in purity which in the fountaine of penance they so lately purified those who Cōfesse often haue a special care not to fal into those sins for shame from which so lately their Confessors help't them out those who confesse often make more easily the examen of their Consciences and goe with lesse difficulty to Confession and are better disposed to the receiuing of our Sauiour Christ in the Sacrament of the Alas In fine those who confesse often enioy both day and night great tranquillity of mind which only accompanies a pure Conscience and is the greatest blessing in the world This the sacred Catechisme confirmes where it sayes Those who holily and religiously receiue this holy Sacrament acquire by it a great tranquillity of Conscience accompanied with as great content of mind and hart But what needs other testimoneis of this than experiēce it-selfe How vnwillingly they go to Confession who haue their conscience charged with a long reckoning of sins how ful of sadnes and anxiety how heauie the burthen of them seemes to be til being lightened of it at last by Confession how great Consolation do they feele then in their soules how chearful they are how embraced with the loue of God for which now they could be content to die who before cared not to liue for it and if the practise of this do often occurr Oh! how happy doe they lead their dayes on earth euen as they were in another heauen to participat of this so great a benefit no Christian if he rightly considered it but would goe a thousand and a thousand miles rather then want so great a commodity how much the greater shame is it then for those who vouchsafe not to stirr fower or fiue paces out of their way to discharge themselues of the burthen of their sinnes And yet in how farr worse estate are those who remaine fiue or ten yeares without this benefit how may we imagine do the Angels in heauen deplore so great a retchlesnes of this sort how many wicked liuers are there who pretend some deuotion to the B. Virgin as saying their beades fasting on saturdayes in her honour and the like who for the rest neuer think of heauen or of timely repenting them for their sinnes Of whom what should we saie and of their cruelty to their owne soules whose cheifest contentment they so lightly prize Certainly we could wishe they would at least since they make profession of seruing her beseech the B. Virgin amongst their other deuotions to obtaine for them of her B. Sonne a true knowledge and contrition for their sinns which if they doe with a sorrowful hart indeed without doubt she wil grant them their request and it wil be amaine disposition for them to obtaine the diuine Grace seeing as the Diuines affirme the workes of charity although done in mortal sinne haue yet the force to dispose the sinner vnto Grace and Consequently vnto eternal life An example of which it being ful of rare document befides out of the second part of the Frier Minors Chronicles we thought good to record Two Frier-Minors going from the Conuent of Paris in the depth of winter were besides the dirty wayes so incommodated with cōtinual showers of raine as the elder of the two towards the euening wholy tired out sayd vnto his Companion My deare brother what shal we do I am so weary that I am scarce able to stirr a foote alas Father sayd the other we cannot remaine heere in the
of honouring and reuerencing the Angels saying as followeth pag. 384 Of the honour and reuerence we owe vnto our Angel Guardian pag. 391 In what māner we are to proceed in the exercise of those Adorations vvorthily to honour the Mother of Alm. God page 415 How in the like manner we are to reuerence God as also the Saints in Heauen page 424 How these genuflexions may deuoutly be exercised before any Image of our B. Lady page 433 The Reuerences we are to make in saying our Beads page 448 Remarkable Instructions how to say the Beads extracted out of the second Tome of Nauarrs Commentaries and others Authours page 462 How alternatim or by turne we may say our Beads page 467 Of the most excellent deuotion of the Rosary page 472 Twelue most notable Adorations to be made in the honour and memory of twelue dignities priuiledges bestowed on the blessed Virgin by Alm. God answerable to the twelue Starrs which go to the composing of a crowne for her most sacred Head p. 497 The declaration of the first Starr pag. 490 The secōd Starr declared p. 494 The declaration of the third Starr p. 499 The fourth Starr declared p. 504 The declaration of the fifth Starr p. 521 The sixt Starr declared p. 527 The declaration of the seauenth Starr pa 534 The eighth Starr declared 529 The declaration of the ninth Starr pa. 537 The tēth Starr declared p 545 The declaration of the eleuenth Starr pa. 552 The twelfth Starr declared 560 Another sort of Adoration which for the greater variety of the deuout seruants of the B. Virgin I haue heere annext pa. 566 Tvvelue Reuerences correspondent to the B. Virgins 12. prerogatiues pa. 569 An excellent vvay of adoring the B. Virgin in remembring the ioyes vvhich she had heere p. 579 Of the interiour Reuerences vve are to exhibit to the glorious Queene of heauen and of the place time and occasion of exercising them pag. 590 AN ADMIRABLE METHOD TO LOVE SERVE and Reuerence the Glorious Virgin Mary our B. Aduocate Or a pious Exhortation to be deuoted to the Queene of Heauen EVERY faithful Christian is to Indeauour to his vtermost to become deuot and duly resighned to the seruice of the Glorious Queene of Heauen whom the Angels serue the arch-Arch-Angels adore the Thrones honour the Cherubins and Seraphins respect and in fine the highest aduāced in the Court of Heauen account it their Glory to make Court vnto Knowing how aduantagious her fauour would be to them for if a Courtier heer accounts it for so high a felicity to haue the glory of possessing the heard of some great Princesse as promissing himselfe great honours and dignities from thence and how much more if besides al this he were assured of that dearer place in her memory as shee could refuse him nothing but if he chaunced to fal into disgrace would vndertake his defence reconcile him with his Prince againe free him from the punishments he had merited obtaine his repeal if he were banished from the Court and not only restore him to his former estate againe but aduance him higher then euer he was before what a blessing what an excesse of Ioy would this fortunat fauourit receiue from thence what would he do or rather what nor do in gratitud for so great an obligation what meanes what sort of seruices would he most inuent to honour her withal assueredly both night day he would haue no other thought then how to expresse his thankfulnes to her in some particular manner and then would be no danger so great no seruice so painful he would not go through with al to maintaine himself in her better graces stil And yet farr more happy a thousand times are the seruants fauourits of the Queene of Heauen in that they are assured she is perpetually mindful of them that she beares them an vnequald loue that they may hope the Greatest of fauours from her and that she cannot be wanting to them in their afflictions that as a faithful Aduocate she doth Embrace their protection in al occurrences that she preuails her self of al occasiōs to render the Eternal king her B. Sōne propitious to them and what is most of al deliuers thē from eternal paines brings them in fine to the possesion of the glory and happines of the Kingdome of Heauen From al which we may gather fiue rare Priuiledges those truely deuote vnto the Mother of God Inioy thereby the first is that she loues them with a profound and cordial affection the second that she honours them with diuers particular fauours the third that she is alwayes ready to assist them in their necessities as after as they implore her aide the fourth that as a most careful Aduocate with particular solicitud she vndertake their deffence and renders them propitious the eternal King of Heauen reconciling them into him when they haue offended him the fifth and last that she deliuers them from eternal damnation Let vs consider then and examine them on by on which great exactnes to animat euery soule to the affection of so deare and great a Lady THE I. PRIVILEDGE How affectionat the B Virgin is to al deuout Christians who serue and honour her with humble reuerence ALTHOVGH 't is true the sacred Virgin being al loue charity loueth al like the Sunn sayes the deuout Saint Bernard displayes a like the beams of her sweetnes benignity ouer al the world Yet certaine it is withal shee beholds those with a more deere regard who loue her and render her the most dutiful seruices and are most assidual in reuerencing her And most laudable and holie is that obsequiousnes by whose exteriour signes is manifested the interiour affections of the hart for so as S. Gregory says the proofe of the affection is the performāce of the thing Now how reciprocal the B. Virgins loue is to vs againe her self declares in those words attributed to her by the Holy Ghost those who loue mee I loue as much as to say I haue a particular loue for those who affect mee with al their hart and soule and endeauour to render such honour as they imagine the most acceptable and what sort of loue it is her self declares in another passage of Scripture where shee sayes I am the mother of beautious loue signifying the loue shee affects her seruāts with to be firme compleat at al parts and truly worthy so diuine and louing a mother This glorious Queene tenders vs as her owne Children in that shee is our Mother and so neare and strait a bond tyes vs together as her being a descēdant from our generation flesh of our flesh bloud of our bloud bone of our bone for which reason shee cannot but affect vs much especially if wee endeauour to deserue it by our constancie and fidelitie in seruing her Shee is the Mother of Iesus-Christ true God and Man God is our Father Our Father which art in heauen his Sonne Iesus-Christ
our brother Go to my brothers sayes he to Mary Magdalen Oh infinit sweetnes of loue Go to my brothers and tel them I ascend to my father your father to my God and yours The Blessed Virgin is then our Mother Iesus Christ the increated Word our brother and the Eternal father our father Conforme to this S. Bernard on these words Ecce mater tua behold thy Mother argues thus If Mary be thy mother O man sayes he then Iesus Christ is thy brother his father thine his Kingdom thou hast right to and Consequently the grace of Mary is thy riches since the mother Vsually layes vp for the Children so thy necessities goe vnto her hart for the mother for these wants of her Children is moued at hart O take her then for thine Thus S. Bernard that eloquent Doctour And certainly our condition is most great and highly aduantag'd aboue al others to haue the Mother of God Empresse of the Vniuerse for Mother and her only sonne the King of glory glory of Kings and our true God for brother An honour the Angels could neuer glorie in For when or where sayes S. Paul did God euer say to them as he sayd to man speaking to our Sauiour Christ Thou art my sonne to day I haue begotten thee These spirits as happy as they are haue neuer an Angel of them al inuested with their Angelical nature they can say is God whilst wee inuested with our humane haue the God of Angels himselfe wee cannot only say is man but euen our brother too nor do wee find it was euer sayd to any of thē as it was to man Behold thy Mother in the person of S. Iohn who according to the Doctours personated and stood at the foote of the Crosse for al mankind whilst the Sauiour of vs al deliuer'd him the pretious treasure of his Mother in trust Let vs conclude then that her loue is generally towards al but in a more particular manner towards those who assume her for their Mother and by most affectionat wayes seeke out her safeguard and protection Moreouer wee must conclude this glorious Queen hath shewed more affection to men then euer shee did to Angels In imitation of the eternal Father whom in her actions shee of al others most nearly imitats and for proofe that his loue is more to vs then them but consider with what pretious guifts he hath honoured vs for so the greatnes of the presents giuen by the louer to its beloued manifestly declares the greatnes of its affection to it and what guifts are those the eternal Father hath bestowed on the sonnes of the earth Let the Angels harke and the Archangels lend an eare and al the heauenly Hierarchies remaine astonish't at so wondrous a liberalitie Behold the infinit present the infinit guift with God hath giuē presented the world withal neuer to be enough vallued neuer to be aequalled God hath so loued the World as for it he hath giuen his only sonne out of his excessiue loue to free it from the miserie in which it was and what on the Angels hath he bestowed the whilst nothing but their eternal beatitud merited as the Diuines hold by one sole act of their Wil another thing it is and of other valuation which he hath bestowed on men to giue his owne Sonne to saue them then his giuing the Angels their eternal beatitud so sayes S. Bonauenture To giue his only Sonne for the impieties of men was a greater matter then to the merits of Angels to giue eternal life Let vs grant then and freely acknowledge the loue of God his holy Mother more splēdidly shinning on men then Angels since more admirable haue been the effects produced of it towards them then these and more obliging to repay them reciprocally againe But this is not al nor doth our gratious Mistris stay heere to repay affection with affection but by the transport of her loue shee passes to honour her seruants sometimes with her visits sometimes to comfort them with her owne deare presence her Blessed sonns An example of which amongst an infinitie of others wee haue in the new reformed Mirrour of Examples and it is this There was a yong Virgin some 14. yeares of age so deuoted to the Mother of God as shee employed in her seruice almost al her dayes and nights in which her pious exercises shee continued for almost seauen yeares space euer beseeching her deere mistres patronesse so to fauour her as shee might behold her B. Sonn iust as shee had brought him into the world vntil at last one night and 't is beleued to haue been Christmas night retiring her selfe into an Oratorie shee had in her fathers house there with prayers and teares iterating her petition behold sodainly there appeared vnto her the Queene of heauen accōpanied with Myriads of Angels who gratiously reaching her from her owne armes to hers her heauenly Infant sayd Behold heer my dear daughter what you haue so much desired take him embrace him and at your pleasure solace you with him at this the deuout Virgin tooke him in her armes and embracing and kissing him vsed al the tendernesses à deuout loue could expresse an affection in when in the heate of her kisses embraces the diuine Infant darting a look at her had been ableto haue pierc'd a farr harder hart thē hers asked her if shee loued him that I do said shee and confirmed it with a thousand new blandishmēts but how much do you loue mee more then my body and how much more more then my very hart yet how much more then that alasse said shee it is impossible to tel you that let it speak for mee and so with a profound sigh shee cōcluded the dialogue and with that her life her hart bursting in the midst vnable to containe so much of loue was in it when we may piously imagine the B. Virgin tooke her white soule in her armes deliuering it into the hands of Angels they with sweete and melodious harmonie conducted it to heauen At sound of which celestial musick those of the house accurring forceing open the Oratory doore found the dead corps extended on the ground and exhaling so much sweetnes as it seemed al the most pretious perfumes of the world had gon to the embalming it Amongst the rest two Fathers of S. Dominicks Order were present who as they dissected her to find out he cause of so sudaine strange a death perceiued her hart inscribed with these wordes in golden letters O my Iesus I loue thee more then my selfe for hauing Created redeemed and adopted mee by thy holy grace Whereby wee may perceaue how great was the loue shee bore to the sacred Mother and her Sonne and how greatly they are aduantag'd by it who loue them with such tendernes of affection I am inuited by this so excellent an Example to the recital of one other no lesse excellent taken out of the first part of our
wil you destroy nature with your superfluous watchings thus Do not you know the night was ordain'd for man to rest and that sleep is the principal stay and support of life Alasse you are yet in the April of your yeares haue a care then of your self be ruled by me if not for your owne sake at least for your Orders whose safety wholy depēds on yours you are of a strōg robustious complexion promising a long life if you shorten it not by your indiscret austerityes beleeue it these extrauagant deuotions are infinitly displeasing to Alm God who in al things is most delighted with mediocritie The Saint hearing this and by this discouering the malice of the wicked Enemie to delude him by a false suggestiō suddainly started vp and al naked ran to the adioyning wood where he so long rowled him self amōg the sharpe thornes bristy thistles til the bloud issued amaine frō euery part of him when in mockery of his body now said he had it not been better for you to haue attended stil to the suffrings of your God then to suffer this for attending to the Enemy He had no sooner vtter'd this but instantly behold a cleer light spred it-self ouer al the wood and chasing darknes thēce on the one side he saw the ground al icye for it was in the hart of winter and on the other close by the thornes he embrewed in his bloud the white and red rose freshly springing whilst the Angels in multituds made a lane for him from that place vnto the Church singing in triumphant manner as he went Goe happy Francis goe where thou art expected by the King and Queen of Heauen and he knew it was no illusion by their so miraculously reuesting him a new then gathering fower and twenty of those Roses mixt of either sort he went towards the Church treading on riche tapistry al the way the Angels as we said before making a lane for him on the right hand and on the left where being arriued he beheld our Sauiour seated accompanied as in the former apparition when with al low submission casting him as his feete Most sacred Maiestie sayd hee before whom both heauen and earth do homage it pleased your goodnes to grant mee formerly a plenary Indulgence in that manner as I desired it now my petition is you would appoint a certaine day for the obtaining of it and this for your most deare and gratious Mothers sake Our B. Sauiour thus answered him Francis thy deserts are such I can deny thee nothing wherfore I grant thee thy petition and appoint the first of August to be it then the Saint rendring him al possible thankes replied but how O Lord shal this bee divulged vnto the world or on whose faith wil they take on trust so great a miracle For that said our Bl. Sauiour be it my care to prouide in the meane while haue you recourse againe to my Vicar heer on earth carrying with you eye-witnes of this apparition one of your brothers with some of those Roses you haue gathered there and feare not you shal see your desires accomplished In this amiable sweet and admirable manner was granted to Holy S. Francis the famous Indulgence of our Lady of Portiuncula by the soueraige Monarch of Heauen and earth a grace so great a fauour so sublime as neuer was heard of neuer mortal man receaued the like By which and the fore mentioned Institution of the Rosary by the great Patriarch Saint Dominick wherby his Order hath been so much ennobled may cleerly be perceiued how extraordinarily this bountious Ladye recompences them who serue her affectionally and faithfully THE III. PRIVILEDGE Hovv the B. Virgin helps and Comforts her faithful seruants in their afflictions THE third Priuiledge this heauenly Lady honors her fauourits which is neuer to be wanting to them in their afflictions a thing which neither ought nor can be doubted of For if she loues them and if she loues by effects to shew it what greater effects of it then in their most necessitous times to receiue and succour them or when is the tyme to declare ones loue and affection if not then A true frende loues at al tymes sayth the holy Ghost and a brother is tried in affliction and can wee thinke any in heauen or earth more true to those she loues then the B. Virgin is or that in her affection she serues the times loues not so wel in pouerty as in riches in sadnes as in mirth in aduersity as in prosperity Oh no A true freind alwayes loues but especially in time of affliction for that is the touch stone of true freindship indeed and then she shews hers most What a happines what a felicity is it then for those who loue serue her faithfully to haue so powerful a freind as she who when the burthen of misery lies heauiest on vs can lighten vs when we are deseruing more of pittie then of loue out of pittie loues vs more and who lastly in the dark passage of death where so many leese their way leads vs safely out of it and not forsakes vs then when al the world besides forsakes vs but comforts vs on our death-beds when al in this life turnes to our more discomfort which we did most affect and stands vnto vs when whole legions of diuels are beseidging our souls sheilding vs from euery harme now defending vs from impatience by assuaging our griefes or fortyfijng our mindes against it now from sorrow with the ioy she brings vs now from despaire with the assured hope of our saluation and finally with a new re-inforcement of Angels puts al our Infernal enemies to flight The glorious S. Antony of Padua as is recorded in his life when he was assalted with any temptation vs'd no other weapon then to repeate this Hymne of hers O gloriosa Domina c. when presently he should come off with victory As it happened one day when being at his prayers the diuel at defiāce stil with al good workes set so furiously on him and strayn'd his throat so cruel hard as he had almost strangled him til the Saint hauing recourse to his accustomed armes inforc't him to leese his hold In like manner al the article of his death being prepar'd vnto it before with al the sacraments and saying with his brethren the seuen penitential Psalmes he concluded al Deuotions with that to which he was euer so deuout O gloriosa Domina c. when behold the B. Virgin appeared vnto him infinitly cōforting him with her apparition and adding to the Consolation of it the sight of her deare sonne and his deare Lord at which with incredible ioy he deliuered his soule into his Bl. hands Go reade al histories search into al records see if you can find any that euer trusted her with their confidence and were deceau'd who inuoked her in their necessities and were not releiued by her so as we may wel applye those words of
