the suggestion of the holy Ghost saith that the sonne of God being very God was content to disguise himselfe not to be entreated of the world as God but embasing his estate euen to take vppon him the forme of a bondman and appeare to the world in the representation of a man becomming altogether a seruaunt whose obedience refused not the passions of death yea the infamous execution of the crosse In this as is sayed is expressed the greatest part of this wonderfull embasement of estate which the sonne of God tooke vppon him séeing of very God he is made very man and being man he embased himselfe vnder all men being handled as a poore slaue of whom the world made no reckoning From thence he suffred an other embasement euen to be passed to condemnation of death and not a death in common maner but the execution whereunto were ioyned dishonour infamie and bitter torments Of this humilitie the Prophets haue written saying he was put on the ranke of offendors and accompanied with wicked men In an other place Esay giues this testimonie of him that he neuer hid his face from such as would buffet him nor his shoulders from those that would strike him nor bis beard from any that would rent it In Jeremie also is declared the assemblie of the wicked against the Lord and the conspiracies which they leuied to persecute destroy him to empoyson his meate and life In S. John albeit he had made the world yet hee was misknowne of the world and the Euangelist hath comprehended in few wordes the depth of the place from whence the Lord discended séeing being the workman of the worlde he is come notwithstanding in such extremitie that the world misknew him For much lesse that he was acknowledged for Lord and maker of the world séeing hée was not iudged worthy to dwell in the world being innocent he hath bene condemned and albeit his iustice and integritie were publike and manifest yet the world made no conscience to throw vppon him those great wronges yea being assuredly knowne htat his enemies accused him by faulse testimonie yet the wisemen of the world would rather condemne iustice then displease the wicked Lastly the humilitie and handling of Christ agréed fully with the Prophet Dauid speaking in the person of our Lorde in these termes J am no man but a worme of the earth the reproch retraict and shame of men and the scome of the people There rested yet one degrée spoken of in this present article of the Créede wherein we confesse that the sonne of God discended into hell after his death And touching the declaration of this last discending we haue to consider that this article may be vnderstanded in two sorts they both being certaine catholique and ful of great misteries The first intelligence hath bene alreadie begone to be declared and containes a demonstration of the great humilite and wonderfull embasement supported by the sonne of God in this world being reduced to the vtter extremities of sorrowe torments shame and infamie There is no spirit sufficient to comprehend fully the great sorow expressed by the Lord in these words my soule is heauie euen vnto death The feare and heauines being so much the more apparant great terrible by how much they enforced drops of bloud to fall from his face euen to the earth All the other Passions wherewith the world vexed him were of no meaner effect and therfore complayning to his father he cried Oh saue me Lord for the waters and broyles of the tempest are entred euen to take away my life I am sunke in a gulfe of myer and can find no place firme to fix my foote vppon Wherein is ment no other thing but the storme and furie of our sinnes with the punishments due together with a signification of all our miseries and that which the Deuill and the world could doo by the meane of the vnrighteous and wicked keping warre against our Sauiour with persecutions torments and vexations In this sort was his discending into the deapth and bottome of the earth and by consequence the first intelligence of our Article which together with all that depends vppon it may be proued by the second vnderstāding which must presuppose that such as afore the comming of Christ were dead in his fayth and in his spirit and knowledge had obtayned pardon and were truly reconciled with God notwithstanding the gates of heauen were not open to them vntill the Lorde which deliuered them had passed therein as the onely iustifier and true pacifier In the meane whyle they remayned in rest in a place named Hell or bottome of the earth exspecting their deliuerie when the sonne of God should come to draw them from thence But all this whyle they were neyther in the companie of the Damned and much lesse endured their tormetes neyther had the Deuill any iurisdiction of them Séeing if they had bene of the reprobate and Damned sort the Deuill had had perpetuall power ouer them as he hath had and hath ouer the Cursed and miserable who die wythout repentance of their sinnes and without participating in the benefit of the bloud of the Sonne of god And for that by the occasion of sinne and reigne of the Deuill the gates of heauen were cloased and the ioy and vse of beatitude stood restreyned and limited to a certaine time I say that that place was a prison and the prison of Hell a place wherein the Fathers of fayth exspected the comming of the Sauiour of the worlde In this place then were the auncientes that were iust not that they felt the tormentes of the Damned but had onely a careful desire to sée the prophesies accomplished and themselues deliuered and al to enioy the presence and companie of the Sauiour together wyth that most happie vision of the maiestie of god So that in this sort did the soule of Iesus Christ discende into that place accompanied wyth his diuinitie which neuer forsooke him and dissoluing the prisons he brake in péeces all the Cheines and Linkes that helde tyed the soules of the faythfull This was it that Zachary the Prophet ment when he sayd that by the vertue of the bloud of thy stomacke and of thy Testament thou hast drawen thy prisoners out of the Lake wyth out Water Wherein the Prophete speaketh euen wyth the Sonne of God as true God and Sauiour of men and foreséeing such great miserie he sayth that by the vertue of his bloud wherin consisted the Saluation of men he had drawen his Subiectes and frendes out of their darke prison which he signifieth by the Lake wythout Water Séeing that in such lyke places Conquerors are woont to bestow their Prisoners for their more punishement and better securitie in prison By the same also the Prophete takes the comparison of a great Prince that entreth into the Lande of his enemie not to shake his Sworde and remaine there but to surmount and hauocke
the Prophet was culpable for vsing scilence and Cayn condemned because he spake by which we may gather the great necessitie we haue of wisdome to vse time to speake and time to suffer scilence For as the trée is known by his fruite the vertue of a man discerned by his workes so in his wordes and spéeche are disclosed the qualitie of his wisedome or simplicitie And as Iesus Christ in all his actions was no lesse pacient to heare then moderate in speaking so we finde not in scripture that he euer deliuered worde in vaine nor neuer helde his peace but for feare of slaunder And although it be a miserable compulsion to vse scilēce in things which we haue desire to disclose yet considering scilence bringes sewerty and conteines in it selfe many other goodly thinges let vs stand restrained to the two seasons which Socrates aloweth without reprehension the one is when we speake of that which we manifestly know and the other when we haue in hande thinges necessary In which two times onely as speache is better then Scilence so in all other Seasons experience approueth that we ought to preferre scilence afor speaking To what purpose or intentions tended all the speaches of Iesus Christ THe wordes of our Sauiour tended eyther to the prayse of his Father as when he humbled himselfe in this speach Confiteor tibi pater or to teach men what they ought to do when he sayd Beati mites or else to reprehend wickednesse and sinne when he cried vae vobis legis peritis So that when he was not occupied to giue prayse and glorie to his Father nor to preach doctrine nor to rebuke vices