Creed of Athanasius sayth this is the Catholike faith that we adore the Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity a secret incomprehensible and worthy of a high and generous Faith not cōmunicated to the rude people of the Iewes sauing a to few of more excellent vertue but to Christian people who in the schoole of perfection are taught to belieue all things that are proposed by the Church be they neuer so high and transcendent The first person of the B. Trinity Meditating the second point he shall obserue God the Father and the vnity of the diuine essence in the first Commandement for the first is the fountaine and beginning of the other as the Father is of all the deity and by forbidding to haue more Gods he teacheth that there is but one only diuine Essence which must be adored In the third point he shal note that the Sonne the second person of the Trinity is signified in the second Cōmandment for therein is verity and truth spoken of periury forbidden Now Ioan. 14. the Sonne is called Verity I am the VVay the Verity the Life And as the Sonne is ingendred of the Father so this commandement commeth from the first though in a diuers fashion For the fourth point remembring the third Commandement which speaketh of sanctifying the Sabboth he shall there find the third Person of the B. Trinity noted that is the Holy Ghost the true sanctification and repose of reasonable creatures And as the holy Ghost proceedeth of the Father of the Sonne and is as it were the bond of this diuine Trinity so though in different manner this 3. Commandment floweth from the two first and ioyneth them together in the execution of the worship of God In his speach and prayer he shal direct his hart and words to this diuine incomprehensible Vnity Trinity admiring praising and thanking him demanding aid helpe alwaies more and more to admire praise and serue him hauing walked some way that morning he shall sing the Canticle following both for deuotion and recreation together A Canticle of the three first Commandements which are a figure of the B. Trinity O ineffable Trinity Three persons in one Essence One glory One maiesty One wisedome One puissance ' Graue in my soule thy holy Faith Hope the liuely flame Of holy loue vnto thy law print in the entrailes of the same My Faith let see thy Greatnes my Hope let thee attend My Loue let seeke thine honour and nothing els pretend My Vnderstanding alwayes let humbly thee admire And let my Will sincerely to honour thee aspire My Tongue let praise thy Name thy goodnes and thy glory Thy Feasts in euery season be alwayes in my memory But if my tongue nor thought nor those of Angells neither Can speake or thinke inough of thee take my desires rather With hart lowly humbled thy maiesty I adore And loaden with the weight of sinne thy mercy do implore And he shall make an end saying Pater Aue Credo c. The After-dinner and Euening of the seauenth dayes Iourney A thankesgiuing for the first weeks well passed CHAP. XVII IN the Afternoone of this seauenth day the Pilgrime shall imploy himselfe to thanke God for all the goods he hath receaued of him and namely for this grace and fauour that he is come to the end of the first weeke of his Pilgrimage as to a station of his first rest and repose and he shall say thus either with hart A prayer to the B. Trinity or mouth Be thou blessed for euer O Lord and for euer praised of Angells and men and of all creatures in the whole world for to thee only belongeth benediction and soueraigne praise who art soueraigne power wisedome and bounty soueraigne Trinity in three Persons soueraigne Vnity in one Essence soueraigne Maiesty the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost O ineffable Trinity and sacred Senate Creatour Gouernour Redeemer of the world soueraigne Law-giuer of all good Lawes thy selfe being the eternall law God the eternall Law eternall iustice and eternall reward to those that feare loue and serue thee with all their hart and with the same hart keep thy commandements O infinite bounty doe me the fauour for thy owne sake and for the merits of that diuine person that descended from thy bosome O heauenly Father and by thy worke O holy Ghost was made man to repaire man that was lost that my Sabboth rest may be euery day in thy loue in thy feare and seruice in the obseruation of thy holy lawes that all the webbe of my life may be with such dayes and all my dayes composed of the houres of this repose And that at the end of my mortall course I may without end praise thy holy name and for euer rest in the bosome of thy blessednes With these and like prayers he shall passe the after dinner of his first weeke and shall take vp his lodging as he may after the manner of Pilgrimes The eight day Of the loue of our Neighbour and how one Man is Neigbour to another CHAP. XVIII THE Pilgrime hauing runne ouer the Commandments of the first Table which concerne the loue and worship of God he shall passe to those of the second Table appertaining to the loue and duty we owe to our neighbour that is to Angells and men For this worde comprehendeth both Neighbour vniuersally is mā to man though principally man is neighbour to man being neere allied one to the other not onely by likenes of their reasonable nature and of the end common to Angells and men which is eternall happinesse but also for the kindred both by the first Adam of whome al men descend and are brethren by that title and also by the second Iesus Christ by whome they are redeemed if thēselues be not in fault and knit together by a knot of holy spirituall brotherhood As then the three precedent Precepts are conteyned vnder one alone which is the end of all which biddeth to loue God with all our hart for himself so also the seauen following are conteyned vnder that which commandeth to loue our neighbour as our selues for the loue of God to help and assist him with our goods with our ability and industry and to do him no wrong and finally to loue him as our selfe Also S. Thom. 2. 2. q. 26. as there be diuers and different obligations among men so there be diuers degrees of loue and therefore S. Augustine sayth He leadeth a iust holy life who iudgeth iustly of things such is he who endewed with a well ordered Charity Aug. lib. 1. de keepeth himselfe from louing that he should not loue or from louing too much that he should loue lesse or from louing equally that he should loue differently or differently that he should loue equally The straitest bond that is amongst men is betweene Father and sonne and therefore the father holdeth the first place in the list
giuen vs so notable a pledge of his loue he must needes giue vs great cause of hope and trust in him There was nothing sayth S. Augustine more necessary to vphold our hope Lib. 13. de Trinit c. 10. then to haue some token of his loue and what token greater can there be then to see the Sonne of God vnited to our nature Now by the demonstration of this loue he hath most liuely inuited and incited man to loue him for there is nothing so naturall as to loue him of whome we see our selues beloued August de catech iudâ—â—us c. 4. VVherefore sayth the same Doctour if heertofore we were slow to loue yet now let vs be ready to render loue Moreouer could there be a more noble meanes to make man partaker of this supreme nature our happynes then by this alliance whereby God is made Man and man God To breake the hart and pride of the Diuell then to see the nature of man which he so much despised and abased to be exalted aboue the nature of Angells To tame his arrogancy and presumption and to remoue the yoke of his tyranny by a Man God man alone not being sufficient to satisfy and ouercome for mankind and God alone could not suffer being impassible To teach man humility the foundation of all vertue Phil. 2. seeing God not only humbled but also annihilated taking the forme of a seruant and suffering the death of the Crosse To teach obedience purity liberality deuotion prudence constancy Philip. 2. magnanimity and other vertues whereof he hath giuen so good instructions both by word and worke all his life long and specially in the three last yeares that he manifested himselfe to the world and most clearely and effectually in that admirable conflict of the Crosse To teach finally to doe nothing against the dignity of man so much honoured by this alliance Are these meanes effectuall inough to redeeme man Do they sufficiently declare the infinit wisedome of God Of the power of God in the same Mystery CHAP. XXVIII DOTH not the power of God also diuinely appeare in this mystery The power of God in the IncarnatioÌ„ for therein we see two natures infinitly different to be ioyned togeather the diuine and the humane and by a bound so admirable and so strait that remayning distinct and without confusion they make but one person the closest and neerest vnion that can be of thinges diuerse This therefore is a worke of one Almighty and a most manifest demonstration of an infinit power It is without comparison greater then that he shewed in the Creation of man in ioyning his spirit and body an heauenly soule with an earthly body making as it were an abridgement of the whole world for the soule was not infinitly distant from the condition of the body as the diuine nature is from the humane this was only to ioyne two creatures of diuers rankes and degrees but to ioyne the word of God with our flesh in one person is to haue vnited two natures infinitely vnequall S. Berna serm de Natiuit to haue made an admirable abridgement of the whole world and of the Author of the world and to haue inclosed infinitenes in littlenes and eternity in tyme. This is infinitely more then to ioyne East to West or North to South or heauen and earth together for such a coniunction should be of things farre different yet with some proportion and measure but this is of two natures infinitely distant the one from the other the diuinity with the humanity the infinit with the finit the most souerain maiesty with the least reasonable creature stable Eternity with floting Time the supreme power with infirmity impassibility with sufferance God with man the Creatour with his Creature which are so many exploites and testimonies of an Almighty power Motiues to the loue of God Heere then the contemplatiue soule shal admire shall prayse and exalt the wonders of this soueraigne God in this mystery he shall stirre vp himselfe to his loue seeing the effects of his wonderfull bounty to reuerence and respect seeing the signes of his infinit wisedome to his feare considering the greatnes of his maiesty He shall thanke the Father for sending his Sonne and the Sonne for taking our flesh by the will of the Father and also the Holy Ghost the bond of the Father and the Sonne and shall adore this diuine soueraigne Trinity one God in three persons all and euery one the maker of this admirable and principall worke greater then had beene the Creation of a thousand worldes The eight and twenty day and the seauenth of his Aboade Of the Visitation of the B. Virgin CHAP. XXIX THIS day the Pilgrime shall make his meditation of the voiage of the B. Virgin to the house of her Cousin Elizabeth The modesty of the virgin in her voiage whome she went to visit immediatly after she was saluted by the Angell For the first point of the meditation the Pilgrime shal take the first part of the history In those dayes Mary rose went quickly to the mountaines vnto a towne of Iudea he nameth not this towne as he did Nazareth because it concerned not the mystery of the visitation such a writer puts nothing superfluous in his history he declareth only the courage and diligence of the B. Virgin to vndertake and performe this Pilgrimage which principally he meant to report Here the deuout soule shall first cast her eyes vpon this heauenly mayd great with God Almighty walking the fieldes not with the traine or company of an earthly Queene in Coach or Litter garnished with veluet or cloth of gold with soft beds and cushions but in the simplicity of a daughter of Sion on foot in company of her Spouse Ioseph though assisted with a great company of Angels for the guard of him they caried and of her and followed her foot by foot through all the places she passed Secondly she shall consider the humility of the B. Virgin practising by worke the vertue which she professed in word Her humility in visiting S. Elizabeth calling her selfe the seruant of our Lord the greater goeth to the lesse the virgin to the wife the daughter of Dauid to the daughter of Aaron the mother of God to the mother of a man the mother of our Lord to the mother of a seruant which are so many proofes of an heauenly humility It was also very coÌ„uenient that she should excell in this vertue meete for the Mother of him who descended from heauen to her wombe by humility to beginne to walke in humility The Daughters of this world do not so for when they are by others exalted to any greatnes they make themselues also greater in their own hart and do highly disdayne their inferiours and the ordinary fashion of women with child is to become heauy and to seeke rest and ease of body This B. Virgin goeth another way as she
haue present the holy Apostles thy seruants wast receiued body soule into the heauenly habitations of the celestiall spirits as Queene of the Angels mother of their Lord maister The Prayer I Humbly beseech thee be my Aduocate in all tymes and places and deliuer me from sodaine and vnprouided death and when I shall passe out of this world defend me from all the temptations of the diuell that my soule may haue free accesse to the ioyes of my God and Sauiour Of the Coronation The Oblation Glori ∣ ous 5 O Most high glorious Lady Empresse of the whole world I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues one Pater noster to the glorious mistery of thy Coronation which was the accomplishment of all thy ioyes and the crowne of all thy deserts when thou wert exalted aboue the Angelicall spirits and to the blessed Trinity the Father Son and holy Ghost thou wert crowned and appointed Queene Lady of all and the defendresse and aduocate of all that inuocate thee The Prayer WE reioyce O B. Lady at thy exaltation and glory and beseech thee that froÌ„ the high throne where thou art placed thou wouldest remember thy poore children which wander heere in this vale of teares and that thou wouldest obtaine for vs plentifull gifts and graces that we may deserue with thee and all the holy Saints to enioy the B. Trinity Amen THE CORONE OF B. LADY THe manner of saying the Corone of our B. Lady consisting of 63. Aues six Pater noster in remeÌ„brance of the 60. yeares of her life euery Pater noster with the 10. Aues are to be sayd and offered in the honour and remembrance of 10. yeares of her life and of what 〈◊〉 did or suffered in that time with a prayer eyther before or after crauing those graces and vertues which most did shine in the actions of those yeares The Oblation of the 1. O Most innocent and immaculate Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues one Pater noster in honour of the first 10. yeares of thy life and all thou didst therein in honour of thy immaculate Conception miraculous Natiuity of a barren wombe of thy blessed infaÌ„cy and Presentation into the Temple and all thy vertuous exercises and deuotions there whereby thou wert disposed and prepared to be a meete mother for the sonne of God The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that I may offer my best first times to the seruice of God and by exercise of vertue and eschewing occasions of sinne I may dispose my soule to receiue Gods grace in this life and his glory in the next The Oblation of the 2. O Most happy and chosen Virgin I humbly offer vp 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of the high vertues which dayly increased in thee first vowing chastity and espousing thy selfe to chast Ioseph receiuing with ioy humility and resignation the ioyfull newes of the Incarnation of the Sonne of God in thy virginall wombe bearing thy Creatour swadling and resting him in the manger seeing him glorifyed by the Angells visited by the shepheards adored by the Kings circumcised presented and redeemed in the Temple at thy Purification didst nurse him and giue him sucke and stedst with him into AEgypt and there in a strange Idolatrous Country didst worke for his maintenance and thine The Prayer I Beseech thee obtaine for me part of these ioyes which in this tyme thou didst receiue and the imitation of thy chastity and speciall loue of pouerty which thou and thy sonne so greatly did imbrace The Oblation of the 3. O Most B and patient Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues a Pater noster in remeÌ„brance of thy poore pilgrimage entertaynement in AEgypt and in thy returne from thence the feares thou hadst at returning thy sorrow in loosing and ioy in fynding thy Son in Hierusalem and in honour of all that sweetnes and ioy thou receiuedst in the conuersation company of thy heauenly guest child The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that in all my pilgrimage of this life I may haue thine and thy sonnes company neuer long want the comfort of his gracious presence doctrine and Sacraments The Oblation of the 4. O Most happy gracious Virgin I huÌ„bly offer vp to thee 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of all that ioy and pleasure â—ou hadst in the presence of thy sweet Iesus eating drinking talking and wo king with him that giueth meate drinke speach and strength to all creatures The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that in all my life and actions I may be so conioyned with Iesus so communicate with him that whether I eate or drinke or whatsoeuer I do I may do it in his presence and to his onely glory and praise The Oblation of the 5. O Most ioyfull dolorous Lady I humbly offer vnto thee 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of those pangs and 〈◊〉 which after all the ioyes thou receiuedst by departing of thy Sonne from thee of thy cares and feares thou hadst of him and the excessiue griefe thou tookest when he was betrayed taken bound led captiue beaten spit vpon mocked whipped crowned with thornes blindefolded buffeted condemned crucifyed blasphemed pierced taken downe and buried in remeÌ„brance also of thy great ioyes in his Resurrection Apparition Ascension sending of the holy Ghost The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that among the comforts discomforts of this life I may remaine firme and constant at the foote of the Crosse with thee and thy blessed company that at last I may be partaker of the ioyes and glory of his resurrection and Ascension and of the comfort of his holy spirit The Oblation of the 6. O Most perfect patient and blessed Lady I humbly offer vnto theâ— 10. Aues and a Pater noster in remembrance of thy most holy life heere on earth after the Ascension of thy Sonne of the longing thoâ— hadst to be with him and loathing of this life of the light comfoâ—â— and example thou gauest to the Apostles and all Christians of thâ— zeale for the glory of thy Sonne of thy deuotion to his B. Body and often visitation of the holy places of his life Passion Resurrection The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that being heere on earth I may haue like longing to be with thy Sonne and loathing of this life with deuotion to all his remembrances and Sacraments The Oblation of the 7. O Most happy and glorious Virgin I humbly offer vnto thee 3. Aues and a Pater noster in honour of the last three yeareâ— of thy life of the ioyfull expectation of thy depositioÌ„ with most perfect workes and more feruent desires in remembrance of thy great ioy at the calling of thy Sonne and spouse of thy visitation of Angels and their heauenly melody the presence of the Apostles praysing and lauding him and finally in remembrance honour of thy most happy passage ioyfull Assumption and glorious Coronation The Prayer PRay for me I beseech thee that I may so liue as I may expect a ioyfull end and a comfortable passage that I may not want the rites and ceremonies of thy holy Church nor the comfort and company of thy seruants but may be protected by my good Angels my soule by them caryed where thou doost sit in glory and behold the face of the most blessed Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Amen FINIS
