efficacy of thy generall medicin which is great mercy declare the variety of thy manifolde skill in multitude of miserations Thou arte miserator misericors pitifull in great mercy mercifull in multitude of pity in great mercy hauing the inwarde bowells of compassion and in multitude of pity shewing the outward actions fruites of commiseration I crye with that distressed man in the gospell if thou wilte thou canst make me whole thou canste by the greatnes of thy mercy thou wilte for the multitude of thy miserations Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to thy miserations blotte out my iniquity wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sinne 3. Miserere Shew mercy on me by blotting out the iniquity of my harte miserere by washing away the wickednes of my lippes miserere by cleansing all the sinnes of my handes By desire of blotting of washing of clensing I acknowledge my sinnes to be vgly and ill fauored to the eye to be filthy in the touche to be lothsome to the smel o cleanse this lothsomenes washe this filthynes blotte out this vglynes Beside these my sinnes are great in quantity many in number and diuerse in kinde o therfore let my great sinnes finde great mercy let my many sinnes haue multitude of miserations and being of sundry sortes I haue neede to be seuerally washed from my iniquity and clensed from my sinne from iniquity of commission and from sinnes of omission THE MISERABLE EFFECTS OF SINNE are declared according to the Scholmen and some shorte petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. 1. THe misery of sinne in generall is lamentable therfore let vs all cry miserere but my sinnes in particuler are abominable wherfore I must say miserere mei haue mercye on mee He must be allmighty who can be able to helpe our generall and lamentable misery and to succour me from my abhominable sinnes he must be one most merrcifull but who is so mighty in power and so mercifull in fauor excepte it be only thou O Lorde who arte the Creator of the worlde and the Redeemer of mankinde wherfore vnto thee I directe my prayer haue mercy vpon mee O God 2. All sinne is a separation of the soule from God as therfore the soule being separated from our body we are corporally dead so when by sinne we are separated from God then we are dead in soule Mortall sinne consistes in auersion from God doth separate vs totally veniall sinne doth also separate thoughe but in parte yet by remissenes it loseneth the feruor of our affection In mortall sinne we are dead therfore miserere haue mercye on a dead man in venial sinne we are as in a sound or a sicke fleepe therfore miserere haue mercy on a weake faynte man In mortall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth kill vs therfore miserere as on a man mortally wounded in veniall sinne we receiue a wounde which doth blemish vs therefore miserere as on a man with many spottes deformed yea so diuerse are the spottes of veniall sinnes that thoughe by Gods grace we can euer avoyde any one or all at someteine yet not euer at all times all veniall faultes and of this kinde it is said the iust man offendeth seauen times a day naming a certeyn number for an vncerteyne because more or lesse in many thinges we offend all therfore in our penance for them we must purpose in generall to diminishe them all to absteyne as much as we can from euery one in particuler thoughe we cannot from all in vniuersall and in our prayers against them we haue neede to say miserere o be mercifull to theses frailtyes blemishes of our life that in the merites bloud of our Lord Iesus we may haue all spottes at our death washed of our faces all teares wiped from our eyes 3. Whersoeuer there is misery there is neede of mercy but there is misery in all sinne 1. by Corruption of nature 2. by Deformity of the soule 3. by Guiltynes of punishment In nature we had 1. the essence or substance of our Being 2. An Inclination to vertue 3. the gifte of originall iuctice Our substance indeede and our Being is not corrupted nor diminished but our vertuous disposition is by sinne diminished and we haue quite loste our Originall justice And thoughe all our Vertuous inclination be not so quite rooted out but that there remayne in vs certyen seedes of morality yet according to our custome practise of sinne more or lesse we doo lay caste so many impedimentes as great stones vpon this roote that thoughe it retayne his nature hidden in the grounde yet as ouerburdened with sinne his sprowtes are so suppressed that seldome hardely it can bringe forthe true fruite of vertue vntill throughe Gods grace we remoue these hinderances The deformity of the soule is caused by the blottes spottes of sinne as spottes are blemishes of some comelynes so in the soule there is a double beauty blemished by sinne One is the clearenes of naturall reasō another is the brightnes of supernaturall light of wisdome grace but euer by sinne we doo blemish eyther one or both of these which spotte as the shadowe of a body keepeth off the lighte and as seuerall bodyes giue seuerall shadowes so seuerall blottes procede of seuerall sinnes as long as any body of sinne is betwene vs these lightes so long we shall be folowed with these shadowes spottes vntill we be illuminated by the brightenes of Gods mercy grace for thoughe the action of sinne cease wherby we did separate our selues from Gods lighte yet the blemish doth remayne which maketh the shadowe And as he who is departed into darkenes from a brighte place is not presently in lighte agayne so soone as he ceaseth to go but he must come backe or else remayne in the darke so before we can returne to the lighte which we loste it is not enoughe to cease from sinne so stand still but we must haue in our Will a contrary motion to that which before we had to come into the lighte of grace to proceede in the pathe of goodnes And these are our miserable deformityes 4. The misery of our guiltynes vnto punishment must needes folowe where the faulte is gone before for as when nature findes his contrary it labors to suppresse it so because sinne is opposite to order it should not be suffered Wherfore our will being subject to three orderly gouernors when it transgresseth against any of them it may be punished by them It is firste subject to our owne reason secondly to humane gouernement and thirdly to the order of Gods authority and accordingly when we offend against these orders of our reason of humane or of deuine lawes we are to be punished by the remorse and byting of our owne conscience
SVNDRY EXCELLENT OBSERVATIONS of S. Bernarde applyed to this meditation of our Lordes great mercyes and multitude of miserations Sect. 4. SAynt Bernard in seuerall places describeth the greatnes multitude of these mercies and miserations As there be sinnes so there be mercies some small some great and some in a meane betwene both The firste mercy expecteth a sinner not punishhing presently the second giueth a penitent harte which freeth vs from smaller sinnes paste by our daily compunction deliuereth vs from present veniall trangressions But thirdly for great crimes paste we haue neede of great contrition and against mortall sinnes which may followe we haue neede of great caution these are harde matters wherfore this thirde great mercy is necessary for all great sinners to lament faultes passed to preuent followable offences 2. The multitude of his miserations are 1. somtimes in bitternes of any sorte of greife which withdraweth our minde from our vsuall delightes of ordinary sinne 2. somtimes by remouing the occasions of our wonted sinnes 3. somtime by giuing vs grace of resistance that thoughe we be tempted yet we withstand our motions ouercome our affections 4. somtimes not so much taking away the outward occasions as alltogether healing our inwarde affection and herin consisted the absolute perfection of our blessed Lady and S. Ihon Baptiste preserued from all sinne and in one particuler S. Thomas of Aquine had his loynes so girded by an Angell that there neuer after came into his desire any fleshly thoughte and so somtimes some other haue one or other affection so mortifyed by meanes of Gods especiall grace that not only they doo not followe them no nor so much as any wit feel them 3. O blessed IESV in the goodnes of thy great mercy thou haste preserued me from many sinnes into which of my selfe I woulde haue fallen o continue the multitude of thy miserations sending any greife of harte which may holde me from any delighte of sinne O take away occasions of sinnes giue me power to resiste tentations or so heale my affections that neither in euill they doo molest me nor in good become weary eyther driue away my buffeter or giue me thy sufficient grace to be a conqueror O gracious God in thy great mercy thou diddest a long time expect my repeÌ„tance o continue the multitude of thy miserations in thy long sufferance to permitte me time and grace of satisfaction and amendement O holy Iesu in thy great mercy thou diddest touche my harte with some sorowe for my great sinne O continue the multitude of thy miserations against all my faultes to shew me their lothsomnes as soares to make me some what feele their smarte as woundes and both to desire to obteyne hope that they shall be cured 4. O swete Iesu in thy great mercy thou hast giuen me strength to arise from sinne and error to come vnto thy truthe and Catholique Churche and hitherto to continue in thy seruice quia fecit magna qui potens est thou hast done great thinges for me who arte mighty and abounding in great mercy o continue the multitude of thy miserations against the multitude of myne enimyes which daily seeke my downefall and destruction 1. against myne owne flesh from whom I can neither flye nor put him to flyghte neither may I kill this foe but rather norishe him to liue thoughe not to reigne nor to rule in me 2. against this alluring worlde flattering with pleasures entising with honors and deceiuing with riches Our flesh is an enemye within vs the worlde is an enemye round about vs these twoo are to many but alas I see a vehement winde blustring from the northe o lorde helpe me in thy multitude of miserations or I shall perish in the great danger of this storme beholde it is Satan the hammer of the worlde a serpent more subtile then all beastes a dragon more cruell insatiable then any monster he is an enemy whom we cannot easily discerne how then shall wee certeinly avoyde him his arrowes are shotte closely and his snares hidde secrettly how shall we escape them somtime he assaltes openly with violence somtime priuily with fraudes allwayes cruelly with malice of our selues we are not able to resiste him much lesse to ouercome but thankes be to God who giueth vs victory throughe Christe our lorde faciens potentiam in brachio suo strenghthening vs with power in his arme 5. O bountifull God in thy great mercy thou hast enabled vs to performe good workes which may merite heauen o continue the multitude of thy miserations enduing me with grace still to abhorre the wickednes of my sinne which is paste to despise the present vanity of this worlde and earnestly to desire the futuâ—e happynes of heauen O comfortable Iesu in thy great mercy thou haste quieted my harte with a good hope of eternall life o continue the multitude of thy miserations that neither the scarsity of my owne merites nor the vnworthynes of my selfe nor the estimation of heauens inestimable valew may caste me downe from the heighte of my hope because it is huÌ„bly and firmely rooted in the charity of thy adoption in the verity of thy promise and in the ability of thy performance I knowe in whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that in his exceeding great charity there shal be no defecte and as he did promise it in his great mercy so in the multitude of his miserations he will performe it O God we haue neede of thy great mercy to supply the defectes of our great necessityes and we desire the multitude of thy miserations for our defence against the multitudes of our mighty enemyes and therfore I will euer repeate this effectuall prayer Haue mercy on mee O God according to thy great mercy according to the multitude of thy miserations WHAT MERCY IS AND OF THE EFfects Also how sinnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 5. 1. MErcy in latin is called misericordia which according to S. Augustin is a compassion in our harte of another creatures misery so it is misericordia quasi miserans Cor. Somtime it is a foolish womanish pity then it is only a passion in the sensitiue parte but being grounded on reason it is a vertue in the will in which laste sorte it is in God but no way as a passion And it is in him as in a Superior to an inferior either as munificence to releiue our wantes or as clemencie to forgiue our faultes not as among men by affection feeling our freindes misery as if it were our owne for how can any misery touch him who is all happy hauing all which he willeth willes nothing which is euill Nor can he haue any feeling of our misery by occasion of feare as olde men wise men who consider the dangers incertainties of all euentes nor as timorous feeble minded people who doubte in pusillanimity least vpon any occasion they shoulde fall
subiect to the motions of concupiscence which are not properly sinne but only the remnantes and effectes of originall sinne and inclinations alone to actuall sinne For Baptisme doth alltogether so abolish originall sinne that nothing therof remayneth in vs which hath still the true nature of sinne Otherwise how are we cleansed by his washing as S. Paul saith And hath reconciled vs to exhibite vs immaculate And to be renati borne agayne by water the holy ghoste therby to be as free from originall sinne quasi modo geniti euen as new borne infantes are cleane from actuall sinne 4. And in circumcision the foreskin was not imputatiuely but really cut away In Iordan Naamans leprosy was quite taken away And S. Gregory saith That he who auoucheâ—h that sinnes are not altogether released in Baptisme let him say that the Egiptians were not indeede truly drowned in the red sea And S. Paul proueth that as in Adam all dye so in Christe all shall be reuiued viz truly verely really not so alone estemed or reputed And that we are buryed together with Christe by Baptisme in his death S. Augustin inferreth expressely That as in him was fulfilled a true death so in vs a true remission of sinnes and as in him a true resurrection so in vs a true iustification But the death of Christe and resurrection were true euery way not true in regarde of somewhat and in another respecte false Therfore allso the remission of sinnes is a true death of sinne not in respect of the Guilte only but in regarde of all thinges which haue respect of sinne 5. Not taken away in the Guilte alone as heretiques auouch and remayning in the Acte for how can the Acte of sinne be separated from the Guilte in this concupiscence Nay they themselues must needes confesse it hath still some Guilte whiles they say it is still true sinne for how can true sinne remayne wâ—thout some Guilte Or if we be free only from the dominion not free from all blemish or consideration of true sinne thoughe it be said this blemish is not imputed vnto vs yet if there remayne true sinne then are we not in deede free but in opinion And if that blemish or spotte remayning be true sinne then according to their owne doctrine it is a true mortall sinne for they admitte none veniall But to remayne in true mortall sinne and yet not to be in fauor of God is impossible for the same person to be in state of grace â—nd of saluation and in mortall sinne and so in state of damnation all at the same instante is as possible as to ioyne light and darknes Christe Beliall 6. But Protestants finding in our weake natures after Baptisme certein motions of concupiscence vnto sinne they deceiue themselues supposing these to be in deede sinne Some of ignorance because they distinguish not betwene the prouenes or inclinations of concupiscence and betwene the Acte of concupiscence for the firste is most especially perteyning to originall sinne thoughe after baptisme it is no sinne but only the effecte of originall sinne And the second which is an Actuall motion vnto sinne perteynes rather to Actuall sinne then to originall to which if there be added consent or full delighte then it is a complete actuall sinne otherwise no sinne These men therfore are deceiued in accompting that originall sinne which perteyneth to actuall But some others doo accompte the very firste pronenes or concupiscibility without any acte or consent to be of it seâ—fe sinne because it seemes the roote of sinne Wherin they doo manifestly admitte that defecte and ignominy of the vertue of our lordes grace in Baptisme which S· Augustin was so carefull not to admitte viz that in baptisme originall sinne only is razed of not vtterly rooted out 7. And in this poynte whether the first motions of our concupiscence be sinne Caluin himselfe is driuen to confesse the Ancyent Doctors to be against him His wordes are these Neyther is it needfull to labour in serching what the Ancyent doo thinke herein when therabout one Augustin may suffice who faithfully and with great diligence hath collected all their judgements and a little after he addes Yet betwene him and vs there is this difference That he in deede dare not call the mâ—lady of concupiscence a sinne but being content to decipher it by the name of Infirmity he teacheth it then finally to become sinne when eyther action or consent is added therunto Which is the same and no other then that which S. Iames said Concupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forthe sinnâ— and sinne when it is complete bringeth death Vpon which wordes S. Gregory and our venerable Countryman Bede maketh three daughters or effectes of concupiscence 1. suggestion when any vnlawfull thoughte doth sodeinly present it selfe to our minde whervnto if we doo not consent but resiste it doth not bringe forthe sinne but a crowne of life 2. Delectation when we doo not perfectly resiste the first motion or suggestion but in a mixte sorte we are somewhat delighted therin althoughe not with a full but with an imperfect consent then hath sinne conceiued venially not mortally But in the 3. if we proceede to a deliberate full consent althoughe it be only in thoughte yet then is it a complete sinne either veniall or mortall according as the matter of sinne wherunto we haue consented is veniall or mortalll As it is a mortall deadly sinne to see a woman and with full consent of thoughte deliberately to lust after her this is a complete sinne bringing forthe death thoughe it neuer come to action because as our Sauiour saith he hath allready committed adultery in his harte and as he hath fully in thoughte consented and either purpoâ—ed or deliberately desired to put his thoughte in execution so if he had meanes he woulde in deede practise it in Action 8. As for those Textes in the 6. and 7. chapters to the Romanes thoughe concupiscence be there diuerse times called sinne Eyther he meaneth concupiscence actuall which hath some delighte or consent Or else if he vnderstand the first motions which are the remnantes of originall sinne yet he calleth them sinne improperly and so these are termed sinne because they are following effectes and remnantes of originall sinne Not that either of these after baptisme are in themselues sinne excepte we doo consent vnto them In like sorte S. Paul was soulde vnder sinne where S. Chrysostome saith he speaketh in the person of wicked men not absolutely of himselfe Or as S. Augustin interpreteth him against the Pelagians He was soulde vnder the sinne of Adam but now is redeemed throughe Christe our lord And so he complayneth of some remnantes of that bondage that he had still the sensâ— of concupiscence but did not consent and therfore addeth what he did that he did not approoue it viz not allowe of those motions which he did feeâ—e And so he performed the euill which he hated vbi facere
