he that shal begin such a warre cannot bring in his company a thing of greater preiudice then pusillanimity of hart For he that hath this will be put to flight euen by shaddowes With much reason did God command in tymes past That when his people were in the warres his Priests should encourage them before they began to fight not by humane reasons of the multitude of their men and strength but by thinking vpon the (f) Firrne hope in God is the only souÌ„d receite against hart-breaking protection of the Lord of hoastes who holdeth victory in his hand and who is wont to conquere lofty Giants by little grasse-hoppers for the glory of his holy Name And agreably to this which God commanded the valorous S. Paul sayth to them who were entring into the spirituall warre Comfort (g) Ephes 4. your selues in our Lord and in the power of his strength that so being hartned you may fight the battailes of God with cheerefullnesse and courage So is it read of Iudas Machabaeus who fought with cheerefulnes and so he conquered And S. Anthony a man well experienced in theses piritual combats was wont to say That this spirituall cheerefullnesse was an admirable thing and a powerfull remedy towards the ouercomming of our enemyes For certain it is that the delight which is taken in doing of any worke doth increase a mans forces towards the doing of it Therefore (h) How necessary it is to haue alacrity and courage in the seruice of God doth S. Paul aduise vs thus Reioyce alwayes in our Lord. And we read of S. Francis that he reprehended such of his fryars as he saw to go sadly vp and downe as if they were ill contented and he would say to them He that serneth God should not be after this fashion vnles it were for hauing committed a sinne and if thou haue committed any confesse it and returne to thy former alacrity And of S. Dominicke it is also read That there appeared in his face a kind of cheerefull serenity which gaue testimony of his inward ioy This is wont to grow out of the loue of our Lord and from a liuely hope of his mercy whereby they are able to carry their Crosse vpon their backes not only with patience but euen with pleasure as they did whose goods were stolne yet they remayned content the reason of that was because they had lodged in their harts a better kind of riches in heauen Experimenting that which S. Paul sayd Being ioyfull in hope and patient in tribulation for (i) It is hard to haue patience in a longe-liued Crosse without hauing a great hope in God without the former men can hardly ariue to the later But when this vigour and alacrity fayleth it deserueth great compassion to see how men that walke in the way of God are full of vnprofitable sadnesse their harts being discontented and without gust in things that belong to God and vntoward euen to themselues and to their neighbours and with so little confidence in the mercy of God that there wanteth not much to make it none There are many amongst these persons who commit no mortall sinnes or very rarely But they say that because they serue not God as they ought and as they desire and by reason of the veniall sinnes which they commit they liue in such a fashion as we see But (k) A worse effect of an euil cause if the effects of superfluous sadnes be such as these they do men more harme then the faults themselues which they committed And that which they might preuent and cut off if they had discretion and courage they make to increase and so they fall out of one euill into another Such as they ought to procure and labour to serue God withal diligence if they see they fall let (l) This is indeed good counsaile them weep but not distrust and knowing that they are weaker then they thought let them humble themselues more and demand more grace and liue with greater caution taking help of the tyme past for the tyme to come There (m) Excessiue sloath doth sointymes also cast men afterward vpon despayre are many who on the contrary syde are carelesse and slothfull in seruing God and when they fall into sinne they know not how to help themselues but they go down into the pit of disconfidence and of greater negligence Whereas in very deed for the auoyding of despaire we must auoyd to be lukewarme and negligent in the seruice of God For (n) No man can haue a good hope who endeauours not to lead a good life otherwise as long as a man hath these rootes within him he cannot though he would neuer so faigne haue that vigour and strength of minde which (o) Note this point well groweth from a good and diligent life And if such persons would consider that they endure more (p) The Diuells Martyrs trouble by these sadde and despairing thoughtes which grow from melancholy then they should in cutting vp by the roote those cuill affections and dangerous occasions which hinder them from seruing God with feruour they would especially since they loue to fly from payne make choyce of those troubles which are annexed to the perfection of vertue to fly those others which follow vpon the want thereof S. Paul (q) â— Tâ—â—â— 4. sayth That the end of the law is Charity which proceedeth from a pure hart and vpright conscience and a fayth vnfeigned And he meaneth this vpright conscience to be hope as S. Augustine sayth giuing thereby to vnderstand that vnlesse there be a good conscience hauing fayth and loue and good works which flow from thence there (r) There may be in such men a fond daÌ„gerous kind of presumption such as the Sectaryes are acquainted with but no true Christian hope which is pleasing to God wil be no liuely hope which may giue vs alacrity and if there be any want at all of good conscience there wil be also want of cheerefulnesse and consclation which are caused by a perfect hope For although such a fearefull man be not slayne perhaps by sinne but do liue in state of grace yet he shall worke but weakely So as they who tell thee Belieue that God doth pardon thee and loue thee and then thou shalt be pardoned and loued with such other words as these doe (s) As Luther and Caluin hauedone their followers grieuously deceiue thee and they giue testimony that they speake by imagination not by experience or according to the doctrine of fayth And (t) A most certaine a most soueraign truth the not vnderstanding whereof makes so many cast themselus away by violent death such braueries as those for as much as they are not of God cannot hold a man vpon his feete when tribulation coÌ„meth if it be a sound one Strength of hart and the ioy of a good conscience are the fruites of a good life which they
prouided a day for thy selfe wherein thou wilt complaine of this offence and say My name is blasphemed vpon your occasion amongst the infidells and to chastize him with seuere punishment who in steed of gathering togeather with thee that which was scattered as he ought to haue done doth eyther scatter that which was gathered or doth hinder it from being so And (l) Let men be as wicked as they will God will stil be iust good then wilt thou make the whole world vnderstand well mough that thou art good though thou haue seruantes that be wicked For the sinnes which they commit displease thee And thou doest forbid them by thy commaundmentes and thou doest seuerely punish them CHAP. XXXV That the very conscience of him that deâ—yreth to obtaine vertue doth testify that our Faâ—th is true and how the desire of leading an euill life doth both procure the loosing of Faith and hinder the getting it BY how much more the witnesse of any thing in question is nearer to vs and well knowne by vs so much doth his credit increase towards the making vs belieue that be sayth true And therefore since I haue â—old thee of some of the meanes which giue testimony of the truth of our Fayth Hearken heere to some others and those not past but present And they againe are so neere thee that they are in thy very hart if thou wilt receaue them and take particuler knowledge of them as thou vsest to take of those thinges which passe there This is grounded vpon the word which our Lord spake If (a) Ioan. 7. any man will doe the will of my Father he shall know whether my doctrine be of God or no. Blessed be thou O Lord who art so assured of the iustice of this thy cause that is the Truth of thy doctrine that thou leauest the sentence which is to proceed vpon it in the hands of whosoeuer will whether he be friend or enemy with this only condition That he who shall make himselfe the Iudge thereof will do the will of God which is but that he should be vertuous and so be saued It is (b) Note this well for it is a wise and most certayne truth certaynely so that if a man should cordially desyre to be good both towards God and towards himselfe and towards his neighbours and would seeke out the fittest doctrine that he could find for making himselfe such if before such an one I say they should lay all the Lawes and doctrines which are in the whole world