him to Dinner chap. 9. Dinner being done Voluptuousness sheweth the Wandring Knight the rest of the Palace of worldly Felicity with the superscription of the Towers thereof and by the Author is declared the evil fruit of certain notorious sins chap. 10. The scituation or standing of the Palace of worldly Felicity chap. 11. The Author declareth how the Wandring Knight and such like voluptuous livers in the World transgress the Commandements of Almighty God chap. 12. The Knight going for to recreate himself and to view the Warrens and Forrests which were about the Palace of Worldly Felicity anon he saw it sink suddenly into the Earth and perceived himself in the mire up to the Saddle skirts chap. 13. The Author cryeth out bitterly against Worldlings and their Felicity chap. 14. The Second part of the Voyage of the Wandring Knight GOds Grace draweth the Knight out of the filth of sin wherein he stuck fast chap. 1 Gods grace sheweth Hell unto the Knight with all the Voluptuous company that he saw in the Palace of Worldly Felicity chap. 2. The Knight declareth how he entred into the School of Repentance and of his entertainment there chap. 3. How true Repentance begins in us and how the Knights Conscience accused him with the pains he had deserved chap. 4. By the Commandement of Gods Grace Remembrance read to him the goodness of God with the promises made to the repentant Sinner chap. 5. A Sermon which Vnderstanding the good Hermit made unto the Knight upon the History of Mary Magdalen chap. 6. The Knight having received the holy Communion heard the Sermon and Dinner ended mounted into a Chariot of Triumph and was by Gods Grace carryed to the Palace of Vertue chap. 7. The third part of the Voyage of the Wandring Knight THe Knight declareth the great good solace and pleasure which he found in the Palace of Lady Vertue chap. 1. The description of Vertue chap. 2. The description of Faith and how we ought to believe in God for our Salvation chap. 3. The description of Hope and how we ought to hope in Almighty God chap. 4. The description of Love and Charity and how we ought to love God and our Neighbour chap. 5. The effects and praises of Love and charity chap. 6. The description of the four moral Vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance chap. 7. How Faith from the top of the Tower sheweth unto the Knight the City of Heaven chap. 8. The desires that the Knight had to come to Heaven and how Gods Grace brought perseverance chap. 9. Good Vnderstanding sheweth the Knight how to keep perseverance alwayes with him chap. 10. The Protestation that good Vnderstanding taught the Knight to make every day to avoid temptation that he ought to humble himself before God and what he should ask in his prayers chap. 11. The Authors Peroration or Conclusion to the devout Readers or Hearers chap. 12. THE VOYAGE OF The Wandring Knight The First Part. CHAP. I. The Wandring Knight declareth his intent and foolish Enterprise supposing in this World to find true Felicity MAny Historiographers both Poets and Orators as well Prophane as Divine have by Writing notified divers persons with their Voyages and Adventures First Justin and Diodore of Sicilie have made mention of the Argonautes Voyage by Sea that is to say of Jason and his Allies Castor Pollux Hercules and other Peers to the I le of Cholcos to winne the Golden Fleece which a great Dragon kept Also Homer a Greek Poet writ in Verse the wandring and Sea Voyage of Ulysses and his Companions at their return from the Trojan Wars After him Virgil a most eloquent Latine Poet set down in Verse the Voyage of Aeneas into Italy with his fortunes after the subversion of Troy Now if we come to the sacred Histories we shall find first how Moses wrote of the Children of Israel their going out of Aegypt into the Land of Promise and of the two and forty Mansions that they made in the Desarts for the space of forty yeers And how the four Evangelists likewise most faithfully have written of the holy peregrination of the Blessed Son of God our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ who took upon him our fraile and humane nature The self same Saviour hath set down the Parable of the boluptuous Voyage of the prodigal Child and his returne S. Luke very notably and sincerely hath delivered in writing the painful and holy perigrination of that great bessed of Election Saint Paul together with the great travel he took to preach the Gospel and the Faith of Iesus Christ to all the Gentiles And now by Gods grace I mean to declare mine own Voyage and Adventures much like to that of the Prodigall Child who left his Fathers house and ranged into strange Countries wasting all his goods living licentiously but after he knew his lewdnesse he returned back to his Father of whom he was very lovingly received So I by great Folly counselled in absenting my self farre away not only in body but also in mind from God my Father and Creator have wasted and consumed all the goods which the same my God and Father had bountifully bestowed upon me in following bain pleasures of this life But in the End I being inspired with Divine grace acknowledged mine effences and leaking the dark Region of sin and vanity through the aid and conduction of Divine grace am returned to mine Eternall Father humbly requiring pardon and mercy who of his unspeakable mercy hath lovingly received me But how all this hath been done I will declare unto you praying you patiently to give me the hearing and attentively consider my talk and well to note the whole from the beginning to the End When I had passed in all Folly and Lastiviousnesse three weeks of the years of mine age that is to say My infancy Child age and Youth which make together one and twenty years I entred into the age of a young man which is the fourth week of my age which is between two and twenty and four and twenty years At five and twenty I was minded to make a Voyage by my foolish industry to seek where in this World I might stud true Felicity and Happinesse which seemed to my sortish sense an easse matter being Young Strong wild Hardy and Couragiously disposed Me thought in my mind to live in the world without Felicity was a Life worse than Death But alas being plunged in deep darkness of Agnorance I considered not that true Felicity was the Gift of God from above and cannot be attained without his help Being robbed of Reason I thought it might come easily of my self without the help of others so that then I sought true Felicity where she is not was not nor ever shall be as in Riches worldly Pleasure strength Honour and Delights of the flesh But I was in so thinking as very a Fool as he who hopeth with Angling Lines to catch Fishes in the Air or with Hounds to
good Hermit wherefore I was desirous to know his Name the which I asked Lady Memory who told me that it was good Understanding Then I received the holy Communion which being ended and Thanks given to God I meant to salute gratisie him But before we went to receive the holy Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ I remembred the great love of our Lord which humbly took upon him our fraile and weak nature for our sakes became accursed and suffered most bitter death upon the Cross to deliver us out of the bandage of Sin Hell and Eternal death and to bring us to everlasting life I remembred also that love which he shewed unto me in drawing me out of the sink of sin wherein I was plunged over head and ears so that I was not only drawn from my unspeakable sins but also made a Communicant of the mystery of his Divine Majesty by faith And to the end it might please him to give me grace to receive it aright I prayed unto him on this wise O Sweet Jesus and loving Redeemer I yield thee thanks for thy unspeakable love by which thou hast purged me from the filth of sin and pluckt me by thy grace out of the dark dungeon of death Behold I reconcile my self unto thee most heartily beseeching thee that thou wouldest vouchsafe amongst the great number of thy benefits of thy great liberality to give me grace to be a faithfull partaker of thy precious body and blood represented unto me under the visible form of Bread and Wine O immortal King I am not worthy I confess of so great a benefit yet I beseech thee as thou dost make the unworthy worthy and the sinners just so make me worthy to receive this holy blessed and Heavenly Sacrament to my Souls Health Feed my Soul O Lord with thy spiritual Body and let thy blood revive and quicken my Spirit O make me by thy grace daily encreasing in me a member of thy mysticall body that I may be included within the Covenant and blessing which thou madest with thy Saints and Apostles in thy last Supper communicating unto them the holy Sacrament of thy body and Blood and consequently that I may be of the number of them which according to the Vow and Promise made in Baptism do live in Faith and by thy grace are received into the company of Saints Amen This prayer being ended with all Reverence and Devotion I received the holy Sacrament and that being ended we went from the Chappel into a great Hall where I met the good Hermit Understanding whom when I had saluted and he me I thanked him for his good sermon Then as we were talking Gods Grace said unto me Sir Knight I give thee for thy Governour this good Hermit Understanding believe his Counsel and do what he commands Then I remembred my old Governess Folly whom I left in the bog amongst Serpents and Toads so I was very glad of my Governour and give thanks to Gods Grace who from the Table gave me drugs to eat and repeated unto me a place written in the 80 Psalme of David Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Then having swallowed that which she gave me I forgat the World and made no reckoning of any thing therein For all my desire was in haste to see the Palace of true Felicity I desired death to be with Christ in Heaven Dinner being done the Gates of Repentance were opened which were narrow contrariwise as it appeareth in the first Book that the entrance into the Palace of Voluptuousness was wide large and great but the end thereof was desperation and destruction as on the other side the entring into the Palace of Repentance is streight and narrow but the end thereof is eternal Life For Repentance as Saint Paul saith leadeth the Repentant to everlasting Salvation When the gates were open I mounted up into a Chariot of Ivory having golden wheels and two white Horses with wings drawing the same Gods Grace gat up first and with her hand helped me up then followed the good Hermit Understanding then Memory Conscience and Repentance but Gods Grace governed all who touching the Horses with her Rod they mounted up over the Mountains which are above the Earth So we passed through the Region of the Air where inhabiteth all the wicked spirits which watch to annoy such as would mount up to Heaven And though I was greatly agast hereat yet my trust was in Gods Grace under whose Wings I hid my self I trusted not in my Conscience although it was at peace nor to Repentance nor to Understanding but to Gods Grace only who safely throwded me under her Wings as the Hen doth her Chickens against the coming of the Kite Then she commanded the wicked Enemies to get them hence and they forthwith sled away crying aloud Now have we lost our Knight lo he is mounted up to the Palace of Vertue in despight of us all Now he is escaped under the Wings of Gods grace Being past this brunt I heartily thanked Gods grace of her goodness and on the sudden I saw upon the top of a Mountain a goodly Palace Now for that love ingendreth tamiliarity and familiarity breeds boldness I asked Gods grace what place it was and she told me it was the Palace of Vertue It was so high that it reached even to Heaven and about it were seven sair Towers of Alablaster In the first dwelt Faith in the second Hope in the third Charity in the fourth Wisdome in the fifth Justice in the sixth Fortitude and in the seventh Temperance In the first Tower Gods grace shewed me Faith which waited for our coming near unto whom I might perceive the Palace of true Felicity With that I desired Lady Memory to put me in mind in the morning of seeing that gallant City Whiles we talked thus our Chariot arrived at the Court where Lady Vertue with her Daughters Faith Hope Charity Wisdome Justice and Temperance dwelt At the first sight I knew it was the same Lady Vertue which afore-time had so well admonished me to whom I gave no ear Then reverently upon my knees lamenting I cryed her mercy for contemning her Counsell and following Voluptuousness Wherewith she made me arise and in token that she took in good part my recantation she sweetly kissed me and bade me Welcome So with great joy accompanied with Gods grace true Understanding quiet Conscience and unfained Repentance I entred into the Palace of Lady Vertue Thus much for the second part of the Wandring Knights Voyage THE VOYAGE OF The Wandring Knight The Third Part. CHAP. I. The Knight declareth the great good the solace and the pleasure which he found in the Palace of Lady Vertue IF I had a thousand tongues to tell the truth of all the good and pleasures which I found in the Palace of Vertue and if I live a thousand years to report this matter all were too little in every
Ear never heareth the Heart of Man never understandeth the great goodness and the joy that God brings into the body when he cometh by grace to dwell in it only he that hath had experience once knoweth it Worldlings do wonder to see the just man weep and lament to suffer tribulations and to be deprived of all worldly pleasure they esteem the goods of this world to be the true felicity much like unto a blind man taking upon him to judge of colours For they compare false felicity and worldly wealth with heavenly Riches and perfect Happiness whereas indeed they are but shadowess Nothing displeaseth the Elect more than Sin and that which leadeth to Sin nothing pleaseth the elect but God and that which leadeth to God As concerning the soul no man can deny if he hate Sin and love Vertue but that he had rather lose all that is in the world than lose Vertue and suffer all manner of torments than to commit Sin he had rather descend into Hell with Vertue than mount up to Heaven with Sin For where Vertue is there is quietness Contrariwise where sin is there can be no rest Let every one therefore labour to lose worldly happiness if he mean to atchieve vertue wherein consisteth so much goodness But many make no account to come thither and so care not for loving Vertue because indeed they know not Vertue Wherefore Vnderstanding describeth her and her seven Daughters namely Faith Hope Charity Wisdom Justice Fortitude and Temperance in manner following CAP. II. The Description of Vertue VErtue according to the Definition of Saint Austin in his second Book of Free-will the 18 Chapter Is a good quality of the Soul whereby a man liveth rightly and committeth none evill which thing indeed is the only work of God in Man By the Soul he understandeth in this place the Superiour part of the Mind or Soul wherein consisteth Reason Iugdment and Will The inferiour part we call Sense which is common to man and beast Now that is called in Latine Mens and is not a part of the Soul sensitive which is the inferiour part but it is that part of the Sool where reason and Vnderstanding do fit which is the superiour part By the Soul then we do mean the Freewill of Man which is nothing else as Philosophers say but the frank judgment of the mind and Will For when we say free will we utter and pronounce two words namely free-will It is termed free because that freely without constraint the will worketh his feats at liberty And it is called free-will because of the Iudgement of the Saul Therefore free-will is in the superiour part of the Soul for thereby we differ from bruit beasts who have a Sense as well as we but no judgment of free-will Now then we say that Vertue is a good quality of the Soul that is to say of free-will For Vertue qualifies free-will disposeth and prepareth it to do and will well neither of which can be done without the aid and Grace of God The second part of the Desinition is Whereby a man liveth rightly But no Man liveth rightly unless he live justly no man liveth rightly without Vertue Ergo no man liveth justly without Vertue Who so liveth rightly liveth well and who so liveth well if he continue in so doing atchieveth true felicity It followeth then that by Vertue we atchieve true felicity for Vertue prepares free-will which is corrupt and depraved and therefore unapt either for well-willing or well-doing but the Grace of God preserving it by Vertue it is made capable of perfect blessedness The Third part of the Definition is And committeth none evill wherein is comprehended the excellency of Vertue and great goodness by the which none can do ill Men may abuse all the goods all the Arts and Sciences in the World as indeed very often they are ill used as with Money Wine and Women but by Vertue they be never abused Who useth Vertue he doth the works of Vertue Who so useth the Deeds of Vertue he doth well and if by Vertue none doth ill thou oughtest rather to lose all that is in the world than to lose Vertue seeing she excels in goodness all things in the World The Fourth part of the Definition is Which thing indeed is the only work of God in Man Vertue then is a work of God in us as Witnesseth Saint Austin upon the Sentence which is spoken in the 118 Psalm I have done Judgment and Justice Iustice saith he is a great Vertue of the Soul coming from the Grace of God which none out he worketh in man I have done Justice And therefore when the Prophet speaking in the Person of the Church so saith he meaneth not that he hath done the Vertue of Iustice of himself which passeth Mans power to do but he referreth it unto God whose He affirmeth it to be By these words then of Sainâ— Austin it appeareth plainly that Iustice in Man is no Work oâ— Man but of God Wherefore Peter Lombard upon these word of Saint Austin concludeth and saith That Vertue is not thâ— cause of Free-will nor of any affection of the Soul coming froâ— Free-will but he saith by that Vertue Free-will being depraved evill and corrupt is helped and moved to goodness and so you seâ— that by Vertue which he saith is Gods grace inclining and preparing the Will to will well proceedeth the good affection of the Soul and afterwards do follow good works and an honest trade of Life To make it the more manifest he gives similitudes As the rain saith he moistneth the ground to make it yield fruit and yet the rain is not the ground nor the ground the fruit even so saith he into the ground of our Souls that is to say the free liberty of the Will the rain of Gods blessing is poured that is to say Gods grace is inspired which liquereth the will of man to make him fruitfull to will well according to the effect of Gods inspiration which is his Grace working in us to the end we should do well And therefore all the good works that we do or can do are to be attributed unto Gods grace by whom our will is prepared to will and do well This grace ingendreth good motions in the soul of Man and these good motions are a chief gift of Grace to Man as namely by faith to believe that Christ is the true Son of God by Love and Charity to love God and our Neighbour and so of all other Vertues which are the good Motions and Gifts of Gods grace working in us to the encrease of more Vertue yea to the pessession of eternal life It is apparent then that Vertue is the gift of Gods grace working in our will to make it will and do well and therefore say we that Faith Hope and Charity being Divine and godly Vertues are the works of God Some there be which say that Vertue is the well using of the naturall Powers