whiles it was open you saw no other picture but that of the brasen serpent yet so soone as the curtayne was drawne you mighte playnly see in the glasse not a reflection of the serpent but a liuely representation of our Sauiour on the crosse with our blessed lady S. Ihon S. Mary Magdalen standing at the foote therof for as those other double pictures are made by cutting paynting the Table sidewayes so this was done crossewayes in which as it downewarde represented nothing but the serpent which was a type of our Sauiour and vpwarde reflected on the glasse the thing signifyed which was his exaltation on the crosse so shoulde we from the inferior resemblance of all ceremonyes by opening the Curtayn lifte vp our minds to beholde and lay holde on their signifyed substâ—Ì„ce for good thinges are figured to be remembred and they are remembred to be apprehended And so whiles we remember hysope sprinkling the bloud of sacrifices let vs by faith good workes of deuotion labour to apply the sacrifice of our Sauiours bloud passion 3. Allso hysope we knowe is a lowe herbe medicinable which naturally desires to fasten his roote about stones so doo thou fasten the roote of thy loue on Christe our rocke and by imitation of his humility he will cleanse thee And as hysope is good to purge the swelling of the lunges so haue we need of the humble vertue hereof to purge our Brestes puffed vp in malice or pride As Saul went towardes Damascus breathing out hotte bigge crueltyes against the christians but being once humbled and caste downe vpon the earthe his swelling hâ—nges were purged his vnsauory breath was sweetned 4. These propertyes allso are written of hysope in twoo verses Parua calens pâ—ctus purgans petrosa screatrix Ius sapidat pleuri congrua spargit aquam It is little and hotte purging the breast stony and spitting it relisheth broathe helps a pleurisy serues for water sprinkling Allso which doo well agree with a penitent for thou must be little and lowly in thine owne eyes and so thou shalte be exalted and great in the eyes of allmighty God Thou must be hotte and feruent in charity which is the loue of God aboue all and of our neighebor as our selues for his sake By sorrowe contrition thou must purge thy harte from sinne spitte out this sinne by coÌ„fession and by stony and stedfaste satisfaction take roote in Christe our rocke These foresaid religious exercises doo relishe and giue good taste to all our prayers deuotions they heale and take away all payne punishment due to sinne and lastly they sprinkle refresh vs with the dewe droppes of all heauenly grace O come my soule to this medicinable herbe of hysope that being therwith sprinkled we may be cleansed and being washed in these vertues hereof we may be made white aboue snowe We haue neede of all these for sinne is a deepe pollution hardly cleansed whither it be a priuation or haue oughte in it positiue or negatiue whither it be directly in the soule or a crooked relation to the iustice of God sure it is of all men called a deadly â—eformity and a detestable blotte whose guilte remayneth still in the soule after the acte is passed It is a poysonous spotte a venimous leprosy o what shall we doo to be cleansed washed made white aboue snowâ— A dangerous disease requireth precious remedyes when he physicians prescribe Bezar stone or Confection of pearles then we knowe the patient is in a weake wofull estate And no lesse may we vnderstand our selues to haue bene in a wretched case when by no other meanes we coulde he cured speaking of Gods ordinary power but by this rare excellent hysope sprinkled with the precious bloud of our Sauiour Iesus OF DIVERSE CEREMONYES IN THE Catholique Church made profitable by the sprinkling vertue of our Sauiours precious bloud which is compared to the water of the Poole of Bethesda Sect 2. 1. IN this precious sprinkling I shall finde a double cleansing First I shal be cleansed from veniall faultes and allso if thou wash me I shalle made white aboue snowe from mortall sinnes for mortall crimes are remitted by washing of Baptisme or repentance veniall offences by diuerse other meanes of which some are expressed in these verses Confiteor Tundor Respergor Conteror Oro Signor Edo â—ono per quae venialia pono By Contrition Confession Knocking the Breast Sprinkling with holy water Prayer By blessing ourselues with the signe of the Crosse By receiuing the blessed sacrament By eating holy bread By Agnus Dei holy graynes Indulgences c. by giuing almes and by forgiuing iniuryes By all or any one of these euer ioyned with some contrition or displicence for our faultes in generall or particular we may be washed from our veniall faultes yet euery one all these are vnprofitable excepte they be referred grounded vpon the merites and vertue of our Sauiour Christes bloud wherin the hysopâ— must euer be dipped or else these sprinklinges will doo no good but being therin moystened our holy mother the Churche hath appoynted diuersity of hysope branches that euer some mighte be at hande and who wanted occasion or affection concerning one might readily find more easily stirre vp his deuotion by another 2. Because allso it is necessary we doo make vse and benefite of this precious bloud therfore diuerse meanes are assigned by which we may applye his excellent vertue The water of the Poole mentioned in the gospell healed all maladyes yet excepte they entred into it to be washed it cured none so it is most true that without the bloud of our L. Iesus no sinne is cleansed nor any by this except we do enter into this founteyne Wherfore as to that poole which was a figure of our Sauiours pretious bloud seing the water is so necessary if there were certeyn gates by which we must enter were it not willfull slothfullnes or idle madnes not to enter those gates which may be diuided into fiue sortes as there be fiue kindes of sinnes 1. Originall 2. mortall 3. venial 4. such as haue the Guilte erernall paynes remitted but are subiect to temporall punishments in this worlde 5. or such of these laste who dye before they haue here satisfyed all those temporall punishments which therfore they must suffer in Purgatory 3. The first kinde must enter this sacred poole by the large water gate of Baptisme which cleanseth originall sinne The second must passe into the same precious poole by the narrow roughe ston y gate of penitence opening his three hard lockes of contrition confession satisfaction which giue entrance to deadly sinners The thirde for veniall offendors is a playne free stone gate more easily opened hauing alwayes the master key of contrition by any on other key of those good workes Sacraments Sacramentalls or Indulgences as is before mentioned To enter this
for our sinnes committed Eyther personally and particulerly for our owne sinnes or as we are partes and members one of another for generall or participated sinnes of our family country or coÌ„mon wealth wherin we liue though this contrition of others sinnes be not properly contrition Which now we doo detest more then all other hatefull thinges because they are offences against God whom now we doo loue aboue all the worlde Where note that it is not necessary to make a particuler comparison betwene our hate of sinne and our loue of God whether we detest sinne more then present death or hell or the diuell c. nor whether we doo loue God aboue our kinge our Father our freind or any other such or such particuler which we doo loue or abhorre moste in this worlde Rather it is vnto necessary discretion causing doubtes feares and vnprofitable scruples by considering such particuler comparisons for it is abundantly sufficient that in my contrition I am fully resolued in generall rather to suffer or to loose any thinge then to haue committed or agayne to committe any mortall sinâ—e 4. And such sorowe is requisite for deadly offences but for veniall faultes a smaller kind of discipline is competent generally abhorring them and desiring with endeuour to auoyde and to be free from them Allso for the auoyding and preuenting of them and to be absolued from them in guilte and in all punishment we are much holpen and benefited by the vse of knocking our breastes by holy water holy bread agnus dei medalls graynes c. hallowed by the prayers of the churche in vertue of the bloud and merites of our Sauiour Christe And by these or by any other meanes either against veniall or mortall sinnes the more our deuotion and contrition is encreased thoughe we may seme to haue allready repentance competent yet the more we adde with humility the more comforte and merite we shall finde the more certeinly we shall haue all pardoned and we shall be the more plentifully rewarded 5. Neither may we too lighty suppose that euery sorowe or sighe or knocking of the breast and saying miserere or any such other signes of repentance are sufficient contrition or attrition excepte they haue the inwarde propertyes before described Rather S. Augustin doubted of their saluation who only in time of great dangers or after their sicknes doo beginne to repent not doubting but if their contrition were true then their pardon would be certeyn but he feares their vndoubted saluation because he doubtes their falâ—e repentance who in such times are much more like to be sory alone for feare of punishment like Antiochus then for any true hatred of sinne or loue of God aboue all And such he saith are versi turned only by feare from sinne not conuersi for loue conuerted vnto God And this many times doth appeare when such partyes being recouered or deliuered from their feare and their perills they soone after returne agayne to their former sinnes Wherfore it is true indeede that the churche granteth her Rytes christian buriall vnto all such as professing themselues Catholiques doo vse but any outwarde signe of remorse leauing their hartes to the tryall of God not warranting their repentance to be good but in charity rather chusing to absolue an hundred thousand false penitentes then by seuerity to reteyne bound any one soule truly contrite 6. Vnto the foresaid contrite sorowe must be adioyned an hope of pardon throughâ— Christ with a full purpose for euer to absteyne from sinne to confesse to satisfye So farre forthe as we are bounde or shall be able For if it should euidently appeare that we doo wante any of these we cannot be absolued otherwise not so appearing it may be supposed that either virtually or actually we haue them and that is sufficient 7. As for as the sinnes for which Contrition is required it neede not be of euery particuler sinne in number to haue a seuerall Acte of contrition but of all which we can remember according to their number or according to their kinde we must detest them all be sorye for them either in one Acte of contrition or in more as coÌ„ueniently we can for example sake In calling to minde that I haue sworne 500. times or spoken falsely or vaynegloriously 1000. times more or lesse as neere as I can coniecture I may in one Acte of contrition be sory for them all at once And so I must proceede to remember to be contrite for as many kindes or numbers as I can call to minde for no man is bound to more then he is able neither in contrition confessioÌ„ nor satisfactioÌ„ And therfore in case of speedy or sodeyn death one generall true Acte of contrition is sufficient for all our sinnes at once considered in grosse as offences of God And so it is in case we cannot well call to minde their seuerall numbers nor their distincte kindes 8. As for the times when euery one must be contrite vnder payne of a new particuler sinne they are set downe to be these 1. whensoeuer we find our selues in euident danger of corporall death 2. whensoeuer by occasion of sinne not repented we see our selues in euident danger of spirituall death that is to say like to fall further into more damnable sinne 3. In any publique greuous Calamity of the people or Common welthe which doth require our particuler prayers and humiliation vnto God allmighty for his mercy In all these cases we are bound to be contrite I say vnder payne of a new particuler sinne of omission vidz against the commandemeÌ„t of repentance Not that it is lawfull for any to remayne in mortall sinne vntill some of these times doo happen no not a minute of an howre for by the Commandement against which the sinne is committed we are euer presently bounde to repentance althoughe I say not vnder payne of a particuler new sinne of vnrepentance beside the former vntill we come to some of these times And then if we omitte repentance it is a new particuler sinne beside the offence wherof before we remayned guilty 9. Lastly our purpose of amendement must be sincere and the performance must be effected according to our power for if I seeme to be contrite or doo confesse and yet deteyne another mans goods being able to restore them or if I reserue any splene of hatred or malice against my neighbor not striuing nor desiring to driue it or put it out from me or if I doo not auoyde as much as I can all such dangerous occasions as I haue found or may euidently preceiue doo vsually put me in great hazard of consenting or committing some mortall sinne In all these cases if I be not carefull to remedye or preuent them surely my purpose is not sufficient therfore I am not in such cases truly penitent 20. But now when I haue once entirely vndergone the sacrament of penance I am no more
my willing seruice to intertayn these paper leaues into your Patronage to fauour them your selfe to further them with others and if by them any good redound to any soules my desire is that God may haue the glory you the thankes and that I may sometime be remembred in your deuout prayers assuring your Honour as I am bound neuer to omit you in my poore supplications And so I beseech our Lord Iesus to keep you and all yours for his owne precious merites and by the intercession of our blessed Lady and of all holy Sayntes and in particuler of S. Valentine Priest and Martyr on whose festiuall day I wrote this from Valliadolide the 14. of February 1612. Your Honours bounden Seruant in our Lord IESVS Iames Waddesworth THE PREFACE OF THE AVTHOR TO HIS FAVORABLE READER AND TO ALL HIS LOVING FRIENDES IN NORFOLKE SVFFOLKE LONDON NORWICH CAMBRIDGE OR ELSEWHERE SOEVER COVRTEOVS Reader or friendes of good affection whether you shall vouchsafe to read any of this Treatise for good will vnto the Author or for other expectation of the matter I do most hartily desire that laying aside all curiosity you will read it with the same intention with which it was written viz to bewayle sinne to forsake errour to seeke pardon and to giue thankes to Allmighty God for his grace offered or obteyned through our lord IESVS 2. And to these intentes I haue chosen first to exercise my pen in some poyntes of deuotion before I should be challenged with any disputes of controuersy neither coulde I finde in my opinion for my selfe and for all those former purposes any fitter Theme then the seauen penitentiall Psalmes which doo affoarde most plentifull matter whereupon to frame such meditations For as S. Gregory saith of the Psalter that it is a trianguler musicall instrument of ten stringes whereupon the Harper striketh in the lower narrow End from whence it yeildeth his melodious sounde in the vpper parte which is broader So all Psalmes in generall and in especiall the penitentiall Psalmes doo firste cause our trianguled hartes to be contracted and stroken at the roote with sorowe and contriâ—ioÌ„ for sinne against the ten commandementes and afterwarde to be dilated broader enlarged vpwarde in the sweet sound of comforte to our selues and of prayse to Almighty God for our pardon for his mercy according whervnto euery one of these seauen Psalmes hath his beginning full of lamentation but towardes his end it is enlarged with prayse of consolation 3. I desired to write vpon all the 7. Penitentialls and to publish them all at once but hauing bene hitherto only able to finish the firste 4. of them partly for wante of firme health partly by occasion of more necessary busynes and furthermore perceuing the volume would be greater then I supposed and laste of all because I am now called away to another kinde of treatise therfore I thought it good in the meane while to publish what I had finished vpon the psalme Miserere as one desirous first to wash away the pollution of my particuler sinne before I would come to handle the pure mysteryes of our Catholique doctrine 4. And so our worthy Countryman Cardinall Poole vsed to say that one cause of so much heresy in these latter times was in too busy disputing about our faith before we tooke any care to reforme our life wherfore he wished all them who were ready to read S. Pauls Epistles to beginne firste to read to practise their latter chapters which are euer morally teaching vertues before they enter into disputes about their former Chapters which for the most part are doctrinall about matters of knowledge for it is vnlike they will be freed from peruerse errors who do continue their liues in obstinate vices such men may talke of opinions in religion but seldome shall you see any fruites of their religion more then opinion and table-talke 5. Some desire to know only because they would be able to talke or discourse this is vanity Some delight in knowing how to discourse or talke because they desire to be knowne and this is vayne glory Some labour to knowe much because knowledge hath delighte not intending therby any other fruite of their labour and this is curiosity Only their knowledge sauours of christian piety whose intention is therby to serue God and to profit men first sauing their owne soules and next to helpe others according to their ability 6. And surely as our knowledge wanteth wisdome when we direct others to euerlasting happynes suffering our selues to be lead vnto eternall misery for especially in regard of our soules ist hoc est sapere sibi sapere this is wisdome to be wise for our selues so yet neuer was any thus wise in his knowledge who firste did not learne humility with his wisdome For as naturally knowledge doth puffe vp in pride so spiritually we must endeuour to keep it vnder and in good order by humility Or indeed it is but humane wisdome knowledge of thinges without vs which maketh vs swell in our opinion of knowledge wheras if we woulde by the light of diuine wisdome view the defectes and faultes of our owne inward bosome and looke vpward with reuerence to the high Majesty of God himselfe then would our wisdome be profitable to our selues as well as to others and then will our knowledge increase our humility 7. Wherfore S. Thomas of Aquine speaking of Humility saith it is a vertue which maketh a man willing to submitte himselfe vnto God for God and vnto man for the same God and that this humility is founded vpon the knowledge of God and of our selues viz of our nothing and his infinite incomprehensibility of our basenes and his majesty of our pouerty and his Riches of our weakenes his omnipotency of our ignorance and his wisdome And therfore an humble man doth renounce himselfe acknowledging his owne faultes and imperfections and with reuerent confidence trusteth in our Lordes Goodnes And thus if we empty our owne vessells of windy pride and putrifyed sinne doubtles our Lord will fill them as the widowes vessell with his oyle of grace for if Achab was pardoned who was but feignedly humbled how much shall we haue forgiuenes with S. Mary Magdalen if with syncere humility we lye weeping and prostrate at our Sauiours feet 8. Such must be our humility and then will our knowledge be practicall as well as speculatiue and benefiting our selues as much as others wheras betwene speculation and practise there is as much difference as betwene studying the nature of gold and possessing the substance of gold It is true both are good yet shoulde they not be separated no more then our vnderstanding from our will For practicall knowledge doth mooue and order the will but speculation only doth informe the vnderstanding And therfore was Ananias to teach S. Paul by practicall instructions euen after he had seene a great light in the waye for still he
