the grace of one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vpon many As by Adam all were brought to perdition so by Christ all were redeemed by Adam all were subiected to punishment by Christ all deliuered by Adam all did loose grace by Christ all may receiue it after a more excellent manner by Adam all came to dye temporally by Christ all may rise to life eternall by Adam all were brought to a corrupted state by Christ all may be eleuated to a more sublime and spirituall state by Adam all were made like beastes by Christ like Angels yea aboue Angels Adam depriued vs of the tree of life Christ giues vs the bread of life Adam depriued vs of originall Iustice Christ giues vs plenty of grace equiualent to that originall Iustice yea farre surpassing for although both be supernaturall gifts immediatly infused in the soule yet they differ in this that originall iustice did make a perfect peace betweene the faculties and powers of the soule and grace doth make man pleasing and acceptable to God in order to eternall life and by it man is made a sonne of God and heire of the kingdome of heauen This grace of its owne nature is sufficient to reduce vs to that former state of innocence and that in all respects but that God in his infinite wisedome for diuerse reasons hath permitted to stand with grace many tribulations and afflictions of this world S. Augustine will giue vs the first reason hereof in his booke de pec rem c. 31. that we should not seeke after the Sacraments for temporall respects but for the future glory thereby to exercise our faith hope patience and such like so that by the ineffable mercy of God the paine of vice doth passe into armour of vertue and the punishment of the sinner is become the merit of the iust Secondly God permits these temporall troubles to remaine to put vs in mind of the greiuousnesse of the fault for other wise we should scarce thinke of the sinne that is so long past when we are so vnmindfull of our owne sinnes newly committed Thirdly this is a worke of the diuine prouidence to excite vs to the consideration and search of a better life exempt and free from all miserie for as experience teacheth vs there is nothing more moues vs to seeke after celestiall things than to consider and ponder the miseries of this world Fourthly by the want of this originall iustice we are put in mind of our frailtie and how easily we may fall into sinne Fiftly that the members may be like vnto their head Christ Iesus who notwithstanding that he was replenished with all grace would take vpon him our infirmities and for our sakes become subiect to the law of death For such and the like reasons hath God permitted that man should not enioy that peace which in the state of Innocence he possessed But yet he hath fully supplied this defect by enriching our soules with many graces and gifts as virginity patience martyrdome fasting abstinences mortification pouertie obedience and such like which he by word and example hath left vs to the end that we may attaine to a state of Innocence equiualent to the former and much exceeding it in merit for by these vertues performed in grace we labour to produce in our soules that which by originall Iustice we might haue possessed and consequently those that professe the practise of the aforesaid vertues doe as much as lies in their power endeauour to reduce themselues to the state of Innocence Which made the Pope to say that the religious of this order who by their rule and manner of life doe continually practise these vertues haue their finall end of their professiō to reduce themselues to the state of innocence And this for that by their rule they are to produce effects directly contrary to the effects of originall sinne set downe in the end of the precedent chapter as perfect faith in their vnderstanding charitie in their will mortification of their concupiscence patience in all calamities labours and paines triumph ouer death pacification of Gods wrath libertie of spirit peace of minde charitie to the whole world and fortitude to beare and vndergoe all the euils of this world And to these their rule brings them and consequently reduces them to the state of innocence THE 25. CHAPTER Whether the religious of this third order be in the state of perfection OVr seraphicall Doctour S. Bonauenture sets downe fiue sorts of perfection to be found in Christians The first is common and necessarie to all Christians which he cals sufficient perfection consisting in the performance of the precepts Of this our Sauiour speaketh Mat. 5. Estote perfecti sicut pater vester caelestis perfectus est Be yee perfect as your heauenly father is perfect The second is perfection of religion which consists in the obseruance of the counsells wherof it is said Mat. 19. si vis perfectus esse vade vende omnia quae habes c. If thou wilt be perfect goe and sell all thou hast The third is perfection of prelature which consists in the gouernement of subiects according to that of S. Luke c. 6. perfectus omnis erit si sit sicut magister eius euery one shall be perfect if