house then the earth a dwelling common to the beasts also and to the creatures of vilest and basest condition yea although he had not sinned this base world had beene assigned vnto him notwithstanding as a land of pilgrimage not painefull and wretched as it is now but gracious and honourable where hauing a while delighted himselfe with the contemplation of his Creatour and his goodly workes and in thankesgiuing for the benefits receaued of that supreme bounty without any death or payne he should haue mounted with his body to heauen his true Countrey there to raigne for euer in the company of Angels his countrey-men and fellow-cittizens The earth therfore was graunted giuen vnto him as a dwelling pleasant indeed yet not perpetuall but only for a tyme as it were in passing so by reason of this preheminence he was still a Pilgrime and no Cittizen Why mans pilgrimage heer is so paineful Now the cause why this pilgrimage is so painefull and full of miseries is the sinne of Adam for the which he was driuen out of the earthly Paradise and became a poore Bandit about the world and in him all his posterity and race of mortall children were depriued for the most part of the dominion of the world which was their portion and inheritance moreouer for this old fault and for other new dayly committed by themselues they are made subiect to cold heat hunger thirst wearines want dangers from men and beastes strangers one to another and enemyes one to another and finally condemned to a thousand miseryes incident to this life last of all to death that dolefull close of all our whole pilgrimage if it be not made in the grace of God The fourth point shall be to consider the course of the pilgrimage limited with two boundes our birth and our death 4. The bondes a small tyme for all whereas the lasting of tyme cannot be but short though the tyme were long yet lesse for some then for some other by reason of a thousand chances and accidents that trauerse and ouerthwart our life and doe hasten vnto many the boundes assignation of death The fifth point shall consider the saying of S. Peter 5. Man must liue like a pilgrime 1. Pet. 2.19 exhorting Christians in these wordes My well beloued I beseech you to abstaine as strangers and pilgrimes from carnall desires that fight against the soule And therupon we must consider the great blindnes of the most part of men who forgetting their condition and pilgrimage do liue vpon the earth as if they should abide there alwayes without euer lifting vp their eyes to heauen mans true country The speach shall be a summary of all these points The colloquy or speach of the prayer where the pilgrime hauing his soule enlightned by the light of this meditation and possessed with a new loue of heauen and disdaine of the earth and so much the more straightly vnited to his Creatour whome he hath perceaued to be so bountifull and wise in disposition of his guifts he shall speake confidently vnto his Maiesty and thanke him and intreat him demanding his ayde and help happily to beginne and end his pilgrimage in these or such like wordes O Lord with what hart shall I loue thee and with what tongue shall I prayse and thanke thee I say not for thy benefits receaued from thy holy hand since my first being but eueÌ„ for that which thou dost bestow vpoÌ„ me at this very time in the cleere knowledge of thy wisedome and bounty of my own estate conditioÌ„ I see O my soueraigne that thou hast created this world with an admirable variety of creatures ordayned for my vse and sustenance and that thou hast made me to be borne vpon earth endowed me with thy owne image and likenes there to liue not for euer as a Cittizen but for a small tyme as a pilgrime there to passe and walke there to serue thee as long as tyme shall last and after come to enioy thee for euer in heauen in that celestial Citty of thy Kingdom a Citty built of gold and precious stones vpon the foundations of eternity and rich in glory infinit treasures I see this world is but a pilgrimage a mortall and short race and that aboue thou hast founded the land of the liuing and the seat of our rest and repose for them that will passe this way-faring habitation in the obseruatioÌ„ of thy holy lawes O how great is thy liberality To make so small account of the guift present of the vniuersall world enriched and beautifyed with so many tokeÌ„s of thy greatnes as to giue it man only for his Inne and passage What a place then may that be which thou hast prepared for him to dwell with thee in all eternity If the common Cabbine for beastes be so magnificall what shall be the Pallace which thy Maiesty reserueth for him in the company of thy immortall spirits the Princes and Nobles of thy heauenly Court O my Creatour may it please thee to graunt me an inflamed desire to serue thee and meanes to enioy thee one day in the dwelling of thy pallace there and an assured direction of all my actions and affections to walke that way and to arriue there keep me from wondering at my Cottage forgetting of thy Pallace Ap ayer to the B. Virgin O most holy Virgin who already reignest there most happily exalted aboue the highest seates of honour help my infirmity with thy authority and whilest I am thy pilgrime towards thy litle-great house of Nazareth obtaine me the grace happily to accomplish my great pilgrimage begun from the wombe of my mortall mother which must be ended in the graue in the bosome of my other mother The earth our graÌ„d Mother If it please thee to aske thou canst not misse to obtaine all that is necessary for my end for how can the Father refuse thee who hath chosen thee for mother to his Sonne And that Sonne being the Sauiour of men how can he repell his Mother treating for my saluation And the holy Ghost equall to them both what can he deny thee by whose worke thou hast brought forth the Sauiour of the world receaued the Title of the Mother of God! Aske then O most mighty gracious Virgin the graunt is assured to thee in thy power grace and to me in this graunt the fauour and assistance of God The Pilgrime hauing armed his soule with this prayer taketh his refection for his body signing his forehead mouth and breast with the signe of the Crosse goeth out of his lodging on his way with the accustomed farewell to thâ—se of the house and he shall begin the steps of his pilgrimage vnder the protection of God and of the glorious Virgin his good Angell who must guide him as Raphael did young Toby The afternoone and euening of the first dayes Iourney The likenes of the Pilgrimage of mans
point shal consider that this honour worship is payed by the fine of the three Theologicall vertues How this honour is yielded to God Fayth Hope and Charity By Fayth we belieue that God is an essence infinite eternall incomprehensible one God in three persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost God that hath created the world and gouerneth it with his power and wisedome and hath redeemed it by his bounty and by his iustice shall giue vnto euery one according to his workes This is the subiect of Fayth and the rest that is contayned in the Apostles Creed By Hope we haue our soueraigne trust in him expect of him as of our first cause and last end help and succour in the necessityes of this world and eternall glory in the other By Charity we loue and serue him with all our hart aboue all thinges according to his titles of Maiesty adoring honouring him with the inward acts of our soule and outwardly by corporall workes agreeable to our fayth and inward actions also by first fruits and tithes of our goods but principally by sacrifices as the iust haue alwayes done before the comming of our Sauiour by their sacrifyces made of the bodyes of mortall creatures Masse the great sacrifice of the ChristiaÌ„s and afterward Christians by that of the Holy Masse wherein is offered vnto God the immortall body of his only Sonne in an vnbloody sacrifyce after the Order of Melchisedeth The third point shall obserue as conclusions drawne out of the two precedent that all those that adore many Gods giue the soueraigne honour due to God only to their Idols and false Gods as the Pagans did and doe still that they are Idolatours and breakers of his first Commandement as are also all other Infidels Iewes Turkes Heretikes Magicians Sorcerers and all sortes of superstitious people as also they that despaire or put their chiefe trust or coÌ„fidence in creatures of whome Hieremy sayeth Accursed is he that trusteth in man Ierem. â—7 5. that is as in God and that putteth flesh for his arme and draweth his hart from God They also that loue any creature more then God eyther Angells men women children goodes landes or any thing els whereby they leaue to serue God with all their hart or which is worse doe altogeather forsake him despising his Lawes and Commandements The fourth point shall teach To honour Saints is not against this commaÌ„demeÌ„t that it is not against this coÌ„mandment to honour with a second not soueraigne honour some creatures according vnto that degree of excellency that God hath bestowed vpon them as Fathers Mothers Kings Magistrats with a ciuill honour The B. Virgin the Angels and Saints departed and reigning in heauen with a religious honour to prayse them and pray to them and desire their help as being the friends of God and faithfull Hier. in Vigil epist. 53. Damas l. 14. ortho fidei c. 16. Basil in 40. Mart. Naz. ora 55. Cyp. Athan. Basil and charitable intercessours for our necessityes in heauen as when they liued they were vpon earth And this honour and seruice doth not derogate to the Maiesty of God but doth increase his honour praysing and honouring him not only in himselfe but also in his seruants whome he hath made heeretofore instruments of our saluation in his Church militant and afterwards glorious lightes in his Church triumphant where they pray him without ceasing and intercede for vs are carefull for vs as for the members of the same body In the fifth point he must consider how that Images and the honouring of them vsed in the Church of God Chrys de cateâ— S. Petri. is not repugnant to that part of the commandement which forbiddeth carued Idolls for an Idoll is the representation of a false Deity as those of the Paynimes that represented Saturne Iupiter and other false Gods or those that euery ones fancy did faine and forge vnto himselfe An Image is a representation of a true thing of God of Iesus Christ of an Angell of a Saint and the honour done vnto it is referred and redoundeth to the patterne therof and therefore as it is piety to honour Iesus Christ his Angells and Saints although with diuers degrees so also is it to honour their Images as things appertayning vnto them in that they represent them and as heÌ„ honoureth the King with a ciuil honour The Image of a king capable of ciuill honour who honoureth his Image so he honoureth God and his seruants deceased who honoureth their representations This is not therfore to adore the gold siluer wood stone after the manner of Idolatours but to honour God and his Saints in those thinges that represent their memory after the manner of Christians The speach shall giue thankes to God for the light of this his commandement and shall aske his ayde to performe it The after-dinner and Euening of this fourth dayes Iourney How the iustice of God doth shine in his first Commandement Prayers to auoyd the Idolls of false Christians CHAP. XI IN the Afternoone hauing made some Meditation proper for the day or some other spirituall exercise vpon the occasions of tymes How straitly man is bound to serue God or places he shall resume the pointes of his morning meditation and shall admire the iustice the importance and fruit of this Commandment for what can be more due and agreable then the soueraigne honour to the soueraigne Lord Supreme loue to the supreme Bounty Supreme respect to the supreme wisedome What more strait bond of Obedience can there be then of the creature to the Creatour of the sonne to the Father of the vassall to his Lord Liege To whose glory should man employe all the actions of his soule and body better then on him of whome he hath both soule and body vnderstanding will memory all the interiour facultyes of his soule his eyes eares nose tongue hands and all the exteriour parts and members of his body And finally of whome he hath his being of whome he dependeth by whome he is redeemed and from whome he expecteth endlesse glory So shall our pilgrime discourse and say vnto himselfe A speach to his soule O my soule adore this Lord seeing he is thy soueraigne serue him with all thy might seeing he is Almighty loue him with all thy hart seeing he is all louely serue him with al thy powers seing they come all of him seing thou hast nothing good that commeth not from him that made thee that redeemed thee who preserueth thee and hath giuen thee all this world and his owne only Sonne will giue thee himselfe at the last of himselfe prepare thee a blessed banquet and feast of felicity He shall speake also vnto God and say O my soueraigne Lord my Father my all in all be thou alwayes my Lord my Father my God and let me be alwayes thy seruant and thy sonne Let my vnderstanding adore
from the history of the creation of the world where it is sayd That God created light before all thinges This light was the matter whereof God framed the Sunne the fourth day as S. Denu sayth which is a figure of the Conception of the B. Virgin Gen. 1.26 S. Denis c. 4. de diu nominibus the mysticall light whome God brought forth without corruption out of the barenesse of Ioachim and Anne as of nothing therof afterward to forme the humanity of Iesus Christ the Sunne of the world and to cause of her to be borne both God and Man S. Tho. 3. p. q. 60. c. 12. the fourth day that is in the Law of grace which is the fourth estate o◠day of the world the first day hauing beene vnder sinne the second vnder the law of Nature the third vnder the law of Moyses Procl ser de natiuit Deiparat The second figure shall be the earth whereof Adam was made which was free from malediction wherto it was after subiect for sinne As therefore the first earth the matter of the first Adam was in the beginning without any curse or malediction S. Bruno Carth. in Psal 101. so the second earth whereof the second Adam Iesus Christ was to be formed was without the malediction of that originall staine in her conception Pet. Dam. in serm de virg Ass Dominic tract de corpore Christi The third shal be Gedeons Fleece wherein the Pilgrime shall consider that as the Fleece is ingendred without corruption and feeleth no passion of the Body so the Blessed Virgin was in her generation without sinne or any stayne of concupiscence a prerogatiue giuen only to her aboue al other children of Adam ingendred by the ordinary course in respect that she was to be the mother of God by another prerogatiue vnheard of before Luc. 2.44 Ieremy and S. Iohn were indeed sanctifyed in the wombe of their Mother notwithstanding they were first infected Ierem 15. Hier. in 3. Isa they were healed but not exempted from that wound The B. Virgin by a more noble priuiledge was preserued both from the wound and from the scarre thereof The third point shall consider some prophecyes of the same Conception Psal 84. as out of Dauid Lord thou hast blessed thy earth that is the Sonne of God who should preserue from sinne the Virgin that was to be his Mother Ar. ibid. Isid ad Floren. Also The Highest hath sanctifyed his Tabernacle that is the Virgin who was to be the Tabernacle of God and therefore was by him prepared and sanctifyed from the beginning with a sanctificatiō most meet for such a Sonne Psalm 48. and such a Mother In the same sense sayth Salomon Sap. 9. Wisedome hath built her selfe a house It is then a most perfect house seeing Wisedome it selfe hath built it a house all beautifull in the foundation and euery part according to an other prophecy Cant. 4. Thou art all beautifull and there is no spot in thee In the fourth point he must consider that for diuers reasons Why her conception was sāctified The first reason The 2. this Conception was to be exempted from Originall sinne 1. For that it was no way decent that the Virgin which should conceaue the Sonne of God should be marked in her generation with that spot which maketh men children of the Diuell for thereby the Sonne had beene some way dishonoured 2. Seeing that sundry seruants of her Sonne were both before and after her sanctifyed in their mothers wombe as Hieremy and S. Iohn as we haue sayd it were reason that the generation of the Mother of the Holy of Holyes should be honoured with some more noble prerogatiue and that not ōly she should be cleansed from sinne as other Saints were but also preserued from all vncleanesse in her Mothers wombe as she was in all her life The third 3. For that in this prerogatiue do shine the power wisedome and goodnes of God for heere appeared the worke of an Almighty Power in hindring that the poison which infected all the children of Adam in their origen should not in any sort touch either flesh or soule of her who was chosen to beare the soueraigne Physician of mankind There appeared the glory of his infinite wisedome Wisedom in that he could separate vnto himselfe a Mother free from all sort of sin therin appeared the liberality of his soueraigne bounty not only in hauing so plentifully bestowed his graces vpon this glorious Virgin but also in hauing preserued her from all euill Bounty from the first instant of her being These shall be the 4. points of his morning meditation out of all which the Pilgrime shall gather cōclusions either to exalt the greatnes of the diuine Maiesty and to admire it in this his worke or to stirre vp himselfe to the reuerence of the Mother of God and to enkindle himselfe to deuotion in her holy seruice to the glory of the Creatour admirable in th◠framing of this his Creature Be thou therefore eternally praysed A Prayer to God O Creatour of all thinges and soueraigne Maker of the Mother of thy Sonne Thou didst appeare great admirable in creating the heauēs the throne of thy Maiesty and the earth thy footstoole yet dost thou appeare more wonderfull in this worke for thou madest in her an heauen and earth of which stuffe thy Sonne was to make and take the cloake of his holy humanity a heauen which out of her substance should giue the Sunne of the world an earth that should bring forth the Sauiour of the world a heauen and earth conceiued miraculously of the barren to conceaue afterward by a greater miracle him that made heauen and earth and all things of nothing O happy houre that gaue the beginning to this diuine generation and more happy that measured the progresse and most happy that saw it perfect and finished To the B. Virgin O noble Virgin O noble seed of our heauenly light O earth of our fruit O mother of our saluation who can worthily speake of the course of thy life seeing the very beginning thereof exceedeth the tongues and capacities of men and Angells The After-dinner of the three and twentith Day Of the purity of Christian actions in their intention CHAP. XIIII IN the afternoone the Pilgrime shal attend as the day before to pious works shall hear◠the sermon diuine Office shall read some good booke shall conferre with his Ghostly Father or other deuout persons shall say his beads giue almes or beg for himselfe or others sing some Hymne of the B. Virgin or heare the Salue Regina song or some other for the tyme. In the euening he shall make his meditation in the Church vpon some point of his morning meditatiō labouring throughly to know and prayse the greatnes and goodnes of of God in the excellent purity of this Conception shall vnderstand
