FOR that, as S. Austine sai­eth, it is not possible for ani man to beginne a newe and laudable life, but if he firste forsake and vtterly detest his former loose and lewd life: who so therefore mindeth to amende his former ma­ners, and to indeuour him selfe sin­cerely to serue God: the first thing he ought to doo, is, to clense and purge his soule, that so it may please the holy ghoste to dwel and remain ther­in, 1. Cor. 3. c. 1. Cor. 6. d. 2. Cor. 6. d. as in his holy temple: who wil not (as Sap. 1. a. holy scripture telleth) enter into the soule of the wicked, nor be har­boured in the body thral and capti­unte vnto sinne. It behoueth therfore [Page] to folow the prophetes counsaile, first to Psa. 33. b Psal. 33. c Isai. 1. d. 1. Pet. 3. b. sequester thy selfe from sinne, and so shalt thou become a fit instrument to doo good. The which sequestrati­on from sinne and purging of thy soule, is procured by true and lowlye confession, wherwith it is very expe­dient thou firste begin, preparing thy selfe therto with great diligence and contrition: yea, it shal be both profi­tuble for thee, and right commenda­ble too (if already thou hadst not made a general confession of thy whole life) nowe to make the same, calling to minde very diligently and with inward hartie sorow, the whole [...] 38. c. time thou haste hitherto liued, and al thy yeres past, so lewdly and disor­derly bestowed.

This general confession shal helpe greatly, aswel to cancel and cleere al old reckonings of thy former life (be­ing fully bent henceforth to liue a newe, and to [...] a newe booke) as also to take awaye the scruples [Page] which are wont to molest the soule, wheras, through the more plentiful light of Gods good grace, we see now the imperfections and defectes of our former confessions, which perhaps were not vailable, either for want of contritiō, or for hauing left some no­torious and deadly sinne, or necessary circumstance vntolde: whether it were through shamefastnes, or blame worthie negligence, or some suche o­ther like default, which we were not in the darke time of our former daies aware of: and now through the grace and heauenly light we haue since thē receaued, doo plainly and manifestly perceaue them. Ioyning therfore due diligence to this heauenly light, we are nowe to supply al former wantes, that our soule mai be set at rest, and ridde of suche remorse which els wold continually gnaw & wouud it.

This general confession shal profit muche in this wise to, to moue and prouoke God thorough the [...] [Page] and shame we suffer in making it, to graunt vs greater aboundance of his grace, and more strength, with other vertues, necessary for the better lea­ding of our life hereafter.

Nowe to make this confession rightly, and as it ought to be, we must, first craue of God in al humilitie his grace and fauour, Psal. 31. b Psal. 37. d. to haue due know­ledge of those greeuous sinnes which we haue cōmitted against his diuine Maiestie throughout all our former life, and that it may plese him to geue vs sincere and Psa. 50. d hartie sorowe for the same. This being done, take a day or [...] yea more if neede be, wherein thou must retire thy selfe frō compa­ny, and examine at leasure thy whole life, beginning at the time thou firste began to haue vse of reason, and so Isai. 38. d. running ouer al thy yeres according to the chaunge of time and places where thou haste liued, and the exer­cises and trades thou haste bene prac­tised in running ouer likewise the ten [Page 3] maundementes of God, and those of his Churche, the seuen deadly sinnes, the senses of the body, and powers of the soule. Al the which thou mayest doo much better, and with more faci­litie a great deale, if thou reade ouer some briefe and learned Confessiona­rye (as there be many) or if so thou canst not reade thy self, to cause some other to reade it to thee. And whē at any time thou shalt be put in minde of any crime whatsoeuer it be, thou haste committed, force thy selfe to haue a particuler griefe and sorowful repentaunce, as wel of it, as al other, whereof thy conscience may pleade thee giltie.

Hauing vsed this diligence, and ne­cessary preparatiō, seeke then the best learned and most vertuous confessor thou maiest possibly find out, to who I wish thee, aswel now, as hereafter, to make thy confession to, and by his counsail, to gouerne the whole course of thy life, and al thine actions: wher­in [Page] no doubt but thou shalt find a no­table helpe for the better seruing of God, and more secure walking in his waie, as I shal hereafter more at large let thee vnderstand in the. Xij. Chap­ter of this litle Treatise.) When thou hast thus made choise of such a Con­fessour, then shalt thou with al humi­litie, shamefastnes, and sinceritie, ope al thy sins vnto him, declaring what is necessarie, and omitting that is su­perfluous, Psa. 31. b accusing thy self, and no o­ther body, of the sinnes thou hast co­mitted: neither excusing thee, as some doo very naughtily, attributing Psa. 141. the cause of their sinnes to the deuil, the frailtie of their fleshe, or to some o­ther body, or at least alleaging cer­taine excuses to cloake and shadowe their sinnes withal, that by this mea­nes they may either seeme none at al, or the lesse greeuous a great deale. Al which kinde of scuses, the hum­ble, true, and contrite penitent, must [Page 4] in any wise eschewe. And therfore is it muche better (as S. Iohn Climacus saieth) to discouer the wounds of thy soule nakedly and plainly to thy con­fessour, he being appointed thy phi­sition to cure and heale the same, say­ing in this maner: I confesse that I haue sinned through mine own fault, and no other bodies, neither hath the deuil prouoked me therto, nor any o­ther man, neither my body, not anye other creature, but onely is it through mine owne fault and wickednes that I haue offended. If thou both thinke and say thus, thou shalt do according to that the prophete Dauid saieth: Psal. 31. b I wil confesse mine vnrighteousnes against me. And if by thus doing thou suffer more confusion and shame, beleeue verily, that for this temporal shame thou shalt escape eternal and euer­lasting shame. Thus hauing in this maner made thy confession, accept the penaunce and satisfaction which [Page] which shalbe laide vpon thee, procu­ring to fulfil the same so soone as thou maiest conueniently. And if it should so fal out that thou were bound to make restitution of goodes or of good name, doo it, if it be pos­sible, before confession, or so soone af­ter as thou canst. The like doo I also say of other penance and satisfaction that shalbe enioyned thee, that thou perfourme the same without delaye.

HAVING thus made a ge­neral confession, who so had not (as I haue already saide) made the same before, the soule being now clensed from al mortal sinne, it behoueth thee to haue a most stedf [...]st purpose neuer to offende mortally a­gaine, but rather to suffer any afflic­tion [Page 5] or worldly contempt, yea, death it self, if nede required. For if a chaste wife ought to cary this minde, rather to loose her life, then to betraye the trouth she hath once plight vnto her husband, howe muche more oughtest thou to be of the same minde, rather to lose a thousand liues (if thou had­dest so many) thē to play the traitour towardes God, who is thy 2. Cor. 112 husbande; thy father, thy Lord and maker. Whē thou hast once thus fully determined; take then a zelous and feruent desire to liue a new hereafter, & striue to get other new behauiours, and to liue far otherwise then thou haste done to­fore reputing thy selfe to be nowe a newe man, farre changed from that thou erst was, sithens al the time thou haste hitherto liued hath beene but lost, and as it wer a death. For the bet­ter doing wherof this shal helpe thee greatly, in any wise to eschewe al oc­casions of sinne, especially the compa nie of [...] wicked men, but muche more [Page] of wemē, such as mai prouoke thee to naughtines, and geue thee loose and lewde example. For albeit thou art bound to loue euery one, and to pray for euery one (as charitie cōmaūdeth) yet art thou not bound to companie and conuerse with euery one, but on­ly such as mai helpe to doe thee good, and with their good wordes and ver­tuous examples, serue to edifie thee.

SECONDLY, thou must flye suche places where God is [...] of­fended, as be dising houses, tauernes, daunsing schooles, and such like: not only foreseing thou do none euil thy selfe, but also not to be present there where it is done: for looke how much more thou standest aloofe from the fire, and so muche the more secure art thou not to be burned therwith.

THIRDLY, thou must take gret hede to be at no time idle, for that (as the holy scripture Eccl. 33. d telleth) many me haue receued much harm through idlenes. See therefore thou folowe S. Ieroms S. Ierome. cousail, saying: It behoueth we be al­waies [Page 6] doing of some good, that when the fiend shal come to tēpt vs, he may find vs wel & vertuously occupied.

FOVRTHLY, thou must take hede of al excesse in Luc. 21. [...] eating, drinking, sleping and clothing, and indeuour thy self to obserue a mediocritie and temperace in eche of them: yea, rather to decline to some rigour and austeritie, then to any superfluitie and delicate pampe­ring of thy flesh: for looke by hawe much the more thou tamest & bride­lest it, and by so muche the lesse shalt thou be troubled with the tentations & disordinate desires that procede of it: yea, so much the more apter shalt thou finde thy selfe to serue God, and to perfourme al spiritual exercises.

As touching corporal punishments and penance, as fasting, disciplin, here cloth and other chastisements, herein it behoueth thee to vse good discreti­ō, taking such as helpe to represse the assaults and temptatiōs of the flesh, and leuing others that may be hurt­ful, not yeelding herein to the heats, [Page] which some nouices are wont to haue in their beginning, who tho­rough indiscrete mortifying and dompting of their fleshe, fal into some suche infirmitie, as afterwardes they must needes pamper and che­rishe it to much. It shalbe good ther­fore thou gouerne thy selfe in these things by thy ghostly fathers aduise, being a man practised in spiritual ex­ercises.

Fiftly, it shal greatly profite thee to set before thine eyes the good exam­ples, workes and life that other haue led and stil continue in, but chiefly of suche as be like to selfe, 2. Cor. 4. anima­ting thee by their good examples, & procuring as much as thou maiest to imitate them in euery thing, yea, for­getting the good thou haste already done, thou oughtest to striue euery day to become better then other, and alwaies to [...] forward in the seruice and feare of God.

Sixtly, make none accompt of the [Page 7] [...] and temptations which those [...] feele, that beginne first to leade a godly and spiritual life, be not thou, I say, dismayed therwith at al, but 1. Cor. 9. d. marche on forwarde, and fight manfully against al suche temptati­ons, comforting and confirming thy self with this vndoubted truth which thou must haue firmely fixed in thy minde, to witt, that nowe thou haste taken in hande the highest and most happy enterprise that may be thoght of in this world, and howe this is an affaire of more weight and impor­taunce then any other, and whereby more certaine gaine, greater aboun­dance of treasure, more honour and dignitie, and finally the moste blessed happes of al the happie and good thinges that may be found or desired in this world, shal redound vnto thee, yea, there is no good thing that is good in deede, but onely this, neither any other important affaire but this alone, this being the one only thing, [Page] our Luc. 10. g Sauiour him selfe said, was neces­sarye. And therefore ought no toiles, Rom. 8. f. 2. Cor. 4. d. temptations or disquietnes, no back­bitinges, slaunders, and persecutions, which may & must befal thee in this life, seeme any whit greeuous for the gaining of so pretious a perle, & rare iewel, as thou lookest for. Herewith must thou eftsons animate and enco­rage thy selfe, calling oft to mind that Saying of the Apostles, Rom. 8. d How al the afflic­tions and crosses of this world are not to be com­pared to the future glory that shal be geuen vn­to vs. Persuade thy selfe likewise, least thou mightest haply faint in resisting the toiles and temptatios which may befal thee in this strainght way that bringeth to heauen) persuade thy self I say assuredly, that as herein there be worldly toyles and temptations, so be there heauenly comforts and con­solations: and that to ouercome these crosses and ouerthwartes of nature, there are helpes and succours of grace geuen withal, which in power sur­passe [Page 8] nature. And with this conside­ration maiest thou remaine a vanqui­sher, and doo al things ( Phil. 4. [...] as did S. Paul) [...] him that shal comfort thee, which [...] Iesus Christe our Lord and captain.

DESCENDING nowe to more particularitie, for that such things as be wel and or­derly disposed, be both more durable and profitable too: I haue therefore thought good to aduertise thee, what course and order thou oughtest euery day to keepe. Which let be this: first, to rise in the morning so earlye as thou mayest, hauing before taken conuenient rest and sleepe, which is had betwixt sixe and seuen howres, [Page] litle more or lesse, according to the diuersitie of complexions. So soone as thou art awake, it is a good & god­lye deuotion, before thou settle thy minde to any other thing, to offer vp to God the first fruits of al thine ac­tions, and powers of thy whole body: as for example, thy heart, thinking of thy Creatour, and sighing after him: thine eyes, casting them vpon some godly picture, or vp to heauen: thy legges, kneeling humbly before his presence: thy handes, lifting them vp to adore and thanke him: thy mouth, saying some short prayers, as the Pa­ter noster, Aue Mary, and the Crede: and then mayest thou afterwards, ac­cording as thy deuotion shal teache thee, briefly geue him thankes for ha­uing preserued thee the night past, desiring him likewise to defend thee that presont day from al sinne; and to geue thee grace to spende it better in his diuine seruice.

After this, if so thou be at leysure, [Page 9] and haue no great busines, reade a li­tle of some deuout Treatise, or make a litle me ditation, whereof I shal in­treate hereafter. Doing thus, thou do­est as our Sauiour him selfe aduised thee, saying: Mat. 6. d Seeke first the kingdome of God, and his iustice, and al other thinges shall be geuen vnto you. It were very good also, after thou hast done thus, to go to the Churche, if thou mightest conueni­ently, and there to heare Masse, or at least to see and adore thy Sauiour in his moste holy Sacrament: but if thy neede and pouertie can not wel af­forde thee such leaue as to go thither, it shal then suffice on working dayes to do the same with heart and good desire.

Hauing nowe recommended thy selfe to God in maner aforesaid, thou maiest with his holy blessing attende to thine occupation or temporal bu­sines, referring al thinges, yea, tempo­ral also, to his diuine seruice, choosing rather to doo them for his loue, then [Page] for thine owne lucre. And there­fore oughtest thou to thinke eft­sons of him, whiles thou labourest, or art busied in any kinde of tem­poral affaires, and to recommende thy selfe to his diuine mercy, offering vp thine hart with al thy doinges to him.

And in any wise beware of one thing, that neither in thine occupatiō or other temporal doinges thou vse any guile, or exercise any vnlawful trade, and against conscience (for so should thy building laide on suche a foundatio be very faultie: thou must likewise take heede of Iac. 5. c. swearing, ly­ing, vsing of 1. Cor. 15. d idle wordes and imper­tinent speeches so much as maye be: yea, not to heare any suche, if it were possible for thee.

Thus hauing spent the day til diner time, see [...] thou goest therto, that being nowe at table, either thou or some other sai grace before thou eate, [Page 10] or at least wise say a Pater noster and Aue Mary. And beware thou feede not too greedilie, nor of too daintie and delicate meate: take heede also of al suche excesse and superfluitie as might make thee vnlisting, and lesse apt to reade, praye, or doo any other worke: take therfore so much as thou maiest wel thinke necessary for thee, and no more, remembring, that meate is rather to be receaued as a medicine or refection, to susteine the body, and interteine this temporal life of ours, then to satisfie the sensual delightes and desires of our fleshe. And there­fore must thou force thy selfe not to feede with the whole man, but to eleuate thy minde vp to God, and to listen to some holy and spiritual les­sons, if there were any read. And if thou finde thy selfe disposed to glut­tonie, thou must seeke to represse the same with some good thought: as for example, remēbring that through thi [Page] sinnes thou deseruest not that, which God of his meere liberalitie bestow­eth vpon thee: and howe others that merite more, lacke what thou leauest. Calling also to mind the toiles, tor­mentes and sorowes of our Sauiour, and how for thy sake he tasted Mat. 27 d Luc 23. e. 40. 9. c. Psal. 68. d. gaule and vinager: with these and such like good cogitations maiest thou, as with a wholsome sauce delay the to sweete and pleasaunt sauour of thy meate.

After diner see thou rise not from table before thou haste thanked thy maker, who in such wise hath vouch­safed to susteine and refreshe thee with his moste bountiful hande, thou deseruing rather through thy sinnes, to suffer eternal tormentes, and saye some Pater noster and Aue Mary for the liuing and the dead: and so maiest thou at thy pleasure returne againe to thy busines, demeaning thy selfe therin, as is aforesaid in the morning.

At euening it should be very good, (if thou couldest conucniently) to say [Page 11] some few deuotions before supper, or to reade a litle, as I shal hereafter in­struct thee, that by this meanes thy soule might receaue some refreshing before thy body: howbeit, if thy trade and busines would not geue thee leue to doo so then maiest thou get thee to supper on Gods name, behauing thy self therin as is said at diner time.

The residue of time from supper til thou goe to bed, thou maiest be­stowe in some honest talke, or other good exercise and recreation, taking heede yet of occupying thy selfe in any suche thing as may hinder and disturbe the quietnes of thy minde.

Afterwardes hauing made some smal pause and resting while, see thou prepare thy selfe to bedward, consi­dering that a good christian ought to dispose him selfe in such wise therto, as if he were that night to depart this life.

The maner howe to prepare thy selfe, is this: first kneeling downe de­uoutly [Page] before some picture of Christ or of our Lady (which thou oughtest alwaies to haue in thy chamber) saye the Crede, Pater noster, and Aue Ma­ry: Four prin­cipal poin­tes to be considered. afterwardes 1. geue God most hum­ble thanks for hauing preserued thee that daye: 2. and require the light of his grace to vnderstande and knowe thy faults, but chiefly those thou hast cōmitted that present day: 3. examine afterwardes thy conscience at leisure, and with good deliberation, discus­sing howe, and in what thinges thou haste bestowed the same. And where thou findest thee giltie of any of­fence, 4. be sorowful for it, and aske God hartily mercie: purpose also to confesse the same in due time, and to amende thy life hereafter: but fin­ding not thy conscience giltie of any gret offence, yelde him humble than­kes, who hath preserued thee: and fi­nally beseech him to defend thee the night folowing, from al the deceiptes and illusions of the deuil, graunting [Page 12] thee conuenient rest for the health of thy soule and body. And thus maiest thou go to bed, making the signe of the holy crosse vpon thee as thou lai­est thee downe: and see thou dispose thy whole body in honest & decent wise, remembring that God, and his holy Angel thy Gardian doo Mat. 18. b Psal. 33. a looke vpon thee: to whom thou must not faile to recommende thee. It shal be likewise very good to remember o­therwhiles, that euen as thou now lai­est thy selfe downe in bed, so shal o­thers one day couche thee downe in graue: and ponder wel, that this must needes be the ende of al the riches, pompes and honours, and of al the whole pride and glorie of this worlde. Saie therefore, as thou liest, some short prayer, himne, or Pater noster ouer thee, crauing Gods good helpe and assistance for that last hour of so great dreade and importance. And beware in any wise of louing to daintie and softe a bedde. Calling [Page] to mind that narow and hard couche of the crosse, which for thy sake our Sauiour laye vpon, and thus maiest thou fal asleepe, either with this or such other like godly thought: and looke that when thou chauncest at any time to wake, thou haue God by & by in thy mind, and let thy mouth be filled with his praises, saying some verse to thanke and blesse him, or to recommende thy selfe to his diuine mercie: and when thou risest againe in the morning, behaue thy selfe as is aforesaide.

HAVING declared already what order thou oughtest to keepe to thine exercises eche working daye through the weeke, it resteth nowe to teache thee, howe [Page 13] thou art to behaue thy selfe on holye dayes, sith both God and his holye Churche commaunde vs to sanctifie and keepe thē holy. It behoueth ther­fore, that we toile not onely, and take no seruile paines on those dayes, but that we dedicate our selues more dili­gently to Gods seruice, & to exercise of spiritual, good, and godly workes, that by these meanes we may sancti­fie the said daies, by indeuouring our selues to haue more holines on them. On Sundaies therfore and other holy daies, thou shalt dispose thy life and exercises in this order.

After thou art got vp in the mor­ning, offer and commend thy selfe to thy Lord & maker, as on other daies, and make thy praiers (wherof I shal tel thee more hereafter) somewhat longer then on other daies, or at least wise reade of some godly booke a while, preparing thy selfe to go to Masse, and to receaue the blessed Sa­crament, if thou be minded so to doo that day.

[Page]When thou haste thus done, and left such order for thy temporal mat­ters at home as shal be meete, get thee then to Churche to heare Masse, and the sermon (if there be any) in suche place where thou hopest to receaue moste profite and deuotiō, especially at such time as thou purposest to re­ceaue. And take heede in the waye to Church ward thou roll not thine eyes vp and downe, gasing here and there, especiallye at thine entrie into the Church: but retire them home in mo­dest and deuout wise, and calling to minde thine owne vnworthines and manifolde sinnes, be sorowful for them, asking God mercy and for­geuenes. And thē maiest thou sai that sentence of the psalme: Psal. 5. b. Putting my trust and confidence in thy mercie, O Lorde, I wil enter into thy holye Temple in thy feare. Place thy selfe afterwardes in humble and contrite wise, like to the Luc. 18. b. publi­can, in some conuenient roome, there to heare attentiuely, both Masse, and [Page 14] other diuine seruice, desiring to be partaker of al the misteries which are celebrate in that holy place, & alwais to remain in the 1. Cor. 1. b vniti of the holy ca­tholike Church, and of al the faithful and liuely members of Christe, that thou deserue afterwardes to enioye euerlasting happines, with them in the triumphant Churche aboue.

Now at suche time as they beginne to sai their mattins or Masse, lift thou vp thy mind and heart conformably as the Churche doth, praysing God when she praiseth him, praying whē she praieth, and for the same thinges she praieth, geuing thankes when she doeth, and so in al thinges imita­ting her, and conforming thy self vn­to her.

When the priest saieth Masse, har­ken diligently to suche wordes as he pronounceth, without either reading thy selfe, or saying any other praiers & deuotions, at least wise whiles the priest readeth out: yea, much more cō ­mendable [Page] should it be to occupie thee al the while he celebrateth, in som good thought or meditation, rather then in reading or praying in thy booke: yea thou oughtest chiefly at such time to remember the passion of Christe our Sauiour and redeemer, sith the holye Masse is a memorial of the same, and both the priestes attire and al the or­namentes of the aultare, with the ce­rimonies which be vsed in the say­ing of Masse, do al represent and sig­nifie suche thinges vnto vs, as he ei­ther did or spake during the time of his painful passion: and therfore is it a very godly thing to haue the same in memorie, especially at the time of eleuation, calling to minde that in­speakable loue of our Sauiour, which caused him to be Rom. 5. a. Heb. 9. d. g. 1. Pet. 3. d. crucified and lifted vp vpon the crosse for thee: and ther­fore art thou bounde to adore and thanke him with great reuerence for this so inestimable a benefite, and to craue suche things of him with faith [Page 15] and feruencie as thou standest neede [...] sith looke with what loue & [...] he then vouchsafed to be [...] for thee, with the like is he nowe ready in this moste holy Sacrament, [...] shewe mercy to such as dispose thē [...] receaue it.

Afterwardes when the priest [...] if so thou be not that day sacra­mentally to doo it, yet maiest thou in spiritual wise receaue with him, ac­cording as I shal hereafter tel Inf. ca. 15 thee, when I intreate of receauing the bles­sed Sacrament.

If there be a sermon that Sunday or holyday, geue eare therto with great zeale and attentiō, preparing thy selfe before it beginne, by estraunging thy minde from forraine thoughtes, and making thy praier to God, that it maye please him to minister suche speeche and spirite vnto the precher, wherwith he maye both profite thee and others, and then maiest thou saie with Samuel: 1. Reg. 3. b. Speake Lord, for thy sernaunt hoareth.

[Page]Of such things as the preacher shal deliuer in his sermon, thou oughtest to commit some suche lessons to me­morie, as shal moste concerne thee, and that chiefly moued thee, suppo­sing our Lord him self had deliuered the same vnto thee. In like maner shalt thou doo at Masse, if thou canst vnderstand the wordes of the Epistle and Gospel, which thou oughtest to take as though God had spoken thē euen at that instant to thee alone, cō ­mitting them to memorie, and thin­king of them, at least al that day.

If so be there be many sermons, go to heare him, whom thou deemest to preache Gods worde with moste fer­uent zeale of his glory, and profite of the audience.

These be the chiefest exercises, wherin thou art to spende the fore­noone til diner time, and then behaue thy selfe as on other dayes. Hauing then paused a litle while after diner, it were a very fruitful exercise [Page 16] if thou coldest conueniently vse it, to go and instruct others in the christiā faith, or learne thy self, if thou vnder­stande it not wel, at suche Churches where thei haue this exercise, wherby euery way doth insue great gaine: for if thou teache others that be igno­rant, thou Iac. 5. d. exercisest one of the seuen spiritual works of mercy: and if thou learne thy self of others, thou winnest that which it behoued thee to know, and that is more pretious then be mountains of worldly wealth.

After this exercise thou maiest goe and hear euensong, compline, & some good lesson, if ther be any, gouerning thy selfe in althinges, as is abouesaide in the morning.

This being done, imploie the spare time til night in doing some deede of mercy, as in Iac. 1. d. visiting some hospital or prison, comforting & performing some charitable office to those weake & comfortles creatures, or otherwise thou maiest associate thy selfe with some vertuous companions to re| [Page] to report or heare some spiritual dis­courses, or reade some godly booke, or finde thee occupied in some suche like honest exercise: And if so be thou thinkest it otherwhile expedi­ent to walke abroade for recreation, let it be in some secrete and solitarie place, where other seculer persons come not to disturbe thee, and with their prophane conuersation with­drawe thy minde from God.

It is also a very good exercise vpon suche Saintes daies as be kept holye, to reade or meditate vpon their liues, and to animate thy selfe thereby to imitate them in some one vertue or spiritual worke, such as pertain moste to thine owne estate. Finally thou oughtest euer after diner on these daies to occupie thy selfe in some suche exercise, as thy soule may ther­by reape some spiritual profite, and growe more zealous and feruent in the loue of God, with newe purposes and inflamed desires to go continual­lye [Page 17] forwarde, and to waxe stronger in his diuine seruice, with greater chari­tie towardes thy neighboure, better knowledge of thy selfe, and more hu­militie in al thine actions.

Thus be the holy dayes sanctified conformably to Gods wil, and the in­tent of holy Churche.

Afterwardes both in thy meditatiō before supper (hauing the meanes to make it) and in the examination of thy conscience before thou go to bed; thou shalt both in these & ech other thing of night, doo as is abouesaid in the former Chapter; noting this by the way, that on these daies al is to be done with so much more leisure, fer­uoure, and diligence, as the highnes of the day shal more require it.

And here let euery man that hath childrē or familie learne, that he is as a guide and gouernour to such as be vnder him, and therefore is he bound so much as in him lieth, to draw them to the seruice of God, causing them [Page] to heare Masse, and to spende the ho­lidaies in godly exercises; and to fre­quent the blessed Sacraments of Con fession and receauing, so ofte as they maye, and shal perceaue it for their profites. And in no wise are they to allowe, that any one in their house 1. Cor. 5. d. haue any publique crime, or other notorious imperfection; as to be a swearer, a blasphemer, a gamster, or an offendour in suche like trespasses against our Lord and Sauiour.

NOWE that I haue alreadie intreated of the order that suche as desire to liue like good Christians ought to kepe both on working and holy daies; it resteth, that I intreate of another kinde of dailye exercise verye necessarye for [Page 18] eche one to obteine this their desired ende withal; chiefly yet for suche as minde to dedicate them selues more sincerely to diuine seruice. And this is the exercise of holy praier, not on­lye vocal, which is common to eche one, and more frequented of al; but also mental, which very fewe wot of, and so consequently very fewe doo practise; being neuerthelesse the more excellent kinde a great deale. And therefore is it to be noted, that albeit vocal praier, to wit, that which is made with the mouth and voice, say­ing of sundry offices, psalmes, and de­uotions, is a verye profitable thing, instituted, approued, and practised in al religions and cathedral Churches; yet is not this, but that which we cal mental the more worthy and ex­cellent kind a great deale, and wherof the holy doctors do chiefli mean, whē they speak of the excellēcie of praier, & the singuler fruits which proceede thereof. The which mental kinde of [Page] praier doth so farre passe and go be­yond the vocal, as doth the soule or spirite, in dignitie, passe and excel the body. Wherfore, such as minde to ex­ercise them selues throughly in Gods seruice, and to batten & grow strong in spirite, ought not to content them selues only with vocal praier, but (as S. Paule saith) 1. Cot. 14 c to praye with mouth and minde together, hauing receaued at Gods handes both thone and tho­ther. Howbeit, let vs chiefly praye with spirite: for (as our Sauiour saide Ioh. 4. c 2. Cor. 3. d to the Samaritane) God is spirite, and those which adore him, must in spirite and truth adore him. Wherevpon we know right wel, that the holy Saintes of old time, and the moste spiritual men of our daies exercise them selues most chief­lye and commonly in this kinde of praier, as hauing by experience pro­ued, how much more profite and spi­ritual comfort the soule receaueth by this mental praier thē by that of vo­cal. This thing also alone, declareth [Page 19] sufficiently, of what importance they deemed this exercise, and how neces­sarye for al good Christians, in that they are not afraide to cal the same omnipotent: for so muche as being made as it ought to be, we thereby obteine euery thing, like as Christe our redeemer hath promised, saying: Mat. 21. b Mar. 11 c. Ioh. 15 b. Verily I say vnto you, that what soeuer you shal aske by praier, beleeue it shalbe geuen you.

This praier, wherof we now speake, is a lifting vp of our minde to God, which is rather done with inflamed desires of the hart, then with varietie of outward words, and so are we lesse pained therein then in vocal praier: yea, looke howe much the longer we continue in this kind of exercise, and so much doo we finde it the more sa­uourie and fruitful for our soule; for that eche time a man frequenteth this holy exercise, he stil sucketh out newe sap of graces and spiritual trea­sure: yea, suche as at some times the soule doeth, as it were, palpate and [Page] feele it moste apparantly. For like as Moises had his face lightned & made glittering, through his often conuer­sing with God, in suche wise, as the children of Israel (according as holye Exo. 34. d Cor. 3. c scripture telleth) could not abide to looke vpon him; euen so the soule through perseuerance in praier be­commeth more lightned and illumi­nated with the newe graces it recea­ueth: we know moreouer, how Christ our redeemer (as the holy Euangelist S. Luc. 9. d Mat. 17. a. Mar. 9. a. 2. Pet. 1. c. Luke reporteth) being in praier, was transfigured, and his face visiblye changed into as beautiful a bright­nes as the Sunne, his garmentes also became as white as snowe; euen so is the soule of man in praier transfigu­red and chaunged into God, and the darkenes thereof turned into light, frailty into force, feare into hope, sad­nes into solace, with other innume­rable commodities too many to re­hearse, which trial testifieth to pro­ceede out of this holy praier.

[Page 20]Sithens therfore this is for al so pro­fitable and necessary an exercise; I shal stretche my selfe out a litle the further, to tel thee, in what maner thou art to make it. And firste shal I declare what such may do as be more spiritual, and haue better leisure, be­ing minded to make this exercise; af­terwardes wil I set downe another methode for the simple and more bu­sied sort, such as want capacitie and leisure to exercise them whollye in this office; that by doing yet what they are able to doo, they may be­come partakers of this so fruitful and necessary an exercise.

