The art of dying well. Deuided into tvvo books. / Written by Roberto Bellarmine of the Society of Iesus, and Cardinall. ; Translated into English for the benefit of our countreymen, by C.E. of the same Society.

THE ART OF DYING WELL.

Deuided into two Books .

WRITTEN By ROBERT BELLARMINE of the Society of Iesus , and Cardinall .

Translated into English for the benefit of our Countreymen , by C. E. of the same Society .

●imortui qui in Domino moriuntur .

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE L. M. M. the Translatour wisheth all true Honour and Happynes .

HAVING nothing of myne own worthy of your Honorable Acceptance , or any way proportionable to your Merits ; I present you with a Strangers Labour in an English attyre : which although for quantity it be one of the least , & for tyme the last that hath come from that learned Pen : yet for generall profit it may proue the best , as treating a more familiar Argument then any of his other spirituall Books haue done .

Nothing is more certayne , nothing more vsuall then Death , which hath consumed all that haue gone before vs ; and we , whether we will or nill , must tread the same path , and follow them . There is no exemption from this passage , to which ( such is the swift and short course of our life ) we doe not so much runne , as fly : and yet for the most part come to it before we would , yea altogeather against our will ; and that specially for the great horrour we conceaue thereof , which for the most part is grounded on the guylt of Conscience . For as the Wiseman saith , Sap. 17. timida est nequitia , wickednesse is full of feare , and condemnes it selfe , and where the soule is surcharged with synne , & hel fire prepared to receiue the sinner , no meruayle though he feare and tremble : or els for want of Fayth of the future life . For such as make their soules as mortall as their bodyes , and stretch their thoughts no further then to that which like beasts , they see with their eyes , do easily with the Philosopher esteeme of death as if it were , Arist. 3. Moral . 6. Maximè omnium rerum horribilis , of all things the most dreadfull , in regard that it depriues them of their temporall Emoluments , their Friends , Honours , Disports , and all esteemed Happines ; so as the first for feare of what is to come , these for griefe of that which is past esteeme death dreadfull . Or finally this falls out for want of due consideration thereof , of death I meane , which to such as haue it still before their eyes , as it is a bridle from sinne , and spur to vertue ; so is it an encouragement against the poyson thereof . For the sting of this snake ( as the Apostle sayth ) is synne , Stimulus mortis peccatum , 1. Cor. 15. which by continuall meditation thereon , is taken away : memento mortis tuae ( sayth Saint Hierome ) & non peccabis , Hier. ad Cypr. Greg. 13. Moral . c. 10. remember thy death , and thou shalt not sin ; or as Saint Gregory sayth , culparum laqueos euadent , such shall walke so warily as they shal not fal into the snares of the enemy , or sting of death ; and consequently shal be free from al feare which the morall Philosopher did rightly obserue , and therfore gaue this aduise to his friend Lucilius : Seneca ep. 30. Tu , vt mortem numquam timeas , semper cogita , that thou mayst neuer feare death , be alwayes thinking on it .

Which contemplation is so soueraigne and effectuall , as our worthy Bishop of Canterbury S. Anselme writing to one , Ansel . ep. 113. whome he very dearly esteemed in England , who had demaunded his counsayle for spirituall direction , he gaue him only this aduyse saying : So liue euery day as thou doest desyre to be found at the last houre of thy life ; and so euery day prepare thy selfe as if to morrow thou wert to dye , and to giue account vnto God ; by this meanes thou shalt proceed from vertue to vertue . So he . Which graue aduise little needs any Commentary , & your Vertuous Disposition as little needes my incitement . I know you are not vnmyndfull heerof ; I know your Zeale and Constancy in Gods cause ; I know your Charity towards the afflicted , and cannot doubt of the continual vse of prayer and vertuous actions , wherwith now for many yeares you haue beene so well accustomed ; which so dispose you to this end , as you need not feare , but with desire expect this passage , which will open heauen , which will take you from the world , and restore you to God ; which will loose the bands of this corruptible clogge , and inuest you for euer with immortall glory ; and which finally from the sight of these transitory things , the meere shaddows of true pleasure , will bring you to the full sight of the Blessed Trinity , the maine ocean of all true delights , and there ( as the Apostle sayth ) semper cum Domino erimus , 1. Thess. 4. we shall for euer be with our Lord .

This is the happynesse of the Vetuous , for euer in the next life , to be with our Lord , who neuer in this life would forsake him , but still continued in his feare , and fauour vntill the end . These with triumphant security tread Death vnder their feete , whiles the wicked surprized & conquered by his force , are made a prey to his Tyranny , who is not moued at all , with their teares , cryes , or any intreaty , but no lesse scornes this their fruitlesse griefe , then he doth the frayle power of the most potent Monarch of the world , whome he ouerthrowes with as great facility , as the poorest beggar , and that without all regard of degree , age , strength , riches , or what els soeuer the earth affoards . This did Clotharius King of France ( to name one for all ) acknowledge , when being dangerously sicke as Saint Gregory of Towers doth recount , Greg. Tu. l. 4. hist or . cap. 21. he sayd vnto such as stood about him : Vah quid putatis ? qualis est ille Rex caelestis , qui sic tam magnos Reges interficit ? What thinke you my maysters ? How great is the King of heauen , who in this manner doth kill so potent Kings ? Death is the instrument of execution , which to such as prepare themselues vnto it is a sleep and quiet repose , to others a most dreadfull bitternes and vexing torment ; a Lambe where it is subdued , a lyon where it doth ouercome . The good wish for it , the bad abhorre it ; but both the one & the other must of necessity vndergo it ; and I know not what greater folly or frenzy can be imagined , then to be watchfull in light matters , and to forget this ; to behould with attentiue affection the thinges that fly from vs , and not to fee whither our selues , by the swift wings of tyme , are incessantly carryed ; to see others euery where to dye , and yet to liue in such careles neglect as if euen in this life we were immortall ; to belieue that there is a Hell , & Heauen , & neither to feare the one , or to desire the other ; to know that euery one shall receaue according to the workes he hath done good or euill : Referet vnusquisque ( sayth the Apostle ) propria corporis prout gessit , 2. Cor. 5. siue bonum siue malum : Euery one shall receaue according to that he hath done in this life , either good or euill ; and yet not to furnish himselfe with true merits , by the practise of vertue , which alone will crowne him with euerlasting felicity . Filij hominum vsquequo graui corde ! Psalm . 4. O you sonnes of men , how long will you be heauy-harted ?

But in vaine do I speake to them who haue their eyes shut , their eares stopt , and their harts hardned ; who will not vnderstand to do well , who are fallen into the depth , and therfore contemne all counsaile , and will not be with-held from running headlong into the gulfe of perdition : there is no salue for such desperate soares , vnles God by a singular mercy , Psalm . 135. in manu potente & brachio excelso , in a strong hand , & powerfull arme do reclaime them , which in many , yea most , he doth not . For albeit his Mercy be great , yet is his Iustice exact ; and the number of the damned in hell fyre , is farre greater then of the seruants of God that are crowned in heauen ; & often it is repeated in the Scripture , that many are called , but few elected ; that the way to heauen is narrow , & few enter ; the way to hell is wyde , and troden by many ; with the like . All which will not awake them out of this dead letargy , & drowsy sleep , no warnings , no bookes , no threats , no perswasion wil auayle them . And albeit I could wish that this worke might benefit all , yet that I may wel wish , but cannot expect . To your self I know it will be gratefull , and beneficiall also , I hope vnto yours , and others : at least so from my hart I do desire it may be : and the subiect therof being so necessary , and pointes therein treated so important , they cannot but much stir vp any well disposed mind to reflect vpon them .

For in this little Treatise you haue the principles and precepts of good Life , the vse of Prayer , Fasting , Almes , and other vertues ; you haue Aduertisements for the Sacraments , how to prepare your selfe vnto them , how to receaue them ; you haue remedy against Tentations , Comforts in afflictions , Instructions for security , Fore-warninges against dangers ; in one word hence you haue what to feare , what to follow , what to fly . So as this little booke to such as can vse it well , and frame their liues to the prescript thereof , is a rich Iewell , & heauenly Treasure , of which we may truly say , Prouer. 21. procul & de vltimis finibus pretium eius , and the Author being perhaps neuer to write more , by reason of his great age , and weaknes , ( for he wants not two yeares of fourscore ) this his last begotten Beniamin deserueth more respect . For besides the subiect and substance thereof , it layes open the true Idaea ( or Image ) of the Writer , what his Iudgment is of all wordly felicity ; where all his thoughts and endeauours haue still beene fixt and directed ; how he is disposed to shut vp the last period of his life ; although his own actions are more liuely characters heerof , then any of his books haue yet expressed ; in so much as of his Familiars he is more admired for his rare vertue , then he is renowned amongst Strangers for his exquisite learning .

These motiues with the band of Gratitude for former Merits haue emboldened me to make this Present vnto your Honour , aswell by this meanes ( seeing by better I cannot ) to discharg my duty for your deserts as also for that I tender your spiritua● good , which heereby may not a little be aduanced . The root seemes bitte● but the fruit is pleasant , yea the bitternes it selfe is intermingled wit● delight : for the contemplation o● death is only fearfull to such as ar● vnacquainted with it ; when vse hat● made it more familiar , then will th● remembrance thereof be delightfull because as the Prophet sayth : Cù● dederit dilectis suis somnum , ecce hereditas Domini , Psalm . 126 when he shall bestow thi● sleep on his friendes , then loe , is the inheritance of our Lord at hand . So as death is the end of all our labours in this life ; and the end ( as the Philosopher sayth ) is , or ought to be first intended , and specially regarded , because all doth depend thereon . What auayleth it a Ship to haue escaped many stormes in the wide Ocean , if in the returne within sight of the hauen it be cast away ? What is the Husbandman the better who hauing had a prosperous spring , if a little before haruest his corne be blasted ? Or for Souldiers to haue fought a long and sharp battel with valour , if in the end they be ouerthrowne , & discomfited ? The end must carry the crowne ; till then all is subiect to vncertaine mischance . And so we see many for a long tyme to haue liued well , and euen then when they seemed ready to haue receaued their rewards , to haue miscaryed , & lost all ; but this commonly neuer befalls them who hauing their end still before the eyes of their soule , do with continuall feare and trembling worke their Saluation . Of which point , for that the worke it self will speake at large , I shall not need to adioyn more , but leauing the same to your serious view , commend the successe of all vnto Almighty God ; vnto whome I commit you , this second of Nouember , wherein we pray for all faythfull soules departed , that they may be fellowes with the Saints ; and for our selues , that we may be fellows of them both , in euerlasting happynes . 1620.

Your Honours poore Beadsman , and dutifull seruant . C. E.

The Preface of the Authour .

CONSIDERING with my selfe in the last tyme of my vsuall retirement ( in which setting aside all publike affayres I attend only to my selfe ) what should be the reason that so few doe labour to learne the Art of dying well , which should be best knowne and most familiar vnto all , Eccles. 1. no other answere did occurre vnto my mynd but that of the Wiseman , Stultorum infinitus est numerus , the number of fooles is infinit . For what greater folly can there be thought or imagined then for men to neglect that art on which all their chiefest good and euerl●sting weale do depend and with so great care and no lesse labour to practise so many and almost innumerable other arts by which their temporall good so soone to be left & lost may eyther be kept or increased ? For truly none can deny the art of dying well to be the art of arts , who with due attention will consider that in the hower of our death we are to render an account vnto God of whatsoeuer we haue done , sayd , or thought in the whole course of our life , and that ●●en vnto the least idle word that we haue spoken , ●he Diuell being then our accuser , our conscience the witnes , God the Iudge ; nothing then remayning but … sting glory for the blessed , & neuer ending woe for the wicked .

We see by daily experience in such as contend euen for small matters , when the tyme of iudging the same is at hand , both the plaintiffe and defendant to take no rest , but to recurre now to their lawyers , now to their Attourneyes , now to the Iudges , now to the friends and allyes of all these to haue the definitiue sentence giuen in their fauour : & at our death the cause of all causes being brought before the supreme Iudge to wit of euerlasting life or death , the defendant that is guilty oftentimes found vnprouided & so oppressed with sicknes as he is not his owne man , and is then compelled to giue an account of these things of which perhaps whiles he wa● in good health he neuer so much as thought vpon .

Hence it cometh that miserable men do fall so fast headlong into hell fire : & truly , as S. Peter sayth , If the iust man shall scarce be saued , 1. Pet. 4. where shall the wicked , and the synner appeare ? Wherefore I esteeme it a matter of speciall moment first to admonish my selfe , then my brethren that they duly regard this art : and if there be any that haue not learned it of better maysters , at least that they contemne not these thinges which we haue laboured to collect or gather togeather out of the holy Scriptures , & the writings of our ancient maisters .

But before we come to the rul●s or precepts of this Art , I haue thought it expedient to search somewhat into the nature of death , and to se● in what ranke it is to be placed , eyther amongst the thinges that are good , or else the contrary amongst the euill . And truly if death be absolutly taken without any other respect or relation , then doubtlesse is it to be esteemed euill , as being that priuation which is opposed to life , which life no man can deny to be a good thing . Agayne we may add , that God is not the Authour of death , for as the Wise man teacheth vs : Through the enuy of the Diuell , Sap. 1. & 2. death entred into the world , which is confirmed by Saint Paul when he sayth : By one man synne entred into the world , Rom. 5. & by synne death , in whome all haue synned : hence I conclud that if God made not death , then is not death in it self good , because al that God hath mad is good , as Moyses sayth : God saw all things that he had made , and they were all very good . Genes. 1.

Notwithstanding although that death be not good , yet hath the wisdome of God so found out a meanes as it were to temper or season the same , as that out of this bitter root much sweet sruit may growe . Hence it comes , that Dauid sayth , The death of the Saints of our Lord is precious in his sight ; Psal. 115. and the Church in the preface of the Masse of the Resurrection speaking of Christ sayth , Who by dying destroyed our death , & by rising agayne repayred our life : Truly that death which destroyed ours , & repayred our life cannot be otherwise then very good , and therfore albeit euery death be not good , yet we must graunt that some are ; & therfore Saint Ambrose feared not to entitle one of his bookes : De bono mortis , of the good of death , in which he cleerly demonstrateth death ( although begotten of synne ) to bring with it many and no small vtilityes .

Finally the same is confirmed by reason which doth shew death howsoeuer in it selfe ill , by the grace of God , to worke and procure much good : for first we reape great good by death in that it riddeth vs from all the miseryes of this life , which are both very many , Iob. 14. and very great . Holy Iob in playne words lamenteth of these miseries thus : Man born of a woman , liuing but a short tyme , is replenished with many myseryes . Eccles. 4. And Salomon sayth : I haue commended more the dead then the liuing , & haue iudged him more happy then both who is not ye● borne , nor hath seene the wickednesse committed vnder the sunne . And Ecclesiasticus addeth saying : Ecl. c. 40. A great turmoyle is made for all men , and a heauy yoke is layed on the children of Adam , from the day of their issuing forth from their mothers wombe , vntill the day of their buriall , or returne to the common mother of all , to wit the earth , which finally as the parent of all receaueth them into her bosome , and turneth them into corruption . The Apostle in like manner complaineth of the miseryes of this life and sayth , Vnhappy man that I am , who shall deliuer me from the body of this death ?

By these testimonyes of sacred Writ is sufficiently proued death to haue this good annexed vnto it , that it deliuers a man from infinit miseryes of this life . Moreouer it yieldeth vs another farre more eminent good then this , because it is the gate by which we enter and passe from a prison to a Kingdome . This was reuealed by our Lord to Saint Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist , whiles for the fayth of Christ he liued in banishment in the I le of Pathmos : Apoc. 14. I heard ( sayth he ) a voyce from heauen saying vnto me : Blessed are the dead who dye in our Lord ; from hence foorth now sayth the spirit they may rest from their labours , for their workes doe follow them . Blessed truly is the death of Saints which at the commaund of the heauenly King deliuereth the soule from the prison of the flesh & bringeth it to the Kingdome of heauen , where the holy soules now free from all labours doe sweetly repose , and for reward of their works do receaue the crown of a Kingdome : and euen vnto the soules which are caryed to Purgatory death yieldeth a great benefit , whiles it deliuereth them from the feare and danger of hell , and makes them secure of their future & euerlasting felicity : yea , euen vnto the damned death seemeth to yield some good , when deliuering them the sooner from their bodyes , it maketh that the measure of their torments shal no more increase by the synnes they would haue committed in their longer life .

For these so notable vtilityes death sheweth not a dreadfull but a smiling , not a terrible but an amiable countenance towards the good : & hence it proceeded that the Apostle so securely cryed out , Christ is my life and death my gayne , Phil. 1. being desirous to be dissolued and to be with Christ : & in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians he warneth the good Christians not to be contristated with the deaths of their deerest friends , neyther to bemoa● them as dead , but rather to behold than resting as it were in a sleepe .

And there liued not long since a holy woman called Catharine Adorna of the Citty of Genua , who was so enflamed with the loue of Christ , that shee had an incredible desire to dye and go to her beloued Sauiour , & for this cause transported with the loue of death shee did often prayse the sam as most fayre and beautifull , only misliking that she fled from such as sought her , and sought for such as fled from her . The Reader may see more hereof in the 7. Chapter of her life . Out of these things which we haue sayd we see that death as it is the childe of sin is euill but through the grace & mercy of Christ who vouchsafed to dy for vs , to become many wayes profitable and wholsome , amiable and delightfull .

THE CONTENTS .

THE FIRST BOOKE . Chap. 1. Of the first Precept , which is , That he who desireth to dye well , doe liue well . pag. 1. Chap. 2. Of the second Precept of dying well , which is to dye first to the world . pag 5. Chap. 3. Of the third Precept of the Art of dying well : which is of the three Theologicall Vertues . p. 17. Chap. 4. Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well , which conteyneth three Euangelicall documents . 26. Chap. 5. Of the fifth precept , in which is detected the errour of the Rich men of this world . pag. 39. Chap. 6. Of the sixth precept of the Art of dying well , in which are explicated three Morall Vertues . 47. Cap. 7. Of the 7. precept , which is of Prayer . 57. Cap. 8. Of the eight precept , which is of fasting . 71. Cap. 9. Of the 9. precept , which is of almesdeeds . 72. Chap. 10. Of the tenth precept of dying well , which is of the Sacrament of Baptisme . pag. 97. Ca. 11. Of the 11. precept , of Confirmation . 107. Chap. 12. Of the twelfth precept , which is of the Eucharist , or Sacrament of the Altar . pag. 113. Cap. 13. Of the 13. precept , of Pennance . 122. Chap. 14. Of 14. Precept , of Order , pag. 132. Chap. 15. Of the 15. Precept , which is of Matrimony . pag. 142. Chap. 16. Of the 16. precept , which is of Extreme Vnction . pag. 154.

THE SECOND BOOKE . Chap. 1. The first Precept of dying well when our death is neere at hand which is meditation of death . 181. Chap. 2. Of the 2. Precept , is of Iudgment . 199. Cap. 3. Of the third precept , which is of Hel. 204 Chap. 4. Of the fourth precept , which is of the glory of the Saints . pag. 213. Chap. 5. Of the 5. precept when our Death is neere which is of making our last will & testament . pa. 223 Cap. 6. Of the 6. precept , which is of Confession . 228 Cap. 7. Of the 7. precept , which is of receauing th● B. Sacrament , giuen vs for our Viaticum . pag. 234 Chap. 8. Of the 8. precept , which is of Extrem● Vnction . pag. 250 Chap. 9. Of the first Tentation of the Diuell , 〈◊〉 wit , of Heresy . pag. 256 Cap. 10. Of the 2. tentation to Desperation . 162 Chap. 11. Of temptation to the hatred of God . p. 269 Chap. 12. Of the first Remedy against the temptations of the Diuell . pag. 270 Cap. 13. Of the 2. Remedy against Temptations 283. Ca. 14. Of such as dy not of an ordinary death . 290 Chap. 15. Of the happy death of such as haue learned well this Art of dying well . pag. 296 Chap. 16. Of the vnfortunate death of such , as hau● neglected this Art of dying well . pag. 304 Chap. 17. The summe , of the Art of dying well . 320

THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE FIRST BOOKE .

CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of this Art of Dying well , which is , That he who desyreth to dye well , do liue well .

I Begin now to treat of the precepts or rules of this Art which I will deuide into two parts . In the first , we wil set downe rules which men should obserue , whiles they are in good health . In the second others which shall be necessary when they are dangerously sicke , and by all probability in danger to dye soone . In the first part , we shall deliuer the precepts which appertayne vnto the vertues ; then those which appertayne vnto the Sacraments . For by these two wayes we are most of al holpen both to liue , and to dye well .

But before both these , this generall rule is to be premised , to wit that he liu● well , that desires to dye well : for since that death is the end of our life , certainly euery one who liueth vertuously vntil the end , doth dye well : and he cannot dye ill , who neuer liued ill . As on the other side , he who hath alwayes liued ill doth so dye ; and he cannot but dye ill who neuer liued well ; and so it fareth in all other like things . For euery one who keepeth on the right way to the place where he goeth , arryueth without any missing or going out of the way : but he who mistaketh the right way shal neuer come to the end he would ; he who studyeth diligently to attayne learning , wil soone become learned , & doctor also in that he professeth ; and he who goeth alwayes to schoole , but applyeth not his mynd vnto learning , doth but le●se both tyme and labour .

Some perhaps will alleadge the example of the good theefe , who alwayes liued ill , and dyed well , and made a happy end . But it is not so : For that good theefe rather liued deuoutly and religiously , and therfore dyed also so saintly . For notwithstanding that he spent the greatest part of his life wickedly , yet he so well bestowed the other , as he easily blotted out all former offences , & attayned vnto great & singular merits . For enflamed with charity towards God , he openly defended Christ from the flaunders of the Iewes ; and hauing the like loue towards his neighbour he warned and checked his blaspheming companion , and endeauored all he could to recall him to a better life ; for as yet he was in this mortall life when he said vnto his fellow , neque tu times Deum qui in eadem damnatione es ? Et nos quidem iustè : nam digna factis recipimus ; hic verò nihil mali gessit ? Neyther doest thou feare God who art in the same condemnation ? and we indeed iustly : for we receaue according to our deserts ; but this man what hath he done amisse ? Neyther was the same theefe as yet departed this life when he spake those noble words in which he confessed Christ , Luc. 23. and inplored his help , Domine memento mei cùm veneris in regnum tuum : O Lord remember me when thou shalt come into thy Kingdome : and therefore this good theefe seemeth to be one of those who came last into the vinyard , & receaued his reward before the first .

Matth. 20. True then , & generall is this principle he who liueth well , doth dye well . And this other in like manner , he who liueth ill , doth dye ill . Neyther can it be denyed that it is a very dangerous matter to delay the change of our life from vice to vertue vntill the last cast ; and those to be far happier , who begin to beare the yoke of the law of God , Thren. 3. as Hieremy saith , ab adolescentia sua , from their youth ; and those in euery respect to be happiest of all , Apoc. 14. who as the Apostle saith , empti sunt ex hominibus primitiae Deo et Agno , were bought from among men the first fruites vnto God and the Lambe , who , not only , were not defiled with women , but neither , was there any lye found in their mouth ; & they are without spot before the throne of God . Such was Hieremy the Prophet , S. Iohn Baptist , & aboue al , the Mother of our Lord , and many other Saints of both sexes , which the knowledg of God alone doth comprize .

Wherefore let this principle stand without all checke , or controle , that the rule of dying well , dependeth vpon the other rule of a good life .

CHAP. II. Of the second precept of dying well , which is to dye first to the world .

NOw then to proceed that a man do liue well aboue all things , it is necessary that he dye to the world , before he dye to this corporall life . For all such as liue to the world , are dead to God ; and it is impossible that any can begin to liue to God vnles he first dye vnto the world . This verity is so euidently deliuered in the holy scriptures , as it cannot be called into question but by Infidells and misbelieuers : and that in the mouth of 2. or 3. witnesses euery word may stand , I will alleadge the holy Apostles , S. Iohn , S. Iames , and S. Paul , witnesses beyond all exception , as in whome the holy Ghost , who is the spirit of truth , did most cleerly speake . So then writeth S. Iohn the Apostle & Euangelist , Ioan. 14. or rather affirmeth Christ thus to speake , Venit Princeps mundi huius , & in me non habet quicquam , the Prince of this world cometh , and in me he that nothing : where by the Prince of the world he vnderstandeth the deuill , who is the Prince of all the wicked , and by the world the company of all synners who loue the world , and are beloued of the world : and the Euangelist addeth a litle after , si mundus vos odit , Ioan. 15. scitote quia me priorem vobis odio habuit : si de mundo fuissetis , mundus quod suum erat diligeret , quia verò de mundo non estis , sed ego elegi vos de mundo , propterea odit vos mundus . If the world doe hate yow , know ye that it hated me before it hated you : if you had bene of the world the world would loue his owne , but because you are not of the world , and I haue chosen you out of the world , Ioan. 17. therefore doth the world hate you : and in another place , ego non pro mundo rogo , sed pro eis quos dedisti mihi : I pray not for the world , but for those whome thou hast giuen vnto me . In which wordes our Sauiour plainly declareth by the word world , to be vnderstood those who with their Prince the deuill shall heare in the last day of Iudgement that sentence pronounced against them , Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum , go ye accursed into hell fier . The same Apostle in his epistle addeth , nolite diligere mundum neque ea quae in mundo sunt . &c. Doe not loue the world nor those things which be in the world : if any man loue the world , the charity of the father is not in him , because whatsoeuer is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh , the concupiscence of the eyes , and pride of life , which is not of the father , but of the world , and the world passeth away , and the concupiscence thereof ; he who doth the will of Go● remaineth for euer .

Now 〈◊〉 vs ●eare his fellow-Apostle S. Iame● who thus speaketh in his epistle Adulteri , nescitis quia amicitia huius mundi inimica est Dei ? Iacob . 4. quicumque ergo voluerit esse amicui saeculi huius , inimicus Dei constituitur . Aduouterers , know you not that the frendship of this world is the enemy of God ? whosoeuer therfore will be a friend of this world is made the enemy of God . Finally let vs heare S. Paul fellow-Apostle of them both and the vessell of election : he in his first epistle to the Corinthians , 1. Cor. 5. writing vnto all the faithfull saith , debueratis de hoc mundo exysse , you should haue gone forth out of this world : and againe in the same epistle , dum iudicamur à Domino , corripimur , 1. Cor. 11. vt non cum hoc mundo damnemur , whiles we are iudged of our Lord we are punished , that we may not be damned with this world . Where euidently he declareth the whole world to be damned at the latter day , and therfore by the world he vnderstandeth not heauen and earth , nor all the people of the world , but those only who loue the world ; for the iust and vertuous in whose brests the loue of God , and not the lust of the flesh doth raigne and preuaile , are in deed in the world , but are not of the world ; but the wicked and vngodly are not only in the world , but are of the world , and for that cause not the charity of God doth rule and raigne in their harts but the concupiscence of the flesh , that is leachery , and the concupiscence of the eyes , that is couetousnes ; & pride of life , that is swelling ambition , by which they aduaunce themselues aboue others , and imitate the arrogancy and pride of Lucifer , and not the humility and meekenes of Iesus Christ .

And this being so , if any man will indeed learne this art of dying well , he must seriously , not in word & tongue , but in worke and truth , go out of the world , yea & dye also to the world , & say with the Apostle , mihi mundus crucifixus , Galat. 6. est & ego mundo , the world is crucifyed to me , & I to the world . This great & weighty affayre is not ludus puerorum , sport and pastime of children , but a most important and difficult matter : and for that cause our Lord being demanded , whether the number of such as are to be saued were small , answered , contendite intrare per angustam portam : striue to enter in at the narrow gate ; Luc. 13. and more largely in S. Matthew , intrate per angustan portam , quia lata est porta , & spatiosa via est quae ducit ad perditionem , Matth. 7. & multi sunt qui intrant per eam : quàm augusta porta & arcta via est quae ducit ad vitam , & pauci sunt qui inueniunt eam ? Enter in at the narrow gate because the gate is wide , & way is broad which leadeth to perdition , and many there be who do enter by it : how narrow is the gate and strait is the way that leadeth vnto life , and few there be that do find it ?

To liue in the world and to contemne the commodities of the world , is a most hard and difficult thing : to see faire things and not to loue them , to tast sweet things and not to be delighted with them ; to despise honours , to desire labours , to put himselfe in the lowest place , to yield vnto others all higher degrees , and finally without flesh as it were to liue in flesh , is rather to be tearmed an Angelicall than a humane life ; and yet the Apostle writing to the Church of Corinth , in which almost euery one liued togeather with their wiues , and consequently were neyther Clergy men , nor Monkes , nor Anchorets , but as we now vse to tearme them , were secular men ; in this manner notwithstanding he speaketh vnto them : hoc itaque dico fratres , 1. Cor. 7. tempus breue est & . This therefore my brethren I say vnto you , the tyme is short ; it remayneth that such as haue wiues , be as though they had them not , and those who weep as though they wept not , & those who are glad as though they were not glad , & those who buy a● though they did not possesse , & they wh●● vse this world as though they vsed it not for the figure of this world doth passe away . Of which words this is the sense , that the Apostle exhorteth the faithfull , that hauing their hope fixed on heauenly happines , they be so litle addicted to worldly thinges , as though they had nothing at all to do with them : that they loue their wiues , but with so moderate loue as if they had them not ; if necessity cause them to mourne for the losse of their children or goods , that they mourne in such manner as though they were neyther grieued nor mourned at all ; if they haue cause to reioyce for the wealth or honour they haue gotten , that this ioy be so small as if they did not reioyce , that is , as if their ioy apperteyned not vnto them : if they buy lands or howses , to shew so little affection to those things as if they did not possesse them as their owne ; and finally the Apostle commaundeth vs so to liue in the world , as if we were strangers , guests , or pilgrimes in the same , and not true inhabitants : which the Apostle S. Peter more plainly teacheth saying : 1. Pet. 2. Obsecro vos tamquam aduenas & peregrinos abstinere vos à carnalibus desiderijs quae militant aduersus animam : I beseech you as strangers , and pilgrims to refraine your selues from all carnall desires , which warre against the soule . By which wordes this most blessed Prince of the Apostles will haue vs so to liue euen in our owne town and howse , as if we liued in another mans howse , and in some forren countrey abroad ; not heeding at all whether ther● be plenty or want in the place : whic● therefore he doth commaund vs , That w● may absteyne from carnall desires which warre against the soule , for these carnall desires doe not so easily assault vs when we see other mens things that do not belong vnto v● as when we see those which we esteem our own . This then is to be in the world and not to be of the world , which properly concerneth them who are dead t● the world , and liue to God , and for tha● cause they feare not temporall death , which endomageth them nothing , bu● rather is gainfull vnto them , according to that of the Apostle , Phil. 1. mihi viuere Christ●● est , & mori lucrum , Christ is my life , and death my gaine .

But how many ( trow you ) shall we fynd in these dayes so dead to the world , as that they haue already learned to dye also well to the flesh , and thereby to make sure their saluation ? Truly I doe not doubt but that in the Cath. Church , not only in Monasteryes , & in the Clergye , but amongst secular people also many holy men may be found , and such as are truly dead to the world , who haue learned this Art how to dye well : yet withall this cannot be denyed , that far many more without comparison are to be found not only not dead to the world , but so without measure tyed and addicted to the same , and so feruent louers of pleasures , honours , riches , and the like , that vnles they determine with themselues to dye to the world , and doe dye indeed , will doubtles come to a miserable death , and as the Apostle sayth , be damned with the world .

But these Worldlings will say , it is too hard a matter to dye to the world , whiles yet we liue in it ; and to neglect these benefits which God hath created for men to enioy . To these I answere , that God doth neyther will , nor commaund men altogeather to cast away wealth , honours , and other worldly emoluments : for Abraham was a speciall friend of God , and yet abounded in riches . Dauid also and Ezechias , and Iosias were very rich Princes , and withall deere friends vnto Almighty God : and the same we may say of many Christian Kings & Emperours , and therefore the commodityes of this world , riches , honours , pleasures a●e not absolutly forbidden vnto Christian people , but the immoderate loue of the things of this world , which are called of S. Iohn , the concupiscence of the flesh , concupiscence of the eyes , and pride of life . Abraham certes was exceeding wealthy , but he not only vsed moderatly his riches , but was most ready presently a● the commaund of God to spend them all : for he who spared not his only Sonne , most vertuous and most deere vnto him , when God commaunded that euen by the hands of Abraham himselfe he should be sacrificed ; how easily at the same comaund had he bestowed or giuen away al his other wealth ? Therefore Abraham was rich in substance , but richer in faith and charity , & for that cause was not of the world , but rather dead vnto it : & the same we may say of other holy men , who abounded with riches , power , and glory , yea with Kingdomes also and Empires , because being poore in spirit , dead to the world , and liuing , only to God , they had most exactly learned this art how to dye well . And therefore not abundance of wealth , or sublimity of honour , or Kingdome , or Empire make a man to be of the world , or that he liue in the world , but concupiscence of the flesh , concupiscence of the eyes , and pride of life , which in one word is called Cupidity , or disordinate affection , & is opposite to the Theologicall vertue of Charity ; & therefore if any through the grace and mercy of God begin to loue God for himselfe , and for his sake his neighbour , he beginneth to go out of the world ; and this Charity increasing , the other disorderly appetite will go lesse and lesse , and so he will begin to dye to the world : for charity cannot increase without the diminution of the other : & by this meanes it will come to passe also that , that thing which whiles those other passions were predominant seemed impossible , to wit , that a man liuing in the world should not be of the world , through this increase of the loue of God , & decrease of disordinat affections , will become most easy ; for that which to this cupidity is a hard and insupportable yoke , is vnto charity a sweet yoke and light burthen .

