SVNDRY EXCELLENT OBSERVATIONS of S. Bernarde applyed to this meditation of our Lordes great mercyes and multitude of miserations Sect. 4. SAynt Bernard in seuerall places describeth the greatnes multitude of these mercies and miserations As there be sinnes so there be mercies some small some great and some in a meane betwene both The firste mercy expecteth a sinner not punishhing presently the second giueth a penitent harte which freeth vs from smaller sinnes paste by our daily compunction deliuereth vs from present veniall trangressions But thirdly for great crimes paste we haue neede of great contrition and against mortall sinnes which may followe we haue neede of great caution these are harde matters wherfore this thirde great mercy is necessary for all great sinners to lament faultes passed to preuent followable offences 2. The multitude of his miserations are 1. somtimes in bitternes of any sorte of greife which withdraweth our minde from our vsuall delightes of ordinary sinne 2. somtimes by remouing the occasions of our wonted sinnes 3. somtime by giuing vs grace of resistance that thoughe we be tempted yet we withstand our motions ouercome our affections 4. somtimes not so much taking away the outward occasions as alltogether healing our inwarde affection and herin consisted the absolute perfection of our blessed Lady and S. Ihon Baptiste preserued from all sinne and in one particuler S. Thomas of Aquine had his loynes so girded by an Angell that there neuer after came into his desire any fleshly thoughte and so somtimes some other haue one or other affection so mortifyed by meanes of Gods especiall grace that not only they doo not followe them no nor so much as any wit feel them 3. O blessed IESV in the goodnes of thy great mercy thou haste preserued me from many sinnes into which of my selfe I woulde haue fallen o continue the multitude of thy miserations sending any greife of harte which may holde me from any delighte of sinne O take away occasions of sinnes giue me power to resiste tentations or so heale my affections that neither in euill they doo molest me nor in good become weary eyther driue away my buffeter or giue me thy sufficient grace to be a conqueror O gracious God in thy great mercy thou diddest a long time expect my repeÌ„tance o continue the multitude of thy miserations in thy long sufferance to permitte me time and grace of satisfaction and amendement O holy Iesu in thy great mercy thou diddest touche my harte with some sorowe for my great sinne O continue the multitude of thy miserations against all my faultes to shew me their lothsomnes as soares to make me some what feele their smarte as woundes and both to desire to obteyne hope that they shall be cured 4. O swete Iesu in thy great mercy thou hast giuen me strength to arise from sinne and error to come vnto thy truthe and Catholique Churche and hitherto to continue in thy seruice quia fecit magna qui potens est thou hast done great thinges for me who arte mighty and abounding in great mercy o continue the multitude of thy miserations against the multitude of myne enimyes which daily seeke my downefall and destruction 1. against myne owne flesh from whom I can neither flye nor put him to flyghte neither may I kill this foe but rather norishe him to liue thoughe not to reigne nor to rule in me 2. against this alluring worlde flattering with pleasures entising with honors and deceiuing with riches Our flesh is an enemye within vs the worlde is an enemye round about vs these twoo are to many but alas I see a vehement winde blustring from the northe o lorde helpe me in thy multitude of miserations or I shall perish in the great danger of this storme beholde it is Satan the hammer of the worlde a serpent more subtile then all beastes a dragon more cruell insatiable then any monster he is an enemy whom we cannot easily discerne how then shall wee certeinly avoyde him his arrowes are shotte closely and his snares hidde secrettly how shall we escape them somtime he assaltes openly with violence somtime priuily with fraudes allwayes cruelly with malice of our selues we are not able to resiste him much lesse to ouercome but thankes be to God who giueth vs victory throughe Christe our lorde faciens potentiam in brachio suo strenghthening vs with power in his arme 5. O bountifull God in thy great mercy thou hast enabled vs to performe good workes which may merite heauen o continue the multitude of thy miserations enduing me with grace still to abhorre the wickednes of my sinne which is paste to despise the present vanity of this worlde and earnestly to desire the futuâ—e happynes of heauen O comfortable Iesu in thy great mercy thou haste quieted my harte with a good hope of eternall life o continue the multitude of thy miserations that neither the scarsity of my owne merites nor the vnworthynes of my selfe nor the estimation of heauens inestimable valew may caste me downe from the heighte of my hope because it is huÌ„bly and firmely rooted in the charity of thy adoption in the verity of thy promise and in the ability of thy performance I knowe in whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that in his exceeding great charity there shal be no defecte and as he did promise it in his great mercy so in the multitude of his miserations he will performe it O God we haue neede of thy great mercy to supply the defectes of our great necessityes and we desire the multitude of thy miserations for our defence against the multitudes of our mighty enemyes and therfore I will euer repeate this effectuall prayer Haue mercy on mee O God according to thy great mercy according to the multitude of thy miserations WHAT MERCY IS AND OF THE EFfects Also how sinnes are blotted out by multitudes Sect. 5. 1. MErcy in latin is called misericordia which according to S. Augustin is a compassion in our harte of another creatures misery so it is misericordia quasi miserans Cor. Somtime it is a foolish womanish pity then it is only a passion in the sensitiue parte but being grounded on reason it is a vertue in the will in which laste sorte it is in God but no way as a passion And it is in him as in a Superior to an inferior either as munificence to releiue our wantes or as clemencie to forgiue our faultes not as among men by affection feeling our freindes misery as if it were our owne for how can any misery touch him who is all happy hauing all which he willeth willes nothing which is euill Nor can he haue any feeling of our misery by occasion of feare as olde men wise men who consider the dangers incertainties of all euentes nor as timorous feeble minded people who doubte in pusillanimity least vpon any occasion they shoulde fall
fauour and for vs so looke vp to thy Sonne in prayer that we may be always vertuously sober in our actions religiously ciuill in our speeches in our very thoughtes pure and chaste in all our conuersation All which we earnestly entreate for the all sufficient merites mercyes of our Sauiour thy Sonne and by the immaculate purity of thy conception THE MOST GRACIOVS AND WONDERfull remedyes of our originall sinne Sect. 7. 1. THus was our blessed Lady preuented with grace But how shall we be made cleane who are conceiued by such vncleane seede excepte only as Iob answered By thee alone o Lorde whose grace saith S. Paul doth superabounde our sinne For sinne came by man but grace is of more power as proceeding from God Sinne did not take away from vs all good nor bring vpon vs all euill But grace doth deliuer vs from all the euill wherinto we mighte fall and is sufficient to giue vs all the good we can desire Adams sinne brought a curse only to his descendentes and to the earthe But by the merites of Christe all creatures except the diuells who hate him eyther haue or may haue parte of his blessing For by him not only all mankind is redeemed but the good Angells are confirmed in their grace and euen these senceles creatures shal be renued in their nature 2. And in the saluation of our soule there is more force in Gods grace then in mans sinne for it is easie and we are prone to fall or to dye in sinne but we are lumpish heauie and it is exceeding harde to be raysed vp to life of grace wherfore grace is the stronger and the more worthy and therfore we are the more indebted considering how weake we are and how vnworthy And it is maruelous to consider the proportion betwene our sinfull misery and our gracious remedie As against originall sinne is appointed Baptisme to regenerate vs in grace from that wherin we were generated by nature that as infantes are defyled by meanes of Adams corruption without their owne facte so they are washed by meanes of Christes redemption without their owne helpe Children are spotted before they be aware of it and they are cleansed before they knowe of it In their conception vnwitting and in their baptisme ignorante We are raysed by others before we haue reason to aske helpe as by others we were caste downe before we had sense of our fall Or if some be of yeares of discretion before they be baptyzed as infidels conuerted or if christians after Baptisme become sinners and come agayne to repentance in the firste sorte the grace of baptisme takes away all sinne originall and actuall and all punishment eternall and temporall in both sortes there is first a iustification without foregoing merites quae fit in hominâ— which of God alone is effected in man and then a second iustification quam facit homo in which man doth his parte and hath following good workes In wâ—ich second iustice it is reason we follow Gods grace to performe some satisfaction and to obteynes merites as we had runne after our concupiscence to incurre guiltynes and suffer punishments 3. All our merites and all our good are deriued from God but our first iustice in our first conuersion doth so come from him alone that we are not so much guilty by Adam of originall sinne without our owne faulte as Christ alone doth iustifye vs from all sinne without our owne merite O greatnes O goodnes of grace more powerfull and more abundant then sinne O swete IESVS who doost in wisdome so answer iustice with mercy that neither doo we wante any fauour nor is the lawe vnsatisfyed in all rigor and euery pointe balanced with conuenient counterpeyse Sinners in Adam iuste in Châ—iste In our selues actually and really wicked throughe Christe truly and inherently iuste We were inthralled by our sinfull liues he redeemed vs by his holy death By his passion and sufferinges he satisfyed for our punishments and our good workes haue merite by the vertue of his actions 4. But to insiâ—te especially in his comparison with Adam His crosse stood vpon Adams graue there beginning life where death began By a tree we perished and we were ransomed on a tree He repayred his churche his beloued spouse by the water and bloud which issued out of his side dying as Eua the wife of Adam was taken out of his side sleeping and by that water he clenseth our spottes of sinne and by that bloud he purchased to vs the beauty of grace By occasion of a woman came a generall curse and a greater blessing by meanes of a woman wherfore Adam called the firste Eua. and we salute the second quite turning the same letters into Aue. The first man Adam loste all by ambitions pride because being but a man he aspired to be as God and the second man IESVS restored all by obedient humility who being in deed God yet descended to become a man ALL THE GVILTE OF ORIGINALL SINNE is quite forgiuen in Baptisme and the first motions of concupiscence are not sinne vntill we delighte or consent vnto them Sect. 8. 1. ANd althoughe our Sauiour in Baptisme haue cleared vs from all Guilte of originall sinne yet not during this life from all temporall punishment therof as not from Death hunger sicknes nor from all ignorance or motions of concupiscence And althoughe he hath freed vs from all punishment destroying our soule yet not from all punishment which may encrease our merite as they say sustulit omnem paenam destruentem non omnem paenam promonentem and so he hath lefte in vs these infirmityes of our motions in concupiscence of hunger sicknes and death to be as skarres and markes of our soare and woundes which are healed 1. to the intent that seing and remembring our hurte our helpe we should remayne thankefull and not forgetfull 2. to humble vs by consideration of these infirmityes who else would be proud 3. to exercise vs in diligence of mortification and in vigilance of prayers lest we should be negligent and careles 4. to affoard vs occasion of more merite and so to crowne vs with more glory 2. Or we may lay that he hath freede vs from all effectes and personall punishmetns of originall sinne which so perteyned to our persons that they would condemne our particuler soules but not from all naturall defectes which necessarily belong to our generall nature wherby we remayne in the estate of all mankinde for as a wise phisicyan he hath sufficiently cured euery mans particuler soule not quite changing his generall nature abundantly prouiding and in better sorte for our corrupte nature to be helped and preserued by grace rather then to extinguish this nature and to create another For he will saue the same which had offended which is greater mercy to vs and more power wisdome in himselfe And is it not more to preserue a vessell of glasse then of yron 3. I said he hath lefte vs
