for as thinges then stood then true repentance and contrition for his synne because that God neuer despiseth a contrite and humbled hart he answered me with this demaund VVhat is Contrition I do not vnderstand what you would haue me do I replyed that which I require is that froÌ„ your hart you abhorre your synnes and be sory that you haue offended God thereby and firmely determyne with your selfe if longer life should be graunted you neuer more to offend God and al this for the loue that you be are his diuine Maiesty who hath bestowed vpon you innumerable benefitts and to whome you most vngratefull for benefitts haue retourned iniuryes He answered agayne I vnderstand you not I am not capable of these matters and so dyed leauing behind him euident signes of his damnation These and the like examples are admonitions for vs that whiles we are well we do so disburthen our conscience do true pennance as though euery confession were the last that euer we shoulde make Yet notwithstanding euen in the sickenes it selfe a confession is to be made with as great diligence as may be especially the sicke man is to be stirred vp to coÌ„trition out of true griefe for his sinnes past and firme purpose of not sinning againe if his life should be prolonged and we must not only do pennance for our sinnes committed but also for the omission of good workes to which by reason of our office or out of charity we were bound to doe for many there be that do curiously inough consider theyr sinnes committed against God and their neighbour but easily forget their omissions or set light by them I can add for demonstration hereof a very profitable example A very learned and deuout Bishop was deadly sicke there came a Priest vnto him that was his frend and myne of whoÌ„ I heard what I now relate he demaunded of the Bishop as a familiar frend whether his conscience were quiet and free from trouble the Bishop answered that by the grace of God all was wel that since his last confession he could call to mynde nothing of momenâ— wherein he had offended God the Priest further demaunded whether his conscience did not accuse him of Omissions 2. Tim. 4. seing that the Apostle so carefully warned Timothy a Bishop saying I testify before God and Christ Iesus who shall iudge the liuing and the dead by his comming and Kingdome preach the word be vrgent in season out of season reproue beseech rebuke in all patience and doctrine the Bishop hearing this did sigh and sayd indeed my omissions doe much terrify me and foorthwith there came from his eyes whole streames of teares But aboue all Contrition is requisite for one that will dispose himselfe to dye well for confession without contrition or true attrition is not sufficient for saluation and without contrition satisfaction is inualid or of no force which yet at that tyme can hardly be performed of the sicke man but contrition which in his owne nature includeth charity although with confession and satisfaction when they cannot be performed is alone sufficient for as we sayd a little before God will not despise a contrite and humbled hart the sicke man then must carefully labour to haue true contrition of which endeauour we haue a notable example in S. Augustine as Possidius testifyeth who in his last sicknesse whereof he dyed caused to be written out for him the psalmes of Dauid which belonge vnto pennance and seâ—ting the leaues against the wal lying in his bed he did looke on them and reade them Et iugiter vbertim flebat and did always that abundantly weepe and he tooke order before that none should hinder or distract him for ten dayes before his departure he gaue order that none of hiâ— house shold enter or come vnto him but at such tyme of the Phisitians came to visit him or else when he was to take some meate all the other tyme he bestowed in prayer O most Blessed and most prudent man he liued after his Baptisme and after that the sinnes of his former life were remitted him three and fourty yeares in which euen vntill his last sicknes he dayly preached the word of God he wrote innumerable bookes and most profitable for the whole Church he liued without complaint an innocent and most holy life and yet at the very end of his yeares and in his sicknes he so gaue himselfe for many dayes togeather â—o contrition pennance that in reading the penitentiall psalmes he continually and abundantly wept and these two wordes are much to be noted iugiter vbertim continually abundantly for this study to attayne contrition was not for one day or houre but for many dayes and he did very often and with great abundance of teares bewayle his synnes and what manner of synnes were they which this most holy man did thus bewayle Truly I am of opinion that they were only veniall that so he might not only be deliuered from hell fire but from Purgatory also and so presently ascend into heauen And if so holy and wise a man did weepe continually and abundantly for so many dayes togeather his veniall synnes what should they doe who are yet to mak satisfaction vnto God not only for their venial but also for their mortall synnes Therefore let all old men who are neere the end of their dayes so dispose of themselues before they fall sicke that they may not need in their old age or sicknesse to blot out any deadly synnes but to do pennance only for such as are light and veniall and let them before hand so prouide to arme themselues against che snares of the Diuell by holy Confession Communion and Extreme Vnction that God being their guyde and their good Angell acccompayning them they may happyly arryue vnto their heauenly countrey CHAP. VII Of the seauenth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the B. Sacrament theÌ„ giuen for a Viaticum or parting-food THE auncient Christians in the administration of this sacred food Extreme vnction vnto the sicke did first anâ—ise the sick with holy oyle then after â—ue vnto then the most sacred body of â—r Sauiour and to alleadge a testimony 〈◊〉 two for this matter there is extant in the first tome of Surius the life of S. VVillian Archbishop of Bourges in France who liued in the time of Pope Innocent the third in which it is sayd He humbly and deuoutly receaued the Sacrament of Vnction and hauing receaued that he desired most earnestly the Blessed Sacrament to be giueÌ„ him that being armed with so good a guyde for his iourney he might the better passe through all the squadrons of his enemyes So he and the same is related in the life of Saint Malachias written by Saint Bernard to wit that he tooke his last voyage foode the most Blessed Sacrament I meane after that he had receaued the Sacrament of Extreme vnction Besides these
my God to be I do auouch Make me belieue in thee still more more Of hope charity increase my store O sweet remembrance of my dying Lord true bread that vnto man doest life affoord Daigne to my soule on thee alone to liue and alwayes with that food sweet tast to giue Sweet Pellican deerest Soueraigne my vncleane hart clense with thy bloudy rayne VVherof one drop sufficient power contaynd to purg the world though al with sin destaind Iesus who now doest vnder veyles appeare when shall it be which I esteeme so deare That I beholding thy reuealed face May by that glorious sight with thee find place Amen Hauing dououtly sayd or heard these verses hauing made the ordinary confession which beginneth with Confiteor Deo c. and hauing taken the absolution and blessing of the priest and sayd Domine non sum dignus let him add with as great â—â—mility deuotion as he can these wordes Into thy handes O Lord I commend my soule and then he may securely â—â—ceaue this sacred celestiall Sacrament After the communion there remayneth thanksgiuing vnto God for this so excellent a benefit and besides vocall prayers which he may reade out of some pious bookes it were also very behofull that he who hath now receaued his last food for his iourney and passadge vnto heauen should enter into the closet of his hart and meditate with himselfe in silence on those most sweet wordes of our Lord Iesus in the Apocalips I stand at the dore and knock if any shall open it vnto me Apoc. 3. I will enter in vnto him I will sup with him and he shall sup with me for these wordes doe most fittly agree with those who come from the holy communion for our Lord who instituted this Sacrament in the forme of a baÌ„quet desireth nothing more then that all Christians should repaire vnto this feast and this is signifyed â—y those wordes Ego sto ad ostium pulso I â—tand at the dore and knocke that is I doe â—nuite my selfe to this common feast that â— may also be fed si quis mihi aperuerit if any shall open the dore vnto me assenting vnto this good desire which I haue inspired that we may feed and feast togeather intrabo ad eum I wil enter in vnto him by the communion of this holy banquet Psal 103. I will sup with him he shall sup with me Because that God is sayd to sup with vs when he is delighted with our spirituall progresse in vertue according to that of the Psalmist Our Lord will reioyce in his workes And in another place Let my speach be delightfull vnto him and I will be delighted in our Lord in which wordes is expressed the mutuall delight as it were a sweet banquet of God with the soule and of the soule with God for God is delighted with the spirituall profit of the soule and the soule is delighted with the benefitts receaued from God of which the chiefest is that by this sublime Sacrament he vouchsafeth to linke and vnite himselfe after a sweet manner with our soule Wherefore let the faythfull soule after the receauing of this Sacrament reflecâ— and thinke with it selfe how sweet soueraigne a thing it is to haue Christ himselfe as a guest within it whiles the Sacramentall formes remayne not only as God but also as man and to be able to deale confidently with him to conferre with him our dangers and anguishes 〈◊〉 our passadge from this body from his haâ—â— to commend himselfe vnto him and to desire of him to beate backe the common tempter of mankynd then most busy to send vs an Angell to accompany vs and to bring vs safely into the port of saluation CHAP. VIII Of the eight Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of Extreme Vnction THE last Sacrament is holy Vnction which is able to yield great comfort vnto the sicke if the force and vertue therof be well vnderstood and the SacrameÌ„t itselfe taken in due tyme. There be two â—fects of this Sacrament as we sayd in the â—rmer Chapter corporall health and reâ—ission of synnes let vs speake a little of â—yther Of the first thus writeth S. Iames â—s any sicke among you Let him bring in the priests â—f the Church and let them pray ouer them annoynâ—ing them with oyle in the name of our Lord and â—he prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke These wordes are playne and conteyne a promise Two reasons may be giuen why in our dayes so few sicke men do recouer their sickenes notwithstanding that they receaue this Sacrament one is for that now a dayes this remedy is applyed to the sicke later then it should for we must not expect miracles by this or any other Sacrament and it were a miracle if one that is at the last gaspe should presently recouer but if this Sacrament were ministred vnto then when first of all they beginne to be daungerously sicke we should then often see this effect of recouery which wold not be done in a moment but would follow in tyme and this is the cause why that such as are to be executed by way of iustice are not anneyled because that they cannot without a manifest miracle be deliuered from the danger of death Anothâ— reason is because it is not expedient euâ— for the sicke man to he deliuered from hâ— disease but rather it is better for him to dy and the prayer of the Church which is made in this Vnction doth not absolutely desire the health of the sicke party but only to recouer his health at that tyme if iâ— be auayleable for his saluation Another effect of this Sacrament is remission of sinnes for thus speaketh Saint Iames Et si in peccatis fuerit remittentur ei and if he shall be in synnes they shall be forgiuen him But for that the remission of originall synne doth belong properly vnto Baptisme the remission of actuall to baptisme also in case the baptized be growne in yeares or to the Sacrament of peÌ„nance for syns committted after baptisme therefore the Deuines do teach the sins which are remitted in the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to be the relickes or remuants of synne of which relikes or remnants there be two sorts sometymes relikes of synnes are called eyther the mortall or venial sins which are committed after that we haue receaued the Sacrament of pennance and are no afterward confessed to our ghostly Father â—yther out of ignorance for that â—he penitent did no take them for mortall or out of forgetfulnes because he did not â—hen remember them and therefore the sicke man sought not for a priest to whom he might confesse them These reliks doth the SacrameÌ„t of Extreme Vnction take away and of this kynde of synnes Saint Iames sayth If he shall be in sinnes they thall be remitted him which the Councels of Florence Trent doe teach especially the latter in the