love the Goods of this World are well ordered and by Love the Goods of this World are contemned and by Love the secrets of God are revealed Saint John saith That God is Love or Charity whereby no doubt he meaneth the Father the Son and the holy Ghost the three persons in Trinity God the Father is Charity God the Son is Charity and God the holy Ghost is charity This Love or Charity requireth in the same such likely things namely love and charity by the which as by some spiritual affinity thou art joyned unto God which Love also boldly commeth unto God and familiarly speaketh unto him without any doubt or fear He that loveth not shall lose his Life but He that loveth alwayes lifteth his eyes to God whom be loveth whom he desireth on whom he museth in whom he is refreshed and by whom he is preserved such a debour and religious soul doth so sing so say read so dispose all his business and so circumspectly foreseeth all things as if God were ever present with Him as doubtless in spirit he is The man in whose soul the love of God is lodged so prayeth as if God were personally present with Him The Love of Charity awaketh the soul when she is asleep it puts him in mind of His Salvation it softneth and moysteneth the Heart Charity or Love setteth the cold Heart on fire Love maketh the froward soul gentle Love chaseth away sin Love keepeth the affections of the flesh and blood under Love amendeth Iewd Mens manners Love reneweth the Spirit Love bridleth the light motions of wanton youth all this worketh Love or Charity where she is present Contrariwise where Love or Charity is absent there the Soul doth Languish and waxeth cold even as a Caldron of water doth when the fire is taken from under it and raked abroad Charity is the only thing whereby the soul boldly approacheth unto End constantly cleaveth unto him and familiarly speaketh unto him The Soul that loveth God cannot but think and talk of God insomuch that it hateth all ungodly things Who so will know God must love God the more that one loves God the more be growes in the knowledge of God To read to write and to study of God yieldeth no true knowledge of God without Love In vian do we read in Vain do we talli in Vain do we preach in Vain do we pray to God if we do not love God the love of God ingendreth the love of thine own Soul and maketh it attentive alwayes to God God loves to be loved again and when he loveth he requireth nothing but love happy therefore is he that loveth God The Soul which loveth God rejecteth his own effections being earnestly given to Gods love The Soul that loveth hath no fear the soul that loveth not is ever in fear The Soul that loveth is carryed by promises and drawn by desires unto Heaven the soul that hath in it the presence of Gods love is tickled with joy and with ravishing leapeth up to Heaven having by coutemplation exceeding great joyfulness Love breeds familiarity with God familiarity breeds boldness with God boldness breeds the taste of God and Taste breedeth an hunger after God If I should declare all the excellency of Love or Charity the time would fail me and mine Ability in that behalfe would not suffice But let this stand for a conclusion that the Soul which is touched with the love of God cannot desire any thing contrary to God but ever after it hath received any taste of Sin it cryeth out and saith with the Prophet Psal 14. O Lord God like as the Hart desireth the Fountains of water even so long I after thee Well then Sir Knight lift up thy Soul and remember the great Love and Charity of God and his manisold benefits bestowed upon thee that by them thy Heart being enlightned thou maist encrease and go â—orâ— and day by day in doing good works to the glorifying of God 〈◊〉 delighteth in the same according as it is said Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorisie God in Heaven Thus much touching these three spiritual Vertues now come we to the four morall Vertues CAP. VII The description of the four moral Vertues Prudence Justice Fortitude and Temperance By these sour Marral Vertues Man liveth orderly in this martalise Saint Hierom saith that the Christian man by these 〈◊〉 liveth well in this mortality and by them after death cometh to everlasting Life Prudence knoweth the good we should do and evil we should leave Justice doth good Temperance leaveth the evill Fortitude is constant without losing courage in adversity or waring proud in prosperity Prudence teacheth man how to approach unto God Fortitude and Temperance how to govern himself Justice how to use his Neighbour These are the four things which Satan shooteth at to destroy the Soul By Prudence which is the rule of right Reason we govern our selves wisely we order our affairs discreetly doing nothing but Right and reason In Prudence consisteth Reason Knowledge Fore-sight Aptness to give good Counsell Plato saith That Prudence is the Governess of all Moral Vertues shewing how we should understand and use the rest For as Faith informeth us what we should hope after and what we ought to love even so Prudence teacheth us how we should use Justice Fortitude and Temperance Aristotle saith that it is impossible but a prudant Man should be good If he mean moral goodness it is most true for a wise Man doth nothing but that which is lawfull But yet without Love or Charity Prudence is a Vertue no more meritorious then Faith without Love and Charity But if the prudent man love God with all his heart it is unpossible but that he should do good and consequently be good Justice is a Vertue used in two sorts sometimes it is a general Vertue and comprehends in her self all Vertue as the man that Ilbeth well and justiy is therefore called good and Iustice otherwise is understood a particular Vertue called Justice distributive yeelding to every one that which unto him belongeth This Vertue Justice distributive is convenient for all men and principally for Emperours Kings and such as have the Administration and Governments of Common-wealths to the end that they may yeeld to every one their right defending the innocent and punishing the offender doing justice and right according to equity as well to little as great and to poor as rich Many have justice painted in their Houses and yet have wrongfull dealing lodged in their hearts Many a one hath Christ in their mouth but the Devil in their minde He that will be acceptable to GOD he must be just in word upright in deed undefiled in thought Fortitude is a vertue unto which belongs a magnisicent courage not fearing any thing but unlawful actions He that hath this vertue keeps himself constant in adversity and waxeth not proud in prosoerity Fortitude gives a man
Magnanimity Constancy Hope Assurance Patience and Perseverance With this Vertue the Martyrs of all Degrees and Ages were endued grounded upon a firm Faith contemning the world and setting light by the torments of Lyrants imbracing death rather then to deny Christ Gods Prophets were armed with Fortitude who without siattery reprehended the Kings of Israel and Juda of their fals worship of God and feared not their furies The Apostles of Iesus Christ were armed with Fortitude who feared not to controll the wisdom of the wise and vanquish such as were in high places that they might with contented mindes carry the yoak of Christ This they did not with mans power or warlike weapons but with dibine Doctrine not defiring to kill any one but to die themselves It is a great worlds wonder that so few simple souls unarmed unlearned and having no humane policy should vanquish the wisdom of the World confound earthly policy and strength and subdue Kings and bring them in obedience to the Faith of Christ revoking the People from false Religion and Adoration of Debils With this Vertue of fortitude Kings ought to be Armed not fearing any danger for the Defence of the Faith of Iesus Christ but being of one mind with the holy Martyrs of God With this vertue ought Preachers to be armed worthily defending the word of God against all Hereticks and Enemies of the same not fearing the threatnings of Persecutors whatsoever But you must understand that fortitude is not a dealer in the committing of unlawfull deeds as to beat hurt or kill thy brother unless it be justly done in thy own defence or for thy Countries cause otherwise it is a mere Malice Moreover such as desperately dispatch themselves as Wretches weary of Life they do it not by Fortitude but by the Lemptation of the Devill who is permitted of Gods sufferance to tempt some even to the making away of themselves Such People are not Valiant for it is not fortitude unless it be in lawfull deeds as in the defence of thine own Person the Magistrate thy Country or the Faith of Christ for the which to suffer death is excellent fortitude Temperance saith S. Austen is an affection to resrain the appetite when a Man is excessively inclined Temperance hath rule over pleasures and delights resusing to meddle in any thing which cannot be done without offending God and not falling into any excess whatsoever wherein a man may pass the rule of reason To live in Temperance is to dispose every thing according to the right use whereto it was appointed These four Vertues have four Vices clean contrary unto them by the which Vices the Vertues are corrupted and destroyed Prudence by Folly Justice by Covetousness Fortitude by Pride and Temperance by Inconstancy is defaced These Vices are signified by the sour plagues which consumed the Goods of Job namely The Sabees the Chaldees the force of Fire and the Violence of a vehement Wind. The Sabees of Folly made havock of Prudence Oxen. The Chaldees of Pride led away the Camels of Fortitude The fire of Lechery made waste of Temperance Sheep And the boysterous winde of Covetousness overthrew the Houses of Justice The four Vertues likewise are devoured of their