wrake A day and a night was I in the bottome of the sea oftentimes in iourneys in dangers of fluddes in dāgers of theeues in dangers of Iewes in dāgers of Gentiles in dangers of the citie in dāgers of wildernes in dangers of sea in dangers of false brethren in labour and trauaile in much watching in hungar and thirst in much fasting in cold and lack of clothes and besides al thes external thinges the matters that dailie doe depēd vpō me for my vniuersal care of al Churches By this we may see now whether Christs holy Apostles taught vs more by wordes then they shewed by their owne examples about the necessitie of suffering in this life Christ might haue prouided for them if he would at leastwise thinges necessarie to their bodies and not haue suffered them to come into thes great extremities of lacking clothes to their backes meate to their mouthes and houses to pat their heades in He that gaue thē authoritie to doe so manie other miracles might haue suffered them also to haue procured sufficient maintenance for their bodies which should be the first miracle that worldly men would worke if they had such authoritie Christ might haue saied to Peter when he sent him to take his tribut from out of the fishes mouth take so much more as wil suffice for your necessary expēces when you trauaile ouer foraine countries But he woulde not nor yet diminish the great afflictions which I haue shewed before though he loued them as dearely as euer he loued his owne soule Al which was done as S. Peter interpreteth to geue vs example what to folow what to looke for what to desire what to comsort our selues in amiddest the greatest of al our tribulatiōs Saint Paul vseth this as a principal consideration when he writeth thus to the Hebrewes vpon the recital of the sufferinges of other saintes before thē Wherfore we also brethren saieth he hauing so great a multitude of witnesses that haue suffered before vs let vs lay of al burdens of sinne hanging vpon vs and let vs runne by patience vnto the battaile offered vs fixing our eyes vpon the authour of our saith and fulfiller of the same IESVS who putting the ioyes of heauen before his eyes sustained patiētly the Crosse contemning the shame and confusion therof and therfore now sitteth at the right hand of the seate of God Thinke vpon him I say which sustained such a contradictiō against him self at the hādes of sinners be not wearie nether faint yee in courage For you haue not yet resisted against sinne vnto blood and you haue for gotten perhaps that comfortable saying which speaketh vnto you as vnto children My sonne doe not contemne the discipline of our Lord and be not vvearie vvhee thou art chastised of him For whom God loueth he chastiseth and he whippeth euery sonne whom he receaueth Perseuer therfore in the correctiō laied vpon you God offereth him self to you as to his children For what child is there whom the father correcteth not if you be out of correction wherof al his children are made partakers then are you bastardes not children Al correction for the present time when it is suffered seemeth vnpleasant and sorowful but yet after it bringeth foorth most quiet fruite of iustice vnto them that are exercised by it Wherfore strengthen vp your wearie handes and loosed knees make way to your feete c. That is take courage vnto you and goe forward valiantly vnder the Crosse laied vpon you This was the exhortation of this holy captaine vnto his countrie man souldiers of IESVS Christ the Iewes Saint Iames the brother of our Lord vseth an other exhortation in his Catholike epistle to al Catholikes not much different from this Be you therfore patient my brethren saith he vntil the cōming of our Lord. Beholde the husbandman expecteth for a time the fruite of the earth so pretious vnto him bearing patientlie vntil he may receaue the same in his season be you therfore patient and comfort your hartes for that the cōming of our Lord wil shortlie draw neere Be not sadde and complaine not one of an other Beholde the Iudge is euen at the gate Take the prophetes for an example of labour and patience who spake vnto vs in the name of God Beholde we account them blessed which haue suffered You haue heard of the sufferance of Iob and you haue seene Isa e that our Lord is merciful and ful of compassion I might here alleage many things more out of the scripture to this purpose for that the scripture is moste copious herein and in verie deed if it should al be melted and poured out it would yeld vs nothing els almost but touching the crosse and patient bearing of tribulatiō in this life But I must end for that this chapter groweth to long as the other did before And therfore I wil onelie for my conclusion set down the confession and most excellent exhortation of olde Mathathias in the time of the cruel persecution of Antiochus against the Iewes The storie is thus reported in the scripture At that time the officers of Antiochus said vnto Mathathias thou art a prince of greatest estate in this citie adorned with children and brethern come thou therfore first and doe the kinges commādement as other men haue done in Iuda and Ierusalem and thou and thy children shal be the kings freends and enriched with gold and siluer and many giftes frō him Wherto Mathathias answered with a loude voice if al nations should obey Antiochus to depart from the obedience of the lawes of their auncestours yet I my children and brethern wil folow the lawes of our fathers Let God be merciful vnto vs at his pleasure c. And the daies came of Mathathias his death and then he saied vnto his children Now is the time that pride is in her strength Now is the time of chastisemēt towardes vs the time of euersion indignation is come Now therfore ô Children be you zelous in the lawe of God yeld vp your liues for the testament of your fathers remember the workes of your auncestours what they haue done in their generations and so shal you receaue great glorie and eternal name Was not Abraham found faithful in time of temptation and it was reputed vnto him for iustice Ioseph in time of his distresse kept Gods commandementes and was made Lord ouer al Egypt Phinees our Father for his zeale towardes the lawe of God receaued the testament of an euerlasting presthode Iosue for that he fulfilled Gods word was made a captaine ouer al Israel Caleb for that he testified in the Church receaued an inheritance Dauid for his mercie obteined the seat of an eternal kingdome Elias for that he was zealous in zeale of the lawe was taken vp to heauen Ananias Azarias and Misael through their beleefe were deliuered from the flame of the fire Daniel for
heauen voluntarie pouertie and the like al I say he thrusteth out together with the scripture alleaged for the same And finally not to hold the reader any longer in the enumeratiō of thos thinges which he shal finde almost in euery other leafe of the booke Page 157. he thrusteth out not only S. Augustin talking of the price of heauē and of the facilitie to gaine the same but also striketh out in like maner the very wordes of Christ him self saying the kingdome of heauen doth suffer violence men doe lay handfast vpon it by force And what may be said then gentle reader of thes mē who spare neither Fathers Doctours Prophetes Apostles nor Christ him self when they stand in the way against their foolis he herefies AND THIS of thrusting out But now if I would speake of mangling I might say much more but that this place beareth it not and therfore thous halt be content good reader to accept of one example only among infinite that might be alleaged and by this one thou maist make vnto thy self some certaine coniecture of the rest Page 367. it is handled and proued by me against the impedimēt of delay how that vvee by deferring our cōuersion doe alwaies binde our selues to greater penance satisfaction afterwardes c. In which discourse M. Buny first in steed of the worde Penāce vseth alwaies the worde repētance as though al were one and so runneth on smoothly so long as it wil hold out And as for the worde Satisfaction for that he had no other word to put in for it he thrusteth it cleane out Then commeth he to S. Cyprian who saith that a diligint and long medicine is to be vsed to a deepe sore which wordes M. Buny admitteth and setteth downe as good and currant But the other part of the sentēce immediatly following was that our penance must be no lesse thē vvas our fault cōmitted which part M. Buny striketh out of the text as also al the rest ensuing wherin S. Cyprian prescribeth that this penance must be made with teares watching wearing of hear-cloth the like which seeme to be thinges nothing pleasant to the bodie of a Minister After S. Cyprian followeth S. Augustin in the very same page affirming That it is not sufficient for a sinner to change his maners to leaue of to sinne except he make satisfaction also to God for his sinnes past by sororrful penance geuing of almes c. With which wordes M. Buny would haue nothing to doe for that they were incorrigible therfore he ' thrust thē quite out yet out of S. Hierome that in the third place insued he was content to admit thes wordes Our bodie that hath liued in many delightes must be chastised vvith affliction our long laughing must be recōpenced vvith much vveping But the wordes immediatly following in the same seutence our soft linning and fine silke apparel must be changed into sharpe hear-cloth seemed to harde to this delicate doctour and therfore he thrust them quite out In the end of the ranke came graue S. Ambros affirming That vnto a great vvound a deepe long medicine in needful Which wordes M. Buay very quietly and courteously let passe But vpon th' other that immediatly followed he gaue a deade blow thrust them by head shoulders out of the booke to wit Grāde seelus grādē necessariā habet satisfactionē A great offence requireth of necessitie a great satisfaction Now thē gentle reader what shal we thinke or say of thes mē or of their maner of dealing Haue they honest meaning trow you Haue they sidelitie Haue they a conscience Haue they respect of God or man that deale in this order Is it hard to found any new religiō or to defend it or to auouch what folie or falsaood soeuer by this maner of proceeding If thes mē had habilitie to doe what their consciences would permit thē in the world abrod what an alteration what a subuersiō what a metamorphosis would they make in al matters of antiquitie If they had to them selues the setting forth of the holy fathers doctours workes how would they loppe and circumcise the same how would they set them foorth in their Ierkins yea barehose and doubletes cutting of al other garmentes and furniture that liked thē not or were not sutable to the season of thes mens senses If thes men I say had the keeping of al antiquities of fathers Councels and scriptures that to thē selues alone in their owne custodie without the knowledge or cōtradiction of any one Catholique for the space of only fiue hundred yeares together as they graunt we held thē al in our handes for a thousand what maner of bookes trow you should we finde them How currant and absolute for the protestant religiō No doubt but we should heare thē speake euē as Iohn Caluin speaketh in al matters of controuersie or rather as that good man for the time would haue them to speake vnto whos handes the last edition of such workes should be committed And thus much shal suffice for discouerie of M. Bunies editiō of my booke now remaineth ther only a word or two to be saide of the treatise which he adioined tēding as he saith to Pacification Of M. Bunies Pacification AND first of al a man would thinke that M. Buny did take but a very strange way to pacification in offering me the greate iniurie which before hath bene shewed in his editiō But for that he pretendeth his peace to be towardes the general by labouring the aduersaries as his phrase is I shal be content to passe ouer my particuler and to examine peaceably what he saieth and how he laboreth vs to that effect But here againe at the very first enterance ther riseth a new stoppe against al vnion or pacification with vs for that he is so singulerly persuaded of the rare light and knowledge of truth which they haue alone among them selues as he dareth to pronounce That to their knovvledge God neuer yet bestovved the like on others In which asseueratiō for that he excepteth neither the fathers or doctours of the primatiue Church nor yet th' Apostles them selues whom we hoped to haue had at least wise for iudges and arbiters in making this peace what probabilitie can ther be of vnion or composition amōg vs seing that at the very first word he maketh his cause better not only then ours but also then the case and condition of any other whatsoeuer since Christes departure frō earth or before But yet this I wil let passe also as a vaunt proceeding of an humour peculier to mē of his stampe For if you goe to al the petie sectes of thes our times or of any other times that haue bene from the beginning ech one wil sing the self same song affirming euery other bodies candel to be out but only theirs And if they should not say so they were not sectes or
in which ether is contrarie or impertinent or not profitable to this ende though it were to gaine kingdomes it is vanitie and lost labour that will turne vs in tyme to griefe and repētance if we change not our course for that it is not the matter for which we came īto this life nor wherof we shal be demanded an accompt except it be to receyue iudgement and punishement for the same Secondlie it followeth of the same consideration that seing our onlīe busines and affaire in this worlde is to serue our Maker and saue our owne soules and that all other earthelie creatures are put here to serue our vses to that onlie ende we should for our partes be indifferent to all thes creatures as to riches or pouertie to health or sicknes to honour or cōtempte to lytle learning or much learning and we should desire onlie so much or litle of either of them as were best for vs to th' attainement of our said ende and Butte pretended that is to tho seruice of God the weale of our soules For who so euer desireth seekthe loueth or vseth thes creatures more thē for this rūnneth from his ende for which he came hyther By this then may a careful Christian take some scanteling of his owne estate with God and make a cōiecture whether he be in the right waye or no. For if he attende onlie or principallie to this ende for which he was set hyther if his cares cogitations studdies endeuours labours talke conuersation and other his actiōs doe runne vpon this matter and that he careth no more for other creatures as honours riches learnig and the lyke thē they are necessarie vnto hym for this ende that he pretēdeth If his dayes life be spent in this studdie of the seruice of God and procuring his owne saluatiō in carefulnes feare and trembling as th' Apostle aduiseth hym then is he doubteles a most happie and blessed man and shall at length attaine to the kingedome which he expecteth But if hē finde hym self in a contrarie case and course that is not to attende in deede to this matter for which onlie he was sent hyther nor to haue in his hart studie this seruice of God and gayning heauen but rather some other vanitie of the world as promotion wealth pleasure sumptuous apparrel gorgeous buildinges beautie fauour of princes or anie other thing els that apparteineth not vnto this ende if he spend his tyme about thes trifles hauing his cares and cogitations his talke and delight more in thes thinges then about th' other greate busines of gayning Gods eternal kingdome for which he was made and placed in this wold Then is he I assure hym in a peri lous waye leading directelie to perditió except he alter and change his course For most certaine it is that who so euer shal not attende vnto the seruice he came for shal neuer attaine therewarde assigned and promissed to that seruice And for that the most parte of all this worlde not onlie of infidels but also Christiās doe rūne amisse in this pointe and doe not take care of that affaire and busines for which alone they were created and placed heere hence it is that Christe and his holie Sainctes bothe before and after his appearance in fleshe haue spoken so hardlie and seuerelie of the verie simal number that shal be saued euen among Christians and haue vttered certaine speeches which seeme verie rigourous to fleshe and blood to such as are most touched therin scarse credibile albeit they must be fulfilled As among other thinges that a louer of this worlde can not be saued that riche men doe enter as hardlie into heauen as a Camel through a Needles eye and the like The reason of which maner of speeches doth stande in this that a riche man or worldling attending with all his industrie to heape riches as the fashion is can not attende nor euer doth to that for which he came into this world and consequentelie can neuer attaine heauen except God worke a miracle and therby doe cause hym to spende oute his riches to the benefyte of his soule as some tymes he doth and so doe lessen the Camel in suche sorte as he may passe the Needles eye Wherof we haue a verie rare example in the Gospel of Zachaeus who beinge a riche man did presentelie vpō th' entering of Christ into his house and muche more as appeareth into his harte resolue hym self to change his former course touchinge riches and at one blowe to begynne withall gaue awaye halfe of all he possessed to the poore and for the rest made proclamation that who soeuer had receaued anie wrong at his handes as comonlie manie doe by them that are riche he should come and receyue fower tymes so much amendes By which almes and restitution he deliuered hym self from the Camels gibbe or bunch on his backe that letted his passage through the Needles eye And this extraor dinarie fauour and grace he receyued by the fortunate presence of his most blessed and bountiful Guest who had signified before in an other place that hym self was able so to drawe the Camel as he should passe the Needles eye for that thinges impossible to man were possible to God But to leaue this and to goe forwarde in our former purpose no mauaile it is if in the world abrode so fewe be saued seing that of thousandes skarse one doth accompt of that busines whiche of all other is the chiefe and principall Consider you the multitude of all sorte of people vpon earthe and see what their trafike and negotiation is see whether they treate this affaire or no see wherin their care and studie and cogitation consisteth How manie thousandes finde you in Christiandome who spende not one houre of fower and twentie nor one halfe daye of fortie in the seruice of God or busines of their soule how infinite haue you that breake their braines aboute worldlie cōmodities and how few that are troubled with this other cogitation how manie finde tyme to eate drinke sleepe disporte decke and trim ne them selues to the vew of others and yet haue no tyme to bestowe in this greatest busines of all other busines how manie passe ouer whole dayes weekes monethes and yeares and finallie their whole liues in haukīg hūting other pastimes without regarde of this importāt affaire how manie miserable women haue you in the world that spend more dayes in one yeare in pricking vp their apparell and adorning their carcasse then they doe houres i prayer for the space of all their life And what alas shall become of this people in th' ende what will they doe or saye at the daye of accompte what excuse will they alleage what waye will they turne them If the marchand-factour which I mentioned before after manie years spent in forraine countries vpon his Masters exspences should returne at length
gyue vp his accomptes of so much tyme and monie spent in singinge so much in daunsinge so muche in fencinge so much in Courtig who would not laugh at so fond a recoÌ„ning but being further demauÌ„ded of his master what tyme he had bestowed vpon the marchandise and affaires for which he was sent if the man should answer that he had not leasure to thinke vpon that thing for the great occupation whiche he had in th' other who would not esteeme hym worthie of all punishement and confusioÌ„ And much more shame and confusion no doubt shall they sustaine at the last dreadfull day in the face and presence of God and all his Angels who being sent into this world to traffique so riche a marchaÌ„dise as is the kingdome of heauen haue neglected the same and haue bestowed their studdies vpoÌ„ the moste vaine tryfles and follies of this world without cogitation or care of th' other O ye children of Adam saith the spirit of God whie loue you so vanitie and seeke after lies Whie leaue you the fouÌ„taine and seeke after Cesternes If a goldeÌ„ Game of inestimable value should be proposed to suche as would ruÌ„ne and could winne the same and when the course or rase were begunne if some should steppe asyde and follow flies or fethers that passed in th' ayer without regarde of the price Goule proposed who would not maruaile and take pittie of their follie Euen so is it with men of this world if we belieue S. Paul who affirmeth that we are all placed together in a Course or rase and that heauen is propounded vnto vs for the Game or Price But euerie man saith he arriueth not thyther and why for that most men doe steppe a syde and leaue the marcke Most men doe runne awrie and doe followe fethers vp and downe in th' ayer most men doe pursue vanities and doe wearie them selues oute in the pursute therof vntill they can nether runne nor goe nor moue their limmes anie further and then for the most parte it is to late to amende their follie Will you heare the lamentations of suche vnfortunate men These are their owne wordes recorded by scripture We are wearied out in the waye of iniquitie and perdition and the waye of God we haue not knowen What profitt haue we receyued of all our pompe pride and vaunting riches what good haue they donne vs They are now past awaye as a shadoe and as a messenger that rideth in post and we are consumed in our owne iniquities This is the lamentable complainte of such men as ranne awrie and followed a wronge course in their actions of this life Thes are they who pursued riches honour pompe and like vanities and forgate the busines for which they were sent Thes are they who were esteemed happie men in this world and thought to runne a most fortunat course in that they heaped much riches together aduaunced them selues and their families to greate dignities became gorgeous glorious and dreadful to others and finallie obtained what so euer their lust and concupiscence desyred This made them seeme blessed to earthelie cogitations and the waye wherin they ráne to be most prosperous and happie And I make no doubt by experience of thes our tymes but they had admirours and enuiours in great abundance who burned in desire to obtaine the same course And yet when I heare their complainte in this place and their owne confession wherin they saye expresselie vve senseles men did erre from the vvay of truth when I consider also th' addition of scripture Taliadixerunt in inferno they spake thes thinges when they were in hell I can not but esteeme their course for most miserable and condemne wholy the iudgement of flesh in this affaire Wherfore my brother if thou be wise yelde not to this decept of worldlie lippes and tongues that vse to blesse sanctific such as are in most daunger and nearest to perdition Leane rather to the sincere councel of S. Paul who willeth the to examine vprightlie thy owne workes and wayes and so to iudge of thie selfe without decepte If thou walke the waye of Babylon most certaine it is that thou shalt neuer arriue at the gates of Hierusalem except thou chaunge thie course O my brother what a gryese will it be vnto thee when after longe labour and much toyle thou shalt finde thie self to haue gone a wrie if a man had trauailed but one whole daye and therby made wearie should vnderstande at night that all his labour were lost that his whole iourney was out of the waye it would be a marueloê° afflictioÌ„ vnto hym no doubt albeit no other incoÌ„uenieÌ„ce were therin but onlie the losse of that dayes trauaile which might be recouered and recompenced in the next But if besides this his busines were great if it laye vpon his life to be at the place whether he goeth at a certaine hower if the losse of his waye were irrecouerable if the punishment of his errour must be death and confusion and hym self were so wearie that he could stirre no one foote further imagine then what a gryeuous message this would be vnto hym to heare one say Sir you are amisse and haue ridden wholie besides your way So then wil it be vnto the my soule at the daye of death and separation from my bodie if in this life thou attende not to thy saluation for which thou were created but shalt passe ouer thy dayes in followinge of vanities Thou shalt finde thy self a straye at th' ende of thy iournei thou shalt finde thy self wearie and inforced to saye withe those miserable damned spirites I haue vvalked hard and craggie vvayes for that in deede the waye of wickednes is full of thornes and stones though in shew it be couered with faire grasse manie flowers Thou shalt finde at that daye that thou hast lost thy labour lost thy tyme lost all opportunitie of thy owne commoditie Thou shalt finde thie errour to be irrecouerable thie dauÌ„ger vnauoydable thie punishement insupportable thie repentance vnprofitable and thie griefe and sorrow and calamitie inconsolable Oh he that could beholde and feele th' inwarde cogitations of a worldlie mans hart at that instant after all his honours and pleasures were past no doubt but he should finde hym of an other iudgement and opinion in thinges then he was in the ruffe and heate of his ioylitie He doth well perceyue then the fondnes of those triffles which he followed in this life albeit it were to make hym self a Monarche If a man did know the cogitations that Alexander the Great had when of poison he came to die after all his victories and incredible prosperitie if we knew the thoughtes of Iuliê° Caesar at the day of his murder in the Senate house after the conquest of all his enimies and subiection of the whole world to his owne onlie obedieÌ„ce we should well perceiue
