and to come the memorie with the remembrāce of pleasures past the vnderstanding with consideration of the felicitie lost and the miserie now come vpon them O poore Christian what wilt thou doe amiddest the multitude of so intollerable calamites It is a wounderful matter and able as one father sayeth to make a reasonable man goe out of his wittes to consider what God hath reueiled vnto vs in the scriptures touching the dreadful circumstances of this punishment and yet to see how litle the rechelesse mē of this world doe feare it For first touching the vniuersalitie varietie greatnesse of the paines not onely the reasons before alleaged but also diuerse other considerations in the scriptures doe declare the same As where it is sayed of the damned cruciabuntur die nocte they shal be tortured day and night And againe Date illi tormentum geue her torment speaking of Babilon in hel By which wordes of torture and torment may wel appeare that the paines in hel are exercised not for chastisment but for affliction onlie and torment of the patients And we see commonlie in this world that tortures and torments are so great violent and extreame as the wit of man can reach to deuise Imagin then good brother when God almightie shal bend his endeuour infinit endles wisdome to create torments as he hath done in hel what maner of tormēts they are like to be If creating an elemēt here for our comfort I meane the fire he made the same so insufferable as it is in such sorte as a man wolde not holde his onelie hand therin one day for to gaine a kingdome what a fire think you hath he prouided for hel which is not created for comfort but onelie for torment of the parties Our fire hath a thousand differences from that and therfore is truelie said of the holy fathers to be but as a painted or fained fire in respect of that For first our fire was made to comfort as I haue said and that onlie to afflict and torment Our fire hath neede to be fedde cōtinuallie with wood and fuel or els it goeth out that burneth eternallie without feeding and is vnquencheable for that as Esay saith the breath of Godes owne mouth doth blow feede and nourish the same Our fire giueth light which of it self is comfortable that admitteth none but hath his desolation of inexplicable darkenes Ours is out of his natural place and situation and consequentlie of lesse force then it would be ther for which cause also we see that it indeuoureth with al force to mounte vp and get from vs. But that of hel is in the natural and proper place wherin it was created and therfor hath al his ful strength and abideth perpetuallie Ours consumeth the foode that is cast into it and therby in short space dispatcheth the paines that afflicteth and tormenteth but consumeth not to th' ende the paines may be euerlasting Our fire is extinguished with water and the rage therof greatlie abated by the coldenesse of the ayer and other elemētes about it that hath no such abatement or qualification at al but his absolut force remaining in al surie And finallie what a straunge and incredible kinde of fire that is may appeare in part by thes wordes of our Sauiour so often repeated in the Ghospel There shal be vveeping and gnashing of teeth For that weeping seemeth properlie to be referred to the effect of extreme burning in that fire seing the paines of scalding and burning doe enforce teares sooner then any other paines as appeareth in them who vpon the sodain doe put anie burning thing in their mouthes or doe vehementlie scald anie tender sensible part of their body And gnashing or chattering of teeth as euery man knoweth proceedeth principallie of great and extreme cold Imagine then my brother what a fire this may be which hath so contrarie extreme effects both of heate and cold O mightie Lord what a straunge God art thou how wonderful and terrible in al thy workes and inuentions how bountiful art thou to those that loue and serue the and how seuere and terrible to them which cōtemne thy commaundements Hast thou deuised away how they which lie burning in a like of fire and brimstone shal also be tormented with extreame colde what vnderstanding of man can conceyue how this may be but thy Iudgements ô Lord are a depth without bottom therefore I leaue this to thy onelie prouidēce praising thee eternallie for the same But now besides these general paines common to al that be in that place the scripture signifieth also that there shal be particular and seueral torments peculiar both in qualitie quantitie to the sinnes and offences of ech offendour For to that ende sayeth the prophet Esay to God thou vvill iudge in measure against measure And God saieth of him self I vvil exercise Iudgement in vveight Iustice in measure And that is the meaning of al those threates of God to sinners where he sayeth that he wil paie them home according to their particular workes and according to the inuētions of their owne harts In this sense it is saied in the Apocalipse of Babylō now throwen downe iuto the lake Looke hovv much she hath glorified herself and hath liued in dolites so much torment and affliction geue her Whereof the holy fathers haue gathered the varietie of tormēts that shal be in that place As there be differences of sinnes so shal there be varietie of torments sayeth old Ephraem for the adulterour shal haue one kinde of torment the murderer an other the thiefe an other the drunkarde an other the liar an other And so he foloweth on shewing how the proude marshal be trodden vnder feet to recompence his pride the glutton shal suffer inestimable hungar the drunkarde extreme thirst the delitiouse mouth shal be filled vp with gaule and the delicate bodie seared with hote burning yrons This is the contemplation of this holie auncient father And trulie the holie Ghost signifieth such a thing when he sayeth in the scriptures of the wicked worldling His breade in his belly shal be turned into the gaul of serpēts he shal be cōstrained to vomet out again the riches vvhich he hath deuoured God shal pul them forth of his belly he shal be cōstrained to sucke the gaules of cocatrices and the tongues of adders shal slea him he shal beare the smart of al that euer he hath done and yet shal he not be consumed but shal suffer according to the multitude of al his deuises By which wordes is plainlie shewed that wicked men shal receyue particular torments for their gluttonie for their delicate fare for extorsion the like Which torments shal be greater then any mortal tongue can expresse as may appeare by thes vehemēt and dreadful wordes which are here vsed to insinuate the same And yet further besides al this vniuersalitie particularitie rigour
vnde pendet aeternitas This life is the momēt wherof dependeth al eternitie of weal or woe hereafter If it be but a moment deare brother and yet a moment of so great consequence and importance how is it passed ouer by earthelie men with so litle care and cogitation what reason may be alleaged of this so dangerous a negligence what cause may be assigned of so extreme a follie Al the creatures of earth heauen and hel euen from the very first to the last if thou examine them al may be argumentes and motiues vnto thee to leaue this perilous course wherin thou art al are or may be bookes lessons and sermōs vnto thee preaching and protesting some by their punishment some by their glorie some by their beautie and al by their creation that thou oughtest without delay to make resolution of an other kinde of life and that al is vanitie al is folie al is iniquitie al is miserie besides the onelie seruice of thie Lord and maker And so with this wil I make here an ende of this first part reseruing some other things to be spoken in the second for remouing of such impedimēts as our spiritual aduersarie is wont to cast against this good worke of Resolution as against the first step and degree of our saluation Our Lord God Sauiour Iesus Christ who was content to paye his own pretious blood for the purchasing of this noble inheritance of his kingdome vnto vs geue vs his holy grace to esteeme of it as the great weight of the matter requireth and not by negligence to loose our title and portion therin The end of the first part containing motiues to resolution THE SECOND PARTE WHICH TREATETH OF THE LETTES and impedimentes that hinder resolution THE PREFACE IN the former parte of this booke gentle reader ther haue bene layed doune sundry reasons and considerations wherby to stirre vp men to the firme resolution of seruing God which might be sufficient no doubt to that effect the nature of vertue being also cōsidered which of her self draweth reasonable men to loue and admiration of her were not the subtiltie of our spiritual enimie very greate and dangerous in this behalfe and his indeuours most diligent against our purpose For so it fareth that when he seeth by the former reasons and demonstrations alleaged that the iudgement of man is conuinced in the pointes which are treated and that it can no longer resist or deny but that the onlie true wisdome were in deed to breake of from the vanities and sinful life of this world and to be-take our selues to the gainful 〈◊〉 mightie God then this infernal foe 〈◊〉 able further to delude our iudgemente 〈◊〉 blynd our vnderstandings imployeth him self by al meanes possible for retaining of his pray to stay our wil from yelding consent vnto our iudgement all eaging for his dissuation either the difficultie of obtaining pardon or the paines and hardnes of vertuous life or the losse of worldlie honour and earthlie commodities or some other such like fraude or trifle wherby to let and hinder our resolution or at least wise to prolonge it so farre forth as he may be in hope that we shal neuer make it afterwards to our gaine or comfort For preuenting of which malitious and most perilous indeuour of our ghostelie aduersarie this second parte is adioined conteining the cheefe and principal impedimentes that vsuallie doe rise against resolution the remooual and confutation of which lettes and impedimentes shal bring no smal light vnto the studious reader for the true vnderstanding both of his owne estate and of the deceptes and illusions vsed towards him by his enimie Read then this parte also deare Christian brother vvith no lesse diligence then the former for that the profit therof shal be equal and thy contentement perhapes farre greater in respect of the varietie of matters handled therin and of the manifold comfortes which thy soule in perufing shal receaue therby OF THE FIRST IMPEDIMENT THAT IS WONT TO LET SINNERS from resolution VVhich is the mistrust and diffidence in Gods mercie through the multitude and grieuousnes of their offences CHAPT I. AMONG al other gricuous and most perilous cogitatiōs which in this world are accustomed to offer them selues to a mind entangled and lode with great sinnes this vsually is the first thorough the nature of sinne it self and craftie suggestion of our ghostly enemie to fal into distrust and despaire of Gods mercie Such was the cogitation of most vnhappie Cain one of the first inhabitantes of mankind vpon earth who after the murther of his owne only brother and other sinnes by him committed brust furth into that horrible and desperate speech so greatly offensiue to his Lord and Maker mine iniquitie is greater then that I may hope for pardon Such was in like maner the desperate conceit of wicked Iudas one of the first of them that were chosen to the peculiar seruice of our Redeemer who feeling his conscience oppressed with manifold enormous iniquities and most of al with the prodition of his owne Lord maister tooke no other ware of amendment or redresse but to destroie him self both in bodie and soule adioining only thos words ful of miserable distrust and desperation I haue sinned in betraying the innocent and iust blood By which wordes and most wreched ende he more grieuouslie offended and iniuried his most louing merciful Saueour then by al his former iniquities committed against him This then most louing brother is the first and greatest rocke wherat a sinful soule ouerburdened with the charge of her owne iniquities and tossed in the waues of dredful cogitations by the blastes and stormes of Gods threats against sinners doth commonlie make her shipwrake This is that most horrible depth and dungeon wher of the holie Scripture saieth The impious man vvhen he is come into the botome and prosonditie of his sinnes contemneth al. This is that remediles sore and incurable wound wherwith God him self charged Ierusalem when he said Insanabilis fractura tua Thy rupture is irremediable And the Prophet Michaeas considering the same people thorough the multitude of their wickednes to eneline now to despaire of Gods goodnes towards them brake forth into this most pitiful complaint for this vvil I vveepe and lament extremely I vvil strippe of my clothes and vvander naked I vvil rore like vnto Dragons and sound out my sorovve as Strutbious in the desert for that the vvound and maladie of my people is desperate This is that great and maine impediment that stoppeth the conduits of Gods holie grace from flowing into the soule of a sinful man This is the knif that cutteth in sunder al thos heauely blessed cordes wherwith our sweet Lord and Saneour endeuoureth to draw vnto repentance the hartes of sinners saing by his prophete I vvil pul them vnto me vvith the chaines of loue and charitie For by this meanes
life men can see and confesse that nothing may be ether begunne prosecuted or well ended without consideratiō and yet in this greate affaire of gayning heauen or falling into hell few thinke consideration greatelie necessarie to be vsed I might stand here to shew th' infinite other effectes and commodities of consideration as that it is the watche or l'arme-bell that stirreth vp and awaketh all the powers of our minde the match or tynder that cōceyueth and nourisheth the fyar of deuotiō the belloes that enkyndleth and inflameth the same the spurre that pricketh forward to all vertuous zelous and heroical actes and the thing in deede that gyueth both light and life motion to our soule Our Faith is confirmed increased by consideration of gods workes and miracles our Hope by cōsideratiō of his promisses and or the true performance therof to all them that euer trusted in hym our Charitie or loue of god by consideration of his benefites and innumerable desertes towardes vs our Humilitie by cōsideratiō of his greatenesse and of our owne infirmitie Our Courage Fortitude by cōtēplation of his assistance in all causes for his honour our Contempte of the world by consideration of the ioyes of heauen eternall and so all other vertues both moral and deuine doe take their heate and quickening and vital spirite from consideration By th' excercise of consideratiō and meditation holy Dauid sayeth that he felt a burning fyar to flame within his breast that is the fyar of zeale the fyar of feruour in religion the fyar of deuotion the fyar of loue towardes god and his neighbour And in an other place he sayeth that by the same excercise he svvept and purged his ovvne spirit which is to be vnderstoode from the dust of this world from the dregges of synne from the cōtamination and coinquination of humaine creatures for that consideration in deede is the verie fanne that seuereth and driueth away the chaffe from the corne For which cause we shall neuer reade of any holie man from the beginning of the worlde nether before Christ or after who vsed not much and familiarlie this moste blessed excercise of cōsideration pondering And for the first three Patriarches it shal be sufficient to remember the custome of yonge Isaac recorded in Genesis VVhich was to goe foorth towardes night into the fieldes ad meditādum that is to meditate consider and ponder vppon the workes and iudgementes and commādemétes of god And this he did being yet but a childe and vnmarryed far different from the custome of yong gétlemé now a dayes who frequent the fieldes to follow their vanities And as litle Isaac could not haue this custome but from his father Abraham so no doubt but he taught the same to his sonne Iacob and Iacob againe to his posteritie And as for Moyses and his successor Iosue it may easelie be imagined how they vsed this excercise by the most earnest exhortations which they made therof to others in their speech and writinges The good kinges of Iuda also notwithstāding their many great temporal affaires doe testifie of them selues cōcerning this excercise as Dauid almost euery where that the commandementes of god were his daylie meditation not onlie by day and that tota die all the day per singuios dies euerie day in matutino in the morning septie in die seuē tymes a day But also he insinuateth his custome by night meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo I doe meditate by night in my harte vppon thy commaundementeso Lord signifying hereby both his watchfulnes by night when other men were a sleepe and the hartie care that he had of this exercise which we esteeme so litle Salomon also king Dauides sonne so long as he liued in the grace and fauour of god obserued this excercise of his father and exhorteth other men to haue continual and daylie cogitation in this affaire VVhich if hymself had continued still it is liklie he had neuer fallen from god by women as he did The good king Ezechias is reported to haue meditated like a doue that is in silence solitarines with hymself alone which is the true way of profitable meditation Esaye testifieth of his owne watching by night in this excercise and how he did the same with his spirite alone in the verie bowels of his harte Holy Iob maketh mention not onlie of his maner of considering but what also he cōsidered what effect he found in hym self by the same First he considered as I said the wayes foot-stepes cōmandemetes of god thé his dreadful power to witt how no man was able to auerte or turne away his cogitation but that his sowle did what soeuer it pleased and by this sayeth he considerans eum timore sollicitor I am made sollicitous or watcheful with feare when I doe consider hym In which wordes he insinuateth two most excellent effectes of cōsideratiō first the feare of god of which it is writen salutis the saurus timor Drnini the feare of God is the treasure of saluation and the second that by this feare he was made sollicitous watchfull and diligent in gods seruice of whiche the prophet Micheas saith thus I vvil tell the ò man vvhat is good and vvhat our Lord requireth at thie handes to witt to doe iudgement and loue mercie and to vvalke sollicitous and vvatchfull vvith thie God But ò thou holie and blessed man Iob did this excercise of consideration bring foorth in thee so greate feare and terror of god and so carefull watchfulnes for obseruing his cōmandementes now I see well the cause why thou wrytest of thv self that thou dydste doubte and feare all thy workes and actions were they neuer so circumspect But what shall we say now a dayes most happie Sainte who do not doubt so much as our owne dissolute careles and inordinate actions who feele no terror of God at all nor doe vse anie one iote of watchfulnes in obseruing his commandementes trulie this proceedeth of nothing els but of inconsideration it proceedeth of lacke of knowledge both of god and of our selues For doubtelesse yf we knewe eyther of thes two thinges a-right as in deede neyther of them can be well vnderstoode without th other it could not be but that manie of vs would chaunge our wrong courses O merciful Lord what synful māin the world would lyue as he doth if he knew ether thee or hymself as he should doo I meane if he considered what thou arte what thou hast bene to other that lyued cōtinued in synne as he doth Not without greate cause cried so often and earnestlie to the that holy Doctor of thy church for obteyninge of thes two poynctes at thie handes vt cognoscam te vt cognoscam me that I may know thee and that I may know my selfe saith he that is that
shall he that created them take mercie vpon them It is writen of fooles ventum seminabunt turbinem metent They shall sowe and cast their seede vpon the windes and shall receyue for their haruest nothing els but a storme or tēpest Wherby is signified that they shall not onlie cast away and leese their labours but also be punished and chastened for the same Consider thē I beseeche the my deare brother attētiueiie what thou wilt doe or saye when thie Lord shall come at the last daye and aske the an accompte of all thy labours actiōs and tyme spent in this life when he shall require a recōning of his talentes lent vnto the when he shall say as he said to the Farmour or Steward in the Gospel Redde rationem villicatiouis tuae gyue accompt of thie Stewardshippe and charge committed vnto the what wilt thou saye when he shall examine weigh trie thie doiges as golde is examined and tried in the fornace that is what ende they hade wherto they were applied to what glorie of God to what profite of thie soule what measure and weight and substance they beare Balsasar king of Babylon sitting at his banket merry vpon a tyme espyed suddainlie certaine fingares without a hande that wrote in the wall ouer right against his table thes three Hebrue wordes MANE THEKEL PHARES Which three wordes Daniel interpreted in thre sentences to Balsasar it his maner MANE God hath numbered thee Balsasar and thie kingdome THEKEL he hath weyghed thei the Goldsmiths balāce thou art founde to light PHARES for this cause hath he deuided thee from thie kingdome and hath gyuen the same to the Medes and Persians Oh that thes three golden and most siggnificant wordes ingrauen by th' angel vpon Balsasars wall were regestred vpō euerie dore and poste in Christiādome or rather imprinted in the harte of eche Christian especiallie the two first that importe the numbering and weighing of all our actions and that in the weightes and ballance of the Goldsmithe where euerie graine is espied that wanteth And if Balsasars actions that was a Gentile were to be examined in so nise and delicate a payre of balance for their triall if he had so seuere a sentence pronounced vpon hym that he should be deuided from life and kingdome as he was the same night followinge Quia inuentus est minus habens for that he was founde to haue lesse weight in hym then he should haue what shall we thinke of our selfes that are Christians of whom it is writē aboue all others I vvill search the sinnes of Ierusalem vvith a candle What shall we expect that haue not onlie lesse weight thē we should haue but no weight at all in the most of our actions what may such men I saye expecte but only that most terrible threat of diuision made vnto Balsasar or rather worse if worse may be that is to be deuided from God and his Angels from participation with our Saueour from cōmunion of Sainctes from hope of our inheritance from our portion celestial and life euerlastinge according to th' expresse declaration made hereof by Christ hym self in thes wordes to the negligent seruant The Lord of such a seruant shall com' at a daye vvhen he hopeth not and at an houre that he knovveth not and shal deuide hym ovvt and assigne his parte vvith hypocritos vvher shal be vveeping and gnashing of teeth Wherfore deare brother to conclude this chapter I can saye nothing more in this dangerous case wherin the world so runneth awrie but onlie exhorte thee as th' apostle doth not to conforme thy self to the common errour that leadeth to perdition Fall at length to some reconning and accompt with thy life and see where thou standest and whether thou goest If hytherto thou haue wandred and gone a straye be sory for the tyme lost but passe no further If hytherto thou haue not cōsidered the weightines of this affaire serue thy selfe of this admonition and remember that it is writen that a wise man profiteth by euerie occasion Esteeme thy resolution in this one pointe the chiefest menage that euer shall passe through thy handes in this world albeit thou were 2 Monarche and Ruler of ten worldes together And finallie I will ende with the verie same wordes wherwith the wise man concludeth his whole booke Deum time mandataeius obserua hoc est enim omnis homo Feare God and obserue his commaundements for this is euerie man That is in this doth all and euerie man consist his ende his beginning his life and cause of being that he feare God and directe his actions to th' obseruance of his commaundementes for that without this he is no man in effect seing that he looseth all benefite both of his name nature redemption and creation THAT THE SERVICE WHICH GOD REQVIRETH OF MAN IN this present life is religion VVith the particuler confirmations of Christian religion aboue all other in the vvorld CHAPT IIII. HAVINGE prouedī the former chapiters that there is a God which created man and that man in respecte hereof of other benefites receyued is bounde to honour and serue the same God the question may be made in this place what seruice this is that God requireth and wherin it doth consist Whereunto th' answere is brief and easie that it is Religiō which is a vertue that cōteyneth properlie the worshippe and seruice that we owe vnto God euen as Pietie is a vertue conteyning the dutie that children doe owe vnto their parentes and Obseruance an other vertue that comprehēdeth the regarde that schollers and seruantes beare vnto their masters In respect of which comparison and likenes betwene thes vertues God faith by a certaine Prophet The fonne honoureth his father the seruát his master if thē I be a father vvher is my honour if I be a Master vvher is my feare The actes of Religiō are diuers and different some internal as deuotion and prayer some other external as adoration worshippe sacrifice oblations vowes such like that are declarations and protestations of th' internal It extendeth it self also to stirre vp and putt in vre the actes and operations of other vertues for the seruice of God in which sense S. Iames nameth it Pare and unspotted religion to visite Orphanes VVidovves in their tribulation and to keepe our selues vndefiled from the vvickednes of this vvorld Finallie how so euer some heathens did vse this worde Religion to some other significations yet as S. Augustine well noteth th' vse therof among the faytheful hath alwayes bene to signifie therby the worshippe honour and seruice that is due vnto God so that if in one worde you will haue it declared what God requireth of man in this life it may be rightelie said that all standeth in this that he be Religious Hereof it proceeded that what so