it was then he was setled in a deuout and holy scilence The Hebrewes led him to their consistories a fore thrée iudges that is to say they brought him to the Palaice before Herod to the Bishops house before Annas to the trée of the crosse before his Father at which place only he spake and in the others he vsed scilence and therefore afore the two first tribunals he was accused of crime because he held his peace standing as aduocate afore the thirde he spake And albeit right great infinit were the works which our Redéemer did from the time he was taken till he was crucified yet his wordes were fewe and his spéeches in very small number the better to teach vs that in time of tribulation and aduersitie we ought more to séeke our consolation in a holy and deuout patience then to preferre or expresse great eloquence Christ then being vpon the hill of Caluary not onely condemned to death but very nere the passion of the same hauing his flesh pearced with nayles his hart burning in zeale and loue cryed to his father Pater ignosce illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt as if he had sayd Oh eternall father in recompence that I am come into the worlde and in consideration of the preaching that I haue made of thy name In satisfaction of the paynes and crucifying that I endure and in respect that I haue reconciled the world to thée I require no other reward but that it may be thy good pleasure to pardon these mine enemies who haue sinned to the end I should dye and I suffer death because they may liue Forgeue them since thou knowest and all the world séeth that in my bloud is payde and satisfied their crime with my charitie I haue raysed and put them in my glory so that let my death be sufficient to the end that no other death haue more place in the world Pardon them since thou knowest that the death which triumphed in the crosse and by the which I am nailed to the same is crucified heare in this trée by meanes wherof oh euerlasting Father I beséech thée estéeme more the charity wherein I dye for them then the malice by the which they prosecute my death Forgeue them Oh heauenly Father since if thou considerest these my enemies in the nature and merite of their sinnes there will not be founde in the furies of Hell tormentes worthye enough to punishe them Then better is it Oh gracious Father that thou Pardon them since that as there was neuer the lyke faulte committed so shalt thou neuer haue occasion to vse the like mercie And séeing my death is sufficient to saue all such as are borne or to bée borne those that are absent present deade and on liue It is no reason that these heare should be shutte out from that benefite being a thing of most equitie iustice and right that as my bloud is not spilt but with thy consent so also by thy hands it should be well employd In this we haue to note that Christ sayd not Lorde pardon them but he sayde Father forgeue them as discribing this difference betwéene those two estates that to a Lorde belonges properly to haue Bondemen Subiectes and Vassalls and the name of a Father presupposeth to haue children so that he required his Father not to iudge them as Lorde but besought him to pardon them as a Father Christ also sayde not condicionally Father if it be thy pleasure forgeue them but he prayed absolutely after himselfe had forgeuen them that his Father would Pardon them by which example we are put in remembraunce that the reconcilement which we make with our Enemies ought to be pure absolute and without affection Besides our Redéemer sayd not singulerlie Father Pardon him but he spake plurally by which we may be informed that as he prayed not particularly for any one in priuate but generally for all so his blood dispersed on the crosse was not only sufficiēt to redéem one onely Worlde but to satisfie the Raunsome of a Million of Worldes And out of this misterie may be drawne this construction that our Sauiour praying generally for all expresseth himselfe so liberall to geue and so mercifull to pardon that when he forgeues a sinner any offence he pardoneth with all his other crimes It is not also without misterie that Christ sayd not I forgeue them but besought his Father to Pardon them For that if the Sonne onely had pardoned them after his death the Father might haue demaunded the iniurie because that if the Sonne had forgeuen them he had done it as a man where the execution of the iustice remayned in God but as the deuine worde yea the liuing Lorde hath perfourmed this pardon with so true a hart so hath he not suffered that there remaine in it any scrupule And therefore he besought his Father to pardon them to the end that by the humanitie which he endured and diuinitie which suffered it his enemies might be at the instant absolued and we others haue hope to obteine remission ¶ That when CHRIST our Lord gaue pardon he left nothing to forgeue IN lyke sort we haue to note that Iesus Christ required not his Fathere to pardon them after his death but besought him to forgeue them at the instant
frendes may we say with this good théefe that they are out of the feare of God that they wander in their proper destruction that they are replenished with vices and doe not obserue one of Gods commaundements But by so much more wretched is our condition by how much one frende dare not warne an other for that all frendship now a dayes standes vpon these limits and tearmes not to correct one an other but rather to couer and dissemble and suffer communitie of euill It is a wonderful confusion to sée one sinner admonishe an other and a théefe to reproue a théefe and yet one Christian dare not rebuke an other no rather they will endure their vices then deuide themselues from their frendship Not to aduertise a frend of his honour or not to aduise him of his wealth may happen and is suffered but not to admonish him of that which concerneth his conscience is hatefull and ought not to be borne withall for that in thinges touching the honor of God we are bounde not to dissemble with our Father nor to yéelde consent to our dearest frende Nathan reproued Dauid Samuell rebuked Saule Micheas admonished Achab Helias reproued Jezabell S. John rebuked Herod and S. Paule reproued S. Peter not so much for hauing erred and fayled as for offending God the better to admonishe vs that him we ought to holde as enemie whom we know doth not loue God Nonne qui oderunt te inimici facti sunt mihi Oh great God of Jsraell sayth Dauid the greatest seruice that I haue done thée is that all my lyfe time I haue hated those that loued not thée eschewed such as folowed not thy lawes was a straunger to such as searched not thy precepts and will and none haue bene worse welcome to my companye then such as boare to thee no seruice I woulde the example of Dauid might be embraced now a dayes or that to christian frends were ioyned such propertie of affection so should there be no vice in mens frendship nor toleracion of wickednes for that if euill men were not supported by their frends iustice discipline woulde either spedely determine their liues or shame instruction leade them to amendment of manners great then was the charitie of this théefe to his companion the pitie not little which he had of Iesus Christ whereof as he defended the one and perswaded the other so his vertue concludes in good Authoritie that it is a true effect of our Christian pietye to yéelde compassion to such as are troubled and reduce him that is out of the Way After this good théefe was commited to God and confessed his sinnes to Iesus Christ and aunswered for him he began then to lift vp his voyce and say vnto him Domine memento mei dum veneris in regnum tuum wherein with iust reason he calles him Lorde for that it is resolute with God not to take pitie or mercie vpon vs if first we accknowledge not in him his diuinitie and therefore in the olde times whē God spake with the Hebrues he vsed commonly this phrase haec dicit Dominus c. The better to aduertise the nations and people of the earth that all kinges and Princes of this world are in all thinges no other thing but gouernours and deputies and to God alone belonges all souereigne and Supreame Potentacie In which respect it behoueth vs afore all thinges to confesse God to be Father and souereigne Lorde and to honour his