that they tooke litle pleasure in the wayes they had walked not withstanding they were esteemed most prosperous and happie by men of this world Iosephus the Iewe recompteth two very rare examples of humane felicitie in Herode the first and Agrippa his Cosine wherof th' one by Antonie the Triumuir and th' other by Caligula th' Emperour both of them being otherwise but priuate gentilmen and in great pouertie and miserie when they fled to Rome were exalted vpon the suddaine to vnexpected great fortune and made riche Monarches and glorious Potentates They were indued at seueral tymes with the kingdome and crowne of Iurie that in such ample sorte as neuer any of that Nation after them had the like For which cause they are called in the Hebrue storie for distinctions sake Herode the Great and Agrippa the Great They ruled and commaunded all in their dayes they wanted nether siluer nor gold nor pleasures nor pastimes nor friendes nor flatterers And besides all thes gyftes of fortune they abounded also in ornamentes and excellencie of bodie and witte And all this was increased and made the more admirable by reason of their base low estate before in respect wherof their present fortune was esteemed for a perfect paterne of most absolute felicitie This they enioyed for a certaine space and to assure thē selues of the continuāce they bent all their cares cogitations and studdies to please the humours of the Roman Emperours as their Gods and authours of all their prosperitie and felicitie vpō earth In respect of whose fauours as Iosephus noteth they cared litle to violate their owne religiō of the Iewes or anie thing els that was most Sacred And this forsooth was esteemed of manie a most wise politique prosperous and happie course But what was th' ende and consummation of this their rase First Herode fell sicke of such an incurable and lothesome desease and was tormented in the same with so manie terrours and horrible accusations of his conscience as he pronounced hym self to be the most miserable afflicted creature that euer liued and so calling one daye for a knife to pare an aple would nedes haue mundered hym self with the same if his arme had not bene stayed by them that stoode by And for Agrippa Iosephus reporteth how that vpon a certaine daye which he kept festiual in Caesarea for the honour of Claudius the Roman Emperour when he was in his most extreme pompe and ioylitie in the middest of all his Peeres Nobles and Damosels cōming foorth at an hower appointed all glittering in golde siluer to make an oration vnto the people his voice gesture countenāce and apparel so pleased as the said people began to crie being sollicited ther vnto by some flaterours that it vvas the voyce of God and not of man wherin Agrippa taking pleasure and delectation was stoocken presentlie from heauen with a moste horrible putrifaction of all his bodie wherof he died repeating onlie to his friendes thes wordes in the middest of his tormētes Behold ye mee that doe sente to you a God hovv miserablie I am Inforced to departe from you all Now then would I demaunde of thes two so fortunate men who laying a side all care of God and religion did follow the prefermentes of this world so freshelie and obtained the same so luckelie how they liked of this their course and rase in th' ende Trulie I doubt not but if they were here to answer for them selues they would assure vs that one hower bestowed in the seruice of God and of their saluation would more haue comforted them at that last instant then all their labours toiles which they tooke in their liues for pleasing of Emperours and gathering the grace and good likinge of mortal men Vse then ô Christian vse this experience to thy commoditie vse it to thy instructiō vse it to thy forwarning That which they are now thou shalt be shortlie and of all follies it is the greatest not to profite or flee daungers by th' exāple of others The difference betwene a wise mā and a foole is that th' one prouideth for a mischiefe while tyme serueth th' other would doe whē it is to late If thou mightest feele now the state and case wherin thy poore hart shal be at the last daye for neglecting the thing that of all other it should haue studdied thought vpō most thou wouldest take frō thy meate sleepe and other necessaries to repaire that is past Hytherto thou hast time to refourme thy course if thou please which is no small benefite if all were knowen For in this sense no doubt is it most true which the wise man saith that better it is to be a lyuing dogge then a dead Lyō For that while the daye tyme of this life indureth all thinges amisse may easelie be amēded But the dreadful night of death will ouertake thee shortlie then shall there be no more space of reformation Oh that men would be wise and forsee thinges to come sayeth one prophet The greatest wisdome ī the world deare brother is to looke and attēde to our owne saluation For as the scripture sayeth most trulie he is a vviseman in deede that is vvise to his ovvne soule And of this wisdome it is writen in the verie same booke as spoken by her self In mee is the grace of all life and truth and in mee is the hope of all life and vertue In moral actions and humane wisdome we see that the first and chyefest circumstance is to regarde well and consider the ende And how thē doe we omit the same in this greate affaire of the kingdome of heauen If our ende be heauē what meane we so much to affect our selues to earth if our ende be God whie seeke we so greedilie the worldlie fauour of men if our ende be the saluation and eternitie of our soule why doe we follow vanities and temporalities of this life vvhie spende ye your monie and not in breade sayeth God by Esay vvhie bestovve ye your labour i thinges that vvill not yeld you savuritie If our inheritance be that we should reigne as kinges whie putt we our selues in suche slauerie of creatures if our birth allow vs to feede of bread in our fathers howse whie delighte we in huskes prouyded for the swine But alas we may saye with the wise man in scripture Fascinatio nugacitatis obscurat bona The bewitching of worldlie trifles doth obscure and hyde from vs the things that are good behouesull for our soules ô most daungerous inchantement But what shall this excuse vs no trulie for the same spirite of God hath left recorded Populus non intelligens vapulabit The people that vnderstādeth not shal be beaten for it And an other prophet to the same effect pronounceth This people is not vvise and therefore he that made them shall not pardon them neither
compasse of denial or coÌ„tradiction And truly no one thing in al this storie of Iesus life doth more establish the certaintie of his being the true Messias then that Iohn Baptiste whos wisdome learning vertue and rare sanctitie is confessed and recorded by the writings of al our aduersaries should refuse the honour of Messias offred to hym self and lay it vpoÌ„ Iesus as also should direct thos disciples that depended of hym to the only folowing and embrasing of Iesus doctrine Which is most euideÌ„tly prooued that he did for that fo so many folowers and disciples as hym self had no one appeared euer after that was not a ChristiaÌ„ WHEN Iesus was baptised he beganne to preache his whole doctrine was directed to the manifestation of his Fathers will and amendment of mans life It tended all to this one ground and principle thou shalt loue thy Lord vvith all thy soule and thy neyghbour as thy self It was plaine easie perspicuous and euideÌ„t though it treated of most high mysteries It had nether poÌ„pe nor pride of Rhetorical wordes nor flattering of mans wickednes as the doctrine of manie Philosophers had Neither consisted it of vnpro ficable externall ceremonies is the later obseruations of the Iewishe laye did nor was it fraught with carnalitie and spirit of this world as the Turkishe Alcoran and other sectaries doctrine is But all was simplicitie all was spirit all was trueth all was honestie all was humilitie all was charitie It tooke awaye or disanulled no one perfecte or spirituall point of Moyses lawe but rather reuiued interpreted fulfilled and made perfect the same For wheras that commannded external obseruance this added also internall obedience Whereas that said loue your frieÌ„des this adioyned loue also your enemies Wheras that commaunded we should not kill this further commaundeth to speake no angrie wordes Wheras that prohibeted to committ actual adulterie this also forbiddeth to couet in minde Wheras that said take no interest or vsurie of a Iewe that is thy couÌ„trie-man this saieth take it of no man what soeuer Wheras that accoumpted euerie Iewe only to be thy neyghbour this teacheth euery person liuing to be thy brother Wheras that taught thee to offer vp a calse or a sheepe or an oxe for thy finnes this instructeth thee to offer vp a contrite harte in the blood of hym that died for all with a firme purpose of amendement of life And finallie this doctrine tendeth whollie to the true sincere perfect seruice of God thy Lord that made and redeemed thee to th' exaltatioÌ„ of his onlie name power goodnes and glorie to the depression of mans pride by discouering his miserie to the contempt of this world and vaine pompe therof to the mortification and subdueing of our sensuall appetit to the true loue and vnfeigned charitie of our neighbour to the stirring vp of our spirit to celestiall cogitations to peace of conscience tranquilitie of mynde puritie of bodie consolation of our soule And in one word to reduce mankvnd againe to a certaine estate of innocencie simplicitie and Angelicall sanctitie vpon earth with his eye fixed onlie in th' eternall inheretaunce of Gods kingdome in heauen THIS was the doctrine deliuered by Iesus which is the same that Gods Prophets fortolde should be deliuered by the Messias And as for his life and conuersation by the testimony of his greatest aduersaries it was more admirable then his doctrine his life being a most liuely table wherin the perfection of al his doctrine was expressed A man of such grauitie as neuer in his life he was noted to laugh of such humilitie as being the sonne of God he scarse vsed in this world the dignitie of a seruaÌ„t of such sweet and mylde behauiour as al the iniuries of his ennemies neuer wreested from him one angry word Finally he was such an one as he was described by Esaie so many ages before he was borne in thes wordes he shal not crye nor contend nor shal any nan heare his voice in the streete he shal not crush a broken reade nor tread out a litle flaxe that lieth smoking on the grounde And an other Prophet not long after hym brake foorth into this speech vpoÌ„ consideratioÌ„ of the behaueour that should be in the Messias Reioyse thou daughter of Sion trjumphe thou daughter of Ierusalem for beholde thy king shal come vnto the thy iust sauiour he is poore and humble c. And as thes Prophets did foretel the vertue sanctetie of the Messias so the deuils theÌ„ selues could not but confesse the same to haue bene fulfilled in the person of Iesus as is most euident by the testimony of Porphyrie a professed enemie of the Christian name Who after consideration of diuers Oracles vttered by his Idoles touching Iesus he breaketh into this confession It is exceeding vvonderful vvhat testimonie the Gods doe gyue of the singuler pietie and sanctitie of Iesus for vvhich they auovvch hym revvarded vvith iÌ„mortalitie but yet thes ChristiaÌ„s are deceyued in calling him God Thus muche writeth Porphyrie And last of al Iosephê° the Iewe that was borne imediatlie after hym writeth of hym thus Ther vvas at this tyme one Iesus a vvise man if it be laufull to cal hym a man a vvorker of most vvonderful miracles and a Maister and teacher of al such men as vvillingly vvere content to embrase the truth IN WHICH testimonie of Iosephus we see mention also of Iesus miracles which is the next thing wherof we are to consider And as Iosephus in this place being a Iewe beareth witnes that Iesus performed many straunge miracles so most apparantly and according to the interpretation of Iosephus in this place were the same miracles fortolde by the Prophetes of God that they should be done by the true Messias So Esaie in his 35. chapter describeth at large how the Messias at his coming shal declare his commission by gyuing sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speech to the dombe agilitie of body to the Lame CrippleÌ„ And that which is more maruailous God reuealed this point very particularly to the Gentiles by the Sibyles among who one of them wrote thus of Christ to come as Lactantius recordeth He shal doe al by his only vvord he shal cure al infirmities he shal raise the dead he shal make the lame to runne skippe the deafe shal heare the blind shal see the dombe speake In fiue loaues and tvvo fishes fiue thousand persons shalve satisfied and the fragmentes shal fil tvvelue baskets to the hope of many He shal commande the vvindes and vvalke vpoÌ„ the furious sea vvith his feete of peace And after diuers other greeke verses to this purpose she coÌ„cludeth in thes wordes MeÌ„ shal saie that I am a madde and lying Prophetesse but vvhen at thes things shal come to passe then remember mee for then shal no man say more that I vvas a liar but rather the
her but by calling them reformers Illuminates vnspotted bretheren and such other names that are different from Catholiques He that protesteth with S. Ierom that he doth abhorre all sectes and names of particuler men as Marcionistes Montanistes Valentinians and the like he that doth confesse sincerlie with blessed Cyprian that one priest for the time is to be obeyed by gods ordinance as iudge in Christes roome by the vniuersal brotherhode of al Christianitie he that is modest quiete sober voide of contētion obedient as S. Paul describeth a true and good Catholique he that is humble i his owne cōcept and aggreinge to humble thinges firme in faith not variable nor delighted vvith nevv doctrines he that can captiuate his vnderstandinge to the obedience of Christ which is to beleeue humblie such thinges as Christ by his church proposeth vnto him albeit his reason or sense should stande against the same And finallie he that can be content at Christes commandement to heare the Church in al thinges without doubt or exception and obey the Gouernours therof albeit in life they be Scribes and Pharises and consequentelie can say trulie sincerlie with the whole College of Christes Apostles together Creda sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam I doe belieue the holie Catholique vniue sal Church and what soeuer that Church doth set furth teach holde or beleeue that man no doubt is in a most sure case for matters of his faith and can not possiblie walke awry therin but may thinke hym self a good Christian for this first pointe which is for matters of beliefe THERE FOLLOVVETH the second parte of Christian profession concerning life and manners which is a matter of so much more difficultie then the former by how many more wayes a man may be lead from vertuous life then from sincere faith Wherin ther can be no comparison at all seing the pathe of our beliefe is so manifest as hath beneshewed that no mā cā erre therin but of inexcusable wilfulnes Which wilfulnes in errour the holie fathers of Christes primatiue Church did alwayes referre to two principal and original causes that is to pride or ouerweening in our owne concepts and to malice against our superiours for not giuing vs contentation in things that we desire Of the first doe proceede the deuising of new opinions new glosing expounding and applying of Scriptures the calling of holy writ it self in question the contempt of auncient customes and traditions the preferring of our iudgments before al others either present or past the debasing of holie Fathers priests prelates Councels ordinances constitutions and al other thinges and proofes what so euer that stand not with our owne good liking and approbatiō Of the second fountaine are deriued other qualities conformable to that humour as are the denying of Iurisdictiō and authoritie in our Superiours the contempt of Prelates th' exaggeration of the faults and defectes of our Gouernours th' impugnation of al Bishoplike dignitie or ecclesiastical eminentie and especially of the Sea Aposto lique wherunto appertainet the correction of such like offendours finally for satisfying this deuilishe and most pernicious veine of malice thos wicked reprobates doe incite and arme the people against their spiritual pastours they enkindle factions against Gods annointed substitutes they deuise a new Church a new forme of gouernment a new kingdome and ecclefiastical hierarchie vpon earth wherby to bring men in doubt and staggering what or whom to beleeue or wherunto to haue recourse in such difficulties as doe arise Thes two maladies I save of Pride and Malice haue bene the two causes of obstinate errour in al heretiques from the beginning as ful wel noted that holy and auncient martir S. Cyprian when he said so longe agoe Thes are the beginnings and original causes of heretiques and wicked schismatsques first to please and like wel of them selues and then being puffed vp with the swelling of pride to cōtemne their gouernours superiours Thus doe they abandone and forsake the church thus doe they erect a prophane Altar out of the church agaīst the church Thus doe they breake the peace and vnitie of Christ and doe rebell against Gods holie ordination Now then as thes are the causes either only or principal of erring ī our beleefe most facile and easie as we see to be discerned so of errour in life maners ther are many more occasions causes ofspringes and fountaines to be found That is to saye so many in number as we haue euil passions inordinate appetites wicked desires or vnlauful inclinations within our mynde euery one wherof is the cause oftentimes of disordered life and breach of Gods commandementes For which respect ther is much more set doune ī Scripture for exhortation to good life then to faith for that the errour herein is more ordinary and easie and more prouoked by our owne frailtie as also by the multitude of infinite temptations Wherfore we read that our Saueour Iesus in the verie beginning of his preaching straight after he was baptised had chosen vnto hym S. Peter and S. Andrew Iames and Iohn some other few Disciples wēt vp to the moūtaine ther made his first most excellēt famous and copious sermon recited by S. Mathew in three whole chapters wherin he talketh of nothing els but of vertuous life pouertie meekenes iustice puritie sorowe for sinne patience in suffering contempt of riches forgyuing of iniuries fasting prayer penance entring by the strait gate and finally of perfection holines and integritie of cōuersation and of the exact fulfilling of euery iote of Gods lawe and commaundementes He assured his Disciples with greate asseueration that he came not to breake the law but to fulfil the same and consequentelie whosoeuer should breake the least of his commaundementes and should so teache men to doe that is should perseuer therein without repentance and so by his example drawe other men to doe the like should haue no place in the kingdome of heauen Againe he exhorted thē most earnestlie to be lightes and to shyne by good workes to all the world and that excepte their iustice did exceede the iustice of Scribes and pharises which was but ordinarie and external they could not be saued He told them plainlie they might not serue two masters in this life but either must forsake God or abandon Mammon He cried vnto them Attendite stand attent and consider well your state and condition and then againe seeke to enter by the straite gate And lastlie he concludeth that th' onlie trial of a good tree is the good fruite which it yeeldeth without which fruite let the tree be neuer so faire or pleasant to the eye yet is it to be cut downe burned that not euerie one who shal say or crie vnto hym Lord Lord at the last daye should be saued or enter into the kingdome of heauen but onlie such as did execute in