THIS praier which we cal mental, being (as I haue alrea­dy saide) an eleuation and lif­ting vp of the minde to God; like as the soule may diuers wayes eleuate it selfe to the knowledge of God; euen so be ther diuers meditations or con­siderations, which are al of them cal­led by this name of praier. Neuerthe­l see, I shal here intreat of those only that be moste deuout, easie, and profi­table, and that with such breuitie, as I may conueniently.

FIRST notwithstanding am I to aduertise thee of certaine pointes which must needes be thought of be­fore thou enter into this kinde of ex­ercise.

Wherof take this for the first; that thou force thy selfe (being one that [Page 21] hast leisure inough) to haue one hour in the morning, and an other in the euening (litle more or lesse) which thou art to allot and destinate to this so profitable an exercise, like as the holy Church hath her certain houres appointed for publike praiers, and diuine seruice; that the time & hours thus prefixed, maye admonishe and prouoke thee therto; and a good cus­tome once got take awaye the diffi­cultie.

Who so could not for al that haue these houres so certaine and precise; ought not to geue ouer and neglect this exercise; yea, rather were to take such houres and time for it, as his bu­sines might best afforde him.

Now when thou commest to these determined houres, (being so thou maiest haue them in maner aforesaid) it behoueth thee to prepare thy selfe (as the wise man [...] 18. [...] saieth) before praier; to thende thou maiest haue more at­tention, deuotion and reuerence, with [Page] other partes requisite for the better performing of this exercise.

Thy preparation therfore let it be in this maner; when thou commest to the time and place prefixed, inde­uor thy self to lay aside al other cares and cogitations, which in any wise may impeche thee; weighing wel the weight and seriousnes of this office thou art in hande withal. And to thend thou maiest haue the more at­tention and reuerence, consider, howe when thou art in praier, thou spekest not to the winde, nor to the walles, but standest moste assuredly before the face of the liuing God, and that God is there really present at thy praiers; listning thy wordes; vewing thy teares, and taking delight in thy deuotions and holy exercise. For al­beit he vniuersally assist al his crea­tures, yet assisteth he chiefly suche as pray to him, according as the sacred scripture witnesseth, saying: Deut. 4. a There is no other nation in the world so great, to whom [Page 22] their Gods be so nighe, as is our Lorde God. who assisteth vs in al our praiers. Thinke nowe howe great attention and reuerence is requisite, to speake and staude before the presence of so diuine a Maiestie; before that moste soueraine and om­nipotent King? before that infinite 1. Cor. 3. 6. 7 beautie and incomprehensible great­nes; if so great respect be had in spea­king but to a temporal lord or king. This consideration shal make theo humble thy selfe, and bowe downe to the verye dust of the earth, and stande with feare and trembling be­fore that sacred soueraintie and dreadful Maiestie.

With this thought maiest thou kneele downe in reuerent wise, ma­king the signe of the holye Crosse vpon thee, and then saye the general confession, or the psalme of [...] or a Pater noster, if thou cannest none other, crauing of god briefly for geuenes of thy sins, those especially, [Page] wherin thou hast offended that day, as also grace to performe this office better thē heretofore, & to spend that final time to his glory, and the pro­fite of thine owne soule, sithens we are not able without his grace to doo any good thing; with this affect and minde maiest thou sometimes saye the himne Veni Creator spiritus, or those wordes of the patriarche Abraham: Gen. 18. d. [...] ad dominum meum, cum sim puluis et cints. I wil speake to my Lord, though I be but dust and ashes: or other vo­cal praiers or sentences, wherein thou haply hast most deuotion, which shal al of them serue for a preparatiue, to make thee haue better attention, and to shut out and exclude al forreine cogitations.

Hauing nowe in this or like maner got attention, deuotiō and reuerence; fal then in hande with thy meditatiō the best waies thou canst; the which ought, in mine opinion, to be moste commonly of the passion of Christe, [Page 23] as being a thing verye acceptable to him, and of great deuotion and pro­fite for our soules, sith this our Saui­our his passion is no other thing thē an epilogue and recapitulation of his whole life and doctrine, and an ab­breuiate and short worde, wherein it pleased him to teache vs the summe of al wisdome, and the perfection of the Gospel. Wherefore, for thy better and more orderly proceeding in this matter, thou maiest deuide the points of the passion, by the dayes of the weeke, in maner folowing.

THE meditations which I thinke moste profitable for thee to exercise thy self most in, especially on morninges, are to be of the passion of Christe, which thou maiest dispose in this order.

TO THEND thou maiest with more fruit and spiritu­al aduauncement make the meditatios mentioned in the former Chapter, it behoueth thee to obserue therin these few aduiies folowing.

FIRST, concerning those points of the passiō, wheron thou art to medi­tate; thou must vnderstand, that they are in suche wise to be meditated, as though they happed euen in that in­stant before thin eyes, in the selfe same place where thou art; or within thy soule; or otherwise imagining thou wert in the very places where suche thinges [...] if haply this waies thou feelest better deuotion.

SECONDLY, thou must force thy self to drawe some doctrine and spiritual fruit out of the thinges thou medita­test; as for example, to note in euery [Page] ouer and aboue that is already sayde; these foure pointes; what he is that Foure notable pointes to be consi­dsred. suffred; what thing he suffered; in what maner; and for whē he suffred.

OVT OF the first thou maiest ga­ther an immeasurable loue thou ow­est 1 Who it is that suf­fered. to so louing a Lorde; who being God almightie, and of infinite Ma­jestie; hath vouchsafed to suffer so great tormentes and iniuries for thee so vile and abhominable a bodslaue; sithens if another man were he neuer so abiect had suffered the like or much lesse for thee thou wouldest loue him with al thy heart; and paine thy selfe to be grateful towards him.

OVT OF the second point thou maiest picke forth matter of great 2 What thing he suffred. compassion; weighing thy Sauiour thus fraight with excessiue griefes; alone; persecuted; blasphemed on euery side; and from toppe to toe al wholly wounded; that but if thou sawe a brute beast suffer the like; thy heart would melt againe with pitie and compassion.

[Page 39] OVT OF the third point thou mai­eh 3 In what maner he suffered. gather meruailous examples to imitate him in. Learne firste to be humble and lowly, pondering that bottomlesse humilitie, wherewith he humbled him selfe, euen vnto death. Learn to be patient, considering that [...] patience wherwith he en­dured suche tormentes and villanous spites; without making any resistance or lamentation. Learne to loue po­uertie; seing him so extreme poore; hanging naked vpon the Crosse; and buried afterwardes in another mans sepulchre: as also al his life time, ha­ning nothing of his owne; nor where to rest his Mat. 8. b head. Learne to loue thine enemies; seing with howe great cha­ritie he praied for those that crucifi­ed him. Learne to be constant and perseuerant in suche good workes as thou takest in hand; and not to geue them ouer for any toiles or crosse en­counters; considering the firme con­stancie of Christ, wherwith [...] [Page] so many toiles, contradictions, and tormentes, he perseuered vntil death; and therwith finished the worke of our redemption, Finally, out of this point, if thou canst consider it at lei­sure, thou maiest learne innumerable vertues; and most worthy examples; which shine forth in euery passage of his passion.

OVT OF the sourth thou majest [...] For whō be suffered. gather a great and general charitie towards al men, and to despise none, seeme he neuer so vile and contemp­tible; considering that our Lord hath spilt his moste pretious bloud for him, and for al men in the world; nei­ther is there any so wicked and lewd a wretche, for whom alone (if neede, had bene) he would not haue suffered al the tormentes he suffered; Learne thou therefore, seing this his infinite charitie towardes al men; to loue al men, and to make accompt of al men; Learne besides to detest sinne aboue al thinges, remembring thee howe [Page 40] that was the onely occasion of our Lordes most cruel death and passion.

THIRDLY thou must vnderstand, concerning the foresaid meditations, that if at any time it so happed, that in suche pointes as be set downe to vpon, thou haply foundest in the firste or seconde of them good deuotion; the in maiest thou stay so long as thy deuotion shal last; not [...] to passe ouer to the other pointes remaining behinde, in that meditation; for if thou chaunce to leue some vntouched that time, thou maiest another day supplye this want; In like maner meane I, if tho­rough any vrgent affairs thou shoul­dest some-time omit thine exercise or appointed houre, that then thou force thy selfe to supplye that want with a newe houre; and if not on the same, yet on some other day.

FOVRTHLY thou must procure [...] to be [...] by al meanes possible to cherishe [Page] and interteine thy deuotion and god­lye purposes, with other good giftes whatsoeuer thou mightst haply haue receaued in the time of praier. And this shalt thou doo by indeuouring thee to go as retired and gathered in the day time as thou maiest; calling eftsons to minde what thou earst did meditate and receaue; especially whē thou hearest the clock strike; or other wise as thou maiest.

Now if on thother side it so chaū ­ced A docu­ment wor­thie great obseruatiō thou were disquieted with diuers forraine thoughtes (as it eftsons hap­peth) and thereby shouldest remaine without any deuotion or taste in thy praier; yet oughtest thou not for al this to geue ouer thine exercise, vntil thy time be fully finished; sithens ma­ny times, yea most commonly it fal­leth so out, that one findeth him self colde, and without taste or tallage in the beginning; and afterwardes tho­rough perseuerance in his praier ga­thereth heate and findeth good de­uotion [Page 41] Yea, when it so chaunced, as thou shouldest not finde any taste or sauour at al in the whole time of praier; neither yet ought this to dis­maie or make the quaise; but rather beleeue assuredly, that suche is our Lorde his good pleasure at that time, thereby to trye and exercise thy pa­tience, thy loialtie, and perseuerance; like as he dealt with the woman of Mat. 15. [...] Cananea, whom albeit he seemed at the firste to make none accompt of, yet did he afterwardes moste aboun­dantly comfort her, honour her, and graunt her her desire: Wel therefore maiest thou assure thy self, that looke how much more patiently thou bea­rest this drouth and barrennes of thy soule; so muche more fruites hath thy sonle accumulated and heaped vp. Thinke moreouer, that albeit thou hast not found that deuotion and at­tention thou wishest for; yet hath our Lorde shewed him selfe fauourable [Page] and frendly to thee in suffring [...] to remaine so longe time in his pre­sence; and so no doubt but the time spent in this maner is muche more fruitfully imploied, then in such o­ther works as may seeme farre better to thee; and if thou finde no deuotid & at one time; wel maiest thou hope in Gods mercy that another timo it shal please him to comfort theo so plentifully, that thy former wantes shal thereby be more then sufficient­lye rewarded. And beleeue this assu­redly, that how much the more thou shalt perseuer in this exercise; so much the more profite and pleasure shalt thou finde therby; besides other maruelous gifts which are not know en nor perceaued at the first.

Neuerthelesse for that by reason of this desire (being cōmon and natural to eche one to couet a tast and deuo­tion in their praiers;) diuers are wont in seeking by force and violence, to wrest it out, to doo therin greatlye a­misse; [Page 42] as by that meanes both op­pressing their vnderstanding; and dulling their affect and wil;

FIFTLY, it is meete to aduertise thee herein; that in the passages of the passion, or any other holy misteries thou shalt meditate vpon; thou con­tent thee with a simple & quiet spe­culation of such points as thou thin­kest of, and with that affection and taste God shal vouchsafe to bestowe vpon thee, without forcing thine vn­derstanding Violence in medita­tion great ly hurtful. or imagination to spe­culate and imagine thinges more plainly; ne yet thy wil to feele and taste the same, by wringing out affec­tions and teares with violence: for these immoderate excesses both of thone and th' other side, are wont ra­ther to hinder then helpe deuotion, hurting the head with that inorde­nate toile; and when this violence of the part affectiue is once past; the wil then doeth remaine more colde [Page] and without taste, make thy medita­tion therfore with quietnes & peace; waiting with patient silence what our Lord shal worke in thee; and hol­ding thy selfe contented therwith, as is aforesai de.

FIFTLY, (to aduertise thee in eue­tye thing) knowe this by the waye, that if thou find paine and disquiet­nes in kneeling (for so must thou needes dispose thy selfe in the begin­ning) then maiest thou rise vp, and stande, sit, or walke; as thou thinkest most meet for obteining that quiet­nes and rest thou desirest in thy soul.

TO THE ende that such as be better instructed, & haue more oportunitie and lei­sure to geue them-selues to praier, may haue more large scope and am­ple [Page 43] matter to exercise them selues in, I haue thought good to set downe o­ther meditations here, which may be vsed on euenings; meaning to refresh and feede thy soule eche daye mor­ning and euening; as thy body eche day doth not want those two repasts: As for others which are busied, and cannot intend to take this refection and exercise eche daye so ofte; these may one weeke vse one part of these meditations; and another weeke the other. Neuerthelesse, such as I nowe intreate of be moste fitt for nouices and younge beginners; wherein they ought certain weekes to exercise thē selues before they proceede further to the meditations of the passion of our Lord and Sauiour: for that true contrition of our sinnes; knowledge of our selues; and the feare and reue­rence towardes God (which are ga­thered out of these meditations) help greatly for proceeding afterwardes [Page] with more profite and auaile to the meditations of the passion.

Hauing therfore certaine houres lotted to these present meditations, whether it be at morning or at eue­ning; and obseruing the foresaide ad­uertisementes, such as shal serue most fitly for this purpose; thē maiest thou meditate according to the methode folowing.

FOR SO MVCH as this exercise of praier is of so great profit; and that wher­with the spiritual life is as it were norished and susteined: I haue thought good thus amply to entreat therof: and wil adde somewhat more in this chapter to that whiche hathe bene said already; desiring to satisfie both the learned and the ignorant; that is to say, both those that be more capable of this exercise, and suche as haue not so great capacitie; for the first sort wherof, the former medita­tions be most fit and fruitful Neuer­theles, to the ende they may haue more ample matter to meditate vp­pon; [Page] some weeks they may interme­dle The life of Christe de­uided into 3. partes. the meditations of the life of Christe, which is deuided into three partes or periods.

1. THE FIRST is of the incarnatiō of the sonne of God vntil his bap­tisme; wherein are conteined, his in­carnatiō, natiuitie, circumcision, ado­ration of the three wise men; presen­tation in the temple; flight into E­gipt; retourning to Nazareth; and of the finding of our Sauiour amidst the Doctors in the temple, when the blessed virgin had lost him. Of al the with misteries S. Luke and S. Ma­thew write in the first Chapters of their Gospels. A man maye medi­tate likewise, what he did from twelue yeeres vpwarde vntil his baptisme, according to euerye one their godlye deuotion, for that we finde nothing written thereof in the holy Gospel.

2. THE SECOND part of Christ his [Page 58] life beginneth at his baptisme, and continueth vntil his sacred Passion; wherein are comprehended his bap­tisme, fasting, temptation in the wil­dernes; his preachings, and many mi­racles he wrought vntil his last sup­per; whereof the historie of eche one may be gathered out of the holye Gospels.

3. THE THIRD part comprehendeth his last supper, his passion, resurrecti­on, and ascension, wherof I haue alre­dy entreated in the seuenth chapter.

These meditations of the life and miracles of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe, may bee fitly distributed and meditated in one or two weekes, by suche as haue leisure and learning to gather the storye out of the holye Gospel; obseruing pardie in al their meditatiōs, the aduises & instructiōs abouesaid; especially, of picking fruit ful notes and doctrine for their souls, [Page] out of these holye misteries; and of gouerning them-selues in the begin­ning and ending of eche one, as is a­foresaide.

And for so much as the deuotion The deuo­tion of the Rosarye a very fruit­ful exer­cise. of the Rosarie is very laudable and grateful to our Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christe, and to the blessed virgin his mother; as hath bene sufficientlye proued by the testimonie of manye miracles; and that in this kind of de­uotion mental prayer may with gret good and gaine of our soules be put in vre; I haue thought good here­withal to intreate of this exercise, that the simpler sort may with more commoditie, and lesse labour, find, if not al, yet the greter part of the fore­saide meditations gathered here to­gether: which both they maye, and ought to thinke vpon, in saying of the Rosarie; and thereby reape like­wise the benefite of suche indulgen­ces, as be graunted to those that in [Page 59] this wise doo say the same.

First therfore it is to be noted, that the whole Rosary and Psalter of our The Rosa­rie, whereof it consis­teth. blessed Lady is deuided into three fifties, whereof eche one conteyneth fiftie Aue Maries and fiue Pater nosters. Nowe whiles eche of these three fif­tie 3. kindes of misteries to be me­ditated. Aue Maries are in saying, there be three seueral sortes of misteries to be meditated on. In the first fiftie, ar the fyue ioyful misteries to be thought vpon; which are so called, for that in them we contemplate fyue special ioyes our Lady had before her sonne our Sauiours resurrection. In the se­cond are meditated the fyue doleful misteries; so named, of fyue special and notorious panges of sorowe our Lady had, during the time of her sonnes most painful passion. In the third are the fyue glorious misteries meditated; so termed of the fyue most glorious and plesant ioyes our Lady had after her sonne his moste glorious resurrection.

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WOTING wel (as I haute alreadie saide) what great good this exercise of prayer doth purchace to our foules; I haue in this respect bene more willing to ex­tende my selfe a litle the further in intreating thereof. And for the same [Page] some cause haue thought good like­wise in this Chapter to annexe cer­taine remedies to releeue thee with at suche times as thou foundest thy selfe barrein of deuotion, and with­out any relishe or tast in the foresaid meditations.

FIRST therfore it is requisit thou The first [...] a­gainst [...] haue this in minde, howe one of the principal meanes and helpes for thee both in this life to liue vertuouslye, and in thother to enioy God euerla­stingly, is this exercise of prayer; and therfore what paines and care soeuer it behoued thee to take for the gay­ning of so great a iewel, ought in no wise to seeme greeuous and yrksome to thee; yea, propounding this so rich a recompence before thine eyes, thou oughtest with al might and maine to remoue suche obstacles and lets, as might any waies impeache the due and orderly perfourming of this ex­ercise. Thou oughtest therefore take [Page 71] heede of distracting thy minde in di­uers vaine thoughts, of spending the time in profane and vnprofitable cō ­uersations; of disordinate affections; of excessiue passions of thy soule; as anger, heauines, too much laughing, and reioysing in worldly matters; and of too great a carke and care in thy temporal affaires and busines. These and suche other like imperfections, whereby the peace and serenitie of thy soule may be shadowed and takē away, are in any wife, so much as may be, to be auoided. Neither behoueth it onely to haue this watch and ward ouer thy heart and inwarde powers; but also to vse the like touching thy outward senses, which are the dores wherby these distractions enter & pe­netrate into thy heart: as might be a curious eye, in viewing; a listning af­ter nouelties and impertinent mat­ters; too much speech and talke; and eche other thing whatsoeuer that ex­perience [Page] teacheth vs to breede dis­traction. No doubt therfore, but soli­tarines would in this case be a soue­raine Solitarines a great helpe to [...] helpe to suche as might conue­niently vse it; for by it, are al occasi­ons of distracting the senses clene cut off; and therby a man may with more facilitie, eleuate his mind vp to God, and stande wel garded within him selfe: wherevpon this saying hath bene woorthely of longe, time vsed, that a contemplatiue man ought to be deafe, blinde, and dombe; that by this meanes wanting occasions to distract his minde in outward thinges, he might alwaies be gathered and attentiue in­wardly in godly cogitations.

It shal profite likewise to procure deuotion, and eleuation of minde vp to God to vse abstinence, fasting, and Abstinence and disci­pline. other afflictions and corporal chas­tisementes moderately applied. For like as these proceede of deuotion, so doo they mainteine and increase de­uotion.

[Page 72]A puritie and cleanes of conscience Puritie of conscience. is also verye necessary for gayning this deuotion; the which ought not only to be kept vndistained with any mortal sinne; but also free from veni­al, so much as may be: for these doo swage and abate the feruour of cha­ritie, which is the nurse and mother of deuotion. It behoueth therfore, if thou couet to finde a sweetnes and sauoure in thy prayers, to shunne al kinde of sinne, and such imperfecti­ons, as may gaule and fret thy consci­ence; as also to shake off scruples, & al superfluous remorse; the which, like priuie thornes lye pricking and paining the soule, and wil not suffer it to enioye any quiet rest or fruitful sauour in deuotion.

THE SECOND remedie which The second reme-lie a­gainst dis­traction. concerning this matter of meditati­on is by diuers good & vertuous men [Page] proued to be very profitable, is, for one to straine him-selfe continuallye to walke in the presence and sight of A continis al eye vpon God. Gods diuine Maiestie; supposing (as moste true it is) that we alwaies stand before his eyes; he beholding euerye houre and moment what we doo, speake, or thinke; and keeping with eche one a particuler accompt of eue­rye thing. Seing therfore, God euer­more hath vs in his heauenly eye and [...] 118. 168. presence, right meete and requisite is it, we alwayes haue him in ours. And in very deede, the taking vp of this custome shal helpe in this respect ve­rye muche, to make vs afraide of cō ­mitting any filthie and dishonest act, when we bethinke vs, that the eyes of God are euery where vpō vs.

THE THIRD remedie that helpeth The thirde remedie a­gainst dis­traction. [...] greatly to gather attention and deuo­tion, is an often frequentation of cer­taine prayers euery day, which the holye fathers cal darting prayers, for Darting prayers. [Page 73] that they bee in maner of amorous and louing dartes throwen vp at Gods heart. The maner of doing this is by saying with a zeal and inflamed desire certain verses of Dauid, or som other sentences of holy Saints, which thou must euer haue in memorie; and at such time, as thy deuotiō shal serue, to sai those that be fittest for that pre­sent affection thou then feelest; as for example, finding at some time a disposition of repentance and com­punction for thy sinnes, then to re­hearse certaine verses of the Psal. 50. Miserere psalme, or some other suche like brief sayings, seruing to signifye this affect of repentance. At an other time, fee­ling a desire to be more and more in­flamed in the loue of God, saye that Psal. 17. verse, Diligam te domine fortitudo mea, An­other time desiring to bee with God, saye; Quemadmodum desideras [...] ad fon­tem Psal. 41. aquarum &c. Otherwhiles, longing to approche and draw nighe to those [Page] heauenly bours; say, Psal. 83. Quam dilecta taber­nacula tua Domine. &c, Beati qui habitant in domo tua Domine. An-other time, with an affect to geue thankes to God for his diuine benefites, thou maiest saye certain everses of the psalme: Psal. 102 Benedie anima mea Domino, & omnia quae intra me sunt. &c. or Psal. 33. Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore: And so in like maner, accor­ding to the diuersitie of eche other affect thou haply findest thy self tou­ched with in soule; for cche kinde, wherof either in the prophetes, or in some other of the Saintes and fathers thou maiest finde very fitt words and sentences, to signifie thy meaning with But if so be thou want skil and knowledge thy selfe to cul and gather them out; then maiest thou frame wordes of thine owne, (according as the holye Ghoste shal vouchsafe to instruct & teache thee) such as maye serue moste fitly for thy purpose, and cause thy zeale to increase to God­ward, [Page 74] and to good desires. And albe­it at the first it may seeme thou dar­test not those amorous arowes with any great feruoure or fierie heate of soule; yet faile not to send and breath them forth; for no doubt but they shal afterwardes kindle and gather heat, and helpe thee greatly to warm thy soule withal. But if haply thou couldest not light of such wordes as thou wisshest for; sende then vp cer­taine sighes and grones drawen out from the bottome of thy heart, and these shal supplye and serue in steede of wordes to God-warde, who wel woteth, what thy spirite doth craue and longe for. These darting prayers, with the sentences, sighes, and spee­ches abouesaide, shal likewise helpe such gretly, as lack conueniūt leisure, to perfourme this exercise, in suche The fourth remedie is, the reding of some godly [...] maner as I haue heretofore declared.

THE FOVRTH remedie, whiche maye be vsed at suche time, as thy [Page] distraction wer greater, then that the former aduises coulde suffice to cal thy minde home, and to cause atten­tion; then maiest thou haue recourse to reading; whereto shal-be very ex­pedient thou be prouided of some godly booke, ful of good deuotiō and sound doctrin; & theron to read with leisure, faire and softly; not lightlye running ouer many leaues, but pau­sing at euery periode and sentence, to chawe the same, and to picke thence some profite, and fruitful deuotion, staying therein so longe as attention serueth thee; which once wanting; proceede then on forwarde to an-o­ther sentence, doing likewise in that; and thus mightest thou by meanes of such wordes as thou readest, vse those speeches, sighes, and inflamed desires, whereof I jastly spake in the third remedie; sith no doubt, but they are very valable, and of great force to retire thy minde home, and to kindle [Page 75] in it a deuotion, and feruent loue to God-warde.

The fittest bookes for this purpose are suche, as stirre a man vp to pietie and deuotion, and that withal, geue good instructions for life and ma­ners; as might be the meditations, So­liloquies, and Manuel of S. Austin; certaine smal treatises of S. Bernarde, and S. Bonauenture, which are to be founde a-part and printed by them­selues; especially some suche one as intreateth of the life of Christe; but aboue al other, shal that booke bene­fite and doo thoe good, which is cal­led De contemptu mundi, Or The folowing of The folow­ing of Christe, a booke greatly pro fitable. Christe, intituled to Iohn Gerson, though in very deede it was of one Thomas de Kempis making, this being a worke of wonderful profite, and moste notable doctrine; The liues of Saintes shal-be likewise very good for this purpose, who earst haue shewed them-selues liuely paterns of christian perfection. [Page] In these and suche like bookes mai­est thou exercise thy selfe; nowe rea­ding, now meditating on them, and alwaies committing some spiritual poynt to memorie, which thy soule may amongst other thy busines, nou­rishe and comfort it selfe withal.

How-be-it, because this remedie is onely to serue their turnes that can reade; others, that lacke that skil may vse pictures in steede of printed Pictures ignorant mens books bookes, and therein beholde that pas­sage they meane to meditate on; and thus shal the picture serue them in stede of bookes, and helpe to procure inward collection of their minde, and to purchase deuotion which is wan­ting; This shal chieflye helpe yonge beginners, and such as be yet rawlye rooted in these exercises; as also at the beginning & first entrance into prai­er, when the soul doth cōmonly find disquietnes, by reason of vaine thou­ghtes and wandring cogitations.

[Page 76] THE LAST remedie thou art to The fift re­medie a­gainst dis­traction, is perseuerāce take concerning this matter; is, to force thy selfe to perseuer in prayer; howe distract and frosen soeuer thou shalt finde thee; for that, who so shal thus force and strain him-selfe to en­dure the tedious toile and paine of praier, whiles thus he feeleth him­selfe frosen, and caried away with di­uers forraine thoughtes and fancies, wel may he beleeue, that at the ende of his praier he shal for the most part receaue comfort and contentation; and that, as it happed to our Sauiour (whom the Luc. 22. a. Angel came and com­forted in the garden, after his longe perseuerance in prayer, which he made three seueral times;) euen so likewise shal it in th'ende befal to him. And as in other workes experi­ence teacheth vs, that custome taketh away the toile which we feele at the beginning therof; euē so shal custome & continuance in this exercise; (not [Page] slacking or neglecting it at any time) eut off the toile and trauaile thereof, and cause a conquest of al such diffi­culties, as in the beginning seemed right painful to vs.

TWO things there be, wher­with the soule is chieflye fos­tred, and wherewith, as with Two wings, [...] the soule [...] to heauen. two winges, it soareth vp to heauen; that is to say, prayer, and the recea­uing of the blessed Sacrament. Ha­uing therfore alreadie spoken suffici­ently of the first, it remameth I now say some-what of the seconde. And because to receaue rightly this bles­sed Sacrament, Confission is alwaies presupposed to go before, I shal firste of al entreate therof, being a very so­withal; [Page 77] ueraine saulue for our soules, and [...] necessary to susteine our [...] withal; wherof albeit I haue spoken some-what before in the first Chap­ter; yet sith that speech tended chief­lye, to teache the maner of making a general confession to suche, as purpo­sed presently to beginne a ne we life; it behoueth I nowe declare, howe, and when, suche as doo proceede on forwarde in the true feare of God, and in his diuine seruice, ought to confesse them-selues; wherein this I say first, that as-wel for the making of a general, as a particuler confessio, both in thone and thother, it shal helpe thee greatly, to choose out such a Confessour as I then spake of; one that is wise, learned, and of godly life; as also wel beat and practised in spi­ritual waies; who both in this and eche other cause may guide and teach thee what thou oughtest to doo: And therfore no doubt but it beho­ueth [Page] thee to vse great diligence in The care we ought to haue in chosing a skilful Con fessour. [...] searching for suche a one; for if we vse with so great care to enquire after the moste learned and sufficient phisition to cure our bodily griefes, howe much the rather ought we to doo the same, for the sicknes and in­firmities of our soules? Why doo we not digest & ponder wel, what truth him-selfe did Mat. 15. b. testifie vnto vs; that If the blinde doo leade the blind, bothfal down intc the diche; the truth wherof because diuers haue litle regarded & rought of; haue therfore proued to their cost, what harme and hinderance they haue susteined in being so blind and recklesse in this behalfe; whereby both they, and eche other maye wel wot, what care and diligence ought to be emploied for the finding out of so sufficient a person, as the weight of this affaire importeth. And ha­uing once founde out suche a one, make accompt to haue hitt of no [Page 78] smal treasure, thy soule nowe hauing How great a treasure a good ghostly fa­ther is. one, by whose good means and helpe al her spiritual infirmities shal-be healed; al her doubtes dissolued; al her feares asswaged and comforted; and by whom she may in her weak­nes and indeuotion be inflamed; in her wearines eased and encouraged; holpen in al her temptations; and di­rected in the sundry daungers, which in this life doo dasel and fright vs; and finally by his conduct be caried the right waye to eternal blisse and happines; like as the children of Is­rael wer let into the land of promise, for hauing had so good a guide, as was their Captaine Iosue.

Hauing therefore in this wise founde out such a ghostly father and good guide; impart to him thy whole life, thine intentes and exercises, as al­so eche other thing, whereof he shal desire to be informed; & see that by [Page] counsaile thou gouerne the whole course of thy spiritual life.

How-be-it, because a man shal ve­rye hardly at al times haue suche a ghostly father at hande, as maye in euery poynt serue his turne, and satis­fie this office; I shal therefore briefly geue thee certaine notes, wherby, for this poynt, thou maiest knowe howe to guide and direct thy selfe, in mat­ters of Confession.

And firste concerning the time thereof, I say vnto thee, that euerye good Christiā ought to prepare him When we ought to confesse. selfe to confession once euery weeke; according as both S. Austin, and the other holy doctours exhort vs; yea, suche, as in temporal affaires be lesse S. Austine. busied, and in spiritual causes better practised, may doo it ofter, especially being wel battened and exercised in that kinde of prayer, I haue alreadye entreated of Such though as are more [...] and lesse able to performe that [Page 79] kind of prayer, may euery fifteene or twentie dayes confesse them; but in no wise would I, that any man, haue he neuer so muche adoo, should faile once euery moneth to doo the same.

Minding therfore to confesse thee thus ofte, let thy preparation thereto be in maner folowing.

