could possibly befall vnto a familie 4. A certaine woman damned for hauing taught her daughter all sortes of mondanitie appeared to S. Bridgit as coming forth of some darksome lake with her hart torne forth of her bellie hir lippes cut off her nose all eaten her eyes puld out of her head hanging downe vpon her cheekes her breast couered with great wormes and with most fearfull and lamentable cries and lamentations complaining of her daughter and saying as if she had spoken to her Vnderstand my daughter and venimous Newte accursed be I that euer I was thy mother for as often as thou doost imitate and follow the workes of my wicked customes that is to say the sinnes which my selfe haue taught thee so oft my paine is renewed S. Bridgit in her reuelations l. 6. cap. 52. 5. A certaine person saw vpon a day hell open and in the midst of the flames the father and the sonne which bitterly cursed one another the father said Cursed be thou my sonne who art cause of my damnation for to enriche thee I haue done a thousand iniustices The sonne on the contrary said It is thou cursed father who art the cause of my damnatioÌ„ because for feare to displease thee I haue remayned in the worlde Dionis Carth. l. de 4. nouis art 42. towards the end Loe here a goodly looking glasse for those which hinder their children to enter into religion principally when one seeth that God doth call them 6. A certaine crack-rope led to the galloes cald for his father and making as if he would tel him somewhat in secret approached with his mouth vnto his eare and then tore it off with his teeth saying Auantwretch if thou hadst whipt me in my youth I had not now bene where I am S. Bernardinus ser 17. de euang aeterno 7. Another called Lucretius being likewise led vnto the galloes and hauing called for his father to bid him farwel tore off his nose with his teeth saying vnto him as the other did Boetius de disciplin scholarium Ioan. Hieroso serm 16. 8. Pretextat a Roman Lady by the commandement of Hymettius her husband ouncle to the virgin Eustochium for hauing changed the habit and dresse of this mayden and renewed her head-geare after the model of such as were secular contrary to the minde both of the virgin and the desire of her mother Paula saw the same night in her sleepe her Angell addresse him selfe vnto her threatning her with a terrible voice Darest thou to touche the heade of the virgin of God with thy prophane and sacriledgious handes the which shall wither from this very houre and fiue monthes hence thou shalt be carried into hell and if thou perseuer in thy sinne thou shalt be depriued both of thy husband anâ— thy children altogether The succes wherof ensued in ordre for sodaine death made euident the late repentance of this wretched womaÌ„ S. Hier. l. 2. ep 15. All these examples proue they not apparantly that the negligence and conuiuence of the parents is both heir owne and their childrens ruine Thus the Ape making ouermuch of her litle ones doth stifele them §. 2. Of the sinnes of Children towards their parents The first commandement of the second table is Honor thy father and thy mother that thou mayest be long liued vpon the earth Exod. 20. 12. Three obligations are comprised in this commandement The first to loue honor and reuerence our parents The second to obey them in that which is reason The third to asist and succour them in their necessities S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 101. a. 2. Cursed be he that honoreth not his father and mother Deut 27. 16. If a man beget a stubburne and froward sonne that will not heare the commandments of his father and mother and being chastned contemneth to be obedient they shall take him and bringe him to the ancients of his cittie and to the gate of iudgment and shall say to him This our sonne is froward and stubburne be contemneth to heare our admonitions he giueth him selfe to commessation and to ryot and banquetinges The people of the cittie shall stone him and he shall die that you may take away the euill out of the midest of you and all Israel hearing it may be afraid Deut. 21. 18. He that curseth his father and mother his lampe shall be extinguished in the middest of darknes Pro. 20. 20. He that curseth his father and mother dying let hâ—m dâ—e Exod. 21. 17. The eye that scorneth his father and that despiseth the trauaile of his mother in bearing him let the Rauens of the torrent pick it out and the younge of the Eagle eate it Pro 30. 17. It is most certaine that whosoeuer curseth father or mother or vttereth against them iniurious threatninges or smiteth them or wisheth them dead or pronouÌ„ceth wordes which of them selues may greatly put them into choler or being in honor despiseth his father or his mother that are poore or shall accuse them before a Iudge or shall not obey them in a point of importance touching the gouerment of their famillie especiallie if it be done by contempt or selfe opinion or doth not asist them in their great necessitie offendeth God mortallie Toletus l. 5. Instruct c. 1. S. Tho. 22. q. 101. art 4. ad 4. Siluest verbo filius Nauar. c. 14. n. 11. EXAMPLES 1. Cain was cursed and all his posteritie because he mockt his father Noe. Gen. 19. nor would receiue the instructioÌ„s which he gaue him to serue God Lactantius 2. Esau for takinge a wife against the will of father and mother Gen. 26. 34. 3. Ruben fell from his birth-right for hauinge wrought shame to his father Iacob Gen. 49. 3. 4. 4. Absalon was hanged in a chaine made of his owne haire and perced with three strokes of a speare because he had taken armes against his father Dauid 2. Reg. 18. 9. 14. 5. The yeare of our Lord 873. and the first yeare of Iohn the 8. Pope in the assemblie of Bishops and Lords which was made in Francfort by the commandement of Lewis kinge of Germany Charles his younger sonne was thorough the iust iudgment of God posest of the diuell for that he had conspired against his father as he him selfe confest being deliuered saying That as oft as he consented to this deliberation so oft was he seased on by the diuell Taken out of the Annales of France by Pitheus and of Amonius l. 5. c. 30. and of Card. Baron the yeare abousaid 6. A boy of eighteene yeares old being hanged at the same instant a beard grew forth of his chinne al gray and his haire also became white God manifesting by this miracle till what age he should haue liued if he had not bene disobedient to father and mother S. Bernardinus to 2. dom 40. ser 17. 7. A Young maried man seing his father cominge hid a rosted Goose which he had made to be set on the table to the end he should haue none