THE CONTRITION OF A PROTESTANT PREACHER CONVERTED TO BE A CATHOLIQVE SCHOLLER CONTEYNING Certayne Meditations vpon the Fourth Penitentiall Psalme Miserere Composed by Iames Waddesworth Bachlour of Diuinity in the Vniuersity of Cambridge late Parson of Cotton and of Great-Thorneham in the County of Suffolke Who went into Spaine with the Kinges Maiesties first Embassadour-Legier as his Chaplayne Where by the great Goodnes of Almighty God he was fully conuerted to the Catholique Faith Haec mutatio dexterae Excelsi Psal. 76. Imprinted with Licence at S. OMERS by CHARLES BOSCARD at the signe of the Name of IESVS Anno M. DC XV. TO THE HONORABLE AND MOST RELIGIOVS KNIGHT SYR VVILLIAM STANLEY One of the Maisters of his Catholique Maiestyes Army and of his Counsell of Warre in the Low Countreys c. All Health and Happynes present and in Eternity HONOVRABLE SYR IF I be accused of indiscretion for publishing this Treatise which may seeme needles yet I hope to be accounted either happy or prudent in finding so worthy a Patron to so simple an Orphan which I destinated vnto your HONOVR when you were lately heere in this Courte of SPAINE from whence I now send it to follow his good fortunes vnder the protection acceptance which then it pleased you to promise him Also it comes vnto your HONOVR in a double duty acknowledging both those Titles for which commonly all Authors doo seeke Patrons vnto their Bookes to wit either for the manifest excellent Dignities of the Protectors whose fauour is sufficient to giue them courage against malice or els for certayn priuate Duties Respectes wherin the writer is obliged vnto his Patron to shew some thankfullnes In both these Rightes I do heerin send nothing but your owne iust Due and my humble Duty intreating you by acceptance to giue life comforte both to this Booke to the Author who relyeth on your accustomed fauours and among diuers others doth beare himselfe bold vpon your former Curtesyes And surely he were extremely fearfull whosoeuer shoulde shew himselfe a Coward vnder the assurance protectiō of so Honorable so Noble so Valorous so Ancient so Religious and so Expert a Commāder as Syr William Stanley whose name hath present renowne in all Christendome and his memory will be famous to all posterity All his vertues are so bright that I knowe no malice which dare barke against them or if any slaunderers do reproache him yet for him that saying of A. Gellius may be a sufficient defence Numquam vir bonus veriùs laudatur quà m cùm à malis vituperatur A good man is neuer more truly praysed then when by euill men he is reproached for indeed such mens wordes are no slaunders and it is an euident signe of vertue to be maligned by the vicious In Religion he is a Catholique as his Ancestors haue bene and herein so zealous strict and deuout that some do well resemble him to the good Centurion whose seruant our Sauiour healed for his Humility Faith Obedience and Gouernement Others do accounte him another Cornelius for his feruorous Prayers many Almes-deedes and continuall Hospitality And besides all these I do esteeme him a second Ioseph of Arimathia principally for his notable Deuotion vnto the most holy Sacrament of the Altar which is the same Body of our Sauiour Christ taken downe from the Crosse embalmed and buryed in the new sepulcher of our garden when with a cleane new sweet conscience we receiue the blessed Communion applying to our soules therby the merits of our Sauiours Passion and embalming his most precious body with the odours of our good workes performed in his grace Neither is he vnlike the same Ioseph in Honorable Authority or in Nobility of birth being regarded for both of thē as a principall man not only amōg his owne Nation but euen among Strangers As for the one I call to witnesse the Ancyent and Present Noble Earles of Derby of which renowned Family he is a true Stanley an Honour to his Name and the glory of his House Next for the other I appeale vnto the testimonyes of Spaniardes French Dutch Italians Germans Scottish Irish and euen to the Hollanders his Enemyes who haue often seene or heard for certain the vndoubted tryal of his Prowesse in so much that all sortes do no lesse acknowledge him Honourable for his Desertes then for his Dignityes as a man worthy of high place in Commaund and Counsell Noble in his Nature besides his birth Valourous in the Feild or at a Fort in defending like a strōg Sheild like a sharp Sword in assaulting and so in both like Fabius Marcellus conjoyned wherof the one was called the Buckler and the other the Sword of the Romans against Hanibal And furthermore in all these so happy that he hath liued to be Old and Ancyent in yeares hauing passed many perills and so blessed of Allmighty God whom he hath serued with such Deuotion that he neuer yet tooke any foyle or suffred disgrace whersoeuer he had any Cōmaunde and Time was when if his Counsell had bene followed the Enemy had bene more fully defeated or vtterly ruyned Wherfore lastly I may conclude that he is an Experte Warriour because he is so Ancyent in his art and so happy in his successe wherin although fortune many times for our sinnes do fayle the Valiant yet neuer did any atcheiue a lucky enterprise who was not also Prudent And so I affirme his Merites and his Memory to be so notable and so durable that as of Cato it was sayd He shall need no Statua nor any Graue-stone wherin to continue or engraue his Heroycall Name but rather if he should want any such Monument or other rewarde as of the same Cato so of him it will better be said Why hath Memorable Stanley so little when others haue so much For it is a more glorious fame to haue had excellent great merites with a small monument then to haue exceeding rich Tropheys for some poore desertes And these thinges HONOVRABLE SYR I haue spoken in a third person of you rather then vnto you as in your absence not before your face because I knowe you loue not to heare your owne prayses how True Iust or Due soeuer they be yet because they are your Due Iust True Ensignes of Honour according to the custome of most Epistles Dedicatory I am bound to display them in the forefront of this Bookes array for the encouragement of freindes for the terror of foes because the Honorable Vertues of the Patron are the comfort safegarde of the Suppliant Wherfore I humbly beseech you to haue patience for these intentes to endure the rude rehearsall of your prayses wherso you may take these deformed lineamentes rather for a mortification then any commendation by viewing your glorious colours blotted by my pen which otherwise are sufficient to frame a most comely picture by the hand of skill But I intreate you to pardon my playne boldnes to accept
healing holy poole by the fourthe yron gate for satisfying or escaping temporall punishments in this life you must needes haue either the key of penall good workes or of Indulgences which vpon some good consideration may commute these penances And lastly for them who dye before they haue satisfyed sufficiently for all their temporall punishments these to be altogether clensed in the vertue of that poolâ— must passe it by the boate fiery gate of purgatory which they passe the more spedily hauing the helpe of holy masses indulgences or prayers offred by others in their behalfe 4. This poole I say is the precious founteyn of our Sauiours bloud vnto which all thâ—se gates and keyes doo directe and without which all these can doo nothing But as oâ—â— lord Iesus is only the foundation of all our redemption and yet we vse the hâ—lpe of his sacramentes to communicate vnto vs the benefite of his merites which we doo confesse they doo communicate without any derogation or dishonor to our Sauiour himselfe So good workes and purgatory and those Sacramentalls of holy water c. they doo wish helpe vs in the vertue only of his precious bloud not diminishing but applying the maruelous fruite therof which by so manifolde diuerse meanes is ready at hand to profite vs. 5. A weake body apte to faynte or sounde had need of many helpes to holde or recall life among the rest it is vsed to sprinkle colde water in the face â—hervpoÌ„ Plautus said Sparsisti aquaÌ„ iam redijt animus thou hast tolde me so good tydinges that being ready to sâ—unde for feare now thou hast sprinkled water vpon me I am come agayne to life O blessed Iesu my sinnes and my doubtes had so reuolued turmoyled my conscience that vntill I bleeued thy catholique truthe which thou louest and vntill thou diddest manifest vnto me the secrets of thy mysteries hidden in the wisdome of thy catholique churche I was euer doubtfull fearfull and often ready to sounde at the bare name of death But now thou haste sprinkled water in my face by the precious hysope of thee my Sauiour I may say with Iacob when he heard of his sonne Iosephes wellfare my spirite is reuiued for now my doubtes are dissolued my sinnes are absolued my feare is expelled and my harte is setled in courage O proceede deare Sauiour to giue yet more ioye and gladnes to my hearing that my humbled bones may reioye and that thy promise by Ezechâ—el may be fullfiled to powre 〈…〉 cleane water by which we shal be clensed from all our iniquitâ—es for as S. Paul collecteth if the bloud of goates sprinkled did sanctâ—fâ—e the polluted how much more the bloud of Christe which shall cleanse our conscience from dead workes and thus I hope o lorde thou wilte sprinkle me with hysope and I shall be cleansed THE WONDERFVLL EFFICACYE OF OVR Sauiours bloud and of the signe of the Crosse which was be sprinkled therewith Sect. 3. 1. O most precious and miraculous bloud which doost not spotte steyne vs as any other bloud vseth to doo Thou doost rather cleanse vs wâ—sh vs and make vs white aboue snowe As the Sayntes washed their stoles and whited theÌ„ in the bloud of the lambe not their persons only but allso their garments And as in Dyars arte out of one the same Dyefatte they will make diuerse colors according to the disposition or aptenes of the color put into it as white will become blew yelowe will become greene blew will become red only blacke will take no color but come out rather more blacke So a fowle blacke deadly sinner not repenting truly thoughe he beleeue our Sauiors passion or neuer so often frequent the sacramentes so long as he continues still in his fowle sinne his blacke soule will take no other color rather for his abuse he comes away worser and of such the prophet asked can a blackmore change his skinne But a true penitent or he that is in state of grace according to the preparation of his harte and his deuoute disposition in which he applyes to himselfe the bloud of our Sauior so he euer receiues therefrom a perfiter color Wherfore S. Augustin speakes vnto the catholique church in these wordes O happy and heauenly mother among thy flowres neither wante lilyes nor Roses let euery one indeuour to attayne the colors which he can eyther by virginity a crowne of white lillyes or by martyrdome a crowne of purple Roses In the contemplation of our hopes we may haue a fresh greene or in the burning of charity a perfect flame color in one word all the beautifull colours in the world may be obtayned by this one admirable Tincture or Dye of our Sauiours bloud therfore herein o lord sprinkle me with hysope and I shal be cleansed in beauty 2. Many herbes beastes fishes other creatures haue wonderfull effectes of nature But the vertues of all gathered into one are not so strange nor so stronge as this one effecte of our Sauiours bloud To cleanse and make white the polluted blacke soule of a contrite sinner Not the herbe Guila which S. Ambrose saith the Turtles vse about then nestes to driue away by his smell the hungry wolnes from deuouring her yong ones Not the leaues of the plane tree by which the storke driues away from her neste the owles or nighte Battes least they touching her egges should make then rotten Not the Panâ—her which by his sweete smelling skinne drawes other beastes to him then deuours then and yet he himselfe so soone as he sees the Hyaena he runnes to lye downe at his feete and by him is torne in peeces Not the little fish Remora that sticking to a shippe vnder sayle presently hinders her course Nor the Torpedo which from the hooke by the Anglestringe the Rodde so benummes the fishers hande that he cannot drawe him out of the water Not the Indâ—an haematites which so stoppes the course of bloud that whiles it toucheth any parte of your body thoughe you receiue neuer so many woundes yet not one will bleed Not these nor a thousand more strange propertyes of all creatures can be comparable to the admirable effectes of one drop of his bloud who was the Creator of all these the Redeemer of the whole worlde 3. Saint Peters shadowe did worke miracles but it was in vertue of this bloud What miracles may the shadowe of the bloud it selfe doo wherfore now a figure or shadowe of this bloud since it was really shed for vs can be no lesse forcible then those figures which did but signifye it should be shed afterward As this Type of hysope sprinkling the bloud of legall sacrifices what vertues had it May not therfore now the sprinkeling of holy water in a better memory haue more efficacy 4. As for the signe of the crosse which touched was besprinkled with his bloud what miraâ—les what force
forgiuen thee because thou hast loued much and althoughe perfect loue is not in vs till we haue the holy ghoste fully dwelling in vs yet we may haue imperfect loue before this complete spirituall habitation thoughe indeede neither this loue nor any of these other dispositions are in vs before and without the preuenting grace or speciall helpe of God 5. Fiftely from this loue of our gracious Benefactor we must procede to Penitence which is a sorowe and contâ—iâ—ion for hauing sinned against him whom now we beginne to loue aboue all the worlde and therfore doo detest and greiue for what is passe and this sorowe saith S. Paul worketh penitence vnto firme saluation therfore this allso doth hâ—lpe to iustifye And with this sixtely is ioyned a purpose and desire of coming to Baptisme if the patty be vnchristened or to Confession and Satisfaction if since our Baptisme we haue mortally offened And that these are necessary entrances vnto iustification as well as faith it is manifest for except we be borne of water the holie ghoste we cannoe enter into the kingdome of heauen and the successiue substitutes of Christe haue auctority from him that whose sinnes they remitte they are remitted therfore only to beleue is not sufficient except we haue allso a syncere purpose to be Baptized and Confessed And lastly we must haue a resolute determination by Gods grace to lead a new life amending our faultes and endeuouring to kepe our lordes commandements as Ezechiel said cast from you all your iniquityes and make in you a new harte a new spirite 6. In fine our Sauiour doth often require besides faith allso charity workes of which two consisteth the wedding garment that is so necessarily required saying allso that if we will enter into life we must kepe the commandements and that at last we shall be iudged by our workes And holy scriptures in many places require iustice and good deedes for not the hearers only or beleeuers but the Doâ—ers of the will of God shal be iustifyed Doo this and thou shalte liue said our L. Iesus And S. Iames of purpose against onlie faith in expresse wordes auoucheth that a man is iustifyed by workes and not by faith onlie Denying the worde onlie for which they sâ—riue so extremely that rather then they will not haue their will they will doubte of S. Iames Example whither it be true scripture as Luâ—her diuerse of his folowers did And Illyricus shameth not to say of all scriptures requiring good workes that when certyen excessiâ—e effectes and prayses and euen saluation it selfe is attributed in scriptures vnto good workes we must iudge that to be ascribed to them which is not conuenient for them O blasphemous impudency he boasteâ— of scriptures yet will thus controlle scriptures as giuing too much prayse excessiue effectes vnto good workes he confesseth scripture to ascribe vnto good workes euen saluation it selfe but he hath authority forsooth to call this an excessiue prayse effecte and that herin the holy ghoste doth ascribe that to good workes which is not conueniâ—nt to be ascribed And thus doo all heretiques euer bragge of scriptures yet so that they will reiecte them or interprete or controlle them according to their owne fancyes whensoeuer they find them contrary to their owne opinions 7. Much more modestly discretely S. Augustin aduertiseth that where faith in scriptures is extolled required there good workes are not excluded and where good workes are praysed commanded there faith is not debarred But wheras diuerse thinges are necessary vnto our iustification saluation they are seldome or neuer all expressely reckoned together in any one place much lesse in euery place or scripture or of any other writer but somtime one soÌ„time another according as occasion is offered And so the holy scripture doth not exclude what it concealeth but doth require what it expresseth and when seuerall thinges are mentioned in diuerse places yet all about one purpose we cannot denye them to haue all some vertue in the same office and therfore we must acknowledge good workes to haue vertue in them about the acte of our iustification neither separating faith nor reiecting workes from their mutuall assistance founded vpon our Sauiour Christe and in his merites concurring both of them to the very worke of our saluation OF THE HOLY WAYES AND OF THE sacred feete footesteps of our heauenly Guide Teacher Thus I shall teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and the vngodlye will be conuerted vnto thee Sect. 7. 1. THE wicked misbeleeuers haue neede of a righte faith and all vngodly liuers do wante good workes these will be conuerted by thy grace and inspirations and the other must we teach by our example instructions Vnto both of them we will shew the wayes in which all of vs must walke with those twoo feete of workes faithe 2. Thy wayes O lord are mercy truthe not only truthe in verity of faith and mercie in the rewarde merite of workes but allso thou haste truthe of iustice against obstinate presumers and mercie of fauour for tractable penitents If these would learne to walke in thy wayes it were good they shoulde be taughte to folowe thy footesteppes but how shoulde we better discerne thy footesteps then by knowing thy feete Therfore let S. Bernarde teach vs how the feete of our Sauiour are mercie iudgement with these feete he walketh vpon the water waues trampling downe both our proud highe mindes swelling as waues and our softe delicate flesh as mooueable as water with these twoo feete he traueleth vp and downe in all places to doo vs good to free vs from ill to giue vs healthe to caste out diuells as Abacâ—c prophesyed the diuell shoulde flye awaie from before his feete both visibly out of bodyes and out of soules spiritually 3. Wherfore come O my soule we will sitte vs downe at these feete with S. Mary Magdalene let vs marke well his feete and consider his fotesteps his feete are mercy iudgemeÌ„t his footesteps are hope feare O happy soules in whom are imprinted the steppes of both these feete and this happynes tâ—ey haue whosoeuer with S. Mary Magdalene will washe them both will annoynte them both will wipe them both and will kisse embrace them both to washe them to wipe them by cleansing sorowe to kisse them to annoynte them by swete smelling loue to sorowe in feare to loue in hope to feare his foote of iudgement and to hope in his foote of mercy not to be busy about the one foote to neglecte the other but to embrace them both If I be timorous sorowfull without hope I shall despayre If I be coÌ„fident secure without feare I shall be presumptuous more slothfull in negligence more colde in prayer my actions will growe more careles my laughter more loose my talke more inconsiderate and the whole estate of my outwarde
