The interiour occupation of the soule Treating of the important businesse of our saluation with God, and his saints, by way of prayer. Composed in French for the exercise of that court, by the R. Father, Pater Cotton of the Societie of Iesus, and translated into English by C.A. for the benefit of all our nation. Whereunto is prefixed a preface by the translator, in defence of the prayers of this booke, to the saints in heauen. — Interioure occupation d'une âme devote. English

Author: Coton, Pierre, 1564-1626.1618

THE INTERIOVR OCCVPATION OF THE SOVLE.

Treating of the important businesse of our saluation with GOD, and his SAINTS, by way of Prayer.

Composed in French for the exercise of that Court, by the R. Father, Pater Cotton of the Societi [...] of IESVS, and translated into English by C. A. for the benefit of all our Nation.

Whereunto Is prefixed a Preface by the Translator, in defence of the Prayers of this Booke, to the Saints in Heauen.

But our Conuersation is in Heauen, whence also wee expect the Sauiour our Lord Iesus Christ. PHIL: 3▪ 20.

Printed at Doway. 1618.

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The Table of the Titles of this Booke.

A Doration. Title. 1.
Thankesgiving. Title 2.
Petition. Title 3.
Protestation. Title 4.
To the Soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Title 5.
To the B. Virgin Mary. Title 6.
To St. Michaell. Title 7.
To St. Gabriel. Title 8.
To the Angell Gardian. Title 9.
To the Angels. Title 10.
To the holy Patriacks. Title. 11.
To the holy Prophets. Title 12.
To St. Iohn Baptist. Title 13.
To S. Ioseph. Title 14.
To S. Peter. Title 15.
To S. Paul. Title 16.
To S. Iohn the Euangelist. Tit. 17
To the Apostles. Title 18.
To the holy Euangelists. Title 19.
To the holy Martyrs. Title 20.
[Page]To the holy Doctors Title 21.
To the holy Confessors Title 22.
To the holy Anchorites, Hermits, and Religious. Title 23.
To St. Anthony. Title 24.
To the holy Virgins, Men and Women. Title 25.
A Cōmunication had with God, vpon the Life, Death, and passion of our Sauiour. Title 26.
A Prayer agreeing with the former Communication, and Conference, had with God. Tit. 27.
When a man is tempted. Title 28
When any thing falleth out, that pleaseth vs. Title 29.
When any thing displeaseth vs. Title 30.
In obeying our Superiors. Tit. 31
In seeing the magnificency of the Court. Title 32.
At our going out of our Lodging. Title 33.
In beholding any Garden, or Medow. [Page] Title 34.
In seeing a Fielde couered with flowers. Title 35.
When one smelleth to a Nosegay. Title 36.
When we admire the beauty of any building. Title 37.
When you beholde your selfe in a Glasse. Title 38.
In putting on your Apparell. Title 39.
In putting off your Apparell. Title 40.
In putting on Iewells, and other ornaments. Title 41.
Washing our handes and our face. Title 42.
When you vse your Fanne. Title 43
When the Clocke striketh. Tit. 44.
Touching the care wee are to haue of our Children. Title 45.
Concerning our Domesticals. Title 46.
In going to Masse. Title 47.
[Page]When one is Melanchollie or displeased at any thing. Title 48.
When wee feele our selues in any passion. Title 49.
After the happy successe of any affaire. Title 50.
Hauing receiued any grace. Title. 51.
When wee receiue any consolation in Prayer. Title 52.
In time of Desolation. Title 53.
When wee feele our selues drie at Prayer. Title 54.
When one is dispised. Title 55.
Eleuations of spirit, which may be done vpon euery occasion. Title. 56.

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THE TRANSLATORS PREFACE, IN DEfence of the Prayers of this Booke, to the Saints of God in Heauen.

GEntle Reader, whatsoeuer thou bee; This Booke is so fit for thee, that I doubt not thou wilt con mee thanke for hauing taught it to speake English. For if thou frequent the vse and practise of it, it will teach thee the language of Heauen. Wherein whensoeuer thou speakest to GOD and his Saints, they will answer thee: and whatsoeuer thou demaundest of them, they cannot deny thee. And though fearefully reading here & there a little, thou shouldst only take [Page] it in thy handes to sipp thereof, as men are wont to doe of Phisick, when they intend no more but to taste it: yet it is impossible but that the lippes and the hands of thy soule, which are thy will & thy vnderstanding, should not receiue some Tyncture, and retaine some taste of the sweetnesse of it.

B [...]t because, it may so fall out with thee, that hauing been brought vp as it were in some defiance with the Saints in heauen, and thereby thinking all honor too much which is done them, and euery request to bee no lesse then Idolat [...]y which is made vnto them: thou shouldest in this respect bee scandalized with those excellent inuocations of them, wherein is spent a principall part of this treatise, and so bee prouoked [Page] either to detest, or cōtemne the Booke it selfe; I haue thought good, to set thee downe two wayes; how thou mayst both read, and vse the foresaid prayers: not onely without scruple and offence of conscience, according to the opinion of thine owne Masters, which is the first way: but also according to the profession of Ours, with great delight, & true spirituall comfort; which is the other.

The first is (supposing thou canst not thinke better) to Imagine, all the Prayers of this Booke to the Saints of heauen to be but a figure of Rethorick, called Apostrophe; or which is all one, a fayned speech, whereby to excite affectiō made vnto those thinges w ^t cannot heare vs; as to a Rocke, to a Riuer; to Birds or Beasts. For in such [Page] figuratiue senses, the most learned Doctors of thine owne religion, do vnderstand those innumerable prayers to Saints, which euery where they reade in the holy Fathers; & whereof, I will here yeeld thee some few examples in their speeches alone to our Blessed Lady.

St. Athanasius, the great cō poser of that Creede, which he learned in the Nizen Councell (whereof hee was a principall part, and which is read euery Athanasi [...] Fuā: De sanctissim [...] no [...]tra D [...]i [...]pera. Sunday in your Churches) maketh first this preface; For as much (saith this glorious Saint) as hee who was borne of a Virgin is our King, and the same likewise our Lord and our God; therefore also, the Mother, which brought him foorth, is truely and properly reputed a Queene, & a Lady, and the Mother of God. And then [Page] among other thinges, hee speaketh vnto her in this manner. Vnto thee therefore wee Cry, bee mindfull of vs most B. Virgin, who also after thy Child-birth, didst remaine a Virgin. Hayle full of Grace, our Lord is with thee; Blessed doe all the holy Quires of men and Angels call thee; Blessed art thou among women, & Blessed is the fruit of thy wombe. Mistris, and Lady, & Queene, and Mother of God, make intercession for vs.

St. Ephraim, who liued in the same age, & was of such fame, Ephraim that in some Churches after the Scripture, his writinges were publickly read, & whose prayers most patheticall to our B. Lady, in his Sermō of the praises of the most holy Mother of God, and in diuers other places are too long to be recited; in a proper Prayer to our B. Lady. [Page] among other things he saith as followeth. Bee present with me mercifull, Clement, and Benigne Virgin, especially in this present life; feruently protecting me, repelling the assaults of mine enemies: Conducting mee to saluation, and at the point of [...]y death, preseruing my miserable soule: driuing away the darkesome visions of wicked Spirits; deliuering mee in the terrible day of Iudgement, from eternall Damnation: and lastly making me heyre of the inaccessible glory of God thy Son. Which I beseech thee againe, and againe, most holy Lady and Mother of God, that I may obtaine by thy intercession and fauour, through the grace and mercy, and humanitie of thy onely begotten Soone our Lord and God, and Sauiour Iesus Christ.

Likewise, the most renowned, [Page] and vncontroled Doctor of the Church St. Augustine, in his 2. Sermon of the Annunciation, after many other wordes in praise and prayer to her, concludeth as followeth O Blessed S. Augus [...] S [...]m. 1 8 de sanct [...] Mary, who is able to rep [...]r thee, the right of praise and thankesgiuing, which is due vnto thee? who by thy singuler assent, didst releeue the world when it was lost? what prayses can the fragil [...]tie of mankinde giue the, which onely by thy meanes found the beginning of recouerie? Receiue therefore our thankesgiuing, though small as it is; though vnequall to thy great merites; and when thou hast receiued our desires, by thy prayer excuse our faultes. Receiue our prayers into thy sanctuary of thy excudition, and returne vnto vs the Antidote of reconciliation By thee, let that bee excusable, which [Page] wee importune; and let that bee impitrable, which wee aske with a fatihfull minde. Receiue that wee offer, render that wee aske, excuse that wee feare; for thou art the Hope of all sinners. By thee, wee [...]pes vni [...]a silicet [...]ne qua [...]on. confide to haue pardon for our demerites; and in thee most Blessed, is the expectation of our rewards. Holy Mary, succour the miserable, help those that are weake minded cherish those that weepe, pray for the people, Mediate for the Clergie, make intercession for the deuout sex of Women; let all feele thy assistance, whosoeuer doe celebrate thy remembrance. Thus these holy Fathers, who as our last Author saith: That which they learned they taught: & that Aug. lib [...]. cont. Iulianum [...]um. which they receiued from their fathers, the same they deliuered to their children.

Now therefore my friend, if [Page] these speeches of y ^e holy Fathers to our blessed Lady be lawfull, certainly there is no prayer of this book as made to Saints vnlawful, for if they be not lawful as prayers, they bee lawfull as Apostrophes. And if thy stomack rise not against these wordes of the Fathers, no reason it should detest the like speeches of ours. And if these may faynedly be vsed to exite affection, the others also may be likewise practised to inflame our deuotion.

Wherfore, if thou canst frame thy conscience to beleeue, that all these prayers and the like, are nothing else but fayned speches; this will be one way, according to the doctrine of thine owne masters, not onely to serue thy selfe, but also to satisfie others, that shall obiecte the reading of this Booke, or [Page] the practise thereof vnto thee. But if according to truth and reason, thou be so perswaded, that neither wee, nor the holy Fathers, either doe, or may vse such figmatiue or fayned prayers; it will import thee, to followe the other way, and to beleeue with vs, that they are really spoken vnto the Saints; not as vnto walles and woods, but as vnto those, that verily heare vs, and are able to help vs.

And therefore, because I do not thinke thou wilt easily cō demne the holy Fathers of Idolatry, wherein no ignorance can excuse their damnation: but rather will desire some further satisfaction in this point according to the Scripture, w ^t thy Masters would seeme to make the onely ground of their Religiō: That I may the better [Page] content thee, I will set thee down here in this Preface, such euident proofes out of Scripture for prayer to Saintes, [...] may be sufficient, not onely to quiet thy own minde: but also to conuince the most learned Protestant, that hereafter shall attempt to speake against it.

But before I begin, I desire to informe thee of 4. short perticulers; wherof the two first are such, as may suffice of themselues alone to resolue this question.

The first is, that many principall Protestants, haue agreed with vs in this point. For the opinion of Luther in his owne words was this that followeth. Luther in purgatione quorū dam articulorum. Of intercession of Saints, I thinke and iudge with the whole Christian Church, that the Saints are to bee honoured by vs, and also to be [Page] inuocated. With whom doe agree acts & mon: pag 462. Bilnay, and acts and mon pag 1312. Latimer, canonized Martyrs of the Protestant Calender. Wherefore this being the beleefe, not only of their first Apostle; but also of their latter Martyrs; I cannot imagine, how it may stand with the reputation of a zealous Protestant, either to condemn vs, or to mislike vs for it.

The second perticuler which I would haue thee well to consider, is this; That the principall ground whereon the Protestants doe especially build their deniall, or rather their detestation of this Doctrine, is most vaine and friuolous; contending, Inuocation of Saints to be altogether vnlawfull, because it is no where expresly commaunded or approued in holy Scripture. For, I wold but [Page] aske a Protestant, where he readeth Hunting, or Hawking to be expresly commanded, or cō mended in the Word of God? which, vnlesse he loue Hawkes and Dogs, better then Saints or Angels, were enough to make him see, the impertinencie of this position. In a word, I will demaund, where he findeth either this Assertion it self, which they make the ground of their beleife; to bee expresly deliuered: or (to giue instance in some other particulers) where he can shew me, The eating of Blood and strangled meat: the celebration of Christmas, and of the Feastes of the Apostles: the vse of Surplisse, Cappe, and Typpet in the seruice of Christ: Or in fine, The abrogation of the Iewes Saboth, which is Saturday, to be expresly either inioyned [Page] or approoued in holy writ? Which, not being able to performe, he not onely condemneth himselfe in the continuall practise of all these particulers, if hee stand to his owne ground: but also maketh the Ground it selfe, to ouerthrow it selfe, as being no where expresly taught in holy Scripture. Wherfore, though no laudable example of prayer to Saints departed, could be found in the written Word: yet this is no sufficient cause to cōdemne it. From whence also it foloweth; That vnlesse y ^• Protestants can shew (which they will neuer be able to doe) that prayer to Saints is euidently forbidden, either by the word of God, or light of nature, or lawe of the Church; They can neuer be defended or excused, from great [Page] impietie and damnable scisme, in deuiding them selues, not only from the Catholicke brethren: but also from the Saints themselues by this occasion.

Thirdly therefore, to come nerer the question in hand, that we dispute not of wordes, but of the matter it selfe, now in controuersie betwene thee and me; Thou must vnderstand, that the worde Prayer, is somtimes taken for a request made vnto him, whom we honour as the first omnipotent cause, and infinite Author of all thinges. Secondly, for a petition made vnto those, whom we acknowledge to be indued with that excellencie, which is only foūd in the friends of God that are in heauen: and lastly, for a request made vnto any other, with that respect, which we acknowledge [Page] to bee due vnto those, that haue the meanes to helpe vs. In the first & second sense, this word is vsed, when we are said to pray, or to make our prayer vnto another: in the last sense, when wee pray our friends or our betters to doe this, or y ^• for vs; For although we pray them; yet wee are not properly said to pray, or to make our prayer vnto them. By Prayer to Saincts therefore, we vnderstand a request made vnto them, not with that worship which is due vnto God, as the Author of all things: but with that honour and reuerence w ^t is due to the Saints of God aboue all other Creatures. And in this sense the Protestants thēselues will graunt, That if it be lawfull to make any request vnto them, it ought to be done with [Page] that reuerence which is conuenient; & by consequence, that in this sense, it is not only lawfull to pray them (if it be lawfull at all) but also to pray vnto them.

Lastly, to the end that no exception be taken against the proofes that follow, as not sufficiently deliuered according to my promise out of Scripture, thou must consider that two māner of wayes a thing may be proued out of Scripture. First, by the expresse wordes thereof in which manner we proue many thinges against the Protestants. As for example, That man is iustified by workes and not Iam. 2. 24 Iohn 20▪ 22. 23. Math. 26 [...] 27. by Faith alone; That Priests receiue the Holy Ghost to forgiue sinnes; That the Blessed Sacrament, is the body & blood of Christ 1 Cor. 11 [...] 14. and the like. But in this māner [Page] the Protestants cannot directly proue, any one point of their Religion against vs. Therfore no reason that in all points, they should exact this kinde of proofe at our hands. Secondly a thing may bee prooued by Scripture, as following by necessary consequence out of scripture, which kind of proofe and no other the Protestants (though failing therein no lesse then in the former) pretend to be the very ground of their Faith, in those points wherein they differ from vs; And after this manner, I intend to make it euident that prayer to Saints may bee lawfully vsed according to the Scriptures.

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THE FIRST ARGVMENT

Therefore; may be taken out of those Scriptures, which recommend vnto vs the Authority of the Church. For in them wee learne. That our Sauiour himselfe hath sent his holy spirit, to Iohn 16. 13. teach her all truth, and to remaine with her for euer. In Io. 14. 16 which respect, she is not onely termed by Saint Paul, The Piller Tim. 3. 17▪ and foundation of truth: but also our Sauiour himselfe saith expresly of her, That hee who will Math. 18 [...] 17. not heare her [...] (or which is all one) hee that will not beleeue her, ought to bee esteemed no [...] better then a [...] Eathnick. From whence therefore I conclude Augustin Lib. cont. Crescon. cap. 33. and affirme with Saint Augustine, That wee doe nothing but according to Scripture, in doing [Page] that which the whole Church approoueth, whome the Scriptures Augustin. Epist. 118 cap. 2. themselues commend vnto vs. To which purpose also, hee spared not to write, That to dispute whether any thing bee lawfull, which the whole Church frequenteth throughout the world, is most insolent madnesse. In fine, there are many pointes of Faith, w ^t though they be not expresly written, the Protestants belieue & practise with vs; and among other thinges which I haue noted before; The lawfull neglect of the Iewes Sabaoth no where abrogated; and the necessary obseruation of Sunday, no where commaunded in holy writ; which therefore can no otherwise be proued out of Scripture, but onely by the authoritie of the Church, which the Scripture commaundeth to [Page] be beleeued.

This beeing supposed; to make it appeare that y ^e Church of Christ, and the Pastors therof, not onely allowed this Doctrine of prayer to Saints, but also practised the same: I alledge the Epistle of the Bishops of Europe to Leo the Emperour in the fourth age after Christ; which Epistle is ioyned to the Councell of Chalcedon, where they say thus, Wee put the most holy Proterius in the rancke and Quyre of the holy Martyrs, and wee demaund by his intercession, That God would be pleased to bee mercifull and propitious vnto vs. And in the Councell it selfe, which is one of the foure Coū cels that the Protestants pretend to reuerence with Saint Gregory, no lesse then the foure Gospels; the Fathers assembled [Page] speake thus. Flauianus liueth Chalcedō Acts 11. after death, as beeing a Maister let him pray for vs. Likewise in the sixt generall Councell, the Fathers say, God alone the Creator being Adored, let the Christian Synod. 6. [...]ap. 7 man call vpon his Saints, that they would bee pleased to make intercession for him vnto his diuine Maiestie. Whereunto, I will onely adde another like authoritie of the seauenth generall Councell speaking as followeth; Let vs doe all thinges with Synod. 7. [...]ct. 6 feare, demaunding the intercession of the incontaminate Mother of God, as also of the Angels and of all the Saints.

Thus these generall Councels in the person of the whole Catholike Church. Let vs hear now some other expresse testimonies of the auncient Fathers in the first ages after Christ. St. [Page] Bazill in his Oration vpon the Bazill orat in. 40 Martyrs. 40 Martyrs: Hee that is pressed with any difficultie, let him fly vnto them: Hee againe that reioyceth, let him call vpon them; the one that he may be deliuered from euill; the other that he may perseuer in good. St. Cyrill, when wee Cyril catechesi. [...] Mistago [...] gica. offer this sacrifice, wee make mention of them that haue slept before vs; especially of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, & Martyrs; That God by their orisons would receiue our prayers. St. Ambrose, wee must pray vnto Angels, who Ambr. 1 de vidui [...] are giuen vs for our guard; wee must pray vnto Martyrs, whose patronage wee seeme to challenge by the pawne of their Bodyes; they are our Gouernours, they are the Ouerseers of our liues and actions. Wee are not ashamed to make them the intercessors of our infirmitie, because themselues haue [Page] knowne th'infirmitie of their Bodyes, euen in their victories.

Thus these holy Fathers. Of the practise of this Doctrine, and of the perticuler prayers made by the Fathers themselues, in all ages to the Saints of Heauen, that shall suffice which I haue cyted already, out of their speeches to our B. Lady; both because, to shew this exactly were sufficient to make a large volume, as also because no Protestant that is not altogether ignorant, or extreamly impudent can deny it. In fine therfore, the Doctrin of the Fathers in this point, is euidently testified, euen by Protestant Authors. For Fulke Fulk [...]n his re [...]oinder to Bristow. confesseth, that Ambrose, Augustine, and Hierome, held inuocation of Saints to be lawfull. That Agai [...]st y ^e Re [...]ish Te [...]tament. Nazianzen, Basill, & Chrisostome, [Page] make mention of inuocation to Saints. That, Theoderet speaketh of prayers vnto Martyrs. That, Leo ascribeth much to the prayers of Saint Peter. All 2 Pet. 1 these auncient Fathers. And more in particuler, That Answer to Counte [...] feit Ca [...] pag. 46 Sara [...] in defe [...] tract. diuersi [...] &c. pa [...] 349. 346. Mor [...] Apol: f [...] part, p [...] 227. 2 Orm [...] Pist. p pag. 2 Vigillantius the heretick wrote against the inuocation of Saints, him (saith hee) Hierome reproueth. For the which likewise Sarauia a great Caluinist, and Beza himself do acknowledge, that Vigillantius was charged, & condemned by the Fathers. Morton, likewise acknowledgeth in expresse tearmes, That all antiquitie taught the inuocation of Saints. Adde vnto these Ormerod, who therfore saith, That the Fathers, did not ponderously consider of this question. And Perkins, who speaking of the Primitiue Church, setteth [Page] downe these wordes that follow; Perkins. Prob. pag. [...]3. There was in the Church, intercession to Saints in perticuler, for men or thinges in perticuler. And afterward hee presumeth to say, That the auncient [...]bid. pag. Fathers, especially after 400. yeares of Christ, did sinne in the inuocation of Saints; yea, were guilty of sacriledge. And so damneth to Hell the greatest Saints of Heauen, now crowned with glory, to iustifie the Dreames and fantasies of his owne deuices.

Now then my good friend, to conclude this my first argument out of Scripture; let any well minded Protestant consider, whither not beleeuing these Councels & Fathers, but cōdemning them of sacriledge, he doe not incurre the censure of our Sauiour, that hee is no [Page] better then a Heathen, for not beleeuing the Church it selfe: and whither it be not only the heresie of Vigillantius reproued by St. H [...]rome, to disallow the inuo [...]ation of Saints: but also as St. Augustine speaketh, most insolent madnesse to dispute against it.

THE SECOND ARGVMENT.

Supposing the Creed of the Apostles, to bee the infallible worde of GOD, and if not Scripture, yet certainly contained in Scripture; I prooue the lawfulnesse or rather necessitie of prayer to Saints, out of our Beliefe of the Communion of Saints. Which doubtlesse for this cause among other reasons it hath pleased God, to make an Article of our Creede, to [Page] excite vs so much the more thereby to this kinde of pyous worship & inuocation of them. For if sinfull men on earth, are truely vnderstood, to bee here comprehended vnder the name of Saints: much lesse may the Blessed soules of Heauen, be here excluded from that tytle. And who can imagine that the Soules of the iust, are seperated by death, from the communion of the Church wherein they liued? For as Saint Augustine saith, why doe they run so fast to the Sacrament of Baptisme in extreame danger of death, that were neuer in the Church before? Or why doe they make such hast to be reconciled therunto before they dye, that are deuided from it? vnlesse it be to inioy after death, the communion of it? Wherefore, I do [Page] not see, how we can beleeue, that there is one Communion of the Saints in heauen, and the Saints on earth according to our Creed: except we beleeue a Communion, or which is all one, a Communication of Mutuall offices betweene them; wee praying to them, and they praying for vs: the greater helping the lesse, and the lesse in all their necessities, hauing recourse vnto the greater.

THE THIRD ARGVMENT,

Is also in explication and confirmation of the former. And supposing that if it be lawfull to pray the Saints of Heauen, it is no lesse lawfull to pray vnto them, as I haue shewed before in the third consideration; It may be framed in this māner. [Page] It is lawfull to recommend our wants by way of prayer or intreatie, vnto all the friends of God, that are desirous to heare vs and are able to helpe vs in perticuler. But such are all the Saints of Heauen; Therefore it is lawfull in such manner to commend our selues, and our wants vnto them.

The Maior is so euident, euen by the light of Nature, that there needeth no Scripture to confirme it. For as now at this day, so no doubt before the Scripture was written, it was lawfull for the childe to recō mend himselfe, vnto the prayers of his Father, or of any other holy man, because it was beleeued, that such kinde of men, were able and willing to helpe them by their prayers. And the onely reason of any [Page] waight, which the Protestants alleadge for their not praying to Saints, is especially this; because they thinke the Saints of heauen doe not heare them; Wherefore if they heare and can and will helpe vs, there is no further doubt, but that wee may pray and beseech them to relieue vs.