Iuda as no one iote of gouernment dignitie or principallitie remained therin And when he had donne all this then was Iesus of the same house and line borne in Bethleē the proper Cittie of Dauid which Dauid was the founder and first authour of Regalitie in Iuda Now then consider the prophetie of Iacob concerning the particuler tyme of Christes appearāce almost two thousand years before thes thinges fell out Come hyther my childrē said he that I may tell you the thinges vvhich are to happē in the later dayes c. The scepter shall not be taken from Iuda untill he come vvho is to be sent and he shall be th' expectation of Nations Which prophetie that it was fulfilled now at Christes Natiuitie when Herod had extinguished all gouernment in Iuda no man can denie that will acknowledge the thinges sett downe before which are recorded by writers both of that tyme and of the Iuishe Nation and religion And that it neuer was fulfilled from Dauids dayes who began the gouernment to the house of Iuda vntil this time appeareth plainlie by all histories and recordes both Diuine and Prophane For that frō Dauid who was the first kinge vnto Zedechias that was the last and died in the Captiuitie of Babylon the Scripture sheweth how all kinges descended of the house of Iuda And during the tyme of the captiuitie in Babylon which was 70 yeares the Iewes were alwayes permitted to chuse to them selues a gouernour of the house of Iuda whom they called RESCHGALVTA And after their deliuerie from Babylon Zorobabel was their Captaine of the same tribe and so others after hym vntill ye come to the Machabies who were both Captaines priests for that they were by the mothers side of the tribe of Iuda by the fathers side of the tribe of Leui as Rabbi kimhi holdeth And from thes men downe to Hyrcanus and Aristobulus whom Herod slew there continued stil the same line as Iosephus declareth So that by this prophetie it is euident that Iesus was borne at the propper tyme appointed for the Messias whē there was neither king nor Captaine nor highe prieste nor Councelour nor anie one gouernour of the house and tribe of Iuda left in Iurie An other prophetie ther is no lesse euident then the former wherin it is affirmed that the Messias shall come before the secōd Temple of Ierusalem that was builded by Zorobabel after the Iewes returne from their captiuitie in Babylon should be destroyed by the Romans For better vnderstanding wherof it is to be noted that the Temple of Ierusalem was builded twise first by Salomon which lasted about 442. yeares and then it was burned and destroyed by Nabuchodonosor kinge of Babylon Wherfore aboute seuētie yeares after it was builded againe by Zorobabel who reduced the Iewes frō Babylon and so it continued vntill it was destroyed the second tyme by Titus sonne to Ve pasian the Roman Emperour about fortie yeares after Christs Ascension At what tyme it had lasted from Zorobabel almost six hundred yeares And from Salomon aboue a thousande And as in tyme of the second building the people of Israel were poore and much afflicted in respecte of their late longe banishement though much assisted to this worke by the liberalitie and munificēcie of Darius kinge of Babylon so was the building and workeman hippe of this seconde temple nothing comparable for excellēcie to the first building of Salomō when the Iewes were in the flower of their glorie and riches This testifieth Aggaeus the Prophet who was one of the builders and he testified the same to Zorobabel and to the rest of thos that were with hym by Gods owne appointement in thes wordes The vvorde of God vvas made to Aggeus the Prophet Tell Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel Captaine of Juda and Iesus the sonne of Iosedec highe prieste and the rest of the people VVho is there leste of you that savv this temple in his first glorie before our transinigration vvhat say you to this vvhich Novv vve see is it not in our eyes as though it vvere not at all that is is it not as though it were a thinge of nothing in cōparison of the former temple which Salomon builded Thus said Aggaeus by Gods commissiō of the material building of this second Temple And yet to comfort the Iewes withall he was commaunded presentelie in the sane chapter to say thus Comfort thie self Zorobabel and comfort thie self Iesu sonne of Iosedec high priest and comfort your selues all ye people of the earth saith the Lord God of hostes doe ye the thinges vvhich I couenanted vvith you vvhen ye came foorth of the land of Egypt and feare not for that my spirit shall be among you Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes a litle time yet remaineth vvhen I vvill moue both heauen and earth both sea and lande vvith all countries in the vvorld And then shall come the DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS and I will fill this hovvse or temple vvith glorie sayeth the Lord of hostes Siluer is mine and gold is mine sayeth the Lord of hostes great shal be the glorie of this ast hovvse or temple more then of the first sayeth the Lord God of hostes Hytherto are the wordes of God by Aggaeus and the often repetition of the Lord God of hostes is to signifie the certaintie great weight of the matter promissed Now consider then that wher as God had said immediatelie before that this second temple was nothing in respect of the first for pompe and riches of the material building which the olde men in the booke of Esdras did testifie by their weeping when then they saw this seconde remembred the first yet now God saith that Gold and seluer is his ovvne as though he made no accompt of th' abundāce therof in the former temple or of the want of the same in this and that not withstanding the pouertie of this second building yet shall it be filled and replenished vvith glorie and that in such sorte as it shall farre passe in glorie the former and that shall bee as both here is expressed and other where most plainlie by the comming of Christ into the second temple which shal be a greater dignitie then anie dignitie what soeuer was found in the first building of Salomons temple Concerning which point it is to be cōsidered that the learned Iewes besides the material difference of building before mentioned doe note fiue thinges of great importance to haue bene wanting in the seconde temple which were in the first To witt the fire sent from heauen to burne the Holocaustes The glorie of God or Angels appearing among the images of Cherubins that stoode in the temple The manifeste inspiration of Gods spirit vpon Prophetes for that prophetie fayled in the second temple The presence of the Arcke And last of all the Vrim and Thumim All which great wantes and differences not
him self and the rest most euident to all the worlde as dōne in publique before infinite witnesses Neither is it possible they could be forged for that as in the like I haue noted before it had bene most easye to haue refelled them and therby to haue discredited the whole proceedings of Christian religion in thos first beginnings As for example if the miracle of Peters deliuery forth of the handes and prison of Herod Agrippa had any way bene to be touched with falsehood how many would ther haue bene of Herodes Officiers Courtiars seruantes or friends that for defence of their Princes honour so deeply tainted by this narratiō of S. Luke published not lōg after the thig was dōne how many I say would haue offred them selues to refuce and disgrace the writer therof hauing so pregnant meanes by publike recorde to doe the same So againe wheras the same Luke reporteth of his owne knowledge that in a Citie of Macedonie named Philippi S. Paul Silas after many miracles dōne were whipped and put in prison with a diligēt guarde in the lowest prison of al their feete locked fast in stockes of tymber and that at midnight when Paul and Silas beganne to pray the whole prison was shaken and all the dores throwen open as also the gyues not only of thos two but of al the other prisoners vpon a sudaine burst in sunder that therupon not only the Iayler cast him self at the feete of Paul but the Magistrates also who the daie before had caused them to be whipt came and asked them pardon and entreated them to depart from their Citie This storie I say if it had bene false ther needed no more for consutatiō therof but only to haue examined the whole Citie of Philippi which could haue testified the contrary And yet amongst so many aduersaries eager impugners of Christian religiō as Gods enemie stirred vp in the primatiue Church of all sortes and sectes of people no one euer appeared that durst attempt to take in hand the particuler improouing of thes or the like miracles but rather confessing the factes sought alwayes to discredite them by other sinister calumniations namely and commonlie that they were wrought by the deceits and sleights of art magike Thus said the Iewes of the miracles of Iesus and so said Iulian th' Apostata of the wonderful straunge thinges done by S. Peter and S. Paul affirming them to haue bene the most expert in Magike of any that euer liued and that Christ wrote a special booke of that profession and dedicated the same to Peter and Paul wher as notwithstanding it is most euident that Paul was a persecutour diuers yeares after Christ departed One Hierocles also wrote a booke wherin he feigneth Appolonius Tyanaeus to haue done the like miracles by Magicke which Christ and his Apostles did by diuine power And finally it is a general opinion that both Nero and Iulian gaue them selues so extremely to the studie of that vaine science as no men euer did the like vpon emulation onely of the miracles done in Rome by Peter and Paul when Nero liued and by other Saintes disciples in the time of Iulian. But what was the ende Plinie that was a Pagane writeth thus of Nero that as no man euer laboured more then he in that science so no man euer left a more certaine testimonie of the maruailous exceeding vanitie therof The like in effect writeth Zosimus of Iulian albeit him self a malitious heathen And if it were not writen yet their seueral extraordinarie calamities and most miserable deathes which by al their Magike they could not forsee doth sufficiently testifie the same vnto vs especially the last words of Iulian Vicisti Galilae vicisti Thou hast woune ô Galilaean thou hast gotten the victorie Acknowleging therby as well the truth of Christs miracles and of his folowers as also the vanitie follie and madnes of his owne endeuours Thus then went foreward Christs Apostles and preached him euery wher throughout the world Domino cooperate sermonem confirmante sequentibus signis that is as S. Marke affirmeth Our Lord Iesus working with them confirming their preaching by signes miracles In respect of which benigne assistance of Iesus in their actions S. Luke saieth further they dealt most confidently in our Lord his vvord of grace giuing testimonie to their doinges and shevving forth signes and most prodigious vvonders hy their handes No pers cution no terrour no threats of enemies no difficultie or daunger that might occurre could staie them from their course of setting foorth Christs name and glorie And they were so assured of the truth by the inward illuminations which they had and by this certaine testimonie of Gods fauour and assistance in doing miracles as one of thē writeth thus That vvhich vve haue eard vvhich vve haue sene vvith our eyes vvhich vve haue beheld vvhich our handes haue handled of the vvorde of lise that vve doe testesie and announce vnto you And an other who had bene a greeuous persecutour and was cōuerted without conference with any Christian in the world said of Iesus Christ that vvas dead and resen againe that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bulatiō nor distresse nor sainine nor beggarie nor dāger nor persecutiō nor dint of svvorde could daunt him from the seruice of 〈◊〉 a maister And in another place he saith that he esteemed all thing of this world wherin a man might glorie to be as 〈◊〉 dunge and detrimentes in respect of the eminent knowledge that is his worde of his Lord Iesus Christ. In which verie name he tooke so exceedig great delight as in a few Epistels which he left writē he is obserued to haue vsed this sentence Dominus noster Iesus Christus aboue two hundred tymes Neither endured this in thes Apostles for a time onlie but all their liues which as they spent with alacritie in the seruice of Iesus so inthe ende they gaue vp the same most cherefully to what soeuer death presented it self for cōformation sealing of their former doctrine neuerso ful of cōfidence courage and consolatiō as at that houre nor euer so boldly denouncing their Maister or talking so ioyfully of rewardes Crounes c Kigdomes as at the verie last instant and vpshot of their wordly combat This thé declareth most manifestly that the actions of thes men proceeded not of humane spirit nor could be perfourmed by the power of má But by the diuine force and supernatural assistance of their Lord and God whom they confessed AND THVS MVCHE in brauitie of Christs Apostles Ther ensue his Euangelistes that is such men as haue lefte vnto vs writen his birth life doctrine death Wherin is to be noted that lesus being God tooke a different way from the custome of man in deliuering vnto vs his lawes and preceptes For that men who haue bene law-makers vnto the worlde knew no surer way
dearly beloued disciple of our Saueour setteth out the same more at large according as it was reuealed vnto him i this maner I heard saieth he a voice like the sound of a thunder saing come and see and I did see And beholde a white horse and one that sat vpon him that had a bowe and he went to conquere After which folowed a blacke horse and he that rode vpon him had a paire of balance in his hande After him passed forth a pale horse and he that sat vpon him was called DEATH and HEL folowed behinde him and he had authoritie giuen to him to slea by sword by death and by the beastes of the earth The earth did shake the sunne grewe blacke like a sacke the moone like blood the Starres fel from heauē the skie doubled it self like a folded booke euery hil and Iland was moued from his place the kinges of the earth and princes and tribunes and the riche and stoute hid thē selues in dennes and in the rockes of hilles Then appeared ther seuen Angels with seuen trumpetes and eche one prepared him self to blowe his blast At the first blast came ther haile and fire mixt with blood At the second blast came a whole mountaine of burning fire into the sea and the third part of the sea was made blood At the third blast fel ther a great Starre from heauen named Absinthiū burning like a torch and infected the riuers and fountaines At the fourth blast was stricken doune the third part of the sunne moone Starres an egle flewe into the element crying with a hideous voice woe woe woe to al them that dwel vpon the earth At the fifte blast fel an other starre from heauen which had the keye of the pit of hel he opened the pit and ther arose a smoke as from a great fornace and ther came forth certaine locustes like scorpions who tormented al such as had not the marke of God in their foreheads And at thes daies men shal seeke death and shal not finde it And thes locustes were like barbed horses with Crounes on their heads Their faces like men their heare like women their teeth like lions and the noise of their winges like the noise of many chariotes running together their tales like scorpiōs and their stinges were in their tailes their king was an Angel of hel named Abbadō which signifieth an vtter destroier At the sixt blast of the trumpet were loosed foure Angels tied before then rushed forth an army of horsmen in number twentie hundreth times tē thousand And I sawe the horses and they which sat vpon them had brestplaces of fire and brimstone The heads of thes horses were as lions out of their mouthes came fire smoke and brimstone wherby they slewe the third part of men which had not repented and their strength was in their tales which were like serpentes Then was ther an Angel which putting one foote vpon the sea an other vpon the land did sweare by him that liueth for euer and euer that after the blast of the seuenth trumpet ther should be no more time And so when the seuenth Angel had sounded ther came great voices from heauen saying the kingdome of this world is made to our Lord and his Christ and he shal raigne foreuer And I heard a great voice saying to the seuen Angels goe and poure out seuen cuppes of Godes wrath vpon the earth and so they did And the first brought forth cruel woundes vpō men The lecōd turned the sea into redde blood The third turned the riuers and fountaines into like blood The fourth afflicted men with fire and made them blaspheme God The fifte made them eate their owne tongues for sorowe The sixt dried vp the water And I sawe three foule spirites like frogges issue out of the mouth of a dragon And finally the seuenth cuppe being poured out ther came a mightie voice from the throne of God saying it is dispatched And ther folowed lightenings and thunders and voices and earthquakes such as neuer were since men dwelt vpon the earth Thus farre this Apostle Euange list and prophet S. Iohn And now tel me my good Christiā brother is it possible for any tongue either humane or Angelical to expresse a thing more forceblie thē this is here set doune what mortal hart can chuse but tremble euen at the reading and remembrāce only of thes inspeakable and incomprehensible terrours What maner of daie will that be trowest thou when the heauens shal mourne the whole earth shal shake the sunne and moone loose their light the Starres fal doune the sea and floods forsake their chanels and natural courses al the elementes be dissolued the face of the earth ouerflowed with blood and the vniuersal world on a flaming fire Is it maruaile now if the Scriptures auouch that the iust men and Angels them selues shal be afraid of that daie And then to reason as S. Peter doth if innocency Iustice shal scarsely esteeme them selues secure in that fearful trial what shal become of sinne and iniquitie what shal become I saie of the careles and dissolute Christian when he shal see so infinite a sea of miseries rushe vpon him O that mē would thincke vpon this daie while they haue yet time O that they would awake and prepare them selues by vertuous life to stand secure confident at this woful houre Who is ther now a daye which taketh that care that holy Ierome did who was wont to saie hauing much lesse cause then wee that he did neuer eate nor drincke nor sleepe nor take any other action in hand without the fearful remembrance of this accompting daie And this of the preparations There foloweth the execution of thinges done in that iudgment VVHEN THE FORMER preparations shal be fulfilled and finished and the whole world brought to that pitiful state and plight which I haue described then saieth the Scripture shal the signe of the fonne of man appeare in the skie and al the tribes of the earth shal see him cōming in the cloudes of heauē amiddest al his Angels with much power and glorie in great authoritie and maiestie And ther in a moment in the twinckling of an eye he shal send his Angels with a trūpet with a great crie at midnight they shal gather together his elect from the foure partes of the world euen from heauen to earth Hitherto are the wordes of holie Scripture Wherin is set doune the first act of this dreadful iudgment which is the cōming of the Iudge to his throne and tribunal seate so much the more terrible and ful of maiestie in this his second appearāce by how much more contemptible he was and despised in his first being vpon earth for the worke of our redemption So S. Iohn affirmed that he which was siaine as a lambe should come againe to iudge as a Lion Of which
cōming the Prophete Malachies wordes are Beholde our Lord shal come and vvho shal be able to abide the daie of his comming And the Prophete Esaie addeth further touching the same cōming that the verie mountaines shalmelt at that daie before his face And yet further he describeth the same in an other place thus Beholde our Lord shal come in strength and sortitude as a storme of haile and as avvhyrle vvinde breaking and throvving doune vvhat soeuer standeth in his vvaie as a rage of many vvaters that ouer-stovve and rushe together c. Wherunto the Prophet Dauid annexeth that burning fire shal runne before his face and on euery side of him a violent tempest This terrible Iudge then being set and al creatures of the world conuented before him the Scripture laieth doune vnto vs the order of that iudgment described by Daniel in thes wordes I stoode saieth he vvith attention and I savve certaine seates placed and the Auncient of yeares sate doune in iudgment Thousand thousands vvere attendant to serue him and ten hundreth thousand thousands stood vvaiting before him The iudgment vvas settled and the bookes vvere opened Thus much was reueyled to Daniel without declaration what bookes thos were But to S. Iohn the same were made manifest who expoundeth the matter thus I savve saieth he a great bright throne and one that sate vpon the same before vvhos face both heauē and earth did tremble c. And I savve al thos that vvere dead both great and smal standing before the throne And the bookes vvere ther opened and al thos that vvere dead had their iudgemēt according to the thinges vvhich vvere vvriten in thos bookes euery one according to his vvorkes By which wordes we are gyué to vnderstand that the books which at that daie shal be opened and wherby our cause must be discerned shal be the euidences of our deedes and actions in this life recorded in the testimonie of our owne consciences and in the infallible memorie of Gods inscrutable wisdome Wherūto shal gyue witnes in that place against the reprobate both heauen and earth which were created for them the Sunne and Moone with all the starres and planetes which from the beginning of the world haue serued them the elements and other creatures inordinately loued and abused by them their compagnions ther present with whom they sinned their brethern whom they afflicted the preachers and other Saints of God whom they contemned and aboue al other thinges the ensigne and standard of their redemption I meane the triumphant Crosse of Christ which shal at that daie be erected in the sight of all the world Al thes I saye with infinite other thinges shal thē beare witnes against the wicked and condemne them of intollerable ingratitude in that they offended so gratious and bountiful a Lord as by so manifold benefites allured them to loue and serue him At this daie saieth the Scripture shal the iust stand in great constancie against thos by whom they were afflicted and oppressed in this life And the wicked seeing this shal be surprised with a horrible feare and shal saie vnto the hilles fal vpō vs and hide vs from the face of him that fitteth vpon the throne and from the indignatiō of the Lambe for that the great daie of wrath is now come O merciful Lord how great a daie of wrath shal this be how truly said thy Prophete in his meditation of this daie vvho can conceyue the povver of thy vvrath or vvho is able for very scare to recount the greatnes of thine indignatiō This is that daie of thine wherof thy seruant said so long before that thy zeale and surie should spare none in this daie of reuenge nether should yeeld or be moued vvith any mans supplication nor should admit revvards for the deliuery of any man This is that most dreadful daie of thine wherof thy holy Prophete admonished vs when he said Behold the daie of our Lord shal come a cruel daie ful of indignation vvrath and surie to bring the earth into a vvildernes and to crushe in peeces the sinners therof And an other Prophete of the self same daie behold the daie of our Lord dot bcome a daie of darknes and dimnes a daie of cloudes and stormes a most terrible daie and such an one as vvas neuer from the beginning of the vvorld nor shal be after in al eternitic This is thy daie ô Lord and so properly thou wilt haue it called like as it pleaseth thy goodnes to terme the course of this present life the daie of man For that as in the time of this present world thou art content to holde thy peace and be patient and suffer sinners to doe their wil euen so at this last daie thou wilt rise vp pleade for thine owne glorie and wilt make thy self knowen to the terrour of thine enimies according as thy seruant Dauid foretold of the when he said Cognescetur Dominus iudicia faciens God wil be knowé when he shal come to doe iudgment Good God what a maruailous daie shal this be when we shal see al the children of Adam gathered together from al corners and quarters of the earth when as S. Iohn saieth the sea and land shal yeeld their dead bodies and both hel and heauenshal restore the soules which they possesse to be vnited to thos bodies What a wonderful meeting wil this be deare Christian how ioyful to the good and how lamentable doleful and terrible to the wicked The godlie and righteous being to receyue the bodies wherin they liued into the league felowship of their eternal blisse shal embrase them with al possible swetnes and delight singing with the prophet Behold hovv good pleasant a thing it is for brethern or parteners to dvvel together in unitie But the miserable damned spirites beholding the carcaies which were the instruments and occasiós of their sinne wel knowing that their inspeakable tormentes shal be encreated by their mutual coniunction and association shal abhorre and vtterly derest the same curse the daic that euer they were acquainted together inueighing most bitterly against all the partes and semes therof as against the eies for whos curious delighte so many vanities were seught the eares for whos pleasure and daliance so great varietie of sweet sounds and melodie was procured the mouth and taste for whos contentemēt and fond satisfaction so innumerable delicacies were deuised And to be short the backe and belly with other sensual partes for contentatió of whos riotous volupteoulnes both sea and land were sifted and turmoiled This shal be the most sorowful condition of thes infortunate soules at that daie but this sorowe shal not auaile them For the iudgment must passe on And then saieth the Scripture shal christ separate the sheepe frō the goates shal place his sheepe on the right hand and the goates on the lest