That then which before we said , to wit , that to go out of the world , and to dye to the world , is not the play of boyes , or pastime of babes , but a most weighty and difficult thing , & most truly said of such as haue not knowne the power of the grace of God , nor tasted the sweetnes of his charity , and of such as are sensuall without spirit : for he who hath once tasted of the spirit of God , doth loath whatsoeuer flesh & bloud do suggest : therefore euery one who earnestly desireth to learne this art of dying well , vpon which his euerlasting weale , and all true happines doth depend , let him protract no tyme , but presently go out of the world , & perfectly dye to the world ; when as otherwise it cannot possibly be , that a man can liue to the world & God togeather , and at once enioy both earth and heauen .

CHAP. III. Of the third precept of the Art of dying well : which is of the three Theologicall vertues .

WE haue shewed in the former chapter that he cannot dye wel who goeth not out of the world , & dyeth not to the same . Now is to be added what he is to doe , who is dead to the world that he may liue to God , because it is graunted to none to dye well , that haue not liued well in this life , as I haue written in the first chapter . The briefe summe of liuing well is expressed by the Apostle in his first to Timothy in these wordes : Finis praecepti caritas de corde puro & conscientia bona , & fide non ficta : the end of the commaundement is charity from a pure hart , and a good conscience , 1. Tim. 1. and an vnfeyned faith : the Apostle was not ignorant of the answere which our Sauiour did giue to him who demaunded , quid faciendo vitam aeternam possidebo ? Matth. 19. what shall I doe to attayne euerlasting life ? For he sayd : Si vis ad vitam ingrediserua mandata , if thou wilt enter into life keep the commaundements , but he would explicate in few words the end of the principal commaundement , on which the whole law and the vnderstanding & fulfilling therof , and the way to euerlasting life doth depend ; and withall he would teach vs what vertues , are necessary to perfection , of which elswhere he said , nunc manent fides , spes , caritas , maior autem est caritas : now there remayne fayth , 1. Cor. 13. hope , and charity but the greater of those is charity , he saith therefore that charity is the end of the commaundement , that is , the end of al the commaundements , the obseruance of which commaundements , is necessary vnto good life : and this end is so placed , in charity , as that he who hath the Charity of God , fulfilleth all the commaundements which apperteyne vnto the first table , and he who hath the charity of his neighbour , fulfilleth all the commaundements which belong to the second table . This later part which might seeme more obscure he declareth in his epistle to the Romans , saying , Qui diligit proximum &c. He who loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law , for thou shalt not commit adultery , thou shall not kill , thou shalt not steale , thou shalt not beare false witnesse , and if there be any other commaundement it is comprized in this word , thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe : the loue of thy neighbour worketh no ill , the fullnes therfore of the law , is loue . Out of which discourse euery one by himselfe may perceaue al the commaundements which are referred to the worship of God , to be fullfilled by charity alone ; for as the charity of our neighbour towards our neighbour worketh no euill , so neyther doth the charity of God towards God worke any euill , & therefore the fullnes of the law , as well towards God as towards our neighbour is loue or charity .

Now , which is true and perfect charity as well towards God as our neighbour , the same Apostle declareth saying , Charitas ex corde puro , conscientia bona , & fide non ficta , charity out of a pure hart , a good conscience , and vnfeigned faith ; in which wordes by a good conscience , we doe vnderstand with S. Augustine , Praefat. in psal. 31. the vertue of hope , which is one of the three Theologicall vertues , and Hope is called a good conscience , because it proceedeth from a good conscience , as desperation proceedeth from a bad : hence is that saying of S. Iohn : Carissimi &c. my deerest if our hart doe not reprehend vs , 2. Ioan. 3. we haue confidence towards God : there are therfore three vertues in which the perfection of our Christian law doth consist , Charity from a pure hart , Hope from a good conscience , and Faith not feigned : and as charity if we respect the order of pefection is the first , because most perfectest , so if we respect the order of their proceeding , to wit how they are produced , then faith is the first according to the prescript of the Apostle , nunc manent fides , &c. Now there remaine faith , hope , and charity , these three , but the greatest of these is charity .

Let vs begin with Faith , which first of all before the other is in the hart of him who is to be iustifyed . Not without cause did the holy Apostle add vnto faith this condition non ficta , not faigned , for faith beginneth our iustification if it be true and sincere , not if it be false and feigned ; the faith of heretikes beginneth not iustification , because it is not true but false : the faith of ill Catholikes beginneth not their iustification , because it is not sincere but feigned : a feigned faith is taken two wayes , as when one indeed doth not belieue and yet feigneth himselfe to beleeue ; or else indeed he doth belieue but liueth not as his beliefe teacheth him that he should ; and the words of S. Paul to Titus seeme to beare both the one , and other sense , and to be vnderstood of them both : confitentur se nosse deum , Hierom. in com . Aug. ser. 31. de verb. Apost. factis autem negant ; they confesse themselues to know God , but in their deeds deny him , for so the holy Fathers S. Hierome , and S. Augustine do interpret them .

And out of this first vertue of a iust man it may easily be conceaued how great the multitude is of such who doe not liue well , and consequently come to an ill death . I let passe Inf●dells , Pagans , Heretikes , and Atheists who know nothing of this art how to liue well : amongst Catholikes how great number is there of those who in wordes confesse that they know God , but deny him in their deeds ? Who confesse Christ to be the Iudge of the liuing and the dead , and yet so liue as though they had no Iudge at all ? Who confesse the Mother of our Lord to be a Virgin , and by their blasphemyes feare not to call her a Harlot ? who commend prayers , fastings , almes and other works of vertue , and yet alwayes practise the contrary vices ? I omit the rest which are knowne vnto all ; let them not therefore brag and vaunt that they haue not a feygned Fayth , who eyther do not belieue at all that which falsly they affirme to beleeue , or else they liue not as the Catholike faith doth commaund them to liue : and by this they may know that as yet they haue not begunne to liue well , neyther let them hope to dye well , vnles through the help of Gods grace they learne in tyme this Art we treat of .

The other vertue of a man truly iust is Hope , or else a good conscience , as our maister S. Paul the Apostle hath thought fit in this place to call it , this vertue proceedeth from fayth , for no man can hope in God who eyther knoweth not the true God , or else doth not beleeue him to be either powerfull or mercifull : but to stir vp , and strengthen hope , in so much that it may be tearmed not hope only but also confidence , nothing so much auaileth as a good conscience : for with what face will he come vnto God , and aske any blessings and benefitts of him , who is guilty of sinne committed against him , which yet by true pennance he hath not blotted out ? For who will aske for any fauours at his enemyes hands ? Or who thinketh that such an one will help him whom he knoweth to be greuously incensed against him ? Heare I pray you what the Wise man sayth of the hope of the wicked , Spes impij tanquam lanugo &c. Sap. 5. The hope of the wicked is like light dust which is caried away with the wynd , or as thinne froth of water which by the tempest is dispersed , or like smoke which is dissolued by the wynde , or as the memory of a passenger that stayeth but one day : so the Wise man , who most wisely warneth the wicked that their hope is a fraile and no solid thing , short and not permanent : for they whiles yet they are aliue , in some sort hope that they may do pennance and be reconciled vnto God , but when death shall approach , vnlesse God of his speciall mercy preuent them , and moue their harts to doe pennance , their hope will be turned into desperation , & they will say with the other wicked that which followeth in the same place ; Errauimus &c. We haue erred from the way of truth , and the light of iustice hath not appeared vnto vs : what hath our pride auailed vs , or what hath the boasting of our riches holpen vs ? All haue passed away like a shaddow . Thus the Wiseman , who grauely aduiseth vs , that if we will liue well , and dye happily that we presume not to liue one minute of an hower in synne , deceauing our selues with a vaine persuasion that as yet we haue a longe tyme to liue , and that hereafter at fitter opportunity we wil do penance ; for this vaine hope hath deceaued many , and will still deceaue them , vnlesse prudently they learne this Art whiles yet they haue tyme to doe it .

There remayneth the third vertue which worthily is called the Queene of Vertues , to wit , Charity , with which none can perish , & without which none can liue , eyther in the passage of this life , or in our desired home of euerlasting happines : that charity is sayd to be true and sincere which proceeds from a pure hart , not for that purity of hart doth properly beget charity , for charity , as S. Iohn sayth , is from God , and S. Paul , 1. Ioan. 4. Rom. 5. The charity of God is powred forth in our harts , by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs ; wherefore charity is said to be from a pure hart , because it cannot be kindled in an impure , but in such a one as is purged from all errour by diuine Fayth , according to that of S. Peter the Apostle , Act. 15. fide purificans corda eorum , cleansing their hart by faith : and by diuine hope , being cleansed from al loue and desire of earthly things : for euen as fire is not kindled in greene , stickes full of moist humours , but in dry ; euen so the fire of charity requireth clean harts purged from al earthly loue & vaine confidence in our own strength & forces .

By this may we vnderstand which is true Charity , which false & counterfeit : for if any one do willingly speake of God , shed teares through compunction of mynd in his prayers , and do other good workes , as giuing much almes , and fasting often , yet so as he enterteyneth impure loue in his brest , vaine glory , hatred towards his neighbour and the like , which make the hart impure and filthy ; this man hath not diuine and true charity but a vaine shew or resemblance thereof : for which cause the Apostle most prudently named not absolutly faith , hope & charity when he spake of true and perfect vertue ; but said Finis praecepti &c. The end of the commaundement is charity from a pure hart , and a good conscience , and faith not feigned : and this indeed is the true Art of liuing well , and of a happy death , if any perseuere vnto the end in this true and perfect charity .

CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well , which conteyneth three Euangelicall documents .

ALTHOVGH to liue and dye well that which we haue said , of faith , hope , and charity may seeme to suffice ; yet to performe the same the better , and wit● more facility , Christ himselfe hath vouc● saued in the Ghospell to giue vs thre● lessons or documents : for thus he sayth in the Euangelist S. Luke : Sint lumbi vestr●● &c. Luc. 12. Let your loynes be girt , & burning candles in your hands , and be you lik● vnto men expecting their Lord when h● retourneth from the Marriage , that when he shall come & knocke , they may presently open ( the gate ) vnto him ; blessed are those seruants whom our Lord when he shall come , shall fynd watching . This parable may be vnderstood two waies , either for the preparation to be made for the comming of our Lord at the day of iudgment , or els for his comming at the death of euery particuler man , & this later which is the exposition of S. Gregory , maketh more for our purpose in hand : Greg. hom. 13. in Euang. for the expectation of the last day shall apperteyne only to those , who shall then liue , and Christ spake this parable to his Apostles and to vs all ; certainly the Apostles and those who succeeded them were by many ages very farre off from the last day ; againe there shall many signes goe before the last day , which shall stir vp men to attendance : for Christ saith , Erunt signa &c. There shall be signes in the sunne , and moone , and starrs , and the earth , Luc. 21. great calamity of nations , men withering away for feare and expectation of those things which shal come vpon the whole world . But no certayne signes shall go before the comming of God to particuler iudgement which euery man is called vnto at the hower of his death ; and this coming is signifyed by those wordes so often repeated in the holy Scriptures , that our Sauiour will come as a theefe , to wit when he is least thought vpon or expected .

Let vs now then briefly expound this Parable , & let vs well conceaue that this preparation to death is a thing most of all to be respected of al , because of al other things it is most necessary . Three things doth our Lord heere commaund vs : first that we haue our loynes girded , that we haue candles burning in our hand , last of al that we watch & expect his comming , who when he will come , we know as little , as most men do when the theefe will come to robbe their howses . Let vs explicate the first sentence : Sint lumbi vestri praecincti . Let your loynes be girded : this is the literall sense of these wordes , that we be ready and stopped by no entanglements to runne to meet with our Lord when he shal call vs by death to this particuler iudgement . This similitude of girding the loynes is taken from the custome of the Easterne people , who did weare long garments almost to their feet , and when they were to walke apace , they did gather vp their garment and girded therewith all their loynes , least the length of their weed might hinder their hast , and make them go more leasurely : for which cause it is said of the Angell Raphael , who ●ame to accompany the younger Toby ; Tunc egressus &c. Then Tobias going forth , Tob. 5. found a faier young man standing girt , & as it were ready to walke . By occasion of this custome of the Easterne people , 1. Pet. 1. S. Peter wrote ; propter quod succincti lumbos mentis vestrae , soby perfectè sperate &c. For the which cause hauing the loynes of your mynd girded , sober , hope perfectly &c. and S. Paul to the Ephesians , state succincti lumbos vestros in veritate : stand yee hauing your loynes girded in truth .

Now to haue our loynes girded , doth signify two thinges , first the vertue of chastity , secondly a promptitude or readines to meet with Christ , whether he come to the particuler or generall iudgement . Aug. lib. de contientia . Loco citat . The first sense is admitted by S. Basil in his exposition of the first chapter of the prophet Isaias , by S. Augustine and S. Gregory : and truly amongst all the passions and perturbations of the mynde no one doth so much hinder our swift and ready passadge to meet with Christ , as the concupiscence of the flesh ; as on the other side nothing maketh a man more ready to runne and follow Christ , then doth virginall chastity , Apoc. ca. 14. 1. Cor. 7. for we read in the Apocalips , that the Virgins doe follow Chris● whersoeuer he shall goe : to this doth S. Paul exhort vs saying , qui sine vxore est &c. He who is without a wife is careful of those thinges which concerne our Lord how he may please God , but he who is with his wife is carefull how he may please his wife , & is deuided .

But the other exposition which doth not restraine and limit these girded loyns to chastity alone , but extendeth it to prompt obedience of Christ in al thinges , is of S. Cyprian , Lib. de exhor. Mart. cap. 8. and is generally admitted by all Commentours on S. Lukes Gospell● the meaning then of this place of th● Ghospell is , that all the affaiers of this world , albeit very good and necessary , should not so farre forth possesse our myndes , as that they should hinder this chiefest & most principall care of being ready to meet our Sauiour when he shall call vs by death to yield an account of all our workes , yea also of our words , and thoughts , euen our idle words , & vayne cogitations . For what shall men wholy drowned in the world at that tyme doe when death at vnawares and not looked or prouided for , shall come , who in the whole course of their life haue neuer thought of giuing an account vnto God of all their workes , of all their wordes , of all their thoughts , of all their desires , of all their omissions ? shall such , think you , be able to haue their loynes girt , & runne to meet with Christ ? Or rather shall they not be tossed & entangled in their filthy life , and become both dumbe and desperate ? What wil they answere to the Iudge when he shall demaund of them , why did you not giue eare vnto my wordes by which I warned you , saying : Seeke first for the Kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof , and all these thinges shall be giuen vnto you ? why did you not consider the words so often and so publickly song and sayd in the Church , Martha , Martha , sollicita es &c. Martha , Martha , thou art carefull and troubled about many things , but one is necessary , Mary hath chosen the best part which shall not be taken from her ? If I haue reprehended the care of Martha , who most deuoutly desired to serue my selfe , doe you thinke that your care of gathering superfluous riches , of greedy gaping after dangerous honours , of satisfying your hurtfull appetites , and in th● meane tyme forgetting the Kingdom● of God , and the righteousnes thereof , which aboue al things in this life is most necessary , can please & content me ?

But let vs come to another duty of a diligent and faithfull seruant , & lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris , and burning candles in yours hands : it is not inoug● for a good seruant that his loynes be gir● whereby he may freely and without le● runne to meet with his Lord , but it i● further exacted of him that there be also a burning candle in his hands , which may shew him the way in the night , at what tyme his Lord is expected to return● from this marriage feast . The candle in this place signifyeth the law of God , which sheweth vs indeed a good way to walke in : Lucerna ( sayth Dauid ) pedibus meis verbum tuum . Psal. 111. Thy word is a candle to my feet : and lex lux , sayth Salomon in his Prouerbes , Prouer. 6. the law is a light ; but this candle giueth no light to a traueller , or sheweth any way at al if it be left at home or in our chamber , and therefore if we will haue it to shew vs the way , we must cary it in our hands : many there be that know the diuine and humane lawes ; but therefore they commit many sinnes and pretermit many necessary good workes , because they cary not this candle in their hands , that is , they apply not their knowledge vnto the workes of the law . How many great learned men are there who commit most grieuous offences because in their actions they take not direction from the law of God , but are transported by their owne anger lust , or some other disordinate passion of their mynd ? When King Dauid saw Bersabee naked , had he recurred to this law , he had found , Non concupisces vxorem proximi tui , thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife , and had neuer falne into such an enormous crime , but because he made no further recourse then to the womans beauty , fogetting the law of God , though otherwise a very iust & holy man , he committed adultery . We must not then haue this candle hid and shut vp in our chamber , but must still haue it in our handes , & obey the voyce of the holy Ghost , which commaundeth vs that we meditate day and night on the law of our Lord , Psal. 1. and that we say with the Prophet ; Tu mandasti &c. Psal. 118. Thou hast commaunded thy commaundements most diligently to be kep● I would to God my wayes may be directed to keep thy iustifications . He who hath alwayes the candle of Gods law before the eyes of his soule , Psal. 118. will securely meet with our Sauiour at his retourne from the marriage .

There remayneth the third office or duty of a faithfull seruant , that he alwayes watch , because he is vncertayne when his maister will come : Blessed are those seruants ( saith Christ ) whome their maister when he shall come shall fynde watching . God Almighty would not haue all men at a certeyne tyme or period of their age to depart this life , least they should bestow all the tyme of their life til then in gluttony and drunkennes , plaies and desportes , or in other ill works , and then , afterwards a little before their death to recal themselues & retourne vnto God : wherefore his diuine prouidence hath so ordeyned that nothing should be more vncerteyne then the houre of our death , whiles some as we see dye in their mothers wombe , others as soone as they are borne , if not in their very birth , some in hoary old age , others in the very flower of their youth : againe some we see by long lingring to languish away , others to dye sodenly , some to recouer from a most desperate sicknes , others to be but a little sicke & whiles they seeme free from death , the disease increaseth and they depart this life : and to make vs the better see this vncertaynty our Sauiour sayd ; Et si venerit &c. Luc. 12. If he shall come in the second watch , or if in the third watch , & so shall fynd his seruants ( to wit watching ) blessed are those seruants , for know you this that if the maister of the house shold know at what houre the theefe would come , truly he would watch and not suffer his house to be ransacked ; and be you prepared because the Sonne of man will come at such an hower as you thinke not on . Moreouer that we might vnderstand of what weight this matter is , to be well perswaded of the vncertainty of our life , & of the houre in which our Lord will call vs to iudgement , eyther in the death of euery particuler , or else at the later day , the Scripture doth repeate nothing so often as that one word Vigilate , watch ; and the similitude of a theefe , who vseth not as you know to come , but at such a tyme and place , where and when he is least expected ; the word watch is in many places repeated in the Ghospells of S. Mathew , Marke and Luke , and the similitude of a thiefe is not only in the Gospels but also in the Epistles of the Apostles & Apocalyps of S. Iohn .

Of all which we may euidently perceaue how great the negligence and ignorance , not to say madnes and folly of most men is , that so often admonished by the spirit of truth , by the pens of the Apostles , who could not lye nor deceaue vs , that we be still prepared for death as a thing most great and difficult , and on which dependeth our greatest and euerlasting happines , or our greatest and euerlasting destruction ; and yet that there be so few that are stirred vp by these wordes or rather thunderings of the holy Ghost to prepare themselues thereunto .

Heer some will say , what counsaile do you giue vs that we may watch as we should , and by watching be prepared to make a happy end ? I can thinke of nothing better then that we often prepare our selues to death by a serious and due examination of our conscience : and truly Catholike people when they come euery yeare to confession omit not to examine their consciences , and againe when they begin to be sicke ; and the Phisitians by the decree of Pope Pius V. are forbidden to come the second tyme vnto them vnlesse after the examination of their conscience they haue also made a confession of their syns ; finally there are none in the Catholike Church , but neere the hower of their death examine their consciences and confesse their synnes . But what shall we say of such as are taken away by soden death ? What of such as become mad or leese their witts before they can make their confession ? What of those who are so ouerburthened with the extremity of sicknes as they cannot so much as thinke how many , or what sins they haue committed ? What of those who in dying do synne , or in synning doe dye , as those who fight in vniust warre , or in single combat , or are taken in adultery ?

To auoid therefore prudently and religiously these and the like inconueniences , nothing better can be deuised then that all those who esteeme and make account of their saluation , do twice euery day , to wit at noone and night diligently discusse their conscience , what the night or day before they haue done , what they haue sayd , what they haue desired , what they haue thought , in which any spot of synne may be found ; and if they fynd any such , especially any thing that may seeme a mortall synne , let them not delay the remedy of true contrition , with firme purpose at the first opportunity to come to the Sacrament of pennance ; wherefore let them aske of God the gift of true compunction and sorrow , let them call to mynde the grieuousnes of synne , let them detest from their hart the fault committed , let them seriously discusse who it is that doth offend , & whome he hath offended , to wit a vile wretch Almighty God , an vnprofitable seruant the Lord of heauen and earth ; let not their eyes cease from teares , nor their hands from knocking their brest , and finally let them make a true and resolute purpose neuer more to prouoke Gods wrath , nor to offend their most louing Father . This examination if it be well made morning and euening , or at least once in the day , it can very hardly happen that any one in dying should synne , or in synning dye , or be preuented with giddines , madnes or other like misfortunes , and so being well prepared to dye , neyther the vncertainty can hurt vs , or we be depriued of the glorious reward of euerlasting life .

CHAP. V. Of the fifth precept or rule of the Art of dying well ; in which is detected the errour of the Rich men of this world .

TO that which hath been sayd we are to adioyne the refutation of a certeyne errour very vulgar amongst the rich men of this world , and it much hindereth the good life and death we haue spoken of . The errour consisteth in this that rich men do esteeme the goods which they possesse to be absolutely and truly their owne , if they possesse them by due clayme & tytle , and therefore that they may lawfully wast them , giue them as they list , neyther may any man say vnto them why do you thus ? Why go yo● so braue in apparell ? Why do you fa●● and feast so daintely ? Why are you so prodigall and lauish in feeding doggs o● hawkes , or in play at d●ce or cardes , o● in like delighting pastimes ? For the will forth with answere you , what 〈◊〉 that to you ? May I not do with my●● owne goods what I list ? or must I ask●● your leaue and counsaile how to bestow them ? This truly is a most grieuous and pernicious errour . For suppose the rich of this world are true owners of their owne wealth , if they be compared vnto other men who can lay no claim vnto them ; yet if they be compared vnto God , they are not maisters but administratours , o● stewards or bayliffs of them ; which I ca● proue by many authorityes . Heare the kingly Prophet what he saith hereof , Psal. 23. Domini est terra ( saith he ) &c. The earth is " our Lords , and all the plenty thereof , the whole world and all that dwell therin . And againe in another place : Psal. 29. Meae sunt omnes &c. All the wild beasts of the forests , and all the cattle on the mountaynes are myne , if I shall be hungry I will not tell it vnto thee , for myne is the whole world and the plenty therof : & in the first book of Paralipomenon , when as Dauid had offered towards the building of the temple three thousand talents of gold , 1. Paralip. 29. and seuen thousand talents of most pure siluer , and wonderfull great store of white marble , and when the other Gouernours of the Tribes following the example of the King had offered fiue talents of gold ten of siluer , & eighteene of brasse , besides a hundred thousand talents of iron , Dauid sayd vnto God : Tua est Domine &c. All maiesty and power and glory O Lord is thyne , 1. Paralip. 29. all things which are in heauen & in earth are thyne ; thine is the Kingdom and thou art ouer all Princes ; thyne are riches , and thine is glory , thou rulest all : who am I , and who is my people that we may promise thee all these things ? All things are thyne , and what we haue receaued at thy hands , that we haue giuen thee . Againe by the Prophet Aggaeus God saith , Aggaei 2. myne is siluer , and myne is gold , which therefore our Lord did say , that the people might know that there should nothing be wanting for the buylding of the temple , seing it was he that commaunded it to be buylt who is true Lord and owner of all the gold and siluer , and what else soeuer is in the whole world .

To these testimonyes of the old testament I wil add two more of the new , taken out of the very wordes of our Sauiour . There is a parable in S. Luke of the wicked Bailiffe : Luc. 16. Homo quidam erat diues &c. There was a certayne man that was rich ( saith Christ ) and he had a bailiffe who was ill spoken of to his maister , as one that had wasted his goods , and he called him and sayd vnto him , How comes it that I heare this of thee ? Render an account of thy bailifship , for thou canst no more be bailiffe . By this rich man there can be no doubt but that God is meant , who , as now out of Aggaeus we haue heard saith meum est argentum & meum est aurum , all siluer and gold is myne : by the name of a bailiffe or steward as it is in the Greeke copyes , is vnderstood a rich man , as the holy Fathers S. Iohn Chrysostome , S. Angustine , S. Ambrose , S. Bede , Theophilact , Euthimius , and others on this passage of Saint Lukes Gospell doe interprete : euery rich man then of this world if he belieue the Ghospell , must confesse that all the riches he enioyeth , whether by iust or vniust claime , not to be his owne ; for if his tytle vnto them be good , then is he only the bailiffe and steward of God : if vniust then is he a theefe & a robber .

That this worldly rich man in this world is not the true maister of the goods he possesseth is cleerly euinced , because he is chardged with iniustice before God , who eyther by bodily death , or beggary dischargeth him of his Bailiffeship , for so much doe these wordes import , Redde rationem villicationis tuae , iam enim non poteris villicare , Yield an account of thy bailiffeship for thou canst no longer be bailiffe . Neyther doth God want wayes to make rich men poore , and to put them from their bailiffeship , for he can send them shipwarcks , robberies , haile , wormes that deuoure the herbes , and vynes , too much rayne , too much droth , too great stormes , and other the like : these are the words of God which h●● sayd vnto the rich man non poteris diutiu● villicare , thou canst no longer be bailiffe

That clause in the end of th● parable where our Lord sayth , Make y●● frendes of the mammon of iniquity , that when y●● faile they may receaue you into the eternall tabernacles ; doth not signify that we are to giu● almes out of vnlawfull riches , but tha● almes are to be giuen out of those riche● which indeed are not such , but only th● shadow of riches ; which is euidently g●thered out of the same place of the Go●pell of S. Luke where our Sauiour sayth If you haue beene vnfaithfull in the wicked mammon who will trust you for that which is the true The meaning of which wordes is , Luc. 16. if 〈◊〉 wicked mammon , to wit in false riches , yo● haue not beene faithfull and bountifully bestowed them on the poore , who wil● commit true riches vnto your charge , the riches I meane of vertue which indeed doe make a man rich ? Cyprian . lib. de opere & eleemosyna . Aug. Quaest. Euang. quaest. 34. So S. Cypria● vnderstood and explicated this place : and not much vnlike is the exposition of S. Augustine when he sayth , the mammon of iniquity , is that riches which only wicked men and fooles repute for such ; whereas the good & wise men make no account of it , but affirme the spirituall gifts of grace alone to be the treasure of the faithful .

The other place of the Gospell is also in S. Luke , Cap. 16. which may serue for a commentary of the former parable now mentioned of the wicked Bailiffe : Homo quidam ( sayth our Sauiour ) erat diues &c. There was a certayne rich man who was clad in purple and silke , and fared euery day sumptuously , and there was a certayn beggar called Lazarus who did lye at his gate full of soares , desiring to be fed with the crumms that fel from the table of the rich man , & no body did giue them vnto him , but the dogs did come & licke his soares , and it came to passe that the poore man dyed and was caryed by the Angells into Abrahams bosome , and the rich man dyed & was buryed in hel . Doubtles this rich glutton was one of them who esteemed themselues true Lords and owners of their riches , and not the bailiffs or stewards of God , and consequently he was perswaded that he did not synne against God although he wore purple and silke and fared euery day daintily , and fed many doggs , and perhaps some Comicall iesters & stage-plaiers also , for he sayd 〈◊〉 himselfe I spend myne owne goods , 〈◊〉 doe no man wrong , I doe not transgres●● the lawes of God , I doe not blaspheme● I doe not forsweare my selfe , I keepe t● sabboth , I honour my parents , I neyth● kil nor commit adultery , nor steale , nor gi●● false witnes , nor seeke after another m● wife , or any other thing of his ; but if t●● case stand thus , why is he buried in he● fire ? truly heere we must needes grant a● such to be in errour who perswade the● selues that they are the absolute Lords maisters of their goods , for if this r● glutton had , had other synnes more normous , the holy Scripture some w●● or other had insinuated so much ; but s●ing that nothing is said more , it seem● necessarily to be vnderstood of this , w●● that the superfluous setting himselfe forth in braue apparell , his daily and great cost in banquetts , the number o● his retinew , and dogges , togeather wit● his want of all charity towards a poo● man full of sores , to haue beene a sufficient cause why he is buried in hell , for euer to be tormented in those euerlastin● flames .

Let this then be the infallible law of liuing and dying well , often to thinke and seriously to consider and ruminate in our mynde , that there is an account to be made to God of all superfluous cost bestowed in pallaces , in gardens , in coaches , in multitude of attendants , in costly apparell , in banquetts , in heaping vp of riches , and all other whatsoeuer not necessary expenses , by which means there is iniury done to the great number of poore and sicke people who want that , with which the other are surchardged , who doubtles do now cry vnto Almighty God , and will not cease in the day of Iudgement to cry , vntill these also be deliuered ouer for euer , to be punished in vnquenchable fier .

CHAP. VI. Of the sixth precept of the Art of dying well , in which are explicated three Morall Vertues .

ALBEIT the three Theological vertues conteyne as it were in a short abridgement all the precepts of good life , and consequently also of this whole Art , yet the holy Ghost principall Authour of of all diuine Writ , for the better vnderstanding of this most vholsome Art o● dying well would further add , three m●rall vertues which exceedingly do help , man to liue and dye well , and these a 〈◊〉 Sobriety , Iustice , and Piety , of all whic● S. Paul speaketh in this manner in his Epistle to Titus : Tit. 2. Apparruit gratia Dei Saluator nostri omnibus hominibus &c. The grace o● God our Sauiour hath appeared vnto 〈◊〉 men , instructing vs that we renounci●● impiety , and secular desires do liue soberly , iustly , and prou●ly in this world expecting the blessed hope & commin● of the glory of the great God , an● of our Sauiour Iesus Christ . This the●● shall be the sixt rule of this Art , that w● renouncing impiety and secular desires , do liue soberly , iustly , and piously in this world . Here we haue the summe and effect of all Gods law , with admirable breuity contracted into one short sentence : Declina à malo , & fac bonum , Decline from euill and doe good , saith the holy Prophet Dauid . Psal. 36. In synne there are two things , an aduersion from God , and conuersion vnto creatures ; according to that of Hieremy : Duo mala &c. Hierem. 20 Two euills my people haue done me ; they haue left me the springe , or fountayne of liuely waters , and haue digged for themselues cesternes which can hold no water . What then is he to do who will auoid both the one and other euill ? He will renounce impiety and secular desires . For impiety turnes him from God , and secular desires draw him to the creatures , and then ( which apperteyneth vnto the other part of doing good ) doe we fulfill the law , when we liue soberly , iustly , and piously , that is , when we are sober towards our selues , iust towards our neighbours , and pious towards God .

But it will not be amisse to handle these points more largely , that this most wholesome and briefe precept may the better be put in practise : what then is impiety ? A vice contrary to piety . What is piety ? A vertue or gift of the holy Ghost by which we regard God , worship him , & reuerence him as our Father . We are therefore commaunded so to renounce impiety , that we may liue piously in this world , or which is all one , so to liue piously i● this world as we renounce all impiety : bu● why are both these members set downe when as one alone had been sufficient Truly it pleased the holy Ghost so 〈◊〉 speake , to the end we should know th● we ought ( if we will please God ) so t● imbrace piety as that it haue no admixture of impiety with it : for there wa● not Christians who imbrace piety whiles they pray vnto God , whiles the● are present at the dreadfull sacrifice● whiles they heare the Priest to preac● but in the meane tyme , at their pl●● they blaspheme God , they sweare by hi● name without occasion , and fulfill no● the vowes which they haue made vnto him : and what is this else then piously to worship God , and yet to be impious against him ? Wherefore such as desire 〈◊〉 liue wel that they may obteyn that grace at Gods hands as to dye wel , ought so piously to worship God that they renounce all impiety , yea euery shadow although neuer so little of impiety , for it auaileth little to heare Masse euery day , & to worship Christ in that dreadfull mystery if in the meane while thou do impiously blasphem God , or sweare falsly by his name .