others she prayed to Alm. God he would conuert al the vertue she had into deformity Others there haue been that haue disflgured themselues rather then to giue cause to any temptation and others rather then suffer the effect of it haue willingly departed with their proper liues Which I will confirme by an example taken out of the second part off the FF Minors Chronicle A Burgundian Gentelman had a daughter so affected to the seruice of the Mother of God that secretly from her tender yeares she vowed her virginity to her This virgin had a corporal beauty ioyned to the beauty of her soule so taking as it attracted to her the harts of al. Among the rest a seruant of her fathers was one who omitted no arts not industries to oblige her to a reciprocal affectiou to him But this not taking his loue grew desperat and at length engaged him in as desperat a course For his Lord and al his seruants being gon a hunting he secretly returned home when his daughter was either not accompanied at al or els slenderly only by her maydes and taking that opportunity to execut his wickdnes went and foūd her out where in the Chappel she was prostrat at her deuotions before a picture of the Queene of heauen into which he entred audaciously and without any reuerence to the place or respect to the person tould the reason of his réturne and how desperatly he was in loue with her coniuring her by al the force of a wicked eloquence to the accomplishmēt of his desires Whereat the Virgin was so struck at the first what with the impudence of the fellow what with the horror and vnexpectednes of his demand as she remayned a while deuoyd of speech and sense til at last rowsing her spirits vp with a iust disdaine and bashful anger she answered him Gett hence thou impudent villaine and seek out some others more fitt to heare and grant thy suite then I and whence is this insolence in thee haue you euer seen any thing in me that should thus embolden it but cease your boldnes and your insolence or I know the way to bring you to deare repentance of it the fellow at this growne wholly desperat and rageing no lesse for anger then for loue drew out his sword fixing the point against her throte told her there was but one way with her eyther to resolue to dy or to satisfy his desire thy desire sayd she rather then by me such a wicked desire shal be euer satisfied had I a thousand liues I would willingly loose them al but you consider better said he for assure your self I am not in iest Bee in what mind thou wilt replyed she doe thy worst and when thou hast done goe vaunt to such as thou art how thou hast traiterously murthered thy Lords daughter in his owne house in defence of her Chastity This put him wholly into the hands of furye and desperation and made him at one blow cutt off her head When flying instantly to the Vicar of the place who was his Vncle he made him acquainted with what he had done Who being much troubled at it advised him to lye concealed in a secret place which he shewed him til he had don Masse and had further aduised what course to take with him Meane while behold a stupendious miracle An Angel sent from heauen presently vnited the trunke of our be headed Virgin soe properly to the head againe as there only remained a red streake about the neck in memory that it was once cutt of when she restored to life againe had presently recourse to Church to heare Masse and render thankes to Alm God for that miraculous fauour Being there it happened the Curat at the Offertory descending from the Altar with much astonishment espied her and beleeving it rather some phantasme come to fright him then her returning to life againe suspended his astonishment and his feares til after Masse when he repaired vnto her more fully to informe himselfe of what she was Then she reconted from point to point al that had hapned to her greeuously a complayning of his Nephewes barbarousnes and in particular of his irreuerence towards God and his B. Mother The good man lost in admiration of the accident as soone as he had found himself was al in teares beseeching her to keepe secret this haynous offence of his Nephew and pardon it For my particular said she I doe from my hart but how Heauen wil pardon him I know not For that said the Curate I trust in the infinite mercy of Alm. God only yours was al my feare and there vpon he produced his Nephew who on his knees shedding aboundant teares besought her of pardon when she raysed him vpp and as if she had forgotten how much he had offended her in this mild manner spake vnto him My freind said she I haue already past my promise to your vncle that I wil forgiue you only procure by penance to purchase the forgiuenes of Alm. God and his B. Mother or I assure you a more rigorous punishment then this world has any is in store for you Sweet Mistres said he making profoūd reuerence vnto her and declaring by his sighes and teares a more profound greefe sorrow how good and gratious you are not only to preserue my temporal life which if you pleased to take it were forfaited vnto you but to take such care of my eternal on yet besides this fauour I must needs begg another which is that from that mouth which for so greeuous a trespasse has pronounc't my pardon I may heare what penance I shal performe for it Since you wil said she you shal only take it by way of councel not of command and it is this That you become a Friar Minor and before you are so Confesse your selfe wholy and entirely of al your wickednes This the sorrowful soule willingly accepted of and hauing punctually performed what she inioined him in short space made such progresse in Religion as he became an example of perfection vnto al. And by this we may perceiue how succourable the B. Virgin is to those who for the Imitation of her preserue this virginity so carefully as rather to depart with it they chose to depart this life The third Condition which is requisit in the honourers of the B Virgin Of cleannes and purity of mind THE sacred Virgin being not only a bright shining mirrour of Humility Chastity to its perfection but also of incomparable purity of mind wee who make profession of being her seruants ought to haue her example alwayes before our eyes to the end the cōtinual Contemplation of these three excellent vertues in her may excite vs to an affectionat desire of them especially that of purity of mind it being the most exquisit beauty of the soule and an ornament which most of al illustrats it Now this purity of mind is nothing els according to Albert the great as he alleaged by S. Antonine
but a recession from al impurity which is sinne and an accession to God the soueraigne purity in this consists the true sanctity of the soule for the more we weed it of imperfections the more place is left for perfections to spring vp in it and so S. Dionyse defyning sanctity sayes that it is a perfect purity abstracting from al sinne and cleansed from al impurity whence we may wel conclude that purity is no other thing then an exemption from al imperfection Let the pious Reader then imagine the purity of the B. Virgins mind who of al the Children of Adam was not only exēpted from al actual sinne but also from original and that because of the conueniency as S. Anselme would haue it that she who was the Mother of God should next to him haue al imaginable purity which could not be if she had not been preserued from original sinne Besides God hauing predestinated her to a degree of honour the highest that any creature could be capable of it followed consequently he should endow her with a purity aboue al other creatures and so al the faculties of his power wisdome and goodnes we may imagine were at once imploied in enritching her with such guifts and supernatural preparations as rendred her of al creatures the most eminent in such manner as those who had but the eies of spirit open to penetrat into the beautie and perfection of her glorious soule would infallibly more admire Gods workmanshipp and see more admirable effects of it in her then in the fabrick and creation of the Vniuersal Neuer any thing came immediatly out of the hand of God but it was pure perfect and compleat he created the Angels from the purest of the Heauens perfect and pure he created man likewise soe of the most pure-parts of the Earth and Eue from the purest flesh and bone of Adam whilst he was yet in the state of Innocency was created pure and the reason is because the nigher to the principal of puritie a thing is euer the more pure it is This being so what can be more resplendent saies S. Ambrose then she in whom purity it selfe close to abide what finally more vnblemisht then she whom the Sōne of God chose to inuest himselfe withal And if God hath fauoured other creatures with that highe prerogatiue to be borne in grace and exempt from sinne who can doubt but she in a special manner was borne so and exempted aboue the rest For what incongruency els were it to haue the mother inferior to her Children the Queene to her subiects and. Seing then the Angels and both Adam and Eue more created in grace and in the state of innocency why should we deny the Queene of Angels and the repairer of Adam and Eues offences the life prerogatiue Yet let vs passe farther and affirme the B. Virgin excelling in purity by infinit degrees not only al men and women in the world but also al Angels Archangels and the highest Seraphins in heauen For this S. Hilarion affirmes of her addressing himself vnto her in this deuout manner O souerainely happy Virgin aboue al women and surmounting euen the Angels themselues in purity Her sanctity then being so great we may wel conclude of her that there was neuer in her any blemish of sinne nor the least shadow of imperfection Let vs consider her then being so immaculate as she was as an Idea framed by God of al Chastity as a liuely paterne of perfection in women model of supreme purity and finally schoole of al Vertues Virgin both in mind and body humble of heart graue in discouery prudent in action neuer stirring abrode til inuited by necessity sober and mortified wearing alwayes in her Contenance a holy bashfullnes her gate wel ordered and composed simple in Clothing moderat in her voice neuer laughing but weeping often sparing of speech alwayes wel imployed hauing stil in hand some profitable booke assiduous in prayer during which she seemed stil in extasy more abhorring sinne then al the men of the world together as one who better then them al together knew how hateful and detestable it was to Alm. God she was of a spirit perpetually attentiue to the exercise of vertue and holy life holding in a generous dis-esteeme al the honours dignityes and riches of the world as knowing how contemptible they were al in compare with those of heauen whose soueraigne Queene and Empresse she was to bee how was it possible then she should euer fal into any sinne being of so excellent a soule and it being replenished with so many diuine graces perfections and From whence sayes Dionyse the Carthusian thusian we may imagine these beames proceeded which shooting from her countenance rendred her so resplendent and venerable to al that regarded her al which were nothing yet in compare with the inward rayes that illustrated her mind which gaue light vnto the Angels of light themselues her regard was such according to S. Ambrose S. Bonauenture as her bare sight was sufficient to reclaime euen those that were furthest gon in sinne but that which was most admirable in her and which most rauishes in astonishment both men and Angels was her being at once both Mother Virgin virgin in purity Mother in fecundity A prodigie of al others the most stupendious and a prerogatiue only appropriat to this rare Phenix of perfection for to whom els were attributed euer these supreme titles of honour Virgin before child-birth Virgin in child-birth and Virgin after it Yet t is an Article of saith and al doubt thereof interdicted by the holy Church for the Consummation of which we wil here relate a Miracle happening to B. Giles one of the first Companions of S. Francis and it was this A Religious Diuine of the Order of S. Dominick being once vehemently tempted by the Diuel sworne Enemy to the B. Virgin to cal in doubt her vndubitable Virginity and not sufficing by his owne forces to shake it off was resolu'd to vse the helpe of some other and hearing the fame of B. Giles for sanctity resolu'd it should be he Being on his way towards the Conuent where the holy man resided who by diuine reuelation vnderstood the cause of his iourney behold he was ready to meete him and embrace him with al the freindly expressions of a Religious charity and e're euer the other opened his mouth to communicat with him of his temptation he sayd vnto him Brother and freind assure your selfe shee was a virgin before child-birth when raking the ground with a litle wane he had one Lilly presently sprung vp then conuerting himselfe to him againe so assure your self said he she was a virgin in child-birth a second Lilly sprung vp in confirmation therof finally the third time addressing himselfe to him he said assure your selfe lastly said he that she was a virgin after child-birth too and this by the springing vp of a third Lilly being confirmed also the Diuine
remained deliuered from his tēptation and rendred infinit thanks to Alm. God for his so miraculous deliuery Let this suffice for a more ample confirmation of the soueraine Puritie of the Queene of heauen Let those then who desire with a due purity of hart to serue this glorious Virgin endeauour withal their forces to imitat her in her admirable purity and Innocencie of life that is to haue a hart vntainted and free from al contagion of sinne especially such as are mortal since as the Angelical Doctour teaches vs The farther that purity is remoued from sinne the purer stil it growes so shal wee haue part in the benediction Blessed are the pure of hart for they shal see God And to come yet neerer to particulars those are pure of hart whose consciences are free from mortal sinne those more pure are likewise free from venial but those most of al who accompany this freedome from sinne with the assidual practise of vertue and this according to S. Christsostom is to be pure of hart S. Hierome defines it to haue a conscience that can accuse vs of no sinne at al such an one as that of our B. Ladyes was who according to S. Bonauenture was so pure from sinne as it was reueal'd to a certaine person as her conscience vnderstood not what it meant O happy and a thousand times happy are such as those whose breast being pure inuested with these white robes of purity do serue in that liuery the soueraigne Queene of heauen for these are truly her seruants these truly her fauorits and such as in the next life she peculiary honours and aduances aboue the rest We reade of S. Lewis Archbishop of Tholouse who issue from the Royal bloud of France and was once a Frier-Minor how he in his life neuer committed mortal sinne this holy Saint dying at the age of 80 yeares a certaine Frier-Minor farr from the place of his death and ignorant of his infirmity had a vision iust at the instant of his departure of innumerable Angels bearing his soule to heauen and singing melodiously on the way So are they rewarded who serue God in purity and chastity of hart and for his chastity and purity we haue the attestation of al that conuersed with him that al his actions and wordes sauoured of nothing else And as vehemently is the B. Virgin displeased with the contrary vice as with this vertue she is pleas'd as witnesseth this following storie recounted by the learned Pelbart A yong Gentleman of a debaushed life exercising some deuotions in the honour of the B. Virgin she one day whilst he inuoked her aide being straied in a wildernes almost famished appeared vnto him accompanied with a glorious train of Virgins bearing in their hands al sorts of delicat meates but serued in so foule and lothsome dishes as although his hunger was most vrgent yet for very loathing he would not eate a bitt which the B. Virgin perceiuing aptly took occasion to reprehend him saying euen such are your deuotions you offer vp to me Good in themselues but coming from one so foule with sinne my heart serues me not to accept of them so she vanished and left him so strucken with this reprehension by the bitter slaine of his former life as for the time to come he wholy amended it Let those then who haue the honour to be stiled the seruants of the B. Virgin that their seruices may be the more acceptable to her endeauour to keepe vp to the highest point of this perfection of purity of hart that is to be so farr from the conscience of any mortal sinne as euen to decline venial as farr as it is possible from the which the farther they are the nigher they approche vnto perfection and the more they increase in grace and holines of life Happy is that soule then which growing dayly perfecter in this purity of hart shal finde a ready way to euery grace and perfection it shal be desirous to obtaine merit to haue Alm. God amply communicat them vnto vs whose property it is to be most bountious of his fauour to the pure to impart himselfe vnto them in a particular manner and enrich them with his diuine Consolations And this Hart of ours being a thing of such perfection each least defect in it appeares to be deformity it being as Bro. Giles was vsed to saye like a bright mirrour which the least breath would sett a blemishon For which reason the Wiseman so earnestly recomends vnto vs the Custody of it Looke Carefully to thy hart sayes he for thy life depends on it And so we see how litle a thing diminishes of its merit and purity an idle or ridiculous word a litle leuity in our actions a friuolous Curiosity a lesse modest regard immoderate laughter or such like which we account of as things light and indifferent Now the better to conserue this purity of hart we must be most careful of our Exteriour senses our eyes eares smell touching tasting c. least the Enemy preuaile himself by them against our selues To expresse the danger of which F. Iacopen of the holy Order of B. Francis hath an apt similitude There was sayes this holy man a Virgin of excellent beauty hauing for her dower a Iewel of inestimable price who had fiue brothers al poore and necessitous the one a Musician the other a Painter the third a Perfumer the fourth a Cooke and the fifth a setter of others chastityes to sake One day the Musician addrest himself vnto her and with an accent as charming as it was pittiful desired her of pitty in his extreme necessity if euer Charity sayd he were deare vnto you or if euer you knew what pitty meant declare it now in your assisting me giue me your Iewel to redeeme me from my wants it is a bould request I grant both in regard of the greatnes of its value and the smalnes of my deseruings but the greater honour wil be yours with soe vn-interessed a Charity to assist a brother in his necessity and the greater wil be my obligation and heer so paus'd a while as if his greefe had stopt the passage of his speech But she remaining Inexorable to his prayers answered him thus My deare brother I would do much for you but satisfie your demand I cannot for the same Charity which obliges me to benefit others first of al obliges me to benefit my selfe what a folly were it in me then by my enriching others to make my self for euer poore you know I haue nothing but it to maintaine my life and to depart with it were to expose my life te extreme necessity Wel answered the Musician then since you wil not giue it me at least sel it me and what wil you giue me for it I wil take my Lute sayd he and sing you two of the newest Ayres at Court at this she laughing ask't him when they were done what remaines for her to liue vpon no no sayd