sinne therfore I will crye and praye because I would fayne see because I woulde be fed and haue my nakednes couered and because I would be freed from all this filthynes 19. Therfore our Sauiour said oportet semper orare we must alwayes praye and S. Paul exhorteth that we should be praying without intermission thoughe not Actually in outward prayers like the fond Euchetae omitting all other dutyes yet habitually by inward deuout readynes to make our petitions so often as we are bound or haue leasure and just occasion alwayes answerable to our daily necessityes and to our continuall warfare which hourely we haue with our affections passions concupiscences vaine cogitations and other occasions in all which according as they neuer cease so we should not intermit to resist or auoyd them and instantly call to God for help against them if not by reciting some generall petition or other short sentence alwayes ready in our memory against such occurrences yet at least by some inward sighe or knocking of our breast with our desire lifted vp in our secret thoughts immediatly vnto God himselfe or mediatly by some Saynt to cry vnto him for his succour as Moyses cryed though he spake not for S. Gregory said Verba animae desideria sunt clamor magnum desiderium est our desires be the wordes of our soule and our cry a great desire 20. And last of all it is surely a wonderfull comfort herein which S. Chrysostome noteth that there is scarse any losse or misery in all the worlde which can be repayred by prayer sorrowe and repentance except the losse of God and the misery of sinne which though they be aboue all other domages incomparably the greatest yet is their redresse much the easyer for the losse of life or goods consumed or of honor impeached the misery of payne sickenes of many other extremityes cannot be recouered by sighing or lamenting though our sorrow be neuer so great But if with syncere contrition of our hart we be greiued for our sinnes because for them we haue lost the loue of God and if we pray humbly for their remission with purpose to confesse them as well as we can and do intend neuer agayne willfully to commit them vndoubtedly this purpose and sorrowful conuersion on earth shall obteyne most certayn and ioyfull reconciliation in heauen for our Lord IESVS hath said vnto his Preistes and he is most true of all his wordes Whose sinnes on earth you remitte in heauen they shal be remitted why then should we not seeke to disburden our heauy consciences vnto some Ghostly Father that we may through his Authority granted by our Sauiour so receiue his heauenly Absolution his ghostly comfort his spirituall direction in all these submitting our selues vnto our Confessor not as to a Man but as to the Deputy of our Lord IESVS and to the Pastour of our soules and then in all true amendment endeauouring as we can to performe our penance or other satisfaction Beleeue me o Sinners amongst whom I haue bene a Ring-leader by experience I say beleeue me it is a most comfortable and wonderfull experience For your selues shall presently feele comfort in your soules and with continuance of time others allso will perceiue amendment in your liues 21. To conclude therfore as in generall I would perswade you to practise the examination of your consciences and the exercise of deuout prayer directing vs all vnto Contrition Confession and Satisfaction so I do commend as helpes for these purposes a serious accompt how we spend our liues an indifferent obseruation why vpon what occasions these new-found sclanderous opinions did banish the Catholique religion of our Auncestors wherin full many a hundred yeares togeather they serued God so deuoutly and so hartily loued their neighbours and for the same purpose I intreat a view and a detestation of our former sinnes and auoydance of their occasions an endeauour to practise their contrary vertues sometime by reading of good bookes sometime by deuout meditations or prayers sometime by almes deedes or fasting abstinence or other bodily chastisement sometime by humbling our thoughtes alwayes by mortifying our passions and vnlawfull affections and alwayes being carefull to keep the commandements of God our Father and of our Mother the Church And to bringe these good purposes and cogitations into our mindes the oftener and to mooue and imprint them the better it is good for vs sometime to giue an edge and to whet on ech other by vertuous or spirituall talke and conference not contending in disputes but by modest teaching or by freindly encouragements and aboue all by frequenting the most holy sacrifice and sacrament of our deare Sauiours most precious Body and Bloud by often calling to memory some examples of his life and more in particuler his bitter passages vnto death both for our meditation and for our imitation so to giue good example one vnto another whiles all are labouring to follow Christ our cheife Maister And to this end it is allso good to reuiue our deuotion by reading or hearing of Sayntes liues or by the reuerent beholding of their deuout Images or paynted storyes especially of the passion of our sweet Sauiour IESVS by marking his sufferinges to be mooued for our owne sinnes and so by viewing the memory of other Saintes to be stirred vp to follow their vertues as they were followers of Christ for we may learne and are mooued by our eye sometime as much or more then by our eare and in these thinges which are so good and wherein we are so dull verily euen common sense doth teach vs that it is profitable and needfull to stirre vp our memory deuotion by any sense and by how much the more by so much the better 22. And yet further vnto them that be sufficiently able I commend the reading and meditation of Dauids Psalter which holy Church vseth so much in all her diuine Offices and particulerly of the seauen Penitentiall Psalmes and according to the practise of Catholiques especially of this psalme Miserere as admonished therby and informed to call and cry vnto God for mercy and pardon to confesse and acknowledge our faultes and iniquityes to desire their purging washing and clensing to lament our sinnes originall and actuall to pray for cleane hartes right spirites escaping of anger and continuance of grace to purpose amendmenâ— being forgiuen to direct others by our experience and example to humble our selues for our owne offences to be ioyfull and thankfull towardes allmighty God for our particuler fauours and to desire that he may be serued praysed and honored in our publique Churches and at his holy Altars Amen Thy Wellwiller in Christ Iesus Iames Waddesworth AN ACT OF CONTRITION O My Lord Iesus-Christ very God and Man my Creatour Redeemer thou being whome thou art and for that I loue thee aboue all thinges it greiueth me from the bottome of my hart that I haue offended thy diuine Maiesty And I firmely
purpose neuer to sinne any more and to fly all occasions of offending thee And to confesse and fulfill the pennance which shal be enioyned me for the same And for loue of thee I do freely pardon all my enemies And do offer my life wordes and workes in satisfaction for my sinnes Wherefore I most humbly intreate thee trusting in thy infinite goodnes and mercy that by the merits of thy most pretious bloud and passion thou wouldest pardon me and giue me grace to amend my life and to perseuere therin vntill death Amen A PRAYER OF THE AVTHOVR TO OVR BLESSED LADY O Most pious Virgin Mary Mother of God I desire thâ—e by the great loue thou bearest to thy deare Sonne my Lord Sauiour Iesus-Christ That thou wouldest vouchsafe to obtaine for me true sorrow for my sinnes a perfect keeping of all my Senses an humble ResignatioÌ„ of my selfe the exercise all those vertues wherewith thou didst so highly please thy diuine Sonne I also most humbly request thee to direct my wayes in those pathes which may be most agreable to the will of thy Sonne profitable for the saluation of my Soule Amen sweet Iesus THE FIFTITH PSALME WHICH IS THE FOVRTH PENITENTIALL The title In finem Psalmus Dauid cum venit ad eum Nathan propheta quando intrauit ad Bersabee Vnto the end A Psalme of Dauid When the Prophet Nathan came vnto him after he had entred vnto Bersabee MEDITATION I. OF THE OCCASION AND NVMBER OF this Psalme by Dauids example to beware of lust Section 1. THE historie and occasion of this Psalme is related at large in the booke of the Kinges the summe wherof is rehearsed by the Prophet Nathan in a Parable and complaint vnto Dauid saying 1. In this city ô Dauid there dwelte two neighbors a poore man a rich the riche man had flockes of sheepe and goates the poore man had only one sheep which he dearly loued There came strangers to the rich mans house for whose entertaynmeÌ„t he makes no prouision out of his owne flockes but takes away the poore mans only sheepe what punishment ô king is due to such an iniurye Dauid answers in iuste anger this man deserues to dye The prophet replyes thou art this man ô Dauid who hauing many yet tookest away the wife of Vrias to giue content to thy strange luste haste suffred him to be slayne for closer hyding of thy faulte The king conuinced acknowledgeth his offence as then presently he cryed peccaui so afterwarde to continue and stirre vp more contrition he endites this Psalme Miserere 2. Some interpreters haue obserued that this psalme is according to the latin accompte the fiftyth in number which in Moyses law was the number of the Iubiley yeare when inheritances returned to the heyres slaues were made free pawnes were released and a solemne feast of ioye was publiquely celebrated and so the hebrew worde Iobel signifieth a beginning as indeede he that repeates this psalme in true repentance as he must begin a new life so he shal be freed from the slauery of sinne Satan restored to the birth-righte of the kingdome of heauen receiue againe the grace and vertues which he had forfeyted after his sorrowe feare he shall in the great feast of a good conscience be much comforted with a perpetuall Iubiley 3. And as the Iewes in the 50. day after their departure out of Egipte receiued the lawe the Apostles receyued the holy ghoste in the day of Pentecâ—ste which is 50. dayes after the resurrection so if by the lawe we acknowledge our faultes by the giftes of the holy spirite we shal receiue comfortes and to such our Lord saith by the prophet I will restore vnto you the yeares which were deuoured by the locuste the caterpiller the ruste the cankerworme Verefying it also in this psalme of Iubiley which penitently pronounced will recompence all the hurtes of our soule bitten eaten by those 4. passions of the minde ioye sorrowe hope feare as with caterpiller cankerworme locuste and ruste Or the caterpiller is deuouring gluttony luste is a cankerworme creeping on his belly the locuste hauing bad wynges no feete is pride which will stand on no ground yet cannot well flye in the ayre but downe the winde of flaterye and may not couetousnes be termed ruste which fasteneth vpoÌ„ metalls and freteth it selfe with superfluous care Thoughe these gnawe the conscience and consumme the soule yet if we be so happy as to come to the Iubiley of this 50. psalme said vsed in sincere contrition we shall haue restored vnto vs all the yeares losse of time deuoured by such ruste locuste cankerwormes caterpillers And therfore the Churche doth principally vse this psalme both because of those restoratiue excellencyes as also for the memorable example and peculier penitence of the Author and for the generall aptnes of the wordes and matter well befitting any sorte of sinner 4. Some propound this example of Dauid as a blocke wherat to stumble which shoulde be their staffe wherby to arise It is true indeede he lamenteth in this psalme 3. or 4. notorious sinnes 1. his iniurious and needles thefte which Nathan obiected 2. his adultery with Bersabee which his idle pleasure occasioned 3. his seueral subtiltyes wherwith he soughte to couer his guiltynes 4. his vnkind slaughter of Vrias who was so innocent But as S. Augustin saith Let not the fall of the greater be the delighte of the lesser rather let the fall of the greater be the feare of the lesser they who haue not yet fallen let them heare this to the end they may arise As for his soule who aduentureth to committe such thinges as these because Dauid so offended he is much more wicked and sinneth more abominably then Dauid he sinned of concupiscence thou of malice Let vs rather imitate his holynes not followe his wickednes shoulde we fall with him O my soule and not ryse with him shoulde we loue that in Dauid which he hated in himselfe Doost thou looke vpon the booke of God to embolden thy selfe to sinne against God Doost thou note one error in an excellent picture and learne to paynte that blemish rather then all his other comely portraiture wilte thou learne sophistry to forsake logique wilt thou read Index expurgatorius to professe all the doubtes falsehoods which it mentions to be amended not to be mainteyned then feed as well vpon the garbage of fowles vpon the gall of beastes cast away their carkasses 5. Dauid after a full dinner and an easie sleep fittes idle in his prospecte and takes delighte to feed his eye with gazing about there his ranging idle lookes were as a quicke spye to marke a beautifull woman his harte streighte desired to enioye what he sawe his will procured to obteyne what he affected While Saul persecuted him and he lurked in caues he neither
minded such matters nor admitted such occasions but now he becomes remisse wanton in the prosperity of his kingdome now he is at leysure to espye Bersabee a farre off so quick-sighted is concupiscâ—nce the woman was far from him but luste was neere him so soone doth prosperity breed wanton bloud also he rose but newly from his deynty meale and his lazy vndermeale and as S. Ierom said A Full belly doth easely froathe vnto luste so especially if you adde vnnecessary sleepe vnto intemperat dyet it makes a double payre of bellowes to kindle the fyre of incontinence the one is the flynte stone and the other is the steele both together strike out sparkes of carnall desyres which yet may be extinguished if you adde not a ranging eye as the tynder vnwary curious lookes will sodenly betraye our vnsetled harte for if by this gazing view so stayed a man as Dauid lost himselfe we haue much more need like Iob to make a couenant with our eyes not to looke vpon a woman Wherfore let vs be no gazers at dores windowes or galleryes no gapers in the streetes no gadders vp and downe markets in fayres no giggelets no puritan rolling eyes in churches nor vse a wanton looke in any place least as from a basiliske we receiue poison by the eye which will infecte the harte 6. Dauid by looking on Bersabee in her bathe was more inflamed by the beauty of the woman then he was cooled by the water of the founteyn and they that pretend only to obserue the diuersityes of features the excellencyes of complexions shall sooner be drawen to fleshly imaginations then to philosophicall or spiritual considerations The poets faygne Acteon turned into a stagge hunted to death by his owne hounds because he presumed to looke vpon chaste Diana bathing herselfe in a cleare founteyn for euen chaste beauty curiously viewed stirres vp many passions of bawling luste which like so many dogges will neuer cease to chase to death euen their owne maister who feedeth them Spartianus related how one coming out of a dangerous bathe and harde by seing a number of painted tables hanged on the wall of a temple after the Roman custome and supposing they had bene all in memorye of their perills escaped in that bathe he said I wonder there be no more tables for he deemed that euery man was bound to haue offred a table who bathing there had escaped such a danger so in truthe whosoeuer vseth to gaze on women or to conuerse with them and is not intangled surely he is obliged to hang vp a table of a memorable escape And therfore as in all sinnes so perticulerly in this our english prouerbe hath good place he that will no euill doo must avoyde all thinges which long thertoo Let vs beware of all amourous wordes wanton lookes lighte gestures lasciuious behauior immodest attyre and aboue all flye familiar opportunity and occasion for as occasion we say makes a theefe so it often makes a harlotte And S. Bernard affirmed that to liue among women familiarly and no way to be defiled by women is a miracle aboue the power of men it is more easy to rayse the dead then in continuall occasions so to mortifye the liuing If thou canst not doo the lesser how darest thou hazarde the greater especially seing among all sinnes this is perticulerly called the sinne of Frayltye to note herein our greatest weakenes And shoulde we in this weake frayltye trust vnto our yeilding strengthe OF VVITTY AND PLAINE REPREHENSIONS the Authors lamentation of his forme life Sect. 2. DAuid repented not till Nathan came and Nathan reproued Dauid thoughe a king yet not at firste by publishing his faulte nor by reproching him contumeliously but with corage prudence reproouing him discretely Let kinges and all men suffer Gods preistes and preachers to reprehend them for vsualie their Courtyers or frindes either soothe or say nothing of their faultes which seldome are ameÌ„ded vntill they be rebuked by theyr enemies or by some such zealous men who as they must be without flatery or feare so must they admonish with discretion and with care It is ars artium regimen animarum it is an arte of much skill to rule soules well and it is true God alone can rule the harte yet he appoyntes Nathan to vse meanes by an honest deceyte As our Sauiour catched the scribes and phariseys in their owne answers so Nathan here did wynde in Dauid by his owne sentence like many men who vse speeches against others which are rebounded vpon themselues as Catulus reprehending Philippus he alluding to Catulus name which signifies a whelpe asked him why he barked but Catulus answered aptely because I see a theefe 2. And a dronken Caluiniste minister with a foule red nose bragging against a Catholique that our Sauiour had giuen him the keyes of heauen as much as to S. Peter or to the Pope surely I doubte it said the Catholique rather by your nose I doo suppose you haue in your custody the keyes of the buttry Thus often times arrogant men are confounded in their owne wordes And so like wise some malitious persecutors of Catholiques haue bene intangled in their owne spitefull diligence as he who being tolde that in such a chamber was a Preist called the constables officers to breake open the doores to enter with haste where they found his owne daughter in bed with a brother of the Puritanes Also Iudges many times condemne small faultes in others that stande at the barre and will not obserue much iniustice great crimes in themselues in their followers and in some that sitte on the benche euen as Dauid here woulde haue him dye that tooke the lambe but he marked not his owne crime who had defiled a matrone and slayne a man As a certain Pirate answered Alexander that is called in a king honorable lawfull victory which is condemned in me for vnlawfull base piracy With such partiality we easily abhorre wickednes in others and yet by such our owne censures if we amend not allmighty God will make vs condemne our selues by our owne mouthes according to that of our blessed Lady He hath dispersed the proud in the minde of his owne harte and so doubtles he will iudge many offendors by the sentence of their owne wordes O holy Dauid teach vs by thy example to feare prosperity to beware of ease and pleasure to restrayne our eyes to curbe our thoughtes to avoyde all bad occasions in all our censures first to iudge our selues or being admonished by others humbly to confesse our faultes 3. O my soule let vs desire Dauid to praye for vs as in this psalme he doth for himselfe for if we haue not so great yet we haue more sinnes then he had nay paraduenture none of his compared to ours be so bad O how wicked is the harte of man vnserchable who shall know it euen thou o lorde who arte greater
then our harte searching our entralls prouing our reynes to thee we refer this iudgment and fearing our selues to bee far the worse we humbly sincerely craue more penitence more pity O IESV giue me strength in satisfaction to beare what thou wilte impose and then impose coorrectioÌ„ what our wilte O sweet Sauiour thou knowest how absolutely herein I doo resigne my will O continue me this grace and teach me more in true penaÌ„ce still to begge for more mercy I haue dishonored thee scandalized men for I was a publique preacher of the protestantes false Doctrine wherin peraduenture by my meanes some haue bene seduced many hardened others offended I haue profaned thy sacred churches somtime dedicated to thy catholique seruice and for mine owne body soule which should haue bene thy spirituall temples o how haue they bene polluted by errors which I supposed to be truthes by presumption of knowledge when I was in ignorance by some vices which I reputed vertues by many faultes which I neglected 4. If to affirme this as I doo penitently be my shame let it be O God as I desire thy glory If the worlde the diuells mine owne conscience doo accuse me O Father of mercy I confesse all wherof any of these can justly impeache me and allso whatsoeuer else thou doost know more in me then I haue coÌ„fessed or can call to minde in transgressions against thy deuine majesty in offences against my neighbors in many sinnes against my selfe O wretched and vile sinner that I am what should such a sinner doo whither shall I go shoulde I despayre No for that one sinne were greater then all these What though my sinnes haue bene many bad according to my religion my profession worse wherby like the prodigall sonne I was a Swynehearde a protestante minister feeding my selfe others with the huskes of heresy Et non satiabar in which I coulde neuer taste of true comforte nor obteyne peace vnto my conscience therfore with him I will Arise go to my heauenly Father I am resolued To arise from sinne Sectaryes To go vnto God our Father by meanes of the Catholique churche our mother and with this perpetuall purpose I doo say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen before thee I am not worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruantes 5. Amongest Protestantes against malice I might wel plead ciuill honesty morall integrity wherin I liued among them without reprehension but in comparison of thy Catholique seruantes Sayntes O God before thy heauenly purest eyes I dare not present my former best innocence here I renounce any plea of passed integrity I disclayme my wonted profession I lament detest my errors my sinnes Thou knowest O lord I haue acknowledged them vnto my Ghostly Father in confession I beseech thee to confirme his absolution and as I doo entreate so I doo truste that thou wilte vnbinde in heauen what he hath vnbound on earthe O forgiue them for Iesus sake and so keepe me euer hereafter in thy loue grace that I may rather chuse miseryes disgraces reproches tormentes ten thousand deathes then at my time to retourne to the like sinnes errors or to my former estate And thou o blessed Virgin the mother of our only Sauiour and all the Angells and Sayntes of heauen O praye for me that during my life I may say this psalme with Dauid in true contrition And so throughe our Lord Iesus obteyning mercy at laste I may with him and all you be admitted into glory MEDIT. II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Amplius laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me Haue mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy and according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out mine iniquity Washe me yet more from my iniquity cleanse me from my Sinne. A SHORTE DIVISION AND EXPLIcation of all these wordes Sect. 1. S. Ambrose saith Dauid sinned which Kinges are wonte but he performed penance he wepte he mourned which Kinges are not wonte he confessed his faulte he craued pardon prâ—strate on the ground he bewayled his wretchednes he fasted he prayed he hath published for euer a testimony of his confession priuate men are ashamed to doo this a King is not ashamed to confesse c O come my soule let not Dauid thus condemne vs nor S. Ambrose thus accuse vs rather because we haue ouertaken ouergone Dauid in sinning let vs be stayed by S. Ambrose to followe such a king in repenting Let vs consider our owne misery and our Lordes mercy not mercy without misery least we presume nor misery without mercy least we despayre Many thinke not how wretched they are by sinne in their hartes and therfore they sighe not with miserere in their mouthes but we are readyer to talke or thinke of our worthynes theÌ„ of our sinfulnes especially we will sooner compare our selues with other men in wisedome in knowledge in authority riches or such like with the proude pharisy then with the huÌ„ble publican acknowledge our ignoraÌ„ce our faultes and our infirmityes but what auayle such comparisons we shall be judged by that which we are in our selues not by what we seeme to be in respecte of others a dwarfe is not à gyante thoughe he stande on the toppe of a steeple or on a mounteyn a stately towre is not a lowe Cottage thoughe it be placed in the bottome of a valley consider o my soule what thou arte in the vale of misery not what thou maist seeme on a mounte of vanity let one depthe call vpon another out of the depthe of our sinfull misery o God we call vpon the depthe of profounde mercy 2. A deepe wounde must haue a large tente abondance of soares must haue many playsters o graunte vs great mercy for our deepe woundes and multitude of miserations for our innumerable botches let them seeke for smaller mercy whose faultes procede of meaner ignorance but my sinnes o lord haue neede of a strong warriour to redeeme me and of a skilfull phisition to heale me All sinners descend from IerusaleÌ„ to Ierico from the highest vertues to the basest vices they fall among theeues divells tentations delightes I allso among these was dangerously wounded in naturall facultyes spoyled generally of spirituall graces o gracious Samaritan miserere take pity on me passe not by me vnregarded O let the greatnes of thy mercy heale my naturall woundes and by the multitude of thy miserations repayre my spirituall losses come nere me come to me o compassionate Samaritan powre in wyne of compunction to cleanse my filthynes make me feele my misery powre in oyle of absolution to heale my soarenes by thy mercy o great phisitian here shew the