The Minor therefore, that the Saints in Heauen are most desirous, and likewise most able both to heare and helpe vs, is prooued first, a Posteriore, or from the effect: and secondly a Priore, or from the cause: a Posteriore, thus; They doe actually present or recōmend our prayers vnto God; The foure Apoc. 5. [...] Beasts, and the 24. Elders, hauing golden vialls full of Odours, which are the Prayers of Saints. Therefore they not onely know [Page] our prayers in perticuler (vnlesse thou wilt imagine, that they Offer them sealed vp in a Bag, as ignorant of that which is contained in them) but also are a meane to God for vs, and helpe vs to obtaine them.

The same is also prooued a Priore three manner of waies.

And first, by the perfit loue and charitie, which is between the Saints in heauen, and their brethren here on earth. For as Saint Paul saith, Charitas nunquam excidit, Charitie (which is the loue of God and our brethren) neuer falleth away, but remaineth with his Saints for euer. And the reason thereof is manifest. For, louing God so perfitly as they doe, they must needes loue all those, whom they know to bee so much beloued of him, as that he gaue [Page] his onely Son to redeem them. This therefore being supposed out of Scripture, and the Minor consisting of two parts; The first, that the Saints of heauen, desire to heare and helpe vs, And the second, that they are able to doe both the one & the other. The first part I proue by the latter, in this manner: The Saints of God desire it; therefore they cannot want y ^e means to performe it.

That they desire it, is proued first out of the Nature of all true loue in generall. For the which you must vnderstand, That Loue being the first act of the Will: and the formall obiect of both the act, and power of the will, beeing that which is good; to loue another, is nothing else, but to will him that which is good, especially for [Page] this reason, because it is good vnto him. So that, the finall and formal cause of true loue, being the good of another; To loue one truly, is to wish him all the good that may be; and to loue very much, is to will, or to wish the same very much vnto him.

And because it is the Nature of the will, and by consequence of loue, to doe that which it willeth, vnlesse it be hindered, Therefore it produceth in vs, not onely a desire to heare and vnderstand, the good and euill of the partie beloued: but moueth vs likewise by all the meanes wee can, to prosecute the one, and to auoyde the other. For the which cause, loue is said to bee more effectuall then affectuall; Plus enim facit quam [...]fficat, and according to Saint Gregorie, Probatio amonis [Page] est exhibitio operis. And therefore Loue without these acts and fruits of loue, is worse then the Fig-tree which our Sauiour cursed, and is indeed no loue at all.

From whence also it followeth, that albeit wee may loue those whom we know not in perticuler, as belonging to such an One, or as the parts of such a Communitie which is principally beloued of vs, and may content our selues with that generall good which we are able to doe them: yet if our loue be perfit it is impossible we should not desire to know them, and to doe for them also in perticuler if we be able, or if our attendance to the perticuler knowledge and seruice of them, do not hinder some greater good, which otherwise we [Page] might performe in generall towards them. By which it is manifest, that either the Saints in heauen desire to heare vs, & to releiue vs, not onely in generall; but also in perticuler when we call vpon them, because the one in them can be no hinderance to the other: Or else it must needs be granted, that they doe not loue vs. For that without this desire, it is very plaine they care not for vs.

I know some Protestants do here obiect against this perticuler care, the same which many Atheists haue also obiected against the prouidence of God; Affirming that y ^e Saints of heauen Caluin. instit: lib. 3. cap: 20 per. 24 cannot giue eare to our Prayers, or attend to our affaires, without some trouble and impeachment to their felicitie. But the Protestants granting [Page] as they doe, that this is no trouble at all, neither to the person of God, nor to the soule of Christ, nor to the Angels themselues ( Psal. 90. 11. Dan. 10. 13. Zac. 1. 12. Math. 18. 10 Lue. 15. 10. Acts. 12. 15. Apoc. 8. 3.) make this Obiection against the Saints of God, with lesse reason and more malice, then it was made by their Masters before them against God himselfe.

Secondly therfore, this desire of theirs will yet better appeare by the consideration of the Nature of Charitie in perticuler.

For according to that, which hath bene said, as to loue another is to will the good, and by consequence the will of another; which is also the reason that a wicked man, because he willeth not his owne good, as [Page] he is wicked, can neuer be truely beloued: so to loue God, is nothing else, but to will, the will of God; and therefore in effect to desire that it may be perfitly fulfilled, both in our selues, & in all other Creatures.

And because, as the Apostle speaketh This is the will of God, Thes: 4. 3 o [...]r sanct [...]fication, or which is all one, the saluation of our selues and others. Therefore to loue God about all thinges, wherin consisteth the nature of all charitie, includeth a will to attend aboue all other thinges vnto the sanctification & saluation, first of our selues, and secondly of all our Brethren. Now then to goe forward, as nothing is desired, but that which is good: so the greater the good is, if it be well knowne and considered, the more it is desired; And [Page] therfore, as there is nothing so good as the will of God: so nothing by many degrees can bee so much desired, of those that truely loue God, as that his will be most perfitly fulfilled, in the sanctification and saluation of all men.

Againe, as the will of God himself is the end of all things: so the loue of his will, and the desire of dooing thereof, is the end of all other loues, and all other desires. And therefore, as God himselfe hath ordained, so it must needs bee, that our loue of his will, and desire to fulfill the same, if our loue be right, doe exceede with like proportion all other worldly loues or desires whatsoeuer.

Wherefore to conclude this point; if true loue in the lowest degree, not onely of grace, [Page] but also of Nature, produceth in vs a perpetuall and constant desire, not onely to heare and vnderstand, the good and euill of the parties beloued: but also to endeauour by all good meanes and courses to releeue them; how great must the floud and Torrent bee of that desire, which floweth continually in the highest degree, from the Fountaine and sowrse of all loue, which is God himselfe, into the Soules of the Saints of heauen, to complie, and cooperate with his eternall will, by all the meanes they can, in the sanctification and saluation of others.

And if the zeale of men on earth, not onely in the time of grace: but also vnder the dead letter of the Law, extend it selfe with such desire, not only [Page] to heare and vnderstand, but also to succour and redresse by their daily prayers, infinit dangers & continuall labours and miseries of their brethren; cō passing both Sea and Land (as our Sauiour saith) to make one Math, 23 15, Proselite, or to conuert one soule vnto Christ; how much more doth the inflamed charitie of the Saints in heauen, transforme their soules into the like desire?

And admiring so much as wee doe, the vehement loue of Moyses, and zeale of Saint Paul while they liued amongst men, to their Naturall brethren the Exod. 32 32. Iewes; not refusing to bee strucken out of the Booke of life, and to bee made an Athema, if need Rom. 9. 3 should be for their saluation; How wonderfull and vnmeasurable thinke you, is the desire [Page] of the Saints of heauen, to procure the saluation of their brethren here on earth? and how effectuall to recommend their perticuler prayers, which here euen in this world, is the least, and most easie office, that one friend can do for an other? certainly, this desire in these golden vials, must needs so farr exceed the former in those earthē vessels, as the easines of the one exceedeth the difficultie of the other; And as their knowledge and loue of God whome now they see, exceedeth the obscure knowledge which they had of him, and their imperfect loue towards him when they could not beholde him.

Adde vnto all this, that the felictie of the Saints of heauen, is much increased and perfited, by the saluation of their brethren [Page] on earth. And therfore, as much as they desire y ^e perfectiō of their owne felicitie, they can no lesse desire to receiue, and to recommend our prayers vnto God; w ^t they know to be y ^e chiefest meanes both on our parts and theirs wherby to obtain it.

Thus, as I take it-hauing plainly shewed how exceedingly the Saints desire both to heare and helpe vs in our necessities, according to that superabundance of their loue and charitie towards vs, which passeth all humane vnderstanding; let vs now cōsider whether it follow hereof, that they are able to doe those good Offices for vs, w ^t they so much desire. Which is easily proued as followeth.

Whensoeuer Almighty God giueth a Loue, an Inclination, or Desire to any thing, hee giueth [Page] also some power and abilitie to obtaine the same. As we see in the desires and inclinations of all Naturall thinges. As for example, in the inclination of the Elements to their proper places: in the Appetite of Birdes and Beasts, to those things that are necessarie for the preseruation of their Nature: and finally, in all the Naturall propentions and desires of Man. And the reason thereof is euident. For Almightie God hauing ordained the one to obtaine the other; and desire of it selfe being not sufficient to procure the thing desired, hee should come short of his purpose, working in vaine, and leauing his worke vnperfit, like vnto him in the Gospell, Qui cepit aedifi [...]are & non potuit consumare, vnlesse hauing giuen the desire, [Page] hee haue giuen therewithall some other more sufficient power and abilitie to attaine vnto that which is desired. Wherfore, this being true, and a generall rule in all his works vpon earth; how much more is it also true, and a certaine rule in Heauen, where all appetites are satisfied, and all desires fulfilled? And hauing giuen the very possession and fruition of himselfe, and of his Sonne Christ Iesus, to reward his Saints; how, as St. Paul saith together with himselfe, Will hee not giue them all thinges, which their hearts can desire? And if Rō. 8. 3 [...] it be true which himselfe hath promised, that hee will hea [...]ths Psa. 10. 1 [...] desire of a poore man, being yet in his tryall: how can it stand, either with his owne goodnes, or with the felicitie of those, [Page] that inioy y ^• riches of his Kingdome, to with-hold that from them, which so reasonably, and so exceedingly they desire, according to his own ordinance, and out of the infinit loue they beare him? And as the Scripture saith, If hee were not able to Gen. 28, 27. conceale from Abraham the euill which he intended, against the wicked Citty of Sodom, to the end, that by Abrahams prayers he might pardon them if it were possible, according to the ordinary Law of his Diuine prouidence: and whereby also as it is probable, his cosen Lot was saued from that dreadfull fire; how can hee conceale from his friends in Heauen the good, or euill which hee intendeth to their brethren? to the end that by their prayers, according to his Diuine prouidence, [Page] bringing all thinges to passe by Ordinary meanes, hee may conferre the one, and pardon the other?

Whereby it appeareth how vaine it is, which the Protestants doe here obiect, that because the Saints haue no eares they cannot heare vs. For albeit they haue no corporall Organ of hearing; yet Almighty God is not so poore of power, but that hee may easily prouide them of other meanes, For neither the Angels, nor the Deuils haue eares; and yet notwithstanding the Protestants will not deny; that they haue power to heare our wordes when we speake; or which in them is all one, to vnderstand our meaning. Neither doth the want of an eare, make this kind of hearing the worse, but rather [Page] much the better. For beeing thereby freed from all those conditions and circumstances, which limit and contract the corporall passion and immutation of the Sence of hearing, to place and distance, &c: no reason can be giuen, but that they may heare as well a farre off, as nere at hand; yea, our thoghts aswell as our wordes, when we are willing to haue thē known vnto them. For in this manner and no otherwise are we able to conceiue, how one Angell or Deuill should naturally heare or vnderstand another. Why then will the Protestants deny that power to any Saint in Heauen, which they know to be no more then is giuen to the Deuill?

And truely though they had no meanes at all to heare our [Page] prayers immediately & directly, as they come frō our selues; yet they might easily know them, because as St. Augustine saith, they haue the meanes to see them. And if Elizeus, while 4 Reg. 5 [...] 26. hee did as a Childe, and thought as a childe, and knew as a childe, 1 Cor. 13 11. which is the state of all men in this world, or could see, and know without eyes what his seruant did, and said in his absence; How much more, the Saints of God, being come to that mature knowledge, and greatnes of perfit men which they inioy in Heauen, are able without eyes or eares, to behold those thinges, which are done or said, where they are Greg: li [...] 2. Dial 35. lib, c. 33. li [...] 12. Mo [...] cap, 14 not present? For according to St Gregory; Vnto the eye of him, who beholdeth neuer so little of the light of the Creator, all that [Page] is Created seemeth little more thē nothing; And therefore in heauen (saith hee) Where all with one Common light behold the face of God; what is it that there they know not, where they know him, that knoweth all thinges?

Notably therefore St. Barnard proueth, that our B. Lady, Bernard [...]erm. in Assum. B. Mary. beeing ascended on high, giueth guifts vnto men; because nothing doth more Commend the greatnesse, either of her power or of her pittie; Which we must needes graunt, vnlesse (saith he) wee will either beleeue, that the Sonne of God doth not honour his Mother, in granting her this power: or doubt that the Bowels of Mary, may bee without Charitie, in which, the Charitie it selfe, which is of God, remained corporally 9. Monthes together. To which purpose also, Saint Augustine [Page] speaking of St. Peter, doth argue in this manner; If then the shadow of his Body was able to helpe; how much more now the Augu. ser. 19. de Sā ctis. fulnesse of his vertue? If he were so powerfull, to helpe those that be sought him before his Martyrdome: how much more efficatious is hee after his Tryumphs? And St. Hierome, disputing with Vigillantius the hereticke expresly of this matter, egregiously cō foundeth his aduersarie with these words that follow; Thou Hierom [...] con. vigil. cap. 3. sayest in thy Booke, that while we line, wee may pray for each other; but after wee are dead, no mans prayer can bee heard for another: especially when the Martyrs praying to haue their blood reuenged, were not able to obtain it. Which reason of the Hereticke was most false; for their request was not denyed, but onely a [Page] little delayed for the good of their Brethren. But heare what St. Hierome answereth; If the Apostles and Martyrs while they were in their Bodyes could pray for others, when it imported them to bee carefull of themselues; how much more after their victorious Crownes and Tryumphs? Moyses being but one, obtayned pardon of God for sixe hundred thousand Armed men; And shall hee bee of lesse force, beeing now with Christ in Heauen? Paul the Apostle saith, That 270. soules in the Ship with him, were giuen vnto him: And after his resolution, when hee began to bee with Christ, must he shut vp his mouth and not be able, to speake so much as one halfe worde, for those, who through the world haue beleeued his Gospell? Shall Vigillantius, this liuing Dog, bee better then [Page] hee that dead Lyon? For to this purpose, I might wel vse the words of the Preacher; If I beleeued Saint Paul to bee dead in spirit, the Saints are not said to be dead, but (to wit according to the body) sleeping or reposing. Thus Saint Hierome.

Secondly therefore (to proceed) The willingnesse and abilitie of the Saints in Heauen to heare and assist vs, is proued out of those Scriptures, which teach vs, that the Saints in heauen, and the Saints on earth, are all Brethren of the same family, and Domesticals of God; hauing all receiued the adoption Ephes: 19. Gal: 4 Ephe, 4 Gal. 4. Heb. 1 23. of the Sonnes of God, and beeing all fellow members of the same Body, and Cittizens of the same Citty, which is the heauenly Hierusalem our Mother, the Church of the first borne, including the [Page] societie of many thousand Angells.

Which being supposed, wee may argue in this manner. In euery Mysticall body or societie, the principall and more perfite members, haue power and abilitie more or lesse to helpe and assist the rest that are more imperfit, according to their particuler necessities. For this is the end of all Communitie, and therefore so true, that no citty or kingdome, or ciuill Body can stand without it. But the Saints in Heauen, are the principall partes of this Mysticall body; Therefore it must needes follow, that they haue some kinde of meanes to heare and to helpe vs in perticuler, when wee call vpon them. For otherwise, they could neither make one Family, nor one citty [Page] nor one Body with vs, which is directly against the Scriptures here before alleadged.

Againe, in euery Societie, those members that are out of daunger and in prosperitie, are bound in duty to succour those that are in any great danger or necessitie, especially when it greatly concerneth the good of the whole Body. But such are the Saints of heauen, and such is the case between vs and them, especially when we finde our selues assaulted with some grieuous affliction, or vehement Temptation in perticuler; Therefore according to their power, when such occasions happen, they are bound as may be said in duty to releeue vs. Hee (saith St. Iohn) that shall haue the Substance of this world, and shall see his Brother haue [Page] neede, and shall shut his Bowels from him; how doth the Charitie of God abide in him? Wherefore, the Saints of God, hauing the substance of y ^e other world: and possessing the Treasures of all Graces, wee must either fowly condemne them, for want of Charity; or else, wee must needs graunt, that they open their Bowels to releeue the necessities of their distressed brethren. And truely Almightie God, seeing the want of this power in his Saints to help vs (if it were so as the Protestants would haue it) and the Saints againe seeing our miseries, or if they doe not, it is because they will not; how may it be thought, that either God himselfe can shut the Bowels of his Charitie from them, when they aske the one: or [Page] they from vs, when we call vpon them to be releeued in the other? Wherfore to conclude this second reason, for the proofe of their Power to helpe vs; consider gentle Reader, whether it can stand, either with the vnitie of this mysticall body, that the Saints in Heauen should not haue it: or with their Obligation not to demaund it: or with their felicitie not to inioy it: or with Gods goodnesse not to graunt it.

Thirdly and lastly then, this willingnes and power of theirs is yet further proued, by their speciall Patronage and protection of vs; for the one doth euidently include the other, and no man can imagine, how they can be truely said to guide and defend vs, who like the Idols [Page] of the Gentiles, are neither able to heare vs nor to helpe vs. Wherefore, their Pastorall care and protection ouer vs is shewed, first, by reason grounded vpon Scripture, and secondly, by the Scripture it selfe. And the first reason thereof, may be framed in this manner. In euery well ordered Body or Common wealth, the members which are the most potent prudent, and perfit, are appointed to gouerne and protect the rest. But the Saints of heauen make one body with vs, as hath bene proued by the expresse word of God; Therefore, as being the most sufficient Members thereof, they must be Ordained by God to gouerne and direct vs. According whereu [...]to St. C [...]prian cōclud [...]h most excellently, of the holy Innocents: [Page] That being made priuie to the secrets Cyprian of God, with most familiar approaches, they beseech his clemencie to blesse our labours. And Lib de Stella. Magis & Innoc: &c. that beeing translated from the Cradle to Heauen, they are made Senatours and Iudges of the supernall Cappitoll, obta [...]ning pardon for many. And although they assist Almightie God, not onely in his Diuine mercyes, but also in his punishments: yet they serue themselues more of the mildnesse, then of the furie of the Lambe, whome they followe wheresoeuer hee goeth. Thus St. Cyprian.

Whereunto may bee added another reason, For hee that will contemplate a little, shall easily finde, that Almightie God, seldome or neuer doth any thing by himselfe alone, which may be brought to passe by meanes of those his Creatures [Page] that are apt to be made the instruments of his Diuine power. Not that hee hath any neede of them, but because it belongeth to his glory & their perfection, as much as may be, to be serued of them. Which is not onely seene in the visible preseruation of this world, all thinges depending therein of more inferiour causes: but also confessed in the inuisible mouers, and Gouernours thereof, his holy Angels. Who are therefore, in generall acknowledged by Saint Paul, to be administring Spirits, and are perticularly Heb. 2. 14 testified among other Num. 20 16. thinges, to haue had the conduction of the Isralites, out of Exod. 23 20. Aegypt, and in the person of God, to haue giuen the Law it Act. 7. 30 35. 53. selfe vnto them.

Wherefore the Saints of heauen, [Page] being so much more fit to gouerne and protect vs, then the Angels: by how much they are nearer vnto vs both by Grace and Nature, and through their owne experience of our fragilitie, haue better learned to take compassion of our infirmitie: It cannot stand with the sweetnesse of Gods prouldence, to exclude them from the Patronage and protection of vs. For the which hee hath made them [...]o fit, and which many of them haue so well deserued, not only by their charitie towards vs, but also by their good gouernment of vs, while yet they liued heere amongst vs.

For further proofe whereof, it is not hard to alledge many good passages, and pregnant places of holy Scripture. For [Page] so our Sauiour promised, That the faithfull seruant, should bee Math. 24 47. appointed ouer all the goods of his Master. According whereunto hee also tolde his Disciples; That hee disposed vnto them, as Luc. 22. 29. his Father disposed vnto him a Kingdome. And therefore likewise the same power which the Father promised to the Sonne, where hee saide; That he would giue him the Gentiles for his inheritance: Psal. 2, 5, 9. & that he should rule them in a Rod of Iron, and like a Potters vessell they shall be Broken: The same power againe the Sonne doth promise vnto him, who shall keepe his workes vnto the end, saying; I will giue Apoc: 2, 27. him Power ouer Nations, and hee shall rule them with a Rod of Iron, and like the Vessell of a Potter they shall bee Broken. For which cause also, they are saide [Page] To holde in their hands two edged Psal 149 7, 8, 9. Swordes, to punish the Nations, and Correct the people: to binde their Kinges in Fetters, and their Noble-men in Ma [...]nicles of Iron; And that it is the glory of Gods Saints to execute the Iudgement which hee prescribeth. And finally, to the same purpose our Sauiour affirmeth, That hee Apoc. 3, 12. who ouercame, should bee made a Piller in the Temple of God: And that hee should sit in his Apoc. 3, 24. owne Throne with him, as I (saith hee) haue ouercome, and sit with my Father in his Throne. So that, as the Father gouerneth the world by his Sonne: so againe, the Sonne gouerneth the Church by the Ministerie of his Saints. In which respect they are said to be placed with him in the same Throne of Gouernment, or in the same Tribunall [Page] of Authoritie; wherein wee must also beleeue, that they shall sit to Iudge both men and Angels at the Day of Donne.

Which testimonies of Scripture, albeit cleere in themselues: yet to exclude those voluntary and selfe pleasing expositions, which the Protestants are wont to frame vpon them; it will not be amisse to confirme by some few authorities of the Auncient Fathers.

For vnto the testimony of Saint Cyprian, who acknowledgeth S. Cypriā Orat. in 40. Mart. them as you haue heard, to bee the Senators, and [...]dges of the Supernall C [...]ti, &c. May bee added these that followe.

Saint Bazill therfore, calleth the Martyrs, the Common keepers of Mankinde, and excellent [Page] Companions of our cares. Saint Nazianzen, prayeth vnto Saint Nazianz [...] Orat. in Cyprianū Cyprian, to looke from aboue, to direct his wordes and his life: To feede, or rather to gouerne with him the holy Sheepfolde, committed to his charge. St. Hillarie S. Hillarie serm. 124▪ saith, That the Custodie of the Saints is neuer wanting to those that desire to stand. As the Angels gouerne, so also they that Ambr. lib▪ 8. in Luc. haue deserued the life of Angels, saith S. Ambrose. And you heard before, how hee calleth the Saints our Gouernours and the ouerseers of our liues and actions. Saint Maximus proueth, That Max. Ser. de mart. Tauricis. wee haue great familiaritie with the Martyrs, because they are with vs; and stay with vs, keeping vs while wee liue in our Bodies: and receiuing vs when we depart Theodor. Lib. 8. ad [...] Graecos, out of our Bodies. Theodoret recordeth, That they who are to [Page] goe farre from home, beseech the Martyrs to be their companions in the way, or rather to be the guides of their Iourney: and they that are safely returned giue thankes, and acknowledge the benefit receiued. Now saith S. Leo, The good Shepheard S. Peter doth exceute the Commaundement of Leo Ser. 3. de anniuer. suae Assump. his Lord, confirming vs with his exhortations, and not ceasing to pray for vs, that no temptation ouercomme vs. By all which, it is more then manifest, that the Saints of heauē haue their part in y ^• gouernment of this world vnder God, offring vp our praiers vnto him, assisting the good and punishing the wicked, as it pleaseth God to appoint them.

Wherefore to conclude this my Third Argument: all truth may verye well be called the worde of God, being eternally [Page] expressed, and represented vnto him by the fertility of his diuine vnderstanding, which can neither deceiue vs, nor be deceiued, And therefore, whither it be reuealed vnto vs by his externall worde, or intimated by the light of nature, wherby he writeth the same in our hearts; or made knowne vnto vs, partly by the one, and partly by the other: it is alwayes a most certaine and a most secure direction for vs in all our actions.