adversary Vices according as Joel complaineth against the Wicked Jewes under sour notable things decyphering the four Vices Opposite and against the sour Vertues before-named These sour things are the Caterpillar the Grashopper the Locust and the Blasting all which four things being vent to wastfullness leave nothing unspoyled By the Caterpillar is meant foolish bragging which destroyed the Vertue of Prudence By the Grashopper is meant Pride which destroyeth the Vertue of Fortitude By the Locust is meant Covetousness which destroyeth the Vertue of Justice And by Blasting is meant Lechery which destroyeth the Vertue of Temperance For foolish bragging destroyeth the Vertue of Wisdem Pride corrupteth the State Avarice devours Justice Lechery spoyleth Temperance Now therefore Sir Knight I wish thee to refrain from these insatiable Vices lest thou lose the enjoying of these four notable Morall Vertues thou knowest what company thou hadst in the Palace of Vertue there thou sawest Gods Graces Faith Hope Charity Prudence Justice Fortitude Temperance and that goodness which none know but they who have had experience CAP. VIII How Faith from the top of the Tower sheweth unto the Knight the City of Heaven AFter Good Understanding had delivered these good words I was ravished in my mind I felt not my self I lost my taste I neither regarded meat nor drink and most of all I marvelled that Night approached not because many hours were consumed Being in that amaze Vertue told me that darkness had nothing to do where she dwelt Then Memory put me in mind what Gods Grace told me by the way saying that by the works of Faith which are the fruits of the same I might perceive and see the City of Heaven wherein is comprehended true Felicity Then Faith led me to her Tower and all the other Vertues kept us company For Faith properly is not without Hope nor Hope without Charity and therefore they must go all together And though these Vertues have several properties yet they joyn hands and are never asunder S. Hierom saith that Abraham was furnished with Faith Job with Fortitude and patience David with Humility and so conseouently Then Faith from her Tower shewed me a high Hill whereon was Luilt a marvellous sumptuous City and she told me it was the City of Heaven wherein is comprehended true Blessedness and perfect Felicity In that City I saw never a Temple which made me marvel untill that Faith told me that the Lord God Almighty was the Temple of that City There needs no shining of the Sun no brightness of the Moon no glittering of the Stars to give them light for Almighty God is their true Light himself None enters into this City but such as are written in the book of Life Furthermore Faith told me that there was no Adversity no sin no iniquity no fear no sorrow no shame no darkness no pain no unquietness no ill no grudging finally nothing that savoureth of mortality but there was Prosperity Perfection Vnity Love Gladness Quietness Charity sure Rest perpetual Felicity and everlasting joy in God with eternal Happinesse There was mirth without Sadness Rest without Pain Abundance without Want Life without Corruption In this City God is seen Face to Face there is the endless light shining the Saints alwayes singing blessed Souls rejoycing and ever beholding God yet still coveting to see him without dulness of destre The Citizens of this City of Heaven are Co-heirs of the eternal Deity the Father Son and holy Ghost They are made immortal according to the promise of our Lord and Saviour Christ saying Father those that thou hast given me I will that they be with me where I am that they may see my brightness What can I say more In this City is our King without death and
THE VOYAGE of the Wandring KNIGHT SHEWING The whole Course of Man's Life how apt he is to follow Vanity and how hard it is for him to attain to VERTUE Devised by John Cartheny a French man and Translated out of French into English by W. G. of Southampton Merchant A Work worthy the Reading AND Dedicated to the Right Worshipfull Sir Francis Drake Knight LONDON Printed by John Cadwell for Andrew Crooke at the Signe of the Green-Dragon in S. Paul's Church-yard 1661. To the Right Worshipful Sir Francis Drake Knight happy success in all his Attempts and due Reward for the same THE common course of mans life most ventrous and no less Worshipful Knight and their daily dealings doe manifestly declare how variable they be how wandring how wavering how uncertain and unconstant if Fortune or rather God to speak Christian-like by blessing them as abundantly so extraordinarily and raising them tanquam è pulvere luto advance them to promotion And no marvel though this be incident to the manners of men seeing that Nature her self in this point offendeth For what is he unless he be mortified that is not naturally of an aspiring minde Imitating herein the property of the Ivie which never ceaseth climbing by degrees Donec ipsam summitatem attigerit till it be come to the very top This fault being general and hateful in the judgement specially of the wise might seem so much the more tollerable if that men placed in preheminence and sitting like Hills over-looking the Valleys below with their high calling and stately authority had agreeable hearts But some notwithstanding their state be singular and indeed such as that they may sit down take their ease and say Hic terminus esto do carry so base a mind as that if I should compare them to Aesops Cock preferring a Barley Corn before a precious Pearl I should not do amiss There is none but by diligent observation may see this to be undoubted truth In the taxing of which English and Out-landish fault for it is as common as the World is wide I should shew my self no cunning Archer to over-shoot the mark of your deserved commendation For although you have had Fortune holding the Bason whilst you washed your hands and cast the best chance of the Dice yet for all that such is your contentment you hoyst not up the lofty sail of self-love to swell with the wind of vain-glory as vanting of any exploit which you have atchieved Per tot Cyclopia saxa per mundi scopulos Scyllam vastamque Charibdim But as you went out so are you come home familiar with your friends courteous to your acquaintance remembring all forgetting none still of one mind will and affection the prosperous event of your dangerous Voyage notwithstanding Some one having passed a Sea of six dayes sayling or lesse if less might be supposed is so far in love with himself and so indiscreetly doteth over his own doings at his return that he maketh his Travel ordinary Table-talk aggravating the matter so monstrously as if he had endured the very Labours of old Hercules Another Et terris jactatus alto having seen the mighty Works of the Lord and his Wonders in the Deep and as it were measured with a pair of Compasses be it spoken without offence the globe of the World post multa discrimina rerum arriving to his native Soil marvellously blessed from above yet discovereth not the multitude of dangers or rather death wherewith he hath encountred Which of these judge you deserveth the Trumpets plausible sound I cannot therefore sufficiently wonder at the equality of your Worships mind which notwithstanding so many tempests of perturbations and sharp surges of inward motions continueth calm And it doth me not a little good first to see you so fortunate secondly though that were enough to make you insolent and disdainful the credit which you have gotten deserving no doubt even with the very best that yet you contemn not the company the acquaintance the familiarity and conference even of such as by many degrees are your inferiours This among other considerations of your courteous disposition and friendly nature being a mirrour in a Gentleman in this our proud arrogant Age like a right Load-stone drew me an Iron lump having in my hands a notable Work entituled The Voyage of the Wandring Knight to over-run the same according to my superficial skill and slender knowledge to polish and burnish it to restore and make it perfect in some such limbs whereon it seemed to halt that it might with so much the more grace Proripere in publicum in hominum manus involare for their large delight and indeed to procure the printing and publishing thereof that well-disposed people might thereby reap some benefit Which Work so perfected and brought into a reasonable good form as my little learning and less leisure gave me leave I am bold upon request of the Translator being absent to make Dedicatory unto your Worship and have added this Epistle of mine own as a testimony of the unfained affection and hearty good will which I bear you without presumption be it spoken not doubting how it shall be received seeing the former presentation thereof was so well liked Beseeching God to bless you and the good Lady your Wife and all yours one with another to prosper your proceedings to further all your affairs and that as hitherto you have had Vertue your â—ore-runner and Fortune your follower so you may have them still even to your lives end Vt magis atque magis tua gloria crescat and that after you have sayled even to the very Straits of Death which no mortal man can avoid you may arrive in the Port of peace I mean Abrahams Bosom even the Kingdom of Heaven the appointed Haven for all the true Christian Navigatours Your Worships most humble to command N. R. The Contents of the first part of the Voyage of the Wandring Knight THe Wandring Knight declareth his intent and foolish Enterprise wishing and supposing in this World to find true Felicity Chap. 1. The Wandring Knight declareth unto Dame Folly his Governess what is his intent chap. 2. Folly and Evil will provide the Knight Apparel Armour and Horse chap. 3. Folly apparelleth and armeth the Wandring Knight chap. 4. Folly upon the way sheweth the Knight many of her antient proceedings and how many great and notable Personages she had governed chap. 5. The Wandring Knight finding two wayes and doubtful whether of them to take there chanced to come to him Vertue and Voluptuousness either of them offering to conduct and guide the Wandring Knight on the way chap. 6. The Wandring Knight by the counsel of Folly left Lady Vertue and followed Voluptuousness which led him to the Palace of worldly Felicity chap. 7. How the Wandring Knight was received and welcomed to the Palace of wordly Felicity chap. 8. Voluptuousness sheweth the Wandring Knight some part of the Palace and after brought