by mans penaltyes and by our Lordes chastisements yea such is the misery of sinne that one sinne is the punishment of another and many times of it selfe though not directly by it selfe yet by accident indirectly first because when by former sinne we caste from vs Gods grace giuen or offred he then leaueth vs to our owne corrupte weakenes to Sathan the worldes forcible tentations whose continual batteryes whiles without grace we cannot resiste we doo afterwardes justly fall captiues vnto many sinnes who by some former faulte did rejecte his grace so vnkindly 2. there are some sinnes which are punishments both offormer faultes of themselues not only in their effectes as prodigality hath for his followers wante and robberye but allso in their very actions some are a payne vnto themselues eyther inwardely as enuy anger doo vexe their owne maysters or outwardly when men doo passe much labor perill or coste to effecte some sinnes As Plutarche saith men adjudged to be crucifyed or to other tormentes were forced first to beare their owne crosses or such other instruments of theyr owne execution so sinners by sinne it selfe doo here begin their owne payne damnation and so they confessed who the wiseman saith were in hell lassati sumus in via iniquitatis we were tyred wearyed in our way of iniquity 5. Wherfore among so many miseryes should we not often crye miserere haue mercy in respecte of sinnes punishing themselues one another by outward toyle danger losse by inward feare remorse vexation by depriuing vs of Gods grace leauing vs to our owne concupiscence miserere for we are guilty out of order against God against men against our owne conscience miserere to bring backe our Will eâ—ring in darkenes to cleare our Vnderstanding shadowed with blemishes to repayre our giftes of grace decayed by frailtyes miserere haue mercy by reuiuing the seedes of vertue remoouing the hindrances customes of Vice miserere restoring vs to justice which we lost forfeyted inclyning encreasing vs in holynes which we forsooke diminished and finally miserere preseruing vs in substance of soule body from sufferance of payne vnto fruition of glory for in all these viz by corruption of nature by deformity of soule by guyltines of punishment we are all miserable therfore in all these o blessed Iesu miserere haue mercy OTHER WRETCHED EFFECTES OF sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. SAlomon saith that sinne maketh people to be miserable and S. Augustin defyneth sinne to be Deedes wordes or desires which be against the eternall lawe of God which are made mortall sinne when we adde vnto any of these a full consent of our will with auersion or forsaking of God Consider then o my soule in what estate thou arte when thou abydest in sinne If in our lorde be all happynes and to be in fauour with him be our felicity o how great wretchednes is it to forâ—ake his loue to fall into his hate But Esay said our sinnes deuide betwene him vs and both Salomon Dauid affirme that he hateth all who worke iniquity wherfore S. Chrysostome said I judge it to be harder more intolerable then a thousand hell fyres to be hated of Christe to heare him say I knowe you not it were better to endure a thousand thumderboltes then to see his face of mildenes to be turned from vs or enraged against vs for the eye which vseth to be fauorable when it becometh fierce is most terrible 2. Alas o lorde we haue forsaken thy infinite goodnes we haue loste thy inestimable fauour wherfore to free vs from thy hate restore vs to thy happynes miserere haue mercy Haue mercy not only for the good which by sinne we doo loose but allso in respecte of the euill which for it we doo suffer because many are the whippes of a sinner for sinne the earthe was cursed to bring forthe thornes the woman cursed to beare children in payne and man was cursed to eate his bread with labour Vpon sinners our lorde rayneth snares fire brimstone and the spirites of tempestet are in the portion of his cuppe his very prayers are turned into sinne and his table is a snare vnto him all wickednes is as a sharpe two edged sworde 3. But if we be neither mooued with loue of goodnes nor with feare of wrathe I knowe not whither we be more miserable who must suffer the punishment or blockish who will not see to auoyde the faulte yet let vs consider the nature of sinne which is contrary to our nature we were created doo desire to enioy liberty but sinne maketh vs slaues and the wiseman saith Euery sinner is bounde in the fetters of his owne sinnes We naturally abhorre hell the diuell deathe but sinne caused the very angells offending to be throwne downe from heauen to be reserued in the chaynes of hell S. Augustin saith that euery sinner selles his â—oule to the diuel taking for his price the sweetnes of some temporall delighte nay S. Chrysostome calleth euery sinner a certeyn willing diuell a self-willed madnes And as for death which we so much feare the scripture saith that they which committe sinne doo kill theyr owne soules we knowe it were horrible to murder our Father but to murder thy selfe it is more damnable wherfore as the wiseman sayd take mercy on thine owne soule pleasing God which then we doo when penitently we say vnto him miserere haue mercy 4. What shoulde I say of sinne tormenting the conscience offending the communion of Sayntes among men it is a discredite among Christians it causeth excoÌ„munication and S. Basil doth write that as smoke driueth bees from their hiues and loth some smells driue pigeons from their houses so from the custody of our persons â—l sauoring sinnes driue away our holy Angells And is not euery inordinate minde a penalty to it selfe as S. Augustin auoucheth for couetousnes gripes pride swells enuy consumes concupiscence inflames luxury stingeth gluttony stinketh dronkennes besotteth sclander scratcheth ambition vndermyneth it selfe iniuryes gette hatred discorde teareth anger burneth lighte heades are neuer quiet idlenes is wearisome lazynes combreth hipocrysie deceiueth his owne harte flatterye giues himselfe the lye in his owne throate O miserable sinnes which make men so wretched which seldome come alone without seauen worse diuells folowing them which make our present prayers not purposing amendment to be rejected which cause all our good deedes paste not to be regarded which are so hardly cured because they are not so easily as we thinke repented In time therfore o lord with the first worde of this psalme against all these for-meÌ„tioned miseryes we humbly hartily crye miserere haue mercy OF THE NAME AND NATVRE OF GOD who he his vvhat we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. 1.
into like misery no such mercy is in our Lorde vpon any of these considerations for he is neither subiect to humane affection nor to feare nor any way in hazarde of changeable infelicity 2. And among men thoughe charity be the greatest of all vertues because it vnites ioynes vs as inferiors to God our beste highest Superior yet in God who is aboue all creatures vpon which he powreth out all the godnes they haue receiues nothing from any other to himselfe in him mercy is the greatest of all vertues to him therfore the Churche saith it is proper more then to any herein his omnipotency most to be manifested For thoughe the vertues attributes of God be in himselfe equall yet in their effectes operations towardes his creatures one may appeare more or lesse then another so here S. Augustin saith that mercy miserations be all one S. Bernarde calls miserations the daughters of mercy which are diuerse in sundry streames yet all one water of the same founteyn as in a garden-water potte the water within is all one in substance with those many spinning streames yssuing out of those seuerall holes 3. Aristotle said that no place of the worlde is alltogether empty eyther of ayre or some what else yet he could not tell wherof it was full so well as Dauid who said All the worlde is full of the mercy of our Lord. Another philosopher being asked what was greatest of all answered Locus place is greatest for place which conteyneth all is greater then those thinges which are conteyned but Dauid would haue said it is our Lordes mercy which is aboue all his workes so all places giues place as inferior to his mercy takes place within it as lesser then his mercy In heauen his mercye shynes in glory on earthe he raynes mercy both on the iuste iniuste his mercy is in purgatory where sowles are purifyed prepared for heauen yea euen in hell there is some parte of his mercy for as he rewardes his Angells Sayntes much aboue their merites so punisheth the diuells the damned both lesse then their demerites and not so much as he is able 4. These are thy mercyes O God which none can deny but we humbly desire releife pardon according to thy great mercy to blotte out our iniquity in the multitude of thy miserations thy justice o lord reacheth vnto the heighte of mounteynes thy truthe vnto the clowdes thy great mercye to the heauens and the multitude of thy miserations is aboue all thy workes O let vs taste of these mercyes sent downe from thee to vs and deriued by vs to others that we may learne to be mercifull as thou arte mercifull And so in thy day of iustice iudgment if we haue bene mercifull we shall obteyne mercy when it shall not be so much recounted that Abel was murdred for his good sacrifice that Noah tooke care to saue the olde world that Abrahā was faithfull that Moses deliuered the lawe that Elias went vp to heauē in a charyot that S. Peter was crucified with his head downeward that S. Paul was beheaded that S. Laurence was broyled or S. Edmonde our English king a martyr shotte full of arrowes as it shall be there demāded what workes of mercy euery one hath performed especially in feeding the hungry clothing the naked or visiting the sicke imprisoned O teach vs to be mercifull in such smal matters that we may find great mercy at thy handes and in euery one of thy fingers multitude of miserations Great mercy o God because thou arte great and it fittes thee not to giue little great mercy because our necessityes haue neede of great supplyes our offences are great our punishments deserue to be great therfore what can we aske lesse then great mercy 5. And according to the multitude of thy miserations blotte out my iniquity O thou who doost forgiue very often euen seauenty times seuen times we are many offenders and are guilty of exceeding many sinnes in many thinges offending all euery day many times a day o shew the multitude of thy miserations vpon such multitudes of offences of times of persons pardoning so many sinners for so many crimes so many times repeated O blotte them out as thou hast said by the Prophet Esay that thou arte he who blotteth out our iniquityes for thine owne sake And Ieremy saith our sinnes are grauen in a harde Adamante stone with an yron pen who can blotte out such a recorde euen thou only o mighty redeemer who by thy handes nayled to the crosse wert blotting out all handewrytinges against vs O raze and blotte out we entreate thee all the sinnes accusations which Satan writes against vs O blotte them out not to be read and scrape them out as blottes not to be seene for otherwise they will blotte our names out of thé booke of the liuing Del◠put out or take away from thy sighte or vewe all spottes from our soule all memory from thy booke all byting wormes from our conscience all sinnefull appetites from our affections all vnlawfull consent from our desires O blotte out all malice or frailty from our will and out of our vnderstanding all error blindnes In the vertue of thy precious bloud and by the sacramēt of extreme Vnctiō we beseech thee blotte out at our death all the sinnefull delightes of our eyes all the follyes of our eares all vanityes of our smelling all the iniquityes of our tōgue all the voluptuousnes of our touche or of our taste all vnserchable or secret sinne of our hartes all the idlenes or wickednes of our handes all the forwardnes of our feete to committe euill all the slackenes or crookednes of our wayes vnto good O Iesu helpe vs by wyping out our blottes now to cleāse our soules euer by great mercy to forgiue our sinnes OF THE GREAT CARE VVE MVST VSE to purge all sinne and that we our selues must doo herin some diligence not standing idle to leaue all vnto Christe Sect. 6. 1. WAsh me yet more from mine iniquity cleanse me from my sinne O lorde I haue so much offended that me thinkes I cannot well enoughe expresse my guiltynes nor enoughe begge remedye nor can I tell when I haue enoughe repented Amplius laua me wash me yet more both from the filthynes and allso the stinkingnes of all wickednes wash me from iniquity which is filthy and cleanse me from sinne which stinketh from sinne against God from iniquity eyther against my neighbor or against my selfe yet more both from the heynousnes of that which is paste that I be perfectly cured and least I should fall agayne from the dangerousnes of that which may come Let not the prophet complayne against me saying O how vile arte thou become iterating thy wayes all sinne in my soule is like lothsome stinking durte on my
our harte to haue our sinne alwayes against vs in some mortification of our bodye 5. They must be alwayes ouer against vs or before vs not behinde our backes for when our sinnes be as forgotten at our backes then they haue aduantage to murder vs sodenly or to make vs yeild fearfully but if we turne face vpon them or put them before vs we doo so much sooner destroye them or put them to flighte Sometime O lorde sinne is aboue vs in power multitudes as else where Dauid saith my sinnes are gone ouer my head 2. somtime they are vnder vs by repentance mortification as it is said to Cayn his appetite shoulde be vnder him 3. somtime they are hidden within vs by hipocrisye wherfore we praye to be cleansed from our hidden sinnes 4. somtime they are before vs to be chastized as in this texte 5. somtime they are neglected behind vs and then as in another psalme it is said they rayse large buyldinges vpon our backes 6. somtime they are at our righte hande when we sinne mortally with a highe hand and then Dauid especially desireth to haue his soule deliuered out of the hande of a dogge and in another place out of the hande of hell 7. somtime they are at our lefte hande when we sinne of infirmity and so allso he diuerse times prayeth to be freed from the hande of a sinner 8. soÌ„time sinne is rouÌ„d about vs to accuse or to affrighte vs so Iob said that he was compassed about with speares Dauid complaynes that they come about him as bulls of Basan and as many water flouddes O blessed Iesu succor vs in the middest of these flouddes defend vs against these speares o free vs from sinne of all handes on the righte hande or the lefte deadly or veniall breake downe their heauy boystrous building on our backes whiles we forget or neglecte them o drawe out into our view the secret or hypocriticall sâ—nnes of our harte and if they haue by custome or by number gotte ouer our heads in tyranicall dominion o bring them downe vnder our feete by thy grace of contrite mortification or howsoeuer in any sorte they doo practise against vs let vs beware their danger by keping them alwayes before vs. THAT EVERY ONE MVST ACKNOVVLEDGE his owne faultes and laying his hande vpon his owne harte rather accuse himselfe then censure any other Sect. 2. 1. ANd obserue that we must be carefull to knowe and to keepe in our fighte as Dauid here saith iniquitatem â—eaÌ„ peccaâ—uÌ„ meâ—m my iniquitie and sinne which is mine not other mens faultes As Dauid firste gaue sharpe sentence against the riche man which had taken the poore mans only sheepe not imagining he spake against himselfe for in another mans person we consider the offence more duely in his owne nature not so much dazeled with affection partiality as when it concernes our selues wheras it were a safer course in seing other mens badnes to judge or feare our selues worse and in our owne goodnes to esteeme other men better Thus let vs set against our view those which be our owne sinnes that as Nathan enforced Dauid to vse his owne tongue for the knife wherwith to launce and open his owne soare so we may by viewing our owne sinnes not so much looke to take out a moate of our brothers eye as to remedye the beame which we haue in our owne Like wise physitiaÌ„s firste haue a care to cure our selves for as the wise maÌ„ said the foote of a foole doth easilie enter into the house of his neighbor and a foole standeth prying by the windowe into the house but a man prudent will stande at the dore without O how few such prudent mâ—n we are allmoste all prying fooles marking others and not obseruing our selues Like some soldyers who being an hundred of their owne nation and but ten strangers if any faulte or losse happen they say presently it was the strangers defaulte not one of vs were to blame but if any excellent exployte be performed where there were a thousand strangers and scarse one hundred of them yet there they alone did moste all the strangers did nothing so much So in matters of vice vertue we will diminishe others due prayse to extoll our selues at least secretly in our owne opinion or in the middest of offences we will scarse acknowledge one faulte to be alltogether our owne or if we doo it shall be but in some small matter or some generall fashion yea somtime saying in generall that we are sinners to seme therby so much more holy wherin as pride of humility or humble pride is most dangerous so this seeming sanctity by a feyned selfe accusation is moste odious 2. Of S. Ihon Baptiste twice it is sayd that he confessed denyed not when the phariseys would needes haue pressed him to say of himselfe that he was the Messias he confessed himselfe vnworthy that estimation and denyed not to Christe his due honor But we contrarily dâ—tracte from others and attribute to our selues wheras we shoulde not deny worthynes to others and confesse vnworthynes in our selues Eyther to be silent of our good deedes or at least neuer to speake of them for our owne prayse but only to glorifye God or to edifye our neighbor by them euermore to heare of our owne faultes imperfections patiently acknowledge them where just occasion is vnfeignedly or in serious humility to thinke of them with greife as alwayes set against vs with our marke vpon their foreheades that as soone as we see them we may sorowfully and willingly thoughe secretly acknowledge that pride is mine that dullnes in deuotion is mine such couetousnes is mine such vaynglory is mine such pelting anger is mine such friuolous contention is mine such paltry lyes are mine such waspish impatience is mine such is my distraction in prayer my lazines or sleepynes is such my property it is to deale timorously or not hartily my selfeloue it is to esteeme too well of my selfe too much delighte in meate drinke is mine to many carnall thoughtes are mine mine are idle imaginations foolish conceiptes my faulte it is to lay blame on others excuse mine all the good o lorde which I haue or doo it is thine and mine are innumerable vnserchable euills 3. Goodnes is thine by identity by creation by communication or by complete action but is mine only by participation eyther infused or applyed or exercised Allso by priuate mystery S. Ihons Baptisme was called his by peculiar promise o lorde thou arte called the God of Abraham so likweise arte our God iustice is only thine as the giuer yet as receiuers it is likewise ours grace is thine as the owner and ours as the farmers the heauens and all creatures are thine as the Author ours as possessors Only of euill and sinne euery one may iustly say it is mine as possessor and author it is mine as farmer and
