doth more respecte the intention of the minde then the worke of the hande In that lawe were more earthly temporall promises then heauenly and euerlasting but in ours there are more eternall spirituall promises then corporall transitory In both lawes there are indeede both eternall temporall promises and both doo require obedience of harte of hande for loue for feare for vnder both lawes there are some perfect men some imperfect But vnder the lawe of Christe there is more perfection so more loue then feare yet some feare more promises eternall then temporall and yet some temporall these temporall promises this feare in the lawe of Christe are for the imperfecte And on the other side for those which were perfect in the lawe of Moyses some did obey for loue with a good harte and for such it had some promises spirituall but these were fewer much inferior vnto them of the Gospell SOME OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWENE the Lawe the Gospell Sect. 2. 1. BVT the principall difference is that Moyses lawe did not iustifye ex opere operato nor did the sacrifices ceremonyes therof conteyne grace in themselues For the mysterye of our Sauiours incarnation passioÌ„ not being really accoÌ„plished they could not really conteyne vertue of that which yet was not only ex opere operantis if the partyes offering were in state of grace had faith in the expected Messias then did those sacrifices iustifye not as conferring grace of themselues causally but only as signes accidentally It is true the sacramentes of our lawe in like sorte require faith deuotion but moreouer in themselues they are more then signes and doo conteyne confer grace not corporally abiding in them for so can nothing meerely spirituall be conteyned in a bodily substance But instrumentally really remayning in them and so virtually intended to passe be conueyed by them For our sacraments effect grace cheifly as instrumentall causes and that as instrumentes mediate separate such as is a staffe not as an instrument coniuncte immediate such as a hande And so the principall efficient cause of grace is God himselfe the humanity of our Sauiour Christe as an instrument coniuncte and as separate instrumentes and causes of grace are our sacramentes both satisfactions for sinne and meritorious of fauour 2. Wherfore thoughe the sacrifices of the olde lawe iustifyed as signes testifying the faith obedieÌ„ce of the offerer yet this was only ex opere operâ—Ì„tis by the obedience faith of the partyes applying the merites of our Sauiour Christe by that faith as only by an inwarde acte of the minde in the offerer which inward action of faith thoughe alwayes it be necessary yet furthermore we haue the vertue of our Sauiours passion applyed vnto vs allso by the outwarde vse of externall sacraments which is a priuiledge of more fauor a prerogatiue of more grace 3. And thus is the lawe of Christe more perfect more abundant in grace then was the law of Moyses for what the Leuiticall law did but promise signifye our EuaÌ„gelicall law doth exhite performe as S. Augustin said significando causat gratiaÌ„ in signifying doth allso cause grace in vs. Wherfore thoughe the lawe of the gospell propound more temporall afflictions and lesse store of worldly prosperity yet doth it affoarde a more speedy passage to heauen so much greater rewarde of eternall glory thirs was generally for a more carnall sensuall people more imperfect but ours is especially for men more perfect more spirituall which as it requires more perfection so it doth enable vs with more grace and so it is a much easyer yoke because it doth endue vs with farre greater strengthe 4. If you consider them both by the bare outward letter yet as S. Augustin said the lawe had the gospell hiddenlie inuolued and the gospell hath the lawe plainlie reuealed the lawe did foreshew our Sauiour as one a farre of dimly sene and the gospell doth manifest him clearly as one present And in respecte of their commandements admonitions other instructions let them be alike in this poynte of their letter that in both of theÌ„ the letter doth kill because when the letter of the lawe or gospells commandement is not fulfilled it is accidentally or improperly said to be the occasion of sinne so to kill yet seing it is the spirite which giueth life and considering that the lawe of Moyses was a dead lawe working wrathe requiring obedience not enabling to obey and considering that in the lawe of Christe beside the outward letter commandements writteÌ„ in paper there is allso abundaÌ„ce of grace inwardly shed into all good Christians hartes not only prescribing what we are to doo but assisting vs euer in the doing this is an excellent difference and a confortable encoragement 5. Wherfore S. Augustin said In the olde testament the lawe was established outwardlie by which vniust men shoulde be terrifyed but in the new it is inwardlie giuen by which they mighte be iustifyed And so the lawe was made by Moyses but grace truthe was giuen by Iesus Christe and therfore the Apostle saith their lawe was giuen in tables of stone but ours is written in the fleshye tables of our hartes and calleth their lawes a ministration of death condemnation but ours he nameth a ministratioÌ„ of the spirite of iustice because with ours we receiue inwarde grace helping to be saued but theirs had only the outward letter which accused 6. In this respecte Dauid mighte say that our lorde would not be delighted with the sacrifices of Moyses lawe althoughe he had so strictely commaÌ„ded them he exacteth them and yet refuseth them they were commanded therby to shew the faith obedience of the Offerers and yet he refused them in regarde of any value in the sacrifice it selfe they were exacted because of that which they did signifye but he did not regarde them for any worthe or vertue in themselues As when the Poste or other messenger bringes vs a letter whose cariage must coste vs deare Sir here is a letter for you pay me for the portage If we desire firste to read it he will say no if he suspecte we will returne it him vnpayde for he knowes we care not for the bulke of the letter but for the meaning of the wordes and that the paper of it selfe is nothing nere worthe the price which he demandes so the sacrifices of the olde lawe were required for signification of the Messias and were accepted according to the faith of the offerers not for any value which of it selfe was in the bloud of beastes or in the swetenes of fruites 7. Thus S. Ierome and others note of Abel that our Lorde more respected the person offering then the sacrifice offered And so S. Augustin obserueth in Abel 3. primarye vertues vidz he was the firste preist the firste virgin
then our harte searching our entralls prouing our reynes to thee we refer this iudgment and fearing our selues to bee far the worse we humbly sincerely craue more penitence more pity O IESV giue me strength in satisfaction to beare what thou wilte impose and then impose coorrectioÌ„ what our wilte O sweet Sauiour thou knowest how absolutely herein I doo resigne my will O continue me this grace and teach me more in true penaÌ„ce still to begge for more mercy I haue dishonored thee scandalized men for I was a publique preacher of the protestantes false Doctrine wherin peraduenture by my meanes some haue bene seduced many hardened others offended I haue profaned thy sacred churches somtime dedicated to thy catholique seruice and for mine owne body soule which should haue bene thy spirituall temples o how haue they bene polluted by errors which I supposed to be truthes by presumption of knowledge when I was in ignorance by some vices which I reputed vertues by many faultes which I neglected 4. If to affirme this as I doo penitently be my shame let it be O God as I desire thy glory If the worlde the diuells mine owne conscience doo accuse me O Father of mercy I confesse all wherof any of these can justly impeache me and allso whatsoeuer else thou doost know more in me then I haue coÌ„fessed or can call to minde in transgressions against thy deuine majesty in offences against my neighbors in many sinnes against my selfe O wretched and vile sinner that I am what should such a sinner doo whither shall I go shoulde I despayre No for that one sinne were greater then all these What though my sinnes haue bene many bad according to my religion my profession worse wherby like the prodigall sonne I was a Swynehearde a protestante minister feeding my selfe others with the huskes of heresy Et non satiabar in which I coulde neuer taste of true comforte nor obteyne peace vnto my conscience therfore with him I will Arise go to my heauenly Father I am resolued To arise from sinne Sectaryes To go vnto God our Father by meanes of the Catholique churche our mother and with this perpetuall purpose I doo say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruantes 5. Amongest Protestantes against malice I might wel plead ciuill honesty morall integrity wherin I liued among them without reprehension but in comparison of thy Catholique seruantes Sayntes O God before thy heauenly purest eyes I dare not present my former best innocence here I renounce any plea of passed integrity I disclayme my wonted profession I lament detest my errors my sinnes Thou knowest O lord I haue acknowledged them vnto my Ghostly Father in confession I beseech thee to confirme his absolution and as I doo entreate so I doo truste that thou wilte vnbinde in heauen what he hath vnbound on earthe O forgiue them for Iesus sake and so keepe me euer hereafter in thy loue grace that I may rather chuse miseryes disgraces reproches tormentes ten thousand deathes then at my time to retourne to the like sinnes errors or to my former estate And thou o blessed Virgin the mother of our only Sauiour and all the Angells and Sayntes of heauen O praye for me that during my life I may say this psalme with Dauid in true contrition And so