And as the Princes of the Church were visibly present at her departure so we may not doubt but that the most noble troopes of heauen were present also with Iesus comming himselfe Damasc de dorm it Virg. to receiue into his owne hands the soule of his glorious Mother being borne into heauen as the had first receiued him into her bosome being borne man into the world And heere Lazarus as if he had beene present in this noble company and had beheld with his owne eyes this heauenly starre ready to leaue the body and take her slight into heauen made this Apostrophe saying O my good Aduocate O faythfull Aduocate of all mortall men who in verity will call vpon thee I call vnto thee from the bottome of my hart and coniure thee by the great name of him who made thee great that it would please thee to succour thy poore suppliant frō thy throne of glory wherof thou goest now to take possession at the hand of thy Allmighty Sonne Obtayne of him for me O puissant Virgin what I demand of thee not gold nor siluer nor pleasures nor delights not renowne or glory of this life nor any other gift of this mortall world this is not the subiect of my suite O sacred Virgin but a feruent loue to his holy seruice a continuall exercise in his holy loue a resolute courage to suffer for his name a constant perseuerance in good workes vnto the last breath of my lyfe that my death may be of those that are precious in the sight of his Maiesty Diuers Farewells 2. A hunting 3. A supper 4. A knight saued a Priest carying his bowells in his hand 5. A spirituall discourse of hunting 6. Of hauking CHAP. XXIII THVS prayed Lazarus sighing and weeping Theodosius and Vincent ended at the same tyme and with the like affections Straight after they went to bid Tristram good morrow and whilst he made himselfe ready Lazarus got a breakfast ready After Tristram had sayd a few prayers they brake their fast togeather and had quickly done for it was too early to eate much Vincent payd their host for all for euery body Theodosius calling Tristram a part and taking his leaue of him Theodosius farewell I would I had the means quoth he to stay longer with you and to do you some seruice worthy of our friendship but seeing we must part I beseech you for the honour of him who hath called you from the fellowship of so dangerous a company as you were with and from certaine danger of death wherein we found you for the health of your owne soule for the loue and affection you beare me and that I beare vnto you that you will take to hart the execution of you purpose you made to forsake vice and to lead a life worthy of a man of a noble house God hath done you these fauours to giue you more if you vse these well And if you shall abuse them so much more rigorous will he be for your ingratitude how much the more liberall he hath beene to you of his mercy choose now for hereafter some estate or vocation wherein you may serue God and the publike profit there be inough such amongst Christians if you will follow armes you haue a faire field in the warres that are made against the Turke other enemies of God the Christiā faith there you may gaine a goodly crowne of imortality If you will serue God vnder the shadow of a peaceable quiet dwelling and at better wages you may enroll your selfe amongst the children of God in some religious house you know many you may choose the best You go now in Pilgrimage to Loreto aske deuoutly the assistāce of the Lady whom you go to visite that she will obtaine for you of her Sonne aboundant light to see and discerne what shall be most expedient for you and make you to touch and feele the breuity the inconstancy the vanity of this life the deceit of the world and worldly things the basenes of all earthly greatnes and to make you amorous and in loue of heauen This is the farewell which I leaue you for gage of my loue there Theodosius left Tristram answered him in few wordes Tristrā◠farewell Most deere friend Theodosius I esteeme the two meetings wherein I met with you amongst the greatest fauours that I haue receiued of the prouidence of God for in the first God hath by you opened the way vnto the liberty of my soule and gaue me courage to vndertake that which hitherto I haue executed In this second meeting he hath by you also deliuered me from the rage of men and beasts hath made me see by your instruction now what is meete for me to do hereafter I promise you my deerest friend that with the grace of him that guideth me I will performe frō point to point the resolution I haue made by your aduice I haue some experience of what is past which is sufficient to harden me against the flattery of the world and make me take part els where I haue begunne to estrange and sequester my selfe from it and to perceiue what od◠there is in seruing it him whome I adore I hope to remoue my selfe further from it to the measure of my trauaile and euery day to finde more and more tast and delight in the sweetnes of Vertue 〈◊〉 go ioyfully to Loreto with a firme hope that the B. Virgin will assist me make the bounty of her Sonne fauourable vnto me that I may choose what shall be best for his honour and myne owne saluation I beseech you remember me in your holy prayers as long as I shall be Pilgrime in this world I will carry in my hart the sweet memory of our cordiall and faithfull friendship Hauing sayd thus Theodosius taught him how he should carry himselfe in his pilgrimage how to pray and confesse and to vse other exercises of deuotion which Tristram learned with a wonderfull greedinesse and both beginning to weepe they imbraced ech other Tristram came after to Lazarus thanked him with a great affection for all his courtesies Lazarus agayne confessed himselfe obliged vnto him for his friendship and fauours afforded to his Cousin Theodosius in prison and in recompence thereof promised him all the seruice he could do him in France or els where as occasiō should be offered Tristram thanked him very humbly and made a reciprocall offer wheresoeuer he should meet him then imbraced him and so did Vincent Lazarus put about his necke a payre of beades like a scarfe for a noble chayne and gaue him three crownes the better halfe of their Viaticum Tristram tooke the beades as an honourable present but he refused the mony saying that it appertained not to Pilgrims to giue almes and seeing he was a Pilgrime he would begge At least quoth Lazarus Pilgrims may take it when it is giuen them and therfore you should not refuse it at
What are her pompes honours and pleasures and their lasting in comparison of that glory which expecteth vs in eternity A Glory worthy of Kinges and Queenes and Princely soules who know how to prize it in equall ballance and to seeke it with high and constant courage A Glory which I and this Pilgrime and all good Pilgrimes besides do most hartily wish vnto both your Maiesties after that you shall haue left vs many fayre and sweet Princes such as should come of the Lilly and the Rose who may all represent the image of their Predecessours their vertues who may be all worthy to weare Crownes and to be with their Father Mother crowned in heauen hauing first raigned heere after them long and worthily on earth Amen Your Maties most loyall Subiect and Beadesman E. W. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS and Argumentes of this Booke Chap. 1. PILGRIMAGES are agreable to God and commended in holy Scripture Pag. 1 Chap. 2 The Places most noble and famous in the world pag. 2 Chap. 3. Causes that make a place venerable Places meruaâ—lous in their beginning and of the admirable foundation of the house of Loreto pag. 3 Chap. 4. The house of our Lady called of Loreto is one of the three places most famous of the holy Land and of the causes why it was caried thence pag. 6 Chap. 5. How the house of our Lady was caried from Nazareth to Sclauonia and from thence to Italy and there also to diuers places pag. 8 Chap. 6. Why this Chamber of the B. Virgin hath beene so often remoued pag. 8. Chap. 7. How the Chappell of Loreto was knowne to be the ChaÌ„ber where the Virgin was borne and saluted by Gabriell and of the forme thereof pag. 9. Chap. 8. How the transport of the house of Loreto was verified by the Sclauonians and Recanatines pag. 11 Chap. 9. Of certaine meruailous transportes pag. 12 Chap. 10. Why diuers Historiographers of that time did not writ of that meruailous transport of the house of Loreto of many strange things not perceiued or neglected pag. 14 Chap. 11. Historiographers that haue written of Loreto Popes that haue adorned it pag. 18 Chap. 12. Dâ—uine proofes of the truth of this Chappell pag. 21 Cha. 13. Of the meruailous situation of the house of Loreto 22 Chap. 14. Places honourable by reason of their Antiquity That of Loreto most honourable in that respect pag. 24 Chap. 15. Places renowned by reason of diuine apparitions made therein and of those of the Chamber of Loreto pag. 26 Chap. 16. Places made famous by the habitation of holy men and Saints the house of Loreto most Noble in this respect pag. 29 Chap. 17. The house of Loreto admirable for diuerse diuine touchings pag. 31 Chap. 18. Places famous for some great and mysticall effects and Loreto more admirable then all pag. 32 Chap. 19. Loreto most renowned in miracles pag. 35 Chap. 20. How God doth miracles more in some places then in others pag 36 Chap. 21. Of the honour of vowes and offerings of Religion made at Loreto pag. 39 The Pâ—eparation and furniture of the Pilgrime Chap. 1. THE end and allegory of Christian Pilgrimages compasse of our mortall course signified by the number of Fourty pag. 43 Chap. 2. Of Praier Meditation and Contemplation pag. 47 Chap. 3. How Praier should be made and of the parts and vse thereof pag. 51 Chap. 4. Of Iaculatory praier pag. 53 Chap. 5. Of the Beades and the manner to say them pag. 53 Chap. 6. Of the Examen of Conscience pag. 56 Chap. 7. A generall distribution what the Pilgrime should do euery day and 1. Of the Credo pag. 58 Chap. 8. Of the Pater Aue and Confiteor pag. 59 Chap. 9. Of the signe of the Crosse pag. 61 Chap. 10. What the Pilgrime should do euery day pag. 62 The Pilgrime his setting forth first dayes Iourney Chap. 1. A Meditation of the condition of man who is to be Pilgrime in this life pag. 64 Chap. 2. A resemblance of the Pilgrimage of this life to Pilgrimages of deuotion The spirituall habits of a Pilgrime pag. 69 A Canticle of the Pilgrimage of this world pag. 71 Chap. 3. The meanes happily to performe the pilgrimage of this life is to suffer and fight vnder the banner of Iesus Christ and go alwaies forward in vertue pag. 72 Chap. 4. Euery Christian must suffer and beare his Crosse p. 76 Chap. 5. The true Christian must alwaies go forward in vertue pag. 78 Chap. 6. The commandements of God are the way of the Pilgrimage of this life pag. 79. Chap. 7. A Meditation vpon the 10. Cammandements of God in generall The 1. and 2. point Why the law was giuen with so great ceremony in 10. articles and two tables pag. 80 Chap. 8. The 3. and 4. point of the Meditation precedent The loue of God and of our neighbour is the end of the Law and the obseruation of the law proueth the same loue Motiues to the loue of God pag. 83 Chap. 9. A Canticle of the law of God the way of our life pa. 85 Chap. 10. A meditation vpon the 1. Commandment Thou shalt not haue no other Gods Thou shalt not make any grauen Idol pag. 87 Chap. 11. How the Iustice of God doth shine in this first CommaÌ„dement Praiers to auoid the Idols of false Christians pag. 90 Chap. 12. A Meditat. vpon the 2. Commandment Thou shalt take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine pag. 92 Chap. 13. Diuers Meditations and Prayers pag. 95 Chap. 14. A Meditat. vpon the 3. Commandment Remember to keep holy the Sabboth day pag. 96 Chap. 15. Of the Commandments of the Church and deuotion to the B. Virgin pag. 99 Chap. 16. The B. Trinity figured in the 3. Commandements of the first Table pag. 100 A Canticle vpon the three first Commandements a figure of the sacred Trinity pag. 101 Chap. 17. A thankesgiuing for the first weeke accoÌ„plished p. 102 Chap. 18. Of the loue of our Nighbour That one man is neighbour to another pag. 103 Chap. 19. A morning meditation vpon the fourth Commandement Honour thy father and thy Mother to the end thou maist liue long vpon earth pag. 104 Chap. 20. The workes of mercy spirituall and corporall p. 105 Chap. 21. A meditation of the fifth Commandement Thou shalt not kill pag. 107 A Canticle of the loue of God and our Neighbour 110 Chap. 22. Threates punishments against murtherers p. 111 Chap 23. A meditation of the 6. Commandement Thou shalt not commit adultery pag. 112 Chap. 24. How to keep chastity fly the vices of the flesh p. 115 Chap. 25. A mediâ—ation of the 7. Commandement Thou shalt not steale pag. 116 Chap. 26. Diuers considerations vpon couetousnes punished and liberalitâ— praâ—tised by the Saints pag. 119. Chap. 27. A meditation vpon the 8. Commandement Thou shalt not b are false witnesse against thy neighbour pag. 120 Chap. â—8 Of the nature and basenes of ly
merchants 2. The Manner to liue well 3. A sinner repelled from entering the Chappel of Loreto 4. Impossible to serue God and the world 5. How a man may be a good â—hristian and a good merchant 6. No estat without difficulty p. 304 Chap. 10. 1. The Trafiâ—ne of almes 2. A memorable history of Almes 3. A combat betwixt a wefil and a serpent pag. 313 Chap 11. Of the tentation of our Sauiour in the desert with what weapons and in what manner we must deale with the Diuel p. 319 Chap 12. 1. An admirable Combat 2. A Pilgrime together with serpents nourished by a stone 3. The ground of dreams 4. Three bandes of the world 5. How we must choose a religion 6. The end of worldly ioyes pag. 321 Chap. 13. Of the vocation of the first fiue disciples of our Sauiour Andrew and his companion whome the Euangelist nameth not Peter Philip and Nathaniell pag. 234 Chap. 14. 1. Nightingales 2. The Hermitage 3. The mysticall description 4. The charmed drinke pag. 339 Chap. 15. The Hermits prayer pag. 346 Chap. 16. A meditation of the 8. Beatitudes pag. 347 Chap. 17. 1. A description of the world 2. Her lawes 3. Her faith 4. Good mingled with the bad in this life 5. Horrible sights 6. Honourable to serue God pag. 349 Chap. 18. 1. Distraction and euagation of the mind in prayer 2. A meditation of the Passion of our Sauiour pag. 359 Chap. 19. 1. Gratian accused 2. Men transformed 3. Gratian knowne 4. Tables of Religion 5. Bagueuille 6. The desires of a deuout soule pag. 366 Chap. 20. A meditation of the descent of our Sauiour into hell and of his Resurrection pag. 383 Chap. 21. The first resurrection 2. A horrible sight pag. 385 Chap. 22. Of the life and conuersation of the B. Virgin after the ascension of our Sauiour and of her departure pag. 393 Chap. 23. 1. Diuers farewels 2. A hunting 3. A supper 4. A Knight saued and a Priest carrying his bowels in his handes 5. A spirituall discourse of hunting 6. Also of hawking pag. 396 Chap. 24. 1. The sighes and deliberations of a deuout soule 2. A meditation of the glorious assumption of the Blessed Virgin 3. Of the glory of Paradise pag. 422 Chap. 25. An exhortation to one lying in the agony of death 2. The affliction of Lazarus 3. His arriuall at his Fathers house 4. His farewell to his Father and the world pag. 428 THE PILGRIME OF LORETO Vowed to the glorious Virgin MARY the Mother of God That Pilgrimages are pleasing to God and recommended in holy Scripture CHAP. I. THE custome to trauaile from one Contry to another and to visit of deuotion certaine places hath alwayes beene vsual and commendable amongst Christians is also founded in the holy Scripture and in examples of all antiquity and is full of spiritual profit Pilgrimages of Saints There is nothing more frequently related in holy Histories then the pilgrimages of Saints Christian Monarches Emperours Kinges Princes great Lords and Ladyes and of all sortes of good people which custome continueth till this day in all parts of the world where the Catholicke fayth or ciuill prudence is in vigour and force The Scripture telleth vs of the voyages of Abraham into the land of Chanaan to the mountains and diuers other places Gen. 12. â— where he erected Altars and Oratories of Religion Gen. 26.3 Isaac was also pilgrime out of his owne contry amongst strangers The life of Iacob was full of pilgrimages places sanctifyed by him Gen. 28.2 Gen. 37.2 Act. 7.6 Ioseph his sonne was pilgrime in the land of Aegypt from his youth the Hebrewes after him for about 400. yeares A law for the Iewes to trauell thrice a yeare Exod. 23.17.54 â—4 The Law commanded all the Iewes dispersed through the whole world to trauaile thrice a yeare to Hierusalem to sacrifice at three solemne feastes to wit Easter Pentecost and of Tabernacles and in this third was principally obserued in remembrance of their Peregrinations There was a place in Hierusalem appointed for the buriall of Pilgrimes Iesus Christ would haue his birth honoured with the adoration of three noble Pilgrimes which were the three Kinges or Sages directed by a new Starre from their Country in the East to Hierusalem and from thence to Bethleem where the starre of the world was newly descended from heauen to earth and himselfe shortly after began to trauaile into strange countryes being a little child was carryed froÌ„ Palestine to Aegypt where he remayned Pilgrime the space of seauen yeares Iesus christ caried into Aegypt Mat. 2.21 there pilgrime 7. yeares Martyrol Rom. 7. Ianuar. Baron an 8. Christi and afterward being retourned vnto heauen and casting the beames of his Ghospell ouer all the earth he hath left many places honourable with the steps of his bounty hath giuen occasion to Christians to vndertake such holy pilgrimages so much the more couragiously as they haue more places then the Iewes had to acknowledge and prayse God in some peculiar sort to obtaine and gather the fruites and guifts of his graces All which reasons haue induced me to write this manner of performing the pilgrimage of Loreto which is one of the most notable and famous in Christendome by this particuler platforme to teach also how at all other places we may behaue our selues in this exercise of deuotion thereby to performe it like good Christians and to help our selues in the way of vâ—rtue and perfection towardes life euerlasting The places that are most noble and famous in the world CHAP. II. AS in all actions that are prudently forecast it is requisite to regard the end and to prouide meanes proper to obtaine it The end and motiue of the actioÌ„ and as it were the marke of the agent so likewise in a pilgrimage wisely vndertaken we must know the place whither we goe which is the end and marke we shoot at and also know the way thither and how to performe it which are the meanes The knowledge of the place of the scituation of the qualityes conditions thereof prouoketh encourageth and strengthneth a man to goe and visit it and by a secret hope and alacrity nourisheth deuotion the rest is of necessity I will speake first of the first and of the house of Loreto which is the end and motiue of all this action and after of the meanes to goe thither and accomplish the voyage Of all the places of this vniuersal world The moâ—t remarkable places of the world The heauens The holy Land the Heauens are the most noble in greatnes lasting and beauty as being the pallace and throne of God Of all the places of the earth Palestine hath alwayes beene the chiefe for many diuine prerogatiues both of nature and grace wherwith God in old tyme had honoured it aboue all other nations but principally since the comming of his Sonne who hath illustrated it with infinite number
of miraculous workes and at last performed the redemption of man therein sanctifying so many places as his holy humanity had touched and especially aboue all other The chaÌ„ber of Loreto the abridgemeÌ„t of all holy places that which we now speake of which iustly we may call a collection of all the holy places of the world and verily the Holy of holyes in the Temple of God as only and alone hauing beene sanctifyed by all those causes togeather which seuerally are wont to make other places holy and honourable as I will now shew more in particuler as it were setting a starre before the Pilgrimes eyes to guide him VVhat causes make a place venerable Places meruailous in their beginning and of the admirable foundation of the house of Loreto CHAP. III. THE titles that make a place venerable are these Titles that make a place honourable The meruailous beginning the Antiquity diuine Apparitions the habitation or touching of some Saints the mysteries the great effect and miracles the vowes and presents of Religion All which God hath ioyned togeather each one as it were stryuing which should be highest in this house to make it admirable to the honour of his mother before the eyes of mortall men Let vs consider each one a part The beginning of a place makes it venerable when it is accompanyed with some notable The beginning 3. Reg. 6.7 strange or wonderful thing So we read that the building of the Temple of Salomon was wonderfull specially in that there was not heard therein the sound of any hammer or saw nor the noise of any Iron instrument where notwithstanding there must needs be an infinit number of workmen and tooles this royall building of the Temple being the most accomplished and perfected in all varietie of the parts and workemanship and the most stately costly in the matter that euer was the nouelty of this wonder had beene incredible if the Scripture it selfe did not warrant vs 1. Pâ—â—al 29. and facilitate the credit thereof telling vs on one side how Dauid left the principall necessary stuffe Salomon caused it to be fetched from other places ready fashioned and framed for the worke on the other side aduertising vs by reason of this meruaile to meditate a mystery of a future Temple which Iesus Christ the true Salomon A mysticall meruaile and true Dauid both triumphing in his heauenly kingdome in aboundance of euerlasting peace shall build of his chosen liuely stones which he causeth to be hewed and polished in this world at the cost charges of his owne precious bloud and with great noyse and blowes of manifold persecution The Temple then was admirable in the beginning with such a wonder Admirable also was in the beginning that wall which Titus the Emperour caused to be made with many Bullwarkes about Hierusalem Ioseph lib. 5. de bello Iud. c. 31. when he besieged it compassing the citty round about with a wall of 39. furlongs which are about two ordinary leagues and building 13. Fortes or Bullwarks in diuers partes thereof hauing each 10. furlongs in compasse which is 250. paces and all this in the space of three dayes This was made to bind in the assieged that none might enter to succour them or come out either to seeke aide or to saue themselues This worke was wonderfull for being extraordinarily aduanced by the secret hand and help of God furnishing and prouiding the enemies of this ingratefull and peruerse people of force and industry thus to presse them and make to them a straight and dolefull prison the head Citty of their country and the place of their delight for euer heeretofore and namely 42. yeares before when they thrust their Sauiour out therof to crucify him And then was fullfilled the prophecy of the same Sauiour when weeping ouer the citty Luc. 19. he sayd Thyne enemies shall besiege thee round about and shall compasse and inclose thee on euery side Iosâ—ph lib. 5. de bello Iud. c. 31. Ioseph the Iew an eye-witnesse of this siege did note this wonder not knowing the cause nor the prophecy and sayth that as soone as Titus had resolued to make this wall the souldiers and Captaines were presently stirred with a certaine extraordinary heate in labouring euery man striuing who should be the best mason or workeman labour most willingly and diligently in his quarter And Titus first besieged them vpon this wall the third day after it was begun being thus encouraged to batter these obstinate mutiners who were greatly amazed to see themselues enclosed in such a wall almost in a moment The Ecclesiasticall history telleth vs Iap to 5. Sâ—â— to 6. that after S. Clement was cast into the Sea with an Anker about his necke there was found a little Chappell of marble meruailously built in the place where he was drowned the Sea by another like wonder retyring it selfe one mile within the channell to discouer this holy treasure hidden within it and to make a drye way to those that of deuotion went to honour it according vnto the common custome of ChristiaÌ„s These and such like places are made honourable by the wonders that happened in their beginning The chamber or house of Loreto hath beene honoured in this kinde aboue all the houses that euer were in the world not in respect of the first building which was finished by the common artizans of Nazareth nor for that it was beautified with a goodly Temple which Helena the mother of Constantine caused to be built hard-by S. Helen built a Temple in Nazareth but in that it hath beene transported by the Angells from one country to another and from one place to another in the same country consequently so often built with miracles neuer heard off before and much greater then if it had beene built by the Angells themselues that transported it For if the Angells had built it where it is or els where as it is it had beene wonderfull by reason of the workemen but not of the worke which might haue beene made by the industry of men as it was at the first but being transported from the first seate as we will shew after it is made admirable both by the workmen and the manner of the worke this transporting and transplanting exceeding all the power and industry of all the Enginiers and Builders in the world though they had the handes of a hundred Briareuses of a hundred Archimedeses Briareus with an hundred handes and therefore we may say that this Chappell is builded with such miracles as neuer any building was before that in this respect it was the most noble peece of worke that euer worldly eyes beheld The which the better to pierce and penetrate we must consider with the obiect of the circumstances How the house of our Lady called of Loreto is one of the three most famous places of the Holy Land and the causes why it was remoued