both true and false to none of which he already carried any particuler affection or passion but did only ayme at the finding out of Truth this man laying aside all the rest would take in hand the Ghospell doctrine of Christ if he (c) According to the true sense therof which is only taught by the holy Catholique Church vnderstood it as a thing which might addresse him better to the end of his iust desires then any other And as he were practising the vertue that he aspired to he would be making experience of the efficacy of this doctrine how fit it were for all that is good for the soule and how wel it were framed for the reliefe of our necessityes and in how short a tyme with how great clarity it did help a man to be vertuous So that such a man comming on by the very experience of the power of this doctrine would confesse as our Lord hath sayd That it came from God and he would also say that which others sayd when they heard Iesus Christ our Lord preaching to them neuer did man speake so well And if euen they who know not Christ by fayth did but heare that admirable charitable word which our Lord himselfe did vtter with so loud a voice If (d) Ioan 7 any man be thirsty let him come to me and drinke and if they would come and make triall of that delicious fullnes and so take experience of this doctrine with desire of being vertuous it is certaine that they would not remain in their infidelity and blindnes But (c) Behold heere the most true cause why Catholik Religion is no more imbraced in England for as much as they are friendes of the world and not of true and perfect vertue nor do they seeke with care the certainty of Truth and the knowledge of God they continue without hearing receauing it And although they heard it yet would it not be receaued by some because it would be contrary to the things which they desire And for this our Lord sayd to the Pharisees certaine wordes which I cyted once before How (f) 1. Ioan. 5. will you be able to belieue since you seeke honour one of another and seeke not the honour which is of God alone And not without great waight of reason did S. Paul (g) 1. Tim 〈◊〉 affirme That some had lost their faith by giuing themselues to couetousnes Not that a man doth instantly loose fayth by committing of any sinne except heresy but for that a hart which is affected to thinges of the world disaffected from vertue when it finds in Christian doctrine certaine Truthes which are contrary to the wicked desires of the same hart and which condemneth vnder so grieuous paynes the thinges which it selfe desires to practise it growes by little and little to seeke other doctrine which may not be of so bad tast in the mouth nor keep such a barking against the ill affections actions thereof And (h) The case of most Protestants who are intelâ—â—gâ—â— so the will being ill inclined is wont to be a meanes of putting blindnes vpon the Vnderstanding and preuailes so farre at last as to make a man giue ouer that Fayth which cryeth out against wickednes that he may follow and belieue other doctrines wherin he may be more at ease and liue how he listes And as this corrupted will is a meanes sometymes to make him loose Fayth that hath it so is it also a meanes to deâ—aâ—ne him from it that hath it not For both these those carry a fastidious kind of mislike against perfect vertue without alleaging in very deed any other cause but only That it is vnsauoury or too highly good so they haue also such a mislike against the Truth of Fayth as being contrary to that wickednes which they loue CHAP. XXXVI That the admirable change which is made in the hart of sinners and the great fauours which our Lord doth to them who follow him with perfect vertue and do call vpon him in their necessityes is a great testimony to the Truth of our Fayth IN how much better case are they who with desire to serue God haue chosen to imbrace this perfectioÌ„ of vertue though al they that serue him do enioy otherwise if they will marke it many testimonyes which Fayth placeth in their hart But especially do they enioy it who serue him with a profiting and
But as god is far from being a deceauer so in this are we far from being deceaued Glory be to God for euer CHAP. XLIII That such is the greatnesse of our Fayth that none of the aforesayd motiues nor any other that can be deliuered are sufficient to make a man belieue with this diuine Fayth vnles our Lord doe incline a man to belieue by particular fauour HITHERTO thou hast heard some of the reasons which may incline a man to find that the Catholike Fayth is true to satisfy any man that should charge vs as if we were light in belieuing since we haue more â—otiues then any Nation of the world But with all this assure thy selfe that so great is the height of the Christian Fayth that although a man should haue both these and other motiues which might be thought of and although amongst the rest he shold haue also this other to see miracles wroght in confirmation of the Fayth with his owne eyes of flesh yet (a) Faith is the gift of God alone such a man shall not be able by his owne strength to belieue as a Christian must and as God commandeth him to belieue For the teaching hereof dependeth vpon an interiour Maister infusing Fayth into the vnderstanding whereby a man is taught and fortified towards this beliefe as Christ sayth That it is written in the (b) Isa 54. Prophets That (c) Ioan. 6. all shal be taught by God And the same Lord which S Peter had confessed for the true sonne of God and for the Messias promised in the law gaue him to vnderstand that he was not to thanke himselfe but to acknowledge that Fayth and confession as the guift of God and he sayd Plessed (d) Mat. 16. art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed these thinges to thee but my Father which is in heauen And in another place he sayth All (e) Ioan. 6. they who heare and learne of my Father come to me A soueraigne Schoole is this where God the Father is he that teacheth and the doctrine which is taught is the Fayth of Iesus Christ his sonne and in that we are to walke by the paces of Fayth and Loue. This Fayth must not wholy rest vpon whatsoeuer motiues or reasons that may be brought for whosoeuer belieueth only vpon them doth not belieue in such sort as that his vnderstanding is so persuaded as to admit no place for doubt or scruple But the faith which God infuseth doth rest vpon the diuine Truth and maketh one belieue more firmely then if he saw it with his very eyes and touched it with his very hands and with greater certainty then That foure are more then three or the like which the vnderstanding seeth things with so great clarity as to haue no difficulty therein nor ability to doubt thereof though it would Then doth a man say to all the motiues which induced him to belieue as they of Samaria sayd to that Samaritan woman No longer now do we belieue for that which thou saydst for our selues haue seene and known that this is the Sauiour of the world But (f) Note although they say we haue knowne yet do not thou vnderstaÌ„d that they who belieue haue that kind of clarity of euideÌ„ce which the Philosophers cal Science For as before hath been expressed neither can the vnderstanding arriue by the reason thereof to haue clarity in thinges of Fayth nor can fayth haue euidence for so it should not be fayth nor would there be any merit in it It is true that fayth is sayd to be a kind of sight and that it is in the vnderstanding but because it is not with this clarity of euidence S. Paul sayth That we now see as by a glasse but heereafter we shall see in heauen face to face But the Samaritans say that they know Christ to be the Sauiour of the world to giue vs to vnderstaÌ„d That they belieue it with so great firmenes as that which they do most clearly know yea and much more then so For according to what we haue sayd he that imbraceth the fayth being infused by God belieueth it because it is affirmed by the Truth of God And (g) The reason of the infallibility of Fayth the great extent thereof now because this Truth is infinit and more certaine then all other Truths since by the participation thereof all other thinges receaue their strength of truth such a belieuer is so assured that he cannot be deceaued in what he belieueth as he is sure that God cannot faile to be true which certainty is the greatest of all others whatsoeuer And this maketh a man remayne so full of satisfactioÌ„ in this kind that there passeth not so much as a thought in his mind against this fayth or if any passe it passeth on so quickely as that it putteth him to little paine And if he be combatted by scruples or vayne thoughtes yet is he full of repose and quietnes in the interiour part of his vnderstanding for his beliefe is built vpon fine and firme stone which is Truth it selfe which he belieueth for the very Truth and not vpon other motiues Therfore