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spirit_n	father_n	place_n	son_n	5,610	5	5.5818	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08047	Of the eternall felicity of the saints fiue bookes. Writen in Latin by the most illustrious Cardinall Bellarmine, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by A.B. Permissu superiorum.; De æterna felicitate sanctorum. English	Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.; Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621. De gemitu columbae English. Selections. aut	1638 (1638)	STC 1841; ESTC S113735	165,177	472

The fertility thereof is shewed in that it bringeth forth fruit euery moueth Thus it falleth out that the Inhabitants of that Citty haue euer new rype fruit new I meane of the present moneth rype of the moneth next past so as the fruit is neuer rotten neuer dry neuer vnpleasing to the tast All which descriptions and circumstances do signify and figure out the meate and drinke of the Blessed to wit VVisdom by the which they perfectly vnderstād God and Charity by the which they perfectly loue God And this meate and drinke of the Saints being of chiefest worth are neuer wanting Now where the Euangelist speaketh of the leaues of that tree conducing to the health of Nations he may be thought to signify thereby that during our banishment in this world the fruites themselues of the tree of life are neuer sent to vs but only certaine leaues of that tree the which although they do not conferre eternall lyfe neuertheles they are very medicinable to cure our diseases to wit the Concupiscence of the flesh Concupiscence of the eyes Pryde of life and other such maladies of which all of vs eyther in a high meane or low degree are sicke These Leaues are the diuine word of God brought to vs by the Prophets and Apostles from Heauen that is by diuine Reuelation O how sweet an odour do these leaues breath forth to such as haue the spirit of our Lord Reade the Prophets reade the Psalmist reade the Gospe●ls read the Apostles Peter Paul Iohn Iames and Iude all these leaues do euen breath forth Humility the Charity of God Virginity into the Readers hart of all which the Philosophers are wholy silent but this we are not to wounder at seeing these leaues are the leaues of Paradise those of the Philosophers the leaues of the Earth Therefore O Christian Soule gather these Leaues most diligently and make to thy self of them a daily medicine and from the worth of these leaues make a coniecture what the fruit is and loathing the draffe of swine aspire with a breathles and incessant desire to this fruite of Eternall lyfe which is aboue of this meditate and let the remembrance thereof be euer deeply fixed in thy mynd Of the Mysticall foundation of the Citty of God CHAP. IX VVE haue already taken into our consideration the structure of the supernall Ierusalem we will now intreate of another structure thereof For a Citty doth not onely containe the foūdations the wals the streets but also the multitude of the Citizens who in regard of the diuersity of their functions and offices are also said in a figuratiue sense to be the Foundations Ports or Walls and the lyke And perhaps the gathering and liuing togeather vnder the same Lawes is more properly called a Citty then a continuation of a multitude of houses vnder the same walls for thus doth Tully in somni● Scipionis speake heereof Concilia coetusque hominum c. The familiarityes and companies of men linked togeather within one Law are called Citties Of this celestiall Citty which consisteth of Citizens not only S. Iohn but also S. Peter and S. Paul do speake In the Apocalyps cap. 21. we read that in the twelue gates were seene twelue Angels and the inscription of their Names were the twelue Tribes of the children of Israel and in the foundations were written twelue names of the twelue Apostles of the Lambe In S. Peter we thus reade Vnto whome approching a liuing stone of men indeed reprobated but of God elect and made honourable 1. Pet. 2. And you as liuing stones be you made c. To come to S. Paul he thus writeth Ephes 1. Now therefore you are not strangers and forreners but are Citizens of the Saints the domestiks of God built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the highest Corner-stone Therfore from all this we gather that the Citty of God hath for foundation or ground worke the Apostles and Prophets for the doctrine of the Apostles and the Prophets doth support the whole fabrick thereof For fayth is the beginning of sa●uation Now fayth is ●e●●aled by the Apostl●s and Prophets eyther by writing or preaching the mysteries of the Trinity the In●arna●ion the Resurrection of the dead the glory of the Saints Eternall punishments and other poin●s transcending humane reason all which we haue learned from the Prophets and Apostles to whome God hath vouchsafed to reueale these Mysteries For although Fayth hath no place in the blessed Soules because that which they did belieue they ●ow see bu● what is seene is not belieued but knowne notwithstanding the Prophets and Apostles are sayd to be the foundation of the supernall Citty because Faith is the beginning of salua●ion and therefore the beginning of Beatitude But because S. Peter teacheth 1. Pet. 2. That we as liuing stones are ●uilt vpon Christ And S. Paul 1. Cor. ● sayth Other foundation no man can ●y besides that which is layd which ● Christ Iesus Therefore there is one ●oundation and there are also twelue ●oundations as S. Austin in explic Ps ●6 teacheth because in the twelue Apostles Christ was for he or his Spirit did speake and teach by thē Heare the Apostle himselfe 2. Cor. 13. Doe you seeke an experiment of him that speaketh in me Christ Heare Christ himselfe saying VVho so heareth you heareth me And in another place It is not you that speake but it is the spirit of your Father that speaketh in you And it is not to be doubted but that one and the same spirit is of the Holy Ghost of the Father of the Sonne From whence we may further learne that by the twelue foundations not only the twelue Apostles are vnderstood but also all those who first preached the same fayth with them since otherwise S. Paul himselfe Barnabas and the seauenty disciples all who were not of the number of the foresayd twelue disciples should not hau● belonged to these foundations ye● neyther the Prophets thēselues shoul● appertaine thereto And thus whic● God forbid we should make the Apostle lyar who said that we ar● built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets But here occurreth no small doub● to wit How Christ can truly be calle● the foundotion of this Edifice or building since he is the chiefe Corner-stone thereof as the Apostle speaketh and is exalted aboue the head of the Angle or Corner as the Prophet affirmeth For how can the same stone be in the highest and lowest place be in the foundation and in topp of the building But he that shal call to mind that these words are vsed in a Metaphoricall sense will easily conceaue how by reason of diuers functions or offices contrary words may be applied to one and the same person For not only Christ who is both God and Mā but euery Prelate in his owne Church is both the foundatiō height because as he is the foundation he ought to sustaine the burden or

worldly felicity can delight them and thus the only remembrance and expectation of future ioyes is sufficient in this their banishment to comfort them I hold it conuenient to close vp this Booke with the words of S. Austin that such who will not perhapps belieue me may not doubt to giue credit vnto so great and worthy a man This Father in these following words doth expresse which is the true note of the inhabitants of the Citty of the world and of the Citty of God Thus he then writeth Omnes qui terrena sapiunt c All those who are wholly immersed in earthly affayres All who doe preferre a temporary felicity before God All who seeke after their owne things not after those of Iesus Christ doe belong vnto th●t one Citty which mystically is called Babylon and which hath the Diuell for their King But all such others who bend their labours to things which are supernall and aboue who are euen absorpt in the meditation of Celestiall matters who liue in this world with all sollicitude and care that they doe not offend God or sinne who sinning are not ash●med to confesse their offences finally who are humble meeke holy iust pious good All such I say belong to that one Citty which hath Christ for its King Thus fa●re Saint Austin in explicat Psal 61. OF THE ETERNALL FELICITY OF THE SAINTS Vnder the Title of the House of God THE THIRD BOOKE That all the Blessed are the Domesticks and Sonnes of God CHAP. I. I Reioyced in these thinges which were said to we VVe shal go into the House of our Lord sayth the Royall Prophet Psal 121. Certainly it is a great and ineffable cause of reioycing for a good and faithful seruant after he hath painefully laboured in the Vineyard or hath multiplyed his Talents through negotiation and trafficke or as first hath gained the Prize in the race or hath deserued the Crowne in warre spirituall fight or hath diligently fed the sheep committed to his charge couragiously and valiantly defending them from wolues for then such a man after the accomplishment of all these his labours doth with all alacrity cheerfulnes enter into the House of his Lord. But let is first consider why that is called a House which a litle before was called a Citty Truly we cannot thinke that the cause of this appellation is that this House is strait or narrow and therefore doth deserue the name of a Citty since indeed it is of that largenes as that in greatnes it giueth not place to any Citty or Kingdome Giue eare to what the Prophet Baruch cap. 3. by way of acclamaaion speakes hereof O Israel how great is the House of God and how great is the place of his Possession It is great and hath no end Why then may not so great a House iustly be called a Citty The first reason heerof then is because the blessed though they be spred throughout the Kingdome of Heauen are the domesticks and familiars of our Lord. For perhaps a man might imagine that if mention were made only of a Kingdome or of a Citty that many might be in the Kingdome of Heauen and in the Citty of God who did neuer see God nor were euer admitted to speake or haue any entercourse with God but onely by the mediation of other greater Saints But because the matter standeth farre otherwise and that all the Sa●nts do euer see God do cōuerse with him and do speake to him face to face whether they be the supreme Seraphims and Cherubims Patriarches Apostles Prophets inferiour Angels and the lowest Saints For euen of our Angels Gardians who belong to the least degree of Angells our Lord thus saith Matth. 