blessed sonne by the name of Lorde and redéemer for that it is directly to repugne his ordinarie power to Pardon sinne in any man which doth not accknowledge in God predomination and Lordship Let vs therefore with the humilitie fayth and conformetie of this théefe say Domine memento mei For th s ought to be an office in our beléefe that if we confesse god to be sole ceator serue him as soueraigne Lorde he will not misknow vs as straungers specially if we acknowledge vs to apperteine vnto him The seconde worde of this théefes petition was Memento mei agréeing with the inuocation of Salomon Da mihi sedium tuarum aslis tricem sapientiam vt sciam quid acceptum sit coram te omni tēpore giue me O Lord partin thy wisedome to the end I may doe the thinges agréeable to thee and tending to my saluation notwithstanding that Salomon amongest all the kings of Jerusalem was most Peasible most Riche Renoumed and most Wise yet with all these Qualities he durst not demaunde of God but Wisedome and that not without great reason For albeit a man knoweth that which he wold haue yet he is ignorant in that which is necessary for him And as we liue in God more then in our selues that God loues vs aboue our proper affections so it is he that knoweth better thē our selues what we wold haue of him what we want is néedfull for vs for which cause this well aduised good christian théefe would aske no other thing but that the Lord would haue remembrance of him instructing vs by that that God bearing to vs such plentifull will affection ther is no great nede to trouble him with importunities but onely with a feruent hart put him in remembrance of those thinges we desire to haue saying Domine memento mei Lord that hast created me haue remembrance of me Lorde that hast Redéemed me forget me not and thou Lord in whom I beléeue be mindfull of me Vouchsafe Oh Lord to draw me to thy selfe Oh loue of my soule haue remembrance of me since thou hast formed me of earth and since thou hast breathed into me a soule made me man hast employed thy lyfe for me vouchsafe to be mindefull of me to the ende there be no spoyle made of my Soule yea since thou hast suffered thy Passon for me resisted so many Temptations and spilt so much of thy innocent bloud as satisfyed the Price of my vyle and wretched Sinnes I beséeche thée be myndefull of me Here is to be noted that this théefe in these humilities to God sayd not Lorde haue remembrance of my children my wyfe my frendes or my labors and trauels but sayde onely Lorde remember me aduising vs that in this worlde there is nothing which we ought to holde so deare as the reckoning of our conscience according to the expresse text of our sauiour to the mother and children of Zebeda Nescitis quid petatis because that afore they asked pardon for their sinnes they demaunded realmes and kingdomes and before they sought to purge the transgression of their soules they aspired to be set one of the right and the other of the left hande of Iesus Christ But the wise Chananite woman afore she sayde Filia mea male a demonio vexatur cryed Miserere mei sewing first for pardon for her selfe afore she sought the recouery of her daughter for that so good is the Lorde our God that if he loue not him that
deserue to be chastised and matters that ought to be dissembled So it can not but happen to the furious man that in place to appease and couer iniuries he will of himselfe thunder reproches agaynst the parties But now after the daungers and domages that come by Anger it apperteynes to reason and congruencie to exhibite a fewe remedies to Cure or qualifie those moodes In all our affayres and actions it is good to fore sée both what may happen to vs and what may be sayde of vs For so shall we be Armed that albeit men geue vs cause to be Angrye yet they shall haue no power to make our passion furious And therfore the same néede that the poore man hath of Riches and the Foole of Wisedome the same necessitie hath the harte of patience For béeing Subiect to many Afflictions and the troubles no lesse that assayle him together wyth the daungers that depende on them wthout comparison many mo be the thinges which he ought to suffer in patience then that are Lawfull for him to reuenge wyth his Tongue And if of euery wronge that is done to vs and of euery aduersitie that is naturall to our condition we should reteyne special accompt and reckoning our hands would neuer cease to reuenge our Tongue weary with complayning and our hart wasted and broken with sighing For what man béeing a member of this miserable lyfe to whom is not one equall desire that his dayes and troubles might dissolue together Men béeing so ouergrowne wyth vices and so deuoured wyth affayres and businesses it is maruell that since they are so slow to cutte of their cares and troubles that the waues of their proper aduersities doe not rise and swallowe them vp And if the Phisitions ordeined to cure infirmities of the body would binde themselues to heale the sorows of the hart they should in particuler haue more patients mustering afore their gates then in times past were inhabitantes in Rome when it was best replenished For so naturall is the sickenesse of trouble and vexation that though many eschew it yet few haue power to liue long exempt frō it What is he either past present or to come who in his body hath not felt some paine and in his hart some passion hath not suffered some losse or spoile of his goodes or infamye to his person or at least who can walke so vpryghtlye to whome is not done some Iniurye or some Scorne or Reproache spoken But he that is Vexed wyth all these Aduersities and wyll make Headde agaynste them and Remedye them Let hym bée assured that euen then shall he laye the plotte of the ende and dispatch of his life when he begins to put order to these incurable harmes For as there is no Sea without working no Warre without daunger nor Iourney without trauell Euen so that there is no worldly lyfe voyde of troubles nor any estate without stombling blockes it is most apparant in this that there liues no man so happie which hath not wherin to be greued and wherupon to complaine For how many doe we sée whom Pryde makes fal Enuie consumes Anger torments Pouertie wasteth and Ambicion endeth their dayes so that for the most part such is the miscontentment of our mindes that our aduersities traueling our spirites in Martirdome driue vs to wishe rather an honest death then to languishe in so troblesome a lyfe And so if we will accomplishe this commaundement To be angrie and sinne not let vs in accidentes which the world fortune and nature bring vpon vs dissemble some suffer some conceale some and remedie the rest and in all thinges let vs follow reason and flée opinion For such as enter into Religion SVch as be Religious or aspire to the office and ministerie of the Church ought to haue alwaies afore their eyes the wordes which God spake to Abraham saying Depart out of thy Countrey and from amongest thy frendes and goe into the lande which I shall shewe thée and abyde where I commaunde thée For vnder these wordes shall they finde comprehended all that God doth for them and lykewise that which they are bounde to doe for the seruice of god Abraham being in the house of Tara his father and Aran and Achor his Bretherne Chaldees and Idolators God appeared vnto him and bad him leaue his Countrey and Parentes and goe where he would guide him and rest where he would commaund him and in recompence of this obedience sayth God I will make thée Lord ouer great nombers of people and will so geue thée my blessing as thou shalt for euer remaine blessed Out of these wordes may be gathered foure things which God commaunded Abraham and other foure things which God promised him So that as a Lorde he teacheth him in what he ought to serue him and withall tels him what rewarde he will geue him for his seruice Afore God called Abraham it was not founde that there was any vertue in him and much lesse that he had done any seruice to God only the scriptures make mencion that he was of the generation of Saruth and sonne af Tara and had to his Brother Aran which all were Gentils and Idolators Cassianus sayth that of thrée sorts be called those that come to the perfection of Religion One sort God calles by holy inspirations