It is so naturall for men in affliction to call vpon all those that are able to help them, though meerly strangers vnto them, & the lawfulnes thereof is so euident, euen by the light of reason, that it would seeme a point [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] of Madnes, not to ask their releefe in case of necessitie, though no Scripture at all could be produced, wherein the same were expressely warranted.

Wherfore, hauing aboundantly shewed out of the written worde, that y ^e Saints in respect of their wonderfull loue to vs; and their vnspeakable feruour with Almightie God, are not onely willing and able to helpe vs: but also that they actually recommend our prayers vnto GOD, and are obliged thereunto; First, as being fellowe members, and Secondly, as the principall superintendants, supreme Senators and Iudges, of that mysticall Bodie, which is the Church of God vnder [Page] Christ our head; The lawfulnes of prayer vnto them, intreating their more gracious prayers, and blessed assistance, doth so euidently and so necessarily followe thereof, that certainly if it be nor madnes; I doe not say with some Puritanes, to condemne it of Sacriledge or Idolatrie in the holy Fathers them-selues; but so as to suspect it of superstition, error or timeritie, wherwith other Protestanes are wont to charge all those, who addresse them-selues, either to the inu [...]cation or intercession of them; But the hurt is to them selues, of whome we may well say, as the Prophet said, of euery wicked man in perticuler, Noluit be [...]e [...]ctionem [...] elō gabitur [Page] ab co. They would not benediction, and therefore it shall be remooued farre from them. For, if they deserue not to be heard of God, but doe rather offend him, who beeing in some temporall miserie, will be deliuered by him alone, and obstinately refuse to begge the help or charitie of those, vnto whome he hath giuen both will, power, and direction to relieue them; what fauour can the Protestants expect at the hands of God in their necessities, if knowing and considering as they ought, that y ^• Saints of Heauen are appointed by his Diuine Maiestie to be so many Fathers, and Masters, & Superiours vnto them; Out of Pride, or stomacke, or presumption [Page] they wil not once open their mouthes to call vpō them, but rather vtterly refuse to receiue any benefit, or consolation by them?

THE FOVRTH ARGVMENT.

Is Double, or two folde, being framed vpon two Paralels, or parities, clearely drawne out of the Scripture; Wherby if thou marke it well, thou shalt also finde that all those obiections are plainly refuted, which y ^e Protestants are wont to make against Prayer to Saints.

The first Paritie; It is lawfull to pray vnto Angels, Therefore it cannot bee vnlawfull to pray vnto Saints; because no reason can bee giuen, why the one should [Page] bee more allowed then the other. Inuocation of Angels, is prooued expresly by the example of I [...]cob, who Blessing the Sonnes of Ioseph [...]; The Angell that Gen 48, 16. del [...]uer [...]h mee from all euill, Blesse these Children. Which to be spoken to a true Angell is witnessed by Saint Bazill li [...]. [...]. [...] Chri [...]ost hom. [...], [...]n la [...]d St. Paul. Iob, 5, 1. Bazill, and St. Chrisostome.

This is also confirmed by the practise of the Church in the time of Iob, vnto whome one of his three friendes spake as followeth: Call, if there bee any that will answer thee, and turne thee to some one of the Saints. Where by name of Saints, Saint Augustine, in his Annotations vnderstandeth S. August Angels: And no sufficient reason can bee giuen, why Iobs friend, a [Page] man of singuler wisdome, should aduise him to call vpon any of the Angels, if it had not beene a laudable custome in those dayes, for men in miserie to doe the like. And the same may well bee saide of the Iewes, who not vnderstanding our Sauiour when hee hung vpon the Crosse, affirmed that hee called vpon Elias; which is a probable Argument, that it was no strange thing amongst them at that time to call vpon Elias.

The second paritie, It is lawfull to pray to Saints that are liuing; Therefore, it is lawfull to pray vnto the Saints that are departed. The consequence is proued, because Almightie GOD, is no more dishonoured by the [Page] one, then by the other: our Sauiour CHRIST, no more forsaken, nor sacriledge any more committed, in the one of these more then in the other: neither can any reason bee alledged out of Scripture, why it should be better to desire, the prayers of men on earth, who haue enough to aske for themselues; then to recommend our prayers to the Saints of Heauen▪ who beeing s [...]cure of their owne, may the better bee solicitous of the saluation of others; especially considering, they not onely heare vs: but also sit with Christ in his owne Throne, to gouerne and protect vs as hath beene proued.

Which Argument hath the more force, because wee [Page] vse, and that very commendably, to request the prayers of those, of whome wee are most vncertaine, whether they bee friends or enemies of God Almightie. Whereof it followeth; That albeit, it were no lesse vncertaine, whether the Saintes of Heauen doe heare vs or not; or whether their intercession may auaile vs or not: yet vnlesse wee were sure of the contrary, which no Protestant can bee, this last reason alone, might bee sufficient to induce any reasonable man to recommend himselfe vnto their prayers.

And truely the Protestants inlarging their consciences so farre in this particuler, as to thinke it no s [...]n [...] at all, but rather an act of P [...]e to [Page] request the prayers, not onely o [...] v [...] whome they persecute, as most contrary to themselues in many essentiall pointes of Faith: but also of others, who shew themselues most opposite to God himselfe, in their Life and conuersation, Fornicators, Aculterers, Vsurers, Blasphemers, Drunkards, and the like; It is a wonderfull thing, how contemning the Authorititie of the Primitiue Church in the first Ages after Christ: [...]luding an Article of their [...]reece: Reno [...]n [...] part of those pre [...] [...]s O lours which are the pr [...]er [...] S [...]ts: Inf [...]ing [...]g a titles of Lo [...]e and fellowship with the Saints of Heauen: And b [...] ki [...]g all bonds of [...]u [...]iection, and Subordination [Page] vnto them, so contrary to those Scriptures before alleadged; they should condemne euen the holy Fathers themselues of Sacriledge and Idolatrie, for crauing their intercession, and thinke it as bad, or little better in vs, to recommend our selues vnto the prayer of any Saint in Heauen, then to the helpe or protection of the Deuill in Hell.

But farre more wonderfull it is, that the Protestants here withall, especially during the first fruites of their spirit, and in their very beginning (whereof I thinke some of their Schollers are now ashamed) did not onely abridge and spoyle the Saints of Heauen of that little honour, which men on earth [Page] were able to giue them as to the friends of God: but did also dishonor and abuse their holy Reliques, in such foule and hatefull manner; as worse could not haue bene done to the bodyes & bones of Deuils incarnate. And if it bee monstrous impietie in the Sonne, to treade vnder feete the dead Body of his Father, or to mangle or destroy it, or to cast it dispitefully on the Dunghill what cryme soeuer hee had committed; what Barbarous inhumanitie and Heathenish impietie (which God forgiue) did the Protestantes performe, vpon the Sacred Bodyes of those glorious Saintes, that ought to haue bene a thousand times more deare vnto them, then the [Page] flesh & blood of their owne Fathers? certainly the doers of these thinges, could not bee sent from God Almightie, who vouchsafeth to honour his Saints so exceedingly as hath beene shewed; but from him who by the hands of Protestants hauing furiously torne the bodyes of their Saintes out of their graues, would also haue pluckt their soules out of Heauen, if hee had beene able.

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THE FIFT ARGVMENT

is taken from the exceeding many Mirracles, and supernaturall effectes, wherewith it pleased God in all ages to make most honourable demonstration of the glory of his Saints, and of their infallible power through his vertue, to help all those that call vpon them. For a Miracle, Exod. 11 10. Deut. 4, 34. Math, 12 3 [...]. Mark, 16 17. Deut. 18, 22. Ioh. 5, [...]6 10, 38. 14, 12. 15. 24. may well be called a Testimony, or Certificate of the truth which it confirmeth, published as it were to the worlae vnder the proper hand, and great broad Seale of GOD him selfe, which therfore is also called a Sign; And which, as aboue all other proofes, the Iewes were commaunded to receiue in [Page] the olde Lawe: so were they cast out of Gods fauour, for disobeying the same in the newe.

It were too long to descend to perticulers, for the which, I referre me with Bellarmine, to the Epistle of Nilus, recited in the seuenth Nilus. Theodor. generall Councell to Theodoret, in his Historie, lib. 5. cap. 24. & lib. 8. ad Graecas: To Saint Ambrose▪ serm. 19 Ambrose which is of Saint Agn [...]s: To S [...] Augustine, lib. 22: Augustin de C [...]tate Dei, cap 8. Io. Gregori [...] the great, Lib. 3. Gregorie D [...]al. Cap. 22. 24. 25. 37. T [...] Bon [...]uenture in the Bonauēt. life of Saint Francis. And finally to the life of Saint Barnar [...]: Life of S. Bernard wherein there is receiued a most wonderfull Miracle wrought by Saint Barnard [Page] him selfe, who in confirmacion of this verie point of prayer to Saints, which he preached against the heretickes of his time that spake against it; Blessed certaine bread which the people offred with the Signe of the Crosse, and said; In this you shall knowe, that those thinges are true which we haue Preached If all your sicke, hauing tasted of this Bread, shall be restored to their former health, And when the Bishop there had said, If they re [...]iue it with a good faith they shalbe healed; Saint Barnard added, I doe not say so, but assuredly whosoeuer they be tha [...] taste it, shall be healed, to the end they may knowe that we are true Messengers sent from God. Whervpon, a huge multitude of [Page] sicke folkes hauing tasted that Bread recouered, that this worde was diuulged ouer all the Prouince.

To conclude, in all the places likewise before alleaged, those venerable and renowned Authors haue related so many Miracles in this poynt of prayers to Saintes, as if any Protestant would take the paines, either to read them, or to heare them recited, they would be more then sufficient to conuince him, For he that should deride or contemne the iudgements of those famous Saints, were verye prophane; And how can he think himselfe a good Christian, that will giue no credit or beliefe to the chiefe Pastors and Doctors of the Church of Christ? whome [Page] shall we belieue; if we belieue not them? Were not this to take away all faith, and together therewith all Morall beliefe out of the worde?

And this shall suffice me (Curteous Reader) to haue collected for the most part out of other Catholicke Authors for thy satisfaction in this point of praier to Saints drawne by good consequence out of the Text it selfe of holy scripture, which the Protestants on the other side haue neither heretofore nor euer will be able to aunswer hereafter; and much lesse to produce any solide Argument out of Scripture, for the proofe of the contrarie: without the which notwithstanding, though we alleaged [Page] no proofe at all, it were more then absurde to condemne any generall custome or practise of Church or Common wealth; as hath bene noted in the beginning.

Wherefore gentle freind now at the length to conclude this whole discourse; if thou rest satisfied therwith I shall think my labour well bestowed: but neither will I think it lost, if I may gaine so much of thee, as not fearing to venture thy Soule, with the auncient Fathers, vppon a truth so testified, not onely by the worde of God in Scripture: but also with the very hand of God in Signes and Miracles, aswell at this present time, as in all former ages; thou [Page] wilt bee content to make some tryall of the power & abilitie, of the Saints to help thee, by recommending thy selfe seriously to their intercession for thee; desiring them to beseech Almightie God, that thou maist obtaine sufficient light to discerne his euery sauing truth, and effectuall grace to imbrace it, And in perticuler, to recommend thy poore Soule to the prayers of the Mother of God, our Blessed Ladye; who, as Saint Barnard saith, is the neck vnder Christ our head, whereby all Grace descendeth vnto euery member of his mystcall Bodie. For I doubt not thou shalt finde that true comfort, and Reall satisfaction in the excercises [Page] thereof, with such a touch of Gods finger, as well better perswade thy hart, then any other Pen can maister thy vnderstanding, vntill it please his diuine Maiestie to subiect it fully to the rule of faith; and to place it firmly on the Rocke which is the piller and foundation of truth.

And so remitting thee to the Prayers them selues of this Booke, I desire to be pertaker of their good effects: &c. rest.

Thine in Iesus Christ: C. A.

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THE Interiour occupation of the SOVLE. Treating, of the important businesse of our saluation with God & his saints, by way of Prayer.

Title 1. Adoration.

1. I Adore thee, O great GOD, with all the creatures which are in Heauen and on earth, prostrated & cast downe euen to the center of my nothing, & before the T [...]rone of thy soueraigne Maiestie.

2. My affection is farre too litle to acknowledge thy high Deitie, and therefore I present vnto thee [Page] the hearts of Angels and men, the naturall property of the elements, the growth of plants, the sense of beasts, the motion of whatsoeuer is in nature, and the very being of all thinges. Adoring with the dependance, which they haue of thy diuinitie, that which thou art in them, and honouring that, which they are in thee.

3. If I had the affection of all those men & women, which haue presented vnto thee sacrifices of diuine worship, and soueraigne adoration, as well in the law of nature, as in the written & Euangelicall law, I should melt in thy presence: but seing that all things subsist before thee, I beseech thee that thou wilt accept my most humble and profound adoration, as comprising them all, and being comprised in them.

4. Aboue all I offer, & present [Page] the interiour actions of the humanitie of Iesus Christ thy sonne, euen from the first instant of the creation thereof, to the very last period of his life: and those also, which he continually exerciseth in heauen.

5. I present also vnto thee, the internall acts of that most happie Virgin his mother, of the Cherubins, Seraphins, and of all those holy spirits, which opposed themselues against the reuolt of the Apostate Angels: and whatsoeuer else hath proceeded at any time from those soules, which haue bene most pleasing vnto thee frō the beginning of the world. Beseeching thee to number me amongst them, to ioyne my holocaust with theirs, and to receiue it as a sweet smelling sacrifice.

6. The most part of corporall creatures, doe not acknowledge [Page] the being, they haue receiued from thee, nor the Obligation, which they haue to thee for the same: many abuse that being, which thou hast bestowed vpon them, as Infidels, heretiques, reprobates, and all the accursed diuels: I offer thee them, O my God, and prostrate them, as much as is in my power, at the feete of thy Maiestie, adoring thee as often as they offend and blaspheme thee, and I doe homage vnto thee with the actions, and the very naturall being, with the which they sinne, and which they abuse.

7. Great is the honour, that hitherto hath beene [...]oone to the great personages of the earth, and is still continued euery day, Incense hath bin offred vp to Idols, Idolatrie is cōmitted to corporall beautie, O the God of my soule, I lay holde of all those thoughts, [Page] wordes, prophane actions & passions, and as farre as my minde can stretch, I seperate from them all deformitie, to make a present, and sacrifice of that being, they haue, of which thou art the Author.

8. I aske thee also, most humble pardon, for all the honour, which since I came first to the vse of reason, I haue giuen to creaturs without referring it actually, or habitually to thee, who art the fountaine of all greatnesse, and excellencie it selfe: of which excellencie, honour is but a testimonie, and marke.

9. To conclude, I acknowledge and adore thee, O soueraigne Deitie, Father, Sonne & holy Ghost, as often as I breath, or as there are minutes in an houre, starres in the Skye, leaues vpon the trees, sands in the sea, thoughts in the hearts [Page] of men and Angels.

10. Dispose of the world, as it shall please thee, doe with me, and with all creatures, as seemes best to thy Maiestie, raise vp, plucke downe, chastice, cherish; be thou such to Angels & men in Heauen, in earth, in time, and in aeternitie, as stands best with thy liking, In all, and by all, and alwaies, I will adore thy prouidence, I will conforme my selfe to thy will, as the onely paradice of my soule. And I will make good to all, & against all, this most certaine truth, that thou canst not do, but that which I will, for I will whatsoeuer thou dost.

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Title 2. Thankesgiuing.

1. I Thanke thee, O my GOD, that thou art as thou art, the greatest good, that can befall mee.

2. I thanke thee O mightie Father, that knowing thy selfe, thou ingendrest a word, which is thy Sonne, and another thy selfe.

3. I present most humbly thanksgiuing (O incomparable Father) that thou louest thy Sonne, and thy Sonne loueth thee with such a loue, and so admirably perfect, that it carryeth with it the common essence, nature, and substance of you both.

[Page]4. I thanke thee, O my God, for the extraordinary graces which thou hast bestowed vpō the soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ thy Son: and I thanke thee my sweete Iesus, for those which thou hast imparted to thy worthy Mother: and I thanke thee, O mercifull holy Ghost for those, which the Angels, the Patriarches, the Prophets Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Virgins, and all the Court of Heauen, haue receiued from thee, not onely during their abode heere in earth, but also since their happie abode in Heauen.

5. And in particuler I giue thee thankes for the grace, and glory, thou hast bestowed vpon mine Angell guardian, and vpon the Saint my patron, of whom by thy especiall prouidence, I haue my name.

6. What thanksgiuing shall I [Page] render vnto thee for the goods of my soule and body, which I haue receiued from thee? I doe giue thee thankes for them, in him for whome, and by whom thou hast bestowed them vpon me, who is Iesus Christ thy Sonne. And I giue thee thanks, that in his name, and by his merites, I haue receiued them, not willing to haue any thing, but by him, and for him. I present vnto thee the same thanksgiuing, which the soule of my Lord thy Sonne, did offer vnto thee at that instant, when it knew it selfe created of nothing, and personally vnited to the word.

7. I giue thee thankes for thy guifts, not because they are mine, but because they are thine, not because they are agreeable to my will, but because they are conformable to thine: being most ready and willing to be depriued of [Page] them, when it shall please thee, to take them to thee againe: beseeching thee, that thou wilt so doe, when thou shalt iudge it more for thy glory.

8. Thou hast bestowed graces vpon mee, which through thy grace I know, and acknowledge, and thou hast bestowed vpon me others, of which through mine owne blindnesse, I am ignorant, Thou hast bestowed, and wouldst yet bestow more, if it were not long of my selfe. Thou wilt bestow also others, which I shall not acknowledge, and which through my frailtie, and accustomed ingratitude I shall abuse. For all which, my God, God of infinite goodnesse, & mercy, I giue thee thanks with all the force, that it hath pleased thee to bestow vpon mee, & not knowing, nor being able to doe it, as I should, I doe it in Iesus [Page] Christ thy Sonne, with the same affection, acknowledgement, and thanksgiuing, which his holy humanitie hath giuen, and doth giue incessantly to thy Diuinitie, for whatsoeuer fauours, or graces, it receiued of thee.

9. I am also to giue thee thankes for those graces, and fauours, which I neuer receiued, and which out of thy infinite goodnesse and prouidence, thou hast forborne to bestow vpon me, as knowing that I would haue abused them, and thereby haue become more accomptable, to thy most exact and most perfect iustice.

10. Ouer and aboue all this, as I stand greatly oblieged vnto thee for thy fauours, and graces themselues; So it is true, that I am much more obliged for that loue, & charitie, out of which thou hast bestowed them vpon me. For the [Page] which, because it is infinite, I giue thee infinite thankes in him, who is the efficient, instrumental, meretorious, and finall cause of all thankefulnesse Iesus Christ thy Sonne; for whom and by whom thou hast done all; praise, loue, and glory bee vnto thee, in him, and by him world without end, Amen.

Title. 3. Petition.

1 IF I were mine owne, O my God, I would demaund many thinges according to my owne sence and will: but seeing it hath pleased thy merciful Charitie, that I should not be mine owne but thine, what can I desire for my selfe, which is not for thee and according to thee. Doe th [...] [Page] for me, as for thy selfe, and dispose of me, as of a thing that is thine.

2. O Lord, I am thine by creation, by conseruation, by redemption and by especiall vocation, by condition of nature, and election of my owne will, why then dost thou permit, that a stronger take from thee thine inheritance? that I or any other, should enter into possession of that, of which the peaceable proprietie appertaines to thee? why dost thou endure, that any other will then thine, should be accomplished in me, of whome thou art onely and wholy possest.

3. Hee, that doth that which is more, doth easily that which is lesse; thou giuest thy selfe to me, take me then vnto thee. To create me, it cost thee only thy word, but to regenerate me, it cost thee thy life. To forme me, an act only [Page] of thy will was sufficient; but to reforme me, th'effusion of thy bloud was iudged necessary. Both the one and the other being effected by thee, nothing remaineth but that thou doe, and say what thou wilt, so as thou dispose of mee according, as thou hast deserued.

4. So often as I aske of thee any thing, doe the contrary, if the contrary shall bee more agreable to thy will, and to thy greater glory. For such is the intention of my Petition.

5. My wils, are no wills; my petition, refusals; my desires, so many detestations; when thou wilt otherwise, then I desire.

6. If I knew in euery thing, what is thy will, O God, the center of my soule, I would make knowne both in Heauen, and earth, that I haue no other intention, then to [Page] accomplish thy holy will.

7. Can one bee importune to him, of whome he seekes the honour, loue, and seruice according to the measure of his will? If I will any thing else, heare me not, grant it me not, O my God.

8. Content thou thy selfe in me, and I shall be content, dispose of me, as of a thing that is thine, and I shalbe too happy.

9. Why doe I (wretch that I am) mine owne will, contrary to thy will? or why preuailes my will which is not mine, against the will which is both thine and mine.

10. Haue I any secret corner of a stolne will, to which I am not able to resist? If it bee so (O searcher of hearts) plucke vp by the rootes from out of thy field this naughtie hearbe, with all the dependants thereof. But if there be [Page] no such thing, lay holde on mee wholly for thy selfe: seeing nothing can hinder me from being thine but an euill will, the which I renounce, as often as it is possible for mee to will or nill any thing.

11. Herein thou hast particulerly formed me to thine owne Image and likenesse, that I can will what thou canst will, and as thy power is infinitely extended, the capacitie of our will is of like extent: with all the dimensions then of this will, I beg of thee instantly the accomplishment of thy will and the annihilating of mine, if any be to be found in me, which is not thine.

12. I could perticularly tye my will to some certaine obiect, but I doe it no further then it ioynes with thy will, this by thy grace I will, this I intend, this I protest.

[Page]13. Why am I not then henceforth such an one as thou desirest I should bee? shall it be said, that my miserie hath preuailed against thy mercy; my malice, against thy goodnesse; my nothing against thy omnipotencie; my frailtie against thy inuincible strength; my pouertie against thy riches; my basenesse against thy greatnesse; my indignitie against thy dignation; my inconstant will against thy will, which is eternall and immutable? to be short, that which I am, against that which thou art? Endure it not, suffer it not, permit it not O my God, for this would redound much to thy dishonour.

14. When I present vnto thee my desires, either I present nothing, or I intend to present vnto thee those very desires of Iesus Christ thy Son. Giue place then [Page] O mercifull Father, to the desires of thy Sonne in the person of thy seruant.

15. Hee hath promised, that thou wouldst grant vnto vs, whatsoeuer we should desire in his name; for his merits then accomplish his desires. This is it, which he, I, and thou wilt.

16. My Redeemer, thy Sonne, hath two willes, the one diuine, th'other humaine: His diuine will demaunds, and commaunds, that I be humble, pacient, charitable, meeke, aliue to thee, and dead to my selfe. His humaine will demaunds the same, and hath deserued it. Graunt then, O Father, graunt vnto thy Sonne, the accomplishment of both wils, both diuine and humaine, So thou thy selfe shalt be serued, thy sonne honoured, the holy Ghost, true God of loue, be, as he well deserueth, [Page] loued. Thy eternall Wisdome, & infinite godnesse, did bestowe vpon me in my creation a free will: I perceiue that it will not be vnlike vnto it selfe in forcing my will: Neither shall it be needfull for thee so to doe, if it shall please thee to bestow a grace vpon me so agreable to my will, that without any violence I shall incline it to that which thou wilt. This effectual grace I doe desire and aske of thee my God, by the desires and merites of Iesus Christ thy Sonne, my sole and solid hope.