lyfe for then and not otherwise are we true Christians if we fulfill in workes that wherof we haue made promisse in wordes that is in the daye of our baptisme we promissed to renounce the pompe of this world togyther with all the workes of iniquitie which promisse if we perfourme now after baptisme thē are we true Christiās and maye be ioyful And in an other place the same holie father addeth this For that diuers men are Christians in profession and faith onlie and not in life herehence it is said by the voice of truth it self Not euerie one that shall say to me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen And againe vvhie doe you call me Lord Lord and doe not perfourme the thinges that I tell you Herehence it is that God cōplained of his olde people the Iewes saying this people ho noureth we vvith their lippes but their hart is sarre of from me And the Prophet Dauid of the same people they loued hym vvith their mouth and vvith their tongues they lyèd 〈◊〉 hym Wherfore lett no man trust that his faith may saue hym without good deedes seing that we know it is writen expresselie that faith vvithout vvorkes is dead and consequentelie can not be profitable or saue vs from damnation Hytherto S. Gregorie Which verie conclusion S. Chrysostome maketh with great vehemencie vpon consideration of that woesull chaunce and heauie iudgemet that happned vnto him who in the Ghospel was admitted to the feast of Christian faith and knowledge but for lacke of the ornament or garment of good life was most cōtumeliouslie depriued of his expectatiō of whō S. Chrysostoms wordes are thes He was īuited to the feast brought into the table but for that by his fowle garment he dishonored our Lord that had īuited hym heare how miserable and lamentable a punishemēt he suffered He was not onlie thrust from the table banquet but also bounde hand foote and cast into vtter darkenes wher ther is eternal weepinge and gnashing of teeth Wherfore lett vs not deare bretheren lett vs not I saye deceyue our selues and immagine that our faith will saue vs without good worckes For except we ioyne pure lyfe to our beleefe and in this heauenlie vocation of ours doe apparrel our selues with worthie garmentes of vertuous deedes wherby we may be admitted at the mariage daye in heauen nothing shall be able to deliuer vs from the damnation of this miserable man that wanted his weddinge weede Which thingt S. Paul well noteth when hauinge said vve haue an euerlasting hovvse in heauen not made by mans handes he addeth presentelie this exception sitamen vestiti non nudi inueniamur that is if we be founde at that daye well apparreled not naked Would God euerie Chistian desyrous of his saluation would ponder well this discourse and exhortation of S. Chrysostom And so with this alone to conclude our speech in this chapter without allegation of further matter or authorities which are infinite to this effect it may appeare by that which hath already bene set doune wherin the true profession of a Christian consisteth and therby eche man that is not partial or blinded in his owne affection as many are may take a vewe of his estate and condition and frame vnto him self a verie probable coniecture how he is like to speed at the last accompting daie that is what profite or dōmage he may expect by his knowledge and profession of Christian religion For as to him that walketh vprightly in that vocation and perfourmeth effectually euerie waye his professed dutie there remaine both infinite and inestimable rewardes prepared so to him that strayeth a syde and swarueth from the right path of lyfe or faith prescribed vnto him there are no lesse paines and punishmēts referued For which cause euery Christian that is careful of his saluation ought to fixe his eye verie seriouslie vpon them both and as in beleefe to shew him self constant firme humble obedient and in one worde Catholique so in life and conuersation to be honest iust pure innocent and holie And for that this second point concerning life and maners is of more difficultie as hath bene shewed then the other of beleefe wherof notwithstanding we haue also treated sufficiently in the former chapters the rest of this whole worke shal tende to the declaration of this later part I meane of good life therby to stirre vp and awake if so it may please the merciful goodnes of our blessed Saueour the slouthful hartes of Christians to the cogitatiō of their owne estate and make them more vigilant in this greate affaire wheron dependeth their endles woe or welfare ANNOTATION THE PRINT BEING come to this place M. Bunneys edition of this booke vvas deliuered to me out of vvhose infinite corruptions maymes and māglinges diuers thinges shal be noted hereafter in the margent OF THE TWO PRINCIPAL POINTES THAT DOE APPERTAINE TO A Christian life that is to saye To resist all synne and to excercise all kynde of vertue vvith the meanes and methode hovv to perfourme them both CHAPT VI. SVPPOSINGE that in the partes of this booke which ensue we are to deale only with suche as are instructed and settled in true Christian faith wherunto we haue proued before that vertuous life and good deeds are necessarily to be adioined it semeth conuenient in this place to treate of the pointes or prīcipal partes belonging therunto Which partes are briefly prescribed by God hym self in the writinges of Dauid Esaie and other prophetes of the olde testament exhorting men to decline from vice and to embrace vertue But much more plainly by S. Peter S. Paul and other Apostles of the Euangelical law the first affirming that the fruite and effect of Christes death and passion was that vve being dead to sinne should liue to Iustice and the other adioining that the grace of God our saueour appeared to al men instructing vs to this ende that vve renouncing al vvickeanes should liue iustly and godly in this vvorld By which testimonies of holy write is made cleare and euidēt that the whole dutie of a good Christian is reduced to thes two heades or principles to wit to the resistance of al euil and to th' exercise of al pretie and vertue In respect of the first wherof our life is called in holie scripture a warfare vpon earth and vertuous mē are termed souldiours for that as good souldiours doe lye in continual wayte to resist their ennemies so vigilant Christians doe carefully stand vpon their watche for resisting the suggestions and temptatiōs of sinne In regarde of the second pointe we are named labourers husbandmen sowers marchātes bankers stewards fermers and the like and our whole life is termed a marte and trafique for that as thes kinde of people doe attēd with diligēce to their gaine and encrease of tēporal riches in this life so ought we to applie
our selues wholy in the cōtinual exercise of good workes for augmētation of our merite and treasure in the world to come Thes then are the two partes of a good Christian life the two principal pointes wherupon we should meditate the exercises wherin we should be occupied the two legges wherupon we should walke towards our Countrie the two armes wherwith we should laye faste-hand on Godes eternal kingdome the two winges wherby we must flie and mount vp to heauē So that whosoeuer doth want any one of thes two partes albeit he had the other yet can he neuer ascende to Godes blisse no more then a bird can flie being maimed of one of her winges My meaning is that neither integritie of life is sufficiēt without good workes nor good workes auailable without a pure and vndefiled life The later is made cleare by Gods owne speeches to the people of Israel whos sacrifices oblations praiers and other such workes that were commended and commaunded by hymself he oftentimes reiected and accompted abhominable for that the presentours and exhibitours therof were men of impious and wicked conuersation The former also is apparantly shewed by Christes parable of the foolishe virgins who albeit they were Virgins and incontaminate from sinne yet because they lacked the oile of good workes to giue light in their lampes they were excluded from the mariage banquet as also that other most infortunate fellow was who wanted his wedding ornament Both thes pointes then are necessarie to a Christian mans saluation that so necessarie as the one without the other is not auailable AND FOR THE FIRST which is resisting of sinne we are commaunded by Godes holy worde to doe it manfully vigilantly and constantly And S. Paul addeth moreouer that in this resistance we ought to striue euen vnto death and to the shedding of our last blood if occasion doe require The same are we taught by diuers other Apostles and Saintes in Christes Church exhorting and instructing vs to this fight and cōbat with the flesh world deuil that entice vs to sinne For proofe wherof it shal suffice in this place to alleage thos last wordes of Iob which doe conclude his large discourse of the most dreadful power and crueltie of Leuiathā Memento belli be not vnmindeful of the warre which thou wagest with this ennimy Which warre and resistance is to be performed with such exquisite diligence and firme resolution on our behalf as it behoueth vs not only to withstand the committing of any one actual sinne but also the very consent of minde therunto For so we are commaunded expresly bevvare least at any time thou giue consent vnto any sinne Concerning which thing it is briefly to be noted that sinne may be committed either in deed or in wil alone And to this later kinde al diuines agree and proue it by S. Iames that ther are three degrees to witt Suggestion Delectation and Consent Wherof as the first is of the ennimie the second of our sensualitie the third of reason so may the first be without fault the second includeth for the most part some negligence the third conuinceth vs alwaies of iniquitie Or to vse the verie wordes of S. Gregorie the great In Suggestion is the seede of sinne in Delectation the norrishment in Consent the persection So that who soeuer doth but only yeeld consent of minde to the perfourmance of any vnlauful act so farr foorth as he would committ the same if he had time place and abilitie therunto is condemned by holy write in the guilt of that sinne as deeply as if in deed he had now actuallie committed the same So Christ him self in the matter of adulterie expresly pronounced and long before that by the mouth of Moyses he determined the like in other offenses of the people of Israel In consideration of which seuere determination it is most wonderful and dreadful to consider our selues being so negligent herein as we are what great attention watche care and feare holy Saintes of God in times past had in this point of resisting sinne and the very first motions and temptations therof In times past I saie in thos blessed daies of antiquitie when the spirite of God was yet hoate and boiling in the breastes of his deuout seruants and when recheles sensualitie had not so ouerwhelmed the world as now it hath We read of the iust and most blessed man Iob that notwithstanding all his integritie perfection of life yet did he diligently discusse and feare euery the least of his owne actions being wel assured as he protesteth that God doth not pardon such as are negligent and doe offend him therin Holy Dauid also though he were a king yet did he euery night brushe or svveepe his spiri e by diligēt examination or the very cogitations and inward motions of his hart In which exercise S. Paul that most worthie Apostle and exact obseruer of his maisters commaundemētes was so precise and careful as albeit he were assaulted with many strong and violent temptations of the flesh by Satans suggestion yet by his owne diligent resistance together with the assistance of Gods holy grace which was giuen vnto him particularly for that combat he preserued his minde so pure and vnspotted from al blot of cōsent as after the victorie obtained he durst affirme of him self that to his knowledge he was guiltie of no fault or offence For better obtaining of which victorie it is most probable that he vsed thos external helpes remedies of much fasting lōg praying paineful watchig rigourous chastising of his owne bodie which he mentioneth in his writinges To which ende appertained in like maner the same and like exercises recorded by S. Paul and other writers to haue bene vsed by the rest of the Apostles that is to saie diuers and frequent austerities and bodely mortifications therby to bring their flesh in subiection to their spirites and to make them selues more able to withstand al sinful temptations and suggestions of the aduersarie So Egisippus Eusebius and others doe make wonderful narrations of the strait diet apparrel and forme of life vsed by S. Iames the iust in whom they recorde among other thinges that with continual praying vpon his knees the skine therof was made so hard as the braune of a Camels knee The like or rather more straunge thinges doth Philo the Iewe set foorth in the life and exercises of S. Marke of his disciples that liued in Alexandria who by their exquisite seueritie in this behalf droue into admiration euen thos that were aduersaries of their religion By imitation of which first and perfect Christians in this combat of resisting sinne diuers other did afterward take in hand that strait course of life wherof we read with admiration in aunciēt writers as S. Anthonie whos life is recorded by holy Athanasius Paul and Hilarion
Apostle writeth he that yeeldeth to 〈◊〉 becòmeth the bondslaue of sinne And the holy spirite of God in an other place saieth the vvicked man is vvrapt in the bades or chaines of his ovvne vvickednes Which bandes and chaines are so nexed knit and strongly lincked together in a sensual man that being once entangled within the compasse therof he is drawen from lincke to lincke compassed about with so many foldes that he seldome can escape vntil he come to the ende therof which is fastened euen in hel it self This thing doe the holie Fathers of Gods Church expresse by this deduction to wit that in careles and negligent Christians Suggestiō which is the begining of this daūgerous and infernal chaine draweth after it cogitation cogitation draweth affection affection delectation delectation consent consent operation operation custome custome desperation of Gods mercie desperatiō bringeth in the defending of sinnes cōmitted after which foloweth immediatelie both vaūtinge bosting and glorying in wickednes which is the next inseparable lincke to damnation it self To thes miseries loe and inexplicable calamities is the world brought by not resisting the temptations of sinne but yeelding to euery vnlawful motion of our sensual appetites According as it was foretolde so long ago If thou permit thy soule to haue her concupiscences she vvill make thee a ioye and pray to thy enimies Oh ye children of Adam whye consider ye not this thinge ô worldlinges ô careles Christians whie forget ye this pointe so necessarie to be pondered is it possible that men should be so negligent in their owne apparent and irremediable daungers The world is come now to that desperate cōdition described by Iob wherin men drinke vp sinne as beasts doe water that is without all difficultie scruple remorse of conscience feare of hell care doubt examination or cogitation We are now come to that obstinate cōtempt foreprophetied by Daniel vvicked men vvil doe vvickedlie and vvill not vnderstande Nay the most parte of men are entered into that dreadful most horrible plight wherof the wisman said The vvicked and impious man vvhen he is come to the deapthe of vvickednes contemneth all But what are the wordes immediatlie ensuinge His ignominie shall follovv hym Which S. Paul expoundeth more plainlie in this maner VVhose ende shaibe death or destruction vvith confusion Wherfore he that is a good Christian in deede and desireth to enioye the fruite of that vocation lett hym beware of this perilous laberinthe and learne to resiste his fleshlie appetites betime Let hym crushe the head of the serpent at the first enterance of vnlawful suggestions as in the second parte of this directorie he shal more particule lie be instructed to doe In the meane 〈◊〉 this alredie spoken shal be sufficient to declare the greate importāce weight and necessitie of this affaire and the manifolde mischiefes which ensue vnto the world for wante of watchefulnes and diligence in this warre AND THVS HAVING shewed how euil souldiars we are in resisting our enimie it remaineth to cōsider how prudent marchātes and labourers we are for encrease of our gaine and spiritual riches by the exercise negotiation and trafique of good workes About which point is to be obserued that man from his first fal in paradise was assigned to trauaile and take paines in this kinde of exercise and in no sort to be idle For so it is plainlie set doune in the booke of Genesis man vvas placed in paradise to labour And after that in diuers other places of the olde testainent the spirite of God exhorted men to be paineful industrious and diligently to til such land as God hath lent them for their gaine Which the prophet Osce interpreteth thus Seminate vobis Iustitiam enrich you selues by sowing iustice And the wise man more plainly vvhat soeuer thy hād can doe doe it instantly The reason of which exhortation is set doune by the same instrumēt of Gods spirite in an other place Anima operantium impinguabitur The soule of such as labour and take paine shal be fattened And againe Seminanti Institiam merces sidelis To hym that soweth iusticc or good deeds ther remaineth a faithful and sure reward In respect wherof in the description of a blessed and fortunate mā it was put for one principal qualitie by the prophete that he receyued not his soule in vaine but laboured and employed the same to his greatest benefite And this in the old testament But in the new wherin the most excellent merites of Christ doe yeeld inestimable dignitie to al good workes that are done in his name this precept of labouring hath much more place and is more seriouslie recommended for that by Christes spirite and aboundance of grace we are more enhabled to performe the same as may appeare by the wordes of God him self in Ezechiel wher foretelling the times of the Messias to come saieth At that day vvil I place my spirite in you and vvil bring to passe that you shal vvalke in my commaundements and shal labour and take paines Which labour is to be vnderstoode in performance of good workes according as S. Paul describeth the condition of Christian people when hecalleth thē an acceptable people clensed by Christes blood to be a folovver of good vvorkes And in an other place he defineth a good Christian to be the had vvorke of God created ī Christ to vvalke in good vvorkes And yet further Christ him self in the Ghospel declareth plainly what the state and condition of Christiās is in this life by the parable wherin he likeneth hym self to the riche banker who committed diuers summes of money to his seruantes with this charge Negotiamini dum venio Make ye your trafique and commoditie vntil I come and cal for an accompt By al which is most manifest that the life and vocation of a Christian in this world is to labour and make his gaine by the talentes that God hath lent him and to fructesie in al good vvorkes as S. Paul exhorteth vs. Hereby also doth appeare that the time of this our life is nothing els but a certaine season alotted vs wheri to sowe plant nothing els but a fayer or marte wherin to trafique negotiate make our exchaunge for the kingdome of heauen In which affaire and negotiation he that is diligent painful industrious is accompted a vvyse man euen by Gods owne mouth as on the contrary part the careles slouthful and negligent mā is called the childe of confusion voide of wit and subiect to al miserie contempt and beggarie Herehence are thos speeches of holie Scripture Manus sortium dominabitur The hande of him that laboureth with courage shal preuaile and be potent And againe Robusti habebunt diu tias The stout painful shal haue welth at wil. And yet further he that diligently tilleth his soile shal aduance to great hight