Firste, the same day that thou pur­posest Howe we aught to confesse, & examine our con­sciences. to confesse on, see thou gather thy selfe a litle before, and craue of God the light of his grace, to knowe thy sinnes and faultes, without the which neyther can they be knowen nor wel confessed; Afterwardes exa­mine thy conscience, vnbethinking thee what thou haste done since the time of thy former consession. And for the better doing hereof, thou mai est runne ouer the commaunde­mentes, and the deadly sinnes; espe­cially suche, as thou art wont moste commonly to fal into. How be-it, for those that doo more ofte and or­dinarilye [Page] frequent confession, it maye suffice to discourse vpon their thou­ghtes, wordes, and omissions or ne­gligences, examining in eche one of these pointes, wherin they may seme to haue offended. And such particu­ler thinges as thou remembrest to haue transgressed in, since thy former confessions, those shalt thou chiefely note and confesse thee of, be they ve­nial, or mortal, sinnes: for al-be-it we are not bound to confesse our venial sins, yet is it both more secure, & pro­fitable so to doo; those specially, that be moste notorious, and of greatest importance. And forsomuch as some doo verye fondly forbeare to receaue, and confesse them-selues, for lacke of his helpe, whom they haue earst cho­sen for their ghostlye guide and go­uernour; I deeme it therefore requi­site A notable aduertise­ment. to aduertise thee herein; that in suche wise would I haue thee obedi­ent and affected to this thy Confes­sour [Page 80] thou haste made choise of (of whom I haue already spoken) that when thou shouldest haplye want oportunitie to make thy confession to him; thou faile not then to confesse thee to an-other. And let not this sensual and vndiscrete affection, which some (but chiefelye women) are wont to carye toward their Con­fessours, bereue thee of that libertie, which is expedient for thee in this case to haue; (wanting commoditie of confessing to thy accustomed and wonted Father) yea, rather set thy minde of the grace which is graun­ted by meanes of this holye Sacra­ment, being al one, then of the priest which geueth thee this Sacrament, whereof be manye. And in doing thus, both thy soule shal-be better prouided for, and thou remaine more secure, not to fal into suche inconue­niences, as others haue incurred, by [Page] too indiscretly addicted them-selues to these their chosen Confessours.

This being thus presupposed, thou maiest discuise thy conscience in ma­ner folowing. Concerning thoughts; If thou haste had any dishonest, vn­cleane, Thoughtes. vaine, and vnprofitable thou­ghtes, and therein spent the time; or any rashe judgementes or suspitions; or lewd affections and desires. Tou­ching wordes; of blasphemous spee­ches, othes, lyes, murmuringes, detrac­tions; Wordes. contentious, proude, ireful, and idle wordes. For deedes; looke if thou Deedes. haste done any outwarde worke of sinne, which is against any of the cō ­maundements. About omissions; here Omissions. maiest thou accuse thy selfe of ha­uing lefte vndone some such workes, as thou oughtest to haue done; as, not to haue heard Masse, prayed, and re­ceaued the holye Sacrament; with such other like good workes; or at least to haue done them faintlye, and [Page 81] with smal deuotion. And if at some time it happen so, that thou foundest not thy conscience giltie of any par­ticuler crime, whereot thou mightest [...] accuse thee, then maiest thou confesse thee of certaine general pointes, wherin moste commonly at, (be they neuer so spiritual) do faile; as not to haue loued God so intierly, as thou oughtest; of vnthankfulnes for his diuine benefites; of smal charitie towardes thy neighbours; of to great loue thou bearest to worldly things, and to thy selfe, wherby thou seekest thine owne profite more carefullye then neede requineth; of an ouer wee­ning of thy selfe, wherby thou repu­test thee to be better then others, and desirest to be respected and reue­renced of them; of to curious a desire to knowe many matters that profite not, nor apperteine vnto thee; yea, sometimes do greatly harme and hin­der thee; of not hauing made due re­sistance [Page] against such tentations as as­sault thee; not to haue sied and shun­ned the occasions of offending; nor to haue had such diligent watche and warde ouer thy outward and inward senses as behoued; of vnprofitable speeches and thoughtes; of euil em­ploying the time, wherin thou migh­test haue done great good; of hauing bene negligent in many such workes as thou wert bound to doo; and in those workes thou doest, not to haue that puritie and right intention thou art bound to haue; sithens thou doest them not purely for Gods sake alone; but for some other vain respects; and so in euery thing to haue bene moste imperfect; not answering nor obey­ing to suche diuine inspirations, as thou feelest in thee; nor being con­stant in such purposes as thou haste already enterprised. In these and such like other defectes (examining thy selfe wel) thou shalt finde thy want [Page 82] & imperfectiō, wherof, or at least som part, it is very commendable to con­fesse thee at such time, as thou haste not fallen into any greater giltes. But in any waves howsoeuer, it is meete thou accuse thee of these and suche like defaultes at least once in a mo­neth; not belecuing them for al that to be mortal sinnes, but rather vemal, and imperfections. This doo I adde, because there be some of timorous conscience through the often frequē ­ting of confession, that are manye times troubled with diuers scruples; which annoye and hinder greatlye their proceeding in spiritual life and exercise; who (the best remedie they A [...] me ane to [...] super­fluous re­morse. can vse) in this case, is, not to credite that their timorous conscience shal tel them; ne ween any thing to be a mortal or deadly sinne, which is not against the cōmaundements of God, or of the Church our holye mother. [Page] And to take away, & rid them quite of the toile and perplexitie, which these scruples are wont to bring thē in, the soundest counsaile for such to folowe, is, to let them selues be gouer­ned by their discrete Confessours; and to obey thē in al thinges; al-be-it that which they commaunde them, shal seeme flat contrary to that their own consciences telleth them; aud this waies, no doubt, but they shal receaue a great deale more helpe and consola­tion; and by breaking and mastering their own [...] this maner, be farre sooner healed; then in doing that, which their owne timerous, blind, & erroneous consciēces mai suggest thē.

AS material breade is necessa­ry for our bodily sustinance, without the which this cor­poral [Page 83] life of ours cannot long be in­certained; As mate­rial bread is necessa­rye for our bodies, so is [...] breade for our soules. euen so is spiritual breade necessary for the preseruation of our soules, and spiritual life, the whiche breade is geuen vs in the sacred and holye Sacrament of the aultar. And therfore is it called the Ioh. 6. a bread of life, through the life it causeth in the souls of such, as worthely receaue it. The which breade if we should not eate, we should not haue Ioh. 6. f. life in vs, as our Sauiour Christ affirmeth in the Gos­pel. This is the bread that geueth vs strength to ouercome tentations, to trauaile more lustily, and with grea­ter courage to passe the course of this worldlye pilgrimage, and is called Viaticam, that is The bread of pilgrimes and [...] for like as pilgrimes haue neede of breade to last out to the re­gion and countrey they go to; euen so we do stand need of this bread, to arriue at length happily to the celes­tial Region we aspire to. And there­fore [Page] is this Sacrament figured by the breade baked vnder ashes, which the Angel gaue vnto 3. Re. 19. b Helias, wherwith he recouered so great strength; as he lasted out, til he came to the mount of God, Oreb; the effect which this Sacrament doth operate in like ma­ner, Singuler effectes of the B. Sa­crament. being wor­thely [...] being worthely receued; making vs recouer strength, to arriue out to the moūt of eternal happines; it cau­seth vs also to fight manfully, and to vanquishe our enemies, which in this life doo what they can to let vs. Fi­nally, in this sacrament (who so wor­thely receaueth it) doth finde al suc­cour, al comfort, al sweetnes, and su­gred sauour. And therfore is it woor­thely figured by that Exo. 16. a Manna which God sent downe from heauen to the people of Israel: for, like as in that the good found al fauour and good­nes they could haply desire; euen so in this sacrament, such as doo dulye [Page 84] taste it, doo finde al sauour and hap­pines they maye wel require in this world. Sithens the effectes which the holy Doctours write to proceede out of this sacrament, be almoste innu­merable; who graunt, that it forge­ueth our former sins, and ministreth force to withstand future tentations; it causeth them likewise to be both fewer and famter; It weakneth our passions; increaseth deuotion; establi­sheth vertue; illuminateth our faith; confirmeth hope; exciteth charitie; maketh vs partakers of the merits of Christe; and geueth vs an earnest-pe­nye of euerlasting happines.

If therefore both these and o­ther moste excellent and vnspeaka­ble fruites be by this moste holy and sacred foode (the blessed sacrament of the Aultare) afforded and wrought in vs; what is he that eyther can or wil be so starke blinde, or so great [Page] an enemy to his own welfare, as to be wilfully weined from them, and wil­lingly to depriue him-selfe of so ma­nye benefites? what delite canst thou desire, that is not here afforded thee: what gaine canst thou long for, that here is not geuen thee? yea, and that with much lesse cost and labour, then men vse to take for other thinges a great deale lesse important. Sith ther­fore this moste sacred Sacrament is thus profitable and necessary for thy soule (yea, and much more then may by speeche or penne be specified) it behoueth, I saye, we receaue it ofte; that ofte we be made partakers of the fruits and innumerable benefits that proceede out of it. Neither are we to Against those that [...] of often [...] beleeue and credite such, as saye, it is not conuenient or commendable to receaue it very oft, sith the often re­ceauing should impair the reuerence due to so soueraine a Sacrament. Be­leeue them not, I say, that say thus, for [Page 85] in very deede it is not so; but rather, as loue increaseth, by the frequenta­tion thereof; so doo both deuotion and reuerence increase in like maner: For that, looke, by howe muche the more the soule approcheth nighe to this Sacrament, and by so muche the more is it illuminated; according as is figured by the honye that 1 Reg. 14. [...] Ionathas tasted of in the wildernes, wherwith his eyes were forthwith opened and made bright; The soule then being better illuminated by this Sacramēt, then it was before, the worthines ther of must needes be better discerned; as also the greatnes and maiestie of our Lorde therin conteyned; and conse­quently, the reuerence due thereto, bee muche augmented and increa­sed. They most reuerent that re­ceaue of­test. The truth whereof, experience and trial doo plainly teache vs; sith those that receaue but once by yere, or very seldome, we see to be most ir­reuerent towardes this soueraine Sa­crament; [Page] and such moste reuerent, as The [...] of [...] Church in receauing. receaue it oftest. The same is also mamfestly proued by the zeale, fer­uencie, loue, and reuerence which was vsed in the primatiue Churche, when eche one receaued euery day, as was Pope Ana cletus. decreed by pope Anacletus; Since which time, looke howe much more rarely the people haue vsed to receue; and so much more is deuotion de­cayed; as also the reuerence to this sacrament, and al other goodnes. See therefore, good brother, thou folowe the counsaile of Saintes and holye Doctours, both olde and new herein; and if thou feelest thy selfe a-colde, drawe nigh to the fire of this moste holye sacrament; If thou beest in po­uertie, thinke howe this treasure was geuen for the poore; If feeble and weake, remember that such stande neede of a phisition; and howe for such was this medicine chiefly insti­tuted; If thou beest hungry, and prest [Page 86] with famine, here shalt thou find the true foode and fostring. For albeit this is the breade of holy Angels; yet is it not denied to penitent sinners. This is a banquet meete for kinges and princes; but withal it is bread fit for poore laborers and pilgrims. It is meate for great ones, and likewise milke for litle ones. Briefly, this mira­culous sacrament may greatly profite euery one (being wel disposed there­to) like as our Lorde and Sauiour, (who is therein conteined) descended from heauen for euery one; was born for euery one, and vouchsafed to dye for euery one. If therefore thy cares and busines be many, receaue manye times the remedye and redie dispatch of al, which is herein promised thee. Receaue (if thou canst not ofter) at least once euery week or fortninght, and al the highe festiual dayes that ar solemnized throughout the whole yeere: Neither doo thou regard the [Page] sayinges of such as be indeuout, who vnder the colour of reuerence, doo cloke and shadowe their negligence, And no doubt, but by thus endeuou­ring thy selfe to receaue as woorthely as thou canst, trial shal within fewe monethes teache thee, that the profit and consolation which thy soule shal thereby gaine, is farre greater, then a­ny man may possibly set out and ex­aggerate with words. For albeit there haue bene by so great a number of holy Doctours as haue written vpon this matter, many glorious thinges & meruailous excellencies reported, which this heauenlye misterie doth worke; yet much more shal suche by experience find and proue, as wil dis­pose them-selues to taste ofte, and woorthely, this diuine foode, & grace aboue al graces.

HAVING in some wise touched the importance and great profit which the often frequenting of this holye Sacrament is of; it remaineth nowe, to teach thee the maner how to prepare and make thy selfe fitt to receaue the same; sith, as the Apostle sayeth; It behoueth [...] 1. Cor. 11. [...] that a man proue him-selfe before he eate of this breade; sith otherwise, who so should vnwoorthely eate it, should not receaue any benefite ther­by, but iudgement and condemnatiō for his soule. It is therefore to be no­ted, that so farr is man vnable to pre­sent him-selfe woorthely, and accor­ding to the dignitie of this Sacramēt; that the Angels them-selues can-not doo the same. Neuerthelesse, to haue [Page] that woorthines, which mans frailtie wil permit, it shal-be sufficient to prepare and proue thy selfe so wel as thou canst; and this maiest thou doo in maner folowing.

FIRST, the euening before thou The ma­ner of pre­paring our selues to receauc. purposest to receaue, indeuour thy selfe as much as possibly thou maiest, to refraine al temporal traficque and busying thy minde in seculer af­faires; yea, from al superfluous and impertinent speeches. Likewise if thou hast a wife, it were very com­mendable to forbeare that night the act of matrimonie; as also to leaue thy supper, or at least wise, to make it more moderate thē at other times; sith that, considering the high feast thou lookest for the next day, some smal abstinence should doo wel be­fore it. In like maner shal it be good, to make a litle meditation before thou go to bed; calling to thy minde [Page 88] that immeasurable loue, wherewith our Lorde and Sauiour vouchsated to leaue vs so inestimable a grace, as this most gratious sacrament is; and beginne then in heart to taste that sauourie foode, which on the morow thou hopest to receaue; beseeching God to preserue and prepare thee, that thou maiest doo the same to his glorye, and the wel-fare of thine owne soule. On the morowe; being got vp betimes; examine thy consci­ence quietly; with sorowe for suche sinnes and faultes as thou shalt finde therein; and get thee afterwardes to thy ghostly father to confesse them, (if haply thou haddest not done so Note wel, and [...] eft­sons. ouer night) And eyther whiles thou art in confession, or afterwardes, it shal-be verye good to renewe and confirme thy former good purposes to walke hence-forth more warilye in Gods wayes, and with greater [Page] diligence to amend thine imperfec­tions, especially, suche, as thou vsest most commonly to fal into; crauing thereto particuler ayde and grace of God, deuising also some newe means howe better to perfourme the same. When thou hast in this wise exami­ned, and vnfolded thy conscience, ga­ther thy selfe, a while to meditate some one or mo pomtes of the passi­on of our Lorde and Sauiour (in me­morie wherof was this venerable Sa­crament instituted; that euery time we receaue the same, we should cal to mind that infinite loue, wher with he offered vp him-selfe to the crosse for vs) as also al other the pains and tor­mentes he from the cribbe vntil the Crosse did willinglye suffer for our saluation. Doing thus, (and deuoutly meditating the roode, and other his most ruful panges) the fire of his fer­uent loue shal by this meanes kindle and creepe into thy soule; being a [Page 89] thing right necessary for the worthy receauing of this sacrament. For like as in the olde lawe Exo. 12. b. God commaun­ded the pascal Lambe to be eaten ro­sted; The paseal Lambe fi­gure of the B. Saera­ment. euē so the most innocent Lambe (which is conteined in this sacramēt, and figured by the former of the old law) must be eaten rosted, to wit, with a heart inflamed in his loue, sithens he here geueth him-selfe to vs rosted with the fire of his most feruent cha­ritie. Loue [...] with due reue­rence and humilitie. And to thende that with this loue, thou maiest also haue due reue­rence for receauing so high a sacra­ment; consider wel the excellencie therof, and what that is thou mindest to receaue; howe in this sacrament is conteined the sacred and soueraine humanitie of Christe; that is to saye, his soule, his body, and his bloud; and not onely his humanitie, but eke his diuinitie, sith th'one can no waies be seperated from th'other; so that in this sacrament is conteined the sonne [Page] of the eternal God, and of the bles­sed virgin Mary. And forsomuch as, looke where the son of God is, there is the father and the holy ghoste; be­ing al three persons one selfe same es­sence; it foloweth, that al the most ho lye Trinitie is conteined in this high and mightie sacrament, in such wise, as the deuines declare and teache it; which thou art bound most firmelye to beleeue, albeit to knowe the maner thereof surpasseth thy capacitie and vnderstanding. See nowe (al this be­ing wel considered) with howe great reuerēce thou oughtest to present thy selfe before so great a Monarche as is conteyned in this Sacrament; before whom al the powers of heauen doo tremble and quake againe; and thou­sand thousandes of Angels waite and geuo attendance on him in the same, yeelding adoration, and al other most dut ful [...] the to Hauing the [...] being astonished at so [...] an excellencie [Page 90] and dreadful Maiestie, thou mayest say these wordes ( My Lorde my God, what Note; art thou, and what am I?) wherein pause and occupie thy selfe a while before thou receaue; weighing thine own in­speakable vilenes, and his incompre­hensible Maiestie and highnes; as al­so that ineffable loue, and beyond al measure, wherwith he vouchsafeth to come to that Sacrament, thereby to communicate his graces and gifts vn­to thee, if thou be thy self disposed to receaue them.

Being in this maner by these low­lye considerations prouoked to hu­militie; and thy heart already infla­med in feruent loue and charitie; thou maiest then receaue thy maker with great reuerēce; & see thou in no wise chowe the hoste with thy teeth; but let it moisten a while in thy mouth, thereby to swalowe it downe more easilye without any cleauing to thy palate; & humbly beseech that Lorde [Page] thou receauest, that it may please him to receaue thee, and through his loue & graces to transform thee into him, & to make thee partaker of such gra ces, as he ordinarily bestoweth by the means of this most sacred sacrament. How we ought to behaue our selues af­ter hauing receaued. And thus hauing receaued, see thou pause a while to yeelde that Lorde moste hartie and humble thankes for hauing thus louingly vouchsafed to visite thee, comforting thy selfe, and keeping company with him, whiles he yet remaineth in thy brest; being otherwise a very indecent thing, that so great a Lorde vouchsafing thus to visite thee, & to enter into thy poore cotage, thou shouldest bye and bye fling out of dores, and occupie thy selfe in forraine thoughtes and com­munications. See therefore thou at­tende onely of this most worthy gest which thou haste receaued, and solace thy selfe with his moste sweete and comfortable conuersation; doing so, [Page 91] assure thy self thou shalt be wel paid and contented for his lodging; and receaue mercy, as Mat. 9. a. Mathew and Luc 19. b Za­cheus did, at such time, as they harbo­red him in their houses. Craue also particulerly his ayde, for the vanqui­shing of that vice that moste mole­steth thee; & which thou hast chiefly determined to withstande and fight against. And if thou be so disposed, thou maiest with this minde saye some vocal prayer, yeelding him thā ­kes, and begging necessary graces for thy needes. For this cause haue I an­nexed at the ende of this litle Trea­tise certaine praiers or meditations, whereof thou maiest reade eyther al, or part, as-wel before as after the bles­sed sacrament; foreseing alwaies, that the wordes proceede rather from thy heart, then from thy mouth. Hauing thus occupied thy selfe some time, so long as thy deuotion shal continue, thou maiest then get thee home; and [Page] beware that (without very vrgent oc­casion) thou spitt not of some pretie space after thou hast receaued; and when thou doest, let it be in some cleane and decent place; pause like­wise a while eare thou eate any meat, least thou mixe corruptible foode with that deuine and heauenly food, which thou so lately receauedst. It were very commendable also for him that had the commoditie and means, to inuite some poore body to dinner with him; that he might so receaue that Lord in his members, whom he receaued euen nowe in the blessed Sacrament: but who so had not the commoditie to performe this in acte, maye in wil and wishe execute the same, which our Lord wil repute and take for deede. And note howe on that day thou receuest, thou art boūd Note. to take greater heede then on other daies, of distraction in seculer causes; of profane conuersation; of playe; of [Page 92] immodest laughter; of superfluous wordes; but much more of dishonest wordes; of murmuringes and detrac­tions; being a very vnfit thing, that forth of that mouth, wherin the word incarnat hath so lately entred; (which thou receauest in this blessed Sacra­ment) shoulde so dissonant wordes proceed, and so offensiue to this eter­nal worde of God. Finally, take heed of eating and drinking to much, and of eche other thing that may let thy deuotion; which on this daye thou must indeuour to keepe as diligently as may be; by reading of some good booke; or making longer praiers, hea­ring of sermons or lessons, if there be any; or otherwise occupying thy selfe in doing some spiritual or corporal worke of mercy.

THIS moste holy sacrament of the Aultar (wherin is con­teined the very real body & bloud of our Sauiour Iesus Christe, and by the same his passion and dol­ful death represented vnto vs) is of such vertue and excellencie, that it not onely profiteth such, as with due preparation doo really receaue the same; but extendeth also the vertue thereof to those, that with fayth and inward zeale desire to receaue, albeit sacramentally they doo it not. And therfore besides this sacramental re­ceauing (whereof I haue intreated in the former Chapter) the holy Doc­tours exhort vs to vse a spiritual re­ceauing 3. Kindes of Bap­tisine. of the same. For like as there be three kindes of Baptisme defined; the first of bloud; which is that, wher by a Martir is baptised in his owne 1. Of bloud [Page 93] bloud, or rather in the bloud of Christe; sith by dying for his sake he maketh it his: the second of water, 2. Of [...] which is the first sacrament that ech one receaueth; and are al therby made the members of Christe, and become Christians: The third, of the holye 3. Of the holy ghost. Ghoste; which is that kinde of Bap­tisme that such receaue, as haue a de­sire, and yet can-not sacramentally be baptised; to whom the holye ghoste 3. Kindes. of recea­uing. imparteth the grace of Baptisme, al­beit he geue them not the sacrament of Baptisme. Euen so like-wise be 1. there three kindes of receauing. The first is that, whereby we are incorpo­rated and vnited to Christe by favth S. Austime. and charitie; and hereof is that saying of S. Austins to be vnderstoode; Be­leeue, 2. and thou haste eaten. The seconde kinde is the sacramental receauing; which is, when Christians doo really receaue the consecrated hoste at the priestes handes; whereby (being wel [Page] disposed and prepared) they receaue those meruailous graces, whereof I haue alreadye spoken. The thirde is this spiritual maner which is done through a longing and zealous desire to receaue this Sacrament; whereto is in effect the firste kinde of receauing presupposed, that a Christian be lin­ked to Christe by faith and charitie; and the second in affect; to wit, that he hartilye desireth to receaue this blessed sacrament. The which spiri­tual kinde of receauing thou maiest frequent by preparing thy selfe ther­to in maner folowing.

WHEN thou goest to Masse on The ma­ner of pre­paring our selues to re ceaue spi­ritually. such dayes as thou art not sacramen­tally to receaue; vnbethinke thee of the fruites of this sacrament, and the meruailous See the 13. Chapter aboue. effects it worketh in the soules of suche as woorthely receaue it; wherof doo thou with al thy hart desire to be made partaker. And thus shalt thou with this desire and pur­pose [Page 94] come to hear Masse, and at such time as the priest beginneth the ge­neral confession, or a litle before, exa­mine briefly thy conscience, reducing to minde such sinnes and faultes, at least the principal, wherin thou haste offended since thy last confession or examination; and being penitent therefore, beseeche God humblye to forgeue thee; purposing to confesse them to thy ghostly father, as soone as thou maiest conueniently, and to amende thy life hereafter. Thus mai­est thou herein occupie thy selfe, whiles the priest is making him rea­dye to saye Masse, and reciteth the general confession; litle time more or lesse, according as thy neede shal re­quire. Afterwardes heare Masse, be­hauing thee therein, as I tolde thee in the fourth Chapter; and at such time, as the priest is about to receaue, pre­pare thou thy self in like maner, as if [Page] thou wert then really to receaue; lif­ting vp thy heart a-new to thy Lord God conteined in that sacrament; & inflaming thy soul with fresh desires to receue him; & hauing so done, [...] him humbly, rather with sute of heart, then sound of wordes) that fithens thou maiest not then sacra­mentally receaue him; yet that of his goodnes it may please him to impart the vertue and fruites of this meruai­lous sacrament vnto thee; in graun­ting them spiritually, as he best can and knoweth howe to doo it. Thus hauing made thy sute and humble prayer (according as the holy Ghoste may vouchsafe to inspire thee) beleue assuredly, how that moste bountiful and benigne Lord, (who desireth no­thing more then to comfort vs, and geue him-selfe vnto our soules) wil satisfie thy longing, and gratiouslye graunt thee the giftes and vertues of this sacrament, albeit thou sacramen­tally [Page 95] receaue it not, doing therein ac­cording to his Mat. 5. a promise, that such as hun­ger and thirst after righteousnes (for suche is this sacrament) shul-be satiated: His ho­ly mother hath likewise Luc. 1. [...] prophecied how he shal fil the hungrye with good thinges: for so oughtest thou in hungry wise to be affected towards this sacrament, which is the true satietie. And beleue assuredly, that if thou haue this fer­uent desire, and want not fayth, thou shalt gain great consolatiō & profite by this spiritual receauing; whiche may likewise be vsed, not onely once Spiritual receauing may be eft sons fre­quented in one day. euery day (as is the sacramental) but many times, if in one day thou happ to hear many Masses; yea, thou ough test euery time thou seest the hoste consecrated, to accustome thee forth­with to haue an eleuation of minde thereto, longing to eate thereof, and to participate of those pretious fruits that proceede out of it; Sithens if by the fight of any straunge and deli­cate [Page] fruites or conserues; thou art forthwith prouoked with a longing desire to feede and taste theron: how great a shame and confusion shoulde it be to thee, if seing this fruit of the virginal wombe conteined in the cō ­secrated hoste (a much more pretious fruit then that of the tree of life) thou shouldest not forthwith feele a longing and great desire to enjoye and receaue it. By thus accustoming thy selfe to couet this heauenly fruit and diuine foode, with farre greater desire then anye corruptible foode, thou maiest with great ease gaine much spiritual treasure, and eftsons reape this diuine cōsolatiō, by eftsons receauing spiritually, as is aforesaide. Gouern­ment after spiritual receauing. Hauing nowe in this wise receaued, yeeld thankes to thy Lorde for this his singuler benefite, and in al other thinges behaue thy selfe according to that I haue tolde thee in the former Chapter; euē as though thou haddest then receaued sacramentallye. And [Page 96] thus maiest thou passe on the time, til thou come to receaue sacramen­tally in deede, which thou oughtest not for al this spiritual exercise to omitt; but rather at the ordinarye times with great zeale to frequent and vse it; for thus must thou needes doo to make thy spiritual receauing so fruitful as I tel thee, one of these helping greatly to th'other; and as wel th'one as th'other shal turne to great good, and comfort of thy soul, and to no smal increase of spiritual strength,

HAVING hitherto intrea­ted The [...] most excellent me­thode. of the most necessary ex­ercises that euery Christian man (minding sincerely to dedicate him-self to diuine seruice, and to liue spiritually) ought to vse and spende his time in; it remaineth that I nowe [Page] speake of the incumbrances & temp­tations, which ordinarily offer them selues in this spiritual life; and of the remedies we are to vse to ouercome and vanquishe them withal. For this must needes be presupposed, that our life (as Iob sayeth) is a continual warfare Iob. 7. a vpon earth, the which doth growe so Our life is a continual warfare much the greater, as a man draweth neerer to Gods seruice; and meaneth to abandon this worldly life; especi­allye in the beginning, til suche time, The Diuel affiscteth is most in the begin­ning of our con­uersion. as he haue somewhat dompted the passions of the fleshe; according to that the wise man doth forewarne vs, saying: My sonne, drawing neere to the seruice of God, stande in ighteousnes, and feare, and dispose thy selfe to temptation. For looke how much a man groweth stronger, Eccle. 2. a and gaineth more spiritual treasure, by leaning to God, and leauing the world; and so much more doth our ghostly enemies the deuils malitious rage increase, and with more violence [Page 97] doo they force them-selues by sun­drye tentations to afflict vs; yet are not we to trouble our selues thereat, nor to growe faint hearted, or geue ouer the race we haue so haplye be­gonne; yea, rather ought we to fight valiantly; and to be ioyful; conside­ring that al the temptations and per­secutions, Temptuti­ons profi­table. wherwith our aduersaryes may any waies afflict vs, if we force our selues to fight, and manfullye to withstand them, shal occasionate our greater gaine. For by meanes of these temptations our soule is Iob. 13. c. proued and purified; & the pride of man repres­sed from growing 2. Cor, 12. b insolent through Gods giftes, or his own good works, (wrought through Gods grace) whi­les by these temptations, he seeth his owne weaknes and miserable frailtie. They make vs also more wary and diligent to exercise prayer, and other good deedes, that so it maye please God continually to defend and keep [Page] vs. Finally they be occasion of diuers and sundry great benefites: And for this cause is it, that our Lord suffreth vs to be thus tempted, and yet 1. Cor. 10 c not aboue that our strength maye wel beare. Let vs thinke therefore (as Iac. 1. a Iudith. 8. c S. Iames saith) that then is great matter of reicysing offred vnto vs, when diuers tentations doo assault vs. as-wel for the meede and spiritual fruit we may reape therby, as also for the apparant 1 Pet. 5. e testimonie it geueth vs, that we are not in slauerie and bondage to the deuil; who vex­eth not, ne striueth in this wise with those he hath already vnder his do­minion; but with such as be deuided from him, and folow the foresteppes of Iesus Christe our souerain Lord & captaine. In consideration wherof, we read of diuers Saints, that being gre­uously & long time tempted, would neither pray thē-selues, nor suffer any other to pray to God for their deli­uerance, and the taking away of these [Page 98] temptations; but verye willinglye to geue them ayde and strength coura­giously to withstande them.

NOWE therfore (good brother) if, A sweets exhortatiō and encou­ragement. hauing begonne to folowe this thy Captaine his steppes, thou feele thy selfe afflicted with diuers temptati­ons and crosse ouerthwartes; be not dismaide therwith; but plucke me vp a good heart; not beleuing for al this, but that thou walkest rightly and in our Lordes way. Thinke how in like maner the same happed to him; he vouchsafing to be tempted for our example and consolation; whom if thou imitate rightly, in resisting and fighting manfully against them, thou shalt afterwardes by trial finde that true which is written Iac. 1. b. 2. Tim. 2. a. 4. b. Apoc. 2. b c. g. Iob. 3. d. Happy is the man that susteineth temptation. Who being by this meanes proued, shal receaue the crown of life, which is not geuen, but to those that coragiously do fight the [Page] Thus being both counsailed and in­couraged by this good consideration, take vp such wepons, and brandishe them before hande, wherewith thou must fight and resist thine enemies, at al times when any neede shal re­quire and vrge thee.

And for-so-much as the temptati­ons and assaultes, which assaile vs in this life, be manifold, and much dif­ferent, like as our enemies be mani­folde and much different; I shal firste appoint thee certain wepons and re­medies, generally to withstande and redresse al what so-euer; and after­wardes shal I set thee downe others that are particuler, according to the particuler kinde and qualitie of eche tentation. Temptati­ons, albeit they be pro fitable, yet are they in no wise to be sought for.