before vs may preserue vs from followig sinnes which will offer themselues vnto vs Thus let our sinnes be against vs to reprehend vs for the faulte or before vs to remember vs of the punishment DIVERSE INTERPRETATIONS OF THESE wordes Tibi soli vnto thee alone c. Sect. 4. 1. ANd the more to make vs abhorre our sinnes let vs recounte theÌ„ with all the lewde lothsom circumâ—tances as Daâ—id addeth To thee only haue I sinned committed euill before thee I am king or a person of dignity thou arte God of greatest maiesty for such a person to offend against such a God is a heynous crime the higher my seate the greater my faulte the more glorious thy presence the fowler my offence I haue sinned before thee not of ignorance for I know my iniquity nor of negligence for my sinne is alwayes against me but against my waking conscience euen before thee Thoughe not of malice and despite determinately against thee yet by vnreuerent neglecte wittingly and willingly euen before thee Woulde a man abuse another whiles he knowes the Iudge lookes vpon him But who woulde before his face offend the Iudge himselfe yet such are we in all our sinnes 2. We sinne o lorde before thee who as a wise iudge knowest and seest all our enormiâ—yes and arte neuer deceiued We sinne vnto thee as a iust iudge who haste auctority to punish our wickednes nor wilte be corrupted but arte euer iustifyed in thy wordes And we sinne vnto thee alone as a moste powerfull Iudge aboue whom only there is no appeale from whom only there is no escape and against whom only there is no resistance for thou doost ouercome when thou arte iudged 2. We are said to offend vnto a man vnder whose power and auctority we are subiect to be punished thoughe our offeÌ„ce be not so against him that we iniury him And he that robbeth a traueler committes euill against him from whom he taketh his mony and yet is not properly said to sinne vnto him but vnto the Iudge vnder whose power he is to receiue his punishment So that we may sinne vnto a man and not against hâ—â— and allso against a man but not vnto him And so Iudges must consider offences as done vnto the lawe or vnto them for publique iustice not as done against them according to their particuler respectes and priuate affections Neither may priuate men who receiue iniuryes done against them therfore become their owne Iudges to reuenge for it perteynes not vnto them 3. Tibi soli vnto thee alone Some hebrew wryters thinke that the murder of Vrias and the adultery of Bersabee were vnknowne among men and therfore he saith as of secret sinnes vnto thee alone I haue offended Others suppose that Vrias being now dead he meaneth that he can make satisfaction to no other aliue as he desired but to thee alone And one doth expounde it thus to thee alone I crye peccaui lamenting my guiltynes of whom alone I looke for miserere acquitting punishment For thoughe we go to the preist as thy officer yet by him we come vnto thee alone as the Author 4. We haue sinned vnto thee o lord as our Iudge who must chastize vs. Vnto thee alone who only arte without all faulte and therfore without any checke maist seuerely procede against vs. All men are culpable of somewhat vnto thee thoughe they seme vprighte vnto men wherfore thou alone maist pronounce a stricte sentence And seing the enuy of Satan and the malice of the Iewes can finde nothing in thee therfore thou alone at euery sinner maist caste the first stone It is true o lord we haue by our sinnes iniuryed many men and scandalized more yet vnto thee alone we haue sinned as vnto a punisher and a Iudge who hath in himselfe no faulte to be amended For it is proper vnto thee alone to be iustified in all thy wordes and euer to ouercome when thou arte iudged WHEN WE COMMITTE SINNE BEFORE our Lord and that he seeth not as man seeth Sect. 5. ET malum coram te feci I haue committed euill before thee Euen in thy presence for thou knowest and seest all I haue sinned vnto thee throughe disobedience and before thee by impudence Is it not a greater faulte against the king which is done in his pallace or in his presence then in his absence or in a village And they whose busynesses and their liues are most in or about churches in monasteryes or religious places whose cheife furniture of housholde are Breuiaryes Beades disciplines sackclothes or bookes of deuotion they whose principall studyes or intentions are directed to Diuinity and alsoe all men when they receiue spirituall inspirations of God or whosoeuer pretend to serue God in any fraternity somewat more then others are not all these nearher to our lordes presence more then others and therfore more bound then others to walke euer as in his presence and not to committe euill before him 2. The very diuell accounted it a greiuous sinne which is committed in any speciall sorte before our lorde and so he said of Iob that if he were afflicted in body he woulde blaspheme God to his face And therfore the lawes of men doo prohibite the benefite of Sanctuary vnto them who haue committed their faulte in the very churche So our lorde complayned in Ezekiel of the abhominations which the house of Israel committeth Here Namely in his temple before him And so sinneth the preacher in the pulpeâ— when he speakes out of malice or for vaynglory so sinneth the preist at the altar when he is irreuerent in his action or careles in his deuotion so sinneth his Helper at masse when he is negligent so sinne his Hearers when they are not sufficiently attent but either vndecent in gesture pratling in wordes or in bad or vayne thoughtes witingly wandring when we ruÌ„ne ouer our howres or our beades or our prayers with more needeles speede then any good heede o how doo we sinne before him 3. All such sinners are like Cayn who althoughe he remayned in the presence of God yet as S. Ambrose noteth the texte saith of him that he went out from the face of our lorde not only by loosing his fauor as hauing committed murder but especially because hauing committed this euill before him yet he sottishly supposed to be hidde from him Worse are all such then the heathen grecians who called God Theos because he beholdeth all thinges and as they said in a prouerbe Against euill he hath a reuenging eye And worse then the superstitious Egiptians who as S. Cyril writeth did signifie the All-seeing prouidence of almighty God by the hieroglifique of a scepter hauing a fayre eye on his toppe noting that as his scepter commandeth all so his eye beholdeth all O therfore let vs take heede how we committe euill before him for we can neither auoyde the eye of his knowledge nor escape the rodde
of is aucthority Especially when we go about any parte of his religious seruice let vs seriously suppose we come more particulerly into his presence then let vs consider him present as one of greatest maiesty and then let vs consider him present as one of the Best goodnes on the other side then let vs acknowledge our selues before him as exceeding vnworthy creatures and allso then let vs acknowledge our selues before him as maruelous wicked and malicious enemyes that so we may reuerencâ— and feare his majesty as Greatest and with hope and loue praye vnto his Goodnes as Best especially humbling and confounding our selues before him as wonderfull lewde enemyes and vnworthy base creatures 4. Yet herein let vs take comforte o my soule as well as feare for as he is the Greatest to be feared so he is the Best to be loued And as he seeth all so he seeth not as man seeth his giftes of nature are admirable but any one gifte of his grace as S. Thomas saith is of more value then all his giftes of nature in the whole worlde therfore we will doo reuerence before thy majesty and before thy Goodnes we will sing prayses o lordè thou seest not as man seeth neither imperfectly to be deceiued taking good for euill nor partially to be corrupted by fauor or affection thine eye is not cruell in malice but mercifull euen in justice if we seeke to hide our faultes thou seest and doost punish if we humble our selues as Dauid here before thee then thou beholdest vs with pity 5. If we sinne before men many wil say why doth not fire come downe from heauen to chastize such wickednes But as Calicratidas hauing a prisoner whom his enemyes hated and a great summe of mony desidered to be deliuered vnto them to the end they mighte torment and kill him as they desidered thoughe Calicratidas wanted mony to pay his army yet he would not sell his captiue to their malice wherupon saith Cleander who was a Capteyn of his counsell surely if I were Calicratidas I woulde sell this prisoner for this mony the other wittily replyed In sooth so woulde I if I were Cleand insinuating the difference betweene a base couetous minde and a noble generous spirite In the same maner because our lorde is not of ignoble disposition like Cleander but much morâ— heroycall then Calicratidas therfore with a munificent kingly minde he suffers our faultes rewardes vs with benefites when men would haue deliuered vs to the diuell he granteth pardon to much euill committed before him where men woulde take sharp vengeance for one worde of reproche thoughe spoken behinde their backes And in this sense Iob pleadeth vnto his pitifull eye saying Are thine eyes of fleth or dâ—ost thou see as a man seeth that thou shouldest seeke my iniquity and searche out my sinne so let vs say o lord we hope well to finde fauour in thy face for thine eyes are not vnmercifull nor doo they exaggerate our faultes as men being offended rather thoughe it doo aggrauate my sinne to haue bene committed before thee yet this doth coÌ„forte my soule because I doo knowe thee a most heroycall lorde and a gracious God full of pity not like malicious men reuengefull in cruelty OF DIVERSE WAYES BY WHICH OVR lorde is justifyed and may be said to ouercome when he is judged Sect. 6. 1. VT iustificeris in sermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris That thou maist be iustfyed in thy wordes maist ouercome when thou arte iudged They that desire any benefite of kinges vse to alledge their passed merites or future ability in his seruice but of thee O God I aske mercy without merite only for mercy sake I suffer misery I abhorre my iniquity I see confesse my sinnes therfore haue mercy I haue principally-offended thee and thou hast promised pardon and passed thy worde to forgiue euery penitent therfore haue mercy that so thou maict be iustifyed in thy wordes and if any woulde doubte of the truthe of these promises that allso thou mayst ouercome such when thou arte iudged in their mistrustfull discourses 2. If directly thou shalte auouch that I all men are sinners absolutely thou shalte ouercome in this plea all meÌ„ who dare trauerse their enditemeÌ„t shal be found lyers thou shalte be iustifyed Or thus my sinne may be an occasion of thy greater bounty and iustification not causally but consequently thy iustification reckoned for an effecte not my sinne accompted for a cause so here is placed this coniunction vt that which is allso vsed by our Sauiour in the same sense saying sitt downe in the laste place that he coming who inuited thee may say freind sitte vp higher where he meaneth not to teach fayned humility to sit lowest to the end to be aduaÌ„ced for such counterfet humility were indeede worse then ordinary pride but our Sauior foretelleth that so it will folowe succede that if we be sincerely humble we shall certeinly be exalted not to be so intended by vs but it will be so órdeyned of God And so S. Paul alledgeth these wordes concluding that our wickednes doth more manifest commend the iustice of God And so we may say I haue sinned o lorde before thee vnto thee and by how much more my sinnes are greater by so much the more thou haste occasion to magnifie thy mercy in my pardon to testifye to all the worlde the truthe of thy promises and against any mistrustfull or murmuring censurer to prooue thy selfe an vndoubted a gracious Iudge 3. O lorde thou haste sworne vnto thy seruante Dauid that of the fruite of his loynes thou wouldest set the Messias on his throne althoughe I haue sinned greiuously because I haue hartily repented yet let it appeare that thou hast forgiuen my sinnes and wilte still accomplishe thy former promises that so in respecte of doubtefull weakelinges thou maist be iustifyed in the assurance of thy worde and maist ouercome all misdeeming enemyes in their enuious imaginations who otherwise will iudge me as a reprobate or blaspheme thee as a promise breaker 4. Or else we may construe it thus o lorde thou haste threatned temporall publique punishment against me some paraduenture knowing me to be great in thy fauor yet ignorante of my great sinnes if they should see me so afflicted not knowe howe I haue offended it may be they woulde wonder or murmure or take some other scandall wherfore be it knowne to all the worlde that I haue sinned and hauing demerited all those punishments which shall come vpon me let it appeare that I am faulty and thou arte iuste both iustifyed in thy wordes accomplishing what thou haste threatned and allso maist ouercome in proofe that thou haste threatned punished me duely if any shoulde judge or censure thee rashly Thus o my soule let vs humble our selues for our sinnes and giue glory to God in his iustice thus said
S Augustin A penitent must not only feare our lord as a Iudge but allso loue him for being iustice And thus if we be truly contrite which is a sorowe because we haue offended God whom we doo loue aboue all then will we in this sorowe of loue neither refuse our punishment nor excuse our faultes nor complayne of our lordes seuerity rather with Dauid here we will publish our sinnes and be iealous of Gods honor least any shoulde thinke that he vseth against vs too much rigor this is to loue our lorde with all our harte and all our soule to prefer his loue before our owne affections and to neglect our owne reputacion for aduancement of his name by this we shall heale in our selues the enormityes of our sinnes and make some small recompence vnto God as much as we can for all those iniuryes 5. If we giue any disgrace or reproche to our neighbor or lifte vp our hande or a weapon as if we woulde strike a magistrate thoughe we doo not hereby hurte their persons really yet in respecte of their dignity credite we are said by these to offer iniuryes so say deuines Deus non leditur in externis bonis To God himselfe all our sinnes can doo no harme and yet by euery least sinne we committe an indignity against his maiesty for we on our partes doo diminish his honor eyther neglecting or reiecting his aucthority whensoeuer we trangresse what soeuer he hath commanded Wherfore thoughe wee doo not harme his person yet for his diminished honor we are bound to our possible best restitution But what better restitution and for vs what more possible recompence then playnly to accuse our selues as most worthy of his punishment and clearly to iustifye him in all his procedinges For to yeild him these dutyes Iob inquired saying I haue sinned what shall I doo vnto thee O keeper of men In my sinnes o lord I beholde twoo enormityes the woundes which they haue giuen mee and the dishonor they haue done vnto thee o let vs be more carefull to repayre thy honor then to cure our owne payne firste what shall I doo vnto thee and so nexte I will haue care of my selfe for if our lord be once satisfyed I am sure we shall presenly be discharged O let our repentance by helpe of thy grace contrition come once to his perfection for such penitence is complete but vntill this althoughe it may be very good yet it is imperfecte this is an heroycall acte of contrition more to desire the exaltation of Gods honor then the release of our punishments and when in zeale of his honor we confesse confound our selues sincerely with sorowe of our harte rootes or with willing shame of our faces acknowledging or otherwise chastizing our offences then is our gracious lorde much more enclined to pardon all our guilte then we can be ready so to confesse our faulte 6. O come let vs say with Dauid and say it like Dauid with an entire harte we haue sinned O God to thee alone who arte aboue all And we haue committed euill before thee whose maiesty is greatest whose Goodnes is infinite and whose presence is most holy We doo confesse to haue deserued all these punishments which it shall please thee to lay vpon vs that thou maist be iustifyed in thy wordes if any shoulde suppose our offences smaller then our chastizements And so that thou maist ouercome when thou arte iudged if any shoulde deeme thy corrections greater then our faultes MEDITATION IIII. Ecce enim in iniquitatibus conceptus sum in peccatis concepit me mater mea For beholde I was conceiued in iniquityes and in sinnes my mother conceiued me A PARAPHASTICALL EXPOSITION OF the former wordes Sect. 1. 1. O Lorde I began to request thy great mercy and therfore I procede to recounte my manifolde misery for frō a good nature the bare sighte of misery craueth bountifull effectes of pity Haue pity therfore o most bountifull gracious God of all good nature haue pity on a wretche who hath bene miserable from his very inance and who euen in his cradle was wrapte in the bandes of wretchednes woe 2. Myne actuall sinnes are as thornes thistles but their roote is in my originall corruption o roote out this roote as well as cutte of those branches And as whe◠there falls much rayne the plenty of water floudes caryeth away abundance of filthe therfore whiles the multitude of thy mercyes are flowing I desire thee to washe me yet more from all my offences Beholde allso my originall sinne which as the secret filthe of my hidden sluttish corners I doo now bring forthe to be caste into these water floudes of great mercy that all may be made cleane whiles there is water for all And since I am lamenting the faultes of my life why shoulde I not bewayle the guiltynes of my birthe one griefe calls another to memory and so whiles I consider how vile I am in my selfe I cannot but remembrer how base I came from my parentes for originall sinne is a portion of myne inheritance which as it must iustly serue to hūble my pride bewayle my wretchednes so may it therfore allso please thee o lord to pardon my actuall faultes considering my naturall weakenes 3. For in such a sorte the same speche in a different sense may be an accusation an excusation a prayse and disprayse as Caius Laelius being reproched as one degnerate and vnworthy of his noble ancestors replyed to the reuyler being a base person But thou arte neither vnworthy nor degnerate frō thy ignominious predecessors So we must all confesse our corrupte Pedigree from Adam and also these wordes here which doo serue further to accuse our selues of sinne may likewise be alledged to mooue pity because in some sorte it proceedeth from our naturall infirmity Is it any marueil if he somtime sinke vnder water who alwayes in his swimming hath a great bagge of garbage or some other heauy filthe by his owne faulte euer tyed or cleauing to his body It is true o lorde thy grace and other helpes are more then sufficient to holde vs vp if we will fasten and keepe on our holde but seing we haue such a lothsome burden of originall corruption continually drawing vs downewarde as we oughte to be humble ashamed because it is lothsome so because it is a burden if it doo not diminishe the faulte yet it doth intreate pardon 4. Ecce in iniquitatibus conceptus sum O lorde I am so very a wretche that I am vncleane and polluted in sinne euen from my mothers wombe yet herein o lorde haue mercy vpon me because it was bred and borne with me I confesse thy sufficient meanes proffered to deliuer me from this thraldome yet spare me I beseech thee for being borne with much sinnefull frailty I haue too much inclined to my naturall weakenes my desires and lustes of nature haue often caryed my consent
