remayned blind in respect of Ananias practicall experience For speculatiue knowledge alone is but as the lighte of the moone which shyneth feebly but this knowledge made practicall is glorious as the sunne which hath both heate and brightnes by heate to giue vs motion with his brightnes to shew vs light how to walke and to lead a good christian life and vnto both these together we may referre that of Dauid Lux orta est iusto rectis corde laetitia a light is arisen vnto the just and vnto the righte in harte ioyfullnes for speculation giueth lighte practise causeth joyfullnes whereof we must make one coniunction both to be just in speculatiue brightnes of lighte and to be righte in harte by practicall heate of ioyfullnes 9. And further more this practicall knowledge must be exercised in our selues for wante of which practise S. Augustin complayned thus I haue wandred O God seeking thee without who wert within And so doo all men wander out of themselues when euery one particulerly doth not consider his owne inwarde estate of soule what and who he is by whom created and to what end for want of which serious considerations not marking our sinnes nor our misery we seeke not our remedy but as S. Gregory said like foolish trauellers passing through a short pleasing meddowe we doo so much fasten our eyes vpon some fayre seeming flowres that we fall into some ditch or take some wrong way leading to destruction 10. For as the cause of all the prodigall childes misery came by departing out of his Fathers house and then out of himselfe into a farre country so his remedy beganne as the gospell saith In se autem reuersus when he returned into himselfe and to the knowledge of his miserable estate and of his vile courses wherfore meditating on the End wherto he was like to come by sinne he said Ego autem hic fame pereo reuertar in domum patris mei here I doo perish by famine I will returne into the house of my Father And so must we all reflecte vpon our selues learning to knowe who God is and what we are pondering the abhomination of our sinnes passed the dread and feare of our conscience present and the horrible terror of iudgement and punishment to come O thus let vs often imitate Dauid saying Meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo exercitabar scopebam spiritum meum I haue meditated in the night with mine owne harte I was exercised and I did sweepe my spirite O thus let vs sweepe and clense our soules by meditation and practicall knowledge of our owne hartes in examining our religioÌ„ trying our faith heedfull looking to our workes then shall we see our Errors and our faultes then will we chuse a better course for our saluation then shall we exercise our selues in deedes of penance in Actes of contrition in syncere confessions in due satisfactions and in diuerse kinds of voluntary and deuout mortifications 11. O that we would consider how we are corrupted in all our partes 1. In our fleshe and body 2. In our Animall parte and lâ—fe 3. In our spirituall parte and reason In our corporall partes and outward senses In our inward senses and appetites irascible concupiscible imagination and selfe will In our reasonable vnderstanding memory and free will In all these we haue rendred our selues as slaues into the Diuells bondage whiles we suffer sinne to reigne and haue dominion in vs so that our vnderstanding is obscured our will is depraued and our memory is blotted with much euill we haue our irascible power full of impatience and anger and the concupiscible inflamed with brutish affections and carnall delightes our Imagination is turmoyled with worldly desires and vayne suspitions our selfewill is crookened hardened by obstinacy all the partes and outward senses of our bodyes are become the members and instrumentes of sinne and so we passe from vice to vice and euery day we intangle our selues in new iniquityes and in more chaynes by which the Diuell leades vs along to his eternall prison of tormentes whiles we yeild our selues to committe or to continue any mortall sinne without contrition and true care of amendment 12. It is true we are not able by our selues alone to get out of the Diuells slauery to forsake sinne nor to alter and amend entirely the course of our liues for hauing once yeilded and liued in the custome and subiection of sinne and Satan we haue need of Allmighty Gods helpe and grace to deliuer vs first preuenting and stirring vs vp to haue a good will and afterward allso working with our will to bringe our conuersion and repentance vnto a full worke for euery good desire which we haue doth proceed from Gods grace offered and although our will be free to admit or refuse the accomplishment of those good desires as neither compelled vnto them by outwarde violence nor necessitated by inward qualitye neither as a stone naturally necessarily falling downeward nor forced vpward violently but differing herein from senseles brutish creatures freely consenting or dissenting to all good motions yet as allmighty God doth first inspire them so further without his grace we are no way able to effect them for in religious spirituall good thinges without him we can do nothing 13. But on the other side we haue greater and assured comfortes First because our Lorde doth offer grace vnto all men at one time or other by giuing theÌ„ good desires of a better life by which he would haue all men to be saued If they euer refuse these good morioÌ„s then are they iustly forsaken left in a reprobate sense If we doo at any time admitte these good desires so do but as much as lyes in our power then most infallibly our Lord doth giue vs further grace meanes wherby to come to the knowledge of his truth Of the first preuenting inspirations Gods wisdome saith Beholde I stande at the dore knocke if we open not but keepe him out it is our fault if on our partes we yeild him entrance then alltogeather with the Father and the Sonne they will come vnto vs by operating grace effecting our full resolution and by further grace still cooperating they will dwell with vs in practise continuance of a vertuous holy life till the accomplishment of our saluation if we of our selues doo neuer driue him from vs agayne by committing some mortall sinne 14. Our second comforte is that as if we let him into vs when he knocketh by preuenting grace admonishing our hartes so by his operating following grace when we are resolued if we do but knocke by prayer at his doore of mercy he doth euer most vndoubtedly receiue vs into fauour O most gracious God full of mercy who doth call vnto vs by grace that we should call vnto him for mercy can any creature wish for greater clemency then to haue forgiuenes for the asking And is
