AFFLICTIONS, AND troubles, are nothinge els: then messengers: or purseuāts, to call, and summon vs to god vvhen vvee forsake him.
CAP. I.

IN all common mi­series, and gene­rall afflictions (lo­uing bretheren [...] and cuntrymen) vve are bounde by the lavve [Page 2]of god, and nature to bevvayle our sinnes, for vvhich, vvee suffer those miseries to amēd, & refor­me our liues, and to returne, and conuert our selues vnto god, vvhose haroldes, and messengers troubles, 2. Para. 1.20 and calamities be.

So the good Kinge Iosaphat, being oppressed vvith sundrie troubles, & aduersities did retur­ne vnto god (saieng) in our mise­ries, and calamites, this is the on­lie remedie vve haue: that vvee should lift vpp our eyes vnto thee (ô god).

In the commune afflictions of the people of Israell, Ioel. 2 the priestes vvere commanded to prostrate them selues, inter vestibulum, & altare: betvvixt the entrie of the [Page 3]temple, and the altar: at the feete of god, and to crie out: lord saue, and spare thy people, giue not, thy inheritance, vnto the cruell nations, to be of them troden vnder foote, and despised.

The people also vvere com­manded in fasting, mourning, la­menting, and prayeng, to ren­de ther hearts, Num. 16.20. Exo. 31. and not there garments. Thus Moyses, and Aaron appeased gods vvrath a­gainst that people: so did Dauid in the mortalitie of his people, flie vnto god, vvith contrition for his sinnes, 2. [...] Rege 24. 2. & vlt. Iona. 3 5 and purpose of amēde­ment: and the plague did cease: the Niniuites did the like: so did Ezechias being sentensed to die, Isa 3 [...]. tourned his face against the vvall [Page 4]and vvept: his sentence vvas re­called: Isa. 35. & Ezechias vvas repriued: by giuing him 15. years to refor­me his life. Amb sup. Hom. i [...] E [...]ang. vvher vpon S. Ambrose sayth. si noueris mutare delicta tua Deus nouerit mutare sententiam suam: if thou Knovvest to change thy vvicked life: god vvill also change and alter his sentēce past against thee. Let vs follovv the prophet saieng derelinquat impius viam suam & vir iniquus cogita­tiones suas, Isa 55. &c. Isa. 55. let the vvi­cked forsake his vvayes, and the vngodly his vvicked thoughtes, & let him turne vnto god becau­se, he is more inclined to pardon vs, accordinge to his mercye: thē ­to punish according to his iustice. In all these generall, and dolefull [Page 5]calamities, of our poore cuntrie: so great as neuer any nation, vvas subiect vnto: through vvarre, fa­mine, plague, out of vvhich none of that poore natiō, escaped vvi­thout his portiō, vvherein milliōs did perish, & such as are liuing, or did escape the svvorde: or the miserable death of their neighboures, are oppressed: or rather ouer­vvhelmed: vvith such miseries: & suche displeasant accidētes: as it vvere better for them to end ther miseries by death, then to liue in continuall tormentes.

I vvill take no knovveledge, or notice of suche as are the procu­rers of your troubles. I vvould vvhere the fault is committed, it had rather bene reformed by thē [Page 6]then reproued by any other.

But surely the cause of such miseries, and afflictions, ought ra­ther to be ascribed vnto our ovvne grieuous offences, vvhich deserued greater plagues, and punishmentes: (if possiblye grea­ter could be inflicted), then vnto any other; for the authours are but god almighties instrumētes: to beate vs vvith his vvhipp ei­ther for the manifold sinnes, that vve haue cōmitted: that by the same vve may amend our liues: & be reduced vnto the filiale sub­iection, of our eternall father: or els: for the triall of our patience and curbinge vs, from fallinge into greater inconuenience like as the cunninge phisition: to pre­uent [Page 7]sicknesse to come, letteth the patiēt blood in the spring ti­me, taking from him, superfluitie of blood, vvhich vvould ingen­der diseases in the sommer, not that the patient is sicke, but least he shoulde be sicke.

Yf our miseries be the debt, that are due, vnto the manifold tres­passes, that vve haue perpetrated: or the paine that should follovv the outragious sinnes, that vve ha­ue cōmitted, vve ought to beare them patientlie, to embrase them vvillingly, & to suffer thē quietly. lib. i [...] ­dith. c. [...].

It is vvritten in the booke of Iudith, that the capitaine of the children of Amon, called Achior, speaking vnto Holophernes of the Ievves, is saied to haue spokē [Page 8]after this sorte: their god hateth iniquitie, and vvickednesse, & so our god hateth in vs catholic­kes vngolidnesse: more then in Ievves, pagans and heretickes. & therfore no marueyle: being re­bellious children vnto god: vve should be punished like rebelles and traiturs. it is not expedient. if vve offend god (as vvee haue done) that vvee should hope for a revvarde, vvhen vve haue deser­ued paine. If Achior the pagan spake these vvordes, of the Ievves▪ much more, a christian ought to speake them of christiās. if these afflictions be sent vnto vs, for our triall, and exercise of uertue, vve ought not to grudge at them: but rather to entertaine [Page 9]them most gladly: & to say vvith the prophet proba me Deus: & scito cor meum: Psal. 136 [...] & cognosce semi­tas meas: & vide si via iniquitatis in me est, & deduc me in via eter­na psal. 136. proue me ô god: sear­che my hearte: and discerne my steps: and see by the straihgt vvay vvhether I vvalke in the vvay of iniquite: and lead me by the vvay of euerlasting life.

Vvhereas novv our troubles rather increase, then decrea­se, by the last proclamation, vvhich vvas published in all pla­ces of Irelande: the last October. I can giue you no other reme­die: or comforte, then, Cē. 12. H [...] per patien­tiam currere ad propositum nobis certamen, aspicientes auctorem [Page 10]fidei consummatorem Iesum: [...]ebr. 14. qui propofito sibi gaudio, confusione contempta crucem subijt, eum re­cogitate, qui talem sustinuit aduer­sus semetlpsum contradictionem: to runne, & go forvvard vnto the battaile prepared for vs, and vvith patience abide the brunt thereof. let vs sayeth the apostle beholde the authour of our fayth, vvho­se onely ioye, vvas to beare, & en­tertaine his crosse, and not respe­cting the confusion, vnto vvhich he vvas brought, neuer left of vn­til he said consummatum est, it is a­complished. remēber (saieth he) that did suffer such reproches at the handes of sinners.

Vnto you he drancke the bitter cup of his passion, vvhich [Page 11]Chriest vvoulde haue to passe vnto his church: and the mem­bers thereof.

For Christ being in the gar­den of Gethsemani, in the darke alone, flat vpon his face, svvea­ting and praieng, and hauing apprehended, the sore agonie of his bitter, and paynfull passion to come, did not desire of his father eternall, that the elect of his church should be cherised, vvith possessiōs, or vvorldly pampered: but of that cup he vvould giue them a draught to drincke.

This holy cup of Chriest: is no other thing, but tēptation, hunger, colde, thirst, persecutiōs, exile, pouertie, and martyrdome of vvhich thinges god giueth to [Page 12]drinck, and to tast, to such, as he hath chosen, to serue him, and hath predestinated, to be saued.

A stomacke that is ful of bad and corrupte humours: and a bo­dy, that languisheth through dis­seases, must take a sovver purga­tion: vvherby, the one shoulde be clensed of the humoures: and the other healed of the sicknesse. Shall not a miserable soule, infe­cted, vvith the poyson of sinne, & corrupted vvith sundrie vices, ta­ke this holsome potion, and pur­gatiō of Chriest his cup? vvher­by, it should be clensed, of the disease: and lighted of the heauie burden, of malignant humoures. Shall not a putrified vvounde, be healed, by a hoat irō? [Page 13]shall not vvee therefore, that are catholickes, and christiās onely in name, but contrarie vnto Christ in our vvourkes: and persecutors of Christ, and his church: in our purposes so incōstāt, so malitious in our vvilles, so hypocriticall: on­ly bearing a shevve of fained ho­lines before man, but before god, vvho is the searcher of our hear­tes, are foūd stubble, & dry sprig­ges fit for hell fire, shall not vvee (I say,) be purified by the fire of tribulatiō? & be chastised by the rodd of affliction? to the end, vve might be made perfecte mēbers, of Chriest his church: tryed and vvell trayned souldiers in the cā ­pe of Iesus.

But I feare very much, that the [Page 14]grieuouse, and lamentable com­plaint of Ezechiel, is meant of vs by fill hominis, T [...]e e. 29 &c. I haue put the house of Israel (saith he) into a for nace of the captiuitie of Babylon hoping, that being vvith in the fire of tribulation, she vvould re­solue to pure gold, and fine siluer: but she is conuerted into leather, lead, brasse, and Iron.

This is the meaning of the holy ghoast in this text, that man is conuerted into lead, vvho being put into the fornace of tri­bulation, cannot only not be amended, but from one day to another grovve vvorse, and vvor­se: that man becomes yron, to vvhom god hauing sent some punishment, to aduertise him, [Page 15]in place to be amended, he cea­seth not to repine at it. He is tur­ned into leather, vvho out vvar­dly seemes to be of holie lyfe, & vvhen any tribulatiō happeneth, he is foūd an hypocrite, and that man is resolued into brasse, vvho in his dispositiō, is intractable, in his condition inflexible, in his life carelesse, & in his cōsciēce negli­gēt: so as I feare much that there are farre greater nūber of such as by tribulatiōs, are conuerted into yron, leather, brasse: and lead, thē of them vvhich become gold or siluer. god deliuer you in al your troubles from the like transmu­tation, and giue you the grace to make better profite of your tri­bulations.

Assuring our selues that they be the only vvayes vnto the King dome of heauen, For by them the blessed sainctes did enter into glo­rie: and hauing passed ouer the tempestuous vvaues of this mise­rable vvorld, novv they cry out and say transiuimus per ignem, & aequam: vsal 65. & eàuxisti nos in refrige­tium: vvee passed through fire and vvater: and at length thou hast brought vs vnto our expe­cted end and desired rest.

Vnto these Chriest did drin­cke his cup: vvhich is the signe of those that shall be saued. he said vnto the sōnes of zebedei: potestis b [...]bere calicem? M [...]. 3. [...]. &c. can ye drin [...]e of the cup, of vvhich I must drincke? 3. Math. 20. of this cup [Page 17]Dauid sard: calicem salutaris acci­piam Ps. 115. I vvill. Ps. 115. accept and receue at the handes of my sa­uioure the hoalsom cup of affli­ction: and then vvill I call vppon his name.

For vve cannor escape hell, butt at the cost of great trauaile. The svvoard of sainct Peter: the crosse of sainct Andrevve: the knief of sainct Bartholome: the gratyron of sainct Laurence: and the sheares of sainct Steuen: the svvoard of grief of the blessed vir­gine: the generall calamities of all the sanctes: vvhat other thinges are they, but certaine badges they haue receaued of Chriest: and cer­tame gulpes they haue svvallo vved of this cup: and certaine [Page 18]lances vvher vvith they vvere let blood. least the superfluitie therof in the heate of the funne should corrupt the soule.

So many degrees, vve shal recea­ue in heauen, of glorie: as vve haue drūcke of the cup of Chriest in this life. Psal. 92. the prophet sayth se­cundum multitudinem dolorum meorum: in corde meo consola­tiones tuae laetificauerunt animam meam: accordinge to the measure, and quantitie of the sorovves, and afflictions of oure pensiue contri­te hearte, in this vvorld: oure soule shalbe comforted, and made ioy­full in the celestiall paradice. and therefore vve ought to pray vnto god, euerieday, vvith teares, that, if vvee cannot drincke all his eupe, [Page 19]at the least: that he vvould suffer vs to tast thereof. the cupp of Chriest: althoughe it be bitter in drinckinge: after the drinckinge therof, it doth great profitt. I vvould say the troubles vvhich vve suffer, to be good, they giue not so muche paine, vvhenvve in­dure them: as they after vvardes, giue pleasure, hauinge passed them, let Dauid fansie the cold vvater of Bethelem, let the glut­ton in helcry out vnto Abraham for the least drope of any licour, or any moisture, let the coue­tuous gape after riches or the drounckard thirst aftervvine: but for the consolation and saluation of a chriestan: ther is nothinge so necessarie for him then that he [Page 16]should drincke of this cup.

Ther is another cup, vvhich is called the cup of the vvrathe of god: vvherof, to speake the intra­les: doth open, the members doth quacke, the hearte doth faile, the fleash doth tremble: the guiltie conscience doth torment, the eys doth vveepe, and oure imagina­tion doth vex vs vvith the appre­hension thereof. vvith this cupe god doth threaten vs. This is that, vvhich the prophet speaketh of: I [...]. [...]. vae tibi Hierusalim quia bibisti ca­licem irae Dei vsque ad faeces, vvo be vnto thee Hierusalim, be cau­se thoue hast sucked, the cup of oure lordes vvrath euen vvto the dregges, he drincketh, the cup of vvrath, that falleth frō the state of [Page 21]grace, vvherin hestood. vvhereof it follovveth, that the soule is mu­che more dead, vvithout grace: then a bodie vvithout a soule. of this cup the vnfortunat Synago­ge did make hir self druncke: and the druncknesse of this, vvas the cause, that Isracl vvas banished: from Iudea: and translated vnto Babylon: and also that of godes inheritāce: and his vineyarde tho­se Iues vve are depriued: vvhich vvas giuen vnto the gentiles: and this vvas the cause, that the ca­tholick religiō: and godes tabernacle, vvas taxen from many chri­stian countrys: and did passe ouer vnto the east, and vveast indies. and novve such as vveare good christians in time past, are becom [Page 22]infidels and subiect vnto Turckes, pagans, mahometistes, and hereti­ckes: and in steed of the catholi­cke religion they do embrace the rites of paganisme Mahometis­me, Iudaysme: and Caluinisme. and trulie, it is godes iust punish­ment: seinge, they did not obey the true pastore, that they should be confounded by false prophetes: and for that they haue forsaken the catholicke religion of Chriest they should be peruersly mislead and intoxicated vvith many false religions. Math 24.5. Ioh. 5.43. 1. Ti­moth. 4.3. 2. Tim. 31.2. [...]. 5. this vvas pro­phesied of this people in the scripture. thiese be they that did drincke the groundes and dregges therof, vntil nothinge vvas left: thiese vveare they that made a [Page 23]shipvvreacke of ther fayth by for­sakinge ther ancient religion, by denieinge all the articles of chri­stianitie: thiese be they, of vvhom the prophet complayneth excus­serunt iugum Domini, Hier. 8.2. & diripue­runt vincula eius, they haue cast of the yocke of oure lorde, they haue brocken his giues and fet­ters: thiese be they of vvhom the foresayd prophet speacketh derela­querunt me fontem aequae viuae, &c. they haue forsaken me beinge the fontaine of life, and haue made vnto them silues cisternes that cannot containe any vvater, thie­se be they, that haue droun [...]ē the cup of euerlastinge vvoo, by vvhose miserable forsa [...]inge of the catholicke fayth, by vvhose [Page 24]manifest contempt and despisinge of all sacrifices, sacramentes, rites, and religious ceremonies, thovv­sandes haue bene miserablie per­uerted, and millions left in endles vvoe.

I hope this is not the cup that you drincke of, but the cup of the passiō of Chriest, not the cup of the Synagoge, but the cup that oure sauioure in the gardē did drinck of, by vvhich he vvould haue his churche to be cherished. of the one vvhosoeuer drincketh he doth svvallovv hel, of theo­ther heauen. the one hath a svveet tast indrinckinge but aftervvades, a terrible smarte, the other sovver in drinckinge, but after vvardes, giueth health, vnto him, that [Page 25]drincketh therof. nulla remedia tam faciunt dolorem quam ea quae sunt salutaria: Cice. ad quint. frat. ther is no re­medie so hoalsom as such that causeth the greatest smarte.

This cup of tribulation, vvas so bitter, as none could drinck the same, vntil Chriest, did beginn it vnto vs, in the apprehension of his passion, and in the anguishe of his extreame paine.

None could drincke the vva­ters of mara vntil Moyses did cast his rod, into it, Exod. 15. nu [...]e. 33. and beinge bitter before, vvas after vvardes made svveet and pleasant. the crosse of Chriest, and all other tribula­tions, vveare infamous, and disso­nerable vnto those, that beare and suffred them. but novve by [Page 26]the death of Chriest, the crosse is renovvmed in the vvorld, and tribulariōs, suffred for his sake, are more svveet, then the honie cōbe. and this blessed crosse beinge cast into the vvaters of afflictions, Io. 4. sons aquae salientis in vtiam aeternam a fontaine of vvater runninge vnto life euerlastinge, springeth out of them.

Thiese be the afflictions, that christians ought alvvayse, to desi­re of god, thiese be the tribula­tious, that vertuous people ought to embrace, as sent from god, and thiese by the fatherlie corrections, by vvhich vve ought to returne vnto god if vve haue forsaken him.

The godlie people that vvent [Page 27]before did assure vs, and vve by daylie crosses of the good and the prosperitie of the vngodlie ought to beleue the same, that ther is no greater temptation, then not to be tempted, no greater trouble then not to be troubled, no grea­tet chastisment, then not to be chastised, nor no greater vvhip, then not to be scurged of god. let vs therfore follovve the counsell of the apostle exhibeamus nos metipsos in multa patientia, 2. Cor. 6. in tri­bulationibus, &c. Let vs (sayth he) as the seruantes of god behaue oure selues in much patiēce, abide muche troubles, suffer tribula­tious, distresses, paines, anguishes, perplexities, laboures and paine, let vs saith he yeeld oure selues [Page 28]vnto the austere vvorkes of pennance, of long vvatchinge, mu­che fastinge and all other religious exercises. Let vs shevve oure sel­ues in chastitie and vnfayned cha­ritie, mortified, but alvvaise liuing chastisinge of our selues, but not dead therby, because this is the time, 1. T [...]. 1.4. that iudgment, should begin at the hovvse of god-as sancte Pe­ter sayth. and as the prophet spea­keth cum accepero tempus, &c. Vvhen I shall haue leasure I vvill examine, Ps. 74. Iob. 9. and iudge thy righteousnes of vvhich time Iob sayth. Ve­rebar omnia opera mea, &c. I did feare all my vvorkes, kuovvinge that god spateth not to punishe a sinner-against vvhome the sin­ne is committed. do not therfore [Page 29]feare them, that killeth the bodie. but feare him rather, that can cast both soule, and bodie vnto the pit of hell. our sauiour saith. Math. 10. all that confesseth me, before man. him vvill I confes before my fa­ther, vvhich is in heauen. Math. 5 tradent enim vos in tribulationem, &c. they vvil sayth he, procure youre trou­ble. augment your torment: math. 25. cause you to bessaine. many false pro­phetes shall rise and shall seduce many. iniquitie. shall aboūde. cha­ritie shall vvax colde. vvho soeuer shal continue, vnto the end shal­be saued. for this ende vve striue. euen vnto death against all the princes of darcknes: and against all those that intendeth to debare and hinder vs therof.

And because that god is the end of oure peregrination: the centre of oure mouinge, the consolation of oure troubled mindes: the Knovvledge of oure vnderstan­dinge, the obiect of oure loue, the desire of oure heartes: the quiet­nesse. and rest of oure languished spirit: the felicitie thatvvee longe for, and the ioy thatvvee hope for: vvho vvill not suffer vs, to take rest or conforte in any earthly thinge but in him self, let vs therfore fol­lovve him. euen as the iuie taketh no rest, vppon the earth, vntill, it getteth som tree; or vvall, by vvhich it may be lifted vpp: so oure poore foule taketh no rest in any earthlie thinge: eyther gold: or siluer vntill it cō vnto god. and [Page 31]finde him. and therfore sainct Au­gustin had reason to say Dominé fecistime propter te & cor meum non quiescit quousque venerit ad te: thoue haste made me o lorde for thy self, and my soule, shall neuer be at rest, vntill it shall com and arriue vvith thy self, in the place of youre felicitie. lib, 4. conf. vvith reason the said authoure saith▪ non est quies vbi illam quaeritis. quaerite quod quae­ritis, sed non est vbi quaeritis, quaritis beatam vitam in regione mortis? non inuenietis quomodo vitam inuenietis vbi viuere poena est? there is no rest vvhere you seeke it: you may searche it but you shall not finde it, do you aske a happie liefe in the region of death? but you shall not find it. hovve canst thoue [Page 32]find lief, vvheare there is nothinge but death? vvhy shoulde vvee ex­pect any ioy or felicitie in the kingdom of paine, and miseries? if Chriest accordinge to his diuini­tie, beinge the maker, and creator of thevvorlde, had no place of rest therin: vvhen he saith the foxes hath ther hoales: the birdes also there neastes: but the son of man hath not a place to put in his head. the birdes, that be incages though they be made of gold and precious pearels, taketh no rest therin. Moy­ses tooke no pleasure in Pharaos court, Ioseph not vvith stāding all the riches of aegipt tooké no rest beinge in prison and vve that are in the prison of this miserable car­kase thoughe it be loadē, and fur­nished [Page 33]vvith neuer so much ri­ches or vvealth can haue no rest nor ioy therin. in the vvay ther is no rest but in the end. vnto, vvhich, the vvay leadeth, is rest. in the centre of oure mouinge is rest. and not in the motion it self. it is a certaine infaillible principle amonge phylosophers that nothinge hath rest, vntill it cometh vnto his end. as the ri­uers, hath no rest, vntill they com vnto the sea: neyther the stone vn till it cometh vnto the cētre: ney­ther the fire, vntill it cometh vnto his ovvne sphere, much les the soule of mā vntill it cometh vnto god, vvhich cannot be found vp­pon the earth, vvhich cannot be seene vvith corporal eys, ney ther [Page 24]optained, or gottē by earthlie, and corruptible desires. the trueth vvherof is verified, vnto vs, by sāct Augustin saynge: lib. 10. conf. existi anima mea ad contemplanda ea quae sunt, per quinque sensus: dic mihi aliquid de deo meo, nunquid inuenisti illum; &c? O my soule, haue you sent forth youre corporall fiue senses, to be holde the earthe? I pray tell me som thinge, of my god: haue you found him, vppon the earthe? dic mihi vbi pascat? vbi cubet in meridie? ne vagari incipiam quaerens eum: the spouse demandeth in the canti­cles: vvhere doth he lodge, least I shoulde go astray, seekinge him in the vvorlde: vvher vve may not finde him, much les enioy him: the soule ansvvered and said I [Page 35]sought him vppon the, earth and, I could not find him. I sought for him of all other thinges. and they told me that vvhat I sought vvas not in them, and that they could yeld vnto me no rest: if I sought the same in them. and they them selues vveare ordained, and mad, to com vnto him, in vvhom I should haue rest. therfore deere brethren, and contrimen do not expect peace nor quietnesse in a vvorld of discord: and troubles: do not loocke for tranquilitie in boistrous seas: ful of dangerous vvaues and contineuall fearfull tempestes: do not hope to liue for euer in à bodie so corruptible as this, vvhich is cōposed of cor­ruptible, and contraire qualities, [Page 36]vvhich of force must be dissolued: do not gape for felicitie in a lief so shorte: so vncertaine: so muta­ble so deceitful: so miserable: and so subiect to dolofull lottes, and doubfull endes. vvhere vve can haue no rest: vvher euerie thinge by the essential and naturall prin­ciples of vvhich it is framed, and compacted, is subiect to strange alterrations, and mutationes: vvher euerie one that hunteth after the lamentable pleasures therof, are sure to suffer eccleipse euery moment, vvhere vve feele so many displeasant accidentes and dissastruous euentes, as ther are instances in oure beinge. ther­fore let vs say vvith the prophet satiabor quando apparuerit glo­ria Ps. 16. [Page 37]tua I shal neuer be satisfied, vntill I beholde and see thy glo­rie in thy ovvne kingdome, vvhe­re you giue it abundantly, not in this vvreatched vvorlde: vvher euery thinge yeldeth but loath somnesse. here vve must lament, and vveepe: that vvee may reioice ther. here vve must be sadd that there vvee may be glad. Ps. 125 qui hic se­mināt in lachrimis ibi in exultatione metent: vvhosoeuer sovveth heere in teares shall reape there vvith ioy.

THE YROVBLES, by vvhich god visited the iust, are exercises of there pa­tience: occasions of there me­rites, augmentations of godes grace, and means to increase and expresse his glorie in thē.
CHAP. II.

