loue when he doth impart his grace amongst vs insomuch that with the first loue hee deliuered vs from being slaues and with the second loue he receiued vs to be his sonnes In figure of all this the altar of the Synagogue was all hollow but the altar of the church is massie and sound by reason of the feruent loue which God beareth vs and great charitie and mercy which hee doth vs. It is much to bee noted that God doth not commend vnto vs Faith Hope Patience and Chastitie but only Charitie in which words hee giueth vs to vnderstand that if we doe set much by that which our Lord giueth vs we ought to esteeme much more of the loue with the which hee doth giue it vs. Isidorus sayth That all the courtesies which our Lord doth promise vs and all the persuasions vvhich hee vseth vnto vs are to no other end but because vve should bee thankfull vnto him and because vve should be mercifull vnto our neighbours What vvanteth hee vvhich vvanteth not Charity and what hath he who hath no Charity The mercifull and pitifull man hath God alwaies at his hand that he fall not from his faith that hee lose not his hope that he defile not his chastity nor despise humility for in the high tribunall seat of God no man need to feare that they will deale cruelly with him if hee hath had any charity in this world Wherein doest thou thinke saith S. Ierome that all Christian charity doth consist and al the health of thy soule but only in seruing of Christ with all our heart and in labouring to profit and benefit our neighbour What greater good can I doe vnto my brother than put him in the right way if hee be out and correct him if hee bee naught Bede sayth vpon this matter That true and chast loue may bee deuided betwixt God and our neighbour so as our neighbor be not prowd and naught for if he be so we are to wish his saluation and flie his conuersation Wee haue spoken all this to declare the great charity which this good theefe had and also vsed towards the naughty theefe seeing that vpon the crosse hee taught him that which was conuenient for him reprehended him in that which he spake Neque tu times deum qui in eadem damnatione es said the good theefe vnto the bad as if he would say O my friend and companion I wonder much at thee that hauing beene of such a naughty life and conuersation and being vpon the very point to die I say I maruel that thou darest to crucifie this holy Prophet more with thy tongue than the hang men doe with their nailes because the nailes doe open his vains but thy euill tongue doth rend his entralls The good theefe vsed but few wordes but they contained many mysteries and therefore it is needfull that they be read with attention and written with grauity It is to bee noted that although our Lord God be present in all things with his power yet hee is much more in mans heart and tongue by grace because those are the two parts with the which we doe most of all please or offend God with S. Aug. saith That the eies doe loth oft to see the ears to hear the hands are loth to work the feet to go yea the body to sinne but the heart is neuer weary of thinking nor the tongue with speaking Cor mundum crea in me deus pone custodiam ori meo said the Prophet Dauid as if he would say I beseech thee O good Lord that thou wouldest renue this heart within me put a watch vnto this mytongue because that al the other parts of my body can but trouble offend me but the heart tongue can trouble me damne me S. Ambrose saith That it is a certein token that we are in Gods fauor when he doth giue vs grace to keep our hearts clean our tongues brideled because the foundation of all Christian goodnes is to beleeue our Lord God with all our hearts praise him with our tongue Ego dabo eis cer nouuÌ„ said God vnto Israel I will open thy mouth said God vnto Ezechiel as if he would say I will lighten thy heart O Israel to the end that thou maist beleeue in me and I will open thy mouth O Ezechiel to the end that thou maist preach my name for thou hast obtained no small gift if thou come to know me learn wel to set forth my name To come theÌ„ vnto our purpose the grace of a new heart which God gaue vnto Israel and the gift of praising his name which he gaue Ezechiel Christ also gaue vnto the good theef which was neer vnto him seeing he touched his heart with the which he beleeued in him opened his mouth with the which he preached his name Vbertinus saith That this good theefe was an excellent preacher in the church of God who in a sort seemed to goe before the Apostles in faithfully beleeuing and preaching Christs might and power What greater maruell wouldst thou haue the bloud of Christ worke saith Rabanus thaÌ„ to make preachers of theeues robbers the pulpit in the which hee preached was the crosse the preacher was the theâ—f the holy one of whoÌ„ he preached was Christ the church where he preached was Caluary the audience before whom he preached were the Iews the Theame vpoÌ„ which he preached was Neque tu deum times Neither doest thou fear God and that which there hee preached was the setting forth of Christ and the reprehending of that which his fellow spake The office of a preacher is saith Saint Gregory Secreta reserarae vitia extirpare virtutes inserere The duty of a preacher is to open the secrets of the scripture extirpate vice out of the Commonwealth and teach how our soules are to be saued What greater secret can there bee than to confesse and preach a man crucified to bee God Who reprehended vices like vnto this theefe seeing that hee confessed himselfe to be a sinner and accused the other theefe to bee a blasphemer who did teach the way to heauen better thaÌ„ this theef seeing hee was almost the first that went thither The good theefe deuided his sermon into foure parts the first was when hee rebuked the other theefe when hee said Neque tu deum times the second when hee accused himselfe to bee naught saying Nos quidem iustè patimur The third when he excused Christ saying Hic autem quid mali fecit The fourth when hee craued pardon for his sinnes Domine memento mei Lord remember mee Seeing then that the preacher is but a new preacher the pulpit new and the thing that he preacheth new it is reason that wee should heare that which hee preacheth with attention and do that which he counselleth with great deuotion Auferetur zelus meus ate quiescam ne irascar amplius said God by Ezechiel chap.
giue ouer sinning more or lesse why haue wee friends and companions but because they should keepe vs vp with one hand from falling and lift vs vp with the other if they see vs downe S. Barnard in an Epistle saith Let no man leaue off the correcting of his neighbour and friend because he thinketh that by so doing he doth displease him for after he hath considered of the matter hee shall perceiue that hee hath done a good worke because that oftentimes the counsell which they giue vs is more worth thā the money which they lend vs. CHAP. IX Why the good theefe did not chide with the naughty theefe because hee did not loue Christ as hee did chide with him because hee did not feare God there are many notable things brought touching the feare of our Lord. ECclesia quidem magis quotidiè aedificabatur ambulans in timore domini consolatione spiritus sancti saith S. Luke in the ninth chap. of the Acts of the Apostles as if he would say After that S. Steuen was stoned to death and the Apostle Saint Paul was conuerted by so much the more the church of God encreased in building by how much the more shee was founded vpon the feare of our Lord and the church did receiue no comfort but such as the holy ghost did send her Bede vpon this place sayth That the scripture doth aduise vs with a high stile how much it doth import vs that we feare our Lord and keepe his commandements because the primitiue church neuer began to encrease and flourish vntill that Commonwealths began to feare the Lord and seeke for the consolation of the holy Ghost S. Augustine vpon the words of our Lord sayth That in the triumphant church loue without feare worketh but in the militant church loue and feare goe together and a signe of this is that the greater loue I beare my friend the greater feare I haue to displease him Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn saith Although the son of God said Ignem veni mittere in terram which was as much as to say that he builded his church vpon loue yet he tooke not his feare from her because that seeing that there is both mercy and iustice in God wee are bound aswell to feare his rightfull iustice as we are to loue his mercy When God gaue Moises the old law hee gaue it him with great thunders and terrible lightnings and with al mixed it with many threats ordained it with many punishmēts because the Iews should determine with themselues to keepe it and not in any wise to breake it King Pharaoh commanded all the midwiues of the kingdome of Egypt to slay al the male children of the Iews at the time of their birth and because they would not doe it for fear of the Lord the Lord gaue them great riches in their houses The scripture commendeth very much a steward vvhich the king Achab had vvhose name vvas Abdias the vvhich seeing the cursed Queene Iezabel cut the throats of the Prophets of Israel did hide some number of thē vntill all the butchery vvas past the vvhich the good Abdias did not so much for the loue vvhich hee bore vnto the Prophets as for the feare vvhich he bore vnto God When king Iosaphat constituted iudges in all the cities of Iudea he gaue them no other instruction but that they should feare God and be very mindfull of the good of their Commonwealth because that by this means they should bee well liked both of God and of all the people The scripture reporteth of holy Tobias that he began at the same time to weane his son and fear the God of Israel and that hee contracted friendship vvith none nor none vvith him vnlesse he knew that he feared God S. Ierom vpon the Prophets sayth Al holy men and of great perfection doe not only loue the Lord and feare him as their Lord God but doe also refuse to conuerse vvith those vvhich vvill not fear our Lord and for that cause Abraham went from the Caldeans holy Lot fled from the Sodomites We must entise flatter the vertuous man vvith loue fear the wicked peruerse mā with threats because that of tentimes the wicked man doth rather amend his life for seare of hell than for the desire vvhich he hath to go to heauen Irenaeus in an Homily saith That if as God made Paradise he would not haue made also an hel few there vvould haue been vvhich vvould haue serued our Lord very many vvhich vvould haue offended him Because that if an euil mā might enioy the world he would little care if heauen vvere taken from him A vaine vvordly man engraued in a medall of gold the wordes of the Psalme Caelum caeli domino terram autem dedit filijs hominum The heauen of heauen vnto our Lord he gaue the earth vnto the sons of men and hee wrote for a posie take thou Lord heauen for thee vpon condition that thou vvouldst leaue the earth vnto mee O cursed tongue and wicked speech what an vngodly mouth was that which durst vtter such horrible blasphemy for by the rigor of iustice he may iustly be caried into hel who renounceth to go to heauē and is wel pleased to hue in the word Anselmus saith O what a great fauour God doth vnto that mā whō God doth not exclude frō his loue doth not leaue him without fear for the mā which hath both loue and feare in him although he want other perfections neither ought to fear least he should be damned nor distrust at all to be saued We haue spoken all this in the cōmendation of the good theef of his piety charity who did not rebuke the other theefe his cōpamon for that hee was prowd or enuious but only because he did not feare God saying Neque tu times deum Neither doest thou fear God Giuing vs to vnderstand by this that he went down right into hell for no other cause but because he made smal reckoning of Christ And it is much tobe noted why the good theef did not rebuke the other for that that he did not loue Christ as he did reprehend him for that he did not fear Christ Hilarius answereth this doubt and sayth That because loue doth belong vnto those vvhich are perfect and feare vnto such as are not so perfect the good theefe did not persuade the other that hee should loue but that he should feare because the duty and office of louing is of such high quality that although many goe about it yet few attaine vnto it Glorious Saint Peter did persuade himselfe that hee had loued Christ as hee ought to haue loued him and therevpon to take away his vaine-glory Christ asked him three times whether hee loued human which deinand Chirst gaue vs to vnderstand that the merit of loued oth not consist in louing with all our heart but if good Iesus do accept it that thē it is perfect The wil which wee
the reward of Paradise but vnto another crucified Saint Barnard vpon the Passion sayth for mine owne part I thinke not my selfe deceiued but I know that the naked giueth not his kingdome but vnto another naked he whose ioints are vnloosed vnto another whose ioints are also loosed one from an other hee that is couered with bloud vnto another couered with bloud also and the crucified vnto another crucified Thou that sittest sporting thy selfe what doest thou aske of him who suffereth on the crosse Thou that art clothed and reclothed what doest thou craue of him who is bowelled vpon the crosse Thou that art faire and fat what doest thou aske of him who is on the crosse one member rent from one another Thou that art at freedome and liberty what doest thou aske of him who is nailed and fastened vpon the crosse If thou wilt heare sayth Anselmus O my soule Hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Lift vp thy affections from the earth let thy heart bee free from all passions let thy flesh keepe watch and vvard ouer her inclinations crucifie thy liberty on the crosse let bloud thy fancie of all presumptions and bury thy affections that they may not appeare If thou wilt ascend as high as heauen it is necessary that with the theefe thou take the crosse for thy ladder to steale it for otherwise although thou bee a companion with him in sinning yet for all that thou shalt not so be in raigning CHAP. XIIII Why the sonne of God did not say vpon the crosse vnto all men Amen dico vobis as hee did say vnto the theefe Amen dico tibi aad how he was the first martyr which died with Christ and the first Saint which he canonized LOquetur ad eos in ira sua in furore suo conturbabit eos said king Dauid in the second Psalme as if hee would say when the great God of Israell shall bee angry and troubled hee will speake vnto the wicked men with anger and when hee shall trouble their iudgements it shall bee with great anger Our Lord doth threaten the wicked whome hee meaneth to punish with two grieuous scourges that is that hee will speake in anger to feare them and trouble their iudgement that they shall not bee able to guesse at any thing aright If our Lord speake vnto vs with anger it may bee borne with but if he trouble our iudgement it is a thing much to be lamented for in this wicked world if he doe not lighten our steps to see where wee goe wee shall fall downe vpon our face Barnard crieth out and saith What shall become of thee O my soule if he who should lead me put mee out of the way if hee who should succour me forsake mee if hee who should pardon me accuse me and he who should quit mee condemne me and he who should giue mee sight make mee blind Saint Augustine De verbis Apostoli sayth When it is said in Scripture that God speaketh vnto vs with anger it is meant that he doth not speake with mercy and when it is said that hee doth trouble vs with fury it is to say that hee doth not lighten vs with his diuine grace because there cannot happen vnto vs greater hurt in this world than for God to withdraw his hand from doing vs good There is no anger in God as there is in man with the which hee doth trouble himselfe nor furie to moue him withall and when wee say that he is angry it is because he vseth that punishment which in others is done with anger and if we say that he is in fury it is because hee vseth rigorous punishment towards vs or else because hee doth not punish at all in this world for wherin can our Lord shew greater anger than by not vsing his accustomed clemency Our Lords wrath is appeased when hee punisheth presently after the offence committed and he is very angry when hee deferreth the punishment vnto hell S. Ambrose sayth That in the house of God not to punish is to punish to dissemble is to bee angry with not to speake is to chide to pardon is to threaten to suffer is to let it putrifie to defer is to reuenge the more Is there thinke you any greater punishment than not to bee punished in this world When doth our Lord speake vnto vs with anger but when wee fall from his grace into sinne by our fault God spake with anger vnto our first father when hee said vnto him thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face as if hee would say Because thou hast fallen from my grace and eaten of the apple which I did forbid thee to eat of for a perpetuall punishment thou shalt eat and drinke alwaies with care in thy mind sweat on thy face and trauaile of thy body insomuch that at the best morsell thou shalt giue ouer eating and fall to sighing God spake also with anger vnto the murderer Cain when hee said vnto him behold the bloud of thy brother Abel doth crie from the earth vnto mee as if he would say Because thou hast flaine thy brother Abel through malice and enuy I cannot but doe iustice vpon thee because his bloud crieth aloud for it of me and thy punishmēt shall be that thou shalt wander to and fro all the daies of thy life and thy head shal neuer cease shaking God spake with anger vnto the great king Nabugodonoser whē he said Eijciam te ab hominibus as if he would say Because thou hast robbed my tēples of their treasures and led away my people of the Iews captiue thou shalt be throwne out frō the conuersation of men shalt liue with beasts on the mountaines thou shalt eat hay like oxen and bee clothed like wild sauages with haire vntill thou doest acknowledge mee for to bee thy Lord and thy selfe to bee a sinner God spake with anger vnto the great Priest Heli when hee said Ego praecidam brachium tuum c as if hee would say Because thou diddest not punish thy children when they stole away the sacrifices and behaued themselues dishonestly vvith women in the Tabernacle I will take thy Priesthood from thee I will kill thy steward and will make that no old man come into thy house in so much that thou shalt haue no children in thy stocke to inherite after thee nor ancient men to counsell thee To come then vnto our purpose God vsed this kind of speech vnto the Synagogue but now speaketh otherwise vnto the church as is easily seene in the death of Christ when hee said vnto the theefe Hodie mecum eris in Paradise Wee doe not read that Christ did euer vse this woord of anger so oft as hee hath done the woord of mercy the which hee hath vsed often as Per viscera misericordiae dei nostra said holy Zachary in his song as if he would say The sonne of God came downe from the highest of heauen into the earth moued thereunto by
