humbly bow and incline her self and offer up her whole self unto him saying both with heart and voice Ah most sweet Lord and Bridegroom thou knowest the hearts of all therefore I do with my whole heart profess unto thee that I will freely and with a willing mind do all whatever I shall know or be able which thou teaching me I shall see to be acceptable and pleasing to thee neither will I ever depart from thee but perpetually and with all my might cleave unto thee When therefore the Spouse hath thus bethrothed her self the Bridegroom now turning his face to her begins to behold her and commands that some rich Jewel be given her you will ask me what Jewel I answer such an one as this namely That she be sussered to be exercised both inwardly outwardly with divers temptations as his manner is to do with all his singular and choice Friends Then it falls out that if the Spouse be yet somewhat tender and delilicate she strait addresses her self to her Bridegroom saying Ah my most merciful Lord these are exceeding strange and unusual things and too too heavy such as I never felt the like and they make me greatly fear how I shall be able to bear them and subsist under them Wherefore I earnestly entreat thee most dear Lord to take off this burden and free me of it The Bridegroom answereth her Tell me my beloved Spouse doth it seem equitable to you that the Spouse should fare better then her Bridegroom thou must first of necessity in some measure follow him And certainly it is altogether comely just and also tollerable that the Spouse should endure something at least for the love of her Bridegroom When this the pleasure of the Bridegroom is made known the Spouse is stricken with terrour and trembling saith to the Bridegroom Oh! my Lord and Bridegroom I beseech you be not angry with me for I am now ready to obey thee Therefore suffer what thou pleasest to fall upon me I will through the assistance of thy grace bear all for thy sake willingly and contentedly When the Bridegroom hears this he conceives a greater love to his Spouse And therefore bestows upon her yet a more excellent gift namely that all her performances exercises wayes and all her works yea and at least whatever she does or leaves undone although they be all good in themselves yet they seem to her self wholly unsavoury Furthermore she accounts her whole time lost whatever she spends it about though that which she doth be good and that in all she offends the Bridegroom and continually fears that after this lise she shall suffer grievous punishment for all Furthermore this gift is granted her that she be had in derision by most and that her whole life and conversation as meer folly be vilified and set at naught by men But by this means the Spouse becomes much weakned in her nature so that she thinks every hour she shall dye no other death And whereas she is yet tender faint-hearted and fearful she is exceeding terrified Wherefore she earnestly calls upon her Bridegroom saying Why is it most sweet Bridegroom that thou leavest me in this sad condition when thou notwithstanding knowest full well that I cannot possibly undergo it but it will cost me my life The Bridegroom answers her Why how now my chosen Spouse if thou wilt go forth to meet the Bridegroom it is equitable and congruous that thou shouldst at least in some things at first follow him and travail part of the journey he went Whereas therefore the Bridegroom suffered death for the love of his Bride and endured most direful torments and innumerable pains 33 years think you it not congruous to reason and every way fitting that the Spouse also out of love should endure some hazard of death Certainly if your love were great faithful toward your Bridegroom it would easily shut out all such fear from you The Spouse fearing such or the like answers from the Bridegroom is ceased upon with exceeding great fear and shame and speaks thus from her most inward bowels with heart and mouth to her Bridegroom Now most loving Bridegroom I fully understand that I have done unjustly and evilly and I am even overcome with fear and do grieve truly with my whole heart because I have not resigned my self faithfully unto thee even unto death And behold hence-forward I commit my whole self to thee That whatever thy will and pleasure is the same may be mine whether it be sweet or whether it be bitter whether it be health or whether it be sickness whether death or life or whatever it be that thy pleasure is shall come upon me shall be welcome to me And so for the future I wholly renounce my own will and so surrender and offer it up to thee as never-more hereafter to re-call it or desire it Thou also most merciful Bridegroom do with me a sinful wretch whatever thou wilt both in Time and in Eternity For as much as of me is I plainly understand that I am unworthy that the earth should bear me When now the Bridegroom perceives so resolved so constant perfect a will in his Spouse What do you think he doth to his Spouse Even this 〈◊〉 hath mercy on her but how you will ask Why thus He will then first reach out to her an excellent and glorious Cup namely this That over and above all the pressures temptations and straights in which already she is held he permits that far more and far more grievous then ever she suffered before to fall upon her The Spouse by this time understanding this to be the pleasure of her Bridegroom suffers all willingly and freely for the love of him And bowing her self humbly to her Lord saith Even thus most dear Bridegroom is it most fitting and meet that not what I will thou shouldst will but what thy Will and Pleasure is that I should will Wherefore for thy sake I will freely and with a willing mind take off this Cup and receive this gift of thine let it torture and afflict my nature as much as it will nevertheless I accept of it as at thy hand Whilest therefore the Bridegroom in his Eternal Wisdom beholds this will and resolution in his Spouse she is rendred above measure dear unto him So that even out of superabundant love he permits her to suffer through her whole nature by the said Cup of pretious affliction given unto her until she be throughly purged and cleansed from all her spots sins and imperfections But then he saith unto her Arise now my beautiful and comely Spouse for now thou art all fair and there is no spot in thee and withall looks upon her so amiably and kindly as is far above all Expression After this the Eternal Father of the Bridegroom cometh also to the nuptials and joyfully saith to them Arise quickly make haste It is time that they be led to the Temple and joyned together