confirmed by the worde of our Lorde in a successiue motion of nighte day for labour for rest so confirme vs we entreate thee in rest of ioye and in labour of feare that by our sonnelike feare we may be directed in our labour finally admitted into the eternall ioye of thy rest euerlasting SEVERALL DISTRIBVTIONS OF THE same spirite into Righte Holy Principall Sect. 3. 1. IN these verâ—es the spirite is thrice mentioned 1. a righte spirite 2. a holie spirite 3. a principall spirite The sonne of God is a righte spirite A holy spirite is the holy Ghoste And God our Father is a principall spirite Sinne is said somtime to be forgiuen by grace somtime blotted out by the bloud of the crosse and somtinne to be couered by charity The holy ghoste infuseth grace the Sonne shed his bloud and God the Father in wonderfull loue to vs gaue his only sonne for vs. O blessed Sauiour renue vs with thy righte spirite o holy ghoste take not thy holy spirite from vs O allmighty father confirme vs with thy principall spirite Renue vs by thy bloud take not thy grace from vs being renued and not loosing grace let vs be confirmed by thy principall spirite for so shall all our sinnes be blotted out haue pardon be couered 2. O holy and vndeuided Trinity Create my harte which is worse then naughte for thou arte creator Renue my bowells who serchest our Reynes for thou arte Redeemer And giue me a righte spirite instead of my corrupte thoughtes for thou arte Sanctifyer Doo not caste vs of for thou arte our Patron to whom else can we flye Take not thy selfe from vs for thou arte our paymaister of whom else can we haue rewarde Restore vs for thou haste made gracious promises and Confirme vs for in all these thou haste principall power I call firste vpon the spirite of the Sonne because none can come to the Father but by the Sonne and I place the holy ghoste betwene them both because from both he procedeth Allso I praye thrice for thy spirite to haue some proportion thoughe not the same measure with the Apostles who receiued him thrice 1. to heale diseases when they were sent to preache 2. after the resurrection when they receiued full Orders 3. when they were confirmed and illuminated in their authority at Pentecoste I beseech thee let me haue my sinnes and infirmityes healed let me receiue grace in thy Sacramentes and confirme me euer with boldenes in the profession of thy faithe that if before time I haue fled from thee as a fearfull Disciple I may after thy Pentecoste as a strenghthened Apostle reioyce in suffering for the name of Iesus 3. Furthermore by thy Righte spirite grante me verity By thy holy spirite Bonity And in thy principall spirite vnity So to haue Truthe of faith ioyned with goodnes of life and neither of them separated from vnity of loue peace that so allso in thy spirite our Beleefe may be righte our conuersation may be holy and aboue all our peace and loue may be principall eyther because it is a principall marke of thy true disciples or is a principall vertue or because Satan laboring nothing more then Diuision we haue neede to pray for the principall power and spirite of vnity to confirme vs euer in this principall charity 4. Or by thy righte spirite order me arighte towardes my neighbor by thy holie spirite make me good in my selfe and towardes thee o God let me haue a principall spirite for to thy honor we must directe all and loue thee aboue all Allso let me enioye a righte spirite against couetousnes and vniustice a holie spirite against luxury and intemperance a principall spirite against pride and oppression for a principall noble minde is humble and not cruell in superiority a holy harte is moderate abstinent in all delightes and a righte eye doth neuer couet another mans goods nor will looke vpon any Bribe Thus shall we not be squynte eyed nor pur-blynde against whom the prophet complayneth They haue not knowne to doo righte treasuring vp iniquitie robbâ—rie in their houses Thus shall we obserue the counsell of S. Paul charging vs to folowe sanctitie without which no man shall see God Thus if be humble and curteous euen towardes our inferiors our Lord hath promised by Esay that his spirite shall rest remayne vpon him that is humble feareth his wordes Wherfore in all these let vs euer praye for the ioye of Iesus and his saluation to be giuen if we wante it to be preserued if we haue it to be restored if we haue loste it so alwayes to be confirmed with his principall spirit TO TEACHE OTHERS IT IS CONMENdable but it is necessary firste to be well informed reformed ourselues Sect. 4. 1. THis is a worke worthy commendation to teach the bad to become good The cheife skill of a good pilote is among rockes of a discrete schoole maister is about dull or vnruly wittes of an experienced Capteyn is among fearfull or disordered soldyers So our Sauiour came to heale the sickâ— to binde vp the broken harted so must we allso seeke to helpe the sicke for the hole haue not such neede of the phisityan to teach the wicked and vngodly least any sorte be loste by our negligence to bring the wicked into the wayes of God that the vngodly may be conuerted vnto him whether they be wicked Christians or vngodly Pagans or such as haue no God haue forsaken God or doo greiuously offend God for as S. Paul saith It is God who iustifyeth a penitent sinner of what sorte soeuer 2. Thus let vs drawe all sortes we can vnto repentance the tractable by hope of pardon the harde harted by feare of hell fyre for this is both a signe a duty of a true conuerte to be desirous allso to conuerte others either by perswasion of wordes or by example of deedes assuring our selues that the zeale of soules is a great satisfaction on our parte vnto our lorde a gratefull sacrifice 3. Obserue notwithstanding that firste we must desire to be coÌ„uerted confirmed our selues before we take in hande to reduce teach others as our Sauiour appoynting his Apostles to conuerte all the nations of the worlde yet firste he willeth them to sitte in Ierusalem till they were endued with vertue from aboue firste to haue our selues enabled which our lord performeth to them who sitte in Ierusalem 1. who abide in constancy within the city of peace for vntill we be well rooted how shall we endure a storme or bring forthe fruite 4. So allso said Exechiel The lippes of the tables one hande breadthe were turned inwarde vpon which wordes S. Gregory collecteth that measuring by palmes or hande breadthes signifyeth actions and to turne the lippes inwarde to these is to heare firste as a scholler before thou speakest as a teacher to taste what