All mortal men go after their pleasures and hunt for delight but alasse they seeke them in the house of the God of trauels which is the world and forsake the Lord of consolations which is God and therefore they goe astray in that which they seeke and goe discomforted in that which they desire Barnard in a sermon sayth O what a great comfort it is to the good that they haue him for their God and Lord who is the God and Lord of all consolations for it is not to be beleeued that being the God of al comforts that he doth not impart some of them vnto his and especially seeing that hee doth not discomfort those which offend him who will not beleeue but hee will comfort those which serue him When the Apostle sayth that our God is the God of all consolations and not onely that but also the father of mercies we haue great cause to loue him and to be thankfull vnto him seeing that not long before hee called himselfe the God of reuenge as now he dooth call himselfe the Father of mercies S. Ambrose sayth What greater news could we hear or what could he giue vs for a greater reward then for our Lord to giue himselfe vnto vs for our father his sonne for our brother the holy-ghost for our maister his church for our mother the Sacraments for a medicine his death for a pardon his bloud for our redemption Isichius vpon Leuiticus sayth Marke the depth of the Scripture and thou shalt see that when he speaketh of mercies it doth not call God Deus misericordiarum The God of mercy but Pater misericordiarum the Father of mercies and when it talketh of iustice it doth not call him Pater vltionum but Deus vltionum The God of reuenge because it is the office of God to punish and the duty of the father to pardon The Prophets did oft vse this word Deus God and helped themselues little with this word Pater Father and Christ contrariwise did oft benefite himselfe with this word Pater Father and sildome with this name Deus God giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that the time of iustice was now ended and that the time of mercy was come Isidorus De summo bono sayth O eternall goodnesse and depth of all vvisedome vvhy should I distrust in thy great clemency being that thou art my Father and Father of all mercy Let the Pagans distrust in thee who beleeue thee not let the vvicked distrust in thee vvho serue thee not for I vvill hope in thee vvith those vvhich serue thee and loue thee For although I cannot wholly serue thee I labour as much as I can not to offend thee Anselmus vpon the Apostle sayth After I heard thee say O my good Iesus Pater ignosce illis and the Apostle say Pater misericordiarum Although my naughty life make mee afraid yet thy great mercy commeth immediately to my mind for the same day that thou diddest make thy selfe man thou diddest change thy name from the God of Reuenge into the Father of Mercies O glorious and happy chaunge that is the changing the name of God into the name of Father and the name of a Reuenger into the name of a Defender the name of Iustice into the name of Mercy the name of a Creator into the name of a Redeemer all which thou diddest chaunge vvhen thou wast made man and diddest suffer on the crosse for mee Saint Augustine vpon the Apostles vvordes sayth Tell mee O good Iesus tell mee O great Redeemer after thou haddest chaunged the name of Deus vltionum into the name of Pater misericordiarum what diddest thou see so hard that thou diddest not bring to passe or vvhat sinne diddest thou see so enormious that thou diddest not pardon In calling thy selfe the Father of mercies thou diddest forgiue Matthew his exchanges Mary Magdalene her vanities the Samaritane her Adulteries the good theefe his theft and the fisher-man Peter his denying of thee the Apostles forsaking of thee and thy enemies putting thee to death Irenaeus sayth Seeing that the time of Deus vltionum is past and that the time of Pater misericordiarum is come haue mercy on mee O great God of Israel haue mercy on mee and when shall this bee but vvhen thou vvilt giue me strength to serue and praise thee and endue mee vvith grace to saue mee O Father of mercies O the God of all consolation vvhen shall my soule heare for her selfe Pater ignosce illi as the vvicked Synagogue did heare thee say Father forgiue them What doth it auaile mee that thou hast pardoned those vvhich did then put thee to death if thou doe not also now forgiue vs vvhich most vvickedly offend thee Children for children sinners for sinners there is as great reason that thou shouldest pardon those of thy holy church as those of the Synagogue for if they vvere children of the God of reuenge vvho did put thee to death then they are also children of the Father of mercies who do offend thee now Saint Augustine in his Confessions sayth O Father of mercies and God of all comfort if it bee true that I vvas vvith those vvhich tooke thy life from thee vpon the crosse vvhy shouldest thou not as well forgiue mee my fault as thou diddest then theirs Vnto thee O eternall Father I say Mea culpa and vnto thee O holy sonne I confesse my offence in that that if I vvas not vvith Iudas vvhen hee sold thee yet I vvas vvith the vvicked and vngratefull Iewes vvhen they did crucifie thee for if they did fasten thee on the crosse vvith nailes I did there crucifie thee vvith my sinnes Anselmus in his Meditations sayth O good Iesus O the blisse of my soule vvho carried thee to the crosse but the loue which thou haddest to redeeme vs And what tormented thee but thy dolours And what tooke thy life from thee but my sinnes And by whom haue I life but by thy merits O Father of mercies if it be true that for my demerits thou diddest lose thy life and that by thy great merits I recouered my soule dost thou not thinke that thou hast much in my faults to pardon in my soule to redresse and amend Barnard sayth O creator of all things O redeemer of all sinnes vnto thee O my God I offer my selfe and before thee O my Lord I present my selfe not such a one as thou diddest leaue mee when thou diddest create mee but such as one as thou foundest mee when thou redeemedst mee What a one diddest thou leaue mee but made to thy image and semblance and what a one diddest thou find mee but with my innocency lost and loaden with sinne O father of mercies pardon mee seeing that I am a worke of thy owne hands pardon me seeing that I am one of thy children and seeing I say vnto thee vpon my knees Tibi soli peccaui it is reason that thou answer me O my God with Miscriatur tui CHAP. II. Of the
Mount Caluarie THE SECOND PART Compyled by the Reuerend Father Don Anthonio de Gueuara Bishop of Mondonnedo Chronicler and preacher vnto Charles the fift In this Booke the Authour treateth of the Seuen Words which Christ our Redeemer spake hanging vpon the Crosse Translated out of Spanish into English IL VOSTRO MALIGNARE NON GIOVA NVLLA LONDON Printed by Adam Islip for Edward White and are to bee sold at his shop by the little North dore of Pouls at the signe of the Gun Anno. 1597. ⧠A Table of the Chapters contained in this Booke PAter ignoice illis quia nesciunt quid faciunt Chap. 2 How the sonne of God said vnto his Father that those which crucifie him bee not his enemies but his friends Fol. 7 Chap. 3 How the son of God put himselfe a mediator betwixt God and mankind and what torment he receiued therby Fol. 13 Chap. 4 Of many qualities conditions which the praier of Father forgiue them had in it how it is meet for vs to follow it in our praiers Fol. 20 Chap. 5 Why the father answered not his son when hee praied for his enemies Fol. 24 Chap. 6 How Christ praied for his enemies on the crosse more heartily then hee did in the garden for himselfe seeing the one praier was made with condition and the other not Fol. 30 Chap. 7 How God is more mercifull now than hee was in time past and why Christ did not say that he did pardon his enemies when hee asked pardon for them of his Father Fol. 35 Chap. 8 How our Lord reckoneth with the Synagogue and of fiue cruelties which the Iewes vsed in the death of Christ Fol. 42 Chap. 9 How that Christs mercy was farre greater towards the Synagogue than their naughtinesse towards him seeing hee pardoned her though she desired no pardon Fol. 51 The Contents of the second word OF the conuersion of the good theefe and of the great wonders which our Lord did vnto him in this case Fol. 64 Chap. 2 How Iudas Iscarioth was a great theefe of the thefts hee committed and how hee fell from the apostleship Fol. 69 Chap. 3 Here are reckoned many other great offences which Iudas committed and diuers treasons which he did against Christ. Fol. 76 Chap. 4 Of the great vertues which the good theef had which died with Christ and how he beleeued of that which the Prophet Ieremy speaketh to this purpose Fol. 83 Chap. 5 How three houres in which the good theefe was with Christ vpon the crosse did profite him more than the three yeares profited Iudas in the which he followed Christ and how some steale vntill they come to the gallows and how this theefe stole vpon the gallows Fol. 90 Chap. 6 How the good theefe had nothing remaining on the crosse but his heart and his tongue and that by these two hee gained glory and there are curious points vttered touching the heart Fol. 96 Chap. 7 How the naughty theefe lost himselfe onely for want of faith and of two chalices which the scripture maketh mention of of which both the theeues dranke of Fol. 105 Chap. 8 Of the great charity which the good theefe had towards the naughty theefe in correcting him of euill doing and in aduising him of the good which he lost Fol. 113 Chap. 9 Why the good theefe did not chide with the naughty theefe because hee did not loue Christ as hee did chide with him because hee did not feare God there are many notable things brought touching the feare of our Lord. Fol. 121 Chap. 10 How the son of God was more grateful vnto the good theefe which bare him company on the crosse than Pharoahs cupbearer was to Ioseph who accompanied him in prison Fol. 130 Chap. 11 Of these words Domine memento mei Lord remember mee which the good theefe spake vnto Christ the which words are deuoutly and deepely expounded Fol. 139 Chap. 12 How our Lord heard the theeues praier vpon the crosse and how Christ answered in the seuen wordes for siue which he spake vnto Christ Fol. 149 Chap. 13 How the son of God neuer vsed this word Paradise vntill he promised it vnto the good theefe of many learned expositions of this saying Hodie mecum eris Paradiso This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Fol. 157 The Contents of the third Word THat the loue which the mother of God had did exceed the loue of all other men also the loue of Angels Fol. 174 Chap. 2 How that if the loue which the mother bare vnto her sonne was great so likewise the loue which the son bare his mother was no lesse and to proue this there is expounded a saying of the Canticles Fol. 181 Chap. 3 Of the first and second word which holy Simeon spake vnto our Lady and how many fall from the law of Christ without his fault Fol. 189 Chap. 4 Of the third word which old Simeon spake vnto the Virgine in the Temple and of three authorities touching this purpose Fol. 195 Chap. 5 How Salomon did inherite the kingdome of his father Dauids pleasures and how Christ did inherit the kingdome of trauails Chap. 6 Of the sword of griefe which killed the son of God and went through his blessed mother Fol. 212 Chap. 7 How the Virgine and her family stood hard by the crosse and others sate a farre off Fol. 220 The Contents of the fourth Word HOw Christ in this speech more than in all the rest seemeth to change his stile of speaking Fol. 233 Chap. 2 How Christ doth complaine vpon his father because he doth breake all his anger vpon his body Fol. 242 Chap. 3 How Christ complaineth of his Father because he took all his friends from him in his passion and all others which he knew Fol. 247 Chap. 4 How Christ complaineth on his Father because he bathed his body with the bloud of his vaines and drowned his heart in waters of distresse Fol. 255 Chap. 5 How Christ complaineth of his Father because he did permit those to crucifie him which were wont to bee his friends and how he calleth them friends Fol. 260 Chap. 6 How Christ complaineth vnto his father because they made more account of Iepthes daughter in the Synagogue than they doe at this day of his death in the church Fol. 265 Chap. 7 How Christ complaineth vnto his father because they did open his wounds through malice as they did stop vp Isaacs wels through enuy Fol. 273 Chap. 8 How the son of God complaineth to his father because they did load his body with stripes and his heart with care and anguish Fol. 286 Chap. 9 How the son of God complaineth vpon the Synagogue that hauing carried them vpon his backe yet they bee vngratefull vnto him Fol. 297 Chap. 10 How Christ complaineth vnto his Father vpon vs for our vngratefulnesse considering that he hath taken vpon himselfe all our offences Fol. 303 Chap. 11 Christ complaineth vnto his Father how badly
to call him wise which hath seene much read much and knoweth much but him onely who knoweth how to vse it well and apply it in time and place for there is nothing more preiudicial to a Commonwealth then to be gouerned by one which hath great knowledge and small wisedome The famous S. Augustine sayth in an epistle when the sonne of God said Estote prudentes sicut serpentes Be yee wise like serpents what else would hee say but that simple and wise men were better for the gouernment of his church than the learned arrogant Seneca in a booke De virtutibus sayth The wise man loueth with moderation serueth with care suffereth with patience speaketh with measure visiteth without disquietnesse promiseth that which hee is able to performe concealeth his intention trusteth whome hee ought holdeth his tongue in that he knoweth and neuer striueth with him which is mightier than himself Noui Dauid viruâ— bellicâ—sum prudentem verbis said a knight of the Iewes vnto king Saul being possessed with the diuell as if he had said I know one of Isaies sons called Dauid who can deliuer thee of this euill who is in age a youth in bloud noble in countenance shining bright red heared low of stature strong in forces and aboue all very considerate and wise in his words It is much to bee noted that the holy scripture doth not commend Dauid for that he shewed wisdome in his behauiour and countenance or in gouernment but only in speaking because there is no one thing whereby a man is knowne to bee endued with the vertue of prudence and wisdome more than by the words he vttereth with his mouth Seneca sayth That all the things of this life haue a place of remaining a being in which they are maintained and time in which they are made a qualitie and condition vnto which they incline and an end where they rest which wee say by reason of speaking in the which also is required a conuenient time for that which we are to vtter and order in knowing how to speake Vae mihi quia tacui said the Prophet Ieremy as if hee would say Woe be to me woe bee to me O mighty God of Israell for all the sins which I haue known and all the naughtinesse which I haue concealed and dissembled the which if I had reuealed would haue been amended and the which if I had discouered should haue ben punished Also the wicked Cain said Maior est iniquitas mea quam vt veniam merâ—ar the which words it had beene better for him neuer to haue spoken than to haue vttered for he did sinne much more in not acknowledging mercy in God than in depriuing his brother Abel of his life behold then how Ieremy was found fault with for holding his tongue and Cain rebuked for speaking whereof we may inferre what great need we haue of the vertue of prudence because she may instruct vs what to say and aduise vs likewise what wee ought not to vtter Salomon said like a very wise man Yempus taceÌ„di tempus loquendi in which words he giueth vs license to speak and brideleth vs to hold our tongue because it is an extremity to be alwaies silent and the signe of a foole to talke ouermuch Cicero in an epistle sayth That a man is knowne to bee good or bad by the workes he doth but he is knowne to be wise or a foole by the words hee speaketh To come then to our purpose all this long discourse which we haue made is to proue that the sonne of God was very patient in holding his peace and very discreet in speaking for he neuer spake vnlesse therby hee thought hee should doe good nor did neuer hold his peace vnles he thought that scaÌ„dale should rise of his speech Bâ—de sayth vpon these words dâ—râ—ine verba vitae habes That the son of God was so discreet and wary in his words that he neuer opened his mouth vnlesse it were to preach nor neuer held his peace vnlesse it were to pray Christs owne enemies reported openly of him Quòd nunquà m homo sic loquutus est that no man euer spake as hee spake for he neuer murmured against any man he neuer accused any man nor iniuried any for iniury done vnto him S. Barnard sayth O sweet Iesus redeemer of my soule the Prophet saith very well of thee Ignitum eloquium tuum considering that all thy holy words moued vs to pitty stirred vs to charity inuited vs to goodnes trode downe wickednesse prouoked teares conuerted Commonwealths lightened our consciences and made our hearts meeke and gentle They presented Christ before foure seats of iudgement the day of his holy passion that is before Pilate before Herod before the high priests houses the Pontife Caiphas and the tree of the crosse before his father before whom he spake onely and in the presence of the others was for the most part alwaies silent and that for certaine not without a high mistery and hidden secret The mistery then of this secret is that he wold not answer in the first two Tribunals when they accused him of wickednesse and scandale but vpon the crosse where he was an aduocate he began presently to speake and plead for vs saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them in so much that for to excuse my offences he omitteth to answere for himselfe What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this Thou doest not answer wheÌ„ thou art spoken vnto in that that toucheth thy selfe and in that that concerneth mee doest thou answere not spoken vnto Doest thou make intercession for my fault doest thou not remember thy owne life Who but thou did euer excuse those which accused him and defend them which condemne him Anselmus in his meditations sayth O quam ignitum est eloquium tuum My sweet Iesus seeing that on the crosse thou diddest excuse mee which was in the fault and returnedst no answere for thy self being without fault the which thou didst being enflamed with loue and very full of griefe Now that thou doest intreat now that thou doest craue why doest thou not entreat thy good father that hee would mitigate thy griefes as well as forgiue sinners Hast thou no pittie of thy owne holy members which are loosed one from another and hast thou it towards thy enemies which are not as yet conuerted vnto thee Seeing thou art aswell bound to defend the innocent as make intercession for the wicked why hast thou no pittie vpon thy owne innocent flesh aswell as of my enormious crimes Vbertinus sayth O quam vehementer est ignitum eloquium tuum My good Lord seeing thou doest excuse him who is culpable entreatest without entreaty forgiuest without satisfaction heapest vp for those which will not repay thee and also diest for those which haue put thee to death Seeing the law of Moses commandeth that the malefactor should pay a tooth for a tooth a hand for a hand foot for foot eie for
