14. session second Canon Another kind of the relikes of syns is a certayne horrour or stupidity or rather sorrow and heauines which oppresse sicke to which apperteyneth the promise of Saint Iames Et alleuiabit eum Dominus and our Lord will lift him vp this SacrameÌ„t recomforteth the sicke when they marke the diuine promises expressed in the same and for that cause it should not be differred vntill the last houre when the sicke man doth not heare or else vnderstandeth nothing at all What vtility is reaped out of this Sacrament may be gathered by the words of the forme thereof Fiue places there be which are specially annoynted in which the fiue seÌ„ses are scituated to wit the sense of seeing the sense of hearing the sense of smelling the sense of tasting and the sense of touching and in the meane tyme the priest sayth Indulgeat tibi Dominus quicquid deliquisti per visum auditum c. Our Lord pardon or forgiue thee in whatsoeuer thou hast synned by sight by hearing and so of the rest and because that prayer is the forme of the Sacrament without all controuersy it effectually worketh that which the words doe sound and signify vnlesse there be some impediment on the behalfe of the receauer How great the bountifulnesse and mercy of our Lord God is in this Sacrament he will soone fynde that shall consider with himselfe what a mayne multitude of synnes do flow from these fiue fountaynes and this was the occasion why Saint Malachy a Bishop of Ireland whose life Saint Bernard wrote after that for some houres he had delayed to minister this Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to a certeyne noble woman that was sicke and she the meane tyme had departed out of this life he so farre foorth repented himselfe that with his priests he lay in the chamber of â—e dead woman all the night praying â—d lamenting imputing it to his owne â—ult that the vertuous woman eyther had â—ot recouered by the vertue of Extreme Vnction or had not receaued that ample pardon of her sins from the liberall mercy of our louing Lord and because this holy Bishop was the friend of God by his prayers and tearâ—◠〈◊〉 obteyned of him that the sayd woman should come agayne to life receaue from the hands of the same Saint both the effects of this holy VnctioÌ„ for she recouered her health liued many yeares after as we may piously coniecture gayned also the pardon of her sins This example of so worthy a man and of another most holy man faithfully related is inough to persuade all who with reasoÌ„ or authority wil be perswaded how much they ought to esteeme this venerable Sacrament CHAP. IX Of the ninth Precept of this Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the first tentation of the Diuell to wit Heresy VVHEN our death drawes neere our aduersary the diuel as a roâ—ring lyon is not wanting to himselfe but swiftly approacheth as vnto a prey with all his power assayles the sicke man in his last conflict and he is wont to make his first assault with the tentation concerning fayth for the things which we belieue do transcend not only our sense but also naturall reason and fayth it selfe the ground of our iustification and that being ouerthrowen all the buylding of our good workes falleth downe this of all other tentations it most grieuous because we are to encounter with an Aduersary not only most learned subtile but trained in this warfare from the beginning of the world He it is that hath seduced all the heads or ringleaders of heretikes of whome not a â—w were excellent and very wise men â—ell therefore doth the Apostle warne vs â—ur combat or conflict is not agaynst flesh bloud Ephes 5. â—hat is to say agaynst men but against the â—iritualls of wickednes that are aboue That is â—gaynst the Diuels which are spirits most â—icked and crafty spirits and see vs all from the ayre aboue called Coelum aëreum the aiery heauen our weapons in this batâ—ell are not disputations but simple beliefe of the truth for so do the two chiefe Aâ—ostles teach vs. S. Peter sayth Ephes 6. Your aduerâ—ary the Diuell goeth round about as a roaring lion â—eking whome he may deuoure agaynst whome mak â—esistance being stronge in sayth and Saint Paul 1. Pet. 6. In all things taking the shield of fayth in which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked enemy Therefore out of the doctrine of the Apostles we must dispute with the Diuell but with the shield of fayth take all his darts and beate them backe agayne although they seeme to be both fiery and burning that is efficacious subtle There is a very dreadfull example hereof in Peter Barocius Bishop of Padua who wrote three bookes of the methode of dying well he his second booke thus speaketh Fuere quemadmodum audiui c. Two there were as I haue heard in their tyme most learned and of all others of thâ—â— vniuersity in which they studied the chiâ—fest disputers both of good behauiour anâ— very deuout of which one of them aftâ— his death appeared vnto the other at sucâ— time as he was in his library and studyinâ— of the holy Scriptures and that all in buâ—ning fire the student a mighted at this spectacle and asking what the cause sholâ— be of so great torment the other witâ— griefe and sighes replyed saying when I was to depart out of this life the enemy oâ— mankynd to wit the Diuell came vnâ—â— me and for that he knew me to be weâ—â— learned he beganne to aske me about mâ— fayth what I did belieue I answered that 〈◊〉 belieued whatsoeuer was conteyned in the Apostles Creed he willed me to explicate somethinges vnto him which seemed not to be so cleere I did so and that in such manner as I had reade in the Creed of Athanasius for I thought that they could not be more carely or more truly explicated Then the Diuell It is not so as thoâ— doest surmize for those thinges which belong to God the Father are in part playne and true in part obscure and false for 〈◊〉 indeed is eternall but as he hath euer â—â—ene God so hath he not euer beene a faâ—â—er but first God and after a Father aâ—â—inst this when that I cryed out and sayd â—â—at it was an heretical position diaboâ—call doctrine the Diuell sayd this matter 〈◊〉 not to be decided by clamours but arguâ—ents if we be moued with desire of fynâ—ing out of truth I can easily alleadge reaâ—ons for my opinion as for your opinion defend it if you can and then shall you deliuer me from a great errour I poore wretch who presumed more on my wit â—nd learning then was fit beganne seriously to dispute with him as with some ordinary man till at length by little little with the arguments that he obiected against me he drew me into that
through the grace mercy of Christ who vouchsafed to dy for vs to become many wayes profitable and wholsome amiable and delightfull THE CONTENTS THE FIRST BOOKE Chap. 1. Of the first Precept which is That he who desireth to dye well doe liue well pag. 1. Chap. 2. Of the second Precept of dying well which is to dye first to the world pag 5. Chap. 3. Of the third Precept of the Art of dying well which is of the three Theologicall Vertues p. 17. Chap. 4. Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well which conteyneth three Euangelicall documents 26. Chap. 5. Of the fifth precept in which is detected the errour of the Rich meÌ„ of this world pag. 39. Chap. 6. Of the sixth precept of the Art of dying well in which are explicated three Morall Vertues 47. Cap. 7. Of the 7. precept which is of Prayer 57. Cap. 8. Of the eight precept which is of fasting 71. Cap. 9. Of the 9. precept which is of almesdeeds 72. Chap. 10. Of the tenth precept of dying well which is of the Sacrament of Baptisme pag. 97. Ca. 11. Of the 11. precept of CoÌ„firmation 107. Chap. 12. Of the twelfth precept which is of the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Altar pag. 113. Cap. 13. Of the 13. precept of Pennance 122. Chap. 14. Of 14. Precept of Order pag. 132. Chap. 15. Of the 15. Precept which is of Matrimony pag. 142. Chap. 16. Of the 16. precept which is of Extreme Vnction pag. 154. THE SECOND BOOKE Chap. 1. The first Precept of dying well when our death is neere at haÌ„d which is meditatioÌ„ of death 181. Chap. 2. Of the 2. Precept is of Iudgment 199. Cap. 3. Of the third precept which is of Hel. 204 Chap. 4. Of the fourth precept which is of the glory of the Saints pag. 213. Chap. 5. Of the 5. precept when our Death is neere which is of making our last will testament pa. 223 Cap. 6. Of the 6. precept which is of CoÌ„fessioÌ„ 228 Cap. 7. Of the 7. precept which is of receauing thâ— B. SacrameÌ„t giueÌ„ vs for our Viaticum pag. 234 Chap. 8. Of the 8. precept which is of Extremâ— Vnction pag. 250 Chap. 9. Of the first Tentation of the Diuell 〈◊〉 wit of Heresy pag. 256 Cap. 10. Of the 2. tentation to DesperatioÌ„ 162 Chap. 11. Of teÌ„ptatioÌ„ to the hatred of God p. 269 Chap. 12. Of the first Remedy against the temptations of the Diuell pag. 270 Cap. 13. Of the 2. Remedy against TeÌ„ptatioÌ„s 283. Ca. 14. Of such as dy not of an ordinary death 290 Chap. 15. Of the happy death of such as haue learned well this Art of dying well pag. 296 Chap. 16. Of the vnfortunate death of such as hauâ— neglected this Art of dying well pag. 304 Chap. 17. The suÌ„me of the Art of dying well 320 THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of this Art of Dying well which is That he who desyreth to dye well do liue well I Begin now to treat of the precepts or rules of this Art which I will deuide into two parts In the first we wil set downe rules which men should obserue whiles they are in good health In the second others which shall be necessary when they are dangerously sicke and by all probability in danger to dye soone In the first part we shall deliuer the precepts which appertayne vnto the vertues then those which appertayne vnto the Sacraments For by these two wayes we are most of al holpeÌ„ both to liue and to dye well But before both these this generall rule is to be premised to wit that he liuâ— well that desires to dye well for since that death is the end of our life certainly euery one who liueth vertuously vntil the end doth dye well and he cannot dye ill who neuer liued ill As on the other side he who hath alwayes liued ill doth so dye and he cannot but dye ill who neuer liued well and so it fareth in all other like things For euery one who keepeth on the right way to the place where he goeth arryueth without any missing or going out of the way but he who mistaketh the right way shal neuer come to the end he would he who studyeth diligently to attayne learning wil soone become learned doctor also in that he professeth and he who goeth alwayes to schoole but applyeth not his mynd vnto learning doth but leâ—se both tyme and labour Some perhaps will alleadge the example of the good theefe who alwayes liued ill and dyed well and made a happy end But it is not so For that good theefe rather liued deuoutly and religiously and therfore dyed also so saintly For notwithstanding that he spent the greatest part of his life wickedly yet he so well bestowed the other as he easily blotted out all former offences attayned vnto great singular merits For enflamed with charity towards God he openly defended Christ from the flaunders of the Iewes and hauing the like loue towards his neighbour he warned and checked his blaspheming companion and endeauored all he could to recall him to a better life for as yet he was in this mortall life when he said vnto his fellow neque tu times Deum qui in eadem damnatione es Et nos quidem iustè nam digna factis recipimus hic verò nihil mali gessit Neyther doest thou feare God who art in the same condemnation and we indeed iustly for we receaue according to our deserts but this maÌ„ what hath he done amisse Neyther was the same theefe as yet departed this life wheÌ„ he spake those noble words in which he confessed Christ Luc. 23. and inplored his help Domine memento mei cùm veneris in regnum tuum O Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome and therefore this good theefe seemeth to be one of those who came last into the vinyard receaued his reward before the first Matth. 20. True then generall is this principle he who liueth well doth dye well And this other in like manner he who liueth ill doth dye ill Neyther can it be denyed that it is a very dangerous matter to delay the change of our life froÌ„ vice to vertue vntill the last cast and those to be far happier who begin to beare the yoke of the law of God Thren 3. as Hieremy saith ab adolescentia sua from their youth and those in euery respect to be happiest of all Apoc. 14. who as the Apostle saith empti sunt ex hominibus primitiae Deo et Agno were bought from among men the first fruites vnto God and the Lambe who not only were not defiled with women but neither was there any lye found in their mouth they are without spot before the throne of God Such was Hieremy the Prophet S. Iohn Baptist aboue al the Mother of our Lord and many other Saints of both
true happines doth depend let him protract no tyme but presently go out of the world perfectly dye to the world when as otherwise it cannot possibly be that a man can liue to the world God togeather and at once enioy both earth and heauen CHAP. III. Of the third precept of the Art of dying well which is of the three Theologicall vertues VVE haue shewed in the former chapter that he cannot dye wel who goeth not out of the world dyeth not to the same Now is to be added what he is to doe who is dead to the world that he may liue to God because it is graunted to none to dye well that haue not liued well in this life as I haue written in the first chapter The briefe summe of liuing well is expressed by the Apostle in his first to Timothy in these wordes Finis praecepti caritas de corde puro conscientia bona fide non ficta the end of the commaundement is charity from a pure hart and a good conscience 1. Tim. 1. and an vnfeyned faith the Apostle was not ignorant of the answere which our Sauiour did giue to him who demaunded quid faciendo vitam aeternam possidebo Matth. 19. what shall I doe to attayne euerlasting life For he sayd Si vis ad vitam ingrediserua mandata if thou wilt enter into life keep the commaundements but he would explicate in few words the end of the principal commaundement on which the whole law and the vnderstanding fulfilling therof and the way to euerlasting life doth depend and withall he would teach vs what vertues are necessary to perfection of which elswhere he said nunc manent fides spes caritas maior autem est caritas now there remayne fayth 1. Cor. 13. hope and charity but the greater of those is charity he saith therefore that charity is the end of the coÌ„maundement that is the end of al the commaundements the obseruance of which coÌ„maundements is necessary vnto good life and this end is so placed in charity as that he who hath the Charity of God fulfilleth all the commaundements which apperteyne vnto the first table and he who hath the charity of his neighbour fulfilleth all the commaundements which belong to the second table This later part which might seeme more obscure he declareth in his epistle to the Romans saying Qui diligit proximuÌ„ c. He who loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law for thou shalt not commit adultery thou shall not kill thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse and if there be any other commaundement it is comprized in this word thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe the loue of thy neighbour worketh no ill the fullnes therfore of the law is loue Out of which discourse euery one by himselfe may perceaue al the commaundements which are referred to the worship of God to be fullfilled by charity alone for as the charity of our neighbour towards our neighbour worketh no euill so neyther doth the charity of God towards God worke any euill therefore the fullnes of the law as well towards God as towards our neighbour is loue or charity Now which is true and perfect charity as well towards God as our neighbour the same Apostle declareth saying Charitas ex corde puro conscientia bona fide non ficta charity out of a pure hart a good conscience and vnfeigned faith in which wordes by a good conscience we doe vnderstand with S. Augustine