is greiuous to be depriued the communion of Sayntes But to be caste out from the fruition ioye of Gods presence is most lamentable The Mary-golde flower another which may be called Follow-suÌ„ne whiles the cherfull sunne shynes vpon them doo alwayes turne themselues towardes his beames moouing their heades after his course from East to west and whiles they feele his comfortable heate they remayne open beautifull fresh but so soone as the sunne is downe or couered with a sharpe storme or great thicke clowde they close shut vp their stowers they hang downe their heades or altogeather wither if they long wante his presence as in winter O Iesu thou arte my eternall sunne I am this fading flower yet if I will followe the as thou wilte neuer go downe so I shall neuer dâ—caye o let me euer be turned toward thy face 7 Pliny writes of a birde named Coladion which brought to a sicke body if she willingly looke directly vpon him there is much hope of life but if she turne away her eye and would not see him it is a signe of death O Iesu beholde me for my soule is sicke if thou turne away thy face from me I must needes dye for only in thy presence is true life Iob was an eye to the blinde as that sea fish Squilla doth serue for eyes vnto another shellfish called Pina O Iesu kepe me in thy presence and fixe thy face vpon me according as thy prophet Zachary said Our lord is the eye of man and of all the tribes of Israel As Ester with Assuerus let me find grace in thyne eyes O lord cast me not out from thy face least so I should wante thy fauour thy guydance and thy defence for euen among men we fasten our eyes vpon another either for loue or for gouernement or for protection O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of fauorable loue O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of directing gouernement O Iesu cast me not out from thy face of protecting defence so shall I reioyce in thee as my kind Patron I will obey thee as my prudent Tutor and I shal be safe with thee as my allmighty Capteyn AMONG SVNDRY OTHER GIFTES OF the holy Ghoste let vs inparticuler labour to be thankefull and to be constante Sect. 4. 1. ANd thy holie spirite doo not take from me I am a penitent and yet I presume to suppose I haue thy holy spirite whose effectes I desire may be encreased not diminished It is an effecte of thy holy spirite to be displeased with sinne for wickednes is a delighte to an vncleane spirite As therfore by this gifte of thy spirite I am come thus farre forwarde to dislike my former sinnes and to seeke pardon so I beseech the not to take froÌ„ me because of my vnworthynes that little which I haue but rather in thy goodnes to giue me yet more whatsoeuer I wante No man can call our lorde Iesus but in the holie ghoste To name him in worde they may but not to beleue in him loue him with their harte aboue any thinge in this worlde this none can doo without the holy spirite which is a spirite or inward breath of holynes no more then any can vocally speake without the breath of ayre O Iesu I beleue helpe my fainte beleefe O Iesu I loue increase my colde charity The small loue poore faith which I haue doo come from thy holy spirite O take not this holie spirite from me thou hast giuen it freely o encrease it graciously 2. In vertue memory of our deare Sauiours fiue woundes some vse to pray to the holy ghoste in fiue wordes 1. Veni come 2. purga cleanse 3. Reple fill 4. Accende inflame 5. Perseuera Continue Come with thy inspirations Cleanse by expulsion of sinne Fillfull with abundance of grace inflame with heat of thy loue and continue all these vnto the end all are necessary good but without perseuerance no vertue is crowned I haue begun in the spirite let me not end in the fleh O take not thy holie spirite from â—e 3. It is a question among schoolmen which is most bound to allmighty God One who was euer innocent or one truly penitent Some doo resolue it thus Innocens maiora debet sed poenitens magis debet Innocency is a greater benefite and so he is in debted for a better gifte But penitence is more difficulte and allso a demerited or disdeserued vertue for which therfore such a one is indebted so much more To preserue one alwayes innocent is to doo good vnto a man not ill To drawe a sinner to repentance is to doo good to an ill man The first did neuer merite his innocence but the other had demerited his penitence Allso it is easyer for him to go forward who is sounde standing on foote then for him who is sicke fallen vnder foote And finally Innocence is a Iewell of more price in the substance and penitence of more value for the workemanship wherfore the one owes more vnto God for being reserued in excellency and the other because he is deliue red with such difficulty 4. And as both procede of mercy vndeserued so if they doo not continue in perseuerance neither of them shal be crowned The fayre blade of corne must come to a good eare to a full kernell to a seasonable haruest to yeildable flowre The beautifull blossome must growe to a welâ— set budde and continue to a kind ripe fruite Saint Paul saying There is reserued for me a crowne of iustice Saint Bernard enquireth what proportion betwene our eternall reward our merites of a few yeares and allso what iustice of rewarde can be due to vs who receiue all of mercy Doubtles becauses our merites procede of his mercy and so doth not mercy exclude merite or iustice but rather vpholde them And as sinners are eternally punished for offending an infinite maiesty so iust men thirsting after righteousnes do merite an eternall crowne of iustice for if they were immortall on earthe they would perpetually serue God And being once sincerely penitent with S. Augustin they would so abandon all their sinfull pleasures that from the instante of their repentance they shoulde no more returne vnto them for euer euer such must be the purpose of a true conuerte for euer to caste of sinne least at any time he be caste out from the face of God and for euer to take care of perseueranae least at any time he loose the holy spirite which he hath receiued for so eternall iustice will giue him an eternall rewarde herin proportionable to his eternall purpose and care to serue God 5. Not like those peicemeale penitentes who still reserue some sinne nor those changeable conuertes who are weary euery moone or such as for a time cease to sinne for a lent for a sicknes for a good sermon or by any such present admonition but