the fier of hell and to come to heauen with Iesus Christ counter garding him selfe against all tentations and not suffering him selfe to be corrupted by prosperity nor beaten downe with aduersity and who arriueth to this perfection that he more loueth God then he feareth hell Who though God him selfe should say vnto him vse and enioy the pleasures of the world commit all the sinnes thou wilt thou shalt not be damned would not for all this commit sinne for feare of offending almighty God such an one is truly Christian lib. de Catech. rud c. 16. 17. tom 4. Acknowledge thy dignitie o Christian saith S. Leo and take good heede that thou returne not by a degenerate and vnworthy conuersation to thy wonted vilenes and basenes Ser. 1. de Nat. EXAMPLES 1. S. Lewis kinge of France went more willingly to Poissi then to any other place in all his kingdome for that he had bene there baptised and made a Christian and was wont to say that he had receiued more dignitie and honor in that place then in any other in the whole world Nicol. Aegid Franc de Belleforest vpon his life Behould o Christian the dignitie thou hast sith such a Kinge preferreth the same before his crowne 2. Now to be a true Christian one must first flie and detest all sinne as well mortall as veniall as well that of will only and of thought as of wordes and worke 3. And touching wordes to keepe him selfe from swearing without necessitie and reason from blaspheming cursing and wicked imprecations from speaking wordes of contumelie detracting lying vttering of dishonest songes or wordes 4. As touchinge sinnes of worke parents ought to take heede that they be not negligent both to instruct and correct their children and children not to disobey their parents 5. Aboue all the sinne of Pride Couetousnes Luxurie Enuie Gluttonie Drunkenes Anger and Sloth is to be auoided 6. The most effectual remedies are to fly the occasion the memorie of the presence of almightie God of the passion of Iesus Christ of death Iudgement Hell and the kingdome of Heauen thus much concerninge the flight of sinne 7. Secondly one must addict him selfe to the exercise of virtues and of good workes as 8. To make the signe of the Crosse in rising vp and lying downe before eating and drinking before worke and in euery necessitie 9. To pray to God and to giue him thankes both morning and eueninge both before and after meate and to inuoke the assistance of our B. Ladie his Angell Guardian and of the Saintes namly of him whose name he beareth 10. To sprinkle him selfe with holie water and to beare about him an Agnus Dei. 11. To learne the most necessarie pointes of faith and of Christian religion 12. To haue a distrust of him selfe and a great trust and confidence in almightie God 13. To loue God aboue all thinges and his neighbour for God 14. To heare Masse both with reuerence and attention 15. To Confes often game Indulgences and to pray for the soules that are in Purgatorie 16. To fast pray and willingly to giue almes vnto the poore 17. To receiue often the holy Communion to heare gladly sermons and to beare a singular deuotion to our B. Ladie Loe these are the most necessarie pointes to liue and die a good Christian whereof I pretend to treate thorough all the chapters that doe ensue THE II. CHAPTER Of mortall and veniall sinne 1. AMongst all the euills that raigne in the world the greatest and most to be deplored is that men know not nor apprehend not the euills and miseries of the soule regarding none but those of the body The Asse falleth into the myre saith S. Bernard and both the master and the neighbours runne with speed to pull him forth the soule falleth into sinne and perdition none at all takes care thereof 2. What doth it profit a man saith our Lord if he gayne the whole worlde and sustaine the damage of his soule Mat. 16. 26. O yee fathers mothers apprehend this point and teache it betimes vnto your children make them to suck it with their milk whilst they are yet in their infancie and often singe vnto them this goulden sentence of our Sauiour Feare yee not them that kill the body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him that can destroy both soule and body into hell Mat. 10. 28. which nether is nor neuer shall be but for sinne §. What mortall sinne is and what detriments it bringeth to the soule 1. S. Augustin speaking of sinne in generall saith that it is a word thought or deede against the law of almightie God lib. 22. cont Faustum cap. 27. 2. Diuines say that it is a foulenes and deformitie of the reasonable creature wherby it is made displeasing to God and wherwith it can not see God in his glorie 3. To be mortall it must be committed freely and voluntarily against some commandement of God or the Church in a matter of importance 4. It is called mortall because it depriueth vs of our spirituall life and bringeth death vnto the soule separating it by this death from the kingdome of God and making it worthie of fire and paines that are perpetuall 5. The soule that shall haue sinned â—hall dye the death Ezech. 18. If I doe this said the chast Susanna being solicited vnto sinne it is my death Dan. 3. And the father of the prodigall child said vnto his eldest sonne thy brother was dead and is reuiued Luc. 15. 32. 6. Besides the spirituall life that is to say the grace of God which is lost by mortall sinne he likewise looseth all the merits he had got Ezech. 18. 24. All the giftes and the familiaritie of the holy Ghost and his virtues Sap. 1. 4. 5. Abdias 5. 6. He looseth the right of the children of God that is to say euerlasting life The especiall particular protection of God Psal 32. 18. The protection of his good Angell S. Basil in psal 33. Communication in the merits of all the Saints that is to say of all good Christians He becometh in an instant the slaue of the deuill prickt gnawen coÌ„tinually with the remorce of conscience it being the greatest of all torments that are in this life S. August in Psal 45. Iob. 15. 21. Pro. 28.1 throughout Sap. 17. Psal 50. He meriteth nothing in doing any good worke Isay 59. Luc. 5. 5. But that which is the greatest of al mischiefes he remayneth obliged to euerlasting paines Eccles 21. 10. 11. Iis procella tenebrarum seruata est in aeternum Cath. ep of S. Iude to whom the storme of darknes is reserued for euer Blessed Lord how many euills doth one only pleasure bringe EXAMPLES 1. Lysimachus kinge of Thracia rendring him selfe with his whole kingdome vnto his enimie for the thirst which he could no longer suffer after he had drunk a glasse of water Good God said this poore Pagan how great a miserie is it