throughe our Lord Iesus obteyning mercy at laste I may with him and all you be admitted into glory MEDIT. II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out mine iniquity Washe me yet more from my iniquity cleanse me from my Sinne. A SHORTE DIVISION AND EXPLIcation of all these wordes Sect. 1. S. Ambrose saith Dauid sinned which Kinges are wonte but he performed penance he wepte he mourned which Kinges are not wonte he confessed his faulte he craued pardon prâ—strate on the ground he bewayled his wretchednes he fasted he prayed he hath published for euer a testimony of his confession priuate men are ashamed to doo this a King is not ashamed to confesse c O come my soule let not Dauid thus condemne vs nor S. Ambrose thus accuse vs rather because we haue ouertaken ouergone Dauid in sinning let vs be stayed by S. Ambrose to followe such a king in repenting Let vs consider our owne misery and our Lordes mercy not mercy without misery least we presume nor misery without mercy least we despayre Many thinke not how wretched they are by sinne in their hartes and therfore they sighe not with miserere in their mouthes but we are readyer to talke or thinke of our worthynes theÌ„ of our sinfulnes especially we will sooner compare our selues with other men in wisedome in knowledge in authority riches or such like with the proude pharisy then with the huÌ„ble publican acknowledge our ignoraÌ„ce our faultes and our infirmityes but what auayle such comparisons we shall be judged by that which we are in our selues not by what we seeme to be in respecte of others a dwarfe is not à gyante thoughe he stande on the toppe of a steeple or on a mounteyn a stately towre is not a lowe Cottage thoughe it be placed in the bottome of a valley consider o my soule what thou arte in the vale of misery not what thou maist seeme on a mounte of vanity let one depthe call vpon another out of the depthe of our sinfull misery o God we call vpon the depthe of profounde mercy 2. A deepe wounde must haue a large tente abondance of soares must haue many playsters o graunte vs great mercy for our deepe woundes and multitude of miserations for our innumerable botches let them seeke for smaller mercy whose faultes procede of meaner ignorance but my sinnes o lord haue neede of a strong warriour to redeeme me and of a skilfull phisition to heale me All sinners descend from IerusaleÌ„ to Ierico from the highest vertues to the basest vices they fall among theeues divells tentations delightes I allso among these was dangerously wounded in naturall facultyes spoyled generally of spirituall graces o gracious Samaritan miserere take pity on me passe not by me vnregarded O let the greatnes of thy mercy heale my naturall woundes and by the multitude of thy miserations repayre my spirituall losses come nere me come to me o compassionate Samaritan powre in wyne of compunction to cleanse my filthynes make me feele my misery powre in oyle of absolution to heale my soarenes by thy mercy o great phisitian here shew the
least his speach fauour of pride or vaynglorie Wherfore in S. Ihon it is said The freind of the spouse doth stande heare him and S. Augustin there notes that if we heare dutifully we are freinds of Christe and by hearing we stande more stedfast wheras he that is speaking is alwayes in danger by his wordes to fall into some folly 3. Wherfore o lord doo thou speake vnto my soule the wisdome of thy misteryes the comforte of thy promises and the desires of thy loue o let me heare the musique of thy voyce in all these harmonyes and last of all let me heare that swete close of happynes venite benedicti come you blessed There is ioye gladnes In the soules felicity is ioye in the bodyes immortality is gladnes as the propet said in their owne country they shall possesse double benefites Then our bones that is our vertues shall reioyce now they may be despised of worldlinges or of Diuels assaulted but if now they so humbled then they shal be crowned 4. Thy prophet NathaÌ„ hath let me heare the pardoÌ„ of my guilt so the release of eternal paynes but he hath left a teÌ„poral puÌ„ishmeÌ„t stil vpoÌ„ me that the sword shal not depart my house c. o let me heare allso the relaxation of these temporall calamityes For as in euery sinne there is auersion from God Conuersion to some creature so it hath a double punishment first because so we forsake him who is infinitely Good and for our conuersion to creatures sensible punishments are due because we were too much delighted in transitory vanityes O mercifull Iesu let me haue ioye for the remission of eternall payne and gladnes for the pardon of temporall punishments Or ioye for sinne pardoned and gladnes for grace restored In euery sorte for all my sinnes let my conscience be fully pacifyed which till I was conuerted would neuer suffer me to liue without feare or disquiet THE IOYES AND GLADNES OF GOOD men different from those of sinners with a harty reioycing of the Author for his Coâ—uersion Sect. 6. 1. THere is a hearing of faithe which bringes vs to giue obedience prayses and there is a hearing of wordes by reading or preaching the firste is inward leading to ioye the second is outward directing to gladnes Or the outwarde bringes vs to the inwarde and after both we come to ioye gladnes Wherfore o my soule seeke to encrease faith by hearing outwardly and allso doo thou heare what our lord speaketh within thee o seeke ioye in the pardon of thy sinnes desire gladnes in the promise of rewarde A wicked man can haue no true ioye but they may reioyce whose reward is plenteous in heauen such a harte may haue ioye and such a bodie may haue gladnes as Dauid saith elsewhere my harte my flesh haue reioyced in our liuing God the harte hath ioye beleuing it selfe purged from â—â—irituall pollution and the body hath gladnes feeling it selfe cleansed from carnall coâ—â—uption 2. In these shall our humbled bones reioyce not so much of the body as of the minde yet alas how few reioyce spiritually and how many are full of mirthe carnally but the end of such mirthe is sorowe because they are glad when they haue done ill and they recoyce in the worste thinges wheras to the other it is said Aske you shall receiue that your ioye may be full and your ioye shall none take from you It is exceeding hard to order and subordinate any ioye of this life to that ioye which is in our lorde the one doth diminish or endanger the other but carnall and spirituall ioyes can neuer dwell together and of these S. Ierome said that neuer any passed from delightes on earthe to ioyes in heauen Sara broughte not forthe Isaac which signifyes mirthe till she was olde that is till carnall pleasures be mortifyed we cannot conceiue any spirituall ioyes nor can this spirituall Isaac agree with fleshly Ismael who instead of mirthe is but a mocker wherfore let vs banish this sonne of the bondwoman for wheras the ioye of wordlinges is said in the scriptures to haue a crowne of roses which are but flowres that will fade the crowne of Gods seruantes is said to be of precious stones which are euer of value and cannot wither 3. How should we expresse o my soule the ioye and gladnes which we haue inwardly tasted since we were reconciled to God we are neither able worthely to giue thankes for it nor sufficiently to expresse it only let vs most humbly beseech our gracious lorde to continue vs this mercy which verily is alone more worthe then all the kingdomes riches delightes of the whole worlde And I dare vpon my soule assure any sinner or misbeleeuer who shall with contrition make a sincere confession reconciling himselfe to God his Churche that presently he shall find himselfe so disburdened and so comforted that he woulde not at that instante for all the worlde retourne agayne to his former estate 4. O how proper is that speach of holy S. Bernard to our heauenly father Quando câ—r nostrum visitas tunc ei lucet veritas vilescit mundi vanitas intus feruet charitas O my harte when God doth visite thee then shines to thee his veritie the worlde appeares base vanitie and in thee boiles heauens charitie I can wish my best freindes no better then to taste and see how sweete our lorde is whersoeuer I may find a Nathanael I cannot chuse but tell him I haue found the Messias let him come and see vnto his hearing and to his harte he shall receiue ioye gladnes And if his bones that is the best facultyes of his minde be humbled sincerely they shal be wonderfully reioyced This hast thou experienced o my soule for whiles thy bones would mooue and stand vpon their owne strenghte and still trust to their owne skill I could find no ease nor any rest for alwayes I felte somewhat was out of ioynte but since they were humbled to obedience of faith and submitted to the instruction and direction of the Catholique churche O what rest what ease what reioycing of bones for here be the best bâ—nesetters of a contrite soule now I feele no former doubtes nor wonted feares I haue all quiet and all assurance the truthe shynes cleare the worlde seemes base the charity and loue of God shed abroad in our hartes is so confortable that it is vnspeakable O what inwarde ioye what true gladnes O swete Iesu when thou entrest into a penitent publicanes house thy father comes with thee and thy holy spiritie comes with thee O blessed Trinity come daily into my poore harte with the riches of thy grace and ioyne me vnto thee that as our Sauiour prayed vs all so I allso may be one with you not one in substance but one in humble obedient vnitie of will and one in deuout feruent vnitie of