And this also is diligently to be noted , that the Apostle sayd not , renouncing impiety in generall , but omnem impietatem : that is all manner of impiety great or small , damnable or light , which is spoken against them who make it a small matter to sweare when there is no need , to looke with a wanton and lasciuious eye vpon women , euen in holy places , to talke in the tyme of Masse , & to commit other the like lighter offences as if they did not beliue God to be present to see all things & to note all their faults although neuer so small . Exod. 20. For God is a iealous God , chastizing the iniquity of the parents on their children vntill the third and fourth generation of such as haue hated him ; and on the other side , he sheweth mercy on thousands to such as loue him and keepe his commandements . And this did the sonne of God teach vs by his own example , who although he were both meeke and humble , and when he was reuyled , did not reuyle , when he suffered he did not threaten , 1. Pet. 2. yet kindled with great zeale hauing made a whippe of coards he cast the buyers and sellers out of the temple , Ioan. 2. ouerthrew the bankers tables and sayd : It is written that my howse is 〈◊〉 howse of prayer , and you haue made it a denne o● theeues : and this he did twice , once in th● first yeare of his preaching as S. Iohn reco●deth , and once in the last , as all the oth● three Euangelists do testify .

Let vs proceed to the second vertue which directs our actions toward our neighbour . The second vertue is Iustice , of which the Apostle sayd , Renounci● secular desires let vs liue iustly ; and heere al● that generall sentence taketh place , decli● à malo & fac bonum , decline from euill a● do good : for there can be no true iustic● towards our neighbour where those secular desires do yet remayne ; for wh● else do these desires signify but the conc●piscence of the flesh , the concupiscenc● of the eyes , and pride of life , which ar● not of God but of the world ? Therefore as iustice cannot be vniust , so neyther can these desires be any way conioyned wit● true iustice . A child of this world ma● counterfeyt in word and toung true iustice , but indeed and truth he cannot possibly performe it ; most prudently therefore did the Apostle not only say , let vs liue iustly , but promised before , abnegantes saecularia desideria , renouncing secular desires , to signify that the root infected with the poyson of concupiscence , is first to be pulled out , before the good tree of iustice can be planted in a vertuous & Religious hart .

What it is to liue iustly , seemes a matter of it selfe so perspicuous , as it cannot be doubted of , for all men know that iustice doth commaund , Rom. 13. that we giue to euery man his owne : reddite ( sayth the Apostle ) omnibus debita &c. Yield you vnto al that which is due vnto them ; to whom tribute , tribute ; to whome custome , custome ; to whome feare , feare ; to whom honour , honour . Tribute is due vnto the Prince , honour to our parents , Malach. 1. feare to our maisters : for so God sayth by the prophet Malachy ; If I be a Father , where is my honour ? And if I be a Lord or a maister , where is my feare ? A iust price is due to the seller , a iust reward to the workeman , and so of others after the same manner ; and with no lesse reason but rather with much more those vnto whome the distribution of the common goods of a Kingdome or common wealth pertayne ought to bestow the same according to the prescript of distributiue iustice , to such I meane as deserue them best , not according to the acception of persons , as vnto their kinsfolkes , and such as they affect and fauour . If any I will then learne well this art , let him heare the Wiseman thus calling vpon men of authority in the beginning of his booke ; Sap. 1. Loue iustice you who iudge the earth . And let them heare S. Iames lamenting in his Epistle : Behold the reward of the workemen who haue reaped your ground which is defrauded by you , Iacob . 5. doth cry , and their cry hath entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabbaoth .

There remayneth the third vertu● vnto which these secular desires are no lesse contrary then vnto iustice ; neyther do we vnderstand in this place by Sobriety that vertue only which is contrary to drunkennes , but in generall the vertue of Temperance or moderation which make a man to measure these things which concerne the care or preseruation of his body by the rule of reason , and not according to his sensuall desire : and this vertue is rarely found amongst men : for secular desires seeme to haue filled all the houses of rich men , but those who are wise are not to looke vnto that which fooles do , although they be neuer so many & almost innumerable , but vnto that which wise men do . Doubtles Salomon was a most wise man , Prouer. 30. and yet he made this prayer vnto God saying , Duo rogaui te &c. Two things I haue prayed for that thou wouldest not deny me before I dye , to wit , that thou neyther graunt me beggary or riches , but those things only giue me which are necessary for my life . 1. Tim. 6. S. Paul was also a wise man , and yet he sayd : Habentes &c. Hauing wherewith to couer our nakednes , let vs be contented : for we brought nothing into this world , & without doubt neyther can we cary any thing hence . Which reason is most witty , for why shold we take such immoderate care for superfluous riches , seeing we cannot cary them with vs to that place vnto which by death we come vnto ? Christ our Lord was not only wiser then Salomon and S. Paul , but was very wisdome it selfe , & yet he sayd . Luc. 6. Luc. 9.19 . Deut. Blessed be the poore , and woe be to you that be rich : And of himselfe he sayd : The foxes haue holes , and the fowles of the ayre nests , but the sonne of man hath not where to repose his head . If euery word is to stand in the verdict of two or three witnesses , how much more ought it to stand in the verdict of these three most wise men ? What if we should yet adde that the riches which we haue more then our necessityes require are not our own , but are the substance of the poore as is the common opinion of holy Father and schoole Doctours ? are not then suc● men very fooles who with so great diligence keep that , for which by God himselfe they shall be condemned to hell fire ?

He then who will learne this ar● of liuing and dying wel , let him not imitate the multitude or common people who belieue or esteem nothing but wh● they see ; but let him follow Christ an● his Apostles , who in word and deed hau● taught vs that the things of this world are to be contemned , and that we are to expect , The great hope and comming of the glory of the great God , and of our Sauiour Iesus Christ . Truly the thing is so great which w● hope for at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ from heauen vnto iudgment , that al the glory & al the riches , & al the ioyes past of this world are in respect therof to be esteemed nothing , or as though they had neuer beene , and they are to be held most foolish and most vnhappy who in a matter of this consequence will rather giue credit vnto fooles , then vnto wise men .

CHAP. VII . Of the seauenth precept of the Art of dying well , which is of Prayer .

OVT of that which hitherto hath beene sayd , we haue drawne the precepts of dying well from the three theologicall vertues Faith , hope and charity , and also from three morall , Sobriety , iustice and piety , of all which the Apostle Saint Paul hath admonished vs : now I will further adioyne another precept of three other workes of vertue , of prayer , fasting and almes , which we haue learned of the Angell Raphael , for we read in the booke of Toby , the Angell to haue spoken in this manner : Prayer is good with fasting & almes , and better then to heape vp treasures of gold . And this threefold number of these works is the frute of three vertues , of Religion , of mercy , of temperance , which haue great resemblance with piety , iustice , and sobriety before mentioned : for as piety concerneth God , iustice our neighbour , sobriety our selues ; So prayer which is an act of religion respecteth God , almes which is an act of mercy respecteth our neighbour , fasting which is an act of abstinence respecteth our selues . Of Prayer many Authours haue written many things , we for our present purpose will explicate three only ; one of the necessity of prayer , another of the vtilityes , and the third of the manner how we may fruitfully make it .

The necessity of prayer is so euident and perspicuous in the Scriptures as tha● nothing can be more cleerly commaunded or deliuered then the same : for notwithstanding that God do know what we want , as he sayth of himselfe in Saint Matthew , yet will he haue vs to demaund them & receaue them as it were by spirituall hands , or some instrument fit for that purpose . Luc. 18. Heare our Lord in S. Luke We must alwayes pray and neuer cease . Againe , Watch ye praying at all tymes . Heare S. Paul , Pray without intermission . Luc. 21. 1. Thess. 5. Eccles. 18. Heare Ecclesiasticus : Be not stopped from continuall prayer . Which precepts or commaunds do not import that we should do nothing else but pray , but that we should neuer forget this most wholesome exercise , but very often haue recourse thereunto , which both our Lord and his Apostles by their example haue taught vs ; for Christ and his Apostles did not so alwayes pray , but that they bestowed some tyme in teaching the people , and in confirming their doctrine with signes , and miracles ; and yet they may be sayd alwayes to haue beene in prayer , because they did pray very often : and other phrases in the Scripture of like tenour are to be vnderstood in the same manner , as , My eyes are alwayes on our Lord , Psal. 24. and his prayse is alwayes in my mouth , Psal. 33. and that of the Apostles , they were alwayes in the temple praysing and blessing our Lord . Luc. 24.

Touching the vtilityes of prayer three are most eminent , to wit , merit , satisfaction , and impetration : of merit we haue the testimony of our Lord in the Ghospell , Cùm oratis &c. When you pray , you shall not be like hypocrites who affect to pray standing in the synagogs , and in the corners of the streets that they may be seene of men . Amen I say vnto you , that they haue receaued their reward : but thou when thou shalt pray , enter into thy chamber and the dore being shut , pray thy Father in secret , and thy Father who seeth the in secret will reward thee : by whic● words our Sauiour doth not forbid prayers to be made in publicke ; for he himself● did publickly pray before he raised Lazarus , Ioan. 11. but he forbiddeth a man to pray i● publike when he doth it with intentio● be seene of many , to wit out of the desir● of vaine glory : for else we may pray i● the temple , and therein also fynde th● chamber of our hart , and in that chamber pray vnto our Father in secret : thes● wordes , reddet tibi , will repay or rewar● thee , do signify merit . For as before h● sayd of the Pharisee , recepit mercedem suam , he hath receaued his reward , to wit , humane prayse ; so of him who prayeth in the chamber of his hart , regarding God alone is to be vnderstood this repayment , to wit , that he so shall receaue his reward from his Father who seeth him in secret . Of satisfaction for our syns past , it is euident by the practise of the Church , in which when any satisfaction is imposed , with almes & fasting is conioyned prayer , yea oftentymes almes and fasting are not enioyned , but prayer is neuer omitted ; lastly that it is impetratory , or of force to obteyn vs many great blessings & benefits , S. Iohn Chrysostome doth excellenly declare in two books which he wrote of this subiect , in which he vseth the similitude of our hands : for as a man is borne weake , naked , and needy of all thinges , and yet cannot complaine of his Creatour , because he hath giuen him hands , which are the instrument of instruments , by which a man may prouide for himselfe meat , clothes , a howse , armour and what else soeuer ; so a spirituall man can do nothing without the help of God , but he hath the vertue of prayer , the instrument of all spirituall instruments , by which he may obteyne whatsoeuer he shall want , or be in need of .

Besides these three principall fruites , there are very many other : for first prayer doth illuminate or lighten our mynd ; for it cannot otherwise be , but that he who fixeth fast the eyes of his mynd on God who is all light , but that he be lightened , accedite ad eum ( sayth Dauid ) & illuminamini : Psal. 33. come you vnto him and be lightned . Againe prayer doth nourish our hope and confidence , for by how much the more often we speake vnto one , by so much the more confidently do we confidently com● vnto him : thirdly it enflameth our charity and maketh our mynd more capabl● to receaue greater gifts as S. Augustine dot● affirme : Lib. 2. de serm dom. in monte cap. 7. fourthly it increaseth humilit● and chast feare , for he who commeth t● pray , perceaues himselfe to be a beggar o● God , and therefore is wont with all humility to appeare in his sight , and most diligently to take heed least he offend him whose help in all thinges he doth want . Fifthly prayer engenders in the mynde of the maker the contempt of all temporall things , for it cannot possibly be , bu● that all earthly thinges must seeme base and filthy vnto him , who daily contemplateth those things which are heauenly and euerlasting : Cap. 1. & 10. see S. Augustine in the 9. booke of his Confessions . Sixthly it begetteth incredible delight , when as by the same a man beginneth to tast how sweet our Lord is , which sweetnes how great it is , from hence we may gather , that we haue knowne many not only to haue bestowed the whole night , but to haue ioyned whole dayes with whole nights without any difficulty in prayer . To conclude , besids the profit & pleasure , prayer yeldeth great dignity and honour to the maker ; for the Angells themselues honour that soule which they see so familiarly , and so often to be admitted to the speach of his diuin Maiesty . See S. Iohn Chrysostome in his first booke of prayer .

It remayneth that we say somewhat of the manner how to pray well , in which this art of liuing Well doth chiefly consist , and consequently also of dying Well , for that our Lord sayd , Aske , and ye shall receaue : and euery one who asketh doth receaue , which S. Iames in his Epistle declared to be vnderstood with this condition , If we aske well : You aske ( sayth he ) and do not receaue because you aske ill : out of which rule we may thus discourse , he who asketh well the gift of good life , shall certeinly receaue it , and he who asketh well for the perseuerance of the same vntill death shal doubtles receaue it . Let vs briefly explicate the conditions of good prayer , that we may learne to pray well , to liue well , to dye well .

The first thinge required is Fayth , as witnesseth S. Paul saying ; How shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not belieued ? With whome accordeth Saint Iames : Let him aske in faith without w●uering : Rom. 10. but this necessity of faith is no● so to be taken as though is were necessary for vs certeinly to belieue that Go● will do those things that we desire , Iacob . 1. for 〈◊〉 should our faith be very often found fal● and consequently we should obteyne nothing ; we are therefore to belieue tha● God is most potent , most wise , mos● good , most faithfull , and for that caus● to be able , to know , and to be ready t● doe that which we desire , in case he thinke it fit for himselfe to bestow it , o● expedient for vs to receaue it . Matth. 9. This fait● did Christ require of the two blynd men who desired to be cured ; Do ye belieue that 〈◊〉 am able to do ( this cure ) for you ? With the same faith did Dauid pray for his Childe that was sick ; for that he did not belieue certainly that God would do it , yet belieued he vndoubtedly that God could do it , as these his words do demonstrate : Wh● can tell whether our Lord perhaps may not bestow him vpon me ? 1. Reg. 12. and no doubt but S. Paul prayed with the same faith , that the sting of flesh might be taken from him , for he prayed out of faith , and his fayth had beene falfe , if he had certainly belieued that God would haue graunted him that thinge which then he demanded , for at that tyme he obteyned it not ; neyther doth the Church pray with any other fayth , when she prayeth that all heretikes Pagans , Scismatickes , and ill liuers may be conuerted and doe pennance , and yet it is certayne that all will not be conuerted : Lib. 1. c. 4. of which matter read S. Prosper in his booke of the calling the Gentills .

Another condition of a good prayer and that very necessary is hope or confidence , for albeit we must not determyne absolutely by faith ( which is a worke of our vnderstanding ) that God will doe what we desire him , yet must we by hope and confidence ( which is an action of our will ) stedfastly adhere vnto his diuine goodnes , and certainly confide that he will graunt vs those thinges which we aske him : this condition did our Sauiour require in him who was sicke of the palsey , vnto whome he sayd : Confide fili &c. Haue confidence my sonne , Matth. 9. thy synnes are forgiuen thee : and the same doth the Apostle require of all men when he sayth : Heb. 4. Let vs come with confidence to the throne of his grace , that we may obteyne mercy : and long before him the Psalmist maketh God 〈◊〉 say : Psal. 90. Because he hath hoped in me I wil deliuer hi● & because this confidence springeth fro● perfect faith , therefore the Scripture w●● in great matters it requireth faith , addeth commonly something apperteyni●● vnto confidence , and so we read in Sa●● Marke : whosoeuer shall say vnto this mountayne thou taken hence and cast into the sea , Mar. 11. and shall wauer in his hart , but shall belieue that whats●uer he sayth may be done , it shall be done vnto hi● of which fayth begetting confidence , to be vnderstood that of the Apostle : 1. Cor. 13. I● had so great faith as that I were able to remo●● mountaynes . For which cause Cassian in h●● Collation or Conference of prayer wr●teth , Colla. 9. cap. 52. that it is a certein signe of obteyni●● that we wold haue , if any one in his pra●er do certainly confide that he shal recea●● the thinge he asketh for , & doth no w●● stagger , but fyndeth in the same , himse● much moued with spirituall comfort .

The third condition of prayer charity or iustice by which we are iustifyed from our synnes , for none are sure to obteyne the graces and blessings of God but they who are his friendes ; for so sait● Dauid in his psalmes , They eyes of our Lord ar● ouer the iust , Psal. 33. Psal. 65● . and his eares are ( attent ) vnto their prayers : & in another place , If I haue looked vpon iniquity in my hart , our Lord will not heare me : Ioan. 15. and in the new testament Christ doth say : If you shall abide in me and my wordes ( that is my commaundements ) remayne in you , you shall aske whatsoeuer you to wil and it shall be done for you . And the beloued disciple : 1. Ioan. 3. If our hart reprehend vs not , we haue confidence in God , and whatsoeuer we shall aske , we shall receaue , because we keep his commaundements , and doe those things which are pleasing before him . Neyther doth it contradict this doctrine that the publican crauing pardon of God for his sinnes returned iustifyed ; for this remission a penitent synner doth obteyne , not as he is a synner , but as he is penitent , for as he is a synner he is the enemy of God , but as he is penitent he entreth into his friendship . He who synneth doth that which displeaseth God , whome it grieueth to haue offended , and doth that which is most pleasing vnto him .

The fourth condition is humility , whereby he that doth pray relyeth not on his owne righteousnes , Isay 66. but on Gods mercy . Whome shall I regarde ( sayth God ) but the poore & contrite in spirit , & him that reuerenceth my wordes ? Eccles. 35. And Ecclesiasticus addeth : The prayer of him who humbleth himselfe shall pierce the clowdes , and it shall not depart vntill the highest do behold it .

The fifth condition is deuotion , which causeth him that doth pray , not to pray negligently as many vse to do , but attentiuely , carefully , diligently , and feruently . Matt. 15. Our Lord doth grieuously checke such who do pray only with their lipps , This people honoureth me with their lipps but their hart is farre from me ; this deuotion we speak of ariseth from a liuely faith , and such as is not only in habit but in act also and operation ; for he who attentiuely and with firme faith doth ponder , how great the maiesty of God is , how great our profit how great the thing which we aske , i● cannot otherwise be , but that he wil● come to his prayers with deep humility reuerence , deuotion , and fauour .

It will not be amisse heere to se● downe two notable testimonyes of the holy Fathers . S. Hierome in his dialogue against the Luciferians : Ad orationem assisto &c. I stand at my prayer ; I would not pray vnlesse I did belieue . But in case I did truly belieue , I would make cleane that hart with which God is seene , I would knocke my brest with my hands , I would water my cheeks with teares , I would tremble in body , wax pale in visage , I would lye prostrate at my Lordes feet , and with weeping bedew them , I would wype them with my haire , I would sticke fast to the crosse & would hot thence till I had obteyned mercy ; but now very often in my prayer I walke through the galleryes , or cast vp the accounts of vsury ; or caried away with a filthy thought do thinke on those things , which cannot without shame be spoken . Where is our faith ? Do we think that Ionas prayed thus ? That thus the three children ? That thus Daniel amongst the lyons ? Or that thus the thiefe on the crosse ? So he . And S. Bernard in his sermon of the foure wayes of praying sayth : Omnino nos opor●et &c. It is altogeather necessary that in ●he tyme of prayer we do enter into the court of Heauen , that Court truly in which the King of Kings sitteth in his throne of starres , compassed about with an innumerable and vnspeakable army of Blessed spiritts : with how great reuerence then , with how great feare , with how great humility ought a base little frog , going forth and creeping out of his puddle appeare in that place ? How trembling , how suppliant , how humble and solicitous , & how with all his mynd attentiue ought a poore wretched man to stand before the maiesty of glory , in the presence of Angells , in the Councell and congregation of the iust ? Truly in all our actions there is great need of watch and vigilancy , bu● especially in our prayers .

The sixth condition is perseuerance , which our Lord in two Parables hat● commended vnto vs in S. Luke ; Luc. 11. the first i● of him who went at midnight to his friend and requested that he would lend him three loaues , Luc. 18. who although he were often reiected because it was at an vnseasonable tyme , yet perseuering in his demaund , he got what he desired ; the s●cond is of the widdow that called vpo● the Iudge that he would deliuer her from her enemy ; which Iudge although he were a very bad man , and neyther feared God or respected man , yet ouercom● with the perseuerance and importunity of the woman , deliuered her from he● aduersary ; out of which our Sauiour maketh this collection , that much more are we to perseuere in prayers vnto God , who is both iust and merciful , Iacob . 1. & as Saint Iames doth adde , giueth vnto all men abundantly and vpbraideth not ; That is , he giueth liberally to all such as aske his gifts and neuer vpbraideth their importunity in that they are too troublesome vnto him in asking , for God is without measure rich , without measure mercifull . S. Augustine hereunto doth add in the explication of the last verse of the sixt Psalme on those wordes , Blessed be God who hath not remoued my prayer and his mercy from me , sayth : If thou shalt perceaue that thy prayer is not remoued , be secure , because his mercy is not remoued from thee .

CHAP. VIII . Of the eight precept of the Art of dying well , which is of fasting .

IT followeth that briefly now we speake of fasting according to the method obserued by the Angell , and omitting many things which Deuines dispute of in this matter , we will only bring that which maketh to the matter in hand . Our purpose is only so far forth to touc● the art of liuing well , as it maketh wa● to the other art of wel dying , & to this ar● these three things may seeme to suffic● which we haue spoken of prayer ; the n●cessity of fasting doth depend vpon a tw● fold law , Diuine and Humane : of th● Diuine , Ioel. 1. Ioel is witnes , who in the perso● of God sayth : Be you conuerted vnto me with 〈◊〉 your hart in fasting , weeping , and mourning ; 〈◊〉 the same we haue from Ionas the Prophet who testifyeth , the Niniuites , to the en● they might please God , to haue preache● fasting , and sack-cloth ; and yet at th● tyme there was not any set law for f●sting : Matth. 6. and the same is gathered out of t●● wordes of our Sauiour in S. Mathew : 〈◊〉 thou doest fast annoint thy head that thou mayst seeme vnto men to be fasting , but to thy Father 〈◊〉 seeth thee in secret , and thy Father who seeth th● in secret , will reward thee .

Let vs alleadge one or two of th● Fathers in this behalfe . S. Augustine thus speaketh in his Epistle to Casulanus : I searching into this matter do see that fasting is commaunded in the Euangelicall and Apostolicall writte , and in the whole book which is called the new Testament , but on what dayes we ought not to fast , or on which we ought , I fynde not eyther by the commaundement of our Lord or his Apostles to be determined . So he . And Saint Leo in his sermon of the fast of the tenth moneth : Serm. 4. Illa quae rerum futurarum figuras gerebant &c. Those thinges which prefigured thinges to come , are at an end when the things which they did prefigure are accomplished , but the grace of the new Testament hath not taken away the vtility of fasting , but with religious obseruance hath imbraced abstinence as profitable vnto the body and soule , for as that still continueth in Christian knowledge , Dominum Deum tuum adorabis , & illi soli seruies , thou shalt adore the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue , and other the like commaundements ; so likewise what is commanded in the same bookes of the sanctifying of fasts , is not shifted of by any glosse . So S. Leo , whose meaning is not that Christians are to fast the same tyme that the Iewes did , but the commandement of fasting deliuered to the Iewes is to be obserued of Christians according to the appointment of those who gouerne the Church , as farre forth as concerneth the tyme & manner ; whic● determination is better knowne vnto al , then that it needeth my declaration : and so much for the necessity of fasting .

As for the fruites & vtilityes of fasting these we shall easily declare : and first of all fasting is most profitabl● to prepare our soule to prayer , and to the contemplation of celestiall things , as the Angell Raphael insinuated when he sayd , prayer is good with fasting thus did Moyses by fasting forty dayes prepare his soule , before he durst aduentur● to come to the speach of Almighty God : so did Elias fast forty dayes that he migh● in such maner as he could , talke with Go● in the mount Horeb : so Daniel by thre● weeks fast was prepared and made fit to receaue the reuelations of God : so th● Church hath appointed fasts on the eue● of the chiefe feasts , that the Christian may be the better disposed to attend 〈◊〉 heauenly things : and auncient Fathers do in many places expresse this vtility of fasting ; let the Reader see Saint Athanasius in his booke of virginity , Saint Basil in his first and second oration of fasting , Saint Ambrose in his booke of Elias and fasting , Saint Bernard in his sermon on the eue of Saint Andrew ; but the wordes of S. Iohn Chrysostome because they are few and excellent I will not omit to recite : Fasting ( fayth see ) is the food of the soule , and maketh it light fethers that it may be carryed aloft , and contemplate most high and supreme things .

Another vtility of fasting is to tame the flesh , and for this respect it greatly pleaseth God that we crucify our flesh with the vices and concupiscences thereof , as the Apostle teacheth in his Epistle to the Galathians , who also for this cause sayd , Galat. 5. I chastise my body and bringe it into subiection , 1. Cor. 9. least whiles I shall preache to others I become reprobate my selfe . For so Saint Chrysostome & Theophilact in their commentaryes expound these wordes of fasting , as also Saint Ambrose in his Epistle to the Church of Versells . This vtility also doe the Fathers extoll : Saint Cyprian in his sermon of fasting , and Saint Basil in his oration of the same , S. Chrysostome in his first homily on Genesis , Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Eustochium of the keeping of virginity , Saint Augustine in his first booke of Confessions the 21. chapter , and the whole Church in the office of the first houre out of the hymne of Saint Ambrose doth sing , carnis terat superbiam potus cibiue parcitas , Let the parsimony of meat & drink tame the prid of the flesh .

The third vtility is to worship God , for God esteemeth it as honour done vn●● him when we fast , for so sayth the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans : 1. Rom. 12. Obsec● vos &c. I beseech you that you yield you● bodyes a liuing sacrifice , holy , pleasing to God , your reasonable seruice , for whic● in the Greek it is 〈◊〉〈◊〉〈◊〉〈◊〉〈◊〉 , Luc. 1. which 〈◊〉 reasonable worship ; and of this worshi● S. Luke speaketh when he sayth of An● the widow , Shee did not depart from the Tē● seruing God day and night in fasting and prayer● and the great Councell of Nice in the fif● canon calleth the fast of Lent a cleane a●● solemne gift that is offered of the Chur● vnto God : and Tertullian speaketh after t●● same manner in his booke of the resurrec●on of the flesh , where he calleth stale & d● meates acceptable sacrifices vnto God : & Saint Leo in his second sermon on the fa● of the 10. moneth , sayth : For the full rece● of all the fruites of the earth the sacrifice of abstinence is most worthily offered to God , the bestowe● of them . Last of all , Saint Gregory in his 16. homily writeth , that by the fast of Lent , are offered vnto God the tythes and first fruites of our life .

The fourth vtility is satisfaction of our synnes , and this first of all doe the examples of holy Scriptur demonstrate : Ioan. 3. the Niniuites as Ionas writeth pacified God by fasting ; 1. Reg. 7. the same did the Iewes who fasting with Samuel asswaged Gods wrath , and got the victory ouer their enemyes : Achab a wicked King by fasting and hair-cloth in part mitigated Gods displeasure against him , Iudith . 4. Hester . 4. the Iewes in the tyme of Iudith and Hester by no other sacrifice then by fasting , weeping , & mourning found mercy with God : this doctrine haue the ancient Fathers alwayes taught . Tertullian in his book of fasting sayth : As first of all the vse of meat did destroy vs , so let fasting make satisfaction vnto God . S. Cyprian : Serm. de lapsis . Orat. 1. de leiunio . Hom. 1. in Genes. Lib. de Elia & ieiunio . Com. ad 3. cap. Ionae . Let vs appease the wrath & offence of God as himself warneth vs with fasting is fruitelesse and vayne : by fasting do thou satisfy God . S. Iohn Chrysostome : God as an indulgent Father hath sound out this cure which is affected by fasting . Saint Ambrose : Fasting is the death of synne , the destruction of vices , the remedy of saluation . Saint Hierome : Haircloth and fasting are the armour of penitents , the helpes of synners . Saint Augustine : Let no man fast for humane prayse , Serm. 60. de tempor . but let him fast to obteyne pardon 〈◊〉 his synnes . Saint Leo affirmed God to be pacifyed with the sacrifice of fasting : & la● of all Saint Bernard : Leo. serm. 4. dé ieiun . 7. mensis Bern. serm. 66. in Cant. I sometymes do make a●stinence , but my abstinence is a satisfaction for 〈◊〉 synnes , not a superstition for impiety .

Finally , the fifth vtility of fastin● is , that it is meritorious , and very much auaileable to obteyne benefits from God Anne the wife of Elcana being barren , by f●sting obteyned a sonne , for so doth Sain● Hierome in his second booke against Io●●nian interpret these wordes of the Scripture : 1. Reg. 1. Porrò illa stebat , & non capiebat cibu● But she wept and tooke no meate , Anna , ( saith this Father ) inanem cibo ventrem , f●lio meruit implere : Anne merited to fill h● belly empty from meate with a Sonn● Sara by three dayes fasting is deliuer● from the Deuil , as is recorded in the boo● of Toby . Tob. 3. And there is a notable place f● the merit of fasting in the Gospell : fo● thus speaketh our Sauiour , Matth. 6. Tu autem cù● ieiunas &c. Bu● when thou doest fast annoynt thy head and wash thy face that thou mayst not seeme to men to fast , and thy Father which seeth thee in secret will repay thee . Where the wordes will repay , signify that he wil pay them their reward , for they are opposed to those other , They disfigure their faces , that they may appeare vnto men to fast ; Amen I say vnto you they haue receaued their reward . So as the hypocrites receaue the reward of their fasting , to wit the prayse and applause of men : and the iust also receaue their reward giuen them ( not by the tongues of the people ) but by the handes of God : neyther doe there want most euident testimonyes of the ancient Saints . S. Iohn the Euangelist being to write his Ghospel , appointed solemne fasting that he might obteyne the grace of writing well , as Saint Hierome auoucheth in the preface of his commentaries on S. Matthew , and out of him Venerable Bede on the first of Saint Iohn : and Tertullian insinuateth the same in his booke of fasting : Fastings do merit of God euen the knowledge of mysteryes ; New maisters . Saint Ambrose in his Epistle to the Church of Versells sayth : Who be these new maisters that will haue no merit to be in fasting ? S. Athanasius ; Whosoeuer is vexed with an vncleane spirit , Ath. lib. d● ieiunio . Bas . or . 1. de ieunio . must be fully perswaded these wicked sprits tormented with fasting to leaue their hold , as fearing the force thereof . Saint Basil : Fasting is profitable both for the eschewing the miseries of this world , & also for the atteyning of the things that be good . S ▪ Gregory Nazianzen explicating with wha● weapons a certayne holy virgin repelle● the Diuell from her , sayth , that she opposed against him the remedy of fastin● and lying on the bare ground . Chry. serm. 1. de ieiun . Saint Ioh● Chrysostome sayth : Fast , because thou hat● synned , fast that thou mayst not sinne , fa●● that thou receaue ( spiritual blessings , ) fa●● that those thinges which thou hast receaued may not be lost . Saint Hierome in hi● booke against Iouinian doth of set purpose dispute and proue the merit of fasting . S. Augustine sayth : serm. 62. Fasting is eyther a remedy or 〈◊〉 reward , that is , eyther is procureth vs pardon o● our synnes , or the reward of the Kingdome of he●uen . Last of all , Saint Leo : By the humility of fasting we doe merit Gods assistanc● agaynst all our enemyes . Ser. 1. de ieiunio 7. mensis .

We haue then the necessity & fruit of fasting : there remayneth only the manner , that we also briefly shew how we are to fast , that our fasting may auayle vs to good life , & thereby also to dye wel . Many there be that doe fast on all the dayes appointed by the Church , to wit , on eues , on ember dayes , and in Lent , and there are some who also voluntatily fast in Aduent , ●●reby deuoutly to prepare themselues 〈◊〉 celebrate the fast of our Sauiours natiuity ; some on euery friday for the memo●● of his passion ; and some on the saturday in the honour of the Blessed Virgin ●nd mother of God : but whether they do 〈◊〉 fast as that they reape the fruites of fasting may well be doubted . The first and principall fruite of fasting is mortification of the flesh , that our spirit may becom more stronge : and to attayne this end it is necessary that we feed on sparing and course diet : and truly our mother the Church insinuateth this when she commandeth vs to eat not twice but one in the day , and to eat not flesh and white meate but hearbes , pease , beames , fish and the like : this Tertullian explicateth in two words when he calleth lenten fare , ser as & aridas escas , stale and dry meates ; Lib. de res . Carnis . ce●teinly they do not obserue this , who when they do fast eate as much at one dinner as in other dayes they do at dinner and supper togeather ; and who in that dinner dresse so many dishes of all sortes of fish and other meates as they seeme not to prepare a dynner for mourners and penitents , but a marriage supper that 〈◊〉 last for a great part of the night , such 〈◊〉 so fast without question reape not 〈◊〉 fruites of fasting .