was one day to become man and this man should be their God Whereupon the B. Spirits with regard vnto the time honoured him as such and consequently as Suares sayes in following Saint Thomas his opinion they odored his Mother as her who was to inuest him in mortal flesh And 't is an approued veritie of al the Doctours and the cheife of them al S. Paul that the Sonne of God being come into the world al the Angels came to adore him So sayes he when he sent his first borne sonne into the world he sayd Let al the Angels of God adore him And S. Bonauenture and other deuout writers saye that when the Infant Iesus was borne in the Stable al the Angels in their seueral Quiers came to adore him and that perhaps visibly in humane shapes the more to honour his Humanity After which they did their seueral reuerences to his B. Mother the one and the other singing diuine and melodious Canticles of prayse Now if the B. Spirits with such profound reuerēce adored the B. Virgin while she was yet resident in the world what excessiue honours may we imagine do they render her now in heauen where next to God she holds the second place invested with incomparable glorie at the right hand of her B. Sonne For my part I am of opinion that their most ordinary exercise is to honour the Sonne Mother with incessant adoration and so we read how S. Iohn rauished in extasye beheld the Angels incircling the Throne of God and falling on their faces before it adoring the B. Trinity and the sacred Virgin daughter of the Eternal Father Mother of the Sonne and spouse of the holie Ghost by which doth clearly appeare the excellency of this adoration both Latria and Hyperdulia exhibited by al the Court of heauen vnto their King and Queen If then these glorious spirits honour with so soueraigne and magnificent a kind of Adoration the Mother of Alm. God with greater reason ought we to honour her by how much greater her fauours and graces haue been to vs then to them Let vs then honour her with al possible reuerence to shew our selues grateful vnto her for her benefits Of which we reade a rare and excellent Example in Scala caeli and it is this A certaine holy Monke in England being much deuoted to the Queene of heauen and amongst other his deuotions vsing often to salute her with profound reuerence and bow downe as often as he hard her name pronounced this holy name through extremity of age becoming so feeble as he scarce could moue himselfe or so much as stirre him in his bed the Abbot assigned him one to attend on him in his chamber but he not being able to be alwayes present to his occasions it happened that once in his absence he desirous to remoue himselfe and hauing twice or thrice attempted it in vaine at last hauing recourse vnto his prayers beseeching the B. Virgins assistance behold she sodainly appeared to him waited on by a faire traine of Virgins two of which by appointment set him in that posture which he desired when the B. Virgin after she had most sweetly comforted him as a pledge of her deare acceptance of his deuotion added vnto his terme of life twenty yeares and restored him to his perfect health againe A strange fauour which cōferr'd not so much vnto the corporal vigour of the man as it did to his spiritual in deuoutly seruing her But in the laudable exercise hereof we are not so much to regard the otward comportment of the body as the inward disposition of the mind in framing a deuout conceipt of the B. Virgin imagining her present as often as we exhibit to her any corporal reuerence and beholding vs the while with a deare regard whereby this one deuotion will become more familiar to vs and our remembrance of her more deare and cordial so as we shal take pleasure to speake with her and of her on al occasions and more confidently preferr our petitions to her in our necessities And this affection whosoeuer shal conceiue of her in his mind is in a most happy estate may wel presume of his saluation and to be one of the number of the elect whence he cannot but experience an incredible ioy of minde since according to a certaine graue Authour If thou feele in thy hart sayes he a singular affection and deuotion to the glorious Virgin it is a signe of thy Praedestination to eternal life and thou mayst wel be glad and reioyce at it These holie motions and pious affects of loue reuerence were found in that deuout woman of whom it is recorded in Scala celi That being of noble birth though fortune were wanting to her nobility and hauing two daughters whom shee carefully had educated in deuotion to the B. Virgin and the seruice of Alm. God It chanced at last that their pouerty was soe great as they had nothing to sustaine their life nor defend them from the extremity of pouerty at which the mother exceedingly afflicted had recourse one day vnto the Church where before an Image of the B. Virgin deuoutly kneeling down she with a voice often interrupted with her sobs and sighes in this manner deuoutly supplicated her O most holy Virgin the refuge of such miserable creatures as my selfe behold my two daughters here which it hath pleased Alm. God to bestow on me being brought vnto extreme necessity whom now I resigne ouer vnto your care and motherly Prouidence since mine no longer can auayle them accept them then and prouide for them as you see best since al humane protection fayleth mee Hauing finished her supplication and being ready to depart the Church behold a yong man of rauishing feature wee may wel imagine some Angel sent from heauen presented her with a hundred poundes saying This money Lady I haue long owed to your deceased husband pardon my so long delaying the payment of it So he departed and she vnto her home where with the money she made prouision what was necessary for the adorning her daughters according to their quality which made the world euer inclined to imagine and speake the worst report them to haue by lesse chast wayes arriued at that plēty which it saw they had the noble mother no sooner had notice hereof but with teares in her eyes calling her daughters to her she sayd vnto them My daughters go to the B. Virgin vnder whose patronage you are and commend your fame and reputation vnto her who now is more concerned in it then I to fetch you faire clearly off againe they did so with al the attestations as deuotion could suggest they beseeched their diuine Mistresse to releiue them in their fame as she had in their pouerty neither was it in vaine for in short time after they became so vertuously reported of as the Prince of the countrey moued by the common fame that went of them constituted them Abbesses of two seuerall
Monasteries of his foundation How acceptable to the Blessed Virgin these reuerences adorations are CHAP. II. THERE is none so ignorant that doth not know that the more we honour where it is deserued the more we ingratiat our selues with the honoured This supposed we hauing in the precedent chapter declared the B. Virgins meriting in the highest kinde this sort of Adoration which we cal Hyperdulia consequently our honouring her therby cannot but be most grateful and acceptable to her It is an exercise as we haue insinuated practised by the Angels themselues in heauen and who soeuer practises it on earth becomes as it were by it equale vnto them Angels of earth in honouring and reuerencing the soueraigne Queene of heauen Neither are we to imagine that honour we exhibit vnto her here lesse grateful vnto her then that which they do there nay perhaps there are some men on earth so zealous in her seruice who acquit them so wel of their deuotions and with such vigour of spirit goe reuerencing her that their seruices to her heere are more grateful then theirs here and consequently in their reward of glory also they shal out strip then farr Dul-sighted as we are then not to see of how great glorye we depriue our selues when we endeauour not in al we may to please the B. Virgin in honouring her Certainly to fast to watch to weare hayrcloth say our Beads Offices or such deuotions are very meritorious and pleasing vnto her but it is impossible for al the learning and eloquence of the Quire of Seraphins to expresse vnto the life the infinit gladnes and extreme pleasure she receaues from these Adorations proceeding from the interior of the minde and accompanied with the respectiue comportment of the exterior Besides al the Angels and the Celestial Court do take particular contentment in the honour and reuerence exhibited to their soueraigne Queene for if earthly Courtiers reioyce when any new honour redounds vnto their Prince how much more reioycing may we imagine to be in heauen when they see their Princesse so honoured heere and of this reioycing the B. Trinitie hath its part when it beholds her reuerenced in whom they haue lodged al their supreme and singular delights the Father reioyces to see his daughter so honored the Sonne his Mother and the holy Ghost his Spouse Let al men then of what estate sexe or condition they be with al diligence and solicitud procure to honour the Glorious and euer B. Virgin Mary with al becoming reuerence especially since the honour due to her redounds vnto her B. Sonne as the honour done to Saints doth to God who made them so In honouring the B. Virgin then as the most excellent of creatures we honour God her Creatour confessing al those excellencyes we honour her for proceeding from his liberality vnto her and thanking and praysing him for making a creature of our owne Condition so worthy and excellent besides the honour and seruices done vnto the Mother for the Sonns regard the Sonne takes as done to him and proceeding from the loue and respect we beare him nay which is more the deuotion towards the Mother encreases the deuotion towards the sonne in that she as most true vnto his honour referrs al vnto it that is offered her and leade them vnto him who addresse themselues vnto her Iust so then as in honouring and glorifiing the B. Virgin we do but honour and glorify God so we in placeing our Confidence in her but place it in God himselfe for what is it to confide in him but to confide in those meanes which he hath prouided vs for our saluation and amongst al the meanes one of the most efficatious is to Commend our selues vnto her patronage as we are instructed by the holy Church in that her Antiphon Spes nostra salue eia ergo aduocata nostra illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos conuerte Haile O our hope and O our aduocate Conuert your eyes of mercy towards vs. And that great light of the Church S. Augustine sayes to the same effect You are the only hope of sinners frō you ô Glorious Virgin We expect pardon of our sinns recompence for our good works Knowing then for certaine that in honouring the B. Virgin we do but honour God we are often to procure to honour her and both day and night offer vp vnto her our reuerēces especially in the night when the time is more silent and more fitt for our deuotions This how grateful it is vnto her she her self declared to a certaine Capuchine of our order one most deuout vnto her This good Religious man had a laudable custome profundly to incline vnto her a hundred tymes a day til hauing some special charge of the Conuent the performance of which exacted much time of him not able to Comply with both he cutt-off one halfe of his deuotions diminished them vnto fifty tymes Now it happened that one day whilst he was busily imployed in his pious exercises the B. Virgin appeared vnto him inuested with most glorious ornaments wearing a riche mantle ouer them with only one halfe of it embroydered with starrs and addressing her speech vnto him she sayd how comes it my sonne thy loue is growne so cold in thee that hauing begun to imbellish this mantle with so many bright shiuing starrs thou hast giuen ouer and left the rest vndone it is a worke so grateful vnto me the performance of it as nothing can bee more vngrateful vnto me then the neglect of it wherefore as you respect my loue finish your deuotions as you haue wel begun and so vanished away leaving the good Religious man making his profit of her so mild reproofe renewing his ancient deuotions agayne he exercised them vnto the end of his life in that ful number he began withal And let none imagine this a deuotion only for women or the simpler and vulgar sort for al are equally obliged to honour her of what sexe estate or condition soeuer they be the Patriarkes Prophets as the Diuines affirme acknowledged her worth and reuerenced her for it thousands and thousands of yeares before she was borne into the world But what do I talke of Patriarkes and Prophets when the Angels them selues at the first instant of their creation beholding her in the Eternal Word humbly reuerenced and adored her as one that should one day be their Queene in heauen and be the mother of their King on earth And what should we say more euen God himselfe become man was obedient vnto her commands and obserued her with al filial loue and reuence To descend now to the Christians of the Primitiue Church the Apostles reuerenced her dedicated Temples to her seruice erected Altars to her and according to the opinions of some cōsecrated to her the famous house of Loretto But omitting these let vs come to the Potentates of the world how many Emperours Kings and soueraigne Bishops haue there been who haue
to see them now the instruments of rage furye only which were once only of deuotiō and piety O therfore haue mercy vpō him who of none with more right can expect it then of you restor ' him to that health he so wel imploied in your honor hertofore This said he dis-appeared and the yong man felt instantly the effect of his prayers by his recouery which was so speedy miraculous as acknowledging the B. Virgins particular fauour in it he to gratifie her for it entred into an austere Religiō where he liued died as became one who held his life on such a pious tenour of his good Angel and his better Aduocate Hovv we ought to reuerence and adore the B Virgin in regard of the sublimity of her glory aboue al other Saints CHAP. IV. SEEING the Saints which are now in heauen in possession of their eternity of happines are to be honoured with that fort of reuerence which the Diuines cal Dulia which is the lowest sort of reuerēce appropriated to any Saint the higher they are in dignity with the more high and particular reuerence are they to be honoured what supreme honour may we imagine due vnto our soueraigne Lady and Queene of heauen who by so many degrees of dignity is preferred before them al seated at the right hand of her B. Sonne so neere and deare vnto him as she is and whom the rest of Saints only a farr off reuerence and admire And if it be true that each ones glory beares a proportion with the grace they haue the more their grace on earth the more their glory in heauen how excellent in glory must she bee aboue them al who was so farr superiour to them in grace for who knowes not how from the very instant of her Conception when she was sanctified in her Mothers wombe God went heaping more and more graces vpon her stil vntil her death when the accumulation was Complete and how in al tymes she cooperated with him in al her actions in al occurēces stil meditating how to add vnto it accompanying al her exteriour workes with the interiour intention of the minde Which Albert the great exemplifies very wel in that treatise of his de beata Virgine and S. Bernard more particularly where he sayes This Virgin and mother of the highest not only waking but euen sleeping had the fruition of heauenly things in Contemplation no earthtlye affaire being so forcible as to interrupt her Commerce of thought with heauen in so much as euen in her sleepe she was busyed more in Contemplation then the rest of the Saints when they were most perfectly awake Who then of what intelligent a spirit soeuer they bee can comprehend the immensity of the grace and merits of the glorious Virgin consequently the infinit glorie she had in recompence seeing as the same Doctours affirmes The more she excelled others in grace on earth the more glory she obtained in heauen Let vs conclude then that her glory there is incomprehensible and surpasses by infinite degrees that of al the Saints Angels Conformable to that saing of S. Iohn Chrysostome What is there more holy than the B. Virgin says he neyther the Prophets Apostles Martyrs Patriarcks Angels Trones Dominations Seraphins nor Churubins in fine there is no visible nor Created thing more great or more excellent then she And S. Anselme Ineffable says he and euer-more admirable is the grace and greatnes of this Virgin And in prosecuting his discourse And what O B. Lady is there more to be sayd when but Considering the immensity of your grace glory and felicity I am destitut of forces and my Voice fayleth me And yet not only from the abūdance of Grace which was in her but much more from her humility may we argue the greatnes and dignity which she hath in heauen for it being an approued verity to al the world that the more we abase our selues on earth the more shal we be exalted for it in heauen as is testifyed by verity it self Vvho humble themselues shal be exalted c. And that great light of the Church S. Ambrose sayes The more abiect we are on earth the more we shal be exalted for it in heauen And he adds That by so many degrees of humility we descend on earth by so many of glory we shal ascend in heauen Since no creature euer thought so humbly and abiectly of her selfe as this B. Virgin did we may wel imagine that by this pretious vertue she so wonn the hart of God and gott such hold of his affections that she euen obliged him by it to descend from heauen to earth into her wombe and choose her for his spouse and mother which she in that Canticle of hers Confesses of her selfe Because he hath regarded the humility of his hand-maid c. Which shewes the excellency of her humility And S. Bernard sayes of it that when the Angel saluted her her answering him in that manner so humble and resigning her selfe entirely vnto the Wil of God Behold the hand-maid of our Lord c. Was more grateful vnto God and meritorious for her then al the actions of men and Angels put together and that by it alone she merited the being Mother of our Sauiour Christ Neuer sayes S. Bernard had she been exalted aboue the Angels if she had not humbled her selfe before And if some Saints as namely S. Francis haue merited by their humility to be ranged amongst the Seraphins the cheifest Order of Angels and next to the Diuinity to what immensitie of glory are we to imagine the B. Virgin is exalted for the profoundnes of her humility which descended lower then euer any Saints could doe In consideration of which we may wel imagine that her glorie and felicity as farr surpasseth that of al other Saints as the heauēs do a litle point the cleare light of the Sunne a candle the Ocean a smale drop of water or al the earth the least graine of sand With good reason then since she is exalted to such a height of dignitie we are to honour her as the soueraine Queene and Empresse of men and Angels and as eminent as she is in dignity so is she in beautye and amability able to obscure with the brightnes of its splendour not-only al humane eyes but euen those of the Angels themselues as appeares by this story recorded by Herod Religious of the Order of S. Dominick There was a yong scribe sayeshe much deuoted to the B. Virgin who being some-what conuersant in the holy Scriptures where her excellent beauty is commended with such Encomiums he at last grew passionatly desirous to see her in that beauty she appeared with in heauen praying for the accomplishment of his desires he heard a voyce reprehending him for it in that he ask't a thing aboue his capacity which his eyes were too weake to behold nor could it cost him lesse then his sight the beholding it but he