can neither winds nor waters nor riuers driue it downe And if thou meruaile that in the vnderstanding of a man who is so various and changeable in his opinions who with so little firmenesse doth settle himselfe vpon the ground of reason there is yet in him so great a certainty and such a setled firme constancy that neither by meanes of argument or torment or example of others that loose their fayth nor for any thing either high or low he can be made to stirre from his beliefe I say that euen this may make thee know That this busines and this building is no effect of our force which cannot reach so farre A guift of God it is as S. Paul sayth which can neither be inherited nor merited not purchased by humane strength that no man may glory to haue it of himselfe but let them be faythfull in knowing that it is the fauour of God and giuen vs for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake as S. Peter sayth You were made faythfull by him Do not therfore meruaile that vpon the miserable sand of mans vnderstaÌ„ding so firme a building is erected For our Lord affirmeth thus It is the worke of God that you belieue in him whome he hath sent So that as God conducteth man to a supernaturall end which is to see him clearely in heauen so was he not content that man should belieue in him as meerely a man by the force of motiues miracles and other reasons But raysing him vp aboue himselfe and giuing him supernaturall force wherewith to belieue not with doubt scruple as a meere man would do but with certainty security as becommeth the Mysteryes of God And heereby we vnderstand That no man can call vpon Christ Iesus but in the Holy Ghost For
thinges togeather by saying He (g) Marc. vâ—â—uno that shall belieue and be baptized he shall be saued The same Lord of ours sayd also to his Apostles when he instituted the Sacrament of Pennance Whose (h) Ioan. 10. sinnes you shall pardon they are pardoned c. and consequently grace and iustice is giuen by this Sacrament since there can be no pardon of sinne vnles grace be giuen withall which is signifyed and contayned in all the seauen Sacraments of the Church And it is giuen to him that receaueth them welâ— euen with more abundance then (i) To which dispositioÌ„ out of the Sacrament there would not be allowed so great a grace though yet still the receaâ—â—â— must haue good dispositioÌ„ if he meane to acquire new graâ—e and not to coâ—â—â—t a new â—acri ledge there is disposition in the receauer in regard that they are priuiledged workes which by the very being receaued do conferre grace Therefore ought they to be receaued and renewed in extraordinary manner as the Catholike Church doth belieue and teach vs. Now (k) This is worthy oâ— great consideration if Fayth were in the beginning of the Church so frequently mentioned preached it was fiâ— to be so because the fayth was then newly planted and the endeauour was to make infidells receiue it and to enter by it as by the first gate which sheweth the way to saluation that when once they were come in they might be informed more particulerly both of what they were further to belieue and what they were to do So also was it necessary in those tymes to expresse after a particuler manner the mystery and high valew of the passion and death of our redeemer Iesus Christ who with extreame dishonour had then byn crucified and how the fayth of this mystery maketh men belieue and confesse That vpon that wood which to outward appearance was so dishonourable that diuine life was hanged and that there in the middest of the earth God wrought by meanes of his death the recouery and saluation of the world This fayth being such doth honour the dishonour of the Crosse and is the exaltation of that basenes which was exercised thereon in a strang and extreame manner For which reason it was fit to make often mention of the name of fayth and that with great respect since it resulted to the honour of Iesus Christ our Lord of whose person and merits she (l) The Church giueth testimony by preaching the height thereof So as if the Scripture say That men are iustifyedly fayth it is not meant as if that alone were sufficient but because it is the beginning and foundation and rote of all that is good as the Councell of Trent defineth and (m) O how true is this they who attribute iustification to fayth alone do but seeke for comfort in their tepidities or in the impiety of their liues desiring to secure themselues by the way of belieuing that their Circle may be the wider in the way of liuing And the peace and confidence of a good conscience which is caused by perfect charity these men will needs obteine without the taking of such paines as the perfection of vertue doth require Yea and they content not themselues herewith but although according to the very truth no man can be entirely certayne in this life whether he be worthy of loue or hate though yet according to the grace verâ—ue which he hath more or lesse he may haue more or fewer reasons of confidence yet these men who giue that certainty to such as belieue according to their owne imagination that they are pardoned by God which a Christian man is to haue in belieuing an article of fayth are people deceaued by the diuell and these things are belieued by such as haue neyther any firme ground of fayth nor any sanctity of life but are haters of all obedience and who being blindfold go groping after the mysteries of God and indeed if they were not blinded the diuell could not so easily deceaue them CHAP. XLV Why our Lord did resolue to saue vs by the meanes of Fayth and not of humane Reason and of the great subiection which we must yield to those things which our Fayth doth teach of the particuler deuotion which we owe in especiall manner to that which our Lord Iesus taught vs by his own sacred mouth THE methode of the words of this Treatise did require that after the first word therof I should declare the second to thee but the order of the sentences whereof the first and the third say the same thing requireth that forbearing at the present to touch the second I now declare the third which sayth thus Incline thyne care By this thou art to note that so great is the height of the mysteries of God and so low poore is thy reason and so easily subiect to deceite that for the security of our saluation God resolued to saue vs by our faith and not by our knowledge And this not without most iust cause because since the world as Saint Paul sayth did not know God by meanes of wisedome but sell impertinently vpon many crrours asâ—â—â—bing the glory of God to the Sunne and Moone and other creatures And because others who by the trace of those creatures came to know God tooke such a deale of pride in their way of tracing the knowledge of a thing so high this light was taken away for their pride which our Lord had giuen them through his goodnesse and so they fell into the darknesse of idolatry and into a multitude of other sinnes such as they had fallen into who neuer had knowne God For which reason as after the fall of the wicked Angells God taking as a man may say a kind of warning by that he would not suffer any creature to remaine in heauen that could be able to sinne perceiuing how ill the creatures serued themselues of reason and because the world as S. Paul sayth did not know God by wisedome he would not leaue the knowledge of him the saluation of themselues in the hands of their wisedome Therefore as soone as the holy Ghost had giuen vs counsaile by the two words already mentioned of Heare and See he doth instantly aduise vs by a third which sayth Incline thyne eare Whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that we must submit our reason most profoundly not be too confident therin if we meane that our hearing and our seeing which were giuen vs for our good may not be the occasion of our eternal perdition Certayne it is that many haue heard the word of God and haue had an excellent sight and notice of high and subtile things but yet because they rested vpon the curiosity of their sight more then they did â—â—cline the eare of their reason with obedience their sight grew to be starke blindnes they went stumbling in the light of Noone-day as if it had beene in vtter darkenes If therefore