from thy motions and inspirations of grace O giue me yet grace to ouercome theses desires and since they proceede of my corrupte nature o let me finde the more helpe to conquer them and the more mercy to pardon them DAVID IN THE FORMER VERSE ACcuseth not his parentes nor is the Acte of mariage of it selfe any sinne Sect. 2. 1. DAuid here doth not accuse his Father Iesse as if he had begotteÌ„ him in adultery for it is certein he was lawfully borne much lesse in that respecte therfore excuse his owne faulte with Bersabee as if it were naturall for Bastardes to become Adultereâ—s Nor doth he meane any Actuall sinne which his parentes mighte paraduenture haue coÌ„mitted in his generation for their actuall sinne doth neither infecte nor perteyneth to the childe 2. But as there is a Conception of humane seede in the action of carnall copulation so there is a Conception of humane nature in the substance of that which is engendred In the firste as in their owne action the parentes many times doo offend yet not in that but in the second doo we contracte participate our originall corruption as being of the substance of humane nature which is deriued vnto vs by our parentes from Adam 3. In the firste euen maryed couples may offend throughe inordinate luste thoughe paraduenture by the Priuiledges which are called the Goods of matrimony that may be but veniall in them which in others is criminall And yet their luste and other circunstances may be so disordenate that in their copulations they allso doo committe somtimes euen mortall faultes for a man may offend and be vnchaste with his owne wife as well as become dronke with his owne wyne 4. Not that the Acte of matrimony is of it selfe euill sinnefull But as it is sinne to eate or drinke imtemperately or to eate when or what we are forbidden so maryed couples doo offend in the vse of matrimony being immoderate in excesse or in times or places prohibited or in the manner immodest or vnnaturall 5. Otherwise matrimony being an office of nature and a Sacrament of the churche the due accomplishment therof is not a sinne for as it is naturall it intendeth prolem to haue children and it keepeth fidem obseruing the faithfull title and promise giuen of eche to others body Beside which among Catholique Christians this Sacrament giueth grace and betokens the loue and vnion betwene Christe and his churche 6. And these three proles fides Sacramentum Progeny fidelity the Sacrament are called Bona matrimonij the Goods or benefites of matrimony To the first is referred not only the generation but allso the good education of children The second is not meante to be theological faithe but vertuous fidelity as it is a parte of Iustice in obseruing true loue loyalty and in yeilding mutuall dutyes assistance ech to other and so for performance of all these perteyning both to progeny and fidelity is required vsuall cohabitatioÌ„ excepte when some vrgent or greater cause doo necessarily enforce any absence The third which is the sacrament if the partyes hinder it not by indisposition giueth grace of vnion when the contracte is lawfully made by expresse wordes of the present or by apparent signes of consent by which grace their mindes are extraordinarily knit vnited in honest and discrete loue And as our Sauiour Christes loue to his churche is inseparable so the sacramentality of mariage grounded herevpon causeth this bond of mariage Among Christians to be so indiuisible that thoughe in some cases they may be separated from bed and boarde or from cohabitation yet the mariage at the firste or afterwardes hauing bene once lawfull they can neuer be so disioyned that either parte may mary agayne whiles the other doth liue 7. These three foresaid Goods or benefites of matrimony doo cause the copulation of man wife not only not to be sinne but to be a good action of vertue when it procedeth either from intention of progeny or hath purpose yeilding mutuall fidelity yea it is an action of sanctity or holynes when it respecteth the sacramentality depending on the great mistery of holy loue betwene Christe and his churche 8. Wherfore no Catholiques euer termed lawfull mariage duely vsed to be vncleanes pollution carnall filthynes as Caluin others doo sclander vs herein as they vse to doo allso almost in all other pointes but they either reprehend vnlawfull mariages or true mariages vnlawfully vsed Or as S. Ierome writeth against Iouinian the carnall acte betwene maryed Couples may in some sense be called vncleanes as it is said in the Apocalipse These are they who were not polluted with women for they are virgins eyther in coÌ„parison of pure virginity for thoughe in the acte of mariage it is possible they may kepe one perfection of chastity yet they doo herein euer loose the higher perfection of vndefiled virginity so maryed partyes may be called coÌ„paratiuely defiled with women Or else their carnall delighte in copulation may be called fleshly pollution eyther as caused of the remnants of our carnall concupiscence and of that same naturall rebellious disobedience of our flesh against our reason or because for the moste parte by many maryed people it is often vsed excessiuely or disornately neither referred to progeny fidelity nor to any other honest end without some of which intentions it is sinne at least veniall and so why may it not somtime be called or named according as it is most commonly practised not expressing or so strictely naming the lawfull vse but so insinuating the vnlawfull and vsuall abuse For we knowe that the moderate and ordinate vse is so farre from being sinne that S. Paul commandeth maryed couples to yeild ech to other mutuall beneuolence and all Catholique Doctors so accompte it a worke meritorious as an acte of vertue and of religion orderly as holy religious vertuous meritorious And so speaketh S. Augustin therof when it is intended 1. as an Acte of justice or 2. of obedience or 3. of charity directed eyther firste to procreation of children to be broughte vp in the seruice of God or secondly to the performance of promised fidelity for auoyding fornication or thirdly for rendring ech to other mutuall loue and duty And when their modest delightes how intensiue soeuer in nature are directed to all or to any of the forementioned purposes as they are vertuous and cannot be condemned so on the contrary when they are soughte for luste and without any of the former respectes then how feeble soeuer nature be they cannot be excused 9. This I haue said to shew that neither Dauid complayneth of any actuall sinne committed by his parents in his generation nor that the lawfull orderly vse of matrimony hath of it selfe any sinne Not if it had the particuler faultes of our parents could not be ascribed to their children WHY OVR MOTHER IS MENTIONED TO BE Accessary to our originall
or nature which she inherited from Adam then any way belonging to any sinne in herselfe Or else thoughe grace had preuented destroyed all sinne in her soule yet it had not extinguished nor was conuenient to destroye the ordinary naturall qualityes of her body firste because enduring those she merited so much more in heauen secondly that it mightâ— appeare to the worlde she was a true humane creature of whose pure flesh our Sauiour tooke our true humane nature 5. If Originall sinne had polluted and possessed her she had bene during that time abhominable vnto God for such sinne and in bondage thervnto and so by it vnto Satan But was it meete that at any time she should be said to be odious to our lorde or that the diuell or sinne shoulde haue her subiect in their captiuity or defiled in pollution who was to be the mother of God himselfe Secondly if it were in our pouer would we not choose to be borne of the most vertuous vnspotted parents that we coulde And was it not in the power of God thus to prepare preserue his mother froÌ„ originall sinne if it were in his power doubteles he had will to doo it because out of question he caried extraordinary loue vnto her for thoughe primarily she merited not to be his mother but of his sole mercy he did chuse her not another yet hauing made this election he may be said afterward by his owne law of honoring parentes bound in dutifull loue to giue her all the honor merite possible wherof a pure creature mighte he capable Wherfore S. Bonauenture concludeth that in deede our lord could haue made for vs amore comely beautifull worlde but it is probable he could not make for himself a more excellent mother Thirdly it was inconuenient in regarde of himselfe that any blemish of originall sinne should defile her soule for the honor or dishonor of the parent redoundeth to the childe and so it had bene a diminution of his owne honor to haue bene the sonne of an impure mother 6. Fourthly S. Ihon Baptist was sanctified in his mothers wombe at the very voyce of her who had our Sauiour in her wombe is not she herselfe more worthy of a greater priuiledge in the same kind vidz the mother of God sooner then the messenger Fifthly S. Andrew the Apostle auowched and after him Theodoret that she excelled the cherubim and Seraphim in purity But how was this if she had originall sinne or how is she aboue the Angells in dignity and glory if she were inferior in purity and grace or is it meete that any meere creature should be more excellent or aboue the mother of God 7. Sixtly S. Augustin saith he would euer haue her excepted when he treated of sinne And as he judged it absurde to suppose that her flesh was eaten of wormes or corrupted in rottennes which had norished and giuen substance to the manhood of Christe and therfore he auowed and beleued her boody to be assumpted into heauen immediatly after her death according to her story and the tradition of the churche So me thinkes it is more inconuenient we should yeild him to be borne of flesh which at my time had bene subject to sinne for sinne is much more base then the wormes and pollution of soule is farre worse then any corruption of body Seauenthly I am sure if it were in the handes of any good ChristiaÌ„ to grante her this preheminence he woulde not deteyne it why then should he deny to beleeue it in his harte when it is permitted and commended as a probable and most pious opinion and when he woulde giue it her if he were able Eightly this pure conception of our blessed Lady hath bene manifested by diuerse reuelations to S. Brigitte which are amongest those that be approued And to Elpinus a Reuerend English Abbot the verity therof confirmed by S. Anselmus Archbish. of Canterbury and after his soleÌ„nization in England of the Feast of her pure conception it was firste permitted and since receiued in all Catholique cuntryes Thus doth the Catholique churche honor her And this hath bene permitted by seuerall Counâ—ells And resteth commended by sundry Popes Wherfore let vs confesse that as the first Adam was made of earthe before it was cursed with thornes or weedes so our Lord Iesus the second Adam tooke flesh of her flesh which was blessed and neuer cursed with any nettles of concupiscence or thornes of originall sinne 8. O holy Virgin more pure then the heauens They are moste cleare and yet but a generall habitation for Sayntes there to see God Thou werte a speciall tabernacle both to enterteyne God himselfe and to affoarde him parte of thy substance O how coulde that be at any time vncleane where he dwelled how could that be euer touched with sinne which he assumed The diligent Bees wil not harbour in an vncleane hiue but doth annoynte them with sweete moystures before they make their hony The cleanly Ermyne will rather be killed by the Huntesmen then to saue his life enter into any place which is filthy Much lesse will the pure wisdome of God dwell in a body subject to sinne as said wise Solomon wherfore he allso saith in the Canticles many Doctors applye it to our blessed Ladie Thou arte all fayre O my loe and in thee there is no spotte And therfore with the Catholique Churche let vs say in her seruice O holy and immaculate virginity I know not with what prayses to extolle thee because whom the heauens coulde not conteyne thou diddest maynteyne in thy bosome Blessed arte thou among women and blessed be the fruite of thy wombe Because whom the heauens coulde not conteyne thou diddest maynteyne in thy bosome O happy and sacred Virgin Mary O most worthy of all honor pray for the laity entreate for the clergy make request for all deuoute womankinde O let all sortes finde thy certeyn succor whosoeuer doo celebrat thy sacred Conception 8. O founteyn sealed vp for the water oflife let thy intercession helpe to quench in vs all coales of concupiscence O Garden of paradise well guarded to keepe the tree of life let thy prayers preserue vs from too much liberty of our senses and all loosenes of life O brightest glasse of Chrystall without any spotte obteyne for vs all clearenes of harte and body freed from all foule thoughtes or other fleshly pollution 9. O swetest rose of the valley fayrest Lily of the mounteyn o precious balme of Gilead and comely Cypres of Sion thy wonderfull beauty of face and rare comelynes of person were euer accompanyed with such modesty of countenance and sobriety of behauior and besides so blessed with an extraordinary grace that thy beauty neuer allured but abashed thy comelynes did not entise but amaze nor could any harbour an vnchaste thoughte whiles he behelde thy Virgins eye O let thy gracious eyes of chastity so looke downe vpon vs in
Let vs vs◠〈…〉 and prayer to enlighten our dimmed knowledge let vs vse patience 〈…〉 to humble to quench our strong enflamed affections let vs vse mortificatâ—â—◠〈◊〉 abstinence to restreyne refreyne our sottish vncleâ—â—â—leasures O swete 〈…〉 vs these graces o most pure immaculate and blessed 〈◊〉 Mary pray for vs o most feruorous penitent Saynt Marie Magdalen be thou 〈…〉 Aduocate that our regeneration may be more perfect then our generation was 〈…〉 that whatsoeuer poore integrity we haue it may he continued and how great 〈◊〉 our vncleannes hath bene that with contrite teares it may be washsd O we coâ—â—esse our base birthe conceiued in sinne to remember vs to be humble and because wâ— were conceiued in iniquities we doo entreat compassion on our naturall frailtyes for thou arte most graciously pitifull MEDITATION V. Ecce enim veritatem dilexisti incerta oculta sapientiae tuae manifestasti mihi For beholde thou hast loued truthe and thou hast manifested vnto me the doubtfull and secret thinges of thy wisdome DIVERSE DEVOVTE INTERPRETATlONS of these wordes And an humble thankesgiuing of the Author for his vndeserued conuersion Sect. 1. THere is a threefolde Truthe 1. of life against hypocrisie in which they are faulty who are clad in the wolle of sheepe whiles they dissemble the malice of wolues 2. in Truthe of doctrine against heresie which sercheth out false and foolish deuices 3. In Truthe of justice against partiall accepting of persons which is an abomination vnto God O founteyn and author of Truthe deliuer my soule from all these lyes of partialitie of heresie and of hipocrisie let my life be true in deuotion of harty actions rather then in any ostentation of wordes or seming labor of lippes let my doctrine be true guided by thy holy spirite and in euery title submitted to thy Catholique churche rather then in trusting to myne owne witte or relying on any others priuate conceyte let my vprighte dealing be true respecting others as I would be vsed my selfe neither bending for feare nor leaning for affection for beholde o lord it is euident in all thinges thou louest truthe 2. Wherfore in my particuler Cases of conscience in my priuate sinnes and other doubtes what should I doo some men are ignorant some men are negligent some excuse all and some doo much extenuate their faultes but I knowe my iniquities against ignorance I haue my sinne alwaies against me and I will set my selfe alwayes against sinne without negligence I may not defend my faulte but I doo accuse my selfe to haue sinned aboue all vnto thee and before thee to haue committed euill Nor woulde I extenuate but aggrauate my offences fearing least they be worse then I suppose for I knowe thou shal be be iustified in thy wordes and wilte ouercome when thou arte iudged Beholde therfore I spare not to discouer eueÌ„ my natural infirmityes I was conceiued in iniquityes And all this playnnes I vse in confession with sincerity for thou louest truthe 3. Allso thou louest truth not alone in confession but as well in satisfaction for so thou giuest prerogatiue to mercie that yet thou wouldest kepe truth thou doost pardon him that confesseth yet if he punish himselfe So is obserued both mercie truthe mercie because the man is freed truth because the sinne is punished O blessed S. Augustin it appeareth thou werte a Catholique penitent somtime punishing thy body not a carnall protestante euer pampering thy fleshe thou doost require some sharpe satisfaction after an entire confession but these will not vndergoe the blushing of confession much lesse endure the rigor of satisfaction they are content with the liberty of their ghospell and an easy faithe and therfore they refuse the necessity of satisfaction and all harde truthe But thoughe our Lordes truthe haue harde sayinges yet we must repent O let vs not abhorre these truthes which to flesh and bloud doo breede hatred for thou o lord louest truth 4. Thy prophet Nathan promised my sinnes should be translated from me wherfore I haue great hope of pardon and doo relye on all thy promises for thou louest truth and doubtles wilte performe I allso haue some comforte in this respecte because thoughe I committed a fowle faulte in matter of vice yet in poyntes of faith I haue not swarued from that Truthe which thou doost loue I haue caste thy grace and loue out of my will but yet in my vnderstanding I haue reteyned thy truthe It is naughte and too bad to haue one dore barred against thee as a vicious Israelite but it is worâ—e like a heatheÌ„ or an hetetique to shutte thee out with a doble barre or with two gates vidz neither to beleeue righte nor to liue well 5. Or peraduenture thoughe the wicked Beleeuer be somewhat easier to be conuerteâ— yet remayning obstinate he is in danger to be worse punished Wherfore Euthymius supposeth Dauid to say thus In my former wordes lamenting my naturall frailty I mighte seeme to extenuate my faulte ô no I reuoke any excuse rather o lord I accuse my selfe according to truthe I was great in thy fauor or as thy Secâ—etary thou diddest manifest vnto me the secret and doubtfull thinges of thy wisdome O how many hidden prophecyes hast thou reuealed to me which I haue published to others but the more I consider these fauors the greater I acknowledge my offences more abhominable is the treason of a Secretary then any falsehood of an enemy 6. Thus I doo deeply sincerely in all truthe accuse my selfe yet I cannot tell whether herin it were presumption for me to intreate thy reconciliation mercy because I was once thy inward freind fauorite To remember passed iniuryes doth prouoke a malicious minde to reuenge and contrarily why should it not mooue thy mercifull nature to pity him sooner whom thou diddest once loue I will plead earnestly yet with humility I will acknowledge my faultes to be so much more detestable because being once so gracious in thy secret and especiall loue I was so graceles as to deserue thy iuste open hate Among men great loue is often changed into great hate as the best wyne into the sharpest vineger but thou o lord seest not as men see neither so variable to be soone changed nor so inflexible to be hardly reconciled As it increaseth my faulte to haue abused such gracious fauor so the remembrance of this fauor loste by my faulte doth so much more afflicte my harte as my sinne is greater so my losse is greater my payne is greater and my sorowe is greatâ—r O let these entreate by the greatnes of thy loue that hauing bene a secret freind of thy priuy chamber thou wouldest not leaue me as a base sclaue to the despite of the publique worlde I hope thy honor will not permitte it and that thy great fauor will not be so much diminished 7. Thus may they pray who haue fallen from especiall fauors that from their depe
hath it had and hath stil euery day wonderfull effectes froÌ„ the vertue of our Lordes death and the effusion of his bloud shed thervpon Euen the wood of the yong mans Coffen said S. Ambrose after Iesus had touched it began to avayle vnto raysing him to life much more the wood of his crosse it selfe which when it was found by S. Helena both reuiued the sicke raysed the dead And only the signe of the crosse somtime without faith and deuotion yet hath wroughte maruelous effectes which doth shew the dignity that our lorde giueth vnto the signe for the excellency of the thing it selfe which he sanctifyed by his death As that christian who wickedly purposing to poyson himselfe came to Iew a Doctor of physicke for some strong poyson the Iew glad to kill a Christian gaue him a violent poysonous potion Before he dronke it he made the signe of the crosse ouer it as he vsed to doo commonly before he did eat or drinke It did him no harme he complaynes to the Iew that his poyson was not strong enoughe The Iew coulde giue him none stronger but the encreaseth the quantity of the same As before he takes it making the signe of the crosse The poyson preuayles not He is angry at the Iew and the Iew is madde to see him still aliue he doubtes the Christian had not taken it or had mixte or done somewhat else to it The Christian sweares he had done nothing to it only he remembers he had made the signe of the crosse as alwayes he vsed The Iew giues a little to a dogge which presently burste The Christian signing it with the crosse agayne takes a great deale more of the same poyson in the sighte of the Iew and yet feeles no harme whervpon he repentes the Iew is conuerted both of them aske God mercy and become honest deuout men 5. A blessed signe made holy and most glorious by touching the body and being sprinkled with the bloud of our Sauiour who was God and man he hallowed it with his death sanctifyed it by his merites honored it with his person and as it representeth his passion so it deriueth vertue from his merites The â—resâ—e before times was a detestable torment for malefectors now it is a royall ornament in the crownes of Kinges and Emperors honored of all Catholique Christians scorned or abhorred of none but Pagans Iewes Heretiques and Diuells And as the wonted shame therof is turned into honor so the former curse therof is changed into blessing O sacred signe which as the Royall standarde of the lambe shall come before him to iudgment A terror to the diuels and such as shalle damned a conforte to all Angells Sayntes and such as are to be saued thou arte the key of Dauid vnlocking Limbo and Purgatory to let out soules vnto liberty and opening heauen and Paradise to giue them entrance into rest and glory Thou arte the hysope of Dauid which helpeth to sprinkle sinners with the bloud of our Sauiour to be cleansed washed made white aboue snow Or as Origen said thou arte Tendiculum magni Fullonis the Tenter of our great Fuller who clenseth vs with his owne bloud instead of soape and in place of our weake rotten clothe suffered his diuine body to be stretched for vs vpon this Tenter of the crosse THERE ARE SVNDRY DEGREES OF WAShing cleansing and whyting of sinne Sect. 4. 1. O Blessed Sauiour washe me from the filthynes of vice and in the beauty of vertue make me white aboue snowe By thy mercie cleanse me and make me white by thy grace If I be white as snowe in inwarde deuotion for my selfe make me more white aboue snowe in externall exercise of good workes towardes others 2. Or thou o my soule take comforte from hence that not only an innocent but euen a penitent may attayne to estate of most perfect purity As S. Peter S. Paul S. Mary Magdalene and holy Dauid in this place by vertue of Christes merites hoped after repentance to be restored to perfection and purity aboue snowe Wherfore if we haue bene great sinners let vs labour so much more to become great Sayntes that as the prophet saith In the caues where dwelte dragoÌ„s there may spring vp greene rushes which as Eusebius expoundes it is instead of venimous filthy sinne to haue pleasant florishing vertue Neither let it seeme strange that as a notable saynte may become a notorious sinner so a lothsome sinner may become a glorious saynte for a garment which hath bene torne did you neuer see it drawne vp with such skill that no rent could be discerned and if vpon this occasion the same garment were all embrodered and the rent place couered with golde lace or set with pearle would it not be both a necessary mending of the rent and a better decking of the garment much better can our Lord Iesus repayre adorne the deformed beauty of a polluted soule he can sprinkle it cleanse it wash it and white it aboue snowe 3. O sprinkle me with hysope as a Begimner in goodnes to haue at firste some dewe droppes of grace O washe me next with some more plenty of this water that I may proceede from grace to grace And to the end I may be perfecte make me white aboue snowe Among earthly creatures there is nothing whyter then snowe but aboue this doo the Sayntes in heauen shyne as the â—unne I beseech thee O Sauiour sprinkle me with thy hysope and wash me with thy bloud that when this corruption shall put on incorruption and when this mortall shal be cloathed with immortality then I may be made white aboue snowe and shyne as the Sunne in eternall glory IT IS BETTER TO CONFESSE THEN to excuse to heare then to speake and of sundry kindes of ioye and gladnes Sect. 5. AFter my pardon I will rejoyce But a soule that is in sinne how should it haue mirth I will reioyce o lorde by hearing thy comfortes not in pleading for my selfe excuses Rather let me heare thy ioye speaking absolution to mine eares then any way delighte in my tongue pleasantly extenuating or wittily auoyding my faultes Wouldest thou after sinne fayne plead for thy reputation rather heare thy conscience and listen to repentance Be sorye for it confesse it then shalte thou heare ioye in thy harte and no terror at thyne eare 2. In generall we knowe it is better to heare then to speake And in spirituall contemplation excepte we first heare what God saith to our harte how can we hartily speake to him with our mouthe according as in nature wee see him that is borne deafe to be euer dumbe Allso among men he that heares as a good scholler practiseth Silence Beleefe Humilitie and obedience but he that is speaking as a paynful Teacher must labor with his voyce he must be carefull that he speake to good purpose for others without falsehood or flattery and he must be heedfull to himselfe
is dronkard a glutton or a luxurious person for whiles they pronounce that with their mouthes wherof they haue no sauour or delighte in their hartes they doo but counterfeyte or borrowe the mouthe of other true religious men who vtter with deuotion what these doo but pronounce for fashion like puppeets which speake by arte not by nature Rather excepte they woulde amend their liues it were better for themselues they should holde their tongues as Bias sayling in a shippe with certeyn maryners and passengers whose conditions he noted to be very vicious therfore in a storme which presently folowed when they all began to lifte vp their voyces crye vnto their Gods he earnestly desired them to holde their peace Silâ—te ne voshic nauigare Dij sentiant be silent least the Gods perceiue that you sayle here Meaning that the prayers of such companions woulde rather prouoke then appeaâ—e the wrathe of heauen 3. And so Dauid here desires firste to be freed from blouddes or sinnes and afterwarde he entreats for grace to haue his lippes opened for as it is in another psalme If I haue respecte to iniquity our lorde will not harken for how should I obteyne remission of sinne if yet I haue any intention still to sinne O lorde open my lippes o lord doo thou make me worthy doo thou make me able to pray vnto the and to prayse thee My tongue of it selfe is of no value it is only a small peice of flesh which yet according to his vse may worke great effectes maruelous good or extreme bad as Anacarsis being asked what was the best of man he answered the tongue And agayne being asked what was the worste he answered the tongue and therfore nature hath placed it in the close vaulte of our mouthe besette it with teeth as a percullice and our lippes are as the gates to the end that with such Guardes it should be warily kepte in for it must be carefully gouerned as the Rudder or sterne of a shippe the minute wheele of a clocke the trice or pully of a Crane And one compares it to a mattocke or pickaxe which may serue to dig a dungill or to worke in a myne of golde because our tongue may be an instrument to blaspheme sweare reuile sclander c. or to defend Righte to teach truthe to perswade vertue to pray vnto God for his mercy or to prayse him for his goodnes And so I desire o lorde thou wilte open my lippes my mouthe shall declare thy prayse ALL CREATVRES DOO PRAYSE OVR LORD by declaring his goodnes of necessity let vs yeild him all honor for loue and dutye Sect. 7. 1. WHat prayse shall we giue thee o God who diddest make man of the slyme of the earthe what honor shall we ackwoledge to be due vnto thee who hast redeemed vs being loste by the death of thy sonne in the firste we confesse thy gracious power inthe second we doo admire thy powerfull grace All the honor and prayse glory which possibly we can giue vnto thee is not to adde any thing to thy prayse or honor which thou haste in thy selfe infinite without our commendation But to declare some parte of thy glory and prayse which from all creatures is due vnto the. And hence it is that the heauens are said to declare thy glory and hence it is that vsually in thy honor we doo inuite all thy workes euen dumbe creatures to manifest thy prayses 2. All creatures O God doo declare thy prayse euen wicked men diuells whither they will or no they doo affoarde matter occasions to shew forthe thy iustice prouidence wisedome power goodnes long sufferance But betwixte these prayses of thy freindes and enimyes there is much difference for the one is willing the other vnwilling or the one is giuen of purpose the other drawne from them without their purpose or the one procedeth from the nature of their substances or order of their actions but the other especially from the loue of their will from the lighte of their vnderstanding and from the grace goodnes which is in them both O lorde giue my soule such grace and let this grace be diffused in my lippes to loue the honor thee in my harte and so with my mouthe to declare thy prayse O thus let me desire euer that my whole life and all my actions passions may be directed intended by thy loue vnto thine honor O let my harte burne in this loue and let the flames of thy prayse procede out of my mouthe to giue heate vnto others as well as feel warmthe in my selfe 3. And as it is the nature of great heate not so suffer our mouthe to be close shutte nor will we cease to prayse what we loue so contrarily the dead coldnes of sinne doth both quenche this heate and stoppe our mouthes and so will not suffer vs to prayse our lorde Thus S. Basil noteth that it is the nature of sinne to make vs tongue-tyed and to shutte vp our mouthes least we should be able to pray vnto God or to prayse him and else where Dauid saith obstructum est os loquentium iniqua they that speake wickednes their mouthes are euen stopped whiles they speake ALL OVR CONSIDERATIONS AND actions shoulde haue some relation vnto the prayse of God Sect. 8. 1. O Lorde open my lippes to take in breath of thy grace and my mouthe shall set forth thy prayse in wordes of thankesgiuing Thy honor glory O God shall be the scope and end of all my life my soule shall serue for thy prayse and my body shall herin helpe to serue my soule Because as Seneca said I am more noble and borne allso to a more noble end then to serue my bodie as a bruite beast But in my soules contemplation I will consider for thy greater honor thy omnipotency in creating thy prouidence in disposing thy vertue in finishing in preseruation of what is finished thy power in gouernement of what is preserued thy wisedome thy mercy in dooing good to all and thy iustice in punishing the bad These thinges I will consider in mine vnderstanding in my senses I will admire them reioyce for them in my will and with my voyce I will declare thy prayse 2. Saint Peter said this is one end why our lorde redeemed vs that we shoulde shew forthe his vertue And so a philosopher being asked why man was created he answeree to contemplate and beholde the heauens the deuine powers O my soule let vs endeuour thus to meditate on God by contemplation to knowe him by knowing to loue him by louing to possesse him by possessing to enioye him and in this ioye to prayse him O how wonderfull great are thy workes o lorde thy cogitations are exceding deepe an vnwiâ—e man will not knowe and a foole will not vnderstand these thinges If I be not able or not worthy to fasten mine eyes vpon thy selfe I will
bound of necessity to iterate or repeate my repentance for the same sinnes And wise men doo giue it for good counsell not to recall to our minde such passed sinnes as perteyning to delightes of our flesh or to the honors or Riches of the worlde were so pleasing vnto vs that their remembrance thoughe with pretence of remorse may mooue vs in thoughte agayne to delighte somewhat in them as soone as in deede to be contrite for them Except it be at such times when either we feele our selues in feruent deuotion or finde in our selues such abundant mortification that we neede not feare their enticement Other wise that which is delectable to our nature without speciall grace will easily drawe vs to encline to his desire 11. I said we are not bound of necessity to repeate our Contrition for the same sinnes yet when without the said danger we haue opportunity doubtles it is very conuenient somtimes to renew to repeate our contrition and so to endeauour to make it sure good least peraduenture before times it haue bene insufficient Especially at the time of our death we haue neede to repeate it and as much as we can to make all sure yea S. Augustin vsed to say thoughe his conscience accused him of no crime vnrepented yet it is very conuenient at our death to haue CoÌ„trition for whatsoeuer offences of our life and accordingly that holy Father in his sicknes before his death caused the 7. penitentiall psalmes to be set by his Bed-side in great letters that he mighte often repeate them as he did with many teares And in this I speake of generall Contrition actually to be repeated as often as conueniently we can doo it I doo not speake of the often repetition of the selfe same generall confessions which hauing bene made with diligence deuotion once twice or thrice at most in our life time as graue learned discrete men doo auouche it is abundantly sufficient for as it is requisite on our partes to vse our true diligence so it is as necessary in regarde of God allmightyes great goodnes to haue good trust much confidence in his loue mercy fatherly affection towardes vs beleeuing credibly that all is forgiuen vs most fauorably for our gracious God is not like a crafty copesman or a cauilling lawyer ready to spye euery friuolous nullity to take aduantage vpon the smallest ouersighte no no we may oughte to be assured that our Lorde is more ready to forgiue then we to aske pardon wherfore hauing done our endeuour we may comfortably relye vpon his gracious fauour 12. Yet our repentance thoughe Actually it neede not be outwardly repeated more thou once neuertheles it must euer habitually be continued inwardly during our life that is we must neuer committe any thing contrary to the inwarde habite of repentance nor may our sinnes passed at any time afterwarde agayne please vs rather they must alwayes greiue displease vs at least habitually inwardly And these are the propertyes of true contrition THE EXCELLENCYES OF CONTRITION and how in some sorte it may be compared with martyrdome Sect. 7. 1. IT is good to knowe what be the qualityes of contrition but the practise of them is much better It is true the greife sorowe of a contrite harte is vnpleasing bitter in the taste but it will be afterwarde holsome comfortable as wormewood is to the stomacke for sweete meates doo sooner cause corruption obstructions when medicines which are bitter doo open purge the body And of sinnes in the soule Dauid saith There are the dolors of a woman in childebirthe which haue payne in their trauell as they had pleasure in their conception so for the delighte of our sinnes committed we must feele some greife when they are repented and this greife thoughe it be bitter as Aloes yet it is the best medicine against the gnawing wormes of our conscience and as of yron is bred a ruste of clothe a mothe of timber a worme which consume the substances wherof they were engendred and as against poyson are made tryacles and Antidotaryes of other poysons so is sinne consumed by sorowe for sinne and against the punishment of wickednes the punishment of penance is a soueraigne remedye 2. Only hereof we must haue a care that our sorowe for sinne be sincere If thou tell me thy body is wounded shew me thy flesh bleeding or bruised if thou tell me thy harte is contrite let me see thy teares or thoughe men preceiue it not yet at least God allmighty must see thy sorowe In proyning of the vine if it distill any droppes it is a signe it will be fruitfull but if thy repentance be without teares at least of contrition surely thy amendement will be very barren 3. Wherfore Ieremy said be thou gyrded with hayrecloth that is mortifye the appetites of thy flesh and be thou sprinkled with ashes that is refrayne the motions of â—â—y proud mind And cause vnto thy selfe a bitter playnte as the lamentation of an only â—hilde not of an eldest or dearest childe for so is insinuated that more children remayne but eyther as a parent lamenting his only childe or as an only childe mouring for his parents whose greifes must be greatest because they alone must take all the greife And so not much vnlike when by our sinne we loose the fauour of good because we can haue no more Gods we must lament our losse of him as the losse of all for without him we are nothing nor can haue any thinge And eyther we must by our sorowfull repentance regayne his fauour or for euer perish in his displeasure 4. But moste happy we are if we neglecte not our possibility because as Solinus writeth of a founteyn in Epyrus which not only quencheth a burning torche but kindleth it agayne being quenched so by our teares of contrition we may at one instante both quenche the flames of hellfyre due vnto vs and inflame our selues agayne in the fauour and loue of God which we had loste and was justly taken from vs. For the exercise of contrition and daily mortification are so notable in their efficacye and in their dignitye that Dauid here calleth such an afflicted spirite a sacrifice to God and our holy mother the Churche in the hymne of Virgins being allso martyrs hath these wordes Haec tua virge duplici beata sorte dum gestit fragilem domare corporis sexuÌ„ domuit cruentum corpore saeclum Vnde nec mortem nec amica mortis saeua poenarum genera pauescens c. This thy virgin bessed in a double sorte whiles she endeuours to mortifie the frayle sexe of her body she ouercame the cruel worlde together with her body wherfore neither fearing deathe nor any sauage kindes of tortures which are the freindes of death c. Beholde here twoo causes why she is blessed 1. for mortification of her flesh 2. for conquering of the worlde And
perseuerance and glorification what can we render for so great goodnes Let vs agayne agayne euery day receiue this cuppe of saluation call vpon the name of our Lorde First after some conuenient preparation for so great a sacrifice let vs beginne with Confiteor and kyrie eleyson c. to acknowledge our fall in Adam and to accuse our owne sinnes 2. to laude prayse our Sauiors Goodnes redemption with Gloria in excelsis or Sanctus Sanctus c. 3. To professe our constant Catholique faith by the Gospell Creede 4. At the Consecration eleuation by adoring remembring our Sauior his passion to offer sacrifice homage 5. in the Collectes mementos to make our petitions prayers for our selues others according to our necessityes deuoute desires 6. with the Pâ—ter noster to beginne with the Pax Agnus Dei to prodeed and with Domine non sum dignus to accomplish the communion 7. lastly with the laste Collectes and Ite Missa est to giue all thankes in gratitude and to receiue the preistes Blessing with hope that what we haue offred prayed at the Altar shal be admitted granted in heauen throughe the mercy merites mediation passion of our swete Sauior Iesus who is our cheife preist our best Aduocate and our dearest sacrifice abundantly to procure vnto vs by his goodnes whatsoeuer he shall see to be necessary for vs in his wisedome 4. Thus O my soule let vs euery day consider reioyce beleeue obey worship wonder praye or giue thankes during all the time of the Masse Let vs consider the holy action we are about and our owne wretched vnworthy estate Let vs reioyes with the Angells all the hoste of heauen for our gracious deliuerance Let vs Beleeue what our lorde teacheth by his Churche and euer obey whatsoeuer he coÌ„mandeth Let vs worship him as Really Royally preseÌ„t and wonder at his infinite wisedome power goodnes who hath vouchsafed to leaue vs such a sacrament Let vs praye for his mercyes and supplyes to all our wantes and giue him most harty thankes for his admirable loue all his benefites O my harte canst thou holde in my body wheÌ„ thy Sauiour comes downe froÌ„ heauen vnto the Altar shouldest thou be wandring or dull whiles such a sacrifice is in the preistes handes or before thine eyes O sacrifice of iustice which as S. Augustin said significando causat gratiam O gracious Sauiour let it signifye and imprinte in our hartes the memory fruite of thy death passion therby in patience to order our life to prepare vs for death with ioyfullnes 5. Then wilte thou accepte oblations of secular people according to their deuotion and the whole burnte offringes of religious persons who renounce themselues and all they haue into thy peculiar obedience Then shall both these sortes be willing ready to lay calues vpon thine Altar that is saith Innocentius to suffer martyrdome for the Catholique faithe for which in this worlde we may be tormented sacrificed as vpon thy crosse or vpon thine Altar of payne or disgrace but Then in the next worlde we shall assuredly remayne with those martyred soules which S. Ihon saw in his reuelation to rest vnder thine Altar of quiet glory O gracious Sauiour I am of my selfe most vnworthy in any of these sortes to serue at thine Altar O sweete Iesu thou haste begonne among lay people to make me a little worthy If it be thy blessed will I humbly doo beseeche thee among religious persons or martyrs to make me more blessed O giue me this strenghte confirme me in this will Then if I willingly forsake the earthe for thee I shall in heauen â—â—ore speedily more certeinly for euer raigne with thee where with all Angells â—yntes o Lord let vs all offer the sacrifice of iust prayse yeilding the celestiall oblations of our bodyes incorruptible and the glorious immortality of our soules transported into an holocauste of heauenly zeale louing praysing and reioycing with all our harte with all our minde with all our soule that is in all our vnderstanding without any error in all our memory without any forgetfullnes and in all our will without any contrariety Thus euer let vs offer eternall sacrifice and alwayes enioye thy happy presence O blessed Sauiour this we beseech thee for thine owne precious merites and by the prayers of thy most deare Mother and all Saynts Amen Omnia Sanctae Romanae Catholicae Apostolicae Ecclesiae submissa sunto FINIS A TABLE OF THE MEDITATIONS AND SECTIONS CONTEYNED IN THIS BOOKE MEDITATION I. Psalmus Dauid cùm venit ad eum Nathan Propheta quando intrauit ad Bersabee OF the occasion and number of this Psalme by Dauids example to beware of Lust. Sect. 1. OF witty plaine reprehensions and of the Authors lamentation of his former life Sect. 2. MEDITATION II. Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam Et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam Ampliùs laua me ab iniquitate mea à peccato meo munda me A Short Diuision explication of all these words Sect. 1. The miserable effects of sinne are declared according to the Schoolmen And some short petitions for mercy are made against their misery Sect. 2. Other wretched effects of sinne are declared out of the Scriptures Doctors by which we are warned from them Sect. 3. Of the Name Nature of God Who he is what we are and how vnspeakably we are beholding vnto his great goodnes Sect. 4. Sundry excellent obseruations of S. Bernard applyed to this Meditation of our Lords great Mercies multitude of Miserations Sect. 5. What mercy is of the effects Also how synnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 6. Of the great care we must vse to purge all sinne that we our selues must do heerin some diligence not standing idle to leaue all vnto Christ. Sect. 7. We must dayly proceede in zeale against all sinne in particuler against the sensualities of the flesh Sect. 8. MEDITATION III. Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco peccatum meum contra me est semper Tibi soli peccaui malum coram to feci vt iustificeris in fermonibus tuis vincas cum iudicaris HOw we must marke abhorre beware sinne as a trecherous and dangerous enemy Sect. 1. That euery one must acknowledge his owne faultes laying his hand on his own harte rather accuse himself then censure any other Sect. 2. It is necessary to remember harmes of sinne therby learning to amend take-heede of sinne Sect. 3. Diuers interpretations of these wordes Tibi soli Vnto thee alone c. Sect. 4. When we comitte sinne before our Lord And that he seeth not as man seeth Sect. 5. Of Diuers wayes by which our Lord is iustifyed and may be said to ouercome when he is iudged Sect. 6. MEDITATION