willing to put it to the venture persisted stil in his Petition yet at last vpon more mature reflexion he resolu'd if the fauour were granted him to reserue on eye at least whilest only with the other he regarded it And so it happened that she appearing vnto him in a most glorious and resplendent manner that one eye with which he regarded her being ouercome with the excellency of the obiect became wholy blind but so farr was he from euer repenting it as with iterated petition he be sought her to appeare but vnto him in that glory once agayne and he would be also willing to forgoe the other eye the B. Virgin to content his deuotion did as he desired her but was so farr from inflicting that penalty vpon him which he did expect as she restored him his other eye againe wher with we may imagine how contented a man he was Neither doth she exceed al the Angels and Saints in beauty and splendour only but also in ioy and felicity which with out doubt she hath in as supereminent degree aboue the rest as her glory aboue the rest is more high and eminent And for that there are diuers Doctours who affirme that she alone hath more glory then al the Saints together this being so imagine of what ioy felicity she is possest the while the quality of which is so exceedingly rauishing that S. Augustine doubts not to affirme of it that one dropp of heauenly felicity but falling into hel would sweetenal its torments O strange expression of the wōdrous sweetnes and deliciousnes thereof if one dropp of it could worke such effects in hel what must whole torrents of it worke in the harts of those who are possest of it The Apostles vpon an arid and barren mountains topp sawe but only a litle glimpse of the glory of heauen in our Sauiours Transfiguration and tasted by it but a litle superficial ioy and yet you see they could haue been content to haue remained there al their liues But that example which I shal now declare deserues yet greater admiration A certaine Religious Monke of holy life exercised long in the contemplation of the Ioyes of Heauen conceiued at last such a feruent desire of it that he incessantly besought Alm. God that to comprehend it the better if it were possible he might haue some tast of it in this mortal life and continuing in this deuotion many yeares at last close by his Cell he heard a bird sing so wondrous delightfully as rauished with it he presently lyed him out to enioy more freely its delicious melody and following it a flight or two at last it ledd him into a wood therby where it begann to sing and he rauish't in hearing it satt downe nighe the tree wheron it was where he might both see heare it best nor did he know with whether he was delighted most who when he beheld the beauty of it wished himself al eyes when he heard its diuine notes wished himselfe al eares againe In fine feasting these two senses so long he satt till the Bird cea'st its melody and flew quite away when he arising tooke his way towards his Monastery imagining he had been away only some houre or two but beig returned back againe he foūd it almost al rebuilded a new againe and knocking at the gate the Porter and he were both so strange one to another as they admired at either the Porter that the Monke should say he was Religious of the house the Monke that he should say he had been Porter there many yeares In fine the Abbot came being informed thereof whom he as litle knew as the Porter and vnto whom he was as litle knowne who in fine examining him foūd by the Records of the House that those Religious whom he named to haue liued in that Monastery with him were deceased so long before as by computation of time they found he had been absent three hūdred and sixty yeares If then so many yeares seemed but a short houre to that Religious man charmed with the sweetnes of that Musick he listned vnto perform'd perhaps by some Angel of heauen how delicious sweet and rauishing must the Ioyes of Heauen needs bee where al the Angels sing together incessantly praising and glorifying their heauenly King And if this good Religious man could remaine expos'd vnto the iniuries of the time so many yeares rauished with tasting but one dropp as it were of the deliciousnes of heauen O God who can imagine the delight of those who in al comfortable Eternity shal bee feasted with it to al satiety They shal bee inebriated with the abundance of thy house and drink of the torrent of thy delights sayes the holy Scripture Seeing then the B. Virgin next to God is Mistresse and Lady of this Pallace of deliciousnes and as it were the pipe that cōueyes al its deliciousnes from God the fountaine of it to al that participat of its Ioy in heauen Let vs honour adore and reuerence her with al those due acknowledgments of which we haue already treated or shal herafter treate That we ought to adore the B Virgin for that she is the soueraine Lady of all Creatures both in earth and heauen CHAP. V. APERSON which is riche noble and vertuous deserveth honour the more they excel in it the more honour they deserue as we see by experiēce in persons most eminent in the world The Blessed Virgin then being so great a paterne of sanctity a Compendium of al perfections chosen by God for his Mother and elected to a supreme height of dignity aboue al the Quiers of Angels and finally being Empresse of al superiour and inferiour Creatures with good reason both Angels and men are to honour and reuerence her as the soueraigne Queene of the whore Vniuerse neither should there be any me thinks so impudent to dispute her title to it nor so impious as to offer to defraude her of those sublime honours due to so sublime a title she were a Queene if there were no other reason but only because her sonne is a King King of Kings Lord of Lords and who knowes not that the King and Queenes honours goes so conioyn'd in one as from the dishonouring the one redounds to the other a dishonour too The B. Virgin being as formerly we haue said daughter to God the Father Mother of his Sonne and Spouse of the holy Ghost and consequently daughter mother and spouse of the holy Trinity considering her alliance and coniunction with God and namely with the humanized Word of God the Sōne whom this great Al acknowledges for King of her being Queen can be no doubt al and this S. Athanasius affirmes where he sayes He being King and Lord his mother who engendred him hath consequently the reputation of Queene and Mother And S. Iohn Damascen She was vndoubtedly declared Queene sayes he of al Created things when she became Mother of the Creatour Let vs then conclude that she being
Queene of this Vniuerse hath ouer it an absolut command and that al are to obey her and render her that honour and obeissance which from Vassals is due to those who are ouer them And in admiration of this power of hers was that deuout exclamation of holy S. Bernard O blessed Mary sayes he al power is giuen you both in heauen and earth do as you can do al that you desire Among al the title of Greatnes which our Mother the holy Church honours her with that of Queene of heauen she vses most frequently Lady of Angels Reginacaeli Domina Angelorum c. Now the greater the extent of ones Dominion is the greater euer is their power and magnisicence so as if one could attaine to the Dominion ouer al the world how absolute and vnlimited should their power to be and yet what is al this world to the Heauens amplitude which she is Lady of and where her subiects are perpetually honoring her so as we may say of her The Heauens declare the glory of Mary and the heauenly Courtyers take it for honour to obey her commands To conclude it is but litle we can say of her greatnes how great soeuer that litle may seeme to be and arriuing euen to admiration which euer there takes vp where humane knowledge leaues And so is it not an admirable thing that the whole roundour of the earth in comparison of the Heauens should be but as the center point compared to a mightie Spheare who can imagine then the immensity of that when the earth which containes Empires Kingdomes and Prouinces is so meere a nothing in comparison thereof Some are of opinion that the element of water is ten times bigger then the land the aire ten times bigger then the water the fire then that and so with proportion each heauen bigger then another c. And to giue you some dimme light of its magnitud the Moone which in lesse then a moneth surrounds its Orbe would be incircling the starry heauen according to the most expert of the Mathematiciens thirty sixe thousand yeares and more which notwithstanding compared to the Coelum empyreum or habitation of the Blessed is but a poore litle Circle for magnitud not worthy the speaking of For which reason some Authours are of opinion cited by Philip Diez that if a milstone were throwne from thence it would be a thousand fiue hundred yeares in falling down Who admires not in hearing this and cries not out with him O Lord I haue considered your workes and remaine astonished and out of my self with wonder One of the ancient Prophets in consideration of the greatnes of this glorious Pallace of Alm. God exclaime O Israel how great is the house of God how mighty great is the place of his possession he is great and hath no limits he his high and cannot be measured And we may wel imagine it to bee great since euery Saint shal haue a habitation a part and a place proportioned vnto its merits And this we haue from our Sauiour Christ himselfe in comforting his afflicted Disciples for his departure where he sayes Let not your harts be troubled for in my fathers house are many mansions And S. Vincent of S. Dominiks Order speaking of these Mansions sayes that each of the Blessed in heauen shal haue assigned them for their habitation a larger circuit them is betwixt the east and west Now there being incomparably more Saints in heauen then there be men on earth I leaue it to you to imagine how infinit great the heauenly Kingdome is Now the B. Virgin being Queen of this so immense dominion hath al the Blessed there consequently for her subiects Courtiers who being in due Order rankt about her Throne alwayes make tender vnto her of their seruices and obsequiousnes and if as S. Iohn Chrisostome sayes while she was yet on earth she was attended vpon by such an infinity of Angels to defend her against al the assaults of hel and conserue vnto their king this faire tabernacle of his Inuiolat how much more gloriously attended is she now in heauen where she sits crown'd in possession of so highe a dignitie It is impossible to imagine the number that waytes vpon her there which the Prophet endeauouring to speake of sayes Ten thousand serue thee and a hundred times ten thousand assist before thee setting downe a finit number for an infinit And S. Denys sayes that the number of Angels by many parts exceeds the number of al Corporal and material things And for those we know how the sublunary bodies yeild in greatnes to the celestial bodyes and they vnto the tother the more high they are in so much as not a starr of the least magnitud but is farr greater then al the globe of inferior things together We know besides that euery man from Adam to the Consummation of the world hath had and shal haue an Angel Guardian to attend vpon them be they good or bad al equally participating of this benefit whence it followes as we haue sayd before that the number of Inferiour Angels deputed to that charge exceedeth the number of al men that euer were are and shal bee which being so how innumerous must the superiour bee since as we haue formerly deduced they increase in proportion the more superior they are Certainly more easy it were to number al the starrs in heauen the drops of the Sea the leaues of trees the plants of the earth and the Atomes of the Sun then the multitud of Angels knowne only to God himselfe Let vs add moreouer the better to sett of the glory of our soueraigne Queene a second wonder in traine of this to wit That al the Angels as infinit as they are haue each one yet a diuersity among themselues and if it be such a delightful sight to see a Garden al planted with variety of flowers how much more delightful must it bee to see these Angelical flowers adorning the heauenly Garden with each one their seueral species according to their seueral dignity and merits And heere our Imagination hath a spatious feild to exercise it selfe in deuout conceipts of the B. Virgins perfections and excellence for if the Courtiers striue with so much splēdor how much more splendid must needes that Maiestie bee on whom they al attend For so these B. Spirits are perpetually attending before her Throne adoring her and ready at the least twinkling of her eye to execut her commands which are commonly for the good and saluation of man This is the opinion of S. Augustine where he sayes S. Michael and al the other Angels haue an eye in heauen vnto the B. Virgin to see where shee would Command them any things for the good of soules on earth Let vs conclude then that her Greatnesse are vnspeakeable and incomprehensible not only by men but euen by the Angels themselues and that next to God she hath the most soueraigne command in heauen as being Queene of
al the celestial Hierarchies there and Mother of the supreme Monarck and Creator of euery thing Neither-doth her dominion terminate or end heere but as she is Queene of Angels and of Heauen so also is she of Earth the Inhabitants thereof and for this reason the Diuines cal her frequently Regina mundi the Queen of earth S. Gregory often intitles her to the name of Lady of al Christians so with good reason may she bee who was so great a part of our redemption for God had neuer been made man but for her and consequently had neuer suffered for vs nor gone through with the worke of our redemption which ought to be a powerful Motiue to induce vs to honour and reuerence her Nay euen the very diuels themselues do dread her power at the sole inuocation of whose name they al are put to flight When I pronounce but Aue Maria sayes the deuout S. Bernard the Heauens do smile the Angels reioyce the world exults hel trembles and the diuels are in dismay S. Bridgitt in the first booke of her Reuelations sayes that the B. Virgins rankes and dignity in heauen is so supreme as the diuels are constrained to honour it and she addes That as often as any shal be molested by their temptations let them but inuocat her sacred name and presently they al shal vanish and be put to flight of whose sole Command they more stand in awe then of al their torments so as whensoeuer she vndertakes the cause of any soule they dare not withstand her in it as witnesseth this story registred in the Promptuary of her Miracles and taken out from thence by Pelbert in his Stellary of the B. Virgin There was a man sayes he of a nature so euil inclined and peruerse as he neuer was exercised in any good but only in some few reuerences and praiers which he daily offered vp to the B. Virgin This man though often inspired to leaue his wicked life was yet so farr from it as he persisted more obstinat in it euery day vntil at last in drawing his latest breath he imagined himself hurried by a crew of diuels with horrible noyse and howlings vnto the tribunal of the Iudge where they demaunding iustice and the Iudge putting them to declaration of the cause they clearly proued him a most wicked man and as such desired sentence should be giuen on him When the B. Virgin standing vp in his defence declared whatsoeuer good she had knowne by him like a most faithful Aduocate but scarce had she finished her speech when in an insolent manner the diuels argued against her thus is this al you are able to say for him vnlesse you defend his cause better then so and bring more proofes of goodnes in him what for his bad wil become of him may be easily seen heere he began to add vnto the list of his offences thousands and thousands more when the B. Virgin seeing their number so great as by the way of Iustice there was no hope for him shee strait addrest her selfe by that of mercy and prostrating her selfe before the Iudges feete no sooner he had raised her vp but she began if these pretenders to Iustice sayd shee were interessed in the cause more then out of malice they should carry it and I would not so much as dispute it with them but to what end al this long recapitulation of crimes what concernes it them whether your inspirations were obeyed or no or since when haue they been soe iealous of your honour that they should care so much where you were dishonored certainly if there be any fault it is cheifly theirs and if there be any offence it is only yours it is you only whom he hath offended and to you alone he is ready to make satisfaction not with any boast of merit or that he stands on iustifying his cause but with repentance in his heart teares in his eyes sighs in his mouth to obtaine of your mercy what of iustice he cannot hope for I cōfesse the quantity quality of his crimes are so enormious great that they deserue nothing but death dānation but if my prayers were euer powerful with you now hear my prayers for him and by these breasts which had the honour once to giue you sucke I coniure you for so many drops of milke you haue receiued from them to bestow one drop of bloud of the aboundance you haue shed for sinners to washe this man from his sinnes for his life hereafter I wil vndertake so as you wil pardon what is past for I see al signes of a repentant sinner in his heart his eyes and al and concluding heere with a profound reuerence the Iudge remained a while with his eyes fixt vpon the ground in great suspence now weighing the mightines of his crimes now of her power that interceded for him whilst either part was wauering betwixt hope and feare at last lifting vp his eyes casting them on her with a gracious regard Though it be exceeding much you aske said he yet were it much more I could not deny it such an intercession for your sake then I pardon him this once but neuer let him hope for pardon againe if he abuse it now hauing sayd this the diuels confounded departed with horrible cryes saying We knew wel enough what would be the end of it shee euer hath the better of vs and 't is our folly to contend with her she is too powerful an Aduocate and too gracious with the Iudge so they vanished away and the poore man returning to himself againe recounted to al this horrible vision and deceiuing the Phisicians for his corporal health and the diuels for his spiritual he recouered both making of either such vse for the time to come that he entred into Religion and there to his dying day ledd a most holy life By which we may see the preciousnes of the sacred bloud of Christ our Lord and how preualent with him and powerful ouer our aduersaries is his Glorious Mother and our most faithful Aduocate Of the great honour we owe to the B Virgin for her being our most deare and merciful Mother CHAP. VI. THE Blessed Virgin standing at the foote of the Crosse on Mount Caluary accompanied with S. Iohn Our Sauiour Christ beholding her with a pittiful and gracious eye sayed vnto her Woman behold thy sonne meaning S. Iohn and then addressing his speech to him he sayd Behold thy Mother from that time sayes the holy Scripture he made account of her as his owne and to the end of his life obserued her accordingly From hence the learned gather this great mystery how our Sauiour in recommending her vnto S. Iohn for his Mother commended al the faithful vnto her for her children for if S. Iohn say they represented them al as there is no doubt of it the B. Virgin being assigned him for Mother was likewise assigned vnto al Christians Whereupon S. Bernard fals into