an other sort is chozen of men by good councels The thirde sort is constreyned to enter into Religion by some necessitie or misaduenture happened to them So that albeit the perfection of Religion be alwayes one yet the meanes to come thereunto are many The first function or estate is called deuine and consistes as is sayd in this when the great goodnes of God so toucheth the hart of a man that he leaueth that which he doth and doth that which he ought estraunging his minde from worldly thinges and raysing it to deuine and heauenly contemplations The seconde is called humaine or worldly as when any wicked liuer is tourned to God by the councell of some good man as Hippolito was conuerted to the Fayth by the instructions of S. Laurence The thirde vocation may be called constrayned or by necessitie as when a man of dissolute conuersation and falling into aduersitie is conuerted to God And as these be the thrée manners of calling and meanes to enter into Religion so if they be wel considered I sée not how the first oftentimes eyther doth much profite nor the last much hinder for more or lesse to serue God in religion For there haue bene many of those which God hath called to Religion condemned and many others which came to serue him by force haue ben saued Christ called and chused to the Colleadge of his Disciples the cursed Judas and the Apostle S. Paule being reuersed and falne from his Horse necessitie compelled him to know Iesus Christ So that Judas being exalted fell and S. Paule being falne was exalted This I bring in this place to the ende that none estéeme much or
end the power of God raysed him againe drue him out of the graue hauing vanquished death Of this besides many other prophesies Dauid hath written most manifestly speaking in the person of our Lorde as a man that by the inspiration of the holy Ghost J always sayth he set afore mine eyes the Lord whom I haue of my right hande to kepe me that J fall not For this cause doe J reioyce and my tongue shall beare Testimonie of my contentment but specially for that my fleshe shall rest in hope For Lorde thou wilt not leaue my lyfe in the graue nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption Thou hast shewed me the way of lyfe euen so shalt thou fill me wyth pleasure by thy presence For thou bearest in thy right hand a perpetual blisse In these wordes the Lord sheweth the singuler fauor which he receiued of his father in the death had not domination ouer him but was subdued and vanquished shewing withall the gladsome contentment he had to sée the eternall Father on his right hand In this hope he offered his body to the death dispersed it vpon the crosse receiued the graue being certeine of his resurrection victory that aswell touching himselfe as also for all mankind wherin declaring also his confidence ioy of his victory he sayth that his Father hath not suffered that his lyfe should remaine prisoner in the graue for euer and much lesse that his soule should be there deteyned not retourne eftsoones to be revnited to his body And lastly that his most holy body conceiued by the holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin and who had passed so many Passions of Tormentes for the Seruice and Obedience of his Father should not suffer corruption in the Graue but afore Nature coulde accomplishe that operation his Soule shoulde eftsoones receaue coniuntion wyth his Bodye The Prophet sayth moreouer that he hath shewed him the way to retorne to life concluding with action of thankes that he hath surmounted death and sinne The sonne of God did not only obteyne priuilege to rise againe but also to him was ioyned power to make his resurrection afore there was any such signe of corruption in his body as naturally appeares on others that be dead this respect was kept on the behalfe of his most holy person and the flesh which he had taken for that effect béeing pure and wihtout any marke of sinne Besides all these we may consider vppon the end of this Psalme a great misterie of the victorie which our Lord obtayned against death together with the assurance of our resurrection the same leauing vs satisfied and certayne that once againe we shall réenter into the possession of our bodies after wée haue abandoned them by the rigor of death With this Psalme S. Paule proues the resurrection of the Messias against the Jewes saying that Dauid was dead and buried whose Sepulcher was well enough knowne amongst the Jewes concluding that séeing the body of Dauid had passed by that corruption which is common and generall to all dead men it was not possible that those wordes should be vnderstanded by him and therefore what he said he meant it by Iesus Christ whom neyther hell nor the graue had power to deteyne and to whose flesh could be attributed no sense or suffrance of corruption So that Dauid being a Prophet and hauing receiued promise by othe that the Messias should discend of his séede prophesied of his comming vnder the forme of wordes afore recited This is of great importance for Christians to whom it is a true approbation and sommarie of all the workes which the Lord did and of all our religion together with an assured gage or pawne of all our hope Saint Paule sayth that it is concluded the resolution alreadie set downe against the aduersaries and vnbeleuing that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God the same being proued in this that the father hath raysed him from the dead with a great force and wonderfull testimonie thereby to shew that he was his onely sonne Wherein on the one side might be séene the sentence of men the condemnation of the worlde the reprobation of the people of the Jewes the iniuries outrages and tormentes of the Crosse and of death which may alleage agaynst the sauiour of the worlde that he was not the Sonne of God but an abuser Séeing he was condemned by so great personages endured so many afflictions yea fixed on the crosse in such sort and such extremitie that the miserable worlde might estéeme him for such one as of long time had bene Prophecied that is that he was not reputed a man as others were but as one most abandoned of God and of all men And on the other side might be séene the holy Prophesies workes and wordes of our Sauiour and his Doctrine expressing the reason of his comming and the misery of his death together wyth the sentence of his Father who to shew himselfe true in his workes and promises had raised him againe from death declaring that he was his true sonne All these thinges béeing of such importance were foretolde by Iesus Christ afore his death béeing willing to Prophesie and published his resurrection both to his frendes and to his enmies to comfort the one and conuince the other Yea he thought méete to manifest it to all to make the worlde vnderstande that he was sent of the eternall Father to saue the worlde and that it was he that had ben promised in the Law offering himselfe to death of his onely and proper will. The Jewes demaunded of him some signe to know who he was but he aunswered that they should haue no other signe but that of Jonas For as Jonas issued out of the bellie of the Whale the thirde day So the thirde day after his death he should eftsoones ryse out of the center of the earth hauing in that action vanquished death As he went once to Hierusalem he tolde his Disciples that he should be deliuered into the handes of the gentiles he comunicated the forme of his death assuring them that the third day he should rise againe And speaking with them a little before his death he comforted them saying that after his resurrection he would go before them to Gallely So that our confession by the which we acknowledge our Lorde to be risen againe the third day is confirmed by good and great testimonies requisite in a thing of so high misterie and importance being also matter of no small consolation to the children of GOD together with assured testimonyes that may bee gathered againste the wicked in the Holy Scriptures and predictions which our Lorde made before hys death Certaine Meditations and considerations vpon the resurrection of Iesus Christ THe firste consideration that the faithfull christian may take of this resurrection of Christe dependes vppon the meane wée haue already spoken of For in his resurrection we may comprehend that which appertaines to the