manifest by extraordinary meanes as hath beene sayd Secondly what could men promise to themselues or expect of this inuention of so small assurance not only in the truth but also in the apparence of probability but only confusion and shame when it should be discouered and found false which must needes haue happened quickly Thirdly if the thing were false how could it be done that none should percaue it Or if they did perceaue it that none did contradict it But cleane contrary all people of learning and conscience that haue written since haue spoken in the confirmation of this common beliefe none being found but only these deceaued people who with Luther without reason haue opposed themselues thereunto as well as vnto other articles of the Catholike faith and that so much the more obstinatly by how much the more they haue conspired to discredit contradict all that concerneth the honour of the Mother of God such as this history is Diuine proofes of the verity of this Chappell CHAP. XII THE foresayd proofes are pregnant and the firmest that men can furnish yet such as may some way be denyed Miracles done 〈◊〉 Loreto are witnesse without exceptioÌ„ and contradicted being but humane Therefore that this verity may be declared and confirmed from heauen and without contradiction God hath giuen diuine proofs such as conclude a discourse assured and irreprouable Such are the euident and innumerable miracles that haue beene done by the Motâ—er of God in this sacred Chappell and are there continually done works of his owne hand diuine approbations and soueraigne testimonyes of verity for it is God that there speaketh Miracles are the truth of God alone and none but he can be author of such language And if the opinion men haâ— of the place were false not only he would not haue wrought any miracle in fauour of them that should haue honoured and visited it with such opinion and belief but as he detesteth all falshood specially in matter of Religion so would he haue discouered and confounded such a lye with some exemplar punishment and the proofe is so strong and irreprouable that the Diuels themselues though sworne enemies of truth haue beene compelled to confesse adore publish it For as Hierome Angelita recounteth one amongst them called Arctus A womaÌ„ brought to Loreto 1489. that did obstinatly possesse a certaine woman of Grenoble that was brought thither the yeare 1489. and from whome diuers of his fellowes had beene cast out being commanded and adiured on the behalfe of God to tell amongst other thinges what he knew of this Chappell in the which his companions had beene so grieuously tormented he sayd after much tergiuersation to his great griefe that he knew by good token that it was the chamber where Mary was saluted by Gabriel receaued the message that she should conceaue the Sonne of God shewing also that she prayed at that tyme in that part that answereth to the Ghospell corner and that the Angell saluted her for the greater reuerence from the opposite corner and the furthest place of the chamber And these yeares past How 〈◊〉 wherin the testimonie of the diuels is to be receaued a spirit of the same family speaking in a possessed person of Romerantine being demanded about this matter of Loreto if he knew that this was the chamber of the B. Virgin the Mother of God he answered that she made him and his companions know it too wel These testimonies were not to be admitted and receaued as comming from the house of lyes were it not that being adiuâ—ed on the behalfe of God they are constrained as offenders vpon the Racke to tell the truth though against themselues not daring to lye befor their soueraign Iudge S. Iustin Minutius in Octauiâ— Lactant. l. 2. cap. 16. S. Athan. in Vita S. Antoniâ— S. Cyp. ad Demet. in this respect their testimony is of credit Therefore it is that S. Iustine Minutius Lactantius S. Athanasius S. Cyprian and others ancient Fathers disputing against the Heathens vsed oftentimes this argument how they did whip those aduerse spirits their pretended Gods coÌ„strayning them to speake and depose in fauour of Christian Religion against the vanity of their fond superstitions Of the meruailous scituation of the Chamber of Loretto CHAP. XIII BESIDES the beginning of this heauenly house we must also marke two wonders in the scituation thereof the one that being of foure corners longer then wide aâ— hath beene saâ—d it was in such sort placed that in length iâ— standeth towarâ—s the East and West of the Equinoctiall The rysing and setting of the Equinoctiâ— in March Septembâ—â— as weâ— in the Spring as in Autumne that is in March SepteÌ„ber leuelling ouerthwart with the two former corners to the two Eastes and with the two hinder to the Wests of the Solstice oâ— Summer and Winter in such sort as the middle line drawnâ— from one end goeth iust towardes the Sunne rising in March and September the other to the setting in the same months The meruaile of this consisteth heerein that this mystical placing doth signify vnto vs the two mysticall monthes Marcâ— the first month of the holy yeare Our Sauiour coceaued crucified in March honoured with the Incarnation and Passion of our Sauiour for in that month he was conceaued and suffered for the Redemption of the world September the first month in the Creation of the world and of the ciuill yeare â—nobâ—ed by the natiuity of the B. Virgin the Mother of our â—auiour Therefore it seemed that the Angels would place this house to the end that this faire morning starâ—e in this season should salute in her rising and setting the ancient Pallace of the marriage of our Sauiour and Creatour with our humane nature and of the birth of his glorious Mother the visible sunne honouring the house of the inuisible of the virgin starre and spirituall morning more bright and cleere then a thousand sunnes performing the rest of the year the same salutation in crosse and ouerthwart in reuerence of the death of the same Sauiour the rising in the Winter answering to the setting in Summer and the rysing of Summer to the setting of Winter forming in such an opposition a Crosse ouerthwart O spirits meerely diuine and most skillful builders that could so wel accoÌ„modate the scituatioÌ„ of this pallace and therein represent by shaddowes and lightes such goodly mysteries of the Creator towards his creature so iust offices and duties of the Creature towards the Creator The second meruaile in the scituation of this house is that it is sustayned and standeth vpon the earth without foundatioÌ„ How the â—aâ—tâ—â—eth in the midst of the world more priuiledged heerin then the earth it selfe which placed in the midst of the vniuersall world standeth fit me indeed vpon the aire without any human art yet it is founded resteth vpon the bases of his owne nature where
we see that all Palestine in generall is called the Holy Land because it was inhabited and haunted by Abraham Isaac Iacob and other holy Patriarches but principally because the Sauiour of the world being made man there conuersed with men and hath sanctifyed it by his pilgrimages therein after him the Apostles and other the chiefe and first ornaments lights of the primitiue Church In particuler we read of diuers places inhabited by Saints to haue beene in great honour reuerence Places holy by the habitation of Saints as among others was that Denne in the desert where S. Iohn Baptist dwelt froÌ„ his childhood vntill he came forth to preach pennance testify Iesus Christ Also Bethania the house of Mary Magdalen and Martha neere vnto Hierusalem Io. 11.18 where our Sauiour raysed their brother Lazarus from death at which place S. Hierome sayth was built a Church for christians All Aegypt and Syria Hier. de locu sacru was heeretofore full of places sanctifyed in this sort as there be also many such yet amongst Christians But if euer place were priuiledged in this respect it is this Chamber of the B. Virgin for it hath receaued and entertayned for guests and inhabitants the noblest persons of Heauen and earth Nicâ—ph l. 〈…〉 First the B. Virgin was there borne and brought vp vntill the third yeare of her age when she was presented in the Temple of Hierusalem where hauing remained eleauen yeares or therabout she returned to Nazareth remayned there almost vntill the death of our Sauiour Iesus Christ the holy of holyes dwelt there after his returne out of Aegypt about the seauenth yeare of his age 〈◊〉 9 5â— vntill the thirtenth yeare when he began to manifest himselfe to the world and not to haue as he sayd to those that desired to follow him any house of his owne wherein to rest his head I speake not of S. Ioachim S. Anne Luc. 9.58 S. Ioseph that dwelt there also neither of S. Zachary S. Elizabeth S. Iohn the Apostles and Disciples of our sauiour and all those worthy lights of the Law The Saints who dwelt in the house of the B. Virgin and the Ghospel both before the death of our Sauiour and after who were all often there It is inough of these two starres Iesus Christ I meane and his glorious Mother and especially of the one of them not only to exalt the dignity of this little house aboue the greatnes of all royall pallaces that euer were but also aboue the maiesty of Salomons Temple and aboue the sanctity of all the holy places held in veneration all the tyme of the Law of Nature and of Moyses inough to make this house to be truly called an heauenly Pallace or a terrestriall Heauen where God and his heauenly and angelicall Court doth dwell For who can doubt but that the sacred Trinity was there daily present after a speciall and singular manner the Father and the Holy Ghost with the Sonne when this Sonne the selfe same essence with them cloathed with our Nature dwelt there corporally visible and continually And there being God in his Maiesty The court of heauen could the Angells Archangells Principalityes Powers Vertues Dominations Thrones Cherubims and Seraphims faile to be there in state and magnificall array to admire serue adore this supreme Deity this diuine Humanity O little House 9. orders of Angels O royal Pallacâ— O diuine lodging O sacred Cabinet O paradise not earthly as that of Adam but heauenly seeing thou hast entertayned within thee the God of maiesty the felicity and happines and most bright and glorious light of heauen How the house of Loreto is admirable for diuers diuine touchings CHAP. XVII OF this habitation whereof I speake ensueth another cause which doth greatly aduance the honour of this place in a thoâ—sand manners For since our Sauiour The fifth cause of touching his holy Mother and diuers other Saints dwelt there how often in this their dwelling lid they sanctâ—fy it by their comming and going by their breathing and looking by their holy talke communication by the spirit and fire of their prayers and by so many workes of Religion of piety of mercy and other actions of vertue which they did during their residence there How often hath the holy Humanity sighing for our miseries Iesus Christ honoured this House sanctifyed with his breath the walles of that chamber How many tymes walking and working therein hath he hallowed it with his steppes of Obedience How often longing sighing after our RedeÌ„ption hath he honoured this house by there laying vp his sighes and desires How often hath the glorious Virgin his Mother made this place honourable by the offices and seruices of Charity of deuotion of piety of teares other signes and markes of sanctity Chaines sanctifyed And if by the only touch of the Apostles or Martyrs bodyes bandes and iron chaines haue become more noble then the Crownes Scepters of Kings and haue receaued power and vertue to expell wicked spirits to heale innumerable diseases and to raise the dead what glory and satisfaction shall we thinke that this little ChaÌ„ber hath receaued so often honoured with the conuersation of these most holy guests Which hath beene so familiarly visited and haunted by the presence of such noble bodyes Which hath beene so cleerly enlightned by the beams of these diuine stars And if the Crosse The Crosse which was the bed of our Sauiours last ill rest and torment if the launce which pierced his side if the sponge which reached him Vinegar to drinke if the thornes that crowned his head if the nailes that pierceâ— his handes feet if the other instruments of his paine and Passion if the Sepulcher that lodged his body if so many places as this body touched were made diuine by a short touch and as it were in passin g who will doubt but that ground of this holy house troden on by the feet of this Lord and Lady ayred witâ— their breath touched with their handes for so many yeare hath beene thereby singularly sanctifyed What place therforâ— in the earth what habitation in the whole world is more noble and honourable by this title then that of Loreto Places famous for some great or mysticall effects and that heerein Loreto is more admirable then them all CHAP. XVIII The sixth cause of mystery THE holy Scripture as also profane Histories do reporâ— vnto vs diuers places that are made memoraâ— by thâ— sixt cause that is by some high and secret worke by some action of rare vertue some sacrifice some battaile some victory some sacrament or some other thing verily diuine or sâ— accounted The old Testament recoÌ„mendeth vnto vs the mouÌ„taine Moria made noble by the obedience of Abraham Gen. 22.2 when hâ— layd his sonne Isaac vpon the Altar to sacrifice him The mouÌ„â— Thabor was made famous by the noble victory of
their health and recouery of body or soule or both togeather F. Horatius Turselinus hath made a Catalogue of those he knew himselfe there haue beene many thousands which men haue not knowne written in the booke of God Secret almes great merit Mat. 6.4 who can well find their names in the day of generall Iudgement to giue them openly and in good company the reward and recompence of the good they haue done for his name in secret The wretched misbelieuer who draweth poison out of all this good iuice and turneth light into darkenes will say that this was the marke wherat the couetousnes of Priests did shoot and that to obtaine that they haue so much preached magnifyed this place drawing thither all the world by affected commendations but the faythfull which haue eyes to see the workes of God doe acknowledge the treasures of his heauenly blessing hauing by the meanes of this sacred House brought aboundance of all good as heeretofore to the house of Obededom by the presence of the Arke of Testament 2. Reg. 6. not for to fill the auarice of the Priests but for his owne glory for the ornament of his house and for the maintenance of his seruants and of the poore for all which there is spent euery yeare 30000. Crownes Moreouer it is answered to Calumniatours and misbelieuers that this place hath not beene made famous by the tongues of men this not being in their power but by the wonderous workes of God euen before men could frame any designement of the celebrity of this place or settle any hope of temporall goods therein it is the hand of God that hath done this great worke and hath wrought these blessinges and whosoeuer doth attribute it vnto auarice he is ignorant of the power of God and blasphemeth against his graces and benefits But leauing these calumniations of those that haue lost their fayth let vs say for the end of this discourse that seeing the proofes which we bring doe manifestly teach that the markes and tokens whereof each one might make a place honourable are found altogeather in this place we must necessarily conclude Loreto an abridgement of all holy places that it is an abridgement of all the holy places in the holy Land and of all Christianity as we sayd at the beginning and therefore a place worthy aboue all the places in the whole world to be honoured and visited It remayneth now to speake of the preparation furniture of our Pilgrime and to declare the condition of all mortall men and after to set downe the meanes and way happily to performe his pilgrimage according to the lawes and rules of that condition THE PREPARATION AND Furniture of the Pilgrime Of the end and Allegorie of Christian pilgrimages and of the continuance of our mortal course signified and taught by the number of Fourty CHAP. I. THE Pilgrime of Loreto hauing beene instructed in the knowledge he should haue of the place All men pilgrims vpon the earth must now take some aduertisements and afterward learne the necessary meanes to vndertake and performe his voyage He shall note then in generall in the first place that all men haue euer beene and are still in their condition pilgrimes and trauailers vpon the earth as the liues and wordes of Saints do teach vs and these whome we call in special pilgrimes to certaine places of the world doe no more sauing that they doe that of a speciall purpose and desire which all mortall men do of necessity walking to their graue if they be prudent Pilgrimes drawing towardes their heauenly couÌ„try Of this we haue diuers examples and figures in diuers ages of the world The Patriarcheâ— who trauailed in the law of nature In the law of Nature we know the pilgrimages of the holy Patriarches which we touched before and shall declare further for it is a point meet for the Pilgrime to know we know the voiages of Abraham who going out of his Countrey of Chaldea by the calling of God became a straÌ„ger and pilgrime in the land of Canaan of Iacob who trauailing from Canaan to Syria saw in his sleep a wonderful Lader of the pilgrime Iacobs trauailling from Canaan and the vision of the lader reaching vp vnto heauen hauing God leaâ—ing on the toppe thereof and the Angells ascending and descâ—nding vpon the same his children also to wit the Hebrews were Pilgrimes in Aegypt three or foure ages before the Law and after the law was giuen in the mountaine of Sina they walked pilgrimes in the desert of Arabia fourty years at which tyme they had the Arke of the Testament as a Tabernacle a moueable Temple to carry with them for their comfort solace of religion in their pilgrimage Afterward being come to the land of promise all the iust and holy men among them caried themselues as pilgrimes So Dauid for al sayd vnto God I am a stranger and pilgrime before thee Psalm 38 18. aâ— all my forefathers were Therefore these particuler pilgrimages were figures and mysticall instructions of mans condition and the wordes of this King and Prophet containe an exposition of the same In the law of Grace Pilgrims of the law of Grace Christians haue so much cleerer acknowledged this condition and directed their life according to the forme of true pilgrimes by how much the more they haue receaued the light and heate of the Holy Ghost so much the more piously and diligently haue they practised these particuler pilgrimages to holy places and namely to this holy house as well in Galilee as in Italy since it came there as they haue receaued more aboundance of truth of loue and of desire of the life to come and other guifts of the same spirit The pilgrime shall marke this instruction as being the mayne and maister-point of his pilgrimage Three ends of pilgrims as he shall perceaue by by by an expresse meditation In the second place he shall note that these Christian pilgrimages are vndertaken principally for three ends all which tend to one which is perfectly to performe the pilgrimage of this life The first is to honour God and his Saints visiting those places 1. To honour god and his Saints 2. To doe pennaÌ„ce 3. To increase deuotion where he manifesteth himselfe by his guifts graces bestowed by their prayer and intercession vpon the true pâ—lgrimes the members of his Church The second to do penneÌ„ce in patiently enduring the trauaile and incommodityes of the way and the third to increase deuotion beholding and imitating the notable exploits of Saints they visit and all this to obtaine the felicity of our heauenly countrey walking by the wayes of Gods coÌ„mandements This is the marke that Christian pilgrimages do shoot at and therefore those that vnder the title of pilgrims wander ouer countreyes without deuotioÌ„ or which is worse leade in their pilgrimages a disorderly life are dissolute vagabonds not Christian pilgrimes