thou giuest as a nurse and to worke what thou commandest as a laborer For Salomon calls him sluggarde who hides his hande in his bosome will not put it to his mouthe not so much for meate as to performe with his hande what he speakes with his mouthe And thus let vs folowe S. Peters aduise As euery one haue receiued grace so to employe it towardes others in grace of speache grace of action that as the holy ghoste appeared in fashion of a tongue so allso he is called in holy scriptures Digitus Dei the finger of God our Sauiour saying he caste out diuells by the finger of God that is by the vertue of the holie spirite which is a finger of action as well as a tongue of speache that as our couÌ„tryman venerable Bede hath written a Treatise teaching men to speake or expresse their mindes by the signes motions of their fingers as we vse to talke with dumbe meâ— so we shoulde learne according to our English phrase to handle our tongues well i. by the workes of our handes to make good the wordes of our tongue For otherwise that accusation of Ieremy will fall vpon vs mendacium operatus est we haue wroughte alye whiles our bad actions doo falsefye our good speches or when we doo good for hypocrisy not for sincerity it is a monstrous lye because ordinary lyes are spoken but such a lye is wroughte operatus esi mendacium a lye with a wroughte latchet which may be seene Contrarywise a true seruante of God one who will teach his fellowe seruantes the iuste complete will of his maister he must learne Salomons lesson Read my lawe as the apple of thine eye vidz with attention And write it on thy fingers namely in execution so the prophet saith the worde of our lorde was made in the hande of Aggaeus where he mentioneth making of it in his hande for reuealing of it to his knowledge because our knowledge is vayne without practise as in Geometry the Mathematiques one quarter of an howres practicall demonstration will make you to vnderstand more then a whole weekes theoricall study and as the 7. planets giue more influence then the fixed starres because the one are fixed in their spheres and the other haue their peculiar motions for influence procedeth from lighte motion not from lighte alone and therfore we must like S. Ihon Baptiste as well burne mooue in heate of charity as shyne stand still in lighte of faith Not as the Lacedimonian of the nightingall to haue a sweete voyce only and nothing else Nor Iacobs milde voyce Esaus roughe handes Nor as Agis said of a witty Sophister that when he helde his peace he had nothing good in him Or as Stratonicus coÌ„ming by a fountyen asked of the inhabitantes nexte it whether the water were good they answered we vse to drinke of it TheÌ„ saith he it is like to be naughte for your faces complexions seeme to be corrupted iudging of their founteyne by the operation effectes therof as we likewise shall be discerned by our deedes what is in the founteyn of our hartes WHAT BE THE WAYES OR PROCEEdinges of our iustification what faith doth teache vs in these wayes Sect 5. 1. WHerfore least penitent or thirsty men shoulde drinke of corrupted founteynes I will directe as many as I can to the cleare waters of healthfull doctrine whose springes are only within the boundes of the Carholique churche I will teach the wicked thy wayes vidz such as haue bene in wickednes of sinne or of heresye I will shew them thy waâ—es of iustification 2. I will teach them that somtime thy lawes and thy wayes are called iustifications praying with Dauid I woulde my wayes mighte be directed to keepe thy iustifications 2. soÌ„time they are said to be iustifyed who are only declared to be iuste which is imputatiue righteousnes wherof Esay said wo be to you who doo iustifye the wicked for bribes 3. somtime for the first iustification or obteyning of iustice vnto a sinner wherof S. Paul saith whom God calleth he iustifâ—eâ—h 4. somtime for encrease or proceeding in further iustice which is called a second iustification of one allready iuste of which S. Iames speaketh concluding that a man is iustifyed by workes and not by faith only and S. Ihon willeth him who is iuste to be further instifyed 3. I will teach them that the end of our iustification is the Glory of God the saluation of our soules That the cheife efficient cause of our iustification is the Goodnes Mercy of God the efficient by-way of merite is the passion of Christe the efficient by-way of instrument vnited is the humanity of Christe the efficient by-way of instrument separate are the Worde Sacramentes their Administers The materiall cause or subiect of our iustification is the minde of man esâ—ecially the will wherin this iustice is wroughte remayneth The formall cause in habite intrinsecall is the habite of grace or charity infused in habite extrinsecall or exemplar it is the very iustice of our Sauiour Christe in which S. Paul admonisheth vs we shoulde beare the image of the celestiall man i. Christe as we haue borne the image of the terrestriall man Adam But the formall cause in Acte are good workes which in one respecte are the Effectes of our iustice and in another haue allso so efficiency in our iustification as likewise haue feare faith hope loue repentance all which laste as dispositions preparing our minde will doo euery one in some sorte iustifye I will teach them that faith necessary to iustification is not to be restreyned only to the promises of Gods mercy but it must beleeue all Truthe which God hath taughte And that faith is seated principally in the vnderstanding not in the will as a confidence for so it should be all one with hope And that in the vnderstanding it is a firme assent vnto all thinges which God propoundeth to be beleeued and not a knowledge of them 4. Touching the firste Our Sauiour in the holy Goâ—pells and in the Epistles and Actes of the Apostles they doo often require other pointes of faith to be beleeued beside the promises of mercy as that Châ—iste is omnipotent that he is the Sonne of God that he is God and man and the true Messias that he was crucifyed and rose agayne c. so all the other Articles of the Apostles Creede whatsoeuer the Caluinistes say to the contrary are poyntes of justifying faith wâ—thout beleefe wherof no man can be saued and yet moste of them perteâ—ne to other matters then to promises of mercy 5. Touching the second that faith is an assent of the vnderstanding in beleefe not a confidence of the will which perteyneâ— to hope and therfore S. Paul saith that in Christe Iesu we haue truste and accesse in confidence through his faith therfore faith is not a
truste or confidence but the cauâ—e of truste and confidence which we get throughe faith And S. Augustin saith Credere nihil aliud est nisi cun assensu â—ogitarâ— to beleeue is noâ—hing else but to thinke of a matter with assent therunto And S. Bonauenture maketh a double certeinty one of faith in the vnderstanding anotheâ— of hope in the will By the fiâ—ste we beleeue firmely as true all propositions of Gods worde in generall and by the second we haue good confidence in the particuler application of those thinges which may perteyne to our selues as good for vs For attingimus Deum we are joyned or doo reach vnto God only by our vnderstanding and our will in our vnderstanding is faith and because our will considers thinges eyther as juste and so we loue them or as pâ—ofitable and so we desire them therfore in ouâ— will is both hope expecting our heauenly profitable Good â—harity louing all that is equally just And so we haue the 3. Theologicall vertues faith hope and charity 6. In the thirde poynte Faith is not a distincte knowledge but an obedient assent captiuating the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith for where there is a playne knowledge of truthe it needeth not to captiuate the vnderstanding to obedience Therfore the Apostle twice reckoneth knowledge faithe as two seuerall giftes of God and the common phrase is oportet discentem credere A learner must beleeue viz such thinges as he doth not or cannot vnderstand S. Hilary said It hath rather a rewarde then neede of pardon to be iâ—norante what thou beleeuest as in the mistery of the Trinity Saint Prosper alledging those wordes of scripture Excepte you beleeue you shall not vnderstand collecteth thence that faith procedeth not of vnderstanding but vnderstanding cometh fâ—om faith and S. Auguâ—tin accordingly prayed credam vt intelligam non intelligam vt credam o Lorde let me beleeue that so I may vnderstand not by vnderstanding to beleeue wâ—erfore faith going before knowâ—edge is not all one with knowledge For firste there is apprehension next is Assent which twoo togeather make faith and thirdly is knowledge nâ—w in â—arte and hereafter fully when fides shall be vides when we shall knowe as we are knowne 7 Note alâ—so that this apprehension is ey ther indistincte and in grosse or it is euident and particuler this laste is neither necessary nor enoughe vnto faith the firste is necessary but not enoughe for both of them must haue Assent Therfore if a country-man or othâ—r ignorante playne soule doo giue his firme Assent to that which he apprehendes but grossely he hath faith wheras a heathen philosopher or other cunning Clarke â—houghe he haue neuer so cleare an apprehension yet he hath no faith if he haue not assent and credite to that which he vnderstandeth wherfore faith consisteth more in Assenting obedience then in vnderstanding knowledge 8. Likewise this Assent is double eyther grounded on reason and the euidence of the matter or vpon the authority of the Teacher The firste may be called knowledge but the latter is properly faith So saith S. Augustin That which we vnderstand we â— we it vnto reason but what we beleeue vnto Auctority And yet thus thoughe faith be not knowledge yet is knowledge both profitable to encrease out loue of God and commendable in them who desire so to profite And therfore with Dauid I will teach the wicked in matters of faith what to beleue yeilding their Assent to the infallibility of the churche and in matters of knowledge how to vnderstand by illustration of argumentes grounded vpon reason for these are the wayes of God and of certeyn truthe which if they be not sensibly demonstrable to fleshly eyes yet are they euidently credible to spirituall hartes