O most dreadful separation what would Alexander Caesar Pompeie and other such potentates of the earth giue at that daie to haue but the lowest roome amōg them of the right hand They I saie who had al the roome of this world at their pleasure al dignities vnder their owne commandrie would now make more accompt of the meanest place and corner among Gods elect then of al the pompe and brauerie of ten thousand worldes if they were to liue againe their cogitatiōs at this daie being farre different from that they were vpon earth and their iudgmēts wholy contrary But alas ther is no time of alteration or amendment now They must stand to that which is past and according to their former demeanours they must receyue their doome They haue a Iudge present whose power they can not auoide whos wisdome they can not deceyue whos equitie they can not bowe whos seueritie they can not mollefie whos indignation they can not appease whos determination they can not alter and from whose sentence they can not possiblie appeale O my deare and louing brother no tongue of man beleeue me can expresse what a singuler treasure a good consciēce wil be at this daie when thou shalt see al the Princes and Monarches of this world stand ther naked trembling appalled being vtterly destitute of an answere to the whole multitude of their most secret sinnes displaied openly before their faces An vnspottel conscience I say at this instant shal be a greater consolation then al the dignities or pleasures of a thousand worldes For wealth wil not help the iudge wil take no giftes our owne submission wil not be admitted intreatie of friēdes wil not preuaile intercession of Angels and other Saintes shal haue no place for that their glorie shal be at this daie as the prophete saieth to binde kings in fetters noble princes in yron manacles to execute vpon them the iudgement prescribed Alas what wil al thos delicate and daintie people doe at this instāt who liue now in ease and pleasures and can take no paine in the seruice of God nor abide to heare the naming of this daye what shift I saie wil they finde out ī thos extremities whether wil they tur ne thē whos help wil they craue They shal see al things crie vengeance round about thē al things yeeld them cause of feare and horrour but nothing any one sparcle of hope or consolation Aboue them they shal beholde their Iudge offended with their wickednes beneath them hel open and the cruel fornace redie boiling to recevue them to torment On the right hād shal be their sinnes accusing them on the left hād the Diuels redie to execute Gods eternal sentēce vpon them Within them shal lye their conscience gnawing without them al damned soules bewailing on euery side the whole world burning O merciful Iesus which art to behold this ruful spectacle what a passage shal this be what wil the wretched sinner doe saie or thincke when he shal be enuironed with thes inexplicable miseries how wil his hart susteine thes anguishes what waie wil he take To goe backe is impossible to goe foreward is intollerable to stand ther stil is not permitted what then shal he doe but as thou O Lord with thy sacred mouth hast foretold that he shal drie and wither vp for verie feare seeke death and death shal flie from him crie and beseech the hilles and mountaines to fal doune and couer him and they refusing to doe him that releefe or afford him so great a comfort he shal stand ther as a most desperate forlorne and miserable catise vntil he receyue that dreadful and irreuocable sentēce of thine Goe yee accur sed into euerlasting fire THIS SHALBE THE LAST act and conclusiō of this woful tragedie For so it is recorded by the Iudge him self Then shal the sonne of man saie to thos on his right hand Come yee blessed of my father and possesse the kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world I was hungrie and you gaue me to eate I was a straūger and you gaue me harbour I was naked and you clothed me I was sicke and you visited me I was in prison and you came to comfort me And to them on his left hand he shal saie Depart from me yee accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Deuil and his Angels for I was hungrie and you fedde me not I was a straunger and you harboured me not I was naked and you clothed me not I was sicke and in prison and you visited me not Then shal they saie vnto him O Lord when haue we sene the hungrie thirstie or a straunger or naked or sicke or in prison and did not minister vnto the And he shal answere I tel you for that you haue not done thes thinges to one of thes lesser your brethern you haue not done them to me And then thes wicked shal goe into eternal punishment and the iust into life euerlasting Hitherto are the wordes of Christ him self In which may be noted first that in recounting the causes of thes miserable mens damnation our Saueour alleageth not lacke of beleef or that they were not faithful wherof the reason may be that which him self vttereth in an other place of Infidels saying he that beleeueth not is alredy iudged And S. Paul of an heretique that he is condemned by his ovvne proper iudgmēt Secondly he obiecteth against them not any actual enormous sinnes wherof per haps maie be assigned for a reason which S. Iohn doth insinuate and signifie that such kinde of manifest deadlie sinners are now euidently appertaining to the dominion of Satan Wherfore Christ vrgeth only agaīst thes reprobates certaine omissions of good workes and charitable deeds commended vnto vs by the rule of Christiā perfectiō And for thes he pronounceth against them his most dreadful sentence of euerlasting damnation Which sentence being once passed the Iudges mouth and recevued in the eares of al that infinite assemblie ther present imagine thou my soule what an vniuersal shoute and outcrie will therupon straight ensue the saued reioysing and singing eternal praises in the glorie of their Saueour the damned bewailing blaspheming and cursing the daie of their natiuitie the Angels commending and extolling the equitie of that iudgment against which the parties that are conuicted shal not be able to finde any lest exceptiō Cōsider the intollerable vpbrading of thos most insolent infernal spirites against the miserable condemned soules that are deliuered to their praie with how bitter scoffes and tantes wil they traile them to their torments with what intollerable insultation wil they execute the sentence of God against them Consider the eternal separation that now must be made of Fathers and children of mothers and daughters friendes and companions the one to glorie the other to miserie without any hope euer to heare or see
vttereth the same ī otherwordes they vvhich commit sinne are enimies to their ovvne soules Wherfore they laye downe to al men this general seuere most necessarie commaundement vpon al the paines before recited Flee from sinne as from the face of a snake And againe Bevvare thou neuer consent to sinne For how soeuer the worlde may make litle accounte of this matter by whome as the scripture noteth the sinner is praised in his lustes and the vvicked man is blessed for his vvickednes yet most certaine it is for that the spirite of God auoucheth it that he vvhich committeth sinne is of the deuil and therfore is to receyue his portion amonge deuils and damned spirites at the latter daye And is not al this sufficient most deare brother to breed in vs a detestation of sinne with feare and horrour to commit the same Is not this of force and strength sufficient to shake the hartes of them that wallowe perpetually in the pudle of sinne and doe commit the same daylie without scruple remorse or consideration what desperate obstinacie obduration is this Surely we find now by experiēce that the holye Ghost prophesied ful truelie of thes men when he sayed sinners alienated from God are possessed vvith a surit like a serpent and like a deafe cocatrise vvhich stoppeth her eares against the enchaunter This surie I saie is the furie or madnesse of willfull synners which stoppe their eares like serpentes to all the holy enchauntmentes that God can vse vnto them for their conuersiō that is to all his internal motions and good inspirations to all remorse of their owne consciences to all threatninges of holie scriptures to al admonishmentes of gods seruauntes to al examples of vertuous liuers to al the punishementes that light vpon the wicked and to all the other meanes which God can vse for their saluation Good Lorde what man would commit a mortal sinne for the gayning of ten thowsande worldes if he considered the infinite dōmages hurtes inconueniences mileries which doe ensue by cōmitting of the same For first who soeuer sinneth mortallie leeseth the grace of God inherent in his soule which is the greatest gift that can be gyuen to man in this life cōsequētlie he leeseth al those thinges which did accompanie that grace as are the vertues infused and the seuen giftes of the Holy Ghost wherby the sowie was beautified in the sight of her spouse and armed against al assaultes of her ghostlie enimies Secondlie he leeseth the fauour of God and consequentlie his fatherly protection care and prouidēce ouer him enforceth hym to be his professed enimie Which how great a losse it is we may esteeme in part by the state of a worldly princes seruant and fauorite who being in highe grace and credit with his Soueraine should by some one great offence lose al his fauour at one instant and incurre his mortal hatred and displeasure Thirdly he leeseth all his inheritance clayme and title to the kingdome of heauē which is due onlie by grace as S. Paul wel noteth and consequentlie he depriueth hym self of all dignities and commodities depending therupon in this life as are the condition and high priueledge of being the sonne of God the communion of Sainctes the protection of holie Angels and the like Fourthlie he looseth the quiet ioye and tranquillitie of a good conscience and all the fauours cherishmentes consolations and other comfortes wherwith the holie Ghost is wont to visite the mides of the Iust. Fifthly he looseth the merit and rewarde of his good workes done al his life before and whatsoeuer he doth or shal doe while he continueth in that miserable and sinful state Sixtlie he maketh hym self guiltie of eternall punishment and enrolleth his name in the booke of perdition and consequentlie byndeth hym self to althose miseries and inconueniences wherunto the reprobate are subiect that is to saie to be an inheritour of hel and damnation to be in the power of the deuill and his Angels to be thral to synne and euerie temptation therof and his sowle which was before the temple of the holy ghost the habitation of the blessed Trinitie the spouse of God place of repose for holy Angels to visit now to be a dēne of dragons a nest of scorpions a dongeō of deuilles a sincke swine-stie of al filth and abhomination and hym self a companion of the miserable damned spirites Lastlye he abandoneth Christ and renounceth al the interest and portion he had with hym treading hym vnder his feete defiling his most pretious blood Crucifying hym againe as S. Paul auoucheth in that he sinneth agaist him who died for sinne and maketh hym self a persecutour of his redeemer For which cause the same Apostle pronounceth a most hard and heauie sentence against such men in thes wordes If vve synne vvillfullye novv after vve haue receyued knovvledge of the trueth there remaineth no more sacrifice for synnes but rather a certaine terrible expectation of iudgement and rage of fyre vvhich shall consume the aduersaries To which S. Peter agreeth when he saieth It had bene better not to haue knovvē the vvay of iustice thē after such knovvledge to slyde backe agayne from the holye commaundement vvhich vvas gyuen This being so let sinful worldlinges goe now and solace them selues in their vanities and watōnes as much as they lift Let them excuse and pleasantlye defend the same by saing pryde is but a pointe of gentrye glouttonie good fellowship anger and reuenge but an effect of courage lecherye and wantonnes a trycke of yowth they shall one daye finde that these excuses will not be receyued but rather that al such pleasant deuises toies wil be turned into teares al such fond concepts into doleful lamentations They shall proue to their great cost that God will not be iested with but that he is the same God still and will aske as seuere accounte of them as he hath done of other before although now it pleasenot them to keepe any accounte at al of their life and actions but rather to turne all to disporte and pleasure persuading them selues that how soeuer God hath delt before with other yet vnto thē he wil pardon al. But this is a mere madnes and a voluntarie deluding of our selues for that God hym self by his sacred word instructeth vs to reason after an other sashion Which I wil here breefly touch exhorting euery prudent Christian seriously to examine the same At what time the great Apostle of the Gentiles S. Paul tooke vpō him to make a comparison betweene the grieuous sinnes of his nation the Iewes for which they were reiected and made reprobate by God and thos which Christians doe commit after their Redemption he framed this collection concerning Gods iustice due vnto them both saing If God spared not the naturall boughes take heede least he spare not thee And there-vpon he inferreth this admonition
noli altum sapere sed time Be not high minded but feare Againe he reasoneth thus vpon the olde and the new lawe He that brake the lawe of Moyses being conuicted by two or three witnesses died for the same without commiseration or mercye how much more greeuous punishment then doth he deserue who breaking the law of Christ by wilfull sinne treadeth the Sonne of God vnder his feete polluteth the bloode of the new testament and reprocheth the holie Ghost In like maner reasoneth S. Peter and S. Iude towching the sinne of Angels and ours If God spared not the Angels when they sinned but did thrust them downe to hell there to be tormented and to be reserued vnto iudgement with eternall chaines vnder darckenes how much lesse will he spare vs And agayne if the Angels which passe vs in power and strength be not able to beare gods horrible iudgement against them what shall we doe And yet further in an other place the same Apostle reasoneth thus if the iust man shal hardlie be saued where shal the wickedman and sinner appeare By al which examples we are instructed how to reason maturely sincerely in our owne cause As for example eche man may truly saie thus vnto hym self if God haue punished so seuerelie one sinne in the Angels in Adam and in others before recited what shall I looke for which haue committed so manie sinnes against hym If God haue damned so manie soules for lesser sinnes then mine are what will he do to me for mine that are farre greater If God haue borne longer with me then he hath done with many other whom he hath cut of without geuing them of repentance what reason is there that he should beare longer with me If Dauill and others after their synnes forgyuen tooke such paines in afflicting them selues for satisfaction of the temporal punishement in this life what punishemēt remaineth for me either here or in the wold to come for satisfaction of so manie sinnes cōmitted If it be true that our Sauvour saith that the waye is harde and the gate narrow wherby men goe into heauen and that they shal aunswere for euerie ydle worde before they enter therein what shal become of me that doe liue so easie a life and doe keepe no accounte at al of my deedes and much lesse of my wordes If good men in olde time did take such paines for their saluation and yet as S. Peter saieth the verie iust were scarcely saued what a state am I in which take no paine at al but doe liue in all kinde of pleasure and worldly contentations Thes argumētes consequentes and conclusions are more true good Christian and would proue more profitable vnto vs if we would excercise our selues therin and therby enter into some cogitation of our owne daungers and into iust feare of Gods seuere iudgementes without flatteringe or deceyuinge our selues For wāt wherof either onlie or principallie the most parte of enormous sinnes from time to time are committed according as holy Dauid most euidentlie declareth when hauing shewed and detested the multitude of sinnes which the world committeth he reduceth al as it were vnto two prin cipal causes Wherof the first is that men deceyue them selues and others by vaine flatterie in deminishing their sinnes of whom he saith they are taken in their ovvne deuises for that they praise the vvicked man in the lustes desires of his ovvne minde The second is for that this deceipt and flatterie is referred commōlie by the vitious man to the driuing of Gods iudgementes out of his memorie to the end he may sinne with lesse feare and scruple For so saith the prophet expresselie The sinner hath exasperated God against him in that he hath said god in the multitude of his vvrath vvil not require an accounte of my doinges But what effect ensueth of this heare the wordes immediatelie folowing he hath not God before his eyes his vvayes are filthie from time to time And what is the cause of al this for that thy iudgementes o Lord are remoued from his sight that is for that he wil not see he wil not behold he wil not heare he wil not consider or beare in mind thy iudgementes ô Lord but wil needes flatter delude and deceyue hym self Herof it commeth that he neuer maketh an end of his filthie life wicked wayes but exasperateth thie iustice o Lord against him vntil it be ouer late to repent or amende Thus said this holie Sainte of wicked sinners but what of him self heare his wordes deare brother and imprint them in thie memorie I haue kept the vvayes of my Lord saith he haue not donne vvickedlie in the sight of my God for that al his iudgements are before my eyes and I haue not tast his iustices from me Beholde the vertuous life of king Dauid beholde the cause therof For that Gods iudgemētes were continuallie before his eyes therfore was his life pure and voide of wickednes or as in other wordes at an other time he expresseth I vvil cōfesse vnto the o Lord in the direction or puritie of my hart for that I haue learned the iudgementes of thie iustice And againe in the same place I haue chosen to vvalke the vvay of truth for that I doe not forget o Lord thy iudgementes that is as a litle after he expoundeth the same for that I doe feare and trēble at thy iudgementes O most excellent effecte of the feare of Gods iudgementes No maruaile though it be called the beginning of al wisdom and the verie dore and entrance to eternal saluation no maruaile if the same holie prophet in the verie same psalme doe pray so hartilie strike through my flesh vvith thy feare ò Lord. S. Paule after he had shewed to the Corinthians that we must al be presented before the tribunal of Christ euerie man to receyue according to his merites he maketh this conclusiō VVe knovving therfore thes thinges deare bretheren doe persuade the feare of our Lord vnto al men And S. Peter hauing made a longe declaration of the Maiestie of God and of Christ now raining in heauen concludeth thus yf then you cal him father vvhich doth iudge euerie man according to his vvorkes vvithout exceptiō of persons doe you liue in feare during the time of this your habitation vpon earth A necessarie lesson no doubt for al men but especiallie for such who by reason of their sinful life doe remaine in displeasure and hatred of almightie God and hourelie doe stand obnoxious as I haue shewed to the seueritie of his most dreadful iudgementes wherinto if once they fal especiallie by departure from this life the matter remaineth remediles for all eternitie insuinge as God him self hath forwarned vs. Which thing being so what man of wisdome would not feare what Christiā that is careful of his owne estate would eate or drinke or take his repose with quiet vntil by
hartie repentāce and other such means of holie Sacramentes as God hath left for this purpose in his Church he had discharged his conscience of the burden of sinne and made an attonement betwene his soule Saueour O merciful Lord how dangerous is his estate vntil he haue donne it how manie wayes may he fal into thos heauie handes of his eternal iudge wherof S. Paul conceyued horrour in onlie thinking One litle stone falling from the house toppe as he passeth by one slippe of his horse as he rideth one assault of an enimie whē he thinketh not vpon him one poore ague by a surfect or other distēperature one suddaine mischance of a milliō that may fal vnto him is able to bereaue him of this life to cast him into thos termes of euerlasting calamitie wherehence the whole world shal not be able to deliuer him And is not this then a matter to be feared is not this a case to be preuented O how trulie saith the holie scripture blessed is the man vvhich alvvaies is fearful and he that hath a hard hart shal fal into perdition Our Lord God of his mercie gyue vs his holie grace to feare him as we should and to make such accounte of his iudgementes and iustice as by threatning the same he would haue vs to doe for th' auoiding of sinne And thē shal not we delaye the time but shal resolue our selues to serue him whiles he is content to accept of our seruice and to pardon vs al our offences if we would once firmelie make this resolution from our hart AN OTHER CONSIDERATION FOR THE FVRTHER IVSTIFYING OF Gods iudgementes and manifestation of our grieuous offence Taken from the inestimable Maiestie of him vvhom vve offende and of the innumerable benifites vvhich he hath bestovved vpon vs. CHAPT IX ALBEIT the most parte of Christians through their wicked life arriue not to that state when holy Dauid was when he sayed to God thy iudgementes ô Lord are pleasant vnto me as in deed they are to all those that lyue vertuouslie and haue the testimonie of a good conscience yet at leastwise that we maye be inforced to confesse with the same Prophet that the iudgementes of our Lord are true and iustified in them selues I haue thought expedient to adde a reason or two in this chapter wherby it maye appeare how great our offence is in sinnīg against God as we doe and how righteous his iudgemētes iustice are agaist vs for the same AND FIRST OF AL IS to be considered the maiestie of hym against whom we sinne For most certaine it is as I haue noted before that euerie offence is so much the greater and more grieuous by how much greater and more noble the person is against whom it is done and the partie offending more base and vile And in this respect almightie God to terrifie vs from offending hym nameth hym self oftentimes with certaine great and dreadful titles of maiestie as to Abraham I am an omnipotēt Lord. And agayne to Esay heauen is my seate the earth is my footestole And at an other time he cōmaunded Moyses to beare to the people in his name this ambassage harden not your neckes any longer for that your Lord and God is the God of godes and the Lord of lordes a greate God both potent and terrible vvhich accepteth nether person nor bribes First then I saye consider gentle Christian of what an infinite maiestie he is whom thow a poore worme of the earth hast so often and so contemptuously offended ī this lyfe We see in this world that no man dareth to offende openly or say one worde against the maiestie of a temporal Prince within his owne dominions But what is the maiestie of all earthly princes put together if it be compared to the thowsand parte of Gods incomparable inestimable maiestie who with one worde made both heauen and earth and all the creatures therin and with halfe a worde could annihilate and destroie the same againe Whom all the creatures which he made both Angels heauens Starres and elementes doe serue at a becke and dare not once offend vnder vvhom as holy Iob saieth doe croucb and trēble euē they that beare vp susteine the vvorld Onlie a sinner is he which emboldeneth hym self against this maiestie and feareth not to offēd the same whom as the holye Catholique Church doth professe day lie in her preface to the blessed sacrifice the Angels do praise the dominations doe adore the powers do tremble and the highest heauens together with Cherubins and Seraphins thrones and al other multitudes of celestial spirites doe continually praise with hymnes of glorie Remember then deare Christian brother that euerie tyme thou doest commit a capital sinne thou gyuest as it were a blowe in the face to this great God of eternal maiestie whos mansiō as S. Paul describeth is in a light inaccessible such as no man in this vvorld can endure to behold Wherof S. Iohn th' euangelist gyueth good testimonie by his owne experiēce who notwithstādig he were an Apostle and most dearly beloued of his God and maister yet when Christ appeared vnto him after his Resurrection with certaine sparcles only of his dreadful gloric vttering words of most sweet consolation vnto hym he was for al that so astonied oppressed with feare that he fel doune starke dead as him self confesseth vntil the same his Lord and Maister vouchsafed to raise him vp againe The like trial of this inexplicable maiestie had Moyses the familiar friend and trustie seruant of God who after many conferences desiring once in his life to see him whos wordes he had so often heard made humble petition for the same But God answered that no man might see hym and lyue Yet notwithstanding to satisfie his request and to shew him in parte what a terrible and maiesticall God he was he promised Moyses that he should see some part of his glorie how beit he added that it was needfull he shoulde hyde him self in the hole of a rocke be couered with Gods owne handes for his defence whiles he or rather his Angel as diuines doe interprete did passe by in glorie Who being once past God remoued his hande and suffered Moyses to behold the hynder partes only of the Angel which was notwithstanding most terrible and dreadful The same maiestie was reuealed also in some part to Daniel who sawe God as he writeth placed vpon a most glorious throne his apparell vvas as vvhit as snovv bis beare lyke vnto fyne vvoolle bis throne vvas of a flame of fyre and his chariottes vvere a burning furnace a svvift flud of fyre ranne from his face thousand thousandes did serue him and ten thousand hundred thousands did assist him Al this and much more is recorded in holy scripture to admonishe vs therby what a wonderful prince of maiestie he is whom a synner doth offend Which thing that iust and