18. Their Angels in Heauen alwayes do see the face of my Father which is Heauen And the Apostle writing to the Ephesians cap. 4. auerreth that all the Saints are not only the Citizens of God but euen the domestick friends of God Therefore from hence I inferre that the habitation of the Saints is not only called a Citty but also a House There are doubtlesly diuers Māsions in Heauen to wit greater and lesser there are also seuerall Crownes some more illustrious others not so illustrious according to the disparity and inequality of merits neuertheles all those Cittizens are blessed and happy and are cleane in hart and replenished with Charity We may then from hence cōclude that there is no Saint who is not in that ce●estiall house and who seeth not God and conuerseth not with him as a domesticall and familiar friend howsoeuer contrary heerto in other Kingdomes and Citties there are many who neuer see the King and most few they are to whome he vouchsafes any speach or familiarity Another reason why the Citty of God is called a House may seeme to be in that in a Citty many do see the King and do speake to him yet all those are not the Domesticks Sonnes heyres of the King but only those who dwelling in the Kings Pallace are acknowledged by the King for such But now in the Kingdome of Heauen and in the Citty of God all the Saints whether o● higher or low degree are truly the Domestickes of God and Brethren of Christ by reason heerof they are linked togeather in the strait coniunction of fraternity or brotherhood so as the Superiours among them do not contemne their inferiours neither with them is any cōtention or malignity For when our Lord did teach the Pater noster that chiefe Prayer which is daily to be recited he in these words excluded not any man and when at the day of Iudgement he shall say Come you Blessed of my Father possesse you the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation the VVorld Matth. 25. he shall not except any out of this most confortable inuitation And when the Apostle said to the Romans cap. 8. whosoeuer are gouerned with the spirit of God those are the Sonnes of God and if Sonnes Heyres also Heyres truly of God and Coheires of Christ He in these words shutteth out no man whether great or litle so that he enioyeth the Spirit of God and will suffer himselfe to be sterned and guided therewith Which one Point is doubtlesly common to all the regenerate in Christ perseuering in Fayth Hope Charity In like sort S. Peter 1. Pet. 1. promiseth to all the regenerate an incorruptible inheritance incontaminate and not decaying being reserued in Heauen To conclude S. Iohn without any exception thus preacheth to all the iust See I pray what manner of Charity the Father hath giuen vs that we should be named and be the Sonnes of God 1. Ioan 3. From all this then we gather that the Place of habitation of the Saints is a House and not only a Citty or Kingdome in which house all are Domestickes Sonnes and heyres of the great King and all of them are beloued of God as Sonnes and of Christ as brethren that they may by good right say with the

weake Architects and did want a solid and firme foundation did decay and became so ruinous as I may say in a short tyme as that scarcely their Names are now extant neither should we at this day take notice of their names had they not beene recorded in the Bookes of Catholike Writers who first impugned them as Irenaeus Philastrius Epiphanius Austin Theodoret and the lyke Now the Mahometans who so long and so wide haue so spread ab●oad their Sect that they haue destroyed and expunged almost all the most difficult po●nts of Christian Faith as the Trinity of the Diuine Persons the Incarnation of the diuine VVord the death and Resurrection of the Sonne of God the Sacraments of Pennance and of the Eucharist All which mysteries being taken away all straitnesse touching Faith is taken away And thus the Gate being enlarged admitteth entrance for an innumerable multitude But those men who say they preach the Gospell of Christ in these our dayes haue entred in by another way and those straites they haue wholy taken away which doe not so much conduce to the Vnderstanding as to the VVill and Practice Christian Faith teacheth that all sinnes are to be auoided and that an account must be rendred of euery idle word And that if a man doe fal into mortall sinne he must confesse the same to a Priest and wash it away by a vehement Contrition and satisfaction That good works though laborious and difficult are to be performed being prescribed and enioyned by the spirituall Pastours of mans soule That the Kingdome of Heauen may be obtained and purchased by good works as the Crowne of Iustice and reward of labour That single and vnmaried life is to be led by Ecclesiasticall Persons and such others of the Clergy That the Vowes of Monks and Nuns are religiously to be obserued These Catholike and Christian Articles and such others as seemed to straiten the Gate of the Celestiall house our Aduersaries in Faith haue so ouerthrowne as that they haue opened a most large and wide Gate to Heauen teaching in all these points the contrary to vs Catholicks But to proce●d Neither haue haue all Catholiks ouercome all the straites of Faith For although they belieue a●l those points which Faith teacheth yet whiles they liue otherwise then their Faith instructeth and bindeth them they range themselues in the number