Thus I will teach thy wayes which are thy iustifications HOW MANY OTHER PATHES DOO LEAD vnto the wayes of iustification and that we are not iustifyed by faith only Sect. 6. ANd the vngodly will be conuerted vnto thee How shall a wicked heretique or ignorante man learne thy wayes of truthe By obedient faith How shall an vngodly Catholique or a lewde sinner be conuerted vnto thee in a good life By iustifying faith It is faith which beginnes first to iustifye a sinner and secondly allso the iuste shall liue by his faith In matter of our iustification alwayes faith must be one yet only faith doth neuer iustifye Neither firste as the only Disposition vnto iustice nor 2. as the only formall cause of our iustice nor 3. as the only encreaser or preseruer of our iustice 2. Luther on the Galathians once said that faith is our formall iustice for which a man is iustifyed making faith an essentiall cause of our iustification But since all protestants reiect that saying and make it only a bare instrument as a hande receiuing an almes and so to iustifye vs only relatiuely Yet touching the concurrence of other vertues and good workes the Electorall Wittembergians or softer Lutherans following Melancthon with whom herein concurreth Caluin they require the presence of good workes as necessary signes and fruites of faith yet denying them to haue any efficiency vnto iustification But the Saxonians and harder Lutherans following Illyricus deny any necessity of good workes to iustification either in presence or in efficience alledging these sayinges of Luther Faith doth iustefye without and before charity and in his disputation whither workes auayle to iustification he auoucheth That faith excepte it be without the least workes doth not iustefye nor is faith These and many other be their particuler dissentions among themselues thoughe against Catholiques good workes they all conspire That only faith iustifyeth 3. But the Councell of Trent beside faith which is the firste Disposition requireth allso Dispositions of feare hope loue penitence a purpose of vsing the necessary Sacramentes and a purpose of a new life in obseruing Gods commandements The firste then is faith as S. Paul saith It behooueth him that cometh to God to beleeue that he is and that he is a iust Iudge and a punisher of euill and a mercifull father and rewarder of good Out of the one procedeth nexte feare which likewise as well as faith is an introduction or disposition to iustification For Ecclesias saith He that is without feare cannot be justifyed and Esay saith From thy feare we haue conceiued brought forthe the spirite of saluation 4. Then from beholding of mercy and rewarde thirdely groweth Hope which likewise doth iustefye as the Apostle expressely speaketh we are saued by hope and in the psalmes often They shall be saued deâ—iuered because they hoped in God Fourthly after hoping for Good foloweth â—oue of the Benefactor which loue is before remission of sinnes eyther in time if it be an imperfecte loue only beginning or in nature if it be perfecte in all ouâ— harte abounding as our Sauiour said to S. Mary Magdalen Manie sinnes are
inwarde man much more vnsetled 4. Therfore I will teach the wicked presumer thy wayes in thy footesteps of feare and the vngodly mistruster shall be conuerted vnto thee in thy harbour of hope and so we will sing of mercie together and of iudgement vnto thee O lorde And so likewise let the iuste man reprehend me in mercy and chyde me The vines are made fruitfull both by cutting of their superfluous branches and by adding to their rootes necessary norishing dunge Profitable reprehension is a proyning knife of vnprofitable imperfections for necessary vertues a milde admonition is a manuring of mercy Wherfore woe vnto them said the Wiseman who turne the dunge of oxen into stones nor let me euer be made fatte with the oyle of sinners Let me neuer growe abundante in vice by the softe oyley flattery of worldly freindes nor at any time turne the fruitfull dunge of good counselors into harde stones of obstinacy Rather let them teach me me thy wayes firste by sharpe reprehension when I wander from thy footesteps of feare and next by cherfull encoragement when I faynte in following the footesteps of hope 5. Yea o Father of mercy iudgement I desire the to be angry with me according to thy mercy and to teach me thy wayes according to thy iustice Correcte me in that anger by which thou â—oost reclayme a wanderer not wherby thou doost exclude a runneagate Say not thou hast taken away thy zeale from me as from one who is vncurable and so because I am desperate thou wilte no more be angrie with me for whoÌ„ thou doost loue thou doost chasten If therfore thou wilte not chasten me going amisse thou doost not loue me to teach me thy wayes It is said thou werte mercifull vnto the Israelites taking vengeance vpon all their fond inuentions O gracious Father whensoeuer I followe inuentions of mine owne appetite teach me to come home to to thy wayes by the vengeance of thy mercy For it is thy peculier condition to remember mercy when thou arte angry and therfore hauing offended I shall then haue confidence in thy fauour not when in pleasure I feele no smarte of punishmeÌ„t but when in affliction I feele thine anger for amendement SOME DEVOVTE DESIRES AND THANKSgiuinges of the Author vnto Almighty God Sect. 8. 1. THus o lorde I desire to be taughte By thy selfe and By others By encoraging exhortation or By seuere admonition By feare or By hope By iudgement or By mercy To auoide all desperate feare to beware any careles securitâ— To amend faultes and to profite in goodnes and with these to be instructed in thy wayes of true faith and conuerted vnto thee in workes of good life that so in some poore sorte like S. Peter being conuerted in my selfe I may better confirme others and allso being confirmed with thy principall spirite like Dauid I will be bolde to teach thy wayes vnto the wicked the vngodly shall be conuerted vnto the. 2. As I am mightily obliged to endeuour this satisfaction as thou haste giuen me o lord an earnest desire to performe this obligation so I beseech the giue force vnto my endeuours and let me see some effectes of these desires I desire to teach them not the secrets of Philosophie nor the pollicyes of statesmen but thy waies For there be two kinde of scieÌ„ces one of holy meÌ„ another of wise men one of iust meÌ„ another of learned meÌ„ if both be ioyned both are good but if wisdome or sort of our coÌ„mo learning be without holynes we may wel cal theÌ„ as Erasmus termed the coÌ„moÌ„ lawyners in England Indoctum genus doctissimorum hominum an vnlearned kinde of moste learned men 1. subtile and acute in their quirkes of lawe but ignorante or vnskillfull in other true learning so all knowledge without skill in Christes way is to be a speedy post maister out of the waye 3. Allso I will endeuour to teach not as a maister in Israel but as a scholler at the feete of Gamaliel I will helpe my fellowes in the same lesson which I haue learned not to seeke vaynglory by teaching nor by setting out my selfe vnto the worlde to ayme at the worlde But I beseech thee o Inspirer of all good teachers herein euer to directe my purposes sincerely by conuerting or teaching of soules to seeke them not theirs nor any thinge else of this worlde Rather in this and all other thinges to intend aboue all thy heauenly Glory their spirituall God and my bounden duty 4. And were it not vanity to ascribe much to our selues about the conuersion of soules we can but teach thy waies by our outwarde voyce and so they shall be conuerted vnto thee by thy inwarde grace as Dauid heer promiseth to teach them but their conuersion he leaueth vnto thee Paul may plante Apollos may water but thou o lorde must giue the encrease men may remooue the stone from Lazarus graue and some haue authority to loozen vntye his handes and his feete but our Sauiour himselfe must rayse Lazarus to life we will teach o lorde but thou must conuerte 5. And verily neither are any so ready to learne nor we so willing to teach nor yet so desirous that our dearest freindes shoulde be conuerted as thou who diddest thirste vpon the crosse that all should be saued so that we are farre inferior vnto thee o Iesu in our charitable desires and they who will not be taughte thy wayes nor be conuerted vnto thee such are still worthy to wander out of thy waye and continuing such are for euer vnworthy to come vnto thee For as thou haste appoynted the End so thou doost declare the waye 6. O sweete Iesu if we be taughte thy way outwardly as Catholiques it is thy mercy it is greater mercy inwardly if we be conuerted vnto thee O what recoÌ„pence should we make nay what thankes can we returne Our thankes cannot expresse what we owe much lesse will our recoÌ„pence discharge our debte If thy wayes be thy lawe thy lawe be immaculate conuerting soules o how excellent a priuiledge is this to be taughte such awaie such a lawe a lawe of grace and a way of life which is immaculate both because it makes vs immaculate and allso in comparison of the lawe of Moyses which was maculated with many shadowes spotted with much difficulty did discouer our blemishes sinnes For Moyses lawe did commande to obey but not as the lawe of Christe giue grace to fullfill it that turned awaye from euill the hande or the eye by feare this conuerteth vnto good the harte and soule by loue that was a lawe for seruantes this for sonnes O let Dauid teach vs thy waye in this lawe and hereby let our soules be conuerted vnto thee from captiuity vnto liberty not pressing vs by terror but drawing vs by swetenes from thinges temporall vnto thinges eternall from the hope of rewarde to the charity