thee before night if thou wilt follow me There be some Enemies of mine that nick-name me and spightfully mis-call me by false and counterfeit terms saying that I am named Malice Vanity Vice and Voluptuousness But give thou no ear unto them for they speak upon envy hatred and evill-will Then approached the other Lady which after salutation done uttered these words unto me Reason required that I should have spoken first but this painted Peacock named Wicked Voluptuousness puts forth her self for to speak before me alwayes and to take the Tale out of my mouth Take heed of her for doubtless her Communication corrupteth and infecteth even the very best livers with the poyson of her errour Now I see thou art of good Inclination and ready to weigh thy pathes in the vallance willing to walk as well the good way as the bad And seeing thy minde wavoureth apply thy self unto Vertue continually shorten the sorrow of thy Soul water thee well with wisdome adventure not thy present precious age to be boldned in Ambition and Vain-glory Detest the danger of unsatiable Covetausness let not thy liking be laid upon licentious love avoid and shake off Idleness by using thy self to honest exercises flie Worldly Felicity arm thy self against the dart of Cupid lest at length he overcame thee open thine ears of understanding and follow my Counsell I am not the vile villanous vain mischievous subtill deceitfull and lying Lady Voluptuousness but I am the assured and sefe way that leadeth to perfect Felicity And though I am narrow and painfull to pass yet if thou wilt follow me I will make thee merry and guide thee in the very way which God hath ordained to lead unto true Blessedness For my Son thou must understand this that Almighty God doth not bestow on Men perfect joy and Soveraign goodness unless they labour to archieve it If therefore thou think alwayes to pass thy time in pleasure and followest thine affection doing all whatsoever seemeth delectable to thy foolish fantaste and supposest that way to find Felicity thou art farr wide and greatly abused for He that will have honey must make much of Bees If thou desire Felicity so lead thy Life that God of his goodness may bouchsafe to give it thee Cleanse thy heart and empty it of evill thoughts be firm in Faith establish thy Soul with soundness and sincerity be not deceived with damnable Doctrine nor led astray by wrong Opinions This that I tell thee cannot be done without labour neither can any profitable or good thing be obtained without pains-taking Thou seest how Shepheards Sea-men and all Artificers if they grow in wealth it is by labour and travell Were the Husbandman any better than a Fool if he should hope in Harvest to reap Corn eff his Ground where he hath sown no Seed when Season served Even so is that man marvellously mis-informed that thinking to atchieve perfect Felicity or to reap true Blessednesse having not first sowed his Field with Vertue good Deeds Faith Hope and Charity which is the high-way to Heaven The Husbandman dungeth his Ground soweth his Seed grafteth his Trees tarreth his Sheep and leadeth his life in Labour hoping to enjoy the Fruit the Graffe the Grain the Wool and generally all the Profit the expectation and full account whereof maketh him to take pains with pleasure Even so if thou wilt be concent painfully to walk this way without regard either of Rocks or Mountains doubt not to finde true Felicity Having heard this long and wise admonition and marking the Lady well I could not be in quiet till I knew her name Wherefore I said Madam without offence be it spoken I pray you what is your name she answered saying My Son I am great with God I am acquainted with the Saints I am all in all with Angels I am much esteemed of good men without me nothing is done in Heaven and without me no good thing can be done on Earth I am commonly called Felicity Wisdom and Vertue I govern good Kings Princes and People good Prelates and Eccleffastical Persons I stop the mouth of false Prophets and erroneous Teachers I hinder their Herestes and flay their wicked proceedings I govern Housholders and their Families in good order I am a Companion with the lovers of Learning I am a Husband to all chaste Wives Widows and vertuous Virgins I reward my Friends in prosperity with holinesse and in adversity with kinde consolation I minister unto them Food Raiment Lodging Strength Patience and all things necessary and whether it he little or much they take it in good part Contrariwise the friends of Voluptuousnesse are never satisfied although they have too much My Friends had rather sing Psalms than vain Songs they had rather fast than be drunk they had rather pray than curse they rise early and go to bed late they have care of the Common-wealth Faith counselleth them Hope assisteth them Charity inflameth them Wisdom governeth them Justice guideth them and I do and will enrich and encourage them that all the World shall have them in admiration honour and reverence Yea though their bodies die yet their Fame shall live for others Example and their souls shall remain immortal like unto the estate of Angels Contrariwise he that leadeth his lise in Voluptuousness Ambition Filthiness Uncleanness or Evil Conversation if he be not sorry for his sinfulnesse and repent him of his time lewdly spent that mand death is damnable and his shameful report shall never die no more than that of Sardanapalus Nero Heliogabalus Herod Pilat Annas Caiaphas and such like therefore my Son leave Voluptuousness if thou meanest to finde true Felicity and perfect Blessednesse CHAP. VII The Wandring Knight by the counsell of Folly left Lady Vertue and followed Voluptuousnesse which led him to the Palace of worldly Felicity WHen I had heard both these Ladies tell their Tales I was more amazed than ever I was before insomuch that I wist not which to take for my Guide But alas poor perplexed Pilgrim if I had had but the wit of a Woodcock and not wavered in minde I had followed Vertue and left Voluptuousnesse But being amidst mine amaze I requested my Governesse Folly to teach me quickly which of these two Ladies I were best to follow for the finding of true Felicity No sooner had I spoken the word but suddenly she cast out this Language saying that Vertue was an Hypocrite and that her way was painfull to passe But said she if you follow Voluptuousnesse thou seest her way is fair sweet green and pleasant If thou follow Vertue thou submittest thy self to cold heat hunger thirst travell pain and wearinesse thou must rise early and go to bed late stand in fear weep take care live in forrow and yet be in doubt to have Felicity at last If thou offend her never so little in word or Deed she will leave thee for she is too severe even in small trifling matters Whatsoever she said
to thee now she will deny when she hath thee among the Rocks and Mountains she will leave thee alone among wilde beasts to lead thy life in the Wildernesse Wherefore I advise thee beleeve her not and follow her not But let us take this fair large way on the left hand through which the greatest part of people do passe and at night we will lodge in the Palace of Felicity And this I tell thee that if thou chance to mislike of thy entertainment there within a day or two thou mayest returne for the way is but short and then if thou think it good thou mayst clime over the Mountains and ride through the way on the right hand These delicate devices of my friend Folly dashed quite the advertisements of Vertue whom with thanksgiving I bade farewell desiring her not to be offended in that I did not follow her over the Mountains Then Lady Voluptuousness led the way my horse Temerity trod his Trace and Folly followed fast at my Heels Vertue viewed us very well and came sadly behinde me even like one that mourneth after a dead Toarse borne to be buried crying with a loud voyce Ah thou arrant Asse leave Voluptuousness for she will lead thee to death and destruction The counsel of thy friend Folly is devillish she daily deceives such as follow her Felicity is false The language of Voluptuousness is a meere charme wherewith she useth to bewitch her children Notwithstanding this exclamation and rebuke I went on my way and could not away with her Christian counsel which when she saw she gave me a furious farewell saying O monstrous man O bedlam beast O fool infortunate O idiotly Idoll O shadow of man thou hast no more sense or reason than an Asse thou shewest thy self to be shamelesse in thus framing thy self to follow Voluptuousness and to forsake Vertue Wilt thou embrace worldly wealth rather than heavenly grace Didst thou destre the Tree before the Fruit I see thou art foully abused He that leaveth Vertue and followeth Voluptuousness is subject to Sathan Remember O thou wretch what Solomon saith For that I have cryed and thou hast refused to come after me I stayed till the Morrow but thou understoodest not but doubtdedst my counsell wouldest not receive my correction therefore I laugh at thy destruction but when thine evill hap and trouble cometh then thou seckest me in the morning when thou shalt not finde me because thou hast hated knowledge and hast not received the fear of God nor obeyed my counsell but despisest my correction Which words uttered unto me by the mouth