Howbeit, first wil I here, before I go any further, aduertise thee of one thing, that albeit temptations be so profitable to our soules, as is afore­saide, and that they maye yeeld thee [Page 99] matter of so great profite, when God permitteth them to come vpon thee; yet art not thou for al that to craue, seeke, or intrude thy selfe into them; sith this shoulde be a farre greater temptation; and then might it wel happen vnto thee aceording as is Eccle. 3. d written, that who so loueth peril, shal perishe in it.

SITHENS it is so weigh­tie a matter, and of so great importance to fight, and to resist tentations, for feare of be­ing ouercome, and falling into sinne; it behoueth vs to haue alwayes a vi­gilant eye, and to be furnished of suche wepons as be moste requisite for this future combat. Such therfore as may serue generally to defend thee from al kinde of sinne, be these con­siderations folowing; which thou [Page] must exercise, not onely in time of In time of truce we ought to prepare for battaile. fight, but in time of peace too; that when neede requireth, thou may thē haue them in more readines.

FIRST consider the dignitie of thy The digni­tie of mās soule. soule, created to the very Gen. 1. c. Colos. 3. b [...] Ioh. 12. c. likenes and similitude of God; and how, whiles it persisteth in grace, it is so beutiful & bright, that the maker him-selfe de­lighteth tobdwel in it; and al the holy Angels and quiers of heauen doo re­uerence and reioyce in it; but anone, after it hath once consented to sinne, God straight-waies departeth out, and the deuil entreth in; polluting & chaunging it into so vgglye and ab­hominable a state, as if the sinner could then see him-selfe, he woulde be therewith vtterly confounded, and haue him-self in extreme horrour. If therfore thou wouldest so lothly soile An apt cō ­parison. any fresh and gay garment thou had­dest lately bought; how muche more thē oughtest thou to detest that con­sent [Page 100] to sinne, which so filthily pollu­teth thy soule; a much more pretious thing, without al comparison, then any most gorgious and glittering at­tire of body.

SECONDLY consider, howe be­sides One mor­tal sinne cause of in numerable sorowes. this euil; euen one sinne doth cause thee to incurre innumerable o­ther miseries; sith by committing but of one mortal sinne, thou loosest the grace of God; and his amitie, annex­ed to his grace; Chris. ho. 17. in Gen. Thou loosest the in­fused vertues, and the gifts of the ho­lye Ghoste; which adorned thee, and made thee beautiful in the sight of God. Thou losest the repose and Chris. ho. 8. ad pop. Antioch. se­renitie of a good conscience. Thou losest the Ezec. 18. c f. 33. c. d. meed and merite of al such good deedes as thou hast done before; and the participation of the merites of Christ our head; sith thou art not now vnited to him by grace and cha­ritie; & so remainest an enemy to thy Creator, Mat. 7. d 23. d Luc. 13. f depriued of the inheritāce, [Page] which Christe by his pretious bloud had purchased for thee, condemned to euerlasting tormentes; a thral and Ioh. 8. d. bond-ssaue to the deuil; who by al meanes possiblye seeketh thine vtter ouerthrow. Briefly, thou incurrest so many other daungers, as no mannes tongue can sufficiently declare them. What man is he then, that wil-be so madd, as for a short and beastlye de­light that sinne affordeth him; to in­curre such huge heapes of extreme miseries, and incurable calamities?

THIRDLY consider, howe by stri­uing to resist tentations they tarye not long, but vanish and fleete away; and thou by hauing vanquished thē, shalt remaine enriched with greater meede, honour, and consolation. The blessed Mat. 4 b Angels of heauen shal also come and serue thee, like as they did our Sauiour, hauing ouercome his tentations. But if on th'other side thou let thy self be lewdly ouercome; [Page 101] the delight of sinne shal forth with fleete away; and the gripes, confusion, and discontentment, that remain be­hinde, and gnawe thy giltie consci­ence, The gripes of a giltie conscience. shal afflict thee much more thē any resistance making might possi­blye haue done.

FOVRTHLY consider, that if thou easily consent to sinne, thou must af­terwardes painfully redresse the euil thou hast committed, sith thou must needes suffer much sorowe in bewai­ling it; shame in confessing it; pain in doing penance for it; besides a milliō of many mo difficulties; al which thou maiest auoide, by fighting man­fully, and not consenting vnto sinne.

FIFTLY consider, that looke how much more thou vsest to consent to sinne, and so muche more shal thy An euil cu­stom hard­ly to be cu­red. temptations increase, and thy strēgth decay; and thus at length shalt thou cause a wicked custome, which after­wardes wil almost be impossible for [Page] thee to forsake and leaue. For (as Aug. li. 8. confes. ca. 5S. Austin sayth) Whiles we resist not a custom, we make it become a necessitie: but contrari­wise, if thou force thee to resist in the beginning, thy strength shal daylye increase, and the tentations waxe more weake and feeble. Suffer not therfore thy selfe through a litle ne­gligence at the first, to receaue after­wardes a desperate and incurable wounde. In these and such like con­sultations, if thou eftsons exercise thy selfe, beleeue verilye to receaue great helpe therby, against al kind of temptations. Other ge­neral re­medies a­gainst sin. Often prai er.

There be yet mo wepons, and ge­neral remedies; as is the often frequē ­tation of prayer; a remedie that our Sauior gaue to his disciples the night of his holy passion, Mat. 26. d Mar. 14. d Luc. 22. e Meditatiō of the four last things exhorting them so sundry times to praye, for feare of being ouercome by tentation. It hel­peth greatly in like maner to medi­tate, the foure last thinges; to witt, Death, Iudgement, Hel, and Heauen; [Page 102] according to that saying of Eccl. 7. d. The reding of holye scripture. holye writt: In al thine actions remember the last thinges, and thou shalt not sinne everlastingly. An-other general remedie is the rea­ding of holy scripture, committing certaine sentences and particuler au­thorities therof to memory, suche as may most fitly helpe thee against the tentations that shal assault thee. This remedie did our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus-Christe teache vs, when being tēp­ted by the deuil in the Mat. 4 a Mar. 1. b Luc. 4. a Note. The holye name of IESVS of great ver­tue. wildernes, he ouerthrew and repulsed al his temp­tations by the textes of holye scrip­ture. The remembrance of particuler examples of holy saints, shal likewise helpe thee, setting before thine eyes what they did in suche tentations as thou feelest.

It helpeth also not a litle against al tentations to cal eftsons vpō the ho­ly name of Hieron. in [...] Ber. Ser. 15 in Cant. The signe of the holy Crosse. IESVS with a zeale and feruour of faith; and withal to forme the Athan. in Anton. Chris. hom. 55. in Mat Cyril Ca­tec. 4. et. 13 Hist. Trip. li. 6. ca. 1. Ex Theo­doreto. li. 3 cap. 3. signe of the holy Crosse vpon thee; which the deuil doth greatlye [Page] dreade; (especially being made with a liuely fayth) as where-with he was once vtterly confounded. And if for al this thou finde thy selfe stil infes­ted with these tentations; it shal help thee very much to beholde our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe crucified Christ cru­cified. with the eyes of thy soule; remem­bring those most Ber. Ser. 43. in Can tic. & Ser. 42. de mo. ben. viu. greeuous torments which he endured for thy sake; and so shalt thou wel knowe, what a smal matter it is, to abide patiently for his sake al that trouble and toile thou presently feelest.

An-other remede, and that of great efficacie, is the often frequentation of The Sacramentes so­uerain re­medies a­gainst al temptati­ons. those two moste holy Sacramentes; of Penance, and Receauing: sith these are the soueraine remedies and medi­cines, which our Sauiour (desirous of our wel-fare) left vnto vs; Cip. Ser. de [...] Dom. as-wel to cure our present woundes, caused through our former sins; as also (they being already healed) to preserue vs [Page 105] hence-forth from incurring the like dangers. And albeit the vse of these diuine Sacramentes is (as I haue saide before) at al times verye profitable; yet much more doth it helpe vs in the time of our tentation; sithens thē doth a man stand most need of grace and strength, when he is moste gree­uously assailed by his aduersary: and then, no doubt, but this grace is most plentiful and certaine, when it is sought for by meanes of these moste holy Sacramentes; besides the coun­saile and comfort eche one maye re­ceaue of his ghostly father, to whom he shal humbly vnfolde in confessiō al his whole daunger and vexation. In like maner, if it should so fal out, (which God forbid) as being ouer­come by tentation, thou fel into anye sinne; see thou presently applye and vse this remedie of Confession, not permitting thy self, for neuer so smal a while, to remaine in mortal sinne; [Page] (as S. Gregory saith:) The sinne which Gre. lib. 25. Moral. cap. 12. is not washed away with the water of penance, draweth vs downe with the weight thereof, and maketh vs fal into an-other. It behoueth therfore with like diligence to pro­cure a present saulue for this spiritu­al sore, as we would doo for a corpo­ral disease, though lesse daungerous a great deale.

TEE LAST general and right so­ueraine Occasion of sinne to be eschewed. remedie, not onely to van­quishe tentations, but not to be trou­bled with them, is; to shun, and care­fully eschewe the occasions whence they commonly doo proceede; as be superfluous riches, idlenes, profane conuersations, lewde companies, tu­mult of people; places and times where and when sinnes are commit­ted; and finally al such daungers and occasions, whereby thou remembrest thee to haue earst fallen into sinne, or at least into tentation.

ALBEIT the particuler sinnes; as also the tentations which induce vs thereto, be very many; yet are they al reduced vnto seuen, which are commonly cal­led Capital; as being the heads, rootes, 7. Capital or deadlye sinnes. and fountaines whence the others are deriued. With these seuen sinnes be there three enemies, that assault vs; the Fleshe, the World and the Deuil; according as is gathered out of that saying of S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 2. c. The Flesh, the world, and the Deuil. the'uangelist: Euery thing that is in the world, is concupiscence of the fleshe, concupiscence of the eyes, and pride of life. The flesh doth tempt and induce vs to three sins; Lasciuiousnes, glut­tony, and slouth: The world, to coue­tousnes, and carke of temporal things [Page] in it; The deuil doth suggest and al­lure vs principally to pride, wrath, and enuye.

I shal therefore, according to this order, intreate of the wepons, which we are to weelde against these three sworne enemies of ours; and of the remedies we must vse to preserue vs from such sinnes as they induce vs to.

Of al other temptations, those of The temp­tations of the fleshe moste dan­gerous. the fleshe be the most difficult and daungerous, as rising of a domestical and verye importunate aduersarye: And therefore doth it herein behoue vs to vse greatest diligence and cir­cumspection.

THE first remedie a man is to take against lasciuiousnes, is, with al diligence to flye occa Occasions to be es­chewed. sions; suche as commonlye vse to in­flame our flesh with disordinate con­cupiscence; [Page 105] as is the conuersing with such persons, as either are wont, or at least wise might prouoke and kindle such fire; and a fixed viewe and curi­ous regard of others comelines; sith, (as S. Isidore saith) The firste dartes of lust S. Isid. li. 2. de summo bono. [...] 39 Iob. 31. a. b Eccl. 9. b. are the eyes, which ( Ier. Thre. 3. f Ieremie said) had ge­uen his soule in praye. And to make vs vn­derstād this danger the better, S. Gre­gory saith; how it is not lawful for vs to fixe our eye on that, which is not lawful for vs to desire, seing that deth is wont comonly to enter into vs by the Ier. 9. f windowes of our eyes and other senses. And therefore must thou take heede in like maner of vttering anye dishonest Colos. 3. b. Eph. 5. [...] and ribald wordes, which corrupt good maners, as the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. d saith; as also of listning to them; or of reading bookes, wherin such lasci­uious and [...] wordes are written. But muche more oughtest thou to shunne the 1 Cor. 7. a touching of such persons, as may occasionate a carnal alteration [Page] in thee, and neuer to be in their com­pany alone; sithens this fire is wont with solitarines and oportunitie soo­nest to be kindled. For this cause doth S. Ier. epist. 2. quae est ad Neapo­tianum de vit. Cleric. Ierome write these wordes to Ne­apotian: If through thy office and function of priesthood, neede vrge thee to visite any widowe or virgin, see thou enter not alone into her chā ­her, but take such a companion with thee, as by his presince thy soule may be preserued.

Take heede also of the receauing any letters Ier. vbi [...] Ber. ser. 61. de modo ben. viu. or tokens from such par­ties being absent; as also of sending a­nye to them; sith these thinges are but stickes to kindle and keepe in this wicked fire. Finally this vice (as S. Austine saith) is much better van­quished Flight more safe then fight. by flying then by fighting; and therefore behoueth it, thou al­wais Eccles. 3. d flye the peril, not to perish in it.

In this respect too beware of being Eze. 10. f Ber. ser. 51. de mod. ben viu. idle at any time; and of too muche pampering vp thy fleshe, with disor­dinate diet in eating and drinking; [Page 106] with to sumptuous & effeminate at­tiring; with sleeping in too softe and easie bedding. Brieflye beware of al such like delicacies; which are al of thē incēsiues, & prouokers of this brutish appetite: For otherwise, no doubt but experience shal testifie that a moste true saying of holy writt, that Pro. 29. [...] Who so nourisheth his seruaunt too daintslye, shal finde him afterwardes obstinate and rebellious. It shal therefore be greatly profitable for suche as be yonge, and of sanguin complexion, to vse nowe and then some kinde of discipline, hear-cloth, fasting, watching, and other like cor­poral austerities, wherewith the bro­des of our fleshe are bridled, and it made obedient and subiect to the spi­rite. For if S. Paule did in this wise chastise his body, (as he 1. Cor. 9. d witnesseth him-selfe he did) much more ought he to doo the like, who standeth in greter need of this medicine; besides, [Page] that eche of these chastisements shal make thy meede increase; sith they are al of them the works of penance; which others doo of mere free wil, only to occasionate their greater me­rite; and to please God their souerain Lorde withal.

SECONDLY, thou must be mer­uailous The. 2. Re­medie. Wicked suggestions are to be expelled at the first. heedy and circumspect, to ex­pel these wicked thoughtes presently after they begin once to solicite and trouble thy minde, and to tickle thy flesh; forcing thy selfe al thou maiest, not to geue them any entrance; but in lieu therof to occupie thy minde in some other good and godly cogi­tations; And thus must we like-wise behaue our selues in ech other temp­tation and suggestion; but specially in this of the flesh; For looke by how much the more thou sufferest suche thoughts to enter in, and perseuerest in them; and by so muche the more wil they fortifie them-selues, & with [Page 107] greater difficultie be driuen out a­gaine; which would neuer hap, if at, the verye beginning thou diddest shake them off, and oppose thy selfe manfully to bear off their first brun­tes. Wherevpon a holy father saide right wel, that the thought of forni­catiō, if we resist it in the beginning, when the deuil doth first put it in our heartes, is as brittle as a bul-rush, A pretie similitude. and may right easily be broken; but if we receaue it with delight and pleasure, and linger any time therein, then doth it become as hard as yron, and verye hardlye can be broken: wherto may that saying of the psal­mist be fitly applied: Ps. 136. a Blessed is he that shal breaze his [...] ones; to Wit, the begin­ning of his tentations; with the stone, which is, 1 Cor. 10. b Iesus Christ.

But if in case through thy retchles­nes and smal regard these temptatiōs had made a breache, and were alredie fortified in thy fleshe; and thou ther­by [Page] in daunger to consent and yeelde vnto them, let this be then.

THE THIRD remedie, to crye a­maine The. 3. [...] vpon God with great zeale and affection (like as they doo, which in the maine Seas are sodainly endan­gered with some horrible tempest) crauing his diuine helpe with certain short and pithie sentences, like to these; Ps. 69. a Deus in adiutorium meū intende. &c. Esal. 38. c Domine vim patior, responde pro me. Psal. 37. d Domine ne discedas a me. Psa. 73. d Ne tradaes [...] animā con­fitentem tibi. Mar. 10. g Mat. 15. c Iesu fili Dauid miserete mei. With these and suche like woordes maiest thou cal for his diuine fauour. It shal likewise verye much auaile thee to recommend thy selfe to our blessed Lady; and to the holy Saintes of heauen; specially such as thou bea­rest moste deuotion too; yea, and to seeke some vertuous man, if haplye in that instant thou couldest hit of any, who with his godly exhortati­ons & good prayers might not a litle [Page 108] procure thine auaile and benefite.

THE FOVRTH remedie in this case The. 4. Re­medie. shalbe, to geue some affliction to thy fleshe, by fasting, watching, disciplin; Sensible of fliction ve­rye neces­sary in ex­tremities yea, and in the time of daunger to cause some sensible and present grief, that thereby the stinges thou feelest, may be choked vp; and thou made forget those vnlawful delightes thou art prouoked too. This remedie did Saint Gre. PP. initio vitae D. Bene­dicts, quae habetur li. 2. Dial. ca. 1. & sequ. Benet vse, feeling some fire in his fleshe through the thinking of a woman; who stripping off his cloathes, rowled him-selfe starke na­ked vppon thornes; and weltered sō longe there, til his bodye became al of a goare bloud, and so vanquished his tentation. The. 5. Re­medie.

THE FIFTE Remedie is, eftsons to thinke of death, forsomuche as no one thing (sayth Saint Gregorie) Greg. lib. 16. Moral. cap. 31. is of so great force to dompt the de­sires and concupiscences of the flesh, [Page] as to thinke of the vgglines and filth therof, being once dead. This remedy did a holy father vse, lib. 1. de­spir. forni. in 2. part. vit. SS. P. litera. f. & lib. 7. cont. fornic. of whom we reade in the liues of Saintes; that be­ing much disquieted with wicked suggestions towardes a woman, who he had earst knowen in the worlde; and finding no meanes how to ridde the same out of his minde; it hapned on a time, that a frende of his being come to visite him, amongst other An history of great ef ficacie. thinges, tolde, howe such a woman was departed: This good father hea­ring him, and being wel informed where she was interred, got him thi­ther on a night; where, opening the sepulohre, that the deade corpes did lye in; and finding it now rotten, and stinking very filthely, foiled a hand­kerchefe he had for the nonst brought with him, in this carianly filth; and therewith returned home againe to his lodging: afterwardes, when either this, or any other woman came to his [Page 109] minde, he presently tooke this cloth, and al to be-smothred his face with al, saying: Glutt thy selfe, thou [...] wretche, glutt thy selfe with this filthie sauour of stinking fleshe; and by this meanes was ridd of this tentation.

THE SIXT remedie, and that a ve­rye The. 6. Re­medie. soueraine one, especially for reli­gious men, Ber. serm. 38. de mo. ben. viu. Pallad. v. 29. de Pach. v. 59 de Helen. to subdue both these and other their temptations with; is, pre­sently to reueale their thoughtes to their superiours and ghostly fathers; this being a thing that wonderfullye displeaseth the deuil, and that causeth him to flye with vtter confusion; like as a man would do, if the woman he solicited to lewdnes, should forth­with discouer his dishonest sutes vn­to Confession confoun­deth the Diuel. her husband. This counsaile did a holye father geue to a yonge man, greeued with this temptation; who folowing the same, and feeling on a night this conflict, ranne diuers times to this his ghostlye father; returning [Page] euermore as his temptation retour­ned; and declared to him what he felt and suffred; seriously recommending him-selfe to his good prayers; and by this meanes, what through the good wordes his ghostlye father gaue him, and the godly consolations he encou­raged him with, it pleased God to perfectly deliuer him.

These particuler remedies, together with the general spoken of in the former Chapter, maye greatly helpe The 7. Re­medie. to defend thee against this sinn. And yet besides those common considera­tions there assigned, thou maiest take for a seuēth remedie others that serue more particulerly against this sin; as might be the aduises folowing.

FIRST consider, howe God Ambr. in cap. 4. Luc. Ber. Serm. 29. de mo. ben. viu. General considera­tions pecu­lierly ser­uing a­gainst las­ciuiousnes. doth looke vpon thee, and thy gardian & good Angel beholdeth al thine acti­ons; that by this means thou be asha­med to perpetrate so dishonest an act in their celestial sight and presence; [Page 110] sith before any neuer so simple a mā, thou wouldest not be so impudent and shamelesse, as to cōmit the [...]

SECONDLY consider, howe thy soule is with this vice moste notori­ously polluted; yea, thy fleshe it selfe, and al thy members, (which whiles thou perseuerest in grace, are the tem­ple of the holy ghost) become nowe through this sinne the members of an harlot, as 1. Cor. 6 c. d. S. Paule saith; and from a companion and felowe of Angels, (which thou art, liuing in chastitie) thou makest thy self a pheere and fe­lowe to brute beastes, by liuing dis­honestly.

THIRDLY consider the particuler dis-commodities that rise of this de­testable & stinking sin; first it short­neth life, impaireth strength; chāgeth complexiō and comly hew of body; consumeth a mans Luc. 15. b substance; and spoileth him of his good name; sith there is no sin so infamous amongst al men, as this is. Briefely, this vice [Page] occasioneth an infinite number of o­ther euils; which dayly experience, [...] declare and teache vs.

[...] consider, that albeit thou wouldest neuer so faine wallow stil in this pestiferous puddle of sin, and desire neuer so greatlye to satiate this corrupt desire of thine, yet shal it be impossible for thee so to doo; this being one of the thinges that is neuer satiated. And therefore, looke how much more thou wadest in this vice, Arist. ca. 1. lib. 7. de hist. ani­mal. & so much more shal the thirst of concupiscēce be inflamed, euē like to fire; the which, looke howe much more wood there is heaped on it, and so much more doth it kindle, and the flame growe greater. Al these things, if thou weigh them wel, and often, shal suffice, I hope, to make thee ab­horre this brutal sinne, and cause thee couragiously to resist al such tentati­ons as shal induce thee to it.

THE second sinne of the flesh is Gluttony, a great frend and fostrer of lasciuiousnes; sith, when the panch is puffed vp, and the fleshe too delicately fedd, this fire is quickly kindled; and a man falleth easily into the filth of lecherie, accor­ding as the scriptures Pro. 20. a Eccl. 23. a. Eph. 5. d. Iacob. 5. c 2. Pet. 2. c. doo in sundry places admonish vs. It behoueth thee therfore to be armed at al assayes a­gainst this vice, which is the dore & entrance of many others; and of the victory and conquest wherof depen­deth the victory and conquest of the rest. Whervpon those holy auncient fathers that liued earst in the wilder­nes, end euoured them-selues al they might, to dompt and suppresse this vice; woting wel, that but if this wer firste fullye vanquished, the other [Page] could very hardly be subdued. Yea, experience teacheth this for truth; howe the deuil most commonly be­ginneth to geue his first on-set with this temptation. Witnesses hereof are our first Gen. 3. a Parents Adam and Eue; yea, the very first teptation he propouded to our Lord Mat. 4. a Luc. 4. a Mar. 1. b and Sauiour Iesus Christe, was of this sort. Wherfore, to defende thee from this so venemous a vice, being one that doth hatch and breed so many other, apply these remedies and aduises folowing. Fiue kinds of glutto­nie.

THEFIRST is, that in thy eating thou seeke to obserue fiue thinges, that preserue thee from fiue sundrye sortes of gluttony; wherof S Gre. li. 13. moral. cap. 13. 1. Eating out of due time. Grego­rie doth in one of his bookes make mention. The first is concerning the time, when a man eateth before his ordinary houre; which thou must be­ware of; Cassian. [...] 5. cap. 20 forbearing and forcing thy selfe not to take aboue two repasts a day; to wit, thy dinner and supper; [Page 112] and that at such conuenient and ac­customed houres, as they keepe, that gouerne them-selues most orderlye; more thē at which times thou ough­test not to eate, without some nota­ble necessitie. If therefore thou finde thy selfe at any time tempted to in­fringe this rule, and without suffici­ent cause to anticipate thine houre, thou must fight, and make a forcible resistance; as did that monke which How a be­lye father beguiled him selfe. is written of in the liues of holye fa­thers; who on a time being tempted to eate in the morning before his ac­customed houre, beguiled him-selfe in this maner, saying: Tarye a while vntil the thirde houre (which is at nine a clocke in the morning) and then wil we eate. And when this houre was come; go too, let vs worke a while vntil the sixt houre (to witt, noone:) afterwardes, nowe let vs saye a fewe prayers or psalmes; nowe [Page] let vs lay our bisquit to steepe; and thus passed on the time, til his ordi­narye howre was come, which was at the ninth hour, to wit, (three a clocke at after-noone;) & by this means was he perfectly deliuered from this vice.

THE SECOND kind of gluttonie The 2. kind of gluttony [...] in the qualitie; I meane, in eating of too daintie and pleasaunt Daintie meates. meates, wherof thou must take great heede, contenting thy selfe with such meates, as may suffice to susteine and [...] fleshe; and not to delite and [...] it; according to that S. Bernard Ber. epist 1. ad Rob. nepotem. Iob. 6. a. Pro. 27. a doth exhort thee; and but if they seeme course and vnsauourye, apply that saulce which he Ber. vbi supra. [...] to [...] hunger; [...] that shal cause them to seem sauourie ynough. Remember thee also of that singuler abstinence of the auncient fathers of Egipt, who deemed it superfluous to eate any sodden meates, as S. Ierome telleth vs. Let therefore this their ri­goure S. Ierome. [Page 113] shame and confounde thy ri­ot, and make thee refraine eating of delicate and sweete meates, for feare thou be like to those amongst the people of Israel; Nu. 11. [...] & g. ps. 77. c. d that desired flesh in the desert, and thereby prouoked the wrath and indignation of God a­gainst them.

THE THIRD kinde of gluttonye The 3. kind of glutto nye. Excesse. concerneth the quantitie, that is, of eating more then sufficeth to sustein nature; wherof foloweth (as S. Ierome saith) that looke by how much the more the bel­lye S. Ierome. is filled, and by so much the more is the soule made feeble. Thou must therefore shun such excesse; sith meate is (according to S. Aug. cap. 31. [...] 1. Con fess. Austins counsail) to be taken in maner of a medicine; whereof we vse not to receaue anye great quantitie. Take heede then of ouercharging thy heart with too much meate and drinke; as our Sauior doth admonish Luc. 21. g. Rom. 13. d. vs, that by this meanes thou maiest escape his future indignation; and a [Page] million of mischiefes Eccl. 37 d that proceede out of this vice.

THE FOVRTH kinde of gluttonye The 4. kinde of gluttony. respecteth the maner. When a man eateth his meat too greedily, and with too great a feruour: which appereth Greedines. wel by his hastie and disorderly fee­ding; and when he is too muche bent and affectionate vpon his meate. Thisvice doth the wise man Eccl. 37 d in these wordes reprehend, saying: Long not af­ter euery kind of meate, nor eate not greedilye vpon euery dishe. Whose counsaile see thou endeuour thy self to folow, min­ding not so seriouslye thy corporal foode and nutriture whiles thou ea­test; but either listen to the lesson, if there be any read; or lift vp thy mind to God with some good thought; or enterlace som praier or psalm amōgst; that by thus doing both thy soule & body may be fostred & sed together.

THE FIFT and last kinde of glut­tonie, The. 5. kinde of gluttonie. is an excessiue eare and thoght to seek out [...] of cates & new­fangled [Page 114] tasts; which thou oughtest (as A curious desire of straungo tastes. a very blame-worthy thing) greatlye to eschewe and beware of, for feare of being like to those the Apostle Phi. 3. d. Rom. 16. [...] spea­keth of, that make their belies their God, see­king with as great care to serue and satisfie it; as were requisite for dis­charge of their dueties to God-ward.

For remedie both of these and al o­ther kindes of gluttony, these consi­derations folowing shal greatly helpe which thou maiest take for a seconde remedie.

FIRST consider, howe much the o­uercharging The 1. [...] and heuines that remai­neth in thy stomack after hauing sur­feted, doth more hurt & trouble thee; thē the diuersitie of delicate & sweete meates can delite & do thee good; the tast & plesure wherof lasteth no lon­ger, Taste, how smally it tarieth. thē whiles the meat is passing frō the mouth vnto the throte; neither af ter it is once thus gone, is ther any me morial or signe of this delite remai [Page] maiest thou much better vnderstand, if thou examine what now resteth of al that euer thou hast swalowed and swilled al thy whole life time: What Note wel. hast thou nowe left of al the repasts, of al the sweet tastes, of al the daintie morcels that thou euer deuouredst? What hast thou now extant & forth comming of al this? Thou seest how al is quite vanished away, as though there had neuer been any such Make accompt therfore, when thou feelest thy selfe tempted with this vice; that the pleasure is already gone, which so speedily doth passe away. And care not for condescending to thy fleshe, in that it thus disordinately may co­uet and desire.

SECONDLY consider the incon­ueniences The. 2. Re­medie. that rise of this sinne; Amb lib. de Helia et ieiunio. ca. 12. &. 16 First the cost and trouble thou must be at, to satiate this thy gluttony. Eccl. 17. d Second­lye, the number of bodily infirmities that growe by meanes of surfeting. [Page 115] Oseae. 7. [...]. Thirdly, it dulleth and doth obfus­cate the mind, and maketh a man af­terwardes vnfit for spiritual exercise. Luc. 6. d. Fourthly, cal to minde that euerla­sting hunger and thirst that shal-be in the next world, wher no one drop of water shal-be graunted; as we ga­ther plainly by that example of the riche Luc. 16. f. glutton. Remember also what a filthie substance thy tenderly pam­pered fleshe once being dead, shal-be resolued too.

THE THIRD Remedie is, to thinke The. 3. Re­medie. of Christe and his Mat. 12. d Mar. 2. d Luc. 6. a Disciples absti­nence; being forced through famine, to plucke of the eares of corne, and eate them; how our Sauiour likewise Our Saui­outs absti­nence. Mat. 4. a Mar. 1. b. Luc. 4. a. f Mat. 27. d fasted fortie dayes in the desert; and the gaule that was geuen him in his extreme thirst to drinke, being vpon the froode; wherof thou oughtest eue­rye time thou art at meate, to vnbe­thinke thee.

THE FOVRTH remedie is, eftsons The. 4. Re­medie. [Page] to remember that eternal supper of heauen; wherto we are al inuited, as our Sauiour by one of his Mat. 22. c Luc. 14. d Apoc. 19. b. parables doth signifie. Consider how, minding to enioye this so happye and royal a supper, it behoueth to absteine in the The plen­tiful sup­per in he­uen should cause a spare din­ner in carth. dinner of this life; that by so doing thou maiest then fil and satiate thee the better; like as we see in the world; he that is inuited to a sumptuous sup per, vseth commonly to be moderate and spare at noone; not to lose the cō ­moditie and pleasure of his appetite at night.

THE LAST remedie, & that a very The 5. Re­medie. secure one, is, so much as thou maiest possibly, to flye al occasions of glut­tony; Occasions to be es­chewed. as be the feastes and iunketings of worldly mā, where there is so great abundance and varietie of viandes; so many meats, drinkes, and delicate and plesant fruites, amidst the which, ve­ry hardly may any man keepe sobrie­tie; being so many thinges to allure [Page 116] him to gluttony. Remēber what holy writt Genes. 3. saith of our mother Eue, how she saw the tree, that it was good to eate, and fayre and pleasant to the eye, she tooke of the fruit, & did eate, and gaue thereof vnto her husbande. and thereby was cause of so great a losse both to her-self, & to the whole Rom. 5. c. race of miserable mankinde. In like maner maiest thou fal into many mi­series, if thou flye not the hazarding thy selfe in such like dangers.