begin to consider thy creatures and so from them I will rayse vp my thoughtes vnto their Creator For haec spectari voluit non tantùm aspici he woulde that these creatures should be veiwed seriouslie not alone slightlie gazed on by the interior consideration euer to learne some what of God at least for his prayse otherwise he that studyes vpon the nature of the heauens starres ayre water sea earthe flowers herbes fishes beastes other creatures pondering no more but their nature and alltogether omitting to collecte somewhat touching their Author he is like a man who hath skill meanes matter wherwith to builde a pallace and yet spendes all his time among children boyes only to make little houses of claye durte or cockle shells 3. Adam is said to haue bene placed in Paradise to kepe to cultiuate that garden but we knowe that before his fall the earthe had no neede much lesse Paradise to be tilled by labour of the body wherfore his cheife dressing keeping of Paradise was by labour of the minde in contemplation loue prayse of God Beholde O my soule where thou maist haue both an office a place in paradise wouldest thou liue in paradise wouldest thou here beginne to be happy If heauen be on earthe it is in a deuout religions mans cell If the life of Angells be among men it is in the quyre or among them who prayse God like Angells To burne to boyle in the loue of God is a most pleasant refreshing to a thirsty soule O my soule be thou thus thirsty this heate will coole thee this thirste will refresh thee this ferueÌ„t loue will make thy prayses fruitfull these prayses as they delighte drawe vnto vs the Angells Sayntes so they vexe and driue away the diuells all bad spirites for this is the musique of Dauids harpe which droue away the euill spirite from Saul and these are like the desires meditations of our blessed lady when the Angell came to salute her 4. Thus Plato called the body a musicall instrument and the soule a musician who according as he handleth vseth his body so it affoardes him bad or good melody learne theÌ„ o my soule to keepe thy body in tune release stretche touch his stringes with order for harmony that is with charitable discretioÌ„ towardes our selues other men for heauenly respecte to the greater glory of God so let vs labour or rest feede or faste talke or praye doo euery thinge else in domino as in the sighte for the seruice to the prayse of allmighty God Thus the ancyent Christians as Pliny wrote to Trajan were a people which liued innocently and exercised themselues in the sileÌ„ce of nighte to sing hymnes vnto Christ before the dawning of the daye Thus S. Paul and Silas being in prison they worshipped praysed God thus o my soule let vs often accorde with the holy Angells in a deuout Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus holy holy holy father sonne holy ghoste or with our Sauiour himselfe who in his humanity as he is man singeth Sanctus and the Blessed Virgin his mother with all the triumphante quyre of heauen singeth Sanctus Sanctus must be our songe with the preist at the Altar and with all the Churche militant here on earthe Thus allso let vs often ioyne with the whole courte of heauen in Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia with harte and voyce Alleluia with instrument and lippes Alleluia with mouthe tongue Alleluia reioycing Alleliua singing Alleliua or meditating Alleluia Thus all honor glory prayse power to God to the Lambe Alleluia Thus I beseech the o lorde that thou wilte opeÌ„ my lippes theÌ„ my mouthe shall thus declare thy prayse MEDITATION X. Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique holocaustis non delectaberis Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus cor contritum humiliatum Deus non despicies Because if thou wouldest haue had sacrifice I woulde haue giuen it accordingly with whole burnte offeringes thou wilte not be delighted An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice to God a contrite and humbled harte O God thou wilte not despise THE DIVERSITY OF SACRIFICES and some differences betwene the lawe and the Gospell Sect. 1. 1. OF sacrifices we read of three kindes 1. victimae animalium the bodyes of liuing creatures 2. oblationes aridorum the substances of fruites 3. Libamina humidorum the moysture of liquors The first were called victimes eyther because they were for victoryes or because they were tyed or bound to the Altar as vincta the second were oblations giuen to be offred The thirde were Libamina liquors to be powred out or to drinkâ— of The firste were killed the second were pownded or bruysed the third were powred out and all of them must be one way or other somewhat altered from their former existence Wherfore if we will beginne a sacrifice of our selues we must purpose a change of our qualityes our waterish pleasing thouhtes must be powred out in teares of repentance our drye vnprofitable speeches bruysed into well relished wordes and we must kill the concupiscence of all our bodily workes Or it will be good to mortifye the desires of our will as a victime tyed or bound to the Altar To pownde or bruyse the drye meditations of our memory for an oblation to be consecrated vnto God To powre out the flowing vnsethed cogitations of our vnderstaÌ„ding referring all to the wisdome and prouidence of our heauenly Father So shall he haue humbled thoughtes a memorie contrite an afflicted spirite which kinde of sacrifices O God thou wilte neuer despise especiallie when like the olde sacrifices they haue fyre salte that is some heate of feruent deuotion and well seasoned and â—alted with some discretion 2. These sacrifices shall euer be accepted But it may be our Dauid prophecyed thâ—t there woulde come a time of grace when thou wouldest not be delighted with any sacrifice of the lawe The legall sacrifices were but as the scaffoldes of the building when the building is finished the scaffoldes must be remooued and yet our Sauior came not to dissolue but to fullfill the lawe To fullfill the inwarde substance and truthe of the lawe which is eternall and to dissolue the outwarde figure shadowes which were temporall And so another psalme saith in the person of our Sauiour Sacrifice and oblations thou wilte none but thou hast perfected a body for me c. then I sayd beholde I come But when the kinge himselfe comes his Viceroy must giue place 3. Allso the sacrifices of the lawe did rather signifye then iustifye but ours doo as well iustifye as signifye The lawe of Moyses receiued obedience more for feare then for loue the lawe of Christe more for loue then for feare And so that lawe did rather restreyne the hande then the minde rather the outwarde deede then the inwarde intente But our lawe
a person whose life doth much importe the publique good of the common wealthe or of diuerse others beside himselfe But in no case may we aduenture the death of our soule rather saith our Sauiour if it coste vs our hande or our foote or the very eyes of our head we must sooner pull them out or cutte them of then loose our soule to saue them all or to gayne all the worlde So let vs say and performe it with Dauid If a million of sacrifices or millions of millions were requisite O God if they were in our power we would yeild them all most willingly not alone for some recompence of our sinnes but allso to testifye our willing loue and our bounden obedience vnto so gracious a lorde vnto whom we doo owe our selues our soules our bodyes and that we haue or can haue so that if occasion be we may say with S. Peter and the Apostles Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Beholde we haue forsaken all to yeild our selues vnto thy good pleasure for allbeit we haue no kingdomes no lordships no landes nor other great riches or dignityes to forsake no more then had those poore Fishermen yet as they did if we willingly parte from all we haue in present possession or in future possibility and no lesse from the loue affection desire of this worlde then from the honors wealthe and pleasures themselues in this case we may wel say reliquimus omnia we haue lefte all thoughe we enjoyed neuer so little for herein to subdue our will and to yeild our Desire is as much as to giue him all the worlde if it were ours to giue and he that so resignes his Desire and his will vnto all doubtles he resignes All and so much more then All. 5. Thus therfore let vs offer him All with Dauid that whensoeuer it shall please him to take all we haue or any parte we doo gladly giue him All euery parte and in this kinde althoughe we doo not in facte render vnto God a thousand sacrifices not whole barnte offeringes because we vnderstand that he doth not absolutely exacte them yet should we alwayes be such poore men in spirite that in our hartes we be prepared to yeild him all we haue whensoeuer we perceiue that he doth necessarily require them And so let vs say Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique Holocaustis non delectaberis O lorde I giue thee no whole burnt offeringes because I doo suppose thou doost not require them But if it were thy will to exacte a million of sacrifices Dedissem vtique verily I am ready to obey thy will and if it were in my power I woulde willingly giue thee all the worlde WE HAVE NEEDE TO BE PENITENT and how acceptable vnto our Sauiour is any soule contrite for sinne Sect. 4. 