will haue them learne to worshippe him Abraham issuing out of the Lande of the Chaldees Ledde wyth him Sara his Wyfe and Loth his Nephewe together wyth all their Familie that was in Haram Instructed in the trueth of GOD according to the Reuelations that hadde béene made to their Predecessors And from thence he went into the Region of Chanaan following the ordinaunce of god The Chananites weare Idolators and a Nation more Dedicated to Vices then any Clymatte of the worlde By which meanes Abraham leauing one Countrey whose People weare nothing worth was ledde into an other where the Inhabytauntes were worsse and all thys by the wyll and ordinaunce of GOD whose Mercye doth in suche sort Dispose his Actions that what hée takes from some by Iustice hée géeues to others by hys mercie In suche sort that the Ende of his Woorks is alwayes good although the wisedome of the world estéeme it contrarie This was one Singuler ill amongest other Wicked thinges whiche the Chaldees hadde that béeinge Blyssed wyth the Presence and Industrye of a Vertuous Personage Preachinge and Teachinge them the Truethe yet they made no accompt of his Doctrine but dispised him and his aduertisementes And therefore God depriued them of that benefite whereof they had made themselues vnworthie by the resistaunce which they shewed agaynst his worde Touching the Cananits as they were the most wicked race of the Worlde so they had not as yet the knowledge of the trueth In which respect it pleased the goodnesse of God to Communicate it to them by the meane of Abraham whom he ledde into their Countrey which benefite torned afterwardes to their great condemnation by reason of their reuoltes stubburnesse and obstinacie by the which they prouoked the Ire of God against them Of the contrarie the fayth and patience of Abraham was well proued amongst this rebellious people the more to make him séeke his succours in God who had drawne him out of the Land of the Chaldees God had determined to giue the Lande of Chanaan to the people whom he had chosen in his presence shewing the greatnesse of his mercie towardes suche as follow him to whom he giues Lande Heritage And of the contrarie to shew his Ire agaynst sinners by the Punishement which he made of the Chananits other nations possessing the said Lande For this cause he willed that Abraham after the passion of many tribulations should dye in that Lande to confyrme to him his promise and to impatronize him of that Region for and in the name of suche as should discend of him And long time after yea when it was impossible to men to occupie that Lande he gaue that inheritaunce to the Children of Israell to shew that he was iust and that his Promises were certaine So that Abraham béeing at Sichem a Towne of Chanaan God appeared to him and Promised to giue the sayde Lande to his séed There Abraham builded an Aulter and dyd Sacrifyce calling vpon the name of the Lorde There he endured great Tribulations in which was established assured testimony of his faith and patience and on the otherside the Lordes goodnes was with him deliuering him of his troubles and communicated that which should happen to his people reuiuing the alliance made with him he assured him that in his seede all nations should receiue blissing and promised that he should haue a sonne by Sara his wife being already aged Thus the familie of Abraham multiplied frō one day to an other which he gouerned by the preaching of the word and all to entertaine them in the obseruation of Gods commaundements and in his feare The Lord then made alliance with him aswell in his owne name as for his successors contayning these capitulations First that Abraham and his for following his truth and the obedience of the same should bée his people and hée would bée their god That the séede of Abraham should serue him and reappose their hope in his promises made to them That they kéepe the Lawes which he calleth Iustice which hée had geuen them Lastly that hée would bée their GOD and protect and defend them in this world and instruct them in the way to obtaine the life of the other world pardoning all their sinnes in fauour and consideration of him which had bene promised for the redemption of man kind and ordayned to surmount the forces of hell and conquere the Deuill In signe whereof hée ordayned that Abraham should bée circumcised together with all the male children discending of him and his whole familie the same seruing as a monument and perpetuall memorie of the alliance made betwene GOD and them and of the spirituall generation of the séede of Abraham whom GOD adopted for his children in the name of him that was promised by meane of which adoption this spirituall people should bée a continuall enemie to the old Serpent and his workes From that time the people of GOD more obserued outward ceremonies then they had done For besides the sacrifices which they made they adioyned circumcision the same seruing them as a marke to declare outwardly the profession of their Religion and that they should worship the only God which had geuen creation and had promised redemption of their sinnes The Author aunswereth a congratulotion sent to him vpon the gift of a Bishoppricke I Haue receiued your Letter and doe refuse the horse you sent me not for that he is vnworthy but because I am curious reseruing such as you are to giue mée good counsell and my other more welthy friendes to minister to my wantes For that aduersitie is truly vsed which expects his remedy of richmen his consolation from such as are wise And béeing in the pension of the Prince for so many offices and now raysed to the commidities of a large Bishoppricke I sée not how I can suffer want nor my friends to wish mée more since to him that is already satisfied there remaynes no necessitie of further prouidence The wiseman is contented and expresseth no want but the mind of the foolish is subiect to care and thoughtes neuer being satisfied though hée flow in fulnesse so that his aboundance bréedes his extréeme pouertie and miserie That man néedeth little that measureth his fill according to the néede of kind and not after the rage of couetous For the nature of man desireth little but our opinion is neuer satisfied yea liuing in the flesh It is hard to suffice the desires of the flesh It is no small perplexitie to a poore man to aske that he wanteth but it is a great paine to the rich man to kéepe that which hée hath too much séeing to gather riches the rich man is all alone but to disperse them he hath too much company This is one other accident that fortune bringes with it that who riseth a foote in authoritie encreaseth most commonly an elne in necessitie for that nowe a dayes our chiefest trauayle resteth not so much to furnish our house as
Dissemble a misefortune then to assayle an Enemie So that if your Daughter bée dead your Complaintes are in vayne since Sorrowe is no Remedie to restore her and in Accidentes wythout helpe or hope Necessitye driues menne to Comfort themselues onelesse they thinke it a Remedye to their Losses to resiste the Eternall will and prouidence of God In the mightie Alexander it was hard to Iudge whether of these two things were most to be estéemed eyther his high Fortune or his great Discression for that with Fortune hée subdued Kingdomes and wyth Discression hée suffered and dissembled mishappes Euenso hauing so well ouercome many Perilles according to the proportion of your place wherein as you behaued your selfe as a valiant Knight So in these stormes of nature fleshe and bloude I wishe you consider what belonges to the law and modestie of a Christian Wherein then doe you best expresse your selfe a Christian when for your misfortunes you giue thankes to God and not complaine of him taking that is happened not as a punishment in his displeasure but as a token of the remembraunce hée hath of you Take héede the complaint of Ezechiell bée not ment by you Fili hominis c. I haue put the house of Israell sayth he into a furnace of the Captiuity of Babilon hoping that being within the fire of tribulation she would resolue to pure Gold or fine Siluer But she is conuerted into Leather Lead Brasse and Iron This is the meaning of the lord by this figure that man is conuerted