men in this life For of this were vttered thos wordes especiallie beare in minde the last end of all thinges and thon shalt iot synne euerlastinglie Which holie Dauid seemed to haue experienced in hym self when he wrote as foloweth I haue obserued the vvayes of my Lord neither haue I committed vvickedness against my God for that his iudgements vvere alvvaye in my sight and his iustice I haue not cast out of my mynd And by thes meanes I shal be vnspotted in his presence and vvill keepe my self from committing iniquitie Hence it is that the blessed Prophet Moyses when he saw the people of Israel careles in committing synne cried out in zeale ō foolishe Nation vvithout vvisdom or councel vvould God they had vvitt and vnderstanding and vvould forsee the end of thinges to come As who would say if they had so much witt as to consider this and what accompt they must gyue to God at the last day of their doinges they would not offend hym as they doe But as the scripture saith in an other place for that this day of reconing is disterred and for that Gods iudgment is not pronounced presentelie against the vvicked the children of men doe commit vvickednes daylie vvithout ail feare We haue then to consider in this place for our owne instruction and good admonishement in life what maner of accompting daye this shal be whos remembrance is so much and often commended vnto vs in holie scripture For better conceyuing wherof we shall deuide this chapter into three principal heades or pointes The first wherof shal be of preparatiōs or preābles assigned to goe before this daye The second of thinges that shall passe and be executed at that daye The third of that which is to ensue vpon the sentence gyuen and the iudgement ended CONCERNING THE FIRST it is to be noted that for the more dread and Maiestie of this great daie the eternal wisdome of God hath ordained and reuealed vnto vs that before the comming therof when it approcheth nere thershal most wonderful and horrible preparations signes and tokens appeare in the world The first wherof shal be the garboiles tumultes and commotions of all Nations kingdomes and people vpon earth Which our Saueour hymself described in thes wordes to his Apostles VVhen you shal heare the fame or brute of vvarres and vprores be not afraid for that thes thinges must be and yet presently the ende of the world shal not ensue One nation shal rise against an other and one kingdome shal impugne another ther shal be great earth-quakes pestilence and famine most terrible signes and tokens from heauē Vpon which wordes of our Saueour the blessed father S. Gregorie hath this discourse The last tribulation must haue many tribulations going before it and by thes manifold afflictions precedēt are declared the eternal afflictions that must ensue And therfore Christ said that after warres and vprores the ende should not immediatly folowe for that it behoueth that many transitorie calamities should goe before to denounce vnto vs the endles woes which are to come after Thes warres tumultes and most dreadfull confusions here signified by Christ are specified more plainly in other places of holie writ but especially by Ezechiel Daniel and S. Ihon in his reuelations Wher it is prophetied that a litle before the last general daie of iudgment ther shal be reuealed the man of sinne called Antechrist who after the conquest of many kings kingdomes shal make hym self the Monarch and absolute owner of the world and shal exercise vpon good Christians more barbarous crueltie and shed more innocent blood within the space of three yeares and a half which shal be the terme of his outragious tirannie then al other ennimies of God haue done from the beginning The matter is described most strangely by the Prophete Ezechiel Who after declaration of one most bloodie bataile to be fought by Ierusalem wherin he saieth figuratiuely that the weapons of such as shal be slaine shal be sufficient to make fire for seuen yeares after he adioyneth in the person of God this narration I haue spoken in my zeale and in the fire of my wrath haue I promised that in the last daies when Gog and Magog shal come into the world by thes names are signified the armie of Antechrist ther shal be a great commotion vpon the earth and the fishe of the sea the birdes of the aire the beastes of the field al that crecpeth on the groūd together with al humane generation which liueth vpon the face of the earth shal be in an vprore before my face Hilles shal be ouerturned hedges shal be broken doune euery strong wal shal fal to the ground I wil cal against them the sword from the toppes of al mountaines and euery mans sword shal be bent against his owne brother My iudgment shal be in pestilence and blood and vehement stormes in huge stones that shal fal doune I wil raine fire and brimstone c. And thou sonne of mā tel vnto al the foules birdes of the aire and to al the rauenous beastes of the field assemble your selues make haste come together from al quarters to feede of the sacrifice which I shal prepare vnto you a great sacrifice vpon the mountaines of Israel You shal eate the flesh of stoute champions and shall drincke the blood of Princes You shall feede of their fat vntil you be cloide and you shal drincke their bloode til you be druncke You shal be filled at this my table and al Nations shal see this my iudgement that I haue exercised and in what maner I haue stretched out my potent hād vpon them Thus much hath the word of God and muche more which for breuitie I doe omit of the greate miseries cōfusions that shal be among men some litle time before the daie of iudgment Which time being expired ther shal ensue other preparations in the heauens and eliments of the world much more dreadful then thes Which by Christ hym self and his Saintes are described in this maner At that daie ther shal be signes in the Sunne in the Moone in the starres The sunne shal be darkened the moone shal giue no light the starres shal fal from the skies and al the powers of heauen shal be moued The firmament shal forsake his situation with great violence the elements shal be dissolued with heat and the whole earth with al that is in it shal be consumed with fire The firme land shal moue and leaue her place and shal flie away like a doae the pressures of Nations vpō earth shal be inestimable by reason of thes thinges and through the confusion of hideous noise from the sea and floudes and men shal wither away and drie vp for feare and expectation of the thinges which at that day shal happen to the vniuersal world Thus farre out of the Ghospel But S. Iohn the
vttereth the same ī otherwordes they vvhich commit sinne are enimies to their ovvne soules Wherfore they laye downe to al men this general seuere most necessarie commaundement vpon al the paines before recited Flee from sinne as from the face of a snake And againe Bevvare thou neuer consent to sinne For how soeuer the worlde may make litle accounte of this matter by whome as the scripture noteth the sinner is praised in his lustes and the vvicked man is blessed for his vvickednes yet most certaine it is for that the spirite of God auoucheth it that he vvhich committeth sinne is of the deuil and therfore is to receyue his portion amonge deuils and damned spirites at the latter daye And is not al this sufficient most deare brother to breed in vs a detestation of sinne with feare and horrour to commit the same Is not this of force and strength sufficient to shake the hartes of them that wallowe perpetually in the pudle of sinne and doe commit the same daylie without scruple remorse or consideration what desperate obstinacie obduration is this Surely we find now by experiēce that the holye Ghost prophesied ful truelie of thes men when he sayed sinners alienated from God are possessed vvith a surit like a serpent and like a deafe cocatrise vvhich stoppeth her eares against the enchaunter This surie I saie is the furie or madnesse of willfull synners which stoppe their eares like serpentes to all the holy enchauntmentes that God can vse vnto them for their conuersiō that is to all his internal motions and good inspirations to all remorse of their owne consciences to all threatninges of holie scriptures to al admonishmentes of gods seruauntes to al examples of vertuous liuers to al the punishementes that light vpon the wicked and to all the other meanes which God can vse for their saluation Good Lorde what man would commit a mortal sinne for the gayning of ten thowsande worldes if he considered the infinite dōmages hurtes inconueniences mileries which doe ensue by cōmitting of the same For first who soeuer sinneth mortallie leeseth the grace of God inherent in his soule which is the greatest gift that can be gyuen to man in this life cōsequētlie he leeseth al those thinges which did accompanie that grace as are the vertues infused and the seuen giftes of the Holy Ghost wherby the sowie was beautified in the sight of her spouse and armed against al assaultes of her ghostlie enimies Secondlie he leeseth the fauour of God and consequentlie his fatherly protection care and prouidēce ouer him enforceth hym to be his professed enimie Which how great a losse it is we may esteeme in part by the state of a worldly princes seruant and fauorite who being in highe grace and credit with his Soueraine should by some one great offence lose al his fauour at one instant and incurre his mortal hatred and displeasure Thirdly he leeseth all his inheritance clayme and title to the kingdome of heauē which is due onlie by grace as S. Paul wel noteth and consequentlie he depriueth hym self of all dignities and commodities depending therupon in this life as are the condition and high priueledge of being the sonne of God the communion of Sainctes the protection of holie Angels and the like Fourthlie he looseth the quiet ioye and tranquillitie of a good conscience and all the fauours cherishmentes consolations and other comfortes wherwith the holie Ghost is wont to visite the mides of the Iust. Fifthly he looseth the merit and rewarde of his good workes done al his life before and whatsoeuer he doth or shal doe while he continueth in that miserable and sinful state Sixtlie he maketh hym self guiltie of eternall punishment and enrolleth his name in the booke of perdition and consequentlie byndeth hym self to althose miseries and inconueniences wherunto the reprobate are subiect that is to saie to be an inheritour of hel and damnation to be in the power of the deuill and his Angels to be thral to synne and euerie temptation therof and his sowle which was before the temple of the holy ghost the habitation of the blessed Trinitie the spouse of God place of repose for holy Angels to visit now to be a dēne of dragons a nest of scorpions a dongeō of deuilles a sincke swine-stie of al filth and abhomination and hym self a companion of the miserable damned spirites Lastlye he abandoneth Christ and renounceth al the interest and portion he had with hym treading hym vnder his feete defiling his most pretious blood Crucifying hym againe as S. Paul auoucheth in that he sinneth agaist him who died for sinne and maketh hym self a persecutour of his redeemer For which cause the same Apostle pronounceth a most hard and heauie sentence against such men in thes wordes If vve synne vvillfullye novv after vve haue receyued knovvledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for synnes but rather a certaine terrible expectation of iudgement and rage of fyre vvhich shall consume the aduersaries To which S. Peter agreeth when he saieth It had bene better not to haue knovvē the vvay of iustice thē after such knovvledge to slyde backe agayne from the holye commaundement vvhich vvas gyuen This being so let sinful worldlinges goe now and solace them selues in their vanities and watōnes as much as they lift Let them excuse and pleasantlye defend the same by saing pryde is but a pointe of gentrye glouttonie good fellowship anger and reuenge but an effect of courage lecherye and wantonnes a trycke of yowth they shall one daye finde that these excuses will not be receyued but rather that al such pleasant deuises toies wil be turned into teares al such fond concepts into doleful lamentations They shall proue to their great cost that God will not be iested with but that he is the same God still and will aske as seuere accounte of them as he hath done of other before although now it pleasenot them to keepe any accounte at al of their life and actions but rather to turne all to disporte and pleasure persuading them selues that how soeuer God hath delt before with other yet vnto thē he wil pardon al. But this is a mere madnes and a voluntarie deluding of our selues for that God hym self by his sacred word instructeth vs to reason after an other sashion Which I wil here breefly touch exhorting euery prudent Christian seriously to examine the same At what time the great Apostle of the Gentiles S. Paul tooke vpō him to make a comparison betweene the grieuous sinnes of his nation the Iewes for which they were reiected and made reprobate by God and thos which Christians doe commit after their Redemption he framed this collection concerning Gods iustice due vnto them both saing If God spared not the naturall boughes take heede least he spare not thee And there-vpon he inferreth this admonition
being only a peece of earth or claye before Now ymagine then of what sea of loue al this proceeded But yet adde further how he hath created all this magnificēt world for the and all the creatures therof to serue thee in this busines the heauens to gouerne the and to geeue the light the earth ayer and water to minister most infinite varietie of creatures for thy behoof and sustenance and of al thes hath made the Lord maister to vse them for thine auaile and benefite in his seruice Which giftes being so manifold and magnificent as they are I appeale to thine owne cōscience good Christian brother how intollerable an ingratitude it is so greatly to dishonour iniurie the giuer as to applie thes giftes to his offence which he bestowed vpon the for his seruice Next after this ensueth the benefite of thy redemption much more excellent and bountiful thē the former the effect wherof is that wheras thou hadst lost al those former giftes and benefites and hadst made thy self guiltie by sinne of eternal punishmēt and damnation wherunto the Angels were now deliuered for their sinne committed before God chose to redeeme the and not the Angels and for satisfying of thine enormous fault vouchsafed to deliuer his owne only soone to the most opprobrious death of the Crosse O Lord God what hart can possibly conceyue the greatnes of this benefite Suppose with thy self gentle Christian for better vnderstanding of this benefite that thou being a poore and abiect person vnder the dominion of some great mightie Emperour hadst with some of his principal Peres committed grieuous crimes against his Emperial Maiestie thou oftentimes and they but once and being both by law conuicted and redie to suster Iustice for the same so singulerly should the Emperours fauour extend it self in thy behalf as deliuerig ouer thos other great princes to execution for their demerites he conceyued a desire to saue and pardon thee And finding no other conuenient meanes in respect of his Iustice how to doe the same should vpon his only sonne and heire of al his Empire laie the paines shame and tormēts of death due vnto thy trespasses Tel me now if being so abiect and cōtemptible a creature thou shouldst receyue so great a grace of a mightie Emperour who had for fewer offences euen in thy sight put to death greate and glorious princes as God did thos principal Angels how wonderfully wouldest thou thincke thy self bound and beholden vnto him for the same But if further this sonne and heire of this noble Monarch refusing to speake one word for thos great princes should not only accept willingly this dishonour and punishment laid vpon him by his father for thy sake but also should offer himself therunto and craue most instantly that he might by his death make satisfaction for thine offences and not only this but also to deriue vnto thee the participatiō of his inheritāce making thee of a bondslaue heire apparant to so Puissant an Emperour coheire to him self could thy hart possibly conceyue so great a benefite were it possible that thy powers of bodie soule should not dissolue in the cogitation of so inspeakable a grace would not thy bowels burst in sunder with the vehemencie of loue towards such a benefactour Or can any mā of reason euer imagine that thou wouldest willingly for a thousand worlds offend any more so gratious a Lord And yet is this benefite of thy redemption deare brother by infinite degrees surpassing both this and al other temporal graces that mans wit can imagine in al and euery circumstance that before hath bene mentioned In the third place doe come to be considered two other benefites named vocation and Iustification The first wherof is that wherby God of his infinite depth of mercies hath called vs from infidelitie to the state of Christians and therby made vs partakers of this our redemption last mentioned which infidels are not For albeit he payed the ransome for al in general yet hath he not imparted the benefite therof to al but to such onlie as best it pleased his diuine goodnes to bestow it vpon After which grace of vocation and our acceptance therof insued immediatlie our iustification wherby we were not onlie set sree from al our sinnes committed before and from al paine and punishement dew to the same but also our soules were beutified and enriched by the infusion of his holie grace inherent accompanied with the vertues theological as faith hope and charitie with the most pretious giftes of the Holie Ghost and by this grace wee were made iust and righteous in the sight of God and entitled to the most blessed inheritance of the kingdome of heauen the worthines of which gift no tongue of man or Angels can expresse After these doe ensue a greate number of benefites together apperteining properly to such as are made the children and true frendes of God euery one wherof in it self is of most infinite price and valew Among which are in the first place to be nombred the holie Sacraments of Christs Church left vnto vs for our comfort and preseruation after we be entred into the bosome therof They being nothing els in deed but certaine sacred cōduits to cōuaie vnto vs the holie grace of God especially thos two which appertaine to al men in general I meane the holy Sacraments of penance and of the blessed bodie and blood of our Sauyour wherof the first is to purge our sowles from sin so often as she falleth the seconde to feede and comforte the same after she is purged The first is as a bathe made of Christs owne pretious bloode to washe and clēse our woundes therein the secōde as a most comfortable and riche garment to couer our soule after she is washed In the first Christ hath left with his spouse the Church al his authoritie which he hath in heauē or earth to remit sinnes in the secōd he hath left him self his owne flesh and bloode to be a pretious foode wherwith to seede and cherish our soule after her sinnes be remitted Besides al thes ther yet remaineth an other benefite which we cal the benefite of Preseruation wherby God hath kept and preserued vs from infinite dangers wherūto many others before vs haue fallen and into which our selues had fallen in like maner if gods-holie hande had not stayed vs as from heresie and infidelitie and manie other greeuous sinnes but especially frō death damnation which longe a goe by our wickednes we deserued to haue bene executed vpon vs. Wherunto maie be annexed also the most singuler benefites of godlie inspirations and admonitions wherby God hath often both knocked inwardlie at the dore of our conscience and warned vs outwardly by so many wayes and meanes as are good bookes good sermons good exhortations good companie good exāple of others a thousand other most merciful means besides which at
that passage when other men beginne to feare thou snalt lift vp thy head in hope according to thie Saueours wordes for that the time of thy saluation commeth on tel me I say what a day of ioy shal that be vnto thee whē thy soule stepping furth of prison and conducted by the Angels to the tabernacle of heauen shal be receaued there with the honorable companies and troupes of that place with al those hierarchies of blessed spirites that are mentioned in scripture as Principalities Powers Vertues Dominatiōs Thrones Angels Archangels Cherubines and Seraphines with the holie Apostles and Disciples of Christ with Patriarches Prophets Martyrs Virgines Innocentes Confessors holie Bishopes Priestes and other Saints of God Al which as they did reioice at thy conuersion from sinne so shal they triumphe now at thy coronation and glorification What ioye and iubilie wil thy soule receaue at that day deare brother whē she shal be presented by her good Angel in the presence of al thes princelie states before the seat and Maiestie of the blessed Trinitie with recital and declaration of al thy good woorkes donne trauailes sustained for the loue and seruice of almightie God when I say thos blessed spirites shal lay doune in that honorable consistorie al thy vertuous actes with their particularities al thy almes deedes al thy prayers al thy fastinges al thy innocencie of life al thy patience in bearing iniuries al thy constancie in aduersities al thy temperāce in meates and drinkes al the vertues of thy whole life when al I say shal be recounted there al commēded al rewarded shalt thou not see now the value and profite of vertuous liuing shalt thou not cōfesse now from the bottom of thy hart that gaineful and honorable is the seruice of God shalt thou not now be most ioiful and blesse the hower ten thousand times wherein first thou resoluedst thy self to leaue the slauerie of this miserable world to serue onlie so bountiful a Lord shalt thou not think thy self now beholden most deeply to him or her that persuaded thee first to make this resolution yes verily But yet more then this when thou shalt look about thee and consider into what a porte and hauen of securitie thou art arriued and shalt cast backe thin eyes vpon the daungers which thou hast passed and wherein other men are yet in hazard thy cause of ioye shal greatlie be encreased For thou shalt see euidentlie now how infinite times thou were in peril to perish in that iourney if God had not held his special hād ouer thee Thou shalt now see the daungers wherin other men are the death and damnation wherinto many of thy friends and acquaintance haue fallen the eternal paines of hel incurred by sundry that vsed to laugh and be merie with thee in the world Al which shal augment the vnspeakable felicitie of this thy so fortunate a lot And now for thy self thou maist be secure thou art out of al daunger for euer and euer There is no more need now of feare of watch of labour or of care Thou maiest now lay doune al armoure as the children of Israel did when they came into the land of promisse for there is no more enemie to assaile thee there is no more wielie serpent to beguile thee al is peace al is rest al is ioye al is securitie Good S. Paul hath no more need now to fast to watch or to punish his bodie Good old Ierome may now cease to afflict him self both night and day for the conquering of his spiritual enemie Thy onelie exercise must be now to reioice and triumphe and to sing alleluya to the Lābe which hath brought the to this felicitie and wil continue the therin for euerlasting eternitie O dear Christian and most louing brother what excessiue ioy and comfort wil it be at that day to see that holie LAMBE sitting in Maiestie vpon his seate of state If the tree wise men of the East came so farre of and so reioiced to see him lying in a Māger what wil it be to see him now triumphing in his glorie If S. Iohn Baptist did leape at his approching towardes him in his mothers wombe what shal his presence doe in this his royal and eternal kingdome It passeth al other ioye and glorie that Saintes haue in heauen sayeth blessed S. Augustine to be admitted to the inestimable sight of Christ his face and to receaue the beames of glorie from the splendour of his Maiestie And if we were to suffer tormentes euerie day yea to tolerate the verie paines of hel for a time therby to gaine the sight of Christ in heauen to be ioined in glorie to the number of his saintes it were nothing in respect of the worthines of the reward O that we made such accompt of this matter as this holie and learned man did we woulde not liue as we doe nor loose the same for such vaine trifles as most men in the world doe loose it dailie But to goe forward yet some what further in this consideratiō Imagine deare brother besides al this that hitherto hath bene said what a ioye it shal be vnto thy soule at that daye to meet with al her godlie friendes in the kingdome of heauen with father with mother with brethern with sisters with wife with husband with maister with scholers with neigboures with familiers with kinred with acquaintance the welcomes the mirth the swete embracementes that shal be there the inestimable ioy whereof the holie ancient Martyr and most blessed father and doctor S. Cyprian expresseth in thes wordes Who is ther in peregrination abrod saith he that reioiceth not exceedinglie at the verie thought of his returne to his friendes and Contrie O deare brethren heauen is our Contrie the inhabitantes of that place are our friendes and kinsfolk why make we no more haste to salute and imbrace them In heauen an infinit multitude of our parēts brethren children and acquaintance doe expect vs. What a ioy wil it be both to them and vs to meet and imbrace and solace our selues together how inestimable wil the delite of thos heauen lie kingdomes be and how extreme the felicitie wher eternitie of life shal be voide of al feare of death Thus farre S. Cyprian adding further a most vehement exhortation that we should make hast to the attaining of this meeting This then shal be a most high incomprehensible ioy but yet further adde to this the most triumphant exultation that dailie shal be in that place at the fresh arriual of new brethrē and sisters comming thither frō time to time with the spoiles of their enemies conquered vanquished in this world O what a cōfortable sight wil it be to see thos seates of Angels fallen filled vp againe with men and women of flesh frō day to day to see the crownes of glorie set vpon their heades and that in al varietie