Praefat. in psal 31. the vertue of hope which is one of the three Theologicall vertues and Hope is called a good conscience because it proceedeth from a good conscience as desperation proceedeth from a bad hence is that saying of S. Iohn Carissimi c. my deerest if our hart doe not reprehend vs 2. Ioan. 3. we haue confidence towards God there are therfore three vertues in which the perfection of our Christian law doth consist Charity from a pure hart Hope from a good conscience and Faith not feigned and as charity if we respect the order of pefection is the first because most perfectest so if we respect the order of their proceeding to wit how they are produced then faith is the first according to the prescript of the Apostle nunc manent fides c. Now there remaine faith hope and charity these three but the greatest of these is charity Let vs begin with Faith which first of all before the other is in the hart of him who is to be iustifyed Not without cause did the holy Apostle add vnto faith this condition non ficta not faigned for faith beginneth our iustification if it be true and sincere not if it be false and feigned the faith of heretikes beginneth not iustification because it is not true but false the faith of ill Catholikes beginneth not their iustification because it is not sincere but feigned a feigned faith is taken two wayes as when one indeed doth not belieue and yet feigneth himselfe to beleeue or else indeed he doth belieue but liueth not as his beliefe teacheth him that he should and the words of S. Paul to Titus seeme to beare both the one and other sense and to be vnderstood of them both confitentur se nosse deum Hierom. in com Aug. ser 31. de verb. Apost factis autem negant they confesse themselues to know God but in their deeds deny him for so the holy Fathers S. Hierome and S. Augustine do interpret them And out of this first vertue of a iust man it may easily be coÌ„ceaued how great the multitude is of such who doe not liue well and consequently come to an ill death I let passe Infâ—dells Pagans Heretikes and Atheists who know nothing of this art how to liue well amongst Catholikes how great number is there of those who in wordes confesse that they know God but deny him in their deeds Who confesse Christ to be the Iudge of the liuing and the dead and yet so liue as though they had no Iudge at all Who confesse the Mother of our Lord to be a Virgin and by their blasphemyes feare not to call her a Harlot who commend prayers fastings almes and other works of vertue and yet alwayes practise the contrary vices I omit the rest which are knowne vnto all let them not therefore brag and vaunt that they haue not a feygned Fayth who eyther do not belieue at all that which falsly they affirme to beleeue or else they liue not as the Catholike faith doth commaund them to liue and by this they may know that as yet they haue not begunne to liue well neyther let them hope to dye well vnles through the help of Gods grace they learne in tyme this Art we treat of The other vertue of a man truly iust is Hope or else a good conscience as our maister S. Paul the Apostle hath thought fit in this place to call it this vertue proceedeth
praecincti Let your loynes be girded this is the literall sense of these wordes that we be ready and stopped by no entanglements to runne to meet with our Lord when he shal call vs by death to this particuler iudgement This similitude of girding the loynes is taken from the custome of the Easterne people who did weare long garments almost to their feet and when they were to walke apace they did gather vp their garment and girded therewith all their loynes least the length of their weed might hinder their hast and make them go more leasurely for which cause it is said of the Angell Raphael who â—ame to accompany the younger Toby Tunc egressus c. Then Tobias going forth Tob. 5. found a faier young man standing girt as it were ready to walke By occasion of this custome of the Easterne people 1. Pet. 1. S. Peter wrote propter quod succincti lumbos mentis vestrae soby perfectè sperate c. For the which cause hauing the loynes of your mynd girded sober hope perfectly c. and S. Paul to the Ephesians state succincti lumbos vestros in veritate stand yee hauing your loynes girded in truth Now to haue our loynes girded doth signify two thinges first the vertue of chastity secondly a promptitude or readines to meet with Christ whether he come to the particuler or generall iudgement Aug. lib. de contientia Loco citat The first sense is admitted by S. Basil in his exposition of the first chapter of the prophet Isaias by S. Augustine and S. Gregory and truly amongst all the passions and perturbations of the mynde no one doth so much hinder our swift and ready passadge to meet with Christ as the concupiscence of the flesh as on the other side nothing maketh a man more ready to runne and follow Christ then doth virginall chastity Apoc. ca. 14. 1. Cor. 7. for we read in the Apocalips that the Virgins doe follow Chrisâ— whersoeuer he shall goe to this doth S. Paul exhort vs saying qui sine vxore est c. He who is without a wife is careful of those thinges which concerne our Lord how he may please God but he who is with his wife is carefull how he may please his wife is deuided But the other exposition which doth not restraine and limit these girded loyns to chastity alone but extendeth it to prompt obedience of Christ in al thinges is of S. Cyprian Lib. de exhor Mart. cap. 8. and is generally admitted by all Commentours on S. Lukes Gospellâ— the meaning then of this place of thâ— Ghospell is that all the affaiers of this world albeit very good and necessary should not so farre forth possesse our myndes as that they should hinder this chiefest most principall care of being ready to meet our Sauiour when he shall call vs by death to yield an account of all our workes yea also of our words and thoughts euen our idle words vayne cogitations For what shall men wholy drowned in the world at that tyme doe when death at vnawares and not looked or prouided for shall come who in the whole course of their life haue neuer thought of giuing an account vnto God of all their workes of all their wordes of all their thoughts of all their desires of all their omissions shall such think you be able to haue their loynes girt runne to meet with Christ Or rather shall they not be tossed entangled in their filthy life and become both dumbe and desperate What wil they answere to the Iudge when he shall demaund of them why did you not giue eare vnto my wordes by which I warned you saying Seeke first for the Kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof and all these thinges shall be giuen vnto you why did you not consider the words so often and so publickly song and sayd in the Church Martha Martha sollicita es c. Martha Martha thou art carefull and troubled about many things but one is necessary Mary hath chosen the best part which shall not be taken from her If I haue reprehended the care of Martha who most deuoutly desired to serue my selfe doe you thinke that your care of gathering superfluous riches of greedy gaping after dangerous honours of satisfying your hurtfull appetites and in thâ— meane tyme forgetting the Kingdomâ— of God and the righteousnes thereof which aboue al things in this life is most necessary can please content me But let vs come to another duty of a diligent and faithfull seruant lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris and burning candles in yours hands it is not inougâ— for a good seruant that his loynes be girâ— whereby he may freely and without leâ— runne to meet with his Lord but it iâ— further exacted of him that there be also a burning candle in his hands which may shew him the way in the night at what tyme his Lord is expected to returnâ— from this marriage feast The candle in this place signifyeth the law of God which sheweth vs indeed a good way to walke in Lucerna sayth Dauid pedibus meis verbum tuum Psal 111. Thy word is a candle to my feet and lex lux sayth Salomon in his Prouerbes Prouer. 