being only a peece of earth or claye before Now ymagine then of what sea of loue al this proceeded But yet adde further how he hath created all this magnificēt world for the and all the creatures therof to serue thee in this busines the heauens to gouerne the and to geeue the light the earth ayer and water to minister most infinite varietie of creatures for thy behoof and sustenance and of al thes hath made the Lord maister to vse them for thine auaile and benefite in his seruice Which giftes being so manifold and magnificent as they are I appeale to thine owne cōscience good Christian brother how intollerable an ingratitude it is so greatly to dishonour iniurie the giuer as to applie thes giftes to his offence which he bestowed vpon the for his seruice Next after this ensueth the benefite of thy redemption much more excellent and bountiful thē the former the effect wherof is that wheras thou hadst lost al those former giftes and benefites and hadst made thy self guiltie by sinne of eternal punishmēt and damnation wherunto the Angels were now deliuered for their sinne committed before God chose to redeeme the and not the Angels and for satisfying of thine enormous fault vouchsafed to deliuer his owne only soone to the most opprobrious death of the Crosse O Lord God what hart can possibly conceyue the greatnes of this benefite Suppose with thy self gentle Christian for better vnderstanding of this benefite that thou being a poore and abiect person vnder the dominion of some great mightie Emperour hadst with some of his principal Peres committed grieuous crimes against his Emperial Maiestie thou oftentimes and they but once and being both by law conuicted and redie to suster Iustice for the same so singulerly should the Emperours fauour extend it self in thy behalf as deliuerig ouer thos other great princes to execution for their demerites he conceyued a desire to saue and pardon thee And finding no other conuenient meanes in respect of his Iustice how to doe the same should vpon his only sonne and heire of al his Empire laie the paines shame and tormēts of death due vnto thy trespasses Tel me now if being so abiect and cōtemptible a creature thou shouldst receyue so great a grace of a mightie Emperour who had for fewer offences euen in thy sight put to death greate and glorious princes as God did thos principal Angels how wonderfully wouldest thou thincke thy self bound and beholden vnto him for the same But if further this sonne and heire of this noble Monarch refusing to speake one word for thos great princes should not only accept willingly this dishonour and punishment laid vpon him by his father for thy sake but also should offer himself therunto and craue most instantly that he might by his death make satisfaction for thine offences and not only this but also to deriue vnto thee the participatiō of his inheritāce making thee of a bondslaue heire apparant to so Puissant an Emperour coheire to him self could thy hart possibly conceyue so great a benefite were it possible that thy powers of bodie soule should not dissolue in the cogitation of so inspeakable a grace would not thy bowels burst in sunder with the vehemencie of loue towards such a benefactour Or can any mā of reason euer imagine that thou wouldest willingly for a thousand worlds offend any more so gratious a Lord And yet is this benefite of thy redemption deare brother by infinite degrees surpassing both this and al other temporal graces that mans wit can imagine in al and euery circumstance that before hath bene mentioned In the third place doe come to be considered two other benefites named vocation and Iustification The first wherof is that wherby God of his infinite depth of mercies hath called vs from infidelitie to the state of Christians and therby made vs partakers of this our redemption last mentioned which infidels are not For albeit he payed the ransome for al in general yet hath he not imparted the benefite therof to al but to such onlie as best it pleased his diuine goodnes to bestow it vpon After which grace of vocation and our acceptance therof insued immediatlie our iustification wherby we were not onlie set sree from al our sinnes committed before and from al paine and punishement dew to the same but also our soules were beutified and enriched by the infusion of his holie grace inherent accompanied with the vertues theological as faith hope and charitie with the most pretious giftes of the Holie Ghost and by this grace wee were made iust and righteous in the sight of God and entitled to the most blessed inheritance of the kingdome of heauen the worthines of which gift no tongue of man or Angels can expresse After these doe ensue a greate number of benefites together apperteining properly to such as are made the children and true frendes of God euery one wherof in it self is of most infinite price and valew Among which are in the first place to be nombred the holie Sacraments of Christs Church left vnto vs for our comfort and preseruation after we be entred into the bosome therof They being nothing els in deed but certaine sacred cōduits to cōuaie vnto vs the holie grace of God especially thos two which appertaine to al men in general I meane the holy Sacraments of penance and of the blessed bodie and blood of our Sauyour wherof the first is to purge our sowles from sin so often as she falleth the seconde to feede and comforte the same after she is purged The first is as a bathe made of Christs owne pretious bloode to washe and clēse our woundes therein the secōde as a most comfortable and riche garment to couer our soule after she is washed In the first Christ hath left with his spouse the Church al his authoritie which he hath in heauē or earth to remit sinnes in the secōd he hath left him self his owne flesh and bloode to be a pretious foode wherwith to seede and cherish our soule after her sinnes be remitted Besides al thes ther yet remaineth an other benefite which we cal the benefite of Preseruation wherby God hath kept and preserued vs from infinite dangers wherūto many others before vs haue fallen and into which our selues had fallen in like maner if gods-holie hande had not stayed vs as from heresie and infidelitie and manie other greeuous sinnes but especially frō death damnation which longe a goe by our wickednes we deserued to haue bene executed vpon vs. Wherunto maie be annexed also the most singuler benefites of godlie inspirations and admonitions wherby God hath often both knocked inwardlie at the dore of our conscience and warned vs outwardly by so many wayes and meanes as are good bookes good sermons good exhortations good companie good exāple of others a thousand other most merciful means besides which at
diuers times he hath vsed and doth vse therby to gaine vs and our sowles vnto his eternal kingdome by stirring vs vp to abandon vitious life and to betake ourselues to his holy and swete seruice Al which most rare and excellent benefites being measured either according to their inestimable value in themselues or according to the loue of that harte from which they do proceede or els if we respect the maiestie of the giuer or meanesse of the receyuer ought in reason to moue vs most vehementlie to gratitude towardes so bountiful a benefactour And this gratitude shoulde be to resolue ourselues at length to serue him vnsaynedlie to preferre his fauour before al wordlie or mortal respectes whatsoeuer Or if we can not obtaine so much of ourselues yet at leastwise not to offende him anie more by our sinnes and wickednes There is not so fearse or cruell a nature in the world as I noted before but is mollisied allured and wōne by benefites And stories do make reporte of straunge examples in this kinde euen among brute beastes as of the gratitude of lyons dogges and other like towardes their maisters and benefactours Onliean obstinate sinner is he among all the sauuage creatures that are whom neither benefites can moue nor curtisies can mollifie nor promises can allure nor gyftes can gayne to the faithfull seruice of God his Lord and maister The greatest synner that is in the world if he geeue his seruante but twentie nobles a yeare or his tennant some litle farme to liue vpon if they for this should not serue him at a becke he crieth out of their ingratitude But if they should further malitiouslie seeke to offende him and to ioyne in amitie with his professed enimie how intollerable a matter would this seeme in his conceit And yet him self dealing much more ingratfullie and iniuriouslie with almightie God esteemath it a matter of smal consideration easely pardonable He dealeth I saie far more ingratfullie with God for that he hath receyued a thousand folde for one in respect of all the benefites that one mortal man can gyue vnto an other Seing that of God he hath receyued al in al the bread which he eateth the grounde he treadeth the light he beholdeth the aire he enioyeth and finally what so euer he possesseth ether within or without his bodie as also the minde with al her spiritual endumētes wherof eche one is more worth then ten thousand bodies Of this extreme ingratitude and iniurie God himself is enforced to complaine in diuers places of holy scripture as where he saith they repaied me euil for good And yet much more vehemētlie in an other place he calleth the heauens to witnes of this iniquitie crving out Obstupescite caeli super hoc O you heauens be you astonished at this As if he should saye by a figuratiue kinde of speech goe out of your wittes you heauens with meruaile at this incredibile iniquitie of man to wardes me For so he expoundeth the whole matter more at large in an other place Audite cals auribus percipe terra c. Harken oye heauens and thow earth bende hither thine eares I haue nourished vp children and haue exalted them and now they doe cōtemne me What a lamentable complaint is this of almightie God against most vile and base wormes of the earth But yet he amplifieth this iniquitie more vehemētly by certaine examples and comparisons The oxe saieth he knovveth his ovvner the asse knovveth the manger of his Lord and maister but yet my people knovveth not me VVoe be to this synful nation to this people loden vvith 〈◊〉 to this noughtie seede to vvicked children What complaint can be more vehement then this what threatning can be more dreadfull then this woe comming from the mouth of him which may punishe vs at his pleasure Wherfore deare brother if thou haue grace cease to be vngrateful to God any longer cease to offend him which hath by so many waies preuented the with benefites cease to render euil for good hatred for loue contempt for his father lie affection towardes the. He hath done for the al that he can he hath geeuen the al that thow art yea and in a certaine maner al that he is worth hym self and meaneth besides to make the partaker of al his glorie in the world to come and requireth no more for al this at thy handes but loue and gratitude O my louing brother why wilt thou not yelde vnto him this his desire why wilt thou not doe as much to him as thou woldest haue an other mā to doe to the for lesse then the ten thousand parte of thes benefites which thow hast receyued for I dare bouldly saye if thow haddest gyuen but an almes to a poore man at thy dore thou wooldest thike him bounde to loue the for it al beit besids this ther were nothing in the that greatly might deserue his loue But thy Lord and maister setting a parte al his giftes bestowed vpon the hath infinite causes to drawe thy loue vnto him that is to saye all the causes which any thing in the world hath in it to purchase loue and infinite more besydes For if all the perfections of thinges created both in heauen and in earth that may procure loue were ioyned together in one as al their beautie al their vertue al their wisdome al their sweetnes al their nobilitie al their goodnes and other like excellencies yet thy Lord Sauy our whom thou contemnest surpasseth all thes and that by infinite and infinite degrees for that he is not onlie all thes thinges together but morouer he is verie beautie it self vertue it self wisedome it self sweetenes it self nobilitie it self goodnes it self and the verie fountaine and welspring from which by litles peeces and parcels al thes thinges are deriued vnto his creatures Be a shamed then good Christian of this thine ingratitude to so great so good and so bountifull a Lord and resolue thy self for the tyme to come to amende thy course of life and former behauiour towardes him Say at lēgth with the Prophet hauing considered thine owne ingratitude O Lord pardon me mine offences for they are great in thy sight I know there is nothing ô Lord which doth so much displease the or drie vp the fountaine of thy mercie or so byndeth thy handes frō doinge good as doth ingratitude in the receyuers of thy benefites Wherin hitherto I haue exceeded al others But I haue done it ò Lord in mine ignorance not considering thy infinite giftes bestowed vpon me or what account thou wouldest demaunde againe of the same But now seing thou hast vouchsafed to make me woorthie of this special grace also wherby to see knowe mine owne errour default I hope hereafter by direction of the same grace to shew my self a better childe towardes the. O my God I am vāquished at lēgth with cōsideratiō of thy
loue and how can I haue the harte to offend thee hereafter seing thou hast preuented me so manie wayes with benefites euen when I demaunded not the same Can I haue hādes euermore to sinne agaīst thee which hast gyuen vp thine owne handes to be nayled on the crosse for me No no it is to great an iniurie agaīst thee ô Lord and woe worth me that haue dōneit so oftē heretofore But by thy holy assistāce I trust not to returne to such iniquitie for the time to come to which I beseeche the for thy mercie sake from thy holie throne of heauen to saye Amen OF WHAT OPINION WE SHAL BE CONCERNING THE MATTERS AFORsaid at the time of our death As also vvhat our state shal be at that passage and hovv different our iudgement from that it is novv CHAPT X. THE holy scriptures doe teach vs and experience maketh it plaine that during the time of this life the commodities prefermentes pleasures of the world doe possesse so stronglie the hartes of manie men and doe hold them chained with so forcible enchauntmentes being forsaken also vpon their iust desertes of the grace of God that saye and threaten what a man can and bring against then all the whole scripture euen from the begynning of Genesis to the end of the Apocalips as in decde it is al against synne and synners yet wil it preuaile nothing with them being in that lamentable case as either they beleeue not or esteeme not what so euer is saide to that purpose against their setled lyfe and resolution to the contrarie Of this we haue infinite examples in scripture as of Sodome and Gomorra with the cities ther about which would not heare the warninges that good I ot gaue vnto thē Of Pharao also and his court whom al that euer Moyses could doe ether by signes or sayinges moued nothing at al. Of Iudas in like maner who by no sweet meanes or sharpe threatninges vsed to him by his maister could be brought to change his wicked resolution But especially the holy Prophets sent by God from tyme to tyme to dissuade the people from their noughtie life and consequentlie to deliuer them from the plagues that hanged ouer them doe gyue abundant testimonie of this matter complaining cuerie where of the hardnes of synners hartes that wold not be moued with al the exhortations preachings promisses allurementes exclamations threatnings and thunderinges that they could vse The Prophet Zacharie shal testifie for all in this behalf who faieth of the people of Israel a litle before their destruction This sayeth the Lord of hostes iudge iustije wherunto presentlie he addeth And they vvould not attende but turning their backes vvent avvaye and stopped their eares to the ende they might not neare and they did obdurate their hartes as an adamant stone to the end they might not heare the lavve and the vvordes vvhich God did send in his spirite by the handes of the former Prophetes vvherby godes great indignatiō vvas stirred vp against them This then is and alwayes hath bene the maner of dissolute worldlinges and reprobare people to harden their hartes as an adamant stone against any thing that can be told them for the amendement of their liues and for the sauing of their soules Whiles they are in health and prosperitie they wil not know God as in an other place himself complaineth But yet as the Prophet saieth God wil haue his daye with thes men also when he wil be knowen And this is cognoscetur Dominus iudicia saciēs God wil be knowen when he begineth to doe iudgmēt which is at the daye of their death being in deed the next dore to their iudgement according as S. Paul testifieth saying it is appointed for al men once to die and after that ensevveth iudgement This I saye is the day of God most terrible sorowful and ful of tribulation to the wicked wherin God wil be knowen to be a righteous God and to restore to euerie man according as he hath donne vvhile he liued or as the Prophet describeth it he vvilbe knovven then to be a terrible God and such as one as taketh avvaye the spirite of princes a terrible God to the kinges of the earth At this daye as there wil be a great change in al other thinges mirth being turned into sorow laughinges into weepinges pleasures into paines stoutnes into feare pride into despaire and the like so especiallie wil there be a strange alteration in the iudgement and opinion of men for that the wisedome of God wherof I haue spoken in the former chapters and which as the scripture saieth is accounted folie by the vvise of this vvorld wil then appeare in her likenes and as it is in verie deede wil be confessed by her greatest enimies to be the onlie true wisedome and al carnal wisdome of worldlinges to be meere folie as God calleth it This the holie scripture setteth downe clerelie when it describeth the verie speeches and lamentations of the wise men of this world at the last daye concerning the state of holy men whom they despised in this life We senseles mē did esteeme their life to be mere madnes their end to be dishonorable but looke how they are now acconnted among the children of God and their portion is with the sainctes We haue erred from the waye of trueth and the light of righteousnes hath not shined before vs nether hath the sunne of vnderstanding appeared vnto vs. We haue weried out our selues in the waye of iniquitie and perdition and we haue walked craggie pathes but the waye of our Lord we haue not knowen Hytherto are the wordes of holie scripture wherby we may perceyue what great change and alteration of iudgement there wil be at the last daye from that which men haue now what consessing of folie what acknowledging of errour what hartie sorow for laboure lost what fruiteles repentance for hauing runne a-wrie O that men would ponder and consider attentiuely these thinges now VVe haue vveried out our selues saye thes miserable men in the vvayes of iniqnitie and perdition and vve haue vvalked craggie pathes What a description is this of lamentable wordlinges who beate their braines dailie and wearie out them selues in the pursute of vanitie and chasse of this worlde for which they suffer notwithstanding more paine often times then doe the iust in purchasing of heauen And when they arriue at the last daie to the gate of death weried and worne out with trouble and toyle they finde that al their labour is lost all their vexation taken in vaine For that the litle pelfe which they haue scraped together in this world for which they haue struggled and drudged so extremely wil auaile thē nothing at that instant but rather encrease exceedingly the burden of their afflictions Which afflictions shal be so manifold greeuous and intollerable in the wicked as no mind created