of those of whom the Apostle speaketh Tim. 1. saying They confesse they know God but in their works they deny him And so by this manner themselues doe fly from the straites of Faith and enter into the broad Gate which lead●th to the most deadly ouerthrow of their Soules Therefore so farre forth as concerneth Faith the answere to the question propounded to our Lord VVhether they be but few that are saued is That they are but few and therefore men ought to labour and striue to enter in by the narrow Gate Of Hope which is another part of the gate of the House of GOD. CHAP. VII NOw touching Hope it also is straitned and narrow on all sides whether we consider the greatnesse of the reward or our basenesse and littlenesse For if one should command an vnlearned clowne vnexperienced in humane affayres to hope for that in a short time he should arriue to the wisdome of Salomon or at least of Plato Aristotle withall should haue the Empyre of Alexander the Great or of Augustus deliuered vp to him when would this poore silly fellow be persuaded that from his dunghil state he should aspire to such height of Wisedome and Soueraignty Yet this is far more easy then that a mortall man should hope for the Wisedome and Power of Angells who are in Heauen and are pure Intelligences For that poore Countrey Pesant and Alexander and Aristotle were of the same nature and all were mortall men And the wisdome of Aristotle did not transcend humane wisdome and the Empyre of Alexander did not comprehend within it the third part of the world But the Hope of the faithfull commands them to hope for the equality of the Angells our Lord himselfe thus saying Luc. ●0 They who shall be counted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor take wiues neither can they dye any more for they are equall to Angells and are the Sonnes of God In like sort if a man who only creepeth vpon the earth should be commanded to hope that w●thin few dayes he should be ab e to fly in the ayre or to continue a long time vnder the water when could he be brought to hope for these things And yet Birds though great as Cranes Storks Eagles doe most swiftly fly through the aire and most huge and loaded sh●pps doe subsist in the waters passing to and fro with great speedines as the Saylers shall gouerne them But the Hope of Christians without the least doubt or wauering commandeth that a Christian man shall Hope euen with his body to ascend aboue the Heauens and that he shall descend from Heauen to earth without any danger of ruine or fall and that in his po●●ing from the Ea●t to the West he shall striue euen with the Sunne and shall doubtlesly ouercome it in swiftnesse To conclude if any poore man who is depriued of his Parents should be commanded to Hope that a great King altogeather vnknowne to him should adopt him for his Sonne no doubt be would much struggle with his owne iudgement before he could be induced to hope for the true euent thereof And yet Christian fayth teacheth that euery Man who is baptized in Christ and keepeth the Commandements of Christ shall haue the spirit of Adoption from God shal be coadopted into his Sonne shal be truly heyre of all those goods which God himselfe possesseth shal be the Coheyre of Christ who is the natura l and p●oper Sonne of God whom the Father hath constituted Heyre of a●l things whatsoeuer This vigorous Fayth if according to its owne worth it were imbraced by Christians would make them so fearlesse and resolute as that they would yield to no peri ls and dangers but would confidently say with the Prophet Psal 117. God is my Helper I will not feare what Man can do against me And Yf whole armyes should stād against me my hart shal not feare And with the Apostle Phil 4. I can do all things in him that strenghn th me And againe Rom 8. Ys God he for vs who is against vs But there are very few who do hope for such high and hard matters as they ought since there are many who do expect to receaue only temporall and small matters from God but for the gayning of them doe confide and trust in their owne subtilties in thefts and lyes rather then in the help of the Highest Our Lord him elfe in Mathew 6. and Luke 12. admonished the faythfull by most forcing and mouing similitudes tha they should not be ouer sollicitous in seeking of meate and cloathing but that

Paul nor Iohn nor the rest of the Apostles and Prophets taught these Points of their owne Authority but they were instructed therin of God himself they did preach the word of God not their w●e word thē presently is the Hart dilated and prepared to belieue without the least doubt or wauering in fayth Now that it was God who taught and spake by the Apostles and Prophets is made manifest from his working of so many manifest stupendious miracles so as it were not only simplicity but great temerity to rest diffident and distrustfull of the Truth For thus doth the Apostle speake to the Hebrews cap. 2. VVhich when it was begun to be declared by our Lord of them that heard was confirmed on vs God withall testifying by signes and wonders and diuers miracles and distributions of the Holy Ghost according to his VVill. But what things God speaketh who dare deny to be true seeing God cannot possibly lye for if he could iye then were he not God Yet is it vrged what things are propoūded to vs to belieue are aboue reason This is true but they are not aboue the Power and Wisdome of