1. ALL this is moste due vnto our lord who neuertheles is so gracious that An afflicted spirite is a sacrifice vnto God A contrite harâ—e humbled O God thou wilte not despise For my sinnes I will afflicte my minde my spirite with dolor and sorowe and I will humble my harte my senses my body with mortifications labor These sacrifices O God I knowe thou wilte neuer refuse For thou hast said that it is alwayes an heathfull sacrifice To attend vnto thy commandements and to departe from iniquity And that thou wilte soonest regarde the poore contrite in spirite such as feare thy wordes 2. And these sacrifices are most acceptable because in euery outward sacrifice there being 3. things 1. deuotion 2. oblation 3. signification somtime the last is impertinent or expired the second somtime is not necessary nor required but the firste is euer requisite gratefull profitable of which kinde are an afflicted spirite a contrite harte The spirite vnderstanding is afflicted by knowledge consideration of our sinnes of their enormityes our will our harte is humbled greiued by acknowledgement of our base guiltynes and with a detestation of our lothsome faultes 3. O my soule if we consider the seuere iustice of allmighty God who for sinne threwe downe Lucifer and those arrogant Angells out of heauen expelled disobedieÌ„t Adam his posterity out of Paradise drowned all the worlde except eight persons and except his seruante Lot some with him burned all the fiue cityes of Sodome so often punished Pharaoh all the Egiptians with such strange terrible plagues caused the earthe to open to swallowe Corah Dathan Abiram quicke into hell euer since in all ages places hath sundry times manifested his dreadfull iudgements against careles sinners O how oughte we to feare to afflicte our spirite that we afflicting our selues he may spare vs that beginning by peircing feare as by a sharpe needle to drawe into vs the thred of loue we may come to be sowed vnited vnto him in attonement reconciliation Thus O lorde we praye with Dauid in another psalme Confige timore tuo carnes meas O wound peirce my flesh with thy feare it will be like the â—urgeons wounde which letteth out corrupted bloud or putrefyed matter There shalle dolores parturientis the sorowes of a woman in child-birthe that as our sinnes were conceiued in voluptuous pleasure so we cannot be deliuered of them without afflicting payne 4. Nay we are happy that sinne by nature bringing vs sorowe we may if we will so vse this sorowe that it shall extinguish sinne as the wood breedes a worme the yron a rust the garment a mothe which consume the substances wherof they were engendred Nay much more happy that so easy so small a meanes as an humbled a contrite harte may change the iustice of God into mercy According to that vision shewed to a holy woman wherin she sawe our Sauiour as it were sitting on a throne with great maiesty attended on by all the Angells Sayntes holy hoste of heauen yet very often to ryse of from his seate to go to euery pitifull voyce which called vpon him she asked what voyces those were and why he himselfe so often mooued from his throne did not rather send vnto them some one or more of his heauenly attendantes which mighte well seeme more then sufficient He answered that those voyces were the sorowfull sighes of any sinners contrite harte who if they could not so much as name Iesus yet if they did in true humility sighe and with an afflicted spirite syncerily greiue for their sinnes he did so much loue rather to shew mercy then to obserue maiesty and did so much delighte in the contrite conuersion of any sinner that he did most willingly rise vp himselfe and withall in ioye to mooue the whole courte of heauen to giue comforte wellcome to euery such soule 5. Wherfore let vs be of good comforte o penitent soules for thoughe we be destitute of all worldly wealthe hauing nothing to giue
but rather doo begge for almes althoughe we be so weake so sicke in bodily healthe that we can neither faste nor vse any corporall mortification no nor be able to speake or name Iesus yet if we doo but sighe for his mercy for his loue aboue all thinges else and if for that respecte aboue all we doo but wish for pardon of our sinnes detesting them with an afflicted spirite because we haue offended so gracious a lorde and with a contrite harâ—e for the fowlenes of our faultes if we doo but conceiue an humble thoughte with a hopefull desire acknowledging our owne vnworthynes crauing his forgiueness certeinly such a sacrifice of such a spirite O God thou wilte neuer refuse it A DESCRIPTION OF CONTRITION AND Attrition and their seuerall propertyes Sect. 5. 1. COntrition is a parte of penance hauing a willing sorowe of minde for our sinnes committed which now we doo detest more then all other hatefull thinges because it is an offense against God whom nowe we doo loue aboue all the worlde and hauing an hope of pardon throughe Christe we doo fully purpose for euer to absteyne from sinnes and to confesse and to satisfye so farre forthe as we are bounde or shall be able This is the description of perfecte Contrition formed with complete charity But Attrition which is imperfecte and somewhat vnformed Is a sorowe of minde detesting sinne committed though not alone and aboue all for the loue of God and hath a purpose with hope of pardon euer to absteyne as least from mortall sinne and to confesse and to satisfye as shal be requisite This Attrition of it selfe alone is not sufficient to obteyne pardon vntill there be added and adioined some sacrament vnto it by which it obteyneth effectuall remission 2. And vnderstande 1. that there is a sorowe which is a greife only because of punishment or for shame without any respecte of God 2. in parte for these and in parte because God is offended yet so that he woulde not sorowe if he had no feare of shame or punishment 3 both for these and because God is offended and so that he woulde sorowe for hauing offended God thoughe those other were not But neuertheles he doth not detest sinne more then any hatefull thinge nor loue God aboue all in this worlde 4 Is without these a perfect contrition grounded vpon a sorowe detesting sinne more then any other hatefull thinge because we loue God perfectly aboue all the worlde The firste is of naturall sense the second is of a seruile minde the thirde is attrition of an imperfect filiall feare the fourthe is perfecte complete contrition 3. Any sorowe may be profitable and is good when it doth include at least virtually some respect of greife because God is offended And thoughe our sorowe or feare at firste be but naturall or seruile yet may it proceede to be initiall making imperfectly an entrance and at laste come to be filiall in perfection Out of these some differences are collected about Contrition Attrition As firste that some Contrition doth fully pardon all sinne both all the guilte all the punishment thoughe the partye shoulde dye before he coulde come to Confession or any other sacrament if he did desire them and vse his true diligence to obteyne them wheras other Contrition in the like case doth remitte all the guilte payne eternall but not all temporall punishment But the best Attrition is not sufficient without some sacrament adioined to absolue vs from the guilte of sinne 4. Allso there is a grosser attrition which proceedeth more from the feare of shame or punishment then because God is offended wheras the best Attrition is more for the offence of God then for any punishment or shame Allso there is a difference betwixte remisse Contrition the best Attrition because any contrition detesteth sinne aboue any thing detestable being founded vpon the loue of God aboue all wheras euen the best attrition thoughe it principally loue God hate sinne for it selfe yet noâ— aboue all But the absolute loue of perfecte contrition differeth allso from remisse contrition not for that it is sorow only because allmighty God is offended without any respecte vnto shame or punishment but because the one doth exceed the other in intention AN AMPLE DECLARATION PLIANLY SETting forthe the former description of Contrition Sect. 6. 1. NExt let vs consider all the partes of the forme description as they stande in order Firste contrition is a parte of penance against the Lutherans who make Terrors caused by the lawe and faith fastened on the gospell to be the two partes of repentance And against Caluin who rejecting the Lutherans faithâ— doth no lesse improperly make the death of the olde man and the life of the new man to be the only partes of penance But these poyntes of feare faith mortification and regeneration are only either preparations and dispositions leading vnto repentance as be feare faithe or they are necessary effectes folowing repentance as are mortification regeneration And so all the Textes of scripture requiring these poyntes doo only prooue that they are requisite and doo concurre with repentance according as the Councell of Trent declareth denying neuertheles that they are not properly materiall partes of penance which in truthe are contrition confession and satisfaction 2. Hauing a willing sorowe of the minde Not naturall only or compelled but principally a willing sorowe and that of the minde rather then of the body and in the minde rather in the intellectuall parte of the will then in the sensitiue parte not excluding the sensible sorowe of the will or of the body which being added doo giue it conueniency but only for necessity requiring an estimatiue or appreciatiue inwarde sorowe more then any outward intensiue vehement greife For there may appeare or a man may feele in himselfe a more vehement and intensiue sorowe for the losse of his Father his sonne his wife his freind or his estate then he can peraduenture finde in himselfe for all his sinnes yet it is sufficient that in the election of his will he doo sorowe for sinne as much as he can and doo esteme and prise the horror of his offences at a higher rate in generall then all the disasters and discontentes of this worlde so that if it were nowe in his choyse he would rather endure any torment and death or loose all the worlde then deliberately to committe a mortall sinne If he haue this estimatiue or appreciatiue sorowe in the reasonable parte of his will althoughe it breake not out into the sensible parte I say it is sufficient nay in some men many tinnes I may say that such an hidden close greife is euen intensiuely more vehement and greater then outward sensible sorowe Yet neuertheles if we can come to sorowe of sense in teares sobbes c. it is very profitable and conuenient althoughe not absolutely necessary 3. This sorowe must be