thou wilt not loose the way to heauen Incline thyne eare that is thy reason for feare least otherwise thou be deceaued thereby Incline it with a most profound reuerence to that which is sayd by the word of God throughout the whole Scripture And if thou vnderstand it not thou art not for that to thinke that the Holy Ghost which spake did erre but submit thy vnderstanding and belieue as S. Augustine sayth that he did that which by reason of the height of that word thou art not able to vnderstand And although thou art to incline thyne eare by giuing equall credit of Fayth to all the Scripture of God because all of it is the word of the same supreme Truth yet art thou to carry particuler respect care to receaue profit by those blessed wordes which (a) A pious and very profitable aduice the true God incarnate spake heere on earth Open thou with deuout attention both the eares of thy body and of thy soule to euery word of this Lord who was giuen to vs for an especiall maister by the voyce of the eternall Father who sayd This is my well beloued Sonne in whome I am pleased heare him Be studious in reading and hearing these wordes and then thou wilt not fayle to find in them a singular remedy and powerfull efficacy for those thinges which concerne thy soule which thou hast not found in euery other of those wordes which God hath spoken from the beginning of the world And this is so with great reason since that which he sayd in other places was spoken by the mouth of his seruants but that which he sayd in the humanity which he tooke he spake in person opening his owne sacred mouth to speake he who formerly had opened and afterwardes did open the mouth of others who spake both in the old and new Testament And take heed that thou be not vnthankefull for so great a blessing as it is That God should be our Maister giuing vs the milke of his word to sustayne vs he who had giuen vs first a being that we might haue somewhat to be sustayned So great a fauour is this that if we had scales wherewith to weigh it and if it were told vs that at the furthest corner of the world some wordes of God were left for the instruction of our soule we were to make light of all labour and danger to heare some few of those wordes deliuered by that supreme wisedom for the making of vs his disciples Serue thy selfe therefore well of this fauour since God hath giuen it thee so neare at hand and desire of him who taketh care to conduct thy soule in the way of spirit that in holy Scripture and in the doctrine of the Church and amongst the writings of the Saints he will seeke out such wordes as may carry proportion to the necessityes of thy soule whether it be to defend thee against tentations as our Lord did fast in the desert for our example or whether it be to spurre thee vp in the search of those vertues which thou wantest or whether in fine it be to know how to carry thy self as thou oughtest with God with thy selfe and with thy Neighbours whether they be thy betters thy inferiours or thy equalls and how thou art to conduct thy soule in prosperity and how in tribulation And finally how thou art to behaue thy selfe in all that whereof thou mayst haue need in the way of God In such sort as that thou mayst say In (b) Psal 118. my hart I haue hidden thy wordes that I may not sinne against thee Thy word is a torch to my feet and a light to my pathwayes And be sure thou fall not into curiosity of desiring to know more then thou hast need of either for thy selfe or for such as are vnder thy charge For whatsoeuer is more then this thou must leaue to them whose office it is to teach the people of God as S. Paul (c) Rom. 11. admonisheth That our knowledge may be with sobriety CHAP. XLVI That the holy Scripture must not be declared by what sense one will but by that of the Church of Rome and where that declareth not we must follow the vniforme exposition of the Saints And of the great submission and subiection which we must performs to this holy Church THOV art to know that the exposition of holy Scripture must not be made according to the wittes or fancies of particuler men for so although it be most certainely true in it selfe as being the word of God yet for as much as concerneth vs it would be very vncertaine since commonly there are as many opinions as there be heades of men Now for as much as it doth greatly import vs to haue suprem certitude of the Word which we are to belieue and follow since we are to lay downe for the confession obedience thereof whatsoeuer we haue euen our very life our businesse were not well prouided for if notwithstanding the seueral opiniōs which men of themselues are subiect to the certainty of this Word might not be lodged in the hart of a Christian To (a) The only Catholike Church of Christ in the vndoubtedly true Intérpretour of Gods holy Scripture the only Catholike Church this priuiledge is giuen that it may vnderstand and interprete the Diuine Scripture because the same holy Ghost which deliuered the Scripture doth dwell in her And where the Church doth not determine we must haue recourse to the vniforme interpretation of the Saints if we will be free from errour For otherwise how shall that which was spoken by a diuine spirit be vnderstood by a spirit witt which is humane since euery scripture is to be read and declared by the same spirit that wrate it Thou art also to know that the declaratiō of what Scripture is the Word of God that so it may be belieued by all men doth not belong to any other but only to that same Christian Church which by diuine ordination hath the Bishop of Rome for her head And esteeme thou for certayne as S Hicrome (b) Let Protestāts note this tremble sayth That whosoeuer shall eat the lambe of God out of this Church house of God is a prophane person and no Christian And whosoeuer shal be found out of the same will infallibly perish as they who entred not into the Arcke of Noë were drowned in the floud This is that Church which the Ghospell commaundeth vs to hearken to and whosoeuer shall not hearken to her is to be held for a wicked person and for an vnbeleeuer And this is that Church of which S. Paul sayth that shee is the pillar and strength of truth And to belieue that this is so that very Fayth infused by God wherof we spake before doth incline and illuminate vs as to one of the other articles and with a like certainty to that which belōgeth to others and as hitherto it hath byn so belieued
it is cleerlynaught against the Scripture and the Church of God That light therefore of the Holy Ghost which is called Discretion of spirits is wholy necessary in this case by the inward and sweet light wherof the man who hath this gift doth rightly iudge which is the spirit of Truth and which of Errour And if the matter be of importance it must be related to the Prelate and his resolution is to be followed CHAP. LII Wherein some signes are giuen of good and bad or false Reuelations or Illusions BESIDES that which I haue sayd thou art to consider what fruit or edification these thinges do leaue in thy soule And (a) This ballance is to be held by a steedy hand yet I say not this as if by these or other signes thou art to become the iudge of that which passeth in thy selfe but to the end that when thou giuest him account of whome thou art to take counsell he may so much the more certainly know teach thee truth as thou shalt giue him more particuler information Consider therefore if these things help thee towardes the reliefe of any spirituall necessity which thou hast or for any thing concerning thy soule of notable edification For if a good man will not speake idle wordes much lesse will God do it who sayth I am the Lord who teach thee things which are profitable to be known and who gouerne thee in the way where thou art to goe But when thou seest that there is nothing of moment but intricate and vnnecessary thinges esteeme it as a fruit which the Diuel setteth before such a one as he seeketh to deceaue and to make him loose his tyme and the tyme of others to whome he relateth it and when the Diuell can get no more he contenteth himselfe with this gaine Amongst those thinges which thou art to consider whether they worke them in thy soule or no let the chiefe be this Whether it leaue thee more humble then thou wert before For humility as a Doctour sayth giueth such weight to the coyne of spirit as that it doth sufficiently distinguish the mettall which is massy from that which is light And S. Gregory sayth The (b) In what case then be all Heretikâ— most euident distinctiue signe of a man elect is his humility and of the reprobate his pride Consider then I say what trace is left in thy soule by this vision or consolation or spiritual gust and if thou perceaue thy selfe to remaine more humble and in more confusion through thyne owne faults and with greater reuerence and trembling vnder the infinite greatnesse of God and hast no light inclination to communicate that to other persons which hath happened to thee nor doest busy thy selfe much in considering or making account thereof but doest procure to forget it as a thing which may make thee esteeme thy selfe and if at any tyme when it commeth to thy memory thou humble thy selfe and dostâ—wonder at the great mercy of God in shewing so great fauour to so base creatures if thou findest thy hart as quiet and more settled then it was before in the knowledge of it selfe it hath some shew to be of God because (c) Note this reasoÌ„ it is agreable to the instruction and doctrine of Christ which is That a man should abase himselfe and become despicable in his owne eyes and that for the blessings which he receaueth from God he must know himselfe to be more obliged and confounded giuing the whole glory of it to God from whose hand all good thinges proceed And with this S. Gregory agreeth saying The soule which is full of diuine vnderstanding hath these for most euident fignes namely Humility and Truth both which if they perfectly ioyne in any soule it is a thing notorious that they giue testimony of the presence of the Holy Ghost But when it is an abuse of the Diuel it falleth out very contrary to this For (d) Humility or Pride are the distinctiue signes wherby to know the truth or falsh god of spirituall gustes c. either in the beginning or at the end of the reuelation of consolation the soule doth find it selfe vayne and desirous to speake of what it feeleth with some estimation of it selfe conceauing that God is to do great matters in it or by it and it hath no desire to thinke vpon the defects of it selfe or to be reproued by others but all that persons busines is to be talking and rowling vp and downe in his mind that which he hath felt and he would be gladd that others also should be talking of it When thou shalt see these signes or the like which shew a kind of leuity of hart it may be affirmed without any doubt that the euill spirit walketh that way And how good soeuer the thing appeare though it bring teares or comfort or knowledge of matters belonging to God yea although thou be hoysed vp to the third heauen yet if thy soule withall do not remaine with profound humility put thou no confidence in any such thing which may happen to thee nor do thou accept thereof For how much the more high it is so much is it the more dangerous and so much the greater fall will it giue thee Aske grace of God that thou mayst know humble thy selfe and that being the ground let him giue thee what is most pleasing to him but if that be wanting all the rest how precious soeuer it appeare is not gold but copper nor is it the meale or floure of nourishment but the ashes of pryde Pride hath this mischeife belonging to it that it despoyleth the soule of the true grace of God and if it leaue any thing that may seeme good it is but counterfaite so it is not acceptable to God but the occasion of greater ruine to him that hath it We read of our Redeemer that when he appeared to his disciples vpon the day of the Ascension he first reprehended their incredulity hardnesse of hart after that he commaunded them to go preach giuing theÌ„ power to worke many and great miracles Making vs vnderst and thereby that (e) God doth first abase such as afterward he meanes to rayse whom he rayseth to great matters he first abaseth in themselues giuing them knowledge of their own weakenesse to the end that although afterward they grow to fly aboue the heauens they may still be fastned to their owne basenes without attributing any other thing to themselues but their own vnworthinesse Let therefore the summe of all be this that thou do well obserue the effects which are caused in thee by such things as these not thereby to make thy selfe the iudge thereof but for his information whose counsell thou art to aske and follow CHAP. LIII Of the secret pride whereby many vse to be much deceiued in the way of Vertue and of the danger that such are in to be snared by the illusions of the Diuell
themselues esteeming that they are somewhat and resting so vpon their owne strength To this soule therfore the Spouse doth say If thou dost not know thy selfe get thee out and see the footsteps of thy heards of Cattell Which is as much as if he had sayd that he gaue herâ—â—uer to follow the trace and workes of sinners who commit iniquity by troopes like heardes of Cattel one helping on the other And (d) Companions in sinne companionâ— in torment so also at the last day shall they be tyed vp in bundles to be iointly burnt in the fire of hell who heere haue iointly giuen themselues to sinne And the spouse to such a soule doth say Thy heardes because sin is of vs and not of God and the good that we do is of God and not of vs since we do it by vertue of him Now this he is resolued that we should soundly know to be so not so much for that which it importeth him whose glory in himselfe is not increased although he be glorifyed by vs but for that which concerneth vs for whose good it makes and that greatly to know that the honour of all the good we haue or do must be ascribed to him and not to vs. And if of that which he placed in vs for his owne prayse we will erect an Idoll by attributing the glory of the incorruptible God to our selues who are corruptible men he will not suffer it to passe vnpunished but will say Continue thou with that which is thyne and perish since thou wouldest not remaine in me who had a mind to saue thee from perishing O with how (e) Read take heed and tremble high Truth are these words accomplished in proud men and how soone do they grow from being spirituall to be carnall from being recollected to be dissolute from being gold to be durt And they who were wont to feed vpon the bread of heauen with gust do afterwards take pleasure to eat the food of swine And it groweth to be afflictiue to theÌ„ not only to do the works of God but euen to heare men speak of him Whence doest thou thinke it did proceed that some persons who were chast in their youth although they were assaulted with stinging temptations when they came into old age haue miserably fallen into such deformed vilenes of this kind as that they were amazed and euen did abhorre themselues The cause was this In their youth they liued with holy feare and with humility and finding themselues so vpon the brimme of falling they called vpon God and were defended by him But (f) The fruit of pride when afterward vpon a long possession of the chastity which they had they grew to be high fed and to confide in themselues at that very instant were they forsaken by the hand of God and did that which was proper to themselues which was to fall And so is it accomplished That they feede their kiddes which are their light and dishonest appetites neere the Tentes of the sheepheardes which are the bodies of the creatures of God For in them they dwell as if it were in a Tente which is set vp in a field to be remooued vpon euery short warning and not as in a house or Citty of rest And so they are sayd with much reason to feede their senses vpon bodies and thinges belonging to the body because by their pride they lost the true sense which they had belieuing otherwise of themselues then they are which is indeed but to be sinners and good for nothing of themselues and robbing God of that glory which doth so duly and truly belong to him for all the good which we doe at all Awake therfore O daughter and be warned by the hurt of others and serue thy selfe of the threat least otherwise thou be put to feele the smart And be thou like the spouse to whome this speach was vsed who hearing so sad a word of Go thy wayes and see to fall from his mouth from whome all good thinges proceed she considered and she knew herselfe and she cast off certayne presumptions to which formerly she had beene subiect Being thus humbled by this reprehension the spouse doth comfort (g) Cant. 5. her by saying I haue resembled thee O thou my friend to my troopes of horse amongst Pharaos Chariots thy cheekes are fayre as of a Turtle By pride a man growes like the Diuell who as the Ghospell sayth did not remaine in the Truth which is God but did resolue to subsist in himselfe and vpon himselfe to leane and rest and so he fell For a creature cannot subsist in himselfe but in God And on the other side a man by the humble knowledge of himself growes like to those good Angells who did cast themselues vpon God and vntied themselues from themselues For they saw that they were but as a kind of broken reed so God vpheld them and confirmed them And they cryed out saying Michael which signifyeth Who like to God Wherein they contradicted the wretched Lucifer and his followers who would needes make Idolls of themselues ascribing that to themselues which did belong to God which is To be the beginning and the protection and the entiere repose of all creatures Not as if they conceaued that this could be they who knew themselues to be creatures but because they tooke pleasure in it as if so it had beene As proud men vse to do who although with the mouth or vnderstanding they crye out that they hold and hope for all their good from God yet by (h) Note and take heed their will they exalt themselues and they vainely reioyce in themselues as if of themselues they had that good Confessing with their vnderstanding that the glory is due to God but robbing him of it by the will But those good Angells cry out both with the will and vnderstanding Who like to God For with their harts they did humble and disesteeme themselues as they knew by their vnderstanding that they were to do And for this they were exalted to the participation of God without so much as a possibility of euer loosing it Now to these troupes of horse which is the Angelical army that destroyed Pharao and his chariots in the red sea Christ compareth his Spouse when she is content to know measure her selfe he praiseth her cheekes wherein she vseth to shew bashfullnesse For the spouse was ashamed of that reprehension as hauing demanded higher thinges then were conuenient for her meanenesse And her cheekes of bold grew bashfull and chast as of the turtle which is an honest and a modest bird And for this it was that the deuout S. Bernard (i) S. Bernâ—â— was therefore no Protestant sayd That he had found by experience that nothing was more profitable for the obtayning conseruing or reconering of grace then euer to liue in feare and holy care When (k) A Christian must euer liue with a holy kind of feare and