into Lead who being put into the furnace of tribulation cannot only not be amended but from one day to another growes worse worse That man becomes Iron to whom God hauing sent some small punishement to aduertise him in place to be amended he ceasseth not to complaine He is tourned into leather who outwardly séemes to be of holy lyfe and when any tribulation happeneth he is founde an hipocrite And that man is resolued into brasse who in condition is intractable and in conscience negligent So that with iust cause wée may say that farre greater is the nomber of suche as in Tribulations are Conuerted into Iron Leather Brasse and Leade then of them that become eyther Golde or Siluer God kéepe vs from suche Transmutation and géeue you Grace to make a better profite of your tribulations geuing thankes to God and dissembling them afore men remembring that the patience of Job was the cause that God restored him to double of that he had taken from him A discourse written to a great Princes of the vertues and life of the Noble Quéene Zenobia HAuing alreadie satisfied thrée partes of your Maiesties letter there restes only the seruice of the fourth containing the life and vertues of the great Queene Zenobia Wherein as your Maiesties authoritie to commaund is full of vertue wisedome grauetie so it belongs to me to obey with fayth diligence and truth estéeming it much to mine honour to be commaunded by your Maiestie in whom this is no small testimonie of vertue that albeit hauing authoritie to commaund as a Quéene yet you wil vse request as a priuate person which to your seruants is no small honour and to your selfe no little glory For that amongst other merits of Princesses charitie makes them most acceptable afore God and familiaritie gathereth greatest affection with men And because to Princes and great Lordes we must minister our reasons by waight and giue our wordes by measure I will in the historie of Zenobia vse the authoritie of credible writers hoping it shall not be the lesse agreable to your Maiestie nor the more vnplausible to the reader And if as the historians make her a Gentile she had bene a Quéene Christian her life had bene no lesse worthy of imitation then by her vertues she hath left immortall prayse both for subduing most part of the East Empire and resisting the infinit ambicion of the Romaines Zenobia then being the widow of good Odenatus Prince of the Palmerins and mother to the naturall heire of the kingdome for that her sonne was yet young she tooke vpon her the institution of his youth and regiment of the Empire Wherin finding in her first gouernment certaine Prouinces to draw to reuolt she opened her treasures she assembled her forces and went in person into the field where in the age of fiue and thirtie yeres and widow being regent of the whole East Empire she was also captaine generall of the armie doing such exploytes that her enemies stoode in feare all the world in woonder of her She was so wise to suggest a plot that there was neuer found error in her coūsell so resolute to execute that to her enterprises there seldome followed ill successe yea her expedicion preuented the prouidence of her enemies being for the most part in their trenches afore they could thinke of her comming She was so discréete in her wordes that hauing once spoken she left nothing to replie but euery one to woonder at hir iudgmēt the maiestie of her countenance amasing straungers and much assuring her own people She was so iust of promise that whatsoeuer she leuied by loane or credit there was no other suretie required then the reputation of her owne word She was so liberall that she neuer gaue lesse then to suffice the wants of him to whom she gaue withall to leaue him able to liue without necessitie to aske againe She was mild in case of submission and seuere where she found obstinacie conquering the affections of good men by her clemencie and abating the pride of rebels by the discipline of her sword by which her securitie was more in the affections of men then in their armour or weapons She was familiar with all sortes but so particular in friendship that there were none knew the secret of her counsels till she saw time to publish them to al. And though she would communicate with many yet she reaposed in few for that being hable to controll their counsels she would not stand subiect to their directions and sounding them she remayned iudge of their wits and opinions Only she was ambicious for that not content with the title of regent she made her to be called Empresse and administring the whole in charge trauaile and pollecie she thought she could not be vnworthy of the title name and dignitie She neuer cared to ride in Coatch but tooke pleasure in Horses of seruice and them could shée manage with the best When she went abrode to sée the order of her campes she was alwayes armed and accompanied with gard hauing only the name of a woman and delites and will of a valiant captaine Which she perfourmed with such good example that the chieftaines of her armie neuer did exploit wherein she managed not the place of the leader atchieuing no lesse with her hands then euen hée that did the best A thing very incredible to one of her sex but not impossible to her vertues
and mind The writers describe her to be of goodly personage her eyes blacke and of quicke motion her forhead large of good aspect her mouth little and lippes red her téeth white more by nature then by Art her face of complexion perfect white and red her stomacke raysed and her witte most ready and excellent wherein shée was holpen by a déepe knowledge in the Greeke Latine Yea in her personage she bare such estate maiestie and in her countenance such affabilitie swéetenes that if she were feared by meane of her seueritie shée was eftsons loued by reason of her beauty In al this pomp of beautie bountie authoritie riches power she was neuer suspected to be dissolute nor foūd affected to vanities esteming it to belong to the dignitie of her place vertue to shew no lesse integritie in example then to be void of lightnes in life Oftentimes her husbād Odenatus hath ben heard confesse that after she was once conceiued she wold neuer suffer his actuall company for that it brought staine to her chastitie holding it to belong to women to marrie more for the respect of procreation and children then to accomplish their pleasures Shée did eate but once a daye and spake little which made her body disposed her minde liuely She could drinke no wyne but was so curious to séeke for pleasant waters that for the price she might haue prouided the most precious wynes Assone as the kinges of Egipt and other Princes conspiring vnderstood of the death of her husband they dispatched Embassadors not so much to visite and comfort her as to offer league and confederacie with her so redouted was she by reason of her rare vertue Aurelius at that time being chosen Emperour of Rome made great prouision to passe into Asia to make warre vppon Quéene Zenobia being an enterprise not of the least importance to the Romaines Wherein he found such smarting effect of her vertue and inuincible valiancie of her souldiers that he saw great difficultie to conquere her by Armes And therefore assayed the remedie of swéete wordes and promises in this short letter following Aurelius Emperour of Rome and Lord of all Asia to the honorable Quéene Zenobia ALbeit to women standing in disobediēce as thou doest it can not but be vnworthy to minister requestes yet considering clemencie is a vertue nothing inferior to iustice I thought good to offer to thée the choyse assuring thée that if thou wilt take the benefit of my mercie I will giue honour to thy person and pardon to thy people The gold the siluer thy other treasure remayning in thy pallace shall not be diminished nor thy selfe deuided from thy kingdome of Palmerine which I giue thée during thy life and after to be disposed at thy pleasure vnder this condicion that thou resigne thy other kingdomes and Prouinces in Asia and acknowledge supremacie in the Empire of Rome and of thy people of Palmerina I demaund no other obedience then as confederates and friends So that if vnder these condicions thou wilt dissolue thy Camp thou shalt receiue reconcilement to the obedience of Rome and