of Wisdome might have sufficed to withdraw me from my foolish enterprise But she preached to a post and Folly whom I followed did mock and deride her all the while CHAP. VIII How the Wandering Knight was received and Welcomed to the Pallace of Worldly Felicity AFter we had passed certain degrees on our way with unwonted joy Voluptuousness laid her hands on my head and gave me her best blessing I letting her alone as one to whom I ought duty Then uttered she unto me certain sweet words which enchanted me for presently I lost my senses esteeming all well that she said or did After we had spent in sport some hours of the time the Sun began to set and so I espyed the Pallace of worldly Felicity whereat I was not a little glad for it seemed to me very pleasant and me thought I smelt dainties Whereas indeed all was very witchcraft When we were within a Cross-Bow shoot of the Pallace Voluptuousnesse hoopt and hollowed whereat came out a Legion of Ladies Pompously Apparelled among whom were these next named Lust Prodigality Leachery Wantonness Carelesness Bravery Lasciviousness Ambition Drunkenness Licourishness and such like Being dismounted from off my Horse Folly took off my Helmet and my Face being bare all the Ladies â—iâ— me and bade me welcome which entertainment agreed well with my Foolish Fancy Then Prodigality and Ambition led me by the hands Lasciviousness and other Ladies led the way before Bravery and the rest followed after Thus we entred into the Palace of worldly Pleasures the gate whereof was great and high built with Marble-stone and alwayes stood wide open day and night Winter and Summer whereat I marvelled much Then Voluptuousness told me the reason with these words I alwayes keep open House for as many as will and at what hour soever any do come to me by night or by day they are welcome and I do receive them royally Then Voluptuousness led me into a great and sumptuous Hall hanged with Cloath of Arras and full of Torches burning round about There Lust unarmed me and Bravery gave me a night Cown of Crimson Velver lined with Martine skins Within a little while after the Table was covered in came the fine cates and to supper we go This done Lady Voluptuousness set me in the highest place and there sate on either side of me Licourishness and Drunkenness then the rest of the Ladies sate down in their degrees but Voluptuousness sate right against me who curiously carved me of the delicatest meat Our Waiters were young Gentlemen bravely Apparelled our Service was sumptuous our Meats well seasoned and handsomly handled our Cooks were cleanly our Butlers bountiful our Servitours were singular our Musick was excellent our Singers were sweet and every Officer exceeded in delicatenesse There was dainty feeding pleasant parleying continuall quassing insomuch that halfe drunk and whole drunk was a goodly game ribauldry was our recreation and as for knavery it was canvast to the proofe When supper was ended Lady Wantonness came to me and asked me if I would Dance And Lady Lust likewise asking me whether I would lye alone or have a Bedfellow I made answer that I was weary by reason of my journey and so desired to go to bed Then Lasciviousness brought me to my chamber where she lodged me in sweet Sheets a soft Bed Curtains of Tissue and all things costly and excellent In conclusion Lady Voluptuousness took her leave promising in the morning to shew me the rest of the Pallace of Worldly Felicity whereof I dreamed all night my head was so full of toyes CHAP. IX Voluptuousness sheweth the Wanding Knight some part of the Pallace and after brought him to dinner IN the Morning when the Sun beams brightly adorned she Chamber where I lay I perceived the gallant glass Windowes of costly Crystall Lasciviousness came unto me and bad me good morrow asking me if I would rise Whereto I answered yea and did so with speed now whiles I was trimming my self in came Licourishness and her Sister Drunkenness who had prepared my breakfast anon after came in Lady Voluptuousness accompanied with Lust Leachery and all the rest she was apparelled more like a Goddesse than a Queen All these kissed me sweetly and sate down with me to breakfast which being ended Ambition put upon my head the Cap of Curiosity wherewith presently I became so curious
point to decipher it for it consisteth not in Angelical knowledge much less in mans wit wholly to comprehend so noble a mystery none knows it but he who hath proved it you may be sure that there are not as in the Palace of Worldly pleasure chambers hanged with Silk Tapestry and every corner sumptuously and superfluously adorned No no but there were Histories of the Old and New Testament to view and mark I found not their Coffers full of Gold and Silver Cup-boards of Plate Presses of Silks all manner of Mercery-ware neither dainty Dishes delicate Drinks bawdy Songs wanton Musick the Lady of Love her Son Cupid nor any thing that Worldlings imbrace but I found a thing far supassing all that is in the World This good this joyfull this comfortable this unspeakable this incomprehensible-thing cannot be named worthily enough but of good and bad he is called God even he who is the only Soveraign good above all things reasonable and unreasonable Peradventure you will say this is stoange news that you Sir Knight should see God in the Palace of Vertue How is it strange seeing he is every where not only in Heaven but also in Earth and in Hell Truly I confess that God is every where but I deny him to dwell every where and yet I know that by his power and invincible presence he is every where though not every where by the fulness of his greatness and his gifts it followes then that he dwelleth every where I pray you what profiteth it the damned that he is in hell by his power Iustice and Vengeance Truly by such presence of God they have no joy no consolation no benefit or selicity for that all are cursed in whom God dwelleth not by his grace whatsoever they be be they Kings Princes or Popes who have all other riches and delights in the World But all they that have the grace of God are happy or at least wise in hope though they live even in a loathsome prison and are poorer than Lazarus which desired to be refreshed with the crums that fell from the evil rich Mans Table Now when we pray to God we say Our Father which art in Heaven for that is the place where God gives the enjoying and possession of himself to his elect and that is their dwelling prepared by the grace of God That is that God speaks of by the Prophet Esay saying Heaven is my seat and the Earth is my foot-stoole For asmuch saith God as I dwell in mine Elect by Grace I will tumble at my feet those that love Voluptuousness rather then their Maker In the book of Wisdom it is written That the seat of wisdom is in the soul of the just God is wisdom and the just soul his seat God is in every place where he dwelleth but he dwelleth not in every place where he is This is most true though marvellous for the evil are alwayes where God is but yet God dwelleth not in them Wheresoever the wicked are they cannot hide themselves from God and yet they are not dwellers with God nor God a dweller with them They are where God is as the blind man in the Light of the Sun the Light is not in him because he hath not the use of it But the good are alwayes with God and God dwelleth in them as in his Temple Saint Paul saith That the temple of God is holy And therefore is ye live well as he commands you you are his Temple And God himself saith I will be in them I will walk amongst them I will be their God and they shall be my people Now therefore you see that although God be every where in his power yet he dwelleth no where but where he is by grace It is plain that where Vertue is there God inhabiteth by grace which is the only consolation of all reasonable Creatures Is it possible that any Man can find in Heaven or in Earth such Soveraign good as is in God who is the most excellentest and chiefest good and the true joy of all reasonable Creatures Now can that body fail in any goodness which hath God by his Grace resting in his Heart who is the only Authour of all goodness and the giver of all true Ioy and persect Felicity But some will say that they see good People in the World oftentimes suffer misery deprived of their goods and put by the pleasures of this world which appeareth in the sadness of their countenance for they seem to be conceived with sorrow and as it were to labour and travel in heaviness as a Woman in Child birth I confess it to be so but yet if you say that they are not surnished with all good and true joy and Felicity you err greatly For the Soveraign good which is God dwels in the just soul for evermore although foolish Worldings say in their Hearts and thoughts Can it be that those miserable men which are afflicted with poverty or imprisonment have more possession of true Felicity than we that wallow in Wealth and are without want of any Worldly pleasures But they consider not that true Ioy consisteth in the Soul But be you sure that as the Soul is the most precious part of the body so ought the goodness of the Soul to be greater than the goodness of the body The Ioy of the Iust and Righteous is more inward than outward for all his goodness is in the soul as the joy of wanton Worldlings is outwardly in the body This just Man suffereth outward extremities but yet inwardly he hath more joy than the Voluptuous Man And though the just man being alwayes afflicted maketh shew of sadness all his life time yet at the hour of death their joy and consolation appeareth with hope of eternal life whereas contrariwise the Wordling goeth his way with grudging and despair The just man esteems Gold and Silver to be coloured Earth worldly wealth and Voluptuous seeding to be Famine and Filth Honour Dignity and Delight to be smoak which the Air consumeth suddenly to be short he maketh all the World no better than an exile and although his body be detained here for a season yet all his thoughts cares desires and meditations are conversant among the Orders of holy Angels and the happy Assembly of Saints in Heaven singing Psalms and Prayses incessantly So that whatsoever we esteem evill in this World God turns it to good For he makes us rejoyce in Tribulations taking them for medicines to purge our corruptions and not accounting our Persecutors as our Enemies but rather as Helpers to salvation The just Man esteems simple fare sufficing nature better than abundance of delicate or excessive Drunkenness or Gluttony They take more pleasure in kneeling praying and fasting then worldlings do in dancing and singing wanton Songs Finally that they do or suffer God turns it to good And therefore Saint Paul saith that all things turn to the good of those that love God The eye never seeth the