THERE is yet an-other vice of the fleshe, engendred of the two former, spoken of in the former Chapters, and is called Slouth or Idlenes, which is a lothsomnes Ber. ser. 3. et 6. de As­cens. Gre. 3. par. curae pas tor. admo­ni. 16. and disliking of spiritual things; and a negligence or fainting to beginne anye good thing, or to finishe that which is entred and begon alreadye. [Page] Against which vice (not a litle hurt­ful) it is conuenient likewise to be ar­med; sith thou shalt not be without this wearines, and lothsome tempta­tions, whiles thou art harboured in this fleshly body; which (as the scrip­ture Sap. 9. c saith) doth aggrauate and molest the soule, seing that many times through attending to our bodily necessities, and the importunities of our fleshe, we become slouthful, distract, and dul to doo any good. Wherfore, to th'end thou be not ouercome with this do­mestical enemie, helpe thy selfe with these considerations and remedies that I shal now prescribe thee.

FIRST consider the strict accompt The. 1. Re­medie. S. Bernard. thou must yeelde of the time that God doth graunt thee in this life, to worke wel in; for that, as S. Bernarde Ber. de trip [...] ma­nus, linguae & cordis. saith: There is no time geuen thee in this mor­tal life, wherof thou must not render a reckning [...] thou hast employed it. For if we be to yeeld an accompt of euery idle word, [Page 117] ( Mat. 12. [...] as truth him-selfe doth tel vs in the holy Gospel) howe much the rather are we to doo the same, of time spent Euery mo­ment to be made ac­compt of. idely, and without any fruit or good­nes? The which a deuout and spiri­tual man marking wel, euery time he heard the clocke strike, saide thus in his heart. P. Ignat. in horas singulas col ligebat sese cap. 1. lib. 5 vitae ipsius. Ah my Lord God, loe now an-other houre of my life spent, wherof I am to yeeld thee a reckning. and so forced him-self with­al to spend the next houre better thē he had done the former.

SECONDLY consider, howe if thou once let slip the Gala. 6. c Time past is past reco­uerie. time vnfruit­fully, that is geuen thee to fructifie and doo good in; it can neuer be pos­sibly recouered againe; and so must thou needes afterwardes lament the losse of so pretious a thing through thy negligence, and yet want meanes to winne it any more; for albeit thou haue a meaning to doo wel hereafter, yet is it Mat. 24. d. 25. a Apoc. 3. a. vncertain whether thou shalt haue time and leisure graunted thee [Page] to doo so; and but if thou haue, yet is the good thou shalt then doo, due to that present time; and so both migh­test and oughtest thou haue done tofore. The toil of worldlings confoun­deth the slouth of Christians.

THIRDLY consider howe long & painful the toils and sweats of world­lye men be, to scrape a few riches to­gether; and to purchase some tempo­ral promotion; and howe they refuse no paines to satisfie others humours, and to gaine their gratious lookes & fauors; and thus be thou vtterly con­founded, that they to get vaine and transitorie things should be more di­ligent; then thou to purchace moste pretious and euerlasting riches. Be a­shamed likewise, that they are more diligent and Luc. 16. b. careful to please men, (but bond-slaues of the world) then thou to please God, that celestial and omnipotent Monarche. Thus reade we, of a holye Father in the liues of [Page 118] Saintes; who on a time hauing mar­ked the curious attire and tricking vp of a lewde losel; beganne to be­dew his cheekes, and say: Pardon me, O my Lorde and omnipotent God, who see, that one dayes trimming vp of this strumpet, surpasseth the pains I haue al my life longe bestowed, to deck and beautifie my soul. Petrus de natalib. cap. 38-lib. 6. de SS. ex Heraclide. The like is al-most writtē of the Abbot Pam­bus; who hauing seene in Alexandria a woman of no lesse curious attire thē th'other, fel of weeping, and being asked the cause; his aunswere was, that he wept as-wel for the losse of that woman; as also for that he em­ployed The 2. Re­medie. lesse care and studie to please God, then she to please men. The hope of gaine in heauen ought to make vs take pains in earth.

THE SECOND Remedie to make thee take paines, and to worke wel in this life, is, to thinke estsons of the glorious fruite that these thy good trauailes and labours wil one [Page] day afforde and yeelde thee; for if the husband-man doo digge and delue; and til his ground in frost, sknow, & al the colde winter winds that blow; and withal this hardnes goeth so lus­tily away in hope of summers yeeld, that some-times doth deceaue him; howe Iac. 5. b. much more reason is it, that thou shouldest trauail and take pains to serue God in this life; hoping, as thou doest, for so plentiful a haruest in the life to come; which neuer did, nor can possibly deceaue vs, as both our faith, and al the holye 2. Par. 5 b Prou. 11. c. Eccl. 2. b Mat. 10. d. Luc. 6. c 1. Cor. 3. b scriptures doo assure vs? And if the hired ser­uant weigh not the toil of his whole dayes trauaile, for ioye of the wages he looketh to receaue at night; whye doest not thou in like maner animate thy self to worke in this life? remem­bring the aboundant and incompa­rable hire that shal-be paide thee at night; to wit, after thy death Neither can any man attaine to so great a re­warde, [Page 119] but by great pains and trauaile, as S. Gregory testifieth. Cal to minde S. Gregory also the anguishes, griefes, and infinit torments that such suffer, and shal do euerlastingly as in this life through slouth and negligence refused to take any pains to serue God, and to fulfil his diuine commaundementes; Mat. 3. [...] 7. c. 21. b Luc. 13. b Ioh. 15. [...] and so be deade like barreine braunches without bearing fruit: Which but if thou seriously doo thinke of, wil put life into thee, and make thee beare, right patiently, any paines whatsoe­uer. So did Achilles the Abbot finde him-selfe quickned thereby; who be­ing asked of a frier, why, being in his sell, be found him-selfe slouthful; for that (quoth he) thou haste neither seen the ioyes we expect, nor the tor­ments we dreade: for if thou hadst once wel and diligentlye weighed these, albeit thy sel were ful of wor­mes, yet wouldest thou abide therein without any idlenes.

[Page] THE THIRD Remedie to redresse this vice, and to animate vs not to The 3. Re­medie a­gainst Slouth. shrinke at the toiles which we must take in this life to serue and please God with; is, that the Apostle pre­scribeth to the Heb. 12. c. Hebrues; to wit, the oft thinking and rethinking of the life and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christe; sithens if we eftsons did con­sider howe this good Ber. ser. 43. in Can. Lorde of ours was from his infancie brought vp in trauaile, and how he passed his whole Our Saui­ours passiō ought to make vs painful. and moste holye life, euen from the cribbe vntil his crosse in continual turmoiles & troubles, these afflictions of his would suffice to ease and ligh­ten ours, seemed they neuer so intol­lerable; his droppes of sweate, woulde asswage our heates, and encourage vs to beare him company; woting wel, howe Mat. 10. b Luc. 6. f Ioan. 13. b &. 15. c. vnseemly a thing it is for the seruaunt to be in better estate then the master. If he therefore tooke such paines in this life for loue of vs, it is [Page 120] not muche that we on th'other side take some paines for his loue and our owne profite. This consideration caused the holye Saintes afore-time with such feruoure and diligence, to walke in our Lordes waies: here-with did they cheerfully passe ouer their toiles, troubles, fastinges, watchinges, and al other the lothsome labours of this temporal life; and so maiest thou doo in like maner, if thou set the same mirrour continuallye before The. 4. Re­medie. thine eyes.

THE LAST remedie that shal in Euery day to be ac­compted our dying day. this matter helpe thee greatly, is to make accoumpt, that eche daye is the last daye of thy life; which with good cause thou mayest doo, and thinke, seeing thou art not Luc. 12. c. Mat. 24. d 25. a. Mar. 13. d. assured whether the next day shal-be geuen thee, or no. Thinke therefore; howe thy whole estate for euer dependeth onely of this one dayes behauiour, [Page] and so animate and cheer vp thy self, saying; my dolours shal endure but for this day: it is not much, that I be­haue my selfe diligently therin, espe­cially knowing the profite that is to ensue thereof.

THE second enemy that we The tenta­tions of the second ene mie. haue in this life, is the world, which is meant and vnder­stoode by the concupiscence of our Ioh. 2. c Ber. Ser. 59 adsorore. eyes; conformably to the authoritie of S. Iohn aforesaid, sithens the great varietie of thinges that are in this world; as riches, and other temporal commodities, doo ingender in vs a certaine curious desire to see them; of seeing, groweth a seeking and lon­ging to haue them, weening they should be both profitable and plea­sant to vs; and then hauing once ob­teined [Page 121] and gotten them, foloweth a couetousnes, which is a disordinate Couetise defined. desire wherwith we loue, possesse, and enioye them; as also an insatiable ap­petite to haue alwayes more thē that we haue alreadie. The which vice, for that it is a very daungerous one; yea, as the Apostle 1 Tim. 6. b saith, The roote of al wic­kednes is Couetousnes; It behoueth there­fore, we be prouided of good wepons and sufficient remedies to resist the same, for feare of being ouercome withal. Wherefore the best and most conuenient for this purpose are these aduises folowing. Remedies for the poore man couetous.

FIRST, if thou be poore, and haue a disordinate loue to riches (which loue maketh thee more couetous, thē if thou haddest riches, and didst not loue them) refraine this hurtful de­sire, and content thy selfe with thine estate; cōsidering that by thus doing, thou shalt haue more securitie, more rest, and more speedie meanes a great [Page] deale to gaine vertue withal, then if in deed thou wert rich. Lact. ini tio cap. 1. li 1. diuin. Inst. Hier. lib. 3. in. 19. cap. Math. This did the The olde Philoso­phers despi sed worldly wealth. Philosophers of olde time by natural discourse only vnderstand right wel; and for that cause forsook such riches as they had, knowing thē to be a let and hinderance to the obteyning of wisdome, and al other vertues. Nowe if these men guided only by the light of nature made choise of pouertie, hauing means to be rich; why shoul­dest not thou, being illuminated with a higher light, and more glittering brightnes of heauenly grace, wel wot To make of Neces­sitie a vertue. the same truth, and make a vertue of necessitie, contenting thee with that pouertie that God of his great good prouidence hath geuen thee, as a very substancial and secure meane for thy Examples of others harmes happed through Couetise saluation? Why doo not the exam­ples of others their falles conuince thy foly, and their great and greeuous harmes make thee more heede­ful? Remember how 4. Re. 5. f Giezi, the pro­phet [Page 122] Elizeus seruaunt being not con­tented with his calling, but desirous to be riche, deserued with his riches, to haue a perpetual leprie laide vpon him. We reade likewise, how Act. 5. 4. Anna­nias Ananias and Zaphi­ras. and Zaphiras, through a coue­tousnes they had to retaine some part of the goodes, which they had earst begon to renounce, were depriued of their corporal liues. Thou canst not Iudas. be ignorant, into what a miserable blindnes this couetousnes brought that accursed Mat. 26. [...] Luc. 22. a Mar. 14. b. Iudas, as the Scripture yeeldeth testimonie both of these and manye mo such like examples. Which if thou consider wel, thou shalt thereby discerne, howe muche more secure the poore mans estate is, being contented with his pouertie; then that of the riche man, being neuer satiated with al his plentie. Thou oughtest not therefore thus greedilye to longe for wealth and [Page] worldlye substaunce which might cause thee to fal into so many daun­gers, and perillous tentations.

SECONDLY, consider the perils Couetous men fal into the Diuels snares. and difficulties, as­wel of the bodies, as soules, of the riche men, and suche as with so great anxietie doo seeke after worldlye wealth; Sith by this their longing desire after riches, they fal into the deuils snares (as S. 1 Tim. 6. b Paule doth testifie) Thou seest besides, with how great care and Bern. sub [...] 11. lib. de [...] Cler. pain they be got­ten; with howe great feare they be kept; and with howe great feare they be kept; and with howe great grife and sorowe they be lost. And when al is done, these men can haue but meate and cloth; and this shalt not thou want, with halfe that care, if thou wilt Mat. 6. d. Luc. 12. d. 1. Pe. 5. c Phil. 4. b principally seeke for the kingdome of God, and the heauenly riches of thy soul; like as Christ him selfe hath promised thee.

THIRDLY consider, howe by lo­uing of pouertie, and willingly em­bracing [Page 123] it; thou art by that meanes The con­tented poore man more riche then the richest. more riche and noble, then al the rich gentlemen of this world be; for thus art thou an Imitatour of Christe, and like to him, who so highlye set by Ber. ser. 1. de vigil. Nat. ser. 4 Natiu. Amb. ca. 13 de instit. virg. pouertie, and with so great rigoure, from his infancie to the houre of his death, obserued and practised it; as by discoursing ouer al his life, thou mai­est right euidently see. What greater honour or degree desirest thou, then to be of the same estate and conditiō, that so high a Lord was of? yea, thou art withal moste riche; for thus is the kingdome of heauen. and the King and Lorde thereof, thine; and so by possessing of him, thou possessest al riches, and much more pretious trea­sures, then may in this life be either atteined, imagined, or desired.

FOVRTHLY, an-other verye good Couetous mens com­panie to be auoided. remedie not to fal into the tentatiō of auarice, is; to shunne (as much as may be) the haunting of riche mens com­pany, [Page] pany, especially if they be couetous, least by their conuersation, thou be smitted with their infection. Take heede in like maner, not to see or deale with much money, riches, or any beautiful and pretious thinges of this world; the sight whereof doth commonly kindle our heartes to de­sire and long for them, where other­wise by not seeing them, thou [...] want this greedie desire of ha­uing them. This was the holy Abbot S. Antony tempted to auarice. S. Anthonies opinion, of whom we reade, that the diuel hauing laide in the way he was to passe by, a great cupp of siluer, and an other time a massie wedge of gold; yet would this holy man neuer take vp any thing, but fled forth-with fro them; least by looking theron, his fancy might haue been drawen to regard the welth and riches he had alreadie geuen ouer; and by that meanes his heart haue been defiled with loue of temporal [Page 124] thinges, which he had earst purposed neuer to esteem and set by. Flye ther­fore, as much as thou maiest, to touch, or deale with money, which is like to pitche, that according to holy writt) Eccl. 13. a defileth such as touch it. It shal also Money de­fileth like pitche. helpe thee not a litle in this matter, to goe som-times and visite hospitals, & to conuerse with poore folks; weigh­ing also, howe others that be poorer then thou art, beare patiently al their wantes and penurie.

Al these remedies may in like ma­ner serue to helpe the riche, albeit, in very deede, there be others, (as might be the considerations folowing) more fitt for their purpose, to make them Ramedies for the rich couetous. with drawe their mindes frō so great­lye fancying of worldly wealth.

FIRST consider, if thou be riche, how vncertain and Bernard epist. 103. deceitful are al ri­ches, renowme, and temporal treasure; sith we see by dayly experiēce many, that were earst Iob. 1. 2. [...] seq. welthy & very riche, Iyenowe [Page] plonged in the pit of extreme penu­rie: yea, the greatest wealth in the world, both may be, and eftsons is, al lost in one day. And albeit it be not thus lost, yet must it, (maulger our heades) in th'ende be by death forsa­ken; Death. at what time that doubtful dis­tribution is to be made; the bodye be geuen in praye to wormes; the goods to thanklesse heires, yea, many times to foes; the soule perhappes to the in­fernal furies for them to torment in euerlasting paines.

SECONDLY consider, howe riches The riche man like to him that hath a dropsie. doo neuer satiate; yea, look how much thy wealth and substance multipli­eth, and so muche doth the hunger and greedie desire, to haue more, in­crease; euen like to a man that hath Isod. li. 2. de summo bono. ca. 41 Amb. li. de Nabutha. cap. 2 a dropsie; who, looke howe much more he drinketh, and so much more he swelleth, and is lesse satisfied then be­fore. Moreouer, by thus seeking sati­etie of that which wil neuer satiate, [Page 125] thou losest the true satietie and con­solation that God wolde both in this life, and in th'other geue thee, if thou soughtest for it, and therewith onely helde thy selfe contented.

THE THIRD and last Remedie, The. 3. Re­medie a­gainst Co­uetousnes. which (being a riche man) wil helpe thee much, not to be ouerwhelmed with auarice, is, to force thee (seeme it neuer so paineful and greeuous) al­waies to be geuing good almes to the Almes geuing. poore; assuring thy selfe, as most cer­taine it is, that thou hast not anye so assured riches, as that which in this wise thou distributest to the needie; sith this can neither be Mat. 6. b. Luc. 12 d 1. Tim. 6. d robbed by thiefe, nor corrupted by time, as the other which is lefte behinde; yea, that which is more, this onely wil accom­panie thee, when death doth robbe thee of the rest. See therefore thou take this secure way, to store vp tre­sure in heauen; and encorage thy self to doo thus euery daye, with more [Page] cheerful and franke heart then other; considering, that what thou bestow­est vpon the poore and needie, Christ him-selfe receaueth it, as he Mat. 10 d 25. d. e. Mar. 9. f. affir­meth; who with this [...] ho. 6. et 7. va­rior. arg. et cap 4. lih. de Na­buth. D Thom. 22. q. 32. art. 5. condition hath geuen thee what thou hast, that thou shouldest hberally dispence the same to the poore; and taking for thy selfe what is meet and requisite, to dispose the surplusage amongst thy needie and distressed brethren.

THE third and last enemy, a­gainst whō we haue to fight in this worlde, is the Diuel; who in the authoritie Ioan. 2. c. of S. Iohn a­boue alleged, is vnderstoode by the pride of life, sith this was that, that made him at the very first to be hur­led [Page 126] head-long Isai. 14. [...] out of heuen, into the bottomlesse pit of hel; and therefore, albeit he induce vs to al other sinnes, and tempteth vs with eche one; yet is this inducement to pride (the most heinous sinne of al) principally at­tributed to him; as also the suggesti­ons to wrath and enuie, which issue and proceede therout. Wherfore, like as I haue geuen thee wepons and re­medies to resist the rest withal, so shal I nowe (God willing) prescribe thee some preseruatiues against these; be­ginning first with pride, which is a Pride. what it is. disordinate desire and appettite of a man his owne excellencie; whereby he seeketh to be singuler aboue al o­thers.

THE FIRST Remedie therefore, The first re medie a­gainst Pride. which thou art to vse against this diabolical sin, shalbe, to consider how greatly Eccl. 10. [...] God detesteth pride, and how greeuously from the beginning of the worlde he hath punished it, as-wel in Angels, as also in menne; [Page] in Angels, we see by Isa. 14. c Apo. 12. a. b Lucifer, & the rest of his adherentes; in men, by Dan. 4. e Na­bugonosor, 1. Mac. 1. e 2. Mac. 9. c Antiochus, with manye mo (as holy writt doth witnes) that came to ruine through this vice; and were moste seuerely chastised. The same doth like-wise eftsons testifie, Mat. 18 a 20. d. e. 23. b. Luc. 14. c. 18. c. how singulerly he hath alwayes lo­ued and exalted the humble; wherof both Mat. 12. d 21. a. Phil. 2. a Heb. 2. b. our Sauiour, and the blessed La­dye Luc. 1. e. his holy mother doo bear suffi­cient testimonie.

THE SECOND remedie is the con­sideratiō of thine own selfe, sith (as S. Ber. ser. 1. in die S. Andreae, et serm. 6. in Psal. 90. Qui habi­tat. Bernard saith, thine estate being wel examined, shal teach thee what thou wantest; and prayer shal obteine thee, that thou want it not. For God lo­ueth the soule that diligently discus­seth The 2. Re­medie a­gainst pride. it selfe; and that after due discus­sion, doth without flattery and par­tialitie iudge it selfe. Confider there­fore what thou art, both in body and soule; and so shalt thou finde more [Page 127] causes of confusion and shame, then of hawtines & arrogancie. Touching The mise­rie of mās estate. thy body, vnbethinke thee, what a filthie substance it was ingendred of; and howe nowe it is a sacke ful of dirt and donge; and shal ere longe be made the praye of wormes; and as for thy soule, it is fraught with heapes of folies, errours, ignorance, feares, fan­cies, anxieties (& that which is worst of al) of so many monstrous crimes it hath committed against that diuine and dreadful Maiestie. Finally, looke howe much better thou shalt knowe thy selfe, and so much more plainely shalt thou perceaue thee to be such as Iob describeth, saying: a Man borne of a woman, liuing but Iob. 14. a. smal time, is ful of manye miseries, who springeth vp like a floure, and wi­thereth quickly, and vanishesh as a shadowe, and neuer continueth long in one estate: for pre­sently thou shalt see him mery, and by and by sad; now whole, then sicke; nowe riche, nowe poore; nowe quiet, [Page] now troubled; in fine, not in the main seas be there so many waues and di­uers The [...] of mans na­ture. mutations to be seene; as man by dayly proofe findeth contrary chan­ges and alterations in him-self. Who so therfore considereth these things, and throughly weigheth thē as they be, shal finde much more cause to be confounded, and to accuse him-selfe, then to be a boasting bragger, or anye wayes proud and insolent; and when When one thinketh worst of him-selfe, then is he best at quiet. he thinketh thus basely of him-selfe, then is he best at ease, and moste of al contented. Wher-vpō we read in the liues of holy fathers, howe an Abbot being asked on a time, whether it wer better dwelling alone and solitarye, then abroade in the world and in cō ­pany with others; his auswere was; that, but if a man knewe him-selfe wel, he might securely ynough dwel The proud man neuer quiet. wheresoeuer him listed; but if he wer vainglorious and proude, he shoulde neuer finde any quietnes, whersoeuer [Page 123] he liued. Whence thou maiest gather this note, that the disciphering of thy selfe, is a meanes to make thee lowlye Note. and humble, and to liue in rest and great tranquilitie.

THIRDLY, if thou finde thy selfe The. 3. Re­medie against Pride. puffed vp with any winde of vaine glorye, weening thee to be indued with certaine vertues that thy com­panion hath not; thinke yet, howe he passeth thee farre in many good par­tes thou lackest. For if thou haplye canst fast more, and take greter pains thē an-other; yet hath he more humi­litie, more patience, & more charitie then thou haste; and these be muche more pretious vertues in the sight of God, then are thine. Finally, see thou An excel­lent lesson. folow this aduise, to consider others vertues sooner then their vices; & in thy self to weigh rather thy vices thē vertues; being more diligent to note in others such vertues as thou lackest, rather then any vertues in thy selfe, [Page] others are deuoyde of. This conside­ration shal keepe thee in humilitie, and inflame thy heart with desire to aduaunce from good to better; and by this meanes shalt thou be preserued from the boistrons blasts of Eccl. 43. b Northern windes; (to wit) of ambition and vaine glory; which eftsons staye the dewes of diuine influence, and blowe ouer the shours of heauenly consolations. The. 4. Re­medie a­gainst pride.

FOVRTHLY consider, that if thou remembrest thee of any good deedes thou hast done, or perceauest any cō ­mendable part in thee, consider, I say, howe al this, whatsoeuer it is, 1. Cor. 4. b Eph. 2. a. b. thou hast receaued it from God; and ther­fore oughtest thou not to glory anye We ought not to be proude of that is not our owne. more therin, then in a thing of an o­ther bodies; yea, rather oughtest thou to feare, least for thy pride al this be taken from thee, and thou by that means be contemned of such as earst commended thee.

But if in case thou art not vainglo­rious [Page 129] and proude of thy good works, but of thine honour, riches, and other temporal profites which thou posses­sest. Remember, how these things are Al good giftes com from God. also geuē thee of his heauenly libera­litie; to th' end that by meanes therof thou shouldest be occasioned to loue & reuerence better the good geuer & benefactour; which if thou doo not, al these thinges, whereof thou nowe braggest, shal, for thine ingratitude, occasionate thy greater punishment and condemnation. Thou art not therefore to vaunt and be proude of these thinges; but rather to be more Luc. 18. b humble, and to stande in greater feare and awe.

FIFTLY, to beate downe this vain The [...] re­medie a­gainst pride. glory and boasting (which men are commonly wont to haue through the credite and worldly wealth they en­ioye in this life) it is a very good re­medie to weigh wel, howe vaine, ca­duke, and transitory al these thinges [Page] are; like as mans life it selfe is verye short, and most vncertain: And ther­fore marke wel the wordes that Saint Austine writeth to this purpose. If [...] Austine. thou vaunt thee of thy riches (saith he) and of the nobilitie of thine aun­cestors; [...] good bro­ther. if thou glory in thy country thy cōlines of body, & the renowm, which the worlde respecteth thee with; consider with thy selfe, howe thou art [...] earth, and shalt bee come earth. Beholde where those are nowe that eaist enioyed the same ti­tles and stiles, which thou art pre­sently puft vp with? where be they that so ambitiously desired to rule & gouerne countreys? where be these insuperable and vnuanquished Em­perours? where be the Generals, and chiefe captains of armies? where be those that erst ridd so proudly, moū ­ted on their stately palfreys? where be they that tooke plesure in their pom­pes and ceremonies; now is al turned [Page 130] to earth and ashes? now is the memo­rial of their liues conteined in fewe lines: Looke nowe into their graues, and see, if thou canst knowe the ma­ster from the man; the poore felowe from the peni-father? Discerne now, if thou canst, the bondslaue from the king; the strong man from the weak; the comly personage from the defor­med criple? The same doth Chrisost. hom. 43. ad Pop. An­tioch. to. 5. S. Iohn Chrisostome in a maner say, and ad­deth: Drawe nigh to eche ones graue, and beholde their naked asshes, their stinking fleshe, and offal of wormes foode; and remember how this must be the end of al our carcases, be they neuer so curiously intreated in this life, and passe they their dayes in ne­uer such iolitie, delicacie, and exile of al annoies: yea, I would to God (saith he) al this matter came in the end but to ashes and wormes, sith these losses should be but smal, & the condition of our nature might easily excuse thē But nowe, remoue thine eyes from [Page] their toumbes and asshes, and lift vp thy minde to that dreadful Tribunal of diuine iudgement; where ther shal be weeping and gnasshing of teeth; where shal-be outward darknes, and the worme that neuer dieth, and the fire that neuer quēcheth. Thou canst not, if thou ponder these thinges throughly, be proude and vainglori­ous of any earthly thing whatsoeuer.

SIXTLY, it shal greatly helpe to The sixt Remedie against pride. make thee detest al pride, to consider, howe highly God hateth such as be infected with it; who (as the Iac. 4. b. 2. Pet. 5. b. Scrip­ture witnesseth) doth resist the proude, and geueth grace vnto the lowly. This kinde of people is likewise abhorred of other Eccl. 10. a men, who can by no meanes awaye with their lothsome and disdainful The proud man hated both of God and man. conuersation; yea, to them-selues are they also very noisome and tedious, in seing them-selues enuironed with so many daungers, dreads, and suspi­tions; hauing euery one to malice and [Page 131] lye in waite for them, and to gain-say and crosse them in al their enterpri­ses. Whervpon it is reported of a cer­taine holy king, who hauing a mer­uailous rich and pretious crowne ge­uen him to be crowned withal, helde it (musing) a pretie while in his han­des, before he would put it on his head, and at length saide openlye in this wise: O more noble then happy crown, which if any man knewe wel, how ful of cares, perils, and manifold miseries thōu art fraught, a lbeit he met thee with his feete, yet woulde he not vouchsafe to lift thee vp. What this king saide of his crowne, maiest thou wel apply to eche dignitie and pre­tious thing which the ambitious proul after in this life; for looke how much higher and more excellent thei be, and so much more are they sub­iect to greter casualties, cares, & more painful griefes See therfore thou take not so great toile for a thing, that so quickly fleeteth awaye, as doth the [Page] wind of pride and vain-glory.

THE LAST Remedie to shake off The. 7. Re­medie a­gainst Pride. pride withal, and to purchase that so necessary a vertue of humilitie, is; to force and accustome thy selfe (seeme it neuer so paineful and lothsome to thee) to exercise diuers actions of hu­militie; as to doo the basest offices in the house; to conuerse with the mea­ner sort; to Luc. 14. b sitt in the lowest place; to cladd thy selfe in homely attire (not Ber. ser. 9 de [...]. ben. [...] so homely though, as to geue occa­sion of being compted singuler, sith this should be a pride) not to doo or say any thing, wherby to make shew of excellencie and preeminence, or to cause admiration in other mens eyes; & finally, to cal eftsons to mind our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christes hu­militie, as also that of his most holye mother the blessed virgin Marye, and of such others, as haue liued here in humble and lowly wise.

DIVERS of the Remedies that haue beene prescribed thee against pride, maye in like maner helpe thee against this sinne of wrath and anger; seeing, that most commonly such as be proude The proud man iresul and hawtie, are wont also to be angry and ireful. Yet neuerthelesse be there other peculier remedies to be vsed a­gainst this vice.

THE FIRST is, to ponder, howe The first [...] a­gainst [...] farre it is out of al good frame and reason, that anye man should be an­grye, and desire to hurt an-other; sith [...] brute beastes, be they ueuer so fel, fight not one with an-other, but liue The [...] of brute beasts [...] the malicex of mankinde. [...] peace and vnitie with those of their owne kinde; howe much more reason is it, that men should doo the [...] who are not borne armed, as brutishe, and sauage beastes be; [Page] nor prouided of wepons to defende them-selues, or to offend others.

SECONDLY beholde the vggli­nes The 2. Re­medie a­gainst an­ger. and deformitie of an angry man, both in his countenaunce, gesture, wordes, and actions; in al the which thou shalt at that time see him won­derfully disordered, and besides him­selfe. An angrye man be­sides him­selfe. See thou beware therfore of be­ing angry, if thou wilt not fal into those defectes, which in others doo so greatly dislike thee.

THIRDLY consider, that whosoe­uer The 3. Re­medie a­gainst anger. he be, that hath proffered thee a­nye wrong or iniurie, hath done him self much more harme then thee; and if thou growe angry therat, and seek reuenge, in so doing thou shalt hurt thy selfe much more then thine ad­uersary; Chris. he. 9. Quod [...] la­ditur [...] a [...] for that (as S. Chrisostome saith) No man is hurt, but by him-self, which should be no lesse a folye, then for a man to kil him-selfe, to teare his ene­mies cote; sithens thine enemies body [Page 133] is as his coate, which thou meaning to teare, in seeking to kil him, doest Mark wel. first slea and kil thine owne soule; for S. Austin. as S. Austin saith: The knife pearceth the heart of the persecutour, before the body of the persecuted. Striue therefore to master thy selfe, and to vanquishe thine ire; and so shalt thou gaine greater ho­nor and victory, then if thou haddest subdued a mightie Citie; and by this meanes, in not seeking thy selfe, to take reuenge, God shal take it for thee, as he him-selfe hath Deu. 32. [...] Eccl. 28. a. Rom. 12. d. Heb. 9. c. promised thee.