THE â—ISTORY OF THE â—IFE and DEATH 〈◊〉 that Antient Father of the Church Dr Joh. Thauler 〈◊〉 lived at Colen in Germany in the year of â—…r Lord 1346. where he was in a â—iraculous manner turned from his vain â—onversation to an extraordinary degree â—f holiness of life â—…ther with many of his Precepts Positions and â—ermons but especially the Means and Manâ—…r how he came to be so highly Illuminated â—…d to the understanding of the secret Mysteries 〈◊〉 â—he Gospel c. â—aithfully Translated out of Latine â—rinted for Lodowick Lloyd and are to be 〈…〉 â—is Shop at the Castle in Cornhil 1663. THE HISTORY Of the Life of the sublime and illuminated Divine Dr. John Thauler who at Colin where he lived was in an Extraordinary and Miraculous manner turned from his vain Conversation to an Extraordinary degree of Sanctity and Holiness of Life IN the year of our Lord One thousand three hundred forty six there lived a Doctor of Divinity in Colin in Germany a frequent Preacher exceedingly followed and famous for his Doctrine far and near A certain Layman aboundantly endowed and anointed with Divine Grace hearing his fame and being thrice warned in a Dream to go to the City where the Doctor lived which was at the least thirty mile distance from the place where then the Layman was resolved with himself to Travel thither and try what it would please Divine grace to bring to pass then he takes his journey arrives at the City where the Doctor lived attentively heard him five times Preach In which while he understood in the Spirit that the Doctor was by nature an ingenuous Man of a mild sweet and courteous behaviour and excellently well skilled in the Letter of the Scripture but obscurely and glimeringly understanding it being without the Light of Divine grace The Layman exceedingly hereupon pittying his condition went to him and thus entered into discourse with him Reverend Sir I am come above thirty miles to sit at your feet and hear your Doctrine drawn by the fame of your excellent abilities and already have I heard five of your Sermons Therefore I beseech you for Gods sake vouchsafe while I stay here to be my Confessor The courteous Dr. refusing not the motion The Layman oft came to confession which he performed with much simplicity and humility and when ever he thought fit to receive the most sacred Body of our Lord he received it at the Doctors hands Twelve weeks in this manner beâ—ng spent the Layman came to the Doctor with a request which he thus uttered Reverend Master I beseech you for Gods sake teach us in a Sermon the most compendious way of attaining the highest degree of perfection that this Life is capable of What dost thou mean Son quoth the Doctor to what purpose would it be to Preach such sublime matters to you who I suppose would hardly be able to understand one word Though possibly answered the Layman I may not Reverend Sir be able to understand you yet at least I shall breath and pant after and with hearty and frequent Prayers desire those things you shall deliver Beside a great multitude of people come together to hear you now if but one of these shall rightly understand what you shall say your labour will not be lost I but said the Doctor if I should be put upon that you desire good Son it would cost me first much pains and study and a great deal of labour to gather what would be requisite to the business and to digest it into fit method But whatever excuses the Doctor made the Layman would not give over his entreaty till the Doctor passed his word that he would Preach such a Sermon as he desired It fell out shortly after that the Dr. Preach'd in a certain Monastry And Sermon being ended he told the Congregation that those whom other business hindred not might resort thither upon the third day following for I am desired quoth he to Preach a Sermon in which I must shew by what means one may most compendiously come to the highest degree of perfection attainable in this Life The third day being come very many flocked to the place among the rest betimes in the morning thither hastens the Layman that he might get a convenient place where he might the better hear and understand the Doctor The Doctor comes as he had appointed and begins this following Discourse In this following most excellent Discourse there are laid down four and twenty points by which may be known who are truly illuminated men and true contemplators SO great many things dearly beloved are to be handled at this time touching the Argument I lately promised to discourse upon that according to my constant custome I cannot take the Gospel of the day for my Text nor use many Latine words But notwithstanding those matters that I shall handle shall be such as may be easily confirmed out of Scripture In the first place beloved I would not have you ignorant how there are very many to be found who attain to a clear knowledge understanding and a rational decerning in Heavenly matters but it is altogether by Images and Forms in their fancy impressed there sometimes by the study of Scripture sometimes without it Many of these when this speculative Light of their own intellect by the aforesaid means either by the study of Scripture or some way else begins to shine they sit down in it abundantly satisfied but all such questionless are far enough from the top and highest degree of perfection but if any one such could be found who had pierced and passed through the fore mentioned attainment and were totally and centrally mortifyed to it and who had got above all sorts of Images and Forms in the fancy Such a one would infinitely be more dear and acceptable to God then an hundred thousand of the other sort of men who live in their own habitual institutions and modes taken up by themselves out of self-will and insensible and intelectual Images so totally taken up with them that they take no care to deny and mortifie themselves For indeed God is altogether hinder'd from entering into and possessing such by reason of their self will and their own proper working in their own strength by which they are detained in their own dearly beloved and delighted in intellectual imaginations But those that have passed through such and by a kind of dying have resigned up themselves to God and have gone out of all manner of imaginary comtemplations and finally with humble resignation have offer'd and given up themselves free and naked above all intellectual imaginations as St. Dionisius saith that the Light of Faith requires that a man should mount above the utmost power and capacity of reason or intellect such I say as have come to this state in them God finds a resting place where he may dwell and work all their works in them when where and in what manner he pleaseth For when as God