17. If I be troublesome, importune, and ouer bolde in asking, I shall content my selfe (O my God) to haue obtained one grace, which is, that I may euer be correspondent and answerable to thy graces.

18. My Lord! if I know not what to doe, grant that I may giue [Page] thee leaue to doe, and that my doing at the least may bee to permit thee to doe.

19. Take from thy selfe then that offence to see one so miserable, & giue vnto thy selfe that contentment, that I may be such a one, as thou wouldest I should be.

20. Doe it not for me, but for thy selfe: not because I will so, but because so is thy will; not because I deserue it, but for the merites of my Lord thy Sonne.

21. There is not a wound in his sacred humanitie, there is not a thorne in his crowne, which maketh not intercession for me, and beggeth not of thee incessantly that, which thou commandest.

22. Thou comaundest, they demaund, but I amend not my selfe, who shall preuaile at the last in this fight?

23. O Father, get thee another [Page] Sonne of lesse merit then hee, and of another nature then thine, or doe his will, and restore vnto him his merite.

24. His infinite merit was not for himselfe, the glory of his body and the exaltation of his name onely excepted. These are my inheritance, these are my riches, this is my portion. Deny me not that, which it hath pleased thee to bestow vpon me, and in doing iustice to thy Sonne, exercise mercy towards thy seruant.

25. If I were honoured with his prayers, thou wouldst heare him, and heare me: So is it then that I can aske thee nothing, I can desire nothing of thee, that he doth not aske and desire, and that with groanes which cannot be expressed. Permit mee then to argue thus for thee, against thee, O my God.

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[...] [Page] [...] [Page] 26. It is the will of God the holy Ghost, that I bee perfect, God the Sonne deserues it, God the Father then being one, and the same God with them, ought to effect it.

27 Most honourable Father, in the consideration of that blessednesse thou hast in thy Son: Word most amiable in contemplation of that being, which thou haddest of thy Father: Holy Ghost God of Charitie, in remembrance of that Diuinitie which was communicated vnto thee by the Father and Sonne; graunt that I be such as thou wouldst I should bee, and that there be nothing in mee that may displease thee. And hauing obtained this, I will importune you no more.

28. I am not worthy to pray for any whosoeuer, no not so much as to appeare in thy presence, [Page] or once to thinke of thee, O God of soueraigne Maiestie: which makes me first most humbly to aske thee pardon, that I dare lift vp my thoughts so high as to thee. And after this to craue, that thou wilt be pleased to receiue my prayers, not as proceeding from me, but as inspired by thee. And (that the effects of them may answer thy desire, and thy greater glorie) to ioyne them with these of Iesus Christ thy sonne, of his holy Mother, of the Apostles, Martyrs, Doctors, Virgins, and confessors, and those of either Church triumphant and militant▪ It being so, that the prayers, sacrifices, and good workes, which we call past, are alwaies existent, subsistent, & present before thee, The time past, present, and to come, being one, and the same thing in thy immutable aeternitie.

[Page]29. I wil not then make supplication to thee to call to minde, but to regard these prayers, as present: and in particuler for the spirituall and corporall health of the King, & Queene, his royall house, & all the Kingdome; Euen those that the good Patriarch Ioseph did present vnto thee for all Egipt: Samuel for Saul; Daniel for Darius the three Children for Nahuchodonozer; Elias for the Kings of Israel; Nathan for Dauid; Esay for Ezechias; Toby for Salmanaz; Hester for Assuerus; St. Iohn Baptist for Herod; St. Siluester for Constantine St Chrisostome for Eudoxia; St. Ambrose for Theodosius; St. Gregory for Maurice the Empeior; St. Stanislaus for Boleslaus; St. Thomas of Canterbury for the then King and Realme of England; and those of all the Saints, for y ^e Kings and Princes, w ^t liued in their time.

[Page]30. Who is able to pray for the necessities of the Church, with that seruour and efficacie, as did St. Gregorie, for the Reformation of religious Orders, as did Saint Francis, St. Dominicke, St. Thomas and St. Bonauenture? For States, Realmes, and Empires, as did St. Sigismund King of Burgundy; St. Carnut, King of Denmarke; St. Oswald & St. Edmund, Kings of England; St. Lewis King of France; Henry the Emperor; St. Caenigand his wife, St. Clothe, and St. Radigand Queenes of France; St. Edwin Dutches of Poland; St. Elizabeth in Hungary? and others, who by thy grace knew how to ioyne Pietie with the Scepter; greatnesse temporall with aeternall; perishing honours with honors immortall? If (I my God King of Kinges, and Lord of Lordes) I could speake vnto thee with the [Page] same accent and aequal deuotion: how many graces and blessings, should I obtaine of thy most liberall clemencie for this Monarchie? for the Monarch that commaunds vs, and represents thee? Accept then, for him and all that appertaine to him, the same vowes, sacrifices, and prayers, which haue beene presented vnto thee by all the Saintes, whose honourable names are written in the Booke of life: and looke not at mee, but looke vpon them, of whome I present vnto thee, the merites, and prayers, by thy Son our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ.

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Title. 4. Protestation.

1. I Knowe to my cost, and to my great damage, how preiudiciall I am to my selfe, and how great my fra [...]ltie is: and therefore haue occasion to feare, least that so soone as I shall be departed hence, I breake my purposes, and doe cleane contrary to that, which I promised. O omnipotent and immutable God, haue pittie vpon me thy fraile creature. Stretch forth thy strong hand and inuincible arme, to giue s [...]ur to the worke of thy han [...] ▪ permit not that a creature which hath cost thee so deare, be so easily and [Page] so dishonorably taken from thee. If my will be requisite hereunto: behold it is in thy hands, I giue it thee, nay I restore thee it, neuer to be reuoked. And since there is no better title, then the title of donation, (O God of my heart) commaund that the guift which thou hast pleased to make vnto mee of thy selfe, may authorize the guift which Iowe, and which I giue of my selfe. And that this donation made by me liuing, and confirmed by thy death, may be so emoled in the Records of thy eternitie, that albeit I would it may not be reuoked, such being the disposition of thy grace, and my last will.

2. And in truth were it reasonable that an euill will, which passeth, should disanull a determined resolution, made before so resolutely?

[Page]3. I protest, out of all the corners of my will, and with all the strength of my freedome and libertie, and with a consent as full as is possible, that I will not offend thee in any thing. I will be thine wholly without exception, I will that which thou wilt, and detest that which thou detestest. And if it fall out otherwise, if it so happen, that I seeke my selfe, that I commit theft in this holocaust, that I doe or omit any thing, contrary to thy will and p [...]easure: it shall be nothing else, but a surprise and a stolne will, altogether contrary to that, which now by thy grace, whilest I am in my perfect sence and iudgement, and by thy assistance mistresse of my consent I so resolutely will and desire.

4. And if it should so fall out, that by exceeding frailtie (at the shadow whereof I tremble for [Page] feare) I should giue my consent to any thing, that is repugnant to thy will: permit not, O God of truth, and of infinite goodnesse; that such a fault be for euer imputed vnto me, since I renounce it both now and then. And that consent which is authorized by thine, and of which thou art the author, ought to preuaile against that which is not mine, but by vnhappinesse, and of which the instigator and first mouer, is the enemie of thy glory, and my saluation.

5. Euery one they say may renounce his right: I renounce then y ^e right of my free will, whē it shall be tempted, & in danger to offend thee. And therefore spare not to force it to that which is good, at what time soeuer, without hauing any regarde to my freewill, the which otherwise, thou wouldst [Page] leaue to her owne libertie, as thy holy word doth teach vs.

6. And if yet not to contradict thy selfe, thou hast regard to leaue my will to her freedome, Consider (O most wise Architect of Man) that my will is not to haue any will to doe that which is naught; and herein thou shalt cō descend to my free will, though thou shouldst not respect it at all: seeing it renounceth absolutely herselfe in any thing, which hath relation to that, which is euill.

7. What perfection is it, to haue power to consent to that which is euill? thou hast it not O my God, for it is an imperfection. Make me then thus farre more according to thine Image: that as thou my prototype, canst not sinne by nature, so I may bee impeccable by grace.

8. And if to haue the power to [Page] faile in my dutie, bee a thing appertaining to my condition, as being the seruant and slaue of sinne, is it not enough that I haue, wretch that I am, finned so often? but that I must make further proofe thereof, to the preiudice of thy honour and glory? better it were for mee not to be at all, then to continue still to offend thee.

9. The loue of my selfe, maketh me enemy to my selfe; and that in seeking my selfe I loose my selfe, and not finding my selfe, I am still lost. I renounce this enmitie, and I detest it with as much hatred, and as often as I haue hitherto so loued my selfe, or shall hereafter by my euill custome.

10. Allow, O good God, this declaration of my will. And receiue in thy iudgement, and in the account that thou holdest of my [Page] actions, wordes, and thoughts, all such affections, as if they were so many afflictions; all such inclinations, as so many auersions; all such pursuites, as so many flights; and all such tacite consents, as so many expresse resistances.

11. But seeing O soueraigne truth, thou canst not iudge of thinges, or take them otherwise then they are; and that if I doe seeke my selfe; thou canst not but know, that I doe so, I am content if it be so But with this condition O my God, and not otherwise, that thou looke vpon me from henceforth as a thing y ^• is thine, and that thou impute the loue of my s [...]lf [...] as an affection, bestowed vpon a thing that is wholly thine; As the sonne, whatsoeuer he gets, hee gets to the b [...]nefit of his father so long as hee is vnder the power of his father; and as a bond [Page] slaue whatsoeuer he gets, is to his maisters profit.

12. From henceforth all the solicitude I shall haue, either for apparell, or meate, or drinke, or any such like thinges; all my affections, reflections, goings forth, returnings backe, that I shall haue either in my selfe, of my selfe, or about my selfe: all my ioy, all my feare, all my sorrowes, all my pleasures, all whatsoeuer appertaining to my vanitie past, and the inordinate care y ^• I haue had of my selfe; all this, my God, shall from henceforth be wholly addicted to thy seruice, vnto the preseruation of a thing which is thine, neither more nor lesse, then if all this were done by me, to any poore creature in an Hospitall, or any other, towards whome all this exercise of diligence and charity should be pleasing to thee. Allow this O my [Page] God, receiue this O my Father, accept of this O my gracious Lord, by the merits of him whose workes, wordes, and thoughts neuer strayed from thy will. He hath liued for me, he dyed for me, euen so I will dye to my selfe, and liue to him, and so my life, shall be hidden in his, and shall appeare before thee, as if it were his, and all the care I shall haue, shall not bee of a thing that is mine: but it shalbe O the onely beloued of my soule, as of a thing that is thine. And what other meanes, O God of my soule, can be found t [...] cut off the heade, and kill this most horrible Hydra of selfeloue, considering the great malice thereof.

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Title 5. To the soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ.

1. MOst holy, and most happy soule, Empresse of Heauen and earth, I beseech thee by thy incomparable grace which thou receiuedst, whē at the instant of thy creation, thou wa [...] [...]ited to thy diuinitie, and supported by the person of the word, that thou wilt be pleased to obtaine for mee, those vertues, of which thou hast left vs both a Commandement, and an example aboue all others, Chartitie, humilitie and puritie.

2. By the blessednesse thou didst [Page] enioy, euen then beholding the Essence of the Sonne of God, to whome thou are personally vnited, deliuer mee from the loue of my selfe, and the great miserie of my imperfections.

3. Thy holy Mother was impeccable by grace, thou wast so by nature; as well for that thy diuine Will did gouerne thy humane: as also because by thy vnderstanding thou didst possesse, and by thy will created thou hadst fruition of the Diuine essence. I dare not aske impeccabilitie, but onely the grace neuer to sinne; and if the power to sinne be left me, yet that the effect of that power be taken from me.

4. Soule, seate of wisdome, which containest in thee the treasures of thy Fathers science, thou hast been indued with knowledge diuine, blessed, and insused, ouer [Page] and aboue the knowledge experimentall and acquisite, which was euery day encreased in thee. Obtaine for me by these so rare priuiledges and prerogatiues, that I may haue knowledge both of diuine, and humaine thinges; so as I may neuer stray from the right path of faith and charitie.

5. Soule, the splendor of the glory of the Father, and the Image of his goodnesse, be my guide and conductor, in the midst of the perils and temptations of the dangerous life of this world. Dissipate the cloudes of my passions, driue away the night of my ignorance, making me euer, and in all things, to acknowledge his will, to whō thou art personally vnited.

6. Ouer and aboue the grace of vnion hipostaticall and blessed, thou ba [...]st also the grace of Capitall vnion, as being the head of [Page] men and Angels. Make me then to draw aboundantly out of this plentifull well, and to pertake to the greater glory of thy Father, of those influences which flow vpon thy misticall body, the Church militant and Triumphant.

7. Who is able to expresse the thanksgiuing when of nothing, and out of that bottomlesse depth of not being any thing, common to all creatures; thou perceiuedst thy selfe to bee transported, to a personall vnion with God? who is able to recount that holocaust, and sacrifice, that thou madest of thy selfe, for the accomplishing of that excellent worke of our redemption? with what excesse of Charitie, diddest thou consecrate thy selfe to God the Father? with what an eye of compassion, didst thou behold humaine Nature, of which thou wast a noble sprig and [Page] branch? In remembrance of all those thy internall eminent actions, for the loue of thy Hypostasie, by the merites of thy abode in this world, and by all whatsoeuer appertaineth to thy incarnation, I beseech thee to thanke him for me, to whome thou art vnited: to giue and sacrifice me to his glory: to present vnto him my actions, vowes, intentions, and thoughts: to make my miserable abode in this world pleasing vnto him: to make vnto him an holocaust of my life, and a sacrifice of my death.

8. Thou wast no sooner vnited to that body, framed in the womb of the Virgin, drawne and taken out of the most pure substance of thy virgin Mo [...]er, but that thou wast receiued, and supported by the word. O so [...], Queene of men, Princesse of Angels, obtaine [Page] for me by this grace, the grace that I may be deliuered from the cogitation of the body, and infection of the flesh, from which thou wast preserued, being by an extraordinary manner without Adam ioyned to the flesh, which descended from Adam.

9. Ignorance, frailtie, and malice, are the furniture of this corrupt Masse, from which wee are drown'd: and of that first fault, from which thou wast the deliuerer, and the deliuered. I beseech thee to guard me from the falls, to which I am subiect by my naturall corruption, and that by the merits of thy incomparable integritie, puritie, and holinesse.

10. Thy heart was alwayes attentiue to God, of whome thou neuer didst loose the sight; obtain that I may liue in his presence in him euer, and euer before him.

[Page]11. In vertue of the deiformitie of thy soule, my sweete Iesus, I begg of thee the guift of conformitie, and vniformitie with thee.

12. By reason of thy Hypostaticall vnion, thy actions were of infinite merit, and the onely act of thy incarnation sufficient to redeeme a thousand worlds. What shall I not then obtaine of God thy Father, if thou shalt please once to present vnto him that, which thou hast offered, and shed for mee, which is thy precious bloud, and thy immaculate and vnspotted life, the spring of all merit?

13. Because thou appertainest to God, obtaine pardon for me of whatsoeuer I haue voluntarily done, said, or thought contrary to God. How often didst thou reioyce in the greatnesse and glory of God, our common creator and [Page] Father? and that much more for it, then for that thou thy selfe wert by his grace? Bring to passe that all my ioy may be in him, my onely desire to please him, my only feare to offend him.

14. All thy actions were of infinite merit; I beg O sanctuarie of the Diuinitie, the participation of onely one, by speciall application to me.

15. Thou, the onely storehouse of Loue, and fornace of perfect Charitie, dost more loue humaine nature, and much more desire our soules perfections, then all Angels and men together. We cannot also, nay we ought not to haue after God any better Lord, and friend then thou. I leaue then to thee the care of my saluation, and of that perfection which thy Father requires in mee: I leaue to thee the profit of thine owne merites, [Page] to thee that which thou thy selfe desirest: to thee that, for which thou hast done, saide, and endured so much: to thee that, which cannot subsist, but by thee: to conclude to thee that, which is as oftentimes thine, as it hath pleased thee to be ours.

Title. 6. To the blessed Virgin Mary.

1. BLessed of God amongst Women, and the happiest of all pure creatures, Mary the Mother of God; I prostrate my selfe in the profoundnesse of my thoughts before thee: honouring with all my affection the eminent [Page] graces, which it hath pleased the most high and puissant to place in thee, as in the principall and chiefe workmanship of his handes, after the humanitie of Iesus Christ thy Sonne; whose desires concerning me I present vnto thee, that by his merites, and thy prayers, they may bee as the abiect of his mercyes, fully and perfectly accomplished in me.

2. Pray then for mee, mercifull Mother, and in so dooing thou shalt pray also for thine owne Sonne: see [...]ng that hee desires in mee, that, which I aske of thee, a thousand times more, then I my selfe.

3. I am also neuer resolued to aske any thing of thee for my selfe, but for him. I will speake vnto thee in his name, I will presse the [...] by his mer [...]t [...]s. I will adiure thee by the languis [...]g desires of [Page] his soule, and as it were coniure thee by the great and inestimable obligation, that thou hast to him, to deale so effectually with God the Father, that all his desires may be accomplished in all creatures, and especially in this poore soule of mine, to which he hath giuen thee grace to desire that, which he desireth. If thou put not to thy hand O puissant Princesse, all will passe into vapour, and smoake of onely desires, and I shall remaine a fable of the world, and a scorne of hell.

4. By these titles of incomparable honor, with which thy head is crowned, O Mother of thy Sonne, O Daughter of the Father, O Spouse of the holy Ghost, bring to passe, that I may one day with thee, be heyre to the Father, coheyre with the Sonne, and partake of the inheritance, reserued [Page] to the holy Ghost.

5. Tower of Dauid, Citty of refuge, wilt thou refuse thy prayers to them, to whome the fruite of the Virgins wombe hath not refused his bloud?

6. Thou hast too great interest in thy Sonnes inheritance, to neglect, or disdaine to succour with the assistance of thy tongue, those soules, which thy Redeemer and ours, did recouer with the losse of his life.

7. He would, that thou shouldst be his Mother: but it was to the end, that wee might also become his brethren. What hindereth vs then, from hauing the spirit of adoption, towards his Father, and our Father, thy Sonne and our brother? wee shall haue it when it shall please thee to bee our Mother by grace, as thou art his by nature.

[Page]8. Thou wast established Queen of Angels, and of men, euen from then, when thou hadst a Sonne common to thee with God the Father: and that thou couldst say vnto God, thou art my Sonne. O incomparable Mother, ô maruaile of the world, O the honour of humaine lineage; wilt thou not in acknowledgment of these benefites and honours, intended towards thee, before thou couldst merit them; wilt thou not procure, in regard of the Almightie which hath done so great thinges for thee, this little thing which I aske of thee? which is nothing else, but that I neuer offend him, especially by deadly sinne? and that in the whole course of my miserable life, I may know and put in execution his diuine will?

9. I am not wor [...]hy of his loue, but hee is worthy to be loued of [Page] me. I deserue not to serue him, but he well deserueth to be serued of me. It is not due to me to liue in him alone, and to dye for him: but I owe it him, and so dost thou thy selfe. Pay then, O most rich Empresse, my debts and thy debts. Acquite them both for mee and thy selfe, and in doing that which is but duty and iustice towards him, thou shalt doe a worke of compassion and mercy towards a creature of his, and thy poore seruant.

10. As amongst all pure creatures, none euer approached to equall thee, in regard of the incomparable excellencie of him, that was borne of thee: So no creature whatsoeuer, shall be euer able to equall thee in mercy. Shall it not be then, to imitate thy Sonne and satisfie thy selfe, if thou affoord thy ayde to the miserable. [Page] thy succour to such poore sinners as I am? For whome thy Sonne hath spent all hee had, euen to the effusion of his most precious bloud? If it be true that the sinne of Adam, was the occasion that the Diuine word tooke flesh, and was borne of thee: it must needs also bee, that my misery hath serued for a cause, or an occasion of thy greatnesse, my disgrace of thy grace, my malediction of thy benediction, and that which I am, of that which thou art: why then by exchange, shall not thy mercy (if I may so say) serue to my misery; thy felicitie to my infelicitie; thy greatnesse to my basenesse; that which thou art to that which I am? Bee not thou that thou art: or procure that I may be other then I am. I should here beg of thee to haue in recommendation the Church, & her necessities, if i [...] [Page] were possible, that a Mother had not care of her Sonnes spouse.

Title 7. To Saint Michaell.

1. PRince of the heauenly camp, and inflamed Seraphin; by thy most happy victorie, which thou obtaynedst against those Apostata Angels, of which now the infernall legions are composed, assist vs in our combats: so much the more dangerous, in that we haue not onely to fight against flesh and bloud, but against the spirits of darknesse, which come marching against vs like Gyants, with all the aduantage, that the nature of Angels hath aboue [...]

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Title. 8. To Saint Gabriell.

1. PAranymph of Heauen, that didst bring to the world, the most happy newes that euer was, or shall be by the loue of him, who sent thee to the honour of him, who was by thee Named and Announced, and for the regard to her, to whome thou broughtest the'mbassage; obtaine for me the grace, that I may be obedient to the Father, pleasing to the Sonne, and singularly deuoted to the Mother.

2. O if I so willingly conceiued, and so readily consented to the voyce of my God, as did the [Page] blessed Virgin to thine, I should march apace to perfection. I beseech thee by the ioy that the spirit felt, when the Diuine word effected thy word, putting on the ragges of our mortalitie; that thou wilt be pleased to obtaine for mee, this fauour of God, that I neuer resist his inspirations, that I be attentiue to his voyce, that for lacke of execution I make not sad the holy Ghost. Obtaine I say, for me this grace, thou speciall embassador of the Diuinitie.

3. Embassadour of God, Legate of Paradice, Nuncies of the coelestiall Empire; if any thing bee cause of our ruines, for repayring of which the Son of God espoused himselfe, to a nature inferiour to thine, it was frailtie and ignorance. This appertaineth to the soule, that [Page] to the body. From both th'one and th'other thou art free, being a spirit, and full of knowledge. I dare then adiure thee, by that which thou art, to remedy that, which I am, and to obtaine of him, who did according to thy word, more for me, then thou shalt euer be able to doe, that I may know from henceforth, his holy will in all thinges, and that in the execution I may be strong, and puissant: Thy most holy Name signifieth diuine force, and valour; obtaine for me this force against our common aduersaties, and against the most daungerous enemie, that I knowe, which is the loue of my selfe.

4. I salute thee, and thanke thee with all my hart, messenger of happy newes; and I be [...]eech thee to encrease my obligacion, [Page] by encreasing the seruice, which by me thou maist render then, when thou shalt obtaine for me the grace not to be as thou art, but together with thee a fit Instrument, and Organe, to set forth the glory of God.

Title 9. To the Angell Guerdian.

1. GOuernour of my life, guide of my pilgrimage, Torchbearer of my vnderstanding, maister of my soule, what thankesgiuing shall I render vnto thee for the infinite obli [...]ations, [...]a poore sinner haue vnto thee? whome thou hast serued and assisted, [Page] though vnworthy and vngratefull from the instant of my birth; preseruing mee from so many euils of sinne, as I might haue incurred; from so many dangers, as my body hath passed and had fallen into, haddest thou not fauoured mee. If I should thanke thee as often as I breath, I could not satisfie my obligation; neither will I, nor can I doe it, but in him by whom and for whose loue, thou hast beene so faithfull to mee. Aske then thy recompence of him for so many benefits, and permit not that I dye vngratefull towards thee, least I dye miserable in the fight of God.