life Iesus is the Father of the poore the mother of the afflicted and the Brother of the patient Iesus is a glasse of chastity without spotte a highe watchtowre of all vertues and a Citadell or armory of perfection Iesus is the clearenes of Angells Iesus is the contemplation of the Patriarkes Iesus is the illuminati of the prophets Iesus is the leuell and Rule of the Apostles Iesus is the Doctor of the Euangelistes Iesus is the maister of the Doctors Iesus is the victory of mâ—rtyrs Iesus is the corage of Confessors Iesus is the spouse of Virgins Ieâ—us is the head of all Catholique christians Iesus is the rewarde crowne of all Sayntes Iesus is the mediator of God and all men Iesus is to vs cause and coniunction of Ioye and saluation by vniting in one God and man and so becoming our Iesus 5. O joyfull Iesu O Sauiour Iesu O most louing and bountifull Iesu most delectable comfortable Iesu most meeke and mercifull Iesu O Iesu the saluation of them who beleeue in thee O Iesu the Ioye of them which hope in thee O Iesu Iesu the bond and vnion of Ioye saluation vnto them which loue thee O giue them saluation who haue none restore them to Ioye who haue loste what they hadde and to whom thou hast vouchsafed thy selfe O swete Iesus least they should loose such a treasure Confirme them for euer with thy principall spirite O let my soule in such loue and resolute affection towardes thee O deare Iesus be like his who was content to endure any calamity or to go into hell it selfe if there it were possible to dwell with Iesus But o detphes such is the presence of the vertue of Iesus that hell with him would turne into heauen for in Iesus is Ioye and saluatioÌ„ of certeyn security of secure eternity of eternall quietnes of quiet happynes of happy swetenes of swete Ioye and Ioyefull saluation O giue me this Ioye of thy saluation and confirme me in the same by thy principall spirite THE NOBILITY OF A PRINCIPALL SPIRIT perseuering to finishe constantly what it hath begonne generously Sect. 2. 1. IT is no lesse vertue to reteyne what we haue gotten then to obteyne what we wanted therfore confirme vs as Ecclesiasticus said of wisdome so may we say of this Ioye they who doo drinke therof doo thirste for more not as dronkardes for wyne or couetous men for riches but for the heauenly comforte of righteousnes spirituall just men doo desire to be more juste So S. Paul forgot what was behind him endeuoring still forward and counselleth all to holde out to the end of the race or else we should fayle of our Garlánd S. Francis after many yeares of his stricte life after our L. Iesus had honored him so miraculously which the markes of his fiue woundes and not long before his death he calls to his holy companions Incipiamus fratres c. Let vs beginne good brethren to serue our lord God for hitherto we haue profited little such was his humility not glorying in what was paste and in desire of proceding such was his feruency 2. As in naturall philosophie thoughe the matter doth much desire his naturall forme yet the forme desireth much more to be ioyned to his â—aturall matter for the first desireth it of naturall necessity the second of naturall goodnes so the loue of God like the forme of our perfection doth more seeke to helpe vs theÌ„ we can or doo desire his assistance for our forcible necessity driues vs to him and it is his owne goodnes which drawes him to vs but alwayes voluntary goodnes is more effectuall then compulsory force for good inclination continueth when necessary compulsion ceaseth And therfore our gracious Lorde who hath no nede of our seruice yet doth he helpe vs to labour because he woulde giue vs a rewarde 3. And considering his readynes to helpe vs it is our faulte if we faynte hauing our hand at the plowe we may not looke backe to Sodome for S. Paul saith he whoe hath begunne in vs a good worke will perfect it vntill the daie of Iesus Christe wherfor we must expecte continue vntill his dayes not like the leoparde who seazeth vpon his praye by skipping and iumping but if he misse at twoo or three of the firste skippes he followeth no further O let vs not be such as either will come to perfection of deuotion per saltum and to their desires of holynes at the firste leapes or else they leaue of and doo despayre It is pride to seke to mounte with the eagle before we be full fethered it is slothfullnes not to continue like the poore Ant which weareth a pathe in a harde stone with often passing ouer it Rather we must expect our Lord worke manfullie we shall be comforted walking from vertue to vertue vntill we may beholde our God of Gods in Sion We must worke manfully with all our power according to our present ability and strenghte of grace we must expect patiently and pray without ceasing for further ability and force so we shal be comforted in our labour and in our prayer so we shall go forwarde from vertue to vertue and so at last ascend from grace to glory from Sinay to Sion and from among men who liue as Gods vnto him who is a great king aboue all Gods from trauell of our jorney to the rest of eternity from the desire of faith to the possession of hope to the fruition of charity which abideth for euer and euer worlde without end 4. O confirme me with this principall spirite vidz of a prince or of a king to be generous magnanimous heroycall against all difficultyes which woulde hinder my continuance or proceding in thy seruice O giue me this principall spirite to gouerne and rule all my affections and passions which woulde at any time disquiet me With helpe of this spirite and by the speciall assistance of allmighty God and not without these can a just man perseuere in his iustice if a ship at sea haue no winde at all it must wafte with the waues And so shall we be tossed and caryed by our affections tentations if throughe our defaulte this spirite and deuine breath doo forsake vs. Wherfore relying vpon this as in humility we may not distruste so in presumption that we haue this spirite we may not be secure O let vs not to soone suppose our selues healed enoughe by satisfaction least remitting and slacking our mindes from a carefull garde and watche vpon our hartes so we come to fall soone because we imagine our estate safe We must say as it is in another psalme O let my harte rejoyce that it may feare thy name for filiall feare to offend will euer kepe vs in ioye not to haue offended and true spirituall ioy for our pardon wil neuer make vs carelesse of our faultes Wherfore as the heauens are