6. the law is a light but this candle giueth no light to a traueller or sheweth any way at al if it be left at home or in our chamber and therefore if we will haue it to shew vs the way we must cary it in our hands many there be that know the diuine and humane lawes but therefore they commit many sinnes and pretermit many necessary good workes because they cary not this candle in their hands that is they apply not their knowledge vnto the workes of the law How many great learned men are there who commit most grieuous offences because in their actions they take not direction from the law of God but are transported by their owne anger lust or some other disordinate passion of their mynd When King Dauid saw Bersabee naked had he recurred to this law he had found Non concupisces vxorem proximi tui thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife and had neuer falne into such an enormous crime but because he made no further recourse then to the womans beauty fogetting the law of God though otherwise a very iust holy man he coÌ„mitted adultery We must not then haue this candle hid and shut vp in our chamber but must still haue it in our handes obey the voyce of the holy Ghost which commaundeth vs that we meditate day and night on the law of our Lord Psal 1. and that we say with the Prophet Tu mandasti c. Psal 118. Thou hast commaunded thy coÌ„maundements most diligently to be kepâ— I would to God my wayes may be directed to keep thy iustifications He who hath alwayes the candle of Gods law before the eyes of his soule Psal 118. will
of this world are true owners of their owne wealth if they be coÌ„pared vnto other men who can lay no claim vnto theÌ„ yet if they be compared vnto God they are not maisters but administratours oâ— stewards or bayliffs of them which I caâ— proue by many authorityes Heare the kingly Prophet what he saith hereof Psal 23. Domini est terra saith he c. The earth is our Lords and all the plenty thereof the whole world and all that dwell therin And againe in another place Psal 29. Meae sunt omnes c. All the wild beasts of the forests and all the cattle on the mountaynes are myne if I shall be hungry I will not tell it vnto thee for myne is the whole world and the plenty therof in the first book of Paralipomenon when as Dauid had offered towards the building of the temple three thousand talents of gold 1. Paralip 29. and seuen thousand talents of most pure siluer and wonderfull great store of white marble and when the other Gouernours of the Tribes following the example of the King had offered fiue talents of gold ten of siluer eighteene of brasse besides a hundred thousand talents of iroÌ„ Dauid sayd vnto God Tua est Domine c. All maiesty and power and glory O Lord is thyne 1. Paralip 29. all things which are in heauen in earth are thyne thine is the Kingdom and thou art ouer all Princes thyne are riches and thine is glory thou rulest all who am I and who is my people that we may promise thee all these things All things are thyne and what we haue receaued at thy hands that we haue giuen thee Againe by the Prophet Aggaeus God saith Aggaei 2. myne is siluer and myne is gold which therefore our Lord did say that the people might know that there should nothing be wanting for the buylding of the temple seing it was he that commaunded it to be buylt who is true Lord and owner of all the gold and siluer and what else soeuer is in the whole world To these testimonyes of the old testament I wil add two more of the new taken out of the very wordes of our Sauiour There is a parable in S. Luke of the wicked Bailiffe Luc. 16. Homo quidam erat diues c. There was a certayne man that was rich saith Christ and he had a bailiffe who was ill spoken of to his maister as one that had wasted his goods and he called him and sayd vnto him How comes it that I heare this of thee Render an account of thy bailifship for thou canst no more be bailiffe By this rich man there can be no doubt but that God is meant who as now out of Aggaeus we haue heard saith meum est argentum meum est aurum all siluer and gold is myne by the name of a bailiffe or steward as it is in the Greeke copyes is vnderstood a rich man as the holy Fathers S. Iohn Chrysostome S. Angustine S. Ambrose S. Bede Theophilact Euthimius and others on this passage of Saint Lukes Gospell doe interprete euery rich man then of this world if he belieue the Ghospell must confesse that all the riches he enioyeth whether by iust or vniust claime not to be his owne for if his tytle vnto them be good then is he only the bailiffe and steward of God if vniust then is he a theefe a robber That this worldly rich man in this world is not the true maister of the goods he possesseth is cleerly euinced because he is chardged with iniustice before God who eyther by bodily death or beggary dischargeth him of his Bailiffeship for so much doe these wordes import Redde rationem villicationis tuae iam enim non poteris villicare Yield an account of thy bailiffeship for thou canst no longer be bailiffe Neyther doth God want wayes to make rich men poore and to put them from their bailiffeship for he can send them shipwarcks robberies haile wormes that deuoure the herbes and vynes too much rayne too much droth too great stormes and other the like these are the words of God which hâ—â— sayd vnto the rich man non poteris diutiuâ— villicare thou canst no longer be bailiffe That clause in the end of thâ— parable where our Lord sayth Make yâ—â— frendes of the mammon of iniquity that when yâ—â— faile they may receaue you into the eternall tabernacles doth not signify that we are to giuâ— almes out of vnlawfull riches but thaâ— almes are to be giuen out of those richeâ— which indeed are not such but only thâ— shadow of riches which is euidently gâ—thered out of the same place of the Goâ—pell of S. Luke where our Sauiour sayth If you haue beene vnfaithfull in the wicked mammon who will trust you for that which is the true The meaning of which wordes is Luc. 16. if 〈◊〉 wicked mammon to wit in false riches yoâ— haue not beene faithfull and bountifully bestowed them on the poore who wilâ— commit true riches vnto your charge the riches I meane of vertue which indeed doe make a man rich Cyprian lib. de opere eleemosyna Aug. Quaest Euang. quaest 34. So S. Cypriaâ— vnderstood and explicated this place and not much vnlike is the exposition of S. Augustine when he sayth the mammon of iniquity is that riches which only wicked men and fooles repute for such whereas the good wise men make no account of it but affirme the spirituall gifts of grace alone to be the treasure of the faithful The other place of the Gospell is also in S. Luke Cap. 16. which may serue for a commentary of the former parable now mentioned of the wicked Bailiffe Homo quidam sayth our Sauiour erat diues c. There was a certayne rich man who was clad in purple and silke and fared euery day sumptuously and there was a certayn beggar called Lazarus who did lye at his gate full of soares desiring to be fed with the crumms that fel from the table of the rich man no body did giue them vnto him but the dogs did come licke his soares and it came to passe that the poore man dyed and was caryed by the Angells into Abrahams bosome and the rich man dyed was buryed in hel Doubtles this rich glutton was one of them who esteemed themselues true Lords and owners of their riches and not the bailiffs or stewards of God and consequently he was perswaded that he did not synne against God although he wore purple and silke and fared euery day daintily and fed many doggs and perhaps some Comicall iesters stage-plaiers also for he sayd 〈◊〉 himselfe I spend myne owne goods 〈◊〉 doe no man wrong I doe not transgresâ—â— the lawes of God I doe not blasphemeâ— I doe not forsweare my selfe I keepe tâ— sabboth I honour my parents I neythâ— kil nor coÌ„mit adultery nor steale nor giâ—â— false witnes nor seeke after
