deinties that wit can deuise or heauen and earth afford but onely Gods owne pretious body was by hâ—m deemed a repâ—st fitte to feed it If not all the creatures of this no nor millioÌ„s of new worldes if so many more were created but onely the illimitable goodnesse and maiestie of God can satisfie the desire and fill the compass and capacity of it who but of lame iudgment or peruerse will yea who but of an incredulous mind and pittiles spirit could set more by his soule or be contented to suffer so noble a paragon so many monethes and yeeres to lie chanâ—lled in ordure and mired in all sinne Can we not see our 〈◊〉 sicke but we allow him a Phisician our horse diseased but wee send for a leach nor our garment torne but we will haue one to meÌ„d it And caÌ„ wee so much maligne our soule as to let it die for want of cure seeing it mangled with so many vices neuer seeke any to restoâ—e it to the wonted integrity Is our seruant neerer our beast more pretious and our coate deerer than our owne soule If any should call vs Epicures Atheists rebels vnto God or murderers of soules wee would take it for an intollerable reproach and think it a most disgraceful and opprobrious calumniation But to liue like Epicures to sinn like Atheists to struggle against Gods callinges and like violent rebels to scorne his commandements yea and with daily and damnable woundes barbarously to stab our infortuâ—ate soules this wee account no contumely wee reckon for no discredite yea rather wee register it in the â—aunt of our chiefest praises O yee soâ—nes of men how long wil you carrie this heauie hart aliking vanity and seeking lies howe long will children loue the follies of insancie and sinners â—unne carelesse and wilfull to their ruine Will you keepe youâ— chicken from the kite your lambe from the wolfe your fawne from the hound Dare you not suffer a spider in your bosome or a toade to come neare you and can you nestle in your soule so many vipers as vices permit it to be so long chewed and wearied with the poisoned iawes and tuskes of the Diuel And is our soule so vaine a substance as to bee had in so litle esteem Had Christ made ship wrack of his wisdom or was he in a rage of passion when he became a wandering pilgrime exiling him selfe from the comfortes of his God-head and passing three thirty yeeres in paine penuâ—y for the behoof of our soules Was he surprized with a rauing fit when in the tragedy of his passion so bloodily inflicted and so patiently accepted hee made his body as a cloud to resolue into showers of innocent bloud and suffered the deerest veines of his hart to be launced to giue full issue to the price of our soules redemption Or if Christ did not erre nor deeme amisse when it pleased him to redeeme vs with so excessiue a ransome then what should wee iudge of our monstrous abuse that sell our soules to the Diuel for euery vaine delight and rather aduenture the hazard thereof then of a seelie pittance of worldly pelse O that a creature of so incomparable a price should be in the demaine of so vnnaturall keepers and that which is in it self so gracious and amiable that the Angels and Saints delight to behold it as S. Chrisostom saieth should by sinne be fashioned into so lothsom disguised shapes as to become a horrour to heauen and a sutely pheere for the fowlest fends Alas if the care of our owne harmes moue vs no more but that we can stil be so barbarous to the better portion of our selues lett vs at the least feare to iniurie an other party very careful and ieallous ouer it who wil neuer endure so deepe an impeachment of his interest to passe vnreuenged We must remember that our soule is not onely a part of vs but also the temple the paradise spouse of almightie God by him in baptisme garnisht stored eÌ„dowed with most gratious ornameÌ„ts And how thinke you he can brook to see his temple prophaned turned into a den of Diuels his paradise displanted altered into a wildernesse of serpentes his spouse defloured and become an adulteresse to his vtter ennemies Durst we offer such vsage to our Princes yea or to our Farmers daughter woulde not feâ—re of the lawe popular shame disturne vs froÌ„ it And shal not the reuereÌ„d Maiestie of almighty God the vntâ—bated iustice of his angry sword terrifie vs froÌ„ offering the like to his owne spouse Doe we think God either so impotent that he cannot so base and sottish that hee will not or so weake witted that he knoweth not howe to wreak