IF god be more pleased, and glori­fied, for the affli­ctions, that vve do indure and for the trauailles that vve suffer, then for the delighres vvherin [Page 39]vve vvallovve: and for the pros­peritie that vvee do enioy? vvee ovght rather to aske of god patiē ­ce, to beare, the one: then longe lief, and quiet rest to possesse the other. for as the prophet saith ad­iutor est in tribulationibus quae in­uenerunt nos nimis the more vve be oppressed vvith tribulations, Ps. 45. the more he hath an eye tovvar­des vs, and so he said in the 87. 87. Psal. de quacunque tribulatione cla­mauerunt ad me exaudiam eos, &c. in vvhat soeuer tribulation they shall be, I vvill heere them. by vvealth, and prosperitie, vve for­get god: beinge affrighted: vvith feare, beinge troubled vvith grief, vve turne, and flie vnto him: and are mad more perfect and do re­couer [Page 40]more strength against oure enymies cum infirmor, tunc fortior sum: the apostle said, that vvhen he vvas sick, then vvas he most stronge: because the sickmandoth neyther svvel by pride, nor cōcu­piscence doth vex him: or auarice doth ich, or inuie doth inflame. or ire doth alter: ur glutony doth, coufound: or flouth fulnesse doth make negligent, or ambi­tion doth peruerth. and for that cause the holy prophet saith tribu­lationem & dolorem inuent: Ps. 114. & no­men Domini inuocaut beinge com­passed vvith tribulation, and affli­ctiō, I fled vnto god for succoure this is a special means, by vvhich god calleth vs vnto him self, that beinge scourged in the vvorld, [Page 41]vve should forsake it and so tur­ne: vnto god imple facies eorum ignominia & quaerent te Domine: Ps. bringe thē vnto cofusiō, and they vvill acknovvledge thy name. Nabugchodonosor beinge trans­formed vnto a beast: Damel. 4. Luc. 15. did perceaue his offence and confessed god. the prodigall childe neuer retur­ned home vntill by force of ad­uersitie he vvas compelled. in an­gustia requisierunt te Domine in tker anguishes they seeke thee. Isa. 26. ther is a remedie for euery disea­se: a cure for euery soare, a salue for every siknesse. so afflictions be the only medicionable dingges: and medicines that do heale, and cure the diease of sinne, and as the sicknes is great: so the cure [Page 42]and phisicke must be accordingly: so oure troubles and miseries to haue a proportion vnto oure vvickednes, vvhich vve haue co­mitted: must be no les then oure offences vvhervvith they should be cured. the physiciō also ought to be expert, and cūning vvhich is god against vvhome the iniquitie is committed. as sainct Augustine saith: intelligat homo medicum esse deum: Aug. su per Ps. 21. & tribulationes esse medica­mentum ad salutem: non paenam ad damnationem: sub medicamento posi­tus vreris, secaris, clamas, non audit medicus ad voluntatem: sed audit ad sanitatem: let man knovve saith he, that god is a physicion, and that tribulations are receiptes for ou­re saluation, and nor punishemēt [Page 43]for oure damnation: and being vnder cure, the vvounde being cutt, the vlcer being brente: god heareth not at youre leasure, vn­till the putrified soare be healed: vvhich cannott be don be pros­peritie, and therfore aduersitie is very expedient as the said au­thoure said: Aug. in quadā ho. nullus seruus Christi sine tribulatione est: si putas te non habere persecutiones: non dum caepisti esse chrsstianus: ther is no seruant of Chriest vvithout tribulation: if thoue doest not purpose vvith thy self to suffer persecutions thoue art not a christian. do not feare to be afflicted. but to be disinherited. vnto vvhich agreeth sainct Gregorie: aurem cordis tri­bulatio aperit: quam saepe prosperitas [Page 44]huius mundi claudit. Greg. in hoau sup. Euang. si iniquus quis­que in hac vita permittitur prospe­rarinocesse est, vt electus Dei debeat, sub flagelle fraeni retineri: vve be said he insensible vnto godes in­spirations, throgh prosperitie. and by aduersitie vvee heare vvhat he vvill haue vs to do. if this be te only place, vvheare the vvicked haue ther solace: it must be the onlie place vvhe­re the good: and godlie must be subiect to voes and miseries, by vvhich he may be keipt and re­strayned frō the iniquitie of sinn, as by the bridle of correction.

Abraham said vnto the ri­che vvorldly glutton thoue art novve tormented vvith pai­ne, thoue hast receaued thy [Page 45]paye in the vvorlde and haste re­posed thy felicitie in the pleasa­res therof, and said Lazarus to be in rest, because he liued in mise­ries, vvhē he vvas in this trāsitorie life, vvhich sainct Bernard consi­dereth sainge:

Sumus in hoc mundo quasi in campo certaminis, &c. D. Ber. vve are saith he in this vvorld, as in the filde, vvhere the battle is giuen, and vvho soeuer abideth no hardnesse, plagues, and tri­bulations, he must departe hince inglorious.

Neyther let this dismaye you, D. Greg. in quadam ho that god in this vvorlde thus chastiseth the good. vvhen he knovveth, vvhat is best for them vvhich S. Gregorie noteth sainge [Page 46] cum recognosco Iob in sterquilinio: Ioānem esurieniem in eremo: Petrum extensum in patibulo: Iacobum de­collatum ab Herodis gladio: cogito qualiter Deus cruciabit, quos repro­bat, qui ita dure affligit quos amat: vvhen I beholde saith he Iob vppon the dungbil replenished vvith the deformitie of boches, Iohn hungrie in the desarte, pe­ter hauinge his head dovvn vvar­de vppon the crosse, Iames beheaded by the svvoard of Herod: Ido meditate vvith my self: hovve vvill he tormente the reprobate, seinge he doth so seuerlie punishe them: vvhome he loueth.

Thiese godlie people vveare not somoch glorified, by the mi­racles that they vvoarketh: as by [Page 47]the tribulations, that they suf­fer. euen as stares, vvhich in the daye time cannot be seene, in the night they shine, so treue ver­tue vvhich in prosperitie cannot be discerned, doth shevv it self in aduersitie.

Dauid (as cassiodorus saith) in his greatest tribulations. did compose the svveetest psalmes. Psal. 89. vvher­fore he said laetati sumus pro diebus quibus nos humiliasti: annis quibus vidimus mala: blessed be the days in vvhich thoue hast visited vs vvith thy corrections. the blessed sainctes did desire of god this vi­sitation, S. Aug. sainct Augustine did ear­nistlie desire of god not to be forgotten herin sainge: hic vre, hic, seca, vt in aeternum parcas. burne [Page 48]and cut me a sundre, here that thoue maist spare me for euer. vnto thiefe blessed sainctes no­thinge is more svveet then the tri­bulation of this life, because in fuffringe them patientlie they imitate Chriest his patience, and remember Chriest his passion. the churche singeth: o svveet nea­les, vvith vvhich oure sauioure vvas nealed, by reason of the svveetnesse of his blessed passion, vvhy should not oure teares beinge shed for him, D. Bern. besvvet vn­to vs. S. Bernard saiih delitiae ange­lorum sunt lachrimae vestrae: the ioys and delightes of the angels are oure vvepinge. and in his boock of the contempt of the vvorld, he said felices lachrimae quas beni­gnae [Page 49]manus conditoris abstergunt. & beatioculi, qui in talibus liquefieri potius elegerint quam eleuari in su­perbiam: quam omne sublime videre: quam auaritiae, & petulantiae famu­lari: blessed be the teares, vvhich the bountifull, and milde handes of oure sauioure clensed, and vvi­ped avvay: and blessed be the eys, that are rather dissolued vnto mourninge, and vveepinge: then proudly lifted vppon high: or abused in the vvourkes of vn­godlinesse.

Blessed vvere the teares of the prophet vvhen he said: lachrimis meis stratum meum rigabo Ps. 6. Ps. 6. I did vvash my bed vvith teares, and blessed be the teares of mary Magdalin by vvhich she vvashed Lucy. [Page 50]her soule from the filth of sinn. and blessed be the tea­res, of the sainctes, vvhich Christ clenseth and vvipeth a vvay. Apoc. 7.21

If thet be a vvoe pronunced against laughinge: vvoe be vnto youe (saith Chriest), Luc. [...]. that laug­heth: for youe shall bevvayle and vveepe. so saith Salomon risus dolore miscetur: Par. Sal. 14 & extre­mae gaudii luctus occupat. hinc iterum dixit risum reputani erro­rem: & gaudeo, dixi, quid fru­stra deciperis. Eccl. 2. Laughinge (said he) shalbe mingled vvith griefe: Prouer. 10.14. and much gladnesse in this vvorlde, is subiect to much affliction. and therfore he saith I haue esteemed laughinge to [Page 51]be meere follie. I said vnto all pastimes, and playe vvhy are you deceaued. and so he saith, Eccl. 7. cor sapientum vbi tristitia est: cor stultorum vbi laetitia: the heart of the vvise is posessed vvith sadnesse: but the hearte of the foole is be­com vvanton and dissolute for ioy and mirth.

Vvhy should not vve de­plore oure sinnes, and vvith vvepinge eys vvashe them a vvay: and blott them out of godes memorie, that oure na­mes may be recorded in the boocke of lief. vvhy should nott vvee lament in thiese miserable dayes, that oure ta­bernacle be taken from vs the [Page 52]children of Israel did more la­mente, that, they had not the vse of there religion, at Hierusalim, out of vvhich, they vveare bani­shed: then for there captiuitie in Aëgipt, by vvich they haue bene depriued of ther libertie, and made slaues vnto ther enimies. they neuer ceased to crie super flumina Babylonis fleuimus dum recordaremur tui syon: Ps. 136. by the ri­uerside of Babylō vve do vveepe and lamente, vvhen vve remem­ber thee O Syon. sainge quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena: hovv can vvee singe the songe of oure lorde, in a­strange lande. the like Dauid hath don sainge: Psal. 41. fuerunt mihi la­chrimae panes die ac nocte dum dici­tur [Page 53]mihi quotidie vbi est Deus tuus: I coulde not eate my bread vvith­out teares, vvhen it vvas said vnto me, vvhere is thy god. the bles­sed Marie Magdalin did vveepe at oure sauiours sepulchre, Mar. 16. 2. Reg. 22. because shee could not find him, the chil­dren of Israel did more lamente, that the philistins, had taken from them the arcke of oure lor­de, then for the victorie, that they had loste, or for the ovver­throvve they sustained, the three kinges of the east vveare much greeued, vvhen they lost the stare, that should leade them vnto Chriest. vvhen the blessed virgine lost oure sauioure, she could neuer be at rest, vntill shee found him, Psal. 41. the prophet [Page 54]cried out and said sitiuit anima mea ad deum fontem viuum, quando veniam & apparebo ante faciem Dei mei. my soule thirsted after my god vvhich is the liuelye fontaine of the vvater of lief. and in another place he said: Ps. 41 quemad­modum desiderat ceruus ad fontes aquarum, &c. euen as the stagge desireth the springes of vvater euen so my soule longeth after thee o god. vvhat lamentatiō the prophet Hieremie made. Hier. c. 5. Recor­dare, Domine, quid acciderit nobis, &c. remember o lord vvhat hap­pned vnto vs: behold oure inheri­taunce did passe ouer vnto stran­gers I meane oure religion shalbe taken from vs, and shalbe giuen vnto the gentiles, and oure selues [Page 55]shalbe depriued therof. vvhat a lamantable case it should be, if god vvould suffer youe to be giuen, and deliuered vnto the licentious gospell of Caluin: to be blinded vvith heresie, to be confounded vvith false prophetes, to be cast out of the arcke of Chriest his church, to be pufte vpp vvith euerie blaste of erronuous doctrine and phantasticall opinious, to be cut of, and dismembred out of the catholicke church, vvhich youe haue obeyed from the beginninge, vntill theise mi­serable daies, and to be de­priued of the merittes, of Chrieste his passion, of vvhich none is partaker, butt, [Page 56]such, as do hold them selues vvithin his church, and to be se­parated from god, from Chriest, and from all his sanctes: of all mi­series is the chiefest. and for that cause the said holie prophet saieth pone me Domine iuxta te, Hier. & cuiusuis manus pugnet contra me, ioyne me o lorde vvith thy self and I care not if all the streinght of man be against me, this is the onlye thinge, that Da­uid sought of god so earnistlie sayinge: Ps. 26. vnam petii ae Domino. hanc requiram, vt inhabitem in domo Do­mini omnibus diebus vitae meae: one thinge I sought of god, and the same all the dayes of me life I vvill aske of him, that I may dvvell in the house of oure lord all the [Page 57]dayes of my life, and so he said vias tuas Domine demonstra mihi, Ps. &c. Shevve vnto me (o lord) thy vvays and teache me thy steppes.

This is that vvhich Chriest saith in the gospell, that one thinge vvas necessarie.

Such as be Zealous of godes honore, and haue any care of ther ovvne saluatiō, should sooner suf­fer all afflictions, then to make a shipvvreacke of ther religion, to suffer them selues, to be separated from cuntry, from vvife, and chil­dren, from all the vvorld: rather then to be separated from the ca­tholicke church, though it be subiect, to the ragefull tēpest of the deuil against vvhich the vvicked being his instumentes, haue [Page 58]combined togither, vvhose puis­sance and formidable attempts vve cannot eschevve; and ther­fore vvhosoeuer continueth vvithin yt, must liue in conti­nuall vvarfare, and be subiect to many afflictions and tribulations, this is the courte of Iesus vvhere the courtiers must expect, no greater fauour or priuiledge of him, then all manner of afflictiōs, and troubles, aduersities and per­secution: Actoeum 5 for this cause ibant apo­stoli gaudentes a conspectu concilii quoniam digni habiti sunt pro nomi­ne Iesu cōtumeliam pati the apost­les vvent more contented for ther persecutiō, thē kinge Salomon to be inuested and crovvned kinge of Iuda: and vvhen the apostle saith [Page 59] ego Paulus vinctus in Domino: hol­deth him self more happie to be fettered in chaines for the loue of god, then if he had bene raised to the greatest principalitie of the earth.

For as in the pallace of princes, vvho is most fauored of the kinge, is best esteemed of the peo­ple: so in the house of god, his preferment is greatest, vvho­me Chriest doth most chastice, and ought to be put in the ranke of the chiefest friendes of god, vvho suffred Tobias to be blinded, Daniel to be ym­prisoned, Susanna to suffer sen­tence, not for ther harme, but to expresse the loue he bare them, this beinge one [Page 60]proprietie in godes affection, to chastice those, that he loueth, and leaue others to ther destruction. the perplexities that vve suffer, for godes cause, thoughe vve feele them. yet god doth beare them: and giues vs grace, and streingth to indure them, if vvee suffer thē for oure ovvne offences, or rather for the trial of oure patiēce. they ought rather to be called aduer­tismentes, then punishmentes, seinge they are corrections, to amende vs, and not stumblinge blockes to make vs stumble, nor heauie burdens, vvhose vveight may make vs fall, butt they be furnaces necessarie, to refine oure fayth, and instrumentes vvor­kinge to our perfection.

This is the cause, that god­lie people, are subiect, to manifold afflictions. vvhen it is said multae tribulationes iustorü. Ps. many tribula­tions are incident vnto the iust.

Dauid said omnes fluctus tuos in­duxisti super met all the traueiles and dangers (oh lorde) vvhich thoue vvert vvont equalie, Ps. 87. to di­stribuite, vnto others, thoue hast novve reduced and returned op­pon me onlye. Iob hauinge lost his goodes, and his children, said hoc sit mihi consolati [...], Iob. [...]. vt affligens me dolore non parcas: greater con­solation god could not send me, then chastisinge my offences, to spare no sortes of sorrovves vppō me. ad Gal. 6. mihi absit gloriari nisi in cruce Domini nostri Iesu Christi: I aske [Page 62]no glorie saith sainct Paule then to indure troubles, as by that means to communicate vvith the glorie of Chriest: holdinge it no other glorie of this vvorlde, then to be in continuall traueles, in continual affliction, in conti­nuall aduersities, all thiese saith he: 2. ad Tmi 2. sustineo propter. electos. I suf­fer for the elects sake to giue thē example of patience in troubles, by the exercise vvherof men becom humble, and beinge often tried they are the better iustified as the mettall that through ma­ny fiers, riseth more to his fyne­nesse and perfection.

Beleeue me and assure youre selues, that if in pa­tience youe receaue all youre [Page 63]perplexities, youe shall receaue youre revvarde vvith others vvho me god made happie by trou­bles, by vvhich ther patience vvas tried, ther vertue increased, and ther fauour vvith god augmen­ted: vvhose examples vveare mo­tiues vnto others to reforme ther liues, Ps. 76. to be sorrie for ther of­fences past: & cogitare dies anti­quos & annos aeternos in in mente habere, and to bethincke vvith them selues there sinfull dayes past in vvhich they haue deserued the eternall and euerlastinge punishmentes that are due vnto such grieuous sinnes: if by tem­porall aduersities, and aduertismē ­tes they vvould not be refor­med and reclaymed, and [Page 64]beinge once moued vvith the cō ­sideration of the horrible sinnes, that vve haue so boldlie commit­ted against god, and his lavves, as Ezech. Isa. 28. vvas vvhen he sayeth reco­gitabo omnes annos in amaritudine vitae meae. vvhen I call to minde hovv I haue mispent my dayes in follie, my life must be bitte [...] and yrcksom vnto me, vvee shal find oure paines fare inferioure to oure vvicked merites, and oure offences rather touched, vvith a mild iustice, then strayned by any due conection.

S. Peter, after commitinge that dolfull offence, against Chriest: did thincke, all the punishmen­tes, that coulde be inflicted, too litle, for him, and his eys vvere neuer [Page 65]free from teares, the blessed Marie Magdalin, esteemed 30. yeeres pennanee in the vvilder­nesse verye litle in comparison of her offences: hauinge altogether banished frō her self, all vvordlye delightes, that vvas the cause of her fall. Dauid beinge strocken vvith this consideration said: Ecco in flagellis paratus sum & dolor meus in conspectu meo semper: Psal. 37. behold I am reddye for the vvhip, and I hope I shall not vvant in this vvorlde occasions to procu­re my grief, and to increase my paine, the blessed apostle S. Paule beinge reconciled vnto god thought all the troubles, that he sustained: verie light, in respect of the sinnes that he hath commit­ted. [Page 66]in nothinge did he glorie so­muche as in troubles, miseries, af­flictions tribulations and bea­ringe Chriest his crosse, by vvhich (said he) the vvorld vvas cruci­fied vnto him, ad Gal. 6. and he vnto the vvorlde, of vvhom the prophet speaketh: Ps. 38. hic est ille vir cuius no­men Domini spes eius & non respe­xit ad vanitates & insanias falsas, &c. this is he vvhose hope is on­lye fixed in god, and is not carried avvay vvith the vayne phantasies and deceitfull alurementes of this vvorlde: vvhose onlye loue is in the obseruation of godes lavves: and vvhose hearte is on­ly occupied therin, and is not blinded vvith couetuousnes nor ytched vvith ambition [Page 67]vvhich may say vvith the prophet quid mihi est in coel [...] & a te quid volut super terram? Ps. 38 Deus cordis mei & pars mea Deus in eternum vvhat shall I do in heauen vvithout thee, much les haue I to do vvith the earth. the god that lodgeth vvithin my breast shalbe my portion for euer. from vvhose loue saith he neyther persecution, Rom. 8. nor tribu­lation, affliction, hunger svvord, death, principalitie, angell, man deuill or vvorld, shal be ab­le to alienat or estrange my hearte, for vvhose sake he said mortificamur tota Die, &c. Ps. 43 vve be alvvayse mortified and as it vveare like sheepe ap­pointed for the flaughter. [Page 68]this is he, vvhich fought not like a couard for Chriest his fayth, and vvas crovvned honorablie, by the iust iudge for vvhose honoure, he fought. this crovvne euerie one of vs do see [...]e, and daylie pray for: but vve cannot get the same butt by a most serious combat against fleashe, and bloode, and against malignant spirits, and ther for­ces.

This blessed crovvne cannott be gotten, butt by those means, by vvhich Chriest did set dovvne in his gospel sainge potestis hibere calicē, Math. 20. can youe drincke of his cu­pe?. can youe imitate his blessed passiō, can you vvalke in the strei­cte, and harde vvay? can you beare his crosse, can youe deny youre [Page 69]self? for as Chrysost. sayth res pre­tiosa, non nisi, pretioso pretio com­paratur: none can reigne vvith Chriest vnlesse he imitat his passion. for a precious ievvel cannott be bought but vvith a precious price therfore as the blessed S. 1. Cor. 1 [...]. Paul saith vigilate: state in fide, viri­literagite, vvatch youre ovvne sal­uatiō, hold fast your faith, he haue youre selues like stoute chāpions of Chriest, let all thinges be don according to charitie. remēber the firme purpose of christians, and behold the image of Chriest cru­cified.

THE IVST ARE Not forsaken of god althou­ghe, they seeme vnto the vvicked, to be most forlor­ne: and that in there grea­test afflictions, they receaue of god the greatest consola­tion.
CHAP. III.

IT seemeth vnto Theodorus Beza, that Chriest vtte­ringe thiefe vvor­des: Deus meus, Deus meus vt quid dereliquisti me. my [Page 72]god my god vvhy hast thoue for­saken me? vvas in desperation and out of all hope of consolation. it seemeth also strange vnto the Iues and gentiles, that Chriest beinge god, should be sub­iect, vnto the cruell, fierce, and vnmercifull handes of sin­ners. but it ought not to be strange, that he, that came to pay the debt of sinne, yea the sinnes of all the vvorld, should be punished as an vniuersal sinner, forsaken of god if it could be possible, and of all the vvhole vvorlde and therfore the apost. 2. Co [...]n. 5. saieth qui non nouerat peccatum pro nobis peccatum fe­cit, &c. Vvhich did not knovve sinne is become a sinner [Page 73]that is to saye sustaineth the pai­ne, that folovveth sinne: and for all this represētinge not onlie the person of a sinner: by vvhich he vvas vvorthye to be forsaken, but also the person of the iust, vvhich neuer vvantes his comforte in his greatest tribulations: Lue 22. did beholde presentlie the Angel Gabriel comfortinge him. god vvould neuer suffer vs to fight vvyth oure enymies, vvithout sufficient forces and fightinge beholdeth vs, and in the skirmishe healpeth vs.

Chriest vvas present vvith Sanct Anthonie in the vvilder­nisse, D. Ath. in visa D. An fightinge vvith the deuill, althoughe he did not appeare vi­siblie, vntill the deuill vvas van­quished [Page 74]and S. Anth. conquerou­re. vvhich vvhen he asked of Chriest, vvheare he vvas all this vvhile. ansvveared that he vvas present expectinge his inde­uoure, and healpinge him in the combate.

If god be present euerie vvhe­are, by his essence, presence. and povver (as he is in deede) accor­dinge to all the diuins, and accor­dinge vnto Mercurius Tresme­gistus, vvho sayth that god, [...] Tres [...] is figura sphaerica cuius centrum est vbique circumferentia vero nusquā: god is a globe, vvhose centre is in all places, vvhose circumference is no vvheare: and as the prophet saithe si ascendere in c [...]lum tu illic es, si defcendero in infernum, ades: Ps. [...]. if [Page 74]I ascend vnto heauen there you are: if I descend vnto hell: thou arte present.

If god be in all places and in the entitie and beinge of euerie thing, Actorum capite 17. that he createth. as the apostle saith. in ipso viuimus mouemur & sumus: in him vve liue, moue and haue our beinge, vvhere fore should not he be vvith these that craue and implore his assistance, as him self auoutched by the pro­phet, and vve ought to beleeue him clamauit ad me & ego exau­diā cum ipss sum in tribulatione, Psal. 90. &c. he hath cryed for my helpe: and I vvill heare him, in tribulation I vvilbe vvith him: I vvill deliuer and glorifie him. Act. 6. sanct Steauē did see him standinge at the right hā ­de [Page 75]of the highest. he met S. Peter goinge to Rome to be martyred and said thiefe vvordes vado Ro­mam iterum crucifigi. Ab [...]ias in vita Sanct peter. I go to Rome to be crucified the second time because, that S. Peter vvas goinge thither to be crucified. as S. Am­brose saith in martyrio Christus oc­ciditur & in tis, amb. in 4. [...]. 2 ad Cor. qui pro fide patiūtur aut mortē, aut vincula, aut verbera Christi passiones sūt, &c. Chriest is slayne in his martyrs, and vvho so euer suffre death, fetters, stripes, chriest suffereth vvith thē, that his life may be manifested in there death: vvherfore S. Paule desirous of martyrdome sayeth viuo ego iā non ego viuit in me Christus: though I liue, ad G [...]. 2. yet it is chriest by vvhome I ame quickned, that liues in me, [Page 76]vvhich giueth fortitude, and strength vnto all martyts, vvhose sufferinge doth shevve the inte­rance of the life to come, vvhich Chriest promiseth vnto them that do suffer tribulations for his sake.