he be as is master The fourth is perfection of worke which consists in the ostension of good examples from whence Noe was said to be perfect Gen. 6. Noe vir iustus fuit atque perfectus in generationibus suis Noe was a iust and perfect man in his generations The fift and last is perfection of tranquillitie which consists in the consummation of the things that are best and most hard According to that of S. Iohn 1. ep c. 4. Perfecta charitas foras mittit timorem Perfect charitie casteth out feare Now it is certaine that the religious of this third order as being Christians and faithfull subiects of Gods Church doe or ought to enioy the first perfection For by their rule and profession they are obliged punctually to obserue the precepts whereunto also they bind themselues in a more strict manner as shall be declared in the second part The third perfection is proper to Bishops and prelats and consequently cannot be appropriated to any religious state which is only a state of getting perfection and therfore by some iudged to be the schoole wherein prelates might learne that perfection which they communicate to others But the other three may be appropriated to a religious state which is no other but a state of men or woemen tending to christian perfection by the vowes of pouertie chastitie and obedience or a certaine manner of life bound by certaine lawes and customes wherein perfection is acquired by obseruance of the Euangelicall counsells whereby the professours therof become perfect examples and patternes of good life whilst they themselues attaine to the chiefe perfection of tranquillitie and peace which vnites them to God Amōgst other approued orders in Gods Church
shed forth teares of compunction to wash away mine offences I did eat ashes as bread and mingled my drinke with weeping The prophet Ioel c. 2. inuites all to the same Conuert imini ad me in toto corde in ieiunio in fletu in planctu Be conuerted to me in all your heart in fasting and in weeping and in mourming that is be ye conuerted to me your God by pennance with your whole heart with all your soule with all your spirit with all your affection which ye may best doe by fasting whereby the sinnes of the flesh and gluttonie are punished and in weeping and mourning whereby with teares ye deplore your ingratitude towards your good God This pennance was denounced vnto vs by all the prophets but in a more eminent manner declared and practised by that most holy forerunner of our Sauiour B. Saint Iohn Baptist whose office was to preach pennance by word and example of whom S. Bernard saith The austeritie and strict course of life of holy S. Iohn Baptist is a hard messenger of eternall death vnto delicious and wanton persons And S. Chrysostome The habit of his body might preach the vertues of his mind c. The Apostles tought the same S. Iohn Climacus hath notable examples in this kind The holy hermits that liued in the desarts did shine with pennance alwaies leading a strict penitentiall life And to omit infinite others let one S. Francis serue for all who after his conuersion did lead a most austere life of pennance For putting on the armour of the Crosse he did subdue all his sensuall appetites with such rigour of discipline that he scarce tooke what was necessarie for his sustentation for said he it is hard to satisfie the necessities of the body and not yeeld to sensuall inclination And therfore being in health he did seldome eat any dressed meates and when he did he put to ashes or water for sauce and very rarely too taking water enough to suffice nature He still inuented new wayes to afflict his body his bed being for the most part the ground or earth his pillow a blocke or stone With such and many the like mortifications did he arme him selfe to conuert the whole world and to draw it to pennance whereof he became a preacher both by word and example And this is all the knowledge his sermons tend vnto let other saints and Doctours preach the high points of speculatiue misticall or morall diuinitie let others abound in eloquence and fertile conceits of holy misteries let them teach the sublime misterie of the holy Trinity and other articles of our faith let them explicate the sublime gifts which God imparts to deuout soules or other such curious points S. Francis hath but one sermon of pennance alwayes repeating and inculcating the same after the example of S. Iohn Baptist and of his Master Christ Iesus knowes not how to speake any other language his text exordium narration peroration or conclusion is of pennance which he alwayes preaches whilst his very life is a continuated sermon of penuance The fruict whereof was such that the whole world would needs follow his example which made him for the satisfaction of all to make certaine rules of pennance All the sentences counsels and commandements of the first Rule sauour of nothing else but pennance and the professours thereof as wel noteth S. Bonauenture were Preachers of Pennance The second rule of no lesse austeritie and pennance he gaue to the poore Clares But this patriarcke of