himself vppon so conteÌ„ptuous daring offenders Will he so neglect and loose his honor which of al things hee claimeth as his chief peculiar Will he that for the soules sake keepeth a reckoning of our very hairs which are but the excrementes of her earthly weede see himself so much wronged in the principall passe it without remonstrance of his iust indignation O deere sir remeÌ„ber that the scripture termeth it a thing full of horrour to fal into the hands of God who is able to crush the prowd spirites of the obstinate to make his enemies the footestole of his feet Wrastle no longer against the cries of your owne conscience and the forcible inspiratioÌ„s that God dooth send you Embrace his mercy before the time of rigour and returne to his Church iest hee debarâ—â— you his kingdome He caÌ„ not haue God for his father that refuseth to professe the catholick church for his mother neither caÌ„ he atchieue to the church triuÌ„phant in heauen that is not a member of the church militant here in earth You haue bene alas too loÌ„g an alâ—aÌ„t in the tabernacles of sinners straied too â—ar froÌ„ the fold of Gods flock Turn now the biaze of your heart towards the sanctuary of saluation the City of refuge seeking to recompence your waÌ„dering steps troddeÌ„ in errour with a swift gate zealous progresse to christiaÌ„ perfectioÌ„ The ful of your spring tide is now faleÌ„ the streame of your life runneth at a low ebbe Your tired ship beginneth to leak grateth often vpon the grauell of your graue therfore it as heigh time for you to strike saile and to putt into harbour lest remaining inthe scope of the wicked winde and weather of this time some vnexpected gust and sodaine storme dash you vpothe roks of eternall ruine TeÌ„der the pittiful estate of your poore soule be hereafter more feareful of hel than of persecution more eager of heauen theÌ„ of worldly repose If God the Father had been the inditer the SoÌ„ne the sender the holy Ghost the scribe that had written this letter if hee had dipped his pen in the wouÌ„des of our Sauiour vsed his precious bloud in lieu of inke If one of the highest
A SHORT RVLE OF GOOD LIFE To direct the deuout Christian in a regular and orderly course Newly set forth according to the Authors direction before his death Set me downe O Lord a law in thy way Ps. 118. I said O Lord that it is my portion and al my riches to keepe thy law Ibid. At S. Omers by IOHN HEIGHAM An. 1622. THE PREFACE TO the Reader WHen that great seruaÌ„t of God S. Benet had in most seruent and deuout prayers â—eelded vp his soule vnto God two of his religious followers as reporteth S. Gregorie being ignorant altogether of his death although in places far distant had the like vision They saw out of their godly Fathers celâ—e directly towards the East a most beautifull way adorned with gorgeous Tapestry and shining with a multitude of innumerable lampes to proceed euen vnto heauen At the toppe wherof there standing a notable person in a venerable habite and demaunding of them whose way it was which they behelde they answered they knew not But he incontinently said vnto them these wâ—rdes Haec est via qua dilectuâ— Domino coelum Benedictus ascendit This is the way by the which Gods wel-beloued seruaunt Benedict went vp to heauen meaning thereby as S. Bernard noteth the holie Rule of a religious life instituted and practised by the same Saint by which not hee alone was passed as by a most readie and pleasant way to heauen but whosoeuer of his followers would trauell by the same should with like securitie arriue to the end of a most happie iourney The Author of this little Booke gentle Reader I nothing doubt but is verie well knowne vnto thee as also for his learning pietie zeale charitie fortitude other rare and singular qualities but â—speciallie for his pretious death he is renowned in the world abroad neither needeth there any extraordinarie vision but the sound and certaine Doctrine of the Catholike Church is sufficient to perswade that he is a most glorious Saint in heauen hee being such an one as hath confessed a good confession before many wâ—tnesses and made as Saint Iohn saith his garments white with the blood of the immaculaâ—e Lambe But because thou shouldest not be ignorant of the way by which this valiant Champion of Christ arriued vnto so happie a Countrey he himselfe hath left behinde him for thy benefite and euen amongst the least of his fruitfull labours for the good of soules had