Dominick apt ministers to employ therein and to exhort them vnto penance after which if they persist in their wickednes do your iustice what it wil with them I haue done with them Hereupon his diuine Maiestie let his thunder fal out of his hands his boyling anger coole and at his Mothers prayers was for that once content to pardon man Hauing then a Mother in heauen so powerful as she let vs haue recourse to her and put vs in shelter vnder her as children do vnder their Mothers when they fly their Fathers wrath and that especially when wee finde our selues most prest with ill fortune or calamity and say vnto her Sub tuum praesidium c. O mother of God and of vs wee put our selues vnder your paotection refuse vs not in our necessities nor abandon vs vnto the afflictions that threaten vs and haue a firme confidence that she wil succour you and haue pitty of your miserable estate who neuer refuses those who haue recourse to her In so much as a holy Doctour sayes If so great be the enormity of our crimes as we feare to appeare with them before Alm. God our best course were to addresse our selues to her and she infallibly wil succour vs. And S. Chrysostom in one of his Sermons sayes vnto her You haue been chosen from eternity sayes he Mother of God to the end that those whom God in iustice cannot saue should arriue by your pittiful intercession vnto saluation And with this accords wel that Vision which B. Leo had one of holy S. Francis companions in which he had a representation of the finall Iudgement day where he sawe two ladders reared vpp the one a read one reaching from earth to heauen where our B. Sauiour al in terror sate the other of white iust of the same proportion extended to the B. Virgins throne where she sate in al sweetnes and affability and he obserued that those who mounted vp by that read one did fal to groūd agayne some from the neather rounds and so vpwards euen vnto the very topp vntil Saint Francis called to them and admonished them to clime by that white one and he would assure them of better speed and he sawe that those who followed his counsel were gratiously receiued by our Lady introduced into heauen From which vision and we haue before deduced results an euidēt proofe of her motherly Care of vs and how she loues vs euer to passion procuring with extraordinary solicitud al wee stand in need of both in heauen and earth With good reason then ought we to reuerence her and haue her in honour and veneration with good reason are we to serue her affectionately and consecrat vnto her the best desires of our hart and this al lawes both diuine and humane exact of vs to witt that if she be our mother we should loue and honour her and if a loue and honour be due from vs to our parents who engender vs into this world with how much more reason is it due to her who so carefully procures our regeneration to a better life Let vs not cease then to loue reuerence this soueraigne Lady both of heauen and earth since God himselfe doth it as wel as we and according to Methodius hath a kind of obligation also to doe it she being his Mother and consequently the precept of honouring our parents hauing also reference vnto him yea and it seemes in more particular manner vnto him then vs since she was more particularly his parent then any can be ours both because he had no other on earth but her as also because she could haue no other sonne You haue good reason to reioice sayes the sayd Methodius since you haue him in a manner on the score with you to whom al mortals are indebted else And so he went still honouring her heer on earth as his deare Mother and as such was obedient to her et erat subditus illis as the holy Scripture sayes neither doth he lesse honour her now in heauen but as some deuout Doctors sayd after his glorious resurrection first saluting her with a Salue sansta Parens he iterated it at her Assumption into heauen and there seating her at his owne right hand al the Court of heauen doing reuerence to her the while he constituted her in absolut power and authority ouer the trine Empire of the Vniuerse where al bow down before her as to the daughter mother and spouse of the Alblessed Trinity the Queene of Angels Empresse of the World and most faithful Mediatrix of al Christian soules vnto her Blessed Sonne who grants al things at her request Hovv to put these reuerences in practise wherby the B. Virgin is to be honored CHAP. VII IN the precedent chapters we haue seen of what excellency and valour is the exercise of Reuerences to the B. Virgin and how acceptable vnto her it is we haue moreouer sufficiently informed our selues of the reasons which should moue vs vnto her reuerence as that she is the mother of the king of heauen her surpassing glory there and that she is of higher dignity then al the quiers of heauen that she hath al power heer on death and finally that she is our Mother and soueraigne Lady also And yet much more could alleage I alleage to moue vs to deuotion did not the feare deterr me of ingulfing my self into so wide and profoūd an Ocean Wherfore now it remaines that I treat of the Method we are to vse to put in practise this so laudable deuotion First then I say we are to endeauour by often genuflexions and inclinations of the body to honour her in which the better to actuat our selues we are to banish from vs al tepidity and drowzynes and make choice of time and place most conuenient for it and first touching the circumstance of place priuary is the cheifest thing we are to regard of time the night seemes fittest as that which is freest from distraction best composeth the mind We reade in Surius how S. Elizabeth daughter of the King of Hungary exercised herselfe with such affections in this so laudable deuotion as she appointed one of her women euery night to awake her at a certaine houre by some secret way she had when she would rise vnknowne to the Prince her husband and spend most part of the insuing night in these adorations which the Roman Breuiary makes mention of Shee rising in the nights says it from her husband and the time in prayer and genuflections At which time no doubt but the Angels reioyced to see her vertuously imployed being riche and noble by birth but far more by vertue and her true deuotion and finally her performing that on earth which the Angels account themselues happy to do in heauen Now for the number of them I wil prescribe none but leaue it to the deuotions of those who are desirous to exercise themselues therin nor the manner how it is to be done either of
bowing one knee to the ground or both of lifting vp their hands or crossing them before their breasts but let them choose that posture which likes them best and which makes most for their deuotion Only I wil speake a word or two in the commendations thereof in general as first of the facility wherewith it is don there being none so much employed or infirme who cannot with ease do somewhat in this kind either in bending the knee or bowing the head actions which are compatible with al in what estate or imployment soe'r they be Then it is a king of deuotion this of adoration of al others the most noble and acceptable to the Queene of Heauen the office of Angels and who then would not be ambitious of it to doe the same on earth which al the celestial Courtiers do in heauen and I beseech deuout persons that they would but consider how diligently and with what care your earthly Princes are serued and honoured by their followers and Courtyers which whosoeuer shal but obserue must needs blush for shame if they be not as careful and assiduous in seruing their Queene of Heauen And to incite our deuotions thereunto it would do wel to read of the diligence of Saints in this particular as namely in Surius of S. Albert how he bowed his knees a hundred times a day and fifty times prostrated himself on the ground saying each time an Aue Maria in honour of the Queene of Heauen And of S. Catherine of Sucina daughter of S. Brigit how according to the same Authour she was from her tender infancy so exercised in prayer as besides our Ladye Office which she recited euery day with the Penitential Psalmes other such deuotiōs she imploy'd her selfe fower houres euery day continually in this exercise of genuflexions vnto the B. Virgins honour accompanying it with many teares As for that which S. Iohn Damascen hath left written of Simon Stilites it doth more cause our wōder then imitation his standing on a pillar exposed vnto the rigors of winters and scorching of sōmers heate thirty fixe cubits highe situated on an eminent Mountaines topp and this continued for more then thirty yeares making a thousand and a thousand genuflexions and inclinations euery day and one of the seruants of B. Theodoret Bishopp of Cyrene obseruing him one day counted aboue a thousand two hundred and forty inclinations of his and that of those more painful ones he bowing as it were euen round in performing them So of the glorious Apostle S. Bartholomew we reade that a hundred times a day and as many by night he vsed to bend his knees which was more in one who was so perpetually and assidually imployed in preaching and conuerting of the world then a hundred times so much were in another man Wel did he vnderstand of how highe price and value with the B. Virgin these Reuerences and adorations were vnderstanding things in such an illuminatiue manner as he did or els he had neuer been so careful punctual in performing them But no wonder that the holy Saints and freinds of Alm. God haue produced such strāge effects as these left to vs so litle hope of imitating them since the diuine grace that superabounded in them the ardent fire of the holy Ghost that incessantly inflamed their harts and that height of perfection they had attained vnto al concurred vnto the rendring them actiue vigours and diligent in this holie exercise But as for vs weaklings as we are destitut of those spiritual forces which they had and that mind to apply those forces to the best if we cannot imitat them so nearly yet at least a farr off we may do somewhat in their imitation and bitter is it so to do do it deuoutly then weary our selues by enterprizing too much and so become wholy dulled and dis-animat and rather loose spirit then gayne by the excesse There is an Example concerning this taken out of the Mirrour of examples which is this A certaine Religious woman had a daily deuotion to say an hundred and fifty Aue Maries accompanying each one with a profound reuerence but she growing cold in the performance of them by reason the number seemed excessiue great was diuinely admonished in vision to diminish them to a third part vnder the condition that she should say those with greater feruour deuotion And S. Hierome to this purpose sayes it is farr better to say one Psalme deuoutly and with alacrity of spirit then the whole Psalter with negligence and tepidity Notwithstandiug supposing al be equal certainly much better it is to do more then lesse in these or any other exercises of piety since good workes ar the more meritorious stil with the more difficulty they ar perform'd and the more grateful is the doing of it to those vnto whose reuerencs it is exhibited Hovv the aptest time for the exercise of these deuotions is the particular feasts of our B. Lady CHAP. VIII THE Church euer guided by the holy Ghost hath in al tymes erected Tēples and consecrated Altars in reuerence of the sacred Queene of Heauen and hath honoured her with vowes Hymnes Canticles and Laudes and diuers other deuotions and seruices which the feare of detayning the Reader too long makes me forbeare the relation of but aboue the rest some feasts it hath commaunded to be kept wheron she is more particularly honoured Those may be diuided into two Classes the greater the lesser the greater include her Conception Natiuity Purification Annunciation and her Assumption into heauen The lesser which are not of precept her Praesentation Visitation others among which we may add the Saturday To begin then from the lowest the Saturday is dedicated by the holy Church vnto her honour namely in the Councel of Trent where it is ordained that Masses and Offices should be sayd of her on those dayes when they concurr not with any other feast Moreouer it hath been an antient custome of deuout Christians to fast that day in her honour which kind of deuotion is most acceptable vnto her as appeares by this following story S. Anselme writes of a certaine Theefe who entring once into a poore widowes house with intent to despoile her of what she had and finding her so slenderly furnished as he imagined it not worth his paines he to decline the suspition of what he came for ask't her what victuals she had whither she had broke her fast that day God forbid replied she that I should violat so my vow I haue made to the B. Virgin of fasting in her honor euery saturday why so sayd the theefe because sayd she agayne I haue heard a certaine learned preacher say that whosoeuer did it should neuer die without Confession The theefe was so strucken at the report of this as remayning a long time in consideration of his wicked life at last he started out of that melancholy posture wherin he was and setting one knee to the
ground and lifting his hands and eyes to heauen Seeing it is so O B. Vigin sayd he and that each poore thing that is don for you is so richly rewarded I heere promise and vow in imitation of this deuout seruant of yours euery saturday to fast in your honour as long as it shal please Alm. God to giue me life and health which afterwards he inuiolatly obserued but for the rest continuing stil his haunt of robbing it happened once that being ouer matched by passingers he had his head cut off and they thinking they had made him sure went on their way glorying in what they had done whē behold the head cried out Confession for the loue of God Cōfession when imagine in what affright they were vnable a long while for amazement to stirr or moue vntil at last they came vnto the next village and certified the Curat of what had hapned who running thither accompanied with many of his parishioners brought thither by Curiosity behold rhey hauing ioyned the head vnto the body he with a loue and audible voice that al might heare him sayd vnderstand al of you that I neuer did any good in al my life but only in honour of the B. Virgin fasting Saturdayes for which reason when my soule was issuing forth of my body as it was seperated from my head and the diuels ready to intercept it were al assembled behold the B. Virgin hindred them nor would she suffer it to issue forth of my body vntil by Cōfession it were expiated of its crimes and therupon hauing confest himselfe and desiring al the assistants to pray for him he exchanged this life for a happier on This day then being particularly consecrated to the honour of the B. Virgin we should do wel to add vnto our fasts this deuotion of lowly inclining and reuerencing her It being of such excellency as we haue declared before of which each one may offer vp as many as his deuotion shal suggest and time and place permit How euer for the more certainty might I prescribe them a taxed number it should be the number of the Beads to wit sixty three in honour of those yeares which according to some Doctours the B. Virgin liued vpon earth and so it were best to number them vpon their Beads performing them the while with that attention as if the B. Virgin were really present there and while they do it they may at earth one pronounce those first words of the Angelical salutation Aue Maria which some are of opinion the Angel pronounc't in actually bowing his knee and lowly reuerencing her with bowing downe his head But of this we shal speak more amply in the 11. chapter of this booke where we shal teache an apt Method of putting in practise this exercise and what I say of the Saturday may be obserued when any of her lesser feasts occurr As for the Greater feasts the greater the solemnity is with the greater deuotion we are to solemnize it wherfore it were wel if on such dayes as those we encreased to a hundred the number of those reuerences it being a number much celebrated in the holy Scripture for perfect and mysterious but I would not wishe you to performe them al at once for feare of taediousnes but to diuide them so as both morning noone afternoone euening and night may haue its parting which in the former number of sixty three I would likewise haue obserued that we may come to it with fresh deuotion and renue the memory of our B. Lady more affectionatly and often And if the feast be celebrated with an Octaue we may celebrat each day of the Octaue with this deuotion when if we begin the vigil with a hundred and ten and so continue the Octaue out we shal make compleatly vp the number of a thousand a number perfect sacred and mysterious This excellent deuotion was most frequent with S. Margaret daughter of the king of Hungary Religious of the Order of Saint Dominick who as Doctor Querin of the same Order recounteth in her life was so affectionatly deuoted to the Queene of heauen as she no sooner sawe her Image in any place but she presently kneeled downe before it reciting in her honor the Angelical salutation and on the Eues of her most solemne feasts she alwayes fasted with bread and water from which day til the conclusion of the Octaue she sayd a thousand Aue Marias at each one of which she humbly prostrated her selfe on the ground making it her greatest delight next to honouring Alm. God to honour his B. Mother Of the Feasts of our Sauiour Christ CHAP. IX VPON occasion of treating of the feasts of our B. Lady I am put in minde to speake a word of the feasts of our B. Sauiour which we are to honour aboue al the rest and with good reason for if the feasts of creatures as we haue sayd may be celebrated in their honour how much is the Creatour on his feast to be honoured Al those deuotions we may exercise on his feast which we haue taught to be exercised on the feasts of our B. Lady alwayes prouided that we reuerence him in a higher straine of Latria only proper to God himself Thou sbalt honour serue the Lord thy God c The principal feasts of our Sauiour Christ which are celebrated with their Octaues are fiue the Natiuity the three Kings adoration the Resurrection the Ascension that of Corpus Christi or the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist amongst which I place in the highest ranke that of the Natiuity because on that al the Quires in heauen descended vnto the earth to adore their King then an infant lying in the manger or in his mothers lap And so the deuout soule that exerciseth theis deuotions on that day is to frame a liuely imagination of the place imagining themselues in Bethleem and adoring amongst the rest him whom al both in heauen and earth adore The feast of the three Kings puts vs in minde of nothing but adorations since on that day they al adored our Blessed Sauiour in his Mothers lapp and in them al the nations of the world and with how much deuotion it was accompained may be gathered from this pathetical expression of it by the Euangelist Saint Mathew And entring into the house sayd he they found the infant with Mary his Mother and falling on the ground adored him The glorious Resurrection to the dignity of which al other feasts giue a kinde of pre-heminence deserueth Adoration likewise because on it our Sauiour rose againe al victorious and victory charged with the spoyles of hel while the Angels adored him reioycing at his triumph and singing in his prayses their songs of ioy And what should I say of his most glorious Ascension on which our Lord and Sauiour after his victories made his magnificent entrance into Heauen and there being seated at the right hand of his Eternal Father to whom he was euery way equal in