great horror had they of mortall sinne THE III. CHAPTER Of sinnes of will only and of thought 1. THere is a great abuse ignorance and blindnes which raigneth amongst simple people and such as are idiots to thinke that one offendes not God vnles by worke and by worde and not with the wil alone for he that hath forbidden to commit the sinne of the flesh and adultrie hath likewise forbidden to couet his neighbours wife You haue heard that it was said to them of old thou shalt not commit aduoutrie but I say to you that whosoeuer shall see a woman to luste after her hath already committed aduoutrie with her in his hart Mat. 5. 28. And the like is of euery other euill will Concupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne but sinne when it is consummate ingendreth death Iac. 1. 15. Blessed is he that shall dashe his litle ones that is to say his first thoughtes against the rock that is to say Iesus Christ psl. 136. 9. Whilst your enemie is but litle kill him saith S. Herom and crush malice in the very seede Epist 12. ad Eustoch Man seeth those thinges which appeare but our Lord behouldeth the hart ◠Reg. 26. 7. EXAMPLES 1. Kinge Pharao for hauing coueted Sara the wife of Abraham albeit he touched her not in any sort both he him selfe and all his familie were out of hande chasticed of God most rigorously with diuers great and sharp afflictions 2. A Iew gotten into a temple by night saw a troupe of diuells which gaue account to one who seemed to be the chiefe of the rest of all their comportment towardes men and heard one who bragged that he had induced Andrew Bishop of Fonda to embrace a dishonest thought S. Greg. l. 3. Dial. c. 7. 3. At Cosma a towne of Itallie a cittizen giuen for a long time to follow a concubine felt him selfe at last to be brought to the point and pinche of death A father of the Societie of Iesus was called to heare his Confession At the first begining being informed of his life as he was before he represented vnto him that the houre was now come that he must needes depart this worlde and therfore exhorted him to forsake his harlot The obstinat and accursed wretch hauing death in his face replied that he could not be without her in that extremitie but that she would serue him very well The father pressed him againe cast him selfe at his feete and besought him with teares to take compassion on his soule causing all the fathers and brothers of his colledge to pray to this effect and purpose At the last our Lord touched him he caused this shee wolfe to depart his lodging confest him selfe with exceeding sorrow and with other signes of true repentance and the very day after this confession he dyed Vpon the morrow as this father went from his chamber to the sacristie to say Masse for his soule he felt him selfe scuffeld with al and thrust back and heard a voice most distinctly which said vnto him Whether goest thou The father went on his way and being arriued at the vestrie doore he felt him selfe pusht back more forceibly then before and was constrained to recoyle two or three great steps He ommitted not for all this to inuest him selfe and to goe vnto the Altar As he descended thence he that asisted him being come to the Confiteor behold a horrible monster most gastfull and fearfull shewed him selfe visiblie vpon the Altar on that side where the Epistle is read and looking vpon the priest said Pray not for me beware thou doost not The father replied why not art not thou such an one Didst thou not confes thy selfe to me yesterday with so great contrition and with teares Hadst thou no◠pardon of thy sinnes What then is betided of new vnto thee Yea quoth the Spirit I am euen he in very deed I confest my selfe it is true and that entirely and withall receiued pardon of my sinnes But after that thou wast departed that accursed strumpet that had kept me captiue all my life entred againe into my house drew nere vnto me to doe some seruice and forthwith the accustomed fancies awaked in me I yelded entrie to a wicked thought stayed therein and consented and therupon I died For which I now burne and shall burne for all eternitie Extracted out of the annuall histories of the Societie and alleadged by Vallad in the sermon vpon the Thursday of the passion who assureth to haue learned it of a religious mā who knew the father that heard the confession of this miserable man and had it from his owne selfe Good God what a tragicall example And shall we then say that euill desires are no sinnes THE IV. CHAPTER Of the sinnes of the Tongue DEath and life are in the hande of the tongue saith the wise man Prou. 18. 21. Out of the mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing The tongue is certes a litle member and vanteth great thinges Behould how much fire what a great wood it kindleth and the tongue is fire a whole worlde of iniquitie Finally he concludeth saying If any man offend not in worde this is a perfect man Iac. 1. 2. 10. 5. That is to say according to Hugo of S. Victor it is a signe that he hath a great care to keepe his hart therfore hath a great inward perfection In cap. 13. ep ad Rom. Philo saith that the worde is as the hande of the diall which giues to vnderstand the estate of the inward springe and of the wheeles that is to say of the good or bad constitution of the soule And our Sauiour saith That out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12. Luc. 6. EXAMPLES 1. Nicephorus writeth that a certaine learned man went vpon a day to visit S. Pambonus Abbot one very holie but somwhat simple and laboured to perswade him to ioyne linke learning with his virtu And when the Saint had shewed him that he was well content as he was this Doctor tooke the Bible and openinge the same expounded vnto him the first passage that he fell vpon which was out of the 36. Psalme I haue said I will keepe my wayes that I offend not in my tongue Enoughe quoth the Saint you shall teache me the rest when I shall haue first well learned practised this Geuing to vnderstande that the first and principalest point of a spirituall life is to refraine and bridle the tongue Niceph. Socrat. l. 4. hist eccles c. 18. hist trip Cassiod l. 8. c. 1. §. 1. of Swearing The second commandement of the first table is Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vaine for God wil not hould him guiltles that taketh his name in vaine Exod. 20. Deut. 5. 11. Thou shalt not sweare at all nether by heauen because it is the throne of God nether by the earth because it is the foot-stoole of his feete c. but let your