other so beholding daily the wounderful examples of godes infinite mercie towardes them that doe repent we may therby conceyue the seueritie of his Iustice towards such as he reserueth to punishment in the life to come and whom for that cause he calleth in holy writ Vasa furoris that is vessels of furie wheron to exercise the rage of his dreadful and most terrible indignation A third consideration to induce vs to the vnderstāding of the greatnes of Gods punishmentes in general may be his maruailous patience and long suffering of sinners in this life As that for example he permitteth diuers mē from sinne to sinne from day to day from yeare to yeare frō age to age to liue continually in the contempt of his Maiestie and transgression of his commaundementes refusing al persuasions allurementes good inspirations or other meanes of grace and fauor that his merciful goodnes can deuise to offer for their amendment And what man in the world could suffer this or what mortal hart were able by inestimable sufferāce for bearing in this life to shew such patience but now if al this should not be requited with seueritie of punishment in the worlde to come it might seeme to be against the law of iustice and equitie and so one arme in God to be longer then the other S. Paule toucheth this reason in his epistle to the Romans where he saith duest thou not knovv that the benignitie of God is vsed to bring thee to repentance and thou by thy bard and impenitent hart doest heape vp vengeace vnto thy self in the day of vvrath and appearance of Gods iust iudgementes vvhich shal restore to euerie mā according to his vvorkes In which sentence S. Paul vseth the phrase of heaping wrath or vēgeāce to signifie therby that like as the couetous man doth laie vp money daily to make his heape encrease so the irrepentant sinner doth heape sinne vpon sinne and God on the contrary side heapeth vengeance to vengeance vntil his measure be ful to restore in the ende measure against measure as the prophet saith and to paye vs home according to the multitude of our ovvne abhominations This was the meaning of almightie God when he said to Abraham that the iniquities of the Amorrheans vvere not yet complet As also in the reuelations vnto S. Ionn Euangelist when he vsed this conclusion of that booke He that doth euil let him doe yet more euil and he that lieth in filth let him yet become more filthie for beholde I come quicklie and my revvard is vvith me to render to euerie man according to his deedes By which wordes God signifieth that his forbearance and tolleration with sinners in this life is an argument of his greater seueritie in the life to come which the prophet Dauid doth insinuate in like maner when talking of a careles sinner he saieth God shal deride him for that he seeth before hand that his daie vvil come Which daie no doubt is to be vnderstoode the daye of account and punishmēt after this life for so doth God more at large declare him self in another place in these wordes And thou sonne of man this saieth thy Lord God the end is come now I save the end is come vpon the. And I wil shew on the my furie and wil iudge the according to thy waies I wil laye against the al thine abominatiōs myn eye shal not spare the nether wil I take anie mercie vpon the but I wil laie thine owae waies vpon the thou shalt know that I am the Lord. Behold affiction commeth on the end is come the end I saie is come it hath watched against the and beholde it is come destruction is now come vpon the the time is come the daie of slaughter is at hand Shortlie wil I power out my wrath vpon the and I wil fil my furic in the and I wil iadge the according to thy waies and I wil lay al thy wickednes vpō the myn eye shal not pitie the nor wil I take any compassion vpon the but I wil lay thy waies vpon the and thy abhominations in the middest of the and thou shalt know that I am the Lord that striketh Hitherto is the speech of almightie God deliuered by the mouth of his holie Prophete SEING THEN we now vnderstand in general that the punishmentes of God in the life to come are most certaine to be greate and seuere to al such as fal into thē for which cause S. Paul affirmeth that it is a horrible thing to fal into the handes of the liuing God Let vs consider some what in particuler what maner of paines and punishmentes they shal be For better conceyuing wherof it is to be noted that there be two sortes of sinners in this worlde the one which die in the guilt of mortal sinne and in the disfauour and hatred of almightie God of whom it is said the portion of vvicked men shal be in the lake burning vvith fire and brimstone vvhich is called the second death The other which haue the guilt of their sinne pardoned by their repentance in this life but yet haue not made that temporal satisfaction to gods iustice nor are so thoroughlie purged in this world as they may passe to heauen without punishmēt and of these it is writen They shal suffer detrimēt but yet they shal be saued as by fire Vpon which wordes of S. Paul the holie father S. Austen writeth thus Because S. Paul sayeth that these mē shal be saued by fire therfore this fire is cōtemned But surely though they shal be saued by it yet is this fire more grieuous then whatsoeuer a man can suffer in this life albeit you know how greate and intollerable thinges men haue or maie suffer The same S. Augustine in an other place expoundeth yet further the words of the said Apostle i this maner They which haue donne thinges worthie of temporal punishment of whom the Apostle saieth they shal be saued by fire must passe through a firie riuer and most horrible shallowes of burning flames signified by the prophet when he saith and a fludd of fire vvent before him and looke how much matter there is in their sinnes so longe must they sticke in passing through how much the fault requireth so much shal the punishment of this fire reuenge And because the word of God doth compare the soule of a sinner to a pot of brasse saying put the pot emptie vpon the coles vntil al the rust be melted of therfore in this fire al idle speeches al filthie cogitations al light sinnes shal boile out and consume which by a shorte waie might haue bene seperated from the soule in this life by almes teares Hitherto S. Augustine And the same holie father in an other place hath these wordes If a sinner by his conuersion escape death and obtaine life yet for al that I can not promise him
that he shal escape al paine or punishment For he that differred the fruites of repentance vntil the next life must be perfited in purgatorie fire this fire I tel you though it be not euerlasting yet is it passing greuous for it doth far exceede al paines that mā can suffer in this life Neuer was there founde out yet so greate a paine in flesh as that is though martyrs haue abidden straunge tormentes and many wicked mē haue suffered exceeding greate punishmentes To like effect doth S. Gregorie write of the seueritie of this punishment expounding those wordes of Dauid O Lord rebuke me not in thy surie nor correct me in thy vvrath This is as if he said saith S. Gregorie I know that after this life some must be clensed by purging fire And other must receyue sentēce of eternal damnation But because I esteeme that purgīg fire though it be transitorie to be more intolerable then al the tribulation which in this life may be suffered therfore I doe not onlie desire not to be rebuked in the furie of eternal damnatiō but also I greatlie feare to be purged in the wrath of transitorie correction Thus far S. Gregorie And I might adde a hundred like other sayinges out of the auncient holie fathers touching the extreame seueritie of this purging fire after death and of the greate feare which they had therof But that this alredy spoken may be sufficient to gyue admonishment to Catholique men that agree with thes Saints in beleef of this doctrine more carefully to looke vnto them selues for auoiding the rigour of this fier especially by thes two principal meanes of Almes-deedes and teares wherunto S. Augustine most earnestly exhorteth them in the place before alleaged wher also he frameth this notable collection We see sayeth he what men doe or may suffer in this life what racking what tearing what burning and the like and yet al this is nothing in respect of that fire Thes thinges therfore which we suffer heere are much more easie then that fire and yet you see that men wil doe any thing rather then suffer the same how much more then ought we to doe that litle which God commaundeth vs to auoide that fire which is by many degrees more grieuous This was the feeling which learned S. Augustine had in thes affaires And truly it is verie straunge and wonderful to consider how great feare and terrour holie men of auncient time conceyued at the verie cogitation of this fire and how slenderly we passe the same ouer now a daies hauing infinite more cause to feare then they had Among other that blessed deuout mā S. Bernard who lead so examplar and strict a life as the world doth know entering into contemplation of this matter brake forth into thes words ensuing O would God some man would now before hand prouide for my head abundance of water to mine eyes a fountaine of teares for so perhaps the burning fire should take no hold where running teares had clensed before And againe I tremble and shake for feare of falling into Gods hands I wolde gladlie present my self before his face alredie iudged of my self and not to be iudged thē of him Therfore I wil make a reckoning whiles I am here both of my good deedes and of my badde My euil shal be corrected with better woorkes they shal be watered with teares they shal be punished by fasting they shal be amended by sharp discipline I wil rip vp the verie bottome of my wayes workes to the ende he may finde nothing vntried at that day or not fullie discussed to his handes And then I hope in his mercie that he wil not iudge the same faults againe as he hath promised Hitherto are the wordes of S. Bernard The like great feare vttered holy S. Ambrose in thes wordes O Lord if thou reserue any thing in me to be reuenged in the next life yet I humblie beseech the that thou gyue me not vp to the power of wicked spirits whiles thou wipest away my sinnes by the paines of Purgatorie And againe in an other place I shal be searched examined as lead in this fire and I must burne vntil al the lead be melted away And if then there be found no siluer metal in me woe be vnto me for I must be thrust doune to the profoundest partes of hel or els wholie waste away as straw in the fire But if anie gold or siluer be found in me not through my workes but by grace and Christes mercie and through the ministerie of my prestoode I shal also once say surelie they that trust in the shal neuer be confounded And thus much of this temporal punishment reserued euen for the purging of Gods seruants in the life to come BVT NOVV TOVCHING the reprobate such as for their wickednesse are dessigned to eternal death we must Imagine that with them the case standeth much more hardlie for therunto may be applied that saying of our Sauiour to the good women of Hierusalem who lamented his case when he was going to his passion If they doe these things in grene vvord vvhat shal become of the drie which wordes S. Peter seemeth in some parte to expounde when he saieth If the Iudgement of God begin vvith vs vvhich are his seruants vvhat shal the end of vvickedmen be As who wold say that in al reason their ende must be intollerable For more particuler conceyuing whereof because the matter is of great importāce for al Christiās to know it shal not be perhaps amisse to consider brieflie what the holie scriptures auncient fathers of the Catholique Church directed no doubt by the holie Ghost haue reueiled vnto vs touching this punishment And first of al concerning the place it self of punishment appointed for the damned commonlie called hel the scripture in diuerse languages vsed diuerse names but al tending to expresse the grieuousnesse of torments therin to be endured As for example in the latin tongue it is called INFERNVS that is a place beneath or vnder ground as most of the olde fathers doe interprete But whether it be vnder ground or no most certaine it is that it is a place most opposit to heauen which is said to be aboue and from which lucifer was throune doune And this name is vsed to signifie the miserable deiection and hurling doune of the damned to be troden vnder the feet not onlie of almightie God but also of al good men for euer For so sayeth the scripture Beholde the day of the Lord commeth burning like a fornace and al proud and vvicked men shal be stravv to that fornace and you that feare my name shal tread them dovvne and they shal be as burnt ashes vnder the soles of your feet in that day And this shal be one of the greatest miseries that can happen to the proude and stoute potentates of the worlde to be thrown doune with
almightie God to frame an other creature farre in nature inferiour vnto this to fil vp the places of such as were fallen and therupō created man of a peece of claye appointing him to liue in this world as a place of entertainmēt trial for a time which place God notwithstanding determined afterward to destroie againe But yet in creating this transitorie world which is but a base cotage in regard of his own eternal habitation cōsider god reader what power what magnificence what Maiestie he hath shewed what heauens how wonderful hath he created what infinit starres and other lights hath he deuised what elements hath he framed and how maruailouslie hath he compacted thē together The seas tossing and tumbling without rest and replenished with infinite sortes of fish the riuers running incessantlie through the earth like veins in mans bodie and yet neuer emptie nor ouerflowing the same the earth it self so furnished with al varietie of creatures as the hundreth part thereof is not vsed nor emploied by man but onelie remaineth to shew the ful hand and strong arme of the Creator And al this as I saied was done in an instant with one word onelie and that for the vse of a smal time in respect of the other future life which is to endure for al eternitie What then may we imagine that the habitation prepared for that eternitie shal be If the cotage of his meanest seruant and that made onelie for a time to beare of as it were a shower of raine be so princelie so gorgeous so magnificēt so Maiestical as we see this world is what must we think that the kings palace it self is appointed for al eternitie for him self and his friends to raigne together We must needes think it to be as great as the power and wisdome of the maker could reach to perfourme that is incomparablie and aboue al measure infinite The greate king Assuerus which raigned in Asia ouer a hundred twentie and seuen prouinces to discouer his power riches vnto his subiects made a feast as the scripture sayeth in his great citie of Susa to al the princes states and potentates of his dominions for a hundred and fourscore dayes together Esay the prophet sayeth that our God and Lord of hosts wil at the last daie make a solemne banquet to al his people vpon the hil and mount of heauen and that a haruest banquet of fat meates and pure wines And this banquet shal be so solemne as the very sonne of God him self chiefe Lord and Patrone of the feast shal be contēt to gird him self and to serue in the same as by his owne wordes he promiseth What maner of banquet then shal this be how magnificent and maiestical especiallie seing it hath not onely to endure a hundred and fower score dayes as that of Assuerus did but more then a hundred and fourscore millions of ages not serued by men as Assuerus feast was but by Angels and by the verie sonne of God him self not to open the power and riches of a hundred tuentie and seuen prouinces but euen of Almightie God the king of kings and Lorde of Lordes whose power riches are without end and greater then al his creatures put together can cōceaue How glorious a banquet shal this be then how triumphant the ioy of this festiual daye how in comprehensible a blisse to be partaker therof O most miserable and foolish children of Adam that are borne to so rare and singular a dignitie and yet can not be brought to cōsider loue or esteeme of the same Other many thinges ther be wherby to coniecture the exceeding greatnes of this reward and felicitie as for example to consider that if God haue geuen so many pleasures and comfortable giftes in this life as we sec innumerable in the world being a place notwithstanding of banishment an habitation of sinners a vale of miserie and appointed only for a time of repenting weeping mourning and bewailing what wil he doe in the life to come to the iust to his friends in the time of ioye mariage of his sonne This was a most forcible consideration with good S. Augustin who in the secret speech of his soule with God said thus O my Lord if thou for this vile bodie of oures hast geuen vs so great and innumerable benefites from the firmament from the ayer from the earth from the sea by light by darkenesse by heate by shadow by dewes by showers by windes by raines by birds by fishes by beasts by trees by multitude of hearbes and varietie of plants and by the ministerie of al thy creatures O swet Lord what maner of things how great how good how innumerable are thos which thou hast prepared for vs in our heauelie Countrie where we shal see thee face to face If thou doe so greate things for vs in our prison what wilt thou geue vs in our palace If thou geuest so many things in this world to good and euil men together what hast thou laid vp for onelie good men in the world to come if thine enemies and friends together are so wel prouided for in this life what shal thy onelie friēds receaue in the life to come if there be so great solaces in these daies of teares what ioye shal there be in that day of mariage if our iaile and prison containe so great matters what shal our Countrie and kingdome doe O my Lord and God thou art a great God and great is the multitude of thy magnificence and svvetnes and as there is no end of thy greatnes nor number of thy mercies nor depth of thie wisdome nor measure of thy benignitie so is there neither end number depth length greatnes or measure of thy rewardes to them that loue thee doe fight for thee Hitherto S. Augustin An other meane wherby to conceaue some parte of this reward in the life to come is to remember and weigh the manifold promisses of almightie God to honour and glorifie al thos that shal loue serue him VVhosoeuer shal honor me saieth he I vvil make him glorious and the prophet Dauid as it were complaineth ioifullie that Gods friends were to much honoured by him Which he might with much more cause haue said if he had liued in the new testament and had heard that promisse of Christ whereof I spake before that his seruants should sit doune banquet and that him self wold serue and minister vnto them in the kingdome of his father What vnderstanding can cōceaue how great this honour shal be But yet in some part it may be gessed by that he saieth that they shal sit in iudgement with him and as S. Paul addeth shal be Iudges not onelie of men but also of Angels It may also be coniectured by the exceeding great honour which he at certaine times hath done to his seruants euen in this life wherin notwithstanding they are
enioye al the varietie of times that delite vs here al the beautie of creatures that allure vs here al the pleasures and ioyes that content vs here In this vision of God sayeth one doctor we shal know we shal loue we shal reioice we shal praise We shal know the verie secrets and iudgements of God which are a depth vvithout bottome As also the causes natures beginnings ofsprings and ends of al creatures We shal loue incomparablie both God for the infinite causes of loue that we see in him and our brethren and companions as much as our selues for that we shal see them as much loued of God as our selues for the same cause for which we are loued whereof ensueth that our ioye shal be without measure both for that we shal haue a particular ioye for euery thing we loue ī God which are infinit and also for that we shal reioice at the felicitie of euerie one of our brethren as much as at our owne and by that meanes we shal haue so many distinct felicities as we shal haue distinct companions in our felicitie which being without number it is no maruaile though Christ sayed goe into the ioye of thy Lord and not let thy Lordes ioye enter into thee for that no one hart created cā receaue the fulnes and greatnes of this ioye And hereof finallie it doth insue that we shal praise God without end or wearines with al our hart with al our strength with al our powers with al our partes according as the scripture sayeth Happie are they that liue in they house ô Lord for they shal praise thee eternallie vvithout end Hitherto this learned doctor Of this most blessed visiō sight possession and fruitiō of almightie God wherunto in heauen th' elect are admitted the learned father S. Augustine writeth thus Our Saueour in the Gospel said vnto his Disciples Happie are the cleane of hart for they shal see God By which wordes we are let to vnderstand that ther is a sight and vision of God which is sufficient of it self to beatifie men and make them happie A visiō which nether eye hath seene in this world nor eare hath heard nor hart conceaued A vision deare brethrē that passeth al the beautie of earthlie things of gold of siluer of woodes of feeldes of sea of ayer of sunne of moone of starres of Angels for that al thes things haue their beautie from thence VVe shal see him face to face saieth his Apostle and vve shal knovv him as vve are knovven That is we shal know the power of the father we shal know the wisdome of the sonne we shal know the goodnes of the Holie Ghost we shal know the indiuisible nature of the most blessed Trinitie And this verie seing of the face of God is the ioye of Angels and of al other saints and celestial spirites in heauen This is the reward of life euerlasting this is the glorie of al blessed Cherubins their euerlasting pleasure their croune of honour their game and goal of felicitie their riche rest their beautiful quietnes their inward and outward consolation their diuine paradise their heauenlie Ierusalem their happines of life their fulnes of blisse their eternal triumphe their pretious peace of God which passeth al vnderstāding This sight of God is the ful beatitude the total glorification of man and Angels to see and behold him I say that made both heauen and earth to see and behold him deare brother that made thee that redemed thee that glorified thee For in seeing him thou shalt know him in knowing him thou shalt loue him in louing him thou shalt possesse him in possessing him thou shalt praise him and in praising him thou shal spend thie whole eternitie For he is the inheritance of his people he is the possession of their felicitie he is the reward of their expectation I vvilbe thy great revvard saieth he to Abraham O Lord thou art great and therfore no marmile if thou be a great reward The sight of thee therfore is al our hiar al our reward al our ioye felicitie that we expect seing thou hast saied that this is life euerlasting to see knovv thee our true God Iesus Christ vvhom thou hast sent Thus vttered S. Augustine his feeling in thes affairs AND NOVV HAVING thus declared the two general partes of heauēlie felicitie the one appertainīg to our soule the other to our bodie it is not hard to esteeme what excesse of ioye both of thē ioined together shal worke vnto vs i vs at the most happie day of our glorificatiō Which the forsaid holie S. Augustine conceaued and expressed in thes most zelous and affectuous wordes O ioye aboue al ioyes passing al ioyes without which there is no ioye when shal I enter into thee when shal I enioye thee to see my God that dwelleth in thee O euerlasting kingdome ô kingdome of al eternitie ô light without end ô peace of God that passeth al vnderstāding wherin the soules of Saintes doe rest with thee ô Lord and euerlasting ioye is vpon their heades and they doe possesse ioye and exultation and al paine and sorovv is fledde from them O how glorious a kingdome is thine ô Lord wherin al Saintes doe raigne with the adorned vvith light as vvith pretious apparel and haue crovvnes of pretious stones vpon their heades O kingdome of euerlasting blisse where thou art present ô Lord the hope of al Saintes and the diademe of their euerlasting glorie replenishing thē with ioy on euerie side by thy blessed sight O Lord in this kingdom of thine there is infinit Ioye and mirth without sadnesse health without sorow life without labour light without darknesse felicitie without abatement al goodnes without euil Here youth florisheth that neuer waxeth old life that knoweth no end beautie that neuer fadeth loue that neuer cooleth health that neuer diminisheth ioye that neuer coaseth Here sorow is neuer felt complaint is neuer heard matter of sadnesse is neuer seene nor euil successe is euer feared For that they possesse thee ò Lord which art the perfectiō and culme of their felicitie Hitherto blessed Augustine And now deare Christian brother if we that liue in thes dayes and doe read thes thīges would enter in deed into thes considerations as this holie man other his like did no doubt but we should be more inflamed with the loue of this heauenlie felicitie prepared for vs then we are and consequentlie should striue more to gaine it then alas we doe And to the ende thou maiest conceaue some more feeling in the matter cōsider but a litle withme what a ioiful day shal that be at thy house when hauing liued in the feare of God atchiued in his seruice the end of thy peregrination thou shalt come by the meanes of death to passe from miserie and labour co life of immortalitie and in