designed to publish vnto the world the description of this most gainefull voyage to heauen be-decked with the most preâ—ious ornaments of all Christian vertues and with the most pleasant and comfortable brightnesse of notable rules of spirituall life euery one of which may be as it were a Lanterne vnto thy feete and a continuall Light vnto thy steppes This therefore doe I nowe deuout Reader present vnto thy sight affirming vnto thee that which thou thy selfe wilt not denie as being both true and manifest that Haec est via qua dilectus Domino N. caelum intrauit This is the way by which the wel-beloued seruant of God N. went vp into heauen For in what estate soeuer he liued in this worlde hee ranne the way of Christian perfection in an ordinarie course of a secular life 〈◊〉 from his very infancie he was a spectacle to all that knewe him in the state of Religion the which he imbraced from his childehood he was a rare example of religious perfection and discipline and finally in his manie seueral and most cruell conflicts with the enemies of Christ he sheweth how stronge and vnconquered the loue of God is whose burning heate neuer so manie waters or gustes of moste mayne floudes may either quench or smother and whose power the most power-able thing of all which is Death can not ouercome Thou therefore my deare brother heholding according to the exâ—ortation of this victorious triumpher see thou imitate his faith Fashion thy life and manners according to these deuoute rules which are a most perfect mirour of his godlie life in so doing thou mayest hapilie attaine thy self to the like crowne of glorie For though Martirdome be a most speciall gifte of God and he freelie bestoweth it where hee liketh neyther is it an ordinarie rewarde due vnto neuer so great merites of neuer so holie personages and it is to his excellent power a moste easie thinge subitò honestare pauperem euen from the middest of a sinnefull life to exalt vnto Martirdome yet is there a certaine disposition in those which are chosen to so high a dignitie ordinarilie required of God which is first to haue killed their passions before they be killed by persecutors first to haue beene exercised in a spirituall conflict of mortification before they be tried in the fornace of Christian confession first to haue become the towne butchers before they be deliuered to the hangmans shambles Otherwise as our Sauiour saieth Qui amat animam suam perdet eam Who so loueth his life or soule disordinately shall loose it and neuer be able to stand in that combatte wherein not flesh and bloud not pride ambition and vaine glory not malice and rancour but a mortified â—inde and a resigned heart into Gods handes obtaineth the victory Which disposition and ready preparation for this so happy a crowne was most perfectly found in this our Authour whereupon iusued that he might truely â—ay with holy I. B. Elegit suspendium anima mea mortem ossa mea Desperaui nequaquam vltra iam viuam My soule bath made choice of hanging and my bones of death I am become desperate I will now liue no longer because long before he had hanged vp his soule by perfect estranging of it from earthly affections and keeping it fixed and ioyned to God thence did it pooceed that his earthly boâ—es abhorred not that death which was to be suffered for Christ. And because he had wiâ—hdrawne his hopes from the base desires of this life therefore did â—e contemne this life for the loue of this heauenlie life and he thought he had liued long enough when he might die to liue for euer Enioy therefore these rules deuout Reader and ioyfullie treade the pathes of this most pleasant way to heauen and if by the compendious commoditie thereof thou shalt see thy iorney toward thy euerlasting countrie to be forwarded giue glorie vnto God and vnto this his faithfull seruaunt and assiste with thy deuoute prayers those which haue beene meanes to prepare it for thee Yet doe I aduise thee of two especiall thinâ—es first that whereas in these Rules thoushalt sometimes reade that thou must doe this or that thou must not vnderstand that worde must as though thou wert bound to the performance of any thinge there expressed but onely that those actions doe belong vnto the exercise of perfection without anie further bond then either the lawe of God or holie church do impose Secondlie that before thou begin to practise these Rules containing in them great