these meditations he shal haue others which are set downe for euery day of his voyage which he shall do the same day at diuers tymes Being in the fields he shall take matter of praysing God as those thinges he beholdeth shall giue him occasioÌ„ beholding the Heauens he shall admire God in those immortall bodyes and lights seeing the mountaines the plaines the riuers the plantes the beasts and other creatures he shal giue thâ—nkes for all to God as made for the behoofe of man and of himselfe in particuler and shall inuite them to prayse the same Creatour to the imitation of those wise and stout Hebrews who song in the midst of the Furnace Benediâ—â—e omnia opera â—omini Domino O all yee workes of our Lord blesse yee our Lord c. In faire wether he shal thanke God for that particuler benefit of his way and iourney if it doth rayne hayle or storme he shall thanke him also for this crosse and aduersity and take it patiently to make his merit thereof and his spirit all profit Passing by the Cittyes and Townes he shall visit the Churches holy places the Hospitalls such like where he may get any profit or increase of deuotion Going out of his lodging he shall say Lord shew me thy wayes Psalm 24 teach me thy paths or some such verse and shall salute his Angell-keeper that he may accompany him in the way Luc. 10.5 and beginning to march he shall say his Itinerarium and ordinary prayer for pilgrimes and trauailers entring into his lodging by day or in the night to his bed he shall say The peace of God be heere and shall giue good example and edification to euery one in his talke gestures and all his cariage sitting at the table he shall say grace or heare some other better then himselfe say it and in tyme of relection if there be company he shall beginne some discourse of honest recreation fit for the tyme or shall heare others talke If he eat alone he shall feed his spirit also with good cogitations whilest he refresheth his body with corporall food Hauing sayd grace taken some rest he shall retire himselfe and hauing sayd his Litanyes or other prayers and made examen of his conscience and hauing thanked God for his benefits receaued that day demanding pardon and purposing amendement he shall craue the ayde of the glorious Virgin of his Angell-keeper other Saints and hauing ended his deuotions for that day he shall take his rest THE PILGRIME HIS SETTING FORTH And first dayes Iourney A meditation of the condition of man which is to be Pilgrime in this life CHAP. I. OVR Pilgrime hauing obserued all this ordered and settled his affaires specially if he be maister of a family discharged his iourney of all let and hinderance made prouision of what is necessary The first dayes iourney being confessed and communicated and well prepared and furnished both in soule and body and of whatsoeuer the circumstance of Christian and ciuill prudence may require he shall choose the day of his setting forth and shall take his iourney vnder the protection and safe conduct of Almighty God and of the glorious Vigin whome he goeth to visir of his good Angell The meditatioÌ„ of the morning of the 1. day The meditation and prayer of his first dayes iourny beside that which he shall take proper for the day as we sayd before shall be of the condition of mortall men which is to be pilgrimes and strangers vpon earth The prayer preparatiue shall demand of God that it would please him to direct his intentions and actions to the glory of his holy name as we taught before The first essay or preamble of the Meditation The first preaÌ„ble shall represeÌ„t first Adam chased and driuen out of earthly Paradise to liue heere on earth as a banished man he his wife all his posterity Secondly it shall represent vnto vs diuers holy men and Saints as leauing their homes and houses to walke to strange countryes Abraham going out of Chaldaa to dwell in the land of Canaan Iacob going out of Canaan to dwell in Syria and at last to dye in Aegypt a strange countrey the Apostles after the comming of the Holy Ghost leauing their country to walke pilgrims euery one according to his lot into an vnknowne world The second preamble shall demand of God a cleare light to see this verity and liuely and profitably to apprehend The 2. preaÌ„ble how al mortall men are pilgrimes in this world that we must seek for our countrey els where The first point of the Meditation shall be taken of the wordes of the Prophet Dauid and of the Apostle S. Paul Psal 38. I am a stranger with thee O Lord and a pilgrime as all my fore-fathers haue beene Also We are pilgrimes and strangers before thee Psal 29.15 as our Fathers haue beene Our dayes are like a shaddow vpon earth and passe without any stay S. Paul also We haue not heere a dwelling or permanent Citty but we seeke another which is to come Heb. 1. The second point shall consider the practise of the foresayd words verifyed in the examples of many holy men Saints who from the beginning of the world haue carryed themselues as true Pilgrimes in this life Gen. 4.4 Abel the first iust man in the house and family of God had neither house nor Inne vpon the earth attending only to prayer and keeping his flocke Gen. 4.17 Cain contrarywise the first of worldly reprobates built a citty as being a Cittizen and Inhabitant of this world Gen. 12. Abraham the Father of the faythfull dwelt as we haue sayd a stranger in the â—and of Chanaan in tents and moueable houses not buying one â—oote of Land all his life but a place of buriall for himselfe his children The whole people of God the posterity of the foresayd Abraham was pilgrime in Aegypt 400. yeares and 40. in the desert of Arabia Our Sauiour also was a true Pilgrime not thinking of any thing but of his iourney not possessing any thing yea lesse then Abraham for he borrowed his tombe and Sepulcher which Abraham bought His Apostles also were dispersed ouer the whole earth liuing as pilgrimes and trauailers not ayming at any thing but to gayne way towardes heauen and to draw other men thereunto by preaching of Christ Iesus 3. Why man is pilgrime in this life The third point shall containe the cause why man is pilgrime in this life seeing that the whole visible world is made for him and also why this pilgrimage is so painefull of griefes and sorrowes The cause of the first is the excellency of man consisting in his soule an immortal or heauenly essence bearing in it self the image and likenes of that soueraigne and supreme beauty by reason wherof there was due vnto him a perpetual habitation more proportionate to his dignity a more noble
pride so in the sinne of Couetise and the rest Of the fiue senses he shall remember if he hath abused his eyes by any curious or lasciuious lookes his tongue by speaking detraction Of the 5. senses or his eares by hearing it and other vaine thinges and so of the other senses If he be a Church-man besides that which is common to all Christians he shall consider in particuler how he hath carried himself in his estate if he hath assisted at diuine seruice if he hath sayd his Canonicall houres if he hath learned what is required to his charge to heare confessiōs say Masse preach If he be Religious Religious he shall call his consicience to account about his Vowes and rules if he haue beene a proprietary against the vow of Pouerty if he hath committed any thing against Chastity or hath beene disobedient If he be a Prince Prince whether he hath maintained the honour of God if he haue kept iustice if he hath gouerned like a Father Gentleman or grieued his people A Gentlemā if he hath done wrong to his neighbours or abused them If he be a Magistrate Counseller President Iudge if he haue diligently examined the right of euery one Magistra◠Iudge and iustly rendred euery one his owne if he hath taken bribes or iudged against his conscience If he be a Consull Consul or chiefe Magistrate of the Citty if he hath beene willingly or negligently wanting to the publike good An Aduocate Aduocat if he hath vndertaken the defence of vniust causes or if he hath faithfully defended the right A Proctor Proctour if he hath dealt truely with his Clients if he hath not vsed craft and cunning in prolonging suites and hindering the course of Iustice Capitaine Captaine if he hath kept caused to be kept the military and martial laws if he hath faithfully serued his Prince if he hath beene cowardly or stricken any wrongfully A Souldiar if he spoiled poore men Souldier if he hath beene true and faithfull if he hath beaten or killed any man in villany out of warre If he be a Superiour or Prelate Superior whether he hath commanded iustly and prudently if he haue beene arrogant or impious in his charge A Regent or Maister if he haue diligently and faythfully taught his scholless Scholler giuing them in word and workes example of vertue A Scholler if he hath lost his tyme or kept the lawes and order of the Schoole Physitiā A Phisitain if he hath beene diligent and faythfull in attending his Patient if by his fault any haue dyed Apothecary or fallen into any inconuenience of body An Apothecary if he hath made his Medicines of sound entire Drugs not sophisticated if he hath faithfully followed the Physitians bill Surgeon A Surgeon if he hath beene negligent in attending his hurt and sicke patient if he hath prolonged the wound to get more money Merchant and fill his purse A Merchant if he hath sold to deare or vsed false weights or measures Printers or Booke-binders Printer Booke-binder if they haue printed or sould pernicious hereticall wanton or diflamatory libells Artificer if he hath done his work fraudulētly if he hath filched wrought vpon the holy dayes Artificer and thus of other estates Women and Maides shall also particulerly examine themselues about the vanity of their apparell their too much speaking or speaking euill of their too much care of their corps of impatience choler couetise of the goods of this world and of other vices more familiar to their sexe The Penitent shall discourse ouer all and shall note wherin he hath failed and shal make as it were a table of his sinnes and kinds in his memory or in paper to confesse them This examen being thus made he shal say the prayer following immediatly before he goeth to Confession A Prayer to say before Confession CHAP. LI. Mercy ready for the Penitent ALMIGHTY God who desirest the conuersion and life of a sinner and not his death and perdition and hast promised the grace of thy benediction and mercy whensoeuer and how often soeuer repenting and confessing he shall cry thee mercy with an humble and contrite hart giue me if it please thee a firme voice tongue to confesse the sinnes I remember and say wholsomly before thy secret Tribunall with the Prophet I haue sinned and done ill before thee alone Psal 50.5 Take frō me all feare and vicious shame that I may freely simply purely and entirely discouer all the faults woundes griefes of my wounded soule to him whome thou hast giuen me for Lieutenant of thy iustice for the iudgement and remission of my sinnes And if I haue dared with a damnable boldnes to incense thee with thousandes of sinnes that I may dare also now with an humble confidence to confesse them to aske and receaue pardon in the name of thy Sonne Iesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer The order we must keep in Confession CHAP. LII THIS prayer being sayd and his sinnes noted he shall present himselfe at the place and houre appointed to the Priest and hauing asked and receaued his blessing shall say his Confiteor vnto mea culpae and shall beginne to confesse his sinnes according to the order of his examen and memorial runing ouer his whole conscience faythfully purely simply humbly and without affected ceremonies of wordes or gestures without accusing any other to excuse or diminish his owne fault without telling what he hath not done but accusing himselfe alone and only of his sinnes with the greatest sense and feeling of deuotion and compunction that he can and after he hath told all in his memory he shall make an end of his Confiteor and desire his Ghostly Father to aske him and to bring into his remembrance what he might haue forgotten and this done he shall receaue of him pennance absolution and shall prepare himselfe all the rest of the day and some part of the night to communicate the next morning and going from the place of Confession shall for thankes-giuing say this prayer following A prayer to say after Confession CHAP. LIII O sweet Iesu the true Physitian healer of my diseases the true life and peace of my soule the true solace of my hart I humbly thanke thee for all the benefites I haue receaued of thee since my first being and namely for this last wherby thou hast giuen me meanes to cast my selfe at thy feet to aske thee mercy reconcile my selfe vnto thy Maiesty iustly offended with my faults and to reuiue in me the ioy and riches of thy good fauour and friendship Alas O my souueraigne Sauiour what had become of my poore soule if thy iustice had according to my demerit drawne her out of this body and life in so miserable a plight all couered and infected with
the spirituall leprosy dead in sinne buried in her filth abhominable before thyne eyes a marke for thy fury a prey to death and eternall confusion O my Redeemer immortall thankes be to thy infinite mercy for this great benefit since thy mercy hath no boundes add also O sweet Iesu to this benefit the firmnesse of a holy perseuerance whereby I may alwayes preserue the Temple of my soule body pure neat from all filth ordure of sinne Conserue O Lord the house thou camest to purify 2. Mach. 14.36 Psal 50.5 by the light heat of thy holy Spirit cleanse it beautify it alwayes more and more and more and more wash me from my sinnes purge me of my sinnes giue me grace that as I haue hitherto serued the Flesh the World and the Diuell the most cruell enemies of my good and saluation so I may with all my force loue honour and serue thee for heerafter O my life my Creatour and Sauiour descended into earth and made man to seeke me poore strayed sheep and make me participant of thy deity ascended also vp to the Crosse there to shed thy precious bloud to wash and cleanse me there to dye to giue me life Graunt O Prince of mercy that for all thy benefits I may affoard thee an humble an entire seruice vnto my last gaspe to liue after this mortall soiourning eternally with thee and to glorify thee in heauen where thou liuest and reigning with the Father in the vnity of the holy Ghost for euer and euer Amen This shal be the shutting of the 21. day and third weeke finishing the first period of his pilgrimage the which representeth as we haue sayd the life of those which beginne the way of vertue the way of Purgation by vertues purgatiue In the morning the Pilgrime shal begin his second part which representeth the estate of those that are gone forward and aduanced in the way of perfection and light THE PILGRIMES ABODE AT LORETO The two and twentith day and the first of his abode A Meditation vpon the holy Eucharist CAHP. I. FOR the meditation of the first dayes iourney of this second Part of his Pilgrimage the Pilgrime shall fitly take the subiect of the Eucharist for he cannot better begin to honour this holy place then with so holy an action nor more refresh solace the trauaile of his pilgrimage then by this refectiō nor better open the doore of his soule to the light of the Holy Ghost then by the receauing of such a Sacrament and this should be the first meale and the last banquet of euery true Pilgrime he shal make his Meditation early in the morning at the holy house with these partes The prayer preparatory accustomed shal demand grace to direct all his actions to the glory of God and saluation of his soule In the first preamble he shall set before his eyes the history of the two Pilgrimes Luc. 14. Aug. epist 50. ad Paulin. who first of all other Christians receaued at our Sauiours handes after his resurrection in the village called Emaus The second shall demand a speciall light well to penetrate the maiesty and profit of this mystery The first Point Of three figures of the Holy Sacrament CHAP. II. THE first point of the meditation shall containe three old Figures Gen. 14.18 among diuers others of this B. Sacrament The first is the Sacrifice of Melchisedech sometyme King of Salem and high Priest who entertayning Abraham as he returned victorious from the battaile offered to God Bread and VVine in thankes-giuing for the victory blessed him and refreshed him and his companie Our Sauiour the true Melchisedech in figure of the Sacrifice of the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ the Christian Eucharist which the same Iesus Christ the true Melchisedech the true King of peace and high Bishop did institute and ordaine when in his last supper he did communicate his Apostles giuing them his Body to eat vnder the figure of Bread and his Bloud to drinke vnder the figure of Wine after the order and forme of the Sacrifice of Melchisedech and making them his Vicars and Deputies commanded them and their Successours in their person to do the same Luc. 22 1◠and to continue this Sacrifice and Supper in his name remembrance which hath heene alwayes performed hitherto and shall be alwayes heereafter vnto the worldes end For as Iesus Christ is Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech and not of Aaron whose Priesthood togeather with the sacrifices were ended and fullfilled on the Crosse so his Sacrifice according to this order of Melchisedech shall be perpetual and euerlasting in yielding of thankes to God and in the feeding and refection of Christians the spirituall children of Abraham Psal 109. fighting in the Church heere militant on earth and shall one day triumph altogeather in heauen returning cōquerours from the combat The second Figure is the sacrifice of the Paschall Lambe which was ordayned the night before the deliuerance of the Hebrewes Exod. 12. from the captiuity of Aegypt and continued in remembrance of this great benefit vntill that our Sauiour the true Lambe did institute our Eucharist of his precious Body and Bloud in the euening before his Passion and our Redēption and shall continue as a memoriall thereof vntill he come againe not to be iudged and condemned to death as he was at his first comming but to iudge the world by the weights of their workes to kill death for euer after and to deliuer his children from all euill The third Figure is the Manna Exod. 15.16 giuen from heauen to the Hebrewes whilest they were Pilgrimes in the wildernesse walking towardes the land of promise euen so the Eucharist the true bread of heauen and the true drinke is giuen in the Church of God for the solace and sustenance of our soules in the desert of this world and for our prouision and food vntill we be brought to the land of the liuing in heauen The second point Of the Maiesty of our Sauiour in this Blessed Sacrament CHAP. III. THE second point shall be to meditate in this Sacrament first the power of our Sauiour Power conuerting by his almighty word the Bread into his body and the Wine into his bloud Second y the goodnes of the same Sauiour who hauing giuen himselfe a price and ransome for our Redemption Goodnes hath also vouchsafed to giue himselfe for food and to vnite himselfe with his creature soule to soule body to body in the straitest manner that can be imagined Thirdly the diuine wisedome Wisedome seasoning and tempering this precious food in so familiar and easy a fashion vnder the forme and taste of bread and Wine of the one side facilitating our senses to the taking of his flesh and bloud without horrour and on the other side instructing our fayth to vnderstand and acknowledge the vnion of faithfull Christians made heerby one
