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
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
Psalmist Psal 12. They that troubled me will reyoice if I be moved O doe not offend leaue and misprise God who is your Creatour and Saviour Doe not contristate his B. mother most ready to helpe you and most zealous of your saluation doe not dishonour your Angel Guardian who most sincerely loues you keepes you most carefully and admonishes you most faithfully rather to follow and hearken after the suggestions of the diuell than to the most wholsome exhortations of the Angels Doe not make your selues odious and contemptible to the triumphant Church of the celestiall court Doe not yeeld your selues to be a shame mokquerie prey to the most envious most cruell enemies But rather pray with the wise man Eccl. 23. O Lord Father and dominatour of my life leaue me not in their counsell least I fall in the fight of mine adversaries and mine enemies rejoice The 8. is presently to resist in the beginning of the tentation principally in the tentations of the flesh from which as from their obiects occasions incitations and subiects they are incontinently to turne the eies of the spirit and of the body the imagination fancy memorie and convert them to behold and consider some holy and compunctiue things as beholding the crucifix and the Passion the last endes weighing also the breuitie and incertitude of this present life Moreouer they ought to be magnanimous and laudably vindicatiue that so they may afflict the diuells their enemies by so much more earnestly and vncessantly addicting themselues to all workes of vertue principally of profound humilitie Obediēce Charitie by how much more they endeavour to withdraw them from their saluation say with the true warrier Psal 17. I will pursue mine enemies and ouertake them And I will not returne till they faile I will breake them neither shall they be able to stand they shall fall vnder my feete The 9. is to ponder the basenesse impietie and turpitude of tentation and vice and so presently with an indignation turne themselues as from a stinking most detestable carron Euen as a marchant would with indignation refuse iron or dung that the buyer should giue him for gold or balsome so when for our Lord God eternall infinit most worthy and for the most pretious guift of his grace glorie the world the flesh the diuell should propound vaine filthy and base things let them answere with great contemptand not vouchsafe to behold or hear ken to those who suggest such things nay rather according to that which the standard bearer of Christ Iesus Blessed S. Francis hath tought vs let them say to the tempter Open thy mouth and I will cast dong into it The 10. remedie is to discover aswell in confession as out of it what passeth is hidde in they spirit to discreet good and charitable men and humbly obey to their counsells and instructions The tēpter doth seeke meanes to deceiue vs propounding false and perverse things vnder the species of true and good and doth lay snares and guiles wherfore he feares to be discovered For according as Christ hath said in the Gospell Ioan. 3. Euery one that doth ill hateth the light and commeth not to the light that his workes may not be made manifest Wherfore a man hath then almost vanquished the diuell and discouered all his deceits and trecheries when he hath declared all the secrets of his heart to men of iudgement It is also and act of humilitie and discretion in such sort to discouer the interiour and to desire to be wel instructed therein and therfore let them overcome thus the pride of the diuell Many other things may be added as to haue recourse to our B. Lady to the Saincts towards whome they haue particular devotion And principally to haue a serious consideration of the Passion of our Saviour For Christ hath giuen great power and inestimable vertue to his Passion death wherby he hath redeemed humane kind It contayneth in it selfe an infinit merit because by a soveraigne and most ardent charitie most perfect Obedience most profound humilitie most firme patience most strong constancy and most mild spirit he hath submitted himselfe to it his divinitie added to his humanitie did giue to it an immense efficacy of merites wherfore by how much more a man is ioyned to Christ by more humble ardent and strict charitie by so much more abundantly he may participate of his vertues and merits If then they be tempted with any difficulty or rigour of the Order and of its observance as of the hardnesse and austeritie of Religion that it theeme greeuous and painfull to carrie the Crosse and follow Christ let them consider diligently what he hath suffered for them how in his agony for horrour of death he hath shed a bloudy sweat and was sadde euen to death and carrying vpon his owne shoulders the heauie gibbot of the crosse he was most ignominiously ledde to the place of Calvarie If they be tempted with the delights of the flesh or with the desires of pleasure dissolution play sport vnmeasured laughter let them consider the griefe that he suffered for vs when his most delicate flesh was torne even to the opening of his sides and most cruelly rent with the blowes of scourges when his hands and feete were transpierced with rough and great nailes of Iron when his head was crowned with thornes and beaten with a reede If they be tempted with ambition let them consider how for our sakes he became reproch of men and out cast of the people He was mocked with a white garment derided in purple bespitted on his face blasphemed and despiced handled and slaine as the most base and the most wicked amongst men for those who did see him did mocke at him saying Mat. 27. If he be the king of Israel let him now come downe from the Crosse c. If the rigour of abstinence or of fasting be troublesome and painfull to them if they be tempted with more delicate meat or drinke let them remember that they gaue him gall for his meate and in his thirst they gaue him vinagre to drinke Psal 68. If the motion of Pride the impetuositie of impatience or anger assault them because some haue done them iniuries or other contrarieties let them consider how most patiently he hath endured all things when he wa◠carried before Pilate with a mos◠mild heart not saying one word when he was most enormously accused If rancour or motion of envie strike them let them remember how he fastened to the Crosse already environed with anguish and prickings of death and more interiourly transperced did pray for those who crucifyed him If sloath assault them let them call to mind with what ardēt charitie he hath procured our saluation Briefely in all temptations let them interiourly consider what and how great things he hath vndertaken excercised and suffered for our saluation with what most bitter and most cruell death he was slaine and most violently