he can best bear for he that is inquisitive to know from divers what are their exercises is wont for the most part to be deceived and led away For each man telling his proper exercises when he would fain follow and imitate no regard being had of his own strength it 's no marvel if he be thereby deceived and lead away For it oftentimes comes to pass that those exercises which are very good for one and exceedingly helpful may to another if he persist in the using of them be pernitious and destructive And hence it is that the Devil very oft is wont with false suggestions to perswade men whom he sees to be of a weak nature and constitution to take upon them the most strict and rigid excercises To this end that either thereby they may shorten their dayes or get an infirm and crazy brain which thing that you may the better understand I will tell you briefly what happened to me at the beginning of my conversion I did peruse as it happened at that time a Book which in the German tongue treats of the Lives of the Saints and when I marked each of them their austeir and strict manner of Life I began thus to think with my self these were men in this World aswell as thou and peradventure did never so grievously offend God as thou hast done Hereupon I had a great mind to imitate each of these Saints in something or other with as severe and rigorous excercises Whereby in a little time I contracted such exceeding weakness that I were even at the point of death But one day above the rest it happened that about Sun-rising having beyond measure continued my exercise that through exceeding weakness and weariness even whilst I were at my exercise I fell fast asleep my thought in my sleep I heard a kind of voyce saying to me Go to self-will'd man if you kill your self before your time you shall certainly suffer for it most grievous punishment But if thou wilt suffer thy self to be exercised by God he will do it infinitely better then thou thy self canst do by the counsel of the Devil At these words especially at the naming of the Devil such a fear terrour seized one me that I suddenly waked out of sleep and rising began to think with my self that I had taken up the foresaid exercises rashly and without advice wherefore immediatly I hyed me to a Wood which was close by the place where I then were There I made my case known in order to a certain old Hermite and entreated him that he would give me his advice The old man having heard me out gave me this answer If thou wouldst have me give thee counsel you must first tell me what the manner of your Life hath been and what have been your exercises I told him as I were bidden all my strict exercises and how I had read over the Lives of the Saints and how I had a great mind to imitate them Then he asked me by whose advise did I do thus I confessed to him that that which I had done I had done by no mans advice but my own and out of my own will If so said he then take it for certain it was the Devils counsel and therefore you had need to take great heed that you follow him no more but resign and give up your self wholly to God and he will exercise you far better than either you or the Devil can Therefore according to this old mans advice I instantly gave over my exercises and did with all my heart give up my self wholly to God and left my self in his hands to exercise me as he thought most fit Truly Mr. Doctor I were by nature of an ingenuous temper and of an excellent complexion and of a subtil wit even as I perceive you are onely in this I was short of you that I had not studied the Scriptures nor skilled them which I perceive you do yet notwithstanding I was naturally inclined with so subtil and sublime an understanding that as oft as I thought fit to make use of it I found my self capable and apprehensive of very great and high matters Hereby once it came to pass that by reason of the subtilty of my understanding I began to think thus with my self certainly thou art naturally endued with so happy a wit towering understanding that without all doubt if thou wouldst seriously intensly make use of it thou wouldst be apprehensive of some extraordinary divine matter concerning even God himself Which thoughts immediatly after their suggestion I perceived to be the fallacious Counsel and pestilent Advice and Suggestion of the Devil Thereupon I brokeout into these words O mischievous and malignant Connsellour What Advice is this that thou hast suggested to me Verily if we had such a God as could be apprehended by reason I should not value him thus much After this one morning when I was ready to read morning Prayers I had an exceeding vehement desire insomuch that I brake forth in these words and said to the Lord O most merciful God if it be thy blessed Will make me now by experience to feel something that may transcend and pass all understanding and reason But I had no sooner ended these words but that a vehement horrour possessed me because that I should dare to desire so great a favour and therefore again said unto the Lord Ah Eternal and ever to be adored Majesty pardon I beseech thee this my rashness for it exceedingly repents me to have done this And how should it be O Lord that so miserable an Earth-worm as I am and no man should ever find such a thing to enter into his heart as to dare to desire so transcendent and excelling favour and grace when as I know sufficiently and am convinced within my self how vile I am to how many sins I am prone and how that through the whole course of my life I never as I ought loved my God or regarded him but have alwayes made my self by reason of sin so odious in the eyes of thy glory that I know very well that I am unworthy that the earth should bear me and therefore since I have presumed to suffer such a desire of so transcendent grace to arise in me it is absolutely needful that my body should undergo direful and suffer bitter things Having thus said I strip'd my self neither did I cease to strike my self with hard stripes till the blood ran about my shoulders And so it came to pass that whilest I was revolving such like thoughts in my heart and spake such like words even till Sun-rising upon a sudden an exceeding shining light filled my whole Cell and in that light I fell into an extasie so that for a time I was deprived both of my Reason and Senses But Oh! that hour seemed extreamly short unto me And after I came to my self I found so exceeding and supernatural impression pression seal of truth upon me