FOVRTHLY, if the deuil, to stirre thee vp to wrath, do aggrauate thine iniurie receued, & make it greter; doo The. 4. Re­medie a­gainst an­ger. thou contrariwise what thou canst to lessen it, and to make it smaller, thinking thus, howe he that in this maner hath iniuried thee, is at that time ouercome with some passion or indiscretion; or els cal to minde some good turnes he hath earst done thee; [Page] or how thou hast other-whiles done him some iniurie, which he then did tolerate at thy handes, and therefore is it meete, thou beare nowe likewise with him. And if thou canst not this waies finde any sufficient plaister to heale thy paine withal, cal then to minde, how Sap. 11. d. God hath borne many iniuries at thy handes; that in like maner thou shouldest beare patient­lye thy neighbours imperfections.

FIFTLY consider, howe both this iniury, which is now done vnto thee, The fist re­medie a­gainst an­ger. and al other losses that light vppon thee (wherby thou feelest thy self in­censed and prouoked to anger) are al by Gods diuine dispensation sent Gods pro­uidence in al afflicts ons. vnto thee; that by these scurges, thou shouldest in this life be chastised for thy sinnes; and by bearing patiently this chastisement, come to obteine his grace, and celestial benediction. Thus did that holye king Dauid thinke, who flying the furye of his [Page 134] sonne Absalon, mett with that wic­ked man Simei in the high way, who A singuler example of patience in K. Dauid. reuiled him with vilanous and re­procheful speeches, and threw stones at him; whereby one of his captaines being bent to cutt off his head, in re­uenge of so outragious an iniurie and crime cōmitted against his sacred ma iestie; this patient & most mild king did forbid him, saying; let him curse and raile vpon me, for so hath our Lorde commaunded him; and it may be, our Lord wil by this means looke vpon mine afflictions, and geue me good for the euil, which this man doth wishe me. In like maner maiest thou beleeue, that by bearing pati­entlye the villanies and iniuries that shal-be saide and done against thee, God wil so dispose, that al shal turne to thy greater benefite, and comfort of thy soule.

[Page] SIXTLY, if thou feele thy selfe al­readie The 6. Re­medie a gainst an­ger. ouercome with anger, take heede in anye wise thou neither doo nor speake then any thing, whereby this inward indignation thou feelest, may burst forth in outward shewe; but force thee al thou maiest to bri­dle and represse it; and get thee out of his company, whom thou art thus offended with; busie thy mind also a­bout some other affairs vntil this fire flaming within thee be some-what quēched; suspecting ech thing which Al our thoughtes to be sus­pected be ing in an­ger. thou then thinkest meete to be done or spoken, yea, seeme it neuer so ho­nest and reasonable; for afterwardes, when this angry heate is throughlye cooled, then maiest thou a great deal more miturely examin, whether that thou thoughtest of before, be conue­nient to be done or spoken. And by thus doing shalt thou within a smal while, see this angry blast blowne o­uer; and be thy selfe greatly conten­ted [Page 135] and comforted by hauing ouer­come thy temptation; and perceaue the deuil, Iac. 4. b. who egged thee therto, to be fled with vtter confusion. Thus reade we in the liues of holy Fathers, that Isaac the Abbot did; who being demaunded by an-other father, why the fiendes did feare him so? made this aunswer; From that time (quoth he) that I was first made a monke, I determined with my selfe, neuer to let any anger issue out of my mouth, but to mortifie and burye it within me; and for this cause is it, the deuils doo so greatly dreade me. So maiest thou wel hope they wil doo to thee, if thou indeuour thy selfe to doo the same that he did. Beware also the Iac. 4. b. Sunne doo neuer go downe vppon Eph. 4. [...] thine anger; according, as S, Paul ad­monisheth; that is to say, that thou expel it quicklye, and suffer it not longe to soiourne in thy soule; for so might it turn into Aug. epist. [...] ad Prosis tur. hatred, & become [Page] more daungerous and harder to be healed. We reade, howe the Abbot Agatho was wont to saye; Neuer would I (quoth he) sleepe, being of­fended with any man; neither haue I suffred (as much as laye in me) that any other man should sleepe, that was offended with me; but went a­bout forthwith to make attonement both in my selfe and others. Indeuor thou to doo the like, as occasion may geue thee leaue.

These Remedies maiest thou at such time principally put in vre, whō thou perceauest thy selfe offended towardes others. But if thou contra­ri-wise see an-other offended and angry with thee, then frame thy selfe to doo one of these two things; Amb. ca. 21. li. Ioff. ex Rom. 12. d. Gen. 27. g. Iacob fra­tri indig­nanti ces­sit. ei­ther couertly in the best maner thou canst, to winde thy selfe out of his companye that is angrye, vntil the wrath he hath conceaued be worne [Page 136] ouer; or Basil. [...] de Ira. [...] arg. 10. els (wanting oportunitie to doo thus) force thee to ouercome euil with good, according to the Ro. 12. c. Apo­stles counsaile, seeking to appease him with some faire and humble speeches, sith, (as the wise [...] 15. [...] &. 25. b. man saith) A milde aunswere asswageth anger, and harde speeches kindle furye and rage. But if thou shouldest want meanes to doo either of these, take such order at least wise, as to be silent, whiles thou seest him in these freatting fumes; and in thy heart to praye to God for him; for that, as S. Greg. 3. part. past­cur ad. 17. Gregory saith; It is a great deale more glorious, to shun ne wrath by silence, then to subdue it by aunswering.

LASTLY note, that if the anger or The last remedie a­gainst an­ger. impatience whiche thou feelest in thee, proceede not of any iniurie or wronge done to thee by any person, but through the aduersities and tri­bulations that befal thee in this life, then shal it be a very good Remedie, [Page] to remember the Ber. ser. 16. ad sorn. de. mo. be. [...] examples of such perfect and holy men, as haue endu­red with great patience farre greater tribulations and calamities thē thine be. Remember that inuincible pati­ence of Iob, who with so stoute a Examples of patiece. courage susteined so many losses, so many sores, such infinite number of griefes, corseys, hart-breakes, as hap­pened to him in one instant. Neither did he amongst al these millions of miseries once droope, Iob. 2. e. or shewe by worde or deede any signe of blame­worthy impatience, as the holy scrip­ture testifieth. Thinke also of that holye man Tob. 2. b. c Tobias his rare pati­ence; who in his blindnes, pouertie, and al his other annoyes had conti­nually a constant minde, and confor­mable to the wil of God. Consider also that mildnes and meruailous pa­tience of the holy prophet Exo. 15. a 16. a. Num. 14. a Moises, whom not al the continual troubles and murmuringes of that ingrateful [Page 137] people which he had brought out of Egipt could suffice to disquiet, or moue to anger. The like patiēce and mildnes maiest thou note in that ho­ly 2. Re. 16. a. b. king Dauid, amongst al the mani­folde persecutions and afflictions he suffred through the whole course & perrode of his life. The same constā ­cie and patient minde shalt thou in like maner find by discoursing many other of the holy prophetes and per­fect mens liues of the old Testament, and much more exactly in the newe; sith we reade in S. Act. 5. g. Luke, touching the Apostles, how they being by de­cree and counsail of the Pharises bett and outragiously iniured; they abidd and passed ouer al with great glad­nes, as being thought woorthy to suf­fer these contemptes for the name of IESVS. And not onely these, but in­numerable other tormentes did they suffer, with like constancie & cheer­fulnes; shedding their bloud, and lo­sing [Page] their liues for loue of the same Lord. And after them, did in like ma­ner manye thousande thousandes of martirs, whom thou maiest also vn­bethinke thee of. But aboue al, cal to minde, and pause for the nonst, to po­der that meruailous and incompara­ble patience of the holy of al holies, our Sauiour & Redeemer Iesus Christe, The pati­ence of our Sauiour. who suffered much more persecuti­ons, paines, reproches, villanies, griefs, tormentes in al his life time, & with farre greater constancie and meek­nes then any other, conformablye to that the prophete Esay Esa. 53. b Mat. 26. s. foretolde; that he should stand domme, euen like a Lambe before the Shearer. And S. 1. Pe 2. d Peter saith, how being railed vpō and reuiled by others; he gaue no cuil words at al, & in suffering so greeuous tormentes, did not threaten those that with such barbarous crueltie tormented him; yea, in recompence prayed to his Luc. 23 [...] e­uerlasting father for them. If thou [Page 138] propounde these thinges, with th'o­ther examples before thine eyes, al thy tribulations, aduersities, and per­secutions what-soeuer shal seem but very smal and easie to thee, and thou be animated and encouraged to en­dure al very patiently.

THOV maiest also in this case ap­plye A good co­sideration against anger. an-other remedie, by conside­ring the great commoditie thou shalt reape by these tentations and tribu­lations, which thou suffiest. This cō ­sideration, as S. Gregory affirmeth, S. Gregor. doth mittigate the force of the whip and scourge. Thinke therefore, that like as gold 1. Pe. 1. b. Sap. 3. a Prou. 17 a is with fire fined in the fornace; so shal thy soule be purged with the fire of tribulations; And that for this cause God doth send thē to thee, as a father that loueth thee dearly; & by chastising Heb. 12. b Apoc. 3 d Prou. 3. b thee as a son he doth purge & purifie thee; wheras if thou lackest this discipline, & his holy rod of correctiō, thou shouldest [Page] this title and name of sonne. Beleeue Chastise­ment a [...] of loue. furthermore, that the stones which are to be laide in the celeslial Icrusa­lem, must first be hewen here with many blowes of tribulations, paines, Stones for heauenlye buildinges must be [...] here in earthlye bowrs. and persecutions; for aboue in those heauenlye boures, there shal-be no noyse of 3. Re. 6. a Aug in psal. 121. ca. 8. & hym. Vrbs beata [...] hammers; to witt, no do­lours or wailinges, no toiles nor ten­tations at al, but an endlesse ioye, and happy quietnes. Beleeue like-wise, that if (as S Rom 8. c. Paule faith) thou be a companion of Christ in this life, in his passions and tribulations; thou shalt in the next life be a companion of his ioyes and consolations. And if thou suffer with him in this worlde, thou shalt afterwardes reigne with him euerlastingly in th'other world. And if here thou beest a litle afflic­ted and grecued (sith the afflic­ted of this short life, are but short and smal) thou shalt afterwardes [...] in heuen with a glorious & [...] [Page 139] ioye, as S. 1. Pc 4, c. d. Peter promiseth thee.

Al these thinges, if thou consider them wel, as the holye Saintes afore­time haue pondered and considered them, thou wilt not onely abide pa­tientlye these thy present tribulati­ons; but yeeld moste hartie thankes to that Lorde, who with so singuler loue doth sende them, for thy bene­fite, & Iac q. b. c 2. Tim. 2. a. 4. b. [...] Apor. 2. b. c g. [...] Tob. 3. d. the enriching of thy crown; knowing, that it is impossible to come by so great a reward as we look for, without great paines and trauail. And truelye, great reason is it, that Christians like good souldiers should folow their [...] Christe; tracing his steps, and walking the same waye he went before, and entred into his glorye.

IT NOWE remaineth, to set thee downe some reme­dies [Page] against the temptations of enuie or malice, wherewith the fiende is in like maner wont to assault & tempt vs; For as holy writt Sap. 2. d. Genes. 3. a. doth witnes: Through the malice of the deuil death first en­tred into the world. This made the Iewes mat. 27. b to seeke our Lorde and Sauiour his death; and by this vice haue manye murders, Gen. 4. a. Sap. 14. c Iob. 5. a. and innumerable wicked Iac. 3. d. actes been committed in the world. This is also that moste cruel beast, which Iacob Gen. 37 g 44. e. said had deuoured his sonne Ioseph. And therefore must thou carefully foresee, that this vene­mous vipre beginne not at any time to nourishe her-selfe in thy soul, but forth-with at the very first brunt to kil and cast her out, vsing for that purpose these instructions and adui­ses folowing.

FIRST consider, howe this sinne f. Aug. lib. 11. de Ge­nes. ad lit. cap. 14. of malice, or enuie, (which is accor­ding to S. Austin) a griefe and sorowe at others felicitie.) is more hurtful and vn­profitable then any of the other; for [Page 140] albeit other sinnes doo hurt the soul, The firste remedie a­gainst En­uye. yet afforde they, I knowe not what kinde of miserable taste and plea­sure to the fleshe; but this vrle vice, doth both hurt the soule, and afflict the fleshe; sith it sealdeth the heart, pineth the body, withereth the face, appaleth the countenauce; and come­lye sanguine hewe; briefly, it tormen­teth & ouerthroweth the whole mā, being like to the worme that con­sumeth the wood, whereof she com­meth. And thē is it, that the enuious mā findeth him-self in worst case, & most wretched, whē th'other, whō he maliceth, is best at case, and happiest.

SECONDLY consider, howe by shaking off this so fretting and fruit­lesse The 2. Re­medie a­gainst En­uye. a vice, and by being in the sta'e of Gods good grace; thou art Gregor. past. [...] p. 3. Ad. 11. a par­taker of al such good things as others doo possesse; sith charitie doth make them thine; and therefore oughtest thou to be ioyful that others enioye [Page] goodes, and liue so happilye, rather then to be sorowful, or any whitt greeued therat. For by reioysing with Charitie maketh eche one partaker of others happines. charitie, thou art made happye in their happines; and by malitiouslye repining therat, thou losest thy part, and they remaine stil with their pro­speritie; which, albeit they lost yet shouldest not thou recouer it.

THIRDLY, what-soeuer helpeth The 3. Re­medie a­gainst en­uie. against pride, doth like-wise helpe a­gainst Enuie, as proceeding for the most part out of the other; fithens the proude man bearing impatientlye; Pride the mother of Enute. that any other should be his better, or pheere and felowe with him; he maliceth those, whom in any respect he deemeth to be his betters, or more happy then he is. See therfore, thou indeuoure thy selfe to plucke this poisoned roote out of thee, and not to set thy loue vppon the temporal thinges of this world, which are so miserable, spare, and scant, that if thy [Page 141] neighbour haue them, thou must goe Temporal things scant, cele­stial abun­dant. without them; and many times must lacke that, which an-other might conueniently leaue. But if on o­ther side thou set thy minde of spiri­tual and heauenly things, no man can bereaue or barre thee of them; yea, looke howe much the Gre. li. 5. moral. cap. 34. number of suche is greater that enioye and pos­sesse the same goodes thou doest; and so much shal thy happines increase, and growe the greater: And by this meanes shalt thou be so farre off frō malicing of any man, as thou shalt hartilye desire, that eche one might gaine the goodes which thou posses­sest; woting wel, that so should thy ri ches & blisse be not a litle multiplied

FOVRTHLY, if the desire of thine The 4. Re­medie a­gainst [...] owne excellencie make thee malice thy neighbour for being thine egall, or more high in dignitie, then thou art; consider, that in doing thus, thou losest that thou so gretly seekest for; [Page] sith herein thou debasest thy selfe, & geuest others occasiō to cōtēne thee, perceuing this thy cankred & vile na­ture, which thus dishonestly thou thy selfe discouerest; But if contrari-wise thou striuedst to master thy self, & to reioyce at thy neighbours wel-fare, as at thine owne; then shoulde thine estimation and credite growe muche greater, sith euery good man woulde esteeme thee better, and highly com­mend this charitie, and noble minde of thine, wherof, by thus doing, thou geuest the world an apparant and plaine testimonie. Thy spiritual pro­fite should herewith be in like ma­ner greatly increased; for either wold God geue thee the same goodes and graces thou reioysest at in thy neigh­bour, or at least wise reward thee plentifully for the merite of thy cha­ritie. And therfore Chris. ho. 51. adpop. Antioch. Tom. 5. doth S. Chriso­stome saye, that the vertue of charitie is very great and meruailous, which [Page 142] without spoyling, any man doth rob The vertus of charitie robbeth al. and take al; sithens by reioysing at o­ther mens wel-fare and goodes, we make them ours, and winne possessiō of al that which others doo possesse.

FIFTLY, al such meanes as help to The 5. Re­medie a­gainst [...] excite and stirte vp Charity towards al, shal likewise help greatlye to sub­due and vanquishe this vice: as for example to thinke howe we are al Gen. 2. d. brethren; as-touching our flesh, des­cending from the same parentes, A­dam and Eue; and as for the spirite, al created of one Lord; regenerated by Causes to procure Charitie. one verrue; redeemed by one price, and hy the selfe same Redeemer. We haue al of vs one mother the holye Catholike Churche, the same faith, the same Sacramentes, and al of vs hope for the same blisse, where eche ones good shal-be common to al; and that of al to eche one: Wheras ther­fore so many & so great causes of vni tie & charitie be, enuy ought to beare [Page] no griefe at others good; no mirth at others miserie; yea rather ought we al of vs to reioyce at others their wel­doinges; and lament their harmes and euils, as if they were our owne; per­fourming therby what S Ro. 12. c. Paule pre­scribeth; to reiovce with such as re­ioyce, and to weepe with them that weepe. But if haply al these causes of vnion sufficed not, to make thee rec­ken thy neighbours goodes as thine owne, he seeming stil but a stranger and a forener in thine eye; & how he neuer did thee any good, but rather harme and iniurie; Remember, howe thou being a greater straunger, and farre more vnwoorthy, Christe hath bestowed so many & so gret benefits vpon thee; wherof he wil haue thee to make a recompence, with other benefites not done to him-selfe (sith he standeth Ps. 49. b. 15. a. [...] mac. 14. [...] no neede of thy good turns) but bestowed vpon thy neigh­bour, seeme he neuer so vnknowen [Page 143] and vnwoorthye to thee; for looke what good thou doest to such mat. 10. d 15. d. e. Mar. 9. f a one, and this Lorde wil accept it as doone vnto him-selfe.

SIXTLY consider, howe, to van­quishe The, 6. Re­medie a­gainst [...] this venemous vice of enuie; the lawe of nature, common to al, ought at least to moue thee, which Tob. 4. c. h. Mat. 7. b. Luc. 6. d. teacheth vs to doo to others, as we would be done vnto our selues. As therefore thou wouldest not, that o­thers should be greeued at thy good; so oughtest not thou to be offended at others wel-fare; for other-wise shouldest thou shew thy selfe a sens­lesse creature and without al reason; yea, wel may we say by the malicious man, that he hath lost his reason and natural iudgement, sith he would not sticke, to make choise of his owne losse, if by that means he might pio­cure harme to those he hateth; A pretie example declaring the canken of a mala­ctous mind Like as we reade of a king, who meaning to make a proufe of the cankred na­tures [Page] of an enuious person, and a co­uetous wretch; caused two such to be called to him; whom he made this proffer too, to craue of him what-so­euer they would, for willinglye it should be geuen them; prouided al­waies, that the second shoulde haue the double of that the first did aske; These twaine being nowe at great contention, which of them shoulde first beginne, least th'other might gaine the double; the king being cō ­strained to take vp the matter, com­maunded the malicious man to speak first; who requested this; that one of his eyes might be put out, that th'o­ther might haue both his put out; chosing rather his owne harme then good, that th'other, whom he hated, might, by receauing the double, ac­cording to their offer, be the more annoyed. The which story, if it were true, declareth plainly, to what blind­nes this vice bringeth him, that let­teth [Page 144] him-selfe be lewdly ouereome withal.

THE LAST Remedie, which (fee­ling The. 7. Re­medie a­gainst [...] thy self tempted with this vice) I haue to prescribe thee, is; to force thy selfe continuallye to praye Mat. 5. g Luc. 6. d. 23. e. Act. 7. g. for him, whom thou malicest, and bea­rest enuie to; as also to speake wel of him to others; yea, occasion so ser­uing, to doo him some seruice, albeit thou seeme to doo it fainedly, and a­gainst thy stomacke; sith for this force and violence which thou shalt vse in mastring thy selfe, and brea­king of thy wil, no doubt, but God wil geue thee the gift of charitie, wherby thou shalt be perfectly hea­led of this detestable vice, and mai­est aftetwardes loue al thine enemies one and other what-soeuer.

BESIDES these tentations Temptati­ons of Infi­delitie, Plasphemy and despe ration. spoken of in the former Chapters; wherwith the de­uil doth most commonly tempt vs, there be diuers other meanes, wherby he vseth to molest and trouble vs; as by propounding other-whiles temp­tations of infidelitie, doubtes against our beleefe and fayth; or suggestions of blasphemie; yea, some-times he bringeth vs into such a mase and per­plexitie, as whether-soeuer we turne vs, or what-soeuer we say or doo, yet seeme we stil to be caught and intan­gled; an-other time he indeuoreth to bring vs into desperation; and thus doth he with these and diuers other vexations disquiet, and greeuouslye assault vs.

[Page 145]Against al the which his craftes A singuler doctrine a­gainst the foresaide temptatiōs and subtilties, take this for a general rule; neuer to staye to dispute or talke with the deuil, of set purpose; for if thou doo, thou art like to be o­uercom, as Gen. 3. a. Eue was, for hauing done the same. It is therefore much more secure, not to stand reasoning, or list­ning The Diuel is not to be disputed withal. to that the deuil shal tel thee; but forth-with to flye the temptatiō in the very beginning, by thinking of some other matter quite contrary to that which he woulde haue thee. As for example, if he propounde thoughtes of infidelitie, saying: howe is it possible, that this mistery should be thus & thus? make none accompt to aunswere him, by shewing anye reason of that truth, which thou be­leeuest; but saye: I beleeue, as our holy mo­ther A Remedy against In­fidelitie. the Catholike Churche beleeueth, and this sufficeth me; neither discende to any o­ther particularities. Thus like-wise must thou doo, if in case he molest [Page] thee with temptations of blasphe­mie, Against Blasphemy. saying: Thy blasphemie be to thy perdi­tion, for I [...] and loue my Lorde God. With this, or some such like short speeche maiest thou set thy mind at rest, intending to some other busines, and different cogitations; neither let these his suggestions dismay or trou­ble thee any whit, for al of them shal not make thee lose any one iote of grace and Gods fauour; yea, by doing as I tel thee, thou shalt greatlye in­crease thy meede. If like-wise he goe at any time about to meshe thee in any perplexities, scruples, or other ob scurities, wherby thou wotest not, on which side wel to turne thee, [...] not of them; but conuert thy selfe wholly to God, saying: I wil, my Lord my A refuge in time of perplexitie God, both in this, and [...] other thing what thou wilt, neither doo I will, or yeeld consent to any thing that may displease thee. And thus maiest thou with this saying be at quiet, and in great securitie.

[Page 146]In like maner, if he induce thee to desperation, laying before thee the Against desperatiō multitude and enormitie of thy sinnes; beholde Christe thy Iudge nayled vpon the Roode, in whom thou haste more goodnes without al comparison, then in thy selfe thou canst haue euils; and thus putting al thy confidence in him, maiest thou despise, and defye al the deuils. And not onely in this, but in al other thy Christ cru­cified ought to be our common refuge. tentations would I haue thee make Iesus Christe crucified a familier defence and buckler for thee; sith that, like as Nu. 21. b. Moises gaue to the children of Is­rael being stunge in the desert, or bit of venemous serpentes, that Serpent of brasse, raysed vpp on a high peece of wood; whereon who-so looked The brasen serpent fi­gure of Christe crucified. fixedlye, and with fayth, were cured of their griefs: in like maner, & much better, al such as with fayth beholde our Lord & Sauior Christ crucified, [Page] and heaued vp on the wood of the holy crosse (whom the serpent of brasse did in figure represent) shal-be healed of al their bitinges and stings of trespasses & temptations. At such time therfore, as thou feelest the ser­pent assault and bite thee with the Against Pride. sinne of pride, beholde Christ Phil 2. a hum­bled on the Crosse, and obedient, euē til death. If with couetousnes, behold that pouertie and nakednes, where­with Couetise. he hangeth on the roode, in such extreame distresse, as he hath not where to rest his Mat. 8. c head. If thou finde thy selfe assailed with the delites of lust, beholde his brused aud beaten Carnal [...] flesh, fraught ful of extreme anguish; and how for thy sake he hangeth on Gluttonie. the roode, al wounded from topp to toe, and afflicted with most greeuous tormentes. If thou feele thy self pro­uoked to Gluttonie, looke vpon thy Lorde fastned to the roode; who be­ing extremely pained with drought, [Page 147] had mat. 27 d gaule and vinegre geuen him to drinke. If thou perceane thy selfe Anger. stirred vp to anger, beholde that in­umcible patience of our Sauiour Iesus Christ crucified, in abiding al those his moste villanous blasphemies, and incomprehensible tormentes. If thou be vexed with the venemous vice of Malice. malice, consider that moste feruent charitie, wherwith our Sauiour shedd his bloudd on the crosse for al; and praied euen for those his persecutors that Luc. 23. e. crucified him. If slouth or idle­nes cause thee to waxe colde in good works, fixe thine eye vpon those feet so cruelly nailed to the crosse; which were neuer weried with wandring and seeking for thy wel-fare. Finally; in this thy. Lorde and Sauiour thus crucified, if thou seek in time to him; thou shalt finde sufficient remedies against al kind of temptations, wher­with in this life thou maiest be anye wayes assailed.

[Page]It resteth now, to admonishe thee of one only thing touching this mat­ter; A necessa­rye aduer­tisement. that whē at any time thou shoul­dest, either with this, or any other of the fore-saide remedies repulse thine enemie, and resist his suggestions; yet must thou not thinke thy selfe se­cure, as though the battel were en­ded, and the fielde fully fought and wonne; sith this is the propertie of The ma­lice of the fiende. the diuel, when he is ouercome in one temptation, to arme him-selfe forth-with, and to make preparation for an-other; like as he did to our Sa­uiour Mat. 4. a Mar. 1. b. Luc. 4. a in the wildernes; whom, when he could not one wayes ouercome, he assailed and set vppon an-other waies. And therfore, albeit thou ween thy selfe to be at some rest, and fin­dest the fiende to haue taken truce with thee, for a while after he is van­quished; The fiendes truce is not to be trusted. yet beware thou trust not too much to him; for when thou sus­pectest least, then wil he returne to [Page 148] make a fresh assault, & to molest thee with newe temptations; and if he thē happ to finde thee vnarmed, and vn­prouided of meanes to encounter and withstand him, easily wil he sub­due and conquere thee, and the ad­uauntage which thou hadst before woon honorably, he wil then make thee lose dishonestlye. Take heede therfore thou neuer lay thy weapons aside, but alwayes be prouided, and in readines for the combat; neither be thou tired with his importunate in­festations, wherby he for the moste part ouercommeth those that waxe wery to with-stand him; but like as he is importunate in tempting thee, Ber. Ser. 67. de mo; ben. viu. De Tent. be thou importunate and constant in resisting him; and by this meanes shal thy crowne be so much the more riche and pretious, as the temptati­ons, which by Gods helpe thou o­uercommest, be more irksome and importunate.

AL SVCH thinges as I haue hitherto intreated of, wil helpe thee, during the time it pleaseth God to graunt thee health and strength of bodye. But because this temporal life of ours is subiect to many infirmities, and in th'ende, no remedie, but al of vs must needes once dye, Heb. 9. g. according to God his good ordinance and appoyntmēt; I haue, for this cause, thought good in this Chapter, to adde certain adui­ses and instructions, to teache thee the better, howe to gouerne thy selfe, both in time of sicknes, and in the houre of death. Neither oughtest thou with worse wil to reade these, nor with lesse diligence to execute them in their time, then the former. [Page 149] Neuertheles, these aduises shal prin­cipallye Note wel. profite those, that in their health did employ their time in such exercises, as haue beene heretofore spoken of in this litle Treatise; pre­paring them-selues continuallye to death, as al good and faithful christiā people are bound to doo. For such as prolonge their properation and con­uersion vntil the houre of death, ha­uing liued loosly, and without the feare of God al the time of their health; albeit they be not to dispaire, but to make the best shift they can for their poore soules in the smal The wicked liuers wel dying to be doubted. time that is left behinde; yet are they in great daunger, no doubt, and in a verye perillous estate; these being they, whose saluatiō S. Austin doub­teth of Let vs therefore (as S. Gala. 6. c Paule fore-warneth vs) doo wel whiles we haue time; continually watching, and pre­paring our selues to death, according to our Sauiours mat. 24. d. counsaile; sith we [Page] neither wott the day nor houre ther­of. Neuerthelesse, when thou suspec­test that houre to be alreadye come, then oughtest thou to be more curi­ous and careful in thy preperation.

THE FIRST aduise therfore, whi­che The first aduise in time of sicknes. in this matter thou shalt take, let be this; that so soone as euer thou fal­lest sicke (albeit the sicknes seem not greatly daungerous) to be careful for phisiking thy soule first, before thy bodye; and therfore take order, that thy spiritual phisitiō come to purge The soule to be pur­ged before the bodye. thy soul by confession; eyther before, or assoone as the other, to cure thy body by potion; and expect not, til the bodily phisition doo bidd thee to doo thus, as he is bound to doo, if The body afflicted for the sins of the soul. he desire to obeye that the sacred Ca­nons doo commaunde him. Where this moste true, sentence is also writ­ten, that God doth many times sende sicknes Ioh. 5. b. of bodye, for the sinnes of the soule; And therefore it maye be, [Page 150] that the cause once ceassing, to witt, sinnes; the effect shal also ceasse, to witt, sicknes.

NOWE, if hauing vsed this reme­die The. 2. ad­uise in time of sicknes. of confession, thy sicknes doo stil continue, then take this for a second aduise; to accept it with a cheerful & willing minde; as a gift, which thy Acceptatiō and Resig­nation. heauenly father hath for thy soules health, with singuler loue, sent to thee; offring vp thy selfe, to suffer for his sake, what-soeuer his diuine pro­uidence shal ordeine, and laye vppon thee; and see thou purpose fully, in al thinges to conforme thy self wholly to his moste holye wil. But because mans frailtie is great; and feeling the gripes of greeuous and painful sick­nes, it shal-be a very hard matter, to haue that patience and conformitie to his diuine wil, which were meete and requisite for to haue.

LET THIS be therefore the third The. 3. ad­uise. aduise, to make thy humble pray­ers [Page] to God for the obteining of such Praier for patience. graces as thou wantest, and he know eth to be needful for thee. Procure like-wise, that others praye for thee, folowing therin S. Iac. 5. c. [...] the Apo­stles counsaile, who saith: If any man a­mongst you finde him-selfe sicke, let him cause the priests to come, that they may pray for him. And wel maiest thou hope, that their prayers made with fayth, shal-be no smal helpe to mittigate thy pains & grieuous sicknes.

THE FOVRTH aduise is, that as in The 4. ad uise. thy health either thou diddest, or at least wise oughtest to haue endeuou­red thy selfe to edifye, and geue good example to those thou diddest con­uerse Obedience and mild­nes in time of sicknes. withal, that nowe in time of sicknes thou be careful to doo the same; obeying those that keepe thee, taking willingly the medicines, and what-soeuer for thy health shal-be geucn thee, be it neuer so lothsome and painful to thee; In like maner, to [Page 151] shewe none anger or impatience in thy speeche, especially to such as at­tend vpon thee; and to geue gratious aunsweres to those that visite thee; not complayning too much of the pain thou feelest; but recommending Too much complay­ning not commen­dable. thy selfe in humble and lowly wise to their good deuotions. And so in al other thinges art thou with suche good discretion and mildnes to go­uerne thy selfe, as al those that see thee, or deal with thee, may be wel e­dified by thee; and consequently, take greter compassiō of thy griefes; and help thee more willingly, both spiri­tually and corporally too, if neede be.