Cap. omnis de Panit. remiss where expounding the fourth Chapter thus he writeth As it is lawfull for vs euer to fast or euer to pray and without intermission hauing receaued the body of our Lord ioyfully to celebrate the sonday so is it not lawfull for the Iewes to sacrifice their lambe c. And this opinion liked well Saint Thomas in the third part of his Quaest 80. art 10. theologicall Summe As touching the other point of preparation to receaue so great a Sacrament that it may be receaued to the health of our soule and not to our iudgement anâ— condemnation first of all is required thaâ— our soule be liuing with the life of grace not dead with the death of mortal sin because for this respect it is called meat giuen vnder the forme of bread for that it is not the meate of the dead but of the liuing as sayth our Sauiour in S. Iohn He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer in the same place my flesh is truly meat the CouÌ„cell of Trent addeth further that it is not a sufficient preparation to receaue duly this celestiall food that he who is defiled with mortall synne content himselfe with coÌ„trition alone but that he be carefull to purge his synnes by the Sacrament of peÌ„nance in case he can haue a Ghostly Father Againe for that this Sacrament is not only bread but also a medicine and that an excellent one and most wholsom against all the diseases of vices therefore secondly is required that a man do desire perfect health and to be cured from all the maladyes of synne and principally from â—he chiefest of them as leachery couetousnes pride That this Blessed Sacrament is a medicine Saint Ambrose cleerly auoucheth Lib. de Sac. Cap. 4. He that is wounded sayth he seeketh for a meâ—icine the wound we haue is because we are vnder â—ynne the medicine is the heauenly and venerable â—acrament So he and Saint Bonauenture He â—ho reputeth himselfe vnworthy let him thinke â—hat so much the more he needeth and hath necessary occasion to seeke for the Phisitian by how much more he feeleth himselfe to be sicke And Saint Bernard warneth his brethren that they attribute it to the grace and vertue of this Sacrament that they fynd their bad inclinations other infirmityes of the mynd to be diminished Lastly this most holy Sacrament is not only the food of trauellers and medicine of the sicke but is also a most learned and most louing Phisitian and therfore when he cometh to visit vs he is to be receaued with all ioy and reuerence and the howse of our soule is to be adorned with all manner of vertues and in particuler with the ornaments of faith hope Charity Deuotion Piety and with the fruites of good works as of prayer fasting and almes For these ornaments doth this sweet guest of our soule require who yet wanteth nothing of that which we arâ— able to giue him againe consider that thiâ— Phisitian who cometh vnto vs is botâ— King and God whose purity is infiniâ— and requireth a most cleane tabernacle 〈◊〉 our brest Let vs heare Saint Iohn Chrysostome in this matter Then what should not he be more pure who enioyeth this sacrifice Serm. 66 ad pop Antioch then whâ—â— sunne beame ought he not to be more resplendenâ— who deuideth this flesh The mouth that is replenished with this spirituall fire Now let any one who is desirous to liuâ— and dye well make recourse to his owne soule and shutting the dore against all distractiue businesses let him consider alone with his owne hart before God who searcheth the reynes and harts of all how often and with what preparation he doth coÌ„municate receaue this Sacrament of our Lords body and if he fynde that by Gods grace he doth often and with fruit receaue it and thereby in spirituall life to be nourished and by little and little to be cured from the diseases of synne and morouer that he doth more and more daily profit and proceed in vertue and good deeds let him reioyce with trembling go on to serue God in feare not with that seruile of slaues but with that sincere and chast which is of children But if he be one of those who contented with communicating once in the yeare do neuer more thinke on this most wholsome Sacrament but forget to eate this bread of life by how much more they grow fat broad in body by so much the more are their soules weakened and do wither away and let such a one know that he waÌ„teth wit and is farre of from the Kingdome of God the yearely communicating is not decreed by the holy generall Councell for this end that none should communicat but once in the yeare but that once in the yeare they should be compelled thereunto vnlesse they would be cast out of the Church and deliuered ouer to Sathan And Such men for the most part do not receaue their Lord in the Sacrament with filiall loue but with seruile feare soone after returne to the huskes of hoggs to the pleasures of the world to temporall commodityes and ambitiously to gape after false fugitiue honours that so at the day of their death they may heare with the rich Glutton Memento fili quia recepisti bona in vita tua Remember soâ— that thou hast receaued good thinges 〈◊〉 this life therefore must not expect fâ—â— any more in the next and if any be founâ— who maketh oft recourse to the misteryâ— of this most holy Sacrament and that eâ—â— uery Sonday or else euery day if perhapâ— he be Priest and yet neyther refrayneth from mortall synnes nor seriously exercyseth himselfe in good workes nor 〈◊〉 not yet truly gone out of the world but aâ—other men who are of the world thirsteâ—â— after riches is caryed away with carnall delights seeth and sigheth after higher degrees of honours and dignityes he truly eateth the flesh of our Lord to his iudgment and by how much the more he vnworthily frequenteth these mysteryes by so much the more neerly doth he imitate Iudas the traytour of whome our Lord sayd Melius erat eisi natus non fuisset homo ille it had been better for him if ho had neuer beene borne Let no man despayre of his saluation whiles yet he liueth and therfore let him with himselfe cal to account his yeares and workes and then he shall fynd that hitherto he hath runne much astray out of the path of saluation let him know that yet there is tyme left to returne so that he will seriously do pennance come againe into the way of â—ruth I thinke it conuenient to end this â—hapter withall that I adioyne what S. Bonauenture writeth in the life of the holy Father S. Francis I meane of the admirable deuotion and loue of this most holy man towards this diuine Sacrament that by the example of his feruour our tepidity or coldnes rather may be kindled
THE ART OF DYING WELL. Deuided into tvvo Books WRITTEN By ROBERT BELLARMINE of the Society of Iesus and Cardinall Translated into English for the benefit of our Countreymen by C. E. of the same Society â—imortui qui in Domino moriuntur TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE L. M. M. the Translatour wisheth all true Honour and Happynes HAVING nothing of myne own worthy of your Honorable Acceptance or any way proportionable to your Merits I present you with a Strangers Labour in an English attyre which although for quantity it be one of the least for tyme the last that hath come from that learned Pen yet for generall profit it may proue the best as treating a more familiar Argument then any of his other spirituall Books haue done Nothing is more certayne nothing more vsuall then Death which hath consumed all that haue gone before vs and we whether we will or nill must tread the same path and follow them There is no exemption from this passage to which such is the swift and short course of our life we doe not so much runne as fly and yet for the most part come to it before we would yea altogeather against our will and that specially for the great horrour we conceaue thereof which for the most part is grounded on the guylt of Conscience For as the Wiseman saith Sap. 17. timida est nequitia wickednesse is full of feare and condemnes it selfe and where the soule is surcharged with synne hel fire prepared to receiue the sinner no meruayle though he feare and treÌ„ble or els for want of Fayth of the future life For such as make their soules as mortall as their bodyes and stretch their thoughts no further then to that which like beasts they see with their eyes do easily with the Philosopher esteeme of death as if it were Arist 3. Moral 6. Maximè omnium rerum horribilis of all things the most dreadfull in regard that it depriues them of their temporall Emoluments their Friends Honours Disports and all esteemed Happines so as the first for feare of what is to come these for griefe of that which is past esteeme death dreadfull Or finally this falls out for want of due consideration thereof of death I meane which to such as haue it still before their eyes as it is a bridle from sinne and spur to vertue so is it an encouragement against the poyson thereof For the sting of this snake as the Apostle sayth is synne Stimulus mortis peccatum 1. Cor. 15. which by continuall meditation thereon is taken away memento mortis tuae sayth Saint Hierome non peccabis Hier. ad Cypr. Greg. 13. Moral c. 10. remember thy death and thou shalt not sin or as Saint Gregory sayth culparum laqueos euadent such shall walke so warily as they shal not fal into the snares of the enemy or sting of death and consequently shal be free from al feare which the morall Philosopher did rightly obserue and therfore gaue this aduise to his friend Lucilius Seneca ep 30. Tu vt mortem numquam timeas semper cogita that thou mayst neuer feare death be alwayes thinking on it Which contemplation is so soueraigne and effectuall as our worthy Bishop of Canterbury S. Anselme writing to one Ansel ep 113. whome he very dearly esteemed in England who had demaunded his counsayle for spirituall direction he gaue him only this aduyse saying So liue euery day as thou doest desyre to be found at the last houre of thy life and so euery day prepare thy selfe as if to morrow thou wert to dye and to giue account vnto God by this meanes thou shalt proceed from vertue to vertue So he Which graue aduise little needs any Commentary your Vertuous Disposition as little needes my incitement I know you are not vnmyndfull heerof I know your Zeale and Constancy in Gods cause I know your Charity towards the afflicted and cannot doubt of the continual vse of prayer and vertuous actions wherwith now for many yeares you haue beene so well accustomed which so dispose you to this end as you need not feare but with desire expect this passage which will open heauen which will take you from the world and restore you to God which will loose the bands of this corruptible clogge and inuest you for euer with immortall glory and which finally froÌ„ the sight of these transitory things the meere shaddows of true pleasure will bring you to the full sight of the Blessed Trinity the maine ocean of all true delights and there as the Apostle sayth semper cum Domino erimus 1. Thess 4. we shall for euer be with our Lord. This is the happynesse of the Vetuous for euer in the next life to be with our Lord who neuer in this life would forsake him but still continued in his feare and fauour vntill the end These with triumphant security tread Death vnder their feete whiles the wicked surprized conquered by his force are made a prey to his Tyranny who is not moued at all with their teares cryes or any intreaty but no lesse scornes this their fruitlesse griefe then he doth the frayle power of the most potent Monarch of the world whome he ouerthrowes with as great facility as the poorest beggar and that without all regard of degree age strength riches or what els soeuer the earth affoards This did Clotharius King of France to name one for all acknowledge when being dangerously sicke as Saint Gregory of Towers doth recount Greg. Tu. l. 4. hist or cap. 21. he sayd vnto such as stood about him Vah quid putatis qualis est ille Rex caelestis qui sic tam magnos Reges interficit What thinke you my maysters How great is the King of heauen who in this manner doth kill so potent Kings Death is the instrument of execution which to such as prepare themselues vnto it is a sleep and quiet repose to others a most dreadfull bitternes and vexing torment a Lambe where it is subdued a lyon where it doth ouercome The good wish for it the bad abhorre it but both the one the other must of necessity vndergo it and I know not what greater folly or frenzy can be imagined then to be watchfull in light matters and to forget this to behould with attentiue affection the thinges that fly from vs and not to fee whither our selues by the swift wings of tyme are incessantly carryed to see others euery where to dye and yet to liue in such careles neglect as if euen in this life we were immortall to belieue that there is a Hell Heauen neither to feare the one or to desire the other to know that euery one shall receaue according to the workes he hath done good or euill Referet vnusquisque sayth the Apostle propria corporis prout gessit 2. Cor. 5. siue bonum siue malum Euery one shall receaue according to that he hath done