truste or confidence but the cauâ—e of truste and confidence which we get throughe faith And S. Augustin saith Credere nihil aliud est nisi cun assensu â—ogitarâ— to beleeue is noâ—hing else but to thinke of a matter with assent therunto And S. Bonauenture maketh a double certeinty one of faith in the vnderstanding anotheâ— of hope in the will By the fiâ—ste we beleeue firmely as true all propositions of Gods worde in generall and by the second we haue good confidence in the particuler application of those thinges which may perteyne to our selues as good for vs For attingimus Deum we are joyned or doo reach vnto God only by our vnderstanding and our will in our vnderstanding is faith and because our will considers thinges eyther as juste and so we loue them or as pâ—ofitable and so we desire them therfore in ouâ— will is both hope expecting our heauenly profitable Good â—harity louing all that is equally just And so we haue the 3. Theologicall vertues faith hope and charity 6. In the thirde poynte Faith is not a distincte knowledge but an obedient assent captiuating the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith for where there is a playne knowledge of truthe it needeth not to captiuate the vnderstanding to obedience Therfore the Apostle twice reckoneth knowledge faithe as two seuerall giftes of God and the common phrase is oportet discentem credere A learner must beleeue viz such thinges as he doth not or cannot vnderstand S. Hilary said It hath rather a rewarde then neede of pardon to be iâ—norante what thou beleeuest as in the mistery of the Trinity Saint Prosper alledging those wordes of scripture Excepte you beleeue you shall not vnderstand collecteth thence that faith procedeth not of vnderstanding but vnderstanding cometh fâ—om faith and S. Auguâ—tin accordingly prayed credam vt intelligam non intelligam vt credam o Lorde let me beleeue that so I may vnderstand not by vnderstanding to beleeue wâ—erfore faith going before knowâ—edge is not all one with knowledge For firste there is apprehension next is Assent which twoo togeather make faith and thirdly is knowledge nâ—w in â—arte and hereafter fully when fides shall be vides when we shall knowe as we are knowne 7 Note alâ—so that this apprehension is ey ther indistincte and in grosse or it is euident and particuler this laste is neither necessary nor enoughe vnto faith the firste is necessary but not enoughe for both of them must haue Assent Therfore if a country-man or othâ—r ignorante playne soule doo giue his firme Assent to that which he apprehendes but grossely he hath faith wheras a heathen philosopher or other cunning Clarke â—houghe he haue neuer so cleare an apprehension yet he hath no faith if he haue not assent and credite to that which he vnderstandeth wherfore faith consisteth more in Assenting obedience then in vnderstanding knowledge 8. Likewise this Assent is double eyther grounded on reason and the euidence of the matter or vpon the authority of the Teacher The firste may be called knowledge but the latter is properly faith So saith S. Augustin That which we vnderstand we â— we it vnto reason but what we beleeue vnto Auctority And yet thus thoughe faith be not knowledge yet is knowledge both profitable to encrease out loue of God and commendable in them who desire so to profite And therfore with Dauid I will teach the wicked in matters of faith what to beleue yeilding their Assent to the infallibility of the churche and in matters of knowledge how to vnderstand by illustration of argumentes grounded vpon reason for these are the wayes of God and of certeyn truthe which if they be not sensibly demonstrable to fleshly eyes yet are they euidently credible to spirituall hartes Thus I will teach thy wayes which are thy iustifications HOW MANY OTHER PATHES DOO LEAD vnto the wayes of iustification and that we are not iustifyed by faith only Sect. 6. ANd the vngodly will be conuerted vnto thee How shall a wicked heretique or ignorante man learne thy wayes of truthe By obedient faith How shall an vngodly Catholique or a lewde sinner be conuerted vnto thee in a good life By iustifying faith It is faith which beginnes first to iustifye a sinner and secondly allso the iuste shall liue by his faith In matter of our iustification alwayes faith must be one yet only faith doth neuer iustifye Neither firste as the only Disposition vnto iustice nor 2. as the only formall cause of our iustice nor 3. as the only encreaser or preseruer of our iustice 2. Luther on the Galathians once said that faith is our formall iustice for which a man is iustifyed making faith an essentiall cause of our iustification But since all protestants reiect that saying and make it only a bare instrument as a hande receiuing an almes and so to iustifye vs only relatiuely Yet touching the concurrence of other vertues and good workes the Electorall Wittembergians or softer Lutherans following Melancthon with whom herein concurreth Caluin they require the presence of good workes as necessary signes and fruites of faith yet denying them to haue any efficiency vnto iustification But the Saxonians and harder Lutherans following Illyricus deny any necessity of good workes to iustification either in presence or in efficience alledging these sayinges of Luther Faith doth iustefye without and before charity and in his disputation whither workes auayle to iustification he auoucheth That faith excepte it be without the least workes doth not iustefye nor is faith These and many other be their particuler dissentions among themselues thoughe against Catholiques good workes they all conspire That only faith iustifyeth 3. But the Councell of Trent beside faith which is the firste Disposition requireth allso Dispositions of feare hope loue penitence a purpose of vsing the necessary Sacramentes and a purpose of a new life in obseruing Gods commandements The firste then is faith as S. Paul saith It behooueth him that cometh to God to beleeue that he is and that he is a iust Iudge and a punisher of euill and a mercifull father and rewarder of good Out of the one procedeth nexte feare which likewise as well as faith is an introduction or disposition to iustification For Ecclesias saith He that is without feare cannot be justifyed and Esay saith From thy feare we haue conceiued brought forthe the spirite of saluation 4. Then from beholding of mercy and rewarde thirdely groweth Hope which likewise doth iustefye as the Apostle expressely speaketh we are saued by hope and in the psalmes often They shall be saued deâ—iuered because they hoped in God Fourthly after hoping for Good foloweth â—oue of the Benefactor which loue is before remission of sinnes eyther in time if it be an imperfecte loue only beginning or in nature if it be perfecte in all ouâ— harte abounding as our Sauiour said to S. Mary Magdalen Manie sinnes are