founde no place of repētāce albeit with teares he sought the same Wherof S. Chrisostome geueth the reason in thes wordes For this cause Esau obtained not pardon for that he did not repente as he should haue done his teares proceeding rather of anger and temptation then of true sorovv When the people of Israel came to be a distinct nation and to be gouerned at Gods appointement how greeuouslie trow you did they offend day lie and almost howerlie his diuine Maiestie And how gratiouslie did his vnspeakable clemencie remitt and pardon their manifold and innumerable sinnes trespasses done agaist him The whole scripture in truth seemeth nothing els but a perpetual narration of Gods incredible patience and infinite mercies towardes them And if I would speake of particuler persons amōg them which he receaued to his fauour after greate and manifold offences committed ther would be no end of that recital Let Manasses that most impious and wicked king be an exāple for al of whos enormous life and most detestable actes whole pages are replenished both in the bookes of kinges and Chronicles and yet afterwardes notwithstanding the same man falling into miserie and calamitie among the Babylonians a fortunate schoole oftentimes for Princes who in their prosperitie are wont to contemne God he begā to be sorowful for his former life and actions and to doe great penance as the scripture saith in the sight of God for the same Wherat his diuine and incomprehēsible mercie was so much moued presentlie as he receaued him to fauour and brought him backe from his prison and fetters to his kingdome and imperial throne of Maiestie The exāple also of the Niniuites is very notable singuler in this behalf against whom almightie God hauing decreed a sentence of death to be executed within a certaine time he commanded Ionas the prophet to goe and denounce that sentēce vnto them But Ionas wel knowing the nature and disposition of God towardes mercie forsaw as afterwardes he signifieth that if he should goe and beare that embassage vnto them and they therupon make change of ther liues his Maiestie would presentlie pardon them and so he should be taken for a false and lying prophet For auoiding which inconuenience he chose rather to flee away by sea to the citie of Tharsis and ther to hide himself But almightie God raised a tempest in that iourney and disposed in such sort as Ionas was cast into the sea and ther receaued and deuoured by a whale from whos belly he was commanded afterwardes to repaire to Niniue and to doe his former message which he perfourmed And the tenour of his message was that within fortie dayes that huge citie of Niniuie should be destroyed Which he hauing denounced vnto them the sequel fel out as Ionas before had suspected For the Niniuites beleeuing the message and betaking them selues to repentance God forgaue them presentlie wherat Ionas was exceedinglie greeued offended complained sweetlie to God of his strāge dealing herin demanding whie he had inforced him to come and preach destruction vnto them knowing wel before hād that he would pardon them But his merciful Lord answered him fullie to this pointe by a certaine accident that fel out wherto Ionas was not able to replie one word For so it chanced that Ionas sitting without the walles of Niniuie vnder an Iuie bush that in one night by Gods appointment was sprōg vp to couer him frō the sunne the same Iuie by Gods ordināce perished vpon the suddaine and was consumed by a worme leauing the poore prophet destitute of that consolation of shadoe which he receaued by it Wherwith he being not a litle disquieted and afflicted God said vnto him thou Ionas art sorowful and much grieued for losse of thine Iuie tree which not withstanding thou diddest not plant nor make to grow nor tookest any labour at al about it But the same grew vp in one night and in one night it perished againe And shal not I then be careful to pardon my greate citie of Niniuie wherin ther be aboue an hundred and twentie thousand innocent people which can not distinguish betwene their right hand and their left This was the answer of almightie God to Ionas for defence of his singuler inclinatiō to mercie in respect that the Niniuites were his owne creatures his owne workmanship and the labours of his own handes as al other people also are Of which kinde of reason and consideration ther haue bene diuers thinges said and declared before for manifestation of Gods infinit mercie And al this that hitherto hath bene spoken is of thinges onlie donne in time of the old testament before the appearance of Christ our Saueour in flesh But now if we looke into the time of grace when God incarnate came him self in person to shew the riches of his endles mercie vnto mortal men vpon earth we shal see more examples without comparison of this exceeding clemencie For that now our Creator and shepheard ouercome as it were with extreme compassion came down into the vale of our miserie with resolution not onlie to offer pardon and forgeuenes to al his sheepe that were a stray and would returne but also to follow seeke them out being found to lay them on his own shoulders and so to beare them backe vnto the fold againe and ther to geue his life and blood for their defence against the wolfe O sweet Lord what greater loue cā be imagined then this what more pregnant signification of inflamed charitie can mans cogitation conceaue or apprehend is it maruaile now if he which descēded vnto vs with this hart and with thes bowels of burning affectiō did set open the gates of al his treasures fauours graces vnto vs Is it maruaile if the holie apostle S. Paul doe saye of this time Superabundauit gratia that grace did ouer abounde and yet further in an other place that Christ being verie God did in a certaine sort impouerish and emptie him self with the most wonderful effusion of mercies and hauoke of heauen which at this time and euer since he hath made Herehence it proceeded that al his delite and pleasure vpon earth was to conuerse with sinners and to geeue them cōfort corage and cōfidence in him Which he did so manifestlie in the sight of al the world as he was very scandalous and offensiue therby to the Scribes and Pharisees and other principal rulers among the Iuish nation Herehence also did proceed thos his most maruailous speeches and strange inuitations of wicked men vnto him as for example at one time among other when he cried out in publique Come vnto me al ye that doe labour and be heauie loden and I vvel refresh you And at an other time going into the temple of Ierusalem vpon a high festiual day when al the people were gathered together he stood vp in the middest of
them al and brake forth into this vehement inuitation with a lowd voice as S. Iohn Euangelist recordeth if any man among you be thirstie let him come vnto me he shal drinke Hereby it came to passe that his diuine Maiestie was termed commonlie Publicanorum peccatorum am cus The frend and familiar of wicked Publicans and sinners And herof finallie it did proceed that he receaued al imbraced al and forgaue al that repaired vnto him were they Scribes Pharisees Souldiars Publicans Vserers Harlotes Theeues Persecutours or whatsoeuer most grieuous offendours besides wherof particuler examples in eche kinde might be alleaged assuring vs furthermore that after his resurrection and blessed ascensiō to the right hand of his father he would be more bountiful yet in this maner of proceeding and dravv al vnto him self being at one time both our Iudge and Aduocat our king and Mediatour our God and Redeemer our Father and brother our Priest and Sacrifice and he that both pleadeth and determineth our cause together What then should not we hope at this time deare Christian brother at the handes of this our Lord and Maister which hath left vnto vs such wordes such deedes such assured euidencies of his infallible loue and abundant mercies towards vs why should not his dealinges with other men before vs geeue vs hart and corage to confide assuredlio in him for the time present and to come why should not his former most infinit mercies be vnto vs oderiferous alluring sauours and oyntmentes to make vs as the spouse did in the Canticles follow and runne after him Heare what deuout S. Bernard doth meditate vpō this passage of Christs fragrant ointmentes O sweet Iesus saith he the freshe and oderiferous smel of thie wonderful clemencie doth allure vs to runne after the when we heare saye that thou despisest not beggars nor abhorrest sinners Wee know right wel ô Lord that thou didest not reiect the theefe that confessed thee nor the sinful woman that wept vpon thee nor the Chananaean that humbled her self before thee not the wicked adulteresse brought vnto thee nor the toullar or tribut gatherer that followed thee nor the publican that repaired vnto thee nor the disciple that denied thee nor Saul that did persecute thee nor thie tormentours that did naile thie sacred bodie vpō the crosse O Lord al thes are fragrant smels and sauours of thie most sweet mercie and at the sent of thes thie ointmentes we doe follow and runne after thee Thus farre S. Bernard AND SO VVITH THIS to come to the fourth and last part of this chapter and to applie al that hath bene said of Godes mercie to our present purpose What man is ther liuing in the world that reading and beleeuing thes thinges can doubt or mistrust to receaue pardon for his sinnes If God be he that iustifieth vvho is able to condemne vs saieth the holie Apostle S. Paul If God be minded to deliuer vs who can take vs out of his hands If God protest that he wil pardon vs why should we make any doubt or questiō therof at al Why should not we ioine rather with that confident and faithful seruāt of his S. Paul who saieth vnto vs and to al other sinners liuing in his maisters name let vs repaire vnto him vvith a true hart in fulnes of faith hauing purged our hartes from an euil conscience let vs hold fast an immouable confession of our hope seing he is faithful vvhich hath giuen vnto vs his promis and let vs consider hovv one of vs may prouoke an other to charitie and good vvorkes By which wordes the holy Apostle signifieth that what sinner soeuer shal resolue with him self to purge his conscience frō wickednes for the time to come and to employ the rest of life in charetie good workes he may confidently and boldly repaire vnto almightie God with most certaine assurance to receaue pardon and remission And alas deare brother why then should anie man despaire wherfore should any man cast away his owne soule that God so much desireth to saue what a pitiful and lamentable case is it to behold so many Christians in the world to goe languishing in ther sinnes and to giue thē selues ouer to al kind of careles and dissolute sensualitie which by God him self is called desperation vpon this conceit wicked cogitation that now they are gone so farre and so deeply rooted and habituated in this kind of life as either it is impossible or in vaine for them now to thincke of change or amendements O deare Brother let thes men harken to this excellent discourse of holy Chrisostome which ensueth If thou be a wicked man saieth he thincke vpon the Publicane If thou be vncleane of life consider the harlot If thou be a murtherer remember the theef If thou be a swearer cal to mind the Blasphemer Cast thine eyes vpon Saul and Paul first a persecutour and then a preacher first a violent robber afterward a good steward and Dispenser First chaffe afterward corne first a wolfe afterward a sheppard first lead after gould first a pirate afterwards a good pilot first a dispersour afterward a gatherer first a breaker doune of Gods vineyard afterward a plāter first a destroier afterward a builder Thou hast sene manifold wickednes but now behold vnspeakable mercie Thou hast heard the pride of the seruant consider now the loue and clemencie of the Maister I wil not thou saie to me I ame a blasphemer I haue bene a persecutour I haue lead an vncleane and abhominable life and therfore I doubt lest I shal not haue pardon Saie not so vnto me for here thou hast examples to the contrarie in euerie of thes manie other sinnes Thou maiest safely fly to what port thou list and that either in the old or new Testament For in the old thou hast Dauid in the new thou hast Paul I wil not haue the therfore alleage excuses vnto me for couering thine owne cowardnes Hast thou sinned doe penance hast thou sinned a thousand times repent a thousand times vnfainedly This is the only ointment that may be poured in to an afflicted consciēce the torment wherof I doe wel knowe For the Diuel standeth by whetting his sword of desperation and saing vnto the Thou hast liued wickedly al thy youth thy former yeares thou hast mispent thou hast hanted plaies and spectacles with thy companions and hast folowed after louse and lasciuious women thou hast taken other mēs goods from them wrongfully thou hast bene couetous dissolute and effeminate thou hast foresworne thy self thou hast blasphemed committed many other hainous and enormous crimes and therfore what hope canst thou haue of saluation Truly none at al. Thou art a mere castawie and canst not now goe backe and therfore my counsaile is that now thou vse the pleasures and commodities of this world and passe ouer thy time in mirth of hart without cogitation
God which in them selues are most iust reasonable holie and easie Da amantem sayeth S. Austen speaking of this matter sentit quod dico Si autem frigido loquor nescit quid loquar Geue me a man that is in loue with God and he feeleth this to be true which I say but if I talke to a cold Christian he vnderstandeth not what I say And this is the reason whie our blessed Saueour talking of the keeping of his commandementes repeateth manie times this word LOVE as the onelie sure ground wheron their whole regard reuerēce obseruation depēdeth for want of which loue among men in this life the most part of the world neither respecteth nor keepeth them And herehence it is that in the same our Saueour vseth thes and other like speeches If you doe loue me then keepe my commandementes And againe he that hath my commandementes and keepeth them he is he that loueth me And yet further He vvhich loueth me vvil keepe my commandement and he that loueth me not keepeth not my commandementes In which last wordes some doe note that to him that loueth he sayeth his commandement in the singular number for that to such a one al his commandmentes are but one commandement according to the saying of S. Paul That loue alone is the fulfilling of al the lavv for that it comprehendeth al in al. But to him that loueth not Christ saieth his commandmentes in the plural number signifying thereby that they are both many and heauie to him for that he wanteth loue which should make them few and easie The effect of which point S. Iohn also expresseth when he sayeth this is the loue of God vvhen vve keepe his commādementes and his commandementes are not heauie That is to say they are notthing heauie to him which hath loue otherwise no maruaile though they be most heauie for that euerie thing appeareth burdenous and intollerable which we doe against our liking and so by this also deare Christian brother thou maiest make a coniecture whether the true loue of thie Lord and Saueour be in thee or not AND THESE ARE two meanes wherby the life of vertuous men is made easie in this world There folow diuers other to the end that thes negligent excusers may see how vniust vntrue their excuse is concerning the pretended hardnes of liuing in Gods seruice Which in verie deede is indued with infinit priuileges of cōfort aboue the life of most prosperous sinners euē in this world Wherof the next that I wil name for exāple sake is a certaine special and peculiar light of vnderstanding pertaining to the iust and called in scripture prudentia sanctorum the wisdome of Saintes which is nothing els but a certaine sparkle of heauenlie wisdome bestowed by singular priuilege vpō the vertuous for their direction in this life wherby they receaue most comfortable light and vnderstanding in spiritual affairs touching their owne and other mens saluation and in thinges necessarie therunto Of which knowledge the prophet Dauid meant whē he saied not as mihi fecisti vias vitae thou hast made the waies of life knowen vnto me as also whē he said of him self Super senes intellexi I haue vnderstood more then old men And againe in an other place Incerta occulta sapientiae tuae manisestasti mihi thou hast opened to me the vnknowen and hidden secretes of thy wisdome This is that most excellent light wherwith S. Iohn saieth that Christ our Saue our lighteneth his true seruantes as also that vnction of the Holie Ghost which the same Apostle teacheth to be geuen to the godlie thereby to instruct thē in al thinges behoofful for their saluation This is in like maner that writing of Gods law in mens hartes which he promised by the prophet Ieremie so long agoe to be performed in the time of grace as also the instruction of men immediatlie from God him self fortold by the prophet Esaye And finallie this is that soueraine vnderstanding in the law commandementes and iustifications of almightie God which holy Dauid so much desired and so often demānded in that most diuine Psalme which beginneth with this vehement protestatiō Blessed are the vnsputted in the vvay that is in this life and blessed are al sucb as doe vvalke in Gods lavv By this heauenlie light of vnderstanding by this supernal illumination imparted to the good for their direction the way of vertue is made very easie and passing comfortable For as in bodilie sight and in viages of this world it falleth out that he which hath good eyes and seeth perfectelie goeth on his way with far greater alacritie ioy securitie then doth an other that either lacketh that sense or hath it very dimme So in the course of our soule in this life it is of no lesse importance and comfort but rather of much more for a mā to haue this celestial vnderstānding for gouerning him self to his saluation that is to know what he doth see wher he walketh discerne wither he goeth cōceaue what he expecteth and to be in that happie state wherof S. Paul saith that a spiritual ma is able to iudge of al thinges Whereas in the meane space the carnal and sensual man as the same Apostle testifieth is so blind as he cā neither see nor conceaue tbe thinges that are of Gods spirit Of which sort of men the Prophet Esay saith in their owne person expressing their miserie vve haue groped like as blinde men doe for the vvalle and vve haue stumbled at middaye euen as if it bad bene in darkenesse By which wordes is set forth vnto vs the exceeding great calamitie of wicked men who see not wher they goe what state they are in how farr of or how neare they are to perdition but doe liue in continual darkenes and most vncomfortable blindnes which they cōfesse also in an other place of holie scripture saing the light of iustice hath not shined vnto vs and the sonne of vnderstanding hath not appeared to our eyes vve are vveried in the vvay of iniquities The lacke then of this heuenlie light is wearisome miserable vnto the wicked and consequentlie the inioying therof most comfortable to the vertuous NOVV THEN to proceed an other principal matter which maketh the waye of vertue easie and pleasant to them that walke therein is a certaine hidden and secret consolation which God-poureth into the hartes of them that trulle serue him I call it secret and hidden for that it is knowen to none but to such onelie as haue felt and receaued part therof For which cause Christ him self calleth it hidden manna knovven to them alone that doe inioye it To which effect also the Prophet Dauid said to almightie God Great is the multitude of thy svveetnes o Lord vvhich thou haste laid up and hidden for them that feare thce And againe in an other place
which should haue many children crying to her at once for meate she hauing no bread at al or not sufficient to breake vnto them so the wicked man being greedilie called vpon without ceasing by almost infinit passions to yeld vnto their desires must needes be vexed and pitifullie tormēted especiallie being not able to satisfie any one of the least of their petitions An other cause of vexation in thes mē is for that thes passions of disordinate concupiscence be oftentimes contrarie the one to the other and doe demāde most opposite and contrarie thinges representing vnto vs most liuelie the confusion of Babel where one tongue spake against an other and that in diuerse and contrarie languages So we see oftentimes that the desire of honour saieth to his maister spend here but the passion of auarice saieth hold thy handes Lecherie saieth venture here But pride saieth No it may turne thee to dishonour Anger saieth reuenge thy self here but ambition saieth it is better to dissemble And finallie here is fulfilled that which the prophet saieth vidi iniquitatem contradictionem in ciuitate I haue seene iniquitie and contradictiō in the self same citie Iniquitie for that al the demandes of thes passions are most vniust for so much as they are against reason her self Contradictiō for that one contradicteth the other in their demandes From al which miseries God hath deliuered the iuste by geuing them his peace vvhich passeth al vnderstanding as the Apostle saieth and which the world can nether geue nor taste of as Christ hym self affirmeth And thus many causes may be alleaged now besides many other which I passe ouer to iustifie the veritie of our Saue ours wordes affirming that his yoke is svveet and easie to wit the assistance of grace the loue of God the light of vnderstanding the internal consolation the quiet of cōscience the confidēce therof proceeding the libertie of soule and bodie with the sweet rest and peace of our spirites both towardes God our neighbours and our selues By al which meanes helpes priuileges and singuler benefites the vertuous are assisted aboue the wicked as hath bene shewed and their way made easie light and pleasant TO AL VVHICH yet we may adioine one other great priuilege as the last but not the least comfort to them that walke vnder the yoke of Christs seruice and this is the promise and most assured expectation of reward to wit of eternal glorie and felicitie to the good and of euerlasting damnation and tormētes vnto the wicked O good God what a matter is this to comfort the one if their life were paineful and to afflict the other amiddest their greatest pleasures and swetest delectations The labourer when he thinketh of his good paye at night is encouraged to goe thorough with the heat of the day though it be painful vnto hym Two that should passe together towardes their countrie the one to receaue honour for good seruice done abrod th' other as prisoner to be arraigned of treasons committed in forraine dominions against his Soueraigne could not be alike merie in their inne vpon the way For albeit he that stood in danger should sing or make shew of courage and comfort and set a good face vpon the matter yet th' other might wel thinke that his hart had many a cold pul within hym as no doubt but al wicked men haue when they think with themselues of the life to come If Ioseph and Pharaos baker had knowē both their distinct lottes in prison to wit that on such a day one should be called furth to be made Lord of Egypt and th' other to be hanged vpon a paire of new gallowes they could hardly haue bene alike merie whiles they liued together in the time of their imprisonmēt The like may be sayed and much more truely of vertuous and wicked men in this world For when the one sorte doe but thinke vpon the day of death which to thē is to be the day of their deliuerance from this prison their hartes can not but leape for verie ioye considering what is her after to ensew vnto thē But th' other are afflicted and doe fal into melancholie and extreme desolation as oftē as mention or remembrāce of death is offered for that they are sure that it bringeth with it their eternal bane according as holy scripture saieth The vvicked mā being dead there remaineth no more hope vnto hym Wel then deare Christian brother if al thes thinges be so what should stay thee now at length to make this resolution wherunto I exhort thee wilt thou yet say notwithstanding al this that the matter is hard and the way vnpleasant or wilt thou beleeue others that tel the so albeit they know lesse of the matter then thy self Beleeue rather the word and promisse of thy Sauiour Christ which assureth thee the contrarie Beleeue the reasons before alleaged which doe proue it most euidentlie Beleeue the testimonies of them which haue experienced the matter in them selues as king Dauid S. Paul S. Iohn Euangelist and others whos testimonies I haue alleaged before cōcerning their owne proofe Beleeue many hundredes which by the holy grace of God are conuerted day lie in Christendome frō vicious life to the perfect seruice of their Lord al which doe protest that them selues haue found much more facilitie and comfort thē ether I haue said in this place or can say in the matter And for that perhaps thou mayest replie that such men as haue experiēced this in them selues are not now liuing in the place wher thou art to geue this testimonie of their owne experience I can and doe assure thee vpon my consciēce before almightie God that I haue had conserēce with no smal number of such persons my self and that to my singuler comfort in beholding the strong hand and exceeding bountifulnesse of Gods sweetnes towards them in this case Oh deare brother no tongue can expresse what I haue seene herin and yet sawe I not the least part of that which they inwardly felte But yet this may I say that they that attend in the Catholique Church to deale with soules in the holy sacrament of Confession are in deed thos of whom the prophet saieth that they vvorke in multitudes of vvaters and doe see the maruailes of God in the depth In the depth I say of mens conscieuces vttered with infinit multitudes of teares whē God toucheth the same with his holy grace Beleeue me good reader for I speake in truth before our Lord IESVS I haue seene so great and exceeding consolations in diuers great sinners after their conuersion as no hart can almost cōceaue and the hartes which receaued thē were hardlie able to-containe the same so abundātlie distilled doune that heauēlie dewe from the most liberal and bounteful hand of God And that this may not seme strange vnto thee thou must know that it is recorded of one holy man called