particular care and protection of those that are deuoted vnto them perpetually procuring for them fauours and assistances from Alm. God this verity is Orthodox confirmed and approued by many Councels and holy Doctours Now for the Saints Founders of Religious Orders which by excellence are called Patriarcks because as Abraham for exāple was stiled by that name for that so many people descended from him so from them so many Religious are propagated in the Church Of this sort is S. Benet S. Augustine S. Francis and S. Dominick and of later-yeares S. Ignatius c. Al which are to be had in highest veneration by those of their holy Orders not only on the particular dayes when their feasts are honoured but euery day of the yeare besides and that Religious man who desires to augment in him the deuotion he hath to the Founder of his Order should do wel to assigne a particular day of the week for honouring him that Wednesday in particular as the most conuenient for this effect when with some extraordinary deuotion of fasting praying reuerēcing him and the like he is to procure to honour him more particularly referr vnto that end al which he doth that day which finally hath reference al vnto the honour of our Sauiour Christ and to imploy some houres of the day in the meditation of the particular vertues of that Blessed Saint It is the general doctrine of the learned that the Founder of each Religious Order hath a particular care not only of the Order in general but also of each Religious in particular more or lesse according as their merits are and that they assidually defend them strengthening their forces and weakening the enemies who oppugne and fight against them Of which great priuiledge and prerogatiue Brother Leo in particular had an excellent reuelation vision of holy S. Francis which I wil heer recount S. Francis being happily departed vnto rest hauing rendred his body to the earth and his soule to heauen Brother Leo one of his most affectionat disciples bearing impatiently the absence of one whom he loued so dearely wel prayed instantly vnto Alm. God to make him so happy that once more in this life he might enioy the happy aspect againe of his beloued Maister and iterating his petition both earnestly often it pleased Alm. God that one day he being retired into a solitary place he beheld S. Francis appearing vnto him in a strāge mysterious shape al shining with glorious light but for the rest winged with golden wings and tallonted both hands and feete with Eagles clawes The Brother transported with ioy al sight of him was running to embrace and kisse his hands and feete but espying in what strange equipage they were he al amazed demanded of the Saint the reason why he appeared in that sort the Saint answered againe vnderstād these are no other then markes of the affection I beare my Order and the Religious thereof and these do signifie that amongst al the other riche prerogatiues his diuine Maiesty hath honoured me withal since my arriuing into heauen one is the authority power to vindicat my Religious from their necessities and defend them from any aduersity that presses them as often as with confidence they invoke my aide and these wings and tallons now I haue assumed to signify my readines and promptitud in succouring mine and the force and violence with which I oppugne al those who iniure them Good reason then haue the Children of this great Pattiarcke to reioice on earth for hauing so powerful a protector of him in heauen so louing a father and so careful an Aduocate I would aduise them to be assidual in honouring him with those reuerences of which we haue spoken and particulary to salute him euery day with fiue times bowing their knees vnto the ground in honour of the fiue woūds so miraculously imprest vpon him while he liued reioycing and congratulating with him for so highe and so sublime a dignity It being no doubt one of the most acceptable deuotions we can exhibit vnto him now he is in heauen Of the Adoration of the Angels CHAP. XI AND if we be obliged to honour the B. Saints with that due reuerēce appropriated their worship as we haue amply proued in the precedent Chapters with farr more reason are we to honour the holy Angels as the noblest in substance of al created things and representing most liuely their Creatours vnlimited power and magnificence And although it be true that both men and Angels are both Creatures of Alm. God and workes of that soueraigne Artificer that they are either framed according to his Image and by the faculties of their memory vnderstanding their wil capable of his grace and of being participant of his glory and eternal felicity and that many circumstances there are which equal Man with Angels yea and in consideration of the Hypostatical vnion and the Mother of our Sauiour Christ it may pretend some pre-eminence aboue them also Yet if we weigh their natures and ballance them equally one against the other no doubt but we shal find the one farr exceeding the other and as lead can neuer arriue to the excellency of siluer nor siluer of gold no more can a body any way equal in excellency a soule nor the soule of man naturally speaking the most inferiour Angel that is in heauen Vnto which our B. Sauiour infallibly alluded when he sayd Verily I say vnto you amongst the sonnes of men hath not been borne a greater then Iohn Baptist neuerthelesse the least in the Kingdome of heauen is farr greater then he But now before we wade any further into this matter we are to vnderstand that the word Adoration is a notion general to good Angels and men In conformity to which we find it in holy Scripture indifferently vsed for either as where it is sayd that the Israelits adored both their king God they bowed downe sayes he and adored God and afterwards their King So the Children of Israel adored their brother Ioseph then Gouernour of AEgypt after his brothers had adored him c. For which reason the Doctours both ancient moderne haue distinguished it into three seueral species of Adoration Latria Dulia and Hyperdulia the first being exhibited only vnto God himselfe as a souueraine kinde of adoration only fitted to the soueraine power he hath with the second we honour Saints and Angels And as for the third it appertaines to the B. Virgin alone and vnto her who surpasseth in excellence both Angels and al rest of Saints besides and of this in the precedent Chapters we haue discours't at large In breefe then we establish this conclusion we are to adore Angels and men deseruing it and this is an Article of faith according to Suares defined by Pope Felix the first of that name in the Councel at Rome the 7. th Synod And S. Augustine speaking of the B. Apostle S. Peter sayes An infinit number of the
without pronouncing any word at al but only imagining with themselues now I honour the first Quire now the second and now the third c. Now it rests that we assigne one day of the weeke for the exercise of this Deuotion and what more proper thē that the Church hath appointed to honour the B. Angels on to witt the Tewsday Let that then be it and on that day let vs most particularly honour them those that al Preists saying Masse of the Angels for them those of the laity deuoutly hearing it c. And because Psalmody is exceeding grateful to them if it be accompanied with due attention of spirit those who are imployed in that laudable exercise are to endeauour to comport themselues with al due reuerence and deuotion imagining themselues in presence of the Angels while they are performing it I wil sing Psalmes in the presence of Angels I wil adore in his holy Temple and praise his holy name And to this accords wel that which we reade of S. Bernard in the hystory of the illustrious men of the Cistercians how he sawe the B. Angels while Te deum was sung to goe from one Quire to another encouraging the Religious to sing it with feruour and deuotion Another tyme he sawe them busily writing downe what the Religious pronounced those in golden better which were pronounced with force of spirit and from the hart those in siluer which were vttered with attention but not such feruour as the former were those in inke which proceeded from them with a litle admixture of distraction and those finally in puddle-water which were pronounced without al sense of deuotion Moued then by this example and knowing that the B. Angels are assistant at our deuotions let vs performe them with such a spirit not only worthy of the Oratory that we are in but also of the Company that is there Happy and thrice happy are they who shal so honour them since they shal be rewarded for it not only by the Angels intercessions in heauen continually for them but also by their assidual assistance of them heer from al dangers both of bodily and ghostly enemies til at last receiuing vs at the honour of our deaths they take vs out of this transitory and miserable life and tranfferr vs to a happy and eternal on Of the honour and reuerence we ovve vnto our Angel Guardian CHAP. XII AND who sees not how reasonable it is in lieu of so many benefits we receiue from them to honour and reuerence the B. Angels for it and in particular our Angel Guardian who hath the care protection of vs committed to his charge For certaine it is auerred by al learned men that excepting our B. Sauiour each man hath his peculiar Angel attending stil on him whence we may perceiue how great is the goodnes and charity of Alm. God towards man who we being such contemptible creatures as we are hath not only been contented to create the Elements for our seruice mixt bodies for our vse and finally al corporal creatures els but also hath encharged the holy Angels with our protection and defence creatures so excellent so sublime in glory wisdome and power to be our instructours in vertue and our guides to truth But if goodnes be to be admired in bestowing them vpon vs no lesse admirable is his power in creating them in such innumerable multituds that the very lowest Quire of them is sufficient to furnish with Angels guardiās not only al the men that are but al that haue been or shal be as long as the world shal last so according to the probable coniecture of the learned there being a matter now of some million million of soules in al the world not only euery one of them hath an Angel guardian but one so particularly vnto himself as he was neuer Guardian to any one before nor euer shal be to any after him God whensoeuer he creates a soule appointing a pecular Guardian that neuer in that office was imployed before And who can imagine then how many millions of millions there must be to serue for so many millions of men that haue been shal be vntil the general Iudgement day And this opinion is the more probable not only because of Gods omnipotēce which is more illustrated thereby but also of a certaine congruency on the Angels part who if they should not suffice in number to afford each one a Guardian it would follow that the number of men would exceed that of them which would argue a deficiencie in them and take from that proportion by which it is supposed that as the Archangels exceed the Angels ten to one c. so there should be ten times more of Angels then of men The necessity we stand in of their caelestial aide is great and vrgent first because our soules are spiritual and consequently spirits can best see their necessityes next because we our selues are weake and ignorant of the force and imagination of the Enemy to ensnare and ouercome vs were it not for them Who watching continually by vs obserue al their wayes and carefully meete them with preuention But heere some may obiect how can they be continually by vs when our Sauiour sayes they continually behold the face of Alm. God in whose vision consists their cheisest beatitud Angeli eorum semper vident faciem Patris mei qui in caelis est To this I answer with S. Gregory that it is true the Angels are stil in heauen euen when corporally they are employed els-where else we could not reconcile that other place of Scripture with this where it is sayed that God imployes them on his Embassages heer on earth so as while in contemplation of the heauenly essence they are stil in heauen we must grant them really the while to be on earth And to incite in vs a greater deuotion towards them I wil endeauour to summe vp the many good offices they dayly do vs which although infinit in themselues may yet be reduced to three heads The first is they deliuer vs from many euident dangers by their careful custody of vs which the holy Prophet testifies where he sayes He hath giuen his Angels charge of thee to looke to thee in al thy wayes and beare thee in their handes least thou shouldst dash thy foote against a stone And heer let each one Cal to minde how many-fold dangers they haue escaped Heer one the falling of a house vpon his head which if he had not sodainly changed his mind he had gone iust vnder it as it did fal and to whom can he attribute this change of mind but to his Angel Guardian Another being prepared to goe some voyage puts it off he knowes not why and after wards vnderstands that if hee had gone he had falne into the hands of Pirats or of theeues and this was the worke of his good Angel also with a hundred others the like Which the Patriarke Iacob acknowledged to come from his
be done eyther walking in the feilds or visiting the stations in the streets or the maisters or mistresses of families convocating them together may distribut thē in Quires do it with much profit deuotion which if it be done with due attention it is impossible to imagine how grateful it wilbevntothe Queen of heauen To conclude this Chapter then I wil only recount a certaine Miracle in confirmation thereof What tyme the B. Brother Bernardin of Felthe preached at Pauy a certaine noble Matron had this deuotion to teach al her children daily before they went to schoole to say their beads before a certaine Image of the Queene of heauen which she had in her Chamber now it happened that one of the least of them one day fel into the Riuer in passing ouer a bridge of which accident the Mother being aduertised she presently casting her self vpon her knees before the Image of our Lady in lifting vp her eyes to heauen al bedeawed with teares O mother of God sayd she the vsual hope of the afflicted if it be your blessed wil saue my poore child if not your B. wil be done and concluding with the Angelical salutation deuoutly sayd she ran to the place where many people were assembled to saue the child and was no sooner arriued at the bridge but behold she saw her child floting vpon the water and calling her by her name at which much reioicing she cried out take strong cheere my child cal vpon the B. Virgin and my life for yours when presently the child was taken vp safe and brought vnto its mother when embracing it the child said vnto her its is not to men I owe my deliurāce but to our B. Lady before whose Image you so often instructed me to pray and therupon it recounted vnto her how being falne in she had receiued it in her armes and bore it aboue the waters At this al the Assembly moued to deuotion towards the B. Virgin did render praise and thankes to Alm. God and his B. Mother for being so fauourable and succourable to those who deuoutly inuoke her in their necessities Of the most excellent deuotion of the Rosary CHAP. XVIII THOSE who are diligent in seruing of great princes are stil inuenting some new way of honouring them and so we Christians being seruants of Alm. God and of his B. Mother are to do the like Now amongst al the Inuentions of which deuotion hath ben most fertil none hath been comparable to the Inuention of the Rosary And to say nothing of the name or whether it were fo called to signifie that as the Rose holdes the first ranke amongst al flowers so the Rosary amongst al deuotions or that the contexture of it seemes to be as a Garland of roses for to crowne the head of her whom we honour in it Finally there is none more vniuersally exercised then this deuotion of the Rosary whose Invention the whole Christian world owes to that great Patriarke S. Dominike as the propagation thereof vnto the Religious of this Order who take care to celebrate it euery where on earth Neither is it celebrated on earth alone but the very Angels in heauen do exercise it too as is confirmed by this vision recorded by two graue learned Authors Lanspergius the Carthusian and Blosius the famous Abbot in his spiritual Mirrour as followeth The Prior of the Carthusians at Treuers a very holy man and one much exercised in this deuotion of the Rosary one day rauished in vision as he was frequently beheld the glorious Cittizens of heauen praising and blessing with ineffable ioy our Lord Iesus-Christ and his B. Mother by commemorating the mysteries of the Rosary and recommendation of al those who deuoutly exercised it heere on earth besides he obserued that singing in their praise as often as they repeated the glorious names of Iesus and Maria they made humble obeissance to it and lastly it was reuealed to him that those who deuoutly exercised this deuotion on earth should obtaine by our Ladyes intercession a plenary Indulgence of al their faults with diuers priuiledges in this life and more then can be imagined in the next From whence we may gather the excellency of the Rosary how acceptable it is to our Lord and Sauiour Christ to his B. Mother al the Court of Heauen Wherfore we are to endeauour to performe it with al due reuerence attention if we desire to be grateful vnto them and to haue them propitious vnto vs. The whole Rosary consists of fifteene Decads of Aue Matias and fifteene Pater noster that is a hundred and fiftie Aue Marias which admitting of a triple diuision your beads of fiue decads are those most ordinarily in vse Now the manner of Meditating on them the seueral mysteries of our Sauiours and B. Ladyes life is this On the first fiue decads they vse to meditat the fiue Ioyful mysteries to witt vpon the first the Angelical salutation when the Eternal Word by the holy Ghosts cooperation was conceiued Vpon the second decad the Visitation of S. Elizabeth On the third the Natiuity of our Sauiour Christ On the fourth the Presentation in the Temple of our Sauiour Christ where holy Simeon and Anna the Prophetesse foretold to his glad mother his future greatnes and miracles And on the fifth our B. Ladyes finding her B. Sonne in the Temple disputing with the Doctors c. On the fiue next decads we are to meditat the fiue Dolorous mysteries The first of which is our B. Sauiours prayer in the Garden where he fel into that bloudy Agony The second the cruel Flagellation or his whipping at the Pillar til he was al goary bloud The third the crowning him with thornes their spittings in his face buffeting reuiling him and the like The fourth the Carrying of the crosse on his B. shoulders to Mount Caluary when his body so enfeebled as before must needes sinke often vnder the heauy waight The fifth his Crucifixion or nayling vpon the Crosse with vnspeakable cruelty and indignity On the last 5. Decads we are to Meditat first our Blessed Lord and sauiours glorious Resurrection next his Ascension into heauen Thirdly the happy departure of the B. Virgin hence Fourthly her Assumption into Heauen Fiftly and lastly her glorious Coronation there where she is declared Queene ouer the vniuersal Kingdomes of heauen and earth Where is to be noted that for the obtaining of the Indulgences granted to the sodality of the Rosary then which I do not knowe any more ample it is not requisit to meditat al these mysteries in order as we haue sett them down but it may suffice to entertaine ones mind the while with meditating any one or two of them in which we shal find the greatest deuotion nay only to say our beads ouer vocally according to Nauarrs opinion is sufficient so it be don with due attention and deuotion Now for the more ignorant that they may participat likewise of the fruit
of deuotion before they begin their beads I would counsel them to frame an Imagination of the B. Virgin in one of these three manners as vulgarly they are accustomed to delineat her Either with the Angel saluting her or holding her B. Sonne betwixt her armes or finally al glorious in heauen ready to heare and grant our Petition and this there is none but may make benefit of for the stirring them vp vnto deuotion And that learned man Nauarr when he was fowerscore yeares of age not only made vse of this Imagination in reciting of the Rosary but also in al his other deuotions and prayers still Imagined the dignity of the person to whom he directed them Which manner of stirring vpp attention is both easy recreatiue and deuout maintayning the spirit in attention and recollecting the memory the whilst opening a way to great familiarity with Alm. God and his B. Mother which if as we ought we practise and esteeme according vnto its dignity we shal in short time make wondrous progresse in the way of spirit and shal heape vp in heauen riches enough to make vs happy for al eternity There only rests that I add to this a most stupendious accident by which we may see the great importance of this deuotion the great benefit those of the Confraternity of the Rosary enioy thereby it is extracted out of a litle booke intitled The Rosary of our Lady At what time S. Dominik preached in the Kingdome of Aragon a certaine yong Virgin of good account called Alexandria made instance vnto him as he came downe from out of the Pulpit where he had omitted nothing might make for the commendations of the Rosary to be admitted into the Sodality thereof which she obtained although for the rest her life was no wayes accordingly she being one who spent much more time in adorning her body then to haue her soule wel adorned Now it hapned that two Gentlemen at once making suite vnto her it was sufficient ground of quarrel as they in their madnes thought one to challenge the other into the feild where they both remayned dead vpon the place The freinds of either hearing of this sad accident and imagining her as it was true the cause to be revenged on her they rushed into her house and notwithstanding she desired at least but so much respit as to confesse her selfe they would not allow it her but presently cutt of her head and threw it into a pitt But our B. Lady who has euer a special care of her deuoted seruāts though neuer so defectiue reuealed the fact vnto S. Dominick who in order to her merciful commands went to the pit called on Alexādria by her name when behold a wondrous accident the Angels visibly in sight of al the people brought vp the head from the bottom of the pit which ioyned vnto the body she besought the Saint to heare her Confession which being done she declared three things worthy of particular note arriued vnto her both before and after she was dead The first that by vertue of her being of the Confraternity of the Rosary she had a perfect act of Contrition at the instant of her death without which infallibly she had died eternally The second that assoone as she was dead the diuels putting her to great affright she was maruelously secured comforted by the glorious Queene of Heauen The third that for Penance and satisfaction of the death of those two Gentleman she was condemned to Purgatory for two hundred yeares for fiue hundred more for her vanity in attire the cause of that so lamentable effect But that she hoped by the merits of the same Confraternity to be soone deliuered from that punishment and hauing sayd this after she had remained a liue two whole dayes for the confirmation of the miracle and to augment the deuotion of the Sodality she left this life againe whose body was honorably interred by the sodalists there When fifteen dayes after she appeared againe vnto S. Dominick al in glory clothed in resplendant beames of light declaring vnto him after a world of thankes for the inestimable benefits she had receiued of him two things of especial note concerning this deuotion of the Rosary the one was that she was delegated to him from the soules in Purgatory with a Petition to be likewise inrold in the Sodality to receiue the benefit of it amongst the rest The other that the Angels much reioyced at the erection of his Sodality and that God instiled himselfe the Father of it the B. Virgin the Mother c. And hauing sayd this shee flew away to heauen This example ought to be a great incitement vnto euery one to make themselues of this Sodality and the better to become participant thereof to recite euery weeke the whole Rosary at least a payre of beads cannot be burthensome vnto any one of what imployment soeuer they be at the end of euery decad thereof they are to make a profound inclination saying with hart and mouth O most holy Mother of God I adore you and wishe the Saint and Angels may reuerence and adore you a thousand and a thousand times together with whom I haue firme confidence through the grace of Almighty God and your fauourablé assistance to blesse praise and adore you hereafter for euer and euermore Twelue most notable Adorations to be made in the honour memory of twelue dignities and priuiledges bestowed on the B. Virgin by Alm. God answerable to the twelue Starrs which go to the composing of a Crowne for her most sacred head CHAP. XIX THE B. Euangelist S. Iohn in his sublimes Reuelations of the Apocalypse beheld a woman of incomparable beauty euironed with Sun beames the Moone vnder her feete and on her head a crowne of twelue brighter starrs by which according to the exposition of the holy Doctors and Interpreters our B. Lady is vnderstood by the Sun the glory and Maiestie which she shines withal in heauen by the Moone which she treads vnder foote is signified how al that is vnder God such as are sublunary and earthly things she is Superiour too and for the twelue starrs which adorn her head are prefigured twelue singular priuiledges and prerogatiues which Alm. God hath endowed her with al aboue al the Monarks in this world and highest Angels and Seraphins in heauen and these her words haue a relation vnto it in that so excellent Canticle of hers where after she professes her soule doth magnifie our Lord she adds the reason why quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est because he hath don great things for me sayes shee which in that she specifies not what they are we may imagine to bee aboue al expression These then how infinit and vnspeakable they are we shal endeauour to speake a word or two of reducing them vnto the number of twelue answerable to the twelue Starrs which go to the composing of her Crowne The declaration of the