2. Vnfatigable friend; the infamous odour of my sinnes, might haue caused thee to haue withdrawne thy selfe from me, as stinke chaseth away Doues, [Page] and smoke Bees. And yet notwithstanding, thou hast had patience to stay neere to this dunghill, with charitie greater then tongue can vtter, and with longanimitie altogether Angelicall. Thankes be giuen vnto thee, by all the courts of Heauen, and by all those creatures which haue interest in my saluation; all whom thou hast together with mee obliged vnto thee. If euer I come, as by thy mediation I hope I shall, to the hauen of beatitude, I will render vnto thee, O my louing and beloued Patro [...], the principall, and arrerages of so many, so speciall, and so particular obligations, in the presence of him, whom thou incessantly lookest in the face. How often had I fallen into riuers, into flames, into dungeons, into the hands [Page] of my visible and inuisible enemies? How often had Sathan styfled mee whilest I was drinking, eating, sleeping, walking? especially at those times, when he perceiued mee to be out of the grace of God; if thou O my guide, and singuler benefactor, hadst not broken his strength, and dissipated his designes?

3. So many times thou hast saued my life, as thou hast preserued me from deadly sinne, so many times thou hast rendered vnto me my life, as thou hast raysed me out of deadly sinne. A life a thousand times more precious then that of the body, and consequently a benefit as much greater, as aeternitie exceedeth time; grace, nature; the glorious state of the Saintes, the miserable condition [Page] of the damned. Thankes therefore be vnto thee as many times, as there are moments in time o [...] imaginable minutes in aeternitie.

4. What shall I say of thy going from God to vs, and returning from vs to God? exciting the one, appeasing the other? carrying vp our prayers, and bringing downe his presents? what of so many inspirations? secret motions? benigne influences? so many interiour and exteriour endes? so many Angelicall inuentions, deuises, stratagems of Charitie, as thou hast vsed to retire mee from vice, and the inclinations of a corrupt nature, to draw me to the loue of him, whom loue made to dye for me? There is no meanes, how in this vally of teares, and in the midst of this [Page] Aegyptian darknesse, I may know y ^e thousand part of these oblgations: and how shall I then bee able to acknowledge them? Finish then, O sage Pilot, this my perilous Nauigation, end this chiefe work, which hitherto hath put thee to so great paine. For if thou shalt haue fully accomplished this; I shall haue meanes to recompence that which is past, to repaire that which is lost, and to make euen my debts. Looke well then into it, as is thy custome, O my guide it concernes thee exceeding much, seeing thereupon depends the glory of God, and the saluation of a soule, cōmitted to thy charge.

5. And if it be possible, that thou shouldst not be interessed in my saluation, I am content that thou neglect both th'one [Page] and th'other. Hee, which was made man for mee, that liued heere for me, that dyed for me, that hath giuen me his body for meat, and his bloud for drinke; hee, that hath honoured mee with the title of sonne, and brother; hee, that calleth and nameth himselfe my spouse; hee, who bowing downe the Heauens of his greatnesse, vouchsafed to serue mee; hee, that would dye againe, if it were needfull, and for me endure againe all that hee hath suffered; hee, I say, perswades, yea nothing else. Do then that, which thou shalt iudge to be according to his will. Sweet friend, and charitable tutor, I will put no other rule, no, no other, then thou thy selfe dost put, which is, the very great glory of him, to whom wee all appertaine, by [Page] condition, obligation, and election, to whome be all praise, honour and glory, world without end.

Title 10. To the Angels.

1. MOst happy Spirits, which incessantly stand before the Throne of God, and who, as the elder brethren of his house, haue care of his inheritance; looke downe vpon vs with a mercifull eye, vpon vs I say who are your younger brethren, out of the respect and regard you b [...]re to him, who is the head both of th'one and th'other nature, that [Page] is, both of Angels and men. And whom you serue in helping vs, and please in assisting vs.

2. You purchased your blessednesse good cheape: with one onely act of your will and consent, you were confirmed in grace, and receiued that glory, which you shall for euer enioy without all feare to loose it. But we contrariwise after many good deedes, and many torments suffered and endured, are alwayes exposed to danger of shipwracke; which many like to vs haue made neare to the hauen. After many battailes, wee are still in danger to bee ouercome: but you after one victorie tryumph assuredly. Many dayes passe before wee can ariue there, whether you are come in an instant. Haue then [Page] compassion vpon the imperfection of our beeing, yee whose beeing is so perfect; pitty our feeblenesse and weaknesse, yee that are strong; our ignorance, yee that are so wise; our malice yee to whome goodnesse and Charitie is continuall in the highest degree.

3. You take and borrow nothing from naturall abiects, as helpes to comprehend created verities. For from the first instant of your creation, you haue euer had imprinted in your vnderstanding, the expresse image of euery naturall thing; and beholding your selues, you come to know all thinges, that are without you. And that by an action of simple intelligence, running as it were without the helpe of any discourse, from the principles to [Page] the conclusions, and from the Antecedents to the consequents.

4. Wee contrariwise, can conceiue nothing with our vnderstandings, which hath not first passed through the siffe of our sences. And our sences depend of the obiects, which oft deceiue them, and make our iudgements erronious, if they be not corrected in their deceitfull operations by reason and grace.

5. Moreouer our discourses depend of our propositions: and they of the termes of simple apprehension. And the apprehension is made out of the imagination, and sensitiue faculties. And in all this Flux and reflux of thoughtes and Ideas; (O yee thrice and foure times happy intelligences) who is [Page] able to expresse? how many times we perticipate our selues into errour? Taking then notice of the great aduantage▪ you haue ouer vs, and not only you, but the wicked Deuils, who haue lost nothing else but their grace and glory, retaining still their nature, in which they are equall to you; fortifie and strengthen vs against the gyants, of which the Scripture maketh mention, Leuiathan, Belzebub, Baalmorith, Asmode, Astaroth, and other princes of that armie of darknesse.

6. We craue but the crums, that fall from your table, and the poore scrappes and remainders of your banquet. Our petition to you is very reasonable; which is no more, then that yee the good Angels, bee pleased to doe so much for our [Page] saluation, as the wicked Deuils doe for our ruine and destruction. That yee be as ready to succour vs, as they are to annoy vs; to heale and preserue vs, as they are to hurt vs; as diligent in conducting vs to God, as they are in withdrawing vs from him, and to doe vs all the mischiefe, to which their knowledge and power can extend.

Title 11. To the holy Patriarckes.

1. HOly soules, who during your abode heere in this vale of teares, were the salt of the earth, & light of the world; [Page] how great haue your vertues beene? how great your perfection, had you liued vnder the Gospell, as you liued vnder the Law of nature, and Moses? we are in the fulnesse of time, to which you so much aspired, and for which you so often suspired; obtaine for vs the grace to acknowledge & correspond to so great a benefit, and that wee may liue as holily after the incarnation of the Son of God, as you did before his comming; and that wee may now doe as much for his glory, as you would haue done, if yee had liued in this happy time.

2. By that ioy, not to be vttered by any tongue, wherewith you were then replenished, when the most holy soule of our and your Redeemer descended to those places vnder [Page] earth, in which you were detained, expecting the Ladder of Iacob, and the Key of Dauid to come forth; I beseech you to obtaine of your deliuerer, for all poore sinners, such as I am, that wee may get out of the darke dungeon of ignorance, and the filthie quagmire of our bad and lewd customes. And that as the gates of Hell could not preuaile against the King of glory: so sinne may frō henceforth no more preuaile against such, as beleeue in him, in whome you placed your hope, and with whom vpon the day of his tryumphant Ascention you ascended to glory, crowned with immortall Lawrels; carrying in your handes, and sweetly tasting the fruites of your liuely Faith, longanimity, hope, and inflamed Charitie.

[Page]3. Yee hold the ranke of Patriarckes amongst those, which beleeue in the name of the Son of God; bee yee then vnto vs good Fathers, for the loue of him, vpon whom dependeth all Father-hood, both in Heauen and Earth; and obtaine for vs the spirit of the children of God, a contrary spirit to that of mercinarie feare; to the end that wee may one day, come to be partakers of that inheritance, of which ye now are peaceable possessors.

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Title. 12. To the holy Prophets.

1. PRotonotaries of Heauen, Registers of truth, and mirrours of the Diuinitie; your holy soules haue bene the organs, and your mouthes the harmonious instruments of him, who is the fountaine of wisdome, & oracle of all truth. Obtaine for vs, that we may see by Faith, what you did fore-see by the spirit of Prophecie, and possesse that by charitie, which you hoped for.

2. The light of Prophesie is a personall and free guift, bestowed vpon you for the instruction [Page] of Israell, and consolation of Christians. Herein we content our selues onely to admire you, but in another thing we desire to imitate you. And that is, in that interiour Attention you had to the presence of God, the better to vnderstand his voyce; and hauing vnderstood it, to follow and put in execution his inspirations. O when shall I see that desired houre, in which I may say with one of you, I will heare what our Lord saith in mee.

3. His wordes are words of peace, his voyce a voyce of benediction. Why then, O you holy censurers of our manners, doe I so often lend him a deafe eare! Awake by your prayers my spirit, pacifie my affections; illuminate my darknesse, addresse mine intentions to the [Page] center of euery iust desire, which is the accomplishment of his diuine Will, onely to bee loued and desired.

Title. 13. To Saint Iohn Baptist.

1. PRaecursor of the Sonne of God, voyce of the word, and paranymph of the heauenly Spouse; by that wonderfull similitude of thy conception, natiuitie, life, and death, to that of him whose baptist thou wert, by the graces, priuiledges, and prerogatiues extraordinarily bestowed vpon thee, loose my tongue, that I may praise God, as thou didst loose the tongue of thy [Page] Father Zacharie. Obtaine for me that I may flie the occasion of sinne, according to that example thou hast left me, who from thy tender yeares diddest retire thy selfe into the desert. Obtaine I say, that the dew of thy grace may fall aboundantly vpon me, that I may be washed and clensed in the floud of pennance, by the merites of that precious bloud, the sacred vessels whereof were washed by thee in the floud of Iordan.

2. And if I must be great, let my ambition bee to aspire to that greatnesse, which was in thee (that is) to bee great before God; If I must be couetous, that it may be after the imitation of thee, a couetousnesse of the riches which are Eternall; If voluptuous, let it be of these pleasures, which thou diddest [Page] seeke with thy haire and sackcloath.

3. I haue I confesse, a [...]ee very contrary to that vertue wherewith thou wert indued; and this vice is the too great loue and care of this body, which is nothing else but a sacke of wormes, a dunghill of corruption, and sincke of miseries. Obtaine for me, O great Anchorite, great Prophet, and great Martyr; that I may from henceforth become an enemy to the sensuall and brutish part of my soule, and aduersary to this stinking dunghill, and a rigorous iusticer towards this liuing carkasse. It being a thing most certaine, that no man can hurt him who hurteth not himselfe.

4. Thou hast maintained truth, and iustice with danger, [Page] yea with losse of thy owne life: procure for mee, that the one may be immouably seated in my heart, and the other inuariably placed in my mouth.

5. Inconstancie, mother of perfidiousnesse, accompanieth me; and I am the reede, continually exposed to the windes, from which thou wast shadowed. Obtaine for me by the merites of this thy vertue, and by the abundant heauenly succour which thou neuer wantedst; that from henceforth I may be more firme & constant in such resolutions, as proceede from the holy Ghost. I aske this of thee, O Champion of the liuing God, and vnconquerable Soldiour; by all the victories, which thou hast gotten to the honour of him, who by a speciall grace did with his [Page] owne mouth canonize thee.

6. Heauen hath powred vpon thee so many benedictions, that thou hast beene a wonder of the world, and an astonishment of all ages; by these graces, I aske of thee as of the Angell of great Councell, wisdome; as of a Patriarcke, saith; as of a Prophet, hope; as of an Apostle of God the Father, charitie; as of a Martyr, constancie; as of a Doctor, vnderstanding; as of a Confessor, deuotion; as of an Anchorite, v [...]ion with God, and the guift [...]f teares; as of a Virgin, puri [...]ie; as of one who was kinne to [...]esus Christ, and his holy Mother, that holinesse and alliance which the Sonne of God hath promised to contract with them, who shall doe his holy will. To whome hee hath promised [Page] that he will take them, and treat them as his brethren, Mother, and sister; O inestimable honour!

Title. 14. To Saint Ioseph.

1. TReasure-house of the incomparable treasures of Heauen & earth, Fosterfather of him, who nourisheth all creatures, true, and faithfull spouse of the Mother of God, what comparison betweene the commaund giuen by Pharaoh [...]o Ioseph, the Patriarch ouer all Aegipt, and this commaund giuen by God to thee. Moyses conducted the [Page] people of God: thou hadst the conduction of God him selfe. Abrahā was Father to the children of adoption, but the true Son of God called thee Father, Dauid gouerned the people of Israel according to Gods harts desire [...] but thou wert the gouernour, and as it were the maister of God him selfe. The Queene of Saba iudged the seruants of Salomon happy, because they were eye witnesses of his maiesticall cariage, and great wisdome: but thou hast bene an eye witnesse of him, in whome are all the treasures of knowledge & wisdome of the father; and who was the very originall source or spring, from which Salomon did draw the wisdome, that was in him. Many Kings and Prophetes, desired to see but one of the dayes of him, [Page] whome thou didst bring vp and nourish, both in his childhood, & in his youth. Simeon thought himselfe happy to haue receued him but once into his armes: & thou hast an hundred and an hundred times had him in thine and placed him in the armes of his Mother, sweetly kissing his feete, as the feete of thy God; his hands, as the hands of thy Lord; his cheeke, as the cheeke of the Infant of thy Spouse. God conducted his people going out of Egypt: thou conducted'st God going into Egypt. Hee by Iosua brought them into the Land of promise: and thou broughtest backe Iesus into Palestine: and broughtest him into Nazareth. God was in the middest of his people by the mediation of Angels, by day in the forme of a cloud, and by [Page] night in the figure of a pillar of fire: God himselfe in person hath been dayes, nights, weeks, monthes, and yeares, one of thy familie & thy foster childe. The Arke of God gaue victorie in time of warre, and plentifull benediction to Obedience in time of peace: the humanitie of the Sonne of God, which he tooke of thy holy Spouse, was the true Arke of God, in which was kept the Manna of diuinitie, the Rodde of discipline, the Tables of exacte obedience to the lawe of his Father.

2. What graces, what vertues, what blessings did the Father, then power vpon thee by the merittes of his Sonne? the Sonne by the prayers of his Mother? O thrice and foure times happy Patriarch, by these so great priuiledges, obtaine I [Page] beseech thee for me this grace, that I neuer abuse the graces of my God. And seeing that in the heauenly Sacrament of the Eucharist wee haue the same Child, Lord, and God of which thy Spouse was deliuered at Bethelem in Iuda, and which was carryed by thee into Egypt and Nazareth, and there nourished by thee and called there thy Sonne; by the credit thou hast with him, and by thy instant prayer bring to passe, that I may be most deuout to this holy Sacrament, and that my soule may melt in the presence thereof: and that I may liue as it is fit hee liue, who so often partaketh of that ineffable mysterie.

3. By that extaticall affection, which thou feltst towards the Sonne of God, when hee [Page] called thee Father: and towards his holy Mother, of whome thou wert the Spouse, beg of God by thy intercession for me the guift of an intrinsceall vnion and familiaritie with God, accompanied with three qualities, which were very eminent in thee, Tender loue, Humble reuerence, Loyall fidelitie.

Title 15. To Saint Peter.

1. LOuing Apostle, Porter of Paradice, and supreame Leiftenant of the crowne of Heauen; by the speciall prerogatiues, and fauours bestowed vpon thee by the [Page] Sonne of God, obtaine for me, that I may loue him, and that his loue come from my heatt, from my whole soule, from all my forces and thoughts, as did thy loue.

2. By the authoritie, which thou heldest from him, and by that Crosier, which he put in thy hand, procure, that his flocke, and thine, may be extended ouer all Countries on the earth: and the soules committed to thy charge and the charge of thy Successors, may be defended from the teeth, and wyles of the i [...]fernall Woulfe, who as a roaring Lyon, seeketh whome he may deuoure.

3. By all the testimonies of the extraordinary beneuolence that thou receiuedst from thy Maister and ours, by all the documents, & instruments, which [Page] thou heardest from his owne mouth, by all the admirable and miraculous workes hee wrought in thy presence; we in all humilitie, and earnest affection beseech thee, that our holy Father, who at this day is gouernour of the Church, and all they which shall succeede him in that thy charge, may succeede thee also in thy vertues, and in the fatherly care thou haddest of the sheepfolde, pertaining to the Son of God; So as hereafter, no one of the sheepe which recognise their Soueraigne pastor, and are called Christians, may be lost or become a prey to hell.

4. And so much as concerneth my particuler, I beseech thee, O Coriphe of the Apostles, Prince and Pastor of my soule, that as Iesus Christ changed [Page] thy name in signe of the superioritie and prerogatiue, which he gaue to thee aboue the rest of the Apostles: so he will be pleased to change my manners, and to reforme me to his greater glory. Thou wert euer placed and mentioned first, let my ambition bee to giue place to no man in the loue of my God.

5. Thou walkedst vpon the waters to come to thy maister: procure that I may treade vnder feete my imperfections to come vnto him.

6. By speciall reuelation thou hadst notice that he was the Sonne of God; obtaine for mee by thy mediation, the guift of a singuler and liuely faith.

7. The gates of Hell according to the Diuine promise haue not preuailed, nor shall euer preuaile against the Church, which the [Page] soueraigne Architect built vpon thee: guard me so by thy protection, that temptations may not preuaile against my soule.

8. Iesus Christ payed tribute for thee and himselfe, shewing thereby, that thou shouldst be the head of his familie: obtaine for me by thy prayers, that he be pleased to pay to God for me, the debt I owe to his diuine Iustice; and to make me master, Lord, and superiour ouer my passions.

9. It was thou, who at two seuerall times didst drawe to the shore, the Nets full of Fish: we swimme and tumble, as fishes, in the tempestuous sea of this world; drawe vs to the hauen of blessednes, by faith, accompanied and quickned by charitie.

[Page]10. Thou wert commaunded to lauch into the depth, and from y ^e hinder part of thy ship Christ Iesus did Catechise the multitudes of the people: lift me vp by the force of thy prayers, examples, and merittes, to the highest topp of perfection; and procure, that I neuer giue eare to any Teacher but to him, whose instruction is conformable to the doctrine of the Church.

11. The Diuell desired to sift thee, but the prayer of the Son of GOD, gaue an inuincible force to thy Faith: wilt thou not then obtaine for me a vigour & strength, not to be ouercome by any snares, or forces of the infernall legions?

12. Thou wast one of the first, to whome Iesus Christ appeared after his resurrection; [Page] obtaine for me, that I be not one of the last, to whome he will vouchsafe to giue his hand when I shall be in danger of temptation, or detained in the paines of purgatorie.

13. The diuine worde prostrated himselfe at thy feete, with so great humilitie, as at last thou wert content he should wash them; be he pleased by thy prayers, to wash away th [...] filth of my iniquities, to purifie mine intentions, & that I put no obstacle to any thing which he desireth to effect in me.

14. It was said to thee alone, followe me, Oh when shall the hower come, and that desired time, in w ^t I may follow, in all and euer, the blessed motion of the holy Ghost, liuing no more to my selfe, but to him, who afforded thee the grace to dye, [Page] for him, and after his example, vpon the Crosse.

15. Thou didest worke the first miracle vpon the person of Anamas: thou madest the first Sermon to the Gentiles, and to the Sinagogue, after the comming down of the holy Ghost; thou didst hold the first Counsell; thou didst first visite such, as were new baptized; for thee, as for her head, the Church was solicitous, and prayed when thou wast in prison. St. Paul did not holde his Reuelations for assured, that is, hee did not thinke they would haue beene accepted for such, vntill he had conferred with thee; the Churches in which thou wert resident as Bishop, are all accounted Patriarchals; the Chaire of Rome by thy meanes is the Mother, and Mistresse of the rest: [Page] I beseech thee, O Father and Pastor of all ages, by this primacie, to obtaine for mee the Princedome and absolute Monarchie ouer my selfe, hauing so often experience, that by subiecting my selfe to my affections and passions, I become a miserable and deplorable slaue.

16. Who is hee, that would not deliuer out of the gallyes [...] a slaue, if it should cost him but his word? Speake then O thou so much fauoured of God, for with a word, that thou shalt speake in my fauour, I a miserable wretch shall be deliuered out of captiuitie, and set at libertie; that libertie of spirit, which Iesus Christ hath purchased for vs with the effusion of his blood. Doe it then, O blessed spirit, moued thereunto [Page] by remembrance of the sinne, which was forgiuen thee, and for which thou didst weepe so bitterly, and of those keyes of knowledge, Iurisdiction, and order, which were committed to thy charge.

17. When the Sunne in the Spring, doth cast the beames vpon the mountaine, couered with snowe, the snow melteth, and of the water distilling from the snow, arise great floudes. Such were the watrie teares which flowed from thine eyes, when the Sunne of our soules cast the eyes of his compassion vpon thy Apostacie; why then wilt not thou by thy intercession, and mediation procure, that the Ice of my sinne, may melt in the beames of that beautifull eye of the world, Iesus Christ, the Sonne of God.

[Page]18. Pray vnto him, that he be mercifull vnto mee, and I will thanke him for the mercy that he shewed vnto thee: be a suppliant for mee, and I will praise him for thee; make me such an one as hee commaunds, and in so doing thou shalt doe according to his will.

19. Thou art able to doe as much as the Angell that deliuered thee out of Prison, and made the Chaynes fall from thee, wherwith thou wert tyed: Deliuer mee then out of the prison of sinne, breake in peeces the chaynes of my bad customes, that they may fall from mee before the face of my God.

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Title 16. To Saint Paul.

1. VEssell of Election, Apostle of the holy Ghost, Interpretor of the Diuinitie, Doctor of the Gentiles; it is to thee, that I haue my recourse, and in whom I haue particuler confidence: Considering the Charitie, that made thee desire to be an Anathema for thy bretheren: thy Humilitie, which made thee name thy selfe a Childe vntimely borne, acknowledging that thou haddest persecuted the Church: thy inflamed Loue towards Iesus Christ, which made [Page] thee liue more in him, then in thy selfe.

2. Thou calledst them thrice yea foure times accursed, which loue not our Lord Iesus Christ; deliuer vs then from this malediction, and make vs such by thy prayers, as in thy writings thou desirest we should be.

3. Thou wouldst, whilst thou wast heere vpon earth, if it had beene in thy power, haue set the whole world on fire in the loue of God.

4. Thou now art able to doe what thou wilt; enflame then my heart with the fire of Charitie, so as I may truely say with thee: I liue, but I liue not in my selfe for Iesus Christ is my life.

5. O when will the time come, that my life may be hidden with God in Iesus Christ? when will the hower come, that [Page] I shall liue to him, who dyed for me.

6. When shall I put off the olde Adaem to put on the new, formed, and reformed according to God?

7. When is it, that thy iudgement shall make little or no estimation of the world? when shall I neglect the figure of this world, which passeth?

8. When shall I aspire to that permanent Cittie? to the free Ierusalem, to the habitation of the Saints?

9. Thou, great Maister and Chatechist of our soules, didst make so little reckoning of Faith, if it were not accompanied with Charitie: that albeit by it thou haddest transported mountaines, distributed all thy goods to the poore, spake with the tongues of Angels, and of [Page] all Nations, hadst had perfect intelligence of all the wonders of nature, and of all the mysteries of Faith, yea though thou haddest exposed thy body to flames; all this had serued to no purpose, but to make as it were a sound, and noyse in the world, but before God had beene (thou saidst) of no valew at all. Obtaine then for me this faith quickened by Charitie, frō which the iust draw the spring of life, and by which as Saint Iames saith, Abraham and all the Saints were iustified.

10. Thou wilt that wee owe nothing to each other but mutuall loue, assuring vs that Charitie is the bond of perfection; loue vs then, and in louing vs procure that we may loue each other.