retaine certaine men of warre sufficient for the suretie of thy person and seruice of thy Realme Of thy two sonnes left by Odenatus thy husband thou shalt keep 〈◊〉 with thée him whom thou louest best send the other to me not that I will leade him prisoner but kéepe him as a pawne of thy behauiour And for the prisoners retained on both sides they shal be redeliuered in enterchange without raunsome And so I acknowledge thée happie more by fortune then by vertue This Letter bringing no amaze to the mind of Zenobia she gaue present aunswere as followeth Zenobia Queene of the Palmerines and Lady of whole Asia and the kingdomes thereof to Aurelius Emperour of Rome gréeting c. THat thou giue to thy selfe the title of Emperour of the Romaines I holde it both iust and conuenient But to make thée Lord ouer the realmes of the East I say there is neither reason nor right Since thou art not ignorant that those kingdomes are due to me only the one part discending by right of progenie the other I haue wonne by my prowes and vertue Thou sayest that if I yéeld obedience to thée thou wilt giue me recompence of great honour and ioyne forgiuenes to the faultes of my people to the one I say there is no necessitie of remission where hath bene no fault committed nor in thée is any power to forgiue against whom could be no possibilitie of offence And for the other it could not be either honest or iust that being as I am absolute to commaund ouer Asia I should as priuate be brought to the seruice of Rome Thou offrest to leaue me possest of the golde the siluer and my other treasure within my pallace wherein I can not but wonder with what grace thou canst aspire to dispose the goods of an other as thine owne thinges which thine eyes shal not sée nor thy hands touch for that I hope that afore thou come to be the executor of my goods in Asia I shall make liberalitie of all thy riches in Rome Touching the warre thou hast areared against me it is iniust afore the immortall Gods and most vnreasonable in the reason of men séeing thou fightest not to resist an iniurie but to inuade an innocent And I take armes to repulse a wrong and defend my right So that thy comming into Asia is but to rauish the goods of an other where my sword is drawn to kéepe innocents from oppression Think not that the name of the Romanes is terrible to me nor that the face of thy huge hoste can amaze me for if it be in thy hand to giue the battell in the Goddes is the authoritie to dispose the victorie and the successe of warres for the most part followeth not the nomber and courage of the souldiers but hath regard to the iustice innocencie of the quarrell That I attend thée in the field is no small glory to me where thou inuading a wydow reapest nothing but shame The cause of Widowes are protected by the Gods to whō it belongs to abate the pride of the rauishor and retayne to themselues the reuenge of desolate persons But if the Goddes suffer thée to be victor and that the furie of thy ambicion take away my life and goods yet in Rome it shal be published as it is in Asia knowne that Zenobia is made a sacrifice for the defence of her patrimonie and to preserue the honour of her husband Therefore cease henceforth to threat feare or flatter me since I am resolute to offer vnder one deuocion my life and my kingdome Wherein in doing as much as I am able I do more then I ought esteming it better to leaue a monument of my vertue then to liue with shame And if my fortune giue me vp into thy hands she world shall beare me
lastly by the libertie of vices suffered in the Cytie That we ought rather to present before God the loue which we beare him then the seruices we doe to him LAzarus one of the notablest of Jerusalem a secret Disciple of Iesus Christ and brother to Martha and Mary being grieuously sicke his sisters wroate to Iesus Christ a letter conteining only these few words Lord he whom thou louest is sicke At the contemplation wherof Iesus Christ not without great contrariety of his folowers and no small perill to his person determined to goe and comfort the two desolate sisters and raise againe Lazarus amazing the world with a miracle right high and execellent And albeit the Pharises were in conspiracy agaynst him the Iewes troubled albeit his Apostles were in feare and his Disciples not well assured yet immediately after hée hadde considered of the Louing Wordes of the Letter hée forgatte all feare and tourned the pre-present view of so many perilles into an inwarde feruencie of zeale and loue And albeit in cases of peticion it can not be amisse to vse perswasions of deuotion at large Yet God knowing the qualetie and intention of the hart requires not so much copye of speach as humilytie of the Spiritte as appeareth by the manner of this Letter which neyther in the beginning nor in the ende nor in the matter conteyned but the wordes aforesayd giuing vs to vnderstand that hauing our loue once fixed in God it suffiseth to make vnto him onely a signe wythout troubling him wyth importunitie of words since such as bée true louers and practisers in the matter of loue ought more to thinke then speake Great is the difference béetwéene the loue which wée beare to Iesus Christ and that hée beareth to vs as is well prooued in the zeale of these two holy women who durst not communicate wyth Iesus Christ the loue that they bare him and much lesse the affeciton of their Brother onely they referred him to the loue which he bare vnto Lazarus saying Hee whom thou louest c. The better to make vs know that if the Lorde dyd not put in the Balance of our iustice some little peyse or wayght of his loue he would giue vs but a little séeing our loue is so small a thing The vayne louers of the Worlde haue this custome to reproche the affection they beare one to an other which much lesse that it is tollerable amongest the seruauntes of God séeing they ought to make so small accompt of their loue as not to demaunde any thing they pretende but by the meane and vertue of his loue For so high souereigne is the commaundement of the loue of God that onely in this mortall life we can not scarsely learne it and in the other world of ioyes fully accomplishe it Facti sumus vt immundi et omnes iusticiae nostrae sum quasi pannus c. Esay speaking of the multitude of his sinnes and his little merit speaking also in the person of sinners cryeth out The sinagogue and I are vncleane and great sinners and what good workes so euer we séeme to haue done after they come to be examined in the sight of God they beare suche staymes infection and corruption that wée finde our owne shame to present them afore him Wherein the Prophete hath great occasion to exclaime that al our desires and affections are fleshely and corrupt séeing that wyth the selfe same harte wherewyth wée ought to loue God wée loue also our Children our neyghbours and our Parentes Yea sometimes wee transferre that affection to our vnlawfull friendes séeking out of one moulde to drawe an apple of Golde and boollettes of earth But the loue which God beares vs is not of such frayle condition séeing as hath bene sayde he loues vs wyth the selfesame zeale he loues himselfe so inuoluing vs in his proper affection that as of himselfe hee is but one so hée hath but one selfe and infallible affection notwythstanding suche as hée fauoureth most hée followeth wyth a stronge zeale and the others wyth a loue not so feruent So that it is good wée stande at this resolution that when the Lords calles vs to accompt wée doe not recommende vnto him the seruices we haue done but rather to put him in remembrance of the great affection wée haue borne him For otherwayes if hée bestowe on vs one onely daye of lyfe it is sufficient for the hire and recompence of all our transitorie time Eme a me aurum ignitum vt locuples fiâ—s Sayth God to the Bishoppe of Laodecia as it is sette downe in the text of the Apocalips Thou which art poore and haste a desire to bee Riche J aduise thee to come and buye of the fyne Golde whiche I haue freshly purifyed and drawne out of the furnace and doe keepe it wythin my treasurie What meaneth this that the Lorde hath spoken that who wyll not renounce all that hée Possesseth canne not bée his Disciple and yet hee inuites vs to his shoppe to buye fyne Golde And albéeit hée