Saint Peters Path to the Joyes of Heauen: WHEREIN IS DESCRIBED THE FRAILTIE OF FLESH, THE power of the Spirit, the labyrinth of this life, Sathans subtiltie, and the Soules saluation.
As also the Election, Liues and Martyrdomes, of the twelue Apostles.
By W. B.
Poenitentiae nemo nimis Cupidus.
At London Imprinted by Felix Kingston. 1598.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR RICHARD MVLLENEX KNIGHT: ALL health of bodie, increase of ioy, with the full fruition of perfect felicitie.
RIGHT Worshipfull, It is reported that Althema hoping to gratifie Alexander that famous Conquerour, with some excellent piece of workemanship, searched so farre in the depth of his Arte, as striuing with cunning to be curious, his pencill past beyond his skill, not being able to make his worke perfect: who being blamed by his friend (Pethieus) for imboldning himselfe so vnaduisedly, answered, that although Arte wanted to beautifie the worke, yet heart and good will did make perfect that which lacke of cunning had left vnperfect: whose answere (Right Worshipful) as one guiltie of a greater crime, I claime for the sufficient excuse of my follie, in beginning this worke rudely, continuing rashly, and ending rawly.
None can expresse a Passion that he feeleth not, neither doth the penne deliuer, but what it copieth out of the minde. This passionate Discourse, thought it reach not to the dignitie of Peters repenting, yet shall I thinke my endeuours well apaid, if it may [...] some skilfuller penne to supplie in this matter my want [...] [...]bility, and exercise their happier talents in the like pie [...] ▪ I confesse my fault in committing these vnpolisht lines to the Presse, yet I craue pardon with fauourable censure, and thus [Page] farre dare I answere for my selfe, that although Demosthenes had a plaudit for his Oration, because it was curious, yet Nimius got the Sentence for the trueth of his plaine Tale.
This worke of S. Peters path to the ioyes of heauen, I humbly commit to your Worshippes protection, which if it may please you to let this tearie Mappe passe vnder the countenance and credite of your Name, and that you will deigne to reade it ouer, and therewith seeme to be but pleased, I account my selfe highly fauoured.
Apelles presented Alexander with the counterfeit of Campaspe, the face not fully finished, because hee liked the Picture; and I offer these few stanzes vnto you, not well furnished, because I know you are a fauourer of vertue.
Achilles made it not daintie to take the view of Phidias homely worke, because it was the Image of the God of Warre: and I hope your Worship will vouchsafe the viewing of this silly booke, for that it describes the submissiue mind of a penitent Sinner, although it spring frō a barren soyle, being a dish of such fruite as my poore orcharde can yeeld, not vnlike to Zeuxes pictures, which seemed to the birds to be grapes, but being thorowly proued, were bare shadowed colours, yet it may be, that you passing ouer many learned works, wil at last view this, and smile as Theodosius did at the Pomegranate, not that he scorned the fruit, but to see the simple meaning of the man that presented him with so slender a gift, yet I hope by your protection this my labor shall find acceptance, according to the minde of the giuer: and to haue as many fauorers as readers, & no moe readers that mislike the matter, then like to write some other as well meant, for that it proceedes from a minde as willing to shew it selfe thankefull, as whosoeuer els, that commends himselfe by a greater present. Thus I humbly take my leaue, wishing you all heartes content in this life, and euerlasting happinesse in the World to come.
To the courteous and friendly Reader.
GEntle Readers, although I present you with this tearie Mappe of S. Peters submissiue Minde, yet I craue pardon of you, as (Clinius did of Virginius) that if you finde any thing amisse, you will passe it ouer with fauourable censure: desiring you to reade with fauour, correct with iudgement, and winke at a fault.
After I had writ these few lines, I stoode in doubt whether I should commit them to the Presse, let them lye obscurely in corners, or else to remaine priuately in my owne hands, but being in doubt least any false copie should be scattered abroad, & by that meanes it should come corrupt to the Print, disguised in the fancies of an other mans humor: it imboldened my weake abilitie the more to giue it passage to the Presse: yet it may be, that courteous skill will make this reckoning, that though it bee course in respect of exquisite labours, yet it may entertaine indifferent mindes, for that the ground thereof is pietie, and this commoditie it will carie with it, that the Reader may learne the true path to perfect Ioy, and how to humble himselfe in the schoole of repentance.
Thus wading ouer rashly like Gherillus I flattered my selfe, yet farre from the minde of Terence, when he first beganne to studie Poetrie, he thought all the world would be in loue with his writing, but if this may winne any one to a repentant minde, hee shall receiue the fruites of his good worke, and I shall inioy the content of my full desire.