forgiuen thee because thou hast loued much and althoughe perfect loue is not in vs till we haue the holy ghoste fully dwelling in vs yet we may haue imperfect loue before this complete spirituall habitation thoughe indeede neither this loue nor any of these other dispositions are in vs before and without the preuenting grace or speciall helpe of God 5. Fiftely from this loue of our gracious Benefactor we must procede to Penitence which is a sorowe and contâ—iâ—ion for hauing sinned against him whom now we beginne to loue aboue all the worlde and therfore doo detest and greiue for what is passe and this sorowe saith S. Paul worketh penitence vnto firme saluation therfore this allso doth hâ—lpe to iustifye And with this sixtely is ioyned a purpose and desire of coming to Baptisme if the patty be vnchristened or to Confession and Satisfaction if since our Baptisme we haue mortally offened And that these are necessary entrances vnto iustification as well as faith it is manifest for except we be borne of water the holie ghoste we cannoe enter into the kingdome of heauen and the successiue substitutes of Christe haue auctority from him that whose sinnes they remitte they are remitted therfore only to beleue is not sufficient except we haue allso a syncere purpose to be Baptized and Confessed And lastly we must haue a resolute determination by Gods grace to lead a new life amending our faultes and endeuouring to kepe our lordes commandements as Ezechiel said cast from you all your iniquityes and make in you a new harte a new spirite 6. In fine our Sauiour doth often require besides faith allso charity workes of which two consisteth the wedding garment that is so necessarily required saying allso that if we will enter into life we must kepe the commandements and that at last we shall be iudged by our workes And holy scriptures in many places require iustice and good deedes for not the hearers only or beleeuers but the Doâ—ers of the will of God shal be iustifyed Doo this and thou shalte liue said our L. Iesus And S. Iames of purpose against onlie faith in expresse wordes auoucheth that a man is iustifyed by workes and not by faith onlie Denying the worde onlie for which they sâ—riue so extremely that rather then they will not haue their will they will doubte of S. Iames Example whither it be true scripture as Luâ—her diuerse of his folowers did And Illyricus shameth not to say of all scriptures requiring good workes that when certyen excessiâ—e effectes and prayses and euen saluation it selfe is attributed in scriptures vnto good workes we must iudge that to be ascribed to them which is not conuenient for them O blasphemous impudency he boasteâ— of scriptures yet will thus controlle scriptures as giuing too much prayse excessiue effectes vnto good workes he confesseth scripture to ascribe vnto good workes euen saluation it selfe but he hath authority forsooth to call this an excessiue prayse effecte and that herin the holy ghoste doth ascribe that to good workes which is not conueniâ—nt to be ascribed And thus doo all heretiques euer bragge of scriptures yet so that they will reiecte them or interprete or controlle them according to their owne fancyes whensoeuer they find them contrary to their owne opinions 7. Much more modestly discretely S. Augustin aduertiseth that where faith in scriptures is extolled required there good workes are not excluded and where good workes are praysed commanded there faith is not debarred But wheras diuerse thinges are necessary vnto our iustification saluation they are seldome or neuer all expressely reckoned together in any one place much lesse in euery place or scripture or of any other writer but somtime one soÌ„time another according as occasion is offered And so the holy scripture doth not exclude what it concealeth but doth require what it expresseth and when seuerall thinges are mentioned in diuerse places yet all about one purpose we cannot denye them to haue all some vertue in the same office and therfore we must acknowledge good workes to haue vertue in them about the acte of our iustification neither separating faith nor reiecting workes from their mutuall assistance founded vpon our Sauiour Christe and in his merites concurring both of them to the very worke of our saluation OF THE HOLY WAYES AND OF THE sacred feete footesteps of our heauenly Guide Teacher Thus I shall teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and the vngodlye will be conuerted vnto thee Sect. 7. 1. THE wicked misbeleeuers haue neede of a righte faith and all vngodly liuers do wante good workes these will be conuerted by thy grace and inspirations and the other must we teach by our example instructions Vnto both of them we will shew the wayes in which all of vs must walke with those twoo feete of workes faithe 2. Thy wayes O lord are mercy truthe not only truthe in verity of faith and mercie in the rewarde merite of workes but allso thou haste truthe of iustice against obstinate presumers and mercie of fauour for tractable penitents If these would learne to walke in thy wayes it were good they shoulde be taughte to folowe thy footesteppes but how shoulde we better discerne thy footesteps then by knowing thy feete Therfore let S. Bernarde teach vs how the feete of our Sauiour are mercie iudgement with these feete he walketh vpon the water waues trampling downe both our proud highe mindes swelling as waues and our softe delicate flesh as mooueable as water with these twoo feete he traueleth vp and downe in all places to doo vs good to free vs from ill to giue vs healthe to caste out diuells as Abacâ—c prophesyed the diuell shoulde flye awaie from before his feete both visibly out of bodyes and out of soules spiritually 3. Wherfore come O my soule we will sitte vs downe at these feete with S. Mary Magdalene let vs marke well his feete and consider his fotesteps his feete are mercy iudgemeÌ„t his footesteps are hope feare O happy soules in whom are imprinted the steppes of both these feete and this happynes tâ—ey haue whosoeuer with S. Mary Magdalene will washe them both will annoynte them both will wipe them both and will kisse embrace them both to washe them to wipe them by cleansing sorowe to kisse them to annoynte them by swete smelling loue to sorowe in feare to loue in hope to feare his foote of iudgement and to hope in his foote of mercy not to be busy about the one foote to neglecte the other but to embrace them both If I be timorous sorowfull without hope I shall despayre If I be coÌ„fident secure without feare I shall be presumptuous more slothfull in negligence more colde in prayer my actions will growe more careles my laughter more loose my talke more inconsiderate and the whole estate of my outwarde