Neyther in like manner attayne th● this fruit who though they feed not ●daintily but much more moderately , y● on the fasting dayes do no more refra●● from plaies and sportes , from brawlin● & wranglings , from wanton songs & ●centious mirth , & that which is more g●●uous , from synnes & naughtines : then ●pon other dayes which are not faste● heare what the Prophet Isaias sayth 〈◊〉 such fasters : Isay 58. Behold in the day of your fast y● selfe-will is found , and you call all your debters to● count ; behold you fast to make debates and wr●lings and wickedly strike with your fist ; fast no● you haue done hitherto , that your cry may be he●● on high . This kinde of fasting did Go● mislike in the Iewes , because in the f●sting dayes which are dayes of pennan● they would follow their owne wills a● not the will of God , and that they wou●● not only not forgiue their poore debtours , as they desired to be forgiuen o● God , but that they would not so much a● graunt them any respit in the payment ; againe for that the tyme which those who truly fast ought to haue bestowed on prayers vnto God , they bestowed in prophane wrangling and contention : & last of all that not only as was requisite in fasting dayes did not attend vnto spirituall matters , but adding syn to sinne , they did wickedly beate their neighbours & abuse them . Vertuous men must beware and auoyd these and the like offences , if they desire indeed to haue their fasting gratefull vnto God , and profitable vnto themselues that f●om thence they may be able to hope for a good life & a pretious death . There remayneth of the three workes Almes which the Angell Raphael praysed , & proposed vnto all to imitate .

CHAP. IX . Of the ninth precept of the Art of dying well , which is of Almesdeeds .

OF Almesdeeds three things briefly are to be explicated as in the former , the necessity , fruite , and manner . That there is a precept of giuing almes no man hath euer doubted of , for in case we had no ●ther testimony , the sentence of the 〈◊〉 iust & supreame Iudge might abund●ly suffice , who in the last iudgement 〈◊〉 say vnto the wicked : Matt. 25. Discedite à me ●ledicti in ignem aeternum &c. Depart from ye accursed into euerlasting fire whic● prepared for the Diuell and his Ange● for I was hungry and you gaue me n● eate , I was thirsty and you gaue me● drinke , I was a stranger and you en●teyned me not , I was naked and you 〈◊〉 not cloth me , I was sicke and in pris● you did not visit me . And a little aft● added : As long as you did it not to one of 〈◊〉 lesser ones , you did it not vnto me . Our of wh● we do gather that none are bound to g● almes but such as are able , for our L● himselfe is not recorded to haue giue●●ny , but only to haue commaunded 〈◊〉 part of the money that was giuen h●● 〈◊〉 be bestowed on the poore , as may appear out of that place of the Ghospell , wh●● when our Lord had sayd vnto Iudas : Q● facis fac citiùs : That which thou doest d● quickly , the Apostles did thinke that 〈◊〉 had commaunded him out of the pu● which he did beare , to giue somewha● the poore .

But the deuines will haue this precept 〈◊〉 conteyned in that commandement : not a parentes , honour thy parents ; others that , non occides , thou shalt not kill ; but it not necessary that this precept be con●yned in the ten commandments . When 〈◊〉 almes belongeth vnto charity , and the ●ommandements of both tables vnto iu●ice ; but if all morall precepts be to be ●educed to the ten commandements , the ●pinon of Albertus the Great is probable , ●ho will haue this commaundement of ●iuing almes to belonge vnto that non fu●aheris , thou shalt not steale , for it is a kind ●f theft , not to giue that vnto the poore which we owe vnto them ; but more pro●able is the opinion of Saint Thomas of A●uin who assigneth it to the first commandement of the second table Honora parentes , honour thy parents , for by the honour of our parents in this place , is not vnderstood only a reuerentiall honour or dutifull respect , but also the prouision of all necessaryes for their life and sustenance , which is a certeyne almes which special●y we do owe to our principall neigh●ours , as Saint Hierome saith , In com . ad 15. Matth. of which we ●nfere that this almes is due also vnto other neighbours that are in want ; m●ouer for that the precept of giuing a● is not negatiue but affirmatiue : bu●●mongst all the commandements of th●●cond table there is none affirmatiue 〈◊〉 only the first . Honour thy parents ; but to ●pute more of this matter standeth not 〈◊〉 my purpose in this place , & this may ●fice for the necessity of almes .

Now for the fruite of this v● that is most copious and abundant , 〈◊〉 first is that Almes deliuer a man from e●●sting death , whether this be done by w● satisfaction , or by way of disposition 〈◊〉 to grace , or by any other way ; this 〈◊〉 haue cleerly in the Scriptures , Tob. 12. in Toby 〈◊〉 reade : Almes doth deliuer a man from all 〈◊〉 and from death , and permitteth not a soule to g● to darkenes ; And in the same booke the ●gell Raphael sayth in expresse wordes . 〈◊〉 deliuereth from death , and it is almes whic●●geth synnes , and makes a man fynde mercy ●uerlasting life ; Dan. 4. and Daniel vnto King N●chodonsor sayth : Wherefore O King follo● counsaile , and redeeme thy synnes with almes , thy iniquities with the mercyes of the poore .

Againe almes if it be done by a 〈◊〉 man & out of true charity , hath the 〈◊〉 of euerlasting life , of the truth whereof Christ himselfe wil be wittnes when being Iudge of the liuing and dead he shall say in the last day : Come ye blessed of my Father , Matt. 25. receaue a Kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world , for I was hungry and you gaue me to eate . And afterwards , That which you haue done to one of my least brethren you haue done to me .

Thirdly almes hath the effect of a certayne Baptisme , to wit of cleansing sinne , as wel the fault as the punishment , Ecclesiasticus telling vs : As water quencheth fire , so doth almes extinguish sinne ; And water doth so quench the fire as it leaueth not so much as any smoke , and this also is the doctrine of the ancient Fathers : so S. Cyprian , Saint Ambrose Saint Chrysostome , and Saint Leo do teach . S. Cyprian in his sermon of almes thus writeth ; As the fier of hell is quenched with the lauer of healthfull water , so with almes and good workes is allayed the flame of our faults : Saint Ambrose : Serm. 31. Almes in a certayne manner is an other lauer of our soules , as our Lord sayth , Giue almes and all thinges are cleane vnto you : and without preiudice of fayth be it spoken , almes is more indulgent or remissiue then the lauer , for the lauer is giuen but once , and once also it doth pardon , but as often as thou giuest almes so often doest thou merit pardon . Saint Io● Chrysostome : There is no synne that almes canno● mak cleane , Hom. 25. in Act Apost. Leo. serm. 5. de Coll. or that it cannot quite blot out . Saint Leo : Almesdeeds do blot out syns , do kill death , an● take away the punishment of euerlasting fire . And this is a great prerogatiue of this vertue & ought to stirre vp all men to the loue thereof . But this is not to be vnderstood of all almes whatsoeuer , but of that alone which proceedeth in vs from great contrition , and great feruour of charity : such was the almes of Saint Mary Magdalen , who out of the teares of her contrition bathed our Sauiours feet , and annoynted the same with the almes of a most pretious oyntment .

Fourthly , almes do increase our confidence to God , and engender a spirituall ioy or comfort in vs : and although that this be common to all vertues , yet in speciall manner it apperteyneth vnto this , wherby in one action we performe a double duty , and that very gratefull both to God and our neighbour , & is a worke which not by signes or deductions , but of his owne nature is most euidently descerned to be good . Tob. 4. Hence is it , that Toby sayd , almes will yeild great confidence before the suprem or soueraigne God vnto all such as giue it : Heb● . 10. And that o● the Apostle , You haue had compassion on the imprisoned , do not therefore leese your confidence . And to conclude , Saint Cyprian in his sermon of almesdeeds , calleth it , the comfort of the faithfull .

Fifthly , almes getteth the loue and good will of m●ny who doe pray vnto God for their benefactours , and obteyne of God for them eyther the grace of their conuersion , or the gift of perseuerance , or the increase of grace and glory ; for all these wayes may that saying of our Sauiour be vnderstood , Make your selues frendes of the mammon of iniquity , that when ye shall fayle , Luc. 16. they may receaue you into their euerlasting tabernacles .

Sixthly , almes is a disposition vnto our iustifying grace , of which fruit Salomon speaketh in the prouerbes when he sayth : Syns are cleansed by almes and faith : Prouer. 15. and Christ hauing heard of the liberality of Zachaeus saying , Behold I giue halfe of my goods vnto the poore , & if I haue defrauded any man , I render him foure tymes as much ; he sayd vnto him : To day saluation is brought to this house . And in the Acts of the Apostles it is recorded of Cornelius not yet a Christian , who was a bountiful bestower of almes : Act. 10. Thy almesdeeds haue ascended into the remembrance in the sight of God : o●● of which place Saint Augustine prouet● Cornelius by his almes to haue obteyned o● Almighty God the grace of Christian faith and perfect iustification . Lib. 1 de praedestin . Sanctor. cap. 7.

Last of all almesdeeds are oftentimes the cause that our temporall store doth increase , and is augmented : which Salomon doth approue when he sayth : he taketh vsury of our Lord who hath compassion of the poore : and againe : he who giueth to the poore shall neuer wa● ; which our Sauiour confirmed by his owne example , when he commanded his Disciples to distribute fiue loaues and two fishes , Prouerb . 19. Prouerb . 26. which was al he then had , amongst the multitude , and so handled the matter as they gathered vp twelue baskett● full of the leauings of the bread and fishe● which sufficed his Disciples for many dayes after ; Tobias who imparted so liberally his goods to the poore , got in short tyme great wealth : the widdow of Sarephta who bestowed a little meale and oyle on the Prophet Elias , receaued that blessing at Gods hand that herselfe neuer wanted for for a long tyme eyther meale or oyle : there are many and most worthy examples in this kinde extant in the fifth booke of the history of France written by Saint Gregory of Towers ; Cap. 105. & 201. in Leontius in the life of S. Iohn the Almenor ; and Sophronius in prato spiritualli , and the same auerreth Saint Cyprian in his sermon of fasting & almes , and Saint Basil in an oration he made vnto rich men , in which by an excellent similitude he compareth riches vnto well-water , out of which if much be drawne there do spring continually more abundant and better waters , if they be let to to stand still , they decrease and corrupt : rich men as they wil not willingly heare these matters , so will they scarce belieue them : but after this life they shall know it to be so , and belieue it to be true , when their knowing , and belieuing shall steed them nothing .

Let vs now speake of the manner of bestowing Almes for that is necessary more then any other thing , that we may vertuously liue & dye most happily . First it is necessary that we giue almes with a most sincere intention of pleasing God , and not for seeking of popular prayse : this doth Christ teach vs when sayth : When thou doest giue almes , do not sound the trumpet , and let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth , Matth. 6. Saint Augustine explicateth this place in his commentary on the Epistle of Saint Iohn , where by the left hand he vnderstandeth the intention of giuing almes for temporall honour , ●ract . 6. or whatsoeuer commodity : by the right hand he wil haue to be signifyed the intention of giuing almes in respect of euerlasting life , of the glory of God , and charity towardes our neighbour .

Againe , our almes is to be giuen readily , and with facility , that it may not seeme to be wrunge out by intreaty , nor delaied from day to day when it may presently be dispatched . Say not ( saith the wiseman ) go thy wayes and come againe , to morrow I will giue thee somwhat , when thou canst giue it presently . Abraham the friend of God requested the passengers that they would come to his howse , and expected not to be intreated by them ; and his nephew Lot did doe the same : so neyther did Toby expect that the poore people should come vnto him , but he himselfe did seeke for them .

Thirdly , it is requisite that our almes be giuen cheerfully and not with grudging . ●ap. 31. In euery thing ( sayth Ecclesiasticus ) thou giuest , shew a cheerfull countenance : and the Apostle , Not out of sadnes , or out of necessity , for our Lord doth loue cheerfull giuer .

Fourthly , it is necessary that our almes be giuen with humility in such manner , as the giuer may know himselfe to receaue more then he giueth , of which point thus writeth Saint Gregory : Lib. 21. Moral . ca. 14. multum ad edomandum dantis superbiam valet &c. It helpeth much to check the pride of the giuer of almes if when he bestoweth his earthly substance he do weigh well the words of the heauenly maister , Make you frinds of the mammon of iniquity , that when you shall faile they may receaue you into the euerlasting tabernacles ; for if by the friendship of the poore we do gaine the eternall tabernacles , doubtlesse we who giue are to perswade our selues , that we do rather offer presents to our benefactours , then bestow almes on the poore .

Fifthly , it behoueth that we giue abundantly according to the proportion or measure of our ability , for so did Toby that famous almes-giuer : As thou shalt be able , Tob. 4. so be thou pittifull to the poore , if thou haue much giue plentifully , if thou haue but little study how to giue that little willingly : and the Apostle teachet● vs that an almes is to be giuen as a blessing , Serm. 3. ad pop. Ant. not as couetousnes ; and S. Chrysostome addeth : not to giue only but to giue abundantly i● to be called almes , and in the same Sermon he addeth that such as desire to be heard of God when they cry , Haue mercy on me o Lord God according to thy great mercy , must also haue mercy on the poore according to their great almes .

Last of all it is specially required that he who will be saued and dye well do diligently search out eyther by his owne reading and meditation , or by other deuout & learned men whether a man may keepe superfluous riches without synne , or whether such be not of necessity to be giuen to the poore ; & then further which are to be deemed superfluous riches , which necessary , for the case may so stand that meane riches to one be may superfluous , and great wealth to another may seeme necessary . And for that this small treatise cannot comport any prolixe dispute of scolastical questions , I wil briefly repeat certeyn passages of the holy Scriptu●es , and Fathers as well ancient as moderne , and so conclude this difficulty .

The places of the Scripture are the sixth of S. Mathew : You cannot serue God and mammon ; the third of S. Luke : He who hath ●wo coates let him giue to him that hath none ; and ●nd he that hath meate let him do the like : and in ●he twelth of the same Ghospell it is sayd to a rich man , who so abounded in substance as that he scant knew where to lay them : Tom. 7. ex. 50. Thou foole this very night they will take from thee thy soule : which wordes S. Augustine doth thus expound , that this rich man was euerlastingly damned , because he reteyned superfluous wealth .

The chiefest authorityes of the antient Father for this matter are these . S. Basil ; And art not thou a theefe or robber , Basil . orat . ad diuites . who esteemest that as thine owne which thou hast receaued only to dispense and giue away ? And a little after : wherefore thou doest iniury to so many poore , as thou wert able to giue vnto . S. Ambrose ; Ambr. ser. 81. What iniustice is there , if I who take not other mens goods from than do diligently keep myne owne ? O impudent assertion ! Doest thou call them thine owne ? Which are they ? And after : It is no lesse a cryme when thou art able and wealthy to deny almes to the poore , then to steale or take away from him that hath it . S. Hierome ; Ep. ad He● . quest. 1. Whatsoeuer thou hast more then is necessary for thy diet and apparell , that bestow ( on the poore ) and know that for so much thou art a debter . S. Chrysostome : D●● thou possesse that which is thyne own ? Chrysost. hom. 34. ad pop. Antioch . the goods of poore are committed to thy custody , whether t●● possesse them out of thyne owne iust labour , or b●●ne all descent of inheritance . Saint Augustin● The thinges that are superfluous to the rich , are ●●cessary to the poore , they who possesse more then t●● want possesse more then is theirs . S. Leo : Ear●● and corporall riches do come vnto vs from the boun●ty of God , Aug. trac . in psal. 147. and therefore worthily is he to exact 〈◊〉 account of these thinges , which he hath no more c●●mitted vnto vs to possesse , then to disburse or distribute . Leo. ser. 5. de Collect. S. Gregory : Such are to be warned who neyther desire other mens goods , nor bestow their own , that they attentiuely know that the earth of which we are all made is common vnto all , 3. p. Past . admonit . 22. and therfore in common yeldeth sustenance for all ; and in vaine do they thinke themselues without fault who challenge as their owne that gift of God , Ber. ep ad Henric. Arch. Sen. which h● hath bestowed vpon all . S. Bernard : The poore cry out & say it is our goods that you wast , it is with cruelty taken from vs , which you so vainely spend . S. Thomas of Aquine : 22. Quae. 66. art. 7. Quast. 87. a●● . 1. Distin. 15. The things which some haue more then they need is by the law of nature dew vnto the maintenance is the poore . And : Our Lord commaundeth not only the tyth or tenth part , but whatsoeuer is superfluous to be giuen to the poore . And vpon the fourth booke of Sentences he affirmeth this to be the common doctrin of all deuines . Heere if any will contend ●hat these superfluous goods are not to be giuen vnto the poore out of the rigour of ●he law , yet truly he cannot deny but ●hat they are to be giuen them out of charity , & it importeth little God wot , whe●her a man go to hel for want of iustice , or for want of charity .

CHAP. X. Of the tenth precept of dying well , which is of the Sacrament of Baptisme .

HAVING explicated the vertues which teach vs the art to liue well , we will adioyne somwhat out of the doctrine of the Sacraments which concurre no lesse then the former to the atteyning of this art . The Sacraments ordeyned by Christ are seauen , Baptisme , Confirmation , Eucharist , Pennance , Order , Matrimony , Extreme-vnction : all which are as it were diuine instruments which God vseth by the ministery of his seruants to giue his people grace , to increase it , to restore it . That being freed from the bondage of the Diuell , and adopted with th● honour of being the sonnes of God , the● may at length come to be partakers of euerlasting blessednes with the holy Angells in heauen . Out of these Sacrament then , our purpose is briefly to shew who profiteth and who faileth in this art of good life , that so he may know how to hope for a happy death , and who on the contrary may looke for a miserable end , vnlesse he do the sooner change his life & behauiour .

Let vs beginne with the first Sacrament . Baptisme Baptisme . in order and number of the Sacraments is the first , and is fittly called the gate or entrance of the Sacraments , for vnlesse baptisme go before , no man can be fit to receaue the other Sacraments : In the Sacrament of baptisme these rites or ceremonyes are obserued ; first of all who is to be baptized must eyther by himselfe or his God-fathers make confession of the Catholike fayth , then he must renounce the Diuell , his Pompes , & workes , thirdly he is to be baptized in Christ , in which Baptisme he is translated from the thraldome of the Diuell vnto the grace of the children of God , and al his synnes being blotted quite out , he receaueth the gifte of heauenly grace , by which he is now made the adopted son of God , the heir I say of God , and fellow heyre of Christ . Fourthly there is giuen him a white stole , & he is willed to preserue the same cleane & vnspotted vntill death ; fifthly there is giuen him a burning candle which signifyes good workes , which whiles he liueth he must ioyne with the former purity signified by the white stole , for so sayth our Lord in the Ghospell , Let your light so shine before men as that they may see our good workes and glorify your Father which is in heauen .

These are the chiefest ceremonyes which the Church doth vse in the administration of this Sacrament ; I omit the rest which apperteyne not vnto this matter : out of this euery man may conceaue whether he haue alwayes liued wel from the tyme he receaued his Baptisme vnto this present yeare of his age : I do very much doubt that there are very few to be found who haue performed these things which they haue promised to do , Matth. 20. Matth. 5. or truly which they were bound to do , For many are called , but few are chosen : and , narrow is the way that leadeth vnto life , and few there be that do fynd it out .

Let vs beginne with the Apostles Creed : how many countrey people , how many beggars , how many inferiour artificers are there who eyther cannot say their Creed , or neuer learnt it , or know how to say the wordes , but vnderstand little or nothing at all of the sense ? And yet they in Baptisme by their God-fathers & God-mothers answered vnto euery article that they did belieue : and if Christ be to dwell in our harts by fayth as S. Paul doth testify , Ephes. 3. how shall he dwell in their harts who can scantly rehearse the words of their Creed , and haue nothing at all thereof in their harts ? and if God by faith do purify our harts as Saint Peter the Apostle sayth , Actor . 15. how impure will their harts be , who haue not in their hatts receaued the fayth of Christ , although in flesh they haue receaued his Baptisme ? I speake of such as haue the vse of reason & not of infants , for infants by the habit of grace of fayth , hope , & charity are iustifyed , but when they are growne in yeares , they ought to learn their Creed , & in hart belieue the Christian faith for righteousnes , and confesse it in word for saluation : Rom 10. as the Apostle teacheth in the Epistle to ●he Romans .

Let vs come to another rite . All Christians eyther by themselues or by the helpe of others who answere for them , being demaunded whether they renounce the Diuell , his pompes , and workes , doe answere I renounce ; but how many be there that in word renounce , but renounce not indeed ? Or rather how few be there who with al their hart do not loue and follow the pomps and workes of the Diuell ? And yet God seeth all and cannot be illuded : he then who desireth to liue and dye wel , let him enter into the closet of his hart , & and let him not deceaue himselfe , but seriously and attentiuely thinke and thinke againe , whether he be delighted with the pompes of this world , or with the works of the Diuell , and whether in his hart , in his deeds , in his wordes , he haue giuen place vnto them ; for so eyther a good conscience shall comfort him ; or a bad conscience bring him to repentance .

In the third rite is layd open vnto vs a benefit of God so high , so deepe , so long , so lardge , that in case we bestowed whole dayes and nights in admiratio● thereof , and in yelding his diuine goodnes thankes for the same , we should do nothing in respect of the thing it selfe : good God , who can conceaue , who is not astonished , who doth not languish away and is not resolued into deuout teares , when he considers how a wretched man most iustly condemned vnto hell , sodenly by vertue of this Baptisme of Christ t● passe from this most miserable thraldome to the right and claime of a most happy and euer enduring Kingdome ?

And by how much this benefit is the greater , by so much is the vngratitud● of most men more detestable ; for there are not a few who as soone as they arriue vnto the vse of reason , returne this admirable benefit backe vpon God againe , and deliuer themselues vp for slaues to the diuell ; for what is it in the flower of our age to follow the concupiscence of the flesh , the concupiscence of the eyes , and pride if life , but to contract league and friendship with the Diuell , and in deeds and facts to deny Christ ? They are rare to finde who preuented with the speciall grace of God doe diligently keepe this Baptismall grace , Thren. 3. and as Hieremy speaketh beginne to beare the yoke of our Lord ab adolescentia sua , from their youth : but vnlesse we keepe well this grace , or by true pennance do againe renounce the diuell and retourne to the seruice of Christ , and remayne therein vntill our death , it cannot be that we liue well , or be deliuered from an euill death .

The fourth ceremoniall rite consisteth in this , that he who is baptized receaueth a white stole , and is commaunded to beare the same vntill he come before the face of our Lord . By which as we said is signified innocency or purity of life obteyned by the grace of Baptisme , and diligently to be kept vntill the hower of our death : but who can expresse how many snares there be of the Diuell , the continuall enemy of mankind , who lauours nothing more then to defile this garment with all manner of spotts ? And therefore very few are found who if they liue any while do auoyd this filth . Psal. 118. Truly holy Dauid pronounced them happy who remaine immaculate in the way ( of this life ) and walke in the law of our Lord : & by how much the difficulty is more great to wall in a durty and filthy way without spots so much more glorious is the conquest & Crowne of an innocent life . Wherefore all that desire to liue and dye well , ought by all means to keep this white garment of innocency , and if perchance it should happen to be spotted , that then againe & againe they make it white in the bloude of the Lambe , which is done by true contrition and repentant teares . Holy Dauid after he had bewayled a longe tyme his synne , reposed at length in the hope of mercy , and yielding thankes vnto God confidently , sayd : Thou shalt sprinkle me with hissope and I shall be made cleane ; thou shalt wash me and I shal be made more white then snow .

The last rite is to receaue a lighted candle , and to beare it in our hands , which signifies nothing else , as I haue sayd , but our workes , which must accompany innocency of life : what these good workes are which must be done of the regenerate in Baptisme , 2. Tim. 4. the Apostle teacheth vs when he saith : I haue fought a good combat , I haue ended my course , I haue kept my fayth ; as for the rest there is layd vp for me a Crown of Iustice , with the Iust Iudge at that day will render me : in these few wordes are briefly set downe all the good workes which are to be done of the regenerate in Baptisme by Christ . For we must fight stoutly against the tentations of the diuell , who , As a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may deuoure . We must also accomplish or end this course of good works in the obseruance of Gods commaundements according to that of the psalme , I haue runne the way of thy commaundements when thou hast enlardged my hart . We must finally fulfill our promise to God in multiplying his tallents , in cultiuating his vineyard , in the baylifship committed vnto vs , or in the gouernement of his family imposed vpon vs , or in whatsoeuer other imployments committed to our charge : for albeit that it hath pleased the high wisdome of God to admit his adopted children vnto the heauenly inheritance ; yet that this might be effected with his and our greater glory , it hath pleased the same wisdome that we should merit the same heauenly inheritance , that is , euerlasting blessednesses , by our owne good workes , proceeding from his grace and our owne free will ; therefore that most rich and most glorious inheritance shall not be giuen to such as sleepe , as loyter , as play , but vnto such as watch , as labour , as perseuere vnto the end of their liues in good workes .

Now let euery man discusse his workes , let him diligently examine his life and manners , if he will liue and dye well , and if his conscience yield him testimony that he hath fought a good combat with vices , and concupiscences , and with all the tentations of the old serpent , and that he hath happily ended his course in all the commaundements and iustifications of our Lord without complaint , & that he hath beene faithful to our Lord in all the charges or offices committed vnto him , then let him securely reioyce and say with the Apostle , There is layed vp for me a crowne of Iustice , which our Lord the iust Iudge will giue me : If so be that our conscience exactly discussed do testify that in this conflict with the enemy of mankind it hath been grieuously wounded , and that his fiery darts haue penetrated euen vnto the very soule , & that also not once but often : & further that it hath often fayled in the course of good workes ; and that not on●y it hath not runne on cheerfully but ●hrough faintnes to haue sit downe , yea ●ayne along in the way ; and finally if ●n the thinges committed vnto it by God it hath not kept promise , but that eyther vayne glory , or acception of persons , or the like haue taken part of the gaine , let him recurre without delay to the Sacrament of pennance , and vnto God himselfe as his Phisitian , & let him not delay this businesse of all businesses the greatest , vntill another tyme , because we neyther know the day , nor houre of our death .

CHAP. XI . Of the eleuenth Precept of dying well , which is of Confirmation .

AFTER the Sacrament of Baptisme followes the Sacrament of Confirmation , out of which we may draw a document of good life no lesse agreable to that we treate , then from Baptisme : for notwithstanding that Baptisme be a Sacrament more necessary then is the Sacrament of Confirmation , yet is the Sacrament of Confirmation more noble then the sacramen● of Baptisme : which may be proued from the minister , from the matter , from the effect . The ordinary minister of Baptisme is the priest or deacon , and in tyme of necessity , whosoeuer . The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop , and by dispensation of the supreame Pastour the Priest alone . The matter of Baptisme i● naturall water , the matter of Confirmation is pretious oyle mingled with balm , and consecrated by the bishop ; the effect of Baptisme is grace and the Character , such a one as is necessary to frame a spiritual child according to that of Saint Peter ; As children newly borne seeke or hunger yee after milke ; the effect of Confirmation is grace and the character , such as is requisite to make a Christian souldier to fight against inuisible enemyes , Ephes. 6. as S. Paul writeth : We haue not to encounter with flesh and bloud , but against the Princes and powers , against the Gouernours of the world , of this darkenes , against the spiritualls of wickednes , that are aboue in the ayre , as S. Hierome and S. Ambrose interpret it . Last of all in Baptisme salt is giuen vnto the infants to tast ; in Confirmation there is a blow giuen them , that the Christian soulders may learn to fight , not by striking but by pacient suffering for the loue of Christ .

But that we may the better perceaue the office or duty of a man annoynted with holy oile , that is to say of a Christian souldier , let vs see what the Apostles receaued in their Confirmation which was giuen then vpon White sonday . The Apostles were not properly confirmed by the Sacrament of holy Chrisme but receaued from Christ the Prince of priests the effect of the Sacrament without the Sacrament , and they receaued three giftes , Wisdome , Eloquence , and Charity , in the highest degree ; and besides this the gift of miracles most profitable for the conuersion of Infidels vnto the faith , & these gifts did the fiery toungs which appeared on the day of Pentecost signify , as likewise the great noise that then was heard ; for the light of fire signifyeth Charity , the figure of the tounge Eloquence , and the great noise the gift of Miracles : the Sacrament of our confirmation bringeth not with it the gift of diuers tongus , nor the gift of miracles , because these things were not requisit for the good and perfection of the Apostles further than for the conuersion of Infidell but it brings the gift of spirituall wisd●● and the gift of charity which is gentle patient , & in signe of this patience whic● is a most rare & most pretious vertue , 〈◊〉 Bishop openly giueth a blow to the pa●● confirmed , that he may know that by th●● Sacrament , he is made the souldier of christ , not to fight but to suffer , not to do any iniu●yes but to beare them ; for so in Christian warfare are we to fight not agains● men whom we see , but against the Diuel● whome w● see not , & so our Captayne & Emperour Christ did both fight & ouercome , who nayled to the Crosse subdued the powers of the ayre ; and so did the Apostles fight who newly confirmed were grieuously whipped in the Conuenticle of the Iewes , Act. 5. And they went from the sight of the Councell reioycing , for that they were found worthy to suffer reproach for the name of Christ . This certes is the grace of the Sacrament of confirmation to effect that a man vniustly iniured do not thinke of reuenge , but reioyce that for iustice sake he is sound worthy to suffer all wrongs and iniuryes .

And here againe let him that is confirmed enter into his owne hart and carefully attend whether he finde in the same ●●e gifts of the holy Ghost , and especially ●isdome and fortitude ; let him marke I ●●y whether he find the wisdom of Saints ●hich highly prizeth Eternall thinges , ●nd despiseth temporall ; and the fortitud ●f the souldiers of Christ , who more willingly do receaue iniuries then offer them : ●nd least there shold be any mistaking let him com to the practice , let him examine his conscience ; for if indeed he fynd himselfe prompt and ready to giue almes , not to heape vp riches , and hauing taken an iniury if he do not thinke on reuenge , but doth most easily & willingly pardon the same , he may well reioyce in spirit , as one that hath in his hart the pledge of the adoption of the Sonnes of God : but if after the taking of the Sacrament of Confirmation , he perceaue himselfe no lesse desirous of riches , no lesse couetous , no lesse angry , no lesse impatient ; and when triall shall be made , doth with great difficulty endure a little gold or siluer to go out of his purse to help the poore ; and on the other side he finde himselfe wholy enclined to snatch at all occasions of gaine , and fynde himselfe very prone vnto anger , and requested euen by 〈◊〉 friendes to pardon an offence , will bec●● inexorable , what else can he gather h●reof but that he hath receaued the Sac●●ment , but not the grace which it yield o● to the well disposed receauer .

These thinges I haue sayd for suc● as are of riper age , when they come to receaue this Sacrament , for such as come to receaue it very younge , &c as yet scarce c●pable of deceyt , to such because nothin● doth hinder , it is to be thought the gifts and vertues mentioned to be infused , but they are to feare least for their sinns after committed , & by to long protracting of penance that they do not extinguish this spirit receaued in Confirmation , that is that they do not loose the grace of the holy Ghost .

Therefore he that will liue and dye well , let him greatly regard the grace of the Sacraments , which are the vessells of celestiall treasures , & amongst others these especially , whose grace being once lost can no more be found , as is the Sacrament of Confirmation , in which is receaued an incomparable treasute . For though the Character of all Sacraments cannot be blotted out , yet the Character without ●●e gifts of grace yeldeth no comfort , but ●●creaseth the punishment of our confu●●on .

CHAP. XII . Of the twelfth precept of the Art of dying well , which is the Eucharist , of Sacrament of the Altar .

THE most holy Eucharist is the greatest of all Sacraments , in which not grace only is most abundantly conteined , but the Authour also himselfe of grace & glory is giuen . That a Christian man may liue and dye well in respect of this Sacrament two thinges are necessary : one is , that sometymes he take this sacred food , our Sauiour warning vs : Ioan. 6. Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man you shall not haue life in you , another thing that he do receaue worthily so excellent a meate , 1. Cor. 11. for else as the Apostle sayth vnto the Corinthians : who eateth and drinketh vnworthily , eateth and drinketh iudgement to himselfe not discerning the body of our Lord ( from other meates . ) Now the question is how often it is expedient to receaue this food , and what preparation is estemed sufficient that we may worthly , and not vnworthily , come vnto thi● celestiall banquet .