These afflictions of the iust, by vvhich ther patience, is exer­cised, and ther grace increased, are great motiues to harden and con­firme the vvicked in ther vngod­linesse. for beinge deliuered vnto ther handes, they thinke that god doth altogether forsake them, and that he loueth them vvhome god maketh his vvhippe, to scourge and punishe the godlie. and ther­fore the Turckes doe bragge, and boast, that they be the choysen [Page 77]people of god: for that be doth vse ther helpe to punishe the sin­nes of christiās, the heretickes are hardened and confirmed in ther heresies, by reason of so many vi­ctories gotten, by them against catholickes, vvhose manifolde trespasses, and horrible offences haue giuen povver, and force vn­to the aduersaries, against them, vvhich are suffered by god, to re­forme the vvicked, and abhomi­nable liues of catholickes, vvhose miseries, and calamities: as they ought to be a vvarninge to amēd the vices, and discomposed behaviour of the one: so they ought not to be occasions of the ruine and obduration of the other.

assuringe your selues if ther re­mayneth [Page 78]no sinne amongest you to be punished: or negligence to be chastised, or any fault to be cor­rected, yet your fayth must be tried, by your patience: your re­ligion made perfect by your per­secution: and god glorified, by your tribulation multae tribulatio­nes iustorum the iust must be sub­iect to troubles and therfore let none thincke, that your religion is bad, because it is persecuted, or you, that are the professors therof, to be forsakē of god, because he suffers you, to bethus persecuted, the vvife of Iob did more trouble her husband thē all his aduersities. by sayeinge ad huc permanes in inno­centia: Iob. 2. benedic deo & morere. your innocencie giues you nothinge [Page 79]els but death, praisinge god doth purchase nothinge els for you but tribulatiō: so Tobias for seruinge of god deuoutlie, and for his tri­bulatiōs by vvhich, he vvas tryed, Tob. c. 3. vvas reuiled by his vvife and friē ­des, vvho thought him to be most cursed, and vnhappie as if god had no care ouer such, as be in tribu­latiōs: but the prophet sayth. Psal. 33. oculi Domini super iustos & aures eius in preces eorù god behouldeth the iust and heareth ther cōplaint. the a­postle declareth the same also: Cor. c. 4. in omnibus tribulationē patimur, sed non angustiamur, a poriamur, sed non du­struimur persecutionem patimur sed non relinquimur: deii cimur: sed non perimus: In all t [...]inges vve suffer tribulations, but vve are not per­plexed, [Page 79]vve are as it vvere brought vnto confusiō, but vve be not de­stroyed: vve suffer persecutiō: but vve be not forsaken: vve be in the brincke of all troubles: but vve perishe not. because Chriest for vvhom you suffer, giueth you suf­ficient force to beare the burden of his crosse. Phil. [...]. qui vobis dederat non solum credere in eum: sed etiam pro illo pati: vvhich gaue you the gra­ce: not onely to beleeue in him, but also to suffer for him.

THE SERVANTE Of Chriest ought not to expect any true friendship of this vvorlde vvhich is the enimie of his master.
CHAP. IV.

AS. Chriest, and this vvorlde are contrarie one to another: so are also there ser­uantes, and follovvers: ther vvor­kes, and desires, and beinge con­trarie one to another, they can neuer possesse one kingdome: [Page 92]muchlesse reigne togither in one place. 2. Cor. 6. For vvhat commu­nicatiō can be betvvixt good and euill: vertue, and vice: light and darcknesse: heauen and hell: god and the deuill.

For no sooner Chriest, came vnto this vnthankfull vvorld, to redeeme it, from the slauerie of sinne: from the captiuitie of the deuill, then he vvas reuiled, persecuted, and banished of the same.

He vvas sold in Ioseph, he vvas ssayne in the lambe, he vvas crucified in man, Ge [...]e. 37. Ap [...]. 12. Math. 20, he vvas fossaken of the proude Ievves, that could not abide to see him, in a poore distres­sed state; he vvas hotlie pur­sued [Page 93]of cruell Herod, that stood in competencie vvith him for the kingdome of Iurie: vvhich vvas Chriest his right inheri­tance beinge rightlie descended, from the tribe of Iuda, and from the roote of Iesse, of vvhich, through the blessed virgine he tooke his humanitie, of Iu­das he vvas sold, of his a­postles he vvas forsaken, and denyed, let vs not therfore marveile if you beinge the scruan­tes of Chriest the vvorlde should hate, and detest you for his sake, vvhich vvas euer contrarie vnto him. It is not con­uenient that vve should ioy­ne league or friendship­vvith his prosessed enimie, [Page 94]vvhose deceit is knovven, and vvhose treacherie is detected.

Let vs not forsake Chriest, thoughe vve see him poore, hū ­ble, persecuted of manye and for­saken of all.

If Chriest came into this vvorl­de to edifie the people, to in­struct them by his holie exam­ples, and to teache them vvhat they ought to do, vve ought to receaue his instructions. if po­uertie had not bene good, if the contempt of vvordlie honor had bene bad, he vvould not haue giuen vs examples, to embrace the one, nor counsell to despise the other.

So as in his life vve see him poore, bare, naked, and oppressed [Page 95]vvith all afflictions and troubles, vvhose examples ought to moue vs. Vvee see that his gospell is full of admonitions, and exhorta­tions to forsake, and denye our selues, to mortifie all our passions, and not to conforme oure selues vnto this vvorlde.

If Dauid to procure all his subiectes to do pennance, 2. Reg. 75. that by that means gods vvrath shoulde be appeased, and the people par­doned, did ascend vnto mount oliues, bare footed, and bare hea­ded to the intente, the people beinge moued vvith that exam­ple, should follovve him, and so they did. if Alexander the great in thevvarres of Persia (as Quintus Curtius declareth) his armie [Page 96]being muche troubled by the abundance of snovve, that fell at that instant, vvent him self a foote, and so his armye by his example vvent after, much more ought vve to follovve the example of Chriest, and to follovve his steps, thoughe vve see him poore in this vvorld and persecuted of the same.

The prince Abimelech did cutt a branche from a tree, Iudi. 9. and did carrie the same vppon his ovvne shoulders, and comman­ded his soldiours to do the like, and to follovve him: so Chriest, the prince that vve ought to follovve did beare his crosse before vs to the end [Page 97]that not only vve should beare, but also follovve it, least vve should incurre the vvoe that is pronoūced against such that beare thecrosse and follovv not the same vae semel & vae iterum por­tantibus crucem Domini, D. Be [...] & non se­quentibus eam. Si via crucis (as Sanct Basil saith) in caelum patriam tuam te ducit, cur ab ea fugis if the crosse be your readie vvay to bringe you vnto heauen: vvhy should you flye from it? and as Isaias saith via tuta, Is. 26.30. Psal. 118.5. proue [...]. via regia, via certa, vt stulti non errent per eam. it is the readie vvaye, it is a safe vvaye, and it is the kin­ges high vvay, that fooles cannot goe astraye therin. [Page 98]this is the vvaye that Chriest vvilled vs to follovve him. he vvēt be fore vs bearinge his crosse vn­to mount Caluarie, vvhere vvee behold him crucified, pittifullie vvhipped, stripped of his garmē ­tes, and leaft naked, to increase his paine and to augment his shame, and confusion, vvheare vvee see him crovvned vvith thornes, and nailed vnto a crosse of infamie, and malediction, vnto vvhich they vveare subiect in those dayes that dyed after that māner: vvhere (I say) vvee see him depriued of all comforte and cō ­solation: beinge a spectacle of shame and reproche vnto the vvhole vvorlde.

Thus to follovve him I must [Page 99]confesse is harde to be done to fleashe and bloode: because vvee must first learne to denye our selues, forsake the olde mā I mea­ne oure old humors of concu­piscense, mortifie oure selues, and our vnreasonable passions: cast of oure proper vvilles, and so take vp his crosse, and to beare pa­tientlie all the aduersities of this vvorlde: and to suffer gentlie vvi­thout grudge all the desplea­sant accidentes of this life.

If This bee the vvay of a Chri­stian vvhy should he gape after vaine honours of this vvorld and follovve the lamentable pleasu­res of this miserable life.

If the capitaine Vrias vvould take no rest at his ovvne house 2. Reg. 11. [Page 100]for that the Arcke of our lorde vvas abroad, vnder a pauilion. vvhat rest can the seruantes of Chriest take, vvhen they behold him nailed vnto a crosse. Quam de forme est saith Sainct Bernard spi­noso capiti habere delicatum mem­brum. D. Bre [...]a. vvhat a deformed thinge is it, that a head full of thornes, should haue a delicate member.

If the heade be troubled, the rest of the members cannot be at rest, but are partakers of his paine, and subiect to his griēf. If Chriest liued in continuall povertie, in continuall exile, in continuall conrempte of vvorldlye ho­nours, hovve can vve hunt af­ [...]er [Page 101]promotions: gape for titles of honours, and seeke ric­hes. That therfore the mem­bers should agree vvith the head, that the parte vvith the totall, that the seruant be conformable vnto his lord, that the christian should em­brace the example of Chriest, that the sheepe should acknovvledge the shepheard, that the priest should of­fer him self vnto him to vvhome all sacrifices are offred. that the soldiour should follovve the capitai­ne, that our bodie shoul­de performe the vvill of the spirit and that the spirit shoulde accomplishe the vvill of god, vve [Page 102]must conforme our selues vnto his gospell and direct our liues and actiōs accordinge to his blessed counsels, vvhich are no­thinge els, then to beare his cros­se, to suffer quietlie, and vvillin­glie persecutions: to abide all tormentes, rather then to viola­te any of his commaundemen­tes: to liue in coutinuall martyr­dome for the felicitie of the kingdome of heauen is giuen to the poore in spirit and vnto such that suffer for iustice and for the testimonie of a good conscience for accordinge to the apostle omnes qui voluntpie viuere in Chri­sto Iesu patiantur persecutiones: all that intende to liue godlie in Chriest Iesu, must suffer pesecu­tions. [Page 103]for the vvorlde is not onlie contrarie and opposite to euangelicall, and christian ver­tues but also to morall and ciuil honestie. because it fauo­reth but dissemblers and vicious persons. ther vvas a lavve amōge the Atheniās, that any, that had done vvell for the common vvealth, and liued vprightlie in his actions, should be banished. Aristides beinge a man as vvell of great deserts: Plutar. in vi [...]a Arist. as of a iust and mo­rall behauiour vvas punished according to this lavve: and beinge demaunded of a blunt commoner, vvhich did subscribe vnto his banishmente, vvhat vvas the cause, that he did passe his suffrage and verdite against so [Page 104]good a man: ansvvred that his iustice vvas vngrateful vnto the common vvealth and offensiue also vnto him.

So vnto men of vvicked dispositions, the good be yrcksome, and men of good life be nothing acceptable. Psal. 36. conside­rat peccator iustum, & quaerit mor­tificare eum: the finner doth confider the iust, and indeuo­reth to ouertherovv him. If the vvorld cannot abide men of morall vertues. no meruaile, if it cannot digest men of supernaturall graces, and bles­fings vvhich must beare many assaultes, contradictions, and temptations therin. For the scripture saith fili accedens ad Eccles. 2. [Page 105] seruitutem Dei, &c. sonne if thou meanest to serue god, prepare and arme thy self against temptations and troubles. the angel Ra­phael saied vnto Tobias: Tob. 2. becau­se thou hast bene acceptable be­fore god thou must needes be tried, by temptations. God suffe­red this temptation to leaue example vvith the posteritie of patience. Iob. 2. Iob in his troubles sa­ied god doth trie me like golde. God also did trie Abraham tou­ching the oblation of his sonne. Gene. 22. Iudith saith vnto the children of Israel in the troubles of Ho­lofernes, Iud [...]th. 18 you ought to re­member that god did trie our fore fathers, vvhether they loued him sincerelie, or no [Page 106]if these temptations had not bin, [...]. 1. Sanct sames vvoulde not affirme them to be the cause of our greatest ioy. for blessed (saith he) that suffreth them. for vvhen he shalbe proued by thē he shall receaue a crovvne of life vvhich god promised vnto all those that loue him, 2. Cor. 11 Sanct Paul saith in nothinge vvill I glorie but in my infirmities and troubles: vnto vvhich Sanct Frances saieth, he vvas married.

For by the marriage, that is contracted bevvixt Chriest and vs: vvee ought to assure oure sel­ues that vve be married vnto the afflictions of this vvorld. for in all matrimonie the persons contra­cted by reason of the indissoluble [Page 107]knot, vvherin they be conioyned and vnited are equallie partakers of one anothers asvvell prosperi­rie, as also aduersitie.

And seinge that the church of vvhich you be members, Eph 5. vvas vvedded vnto Christ, vppon the altar of the crosse (as the apostle sayth) this is a great sacrament: I say in Chriest and his church, also in Sainct Iohn, Appo. 20.21. come vvith me sayth the angel, and I vvill shevve vnto you the vvife of the lambe and he shevved vn­to me the holye citie of Hierusa­lem, &c. and consequentlie eue­rie member of the church is ma­ried vnto Chriest as the spouse saith in the canticles dilectus mous mihi & ego illi, &c. Can. 2. my best be­loued [Page 108]shalbe vvith me, & Ivvith him, vvhich is to be vnderstood of euerie faithfull soule, and as the apostle sayth.

I haue married you vnto one man, 2. Cor. 11.10. to the end you should yeel­de your selues a chast virgine unto Chriest.

And seinge by this marriage, vvee are made partakers of all the merites, and treasures of Chriest his passion, vvhy should not vvee be also made partakers of his griefs, troubles, and perse­cutions: & seing our spouse by Isaias is called vir dolorum sayeng non est dolor sicut dolor meus: Is. 53. the mā of afflictions, there is no griefe so great as myne, for he vvas ouer vvhelmed vvith all kinde of sor­rovves, [Page 109]and tribulatiōs. he did supporte all our troubles, did suffer all our miseries, and to make sa­tisfaction for our offences, to ap­pease the vvrath of the eternall father against vvhō the sinne vvas cōmitted and the iniurie offered, did paye the debt of sinne, & did beare vppon his ovvne shoulders the heauie burden of the punish­mentes that vvee haue deserued vvhich haue grieuouslie offen­ded, and committed the same.

Let euerie one of vs beare his portion of these miseries, let eue­rie one carrie his ovvne burden, and euen as they be allotted vnto vs: so sufficient grace, and strength is assigned vnto vs, to sustaine them.

Let vs follovve the spouse in the canticles that said ascendam in altum & apprehendam fructū eius, Cā [...]. 7. I vvill clime vnto the tree & take hold of the fruict therof: that is [...]o say the fruict of the noble crosse, vvhich is nothing else thē to entertaine vvillinglie all the sharpe skirmishes of tentations, to beare aduersities gentlie, to punish our rebellious flesh: and disordered desires, to em­brace most heartilie all the auste­re vvorkes and trauailes of pen­nance, to bridle all the incoun­ters, and vehement motions pro­ceedinge from concupiscense against reason, and our superiour povvers: & paruulos nostros ad pe­tram allidere: Psal. 1 [...]6. and to dash, and [Page 111]bruise oure litle vvhelps against the rocke, I meane oure vilde and sinister tentations, and the dange­rous suggestions therof, before they be engendred by our vvil­les, and hatched by our consent, to stop our malignant, and vene­mous humours, to suppresse our sensuall inclinations, and appeti­tes, to Keepe vnder the old man: to put on the nevv: to chase Is­mael out of the house, that Isaac may possesse the inheritance of his father, to crucifie our luxu­rious carcase, to mortifie our members: and senses vvithall the vices and concupiscense of the same: to the end that our spirit may enioy the patrimonie for vvhich vvee are created, and re­deemed, [Page 112]this is the vertue of christian nobilitie, this is the conti­nuall exercise of a christian life, through this exercise the apostle saith mortificamur tota die prop­ter cum qui dilexit nos: vve are mortifieng of our selues for his sake that loued vs: [...] Cor 9 this is the cause that he chastised his bodie: Casti go corpus meū & in seruitutem spiri tus redigo carnem meam: I chastise my bodie, and vnder the obedien­ce of the spirite, I reduce my fleash, and because in this mor­tification vvee are either negli­gent, or colde, others perhaps vsurpe our charge vnto them selues correctinge our slacknesse, and chastisinge our negligence and nolentes cingi and beinge vn [Page 113]vvillinge to be girded, that is to saye to suffer for Chriest or abide any affliction, others novv goe about to reforme vs, & ducere nos quo noluerimus and to lead vs vvhere vvee vvould not, Ioan. 21. Math. 20. and beinge idle in the market place, vvithout any vvorke, or occupation, do novve violentlie compell vs to trauaile, and labour more earne­stlie in Chriest his vineyard, and vvee beinge faint hearted, to en­courage our selues, & being ins­nared and intrapped in the bri­ers and brambles of the vai­ne desires of this miserable life, do constraine vs to forsake them, and beinge in the iavves of the deuill, to deliuer vs [Page 112]and our soule beinge full of the rust of sinne, to clense, and purifie it by the fire of tribulation.

A CHRISTIAN MVST resolue vvithim selfe to fight valiantlie against the eni­mies of Chriest.
CHAP. V.

IT is the parte of a valiāt capitaine to encourage his souldiors to the skirmish, and contemning all dangers to propose vnto them [Page 113]selues the revvarde of their laboure taken in hand, and the crovvne of the victorie expected, as also on the other side to set before ther eyes the base condition of slauerie and bondage, in vvhich they should haue bene if they vvere ouercome, neyther onlie the christians among the gen [...]i­les, but also Iudas Macabens in the battaile against Nicanor, both to encourage and embolden the vveake and faint hearted, as also to confirme, the strongest, decla­red vnto theirs, against vvhome they fought, for vvhat cause, and to vvhat end. Told them also that the victorie stood not in the multitude of soldiours, nor in the furious assaulte against vvho­me [Page 115]me they vvere to skirmish: but in gods mightie povver, and that they should not forget the ma­nifolde dangers, out of vvhich their ancestors vvere deliuered, Ma [...] c 2 and the vvonderfull victories they had obtained, so that in that battaile the Ievves did ouercome, and their enymies vveare ouerth rovvne hauing lost 35. thovvsand soldiers. euen so Chriest hauinge triumphed ouer the povver of darcknes, and ouer him, that had the empire of death, hauinge sent his apostles as poore lambes against tygres, lyons, and dragons against the force of hell and ty­rannie of man, did encourage them saieng: Ioan i [...] non turbetur cor vestrum: be not faint hearted: [Page 117]for vvhen suddaine feare, or ap­prehension, eyther of the danger at hande, or of the euill to come attacheth vs, then our senses by the extremitie and vehemence therof are dismaied, our soule is vexed, and our heart trēbleth for feare, and therfore our sauiour, biddeth vs to put greatest vvatch, in the place of greatest danger: and did strengthen vs by his ex­hortations, and admonitions, that vvhen the danger should come vvee might be found valiant sol­diers, that vve should not be like the fish called Polypus, vnto vvhich [...]e Aegiptians did resemble such, as vvhen they be in any great danger, or affrighted vvith feare, are soone ouer throvvne & [Page 116]remoued altog [...]ther from their purpose: Aeliau. de Na hist li. 1. p. im. lib. 9. c. 29. for vvhen that fish is in any danger, it doth not flye or prouide for safe [...]ie, but commeth vnto the next banke and being perplexed is taken by the fisher. in these dangers of persecutions let not any feare, or labour of your trauailes, or loue of the vvorld separate your heartes frō Chriest: but in all your dangers and troubles say vvith the pro­phet: Psal. 72. bonum est mihi adhaerere Deo & ponere in eo spem meam: it is good for me to cleaue vnto god, and to put my heart and affe­ctiō in him, that vve may be able to say vvith Sainct Augustine: amor mous: D [...]agu. pondus meum. illuc feror quocumque feror: that god beinge [Page 117]my loue: and my desire I may al­vvaies dravve after him despi­singe any other thinge vvhat soe­uer. Then vve sha [...] be able to say­vvith the said prophet: Psal. 26. si consistunt aduersum me castra non timebit cor meum. Si exurgat aduersum me prae­lium in hoc ego sperabo: if all my aduersaries vvere in the field against me: my heart shall not be desmayed, if all the vvorld vvould vvage vvarre against me therein I vvill hope to ouer­come.

If vve Keepe not this lance of god in our heartes by vvhich vve may be holpen and defen­ded against the inuasions of ma­lignant spirits, against the dan­gerous suggestions of the old [Page 120]serpent: vvee shal be compelled to say. Psal. 72. dereliquit me virtus mea, & lu­men oculorum meorum nō est mecū: my forces do fayle me, and I haue not the vse of my sight: and also to say defecit caro mea & cor meum I haue no strength nor cou­rage.

It is the parte of a constant man in any great danger, or fier­ce shirmishe against his corpo­ral enymies: not to be broken or out of hart vvhē there is no reme­die, to escape but by fighting, much more a spiritual souldier of Chriest ought not to retire vvhen he is challenged to the cō ­bate, for the tryall of his fayth. then optimum est gratia stabilire cor: Heb. 13 it is the best remedie vvee [Page 121]haue to furnish our soule vvith the grace and loue of god. Heb. 13. For fayth vvithout this grace and charitie of god auaileth nothin­ge to vvithstand the eynmies the­reof.

Vvee ought most earnestlie vvith all humble and feruent praiers to desire of god that, vvhich he promised to giue by Ezechiel: Eze. 36. dabo vobis inquit cor no­unm & spiritum nouum ponam in medio vestri, &c. I vvill saith he, giue vnto you à nevve hearte, & a nevve spirit I vvill put amonge you, that you may vvalke in my precepts, and Keepe, and obserue my ordinances.

In any great danger god neuer faileth to giue nevve increase of [Page 122]grace vvhich serueth not vnlésse it be put in execution, vvhen the re is occasion to vse the same.

In vaine is any force, or povver (as Arist. saith) vnles it be redu­ced vnto his operation, the talent of our lorde is idle, vvhē it is not increased by daylie profit, the fortitude of a valiant minde ser­ueth to no purpose, vvhich in dā ­gers shevveth not his vertue, all motions are friuolous vnles they come vnto their end, the vvay is miserable that leadeth not vn­to our cuntrie vvhich is heauen; in vayne vvee runne if vvee com­prehend not Chriest, and of all men vvee be most miserable, if vvee seeke for our laboures the revvarde of this vvorld. of vvhich [Page 123]Chriest did depriue his deerest friendes.

The onlie rest, and felicitie vve should craue of god in this shor­te life, is to prepare our heartes for god, to direct oure vvorkes, and vvills vnto him, and to dis­pose, and frame our selues to ac­complishe his blessed vvill, and obey his commandement, as Da­uid hath done inclinaut cor meum ad faciendas iustificationes tuas in aeternum. Ps. O lord I bind my self for euer to follovve, and obserue thy commandementes, Psal. 26. to vvhich purpose he saith vnam petij a Do­mint, hanc requiram, vt inhahitem in domo Domini omnibus diebus vitae meae. one thinge I sought of god, and that I vvill earnestlie craue [Page 124]at his handes, that I maye remayne in the house of my god all the dayes of my life vvhich is no­thinge els then to dvvell in his church, to abide in the arcke vvith Noe, out of vvhich there is no saluation, this is that arcke, that although all the outragious tempestes of persecution, be ray­sed against it, is not drovvned: and although all the povver of anti­chriest be gathered to ouerthro­vve it, remayneth stedfast, and inuincible: and although all the heretickes vvhich are the pirates of the sea, vvherein the same sai­leth, be cōbined together against it, cōtinueth stedfast, and ympre­gnable.

Blessed are your troubles if [Page 125]you abide in the arcke, blessed is your fayth, vvhen by the tryal of persecution novve intended, you be found constant therin, blessed is your religiō beinge in your af­flictions dulie obserued, and in your dangers perfectlye purified, and blessed be your aduersities, that bringe patience, for tribula­tion vvithout exercise of that vertue meriteth nothinge: vvhen Chriest saith in your patiēce and not in your tribulations you shall possesse your soules and enioy the crovvne of your saluation. and S. Luc 21. Cyprian saith paena non facit mar­tyrē sed causa: torment maketh not the martyre, but the cause for vvhich he suffereth: and seinge the cause of your troubles, is your [Page 126]old anciēt faith; for vvhich as S. Gregorie saith luctamē cōtra mali­gnos spirit sumeredebetis you ought to striueand struggle against vvic­red spirits, you haue rather cause of cōfort, thē of sorrovv; quia mer­ces vestra as our sauiour saith copio sa est in caelis be cause your revvar­de is great in heauen.