forth no other fruit then confusion sinne and death And if in any sort I haue had any good thing I receaued it of thee And whatsoeuer good I haue now the same I hold of thee If at any tyme I stood fast on foot I stood by thee but when I fell I fell of my selfe and for euer should I haue remained fallen into that durt if thou hadst not raysed me and for euer should I haue beene blind if I had not beene illuminated by thee When I was fallen I should neuer haue risen vnles thou hadst reached forth thy hand and after I was once raysed I should instantly haue returned to fall if thou hadst not held me And so thy grace and thy mercy O Lord did euer march before me deliuering me out of all mischiefe sauing me from sinnâ—s stirring me vp to auoyd such as were present preuenting me in such as were to come and remouing from before my ne eyes those snares of wickednes by diuerting the causes and occasions therof And if thou O Lord hadst not done so there is no sinne in the whole world which I might not haue committed For I know that there is no sinne which hath beene committed by any man in any kind which another man may not commit if that guide retyre himselfe by whome man was made But thou didst procure that I should not do it and thou didst command me that I should abstayne from it and thou didst infuse thy grace that I might belieue thee For thou O Lord didst conduct me towardes thy selfe and didst preserue me for thy selfe and didst giue me grace and light that I might not commit adultery and all other sinne CHAP. LXVII Wherin he prosecuteth the former exercise and of the much light which our Lord is wont to giue by meanes thereof whereby they know the greatnes of God and as it were the Nothing of their littlenes CONSIDER therefore O Virgin these wordes of S. Augustine with attention thou wilt see how farre off thou art to be from ascribing any glory to thy selfe not only of raysing thy selfe from sinne but in determining thy selfe from returning to fall For as I told thee if the hand of God should once retyre it selfe from thee thou wouldest instantly fal backe into that profound pit of being nothing so if God should forbeare to preserue thee thou wouldest returne to those and more grieuous sinnes then those from which he deliuered thee Be therefore humble and gratefull to this Lord of whome thou art at al moments in so great necessity know that thou art depending vpon him and that all thy good is to be deriued from his holy hand as Dauid sayth In thy hand O Lord are my lett es for lettes he calleth the grace of God and the eternall predestination which commeth by the (a) The first grace of God is giuen vpon no other ground then his own meer goodnes goodnes of God and they are graunted to such as to whome he graunteth them And as if he should resume the being which he gaue thee thou wouldst againe be nothing so he retiring his grace from thee thou wouldest returne to be a sinner I speake not this that thou shouldest fall into any deep discouragement or desperation in that thou seest how thou art hanging vpon the handes of God but to the end that with so much the more security thou mayst enioy the good thinges which God hath giuen thee (b) Let this be the hope of any man who by the goodnes of God doth liue lesse sinfully then he was wont mayst haue confidence that through his mercy he will finish that in thee which he hath begunne And that so much the more as thou with greater humility and profound reuerence and holy feare shalt cast thy selfe trembling and prostrate at his feete not relying any way vpon thy selfe but hauing a strong hope in him For this is a great good signe that his infinite goodnesse will not forsake thee according to that which that blessed and (c) The humility of our B. Lady was aboue all the humilities of al pure creatures humble aboue all humble creatures Mary did sing when she said (d) Luc. 1. His mercy is from generation to generation vpon them that feare him And if our Lord be pleased to giue thee this knowledge of thy selfe which thou desirest thou (e) The sweet and sublyme effects of holy humility wilt find coÌ„ming into thy hart a certaine heauenly light and a kind of feeling into thy soule whereby vpon the driuing away of all darckenesse it findeth and knoweth that there is no being nor good nor strength in any thing created but that which the blessed and deare will of God hath bin pleased to giue and conserue And then he knoweth how true that part of the other canticle is The heauens and the earth are full of thy glory For in all that is created he seeth nothing good the glory whereof is not due to God And he vnderstandeth how truly God directed (f) Exod. 3. Moyses that he should say of him to men He that Is hath sent me to you and that also which our Lord said in the (g) Marc. 10. Ghospell There is none good but God alone For as all the being and all the good which thinges haue whether they be of free will or of grace is giuen and preserued by the hand of God such a person will know that God is more to be said to be in them and to worke that which is good in them then they in themselues Not (h) How God worketh in man and how man worketh with vnder God but that they doe also worke but because they worke as second causes being moued by God who is the principall and vniuersall operatour and of whome they hold their power to worke And so looking vpon them he findeth there no hand-fast nor resting place but vpon that infinite Essence which vpholdeth them in comparison wherof they doe all how great soeuer they be appear but as a little needle which is cast into an infinite sea From (i) This is an inestimable iewell but pray hard for it and by the goodnes of God thou maist purchase it this knowledge of God there doth result to the soule which profits by it a profound and loyall reuerence to the superexcellent diuine maiesty which placeth in her such a detestation of atributing any good thing to her selfe or any other creature that she will not so much as once thinke thereof Considering that as the chast Ioseph who though he were sollicited by the wife of his Lord yet would not commit such a treason against him so must not a man rise vp and robbe God of his honour which he resolueth to keep for himselfe as the husband doth his wife according as it is written My glory I will not giue to another And then also growes a man to be so grounded in this truth that although all the world
of his Mother vpon the day of his espousall And therfore because according to the history it cannot agree to Salomon who was a sinner we must necessarily since the Scripture cannot speake vntruth vnderst and it of another true Salomon who was Christ and that with great reason For Salomon doth signify peaceable that name was imposed vpon him because he made no warrs in his time as his Father Dauid had done And therfore God was not pleased that Dauid who was a (f) Not of cruelty towards his subiects but of conquest ouer his enemyes man of bloud but his peaceable Sonne should build that famous Temple of Hierusalem wherein he would be adored Now if the name of peaceable were imposed vpon Salomon because he was peaceable according to the peace of the world which sometymes wicked Kinges maintaine vpon how much more reason is this name due (g) Christ our Lord is the true Salomon the true Prince Peace to Christ who made the spirituall peace betweene God and maâ— to his owne so great cost the paine of all our sinnes which caused the emnity betweene God and vs falling headlong vpon him He also made peace betweene those people which had been so contrary to one another namely the Iewes and Gentils taking away that wal of emnity which stood betweene them as S. Paul sayth That is to say the Ceremonies of the old Law and the Idolatry of the Gentills To the end that both the one the other hauing left their particularityes and thâ—se