Commaunde vs to buye any thing why muste it necessaryly bée Golde though the Ware wée buye bée Golde why ought it to bée so fyne and béeing so fyne wherefore perswades hée vs to buye it onely of him And comming to buye it of him why doth hee Sell it so flaming and Burning And although wée muste buye it Burning why hath hée not sette a Pryce and Weyght if of And séeing hée inuites men to buye it why doth hée not sette it out wyth more prayse and Commendation But suche are the gratious meanes and bountie of the Lorde the hée speakes not to vs as a Mayster to his Seruauntes but as a Brother vsinge the Nature and Phrase of a very famyliar and gracious friende By this wée haue to consider that by how muche Golde is a thing most estéemed beste béeloued and of all other Ryches wyth greatest importunitie desired by so much loue is the vertue that most delyghtes vs that aboue all other wée honour and that more then any other doth content vs For the harte that is inflamed wyth the loue of God makes a base Estimation of all the other Ryches and Treasures of the Worlde And of all the Particuler thinges vnder Heauen loue coulde not bée better resembled then to Golde nor Golde more Equaly Compared then to loue For a there is nothing how ryche so euer it bée which is not to bée bought wyth Golde so if loue bée the worker there is nothing so harde and difficult which by the operation of loue is not made easie and passible where by it foloweth that the hart which is wounded with loue takes his rest solace in seruice in reaposing takes paine and trauel And therfore he that loueth and makes difficulty to doe that he is commauÌ„ded searcheth excuse in things he is required that man deserueth not to be called a louer but a scorner such one hath no harte of Gold but a
them his eares are open to heare them if they appeale to him in their aduersities and he accompanieth them wyth his holy Aungell to the end they erre not he beholdeth the calamities they endure and yéeldes compassion to the complayntes they make accordinh to the comfort of the Psalme O culi domini super iustos et aures eius ad praeces eorum Still touching the discourse of Religion and of the professors of the same ANd albeit these words of our Lord That who perseuereth not to the ende shall not be saued are generall to all Christians yet they concerne most chiefly such as be of the ministerie who being called to an estate so holy by how muche they are chosen as men most necessary and worthy by so much more doe they offend the maiesty of God if they renounce or leaue it Redite domino deo vestro sayth God by his prophet If you promise any thing to your God looke to offer it giue it For a man hauing once past his promise must consider that to doe any thing is an office and action of the will but the accomplishment therof is of necessitie The Church compelleth no man to take baptisme but after we be once receiued she hath power to constraine vs to liue like Christians Euenso there neyther is nor ought to be authority to enforce one an other to chaunge habyte or enter the ministery but being once possest of the orders we are bounde to kéepe our profession Yea it belonges to the ministers of the Church to know that the perfection of religion consists not onely to take the habyt to forsake the worlde and to be enclosed within the precinct of his vycarage and Churchyarde But with all to him appertaynes the passion of paines troubles and iniuries and to striue to resist his affections and lastely to be constant with his brethren For that to liue in order is a thing easie but to perseuer to the end is entangled with great hardnes Non cessamus pro vobis orare vt dignos vos faciat vocatione sua we pray to the Lord cōtinually saith the apostle to the end you may be made worthy of his ministery that is that you be thought méete to be called by him and that he call you as he is wont to call those whom he loueth God inuiteth all God calleth all and entreateth them to serue and follow him But amongest all others those whom hée calleth particulerlye those doth hée holde vp wyth hys hande and if hée suffer them to slyde hée is readie to helpe them vppe agayne Suche as bée called of God perseuere to the ende but those whom the Ennemie leadeth retourne eftsoones to the Worlde Great is the comfort of suche as are come into Religion guyded by the hande of God séeing it is aduouched in the Scriptures that the holy Ghost led Iesus into the Desart and the wicked spirite caried him vp to the Temple not with intention that hée should Preache but rather to throw himselfe headlong from the place There were many other places in Jerusalem more high then that which the Diuell led Christ vnto but he desired nothing more then to make Iesus Christ fal from the pinacle of the temple by that which we are instructed that greater vaunt doth the Diuell make to make one of those fal which are consecrated to Christ thē a hundreth of suche as Prophane and wander in the Worlde And therwithall we are taught that the fall which the seruant of God makes in the ministery is dangerous to the soule doubtfull to his conscience and most slaunderous to the common weale It is written in the discourse of the liues of the fathers of Egipt that one of those holy ancients saw in a vision the assemblie of Diuels and hearing euery one report the diuersitie of illusions wherewyth they had be guiled the worlde hée saw their Prince make greater gratulation and recompence to one of those ill spirits that had deceiued a vertuous man of the Church then to al the rest sturring thousands to transgression sinne two of the childrē of the great sacrificator Aarō were burned for no other occasion then for that they had transgressed in one Cerimony of the Temple And albeit in the congregation there were no doubt greater sinners then those two Children yet God saw cause to punish them and dissemble wyth the others the better to make vs to know that the estate of the ministers is of such perfection that that which to the world is estéemed ceremony the same to men of the Church is rule and precept and the breache of it a sinne mortal So that vntil the Church militant be ended and that we go to enioy the Church triumphant of necessity drosse will be mingled with gold chaffgo with corne the thorne grow with the Roase marrow ioyned to the bones and good men be consociat with the wicked yea and this is no small wretchednes that many times it is more hard to endure a wicked man in the ministery then all the temptations which the illuding spirit can sturre vp there Vtinam recedant qui conturbant nos Would to God sayth S. Paule such as trouble our common weale were deuided from our company the man of the Church being wicked doth this hurt in the congregation either to prouok others to sinne by his example or at least to sturre them to murmure by his vile perswasions séeing the pot that boileth to much casteth out his fatnes the troublesom sea reuerseth the ships the vyolent winde renteth vp trées by the rootes and fluddes ouer flowing their chanels spoile the corne Euen so the minister which is not studious or géeueth not himself to praier or lastly occupieth not his mind with some exercise of the hand much lesse that he preuayleth in his function but is an instrument of euil to such as he can make like to himselfe the first curse that God gaue in the world was to the enuious Cayne saying Quia occidisti fratrem tuum eris vagus et profugus super terram Séeing I haue bestowed thée vppon the earth and thou hast there defyled thy selfe with the bloud of thy Brother thou shalt haue my curse to goe as a vagabounde in the worlde and lyue discontented according to which wordes of God to Cayne I say that for a man of order it is an other Paradise the tranquillitie that he findes in the exercise of the ministery But to him that hath a will corrupted it is a Hell to be subiect in that place Sewer in good consideration there is not vnder Heauen the lyke tranquillity as to be in companie of good men and to pray to God in societie of such as be vertuous And as Christ would neuer haue giuen to Cayne so great a curse if he had not committed so vyle a Treason agaynst his brother So the Lorde neuer suffereth that any minister or man of the Church wander or go as a vagabound through the world but for