and abilities in Man inward only but not outward that is to say a perfect affection of the soul which God precureth in man and not Man in himself For although such motions seem to be motions of free-will yet they cannot be such except God vauchsafe of his working Grace to sanctifie the will and to make it capable of such good affections These two Opinions recited by the Master of the Sentences in the second Book and 27 Distinction I refer to the Iudgment of the Reader and allow them so far forth as they both agree that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself But yet they differ because the first sayes that Vertue is not a moving of the Soul for that it is the only working of God without Man and of meer Grace the other Opinion saith that Vertue is a good motion of Man not coming of God in Man I dare not judge rashly in so High and secret a Mystery and therefore I appeal to the determination of the Learned It sufficeth to know that Vertue is a work of God in Man and not of Man in himself and in this point as both Opinions do consent so I approve them to be true CAP III The Description of Faith and how we ought to believe in God for our salvation FAith is a Vertue whereby we believe that which we see not When it is said that Faith is a Vertue it is most manifest that faith is the pure gift of God whereby we believe that which we see not But yet it followeth not that we should believe all that we hear and see not but this is meant only in things touching Religion and the Worshipping of God Faith is properly of things not apparent for apparent things have no Faith but a certain Demonstration as when our Lord saith to Thomas Because thou hast seen thou believest Yet Thomas believed more than he saw a Man and he believed that the same Man was God also which he saw not for he said Thou art my God and my Lord. In this consisteth the merit of Faith when a man at the Commandement of God believeth that thing which he seeth not To believe saith Saint Austin is to think upon a thing with consent to that thought as when thou thinkest the Son of God was born of a Virgin and toah mans nature upon him and consentest to that Thought it is properly called Beliefe This thought may come often by seeing and often by hearing And when Saint Paul saith that faith cometh by hearing of the word of God he understands that by hearing faith comes into the mind and thought if we consent thereunto For we may hear a Preacher without consenting to that he saith because men do not alwayes believe what the Preacher speaketh for that the consent wherein consisteth the perfection of Faith comes of the meer gift of God and not from seeing nor hearing but from the light of Grace speaking in the Soul of the Believer believing the principal truth which is God and working in him an agreement with that Soveraign truth above all other things So that Faith is a foundation unmovable our Lord Iesus Christ who is the only Foundation of true Blessedness dwelleth in the Hearts of the Believers and so long as Faith is in Man he shall be sure not to perish but faith without Charity is no Foundation because such Faith is in vain and unprofitable Faith then joyned with Love or Charity belongs to good Christians and Faith without Love belongs to evill Christians It is necessary therefore that we note the difference in these three sayings or speeches namely To believe a God To believe of God To believe in God To believe a God is to believe that he is the only true God so the Devils do believe as well as the evill Christians To believe of God is to believe that all is true which God saith and so believe the evill Christians as well as the good unless they be Hereticks But to believe in God is to love God and in believing to joyn thy self to God by love and obedience incorporating thee with His Members that is to say his Church This Faith justisteth the Sinner and this Faith being knit with Love and with Charity begins to do good deeds which cannot be done without Love The Faith which evill Christians have is indeed a quality of free will but it is not knit with Love and Charity which is the bond of perfection and the life of faith as Faith is the Life of the Soul And yet such an unshapen Faith being naked and Void of Charity may be termed a gift of God for that the evill man may have some gift of God but that cannot properly be called Vertue because that by Vertue we learn to live rightly and for that the Devils and Evill Christians do live wickedly it is a sign that the faith which they have is dead and therefore is not properly Vertue nor yet a work of Vertue If thou wilt then have thy Faith to be good and saving it must have four properties that is to say it must be plain and simple it must be whole and sound it must be constant and unmovable it must be quick and lively Touching the first that it must be plain and simple that teacheth thee thus much in effect that thou must believe the word of God simply and whatsoever is therein contained without inquiring into Gods mystical matters by humane Reasons and simply believing in thy heart that every thing contained in the holy bible is most true Secondly thy Faith must be whole and sound that is thou must not take part with Hereticks or cleave to the erronious Opinions of the Enemies of Gods truth for this is no good faith And therefore for a Testimony of thy Faith be not ashamed to make open Confession in the Congregation of thy belief with the Fellowship and Communion of Saints That thou believest in God the Creator and Governour of all things in his Son Iesus Christ the Redeemer and in the holy Ghest by which we are sanctified and receive true comsort and joy c. according as it is declared in his holy word Thirdly it must be constant and unmovable that is without doubting for any reason of Mans brain that seemeth contrary or for any temptation promise or threatnings either of torment or of death And let not the obstinacy of such as enchant with the vain pleasures of this life although they seem to live most joyfully allure thee to cleave to their opinion which is siat heresie for that is a work of Satans who wholly possesses them can change himself into an Angel of light to deceive the simple and innocent whom God permits to be tempted for the tryal of their constancy Not that he is ignorant of the issue but because he would have it appear in others that he crownes us with glory for our constancy and perseverance This is clearly
without change without beginning and without Ending In this City there is no Night there is no limitation or term of life but continual day most brightly shinning For in this City dwelleth the Father of Lights even God himself whose brightness no darkness can over-shadow The Citizens of this City are partakers of unspeakable grace of endless joy and of such persection as thereunto there can be added no more Vnto this place shall the just be advanced as for the wicked their promotion is in the Lake voyling with Fire and Brimstone CAP. IX The desire that the Knight had to come to Heaven and how Gods Grace brought perseverance HAving seen from the Tower of faith the City of Heaven and heard by her the manner of it I was ravished of my wit and esteemed nothing at all of the World For I selt not my self methought I was walking in Heaven Hereupon I destred Faith that I might remain still in her Tower the which willingly she granted me insomuch that I was never weary out of her lower Window to behold Heaven yea the more I beheld it the more beautifull it seemed Then I was loath to live in this World and desired that I might dye the sooner to have the sight and enjoying of Christ my Redeemer and kneeling by my self all alone I made this Prayer saying O How happy is the soul that is out of this earthly prison and resteth in Heaven most joyfull seeing his Saviour face to face That soul is without fear and affliction O how happy is the soul which is in the company of Angels and holy Saints singing prayses unto the Most High Such a Soul surely is laden with abundance of joy O happy society of Citizens O happy company of Saints which lamented in their mortall life but now raigne with God immortally O sweet Jesus let me come to thy pleasant City where thy Citizens see thee daily to their great delight O let me come there where nothing is troublesome to hear or understand what melody hear they without ending And how happy were I if I might hear the Songs or be admitted to sing a Song of David in the holy Hill of Sion O that I being the least of thy Servants may by thy grace put off my fleshly burthen and come to thy happy City to accompany the holy and happy assembly of Saints to see the glory of my Creatour and to behold his amiable Majesty That I may be made meet for this so sweet a blessing grant I beseech thee O gracious God that I never look back upon this shadow or valley of tears that I remember not the false pleasures of this wicked world that I esteem not this