that I had good reason to say with St. Peter the Apostle Lord it is good for us to be here For believe it in that short hour I did receive more truth with more clear light and certain evidence more truth I say than what either you Mr. Doctor or all the Doctors in the world can teach me even till Dooms-day But Mr. Doctor I suppose I have spoken enough already as much as concerns your present state and condition This following Discourse shows how the Lord was pleased to Convert by the means of this Layman a certain Pagan that lived in a far Country It shews likewise how the Holy Ghost even at this day doth pour forth the same Virtue and Grace upon minds that he finds apt and well prepared to receive it that he did upon the Apostles at the day of Penticost As also it sheweth how this Layman did at large explain these things to the Doctor and how by plain and clear Reasons he proved the Doctor to be a Pharisee and at last brought him to this that he resolved fully with himself to take a new course and amend his life Doctor DEar Son if thou hast any thing more to say I would willingly hear it for truly I have been much taken with those things which you have hitherto discoursed of But above all I intreat you again that you will stay with me and by no means yet leave me If you want money to defray your charges I will willingly supply your want though I do pawn my Books to take up money only I desire you by all means to stay with me Layman Reverend Sir I pray God reward you for your proffer'd Courtesie toward me But I would have you know this that I stand not in need either of yours or any other mans Temporal goods for God Almighty hath made me his Steward and I have neer five thousand Crowns which are Gods and I would willingly spend them all wheresoever it shall be necessary or where ever God requireth them at my hands Doctor I perceive then if so that you are Steward of a very rich and munificent Lord But I cannot sufficiently admire at what you even now spake That neither I nor all the Doctors in the World are able to teach you so much even between this and Dooms-day as you have in one hour learned of God Let me ask you this Question Did sacred Scripture proceed and flow from the Holy Ghost Layman Yes they did without all doubt and so the Catholick Faith teacheth us to believe But Mr. Doctor it grieveth me that I have said so great things unto you and that you notwithstanding should talk so childishly But see you I will propound one Question to you and if you can by Scripture or without it resolve me I promise you I will give you on Gods behalf a thousand Crowns Doctor Prethee good Son tell me what Question is that Layman I would know of you Mr. Doctor whether you can instruct me how I may write a Letter in such a Language to a certain Pagan living in a far remote Country that he may be able both to read it and understand it and how the form and manner of the Letter may be such that the same Pagan by the reading of it may be converted to the Faith Doctor Truly Son I know not what to say to this for such kind of works as you are even the works of the Holy Ghost But I beseech you tell me whether any such thing ever happened unto you and if you did thereby understand by what means this may be done or whether you your self were not he that did it Layman No Mr. Doctor it was not I that did it but the Holy Ghost was pleased to work so by me an unworthy Instrument And truly much may be said touching this matter but it were too tedious to rehearse all for if this whole business should be written it would even fill a Volumn But I shall tell you a few passages from whence you may collect the whole matter There was a certain Pagan a true hearted honest man and in his way very just This man for a long time together did cry unto Heaven and daily did call upon him who created both him all Creatures and did daily pray after this manner O God thou Eternal Creator of all things behold I am born and bred up in this Country and in the Faith of it But I perceive the Jews have another Belief and likewise the Christians follow another Faith do thou therefore O Lord who art over all and hast made all things shew unto me I beseech thee by what ever means it pleaseth thee whether there be any other Faith better or truer than this in which I have been born and bred that I may believe it and I will willingly and readily obey thee by taking upon me that Belief But if thou shalt refuse to signifie thus much unto me and it shall happen that I die in this Faith because I know no better surely this will be hard measure After the Pagan had thus prayed it came to pass that a Letter was written unto him from me which when he had read he was converted unto the Christian Faith He likewise did write back again a Letter to me in which he fully shewed how it happened unto him which Letter I will assure you was so written in our vulgar High Dutch as I could very well read it Many things Mr. Doctor remains to be spoken concerning this matter but you have in brief the sum of it Doctor Truly God is wonderful in his gifts and I will assure you dear Son these are strange and rare matters which you have told me Layman Verily I do enough fear Mr. Doctor that I have told you more than was fit for me to tell you And to say the truth I do perceive that I have spoken somewhat that doth something trouble you and go against your stomack For whereas I am but a Layman and illiterate but you a great Dr. of sacred Divinitie nevertheless I have taken upon me by way of tutoring and teaching to tell you so many things it cannot be but this must somewhat offend you Doctor Son if you would not take it ill I would tell you what doth displease me Layman Assuredly I will not take it ill you may speak all your mind freely Doctor Dear Son I cannot away with this but do what I can it goes against my stomack that you when as you are a Lay-man should teach me a Doctor and a Divine as also that you should call me a Pharisee Layman Is there any thing more in me that doth displease you Doctor Not the least I assure you that I know of Layman Will you give me leave patiently Mr. Doctor to satisfie you in these two things Doctor Dear Son you have not only free leave but I again and again desire you to do it Layman Pray tell me Mr. Doctor how it should come to