God And therefore S. Iohn sayth 1. Ioan. 3. God is greater then our Hart because he is able to do and which we are not able to vnderstand And his Essence and Existence is more perfect and worthy then mans Soule can possibly comprehend or take the true height thereof If an vnlearned and ignorant man be ready to belieue the Philosophers and Astrologers discoursing of the greatnes of the Sunne and the starrs vvhich seeme incredible Why then may not man with the like promptitude and facility giue credit to God himselfe touching those points of fayth which it shall please him to reueale and the rather seing the Wisdome and power of God do by infinit degrees differ from that sparke of Reason with which men are endued Those men therfore who haue a true apprehension of these reasons do not suffer any straitnes or difficulty in belieuing those dogmaticall Points which the Church propounds to vs to belieue A second discourse of Hope which is the second Part of the Gate of the House of God CHAP. XI VVHat we haue said of the Vertue of Fayth the same we may bouldly pronounce of the Vertue of Hope for if we should say that what we expect in the life to come we do expect to proceede from the bounty and liberality of men we might be deseruedly reiected as vayne Impostours since men may lye and it is not in their power to afford distribute so great and transcendent Rewards But we teach not that they are to be hoped for from man but from God Who neither can lye since he is Truth nor deceaue since he is Goodnes nor can promise any thing impossible since he is Omnipotent Therefore a Rusticke fellow might deseruedly thinke himselfe to be mocked and derided if any man should promise to him the Wisdome of Salomon or the Greatnes of Augustus because that man who thus should promise should be reputed as a Lyar. But why ought not a Christian to whom God hath promised eternall life the kingdome of Heauen the Paradise of all Pleasure assuredly hope for the same Is there perhaps wanting an Earnest or Pledge of Gods most bountifull Good Will to vs Not so For did not God by way of figure and adumbration of things Present lead his People without any step or print of vvet through the Red Sea did he not rayne Manna from Heauen did he not draw Water from out a Rock To conclude did he not bring his Seruants by the Conduct of Iosue into the Land of Promise And must so remarkable a figure be reputed as empty and of no force Furthermore If God so loued the World that he gaue his only begotten sonne Ioan. 3. Hath be not then giuen with him all things to vs Rom. 8. What great thing do we hope for to be giuen vs from God the which is not inferiour to that guift which already he hath giuen to vs we neither hoping for it nor demanding it Yf God gaue to sinners and his Enemyes the Death of his owne Sonne will he not giue to the lust and his friends the life of his Sonne Neither satisfying himselfe herewith he gaue and adioyned the Holy Ghost as a pledge of our Inheritance who cryeth in our Harts Abba Pater And the spirit giueth testimony to our spirit that we are the Sonnes of God and if Sonnes Heyres also of God and Coheyres with Christ. Rom. 8. Wherefore if the greatnes of the things promised may seeme to ouercome our Hope yet can they not ouercome the greatnes of him that promiseth Which greatnes since it is infinite may so easely strengthen our Hope as that without any fearefull doubtfulnes it may arriue and attaine to the things promised Which Promise as the Apostle proueth Heb. 6. God hath euen confirmed with a most solemne Oath That so by force of two inexpugnable and immoueable forts to wit the Promise of him who cannot lye and his annexed Oath we may haue Hope as a s●●me and safe Anker leading vs to those Penetralia into which Christ entred for vs who is made a Priest for euer according to the Order of Melchisedech A second discourse of Charity which is the third part of the Gate of the House of God CHAP. XII NOw what shall we speake of Charity This Vertue as in regard of the difficulty of fulfilling its precepts is of a most narrow and strayt extent so in respect of the excellency of the Diuine Goodnes whervnto Charity hath reference it may be said to be of a most great breadth For why ought it to seeme hard to loue God with all our Hart with all our soule with all our strength when as he is most sayre most good most worthy of infinite Loue It is not a hard matter here vpō Earth to loue things that are fayre and good but it is hard not to loue them at all or not to loue them too much Therefore God seemeth after a certaine manner to offer vs wrong in commanding vnder so seuere punishments to loue him as if of our owne accord and willingly we ought not to loue him But some may reply saying Those things which are good fayre here vpon the Earth are so ardently loued and affected because they are clearely seene as being subiect to the sense But God no man euer saw Ioan. 1. It is true indeed we see not God neuerthelesse we haue seene and do dayly see his workes which are very fayre of which works the VViseman thus sayth Sap. 13. Yf with whose beauty being delighted meaning with the beauty of the Sunne and the Moone they thought them Gods let them know how much the Lord of them is more beautifull then they for the Authour of Beauty made all those things We in like sort do make triall and tast of the sweetnes of God in his daily Benefits conferred