according to the infinit varietie of their combates and conquestes One for martirdome or cōfession against the persecutor an other for virginitie or chastitie against the flesh an other for pouertie or humilitie against the world an other for many conquestes together against the deuil There the glorious quiar of Apostles saieth the forsaid holie Cyprian there the number of reioising prophets there the innumerable multitude of holie Martirs shal receaue the crounes of their deathes sufferinges There triumphing virgines which haue ouercome cōcupiscence with the strength of continencie there the good aulmners which haue liberallie fedd the poore and according to our Lordes commandement haue made ouer their earthly riches to the storehouse of heauen shal receaue their due and peculiar reward O how shal vertue shew her self at this day how shal good deedes content their doers And among al other ioyes and contentations this shal not be the least to see the poore soules that come thither at a iumpe either from the paines and miseries of this life or frō the tormēts of the purging fire how they shal be raushed remaine astonished and as it were besides them selues at the suddain mutation and excessiue honour donne vnto them If a poore afflicted man that were out of his way wandering alone in a deepe miric and durtie lane in the middest of a darke and tempestuous night farre from companie destitute of money beatē with raine terrified with thunder stiffe with cold wearied out with labour almost famished with hungre and thirst and neare brought to despare with multitude of miseries should vpō the suddain in the twinkling of an eye be taken out of that affliction and be placed in a goodlie large and tiche palace furnished with al kinde of cleare lightes comfortable fire sweete sauours daintie meates soft beddes pleasant musike delicate apparel and honorable companie al prepared for him alone and al attending his comming to receaue and imbrace him to serue honour him and to annoint and croune him a king for euer what wold this poore mā doe trow you how wold he looke what could he say Surelie I think he would be able to say litle but rather breaking forth into teares would for ioye remaine mute and dumme his hart being not able to containe the suddain exceeding greatnesse of so inestimable comfort Wel then deare brother so shal it be and much more with these twise happie soules that come to heauē from the troubles of this life For neuer was there cold shadow so pleasant in a hoate burning sunnie day nor the welsprig to the poore trauailer in his greatest thirst of the sommer nor the repose of an easy bedde to the wearied seruant after his labour at night as shal be this rest of heauen to an afflicted soule which commeth thither O that we could conceaue this that we could imprint this in our hartes that we had a feeling of this that I say wold we folow vanities as we doe wold we neglect this matter as we doe No doubt but that our coldenes in purchasing these ioyes doth procede of the smal opinion we doe cōceaue of thē For if we made such account and estimate of this Iewel of heauenlie blisse as other marchants before vs more skilful and wiser then our selues haue done we wold bidde for it as they did or at leastwise wold not let it passe so negligentlie which they sought after so carefullie S. Paul saieth of our Saue our proposito sibi gaudio sustinuit crucem He layinge before his eyes the ioyes of heauen susteined the Crosse. A great estimation of the matter which he wold buye at so deare a rate But what counsaile geueth he to other men about the same surelie none other but to goe and sel al they haue to purchase this treasure S. Paul of him self what sayeth he verilie that he esteemed al the vvorld as dung in respect of the purchasing of this Iewel S. Pauls scholar Ignatius what biddeth he heare his own woordes Fire galowes beasts breaking of my bones quartering of my members crushing of my bodie al the tormentes of the denil together let them come vpon me so I may enioye this treasure of heauen S. Augustine that learned father what offereth he you haue now heard that he would be content to suffer tormentes euery day yea the very torments of hel it self to gaine this ioye Good Lord how farre did these holy Saints differ from vs how contrarie were their iudgementes to ours in these affaires who wil now maruaile of the wisdome of the world iudged folie by God and of the wisdome of god iudged foly by the world Oh children of men saieth the prophet vvhy doe ye loue vanitie seeke after a lie why doe you embrace straw and contemne gold straw I say most vile chaffe and such as finally wil set your own houses on fire and be your ruine and eternal perdition BVT NOVV TO draw towardes an end in this matter though there be no end in the thing it self let the careful Christian consider wherunto he is borne and where of he standeth in possibilitie if he wil. He is borne heyre apparent to the kingdome of heauē a kingdome without end a kingdome void of limitatiō a kingdome of eternal blisse the kingdome of almightie God him self he is borne to be ioint-heyre with Iesus Christ the sonne of God to raigne with him to triumph with him to sit in Iudgement of Maiestie with him to iudge the very Angels of heauen with him What more glorie can be imagined except it were to be God him self Al the ioyes al the riches al the glorie that heauen containeth shal be poured forth to make him happie And to make this honour and triumphe yet more the glorious Lambe that sitteth vpon the throne of Maiestie with his eies like fire his feet like burning copper and his face more shining then the pretious diamant from whos seat there procedeth thunder and lightening without end and at whos feet the fower and twentie elders lay doune their crounes this lambe I say this glorious God and man shal rise and honour him with his own seruice Who then would not esteeme of this royal inheritance who would not make greater account therof then we doe especiallie seing the gaining and winning of the same is now by the benefit of our redemptiō and grace purchased vnto vs therin brought to be in our own handes according to the expresse wordes of our Saue our saying The kingdome of heauen doth suffer violence men doe lay hand-fast vpon it by force That is to saye by the force of gods couenant made with Christias that they liuing vertuouslie shal obteine the same whatsoeuer Christian doth perfourme this vertuous life taketh heauen as it were by force and by violence The matter is put in the povver of the doer sayeth S. Augustin for that the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence
This thing ò man that is the kingdome of heauen requireth no other price but thy selfe it is so much vvoorth as thou art vvoorth geue thy self and thou shalt haue it By which he signifieth that euery man how poore or needie soeuer he be in this world may gaine this inheritance to him self may make himself a prince a king a Monarch if he wil euen the meanest and miserabl est man I say vpon earth O most wonderful bountie and liberalitie of our Saueour ô princelie hart and vnspeakable mercie ô incredible prodigalitie in a certaine maner so to say of treasures so inestimable as are the most infinite and endlesse riches of heauen Tel me now gentle reader and most louing and deare brother why wilt thou not accept of this offer of thie Saueour why wilt thou not account of this his kingdome why wilt thou not buye this endles glorie of him for so litle a labour as he requireth for it Hear how earnestly he persuadeth thee to bargaine with him Suadco tibi emere a me saith Christ aurū ignitum probatum vt locuples sias I doe giue thee counsaile to buye of me pure and tried gold to th' end thou maiest be riche Why wilt thou not folow this counsaile deare brother especiallie of a marchant that meaneth not to deceaue thee Nothing can greeue this thie Saue our more then that men wil seek with such paines to buy straw and chaffe in Egipt wheras he wold sel vnto thē fine gold at a lower price and that they wil needes purchase pudle water with more labour and cost thē he wold require for ten times so much pure liquour out of the verie fontaine of life it self There is not the wickedst man that liueth in the world but taketh more trauaile in gaining hel as after more largelie shal be declared then doth the most painful seruant of God in purchasing of heauen and eternal blisse O folie ô madnes Follow not then ô thou careful Christian this fanatical frensie of earthelie wisdome make not thie self partaker of their errour For the day wil come when thou shalt see them doe heauie penance for their sollie at what time thie hart shal be right ioiful that thou hadst neuer any part or portion amōg them Let them goe now and bestow their time in transitorie vanities in finful pleasures and delites of this world let them build now their pleasant palaces let them purchase dignities scrape peeces paches of earth and ground together let them hunt after honours and frame castels in the aier the time wil come ere long if thou belieue Christ him self wherin thou shalt haue sinal cause to enuie their felicitie If they doe imagin and talke baselie now of the glorie and riches of God and of his Saintes in heauen not esteeming them in deed in respect of their owne or contemning them rather for that carnal pleasures are not reconed therin doe thou make litle account of their wordes for that the sensual man vnderstandeth not the things vvhich are of God If horses were promised by their maisters a good feast and banquet most euident it is that they could imagin nothing els but prouander and water to be their best cheere for that they haue no knowledge of daintier dishes so fareth it with thes men who being accustomed only to the pudle of fleshlie pleasures can mount with their mindes to no higher thig thē brutish sensualitie But I haue shewed to thee before gentle reader some waies and considerations to conceaue greater matters albeit as I haue aduertised the often we must confesse stil with S. Paul that no humane hart can conceaue the least parte therof For which cause alse it is not vnlike that S. Paul him self was forbidden to vtter the things which he had seene and heard in his most wonderful miraculous assumption vnto the third heauen Wherfore to conclude at length this whole chapter thou hast to consider my deare and louing brother that this greate Game and Goale of heauēlie blisse which hitherto I haue endeuoured to describe vnto thee is set vp onlie for them that wil runne vnto it as S. Paul wel noteth and no man is crouned in this glorie but such onelie as wil fight for it according as the same Apostle doth teach and forwarne vs. It is not euerie one that saieth to Christ Lord Lord shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but they onelie which shal doe the wil of Christs eternal father that is in heauen Albeit this kingdome of Christ be set out to al men yet euerie man shal not arriue to raigne with Christ but such onelie as shal be content to suffer with Christ. Though the kingdome of heauen be subject to violence as hath bene said yet no man can enter there by force but he onelie whose good deedes shal follow him to make open the gates that is except he enter as the prophet saith vvithout spot and haue vvroght iustice My meaning thē is that as I haue shewed the exceeding greatnes and worthines of this treasure gentle reader so thou being a Christian shouldest also conceaue the right way of gaining the same which is no other by the testimonie of Christ him self but onelie by holie and vertuous life in keping his commandemētes Thou art therfore to sit doune consider according to thy Saueours counsaile what thou wilt doe and determine herin whether thou haue so much spiritual money as is sufficient to build this tower and to make this heauenlie warre or no that is whether thou haue so much good wil and holie manhood in thee as to bestow the paines of a vertuous life if it be rather to be called paines then pleasure required for the gaining of this eternal kingdome This is the question this is the principal pointe this is the verie whole issue of al the matter and hitherto hath appertained whatsoeuer hath bene spoken in this booke before either of thy Creatour and creation of thie particular end or of the Maiestie bountie and iustice of thie God and Saueour as also of the account he wil demand of thee and of the punishment or rewardes laid vp for the life to come Al this I say hath bene meant by me to this onelie end and purpose that thou measuring the one part and the other shouldest finallie resolue thie self what thou wouldest doe and not to passe ouer thy time in careles negligence as manie are accustomed to doe neuer espiing their own errours vntil it be to late to amend them For the loue of God then deare Christian brother and for the loue thou bearest to thy own soule eternal welfare shake of this most dangerous securitie wherin flesh and blood is wont to lulle the careles people of this world make some earnest resolution for looking to thy state in the life to come Recalle to mind oftentimes that worthie sentence Hoc momentum
of reconciliatiō but rather let vs say with a confidēt hart we wil turne home to our father present our selues vnto our God for truely my brethren he wil neuer turne away from the man that turneth vnto him Himself hath said that he is a God that draweth nere vnto vs were it not that our sinnes doe make a separation betwixt him and vs. Let vs take away then the separation and obstacle and so nothing shal let our coniunction with him which he greatly desireth For to this end did he create vs that he might bestow vpon vs eternal blisse in his kingdome of heauen He did not make vs for hel but he made his kingdome for vs and hel for the diuel So he saith in the Gospel Come ye blessed of my father enioy the kingdome prepared for you frō the beginning of the vvorld And to the dāned Depart from me ye accursed into euerlasting fier vvhich is prepared for the deuil his angels If then hel fier was prepared for the Diuel and the kingdome of heauen for man from the beginning of the world it remaineth only that we prouide not to loose our inheritance by persisting in sinne So long as we are in this life how many or great soeuer our sinnes may be it is possible to wash them away by penāce but when we shal be once departed from this world albeit then we do repent as no doubt but we shal from the bottom of our hartes yet shal it auaile vs nothing And albeit our teeth do gnash our mouth crie out our eies gush forth in teares and our hartes lamēt with innumerable complaintes and supplications yet shal no man heare vs no man assist vs nor so much as with the tip of his fingar geue vnto vs a drop of water to coole our tong amiddest her tormentes but we shal receaue that lamentable answer which the rich glotton receaued at the mouth of Abraham There is betvvene vs and you a great distance so that none may passe from vs to you nor from you to vs. Hitherto lasteth S. Augustins exhortation THE SECOND LET OF RESOLVTION WHICH IS THE SVPPOSED hardnes and asperitie of vertuous life The fallacie vvherof is discouered and the manisoid helpes declared that doe make the same most easie svveet and pleasaent CHAPT II. The euerlasting and irreconciliable enimie of our heauēlie blisse and saluation hauing receaued by the former reasons and considerations of Gods īfinit goodnes a very strong encounter and contradiction against his first and greatest assault of desperation him self also being inforced to confesse though with endles greef and enuie that the mercie of almightie God is without measure towards man he retireth him self back manie times from the pursute therof i such especially as haue yet some time to liue in this world seeme not to be neare vnto their ending dayes and taketh in hand a more calme and easie enterprice as it may appeare persuading such sinners as he can not bring to despaire that at least wise they stand aloose and hold themselues of from al resolutiō to put in vre and excercise the preceptes of Christian life for that they are hard vnsauerie painful and troblesom ful of melancholie and sadnes void of comfort good felooship and dilection opposite to al mirth contentation and ioy subiect to continual affliction and vexatiō of mind and finallie not supportable to such bodies such mindes such education such custome such course of life as theirs are This is an ordinarie sleight and practice of our aduersarie which he maketh to seeme so sweet and plaucible by certaine ointmentes that he adioineth of flatterie to our sensualitie that most men of the world doe receaue this persuation for sound councel and perfect wisdom esteeming al other either simple or sottish or at least wise far inferiour in iudgment discretion to them selues that doe imbrace or persuade the contrarie By which meanes it commeth to passe that this second point of hardnes and difficultie in vertuous life is a verie great strong ordinarie and vniuersal impediment that letteth infinit soules from imbracing the meanes of their saluatiō and consequentlie not to be passed ouer in this place without ful examination and perfect answer First then albeit wee should suppose that the way of vertue were so hard in deed as the enemie would make it seeme yet might I wel say with S. Iohn Chrisostom that seeing the reward is so great infinit as before we haue declared no labour should seeme great for gaining of the same Againe I might say with holy S. Augustine That seeing we take daily so great paine in this world for auoiding of lesser inconueniences as of sicknes imprisonementes losse of goodes life and other the like what paines should we refuse for auoiding the eternitie of hel fire the torment wherof is insupportable The first of thes considerations S. Paul vsed when he said the sufferinges of this life are not vvoorthie of the glorie vvhich shal be reuealed in the next The second S. Peter vsed when he wrote that seeing the heauens must be dissolued and Christ come in Iudgement to restore to euery man according to his woorkes what maner of men ought we to be in al holy conuersation As who wold say No labour no paines no trauaile no penance ought to seeme hard or great vnto vs to the ende we might auoide the terrour of that dreadful day S. Augustin demandeth this question what we thinke the riche glutton in hel wold doe now for auoiding his tormētes if he were in this life again wold he take paines or no wold he bestirre him self rather then turne into that place of calamitie againe I might adioine to this the infinit paines that Christ tooke for vs the infinit benefites he hath bestowed vpon vs the infinit sinnes we haue committed against him the infinit examples of Saincts that haue troden this path before vs being notwithstanding of more delicate cōstitution of bodie thē we are in respect of al which we ought to make no bones at a litle paines and labour if it were true that Gods seruice were so troublesome as many doe esteeme it But now in verie truthe the matter is nothing so and this is but a subtile deceate of the enemie for our discouragement The testimome of Christ him self is cleare in this point saing Iugū meū suaue est enus meum leue My yoke is sweet and my burdē light And his dearlie beloued disciple S. Iohn who had best cause to know his maisters secret herein sayeth plainlie Mandata eius grauia non sunt his commaundements are not greeuous What is the cause then why so many men doe conceaue such an insuperable difficultie in this affaire Surelie one cause is besides the fallacie of the deuil which is the cheefest for that men feele the disease of concupiscence in their bodies but doe not cōsider the strength of the medicine