THE FIFT aduise is, that albeit The. 5. ad. uise in time of sicknes. thou must take for the recouerie of thy health, al outward remedies and bodily phisicke that may be applied to thee; yet oughtest thou to put gre­ter Gods helpe chieflye to be atten­ded. confidence in the celestial phisi­tion, and in his diuine mercy & pro­uidence, then in any artificial and hu­mane [Page] medicines; least otherwise it might happ to thee, as it did to king 2. par. 16 c. Asa; who being visited with exces­siue paines in his feete, deserued not to recouer health, yea, mcurred death; for that, as the scripture telleth, he trusted more to his phisitions skil & facultie then to Gods diuine succour.

THE SIXT aduise is, that if tho­rough The sixt aduise. Gods good grace thou recouer thy health againe, and be cured of the infirmitie which lately greeued thee; that presently thou remember to geue God, the authour of al good thinges, moste humble thankes, for Gratitude after our recouerie. this his great benefite; acknowled­ging and confessing freelye, that it came principally by him, rather then by any other helps & humane reme­dies. See therefore thou shewe thy selfe grateful euery wayes thou mai­est, least otherwise, thou be like the nine Luc. 17. d ingrateful lepors that Christe [Page 152] clensed: yea, rather resemble thou the tenth, who albeit he was a forrei­ner, yet did he by and by, after he had receaued health, returne backe to thanke his benefactour; whereby he deserued to be commended of the same our Lorde and Sauiour; and th' other nine to be found fault with­al, and condemned for their ingrati­tude.

THE SEVENTH aduise is; that The. 7. ad­uise. nowe, hauing receaued the health, which thou earst lackedst, thou be Diligent amendmēt of life, and perfor­mance of good pur­poses. verye careful hereafter, to auoyde al sort of sinne; and to amend thy life hereafter; assuring thy selfe, that for this cause was it, that thy health was thus restored to thee. Thou oughtest therefore to be very diligent, in exe­cuting suche good thoughtes and purposes, as thou haddest, or shoul­dest haue had in thy sicknes, if God did vouchsafe mercifullye to graunt [Page] thee health againe, as he nowe hath done; for other-wise by forgetting the benefite receaued, and returning backe again to thy vomite, and wen­ted beastlines of offending, thou shouldest by this meanes deserue to haue some worse thing to light vpō thee; like as our Ioh. 5. a. Sauior him-self ad­uertised the man, whom he had cured of his thirtie and eight yeres palsey.

These aduises maiest thou vse, du­ring the time of such sicknes as God wil haue thee to escape, and to be re­cured of. But if thy maladie be mor­tal, and no remedie, but this tempo­ral life must be determined and en­ded by it; then ouer and aboue what hath been alreadie said, take these ad­uises folowing.

THE FIRST is, that perceauing The first aduise in time of mortall [...] thy sicknes to increase, and to growe more greeuous; thou then awake thy selfe with more vigilant care, to dis­pose, both of thy temporal and spiri­tual [Page 153] affaires, as if those wordes were then spoken to thee, which were de­liuered by the prophete Esaye Esa. 38. a to king Ezechias: Dispose of thy house, for thou [...] dye, and not liue. Dispatch therfore, and make perfect thy wil, which eue­rye Touching last wils and Testa­ments. good Christian ought to make in the time of health; when he maye with better case, sounder iudgement, and more mature aduise perfourme and doo the same; and not to driue it til the last houre, when al these com­modities doo faile him; sith daylye experience doth informe vs, howe through the letts and encombrances of sicknes, the wils that are made in that time, be very rawlye performed; and many times vnperfectly drawen and penned. Hauing therfore thy wil in a redines by thee, with thy satis­faction therin conteyned, thou mai­est then, as shal seeme best vnto thee, alter, or adde thereto any thing by way of codicil: But if thou hast bene [Page] heretofore negligent in this matter, & haddest not made it, or not so ex­actlye, as to content and satisfie thy minde withal; then maiest thou make it anewe, at such time, as thou shoul­dest finde thy selfe best at ease, of ri­pest iudgement, and least letted with thy sicknes; procuring to haue some trustie frend by thee, to prompt thee at that time in necessary and needful remembraunces.

THE SECOND aduise, to helpe The. 2. ad­uise in time of mor. mal. thee in this case, is; that when thou haste once finished thy wil according to thy mind, with a true and perfect satisfaction; and disburdened thy cō ­science, as-wel for restitution ma­king, and debtes paying (if thou ow­est any;) as also touching other dis­crete and godly legacies: Briefly, ha­uing A forget­ting of worldly affairs. disposed of al thy temporal cau­ses, force thy selfe forth-with to for­get quite [...] thinges; which thou [...] here behinde thee; and [Page 154] wholly to occupie thy minde in hea­uenly matters, which thou shortlye hopest to enioye; that by this means, the remembrance of such thinges, as earst thou louedst wel, and nowe must needes leaue, doo not disquiet thee, or cause thee to receaue death more vnwillingly, then were meete thou shouldest doo. And to ridd thee the better of al these encombrances, and daungerous distractions, let this be-

THE THIRD aduise; to commaūd The third aduise is, an aduer­tisemēt to those that visite. al those of thy house, and require al others that come to visite and assist thee, not to deale, or breake with thee in any temporal matters; nor to put thee in memorie of such worldlye things as earst thou bare affection to; as might be riches, wife, children, frendes, with other thinges, wherein thou delitedst gretly heretofore. And then see, that this be chieflye done, when death is at the doore, and the [Page] life draweth fast to an ende; then, I say, let this aduise be moste carefully executed; least the sight or hearing of such matters, might then allure or Note wel, and exe­cute in time. draw thine affection to them; and so thy minde be distracted and caried awaye from dinine and heauenlye matters, wherewith thou oughtest in that time to be onely in loue, and on­lye to desire, and thinke vpon.

THE FOVRTH aduise, when thou seest thy selfe in these termes, is, to The 4. ad­uise in time of mor. mal. cause some deuout, spiritual & godly mē to be called for, who in this so bu­sie & important a time, may assist, & geue thee good counsaile and exhor­tations; The assis­tance of spiritual persons. comforting thee eyther with their good speeches, or by good les­sons, which they may reade out of some such spiritual booke, as maye serue most fitly for thy purpose; that by this meanes, thy soule maye more easily eleuate it selfe vp to the consi­deration of celestial and heauenlye [Page 155] matters; wherin, but specially in the The memo rie of Christes Passion. blessed passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christe, thou oughtest principallye to occupie thy minde. These men may like-wise doo thee great good with their zelous and feruent prayers, cal­ling vpon God for his diuine mercye towardes thee; and beseeching our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe, and his blessed mother, with al the whole court of heauen, to helpe and fauour thee in that houre of thy departure, being a time so tedious, and so ful of imminent peril. And thus must thou pray thy selfe too, in the best maner thou canst.

THE FIFT aduise is, that when The. 5. ad­uise in time of mor. mal. thou supposest thy life to drawe fast awaye (yet before such time as thou losest the vse of reason) thou then craue the last Sacrament of Extreme The Sa. of Extreame vnction. Vnction, or anneling with holy oyle; and this thou must indeuour thy self to receaue with great faith and deuo­tion; [Page] and hauing once receaued it, then to make a protestation of the A protes­tation of the Catho­like fayth. Catholike faith, if thou canst it by heart; if not, to let it be read vnto thee; wherin thou protestest to liue and dye, beeleeuing and confessing al that our holy mother the Catho­like, Apostolike, and Roman Church confesseth and belecueth. And there­fore oughtest thou not to driue off the receauing of this last Sacrament, vntil the very latter ende, as some ve­rye indiscretly doo; to th'ende thou maiest be of sound iudgement, and haue perfect vse of reason, to receaue it deuoutly; and to make the foresaid protestation sincerely and aduisedly. The 6. ad­uise a­gainst mor. mal.

THE LAST aduise, which I haue to geue in this matter, is; that hauing alreadie performed, what hath beene tolde and taught thee in this chapter, Prepara­tiō against the last as­saults. thou prepare thy selfe to attend the last conflict, which is yet behinde, in the houre of thy departure; arming [Page 156] thy selfe against such temptations, as are wont then commonly to assaile vs. And to th'ende thou maiest the more manfully resist and vanquishe them, and by vanquishing, attain the crowne of conquest; it shal not be a­misse, to tel thee before-hand, with what temptations the fiends doo or­dinarily disquiet the soule at her de­parture, according as we are infor­med by the holy Doctours that haue writtē vpon this matter. See therfore thou mark wel, what I shal hereof tel thee in the Chapter next ensuing.

THERE be many anguishes and anieties, which the soule doth commonly feele in the perillous trans & hour of death, this being the moste terrible thing that [Page] can happ vnto vs in this life; sith at that time the soule doth suffer on e­uery The ex­treme an­guishes of the soule in time of death. side, and which waye soeuer it turneth, doth finde great cause of corsey and extreame annoye. First, it suffreth in respect of the body, frō which it parteth with no smal pain; it suffreth like-wise in parting from the temporal thinges, which it lea­ueth here behind; and looke howe much more they were in life time lo­ued of it, and so much more doo they in that houre of death torment it. It suffreth, through the great dreade it hath of the straite accompt, which it knoweth wel, must forth-with be passed to the dreadful Iudge, of eue­rye thing it hath done in al her life time. It suffreth, through the horri­ble vision of the deuils, which in that houre appere; the sight wherof is an intollerable tormēt. And much more doth it suffer through the grie­uous and bitter assaultes, wher-with [Page 157] in that houre they farre more fierce­lye The fiends most furi­ous in the houre of death. set vpon it, then euer they did tofore. For like as towardes the ende of the world, and time of general iudgemēt, the prince of darknes shal more terribly, and with greater rage and furye assault mankinde, as he knoweth better howe smal a time is then remayning for him to doo the same, and to infest it any longer: In like maner doo the deuils nowe be­haue them-selues towardes suche as be at the point of death, against whē they bend al their might and maine, al their sleightes and subtilties what­soeuer; sith they knowe wel, that if the soule, in that last houre doo es­cape their dreadful clookes, they lose what they pretended to gaine al her life time in this world; for so doo the Doctors commonly saye vpon the sentence of the Apocalips: Apo. 12. [...] That the deuil descendeth with great rage, woting wel, that he hath but a smal time left. So that [Page] the anxietie and bitternes of that houre shal-be so great; as no man by wordes can sufficientlye exaggerate. And this doo we plainlye see by an example, that S. Iohn Climacus re­porteth S. Iohn Climacus. to haue happed in his time to a religious man, whom he both saw and knew; and saith, how this mā An exam­ple prouing the ex­treme pe­rils in the houre of death. hauing liued some-what looselve in his monasterie, came on a time to the very poynt of death, and then was in such sort rauished in spirite, as he saw the dreadful rigour, and such thinges as passe in the time of judgement, and doome of euery soule; and after­wardes, comming to him-selfe again, hauing through God his diuine and special dispensation obteined a time of penance, this holy man saith, how the said monke prayed al those that were there present with him, (amon­gest whom was the same Iohn Cli­macus) that they would al of thē de­part out of his sel; wherein he after­wardes [Page 158] remained al alone. vntil the houre of his death, which was for the space of xij. yeres after, without go­ing out at any time, speaking worde A rare kinde of penance. to any man, or receauing al that time any other foode then bread and wa­ter; but continually sitting in this his sel, like a man astonished, and besides him-selse, and hauing his eyes fixed stil in one place, he perpetually re­uolued in his mind the things which he sawe in his extasie or rauishment, and with the memory therof bedew­ed his cheekes dayly with streames of bitter teares; And in this maner did he continue til the houre of his death; at what time the saide Iohn Climacus, with al the other religious men that liued there-aboutes in the wildernes came to visite him; who breaking downe the doore of his sel, which he had walled vp; and be­ing entred in, they al desired him to [Page] geue them some good word of edi­fication before his departure; to whē he replied this onely; I tel you truely, fa­thers, (quoth he) if men wist wel, howe dreadful this last transe of death, and howe rigorous the sentence of diuine indgement were, they durst neuer offend God, nor transgresse his moste holy commaundementes. Sith therfore it is so, we ought eftsons to forethinke this houre, and to arme and prepare our selues, at al assaies, for this so peril­lous a season. Albeit, wel may we hope in that most faithful God our Lorde, that he wil not permitt vs (as S. 1. Cor. 10. c. Paul saith) to be tempted aboue our strength; and that the Angels shal-be no lesse careful, especially, e­uery mans Gardian, to succoure and helpe in that houre of such extreme necessitie, then the deuils busie to as­sault The daun­gers fore­seene, are more easily a­uoided and ouerthrowe vs. It shal-be notwithstanding greatly profitable, (as I saye) for eche one to fore-thinke in time the suggestions and tempta­tions that shal in that houre be pro­pounded [Page 159] them; as also the remedies and wepons to defende and releeue them with; that so they may more securely escape so great a peril; and gaine the crowne prepared for the valiant conquerour. It is therefore to be noted, howe-

THE FIRST and principal temp­tation, The first temptatiō in the hour of death. wher-with the fiends are wont in that houre to infest those that are redie to geue vp their ghost, is, of fayth, according as S. Ambrose testi­fieth, S. Ambrose which is the foundation of al spiritual building; that the principal Infidelitie. foundation once failing, al the whole frame may fal to ruine. Their drift is therfore, to intrap a man in some er­rour of beliefe, especially, touching those articles, wherwith otherwhiles in life time they assailed, & foūd him som-what feeble. To which tēptatiō thou canst not resist better, then, as I The [...] to be de­spised. told thee heretofore in the. 26. Chap­ter; to wit, by despising it; scorning [Page] the deuil; and not regarding to solute his reasons. But if of force thou must needes aunswer som-thing, let it be this: I beleeue firmely what our holy mother the Churche beleeueth, and that which the holy Apostles, Martirs, and Confessours haue beleued and taught. whose faith and doctrine [...] God, (whom none can deceaue) hath confirmed with innumerable miracles: and for the confes­sion wherof hath so much bloud of Martirs been spilt, of whose holines no man can iustly doubt. Sticke fast to this aunswere, and care not to satisfie his other obiections & demaunds, which he may propound to thee about this matter; and no doubt but by thus behauing thy self, thou shalt remain a Conquerour, and gain the goale thou striuest for. Thus reade we of a seely simple man (albeit The shift of a simple man con­founding the Diuil. in this point wise and considerate y­nough) who in a much like matter de meaned him-self in like maner. This good man being in conflict with the fiende, shaped him this aunswer tou­ching an importunate adoo he made, to know his beliefe. I beleeue (quoth [Page 160] he) al that our holy mother the Chur­che beleeueth; Why, quoth the diuel, And what is that your holye mother the Church beleueth; She beleeueth, quoth the good man, that which I beleue. And what beleeuest thou, rei­terated he? the other repeting his for­mer answer; I beleue (quoth he) what our holye mother the Church belee­ueth. Neither could the diuel, albeit he questioned neuer so importunate­lye about this point, driue him from this his first answer; and so gained he the victorie, and put his foe to flight and shameful ignominie. In like ma­ner maiest thou doo, if thou vse the same means of resisting this tentatiō.

THE SECOND suggestiō, wher-with the wicked spirits are wont to molest The second temptatiō is of Blas­phemie. vs in this houre, is of blasphemic; per­suading those that are nowe at point of death, to beleue or think some in­decent & vnseemly thing of our bles sed L. & God, or of his holy SS. With this temptation, Eusebius S. Ieroms [Page] Disciple was greeuouslye infested. Eusebius S. Ieroms Disciple. Hereto maiest thou resist, by retor­ting the blasphemie vpon the Diuel him-selfe, that propoundeth it, in this maner. I am more then assured, that my A retor­ting of the fiends sug­gestion. Lorde God is infinitely good, and woorthy of al soueraine praise and lcue: and that al his holy Saintes are most perfect, and replenished with al vertue: and thou, most wicked fiende, by going about to persuade me these blasphemies, bewras­est plainly thy peruerse spirite, pufe vp with al impietie, malice, falshood, and deceipt, and ther by most woorthy to be of eche one despised, ac­cursed, and abhorred. And then turning thine eyes to thy most mild & sweet maker, force thy selfe, to powre out of thy heart right humble blessings and praises in the best wise thou canst vnto him; and by howe muche the more the detestable deceauer shal infest thee with these his abhomina­ble and beastly blasphemies; by so much the more be thou diligent and attentiue, to yeeld laudes and praises to his moste holy name.

[Page 161] THE THIRD temptation, where­with The 3. temp tation is dispaire. the deuils doo tempt such as lye a dying, especially, if they haue beene great offenders, is dispaire; For like as in time of health they litle rought of their sinnes; and through the infinit number of Gods mercies, and hope to doo penance at their lat­ter ende, made smal accompt therof: so in that houre of death doo their sinnes seeme more greeuous and gret­lye aggrauated to them, by conside­ring the rigor of diuine iustce, wher­to yt belongeth, not to suffer any one sinne vnsifted and vnpunished; and then is it the deuils persuade and make them beleeue, that their contri­tion in that present houre is of no Note diss­gently. force and value, as proceeding of ser­uile and slauish feare. They like-wise in that houre represent al the enor­mous crimes a man hath committed al his life time; as also the good he might haue done, and by his negli­gence [Page] hath omitted; and howe he ne­uer confessed many of his sinnes, or at least wise imperfectlye, and with lesse sorowe then he ought to haue done. In this wise doo they so girde and gripe many heinous sinners, as no doubt but a great number be by that meanes driuen to desperation. Despaire a most dan­gerous tcp­tation. This is one of the most terrible vex­ations, wher-with such as haue wal­lowed securely in their sinnes, are in this time assailed, and is in very deed so violent and hard to be withstood, as if the ineffable mercy of God did not geue special assistance and ayde in that houre, very few could eschew and ouercome the same. The remedie The Reme­die against despaire is Christe crucified. to releeue thee with, is; to humble thy selfe in the sight of God, and to in­uocate his diuine clemencie, calling to minde the Passion of thy blessed and benigne Redeemer our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe; whose moste [Page 162] bitter griefes, torments, and woundes thou must offer vp to his eternal fa­ther for al thy sinnes what-soeuer, saying: I knowe, my Lorde, and moste gratious A prayer against desperatiō. God, that albeit my sinnes be great, enormous, and innumerable, yet is the satisfaction, which thy moste obedient sonne my Sauiour Iesus Christe hath geuen thee, both for these of mine, and of al the whole world, farre greater, more pretious, and more infinite. I knowe like-wise, that thine incomprehensible mercie and pietie, doth farre surpasse al my miserie and impietie; and therefore wil I not dispaire, as Cain and Mat. 27. a. Act. 1. c. Iudas did; especially, knowing, howe this should be, to adde a greater offence to my former tres­passes; sith dispaire is that, which moste of al displeaseth, dishonoureth, and offendeth thee; yea, rather wil I hope in the multitude of thy Ps. 105. g mercies, which thou haste vsed towardes other, most vnworthy sinners; and sure I am, that thine eternal truth, and infallible worde, neither can, ne wil, euer deceaue, whereby thou haste [Page] promised to pardon and receaue such as hope in thee, calvpon thy mercy, and vnfainedly turne to thee, being contrite and sorowful for their sinnes, as I am nowe. This is the anker, wher-vnto thou must cleaue fast, and neuer to forsake thy holde, albeit the deuils doo what they may to drowne thee, as is aforesaid.

THE FOVRTH temptatiō is quite The fourth temptation is too great a securitie. opposite and contrary to the former. This being a rash and fond securitie, and ouer-weening a man hath in his owne innocencie; for that (as Cassian saith) when the wilye and coonning fiende can-not induce a man to that excessiue feare and pusilanimitie he thought to haue done, and so to haue driuen him downe to desperation, then doth he craftilye goe about to post him ouer to the other extreame; by drawing him to a daungerous se­curitie, and blind delite, and pleasing of him-selfe; counterfeiting falslye with him; how he hath fought man­fullye, [Page 163] and wel prepared him-selfe to death; and howe he is greatly bounde to God for so many his giftes moste plentifully bestowed vpon him; and so ought to reioyce for hauing done so many good deedes in his life-time, wher-by ful wel may he hope, that a great glory shal-be geuen him in he­uen; and that by this meanes he maye securely without any feare or dreade depart this life. With this temptatiō is he wont chiefly to assaile good re­ligious men, or other spiritual per­sons, such as haue laudably gouerned them-selues throughout the whole course & periode of this their world­lye The Reme­die against vaine sccu­ritie and pleasing. pilgrimage. Against the which diabolical deceipt and trecherie, this shal-be a very profitable remedie; to haue such authorities of holy scrip­ture in readines, as serue to beat down this vaine pleasing, and disordinate confidence in our selues, as is that saying of the wise man: Eccl. 9. a. That no man [Page] liuing knoweth whether he be woorthy of loue or hatred, & that of Esae. 64. b Esay; Al our righteous­nes is a defiled cloth; and that which our Luc. 17. c. Sauiour him-selfe saide; When you haue done al that is commaunded you, saye ye; we are vnprofitable seruauntes. That also of the psalmist: Ps. 35. a. Thy iudgementes are a great and inscrutable depth; and that sentence of the Rom. 11. d Apostle; How incomprehensible are the iudgementes of God. By these and ma­nye moe authorities shalt thou wel knowe, how smally thou oughtest to please thy selfe, or to growe secure, by reason of such good workes, as thou supposest to haue done; sith they may haply be distained with many im­perfections; and by that meanes be li­tle grateful or acceptable to God. In The best waye to he­uen lieth betwixt feare and hope. doing thus, thou shalt remaine be­tweene feare and hope (the most assu­red path to passe to heauen by) fering by reason of thy manifold sinnes and imperfections; and hoping through the infinite goodnes and mercye of [Page 164] God; so that, looke at what time the diuel goeth about to make thee proud, and to presume of thy selfe; see thou depresse and throwe thee downe with the memorie of suche causes as thou hast to make thee fear; and when on th'other side he would driue thee to dispaire, doo thou ani­mate thy selfe with the remembrance of such thinges, as iustly may moue thee to haue confidence in our Lord and moste merciful Sauiour. The 5. [...] is of impatience

THE FIFT temptation is of im­patience, through the pains & griefes that sicknes bringeth, especially, if it be of longe continuance. This vice must thou vanquishe, by persuading thy selfe, that whatsoeuer it be thou The Re­medie. hast done, or doest now presently suf­fer, God doth with singuler loue, for the wel-fare of thy soule, sende it to thee; that by meanes of such afflicti­on; and paines it maye be purged here, and escape the other, farre [Page] more greeuous tormentes, which it shoulde other-wise endure in the world to come; as also, that by means of these paines and pinching griefes in this earthly pilgrimage, thy merite might increase aboue, and thy future glory growe farre greater in heauen.

Besides these temptations alreadie mentioned; wel may we weene, that the wicked spirites doo, with diuers other, molest the soule of man in this houre of transe, and time of so great distresse. It shal neuerthelesse suffice, I hope, to haue set downe the chiefe, and most daungerous, together with such remedies, as are most fitt to be applied against them; wherby, what with them thine owne good prayers, and those of thine assistantes (who shal doo very wel to sprinkle holye Holy-water water eftsons vpon thee) as also by The sugred name of IESVS. embracing the crucifix, and calling vpon that moste sugred and sweete name of ( IESVS) with faith and fer­uour, [Page 165] forcing thee to wrap and wind thy selfe into his woundes; wel may­est thou, I say, (vsing al these means) hope to be holpen by God, and his blessed Saintes and Angels; and so most happily to gaine a conquest of these, and al other temptations that may assaile thee, and at length arriue most fortunately to that port of eter­nal rest and quietnes.

IN THIS litle Treatise, The summ of the whole books (Christian Reder) haue been hitherto as briefly, as might wel be shewed thee, the rules and ad­uises, wherby thou oughtest to guide thy selfe, as-wel on working, as holye dayes; and howe thou maiest exercise [Page] thy selfe in prayer, and frequent ve­rye profitablye the Sacramentes of Confession and receauing. And be­cause this our mortal life can-not be passed ouer without the tentations and greeuous assaultes of suche our aduersaries as here in this world doo enuirone vs, there are wepons and re­medies geuen thee to vanquish them with, and to preserue thee from sinn; by means whereof thou maiest also atchieue such vertues as be needful for thee. Againe, forsomuch as this our temporal life is thral to many in­firmities, and in fine to dint of death, (the port we must per-force al of vs passe by) for this cause haue I in this seconde impression annexed twoo Chapters more then there was be­fore; wherein, is shewed thee, in what sort thou must gouerne thy selfe in time of sicknes, when it shal please God there-with to visite thee; as also howe thou oughtest to behaue thee [Page 166] in transe and houre of death, when our Lorde through his good proui­dence shal thinke meet to bring thee thither. This haue I thought and dee­med sufficient for thee, that, if of the geuer of al goodnes, thou hast recea­ued a good wil and desire to amende thy life, and to liue like a true Chri­stian, thou maiest, by perusing this pamphlet, learne howe to attaine thine intent, and to haue a firme trust and confidence to obteyne eter­nal life (the onely ende whereto thou wast created.)

IT RESTETH nowe, that for con­clusion and knitting vp of this litle woorke, I admonishe thee, beseeche thee, and exhort thee, as much as I can and possibly maye, Luc. 9. [...] that if thou haste once laide hande to the plough, and begon to exercise thy self in di­uine seruice, taking the rules and ad­uises, which in this Treatise are [Page] prescribed thee for thy guide & go­uernment; that in no wise thou looke backe againe, nor let not thy selfe by any troubles and toiles, which maye crosse thee in this life, be ouercome and vanquished. And if at any time it so chaunsed, as wel it may doo est­sons, that by reason of letts and hin­derances thou shouldest be for some time forced to intermitt thine ordi­narye and wonted exercises, be not any deale dismaide therewith, but when this time of trouble is once ouershot, renewe againe thy course, and folowe it, as if thou haddest ne­uer failed, perseuering til the ende, as Mar. 13. b. Mat. 24. d. Luc. 12. e Apo. 16. c. is needful, if thou minde to attaine the crowne, and to winne euerlasting happines; for in doing thus, I dare on the behalfe of our Lord and Sauiour assure thee, that this perseuerāce shal ease the paine that pincheth at firste, and looke how much the more thou doest perseuer, and so much more cō ­fort, [Page 167] helpe, consolation, and heauenly light shalt thou receaue of his moste bountiful liberalitie. See therefore, thou content not thy selfe with once This books ought not once, but eftsons to be read. reading ouer of this litle Treatise, but reade it eftsons ouer, for so is moste expedient; forsomuch as the thinges that are here intreated of, sith they be the rules and remembrances which thou oughtest in spiritual life to leuel and guide thy worke by; it behoueth at al times to reade them, when thou purposest to practise thē. For besides, that the bare reading shal-be a laudable and meritorious exercise for thee, and serue as a part of prayer; the reiterating and frequē ­tation of reading, shal helpe thee to learne by heart, what in action thou art bound to execute; and so maiest thou afterwardes exercise thee in ech point with much more facilitie, and lesse adoo a great deale. And therfore, albeit this litle labour maye profite, [Page] eche one that with good and godlye intent wil vouchsafe to reade it; yet was it principally intended for the simple and more ignorant sort; and for that cause haue I thought good to annexe here in the end such thin­ges as many of them wot not, and yet are bound to knowe: Seing that if euerye Artisan thinke it meete to knowe such thinges as belonge vnto his Art; howe much more is a true Christian bound to knowe what ap­pertaineth to his profession, (an Arte aboue al Artes) and to be prepared (as the Apostle S. 1. Pe. 3. c Peter saith) to yeeld accompt of that he beleeueth and hopeth; and what it behooueth him to doo, to liue according to Gods wil and pleasure, and to obteine euerla­sting life withal. Wherefore, for such as be in this behalfe blame-woorthye negligent, I haue here set downe such thinges, as without daunger of their owne wel-doing, they neither ought, [Page 168] nor can be ignorant of; that by rea­ding these notes and short remem­brances, they may both vnderstande what they want, and learne it here commodiously, without further see­king of other bookes. And as for the textes, I haue here set them foorth, both in the latine and vulgar tonge, for euery one to learne them, as best shal like thē, not respecting so much the wordes, as the substance and sapp conteined in the same.

FOR thy better remem­bring of these. xij. Articles conteined in the Creede a­foresaid, wherin the whole summe of our holy Catholike fayth is comprehended; I haue thought good in this second impression, to adioyne a briefe declaration, as-wel thereof, as also of such other thinges, as be needful for thee to haue by hart: Wherby thou maiest easily learn, not onely to rehearse the bare wordes, but to sucke out the sense and sapp also of that which thou beleeuest, con fessest, and witnessest, or at least wise oughtest to doo, in al thy life [Page] and actions, It is therfore for declara­tion of this Creede or Simbole to be noted, howe God being one in sub­stance & three in person, al the three persons of the most sacred and soue­rain Trinitie, are in this Creede espe­cified, and vnto eche one of them their peculier and proper Articles as­signed.

THE FIRST Article sheweth vn­to vs the first person of the Trinitie; to wit, the Father; vnto whom is at­tributed the Genes 1. Ioh. 1. a. Heb. 11. a. creation of heauen, earth, and of al things visible and in­uisible; al the which, as he for vs hath by his Omnipotencie created of no­thing; so doth he forovs, through his wisdome and goodnes still mainteine and gouerne them; whereby we are done to wit, what great loue we are bounde to beare towarde this our so good a father, who hath for vs created and kept so manye thinges. What trust we may also repose in him; and [Page 170] howe greatly we ought to dreade the offending of so omnipotent a Father.

THE SECOND Article declareth vnto vs the second person of the sa­cred Trinitie, which is the Sonne; who, touching his diuinitie, is from al eternitie ingendred of his Father, of the self-same substaunce with his father, and coequal to him. This Esay. 53. 10. 1. c. 16. d Coloss. 1. a. Heb. 1. a one only and eternal sonne of God, as he tooke humane nature, and fleshe vppon him, is called Luc. 1. [...] Iesus Christe, that is to saye, Sauiour annoin­ted; IESVS, which signifieth, Saur­our; for that he came to saue and re­deeme his people from their sinnes; and CHRISTE, which is as much to say, as annointed; for that he was an­nointed by the holye Ghoste, ful of grace and truth. He is also called Ioh. 1. f. MESSIAS, whom God had erst promised to sende into the worlde; a KING, Heb. 4. [...] BISSHOP, and LORDE, [Page] for that he bought vs with his most precious bloud; and thereby is geuen vs to vnderstande, howe much we are bound to honour, loue, and reuerence him.

THE THIRD Article teacheth vs the incarnation and temporal nati­uitre of this our Lord; for that being (as God) eternally Phil. 2. a engendred of his father without mother; he for our loue descended frō heauen, and tooke humane fleshe vpon him, and was, as man, conceaued, without father, or operation of man; in that most sacred vessel the virginal wombe of the e­uermore virgin Mary; and was after­wardes borne in Mat. 2. a Luc. 2. a. Bethlcem of this his blessed mother, she remayning euermore a virgin. By this incarnati­on of the [...] of God, we are al of vs Rom. 6. a Galat. 3. d. Col. 2. b. regenerated; & of carnal, that we were, made spiritual, and the children of God in Iesus Christe.