belieue that Goâ— will do those things that we desire Iacob 1. for 〈◊〉 should our faith be very often found falâ— and consequently we should obteyne nothing we are therefore to belieue thaâ— God is most potent most wise mosâ— good most faithfull and for that causâ— to be able to know and to be ready tâ— doe that which we desire in case he thinke it fit for himselfe to bestow it oâ— expedient for vs to receaue it Matth. 9. This faitâ— did Christ require of the two blynd men who desired to be cured Do ye belieue that 〈◊〉 am able to do this cure for you With the same faith did Dauid pray for his Childe that was sick for that he did not belieue certainly that God would do it yet belieued he vndoubtedly that God could do it as these his words do demonstrate VVhâ— can tell whether our Lord perhaps may not bestow him vpon me 1. Reg. 12. and no doubt but S. Paul prayed with the same faith that the sting of flesh might be taken from him for he prayed out of faith and his fayth had beene falfe if he had certainly belieued that God would haue graunted him that thinge which then he demanded for at that tyme he obteyned it not neyther doth the Church pray with any other fayth when she prayeth that all heretikes Pagans Scismatickes and ill liuers may be conuerted and doe pennance and yet it is certayne that all will not be conuerted Lib. 1. c. 4. of which matter read S. Prosper in his booke of the calling the Gentills Another condition of a good prayer and that very necessary is hope or confidence for albeit we must not determyne absolutely by faith which is a worke of our vnderstanding that God will doe what we desire him yet must we by hope and confidence which is an action of our will stedfastly adhere vnto his diuine goodnes and certainly confide that he will graunt vs those thinges which we aske him this condition did our Sauiour require in him who was sicke of the palsey vnto whome he sayd Confide fili c. Haue confidence my sonne Matth. 9. thy synnes are forgiuen thee and the same doth the Apostle require of all men when he sayth Heb. 4. Let vs come with confidence to the throne of his grace that we may obteyne mercy and long before him the Psalmist maketh God 〈◊〉 say Psal 90. Because he hath hoped in me I wil deliuer hiâ— because this confidence springeth froâ— perfect faith therefore the Scripture wâ—â— in great matters it requireth faith aâ—deth commonly something apperteyniâ—â— vnto confidence and so we read in Saâ—â— Marke whosoeuer shall say vnto this mountayne thou taken hence and cast into the sea Mar. 11. and shall wauer in his hart but shall belieue that whatsâ—uer he sayth may be done it shall be done vnto hiâ— of which fayth begetting confidence to be vnderstood that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 13. Iâ— had so great faith as that I were able to remoâ—â— mountaynes For which cause Cassian in hâ—â— Collation or Conference of prayer wrâ—teth Colla. 9. cap. 52. that it is a certein signe of obteyniâ—â— that we wold haue if any one in his praâ—er do certainly coÌ„fide that he shal receaâ—â— the thinge he asketh for doth no wâ—â— stagger but fyndeth in the same himseâ— much moued with spirituall comfort The third condition of prayer charity or iustice by which we are iustifyed from our synnes for none are sure to obteyne the graces and blessings of God but they who are his friendes for so saitâ— Dauid in his psalmes They eyes of our Lord arâ— ouer the iust Psal 33. Psal 65â— and his eares are attent vnto their prayers in another place If I haue looked vpon iniquity in my hart our Lord will not heare me Ioan. 15. and in the new testament Christ doth say If you shall abide in me and my wordes that is my commaundements remayne in you you shall aske whatsoeuer you to wil and it shall be done for you And the beloued disciple 1. Ioan. 3. If our hart reprehend vs not we haue confidence in God and whatsoeuer we shall aske we shall receaue because we keep his commaundements and doe those things which are pleasing before him Neyther doth it contradict this doctrine that the publican crauing pardon of God for his sinnes returned iustifyed for this remission a penitent synner doth obteyne not as he is a synner but as he is penitent for as he is a synner he is the enemy of God but as he is penitent he entreth into his friendship He who synneth doth that which displeaseth God whome it grieueth to haue offended and doth that which is most pleasing vnto him The fourth condition is humility whereby he that doth pray relyeth not on his owne righteousnes Isay 66. but on Gods mercy VVhome shall I regarde sayth God but the poore coÌ„trite in spirit him that reuerenceth my wordes Eccles 35. And Ecclesiasticus addeth The prayer of him who humbleth himselfe shall pierce the clowdes and it shall not depart vntill the highest do behold it The fifth condition is deuotion which causeth him that doth pray not to pray negligently as many vse to do but attentiuely carefully diligently and feruently Matt. 15. Our Lord doth grieuously checke such who do pray only with their lipps This people honoureth me with their lipps but their hart is farre from me this deuotion we speak of ariseth from a liuely faith and such as is not only in habit but in act also and operation for he who attentiuely and with firme faith doth ponder how great the maiesty of God is how great our profit how great the thing which we aske iâ— cannot otherwise be but that he wilâ— come to his prayers with deep humility reuerence deuotion and fauour It will not be amisse heere to seâ— downe two notable testimonyes of the holy Fathers S. Hierome in his dialogue against the Luciferians Ad orationem assisto c. I stand at my prayer I would not pray vnlesse I did belieue But in case I did truly belieue I would make cleane that hart with which God is seene I would knocke my brest with my hands I would water my cheeks with teares I would tremble in body wax pale in visage I would lye prostrate at my Lordes feet and with weeping bedew them I would wype them with my haire I would sticke fast to the crosse would hot thence till I had obteyned mercy but now very often in my prayer I walke through the galleryes or cast vp the accounts of vsury or caried away with a filthy thought do thinke on those things which cannot without shame be spoken Where is our faith Do we think that Ionas prayed thus That thus the three childreÌ„ That thus Daniel amongst the lyons Or that thus the thiefe on the crosse So he And S. Bernard in his sermon of the foure
signifyed the intention of giuing almes in respect of euerlasting life of the glory of God and charity towardes our neighbour Againe our almes is to be giuen readily and with facility that it may not seeme to be wrunge out by intreaty nor delaied from day to day when it may preseÌ„tly be dispatched Say not saith the wiseman go thy wayes and come againe to morrow I will giue thee somwhat when thou canst giue it presently Abraham the friend of God requested the passengers that they would come to his howse and expected not to be intreated by them and his nephew Lot did doe the same so neyther did Toby expect that the poore people should come vnto him but he himselfe did seeke for them Thirdly it is requisite that our almes be giuen cheerfully and not with grudging â—ap 31. In euery thing sayth Ecclesiasticus thou giuest shew a cheerfull countenance and the Apostle Not out of sadnes or out of necessity for our Lord doth loue cheerfull giuer Fourthly it is necessary that our almes be giuen with humility in such manner as the giuer may know himselfe to receaue more then he giueth of which point thus writeth Saint Gregory Lib. 21. Moral ca. 14. multum ad edomandum dantis superbiam valet c. It helpeth much to check the pride of the giuer of almes if when he bestoweth his earthly substance he do weigh well the words of the heauenly maister Make you frinds of the mammon of iniquity that when you shall faile they may receaue you into the euerlasting tabernacles for if by the friendship of the poore we do gaine the eternall tabernacles doubtlesse we who giue are to perswade our selues that we do rather offer presents to our benefactours then bestow almes on the poore Fifthly it behoueth that we giue abundantly according to the proportion or measure of our ability for so did Toby that famous almes-giuer As thou shalt be