that hath made me such a stranger to my natiue home and so slacke in defraying the debt of a thankefull minde but onely the iniquity of our dayes that maketh my presence perillous and the discharge of my duety an occasion of daunger I was loath to enforce an vnwelcome courtesie vppon any or by seeming officious to become offensiue deeming it better to let time digest the feare that my returne into the realme had bred in my kindred than abruptly to intrude my selfe to purchase their anger whose good will I so highly esteemed I neuer doubted but that the beleefe which to all my friendes by descent and pedigree is in maner hereditary framed in them a right perswasion of my present callinge not suffering them to measure their censures of me by the vgly termes and odious Epitheâ—es where with heresy hath sought to discredite my function but rather by the reuerence of so worthy a Sacrament and the sacred doom of al former ages Yet because I might very easilie perceiue by apparant coniectures that many were more willinge to heare of me then from me and readier to praise than to vse my indeuours I haue hitherto bridled my desire to see theÌ„ with thâ— care and ialousie of their safetie and banishing my selfe from the sent of my cradle in my owne couÌ„trey I haue liued like a forreiner finding among strangers that which in my neeâ—est bloud I presumed not to seeke But nowe considering that delay may haue qualified feare and knowing my person onely to import danger to others and my perswasion to none but to my selfe I thought it highe time to vtter my sincere and duetifull minde and to open a vent to my zealous affection which I haue so long smothered and suppressed in silence For not onely the originall law of nature written in all childrens harts and deriued from the bowelles and breasts of their mothers is a continual soliciter vrging me in your behalfe but the soueraigne decree enacted by the Father of heauen ratified by his Sonne and daily repeated by instinct of the holy Ghost bindeth euery childe in the due of Christianity to tender the estate welfare of his parents is a motiue that alloweth no excuse but of necessitie presseth to performance of duety Nature by grace is not abolished but perfited not murdred but manured neither are her impressions quite rased or annulled but suted to the colours of faith vertue And her affections be so forcible that euen in hell where â—ancour and dispight chiefly reigneth and all feeling of goodnâ—s is ouerwhelmed in malice they mouâ—d the rich gluâ—â—on by expeâ—ience of his owne misery to cary the lesse enuy to his kindred how much more in the church of God wher grace quickneth charitie enflameth and nâ—tures good inclinations aâ— aâ—eâ—tered by supernaturall gâ—fts ought the duâ—y of piety to preuaile And who but more merciles then damned creatures could see their dearest friends plunged in the like perill and not to bee wounded with deepe remorce of theâ—r lamentable and imminent hazardes If in beholding a mortall ennemy wroung and tortured with deadly pangs the roughest heart softeneth with some sorow If the most frozen fierce mind cannot but thaw melt with pitty eueÌ„ when it seeth the worst miscreant suffer his deseruâ—d torments how much lesse can the heart of a childe consider those that bred him into this worlde to be in the fall to far more bitter extremities and not bleed with grieâ—e of their vncomfortable case Surely for my owne part although I chalenge not the prerogatiue of the best disposition yet I am not of so harsh currish an humour but that it is a continual corsiue and crosse vnto me that whereas my endeuours haue reclaimed many from the brinke of perdition I haue bin least able to employ them where they were most due and barred from affording to my dearest friends that which hath bin eagerly sought and beneficially obtained of meere strangers Who hath more interest in the grape then he that planted the vine who more right to the crop then he that sowed the corne or how can the childe owe so great seruice to any as to him whom he is endetted vnto for his very life and being With yong Tobias I haue â—rauelled farre and brought home a freight of spirituall substaunce to enrich you and medicinable receits against your ghostly maladies I haue with Esau after long toile in pursuing a painefull chase returned with such prey as you were wont to loue desiâ—ing therby to procure your blessing I haue in this generall famine of al true christian foode with Ioseph prepared abundaÌ„ce of the bread of Angells for the repast of your soule And now my desire is that my drugges may cure you my Prey delight you and my prouision feed you by whom I haue beene cured delighted and fed my selfe that your curtesies may in part be counâ—eruailed and my duety in some sorte performed Despise not good sir the youth of your sonne nether deeme that God measureth his indouments by number of yeeâ—e Hoary seÌ„ses are ofâ—en cowched vnder greene lockes and some are riper in the Spring then others in the AutuÌ„ne of their age God chose not I say him selfe nor his eldest sonne but yong Dauid to conquer Golias to rule his people Not the most aged person but Daniel the most innocent infant deliuered Suzanna froÌ„ the iniquitie of the Iudges and Christ at twelue yeeres of age was founde in the temple questioninge with the gâ—auest Doctours A true Elias can conceiue that a little cloude may cast a large abundaÌ„t shower the scripture teacheth vs that God reuealeth to little ones that which he conceaâ—eth from the wisest Sages His trueth is not abased by the minoâ—ity of the speaker who out of the mâ—uthes of infants and sucklings can perfite his praises Timothy was young and yet a principalâ— pastour S. Iohn not olde and yet an Apostle yea the Angeâ—s by appearing in youthfull semblaunces giue vs a pregnant proofe that many glorious giftes may be shrowed vnder tender shapes Al which I alledge not to claime any priuiledge surmouÌ„ting the rate of vsual abilities but to auoide al touch of presumptioÌ„ in aduising my elders seeing that it hath the warrant of Scripture the testimony of exaÌ„ples sufficient grounds both in grace nature Ther is diuersity in the degrees of our carnal consanguinitie the preemineÌ„ce appertaineth to you as superiour ouer your childes body Yet if you consider our alliaunce in the chiefe portion I meane our soule which discerneth man from inferiour creatures we are of equal proximity to our heaueÌ„ly father both descended of the same parent and no other distance in our degrees but that you are the elder brother In this sense dooth the Scripture say Call not any Father vpoÌ„ earth for one is your father which is in heauen Seeing therefore that your superiority is founded vpon flesh and bloud which are in a manner
but the barke rhine of a man and our equality vppon the soule which is mans maine substaunce thinke it I pray you no dishonour to your person if with all humilitie I offer my aduise vnto you One man can not be perfect in all faculties neither is it a disgrace to the Goldsmith if hee be ignoraunt of the Millers trade Many are deepe Lawyers and yet shallowe Diuines many very deliuer in feates of the bodie and curious in externall complements yet little experimented in matters of their soule and farre to seek in religious actions I haue studied and practised these many yeeres spiritual phisick acquainting my selfe with the beating temper of euery pulse and traueling in the scrutiny of the maladies and medicines incident vnto soules If therfore I profer you the fruits of my long studies and make you a present of my profession I hope you will constre it rather as a duetifull part than anie point of presumption He may be a father to the soule that is a sonne to the body and requite the benefit of his temporall life by reuiuing his parent from a spirituall death And to this effect said Christ these words My mother and brethren are they that doe the wil of my father which is in heauen Vpon which place S. Iohn Climacus shewing to what kindred a Christian ought chiefly to rely draweth this discouâ—se Let him be thy father that both can and will lay his labour to disburden thee of thy packe of sinnes Let holy compuÌ„ction be thy mother to depure thee from thy ordure and filth Let him be thy brother that will be both thy partner and compeditor to passe and perfite thy race towardes heauen Take the memory of death for thy perpetual phere and vnseparable spouse Let thy childreÌ„ bee bitter sighs of a sorrowfull heart and possesse thy body as thy bondman Fasten thy friendshippe with the Angelicall powers with which if thou closest in familiar affiaunce they will be patrones vnto thee in thy finall passage This saieth he is the generation and kindred of those that seeke God Such a father as this Saint speaketh of may you haue of your owne sonn to enter you farther in the fore recited affinity Of which happily it was a significaÌ„t presage aboding the future