inwarde man much more vnsetled 4. Therfore I will teach the wicked presumer thy wayes in thy footesteps of feare and the vngodly mistruster shall be conuerted vnto thee in thy harbour of hope and so we will sing of mercie together and of iudgement vnto thee O lorde And so likewise let the iuste man reprehend me in mercy and chyde me The vines are made fruitfull both by cutting of their superfluous branches and by adding to their rootes necessary norishing dunge Profitable reprehension is a proyning knife of vnprofitable imperfections for necessary vertues a milde admonition is a manuring of mercy Wherfore woe vnto them said the Wiseman who turne the dunge of oxen into stones nor let me euer be made fatte with the oyle of sinners Let me neuer growe abundante in vice by the softe oyley flattery of worldly freindes nor at any time turne the fruitfull dunge of good counselors into harde stones of obstinacy Rather let them teach me me thy wayes firste by sharpe reprehension when I wander from thy footesteps of feare and next by cherfull encoragement when I faynte in following the footesteps of hope 5. Yea o Father of mercy iudgement I desire the to be angry with me according to thy mercy and to teach me thy wayes according to thy iustice Correcte me in that anger by which thou â—oost reclayme a wanderer not wherby thou doost exclude a runneagate Say not thou hast taken away thy zeale from me as from one who is vncurable and so because I am desperate thou wilte no more be angrie with me for whoÌ„ thou doost loue thou doost chasten If therfore thou wilte not chasten me going amisse thou doost not loue me to teach me thy wayes It is said thou werte mercifull vnto the Israelites taking vengeance vpon all their fond inuentions O gracious Father whensoeuer I followe inuentions of mine owne appetite teach me to come home to to thy wayes by the vengeance of thy mercy For it is thy peculier condition to remember mercy when thou arte angry and therfore hauing offended I shall then haue confidence in thy fauour not when in pleasure I feele no smarte of punishmeÌ„t but when in affliction I feele thine anger for amendement SOME DEVOVTE DESIRES AND THANKSgiuinges of the Author vnto Almighty God Sect. 8. 1. THus o lorde I desire to be taughte By thy selfe and By others By encoraging exhortation or By seuere admonition By feare or By hope By iudgement or By mercy To auoide all desperate feare to beware any careles securitâ— To amend faultes and to profite in goodnes and with these to be instructed in thy wayes of true faith and conuerted vnto thee in workes of good life that so in some poore sorte like S. Peter being conuerted in my selfe I may better confirme others and allso being confirmed with thy principall spirite like Dauid I will be bolde to teach thy wayes vnto the wicked the vngodly shall be conuerted vnto the. 2. As I am mightily obliged to endeuour this satisfaction as thou haste giuen me o lord an earnest desire to performe this obligation so I beseech the giue force vnto my endeuours and let me see some effectes of these desires I desire to teach them not the secrets of Philosophie nor the pollicyes of statesmen but thy waies For there be two kinde of scieÌ„ces one of holy meÌ„ another of wise men one of iust meÌ„ another of learned meÌ„ if both be ioyned both are good but if wisdome or sort of our coÌ„mo learning be without holynes we may wel cal theÌ„ as Erasmus termed the coÌ„moÌ„ lawyners in England Indoctum genus doctissimorum hominum an vnlearned kinde of moste learned men 1. subtile and acute in their quirkes of lawe but ignorante or vnskillfull in other true learning so all knowledge without skill in Christes way is to be a speedy post maister out of the waye 3. Allso I will endeuour to teach not as a maister in Israel but as a scholler at the feete of Gamaliel I will helpe my fellowes in the same lesson which I haue learned not to seeke vaynglory by teaching nor by setting out my selfe vnto the worlde to ayme at the worlde But I beseech thee o Inspirer of all good teachers herein euer to directe my purposes sincerely by conuerting or teaching of soules to seeke them not theirs nor any thinge else of this worlde Rather in this and all other thinges to intend aboue all thy heauenly Glory their spirituall God and my bounden duty 4. And were it not vanity to ascribe much to our selues about the conuersion of soules we can but teach thy waies by our outwarde voyce and so they shall be conuerted vnto thee by thy inwarde grace as Dauid heer promiseth to teach them but their conuersion he leaueth vnto thee Paul may plante Apollos may water but thou o lorde must giue the encrease men may remooue the stone from Lazarus graue and some haue authority to loozen vntye his handes and his feete but our Sauiour himselfe must rayse Lazarus to life we will teach o lorde but thou must conuerte 5. And verily neither are any so ready to learne nor we so willing to teach nor yet so desirous that our dearest freindes shoulde be conuerted as thou who diddest thirste vpon the crosse that all should be saued so that we are farre inferior vnto thee o Iesu in our charitable desires and they who will not be taughte thy wayes nor be conuerted vnto thee such are still worthy to wander out of thy waye and continuing such are for euer vnworthy to come vnto thee For as thou haste appoynted the End so thou doost declare the waye 6. O sweete Iesu if we be taughte thy way outwardly as Catholiques it is thy mercy it is greater mercy inwardly if we be conuerted vnto thee O what recoÌ„pence should we make nay what thankes can we returne Our thankes cannot expresse what we owe much lesse will our recoÌ„pence discharge our debte If thy wayes be thy lawe thy lawe be immaculate conuerting soules o how excellent a priuiledge is this to be taughte such awaie such a lawe a lawe of grace and a way of life which is immaculate both because it makes vs immaculate and allso in comparison of the lawe of Moyses which was maculated with many shadowes spotted with much difficulty did discouer our blemishes sinnes For Moyses lawe did commande to obey but not as the lawe of Christe giue grace to fullfill it that turned awaye from euill the hande or the eye by feare this conuerteth vnto good the harte and soule by loue that was a lawe for seruantes this for sonnes O let Dauid teach vs thy waye in this lawe and hereby let our soules be conuerted vnto thee from captiuity vnto liberty not pressing vs by terror but drawing vs by swetenes from thinges temporall vnto thinges eternall from the hope of rewarde to the charity