better bee verified in Christ than in any other seeing that from the first instant that he tooke humane flesh vpon him he saw the deuine essence and knew as much as hee dooth now in glorie vvhich is not so in other men seeing they are long a bringing vp and vvaxe old very timely The sonne of God vvas also an Hebrue of the tribe of Iuda a vvhich vvas the most honourable stocke of all the tribes and hee vvas of Nazareth vvhich vvas a holy land and he vvas also the most honourable of all his kindred Thirdly the sonne of God vvas best beloued of his father because of him and of no other he said in his baptisme Hic est filius meus dilectus as if hee vvould say This is only my lawful child in him only am I vvel pleased this only is my heire him onely I doe tender and loue in him I delight and take great contentment Fourthly the son of God vvas a very thicke mud vvall a close hedge vvhich put himselfe betwixt God and the people vvhen he suffered himselfe to bee crucified vpon the crosse vpon the vvhich as strong battelments they discharged all the sinnes vvhich vvere in the vvorld and all the wrath vvhich God had O glorious hedge O happie vvall O strong vvounds such vvast thou O redeemer of my soule seeing thou diddest permit and consent to put thy selfe a mediator betwixt God man to the end they should vnlode and put vpon thee all the sins of the vvorld and all the vengeance vvhich God vvas to take for them S. Gregory vpon Ezechiell sayth The sonne of God only vvas the man he sought for this vvas the vvall he required this vvas the mediator he asked for this is the pacifier of the old quarrell and of Gods vvrath this is the reformer of new grace and this is the ouerthrower of the old sinne S. Ierome vpon this place sayth The man vvhich God sought by Ezechiel who else was hee but the son of the liuing God and our redeemer Who like vnto an vnexpugnable wall did put himselfe boldly betwixt God and vs saying Pater ignosce illis Father forgiue them By which words he did not like that our sinnes should come into the sight of God neither suffered he Gods wrath and vengeance to descend vpon vs. Origen vpon S. Marke sayth That whē the two chiefe captaines of the synagogue Moses and Aaron perceiued that the Lord began to poure his wrath and anger vpon the people they went immediatly vnto the tabernacle the one to pray and the other to doe sacrifice to be a mean betwixt God and them because that otherwise God would haue poured out his anger vpon them the Synagogue haue receiued great hurt and detriment That which happened vnto those two holy men in the desart happened vnto Christ on the mount of Caluarie who seeing the elements to be troubled and the dead to rise againe to reuenge his death and punish that nation he made himselfe a mediator and a stikeler betwixt God and them and praied Paterignosce illis as if hee would say Pardon them my father pardon them for if thou wilt not pardon them it will bee a greater griefe vnto me to see them lost then my passion which causeth mee to die What would become of the Iewes then if Christ had not said vnto his father father forgiue them and what should betide vs now if he should not say Pater parce illis Spare them father S. Barnard saith in a sermon That this word of Ignosce illis Forgiue them is of such a deepe consideration that it should neuer be out of a sinners mouth nor blotted out of his memory because that the sonne of God did shew his mercy more vnto vs in two things thē in al the rest that is in the pardon which he got vs of his father and in the bloud which he shed for vs on the crosse Anselmus reasoning with Christ sayth What doest thou crie for what doest thou aske what doest thou intreat for what wilt thou what seekest thou what saiest thou to thy father O good Iesus what saiest thou I intreat O my father that thou wouldest forgiue them because they know not what they do and that thou wouldest load my flesh with thy anger and I intreat that there remaine nothing vnteconciled vnto thee because that my redemption would seem vnperfect and insufficient if there should remaine in any a fault to bee redeemed and in thy selfe any anger to punish vs. O what an enflamed charity what a wonderfull example what incredible patience what entire loue thou diddest shew vs O sweet Iesus in this speech of Father forgiue them the which thou diddest vtter not for an ease to thy griefe but in fauour of thy persecutors O what infinite goodnesse what vnspeakable clemencie what strange charitie doth shine this day in thee O my Iesus and sauiour seeing thou doest loose those which bind thee pleadest for those which diffame thee entreatest for those which accuse thee excusest those which blame thee and pardonest also those which will kill thee What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou pray for them at the very instant which they blaspheme thee mocke thee and laugh thee to scorne They haue pierced thee with a speare and yet doest thou giue them an acquittance and a release of the blow What mortall man can praise himselfe or bost to haue done that which thou hast done that is to craue pardon for murderers before they haue confessed their fault and seeke to release them before they haue repented They will not returne into the citie before thou hast yeelded vp the ghost and wilt not thou die before thou hast first pardoned them Who euer saw or heard any thing like vnto this to wit that pardon should proceed first out of his blessed bowels before the blood should end to issue out of his tender vaines Doest thou not remember to aske a sepulchre for thy body and doest thou remember to aske forgiuenesse and mercie for those which crucified thee O sweet Iesus O my soules glorie who but thou could haue the breath going out of his body and Ignosce illis Pardon them in his mouth To defend thy selfe couldest not thou open thy mouth and to excuse thy enemies couldst not thou keepe it shut S. Chrisostome sayth The sonne of God onely was he who on the altar of the crosse inspeaking these words Father forgiue them coupled ioined and handfasted together pittie and cruelty the offence and mercie anger and patience hatred and loue killing and pardoning With as great reason sayth Hilarius we can now say Vbi sunt irae tuae antiquae as the Prophet Dauid said Vbi sunt misericordiae tuae antiquae seeing we bee certaine that from the houre that the son of God died vpō the crosse we may cal him Pater misericordiarū as the Synagogue called him Deus vltionū The God of reuenge No man ought to distrust Christs
goodnesse and mercie although he haue ben neuer so great a sinner so as he liue and die a Christian for seeing he pardoned those which would not bee pardoned hee will much rather pardon those which aske for pardon S. Barnard as if hee were in a maze sayth thus vnto Christ O good sauiour O my soules delight if thou wilt pardon thy death why doest thou pardon it before thou bee dead they tooke thy life from thee to the end that thou shouldest forget such a greeuous iniury done vnto thee and make no reckoning to be reuenged It is a tollerable thing to forgiue the iniury done vnto thy self but why doest thou forgiue the iniury done vnto thy sorrowfull mother and thy blessed father not calling the parties offended vnto it Thy mouth is now ready to receiue vineger thy person to be mocked thy side to bee pierced thy bodie to bee buried and yet doest thou make intercession for that wicked people Doest thou entreat for those which crucifie thee and doest thou not remember those which weepe by thee Now that thou hast pitie on the offences of the synagogue why hast thou not also compassion of the tears of thy blessed mother S. Cyprian vpon the passion of our Lord sayth All things end with thee and all forsake thee O sweer Iesus vpon the altar of the crosse sauing only thy patience with the which thou did dest suffer thy torments and thy charitie with the which thou diddest forgiue thy enemies seeing thou doest pray for those which crucifie thee entreat for those which blaspheme thee hold thy peace against those which spit on thee excuse those which accuse thee and pardon those which pardon not thee O my redeemer what a pitifull heart hast thou that considering how the Iewes themselues gaue thee licence to take reuengement on them saying Sanguis eius super nos His bloud vpon vs yet thou diddest not only not vse this libertie giuen thee but forsookest it there pardoned thy iniury O how contrary these two speeches are Sanguis eius sit super nos Let his bloud fall vpon vs and Ignosce illis Pardon them seeing that by the first the Iewes craue punishment of God and in the last Christ asketh pardon of his father for them in so much that the bloud of Christ which they asked to bee against them the son of God asketh that it may be for them What hast thou to do O good sauiour what hast thou to do with the Iews sayth Vbertinus and hangmen and torturers They goe about to condemne thee and thou to saue them they to accuse thee and thou to excuse them they to carry thee to Pilate to bee condemned and thou to thy father that they may be pardoned they to say crucifige crucifige crucifie him crucifie him and thou to say Ignosce ignosce Pardon them Pardon them At what time the son of God hanging vpon the crosse praied on one side vnto his father and on the other side the Hebrews praied Pilate there was a great conflict betwixt Gods iustice and mercie for iustice willed the praier of Sanguis eius Let his bloud fall vpon vs to be heard and contrary mercy forbad it and would haue Pater ignosce illis but in the end mercie had the vpper hand and reuengement had no part therein Whose heart saith Bonauenture would not bleed and who would not loue thee O good Iesus to see thee say to thy father my father forgiue them and not my father examine them and to see that thou doest forgiue theÌ„ without asking yeeldest vnto them without entreaty and pardonest them without amendment It is such a high mysterie sayth S. Augustine and a hidden Sacrament to see the sonne of God release iniurie with mercie and clemencie and not punish their crime with reuenge and that the praier of Ignosce illis Forgiue them preuailed against that of Sanguis eius His bloud light vpon vs that although it may well be rehearsed yet it cannot bee well comprehended and vnderstood CHAP. IIII. Of many high qualities and conditions which the praier of Father forgiue them had in it and how it is meet for vs to follow it in our praiers CVm clamore valido lachrimis efferens preces supplicatienes exauditus est pro sua reuerentâ—â— sayth the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 5. as if hee would say When the sonne of God was crucified vpon the tree of the crosse hee made many requests vnto his father with many supplications entreated him praying vnto him with a loud voice and pouring down many tears before him This praier was well heard of the eternall father and very acceptable vnto his diuine clemencie partly because hee who praied was a person worthy of great reuerence and partly because the praier which he made was founded vpon great pitie and mercie It appeareth well that he which praied was of an excellent and perfect condition and hee very mighty vnto whom he praied and that which hee praied of great merit and the manner which hee obserued in praier a perfect platforme of praier seeing that the Apostle in this place laieth down such high conditions of this praier which Christ made vpon the crosse Whereof although much be spoken yet there remaineth much more not spoken of First then he saith that Christ praied once on the crosse because he saith Cum clamore with a crie and with a high and loud voice because he saith valido strong and that with tears Cum lachrimis and that hee praied and offered his praier at the same time vnto his father and that the quality of the praier was to entreat and beseech preces supplicationes and that his praier was heard of his father at that very instant when hee made it because hee sayth exanditus est pro sua reuerentia The condition and qualitie of the praier which the sonne of God made vpon the crosse which the Apostle toucheth here is very great and worthy to bee marked and obserued with great heed and followed with great diligence for if we faile in any one of these conditions we are said rather to crie out then to pray Theophilus vpon the Apostle sayth That when the Apostle saith that the sonne of God praied with a loud voice vpon the crosse hee meaneth that hee offered and directed his praier with all his heart and with all his will vnto God only and vnto no other For to say the truth hee is said to pray aloud whose mind is not distracted and drawne into many thoughts When the Apostle saith that Christ praied aloud on the crosse and with a strong voice he letteth vs vnderstand with what a feruent desire and great deuotion he praied for there is nothing requested aloud and by crying out which is not either through abundance of loue or ouermuch griefe Both together forced Christ to crie out vpon the crosse that is the great loue he bare vnto his friends and the ouermuch paine
the punishment on him and take his life from him Basil sayth That sinners build vpon one shoulder only when they haue no other goodnesse in them but the bare name of Christians only and iust men build vpon both his shoulders when they are at one time both Christians and vertuous men Thou must know brother that in the law of Christ it is not sufficieÌ„t that a man be called a Christian vnlesse he be also such a one indeed Sinners build vpon one of Christs shoulders onely when they serue God in wish and desire onely and serue the world with all their might and power which is a mean rather to condemne them then to saue them for in the Church of God there are many condemned by good wishes desires but not one by good workes Christ complaineth that cursed Heretikes doe build vpon one shoulder when they confesse only his humanitie take away his diuinity which is great wickednesse falshood for he is as true a God as he is a man and as true man as he is true God Christs complaint of the Synagogue doeth not end here but hee saith further Et prolong auerunt iniquitatem suam as if he would say Thou was not content O ingrateful Synagogue to impute thy offence vnto mee and lay all the punishment due for it vpon my backe but thou hast also prolonged thy naughtinesse and perseuered in thine infidelity heaping sinne vpon sinne malice vpon malice enuie vpon enuie and idolatry vnto idolatry When did the forsaken Iewes prolong their iniquitie but when at the foot of the crosse they were nothing forrie to haue crucified Christ but were grieued to see him rise againe S. Barnard sayth that Christ had great reason to say that the Iewes had prolonged their iniquitie because that at the time of his passion for the better reuengement vnto their malicious hearts and the more to torment Christs blessed members they would haue been glad that day had been longer and that Christs life had continued a longer time The hatred which those wicked Iewes bate vnto Christ was so great that sometimes they desired nothing more then to see him yeeld vp the ghost and sometime they were neuer satisfied and full in doing him iniury insomuch that if they did crucifie him with their haÌ„ds they did also crucifie him much more with their hearts Wee should haue great compassion vpon the Iewish nation which doe prolong their iniquity vntill the end of the world for as the Apostle sayth the Synagogue shall neuer be all lightened vntill all the Gentiles bee conuerted It may be said not only of the Hebrewes but also of many Christians that Prolong auerunt iniquitatem suam who in stead of amending themselues goe on euery day empairing themselues so that they are like vnto those which are sick of the dropsie who the more they drinke the more they thirst so they the more they sinne the greater lust they haue to sinne And as Christ with great reason said that the Hebrewes did prolong their iniquitie against him with the like reason may they say of Christ that towards them he prolonged his mercy seeing he was as hastie in procuring their pardon as they were in causing his passion What shold become of me O sweet Iesus what should become of me saith Anselmus if as euery day I adde naughtinesse to naughtinesse and so prolong my iniquitie thou diddest not adde goodnes vnto goodnesse and so prolong mee thy misericordiam O sweet Iesus and my soules delight of whom may it so truly be said as of thee that thou hast prolonged thy mercy seeing that thou wast vpon the crosse as it were gaping for death and yet pardoning thy enemies And although I doe euery day prolong my iniquity and thou euery moment prolong thy mercy notwithstanding thy mercy exceedeth my iniquitie for otherwise my sorrowfull soule should long agoe haue knowne what thy rigorous iustice had beene Cyprian saith vpon the passion of our Lord that hee hath much more prolonged his mercy seeing hee said not in his praier Father forgiue them if thou wilt but absolutely that hee would forgiue them and that not by the rigour of iustice due vnto them but by the sole mercy of him which made the petition Behold then O my soule behold that with greater deuotion affection the sonne of God praied for thee vpon the crosse than hee did for himselfe in the garden seeing that he said there Father if thou wilt let that chalice passe but on the crosse he said not If thou wilt but Father forgiue them In so much that it seemeth that hee left the care of his passion vnto the will of his father but the pardon of his enemies hee desired presently to be giuen What meaneth this O sweet Iesus what meaneth this It seemeth that thou doest put it in consultation whether thou shalt die or not saying vnto him Father if thou wilt and doest thou not giue thy father leaue to thinke whether he shall pardon that wicked people or not but that he should there presently forgiue them The sonne of God saith vnto his father as Gregory reports Father forgiue them and not If thou wilt because we should vnderstand that when wee forgiue and be reconciled vnto our enemies we should doe it so sincerely and heartily and with such good wil that we should neuer turne our face from them nor neuer deny them our communication I will not saith Hugo call that a Christian forgiuing when we forgiue our enemy vnder condition neuer to speake vnto him nor goe by his gate nor dwell where hee hath to doe for our redeemer excepted no condition in the pardon of his passion It is also deepely to bee weighed that the sonne of God did not say vpon the crosse Father forgiue him but Father forgiue them That is he asked forgiuenesse not for one in particular but for all the whole world in generall Whereof it is inferred that seeing hee praied for all that there was sinne in all When Christ said Pardon them and not pardon him he gaue cause of great hope vnto all sinners that they should bee pardoned by him seeing hee forgot not to redeeme any nor to pardon any man nor leaue out any man not spoken for of his father but made all men partakers of his passion As the sonne of God said vnto his father Pardon them so if he had said Pardon him he would haue put all the church in an vproâ—e and hurliburly and al the world in a confusion and doubt in knowing who were condemned and who pardoned Rabanus vpon S. Matthew sayth That when the Maker hanged vpon the crosse if hee had said Pardon him as he said Pardon them then we should not haue known whether hee had pardoned Iudas which sold him or Herod which scorned him or Pilat which condemned him or S. Peter which denied him or Caiphas which blasphemed him And he saith further that the cause why Christ said vnto his father Pardon