rites which they deriued from their ancestouâ—â— might submit themselues to the new Law vnder one Fayth one Baptisme and one Lord hoping â—o participate the same inheritance as being all the sonnes of one Father of heauen who begot theâ— a second tyme by water and the Holy Ghoâ—â— with more honour and aduantage then they were engendred before of flesh by their Fathers to misery and shame All these blessinges came by Christ Iesus who is the pacifyer of heauen aâ—d earth and of one people with another and of a man with himselfe whose warre as it is mâ—â—â— troublesome so the peace is more desired Thâ—â— peace could not be made by the other Salomon but he had the name of the true pacifier only in figure as the peace of Salomon which was temporall is a figure and shaddow of that which as spirituall and which hath no end If then thou do well remember O thou spouse of Christ which in reason thou must neuer forget the Mother of this true Salomon who was and is the blessed Virgin Mary thou shalt find her to haue crowned him with a fayre garland giuing him flesh without any sinne vpon the day of the Incarnation which was the day of the coniunction and espousall of the diuine word with his sacred humanity and of the word being made man with his Church which Church we are From that sacred wombe did Christ issue as a spouse who riseth from his bed of state and he beginneth (h) Psalm 18. to runne his Carriere like a strong Giant taking the worke of our redemption to hart which was the hardest thinge that he could enterprise And at the end of this Carriere he did vpon the day of our Good fryday espouse (i) Christ espoused the Church to himselfe vpon the Crosse his Church by wordes de prasenti For which he had taken paines as (k) Genes 19. Iacob did for Rachel And then was she drawne out of his side when he was reposing in the sleepe of death as (l) Gen. 2. Eue was out of Adams whylest he slept And for this worke so excellent and of so great loue which in that day was wrought Christ called that day his day when he saith in the (m) Ioan. 8. Ghospell Your Father Abraham reioyced to see my day he saw it he reioyced thereat Which was accomplished as S Chrysostome saith when the death of Christ was reuealed to Abraham by the resemblance of his sonne Isaac whome God commaunded him to (n) Genes 22. sacrifice in the mount Moria which is mount Sion Then did he see this painefull day and he reioyced at it But at what did he reioyce was it perhaps at the scourges at theâ— afflictions and at the torments of Christ No it is certayne that the affliction of Christ was so great as to be sufficient for the making of any hart though neuer so cheerefull to be euen oppressed with compassion And if you belieue not me let those three beloued Apostles tell you this truth to whome he said My (o) Watt. 10. Mare 14. soule is sad euen to the death What did their hartes feele in themselues at the sound of that word which vseth to wound their hart with the sharpe knife of sorrow who heare it spoken but a farre off And his scourges torments nayles and Crosse were so full of torment to him that whosoeuer should see them though he had a most inflexible hart could not choose but be moued by them Yea I know not but that those very wretches that tormented him seing his meekenesse in suffering and their owne cruelty in afflicting must needs sometymes haue compassion of one that suffered so much and euen for them though they knew not that Yf therefore they who abhorred Christ might be afflicted by the sight of his torments vnlesse their hartes were made of hardest stone how shall we say of a man who was so greately Gods friend as Abraham was that he reioyced to see the day whereon Christ was to endure so much CHAP. LXIX Wherein he proseâ—uteth that of the former Chapter pondereth this passage of the Canticles in contemplation of the passion of Christ. BVT that thou mayst not meruaile so much at this do thou hearken to another thing yet more strange and which is expressed by these wordes of the Canticles That this garland was put vpon his heade in the day of the ioy or triumph of his hart The day of his so excessiue griefe as that no tongue is able to vnfold it doest thou call the day of his ioy And that no ioy which was counterfaite and exteriour only but they call it the day of the ioy of his very hart O (a) Note and learne hereby to loue God thou ioy of the Angells and thou full riuer of their delight in whose face they desyre to looke by whose most puissant waters they are swallowed vp by finding themselues within thee and by swimming in that ouer abounding sweetnesse of thyne and what is that at which thy hart reioyceth in this day of thyne afflictions At what doest thou reioyce in the middest of those scourges those nayles that dishonour that death Is it true perhaps that they did not afflict thee Yes verily they did afflict thee and more thee then they could haue afflicted any other though it were but euen for the delicacy of thy complexioÌ„ But because our miseries do afflict thee yet more then thyne owne
Hier. 18. saith That if we depart from doing his will he will also repent himselfe of the good he promised Not that God can repent since he is not capable of any change but his meaning is That as one who repenteth himselfe doth vndoe the thing which he had done so will he discharge the sentence of punishment which he had giuen against a man if he do pennance and he will retract that promise which he made of doing him good if that man depart from him CHAP. LXXXIIII What a man is of his owne stock and of the great benefits that we enioy by Iesus Christ our Lord. RETVRNING then to our purpose it is plaine how well this law and practise is fulfilled by Almighty God He heareth and he seeth since he did so soone heare the prayer and see the teares of this (a) Ezechias King And did comfort him not only him but the same he doth to others as Dauid (b) Psal 33. saith The eyes of our Lord are vpon iust persons and his eares are bent towards their prayers to deliuer their soules from death and to susteyne them in tyme of hunger I well belieue that thou likest well this word and yet I belieue also that the cōdition vnder which it is said doth put thee into some feare A blessed thing it is that the eyes and eares of God are present to vs. But yet thou wilt say In what case am I for he speaketh that of such as are iust and for my part I am full of sinne Thou saiest true and see that thou do truly belieue it For if there were any men who had no sinnes who should they in all reason be rather then the holy Apostles of Iesus Christ our Lord who as they were nearer to him in conuersation of body so were they also in sanctity of mind and so as that none do equall them excepting only the blessed Mother of God who equalleth and exceedeth both them and the Angells And although S. Paul (c) Rom. 8. do say both in his owne person and in that of the Apostles also That they receiued the first fruites of the spirit which signifieth greater grace and giftes then were imparted to other men yet neuerthelesse our Lord commauded them to say that prayer of the Pater Noster whereof this is a part Forgiue vs our debtes or sinnes And since this prayer is for euery day it is plaine that we are told thereby that (d) Be not rash in mistaking but read on and thou wilt see that this is meant of venial sins as distraction in prayer idle words or thoughts and the like not of such others as depriue the soule of grace we haue faultes and that euery day we commit one or other And therefore (e) 1. Ioan. 1. S. Iohn said Yf we say that we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues and truth is not in vs. Now if all men haue synne excepting him alone who is God as well as man and her who is his true Mother for whome were those wordes spoken That the eyes of our Lord are vpon iust persons and his eares are inclined to their prayers I answeare that God is not humorous nor yet doth he pay men with wordes alone sines we see that as he said so he performed with King Ezechias and in numerable others also whom he heard and saw But (f) See heere the verity purity of Catholik doctrine concerning grace and sinne works do thou know that he is a iust person who is not in mortall sinne since such an one is in grace and is the friend of God and of this sort there are many although they haue veniall sinnes But now when there is speach of these last there is none who can truly lay that he is wholy free And to the end that thou mayst be thankefull for this grace and iustice to that Lord through whose merits they are giuen to such as are well disposed thou art to vnderstand that iust persons haue in them two kinds of good some of nature others of grace though Pelagius be in a chafe at this last who said That a man is iust through the good workes which he doth by the strength of his owne nature without needing