in a marriage league And taking both the Bridegroom and the Bride leads them both together to the Temple and joyns them mutually to himself and with so strong and great a mutual nuptial love doth couple and bind them one to the other that neither in time nor in eternity can they ever more be put asunder or separated one from the other Now whilst these nuptials are celebrating the Son the Bridegrom saith to his Father Eternal and most loving Father whom will it please you shall be our Cup-bearer and Comptroller of our nuptial Feasts The Father made answer and said This office and business belongs to the Holy Ghost and he shall be the Governour of the Feast that day Presently without any delay that Magnificent Highest and Most adorable Cup-bearer gives the Spouse to drink and take off such an overflowing Cup of Love that she is wholly overflowed and drowned in Charity and altogether flowes forth and is dissolved and melted into her Bridegroom And falling into an Exstasie she becomes so drunk even with over much Love that she looseth and forgetteth her self and all other Creatures both such as are in time and such as are in Eternity For truly beloved whoever attaineth to these nuptials the same then first is arrived at the very true solemnity of joys indeed and of Eternal nuptials And whosoever is made such a Spouse such a one is become a true Worshipper adoring the Father in Spirit and Truth John 4 and the same hath found peace and joy in the Holy Ghost For verily in these nuptials there is joy upon joy as also there the peace is greater and Triumphant joy more abundant in one hour then all Creatures whether in time or in Eternity can make For the joy which the Spouse here takes in her Bridegroom and receives from him is such and so great that no Reason no Sense can possibly understand it attain to it or be capable of it At these words One cryed out with a lond voyce It is true it is true it is true And immediatly fell to the Earth as if he had been dead At which sight a certain Woman spake aloud to the Doctor give over Master Doctor or else this man will give up the Ghost in our arms The Doctor answeared Well dearly beloved if it seems good to the Bridegroom to take away with him this Spouse we ought willingly to leave her to him But be ye silent a little while for I shall even now make an end Let us all I beseech you dearly beloved let us all with one consent lift up our voyces unto Heaven unto the Lord imploring his mercy For truly it is a thing extreamly to be bewailed by us that we should be made such Fools so dull and sottish as that notwithstanding we are none of us ignorant how we are all called the Spouses of God yet scarce one of us or very rarely hath the courage to hazard his Nature in manfully following the Bridegroom until he be found worthy to be made partaker and taste by experience somewhat at least of the wonderfull and most pleasant solemnization of these supream Triumphs and most happy nuptials Verily in these latter times there are but few such found as do in truth go forth to meet the Bridegroom such as of old time there were many Wherefore it exceedingly concerns every one to examine and seriously and diligently to try himself and to have a vigilant care of himself For now the time draws near and is even at the door when the greatest part of men will indeed have Eyes and yet see not and Ears and yet hear not Wherefore now my dearly beloved come on let us all do our utmost endeavour to come to the experiencing of these most pleasant even too too happy nuptials Bâ—… that I may pursue my purpose come to a conclusion After that the Bridegroom and the Bride are gone asunder withdrawn each from other the Bride again coming to her self perceives that she is yet left in this time of exile she saith to her self Ah me miserable wretch am I here again And begins to be somewhat sad But she is now so modest so sunk into the depth of humility and finally so perfectly and fundamentally resigned to her Bridegroom that she durst in no measure think of the injoying or desiring his company for she very well knowâ—s that she is altogether unworthy of it Notwithstanding the Bridegroom neglects not ever now and then to have an Eye upon his fair beloved and dearest Bride knowing full well that none can comfort her but himself And now in the winding up of my Discourse let me give you this caution dearly Beloved Let it not seem strange unto you what I have said unto you touching the Discourse which the Bridegroom and the Bride have with one another Certainly no man can believe except he have had experience of it what strange kind and unheard of Discourses the Bride hath with the Bridegroom Nevertheless the Holy Scriptures also oft make mention how a loving and devoted Soul Discourses with the Bridegroom and in such a manner that her words hardly will bear sense with them Which also sometimes happens even at this day namely that the Bride useth such expressions to the Bridegroom that if any one heard them he would certainly say she were either drunk or mad But I fear Beloved I am too tedious God therefore and our Lord Jesus Christ the true Bridegroom grant that we may be all made his true Spouses and be able to go forth to meet him in true and great Humility and deep and perfect resignation of our selves to him to the Praise and Glory of the Almighty God Amen Of certain wonderful Things which befel some upon the Hearing the foregoing Sermon which afterwards were understood From whence we may take notice How great things God worketh by fit Instruments namely by the Sermon of any one Illuminated Mans much more then by the Sermons of an hundred others THIS Sermon being ended the Master went into the Temple dispatched Divine Service and administred the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Body to very many good men But in the Garden of the Monastry there remained sitting above fourty men Which thing the Layman had taken notice off And when the Sacrament was ended coming to the Doctor he told him of it and taking him with him led him to the place where he might see it But in the mean time whilst the Master was administring the Sacrament all were risen except twelve whom they found sitting there still When the Master saw this he said to the Layman Dear Son what shall we do to these men Then the Layman went to them and touched and jogged them one by one but they felt nothing and seemed to be no otherwise then dead At which the Master did not a little wonder for he had never seen any such thing in the least before And saith again to the Layman Think you