for our sinnes committed Eyther personally and particulerly for our owne sinnes or as we are partes and members one of another for generall or participated sinnes of our family country or coÌ„mon wealth wherin we liue though this contrition of others sinnes be not properly contrition Which now we doo detest more then all other hatefull thinges because they are offences against God whom now we doo loue aboue all the worlde Where note that it is not necessary to make a particuler comparison betwene our hate of sinne and our loue of God whether we detest sinne more then present death or hell or the diuell c. nor whether we doo loue God aboue our kinge our Father our freind or any other such or such particuler which we doo loue or abhorre moste in this worlde Rather it is vnto necessary discretion causing doubtes feares and vnprofitable scruples by considering such particuler comparisons for it is abundantly sufficient that in my contrition I am fully resolued in generall rather to suffer or to loose any thinge then to haue committed or agayne to committe any mortall sinâ—e 4. And such sorowe is requisite for deadly offences but for veniall faultes a smaller kind of discipline is competent generally abhorring them and desiring with endeuour to auoyde and to be free from them Allso for the auoyding and preuenting of them and to be absolued from them in guilte and in all punishment we are much holpen and benefited by the vse of knocking our breastes by holy water holy bread agnus dei medalls graynes c. hallowed by the prayers of the churche in vertue of the bloud and merites of our Sauiour Christe And by these or by any other meanes either against veniall or mortall sinnes the more our deuotion and contrition is encreased thoughe we may seme to haue allready repentance competent yet the more we adde with humility the more comforte and merite we shall finde the more certeinly we shall haue all pardoned and we shall be the more plentifully rewarded 5. Neither may we too lighty suppose that euery sorowe or sighe or knocking of the breast and saying miserere or any such other signes of repentance are sufficient contrition or attrition excepte they haue the inwarde propertyes before described Rather S. Augustin doubted of their saluation who only in time of great dangers or after their sicknes doo beginne to repent not doubting but if their contrition were true then their pardon would be certeyn but he feares their vndoubted saluation because he doubtes their falâ—e repentance who in such times are much more like to be sory alone for feare of punishment like Antiochus then for any true hatred of sinne or loue of God aboue all And such he saith are versi turned only by feare from sinne not conuersi for loue conuerted vnto God And this many times doth appeare when such partyes being recouered or deliuered from their feare and their perills they soone after returne agayne to their former sinnes Wherfore it is true indeede that the churche granteth her Rytes christian buriall vnto all such as professing themselues Catholiques doo vse but any outwarde signe of remorse leauing their hartes to the tryall of God not warranting their repentance to be good but in charity rather chusing to absolue an hundred thousand false penitentes then by seuerity to reteyne bound any one soule truly contrite 6. Vnto the foresaid contrite sorowe must be adioyned an hope of pardon throughâ— Christ with a full purpose for euer to absteyne from sinne to confesse to satisfye So farre forthe as we are bounde or shall be able For if it should euidently appeare that we doo wante any of these we cannot be absolued otherwise not so appearing it may be supposed that either virtually or actually we haue them and that is sufficient 7. As for as the sinnes for which Contrition is required it neede not be of euery particuler sinne in number to haue a seuerall Acte of contrition but of all which we can remember according to their number or according to their kinde we must detest them all be sorye for them either in one Acte of contrition or in more as coÌ„ueniently we can for example sake In calling to minde that I haue sworne 500. times or spoken falsely or vaynegloriously 1000. times more or lesse as neere as I can coniecture I may in one Acte of contrition be sory for them all at once And so I must proceede to remember to be contrite for as many kindes or numbers as I can call to minde for no man is bound to more then he is able neither in contrition confessioÌ„ nor satisfactioÌ„ And therfore in case of speedy or sodeyn death one generall true Acte of contrition is sufficient for all our sinnes at once considered in grosse as offences of God And so it is in case we cannot well call to minde their seuerall numbers nor their distincte kindes 8. As for the times when euery one must be contrite vnder payne of a new particuler sinne they are set downe to be these 1. whensoeuer we find our selues in euident danger of corporall death 2. whensoeuer by occasion of sinne not repented we see our selues in euident danger of spirituall death that is to say like to fall further into more damnable sinne 3. In any publique greuous Calamity of the people or Common welthe which doth require our particuler prayers and humiliation vnto God allmighty for his mercy In all these cases we are bound to be contrite I say vnder payne of a new particuler sinne of omission vidz against the commandemeÌ„t of repentance Not that it is lawfull for any to remayne in mortall sinne vntill some of these times doo happen no not a minute of an howre for by the Commandement against which the sinne is committed we are euer presently bounde to repentance althoughe I say not vnder payne of a particuler new sinne of vnrepentance beside the former vntill we come to some of these times And then if we omitte repentance it is a new particuler sinne beside the offence wherof before we remayned guilty 9. Lastly our purpose of amendement must be sincere and the performance must be effected according to our power for if I seeme to be contrite or doo confesse and yet deteyne another mans goods being able to restore them or if I reserue any splene of hatred or malice against my neighbor not striuing nor desiring to driue it or put it out from me or if I doo not auoyde as much as I can all such dangerous occasions as I haue found or may euidently preceiue doo vsually put me in great hazard of consenting or committing some mortall sinne In all these cases if I be not carefull to remedye or preuent them surely my purpose is not sufficient therfore I am not in such cases truly penitent 20. But now when I haue once entirely vndergone the sacrament of penance I am no more
so in these wordes are compared penance with martyrdome and conquering the worlde with subduing of the fleshe And hereupon is inferred that whosoeuer labours to mortifie himselfe in contrition doth therewithall prepare himselfe for martyrdome for they that afflicte their hartes with penance for the loue of God the same will despise the worlde and endure any tormentes of Tyrantes for the same loue of God And so if martyrdome be an acceptable sacrifice vnto God mortification allso such an afflicted spirite may well be termed a sacrifice because it is a continuall liuing martyrdome 5. Nay in one respect a true contrite harte daily continued is eyther equall or may be preferred before an ordinary martyrdome for as Seneca said melius est femel scindi quam semper premi it is better to haue the head strooke of all at one sharpe blowe then to haue it hackled or harshly cutte of with a handsawe And so S. Martin Bishop of Turyn esteemed the prolonging of his life a greater labour then suffring of death saying vnto God almighty in a prayer made on his death bed Domine si adhuc populo tuo sum necessarius noÌ„ reâ—uso laborem O lord if yet I be necessary for thy people I doo not refuse the labour In respecte of which wordes the churche saith in his following Anthymne that he was a man Nec labore victum nec morte vincendum neither ouercome by labour nor by death to be ouercome In the Breuiary the reason is added For he neither feared to dye nor refused to liue In which wordes we see that what S. Martin called labour these wordes doo name life therfore doo inferre that he would not be conquered by the paynes of death because he was so constant in the labours of life For thoughe death be fearfull to nature yet in truthe it is an end of sinne and of misery wheras the prolonging of a penitent and contrite life is the continuance of a lingring martyrdome which out of doubte hath a wonderfull great merite For as in our excessiue vse of phisicke for feare of sicknes or death well said Martial Hic rogo non furor est ne moriare mori Is it not a folly to dye for feare of death according as we say he liues miserably who liues medicinally that is not in regarde of temperate dyet or discrete physicke but in respecte of vntimely or immoderate medicines or of too nice a care to kepe vs from euery winde that blowes Or as indeede a crazed weake sickely body had better be dead at once then linger in payne and to be in hazarde and feare of euery ayre and of euery meate for euery small matter may soone distemper him so it is easyer for our frayle dispositions by death to be quitte from our infâ—rmityes and sinnes then for a contrite harte to liue in danger of so many tentations euer striuing against disordinate delightes auoyding the pleasures which other men seeke brideling his appetites measuring and weighing all his desires marking and composing the very motions and gestures of his feete handes and eyes neuer putting in effecte nor consenting to any thoughte which firste is not examined by the rule of a good conscience Such a contribulated spirite is a sacrifice to God as well as martyrdome not troubled with superfluous scrupulosity but contribulated with religious vigilancy This liuing contribulation is a liuely sacrifice of great merite 6. And as Seneca said