Effrem that he had so maruailous great consolations after his conuersion as he was often constrained to crie out to God O Lord retire thy hand from me a litle for that my hart is not able to receaue so extreme ioye And the like is writen of S. Bernard who for a certaine time after his conuersiō from the world remained as is it were depriued of his senses by the excessiue consolations he had from God Houbeit if al this can not moue thee but that thou wilt stil remaine in thy distrust heare the testimonie of one whom I am sure thou wilt not for shame discredit especially speaking of his owne experience And this is the holie martyr and doctor S. Cyprian who writing of the verie same matter to a secret frend of his called Donatus confesseth that he was before his conuersion of the same opiniō that thou art now to wit that it was impossible for him to chaunge his maners to sinde such comfort in a vertuous life as after he did being accustomed before to al kinde of loose behauiour Therfore he beginneth his narration to his friend in this sort Accipe quod sentitur antequant discitur c. Take that which is first felte before it be learned and so he foloweth on with a large discourse shewing that he proued now by experience which he could neuer beleeue before his cōuersion albert almightie God had promised the same The like writeth S. Augustine of him selfe in his bookes of confession shewing that his owne passions the deuil wold needes persuade him before his conuersion that he should neuer be able to abyde the austeritie of a vertuous life especiallie touching continencie in the sinnes of the flesh wherin he had liued wantonlie vntil that time it seemed to him vnpossible that he coulde euer abandon the said sinne and liue chaste which notwithstanding he afterwards found both easie pleasant and without al difficultie For which he breaketh into these wordes directed vnto almightie God him self O my Lord let me remēber confesse thy mercies towardes me let my verie bones reioyse and saye vnto thee O lord vvho is like vnto thee thou hast broken my chaines and I vvil sacrifice to thee a sacrifice of thankes geuing Thes chaines which the blessed man mentioneth were the chaines of concupiscence wherby he stoode bounden in captiuitie before his conuersion as he there confesseth but presentlie thervpon he was deliuered of the same by the blessed helpe of Gods most holie grace My counsaile should be therfore vnto thee gentle reader that seing thou hast so many testimonies exāples reasons and promises of this matter thow shouldest at least proue once by thine owne experience whether this thing be true or no especiallie seing it is a matter of so great importance and so worthie thy trial that is to say a matter concerning so neare thy eternal saluation as it doth If a meane felowe should come vnto thee and offer for hazarding of one crowne of golde to make thee a thowsand by Alchimie albeit thou shouldest suspect him for a cousiner yet the hope of gayne being so great and the aduēture of losse so smal thou wouldest goe nigh for once to venture and see the trial And how much more shouldest thow doe it then in this case where by proofe thow canst leese nothing and if thou speede wel thou art sure to gaine as much as Gods kingdome and the euerlasting ioye of heauen is worth And thus much for this first part The. 2. part of this chapter Containing certaine instructions and examples for ouercomming of difficulties ANd now albeit this great affaire be such as I haue declared before and nothing so as the world and Satan doe beare men in hand yet may not I let passe in this place deare Christian brother to admonishe thee of one thing which the ancient Fathers and saintes of God that haue passed ouer this riuer before thee I meane the riuer deuiding betwene Gods seruice and the world doe affirme of their owne experience and that is that as soone as thow takest this worke or resolution in hand thow must expect many great encounters strong impedimentes sharpe contradictions and fearce temptations thow must expect assaultes combates and open warre within thy self This S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Gregorie and S. Bernard doe affirme vpon their owne prooues This doe Cyril and Origen shew in diuers places at large This dothe Saint Hillarie proue both by reasons and examples This dothe the scripture it self forewarne thee when it saith My sonne vvhen thou art to come to the seruice of God stand fast in iustice and in feare and prepare thy minde vnto temptation And the reason of this is for that the deuil possessing quietlie thy soule before laye stil and sought onelie meanes to cōtent the same by daily suggesting new delites of carnal and worldly pleasures But when he seeth that thow offerest to goe from him he beginneth streight wayes to rage and to moue sedition within thee and to tosse vp and downe bothe heauen and earthe before he wil leese his kingdome in thy soule This is euident by the example of him whom our Sauiour Christ cōming downe from the hil after his transfiguration deliuered from a deafe and dumme spirite For albeit this deuil wolde seeme nether to heare nor speake while he possessed that bodie quietlie yet when Christ commaunded him to goe out he bothe heard and cried out and did so teare and rent that poore bodie before he departed as al the standers by thought in deede that he had bene dead This also in figure was shewed by the storie of Laban who neuer persecuted his sonne in law Iacob vntil he would needes depart from him And yet was this more plainly expressed in the doinges of Pharao who after once he perceaued that the people of Israel meant to departe his kingdome neuer ceassed greeuouslie to afflict them as Moyses testifieth vntil God had vtterlie deliuered them out of his handes with the ruyne and destruction of al their enemies Which euent al holie doctors and saintes in Gods church haue expounded to be a plaine figure of the deliuerie of soules from the tirannie of the deuil And now if thou wouldest haue a liuelie example of al this that I haue sayed before I could alleage thee many but for breuities sake one onelie of S. Augustines conuersion shal suffice testified by him self in his bookes of confession It is a maruailous exāple and containeth many most notable and comfortable pointes And surelie whosoeuer shal but reade the whole at large especialie in his sixth seuenth and eigth bookes of his confessions shal greatlie be moued instructed therby And I beseeche the reader that vnderstandeth the latine tongue to vewe ouer at least but certaine chapiters of the eigth booke where this Saints final conuersion after infinit combates is recounted It were to long to repeate al
the temptations of the world and deuil the resisting wherof is much more difficult in time of peace and wealth then in time of external affliction and persecution for that thes enemies are stronger in flatterie then in force which a godly father expresseth by this parable The sunne and wind saieth he agreed one day to proue their seueral strengthes in taking a cloke from a waiefaring man And in the forenoone the wind vsed al violence that he could to blow of the said clok But the more he blew the more fast held the trauailer his clock and gathered it more closely about him At after noone the sunne sent forth her pleasant beames by litle and litle so entered into this man as he caused him to yeeld to put of not onely his cloke but also his cote Whereby is proued saieth this father that the allurementes of pleasure are more strong and harder to be resisted then the violence of persecution The like is shewed by the example of king Dauid who resisted easily many assaults of aduersitie but yet fel dangerously in time of prosperitie Wherby appeareth that vertuous men haue no lesse warre in time of peace then in time of persecution Nor euer wanteth there occasion of bearing the crosse and suffering affliction to him that wil accept of the same And this may susfice for this first point to proue that euery man must enter into heauen by tribulation as S. Paul saieth The second part TOVCHING THE second why God wold haue this matter so it were sufficiēt to aunswer that it pleased him best so without seeking any further reason of his meaning herein euen as it pleased his diuine Maiestie without al reason in our sight to abase his sonne so much as to send him hither into this world to suffer and die for vs. Or if we wil needes haue a reason hereof this one might be sufficiēt for al that seing we looke for so great a glory as we doe we should labour a litle first for the same and so shew our selues worthie of Gods fauour and exaltation But yet for that it hath pleased his diuine Maiestie not onely to open vnto vs his wil and determination for our suffering in this life but also diuers reasons of his most holy purpose and pleasure therin for our further encouragement and consolation that doe suffer I wil in this place repeate some of the same for declaration of his exceeding great loue and fatherlie care towardes vs. THE FIRST cause then and the most principal is to encrease therby our merit and glorie in the life to come For hauing appointed by his eternal wisdome and iustice that none shal be crouned there but according to the measure of his fight in this world the more and greater cōbates that he geueth together with sufficient grace to ouercome them the greater crowne of glorie prepareth he for vs at our resurrection This cause toucheth S. Paul in the wordes before alleaged of the saintes of the olde testament to wit that they receaued no redemption from their miseries in this world to the end they might find a better resurrection in the world to come This also meant Christ expresselie when he saied Happie are they vvhich suffe persecutiō for theirs is the kingdom of heauen happie are you vvhen men speake euil and persecute you c. reioyse be glad I saye for that your revvard is great in heauē Hereunto also appertaine al those promises of gaining life by leesing life of receauing a hundred for one and the like Herehence do procede al those large promises to virginitie and chastitie and to such as geld them selues for the kingdom of heauen to voluntarie pouertie and to the renouncing of our owne wil by obedience Al which are greate conflictes against the fleshe world and our owne sensualitie and can not be performed but by sufferings and affliction Finally S. Paul declareth this matter fullie when he sayeth that a litle and short tribulation in this life vvorketh a beape of glorie aboue al measure in the hight of heauen THE SECOND cause why God appointed this is to draw vs therby from the loue of the world his professed enemie as in the next chapter shal be shewed at large This cause S. Paul vttereth in these wordes VVe are punished of God in this life to the end vve should not be damned vvith this vvorld In like maner as a Nurse that to weane her child from the loue and liking of her milke dothe anointe her teat with Aloes or some other such bitter thing so our merciful Father that wolde retire vs. from the loue of wordlie delites wherby infinite men doe perish daily vseth to send tribulation which of al other thinges hath most force to woorke that effect as we see in the example of the prodigal sonne who could by no meanes be stayed from his pleasures and retired home to his olde Father but onelie by affliction THIRDLIE God vseth tribulation as a most present and soueraine medicine to heale vs of many diseases otherwise almost incurable As first of a certaine blindenes and careles negligence in our estate contracted by wealth and prosperitie In which sense holy scripture saieth that affliction geueth vnderstanding And the wise man affirmeth that the rodde bringeth vvisdom This was shewed in figure when the sight of Tobie was restored by the bitter gaule of a fish And we haue cleare examples in Nabuchodonasor Saul Antiochus and Manasses al wich came to see their owne faultes by tribulation which they wolde neuer haue done in time of prosperitie The like we read of the brethren of Ioseph who falling into some affliction in Egypt presentlie entred into their owne conscience and sayd VVe suffer those thinges vvorthely for that vve sinned against our brother And as tribulation bringeth this light wherby we see our owne defectes so helpeth it greatlie to remoue and cure the same wherin it may be wel likened vnto the rodde of Moyses For as that rodde striking the hard rockes brought foorth water as the scripture saieth so this rodde of affliction falling vpon stonie harted sinners mollifieth them to contrition and often times bringeth forth the fluddes of teares to repentance In respect wherof holy Tobie saieth to almightie God In time of tribulation thou forgeuest sinnes And for like 〈◊〉 it is compared also to a file of yron which taketh away the rust of the soule In like maner to a purgation that driueth out corrupt humours And finallie to a goldsmithes forge which cōsumeth away the refuse metals and fineth the gold to his perfection I vvil trie thee by fire to the quick saieth God to a sinner by Esay the prophet and I vvil take avvaie al thy tinne and refuse metal And againe by Ieremie I vvil melt them and trye them by fire This he meant of the fire of tribulation whose propertie is according
his simplicitie was deliuered frō the mouth of lions And so doe you runne ouer by cogitation al generations and you shal see that al those that hope in God shal not be vanquished And doe you not seare the vvordes of a sinful man for his glorie is nothing els but dung and vvormes to daie he is great and exalted and to morovv he shal not be found for he shal returne vnto his earth againe and al his fond cogitations shal perishe Wherfore take courage vnto you my children and plaie the men in the lawe of God For ther in shal be your honour glorie Hitherto are the wordes of scripture which shal suffice for the end of this chapter THE FOVRTH AND GREATEST IMPEDIMENT THAT HINdereth resolution to witte The loue and respect vvhich men beare to the pleasures and vanities of this vvorld CHAPT IIII. AS the former impedimentes which now by Gods grace we haue remoued be in verie deed great staies to many mē from the resolutiō we talke of so this that presently we take in hand is not onely of it self a strong impediment and let but also a general cause as it were a commō ground to al other impedimentes that be or may be For if a man could touch the hidden pulse of al such as refuse or neglect or doe differre to make this resolution he should find the true cause origine therof to be the loue and respect which they beare vnto this world what soeuer other excuses they pretend besides The noble men of Iewrie pretended feare to be the cause why they could not resolue to coniesse Christ openly but S. Iohn that felt their-pulses and knew their disease vttereth the true cause to haue bene for that they loued the glory of men more then the glory of God Demas that for sooke S. Paul in his bandes euen a litle before his death pretended an other cause of his departure to Thellalonica but S. Paul saieth it was quia diligebat hoc seculū for that he loued this world So that this world is a general and vniuersal impediment and more largely dispersed in mens hartes thē outwardly appeareth for that it bringeth forth diuers other excuses therby to couer it self in the people wher it abideth This may be confirmed by that most excellent parable of our Sauiour Christ recorded by three Euangelistes concerning the three sortes of men which are to be damned and the three causes of their damnation wher of the third and last most general including as it were both the two former is the loue of this world For the first sorte of men ther mentioned are compared to a high waie wherin al seed of life that is sowen ether withereth presentlie or els is eaten vp by the birdes of the ayer which is as Christ expoundeth it by the deuils in such careles men as contemne what-soeuer is said vnto thē such are insidels heretikes and other like obstinate and contemptuous people The second sorte of damnable people are compared to rockie groundes in which for lacke of depe roote the seed that falleth continueth not and by this are signified light and vnconstant persons that now choppe in and now runne owt now are seruent and by and by keie-colde againe so in time of tēptation they are gone saith Christ. The third sorte are compared to a feild wherin the seed of life groweth vp but yet there are so many thornes about the same which one father expoundeth to be the cares troubles miseries and deceinable vanities of this life as the good corne is choked vp and bringeth soorth no fruite By which last wordes lie signifieth that whersoeuer the doctrine of Christ groweth vp yet bringeth not forth due fruite that is to saie whersoeuer his faith is planted receaued and professed as among Christians it is and yet bringeth not forth vertuous life holie conuersation good workes and due seruice of God corespōdent to this seed ther the principal cause is for that it is choked with the loue and care of this present world This is a parable of maruailous greate importance as may appeare both for that Christ after the recital therof cried out with a lowde voice He that hath eares to heare let him heare As also for that he expounded it him self in secrete onelie to his Disciples And principallie for that before the exposition therof he vsed such a solemne preface saying to you it is geuen to knovv the misteries if the kingdome of heauen but to others not for that they seing doe not see and hearing doe not heare nor vnder stand Wherby Christ signifieth that the vnderstanding of this parable among others is of singular importance for conceauing the true misteries of the kingdome of heauen and that many are blinde which seeme to see and many deafe and ignorant that seeme to heare and know for that they vnderstand not wel the misteries of this parable For which cause also his diuine wisdome maketh this conclusion before he beginne to expound the parable Happie are your eies that see and biessed are your eares that heare After which wordes he beginneth his exposition with this admonitiō Vos ergo audite parabolam Doe you therfore heare and vnderstand this parable And for that this parable doth containe and touch so much in deede as may or is needful to be saied for remouing of this greate and dangerous impediment of worldly loue I meane to staie my self onelie vpon the explication the ros in this place and wil declare the force and truth of certaine wordes here vttered by Christ of the world and worldlie pleasures And forsome order and methodes sake I wil drawal to these six pointes folowing First how and in what sense al this whole world and commodities therof are meere vanities in them selues and of no value as Christ here signifieth and consequentlie ought not to be an impedimēt to let vs from so great a matter as the kingdome of heauen and seruing of God is Secondlie how they are not onelie vanities and trifles but also Deceptions as the wordes of Christ are that is to say deceyte and fallaces not performing to vs in deede those litle trifles which they doe promise Thirdlie how they are spinae that is pricking thornes as our Saueour affirmeth albeit they seeme to worldly men to be most sweet and pleasant thinges Fourthlie how they are arumnae that is to saie miseries and afflictions Fiftlie quomodo suffocant how they strangle or choke their possessours according as the sonne of God in this parable auoucheth Sixthlie how we may vse them notwithstanding without these daungers euils and to our great comfort gaine and preferment The first point of the parable AND NOVV for the first albeit I might stande vpon many reasons and demonstrations yet doe I not see how breefly pithelie it may be better declared that al the pleasures and goodlie shewes of this world are mere vanities
the most barraine places therof as they can tel which haue seene their mines What a base matter is this then for a man to tie his loue vnto God commāded in the ólde law that what soeuer did goe with his breast vpon the ground should be vnto vs in abhomination How much more then a reasonable man that hath glewed his hart and soule vnto a peece of earth VVe came naked into this vvorld and naked vvee must goe soorth againe saieth Iob. The mille whele stirreth much about and beateth it self from daie to daie and yet at the yeres end it is in the same place that it was ī the beginning so riche men let them toile labour what they can yet at their death must they be as poore as at the first daie wherin they were borne When the riche man dieth saith Iob he shal take nothing with him but shal close vp his eies and finde nothing Pouertie shal laie handes vpon him and a tempest shal oppresse him in the night a burning winde shal take him awaie and an hurle winde shal rushe vpon him and shal not spare him it shal binde his handes vpon him and shal hisse ouer him for that it seeth his place wether he must goe The prophet Dauid in like wise forewarneth vs of the same in these wordes Be not afraid vvhen then seest a man made riche and the glorie of his house multiplied For vvhen he dieth he shal take nothing vvith him nor shal his glorie desiend to the place vvhether he goeth he shal passe into the progenies of his aunceslours that is he shal goe to the place where they are who haue liued as he hath done vvorld vvithout end he shal see no more light Al this and much more is spoken by the Holie ghost to signifie the dangerous vanitie of worldlie wealth and the folie of those men who labour so much to procure the same with the eternal peril of their soules If so many phisitions as I haue here alleaged scriptures should agree together that such or such meates were poisonned and perillous I thinke fewe men wold geue the aduenture to eate therof though otherwise in taste they appeared sweet and pleasant How thē cometh it to passe that so manie earnest admonitions of God himself can not staie vs from the loue of this dangerous vanitie Nolite cor apponere saith God by the prophet that is set not your hartes vpon the loue of riches Qui diligit aurum non iustificabitur saith the wise man he that loueth gold shal neuer be iustified I am angrie greatlie vpon riche natiōs saith God by Zacharie Christ saith Amen dico vobis quia diues difficilè intrabit in regnum calorū Truelie I saye vnto you that a riche man shal hardlie get into the kingdome of heauen And againe vvoe be to you riche men for that you haue receaued your consolation in this life Finallie S. Paul saith generallie of al and to al They vvhich vvilbe riche doe fal into temptations and into the snares of Satan and into many vnprofitable and hurtful desires vvhich doe drovvne them in euerlasting destruction and perdition Can any thing in the world be spoken more effectualie to dissuade from the loue of riches than this must not here now al couetous men of the world ether denie God or condemne them selues in their own consciences Let them goe now and excuse them selues by the pretēce of wife children kinsfolke as they are wōt saying they meane nothing els but to prouide for their sufficiencie Doth Christ or S. Paul admit this excuse wher Gods seruice and their own saluation commeth in question ought we so much to loue wife or children or other kinred as to endanger our soules for the same Tel me deare Christian brother what comfort may it be to an afflicted father in hel to remember that by his meanes his wife and children doe liue wealthelie in earth that for his eternal woe they inioy some few years pleasurs No no deare brother this is vanitie a mere deceate of our spiritual enemie For within one moment after we are dead we shal care no more for wife children father mother or brother in this matter thē we shal for a mere straunger and one penie geuen in almes while we liued for Gods sake shal comfort vs more at that daie thē thousandes of poundes bestowed vpon our kinred for the natural loue we beare vnto our own flesh blood The which one poīt would Christ al worldly men could consider and then no doute they would neuer take such care for kinred as they doe especially vpon their death beddes whence presentlie they are to depart to that place where flesh and blood holdeth no more priuilege nor riches haue any power to deliuer but onely such as were wel bestowed in the seruice of God or geuen to the poore for his names sake And this shal be sufficient for this point of riches THE THIRD branche of worldlie vanities is called by S. Iohn concupiscence of the flesh which conteineth al pleasures and carnal recreations of this life as are banquetting laughing playing and such other delites wherwith our flesh is much comforted in this world And albeit in this kind there is a certaine measure to be allowed vnto the godly for the conuenient maintenance of their health as also in riches it is not to be reprehēded yet that al thes worldly solaces are not onely vaine but also daungerous in that excesse and abundance as worldly wealthie men seeke and vse them appeareth plainlie by thes wordes of Christ. VVoe be vnto you vvho novv doe laugh for you shal vvepe VVo be vnto you that novv liue in fil satietie for the time shal come vvhen you shal suffer bungar And againe in S. Iohns gospel speaking to his Apostles and by them to al other he saith you shal ' vvepe morne but the vvorld shal reioise making it a signe distinctiue betwene the good and the badde that the one shal mourne in this life and th' other reioise and make them selues merie The very same doth Iob confirme both of the one th' other sort for of worldlinges he saith that they solace them selues with al kind of musicke and doe passe ouer their dayes in pleasure and in a verie moment doe goe doune into hel But of the godly he saith in his owne persone that they sigh before they eate their bread And in an other place that they feare al their workes knowing that God spareth not him which offendeth The reason whereof the wise man yet further expresseth saying That the vvorkes of good men are in the handes of God and no ma knovveth vvhether he be vvorthie of loue or hatred at Gods handes but al is kept vncertaine for the time to come And old Tobias insinuateth yet an other cause when he saith VVhat ioy can