benignâ—iy deale kindly with Sion and builde agayne the walls of Ierusalem that once agayne thou maist accept the sacrifice of iustice oblations burnte offeringes and calues vpon thine Altars A CONTINVED SVPPLICATION FOR the good will mercy of our Lord vnto all estates of his churche and against seuerall vices Sect. 2. 1. AND allso in these wordes the Catholique Churche is described by three names of Sion Ierusalem and his Altar which may signifye the 3. sortes of people in his churche 1. religious persons 2. secular preistes 3. lay people which are designed allso by Noah Daniel Iob. The firste are of spirituall contemplation dwelling aboue in solitary Mounte Sion The thirde laste are in temporall actioÌ„s inhabitants beneath in Ierusalem as in a city full of turmoyle earthly trafique The second and middlemost being preistes doo frequent the Altars of the Temple which was seated betwene Sion aboue the said citye belowe as men of a mixte life partly spirituall partly temporall and therfore be called secular preistes vidz preistes for their exercise and ministration of deuine mysteryes and secular because of their particuler possessions and their often conuersation in the assayres and with the men of this worlde 2. O Iesu deale kindly with Sion replenishing thy monasteryes with multitudes of sayntes worthy to abide in such a holy hill Builde the walls of Ierusalem so that all lay men the citizens of this worlde may be combined dwell together in charity may be limited kepte within the boundes of equity and may be defended safe against all their enemyes And finally grante we beseech the that all thy preistes may offer vnto the with due deuotion the sacrifice of iustice and with decent reuerence present thy oblations vpon thine Altars neither slubbering thy sacrifice nor poasting thy seruice 3. Furtherfore Sion is interpreted speculation and Ierusalem a vision of peace o deale kindly with vs by thy mercy that in this life we may haue some speculation of certein hope thoughe but as in a glasse and that in the nexte life we may possesse the perfect vision of blessed peace Then shalte thou receiue our sacrifices of iustice our due debte of prayses our willing oblations of thankfullnes our whole burnte offeringes and our calues shall be layde consumed vpon thine Altar our concupiscences our sorowes shall then be quite consumed as whole burnte offringes by the heauenly fire of thy diuine feruor Then shall we neede no more contrition or penance which now we must practise in this life for there all teares shal be wiped from our eyes and our heauy mourning as penitent Trutles shall then be changed into the liuely ioyfullnes of innocent Calues 4. And therfore allso we doo so earnestly intreate that thou wouldest builde the walls of Ierusalem because out of the vnity of the churche compassed with those walls of the communion of sayntes we are sure that no sacrifice will be acceptable vnto thee wherfore that these walls may be builded deale kindly with Sion in thy goâ—d will For as the prophet saith thou arte a clement God mercifull patient of much miseration and pitifull to our wickednes In creating vs clement mercifull in redeeming vs patient in expecting our conuersion in comforting vs of much miseration and in forgiuing all out faultes frayletyes full of pity In all these kindnesses of thy good will O doo good deale kindly with Sion that the walls of Ierusalem may be builded that our prelates may be of good example much reuerenced that thy holy sacramentes may be deuoutly receiued administred that in thy militante churche we may haue the strong Bulwarkes of faith hope charity begonne and in thy churche tryumphante the stately towres of perfecte charity sure possession euident knowledge accomplished 5. Salomon that is Peace did builde the walls of Ierusalem but in the time of Ioas which signifyes temporality they were destroyed Ozias which is interpreted Seeing God or Faith did rebuilde what temporality had ruynated but Nabuzoradan that is a prince of cookes or voluptuousnes againe defaced what faith had repayred Nehemias which signifyes consolation restored all once agayne but Antiochus of Syria that is haughtynes or silence of pouerty beate them downe for vayneglory of our good deeds silence without confession of our bad doo exceedingly tread downe all true consolation Lastly Iudas Machabaeus vidz the confession of a warriour acknowledging his owne frailety fighting against pride he did reedifye but Titus which may be construed good or else durte that is fayre seeming hypocrites good in shew durte in deede these laste of all doo lay waste make desolate the hill of SioÌ„ the walls of Ierusalem which shall be lastly succoured by Enoch and Elias And as these thinges pasâ—ed with the materiall walls of Ierusalem so may they serue as hath bene shewed for our morall information THE TIMES THE MANER THE PLACE the persons offering all these sacrifyces oblations c. Sect. 3. 1. THEN wilt thou accepte the sacrifice of iustice c. Then 1. by the vertue of thy passion after the fulnes of time when the lawe of Moyses shal be consummated 2. Then in the florishing prosperity ofthy churche vpon earthe when persecution shal be abated 3. Then in the perfecte happynes of thy churche in heaueÌ„ when we shall clearely beholde knowe God face to face When in these three sortes the walls of Ierusalem shal be finished then in the firste wilte thou accepte the sacrifice of iustice euen Christe himselfe our Iustice sacrificed for vs vpon the crosse Then in the second thou wilte admitte our mixed oblations like Martha busyed in many thinges and our entire burnte offringes like Mary choosing the better parte And then in the thirde we shall lay our calues vpon thine Altar that is our youthfull wantonnes or wordly cherfullnes shal be abandoned and being sacrificed here vpoÌ„ thine Altar of penitence shal be there changed firste into the calues of our lippes cherfully moouing to giue thee honour and prayse and afterwarde accomplished in the joyfull vision cleare sighte and perfect knowledge of thy diuine maiesty in which is comprehended our vnspeakable felicity 2. Then allso wilte thou accepte the sacrifice of iustice the passion and merites of our Sauiour and for them all the good workes of his seâ—uantes whether they be the oblatioÌ„s of feruorous Confessors or the whole burnte offringâ—â— of zealouâ— martyrs Or whether they be offred by lay people as deuoute 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 the whole burnte sacrifices of religious persons Then will all these lay Calues vpon thiâ—e Altar that is bring many yonge folke vnto thy seruice to be suckled and to be fed in thy catholique faith with the sacraments of thy churche and with many good examples and Rules of piety and morality wherin they shall abide and remayne For whatsoeuer is laid vpon thine Altar there it oughte to remayne
as in thy presence holy and consecrated to thy seruice and shal be accepted in our lord Iesus in whom alone all our sacrifices of soule body and Goods are of a most excellent sweete sauour gratefull in him who is only our Sauiour our cheife preist our best sacrifice and our principall highe Altar 3. O most gracious God! how kindly haste thou dealte with Sion when thou diddest send thy deare some from heauen to descend vnto the earthe and into the nature of man to saue vs men who are but earthe What thinge can be more kinde and gracious then for the sonne of God to take vpon him the shape of a willfull slaue to be subiect to the cruelty of deathe and to the shame of the crosse to redeeme vs by shedding of his bloud by his innocency to repayre our trecheryes by his iustice to satisfye for our sinnes to pull vs backe from the mouthe of hell gaping for vs to giue vs entrance to the gates of heauen which were shutâ—e against vs. To enlighten his churche with the clearenes of his truthe in the middest of errors to preserue it by his power against the stormes of persecution to feede it with his owne body to washe it with his bloud to cherish it with all his sacraments to directe it in generall by his holy spirite and to comforte euery particuler with the swetnes of his loue with the hartynes of his grace and with the abundance of his mercy O kinde dealing of extraordinary good will O diuine loue aboue measure O wonderfull worke without any example or paterne a worke of heauenly charity without any foregoing merite and in one worde O God a worke of thy good will 4. This is the building of the walls of Ierusalem Babell walls are builded of bricke and founded vpon sande whiles worldly men either trusting to their riches or fixed on their carnall pleasures are proud or careles but as Augustus said he found the walls of Rome made of bricke and lefte them of marble so by our mortification of the flesh and renunciation of the worlde with the helpe of our Lorde we may change bricke into marble the walls of Babel into the walls of Ierusalem and a foundation vpon sande into a foundation vâ—on a Rocke So said Esay The brickes are fallen but we will builde with square stone they haue cutte downe the wilde figge trees but we will turne them into Cedars And this they doo who turne delicacy into seuerity liberty into limites the lawe of the flesh into the lawe of the spirite the olde man into the new and Adam into Christe O happy walls which haue such a head corner stone to combine them and such a rocke to vpholde them these walls haue strenghte and comelynes strenghte vpon their rocke and by their Corner stone comelynes or by their vnited charity strenghte comelynes by their decent sanctity and of such saith the psalme strenghte and comelynes are his garmentes not in vertues alone comely yet weake against tentations but stronge against all impugnations and comely in all vertuous ornamentes 5. If IerusaleÌ„ which is the militant church here belowe be thus peopled and builded what glory shall we see in the churche triumphante which is Ierusalem aboue the mother of vs all a free citye and the highest Imperiall seate not so much as touched with any corruption or sinne nor can any misery or sorowe approache that place where no enemy can enter in nor any citizen shall desire to go out a city of all peace and prosperity whose streetes are paued with the purest golde c. in whose building is no noyce of hammer axe or sawe no more then was in Salomons temple for all our soules must be apted purged squared and fitted before we come there Dauid a warriour may make preparation but only peaceable Salomon can accomplishe the building we may in this life gather together many merites by fighting and resistance of tentations and vices but only in the peace of our lord Iesus shall we be accomplished and made perfecte WHAT A SACRIFICE IS AND THAT THE holy Masse is our peculiar Sacrifice of the new Testament Sect. 4. 1. WHerfore that we may be prepared for Ierusalem aboue we beseech the o lorde for IerusaleÌ„ here on earthe to repayre the olde wasted decayes to builde on forwarde the new Bullwarkes and walls For when or wheresoeuer Ierusalem florisheth in peace Then wilte thou accepte the Sacrifice of iustice not of sinne of constante vertuous Catholiques not of Heretiques Schismatiques nor any vicious persons 2. Allso this sacrifice of iustice is referred by S. Ambrose and others to the sacrament of the Altar which is offered and receiued in the holy masse in which religious seruice of God we doo offer vnto him a sacrifice for the liuing and the dead and we doo receiue vnto our selues a sacrament of iustice conteyning and conferring righteousnes grace 3. And the masse is not improperly or in generall only called a sacrifice as almes and euery good worke may be so termed nor is it alone an inwarde spirituall sacrifice but it is an externall sacrifice properly so called and yet more a peculiar sacrifice instituted of our Sauiour Christe himselfe in his laste supper and ordered and adorned afterwarde by the Apostles their successors as appeareth by the Canonâ— of the Apostles by the masse of S. Iames S. Marke S. Basil S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose Yea it may be colected out of the Actes of the Apostles where it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiles they were liturgizing For we knowe that masses are called in Greeke liturgyes as be the liturgyes of S. Iames S. Chrysostome c. And the vulgar translation is ministrantibus illis Domino whiles they were ministring vnto our lorde which generall wordes doo somtime signifye the particuler action of sacrificing as in the olde Testament is found and Erasmus doth expressely interprete them sacrificantibus illis whiles they were sacrificing althoughe it be friuolous which he addeth that their sacrificing was preaching for neither the sense of the Texte nor the nature of the worde can beare it and were it not absurde to say they were sacrificing that is preaching to God 4. As for the vse of the Masse as a sacrifice in the primitiue times it may appeare by Ignatius who liued in our Sauiours time sawe him on earthe writing to the Smyrnians It was not lawfull then without a Bishop to offer sacrifice nor to celebrate Masse And the same Author writing ad-Trallianos ad Neronem saith when S. Peter celebrated Masse Saynt Clement and Anaclete were his deacons helping him therin And that Timothy Linus were Deacons vnto S. Paul when he celebrated Masse 5. And the same S. Clement Romanus in his 3. Epistle de officio Sacerdot and Anaclete in his Epistle ad omnes Orientales And Dyonisius Areopagita in his ecclesiasticall Hierarchy doo all