Touching the former question we fyn● many & these also different customs to hau● beene vsed . In the primitiue Church the faithful did very often receaue the body of our Sauiour , & therfore did S. Cyprian in his Sermon on our Lords prayer expl●cat those words of this B. Sacrament , Gi●● vs to day our daily bread , & teacheth vs that it is to be receaued euery day , vnlesse a man be hindered by some lawfull let : afterwards charity waxing cold many did differre this communion for some yeares ; wherefore Innocentius the third set forth a decree that once euery yeare as well men as women , at the tyme of Easter should be bound to receaue the holy Eucharist ; & and now it seemeth to be common opinion of learned men , that it is very godly and laudable that such as are not Priests should not neglect to come to receaue this Blessed Sacrament euery Sonday , and festiuall day : that saying is famous amongst Authours as held to be Saint Augustines : Euery day to receaue the holy Eucharist , I neyther prayse , nor mislike : but I persuade and exhort all to communicate euery Sonday ; and although the booke De Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus , of Ecclesiasticall doctrines , out of which this short sentence is taken , seeme not to be ●he worke of S. Augustine , yet was it written by an ancient Authours & is not con●rary to the doctrine of same Father , who in his Epistle to Ianuarius expresly teacheth neyther them to erre who thinke we are daily to communicate , Epist. 118. nor those who deny it , and thinke we are to communicat more seldome . Truly he who so speaketh would in no wise fynd fault with those who would follow the middle way betweene both extremes , which is to come at least on the Sondayes to this Sacrament ; and the same ro haue been the opinion of Saint Hierome is playne by his commentary on the epistle to the Galathians , Cap. omnis de Panit. & remiss . where expounding the fourth Chapter thus he writeth : As it is lawfull for vs euer to fast , or euer to pray and without intermission , hauing receaued the body of our Lord , ioyfully to celebrate the sonday : so is it not lawfull for the Iewes to sacrifice their lambe &c. And this opinion liked well Saint Thomas in the third part of his Quaest. 80. art. 10. theologicall Summe .

As touching the other point of preparation to receaue so great a Sacrament , that it may be receaued to the health of our soule , and not to our iudgement an● condemnation , first of all is required tha● our soule be liuing with the life of grace , & not dead with the death of mortal sin , because for this respect it is called meat & giuen vnder the forme of bread , for that it is not the meate of the dead , but of the liuing , as ( sayth our Sauiour in S. Iohn ) He that eateth this bread shall liue for euer ; & in the same place , my flesh is truly meat ; & the Councell of Trent addeth further , that it is not a sufficient preparation to receaue duly this celestiall food , that he who is defiled with mortall synne content himselfe with contrition alone , but that he be carefull to purge his synnes by the Sacrament of pennance in case he can haue a Ghostly Father . Againe for that this Sacrament is not only bread but also a medicine , and that an excellent one , and most wholsom against all the diseases of vices , therefore secondly is required that a man do desire perfect health and to be cured from all the maladyes of synne , and principally from ●he chiefest of them as leachery , couetousnes , pride . That this Blessed Sacrament is a medicine Saint Ambrose cleerly auoucheth : Lib. de Sac. Cap. 4. He that is wounded ( sayth he ) seeketh for a me●icine ; the wound we haue is because we are vnder ●ynne , the medicine is the heauenly and venerable ●acrament . So he : and Saint Bonauenture : He ●ho reputeth himselfe vnworthy , let him thinke ●hat so much the more he needeth , and hath necessary occasion to seeke for the Phisitian by how much more he feeleth himselfe to be sicke . And Saint Bernard warneth his brethren that they attribute it to the grace and vertue of this Sacrament , that they fynd their bad inclinations , & other infirmityes of the mynd to be diminished .

Lastly this most holy Sacrament is not only the food of trauellers , and medicine of the sicke , but is also a most learned and most louing Phisitian , and therfore when he cometh to visit vs he is to be receaued with all ioy and reuerence , and the howse of our soule is to be adorned with all manner of vertues , and in particuler with the ornaments of faith hope , Charity , Deuotion , Piety , and with the fruites of good works , as of prayer , fasting and almes . For these ornaments doth this sweet guest of our soule require , who yet wanteth nothing of that which we ar● able to giue him ; againe consider that thi● Phisitian who cometh vnto vs , is bot● King , and God , whose purity is infini● and requireth a most cleane tabernacle 〈◊〉 our brest : Let vs heare Saint Iohn Chrysostome in this matter : Then what should not he be more pure who enioyeth this sacrifice ? Serm. 66 ad pop. Antioch . then wh●● sunne beame ought he not to be more resplenden● who deuideth this flesh ? The mouth that is replenished with this spirituall fire ?

Now let any one who is desirous to liu● and dye well make recourse to his owne soule , and shutting the dore against all distractiue businesses let him consider alone with his owne hart before God who searcheth the reynes and harts of all , how often and with what preparation he doth communicate & receaue this Sacrament of our Lords body , and if he fynde that by Gods grace he doth often and with fruit receaue it , and thereby in spirituall life to be nourished , and by little and little to be cured from the diseases of synne ; and morouer that he doth more and more daily profit and proceed in vertue , and good deeds ; let him reioyce with trembling & go on to serue God in feare , not with that seruile of slaues , but with that sincere and chast which is of children . But if he be one of those who contented with communicating once in the yeare do neuer more thinke on this most wholsome Sacrament , but forget to eate this bread of life , by how much more they grow fat & broad in body , by so much the more are their soules weakened and do wither away : and let such a one know that he wanteth wit , and is farre of from the Kingdome of God ; the yearely communicating is not decreed by the holy generall Councell for this end that none should communicat but once in the yeare , but that once in the yeare they should be compelled thereunto , vnlesse they would be cast out of the Church , and deliuered ouer to Sathan . And Such men for the most part do not receaue their Lord in the Sacrament with filiall loue but with seruile feare , & soone after returne to the huskes of hoggs , to the pleasures of the world , to temporall commodityes and ambitiously to gape after false & fugitiue honours , that so at the day of their death they may heare with the rich Glutton : Memento fili , quia recepisti bona in vita tua . Remember so● that thou hast receaued good thinges 〈◊〉 this life , & therefore must not expect f●● any more in the next : and if any be foun● who maketh oft recourse to the mistery● of this most holy Sacrament and that e●● uery Sonday , or else euery day if perhap● he be Priest , and yet neyther refrayneth from mortall synnes , nor seriously exercyseth himselfe in good workes , nor 〈◊〉 not yet truly gone out of the world but a●other men who are of the world thirste●● after riches , is caryed away with carnall delights , seeth and sigheth after higher degrees of honours , and dignityes , he truly eateth the flesh of our Lord to his iudgment , and by how much the more he vnworthily frequenteth these mysteryes , by so much the more neerly doth he imitate Iudas the traytour , of whome our Lord sayd : Melius erat eisi natus non fuisset homo ille , it had been better for him if ho had neuer beene borne . Let no man despayre of his saluation whiles yet he liueth , and therfore let him with himselfe cal to account his yeares , and workes and then he shall fynd that hitherto he hath runne much astray out of the path of saluation , let him know that yet there is tyme left to returne , so that he will seriously do pennance , & come againe into the way of ●ruth .

I thinke it conuenient to end this ●hapter withall , that I adioyne what S. Bonauenture writeth in the life of the holy Father S. Francis , I meane of the admirable deuotion and loue of this most holy man towards this diuine Sacrament , that by the example of his feruour our tepidity or coldnes rather may be kindled . He was enflamed ( sayth S. Bonauenture ) with the feruour of al his soule towards the Sacrament of our Lords body , admiring with wonderfull great astonishment that most deere humility , and most humble charity . He did often so deuoutly communicat that he made others to become deuout ; when he came to the sweet tast of the immaculate lambe , as it were drunke in spirit , he was for the most partrapt into a trance or rauishment of minde . So he : From which deuotion not only many lay men that communicate , but many Priests also who celebrat are farre short especially such of the latter as say Masse with incredible hast , as they seeme not to know themselues what they do , nor permit others that heare them , to consider with any attention so great a mystery , or that which else they would at that tyme contempla●

CHAP. XIII . Of the thirteenth precept of dying well , which is Pennance .

AFTER the Eucharist followeth the Sacrament of Pennance , which it respect of him who receaueth , consisteth specially in three vertues , in contrition of hart , confession of mouth , and satisfaction of work . For they who performe these three thinges well , do without al doubt obteyn forgiuenes of their synnes : but it is most diligently to be seene and considered , whether our contrition be true , our confession entiere , or satisfaction be full and agreable to the offences committed .

Let vs beginne with contrition . Ioel the Prophet cryeth out : Contrition . Rend your harts & not your garments . The Iewes when they would make remonstrance or signe of sorrow they did cut or teare their garments : the holy prophet then warneth vs that if in the sight of God we will shew true and inward griefe for our sinnes commit●d , that we cut or teare our harts , and the prophet Dauid wil not haue vs only to cut o● teare them , be to pound them small & ●●●ing them into dust , as we do thinges that are beaten in a morter , Thou wilt not o God ( sayth he ) despise a hart ( so ) broken & humbled : which similitudes do euidently shew that to pacify God by pennance , it is not sufficient in word only to say , I am sory that I haue offended , but there is required inward and great griefe of hart , which without many sobbs , sighs , and teares is hardly found ; and wonder it is to behold how seuerely the ancient Fathers do speak of true contrition . S. Cyprian in his sermon of such as were fallen from the faith hath these words : Looke how great our sinnes are , let vs so greatly also deplore them : to a deepe wound let there not want a diligent and long cure , let not the pennance be lesse then the fault ; it behoueth vs to pray and callon God more earnestly to passe the day in mourning , to spend the night in watching and weeping , to bestow all our tyme in teares and lamentations , and lying on the bare ground , to be sprinckled with ashes , to trumble and turne in a hairecloth and ragges . Lib. 3. cap. 17 all . 24. Clemens Alexandrinus , as we haue in Eusebius in his history , calleth pennance Baptismum lacrimarum , th● Baptisme of teares . Orat. 2. de bapt. Ca. 1. S. Gregory Nazianz● sayth : I willingly receaue penitents if I shall them bedewed with teares . Theodoretus in 〈◊〉 abridgement writeth that the woun● receaued after Baptisme are indeed c●pable , Ep. diuin. decret. cap. de poenit . but not with so light labour as befo●● the lauer of regeneration , but by manie teares and toylsom works .

These things and the like haue a●● the holy Fathers left written of the tru●● of contrition : many now adayes come 〈◊〉 confession who shew either very little o● no contrition at all ; but such as sincerel● desire to be reconciled vnto God , that the may liue well and socurely dye , must enter into their owne harts , and excluding all other matters of lesse moment , with all attention must seriously reuolue these and the like things in their mynde , and sayech one to himselfe : wo be to me poore wretch what haue I done when I committed this and this synne ? First I haue offended that most sweet Authour of all goodnes , & my most louing Father , who on all sides , as with a rampier , hath compassed me about with his benefits , of whose great charity I see so many signes as I see good things in my selfe or others . But ●hat shall I say of my louing Redeemer Christ , who hath loued me being his enemy , and vnworthy , and he hath giuen ●●mselfe vp for me , Ephes. 5. an oblation and sacrifice vnto God in an odour of suauity ? And I still vn●ateful & wretched man do not cease frō●ffending him ? How great is my hard●es & cruelty ? My Lord was beaten with ●odds , was crowned with thornes , was fastened to the Crosse with nailes that so he might cure my old sinnes and offences , and yet shall I neuer cease to add more & more new ? He hanging naked on the Crosse did cry out that he thirsted my saluation , & do I stil offer him gall & vinegar to drinke ? who also shall explicate from how great glory I haue fallen when I committed this and that deadly synne ? I was an heyre of the Kingdome of heauen , of a life eternall , and most happy : from this felicity and truly so noble and euery way so great , haue I fallen by that most short pleasure , by those wordes eyther contumelious against men , or blasphemous against God , by which I reaped no profit or commodity at all ; and from that so great felicity to what state am I fallen ? to the thraldome of the Diuell 〈◊〉 most cruel enemy , & as soone as the rott … wall of my body shall be beaten down 〈◊〉 which expects euery moment to fall , 〈◊〉 soone also shall I without al hope of re●●uery descend into hell fire . Alas po●● wretch that I am , perhaps to marow , pe●haps this night , I shall beginne to dwe●● in these eternall fires , But aboue all thing● my ingratitude of a sonne and most vile seruant against his most louing Father & most soueraigne Lord doth torment and wound my hart , for by how much the more he hath heaped his benefits vpon me , by so much more grieuously haue I by my synnes offended him .

These and the like things if thou wilt with thy self carefully consider whosoeuer thou be who vouchsafest to reade this title treatise , I hope that thou shalt receaue the gift of contrition of our most mercifull Lord : the penitent King Dauid once entred into the desert solitud of his hart after his aduoutry committed , and presently hauing gotten true contrition he began for to wash his bed with teares : Saint Peter did the like after the deniall of his maister , and presently fleuit amarè , he wept bitterly . S. Mary Magdalen also entred ●●to her hart , and forth with , she began to ●ash our Sauiours feet with her teares , and to dry ●●em with the hayre of her head ; these are thē●●e fruites of contrition , which do not ●row but in the solitude or desert of our ●art .

Now let vs speake a word or two of confession . I see many men to come to ●his Sacrament with very little or no fruit ●t all , Confession . and that for no other cause but ●or that they enter not into their hart when they prepare themselues for to mak their confession . Some there be who goe about this matter so negligently , that in generall only and after such a confuse fashion they can say that they haue broken all the commaundements and committed all the deadly synnes ; to such there should be giuen no other then a general and confuse absolution , yea they are not worthy of this ; for they confesse perhaps that which they haue not done , & that which indeed they haue done they confesse not : others there be that haue learned distinctly and orderly to recount their synnes , but they make no account of the quality , of the person , of the place ) of the tyme , of the number and of other circumstance which is a notable and dangerous neg●gence , for it is one thing to strike a pri● another to strik a lay man , when as to t● the former is annexed an excommu●cation , and not to the latter ; againe it one thing to haue carnal knowledg w●● a virgin , another thinge with a religio● Nun , another thing with a married w●man , another thing with his own kinsw●man another thing with a harlot . Morou● it is one thingto haue committed it on●● another thing to haue fallen ten times into the same synne , for the same synne oftentymes repeated is not one syn but manifold . Finally there are some ( which is more to be wondered at ) who are persu●ded that the inward synnes as the desires of fornication , adultery , murther , theft and the like are not synnes , vnlesse they be actually committed by the exteriour wor● . Yea they scarce account wanton looks , or lasciuious wordes to be synnes , and yet our Sauiour Christ sayth in plain tearms : He who shall see a ( maryed ) Woman to lust after her , Matth. 5. hath already committed adultery in his hart : Wherefore he who will haue care or his conscience and make a profitable & good confession , let him reade some good book of the art of confessing his synnes , or let himselfe seeke out a vertuous and learned ghostly Father , and let him enter into his owne hart discusse his conscience , & that not hastily and briefly but exactly & seriously , and let him diligently examine his thoughts , desires , deeds , words , and also omissions , and then let him lay open his soule vnto his vertuous & skilful Phisitian , let him humbly craue absolution of him , and be ready to do that pennance which his Ghostly Father shal thinke necessary to impose .

There remayneth satisfaction , of which our Ancestours most wise and prudent men did make more far account then we seeme now to do , for they when seriously they did consider that it was far more easy to make satisfaction vnto God on earth then in purging flames of the next life , did impose most heauy and very long penaltyes ; and as for tyme they enioyned pennances of seauen yeares , of fifteen , of thirty , and sometymes of their whole life ; and as for the quality they enioyned very frequent fasts , and yet more frequent prayers ; agayne they did forbid their penitents to go to the bathes , that they shold not ride , go in coach , or vse any brauery in apparell ; that they should absteyn● from playes , from sports , from spectacles in the open theaters ; and finally thei● whole life was consumed as it were i● griefe and mourning as became true penitents : I will alleadge one only example .

In the tenth Toletan Councell we reade the Bishop of Bracchara called Potamius , for that he had defiled himselfe with touching a woman ( for so speaketh the Councell ) without all compulsion of others voluntarily of his owne accord to haue shut himselfe vp in prison , and for nyne moneths to haue done pennance , & then by his own letters freely to haue manifested this his synne and pennance , which he had vndergone vnto the Concell of the Bishops . And then the Councell further to haue determined that he should continue in doing pennance al the dayes of his life , when as notwithstanding the Councell there declareth that it had delt more fauourably and mercifully with him then the rules and seuerity of the Ancient Fathers did permit . This was the ancient seuerity . Now we are become so weake and tender , forsooth , that a pennance imposed of fasting in bread and water for a few dayes , with the seauen psalmes and letanyes to be rehearsed in the same , and an almes of a little mony bestowed on the poore , doth seeme seuere inough , although it be imposed for cleansing the soule f●●m many great syns and enormityes . But that wherein heere we fauour selues we shall grieuously smok for in purgatory , Gods iustice requiring full satisfaction , vnlesse in this life our contrition be so great as proceeding from most feruent charity , that it be able to obteyne of the mercy of God full remission and pardon of all synne , and punishment due vnto the same : truly a contrite and humble hart doe much mooue the bowels of the mercy of God our Father , for the goodnes of our Lord is such as he cannot hold when he seeth the prodigall child truly penitent , but that he must goe and meet him , but that he must imbrace him , but that he must kisse him , but that he must giue him a ring of peace , but that he must wipe away all teares of sorrow , & replenish him with teares of ioy , more sweet then all hony ; and what else can be deuised more comfortable .

CHAP. XIIII . Of the fourteenth Precept of the Art dying well , which is of the Sacrament of Order .

THE two Sacraments that ensue now briefly to be considered do not apperteyne vnto all Christians , but one to Clergy men to wit Order , the other to lay men to wit matrimony : let vs speake a little of the first , I meane not all things that belong to this Sacrament , but those things only which are necessary to this art of liuing & dying well .

Orders in number are seauen , fower lesser , and three greater : of which the chifest which is Priesthood is deuided into two , for there are greater Priests which are called Bishops , and lesser which are single priests ; before all these Orders is giuen prima tonsura , which is it were a gate vnto all the Orders , and properly maketh them clarks or Clergy men ; and for that the things which are required of these inferiour Clarks , especially what concerneth vertuous & religious life , by greater reason are to be exacted of them who haue taken the lesser or greater Orders , and especially of Priests and Bishops : therefore I will restraine my speach to consider and explicate those things only which do belong to these inferiour Clarkes .

Two thinges there be in these Clarks that require explication . First the rite or manner of their ordering , then the office which they are to exercise in the Church . The rite or manner of their ordering , as appeareth by the Pontificall is this , that first of all some little part of their haires be clipped of , by which ceremony is signifyed the casting off of all superfluous thoughts and desires , as are the thoughts and desires of temporall things , riches , honours , pleasures and the like : and that they be commanded whiles the Bishop cutteth away their hayers to say that verse of the 15. psalme , Our Lord is the portion of myne inheritance , and of my cuppe : thou ( O Lord ) shall restore me againe myne inheritance ; Then doth the Bishop call for a surplise and causeth the new Clarke to put it on , saying that of the Apostle to the Ephesians : God vest thee with the new man , which is created according to God in iustice and holines of truth : Cap. 4. but there is no office assigned to this new Clarke , but out of the ancient custome , we gather his office to be to serue the priest when he sayth Masse in , ease he say it priuately .

Now let vs contemplate what height of perfection is required in a clark , and if so much be required in a Clarke , what is required in an Acolite , in a Subdeacon , in a Deacon , in a Priest , in a Bishop . Truly I find in my selfe a horrour of mynd to thinke theron , when as there are scant found these thinges in many priests which by vertue of the ordering is required in a simple Clarke . The Clarke is willed to cast away superfluous thoughts and desires which are proper vnto secular men , that is to say men which apperteyne vnto this world , who are of the world & who do alwayes thinke and desire the goods of the world : a good Clarke is commaunded to seeke no other part or portion or inheritance but God , that God alone be his riches and inheritance , & that he may truly be sayd and found to be the part and inhertance of God . O height of Clericall perfection , which forsakes the whole world that it may possesse God , & may agayne by reciprocall loue be possessed of God alone .

This is the meaning of the words of the psalme , Our Lord is the part of my inheritance and of my cuppe , pars haereditatis , the part of my inheritance . This part is called that portion which out of the diuision of an inheri●●●● amongst many brothers , doth befall to ech one a part , the sense then of the wordes is not that a Clergy man should make God one part of his inheritance , and earthly riches another , but that from his hart he desire that God be all his part , portion , or inheritance : that is al that he may expect in this world , and that whatsoeuer here he may haue , out of a religious affection he may make it all ouer vnto God . Betwene the cuppe and the inheritance there is this difference , that the cuppe belongeth vnto pleasure and delights , the inheritance vnto wealth and honours . Wherefore the full and entiere sense of the verse is : O my Lord God , from hence forward whatsoeuer I might hope for in this world of riches , of delights , of temporall commodityes , all that whatsoeuer it be I doe desire to haue in thee alone , thou alone doest abundantly suffise for all other things , and for that the plenty of heauenly riches is not to be found on earth , therefore doth this Clark go on in his prayer , & saith tu es qui restitu● haereditatem meam mihi , thou art he who shal restore me agayne myne inheritance ; for what I haue contemned and cast away for thy sake eyther i● giuing it to the poore , or in freely pardoning them that haue taken it from me : thou hast layd vp all safely for me , and in due tyme thou wilt restore it , not in the same corruptible substance but in thy selfe , the inexhaust fountayne of all goodnes .

But least that any should cal in doubt our explication , I will confirme it by two witnesses not liable to reproofe , to wit Saint Hierome and Saint Bernard . Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Nepotianus of the life of Clergy men sayth : Therefore let the Clergy man that serueth Gods Church expound his own name , & hauing defined it , let him endeauour to be that which he is called , for if 〈◊〉〈◊〉〈◊〉〈◊〉〈◊〉 in Greek do in Latin signify a lot , therefore they are called Clergy men , eyther for that they are of our Lords lot , or for that our Lord is the lot , ●hat is to say the part or possession of Clergy men , & he who eyther is the part of our Lord or hath our Lord for his part , ought ●o to behaue himselfe that he may possesse God , and be possessed of him : be who possesseth our Lord and can say with the prophet pars mea Dominus , our Lord is my part , can haue nothing besides him ; for if he haue any thing besi●s our Lord , our Lord shal not be his part ; or example if he haue gold , siluer , possessions , store ot houshould stuffe , with these partes our Lord will non vouchsafe to be made a part . So he . Whose whole epistle he that listes to reade , shall fynd truly a very great perfection of life to be required in Clergy men . To Saint Hierome let vs add Saint Bernard who not only alloweth the opinion of the sayd Saint , but sometymes vseth his wordes , although he name him not : so then he speaketh in that very prolixe declamation vpon the wordes of Saint Peter in Saint Mathews Gospell : Behold we haue left all and haue followed thee . The Clergy man who hath part in earth shall haue no part in heauen . If a Clergy man haue any thing else besides our Lord , our Lord will not be his part , and a little after declaring what a Clergy man may keepe to himselfe out of his Ecclesiasticall benefices , he sayth , Not 〈◊〉 giue the goods of the poore vnto the poor● is no lesse a synne then sacriledge : certaynly it is taken with sacrilegious cruelty fr● the patrimony of the poore , whatsoeuer the Ministers and dispensers , not Lords & owners of the goods of the Church doe take more then is necessary for their diet and apparell : so Saint Bernard , who with Saint Hierome doth not speake that which is false , but that which is perfect .

There followeth the rite of putting on the white surplice with those wordes of the Apostle , Ephes. 4. Put on the new man who is made according to God in iustice & holines of truth : For it sufficeth not Clergy men that they be not wealthy , but it is further required that they liue an innocent and cleane life , because they are dedicated to the ministery of the Altar , in which the lambe without spot is dayly sacrifyced : moreouer to put on the new man is nothing else then to shake of the vices of the old Adam , who corrupted his wayes and put on the vertues of the second Adam , that is of Christ , who being borne after a new manner of the Virgin ordeyned a new way in iustice ●nd holines of truth : That is not only in mo●all Iustice , but also in most true and su●ernaturall holines , which Christ shew●d in himselfe , who ( as Saint Peter witnesseth ) committed no synne , neyther was there any deceit sound in his mouth . 1. Pet. ● . O that we had many such Clergy men who in their life abd conuersation would performe that which their white garment doth be token & signify .

Finally it is the duty of Clergy men with Angelicall purity deuoutly , grau●ly , dayly and diligently to assist at the diuine sacrifyce , in which dayly the lambe of God is offered . I know that in the Church there are many deuout Clergy men : and I do not only know but I haue very often seene many very male part of the same ranke , so casting their eyes hither and thither when they were at the Altar , as if they were about a matter not only not full of sacred horrour , but triuiall , light , and of no account : and perhaps this great fault is not so much to be imputed vnto the minister as to the priest that doth celebrate , who sometymes doth so huddle vp his words , and so without deuotion cary himselfe as he seemeth not 〈◊〉 know or vnderstand what he doth : 〈◊〉 both the one and the other heare what 〈◊〉 Iohn Chrysostome speaking of the time of celebrating of Masse sayth : Lib. 6. de sacerdotio . At the tyme 〈◊〉 the sacrifice the Angells assist the Priest , 〈◊〉 the whole Order of the heauenly power● are heard , and the place neere the Altar in the honour of him who is offered , i● filled with the quiers of Angels . Which without further proofe by reason of th● singular sacrifice then offered we may easily belieue . Let them also heare S. Gregory who writeth heereof as a thing not doubted of saying : 4. Dialog. cap. vltim . What faithfull man can make any doubt that in the tyme of the sacrifice , at the voice of the priest that the heauens are opened , the quiers of Angells are present , the lowest and highest things are coupled togeather , earthly thinges , are conioyned which heauenly , and one thing made of visible and inuisible & thinges togeather . So he : which if the Priest that doth celebrate and the Clarke that doth serue did seriously ponder , how could it be that they shold handle so great a matter in such sort as they doe ? O how doleful and lamentable a spectacle were it ( in case the eyes of our soule were ●pen ) to see the Priest handling the di-●iuine mysteryes , enuironed on all sides with quiers of Angells , who all stand a●●onished tremble and make spirituall clamours at that which they see him to do , whiles the Priest himselfe in the middest of them all is cold , and as one without sense doth neyther marke what he doth , nor vnderstand what he sayth , and so to poast to an end , as he distinguisheth not the ceremonyes , & choppeth vp his words as he seemeth not to know what he doth ; and in the meane tyme the Clarke who serues him is alwayes gazing on this and that , or tatling with some other body ; so is God scorned , so are the most sacred mysteryes contemned , & so is occasion giuen vnto Heretiks to detract : & contemne our rites and religion . Which being so , I admonish all Clergy men as well greater as lesser , & as much as I can do exhort them that being dead to the world they liue to God alone , that they seeke not for abundance of temporall things , that with great zeale they preserue purity of life , that religiously , as it is fitting , they do handle diuine things , and that they procure the s●me to be done of others : so shall they 〈◊〉 great confidence in God , and shall co●nually fill the Church of Christ with sweet and fragrant odour of their g●● example .

CHAP. XV. Of the fiftee●●● precept of the Art 〈◊〉 dying well , which is of Matrimony .

WE come now to Matrimony which hath a twofold institution or ordinance : one as it is a ciuill contract : by the law of nature , another as it is a Sacrament of grace by the law Euangelical ; both which we wil speak not absolutely , but according to the subiect of this worke which is only in respect of liuing and dying well . The first institution was appointed by God in the earthly paradise for these words of God , It is not good for man to be alone , let vs giue him a help like himselfe , cannot well be vnderstood but of the help to propagate mankind , Lib. 9. de Gen. ad lit . cap. 7. and bringe vp children : for as S. Augustine well noteth , men need not the help of women in any thing ●●t in these respects ; for in other thinges ●en are better holpen by men then by ●omen ; and therfore a little after that the ●oman was made , Adam out of diuine in●piration sayd : A man shall leaue his Father & mother and adhere vnto his wife : which words our Sauiour in Saint Mathewes Gospell at●ributeth not to Adam but vnto God himselfe saying : Matth. 1● . Haue you not read that he who from ●he beginning made man , made them man and woman , and sayd , for this shall a man leaue his Father and mother and shall cleaue to his wife , and they shal be two in one flesh ? That therefore which God hath conioyned let not man separate . Our Lord then doth asscribe these wordes vnto God , because that Adam did not speake them of himselfe , but by his inspiration . And this was the first institution of Matrimony .

Another institution or rather aduancement of Matrimony is the excellency of a Sacrament : Ephes. 5. this we haue in the Apostle in these wordes of his Epistle to the Ephesians : For this cause shall a man leaue his Father and mother and shall cleaue to his wife , and they shall be two in one flesh , this is a great Sacrament , but I say this in Christ and his Church ; and that Matrimony is a true Sacrament Saint Augustine doth teach saying : Lib de bono Coniu . cap. 18. In the Marri●●● of our women the sanctify of the Sacrament is 〈◊〉 to be valewed then the frutefullnes of the wom●● And againe : The good of matrimony with all nations and people standeth in the cause of beget●● children and in the fidelity of coniugall that chastity 〈◊〉 in respect of the people of God it consisteth also in the Sanctity of the Sacrament . Cap. 24. Lib. de fide & oper. cap. 7. And in anoth● booke : in the Citty of our Lord and in his 〈◊〉 hill , that is in the Church , not only the band of Marriage , but also the Sacrament is commendab●● but to dispute more exactly of this point belongeth not to our present purpose , but rather this more properly apperteyneth thereunto , that we explicate how men & women ioyned in matrimony may so liue as that confidently they may trust to dye well .

Three thinges in Schooles are called the good of Matrimony , if it be well vsed , to wit issue , fidelity , and the grace of the Sacrament : he who will vse Matrimony well must not only haue care to beget children , but also and that much more to bring them vp well ; and o● the other side he most grieuously sinneth who seeketh not for children by Marriage , but only for carnall pleasure : for this cause one of the sonnes of Iudas the Patriarcke is ●●arply reprehended for that when he knew is wife , he cast out the seed on the earth ●●at no child might be born : for this is not ●o vse , but to abuse Matrimony : and if sō●●mes it happen that the vertuous parents ●re ouerburdened with multitude of their ●ssue in so much as ( by reason of their po●erty ) they cannot mainteyne them ; there 〈◊〉 a remedy in it selfe , good and gratefull vnto God by continuall consent to sepa●ate themselues from the bed , & knowledge of each other , and for the tyme to come to attend vnto prayer and fasting : for it it be gratefull & acceptable vnto God for man and wife to continew stil euen vnto their old age in virginity , after the example of the mother of God and Saint Ioseph , whose example Saint Henry the Emperour , and Chunegunda his Empresse , Saint Edward the Confessour King , and Editha his Queene , Elizearius Earle , and his Lady Dalphina , & many others did follow , why shold it displease God or men that marryed folke hauing now children , by mutuall consent should refraine from copulation , that they may bestow what resteth their life in fasting & prayer ?

Moreouer it is a grieuous synne for any in the state of Matrimony to ●●glect his children , and let them want eyther vertuous education , or necessary maintenance of clothes , diet , and the li●● many examples there are extant of th● matter at well in sacred as prophane historyes , but for that I intend to be briefe 〈◊〉 will content myselfe with one which 〈◊〉 in the first booke of Kings . Thus in that place doth God himselfe speake : In that 〈◊〉 I will raise vp all these thinges which I haue spoke● against the house of Heli. I will begin , and I will end . For I foretold him that I was to iudge his house for euer for the iniquity thereof , because he knew that his children did wickedly behaue themselues & he did not correct them , therefore haue I s●●orne to the house of Heli , that the iniquity of his houses shall not be blotted out for euer with victimes or gifts : This did our Lord fortell , and a little after did execute : for the children of He●● were slaine in warre , and Heli himselfe s●ting on his seat fell backeward , brake his necke , & dyed miserably : if then Heli who was otherwise a good man , & iust Iudge of the people , for the synnes of his children which he had not brought vp so wel as he should haue done , and when afterwards they became worse and worse he ●ad not cheked and amended them , came ●ith his Children to a miserable end , and 〈◊〉 the gouernment or principality ouer ●he people : what shall become of them ●ho not only do not endeauour to bring vp their children well , but by their own example of bad life teach them to do ill ? Surely they can expe●● nothing else for themselues or their children , but a dreadful death vnlesse they amend be tyme and do pennance condigne to their former offences .