euent that euen from my infancy you were wont in merriment to call me father R. which is the customary stile now allotted to my present estate Now therfore to ioine issue and to come to the principal drift of my discourse most humbly and earnestly I am to beseech you that both in respect of the honour of God your duety to his church the comfort of your children and the redresse of your owne soule you would seriously coÌ„sider the tearmes you stand in and weigh your selfe in a Christian ballance taking for your counterpose the iudgements of GOD. Take heede in time that the woord Thecel writteÌ„ of old against Baltazar interpreted by Daniel Dan. 5. be not verified in you whose expositioÌ„ was You haue been poised in the scale found of too light weight Remember that you are in the waining and the date of your pilgrimage is wel neer expired now it behooueth you to look towards your countrey Your force languisheth your senses impaire and your bodie droupeth and on euerie side the ruinous cottage of your faint and feeble flesh threatneth fal And hauing so many herbingers of death to premonish your end how caÌ„ you but prepare forso dreadful a straÌ„ger The young may die quickely but the old can not liue long The youÌ„g maÌ„s life by casualty may be abriâ—ged but the old mans by no phisicke can be long adiourned therfore if gâ—een yeares sometimes must think of the graue the thoughtes of sere age should continually dwel in the same The prerogatiue of infancie is innoceÌ„cy of childhood reuerence of manhood maturitie of age wisdom And seeing that the cheife properties of wisdome are to be mindfull of things passed careful of thinges present prouident of thinges to come vse now the priuiledg of natures taleÌ„t to the benefitte of your soule and procure hereafter to be wise in well doing and waâ—chsull in foresight of future harmes To serue the world you are now vnable and though you were able you haue litle cause to be willing seeing that it neuer gaue you but an vnhappy welcom a hurtful entertainment now doth abandon you with an vnfortunat farwel You haue long sowed in a field of flint which could bring you nothing forth but a crop of cares and affliction of spirit rewarding your labours with remorse and affording for your gaine eternall domages It is now more then a seasonable time to alter the course of so vnthriuing a husbandry and to enter into the filde of Gods Church in which sowing the seeds of repeÌ„tant sorow watering them with the teares of humble contrition you may reape a more beneficiall haruest and gather the fruites of euerlasting comforte Remember I pray you that your spring is spent and your summer ouerpast you are now ariued to the fall of the leafe yea and winter colours haue alreadie stained your hoarie head Be not carelesse saieth S. Austen though our louing Lord bear long with offenders for the longer he staieth not finding amendement the sorer wil he scourge when hee comes to iudgement and his patieÌ„ce in so long expecting is onely to lend vs respite to repent not any way to enlarge vs leisure to sinne He that is tossed with variety of stormes and cannot come to his desired port maketh not much way but is much turmoiled so hee that hath passed many yeeres and purchased litle profite hath had a long beeing but a short life for life is more to bee measured by merites than by nuÌ„ber of daies seeing 〈◊〉 most men by many daies doe but procure many deathes and others in a short space attaine the life of infinit ages What is the body without the soule but a corâ—upt carcase what the soule without God but a sepulchre of sinne If God bee the way the life and the trueth he that goeth without him strayeth hee that liueth without him dieth and hee that is not taught by him erreth Well saieth saint Austen that God is our true and chiefest life from whom the reuolting is falling to whome the returning is rising in whom the staying is sure standing God is he from whom to depart is to die to whom to repaire is to reuiue in whom to dwel is to liue Be not you therefore of those that beginne not to lâ—ue vntill they bee ready to die and then after a â—oes desert come to craue of God a frends entertainment Some thinke to snatch heauen in a moment which the best scarce atteined in the mountenance of many yeeres and when they haue glutted theÌ„ selues with worldly dâ— lites they would iumpe from Diues his diet to Lazarus croune and from the seruice of Satan to the solace of a Saint