men that is God shal permit wicked mē to fal into snares which are as plentiful in the world as are the droppes of raine which fal doune from heauē Euery thing almost is a deadly snare vnto a carnal and loose harted mā Euery fight that he seeth euery word that he heareth euery thought that he conceaueth his youth his age his freendes his enemies his honour his disgrace his riches his pouertie his compagnie keeping his prosperitie his aduersitie his meate that he eateth his apparel that he weareth al are snares to draw him to destruction that is not watchful Of this then and of the blindnes declared before doth folow the last and greatest miserie of al other which can be in this life And that is the facilitie wherby worldly men doe runne into sinne For truely saieth the scripture miseros facit populos peccatum Sinne is the thing that maketh people miserable And yet how easily men of the world doe commit sinne and how litle scruple they make of the matter Iob signifieth when talking of such a man he saieth bibit quasi aquam iniquitatem He suppeth vp sinne as it were water that is with as great facilitie custome ease aduētureth he vpō any kind of sinne that is offered him as a man drinketh water when he is a thirst He that wil not beleeue the saying of Iob let him proue a litle by his owne experience whether the matter be so or no. Let him walke out into the streetes behold the doinges of men vew their behauiour cōsider what is done in shoppes in halles in consistories in iudgement seates in palaces and in cōmon meeting places abroad what lying what slandering what deceiuing there is He shal find that of al things wherof men doe make any accōpt in the world nothing is so litle accounted of as to commit a sinne He shal see iustice solde veritie wrested shame lost and equitie despised He shal see the innocent condemned the guiltie deliuered the wicked aduaunced the vertuous oppressed He shal see many theeues florish many vsurers beare great sway many murderers and extorsioners reuerenced and honoured many fooles put in authoritie and diuers which haue nothing in them but the forme of men by reason of money to be placed in great dignities for the gouernmēt of others He shal heare at euerie mans mouth almost vanitie pride detraction enuie deceit dissimulation wantōnesse dissolution lying swearing periurie and blaspheming Finally he shal see the most part of men to gouerne them selues absolutely euen as beastes doe by the motion of there passions not by law of iustice reason celigion or vertue The. 5. pointe of the parable OF THIS DOTH ensue the fifte point that Christ toucheth in his parable and which I promised here to handle to wit that the loue of this world choketh vp and strangleth euerie man whom it possesseth fromal celestial and spiritual life for that it filleth him with a plaine contrarie spirite to the spirite of God The Apostle saieth Si quis spiritum Chrsti non habet hic non est cius If any man haue not the spirit of Christ this felow belongeth not vnto him Now how contrarie the spirite of Christ and the spirite of the world is maie appeare by the twelue fruites of Christs spirite reckned vp by S. Paul vnto the Galathians to wit Charitie which is the roote and mother of al good workes Ioye in seruing God peace or trāquilitie of minde in the stormes of this world Patience in aduersitie Longanimitie in expecting our reward Bogitic in hurtig no man Benignitie in sweete behauiour Gentlenes in occasion geuē of anger Faithfulnes in performig our promises Modestie without arrogancie Continencie from alkind of wickednes Chastitie in conseruing a pure minde in a cleane and vnspotted bodie Against thes men saith S. Paul there is no lavv And in the verie same chapter he expresseth the spirite of the world by the contrarie effectes saying the worcks of flesh are manifest which are fornication vncleannes wantonnes lecherie idolatrie poysonninges enemities contentious emulations wrath strife dissention sectes enuie murder drōkennes glutonie and the like of which I fortel you as I haue tolde you before that those men which doe such things shal neuer obteine the kingdome of heauen Here now may euery man iudge of the spirit of the world and of the spirit of Christ and applying it to him self may coniecture whether he holdeth of the one or of th' other S. Paul geeueth two pretie short rules in the very same place to trye the same The first is They vvhich are of Christ haue crucifie ltheir flesh vvith the vices concupisconces therof That is they haue so mortified their owne bodies as they commit none of the vices and sinnes repeated before nor yeld not willinglie vnto the concupiscences or temptations therof The second rule is if vve liue in spirite then let vs vvalke in spirit That is our walking behauiour is a signe whether we be aliue or dead For if our walking be spiritual such as I haue declared before by the twelue fruites therof then doe we liue and haue life in spirite but if our workes be carnal such as S. Paul now hath described then are we carnal and dead in spirite nor haue we any thing to doe with Christ or portion in the kingdome of heauē And for that al the world is ful of those carnal workes and bringeth forth no fruites in deede of Christs spirit nor permitteth them to grow or prosper within her thence is it that the scripture alwaies putteth Christ and the world for opposite and open enemies Christ him self saith that the vvorld can not receaue the spirit of trueth And againe in the same Euangelist he saieth that nether he nor anie of his are of the world though they liue in the world And yet further in his most vehement prayer vnto his father Pater iuste mundus te non cognouit iust father the world hath not knowen thee For which cause S. Iohn writeth If any man loue the vvorld the loue of the Father is not in him And yet further S. Iames that vvbs soeuer desireth only to be a sreend of this vvorld is therby made an enemie to God What wil worldly mē saie to this S. Paul affirmeth plainlie that this world is to be dāned And Christ insinuateth the same in S. Iohns gospel but most of al in that wonderful fact of his whē praying to his Father for other matters he excepteth the world by name Non promun lo saith he I doe not aske mercie and perdone for the world but for those which thou hast geuen me out of the world Oh what a dreadful exception is this made by the Sauiour of the world by the lambe that taketh awaie al sinnes by him that asked perdone euen for his tourmentours and crucifiers to except I saie now the world
by name from his mercie Oh that worldlie men would consider but this one point onelie they would not I think liue so voide of feare as they doe Can any man maruaile now why S. Paul crieth so carefully vnto vs nolite conformari huic saeculo cōforme not your selues to this world againe that we should renounce vtterly al secular desires Can any man maruaile why S. Iohn which was most priuie aboue al others to Christs holy meaning herein saieth to vs in such earnest sorte Nolite diligere mundum nequè ea quae in mundo sunt doe not loue the world nor any thing that is in the world If we may nether loue it nor so much as conforme our selues vnto it vnder so great paines as are before rehearsed of the enimitie of God and of our eternal damnation what shal become of thos mē that doe not onely cōforme them selues vnto it and to the vanities therof but also doe folowe it seeke after it rest in it and doe bestow al their labours and trauailes vpon it If you aske me the cause why Christ so hateth and abhorreth this world Saint Iohn telleth you Quia mundus totus in maligno positus est for that al the whole world is set on noughtines for that it hath a spirite contrarie to the spirite of Christ as hath bene shewed for that it teacheth pride vainglorie ambition enuie reuēge malice with pleasures of the flesh and al kinde of vanities And Christ on the contrarie side preacheth al humilitie meekenes perdoning of enemies abstinence chastitie sufferance mortification bearing the Crosse with cōtempt of al earthlie pleasures for the kingdome of heauen Christ hateth it for that it persecuteth the good aduanceth the euil for that it rooteth out vertue and planteth al vice And finalie for that it shutteth the doores against Christ when he knocketh and strangleth the hart that once it possesseth Wherfore to conclude this part seing this world is such a thing as it is so vaine so deceitful so troublesome so dangerous seing it is a professed enemie to Christ excommmunicated and damned to the pit of hel seing it is as one father saieth an arcke of trauaile a schole of vanities a marcket of deceite a laberinthe of errour seing it is nothing els but a barraine wildernes a stonie field a dirtie stie a tempestuous sea seing it is a groue ful of thornes a medowe ful of scorpions a flourishing garden without fruite a caue ful of poisoned and deadlie basiliskes seing it is finallie as I haue shewed a fountaine of miseries a riuer of teares a faigned fable a delectable frensie seing as Saint Austen saieth the ioy of this world hath nothing els but false delite true asperitie certaine sorowe vncertaine pleasure trauailsome labour fearful rest greeuous miserie vaine hope of felicitie seing it hath nothing in it as S. Chrisostome saith but teares shame repentāce reproche sadnes negligences labours terrours sicknes sinne and death it self seing the worlds repose is ful of anguish his securitie without foundation his feare without cause his trauailes without fruite his sorowe without profit his desires without successe his hope without rewarde his mirthe without continuance his miseries without remedies seing thes and a thousande euils more are in it no one good thing can be had from it who wil be deceiued with this visard or allured with this vanitie hereafter who wil be staied from the noble seruice of God by the loue of so fond a trifle as is this world And this to a reasonable man may be sufficiēt to declare the insufficiencie of this third impediment The. 6. point of this chapter BVT YET NOVV for satisfying my promisse in the beginuing of this chapter I haue to adde a word or two in this place how we may auoide the foresaid daungers of this world as also vse it vnto our gaine and commoditie And for the first to auoide the daungers seing there are so many snares and trappes as hath bene declared there is no other waie but onelie to vse the refuge of birdes in auoiding the dangerous snares of fowlers that is to mounte vp into the ayer and so to flie ouer them al. Frustra tacitur rete ante oculos pennatorum saith the wise man that is the net is laide in vaine before the eies of such as haue winges and can flie The spies of Hierico though many snares were laide for them by their enemies yet they escaped al for that they walked by hilles saieth the scripture Which place Origen expounding saieth that there is no waye to auoide the daungers of this world but to walke vpon hilles and to imitate Dauid that saied Leuaui oculos meos ad montes vnde ve 〈◊〉 auxiliū mihi I lifted vp mine eies vnto the hilles frō whence al mine aide and assistāce came for auoiding the snares of this world And then shal we saie with the same Dauid Anima nostra sieut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium Our soule is deliuered as a sparo we from the snare of the fowlers We must saie with S. Paul Our conuersation is in heauen and then shal we litle feare al thes deceites and daungers vpon earth For as the fouler hath no hope to catch the birde except he can allure her to pitch and to come doune by some meanes so hath the deuil no way to entangle vs but to say as he did to Christ mitte te deorsum throw thy self doune that is pitch doune vpon the baites which I haue laid eate and deuour them enamour thy self with them tie thine appetite vnto them and the like Which grosse and open temptation he that wil auoide by contemning the alluremēt of thes baites by flying ouer them by placing his loue and cogitations in the mountaines of heauenly ioyes eternitie he shal easily escape al daungers and perils King Dauid was past them al when he saied to God VVhat is there for me in heauen or vvhat doe I desire besides thee vpon earth my flesh and my harte haue fainted for desire of thee Thou art the God of my hart and my portion ô Lord for euer Saint Paul also was past ouer thes daungers when he saied that now he was crucified to the world and the world vnto him and that he esteemed al the wealth of this world as meere dung and that albeit he liued in flesh yet liued he not according to the flesh Which glorious example if wee would folow in contemning and despising the vanities of this world and fixing our mindes on the noble riches of Gods eternal kingdome to come the snares of the deuil would preuaile nothing at al against vs in this life Touching the second point how to vse the riches and commodities of this world to our aduantage Christ hath laied doune plainly the meanes Facite vobis amicos de Māmonainiquitatis Make vnto you freendes of
now dead fower daies and also buried which signifieth the fower degrees of a sinner the first in voluntarie delectation of sinne the second in consent the third in fulfilling it by worke the fowerth in continuance or custome therof wherin whosoeuer is once buried saieth this holy father he is hardlie raised to life againe without a great miracle of God and many teares of his owne part The reason hereof is that which the wiseman saieth Languor prolixior grauat medicum an old sickenes doeth trouble the phisition Breuem autem languorem praecidit medicus But the phisition cutteth of quicklie a new or fresh disease which hath endured but a litle time The verie bones of an old vvicked man shal be replenished vvith the vices of his youth saieth Iob and they shal sleepe vvith him in the dust vvhen he goeth to his grauc We reade that Moyses in part of punishment to the people that had sinned in adoring the golden calfe broke the same in peeces and made them drinke it So the vices wherein we delited during our youth are so dispersed by custome in our bodies and bones that when old age doth come on we canne not ridde them at our pleasure without great difficultie and paine What folie then is it to deferre our amendment vnto our old age when we shal haue more impedimentes and difficulties by a great deale then we haue now If it seeme harde to thee to doe penance now to fast to praie and to take vpon thee other afslictions which the Church prescribed to sinners at their conuersion how wilt thou doe it in thy old age whē thy bodie shal haue more neede of cherishing then of punishment If thou find it vnpleasant to resist thy sinnes now and to roote them out after the continuance of two three or fower yeeres what wil it be after twentie yeres more adioined vnto them How madde a man wouldest thou esteeme him that trauailing on the waie and hauing great choise of lustie strong horses should let them al goe emptie and laie al his cariage vpon some one poore and leane beast that could skarse vphold him self and much lesse sustaine so great a burden cast vpon him And surelie no lesse vnreasonable is that man who passing ouer idlely the lustie daies and times of his lise reserueth al the labour trauaile vnto impotent and feble age But to let passe the folie of this deceit tel me good Christiā what ingratitude and iniustice is this towardes almightie God hauing receiued so many benefites from him alredie and expecting so great a paye as the kingdome of heauē is for thy seruice to appoint out notwithstanding the least and last and worst part of thy life unto his seruice that wherof thou art most vncertaine whether it shal euer be or neuer or whether God wil accept it whē it cōmeth or no He is accursed by the prophet which hauing whole and sounde cattel doth offer vnto God the lame or halting part therof How much more shalt thou be accursed who hauing so many daies of youth strength and vigour doest appoint vnto Gods seruice onelie thy limping old age In the law it was forbidden vnder a most seuere threate for any man to haue two measures in his house for his neighbour one greater to his frend and an other lesse for other men And yet thou art not ashamed to vse two measures of thy life most vnequal in preiudice of thy Lord and God wherby thou allotest to him a litle short maimed and vncertaine time of old age and vnto his enemie the world thou assignest the greatest the fairest the surest part therof O deare brother what reason is there why God should thus be vsed at thy handes what lawe iustice or equitie is this that after thou hast serued the world flesh and deuil al thy youth and best daies in the end to come and thrust thine old bones defiled and worne out with sinne into the dish of thy Creatour his enemies to haue the best and he the leauinges his enemies the wine and he the lies and dregges Doest thou not remember that he wil haue the fat and best part offered to him Doest thou not thinke of the punishment of thos who offered the worst part of their substance to God Folow the counsaile then of the holie Ghost if thou be wise which warneth thee in thes wordes Be mindeful of thy Creator in the daies of thy youth before the time of affliction come on before thos yeeres dravv neere of vvhich thou shalt saie they please me not How many hast thou sene cut of before thine eyes in the middest of their daies whiles they purposed in time to change their life How many haue come to old age it self and yet then haue felt lesse wil of amendement then before How many haue driuen of euen vnto the verie houre of death and then least of al haue remembred their owne estate but haue died as dum ne sensles beastes according to the saying of holie S. Gregorie The sinner hath also this affliction laied vpon him that vvhen he cometh to die he forgotteth him self vvhich in his life time did forget God O how many examples are there sene herof dailie how many worldlie men that haue liued in sensualitie how many great sinners that haue passed their life in wickednes doe end and die as if they wēt into some place insensible where no account no reckening should be demanded They take such care in their testamentes for flesh and blood the commodities of this world as if they should liue stil or should haue their part of thes vanities when they are gone In trueth to speake as the matter is they die as is there were no immortalitie of the soule and that in verie deede is their inward persuasion But suppose now that al this were not so and that a man might as easilie commodiouslie yea and as surely also cōuert him self in old age as in youth and that the matter were also acceptable enough to God yet tel me what great time is their lost in this delaie what great treasure of merit is there omitted which might haue bene gotten by labour in Gods seruice If whiles the captaine and other souldiers did enter into a rich citie to take the spoile one souldier should saie I wil staie come in the next daie after when al the spoile is gone would you not thinke him both a coward and also most vnwise So it is that Christ our Sauiour and al his good souldiers tooke the spoile of this life enriched them selues with the merites of their labours caried the same with them as billes of exchange to the bancke of heauen there receaue paie of eternal glorie for them And is it not great folie and peruersnes in vs to passe ouer this life without the gayning of any meritat al Now is the time of fight for