By this fayth Chriest is espou­sed, Osee. 2. and affianced in marriage (as) Osee the prophet saith despōsabo te mihi in fide, & iustitia. I vvill be­troth you vnto me in faith and in stice. For by faith god dealeth vvith our soule, as a kinge that is to be married by his embassa­dors, vnto a Queene that is ab­sente, vnto vvhich he sendeth his picture, that beholdinge and [Page 127]seinge his proportion, and resem­blance shee may loue him, and so accept of the marriage, and come vnto him: this is the same that the apostle sayth: 1. Cor. 13. videmus nunc per spe­culum in aenigmate tunc autem facie ad faciem: vve behold him novv as it vvere in a glasse or in obscu­rity, but thē in his ovvne kingdo­me, vvee shall contemplate him face to face.

By fayth vve vvalke vnto him, this is the fayth of vvhich the apostle speaketh, ad Heb. 12 by vvhich (saith he) the sainctes ovvercame king­domes, they obtained ther desi­red purpose, they haue stopped lyons mouthes, they haue extin­guished the furie of the raginge fire, they vvere hardie, and [Page 128]stronge in the battell, they haue ouerth rovvne the forces of the gētiles, some vvere quartered, so­me vvere cast into prisō, some vve re vvhipped, and brought to cōfu siō, some vvere stoned to death, so me vvere sovvē in skinnes of bea­stes, and so cast to be deuoured of other beastes, some others did flie vnto the moūtaines, vvhere they ended ther liues in holes, incaues of the earth in most pittifull mā ­ner, in nakednesse and vvearines these by the testimonie of their faith vvere tried and by their trial vvere found cōstāte, and by their cōstācie leaft behind thē blessed exāples for vs to follovve; such as vvere good amōge the I sraelits did laboure in nothing so much as in [Page 129]keepinge their fayth vnto god vnspotted, & their religiōvndefiled: this is the chiefest point in their last testament to cōmitvnto their childrē: this vvhen Iosue vvas re­adie to die he did send for the tri­bes of Israel reckoning vnto them so many priuiledges and graces they had receaued of god and did commend vnto them speciallie the obseruation of his comman­demēts, Iosue 24. and a great zeale to hold fast their lavves. the like did old Mathathias father of the Macabees in the houre of his death, left no other testament vvith his childrē, Maca. lib. 1. c. 1. then this hoalsome coūsell vvith these memorabe vvoordes: chil­drē hold fast your lavves and giue your liues for the testament of [Page 130]youre fathers remēber the vvor­kes, and exploites of your aūce­tours vvhich they haue atchieued and you shall obtaine immortall glorie.

S. All, [...]i. Paul saith that he vvas not onlie readie, to suffer and beare all tormentes at Hierusalem, but also to die for the name of Chriest: vvith vvhose loue, and contemplation he vvas so much rauished, that he saith so often cupio dissolui, & esse cum Christo: Gal. 2 I desire to be dissolued, and en­larged from the prison of this corporall lūpe, and to enioy Chriest. for vvhen he liued he said, gaudeo in passionibus pro vobis, & adim­pleo ea que desunt passionum Christi, 1. Cols. in carne mea prō corpore [Page 131]eius quod est ecclesia: I reioice in sufferinge for you, and do ac­complih vvhat vvanteth of Chriest his passions in my flesh, for his body, vvhich is his church: not that there vvas any thinge of Chriest his passion or the merites therof left vnfinished (for he hath sufficientlie satisfied the eternall father de rigore iustitiae, as the di­uines doe say in the rigour of iu­stice for our offēces) but the affli­ctions, and tormentes that the sainctes do suffer for the church; should be added, and ioyned vnto Chriest his sufferance, and pas­sion to increase, and augment the treasures of the churche, for the alayēg and assvvaginge the dread full paines, due unto our sinnes [Page 132]out of vvhich treasures and riches so many indulgences are granted by the chief pastor therof for this purpose: vnto vvhich agreeth the glose of S. Ambrose vppon that place. suppleo reliquias pressu rarum Christian carne mea pro cor­pore eius quodest ecclesia. I do make vp the relickes and fragmēts that lacked of the passion and tor­mentes of Chriest in my ovvne fleshe, vvhich is his church. the consideration vvherof moued. S. Basil before the iudge of the Em­perour threatninge and cōman­dinge him vnder paine of death, [...] Basil. to forsake his olde religion, and to conforme him self vnto the in­iunction of the Emperoure, to saye: I vvould I had a better gift [Page 133]to be represented vnto him, that vvould deliuer me out of this corrupte carcase, out of this chaos of confusion, out of the valley of teares, and out of the shadovv of death then this poore life of mi­ne vvhich god did lēd vnto me to serue him: and novve this is the time that I ought to offer it in a liuelie sacrisiee for his honoure that gaue it and for his church.

S. Paule also vvritinge vnto the Romans obsecro vos saith he vt ex­hibeatis corpora vestra, Rom. 12. hostiā sanctā Deo placentē, rationabile obsequium vestrū nolite cōformare huie seculo: I desire you most earnestlie, that you offer vp your bodies a liue lie and holie hoste in a most ser­uiceable and pliāt māner vntogod [Page 134]vvhich must be gratefull and acceptable vnto him: and do not cōfor me your selues vnto this vvorlde.

The reason vvhy vve should so do, he giueth vnto the Corinth: saieng Christus pro omnibus mor­tuus est, 2 ad Corin. c. 5. vt & qui viuunt non sibi vi­uant sedei qui pro ipsis mortuus est, & resurrexit: Chriest vvas dead for all, to the ende, that such asdo liue, should not liue vnto them selues, but they should liue, and die for his sake, vvhich vvas dead and did rise for them.

Most noble christians descen­dinge from the loynes of Abra­ham, from the familie, and race of Iacob, from the stocke of lesse, from the victorious and trium­phant lyon of Iuda, like noble [Page 135]lyon behaue your selues in this combate of your faith, in vvhich if you shrinke and shevve your selues base and couardlie soldiers (vvhich god for bid) it is not the temporal seruitude of 7, or 100, yeares or, that of men, vvhich though they be neuer so cruell haue some commiseration, or so­me kind of humanitie tovvardes one another, but it is the perpe­tuall, and most miserable slauery and captiuitie of deuils, vvhich hath no pitie, or compassion of man, that you do hazard and purchase vnto your selues, ney­ther is it an Earthlye kingdome, or temporall inheritāce you loo­se thereby, but the euerlastinge glorye of paradice, the societie of [Page 136]the blessed sainctes the consola­tion of Chriest and the vision of the blessed trinitie vvherin con­sisteth all our felicitie, remember vvhat ouerthrovv your faith hath giuen vnto all the forces of Sa­than, and vvhat glorious victories it hath gotten against all the vvorld. as S. Iohn saith haec est vi­ctoria, 1. Io. 5 quae vicit mundum: fides vestra, by your fayth the victo­rie is gotten against the vvorlde.

Be not carried avvay vvith the false resemblance of the vn­constant promotions of this vvorld, cast of all the vayne hope of the dangerous honoures of mortall men: accipite as the apost­le saith armaturam Dei, ad Eph. 6. vt positis resistere in Die malo. putt on the [Page 137]complete harnesse of god, that you may resist in the euill day.

Imitate the lyon, vvho behol­dinge the hunters comminge verie stronge against him, and beinge not able to shunne them, respecteth not their strength, nor their vveapons, least hee should be terrified therby, behol­deth onlie the earth and stri­keth him self vvith his taile: euen so in all our difficulties vvee ought to beholde our frailtie, and proper miseries, and the shortnesse of oure tem­porall life, so vncertaine, so op­pressed vvith sundrie calamities vvherin the banished and for­lorne children of Eua doe lye hovvlinge, and groueling, [Page 138]vvhich are deformed vvith so many spottes, and blemishes of disloyaltie, and dissobedience against god, troubledvvith so ma­ny passions, distracted vvith so many cares, confounded vvith so many errors, ouervvhelmed vvith so many temptations, altered vvith so many humoures, infe­cted vvith so many diseases, ex posed vnto all dangers of eternall vvoe, if our soule be corrupted by sinne, and not replenished, or beautified by the grace of god, or not mortified, by the rod of discipline, or not hated of such as before did loue it, for as Chriest saith: Luc. 14, Io. [...]2. qui odit animam suam in hoc mundo, in vitam aeternam custodit cam, &c.

vvho hateth his life in this vvorld shall preserue it vnto life euerla­stinge.

Accordinge to S. Aug. D. Aug. tract. 51. in Ia. si male amaueris tunc odisti, si bene oderis tunc amasti, foelices qui oderunt cu­stodiendo ne perdant amando: if thou louest it ill: then thou hatest it: if thou hatest it vvell, then thou hast loued it, and blessed are they that hate it, by keepinge it least they loose it, by louinge it. certainely he that hateth it is he that ouercometh the fearefull pangs of the second death. It is said: Apoc. 2 qui vicerit non ladetur a morte secunda. vvho soeuer ouercommeth shall receaue no harme of the second death, and shall al­so receaue the inuisible and hiddē [Page 140]māna and seinge our ovvne for­ces are so slēder and our aduersa­ries so innumerable and so strōge as vvee are not able to ouercome them, but by supernaturall heal­pes and graces, that our heartes may be inflamed vvith his loue and in kindled vvith blessed desi­res, Psal. 38. that vvee may say vvith the prophet concaluit cor meum intra me my heart did vvax vvarme in my bodie and vvith. S. Aug. scribe domine vulneratua in corde meo vt ibi legam dolorem & amorem & cuncta aduersa propter te sustineam li benter. O lord vvrite thyvvoundes in my hearte that therin I may beholde vvhat loue youe doe beare vnto me and troubles you suffred for me, and vvill embrace [Page 141]all aduersities vvillinglie for thy sake. and so I vvill neuer feare in domino speraui nontimeboquid faciet mihi homo vvhat man can do against mee. Psal. 55.

TO BEGINN VVEL, and not continue therin auaileth nothinge to our iu­stification.
CHAP. VI.

GOD promised vnto vs, a revvarde for our la­boure, a paye for our vvorke and a crovvne for the victorie, vvhich neyther [Page 142]he vvill bestovve more vve shal receaue, vntill our vallour be kno­vven, and the battell ended, vvhich beginneth against vs, vvhē vvee haue the vse of reason, vvhe vvee beginne to manage and dis­pose our actions according or contrarie to reason, and conti­nueth vnto the last moment of our life.

Our sauiour telleth vs qui per­seuerauerit vsque in finem hic saluus erit. Matth. 24. vvho so euer shall persist vnto the end shalbe saued if vvee be faithfull in our promise made vnto god, and patient in our la­boures sustained for him, he also vvilbe fayethfull and vndoubt full in accomplishinge that he promised: liberall and boun­tifull [Page 143]in revvardinge vvhat vvee haue deserued.

This is it vvhich he said spea­kinge vvith his disciples you are those that do abide vvith me in my troubles and temptations, Luc. 2 [...]. and therfore I haue determined to giue vnto you a kingdome: he said fellovves and partakers of his trauailes and therfore of his ioy in his kingdome.

To begine to be godes seruant proceedeth of the grace of god but to continue therin vnto the end of our liues a special grace and blessing of god vvith many infused and supernatural vertues are required, and chieflie a con­stant hearte that no perturbation bee able to make it recoile [Page 144]from his dutie in such manner as by no temptation itvvaxch faint, or by importunitie of trauell he forbeareth to do good.

Of this vertue S. Anthonie and S. Hylarie vveare great and holie examples vvho suffred great tentations in the desarte and yet did not forbeare to do god great seruice.

Lucius Seneca doth attribute so much to the excellencie of a man heartie and valiant that he maketh it harder to vanquish a mind inuironed vvith the vertue of constancie: then to take a cittie vvel fensed and guarded.

S. In Epta. Hierom saith per bonam & ma­lam famam a dextris & a sinistris miles Christi graditur, &c. no other [Page 145]thing is the passage of this life, then a publicke vvay on vvhose rigt hand marched the valiant and hardie man, on the left parte the couarde and faint hearted, and betvveen them both goeth the stronge ad resolute. and ac­cordinge to S. [...]. 8. mur [...] Gregorie fortitudo iustorum est carnem vnicere, proprijs voluntatibus contraire, delectatio­nem vitae presentis extinguere: huius mundi aspera pro aeternis praemijs amare prosperitatis blandimenta con­temnere, aduersitatis metum in cor­de superare: the fortitude of the iust is nothinge els then to mas­ter the fleashe, to resiste the ap­petits of our proper vvil, to ex­tinguish and despise the delights of this life, to affecte thinges of [Page 146]hard enterprise for the kingdome of god, not to be carried avvay, vvith the vaine alurementes of vvorldly vvealth, and not to es chevv such as be both painfull and perilous. Orig. sup. lib. numerū hom. 5. and as Origines saith sicut continens vita, labor, perseuerantia, & agonum certamina faciunt vnum qu [...]mque virum virtutis appellari: sic e contrario; vita remissa, negligens, & ignaua facit virum ignauum iudica­ri: euen as a man of a continent life, toylsom laboure, and of per­seuerance in a dangerous doubt­full battell deserueth to be repu­ted a vertuous man: so on the contrarie side a man carelesse, negli­gent, and sluggish, is holden for â couarde. this is the vertue vvi­thout vvhich no heroicall desi­gnementes [Page 147]can be perfourmed and vvithout vvhich vvee ought not to be holden for christians: for the character by vvhich vvee be called by that name, auayleth vs nothinge, vnles vvee persist still and perseuer vvith Chriest. Iudas reapes no profit for beinge one of oure sauiours apostles be­cause he did not continue vnto the end: For the good lucke, and skill of an expert pilot consi­steth not altogither, to guidevvell the helme, but rather that he bringe it to arriue safe at the ha­uen: euen so Chriest promiseth not the kingdome of heauen to such onlie, as are baptised nor to him that is called a christiā, if he perseuere not in his seruice, for [Page 148]the crovvne of the triumphe, is not bestovved vppon him that goeth vnto the vvarres: but is vvourthilie reserued forsuch as obtaine the victorie. although the fi [...]rie columne conducted the children of Israel out of Aegipt: Num. 14. Exod. 13. yet it did not bringe them to the land of promise. so as none did enter into the same but such as did in firme hope perseuere vnto the end of the battell; by vvhich they ouercame their enimies, and so obtained the victorie, and gained the desired land: the la­boure of Nehemias and Esdras after retourninge from the cap­tiuitie of Babylon vvould be fru­strated in buildinge the temple at Hierusalem, if iniuries, threat­ninges, [Page 149]stronge enymies vvhich had all their forces bent against them, vvould haue eyther terrri­fied them from making an end, [...]sth [...] 3. c. 2 or persvvaded them to giue over and trulie your christianitie, and catholicke religion shall rather procur your damnation, then in any manner helpe you to iustifi­cation, if eyther for feare of man, or loue of the earthe, or any dan­ger of persecution you giue it ouer or be inconstant therin: if it vvere to gaine the vvorld, or to saue oure life, vvee ought not to cōmit one deadlie sinne, or trans­gresse the least of godes commā ­dements, much lesse to make a ship vvracke of oure faith and re­ligion, vvhich vvee ought to de­fend [Page 150]vvith. losse of life and goo­des, if vvee be called in question for the same. If the godlie vvo­mā Susanna vvould rather suffer death then yeeld vnto the exe­crable luste of the vvicked iudges, that sollicited her to defile her­bodie, if a valiant captaine, and a gratious matrone ought to suffer death, rather then to committe treason: the one against his kinge, the other against her married busbād. much more ought vve to suffer all extremities vvhatsoeuer then to committe treason against god by forsakinge him, and his church for vve be more obliged vnto him and his church, then eyther the captaine vnto his kinge 'or the vvife vnto her [Page 151]husband.

Let vs therefore abide vvith god and not suffer our selues to be separated from him: let vs cō ­tinue in his catholicke church out of vvhich vvee can neyther acknovvladge, loue, or serue him, let the end of our labour and perseuerance in his religion to the last moment of our liues bee a sufficient vvitnesse of our loue tovvardes him, and an euident argument to his church of our faith and religion. the laborer in the gospel vvas not revvarded vntill the vvorke vvas finished, nor torment or paine could vvithdravve Chriest from the heroicall vvorke of our redem­ption vntil the eternall father [Page]vvas by his passion satisfied for our offences and vvee miserable sinners redeemed from the thral­dome of the deuill. this sufferan­ce and passion of Chriest auaileth nothinge vnto vs, vnles vvee fol­lovv him and continue vvithim vnto the ende as S. 1. Pe [...]. 2. Peter saith charissimi, Christus passus est pro nobis, vobis relinquens exemplum, vt sequamini vestigia eius: most louinge Chriest did suffer for vs, leauinge vs example to conti­nue in the profession of our faith vvhich vvhen he deliuered vnto vs, did suffer all difficulties and reproches vnto the infamie of the crosse. The kine that did carrie the arcke of our lorde, althoughe ther calues vvere bellovvinge [Page 133]behind them, they neuer retour­ned or vvent on the right side or the left, 1. Reg. c. 6. but vvent directlie forvvarde vntill they came vnto the land of Bethsamis: euen so vvee that carrye the crosse of Chriest vppon our shoulders ought ne­uer to leaue it of, thoughe our sensible appetites vvould cry vp­pon vs, to leaue it of, vvhile vvee arriue at the land of rest. Ezech. c. 1 The beastes that Ezechiel did see did direct their course, vvhere the spi­rit moued them, and neuer retourned backe. If the vvoman of Lot had gon forvvard vvithout tour­ning her head backvvard, she had not bene tourned vnto an image or stone of salt: gods com­mandement vnto her, vvas to go [Page 154]alvvaies forvvard vvithout loo­king backe. Nemo mittens manum ad aratrum, &c. none puttinge his hand to the plovve and aster­vvardes looking backe againe is apt for the kingdome of heauen. If once vvee purpose to be the seruantes of god, and to conti­nue as his adoptiue children vvit­hin the arcke of his churche, vvee should neuer forsake so blessed a purpose not suffer our selues to be cast out of so sure and so cer­taine a place, If Adam in origi­nall iustice vvould haue persi­sted, neyther had he bene thrust out of paradice, nor vvee subiect to so many miseries and tribula­tions. If Salomon vvould haue perseuered in the fauour so abō ­dantlie [Page 155]receaued of god, his saluauation had not bene so doubt­full: if the first angel and iudas had continued as they began, the one had not bene thrust out of heauen, nor the other depriued of the apostleship, nor of all the, fruite and merite of his former labours. if Moyses and Aaron had not giuen ouer their hope to ob­taine the land of promise, they had entred therin vvith Iosue and Caleph. many men had great fauours of god: but because they vvanted the blessed gift of per­seuerance, vvhich is nothing els then a continuation in the good, & gods gratious fauour vnto the last gaspe of our liues, those fa­uours are nouv rather an increase [Page 156]of their vvoe, then a dimini­shing of their euerlasting paine. Con [...]. A­ [...]. And therfore the councell saith Adiutorium D [...]i & renatis & san­ctis simpliciter est imploraendum vt ad finem bonum peruenire possini: euerie one, though neuer so lio­lie and of god adopted, must sim­plie, and sincerlie implore his speciall healpe, that he may come to a good end. [...] cl [...]s. 11 ad quācumque par­tem ceciderit lignum siue ad austrum siue ad aquilonem ibi manebit: vvhe­are soeuer the tree falleth, vvhe­ther it be tovvardes the South, or North, there it remayneth, if vvee dye in gods grace vvee shalbe su­re to obtaine glorie, though vvee may be in purgatorie vntil the paine due vnto the sinne be [Page 157]satisfied, if vvee die in deadlie sinne, ther is no hope of saluation, nor of the inheritance purchased for vs by the blood of Chriest, vvhich vve ought vvith feare and tremblinge to procure, being not assured therof, vvhen it is said nemoscit vtrum odio vel amore dignus sit: none Knovveth vvhe­ther he be vvorthy eyther of loue or of hatred, and as Iob saith si venerit ad me non videbo eum, Ioh. 9 si abierit non intelligam: vvhen god vvill vvouchsafe to come vnto me, I shal not perceaue it, and vvhen he vvill departe from me by his grace, I shal not vnderstād it, vvherfore saith he. si simplex fue ro hoc ipsum ignorabit anima mea: If I be simple it is vnKnovven vnto [Page 158]me and therfore S. Paule sayth nihil mihi conscius sum sed in hoc nō iustificatus sum although my cō ­science doth not accuse me, 2. Cor. 4. yet I am not therby iustified, because as the prophet saith peccatum con­tra me est semper my sinne alvvaies opposeth it self against me. Ther­fore in a bodye so corrupt, so en­feebled vvith sēsualities, in a sou­le so subiect vnto sinne, in a state so ful of temptations, in a vvarfa­re against so dangerous an hoast, so mightie and so strōge, as there is no povver vppon the earth ab­le to resist it, vvithout the special grace of god: for vvhich reasōs let a man be neuer so iust, he is not assured of his saluation nisi perse­uerauerit vsque ad finem vnlesse he endure vnto the ende.

THE VERTVOVS, and godly people must haue aduersaries in this vvorld.
CHAP. VII.

NO cause can vvorke vvithout a subiect, and vvhen the vi­cious and vvicked are certaine morall causes, that vvorke according to their malice: Arist lib. pri. pliy. c. 5. & 7. For as Aristotle sa­ieth no cause can vvorke but in a cōtrarie principle and therefore contra bonum, malum: esntra vitam. mors: Euill vvorketh against good [Page 160]death against life. Psal. 18 Circumuenià­mus iustum (loquuntur impij) quo­niam contrarius est operibus nostris, & diffamat nos: Let vs intrap the iust man (say the vngodly) becau­se he is contrary to our doinges, and doth discredite vs.

Vertue is a certaine qualitie of the mind, vvhich is opposite to vice, and can neuer be produced, but by contrary qualities, by vvhich all other qualities are in­gendred: So that if in earth so many bloody tyrants had not raigned, so many blessed Mar­tyrs had not triumphed in hea­uen, the vertue of vvhose patien­ce exceeding the violence of persecution, hath gained spirituall riches to the church, & a crovv­ne [Page 161]of glorie to them selues.

This contradiction betvveen vertue, and vice continued from the beginning. No sooner came man into this vvorld, but the deuill defied him, as an ene­my. The first tvvo brethren, A­damschildren prefigured this, the one so setting himselfe against the other, that hee slue him be­cause him selfe vvas not so good. The seed of this discorde tooke roote in Iacob, and Esau sonnes of Isaac, Esau being a type of the vvicked, and reprobate, repining at Iacob in vvhom the elect vve­re figured; Gen. 22 & 25. & as Sainct Augustin said. Sicut duo par vuli in [...]tero Rebeccae: sic in viero ecclesia duo sibi populi inuicem aduersantur. Euen [Page 112]as the tvvo infants contended in the vvombe af Rebecca so tvvo sortes of people do striue, & struggle togither in the body of the church. But vvhat should I recount the controuersie of con­trarie natures, that is to say of man, and an Angell, or of diuerse persons borne both of one mo­ther, & nourished perhaps vvith one milke as of Abel, and Cain, Iacob and Esau, or the enmitie of other people, some fighting vnder the standard of god, some of the deuill: Ioseph vvas sold by his enuious brethrē, Dauid persecuted by lunaticke Saul, Elias pursued by vvicked Iezabel, Elizeus mocked by vngodly children, Ierusalem brent by proud Nabu­chadonosor, [Page 163]and Susanna slande­red by tvvo adulterous iudges. In all this note that the iust had so­me singular vertue, the vniust subiect to some notorious vice, But vvhat should I recount these contentions of diuerse na­tures in diuerse persons, vvhē the very same is foond in man being but one person, or one subiect? For the like contention vvas ne­uer seene betvvixt ennimies as is daily betvveene the tvvo essētiall partes vvhereof man is cōposed, & made; I meane the soule, and the body, the spirite, and the flesh the superiour, and inferiour par­tes; insomuch as the life of the one, is the death of the other, the food of the one the poison of the [Page 162]other, the gaine of the one the losse of the other, and in breefe the vveale of the one the vvoe of the other: And from hence it p [...]oceedes, that vvee stand in need of so many graces, and vertues, vvhich albeit they are conferred vnto vs in the holie Sacrament of Baptisme: yet the soule cannot vvithout much difficultie exerci­se them by reason of the contra­diction of the bodie, vvhereas if the soule vvere at libertie, it might make vse of them vvith great facilitie. And in good sooth it is no marueile, that carnall people do so much contradict, and oppugne the lavv of grace, vvhich is a spirituall lavv, if the flesh (being so vnited, and ioined [Page 165]to the spirite (that of thē both one humane nature resulteth) doth so eagerly pursue the spirit, and vvith so much despite, that to de­stroy it, shee feares not to be her ovvne destruction. Euen as Sainct Paul saieth. 1 Cor. 5 Littera (idest) carooccidit. The flesh doth Kill, vvhich enmitie is also verified in Isaac and Ishmael, Gal. 4 Gen. 21 the sōne of the bondvvoman vvhich vvas borne according to the flesh, daring to mocke, and deride the freeborne Isaac, vvhose natiuity vvas accor­ding to the spirit.