heauen with riuers of teares and said Thou art witnes my Lord Iesus Christ thou who searchest the reynes and hart that I will not deny the adulterie for feare to die but that I will not lie for feare of offending thee But thou o wretch quoth she turning her selfe to the younge man who for feare of the torments had tould a lie if thou doe hasten thee for to perish yet why wilt thou kill two innocents I am ready to die but not as an adultres I will carry myne innocencie together with me To conclude she was condemned with the young man to haue her head cut off At the first stroke that the hangman gaue to the young man his head was deuided from his body but to her seauen blowes were giuen and yet the sword did her no hurt which the Emperor seeinge he knew the innocencie of the woman and therupon set her at libertie See you how lyinge was the cause of the young mans death and how maintayning of the truth gaue life vnto this good woman This historie is related by S. Hierom ep 45. ad Innocent S. Anthimus Bishop of Nicomedia during the persecution of the Emperor Maximian was sought for by the Seargeants He seing that they sought for him receiued them and treated them right curteously making them a good dinner and in the end said vnto them that he was he whom they sought for They not able sufficiently to admire his charitie said that they would make report to the Emperor that they could not finde him No quoth the B. Saint it is not lawfull for Christians to lie to saue the life of whom soeuer and this being saide put him selfe into their handes and after diuers great torments endured death Surius 27. of Aprill out of Metaphrast O great Saint who had rather that his body should be kild by the handes of the hangman then conseruing his body to kill his soule by a lye §. 7. Of songes and of dishonest wordes Fornication and all vncleanes let it not so much as be named amongst you as it becometh Saintes or filthines or foolish talke or scurrillitie Ephes 5. 3. 4. Theodoret infers from this prohibition of the Apostle how execrable fornication is sith he will not that it be so much as spoken of nor that it be at all remembred Be not seduced euill communications corrupt good maners 1. Cor. 15. 34. And S. Clement Pope forbids the same amongst Christians l. 5 const Apost Dishonest talke saith S. Isidore hath oftimes more force to gayne harts and to perswade them to vice then the sight then euill example and then all other deceits and allurements Euen as a stone saith S. Basill cast into the water of a Cesterne doth not only stir that parte of the water which it toucheth but also doth stir vp circles which continually multiplied arriue at the last to the edge and brimme euen so lasciuious talke falling into a chast hart and soule as it were within a pure water doe excite diuers dishonest thoughtes which multiplying them selues make the soule to be all to tossed with the waues of voluptuousnes and carnall thoughtes lib. de vera virginitate The philosophers say that the worde is the shadowe of the action and deed Now when one seeth some shadow approache him he may well iudge that the body is not far off euen so maist thou say that from whence dishonest wordes proceede the worke of the flesh is not far Plutarch in the treatise how children are to be nourished If a dishonest worde hath so much force of it selfe to spoyle a soule what will it haue then sunge and pronounced with a sweet inchantment of the voice The sweetnes of the voice saith S. Basil renders the soule wholie enclining to lubricitie It is better saith S. Cyprian to heare the venemous whistle of a Basiliske then to heare the wanton and lasciuious voice of a woman EXAMPLES 1. The sister of B. Petrus Damianus Cardinall was in purgatorie fifteene dayes for hauinge conceiued pleasure in hearing certaine maides to sing as they were a dancing Flor. Harlemus Carthus Institut Christiana l. 2. c. 25. S. Bernard being yet but a younge youth in the worlde as soone as he heard any filthie word to be pronounced he felt the same in such sort that for very shame al his face was set a fire as if had receiued some box on the eare Which his play fellowes perceiuinge as soone as euer they saw him come they said one vnto another Le ts hould our peace loe where Bernard comes Ribad and Surius the 20. of May. The like is read of B. Lewis of Gonzaga of the societie of Iesus S. Edmund Archbishop of Canterburie studying at Paris and walking on a day in the Clarkes medow with his companions who sunge there a number of songes he went aside from them not able to suffer them Then our Lord appeared vnto him in the forme of a faire childe such as the espouse doth paint him in the Canticles White and ruddy chosen amongst thousands and said vnto him with a smyling countenance I salute thee my wel beloued S. Edmond was astonished at the first and waxt ashamed at those wordes But our Lord said vnto him Doost thou not know me I set hard by thee euery day in the schole and then made him both to see to reade that which was written in his fore-head and he perceiued written in letters of gold Iesus of Nazareth kinge of the Iewes Surius tom 6. Ribad 6. Nou. 4. S. Vallery Abbot returninge vpon a day into his Abby in the winter time entred with his people into a Priests house to warme him selfe as he approached to the fire the Priest and the Mayor of the place began to vtter great store of dishonest wordes from which they not desistinge for ought the Saint could say vnto them he went forth of the place shakinge off against them the dust of his shoes And behould at the same instant the Priest became blinde and the Mayor was stricken with a shamfull disease They perceiuing that this was in punishment of their euill tongues ran after the Saint and besought him to returne againe but he refused Thus the Priest remained blinde his whole life and all the members of the other rotted by litle and litle and in the end dyed most miserably Surius vpon the life of S. Vallery 1. of Aprill Durannus of an Abbot made a Bishop was diuers daies in purgatory for hauing somtimes tould tales to excite and make others to laugh and could not get thence till first seauen religious persons had kept silence for him for the space of seauen dayes Vincent Bellouac spec hist l. 26. c. 5. Now if one goe to purgatory for light wordes and only of laughter what punishment then doe dishonest wordes deserue 5. The very Pagans are ashamed to speake of dishonest thinges for Agellius a Roman historian writeth of Socrates that finding him selfe enforced to mixe amidst his discourse some one
eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor yet hath entred into the hart of man This answere moued him so much that he also would be enrolled in the catalogue of the martyrs and endured constantly to haue his members cut asunder peece by peece in the sight of his wife who likewise encouraged him therunto Ribad vpon his life 4. Theophilus aduocate hauinge receiued certaine Roses and Apples from heauen which S. Dorothe dying sent vnto him by an Angell found them so faire and so good that desiring to enter in the garden from whence they were gathered he became Christian and suffered martyrdome Ribad in the life of S. Dorothe virg and mart 5. Sir Thomas Moore Lord Chancelor of England being in prison his wife came and importuned him to condescend vnto the pleasure of the Kinge presentinge vnto him on the one side her future pouertie and the miserable estate of all her familie and on the other part the honors and riches which kinge Harry had promised him if he would be on his side Sir Thomas demanded of her How longe my dearly beloued shall we enioy these honors and riches Very easily yet quoth she these twentie yeares Then Sir Thomas all angrie with her said vnto her Get thee gone quoth he thou foolish marchant what shall I for twentie yeares of temporall goodes loose all the infinite goods of life eternall God forbid that I euer make any such market yea know that I had rather lie in this prison as longe as I liue suffer confiscation of my goodes all kindes of contumelies and death it selfe then to expose so foole-hardily my felicitie as indeed he did for he was put to death for this cause Sanderus de schismate Angl. Would to God we did the same as often as ouer flesh like to this womā incites vs to sinne and that at the smiting of the clock yea in all times we had in our mouth and in our hart this short sentence O glorie eternall what is it to haue thee and what is it to loose thee The true Christian Catholique or The maner how to liue Christianly THE SECOND BOOKE THE PROLOGVE IT is an error of the heretiques who vnder the name of a Christian which they carrie with false markes and vnder the skin of a sheepe nourish the hart of a woulfe that to go to heauen it is not necessarie to doe good workes Such an one was Valentinus as S. Ireneus testifieth l. 1. c. 1. and S. Epiphanius l. 1. cont heres c. 32. And Eunomius and Aetius his Disciple of whom S. Aug. maketh mention l. de heresibus c. 54. and in the age last past Luther Caluin Melancthon c. Bellar. tom 11. controuer l. 4. c. 20. de iustificatione Yea Luther saith that faith is nothing worth vnles it be depriued of all good workes how litle soeuer Did any euer heare more absurd and pernicious doctrine Thou art better taught ô true Christian Catholique and it is by the fruites also of thy good workes that the sanctitie of thy soule is knowen for thou houldest with the vniuersall Church according to the lesson which the holy Ghost hath taught her in the scripture and the holy Fathers that he who intends to goe to heauen ought to to keepe the cōmandements of God to exercise him selfe in good workes This is that which our Lord said vnto a certaine Doctor in S. Mat. 19. 17. c. 7. 22. Not euery one that saith to me Lord Lord like as heretiques doe who haue often in their mouth the name of the Lord but haue the diuell in their hart shal enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Lord saith Dauid who shall dwell in thy tabernacle or who shall rest in thy holie hil Psal 14. 1. Thou wilt render to euery one according to his workes Ps 61. 13. Mat. 16. 27. And if I should haue all faith so that I could remoue mountaines and haue not charitie I am nothing 1. Cor. 13. 2. See the sentence of S. Peter in the 1. booke last chap. § 7. We haue before brought and alleadged that whick maketh for the extirpation of vice And sith it is not enough for a Gardener to haue rooted vp the naughtie herbes out of his garden vnles he likewise sowe good seede therein and set good plantes I will with Gods asistance in this secōd booke giue aduice vnto the Christiā who desires to liue as a good and virtuous Catholique ought do doe and shew him the meanes proper and easie how to plant in his soule such virtues as are most necessary for the exercise of good workes following the selfe same order which I did before to wit of holie Scripture holie Fathers Examples THE 1. CHAPTER Of the signe of the Crosse THE soldiars of this world accustome to weare vpon them a scarfe or riban of the same color of their Ensigne to giue to vnderstand vnder what head banner they beare armes In like maner the Christian who is the soldiar of Iesus Christ and serueth vnder the stādart ensigne of the Crosse hath a custome to giue this signe a at all times in euery houre imprinting it ether on his fore-head on his mouth or on his breast b in the morninge at his vp risinge in the eueninge at his downe lying at the striking of the clock in yaninge both before and after worke eating drinking and in eache necessitie which from all antiquitie hath bene vsed in the Church c yea both prefigured and fore-tould by the Prophets d in the old law and taught and recommended by our B. Sauiour in the new e a S. Ephrem l. de ver a poenitentia c. 3. S. Aug. l. de Cat. rud c. 20. b S. Ambrose de Isaac anima c. 8. c Tertul. de corona milit c. 3. d Ezech. ◠e Mat. 28. §. 1. Of the ancient vse and custome to make the signe of the Crosse at the begining and ending of our workes and how dangerous it is ether to eate or drinke not makinge before hand this holy signe The prophet Ezechiel saw vpon a day six men enter into the temple of Ierusalem and heard a voice which commanded them to passe thorough the middes of the citty and to strike or kill without mercie al the inhabitants except euery one vpon whom they should see the signe of Thau Ezech. 9. 5. S. Iohn in the Apoc. c 7. 1. saw four Angells who had commandement from almightie God to afflict all the men vpon the earth And as they went to execute this commandement another Angell came from the risinge of the sunne hauing the signe of the liuing God who turning him selfe towards the others said Hurt not the earth and the sea nor the trees till we signe the seruants of our God in their foreheades And S. Iohn saith that the number of those that were thus signed were a hundred fortie four thousand of euery tribe of Israell Ibid.