first Starr THE first starr or rather prerogatiues which our heauenly Lady is adorned with al is her Eternal and particular Predestination who before the Creation either of heauen or earth before al times was diuinely elected and predestinated vnto sanctification the plenitud of Grace and the accumulation of al heauenly guifts to the end that she adorned therwith might be the better disposed to the Cōception of the Eternal Word The holy Church makes mention of her diuine predestination in these words of the holy Scripture attributed vnto her Dominus possedit me ab initio viarum suarum the Lord hath had the possession of me from the beginning of his wayes And this other Ab initio ante saecula Creata sum c. from the beginning I was created before al times So S. Bernard discoursing with the B. Virgin vpon this point You haue ben predestinated sayes he in the Spirit of God before al creatures to the end you should ingender God himselfe This then is the first starr which crownes the B. Virgin Where we may obserue that what is future and to come to vs is present and as it were past vnto Alm. God So S. Paul speaking of the predestination of Alm. God speaks of things to come as if they were already past Those whom she hath praedestinated sayes he he hath called and iustified and glorified This B. Virgin then hauing euer been present to the eyes of Alm. God as the most endeared obiect of his loue may wel say of her selfe ab initio ante saecula creata sum And so at the first instant of the Angels creation amongst the Idaeas which they beheld as in a Christal mirrour presented vnto their eyes one of the most beautiful of al next to the humanity of our Sauiour Christ was this celestial Virgin when with what delight and delectation may we imagine them to haue contemplated her and in her the mystery of her redemption and the restauration of humane kind Where were you sayes the Wiseman when the morning starrs did prayse me and al the children of God ioyfully cried out Hauing been then in so particular a manner of predestination elected before al creatures by consequence in excellency she was to excel them al for so vndoubtedly being honoured with the greatest dignity which a creature could be capable of she likewise had as great grace and sanctity as in any Creature possibly could bee with al the other endowments requisit for one who was to be Mother of Alm. God who in preparing her vnto that dignity hath heaped vpon her more perfections and shewed greater proofes of his Omnipotence wisdome and infinit goodnes in creating her then in creating the whole Vniuerse besides and so whosoeuer had an eye so cleare and piercing to penetrat God Alm. work in her would admire it more then his worke manship in al other things beside in perfectioning of whom he hath been more exact then in whatsoeuer else The second Starr declared THE second Starr which adornes and imbellishes our dearest Lady is the prerogatiue of her sanctification or Conception in which her most pure soule when it was vnited to her body receiued no staine of original sinne at al it being endowed euen at that instant with more aboundant grace then any celestial or terrestrial creature else euen at their greatest height of sanctity for which it necessarily followes that in the wombe of her holy Mother she should haue more perfect vse of reason then any other at the ripest yeares by which she both knew loued and contemplated her God and Creatour in a more perfect manner then al the Cōgregation of Saints and Angels could together Naturally speaking it is true indeed as descēdant of Adam she should haue been subiect to original sinne as also al other miseries which follow in trayne thereof had not God with his superabondant Grace preuented her as one whom he had chosen to be his Mother from al eternity and so by an especial Priuiledge exempted from the common condition which al the rest are generally borne vnto through our first Fathers disobedience and so it was most conuenient if we consider the excellency and dignity of the Sonne of God and his B. Mother Now the manner by which was don was this At the same instant as Alm. God created the soule of the B. Virgin and infused it into her body thē newly receiuing forme in S. Anne her mothers wombe it pleased Alm. God to enriche it with his grace so as to free it from the contagion of al sinne which else naturally it had been infected with in such manner as the diuel neuer had any interest in it but to say in what aboundance it was not only exceeds my capacity and expression but that of al other creatures besides For God at that instant did not consider her as issuing from Adam a sinner and his enemy but as his Mother chosen out for the reparation of our sinnes and to bruze the head and trample on the pride of the Infernal Enemy Which being so if as they say the Empyreal Heauen be composed of so noble a substance and shine with so pure and rarified a light only because it is the medium wherein the obiect of Alm. God is seene how pure and noble must the B. Virgin haue been who was chosen to be the tabernacle where he was to inhabite and in which the eternal Word was to vnit himselfe to his holy Humanity And what a glory is this for humane one of their owne linage not only thus exempte from al original and actual sinne but also from the very instant of her natiuity to begin to lead a life ful of grace celestial and diuine What a consolation is this for poore sinners who desire to conuert them from their sinnes to haue one to ayde them who hath so gloriously triūphed ouer them what comfort to those who fight against them to haue her assistāce in the fight who formerly hath ouercome them But yet not only men but Angels themselues reioyce and glory in it to see their Queene and the mother of their king graced with so ritch so ritch endowmēt with so many graces adorned and accumulated with so many priuiledges al deriued from this her immaculat Cōception For which reason S. Vincent Ferrerius saies that at what instāt the B. Virgin was cōceiued there was vniuersal Ioy throughout the court of Heauen The declaration of the third Starr THE third Starr or prerogatiue that goes to composing the Crowne of our B. Lady is her Virginal purity with which shee was endowed by the holy Ghost at the first instant of her Immaculat Conception and if before her birth shee was so pure and holy how pure and holy must she necessarily haue been afterwards finally so pure shee was as S. Anselme sayes of her that next to God there was not to be imagined the like Theodoret sayes shee surpast in purity al the Angels in heauen treating
is nothing sayes S. Herom if we consider it wel of pure splendious or of vertuous which shinnes not in the glorious Virgin most particularly Now if so large a portion of vertues fel vnto her share before she was Mother of God how must they afterwards be augmented when shed was indeed assuredly no tongue is able to expresse how infinit incomprehensible they were sayes S. Bernard the greatnesses perfections of God being infinit and incomprehensible his Mothers who conceiued him in her wombe must needs participat of the incomprehensibility infinitnes of them also Besides there was also congregated in her al moral vertues in greater measure then euer was in any one nay had an Angel come to the earth inuested in humane flesh it could not haue been more perfectly accomplished then she for proofe of which assertion I wil summ vp in a catalogue those most excellent parts of hers which are recorded to haue been in her by diuers holy men the admirablenes perfection of whose life was propos'd as a paterne for virgins to imitat by S. Ambrose in these words Neuer did she offend any sayes he though she had neuer so iust a cause but she both wished and willed wel vnto euery one and did wel them too she was reuerent towards her superiours and no way molestful to her equals she shun'd al boast al her actions were conformable to reason and she loued al vertues with her heart she neuer contristated her parents and neuer with freind or acquaintance entredinto contest she disdained not the humble derided not the simple nor thought it shame to accompany the poore there was no affectation in her behauiour nor dissolution in her gate and her words were so tēpered as the modesty which shined in them and her actions sufficiently declared her interiour sanctity and in ward vertue perfectiō of mind no otherwise then a sumptuous Portal doth the magnificence of the Pallace that is within Neuer but to the Temple did she stin abrode and then neuer but accōpanied with her father Mother kinsfolkes or the like within doores she was delighted with solitud and imployed her thought alwayes in some what of good and profitable for her soule This much S. Ambrose who hath much more besides And S. Hierom describing her Heroick vertues celestial māner of life in the Temple amongst the sacred Virgins sayes She alwaies endeauoured to be the first at Vigils of the night to be best instructed in the law of God the most humble in her demeane the most eagre in the workes of Charity the purest in purity and most perfect in al sorts of vertues and perfections she was assidual in prayer as the Prophet sayes meditated night and day in the law of God she was iealous of the honours of those she conuersed with and that without any disgust or molestation of theirs Deo gratias was her answer to al salutations and in fine her whole life was such as for prayer humility modesty solitud silence virginal bashfulnes and the like noble vertues of her sexe she was a paterne and model for al to imitat The seauenth Starr declared THe seauenth Starr nothing inferior in brightnes to the rest is her neere Communication of trust and secrecy with Alm. God so as no earthly Prince was euer more confident with Secretary or chamberlaine then he with her nor none euer more secret and faithful then she to him When he was an Infant she with incredible care and diligence attended him made him ready and vnready gaue him milke from her sacred breasts and with her virginal lipps tenderly kissed him Al which she did with such deuotion and respect as according to Albertus Magnus she never layed him to rest nor tooke him vpp but she adored him first with profound reuerence and entred so farr on the consideration of his infinit loue that made him doe what he did for vs as for the most part she fel into extasy Afterwards for the space of 30. yeares in al times in al occasions she was present to his necessityes in al his trauails miseryes and calamities both winter and summer in cold and heat raine or snow she euer willingly would accompany him neyther was he wanting on his part to correspond vnto the dearenes of her affection communicating with her the greatest secrets of his diuinity so as she neuer desired him to vnfould any hidden mystery as of the Trinity the Quires of Angels the vocation of the Gentils the vnion of the faithful with his holy Church but he did it presently if he reuealed to his disciples with such candour and promptitud the secrets of his heauēly Father I cal you no longer seruāts but freinds says he for what I haue heard frommy Father I haue declared to you much more would he do to his B. Mother we suppose And if in frequēting of his cōpany hearing of his doctrine only during his last three yeares he could render them so learned expert in the diuine mysteries how much more learned expert must she needs be who both frequented heard him for more then 30. yeares whilst he reuealed vnto her those mysteries heere on earth which the very Angels of heauen were ignorant of As Princes then vse to ennoble those with great titles of honours and dignityes whom they entrust with their persons and secrecies so not only did our Sauiour heere on earth aduance the B. Virgin to eminent dignity but much more now in heauen doth he intitle her to the highest degree of glory and excellence not ranking her with the quires of Virgins Cōfessours Martyrs Apostles Prophets nor Patriarks but to a high sublimity aboue them and aboue al the heauenly Hierarchies he hath aduāced her seating her at his owne right hand where she sits instaled Queene of heauen The Queene is at thy right hand sayes the Prophet Dauid adorned with al varieties whilst al the Blessed grant her the precedencie willingly and deferr it vnto her as their soueraine Queen Finally she rules ouer the whole Vniuerse and al the most important affaires of the B. Trinity in a manner do passe through her hands so as al the heauenly Cittizens the inhabitants of the earth the soules in Purgatory nay euen hel it selfe acknowledge he power and reuerence her for it with al humility The eighth Starr declared THE eight starr is the high Priuiledge she had of Contemplation and enioyed al her life so as from the very first instant of her sanctification in her mothers wombe according to Suarez she had the vse of reason conuerted it to the knowledge loue and contemplation of Alm. God from which nothing could diuert her euer after and he confirmes it for if this guift sayes he was bestowed on the Angels at their first Creation with greater reason may we imagine it bestowed vpon the Mother of Alm. God and Queen of them Whilest she was resident in the Temple with those other consecrated Virgins she
of this world reioycing at your greatnes congratulating your glory your souerainty and the place you hold at the right hand of you B. Sonne where becoming wholy in a manner diuine and hauing nothing of mortal in you you gouerne the heauens at pleasure illuminat the Sunn rule the world trample vnder foote the pride of hel and haue dominion ouer the starrs the elements serue you the seasons obey you the Angels adore you the diuels stand in awe of you whole nations and Kings bow their knees before you and doe you honour and reuerence O Lady of heauen and earth hel your Maiesty and Empire is so great a thousand tongues cannot speake it to the ful and euen the foules of the aire the beasts of the land and the fishes of the sea do al acknowledge it at your beck the flowers spring vp plāts grow and seeds sprout forth the earth is fertilized riuers flow winds do blow the lest wil of yours can incline the destinies and order second causes whilest the first is wholy at your dispose Cast a gratious pittiful eye vpon vs poor sinners heere declare the greatnes of your power by helping vs to ouercome our selues and to obtaine remission of our sinns grace heere glory in the life to come by your prayers and merits vnto which is nothing impossible that after this miserable life we may come to enioy that happy life where we shal see our soueraine Lord in whose sight consists al our felicity The declaration of the eleuenth Starr THE eleuenth starr whose splendour not only adornes her head but the rayes of it thēce do likewise reflect on vs crown vs with a supreme felicity is her Mediation betwixt God and man one of the cheif reasōs according to the holy Doctours why God from eternity chose her for Mother that as a most powerful mediatrix her maternal prayers for sinners might moder at the rigour of the diuine iustice and occasion a reconcilement Iesus Christ says S. Bernard was sufficient it is true for our reparation from whom proceeds al that suffiseth thereunto but it was wel for vs he ioyned with him such an one as she for although as he is man he be our most faithful and powerful Aduocat Yet such dayeling beames break through his humane nature from his diuinity that we cannot looke vpon him with that confidence and though he be infinitly gratious yet being Iudge with al offenders haue smal hart to approch vnto him for which reason the B. Virgin was chosen for Aduocat and meditatrix betwixt God and man to whom there is none can feare to approch she hauing nothing in her of formidable or austere but rather being al sweetnes and benignity and abounding in al goodnes and mercy Thus S. Bernard None then how great sinners soeuer they be but may be confident of their saluation if they haue but recourse to this our sweet and pitiful Lady who being constituted the mediatrix betwixt Sinners and Almightie God most faithful performes the charge and like a true Mother of mercy stands alwayes with open armes ready to embrace those sinners who haue their refuge vnto her it is impossible they should perish if they haue but recourse vnto her as they ought if you wil beleeue S. Anselme in his Booke of the miracles of the B. Virgin O happy Mary sayes he as the sinner whom you forsake and detest cannot but perish so who converts him vnto you and you receiue and our Sauiour cannot but be saued To which concords these excellent words of S. Bernard so frequent with preachers to giue hope vnto the desperat sinner O man saye this great Doctor thou hast a sure accesse to God where the sonne beholds the mother and the father beholds the Sonne whilst the Mother shews her sonne the breasts that gaue him suck and her chast wombe the sonne to his father his wounds pierced side where so many louing signes concurr to the entertayning thee thou canst not be repelled And this cannot but be a great comfort to poore sinners that they know they haue with the Eternal Iudge such an Aduocat stil present or rather a mother indeed who is his mother also For so in the person of S. Iohn our Sauiour on the Crosse by these words Woman behold thy sonne commended her for mother vnto vs al at which time she had two sonnes on Mount Caluary both dead the one in body the other in soule one by the torments of the crosse the other by languishing of spirit of which one was her natural sonne the other only by adoption the one innocent the other culpable This in these words S. Anselme would say O shure refuge that we haue sayes he the Mother of God is our mother also and either of her children suffred death in his passion the one vpon the crosse the other by Infidelity Iudge you in what bitternes of mind the while was the B. Virgin c. And so there is no Mother would more reioyce to see her only sonne reuiued from death to life againe then the B. Virgin doth when a sinner repents and hath recourse to her and for me I am of opinion that she glories in no title more excepting that of Mother of God then of being Mother of sinners and consequētly is most glad when she may shew it most Maria mater gratiae mater misericordiae sayes the holy church the very sound of whose name me thinks hath a certaine sweetnes in it that promiseth al grace and clemency In confidence of which S. Ignatius the martyr who liued in the Apostles tymes thus supplicats vnto her Receiue me then sayes he in the bosome of your maternal piety you who are the mother of the soueraine Deity true Mother of our Sauiour and of sinners by Adoption She is painted in a long vestment vnder which many are protected to signify the maternal care she hath ouer them amongst the rest the Fathers of S. Dominicks Order are pictured so vpon this occasion as S. Brigit receiued it by Reuelation S. Dominick neare his happy end thus with teares in his eyes conuerted himselfe vnto the B. Virgin and sayd Receiue O soueraine Queene receiue my brothers whom with such care I haue nourished and educated vnder the spreadīg vaile of your great mercy gouerne them and giue them such force and courage as their ancient Enemy may neuer preuayle against them To whom she answered I promise you my beloued Dominick for that you haue loued me better then your selfe to take a tender care and protection of yours to receiue both them and al those who shal embrace your Rule vnder the couert of my veyle which is my mercy the benefit of which and but demand it I refuse to none From whence we may perceiue how great her mercy is to her deuoted seruants to sinners who haue recourse vnto her and finally to al in that she is the Mother of God the Mother of grace