And therfore the gospel of Iesus Christ being spirituall vvas vvith such vehemence impugned: For against it the Roman emperours bēte all humane forces, against it [Page 166]the philosophers opposed all vvordly vvisedome, against this carnall people vvallovving in sin­ne and concupiscēce and loth to leaue their delightes, made insur­rection, also that great Dragon raised all his povver. Apos 12. [...]sal. 2.2 Aduersus il­lud principes conuernerum in vnum: Against it the Kings of the earth combined them selues, against it first all pagans, aftervvards all Heretickes, and Schismatickes conspired: āngust. de es uit. dri li 3. cap. 52. Videns diabolus (saieth Zealous Sainct Augustin) daemo­num templa deseri & in nomen libe­rantis mediatoris & currere genns hu manum, haereticos mouit quisub vo­cabulo Christiano doctrinae resisterēt Christianae. The deuil seing his tē ­ples to bee left, and all the vvorld [Page 167]run to embrace the svveet name of their redeemer, and mediatour stirred vp the Heretickes, vvhich vnder the title of christians should oppose them selues to the christian doctrine. In con. [...] Tis. Per verba legis legem impugnant (saith Sainct Am­brose) By the very vvordes of the lavv they resist the lavv. Nay but the Caluinistes professe faith also but Sainct Hillary tels them: Fi­dem sine fide praetendunt, In litr [...]a that they pretend saith vvithout faith. The psalmist ansvvereth them. Pu. 54. Molliti sunt sermones super oleum, & ipsi sunt tacula. That their vvords are steeped in oile, but indeed they are dartes. Psal. 139 Venenum aspidum sub labiis eorum. That the poison of Adders is vnder their lips. Ve­niunt [Page 168]ad vos (saith our blessed sa­uiour in vestimentis ouium intrin­sccus autem sunt lupi rapaces. They come vnto you in sheepes clo­thing, but in their hartes they are rauening vvolues: to vvhich saieng blessed saint Bernard allu­ding, telleth some of them that they are, Foris candidi, intus autem sordidi: Though outvvardly they seeme as vvhite, as snovve, yet in­vvardly they beare another hue. small difference Sainct Augusti­ne putteth betvvene Pagans, and Heretikes: Persequitur paganismus (saith hee) aperte, saeuit vt, leo, hae­reticus insidiatur vt Draco. [...]g. in ps. [...]9 Paga­nisme persecuteth the church openly, and roreth like a Lyon, but thé hereticke lurketh as a [Page 169]Dragon: The one compelleth to deny Christ, the other teacheth the same, the one, vseth violen­ce, the other treachery, vve must be patiēt for the one, & vvatch­full for the other. Thus much saith Sainct Augustin in the peaceable time of the church. By vvhose admonition vvee are taught hovv vvee should behaue our selues in these dangerous daies, least our function should bee contemned, and simple Ca­tholicks scandalized, vvhich may be an occasion of their ruine, & a prouocation of gods vvrath against vs, if through our negligence they vvould be care­lesse of their saluation. Therfore S. Peter bideth vs to vvatch quia [Page 170]aduersarius noster diabolus tan­quam leo rugiens circuit, quae­rens quem deuoret because our aduersarie (saith he) the deuill like a roaringe lyon goeth about seeking vvhom he may de­uoure.

THAT THE CHVRCH of god frō the beginning vvas persecuted, and against Christ the head this perse­cution vvas intended.
CHAP. VIII.

I Vvil (saith Chriest) send vnto you pro­phets, Luc. c. 11. Math. 5.14 Iob. 15. & 16. and Apostles, vvhich shalbe both Killed and persecu­ted, vvhich falleth out as Christ foretold speakinge vnto his A­postles pressuramin mundo habebi­tis, you shalbe tormented in this [Page 172]vvorld: the deuill euer stirreth vp his vvicked ministers to destroy the church of god but cheifly the pastors as the principal parts ther of: Alexander the great vvhē he did besiege Athens said, vluter: in vita eiue. that his quarrel vvas not against the citie, but against the ten orators, that vvere vvithin, vvhich if they vvere deliuered into his hands, he vvould raise the seige, and ioi­ne a nevve league of freindship vvith the Citizens, for all his quarell as he said, vvas against those orators, vnto vvhich Demo­stenes replied after this manner. The vvolues did speake after this sort vnto the sheapehards, all the discord that is betvvixt you and vs proceedes of your dogs, & if you [Page 173]vvill deliuer thē vnto vs, vve vvil be perfaict freinds. The dogs being rendred vnto them, and peace established, the vvolues rose vpon the poore flocke, and de­stroied it: euen so Heretickes in these daies goe about to take avvay religious people, and priests, Bishops, and pastors, and vnder coulour of deceipt, seeke to deceaue, and confound our soules. So Iulian the Apostate vvith fire, and svvord did perse­cute religious men, and priests, al­though he did not put them to death as S. Naz. said, Oras 1. in Iu [...]. enuiēg these blessed saincts the crovvne of martirdome: yet he spared no out ragious crueltye, vvhich the mali­ce of man could inuent to vex [Page 174]trouble, and afflict these blessed people, for so the oration of the said Naz: vnto that apostate de­clared: vvherin he did offer him­selfe a suter for all religious peo­ple (saieng) si Philosophorum caetum (sic enim eos appellat) qui nullo vin cu lo humitenentur, qui sola corpora ac ne ea tota quidem possident; qui Caesari nihil, Deo omnia debent hymnos, preces, vigilias, lachrimas: hos inquit si mitius tractauerts, &c. If you deale gentlely (saith he) vvith the schoole of Philoso­phers, for so he called thē, vvhich vvere tied by noe earthlie obli­gation vvhich did scarce possesse their ovvne bodies, vvhich did ovve nothing vnto Caesar but all vnto god, vnto vvhom they, by [Page 175]their hymnes, prayers, vvatchin­ge, and tears vvere consecrated. if you deale gentlely vvith the seruants, and disciples of god, vvhose daylie conuersation is in heauen, vvho are the first fruite of our lords flocke, the crovvnes of faith, the precious margarits, vvho are the stones of that tem­ple, vvhose foundation, and cor­ner stone is Christ, you shall do vnto your self, and vnto vs a sin­guler benefit this far S. Naz. In all persecutions of the church the pastors, and religious people vvere first sett vppon: because, as it vvas saied, they barked against those, that goe about to destroy the flocke of Chriest; so the prophet Hieremy saith, formi­do, [Page 176]& laqueus factus est nobis vati­cinatio our prophesie doth pur­chase nothing vnto vs but the hal­ter, Thren. 47. and occasion of trembling. so vvere the prophets of the old lavv afflicted, and put to cruell tor­ments, amongest vvhome Mi­cheas after being terribly bea­ten, vvas cast into pryson, Vrias vvas slayne, Hieremias after lōg ymprisonment, terrible vvhip­ping, Ie. 18.19.20 and after cast into a dirtye puddle of filth, vvherin he vvas ovvervvhelmed, vvas stoned to death; Isaias vvas cut in tvvaine vvith a savv, and being sent by god, they haue not omitted their functions, not vvithstandinge all the forces, and threatninges of vvicked princes vvere bēt against [Page 177]them: Sydrach, Dame [...]. 3.1 21. and Abednego for refusinge to adore the idole of Nabuchodonosor vvere cast into the burning fornace, and in the midst of the flames of ragin­ge fire, they praysed God. Daniel 6.16. Daniel vvas cast into the lyons den to be deuoured. Saul no sooner fell from God, then he put to death 50. priestes in Nobe, vvhy should then the priestes, 1 Reg 22 18 and pastors in the lavve of grace meruayle at persecutions, o [...] feare the trou­bles therof? do not they see their head eleuated vppon the crosse, and nayled there vnto? vvas ther not a Dragon before the vvo­man vvhich vvas to be deliuered of a childe, that no sooner the childe should come into the [Page 178]vvorld, but hee should bee deuou­red of the dragon, and this vvas the cause that Christ saieth spe­aking to the persecutors of the church. vos ex patre diaholo estis, & desideria patris vestri vultis perficere ille homicida fuit ab initio &c. you are the children of the devill, & ready to execute the vvil of your father, for he vvas a murderer from the beginning, vvhich euer labored to destroy Chriest; so the deuil did vse the helpe of Pharo to kill all the sonnes of the Hebreues, because he thought that Chriest should descend of that natiō accordinge to the flesh, but Moyses vvas deliuered, signifienge that Chriest should escape harme lesse, he raysed vp Aman to des­troy [Page 179]all the said Hebreues, Eze. 7. vvhich he could not obtaine, Reg. 11. he also made an instrument of Athalia to blot out all the posteritye of Dauid, from vvhēce the Messias accordinge his humanitie vvas to come into the vvorld, but Ioas vvas deliuered: he stirred vp also Antiochus to take avvay and confound the stocke of Iacob last of all vvhen the fulnesse of time came in vvhich Chriest him self came: i Ma [...] he vsed all pollicies by Herodes cruelty to kill him: after­vvardes hovv many follovvers of Chriest, and of his race vvere put to death vnder Nero vnder Noui­tiā, vnder Traiā, vnder Adriā, vnder Anthoni Verus, Seuerus, Ale­xander, by the furie of the people [Page 180]vnder Maximinus, vnder Decio, Va­leriꝰ Claudius Aurelianus, Dioclesianꝰ and Maximianus vnder Iulian in the east, in the vveast vnder Valēs amongest the Goathes vnder A­thanericus, vnder Arcadius, in Persia vnder I [...]eger, the Vandal persecu­tiō vnder Gēsericus and Hunericus: vvhat shal (I say? hovv many vvere put to cruell death since that ti­me, in all other countries, hovv many blessed martirs did suffer by the sectes of Martine Luder and bloudie Caluine, vvhich vvere ex­citated, and stirred vp to destroy Chriest, and the side of Abrahā, vvhich is the catholicke church and the ship of the apostles in the midest of the sea, and they laboring in the same to saue [Page 181]themselues, vvhich Chriest did behold, Bed. hom's cap. 28 as venerable Beda saith la bor discipulorū in remigando, & con­trarius eis ventus, labores sanctae Ec­clesiae varios designat, quae inter vn­das seculi aduersantis & immun­dorum spirituum flatus ad quietem celestē quasi ad fidam littoris statio­nem peruenire conatur, the difficul­ties, that the apostles had in brin­ging the ship to land, and the cō trarie vvindes they sustained: do declare the manifolde troubles of the holie church: and being so sore afflicted, and grieuouslie persecuted, asvvel bythe gentiles, as by heretickes, it seemeth, if it vvere possible, that the redeemer therof for a time vvould forsake the same: this much vener. Bed, [Page 182]vvhat shall vvee say of the sore persecutions of this age, vvhich bringeth forth monstrous hereti­ckes, so many bloodie tirantes, so many false prophetes, Hier. [...]. of vvhom Chriest did say, I haue not sent them, and they did runne, I haue not spoken vnto them, and they did prophesie, vvhich do vvatch and laboure to corrupt, and defi­le our soules vvith their poiso­ned doctrine, vvhose malitious vvilles poisoned, and infected vvith all kinde of hereticall im­pietie, and vvhose vnderstanding furnished vvith all deuilish polli­cies and inuētiōsproceed novv so farre in their vvickednesse, and hauing gotten such successe in their vvicked enterprises, that [Page 183]if vvee had not so firmlie, and so stedfastlie builded vpon Chriest his vvordes vvho promised, that the gates of hell, should neuer preuaile against his church, vvee should be afraid, that novv being inuironed vvith so many enimies, being afflicted vvith so many fal­se prophetes, being tormented by so many cruell bloodie tyrantes, being bought and solde by so many impious polititiās, and Ma­chiuailes, being troubled by so many apostats: and forsaken of her base and rebellious children, it vvould novv be vtterlie de­stroied.

THE CHVRCH OF god must suffer persecu­tion, and thereby is ra­ther reformed, then destroyed.
CAP. IX.

IT is expedient, as­vvell for the iustice of god, as also for the triall of the good, that there shoulde be heretikes, and vvicked people, vvho shoulde bridle and restraine our passions, and the fu­rious inclination of our sensuali­tie: [Page 185]for our corruption is such as if by the discipline of vvicked people (vvhich are as it vvere our tutors) it vvere not repressed, vvee vvould breake forth into such madnesse, as the state of our sal­uation shoulde bee in danger: no other vvise then a vvild horse breakinge oftentimes the bridle casteth of his rider.

By nature vve are the children of vvrath, and the seruantes of sinne, in vvhich vve be concea­ued, and by vvhich vvee be cor­rupted and inclined to gape after corruptible thinges.

This inclination vvas transfu­sed, and brought from Adam vn­to vs in our generation, and so in vs it is naturall: and being depri­ued [Page 186]of Original iustice, in vvhich, our first parents vvere created: (vvhich as the diuins do saye) vvas the golden bridle to curbe the flesh from rebellious insurrection against the spirit, and the same beinge taken avvay, by the dole­full transgression of our said pa­rentes, vvithout any positiue qualitie therunto adioyned, man is carried avvay, and impel­led by the nature of sensuall ap­petits, vvhich is to follovve sen­sualities and sensible thinges op­posite and contrarie to the rule of reason: this Sainct Chry: cōside ringe sayeth as a ship, that hath lost her sterne, is tost too and fro, not vvhether the pilot vvould, but vvhere the tempest driueth [Page 187]her so man hauinge lost first this golden sterne of original grace, carried a vvay not vvhere reason vvould direct, but vvhere vnrulie appetits do mislead (this he said of oure vnbridled luste, and dis­position vnto base appetites) and although this inclination in tho­se that are baptised is not a sinne, yet it prouoketh and disposeth vs vnto sinne and is called by the diuins) fomes peccati) vvhich is the lavve of the flesh, vvhose desire and affection is contrarie to the desires of oure spirit: vvhich vvit­nesseth S. Rom. [...] Paul saieng I haue a lavve in my members vvhich re­sisteth the lavve of my minde, and laboreth to make me vassall and captiue to the lavve of sinne: and [Page 188]and therfore he sayth, vvho shall be able to deliuer me, from this bodie of death: of vvhich cōplay­neth holie Iob. Iob 6. saing quare me feci­sti contrarium tibi & factus sum mihi metipsi grauis: vvherfore hast thou framed me contrarie vnto thee, and displeasant vnto my self: and therfore he said non est auxi­lium mihi in me. and of my self I haue no healpe, by reason of his inferiour parte disposed to sinne, vvhich do perturbe and diuert vs from the true path of the crea­tor, and the rule of vertue, and also maketh vvarre against the superior parte, vvhich is his spirit, vvhich participatinge (as it vve­re) vvith god, that rightlie amon­gest reasonable creatures, ought [Page 189]to obtaine the place of gouer­ment, beinge by nature indued, and enobled, vvith a beame of heauenlie brightnesse, and to bring them to any agreement, or peaceable harmonie, the hand­mayde must obey the mistresse, and the bodie the soule, vvhich cannot be brought to passe, but by the force of extreame lavves, that must be seuerlie executed vpon a lavvlesse, and vnrulie ser­uant, 1. Cor. 9 vvhich S. Paul extended ri­gourously tovvarde his ovvne bodie saieng castigo corpus meum & in seruitut emspiritus redigo carnem meam, &c. I chastice my bodie and reduce my flesh vnto the ser­uitude of the spirit: the like all the sanictes haue don, by fasting, vva­chinge [Page 190]prayēg, and other austere vvorkes of religion, and pennāce, and by this meās haue gotten the vpper hād of this slaue, and rebel­lious seruant, not onlie reuolteth from the spirit, but also dravveth the spirit from god, by reason of vvhose rebellion, vvee be come disloyall vnto his commande­mentes, insensible to his inspira­tions, vnthankefull vnto his be­nefites, careles of his diuine iusti­ce, obliuious of his mercie, and forgetfull of our ovvne salua­tion, and god almightie, for a iust punishment vvhich vvee haue deserued, permitteth, for that our soule vvould not obey god, shoulde become a slaue vnto the fleshe, vvhich is his ovvne slaue [Page 191]vvhich S. August. doth verifie quoniam anima superiorem dominum suo arbitrio deseruerat inferiorem famulum (carnem) ad suum arbitriū non tenebat. because the soule, Decluitas Dei lib. 1 [...] c. 14 by the libertie of free vvill, did forsa­ke god oure supreme lorde, the inferiour vvhich is the flesh ren­dreth not that obedience vnto the soule accordinge vnto the slauerie of the one, and libertie of the other, not that the soule hath no povver to command, and constraine the fleshe to obey, for it hath free vvil to do and vndo vvhat liketh it best, and as S. Aug. saith voluntate propria quisque ma­lus & none committeth sinne but by his free vvill and so he said ream linguam non facit nisi rea mens A [...]ug. de ni. lib. 2. ci. [...]. [Page 192]our toung is not guiltie, but by our guiltie minde, vvhich he confirmed in his 14. Aug. deci l. i3 c. i4 Aug. lib. i4 cap. i3 booke nec car [...] corruptibilis animam peccatricem: sed anima peccatrix fecit esse corru­ptibilem carnem nether the corru­ptible flesh maks a sinnefull soule, but the sinnefull soule makes the flesh corruptible, for the greatest, difficultie, that vve haue to supprise the flesh, & the vnre aso­nable concupiscence therof pro­ceedes of the longe custome, and continuance of the soule in sinne as the said S. Aug. saith libidini dum seruitur facta est consuetudo, & dum consuetudini non resistitur, fa­cta est necessitas. our luste beinge obeyd is be come a custome, and this custome beinge not qui­cklie [Page 193]restrained grovveth vnto an necessitie of nature vvhich can be hardlie repelled, D. Aug. Arist. [...] and so Arist saith voluntas adhaerens peruerso fi­ni non potest diu carere praua ele­ctione. our vvill tending vnto an ill end vnto vvhich it is impelled and moued by this said bad incli­nation cannot be longe vvithout bad means to put it in execution: for the outvvard obiectes, and occasions by vvhich it is moued, as also the internall passions of our base affection by vvhich it is daylie sollicited, & ouerruled, do so peruert our iugement, blinde our vnderstanding, infect our vvilles, as vve may say vvith the prophet defecit me virtus mea & lumen oculorum meorum non est me­cum [Page 194]my force did faile me and I haue not the vse of my sight: this he said by reason of his great fall from gods grace of vvhich beinge depriued he vvas blinded vvith brutish cōcupiscence and made a slaue vnto his passions therfore he said possederunt nos alij domini absque te: vve forsake the o god and do yeeld our selues to other lordes vvhich are our sinister de­sires vvhich vvee follovve, and self vvill vvhose vnresonable commandementes vvee obey, the vvhich hath so grieuouslie vvou­nded our soules that it can neuer be cured, but at the great coste and charges of our said proper vvill that inflicted the same, and as svvelling vlcers must be healed [Page 195]be hoat burning iron, by vvhich the deadlie canker vvich lieth vnder the flesh may be taken avvay, so this poysoned canker vvhich lurketh in our heartes and gnavveth our intrailes, by vvhich vvee languish and pine avvay, cannot be healed but by sharpe medicine of troubles and persecutions, and as the apostle saith virtus in infirmitate perficitur the perfection of vertu is made knovven in aduersitie, 2. Cor. i [...] for as Ro­ses the more they be prest the better they smel, frankencense before it be cast vnto the fire she­vveth not his vertue, nor our fle­she before it be seuerlie puni­shed, and restrained of her per­nicious, & dangerous libertie ac­knovvledged [Page 196]eyther superiour, to command it, or lavve to bridle and direct it: Alexander the great beinge vvounded vvith an arro­vve in his side, did acknovvledge him self to be amortal mā, vvhere as before through victories got­tē in so many battailes, & the cō quest obtained ouer so many na­tions, vvas so proude, that he cō ­manded him self to be adored as god, Prouer. 28. therfore the holie ghost said beatus est home qui semper est pauidus. Happie is that man that is alvvaies fearful of him self. by libertie vve become dissolute, and carelesse, by restraint vvareful, & circumspect, the Romans giuinge libertie vnto the Bactrians for that they did succour the Con­sul [Page 197]Rufus in the spartan vvarres, they refused it, saynge that by li­bertie they should become sla­ues. The common vvealth of the Lacedemoniās being so glorious, & renovvmed in many excellent vertues, so soone at it began to li­ue at quiet, presentlie declined, and at length fell to ruine, the vvhich may be Knovven and verified of the Romans, by the contention that vvas betvvixt Cato and Scipio Nasica: Cato vvas of opinion that Carthage should be altogither destroid. Scipio vvould haue it preserued, for that the Romans hauing no aduersaries abroade through longe peace, and quietnesse, should be vveakned: vvoe be vn­ro [Page 198]you Rome, saith he, if Carthage stande not; for external vvarres being ended, then intestine va­riance, and ciuill discorde vvas re­nevved betvvixt the Romains them selues, vvhich vvas the cau­se of greater calamitie amonge them, then all the forraine vvar­res they had against their forai­ne enimies.