Another good of matrimony is fidelity , which consisteth in this , that ech of the maried couple do know that their bodyes are not their owne but that the body of the wife is the husbands , and the body of the husband is the wiues , and as the one cannot deny coniugall duty vnto the other , so can neyther of them both yield their bodyes to be vsed by any other : the signe of this fidelity is the ring giuen in the solemnity of Marriage , this doctrin is cleerly deliuered by the Apostle saying ; Let the husband render duty to his wife & shee likewise to her husband : the woman hath not power ouer her but the husband , 1. Cor. 7. and likewise the husband hath not power ouer his body but the woman ; defraude not one another vnlesse it b● mutuall consent for a tyme , that you may atten● prayer . This is the Apostolicall doctri●● which all Christian maried folkes m●● diligently obserue , if they desire to liue dye well : if there be any publike adulterers , eyther the Iudges do iustly puni●● them , or else the friends and kinsfolk● of the party reuenge the wronge offered by that disgrace : but for secret adulterers who are many more then the open , the Almighty and most iust Iudge from whome no secrets lye hid , will doubteles in the end condemne them to euerlasting torments .

The third good or perfection of Matrimony and that most noble , is the grace of the Sacrament , which God powreth into the harts of the marryed couple if in the tyme of their Marriage they be duly disposed and prepared thereunto : this grace besides other good which it bringeth with it , is of wonderfull force to effect mutuall loue betweene both the partie , notwithstanding that different iudgements , maners , diseases , diuersitys of dispositions of body & mind , may easily sow dissensions betweene them , but aboue all the ●mitation of the wedlocke or Marriage ●hat is betweene Christ and his Church maketh this corporall Marriage most ●weet and blessed , of which matter thus writteth S. Paul . Viridiligite vxores vestras &c. Ephes. 5. Husbands loue your wiues as Christ hath loued his Church and deliuered vp himselfe for it that he might sanctifye it , cle●nsing it by the lauer of water in the word of life , that he might present or exhibite vnto himselfe a glorious Church , not hauing spot or wrinkle . Which Blessed Apostle also admonisheth women saying : Let women be subiect to their husbands as vnto our Lord : because the husband is the head of the wife , as Christ is the head of the Church : But as the Church is subiect to Christ so let the women be subiect in all thinges to their husbands : and in fine thus he concludeth , Let euery one loue his wife as himselfe , and let the wife feare or reuerence her husband . This doctrine if it be so considered and practised as is requisite , will make the Marriages happy both in earth & heauen ,

Let vs in briefe explicate this Apostolicall doctrine of Saint Paul : first of all he exhorteth husbands to loue their wiues as Christ loued his Church ; Truly Christ loued his Church Amore amicitiae , with a fi●endly loue , as Schooles do speake , and ●more concupiscentiae , with the loue of desiring any thing for himself ; he sought the goo● of the Church , the profit of the Church the saluation of the Church , not any profit or pleasure of his owne . And therfore they do not imitate christ who loue their wiues for their great beauty , allured with the loue of her fairenes , or for her dow● of many thousand crownes , or for some rich and wealthy inheritance , for such do not loue their wiues but themselues , desiring to satiate or satisfy the concupiscence of the flesh , the concupiscence of the eyes which is tearmed couetousnes . So S●lomon wise in the beginning and a foole● the end , loued wiues and concubines , not for the loue of them , but for the loue o● his owne lust , desiring not to gratify a●● do them good , but to fulfill his owne carnall desire , with which he was so blinded as he made no conscience to sacrifice to strange Gods , least he should neuer s● little crosse his delights . That Christ i● this wedlocke did not seeke himselfe , th● is his own profit or pleasure , but the good only of the Church his spouse , is cleere by ●he wordes that follow : And he deliuered ●imselfe vp for her that he might sanctify her , cle●nsing it in the lauer of water by the word of life . This indeed is true and perfect charity , to ●ield himselfe vp vnto torments for the e●erlasting saluation of the Church his ●pouse : and Christ did not only loue his Church Amore amicitiae , and not concupiscen●iae , but with an euer●●●ting loue , not for tyme only , for as he neuer left of our hu●ane nature which once he assumed , so ●lso did he knit this Church vnto him by ●he band of indissoluble wedlocke : In caritate perpetua dilexi te , Hiir . 31. sayth God by the Prophet , I haue loued thee with endles charity , and this is the cause why matrimony consummated by the coniugall act ●mongst Christians is inseparable , because ●t is a Sacrament signifying the marriage of Christ with his Church , which wed●ocke cannot possibly be dissolued , whereas the matrimony of Iewes and Pagans in some cases may be broken off , & made voyde .

After this the Apostle doth add instructing women , and teaching them that they be subiect vnto their husbands as the Church is subiect vnto Christ : this p●cept Iezabel who would domineer other husband , did not obserue and there●● ouerthrew her himselfe , him , and all hi● children : and I would to God there we● not many women amongst vs who stri●● to beare rule ouer their husbands : but perhaps this is the fault of the men who know not how to keepe their authority o●er their wiues . 3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 10. Truly Sara the wife of Abraham was so subiect and obedient to her husband , as that she called him her Lord : I am ( sayth shee ) growne farre in yeares and my Lord is olde : which vertue of Sara Saint Peter in his first Epistle doth commend saying : The holy women were subiect to their husbands , as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him Lord . And it seemeth strange that the Apostles S. Peter and Saint Paul do alwayes teach that husbands ought to loue their wiues , 1. Pet. 3. are to feare their husbands , or which is al one , to be subiect vnto them ; but is not the wife also bound to loue her husband ? she is truly to loue her husband , and to be beloued of her husband : but she must loue him with feare and reuerence , so as that loue do not hinder feare , for otherwise the woman becomes a tyrant : for so Dalila mocked her husband Sampson ( though otherwise most ●trong ) not so much as her husband , Iudic. 16. as her ●●ue : and in the third booke of Kinges it ●s recounted of a King enamoured of his concubine who permitted this his harlot to sit on his right hand , 3. Reg. 4. Genes. 2. to take the Crowne from the Kings head and put it on her owne , yea and with her hand to strike the King himselfe ; therfore it is no meruaile that God sayd vnto the first woman : Thou shalt be vnder the power of thy husband and he shall beare rule ouer thee . For which cause there is much wisdome required in the husband , that he loue and gouerne his wife , & withall that he warne and teach her , & if need be correct and amend her ; yet so , as he truely loue her as part of his owne body , & procure likewise that shee loue him , & be assuredly perswaded that she is so beloued , and that his admonishments proceed out of Charity , & not out of hatred : an example we haue in Saint Monica mother of S. Augustine , who albeit her husband was a fierce man , and a Pagan , yet did she so prudently & religiously endure him , that she was beloued of him , and he afterwards was conuerted to the Christian faith . The Reader may repaire vnto the bookes of Confessions of S. Augustine , and there fynd more hereo●

CHAP. XVI . Of the sixteenth precept of the Art of dying well , which is of the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction .

THERE now remayneth only the last Sacrament which is called Extrem● Vnction , out of which is gathered a most profitable document , not for the end only but for the whole course of our life , for at that tyme are annoynted al the parts of the body in which are the fiue senses , and at euery one it is sayd , God pardon th●● in whatsoeuer thou hast offended , by thy sight &c. and so of the rest . From whence we are giuen to vnderstand the fiue senses to be the gates by which all manner of synnes do enter in to our soules , and therefore if any keepe well these gates he shall easily eschew a great multitude of synnes , and consequently shall liue and dye most happily .

Let vs speake somewhat of the custody of these fiue gates . Sight . That the eye is a gate by which all the synnes that apper●eyne vnto leachery do enter , he who is maister of vs all , Christ himselfe I meane doth teach vs when he sayth : Matth. 5. whosoeuer shall see a woman to lust after her , hath already committed aduoutry in his hart : if thy right eye do scandalize or offend thee , plucke it out , and cast it from thee , for it is better that one of thy members should perish then for thy whole body to be cast into hell : And we know that the old men who saw Susanna naked were kindled with lust towardes her , and for that cause came to miserable ends ; we know also that Dauid that great friend of God at the sight only of Bersabee washing her selfe to haue fallen into adultery , out of which followed man slaughter and innumerable other calamityes . And the reason hereof is euident because the beauty of a woman is very forcible to allure a man to loue it , as the beauty of a man worketh the same effect in a woman , and this loue neuer resteth vntill it come to carnall copulation , the effect of concupiscence remayning in vs after originall synne : which calamnity the Apostle doth deplore saying : I see another law in my members repugning to the law of my mynde , and keeping me captiue in the law of syn●● , which is in my members ; I vnhappy man who s●● deliuer me from the body of this death ? The gra●● of God by Iesus Christ our Lord . So the Apostle .

What remedy shall we fynde out against this great tentation ? The remedy i● at hand , and that with the helpe of God very easy if any list to vse it , and this ●●medy is extant in Saint Augustine , in an ●pistle of his where he setteth down a rule for Nunnes , Ephes. 109. & thus amongst other thing he speaketh vnto them : If your eyes by chance be cast on any , let them be fixed on none : For a bare only seemes a thing vnauoidable , but it cannot , or truly is not wont to wound the hart vnlesse it endure longer , and therfore although of set purpose one should accustome himselfe to see such women or by casualty light into their company , if he presently turne his eyes from them , there will be no danger , for not the sight but th● delay in seeing as S. Augustine sayth , is dangerous , and this is that which holy Iob taught vs out of his owne example when he sayd : I haue made a pact with myne eyes that I would not so much as thinke on a mayde . Where he sayth not , that I haue made a pact that I would not see her , but that I would not thinke vpon her , that is that I would not stand long in beholding her , in so much ●s that the sight might pierce the hatt , & ●o I do begin to thinke on her beauty , and by little and little to desire her talke and company ; and he yieldeth an excellent reason hereof well worthy of so holy a man : For then what part should God haue in me ? As if he would haue sayd , God is my part and all my good , and a good aboue all goods , then which no better can be imagined , and God loueth none but such as are chast & vertuous .

And to this also tendeth that admonition of our Sauiour , If thyne eye shall scandalize thee , pull it out . That is , so possesse it , as if thou didst not possesse it at all , & so accustome thy selfe to keepe thyne eyes from such sights , as if thou wert blind ; and truly such as from their youth begin this care and practise , they fynd no difficulty to eschew and auoyde these vices ; such as haue accustomed themselues vnto them fynd it more hard , but yet with the grace of God they are sufficiently able to change their life and escape this most pernicious snare & entanglement .

But some will say perhaps , why hath God made fayre men , and women if ●e will not haue them to be seene , will 〈◊〉 haue them to be loued ? there is an easy 〈◊〉 twofold answere to this demaund . For that God hath made men and women f●● wedlocke , and so he sayd from the beginning : It is not good that man be solitary alone , let vs make him a help like himselfe : But the m●● doth not neede the helpe of the woman but only to beget and bringe vp children , as we sayd before out of Saint Augustine , Lib. 9. de Gen. ad lit . Cap. 2. & the man and woman would not easily for all their liues agree so well togeather vnlesse there were beauty to delight them both , & make them loue ech other ; wherfore sithence that the woman by nature i● adorned with beauty that she may be beloued of her husband , she court not be beloued of any other husband with that loue which prouokes to generation , for which cause it is prohibited so expresly in the law , Thou shalt not lust after the wife of the neighbour , Exod. 20. Ephes. 5. & the Apostle sayth vnto husbands , Yee husbands loue your wiues . Furthermore there are many good thinges and those also fayre , which all are not to be desired or sought for , but of such only vnto whome they belong , and to whom they agree : the ●he eating of flesh and drinking of wyne ●re good thinges , but for such as are in health , not for such as are daungerously sicke ; so likewise the beauty of men and women after the common resurrection when we shall be perfectly cured from all inordinate concupiscence with which mortall men in this life are troubled , may securely be beloued of all . And therefore euen in this life it must not seeme strange if it be graunted vnto all , euen with delight to behold the sunne , moone , starrs , the flowers of the field , and the like beautifull obiects , which nourish not the inbred corruption of lust , and yet it is not permitted to behold with delight faire women or faire men least that aspect doe increase & nourish that malady .

After the sense of seeing followeth the other of hearing , Hearing . no lesse carefully to be kept then the former , but with the eares is conioyned the tongue which is the instrument of speech , for wordes be they good or bad come not to our hearing vnlesse first they be deliuered by the instrument of the tongue , & for that the tongue vnles it be most watchfully guarded is the cause and founteyne of very many euills , therefore Saint Iames sayth : he who offendeth not in word is a perfect man : And a little af●● Behold a little fire how it kindleth a great wood , 〈◊〉 the tongue is a fire , and a whole world of iniquity . Three things doth the holy Apostle teac● vs in this place . First , that to keepe we●● the tongue is a matter of singular difficulty , and such as know how to keepe the same , to be very few and perfect men ; secondly from a bad tonge in very short space great hurt to proceed , which he explica● by the similitude of a small sparke of fire which vnlesse it be suddenly quenched , is able to consume a great wood of many trees : so one word spoken vnawares is able to cause suspitions of some crime committed , whence presently follow emnityes , brawles , contentions , murthers , and 〈◊〉 subuersion sometymes of a whole family ; lastly the Apostle teacheth a bad tongue not to be one single euill , but to compri●● a great multitude of euills togeather , 〈◊〉 by the same all mischiefs are eyther prepared , as whoredoms and thefts , or committed , as periuryes and false testimonyes or else defended , as when a wicked ma● eyther excuseth the fault he hath commited , or dissembles the good that he hath not done ; again the tonge is worthi●y called a whole world of iniquity , because by ●he tongue a man synnes against God by ●lasphemy and periury , against his neigh●ours by detraction and railing , against ●imselfe by boasting of the deeds which ●ndeed he hath not done , or by lying in ●he denyall of that which he hath committed .

To this testimony of Saint Iames I will add another of the Prophet Dauid , Psal. 119. where he sayth : O Lord deliuer my soule from wicked lipps , and from a bad tongue . If this holy king had such feare of a wicked and deceitfull tongue , what ought priuate men to do , and much more if they be not only priuate but poore , base , and obscure ? The Prophet doth add : What may be given vnto thee , or what may be added vnto thee , to a deceitfull tongue ? The words are obscure by reason of the hebrue phrase , but they seeme to me to beare this sense ; not without cause am I affrayed of a wicked and deceitful tongue because such a tongue is so great an euill that nothing ( as it seemes ) can be added vnto it : the Prophet goeth on and sayth , The sharpe arrowes of the mighty with burning & consuming coales : in which wordes is layed open an excellent similitudc to decla●● how great a mischiefe a wicked tongu● is , for the Prophet compareth it vnto fiery arrowes cast forth from a strong hand● first arrowes do strike a farre off , and fl●● with so great swiftnes as it is hard to auoyd their blow ; againe these arrowes vnto which the tongue is compared are said to be shot from a stronge arme , and mighty shooter ; thirdly is added that these arrowes are sharp that is made of a cunning workeman who knew wel how to point them ; and lastly these arrowes are like vnto kindled coales that are able to consume any thing be it neuer so hard ; so that a deceitful and wicked tongue is not so much like vnto the arrowes of men , as vnto arrowes cast downe from heauen as are thunders and lightnings in the ayre , against which nothing is able to resist . Truly this Propheticall description of the wicked and guylefull tongue is such as no euill can be imagined so great that can be compared thereunto .

And that we may the better vnderstand this matter , I will add two example● taken out of the Scriptures , one of that most wicked Doeg the Idumean who accused Achimelech the Priest vnto King Saul for that he had conspired with Dauid against the King , which was a meere slander and deceit , 1. Reg. 22. yet because King Saul at that tyme was very ill affected towardes Dauid , he did easily belieue all , and forthwith commaunded not only the priest Achimelech an innocent man to be slaine , but also all the other priests to the number of fourescore and fiue men , who had not offended the King at all : neyther was Saul satisfyed with this slaughter , but commaunded all the inhabitants of the priestly citty Nobe to be slaine , and he not only raged against all the men and women , but also against young children and sucking babes , yea he extended his cruelty euen vnto beasts ( a greater beast himselfe ) and slew their sheepe , oxen , & asses . And it is probable that Dauid in the wordes of the psalme which we haue now expounded of the wicked and deceitfull tongue , did speake of this Doeg the Idumean , and this example sheweth vs of what power a bad tongue is in working mischiefe .

Another example we haue in the Gospell of Saint Marke , the daughter of Herodias dancing before Herod the Tetrarch & his nobility , so much did that daunci●● delight the King as he sware before al th● were present that he would giue the youn● mayde whatsoeuer she should demaun● although it were halfe of his Kingdom● this foolish and rash oath was the cause o● much mischiefe . First the maide demanded of Herodias her mother what she should aske , who bid her tou●●e for the head of Saint Iohn Baptist , and presently was th● head of our Lords precursour cut off , an● brought to him in a dish ; how many mischiefs in one fact ? The mother most grieuously sinned in asking a thing most vniust ; neyther was Herods sinne lesse then his wiues , in that he commaunded a most i●nocent man to be slaine , and such a on● as was the Precursour of Christ , mor● then a Prophet , & then whome there had not risen a greater amongst the begotte● of women ; such a one I say whome Her● himselfe knew to be both a iust and holy man , and all this without cause , without Iudgement or forme of law , at the tyme of a solemne supper , at the reque●● of a dancing girle . But let vs heare the p●nishment who haue now heard the o●fence . Herod soone after was deposed by the Emperour Caius from his principali●y , and condemned to perpetuall banish●ent , and he who sware that he would giue halfe of his Kingdome , did leese the whole , and exchaunged the same with ●erpetual exile as witnesseth Iosephus in his history ; the daughter of Herodias whose dancing was the cause of Saint Iohns death passing ouer a riuer that was frozen , Lib. 18. c. 9. the yce breaking she fell downe with all her body sauing the head which was cut of in the fall , and leaped ouer the yce , that all might perceaue wherefore she came to so lamentable an end . Herodias her mother hearing this il newes ouercome with griefe did presently dye and followed her daughter into hell fire : Lib. 1. c. 2 which tragedy Nicephorus Calistus hath related in his history : & here we may behold the manyfold harmes as well in respect of the offence , as also of the punishment that haue ensued of the foolish and rash oath which Herode made .

Let vs come to the remedy which by wise and vertuous men is to be applyed against these synnes of the tongue . The holy Prophet Dauid in the beginning of his 38. Psalm . 8. psalme sheweth what remedy him selfe vsed laying : I said I will keepe my wayes , that I may not offend in my tongue : That is , th● I may fly the synnes of the tongue , I d● diligently obserue my wayes , for I do neyther speake , nor thinke , nor do any thing without due premeditation & pondering well of these thinges which I am to doe , speake , or thinke : these be the wayes by which men do go in this life , therefore the remedy against hurtfull words & not only against hurtfull wordes , but against hurtfull deeds , hurtfull desires , or hurtful thoughts , is forethinking or premeditation of those thinges which I am to do , to thinke , or to desire : and this is the proper character of a man ( vnlesse he will degenerate & become a beast ) not to do any thinge rashly , but reflect his consideration those thinges that are to be done , & then if they stand with reason to do them ; if not , to leaue them vndone . And what I say of the worke is to be vnderstood also of our speach , of our desires , and other workes of our soule , will , or vnderstanding .

But in case that some are not able to premeditate all thinges which they are to doe or speake ; truly there should be no man of wit and desirous of euerlasting saluation that would not euery day early 〈◊〉 the mourning before he went about o●●er temporall affayres recurre first vnto ●od by prayer , and desire that his wayes , ●is deeds , his wordes , his desires , his thoughts may be directed to the glory of God and health of his soule : & then when the day is ended before he go to bedd to sleep to discusse his conscience & cal himselfe to an account whether he haue offended God by thought , word , deed , or desire , and if he fynd any offence of God especially mortall , let him not shut his eyes to sleep vntill he be reconciled vnto God by true repentance , making a firme and set purpose to keep his wayes that he offend not in his tongue , or in his workes , or in his desires . And this may suffice for the custody of the tongue .

Touching the sense of hearing litle is to be sayd , Hearing . for the tongue brideled by reason that it breake not forth into bad wordes , there is nothing that can hurt the sense of hearing . Foure sorts of wordes there be against which the dore of our hearing is to be shut , least by our eares they enter so farre as to corrupt the hart : the first of which are the wordes that are s●oken against faith , which ( such is the curiosity of men ) are not vnwillingly heard , and yet if they once penetrate they take 〈◊〉 way fayth from our harts , which is the root and beginning of all our spirituall good : and amongst these wordes of incr●dulity none are more hurtefull then the wordes of such as eyther deny the prouidence of God , or the immortality of the soule of man : for these wordes do not so much make heretikes as Atheists , and lay open a wide gappe to all villanyes . Another kind of these words is in detractions , which quite destroy all fraternall charity , & are greedily heard but of the curious only , Psal. 100. for holy Dauid who was a man according to the hart of God saith in the psalm , I persecuted him who did secretly detract his neighbour ; & for that detractions do very often happen to be table-talke , Saint Augustine to preuent this abuse at his owne table , as recounteth Possidius in his life , caused these two verses to be written in the wal ouer , Quisquis amat dictis absentûm rodere vitam , Hanc mensam indignam nouerit esse sibi , Who others out of sight , Do with detractions staine ; I warne that from this place , They do themselues refrayne .

The third kinde of ill wordes are such as be adulatory , for flattering speeches all men do heare willingly , and yet they breed animosity and pride ; and pride is the Queene of all vices and most repugnant against God . The fourth kind is of ill wordes that belonge vnto carnality , & consisteth in amorous speeches ; and lasciuious or wanton songes , then which by the louers of this world no thing is heard with more delight , when as nothinge is more hurtefull or dangerous : these wanton songs are like vnto the songes of Mermaydes recounted by Poets which for no other end delighted the passengers then that they might therby cast them into the sea & deuoure them .

Against all these dangerous darts one soueraigne remedy is to haue honest and good friends , and withall care to be separated from the wicked ; for such as are strangers dare not detract , speake any heresy , flattering or lasciuious speeches vnto them whome before they neuer saw , or haue no aquaintance withall . And therefore Salomon instructing his sonne in the beginning of his Prouerbes , setteth downe his first lesson in these wordes : Audi fili &c. My sonne heare the instruction of thy Father : if synners shall seduce thee yeild not vnto them , if they shall say come with vs , let vs lay snares for bloud , let vs lay a trap against the innocent , let vs swallow him like hell aliue , and whole as one descending into the lake , we shall fynde all pretious substance , we shall fill our howses with spoiles , cast in thy lot with vs , let there be but one purse amongst vs . My son walke not with them , they ly in wait for their owne bloud , and machinate deceits against their owne soules . So he , and this counsaile of a most wise man can easily remedy this sense of hearings that a man be not led away with ill wordes , especially if we add thereunto that sentence of our Sauiour who was more wise then Salomon , who plainly sayth that , The enemyes of a man are those who dwell within him . And so much of hearing .

Smelling . The third sense is Smelling of which I shall not need to speak because this sense respecteth only sweet odours which haue no great power to hurt the mynde , and pretious perfumes are not for all but concerne a very few , such as are common , as of flowers , roses , ●●llyes , and the like , are harmelesse , and may be vsed without offence .

The fourth sense is of Tasting ; Tasting . the synnes that enter in at this gate to destroy the soule generally speaking are two , gluttony and drunkennes , but from these two many more do flow , and of both the one and the other we haue one admonition of our Sauiour in Saint Luke : Luc. 21. See that your harts be not ouercharged with gluttony and drunkennes ; and another of the Apostle , not in bankettings and drunkennes . And these two synnes in the Scriptures are reckoned among the mortall or deadly crymes by Saint Paul in his epistle to the Galathians saying : Rom. 13. The workes of the flesh are manifest , which are fornication , vncleannes , lasciuiousnes , seruings of Idolls , witchcrafts , murthers , drunkennes , banquettings , & the like , which as I haue foretold you so do I againe fortell that they which do such things shall not possesse the Kingdome of God . Neither is this alone the punishment of these sins ; but besides , this surfet and drunkennes do ouercharg mens harts in such manner , that they are not able to rise vp to thinke and imbrace diuine and spirituall things , which our Sauiour hath thaught vs , and S , Basil in an oration of fasting doth explicate by two most fit similituds ; the first of the su● and vapours ; for as the grosse vapou● which ascend out of moyst places do with their clowdes so couer the heauen as they hinder the beames of the sunne from shining on the earth , so out of gluttony and drunkennes there are raised vp certeyne smokes and vapours in vs , which darken the heauen of our vnderstanding , & take from vs the heauenly beames of Gods grace The other similitud is drawn from smoke and bees , for as bees , the cunning artificers of hony , are driuen out of their hiues with smoke ; so likewise the wisdome of God which like vnto a bee doth engender in our myndes the hony of vertues , of grace , and heauenly comforts is no wayes so soone expelled as by the smoke of gluttony & drunkennes .

Adde hereunto that gluttony and drunkennes are both very hurtfull to our corporall health . Antiphanes a most skilfull Phisitian , as Clemens Alexandrius reporteth , did affirme that there was but one cause of all sickenesses , Lib. 2. Ped. to wit , multitude & variety of meates : and on the other side S. Basil iudged it fit to call abstinence the mother of good health . And it is the custome euery where of Phisitians , first to prescribe abstinence to the sicke , and commaund them to forbeare from flesh and wyne ; yea this riotous surfet of meat and drinke is not only hurtfull vnto the body and soule , but also to our temporall estate and substance , for this excesse of feeding hath made many rich men to become poore , and finally it depriueth the poore and needy from the almes of rich , for such as are not contented with moderate diet , do easily wast al their goods on their own voluptuous pleasures , that nothing is left to giue to the poore , and that of the Apostle is fulfilled , one doth hunger , & the other is drunke .

But leauing this let vs come to the remedyes , the first of which may be the example of al the Saints of God : I omit holy Hermits and Monkes of whome S. Hierome writeth to Eustochium that to eate any sod meat was held for lasciuious diet . De custod . Virginit . ad Eusto● . I omit Saint Ambrose who as writeth Paulinus in his life , did fast euery day but on great holydayes and sundayes ; I omit S. Augustine who as writeth Possidius had alwayes for himselfe set one the table pulse , as beanes , pease &c. and herbes , and sometimes for his guests , or such as were sicke , flesh . I omit all other Saints , let this suffice tha● if any one attentiuely consider what he w●● is Lord and Father of all did doe when he tooke vpon him the office of feeding the people in the desert , without doubt he sh●l need no other Maister to teach him this art of sobriety , for God who is only powerfull , only wise , and only good , who could , and knew , and would well prouide for his beloued people , he I say for fourty yeares togeather did rayne them Manna from heauen , and caused water to flowe out of the rocke . This Manna was lik a cake made of meale and hony , as is sayd in the booke of Exodus : behold with what sobriety our most wise & prouident Lord wold haue his people to dyne & sup: a cake was their meate , water their drinke , and yet were all in health , all sound vntill such tyme as they began to desire flesh .

The sonne of this euerliuing Father Christ Iesus in whom were All the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God , Coloss. 2. imitating the former example , Ioan. 6. whereas he would make a dinner and supper for many thousands of his auditour , he layd before them pieces of bread and fish , & drink of water , and this he did not only whiles yet he remained in this mortall life , but also after his resurrection when as there was giuen him all power in heauen and in earth , Matt. vlt. he made a dinner for his Apostles at the sea side of a little bread and fish , Ioan. 21. and there is no mention there of wyne or any other thinge : o how farre are the counsayles of God different from counsailes of men ! The King of heauen taketh pleasure in the simplicity of the earth , is delighted with sobriety , & specially carefull for the enriching , filling , and cherishing of our soule : and yet men had rather giue care vnto their owne concupiscence , vnto the diuel their enemy than vnto God , Philip vnlesse we conclude with the Apostle , that the God of carnall men is no other but their belly .

There resteth the sense of touching Touching . which of all the rest is most grosse , & yet most quicke and full of life : by this sense the works of the flesh do enter in to defile our soule and corrupt others , which the B. Apostle recounteth saying : The workes of the flesh are manifest which are fornication , vncleannes , lasciuiousnes . So as in three words he expressed all the kindes of leachery , neyther is it needfull to proceed further in the explication of these thinges which should rather be vnknown amongst Christians , & their names not so much as once to be heard o● for so sayth the same Apostle writing vnto the Ephesians : Let not fornication or any vncleannes be named amongst you , Ephes. 5. as it becomme●● Saints .

These remedyes occur vnto me against all the synnes in this kinde , & they a●e in manner the same wherwith Phisitians doe vse to cure the sicke . First they begin with fasting or abstinence , they forbid such as fall sicke the eating of flesh , and drinking of wine : the selfe same must he do that is giuen to carnall lust , abstaine I say from ouer liberall diet , and excesse in drinking : the same did Saint Paul prescribe vnto Timothy saying : Vse a little wyne for your stomacke , and for your frequent infirmityes : That is to say , vse wine for the weaknesse of your stomacke , but a little , to auoyd lust for in wine is leachery . Againe the Phisitians do assigne bitter potions , Ephes. 5. letting of bloud and the like , which are repugnant to nature : 1. Cor. 9. so holy men did say with the Apostle , I do chastize my body and bringe it into subiection least whiles I preach to others I become reprobat my selfe : hence it comes that the ancient Hermites and monks did institute new orders ●f life quite repugnant to the delights and ●leasures of the flesh , in fastings , in watchings , in lying one the ground , in disci●lins , in haire-cloths , not for hate of their ●ody , but for hate of their rebellious flesh ; out of many I will alleadge one example .

Saint Hilarion as testifyeth Saint Hierome in his life when he was tempted with lasciuious thoughts , Ego , sayth he , speaking to his body , faciam , vt non &c. I will take order that thou mayest not kicke , I will not feed thee with barley but with straw , I will make thee to starue for hunger & thirst , I will loade thee well with weight , I will follow thee through heate and could , that thou mayest thinke more vpon thy meate then vpon wan●onnes . So he . Besides this the Phisitians appoint moderate exercise of the body as walking , playi●g at ball , or the like to to preserue health , and this also doth much help for the health of the soule : that is to say , if a man desirous of euerlasting saluation bestow one houre euery day in meditating on the mysteryes of our redemption , or on the foure last thinges death , iudgement , heauen , and hell , or in some such like arguments of deuotion , if the meditation succeed not as we would , ●t least let him bestow some tyme euery da● in reading the holy Scriptures , or othe● spirituall bookes , or else in the liues of Saints .

Finally to ouercome all the tentations of the flesh and synnes of leachery , the only and most effectuall remedy is to auoid idlenes , for none is so much subiect vnto filthy thoughts as he who hat● nothing to do , and bestowes his tyme i● loking on such as walke vp and down before his window , or in talking with his frinds , or in play and gaming . And againe none are more free from impure thoughts then such as for whole days togeather are imployed in tilling the ground , or continuall exercise in other occupations , for which cause our Lord and maister Christ did chuse poore parents that they might get their liuing by their owne labour , and himselfe also before he would vndertake the labour of preaching , would haue his supposed Father to be a Carpenter , and did help him to labour in t●● same trade , for the people sayd of him , I● not this the Carpenter the Sonne of Mary ? This haue I thought good to adioyn in the end of this booke that artificers and husbandmen may not repent them of their state of life , seeing that the wisdome God chose the same state for himselfe and for his mother , and for the holy man Ioseph his supposed Father , not for that they needed this remedy , but that they might warne vs that are weake to fly all sloth in case we will auoyd many other synnes .

The end of the first Booke .

THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE SECOND BOOKE .

CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of dying well , when our death is neere , which is of the Meditation of Death .

WE deuided in the beginning this Art of dying well into two Partes ; in the first of which are set downe those precepts of dying well which belong vnto that tyme in which Death might seeme to be further off : in this other which we haue now in hand , we will lay downe those which apperteyne vn●o Death when it is present or neere at hand Death is said to be at hand or expecting v● at the gate , when we are eyther worne out with old age , the Apostle telling v● Quod antiquatur & senescit , prope interitum est , That which groweth auncient & waxeth old is neere vnto death or destruction ; Heb. 8. or else are taken with some great sicknes & in the iudgement of Phisitians very dangerous whether this do befall an old man or a young , a youth or a child . Of this second ranke it seemes to vs the first precept to be the meditation of death , for although Death be thought vpon and considered with neuer so great diligence or attention whiles we are in our youthfull yeares , yet doth it very little moue vs , because we apprehend it as farre off , and therefore lesse dreadfull ; but when we see it so present as it may in a manner be felt with our handes , then it stirreth vs vp indeed , and the consideration thereof is very profitable : all Artes are better attayned by practise then by teaching : and those who ( if not more often ) did twice at least dye , as Saint Christine , & Drithelmus the English man of whome I made mention in my booke De gemnitu Co●umbae ( of the mourning of the Doue ) the noble woman raysed by Saint Malachy , of whome I shall speake in the 8. chapter , and that Hermite whose history Climacus doth relate , of whome also we in the end of this Chapter will say somewhat , it is euident that they died cheerfully ; but for vs who are permitted to dye but once , there is no better way then to meditate & to thinke often of what is done , or to be done in that houre .