that it is much more beseeming the Maiesty of God and his Mother to be conceaued without original sinne then to be cleansed from it more noble to haue been light from the beginning then of darknes to haue beene made light more approaching to the sense and mind of the Catholike Church which honoureth this conceptioÌ„ with a solemne feast though she doth not condemne of heresy those who belieue that she was touched with originall sinne but after from heauen sanctifyed Pure intion the foundation of all Christian actions Luc. 11.34.36 He shall gather also certaine conclusions and practicall rules of his spirituall discourse as that our actions should be pure in their conception and beginning in the thought in the will that we must beginne by the light to be children of the light that the good and pure intention which our Sauiour calleth The eye of the soule ought to be the foundatioÌ„ of all our workes These and such like rules he shall frame in his mynd and shall verify them in the life of the Blessed Virgin who from her infancy neuer sought in her actions any thing but the glory of God This hath beene her light her beginning her end in all that she did thought or sayd VpoÌ„ these reasons and examples our Pilgrime shall make a full purpose to reforme his life to Godward and to serue him with all his hart to the imitation of his glorious Mother and shall say O B. Virgin To the B. Virgin all bright and beautifull cast some beames of thy diuine fauour vpon the soule of this poore sinner thy deuoted seruaÌ„t driue away my darkenes with my holy light and my coldnes with thy heauenly heaâ—e and strengthen my weaknes with thy mercifulâ— power Make me see that Sunne that came out of thy bowels make me feâ—le the vanity of this vaine world and the firmenesse and solidity of those goods which this thy Sonne hath gâ—tten for vs with his precious bloud and that this may be the profit of the piâ—grimage which I haue vndertaken to thy house and of the vow I haue made to thee O Virgin of all Virgins The foure and twentith Day A Meditation of the Natiuity of the glorious Virgin CHAP. XV. THE meditation of this morning shall be of the Natiuity of the Blessed Virgin in three points The first shall consider some figures of this Natiuity The firmament as the Firmament which God made and filled with many goodly starres to the likenes of this B. Virgin a liuing heauen and firmament as the holy Doctours call her high and solâ—d in perfectioÌ„ marked with a thousad goodly vertues in her soule Earthly Paradise as with spirituall starres Also the earthly Paradise pâ—anted with most excellent fruites and made in the Month of Septer for the dwelling of the first Adam which is a figure of the Virgin giuen vnto the world in the same month adorned with all sort of graces a garden of delights where the second Adam Iesus Christ should dwell much more happily Exod. 2â— 20 pleasantly then the other in the earthly paradise Also the Arke of the Testament made of incorruptible wood couered with plates of gold within without Heb. 9. where the heauenly Manna was kept as this Virgin exempt from all corruption in her Conception beautifyed both in soule and body with excellent guifts hath giuen and kept the Manna that feedeth our soules Iesus Christ discoursing vpon these figures he shal admire the goodnes of God bestowing on the world so noble a creature and shall thanke him therefore and stirre vp himselfe to deuotion of the Creatour and of this B. Virgin Prophecies of her Natiuity Num. 24. For the second point he shall take some Prophecye as among others this A starre shall rise out of Iacob and a man from Israell The B. Virgin is signifyed by this starre so called by the Saints by reason of her heauenly and eminent vertues her Sonne by the name of Man For he is verily the Man of men Cant. 6. and Sauiour of men Also VVho is she that coÌ„meth ascending like the morning rising beautifull as the Moone chosen as the Sunne terrible as a battaile in aray This is the B. Virgin appearing comming to the world with her celestiall purity next and before the Sunne the spirituall morning and more beautifull a thousand tymes then our worldly morning for she did not only bring tydings of the day at hand but brought him forth not only did make the end of the night of this world but also the day of the grace of our Redeemer Also A rodd shall rise out of the roote of lesse Isa 11. and from the roote thereof shall spring a flower This Rod is the B. Virgin sayth S. Hierome hauing no other shrubbe ioyned with her Hier. 16. The flower is her Sonne Iesus Christ Cant. 2. The flower of the field as he is called issued from this Virgin whereof the same Prophet sayd cap. 7. Behold a a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a sonne Vpon these like prophecies he shall discourse in his meditation still gathering the fruit of loue or admiration to the prayse of God and this holy Virgin In the third point he shall meditate the Natiuity it selfe reioycing therin honouring it as the chiefest that hath byn among men The natiuity of the B virgin most honourable and ioyfull worthy of all ioy and honour Others hitherto haue beene of misery and sadnes as the wiser sort of men haue acknowledged and the Princes of the earth that made feastes vpon their birth day were ill aduised and ignorant of their owne estate and condition for their birth was but vncleanes and an entry vnto misery but this is of good fortune and ioy being without al deformity of sinne the only cause of al euils and for that therin the world hath receaued the neerest beginning of saluation the Mother of Messias to come of the Sauiour at hand of that Sunne rysing which should bring vs the day so much desired and therefore the Church singeth and inuiteth her children to reioyce in this day saying Let vs with solemnity celebrate this feast of the Natiuity of her who was euer a Virgin the mother of God Mary This is the day that saw borne the liuing heauen this blessed earth this starre of the Sea this paradise of pleasure this Arke of the Testament this Rod of lesse this faire morning that bringeth the Sunne and so shall discourse on the ioy of this Natiuity and conclude with these or the like wordes O day desired aboue all the dayes of the precedent ages or rather the only day all the rest being but night To the birth day of the B. Virgin for seeing the morning did not appeare before thee and the bright shyning and quickening sunne was yet farre distant from the Horizon of our Redemption surely all the dayes before thee were
is he that hath powred downe these deluges of water and fire vpon the impiety and fifth of the world that hath beaten downe the Tyrants of Egipt made wayes for his people through the waues of the sea opened the bosome of the water the earth to swallow down armed pride or the proud army who sent his Sonne to tye an euerlasting knot of amity and friend ship with men to make himselfe litle humble in his litlenes and humility to confound the counsell and arrogancy of the proud and to ouerthrow the power of hell and the world 7. He hath put the mighty from their seate hath exalted litle me◠So is he King of Kings it is he that placeth and displaceth according to his pleasure he maketh the little great and the great litle he changeth times and ages translateth kingdomes Dan. 2. Ec. l. 10. Iob. 11. and establisheth them he giueth the scepter of one people to another because of iniustice and iniuries he shall vnlose the girdles of Kings and gird their loynes with a rope he taketh the needy from the dust and the poore from out of the smoke to make him sit in the company of Princes and inherit a seat of glory 8. He hath filled the hungry with good things and hath sent the rich away empty This is the worke of the mercy and iustice of God to relieue the necessity of the needy and to leaue empty the pride of those who do sumptuously solace themselues in the abundance of their riches 9. He hath receaued his Child Israel remembring his mercy He seemed to haue forgotten but he sheweth well the contrary for as the father taketh his child in his armes so hath he shadowed vnder the protection of his wings poore Israell afflicted vnder the Tyranny of a Paynim poore mankynd which was to be his people oppressed vnder the tyrāny of the Diuel cometh now in person true King and true Redeemer of Iewes and Gentills to help both to winne the Roman Ruler make him one people with the Iew his vassall and ioyne all in a sweet liberty and obedience of one law of one faith of one King and herein he sheweth that he hath remembred the old promises of his mercy and that he meant to performe what he had spoken Gen. 13.3 15.3.17.19.18.9 21. 10. As he did speake to Abraham and to his seed for euer For this is the holy Patriarch Father of the Iewes and head of all the children of God to whome he first promised expressly that in his seed all nations of the world should be blessed Gen. 26 4 and after to Isaac Iacob Dauid and others who followed after and this blessing should last as long as the world and the effects thereof vnto all eternity This is the song and sense of this Canticle Gen. 28.14 O diuine finger of the praises of thy Sonne Gabriel Elizabeth the Angells and men sing thy honour Psal 131.11 and thou singest the glory power bounty mercy and iustice of him that made thee worthy to be praised and exalted by men and Angels in what measure they cast their eyes vpon thy greatnes the more thou humblest thy selfe The ten Verses of the Magnificat is the B. V. Harpe with ten stringes and dost oppose thy humility to the greatnes of God Dauid thy great Grand-father was a meruailous singer out of the great workes of the Creatour thou art not inferiour to him in any thing and thy Harpe often stringes reacheth as neere to the throne of Maiesty as his soundeth as loud as his for euer in the sanctuary of the church of God Learne heere O Christian soules to humble your selues when you are magnifyed and when any prayse doth sound in your eares be you stirred vp to prayse him whose guifts haue made you prayse-worthy Teach me O B. Virgin teach thy Pilgrime the manner to sing after thee the meruailous workes of the Creatour teach me to acknowledg his good deedes and my miseries to extol him in his power to despise my selfe in my basenes that my soule may magnify him that my spirit may reioyce in him that my tongue and hart may sing to him thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen After this meditation he shall heare masse and the diuine Office and then go to his dinner The After-dinner and Euening of the eight and twentith Day VVhat the B. Virgin did in the house of S. Elizabeth CHAP. XXXI THIS After dinner the Pilgrime shall employ himselfe in his wonted exercises according to the time in reading conference hearing the Sermon and Euensong and occupying himselfe in such like exercises towards the euening he may make some short meditation taking for his subiect the rest of the history discoursing in his thoughts vpon those good workes which the B. Virgin did in the house of her Cousin S. Elizabeth during the three moneths she stayed there For now he shall see her praying in her Oratory then lifting vp her hart to God then humbling her selfe to his maiesty the more she did see discerne it sometime sighing for mankynd whose Redeemer she carried in her bowells at other tymes heare her discourse with her Cousin of heauenly things of the greatnes of God of his goodnes of his prouidence of his wonderfull workes and other points of deuotion which she had touched in her Canticle He shall behold her also in her lesse businesses working with her needle and employing her selfe with all humility and charity in the meane seruices of the house for the solace and help of her Cousin Elizabeth Two great Ladyes big with two great Saints Finally lodging in this house by contemplation he shall set before his eyes these two admirable Ladies the one great with a Saint that neuer had greater before him the other great with Sanctity it selfe A heauenly Guest of S. Elizabeth with whome she lodged and an heauenly hostesse of God whome she lodged in her wombe both mother and Virgin rauishing with admiration both heauen and earth with the most excellent beauty of her vertues And hauing at her returne accompanied her from the house of S. Elizabeth to Nazareth he shall end the euening with thankes-giuing shal go to his lodging there to end the day and take his rest and resection The nine and twentith Day and the eight of his Aboad The Meditation for midnight of the Natiuity of our Sauiour CHAP. XXXII THE nine and twentith Day shall contayne 3. meditations at 3. times at midnight of the Natiuity of our Sauiour in the morning of the Circumcision and at night of the adoration of the three Kings For preparation to the first after hauing demanded the assistance of God he shall first seeke and follow in spirit the way which the B. Virgin with Ioseph had held frō Nazareth to Bethleem whither they of the house of Iuda came then as to their chiefe Citty to giue vp their names to the enrolment
which was made there and els where ouer all the world by the appointement of Augustus Caesar who commanded to be made a generall description ouer all countries The description of the world by Caesar as S. Luke saith ◠Cap. 1. He shall then behold the B. Virgin as a Pilgrime walking on foote with her husband light with that precious load which she caried in her wombe burning with loue and charity towards God whome shortly she was to bring forth Secondly he shall draw in his imagination the picture of the place where she was to lye in and be deliuered giuing saluation to the world Our Sauiours Cribbe This place was a desert or forsaken Caue and stable to set beastes in where she was constrayned to lodge not fynding any place in the Inne by reason of the great concourse of people that then repayred thither vpon this imagination he shall demaund of God light well to penetrate the wonders of a Natiuity so admirable in al the circumstances The first point shall be to meditate some figures and prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour Figurs prophecies of the birth of our Sauiour The figures were all the ancient apparitions wherein the Sonne of God shewed himselfe in the forme of man as in Paradise to Adam in Canaan to Abraham and Iacob for he that was borne this midnight was the God who before had spoken to men therefore called Verbum the Word of God and he shewed himselfe to them in humane shape S. Chrys hom 2. Greg. orat 4. de Theo Clem. Ale in exhort ad gentes in paeda cap. 12. but as a passenger not staying in it as it were making a proofe or tryall of that nature which he was once to marry and ioyne by an eternall vnion to his diuinity be borne God and Man to conuerse with men and be to them the Word and interpreter of the mysteries of heauen of the Commandements of his Father And this was in his Natiuity when he shewed himselfe meerly cloathed with our nature performing what he had prophecyed caused to be foretold by his Prophets My delight is to be with the children of men for heere he began to be among the children of men Psalm 8. a true Man already conuersing with them as a little child heere he did first effectuate what I say sayd in his person Isa 52. Behould I that did speake am present and that he sung of the Natiuity Behould a Virgin shall conceaue Isa 7. and bring forth a child And againe A little child is borne to vs Isa 9. Bar. 3. and a sonne is giuen vnto vs. And another And thou Bethleē Ephrata thou art not the least among the principall towns of Iudea for out of thee shall come a Captayne to gouerne my people This therfore is that little Sonne that Prince prophecyed of by these and like passages of Scripture who was borne this night The second point shall consider the circumstances of this Natiuity 1. Circūstance of this meruailous natiuity which being well vnderstood will teach vs a good lesson of the greatnes of God and of the misery of man He was borne as he was conceaued that is miraculously conceaued of a Virgin without man borne of a Virgin without the breach of her Virginity without the panges and throwes or griefe of childbirth which was the effect of the malediction giuen to the first Woman and to all her race So hath the Prophet foretold speaking of this Virgin Before she did labour Isa 66. she was deliuered before the houre of her deliuerance she brought forth a man child Verily a man child hauing nothing effeminate God and man togeather all mighty all wise all good and though the B. Virgin did beare only the body The Virgin verily the Mother of God and not his diuinity which was from all eternity yet was she verily the Mother of God for hauing conceaued that body which was vnited to the diuine person and so brought forth that person euen as other Mothers are mothers of those they beare although the soule is not begotten of them because they ingender that body which is personally vnited to the soule It is therfore a more admirable natiuity Isa 53. then that of al the world in the Creation and so what was sayd of the eternall generation of the Sonne of God VVho shall declare his generation may also be sayd of this temporall Conception and Natiuity He was borne in the sixth age of the world foure thousand yeares or there about after the Creation in the night The circumstāce of the tyme of the sixth age in the hart of Winter when the world was most couered with darkenes and frozen in the filth of all vice and Idolatry when the temporall Kingdome of the Iewes was dismembred and translated to the gouernement of forraine Princes strangers Herod his brethren who deuided it into 4. parts or Tetrachies and made so many particular tyrannies gouerned by the great and soueraine Pagan tyranny of Rome Why Caesar described the world which commanded all and therefore Caesar commanded that description a commandement that carried the signe of soueraignty And these fiue temporal tyranies did in mystery signify the miserable estate of mākind ouerwhelmed oppressed with so many spirituall tyrannies of diuers sinnes which it serued vnder the great and generall tyranny of the diuell who held the world in his dominion as peaceable as Augustus held his Empire At midnight He was borne at midnight in the hart of winter the true sunne of our Night to driue away the deep darknes hard Ice from the harts of men to bring them day and heate them in the loue of heauenly things to bring in the beautifull seasō of the spirituall spring-time of summer and Autumne of sweet smelling flowres of the heauenly heate of the Holy Ghost of the fruit of good workes whereof the world had hitherto beene barren And this is what the Prophet sayd The people that walked in darknes haue seene a great light Isa 9. and light hath risen to them who dwell in the shadow of death He was borne in a stable among beasts Psalm 48.13 to restore man to his old ranke and place who by sinne was cast downe to the basenes of bruit beastes and was made like vnto them The third point of the Meditation Our Sauiour encountreth and ouercometh vices in his Infancy CHAP. XXXIII THE third point shall be to contemplate how this little child beginneth to handle his weapons and to fight for vs betymes euen from his cradle for this being happened not by chance but by his owne prouidence in a stable he bruized in his birth with this onely circumstance the head of the old Serpent which before he had threatned He crushed the pride of the diuell the ancient enemy of our saluation Genes 3. the authour of all our miseries In