gaining of our crowne now is the daie of spoile to seise on our bootie now is the market to buie the kingdome of heauen now is the time of running to get the game price now is the daie of sowing to prouide vs corne for the haruest that commeth on If we omit this time there is no more crowne no more bootie no more kingdome no more price no more haruest to be looked for For as the scripture assureth vs He that for slouth vvil not fovv in the vvinter shal begge in the sommer no man shal geue vnto him But if this consideration of gaine can not moue thee gentle reader as indeed it ought to doe being of such importance as it is and irreuocable when it is once past yet weigh with thy self what obligation and charge thou drawest on thee by euery day that thou deferrest thy conuersion and liuest in sinne Thou makest ech day knottes which thou must once vndoe againe thou heapest that together which thou must once disperse againe thou eatest and drinkest that hourely which thou must once vomite vp againe I meane if the best fal out vnto thee that is if thou doe repent in time and God doe accept therof for otherwise woe be vnto thee for that thou hoardest as S. Paul saieth wrath and vengeance on thine owne head But supposing that thou receaue grace hereafter to repent which refusest it now yet I say thou must weepe for that thou laughest now thou must be hartilie sorie for that wherin thou delitest now thou hast to curse the day wherein thou euer gauest consent to sinne or els thy repentance wil doe thee no good This thou knowest now and this thou beleeuest now or els thou art no Christian How then art thou so madde as to offend God now both willingly and deliberatelie of whom thou knowest that thou must once aske pardon with teares If thou think he wil pardone the what ingratitude is it to offend so good a Lord If thou thinke he wil not pardone thee what folie can be more then to offend a prince without hope of pardon Make thine account now as thou wilt if thou neuer doe repent and change thy life then euery sinne thou committest and euery day that thou liuest therein is encrease of wrath and vengeance vpon thee in hel as S. Paul proueth If thou doe by Gods mercie hereafter repent and turne for this is not in thy handes then must thou one day lamēt and be waile and doe penance for this delay which now thou makest Then must thou make satisfaction to Gods iustice ether in this life or in the life to come for that which now thou passest ouer so pleasantly And this satisfaction must be so sharpe and rigorous if we beleeue the aunciēt Fathers and Councels of Christ his Church as it must be answerable to the weight continuance of thy sinnes as I shal haue occasion to shew in the second booke talking of satisfaction So that by how much the more thou prolongest and encreasest thy sinne so much greater must be thy paine and sorow in satisfaction Alto vulneri diligens longa adhibenda est medicina paenitentia crimine minor non sit saith S. Cyprian A diligent and long medicine is to be vsed to a deepe sore and the penance may not be lesse thē the fault And thē he sheweth in what order it must be with prayer with teares with watching with lying on the ground with wearing of heare cloth and the like It is not enough saieth S. Austen to change our maners and to leaue to sinne except we make satisfaction also to God for our sinnes past by sorowful penance humble sighes contrition of hart and geuing of Almes Our bodie that hath liued in many delites must be afflicted saieth S. Ierom our long laughing must be recompensed with long weeping our soft linnen and fine silke apparel must be chāged into sharpe hear cloth Finally S. Ambrose agreeing with the rest saieth Grandi plagae alta prolixa opus est medicina Grande scelus grandem necessariam habet satisfactionem Vnto a great wounde a deepe and long medicine is needful A great offence requireth of necessitie a great satisfaction Marke here deare brother that this satisfaction must be both great and long and also of necessitie What madnes is it then for the now to enlarge the wound knowing that the medicine must afterwardes be so painful What crueltie can be more against thy self then to driue in thornes into thine owne flesh which thou must afterward pul out againe with so many teares wouldest thou drinke that cuppe of poisoned liquour for a litle pleasure in the taste which would cast thee soone after into a burning feuer torment thy bowels within thee and other dispatche thy life or put the in great ieoperdie The 2. part of the chapter BVT HERE I know thy refuge wil be as it is to al thē of whom the prophet saith mentita est iniquitas sibi iniquitie hath flattered and lied vnto her self thy refuge I saie wil be to alleage the example of the good theefe saued euē at the last houre vpon the Crosse and caried to paradise that same day with Christ without any further penance or satisfaction This exāple is greatlie noted and vrged by al thos who deferre their conuersiō as no doubt it is and ought to be of verie great comfort to euerie man which findeth him self now at the last cast and therfore commōlie tempted by the enemie to despaire of Gods mercie which in no case he ought to doe For the same God which saued that great sinner at that last houre can also and wil saue al them that hartelie turne vnto him euē in that last houre But alas many men doe flatter and deceiue them selues with mis-vnderstandings or rather mis-vsing of this example For we must vnderstand as S. Austen wel noteth that this was but one particular acte of Christ which maketh no general rule euen as we see that a temporal Prince pardoneth sometime a malefactor when he is come to the verie place of execution yet wore it not for euery malefactor to trust therupō For that this is but an extraordinary acte of the prince his fauour and nether shewed nor promised to al men Besides this this acte was a special miracle reserued for the manifestation of Christ his power and glorie at that houre vpon the Crosse. Againe this acte was vpon a most rare confessiō made by the theefe in that instant when al the world forsooke Christ and euen the Apostles them selues either douted or lost their faith of his godhead Besides al this the confession of this theefe was at such a time as he could nether be baptized nor haue further time of penance And we holde also that at a mans first cōuersion there is required no other penance or satisfaction at al but onely to beleeue and to be
things vvith the conclusion of this first booke CHAPT VIII BESIDES al other impedimētes lettes and hinderances which hitherto haue bene named recounted there remaine yet diuers other to be found if a mā could examine the particular consciences of al such as doe not resolue But thes three here mentioned and to be handeled in this chapter are so publique and knowen as I may not passe them ouer without discouering the same for that many times men are sicke and euil affected within and yet know not their owne diseases the onely declaration wherof to such as are desirous of their oune health is sufficient to diuert the danger of the sickenes Of Sloth FIRST THEN the impediment of slouth is a great and ordinary let of resolution to many men but especially in idle and delicate people whos life hath bene in al case and rest and therfore doe persuade themselues that they can take no paines nor abide anie hardnes though neuer so faine they would Of which kind of persons S. Paul saieth that nise people shal not inherite the kingdome of heauen Thes folkes doe proceede in this order They wil confesse to be true so much and a great deale more then is said before and that they would also gladlie for their partes put the same in execution but that they can not Their bodies may not beare it they can not fast they can not watch they can not praie They can not leaue their disportes recreations and merie companions they should die presently as they saie with melanchely if they did it yet in their hartes they desire forsooth that they could doe the same which seing they can not no doubt say they but God wil accept our good desires pardon vs in the rest But let them hearken a litle what the scripture saith hereof Desires do kil the slothful man saith Salomon his handes vvil not fal to any vvorke al the daie long he coucteth and desireth but he that is iust vvil doe and vvil not cease Take the slothful and vnprofitable seruant saith Christ and fling him into vtter darkenes vvhere shal be vveeping and gnashing of teeth And when he passed by the way and founde a figge tree with leaues without fruit which signified desires without workes he gaue it presentlie an euerlasting curse Finallie the prophet Dauid detesteth thos men and saith also they are detested of God qui in labore hominū non sunt which are not in the labours of men Of this fountaine of sloth do proceed many effectes that hinder the slothful frō al good resolution And the first is a certaine heauines and sleepie drowsines towardes al goodnes according as the scripture saith pigredo immittit soporem sloth doth bring drousines For which cause S. Paule saith surge qui dormis arise thou which art a sleepe and Christ crieth out so often videte vigilate looke about you and watch You shal see many men in the world with whom if you talke of a cowe or a calfe of a fat oxe of a peece of groūd or the like they can both heare and talke willinglie and freshly But if you reason with them of their saluation and of their inheritance in the kingdome of heauen they answere not at al but wil heare as if they were in a dreame Of thes persons then saith the wise man how long wilt thou sleepe ô slouthful felow when wilt thou arise out of thy dreame A litle yet wilt thou sleepe a litle longer wilt thou slumber a litle wilt thou close thy handes together and take rest and so pouertie shal hasten vpon thee as a run ning poste and beggarie as an armed man shal take possesse thee The second effect of slouth is a certaine fond feare of paines and labour and of casting dowtes where none be according as the scripture saith pigrum deiicit timor feare discourageth the slothful man And the prophet saith of the like they shake for feare vvhere there is no feare Thes men doe frame vnto them selues strange imaginations of the seruice of almightie God and of verie dangerous euentes if they should imbrace and folow the same One saith if I should fast much it would without dowte corrupt my blood An other saith if I should pray and stand bareheaded long I should die most certainly with rheume A third saieth if I should kepe account of al my sinnes to confesse them it would quicklie kil me with sadnes And yet al this is nothing els but slouth as the scripture testifieth in thes wordes Dicit piger leo est foris in medio platearum occidendus sum The slouthful man saith sitting stil in his house ther is a Lion without if I should goe out of dores to labour I should certainly be slaine in the middest of the streetes A third effect of sloth is pusillanimitie and faintnes of hart wherby the slouthful man is ouerthrowen and discouraged by euery litle contrarietie or difficultie which he findeth in vertue or which he imagineth to finde therin Which the scripture signifieth when it saith inlapide luteo lapidatus est piger the slouthful man is stoned to death with a stone of durt that is he is ouerthrowne with a difficultie of no importance Againe De stercore boum lapidatus est piger the slouthful man is stoned dead with the dung of oxen which commonly is such a substance as hardly can doe any hurt A fowerth effect of slouth is idle lazines which we see in many men that wil take and consult of this that about their amendement but wil execute nothing Which is most fitlie expressed by the Holie Ghost in thes wordes Sieut ostium vertitur in cardine suo it a piger in lectulo suo As a dore is tossed in and out vpon his hingels so is a slothful man lying lazelie vpon his bedde And againe vult non vult piger A slothful man wil and wil not that is he turneth him self to and from in his bedde betwene willing and nilling he doth nothing And yet further in an other place the scripture describeth this lazinesse saying the slothful man putteth his handes vnder his girdle and vvil not vouchsase to lift them vp to his mouth for that it is painful Al thes and many more are the effectes of slothe but thes fower especiallie haue I thought good to touch in this place for that they let and hinder greatlie this resolution which we talke of For he that liueth in a slumber wil not heare or attend to any thing that is said of the life to come and besides this imagineth feareful matters in the same and thirdlie is throwen downe by euerie litle blocke that he findeth in the way and lastlie is so lazie as he can beare no labour at al this man I say is past hope to be gained to any such purpose as we speake of TO REMOVE therfore this
may be proued by many rules of our Sauiour him self As for exāple this is one rule set downe by him self By their fruites yee shal knovv them For such as the tree is within such is the fruit which that tree sendeth forth Againe the mouth speaketh frō the abundance of the hart and consequentlie seing thes mens talke is nothing but of worldlie vanities it is an euident signe there is nothing in their hart but that And then it foloweth also by a third rule vvhere the treasure is there is the hart and so consequently seing their hartes are onelie set vpon the world the world is their onelie treasure and not God and ther vpon are very Atheistes This impediment deare Christian brother reacheth both farre and wide at this daie and infinite are the people who are intangled therwith and the causes therof are two especiallie The first is deuision schisme and heresie in matters of our faith which by raising many doubtes and questions and by contentious quarreling which it maintaineth wearieth out a mans wit and in the end bringeth him to care for no part but rather to contemne al. The second is inordinate loue of the world which bringeth men to hate God and to conceiue enemitie against him as the Apostle saith and therfore no maruaile though indeed they nether beleeue nor delite in him And of al other men thes are the hardest to be reclaymed and brought to any resolution of amendemēt for that they are insensible and besides that doe also flie al meanes wherby they may be cured For as there were final hope to be conceiued of that patiēt which being greuouslie sicke should nether feele his disease nor beleeue that he were distēpered nor abide to heare of phisick or phisition nor accept of anie counsail that should be offered nor admit any talke or consultation about his curing so thes men are in more dangerous estate then anie other for that they know not their owne danger but persuading them selues to be more wise then their neighbours doe remoue from their cogitations al things wherby their health might be procured THE ONELIE waie to doe thes men good if there be any waie at al is to make them know that they are sicke and in great daunger which in our case may be done best as it seemeth to me by geuing them to vnderstand how farre they are of from any one peece of true Christianitie and consequentlie from al hope of saluation that may be had therby God requireth at our handes that we should loue him and serue him vvith al our hart vvith al our soule and vvith al our strength Thes are the prescript wordes of almightie God set downe both in the old and new law And how farre I praye the are thes careles men short of this who emploie not the halfe of their hart nor the halfe of their soule nor the halfe of their strength in Gods seruice nay not the least part therof God requireth at our handes that we should make his lawes and preceptes our studie and cogitation that we should thinke of thē continuallie and meditate vpon them both day and night at home and abrode early and late when we go to bedde and when we rise in the morning this is his commandemēt and there is no dispensation therin But how farre are thes men from this which bestowe not the third parte of their thoughtes vpon this matter no not the hundreth part nor scarse once in a yeare do talke therof Can thes mē saie they are Christians or that they beleeue in IESVS our Saueour Christ making the estimate of things in this life pronounced this sentence Vnum est necessarium one onelie thing is necessarie or of necessitie in this world meaning therby the diligent and careful seruice of God Thes mē finde many things necessarie besides this one thing and this nothing necessarie at al. How farre doe they differ then in iudgement from their Sauiour Christ Christes Apostle saith that a Christian must nether loue the vvorld nor any thing in the vvorld Thes men loue nothing els but that which is of the world He saith That vvho soeuer is a frend to the vvorld is an enemie to Christ. Thes men are enemies to who soeuer is not a frend to the world How then can thes men holde of Christ Christ saith vve should praye stil. Thes men praye neuer Christs Apostle saith that couetousnes vncleanesse or scurrilitie should not be so much as once named among Christians thes men haue no other but such talke Finally the whole course and canon of scripture runneth that Christiās should be attenti vigilantes soliciti instantes feruentes perseuerantes sine intermissione That is attent vigilant careful instant feruent and perseuerant without intermission in the seruice of their God But thes men haue no one of thes pointes nor any one degree therof but in euery one the cleane cōtrarie For they are nether attent to thos things which appertaine vnto God nor vigilant nor solicitous nor careful and much lesse instant and feruent and least of al perseuerant without intermission for that they neuer beginne But on the contrarie side they are careles negligent lumpish remisle key cold peruerse contemning and despising yea lothing and abhorring al matters that appertaine to the mortifiing of them selues and to the true seruice of God What parte haue thes men then in the lot and portion of Christians besides onely the bare name which profiteth nothing And this is sufficiēt to shew how great and dangerous an impediment this careles senseles and supine negligence is against the resolutiō wherof we entreate For if Christ require to the perfection of this resolution that whosoeuer once espieth out the treasure hidden in the field which is the kingdome of heauen and the right way to gaine it he should presently goe and sel al that he hath and buie that field that is to say that he should preferre the pursute of this kingdome of heauen before al the commodities of this life whatsoeuer and rather venture them al then to omit this treasure If Christ I say require this as he doeth when wil thes men euer be brought to this point who wil not geue the least parte of their goodes to purchase that field nor goe forth of the dores to treate the bying therof nor wil so much as thinke or talke of the same nor allow of him which shal offer the meanes waies to compasse it Wherfore whosoeuer findeth him self in this perilous disease I would counsaile him to reade some chapters of the first part of this booke especially the third fift entreating of the causes for which we were sent into this world as also of the account which we must yeld to God of our time here spēt he shal there vnderstand I dout not the errour dāger he standeth in by this damnable negligence wherein he sleepeth
therby he vvas not iustified Of the third kinde of annotations which are both wicked impious ther might many examples be alleaged but thes few insuing shal suffise to discouer M. Bunies spirite First then page 212. as concerning the life of that holie and most wonderful man S. Antonie the first monke of AEgipt whom al antiquitie so much admired and whom S. Athanafius in writing his life so highely extolled and whos doinges S. Augustin so hartely reuerenced as he made the same a principal motiue paterne to his owne conuersion especially for that he tooke thos wordes of our Sauiour Goe and sel al thou hast and geue to the poore as spoken to him self in particuler vpon this mans conuersion I say most wonderful life M. Buny maketh this scorneful irreligious note that it may vvel be doubted vvhether he had in that place sufficient ground-vvorke of thos his doings vnles he had some other special motion besides Condemning herin not only S. Antonie but also S. Athanasius S. Hierome S. Augustine al other fathers that so highely commend S. Antonie for putting in execution thos wordes of our Sauiour To like purpose or rather more vvickedlie he maketh an other annotation page 308. vpon the most famous conuersion of S. Augustin recorded by the pen of that holy father him self to vvit that some pointes of the storie vvhich S. Augustin vvriteth are such as a man may as vvel doubt they proceeded of Sathan as of God therby to bring in question that excellent mans cōuersion But of al other that annotation of his is most ridieulous and yet blasphemous wher he wil needes bring in our blessed Ladie to haue brokē fower seueral commandemēts forsooth at one clappe for that she defended not her sonne vpō the Crosse. For page 369. wher I in commendation of the confessiō which the theefe made said in my booke that it was at such a time when al the world abādoned our Sauiour and the very Apostles thē selues either doubted or lost their faith of his Godhead this man noteth in the margēt that the blessed Virgin likevvise vvas by and saied nothing that vve reade of in his defence a plaine breach saieth he of the first fist sixt ninth cōmandomentes A strange matter that thes men should be so desirous to skore vp make Catalogues of our Ladies sinnes which she neuer committed But let vs see with what shew of reason He saith that she brake fower commandementes at one time Let vs then examine them what they are The first commandemēt according as S. Augustine in old time Catholiques now a daies are accustomed to number them is Thou shalt haue no strāge Godes before me nor make vnto thy self any grauen Idole to adore the same The fift is Thou shalt not kil The sixt Thou shalt not commit adulterie The ninth Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife And this as Catholiques doe number the commandementes But according as some protestantes wil recon the same The fift is Honor thy father thy mother The sixt Thou shalt not kil The ninth Thou shalt not beare false vvitnes against thy neighbour Now thē gentle reader consider with indifferencie how in reason it may be said that the blessed Virgin the sacred mother of God for not defending her sonne vpon the Crosse against the Magistrates soldiers did breake any of thes fower commandementes that is to say did either make vnto her self any strange God or Idole or did dishonour her father and mother or did cōmit murder or adulterie or did beare false witnes against her neighbour or did couet her neighbours mate whether I say it be credible that in not defending her sonne at that instant she committed any one of thes hainous mortal crimes and much more whether she cōmitted fower of them together as M. Buny affirmeth Let I say the indifferent and Christian reader iudge of this accusation as also consider whether M. Buny be not worthio of a very good fee at the deuils hādes for indeuoring to bring into his clawes so rich a pray as was the most excellēt pure sacred mother of our Sauiour by accusing her of fower deadlie sinnes together AND THVS much of annotations passing ouer diuers other thinges that might be examined if time and place did not prohibite But the greatest shift of al others which M. Buny hath to ridde his handes when nether changing of the wordes not putting in of pareutheses nor annotations in the margent wil cleare and pacific the matter is to strike and thrust out what so euer he misliketh whether they be my wordes or els the discourses of ancient fathers yet authorities them selues of sacred scripture For vnderstanding wherof it is to be cōsidered that first generally whersoeuer he findeth the mētion of certaine thinges that please him not as of abstinence fasting chastesing the bodie penance satisfaction virginitie merit hier gayning of heauen laboring for reward or the like he commonly striketh al out together with th' Authours that treat therof or els so mangleth the same as is pitiful to behold Secōdly whatsoeuer authoritie commeth in his way which he cānot mangle out it goeth without redēption be it Father Doctor Counsel or Scripture Herof you may see exāples Page 29. of his booke wher he thrusteth out S. Hierome and Ioannes Cassianus for that they mētiō Mōkes of the primatiue Church So againe page 98. he thrusteth out S. Cyprian Possidonius for that they geue testimonie of an apparitiō which Christ our Sauiour made to a godly man at his death In like maner Page 109. he trusteth out S. Ambros S. Augustin S. Gregorie and S. Bernard together for that they persuade men by their examples to be affeard of Purgatorie Further Page 98. he striketh out S. Augustin S Gregorie and venerable Bede with their large discourses which they make concerning appatitions of certaine Angels to godlie people So againe Page 305. he thrusteth out the exāple of S. Paul the first heremite with the authoritie of S. Hierome that wrote his life And this in hatred of Monkes and heremites After that againe Page 374. he thrusteth out S. Augustin with al that he cā alleage about satissactiō and final penance Page 60. he thrusteth out the weping fasting watching lying on the ground wearing of sack clothe and other bodilie punishmētes that King Dauid vsed vpon him self albeit they be recorded and set downe in holie scripture Page 169. he thrustath out the exāple of S. Paul th' Apostle how he was assisted made able by Gods holie grace to resist ouercome the temptatiōs of the flash to the end by like that no man should take courage by that exāple to fight resist thes temptations as he did Page 2. he striketh out the promisses made in scripture to virginitie chastetie golding of our selues for the kingdome of