THE FOVRTH Article doth in­forme [Page 171] vs of the Passion, death, and burial of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe; who hauing preched, and done many miracles for the space of three yeres, the Iewes of meere spite and malice accused him to Pontius Pi­late their Iudge; who albeit he wist wel his innocencie and cleernes frō a­ny crime, yet did he Mat. 27. c. Mar. 15. b. adiudge him to suffer death vpon the Roode; and so was he by that means crucified, dead, and buried; whose holy wounds, pas­sion, Crosse, and death, were causes of our life; and yeeld great consolation to al such as sincerely doo loue and serue him.

THE FIFT Article openeth to vs, howe Christe our Redeemer being thus deade on the roode, his most sa­cred soule vnited to his diuinitie, 1. Pe. 3. d. Zach. 9. c. Aug. epist. 99 & 57. de fide ad Pet. Cap. 2. discended downe to hel, to fetche thence those holye Fathers, that so many yeres had looked for him. And afterwardes triumphing ouer death, [Page] (as he had alreadie done ouer the de­uil and hel) did rise vp the third daye by his owne Osee. 5. a. Mat 28. a. 1. Cor. 15. a. 6. c. Colos. 2. c. power and vertue; and so issued out of his Sepulchre, im­mortal, and most glorious. This his example geueth Ioh. 11. c. Act. 17. d. 23. b. hope to eche one beleeuing sinceerly in him, that they shal in th'ende rise like-wise vp im­mortal and right glorious.

THE SIXT Article instructeth vs, howe our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe the fortie daye after his Resur­rection, did with exceeding triumph Act. 1. b mar. 16. 20 Luc. 24 g. ascend vp to heuen, and sitteth there on the right hand of his Almightie Father; that is to say, in the self-same glory, power, and Maiestie with the Father; enioying al the blisse his Fa­ther doeth, and gouerning al thinges with him. This glorious Ascension of Christe our head yeeldeth confi­dence to his true members, that if they obey their head and heauenlye [Page 172] captaine, they shal one day ascende also, and reigne in heauen with him.

THE SEVENTH Article telleth vs of the second comming of Christe our Lorde, which shal-be at the last day; when he shal in humane fleshe come with great power and Maie­stie, accompanied with al his holye angels Mat. 24 6 Act. 1. b. to iudge the vniuersal world; as-wel those that be at that time li­uing in erth, as also, al those that haue beene dead since the worlde was first created; & thē shal he yeeld reward to ech one, according to the 2. Cor. 5 b Rom. 14. b. deedes and workes they shal haue wrought. This article admonisheth vs to liue with so much more vigilant care and watch­fulnes, as we knowe more certainlye, that al our woordes, woorkes, and thoughtes are to be examined and discussed of this moste dreadful Iudge, before whose tribunal seate we must needes al of vs appere.

[Page] THE EIGHT Article sheweth vs the third person of the moste sacred Trinitie, Gen. 1. a. Ioh. 1. [...] b. 16. a. Mat. 28. d. Rom. 8. b which is the holy Ghoste, who proceedeth from the Father and the sonne, and is with them the selfe same God, eternal, and omnipotent; And therfore are we bound with the selfe same honour, faith, and dutiful obeisance, to reuerence & adore him. This is the comforter and spirite of truth, that illuminateth, teacheth, and sanctifieth vs; and according to his diuine pleasure departeth his giftes to euery one.

IN THE ninth Article we con­fesse, that there is a holye Catholike Church; Ioh. 11. g. Rom. 6. b. 10. [...] 4. a. 5. d. to wit, an vniuersal congre­gation of the faithful, which haue the very self-same faith, doctrine, and Sa­cramentes. And this Church is HOLY, because it is sanctified by Christ, the head therof, and gouerned by the ho­lye Ghost; and is CATHOLIKE, that is to say, vniuersal, for that it embra­ceth [Page 173] al the faithful, that in euerye place and time, haue helde, and doo holde one selfe same faith of Christe. We confesse like-wise in this Arti­cle, that in this holye and vniuersal Churche or congregation, there is a communion of Saintes; that is to say, Ioh. 17. [...] Rom. 12. c 1. Cor. 1. [...] 10. d. 12. e Eph. 4. b. 5. c. Galat. 3. b. that al those that dwel in this Chur­che, doo, as in the house of God, al of them, communicate one with an-o­ther such giftes as they receaue; and doo one of them helpe an-other, both spiritually and corporally, like mem­bers al of one body.

THE TENTH Article propoun­deth to vs the remissiō and forgeue­nes of our sinnes, which is obteined in this holy Catholike Church aboue saide, by the vertue of Christes passi­on, operating by meanes of such holy Mat. 16. c. Ioh. 20. f. Cip. [...] 1. Epist. 1. Chris. lib. 5. de Sacerd. Amb. lib. 1. de penit. cap. 2. Sacramentes, as he left in this same Churche. Hence are sinners to gather a singuler comfort, sithens if they be truely penitent for their trespasses, [Page] and haue a ful purpose, neuer after to offende their maker, they haue then a redy means to recouer Gods grace again, which by their vngratiousnes they had so lewdly lost.

THE ELEVENTH Article testi­fieth the vniuersal resurrection of al men, who, eche one of them, iust or vniust, shal rise againe in the last day of iudgement with their owne bo­dies; and shal stand before the tribu­nal of 1. Cor. 15 a 2. Cor. 5. b Rom. 14. b. Christes iudgement, there to receaue doome in their bodies, accor­ding to the good or euil they shal haue wrought in this life; So that the elect that haue done good, shal arise with bright and beautiful bodies to the resurrection of life, and perpetu­al blisse and happines: And the dam­ned that haue done euil with moste horrible and vggly bodies, to the re­surrection of damnation, and euerla­sting tormentes, both in their soules and bodies.

[Page 174] THE TWELFTH Article promi­seth vs an euerlasting life, which shal succeede after this transitorye life, wherin the good, rising vp in bodies and soules, shal reigne eternally, and enioye the inestimable treasures of blessed happines, exempted from al miseries and toils that in this tempo­ral life doo eftsons trouble vs; And the wicked, being also in body and soule resuscitate, shal dwel in perpe­tual paines, and abide more terrible tormentes, then any mans tonge can tel. This article geueth good Christi­ans cōfort to abide al aduersitie with patience, considering that eternal life we looke and hope for; where being exempt from al euil, we shal enioy al good thinges, and reigne in euerla­sting happines.

This worde Amen, annexed to the end, sheweth the most certain and in­fallible truth of the christian fayth & confessiō conteined in this Creede.

LIKE as we haue alreadie seene in the Creede what we are bound to beleeue; euen so in these tenn commaundementes are we taught by our Lorde God, what his wil is that we doo, to gaine euer­lasting life withal. Wherefore, the summe of his first precept is this; to beleeue in one true and onely God, The firste [...] which is the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghoste, as is aforesaide in the declaration of the Articles; and that to him alone we geue adoration, honour, and reuerence, louing this our God aboue al things with al our Deu. 6. [...] Mat. 22. d. Luc. 10. c. heart, with al our soule, and with al our might and power; Insomuch, as no other thing ought to be honored, loued, and reuerenced like to him. Whence thou maiest learne, that al [Page] Idolatry, al superstitious obseruati­ons, al inchauntments, witchcraftes, and vse of magical arte, with eche o­ther kinde of dealing, wherby, either an expresse, or included couenant & paction is made with the deuil, and any honour done vnto him; al this, I say, as also al kind of south-sayinges, diuinations, and geuing credite to those we fondly cal wise men, or wo­men, is vtterly forbidden and con­demned by this commaundement.

IN THE second precept we ar pre­scribed, The. 2. Cō ­maunde­ment. how to vse our tonges in di­uine seruice, being by the former in­structed, how to guide our hartes to­wards our Lord & God. The content & mening of this cōmaundement is; that we vse the name of God in good and reuerēt wise; & that we take heed of naming it Deu. 5. b Zach. 5. a vainly or irreuerently. Then doo we vse the name of God wel & duely, when we praise, thank, confesse, inuocate, annoūce, and with [Page 176] reuerence handle his moste sacred word; and whē in any important ne­cessities we sweare by it in truth and due reuerence. And contrariwise, thē is his holy name vttered in vaine, and this precept transgressed, when we sweare without these circumstances; much more when we forsweare; but most of al, when we blaspheme God, or his most holy Saintes. Such also, as blaspheme or curse his other crea­tures; and that hauing power to per­forme their Leu 27. b Num. 6. a. Mat. 14. [...] 1. Tim. 5. b. vowes they haue earst made, doo not accomplish them; al these offēd against this cōmaūdemēt.

IN the third precept we are infor­med The 3. com maunde­ment. of our duties, howe we ought to serue God in our words and actions; and therfore doth he here commaund vs to keepe holy, and sanctifie the Sa­both dayes; that is, the Sundayes, and other festiual dayes, ordeyned by our holye Mother the Churche, ceassing on those dayes from seruile woorke, [Page] and such other temporal trades and busines as might occasionate destrac­tion in our soules, intending onely to such workes as God is best honoured with; and our souls more inflamed in loue and feruoure towards him. Such workes are; hearing of an entier and whole Masse, the sermons, Lessons, with other diuine seruice, what the time and place thou liuest in, may af­forde thee. In like maner, to laud and prayse God for such benefits as thou hast receaued of his moste liberal hand; to be sorowful for thy trespas­ses committed against his Maiestie; to reuerence his Sacramentes; and with dutiful obeisance to receue thē; to be diligent in doing works of mer cie: With these, and such like deedes, are the holy dayes, according to the meaning of this precept, sanctified. Wherein note, that who so worketh Note well. on holy dayes, (onlesse it be some smal thing, or worke of charitie, or [Page 177] els being compelled by some vrgent and great necessitie) offendeth against this precept. We break this cōmaun­dement in like maner, when hauing conuenient meanes, we heare not a whole & entier Masse on these daies; and finally, when in steed of these holy workes and exercises aboue-na­med (wherin the holy-dayes ought to be employed) we spend them in con­trary workes, wher-with God is dis­pleased; then is it (I say) that this com­maundement is infringed.

These Exo. 20 c Mat. 22. d. 1. Tim. 1. c. Ioseph. [...] 3. antiq. ca. 6 Orig. ho. 8. in Exod. three preceptes aboue de­clared, be the commaundements the first table; which apperteine to the honour of God; and teache vs, howe in worde, worke, and thought we are bounde to behaue our selues towardes him. The other seuen that folowe, are called the commaunde­mentes of the second table; and in­struct vs, howe Rom. 13. c Iac. 2 b. Galat. 5. c. Aug. ibad. towardes our neigh­bours we are bōd to behaue our sel­ues.

[Page] IN THE first whereof, and fourth in order, is commaunded vs to honor our parents that did begett vs; vnto whom, next to God, we are bound to yeeld al loue, reuerence, honour, and obedience; sith that of them, next to God, we haue receaued the essence and being that we haue: And there­fore ought we of duetie, in al honest thinges they commaund vs, Eph. 6. a. Col. 3. d. Deut. 5. c Eccl. 3. b Mat. 5. a Mar. 7. b to obey and execute their good wil and plea­sures. And if it chaunced them to fal into pouertie, whereby they shoulde stand neede of our seruice and succor, then requireth our duetie, liberallye Deu. 15. a 1. Tim. 5. b. Aug. cont Adim. ca. 6 supra Exo 12. to prouide for them, diligentlye to serue them, and patiently to abide the troubles and pains they put vs to; like as they did patientlye bring vs vp, and beare the infirmities of our in­fancie. By this precept are we like­wise commaunded to carye the like loue, obedience, and reuerence to our spiritual fathers, and to al our Superi­ours; [Page 178] as be Bisshops, priestes, religious men, & prelates of the Church; kings, princes, and seculer powers. Thus ought Schollers to behaue thē-selues towardes their teachers; seruaunts to­wardes their masters; and wiues to­wardes their husbandes. Hereby are also al parentes and superiours war­ned, what loue and special care they are bound to cary towards their chil­drē, & to al such as be their subiects.

IN THE fift precept is forbidden, The 5. Cō ­maunde­ment. to kil, strike, or other-wise to hurt our neighbours bodye or life, of our owne authoritie; Ro. 13. a 1. Pet. 2. c albeit a man maye wel, by authoritie of lawe or magis­trate, be an executioner of iustice, do­ing his duetie therein orderlye, and without al malice. By this precept is also forbidden, al iniurie Leu. 19. d Exod. 13. a. Mat. 5. e. or reuiling of our neighbours, al hatred, rancour, couet of Pro. 20. e Deut. 32. f Rom. 12. d. reuenge, and eche other in­ward afse&iō, wherby either murder, or some outward action to endomage [Page] our neighbour, is wont commonly to proceede. The obseruing therfore of this precept requireth great mildnes and patience in al our doings; & that we bear with our neighbors imperfec tions, and forget their miuries; pardo­ning with such loue their offences, as we woulde wishe, that God shoulde pardon ours. Mothers also doo great­ly transgresse this commaundement, who procure vntimely birth, and de­stroye the fruit conceaued in their wombes; as also al those that geue thē instruction, or any kind of help ther­to. Note. In like maner, who so slea them selues, maime, or cut off any of their limmes, or otherwise in rage doo in­iurie them-selues, or through impa­tience doo wittingly, by disordinate [...] or other vnfitt meanes seeke to shorten their dayes; al these doo vio­late The. 6. Commaun­dement. this commaundement.

IN THE sixt precept is adulterye, fornication, and eche other carnal act [Page 179] forbidden, except that of matrimo­nie, being orderly obserued. In like maner are al occasions prohibited, whence such vnlawful actes doo pro­ceede; as be carnal Iob. 32. a. Ge. 6. a. 8. d thoughtes, disho­nest Eph. 5. a. Eccl 9. a. b words, profane songs Pro. 5. a Cipr. de Syn. Cleric. and bal­lets, the reading of amorous and fond discourses, wanton 2 Pet. 2. c Iob. 31 a. Ihren. 3. f lookes, lasciuious gestures, much familiaritie and con­uersation with daungerous persons; excesse in eating and drinking, too much fostring of the fleshe, wherby it is kindled, and made more subiect to alterations; briefly, al such occasi­ons are forbidden, as endaunger the cleannes and chastitie that God re­quireth in vs; which we ought with great carefulnes to keepe, both in our soules and bodies, in our hearing, see­ing, touching, & in al Tob. 4. e. 2. Cor. 6. b. Galat. 5. d. 1. Tit 2. b. 3. a. 4. d. 5. ab our other sen­ses and powers, to satisfie this com­maundement. The 7. Commaun­dement.

IN THE seuenth precept is for­bidden, the stealing of other mennes [Page] goods, either priuily or pertly, against the owners wil; as also ech other vn­lawful Exo. 20 22. Zach. 1. Amos. 6. Mich. 3. seasing or with-holding of o­thers substance; be it by stealth, vio­lence, or any fraude and legerdemain; or els by vsurie, or some kind of o­ther vnlawful bargaine, whereby our neighbour is defrauded, and suffreth some losse and hinderance. It folow­eth therfore, that who so in their tra­des and traffiques vse not equitie and vpright dealing, offend against this precept. Such also, as discharge not their Creditours, hauing meanes to pay them; or that find any lost thing, and restore it not, either to the true owner; or to the poore, the owner be­ing not extant (if haply such thinges were not reputed as geuen ouer, and voluntarily abēdoned of the owner) Finally, al fraude, deceipt, and tret­cherie, whereby our neighboures goodes is damnified, to whom our [Page 180] Sauiour and Lorde wil haue vs to beare great loue and charitie; and not to doo other-wise to them, then wil­lingly we would that they should do to vs; yea, that we doo them the good which they maye conuenientlye re­quire, and we likewise performe to­wardes them. Who so faileth in anye of these thinges aforesaid, doth break and violate this commaundement.

IN THE Exo. 20 b Prou. 19. a Dan. 13. g. eight precept is al such harme forbidden, as through our speeche and wordes may be procured The 8. Cō ­maunde­ment. to our neighbours; as might be prin­cipally in bearing false witnes against them in place of iudgement; or in speaking suche wordes out of iudge­ment, as might eyther blemishe, or quite ouerthrowe our neighbours credite and good name. In like ma­ner, to reueale suche imperfections and faultes, as we knowe by others, to them that knowe them not. [Page] not; wherby they are either defamed, or els made lesse accompt of; especi­ally, when such thinges are reuealed with wicked intent, and to those that can by no meanes redresse them. By this precept is like-wise forbidden, al detractions, murmuringes, speaking euil, & slaundering of others; al scof­fing, taunting, and telling of lies; al­beit without harme or any preiudice to our neighbours. Finally, we must beware of speaking or saying anye thing, whereby anye harme might any wayes ensue.

THE NINTH Deu. 5. Rom. [...] 5. [...] 13. precept is as a de­claration of the seuenth, thereby to notifie vnto vs the better, what chari­tie God wil haue vs to vse towardes The. 9. [...] our neighbours, and howe farre we ought to be from doing them anye euil, being not onely forbidden to take their goodes by outward means from them, but also not to desire in­wardly in our heartes any vnlawful [Page 181] vsurpation of them. And like as the desire and coueting of these thinges is prohibited vs, euen so are wee to witt, that eche other deliberate wil and desire of any thing what-soeuer that may be preiudicial to our neigh­bour, is vtterly forbidden vs. The. 10. Commaun­dement.

THE TENTH precept is as a de­claration of the sixt; to doo vs the better to vnderstand, what puritie of heart our Lord requireth of vs; wher­by we ought not onely to beware of committing aduoultrie, fornication, or any other carnal act, as was aboue­said in the sixt; but also, not to haue any Mat. 5. d Iecob. 1. c. concupiscence or desire with determinate consent, which suffiseth, without committing any outwarde act, to soile our soules, and to procure the losse of Gods diuine grace and fauour towards vs. This briefe decla­ration of these tenne commaunde­mentes shal geue thee some light, as­wel to know the better how to keepe [Page] them, as also to vnderstand howe to make thy confession better, when haply thou mightest haue trespassed against any of these preceptes. Note moreouer, that al these tenne com­maundementes are, according to our Sauiors doctrine, reduced vnto Mat. 22. d. Mat. 12. c two of charitie; towardes God; and to­wardes our neighbour: sithens, who so loueth God sincerely, performeth duely the three preceptes of the first table, perteyning to Gods honour: and, who so loueth his neighbor with that sinceritie he doth him-selfe, wil not faile in the seuen preceptes of the second table; which in­struct eche one, howe to gouerne thē-sel­ues towards their neighbours.

THIS prayer is of al other the most holy and most ex­cellent, as-wel in respect of the maker Iesus Christe our Lorde and Sauior; as also, for that vnder so smal a compasse is taught vs, howe we are to aske al that is needful for our souls and bodies, and is deuided into a pre­face or proeme, and seuen petitions.

THE preface Mala. 1. b Rom. 8. c Galat. 4. a is; Our Father, which art in heauen, fitt wordes, to stirre vp such Cipr. in ser. de [...] Dom. attention and deuotion, as is meete to say this prayer withal; for hereby are we put in minde, how we speake to the moste high and Omnipotent God; whom we cal father, for twoo causes; first, by creation, hauing crea­ted vs, as he did al other creatures: next, by adoption, sith through Iesus [Page 183] Christe his onely natural sonne he hath receaued al those that beleeue in his holy name; for his children adoptiue; and this word, Our Father, doth vs to witt, what honor, obedience, and loue we are bound to beare towardes such a father; as also, what charitie we ought to haue amongst our selues, be­ing al brethren, and children of one self-same Father. These wordes, Which art in heauen, warne vs to lift vp our heartes and desires to heauen, where our father is; and howe we must liue here, not like terrestral, but celestial Citizens; sith our Father is resident [...] aboue in heauen. Who is saide to be there, for that he appereth there glo­rious to his elect, albeit he be in eche other place in the selfe same sub­stance, power, and presence.

THE FIRST petition is; Mat. 5 b 1. Cor. 10. g. Rom 15. b Eccl. 36. a. Halowed be thy name and is a petition worthy the childrē of such a father; sith good childrē, the principal care they haue, [Page] is to seeke and desire whatsoeuer con­cerneth the reuerence and honour of their Father: Euen so doo we in this first petition couet and desire, that God our father be halowed and sanc­tified in vs; that is, that he be knowē, honoured, and reuerenced of vs; we by his grace performing such works, Mat. 5. b Luc. 1. g. Phal 2. b 1. Pet. 3. c wherby al those that see vs, maye prayse and glorifie this our heauenly father.

THE SECOND petitiō is; Mat. 6. d Rom. 14. c Psal. 22. a. 79. a. Lu. 1. c. 17. e 1. Cor. 3. c. 4. d. Ephes. 1. d. Thy king­dome come; wherin we shewe the boy­ling desire we haue, or should haue, to abandon this Phil. 1. d. Heb. 11. c. 1. Pet. 2. b. Ioh. 7. a exile; and to come to that heauenlye and eternal inheri­tance, which God hath prepared for those that loue him; thither is it we craue by these wordes happily to be conducted. And whiles this our flit­ting is deferred (for so is it meete it should be) we praye in this petition, that his kingdome of grace doo come vnto vs; that is, that God by grace [Page 184] reigne in vs, and no sinne soiorne in our soules, to let vs from seruing this celestial king, with whom we hope one day to liue and reigne eternallye.

THE THIRD petition is; Ps. 102. [...] Rom. 1. b. Act. 9. a 21 c. Deut. 12 a. Heb. 13. d Iacoh. 4. d. 1. Pet. 4. a. Thy wil be [...] in earth as it is in heauen; wherein we craue grace to obey Goddes behests with like obeisance and redines here in earth, as the Angels, and whole number of elect doo fulfil them in heauen, and are continually confor­mable to his moste holye wil. We ought therefore to take great heede, that in our workes we be not contra­rye to our wordes; and that we al en­force our selues to obey God perfect­ly, and continually to conforme our selues to his diuine wil, as-wel in ad­uersitie as in prosperitie, saying al­wayes in eche thing he shal send vnto vs; Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen.

THE FOVRTH petition is; Iac. 1. a. [...] Ps 39 d. Deut. 10. d. Genes 28 d 1. Tim 6. b. Preu. 30. a Psal. 144 c Geue vs this day our dayly bread; wherin we beg of our holye father, like poore and needie creatures, sustenaunce of [Page] body and soule, such as may be neces­sary for vs in this our temporal life. For our bodies, we begge, vnder the name of bred, al other necessary thin­ges for the intertainment of this our transitory life; and therewith, accor­ding as they shal-be geuen vs, ought we moderately to holde our selues contented. For our soules, we craue spiritual breade; to wit, his diuine word, a Mat. 4. a [...] 8. c. Eccl 15. a. Prou. 9. b sauourie sustenance for our soules; and withal, that moste blessed Sacrament of the mat. 25 c Ioh. 6 d. Hier. in. 6. ca Math. Cipr in ser. de Oratio­ne Dom. Amb. li. 5. de Sacr. [...] 4. Aultar, with the other Sacramentes of the Churche, which doo wonderfully feede, foster, and recure our soules infirmities.

THE FIFT petition is; Thre. 4. b 1. Cor. 10. b Leuit 26. c. Num. 5. a. c Exod. 32 f Luc. 7. g. And forgeue vs our trespasses, as we forgeue them that tres­passe against vs. In this petitiō we craue the most grieuous and difficult debts of this life to be forgeuen vs; to witt, our trespasses and crimes committed, whereby we remaine oblieged and thral to most greeuous calamities and [Page 185] nishmentes. By annexing these wor­des; as we forgeue thē that trespasse against vs; we are warned, that if we wil haue God to acquit and forgeue our debts, we must acquitt others, and forgeue them that haue anye wayes offended vs. Mat. 6. b 18. d. c Eccle. 28. a Aug in Euch c. 74. Otherwise, our petition shal in no wise be allowed.

THE SIXT petition is; Mat. 4 a b. 26. d. Heb 2 d. 2 Thes 3 a. 1. Ioh. 2. c. And leade vs not into ten [...] whereby we craue Gods diuine succour (knowing, howe we haue many foes to fight withal in this life) that with their temptations and tretcheries we be not ouercome; but resisting manfullye against the worlde, the fleshe, and the deuil, we may so merite at length to be crow­ned like woorthy Conquerours.

THE SEVENTH and last petitiō is; 3. Re 8 d. Prou. 10 d Eccl. 23. a. Hier. 2. c. Tob. 1. d. [...] Psal. 33. a. b. d But deliuer vs from euil: wherein we craue of this most bountiful and lo­uing father, that he vouchsafe to pre­serue vs from the perils, troubles, and calamities of this life, and from eche [Page] other euil that maye withdrawe or hinder vs frō diuine seruice, and the obteining of that which we haue in this prayer required.

That last worde, Amen, which is as 2. Cor. 1. d Ambros. in Psal 40. Hier. in ca. 6. Math. muche, as, So be it, is a confirmation of that we haue craued; wherwith we shew the desire and hope we haue to obteine our former petitions.

FIRST we must vnder­stand, howe this salutation is the most holy and diuine prayer that can be possibly saide next to the former of the Pater noster; seing this salutatiō was formed of the holy ghost, by meanes of the Angel Luc. 1. c. [...] Gabriel, S. Elizabeth (S. Iohn Baptists mother,) and the holye Church our most sacred mother. We ought not therfore to make any light accompt of this our instruction and teaching, in what maner we are to in­uocate the blessed virgin her fauor & help, & how we are to salute her; sith her intercession is right valable to vs ward, & right effectual to Godward. And therefore haue the holy fathers, illuminated with the holy ghoste, al­wais obserued this maner of saluting & calling vpō her; which al true Chri stians haue alwaies with cōmō cōsent vsed, and doo vse in these our daies.

[Page] THE FIRST part of this salutatiō, Haile Mary ful of grace, onr Lorde is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women; the Angel spoke, when he came to announce the celestial mistery of the sonne of God his incarnation in the blessed virgin her most sacred wōbe; wherof, eche time we saye this saluta­tion, we ought to be mindful, yeel­ding God most humble thankes for this diuine misterie, the first begin­ning of our saluation. By this worde, Aue, which counteruaileth, Reioyce, or God saue thee, is declared the zeal which the Angel had; as also, that we ought to haue towardes this most holy vir­gin, inuiting her eftsons with this worde to be ioyful and glad for this diuine misterie; and expressing ther­by the contentation we feele through the manifolde graces that were be­stowed vpon her. This word MARY being the holy name of our Souerain Lady, the Angel did not vtter, in sa­luting [Page 187] her, but is added by the holye Churche; both, to signifie the better vnto vs, who it is we salute, as also for a deuotion sake towardes this holye name of Mary, which is interpreted Lady, and, illuminated, or Illumina­trix; and sea starre; eche one whereof, as euery man perceueth, may be right fitly applied vnto her. This worde, ful of grace, is the first speeche, where­with the Angel praysed her, and that right woorthely, for so much as the grace of God is the greatest good and treasure that may be possibly desired, and with it doo al other giftes come ioyntlye and heaped togetherwards. With this diuine grace was the bles­sed virgin replenished Amb. in 1. cap. Luc. Vide Bern. Ser. 9. ex paruis. more then euer was any pure creature; as being elected to a higher dignitie and pre­rogatiue; that is, to be the mother of God. Our Lord is also wont to graūt continually such graces, as be neces­sary for the state, whereto he electeth [Page] eche one. It foloweth; Our Lord is with thee; that is to say, he that properlye and absolutely is Lorde, (which God alone is) is with thee. For albeit other men here in earth are called lordes, as hauing a certaine superioritie geuen them, and rule ouer some men: yet are they but seruauntes, and the creatures of this one onely Lorde; who hath of himselfe al soueraintie, and absolute authoritie ouer al menn. This Lorde was therefore with our blessed Lady; sith he deliteth to dwel in the soule ful of grace, as hers was. And therefore, who so desire to haue this Lorde harbour with them, let them first procure to haue his grace, with­out the which he wil neuer enter or soiourne in their soules. It foloweth; Blessed art thou amongst wemen, or, aboue al o­ther wemen. By which speeche the An­gel shewed, how much our Lady pas­sed [...] Esai. 7. [...] Ezec. 44. a al other wemen in the giftes and priuiledges that were bestowed vp­pon [Page 188] her. Blessed amongst wemen, or, amongst al wemen; for that she was both a vir­gin, and a mother together; which prerogatiue, neither euer hath beene, nor shal-be graunted to anye other woman. Blessed also amongst women; sith she was exempted from the commō curse and malediction laide vpon al women, to bring forth their children with dolour and paine; where the blessed virgin, contrari-wise, as she conceaued Mat. 1. d. her childe without cor­ruption, or any detriment at al to her most pure virginitie, so did she bring forth her childe without anye paine or griefe at al; yea, with inspeakable ioye, seing her selfe the mother of such a sonne; and withal, before birth, in birth, and after birth, a moste pure and immaculate virgin. Luc. 1. [...] Bles­sed againe is she amongst al women, because of al wemen and men she hath beene hitherto in al ages conti­nuallye blessed, and shal-be of al [Page] generations exalted euerlastinglye.

THE SECOND part of this salu­tation is; Luc. 11. d. Blessed is the fruit of thy wombe. which wordes S. Elizabeth greeted our Lady with, at such time, as being conceaued with the sonne of God, she came to visite her. The which speech right woorthely apperteineth to our blessed Lady, for that of suche a tree, expedient was it, that suche fruit should proceede. Blessed is the mother, but much more the sonne, who was cause of his mothers blessed­nes. Blessed is the tree that brought vs forth the fruit of life; but much more blessed is the fruit of life, wher­by at such time as we eate it woor­thelye, we are made blessed, and re­ceaue the true and perfect life. And to make vs vnderstande the better, what this blessed fruit of the virgins wombe is, the Churche addeth this worde, Iesus, our Sauiours moste Act. 4. b. 1. Pet. 2. a. Phil. 2. b. Isa. 45. d Rom. 14. b. holy name, which is a moste sweete hony­combe [Page 189] in the mouth of him that pro nounceth it; a most melodious mu­sike in the eares of him that heareth it; a soueraine ioye, and inestimable consolation in his heart, that deuout­lye doth contemplate it.

The Vide [...] Breu. Rom & nouum ex edicte Conc. Trid. editum. holy Church addeth a thirde part to this salutation: Holye Mary, mo­ther of God, pray for vs sinners, nowe, and in the houre of our death. These wordes are a short praier and petition, wherby we recommend our selues to this moste sacred Lady her protection; agnising and confessing the efficacie and puis­saunce of her prayers to God-warde; and how we being wicked wretches, stand great neede of her prayers, be­ing innocent and pure from al spott of sinne; whom, if in our distresses we inuocate with faith & feruēt de­uotiō, wel may we hope (how greatly soeuer we haue offēded) to find relief and succour at this mother of mer­cies handes, as al sinners haue euer­more [Page] by trial proued true, that in their necessities made their recourse vnto her.

The last word, Amen, may be vnder­stood, as is afore-saide in th'ende of the Creede or Pater noster.

These thinges thus explaned, as thou seest, be the pointes, which, at least, euery good Christian is bounde to haue by hart; to th'ende he know what he ought to beleeue, and doo; and in what maner to make his prai­ers, to gaine Gods fauour and diuine grace; therby afterwardes to obteine euerlasting glory, and celestial blisse.