impure hands fears not to handle his God upon the Altar with which he hath touched filthily a vile Harlot and kisseth her with the same mouth by which God entred and gives her his heart which he ought to devote to God alone and at last breaks his Vow and Oath which he made unto God and therewith betrayes God when he joyns himself to a woman when as he ought to be united to God onely neither doth it suffice him to do this as Judas did but once but he doth it often Truly Judas did but once receive the Lord in the Sacrament and peradventure he neither was consecrated as is the Priest nor had made a Vow of continence as doth the Priest From hence therefore do you your selves now judge Beloved whether such a Priest be not worse than even Judas himself Verily I am sufficiently afraid that many now adayes out-strip Judas But let all such I beseech them consider the frailty of their condition and uncertainty of their life and from their hearts amend their lifes which of all things doth most concern them Truly I cannot but extreamly wonder that any woman can be guilty of so much presumption as to dare to suffer her self once to be touched by any Priest But now if Secular Priests who are subject to the foresaid vices are worse than Judas the Traytor we who are called the Religious and live in Sacred Monastical Orders if we commit the like we certainly are yet far more wicked But if a Prelate commit such like his sins are yet more grievous If a Bishop he sins yet more notorious If lastly the Pope his sins of all others were the worst and most heavy For by how much the higher the station is by so much the more grievous is the fall and greater the fault But if a Virgin dedicated to God a Monastical Virgin shall commit any of these things she doth exceeding enormously sin For such a one ought both in body and Soul to conform her self according to the example of the Virgin Mother For as our Lady the Glorious Virgin brought forth her only Son without any violation of her Virginity so all the consecrated Virgins have made a Vow to follow the example of the Most Blessed Mother in all chastity that they may be the better enabled to breed and bring forth God the Son of God continually in their hearts But who is there here without sin If such a one there be let him first cast a stone at all these I have mentioned But now whilst I stay over-long in reproving onely Spiritual Persons or the Clergy you Seculars and Lay-people may suppose I have forgot you Therefore now I must bring you forth into view also For neither are you without sin but even as we so are ye in many things reproveable But there is no reason why any one should cast all that is said upon another but rather examine himself and his own heart where I believe if he do it as he ought he will find so much business at home that he will hardly be mindful of others faults But I beseech you Beloved do not take grievously those things which I am now about to speak Truly I shall begin with the Supream Judges and Magistrates of this City You therefore my Lords the Judges Magistrates if any of you be here tell me I beseech you how stands it and what agreement is there between you and God Ye your selves know that ye admit no man into your Order except he be of sufficient age and have his lawful Wife And this you do justly enough But why this is done ye do not in the mean time well understand Heretofore in old time the antient Judges did very carefully and with much prudence enact this that no young men should be admitted in their Order but such as had first arrived at a Just age that so in that time they might aâ—…ain to the knowledge of the Civil Imperial and Provincial Laws and learn the Laws of their Ancestors and Statutes of their Countrey And when they had arrived at a fitting age and had thoroughly learned all these Lawes If they were also Just men and endowed with the fear of the Lord so that they might be accounted worthy of trust and fit for such an Office then at last did the Antients chuse them and receive them into their Number That all who are of your Order ought to have lawful Wives it was therefore ordained least they should desire in their hearts or minds any other women besides their own Wives Here now I beseech you my Lords examine your selves whether you be exact Immitators of your Ancestors Truly it doth not so appear to me For you admit many into your Order for favour and affection onely and admit such to sit upon the Judgement Seat who as it is sufficiently known have no fear of God love riches and receive money where ever they can get it caring not at all whether lawfully or unlawfully But truely such gifts and rewards which are thus received whilst they are in Judgement do subvert and pervert Judgement and Justice Furthermore you receive Adulterers into your Number which yet is altogether unlawful and in special manner forbidden that such should be admitted to sit in Judgement whose lives are contrary to God and good Lawes And for this cause oftentimes false and unjust Judgements are passed which doubtless the Lord God the Supream Judge will heavily revenge at the last day upon all those who have given them For the Lord himself hath appointed Justice and Judgement is his If any one therefore turn Gods Justice into Injustice he will certainly not suffer it long to pass unrevenged Behold my Lords ye that are Judges and Rulers of the People I have chosen to begin with you because you hold the Supream Power of Judicature If you therefore reform and amend the Supream Judicatories of which ye are Presidents the inferiour will easily after your example be reformed because your Authority will sway with them and bring it to pass But if there be neglect on your part in this matter what ever is done amiss in inferiour Courts will be charged upon you as being mostly the cause of it Believe me your condition is very dangerous except you amend your lifes For doubless Justice is no small matter in the sight of God but is a business full of difficulty And we see in the Old Testament how God was wont grievously to revenge unjust Judgements Adultery and Pride And doubtless he doth the same at this day although we are grown so sottish and stupid as not to perceive it Beloved if it be not burdensome to you I will briefly tell you a strange and terrible thing namely how great mischiefs and grievous sins had their rise from one act of Adultery within these few years Neither will I tell you a Dream or a Fable but what I my self know to be true When I were in the thirtieth year of my