remayned blind in respect of Ananias practicall experience For speculatiue knowledge alone is but as the lighte of the moone which shyneth feebly but this knowledge made practicall is glorious as the sunne which hath both heate and brightnes by heate to giue vs motion with his brightnes to shew vs light how to walke and to lead a good christian life and vnto both these together we may referre that of Dauid Lux orta est iusto rectis corde laetitia a light is arisen vnto the just and vnto the righte in harte ioyfullnes for speculation giueth lighte practise causeth joyfullnes whereof we must make one coniunction both to be just in speculatiue brightnes of lighte and to be righte in harte by practicall heate of ioyfullnes 9. And further more this practicall knowledge must be exercised in our selues for wante of which practise S. Augustin complayned thus I haue wandred O God seeking thee without who wert within And so doo all men wander out of themselues when euery one particulerly doth not consider his owne inwarde estate of soule what and who he is by whom created and to what end for want of which serious considerations not marking our sinnes nor our misery we seeke not our remedy but as S. Gregory said like foolish trauellers passing through a short pleasing meddowe we doo so much fasten our eyes vpon some fayre seeming flowres that we fall into some ditch or take some wrong way leading to destruction 10. For as the cause of all the prodigall childes misery came by departing out of his Fathers house and then out of himselfe into a farre country so his remedy beganne as the gospell saith In se autem reuersus when he returned into himselfe and to the knowledge of his miserable estate and of his vile courses wherfore meditating on the End wherto he was like to come by sinne he said Ego autem hic fame pereo reuertar in domum patris mei here I doo perish by famine I will returne into the house of my Father And so must we all reflecte vpon our selues learning to knowe who God is and what we are pondering the abhomination of our sinnes passed the dread and feare of our conscience present and the horrible terror of iudgement and punishment to come O thus let vs often imitate Dauid saying Meditatus sum nocte cum corde meo exercitabar scopebam spiritum meum I haue meditated in the night with mine owne harte I was exercised and I did sweepe my spirite O thus let vs sweepe and clense our soules by meditation and practicall knowledge of our owne hartes in examining our religioÌ„ trying our faith heedfull looking to our workes then shall we see our Errors and our faultes then will we chuse a better course for our saluation then shall we exercise our selues in deedes of penance in Actes of contrition in syncere confessions in due satisfactions and in diuerse kinds of voluntary and deuout mortifications 11. O that we would consider how we are corrupted in all our partes 1. In our fleshe and body 2. In our Animall parte and lâ—fe 3. In our spirituall parte and reason In our corporall partes and outward senses In our inward senses and appetites irascible concupiscible imagination and selfe will In our reasonable vnderstanding memory and free will In all these we haue rendred our selues as slaues into the Diuells bondage whiles we suffer sinne to reigne and haue dominion in vs so that our vnderstanding is obscured our will is depraued and our memory is blotted with much euill we haue our irascible power full of impatience and anger and the concupiscible inflamed with brutish affections and carnall delightes our Imagination is turmoyled with worldly desires and vayne suspitions our selfewill is crookened hardened by obstinacy all the partes and outward senses of our bodyes are become the members and instrumentes of sinne and so we passe from vice to vice and euery day we intangle our selues in new iniquityes and in more chaynes by which the Diuell leades vs along to his eternall prison of tormentes whiles we yeild our selues to committe or to continue any mortall sinne without contrition and true care of amendment 12. It is true we are not able by our selues alone to get out of the Diuells slauery to forsake sinne nor to alter and amend entirely the course of our liues for hauing once yeilded and liued in the custome and subiection of sinne and Satan we haue need of Allmighty Gods helpe and grace to deliuer vs first preuenting and stirring vs vp to haue a good will and afterward allso working with our will to bringe our conuersion and repentance vnto a full worke for euery good desire which we haue doth proceed from Gods grace offered and although our will be free to admit or refuse the accomplishment of those good desires as neither compelled vnto them by outwarde violence nor necessitated by inward qualitye neither as a stone naturally necessarily falling downeward nor forced vpward violently but differing herein from senseles brutish creatures freely consenting or dissenting to all good motions yet as allmighty God doth first inspire them so further without his grace we are no way able to effect them for in religious spirituall good thinges without him we can do nothing 13. But on the other side we haue greater and assured comfortes First because our Lorde doth offer grace vnto all men at one time or other by giuing theÌ„ good desires of a better life by which he would haue all men to be saued If they euer refuse these good morioÌ„s then are they iustly forsaken left in a reprobate sense If we doo at any time admitte these good desires so do but as much as lyes in our power then most infallibly our Lord doth giue vs further grace meanes wherby to come to the knowledge of his truth Of the first preuenting inspirations Gods wisdome saith Beholde I stande at the dore knocke if we open not but keepe him out it is our fault if on our partes we yeild him entrance then alltogeather with the Father and the Sonne they will come vnto vs by operating grace effecting our full resolution and by further grace still cooperating they will dwell with vs in practise continuance of a vertuous holy life till the accomplishment of our saluation if we of our selues doo neuer driue him from vs agayne by committing some mortall sinne 14. Our second comforte is that as if we let him into vs when he knocketh by preuenting grace admonishing our hartes so by his operating following grace when we are resolued if we do but knocke by prayer at his doore of mercy he doth euer most vndoubtedly receiue vs into fauour O most gracious God full of mercy who doth call vnto vs by grace that we should call vnto him for mercy can any creature wish for greater clemency then to haue forgiuenes for the asking And is
he not worthy to perish in his wickednes who will neither admit good desires nor be mooued vnto harty prayers O what will mooue vs if consideration of eternall perdition cannot stirre vs Or if we doo not pray for mercy because we doo not consider our misery Agayne and agayne I beseech you to examine your Religion to try your faithe and to take an vnpartiall view of your whole life that seing your danger you may seeke for fauour for as in the Spanish Prouerb it is truly said of our corporall eyes Quienbien vee bien llora He that sees clearely weepes easily so in the eye sight of our soule he that clearely beholdes his faultes will more easily shed teares for his pardon 15. Let vs examine our selues by the 10. Commandements of God by the 5. Preceptes of his Church by the 7. workes of mercy corporall and 7. spirituall by the 7. deadly sinnes or by some or by all of these according to our abilitye particuler obligations or other degrees which doo bind vs often not to omit that which is Good and doo forbid vs neuer to commit that which is ill Let vs consider by what meanes our Lord hath sought to bring vs to the knowledge of his truth and to become members of his Catholique Church infusing good illuminations into our vnderstanding or good desires into our will inuiting vs to vertue or truthe disswading vs from vice or error eyther by good examples by vertuous bookes by holy preistes or by our friendes yea sometime by our enemyes whom we hate or by them whom we doo persecute for either all or some of these shal be witnesses against vs if we rejecte their meanes or doo willfully loose the time of fauour Or if we doo admit these good beginninges yet we must proceed with care and cherfullnes to imploy our time meritoriously andto reape benefite by the exercise of our Religion by the sacramentes of the Catholique Churche and by all the Goodnes of God directed to his greater glory and our saluation eyther in his giftes of grace arte or nature whether it be in diuine contemplation or in lawfull Action spirituall meditating of his diuine mysteryes or vsing of his creatures orderly for his seruice and for our necessitye O admirable happynes of religious or discreet holy men who doo thus order theyr liues O lamentable wilfullnes of obstinate or proud people who doo refuse to saue their soules O detestable vnthankefullnes of wicked or careles creatures who doo neglecte or abuse so many helpes The tractable diligent and humble seruant shal be exalted vnto eternall glory when the peruerse carelesse and high-minded Despiser shall be throwne downe into euerlasting torment 16. And therfore to auoyde the one and obtayne the other let vs betake our selues to penitent Prayer with humility on our partes considering our vncertaine faith and our certayn faultes and yet in regard of our most gracious God with comfort and confidence respecting his great mercy and infinite kindnes to hope trust in him as a pittifull louing Father and yet to be humble and reuerent towardes him as a King of high Majesty For so our Sauiour taught vs to prepare our thoughtes to the petitions of his prayer by saying for an introduction Our father which art in heauen that because he is Our father therfore we should be assured to find fauour and yet not to be presumptuous or heedles because he sittes on a high throne of justice in heauen 17. Thus let vs pray with Dauid in repeating or perusing this psalme of Miserere not alone because the exercise of prayer is both meritorious as a good worke and allso impetratorious as a deuout petition but furthermore because it is an Acte of Gods worship expressely commaunded in those wordes Petite accipietis quaerite c Aske and you shall receiue Seeke and you shall finde knock and it shall be opened vnto you Which wordes S. Thomas and other Doctors do affirme to haue the nature of Preceptes binding vs to pray and annexeth promises assuring vs to preuayle for we shall receiue finde and haue it opened if we aske in hart and thought seeke with our mouth and wordes and knocke with our hands and workes eyther by all these or at least by the first when we cannot performe the rest 18. Or if Prayer were not absolutely commaunded yet our necessityes danger do require it as S. Gregory said The euills which do heere oppresse vs do compell vs to flye vnto God as the prodigall sonne feeling famine he desired to satisfye his hunger Et nemo illi dabat and no body gaue him where withall For nothing in this worlde can affoarde vs full content Therfore in se reuersus returning into himselfe and into his wittes out of which we may say he had bene wandring vntill now he considered his misery then He returned to his father humbly confessing his folly and intreating pitty And lastly he flyeh to this submission