able Tob. 4. so be thou pittifull to the poore if thou haue much giue plentifully if thou haue but little study how to giue that little willingly and the Apostle teachetâ— vs that an almes is to be giuen as a blessing Serm. 3. ad pop Ant. not as couetousnes and S. Chrysostome addeth not to giue only but to giue abundantly iâ— to be called almes and in the same Sermon he addeth that such as desire to be heard of God when they cry Haue mercy on me o Lord God according to thy great mercy must also haue mercy on the poore according to their great almes Last of all it is specially required that he who will be saued and dye well do diligently search out eyther by his owne reading and meditation or by other deuout learned men whether a man may keepe superfluous riches without synne or whether such be not of necessity to be giuen to the poore then further which are to be deemed superfluous riches which necessary for the case may so staÌ„d that meane riches to one be may superfluous and great wealth to another may seeme necessary And for that this small treatise cannot comport any prolixe dispute of scolastical questions I wil briefly repeat certeyn passages of the holy Scriptuâ—es and Fathers as well ancient as moderne and so conclude this difficulty The places of the Scripture are the sixth of S. Mathew You cannot serue God and mammon the third of S. Luke He who hath â—wo coates let him giue to him that hath none and â—nd he that hath meate let him do the like and in â—he twelth of the same Ghospell it is sayd to a rich man who so abounded in substance as that he scant knew where to lay them Tom. 7. ex 50. Thou foole this very night they will take from thee thy soule which wordes S. Augustine doth thus expound that this rich maÌ„ was euerlastingly damned because he reteyned superfluous wealth The chiefest authorityes of the antient Father for this matter are these S. Basil And art not thou a theefe or robber Basil orat ad diuites who esteemest that as thine owne which thou hast receaued only to dispense and giue away And a little after wherefore thou doest iniury to so many poore as thou wert able to giue vnto S. Ambrose Ambr. ser 81. VVhat iniustice is there if I who take not other mens goods from theÌ„ do diligently keep myne owne O impudent assertion Doest thou call them thine owne VVhich are they And after It is no lesse a cryme when thou art able and wealthy to deny almes to the poore then to steale or take away from him that hath it S. Hierome Ep. ad Heâ— quest 1. VVhatsoeuer thou hast more then is necessary for thy diet and apparell that bestow on the poore and know that for so much thou art a debter S. Chrysostome Dâ—â— thou possesse that which is thyne own Chrysost hom 34. ad pop Antioch the goods of poore are committed to thy custody whether tâ—â— possesse them out of thyne owne iust labour or bâ—â—ne all descent of inheritance Saint Augustinâ— The thinges that are superfluous to the rich are â—â—cessary to the poore they who possesse more then tâ—â— want possesse more then is theirs S. Leo Earâ—â— and corporall riches do come vnto vs from the bounâ—ty of God Aug. trac in psal 147. and therefore worthily is he to exact 〈◊〉 account of these thinges which he hath no more câ—â—mitted vnto vs to possesse then to disburse or distribute Leo. ser 5. de Collect. S. Gregory Such are to be warned who neyther desire other mens goods nor bestow their own that they attentiuely know that the earth of which we are all made is common vnto all 3. p. Past admonit 22. and therfore in common yeldeth sustenance for all and in vaine do they thinke themselues without fault who challenge as their owne that gift of God Ber. ep ad Henric. Arch. Sen. which hâ— hath bestowed vpon all S. Bernard The poore cry out say it is our goods that you wast it is with cruelty taken from vs which you so vainely spend S. Thomas of Aquine 22. Quae. 66. art 7. Quast 87. aâ—â— 1. Distin 15. The things which some haue more then they need is by the law of nature dew vnto the maintenance is the poore And Our Lord commaundeth not only the tyth or tenth part but whatsoeuer is superfluous to be giueÌ„ to the poore And vpon the fourth booke of Sentences he affirmeth this to be the common doctrin of all deuines Heere if any will contend â—hat these superfluous goods are not to be giuen vnto the poore out of the rigour of â—he law yet truly he cannot deny but â—hat they are to be giuen them out of charity it importeth little God wot wheâ—her a man go to hel for want of iustice or for want of charity CHAP. X. Of the tenth precept of dying well which is of the Sacrament of Baptisme HAVING explicated the
which ceremony is signifyed the casting off of all superfluous thoughts and desires as are the thoughts and desires of temporall things riches honours pleasures and the like and that they be commanded whiles the Bishop cutteth away their hayers to say that verse of the 15. psalme Our Lord is the portion of myne inheritance and of my cuppe thou O Lord shall restore me againe myne inheritance Then doth the Bishop call for a surplise and causeth the new Clarke to put it on saying that of the Apostle to the Ephesians God vest thee with the new man which is created according to God in iustice and holines of truth Cap. 4. but there is no office assigned to this new Clarke but out of the ancient custome we gather his office to be to serue the priest when he sayth Masse in ease he say it priuately Now let vs contemplate what height of perfectioÌ„ is required in a clark and if so much be required in a Clarke what is required in an Acolite in a Subdeacon in a Deacon in a Priest in a Bishop Truly I find in my selfe a horrour of mynd to thinke theron when as there are scant found these thinges in many priests which by vertue of the ordering is required in a simple Clarke The Clarke is willed to cast away superfluous thoughts and desires which are proper vnto secular men that is to say men which apperteyne vnto this world who are of the world who do alwayes thinke and desire the goods of the world a good Clarke is coÌ„maunded to seeke no other part or portion or inheritance but God that God alone be his riches and inheritance that he may truly be sayd and found to be the part and inhertance of God O height of Clericall perfection which forsakes the whole world that it may possesse God may agayne by reciprocall loue be possessed of God alone This is the meaning of the words of the psalme Our Lord is the part of my inheritance and of my cuppe pars haereditatis the part of my inheritance This part is called that portion which out of the diuision of an inheriâ—â—â—â— amongst many brothers doth befall to ech one a part the sense then of the wordes is not that a Clergy man should make God one part of his inheritance and earthly riches another but that from his hart he desire that God be all his part portion or inheritance that is al that he may expect in this world and that whatsoeuer here he may haue out of a religious affection he may make it all ouer vnto God Betwene the cuppe and the inheritance there is this difference that the cuppe belongeth vnto pleasure and delights the inheritance vnto wealth and honours Wherefore the full and entiere sense of the verse is O my Lord God from hence forward whatsoeuer I might hope for in this world of riches of delights of temporall commodityes all that whatsoeuer it be I doe desire to haue in thee alone thou alone doest abundantly suffise for all other things and for that the plenty of heauenly riches is not to be found on earth therefore doth this Clark go on in his prayer saith tu es qui restituâ— haereditatem meam mihi thou art he who shal restore me agayne myne inheritance for what I haue contemned and cast away for thy sake eyther iâ— giuing it to the poore or in freely pardoning them that haue taken it from me thou hast layd vp all safely for me and in due tyme thou wilt restore it not in the same corruptible substance but in thy selfe the inexhaust fountayne of all goodnes But least that any should cal in doubt our explication I will confirme it by two witnesses not liable to reproofe to