The vniuersal peace of the church vvas the cause, that ma­nye horrible dissentions, and dan­gerous schismes vvere amongest church mē, amōge vvhō through long quietnesse, the key of knovvledge fayled in many, iniquitie did abound, and charirie vvaxed col­de vverfore Isaiah, Isa 37. D. Per. [...]er. 33 i [...] Cant. cried out in pace amaritudo mea amarissima [Page 517]in peace I am most disquieted, and as S. Augustine saith the persecution of tirantes is grieuous, the persecution of heretickes is vvorse, but that of voluptuous pleasures and quiet rest, is the most dangerous of all; because as S. Chrysost. D. Chrys. saide tormenta facie­bant martyres: blandimenta vero Epicuros. torments makes martyrs, pleasures epicures, of vvhich pea­ce the spouse in the canticles (saith) nigra sum sed formosa filie Hierusalem. Cant. 1. v. [...] I am blacke but vvell fauored (o daughters of Hierusalem) vvhich vvordes Origenes interpreted to be spoken of the soule of man, vvhich by the grace gotten in affliction, is purified, [Page 200]and made beautifull, vvhich be­fore by longe quietnes, and our corruptible inclination te [...]ūto, vvas deformed. Dauid through long peace, and tranquilitie of spirituall consolation, Psal. 29. said, in abū ­dantia mea non mouebor in aeternum in abundance of long rest, and di­uine consolation I shal neuer be moued; vvhich vvas the cause as S. Basil saith that Dauid fell so grieuouslie, and said after vvardes non est pax ossibus meis my bones haue no rest, Psal. 37. & in flagellis paratus sum: & dolor meus in conspectu meo semper?: I prepare my self for gods discipline, and my grief is alvvaies before myne eyes, and lest the manifold graces, and priuiledges of the apostle should be the occa­sion [Page 201]of his fall of he should take pride therof or thinke himself se­cure, and void of any danger, he said ne magnitudo reuelationum ex­tollat me, &c. 2. Corin. 1 [...] least the manifold reuelations of god should puffe me vp, the stinge of the flesh vvhich is the angell of Satan doth buffet me; it vvas said vnto Adam by god maledicta terra in opere tuo: in laboribus cōmedes de ea, Gene. 3. spinas & tribulos, germinabit tibi cursed is the earth in thy vvorke in thy labour thou shalt eat thy bread, thorns and thistles it shal bring forth vnto thee, and al­tlough there vvere no deuill to tempt vs, the flesh that bringeth forth the said briers, ad thistles tempteth vs, and endeuoreth to [Page 174]defile vs, vvith her raging concupiscence, the vvorld laboreth vvith his vanitie to ouerthrovv vs, the soule vvith her pride to confound vs, and besides there is a deuil that vexeth vs, and tēpteth vs to fall avvay frō god euery day quia hic enim nobis colluctatio ad­uerfus carnem & sanguinem sed ad­uersus principes, ad Fps. 6. &c. For vvee do not onlie struggle vvith flesh, and blood: but vvee haue our comba­te against the povver, and strength of the princes of darknesse, as longe as vvee liue, in this vvorld vvee ought not to expect peace, and as longe as vvee be cōpassed vvith so many aduersaries vvee ought not to feare their inuasiōs, and as longe as vvee are sailinge [Page 203]in the dangerous sea of this vvorl­de in vvhich vvee must passe throughe the dangerous gulfe of death vve must passe by the nar­rovue vvay of pennance, and mortification, if vvee meane to come vnto life, and not through the broad vvide vvay of pleasu­res, vnles vvee intende to fall in­to confusion. ther is nothinge so hurtefull for a christian soldiour, as the pleasures of this vvorld, vnto vvhich vvee dedicat our sel­ues if vvee had no aduersaries to vvithdravv vs from them. the sol­diours of Hanniball after the fa­mous victorie obtained in the battle of Canas against the Ro­mans, through vvanton pleasures and rest, vnto vvhich they gaue [Page 104]them selues, at Capua vvere after so softened, and enfeebled, that they, vvhich vvere able to indu­re great traueles, Plut. in vi ta Hamb. and sustaine much labour vvherby they did vvinne many battles, against the Romans, vvere by their ovvne quietnes, and pleasures, vanqui­shed, and ouercome by their said enimies: all ecclesiasticall histo­tories do beare vvitnesse that the church of Chriest, is fubiect to confusion, and danger in time of any peace, Cyp. serm. de lapsis. or quietnesse: S. Ci­prian also doth verifie the same: Dominus inquit probare suam fami­liam voluit, & quia traditam nobis diuinitus disciplinam, pax longa cor­ruperat iacentem fidem & paene di­xerim dormientem censura celestis [Page 205]erexit studebant singuli augendo patrimonio, non in sacerdotio religio deuota, non in praesbiteris fides inte­gra, non in operibus misericordia, non in moribus disciplina: our lord, saith he, vvould trie his familie, and because gods religion vvas corrup­ted by longe peace, and our faith vvhich languished, by long qui­etnesse, vvas by celestiall corre­ction raised vp: euerie one did studie hovv to augment his patri­monie: in preisthood no deuotiō vvas obserued: in churchmen faith vvas not sincerlie kept: their vvorkes vvere vvithout mercie: and their manners vvithout disci­pline; this infamie, and disorder brought in by the tranquilitie of the church, as the good martyr [Page 206]telleth, D. Aug. de vera relag. [...]. 8. vvas reformed, by the per­secution and troubles therof, for as, S. Aug. saith multa ad fidem ca­tholicam pertinentia dum heretico­rum callida inquietudine vexantur: the vexations, and disquietnesse of heretickes redovvndeth to the good of the catholick faith, that it may re defended against them, that it may be more dulie exami­ned more diligentie considered, more duetifullie obserued, more clearlie vnderstode, more feruen­tlie preached, and being brought in question by the aduersarie, may be religiouslie embraced, so god may be glorified, Chriest ho­nored, our fayth renovvmed, the constancie of the good confir­med, the vveake strengthned, the [Page 207]hereticke confounded and Sa­than ouerthrovven thus farre S. Aug. Chry. in Math. 20. vnto vvhich agreeth Sainct Chrys. virtus fidet in periculis secu­raest, in securitate periclitatur the vertue of faith in danger, is secu­re, in securitie is in danger, for no­thing saith he abateth the force o fayth, somoch as long peace, holie Arsenius, after that he ob­tained of god to be deliuered of some temptations, by vvhich he vvas attached, and finding him self by long rest, and quietnesse to be more negligent, and careles of him self, did reneue his combat vvith him self, and sought of god the former temptations, this vvas the cause that god gaue leaue to the deuill to vex Iob, gods mea­ning [Page 208]vvas nothing els, then to e­xercise his vertue, vvhich becō ­meth mortified vvith trauels, and contradiction: the vvheat that is not turned, is eaten vvith vvesels, the garment that is not vvorne: is eaten vvith mothes, the timber that is not seasoned: is spoiled vvith costlickes, the iron that is not vvrought, is consu­med vvith rust, bread long rept grovveth mouldie, the fayth of euerie christian is the better if it be tried, the goodnesse of euerie thinge is knovven by the exercise therof, and so your fayth shalbe novve perceaued by your temp­tation and persecution, vvhich is the fire according to S. Augustin: quo aurum rutilat, palia consumitur, [Page 209]perficitur peccator ne misere pereat, by vvhich the gold is tried, the rust is consumed, the sinner puri­fied, and made perfect, that he should not perish miserablie, vn­to vvhich agreed. S. Iohn Chrys. Chrys. lib. 4 serm. 1. de marryro­log. hom. 3. vt infirmatur peccator aduersis: sic iustus tentationibus roboratur, as the sinner is vveakened by aduer­sirie: so the iust is confirmed ther­by: although many of you in this persecution shal denie Chriest, yet I hope Chriest shalbe more glorified by such as shall confesse him vnto their death, then his church scādalized, by such as shal forsake the same: assuring your selues, that there is no other cause vvhy god doth suffer this perse­cution against his church, thē for [Page 210]the good of you, that are the mē ­bers therof, and for the exercise, and practise of your vertue, and manifold influences of godes gra­ce bestovved vppō you by vvhich you may be defended against your aduersaries. God did suffer amon­gest the childrē of Israel Iebeseus to exercise ther strength, and to trie their vallure: god did assure them the land of promise, but none did inter vnto it, but such as ouercame the fierse inhabitātes therof, against vvhom the Israeli­tes vvere to fight: no more can vvee inter into the promised lan­de of heauen, vnles vve ouercome couragiouslie the deuiles, and his instrumentes, vvhich indevvo­red to hinder vs of the passage [Page 211]therof, for vvhich they so often prouoke vs to the skirmish, and therfore god permitteth heretic­kes for the triall of catholickes, the vvicked for the exercise of the good, and varres against his sol­dieurs to giue them a glorious crovvne if they vvil ouercome, a paye for ther paine, a revvard for ther laboure, and glorie if they vvill fight valiantlie.

THE BLOOD OF Martyrs is the seed of the church vvhich more increa­seth by the suffrance of godlie people.
CAP. X.

THe naturall histo­ries do declare, that ther is no better remedie for a vvithered tree, to bring fourth fruite: then to sprinckle, and moysten the bodie therof vvith the blood of man: so the church of god [Page 213]vvhich did seeme to vvither a­vvay, and decay by longe peace and rest vvith the bloode of mar­tyrs doth florish vvith sainctes, and holie men. according to Ter­tulian: T [...]rt. in Ap. Io. 12 sanguis martyrum est semen christianorum: & granum cadens in terram vbi mortuum fuerit multum fructum affert, the bloode of mar­tyrs is the seede of christians, and the graine that falleth vnto the earth vvhen it is dead, bringeth fourth abundance of fruict, the blessed Ignatius said that he him self vvas one of the grains of Chriest: for if the graine be not dead in the earth, there grovveth no fruite of it, if Chriest had not died for the church, none had bin a martyr, and because he suffered [Page 214]for his church being his spou­se, she indeauoreth to revvard him in the same coyne, and to gi­ue vnto him blood for blood, and so she saies in Exodus and in the Psal. Exo. 4. & Psal. 115. quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi vvhat shall I render vnto him for all that he geueth vnto me: Apo. [...]. qui dile­xit nos & lauit nos a peccatis nostris sanguine suo: vvhich loued vs and vvashed vs from our sinnes: the church doth both promisse, and performe saieng calicem salutaris accipiā, Psal. 115. Ma [...]. 5.26 & nomen Domini inuocabo. I vvill pleadge him in that bitter challice, vvhich he druncke vnto vs. he vvas the first, that druncke of this cup, and the first graine of his gospell that vvas dead in the [Page 215]earth, and primogenitus mortuorum the first child that intred the ce­lestiall paradice, and therfore ma­ny blessed children are also dead vvith him, by vvhose sufferance and death god is glorified, the church honored, sustained, and e­stablished, as acertaine holie mar­tyr saith Sanguine fundata est Eccle­sia, sanguin [...] caepit. Sanguine succreuit sanguine finis erit. by bloode the church vvas funded, by bloode it began, by blood it continued, and by blood shall haue an end. as a man cannot liue but, by the death, and blood of many bea­stes vvhich are ordained for his sustentation, so the church of Chriest, cannot vvell be sustayned, but by the [Page 216]the blood of holie martyrs. In the old synagoge, vvilde beastes vvere offered vnto god in sacrifi­ce, by vvhich god vvas conten­ted, but novve in the lavve of grace, not onlie the blood of Chriest, vvas abondantlie offered vnto him. but also the blood of infinite blessed martyrs, as the prophet saith: Psal. 78. effuderunt sanguinem sanctorum tuorum sicut aquam in circuitu Hierusalem. they haue shed the blood of thy sainctes, as if it vvere vvater in the circuit of Hierusa­lem, qui sanguinem sanctorum & prophetarum effuderunt: Apo [...]a. 16. vvhich did shed the blood of the sainctes, & of the prophetes, for there are offered more men vnto god in sa­crifice in the lavve of grace, then [Page 217]vvere beastes in the olde lavv: and as S. Hierom. Epist. ad [...]hron & Heliodo. vvitnesseth for eue­rie day in the yeere fiue thovv­sand martyres vnto his age: and since hovv many thovvsand did suffer? although the tyrantes did indeauoure to rase the registers of blessed martyrs: yet vve finde, by such as be extant, that his computation is true, though it be ra­ther vvonderfull then incredible; for at one time 200. 300. 400. 600. togither vvas nothinge, and that dailie, and oftentimes, 2000. Martyr [...]r log 12. O­ctob. 3000. and more, some times in a [...] fricke 4966. vnder Hunericus king of the Goathes, amongest vvhome there vvere manye bi­shops, priestes, deacons, and lay people vvhich did receaue the [Page 218]crovvne of martyrdome. I make no mention of the 6000. that vvere all put to death vvith their captaine Mauritius, not of the 1000. that vvere crucified by Adrian, and Antonie imperors in the montaine Ararar, not of the 10000 [...]. Virgins that vvere put to death by the Hunns. but I can­not keepe silēce, that a vvhole ci­tie in phrigia vvas destroied by the persecutor: so as neyther vvo­man nor childe did escape the fu­rie of the slaghter, such vvas the rage of the infernal dragon, vvho laboreth to ouerflovve the earth vvith the bloode of martyrs, Apud Gr [...]os 26 decem.

In the Calender of February 28. in the citie of Nicomedia by the commaundement of Maxi­minus [Page 219]200. christians vvere brent in the 2. of Februarie in the same Calender 3000. vvhich did suffer at Rome and 3000. that did suffer at Hierusalem by Cosdore, vvhat shal I speake of all the dayes of the yeare of all other countries, and places: the number that en­ded their liues by extreame tor­mentes, none knovveth, but he, that predestinated them, and hath giuen them grace to suffer, as al­so a crovvne for their sufferance, so as the church may say vnto Chriest that, vvhich the vvife of Moyses said vnto him at the cir­cumcition of his sonne sponsus sā ­guinis tu mihi es you are vnto me the spouse of bloode euen as the seed, Exod. 4. that is sovven in the fielde [Page 218]bringeth foarth no fruit, but by raine, and heat of the sunne: so the catholicke religion, vvhich is the seede, that is sovven in his church bringeth neyther holi­nesse or pietie vvith it, vnles it be vvatered by the blood of Chriest, & his martirs, neyther cā, it bud fourth, but by the burning and inflaming heat of the holie gost vvhich is the fire that Chriest did saye should burne in the heartes of his blessed martyrs: vvhich are like as S. Augustine sayth vnto the childrē of Israel in Aegipt the more they vvere oppressed, the more they did multiplie: and as Leo Papa saieth: Leo Papa in serm de natali alo­rū [...] Pes. & Pauli. Ecclesia non mi­nuitur persecutionibus, sed augetur, & semper Dominicus ager segete di­tiore [Page 219]vestitur, dum grand quae singu­la cadent multiplicata nascuntur, nam occiso vno martyre plures sur­gebant fideles. The church by per­secution diminisheth not, but ra­ther increaseth, and our lordes feilde is the more richer, that ma­ny graines do fall in it, because that euerie one doth multiplie, for one martyr beinge made, ma­ny christians do rise and S. Amb. lib. 9 c. 10. [...] lu­cam. Am­brose saith sicut vinea dum ligatur erigitur & rescissa non minuitur sed augetur ita sancta plebs, &c. as the vine being tied riseth vp, being lopped and cut, it increaseth: so the people of god vvhen they be humbled, they be promoted vnto vvhich agreeth Cassiodorus. lib. variar [...]. nouit Ecclesia beneficia Domini: triumpha­re [Page 220]de suis cladibus, ingrauata persecu­tionibus si quidem proficit, afflictione semper augetur, sanguine martyrum irrigatur, trist [...]tia magis erigitur, an­gustia dilatatur, fletibus pascitur, ie­iunijs reficitur: deinde potius crescit vnde mundus deficit. The church knovveth godes benefites, to triumph for her calamities: for being loden vvith persecution she profiteth, by afflictiō alvvayse increaseth, vvith the blood of martyrs she is vvatered, vvith hea­uinesse she is exalted, vvith streightnesse she is enlarged, vvith teares she is nourished, vvith fa­sting it is refressed, and in one vvord it prospereth vvith that by vvhich the vvorld decaieth: and therfore S. Augustine saieth, that [Page 221]although by the persecution of heretickes, the church doth suf­fer many tribulations, yet Chriest turneth all that persecutiō to the good of his seruantes, vvhich by their tribulation, Math. 5. and affliction do obtaine those blessinges, vvhich Chriest in his gospell promiseth: saieng blessed be you vvhen you shalbe persecuted, for this perse­cution, and for his death ended therin, the blessed martyr sainct Cypriā gaue god thankes vvhen the sentence of death vvas pro­nounced against him.

OF GODS PV­nishmentes vvhich he infli­cteth vpon persecutors, al­though for a time they florish.
GAP. XI.

I Vstus es Domine saith Hiere. Abac. 1. Psal. [...]2. Hier. 12 Iob. 21 & iusta loquar ad te, quare via impiorum pros­peratur, &c. Thou art iust (o lorde) and iustlie I vvill aske of thee, vvherfore do the vvicked prosper? here the ho­lie man vvould faine put vp a bill [Page 223]of complaint against god for suf­fering vvic [...]ed, Aug. Ench c. 11. lib. de ordinec. 7 last. lib. de ira Dei. Isi­dor. lib de summ [...] ho­no Iusebde praepa Euā gelic [...] lib 3 Aug sib de ciui [...] c 8 & lib. [...] c. [...]8 and transgressors of his lavve to prosper. S. Augu­stine ansvvereth to this question saieng Deus cuius bonitas est poten­tia, &c. god vvhose goodnesse is his might and being omnipotent good, out of the euill he vvrea­steth good in disposing, and con­uetting the euill vnto goodnesse, & by the payne, and punishmen­te of sinne, repaireth and amen­deth the badnesse of sinne, for if euill vvere not, there shoulde be no vse of vindicatiue iustice to punish it, or of patience to be e­xercised by it and so he saieth, aug Euch [...] 25.16. tom 3 me­lius enim Deus iudicauit de malis benefacere, quam mala nulla esse per­mittere: it is more conuenient to [Page 224]gods iugement to conuert the e­uill vnto good, then to suffre none at all, & therfore he said that euill, and vvicked people are suf­fered, aug in Ps 54 v 1 that god his vvonderfull goodnesse may be knovven, omnis malus aut ideo viuit, vt corrigatur, aui ideo viuit, vt per illum bonus exer ceatur and so euils are suffered, eyther for their correction, that do committ them, or for their triall, that do suffer them. for as in man there is no goodnesse vvi­thout patience, vvhich euill vvor­kes: so there is no euill vvithout paine vvhich follovveth sinne as the shadovv the bodie according to S. Gregorie; Rom 2 vnto vvhich a­greeth the apostle, ira & indigna­tio, &c. anger, vvrath tribulation, [Page 225]and anguish vppon the soule, that vvorketh iniquitie: vvherup­pon S. Aug. saith voluisti Domine, Aug. lib. 1. conf. c. 12 &c. it is thy vvill, o lord, and so vvee knovve it by experience, that a disordered soule is a suffi­cient punishment for it self. Hier. Hier. 2. verifieth this also scito & vide, knovv and beholde, vvhat a dole­full thing it is, to forsake god, and not to be possessed vvith his feare.

God maketh a vvhip of the vvicked to punish the faultes, and reforme the liues of his children, and as the father casteth the rodd into the fire, vvith vvhich he cor­rected his children: so god dea­leth vvith these vvicked people, vvhom he permitteth to increase in their mischief, & vvicked plotts [Page 226]vntil such as be predestinated be corrected, gods vvrath appeased, and the reprobate be brought to their vtter confusion, and so cast into that endles fire ordained for them: Apoc. 22. qui nocet, noceat a [...]hu [...]: & qui in sordibus est sordes [...]at: he that hur­teth, let him hurte as yet, and he that is defiled: let him be defiled as yet. that god suffers the vvic­ked to go on in their vvicked purposes, and to afflict the good, his principall intention is the refor­mation, & saluatiō of the one, & not the damnation of the other: Isa. 10. but vvoe be vnto the vvicked that are ordained to reforme the vices of others, vvhen they them selues are rather deformed then reformed: the like vvoe vvas pro­nounced [Page 227]against Assur, and yet by Isaias he vvas called the rod of gods furie, and the club of his an­ger and yet by the said prophet it is said Assur shall fall by the svvo­erd, Isa. 31. and his children shalbe sla­ues; god did raise vp Saule as S. Cyprian saies to afflict the peo­ple of Israel vvith manifold im­positions, Cyp. lib. 3 Epl. 9. and exactions for con­temning Samuell, or rather god in him: aftervvardes the said Saul forgetting him self, and despising the said Samuel, vvas deposed of his kingdome, and depriued of his life, god suffred Achab to per­secute the Prophet Mycheas, but Achab vvas slaine aftervvar­des of his enimies; Iorā the sonne of Achab, and all his progenie [Page 228]vvere put to death by Iehu; I vvill said the prophet vnto Iehu require the blood of all the seruantes and Prophetes of god at the han­des of Iesabell. [...] Reg. 3i. Vvhen Zacharias the prophet vvas murdered in the house of god, at his death he said Videat Dominus & requirat: 3. Reg. 3i. let god beholde and reuenge, 3 Reg 22 the ser­uantes of King Ioas, by vvhose vvill he dyed, insulted vppon the said Ioas, 4 Reg 9 and slue him in his bed. Amasias King of Iuda, 2 para i4 2 para 29 for the like offence had no better ende, his sonne Ozias for vsurping the fun­ction of the priest, vvas strocken vvith a leprosie: vvho vvould not feare asvvell the horrible punish­mentes of the rebellious conuen­ticle of Chore Dathā, and Abi­rā, [Page 229]vvho for not obeing Moyses, and Aaron vvere svvallovved of the earth; Ezech 5 as also that of Ma­nasses the persecutor of Isaias, and Zedechias the persecutor of Hieremie qui vos tāgit &c. Zach [...] 4 vvhich toucheth you saieth the holie ghost toucheth the apple of mine eie. Lu [...] il Chriest saith the blood of Za­charias the prophet, vvhom you haue killed betvvixt the temple, and the alter, shalbe required at your handes. the most grieuouse calamities, and horrible punish­mentes of the vagabōd dispersed ievves throughout all natiōs, their hardenesse of heart, and obdura­tion in their infidelitie, vnto vvhich their vvilfull, and blinde passions haue brought them their [Page 230]incorrigible, and vntractable hu­moures, vvhich by no reason, or auctoritie of scripture can be re­claymed, is nothing els then gods iust iudgment executed vppon them by the Romans, (to auoid vvhose gouerment they put Chriest to death) for the blood of our sauiour, according to their ovvne decree: sanguis eius supernos &c. saieng: let is blood light vpon vs, and our posteritie. Pilat then president of iurie that gaue sentē ­ce of death against him and con­demned him, vvas partaker of the punishmentes inflicted for the same (as Eusebius and Nycepho­rus do vvrite) for being in disgra­ce by Tyberius the emperour, Euse. Hyst. Eccl. lib. [...]. c. 7. Nycep lib. 2. c. 10. and banished by Caius and being tor­mented [Page 231]by his guiltie conscience, did kill him self. vnto the like mi­serable ende, Anna, and Cayphas vvere subiect as those authours do vvright. It is recorded by all ecclesiasticall histories that perse­cutors do seldome escape a bad ende, omitting pagan princes, I thought good to set dovvne a fe­vve exāples of hereticall tyrāntes and of some catholickes. Constā ­tius the Arrian emperour, Atha. epi. ad soluta­riam vi [...] agenies and a greaet persecutor of Liberius the Pope, & of S. Athanasius & other catholicke bishops vsurping vnto him selue the determinatiō of ecclesiasticall causes, Amiann [...] Marcell. lib. 22. Ambr. lib. 31 ended most miserablie as the said Ath. vvit­nesseth, Valēs, a cruell persecutor of the church and of Isai the mō ­cke [Page 232]for reprouing him for his crueltie, vvas by the Goathes vvith many of his nobilitie bur­ned in flieng from them.