of prayer as to his cheife refuge Dicam Patri I will say vnto my Father I will make my moane vnto him he is my Father and therfore I will declare my want and supplication vnto him Quid enim nisi vota supersunt For a sinfull wretch hath no better meanes left then by prayer to beginne his conuersion and to begge his reconciliation according to that of Iob Pâ—lli meae consumptis carnibus adhaesit os meum dâ—relicta sunt tantummodo labia circa dentes meos My bones cleaâ—ed vnto my skin the flesh being consumed and only were my lippes remayning round about my teeth As if when all the body is consumed in payne weakenes wretchednes and deformitye yet whiles our lippes are able to vtter our greifes we haue hope of ease so whiles our soule continueth in the body howsoeuer deformed by sinne yet we haue possibility by opening our lippes in prayer and confession to obteyne mercy and absolution But whereas many differre these vnto the laste by negligence or presumption so by the iust iudgement of God many are cut off without these Wherfore with Dauid in another psalme let vs praye vnto our Lord whiles we haue opportunity But in the floudde of many waters they shall not come nigh him For he that is drowned vnawares cannot speake and therfore cannot be heard but taking opportunity although like Iob we haue nothing left beside our lippes or though like Ezechias we be as yonge swallowes in the fowle blacke sooty chimneys and filthy nestes of our sinnes as amiddes our owne dunge yet Sicut pullus hirundinis sic clamabo like the yonge swallowe so I will crye thoughe I be not able to helpe my selfe no more then a yonge swallowe new come out of the shell though I be vnfethered naked of Good workes though I am blind in right knowledge nay because I am so blinde and naked like a yong swallowe I will crye amiddes mine owne dunge in the blacke fiery fowle sooty chimney of
whiles it was open you saw no other picture but that of the brasen serpent yet so soone as the curtayne was drawne you mighte playnly see in the glasse not a reflection of the serpent but a liuely representation of our Sauiour on the crosse with our blessed lady S. Ihon S. Mary Magdalen standing at the foote therof for as those other double pictures are made by cutting paynting the Table sidewayes so this was done crossewayes in which as it downewarde represented nothing but the serpent which was a type of our Sauiour and vpwarde reflected on the glasse the thing signifyed which was his exaltation on the crosse so shoulde we from the inferior resemblance of all ceremonyes by opening the Curtayn lifte vp our minds to beholde and lay holde on their signifyed substâ—Ì„ce for good thinges are figured to be remembred and they are remembred to be apprehended And so whiles we remember hysope sprinkling the bloud of sacrifices let vs by faith good workes of deuotion labour to apply the sacrifice of our Sauiours bloud passion 3. Allso hysope we knowe is a lowe herbe medicinable which naturally desires to fasten his roote about stones so doo thou fasten the roote of thy loue on Christe our rocke and by imitation of his humility he will cleanse thee And as hysope is good to purge the swelling of the lunges so haue we need of the humble vertue hereof to purge our Brestes puffed vp in malice or pride As Saul went towardes Damascus breathing out hotte bigge crueltyes against the christians but being once humbled and caste downe vpon the earthe his swelling hâ—nges were purged his vnsauory breath was sweetned 4. These propertyes allso are written of hysope in twoo verses Parua calens pâ—ctus purgans petrosa screatrix Ius sapidat pleuri congrua spargit aquam It is little and hotte purging the breast stony and spitting it relisheth broathe helps a pleurisy serues for water sprinkling Allso which doo well agree with a penitent for thou must be little and lowly in thine owne eyes and so thou shalte be exalted and great in the eyes of allmighty God Thou must be hotte and feruent in charity which is the loue of God aboue all and of our neighebor as our selues for his sake By sorrowe contrition thou must purge thy harte from sinne spitte out this sinne by coÌ„fession and by stony and stedfaste satisfaction take roote in Christe our rocke These foresaid religious exercises doo relishe and giue good taste to all our prayers deuotions they heale and take away all payne punishment due to sinne and lastly they sprinkle refresh vs with the dewe droppes of all heauenly grace O come my soule to this medicinable herbe of hysope that being therwith sprinkled we may be cleansed and being washed in these vertues hereof we may be made white aboue snowe We haue neede of all these for sinne is a deepe pollution hardly cleansed whither it be a priuation or haue oughte in it positiue or negatiue whither it be directly in the soule or a crooked relation to the iustice of God sure it is of all men called a deadly â—eformity and a detestable blotte whose guilte remayneth still in the soule after the acte is passed It is a poysonous spotte a venimous leprosy o what shall we doo to be cleansed washed made white aboue snowâ— A dangerous disease requireth precious remedyes when he physicians prescribe Bezar stone or Confection of pearles then we knowe the patient is in a weake wofull estate And no lesse may we vnderstand our selues to haue bene in a wretched case when by no other meanes we coulde he cured speaking of Gods ordinary power but by this rare excellent hysope sprinkled with the precious bloud of our Sauiour Iesus OF DIVERSE CEREMONYES IN THE Catholique Church made profitable by the sprinkling vertue of our Sauiours precious bloud which is compared to the water of the Poole of Bethesda Sect 2. 1. IN this precious sprinkling I shall finde a double cleansing First I shal be cleansed from veniall faultes and allso if thou wash me I shalle made white aboue snowe from mortall sinnes for mortall crimes are remitted by washing of Baptisme or repentance veniall offences by diuerse other meanes of which some are expressed in these verses Confiteor Tundor Respergor Conteror Oro Signor Edo â—ono per quae venialia pono By Contrition Confession Knocking the Breast Sprinkling with holy water Prayer By blessing ourselues with the signe of the Crosse By receiuing the blessed sacrament By eating holy bread By Agnus Dei holy graynes Indulgences c. by giuing almes and by forgiuing iniuryes By all or any one of these euer ioyned with some contrition or displicence for our faultes in generall or particular we may be washed from our veniall faultes yet euery one all these are vnprofitable excepte they be referred grounded vpon the merites and vertue of our Sauiour Christes bloud wherin the hysopâ— must euer be dipped or else these sprinklinges will doo no good but being therin moystened our holy mother the Churche hath appoynted diuersity of hysope branches that euer some mighte be at hande and who wanted occasion or affection concerning one might readily find more easily stirre vp his deuotion by another 2. Because allso it is necessary we doo make vse and benefite of this precious bloud therfore diuerse meanes are assigned by which we may applye his excellent vertue The water of the Poole mentioned in the gospell healed all maladyes yet excepte they entred into it to be washed it cured none so it is most true that without the bloud of our L. Iesus no sinne is cleansed nor any by this except we do enter into this founteyne Wherfore as to that poole which was a figure of our Sauiours pretious bloud seing the water is so necessary if there were certeyn gates by which we must enter were it not willfull slothfullnes or idle madnes not to enter those gates which may be diuided into fiue sortes as there be fiue kindes of sinnes 1. Originall 2. mortall 3. venial 4. such as haue the Guilte erernall paynes remitted but are subiect to temporall punishments in this worlde 5. or such of these laste who dye before they haue here satisfyed all those temporall punishments which therfore they must suffer in Purgatory 3. The first kinde must enter this sacred poole by the large water gate of Baptisme which cleanseth originall sinne The second must passe into the same precious poole by the narrow roughe ston y gate of penitence opening his three hard lockes of contrition confession satisfaction which giue entrance to deadly sinners The thirde for veniall offendors is a playne free stone gate more easily opened hauing alwayes the master key of contrition by any on other key of those good workes Sacraments Sacramentalls or Indulgences as is before mentioned To enter this
hath it had and hath stil euery day wonderfull effectes froÌ„ the vertue of our Lordes death and the effusion of his bloud shed thervpon Euen the wood of the yong mans Coffen said S. Ambrose after Iesus had touched it began to avayle vnto raysing him to life much more the wood of his crosse it selfe which when it was found by S. Helena both reuiued the sicke raysed the dead And only the signe of the crosse somtime without faith and deuotion yet hath wroughte maruelous effectes which doth shew the dignity that our lorde giueth vnto the signe for the excellency of the thing it selfe which he sanctifyed by his death As that christian who wickedly purposing to poyson himselfe came to Iew a Doctor of physicke for some strong poyson the Iew glad to kill a Christian gaue him a violent poysonous potion Before he dronke it he made the signe of the crosse ouer it as he vsed to doo commonly before he did eat or drinke It did him no harme he complaynes to the Iew that his poyson was not strong enoughe The Iew coulde giue him none stronger but the encreaseth the quantity of the same As before he takes it making the signe of the crosse The poyson preuayles not He is angry at the Iew and the Iew is madde to see him still aliue he doubtes the Christian had not taken it or had mixte or done somewhat else to it The Christian sweares he had done nothing to it only he remembers he had made the signe of the crosse as alwayes he vsed The Iew giues a little to a dogge which presently burste The Christian signing it with the crosse agayne takes a great deale more of the same poyson in the sighte of the Iew and yet feeles no harme whervpon he repentes the Iew is conuerted both of them aske God mercy and become honest deuout men 5. A blessed signe made holy and most glorious by touching the body and being sprinkled with the bloud of our Sauiour who was God and man he hallowed it with his death sanctifyed it by his merites honored it with his person and as it representeth his passion so it deriueth vertue from his merites The â—resâ—e before times was a detestable torment for malefectors now it is a royall ornament in the crownes of Kinges and Emperors honored of all Catholique Christians scorned or abhorred of none but Pagans Iewes Heretiques and Diuells And as the wonted shame therof is turned into honor so the former curse therof is changed into blessing O sacred signe which as the Royall standarde of the lambe shall come before him to iudgment A terror to the diuels and such as shalle damned a conforte to all Angells Sayntes and such as are to be saued thou arte the key of Dauid vnlocking Limbo and Purgatory to let out soules vnto liberty and opening heauen and Paradise to giue them entrance into rest and glory Thou arte the hysope of Dauid which helpeth to sprinkle sinners with the bloud of our Sauiour to be cleansed washed made white aboue snow Or as Origen said thou arte Tendiculum magni Fullonis the Tenter of our great Fuller who clenseth vs with his owne bloud instead of soape and in place of our weake rotten clothe suffered his diuine body to be stretched for vs vpon this Tenter of the crosse THERE ARE SVNDRY DEGREES OF WAShing cleansing and whyting of sinne Sect. 4. 