corruptible and evill life O how can we here be happy where the Devill alwayes assaults us where the world flatters us where the soul is blinded and where all men sinne After which great evills death doth follow as the very end of all vain pleasures and then they are esteemed as if they had never been What recompence may be made unto thee O God which givest us consolation in the midst of all our extrencities by the wonderfull visitation of they Divine Grace Behold me miserable wretch filled with sadness when I consider my sins when I fear thy judgments when I think on the hour of death when I remember the pains of Hell when I am ignorant what punishment I deserve when I know not where nor in what Estate I shall end my dayes In all these things and many other I appeal to thy gracious goodness knowing that thou art ready to give me consolation against all these sorrowes Thou liftest up my soul full of anguish above all Mountains thou makest me receive thy great love charity and goodnesse by the which thou recreatest my heavie spirit and rejoycest my sad heart in revealing unto me thy heavenly delights This Prayer ended I rested my Soul upon the anchor of hope Then as I was kneeling Gods grace appeared unto me accompanyed with another Lady which I had not seen before And after I had given her thanks for all her benefits she delivered me this Lady named Perseverance to continue with me charging me on keep her with me if I meant to be a Citizen of Heaven For said she all other vertues without her are as nothing to win braven For it is written who so perseveres unto the end shall be saved And therefore if thou wilt be saved then must continue Hereof we have many Examples in the holy Scripture but I will only touch two When Saul was first annoynted King of Israel he was as lowly as the child of one year old but he continued not above two years in his goodness For after he had once put Perseverance away he became evill and grew to be a cruell Tyrant insomuch that he slue many of the Lords Priests and persecuted good David But what was his end He was vanquished of his Enemies and being given over of God he killed himself upon the Mount Gilboa Again touching the same matter Judas at the first when God made him an Apostle was good and dutifull but when he had put Perseverance away he became a Thief and by Covetousness he vetrayed and sold his Master Christ and being forsaken of God he became a Reprobate fell into desperation and with a Halter hanged himself When I heard Perse verance say so for fear lest the like should befall me I desired the counsell of Good Understanding to shew me the means how I might keep Perseverance alwayes with me that in so doing I might not be deprived of the glorious City of Heaven To which request of mine the good Hermit Understanding tendring the safety of my Soul and having a carefull regard to all my Endeavours did yield and spake to me on this wise CAP. X. Good Understanding sheweth the Knight how to keep perseverance alwayes with him MY Son the last point of thy Souls health quoth Good Understanding is to know how thou art now without going back which if thou desire then must Perseverance never leave thee for if she forsake thee then must thou needs lose the pleasures of Lady Vertues Palace wherein thou art now From whence if thou go back thou shalt be sure to lose the joyes of Heaven Thou must therefore remain constant without wavering the which to do thou must by devour and continual prayer faithfully crave helpof Gods grace And to accomplish all this thou must remember three things the first is thy Life past the second thy life present and the third thy lise to come Those three confiderations will encourage thee to stay where thou art and as it were with a bridle will keep thee from recoyling First think what thou hast done before time in following Folly how thou livedst vainly yielding to every vain concupiscence whereby thou didst fall into the filth of sin and endangeredst both thy body and Soul O where hadst thou been if Gods Grace had not taken
compassion upon thee Where be the Worldlings the would not be sorry for their sins Where are they become Are they not condemned to everlasting torment in Hell fire O think then that sin doth greatly offend God Think what punishment God hath ordained for sin which makes Man an Enemy to God and a friend to the Devil Secondly think that at this present time thou art in Gods favour by the means of his Grace who made thee a child of God and an Heir of Heaven by Hope so that now thy Conscience is quiet Think what good Consolation thou hast received by devour prayer think what spiritual instructions Gods Grace hath given to thee think all the pleasures of the World are mingled with Sorrow think that this World shall pass away with all the pomps and pleasures of the same think that thy present Estate is the high way to Heaven and so shalt thou keep perseverance Thirdly think that the just judgment of God is to come which is to the good to give Heaven and to the evill Hell Think thou must dye and that at thy death thou shalt not receive so good consolation as thou hast had of Vertue and Gods grace Think that at thy death thou must leave behind thee Wife Children Goods and Mony whether thou do good or evill Think that thou must go to a Region unknown and to a place where thou hast never been and if thou be sound to have dyed in sin without repentance the Devils will attend to take thy damned Soul and will carry it into the dungeon of Darkness there to seel eternal torments But if thou be sound with Perseverance in the Palace of Vertue millions of Angels will go before thee and with great joy will bring thee to heaven O think upon the just judgment of God to come when every one shall be judged according to his deeds For God fahoureth neither Kings Princes nor People high nor low rich nor poor without respect of persons be will chuse the good and condemn the evil at the day of doom when we must appear personally without excuse or exception before him then every man must be his own Atturney when the just Iudge at that day will shew himself terrible to the Perverse which have followed Voluptuousness and have not heartily repented but will be gentle mercifull and good unto those that have been sorry for their offences O think what torments the un-repentant shall suffer both in body and soul perpetually whereas all such as have persevered in goodness to the end shall receive joy and the fulness of God and of Heaven In such sort to persevere in goodness to the end do thine utter endeavour and thou shalt see that God will be ready with his grace to arm thee with constancy in thy Christian purpose CAP. XI A protestation which Good Understanding taught the Knight to make every day for the avoiding of temptations and how he ought to humble himself before God and what he should ask in his prayer MY Son alwayes I wish thee to keep perseverance with thee by whom thou mayest avoid temptations which would induce thee to sin and force thee to forsake the true Faith and also to transgress the holy Commandements of Almighty God This to avoid I wish thee every day to repeat the promises which thou hast made to God in thy Baptism which follow thus in effect O Most high most excellent and holy Lord God I protest that I will live and dye in the true Catholike and Apostolike faith revealed in thy holy Word and that I will do my utmost endravour to keep thy holy Commandements which heretofore I have wilfully and carelessy transgressed wherefore I am sorry and do heartily repent me for the breach of them and in token thereof I make my Confession saying I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Sonne our Lord which was conceived by the holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary Sufferred under Pontius Pylate Was crucified dead and buryed He descended into Hell The third day he rose again from the dead He ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the holy Ghost The holy Catholick Church The communion of Saints The forgiveness of sinnes The resurrection of the body And the life everlasting Amen Then say Lord God give me grace most heartily I beseech thee without doubting to confess and believe the articles of this my Christian Faith and in the same to persevere to the end And so rehearse the Ten Commandements of Almighty God which are these The same which God spake in the xx Chapter of Exodus saying I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the Land of Ægypt out of the house of Bondage 1. Thou shalt have none other Gods but me 2. Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likenesse of any thing that is in Heaven above nor in the Earth beneath nor in the water under the Earth Thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God and visit the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep my commandements 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 4. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt do no manner of work thou and thy son and thy daughter thy man servant thy maid servant thy catell and the stranger that is within thy gates for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that therein is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it 5. Honour thy Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee 6. Thou shalt do no murther 7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery 8. Thou shalt not steal 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour 10. Thou shalt not cover thy Neighbours house thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife nor his servant nor his maide nor his ox nor his Asse nor any thing that is his Then considering the tenour of that which thou hast said crave grace at Gods hands to walk after his will using the same prayer which Christ taught thee and saying Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass