PARAPHRASTICALL AND DEVOVT DISCOVRSES VPON THE PSALME MISERERE COMPOSED BY CH. M. Rent your heartes and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God because he is benigne and mercifull patient and of much mercie and readie to be gracious vpon the malice Ioel 2. ANNO M.DC.XXXV TO THE READER DIVERS of the learned Catholiques of our natiō Gentle Reader haue writtē sundrie bookes in our vulgar language to informe and instruct thy vnderstanding in matters of faith and Religion and I also according to my little abilitie and slender Talentes haue not beene wanting in that kinde And diuers also haue either translated other mens bookes or published their owne to mooue and stirre vp thy vvill to pietie and deuotion vvhom I desiring to imitate haue compiled for thee these Paraphrasticall discourses vpon the Psalme Miserere In which I bring in the Royall Prophet Dauid much lamenting bewailing and ruing his two great sinnes the murder of Vrias and his adulterie with his wife Bersabee thereby I endeauour to mooue the willes of all sinners to sorrovv repentance of their sinnes and amendement of their liues These discourses I intend principallie for great sinners vvho also still persist in their sinfull state of life though I exclude not other sinners vvhose sinnes are not so great as Dauids sinnes vvere no not any the least sinners because though some sinnes be mortall some veniall some greate some lesser yet if they be compared to the Diuine Maiestie vvhich they offend no sinnes are to be esteemed litle be they in themselues neuer so litle and so they also may take benefite by these my discourses I haue liued long out of my Countrie and so knovv not vvho are the greater vvho the lesser sinners yet this I knovv in generall that there must needs be many great sinners in England because vvhere there are ill-beleeuers there ordinarilie are ill liuers and vvhere there are many beleeuers as there are in England there are many ill beleeuers true faith and beleefe being but one and consequentlie many ill liuers true faith being the rule square of good life For although sometimes true and good beleeuers are not good liuers because they liue not according to the rule of their faith and Religion and sometimes ill beleeuers doe liue vvell morallie because guided by God his grace vvhich is vvanting to none they follovv naturall reason and their ovvne vertuous inclination and disposition not the preceptes of their Religion yet ordinarilie ill beleeuers are not good liuers at least amongest good beleeuers you shall finde moe good liuers then amongest ill beleeuers Wherefore these my Paraphrasticall Discourses and pitifull lamentations of King Dauid who was a true beleeuer and yet some times an ill liuer but in this psalme sheweth himselfe a true penitent I entend for all sinners as well Catholiques as not Catholiques and of what so euer Religiō I beeing debtour to all because I would haue them all to peruse these discourses Rom. 1. I abstaine from Controuersies in Religion least I should auert any from the reading of them onelie in paraphrasing the last two verses of this psalme occasion beeing offered I speake of the vnbloodie and daylie sacrifice of the Altar but so that I rather touch it then handle it mention it then treat of it suppose it then prooue it in that manner as I might hoping that this doctrine now will not be distastfull for seeing that now in Englād in very many churches Altars which heretofore were throwne downe are againe erected according to the laudable exāple and pious vse and custome of the Catholique euē primitiue Church to auerre a true sacrifice will not be ill taken because to allow of Altars is to allovv of a true sacrifice which vseth to be offered on them an Altar and a true proper sacrifice beeing correlatiues of which th' one inferreth the other and so the one can not be auerred vvithout the other nor th' one denied vvithout the other And although as I sayd there vvāt not bookes of pietie deuotion in Englād to mooue the good to deuotion pietie and good life sinners also to repentance the beginning after faith of all good life yet I vvould not therefore be silent rather by the exāple of other vvriters I was encouraged to offer my myte my small endeauours also for the cōuersion of sinners to follow therein not onelie their examples but the exāple also of my Sauiour IESVS CHRIST his Apostles For he dyed for sinners and came not to call the iuste but sinners to pennance and he left nintie nine in the desert Luc. 5 to seeke out one sheepe that vvas last and he and his Angels reioice more vpon one sinner that doth penance Luc. 15 then vpon nintie nine iuste that neede no penance And his Apostles trauersed the world through many stormes of persecution to gaine the soules of sinners and to gaine them thought it no losse to loose their ovvne liues And as sinne through humaine frayltie doth so domineere in this life that as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal 13 All haue sinned and transgressed all haue declined there is not one that doth good no not one to vvitt so as not sometime to sinne so nothing is more necessarie in this life then penance it being the onelie remedie against sinne and the ground of Iustification and saluation In Paradise there vvas no penance because there vvas no sinne that place being à place of innocēcie In Heauen there is no penance because sinne being à miserie can not haue accesse to that place of felicitie In Hell there is no true penance because though there be sinne yet that place is a place of obstinacie and sinne there is not pardonable But in this life and vvorld penance is necessarie because this life is subiect to sinne and in this life sinne is also pardonable vvhilest the sinner liueth And therefore Holie scripture inculcateth nothing more then penance and repentance Ezech. 18. Math. 3. Luc. 13. Act. 2. Hieron epist 8. ad Demetr cap. 6. Penance as S. Hierom telleth vs is a second table after Shipvvracke by which vve may escape drovvning and svvimme out of the sea of sinne to the hauer and hauen of of grace Penance is a salue against all the vvounds of the soule it is a plaster against all her sores of sinne it is a soueraigne receite against all her spirituall diseases And vvhereas many vvoundes and diseases corporall are incurable by corporall physicke no disease of sinne in this life is incurable but onely finall impenitence because it excludeth pennance And vvhereas no corporall physicke can of old make vs young or of dead liuing againe pennāce will make the soule after she is old and decrepite by sinne younge againe by grace and newnes of lyfe 2. Co. 4 Eph. 4. 4. Collos 3. Epla ad Tit. c. 3. 1. Pet. 1. 1. Rom. 6. 12. Gal. 6. It maketh vs
face or forepart of the head can not be hidden but is exposed to the sight of all though in the inferiour members of the body it be seldome marked Euen so the faultes or euill examples of Princes or Superiours vvho are the heades of their subiectes are by by noted vvhen their subiectes faultes are not regarded and therefore it is sayd that Princes faultes are vvritten in their foreheades I saith Dauid am the Heade of my People King of my Kingdome so my faultes of murder against Vrias and adulterie with his vvife are so well knovvne to all my subiectes that they haue not onelie offended thee ô Lord but haue also scandalized them from vvhom they could not be hidden and haue giuen them the euill example to follovv me in my euill vvayes because the People follovveth the example of the King and thinketh they may doe that securelie which they see the Prince doe before them 2. Yea I haue not onely by these my greate sinnes scandalized the Ievvs my subiectes but also the Gentils 2. Reg. 12. and haue caused the enemies of thee my Lord to blaspheme thy name vvherefore hereafter for satisfaction of thee ô Lord and of the vvorld I will teache the vniust thy vvayes the impious by my meanes shall be conuerted to thee For as I haue heretofore accompanied the Ark which was thy mānour house with nables harpes cymbals trumpets and all musicall instruments Yea and haue daunced before it to honour and praise thy name 1. Par. 15. vvhich novv by my sinnes I haue caused to be blasphemed of thy enemies so I vvill again resume this my deuotion and although thou hast forbiddē me to build thy Temple because I haue beene a vvarriour so hauing defiled my hands with bloud am not fit to build it 2. Reg. 7.1 Paral 28. yet I vvill giue the charges of it and of gold I vvill giue a hundred thousand talentes and of syluer a thousand thousand talentes 1. Par. 22. But of brasse and iron there is no vveight for the number is surpassed with the greatnes timber and stones I haue prepared to all the charges I vvill dispose of the offices of the Temple Musicians and their instruments and psalmes and songes 1. Par. 23.24 25. 2. Par. 28. I vvill giue to my sonne Salomon a description of the porche and of the Temple and of the cellers and of the vpper loft and of the chambers in the inner roomes and of the house of the proposition c. And this sayth Dauid I will doe for satisfaction of my sinnes and for the glorie and prayse of thy name vvhich shall be praysed and honoured in this Temple till the Messias shall come And vvhereas I haue scādalized the Gentils they vvhen they shall be conuerted to Christian Religion shall in their churches sing day and night and I in them by the psalmes vvhich I haue composed prayses laudes vnto thee euen to the end of the vvorld Ps 56. I will confesse to thee amongest peoples ô Lord and I vvill say a psalme to thee among the Gentils And I shall teach the vniust amongest Iewes and Gentils thy vvayes vvhich if they follovv they shall attaine to life euerlasting the impious amongest them shall be conuerted vnto thee And this I will doe partlie by my psalmes in vvhich I teach thē to knowe thee to loue thee to feare thee to serue thee In vvhich I shall teach both Ievve and Gentill Christian Religion for I shall treate in them of thy povver Maiestie Iustice mercie and of all thy Diuine attributes yea in them I shall discouer vnto them the Incarnation of the Sonne of God his Conception Esa 11. Esa 9. Natiuitie life and death Resurrection and Ascension and partlie also I shall doe this by the exāples of my good life vvhich hereafter I vvill leade For as Iob vvas an example of patience and vvill be to the end of the vvorld to all that are in affliction So will I be an exāple of penance to all sinners I vvill by my example make them to hope in thy mercie neuer to dispaire of it For if I after so greate sinnes and so many haue found mercie at God his hands vvhat sinner may not hope to finde the like mercie if he be sorrie for thē as I haue beene If I a King would detracte so much tyme from the publique affayres of my Kingdome as seauen tymes in the day to praye and sing laudes vnto God Ps 118 If I vvould rise at middnight to Confesse to God vvhat shall other sinners doe vvho haue no such incumbrances If I a King haue laboured in much sighing If I euery night haue vvashed my bedd and haue vvatered my couch with teares Psal 6. If my eyes haue gushed forth issues of teares will other sinners thinke without teares and sorrow to get remission of their sinnes I Dauid crye then vnto you all who are sinners you who haue followed Dauid in his sinnes follovv him in his repentance and you will find mercie as he hath done 3. O Dauid I must needs confesse that as thou hast sinned greeuouslie so thy sorrovv and satisfaction for thy sinne hath been great as thou hast by thy euill vvorkes dishonoured God his name so by thy good vvorkes alleadged thou hast glorified God and by thy example hast caused also others to glorifie his name as by thy euill exāple thou hast peruerted many so by thy Heauenlie psalmes and wholesome documents in thē thou hast conuerted thousands shalt by them conuerte sinners to the end of the vvorld O great King Prophet thy sinnes indeede haue beene great but thy repentance also and satisfaction through Gods grace hath beene greate so great that J can not easelie say vvhether thou vvast more vnhappie in sinning then thou hast beene happie in repenting yea thy repentance hath beene so greate so honorable to God so beneficiall and exemplare to all the vvorld that I can scarce hold my selfe frō saying ô happie sinne of Dauid See the like speech in the benediction of the paschall candle O foelix culpa que talem at tantum meruit habere Redemptorem which vvas seconded by so rare and so exemplare a repentance and satisfaction 4. Graunte vnto me ô Lord saye so ô repentant sinner that as I haue imitated Dauid in his sinnes so I may follovv him in his repentance and satisfaction I haue by my euill examples yea persuasions allured others to sinne but graunt me ô Lord thy grace and in vertue of it I shall endeauour vvith Dauid to teach by vvord of mouth or by bookes or example the vniust thy wayes the impious thereby shall be conuerted to thee To sollicitate others by persuasion or euill exāple vnto sinne is the office of the Deuill vvho in all his tentations intendeth nothing else but to draw vs to sinne and not onelie to spirituall sinnes as pride enuy and