was found all black as if it had bene burned in the same instant The rest made their profit hereof for fearing to fall into the same misfortune they made from that present a firme purpose neuer to defer their Confession genâ—le Reader doe thou the like Extracted out of the historie of the Societie of Iesus anno 1609. in the life of Michael Ayaturnus a younge Phillippine scholer of a holie life §. 4. Of Generall Confession It is good for the most part to make a generall confession of our whole life and afterwardes euery yeare to make one begining from the last so to supply the defaults which might haue hapned in the former for it often hapneth that the Confession is of no value ether because of the Confessar who is not approued ordinarilie to heare Confessions or because he is not thy pastor nor appointed by him nor priuiledged by the Pope to heare Confessions euery where or else because he is very ignorant or because he was confessed without any sorrow or purpose to amend him and to flie the immediat occasions to fal againe not to make restitution the like or for that he hath coÌ„cealed voluÌ„tarily some sinne in Confession or because he had not a will to accept or fulfill the penance which the Confessar enioyned him In all these cases the Confession is voide And for as much as these faults arriue often it is therfore good somtimes to make general CoÌ„fessions And notwithstanding this were not yet are there sundrie other reasons which moue vs therto which one may see else where As fa. Costerus l. 1. Of the Sâ—dalitie c. 4. Fa. Puentes in his bookâ—â—… Perfection 3. treatise c. 7. and heretofore â— 4. of this cap. l. 1. examp 4. §. 5. Of Satisfaction the third part of the Sacrament of Penance For as much as ordinarily with the fault all the paine is not pardoned which one hath encurred by the sinne and that satisfactorie workes haue much more efficacie being done by the ordonance of the Confessar as well by reason of the act of obedience which is of inestimable valor as for the virtu which they receiue of the Sacrament and from the merits of Iesuâ— Christ applied vnto vs by meaneâ— therof one ought to receiue with â— cheerfull hart the penance enioyneâ— by the Confessar how great and harâ— soeuer it be and to endeuour to accomplish it with the soonest It is not enough for him who dotâ— penance saith S. Ambrose to wipâ— away his sinnes by teares but he muâ— moreouer labor to couer them by gooâ— workes l. 2. de poenit c. 5. l. 1. c. 1â— To a great wound quoth he must bâ— applyed a great plaister and a great sinne requireth great satisfaction Ad Virg. laps cap. 8. lib. 1. de paenit cap. 2. See touching satisfactioÌ„ most worthie examples out of the flowers of the liues of Saints of Ribadeneira of the Emperor Othon and Theodosius of Henrie 2. kinge of England in the places cited heretofore l. 1. c. 6. § 6. l. 2. c. 6. § 1. sect 1. §. 6. Of Indulgences Indulgences is the remission of the temporall paine due by reason of the actuall fault which is made by the application of the satisfactions which are in the common treasurie of the Church to wit of the merits of our Lord and of the Saintes of which treasurie the Pope hath the keyes giuen by our Lord himselfe vnto S. Peter and his successors Mat. 16. 18. The fault being forgiueÌ„ yet that there remayneth some paine to be suffered is apparant by the 12. cap. of the 2. booke of Kinges where the sinne of murder and of adulterie hauing bene forgiuen Dauid yet God did chastice him with temporall paine in the death of his sonne He did as much to Adam Gen. 3. Sap. 10. to Moises sister Num. 12. and to a Prophet 3. Reg. 13. And albeit these paines may be pardoned as well by the satisfactorie workes enioyned by the confessar as by those which one doth voluntarily of him selfe yet ordinarily all the paine is not remitted by such like workes whence it followeth that the rest is to be paid in Purgatorie vnles we haue recourse to the treasure of the Church by Indulgences Wise and well aduised is he who by a way so easie doth free him selfe from a payment which else he is to make by fire and by such a fire as that of Purgatorie is EXAMPLES 1. S. Francis hauing obtained of our Lord and of Pope Honorius the third a plenarie indulgence for his Church of our Lady of Portiuncula neere to Asissium the bruit being spread euery where abroad a hundred and twentie Sclauonians were moued from heauen to trauell thither as they did It came to passe that a woman fel there soare sick and hauing ended her deuotions died The rest being embarked to returne into their contrie she appeared to them saying Feare yee not for I am one of your compaine sent by our blessed Lady for to tell you that by the benefit of the Indulgences which I gayned together with you at our Ladies of Portiuncuâ—a I am departed directly to heauen without passing thorough Purgatorie Which hauing said she disappeared â—auing all these good pilgrimes greatly comforted See you the efficacie and virtu of Indulgences Taken out of the annales of the Friar Minors to 1. l. 2. cap. 5. 2. Our Lord hath maruelously praised Indulgences to S. Bridgit as appeareth by the 102. cap. l. 6. of her Reuelations §. 7. Of the paines of Purgatorie The Apostle S. Paul speaking of the diuersitie of those who build spiritually in this worlde saith that he who dyeth with smale sinnes shall be saued yet so as by fire Vpon which wordes S. Aug. discoursing in Psal 37. saith Because it is written we shal be saued therfore we despise the fire of Purgatorie yes truly we shall be saued by fire but by a fire more greuous and painfull then all whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life The same S. Greg. saith vpon the 3. penitential psalme Venerable Bede vpon the same psalme S. Anselme vpon the 1. Cor. 3. S. Bernard serm de obitu Humberti S. Thomas houldeth that the paines of Purgatorie are greater then are the paines of all the Martyrs yea then those which Iesus Christ him selfe suffered in his most holy and painfull passion 3. p. q. 46. art 6. ad 3. EXAMPLES 1. S. Antoninus writeth that a certaine person giuen to debauchement was visited of God with a longe and painfull sicknes At the last loosing his patience he instantly besought of God that he might dye behould an Angel appeared vnto him who gaue him his choice ether to remayne two yeares more in this infirmitie then to goe directly to heauen or else to dye that very houre and be three dayes in purgatorie This ill aduised person chose rather to dye and to endure for three dayes the paines of Purgatorie He 〈…〉 same Angell came to visit him in his
in Lent taken from S. Gregorie 1. That it represseth the flesh and vices 2. That it eleuateth the spirit 3. That it acquireth virtues and merits For which cause the holy scripture recommendeth the same so much vnto vs. Ioel. 2. psal 101. 34. Luc. 5. Mar. 2. 9. 17. Luc. 4. 2. Cor. 11. and the holie Fathers S. Basil hom 1. 2. de Ieiun Aug. ser 55. de temp Amb. ser 23. 25 34. 36. 37. And our Lord him selfe hath both honored and recommended it by his example Mat. 4. EXAMPLES 1. The prophet Daniel by fasting obtained the knowledge of thinges to come Dan. 9. 2. The Niniuites appeased the anger of God Ionas 3. 3. Elias and Moyses by the fast of fortie dayes obtayned the companie and familiaritie of almightie God 3. Reg. 19. 11. Exod 24. 25. 33. 11. 4. Eleazer a gentleman of note being nintie yeares olde chose rather to loose his life after diuers greuous torments he had endured then to eate swines flesh contrary to the commandement of God 2. Mac. 6. 18. 5. The seauen Machabean bretheren together with their mother did the same 2. Mac. 6. 18. 6. The Emperor Iustinian seeing his people afflicted with famin caused the but cherie in Constantinople to be opened in the second weeke of Lent and gaue permission to buy and sell flesh but the good people chose rather to die by hunger then ether to buy or to sell flesh Niceph. lib. 17. cap. 32. At Vartisla◠or Breslaw in Silesia an hereticall Minister to deride and mock at Catholique religion hauing put a peace of meate into his mouth vpon a Friday his mouth remayned open and wistly gaping without being able to shut it againe nether by force nor yet by art In the historie of the Societie Anno 1592. 8. A woman in the same place hauing put flesh into her mouth vpō a Saturday fell downe starke dead Ibidem 9. At Poldachie a cittie of Polognia in the yeare 1585. a young man eating flesh vpon a Friday was possessed of the diuill who a litle after stopt his throate and kild him out right In the same hist. anno 1585. 10. A married man mockinge at the fast of Lent which S. Elphegus bishop of Winchester in England had recommended died sodainly the night ensuing according to the prediction of the Saint Baron tom 10. annal eccles anno Dom. 947. §. 2. Of Almes Redeeme thy sinnes with almes said Daniel to Nabuchodonoser and thine iniquities with the mercies of the poore Dan. 4. 24. Blessed is the man that vnderstandeth concerning the needie and the poore in the euill day our Lord will deliuer him psal 40. 1. Loe this was the iniquity of Sodome thy sister pride fulnes of bread and abundance and the idlenes of her and of her daughters and they raught not the hande to the needy and the poore Ezech. 16. 49. Almes giuing is a marke of predestination according to S. Paul for in the 3. of the Colos vers 12. he saith Put yee on therfore as the elect of God holy and beloued the bowells of mercie I remember not to haue read saith S. Hierom that any one came to an euill death who gladly during his life practised the workes of mercie because such an one hath many intercessors and it is impossible that the prayers of many should not be heard S. Hier. ad Nepotian And the same S. Aug. saith serm ad fratres in Eremo Heare for the last S. Chrisostom Almes saith he is one of the greatest friendes of God and which is alwayes neere vnto him She hath in such sort gained his grace that all whatsoeuer she asketh of him and for whomsoeuer she doth obtaine without difficultie She it is that vnbindes the bādes the shackles and manacles of sinners she expels darknes and puts out the fire for which respect she enters with all assurance into heauen for that the gates of this great pallais are instantly open to her and as if it were the Queene her selfe none nether porters nor gard dare say vnto her who art thou whence comest thou but contrariwise all the courtiars of heauen doe goe before her to entertayne her S. Chrisostom Hom. 9. in Matt. EXAMPLES 1. S. Catharine of Sienna hauing giuen a siluer Crosse vnto a poore bodie our Lord appeared vnto her the night following saying that he would shew that Crosse at the day of iudgement to all the worlde Ant. Senen in her life 2. S. Iohn the Almes-giuer so stiled because of the continuall almes which he bestowed called the poore his Lordes for as much quoth he as they had the power to helpe him that he should not be shut out of the kingdome of heauen Ribad in his life 3. S. Lewis kinge of France and B. Amaedes Duke of Sauoye were wont to serue the poore bare-head this latter called thē his hunting houndes where with he hunted after and caught the kingdome of heauen In their liues 4 Robert kinge of France as Hegaldus writeth and after him cardinall Baronius the yeare of our Lord 1033. whersoeuer he went drew allwayes after him great wagons all full of poore people and when any asked him why he did so I goe quoth he to besiege the cittie of paradise with these troupes God hath said that he will open the gates of paradise to the riche who haue opened to them their harts and their treasures Who then shall enter into heauen if this armie shall not enter and I also who am the Colonnel of the company See the liues of S. Martin S. Francis S. Edward Kinge of England and S. Oswald of S. Gregorie pope S. Iulian bishop of Guence S. Nicholas S. Bernardine S. Iohn Chrisostom with infinit others and you shall see them all maruellously addicted to this virtu Is it not true then that Almes giuing is a marke of predestination 5. Euagrius philosopher being conuerted to the faith by the Bishop Senesius gaue him three hundred crownes of gould for an almes receuing an obligation from the bishop vnder his hande to receaue them againe in heauen Being dead he appeared to this bishop willing him to goe vnto his graue and to open it The which he did and found his obligation in the handes of him that was dead wherin was written that he held him selfe wel content for he had receiued his mony in heauen Sophron. in prat spirit cap. 195. Ioan. Zonaras 3. annal 6. S. Gregorie writeth that two Martyrs appeared after their death in the habit of pilgrimes to a deuout matrone and as she gaue them her almes according to her custome they said vnto her You helpe vs now and we will also helpe you at the day of iudgment Hom. 32. in euang 7. The like did certaine Charter-house Monkes martyred vnder Henrie the eight to a deuout woman at the houre of her death which had somtimes asisted thē in the time of their prisonment P. Cornelius in Deut. cap. 26 12. See the happy death of Peter Velleio a