as in thy presence holy and consecrated to thy seruice and shal be accepted in our lord Iesus in whom alone all our sacrifices of soule body and Goods are of a most excellent sweete sauour gratefull in him who is only our Sauiour our cheife preist our best sacrifice and our principall highe Altar 3. O most gracious God! how kindly haste thou dealte with Sion when thou diddest send thy deare some from heauen to descend vnto the earthe and into the nature of man to saue vs men who are but earthe What thinge can be more kinde and gracious then for the sonne of God to take vpon him the shape of a willfull slaue to be subiect to the cruelty of deathe and to the shame of the crosse to redeeme vs by shedding of his bloud by his innocency to repayre our trecheryes by his iustice to satisfye for our sinnes to pull vs backe from the mouthe of hell gaping for vs to giue vs entrance to the gates of heauen which were shutâ—e against vs. To enlighten his churche with the clearenes of his truthe in the middest of errors to preserue it by his power against the stormes of persecution to feede it with his owne body to washe it with his bloud to cherish it with all his sacraments to directe it in generall by his holy spirite and to comforte euery particuler with the swetnes of his loue with the hartynes of his grace and with the abundance of his mercy O kinde dealing of extraordinary good will O diuine loue aboue measure O wonderfull worke without any example or paterne a worke of heauenly charity without any foregoing merite and in one worde O God a worke of thy good will 4. This is the building of the walls of Ierusalem Babell walls are builded of bricke and founded vpon sande whiles worldly men either trusting to their riches or fixed on their carnall pleasures are proud or careles but as Augustus said he found the walls of Rome made of bricke and lefte them of marble so by our mortification of the flesh and renunciation of the worlde with the helpe of our Lorde we may change bricke into marble the walls of Babel into the walls of Ierusalem and a foundation vpon sande into a foundation vâ—on a Rocke So said Esay The brickes are fallen but we will builde with square stone they haue cutte downe the wilde figge trees but we will turne them into Cedars And this they doo who turne delicacy into seuerity liberty into limites the lawe of the flesh into the lawe of the spirite the olde man into the new and Adam into Christe O happy walls which haue such a head corner stone to combine them and such a rocke to vpholde them these walls haue strenghte and comelynes strenghte vpon their rocke and by their Corner stone comelynes or by their vnited charity strenghte comelynes by their decent sanctity and of such saith the psalme strenghte and comelynes are his garmentes not in vertues alone comely yet weake against tentations but stronge against all impugnations and comely in all vertuous ornamentes 5. If IerusaleÌ„ which is the militant church here belowe be thus peopled and builded what glory shall we see in the churche triumphante which is Ierusalem aboue the mother of vs all a free citye and the highest Imperiall seate not so much as touched with any corruption or sinne nor can any misery or sorowe approache that place where no enemy can enter in nor any citizen shall desire to go out a city of all peace and prosperity whose streetes are paued with the purest golde c. in whose building is no noyce of hammer axe or sawe no more then was in Salomons temple for all our soules must be apted purged squared and fitted before we come there Dauid a warriour may make preparation but only peaceable Salomon can accomplishe the building we may in this life gather together many merites by fighting and resistance of tentations and vices but only in the peace of our lord Iesus shall we be accomplished and made perfecte WHAT A SACRIFICE IS AND THAT THE holy Masse is our peculiar Sacrifice of the new Testament Sect. 4. 1. WHerfore that we may be prepared for Ierusalem aboue we beseech the o lorde for IerusaleÌ„ here on earthe to repayre the olde wasted decayes to builde on forwarde the new Bullwarkes and walls For when or wheresoeuer Ierusalem florisheth in peace Then wilte thou accepte the Sacrifice of iustice not of sinne of constante vertuous Catholiques not of Heretiques Schismatiques nor any vicious persons 2. Allso this sacrifice of iustice is referred by S. Ambrose and others to the sacrament of the Altar which is offered and receiued in the holy masse in which religious seruice of God we doo offer vnto him a sacrifice for the liuing and the dead and we doo receiue vnto our selues a sacrament of iustice conteyning and conferring righteousnes grace 3. And the masse is not improperly or in generall only called a sacrifice as almes and euery good worke may be so termed nor is it alone an inwarde spirituall sacrifice but it is an externall sacrifice properly so called and yet more a peculiar sacrifice instituted of our Sauiour Christe himselfe in his laste supper and ordered and adorned afterwarde by the Apostles their successors as appeareth by the Canonâ— of the Apostles by the masse of S. Iames S. Marke S. Basil S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose Yea it may be colected out of the Actes of the Apostles where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiles they were liturgizing For we knowe that masses are called in Greeke liturgyes as be the liturgyes of S. Iames S. Chrysostome c. And the vulgar translation is ministrantibus illis Domino whiles they were ministring vnto our lorde which generall wordes doo somtime signifye the particuler action of sacrificing as in the olde Testament is found and Erasmus doth expressely interprete them sacrificantibus illis whiles they were sacrificing althoughe it be friuolous which he addeth that their sacrificing was preaching for neither the sense of the Texte nor the nature of the worde can beare it and were it not absurde to say they were sacrificing that is preaching to God 4. As for the vse of the Masse as a sacrifice in the primitiue times it may appeare by Ignatius who liued in our Sauiours time sawe him on earthe writing to the Smyrnians It was not lawfull then without a Bishop to offer sacrifice nor to celebrate Masse And the same Author writing ad-Trallianos ad Neronem saith when S. Peter celebrated Masse Saynt Clement and Anaclete were his deacons helping him therin And that Timothy Linus were Deacons vnto S. Paul when he celebrated Masse 5. And the same S. Clement Romanus in his 3. Epistle de officio Sacerdot and Anaclete in his Epistle ad omnes Orientales And Dyonisius Areopagita in his ecclesiasticall Hierarchy doo all