multiplied vpon them and after that they made hast to come And God saieth generallie of al good men They vvil rise betimes in the morning and come to me in their tribulation Wherfore holy king Dauid desiring the weale of certaine men and to winne them to God saieth in one of his psalmes Fil their faces o Lord vvith shame and confusion and then vvil they seeke vnto thy name And this is true as I said in the elect and chosen seruantes of God But in the reprobate this rope draweth not this yoke holdeth not nor doth this chaine of loue winne them vnto God wherof God him self complaineth saying In vaine haue I stricken your children for they haue not receaued my discipline And againe the prophet Ieremie saieth of them to God thou hast crushed them and they haue refused to receaue thy discipline they haue hardened their faces euen as a rocke and vvil not returne to thee Behold they haue rent the yoke and broken the chaines OF THIS NOVV ensueth an eight reason why God bringeth his seruantes into affliction to wit therby to shew his power and loue in deliuering them For as in this world a princelie mind desireth nothing more thē to haue occasiō wherby to shew his habilitie good wil vnto his deare frend so God almightie which hath al occasions in his owne handes and passeth al his creatures together in greatnesse of loue and nobilitie of mind worketh purposely diuers occasions and opportunities wherby to shew and exercise she same So he brought the three childrē into the burning fornace therby to shew his power and loue in deliuering them So he brought Daniel into the liōs dēne Susanna vnto the point of death Iob into extreme miserie Ioseph into prison Tobie vnto blindnes therby to shew his power and loue in their deliuerance For this cause also did Christ suffer the shippe to be almost drouned before he would awake S. Peter to be almost vnder water before he would take him by the hande AND OF THIS one reason many other reasons and most comfortable causes doe appeare of Gods dealing herin As first that we being deliuered from our afflictions might take more ioy and delite thereof then if we had neuer suffered the same For as water is more grateful to the waiefaring man after a long drouth a calme more pleasant vnto passingers after a troublesome tempest so is our deliuerie more sweet after persecution or tribulation according as the scripture saieth Speciosa misericordia Dei in tempore tribulationis the mercie of God is beautiful and pleasant in time of tribulation This signified also our Sauiour whē he saied your sorovv shal be turned into ioy that is you shal reioice that euer you were sorowful This had Dauid proued when he saied thy redie o Lord and thy staffe haue comforted me that is I take great comfort that euer I was chastised with them And againe according to the multitude of my sorovves thy consolations haue made ioiful my mind That is for euery sorow that I receaued in time of afflictiō I receaue now a consolation after my deliuerance And again in an other place I vvil exult and reioice in thy mercie ô Lord. And wherfore good king wilt thou so reioice it foloweth immediatly For that thou hast respected my abasement and hast deliuered my soule frō the necessitie vvherin shee vvas and hast not left me in the handes of mine enemie This then is one most gracious meaning of our louing and merciful father in afflicting vs for a time to the end our ioy may be the greater after our deliuerance as no doubt but it was in al thos whom I haue named before deliuered by Gods mercie I meane Abrahā Ioseph Daniel Sidrach Misach and Abdenago Susanna Iob Thobias Peter and the rest who tooke much more ioy after their deliuerance then if they had neuer bene in affliction at al. When Iudith had deliuered Bethulia and returned thither with Holofernes head there was more hartie ioy in that citie then euer there would haue bene if it had not bene in distresse When S. Peter was deliuered out of prison by the Angel there was more ioy for his deliuerance in the Church then could haue bene if he had neuer bene in prison at al. OVT of this great ioy resulteth an other effect of our tribulation much pleasant to God and comfortable to our selues and that is a most hartie and earnest thankesgeuing to our Lord for our deliuerance such as the prophet vsed when he saied after his deliuerance I for my part vvil sing of thy strength and vvil exalt thy mercie betimes in the morning for that thou hast bene my aider and refuge in the daey of my tribulation Such hartie thankes and praise did the childrē of Israel yeeld to God for their deliuerance when they were passed ouer the read sea in that notable song of theirs which beginneth Cantemus domino and is registred by Moyses in Exodus From like hartie affect came also thos songes of Anna Debora and Iudith moued therunto by the remembrance of their afilictions past And finally this is one of the cheefest things that God esteemeth and desireth at our hādes as he testefieth by the prophet saying cal vpon me in the day of tribulation I vvil deliuer thee and thou shall honour me BESIDES AL thes effects God hath yet further reasons of laying persecution vpon vs as for example to the end that by suffering perceiuing in deed Gods certaine assistance and consolation therin we may come to be so hardie bold and constant in his seruice as nothing afterward can dismay vs. Euē as Moyses albeit he were first afeard of the serpent that was made of his rodd and so fled away from it yet afterwardes whē he by Gods commandement had once taken it vp by the taile he feared it no more This the prophet Dauid expresseth notablie whē he saieth God hath bene our refuge and strēgth and helper in our great tribulations and therfore vve vvil not feare if the vvhole earth should be troubled and the mountaines cast into the middest of the sea What greater considence can be imagined then this AGAINE by persecution afflictiō God bringeth his children to the exercise and perfect possession of al the holy vertues belonging to a Christian man As for example faith is exercised in time of tribulation by considering the causes of Gods permission and beleeuing most assuredlie the promises he hath made for our deliuerance Hope is exercised in conceauing assuring our selues of the rewards promised to thē that suffer patiently Charitie is exercised in considering the loue of Christ suffering for vs and therby proueketh the afflicted to suffer againe for him Obediece is exercised in cōforming our willes to the wil of Christ. Patience in bearing quietlie
wrake A day and a night was I in the bottome of the sea oftentimes in iourneys in dangers of fluddes in dāgers of theeues in dangers of Iewes in dāgers of Gentiles in dangers of the citie in dāgers of wildernes in dangers of sea in dangers of false brethren in labour and trauaile in much watching in hungar and thirst in much fasting in cold and lack of clothes and besides al thes external thinges the matters that dailie doe depēd vpō me for my vniuersal care of al Churches By this we may see now whether Christs holy Apostles taught vs more by wordes then they shewed by their owne examples about the necessitie of suffering in this life Christ might haue prouided for them if he would at leastwise thinges necessarie to their bodies and not haue suffered them to come into thes great extremities of lacking clothes to their backes meate to their mouthes and houses to pat their heades in He that gaue thē authoritie to doe so manie other miracles might haue suffered them also to haue procured sufficient maintenance for their bodies which should be the first miracle that worldly men would worke if they had such authoritie Christ might haue saied to Peter when he sent him to take his tribut from out of the fishes mouth take so much more as wil suffice for your necessary expēces when you trauaile ouer foraine countries But he woulde not nor yet diminish the great afflictions which I haue shewed before though he loued them as dearely as euer he loued his owne soule Al which was done as S. Peter interpreteth to geue vs example what to folow what to looke for what to desire what to comsort our selues in amiddest the greatest of al our tribulatiōs Saint Paul vseth this as a principal consideration when he writeth thus to the Hebrewes vpon the recital of the sufferinges of other saintes before thē Wherfore we also brethren saieth he hauing so great a multitude of witnesses that haue suffered before vs let vs lay of al burdens of sinne hanging vpon vs and let vs runne by patience vnto the battaile offered vs fixing our eyes vpon the authour of our saith and fulfiller of the same IESVS who putting the ioyes of heauen before his eyes sustained patiētly the Crosse contemning the shame and confusion therof and therfore now sitteth at the right hand of the seate of God Thinke vpon him I say which sustained such a contradictiō against him self at the hādes of sinners be not wearie nether faint yee in courage For you haue not yet resisted against sinne vnto blood and you haue for gotten perhaps that comfortable saying which speaketh vnto you as vnto children My sonne doe not contemne the discipline of our Lord and be not vvearie vvhee thou art chastised of him For whom God loueth he chastiseth and he whippeth euery sonne whom he receaueth Perseuer therfore in the correctiō laied vpon you God offereth him self to you as to his children For what child is there whom the father correcteth not if you be out of correction wherof al his children are made partakers then are you bastardes not children Al correction for the present time when it is suffered seemeth vnpleasant and sorowful but yet after it bringeth foorth most quiet fruite of iustice vnto them that are exercised by it Wherfore strengthen vp your wearie handes and loosed knees make way to your feete c. That is take courage vnto you and goe forward valiantly vnder the Crosse laied vpon you This was the exhortation of this holy captaine vnto his countrie man souldiers of IESVS Christ the Iewes Saint Iames the brother of our Lord vseth an other exhortation in his Catholike epistle to al Catholikes not much different from this Be you therfore patient my brethren saith he vntil the cōming of our Lord. Beholde the husbandman expecteth for a time the fruite of the earth so pretious vnto him bearing patientlie vntil he may receaue the same in his season be you therfore patient and comfort your hartes for that the cōming of our Lord wil shortlie draw neere Be not sadde and complaine not one of an other Beholde the Iudge is euen at the gate Take the prophetes for an example of labour and patience who spake vnto vs in the name of God Beholde we account them blessed which haue suffered You haue heard of the sufferance of Iob and you haue seene Isa e that our Lord is merciful and ful of compassion I might here alleage many things more out of the scripture to this purpose for that the scripture is moste copious herein and in verie deed if it should al be melted and poured out it would yeld vs nothing els almost but touching the crosse and patient bearing of tribulatiō in this life But I must end for that this chapter groweth to long as the other did before And therfore I wil onelie for my conclusion set down the confession and most excellent exhortation of olde Mathathias in the time of the cruel persecution of Antiochus against the Iewes The storie is thus reported in the scripture At that time the officers of Antiochus said vnto Mathathias thou art a prince of greatest estate in this citie adorned with children and brethern come thou therfore first and doe the kinges commādement as other men haue done in Iuda and Ierusalem and thou and thy children shal be the kings freends and enriched with gold and siluer and many giftes frō him Wherto Mathathias answered with a loude voice if al nations should obey Antiochus to depart from the obedience of the lawes of their auncestours yet I my children and brethern wil folow the lawes of our fathers Let God be merciful vnto vs at his pleasure c. And the daies came of Mathathias his death and then he saied vnto his children Now is the time that pride is in her strength Now is the time of chastisemēt towardes vs the time of euersion indignation is come Now therfore ô Children be you zelous in the lawe of God yeld vp your liues for the testament of your fathers remember the workes of your auncestours what they haue done in their generations and so shal you receaue great glorie and eternal name Was not Abraham found faithful in time of temptation and it was reputed vnto him for iustice Ioseph in time of his distresse kept Gods commandementes and was made Lord ouer al Egypt Phinees our Father for his zeale towardes the lawe of God receaued the testament of an euerlasting presthode Iosue for that he fulfilled Gods word was made a captaine ouer al Israel Caleb for that he testified in the Church receaued an inheritance Dauid for his mercie obteined the seat of an eternal kingdome Elias for that he was zealous in zeale of the lawe was taken vp to heauen Ananias Azarias and Misael through their beleefe were deliuered from the flame of the fire Daniel for
in the successours And he which holdeth the name therof by descēt only without vertue is a meere monster in respect of his auncestours for that he breaketh the limites and nature of nobilitie Of which sort of men God saieth by one prophet They are made abominable euen as the things vvhich they loue their glorie is frō their natiuitie from the bellie and from their cōception It is a miserable vanitie to begge credit of dead men wher as we deserue none our selues to seek vp old titles of honour from our auncestours we being vtterlie vncapable therof by our own base maners and behauiour Christ clearlie confounded this vanitie when being descended him self of the greatest nobilitie and rase of kings that euer was in this world and besides that being also the sonne of God yet called he him self ordinarilie the sonne of man That is to say the sonne of the pore virgin MARIE for otherwise he was no sonne of man and further then this also called hi self a shepheard which in the world is a name of contempt He sought not vp this that old title of honour to furnish his stile withal as our mē doe Nether when he was to make a king first in Israel did he seeke owt the auncientest blood but tooke Saul of the basest tribe of Iewes and after him Dauid the poorest sheepheard of al his brethren And when he came into the world he soght not out the noblest men to make princes of the earth that is to make Apostles but tooke of the poorest simplest therby to cōfound as one of them saieth the folish vanitie of this world in making so great account of the preeminence of a litle flesh and blood in this life THE FOVRTH vanitie that belongeth to ambition or pride of life is worldlie wisdome wherof the Apostle saieth The vvisdom of this vvorld is folie vvith God If it be folie then great vanitie no dowbt to delite and bost so much in it as men doe It is a strange thing to see how contrarie the Iudgmentes of God are to the iudgmentes of men The people of Israel wold needes haue a king as before I haue said and they thought God would haue geuen them presentlie some great mightie prince to rule ouer them but he chose out a poore man that folowed asses vp down the countrie After that when God wold displace this man againe for his sinnes he sent Samuel to anoint one of Isay his sonnes and being come to the house I say brought forth his eldest sonne Eliab a lustie taule felow thinking him in deed most fitte to gouerne but God answered Respect not his countenance nor his taulnes of personage for I haue reiected him nor doe I iudge according to the countenance of man After that I say brought in his second sonne Abinadab and after him Samma and so the rest vntil he had shewed him seuen of his sonnes Al which being refused by Samuel they maruailed much and said there was no more left but onelie a litle read headed boye that kept the sheep called Dauid which Samuel caused to be sent for And as sone as he came in sight God said to Samuel this is the man that I haue chosen When the Messias was promised vnto the Iewes to be a king they imagined presentlie according to their worldlie wisdome that he should be some great prince and therfore they refused Christ that came in pouertie Iames and Iohn being yet but carnal seing the Samaritanes contemptuouslie to refuse Christes disciples sent to them and knowing what Christ was thought streight way that he must in reuēge haue called downe fire from heauen to consume them But Christ rebuked them saying you knovv not of vvhat spirit you are The Apostles preaching the crosse necessitie of suffering to the wise Gētiles and Philosophers were thought presentlie fooles for their labours Festus the Emperours lieutenant hearing Paul to speake so much of abandoning the world and folowing Christ said he was madde Finallie this is the fashion of al worldlie wise men to condemne the wisdome of Christ and of his Saints For so the holie scripture reporteth of their own confession being now in place of torment nos insensati vitam illorum aestimabanins insaniam we fond men esteemed the liues of Saintes as madnes Wherfore this is also great vanitie as I haue said to make such accoumpt of worldlie wisdome which is not onelie called folie but also madnes by holie scripture itself Who would not thinke but that the wise men of this world were the fittest to be chosen to doe Christ seruice in his Church Yet S. Paul saieth non multi sapientes secundum carnem God hath not chosen many wise men according to the flesh Who wold not think but that a worldly wise man might easilie also make a wise Christian yet S. Paul saith no except first he become a foole stultus fiat vt sit sapiens If any man seeme wise amongest you let him become a foole to the end he may be made wise Vaine then of no account is the wisdome of this world except it be subiect to the wisdome of God THE FIFTH vanitie belonginge to pride of life is corporal beautie wherof the wise man saith vaine is beautie and deceauable is the grace of a faire countenance Wherof also king Dauid vnderstode properlie when he said Turne avvaye my eies ō Lord that they beholde not vanitie This is a singular great vanitie dangerous and deceatful but yet greatlie esteemed of the children of men whose propertie is to loue vanitie as the prophet affirmeth and experiēce teacheth Beautie is cōpared by holiemen to a painted snake which is faire without and ful of deadlie poison within If a man did cōsider what infinite ruines and destructiōs haue come by ouer light geuing credit therunto he wolde beware of it And if he remembred what foule drosse lieth vnder a faire skinne he wolde litle be in loue therwith saith one holy father God hath imparted certaine sparcles of beautie vnto his creatures therby to drawe vs to the consideration and loue of his owne beautie wherof the other is but a shadow euen as a man finding a litle issue of water maye seeke out the fountane therby or happening vpon a smal vaine of gold may therby come to the whole mine it self But we like babes delite our selues onelie with the faire couer of the book and neuer doe consider what is writen therin In al faire creatures that man doth beholde he ought to reade this lesson saith one father that if God could make a peece of earth so faire and louelie with imparting vnto it some litle sparke of his beautie how infinite faire is he himself and how worthie of al loue and admiration And how happie shal we be when we shal come to enioye his beautiful presence wherof now al creatures doe take their beautie If
probabilite had bothe sene him and heard him in his life This man then hauing liued verie long in this his charge of bishoprike being now a hundred and twentie yeares olde was in the time of Traian the Emperor S. Iohn the Euangelist being dead a litle before accused by certaine heretiques who then first as Egisippus saith who liued in the same time beganne to shew them selues openly in the world hauing liued secretly in corners before for that al the holy Apostles and others which had heard our Sauiour speake were now dead and therfore thes heretiques deuised now what new expositions vpon scriptures liked them best And for that this man was the only or cheefe piller that stood against them for defence of the Catholique faith and apostolical traditiō at that daie they caused him coningly to be apprehended and presented before Atticus then gouern our of Iurie for the Emperour Who after many allurementes and threates vsed vnto him when by no me ās he could moue him to relent from his cōstancie in Christes seruice he caused him to be beaten with whippes and to be tormented many daies together which the old man indured with most wonderful corage in so much that Atticus being astonied saith our author that one of six skore years of age could beare so many torments commanded him finally to be nailed on a crosse as his master Christ was and so he died At the very same time liued therin Asia a man of singuler name for his holines called Ignatius disciple to the apostles by them or deined bishop of Antioche after that S. Peter had lest the same This mā being accused for his faith to the gouernour of Syria and standing constant in the confession therof was condemned by him to be torne in peeces of wild beastes But for that he was a person of great marke he was sent prisoner to Rome vnder the custodie of ten soldiars to suffer ther. And albeit thes soldiars vpon the way vsed him very discurteously and kept him straite yet founde he meanes either by speech or letters to comfort al Christians as he passed by them But especially as Eusebius noteth he inculcated two pointes to be remembred of them Primum vt haereses quae tum primò emergere caeperunt maxime praecaue ēt deinde vt apostolorū traditioni 〈◊〉 adhaerescerēt first that they should aboue al other things take heed of new opinions and heresies which then first began to creepe abroad and secōdly that they should sticke and cleane most firmely to the tradition of th' Apostles for the true vnderstanding and interpretation of scriptures that is to say they should admit no other interpretation but that which al churches by general and vniforme consent had receaued from th' apostles insinuating hereby that this should be an infallible rule to guide men by vnto the worlds ende Besides this the good man got time also and opportunitie in his iourney to write diuers epistles to sandry churches which Eusebius in his storie setteth downe And among other things either he being informed or fearing of him self that the Christians in Rome hearing of his comming would make means to the Emperour to get pardon for his life and so depriue him of martyrdome he write a most earnest letter vnto them beseeching them not to doe so Out of which letter both Eusebius and S. Hieron doe cite thes most excellent words following In this my iourny saieth he from Syria to Rome I am inforced to fight day and night with ten leopards that is with ten soldiars sent to keepe me Who the more benifites I doe bestow vpon them the worse and the more cruel they are towards me But their iniquitie is my instruction and yet hereby I am not iustified Would God I were once come to inioy thos beastes that are appointed to deuoure me I desire greatly that it may be hortly that they may be stirred vp to eate me quickly least perhapes they abstaine to touch me as they haue done from the bodies of other martyrs But if they should refuse to set vpon me I wil intise them on my self Pardon me my children for I know what is good for me Now I begine to be Christs true disciple desiring nothing that is sene in this world with mans eyes but only IESVS Christ my Sauiour Fire crosse beastes breaking of my bones quartering of my members tearing and renting of my body and al th' other tormentes that the diuel can inuent let them al come vpon me only that I may inioy my IESVS Thus far doth Eusebius cite the words of his own epistle which yet is exstant And S. Irenaeus S. Ierom doe 〈◊〉 yet further that when he came to suffer and heard the roringes of the lions redy to come forth vpon him he vsed thes words I am Gods corne and the teeth of thes wild beastes must grinde me to the ende I may be pure and good bread for Christs table He suffered saith S. Ierome in th' eleuenth yeare of Traians reigne and his reliques were carried backe againe by Christians from Rome to Antioche and ther are kept without the gate called Daphnitica Here we see the feruour of this seruant of God we see his constancie his corage his comfort in suffering And how came he deare brother to this most happie and blessed estate We heare him say of him self that novv he began to be Christes true disciple vvhen he desired nothing that mans eye can behold but only his Lord and Sauiour IESVS Christ. This burning loue then of IESVS did consume in him al other loue and affection that stayeth worldly men from like resolution He was no frende or louer of this world Heare the saying of an other light and lanterne of Gods church which liued at the very same time and suffered so one after him for the same cause and spake with him in his iourney toward Rome I meane S. Policarpus who wrote thus of Ignatius presently after his martyrdome vnto the Philippenses I beseech you brethren to yeld al obedience wher it is due and to vse al patience in your afflictions according to the example which you haue seene in Ignatius and other martyrs as also in S. Paul and the rest of the Apostles assuring your selues that thos men ranne not in vaine but in faith and iustice and therfore are gone to the place which was due vnto them being now with their Lord of whos afflictions they were made partakers in this life They were no louers of this world but they loued their maister who suffered death for our loue and rose againe for our glorification Thus far Policarpus And for that we are fallen into the mention of this rare and worthie man Policarp who albeit he sawe not Christ hī self in flesh yet did he liue most familiarly with diuers of the Apostles especially with S. Iohn Euāgelist whose domestical disciple he