wit Saint Hierome and Saint Bernard Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Nepotianus of the life of Clergy men sayth Therefore let the Clergy maÌ„ that serueth Gods Church expouÌ„d his own name hauing defined it let him endeauour to be that which he is called for if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek do in Latin signify a lot therefore they are called Clergy meÌ„ eyther for that they are of our Lords lot or for that our Lord is the lot â—hat is to say the part or possession of Clergy meÌ„ he who eyther is the part of our Lord or hath our Lord for his part ought â—o to behaue himselfe that he may possesse God and be possessed of him be who possesseth our Lord and can say with the prophet pars mea Dominus our Lord is my part can haue nothing besides him for if he haue any thing besiâ—s our Lord our Lord shal not be his part or example if he haue gold siluer possessions store ot houshould stuffe with these partes our Lord will non vouchsafe to be made a part So he Whose whole epistle he that listes to reade shall fynd truly a very great perfection of life to be required in Clergy men To Saint Hierome let vs add Saint Bernard who not only alloweth the opinion of the sayd Saint but sometymes vseth his wordes although he name him not so then he speaketh in that very prolixe declamation vpon the wordes of Saint Peter in Saint Mathews Gospell Behold we haue left all and haue followed thee The Clergy man who hath part in earth shall haue no part in heauen If a Clergy man haue any thing else besides our Lord our Lord will not be his part and a little after declaring what a Clergy man may keepe to himselfe out of his Ecclesiasticall benefices he sayth Not 〈◊〉 giue the goods of the poore vnto the poorâ— is no lesse a synne then sacriledge certaynly it is taken with sacrilegious cruelty frâ— the patrimony of the poore whatsoeuer the Ministers and dispensers not Lords owners of the goods of the Church doe take more then is necessary for their diet and apparell so Saint Bernard who with Saint Hierome doth not speake that which is false but that which is perfect There followeth the rite of putting on the white surplice with those wordes of the Apostle Ephes 4. Put on the new man who is made according to God in iustice holines of truth For it sufficeth not Clergy men that they be not wealthy but it is further required that they liue an innocent and cleane life because they are dedicated to the ministery of the Altar in which the lambe without spot is dayly sacrifyced moreouer to put on the new man is nothing else then to shake of the vices of the old Adam who corrupted his wayes and put on the vertues of the second Adam that is of Christ who being borne after a new manner of the Virgin ordeyned a new way in iustice â—nd holines of truth That is not only in moâ—all Iustice but also in most true and suâ—ernaturall holines which Christ shewâ—d in himselfe who as Saint Peter witnesseth committed no synne neyther was there any deceit sound in his mouth
sonnes of Iudas the Patriarcke is â—â—arply repreheÌ„ded for that wheÌ„ he knew is wife he cast out the seed on the earth â—â—at no child might be born for this is not â—o vse but to abuse Matrimony and if soÌ„â—â—mes it happen that the vertuous parents â—re ouerburdened with multitude of their â—ssue in so much as by reason of their poâ—erty they cannot mainteyne them there 〈◊〉 a remedy in it selfe good and gratefull vnto God by continuall consent to sepaâ—ate theÌ„selues from the bed knowledge of each other and for the tyme to come to attend vnto prayer and fasting for it it be gratefull acceptable vnto God for man and wife to continew stil euen vnto their old age in virginity after the example of the mother of God and Saint Ioseph whose example Saint Henry the Emperour and Chunegunda his Empresse Saint Edward the Confessour King and Editha his Queene Elizearius Earle and his Lady Dalphina many others did follow why shold it displease God or men that marryed folke hauing now children by mutuall consent should refraine from copulation that they may bestow what resteth their life in fasting prayer Moreouer it is a grieuous synne for any in the state of Matrimony to â—â—glect his children and let them want eyther vertuous education or necessary maintenance of clothes diet and the liâ—â— many examples there are extant of thâ— matter at well in sacred as prophane historyes but for that I intend to be briefe 〈◊〉 will content myselfe with one which 〈◊〉 in the first booke of Kings Thus in that place doth God himselfe speake In that 〈◊〉 I will raise vp all these thinges which I haue spokeâ— against the house of Heli. I will begin and I will end For I foretold him that I was to iudge his house for euer for the iniquity thereof because he knew that his children did wickedly behaue themselues he did not correct them therefore haue I sâ—â—orne to the house of Heli that the iniquity of his houses shall not be blotted out for euer with victimes or gifts This did our Lord fortell and a little after did execute for the children of Heâ—â— were slaine in warre and Heli himselfe sâ—ting on his seat fell backeward brake his necke dyed miserably if then Heli who was otherwise a good man iust Iudge of the people for the synnes of his children which he had not brought vp so wel as he should haue done and when afterwards they became worse and worse he â—ad not cheked and amended them came â—ith his Children to a miserable end and 〈◊〉 the gouernment or principality ouer â—he people what shall become of them â—ho not only do not endeauour to bring vp their children well but by their own example of bad life teach them to do ill Surely they can expeâ—â— nothing else for themselues or their children but a dreadful death vnlesse they amend be tyme and do pennance condigne to their former offences Another good of matrimony is fidelity which consisteth in this that ech of the maried couple do know that their bodyes are not their owne but that the body of the wife is the husbands and the body of the husband is the wiues and as the one cannot deny coniugall duty vnto the other so can neyther of them both yield their bodyes to be vsed by any other the signe of this fidelity is the ring giuen in the solemnity of Marriage this doctrin is cleerly deliuered by the Apostle saying Let the husband render duty to his wife shee likewise to her husband the woman hath not power ouer her but the husband 1. Cor. 7. and likewise the husband hath not power ouer his body but the woman defraude not one another vnlesse it bâ— mutuall consent for a tyme that you may attenâ— prayer This is the Apostolicall doctriâ—â— which all Christian maried folkes mâ—â— diligently obserue if they desire to liue dye well if there be any publike adulterers eyther the Iudges do iustly puniâ—â— them or else the friends and kinsfolkâ— of the party reuenge the wronge offered by that disgrace but for secret adulterers who are many more then the open the Almighty and most iust Iudge from whome no secrets lye hid will doubteles in the end condemne them to euerlasting torments The third good or perfection of Matrimony and that most noble is the grace of the Sacrament which God powreth into the harts of the marryed couple if in the tyme of their Marriage they be duly disposed and prepared thereunto this grace besides other good which it bringeth with it is of wonderfull force to effect mutuall loue betweene both the partie notwithstanding that different iudgemeÌ„ts maners diseases diuersitys of dispositions of body mind may easily sow dissensions betweene them but aboue all the â—mitation of the wedlocke or Marriage â—hat is betweene Christ and his Church maketh this corporall Marriage most â—weet and blessed of which matter thus writteth S. Paul Viridiligite vxores vestras c. Ephes 5. Husbands loue your wiues as Christ hath loued his Church and deliuered vp himselfe for it that he might sanctifye it cleâ—nsing it by the lauer of water in the word of life that he might present or exhibite vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinkle Which Blessed Apostle also