1. O Blessed Sauiour washe me from the filthynes of vice and in the beauty of vertue make me white aboue snowe By thy mercie cleanse me and make me white by thy grace If I be white as snowe in inwarde deuotion for my selfe make me more white aboue snowe in externall exercise of good workes towardes others 2. Or thou o my soule take comforte from hence that not only an innocent but euen a penitent may attayne to estate of most perfect purity As S. Peter S. Paul S. Mary Magdalene and holy Dauid in this place by vertue of Christes merites hoped after repentance to be restored to perfection and purity aboue snowe Wherfore if we haue bene great sinners let vs labour so much more to become great Sayntes that as the prophet saith In the caues where dwelte dragoÌ„s there may spring vp greene rushes which as Eusebius expoundes it is instead of venimous filthy sinne to haue pleasant florishing vertue Neither let it seeme strange that as a notable saynte may become a notorious sinner so a lothsome sinner may become a glorious saynte for a garment which hath bene torne did you neuer see it drawne vp with such skill that no rent could be discerned and if vpon this occasion the same garment were all embrodered and the rent place couered with golde lace or set with pearle would it not be both a necessary mending of the rent and a better decking of the garment much better can our Lord Iesus repayre adorne the deformed beauty of a polluted soule he can sprinkle it cleanse it wash it and white it aboue snowe 3. O sprinkle me with hysope as a Begimner in goodnes to haue at firste some dewe droppes of grace O washe me next with some more plenty of this water that I may proceede from grace to grace And to the end I may be perfecte make me white aboue snowe Among earthly creatures there is nothing whyter then snowe but aboue this doo the Sayntes in heauen shyne as the â—unne I beseech thee O Sauiour sprinkle me with thy hysope and wash me with thy bloud that when this corruption shall put on incorruption and when this mortall shal be cloathed with immortality then I may be made white aboue snowe and shyne as the Sunne in eternall glory IT IS BETTER TO CONFESSE THEN to excuse to heare then to speake and of sundry kindes of ioye and gladnes Sect. 5. AFter my pardon I will rejoyce But a soule that is in sinne how should it haue mirth I will reioyce o lorde by hearing thy comfortes not in pleading for my selfe excuses Rather let me heare thy ioye speaking absolution to mine eares then any way delighte in my tongue pleasantly extenuating or wittily auoyding my faultes Wouldest thou after sinne fayne plead for thy reputation rather heare thy conscience and listen to repentance Be sorye for it confesse it then shalte thou heare ioye in thy harte and no terror at thyne eare 2. In generall we knowe it is better to heare then to speake And in spirituall contemplation excepte we first heare what God saith to our harte how can we hartily speake to him with our mouthe according as in nature wee see him that is borne deafe to be euer dumbe Allso among men he that heares as a good scholler practiseth Silence Beleefe Humilitie and obedience but he that is speaking as a paynful Teacher must labor with his voyce he must be carefull that he speake to good purpose for others without falsehood or flattery and he must be heedfull to himselfe
life Iesus is the Father of the poore the mother of the afflicted and the Brother of the patient Iesus is a glasse of chastity without spotte a highe watchtowre of all vertues and a Citadell or armory of perfection Iesus is the clearenes of Angells Iesus is the contemplation of the Patriarkes Iesus is the illuminati of the prophets Iesus is the leuell and Rule of the Apostles Iesus is the Doctor of the Euangelistes Iesus is the maister of the Doctors Iesus is the victory of mâ—rtyrs Iesus is the corage of Confessors Iesus is the spouse of Virgins Ieâ—us is the head of all Catholique christians Iesus is the rewarde crowne of all Sayntes Iesus is the mediator of God and all men Iesus is to vs cause and coniunction of Ioye and saluation by vniting in one God and man and so becoming our Iesus 5. O joyfull Iesu O Sauiour Iesu O most louing and bountifull Iesu most delectable comfortable Iesu most meeke and mercifull Iesu O Iesu the saluation of them who beleeue in thee O Iesu the Ioye of them which hope in thee O Iesu Iesu the bond and vnion of Ioye saluation vnto them which loue thee O giue them saluation who haue none restore them to Ioye who haue loste what they hadde and to whom thou hast vouchsafed thy selfe O swete Iesus least they should loose such a treasure Confirme them for euer with thy principall spirite O let my soule in such loue and resolute affection towardes thee O deare Iesus be like his who was content to endure any calamity or to go into hell it selfe if there it were possible to dwell with Iesus But o detphes such is the presence of the vertue of Iesus that hell with him would turne into heauen for in Iesus is Ioye and saluatioÌ„ of certeyn security of secure eternity of eternall quietnes of quiet happynes of happy swetenes of swete Ioye and Ioyefull saluation O giue me this Ioye of thy saluation and confirme me in the same by thy principall spirite THE NOBILITY OF A PRINCIPALL SPIRIT perseuering to finishe constantly what it hath begonne generously Sect. 2. 1. IT is no lesse vertue to reteyne what we haue gotten then to obteyne what we wanted therfore confirme vs as Ecclesiasticus said of wisdome so may we say of this Ioye they who doo drinke therof doo thirste for more not as dronkardes for wyne or couetous men for riches but for the heauenly comforte of righteousnes spirituall just men doo desire to be more juste So S. Paul forgot what was behind him endeuoring still forward and counselleth all to holde out to the end of the race or else we should fayle of our Garlánd S. Francis after many yeares of his stricte life after our L. Iesus had honored him so miraculously which the markes of his fiue woundes and not long before his death he calls to his holy companions Incipiamus fratres c. Let vs beginne good brethren to serue our lord God for hitherto we haue profited little such was his humility not glorying in what was paste and in desire of proceding such was his feruency 2. As in naturall philosophie thoughe the matter doth much desire his naturall forme yet the forme desireth much more to be ioyned to his â—aturall matter for the first desireth it of naturall necessity the second of naturall goodnes so the loue of God like the forme of our perfection doth more seeke to helpe vs theÌ„ we can or doo desire his assistance for our forcible necessity driues vs to him and it is his owne goodnes which drawes him to vs but alwayes voluntary goodnes is more effectuall then compulsory force for good inclination continueth when necessary compulsion ceaseth And therfore our gracious Lorde who hath no nede of our seruice yet doth he helpe vs to labour because he woulde giue vs a rewarde 3. And considering his readynes to helpe vs it is our faulte if we faynte hauing our hand at the plowe we may not looke backe to Sodome for S. Paul saith he whoe hath begunne in vs a good worke will perfect it vntill the daie of Iesus Christe wherfor we must expecte continue vntill his dayes not like the leoparde who seazeth vpon his praye by skipping and iumping but if he misse at twoo or three of the firste skippes he followeth no further O let vs not be such as either will come to perfection of deuotion per saltum and to their desires of holynes at the firste leapes or else they leaue of and doo despayre It is pride to seke to mounte with the eagle before we be full fethered it is slothfullnes not to continue like the poore Ant which weareth a pathe in a harde stone with often passing ouer it Rather we must expect our Lord worke manfullie we shall be comforted walking from vertue to vertue vntill we may beholde our God of Gods in Sion We must worke manfully with all our power according to our present ability and strenghte of grace we must expect patiently and pray without ceasing for further ability and force so we shal be comforted in our labour and in our prayer so we shall go forwarde from vertue to vertue and so at last ascend from grace to glory from Sinay to Sion and from among men who liue as Gods vnto him who is a great king aboue all Gods from trauell of our jorney to the rest of eternity from the desire of faith to the possession of hope to the fruition of charity which abideth for euer and euer worlde without end 4. O confirme me with this principall spirite vidz of a prince or of a king to be generous magnanimous heroycall against all difficultyes which woulde hinder my continuance or proceding in thy seruice O giue me this principall spirite to gouerne and rule all my affections and passions which woulde at any time disquiet me With helpe of this spirite and by the speciall assistance of allmighty God and not without these can a just man perseuere in his iustice if a ship at sea haue no winde at all it must wafte with the waues And so shall we be tossed and caryed by our affections tentations if throughe our defaulte this spirite and deuine breath doo forsake vs. Wherfore relying vpon this as in humility we may not distruste so in presumption that we haue this spirite we may not be secure O let vs not to soone suppose our selues healed enoughe by satisfaction least remitting and slacking our mindes from a carefull garde and watche vpon our hartes so we come to fall soone because we imagine our estate safe We must say as it is in another psalme O let my harte rejoyce that it may feare thy name for filiall feare to offend will euer kepe vs in ioye not to haue offended and true spirituall ioy for our pardon wil neuer make vs carelesse of our faultes Wherfore as the heauens are