that his father would destroy all the word for to reuenge his death hee lifted vp his eies vnto heauen and with a sorrowfull voice said Father forgiue them because they know not what they doe as if he would say O my eternall and holy father I beseech and pray thee that thou wouldest forgiue this vnhappy people seeing thou shouldest make more account of the bloud which I shed for thē than of the offence which they haue committed against thee It is now now time for a thousand to fall on thy left side and ten thousand on thy right for seeing that I stand betwixt them and thee it is not reason that they should fall but rise nor that thou shouldest punish but pardon them O what a happie time O what a happy age the Catholike church liueth in in the which hee which is iniuried is reconciled and made our friend the iudge become our aduocate and spokesman for vs our accuser turned to bee our defender and hee who was woont to feare vs with iustice doth now flatter vs and entice vs to him with mercy How shal Dauid be able to say now Cadent à latere eius mille A thousand shall fall on his side seeing the sonne of God hath said vpon the crosse Father forgiue them In the law of grace and vnder the yoke of Christ it is not time to goe astray but aright not to cast away our selues but to saue our selues not a time of iustice but of mercie not to punish but to pardon neither is it time to fall but to rise It is much to be noted that the sonne of God did neuer command any man to fall and throw downe himselfe but rather bad all men rise vp as it appeareth in the ninteenth of S. Matthew where hee sayth Rise vp and take thy bed and in another place Arise maid and hee said vnto him whom hee raised from death in Naim adolescens tibi dico surge and likewise hee said in the garden to his Disciples Rise let vs goe It is the propertie and office of the diuell to counsell and procure men to fall for so he counselled Christ in the desart when he said I will giue thee all these things Si cadens adoraueris me as if hee would say I will make thee Lord ouer all the world if thou wilt but fall downe on the ground O my sweet Iesus I wil liue with thee who commandeth me to rise and not with the diuell who counselleth mee to fall for hee is desirous to haue me fall and thou and no other art able to helpe mee vp again Why should I liue with the diuell who deceiueth me a thousand waies or with the world which putteth mee in a thousand dāgers or with the flesh which asketh of me a thousand pleasures O redeemer of my soule O sweet delight of my life I will liue and die with thee and no other for if I bee sick thou dost heale me if I be sorrowful thou dost cōfort me if I be falling thou dost help me if I be falne thou dost helpe me vp if I haue sinned thou dost pardon me He is the disciple of the diuell who goeth about to throw down his brother he is the sonne of Christ who doth helpe to lift vp his neighbor for we are not able in this life to do any mā a greater fauor then to keepe his credit honor to help him to saue his soule When the giuer of life said vpon the crosse Father forgiue them by those speeches he ment to obtain two things of his father That is that hee would neither punish their bodies like vnto murderers nor condemne their soules like vnto traitors O infinite goodnesse O clemency neuer heard of before O redeemer of my soule doest thou dissemble with the trecherous pardon murderers excuse traitors vndertakest for the credite of the infamous turnest vnto sinners It is litle when I say thou doest turn vnto sinners seeing thou doest not only turn vnto them but also die for them What is the reason O good Iesus what is the reason that thou doest pray vnto thy father that he would forgiue them and doest not say I doe forgiue them When thou saiest Father pardon them why doest thou not say also I pardon them Art thou the partie iniuried art thou the partie shamed and disgraced art thou the partie agreeued and doest giue the libertie of pardoning them vnto another It is a high mysterie and a hidden Sacrament to thinke that the sonne of God would not say I pardon them but entreat his father to pardon them making greater reckoning of the iniurie which they had done vnto his father then of the death which they procured vnto himselfe The reason why the sonne of God would not say I pardon them although hee were the partie offended was to tell vs plainly That hee did not esteeme those which put him to death his enemies rather his deer brothers great good doers vnto the world hauing more regard vnto the good vvhich they had done in causing the world to be redeemed then vnto the hurt which they did in causing himselfe to bee murdered When good Iesus said Father forgiue thē it is no more thē to say thou art he my good father who must forgiue thē because they haue brokē thy law discredited thy doctrine violated thy temple put to death thy son If thou dost say that I should forgiue thē I say I haue no cause to forgiue for I take my death as wel reuenged my life as well bestowed seeing that by the merit thereof all the world may liue heauen made open vnto all men S. Augustine sayth That if the sonne of God had holden the Iewes for his enemies as they accounted of him it was in his power to forsake them and goe preach vnto others but because hee esteemed of them as of his kindred in bloud neighbours by nature brothers by law disciples in doctrine it was not needful for him to say on the crosse I forgiue thē seeing he was not angry towards thē nor moued at al with thē They bare rancor and hatred vnto Christ but nor Christ vnto thē therfore notwithstanding all the reproches they vsed towards him al the iniurious speeches they gaue him he neuer left off preaching vnto thē nor neuer ceased to work miracles amongst them With what face could they say that Christ was their enemy seeing hee raised their dead cast out diuels frō them instructed their childrē cured their friends of diseases also forgaue thē their sins Seeing the son of God had done the works of a friend among them that of a true friend why should he say vpō the crosse I do also forgiue thē seeing he did not hold any one of thē for his enemy If sweet Iesus was angry with thē if he misliked thē it was not for the iniuries which they did vnto him but for the offences they cōmitted against his father
crucifie him saying crucifige crucifige was to persuade him that hee would crucifie him with his hands and that they would crucifie him with their hearts They crucified him with their hearts when with their hearts they hated and detested him then they hated him with their hearts when they diffamed his person and discredited his doctrine in so much that it was not without cause that they cried twise crucifie crucifie him seeing that at one time they tooke away his life and blemished his credit And although Pilate should haue been determined to put him to death either by cutting his throat or casting him into a well or by hanging him which are easier deaths to suffer and lesse infamous to endure yet the doggish Iews would not leaue it vnto Pilates arbitrement and free will for feare least he wold haue beene too pitifull in the maner of his death When certaine words are doubled in holy scripture it is a great signe of loue or hatred in those which vse them as when Christ said Desiderio desideraui I haue desired with desire and when he said Martha Martha in which words he shewed the loue and affection which hee bare vnto his disciples and what tender loue he bare to Martha who guested him in her house The Iews also by iterating of those words shewed the great hatred which they bare vnto Christ and let vs vnderstand with what heart good wil they crucified him Behold thē their deeds towards Christ behold also the deserts which were found to be in them Yet notwithstanding all this in recompence of the cruel death which they gaue him the great shame and infamy they put him to he saith with a loud voice Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe CHAP. IX How that Christs mercy was far greater towards the Synagogue then their naughtinesse towards him seeing hee pardoned her though she desired no pardon FRons meretricis facta est tibi noluisti erubescere tamen reuertere ad me dic pater meus es tu God spake these words by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremy complaining vnto him of the enormious and great sinnes the Iewish nation had committed against him And they are as if he should say O wicked and infortunate people of the Iews which art come vnto that boldnesse of sinning that like vnto a publick whore thou hast no shame in doing naught Turne therefore vnto me O sinfull Hierusalem turn thy selfe vnto me thou vnfortunate Synagogue for I can doe no lesse when thou doest aske any thing of me like as of a father but I must graunt it vnto thee like a sonne S. Ierome vpon these words saith O what an infinit goodnesse and mercy is this O my God and Lord that seeing thou hast tanted condemned Ierusalem as one which was full of sinne and without shame yea and hast compared her vnto a publicke strumpet yet thou doest entreat her to amend giuest her license to call thee Father Whome wilt thou cast from thee and denie to be thy son seeing thou doest vouchsafe to be a father vnto a strumpet If thou dost admit publick lewd womē into thy company is it like that thou wilt cast frō thee the honest and vertuous ones of thy house If thou loue those which are sinfull and shamelesse who is a greater sinner or lesse bashful or more lewd then this my wicked soule If the remedy of my soule consist in nothing else but in calling thee Father from this time forward I do cal thee Father and if thou dost require nothing else of me but that I should turne vnto thee O good Iesus I turne vnto thee and aske thee forgiuenesse of all my sinnes and seeing I doe turne vnto thee as vnto my Lord and confesse my selfe before thee to bee a great sinner I beseech thee most humbly that thou wouldst not cast me from before thy face that thou wouldest not take thy holy spirit from me for if thy holy grace forsake me my soule is turned vnto that that she was before that is vnto a shamelesse and lewd woman It is much to be noted here that God doth not cōplaine of the Iews that they were enuious angry or gluttennous but that they were bold and without shame which wanteth not a high mystery because there is no greater signe in all the world that a mans conscience is very corrupt then when to sin he hath no shame at al. I haue a great hope saith S. Augustine that that sinner will amend his life which sinneth secretly and is ashamed of it which hope I haue not of him who is resolute in his speech and dissolute in sinne because that that man doth either very late or neuer amend his manners who by long vse hath hardened his conscience To come then vnto our purpose with very great reason and for iust occasion God called the synagogue a shamelesse and dissolute strumpet seeing that in the death of his sonne shee shewed not onely her malice but also her impudency in killing him in the open day not being sorrowfull for it at all Christ knew very well that which his father had promised vnto the Iewes that is that if they would call him Father hee would forgiue them as his children By reason whereof Christ our God began his praier with Father forgiue them giuing thereby to vnderstand that seeing hee called him Father hee should bee heard like a sonne If it seeme vnto you my louing brethrē saith S. Ambrose that the Iews had no occasiō to put Christ their Lord to death neither did he see in thē any condition whereby he should pardon thē and touching this mercifull pardon I can tell you that I doe not so much maruell of the pardon which hee giueth on the crosse as I doe of the circumstances with the which hee dooth giue it The Iewes shewed their naughtinesse towards Christ in many thinges but the son of God shewed his mercy clemency towards thē in many more things for there is no mā in this life able to cōmit so great an offence but Gods mercy can go beyond it The first thing wherin he shewed his mercy towards thē was in the petitiō which he made vpō the crosse for them that is pardō remission of their sins being his enemies preferring them before his blessed mother which brought him into the world his welbeloued disciple which followed him before Mary Magdalen whom he so much loued What charity saith Remigius shold haue burned in his diuine bowels who at the very instāt of his own death remēbreth first to releeue his enemies thē cōfort his friends what meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this doest thou first remēber those who opēly blaspheme thee thē those which stand at the foot of the crosse weeping for thee O infinit charity O inspeakable goodnes what hart could do that which thou dost S. Barnard saith that it was in maner of a cōtention whether were
that that is very ill bestowed which is giuen vnto one which is vnworthy of it Was not the one as great a theefe as the other seeing that when the one went robbing by the high way the other being with Christ stole away the almes But wee answere vnto this and say that neither in this nor in any other God is to be called in question nor yet holy Iesus to bee reprehended considering that iustly he sent the Traitor Iudas into hell and iustly likewise he carried the theefe with him to Paradise because the one did deserue it because hee was a confessor and the other lost it because hee was a Traitor Let vs not bee proud or stout sayth Cyrillus for any thing that God dooth nor bee moued at any thing that God prouideth for we iudge a man only by the apparrell which he weareth but he iudgeth him not but by the merites which he doth Damascen sayth That before the high Tribunall seat of Christ they doe iniury vnto no man they deny no man iustice they are moued with no man neither do they any thing there without reason because there the rod of iustice is neuer bowed nor the measure of mercy euer falsified For the wise man saith Thou hast done all thinges good Lord by weight and measure speaking of Gods gouernment as if he would say O great God of Israel O mighty God of the house of Iacob how iust thou art in thy deeds and how rightful in thy iustice because that thou dost make al things euen by the line plummet which thou dost and doest heape vp all things which thou doest giue because they shall bee of full weight When dooth our Lord saith Saint Ambrose not doe all things by measure and weight but when he measureth our merits with his rod of iustice with the poise of his great mercy giue vs that which we deserue Gregory vpon Ezechiel sayth That when our Lord doth pardon some not othersome chastise these not those exalt this man and pull downe that man he doth all this in weight and measure and not by hap without iustice and if at any time his worke breed any admiration in vs it is not because God hath erred in doing it but because wee are not able with our vnderstanding to attaine vnto it Abraham would willingly that God would haue giuen him presently the land of promise which hee had promised him but hee gaue it him not vntill three hundred yeares after expecting vntill the Cananeans should fully be vnworthy of it and the Iewes deserue â—t After that king Saule fell from the fauour of God good king Dauid was chosen king of Israell yet there passed fortie years before they tooke the crowne from the one and placed the other in the throne of the king all which time God looked that Saul would grow worse and worse that the good king Dauid should become better and better I maruell at nothing that thou doest O my Lord saith Anselmus for although it be hidden from me yet it wanteth not reason with thee If our Lord bee determined to accept of the sacrifice which Abel offered him and mocke at that which his brother Cain offered if his will bee to conuert Nabugodonoser and suffer king Pharao to persist in his obstinacy and if hee let Iudas cast away himselfe and yet saue the theefe what are we to aske him an account of this yea and although he wold giue it vs who is able to vnderstand it Wee read in the Prophet Daniell that when God tooke away the kingdome from king Baltaser that first hee reckoned and compared his demerites with the merites of the Chaldeans by measuring those of the one and weighing those of the other and in the end hee found by iustice that the Chaldeans deserued to raigne and Baltaser worthie to lose his life and estate Seeing there is alwaies sayth Chrisostome in the house of God weight and measure Quia omnia fecisti in pondere mensura how is it possible that it should be euilly gouerned If our Lord giue vs troubles and vexations it is to exercise vs if hee giue vs rest it is because wee should praise him if he giue vs pouerty it is because we should merit if he giue vs abundance it is because wee should serue him and if he chastise vs it is because we should amend our selues in so much that hee giueth vs all thinges measured by his iustice and ruled with his mercy If our Lord sent Iudas to hell certainly hee did it not at a venture and if hee gaue the theefe Paradise hee did it not without right because Iudas his demerites were very great and the theeues merites were not small And because wee may not seeme to speak at randome and that God doth nothing but by his iustice wee will declare how iustly Iudas was condemned and how rightly the good theefe was pardoned CHAP. II. How Iudas Iscarioth was a great theefe and of the thefts which he committed and how he fel from the apostleship FVrerat locules habebat non erat ei cura de egenis saith S. Iohn chap. 12 speaking of wicked Iudas In the holy Colledge of Christ there was a Disciple called Iudas Iscarioth who was a wicked theefe he carried the purse he had litle purses within it and hee made no reckoning of the poore which were in necessity Vnder a few briefe wordes the Scripture accuseth Iudas of very enormious and greeuous faultes considering that it calleth him an open theefe and saith that he had little purses where he kept that which hee had stolne and that he had no compassion or pity vpon any It is a carelesnesse for a man to be naught alone to bee naught in the company of naughty men is weakenesse but to be naught in the company of good men is malice and wickednesse because it is better reason that one follow many then that many follow one The vnhappy Iudas had no occasion nor any reason to giue himselfe as hee did to sinne nor yet to dare to steale as hee did for if we well consider all circumstances we shall find that in the house where hee remained there was pouertie in the company he went with there was patience in the mother which hee serued there was humilitie and in the maister which hee had there raigned charitie O how well the Apostle said Qui se existimat stare videatâ—ne cadat He that thinketh to stand let him take heed least he fall seeing that poore Iudas got such great wickednesse in the house of holinesse How should it bee possible for him to bee good in the company of the deuill which was naught in the company of Christ If the infamous Iudas was a theefe and a Traitor couetous and ambitious liuing in the company of so many good what doest thou then hope for brother sayth Cyprian vvhich art compassed on euery side with so many naughty men Irenaus sayth That Iudas began to
we know whether he commanded him to do these things for the sins which he hath committed or for sins which hee hath seene in the Iudaicall people Who euer saw Christ weepe or command any man to weep but he had occasion to doir and reason to command it The reason why Ieremy weepeth is Quid ablata est fides de ore corum Because there is now no faith in the house of Iacob because the goodnes truth of Israel is perished Behold how God doth not complain here of vs for that we do not offer sacrifice nor because wee pay not our tithes nor because we break the holy fasting daies nor because they are couerous nor because they are carnall glurtons because nature inuiteth inclineth vs to all these carâ—lesnesse humane frailty excuseth vs. That which our Lord coÌ„plaineth of is that they are faithlesse in heart idolaters and that they can speake nothing with their mouth but lies which two vices are perrillous for vs to be saued with very hard to ameÌ„d Ciprian vpoÌ„ the Creed saith Although the Apostle saith that faith without works is dead yet I had rather do sinful works being a faithful Christian theÌ„ vertuous works being a faithlesse Pagan because that our Lord doth easilier lighten him which beleeueth that which he coÌ„mandeth theÌ„ him which blasphemeth him and his church Damascen saith That the diuel dare neuer tempt mightily any but such as he perceiueth to be weak in faith and in that case hee careth not much to teÌ„pt him hardly with other vices if he see him weak cold in faith because the diuel is better at ease to see a man doubtful wauer in faith theÌ„ to see him coÌ„mit all other sins in the world What dooth the diuell watch at or ouerwatch but to see whether thou bee doubtfull in the faith of Christ what hast thou if thou hast not true faith what wantest thou if thou wantest not the true faith of Christ O good Iesus O the light of my soule I beseech thee that thou wouldest not depriue me of thy faith that thou wouldst not cast me out of thy church that thou wouldst not take thy mercy froÌ„ me for if thou wilt not suffer me to fall from thy faith I shal alwaies haue a hope that in the end I shal be saued To come theÌ„ vnto our principal purpose who made vnhappy Iudas hang himselfe what was the cause the good theefe was saued but only the great faith the theefe had the sinful infidelity which the other fel into because Iudas wold not beleeue that Christ was our maker and because the good theefe beleeued that Christ was our redeemer Iudas sold Christ and the other beleeued in Christ insomuch that in beleeuing knowing litle men come to offend much So much saith Gregory the faith of a good ChristiaÌ„ is more meritorious by how much the fewer argumeÌ„ts reasons it is grounded on because the merit of the catholick faith doth not coÌ„sist on that which we see with our eieâ— but in that which we beleeue with our hearts If we compare the faith of the good theef with the faith of the old fathers we shal find it to be true that he did so far exceed theÌ„ in faithfully beleeuing as they did go beyond him in good liuing How should not Abraham beleeue in God considering how God spake vnto him from heaueÌ„ aboue and vsed him as if he had beene his particular friend The thecues faith was greater thaÌ„ his because that Christ neuer spake vnto him one word of beliefe neither did hee euer see him in heauen but only hanged vpon the crosse The Prophet Esay did beleeue in God when he saw him sit on high in his throne beset with thousands of Seraphins but the the eues faith was greater because hee neuer saw Christ but crucified and accompanied with theeues The Prophet Maises had faith when hee saw the God of Israel speake vnto him out of a bush and that the bush wasted nor burnt not but the faith of the good theefe was greater than this considering that hee saw Christ loaden with thorns which burnt nor in show but in troth pierced his braine S. Peter had faith when hee saw Christ goe vpon the waters but the good theefes faith was greater considering he saw Christ not spurn the waters but saw him bathed in bloud from the feet to the head Mary Magdalen had faith when she saw him raise her brother Lazarus from death to life who had beene foure daies dead but the good theefe had greater faith then this considering how he neuer saw Christ raise the dead but only saw himselfe die vpon the crosse like a malefactor S. Iohn the Euangelist had faith when he had ssept vpon our Lords breast after he had supped vvith him in the parlar but the theefes faith vvas greater then this seeing that hee beleeued in the sonne of God not sleeping vpon stis breast but suffering vvith him by his side vpon the crosse S. Iames had faith vvhen hee savv Christ transfigured in the hill Tabor and the Fathers of the old law adore him but the good theefes faith was greater then this considering hee saw not the sonne of God transfigured but disfigured hee saw not his face shine but his body torne in pieces O happy and glorious theefe who but thou hath stoine the faith from the synagogue which of old shee was wont to haue and stolne Christ from them in whom then they beleeued not Impart and deuide vnto me part of the faith which thou didst steale from the Synagogue and Christ which thou diddest rob away on the Mount of Caluary for although I was not thy companion in suffering yet now I will bee in beleeuing That which I would haue thee impart vnto mee is the entire faith which thou hast the holy wordes which thou speakest the abundance of bloud which thou sheddest the true confession which of God thou makest and the Christian charity with the which thou doest correct the other theefe O that this theefe hath a happy inheritance seeing that with the theft of worldly things he easily got the gallowes and with the theft which hee stole vpon the crosse hee got glory Chrysostome of the praise of the theefe saith thus In whom O good Iesus in whom did thy holy faith remaine when thou diddest depart out of this life but in thy sorrowfull mother who wept at the foot of the crosse in that holy theefe who suffered on thy side O good Iesus O redeemer of my soule saith Barnard what a small number of friends thou hadst with thee on the crosse and what a multitude of enemies about thee considering that thou hadst there but two faithfull Christians that is thy blessed mother which did beleeue in thee with her heart and that iust theefe which did confesse thee with his mouth Seeing it was nothing else to be a Christian but to beleeue in Christ and serue Christ
and vs as if he would say If thou bee the Christ which the Iewes hope for deliuer thy selfe from death and quite vs from paine Cyprian vpon the passion of our Lord sayth O that that is a wicked word and a detestable praier which thou O naughty theefe doest vtter with thy mouth when thou doest persuade the son of God to come downe from the crosse for if he do suffer die it is for nothing that toucheth him but for that which toucheth thee and is most expedient for me Why dost thou aske him that hee would saue thee and also himselfe seeing that he suffereth of his owne accord dieth for thy naughtinesse The beginning of this naughty theeues perdition was when he said if thou be the sonne of God and not thou art the son of God in which words it seemed that hee doubted whether hee were the sonne of God or not and so hee doubted in his faith and made a scruple whether he were the redeemer of the world or not and so hee fell into infidelitie which is the highest wickednesse of all other Cyrillus vpon S. Iohn saith That the good theefe said not If thou be Christ neither did S. Peter say I beleeue if thou bee Christ but the one said faithfully Lord remember me and the other likewise said I beleeue because thou art the sonne of God insomuch that no man can be lightened or pardoned which maketh any doubt at all in the faith of Christ The Apostle saith in his canonicall Epistle if any man want wisedome let him aske it of God not doubting in faith as if he would say If any man haue need of any great matter let him take heed that he do not aske it with a faith that is luke warme for if our Lord do not grant vs that which we aske him it is rather because wee know not how to ask him than because hee hath not a desire to giue it Damascen sayth If he who asketh be not a Pagan and that which he asketh bee not vniust and hee who asketh be holy and the place where he asketh be also sacred and he for whoÌ„ he asketh be needy why should he doubt to obtaine it considering that of himselfe hee is so mercifull O good Iesus O my soules pleasure giue me thy grace that I may say vvith the blind man in Ieremie O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon mee and keepe mee from saying vvith the naughty theefe if thou be Christ saue thy self and me too seeing that like a true Christian I confesse thy mighty power and call for thy great mercy Christostome saith The naughty theese thought that as Pilate had condemned him for a robber by the high way so he had executed iustice vpon Christ for stirring the people to sedition and that Christ did no lesse esteeme of his life than hee did abhorre death vvherein certainly he vvas much deceiued for he did not so earnestly desire to liue as Christ did desire to die The Iews persuaded Christ that hee should come downe from the crosse and this naughty theefe did also persuade him that hee vvould slie from the crosse that vvhich the sonne of God did not loue to hear of nor would not do for if he had forsaken the crosse all the vvorld should haue beene crucified S. Barnard sayth I doe not desire thee my good Iesus that thou come down froÌ„ the crosse nor that thou slie from the crosse but that thou vvouldest put me there with thee because it would be more reasonable that they should giue sentence vpon me for thee than that they should giue sentence vpon thee for me It may bee gathered of all that which wee haue spoken what great courage we haue need of to begin any good worke and a far greater to finish it for our enemies are ready alwaies about to deceiue vs the flesh to mooue vs men to hinder vs and the world to trouble vs. CHAP. VIII Of the great charity which the good theefe had towards the naughty theefe in correcting him of euill doing and in aduising him of the good which he lost COmmendat deus omnem charitatem suam in nobis saith the Apostle writing vnto the Romanes in the fift chap. as if he would say The God and Lord which I preach vnto you O Romanes dooth commend nothing more vnto you than charity in louing your neighbours with all your heart the which loue you must shew them not so much because they loue you as because they serue God Holy Paule did preach and teach vs many things whereof some were to make vs afeard some to giue vs counsell some to teach vs some to comfort vs as this matter which we now handle the which being wel looked into and read with attention we shal find that hee giueth vs as much as hee hath and loueth vs as much as he ought For the better vnderstaÌ„ding of this speech we must suppose that the loue of God charity and grace go alwaies coupled together in so much that no man can haue heauenly loue without heauenly charity no man can haue heauenly charity but he must haue heaueÌ„ly grace he who hath heauenly grace cannot faile but goe to glory Damascen sayth That Loue and Charitie and Grace are only one gift and the greatest which came from heaueÌ„ is called Grace because it is giuen without any price and it is called Charity because it is high and it is called Loue because it doth ioine and vnite vs with God in so much that when he recommendeth his Charity vnto vs he trusteth his Loue with vs. WheÌ„ our Lord doth commend vs his Loue as a thing left to keepe with vs if we marke it well what else is it but a token whereby we should marke with what Loue he loueth vs and with what Charity he entreateth vs O happy pledge O luckie trust when our Lord credited vs with his eternall Loue his infinite Grace and vnspeakable Charity the which vertues he gaue vs because we should not liue ingratefully with them and that in our death we should buy heauen with theÌ„ When our Lord doth giue vs charge to keepe his Charity what else is that but to doe vs the fauour to giue it vs If he would not haue giuen it vs hee knew well where to keepe it without giâ—ing it vs to pledge but hee saith that hee dooth commend it vnto vs to keepe and not giue it vs because wee should bee very carefull in keeping it and fearefull to lose it because we cannot be saued without it Bede vpon the Apostle sayth One friend can giue to another his iewels of siluer and gold but he cannot giue him the loue which hee hath in his heart for although he can shew it yet hee cannot passe it vnto him but the sonne of God did not onely shew vs his loue but did also giue it vs. He did shew vs his great loue when hee tooke mans flesh vpon him and he doth giue vs his sweet
liberty and in freedome why doest thou call him Lord which is fastened to the crosse and crucified like thy selfe Seeing that he who should be a Lord ought to bee mighty and rich why doest thou call him Lord who was poor in his life time and naked in his death But this Prophet whō I call vpon and vnto whome I commend and commit my selfe is a mighty Lord and a king of great power seeing the son lost his light for compassion the stones broke with griefe the vaile rent in sunder for a mystery the graues opened with feare and the Centurion confessed him to be Christ O great God of Israel O great Lord of the house of Iacob◠for this cause thy name is admirable and worshipped in all the circuit of the earth because thy power and dominion is doubled and redoubled more than any mans in the world Cassiodorus noteth vpon this matter That the holy scripture doth neuer call any twise Lord Lord but Christ alone because he alone and none with him is Lord of heauen and earth of life and death body and soule and of peace and warre Wee cannot call Hector the Troian Anchises the Grecian Alexander the Macedonian and Caesar the Romane Lord more than once because they were kings onely of their owne kingdomes but vnto the sonne of God wee say twise Domine domine noster Lord our Lord because his siegnory is so great that no man is able to limit it nor set any bonds vnto it Euery other Prince hath his kingdome limited and set with bonds either to the top of a steeple or couering of a house and if it bee not so let him send a post from thence vpward and hee shall perceiue that his kingdome reacheth no higher which cannot be said to be true of the sonne of Gods Empire seeing it goeth from one end of the world vntill the other and reacheth vp vnto the highest heauen Considering that Dauid calleth Christ Lord Lord twise why doth he call him only once Lord. The mystery of this mystery is that Dauid called him Lord Lord twise because hee should keepe his body from his enemies and cary his soule vnto those which are blessed but the good theefe did call him but once Lord because his intention was not that Christ should keepe his life but only that hee would vouchsafe to saue his soule Why doest thou thinke sayth S. Basil vpon the Psalme that Dauid said vnto our Lord Lord calling him twife Lord but because he was Lord of the truth and of the figure of the church and of the synagogue of the Prophets and of the Apostles and of the old Testament and of the new The good theefe would not call Christ Lord twise because hee would let vs vnderstand that the figure is fulfilled and the truth come that the church is come and the synagogue ended that the Prophets are dead and the Apostles succeeded in their place that the old law is buried and the Gospel proclaimed Why think you doth the good theef call Christ Lord but once but because we haue but one Lord to beleeue one redeemer to worship To say once Christ remember me was to say that hee would haue him and no other for a master to serue for God in whō he would beleeue for his Lord whom hee would obey for a friend whome hee would trust vnto for an aduocate in whose hands he would put himselfe into The second word which the theefe said vnto Christ was Remēber me as if he would say Seeing that I doe confesse thee here before all men to bee my Lord and vpon this crosse acknowledge thee to be my redeemer haue mee in remembrance my good Lord seeing I haue remēbred thee and turned vnto thee Remember me O sweet Iesus seeing thou hast created me remember me seeing thou hast redeemed mee remember mee and seeing thou hast lightened me remember mee and seeing thou hast chosen me remember me for it would auaile me very little that thou shouldest giue me light to know thee if withall thou shouldest not giue me grace to serue thee Remēber me O good Iesus because I am hard by thy side remember me because I beleeue in thee remember me because I trust in thee remember me because I hope in none but in thee and seeing I haue offered my selfe for to be thy perpetuall seruant remember I beseech thee to accept me for thine Remember mee because thou hast raised me from the dust remember me because thou hast made me a Christian remember me to make mee good and remember mee to giue mee heauen and aboue all things I beseech thee that seeing thou hast giuen thy life for me remember me that I lose not my soule O good Iesus giuer of life with my tongue I beseech thee and with my heart I aske it of thee that seeing thou doest shed thy precious bloud vpon the crosse for me remember me that it be not euilly bestowed on mee and when shall thy bloud be euilly bestowed on mee but when it is not by thee accepted for me Seeing thou hast sweat oft for me suffered most grieuous pains for me endured inspeakable persecutions for mee and hast dissembled my abominable offences what doest thou gaine O good Iesus what doest thou gaine if I lose my soule and thou the fruit of thy precious bloud Remember me O Lord seeing that in pardoning my fault and by sauing my soul thou shalt make a Christian people heauen the more enrich thy church spread abroad thy fame and exalt thy mercy Remember the sabboth day said God in the law remember the daies past said Moyses vnto God remember because my life is a wind said holy Iob remēber how I haue walked before theesaid king Ezechias when he was sick and remember me said good Ioseph when he was in prison and remember mee when thou commest into thy kingdome I say vnto thee here now crucified vpō the crosse What should I say O the light of my life What doest thou aske me that I haue not giuen thee and what doe I possesse that is not thine I haue already giuen my money to the iailor my coats to the hang man I haue salne out with my companion who iniuried thee I haue made the best answere that I could for thy honour and therefore I can do nothing more but say Lord remember me Domine memento mei and seeing I offer thee the confession of Miserere that vpō my knees and my eies washed with tears why shouldest thou shut the gates of thy mercy against me my confession being thus iust being condemned for a naughty person as thou art my members disiointed the one from the other like thine crucified vpon the crosse like thy selfe I beleeue faithfully in thee and commend my selfe wholly vnto thee saying Lord remember mee Lord-remember mee and I beseech thee haue pitie on me seeing that in suffering I am like vnto thee I dy for being a theefe and thou for the same cause they
put mee to death on the Mount of Caluary and on the Mount of Caluary they kill thee at high noone daies they execute mee and at the same houre they execute thee thou art as neere the end of thy life as I am neere to death and therfore Lord remember me thus as wee depart both together out of this world so also we may both together goe into heauen What reason doth permit it or what iustice doth suffer O my good Lord that thou shouldest take me for thy companion to suffer on the crosse with thee and when thou doest go into heauen to leaue mee here behind thee Seeing thou wilt depart out of this world to death and that through such a narrow passage and long way whom canst thou take with thee better than the theefe which was thy fellow vpon the tree It is necessary that thy poore mother liue thou hast left thy Iohn thy cousin to his owne custodie Peter thy Disciple hath denied thee Iudas thy steward hath sold thee all the Iewes haue beene vngratefull vnto thee and therfore seeing that thou doest see no body neere thee who doth confesse and acknowledge thee but my selfe alone who am here alone with thee Lord remember mee and either giue mee somewhat in thy Testament or take mee with thee to Paradise O holy Nazarean and blessed Prophet seeing that thou diddest heare Ionas out of the Whales belly Daniel out of the lake of Babilonia Ioseph out of the dungeon of Egypt Ieremy out of the darke well and diddest heare Dauid when he said Tibi soli peccaui I haue sinned vnto thee only why doest thou not heare-mee when I crie Lord remember mee Domine memento mei Behold O my good Lord behold O my good companion now my eies doe breake now my last houre is come now my sight faileth mee and my speech is troubled and my soule is pulled out of my body and therefore in this narrow passing and doubtfull way vnto whome should I say better than vnto thee Lord remember me yea and all the whole Psalme of Miserere Iosue was a theefe seeing he stole grapes fron Chanaan Dauid was a theefe seeing hee stole the bottle of water from Saul Rachael was a theefe seeing she stole the idols from her father Ionathas was a theefe seeing hee stole hony from the hiue Iosaba was a theefe seeing he stole the infant Ionas and yet thou diddest not command any one of all these to bee hanged nor send them from thy houseuf this be so and if thou diddest forgiue those which stole thy goods wilt thou not forgiue mee poore theefe who turne for thy honours sake and keepe thee company in this place Seeing that of old time thou art accustomed to forgiue very famous theeues and dissemble very notorious thefts why doest thou not forgiue me among them and absolue me of my sinnes If thou wilt haue tears for the thefts which I haue done thou seest that they run downe my cheekes if thou doest content thy selfe to see bloud thou seest that there is no drop left in mee if thou wilt haue mee whip my selfe I am already bowelled if thou wilt haue mee repent I say vnto thee Soli peccaui if thou wilt haue mee make entire satisfaction how canst thou haue me to do it not hauing halfe an houre to liue Lord Iesus remember mee and bee my surety vnto thy father in the other world and put mee with thy chosen flocke write mee in thy booke and place mee in thy glory seeing that the faith of which thou art doth flourish onely in thy mother and remaineth in my heart Remember mee O good Iesus and if thou wilt depart out of this sorrowfull life into the other before mee I beseech thee leaue mee the step of thy foor to tread in and a path-way to follow thee for if I acknowledge thee for my God and receaue thee for my God and beleeue in thee for my God being as thou art dismembred and crucified shall not I serue thee and praise thee farre better when I shall see thee glorified Darest thou trust me with thy crosse because I should worship it and with thy body because I should accompany thee and with thy mother to comfort her and with thy honour to defend it and with thy church to augment it and with thy faith to maintaine it and wilt thou not put thy glory into my hands that I may alwaies praise thee in it When they condemned thee to bee crucified and brought mee to bee executed I heard thee say there before Pilate That thy kingdome was not of this world and then seeing thou art a king and hast a kingdome remember mee and take me with thee and I will tell thy father what thou hast suffered to serue him and all the fauours which thou hast done for me Now that the good theefe hath made his praier vnto God and recommended himselfe vnto him it is reason now that the naughty theefe haue license to speake which is my naughty and peruerse heart because the theefe which hanged on the left hand of God did blaspheme Christ but once but thou my soule doest blaspheme him euery day Remember mee O sweet Iesus and haue mercy on mee O my soules glory to the end that the shedding of thy pretious bloud be not euilly bestowed in mee for at the time when thou diddest shed it thou diddest not feeele so grieuously the vvant of it in thy bodie as thou diddest feele the vngratefulnesse of the whole world And when is thy precious bloud vnthankfully shed for mee but when I yeeld vnto that which my Sensuality demâ—ndeth of mee and not vnto that which thy Gospell counselleth mee What is all that worth which I would if thou wilt not If thou goest to seeke out theeues and if thou doest hunt after sinners why doest thou seeke for any more than for mee because there is no theefe who hath committed greater robberies than I nor any sinners who hath done more greeuous sins than I O patient and benigue Lord if the wickednesse of my heart and the offences which I haue committed in secret were knowne notoriously vnto the iudges of the world as they are knowne vnto thee I should many yeares agoe haue beene hanged and in the other world condemned I will not say with the Prophet Dauid Where be thy old mercies seeing that I see them enter euery day into my gates because I doe not make more hast to sinne than thou to pardon mee The pardon which thou diddest giue vnto the good theefe doth giue vs also great hope to obtaine pardon at thy hands for he being come to the gibbet condemned for his offence went away sanctified with thy Grace If thou do giue theeues and robbers kingdomes what wilt thou do and giue vnto theÌ„ whom thou doest loue and are chosen of thy father If thou diddest giue the kingdome of heauen to a rouer and a theese for speaking one onely word vnto thee and seruing thee one
halfe houre what wilt thou giue vnto him O good Iesus who loueth thee with all his hart praiseth thee with his tongue and emploieth all his might and power in thy seruice CHAP. XII How our Lord heard the theeues praier vpon the crosse and how Christ answered him seuen words for fiue which hee spake vnto Christ DOminus exaudiuit vocempueri de loco in quo est Genesis 21. said the Angel vnto Ismael his mother as if he would say Take no care O Agar take no care for although thou hast lost thy way and art banished in this desart feare no peril because our Lord hath heard the praier of the youth thy sonne because he hath praied where he hath praied The Patriarch Abraham had a bastard child by Agar his maid and slaue both which were throwne out of dores after that hee had a lawfull child borne vnto him and these two went vp a mountaine alone in great dispaire our Lord sent vnto them an Angel to comfort them and to giue them drinke Origen sayth That if wee looke well into the scripture we shall neither read that the mother did pray vnto the Lord neither is it made mention that the sonne did commend himselfe vnto God but that Gods great mercy is so great that by seeing the youth Ismael weepe and the sorrowfull mother lament and cry our Lord was moued to comfort them by word and also releiue them in deed Plato in his Timao sayth That it doth smally benefit the grieued and comfortlesse to visit them seldome and speake much vnto them and giue theÌ„ no comfort at all vnlesse that comfort be wrapped in some remedie and reliefe Seneca sayth That if a friend doe visite his friend and find him heauy and sad and so leaue him if hee find him poore and so leaue him if hee find him weeping and leaue him weeping wee will say of such a one that hee goeth rather to iest than to visite and comfort because a comfortlesse heart is much better appeased with that which we giue him with our hands than with that which we speake vnto him with our tongue S. Ambrose in his Exameron sayth That to the end a worke of mercy may bee perfect more acceptable vnto our Lord it ought neither to bee asked of any nor craued but voluntarily liberally be bestowed because there is nothing more deare in this world than that which is bought with entreaty O that hee buieth very deerely who buieth by the change and price of his shame because that shamefast men and of liberall hearts doe without comparison grieue more when they vncouer shew their face than when they vntie their purse Cicero to Atticus sayth That there is nothing wherein a Gentlemanlike man taketh more delight than in giuing and greater griefe than in asking because that in giuing he maketh himself Lord of him vnto whome hee giueth and in taking hee maketh himselfe a slaue to him of whoÌ„ he receiueth Hilarius saith That to deale with God there need no words but teares nor many entreaties but many sighes for wheÌ„ we pray vnto our Lord he hath greater regard vnto the heart which desireth than vnto all that which the tongue speaketh Agar the slaue and Ismael her sonne spake no word vnto God nor yet made any petition vnto him but ech of them being set downe vnder a seuerall oke the sonne did neuer fill himselfe with weeping and the mother neuer ceassed from sighing the which holy teares were not vnpaied nor sighes vnaccepted To come then vnto our purpose if our Lord did heare Ismaels teares which was in the desart will he not also hear the memento mei which the theefe spake vnto him in the Mount of Caluary Let no man maruell that we compare the theefe with Ismael and Ismael with the theefe for as the one was brought vp in the mountaines a hunting so the other went by the high waies a robbing as Ismael had one very vertuous brother so also this theefe had a blasphemer to his companion Isâ—â—ael was yong for hee was not aboue three yeares of age the theefe was also yong for he had not been as yet three houres a Christian because that before our Lord the yeares when we are borne are not reckoned but the time from whence we are baptized After Christs resurrection hee called his disciples children and yonglings not respecting that some of them were old and had gray haires but that they had not ben long baptized that is when hee washed their feet in the parlar and ordained them Priests after his supper If Ismael did weepe at the foot of the oake in the desart so did the good theefe weepe also vpon the crosse on Caluary and that which is more excellent is that if hee gaue the one water whereof hee should drinke he gaue the other his bloud wherewith he should bee saued As Abraham had one lawfull child which was Isaac and another a bastard which was Ismael so God the father had or lawfull child which was Christ and the other a bastard which was the theefe and of these two the one was borne in the church and the other in the Synagogue The blessing which fell vnto Ismael was that he should be against all men and all men against him the which blessing also the good theefe had who being vpon the crosse and all purposing to kill and crucifie Christ hee against all though all against him defended him and excused him Ismael was a father of many barbarous people and the good theefe was an example of many great sinners but not that they should liue wickedly as hee had done but that they should turne vnto our Lord as hee did Agar the mother could not see Ismael her sonne die neither could the sonne of God see his companion the theefe bee condemned and therefore as the teares of the one were gratefull vnto him euen so the words of the other vvere pleasing vnto him to wit when hee said on the crosse Lord remember me and O good Iesus haue mercy vpon mee With great reason and for good occasion the son of God did giue care vnto all that the good theefe would speake vnto him and vnto all that which hee did request of him because hee vsed such measure and discretion in his petition that hee asked nothing which should bee for his comfort but for his saluation If hee vvould haue asked any thing for his comfort he vvould haue asked that the cudgels which winded his cords should haue been slackened or that they would haue pulled out the nailes or healed his wounds or that they would pull him downe from the crosse or that they would giue him longer life but he asked none of all this but only that Christ would haue his soule in remembrance not mentioning his person at all Our Lord could not denie him so reasonable a petition nor delay him but he answered him immediately for euen as he said Domine memento moi Christ
the theefe Doest thou defer it to her who brought forth Christ take pity on him who bare him coÌ„pany on the crosse seeing thou doest augmeÌ„t tears in her diminish offences in him It was a word of great fauor which hee did vse vnto Mary Magdalen that Remissa tibi peccata multa Many sins are forgiuen thee but yet that was greater which he did vse to the good theefe because hee vsed greater liberty with him thaÌ„ with hir for if he loued her pardoned her he loued the theef like a friend pardoned him like a Christian rewarded him lika a iust man Barnard saith vnto this purpose That it is a signe of great loue to pardon but a greater sign to giue pardon because that pardon is sometime giueÌ„ by force but a gift neuer coÌ„meth but of free wil. OrigeÌ„ vpoÌ„ Mathew crieth out O deepe mystery O diuine sacrameÌ„t who euer heard or saw the like vnto this that is betwixt the sunne rising the sunne setting the theef was condemned by Pilat shamed by the criers iusticied by the hangmen confessed by his owne mouth by Christ pardoned and also brought vnto Paradise What meaneth this O good Iesus what meaneth this Who is able to reach vnto the reason why Abel vvith his innocency Nee with his iustice Abraham with his faith Dauid with his charity Moyses with his meekenesse Iâ—b vvith his patience Tobias with his franknesse Lazarus with his pouerty should so long desire to see Christ and the theefe presently enioy him S. Ambrose sayth That Christ receiued in a new kind of martyrdome all the torments vvhich were giuen the theefe as a naughty man from the houre and moment that he defended Christ and confessed with Christ insomuch that if he began to suffer like a theefe and a rouer hee ended and died like a glorious martyr This happy theefe was a very glorious martyr seeing he suffered neere Christ and with Christ where Christ suffered and in the same manner that Christ suffered and which is most of all hee was the first martyr after Christs passion and the first Saint which the sonne of God did canonize after his death S. Stouen was the first martyr after Christs ascention but from Christs death vntill he ascended into heauen there was no other Mattyr in the vvorld but the theefe whose conuersion Christ caused whose teares hee accepted whose martyrdome hee approued whose passion hee canonized and whose soule hee glorified S. Augustine sayth O good Iesus O my soules delight considering that thou doest saue him who accuseth his owne faults and him who excuseth thy innocency the maintainer of thy credit the confessor of thy essence the companion of thy person wilt thou not saue also this sinfull soule of mine For so great a battaile as thou hast won this day for so great a victory as thou hast obtained and also for so much bloud as hath issued from thee it is a small prize to carry away with thee but one theef only because that by so much the greater the triumph is by how many more prisoners the triumpher is followed with all And if it will not please thee to take mee thither with thee tarry thou here with me O good Iesus for I desire no other glory of thee in this miserable world but that thou wouldest let mee haue alwaies a good conscience Origen sayth in an Homily that it is much to be noted and a thing to be wondered at that Christ did not say vnto the theefe Amen dico vobis although there were many more there but hee said Amen dico tibi to let vs vnderstand that by forgiuing him alone hee shewed his mercy and by not pardoning others hee shewed his great iustice There were store of sinners about the crosse as well as hee which peraduenture would haue beene pardoned as well as he but amongst them all the theefe onely deserued to heare his pardon but by this hee maketh vs know that there is no man which hath cause to dispaire of pardon seeing hee forgaue him and yet that we presume not too much of pardon seeing he forgaue him alone Let the conclusion of all this be that wee remember before wee sinne that our Lord did not pardon the multitude that was there present and after wee haue sinned let vs remember that hee pardoned the theefe which suffered with him and in so doing we shall feare his iustice and remember his mercy the which I humbly beseech him that it would please him to vse here with grace afterward with glory Amen Amen The end of the second word which Christ our redeemer spake vpon the Crosse ⧠Here beginneth the third word which the sonne of God spake vpon the Crosse vnto his blessed mother Mulier ecce filius tuus Woman behold here thy sonne CHAP. I. That the loue which the mother of God had did exceed the loue of all other men and also the loue of Angels SIcut water 〈…〉 it a agâ— te diligebaâ—â— these are the words of holy Dauid 2. Reg. chapâ—â—â— 1. when 〈…〉 brought him that king Saul his enemy and Prince Ionathas his great friend were slaine in a battaile which they had with the Philistims The Iewes gaue this battaile to the 〈…〉 the wild mountaines of Gâ—â—boe and when the sorrowfull newes came to king Dauid that king Saul had lost the battaile hee began aloud to crie and shed many grieuous teares and said as followeth in dolefull wise O famous and renowmed Israel why doest thou not weepe for the losse of so many excellent men which this day they haue slaine thee and noble Princes which this day are perished within thee How is it possible that the strongest of Israel haue fallen downe so ignominiously and the most famous of Iuda haue ended their life by sword O how well king Saul Ionathas should haue loued one the other when they were aliue seeing that they left not the one the other in death although the cruell sword was able to take away their liues from them yet certainly it was not able to take away their hearts from them with the which they loued one the other What sword durst wound their hearts or what launce durst touch their flesh considering that Saul and Ionathas were in running more light than eagles and in sight more strong than lions Ionathas arrow was neuer shot but he hit Sauls sword drawn but he stroke Weepe then O ye daughters of Israel weep vpon the death of your king Saul who clothed you in scarlet in your passeouer and gaue you iewels of gold in your weddings O ye mountains O ye mountains of Gilboe I curse froÌ„ henceforth anathematize you for euer to the end that it neuer raign water vpoÌ„ you by day nor any dew fal vpoÌ„ you by night seeing that you consented that the enemies of Israel should there kill Saul and slay my good friend Ionathas in the same place O my faithfull and old friend Ionathas why
the Babilonians Egyptians Chaldeans Persians and Medes Greekes and those of Palestine because the law of the Gospell hath been preached and receiued in those places Chrysostom saith That the son of God came to take flesh for the fall of the Temple of Salomon the city of Ierusalem the sacrifices of Iuda the ceremonies of Israell and of the old Mosaicall law and of the pride of all the Synagogue which was all ended and gaue vp the ghost with this word Consummatum est The sonne of God came into the world for the ouerthrow of all sinnes for if hee was as hee vvas the truth it selfe hee was a great enemy of lies and because he highly loued charitie he hated cruelty and because hee highly commended humilitie hee persecuted enuy vvhich vvas the cause that no man did euer reprehend vice more sharplier than hee nor no man did euer extoll vertue like vnto him The sonne of God came into the vvorld to the vtter ruine of the famous city of Hierusalem seeing there vvas not one tower in the citie vvhich vvas not throwne downe no vvall which was not broken no house vvhich vvas not barnt no Temple vvhich vvas not beaten to the ground no treasurie vvhich vvas not robbed nor orchard vvhich vvas not spoiled no Virgine vvhich was not violated no woman which was not forced no man which was not either slaine or taken captiue The sonne of God came into the world for the ouerthrow of the Synagogue seeing he left them no kingdome whither to goe vnto no citie where to dwel no king to rule them no Patriarke to honour no Prophet to giue them counsell no army to defend them no captain to fight for them The soune of God came into the world in ruinam the ouerthrow of the Pharisies and Sadduces cōsidering that he took away their hypocrisie from thē by which they preuailed their authority by which they commanded their doctrine with which they deceaued their couetousnesse with the which they robbed and their Symony with the which they made themselues rich CHAP. IIII. Of the third word which old Simeon spake vnto the Virgine in the Temple and of three authorities touching this purpose IN resurrectionem multorum in Israel in signum cui contradicetur said holy Simeon vnto the blessed Virgine that day when she presented the child Iesus in the Temple as if hee would say I haue told thee my daughter Mary how this thy son and my Lord shall bee a stumbling blocke to many and an occasion that many which are fallen shall rise againe and many which goe astray conuerted and he shal be a marke and a signe which shall bee spoken against by many Origen saith That it doth wel appear that holy Simeon spake by the mouth of the holy Ghost when hee said that the son of God was come into the world not only for all naughty wicked men to stumble at but also because that al goodnesse and good men should bee raised vp by him because it is the dutie of a good Phisitian not only to purge the humor which offendeth but also to strengthen it What fruit should we receiue by his comming into the world if he should only throw downe the wicked and not raise vp the good Whē our Lord saith by Ieremy Consolabor me de inimicis meis he would vvith a farre better will forgiue vs rather thā punish vs but because all that is in God is God himselfe hee cannot doe lesse than vse his iustice giuing notwithstanding alwaies place vnto his mercy When he sayth Woe bee vnto mee vvoe be vnto me I must reuenge mee of my enemies what can bee spoken with a more tender heart or vvhat iustice can bee done vvith greater mercy seeing that hee first weepeth for the sinner before he punish the sinne and first shed many tears before he shew discipline vpō the malefactors In the iudgemēt seat of vvorldly iudges they punish sinnes without iustice then mocke at the sinners but in the house of God they first vveepe for the sinners and then they punish the sinne because there is nothing more strange to God than reuenge nor nothing more gratefull vnto him than mercy Perditio tua ex te Israel ex me autem saluatio said God by the Prophet osee as if hee vvould say O vvhat paines I take with thee O Israel for if thou lose thy way I put thee into it againe if thou stumble I hold thee vp if thou see not I direct thee if thou fall I lift thee vp if thou defile thy selfe I make thee cleane if thou bee blind I giue thee light if thou doubt I counsell thee This speech of the Prophet is vvorthy to bee noted and also vvept and to bee bewailed vvith many teares seeing that hee telleth vs and admonisheth vs by it how little vvee are able to doe of our selues how little wee are worth how little wee possesse how little vvee know seeing that it is in our owne power to fall but vvee are not able to rise vvithout the helpe of God Thou saiest very vvell O great Simeon that the soune of God is come In resurrectionem multorum for after wee are fallen and defiled if hee doe not giue vs his hand who is able to lift vs from the ground What had become of the people of Israell when they were captiue in Egypt if our Lord had not deliuered them from thence vvith his mighty hand What would haue become of good King Dauid when he slue innocent Vrias and committed adultery with his wife Bersabee if God had not giuen him counsell by the mouth of the Prophet Nathan and lightened his heart What had become of king Ezechias when our Lord cōdemned him to death and that vnto a suddain death if our Lord had not visited him by the hands of the Prophet Esay and accepted his tears What had become of the Apostle Saint Peter when hee denied Christ three times if our Lord when he was tied to a pillar had not looked vpon him and prouoked him to teares What had become of S. Paul when hee went to the city of Damasco to apprehend all such which called vpon the name of Christ if our Lord had not spoken vnto him by the way and of Saul would not haue made him Paul and of a persecutor of Christ had not made him a preacher of the Gospell What would become of thee and me and of all the sinners of the world if good Iesus should not giue vs light because wee should not stumble and giue vs his hand to rise againe S. Barnard to this purpose saith It may be said better of me than of any O my good Iesus That thy perdition is of thy selfe Israel and thy saluation of mee For if I hit aright in any thing it is onely through thy grace and if I erre it is through my owne malice and therefore my owne sinne is able to make me fall but to rise againe I haue need of thy mercy
is made cleane the naughty man continueth vncleane the vertuous man is bedewed with it and the vicious man remaineth dry and that which is more to be lamented some doe there wash away their offences some haue not one drop of it The Priest in the Leuiticall law did clense such as were infected with a leprosie if they came vnto him and if they brought those things which the law prescribed and if they were sprinckled seuen times with the bloud of the bird but if they refused to doe any of these things the Priest was in no fault and their vncleannesse vvas imputed vnto themselues The High priest the sonne of God did die for all men and shed his bloud for all men but if thou Infidell or Heretike wilt not enter into the Catholicke church if thou sinner or naughty man wilt at the time when it is destributed turne thy face from it what fault is in Christ if his precious bloud worke no vertue in thee O how happy that soule is vpon whom there falleth one drop not of the bloud which the priest sprinckled but this precious bloud which the son of God sheddeth for being washed in so deep a poolshe wil go beyond the snow in whitenes exceed the son in clearnes It is time now for vs to come vnto our first purpose apply all this vnto that which holy Simeon spake of Christ When Simeon sayth of Christ that he is put to helpe vp many and when the Prophet saith O Israell thy perdition commeth of thy selfe and thy saluation of mee and when Dauid saith Heale me Lord and I shal be made whole and on the other side Sprinckle me Lord with Isope and I shal bee made cleane hee letteth vs vnderstand plainly that if wee bee not made cleane by the mighty hand of the son of God no man else hath the power to doe it Wherefore sayth Irenaeus did the redeemer of the world come into the world but because wickednesse and wicked men should fall downe and because vertue and vertuous men should rise By his comming into the world idolatry fell downe and the true faith was set vp Hypocrisie was beaten downe and truth lifted vp tyranny fel downe and iustice lifted vp malice fell downe and innocency lifted vp reuengement fell downe and mercy lifted vp If thou dost come into the world saith Vbertinus because that all naughtinesse and naughty men should fall who in all the world is so wicked as my selfe or who fallen so low What greater fal than to be fallen from thy grace Come thē sweet Iesus come to the lifting vp of my vertues and come to the fall of my vices for if thou doe not make my vices first to fal my vertues can neuer rise Note saith Remigius that Simeon first said of Christ that hee was come in ruinam before hee said that he was in resurrectionem because it is impossible that humility should rise in mee before that my pride bee ouerthrowne neither can patience rise in me if my anger first fall not neither my abstinence rise in me before my gluttony fall and therefore I must first suffer my selfe to die and thē I shall rise againe with Christ Chrysostome saith That in the house of God there is neuer no rising of vertues if there be not first in her a fall of vices wherof it followeth that if thou wilt haue wholesome vertues to grow in thee thou must first of necessity pull all superfluous passions out of thee S. Barnard sayth That the sonne of God came into the world for the fall rising of many seeing that pride fell with his humility couetousnesse with his pouerty anger with his patience the flesh with his chastity gluttony with his abstinence and also ignorance fell with his doctrine Chrysost saith That the sonne of God came into the world in ruinam resurrectionē whē the prowd mā becōmeth humble the couetous mā pitiful the furious man meeke the carnall man chast the gluttonous abstinent and the cold man deuout in so much that there is in the same man a fall of vices and a rising of vertues CHAP. V. How Salomon did inherite the kingdome of his father Dauids pleasures and how Christ did inherite the kingdome of trauails IN tuam ipsius animam doloris gladius pertransibit Luke 2. These be the wordes which Simeon vsed to the holy Virgin as if hee would say I haue told thee Mary what shal happen vnto this thy sonne I will tell thee now what shall fall vnto thy selfe that is that the same sword shall end his life and pierce thy soule What thing more strange or what more grieuous newes can be told a holy and vertuous womā than to tell her from God that her sonnes sword shal part her heart in two Abraham tooke a knife for his sonne Isaac but hee killed him not Balaam met with an Angell which had a knife but he stroke him not Iosue saw another Angell with a drawne sword but he did not set vpon him and Salamon tooke a knife to cut a child in two but in the end he did not part him in two What meaneth this mother of God what meaneth this Abrahams knife did not hurt his sonne and thy sonnes sword woundeth thy hart Balaam did not hurt his Asse with his sword and doth not thy sonnes sword fauour thy heart Iosue his sword doth offer and threaten but hurteth not and doth thy sonnes sword wound but not threaten Had Salamons knife pitie on the strumpets child and had not thy sons knife pitie on his owne mother Hee placed a Cherubin before Paradise and a firie sword to keepe the way of the tree saith the holy Scripture in the fourth chapter of Genesis After that our first Parents had transgressed the commaundement of God our Lord put there presently a firie sword to keepe Paradise because no man should enter in to eat of the tree which was forbidden S. Augustine vpon this place saith That there was neither sword nor knife in the house of God before that man knew what sinne was but at the same houre that he fell from grace to sinne our Lord put both sword and gibbet in his house Before that man sinned there was no dore to shut in the house of god nor Cherubin to watchit nor sword to defend it but immediately after man sinned the gate was shut and the key was lost What is the sword which we speak of here but onely the sonne of God in whom wee beleeue The sonne of God is called a sword in the Apocalips and a sword vvhich cutteth on both sides because hee alone and no other punisheth the bad and defendeth the good killeth those which are aliue and raiseth those vvhich are dead It vvas in the hands of the Cherubine to let vs enter in or not into the terrestriall Paradise and it is in the hands of the sonne of God vvhether wee shal enter into the celestiall Paradise or not Wee haue a
those words that he had forsaken him and that hee will defend him no more with his holy hand and yet in this lamentable speech Christ vsed great clemency toward Iudas for when hee said Doe speedily that which thou wilt do it was to say deliuer me quickly and die thou quickly for how much the older thou doest grow in yeares by so much the more thou wilt grow in offences God of his mercy keep vs from this licence or permission for it is a great signe that this man is already foreseene to be damned whome our Lord doth permit to beginne to be naught presently Our Lord doth neuer giue this licence to a Christian religious soule but when the flesh doth moue him or sensuality disquiet him he taketh away the occasions of falling and giues him new desires to strengthen him with Woe be vnto him vnto whome our Lord sayth as he did to Iudas Quod facis fac cito that is that hee may doe that which sensuality doth lead him vnto accomplish that which the diuell persuadeth for the greatest malediction that God doth put vpon any man is to suffer to put that in execution which sensuality requireth Remigius sayth That the diuell is so great a friend vnto his friends and hath so great care of pleasing thē that they haue no sooner thought of a sinne but he doth presently lay open the way to commit it Damascen sayth also That when a man desireth to be worser than he is the diuell is by and by so busie that he doth agree that which did disagree and ioine that vvhich was farre asunder openeth that which vvas shut lighteneth that which vvas darke maketh that easie vvhich vvas most hard and giueth that that vvas not to be hoped for This being true as true it is vvhat vvill not a naughty man doe vvhat vvill hee not venter on yea and vvhat vvill hee not attaine vnto hauing so good a tutor and helpe as the diuell If a good man vvould doe any good vvorke hee findeth a thousand stumbling blockes to hinder him and contrariwise if a naughty man vvill commit any naughty fact hee shall find as many helpes for the performance of it and the reason is because our Lord doth seeme to forget his because they should merit the more but the diuell doth alwaies fauour his because he vvill incite them to sinne Wee haue spoken all this by reason of the gaule and vineger vvhich the Iewes gaue Christ for it is a vvonder to thinke vvith vvhat speed they sought it out vvhat diligence they vsed in giuing him it for surely if the Scripture did not assure vs of it it would seeme but a dreame to say that they should haue all thinges so readily at hand as they gaue him Is it not a thing much to be vvondered at that the Iewes being out of the towne and in open field as soone as he had said Sitio that they should presently haue at that place soure vineger bitter mirrhe poisoned gaule vnsauory isope and a spunge to drinke it in and a reed to reach it him If a man should haue gone into the towne to seeke all these sixe things hee would haue been sixe houres a getting them For he must haue gone to the butchery for the gaule to the Apothecary for the mirrhe to another place for the vineger to a shop for the spunge to a garden for Isope and to the riuer for a reed But vvhen Christ said vpon the crosse I am a thirst they did not stay sixe houres to seek these things but they did reach them him presently all at once kept and hidden ready for him for if his soule vvould not haue forsaken him vvith the torment of the nailes shee vvould haue forsaken him by the force of that drinke The same leaue that Christ gaue Iudas it seemeth that he gaue it also vnto the Iewes that is that they should doe by him vvhat they vvould and how they vvould and as speedily as they vvould vvhich liberty they vsed vvith the aduantage seeing that in short space they vvatched him with their eies dogged him vvith their feet laid hold on him with their hands blasphemed him vvith their tongues hated him vvith their hearts and ended his life vvith their drinkes The naughty Iewes vvent to the Mount of Caluary and there vvent also old Ioseph and Nichodemus but their intentions were farre different the one from the other the holy men carried pinsers vvith them to pull out the nailes ladders to take him downe from the crosse ointments to annoint him vvith a sheet to wind him in and a shrowd to bury him in Non sic impij non sic The wicked did not go so but to go their stacions on good Friday and meditate on the Mount of Caluary they carried vnder their clokes in one pot the vineger in another bladder the gaule in a boxe the mirrhe in a cloth the Isope in one hand the spunge in another the reed Tel me I pray thee what inward minds these wicked Iewes had seeing they did shew such outward shewes of their pilgrimages Of these bitter trauails and vnsauoury liquors we may gather certaine lessons worthy to be knowne and profitable to be kept in memory We must aboue al things take heed that we doe not offer vnto our Lord any liquor which is not pure cleare and cleane or mixed for here vpon earth men refuse mixed liquors because they doe corrupt the stomacke Cibus simplex est vtilissimus homini compositus autēperniciosus sayth Pliny as if hee would say The body is best maintained with vncompound meats because that compound meats are dangerous for the body The like condition is to bee obserued in the soule the which doth detest dissembled manners abhorre doubling in conditions for being as she is a most simple iustice she cannot endure to bee furred with malice Hilarius sayth I will say that he doth offer vnto Christ his vnderstanding mingled with vineger who occupieth his thought more on another thā God I wil say that he doth offer his memory mixed with mirrhe who troubleth his memory with nothing but how he may lead his life without disquietnesse I will say that hee doth offer his will mingled with gaule who forgetteth his creature and serueth worldly things hee dooth offer his heart vnto Christ mingled with bitter Isope who at the same time will liue at ease and yet serue our Lord he doth offer vnto Christ a good worke put vpon a reed who dooth it for no other end but for vaineglory and he offereth Christ his life soken with a spunge who doth all that he doth of hypocrisie Finally we say that those do offer vnto Christ drinks of bitternesse who in beliefe are Christians and in workes Pagans CHAP. XVI That the church of Christ hath great abundance of spirituall waters which are his grace and the gifts of the holyghost and of the fire which Christ came to put in the world which is