[Page] Phidios founde the more fauour in setting out his simple pictures, in that he did what he could, and I hope to find your fauourable iudgement for this imperfect worke in that I doe what I can. Though Cicero were eloquent, Ennius was bluntish, high stile is not herein used, but a plaine Decorum touching the matter, a worke roughly hewed out of a hard rocke, not polished by the curious hands of Artifex, yet brought to the view of the learned, whose cleare sighted iudgement may condemne me of boldnesse, yet this I know, that the well literate will winke at a fault, when the captious misliker will finde fault with euery letter, for the one, I will honour his discreet fauour, for the other, I neuer meant to please his humor.
Thus I commit my selfe and my booke to your courtesies, wishing the friendly Readers the fruition of all felicitie, committing them to the protection of the celestiall powers, and this my good will towards them, to their fauourable considerations.
1 | Peter. | |
Actes 1. | 2 | Iames Zebedeus |
3 | Iohn. | |
4 | Andrew. | |
Luke 6. | 5 | Philip. |
6 | Thomas. | |
7 | Bartholomew. | |
Marke 3. | 8 | Matth. |
9 | Iames Alph. | |
10 | Simon Zelotes. | |
Matth. 10. | 11 | Iude Iames. bro. |
12 | Matthias. |
THE ELECTION, LIVES and Martyrdomes of the twelue Apostles.
HEre gentle Reader wee may beholde the Saintes of God, which by great care and entire loue, did plant the principles of the Gospell, not sparing their liues to quench the heat of fire.
By viewing their Martyrdome, we may comfort our selues with this saying: Sanguis Martyrum, semen Ecclesiae. The blood of the Martyrs, is the seede of the Church. Christ himselfe foretold, that whosoeuer would be his Disciple, must take vp his crosse and folow him: these Apostles & these Disciples haue done no lesse.
1.
PEter, Matth. 4. 18. otherwise called Simon, the sonne of Iona, of the Prouince of Galile, Iohn 1. 42. & of the towne of Bethsaida, the brother of Andrew, Luke 6. 14. from a fisherman Christ called him to be an Apostle, commaunding him earnestly three times to feede his sheepe: Marke 1. 16. three times Peter denied Christ: Luke 5. 10. three times Christ asked Peter, if hee loued him: Marke 3. 16. and three times Peter answered, Matth. 16. 17. thou knowest Lorde, Iohn 21. 15. I loue thee. Hieron. lib. de viris illustr.
For denying of Christ, his submission was so great, that by continual kneeling in prayer to God, his knees & elbowes were growne thicke, numme, and hard like the hoofe of an Oxe, his armes with leaning on them were growne crooked, his eyes were bleard with dayly weeping, and the streames of teares which flowed from his eyes, Anton. Chro. part. 1. tit. 6. cap. 4. parag. 1. made gutters in his cheekes.
Peter the Apostle was y e first Bishop of Antioch, he continued there seuen yeeres, & seuen yeeres about Ierusalē & the Easterne regious: Actes 12. 4. verse 8. he was imprisoned by Herod Agrippa, and deliuered by an Angell: Eusebius eccle. hist. lib. 3. ca. 9. Christ came to his house & healed his wiues mother of a feuer: Matth. 8. 14. he preached the Gospel of Christ in 1. Pet. 1. Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Luke 4. 38. Bythinia, and Asia. Peter was of that courage & boldnesse, Mark. 1. 31. that he walked vpon the water to go to Iesus.
Peter seeing Christ transfigured, talking with Moses and Elias, he was so rauished with that ioyfull sight, Matth. 14. 29. that he said vnto him, This was vpon Mount Thabor. Lord, here is good being for vs, Matth. 17. 2. if thou wilt, Let vs make here 3. Marke 9 5. tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Christ did foretel Peter of his death, Luke 9. 35. saying, Iohn 21. 18. When thou wast young, thou girdedst thy selfe and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be olde, thou shalt stretch forth thy handes, and another shall gird thee, and leade thee whither thou wouldest not.
Peter was crucified at Rome, Euseb. Eccle. hist. lib. 3. ca. 1. An. Christi 70. the third Calends of Iuly, in the last yeere of Nero, with his head downewards, which kind of death he himselfe desired.
2.
IAmes the sonne of Zebedeus brother to Iohn, Matth. 4. 21. was a poore fisherman, Mark. 3. 17. and being in the shippe mending of his net, Iesus came by and called him to be an Apostle.