Virgin then following the law came from Nazareth to Hierusalem where was the only and the famous Temple of the Iewes the fourtith day after the birth of her eldest Sonne with a payre of Pigeons This is the history whereon the Pilgrime shall discourse in his spirit and contemplate this heauenly Virgin coÌ„ming with the blessed fruit of her wombe first to offer him to his Father to exercise her humility submitting her selfe to the law of Purification though neither the one nor the other had any need thereof and that the soueraigne Sauiour Prince of the law was aboue the law and the Blessed Virgin was exempted for not hauing conceaued so as she could become vncleane like other women for whom this Law was made And thus hauing made his midnight prayer he may rest vntill the morning Ceremonies and feastes instituted for men to acknowledge Originall sinne the root of all the misery of mankind CHAP. XXXIX IN the morning he shall continue his meditation vpon the same mystery in three pointes The cause of this ceremony The first point shall be to consider that the principall cause of this ceremony was to make man vnderstand and acknowledge his impute and vncleane generation by reason of that infernall staine of originall sinne wherwith all the children of Adam borne by the ordinary course are infected This is the confession which Dauid made when bewailing in his owne person the misery of all mortall men he sayd Psalm 50 Behould I am conceaued in iniquity and my Mother hath conceaued me in sinne And because this knowledge was necessary to men for to huÌ„ble them and make them call for help whereby they might be cleansed from this corruption God did institute certaine Ceremonies which containe a lesson of this learning and knowledge as were the ceremonies and sacrifices of the law of Nature which did sufficiently shew the beginning of man to haue beene infected Circumcision in the law of nature and the great need he had of the fauour of God to be cleansed But aboue all was the Circumcision commanded to Abraham which was done by cutting the most rebellious part of the body the instrument of concupiscence of generation and corruption In the law of Moyses ceremonies were so much more multiplyed Purification in the law of Moyses as men were more deeply drowned in darknes and the ignorance of their owne misery and had need of more light to discouer it For there was not almost any man beside the Iewes that had any newes or notice of originall sinne nor of the remedy thereof The Paynime Philosopers boasted of knowing all thinges Most 〈◊〉 ignorant of original sinne but they could not discouer the ground and roote of all those errours and disorders wherein they saw mankind wander which though being a reasonable creature should of all others haue beene best ruled and ordered But among all these Iudaicall ceremonies ordained in the law to discouer this euill this of the Purification of the woman deliuered Leuit. 11. held the first place for it did plainly and publikely declare the corruption of our generation and the necessity of the expiatioÌ„ thereof The first point theÌ„ doth make vs see on the one side the misery of the corruption of men which beginneth at their first being on the other side the obedience of the Sonne of God and his Mother obeying the law they were not bound vnto their humility placing themselues among sinners and offering sacrifices for sinne although the one was cleanesse it selfe come for to cleanse vs and the other all pure and free not only from actuall sinne but also by a singular prerogatiue preserued from the touch of Originall common to all men as is sayd before God will be known in his guifts The second point shall meditate the ceremony of the offerings and sacrifices shall shew him how the Iustice of God requireth that with thankesgiuing we offer vnto him the good we haue receaued of him and namely that Fathers and Mothers should offer their children which is the best fruit of mariage Good workes are spiritual children that all Christians should offer their good actions which are their spirituall children ingendred and brought forth by the inspiration and grace of God and this was the morall sense of this ceremony In particuler the deuout Pilgrime shall marke that this day was presented to the soueraigne God The noblest offering that ouer was presented in the Temple the most noble and rich offering that euer was presented in the compasse of the Sanctuary and that by the handes of the greatest Lady of the world The offering was his owne deere sonne a sacred and liuing oblation infinit rich noble She that presented it was his glorious Mother gloriously endowed enriched and adorned with al the vertues that might exalt a creature aboue all other creatures humane or Angelicall Anna made an honorable present 1. Reg. 1.24 when she offered to the Temple her little child Samuel who was to be a great seruaÌ„t of God yet he was but a seruant a creature a vassall or subiect Heere is offered the Maister the Creatour the King the Sonne of the Father God of God Almighty of Almighty not by an ordinary Virgin or Mother but by a Virgin singular and without example in her degree and a mother most singular the mother of God The Prophet foretould this present and this day speaking in the person of him that receaued it Behould I send my Angell who shall prepare the way before my face and straight Malaâ—h 3. the Lord whome you seeke and the Angell of the Testament whome you desire shall come vnto his holy Temple The Father is he who speaketh the first Angell is S. Iohn Baptist the face of our Lord is his Sonne Iesus Christ the naturall and true Image of his Father the Lord and the Angell of the Testament is the same Sonne which is offered God and man the Angell and mediatour of the Testament and Couenant betweene God and man offered this day as man and adored as God for otherwise the Scripture would not haue sayd that he came into his Temple seeing that no pure creature may haue a Temple no more then an Altar or Sacrifice this preeminence being proper to the supreme deity In respect of this offering the second Temple of the Iewes being lesser in all outward humane respects was by another Prophet preferred before that of Salomon Agg. 2. being much more magnificall in gold siluer and fashion this being magnificall by the Maiesty of our Sauiour who was there offered in person The third point of the Meditation Of the Canticle Nunc dimittis CHAP. XL. THE third point shal meditate the Canticle of venerable old Simeon a man iust and fearing God who a few dayes before had reuelation from the Holy Ghost that before his death he should see the Annointed of our Lord that is the Sauiour of the world IESVS
them behould heere one oppressed with the burden of his sinnes cryeth at thyne eares from the bottome of his hart If this thy Clemency be accustomed to preuent sinners and to receaue them into thyne armes to shew them mercy then behold one who casteth himselfe at thy feet confounded at his owne faults crying that he hath sinned against heauen Luc. 15. which he dareth not behould against thee to whome he dareth haue recourse hoping in thy mercies Heare my crye Luc. 18.15 O Father of mercies and receaue to mercy thy prodigall penitent sonne and who hast giuen me courage and strength to visit thee in this little-great house of thy Sonne Iesus Christ and kisse the walles and doores of that sacred Chamber which he and his mother haue sanctifyed a thousand wayes graunt me grace by the infinit merit of thy Sonne and of the glorious Virgin to serue thee all the dayes of my life with an entire and perfect hart And if I may be worthy to lift vp my handes to thy holy heauenly Throne for the body of thy Catholike Church For the whole Church whereof by thy grace I am a child and for those thou hast made worthy and principall members of the same I beseech thee O Lord for all the sayd Church in generall defend it increase it sanctify it according vnto thy power and mercy I beseech for him who in the same holdeth as from thee For the Pope the keyes of heauen that he may perfectly and faythfully gouerne this Common-wealth of thy house to thy honour and glory and the profit of the flocke committed to him for the Princes and Pastours who do assist him and vnder his authority haue the gouernement of souies For the Prelats that they may wisely instruct and faithfully defend their flocke and charitably feed them vnto life euerlasting For all Kinges and Christian Princes For ChristiaÌ„ Princes who vnder the protection of thy prouideÌ„ce do coÌ„mand the people that as true Fathers and Protectours of the publike good they may carry the raynes and gouernement of their earthly policy which thy power hath put into their handes may vse iustly the sword which they beare for the defence of Innocency and punishment of wickednes For the most Christian King his deere Queene the Princes of the bloud and all the Royall house and Realme For the King assist them O Lord with thy fauours and graces remembring the seruices which thy holy Church hath receaued of their Ancestours and of the French nation hauing heertofore often left their houses and countrey not sparing their goods nor their bloud to go buckle with the Squadrons of the enemyes of thy name and to replant the banner of the Crosse in barbarous Countryes But specially I present my most humble vowes prayers for this noble Fleuron-de-Lys Monsieur the Dauphine thy guift For the Prince and the hope of the Crowne of France Make him great in wisedome valour piety and in all those vertues which gaue the title of Most-Christian to his Ancestours the name of Great to Charlemaine S. Lewis the place and honour of a Saint in the Church of God to his great GraÌ„d-father Lewis the IX Make him great and holy on the earth there to be a stay and bulwarke to the Catholike faith the ioy of his Father and Mother the honour of the nobility and of his house and the rest and repose of his people that he may reigne one day in heauen in the rank of thy greatest Saints Assist the sonne who hast assisted the Father so many wayes and so meruailously that France vnder him may shine in piety abound in peace florish in glory and may be thy chosen Kingdome and the French nation thy well-beloued people I beseech thee Lord for all those to whome I am bound in any title whatsoeuer For benefactours of bloud benefits friendship or otherwise and who haue hope in my prayers for my Parents my friends For frieÌ„ds and enemies my enemies make them partakers of thy graces and me worthy to obtaine some thing for them O heauenly Father O mighty Sonne my soueraigne Lord and Maister equall to thy Father in power and bounty O Holy Ghost the bond of both To the B. Virgin O ineffable Trinity harken to my voice and heare my prayer O glorious Virgin the principall worke of this one and of these three most happy Mother faithfull Aduocate carry this my voice and prayer to the Sanctuary of this supreme Maiesty who hath made thee so great in heaueÌ„ and earth Obtaine for me an hart and forces to serue thee as a true Pilgrime all the tyme of my mortality to praise blesse and adore his greatnes and goodnes for euer in the Kingdome of heauen in the company of thy selfe the Angels Saints of al those for whome I am to present my humble requests This is the prayer I make to thee in thy holy Chamber departing from thence Adieu sacred Chamber Adieu noble little Palace Adieu pretty house more large then tâ—e whole world more rich then the Orient more pleasant then Paradise vpon earth The remembrance of thy Altars of thy pauements of thy walles and of thy wonders shall remayne alwayes planted in my hart as a liuely and pregnant memorial to stirre me vp to yield honour prayse and immortall thankâ— to the Sonne and the Mothet who with their honour haue made thee so honourable The After-dinner and Euening of the 30. day and the ninth of the Pilgrimes aboad How the Pilgrime departed from Loreto CHAP. XLII AFTER his spirituall refection he shall take his leaue of his friends bid them farewell thanking them and recommending himselfe to their prayers and taking necessary instructions for his returne and he shall not forget to doe some markeable Almes if he be able and hauing taken his corporall refection he shall depart in good tyme with a resolution to suffer much more for our Sauiour For in what measure he hath receaued new graces new light and forces he should also labour and do more in proofe and tryall of his loue for him in all occurrences For his Itinerarium and guide of his iourney he shall haue the Ten dayes of Lazarus The ten dayes of Lazarus which are the ten dayes iourney following whereby he shall take example and direction in the exercise of his deuotion in his way If the number of dayes be too short he shall diuide the meditation of one day into more to haue inough or shal take them els where and if he may returne in lesse tyme he may choose what will be fittest for him and leaue the rest and what is sayd of this third part of the ten dayes of Pilgrimage of lengthning or shortning the meditations according to the way may be practised in the precedent parts also THE RETVRNE OF THE PILGRIME OF LORETO Or the Ten dayes iourney of Lazarus The one and thirtith day of the
Pilgrime of Loreto and the first of his Returne CHAP. I. LAZARVS a man much beloued of God wise and well versed in the learning of Saints and yeâ— deuour to the glorious Mother of God departed from his CouÌ„trey in the yeare 1583. to goe see the world in Christian Pilgrimage with a little brother of his called Pauline about 18 yeares of age at his departure himselfe being 24. and a Cousin of theirs called Theodosius of the same age a yong man of rare vertue and excellent conuersation with a faithfull and pietis seruant of their Fathers somewhat elder then they who was called Vincent They had already spent togeather six yeares in the most famous Pilgrimages of Christendome and els where and alwayes with these exercises of deuotion which we haue set downe before in the direction of our Pilgrime still continuing the same though not without difficulty but in the beginning of the seauenth yeare by mischance Pauline was taken prisoner and made slaue to the Barbarians in Alexandria and â—s Lazarus being at Constantinople was ready to send his ransome Pauline made prisoner which he had gotten by meanes of the French Embassadour he vnderstood that he was dead which newes did meruailously afllict him notwithstanding being a Gentleman of great courage vertue he bare it patiently hoping that his death was happy by reason of the piety and deuotion which he had alwayes marked in that youth specially towardes our B. Lady The other three returned towards FraÌ„ce came the second time to Loreto for they had beene there at the beginning and still caried themselues as Pilgrimes of Loreto and did their deuotions there certaine dayes not forgeting to pray for the soule of Pauline where also Lazarus caused his funerall to be kept So they parted full of spirituall ioy froÌ„ that holy place and came along vntil they were within few dayes iourny of their Fathers house wheÌ„ good Theodosius was lost froÌ„ his coÌ„pany no man knowing what was become of him notwithstaÌ„ding the enquiry that Lazarus had foure or fiue dayes together caused to be made after him This losse did so much the more grieue him the lesse it was looked for and almost at their home as it were a shipwracke in the mouth of the hauen He offered some vows to God our B. Lady of Loreto for him with a pious resolution continued his way hauing now no companion but Vincent and conceaued a great hope in God by the Protection of the B. Virgin that he would haue a speciall care of her Pilgrimes Now he had changed his name which he had from his infancy which was Aime-dieu and called himselfe Lazarus because he desired not to be knowne but by title of a poore and humble seruant of God which he sought with a Christian magnanimity from his hart and with all auersion and disdayne did eschew the vanity and glory of the world as a plague of al noble actions The first euening therfore of these Ten dayes that I write being at an Hospitall by a forrest before going to bed he tooke for subiect of his morning meditation following The flight of our Sauiour into Aegypt and conferred with his companion Vincent these three pointes following The points of the meditatioÌ„ following The first how S. Ioseph a little after the Presentation of our Sauiour to the Temple was aduertised in his sleep by an Angel from God to take the child his mother to fly into Aegypt by reason of the persecution of Herod at hand who already contriued his death The second the B. Virgins abode in Egypt with her Sonne Iesus The third the returne of our Sauiour to Iury and his retyring to Nazareth Meditations vpon the flight of our Sauiour into Aegypt togeather with his glorious Mother and Ioseph CHAP. II. EARLY in the morning an houre before going abroad Lazarus and Vincent entred into the meditation of these points a part by themselues Lazarus spake thus to God and to his soule My Lord and faithfull guide direct if it please thee my affections and actions to thy honour and glory to the profit of thy poore seruant I behold thy deare Sonne made a litle Infant and feeble for me to fly the persecution of of Herod vniust vsurper of the Scepter of the Hebrewes thy children and thy kingdome and to be caried into Egypt in the armes of his diuine mother as the Sunne in the heaueÌ„ I desire to see the course of this mystery and to profit thereby accomplish my desire seeing thou hast giuen it me and to haue my vnderstanding enlightned with the beames of thy grace well to meditate my Wil heated with the fire of thy loue straitly to imbrace vertue and to walke constantly in the wayes of thy commandements I consider here O my soule the faythfull and sweet Prouidence of this heauenly Father aduertising Ioseph by his Angel to fly and to withdraw his SoÌ„ne from the cruelty of the Tyrant for though he were sent and came to dye yet not in that age nor in that sort but in the flowre of his age and by the death of the Crosse would he accomplish our Redemption and bestow on vs in the meane tyme the benefit and vse of his life to instruct vs by the example of his heauenly vertues and wonderfull workes by the doctrine of his holy preachings to shew in his life and death the signes of his infinite loue with most manifest and cleere proofes If he had beene put to death in his cradle men had wanted all those euident testimonies of his Charity so many motiues to belieue in him and to receaue him for the promised Messias This little child then persecuted so soone by the Princes of the world visible and inuisible taketh his way to Aegypt and as weake giueth place to the Tyranny which he could as well haue repressed by resistance as auoid by flying But he would doe what himselfe had before taught his seruants and would by his example shew his disciples what they should do in like case So Iacob left the house of his Father to auoyd the fury of Esau Moyses left the Court of Pharao to escape his hands so little Iosias 4. Reg. 2. the lawfull successour of the Crowne was hidden from the massacre which cruell Athalia made of the Princes of the bloud I see heere that holy Ioseph obeyeth simply without excusing or asking why he The obedience of Ioseph whome he heard to be come to saue the world would not rather saue himselfe staying in Iudaea then by flying into Aegypt It is inough to obey the voice of him that commandeth without searching the secret or reason of the commandement teaching the true seruaÌ„ts of God to obey their Superiours without pleading or resistance He arose in the night tooke the child with diligence tooke the Mother and went towardes Aegypt by the same desart whereby the Hebrewes passed to Iudaea This tender Virgin bare her little child
cause she was notwithstanding troubled with this chance and could not endure the losse The absence of her Iesus was an vnspeakable torment vnto her Therefore in the morning she went backe againe seeking her welbeloued in euery place and way amongst his parents and friends but alas without finding him O my soule cōsider in this seeking the thougthes of this afllicted Spouse who languisheth for absence of her loue Heare Mary saying in her affectiō what the Spouse sayd in hers I will arise and go about the Citty Cant. 5.2 and seeke through the streetes and publike places the wellbeloued of my soule Who speaketh to her deare Sonne and sayth Cant. 1.7 O the loue of my soule tell me where thou doost take thy repast repose at mid-day who not fynding him replieth sorrowfully Cant. 3. I haue sought and haue not found I haue called and he hath not answered O sweet Spouse O sweet Iesus let thy selfe be found by thy deare Spouse by thy mourning Mother and answer her quickly for she can no longer endure thy absence She cannot be without her Iesus her deere child her Creatour her Sauiour her All in All. Shew thy selfe vnto her and do not contristate her any longer Let her not so soone feele the point of the sword which Simeon foretould Luc. 2. she shall haue time inough afterward at the great Combat of thy Crosse See the sorrowes of her soule behold her teares The B. V. cōplaint heare her saying vnto thee O my well beloued where art thou Haue I displeased thee in any thing that might cause this diuorce betwixt thee and me Between thee and thy desolate Mother who loueth thee more then her selfe Art thou ascended vp to heauen to the bosome of thy Father for any discontentement thou hast receaued from me in thy little Nazareth Alas it was against my will I wil do penance appoint what punishment it pleaseth thee I will willingly endure it for loue of thee so that I may recouer thee haue thy presence With thee I wil endure any thing without thee all pleasure is paynfull Thus the B. Virgin lamented her losse The deuout soules care O my soule behold heere what a torment it should be to loose Iesus keep him therefore well whilst thou hast him hold him and loose him not for what shall become of thee without him and what shalt thou be without Iesus But if he absent himselfe sometime from thee vpon his owne good pleasure without thy fault as it happened heere to the B. Virgin and leaue thee in tribulation and anguish of mynd beare thy affliction patiently but arise notwithstanding with diligence and seeke him with teares and sighes as his holy Mother did Iesus is not foūd amongst his kindred Thou shalt find him at last as she did not in the world nor amongst his owne bloud and kindred but in the Temple amongst the Doctours and in the company of men of conscience and honour O sweet Iesus be thou alwayes with me if it please thee that I may alwayes be with thee and beware of displeasing thee Orig. hom 19. or dryuing thee away from me I know well that my sinnes imperfections haue giuen thee a thousand occasions but thou hast notwithstanding been vnto me Iesus in all the afflictions of my Pilgrimage Be so still O good Iesus be alwayes Iesus vnto vs and guid vs. Succour our lost companion do vs the fauour that we may find him be vnto him Iesus and Sauiour in his captiuity if he be captiue in his griefe if he be afflicted in his difficulty if he be in danger Be Iesus to this good old man who lodged vs for thy sake and recompence his hospitality and all his houshold with thy plentifull benediction a hundred fold which is the measure of thy liberality 1. Our Sauiour maketh not himselfe knowne vntill 12. yeares of age 2. Theodosius found 3. Lead away by Theeues 4. Made prisoner by the officers with Lazarus and Vincent 5. Lazarus his plea's 6. All three deliuered CHAP. VI. THVS prayed Lazarus accompanying his prayers with sighes and teares Vincent also performed his part on the same subiect He rested principally vpon this consideration how our Sauiour thought good to manifest himselfe to men by conuersation being now somewhat growne and past infancy to giue a glimpse of his Maiesty in such sort Why Iesus Christ did not manifest himselfe before 12 yeares of age as he shadowed it againe vnder the veile of his age For if he had spokē in his cradle if he had disputed with the doctours at three yeares old the demonstration had byn forced doing it at 12. years old which is the beginning of the vse of reason whē youth beginneth to bud forth some blossomes and flowres of their spirit and towardnes it was sweet and yet sufficient to testify that he was somewhat more then man and to prepare their harts to the beliefe of his Deity The modesty of our Sauiour amōg the Doctours It did also much commend the modesty of our Sauiour who being Wisedome it selfe yet obserued good manners and the rancke of his age carrying himselfe not as a Doctour among the Doctours but rather as an hearer or disciple and teaching not by sentences and axiomes but rather by questions and answers but such as the Doctours were therewith both instructed and astonished An example sayth S. Gregory which teacheth young men and weake to be disciples before they be Doctours Beda in Luc. He insisted also with great astonishment in that which is sayd that our Sauiour returned with Mary and Ioseph to Nazareth and was subiect vnto them The Creatour sayth Vincent in himselfe is subiect to a creature The obedience of our Sauiour the Almighty to infirmity soueraigne wisedome to simplicity And shall not I poore worme of the earth be subiect to God and to euery creature for his loue Shall not I make great account of Obedience which the Creatour hath so much honoured When they had both ended their meditation the good old man came vp vnto their chamber and gaue them good morrow and asked how they had rested that night they resaluted him and for our repose sayth Lazarus weary Pilgrimes cannot choose but rest well when they find so good lodging as we haue had If there be any thing good in my house quoth their host it is my good will and your well-come for the rest I am farre short of all others But my Maisters there is good newes which wil make you glad a certaine Church man a friend of myne a man of honour came hither late yester night Their departure from the Country-house who shall say you Masse this morning and shall beare you company for these two or three dayes for so long at least you must needs be my guests by the law of good Pilgrimes Good Father sayth Lazarus we are Pilgrims passengers will you haue vs insteed of such