vipers to make me cry ofteÌ„ to thee for mercie to make me lament my miserie to endeuour alwaies to pacifie thee for my offence and to satisfie thee by vvorkes of penance for the iniuries I haue done against thee Tibi soli peccaui malum coram te feci vt iustificeris in sermonibus tuis vincas cuâ— iudicaris To thee onelie haue I sinned and haue done euill before thee that thou maist be iustified in thy wordes and maist ouercome when thou art iudged 1. I am an absolute King and soueraigne Prince made so by thee ô Lord and by thy goodnes authoritie so I haue no iudge nor superiour on earthe vvhome I need to feare or vvho can call me to an account or punish or pardon me and so in this sence I haue sinned against thee onelie because none but thou can call me to an account none but thou can Iudge punish or pardon me and therefore to thee onelie I confesse my sinne and cry peccaui and of thee onelie I craue pardon 2. I confesse I haue offended against Vrias in causing him to be murdered and against him and his Wife in violating her yea and against Ioab also in coÌ„manding him to expose Vrias to dauÌ„ger 2. Reg. 11. yet thee onelie I haue offended principallie because I haue transgressed thy lawe vvhich forbiddeth murder adulterie all sinne yet thee onelie I haue offeÌ„ded principallie because that which most aggrauateth my sinne is thy diuine maiestie vvhich I haue not feared thy diuine goodnes which I haue not regarded thy infinite power vvhich I haue contemned though thou onelie couldst by thy omnipotencie annihilate me by thy Iustice punish me euen vvith hell fier and by thy goodnes and mercie pardon me And so although I haue sinned against men yet my sinne especially shewed its malice in that by it I haue offended thee so great and so good a God who hast created me and all men who hast redeemed me and all men and vvho hast made me in particular King of thy people and hast taken the crowne froÌ„ Saul his head to put it on myne hast depriued his familie of the scepter to bestowe it on myne 3. To thee onelie haue I sinned because Vrias knew not of the wrong I did him Bersabee vvas consenting and not offended my sinne vvas done secretelie in my secret chamber none but thou ô Lord didst knowe of it and so in this sense also I offended thee onelie But ô inconsiderat vvretch that I vvas vvho chose to coÌ„mit this sinne because men saw me not vvheras I should haue feared to commit it because thou sawest me should haue more feared to commit it before thyne eyes then in the sight of all the vvorld But thou hast dealt Iustly vvith me because the sinne vvhich I thought to conceale from the vvorld thou hast diuulged to all the vvorld according as thou toldst me by the Prophete Nathan Thou hast done this secretlie 2 Reg. 12. but I will doe this word in the sight of Israël and in the sight of the sunne 4. And thou Christian vvho hast sinned with Dauid say also vvith him To thee onelie I haue sinned and doâ—â— euill before thee That is to thee onelie I haue sinned principallie for although I haue sinned against men as against my superiours by disobedience and breach of their commandements against my neigbour by detracting from his good name stealing his goods or killing or wounding his bodie and against myne owne body also by carnall sinnes in vvhich as S. Paules saith wee sinne against our bodie 1. Cor. 6. yea and against myne owne soule also in killing it spirituallie by mortall sinne vvhich depriueth it of the life of grace because as the vviseman saith Sap. 1. the mouth that lyeth to vvitt perniciously and to the notable dommage of an other killeth the soule Yet in all these sinnes I sinned principallie against thee vvho forbadst these thinges and my sinne is much more aggrauated in that it is against thee and thy infinite maiestie then in that it is against men of vvhatsoeuer dignitie they be the circomstance of the person against vvhom vve sinne aggrauating the sinne Say also ô Christian soule vnto thy God To the onelie I haue sinned and done euill before thee WheÌ„ in my secret chamber or in the darke night I sinned and hid my sinnes from the sight of men but not frou thy all-seeing eyes To thee onelie I sinned when in the secrete cabinet of my hart by thought consent resolution or vvill to sinne I offended thy diuine Maiestie for voluntas reputatur pro facto the vvill before God is reputed for the deed To thee onelie I then sinned because thou onelie vvast conscious of these my sinnes