he is worthy of prayse quem non piget mori cum lubet viuere vnto whom it is not yrkesome to dye when he may haue ioye in his life for it is small commendacion to desire to dye only because we are vexed with our life so it is a matter of merite to be content to liue in labour danger contrition when by our death we mighte haue ease ioye and content So S. Paul desired to be dissolued to be with Christe in regarde of the gayne which cometh by death and yet was content to liue in labour for the profite and seruice of Gods Churche And such is euery man saith S. Augustin who thâ—s submitteth his desires of death or of life non solùm patienter moritur sed potius viuit patienter delectabiliter moritur He doth not only dye with patience but rather with patience he liues dyes with delighte his patience and his labour prolonged doo encrease his merite and his delighte differred shal be encreased when he cometh to cease from his labour of a religious life patiently continued is a kind of liuing martyrdome constantly endured and the martyrdome of an humble contrite harte our lorde will not refuse but will accompte such a troubled spirite an acceptable sacrifice O Iesu grante me such a contrite harte in compunction such an humbled minde in confession and such a troubled spirite in satisfaction that so my spirite may be contribulated that is troubled togeather with my body in corporall penance against carnall delightes that so my minde may be humbled by the playne confession of my mouthe against proud vayne glorious wordes and finally that so my harte may be contrite in sorowe against vnlawfull pleasing thoughtes for such sorowe is a sacrifice to God and such a contrite and humbled â—arte O lorde thou wilte not despise MEDITATION XI Benignèfac Domine in bona voluntate tua Sion vt aedificentur muri Ierusalem Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae oblationes holocausta tunc imponent super Altare tuum vitulos Deale kindly O lord in thy good will towardes Sion that the walls of Ierusalem may be builded Then wilte thou receiue the sacrifice of iustice oblations and whole burnte offeringes then they shall offer calues vpon thine altar A SERIOVS LAMENTATION FOR SION Ierusalem that they may not be layed desolate by externall persecution nor by internall discorde Sect. 1. 1. IT is verily a thinge most worthy iuste that a sinner pardoned shoulde lifte vp his harte to giue thankes vnto God and we are not only to praye giue thankes for our selues alone but as the Churche vseth in the masse after all our particuler petitions to adde a generall Collecte for the vniuersall estate of our Countrye and of all christendome according as Dauid here hauing entreated for himselfe doth now allso remember Sion and Ierusalem and so we must praye both for the Catholique Churche of Sion and for the Common wealthe of Ierusalem 2. And first for Sion as the mother of our soules and nexte for Ierusalem as the nurse of our bodyes and therfore Dauid here firste desireth our lordes good will towardes Sion that so we may haue afterwardes foundation for the walls of Ierusalem for whatsoeuer Atheistes or worldly politicians doo pretend yet the cheife strenghte of a common wealthe doth especially consiste in the florishing of religion neither can the walls of Ierusalem be well fortifyed excepte they be founded in the gracious good will of our lorde towardes Sion they
wonderfull loue and bitter passion with such attentiue reuerence such reuerent loue and such louing attention that most effectually we may euer obteyne the blessed communion of all thine infinite mercyes and goodnes In this treasure is hidden the value worthe of more then many hundred markes let others threaten prisons or by their lawes make it felony or treason to be present or assistante at this heauenly sacrifice of the masse yet let all zealous Catholiques rather yeild and loose their liues then not to render vnto God this diuine and deuoute seruice and so to be partakers of the vnualewable merites of this most holy and precious sacrifice 6. O my soule let vs frequent these holy mysteryes of the masse as the dayly bread of our life here we haue spirituall foode medicine it giues vs foode for nourishment in grace and it affoardes vs medicine for remedye against sinne O come we will offer it as a sacrifice and receiue it as a sacrament as it is a sacrifice it payes the debtes of the offerer and as it is a sacrament it giueth iustice to the receiuer O sacrifice of Iustice make me iuste and be my sacrifice O most gracious Sauiour let my soule melt in thy loue let me be partaker of thy grace thou werte once offered in thy selfe and thou arte euery day offered in this sacrament O be my sacrifice by the firste by the second make me iuste O sacrifice of iustice O mirrour of loue O treasure of grace did euer any loue so willingly paye an enemyes debte or who hath suffered torments for his freinds with like rigor of iustice was there euer any fauour and grace more plentifull or so riche as this vnestimable sacrifice O sacrifice of iustice make me iust and be my sacrifice Allâ—houghe according to Saint Bernards vision I haue no Title vnto heauen by mine owne iustice alone yet my Sauiour hath a double iust clayme of merite and inheritance one for himselfe and the other for me O â—weete Sauiour throughe thy sacrifice make me so iust that I may inherite heauen by thy iustice and be thou my sacrifice and my Iesus 7. It is not diligence enoughe for the sicke or wounded to knowe that in the Apothecaryes shoppe be salues and medicines which can heale him or who will excuse a soldyer vnarmed in the feild because he knowes there are weapons and armor in the Garrison O no we must by daily and particuler exercise of religion apply the merites of our Sauiour and alwayes stand girded and put vpon vs the armour of our lord Iesus if we will be defended from the Diuells and Hell or if we will be cured from sinne and imperfection as Esay said Iâ—xtà est qui iustificat me he is here at hande who iustifyeth me Not alone iâ— the churche where I shoulde be and yet am not present nor only vpon the Altar before which I am kneeling in body whiles my harte is absent But iâ—xta est he is where I am and I am where he is O deare Iesus be my Iesus and vouchsafe in some good sorte that as of S. Gertrude so of me thou maist say In corde eius inuenies me in his harte you shall find in me or at least O lorde let my hart be alwayes found and founded in thee O let me be partaker of thy sacrifice of iustice by offering vp all my doinges sufferinges in the company with the value of thy iust merites not only to haue parte in thy merites by offring this sacrifice but allso to become parte of thy selfe by receiuing this sacrament to haue participation with thee withall thy Sayntes who serue thee O giue vnto vs the efficacy of this sacrament and accept for vs the dignity of this sacrifice that so we may become one with thee in grace as thou diddest become one with vs in nature not by changing thy selfe into our bodily substance but by assuming of vs into thy spirituall qualityes by this sacrament receiued making vs to be thine by this sacrifice offered making thy selfe to be ours to be cleansed from our euill in the one and in the other to be enriched with thy goodnes both making our owne merites to be of more worth by this sacrifice and by this sacrament to make all thy merites to become ours SOME CONSIDERATIONS PERTEYNING to the deuout hearing of masse and ending of our life Sect. 6. 1. O sacrifice of justice an oblation and a whole burnte offeringe more worth then all the calues in the worlde which can be laid vpon thine Altar A medicine saith S. Cyprian to heale all infirmityes and to purge all iniquityes A sacrifice as S. Augustin said which in it selfe alone conteyneth all the vertue and more then all the valewe of all the sacrifices in the olde lawe Vnto this they were then all referred and in this they are nowe all included All their lambes their goates their oxen their fatlinges their pigeons their turtles all their beastes and birdes all their fruites and herbes all their meat offringes their drinke offringes and whole burnte offringes all their oblations for sinne or for thankes in sorowe or with ioye all of them must giue place vnto this for in this alone they are all conteyned accomplished and perfited 2. Wherfore let vs frequent hearing of Masse with all deuotion for it is a sacrifice of iusticâ— aboue all other sacrifices let vs bow downe our heades and our hartes firste to accuse confesse our owne faultes defectes with sorowe humility let vs secondly lifte vp our hartes our handes to magnifye prayse our Lordes mercy goodnes with ioye gladnes Thirdly let vs stand vp on our feete as ready to obey his Gospell and professing to beleeue his Creede let vs fourthly offer adore the sacrifice and the substance of so diuine a mysterye by acknowledgment of our homage vnto him and with remembrance of his passion for vs so to yeild him our duty for all his benefites and to entreat him for his pity to all our sinnes Fiftly let vs accompany this most effectuall sacrifice with our supplications petitions in generall particuler for the whole churche for our selues for our Benefactors our freindes for the liuing for the dead and for all the communion of sayntes in all our necessityes wantes of our bodyes goods liues or soules Sixtely let vs prepare proceede to be partakers of the communion at least spiritually desiring our Lordes peace his mercy considering our vile vnworthynes his incomparable loue And seuenthly let vs conclude with all thankesgiuing liuely cherfullnes for this sacrifice all other his benefites for his infinite loue vnspeakable goodnes reioycing vnto him for that which is paste and trusting in him for what is to come 3. O summa Bonitas O greatest goodnes O almighty goodnes O all goodnes infinitely good in our Creation redemption vocation iustification