Valentiman the yonger a great persecutor of S. Ambrose vvas hanged by his ovvne seruantes as the said S. [...]b lib 5 [...]pistolarū 32 Ambro. declareth. Anastasius a great persecutor of prie­stes, and religious people, & ther­fore excommunicated by Gelasius the Pope vvas strocken dovvne by a thunderbolte as Eutropius vvriteth. Eutrop 4 [...]p 34 Mauritius the emperou­re a great disturber of S. Gregorie, vvho thus vvritt vnto him, if the sinnes of Gregorie saied he be such, as they be insufferable, the sinnes of S. Peter are not such, vvhose place I holde, vvas appre­hended [Page 233]by an ordinarie souldier of his ovvne called Phoca, ha­uing exalted him self vnto the emperiall throne, after killing his vvife, and children in his pre­sence, did hang him self vppon a gibber, and being vppon the lad­der, he vttered these vvordes iustus es Domine, &c. Blundus li 3 decad 1 [...]aul [...]sd [...] c [...]us li [...]8 O lord thou arte iust, & right is thy iudgmēt, Constance the nephevv of Hera­clius, vvhich banished Martine the Pope, vvas slayne in Cicilia of his ovvne seruantes: the like end did happen also vnto Michael the emperour. vvhat should I remem­ber the death of Constantius the sonne of Leo, of Henry the 4. S [...]n a [...] to 3 in Cons [...] ce [...] Me­chaele the first emperour of the vveast, of Frederick the 2. Frederk Barba­rosa, [Page 234]Philip, Sigober ad ann 778 Otho the 4. Cōradus, Manfredus Lodouick the 4. and other emperours, and kinges that vvere great persecutors of the church, and of the pastors therof as Nauclerus, Gene brard, Caesar Baro. do vvitnes, vvhich also do declare the miserable end of ma­ny kinges, and princes of England. for expelling and banishing bishops out of their seuerall dio­ces also the said Caesar Baro. Beda lib 4 cap 26 hist Eccles anno, Domini 684. and venerable Beda do testifie the miserable end of Efridus king of the North parte of Englād. I vvill put dovvne the said Beda his ovvne vvordes tran­slated out of Latin; Elfridus hauīg sent Bertus vvith an armie into Ireland, vvasted and spoiled most [Page 235]miserablie the innocēt nation & alvvaies most freindlie vnto the english, so as the svvorde of the enimie did not spare church, or monasterie, the people of the I­land tesisted them the best they could, and called, on gods helpe against them & to reuenge their affliction, and although cursers, and ill tongued cannot possesse the Kingdom of heauen, yet it is beleued, such as vvere cursed for their impietie, did the sooner re­ceaue punishment, according their deserte god exacting the sa­me, vvheras the yeere follovving the said King rashlie, and vvi­thout aduise of his councell, and against the vvill of Cutbert of blessed Memorie, vvhich vvas of [Page 236]late made bishop, inuaded his neighbours dominions, and being brought vnto great streightnes and difficultie, his armie, and him self vvas slayne the yeere of his adge 40. and of his raigne the 15. & his freindes did prohibite him to enterprise this vvarre, but be cause the yeere before he refused to heare the most reuerend fa­ther Egebert, that he should not impugne and afflict Ireland hur­ting him nothing, it is giuen him as a pnnishment not to heare those that laboured to vvith­dravve him from destructiō, from vvhich time the povvet of En­gland began to ebb, and decline this farre venerable Beda a holie sainct of the english nation if [Page 237]Oza for touchinge the Arcke of god being a place vvheare the ta­ble of the lavve, a Reg 7 Moyses rodd and other relickes vvere kept, vvas strocken dovvn dead vvith a thū ­derbolt. the beastes vveare stoned to death for going vppon the montaine. 4 Reg 13 vvhy should not reaso nable people be seuerlie puni­shed of god for embrevving their murdering handes vvith the in­nocent blood of his sainctes, vvhich be not dead thinges, as the arck vveare, but the liuing tēples of the holie ghoast, vvhich are mediators betvvixt god, and mā: vvhose auctoritie geuen vnto thē by Chriest exceedeth the povver and iurisdiction eyther of kinges vpon the earth, or angels in hea­uen [Page 238]vvhich haue povver ouer the soules of monarkes, and em­perours, Io 20 Mat 218 vnto vvhom our sauiour sayth vvhose sinnes soeuer you forgiue in earth they shalbe for­giuen in heauen, &c. of vvhom, S. Peter saith vos autem genus ele­ctum, Pec c 2 regale sacerdotium gens sanctae &c. you are the chosen stocke, the hinglie priesthoode, the holie familie, people pickt out, that you should declare his vvonders &c. although many priestes be igno­rant, and full of imperfections, for amongest so many, there must be som good & some bad the church of Chriest being like vnto the net of the gospell, that dravveth all sort of fishes. for in this church vvee say dimitte nobis, &c. forgi­ue [Page 239]vs onr trespasses & of vvhich trespasses the apostles tgem sel­ues being the first fruit of the holie gkoast vvere not exempted vvhē they said vvee offend god in many thinges, Psal. 13 52 Eccle. 7 Prou. 20. Iac. 1 1. Io. 1. Hie 2. Cōc. Ni­leni. and if vve say vvee haue no sinne vvee deceaue our selues, as S. Iohn saith, amongest the apostles there vvas a Iudas & among the angels vvhich are pu­ri actus, pure spirites, and incor­ruptible ther vvere many that fell among the children of Adam, the murtherer Cain and innoe cent Abel: euen so among priests, and although there are many, by vvhose euill life, and vngodlie behauiour the church suffreth great scandal, yet thrankes be to god, there are many vertuous, [Page 240]godlie, cōtinēt, not ytched vvith ambition, not defiled vvith riotousnes, not blinded vvith couetousnes, not infected, or spotted vvith any mortall offen­ce, vvhose conuersation is in hea­uen, and vvhose glorie is the sin­ceritie of an vndefiled conscien­ce, vvhose continuall exercise is the mortification of their proper appetites, and vvhose threasure is a soule decked, and replenished vvith the influence of grace, and the vertues that do follovv it, & as S. Augaract. 5. [...]ea. Augustin saith Sacerdos si Lu­xuriosus est, siauarus, &c. If the priest be riotous, couetuous, or proud vvhat passeth through his handes, is not defiled, the sa­cramentes that he handles re­mayne [Page 241]vnspoted, for as the pur­gation that the physition sendeth is nothing the vvorse for the pa­tient, though he that ministreth it vnto him, be bad. so the sacra­mentes of the lavve of grace, vvhich are send frō the phyfition of our soules, by the priest for the curing of the disease therof, haue not their vertue from the priest, that ministreth them, but by the merites of Chriest his passiō, that ordained them: and as the priestes in the old lavve being but figures of the priesthood of the lavve of grace vvere obeied of the people vnder paine of death, Deutr. [...]7 much mo­re Chriest his priestes, should be obeied of Christians, of vvhom him self spoke these vvordes [Page 242]vvhosoeuer despiseth you despi­seth me, [...] and vvhoso euer heareth you heareth me and as S. Cypriā saith qui Christo non credit sacerdo­tem facienti, lib. 4. ep. 9. postea credere incipiet sacerdoti vindicanti vvhosoeuer that beleueth not Chriest ordai­ning and instituting preesthood he must belcue Chriest reuenging the quarell of priestes, and espe­cialie on those that punishe them as tray turs, and banish them as offenders.

CAP. I.

VVHen faith is a vertue infused by god, by vvhich vvee doe bele­ue, euerie thinge, that [Page 244]god doth reueale vnto his chur­che, and the churche doth propo­se vnto the faithful to beleeue, then Caluin, and Luder haue noe faith, vvhen they do not beleeue in the Catholike churche, nor in the communion of Sainctes, &c. for accordinge to all the diuins, and to the holie scripturs vvho­soeuer beleeues not euerie article of our faith, hath no faith, and vvhen theese, do misbeleeue moste, or all the said articles they can haue no solid, or sounde faith at all. Religion is nothing els then a bindinge, and consecra­tinge of our selues vnto god in suche sorte, as vve should neuer forsake him, & vvhen Luder, and Caluine and the rest of the apost­les [Page 245]of their pretended reforma­tion, or rather of their ovvne cō ­fusion and manifest destruction of all religion, and pietie, haue quite forsaken god, vnto vvhom by solemne vovv they vvere de­dicated, haue, forsaken their reli­gion, haue brocken their promis­se, haue volated, and transgressed their sacred vovves, and haue caused others to do the like. vve may easilie perceaue that there is no religion in them, and vvhen they haue no religion them selues: hovv may vvee become religious by them, vvhen in their dealinges vvee see nothing but all irreli­gious impietie: the effect of good religion are good vvorkes accor­ding to S. Iames to visit and suc­curre [Page 246]orphans, Iac. [...] and vvidovves in their tribulation, and to kepe him selfe vnspotted in this vvorld, vvhat good vvorkes may vvee ex­pecte of these people, that do say that all our good vvorkes are sinnefull, that god doth not care for them, that according to Luder his doctrine the more detestable a man is, the more acceptable be­fore god, and according to Cal­uine, god is the authour of sinne, and all vvickednesse, not onlie the efficient or physical cause that vvorketh sinne, but also the mo­rall cause that persvvadeth it: that vvhen sanctitie according to S. Thomas is the flovver of religion, 5 Th [...]i 2 [...].6. vvhich is nothinh else then to of­fer vnto god our soule vvith all [Page 247]the povvers therof vnspotted, and voide of all filth of deadlie sinne, and the handmaides of vvhich sanctitie be praiers, and deuotion: D. Th. ibid. by the one vve do enioy gods fa­miliar presence: by the other vve obtaine promptitude, and vvillingnesse to serue him. vvhat sancti­tie praiers, or deuotion may vvee expect of them, vvhen they be impious contemners and blasphemers theof, vvhen they vvith all deuilish despight, and ragefull tyrannie persecute not onlie the professors therof, but also, chur­ches, monasteries, chapples, ora­tories and all other places vvhere the same may be exercised, dis­prouing, dissanulling, and despi­sing all religious vovves, and vota­ries, [Page 249]for by solemne vovves, vvee may become perfect seruantes of Chriest, and intimate vvith him, and become as it vvere dead to this vvorld, 2. Timo. 2. according to the apostle, that such should not intermedle vvith any vvorldlie busines and according to. Naz. in Car ad Hel [...]. S. Nazianzen vvhich do segregate them selues from the conuersation of this vvorld, and do cōsecrate their li­ues vnto god, vvhich beinge ele­uated aboue the earth, and being vvithout vvife or children, their intentiue care is to vvorship, and honour god vvith hymnes, and prayers both day, and night, & in another place he said speaking of those religious people, these ha­ue nothing to doo vvith this [Page 259]and yet haue all thinges therin, Ora 1. in Iul. vvhich are the lordes of the vvorld, these I say for their mor­tification are immortale, and for their litle medling vvith the vvorld, are ioyned vnto god, and for their solitarinesse in the same do embrace the ioy of the other vvorld. this farre Naz. and al­thoughe many vvicked apostates haue abused this sacred institu­tion, by rūning out of it (as Luder and Caluine and the rest of their apostles, and teachers of their ir­religious doctrine haue don) that makes not the religion bad, but rather good: no more then the 9. orders of angellicall Hierarchie for that lucifer and the rest of his follovvers, through priede fell [Page 250]from it, nor the apostolique order of Chriest, for that Iudas throu­ghe couetousnes, runne out of it, nor the mercie of god, the vvorse though it be abused by presumptuous sinners, vvho are the more prone to sinne, because god is mercifull. and trulie if ther vvere no other reason to cōfirme and pro­ue our holie catholick religion, then that such detestable, and ab­hominable apostates, so vicious in their liues, so impious and blas­phemous in their doctrine, so va­riable vncertaine and faythlesse in their fayth, so confused in their procedings, vvho vvithout order auctoritie or apostolicke spirit or commission licentiouslie, and ex­cursiuelie do range abroad prea­ching [Page 251]their irreligious heresies condemned, reiected, and anathematized by all generall coun­cels, and specialie by the famous authenticall generall councell of Trente, vvhich vvas an a assembly of all the patriarches, Archbis­hops, bishops, prelates, generales of holie orders, Abbotes, doctors, and diuins of all Christiendome, should (I say) ympugne and dis­proue the same, it should be an euident argumente to confound the heretick and confirme the catholicke.

Novve let vs come vnto the apostles that did first plant our catholick religion in Irelād, some authoures do vvrite that S. Iames Maior vvas in Ireland, being by [Page 252]vvind driuen thither, Casar Par anno Chri­sii 429 is. 5 num. 8. Paladius the popes legate (as Caesar Baronius vvitnesseth) did preach in Irelād and aftervvardes Sainct Patrick vvas sēt thither by Celestinus po­pe as the said Bar. declareth an­no Christi 431. num. 191. Gige­bertus in chronica, vvho vvith an a apostolicall spirit, seruent prayers, long fasting, austere mor­tification, sharpe discipline, reli­gious obseruation of all spirituall perfection, and feruent charitie, did subdue that kingdom vnto the standarte of the crosse & the svveet yoke of Chriest his lavves, his most holie life, and the strāge vvounders and miracles, that god did vvorke by him, vvas an cui­dent vvitnesse that his doctrine [Page 253]vvas of god. othervvise hovv could a poore soule void of all hmaine forces, and vvorldlie pol­licies subdue in one quarter of a yeare, a borbarous, vicious and vn­tractable nation vnto such hard lavves, both vnto our capacitie vnreasonable, and vnto fleash and blood yrcksom and intolle­rable, vnlesse god vvhose vvorke he had in hand, had holpen and cooperat vvithim, by strange mi­racles, both vvounderfull to be seene, and ympossible to be don by humaine povver. vvhat is mo­re dissonant to our grosse sensible iudgment and knovvledge, then that Chriest should be the sonne of a virgine, and that he vvas god and man, and that being god, [Page 250]vvhose nature is immortall, and ympassible should die, should be crucified as a theefe, should be dead and buried, & and that the same god is he, that vvee receaue, vnder the vaile of accidentes of bread and vvine in the eucharist, that being fed vvith Chriest, vvee may be purified and sanctified by him, and that Chriest according to his deitie is one vvith the fa­ther, and the holie ghost vnited in one nature, substance or essen­ce and perfection, only distinct and different from god the father and the holie ghost in certaine notions, person, or hypostasis: and that the bodie being conuer­ted vnto ashes must appeare be­fore Chriest, that vvas so cruci­hed [Page 255]by man to receaue according to his desertes. vvhat is more loathsom vnto fleash, and blood, then to be crucified and morti­fied, vnto this vvorlde, and to be depriued of all corruptible appe­tites therof, to follovve Chriest crucified, to vvalke in the streight narrovve vvay of his crosse, and to despise detest & abhore the broad vvay of the licentious doctrine of these heretikes, for if vve lea­ue of our fayth, vvhich according to S. Gregorie hath no merite vvhen humane reason giueth ex­perience, the doctrine of those apostates is more agreable vnto our senses and more conformable vnto fleash and blood, and more pleasant vnto our corrupt nature, [Page 256]vvhich inclineth to follovve licē ­tious libertie, and the vvorkes of darcknesse, vvhich are voluptuous pleasures, beastlie concupiscence, vvithout any restrainct of any spi­rituall lavve, vvithout obseruatiō of vovves: vvithout any regard of the sacrament of pennance & the 3. essentiall partes therof, as con­trition, confession, and satisfactiō, vvhich is the onlie medicine or­dained by Chriest to cure & hea­le the vvoundes of our poore sou­le corrupted and lāguished vvith sinne, vvithout any deuotiō or respect to any religion, religious ce­remonies, sacrifices and sacramē ­tes, churches, and oratories or­dained by our ancetoures for the seruice of god: all vvhich they do [Page 233]destroy, vvher they haue any poavver: and in steed therof, do ende­uoure to plante a negatiue reli­gion, vvhich according to the phplosopher est malignā tis natu­rae quicquia ante se inueuit destruit: is of a malignant nature vvhat­soeuer it findeth besor, it doth destroye the same, for ther is no religion, order, obseruation, that the church of god had at any ti­me but this infernall heresie labo­reth to abolish and overtrovve it quite.

Novv hauing hearde and to your greatest griefe felt the vvor­kes and endeauoures of Luder, & Caluine: vvherin they applied them selues, I thought good to speake a litle of our cuntrie [Page 258]sainctes vvhose zeale, charitie, ho­linesse of life many nations vvere conuerted vnto the faith of Chriest. of vvhich I vvill put do­vvne some fevv examples, if if vvee may beleue venerable Be­da that did vvrite the life of S. Patrick and of other sainctes of Irland (said) that they vvere a mi­rour and spectacle of all religious perfection. Beda lib. 3 na. 4. histo. Aug [...]. and sanctitie. of S. Co­lumbanus he vvriteth thus. Co­lumbanus came out of Ireland in his habite, and life a famous mō ­cke to preach christian religion, vnto the Pictes Meilochon being a most mightie king of that na­tions the yeare of our lorde 565. and conuerted that nation by vvorde and example vnto the [Page 259]fayth of Chriest before he vvas come into England, he founded a most famous monasterie in Ire­land, vvhich for the abundance of okes, is called in the Irish tonge deragh that is to say the fielde of oackes out of vvhich monasteries many other monasteries vvere made by his disciples in England and Ireland. anno Chri­sli 365. nu. 30. Bed. lib. 3.27. hist. anno Chri­sti. 64. the same doth Caesar Baro. confirme. In Ireland sayth the said Beda many noble and meane people vvhen Finan and Colman vvere bishops ther, de­parting out of England for ob­taininge of diuine knovledge and for embracing a cōtinent life: so­me did enter into religion, conse­crating them selues vnto the ser­uice of almightie god: others did [Page 260]labour to get and purchase kno­vvledge, and science, for vvhom Irishmen most gladlie erected seminaries furnishing them vvith bookces, and all other necessaries for their purpose vvithot money or revvarde. this farre venerable Beda of the charitie of Ireland tovvardes Englismē. D. Ber. in vita S. Malach. S. [...]ern. also in the life of S. Malach. bishop of lismore saith that ther vvas a mo­nasterie in Irelād vvhich vvas the mother of many thousand monasteries, he added also a most holie place & fertle of sainctes, vvhich most abūdātlie did fructifie vnto god so as one of the children of that holie monasteries ercted 100. monasteries: of this vvee may gather hovv many vvere the rest, [Page 261]that Ireland, yelded so as S. Ber. Psal. 64. saith: the verse of Dauid vnto Ireland may be applied visitasti terram & inebriasti eam multipli­casti eam: o lord thovve hast visi­ted the earth thoue hast ovver­flovve it vvith sanctitie and thou hast abundantlie enriched the same vvith holinesse, and the svvaremes of sāctes did not onlie multiplie in Ireland, and in the contries adioyning, but also they made their inundatiō into exter­nall nations, of vvhich Colum­banus came into our pattes of France, and made the mona­sterie of Luxouia so great and so religious, that the qu­ier therof vvas neuer any moment both day and night [Page 262]vvithout praysing of god. thus far­re, S. Bern. of the religion of Ire­land, vvhich calleth S. Malachias a second Moyses, and a second Aaron, vvho vvas a sufficient vvit­nesse of his life, and death, for he died vvith him in his monasterie of Clareuall, vvhose bodie is keipt there vntill this day as amost pre­cious relicke, vvhat shall I saye of the blessed S. Romoaldas the king of Ireland his sonne Atchbishop of Mekline in Flanders and Patrone of that cuntrie, of Dymna the king of Leinster his daughter, that vvas martyred in Flāders, of S. Fo­lianus the brother of holie Fur­seus the apostle of Austria, of ho­lie Brandon that hath conuetted vnto Chriest so many Ilandes in [Page 263]the Ocean sea, and some of them this day are called the Ilandes of S. Plath. de bono status religiosi lib 2. c. 27 Brandon so holie in his life and so miraculous in vvorkes, that it is a vvounder so heare therof: of the 3 sonnes of Vrbian king of Irelād vvhich vvere called Froseus, Fo­lianus, and Vltanus all blessed san­ctes, vvhich ann. DCL. came into France and vvere receaued most courteouslie of King Clodoueus and obtained of him license to erect a monasterie in Fran­ce, apud Ta [...] ­iniac. vvhat shall I speake of Killian of vvhom Laurentius Su­rius speaketh thus, Killian of the scotish nation, trulie I mean Ire­land, it is a fertile Iland in the O­cean sea but more fertile of Sain­ctes and holie men of vvhich Ire­lie [Page 264]reioyceth for Columbanus, Germanie is enriched vvith Gal­lus, [...]. Iulii. France is renovvmed for Kil­lian, vvhich did suffer martyrdo­me and conuetted vnto the fayth all Languedock and the cuntris a­dioyning. this farre Surrius thiese godlie people in nothing did la­bour so much, as in conuerting soules vnto god, by mortifieng their bodies, by shevving vertu­ous examples of good life vnto all those vvith vvhome they did conuerse, for Ireland in multitu­de of sanctes, in austeritie of life, in heauenlie conuersation, vvas not inferioure to any natiō in the vvorld, exceipt for martyrdome. the reason vvherof the Archbu­shopp of Cashall beinge demaū ­of [Page 265]Geraldus Cambrensis secre­tarie to king Iohn in Ireland, vvherfore Ireland hauing so many sanctes, yeelded no martyrs, did shevv, that Irish people, al­though they vvere barbaro', yet vvould neuer embrevv their han­des vvith the blood of such peo­ple: but novve (saith he) vvhen you are come among vs. vve shall not vvant martyrs, truelie you ha­ue had of late dayes constant martyrs, as you cānot be ignorāt the­rof, and perhaps ere long you may haue more, if your persecu­tion shall continue, and also if you be as resolute, and determined to perseuere in your anciēt faith, as your persecutors be cruell to trye your patience by the effusion [Page 266]of your blood. this is the time of your merit, by your sufferance, novve you are brought vnto the fielde of your combat, & vnto the skirmish of your coronatiō, if you be determined to dye, rather then to make a shipvvracke of your faith, vvhich haue brought forth so many blessed sainctes of your ovvne nation, by vvhose godlie example your faith is confirmed, your coūtrie renovvmed, and god glorified. hold it for certaine that thiese holie people and the broo­de of Caluine can neuer take rest in one Kingdome, Iacob and Esau could neuer agree. and although they had one father called Isaac and Rebcca to their mother, yet they neuer possessed one inheri­tance, [Page 267]nor enioyed one patrimo­nie, & although they vvere in o­ne belly, and vvere borne at one time, Exod. 32. yet they haue not one heauen, Iacob for obeing his mother had the benedictiō of the father, vvho praied vnto god, that his po­steritie should multiplie as the sandes of the sea, thiese blessed sainctes forobeing the catholicke church, vvhich signified Rebecea haue the fatheres benediction, & are multiplied as the sandes of the sea & the starres of heauen. vvhat are the vertuous religious gentlemé, that despise the vvorld, forsake lādes and great possessiōs, deny them selues. and embrace the crosse of our sauiour in humi­litie, in voluntarie pouertie, per­fect [Page 268]obedience, and perpetuall continencie, but the posteritie of these blessed sainctes is the fruite of this benediction, and the effect of their religion seeing that euety cause is knovven by his effect, e­uerie tree by his fruit, and the faith of euery Christian by his charitie, vve must thinke that the catholicke religion is the onlie true religion, that procureth such heroicall resolutions in mens brestes, by vvhich they be so austere in their mortification, so morti­fied in their passiōs, so euangelical in their conuersatiō, and so chari­table in their vvorkes of vvhich vve haue many blessed examples: vvas that not a great charitie of F. Thomas vvhit naturall of Clōmel [Page 269]seing many poore scholers of his nation in great miserie in Valo­dolid in Castile hauing no means to continue their studie, nor lan­guage to begge, hauing giuen o­uer his ovvne priuate commodi­tie, did recollect & reduce thē to one place, vvhich he mayntained by his industrie and begging, vn­til by his petition to Phillip the second anno domini 1993. a col­ledge of Irish studentes vvas founded. the like charitie f. Iohn Huling naturall of vvexford did exercise in Lisborne, for by his in­dustrie, and the charitie of godlie people did releue a cetaine nomber of Irîsh youthes and in the time of plague in Lisborne sought licence of his superiour to [Page 270]serue in the hospital of the pla­gue vvherof he dyed. vvhich vvas a sufficient signe of his great cha­ritie. master Chrystopher Cusake did imitate thiefe good people, for he being cō vnto Flanders to studie, and finding many vertuous youthes of his natiō of ripe vvitte and sharpe iudgment, not able to go forvvard in their learning, for vvant of exhibition: did giue vnto them vvhat money he had, as also did giue ouer his intēded purpose of studie, & by his industrie great chatihe and begging sustayneth, 100 poore scollers in Flanders vvho vvill not admire the charitie of S. Morris Kēt priest naturall of Kill malock, vvho pu­blickly appeered before S. Iohn [Page 271]Norrice then lorde president of Munster, to tedeeme his hoste m. Victor vvhit of Clonmell out of prison: in vvhich he vvas Kept by the said L. President for Keping the said priest în his house, ma­ster vvhit vvas enlarged and his guest vvas hanged and quartered: this great charitie cannot come but from a good faith. thiese ex­extraordinarie vvorckes do de­clare a sound religion. thiese be they that are ordayned vt comple­tentur muri Hierusalim to make vp the number of such that are appo [...]nted for Hierusalim. so as by this means you may perceeae vvhither thiese blessed people or the vkhelps of Caluine haue the true catholick and apostolick reli­gion.

THE CONTINVANCE of our religion in Ireland al­most these 1 [...]02. by lavv­full, & apostolicke succession, is an euident pro [...]f that it is the right catholicke reli­gion.
CAP. II.