approach often therunto §. 2. Of the preparation and deuotion requisite to communicat well Let a man proue him selfe that is to say examine him selfe and if he see him selfe in mortall sinne that he confes him selfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of the chalice For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthely in mortall sinne eateth and drinketh iudgement to him selfe that is to say his condemnation not discerninge the body of our Lord. Therefore are there among you many weake and feeble and many sleepe that is to say are in the death of sinne These are the wordes of the Apostle 1. Corinth 11. and so explicated by Theophil Saint Anselme Saint Greg. lib. 2. cap. c. 1. in l. 1. Reg. serm 1. temp Concil Trid. Sess 13. c. 7. Now four thinges are requisite to communicate well 1. Faith 1. Tim. 3. S. Basil quest 172. in reg breu That is to say to beleue the reallitie of the pretious body of Iesus Christ in the holy Sacrament 2. Penance and Confession 3. An attention of soule deuotioÌ„ excited by prayers and meditations Chrisost hom 83. in Mat. 3. ad Ephes 60. 61. ad pop 4. A decent cariage and comportment to be fasting chaste modest humble hauing our face mouth and handes cleane S. Aug. ad Ian. epist. 118. cap. 6. Orig. hom 5. â—n diuers euang locos O what horrible indignitie is it to beleeue that Iesus Christ is in the most holie Sacrament and yet to presume to receiue him hauing thorough mortall sinne the diuell harboured in his soule EXAMPLES 1. A holy Bishop hauing asked of God to know the interior estate of two of his subiects which were reported to be adulterers as they communicated he saw the one of them to haue his face black and his eyes full of blood and the face of the other bright and shining and al his garments as white as snow And not knowing what it ment an Angell tould him that the first was an adulterer and was yet in sinne The other albeit he had likewise committed adulterie yet had he cleansed him selfe by Confession before communion In vitis patrum pag. 2. § 156. The same also Saint Euthymius Abbat saw in some communicants as Surius writeth in his in life Ian. 20. 2. Widekindus Duke of Saxonie being come disguised into the campe of Charlemaigne saw the priest vpon Easter day giue to those that did communicat a very beautifull litle childe who entered into the mouth of some with a face laughing and into others with a countenance frowning and as it were by force Albertus Crautz l. 2. de hist. de Sax. c. 23. 3. A young man in Guienna anno 1600. communicating in mortall sinne had neuer power to open his mouth Wherat the priest amazed asked of him if he were confest who answered with teares no Florimond Reimond tom 1. of the begining of heresie lib. 2. cap. 12. S. Greg. of Tours writeth the like historie lib. de gloria mart c. 89. 4. Kinge Lotharius hauing for a long time kept a concubine came to Rome to Pope Nicholas to be absolued assuring that he had put her from him which notwithstanding he had not done The Pope to proue his saying caused him to communicat with all the Lordes of his trayne A strange case the kinge died within a few daies after at Placentia and within the yeare all the others of his company Sigebert in chron anno 870. 5. At Dulaca a cittie of the Phillippine Islandes a younge man receiuing the B. Sacrament in mortall sinne felt instantly most strange paines thoroughout his body He cast vp the holy Hoste in a priuie and the paine ceased our Lord choosing rather to be in that dirt then within that sinfull soule Within a while after he fell againe to his former sinnes and went notwithstanding vnto the communion and behould he was at the same instant as seased with a fire in his throate he withers and consumes quite away which his parents them selues perceiued well and yet descouered not the cause He communicats againe and behould an infinite number of litle flies which fly to his mouth and gaue him so many prickes with their stinges that at the last he knew him selfe confest him and presently all those litle flies and all his paines departed In the annales of the Societie anno 1605. O the blindnes and obstinacie of the sinner O the admirable patience and benignitie of God! THE IX CHAPTER Of hearing sermons or the word of God BLessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct o Lord and shalt teache out of thy law psal 93. 12. Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the pappes that thou didst suck said a woman vnto our Lord after his sermon yea rather quoth he blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Luc. 11. 28. He saith yet more in another place He that is of God that is to say according to the explication of the holy fathers a he that is predestinat to eternall life he heareth the wordes of God therfore you heare not quoth he to the Iewes because you are not of God Iohn 8. 47. a Aug. tract 42. in Ioan. Greg. hom 12. in euang Ber. ser 1. in Septuag Certainly saith S. Iohn Chrisostome I haue great proofes of your profit and spirituall aduancement to see you euery day to runne with so great promptitude and to be so greedie and desirous to feede and fill your selues with spirituall doctrine For euen as the appetit to corporall meate is an argument of the good constitution of the body euen so the desire of spirituall doctrine is an euident signe of the good constitution and health of the soule Chrisost hom 32. in Gen. The wordes of sermons are called by our Lord the wordes of God because it is God who speaketh by their mouthes He that heareth you heareth me Luc. 10. And Mat. 10. 20. It is not you that speake but the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you We giues thankes to God without intermission because that when you had receiued of vs the word of the hearing of God you receiued it not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God 1. Thes 2. 12. EXAMPLES 1. S. Ephrem being one day in praier he heard a voice which said vnto him Ephrem eate What shall I eate quoth he and who shall giue me foode Goe to Basil replied the voice he will teache thee and will giue vnto thee the euerlasting bread He arose goes seeke S. Basil and found him preaching in the church Surius 1. of Feb. 2. S. Gregorie of Nice and Metaphrastes write that S. Ephrem saw a Doue to prompt vnto S. Basil all that he preached And Amphilochius addeth that he saw the tongue of S. Basil all on fire 3. An Arrian heretique and a great enimie of our faith was conuerted to the truth for that he perceiued whilst S. Ambrose preached an Angell to dictat into his eare all that