11. Thou didst carry incessantly [Page] the mortification of Iesus Christ in thy body; procure that I may haue an internall sense & feeling of his wounds, & that I may willingly be nayled with him to the Crosse.

12. Thou prayedst thrice to be deliured from a troublesome tentation, and it was answered vnto thee, that the grace of God should suffice thee, for that vertue is perfected in infirmitie. Thrice, yea foure times I make supplication to thee, not to be deliuered from my temptations but that thou wilt obtaine for me grace, and force to ouercome them, to the glory of him, who hath placed vs here in this world, as in a field of warre in the sight of Angels, and men, to crowne such as shall fight valiantly. Thou art hee, who didst sight a good combat, runne a [Page] good race, happily end thy course, kept thy faith and promise made, and for whome the crowne was reserued in the handes of the iust Iudge; obtaine for vs this great grace, and these tryumphant Lawrels which shall neuer wither.

13. More then two hundred soules by thy intercession were not drowned in shipwracke neere to the Ile of Malta; obtaine by thy prayers, that wee may escape the shipwracke of sinne, and safely ariue at the happy port of blessednesse.

14. Thou desiredst, with an inflamed desire, to be deliuered from thy mortall body, to bee the more neerly vnited to Iesus Christ; assist mee that my desire bee alwayes transported to thinges Coelestiall, and Eternall.

[Page]15. Thou diddest afflict, and tame thy body, and not withstanding thou hadst no reprehension of conscience: yet didst not thinke thy selfe in assurance. Keepe me from vaine presumption, and obtaine for me a filiall feare.

16. We thinke our selues often to haue charitie toward God, and towards our neighbour, when we haue it not: if we had the former, who could seperate vs from the fidelitie, we haue sworne to him? could tribulation, affliction, hunger, nakednesse, danger, persecution, the sword? No, no, wee should be assured that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor thinges present, nor thinges to come, nor any creature should be able to seperate vs, from the charitie [Page] founded in Iesus Christ.

17. And if we had the latter, our charitie would be sweete; being without emulation, without ambition, without precipitation. It would not be puffed vp by pride; it would not bee stirred by choller: it would neuer reioyce in anothers infirmitie: but contrariwise reioyce in his perfections: thinke well of him: endure with patience what hee should doe vnto vs: conceiue good hope of him. Charitie neuer faileth; shee is euer like to her selfe; as well whether it be towards the learned or the ignorant, towards the poore or the rich, towards friend or foe; towards him that is of a different humour from ours, and him, who is conformable to vs in our humours.

18. When shall it be, O great [Page] Champion of God, Pillar of the Church, wonder of the world, that I shall haue these qualities? Till then I will not cease to knocke at thy gates, and I will not giue truce to my lippes, or repose to my heart, vntill I be heard in this suite. Graunt it then, grant it, O holy Apostle amiable in Heauen, imitable vpon earth, redoubtable to the Spirits of Hell.

19. By all the ropes, with which thou wast tyed, by all the prisons, which thou sanctifiedst, by the shipwrackes, stonings, whippings, false accusations, treasons, and persecutions, in which, and by which thou didst honour the Sonne of God; I beseech thee, that my life may be to him a sacrifice, and my death an holocaust.

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Title 17. To St. Iohn the Euangelist.

1. AS St. Peter was the most louing Apostle: so thou wast the most beloued, a quality which is singuler, for which thou wert to be enuied with an holy aemulation, and for the attaining whereunto three remarkable vertues should be necessary, which all three shined admirable in thee; Charitie, Humilitie, & Puritie; what will it cost the [...] to obtain them for me?

2. One neuer loueth God truly, but he is beloued of him: and one is not beloued of God, [Page] but forthwith hee loueth God: obtaine then for me O Secretarie of God, that I may loue, if not so much as I ought, yet so much as by his grace my forces are able to stretch vnto.

3. Thou diddest drinke and draw from the fountain it selfe, when thou leanedst vpon the breast of the Sonne of God; a speciall signe of his fauour, and loue to thee. I doe asmuch, as often as I present my selfe at his holy table: but alas it is not with equall deuotion, but with too much coldnes, distraction, drynesse and miserie. Obtaine for mee thou fauorite of the word, an obliuion of my selfe, and an extasie of perfect dilection; that receiuing him into me, I may enter into him; and hauing him neere to my heart, I may be according to his heart. [Page] And that albeit I receiue not frō him an Apocalips, or reuelation of his secret iudgement: yet that I may receiue at least a cleare and manifest knowledge of his holy will. And howsoeuer I be not worthy, presenting my selfe to his holy table, to receiue into my selfe him, betweene whose armes thou diddest repose, yet at least I may not be so vnworthy as I am.

4. Thou wert a domesticall witnesse of his most secret actions; in the acknowledgment of which fauours, obtaine for me the guift of a most straight vnion, and internall conuersation with his diuine Maiestie.

5. Thou hadst by vertue of his last will and testament, the most noble part of the inheritance of the Son of God, which was his blessed Mother; In regard [Page] of this fauour, I beg of thee, an inflamed deuotion towards her, to the end that being vnder her protection, I may be so much the more in fauour with her Sonne, by how much the more I shall by thee bee recommended to the Mother.

6. Amongst all the rest at the last Supper thou tookest particuler notice of the traytor, that betrayed his Lord and maister; let no man then surpasse me in discouering temptations the enemies of his glory, and ouercomming of them. And as the poysoned cup did thee no hurt; So pray you, that no naughtie suggestion may hurt me.

7. Thou camest out of the boyling Tunne of oyle without hurt; I desire that I may so goe out of the occasions of sinne, cleane, and voyde of offence. [Page] And that as thy banishment in the Ile of Pathmos, serued thee for a neerer approach to God, comming thereby to vnderstand the more high mysteries of our Faith: So the aduersities of this present life, may be to me as a spur and motiue, to draw nearer and nearer to God, and to purge and purifie mee from the drosse of the world.

8. Charitie to our neighbour was perchance neuer so rare in the world, as it is now; and yet neuerthelesse it was the lesson read vnto vs, by that heauenly Maister first, and afterwards by thee. Exercise yet one acte of charitie towards me, in obtaining for me the guift of a vertue, which was so familiar vnto thee, and without which we are vnworthy so much, as of the [Page] name of Christians; seeing it is the marke and liuerie, by which his disciples are knowne, which is Charitie it selfe.

9. Eagle of the holy Ghost, Virginall integritie, and inflamed Charitie, were the two winges which lifted thee vp to so pure and high contemplation of the Diuinitie. Obtaine for vs the grace, that our reason may be lifted vp to the loue of God, with as great heate of affection, as our sence is drawne downe to the loue of thinges corporall, by the heat of concupiscense, that I may be as much inclined to desire thinges coelestiall, as the common sort of the world are inclined to desire thinges terrestriall. And that the loue and affection, I beare to my Creator, may deuoure and consume all loue & affection [Page] to his creatures; sauing only that, by which I shall loue them in him, by him, and for him.

10. This is it, O Secretarie of God, which thou hast practised thy selfe, & wished vnto others: ioyne to the documents thou hast giuen vs, and to the examples thou hast left vs, thy prayer and intercession to God for vs: and wee shall be feruent imitators of the first patterne of all holinesse, of whome thou hast beene and shall be for euer the best beloued Disciple.

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Title 18. To the Apostles.

1. FIrst, and chiefest, Peeres of Christianitie; Princes of the Church; you are the noble pearles of the mysticall body of our Redeemer: the 12. Patriarches, from whome descended the true Isralites: the 12. Princes, generals and conductors of the Armie of God, camped about the humanitie of his Sonne, the tabernacle of the Diuinitie. You are the 12. sent to take a view of the Land of promise, who haue brought vs newes of the wonders, which are in that true [Page] land of the liuing, flowing with milke and honey of aeternall comfort and consolation. The 12. ouer-seers of Salomons house, who furnish the Church with all necessary prouision. The 12. Fountaines, which the people found in the desart. The 12. loaues of proposition, who with the heate of perfect charitie alwayes appeare before the face of the highest: The 12. precious stones, set in order in the Rationall of the high Priest Iesus Christ: The 12. young Lyons, which support the Throne of the great King: The 12. Oxen, that carryed the Sea of his mercies: The 12. Starres of which the crowne of the Church his spouse were made. O Fathers of our soules, obtain for vs the effects of your fatherly charitie, pray for the whole [Page] Church, that all errours, heresies, and superstitions may bee abolished. Pray for the Sea Apostolique, that it may be acknowledged for such of all the Nations of the earth. Make the sound of your wordes so to be heard euery where, as Christians dishonour not the excellency of their Faith by the corruption of their manners; that they may liue in peace and brotherly amitie: and that wee altogether both in this life, and in the next, may bee Heyres of your Faith, Legataries of your Charitie, fellowes and partakers of your glory.

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Title. 19. To the holy Euangelists.

1. TRumpets of Israell, cornets of the liuing GOD, Notaries of Heauen, Secretaries of the Church, I haue now my recourse to you for the obtayning from him, who is the mouth of wisdome, and the Oracle of all truth, a firme faith, with true vnderstanding, and vertue & strength to put in execution, the words, documents, miracles, and misteries, which you haue set down in writing. Giue force to my voyce, cleerenes to my conceit, by which I may be able to oppose [Page] my selfe against the contrary opinions, and by vertue of that, which you haue writen, bring backe againe to the bosome of the Chuoch such souls, as are led out. It shall be more easie for you to pray, then to write; to demaund, then to perswade; to intercede, then to conuert: doe then the one, seeing you desire the other. Banish out of our souls all error, abuse, superstition, haeresie, selfe iudgment. To be short, all whatsoeuer is any way repugnant to the truth of your wordes, to the perfctions of your instructions, to the example of your liues.

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Title 20. To the holy Martyrs.

VIctimes of Paradice, holocausts of heauen, pacifiing hosts of the Church triumphant: Hecatombs of the Church militant; you are the Lambes, sacrificed without number in the Temple of Salomon, whose death hath bene an odour of sweetnesse, most precious before God. You are the troupes of the spouse, and the shorne sheep, which assend going out of the Lauar, and there is not one barraine amongst you. You are the Birds which the good Noe (second spring of humaine nature) presented to [Page] God his father, after the deluge of his passion, and the inundation of your paines. You make that goodly armie of witnesses, clothed in garments as white as snowe, for the puritie and holinesse of your life: carying vpon your heades Crownes of pure golde, that is to say, of perfect charitie, beset with Pearles and precious Stones; apparelled with a garment of the same, richly embroadered and beset all ouer with Pearles of great price. The Diamonds, are the inuincible force, with which you ouercome the tyrants: The Pearles, the sweate of your browes, and the teares, which sell from your eyes in great aboundance: The Carbuncles represent the woundes, which you receaued, and the bloud running from your veynes, shed [Page] for his loue, who is the true king of Martyrs. The daughter of Sion, & the blessed Cittizens of Hierusalem come forth to meete you, partly to honour you, as the most substantiall partes of their bodie, and partly to admire the rich ornaments, with which you were adorned by the King of glory, vpon the most happy day of your second natiuitie.

2. Inuincible Champions, & most renowned for your Tryumphes, who haue had the honour to drink of the Cup of the sonne of God, and to strengthen with your bloud the foundations of his Church, who (as the Scripture saith) are come from great tribulation, & haue washed and made white your garmentes in the bloud of the Lambe, which assist before his [Page] Throne to doe him seruice day and night. He possesseth you as his temples, and dwelleth in you continually; leading you to the fountaine of life, wyping away the teares from your eyes and freeing you from all the lawes of mortalitie. Wee haue our recourse to you, as soldiers to their Captaines; that we may receaue by your mediation, force and courage, without which we are not able to resist the assaults, with which we are set vpon by enemies, which are within vs, round about vs, and aboue vs. The flesh, the world, and the diuell. These are the Tyrantes with whome we are now to encounter, the swords, the prisons, y ^• flames, the scourges, the racke [...], the fier plats, the brazen buls, y ^e gridyrons, which we are to ouercome; and that [Page] not once only, but many times; not one day onely, but many dayes during our lamentable abode in this mortall life.

3. You proposed before your eyes, your Captaine and Genetall Iesus Christ, hauing a more tender feeling of his paines, then of what your selues suffered, and endured for his loue. O most happy soules, seeing that neither tribulations, nor anguishes, nor stripes, nor trauailes, nor any thing else, whether it were sweete or bitter vnto you, were sufficient to seperate you from the charitie of Iesus Christ. Aske for me this grace, that liuing in body here in this world, in heart soule and spirit I may be crucified with Iesus Christ.

4. Foure remarkable vertues shine in your passions: Faith, [Page] Charitie, Wisdome, and Humilitie. For which, as an aeternall reward, you haue the fruition of God in your will: the possession of him in your vnderstanding; the glory in your bodyes after the resurrection; and certaine particuler speciall garlands ouer you correspondent to your torments, and the particuler manner of your sufferings. Wee may partake with you herein after seauen māners. First, when we dye for the Faith as the most part of you (O victorious soules) haue done. Secondly, when wee are killed for IESVS, as it happened for you, O you blessed Innocents, first fruites of the Christian Church. Thirdly, when wee expose our liues for the good and saluation of our neighbours, as did the Sonne [Page] of God, your Lord and ours. Fourthly, when wee chuse rather to dye, then to transgresse the Law of God, as did the holy Machabees. Fiftly, when wee expose our bloud for the maintaining of the immunities, and liberties of the Church, as diddest thou O holy martyr St. Thomas Bishop of Canterbury. Sixtly, when, as Abell, wee are persecuted for Iustice, out of the enuie of the wicked. And lastly, when wee loose our life for defence of the truth, zeale of the honour of God, saluation of our neighbour, as thou didst, O most holy precursor of our Lord, our redeemer, vnder Herod: and thou Euangelicall Prophet vnder Manasses: and you Ieremie and Zhacharie persecuted by popular furie. Obtaine for vs, O you witnesses of [Page] the liuing God, the grace, that wee may testifie the fidelitie which wee owe to our Redeemer, after some one of these manners: and that at least we may honour him, when we dye, whome wee honour so little, whilest we liue.

Title 21. To the holy Doctors.

1. THe high Priest in the law of Moyses, during the time of his charge, did weare by Gods ordinance and appoyntment a garment of colour like Hyacinth, which was fringed & bordered about belowe, with Pomgranets, mingled [Page] with belles of pure golde. Ye are O masters of our soules, the little belles, which ring to make vs know, the approching of the high Priest, and the comming of the holy Ghost then, when bowing downe the heauens of his greatnesse, hee is pleased to drawe neere vnto vs in the Sacrifice of the alter. Yee are the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the Citty builded vpon a mountaine, the Candlesticke with seuen lamps, the seauen Candlestickes in the midst of which, not without great mysterie, appeared the Sonne of Man. Yee are the Startes of Daniell, which shine aeternally. I beseech you then, O inflamed soules, Cherubins for your wisdome, and Seraphins for your charity, that yee obtaine for vs, but specially [Page] for the Pastors, Preachers, and Doctors of the Church, the guift of knowledge, wisdome and vnderstanding, together with a sound foundation of the building of the soule, which is a liuely and true Faith. This I. aske by him, who hath made your breasts the store-house of armour, offensiue and defensiue, against his enemies and ours: your memorie a Iewellhouse of vnderstanding: your vnderstanding an Academie of knowledge & wisdome: your wills a fornace of Charitie: your Pennes the instruments of his holy will: and your tongues Organs to sound forth his Glorie.

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Title. 22. To the holy Confessors.

1. CEdars of Libanus who with your sweet Odoriferous smell, embalm the whole world: Palmes of the terrestriall Paradice of the Church, very high and eminent in highnesse: Pomegranets, sowed amidst the Bels and skycoloured fringes, of the garment of the high Priest, which ioyne Charitie, with Humilitie and good example: Scarres called Hyades, whose benigne influence, cause the rayne of repentance, and the dew of deuotion, which neuer appeare, but [Page] when the dayes of mercy beginneth, to growe longer, and the Sunne of our soules to send foorth more hot beames then ordinarie of his grace; the hearbes of good thoughts begin to come on, plants of good desires to bud forth, the garden of our spirit to flourish throghout with diuer [...] flowers, promising to vs an happy haruest of good & holy works. O starres of happy and fauourable aspect, worke all these wonders, vpon the dry and barraine ground of my soule, to the end that by worke and worde I may glorifie him, whome yee haue confessed and professed with danger of your liues.

2. Men with loynes girded, handes with burning Lampes; great numbers of you haue excelled in confessing the Faith, [Page] thers haue beene singuler for Learning, others admirable for austeritie of life, others for heroicall workes, appertaining to Christian perfection. Obtaine then by your prayers, in remembrance and acknowledgement of these graces, that I hold fidelitie, & make knowne both to Heauen and earth, that which I am to my God in euery occasion of temptation; Seeing that to confesse by deede is nothing else, but to leade a life worthy the name of a Christian.

3. Our sweet Redeemer, being Wisdome it selfe, Iustice it selfe, Truth it selfe, Holinesse it selfe, is it not so then? that men by their sottishnes and stupiditie, following the trace of their appetites, like beastes without reason deny his wisdome? following iniquitie, deny his Iustice? [Page] giuing themselues to lying, deny his Truth? and wallowing in the mire of their filthy pleasures, renounce his holinesse? Permit not, O yee gouernours of our soules, that I become one of those vngratefull wretches, infringers and forsakers of their Faith; but that vpon all occasions, I may be that which I am, to God most humble, most obedient, and most faithfull; as well in effect, as in affection; as well in execution, as in obligation; though I should thereby loose my life, as many millions of times, as I speake, or breath.

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Title. 23. To the holy Anchorits, Hermits and Religious.

1. MOuntaines of eminent perfection, Sina vpon which God familiarlie speaketh to men: Thabor, where the Worde incarnate manifested his glory; most noble portion, only chosen of the heritage of Iesus Christ; you are they, to whom (according to the sayings of the Prophet) the waters are open in the desart, and the brookes in the wildernesse. You are they which haue transplanted the Cedar, the white Thorne, the Mirrhe, [Page] the Oliue in the wildernesse. You are they, who set a fier, with a burning desire of heauenly thinges, haue with a noble courage frankly and freely renounced the goods, and pleasures of this world You are they, who being retired into the desarts of secret solitarinesse, and straight Monastaries, haue giuen your selues to a most austere life, and most earnest study of solid vertues. You are they, who inuironed with bodyes, haue surmounted the condition of bodyes, and amongst the beasts haue lead the life of Angels. You are they, who haue made the places, before hideous and full of horror, by your presence the sanctuarie of God, and tabernacle of the holy Ghost. O when shall I, following your example crucifie [Page] in my flesh all vices, concupiscences, and pleasures? when shall I with you and after you, embrace an heauenly conuersation in this terrene habitation? when shall I haue the earth vnder my affections, as I haue it vnder my feete? Bring to passe by your merits, and prayers, O most happy soules tryed a thousand and a thousand times, bring to passe (I say) by all possible meanes, and whatsoeuer power you haue in that aeternall Citty, especially you, yee holy founders, reformers, and obseruers of regular discipline, which haue consecrated by obedience your soules: by pouertie your goods: and by the vow of Chastitie your bodyes; Obtaine for me, that in those three thinges I may honour the author of all thinges? [Page] that I may renounce my owne selfe, dye to my owne will, and liue to the will of God.

2. We that liue in the world, are esteemed Saints, when wee doe, or suffer the thousand part of that you haue done, and suffered. O what difference will there be betweene you, and vs vpon the day, when wee shall come to receiue our hyer? But yet we wish that you may encrease to thousands, and millions; for you are our brethren, and it is great consolation to vs, and a great remedie of our miseries, that our cōmon God and Father is honoured in you, seeing hee is so little honoured in vs: and that we haue elder bretheren which make amends for our faultes. Bring to passe also, that as wee reioyce that you are, what you are, and make [Page] you sad, by being what we our selues are, our ioy from henceforth may bee accomplished and alike in all; we becomming by your prayers that, which you haue beene, and by your charitable mediation that, which you desire.

Title. 24. To Saint Anthony.

1. CHampion of God, ouercommer of Deuils, fearefull to Hell, the honour and wonder of the desart, I addresse particularly to thee my sighes: and to thee I lift vp the voyce of my desires; knowing how much thou hast done [Page] for God, and how much thou art able to doe with God. Bee thou then pleased to obtaine for mee, three graces of him, who bestowed them vpon thee with many moe? the one is the guift of Prayer, and an inward conuersation with God; the other a perfect victorie of my temptations; and the third an inflamed Loue of him, which is the lone of Heauen and earth, IESVS the Son of God. Thou hast so excelled in the first, that during the time thou wert before God in prayer, yeares were to thee but monthes; monthes but weekes; weeks but dayes; dayes but howers; and howers but minutes. The Sunne going downe left thee praying: and rising againe hee found thee praying, and whilst he cast forth his beames somtimes vpon thy [Page] backe, and sometimes vpon thy face, the holy Ghost was working interiourly and effected wonderfull thinges in the most fruitfull soyle of thy soule. As for temptations, Hell trembled at thee, and the Deuill remained as vanquished and taken captiue in thy presence. For thou wentst not out of the skirmish, as we doe, who ordinarily are either beaten or discouraged. Thy victories were intire, thy lawrell boughes, answerable to the strong and couragious resistance thou madest to the enemies of God. Wherfore not being able to lay any holde vpon thy soule, they exercised their rage vpon thy body; bellowing like Bulles, roaring like Lyons, hissing like Serpents; And when they had all done, they could not take [Page] the forte of thy interiour resolution, nor so much as shake the Rocke of thy inexpugnable will. As for the loue of God, thou said'st often to thy Disciples, that the Deuils are affeard of humilitie, temporance, taming of the body, prayer, and the exercise of other vertues; But aboue all the rest they feare most, an inflamed charitie towards the Sonne of God. What shall hinder mee then henceforth, from shining in those three graces? shall the let or hinderance bee on thy part, or on mine? It shall proceed from vs both, if thou neglect to pray for me, and I neglect to cooperate with the grace which by thy prayers thou canst obtaine for mee.

2. Thy famous name by interpretation, signifieth flourishing; [Page] bring to passe then, O great Anthony, by the exceeding credit w ^t thou hast with God, that I may florish alwaies in all kinde of vertues: and that neuer by any temptation, the sweete and beautifull flower of the grace of God, fade, wither, or drie vp in my soule.

3. Saint Athanasius writeth of thee, that as a Bee in the beginning of thy cōuersion, thou wentest gathering together the vertues, which thou obseruedst to bee most eminent in the seruants of God, whether they were men or women; gathering Humilitie from one, from another Prudence, Charity, Patience, Abstinence, and so of other excellent qualities, which afterwards so adorned and enriched thy soule. Obtaine for me the same grace, that from [Page] henceforth all the stay I shall make vpon earth, may bee a cōtinuall amassing together of vertues, and that all my actions may giue good example to those, with whom I conuerse.

Title 25. To the holy Virgins, Men and Women.

1. VEssels of honour, Fountaines sealed vp, Parkes walled round about, Lillies of the territorie of Eden, Angels with bodyes, the white Troupe of the Sonne of God; albeit you cannot but graunt, that all the inhabitants, and cittizens of Heauen, enioy [Page] the blessed presence of him, who is blessednesse it selfe, and of whome they are infinitly beloued, tenderly cherished, exceedingly honored, immortally comforted and refreshed: So is it notwithstanding, that the holy Scripture and the Reuelations, recorded by the beloued Disciple; teach vs, that soules cloathed with the nuptiall Robe of the Lambe, w ^t is no other then most pure and most odoriferous Virginitie, receiue from him greater demonstration of loue, and are honoured by him with a more Emperiall, and noble crowne then other saints. You are they then, O holy troupe, who leaping for ioy, which can not bee expressed, looke vpon attentiuelie & pray most effectually y ^• holy Lambe, beeing beheld by him after a [Page] perticuler and speciall manner, and receiuing from him perticuler ioy, not to be expressed with tongue. Yee are they, who playe continually vpon the Harpes, vpon which none can playe but you. Yee are they, who sing a new song before the throne of God, following vndefiled, euery where the Lamb without spot or staine.