vvhich I could coÌ„ceale from men but could not hide them from thy all-pearcing eyes 5. But seeing that ô Lord in all my sinnes euen those that I committed against men I haue principally offended against thy diuine Maiestie hovv shall I dare to appeare before thee and thy dreadfull Tribunall vvho as thou art the partie cheeflie of 〈◊〉 so thou art the Iudge and vvitnes and accuser of all Thou art the supreme Iudge euen of Kinges and Emperours because thou art the soueraigne Lord and King euen of Kinges How shall I auoide such a Iudge vvho is so vvyse that he can not be deceaued so vpright that he vvill not be corrupted how shall I defend my selfe against such a witnes vvho knoweth the truth and neuer saieth but the truth how shall I excuse my selfe against such an accuser vvho because he knoweth all can prooue all he saieth I vvill therefor coÌ„fesse all so auoid all because confession of the fault is a vomit vvhich maketh the sinner cast vp all the fylth of sinne it is a lancing of the sore of sinne vvhich maketh the filthie matter runne out confesse before men and thou art condemned but coÌ„fesse before God and thou shalt be repriued yea quite pardoned 6. I will lay open my faultes that by thee ô Lord they may be couered I vvill confesse all that thou maist pardon all I vvill accuse my selfe that thou maist excuse me I vvill Judge condemne my selfe that thou maist not condeÌ„ne me according to the promise made by thine Apostle 1. Cor. 11. If vve did Iudge our selues we should not be Iudged that is condemned 7. I vvill make myne owne processe against my selfe that shall be to accuse my selfe to beare vvitnes against my selfe and to condemne my selfe and for my selfe I will pleade onelie Miscrere haue mercie vvash me more amplie from myne iniquitie that thou maist be iustified in thy vvords and maist ouercome vvhen thou are Iudged That is that thou hauing promised mercie forgiuenes to all repentant sinners maist iustifie and shew thy selfe to keepe thy promise in forgiuinge me vvho do so hartelie repent my selfe of my sinnes that I rue the tyme and moment that euer I sinned and so maist
of this last house more then of the first This vvas that at vvhich Dauid did ayme this vvas the butt of his desire to vvit God his honour and glorie not any his ovvne interest as appeareth by these his wordes which begin the next verse Tunc acceptabis sacrificium iustitiae c. Thou shalt then accept sacrifice of iustice oblations and Holocaustes then shall they lay calues vpon thine Altar For although the sacrifices of the old law did not iustifie of themselues yet when they proceeded from a liuelie faith they did iustifie as other good vvorkes doe and so might be called in this sence sacrifices of iustice 7. By this ô my soule thou maist learne a godlie lesson that is to be zealous vvith Dauid for God his glorie to prefer that before all priuate interestes to spare no cost nor labour that God may be honoured And if thou haue not the meanes to build a spirituall temple to his honour that is either to conuert a soule or thy countrie to true faith and holie life by teaching preaching or vvriting of bookes then to set others on that can to encourage them to ayde and assist them by thy meanes as Dauid encouraged and assisted Salomon to build that materiall temple for so though thou thy selfe doe not build this temple yet thou shalt vvith Dauid prepare the materialles and giue the meanes as he did to Salomon his sonne and so shalt be partaker vvith them vvho conuert soules and so build to God a spirituall temple in vvhich he may be honoured vvith the spirituall sacrifices of thankesgiuing prayer praises of his name the like England is English mens Hierusalem vvhich they must neuer forget in their prayers Psalm 136. but they must say as Dauid did If I forget thee o Hierusalem ô England let my right hand be forgotten And the true church of England heretofore great and glorious novv litle and obscure in the eyes of men by reason of the change of state and former persecution must be their temple to the restoring where of some must cooperat by preaching teaching writing and good examples others by encouraging their preachers and teachers and by ministring meanes vnto them and both must vvith Dauid prefer this common good flourishing estate of the Church and Countrie of England before all priuate respectes and commodities 8. But Dauid no doubt in an Allegoricall