admonisheth women saying Let women be subiect to their husbands as vnto our Lord because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church But as the Church is subiect to Christ so let the women be subiect in all thinges to their husbands and in fine thus he concludeth Let euery one loue his wife as himselfe and let the wife feare or reuerence her husband This doctrine if it be so considered and practised as is requisite will make the Marriages happy both in earth heauen Let vs in briefe explicate this Apostolicall doctrine of Saint Paul first of all he exhorteth husbands to loue their wiues as Christ loued his Church Truly Christ loued his Church Amore amicitiae with a fiâ—endly loue as Schooles do speake and â—more concupiscentiae with the loue of desiring any thing for himself he sought the gooâ— of the Church the profit of the Church the saluation of the Church not any profit or pleasure of his owne And therfore they do not imitate christ who loue their wiues for their great beauty allured with the loue of her fairenes or for her dowâ— of many thousand crownes or for some rich and wealthy inheritance for such do not loue their wiues but themselues desiring to satiate or satisfy the concupiscence of the flesh the concupiscence of the eyes which is tearmed couetousnes So Sâ—lomon wise in the beginning and a fooleâ— the end loued wiues and concubines not for the loue of them but for the loue oâ— his owne lust desiring not to gratify aâ—â— do them good but to fulfill his owne carnall desire with which he was so blinded as he
my God to be I do auouch Make me belieue in thee still more more Of hope charity increase my store O sweet remembrance of my dying Lord true bread that vnto man doest life affoord Daigne to my soule on thee alone to liue and alwayes with that food sweet tast to giue Sweet Pellican deerest Soueraigne my vncleane hart clense with thy bloudy rayne VVherof one drop sufficient power contaynd to purg the world though al with sin destaind Iesus who now doest vnder veyles appeare when shall it be which I esteeme so deare That I beholding thy reuealed face May by that glorious sight with thee find place Amen Hauing dououtly sayd or heard these verses hauing made the ordinary confession which beginneth with Confiteor Deo c. and hauing taken the absolution and blessing of the priest and sayd Domine non sum dignus let him add with as great â—â—mility deuotion as he can these wordes Into thy handes O Lord I commend my soule and then he may securely â—â—ceaue this sacred celestiall Sacrament After the communion there remayneth thanksgiuing vnto God for this so excellent a benefit and besides vocall prayers which he may reade out of some pious bookes it were also very behofull that he who hath now receaued his last food for his iourney and passadge vnto heauen should enter into the closet of his hart and meditate with himselfe in silence on those most sweet wordes of our Lord Iesus in the Apocalips I stand at the dore and knock if any shall open it vnto me Apoc. 3. I will enter in vnto him I will sup with him and he shall sup with me for these wordes doe most fittly agree with those who come from the holy communion for our Lord who instituted this Sacrament in the forme of a baÌ„quet desireth nothing more then that all Christians should repaire vnto this feast and this is signifyed â—y those wordes Ego sto ad ostium pulso I â—tand at the dore and knocke that is I doe â—nuite my selfe to this common feast that â— may also be fed si quis mihi aperuerit if any shall open the dore vnto me assenting vnto this good desire which I haue inspired that we may feed and feast togeather intrabo ad eum I wil enter in vnto him by the communion of this holy banquet Psal 103. I will sup with him he shall sup with me Because that God is sayd to sup with vs when he is delighted with our spirituall progresse in vertue according to that of the Psalmist Our Lord will reioyce in his workes And in another place Let my speach be delightfull vnto him and I will be delighted in our Lord in which wordes is expressed the mutuall delight as it were a sweet banquet of God with the soule and of the soule with God for God is delighted with the spirituall profit of the soule and the soule is delighted with the benefitts receaued from God of which the chiefest is that by this sublime Sacrament he vouchsafeth to linke and vnite himselfe after a sweet manner with our soule Wherefore let the faythfull soule after the receauing of this Sacrament reflecâ— and thinke with it selfe how sweet soueraigne a thing it is to haue Christ himselfe as a guest within it whiles the Sacramentall formes remayne not only as God but also as man and to be able to deale confidently with him to conferre with him our dangers and anguishes 〈◊〉 our passadge from this body from his haâ—â— to commend himselfe vnto him and to desire of him to beate backe the common tempter of mankynd then most busy to send vs an Angell to accompany vs and to bring vs safely into the port of saluation CHAP. VIII Of the eight Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of Extreme Vnction THE last Sacrament is holy Vnction which is able to yield great comfort vnto the sicke if the force and vertue therof be well vnderstood and the SacrameÌ„t itselfe taken in due tyme. There be two â—fects of this Sacrament as we sayd in the â—rmer Chapter corporall health and reâ—ission of synnes let vs speake a little of â—yther Of the first thus writeth S. Iames â—s any sicke among you Let him bring in the priests â—f the Church and let them pray ouer them annoynâ—ing them with oyle in the name of our Lord and â—he prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke These wordes are playne and conteyne a promise Two reasons may be giuen why in our dayes so few sicke men do recouer their sickenes notwithstanding that they receaue this Sacrament one is for that now a dayes this remedy is applyed to the sicke later then it should for we must not expect miracles by this or any other Sacrament and it were a miracle if one that is at the last gaspe should presently recouer but if this Sacrament were ministred vnto then when first of all they beginne to be daungerously sicke we should then often see this effect of recouery which wold not be done in a moment but would follow in tyme and this is the cause why that such as are to be executed by way of iustice are not anneyled because that they cannot without a manifest miracle be deliuered from the danger of death Anothâ— reason is because it is not expedient euâ— for the sicke man to he deliuered from hâ— disease but rather it is better for him to dy and the prayer of the Church which is made in this Vnction doth not absolutely desire the health of the sicke party but only to recouer his health at that tyme if iâ— be auayleable for his saluation Another effect of this Sacrament is remission of sinnes for thus speaketh Saint Iames Et si in peccatis fuerit remittentur ei and if he shall be in synnes they shall be forgiuen him But for that the remission of originall synne doth belong properly vnto Baptisme the remission of actuall to baptisme also in case the baptized be growne in yeares or to the Sacrament of peÌ„nance for syns committted after baptisme therefore the Deuines do teach the sins which are remitted in the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to be the relickes or remuants of synne of which relikes or remnants there be two sorts sometymes relikes of synnes are called eyther the mortall or venial sins which are committed after that we haue receaued the Sacrament of pennance and are no afterward confessed to our ghostly Father â—yther out of ignorance for that â—he penitent did no take them for mortall or out of forgetfulnes because he did not â—hen remember them and therefore the sicke man sought not for a priest to whom he might confesse them These reliks doth the SacrameÌ„t of Extreme Vnction take away and of this kynde of synnes Saint Iames sayth If he shall be in sinnes they thall be remitted him which the Councels of Florence Trent doe teach especially the latter in the