2. O thrice and foure times happy Virgins; yee are the Eunuches, which out of your own free will, haue made your selues such for the kingdome of heauen, and for the loue of him, who is the brightnesse of aeternall light, and looking-glasse without staine.

3. Yee are those greene Cedars, who by the Aromaticall odors of your vertues haue chased away and killed the serpent [Page] of sensualitie; yee are vallyes for your humilitie, Parkes for your integritie. I beseech you obtaine for me of your heauenly Spouse sixe vertues represented by the sixe flowers, growing forth of the tops of the Lillie, and hauing all sixe but one stalke.

4. The first is sobrietie and abstinence, from superfluous meates: seeing that gluttonie is the Cosengerman to impudicitie, as sobrietie is to constancie.

5. The second is honesty and plainnesse in apparell of the body, appertaining to the ornament of my person, according to the state and condition, to the which it hath pleased God to call mee, taking from me all delicatnesse, curiositie, and superfluitie.

[Page]6. The third is mortification, and exact custodie of my interiour & exteriour sences, principally of my sight and hearing, the two gates, by which ordinarilie sinne entereth into my soule.

7. The fourth, great circumspection in my speech and conuersation, that neither by word or gestures, I operate or cooperate to any wickednesse.

8. The fift, a feare, and horror of sinne, so as I tremble at the very shadow thereof: and that I resist to suggestions, and temptations, with great courage and magnanimitie vpon the first sence, and feeling of them.

9 The sixt, some honest and profitable occupatiō, by which I may auoide and flie Idlenesse, the mother and nurse of vice, [Page] which may keepe me alwayes busie in some interiour occupation for God. O had I the guift of vnion, and the grace to liue alwayes in the presence of God! what temptation could take holde of mee, I neuer loosing the sight of him?

10. It is painfull I graunt, to resist the motions of sensuality, know that it is also a Martyrdome without bloud, and that onely Virgins, and such as are continent after your example in the Church of God, make a continuall holocaust and sacrifice of themselues (as Origen noteth) who was a great louer of Chastitie, but his zeale thereof was too great.

11. And if so bee, there be any paine and toyle in fighting against temptations: the toyle and paine is greater which must [Page] be vndergone, when wee haue basely and cowardly yeelded vnto them.

12. Bring to passe then by your prayers and suffrages, O companions of the Lambe; graunt that of these two paines I choose the lesser; and that albeit the paine were farre greater, I refuse no labour to get and maintaine a treasure of so great valew, as in comparison thereof, golde, siluer, and precious stones haue neither weight nor price. O Puritie, O Chastitie, O Integritie, reuerenced of the Angels, feared by the Deuils, admired by the wise, fauored and cherished by God himselfe.

13. O, if I could worthilie conceiue, the beautie of the wayes, the pleasantnesse of the little hilles [...] the delight of the [Page] odoriferous Mountaines, the good pasture of the heauenly meadowes! the Cloth of Arras of immortalitie, wrought with an hundred thousand colours! the delicious Garden of y ^e great Assuerus, as it were enamaled with varietie of all flowers! the Ornaments and rich furniniture of his royall Pallace, the liuely Spring [...] and delightfull Fountaines, at the which the Lamb takes his recreation with his blessed Mother the Queene of Virgins! y ^• perpetuall spring time, that Aprill without end, that incessant Iubilation that Brooke of pure & vndefiled delights, at which you drink! not after the manner of the world, which drinketh not but at the durtie puddle of Aegipt, and at the slimie ponds of Assiria, No nor as other Saints, who haue [Page] not the honour to carry your garlands vpon their heads: but after a speciall māner, and with a singuler dilectation exceedingly eminent aboue that, which is common to the rest of the Saints. If I could, O choise soules, penerrate into the least part of the happy recompence, that crowneth your labours, be partaker but only of one of the crummes which fall from your table, taste but one drop of that great Ocean of your imcomparable delightes; O how much should I loath the vanities, abhorre the pleasures, contemne whatsoeuer ornamēts or beautie of this world; then the honey of this life and sugar of this world, would bee as insupportable to me, as most bitter gall and wormwood. I deserue it not, neither doe I aske of you [Page] this sight: but in all humilitie I beg, and with all the force of my soule, that for the loue of your heauenly Spouse, I liue no more but to him, I take no life, but from him; I bring forth no fruite but his. And that finally, I may come to die for him.

14. O good Iesus, O meeke Lambe, O Chast Spouse, and rich Crowne of Virgin-soules; let mee obtaine this mercy, by the loue thou hast borne to them, who haue loued none but thee: that I be permitted here in this world, to loue thee with my heart, and to serue thee with other fidelitie, then hitherto I haue done.

15. Purifie the filth of my conscience, restore to my soule her first puritie; so as if I cannot follow thee so neere as thy more beloued, in y ^e street of the [Page] heauenly Ierusalem, and in the most pure and cleane pathes paued all with f [...]e golde, of which thy Apostle, Disciple, and Virgin Euangelist maketh mention: yet at least, I may carry in my hand, the Lampe of good workes, and one day bee admitted to thy marriage banquet, and there be placed, if not at the higher end of the holy table; yet among those who sit at the lower end thereof.

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Title 26. A Communication bad with God, vpon the Life, Death, and Passion, of our Sauiour.

1. PErmit mee my GOD, Father, and Sauiour of my soule; that prostrate before the Throne of thy Maiesty, I put thee in mind, and represent vnto thee, the wonders which thou hast wrought for my loue; and as much for all others as for me, and no lesse for mee then for all. I will speake vnto you in the simplicitie of my heart, taking my assurance from your mercyes, and [Page] placing my confidence altogether in immēsitie of your goodnesse, without hauing any regard at this time to my owne exceeding great vnworthines, which otherwaies would shut vp my mouth, and not permit me to appeare before the eyes of your Maiesty.

2. I was as thou truely callest me, thy hartlesse Doue, thy lost Sunamite, thy strayed sheep, when to make demonstration of the excesse of thy beneuolence, thou resoluedst to make thy selfe like to mee, to th'end that I might become like to thee. Out of this motion thou descended'st from Heauen to Earth, that so thou might'st lift mee vp from Earth to Heauen, thou humbledst thy selfe to extoll me, thou becommest passible, to make mee impassible, [Page] mortall, that I might bee made immortall, and thou becam'st Man, after a sorte to deifie mee, and make me God.

3. Thou diddest take (I say) my humaine substance to communicate vnto me thy diuine; thou tookest for spouse my humanitie, to giue me for a dowrie thy diuinitie; as if thou hadst saide; (O thou extaticall louer of my saluation) when thou shalt see me conceaued, be bolde to say, that it is for no other end, but to make thee conceiue in thy soule the spirit of God my Father, whē thou shalt see mee carried in the wombe of my Mother, that it is to make thee to bee transported with an holy desire; whē borne and brought into the world by a Virgin, that it is to make thee bring foorth by workes the [Page] fruites, worthy of aeternall life.

4. I will take my repose in the wombe of my holy Mother, that thou maist come one day to take thy repose in my armes. I will be content to bee shut vp in that darke prison, to bring thee out of darknes into light: I will make my selfe little, to make thee great, feeble and weake, to make thee strong; poore, to make thee rich; an imperfect childe, to make thee a perfect man; I will be naked to cloth thee; trembling in thy Maunger for colde, that thou maist bee warme; tyed vp in swadling-bands, to set thee as libertie; laide vpon the hay and straw, to place thee aboue the heanens; between the Oxe and the Asse, to procure thee the company of the Angels; in a [...]table, and amidst the dung, to [Page] make thee know that I will not disdaine to be borne amidst the filth of thy imperfections, so as they be displeasing vnto thee.

5. Thou wouldest that the Shepheards of Idumaea, and the Kinges of the East should take notice of thee, to shew that thou didst thinke long, when thou wert new borne, to make a present to God the Father, of the first fruites both of Iew and Gentile. Thou wast circumcised the Eight day, to giue mee betimes the earnest penny of my redemption, and to bestow vpon me the first fruites of thy labour some life.

6. Thou wast carryed vpon the fourteenth day to the Temple, thy holy Mother was there purif [...], and thou thy selfe presented to God thy Father, and after Redeemed for fiue peeces [Page] of Coyne. To what other end was all this? but by the mediation of thy worthy Mother, to present me to thy heauenly Father; to obtaine for me internall purification, and by the meanes of thy fiue wounds, the onely price of my redemption, to redeeme me from my vaine conuersation.

7. The flight into Aegypt was to incourage me, not to flie, but to stand before the face of God, whom I had prouoked to wrath; and when thou wert found in the Temple it was to teach me, that thou wilt be found in the midst of my heart, and erect there a diuine Academie. If so bee, I make it a holy Temple dedicated to thy Maiestie, and not a prophane house open to all vanitie, which it shall not be hard for me to doe, [Page] after the three dayes of contrition, confession, and satisfaction: by meanes whereof thou hast promised, to holde me in the ranke and qualitie of a Mother, a Brother, and a Sister.

8. Thou wast subiect to Ioseph as a tutor, and to his spouse thy Mother, to put me vnder the tuition and protection of God thy Father; Thou wast obedient to them, to make easie to me the law of obedience: and which is admirable, thou wert vnknowne in the world for the space of 18. yeares, to teach me humility, and to make me knowne in ages to come, with titles of honour due to diuine adoption.

9. When thou wast pleased to manifest thy selfe vnto the world, was it for any other end but to giue me knowledge of [Page] my felicitie, and of the meanes by which I might attaine vnto it? And when thou diddest change water into wine at the Marriage of Cana, was it not to instruct me? that thou wouldst change the water of my imperfections into the wine of perfection, flowing from the precious vine of thy grace? especially being ayded herein by the intercession of thy most honorable Mother? And further to instruct me, that it should not be hard or difficult for thee, to change the materiall wine into thine owne bloud, whensoeuer thou sholdst be pleased to make thy selfe as admirable and amiable in the nouriture of my soule, as thou art in the refection, and conseruation of my body.

10. Didst thou not leaue vnto [Page] me a rare example of humilitie (the strong foundation of the stately building of all vertues) at the Riuer of Iordan? when after the manner of penetents, which at the riuer receiued the baptisme of pennance thou wast content to be baptized of thy baptist? and (together with this abasing of thy selfe) by touching the water with thy precious flesh, giuing regeneratiue vertue to the waters, which afterwards haue serued for a bath to wash away and cleanse originall sinne?

11. Thou wast called an immaculate Lambe and why so? if not because thou wast to be a victime for our sinne; a pacifiing host in thasksgiuing for benefits; a true holocaust in testimonie of loue?

12. Thou enduredst hunger [Page] to feede and fill me; thirst to quench my thirstie appetites; colde and heate, to remedie my passions.

13. Thou diddest perseuer in prayer, that I might learne to surmount the difficulties and tediousnesse, which I finde in that exercise.

14. Thou wert tempted permitting the Common enemie to assault thee: was it not to driue him away from me? and to giue me force to resist, and ouercome him?

15. The Angels come to serue thee after the victorie, to assure me of the like, and as it were to promise me, that thou wouldst in person serue them, which shall be victorious ouer the enemies of thy glory.

16. Thou diddest call vnto thee, Apostles, & mad'st choise [Page] of Disciples, and it was to leaue me so many Masters and Teachers: Thou reproouedst them for [...]heir faults, for the correction of mine: Thou didst beare with them in their infirmities, to make me knowe, how paciently thou wouldst beare with mine.

17. Thou didst restore to the lame their limbes, to the blinde their sight, hearing to the deafe, speech to the dumb: Thou didst Catechise the ignorant, cure the Paralitiques, raise the dead, and all this to illuminate the eyes of my vnderstanding, to open the eare of my hart, to rectifie the gate of my affections, to cureithe Palsey of my soule, to vnloose my tongue that it might vtter thy prayses, to set me at libertie from death of sinne, to draw me out of the [Page] graue of my iniquitie, to make me borne a newe by grace, drawne out from vnder the marble of my naughtie habites and customes.

18. Thou wert solde by one of thy Apostles, to th'end that I might not bee solde to mine enemies; thou wast forsaken of thy Disciples, neuer to forsake & abandon me; thou wast seased with feare going to thy so oftē desired temporall death, to giue mee assurance and courage against the feares and frightes of aeternall death.

19. Thou wast tyed, that I might be vntyed; contemptuously treated, to make me respected; cloathed with an ignominious garment of purple, that I might be vested with the robe of honor; thou carriedst a reede in thy hand, to put in my [Page] hand the S [...]epter of heauen and earth; vpon thy head a crowne of Thorne [...], that I might come to weare a crowne of Glory! Thou wert conuented before prophane Tribunalls, that I might be iustified at the Tribunall of my Iudge. It was saide of thee in mockerie Beholde the man, thereby to recouer for me the most noble title of the childe of God, which I had lost.

20. Thou wast charged with the heauy burthen of the Crosse and wherefore? If not to discharge me of the insupportable burthen of my iniquities.

21. Why wert thou lead vp to the Mount Caluarie, but to lift me vp to the mount of heauenly faelicitie; why nayled in the midst between two theeues but to place me amidst the Angels; why were thy armes stretched [Page] out vpon the Crosse, but onely with tender loue and affection to embrace me?

22. Mee thinke I heare thee say: (O the God of loue) that if in dying, thou bowe downe thy head: it is to giue me the kisse of peace. If one open thy side with a Speare, it is that I may haue a place whether to retjre my selfe, and to make me know, that the affection of thy heart with which thou louest me, surpasseth the passion of thy body in which thou dyedst for mee. To conclude if thou dyedst, it is to giue me life.

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Title. 27. A Prayer, agreeing with the former Cōmunication, and Conference, had with God.

1. O My God, my Sauiour, bestow vpon mee then that grace, that I may conceiue thee by affection; carry thee in the wombe of my soule by desire; be deliuered of thee by such workes, as are pleasing to thy diuine Maiestie, to this end I implore the brests of thy mercy, by the brests of thy holy Mother w ^t thou didst sucke.

2. Disdaine not the hay and [Page] straw of my vanitie, the Maunger of my naughtie habites, the filth of my indeuotions, the brute beasts of my irascible and concupissible affections.

3. I offer vp with the Shepheards the little I am in body and soule, with the three Kings the Golde, the Mirrhe, & Frankensence of my memorie, of my vnderstanding, and of my will.

4. Circumcise, and cut away all whatsoeuer is in me, that is displeasing vnto thee: and by the merite of thy first paine plucke vp by the rootes in mee the first young springings of all euill pleasures.

5. Present me in the temple of grace to God thy Father, and with thy fiue woundes, as with the fiue peeces of money, redeeme me from the seruitude of sinne.

[Page]6. By the merit of thy flight into Aegypt, obtaine for mee that I may flie and auoyde all occasions of sinne; and that as at thy entrie into Egypt all the oracles of Idolatrie were silent, so there may be in me a beginning laide of neuer sinning.

7. Speake in mee my God, make me heare thy voyce, and for thy loue obedient to my superiour.

8. What care I for beeing knowne in the world, seeing thou wert so long vnknowne, and mistaken? I aske of thee so much honour or dishonour, as is necessary for me for thy glory, and no more.

9. I present vnto thee not onely the reasonable actions of my life, but also those which appertaine vnto sence, and drinking, eating, sleeping and such [Page] others, which I desire thee to looke vpon, as vnited with those of my redeemer thy Son. Graunt that with him I may ouercome my temptations, that I may be washed in the Iordain of thy graces, and that it may be saide of me: This is the beloued seruant of God, in whom he taketh great pleasure.

10. I languish with desire to follow thee, not as that miserable wretch, that betrayed thee and solde thee to the Iewes: but as thy faithfull Apostles, who haue signed with their bloud, and sealed with their death, the faith & fidelitie, they had promised thee.

11. Thou wilt change the dirtie and stinking water of my imperfections, into the most precious wine of thy loue, whē by thy grace I shall no more [Page] loose the sight of thee: and that neere vnto thee, I shall make three tabernacles of my vnderstanding, memorie, and will, in which thou shalt dwell, and make thy abode with contentment.

12. The filth of my imperfections hindreth me from presenting my selfe, as I ought, to thy holy Table; wash then the feete of my affection, that from hence-foorth it touch not the earth; and seeing that thou hast bestowed such vertue vpon the plants, the stones, the hearbes: seeing the Sunne by the aspect and influence of the Beames, doth worke such wonders in nature, euen to the making and forming of mettalls in the very bowels of the earth; seeing also the Adamant draweth vnto it the yron, Amber the straw, the [Page] Starre the steele, by reason of a kinde of simpathie and naturall impression, which thou, the author of nature, hast giuen vnto them; Is it conuenient, that thy most holy body and incomparable treasure, honour my body with his presence, that thy most precious bloud be in me, and that thy diuine humanitie should really touch mine, and not lift vp my soule to thy diuinitie? Permit not this monster in Grace, and this prodigious wonder in nature.

13. Bestow vpon me the charitie, which thou didst so straitly recommend vnto thy Apostles; and graunt vnto me the guift of prayer, and teares, as well to accompany thee in thy prayers, as that I may be able to resist my temptations according to thy instruction.

[Page]14. By the feare which ceazed upon the inferiour part of thy soule, and by the streames of bloud, which did wonderfully run downe, caused by thy sorrowe, and vehement apprehension; I beseech thee (my benigne Redeemer) to assist me at the houre of my death, and to doe me the fauour, that albeit my life hath beene so vnprofitable vnto thee, yet at last I may honour and serue thee by my death, which I desire may bee no other, then that which thou shalt Iudge to be for thy greater glory.

15. Grant that by the stroke of thy worde, I may lay a long thy enemies and mine. That I may be tyed, and manacled in ropes and chaynes of thy loue. That with thee, and no otherwise, I may appeare before the [Page] Tribunall of God thy Father. That the Spirit of sweetnesse, and meeknesse, which thou didst holde towards that accursed fellow, which did blindfold thee, may accompany me in all occasions. That I may be clothed with a white robe of Innocencie, and with the purple garment of charitie, that by the merrit of thy whipping, my body may be a sanctified vessell & instrument of thy glory. That in vertue of the Crowne of Thornes, w ^c pierced thine head, I neuer consent to any euil thoughts, but especially to such, as tend to any pride.

16. When will the houre be, when one seeing me, may say, not in derision, as it was said of thee, but in sinceritie and truth, Beholde the man of God? bring this to passe, my sweet Iesus, by [Page] the merrits of thy most profound humilitie.

17. Then I shall be content, & with quietnes of minde, hear the sentence and iudgement, which the wicked shall giue of me, and little regard, what the world esteemeth of me at this time, which passeth, though it should be a definitiue sentence of death, as vniust and detestable, as was that, which was pronounced against thee.

18. I shall carrie the Crosse with thee, such a Crosse I say, as it shall please thy diuine prouidence to lay vpon my shoulder. I shall edifie by my example, the predestinate soules, the true daughters of the heauenly Sion.

19. But when shall I haue spoiled my selfe of selfe loue? whē shall I be, as it were naked, [Page] in respect of thinges of this world, to be nayled with thee to the Crosse? It shall be then, when the nayles of thy feet shal nayle my affections, the nayles of thy hands my actions, & the Speare that pierced thy side, shall pierce all my intentions.

20 Wash me ô my God, God liuing, and dying for my loue, wash me in the bloud, which flowed from thy sacred person; so as from hence-foorth I may appeare before thee, as a newe washed sheep comne out of the pond, as a Lamb without spot, readie to be sacrificed.

21. Pardon, and forgiue all those, which wish, or doe me euill, help all those, which are in deadly sinne, and neere to their end, that they dye not in that pittifull estate, as thou didst help the good Theefe in his extreamitie. [Page] Commend me with the beloued disciple to the protection of thy vnspotted Mother, acomplish in me the thirst of thy desires. Consume whatsoeuer is displeasing vnto thee, & consummate all thy mercies towards me. Abandō me not, & leaue me neuer alone. Receaue my soule into thy hands, as God thy father receaued thine at thy giuing vp thy Ghost. Deliuer from Purgatorie, the soules, which are in paine, as thou deliueredst the holy Fathers out of Lymbus, where they were detayned. Giue vs such a resurrection to life by grace, as that we neuer more die by sinn. And seeing that our hart ought to be where our treasure is: seeing that thou the Lord of the world, art placed at the right hand of thy Father, lift vs vp to [Page] thee, and transport our affections aboue the heauens.

Finally, impart vnto vs some part of those graces, bestowed vpon thy Apostles & Disciples vpon the day of Penthecost: that from hence foorth we may become the Temple of thy glorye, thy heretage, the chosen people, with which thou takest pleasure to make thy abode.

Prayers, and considerations as it were in passing, according to the occurrences that fall out euery day. Title 28. When a man is tempted.

1. I Protest my GOD, that I giue no consent in any sort to this temptation; and that my will desireth the cōtrary of that, [Page] which is proposed with as great affection, proceeding from reason, as I feele inclinations arising from sensualitie.

2 I thanke thee, O my gracious Creator, that sence or feeling, and consent or yeelding, are two different thinges. For if euery feeling, were a yeilding ioyned with offence of thy diuine Maiestie, I were vtterly vndone. Temptation hath the one in his holde, but none shall haue possession of the other, but thy diuine Maiesty. The world, the flesh, and the Deuill, haue a power to make me feele; but my consent or yeelding shall be euer in thy power.

3. My God, leaue me not alone, & deliuer me frō my selfe.

4. I cannot liue without thee, make mee then I pray thee, liue to thee.

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Title 29. When any thing falleth out that pleaseth vs.

1. IT is thou, my sweet Iesu, who art the author of all reasonable contentment, from thee proceedeth all pure consolation. I desire it not then, but from thee, in thee, by thee, and for thee. Dispose thou otherwaies, when thou shalt be pleased to depriue mee of it, and I shall accommodate mee thereunto, with all resignation and indifferencie.

Title. 30. When any thing displeaseth vs.

1. I Accept of this displeasure, as a present sent vnto me, [Page] from my beloued Iesus Christ, accoūting my selfe too happy y ^• I may be worthy to participate, to carry and to kisse his Crosse.

2. The beloued of my soule shall be placed in my bosome, as a bundle of Mirrhe.

3. Looke with how great affection I desire to be deliuered of this affliction; with no lesse I aske and aske againe the continuance thereof, if, O my God, it shall be for thy greater glory.

Title. 31. In obeying our Superiours.

1. I Honour thee, O my God, in them, as in thy Image: and protest that all the seruice I doe them, I doe it for thee.

2. I will loue them in thee, and thee in them: and will doe [Page] them no reuerence neither interiour, nor exteriour, but with intention that all redound vnto thee.

Title. 32. In seeing the magnificencie of the Court.

1. FArre greater things are recounted of thee, O heauenly Sion.

2. All that I see here, are no better, then the sweepings of Heauen.

3. When shall I see thee in thy owne brightnesse, O King of glory?

4. All this greatnesse passeth with the figure of the world, but the greatnesse of Heauen continueth eternally.

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Title. 33. At our going out of our Lodging.

1. SEt my feet in thy paths, O my God, my way, my truth, and my life.

2. Make me auoide and shun all bad company, and turne away from mee all occasion of sinne.

3. The Riuers run to the Sea, the Starres holde alway their course, the Elements tend to their Sphere, all heauy thinges naturally descend to the Center: Euen so I goe to thee, Center of my affections, Sphere of my soule, Heauen full of benigne influence, great Ocean of Charitie and Mercie.

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Title. 34. In beholding any Garden or Meddow.