First then we are to thinke that then there shal be a separation made of the soule from the body , & that neyther the soule is to be extinguished , nor the body to fall & be resolued to dust without hope of rising againe and being reunited vnto the soule , for in case the soule should be annihilated and the body be subiect to eternal corruption as the Atheists do surmize , then shold they seeme to haue spoken well who contemned death and sayd : Edamus & bibamus , eras enim moriemur : Let vs eate , let vs drink for to morrow we shall dye : which prouerbe is most ancient as we may see in the Prophet I say , Cap. 22. Cap. 15. and in the first of S. Paul to the Corinthians : and surely there are some euen amongst Christians who in wordes say that they do belieue , but deny it by their deeds , which may be proued out 〈◊〉 this principle : that very many euen i● their old decrepit age neuer thinke vpon death , as though that they were neuer 〈◊〉 dye , or as if they thought with the death of the body , the soule also did perish and resolue to nothing ; but whatsoeuer such men do dreame , the separation of the body from the soule as it were of th● spouse from her husband is but an absenc● for a while , not a perpetuall diuorce , for the soule is immortall , and the flesh without all doubt shall rise againe at the later day .

We must therefore if we be Christians , and haue any wit , dayly thinke of death at hand : in this standeth the totall summe of all our weale , that we dye well . In this life the passage is not hard fro● vertue to vice , and with the grace of God from vice vnto vertue ; for he who is now heir of the Kingdom of God may to morrow by synne fall from the inheritance o● God and become guilty of hell fire ; & co●trarywise he who is a slaue of the Diuell may be deliuered from that bondage , and be againe enrolled amongst the children ●f God and heyres of the heauenly King●ome . But he who dyes the enemy of God ●nd guilty of euerl●sting fire , he shall alwayes remayne the enemy of God , & tyed to these torments : and on the other side he who dyeth the friend of God , and heir of the Kingdome of heauen shall neuer fall from grace and that most excellent glory : wherefore all our felici●y or infelicity dependeth vpon our good or bad death ; who then that hath not lost all is wit and iudgement will aduenture to depart out of this life vntill withall diligence he hath learned , and prepared also himselfe to dye well .

Another consideration & that most profitable touching death may be to conceaue well , that although , death be most certeyn the prophet worthily demaunding ; Who is the man that liueth and shall not see death ? Psal. 88. with whome Saint Paul agreeth , saying , It is decreed for all men once to dye ; Heb. 9. Yet is there nothing more vncerteyne then the day and houre of our death : which the Scripture cleerly pronounceth saying , Watch , because that you do not know the day nor houre : many are taken away in their infancy , some arryue arryue vnto crooked old age , some dy● young , some at matures yeares , and which is more miserable , some do dy so sodenly as they haue no leasure left then to call vpo● God , or to commend their soules to his mercy : and these thinges doth the diuine prouidence of God according to the treasures of his wisdome for no other cause ordeyne after this manner , but to the end that none of his elected children and seruaunts should presume , or be so hardy as to remayne for one moment plunged i● the durt of deadly synne : and therefore whosoeuer thou be that doest reade thes● thinges if perhaps thy conscience giue testimony against thee of a deadly synne , be not so bold as to stay till to morrow in it , nor yet to expect till the end of this day or houre , but presently with a contrite and humble hart before God , detest and be sorrowfull for the same .

The third Consideration no lesse profitable then the former may be , if in the morning before thou go out to thy daily busines , & at night before thou goest to bed , least soden death should tak● thee at vnawares , that thou diligently examin thy conscience what thou hast done the night past , what the day immediately ●efore , especially whether there be any ●ing that may seeme a deadly syn ; and if ●ou find nothing yield thanks vnto God ●e Authour of all good ; and it thou fynd ●●y thinge committed against God seri●usly repent thee from thy hart , and at the ●rst occasion prostrating thy selfe at the feet of the Priest confesse the same , receaue willingly the pennance imposed , & faithfully performe it : ●his method of exami●ing our selues twice in the day , wonder●ully helpeth that death neuer take vs hence ●nprouided .

The fourth consideration may be that which Ecclesiasticus setteth downe that : In euery thinge thou doest remember the last things ●nd thou shalt neuer synne . For how can he o●●end in any worke who first doth weigh ●ll his works in the ballance of Gods iudgement as they shal be weighed at his death ? To which purpose we may apply that remarkeable saying of a man twice dead , which Climacus in his booke entitu●ed the Ladder , recounteth : for thus he saith : Grad. 6. Non omittam &c. I wil not pretermit to recount the history of that Anchoret who dwelled in Choreb : this man after that he had liued most negligently for a longe tyme togeather , and had , had no care at al of his soule taken at length with sicknes and by ●●●nes with the death , when as he was p●●fectly departed , after the space of an ho● the soule retourned againe to the bod● 〈◊〉 then he desired vs that were present 〈◊〉 incontinently we would all depart , 〈◊〉 then stopping vp the dore of his cell wi●● stones he remained there for twelue year● , neuer speaking one word to any , or 〈◊〉 tasting any other thing then bread & w●ter , and sitting with great amazement 〈◊〉 reuolued in his mynd the thinges whi● in the tyme of his departure he had seene and that with so stedfast apprehension a● he neuer changed his countenance , but remayning alwayes astonished he shed in silence great abundance of teares ; but when the tyme of his departure was at ha●● , breaking downe the wall and opening the dore we went in vnto him , and humbly intreating him to speake somewhat for our instruction ; this only we heard fro● him : Nemo qui reuerà mortis memoriam agn●●rit peccare vmquam poterit : No man who indeed shall throughly conceaue the remembrance of death , can euer synne . Hitherto Climacus . Now let the Reader consider ●ell and know that this is a true history ●d no fiction or fable , written by one ●ho was a very holy man , and he wrote 〈◊〉 otherwise then he saw with his owne ●●s , & heard with his eares .

Out of which it is easy to perceaue ●w important a thinge it is daily to me●ate vpon death , & alwayes to haue the s●●e present in our remembrance : this man had beene before very negligent in procuring his owne saluation , but out of the great mercy of God he tasted death and risi●g againe vnto life for twelue yeares togeather he did daily thinke vpon death , & moreouer bewayled his synnes with con●i●uall teares , and those thinges which be●e his first death he accounted light , and ●iall matters ; hauing tasted the bitter● of death he iudged to be most grieuous , ●nd such as required the penitential teares ●welue yeares to blot them out . This then ●he true commentary of these wordes of 〈◊〉 Scripture , Remember the last thinges ( to wit ●th , iudgement , heauen , and hell ) and 〈◊〉 shalt neuer synne ; & if the remembrance 〈◊〉 one only of these foure was so auailable 〈◊〉 this Monke , as that for twelue yeares pennance he redeemed the euerlasting to●ment of hellfyre , and gayned the glory 〈◊〉 a neuer ending Kingdome , what will 〈◊〉 perpetuall memory of al foure work in 〈◊〉 in case we wold exercise our selues theri● I would to God men would but know 〈◊〉 try this short and compendious way to 〈◊〉 great and vnspeakable a gaine .

CHAP. II. Of the second Precept of dying well , whe● our Death is neere , which is of the last day of Iudgment .

THE second of the foure last thinges i● Iudgment which is twofold , the one particuler in which euery soule in particuler is iudged at the departure from the body ; the other generall which shal be of altogeather in the later day : both are most horrible and dreadfull vnto the wicked ; delightfull and glorious vnto the good And often and attentiuely to thinke of t● one and other is most profitable for s●● as desire to atteyne a happy death . No 〈◊〉 can doubt but that the particuler Iudgement of euery man alone is to be made pre●●ntly at his death ; when as in the Coun●ell of Florence it is declared against the he●etiks that such as depart out of this life in ●eadly sinne streight wayes to descend in●o hell fire ; and those who dye out of the ●tate of deadly synne , but with the debt of ●emporal punishment to be caried to purgatory : and finally such as after baptisme are free from synne , and debt of punishment presently to ascend into heauen to receaue euerlasting felicity .

And it is very credible as Deuines do hold , S. Tho. in 4. dist. 47. Dom. Soto in 4. dist. 45. the iudiciall sentence of Christ eyther to be signifyed vnto them by Angells or to be reuealed immediately vnto their soules by God himselfe : and the soules of the vertuous guarded by Angells either to ascend into heauen or to descend into Purgatory ; but the soules of the damned to be carryed by the Diuells and by them to be cast headlong into hell . This iudgement may be dispatched in a moment because the Iudge is present , who being God and man according to his diuine nature is euery where , and as he is man doth know all things . For most truly did Saint Peter say vnto our Sauiour . Domine tu omnia nosti , Ioan. 21. O Lord thou knowest all thinges : the accuser which is the Diuell , called in the Apocalips , Accusator fratrum nostrorum , the accuser of our brethren is at hand & he runneth to such as are sick and ready to dye as a wolfe , lion , or dogg to his prey . The witnes is also ready the conscience it selfe of the soule which now separated from the body can no more be deceaued by ignorance or obliuion , but throughly knoweth it selfe , and incontinently seeth whether it be gratefull , or hatefull vnto God , and therefore nothing hindereth but that this iudgement may presently be made and put in execution : this iudgement is to be called priuate , if it be compared with the iudgement at the the later day which shal be publike & generall before all the Angells and men of the world .

But heere briefly is to be yelded a reason why it is required that such shold be iudged againe , who not only are iudged already but are also eyther punished in hell , 〈◊〉 rewarded in heauen : for this point no● one reason alone but six may b● allead●●● . The first is in respect of God , for in this li●● there want not many who seeing many vertuous men to be vniustly af●licted and punished by the wicked , & on ●he other side many wicked men to abound with temporall wealth & prosperityes do ●uspect that eyther God doth not see these ●hinges , or else that he hath no care of ●hem : therefore that all mankind may ●now this world to be most prudently ●uyded by God , he hath determined at ●he later day , before all the Angells and men to manifest his iustice , and to render vnto euery man according to his deserts ; rewards to the good , punishments to the wicked , Apoc. 16. that all may be compelled to auouch and say Iustus es Domine , vera & iusta iudicia tua : thou art iust o Lord & thy Iudgements are true and iust .

The second reason is , that Christ who before men was so vniustly iudged ●nd suffered so many grieuous and most vnworthy torments , may be seene before all the world in his high throne to iudge all synners , to the end that it may be fulfilled which is written in the booke of Iob : Iob. 16. Thy cause is iudged as the cause of a wicked man , thou shalt receaue or take to thy selfe both cause and Iudgement ; And therefore the ignominious shame of the passion of the sonne of God , shall be iustly recompensed with the glory of his being Iudge , and maiestically sitting in the Theatre of whole world , and then shal be fulfilled that of the Apostle , At the name of Iesus , let euery knee be bowed , of all that are in heauen , in earth , a●●● hell .

The third reason is that the reward of the good may be full and entiere : the reward of vertue is honour and glory , & for that many men for their vertue most excellent haue openly beene put to death as wicked malefactours , it is meete that their vertue and innocency should be declared in that open Court and Theatre of the world . To this ranke the holy Martirs of God do specially apperteyne , who shall there appeare triumphantly crowned before the eyes of their persecutours Pagans or heretiks , Princes or Kings , or of what degree soeuer .

The fourth reason is for the confusion of hypocrites , for there are some who dye with the opinion of Sanctity , wheras indeed they are impure and wicked , as are all heretikes , Caluinists , A●●baptists and the like , and such were they of whome Saint Cyprian writeth in his booke of the vnity of the Church : Ardeant ●icet flammis &c. Let them burne in flames , & ●et them leese their liues eyther by the fire ●r beasts , that death of theirs shall not be ●he crowne of faith , but the punishment ●f their perfidiousnes : it shall not be esteemed the glorious issue of religious vertue , ●ut a wicked or desperate death . So he . Therfore it is necessary that the hipocri●y of seducers or seduced people be at least detested and layed open in the vniuersall Iudgement , which in the particuler cannot so conueniently be done .

The fifth reason is , that the soules & bodyes may be iudged both togeather , for in the particuler iudgement only the soules are iudged , and receaue eyther reward or punishment , but in the generall ●udgement , the whole men must appeare both in soule and body , and because the soules haue synned togeather with the bodyes , or else haue done well and merited , so likewise is it expedient that after the resurrection the soules receaue togeather with their bodyes eyther glory or confusion , happines or woe , ioy or torment .

To conclude , the sixth and last rea●on is , that not only the good or bad deeds which we haue don in this life may haue their rewards or punishments , but also the good or il which do proceed from 〈◊〉 good or bad workes , and are propagated , spread , and continued vnto the end of the world , that such in the end of the wo●●d may haue their due praise or reproofe .

And to make this more plaine we will expresse it by some examples , there want not good men who do build hospitalls , or monasteryes , or schooles in which many sicke recouer their health , many religious are trayned vp in vertue , many schollers are instructed in learning , & thes● works well founded continew for a long tyme : some write bookes profitable for the spreading abroad of wisdome , of artes , of vertue , of all good actions , by which many in all ages do profit , and help their neighbours . On the other side there b● many lewd men who with their wāto● or seditious , or hereticall books do seduce and destroy many , and building vp Theaters for Fencers , or Stageplayers , or the like do hurt their neighbours for a long time after their death : wherfor seing th● in the end of the world , all process● shall haue also an end , and ●he meritt● and demeritts of all shal be finished , it is very meet that in that day of all others which euer were from the beginning of the world most remarkable , the definitiue sentence of the most suprem powerful , & most iust iudge be deliuered , to end , decide , & determyne all .

These are the causes why besides the particuler iudgment which shall be made in the death of euery particuler man ; there is another generall to be expected in the end of the world . It remayneth now to explicate who shall be the Iudge in this dreadful iudgement from whence he shal come , to what place he shall come , whom he shall iudge and what shall be the sentence . The Iudge , without al doubt shal be our Lord Iesus Christ , Matt. 25. Act. 10. for thus himselfe speaketh in S. Matthew : When the Sonne of man shall come in his maiesty , & all his Angells with him , then he shall fit on the seat of his maiesty and all nations shal be gathered togeather before him , and the rest which followeth . The same is confirmed by the Apostles Saint Peter , Saint Paul and Saint Iohn . Saint Peter sayth in the Acts : It is he who is appointed Iudge of the liuing and dead . Saint Paul in the same Acts : Act. 17. God hath appointed a day in which he is to iudge the would in iustice , by the man whome he hath ordeyned raising him from death . Ioan. 5. S. Iohn thus writeth in his Ghospell , The ( Father ) hath giuen him power to do iustice , because he is the Sonne of man . And in another place , The Father iudgeth not any man , but hath giuen all iudgement to the Sonne .

The place from whence he shal come to iudgement is from heauen , and he shall come as farre as the ayre neere vnto the earth that he may be seene and heard of all that shal be on the earth vnder him . Heare I pray Christ himselfe in Saint Matthew ; You shall see the Son of man comming in the clowds of heauen . 1. Thess. 4. Heare the Apostle Saint Paul writing vnto the Thessalonians : We shal be taken vp with them to meet with Christ in the ayre ; Ioel. 3. And the same did the Prophet Ioel foretell saying ; All nations shal be gathered togeather , and I will bring them into the vale of Iosaphat , & there will I pleade with them : Out of the wordes , into the vale of Iosaphat , we may well gather this iudgement to be the greatest that euer was , for the hebrue word Iosaphat signifyes properly the iudgement of God : and for that the vale of Iosaphat is neere vnto Hierusalem ( at the East side of the Temple , as S. Hierome testifyeth in his Commentary on the third chapter of Ioel ) then which no place can be more fit for so great a iudgement , for from thence is seen Hierusalem when our Lord did preach , and foretold that the last iudgement should be from thence : also is seene mount Caluary where Christ for the redemption of mankynd was nayled on the Crosse , and mount Oliuet from whence as a Conquerour , he ascended into heauen .

To this place Christ shall come in the clouds of heauen with al his Angels which are at the least thousands of thousands , & ten thousand hundred thousands , Daniel 7. as Daniel writeth ; I say at least , for in the opinion of Saint Denis Areopagita , and S. Thomas the number of holy Angells exceeds the number of all corporall things ; there also will be present with Christ the King , all the multitude of Saints , in glorious bodyes , of whome it is sayd in the Apocalips : I saw a great multitude which no man was able to count of all Nations , tribes and tongues standing before the throne .

There will be then in this iudgement such a spectacle as the like was neuer from the beginning of the world , nor shal be againe : for all the wicked shall be guilty of hel fire who in their resumed ●odyes shall stand naked and dolefull wh● excessiue and vncredible griefe on th● arth , brought by the Angells from a● places of the world to the vale of Iosaph●● and places adioyning , and the number● such shall be farre greater then the number of Saints , for our Lord himselfe hath sayd ; Matth. 7. many are called few are chosen : and more plainly ; narrow is the way that leadeth vnto lif● and few there be that do fyn●e it . The way 〈◊〉 large that leadeth to perdition and many there be that enter by the same : which i● it be true , as it is most certeyne , that t●● great multitude of Saints cannot be numbred , how much lesse can be numbred the multitude of the reprobate . To these also shall be adioyned the wicked spirits who also are inumerable .

Those thinges thus disposed before the sentence of the Iudge be pronounced , the books of accounts will be opened as appears by Daniel & Saint Iohn : Daniel 7. Apoc. 20. what those bookes are which shal be opened in this iudgement Saint Paul doth explicate to the Corinthians saying : Do not ye iudge before the tyme vntill our Lord come , 1. Cor. 4. who will bring to light the hidden thinges of darkenes , and make manifest the Counsayles of harts : For God will powre ●●orth such a light , that in the same all the ●onsciences of wicked men may be seene , ●ea all that shall be in that Theatre or ●ublike spectacle shall see the consciences ●f all men , and thereby their deeds , their words , their thoughts , their desirs . O what a spectacle will this be to see all the consciences of hypocrites of lyers , of traytours of cauillours who made no account to periure themselues by all the sacred thinges they cold name . By out of this publishing of the sinnes and villanies of al men wherby they will come to know the sentence before it be giuen , that will follow which we read in the Apocalips : Reges terrae &c. Apoc. 6. The Kings of the earth and Princes , and Tribunes , and Rich men , and Captaines , & bond men and free shall hide themselues in caues and in the rocks of the mountaynes , and they shall say vnto the mountaynes & rockes fall vpon vs , and hide vs from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe , because the great day of theirs is come , and who shal be able to stand ? And the same hath our Sauiour foretold in the Ghospell when as he caryed the Crosse on his sholders speaking vnto the vertuous women that beheld him : Daughters of Ierusalem weep not ouer me but 〈◊〉 ouer your selues and your children , for behol● dayes shall come in which they shall say , Luc. 23. Blessed 〈◊〉 the barren and the wombes that haue not borne 〈◊〉 the papps that haue not giuen sucke : then they s●● beginne to say vnto the mountaynes , fall vpon vs , a●● to the hills couer vs : Last of all the sentence shall be pronounced by the Iudge , Venite benedicti , ite maledicti , come you Blessed , depart you cursed ; Matth. 25. and the good shall go int● euerlasting life , and the wicked into euerlasting fire .

And now I beseech my Readers to thinke , and thinke agayne both often and with attention that themselues also shall be present in this Theatre , & the●fore now whiles they haue tyme let them seriously deliberate what is to be done ; neyther let them obiect that the day of iudgement is farre of and it were bootles to trouble o● afflict themselues so long before the tyme , as if the day of iudgement were at hand : for although this generall iudgement be not so neere , yet is not the particuler farre of but at hand and expectes vs at the gate : and looke what the sentence shal be of the particuler iudgement the same stalbe also of ●e generall : he therefore that is wise ●ht so to prepare himselfe to heare the ●en●e of Gods iudgement , as though it ●e to day or to morrow to be deliue● , for the houre of this iudgement is no ●u●ther of then the houre of our death , & ●he houre of death from an old man , or who is grieuously sicke cannot be farre of : therefore whiles we expect this great iudgement in which standeth all our hope or ruine , we must earnestly call vpon our aduocate who is the Iudge himselfe . 1. Ioan. 2. We haue an aduocat Iesus Christ the iust , as S. Iohn teacheth vs , & moreouer to sollicite the frendes o● the Aduocate , & first of all the most ben●gne Virgin the Mother of our Aduocat , then the Angels and holy Saints : neyther is 〈◊〉 conuenient that we come to our Aduocat or his friends with empty words only , but also with gifts , for the Saints refuse not gifts which auaile them nothing but the poore members of Iesus Christ , for they being blessed for all eternity in heauen want none of our temporall commodityes on earth .

CHAP. III. Of the third Precept of the A●● of dy●● well , when our Death is neere which is of Hell .

AFTER the consideration of death 〈◊〉 Iudgment , it is also conuenient 〈◊〉 thinke with earnest attention on the p●nishments of Hell , and ioyes of hea●●● for of the foure last thinges these are the two last of all , and only euerlasting : of which two Christ being the Iudge eyther the one or the other will befall vnto euery man ; and these two are so contrary both in nature and their effects , as that the one maketh vs most miserable , the other most happy : but for that we haue written of both these in the booke of the Ascending of our mynde vnto God towards the end , and of the Ioyes of the celestiall Paradise in a whole booke of that argument , entituled of The eternall felicity of Saints , and of the torments of hell in the second booke of The mourning of the Doue , and of the good and profit , we reape by teares , and finally 〈◊〉 all the foure last thinges in our Latin ●●r●ons ; and what occurred touching ●is subiect we did then both deliuer to ●●e people , and left in writing , I iudge it best in this place to touch the heades of matters already treated whereon a man may profitably entertayne his thoughts ●hiles he expecteth death and with ioy prepare himselfe to receaue , and meet the same .

Therefore touching the most vn●●ppy state of the damned to hell , three ●●ings occurre to be considered , the place , The Place . ●●e tyme , the manner . The place is depth ; ●●e tyme eternity ; the manner , without ●easure . I say that the place is depth , for ●●at the reprobate persons for their great synnes committed against the diuine Maie●y of God , shall haue their prison in the deepest place of the world , and which is furthest of from the pallace of God which is in heauen , for it was conuenient that the pride of the Diuell and of proud men shold be condemned to this ptnishment , Isa. 14. for the Diuell sayd , I will ascend into heauen , I will aduance my throne ouer the starrs , I will be like vnto the highest ; but it was answered him , Thou shalt be throwne down into hell , into the depth of the lake ; and the same shall befall vnto all such as are the children of pride .

Out of this first infelicity o● the reprobate there do flow three other , darkenesse , straitnes of place , and beggary . For whereas hell is in the center of the earth , to which place neyther the beames of the sunne , Moone , or starrs can penetrate , there can be no ●ight therein mor● then that which proceedeth from the brimstone fire which shall increase and not diminish their torment , for by that darke & stinking light they shall see the Diuells their most cruell enemyes , they shall see also those men whether their frends or kinsfolkes who were cause of their destruction ; they shall finally see , their owne nakednesse , their beggary , their bandes or chaines , their owne torments , all which perhaps they would desire not to see ; certeine it is that any thing which may yeld them any comfort they shall neuer see . O darkenesse , not darkenesse ! darkenesse to keep from our sight all that is good , no● darkenes in laying open before vs all that may be to our discomfort , affliction , and torment .

As for the straitnesse of place , that ●halbe so great as it shall scarce be able to ●ake the multitude of the damned bodyes . For if the whole earth seeme in compari●on of the vastnes of heauen to be as ( Pliny with morall Philosophers say ) but an in●iuisible point or pricke of a pen , and the place of hell comprizeth not the whole ●arth nor yet the one halfe , but the lower part and center only , and the number of the damned be farre greater then the number of the saued , Apoc. 5. of which notwithstanding we reade in the Apocalyps , I saw a ●reat multitude which no man was able to number ; who can conceaue or imagine what straites there be in hell ? Now let the great Kings Nabuchodonosor , Darius , Alexander , Iulius Caesar and others whome the whole world cold not conteyn whiles they liued on earth , go and enlarge if they can their straite habitation in hell , let them see with all their wit and power if they can procure to lye more at ease , or more mildely to be tormented . O vanity of vanityes ! all mortall men labour to extend and enlarge their fields , their territoryes , their Kingdomes , that for a short time they may vaunt and brag of the great multitude that is vnder their commaund and neuer thinke what a strait place expects them in hell , where not for a short tyme , but for all tyme and eternity will they nill they , they must dwell .

Now what shall I say of the incredible beggary of the damned ? All the inhabitants of hell want all thinges that be good and are only in the abundance and multitude of then to●ments rich : there shall the rich remember how they wallowed in their delights whiles they did liue on earth eyther in meate and drink , or in braue apparell , or in hunting or hauking or in gardens or vineyards , or in theaters , playes or other disportes , but all this remembrance shall increase their punishment , when they shall see themselues naked in hell , lying in torments , contemned and most miserably despoiled of all their wealth and prosperityes ; then will they say that which we read in the booke of wisdom spoken in the person of such men : Sap. 5. What hath our pride profited vs , and what haue we goften by the bragging of our wealth ? All these thinges haue passed away like a shadow .

Let vs come to the second head which is Tyme . Tyme . How long shall this banishment of the damned endure in hell fire ? I would ●o God no longer then was the length of our mortall life . But there will be no cō●arison betweene the one and the other ●ndurance ; for to tyme past there shall not succeed a set tyme to come , but eterni●y , which is beyond all tyme : therefore so ●onge shall the wicked dwell in these torments as long as the eternity of God himselfe shal endure , which as it wanteth a beginning so is it without al end euerlasting : ●he wicked shall be tormented so long as ●he Saints shall be in glory , and the damned shall dye as long as God shall liue , and vnlesse God do cease to be that which he ●s ( which is impossible ) the reprobat shall neuer cease to be in the torments wherin they are . O deadly life , o mortall death ! If thou be life , how doest thou kill ? If thou be death , how doest thou endure ? Truly thou art neyther to be tearmed death nor life , for eyther of them haue some good thing in them ; life hath rest , and death an end . But thou hast neyther rest nor end . What then shall we say , that thou art but the heape of all that euill which life and death haue in them ? A great thing doubtles it were if we could but meanly vnderstand what the eternity of torments doth meane ; this thought alone as a bridle would hinder all licentious liberty , & so make vs order and direct our liues ●s we should all seeme not to be Christians only but most holy Anchorets , most vertuous & religious men .

There remayneth of three things proposed the manner Manner . only , which as we said is punishment without measure , for the punishment of hell is not one particuler punishment , but the heape of all punishments and torments togeather : for in hell al the powers of our vnderstanding , soule , and all the senses as well internall as external are tormented , & that not by course or one after the other , but all these torments like a torrent rush on altogeather violently vpon man : here on earth as we haue no triall or experience of the generall ioyes or comforts of Saints , so neyther of the generall calamnityes of the damned : for heere he that hath sore eyes , hath not commonly at the same tyme a king teeth , and he who is troubled with hi● teeth complaines not of his eyes , & so likwise in the rest of the senses and corporall infirmityes : but in hell at the selfe same tyme are susteined most cruell torments in all and euery member togeather , when as th● fire compasseth about the whole body , most seuerely torments it , and yet consumes it not . Goe you ( sayth the Iudge ) into euerlasting fire : and the Prophet Isay : Matth. 25. Isa. 66. their worme doth not dye , and their fire is not quenched : which wordes our Sauiour Christ thrice repeated in one chapter of Saint Marke the better to imprint in our harts the punishments of hell for durance to be eternall , Marc. 9. and for this eternity most cruelly to torment the bodyes of the damned with incredible griefe . Those who on earth by order of iustice haue seene a man burned in the fire , haue beene scant able to endure the sight of that torment , which yet is dispatched as it were in a moment ; but in case one neuer so faulty should endure for a whole day in the flames , certeinly none were able to endure so dreadfull a spectacle . Let then euery one within himselfe make this discourse : if I cannot endure to see the burning of a man aliue , with whome I haue nothing to doe , how shall I be able to endure the burning of myne owne bodye for an howre , day , moneth , or yeare ? And if this breed in me so great horrour and dread that I cannot so much as thinke vpon it , with what intollerable folly doe I put my selfe in so great danger as to burn for euer ? If we belieue not the matter to stand thus , where is our fayth ? If we belieue it where is our iudgement ? where is our wit ? If we be Christians , if we belieue the holy Scriptures , how can it be that so great danger hanging ouer our head , we are not waked , and stirred vp to preuent it ? He truly that will be saued let him enter into his hart , and hauing diligently weighed all these thinges in their owne ballance , let him so cary himselfe as that death may fynd him prepared , & hell fire not receaue him , but rather he may happily deserue to enter into the ioyes of his Lord .

CHAP. IIII. Of the fourth Precept of the Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of the glory of the Saints .

THERE remain●th now the last of the four last things which is of the glory of Saints , in handling wherof I wil briefly consider the three heads aboue mentioned in the former chapter of Hell torments , the place , the tyme , and the manner . The place of the glory of the Blessed Saints is the heauenly Paradise , the tyme eternity which hath no end , the manner is celestiall happines exceeding all measure . Let vs beginne with the first .

The celestiall Paradise is a place Place . most high aboue all the mounteynes of the earth , aboue all the elements , aboue al the starrs and therefore the Kingdom of heauen is called in the Scriptures The howse of God , the citty of the great King , the citty of the liuing God , the celestiall Ierusalem .

Out of the most high situation of this Citty we may easily perceaue that there are many priuiledges of this place aboue all the places of this world : firs● by how much this place is higher a●ongst worldly thinges created , by so much it is the greater and more capable for receipt , for the forme or fashion of this world as it includeth heauens & elements as we see is crowned ●n so much as all the whole earth is but the center thereof and the highest heauen or vtmost sphere including al the rest must needs be of infinit capacity , a thing so euident as it needeth no proofe .

The place therefore of the Saints as it is most high , so is it also most large and spatious ; as on the contrary side the the place of the damned as it is of al others most low so is it also most streight as we haue sayd . Againe the place that is most high is also most pure , for certeinly the water is purer then the earth , the ayre them the water , & fire then the ayre & heauen then fire , & the supreme heauen then that of the starrs : finally the place that i● most high is most secure , in so much as there can no harme reach thereunto , and no scourge as the psalmist sayth can come ●●●l. 60. neere vnto his tabernacle .

First then the seate of Saints is most ●●m●le and large that they may freely go from o●e place to another : neither is there any danger least they be wearyed by their trauell : for hauing the gift of agility or nimblenes they can in a moment passe from place to place without labour or difficulty , now what pleasure and delight will it be now to passe from the east to the west , now to transport our selues from the south to the north , and in an instant to compasse or go about the whole world whils the damned in hell being bound , hand & foot remayne for all eternity without further motion in the same place ? and this felicity of Saints shall be the greater , for that they enioy that most pure refreshing in heauen , which neyther darkenes , nor clowdes , nor vapours , nor blasts of wynd nor any contagion can defile , whiles the most miserable captiues of hell are constrayned to lye in the thicke darkenesse & smoke of that burning fornace , in that place so ouercharged with horrour without al hope or expectation of any though neuer so little refreshment .

Now what shal I say of that supernall Citty , most safe from all trea●on and harme ? Prayse Hierusalem our Lord , prayse ●●y God o Sion , Psal. 147. because he hath made stronge the b●●●s thy gates ; This defending or making strong of the gates , doth not signify that whi●● the wordes seeme to sound , for it is sa●● in the Apocalips of the heauenly Citty ; Et portae eius non claudentur per diem , nox enim no● erit illic . The gates thereof shall not be sh●● in the daytime for there is no night there , and therefore God hath made stronge th● barrs of the gates because he hath made i● impregnable by reason of the height : and although the Dragon fought in heau●● with Michael the Archangell , the cause thereof is not for that he ascended out of hell into heauen , but that being created in heauen before his confirmation in grace he rebelled against God , and puffed vp with pride affected his equality , but because t●● heauenly Hierusalem is fonded in peace , 〈◊〉 enemy of peace could not stay therin , but presently like a flash of lightning fell from heauen , and after that time could neuer set his foot therein , & from that time no ma● is admitted to inhabit this Hierusalem vnlesse he be grounded and perfectly confirmed in peace . And so much of the place .

Let vs speake now of the tyme : the time of inhabiting the celestiall Hierusalem is ●ft●● the fall of the diuell , Tyme . a tyme without ●yme , that is an euerlasting durance without the enterchange of daies and nights : so in the Apocalips the Angell swore by him that liueth for euer , that there shall be no more tyme , and Christ in the Ghospell , the iudgement being ended will say , Hi ibunt sic in ignem aeternum , iusti autem in vitam ae●ernam , so they shall go ( to wit the wicked ) into euerlasting fire , and the iust into euerlasting life , but this difference there shall be between these eternities that they damned shall against their will endure theirs , and shall seeke for death and shall not fynde it ; but contrarily the iust shall heare nothing so ioyfully as their eternity that is , a life without feare of dying , standing in vertue without feare of falling .