was many yeares and by him made bishope of the Church of Smyrna and for that his fight and martyrdome for Christian religion ensued not longe after the death of Ignatius it shal not be amisse to speake of him also in this place The storie is set downe at large by Eusebius and others out of an Epistle writen by the Christians of the Church of Smyrna which were al present at the whole tragedie of his death the summe wherof is this that wheras at a certaine day by the commandement of the Emperour Antonius incredible and innumerable tormēts were vsed against Christiās in the citie of Smyrna diuers did beare the same out with inuincible courage to the singuler comfort of their brethren and to the great admiration of their enemies albeit one Quintus that was newly come out of Phrygia and had rashlie offered him self to the tortours before he was sought for fel shamefully the same day denied his profession Polycarpus then while thes thinges were in doing remained secretly in a house therby with other christians whether euery thing was brought to him by the brethren as soone as they were done and at length newes came that Polycarpus himself was sought for Wherat he nothing moued answered with a quiet mind and countenance that he was ready meaning in deede to expect the officers ther vntil they came for him But the christians that were present with him inforced him whether he would or no to retire him self vnto a litle village not far of where he made his abode for certaine daies whiles he was sought for in the citie During which time he did nothing els saith the storie but pray day and night and that especially for the peace and vnitie of the Church for that heresies now pubblicly begon to swarme He had a vision also which he tould vnto thos that were ther present with him signifying that he must goe to Christ by fier At length the purseuants that had sought him al about the citie came by Gods permission vnto the village where he was and therupon he sted by night vnto another whether they followed him also And ther finding two children in the street enforced the one of them by beating to discouer the house wherin he laie Comming therfore into the house and vnderstanding that he was in a chamber aboue sent for him to come downe and albeit the messenger fauouring Polycarpus shewed him a way how to escape by an other house yet he refused the same saing we haue fled inough let Gods wil be done And so comming downe with a mery countenance bid them hartely welcome and commanded the meate left in the house to be set before them beseeching them only to giue him one houres space wherin to pray vnto his Lord before he departed Which they willingly granted being much moued with his gray haires and fatherly countenance as allo cast into admiratiō with the feruour of his praiers that he made ther by him self whiles they were eating Which being ended they tooke him forthe placing him vpon an Asse and so led him towardes the citie of Smyrna very early in the morning vpon the great saboth day hauing aduertised the Magistrates before of their comming who for that cause were gathered together with al the people in the market place And to make the matter more solemne they sent forth one Herode that was prouost of the peace to mete him and fetch him in He therfore comming forth with great pompe in his coche met with Polycarpus first saluted him with great honour and reuerence causing him to come downe from the asse and to sit with him in his coche there began to flatter him saing You are a graue and wise man haue respect vnto your self what great matter man is it to say Lord Caesar or to make a sacrifice But Polycarpus held his peace and when the other went forward to vse many wordes to that purpose Polycarpus answered Syr in fine I am not to folow your counsel At which wordes he taking great disdaine thrust him headlong out of his coche and that with such violēce as he wounded pitifullie his legge in going forth But the old man making no accompt therof followed merily the soldiars that lead him And when he came to the place wher the iudges were he entred in with a mery countenance and much the more for that at the very instant when he entred ther was a cleare and lowd voice heard from heauen saying beos good corage Polycarpe bebaue thy self valiantly When he came before the high magistrate named Procōsul first ther was an insinite crie geuen out by the people against him Which being appeased the Proconsul asked him whether he were Polycarpus to which he answered yea Then said the Proconsul haue regarde vnto thy oldage Father repent desire that wicked mē may be destroied Wherat Polycarpe turned him self vnto the multitude and lifting vp his handes to heauen with a deepe sigh said ô Lord destroy or take awaie the wicked Then said the Proconsul sweare also by Caesars fortune and defie Christ. Wherto Polycarp answered I haue serued Christ now fourescore years and more and he neuer yet did me any hurt but much good and how thē can I defie my Lord king that hytherto hath so mercifully dealt with me Then vrged the Procōsul againe that he shoulde sweare by Caesars fortune Wherto th' other replied if thou name Caesars good fortune so often for oftentations sake know thou that I am a Christian which hath 〈◊〉 to doe with fortune and if thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what Christian 〈◊〉 appoint a day and I wil teache the. 〈◊〉 this people quoth the Proconsul to be content with that No said Policarpe I 〈◊〉 them not worthie to be dealt withal in such a matter but to the as to a Magistrate our profession teacheth vs to haue respect and reuerence After this there passed diuers other speaches betwene them the one threatening tormentes beastes fier and sword and th' other shewing al desire and readines to susteine the same The people cried out continually that he might be torne with wild beastes But that was denied for that the beastes were wearied out vpon other martyrs before Thē cried they that he might be burned aline which Policarp hearing and remembring the vision which he had seene in the village before his apprehension fel downe of his knees and praied and soone after rising againe turned him to the people and said be ve content for you shal haue your desire for it is determined that I shal be burned aliue and a litle after the Proconsul gaue sentence for his burning When he was brought vnto the fier he put of his own apparel saith the storie but when he came to his showes he had some difficultie therin for lake of vse being neuer permitted by Christians to doe that office to him self before euery one thinking it a felicitie to be
of Iewes whom we see dispersed ouer al the world at this daie in bondage both of bodie soule Which worke of Gods Iustice though it be most terrible yet was his mercie greater to thē as appeareth by Christs wordes if they had not reiected the same Thirdlie his mercie exceedeth his iustice euen towardes the damned them selues in that he vsed many meanes to saue them in this life by geuing them freewil and assisting the same with his grace to doe good by mouing thē inwardlie with infinite good inspirations by alluring thē outwardlie with exhortatiōs promisses examples of others as also by sicknes aduersities and other gentle corrections By geuing them space to repent with occasions opportunities and excitations vnto the same By threatning thē eternal death if they repented not Al which thinges being effectes of mercie and goodnes towardes them they must needes confesse amiddest their greatest furie and tormentes that his iudgementes are true iustified in them selues and no waies to be cōpared with the greatnes of his mercies By this then we see that to be true which the prophet saieth Misericordiam veritatem diligit dominus God loueth mercie and trueth And againe Mercie and trueth haue met together Iustice and peace haue kissed on an other We see the reason why the same prophet protesteth of him self I vvil sing vnto thee mercie and iudgement ô Lord not mercie alone nor iudgement alone but mercie and iudgement together that is I wil not so presume of thy mercie as I wil not feare thy iudgement nor yet wil I so feare thy iudgement as I wil euer despaire of thy mercie The feare of Gods iudgement is alwaies to be ioined with our confidence in Gods mercie yea in verie Saintes them selues as Dauid saith But what feare that feare trulie which the scripture describeth whē it saith the feare of our Lord expelleth sinne the feare of God hateth al euil He that feareth God neglecteth nothing he that feareth God wil turne and looke into his owne hart he that feareth God wil doe good woorkes They which feare God wil not be incredulous to that which he saith but wil keepe his waies and seeke out the things that are pleasant vnto him They wil prepare their hartes sanctifie their soules in his sight This is the description of the true feare of God set downe by holie scripture This is the description of that feare which is so much commended and commanded in euerie part and parcel of Gods worde Of that feare I saie which is called Fons vitae radix prudentiae corona plenitudo sapientiae gloria gloriatio beatum donum That is the fountaine of life the roote of prudence the crowne and fulnes of wisdome the glorie and gloriation of a Christian man a happie gift Of him that hath this feare the scripture saith happie is the man vvhich feareth our Lord for he vvil place his minde vpon his comman lementes And againe the man that feareth God shal be happie at the last end and shal be blessed at the day of his death Finally of such as haue this feare the scripture saith that God is their foundation God hath prepared great multitude of sweetnes for them God hath purchased them an inheritance God is as merciful to them as the father is merciful vnto his children And to conclude Voluntatem timentium se faciet God wil doe the wil of those that feare him with this feare This holie feare had good Iob when he said to God I feared al my vvorkes And he yealdeth the reason therof For that I knevve that tbovv sparest not him that offendeth thee This feare lacked the other of whō the prophet saieth The sinner hath exasperated God by saying that God wil not take accompt of his doings in the multitude of wrath Thy iudgementes ò Lord are remoued from his sight And againe vvherfore hath the vvicked man stirred vp God against him self by saying God vvil not take account of my doings It is a great exasperation of God against vs to take the one halfe of Gods nature from him which is so make him merciful without iustice and to liue so as though God wold take no account of our life wheras he hath protested most earnestlie the contrarie saying that he is like a hard and couetous man which wil not be contēt to receiue his owne againe but also wil haue vsurie for the lone that he wil haue a straite reckoning of al his goodes lent vs that he wil haue fruite for al his labours bestowed vpon vs finallie that he wil haue account for euery word that we haue spoken Our Sauiour Christ in the three score and eight psalme which in sundrie places of the gospel he interpreteth to be writen of himself among other dreadful curses which he setteth down against the reprobate he hath these let their eyes be daseled in such sorte as they may not see povvre out thy vvrath my Father vpō thē let the furie of thy vengeance take hād fast on thē Adde iniquity vpō their miquitie let him not enter into thy iustice Let them be blotted out of the booke of life let them not be enrolled together vvith the iust Here loe we see that the greatest curse which God can laye vpon vs next before our blotting out of the booke of life is to suffer vs to be so blinded as to adde iniquitie vpon iniquitie and not to enter into cōsideration of his iustice For which cause also this confident kinde of sinning vpon hope of Gods mercie is accounted by diuines for the first of the six greuous sinnes against the holie Ghost which our Sauiour in the gospel signifieth to be so hardlie pardoned vnto men by his Father And the reason why they cal this a sinne against the holie Ghost is for that it reiecteth wilfullie one of the principal meanes left by the holie Ghost to retire vs from sinne which is the feare and respect of Gods iustice vpon sinners Wherfore to conclude this matter of presumption me thinkes we may vse the same kinde of argumēt touching the feare of Gods iustice as S. Paul vseth to the Romanes of the feare of Gods ministers which are temporal princes Wouldest thou not feare the power of a temporal prince saith he doe wel then and thou shalt not onelie not feare but also receiue laude and praise therfore But if thou doe euil then feare for he beareth not the sword without a cause In like sort may we saye to those good felowes which make God so merciful as no man ought to feare his iustice Would ye not feare my brethrē the iustice of God in punishmēt liue vertuouslie then and you shal be as voide of feare as lions are saieth the wiseman For that perfect charitie expelleth feare But if you liue wickedlie then haue you cause to feare
now dead fower daies and also buried which signifieth the fower degrees of a sinner the first in voluntarie delectation of sinne the second in consent the third in fulfilling it by worke the fowerth in continuance or custome therof wherin whosoeuer is once buried saieth this holy father he is hardlie raised to life againe without a great miracle of God and many teares of his owne part The reason hereof is that which the wiseman saieth Languor prolixior grauat medicum an old sickenes doeth trouble the phisition Breuem autem languorem praecidit medicus But the phisition cutteth of quicklie a new or fresh disease which hath endured but a litle time The verie bones of an old vvicked man shal be replenished vvith the vices of his youth saieth Iob and they shal sleepe vvith him in the dust vvhen he goeth to his grauc We reade that Moyses in part of punishment to the people that had sinned in adoring the golden calfe broke the same in peeces and made them drinke it So the vices wherein we delited during our youth are so dispersed by custome in our bodies and bones that when old age doth come on we canne not ridde them at our pleasure without great difficultie and paine What folie then is it to deferre our amendment vnto our old age when we shal haue more impedimentes and difficulties by a great deale then we haue now If it seeme harde to thee to doe penance now to fast to praie and to take vpon thee other afslictions which the Church prescribed to sinners at their conuersion how wilt thou doe it in thy old age whē thy bodie shal haue more neede of cherishing then of punishment If thou find it vnpleasant to resist thy sinnes now and to roote them out after the continuance of two three or fower yeeres what wil it be after twentie yeres more adioined vnto them How madde a man wouldest thou esteeme him that trauailing on the waie and hauing great choise of lustie strong horses should let them al goe emptie and laie al his cariage vpon some one poore and leane beast that could skarse vphold him self and much lesse sustaine so great a burden cast vpon him And surelie no lesse vnreasonable is that man who passing ouer idlely the lustie daies and times of his lise reserueth al the labour trauaile vnto impotent and feble age But to let passe the folie of this deceit tel me good Christiā what ingratitude and iniustice is this towardes almightie God hauing receiued so many benefites from him alredie and expecting so great a paye as the kingdome of heauē is for thy seruice to appoint out notwithstanding the least and last and worst part of thy life unto his seruice that wherof thou art most vncertaine whether it shal euer be or neuer or whether God wil accept it whē it cōmeth or no He is accursed by the prophet which hauing whole and sounde cattel doth offer vnto God the lame or halting part therof How much more shalt thou be accursed who hauing so many daies of youth strength and vigour doest appoint vnto Gods seruice onelie thy limping old age In the law it was forbidden vnder a most seuere threate for any man to haue two measures in his house for his neighbour one greater to his frend and an other lesse for other men And yet thou art not ashamed to vse two measures of thy life most vnequal in preiudice of thy Lord and God wherby thou allotest to him a litle short maimed and vncertaine time of old age and vnto his enemie the world thou assignest the greatest the fairest the surest part therof O deare brother what reason is there why God should thus be vsed at thy handes what lawe iustice or equitie is this that after thou hast serued the world flesh and deuil al thy youth and best daies in the end to come and thrust thine old bones defiled and worne out with sinne into the dish of thy Creatour his enemies to haue the best and he the leauinges his enemies the wine and he the lies and dregges Doest thou not remember that he wil haue the fat and best part offered to him Doest thou not thinke of the punishment of thos who offered the worst part of their substance to God Folow the counsaile then of the holie Ghost if thou be wise which warneth thee in thes wordes Be mindeful of thy Creator in the daies of thy youth before the time of affliction come on before thos yeeres dravv neere of vvhich thou shalt saie they please me not How many hast thou sene cut of before thine eyes in the middest of their daies whiles they purposed in time to change their life How many haue come to old age it self and yet then haue felt lesse wil of amendement then before How many haue driuen of euen vnto the verie houre of death and then least of al haue remembred their owne estate but haue died as dum ne sensles beastes according to the saying of holie S. Gregorie The sinner hath also this affliction laied vpon him that vvhen he cometh to die he forgotteth him self vvhich in his life time did forget God O how many examples are there sene herof dailie how many worldlie men that haue liued in sensualitie how many great sinners that haue passed their life in wickednes doe end and die as if they wēt into some place insensible where no account no reckening should be demanded They take such care in their testamentes for flesh and blood the commodities of this world as if they should liue stil or should haue their part of thes vanities when they are gone In trueth to speake as the matter is they die as is there were no immortalitie of the soule and that in verie deede is their inward persuasion But suppose now that al this were not so and that a man might as easilie commodiouslie yea and as surely also cōuert him self in old age as in youth and that the matter were also acceptable enough to God yet tel me what great time is their lost in this delaie what great treasure of merit is there omitted which might haue bene gotten by labour in Gods seruice If whiles the captaine and other souldiers did enter into a rich citie to take the spoile one souldier should saie I wil staie come in the next daie after when al the spoile is gone would you not thinke him both a coward and also most vnwise So it is that Christ our Sauiour and al his good souldiers tooke the spoile of this life enriched them selues with the merites of their labours caried the same with them as billes of exchange to the bancke of heauen there receaue paie of eternal glorie for them And is it not great folie and peruersnes in vs to passe ouer this life without the gayning of any meritat al Now is the time of fight for
their last extremety shal cry for help and their crie shal be as sharp to pearse mēs eares as a sword is yet notwithstāding no mā shal heare thē And thou ô Lord which onely canst help them shalt be so farre of from hearing or pitying their case as thou shalt also laugh at their miserie and destruction By al which is signified the great calamitie of such as deferre their conuersion vnto the last day expressed by three circumstances in the former sentence alleaged For first he saith they vvil turne at the euening that is at the houre of death For as the euening is the end of the day and the beginning of night euen so is this time the end of light and the beginning of al darkenes vnto the wicked In which sense Christ said I must vvorke the vvorkes of him that sent me vvhiles the day lasteth for night vvil come on vvhen no man can vvorke more At this time then that is at this euening in this twy light betwene day and darkenes when the pleasant brightnes and heate of al sunne beames is past the brightnes I meane of honour of vainglorie and of worldlie pompe is consumed when the heat of concupiscence of carnal loue of delicate pleasures is quenshed when the beautiful sommer day of this life is ended and the boisterous winter night of death draweth on thē saieth the prophet wil the wicked man beginne of force to turne vnto God then wil he forsooth repent then wil he resolue him self and make his conuersion But what shal this be accepted You haue heard the prophets request to God Non miserearis doe not take mercie on them Not for that the prophet wisheth God to be vnmerciful but for that he wel knew Gods immutable iustice towardes such kinde of men Who 's miserie in this extremitie he expresseth further by saying they shal suffer hungar as dogges which is as if he should haue saied euen as dogges when they are hungrie are rauenous doe seeke by al meanes for meate be it neuer so homelie and wil refuse nothing that is offered but wil deuoure al thos things most gredilie which they contemned whiles their bellies were ful so thes men that would not heare of penance while they were in health wil now admit any thing and make strange of nothing Now I say when they can liue no longer wil they promise any paines what praiers you wil what fasting you please what almes deedes you can desire what austeritie soeuer you can imagine They wil promise it I say vpon conditiō they might now haue life againe vpon condition that the day might be prolonged vnto them albeit if almightie God should graunt them their request in this also as many times he doeth they would performe no one point therof but would be as careles as euer they were before yet for the present you shal see thē as hungrie as dogges saieth the prophet most redie to deuour any thing that may be deuised for their saluation And not contented with this the same prophet addeth yet a further clause of miserie And that is that they shal circuite or runne about the cilic euen as dogges doe when they are hungrie putting in their heades at eucry dore for releef though it be with great danger to be beaten out againe This expresseth an vnspeakable distresse and calamitie of wicked men at the last day when they shal circuite and runne about the whole citie of God both in heauen and earth to seeke help and shal finde none When they shal crie with sighes and grones as pearsing as a sword and yet shal not be heard For whether wil they turne them selues in this distresse vnto their worldly wealth power or riches alas they are gone and the scripture saieth riches shal not profit in the day of reuenge Wil they turne vnto their carnal frends But what comfort can they geue besides onely weeping and comfortles mourning Wil they aske helpe of the Saints in heauen to pray for them in this instant It is good surely so to doe but yet they can not chuse but remember what is writen The sainies shal reioise in glorie exultation shal be in their throtes and tvvo edged svvordes in their handes to take reuenge vpon nations and increpations vpon people to binde kings in fetters and noble men in manacles of iron to execute vpon them the prescript iudgement of God and this is the glorie of al bis saintes Their onely refuge thē must be vnto God who in deed is the onely sure refuge of al but yet in this case the prophet saieth here that he shal not heare them but rather contemne and laugh at their misery Not that he is contrarie to his promise of reccauing a finner at what time soeuer he repēteth and turneth from his sinne but for that this turning at the last day is not commonly true repentance and conuersion for the causes before rehearsed To conclude then this matter of delay what wise man is ther in the world who reading this wil not feare the deferring of his conuersion though it were but for one day Who doeth know whether this shal be the last day or no that euer God wil cal him God saith I called and you refused to come I held out my hand and you vvold not looke tovvardes me and therfore vvil I forsake you in your extremitie He doth not say how many times or how long he did cal and hold out his hand God saith I stand at the dore and knocke but he saith not how often he doth that or how many knockes he geueth Againe he said of wicked Iezabel the faigned prophetesse in the Apocalips I haue geuen her time to due penance and she vvold not and therfore shal she perish but he saieth not how long this time of repentance endured We read of wonderful examples herin HEROD the father had a cal geuen him and that a lowd one when Iohn baptist was sent vnto him and when his hart was so farre touched as he willingly heard him and folowed his counsaile in many thinges as one Euangelist noteth But yet because he deferred the matter and tooke not time when it was offered he was cast of againe and his last doings made worse then his former HEROD tetrarche the sonne had a cal also when he felt that desire to see Christ some miracle done by him but for that he answered not vnto the cal it did him no good but rather much hurt What a great knocke had PILATE geuen him at his hart if he had bene so fortunate as to haue opened the dore presently when he was made to vnderstand the innocencie of Christ as appeareth by washing his handes in testimonie therof and his wife also sent vnto him an admonition about the same No lesse knocke had king AGRIPPA at his dore when he cried out vpon the hearing of S. Paul O Paul thou