of this if these Women go on in those courses and actions in which at present they live I know not what will become of them For they not once only as Eve did do transgress the Divine Commandment but too too oft in divers manners at divers times and seasons Wherefore ye proud foolish and rash Women repent at last I beseech you especially since ye know that the Lord of Majesty whom ye offend by your iniquities hath so grievously taken vengeance upon Eve for sin yea also and doth yet daily even too severely take vengeance as ye in the pains and distresses of child-bearing learn by your own experience Repent Repent I say ye Women beloved in Christ Otherwise except ye so do certain it is ye lead too too dangerous a Lise And truly it is a thing much to be bewailed and a thing exceeding pernicious and dangerous that we who attend upon the hearing of confessions should connive at such things in you whereby we are exposed to as great danger as your selves But your Husbands stand in greater danger who imitate Adam in indulging conniving and permitting you not once but frequently to play the Eves But hear me thou who ever art such a Husband such an Adam Certainly God hath not committed unto thee thy Eve for this reason that thou shouldest suffer her so oft to violate his commands but rather for this cause hath he given her unto thee that thou shouldest keep her and take such care of her as not to suffer her to neglect so much as one precept But now thou dost very carefully regard her who when thou oughtest to hinder sin art a helper of her to commit sin But whilst you connive at those evils which she committeth you your self are not innocent but are partaker of her sins and so oft trangress the Divine Commandment I exceedingly fear Beloved that at this time there may be found some Consessors who fear not to administer the Holy Sacraments to very many both Men and Woman whom notwithstanding they know to lye in some mortal sins And most of these as I fear at the end of their lives are drowned in the depths of dispair and so incur the miseries of perpetual damnation For the Devils are very busie about such like worldly men when they come to dye For they grievously set before them all the sins which ever they committed And what heart think ye can those wretches have then when they have their whole life long been given to this fallacious World and when the Devils are so exceeding subtile and full of craft to deceive Now therefore dearly Beloved if any of you know themselves guilty in any of these things let them blush I beseech you before God and Men and make hast to reform themselves For it is certain that many Jews and Pagans are not a little scandalized at your lives Yea verily the Pagans when they hear that Men and Women among us are cloathed so shamefully and immodestly they as I have been informed by those that heard them say thus Christians probably are not true men because they go cloathed so like beasts but peradventure have something in them of the nature of beasts And ye all know that the Jews dwell among us here in our Country Who when they hear and they hear it but too often how in juriously we treat God by our impious and horrible swearing say as it hath been told me by others nay and as I have heard my self when upon a time I spake with them concerning our Christian Faith they thus say Can we believe that he is our God whom you say is your God Certainly we are thus perswaded that if your God were of so great power he would in no wise permit nor suffer it to go unpunished that you oft do so impiously deal with him with wrathful minds too oft fwearing and for-swearing Doubtless if he were God he would never bear it Wherefore ye need not doubt but ye unmeasurably sin whoever give the reigns to your tongues thus impiously to swear Believe me God will not suffer this long to go unrevenged but either here or in the World to come where sins are too too bitterly punished will take vengeance on you for it And you unchast Women who wear so lascivious and wicked habits take it for certain that the most pure and great God will speedily punish terribly the wantonness of your Garments for he will not long endure it Where is now that honest chast modest and well-ordered Conversation of yours How hath the Devil robbed you so of it almost all I fear I fear truly that God the just Judge will call you to a severe account for your impudent and sinful manner of life For he himself saith If a Man look upon a Woman or a Woman upon a Man if one lust after the other he hath then committed Adultry in his heart and now death is compleated though yet the act be not done Whither I pray shall a man turn his Eyes where he may not behold you O ye scornful Women Alas your condition on both sides is too too dangerous Ye are always blaming Adam and Eve because they broke one only Commandment though they have for that transgression suffered so many evils even to death yea and after death But it were better that instead of Adam and Eve you did reprove blame your selves seeing it is to be feared that ye have oftner by far transgressed the Commandments of God than they But whereas in this Discourse I have only mentioned Military men their wives let not therefore any one think that I intended to mark only them For truly I would put to rebuke all what ever both those that are above and those that are below the rank of Soldiers namely Merchants and their Wives and in brief all those that are upon the fore-mentioned accompt blameable of what rank or quality soever they be Again it is not a little to be feared Beloved that there are many to be found who are reputed Christians yet so live as that if they should depart out of this world in that their evil life they would find it worse with them than with the Jewes For the Jewes know no other but that they may Lawfully practise Usury to get their living But it is not at all hidden to Christians that it is sinful and unlawful to practise Usury and yet notwithstanding they do it Therefore they will be thrust below the Jews in Hell And here I would have all those in like manner to be understood who before God are Usurers and yet would not be accompted nor called so by men And lastly I here note all those who practice unjust morgaging and hunt for unlawful gains from moneyes I remember truly that I lived in such a time when it was exceeding rare and unusual to use morgaging and few at that time did practise it And if then any contracts were made with the condition of Re-emption they