and mercy the mediatrix betwixt God and man one of the greatest dignityes she hath in heauen The Twelfth Starr declared THe twelfth and last Starr which diffuses ouer the world its brighter rayes is the Vniuersal honour exhibited to our B. Lady both from the Angels in heauen and men on earth al calling her Blessed in fulfilling that prophetie of hers Behold al nations shal cal me blessed and she giues the reason Because the Almighty hath done great things for me Thus this diuine Oracle of verity hath presaged of her selfe that for her gratious priuiledges and sublime dignityes heretofore declared she should be called Blessed by al the nations of the Vniuerse And so it is for there is no climat so remote no nation so barbarous no people so vncultiuat where the mother of God is not blessed and adored and her name celebrated by the tilte of the Queene of Heauen and earth The first Christian consecrated Temples and erected Altars to her honour those now make solemne vowes and institut Sodalities in her name so as there is no countrey great or litle fertile or barren where some Church or Oratory is not dedicated to her name nor any man so impious and wicked who hath not some particular deuotion to her yea the Iewes themselues according to Iosephus in his Antiquityes though mortal enemyes to the name of Christan are yet effused in her prayse and S. Bonauentur sayes this they affirme of her that though on the one side she was exceeding beautiful yet on the other she neuer stirred vpp in her beholders other then chast desires her modest and maiestick presence repelling al vnchaste thoughts and purifying their mindes with whom she was present Neyther do the Nations more Infidel Barbarous render her lesse reuerence since according to S. Antonin in the third part of his Summe the very Turkes and Moores in their Mosquees prayse and honour her and haue her name in such veneration as whosoeuer blaspheme or speake irreuerently of it they punish them most rigorously Whence we may see how vniuersally honoured she is which is the dignity represented by the Twelfth Starr with which we conclude the contexture of her glorious Crowne The faithful Christian then who would cal to memory these twelue prerogatiues of the B. Virgin or rather would crowne her with these 12. bright starrs must euery day in memory of them make twelue reuerences or inclinations which while he doth in profound silence he is to cal to mind the immensity of her greatnes in them and endeauour to produce as many Acts of complacence and congratulation with her for them according to the instructions we haue giuen heretofore There are many spiritual persons who in memory of those 12. starrs vse to recite twelue times the Aue Maria saluting her as often in that manner as the B. Archangel S. Gabriel did I would counsel also to do these reuerences with more deuotion and to stirr vp our affection more to the seruice of the B. Virgin that at euery reuerence they would expresse by word of mouth her seueral dignities and prerogatiues which for that purpose I haue breifly heere expressed 1. I reuerence and adore you O blessed Mary the most illustrious Daughter of the soueraine and eternal Emperour 2. I reuerence and adore you the celestial Spouse of the holy Ghost 3. I reuerence and adore you the glorious Mother of the Incarnat Word 4. I reuerence and adore you Mother of the Omnipotent God 5. I reuerence and adore you both Daughter Spouse and Mother of the holy Trinity 6. I reuerence and adore you who are highly seated in a Throne of glory aboue al the Hierarchies of Heauen 7. I reuerence and adore you Treasurer of al the riches and graces of the Diuinity 8. I reuerence and adore you most glorious Queen of Heauen 9. I reuerence and adore you most worthy Lady of the Angels 10. I reuerence and adore you Empresse of al the Vniuerse 11. I reuerence and adore you our most pittiful Mother and faithful Aduocat 12. I reuerence and adore you whom al Kings and Monarkes of the earth do reuerence and whom al heauenly Courtiers adore Another sort of Adoration which for the greater variety of the deuout seruants of the B Virgin I haue heere annext 1. I Reuerence and adore you O B. Virgin Mary with al the Angels of heauen 2. I reuerence and adore you with al the Archangels 3. I reuerence and adore you with al the Vertues 4. I reuerence and adore you with al the Principalities 5. I reuerence and adore you with al the Powers 6. I reuerence and adore you with al the Dominations 7. I reuerence and adore you with al the Thrones 8. I reuerence and adore you with al the Cherubins 9. I reuerence and adore you with al the Seraphins 10. I reuerence and adore you O B. Virgin Mary with al the Nations of the world 11. I reuerence and adore you with al the faithful departed soules 12. I reuerence and adore you with al Creatures of Heauen earth and depts below These 12. reuerences the zealous honourer of the B. Virgin is to make with great resentment and reflexion of mind because of the profound mysteries contained in them And by so doing he shal adorne the head of the B. Virgin a more grateful Crowne of these 12. Starrs then if it were al composed of 12. of the richest Iewels in the world nay of 12. of the most radiant Starrs in heauen Touching the acts of complacence which we formerly mentioned I haue heere sett downe a forme of them which each one may exercise according to their deuotion Twelue Reuerences correspondent to the Blessed Virgins 12. prerogatiues 1. O Blessed Virgin I hartily congratulat and reioyce with you for your being predestinat from al eternity to be Mother of our Sauiour Christ and the liuing Sanctuary of the holy Ghost 2. O B. Virgin I hartily congratulat and reioyce with you for being conceiued without al spott of original sinne in such manner as you out-shine in purity splendor the very Angels themselues 3. O B. Virgin I hartily congratulat and reioyce with you for your being the first in consecrating your Virginity to God which so many Virgins haue imitated since 4. O B. Virgin I hartily congratulat and reioyce with you for being Mother of the Omnipotent the highest honour which you haue in heauen and on which al your dignity depends 5. O B. Virgin c. for the holy Ghosts illuminating you in so excellent a manner at the holy Incarnation of the Sonne of God 6. O B. Virgin I hartily congratulat and reioyce with you for your being so replenished with diuine grace endowed with al rare vertue and perfection 7. O B. Virgin c. for your dignity of being of nearest trust and secrecy with the soueraine Monarke both of heauen and earth 8. O B. Virgin c. for that high priuiledge of yours to haue perpetual fruition of
the wisdome of Alm. God 9. O B. Virgin c. for your being so highly seated in an eminent Throne aboue al the Quires of Angels 10. O B. Virgin I hartily congratulat and reioyce with you for the great power and authority you haue ouer al the Vniuerse and for that both heauen earth the depts below obey your Commendements 11. O B. Virgin c. and with our selues for your being our reful affectionat Mother and like a faithful Aduocat procuring euery way our greater good and aduancement 12. O B. Virgin c. finally for that al the world honours and adores your name celebrats your prayses and prayses your graces merits perfections And this deuotion of taking complacence in the B. Virgins perfections and dignityes is souerainly grateful vnto her as was manifest to S. Brigit in her Reuelations vpon this occasion Her sonne being a braue and noble spirit dying in the holy warrs she anxious for his soule besought the B. Virgin to reueale vnto her in what estate it was when behold when she was in the greatest feruour of her deuotion the B. Virgin appeared vnto her and comforted her in this sort my deare daughter sayd she be no longer solicitous for your sonne for I haue taken care of his saluation in visiting him before his decease and rendring his hart inaccessible to al sorts of temptations and so as no doubt of faith could bow it from the rectitud it was in nay more I made the passage of death both sweet and easy for him to the end the feare and terrour of it might not transport him either to impatience or despaire So I cleared his chamber of those diuels assembled there to lay snares for his soule and intrapp it at its departure thence and at the instant of his soule and bodyes separation I took it in my ne aryues vnder the protectiō of which I caryed it safe away from its infernal enemyes And the reason of this tēdernes of hers she declared in another reuelation when one day the holy Saint making her prayers at the Sepulcher of Christ was rauisht in extasy into a sumptuous Pallace where she beheld our Sauiour Christ on an Imperial Throne and his B. Mother seated by his side with an infinity of Angels incircling them about Presently after she beheld her sonne present al trembling in great dismay before this Throne to receiue his Iudgement there his Angel Guardian on his right hand and the diuel on his left who with a horrible voyce thus cryed out most omnipotent Iudge I appeale to you for Iustice and right of the greatest iniury that was euer offered me your Mother against al equity hath rauisht that wicked soule out of my hands entring his chamber at the houre of his death and excluding me and my company hath debarred me of that priuiledge which you haue granted me to tempt euery soule at the article of tyme when it wil best be testified whether they belong to me or you then which greater iniustice can there be imagined To this the B. Virgin answered though thou art the father of lyes yet in this thou hast but declared the truth I haue don al this indeed and my reason for it was this This soule while it was couuersant in the world was so deuoted to me as it reioyced and tooke complacency in my dignity of being Mother of Alm. God and at my exaltation aboue al the quires of heauen the pleasure of which it would not haue exchanged for al the contentments and pleasures of the world Iudge then if I had not iust reason to do what I did O but replyed the diuel al this cannot excuse it from an Iniury to me your debarring me accesse to tempt him as also your receiuing his departing soule and conueying it hither which cheifly belongs to me when conuerting himself vnto the Iudge he sayed of you then I demand iustice who ought to be as equitable as you are powerful against this wicked soule heer who being arriued vnto the yeares of discretion in steed of taking the right hand way of your commandements went on the left in his transgressing them wherefore I demand but Iustice that he be condemned and heer he insisted in particularising his mortal and venial sins at this his good Angel interposed himselfe saying thou wicked feind al this is but true I grant what thou hast sayd but knowest thou not that his holy Mothers prayers incessantly offered vp vnto Alm. God for him haue cancelled these and obtayned for him a true contrition and sacramental absolution for them before he dyed besides her and his many other holy workes don in satisfaction of them how then canst thou haue the impudence to vrge them any more goe home and keepe company with damned soules looke not after him for he is a saued one At this the diuel vanished away And by this we may see the benefit of being deuoted to the B. Virgin of the prayers of others for them and of dying in a good estate prepared vnto it by true contrition and Confession An excellent way of adoring the B. Virgin in remembring the ioyes vvhich she had heere CHAP. XX. THE common opinion is that the B. Virgin had in this world seauen ioyful times in particular The first was at her Annunciation The second the Visitation of S. Elizabeth The third the glorious Natiuity of our Sauiour Christ The fourth the Adoration of the three Kings The fifth at the finding of her B. sonne in the Temple The sixth at our B. Sauiours apparition to her after his most glorious Resurrection The seuenth her happy decease and glorious Assumption into Heauen Now her deuout seruants may dayly administer her matter of fresh Ioy by calling these vnto remembrance and occasion to themselues a great increase of merit and glory The Angel Gabriels salutation to her of Aue c. was no other then an Inuitation to reioyce according to the interpretation of Origen so the holy Church sings her Antiphon Gaude virgo gloriosa c. and in other Regind caeli laetare c. and bids her reioice and be glad and in a third Gaude laetare Virgo Maria. Let vs then announce vnto her Ioy by commemorating those her seauen Ioyful mysteries in this following Method making at each one of them a low reuerence 1. Reioyce O B. Mary for that vpon the salutation of the heauenly messinger you concerued in your sacred wombe your sonne to the incredible consolation of your soule 2. Reioyce O B. Mary for that you burning with diuine loue and incited by the holy Ghost ouercome the toyle and labour of passing ouer the high mountaines of Iury and visited your cosen Elizabeth where you heard her vttering your celestial praises and magnifyed in spirit your Lord and Sauiour 3. Reioyce O B. Mary for that at the end of nine moneths you brought forth into the world the so long expected Messias bright as the sun of heauen while al the
ground they goe on happy the bread they eate the rest they take who are so exercised the while So when the Clock strikes it were a good deuotion in this sort to eleuat our mind as also before each Houre of our B. Ladyes Office producing an act of interiour complacence saying with our heart I exceedingly reioice O B. Virgin for your high honor of being Mother of God of being Queene of heauen c. which cannot but be most acceptable and grateful vnto her In the meane time this deuotion were best perfomed on their knees it being a posture most repugnant to slouth and tepidity Besides for those who are troubled with infirmity age or any other weaknes this deuotion were best as that which without any difficulty they may performe since there is none but haue their spirit free or at least so free as for a glance or so they may reflect it vpon heauen how euer otherwise they are incumbreds And a great consolation this ought to be to euery one that without any other paynes then the only lifting vp the mind to God so it be don with spirit and viuacity one may merit so much as to arriue to most high perfection When one then is sitting by the fire or reposing on the bed let them but exercise their mindes in these Interior acts of deuotion and euen when they seeme to men most idle they shal appeare vnto God most vertuously imployed O most happy imployment that a man in a manner doing nothing may do as the very Angels in heauen And while some to finde out solitud and deuotion retire them to the Desarts and liue Eremites liues he that exerciseth but these adorations hath al that within himself which they seeke abrode and may assoone arriue to the height of perfection by this easy way as by the most fatigable they can go Besides these acts of Adoration haue yet another benefit that they expose vs not to vainglory which others perhaps may do as being only betwixt God and our selues performed in the interiour of our soule which by so much the more innobles them aboue the other as the soule exceeds the body in nobility and therfore of the bodyes operations we are to haue no regard at al further then they go accōpanied with the attention of the mind cōformable to that saying of the Apostle Corporalis exercitatio ad modicum vtilis est But to returne to our purpose the seruant of the Queene of heauen is to the vttermost bent of spirit and industry to imploy himselfe in these interiour Adorations as farr forth as the circumstances of time place occasion shal giue him leaue Notwithstanding he is to haue regard the while to accompany them if he can with exterior reuerence both because the one much aydes the other as also because the neglect of them alwayes implyes an inexcusable negligence which that Example which Pelbert recounts doth wel declare happening in his time in Hungary and recounted vnto him by a Religious man of worthy credit and it is this A Religious of the same Order was accustomed euer at the Aue Maria bel or Angelus Domini to rise out of his bed at the houres of night and humbly on his knees salute the Queen of heauen This deuout custome once being perswaded by slouth and lazines he omitted when behold being falne a sleepe againe he seemed in his sleepe to see the Church steeple euē incline it self vnto the ground which sight three times being represented vnto him in sleepe at last he imagined that he heard these words Miserable and negligēt creature as thou art art thou not ashamed to see euen senslesse creatures thus bow down themselues in reuerence to the Mother of God whilst thou sensible as thou art neglectest it by which vision touched with a liuely sorrow for this neglect he became more feruorous thereafter in his deuotions These interiour Reuerences then although of themselues they be of neuer so high worth and dignity yet when commodiously they may be done we are neuer to neglect the exteriour but stil accompany the one with the other that the feruour of the one ioyned with the other payne may render them more meritorious and the best place for the exercising these deuotions is when the commodity of some Chappel or Oratory is offred vs at which time we are vpon our knees in a more particular manner to commend our selues to Alm. God and his B. Mother And of this we haue for paterne our Sauiour Christ who as often as he ascended to Hierusalem repayred euer to the Temple the first thing he did to offer vp to his eternal Father his prayers and adoratiōs In imitation of which those of the Capucines Order haue a constitution that when they arriue in any place they are first of al to resort vnto the Church and there to adore the Blessed Sacrament the words of the Constitution are these Being arriued to the place where we are to goe to shew our selues true sonnes of the Eternal father we are first to visit the Church where hauing don reuerence c. And diuers by these meanes haue escaped imminent dangers as appeares by this following story recounted by the Illustrious Iames Voragius Archbishop of Genua in his history of the B. Virgins Assumption There was sayes he a person of quality whose wife excelled in al vertues but principally in deuotion to the B. Virgin so as no day past that in some reuerent and Religious manner she did not honour her Now it happened that her husband through his excessiue prodigality at last fel into want and misery in so much as one day some noble men inuiting themselues to dinner with him and he wanting meanes to entertayne them in that splendid and aboundant manner as he was wont to avoyd the shame went forth into a wood where he intended to absent himself while they might be come and gone without taking notice of their visiting him whilst in a Melancoly passion he wandred vp and down then revoluing in his mind into what misery he was falne behold a person of a horrible aspect mounted vpon a horse no lesse horrid then he appeared vnto him requesting him to let him know his cause of discontent To whom the Gentleman after he had recollected his spirits which feare with its dismay had putt to flight at first declared his whole fortunes at which quoth the other if that be al take comfort for I wil promise you grant me but one request to reduce you to an estate more riche and opulent then euer you were in before It must be a strange request sayd the Gentleman I should not grant you vpon that condition nay it is but easy in performance sayd the diuel for it was he disguised in that shape to witt that on such a certaine day and houre you bring your wife along with you and meete me in this place this being agreed vpon the diuel directed him to a caue where he foūd