He preached the Gospel of Christ vnto the twelue dispersed Tribes, Clem. lib. 7. hypot. he was the next Martyr after Stephen: Actes 12. 2. he was slaine by the sword in India by Herod Agrippa: Pet de natal. lib. 6. cap. 133. his corps was afterward transported into Compostella in Spaine.
3.
IOhn the Euangelist was the sonne of Zebed and brother to Iames: Mat. 4. 21. he was called from the fisher-boate to bee an Apostle of Christ: Policrates B. of Ephesus. he was of all other beloued of Iesus: he leaned on the breast of our Sauiour: Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 16. An. Dom. 97. he was banished by the Emperor Domitian into the Isle of Patmos, where hee wrote the Reuelation,
Ierome and Abdias saith, Ierenaeus lib. 5 Abdias. that at Rome he was throwne into a tunne of hotte burning oyle, yet he came forth and tooke no harme.
Hee conuerted a Thiefe, The wordes of Iohn the Euangelist to the thiefe. that was Captaine of a bande of theeues, all wholy bent to slaughter, murder, and extreame crueltie, saying, Yet there remaineth some hope of saluation: I will vndertake for thee with Christ: I will die for thee if neede be, as Christ dyed for vs, I will hazard my soule for thine: Trust me, Christ sent me.
The Thiefe hearing this, Tokens of true repentance. stoode still, shooke off his armour, trembled for feare, repented and wept bitterly.
After the death of Domitian, Irenaeus lib. 2. cap. 39. Cle [...]n. Iohn the Euangelist returned from the Isle of Patmos, when Nerua had raigned a little aboue a yeere: An. dom. 99. Iohn gouerned the Churches in Asia: and remained at Ephesus.
Augustine calleth him a martyr by will: Ierome saith he dyed the 68 yeere after the passion of Christ. anno. Policrates Bishop of Ephesus, as Eusebius alleadgeth, sticketh not to call him a Priest, a martyr, and a doctor, but that which Augustine and Dorotheus writeth of his end, is strangest of all, and let the credite thereof rest in the choise of the Reader: Dom. 101. how Iohn at Ephesus [Page] in the presence of diuers people, went aliue into his graue & there dyed, being an hundreth and twentie yeeres old.
4.
ANdrew being a poore fisherman, Mat. 4. 18. was called with his brother Peter to bee an Apostle: Luk. 6. 14. hee preached the Gospell of Christ vnto the Scythians, Euseb. lib. 3. Sogdians, and Sucians, and in the middle of Sebastopilis, cap. 1. inhabited of the wilde Ethiopians: being crucified by Aegeas King of Edessa the last of Nouember, Dorotheus Eccle. hist. an. Christi. and buried at Pataris a citie in Achaia.
5.
PHilip was chosen to be an Apostle of Christ, Luk. 6. 14. hee was borne in the citie of Bethsaida, Marke 3. 18. a citie in Galile: when Christ demaunded of Philip where they might buy bread to satisfie the people that followed him, Iohn 6. 9. Philip answered him, Two hundreth pennie worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that euery one may take a little: This was said to proue him: Christ at that instant fedde fiue thousand men with fiue barly loaues and two fishes, Mat. 14. 19. and when the people were satisfied, the disciples filled twelue baskets with that which remained: Actes. 8. 9. Philip preached the Gospell of Christ in Phrygia, Anton. chron. tit. 6. cap 11. pet. de natal. de sanctis. lib. 4. cap. 107. he went to a citie in Samaria, and there conuerted Simon Magus the sorcerer, who had a long time seduced the same citie with his sorcerie & witchcraft. The Painims crucified Philip at Hierapotalis.
6.
THomas otherwise called Didymus, Iohn 20. verse 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. was one of the twelue Apostles of Christ: hee doubting of the resurrection of Christ, saide vnto his fellowes which tolde him that they had seene the Lord, Thomas said, Except I see in his hands the print of the nayles, and put my handes into his side, I will not beleeue. After eight dayes, Thomas being with the disciples, Iesus came againe, and stood in the middest of them saying, Peace be vnto [Page] to you, Agbasus wrot an Epistle vnto Christ, acknoledging him to be the soone of God. & said to Thomas: Put thy finger here & see my hands, and thrust forth thy hand, put it into my side, and be not faithlesse, but faithfull. Then Thomas did conceiue a full faith that it was the Lorde, and saide, Thou art my Lord my God: which confession Iesus did well accept.