1. O Architect of y ^e world, which hast powred forth vpon this immouable and insensible world so great beautie, and such varietie of odours and colours, why dost thou not the same to the territorie of my soule?

2. If the earth of the dying be so beautifull, how beautifull is the land of the liuing?

3. The dewe, the rayne, the influences of Heauen are not so necessarie for these flowers, as the grace of God, and fauourable aspect of the holy Ghost are necessarie for my soule.

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Title. 35. In seeing a Field Couered with Flowers.

1. THe odour of the Son of God, and the blessed Virgin Mary, is like to the odour of a field, vpon which our Lord hath powred out his blessings.

2. If heauen were locally to be deuided to all the blessed Saints, as was the Land of promise to the Israelites; euery one should haue more for his part, then the whole world; what do I then here? and what stayeth me here, O my God?

Title 36. When one smelleth to a Nosgay.

1, O how much sweeter art thou, my sweete [Page] and beloued Iesus!

2. When thou shalt be pleased, O the loue of my soule, thou shalt smell in me the Rose of Charitie, the Lilly of Puritie, the Violet of humilitie, the Gilliflower of hope.

3. I would and desire many things according to sense, many things which I cannot get, I make of them all a Nosegay, as beeing your spouse, to present vnto thee, O the Spouse of my soule.

Title 37. When we admire the beautie of any building.

1. EVen so the Birds highly prize, & esteeme the Rockes, where they build their nests: and the Ants their little [Page] holes, where they lodge.

2. All this is common both to the friends, and enemies of God.

3. What an habitation is that which thou reseruedst for thy Children, O God of Israell? what, and how delightfull shall be the Tabernacles of Iacob? seeing thou art so liberall to the tabernacles of Moab.

4. One day in the house of God is more worth, thē a thousand yeares in this base lodging, in which the Beasts lodge with me.

5. If such bee the habitation of the body, exposed to sinne, and subiect to death, what shall be the habitation of the soule, when it shall bee by grace impeccable, as it is by nature immortall.

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Title. 38. When you beholde your selfe in a Glasse.

1. Sweet IESVS, the looking glasse of my life, when shall I see my selfe in thee and thee in mee?

2. My onely desire bee to please thee, and my onely feare be to displease thee.

3. I shall be beautifull in thy eyes, when I shalbe displeasing in my owne.

4. The beautie of the body withereth and rotteth, if it be not accompanied with y ^e beautie of the soule.

5. I will looke vpon the life of Saintes: to behold in it as in a glasse my owne deformities.

[Page]6. There are certaine persons which are alwaies running to their Looking-glasses: I will haue no other looking-glasse but thee, O Sonne of God, in whom the Father, as in a glasse, seeth his owne essence, and beholdeth his perfections.

7. O what a looking glasse is that, in which God the Father taketh a view of himselfe? wherein consisteth his blessednesse. Thou art the lookingglasse, O eternall worde, which representeth the essence & substance thou takest from him.

Title. 39. In putting on our Apparell.

1. I Stand in more neede of vertues, with which to adorne my soule, then of this [Page] apparell wherewith I set forth my body; Cloth me O my God with thy grace, and couer my spirituall nakednesse with the rich robe of perfect Charitie.

2. Iesus, my loue, when shall I put on thee? pardon me the too great sollicitude, and the ouer long time I spend in apparelling and decking my body, a sacke of wormes, a tombe of death, & a masse of flesh, which is neuer satisfied.

3. How long shal I serue with such attention this my slaue, and pamper this my domestical enemie?

4. I deserue not the name of a Christian, nor so much as to appeare in thy presence, if I haue not at least as great care of the beautie of my soule, as I am sollicitous about the beautie of my body.

[Page]5. Should I not now bee a Saint; if I had done and endured, thought, and cast about, as much for the one, as I haue done for the other? pardon me this vanitie, O my God, by the merits of Iesus Christ thy Son, who is the true and amiable beautie.

6. What were the cogitations, and thoughts of the Mother of God, of St. Edowing Dutches of Poland, of St. Elizabeth Queene of Hungarie, when they did put on their apparell?

7. Our naturall and borrowed dresses, put the crowne of Thornes vpon thy head; our cherry-red & vermilion adorne thy face with bloud, and spittle. I protest to thy diuine Maiesty, in the presence of the Angels & Saints, that all the sollicitude, care, & paine, that I will henceforth, [Page] take about this my miserable body, shall be purely and simplie to discharge the vocation to which it hath pleased thee to call me; beseeching thee not to permit, that any thing be in me that may offend thee, or be an occasiō of offence to any.

8. I had rather be the foulest creature in the world, then that my body should bee but once the occasion of any ones falling but into only one deadly sinne. Make then of it O my God, an Organ of Puritie, and an instrument of thy Glory.

Title. 40. Inputting off our Apparell.

1. THis body of mine is nothing else but the garment of my soule, which I [Page] must put off, when the night of death approacheth.

2. I will treat my body from henceforth, as I would wish to haue treated at the hower of death: Giue me grace to doe it O my God.

3. My apparell is the ornament of my body; O that my body might serue for an ornament to my soule? conuersing holily during the time of my abode in this world, vntill thou, O monarch of our liues, commaund me to put off this mortall skin.

Title. 41. In putting on Iewels, and other ornaments.

1. HOw much more precious are thy ornaments, O blessed holy Ghost? [Page] O my heauenly spouse, the only beloued of my soule, giue me the abillament of good example, the Diamond of pacience, the Rubie of charitie, the Emrauld of hope, the Topaze of humilitie, the Sardonix of puritie.

2. As our serges and clothes are the fleece of Sheepe, our shooes the Skins of Beasts, our Silkes and Veluetts the excrements of Wormes▪ our Amber and perfumes the Mushrums of the Ocean, and sweat of beasts, our Feathers and Fannes, the spoyle of the Birds, our golde & siluer, white & yellow earth; euen so our precious stone; are as it were the warts of the Orient mountains, our Pearles the excrements of the Sea.

Such then is, O God of truth, the Attire of our vanitie: Open [Page] then my eyes & the eyes of all Christians, that acknowledging our selues to be aparelled from the Brokers shop, as kings vpō the Stage▪ & as such miserable beggers as liue vpon the rich mens almes begged from the beasts. We must seeke and take from thy liberal hand, the ornaments of the soule, which need cost vs nothing but the asking, and the will to serue our selues of them.

Title 42. Washing our hands & our face.

1. MY hands, & my face were neuer soule by either speaking or looking; but the face of my soule hath beene often defiled both by the one, and the other.

2. Wash me then and cleanse me O my God, by all the teares [Page] of Iesus Christ thy Son, by the bloudy sweat, which issued out of his diuine person in the Garden of Gethsemanie, by the miraculous water, which together with blud, issued out of his side. It is the imperiall and heauenly water, distilled by the fier of his charitie, which alone can take away the spots of my soule and make the same pleasing vnto thy eyes; powre it vpon me, O God of puritie.

Title. 43. When you vse your Fanne.

1. DIuine winde, which proceedest from the mouth of the Father & the Son, as frō one Origen, coole and refresh the heat of my passions, & the distemper of my affections.

2. Amiable Spirit, & desired winde, dissipate the noughtie [Page] Ayre of our temptations, the fierie exhalations raised by the irassible part of my soule, & the misty vapours exhaled from my concupiscence.

Title 44. When the Clocke striketh.

1. SO much the lesse of my life is to runne.

2. The Yard y ^• measureth our mortall Life, is the houre out of which it followeth, that neither mid-night nor mid-day euer strike, but death hath taken away twelue yardes of my peece of cloath, that is, so much time of life, or rather so many houres of my life.

3. Soueraigne steward of our liues, and disposer of our daies, make me so passe this hower to come; as I would haue wished to haue imployed all the houres of my life.

[Page]4. I make an offer vnto thee O my God, of all that euer I shall say, doe, or thinke, vntill the next hower, vniting them to the deedes, wordes & thoughts of Iesus Christ thy Sonne.

5. The Periods of all time are comprised in the moment of thy aeternitie, nothing is past, nothing is to come before thee, and all is there present. And yet neuerthelesse we are free to doe, or not to doe that, which thou desirest. And consequently it is in our power to giue thee either contentment, or discontentment aeternall. Permit not O my God, that I euer charge thee with any such discontentment: but make mee such an one temporally, as thou desirest to see mee aeternally. That so I may rather giue thee eternall contentment, then one [Page] minute of discontentment.

6. I make an offer vnto thee of all the time, that I haue lost, and euill imployed; and in supply thereof I make a present of that time, which hath measured the life and actions of my Lord thy Sonne, beeing sorrie from my heart, that I cannot recall those yeares, that I haue so ill imployed. I make then, O my God, an offer and sacrifice no lesse of that, which I cānot, then of that, which I can.

7. O how late haue I known thee, thou infinite goodnesse, how late haue I loued thee, ancient beautie, that neuer fadest, but alwaies cōtinuest the same.

8. Looke how many minutes there are in the houres or how many houres according in time eternall which are without number; So often doe I blesse [Page] thee, O thou ancient of dayes, and I giue thee thankes more for that which thou art, then for that which I am.

Title. 45. Touching the care wee are to haue of our Children.

1. THese are the beames of thy grace, O Father of light, these are thy gifts, the workmanship of thy hands, I offer them vnto thee as thine, and I bes [...]ech thee to take care of them, as of thinges without comparison more oppertaining to thee, then to me.

2. Accept of all that I haue done, doe or shal doe for them, as being aliue wholy for thee: for I haue no interest in them but from thee, from whome they haue, and of whome they holde body, soule & life.

[Page]3. Abraham made but once only, a sacrifice of his only son: I make it not onely of mine, but of my selfe and of all that I haue, & that so often, as I breath foorth, or take in my breath.

4. When I feele in my selfe certaine effectes of tender loue towards them, I begin to conceaue a new confidence, and a wonderfull hope, O my God, knowing, how much more tenderly thou affectest them, then I doe or can. Being assured, that thy loue far surmounteth mine, and that without all comparison. O thrice happy condition of soules, which call themselues, & are called by thee, thy daughters!

5. Haue I any right to these Children, or any intrest comparable to that which thou hast? I am ashamed to recommend [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] them vnto thee, For it were as much, as to pray thee to haue care of that which is thine.

6. No man buildeth a house to plucke it downe; no man planteth a vinyard to root it vp; nor soweth a field to burne the haruest; How then canst thou neglect these yong plants, planted by thy grace in the Orchard of thy Church, watered with thy bloud, & designed by thee to be transported one day into the Garden of thy aeternitie.

7. I sinne blinde buzzard that I am, as too couetous & louing to much that, which they haue: take away this ouerplus, O Father of mercie: Or if the force of nature must so farre preuaile, that it must needs remaine, impure the same to the excesse of that affectiō, which I owe to all that, w ^t appertayneth to thee.

[Page]8. I fall somtimes into certain secret diffidencies and distrusts, I dare not say they are altogether against my wil, thogh they displease me: doubting somewhat, lest thou thinkest not vpon my children, nor vouchsafest to haue that care of them, that I feele in my selfe. O God of infinit goodnes, pardon me my offence, & deale not with me and thē, according to our demerits.

Title. 46. Concerning our Domesticals.

1. VVHat did I, before I was, by which I might deserue to haue this honourable conditiō that I haue? might not I haue bene borne in Barbary of some slaue, or haue bene borne here in these partes of as base condition, as these that serue me? why then doe I [Page] expecte so much seruice? why am I so hard to please? so imperious, & rough towards such, as serue me? Permit not this any more, O my God, but giue me abenigne ha [...]t, full of compassion, and rather of a Father, then Master, towards those of my familie.

2. Grant me the grace, y ^• I may become their seruant, seruing them in things appertaining to their soules, as they serue me in things apertaining to my body.

3. Our soules are made all of one substance, and if there be any difference, it is in the vse we make of them; if they make better vse then I, they are better then I: so as peraduenture I am before thee as much their inferior, as I am according to y ^• world their superior and better.

4. I should blush for shame, [Page] tremble for feare, and be exceedingly confounded, to see that such, as serue me, haue more care to please me, & more feare to offend me, then I haue to please or displease the eyes of thy diuine Maiestie.

5. My God, my true Lord & Master, reforme this disorder, and make that at least I may be such an one towards thee, as they are, or as I desire they should be to me. I am too sensible of euery fault or defect, or negligence committed in my seruice; I obserue it too exactly, I censure it too rigorously. O my God King of Kinges, and Lord of Lords, proceede not with me, as I proceed with [...]hē, weigh me not in that ballance, and with those weights, with w ^t I wright them, measure not vnto me according to that measure.

[Page]6. True, there is no comparison betweene thee and me: or between the faults committed against me, with the faultes I commit against thee, and for which I am a [...]ountable to thee. But no lesse true is it, that there is no proportion betweene thy goodnes, and my naughtines, thy mercy and my miserie; thy fortitude and my frugalitie thy prudence and my imprudencie; thy diuinitie & my humanitie.

7. Wilt thou leaue to be that which thou art because I am not that, which I should be?

Title 47. In going to Masse.

1. I Accompany thee, my sweete IESVS, to the Mount Caluarie, make me partaker of that Charitie which conducted thee thither.

[Page]2. Make me haue that feeling which the Daughters of Sion had, when they met thee with the Crosse vpon thy shoulders, with the rope about thy necke, with thy Crowne of thornes vpon thy head.

3. Grant me that resignation of my will to thine, which was in thy blessed Mother, standing at the foote of the Crosse: and by the merites of her sorrowes, and constancie in them, graunt vnto me the guist of constancie and perseuerance in thy loue, and seruice.

Title. 48. When one is Melanchollie or displeased at any thing.

MElancholly is the seate of Sachan, he endeauoureth to make me that seat; now succour mee O my God, I protest [Page] that I cōsent not to any thoght, that now I haue, I renounce all suspitions, iudgements, indignation, wayward [...]es, auersion, vnquietnes, and all such other passions which assault me, and will trouble and tosse my spirit; if thou cōmand not the furie of the sea enraged, if thou allay not y ^e windes, which cause this tempest in my soule. Speake thē my assured Pilot, and my heart shal feele a calme. Say the word and it will straight bee faire weather.

Title. 49. When we feele our selues in any passion.

PAssion is a coloured glasse, which giueth its colour to our eyes, and the obiects wee looke vpon thorow it. Wherefore O my God, I deny, I resist, I reiect, and that with all the [Page] force I can, all that which then I had the will, and was resolued to doe. And I put my heart, my will, and my consent into thy handes.

Title 50. After the happy successe of any affaire.

IT is thou my beloued, which hadst the care to prosper with happy successe this affaire, and to bring the same to so good an end. I accept of it, as from thy hand, & I giue [...]hee thankes for it, beseeching thee O my blessednesse, neuer to permit, that I be withdrawne from thee by any thing, which I haue not but of thee. I desire that, which thou desirest, and no more.

Title. 51. Hauing receiued any grace.

IT is by thy meanes, sweet Iesus, by thy merites, and by [Page] thy mediation, that I haue receiued this grace, thanke thou God the Father for me; For in so doing thou shalt thanke him for thy selfe. The grace which is done vnto me, is done asmuch if not more, vnto thee: because it was granted vnto me, as desired of thee, & merited by thee.

Title. 52. When wee receiue any consolation in Prayer.

DEfend mee O my GOD, from all vaine glory and selfe liking; a man may thinke himselfe gracious in thy eyes, with whome thou art offended. And another, that is neare and deare vnto thee, may feare himselfe to be farre off, and altogether out of thy fauour. I will not therefore holde any certain iugdement of my selfe, out of [Page] any deceitfull opinion, I may haue of my selfe, but my confidence shall be in thy mercyes, and I will reioyce in thee, my God, and my Lord, who art good with inuariable goodnes, from whence shall proceede all true firmnesse, and strength of my heart, and all solid repose, and quietnesse of my soule. I renounce then all vaine motions, whether of Ioy, or sadnesse, which take their Origen, and spring from selfe-loue.

Title 53. In time of Desolation.

I Will carry this Crosse cheerfully, and not drag & draw it after me discontentedly: there being no reason, that vnder a head of thornes any member should be at case. Many will haue the Crucifix, but without y ^e Crosse. That is, they would be saued, but they would not be crucified; others carry the [Page] Crosse, but without the Crucifix; that is, are crucified, but shall not be saued. They presume, and these dispaire: I will & desire both the one and the other, and consecrate my selfe vnto them both. Come then, O the spouse of my soule, though neuer so much dyed in thine own bloud, come I say, whē thou pleasest, and come with thy Crosse. It is the bed, vpon w ^t thou and I must sleepe, and vpon which we will die together. It is my Paradice to be with thee whersoeuer thou art. I loue thee as much amidst the Launces, the Nayles, the Thornes; as amongst the Oliues, the boughs, & the adorned streets, through which thou diddest passe with triumph: as much vpon the mount Caluarie, as vpō the mount Thabor: as much dying, as liuing: as much buried, as risen again: as much in Lymbus, as in Heauen. [Page] Onely grant y ^t I may be thine, and that I neuer depart frō thee, whether I be in consolation, or desolation, poore, or rich; in plentie or in want; all shall be one to me, so I may be wholly and only thine.

Title. 54. When we feele our selues drie at Prayer.

I wil continue with perseuerance before thee, & not giue ouer, O my God. I will honour thee with my body, seeing I cannot doe it with my soule. It is good foe me, that thou hast humbled me: Now I begin to knowe and feele what I I am. Now I touch with my hands my owne misery, & well perceiue that I am able to do nothing with out thee. This is as it were a returning to the nothing, from which I took my origen, & out of which I was drawn by thy omnipotency. Blessing, praise, & thankes, be to [Page] thee, my God, for euer. I merrit not so much as once to enter into thy thought, or that thou shoudst once think of me; And should be to happy, it that I might serue thee but in the condition of a stone, or thing without sense and life. Receiue the homage, don by my miserabie condition to thy blessed selfe, who art independant of any, & hast all contentment in thy self.

Title 55. When one is despised.

O My God, I haue lost nothing so long, as I loose not thee, haue I any thing that appertaineth vnto me, whether it be goods, honours, bodie or soule? Can any thing fall out in the worlde without thy prouidence? Is any thing done, sinne only excepted, which is not done by thy will? If then thou be pleased, that I be dispised, why should any opposition [Page] be made? who is he so insolent, & so bolde a Theife, that dare entermeddle with things appertaining to thee, contrary to thy will? maist not thou doe with that which is thine, according to thy pleasure? when I am honoured should I reioyce there at for my selfe? Is it a thing appertayning to me or to thee? It is inough for me, O great God, that I be thine, whether I be an Ant or an Elephant, an Egle or a Gnat, dirt or golde.

Title. 56. Eleuations of spirit, which may be done vpon euery occasion.

1. MY God, my all IESVS, the delight of Heauen & earth, when shall I be all thine, as thou art wholy mine?

2. Father of mercy, make me such an one, as thy Sonne hath [Page] deserued, and thy holy spirit desireth I should be.

3. God of my life, when shall I die to my selfe, that I may liue to thee?

4. Take me, my God, whether I wil or no, seeing I am not so wise, as to giue my selfe vnto thee, as to haue the will to giue my selfe vnto thee.

5. If it should fall out, my beloued, that I should desire any thing but thee, which I desired not for thee; I renounce it euen frō now, as if it were then, and protest that I haue nothing to loose or gaine besides thee.

6. O God, God of my soule, permit me not to bee at all; or procure by thy grace, that I may be to serue thee, as I am, and haue my being from thee.

7. I will haue [...]o eye, but to look vpon thee; no eare, but to heare [Page] thee; no tongue, but to speake of thee; no heart, but to think vpon thee; no hands, but to worke for thee; no feet, but to walke & seek after thee; no body, but for to offer vp vnto thee; no life, but to make a sacrifice therof to thy honour and glory.

8. God which art Loue, giue me Charitie.

9. God, which wert made Man, graunt me Humilitie.

10. God, which art a pure Spirit, bestow vpon me Puritie.

11. Omnipotent power, strenghthen my weaknesse.

12. Eternall wisdome, illuminate my darknesse.

13. Incomparable mercy, pardon my haughtinesse.

14 Incomparable beautie, to late I haue loued thee.

15. Infinite goodnes, too late haue I knowne thee.

[Page]16. Hee that loueth not thee, what doth he loue?

17 He that admireth not thee, what doth he admire?

I will loue my self, not because I am mine, but because I am thine: I will haue care of my selfe, not for any o [...]her reason, but because thou so willest and commaundest.

I esteeme my selfe more happy in thy happines, th [...]n I count my selfe wretched for my owne miserie. And the contentment I take that thou art that, which thou art, farre exceedeth the discontentment I feele by being that which I am. Be thou then, my God, for euer that, which thou art, & make me other then I am, That is, wheras I am my selfe miserable, I shall be in thee blessed and happy.

To thee in thee, by thee, & for thee, O my God, be all things.

Amen.

[Page]

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Author: Coton, Pierre, 1564-1626.1618

THE FIRST ARGVMENT

THE SECOND ARGVMENT.

THE THIRD ARGVMENT,

THE FOVRTH ARGVMENT.

THE FIFT ARGVMENT

Title 1. Adoration.

Title 2. Thankesgiuing.

Title. 3. Petition.

Title. 4. Protestation.

Title 5. To the soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ.

Title. 6. To the blessed Virgin Mary.

Title 7. To Saint Michaell.

Title. 8. To Saint Gabriell.

Title 9. To the Angell Guerdian.

Title 10. To the Angels.

Title 11. To the holy Patriarckes.

Title. 12. To the holy Prophets.

Title. 13. To Saint Iohn Baptist.

Title. 14. To Saint Ioseph.

Title 15. To Saint Peter.

Title 16. To Saint Paul.

Title 17. To St. Iohn the Euangelist.

Title 18. To the Apostles.

Title. 19. To the holy Euangelists.

Title 20. To the holy Martyrs.

Title 21. To the holy Doctors.

Title. 22. To the holy Confessors.

Title. 23. To the holy Anchorits, Her­mits and Religious.

Title. 24. To Saint Anthony.

Title 25. To the holy Virgins, Men and Women.

Title 26. A Communication bad with God, vpon the Life, Death, and Passion, of our Sauiour.

Title. 27. A Prayer, agreeing with the former Cōmunication, and Conference, had with God.

Prayers, and considerations as it were in passing, according to the occurrences that fall out euery day. Title 28. When a man is tempted.

Title 29. When any thing falleth out that pleaseth vs.

Title. 30. When any thing displeaseth vs.

Title. 31. In obeying our Superiours.

Title. 32. In seeing the magnificencie of the Court.

Title. 33. At our going out of our Lodging.

Title. 34. In beholding any Garden or Meddow.

Title. 35. In seeing a Field Couered with Flowers.

Title 36. When one smelleth to a Nosgay.

Title 37. When we admire the beautie of any building.

Title. 38. When you beholde your selfe in a Glasse.

Title. 39. In putting on our Apparell.

Title. 40. Inputting off our Apparell.

Title. 41. In putting on Iewels, and other ornaments.

Title 42. Washing our hands & our face.

Title. 43. When you vse your Fanne.

Title 44. When the Clocke striketh.

Title. 45. Touching the care wee are to haue of our Children.

Title. 46. Concerning our Domesticals.

Title 47. In going to Masse.

Title. 48. When one is Melanchollie or dis­pleased at any thing.

Title. 49. When we feele our selues in any passion.

Title 50. After the happy successe of any affaire.

Title. 51. Hauing receiued any grace.

Title. 52. When wee receiue any consolation in Prayer.

Title 53. In time of Desolation.

Title. 54. When we feele our selues drie at Prayer.

Title 55. When one is despised.

Title. 56. Eleuations of spirit, which may be done vpon euery occasion.

Title. 23. To the holy Anchorits, Hermits and Religious.

Title. 48. When one is Melanchollie or displeased at any thing.