sense had a farther ayme to vvit at the Church and temple of CHRIST the second Salomon and the veritie of that figuratiue temple for Dauid hauing a more explicite faith then the ordinarie Iewes had beleeued explicitelie that the Messias CHRIST IESVS God and man was to come to saue mankind to that end was to build a farre more Auguste tēple then he his sonne Salomon could build out of this zeale he praieth to God to build the walles of this Hierusalem and to plant this temple of his church knovving that this Hierusalem and temple farre excelleth that 9. The founder and Authour of the first temple vvas the first Salomon the founder and architect of the tēple of the Church was Christ Iesus who feared not to say of himselfe behold more then Salomon here Luc. 11. because he knevv himselfe not onelie to be wise but also wisdome it selfe that temple vvas confined in Hierusalem this is greater then Hierusalem and all Ievvrie yea hath no other limites then the limites of the vvorld that temple and Synagogue comprehended onely the Ievves the issue of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and therefore God vvas onelie knowne in Iewrie Psal 75 and in Israel his name was great this tēple of Christs Church containeth Iew and Gentile and all the vvorld and therefore few were saued by that temple thousands and milliōs by this that temple vvas built of materiall and inanimate stones this of liuing stones 1. Pet. 2 according to that of S. Peter be ye also your selues superedifyed as it were liuing stones That temple vvas not built by Dauid the vvarriour but by peaceable Salomon this not by Alexander the great or Iulius Cesar nor any such warlike prince but by the peaceable Messias Christ Iesus the Prince of peace Isa 9. 3. Reg. 5. there vvere manie workmen vvho trauailed in the building of Salomons Temple seuentie thousand vvho carried burdens 3. Reg. eightie thousand hewers of stone in the mountaine besides the ouerseers which were ouer euerie worke in number three thousand three hundred The vvorkemen vvhich concurre to the building of Christ his Church are some Apostles and some Prophetes and other-some Euangelistes and other-some Pastours and Doctours and those Ephes 4 millions in number by preaching and ministring sacramentes shall vvorke in the temple to the vvorlds end to the consommation of the Sainctes vnto the worke of the ministerie vnto the edifying of the body Mysticall of christ vvhich is his Church There vvas heard no noyse of hammer or hachet and tooles of iron 3. Reg. 6. vvhen that tēple vvas built because the stones vvere hevved before they vvere brought to the building And in the foundation and building of the Church there vvas no noyse of armes or engins or instrumentes of vvarre by vvhich the Empires of the Chaldeās Medes Persians and Romās vvere built onely the preaching of a fevv vnarmed fishermen vvas heard and by vertue of that this goodlie temple vvas raised and dailie augmented notvvitstanding that Ievves and Gentiles Phylosophers Tyrants and all the vvorld stood in armes against the builders did all they could to hinder the building 3. Reg. 6 That temple vvas vested vvith gold this with a more precious gold charitie In that vvas a great lauer in this Baptisme 2. Par. 3. 4 which washeth the soule In that vvas the Altar of holocaustes of incense in this as S. Paul saith Heb. 13. we haue an Altar whereof they can not eate which serue the tabernacle In that temple vvere places separate 2. Par. 3 one called Holie an other Holie of Holies others called courtes In this there are diuers orders and degrees of Primates Archbishops Bishops inferiour Pastours many Religious orders 2. Par. 4. In that were tenne goldē cādlestsicks on vvhich vvere lightes to illuminate the Temple In this are the Apostles and their successours vvho are called the light of the world Mat. 5◠and they are candlesticks also vvhich shew the light of the faith to others In that vvas a cloud called the glorie of God 2. Par. 7. because it vvas a signe and figure of his Diuinitie In this the sonne of God Christ Iesus God and man was offered once bloodilie on the Crosse and euerie day vnbloodilie on the Altar Optatus Mileuitanus l. 6. contra Donatistas Agg. 2. which Optatus calleth Sedem corporis Domini the seate of the bodie of our Lord by vvhich it is manifest that as Aggeus long since prophecied Great is the glorie of this last howse temple and