pennance had not thus giuen way and meanes to all for some had not strength and abilitie to vndertake such rigorous austerities who notwith standing forced by his example and words must needes take some rule and manner of life that they might doe pennance for their sinnes And this rule or method of liueing did the holy Father accomplish calleing it the rule of pennance or order of penitents so that the whole order of S. Francis is an order of pennance and all his children are penitents and those that are not so deserue not to be esteemed his disciples So that the first order in the beginning were called preachers of pennance but afterward for the more humilitie the Saint would haue them called Friar Minors a name of humilitie dependence and submission which is the highest condition of a Friar minor The vulgar people also stiled the now called poore Clares or poore dames religious penitents only the name of penitents remaines to the third order whose rule is commonly called the rule of pennance and their order stiled the order of pennance as here the Popes Holinesse entitles it THE 22. CHAPTER Containing a declaration of the state of Innocency MY reader perhaps will admire why I propound this discourse so farre differing from my subiect but let him please to consider that my intention is to explicate the things that are contayned in the prologue of the rule which the Pope thus beginneth Among other things committed to our charge and gouernement those chieftly doe make vs sollicitous by which the concupiscences of the world and flesh being bridled the quiet state of innocence and peace giuen vs from heauen is knowen to be reduced to its originall state and perfection Intimating that by a religious state man may be reduced to the quiet state of innocencie which cannot well be explicated if first we set not downe what the state of innocency was and how we haue fallen from it As for the first we cannot better declare it than by its effects which principally were seauen the first was wisdome and perfect knowledge of all things the second grace amitie or friendship with God the third originall iustice the fourth immortalitie and impassibilitie the fifth the inhabitation of paradise where they might eat of the tree of life the sixth a speciall care that God had of them the seauenth and last freedome from all lust and concupiscence S. Bernard contemplating this state of Innocency in his 35. Sermon vpon Canticles saith that Adam did dwell in the terrestriall paradise a place of more happynesse than any mortall creature could desire his conuersation was exempt from pouertie nothing could discommodate him he was recreated with odoriferant flowers and delightfull fruicts filled with honour and glory and established or created prince of all creatures This minion or fauorite of heauen was an abridegement of all perfection a microcosme where God had heaped all the exquisite beauty that could be seene in heauen or in earth For he had enriched him with grace endowed him with immortalitie and aboue all created him in originall iustice whereby he perfectly possessed all naturall sciences which to gether with the knowledge of supernaturall misteries was infused into him at the time of his creation Moreouer God had ranged all creatures vnder his obedience all liuing beasts did acknowledge him for their lord all other things tending to his benefit content and pleasure the planets sent forth no euill influences each heauen planet
and element containeing themselues within the limits of their natures to the vse of man But that which excelles all is that man was made to the image and likenesse of God that he might alwayes tend towards him and conforme himselfe entirely to his holy will nothing being sufficient to content him saue only God So that beholding himselfe he had occasiō to contemplate the maker of all things and consider the dignitie of his owne soule To be briefe Adam had such great prerogatiues in the state of innocency that he was alwayes vnited to God his soule enriched with grace was pleasing to God his appetite without contradiction was subiect to the lawes of reason his body should have beene alwayes vigorous and strong c. Who is he that beholding this well carued image is not rauished and astonished or can refraine from extolling the honour and praise of the workeman Who can behold so noble a creature not magnify the Creatour who hath made man the ornament of the world the epitomie of the grand vniuerse the loue of heauen the terrour of the diuell cōpaniō of angels sonne of God and brother of Christ Iesus what shall I say more It is impossible to conceiue much harder to declare the preheminence dignity and nobility of man in the state of Innocence when as he was cloathed with that royall robe of originall iustice whereby man was subiect to God all the inferiour powers to reason But alas this did not long continue as is to be seene in the following chapter THE 23. CHAPTER Declaring mans fall from the state of Innocency HOmo cum in honore esset non intellexit comparatus est iumentis insipientibus