signifyed the intention of giuing almes in respect of euerlasting life of the glory of God and charity towardes our neighbour Againe our almes is to be giuen readily and with facility that it may not seeme to be wrunge out by intreaty nor delaied from day to day when it may preseÌ„tly be dispatched Say not saith the wiseman go thy wayes and come againe to morrow I will giue thee somwhat when thou canst giue it presently Abraham the friend of God requested the passengers that they would come to his howse and expected not to be intreated by them and his nephew Lot did doe the same so neyther did Toby expect that the poore people should come vnto him but he himselfe did seeke for them Thirdly it is requisite that our almes be giuen cheerfully and not with grudging â—ap 31. In euery thing sayth Ecclesiasticus thou giuest shew a cheerfull countenance and the Apostle Not out of sadnes or out of necessity for our Lord doth loue cheerfull giuer Fourthly it is necessary that our almes be giuen with humility in such manner as the giuer may know himselfe to receaue more then he giueth of which point thus writeth Saint Gregory Lib. 21. Moral ca. 14. multum ad edomandum dantis superbiam valet c. It helpeth much to check the pride of the giuer of almes if when he bestoweth his earthly substance he do weigh well the words of the heauenly maister Make you frinds of the mammon of iniquity that when you shall faile they may receaue you into the euerlasting tabernacles for if by the friendship of the poore we do gaine the eternall tabernacles doubtlesse we who giue are to perswade our selues that we do rather offer presents to our benefactours then bestow almes on the poore Fifthly it behoueth that we giue abundantly according to the proportion or measure of our ability for so did Toby that famous almes-giuer As thou shalt be able Tob. 4. so be thou pittifull to the poore if thou haue much giue plentifully if thou haue but little study how to giue that little willingly and the Apostle teachetâ— vs that an almes is to be giuen as a blessing Serm. 3. ad pop Ant. not as couetousnes and S. Chrysostome addeth not to giue only but to giue abundantly iâ— to be called almes and in the same Sermon he addeth that such as desire to be heard of God when they cry Haue mercy on me o Lord God according to thy great mercy must also haue mercy on the poore according to their great almes Last of all it is specially required that he who will be saued and dye well do diligently search out eyther by his owne reading and meditation or by other deuout learned men whether a man may keepe superfluous riches without synne or whether such be not of necessity to be giuen to the poore then further which are to be deemed superfluous riches which necessary for the case may so staÌ„d that meane riches to one be may superfluous and great wealth to another may seeme necessary And for that this small treatise cannot comport any prolixe dispute of scolastical questions I wil briefly repeat certeyn passages of the holy Scriptuâ—es and Fathers as well ancient as moderne and so conclude this difficulty The places of the Scripture are the sixth of S. Mathew You cannot serue God and mammon the third of S. Luke He who hath â—wo coates let him giue to him that hath none and â—nd he that hath meate let him do the like and in â—he twelth of the same Ghospell it is sayd to a rich man who so abounded in substance as that he scant knew where to lay them Tom. 7. ex 50. Thou foole this very night they will take from thee thy soule which wordes S. Augustine doth thus expound that this rich maÌ„ was euerlastingly damned because he reteyned superfluous wealth The chiefest authorityes of the antient Father for this matter are these S. Basil And art not thou a theefe or robber Basil orat ad diuites who esteemest that as thine owne which thou hast receaued only to dispense and giue away And a little after wherefore thou doest iniury to so many poore as thou wert able to giue vnto S. Ambrose Ambr. ser 81. VVhat iniustice is there if I who take not other mens goods from theÌ„ do diligently keep myne owne O impudent assertion Doest thou call them thine owne VVhich are they And after It is no lesse a cryme when thou art able and wealthy to deny almes to the poore then to steale or take away from him that hath it S. Hierome Ep. ad Heâ— quest 1. VVhatsoeuer thou hast more then is necessary for thy diet and apparell that bestow on the poore and know that for so much thou art a debter S. Chrysostome Dâ—â— thou possesse that which is thyne own Chrysost hom 34. ad pop Antioch the goods of poore are committed to thy custody whether tâ—â— possesse them out of thyne owne iust labour or bâ—â—ne all descent of inheritance Saint Augustinâ— The thinges that are superfluous to the rich are â—â—cessary to the poore they who possesse more then tâ—â— want possesse more then is theirs S. Leo Earâ—â— and corporall riches do come vnto vs from the bounâ—ty of God Aug. trac in psal 147. and therefore worthily is he to exact 〈◊〉 account of these thinges which he hath no more câ—â—mitted vnto vs to possesse then to disburse or distribute Leo. ser 5. de Collect. S. Gregory Such are to be warned who neyther desire other mens goods nor bestow their own that they attentiuely know that the earth of which we are all made is common vnto all 3. p. Past admonit 22. and therfore in common yeldeth sustenance for all and in vaine do they thinke themselues without fault who challenge as their owne that gift of God Ber. ep ad Henric. Arch. Sen. which hâ— hath bestowed vpon all S. Bernard The poore cry out say it is our goods that you wast it is with cruelty taken from vs which you so vainely spend S. Thomas of Aquine 22. Quae. 66. art 7. Quast 87. aâ—â— 1. Distin 15. The things which some haue more then they need is by the law of nature dew vnto the maintenance is the poore And Our Lord commaundeth not only the tyth or tenth part but whatsoeuer is superfluous to be giueÌ„ to the poore And vpon the fourth booke of Sentences he affirmeth this to be the common doctrin of all deuines Heere if any will contend â—hat these superfluous goods are not to be giuen vnto the poore out of the rigour of â—he law yet truly he cannot deny but â—hat they are to be giuen them out of charity it importeth little God wot wheâ—her a man go to hel for want of iustice or for want of charity CHAP. X. Of the tenth precept of dying well which is of the Sacrament of Baptisme HAVING explicated the
He was enflamed sayth S. Bonauenture with the feruour of al his soule towards the Sacrament of our Lords body admiring with wonderfull great astonishment that most deere humility and most huÌ„ble charity He did often so deuoutly communicat that he made others to become deuout when he came to the sweet tast of the immaculate lambe as it were drunke in spirit he was for the most partrapt into a trance or rauishment of minde So he From which deuotion not only many lay men that communicate but many Priests also who celebrat are farre short especially such of the latter as say Masse with incredible hast as they seeme not to know themselues what they do nor permit others that heare theÌ„ to consider with any attentioÌ„ so great a mystery or that which else they would at that tyme contemplaâ— CHAP. XIII Of the thirteenth precept of dying well which is Pennance AFTER the Eucharist followeth the Sacrament of Pennance which it respect of him who receaueth consisteth specially in three vertues in contrition of hart confession of mouth and satisfaction of work For they who performe these three thinges well do without al doubt obteyn forgiuenes of their synnes but it is most diligently to be seene and considered whether our contrition be true our coÌ„fession entiere or satisfaction be full and agreable to the offences committed Let vs beginne with contrition Ioel the Prophet cryeth out Contrition Rend your harts not your garments The Iewes when they would make remonstrance or signe of sorrow they did cut or teare their garments the holy prophet then warneth vs that if in the sight of God we will shew true and inward griefe for our sinnes commitâ—d that we cut or teare our harts and the prophet Dauid wil not haue vs only to cut oâ— teare them be to pound them small â—â—â—ing them into dust as we do thinges that are beaten in a morter Thou wilt not o God sayth he despise a hart so broken humbled which similitudes do euidently shew that to pacify God by pennance it is not sufficient in word only to say I am sory that I haue offended but there is required inward and great griefe of hart which without many sobbs sighs and teares is hardly found and wonder it is to behold how seuerely the aÌ„cient Fathers do speak of true contrition S. Cyprian in his sermon of such as were fallen from the faith hath these words Looke how great our sinnes are let vs so greatly also deplore them to a deepe wound let there not want a diligent and long cure let not the pennance be lesse then the fault it behoueth vs to pray and callon God more earnestly to passe the day in mourning to spend the night in watching and weeping to bestow all our tyme in teares and lamentations and lying on the bare ground to be sprinckled with ashes to trumble and turne in a hairecloth and ragges Lib. 3. cap. 17 all 24. Clemens Alexandrinus as we haue in Eusebius in his history calleth pennance Baptismum lacrimarum thâ— Baptisme of teares Orat. 2. de bapt Ca. 1. S. Gregory Nazianzâ— sayth I willingly receaue penitents if I shall them bedewed with teares Theodoretus in 〈◊〉 abridgement writeth that the wounâ— receaued after Baptisme are indeed câ—pable Ep. diuin decret cap. de poenit but not with so light labour as befoâ—â— the lauer of regeneration but by maniâ— teares and toylsom works These things and the like haue aâ—â— the holy Fathers left written of the truâ—â— of contrition many now adayes come 〈◊〉 confession who shew either very little oâ— no contrition at all but such as sincerelâ— desire to be reconciled vnto God that the may liue well and socurely dye must enter into their owne harts and excluding all other matters of lesse moment with all attention must seriously reuolue these and the like things in their mynde and sayech one to himselfe wo be to me poore wretch what haue I done wheÌ„ I coÌ„mitted this and this synne First I haue offended that most sweet Authour of all goodnes my most louing Father who on all sides as with a rampier hath coÌ„passed me about with his benefits of whose great charity I see so many signes as I see good things in my selfe or others But â—hat shall I say of my louing Redeemer Christ who hath loued me being his enemy and vnworthy and he hath giuen â—â—mselfe vp for me Ephes 5. an oblation and sacrifice vnto God in an odour of suauity And I still vnâ—ateful wretched man do not cease froÌ„â—ffending him How great is my hardâ—es cruelty My Lord was beaten with â—odds was crowned with thornes was fastened to the Crosse with nailes that so he might cure my old sinnes and offences and yet shall I neuer cease to add more more new He hanging naked on the Crosse did cry out that he thirsted my saluation do I stil offer him gall vinegar to drinke who also shall explicate from how great glory I haue fallen when I committed this and that deadly synne I was an heyre of the Kingdome of heauen of a life eternall and most happy from this felicity and truly so noble and euery way so great haue I fallen by that most short pleasure by those wordes eyther contumelious against men or blasphemous against God by which I reaped no profit or commodity at all and from that so great felicity to what state am I fallen to the thraldome of the Diuell 〈◊〉 most cruel enemy as soone as the rott … wall of my body shall be beaten down 〈◊〉 which expects euery moment to fall 〈◊〉 soone also shall I without al hope of reâ—â—uery descend into hell fire Alas poâ—â— wretch that I am perhaps to marow peâ—haps this night I shall beginne to dweâ—â— in these eternall fires But aboue all thingâ— my ingratitude of a sonne and most vile seruant against his most louing Father most soueraigne Lord doth torment and wound my hart for by how much the more he hath heaped his benefits vpoÌ„ me by so much more grieuously haue I by my synnes offended him These and the like things if thou wilt with thy self carefully coÌ„sider whosoeuer thou be who vouchsafest to reade this title treatise I hope that thou shalt receaue the gift of contrition of our most mercifull Lord the penitent King Dauid once entred into the desert solitud of his hart after his aduoutry committed and presently hauing gotten true contrition he began for to wash his bed with teares Saint Peter did the like after the deniall of his maister and presently fleuit amarè he wept bitterly S. Mary Magdalen also entred â—â—to her hart and forth with she began to â—ash our Sauiours feet with her teares and to dry â—â—em with the hayre of her head these are theÌ„â—â—e fruites of contrition which do not â—row but in the solitude or desert of our â—art Now let vs speake a word or two of confession I see
many men to come to â—his SacrameÌ„t with very little or no fruit â—t all Confession and that for no other cause but â—or that they enter not into their hart when they prepare themselues for to mak their confession Some there be who goe about this matter so negligently that in generall only and after such a confuse fashion they can say that they haue broken all the commaundements and committed all the deadly synnes to such there should be giuen no other then a general and confuse absolution yea they are not worthy of this for they confesse perhaps that which they haue not done that which indeed they haue done they confesse not others there be that haue learned distinctly and orderly to recount their synnes but they make no account of the quality of the person of the place of the tyme of the number and of other circumstance which is a notable and dangerous negâ—gence for it is one thing to strike a priâ— another to strik a lay man when as to tâ— the former is annexed an excommuâ—cation and not to the latter againe it one thing to haue carnal knowledg wâ—â— a virgin another thinge with a religioâ— Nun another thing with a married wâ—maÌ„ another thing with his own kinswâ—maÌ„ another thing with a harlot Morouâ— it is one thingto haue committed it onâ—â— another thing to haue fallen ten times into the same synne for the same synne oftentymes repeated is not one syn but manifold Finally there are some which is more to be wondered at who are persuâ—ded that the inward synnes as the desires of fornication adultery murther theft and the like are not synnes vnlesse they be actually coÌ„mitted by the exteriour worâ— Yea they scarce account wanton looks or lasciuious wordes to be synnes and yet our Sauiour Christ sayth in plain tearms He who shall see a maryed Woman to lust after her Matth. 5. hath already committed adultery in his hart Wherefore he who will haue care or his conscience and make a profitable good confession let him reade some good book of the art of confessing his synnes or let himselfe seeke out a vertuous and learned ghostly Father and let him enter into his owne hart discusse his conscience that not hastily and briefly but exactly seriously and let him diligently examine his thoughts desires deeds words and also omissions and then let him lay open his soule vnto his vertuous skilful Phisitian let him humbly craue absolution of him and be ready to do that pennance which his Ghostly Father shal thinke necessary to impose There remayneth satisfaction of which our Ancestours most wise and prudent men did make more far account then we seeme now to do for they when seriously they did consider that it was far more easy to make satisfaction vnto God on earth then in purging flames of the next life did impose most heauy and very long penaltyes and as for tyme they enioyned pennances of seauen yeares of fifteen of thirty and sometymes of their whole life and as for the quality they enioyned very frequent fasts and yet more frequent prayers agayne they did forbid their penitents to go to the bathes that they shold not ride go in coach or vse any brauery in apparell that they should absteynâ— from playes from sports from spectacles in the open theaters and finally theiâ— whole life was consumed as it were iâ— griefe and mourning as became true penitents I will alleadge one only example In the tenth Toletan Councell we reade the Bishop of Bracchara called Potamius for that he had defiled himselfe with touching a woman for so speaketh the Councell without all compulsion of others voluntarily of his owne accord to haue shut himselfe vp in prison and for nyne moneths to haue done pennance then by his own letters freely to haue manifested this his synne and pennance which he had vndergone vnto the Concell of the Bishops And then the Councell further to haue determined that he should continue in doing pennance al the dayes of his life when as notwithstanding the Councell there declareth that it had delt more fauourably and mercifully with him then the rules and seuerity of the Ancient Fathers did permit This was the ancient seuerity Now we are become so weake and tender forsooth that a pennance imposed of fasting in bread and water for a few dayes with the seauen psalmes and letanyes to be rehearsed in the same and an almes of a little mony bestowed on the poore doth seeme seuere inough although it be imposed for cleansing the soule fâ—â—m many great syns and enormityes But that wherein heere we fauour selues we shall grieuously smok for in purgatory Gods iustice requiring full satisfaction vnlesse in this life our contrition be so great as proceeding from most feruent charity that it be able to obteyne of the mercy of God full remission and pardon of all synne and punishment due vnto the same truly a contrite and humble hart doe much mooue the bowels of the mercy of God our Father for the goodnes of our Lord is such as he cannot hold wheÌ„ he seeth the prodigall child truly penitent but that he must goe and meet him but that he must imbrace him but that he must kisse him but that he must giue him a ring of peace but that he must wipe away all teares of sorrow replenish him with teares of ioy more sweet then all hony and what else can be deuised more comfortable CHAP. XIIII Of the fourteenth Precept of the Art dying well which is of the Sacrament of Order THE two Sacraments that ensue now briefly to be considered do not apperteyne vnto all Christians but one to Clergy men to wit Order the other to lay men to wit matrimony let vs speake a little of the first I meane not all things that belong to this Sacrament but those things only which are necessary to this art of liuing dying well Orders in number are seauen fower lesser and three greater of which the chifest which is Priesthood is deuided into two for there are greater Priests which are called Bishops and lesser which are single priests before all these Orders is giuen prima tonsura which is it were a gate vnto all the Orders and properly maketh them clarks or Clergy men and for that the things which are required of these inferiour Clarks especially what concerneth vertuous religious life by greater reason are to be exacted of theÌ„ who haue taken the lesser or greater Orders and especially of Priests and Bishops therefore I will restraine my speach to consider and explicate those things only which do belong to these inferiour Clarkes Two thinges there be in these Clarks that require explication First the rite or manner of their ordering then the office which they are to exercise in the Church The rite or manner of their ordering as appeareth by the Pontificall is this that first of all some little part of their haires be clipped of by
made no conscience to sacrifice to strange Gods least he should neuer sâ— little crosse his delights That Christ iâ— this wedlocke did not seeke himselfe thâ— is his own profit or pleasure but the good only of the Church his spouse is cleere by â—he wordes that follow And he deliuered â—imselfe vp for her that he might sanctify her cleâ—nsing it in the lauer of water by the word of life This indeed is true and perfect charity to â—ield himselfe vp vnto torments for the eâ—erlasting saluation of the Church his â—pouse and Christ did not only loue his Church Amore amicitiae and not concupiscenâ—iae but with an euerâ—â—â—ting loue not for tyme only for as he neuer left of our huâ—ane nature which once he assumed so â—lso did he knit this Church vnto him by â—he band of indissoluble wedlocke In caritate perpetua dilexi te Hiir 31. sayth God by the Prophet I haue loued thee with endles charity and this is the cause why matrimony consummated by the coniugall act â—mongst Christians is inseparable because â—t is a Sacrament signifying the marriage of Christ with his Church which wedâ—ocke cannot possibly be dissolued whereas the matrimony of Iewes and Pagans in some cases may be broken off made voyde After this the Apostle doth add instructing women and teaching them that they be subiect vnto their husbands as the Church is subiect vnto Christ this pâ—cept Iezabel who would domineer other husband did not obserue and thereâ—â— ouerthrew her himselfe him and all hiâ— children and I would to God there weâ— not many women amongst vs who striâ—â— to beare rule ouer their husbands but perhaps this is the fault of the meÌ„ who know not how to keepe their authority oâ—er their wiues 3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 10. Truly Sara the wife of AbrahaÌ„ was so subiect and obedient to her husband as that she called him her Lord I am sayth shee growne farre in yeares and my Lord is olde which vertue of Sara Saint Peter in his first Epistle doth commend saying The holy women were subiect to their husbands as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. And it seemeth strange that the Apostles S. Peter and Saint Paul do alwayes teach that husbands ought to loue their wiues 1. Pet. 3. are to feare their husbands or which is al one to be subiect vnto them but is not the wife also bound to loue her husband she is truly to loue her husband and to be beloued of her husbaÌ„d but she must loue him with feare and reuerence so as that loue do not hinder feare for otherwise the woman becomes a tyrant for so Dalila mocked her husband Sampson though otherwise most â—trong not so much as her husband Iudic. 16. as her â—â—ue and in the third booke of Kinges it â—s recounted of a King enamoured of his concubine who permitted this his harlot to sit on his right hand 3. Reg. 4. Genes 2. to take the Crowne from the Kings head and put it on her owne yea and with her hand to strike the King himselfe therfore it is no meruaile that God sayd vnto the first woman Thou shalt be vnder the power of thy husband and he shall beare rule ouer thee For which cause there is much wisdome required in the husband that he loue and gouerne his wife withall that he warne and teach her if need be correct and amend her yet so as he truely loue her as part of his owne body procure likewise that shee loue him be assuredly perswaded that she is so beloued and that his admonishments proceed out of Charity not out of hatred an example we haue in Saint Monica mother of S. Augustine who albeit her husband was a fierce man and a Pagan yet did she so prudently religiously endure him that she was beloued of him and he afterwards was conuerted to the Christian faith The Reader may repaire vnto the bookes of Confessions of S. Augustine and there fynd more hereoâ— CHAP. XVI Of the sixteenth precept of the Art of dying well which is of the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction THERE now remayneth only the last Sacrament which is called Extremâ— Vnction out of which is gathered a most profitable document not for the end only but for the whole course of our life for at that tyme are annoynted al the parts of the body in which are the fiue senses and at euery one it is sayd God pardon thâ—â— in whatsoeuer thou hast offended by thy sight c. and so of the rest From whence we are giuen to vnderstand the fiue senses to be the gates by which all manner of synnes do enter in to our soules and therefore if any keepe well these gates he shall easily eschew a great multitude of synnes and consequently shall liue and dye most happily Let vs speake somewhat of the custody of these fiue gates Sight That the eye is a gate by which all the synnes that apperâ—eyne vnto leachery do enter he who is maister of vs all Christ himselfe I meane doth teach vs when he sayth Matth. 5. whosoeuer shall see a woman to lust after her hath already coÌ„mitted aduoutry in his hart if thy right eye do scandalize or offend thee plucke it out and cast it from thee for it is better that one of thy members should perish then for thy whole body to be cast into hell And we know that the old men who saw Susanna naked were kindled with lust towardes her and for that cause came to miserable ends we know also that Dauid that great friend of God at the sight only of Bersabee washing her selfe to haue fallen into adultery out of which followed maÌ„ slaughter and innumerable other calamityes And the reason hereof is euident because the beauty of a woman is very forcible to allure a man to loue it as the beauty of a man worketh the same effect in a woman and this loue neuer resteth vntill it come to carnall copulation the effect of concupiscence remayning in vs after originall synne which calamnity the Apostle doth deplore saying I see another law in my members repugning to the law of my mynde and keeping me captiue in the law of synâ—â— which is in my members I vnhappy man who sâ—â— deliuer me from the body of this death The graâ—â— of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. So the Apostle What remedy shall we fynde out against this great tentation The remedy iâ— at hand and that with the helpe of God very easy if any list to vse it and this â—â—medy is extant in Saint Augustine in an â—pistle of his where he setteth down a rule for Nunnes Ephes 109. thus amongst other thing he speaketh vnto them If your eyes by chance be cast on any let them be fixed on none For a bare only seemes a thing vnauoidable but it cannot or truly is not wont to wound the hart vnlesse it endure longer and therfore although of set purpose
from our harts which is the root and beginning of all our spirituall good and amongst these wordes of incrâ—dulity none are more hurtefull then the wordes of such as eyther deny the prouidence of God or the immortality of the soule of man for these wordes do not so much make heretikes as Atheists and lay open a wide gappe to all villanyes Another kind of these words is in detractions which quite destroy all fraternall charity are greedily heard but of the curious oÌ„ly Psal 100. for holy Dauid who was a man according to the hart of God saith in the psalm I persecuted him who did secretly detract his neighbour for that detractions do very often happen to be table-talke Saint Augustine to preuent this abuse at his owne table as recounteth Possidius in his life caused these two verses to be written in the wal ouer Quisquis amat dictis absentûm rodere vitam Hanc mensam indignam nouerit esse sibi Who others out of sight Do with detractions staine I warne that from this place They do themselues refrayne The third kinde of ill wordes are such as be adulatory for flattering speeches all men do heare willingly and yet they breed animosity and pride and pride is the Queene of all vices and most repugnant against God The fourth kind is of ill wordes that belonge vnto carnality consisteth in amorous speeches and lasciuious or wanton songes then which by the louers of this world no thing is heard with more delight when as nothinge is more hurtefull or dangerous these wanton songs are like vnto the songes of Mermaydes recounted by Poets which for no other end delighted the passengers then that they might therby cast them into the sea deuoure them Against all these dangerous darts one soueraigne remedy is to haue honest and good friends and withall care to be separated from the wicked for such as are strangers dare not detract speake any heresy flattering or lasciuious speeches vnto them whome before they neuer saw or haue no aquaintance withall And therefore Salomon instructing his sonne in the beginning of his Prouerbes setteth downe his first lesson in these wordes Audi fili c. My sonne heare the instruction of thy Father if synners shall seduce thee yeild not vnto them if they shall say come with vs let vs lay snares for bloud let vs lay a trap against the innocent let vs swallow him like hell aliue and whole as one descending into the lake we shall fynde all pretious substance we shall fill our howses with spoiles cast in thy lot with vs let there be but one purse amongst vs. My son walke not with them they ly in wait for their owne bloud and machinate deceits against their owne soules So he and this counsaile of a most wise man can easily remedy this sense of hearings that a man be not led away with ill wordes especially if we add thereunto that sentence of our Sauiour who was more wise then Salomon who plainly sayth that The enemyes of a man are those who dwell within him And so much of hearing Smelling The third sense is Smelling of which I shall not need to speak because this sense respecteth only sweet odours which haue no great power to hurt the mynde and pretious perfumes are not for all but concerne a very few such as are common as of flowers roses â—â—llyes and the like are harmelesse and may be vsed without offence The fourth sense is of Tasting Tasting the synnes that enter in at this gate to destroy the soule generally speaking are two gluttony and drunkennes but from these two many more do flow and of both the one and the other we haue one admonition of our Sauiour in Saint Luke Luc. 21. See that your harts be not ouercharged with gluttony and drunkennes and another of the Apostle not in bankettings and drunkennes And these two synnes in the Scriptures are reckoned among the mortall or deadly crymes by Saint Paul in his epistle to the Galathians saying Rom. 13. The workes of the flesh are manifest which are fornication vncleannes lasciuiousnes seruings of Idolls witchcrafts murthers drunkennes banquettings the like which as I haue foretold you so do I againe fortell that they which do such things shall not possesse the Kingdome of God Neither is this alone the punishment of these sins but besides this surfet and drunkennes do ouercharg mens harts in such manner that they are not able to rise vp to thinke and imbrace diuine and spirituall things which our Sauiour hath thaught vs and S Basil in an oration of fasting doth explicate by two most fit similituds the first of the suâ— and vapours for as the grosse vapouâ— which asceÌ„d out of moyst places do with their clowdes so couer the heauen as they hinder the beames of the sunne from shining on the earth so out of gluttony and drunkennes there are raised vp certeyne smokes and vapours in vs which darken the heauen of our vnderstanding take froÌ„ vs the heauenly beames of Gods grace The other similitud is drawn from smoke and bees for as bees the cunning artificers of hony are driuen out of their hiues with smoke so likewise the wisdome of God which like vnto a bee doth engender in our myndes the hony of vertues of grace and heauenly comforts is no wayes so soone expelled as by the smoke of gluttony drunkennes Adde hereunto that gluttony and drunkennes are both very hurtfull to our corporall health Antiphanes a most skilfull Phisitian as Clemens Alexandrius reporteth did affirme that there was but one cause of all sickenesses Lib. 2. Ped. to wit multitude variety of meates and on the other side S. Basil iudged it fit to call abstinence the mother of good health And it is the custome euery where of Phisitians first to prescribe abstinence to the sicke and commaund them to forbeare from flesh and wyne yea this riotous surfet of meat and drinke is not only hurtfull vnto the body and soule but also to our temporall estate and substance for this excesse of feeding hath made many rich men to become poore and finally it depriueth the poore and needy from the almes of rich for such as are not contented with moderate diet do easily wast al their goods on their own voluptuous pleasures that nothing is left to giue to the poore and that of the Apostle is fulfilled one doth hunger the other is drunke But leauing this let vs come to the remedyes the first of which may be the example of al the Saints of God I omit holy Hermits and Monkes of whome S. Hierome writeth to Eustochium that to eate any sod meat was held for lasciuious diet De custod Virginit ad Eustoâ— I omit Saint Ambrose who as writeth Paulinus in his life did fast euery day but on great holydayes and sundayes I omit S. Augustine who as writeth Possidius had alwayes for himselfe set one
of Gods iudgement as they shal be weighed at his death To which purpose we may apply that remarkeable saying of a man twice dead which Climacus in his booke entituâ—ed the Ladder recouÌ„teth for thus he saith Grad 6. Non omittaÌ„ c. I wil not pretermit to recouÌ„t the history of that Anchoret who dwelled in Choreb this man after that he had liued most negligently for a longe tyme togeather and had had no care at al of his soule taken at length with sicknes and by â—â—â—nes with the death when as he was pâ—â—fectly departed after the space of an hoâ— the soule retourned againe to the bod◠〈◊〉 then he desired vs that were present 〈◊〉 incontinently we would all depart 〈◊〉 then stopping vp the dore of his cell wiâ—â— stones he remained there for twelue yearâ— neuer speaking one word to any or 〈◊〉 tasting any other thing then bread wâ—ter and sitting with great amazement 〈◊〉 reuolued in his mynd the thinges whiâ— in the tyme of his departure he had seene and that with so stedfast apprehension aâ— he neuer changed his countenaÌ„ce but remayning alwayes astonished he shed in silence great abundance of teares but when the tyme of his departure was at haâ—â— breaking downe the wall and opening the dore we went in vnto him and humbly intreating him to speake somewhat for our instruction this only we heard froâ— him Nemo qui reuerà mortis memoriam agnâ—â—rit peccare vmquam poterit No man who indeed shall throughly conceaue the remembrance of death can euer synne Hitherto Climacus Now let the Reader consider â—ell and know that this is a true history â—d no fiction or fable written by one â—ho was a very holy man and he wrote 〈◊〉 otherwise then he saw with his owne â—â—s heard with his eares Out of which it is easy to perceaue â—w important a thinge it is daily to meâ—ate vpon death alwayes to haue the sâ—â—e present in our remembrance this maÌ„ had beene before very negligent in procuring his owne saluation but out of the great mercy of God he tasted death and risiâ—g againe vnto life for twelue yeares togeather he did daily thinke vpon death moreouer bewayled his synnes with conâ—iâ—uall teares and those thinges which beâ—e his first death he accounted light and â—iall matters hauing tasted the bitterâ— of death he iudged to be most grieuous â—nd such as required the penitential teares â—welue yeares to blot theÌ„ out This then â—he true commentary of these wordes of 〈◊〉 Scripture Remember the last thinges to wit â—th iudgement heauen and hell and 〈◊〉 shalt neuer synne if the remembrance 〈◊〉 one only of these foure was so auailable 〈◊〉 this Monke as that for twelue yeares pennance he redeemed the euerlasting toâ—ment of hellfyre and gayned the glory 〈◊〉 a neuer ending Kingdome what will 〈◊〉 perpetuall memory of al foure work in 〈◊〉 in case we wold exercise our selues theriâ— I would to God men would but know 〈◊〉 try this short and compendious way to 〈◊〉 great and vnspeakable a gaine CHAP. II. Of the second Precept of dying well wheâ— our Death is neere which is of the last day of Iudgment THE second of the foure last thinges iâ— Iudgment which is twofold the one particuler in which euery soule in particuler is iudged at the departure from the body the other generall which shal be of altogeather in the later day both are most horrible and dreadfull vnto the wicked delightfull and glorious vnto the good And often and attentiuely to thinke of tâ— one and other is most profitable for sâ—â— as desire to atteyne a happy death No 〈◊〉 can doubt but that the particuler Iudgement of euery man alone is to be made preâ—â—ntly at his death when as in the Counâ—ell of Florence it is declared against the heâ—etiks that such as depart out of this life in â—eadly sinne streight wayes to descend inâ—o hell fire and those who dye out of the â—tate of deadly synne but with the debt of â—emporal punishment to be caried to purgatory and finally such as after baptisme are free from synne and debt of punishment presently to ascend into heauen to receaue euerlasting felicity And it is very credible as Deuines do hold S. Tho. in 4. dist 47. Dom. Soto in 4. dist 45. the iudiciall sentence of Christ eyther to be signifyed vnto them by Angells or to be reuealed immediately vnto their soules by God himselfe and the soules of the vertuous guarded by Angells either to ascend into heauen or to descend into Purgatory but the soules of the daÌ„ned to be carryed by the Diuells and by them to be cast headlong into hell This iudgement may be dispatched in a moment because the Iudge is present who being God and man according to his diuine nature is euery where and as he is man doth know all things For most truly did Saint Peter say vnto our Sauiour Domine tu omnia nosti Ioan. 21. O Lord thou knowest all thinges the accuser which is the Diuell called in the Apocalips Accusator fratrum nostrorum the accuser of our brethren is at hand he runneth to such as are sick and ready to dye as a wolfe lion or dogg to his prey The witnes is also ready the coÌ„science it selfe of the soule which now separated from the body can no more be deceaued by ignorance or obliuion but throughly knoweth it selfe and incontinently seeth whether it be gratefull or hatefull vnto God and therefore nothing hindereth but that this iudgement may presently be made and put in execution this iudgement is to be called priuate if it be compared with the iudgement at the the later day which shal be publike generall before all the Angells and men of the world But heere briefly is to be yelded a reason why it is required that such shold be iudged againe who not only are iudged already but are also eyther punished in hell 〈◊〉 rewarded in heauen for this point noâ— one reason alone but six may bâ— alleadâ—â—â— The first is in respect of God for in this liâ—â— there want not many who seeing many vertuous men to be vniustly afâ—licted and punished by the wicked on â—he other side many wicked meÌ„ to abound with temporall wealth prosperityes do â—uspect that eyther God doth not see these â—hinges or else that he hath no care of â—hem therefore that all mankind may â—now this world to be most prudently â—uyded by God he hath determined at â—he later day before all the Angells and men to manifest his iustice and to render vnto euery man according to his deserts rewards to the good punishments to the wicked Apoc. 16. that all may be compelled to auouch and say Iustus es Domine vera iusta iudicia tua thou art iust o Lord thy Iudgements are true and iust The second reason is that Christ who before men was so vniustly iudged â—nd suffered so many grieuous and most vnworthy torments
three â—â—ings occurre to be considered the place The Place â—â—e tyme the manner The place is depth â—â—e tyme eternity the manner without â—easure I say that the place is depth for â—â—at the reprobate persons for their great synnes committed against the diuine Maieâ—y of God shall haue their prison in the deepest place of the world and which is furthest of from the pallace of God which is in heauen for it was conuenient that the pride of the Diuell and of proud men shold be condemned to this ptnishment Isa 14. for the Diuell sayd I will ascend into heauen I will aduance my throne ouer the starrs I will be like vnto the highest but it was answered him Thou shalt be throwne down into hell into the depth of the lake and the same shall befall vnto all such as are the children of pride Out of this first infelicity oâ— the reprobate there do flow three other darkenesse straitnes of place and beggary For whereas hell is in the center of the earth to which place neyther the beames of the sunne Moone or starrs can penetrate there can be no â—ight therein morâ— then that which proceedeth froÌ„ the brimstone fire which shall increase and not diminish their torment for by that darke stinking light they shall see the Diuells their most cruell enemyes they shall see also those men whether their frends or kinsfolkes who were cause of their destruction they shall finally see their owne nakednesse their beggary their bandes or chaines their owne torments all which perhaps they would desire not to see certeine it is that any thing which may yeld them any comfort they shall neuer see O darkenesse not darkenesse darkenesse to keep from our sight all that is good noâ— darkenes in laying open before vs all that may be to our discomfort affliction and torment As for the straitnesse of place that â—halbe so great as it shall scarce be able to â—ake the multitude of the damned bodyes For if the whole earth seeme in compariâ—on of the vastnes of heauen to be as Pliny with morall Philosophers say but an inâ—iuisible point or pricke of a pen and the place of hell comprizeth not the whole â—arth nor yet the one halfe but the lower part and center only and the number of the damned be farre greater then the number of the saued Apoc. 5. of which notwithstanding we reade in the Apocalyps I saw a â—reat multitude which no man was able to number who can conceaue or imagine what straites there be in hell Now let the great Kings Nabuchodonosor Darius Alexander Iulius Caesar and others whome the whole world cold not coÌ„teyn whiles they liued on earth go and enlarge if they can their straite habitation in hell let them see with all their wit and power if they can procure to lye more at ease or more mildely to be tormented O vanity of vanityes all mortall men labour to extend and enlarge their fields their territoryes their Kingdomes that for a short time they may vaunt and brag of the great multitude that is vnder their commaund and neuer thinke what a strait place expects them in hell where not for a short tyme but for all tyme and eternity will they nill they they must dwell Now what shall I say of the incredible beggary of the damned All the inhabitants of hell want all thinges that be good and are only in the abundance and multitude of then toâ—ments rich there shall the rich remember how they wallowed in their delights whiles they did liue on earth eyther in meate and drink or in braue apparell or in hunting or hauking or in gardens or vineyards or in theaters playes or other disportes but all this remembrance shall increase their punishment when they shall see themselues naked in hell lying in torments contemned and most miserably despoiled of all their wealth and prosperityes then will they say that which we read in the booke of wisdom spoken in the person of such men Sap. 5. VVhat hath our pride profited vs and what haue we goften by the bragging of our wealth All these thinges haue passed away like a shadow Let vs come to the second head which is Tyme Tyme How long shall this banishment of the damned endure in hell fire I would â—o God no longer then was the length of our mortall life But there will be no coÌ„â—arison betweene the one and the other â—ndurance for to tyme past there shall not succeed a set tyme to come but eterniâ—y which is beyond all tyme therefore so â—onge shall the wicked dwell in these torments as long as the eternity of God himselfe shal endure which as it wanteth a beginning so is it without al end euerlasting â—he wicked shall be tormented so long as â—he Saints shall be in glory and the damned shall dye as long as God shall liue and vnlesse God do cease to be that which he â—s which is impossible the reprobat shall neuer cease to be in the torments wherin they are O deadly life o mortall death If thou be life how doest thou kill If thou be death how doest thou endure Truly thou art neyther to be tearmed death nor life for eyther of them haue some good thing in them life hath rest and death an end But thou hast neyther rest nor end What then shall we say that thou art but the heape of all that euill which life and death haue in them A great thing doubtles it were if we could but meanly vnderstand what the eternity of torments doth meane this thought alone as a bridle would hinder all licentious liberty so make vs order and direct our liues â—s we should all seeme not to be Christians only but most holy Anchorets most vertuous religious men There remayneth of three things proposed the maÌ„ner Manner only which as we said is punishment without measure for the punishment of hell is not one particuler punishment but the heape of all punishments and torments togeather for in hell al the powers of our vnderstanding soule and all the senses as well internall as external are tormented that not by course or one after the other but all these torments like a torrent rush on altogeather violently vpon man here on earth as we haue no triall or experience of the generall ioyes or comforts of Saints so neyther of the generall calamnityes of the damned for heere he that hath sore eyes hath not commonly at the same tyme a king teeth and he who is troubled with hiâ— teeth complaines not of his eyes so likwise in the rest of the senses and corporall infirmityes but in hell at the selfe same tyme are susteined most cruell torments in all and euery member togeather when as thâ— fire compasseth about the whole body most seuerely torments it and yet consumes it not Goe you sayth the Iudge into euerlasting fire and the Prophet Isay Matth. 25. Isa 66. their worme doth not dye
pure most perâ—ect and to continew for all eternity and â—his may suffice in this place for the foure â—ast thinges Death Iudgement Hell and Heauen CHAP. V. Of the fifth Precept of the Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of making our last will and Testament THE consideration of Death at hand and the foure last thinges being premised it followeth that he who maks himselfe ready to go out of the world doe dispose of his house Isay 38. for so the Prophet Isay warned King Ezechias saying Dispose of thy house for thou shalt not liue from which trouble all Religious men are discharged who can say with the Apostle Ecce nos reliquimus omnia secutisuâ—â—s te Be hold we haue left all and haue followed thee Matt. 19. of which number Saint Augustine was one of whome Possidius writeth thâ—â— in his life He made no will or testament because the poore seruant of Christ had not whereof to make it for albeit he were a Bishop yet according to the custome of Religious men he kept nothing as his owne But this Wil is to be mad at the beginning of the sicknes in case the patieÌ„t haue not prudently preuented it by making it whiles he was in good health they doe much hurt hinder themselues who neuer thinke on making a Will vntill their sicknes still increasing they be forced thereunto by their friendes at what tyme they eyther beginne to leese their senses or certainly cannot then dispose of their thinges with that wisdome iudgement and maturity as they had disposed them had they made their Wills whiles they were in good health First of all before the sicke men make their wills they must think of paying their debts if so be that they be charged with any then to leaue their good vnto them to whome of right and equity they shall know them to appertayne not suffer themselues to be caryed away with affectioÌ„ towards those persons whoÌ„ they most loue in case this be any way repugnant to iustice In such thinges as depend on their owne free gift let them first lay before their eyes the glory of God and then the necessityes of their neighbours and if they be very rich those thinges which before they ought to haue giuen to the poore let them not now thinke to haue satisfyed their conscience if with their other synnes they confesse also this vnto the priest their ghostly Father vnles they take order that the same thinges be giuen to the poore or rather vnlesse that they themselues do presently giue them For it is a common opinion of the holy Fathers and chiefe schoole Doctours that all superfluous thinges which the rich enioy are due vnto the poore of which thing we haue writen in the former book and ninth chapter and it is not needfull heere againe to repeate what I haue there sayd but of thinges which they may dispose of at their pleasure let them conferre with vertuous discreet men which be the workes of charity that then for the tyme and place are more acceptable vnto God somewhere perhaps it will more import to buyld a Church or place for common buriall elswhere to place poore maydes in honest wedlocke elswhere to â—uyld an Hospitall to help the number of sicke persons elswhere to bestow almes on such as begge in the streets elswhere to redeeme captiues and the like and finally in such distributions there if no better rule to be obserued Lib. 3. off Cap. 48.3 p. Past adm 21. then as Saint Ambrose sayth sincere Fayth and discreet prouidence or as Saint Gregory sayth Charity with prudence or prudence conioyned with charity This in my iudgement is of speciall moment and seriously to be considered that the almes which are giuen by the liuing or else are appointed to be giuen by such as are to dye that then they be specially giuen or appointed when as he that giueth or appointeth them is gratefull vnto God for then both to the one other they are very meritorious and such bountifull almes-giuers are receaued of their good friendes into the euerlasting tabernacles according vnto Christ his promise in S. Luke for if they be giuen or appointed to be giueÌ„ by a wicked man the almes auaile nothing to euerlasting life whatsoeuer it doe in respect of other merits neyther for them are the giuers receaued into the euerlasting tabernacles wherefore the party that is guilty of mortall synne and hath made his last will and testament in that state is to aske counsaile of a discreet ghostly Father or some other of his vertuous frends that after a Confession entierly and perfectly made he confirme allow and ratify whatsoeuer he had disposed in his former will especially for the bestowing of almes on the Church or poore people after his death Hereunto last of all is to be added that he who in his last will and testament hath beene liberall vnto his neighbours that he be not vnmyndfull of his owne soule when as it may very well fall out that he go not directly after his death into heauen but first passe through the place of purging fire wherefore he shall do both prudently and religiously if he command one part of the almes to be giuen vnto Priests who may offer vp sacrifices vnto our Lord for his soule for as the Scripture testifyeth It is a holy and wholsome thought to pray for the dead 2. Mach. Cap. 12. that they may be deliuered from their syns so in the second of the Machabees out of which place Saint Augustine gathereth à fortiore that the soules of faythfull Christians departed this life are much more holpen by the sacrifyce of the body bloud of Christ in the Masse then they other were by the sacrifices of beasts in the old testament CHAP. VI. Of the sixt Precept of this Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the Confession of our sinnes AFTER the consideration of the former points it is necessary that a man gone in yeares or taken with a dangerous sicknes do seriously casting aside all other cares apply his mynd duly to receaue the Sacrament of Pennance for it often happens that at what tyme the Sacrament of Pennance is most necessary that then it is with lesse disposition receaued of the Penitent such as are grieuously sicke or hindered with sorrowes or weakenesse or want of iudgement or horrour of death at hanâ— or loue of their deere frends whoÌ„ vnwillingly they leaue make a very maymed and imperfect confession for being in those â—nguishes they can hardly stirre theÌ„selues vp vnto true and sincere contrition or sorrow for their offences My selfe can be a witnesse of this difficulty which such for the most part doe fynd for when at a tyme I visited a frend a rich Gentleman who by reason of a great synne he had committed fell into a deadly disease told him that there was nothing better for him to seeke
14. session second Canon Another kind of the relikes of syns is a certayne horrour or stupidity or rather sorrow and heauines which oppresse sicke to which apperteyneth the promise of Saint Iames Et alleuiabit eum Dominus and our Lord will lift him vp this SacrameÌ„t recomforteth the sicke when they marke the diuine promises expressed in the same and for that cause it should not be differred vntill the last houre when the sicke man doth not heare or else vnderstandeth nothing at all What vtility is reaped out of this Sacrament may be gathered by the words of the forme thereof Fiue places there be which are specially annoynted in which the fiue seÌ„ses are scituated to wit the sense of seeing the sense of hearing the sense of smelling the sense of tasting and the sense of touching and in the meane tyme the priest sayth Indulgeat tibi Dominus quicquid deliquisti per visum auditum c. Our Lord pardon or forgiue thee in whatsoeuer thou hast synned by sight by hearing and so of the rest and because that prayer is the forme of the Sacrament without all controuersy it effectually worketh that which the words doe sound and signify vnlesse there be some impediment on the behalfe of the receauer How great the bountifulnesse and mercy of our Lord God is in this Sacrament he will soone fynde that shall consider with himselfe what a mayne multitude of synnes do flow from these fiue fountaynes and this was the occasion why Saint Malachy a Bishop of Ireland whose life Saint Bernard wrote after that for some houres he had delayed to minister this Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to a certeyne noble woman that was sicke and she the meane tyme had departed out of this life he so farre foorth repented himselfe that with his priests he lay in the chamber of â—e dead woman all the night praying â—d lamenting imputing it to his owne â—ult that the vertuous woman eyther had â—ot recouered by the vertue of Extreme Vnction or had not receaued that ample pardon of her sins from the liberall mercy of our louing Lord and because this holy Bishop was the friend of God by his prayers and tearâ—◠〈◊〉 obteyned of him that the sayd woman should come agayne to life receaue from the hands of the same Saint both the effects of this holy VnctioÌ„ for she recouered her health liued many yeares after as we may piously coniecture gayned also the pardon of her sins This example of so worthy a man and of another most holy man faithfully related is inough to persuade all who with reasoÌ„ or authority wil be perswaded how much they ought to esteeme this venerable Sacrament CHAP. IX Of the ninth Precept of this Art of dying well when our Death is neere which is of the first tentation of the Diuell to wit Heresy VVHEN our death drawes neere our aduersary the diuel as a roâ—ring lyon is not wanting to himselfe but swiftly approacheth as vnto a prey with all his power assayles the sicke man in his last conflict and he is wont to make his first assault with the tentation concerning fayth for the things which we belieue do transcend not only our sense but also naturall reason and fayth it selfe the ground of our iustification and that being ouerthrowen all the buylding of our good workes falleth downe this of all other tentations it most grieuous because we are to encounter with an Aduersary not only most learned subtile but trained in this warfare from the beginning of the world He it is that hath seduced all the heads or ringleaders of heretikes of whome not a â—w were excellent and very wise men â—ell therefore doth the Apostle warne vs â—ur combat or conflict is not agaynst flesh bloud Ephes 5. â—hat is to say agaynst men but against the â—iritualls of wickednes that are aboue That is â—gaynst the Diuels which are spirits most â—icked and crafty spirits and see vs all from the ayre aboue called Coelum aëreum the aiery heauen our weapons in this batâ—ell are not disputations but simple beliefe of the truth for so do the two chiefe Aâ—ostles teach vs. S. Peter sayth Ephes 6. Your aduerâ—ary the Diuell goeth round about as a roaring lion â—eking whome he may deuoure agaynst whome mak â—esistance being stronge in sayth and Saint Paul 1. Pet. 6. In all things taking the shield of fayth in which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked enemy Therefore out of the doctrine of the Apostles we must dispute with the Diuell but with the shield of fayth take all his darts and beate them backe agayne although they seeme to be both fiery and burning that is efficacious subtle There is a very dreadfull example hereof in Peter Barocius Bishop of Padua who wrote three bookes of the methode of dying well he his second booke thus speaketh Fuere quemadmodum audiui c. Two there were as I haue heard in their tyme most learned and of all others of thâ—â— vniuersity in which they studied the chiâ—fest disputers both of good behauiour anâ— very deuout of which one of them aftâ— his death appeared vnto the other at sucâ— time as he was in his library and studyinâ— of the holy Scriptures and that all in buâ—ning fire the student a mighted at this spectacle and asking what the cause sholâ— be of so great torment the other witâ— griefe and sighes replyed saying when I was to depart out of this life the enemy oâ— mankynd to wit the Diuell came vnâ—â— me and for that he knew me to be weâ—â— learned he beganne to aske me about mâ— fayth what I did belieue I answered that 〈◊〉 belieued whatsoeuer was conteyned in the Apostles Creed he willed me to explicate somethinges vnto him which seemed not to be so cleere I did so and that in such manner as I had reade in the Creed of Athanasius for I thought that they could not be more carely or more truly explicated Then the Diuell It is not so as thoâ— doest surmize for those thinges which belong to God the Father are in part playne and true in part obscure and false for 〈◊〉 indeed is eternall but as he hath euer â—â—ene God so hath he not euer beene a faâ—â—er but first God and after a Father aâ—â—inst this when that I cryed out and sayd â—â—at it was an heretical position diaboâ—call doctrine the Diuell sayd this matter 〈◊〉 not to be decided by clamours but arguâ—ents if we be moued with desire of fynâ—ing out of truth I can easily alleadge reaâ—ons for my opinion as for your opinion defend it if you can and then shall you deliuer me from a great errour I poore wretch who presumed more on my wit â—nd learning then was fit beganne seriously to dispute with him as with some ordinary man till at length by little little with the arguments that he obiected against me he drew me into that
wicked errour as now I neyther belieued the Son nor the holy Ghost to be God presently death tooke my soule hence and in what state it found it in the same it presented it vnto the Iudge and by him I am adiudged vnto this fire which although most raging yet in some sort I should thinke more tolerable if that after a thousand thousand yeares it might haue an end but it is eternall and there withall so great thaâ— none whatsoeuer that euer hath beenâ— seene in earth can match it in so much 〈◊〉 almost euery houre I repeÌ„t me of my leaâ—ning which hath brought me to thiâ— dreadfull destruction And hauing thâ— spoken he vanished away but the otheâ— exceedingly astonished as well for the nâ—uelty of the thing aâ— with the miserabâ—â— case of his daÌ„ned frend as soone as he recouered himselfe coÌ„ferred with such as weâ—â— his greatest frends touching this vision asked their counsayle what they thought best in such a case to be done and it wâ—â— determined by them all that euery one aâ— such a tyme and occasion should without dispute refer himselfe to that faith which the Catholicke Church doth mayntayne Not longe after he fell into a sickenesse whereof he dyed when loe the same enemy emboldened with the successe of the former dispute asked him of his fayth what he did belieue to whome he answered that he did belieue that which the holy mother the Church did belieue agayne the Diuell demaunded what doth the Church belieue he answered the same that I belieue and in this manner in the hearing of all that were present as though â—e had sâ—oken vnto him he neuer ceased â—om saying I belieue what the Church â—â—liueth and the church belieueth what I â—elieue vntill he gaue vp the ghost and by this meaÌ„s deluding the subtilty of the enemy he passed into heauen And a few days after he appeared vnto his friends of whoÌ„ before he had asked â—â—unsayle what was to be done in such a case in a farre differeÌ„t shape from that wherin his fellow before had appeared vnto him and he gaue them thanks for that by their couÌ„saile he passed all difficultyes and aryued vnto heauen which things we haue not thought amisse to set downe as they hapned that so eyther out of feare by the misfortune of the one or out of confideÌ„ce by the good successe of the other euery one may learn that there is no disputing with the Diuell that it is inough to referre himselfe to that fayth which the Catholike Church doth teach mainteyne Hitherto Barocius I need not heerin say any more then he already hath sayd CHAP. X. Of the tenth Precept of the Art of â—â—ing well when our Death is neere which is of the second tentatation of the Diuell to wit of Desperation ANOTHER tentation at this tymâ— wont to be touching Despayre bâ— which the Diuell if often wont to trouble not only wicked men but also such as be very vertuous and truly as for wicked meâ— when their death is at hand he easily casteth downe into the pit of desperation for he layes before their eyes al the offenceâ— which in the whole course of their life they haue committed as Venerable Bede in the fifth book of his history recounteth of a certayne souldier in these wordes Fuit quidam temporibus Coenredi qui post Edilredum regnauit c. There was one in the time of Coenred who raygned after Edilred a lay man and by profession a souldier who by how much the more gratefull he was to the King for his exteriour diligeÌ„ce so much was he displeasing vnto him for the inteâ—â—our negligence of himself and therefore â—â—e King carefully warned him that he â—ould confesse his synnes that he would â—â—mend leaue them before that he were â—â—rprized by death and before that it were â—â—olate for him to repent and amend them but the souldier notwithstanding his ofteÌ„ admonitions despised all good counsaile and promised his Admonitours that afterwards he would doe pennance in the meane time falling sicke he lay on his bed â—nd beganne to be tormented with great â—ayne whome the King visiting for he â—eerly esteemed him did earnestly perâ—uade him that now at last before he departed that he would doe pennance for his synnes but he answered that he wold not then confesse them but would doe it after that he were recouered least that his fellowes should vpbraide him and say that he had done that out of feare in his sicknes which he would not do whiles he was in good health speaking as he thought couragiously but indeed as after appeared miserably deluded by the Diuell for the sicknes increasing when as the King came againe to visit admonish him he foorthwith with cryed out with a pitifull voice what wil you now haue for what are you come hither now there is no more saluation tâ— be hoped for vnto whome the Kinâ— sayd speake not in this manner see that now you leese not your selfe I am not maâ— quoth he but I haue now my most wicked conscience before myne eyes a little since there entred into my chamber two most beautifull young men and they sate by me one at my head and the other at my feet and one of them tooke out a booke very fayre but wonderfull little and gaue it me to read and reading the same I fouÌ„d registred therein all the good deeds that I had done and these were to few and to little or small then presently rushed in an army of wicked and horrible spirits and he who for the darkenesse of his clowdy face and for his preferment in sitting seemed to be chiefe brought foorth a booke of a dreadfull aspect of an excessiue greatnes and for weight almost importable and commaunded the same to be brought me to read by one of his guarde which when I had read I found all my wikednes and whatsoeuer I had offended in not only in worke and word but also in my secretest thought to be written most cleerly in vgly letters Thus spake this desperate wretch and soone after dyed and that pennance which for a short tyme he omitted to do with the fruite and pardon of remission of his synnes he now without all fruite doth vndergo in euerlasting torments Hitherto Saint Bede Where euidently we see the Diuell first to haue persuaded this miserable souldier not to do pennance vnder the precept of longer life and then to haue brought him into desperation There is another example in the same Authour in the next Chapter where thus he writeth Noui ipse fratrem c. Lib. 5. c. 1 historiae Angl. I knew a brother whome I would to God I had not knowen whose name also I could tell if the telling thereof wold auayle any thing who was placed in a famous monastery though he liued infamously this man being ouertaken with sicknesse and brought euen vnto the point of death called for the brethren of the monastery and with great
Saint Paul in his second epistle to the Corinthians Id enim quod in praesenti est momentanem c. 2. Cor. 4. For our tribulation which in this life is momentary and light worketh in vs aboue measure on high an euerlasting weight of glory we not contemplating the things that are seene but which are not seene for the thinges which are seene are temporall the thinges which are not seene eternaâ—â— These Apostolicall and golden words to a spirituall man are most easy and plaine and out of them alone without alâ— difficulty he learnes the art of liuing and the art of dying well but to a carnall sensual man they are as obscure as any Cymmerian darkenes and sound as the Hebrue or Arabicke tongues do to one who knoweth no other but the Latyn or Greeke A spirituall man gathereth out of these wordes the tribulations of this life although most grieuous endured born foâ— the loue of God to be most light and most short albeit they should last for many yeares because whatsoeuer hath an end cannot be properly sayd to be of long continuance and the same tribulations to merit before God so great riches as that an vnmeasurable euer during treasure of glory and all good things is purchased by them out of which al men of capacity may see that these tribulations are not to be feared but we are to feare our sins neyther are temporall emolumeÌ„ts to be much regarded but eternall only And hence it followeth that men are to liue well on earth that they may happily raigne in heauen and consequently liue dy most securely But sensuall men that haue no spirit who in wordes say that they belieue the words of the Scripture and deny it in deeds they doe plainly peruert the words of the Apostle and say if not with their tongue yet in their hart that pouerty ignorance ignominy iniuryes tribulations are most grieuous therefore with all care to be auoyded preuented repelled albeit they should for that end lye deceaue commit murther offend God and afterwards go to hell firâ—â—or say these men who knoweth whether any where there be a hell Or who hath euer seene this eternall weight of glory But we fynde by experience we know for certeyne yea we feele with our hands pouerty ignominy and iniuryes to be ill Thus doth the world and such as are of the world not deliuer in wordes but testify in their actions and this is the cause why the greatest part of men doe liue ill and dye most miserably And to alleage an example or two of the bad death of the damned we haue in the fourth booke of S. Gregoryes Dialogues the example of one Crisorius who being one of them whom I now described a politike fellow wise and in worldly affayres very practicall but withall as S. Gregory noteth very proud and couetous this man being now come to the end of his life opening his eyes saw most filthy and vgly spirits to stand before him to draw neere that they might take him away perforce and carry him into hell the poore man began to tremble to wax pale and with loâ—d cryes to aske for respit crying and saying Inducias vel vsqâ—â—ane inducias vel vsque mane resâ—it 〈◊〉 till to morow respit but till to morrow and whiles he thus cryed euen in the very speaking his soule was taken away from his body by which it is most cleere that he saw that vision for our instruction that it might be a warning to vs seeing that in respect of himselfe it was nothing auayleable And this vsually hapneth vnto such as differ or delay their amendment vntill the last houre of their life and of this number are they to be reckoned who as Saint Gregory sayth in the beginning of his fourth booke doe not easily belieue any thinge that they do not see with their eyes or if they belieue they doe not belieue as they should by reforming their liues to the prescript of vertue Another example is in the same place where Saint Gregory writeth of a Monke that was an Hypocrite who was thought to fast whiles in the meaâ—e tym he did secretly eate and drinke and the same Saint affirmeth the sayd Monke to be damned in hell fire for he acknowledged his synne but did no pennance for it for God on the one side would haue his Hipocrisy detected and on the other gaue him not grace to repent that othâ—â—â—ay learne not to delay their coÌ„fession â—â—peâ—nance vntill the end of their life But not to stay longer in discoursing of such who through their owne negligence haue not learned the art of liuing well therfore haue miscaryed in their ends I returne to the wordes of S. Paul which are very full of mysteryes most wholsom documeÌ„ts First it is good to note how far the Apostle doth extenuate his owne merits and labours endured for Christ and extolleth the glory of the Kingdome of heauen which is the reward of our merits That sayth he of our tribulation is momentary and light this is the extenuation of his merits The Apostle with all possible endeauour had laboured almost fourty yeares for when he was called by a voice from heauen vnto Christ he was a young man Cap. 7. for so it is written in the Acts of the Apostles the stoners of Saint Stephen deposuerunt vestimenta sua secus pedes adolescentis qui vocabatur Saulus they layed their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul He liued a Christian euen vnto his old age for so he writeth of himselfe vnto Philemon cùm sis sicut Paulus senex seeing thâ—â— arâ— like Paul an old â—an therfore he â—â—towed his youth his middle and old age in the seruice of Christ and yet hâ— sayeth that his tribulations which were continuall without intermission from his conuersion vntill his MartyrdoÌ„ were out momentary and what he sayth is true if his tribulations be compared vnto the eternity of euerlasting felicity though in respect of our tyme they dured for a long while To the shortnes he addeth their lightnes Momentaneum leue tribulationis nostrae And yet how sharâ— and cruell his tribulations were himself declareth wheÌ„ in the first to the Corinthians he sayth 1. Cor. 4. Vsque in hanc horam c. Euen vnto this houre we hunger and thirst are naked and are beaten or buffetted with fists and haue no place of aboad and labour with our own hands we are cursed and we blesse we suffer persecution and endure it we are blasphemed and we entreat we are made as it were the filth of the worlde and the scum of all euen vntill this present tyme and in his other Epistle vnto the same Corinthians he addeth further 2. Cor. 11. In laboribus plurimis c. In very many labours in prisons more often in strips aboue measure in deaths often of the Iewes fiue â—â—â—es had I fourty lashes saue one thrice was I