his Sonne Iesus Christ You can not choose but haue often heard speake thereof seeing the fame therof is spread though all Christianity I call miracles not onely the healing of incurable diseases the wonderfull and strange deliuering of innocents trauailers prodigious â—ers and such like effects in all foure Elements but also the vnexpected conuersions of thousands of great sinners leauing their euill life and following the way of vertue with an heauenly zeale and feruour a miracle perpetuall in the continuall benediction of that house which God rayneth vpon it verifying therin what he promised to his Disciples to wit that if they sought first the kingdome of God other temporall commodities should be giuen them in surplasage freely as it were ouer and aboue the bargaine Matth. 6. Luc. 12. The merchants liked well this discourse and perceiued well that these Pilgrimes were not ordinary so they lighted of their horses giuing theÌ„ to their footemen to leade that they might talke more familiarly and leasurly Lazarus knowing the cause of their descent desired them to get vp againe and not disease themselues he and his companion would easily follow them on foot but they would not and desired them also to cast their bags their cloks vpon the sadle but they excused it These Merchants desired earnestly to teach them the way to liue well and wynne heauen and intreated Lazarus instantly to tell them somewhat thereof and to make them partaker of their deuotions Lazarus sayd vnto them Gentlemen I am too infirme to read a lesson of good life to others yet I will communicate with you by the way of discourse The way to liue well is to keep the CommaÌ„dements and talke what we haue heard often of Catholike Preachers and sometymes read in Scriptures that is that the soueraigne and sure way of liuing well is to keep the CoÌ„mandements of God to do pennance to giue almes and do other good workes and to take sayth he a flower out of the garden of our owne vocation to be a good Pilgrime vpon earth The end of pilgrimages pennace profit spiritual and to this end are ordained all pilgrimages of deuotion and whosoeuer doth them with any other intention as many perhaps do he is but a Pilgrime for his weed and staffe and looseth his tyme and trauaile as contrarywise they that do it to mend their life and become better are wise and well aduised Pilgrimes And this is that God desireth and our B. Lady of their Pilgrimes and the wonderfull workes that are wrought at Loreto tend to no other end thereupon some who meant not to change their wicked life were miraculously repelled from entring this holy Chappell I thinke you haue heard the story It may be so sayd Gratian but as our mind is filled with affaires of the world these thinges dwell not long in our memory and you shall do vs a pleasure to tell vs some examples I will recount you one only not to be troublesome or tedious and that of fresh date Tuâ—s l 5. cap. 20. There came once a certaine person to this holy place loaden with many sinnes and not caring greatly to discharge himselfe A great sinner repulsed from the holy Chapell he entred into the Church to enter also with other Pilgrimes into the Chapell but as he set his foot vpon the ground behold a terrible Shape represented it selfe against him and draue him backe with a fearefull countenance as with a strong wynd His conscieÌ„ce told him straight that his sins had placed that porter there so he went to confession but as the Priest to whome he came perceaued that he was not well prepared and that he had not searched well his Conscience since he had remayned many yeares in the filth of all sorts of sinnes he counselled him to go to the Chapell and recommend himselfe to God and the glorious Virgin to make a good examen of all his life past the better to remember his sinnes confesse them He went thither but because it was not yet with a sincere hart vndertaking this examen and confession rather to auoid shame then sinne the former disfigured shape did forbid him entrance againe then he perceaued that this was don of purpose and was touched with a liuely sorrow and repentance of his sinnes conceauing a full and firme purpose to do pennance heereafter and liue better And so hauing duely remeÌ„bred himselfe of his sinnes he went to the feet of the Priest and made a generall Confession testifying with teares and sobbes the truth of his Contrition the change of his soule was absolued by the Priest who bad him go present himselfe with a good courage to the holy Place saying that he should not be repelled he went therefore the third tyme huÌ„bled and ashamed yea also fearing that it would not be permitted to so great a sinner as he was to enter into the house where God and his greatest Saints haue corporally dwelt and which now so many Saints frequent but God by the intercession of the B. Virgin permitted his humility to enter into his sanctuary as before he repelled his presumption It may be that many sinners haue entred there and doe enter without difficulty and their condition is neuer the better yet this one example might serue for a paterne to vs and all other Pilgrimes and to teach all Christians that to performe their pilgrimage duely they should endeauour and intend the amendement of their life and that to liue well they must forsake sinne and commit it no more do good good workes The good Tree bringeth forth good fruite Mat. 7.17 and the tree which bringeth not forth good fruite is not good Your discourse is true saith the Merchant but for vs it is very hard I may say impossible to abstaine from sinne by reason of our vocation Syr sayth Lazarus in euery vocation and in euery good action there is difficulty and will you not graunt me that it is as easy to be a good Christian as to be a good Merchant Yes verily quoth Gratian. Nay I assure my selfe sayth Lazarus that you will confesse it to be much more easy for there are a thousand and a thousand men who are good ChristiaÌ„s that would neuer make good Merchants It is then easier to abstaine from sinne and be a good Christian then to traficke as a good Merchant how do you theÌ„ thinke it so hard as impossible for a Merchant to abstaine froÌ„ sinne and liue honestly I compare not the vocation of a Christian quoth GratiaÌ„ with that of a Merchant for I confesse the first is easier but my meaning is It is impossible to serue God and the world that the first is meruailously hindred by the second and I remember I haue heard our Preachers say it was impossible to serue two maisters God and the World And they called Riches Thornes by which the good seed of Gods word is choaked whereof followeth
of earth for that her defences are but bottoms and hils of errour and pride The first founder made himself vassall and tributary to a Titant for Selfeloue all the burgesses of that citty are alwayes rebels to God tributary to the Diuell him they haue loued to him they haue bowed their knee though a tyrant of all tyrāts the most cruell that euer was seeke help of him against their God The fundamentall lawes of that Citty are those fiue I touched before the first for each man to loue himself The laws of selfe-loue and the world and euery thing for himselfe for the humour of the world worldly men is to affect onely their owne particular profit hauing clean banished out of their hart the loue of God and their neighbour The 2. to haue no Religion to vse and abuse all for their temporall commodity this is to too much verified by the experience of all the children of this world whose common custome is to make Religion a pretext of their designements and to make vse of the name of God for their owne glory very hypocrites and sacrilegious impostors To haue no Religion To authotize vice and disgrace vertue The 3. to cast down vertue and set vice aloft according to this law the world prayseth those that liue in delights as most happy and the pleasures of the body as the ioyes of felicity It cōmendeth the couetous as prudent to aduance further their own affaires It bosteth of the ambitious calling them men of valour and courage and therefore it is that this Citty is filled with the brood of these families To sow discord all great courtiers of Mere-folly The 4. is to loue and sow dissention and to entertaine subiects with false reports calumniations and other malicious meanes thinking that by their discord and debility their estate should be strong and firme And as the Kingdom of God is peace and charity and his spirit is to nourish and mainteine peace so the Kingdome of the Diuell the estat of the world is trouble hatred the spirit of the world is to make discord when there is question to do euill To promise riches The 5. is to entice deceiue men by the promise of riches honours which passe vanish so many abused do perceiue whē they come to dy though late that all they haue gotten is but shadowes dreames Psal 75.6 The rich men saith Dauid haue slept their sleep in the end found nothing in their hands They haue passed this life as a dream resting themselues on the saffran bed of their riches and at the end haue found their braines troubled with fumes their hands empty of good workes their conscience loaden with sinnes These are the lawes of this world and of this Citty And as her lawes are but disorders so is her fayth perfidiousnes her end nothing els but to ruine her acquaintance and to send them to the slaughter that serue her best and are most faithful vnto her will you see this Cast the eyes of your memory vpon the histories of all ages passed how many gallants hath she precipitated into confusion after they had a while runne the race of their vanity in the sight of men How many hath she most miserably strangled that had to her performed most faithfull seruice Was there euer any that more honoured or better serued her then the Assuerus Caesars Alexanders Pompeies Neroes Diocletians Decians and other like Princes and Lords of her Court great admirers of her maiesty sighing seeking nor breathing any thing els but her greatnes hath she not made them all dye death euerlasting Thousands see this at euery moone and euery day but the world is such a cosener that it bereaueth mortall men of their senses and men are so foolish and simple that stil they suffer themselues to be seduced by her gaudies present delights so that they honour and serue her as their soueraigne Lord not able to open their eyes to behold eyther the misfortune of others or their own danger nor their eares to heare the voice of the iustice of God who threatneth them The good mixed with the bad in this world and perseuer in such sort vntill they be ouerwhelmed in the ditches of their enemie without help or hope euer to come out Now God who is our soueraigne King will ruinate this Citty raze it to the ground for he must iudge the world drench the obstinate but because there be diuers of his owne seruāts amongst these sinners as of Lots in Sodome he doth not yet exterminate the world but expecting in fauour of the good and by patience inuiting sinners to pennance in the tyme of mercy not to incurre at the day of iudgement the seuerity and rigour of his eternall iustice This is the Citty of which I told you yesterday out of the which by the grace of God you haue beene long since sequestred and shall be yet more if you be good Pilgrims as I esteeme you Thus did the Hermit expound his Allegory often looking vp to heauen and sighing The Pilgrims heard him with great attention and contentment their way seemed short Lazarus seeing him hold his peace sayd vnto him My reuerend Father you haue set before our eyes a wholsome picture of the Citty of this world and of the vanities of worldly men you haue bound vs in eternall benefit we desire to be bound vnto you also for your praiers and to obtaine for vs of our Lord that as he hath already drawn vs from the snares of this deceifull world so that he would giue vs grace to perseuer vnto the end in his loue and feare He will do it sayth the Hermit do only what is in you walk on euery day from good to better like good Pilgrims be perfect before him and you shall come by Gods grace to your desired country The B. Virgin whome you serue will help you with the assistance of her praiers the holy Apostles our good Fathers the Hermits S. Iohn S. Paul S. Anthony S. Hilarion S. Bruno and others who haue trampled vpon the world with the feet of constancy lyuing in the deserts as Pilgrims vpon the earth will procure you ayd happily to finish your course You haue yet som way to dispatch and some crosses to endure you shall passe not without paine and trauaile but with the profit of your soules As for you Lazarus you shall be lamented of many and your funerals shall be kept before your death and those that shall most mourne for you shall be most comforted in your fortune and that you may the better remember what I haue foretold you keep this and gaue him a litle paper folded like a letter conteining these foure verses At that fayre Day the last which you desire Two dead reuiu'd without death shall ech other see And being seene after their funerals kept Shall to the world
this is twesday and on Saterday we had newes of your death God giue me grace quoth Lazarus well to dye and well to rise againe This being sayd they returned to the Castle Monsieur caused good almes to be giuen and Lazarus aduised Vincent to giue the steward the ten Crownes in his bagge to giue also in almes to the poore and the remaynder of their Viaticum Open house was kept all that day and the next to all commers they went quickly to supper and al supper time and after also was nothing but questions and answers and admirations About ten a clocke in the night the Pilgrimes tooke their leaue of the old man giuing him the good night and he to them They were brought euery one to their chamber their feetâ— were washed new chaÌ„ge of apparell brought them to put on when they rose In the morning all the Pilgrimes made their meditations and communicated without omitting any of their accustomed exerses of deuotion A fortnight passed in diuers recreations namely in recounting the miracles and fauours of the B. Virgin the aduentures and accidents the encounters and dangers of their Pilgrimage in Palestine in Aegypt in Africa in Asia and in Europe since Pauline was prisoner who also related vnto Lazarus and his companions how he fell into the hands of the Saracenes and the manner how God deliuered him and conducted him home Theodosius returned to his Fathers house to take his blessing and after came backe to Lazarus Pauline was alwayes in his feruour of leauing the follies of the world and pressed Lazarus as much as he could to hasten that affaire as also Vincent Lazarus was glad to see all the house in good order and his sister who had beene widdow now three yeares like a good mistresse of the house gouerne the family insteed of her mother departed and in mynd to marry no more and his brother Francis full of prudence and piety honouring and solacing his father as much as could be desired of a Sonne so that he watched nothing but a fit houre to bid his father farewell fynding him one day as he desired he spake to him in this sort Lazarus his farewel to his Father and the World My most honourable Father and Lord by Gods fauour power I am returned from my seauen yeares voyage and vpon the point to beginne another longer then that with your leaue and blessing I beseech you to permit me vpon my departure solemnely to confesse and acknowledge that I am as much bound vnto you as euer was sonne to his father or subiect to his Lord and that I vse this confession to iustify the request I meane to make make it graÌ„table I owe vnto you next to God all that I haue and all that I am for I am your Sonne and you are my Father by which title I owe you all And a Father not such as onely hauing begotteÌ„ me and giuen me my body as other fathers to leaue me heyre of your earthly possessions The obligation of the Sonne to the Father without taking any care or very small of the saluation of my soule but like a true Father you haue nourished me in my childhood in the feare of God without sparing of any care or temporall meanes haue prouided me of the best and choisest maisters in Christendome hauing learned good literature vntill 18. yeares of age you made me learne to weare handle armâ—s after the fashion of our Nobility of France in the best Vniuersities of Eâ—rope After I was sent into Hungary to wars against the Turkes where I coÌ„manded three yeares with honorable successe of my trauailes contentment of the Captaine in whose coÌ„pany I carried armes being returned from this voiage and no occasion presenting it self vnto me in our France honorable to imploy my desire and calling you were of opinion depriuing your selfe of me for loue of me that I should trauaile into the East that so I might learne vertue in the schoole of the world seeing diuers countries and diuers nations and you did condescend that my brother Pauline should go with me because he desired it and you caused vs to be furnished with honourable prouision of men and horse but I desired you to permit me to go trauaile as a Christian Pilgrime and namely to that noble place of Loreto and that enduring some paine for the loue of God and satisfaction of my sinnes I might winne heaueÌ„ you praysed mine intention yet notwithstanding you recommended vs to certaine french Gentlemen which were in the East and made vs to take letters of Banke to help vs if we should be in necessity Then I declared vnto you as also did my brother Pauline the desire I had in my soule euer since my youth to leaue the world and to dedicate my selfe to the seruice of God a desire which hath alwayes increased in me and growne so much the more earnest feruent by how much the more clearely I did discouer the vanity of this life in euery vocation and learne that there was nothing stable vnder the heauens nothing more noble or worthy then to seeke euerlasting riches a desire which came not of my self but of God for whome I haue heard you often say that we must leaue Father and Mother and all It came also of you Syr by reason of the good instructioÌ„s which you gaue me and had caused to be giuen me so that for all and euery way I am bound and obliged to you Behold then my request grounded vpon two good titles of the goodnes and will of God and of your vertue and merit towards me and this my desire is that for the honour of God whome your selfe honour aboue all things and for the holy loue you beare vnto me and haue shewed by a thousaÌ„d benefits that it would please you to take in good part that without any longer delay I may leaue the world to consecrate my selfe to the seruice of him who hath called me to follow him and that giuing me your blessing you would crowne with this benefit all others that hitherto I haue receiued of you all which I will remember whilst my body shall breath and for the which I shall demaund of God with warme teares a recompence worthy of his diuine Maiesty The manner of life which I shall choose shall not make me leaue or forget the loue and respect which I owe vnto you but will make it more solide and firme for the counsels of God which teach vs to follow him neere are not contrary to his law which commaundeth to honour Father and Mother and Religion doth not destroy the law of nature but doth purify confirme and increase it And therefore thogh I should be absent in body yet I shall be alwaies present with you in spirit in what place soeuer the prouidence of God shall let me liue I shall alwayes remaine your most humble Sonne and Seruant and will put you in the