IT is decreed, D [...]th [...]ued l. 12. ar. [...]5 Scot. in 4. d 15. q 2. [...] lud omuth Adrta. g. de pr [...]seri­pti [...]e Soto 4. deiust q S. Medic [...] d ce deres [...] Canno. 16. q. 3. ex c an ne [...]i vir go cap [...]uali de prescr [...]p [...]ege pre­made [...]ff [...]de vsutupion and ennacted by all cā ­non, and ciuil la­vves that vvhosoe­uer possesseth any land or immoueable goodes the [Page 273]space of. 20. or. 30. yeers vvhich is the greatest time that any lavv doth giue. that so long a possessiō doth prescribe, viz. that he is the right ovvner and lord of the same of vvhich he hath the possession, so as he be possessor bonae fiaet. 1. bonae conscientiae that is to say, that he is certaine all that time of the iust title theof, to be his, and none els during that time should haue any clayme, or iust chalenge thervnto, and if after that time of. 20. or. 30. yeers any clayme, or challenge be made a­gainst any such landes possessed bona fide so long time, though the said challēge be neuer so iust, it cannot remoue the defendant from his possession, and he may [Page 274]vvith a safe conscience Keepe the said lādes, or any such immouable thing, and this is called prescrip­siō if it be mouable thing, the said lavves do giue no more then. 4. yeers and this is called vsucapio. vvhen vvee haue possessiō of our religion 1202. yeers from posteri­tie to posteritie, from councel to councell, from age to age, vvhich vvas fortold by the oracles of the prophets, that vvas signified by the faith of the Patriarkes, vvhich vvas declared and deliuered vnto vs by the creed and preaching of the apostles, vvhich vvas sealed by the blood of so many millions of martyrs, vvhich vvas beautified by vovves of so many blessed virgi­nes vvhic vvas established by mi­racles [Page 275]and vvunders, vvhich vvas by charitie increased, by the iu­gement, and sentences of the vni­uersall catholicke church defined by the decrees, and definitions of all Sainctes, and generall councels approved, by the mutuall and vni­forme consent of all natiōs tried, by the cōuersiō of all Kingdomes and prouinces made Knovven, & illumined, by the heretickes of all ages impugned, and persecuted, & by their persecution made firme perfect, and stedfast, and vvhich by the lavvfull, and continuall succession of Popes and bishops from. S. Peter vnto Paulus 5. Au. episto­la 165 & 42 Item contra epi stolā funda c. 4 that novv raignes confirmed: if S. Aug. only by the succession of S. Peter vnto Anastasius that vvas Pope in [Page 276]his time did proue the catholicke religion to be in the church of Rome. if S. Ambrose did proue it from S. Peter vnto Damasus: if S. Cypr. lib 1 ep 6 Ber li 3 de consia ad Eu Am sup 1 T [...] 3 Cypriā did proue it frō S. Peter vnto Fabian, and Cornelius, if S. Bernard did proue it from S. Pe­ter vnto Eugenius if euerie one of them did proue it by apostolicke successiō from. S. Peter vnto their time, haue not vvee greater reasō to beleue our catholick religion to be at Rome, and from thence to come vnto our cuntrie and vn­to other places of Europe by a­postolick and oderlie succession, issuing from the same church, if vvee can shevve the same succes­sion, from S. Peter vnto Paulus Quintus novve Pope, for vve haue [Page 277]no other religion then that, that S. Patrick brought from Rome: of vvhich thanckes be to our rede­mer vvee haue the possession al­most 1202 thoughe vvee be of la­te yeeres by Luder and Caluin and by their follovvers disturbed, and disquieted therin. vvill not you accoūt him a vvrāgler, and a troublesom mate, that vvould go about to take a vvay your liuing from you, of vvhich you haue not only the possession, but also the iust title therof avovvched vnto you by the verdit of all the iuries of Ireland, and cōfirmed vnto you by the generall decree of all sta­tutes, and courtes of parlement of the same, but our religiō being confirmed vnto vs by all the ge­generall [Page 278]parlementes not only of one Kingdom, but of all Christen­dom, ought to be vnto vs vndoubt full, and certaine, and all such mates to be reputed for vvranglers, that do endeauour to take yt frō vs, for vvhich this late persecution is intended. but I vvould they had follovved the graue counsell of Gamaliel, Act [...] 5 vvho being consulted vvithall, by the Ievves concerning the apostles and christians, that vveare at Hierusalem: said if they vveare not of god, they should shortlie come to nothing as many false prophetes (said he) gaue vnto vs experience, and if they be of god in Kaine you striue against them, be cause ther is no counsell, nor pollicie saieth the holie gost [Page 279]against god vvhich doth ouer­throvve the counsell of sinners. Prou. 28 p [...]. 3. H [...]h 7. Luc 26 1. Cor. 11 Conc. Trid Malach. 1 Dent 14.24 & 26 1 para. 17 12 & 22. & 2 para 6 & psal. 77 68 69 Ioh. c. 4 [...]uc 22. i Cor ii ie. our religion sactifice, sacramēt & preesthood is of Chriest and therfore the force of man cannot pre­uaile against it if. by the prophe­cie of Malachias, there must be a sacrifice offered vnto god alvvaies and in euerie corner of the vvorld vvhich vvas not meāt of the sacri­fice of the old lavve, for by many places of scripture that sacrifice could not be offered but at Hie­rusalē, therfore it must be verified of the sacrifice of the masse, vvhich is the sacrifice of all sacri­fices, for vvhich Chriest hath or­dained priestes, vvhen he said do this in remembrance of me; vnto vvhom S. Paul, said, they could [Page 280]not drinck the chalice of Chriest, and the deuill, and consequentlie this sacrifice must be offered by priestes in Ireland, vvhich accor­ding to the said alachias are Angells of god, that must offer sacri­fice, and shall applie the vniuer­sall sacrifice of Chriest vnto our particulier miseries, and calami­ties: for as vniuersall causes neuer vvorke vnles they be applied by particuler causes, by vvhich they be determined: so the oblatiō of the sacrifice of Chriest though it vvas a sufficient expiation for all our offences, yet being an vniuer­sall cause must be applied by par­ticuler causes to vvorke his effect

THAT THE PRIMA­cie of this church, by vvhich the apostolike succession, and continuance therof is establi­shed vvas founded by Chriest, reason and auctoritie confirming the same.
CAP. III.

IN all thinges vvee see a subordination of an in­feriour, to a superiour: in the celestiall, and an­gelicall Hierarchie the inferiour order concerning their intellectu [Page 282]call operation or supernaturall reuelation, do depēd of the supe­riour, vvhich are called Archan­gels, euerie corpulent substance in his corporall motion depen­deth of a supreme bodie, vvhich is called (primum mobile): amongest lightsome bodies, the sunne hath the preeminence, vvithout vvhose influence, no such thing hath any light: so as there is no­thing in this vvorld according to the philosopher, and as experiē ­ce teacheth, that is not reduced vnto his Kinde, by vvhich the per­fection therof is measured: amon­gest sensible creatures the reaso­nable creature vvhich is man, is the chiefest, by vvhich euerie such liuing thing is measured a­mongest [Page 251]Christians, Chriest ac­cording his humane nature, [...] hath a supreame iurisdiction de cuius plenitudine nos omnes accepimus of vvhom vve depend in our super­naturall being. vvhy should not in the church of god this order be obserued, that there should be one church, by vvhose direction all churches should be gouerned & by vvhich all churches should be tried and ordered: so among the apostles there vvas. S. Peter vvhich made the first profession of our fayth on vvhō the superio­ritie vvas instituted, and the churche founded, Math 16 as vppon a firme rocke Chriest speaking vnto him, Math [...] Iuc 12 thou arst a rock and vppon this rocke vvill I build my churck, & [Page 284]the gates of hell shall not pre­uaile against it, &c. Tu es as S. Hieron. Mart [...]. expounded vpon thee, & vnto thee I vvill giue the Keies of the Kingdome of heauen this authoritie is confirmed by many prerogatiues, Math [...]7 Luci [...] Io 20 and priuileges that he hath in the gospell, that christ did pay the tribute for him self and S. Peter, vvhere he praied that S. Peters fayth, should neuer faile in the vvorld, vvhere he saied vnto S. Peter thou being once confir­med strengthen thy brethren: of the successors of S. [...]. p. 190 Peter this is demanded (saith S. Bernard,) that Chriest commended vnto him thrice the feeding of his flocke, Actorum 1.2.3.4.5.6.8, 9. [...] 5 al­so the aucthoritie he hath in the actes. this primacie of S. Peter is [Page 285]auouched, and approued by S. Cyp. lib. 4 epist. ad Pa pianid & lib. 1. ad Coruel O­rig Sup. Mat. [...]ier. lib 1. Pelag & in ser [...]d Petro ad Am [...]. in ser 47 Chrys su­per [...]o 8 & [...]omi sup Math. Cyprian by S. Hieron. by S. Amb. by S. Chrys. by S. Aug. contra Ep. Donati by S. Hilarie vppon S. Math. by S. Leo in the anniuersa­rie sermon: by S. Greg. in moralib. & in registro ad Mauritium Aug. by S. Cyp. de simplicitate praelatorū by S. Aug. in his quest: of the ne­vve and old testamēt by S. Leo ser: asce. Dominic. Bed. in homi Ath. [...]n Ep. ad Marcū Liber. Foelt: Eus. Caes. lact, Paul, Ansel.

First the faith vvas taught in Iudea, Actor. [...]. 8 & Heb. 26 and so came vnto Samaria and to other places, omitting the east and the south, it is certai­ne that S. Peter did send vnto Germany to teach the faith Cre­scētes, Eucharius, and Valerius, [Page 246]vnto France he sent Sixtus. Sini­tius, Amansius, Mennius, and Mar­tialis, and S. Clement did send Dionysius Areopagita vvith Rusticus Eleutherus, Sāctinus. Exuperius, and Eutropius vnto Paris and Guyen. the rest of S. Pe. successors did send in all ages pastors vnto other partes of the vvorld to con­uert them vnto the faith, vnto Eng. Eleuth the Pope did send S. Getmanus in the time of Lucius King of Kent, aftervvard by S. Greg. vvere sent vnto England holie monckes S. Aug. and his bre­thren to reclaime England for that it fell from the first faith, as S. Patrick and Paladius by Scelest: vnto Ireland & Scotlād & as these days many are sent vnto the east [Page 287]and vveast, South, and North by S. Peters successors, so as no na­tion vvas euer, Io. conuerted but by the lavvfull mission of S. Peter, & his successors, vnto vvhō Chriest committed the charge and fee­ding of his Flocke; vve neuer red, that any natiō vvas brought vnto Chriest by heretickes, sauing the Goathes vvhich vveare conuer­ted or rather subuerted, by the Arrians, & did not continue therin. this care and charge of feeding of Chriest his flocke, vvas not onlie committed vnto S. Peter, but also vnto his successors, othervvise Chriest had no care of his flocke nor of his church, but during. S. Peter his time, and he being dead this charge and gouernmēt of his [Page 288]church vvas ended vvith him, vvhich should be absurd to thin­cke, vvhen his church must conti­nue to the vvorldes end. for if the church should not haue a head vnder Chriest, by vvhose order & directiō the same shoulde be prudētlie gouuerned, it shoul­de, be a bodie vvithout a head, a flocke vvithout apastour, a church vvithout a vicar, a multitude vvi­thout vnitie, vvhich being vvi­thout any subordinatiō of an inferiour to a lavvfull superiour, is nothing els, then a chaos vvithout order, and a certaine confusion of a popular tumulte vvithout or­derlie direction or discretion, and if the church of god be one as it is said in the canticles vna est colū ­ba [Page 289]mea perfecta mea, C [...]. [...] vna est matri suae, my doue is one, the mother hath but one daughter, perfectiō of loue consisteth in vnitie, all this vnitie is spoken of the church of Chriest, vvithout vvhich vnitie it could not be called castrorum acies ordinata an armye vvell trayned, Ibin [...] a battaile vvell ordered, and if chriest praied vnto his father that his flocke should be one, and S. Paul saieth that his church should be one bodie misticall, Ioh i [...] Eph. [...] so there should be saieth he one spirit to quicken it, one lord to direct it, one faith to vvalke therin, & one baptisme to clense it, that vvee should not saieth he, bevvauering in our faith like enfantes and lead avvay vvith euerie vvind of do­ctrine [Page 290]in the vvickednesse of men in subtilitie through deceit of er­rour, and turbulent spirits, hovv can this vnitie of faith, vnitie of direction, vnitie of spirit be pre­serued vvhere one is not admitted to gouerne, & vvhere euerie ones fantasticall spirit, and furious passion, is his leader & d [...]rectour for preuenting of vvhich inconue­niēce. it is necessarie there should be in the church of god one mo­deratour, one iudge, & one head, by vvhich the bodie and mēbers therof should be directed, and as S. S. Bern. lib. 3. decouns. ad Eng. Bernard saieth as in heauen Ar­changels, and angels seraphins, & cherubins are disposed vnder one head, vvhich is god: so also here vnder one bishop, be primates, [Page 291]Patriarches, Archbishops, bi­shops, priestes, abates vvith the rest, vvhich head in hovv many places of his boockes doth he call the bishop of Rome, and as S. Cy. l. 4. [...] Cyp. saieth euerie kingdō hath his seuerall king, euerie people, cittie, tovvne, village, house, & so forth haue their seuerall head or gouer­nour ergo. lib. de [...] [...] 1 ep. 3. ep. 8 & in op. [...] quinius the vvhole church vvhich is but one diuided vnto many members, must haue one head asvvell as hath one Kingdo­me, one people, one cittie. and in other places he saieth as in Earth many riuers haue one spring, ma­ny branches one roote, many mē ­bers one bodie & one head: ther­fore saith he in the misticall bo­die of Chriest there is one head [Page 292]to rule the same, Aug [...] 1 con [...] Io [...] vvhich he saieth to be S. Peter quem Dominus (sa­ieth he) optimū elegit super quē aedi­ficauit ecclesiā suā vvhich our lord hath chosen to be the first vpō vvhom he builded his church & as S. Aug ibide Aug. saieth vnus eligitur in ter 12. capite constituto scismatis tol­latur occasio amongest 12. one is chosen to take avvay all occasion of schisme and diuision. the effect of vvhich vnitie, and iurisdiction by ordayning of one head vve see in the church of Rome, by vvhich all schisme, and heresie vvas taken avvay. vvas not the Arriā and the Pelagian heresie taken avvay by this auctoritic, vvas not Ireland among other countries absolued from the Pelagian heresie by the [Page 293]churche of Rome as Ces. Baro. vvriteth Irish bishops (saith this authour) touching their faith or rather oppressed vvith troubles do submit thē selues vnto S. Bar [...] [...]hr 56 [...] [...] 5 n 6 Gre gorie vvhose ansvver vnto them I thought good to put dovvne.

I am made ioyfull for receauinge your letters, but I shalbe more ioyfull, if I shall hea­re of your conuersion. by the pre­amble therof I vnderstād that you suffre a heauie persecutiō, vvhich if it be not aceordinglie sustained auayleth nothing for your iustifi­cation. none should expect a re­vvard, vvhen his demerites de­sherue punishmēt, you ought to Knovv as S. Cyprian saith paine maketh not the martyr, but the cause, therfore it is not conueniē that you should glory in that persecution, [Page 266]by vvhich you cannot arriue at the Kingdome of hea [...]ē. let the integritie of your faith re­duce you vnto your mother church that ingendred you: let no opiniōs disioine you from the vnitie of concord let no persuasiō or vvearinesse cause you to forgo the right vvay. & that vvhich you vvrite of Italie to be afflicted amō gest other prouinces you ought not to obiect the same vnto it as a reproch, be cause it is vvrittē god chastisethvvhom he loueth, for he vvhippeth euerie sonne, that he receaueth, seeing as your sel­ues do vvrite that then he begin­neth to be godes electe vvhen he sustayneth gods crosses and affli­ctions. this farre S. Greg. vnto the [Page 297]bishops of Ireland being infected vvith the pelagiā errour, of vvhich being sore afflicted they sought absolution first of Pelagius the Pope: but the same vvas not effe­ctuallie don vntill S. Greg. did it. D [...]ut. 17.

Verie reason vvithout auctoritie of Chriest or his sainctes should persuade vs, that there should be in the church of god this principalitie. in the old lavve there vvas a high priestvvhose cō ­mandement vvas obeied, and vvhose rule vvas esteemed, and by vvhose order the sinagoge vvas directed & as Moyses vvas carefull therof: vvhy should not Chriest prouide for his ovvne spouse.

And although by nature vvee be all equall yet as S. Greg. li. 21. mora saieth [Page 298]by the secret vvorke and dispen­sation of nature it self one hath more merite then another, and so more preheminence. vve see one more rude & lūpish thē another, vvhich should be directed, by one that hath his iugemēt more ripe, his vnderstāding more prōpt, and his experiēce more perfect, & so Plato saieth thatvvoemen are the seruantes of men, Plato li [...]. 3 de vep. because ordina­rilie they be not so capable of go­uerment or sovvell able to mana­ge vveightie affaires.

Chriest therfore being a proui­dent spouse for his church, to the end that order may duelie be ob­serued therin, hath cōmitted our charge to one, by vvhose ordervve should be directed, by vvhose [Page 299]vvatche vvee should be defended from the vvolues, and by vvhose holie doctrinevvee should be fed: but the hereticke (as S. Gregorie saieth) to take avvay this order frō gods church, barketh against the cheif pastor, that it may fall out, as it did among the Israelits, vvhē they had no King: euerie one did vvhat liked him best: and therfore as S. Aug. saieth, Aug li cō ­tra collaio­rem c [...]. 41. supremus pastor ad imptorum detruncationem gladio petri dexteras omnium armauit [...]ntisti [...]um the pastour did arme the right hād of all bishops vvith Peters svvord to the cutting of vvicked mē, Aug lib i [...] conir ep p [...] ­lag Aug cōtra dona & pag 4 and therfore he said that he had the preeminēce in the bishoplie care aboue all others against vvhom the proud gates of [Page 300]hell should neuer preuaile, this is the church saieth he in qua semper viguit principalitas, Etist i6 i.c. 4 con [...]ra &c. the princi­palitie of apostolicke chaire euer florished: Epist. fund this is the church saieth he that in all the vvorld may cha­lenge vnto her self this vvorde catholicke, Cyp. lib.i ep 6 ad ma­gnad Math [...]8 Cyp lio 4 ep [...] vvithout vvhose au­ctoritie he vvould not haue bele­ue the gospell. this is the church according to S. Cypr. that vvho­soeuer vvould not obey, should be holden as an ethnicke, this church of Rome he called catho­licae fidei radicem & matricem the root & mother of the catholicke faith: Aug de Fi­dead Petre this is the church according to S. Hierom, that vvhosoeuer vvould eat the lambe out of it should be prophane: this is the [Page 301]church saieth S. August. vvithout vvhich neyther baptisme norvvorkes of mercie can do vs good. this is the church of vvhich the generall councel of Chalcedō ha­uing receaued letters frō Rome saied these vvordes▪ haec est patrum fides. haec apostolorum fides: Chal act 2 ita omnes credimus. anathema sit, qut ita nō cre dit: this is the faith of our fathers &c. this is the faith of the councel of Florēce vvherin the Greciās & Armeniās did forgoe their old erroures, & submitted them selues vnto the church of Rome, did de­cree speaking after this maner de­finimus sanctam apostolicā sedē, &c. Conc [...]lium Flo Roffen sis [...] 25 Bl [...]ndus vve do define & decree that the holie apostolicke sea and the bi­shop of Rōedo hold the primacie [Page 302]of the vvhole vvorld, & that he is the successor of S. Peter prince of the apostles, and the true vi­car of Chriest, and the head of the vvhole church, the father & the doctor of all christiās, vnto vvhō vvas giuen full povver by S. Peter his auctoritie, to feed, direct, & go uerne the vniuersall church as it is cōtained in the actes of the ho­lie councels, Math. 16.18. Eph. I [...]. [...]0. and sacred cānost. his farre the saied councel. this is the church that vvas founded by Chriest & builded vppon a firme rocke & as he promised so vvee ought to beleeue, that hell gates shall neuer preuaile against it. the certitude of vvhich trueth, vve knovve by experiēce & by the vvoūderfull cōtinuāce, & succes­sion [Page 304]therof these 1606. not vvith standing all Pagans, Sarasins, Goa­thes, Vādals, Longobards Turkes Ievves & heretickes do labour to destroy it: this is the church not vvithout gods vvounderfull mer­cie, & speciall prouidence to your immortall glorie you obey. and vvhen all these Northen natiōs haue reuolted frō the obedience therof vvhich like the generation of vipers or the brood of Pāther, do endeauour to kill and destroy their mother, that did ingēder thē of vvhome the prophet faieth fi­lios enutr [...]ui, &c. Isai. [...]. I haue brought vp children yea and I haue e­xalted thē to high vocations, but they haue despised me, and being compassed vvith these rebellious [Page 304]vn naturall children yet you pro­fesse your catholicke faith & ac-Knovvledge your mother in your greatest troubles and miseries, of vvhich you are a spectacle to all natiōs. & as certaine riuers in the midst of great seas do retaine their fresh vvaters, vvhich they haue brought from the mother spring: so you in the midst of thiese tē ­pestuous vvaues of bitter heresies do obserue & Keepe the milke of your catholick religiō, Beda in vi ta [...] Patric vvhich you haue suck [...] from your mother by the preaching of S. Patrick, vvho obtained of god by his feruēt praiers in vvhich he spent many ni­ghtes, that the inhabitātes of Ire­lād should neuer forsak their faith, S Vintent sermo de antechrisso & that the povver of antechriest [Page 305]should neuer cō thither, so as it is an infallible consequēce an Irish man ergo a Papist, that any noble man or gentleman to be a prote­stāt or an heretick to be rara auis astrāge bird. vvherfore as S. Rom. 1 Paule gaue god thanckes for the faith of the Romaines, and that the same should be declared, & preached in the vniuersall vvorld, so I ought to giue thanckes vnto god, that this Romaine faith is not ex­tinguished in poore Ireland, let your neighbour cuntries aboūd in vvealth, & pleasures of this vvorld & do you hold your faith in your pouertie & calamitie: better it is to be rich in faith, & poore as Laza­rus, and to be in the bosome of Abraham, then to be tormēted in [Page 306]hell as the rich glutton vvas. Moyses did chuse to be poore in the desarte, rather then to be rich in Pharaos pallace, better be in pri­son vvith Baptista thē to be daun­sing in the courte vvith cruell Herod & his concubine, better it is to vveepe vvith Chriest, in the gard en of Gethsemani, that vvas put to death by the mightie princes of this vvorld, then to be aduanced vnto the office of a promoter vvith Iudas: he that came to be borne of a poore simple virgin that vvas deliuered in a crib his purpose vvas not to giue vs vaine & corruptible riches, but rather to dissuade vs frō them, vvhich he despiseth vvhē they be great im­pedimentes, to our saluation. therfore [Page 307]hold, & embrace the riches of your catholick faith for as S. Aug. and S. Chrysost, do saye, Rom 15 acto. 5. Moth. 13 ther is no greater riches of this vvorld, nor no greater felicitie, then the catholick religion. Chrysost hona. 50 ad popuium Antioch. Aug. ser. de verlasapost & [...]ern [...]de [...]p 181. c. 12 in ancoran. Vict lib 3 de per [...]ecu vandalica Hist. Eccles. lib. 7 c. [...] in mar R [...] m [...] an uar [...] Su [...] ­tom. 1 therfore the a­apostle saieth Deus replet vos omni gaudeo in credendo you haue a diu [...] ­ne & heuenlie consolatiō by your faith. hovv glad vvas the Eunuch for receauing his fayth? it is the treasure that vvas foūd in the gos­pell and for ioy therof, and to buy it, the man that found it, sold all that he had. neyther can there be greater plague, pestilence, or mise­rie then heretickes, & the same to be vvourse then pharisees, publi­ca [...]s or any other sinners vvhat o euer: S. Aug. proues it lib. 2. de [Page 308] ciuitate Det cap c. 25. and Chrys. & as Victor a voucheth Euagrius & Surius do cōfirme. god tēpteth you saieth Moyses vnto the peo­ple of Israell by false prophetes that it may be knovven vvhether you loue him vvith all your hear­tes Deut. 13. and as the apostle saith 1. Cor. 11. that heretickes must be that such as be good may be tried. in this occasiō shevv your selues the seruantes of almightie god, that should make more ac­compt of his honour, and of the profession of your faith, thē of all the vvorld, & the pleasures the­rof, vvhich do passe a vvay in an instāt, Exod 4 le­uit 2 27 but the paine for the same cōtineueth for euer vvhich is like Moyses his rodde, vvhē it vvas in [Page 309]his handes it did seeme as a rodd, but vvhen he did cast it from him turned vnto a serpent: so that our ioy in this life passeth a vvay quicklie as the scripture doth say gaudiū hypocrytae adinstar puncti the ioy of a sinner ended in an instāt, but his paine doth a lvvaise continue▪ let not the vaine hope of humane fauour: or the dolefull blaste of earthlie vanities, separat youre selues from Chriest, or alienate you frō his sacred spouse the catholike church: Knovving that by your death ther must be a deuorse be­tvvxit you, and all the vvorlde. but novve rather, then ther should be a separation bet vvxit you & god forsake all thinges vvhatsoeuer. [...]n vita & Ant & as S. Em. saith nec si toto mundo renū ­tiantes [Page 310]possumus recompensare ali­quid dignū caelestibus: if vve forsake the vvhole vvorld, it is not a suf­ficient recōpence for the heuēlie tabernacles. therefore offer your selues vnto god preuenting the necessitie of your death as old A­braham did offer Isaac vnto him, vvhich vvas the deerest oblation he had, & as Chriest did offer him self for vs, 1. Pet. c. 3 Chriest by his blessed oblation vvas glorified & you re­deemed, & the father eternall sa­tisfied: & as S. Peter saieth Chriest suffreth for you, giuing vs an exā ­ple to follovv hī: let vs follovv his blessed crosse. vvhich is our stādart for by it vvee shall ouercome our enimies, more strength therin, thē in all the povver of the deuill: mo­re [Page 311]force in the rodde of Moyses: then in all the armie of Pharao, more valour in poore Iudith: thē in all the povver of Holophernes: more kingdomes did your faith subdue, then all the emperours of the vvorld, more diuine auctoritie yt hath, thē all the heretickes that euer vvere, more reason haue you to profese it, thē they haue to im­pugne it: therfore feare nothing for the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda did ouercome: vvho trjumpheth ouer the povver of antichriest: vvho ouercommeth all the armie of darknesse, and novve, is crovv­ned for the victorie he hath gottē by his blessed combate, vvhich be holdeth your strife, & is readie to giue euerie one that fighteth mā ­fullie [Page 302]a blessed revvard vvhich I humblie craue for you and my self, Amen.