O God who canst not be deceiued for thou arte wisedome nor corrupted for thou arte justice nor ouercome for thou arte allmighty nor escaped for thou arte euery where present O God who by thy omnipotence as thou arte able to punish the careles with terror so thou arte able to cure the sorowfull with fauor O God whose property is to haue mercy in whom there is no difference betwene thy mercy thy essence and as the Churche prayeth who doost manifest thy omnipotency in pity aboue all and in showing mercy Miserere mei Deus O God shew towardes mee thy omnipotent mercy O God whose name is shorte but thy majesty is great not like men who haue an ell of great names not an inche of good nature or a vayne preface of Titles longer then the whole booke of their true vertues But thy excellent goodnes is vespeakable O God and we name thee to signifye whom we meane in our shallowe capacity not to expresse what thou arte in thy infinite majesty Wherfore thoughe I be miserable yet thou arte powerfull pitifull to releiue me for thou arte God and thoughe I be wicked yet thou as God art infinitely gracious abundantly mercifull to forgiue me 2. Miserere mei haue mercy on mee not haue mercy on Dauid as in another psalme O Lord remember Dauid nor dare I say haue mercy on thy seruante for I haue broken thy commandements nor haue mercy on the king for as my name and person is now odious so to mention my dignity were to aggrauate my offence O foule sinne which makes me ashamed of mine owne name yet I will pointe to my wretched substance thoughe I dare not declare my guilty person for the respecte of the partye doth often much encrease the offence Haue mercy on mee I acknowledge my faulte I denye it not with Cayn I caste it not vpon another as Eue I excuse it not as Saul nor with Iudas do I confesse and yet despayre but as I condemne my selfe for my sinnes so I trust in thy goodnes for thy mercy miserere mei haue mercy on mee On mee who ioyned and coupled so many sinnes in one fardell about fullfilling my desire and pleasure On mee who consented to the motions of luste who corrupted messengers to further it who abused another mans wife to fullfill it who deuised practises to conceale it and would haue had my bastarde misbegotten to be reputed as another mans heyre legitimate On mee who added murder to adultery who repayed iniuryes for requitall of seruice On mee who thus wronged a man altogether innocent with him procured diuerse others to be slayne who were allso harmeles On mee who caused him by fraude to cary letters like Bellerophon contriuing the manner of his owne death On mee who receiued the tydinges of his murder with gladnes and presently with delighte maryed his widowe On mee who long lay sleeping in these sinnes without remorse and if I had not bene rebuked by thy prophet paraduenture of my selfe I had neuer repented On mee whom thou diddest deliuer from the malice of Saul and yet I my selfe wroughte mischeife against Vrias On mee who was aduanced from a shepheard to a kinge yet towardes mee Nabal was not so vnthankefull as by this offence I haue bene against thee ingratefull Finally thou werte wonte to powre thy spiritte of prophecy on mee in which I vsed to sing psalmes vnto thee but beholde I haue expelled thy spirite which was my trusty comforter and I haue enterteyned the spirite of luste a trecherous stranger I haue changed the ioye of the spirite into the delighte of the flesh I haue forsaken my psalmes and prayers of deuotion I haue lefte my good-workes and carefull exercise of religion O haue mercy On mee who began with much feruor to sequester all my thoughtes from the worlde like a religious man but since I haue giuen place to some coldenes of desires and bene content to passe along like another worldly man On mee therfore O God miserere mei haue mercy on mee 3. According to thy great mercy according to the multitude of thy miserations Thou O God diddest so loue the worlde that thou gauest thy only sonne being God equall to thy selfe to take our flesh and to taste of our misery for the redemption of vs men O great mercy O multitude of miserations we of our selues are thy desperate enemyes yet as S. Peter said According to thy great mercy thou haste regenerated vs vnto the hope throughe Christe of an inheritance incorruptible In thee therfore O blessed Iesus is conteyned this great mercy by thee we receiue this multitude of miserations It were not so much for a man to abase himselfe to become a toade as it was for thee being God to become man this was great mercy but it was a multitude of miserations to endure our miseryes to suffer tormentes and to vndergoe death for distressed enimies herein saith S. Paul God doth commend his charity vnto vs seeing when we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. 4. It is mercy to giue vs food rayment it is more mercy to continue vs life it was yet more to create vs being nothing and it was greater mercy to affoarde vs the vse of all his creatures both in necessity for which we owe him thankes and in delighte which requireth prayse Before we were we merited nothing but if now God still shew mercy after we haue shewed our selues vnthankfull to such a Lord is not this great mercy to giue his soone to redeeme a rebellious seruant nay to redeeme his enemye out of bondage is it not a multitude of miserations To see water run downe the hill it is no marueill nor being powred on euen playne grounde to see it run on euery side euery way but it were a wonder to see a riuer run vp a monteyn So to giue rewarde vnto deserte it is our Lordes naturall iustice to bestowe benefites on them who haue neither done good nor hurte it is his euerflowing goodnes but to doo so well vnto vs who haue demerited so ill against him what can I call it but his miraculous great mercy nay that is not enoughe it hath in it an infinite multitude of miserations It was admirable humility for God to become man it was patience without a paterne being man to suffer so much of men for men but to performe all this for men who worse then beastes were become his reuolted enemyes this was great mercie in this was multitude of miserations 5. It is mercie to forgiue our offences they are miserations to releiue our necessityes both great and with multitudes in all kind of continued and discreet quantityes vnmeasurable mercyes because so great and innumerable miserations because so many And not alone seuerally a magnitude of great mercie and a multitude of many miserations but allso intermiâ—te great multitudes of many mercyes and many magnitudes of great miserations
fauour and for vs so looke vp to thy Sonne in prayer that we may be always vertuously sober in our actions religiously ciuill in our speeches in our very thoughtes pure and chaste in all our conuersation All which we earnestly entreate for the all sufficient merites mercyes of our Sauiour thy Sonne and by the immaculate purity of thy conception THE MOST GRACIOVS AND WONDERfull remedyes of our originall sinne Sect. 7. 1. THus was our blessed Lady preuented with grace But how shall we be made cleane who are conceiued by such vncleane seede excepte only as Iob answered By thee alone o Lorde whose grace saith S. Paul doth superabounde our sinne For sinne came by man but grace is of more power as proceeding from God Sinne did not take away from vs all good nor bring vpon vs all euill But grace doth deliuer vs from all the euill wherinto we mighte fall and is sufficient to giue vs all the good we can desire Adams sinne brought a curse only to his descendentes and to the earthe But by the merites of Christe all creatures except the diuells who hate him eyther haue or may haue parte of his blessing For by him not only all mankind is redeemed but the good Angells are confirmed in their grace and euen these senceles creatures shal be renued in their nature 2. And in the saluation of our soule there is more force in Gods grace then in mans sinne for it is easie and we are prone to fall or to dye in sinne but we are lumpish heauie and it is exceeding harde to be raysed vp to life of grace wherfore grace is the stronger and the more worthy and therfore we are the more indebted considering how weake we are and how vnworthy And it is maruelous to consider the proportion betwene our sinfull misery and our gracious remedie As against originall sinne is appointed Baptisme to regenerate vs in grace from that wherin we were generated by nature that as infantes are defyled by meanes of Adams corruption without their owne facte so they are washed by meanes of Christes redemption without their owne helpe Children are spotted before they be aware of it and they are cleansed before they knowe of it In their conception vnwitting and in their baptisme ignorante We are raysed by others before we haue reason to aske helpe as by others we were caste downe before we had sense of our fall Or if some be of yeares of discretion before they be baptyzed as infidels conuerted or if christians after Baptisme become sinners and come agayne to repentance in the firste sorte the grace of baptisme takes away all sinne originall and actuall and all punishment eternall and temporall in both sortes there is first a iustification without foregoing merites quae fit in hominâ— which of God alone is effected in man and then a second iustification quam facit homo in which man doth his parte and hath following good workes In wâ—ich second iustice it is reason we follow Gods grace to performe some satisfaction and to obteynes merites as we had runne after our concupiscence to incurre guiltynes and suffer punishments 3. All our merites and all our good are deriued from God but our first iustice in our first conuersion doth so come from him alone that we are not so much guilty by Adam of originall sinne without our owne faulte as Christ alone doth iustifye vs from all sinne without our owne merite O greatnes O goodnes of grace more powerfull and more abundant then sinne O swete IESVS who doost in wisdome so answer iustice with mercy that neither doo we wante any fauour nor is the lawe vnsatisfyed in all rigor and euery pointe balanced with conuenient counterpeyse Sinners in Adam iuste in Châ—iste In our selues actually and really wicked throughe Christe truly and inherently iuste We were inthralled by our sinfull liues he redeemed vs by his holy death By his passion and sufferinges he satisfyed for our punishments and our good workes haue merite by the vertue of his actions 4. But to insiâ—te especially in his comparison with Adam His crosse stood vpon Adams graue there beginning life where death began By a tree we perished and we were ransomed on a tree He repayred his churche his beloued spouse by the water and bloud which issued out of his side dying as Eua the wife of Adam was taken out of his side sleeping and by that water he clenseth our spottes of sinne and by that bloud he purchased to vs the beauty of grace By occasion of a woman came a generall curse and a greater blessing by meanes of a woman wherfore Adam called the firste Eua. and we salute the second quite turning the same letters into Aue. The first man Adam loste all by ambitions pride because being but a man he aspired to be as God and the second man IESVS restored all by obedient humility who being in deed God yet descended to become a man ALL THE GVILTE OF ORIGINALL SINNE is quite forgiuen in Baptisme and the first motions of concupiscence are not sinne vntill we delighte or consent vnto them Sect. 8. 1. ANd althoughe our Sauiour in Baptisme haue cleared vs from all Guilte of originall sinne yet not during this life from all temporall punishment therof as not from Death hunger sicknes nor from all ignorance or motions of concupiscence And althoughe he hath freed vs from all punishment destroying our soule yet not from all punishment which may encrease our merite as they say sustulit omnem paenam destruentem non omnem paenam promonentem and so he hath lefte in vs these infirmityes of our motions in concupiscence of hunger sicknes and death to be as skarres and markes of our soare and woundes which are healed 1. to the intent that seing and remembring our hurte our helpe we should remayne thankefull and not forgetfull 2. to humble vs by consideration of these infirmityes who else would be proud 3. to exercise vs in diligence of mortification and in vigilance of prayers lest we should be negligent and careles 4. to affoard vs occasion of more merite and so to crowne vs with more glory 2. Or we may lay that he hath freede vs from all effectes and personall punishmetns of originall sinne which so perteyned to our persons that they would condemne our particuler soules but not from all naturall defectes which necessarily belong to our generall nature wherby we remayne in the estate of all mankinde for as a wise phisicyan he hath sufficiently cured euery mans particuler soule not quite changing his generall nature abundantly prouiding and in better sorte for our corrupte nature to be helped and preserued by grace rather then to extinguish this nature and to create another For he will saue the same which had offended which is greater mercy to vs and more power wisdome in himselfe And is it not more to preserue a vessell of glasse then of yron 3. I said he hath lefte vs
but rather doo begge for almes althoughe we be so weake so sicke in bodily healthe that we can neither faste nor vse any corporall mortification no nor be able to speake or name Iesus yet if we doo but sighe for his mercy for his loue aboue all thinges else and if for that respecte aboue all we doo but wish for pardon of our sinnes detesting them with an afflicted spirite because we haue offended so gracious a lorde and with a contrite harâ—e for the fowlenes of our faultes if we doo but conceiue an humble thoughte with a hopefull desire acknowledging our owne vnworthynes crauing his forgiueness certeinly such a sacrifice of such a spirite O God thou wilte neuer refuse it A DESCRIPTION OF CONTRITION AND Attrition and their seuerall propertyes Sect. 5. 1. COntrition is a parte of penance hauing a willing sorowe of minde for our sinnes committed which now we doo detest more then all other hatefull thinges because it is an offense against God whom nowe we doo loue aboue all the worlde and hauing an hope of pardon throughe Christe we doo fully purpose for euer to absteyne from sinnes and to confesse and to satisfye so farre forthe as we are bounde or shall be able This is the description of perfecte Contrition formed with complete charity But Attrition which is imperfecte and somewhat vnformed Is a sorowe of minde detesting sinne committed though not alone and aboue all for the loue of God and hath a purpose with hope of pardon euer to absteyne as least from mortall sinne and to confesse and to satisfye as shal be requisite This Attrition of it selfe alone is not sufficient to obteyne pardon vntill there be added and adioined some sacrament vnto it by which it obteyneth effectuall remission 2. And vnderstande 1. that there is a sorowe which is a greife only because of punishment or for shame without any respecte of God 2. in parte for these and in parte because God is offended yet so that he woulde not sorowe if he had no feare of shame or punishment 3 both for these and because God is offended and so that he woulde sorowe for hauing offended God thoughe those other were not But neuertheles he doth not detest sinne more then any hatefull thinge nor loue God aboue all in this worlde 4 Is without these a perfect contrition grounded vpon a sorowe detesting sinne more then any other hatefull thinge because we loue God perfectly aboue all the worlde The firste is of naturall sense the second is of a seruile minde the thirde is attrition of an imperfect filiall feare the fourthe is perfecte complete contrition 3. Any sorowe may be profitable and is good when it doth include at least virtually some respect of greife because God is offended And thoughe our sorowe or feare at firste be but naturall or seruile yet may it proceede to be initiall making imperfectly an entrance and at laste come to be filiall in perfection Out of these some differences are collected about Contrition Attrition As firste that some Contrition doth fully pardon all sinne both all the guilte all the punishment thoughe the partye shoulde dye before he coulde come to Confession or any other sacrament if he did desire them and vse his true diligence to obteyne them wheras other Contrition in the like case doth remitte all the guilte payne eternall but not all temporall punishment But the best Attrition is not sufficient without some sacrament adioined to absolue vs from the guilte of sinne 4. Allso there is a grosser attrition which proceedeth more from the feare of shame or punishment then because God is offended wheras the best Attrition is more for the offence of God then for any punishment or shame Allso there is a difference betwixte remisse Contrition the best Attrition because any contrition detesteth sinne aboue any thing detestable being founded vpon the loue of God aboue all wheras euen the best attrition thoughe it principally loue God hate sinne for it selfe yet noâ— aboue all But the absolute loue of perfecte contrition differeth allso from remisse contrition not for that it is sorow only because allmighty God is offended without any respecte vnto shame or punishment but because the one doth exceed the other in intention AN AMPLE DECLARATION PLIANLY SETting forthe the former description of Contrition Sect. 6. 1. NExt let vs consider all the partes of the forme description as they stande in order Firste contrition is a parte of penance against the Lutherans who make Terrors caused by the lawe and faith fastened on the gospell to be the two partes of repentance And against Caluin who rejecting the Lutherans faithâ— doth no lesse improperly make the death of the olde man and the life of the new man to be the only partes of penance But these poyntes of feare faith mortification and regeneration are only either preparations and dispositions leading vnto repentance as be feare faithe or they are necessary effectes folowing repentance as are mortification regeneration And so all the Textes of scripture requiring these poyntes doo only prooue that they are requisite and doo concurre with repentance according as the Councell of Trent declareth denying neuertheles that they are not properly materiall partes of penance which in truthe are contrition confession and satisfaction 2. Hauing a willing sorowe of the minde Not naturall only or compelled but principally a willing sorowe and that of the minde rather then of the body and in the minde rather in the intellectuall parte of the will then in the sensitiue parte not excluding the sensible sorowe of the will or of the body which being added doo giue it conueniency but only for necessity requiring an estimatiue or appreciatiue inwarde sorowe more then any outward intensiue vehement greife For there may appeare or a man may feele in himselfe a more vehement and intensiue sorowe for the losse of his Father his sonne his wife his freind or his estate then he can peraduenture finde in himselfe for all his sinnes yet it is sufficient that in the election of his will he doo sorowe for sinne as much as he can and doo esteme and prise the horror of his offences at a higher rate in generall then all the disasters and discontentes of this worlde so that if it were nowe in his choyse he would rather endure any torment and death or loose all the worlde then deliberately to committe a mortall sinne If he haue this estimatiue or appreciatiue sorowe in the reasonable parte of his will althoughe it breake not out into the sensible parte I say it is sufficient nay in some men many tinnes I may say that such an hidden close greife is euen intensiuely more vehement and greater then outward sensible sorowe Yet neuertheles if we can come to sorowe of sense in teares sobbes c. it is very profitable and conuenient althoughe not absolutely necessary 3. This sorowe must be