certainly as some men now a dayes who when they receive peradventure some small grace from God instantly break forth and tell it others without the permission of God and declare it sometimes to such men as do as little understand therby what it is or whither it tends as themselves whereby also very many times it comes to passe that such Grace is taken away from such like Bablers and given to another more illuminated Therefore see my Beloved that without the permission of God ye never divulge the gifts which are conferred upon you by him being sure that few are to be found now a dayes who are endowed with illuminated reason or discretion And therefore heed is to be taken that the gifts of God be not brought forth suddenly and without his licence Now that it was permitted to S. Paul by God to speak of those things which had hapned to him it was permitted by God for our warning and necessary instruction namely that if it should happen that he should infuse into any one of us his preventing grace winhout any merit precedent such a one should not afterwards be shaken with terrour if he suffer him to be afflicted even as it usually befell blessed Paul To whom the gifts of God do come Yes verily it is to be taken for certain that the gifts of God come by afflictions but if they come before afflictions certain it is that yet they ought to be confirmed and proved by afflictions When as therefore it is a matter of so much nobleness and profit to endure adversity for that reason the Almighty God hath suffered so heavie afflictions to meet with all his beloved Saints and for the same cause he gave leave to the blessed Apostle to relate to us his afflictions for he saith in this same Epistle 2 Cor. 11 Are they the Ministers of Christ I speak as a fool I more In very many labours in prisons more abundantly in stripes above measure in deaths frequently five times of the Jews received I forty stripes but one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered shipwrack a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea in journies often in dangers of rivers in dangers of robbers in dangers from my kinred in dangers from the nations in dangers in the city in dangers in the desarts in dangers in the sea in dangers among false brethren in labour and toil in watchings in hunger and thirst in much fasting in cold and nakedness c. These and many other things the blessed Apostle commemorates in this dayes Epistle by him to have been endured in reciting of each of which lest I should be the more tedious I will adde only this one which among the rest he adjoyns saying 2 Cor. 12. Lest the Greatness of Revelations should lift me up there was given me a prick of my flesh the Angel of Satan who might buffet me Because of which I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he answered me My Grace Paul is sufficient for thee for strength is perfected in weakness VVillingly therefore saith he will I glory in my infirmities that the vertue of Christ may dwell in me Now therfore Beloved after that St. Paul a vessel of Election hath in this his Epistle abundantly proved unto us how great the profit of Afflictions is truly it deserves that we should give credit to so great an Apostle and imitate and follow him Yea truly it cannot be that ever we should attain to a praise-worthy and fruitful life except we willingly renounce the pleasures of Nature What it is to renounce Nature Because to renounce Nature is nothing else but voluntarily to refuse and deny all things in which Nature is delighted those things only excepted which upon a rational account are necessary to the sustentation of Nature which shall be such things as may be helpful to us in the service of God and in the coming to God all other things are to be forsaken for God's sake Neither indeed can any one experience or receive the superiour sweetness of God except he bid adeu to the sweetness of fading things and to the inclination and pleasure of the senses And hence the Apostle saith Rom. 8. If ye will live after the flesh ye shall die but if by the Spirit ye shall mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live Here let us contemplate and to the utmost of our power follow the every way lovely example of our Lord and Saviour so as the same Apostle doth admonish Rom. 13. Put off saith he the old man and put on our Lord Jesus Christ And furthermore there is yet another much more noble and excellent Self-denial than that is by which we deny Nature Ephes 4. and that is when willingly we renounce the Spirit which how it is done I would have you mark After that the Spirit hath wholly tamed the flesh and reduced it to obedience and now is climed above all caducal and slippery things then it taketh as it were a leap into everlasting good things themselves which doubtless are much more delightfull to it both in tast and fruition than natural delights were before When therefore any one cometh to tast and enjoy those excellent highest goods he ought then no lesse to renounce those delights and affluences of Spirit than before he was fain to do those of Nature so as he may know how to leave to God his gifts and operations according to his will and pleasure This Renunciation also is not a little difficult at the beginning to them who have tasted God according to the deliciousness of Spirit This same Renunciation is called Poverty of Spirit of which the Lord speaketh saying Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Yea verily oft-times it falls out that some come to that passe that they exceeding subtilly snatch and draw what ever shineth and savoureth in them to themselves into their ground into their will and arbitrement neither leave themselves to God by way of mortification But whoever are thus they doubtless use the grace and gifts of God too too unfruitfully the reason of which is that when it is not hidden to God that unless he infuse into them light and savour they will quickly depart from him therefore he retains them with some sweet lesser comforts lest they should altogether forsake him Such like men are as yet exceeding frail weak because they are such as are full of self-will and love and imbrace the shadow instead of the thing it self who have also this fault That though they are mostly outward and external yet they think themselves after a manner to be of us but they are too much deceived in their opinion Furthermore they that from the bottom or ground resign and offer themselves to God and who do receive from him sweet and bitter alike who lastly though the influence of