that grace and strength which is infused by God This errour is condemned by the Catholike Church which commaundeth vs to belieue That of our nature we are sinners first by originall sinne and them by others also which with our will we commit afterward and that in those other workes which yet are after their manner good but yet still within the only latitude of morality and these are the best that we can worke by force of nature true iustice doth no way consist For this it is that S. Paul (g) Rom. 3. saith That no man is iust that is to say of himselfe for we are all sinners of our selues The being iust is giuen to vs it groweth not out of our soyle or stocke for to haue it (h) Christ our Lord is only iust originally of himselfe al other creatures yea euen the pure mother of God her self were to be iustifyed by his redēption She was secured from falling into the least sinne either originall or actual because his passion wrought in her holy soule by way of Preseruatiue we are freed after falling because it workes in vs by way of remedy so is the priuiledge of Christ our Lord alone who not by meanes of any other but of his only selfe is the true iust person and in whose workes and death is true iustice For if in the workes which we can do by our nature did consist true Iustice or that by them we could deserue it Christ Iesus (i) The protestāts will heere find that they haue no reason to slander vs in this point according to their custome had died in vayne as S. Paul saith since we might haue obteined that without his death which he purchased for vs therby The same Apostle (k) Galat. 3. saith That Christ is made iustice to vs and he saith it because the merit of our iustice doth consist in his workes and death which (l) Suspēd your rash iudgment a while if you be a Protestāt and read the 88. chapter which wil deliuer you from errour in this point merit he communicateth to vs by Faith and by loue which is the life thereo◠and by the Sacraments of the Church as we declared before And thus are we incorporated in Christ Iesus and the grace of the holy Ghost is giuen vs by the infusion whereof into our soules we are made the adopted Sonnes of God pleasing to him and so we also receaue vertues and giftes to the end that we may worke agreeably to the high state of the grace which was giuen to vs. By all which we are made truly iust in the sight of God by a iustice which is ours and which dwelleth in vs and (m) Note this which
may be a light not only to the Iewes who belieued vpon his preaching to them in person but to the Gentills also who liued in idolatry far off from God And then was it fulfilled which (f) Luc. 2. Simeon that holy Swanne did singe when he said out of his desire to dye Now Lord thou lettest thy seruant depart in peace according to thy worde for myne eyes haue seene thy saluation which thou hast prepared in the sight of all Nations A light to the Gentills and a glory to thy people of Israel If we consider that Christ was placed by the hand of Pilate to be seene first by that people in his owne house and afterward from the top of the Crosse in Mount Caluary it wil be euident to vs that although in respect there came to the Paschall men of all conditions and Tribes as well of naturalls as strangers there must needes be great store of people yet was not Christ therefore placed in the view and presence of all people as Simeon in his Canticle had sunge And therefore Christ was placed in the view and presence of them all when he was preached through the world by the Apostles and their successours Of whome Dauid (g) Psalm 18. said That their sound went out through the whole earth and that their wordes did reach to the very endes thereof For (h) Our Lord is the light both of Iewes and Gentills Of the Iewes he is more particulerly the honour because he tooke their flesh in the pure wombe of the perpetuall Virgin Christ being thus preached was light then and is so now to those Gentills who will belieue in him and so he is both light and honour to the Iewes who also will belieue in him as S. Paul expresseth speaking of them of whome Christ came according to the flesh who is God being blessed aboue all thinges for all eternity Let vs now consider how farre otherwise this was ordeined by God from that which Pilate did intend He conceaued that he but placed Christ in the presence of that people no more and he said Behold heere the man and he thought when they would not let him dismisse him but demaunded that he might be crucified that he should neuer more haue byn seene by any But (i) How different the thoughts of God are from the thoughts of men because the eternall Father saw it was not reason that such a spectacle as that was of his only begotten Sonne being the image of his owne beauty should be beheld by so few and those so wicked eyes or should be presented only to so hard hartes as theirs he ordained that another voyce more loud then that should be sounded forth throughout the world by the mouth of many and they most holy publishers thereof who should also say Behold the man The voyce of Pilate could not sound far off for it was but one and a wicked one inspired by feare through which he sentenced Christ to death He deserued not to be the proclaimer of this word Behold the man and therefore did God command it to be proclaimed by others And that so far from any feare of theirs that rather they did desire and rather they do resolue to dye then to faile of one (k) The courage of the Apostles of Apostolicall men tittle in preaching and confessing the truth and glory of Christ Iesus Pilate was a prophane and foule person for he was a sinnefull and an vnbelieuing man But of the other proclaymers of this word Behold he man I say prophetizeth (l) Isa 52. saying How beautifull vpon the mountaynes be their feet who preach the good newes of peace and of benediction and who say In Sion thy God shall raigne The God of Sion is Christ Iesus in whose person Dauid prophetizeth saying Psalm 2. I am made King by the handes of God ouer Sion that holy mountaine of his preaching his commandment And this King who preacheth the Fathers commandment which is the word of the Holy Ghospell began to raigne in Sion and he was receaued vpon Palme-Sunday for the King of Israel in the Temple which was placed vpon Mount Sion And to the end we may vnderstand that this Kingdome was to be ouer spirituall things it is said by Dauid that he was made King ouer Mount Sion which is the mountain where that Temple stood wherein the worship of God was performed And (m) How the spiritual kingdome of Christ our Lord grew to increase afterward when vpon the same Mount Sion our Lord sent the Holy Ghost vpon his disciples and he was preached publikely in the middest of Hierusalem and in the eares of the High Priests and Pharisees and when by the first sermon of S. Peter (n) Act. 2. vpon the point of three thousand men were conuerted then was this Kingdome of his increased And when more people were yet cōuerted the Apostles did preach and say to Sion Thy God shall raigne As if a man had sayd Though yet this Lord of ours be knowne but by a few yet shall his kingdome euer go increasing till such tyme as that at the end of the world he may raigne ouer all men rewarding the good with mercy and punishing the wicked with the iron rodde of his rigorous iustice This is the voyce of the preachers of Christ which saith Thy God shall raigne And (o) If a preacher will profit others he must begin with himselfe because Christ raigneth not in the hart of an vncleane person for as much as sinne raigneth therein it is not fit that he should preach the Kingdom of Christ to others who will not giue him leaue to raigne in his owne soule Therfore is it that Isay (p) Isa 5◠sayth The feet of such as preach peace vnto vs are beautifull By the feete which are to be beautifull are signifyed the desires of the soule And therfore Christ would not haue the feet of those preachers couered with shoes on (q) These are Sandalles which still are vsed by many holy Orders in the Catholique Church the vper part because God doth place the beauty of them in publike for the example of many But yet whosoeuer hath his feet cleane is to be very carefull not to thinke that himselfe made them so but he must giue thankes to him that washt the feet of his disciples with visible water vpon Holy Thursday and who washeth the soules of all them which euer come to be washed with his sacred bloud It was not therfore reason that so cleane a king as Christ was should be proclaimed by such a filthy mouth as that of Pilate or that there should be but such a proclaimer as could speake no louder and who was but one to publish a spectacle wherein so many and so great wonders were to be declared as were in Christ when he was brought forth to be seene by the people And though (r) The difference betweene a Pilate and a pious