Thomas sent Thaddaeus vnto Agbarus king of Edessa, Christ writ to Agbarus againe. to preach the Gospell of Christ, and to cure Agbarus of his maladie: Thomas the Apostle preached the Gospell of Christ, Euseb. lib. 1. cap. 15. vnto the Persians, Medes, Caramaines, Hircaines, Bastraines, and Magitians: Anton. chron. he was slaine at the heathen Kings commaundement, with a dart in India, Abdias Apost, hist. lib. 9. and was buried at Calimina.
7.
BArtholomew was chosen to bee an Apostle of Christ, Luk 6. 14. hee preached to the Indians, Mark. 3. 18. and deliuered vnto them the Gospell of Matthew in their owne language: Mat. 10. 3. he suffered martyrdome at the commaundement of Polemius king of India, Dorotheus. Abdias B. of Babilon. the first day of his martyrdome he was beaten with cudgels, the second day crucified and flayne aliue, pet. de natal. lib. 7. cap. 103. his skin puld ouer his eares, as he was fastened to the crosse: Anton chron. tit. 6. cap. 12. Last of all, while breath remained in him, he was beheaded.
8.
MAtthew the Euangelist was chosen to be an Apostle of Christ, Mark. 3. 18. he wrote the Gospell of our Lord Iesus in the Hebrew tongue, Abdias. hist. aspost. lib. 7. and deliuered it to Iames the sonne of Alpheus: he preached the Gospell in Aethiopia: he was by the commandement of Hyrtacus runne through with a sworde.
9.
IAmes the sonne of Alpheus & Marie, Euseb. Eccle. hist. lib. 2. cap. 22. sister to Marie the Lords mother, called the brother of Christ, was the first Bishop of Ierusalem, Clemen. lib. 6. he liued vertuously, he vsed no woollen vesture, but wore a Syndon, Aegesippi. s li. 5. his knees were after the guise of a camels [Page] knee, Ioseph. Antiq. benumd and bereft of the sence of feeling by reason of his continuall kneeling in supplication to God: lib. 20 cap. 16. he continued Bishop thirtie yeeres, Abd hist. apo. and was martyred by the Iewes, but especially by Ananias the high Priest, Dorotheus. who set him vpon a pinackle of the Temple to preach to the people, Anton. chron. part. 1. tit. 6. cap. 8. anno Dō. 6. & threw him downe headlong: he hauing breath after his fall, one came with a Fullers club, knockt him on the head, and brained him.
10.
SImon the Cananite sonne to Cleopas, Luk. 6. 15. surnamed Zelotes the Lordes cousin germaine, Aegesippus writeth that Cleopas was brother to Ioseph. hee was chosen to bee one of the twelue Apostles of Christ, he preached the Gospel throughout Mauritania, Aphricke, Aegypt, and Persia: he returned thence and succeeded Iames in the Bishopricke of Ierusalem: the heretickes accused him that he lineally descended of the stocke of Dauid, Simon was the second B. of Ierusalem. and that he was a Christian, which profession they hated: he was scourged for the space of many dayes together, so that Aticus the Iudge and his company was marueilously amased, and marueiled, He was crucified anno. dō. 110. how that he being an hundred and twentie yeeres old, Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 11. 29. was able to abide that bitter torment, in the end, he dyed a death agreeable with the passion of Christ.
11.
IƲde the brother of Iames called also Thaddeus, Luk. 6. 16. was called to be an Apostle: Mark. 3. 18. he preached vnto the Edessians, & through all Mesopotamia: Dorotheus Eccle. hist. he was slaine at Berito in the time of Agbarus king of Edessa.
12.
MAtthias one of the seuentie Disciples, Acts. 1. 26. was chosen to be an Apostle in the roome of Iudas the traytor: hee preached the Gospell first in Macedonia, Pet. de natal. then in Aethiopia, about the hauen called Hissus, lib. 3. cap. 149. and the riuer Phasis, afterward he went into India, Anton. chron. where the Iewes stoned him, and last of all he was beheaded with an axe after the Romaine manner. tit. 6. cap. 15.
HERE FOLLOWETH the Election, Liues and Martyrdoms of S. Paul, Marke the Euangelist, and Stephen one of the seuen Deacons.