thou giuest as a nurse and to worke what thou commandest as a laborer For Salomon calls him sluggarde who hides his hande in his bosome will not put it to his mouthe not so much for meate as to performe with his hande what he speakes with his mouthe And thus let vs folowe S. Peters aduise As euery one haue receiued grace so to employe it towardes others in grace of speache grace of action that as the holy ghoste appeared in fashion of a tongue so allso he is called in holy scriptures Digitus Dei the finger of God our Sauiour saying he caste out diuells by the finger of God that is by the vertue of the holie spirite which is a finger of action as well as a tongue of speache that as our couÌ„tryman venerable Bede hath written a Treatise teaching men to speake or expresse their mindes by the signes motions of their fingers as we vse to talke with dumbe meâ— so we shoulde learne according to our English phrase to handle our tongues well i. by the workes of our handes to make good the wordes of our tongue For otherwise that accusation of Ieremy will fall vpon vs mendacium operatus est we haue wroughte alye whiles our bad actions doo falsefye our good speches or when we doo good for hypocrisy not for sincerity it is a monstrous lye because ordinary lyes are spoken but such a lye is wroughte operatus esi mendacium a lye with a wroughte latchet which may be seene Contrarywise a true seruante of God one who will teach his fellowe seruantes the iuste complete will of his maister he must learne Salomons lesson Read my lawe as the apple of thine eye vidz with attention And write it on thy fingers namely in execution so the prophet saith the worde of our lorde was made in the hande of Aggaeus where he mentioneth making of it in his hande for reuealing of it to his knowledge because our knowledge is vayne without practise as in Geometry the Mathematiques one quarter of an howres practicall demonstration will make you to vnderstand more then a whole weekes theoricall study and as the 7. planets giue more influence then the fixed starres because the one are fixed in their spheres and the other haue their peculiar motions for influence procedeth from lighte motion not from lighte alone and therfore we must like S. Ihon Baptiste as well burne mooue in heate of charity as shyne stand still in lighte of faith Not as the Lacedimonian of the nightingall to haue a sweete voyce only and nothing else Nor Iacobs milde voyce Esaus roughe handes Nor as Agis said of a witty Sophister that when he helde his peace he had nothing good in him Or as Stratonicus coÌ„ming by a fountyen asked of the inhabitantes nexte it whether the water were good they answered we vse to drinke of it TheÌ„ saith he it is like to be naughte for your faces complexions seeme to be corrupted iudging of their founteyne by the operation effectes therof as we likewise shall be discerned by our deedes what is in the founteyn of our hartes WHAT BE THE WAYES OR PROCEEdinges of our iustification what faith doth teache vs in these wayes Sect 5. 1. WHerfore least penitent or thirsty men shoulde drinke of corrupted founteynes I will directe as many as I can to the cleare waters of healthfull doctrine whose springes are only within the boundes of the Carholique churche I will teach the wicked thy wayes vidz such as haue bene in wickednes of sinne or of heresye I will shew them thy waâ—es of iustification 2. I will teach them that somtime thy lawes and thy wayes are called iustifications praying with Dauid I woulde my wayes mighte be directed to keepe thy iustifications 2. soÌ„time they are said to be iustifyed who are only declared to be iuste which is imputatiue righteousnes wherof Esay said wo be to you who doo iustifye the wicked for bribes 3. somtime for the first iustification or obteyning of iustice vnto a sinner wherof S. Paul saith whom God calleth he iustifâ—eâ—h 4. somtime for encrease or proceeding in further iustice which is called a second iustification of one allready iuste of which S. Iames speaketh concluding that a man is iustifyed by workes and not by faith only and S. Ihon willeth him who is iuste to be further instifyed 3. I will teach them that the end of our iustification is the Glory of God the saluation of our soules That the cheife efficient cause of our iustification is the Goodnes Mercy of God the efficient by-way of merite is the passion of Christe the efficient by-way of instrument vnited is the humanity of Christe the efficient by-way of instrument separate are the Worde Sacramentes their Administers The materiall cause or subiect of our iustification is the minde of man esâ—ecially the will wherin this iustice is wroughte remayneth The formall cause in habite intrinsecall is the habite of grace or charity infused in habite extrinsecall or exemplar it is the very iustice of our Sauiour Christe in which S. Paul admonisheth vs we shoulde beare the image of the celestiall man i. Christe as we haue borne the image of the terrestriall man Adam But the formall cause in Acte are good workes which in one respecte are the Effectes of our iustice and in another haue allso so efficiency in our iustification as likewise haue feare faith hope loue repentance all which laste as dispositions preparing our minde will doo euery one in some sorte iustifye I will teach them that faith necessary to iustification is not to be restreyned only to the promises of Gods mercy but it must beleeue all Truthe which God hath taughte And that faith is seated principally in the vnderstanding not in the will as a confidence for so it should be all one with hope And that in the vnderstanding it is a firme assent vnto all thinges which God propoundeth to be beleeued and not a knowledge of them 4. Touching the firste Our Sauiour in the holy Goâ—pells and in the Epistles and Actes of the Apostles they doo often require other pointes of faith to be beleeued beside the promises of mercy as that Châ—iste is omnipotent that he is the Sonne of God that he is God and man and the true Messias that he was crucifyed and rose agayne c. so all the other Articles of the Apostles Creede whatsoeuer the Caluinistes say to the contrary are poyntes of justifying faith wâ—thout beleefe wherof no man can be saued and yet moste of them perteâ—ne to other matters then to promises of mercy 5. Touching the second that faith is an assent of the vnderstanding in beleefe not a confidence of the will which perteyneâ— to hope and therfore S. Paul saith that in Christe Iesu we haue truste and accesse in confidence through his faith therfore faith is not a
truste or confidence but the cauâ—e of truste and confidence which we get throughe faith And S. Augustin saith Credere nihil aliud est nisi cun assensu â—ogitarâ— to beleeue is noâ—hing else but to thinke of a matter with assent therunto And S. Bonauenture maketh a double certeinty one of faith in the vnderstanding anotheâ— of hope in the will By the fiâ—ste we beleeue firmely as true all propositions of Gods worde in generall and by the second we haue good confidence in the particuler application of those thinges which may perteyne to our selues as good for vs For attingimus Deum we are joyned or doo reach vnto God only by our vnderstanding and our will in our vnderstanding is faith and because our will considers thinges eyther as juste and so we loue them or as pâ—ofitable and so we desire them therfore in ouâ— will is both hope expecting our heauenly profitable Good â—harity louing all that is equally just And so we haue the 3. Theologicall vertues faith hope and charity 6. In the thirde poynte Faith is not a distincte knowledge but an obedient assent captiuating the vnderstanding to the obedience of faith for where there is a playne knowledge of truthe it needeth not to captiuate the vnderstanding to obedience Therfore the Apostle twice reckoneth knowledge faithe as two seuerall giftes of God and the common phrase is oportet discentem credere A learner must beleeue viz such thinges as he doth not or cannot vnderstand S. Hilary said It hath rather a rewarde then neede of pardon to be iâ—norante what thou beleeuest as in the mistery of the Trinity Saint Prosper alledging those wordes of scripture Excepte you beleeue you shall not vnderstand collecteth thence that faith procedeth not of vnderstanding but vnderstanding cometh fâ—om faith and S. Auguâ—tin accordingly prayed credam vt intelligam non intelligam vt credam o Lorde let me beleeue that so I may vnderstand not by vnderstanding to beleeue wâ—erfore faith going before knowâ—edge is not all one with knowledge For firste there is apprehension next is Assent which twoo togeather make faith and thirdly is knowledge nâ—w in â—arte and hereafter fully when fides shall be vides when we shall knowe as we are knowne 7 Note alâ—so that this apprehension is ey ther indistincte and in grosse or it is euident and particuler this laste is neither necessary nor enoughe vnto faith the firste is necessary but not enoughe for both of them must haue Assent Therfore if a country-man or othâ—r ignorante playne soule doo giue his firme Assent to that which he apprehendes but grossely he hath faith wheras a heathen philosopher or other cunning Clarke â—houghe he haue neuer so cleare an apprehension yet he hath no faith if he haue not assent and credite to that which he vnderstandeth wherfore faith consisteth more in Assenting obedience then in vnderstanding knowledge 8. Likewise this Assent is double eyther grounded on reason and the euidence of the matter or vpon the authority of the Teacher The firste may be called knowledge but the latter is properly faith So saith S. Augustin That which we vnderstand we â— we it vnto reason but what we beleeue vnto Auctority And yet thus thoughe faith be not knowledge yet is knowledge both profitable to encrease out loue of God and commendable in them who desire so to profite And therfore with Dauid I will teach the wicked in matters of faith what to beleue yeilding their Assent to the infallibility of the churche and in matters of knowledge how to vnderstand by illustration of argumentes grounded vpon reason for these are the wayes of God and of certeyn truthe which if they be not sensibly demonstrable to fleshly eyes yet are they euidently credible to spirituall hartes Thus I will teach thy wayes which are thy iustifications HOW MANY OTHER PATHES DOO LEAD vnto the wayes of iustification and that we are not iustifyed by faith only Sect. 6. ANd the vngodly will be conuerted vnto thee How shall a wicked heretique or ignorante man learne thy wayes of truthe By obedient faith How shall an vngodly Catholique or a lewde sinner be conuerted vnto thee in a good life By iustifying faith It is faith which beginnes first to iustifye a sinner and secondly allso the iuste shall liue by his faith In matter of our iustification alwayes faith must be one yet only faith doth neuer iustifye Neither firste as the only Disposition vnto iustice nor 2. as the only formall cause of our iustice nor 3. as the only encreaser or preseruer of our iustice 2. Luther on the Galathians once said that faith is our formall iustice for which a man is iustifyed making faith an essentiall cause of our iustification But since all protestants reiect that saying and make it only a bare instrument as a hande receiuing an almes and so to iustifye vs only relatiuely Yet touching the concurrence of other vertues and good workes the Electorall Wittembergians or softer Lutherans following Melancthon with whom herein concurreth Caluin they require the presence of good workes as necessary signes and fruites of faith yet denying them to haue any efficiency vnto iustification But the Saxonians and harder Lutherans following Illyricus deny any necessity of good workes to iustification either in presence or in efficience alledging these sayinges of Luther Faith doth iustefye without and before charity and in his disputation whither workes auayle to iustification he auoucheth That faith excepte it be without the least workes doth not iustefye nor is faith These and many other be their particuler dissentions among themselues thoughe against Catholiques good workes they all conspire That only faith iustifyeth 3. But the Councell of Trent beside faith which is the firste Disposition requireth allso Dispositions of feare hope loue penitence a purpose of vsing the necessary Sacramentes and a purpose of a new life in obseruing Gods commandements The firste then is faith as S. Paul saith It behooueth him that cometh to God to beleeue that he is and that he is a iust Iudge and a punisher of euill and a mercifull father and rewarder of good Out of the one procedeth nexte feare which likewise as well as faith is an introduction or disposition to iustification For Ecclesias saith He that is without feare cannot be justifyed and Esay saith From thy feare we haue conceiued brought forthe the spirite of saluation 4. Then from beholding of mercy and rewarde thirdely groweth Hope which likewise doth iustefye as the Apostle expressely speaketh we are saued by hope and in the psalmes often They shall be saued deâ—iuered because they hoped in God Fourthly after hoping for Good foloweth â—oue of the Benefactor which loue is before remission of sinnes eyther in time if it be an imperfecte loue only beginning or in nature if it be perfecte in all ouâ— harte abounding as our Sauiour said to S. Mary Magdalen Manie sinnes are