similis factus est illis Psal 48. Man when he was in honour did not vnderstand he was compared to the foolish beasts and became like to them Adam did not know his excellency and dignity but he became like an irrationall creature without iudgement and transgressed the commands of God by eating of forbidden fruit and so by his disobedience did as it were make a massacre vpon all mankind which thus piously S. Augustine deplores vpon S. Paules epistles O durus durior casus c. ô cruell and more than cruell fall alas what is it that man hath lost what is it that he hath found he hath lost the beatitude whereunto he was created he hath found death from whence he was exempted O infortunate Adam thou hast chased vs out of our country thy sinne hath banished vs into this troublesome desart of cursed earth and from immortall as we were we are become mortals O miserable seruitude inestimable losse insupportable paine and most grieuous torment ô vnfortunate Adam what hast thou done wherefore last thou so soone forgotten the commande of thy creatour transgressed the precept of thy master and trodden vnder foot the law of thy God what disorder what passion what intemperance hath seased on thee that thou couldest not be contented with so great abundance of all good but must needs eat of forbiddē fruit whereas thou mightest at thy pleasure eat of all the rest S. Chrysostome in his homily de Adamo in the person of God doth the same Vbi imago meaprimum for mosa c. where is my image that I haue created so beautifull where is that most pretious ornament of Paradise where is the chiefe worke of my hands where is the liuely heire of my kingdome where now is my familiar friēd O vnfortunate sinne that hath depriued mankind of so great good made him to be cast out of paradise and to be condemned to teares labours griefes and death both in himselfe and all his posteritie No sooner then had man disobeyed God but concupiscence began to raigne and domineere ouer the spirit and the inferiour powers to rebell against reason He who euen now was the most noble and most perfect of all sensible creatures is now become of all the most miserable and because he had rebelled against his God he finds a continuall rebellion within and against himselfe being as the Apostle S. Paule saith Rom 7. venundatus sub peccato sold vnder sinne and he his posteritie deliuered vp to the slauery of originall sinne and tyrannie of concupiscence The flesh is become a remora to the spirit in its course to heauē whereof each one may iustly complaine in himselfe saying I see another law in my members repugning that is rebelling to the law of my minde and captiuating me in the law of sinne making me subiect to the law of sinne that is my concupiscence In so much that vnwillingly and with reluctation I am forced to feele its vitious inclinations and I cannot escape its snares Well hath the wise man sayd Eccl. 40. Great trauell is created to all men and an heauie yoake vpon the children of Adam from the day of their comming forth of their mothers wombe vntill the day of their burying into the mother of all In their whole life they are to suffer many infirmities wants griefes lamentations mournings cares anguishes labours contradictions persecutious wearinesses iniuries rapines slaughters temptations and other innumerable troubles and afflictions in so much that life seemeth no other than a long and continuall death a prolonged death or decaying life I will conclude omitting many yea innumerable euills that haue proceeded from this sinne of Adam and only set downe the ten effects of originall sinne which Cardinall Bellarmime in his booke de amiss gra doth assigne to wit Ignorance in the vnderstanding malice in the will concupiscene in the flesh calamitie labour and paine in the members death in the body anger and wrath of God captiuitie vnder the diuell strifes debates brawlings seditions and warres with our neighbours enmitie and rebellion of irrationall creatures and innumerable euils comming from the heauens and elements O grieuous yoake of mankind THE 24. CHAPTER Declaring how we may reduce our selues to the state of Innocency HAuing thus briefly shewed what the state of innocence was and what we haue lost by Adams sin it is now time to explicate the Popes words afore cited and see how we may be reduced to the state of Innocence The light and Doctour of the Gentils Rom. 5. saith If in the offence of one death reigned by one much more they who receiue abundance of grace and of donation and of Iustice shall reigne by one Iesus Christ Therfore as by the offence of one vnto all men to condemnation so also by the iustice of one vnto all men to iustification of life As if he should haue sayd If by the fault of Adam all his posteritie did incurre the guilt paine of death know that Christ hath exhibited a farre greater benefit for Christ by his grace hath giuen vs greater gifts than Adam by his sinne hath taken from vs. For saith he not as the offence so also the gift For if by the offence of one many died much more the grace of God and the gift in