PAVL, Act. 7. 58. which before was called Saule, Act. 8. 3. was an Apostle of Christ, yet out of the number of the twelue, Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 1. was borne in Iurie, Ex Hieron. lib. de viris illust. in a towne called Gascalis, which towne beeing taken by the Romanes, he with his parents fled to Tharsus a towne in Cilicia, afterwards hee was sent vp to Ierusalem, and there brought vp in the knowledge of the Law: Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 1. at that time when Stephen suffered martyrdome: Paul was a persecutour, Act. 9. 4. in raging against the Church of God, Anno Chr. 35. entring into the houses of the faithfull, and gaue forth precepts that both men and women should be imprisoned: he was conuerted to beleeue in Christ, by a voice that spake to him from heauen, as he went towards Damascus, and from a persecutour he was made a professor, an Apostle, a martyr, a witnes of the Gospel, and a chosen vessell, not of men, neither by men, but by reuelation from Iesus Christ: among other his manifold labours and trauelles in spreading the doctrine of Christ, hee wanne Sergius Paulus the Proconsul of Ciprus to the faith of Christ, whereupon his name was turned from Saul to Paul: he began to preach the Gospell of Christ at Ierusalem, Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 27. and went on still to Ilyricum, Italie and Spaine, his Epistles are extant at this day, full of heauenly wisedome, hee was accused before the Emperour Nero, Abdias de viris lib. 2. for teaching a new doctrine and stirring vp sedition against the Empire, whereupon Nero commanded him to declare the order of his doctrine: which was to teach all [Page] men peace and charitie, how to loue one another; that rich men should not bee puft vp in pride, The summe of Paules doctrine. nor to put their trust in their treasure, but in the liuing God; meane men to be content with food and raiment, and with their present state; poore men to reioyce in their pouertie with hope; fathers to bring vp their children in the feare of God; children to obay their parents; husbands to loue their wiues; wiues to loue their husbands; citizens and subiectes to be true to their Prince. This was the summe of Paules teaching, which hee receiued from Iesus Christ, which spake to him from heauen. When Nero had heard this, he gaue sentence of death, that Paul should bee beheaded, vnto whose executiō Nero sent two of his Esquires, Paul condemned. Feraga & Parthemius, to bring him word of Paules death: Euseb. lib 2. he was beheaded at Rome, the last yeere of Nero, cap. 2. lib. 1. the third calends of Iuly, and was buried in the way to Ostia, cap. 1. anno in the thirtie sixt yeere after his conuersion, thirtie seuen yeeres after the Passion of Christ. Christi. 70.
MArke the Euangelist was the first Bishop of Alexandria, Dorotheus Eccle hist. he was the first that preached Christ vnto the Egyptians: in the time of Traian hee had a cable rope tyed about his necke, and drawne through the streetes of Alexandria, Euseb. lib 2. that his flesh was rent in pieces, cap. 16. cap. 25. and the stones coloured with blood, he was drawne from Blocus to a place called Angels, Dorotheus. where hee was burned to ashes by the furious Idolaters, in the moneth of April, and buried at Blocus.
STephen was chosen to bee one of the seuen Deacons, Actes 6. 5. by prayer and laying on of the Apostles hands, Euseb. lib. 2. for the publike administration of the Church affaires, cap. 1. hee was stoned to death at Ierusalem by them that slew the Lorde, Actes 7. 59. he was the first of the triumphing Martyrs of Christ, Actes 8. 2. and as they stoned him, he said: Lord Iesu receiue my spirit: Luke 13. 34. and kneeling downe, he cryed with a lowde voyce: Stephen signifieth a crowne Lord lay not this sinne vnto their charge: and so fell asleepe in the Lord.
This is to beare the crosse of our Sauiour, Matth. 10. 38. 39. this is to drinke of one cuppe with Christ: Christ saith, He that taketh not vp his [Page] crosse and followeth after me, Matth. 16. 24, 25. is not worthie of me, hee that will saue his life, shall loose it, and he that looseth his life for my sake, shall saue it. Psalm. 34. 19. Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all. Through many tribulations wee haue to enter into the king dome of heauen: Matth. 10. 22. but hee that endureth to the ende, he shall be saued.
Infinite are the number of the Saints of God that haue suffered for the testimonie of Christ, as Hierome in his Epistle to Chromatius and Heliodorus, saith: Nullus esset dies quinon vltra quin (que) millium numerum martyrum reperiri posset ascriptus excepto die kalendarum Ianuarij. The number of Martyrs in the primitiue Church. There is no day in the whole yeere vnto which the number of fiue thousand Martyrs cannot be ascribed, except onely the first day of Ianuarie.
THus gentle Reader, not meaning to be offensiue with long circumstances, I haue briefely described the liues and martyrdomes of the twelue Apostles, amongst which I haue writ of S. Peter more at large then any of the rest: and if you deigne fauourably to reade this small ensuing Poeme to the ende: you shall encourage mee hereafter to present you with some other worke that may be more pleasing to your kinde view. Thus I commit thee courteous Reader to the reading of that which followeth.
The Argument.
Vbi abundauit peccatum, Superabundauit & gratia.