Anselmus in his Meditations saith What greater weakenesse of maine can there bee or what greater mishap than that if I defile my selfe I cannot make my selfe clean againe if I be sicke I cannot make my selfe whole againe if I ray my selfe I cannot wash my selfe againe yea and if I sinne I cannot repent of my selfe if our Lord doe not first giue mee his light as hee did the good theefe on the crosse and if hee doe not first looke vpon mee as hee did looke vpon S. Peter from the piller Heale mee good Lord and I shall bee made whole Saue me and I shall be saued saith king Dauid as if he would say No man is able to heale mee O my good Lord if thou doe it not nor no man is able to saue me if thou dost not saue me O my redeemer because no mā knoweth my wound but thou nor my felicity consisteth in none but in thee Cassiodorus vpon the Psalme saith That we should note how that the Prophet doth first aske of our Lord that he would make him whole before hee saue him for if our Lord doe not first wash the fault from vs it is in vaine to thinke that hee should giue vs his glory S. Basil vpon this place Sana me domine sayth That if thou doe not goe vvith me nor I with thee the more I goe about to heale my selfe the sicker I grow when I think to goe forward I turne backward vvhen I imagine that I goe streight then I find my selfe most out of the way when I labour to goe most cleane and neat I find my selfe then most of all vncleane and that vvhich is the worst of all is that I know not vvherein I doe best nor cannot guesse vvhen I doe amisse Anselmus vpon the same place Heale mee good Lord and I shall bee vvhole saith Who but thou O my sweet Iesus can cure mee and giue mee any temedy to such hidden wounds and such manifest offences to faults of such quality as mine are to such carelesse care such vncleane thoughts such wicked crimes such damnable bowels and such inconsiderate speeches Heale mee good Lord and I shall bee made vvhole for it auaileth me very little to vse helpe and not bee made vvhole to fight and kill my selfe to swimme drowne my selfe 〈◊〉 to studie and not profit to take a iourney and neuer come to the end to aske and neuer haue any thing giuen mee to serue and neuer deserue any thing Heale me good Lord I shall be made vvhole of the pride which ouerthroweth mee of the enuy vvhich rotteth in me of the anger vvhich vvasteth mee of the gluttony vvhich disquieteth me of sloth vvhich dulleth me of couetousnesse vvhich maketh me cruell and of all sensuality vvhich neuer leaueth me Heale me Lord I shall bee free from the world vvhich deceiueth me from the deuill which tempteth me from the flesh which pampereth mee from my enemies which persecute me from my friends which importune me from my euill thoughts which torment me and from malicious men vvhich diffame me Heale me good Lord and I shall bee healed not of a scab but of a sin not of blindnes but of filthines not of the members of my body but of my thoughts not of my body but wickednes not of swollen feet but of disordinate appetites Heale me Lord and I shall be healed of my vnruly desires of the wantonnesse of my eies of my ouermuch speaking of the coldnes of my workes of the stealth of my hands of the malice of my thoughts and of the worme of my couetousnes O good Iesus my only trust heale my soule because I haue offended thee in thought I haue offēded thee in delight I haue offended thee in omission I haue offended thee in consent I haue offended thee in deed therefore vnto thee my fault I confesse and therfore good Iesus take pity vpon me Sprinckle me with isope I shal be made clean Lauabis me super niuē dealbabor saith the Psalmist as if hee would say When it shal please thee whē thy son shal come into the world thou shalt sprinckle me with holy Isope wash me with thy precious hād by which sprinckling and washing I shall not only bee clean and without fault but I shal remain whiter than all the snow of the highest mountains Who is he saith Aymon who cōmandeth vs to wash our selues but only the eternal father who is he who washeth vs but only his precious son with what doth he wash vs but with his holy bloud and who bee those which he doth wash but such as are of his holy church O glorious Isope and happy washing place in the which the Angels if they had license to come down and the heauenly powers if they durst would wash themselues in There were many riuers in Samaria but Naaman was healed in none but in the riuer of Iordan there were many cesterns pooles in Ierusalem but the diseased were helped only in the Probatica There were many fountaines in Palestine but Dauid could neuer slackē his thirst but in the fountain of Bethelem Wee will inferre of all this that there hath been very much bloud shed in the world but none could euer make vs cleane but only the bloud of Christ All water washeth not euery fish poole maketh not cleane euery fountaine filleth not neither doth all bloud make whole a beasts bloud hurteth mans bloud defileth but the bloud of Christ doth make whole doth wash doth fill and content If wee looke curiously into the Scripture and especially into the Apocalips thou shalt find it to bee true that S. Iohn did not see any Saint of heauen wash himselfe in the water which did run in the riuer but onely in the bloud which did run from the lambe O of what great vertue this holy bloud is of seeing that for to wash vs and bath vs in it we need no great quantity but a very smal deale which is easily seene in that the Prophet doth not ask that he would make him a pole of bloud to wash him in but that it would please him to sprinckle him with a little Isope dipped in it A very little is sufficient O my good Iesus and it sufficeth to be sprinckled with it and not washed seeing that one drop of thy precious bloud sufficeth to fil thy glory with many and to people thy church with many good men It is much to be noted that he vseth this word Sprinckle me with Isope and I shall be made cleane for by casting water with Isope one drop falleth here and another there this man is wet with it and that man is drie euen so it falleth out in the bestowing of Christs holy bloud for although it were shed for all the world yet notwithstanding it was not emploied vpon all men The bloud of the sonne of God is sprinkled with Isope seeing that the Christian is saued with it and the Pagan condemned the inst
my brethren by grace I am thy only begotten sonne by nature Saint Augustine vpon this place saith As the father and the sonne are one and the same thing not only by equality of substance but also for equality of will so the disciples are one thing with Christ not by nature but by a bond of loue and fellowship And he addeth further that because the perfection of a iust man is no other thing but the participation which he hath with the diuine likenesse we are good in so many degrees in how many we draw neere to the likenesse of God Christ sayth plainly for whom hee praieth seeing he sayth Quia tui sunt and also for whom he doth not pray seeing he sayth That he doth not aske for the world so that those be participant of his praier which do serue Christ and he excludeth those which follow the world O how happy those be which follow Christ and which loue Christ and serue Christ because they only be partakers of his praier the which loue and seruice euery man should proue in himselfe not in the words which hee speaketh of Christ but in the workes which he doth for his seruice Chrisostome saith We should bee afeard very much my brethren that Christ did not say I pray vnto thee father for those who cal themselues thine but onely for those which are thine because there are many now adaies in the church of God who are baptised call themselues Christians and doe goe to church who whē they are gone from thence are prowd enuious couetous carnall and blasphemers of which wee may say that they call themselues of Christ but they bee not of Christ For such beasts as these Christ doth not pray nor such naughty men as these haue no part in Christs praier not because Christs holy praier doth not reach vnto all but because they remaine out of it because they continue in their sinnes Cyrillus vpon Saint Iohn sayth Why doest thou aske for thy disciples for if they bee thy Fathers thou hast no need and if they bee not his what hast thou to doe with them That which I aske for them is that as they are his by faith they may be his also by charity for it would little auaile them to bee constant in faith if they should not be also feruent in loue Remigius sayth There is no doubt but the sonne of God was neuer asked by any nor importuned by any nor suborned by any to pray for those of his colledge but of himselfe hee moued himselfe to pray and commend them to his Father giuing vs thereby to vnderstand what great care he hath to looke vnto vs if wee be not carelesse to serue him But how should not that other part make vs afeard astonied when Christ said I pray not for the world seeing hee excludeth from his praier all vaine light worldlings which are al worthily shut out of his church seeing they would not follow his doctrine When the sonne of God sayth Non rogo pro mundo hee sayth that he doth not pray for the proud man hee sayth that hee doth not pray for the enuious man for the fleshly man for the couetous man for the blasphemer for vnto such persons their paradise is their vices and hell Gods commādemēts How saith Christ shall I aske for the world seeing I am not knowne of any neighbour in it Rupertus vpon S. Iohn sayth Seeing that Christ sayth I doe not aske for the world let euery man mark what life hee leadeth for thereby hee may see what part hee hath in Christs praier for the rewarder of vertues is Christ and the pay-maister of vices is the diuell Tel me I pray thee why the sonne of God should pray for them which are blinded in the world and whose glory is this wicked world seeing the captaine and ringleader of such is the diuell S. Augustine vpon S. Iohn sayth Why doth the sonne of God say in his praier I do not entreat for the world but because the transgressor of the precept is hee who committeth the sinne and hee who committeth the sinne is the louer of the world and the louer of the world is the seruant of the diuell and the seruant of the diuell is a neighbor and inhabitant of hell Bonauenture in the life of Christ sayth When the deuill goeth about to make me sinne and when the flesh goeth about to ouercome mee and when the world goeth about to pamper and make much of me I presently doe call to mind that speech of Christ I pray not for the world and that Rise to iudgement and that Goe into euerlasting fire Although these three enemies are strong to ouercome yet these are three mighty arrowes to shoot at them for if we remember I doe not pray the father for the world Rise to iudgement Go into euerlasting fire who dare commit a sinne nor yet take his sleepe by night Christ sayth further Non pro eis tantum rogo sed pro eis qui crediturisunt in me as if hee should say O my holy and blessed Father behold that my church must be very much encreased and must dure vnto the worlds end by reason whereof I doe not aske thee only for these which sit at my table but also for all those vvhich vvill beleeue in mee hereafter And hee sayth further Non rogo vt tollas eos de mundo sed vt serues cos a malo as if hee should say Although my elect bee not of the vvorld nor haue no part in the vvorld and the vvorld hate them yet I doe not aske thee that thou vvouldest take them out of the vvorld but that thou vvouldest deliuer them from all euill Speaking litterally our Lord asketh here of his Father that hee vvould not take all his Disciples so soone out of the world partly because they bee not well grounded in matters of perfection and partly because the Gentiles should be lightned by thē if they should haue died with Christ all the world should haue ben vnconuerted Theophilus saith When the son of God sayth vnto his Father I doe not craue of thee that thou wouldest take them out of this world but that thou wouldest keepe them from euill aboue all things I say that blessed be that mouth which spake that blessed be they for whom he spake it seeing thereby wee bee certified that how bad so euer wee bee our Lord doth labour alwaies to bring vs to his seruice Marke then the infinite goodnesse and charitie of our Lord who when hee had said I doe not aske for the world sayth presently I doe not desire that thou wouldest take them out of the world The which words he spake immediately after the other because wee should not bee bold to sinne trusting vnto Gods mercy and yet if wee doe chance to fall that wee should not perseuere and dispaire To say that Christ should not entreat for the world it is a dreadfull speech and yet to pray that
he should not spoile the world of the good is a speech of great comfort for seeing that hee would not haue the world without good ones it is a signe that hee would that by them wee should be conuerted When the Lord would drowne all the world with a floud he did first put Noe in safety and when he would send fire vpon Sodome and Gomorra hee placed Lot vpon a high hill and when hee would punish the murmurers in the desert hee commanded Moyses and Aaron to goe out to the field so that it is a great signe that God is angry with some when hee taketh the good out of their company Vnhappy Iudas immediately after hee had departed out of that holy colledge hanged himselfe and it happened otherwise in S. Peter whom although Christ suffered to fall yet hee did not abandon him and put him out of his sight for as soone as hee had committed the fault Christ presently looked him in the face Iudas was a disciple and S. Peter was a disciple Iudas did sinne and S. Peter did sinne the one did sell Christ the other did denie Christ Iudas was damned and S. Peter saued and the reason was because Christ was where Peter sinned and would not bee where Iudas did hang himselfe In the two great captiuities of Babilon there were many iust men carried away captiue among the wicked as Thobias Daniell and Esdras and Abdias all which our Lord did send thither not because they had committed any sinne against him but for the consolation and remedy of some sinners What should become of sinners and naughty persons if our Lord should take away all good men from amongst them In the merit of the good and vertuous God doth sustaine vs which are sinners for otherwise because we are Gods enemies the sonne would not shine vpon vs nor the heauen would not raine vpon vs the aire would moue it selfe and the earth open and wild beastes would deuour vs and the diuels would kil vs. Gregory sayth That sinners may haue great hope when our Lord dooth not draw the iust from among them for in not seperating the good from the bad it is a token that by the merits and handes of those good men hee will draw vs from that which is naught and lead vs to that vvhich is good Ambrose sayth In those words which Christ spake I aske not for the world hee dooth threaten vs with his iustice and in the other speech of Non tollas eos de mundo hee doth flatter vs with his mercy seeing that in the one hee setteth away the obstinate from obtaining of mercy and in the other hee giueth hope vnto the weake that they shall haue part in his clemency I beseech thee then O my good Iesus I beseech thee that thou wouldest not seperate mee from among the good or else put not the good from mee for if I should not bee good for conscience at the least I should bee for shame It is also much to bee noted that our Lord dooth not entreat his Father that hee would not take the good out of the world but that hee would keepe them from all perill and daunger in so much that in his most high praier hee dooth neither forget the vveake nor bee carelesse of the good because for sinners hee praieth that they bee not forsaken of the good and for the iust hee praieth that they bee not ouermaistered by sinners If it bee true that Saint Gregory sayth Deus qui nos in tantis periculis and that the Apostle sayth Periculum in mari periculum in terra and also the Prophet Hoc mare magnum speciosum why doth not the sonne of God pray that his Father would deliuer vs from more than one danger seeing there are so many in the world It seemeth that there should bee some great euill in the vvorld seeing that Christ maketh mention of it and of no other as so it is truly for if that euill had not come into the world there should haue beene no hell in the other Irenaeus sayth As in heauen there is one holy one aboue all holy ones which is God and in hell there is one euill aboue all euils which is the diuell so there is in the world one naughty thing which passeth all the rest which is sinne Tell mee I pray thee what naughtinesse would there bee in the world if in the world there were no sinne Hunger and cold thirst and wearinesse we do vniustly call euils or naughty things because they are not naught of themselues but onely the reliques of that great euill for if wee had not knowne what thing sinne had beene neither should vvee haue knowne what hunger and cold had meant For to deliuer vs from this great euill Christ dooth teach vs to pray when wee say Sed libera nos a malo and so Christ in his praier sayth Non rogo vt tollas eos de mundo sed vt liberes eos de malo So that wee are to craue nothing else of our Lord but that hee would deliuer vs from sinne and guide vs in his seruice What doest thou aske thy Father O my good Iesus for thy elect what doest thou ask for thy welbeloued disciples I doe not aske riches for them for that is a fraile thing I doe not aske honour for them for that is a vaine thing nor life for that is transitory nor ease because there is none in this world I aske onely that thou wouldest deliuer them from sinne for my disciples cannot possesse greater riches than to haue their hearts cleare from sinnes Christ addeth further in his praier and sayth Non pro eis tantum rogo sed pro eis qui credituri sunt in me as if hee should say I doe not pray onely O my Father for these which eat at my table but for all those which will hereafter enter into my church because that thou being in mee by nature and I being with them by grace they may bee perfect in one perfect charitie Christ made his praier in very good order for first hee praied for himselfe then for his Disciples then for weake sinners and in the end for all those vvhich vvere to come If Christ should haue praied only for those which sat at his table what should haue become of all those which should afterward be borne in his catholicke church Chrisostome sayth That Christ praied for the quicke and for the dead for the present and for the absent for those which were already born for those which should afterward be born insomuch that all the fauors which God dooth for vs at this day Christ did merit for vs by his life and bloud and obtained them with his praier S. Augustine sayth In the merit of those words which Christ spake in his praier Non tantum pro eis rogo wee which are now in his church haue as great part in the merits of this life in the bestowing of his bloud and in the