It resteth that in few wordes we explicate the manner how the Saints shal be in heauen after the resurrection . Manner . And I hold this may most truly be affirmed that whatsoeuer good thinges are wished for on earth although combined & mingled with many bad , the same , but farre better and without all mixture of any euill ●o be enioyed of the Saints in heauen . The thinges that on earth are valued and es●eemed for good are these three , honou●s , riches , pleasures : the honour of the Saints in heauen is such as it seemeth incredible vnlesse it were warranted by his worde who cannot lye , heare our Sauiour Christ who is truth it selfe thus speaking in the Apocalips of Saint Iohn : To him that ouercommeth I will graunt to sit in my throne , Apocal. 3. as I also haue ouercome and sitten in my Fathers throne : & what I pray you can be added to this honour ? Doubtles the throne of the Sonne of God is the highest in heauen , and he who sitts thereon may well be thought to haue gotten vnspeakable honour : what applauses , what prayses shall there sound out in heauen before God and all the Angels , when as a man once mortall , and frayle shall by the hands of God himself be placed in the throne of the Sonne of God , who is the Prince of all Kings of the earth , and King of Kings , and Lord of Lords , nothing I say can be added vnto this glory .

As touching the power of a Saint that also shal be so great as that we are scant able to imagine it , for there is extant a promise of the same Christ the eternall ●ruth in the Ghospell of the faythfull ser●ant : Matth. 24. 〈◊〉 men I say vnto you he shall mak him gouer●ur ouer ●ll his goods : which words do plain●y shew this faithfull seruant to be made partaker of that power in heauen which God himselfe hath ouer all his creatures : and how great thinke you is the power of God ouer all creatures ? Truly most great , most incomparable : therfore al the Saints shall be called , and truly shal be Kinges of the whole world , not for a few yeares but for euer : and this is the sentence which Christ the supreme Iudge will pronounce in the last iudgement when he shall say to the iust , Come ye Blessed of my Father , Matth. 25. possesse a Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde .

Of the riches of the Saints this alone might suffice , that the riches shall be most copious and for euer permanent , the Prophet telling vs : Psalm . 112. Glory and riches are in his howse : and , God himselfe wil be all in all , as the Apostle sayth in his epistle to the Corinthians : 1. Cor. 15. which wordes Theophilact and S. Anselme do so expound as they make them to yield this sense : God shall be all in all , for heere meate is one thinge vnto vs , drinke another , another our garment , another our howse , another honour , another power in heauen : after the resurrection Go● himselfe will be to all his Saints mea● , drinke , garments , house , riches , pleasure , honou● power ; all things then that the Saints shal haue in heauen shall be most precious , all incorruptible , all diuine , all God himselfe . Saint Hierome addeth in his epistle to Amandus , that God will be all thinges vnto the Saints , not only corporall but also spirituall , for now all diuine graces are not giuen vnto all , but vnto one wisdome as vnto Salomon , to another piety as vnto Dauid , to another patience as vnto Iob , but when the end of all thinges shal be , then shall all thinges be in all , that so euery one of the Saints only may possesse al vertues , all gifts , all thinges . What I beseech you would a couetous man giue in this world that he might possesse alone all the riches and wealth thereof ? what the leacherous man that he might atteyne all the wanton pleasures which he doth desire ? What the ambitious that he may get all the honours and preferments which he doth aspire vnto ? And yet are these temporall matters , and soone to be lost , and which is more miserable , after a very ●●ort tyme are to be exchanged with euer . ●sti●g beggary , griefe , and shame . Why ●●en do we not seeke God in whom alone ●e shall possesse all spirituall and corpo●all blessings which shall last & continew ●ith vs for euer .

But what finally shall we say of the ioy and pleasure of Saints ? Isay and Saint Paul do preach and ●ell vs : The eye hath not seene , the eare hath not heard , nor hath it entred ●●to the hart of man what God hath prepared for such as do loue him . Truly God hath prepared ●or the Saints who loue him in their hea●enly home ioy , mirth , pleasure , delights , ●weetnes , and that such as no mortall man hath euer tasted , or was euer able to haue imagined : three thinges are required to procure delectation , the power of the soule , the obiect , and the vnion or coniunction of one with the other : and by how much these are the greater , by so much also the delectation which is caused by them is the greater : there is no power created greater or more liuely , or more capable of delight then the will of man or Angells , there is no obiect more noble , more amiable , and sweet then the essence of our Creatour : Psal. 33. Gustate & vi●●te● ( sayth Dauid ) quoniam suauis est dominus , tast and see for that our Lord is sweet ; and the wise man speaking of the sunne & star●s sayth : With whose beauty if they being delighted thought them to be Gods , Sap. 13. let them know how much 〈◊〉 beautifull their maker is , for the Authour of beauty hath made all these thinges : and there can be no coniunction or vnion more great then is that of God with a reasonable wil , the Apostle telling vs , 1. Cor. 6. That , he who adhereth 〈◊〉 God is made one spirit with him . The coniunction of bodyes for the most part is but superficiall , and doth not penetrate all the interiour parts , and yet this corporal pleasure so rauisheth mens myndes as it makes them almost to become mad : what suauity , what sweetnesse then shall the soule tast when it shall be inwardly conioyned with God who is infinit sweetnes , and ●e made one spirit with him ? Heere I wa●● wordes and am no way able to expresse what with my selfe I conceaue and ruminate .

Add hereunto that all humane pleasure which is caused by the creaturs is bu● momentary , or certainly very short ; but the pleasure that ariseth out of the coniunction of mens spirit with God who is ●nfinit sweetnes will neuer be ended , and yet so great madnes is in many men as they had ra●her enioy carnall pleasures , base , ●mall , and for a short tyme , then those ●hat are most great , most pure , most per●ect , and to continew for all eternity : and ●his may suffice in this place for the foure ●ast thinges Death , Iudgement , Hell , and Heauen .

CHAP. V. Of the fifth Precept of the Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of making our last will and Testament .

THE consideration of Death at hand and the foure last thinges being premised , it followeth that he who maks himselfe ready to go out of the world doe dispose of his house : Isay . 38. for so the Prophet Isay warned King Ezechias saying ; Dispose of thy house for thou shalt not liue , from which trouble all Religious men are discharged , who can say with the Apostle : Ecce nos reliquimus omnia & secutisu●●s te : Be hold we haue left all and haue followed thee : Matt. 19. of which number Saint Augustine was one , of whome Possidius writeth th●● in his life : He made no will or testament , because the poore seruant of Christ had not whereof to make it ; for albeit he were a Bishop , yet according to the custome of Religious men he kept nothing as his owne .

But this Wil is to be mad at the beginning of the sicknes in case the patient haue not prudently preuented it by making it whiles he was in good health ; & they doe much hurt & hinder themselues who neuer thinke on making a Will , vntill ( their sicknes still increasing ) they be forced thereunto by their friendes , at what tyme they eyther beginne to leese their senses , or certainly cannot then dispose of their thinges with that wisdome , iudgement , and maturity as they had disposed them , had they made their Wills whiles they were in good health .

First of all before the sicke men make their wills , they must think of paying their debts if so be that they be charged with any , then to leaue their good vnto them , to whome of right and equity they shall know them to appertayne , & not suffer themselues to be caryed away with affection towards those persons whom they most loue , in case this be any way repugnant to iustice . In such thinges as depend on their owne free gift let them first lay before their eyes the glory of God and then the necessityes of their neighbours , and if they be very rich , those thinges which before they ought to haue giuen to the poore , let them not now thinke to haue satisfyed their conscience if with their other synnes they confesse also this vnto the priest their ghostly Father , vnles they take order that the same thinges be giuen to the poore , or rather vnlesse that they themselues do presently giue them . For it is a common opinion of the holy Fathers and chiefe schoole Doctours , that all superfluous thinges which the rich enioy are due vnto the poore , of which thing we haue writen in the former book and ninth chapter , and it is not needfull heere againe to repeate what I haue there sayd : but of thinges which they may dispose of at their pleasure , let them conferre with vertuous discreet men which be the workes of charity that then for the tyme and place are more acceptable vnto God : somewhere perhaps it will more import to buyld a Church or place for common buriall , elswhere to place poore maydes in honest wedlocke , elswhere to ●uyld an Hospitall to help the number of sicke persons , elswhere to bestow almes on such as begge in the streets , elswhere to redeeme captiues and the like : and finally in such distributions there if no better rule to be obserued , Lib. 3. off . Cap. 48.3 . p. Past . adm. 21. then , as Saint Ambrose sayth , sincere Fayth and discreet prouidence : or as Saint Gregory sayth : Charity with prudence , or prudence conioyned with charity .

This in my iudgement is of speciall moment and seriously to be considered that the almes which are giuen by the liuing , or else are appointed to be giuen by such as are to dye , that then they be specially giuen or appointed when as he that giueth or appointeth them is gratefull vnto God , for then both to the one & other they are very meritorious , and such bountifull almes-giuers are receaued of their good friendes into the euerlasting tabernacles , according vnto Christ his promise in S. Luke ; for if they be giuen or appointed to be giuen by a wicked man , the almes auaile nothing to euerlasting life , whatsoeuer it doe in respect of other merits , neyther for them are the giuers receaued into the euerlasting tabernacles : wherefore the party that is guilty of mortall synne , and hath made his last will and testament in that state , is to aske counsaile of a discreet ghostly Father , or some other of his vertuous frends that after a Confession entierly and perfectly made , he confirme , allow and ratify whatsoeuer he had disposed in his former will , especially for the bestowing of almes on the Church or poore people after his death .

Hereunto last of all is to be added that he who in his last will and testament hath beene liberall vnto his neighbours , that he be not vnmyndfull of his owne soule , when as it may very well fall out that he go not directly after his death into heauen but first passe through the place of purging fire : wherefore he shall do both prudently and religiously if he command one part of the almes to be giuen vnto Priests who may offer vp sacrifices vnto our Lord for his soule , for as the Scripture testifyeth : It is a holy and wholsome thought to pray for the dead , 2. Mach. Cap. 12. that they may be deliuered from their syns : so in the second of the Machabees : out of which place Saint Augustine gathereth à fortiore that the soules of faythfull Christians departed this life are much more holpen by the sacrifyce of the body & bloud of Christ in the Masse , then they other were by the sacrifices of beasts in the old testament .

CHAP. VI. Of the sixt Precept of this Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of the Confession of our sinnes .

AFTER the consideration of the former points it is necessary that a man gone in yeares , or taken with a dangerous sicknes , do seriously casting aside all other cares apply his mynd duly to receaue the Sacrament of Pennance , for it often happens that at what tyme the Sacrament of Pennance is most necessary , that then it is with lesse disposition receaued of the Penitent : such as are grieuously sicke , or hindered with sorrowes , or weakenesse , or want of iudgement , or horrour of death at han● , or loue of their deere frends whom vnwillingly they leaue , make a very maymed and imperfect confession , for being in those ●nguishes they can hardly stirre themselues vp vnto true and sincere contrition or sorrow for their offences .

My selfe can be a witnesse of this difficulty which such for the most part doe fynd : for when at a tyme I visited a frend , a rich Gentleman , ( who by reason of a great synne he had committed , fell into a deadly disease ) & told him , that there was nothing better for him to seeke for , as thinges then stood , then true repentance and contrition for his synne , because that God neuer despiseth a contrite and humbled hart : he answered me with this demaund : What is Contrition ? I do not vnderstand what you would haue me do . I replyed , that which I require , is that from your hart you abhorre your synnes and be sory that you haue offended God thereby , and firmely determyne with your selfe if longer life should be graunted you , neuer more to offend God , and al this for the loue that you be are his diuine Maiesty who hath bestowed vpon you innumerable benefitts , and to whome you most vngratefull for benefitts haue retourned iniuryes . He answered agayne , I vnderstand you not , I am not capable of these matters : and so dyed , leauing behind him euident signes of his damnation . These and the like examples are admonitions for vs that whiles we are well we do so disburthen our conscience & do true pennance , as though euery confession were the last that euer we shoulde make .

Yet notwithstanding euen in the sickenes it selfe a confession is to be made with as great diligence as may be , especially the sicke man is to be stirred vp to contrition out of true griefe for his sinnes past and firme purpose of not sinning againe if his life should be prolonged , and we must not only do pennance for our sinnes committed , but also for the omission of good workes , to which by reason of our office , or out of charity we were bound to doe : for many there be that do curiously inough consider theyr sinnes committed against God and their neighbour , but easily forget their omissions , or set light by them . I can add for demonstration hereof a very profitable example .

A very learned and deuout Bishop was deadly sicke , there came a Priest vnto him that was his frend and myne of whom I heard what I now relate ; he demaunded of the Bishop as a familiar frend whether his conscience were quiet and free from trouble ; the Bishop answered that by the grace of God all was wel , that since his last confession he could call to mynde nothing of momen● wherein he had offended God ; the Priest further demaunded whether his conscience did not accuse him of Omissions , 2. Tim. 4. seing that the Apostle so carefully warned Timothy a Bishop saying : I testify before God and Christ Iesus who shall iudge the liuing and the dead , by his comming and Kingdome , preach the word , be vrgent in season , out of season , reproue , beseech , rebuke , in all patience and doctrine : the Bishop hearing this did sigh , and sayd ; indeed my omissions doe much terrify me , and foorthwith there came from his eyes whole streames of teares .

But aboue all Contrition is requisite for one that will dispose himselfe to dye well , for confession without contrition or true attrition is not sufficient for saluation , and without contrition satisfaction is inualid , or of no force , which yet at that tyme can hardly be performed of the sicke man , but contrition which in his owne nature includeth charity , although with confession and satisfaction when they cannot be performed is alone sufficient ; for as we sayd a little before God will not despise a contrite and humbled hart , the sicke man then must carefully labour to haue true contrition of which endeauour we haue a notable example in S. Augustine as Possidius testifyeth , who in his last sicknesse whereof he dyed caused to be written out for him the psalmes of Dauid which belonge vnto pennance , and se●ting the leaues against the wal lying in his bed he did looke on them and reade them : Et iugiter & vbertim flebat , and did always & that abundantly weepe , and he tooke order before that none should hinder or distract him , for ten dayes before his departure he gaue order that none of hi● house shold enter or come vnto him , but at such tyme of the Phisitians came to visit him , or else when he was to take some meate , all the other tyme he bestowed in prayer : O most Blessed and most prudent man , he liued after his Baptisme , and after that the sinnes of his former life were remitted him , three and fourty yeares , in which euen vntill his last sicknes he dayly preached the word of God , he wrote innumerable bookes and most profitable for the whole Church , he liued without complaint an innocent and most holy life ; and yet at the very end of his yeares , and in his sicknes he so gaue himselfe for many dayes togeather ●o contrition & pennance , that in reading the penitentiall psalmes he continually and abundantly wept : and these two wordes are much to be noted iugiter , & vbertim , continually & abundantly , for this study to attayne contrition was not for one day or houre , but for many dayes , and he did very often and with great abundance of teares bewayle his synnes : and what manner of synnes were they which this most holy man did thus bewayle ? Truly I am of opinion that they were only veniall , that so he might not only be deliuered from hell fire , but from Purgatory also , and so presently ascend into heauen . And if so holy and wise a man did weepe continually and abundantly for so many dayes togeather his veniall synnes , what should they doe who are yet to mak satisfaction vnto God not only for their venial , but also for their mortall synnes .

Therefore let all old men who are neere the end of their dayes , so dispose of themselues before they fall sicke that they may not need in their old age or sicknesse to blot out any deadly synnes , but to do pennance only for such as are light and veniall , and let them before hand so prouide to arme themselues against che snares of the Diuell by holy Confession , Communion , and Extreme Vnction , that God being their guyde and their good Angell acccompayning them they may happyly arryue vnto their heauenly countrey .

CHAP. VII . Of the seauenth Precept of the Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of the B. Sacrament then giuen for a Viaticum , or parting-food .

THE auncient Christians in the administration of this sacred food , & Extreme vnction vnto the sicke , did first an●ise the sick with holy oyle , & then after ●ue vnto then the most sacred body of ●r Sauiour : and to alleadge a testimony 〈◊〉 two for this matter , there is extant in the first tome of Surius the life of S. Willian Archbishop of Bourges in France , who liued in the time of Pope Innocent the third , in which it is sayd : He humbly and deuoutly receaued the Sacrament of Vnction , and hauing receaued that , he desired most earnestly the Blessed Sacrament to be giuen him , that being armed with so good a guyde for his iourney he might the better passe through all the squadrons of his enemyes . So he : and the same is related in the life of Saint Malachias written by Saint Bernard , to wit , that he tooke his last voyage foode , the most Blessed Sacrament I meane , after that he had receaued the Sacrament of Extreme vnction .

Besides these two testimonyes which shew the order obserued betweene the two Sacraments , Extreme Vnction and ●he holy Eucharist , there may be produced ●wo other which shew the Blessed Sacra●ent to haue beene the last , although no ●ention be made in them of extreme Vnction : In the life of Saint Ambrose which Paulinus wrote , there is mentioned that he at the point of death receaued this heauenvly food , and hauing receaued it presently departed this life ; and the same writeth Methaphrast of Saint Iohn Chrysostome in his life , so as it is cleere that this was the last Sacrament that was giuen to the sicke in ●ncient tymes .

Now a day●s we first arme the sicke with the Blessed Sacrament & then after some dayes the disease continuing or encreasing we anneyle them with holy oyle : both customes haue their reasons for approuance , the ancient Fathers did consider the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to be instituted both for the recouery of perfect health and to take away synnes or the relikes that remayned of them , for so speaketh Saint Iames : Is there any sicke amongst you ? Iac. 5. Let him fetch the Priests of the Church , and let them pray ouer him , annoynting him with oyle in the name of our Lord , and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke , and our Lord shall rayse him vp , and if he be in sinns they shall be forgiuen him . The ancients then hoping by this sacred Vnction the corporall health of the diseased , delayed not this Sacrament vntill that tyme when in the iudgement of Phisiti●ns the disease was desperate , but as soone ●s it seemed in their iudgement to be dan●erous presently they made recourse vnto ●he holy vnction , which also may be gathered of that which Saint Bernard writeth , in the life of Saint Malachy : the same Saint being sicke came downe on his feet from his chamber which was in the top of the howse , to the Church , that first he might receaue the holy Vnction , then the Blessed Sacrament , and hauing receaued them both he returned againe on his feet without the helpe of any to his chamber , & bed . But now a dayes when they heare any mention to be made of extreme Vnction they thinke all at an end , & that the sicke man cannot escape , for which cause the kinsfolkes and friendes of the partyes that be sicke , not to terrify them with the apprehension of present death do delay as long as they can this Sacrament .

There is also another reason hereof which moued the ancients first to an●eyle the sicke , & then to giue them their ●eauenly foode , because in the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction the synnes are forgiuen as we haue heard out of the Apostle Sain● Iames , and therefore of some ancient writers Extreme Vnction is called Po●nitenti● infirmorum , the pennance of the sicke : and remission of synnes togeather with pennance are most worthily premised as a preparation or disposition to the most high & diuine Sacramē● of the Eucharist , which requireth the greatest p●●ity that can be gotten in this life .

Finally all the Sacraments are ended and as it were sealed vp with the Sacrament of the body of our Lord , and so we see that such as are of rype age when they are baptized , as Turkes , Iewes & the like are presently after their baptisme confirmed , admitted to be present at the sacrifyce of the Masse , and to receaue the holy Eucharist , so likewise such as did publike pennance , after their pennance performed , at least according to the auncient custome , al wayes receaued the Blessed Sacrament , and they who take Orders whether the lesser or greater after they haue taken them , come to the holy communion ; and lastly , such as are marryed doe strengthen and confirme the Sacrament of Marryage with the Sacrament of the Altar : now in our dayes this order is alte●ed and that not without a iust cause . For oftentymes it happynes that Extreme Vn●tion ( that the sicke person may not be a●frighted ) is put of for a longe tyme , and there is danger least he leese his senses or vse of ●eason , or for some other cause become vnfit if not vnable to receaue the B. Sacrament , and ther●fore this wholsome food is giuen before , for it is better that the order of giuing these Sacraments be changed , then that the sicke should be depriued of the one , & that also most wholsome and comfortable : and Extreme Vnction may be giuen vnto the sicke , albeit he be in his agony or last pangs and conflicts with death , although he neyther vnderstand or feele what is done , so as yet he be aliue , for the dead are capable of no Sacraments : and so much of the order of ministring these Sacraments to the sicke .

Now I come to speake of the pretious body of Christ to be fruitfully giuen to the sicke , and first I will briefly explicate what the sicke man is to doe , before this Sacrament be brought vnto him , then what the same sicke man is to do when the body of Christ is present , lastly how he ought to behaue himself after that he hath receaued it .

As for the first my counsayle shol● be ( vnlesse his Ghostly Father should suggest some other thinge according to the present occasions more necessary ) that the sicke man diligently ponder these wordes of Saint Thomas : O sacred banquet , in whi●● Christ is receaued , the remembrance of his pass●●● is recounted , the soule is filled with grace , & a pledge is giuen vs of the glory to come . First then he shal attentiuely consider the holy Eucharist to be giuen to vs trauellers ( which tytle by Deuines is applyed vnto all mortall men ) by way of food , that we faint not in the way in which we trauell towards out countrey , especially at that tyme in the which we being wearyed with a longe iuorney we become weake and feeble : this food is called a banquet and a sacred banquet , for although it be giuen vnder the forme of bread alone , yet is it an entiere & great banquet , & a banquet not prophane but sacred , not of the body but of the soule and therefore it is added , In quo Christus samitur , in which Christ is receaued , for vnder the formes or accidents of bread is the true body of Christ not separated from his soule and diuinity , and for that it is a most great , most excellent and most pretious thinge , a great and most sweet banquet , farre exceeding the tast of all earth●y sweetnes , but fit to feed and delight the ●oule , not the body .

What the fruites or commodityes are of this food , is added when it is sayd : The remembrance of our sauiour his passion is recounted , the soule is filled with grace , and a pledge is giuen vs of our future glory . The first fruite then is the remembrance of our Sauiours passion , for which cause the body & bloud of our Lord are consecrated vnder the twofold formes of bread and wyne , that the forme of breade may represent his body separated from the bloud , and so consequently dead , and the forme of wyne represent his bloud separated from the body although that Christ be entiere & liuing both vnder the one and other forme . Our Lord then would that by these mysteryes there should be extant amongst vs a continual & daily remembrance of his passion , by which we haue escaped all euill & obteined al good : hence it came that our Lord said vnto his Apostles speaking of this Sacrament : Do ye this in my remembrance : & the Apostle S. Paul expounding these-wordes of our Lord , sayth : As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke the cup , you shall shew forth the death of our Lord vntill hecome ; That is to say , as often as you shall come vnto this most sacred mystery , you shal be mindfull that Christ left his life for you , and this remembrance shall still endure or continew vntil the second coming of our Lord , that is euen vntill the end of the world . And our Lord wold haue vs daily to be mindful of his passion & death , because he knew this remembrance to be very profitable for vs that being mindeful of his great charity towards vs , we should as well in our life as in our death , repose all our trust or confidence in him , for what will he be able to deny them , for whome so freely and liberally he hath bestowed his owne life ?

Another fruit of this celestiall banquet is designed in these wordes mens inpletur gratia , the soule is replenished with grace , which is the singular priuiledge of this Blessed Sacrament when it is receaued with due preparation and disposition of the receauer , for as corporall food is but one thinge and by eating is conueyed into the stomacke , yet notwithstanding it doth repayre , nourish , strengthen & com●rt all the members of the body ; and con●ary wise to much abstinence from meate ●ot only makes the stomake empty , but ●eakens and extenuates all the members , it maketh them vgly , and languishing , & in fine kills the body : so this Diuine meat doth repaire , nourish and strengthen all the spirituall power of our soule , the memory by this sacred food is filled with grace of the most sweet remembrance of the benefits of God , and especially of our Lords passion , by which we are deliuered and saued ; our vnderstanding by this food is filled with the grace of fayth not habituall only but also actuall , and fayth purifyes the hart from very many errours , and filleth our mind with the knowledge of duiine things which breeds an vnspeakable ioy and comfort within vs ; and last of all the wil by this diuine food is filled with the grace of most certeyne hope , and most ardent charity , which for that shee is the Queene of vertues drawes all vertues vnto it , with the possession wherof a man becometh most rich of spirituall wealth . By these meanes then is our soule filled with grace by this most Diuine Sacrament , and on the other side too much abstinence from this food hinders all the former effects , it makes vs in them al● feeble , weake , deformed , and drawes in the end vnto spirituall death .

The last fruite is , futurae gloriae 〈◊〉 pignus datur , there is a pledge giuen vs 〈◊〉 this most soueraygne Sacrament of th● glory to come : the metaphor of a pledge 〈◊〉 taken from the ordinary condition annexed to a promise made amongst men , because that which is promised cannot be denyed when there is a pledge giuen for the performance : our Lord left his body in the Sacrament of the Eucharist as a pledge of our heauenly felicity , and therefore he who at his death receaueth his Blessed body with due purity of mynde and reuerence , he shall before his Redeemer shew his pledge and cannot be excluded from hi● celestiall happinesse . And he indeed sheweth this pledge who dyeth vnited with Christ by true charity , which the worthy receauing of this Sacrament did leaue in the soule , for then the soule issueth forth of the body , as an Espouse leaning vpon her beloued . Cant. 8.

And this is that which S. Iohn writeth in the Apocalips , when he sayth : Apoc. 14. Blessed ●re the dead who dye in our Lord ; That is , bles●ed are they who do dye conioyned vnto ●ur Lord as members vnto their head : Ioan. 3. No man ascendeth into heauen but he who came downe from heauen , the Sonne of man who is in heauen . The Sonne of man is Christ who ascended not without his body of which he is the head , and for thi● cause only such doe dye in our Lord , who in their deaths doe adhere vnto him as members to their head , which blessing al they do get who a little before they dy do worthily receaue Christ in the holy Eucharist .

And this hitherto haue we sayd touching the preparation of the sicke man to receaue his last food and heauenly Manna before that it be present & brought vnto him . For as soone as it is brought the sick man must as he is able lift himselfe vp and eyther on his knees , or with humble bowing downe his head adore his Lord and Sauiour : & often it falls out that our Lord giueth such strength and vigour that men euen ready to dye do rise at that tyme & fal on their knees : and so we reade of Saint William Archbishop Bourges in France : Vt autem &c. When he knew that his Lord & Creatour was come vnto him , presently recouering his strength he lept out of the bed as though that the ague had quite left him , not without the amazement of such as were present , especially for that he seemed to be at the last gaspe , & went wi●● a speedy pace to meet his Sauiour , chari●● yielding him strength thereunto , & kneeling downe all bede wed with teares , he adored him , and to the end he might often kneele he was often lifted vp from his knees , and with singular deuotion he commended his last agony vnto Christ ; earnestly praying that if yet any thinges remayned to be purged that he would heere cleanse it , that the wicked enemy might fynd nothing in him . So farre the history of his life .

Now it seemeth to me a thing most requisite and to be practised at that tyme ; that before the sicke man do receaue the body of his Lord , he repeat , or heare an other read vnto him those verses of Saint Thomas of Aquin , which at once do professe our fayth , stirre vp our hope , and kindle our charity ; the verses are these .

Adoro te deuotè latens Deitas , Quae sub his figuris verè latitas &c. I thee andore O hidden Deity , who couered in these outward signes doest lye . My hart to thee doth tender all his might , which contemplating is dazeled quite . My sight , my tast , my touch in thee do faile me , my hearing only doth for fayth auaile me . To all that Christ hath spoken I agree , then this truths word no truth can euer be . Vpon the Crosse thy Godhead sole was shrowded , thy Godhead heere & māhoodly or ' clowded . Yet them beleeuing both , and both confessing , I begge the happy theefs obtayned blessing . Thy wounds with Thomas I nor see nor touch , Yet thee my God to be I do auouch . Make me belieue in thee still more & more , Of hope & charity increase my store . O sweet remembrance of my dying Lord , true bread that vnto man doest life affoord : Daigne to my soule on thee alone to liue , and alwayes with that food sweet tast to giue . Sweet Pellican , & deerest Soueraigne , my vncleane hart clense with thy bloudy rayne ; Wherof one drop sufficient power contaynd , to purg the world , though al with sin destaind . Iesus who now doest vnder veyles appeare , when shall it be ( which I esteeme so deare ) That I beholding thy reuealed face , May by that glorious sight with thee find place .

Amen .

Hauing dououtly sayd or heard these verses , hauing made the ordinary confession which beginneth with Confiteor Deo &c. and hauing taken the absolution and blessing of the priest , and sayd , Domine non sum dignus , let him add with as great ●●mility & deuotion as he can these wordes , Into thy handes O Lord I commend my soule , and then he may securely ●●ceaue this sacred & celestiall Sacrament .

After the communion there remayneth thanksgiuing vnto God for this so excellent a benefit , and besides vocall prayers which he may reade out of some pious bookes : it were also very behofull that he who hath now receaued his last food for his iourney and passadge vnto heauen , should enter into the closet of his hart and meditate with himselfe in silence on those most sweet wordes of our Lord Iesus in the Apocalips : I stand at the dore and knock , if any shall open it vnto me , Apoc. 3. I will enter in vnto him , I will sup with him , and he shall sup with me : for these wordes doe most fittly agree with those who come from the holy communion : for our Lord who instituted this Sacrament in the forme of a banquet , desireth nothing more then that all Christians should repaire vnto this feast , and this is signifyed ●y those wordes : Ego sto ad ostium & pulso , I ●tand at the dore and knocke , that is , I doe ●nuite my selfe to this common feast , that ● may also be fed ; si quis mihi aperuerit , if any shall open the dore vnto me assenting vnto this good desire which I haue inspired , that we may feed and feast togeather , intrabo ad eum , I wil enter in vnto him , by the communion of this holy banquet , Psal. 103. I will sup with him , & he shall sup with me ; Because that God is sayd to sup with vs when he is delighted with our spirituall progresse in vertue , according to that of the Psalmist : Our Lord will reioyce in his workes ; And in another place : Let my speach be delightfull vnto him , and I will be delighted in our Lord : in which wordes is expressed the mutuall delight & as it were a sweet banquet of God with the soule , and of the soule with God : for God is delighted with the spirituall profit of the soule , and the soule is delighted with the benefitts receaued from God , of which the chiefest is that by this sublime Sacrament , he vouchsafeth to linke and vnite himselfe after a sweet manner with our soule .

Wherefore let the faythfull soule after the receauing of this Sacrament reflec● and thinke with it selfe how sweet & soueraigne a thing it is to haue Christ himselfe as a guest within it , whiles the Sacramentall formes remayne , not only as God but also as man , and to be able to deale confidently with him & to conferre with him our dangers and anguishes 〈◊〉 our passadge from this body , from his ha●● to commend himselfe vnto him , and to desire of him to beate backe the common tempter of mankynd then most busy , to send vs an Angell to accompany vs , and to bring vs safely into the port of saluation .

CHAP. VIII . Of the eight Precept of the Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of Extreme Vnction .

THE last Sacrament is holy Vnction which is able to yield great comfort vnto the sicke if the force and vertue therof be well vnderstood , and the Sacrament itselfe taken in due tyme . There be two ●fects of this Sacrament as we sayd in the ●rmer Chapter , corporall health and re●ission of synnes : let vs speake a little of ●yther . Of the first thus writeth S. Iames : ●s any sicke among you ? Let him bring in the priests ●f the Church and let them pray ouer them , annoyn●ing them with oyle in the name of our Lord , and ●he prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke ; These wordes are playne and conteyne a promise .

Two reasons may be giuen why in our dayes so few sicke men do recouer their sickenes , notwithstanding that they receaue this Sacrament : one is , for that now a dayes this remedy is applyed to the sicke later then it should , for we must not expect miracles by this or any other Sacrament , and it were a miracle if one that is at the last gaspe should presently recouer , but if this Sacrament were ministred vnto then when first of all they beginne to be daungerously sicke , we should then often see this effect of recouery , which wold not be done in a moment , but would follow in tyme : and this is the cause why that such as are to be executed by way of iustice are not anneyled , because that they cannot without a manifest miracle be deliuered from the danger of death . Anoth● reason is , because it is not expedient eu● for the sicke man to he deliuered from h● disease , but rather it is better for him to dy , and the prayer of the Church which is made in this Vnction doth not absolutely desire the health of the sicke party but only to recouer his health at that tyme , if i● be auayleable for his saluation .

Another effect of this Sacrament is remission of sinnes ; for thus speaketh Saint Iames : Et si in peccatis fuerit remittentur ei : and if he shall be in synnes they shall be forgiuen him . But for that the remission of originall synne doth belong properly vnto Baptisme , the remission of actuall to baptisme also in case the baptized be growne in yeares , or to the Sacrament of pennance for syns committted after baptisme , therefore the Deuines do teach the sins which are remitted in the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to be the relickes or remuants of synne , of which relikes or remnants there be two sorts , sometymes relikes of synnes are called eyther the mortall or venial sins which are committed after that we haue receaued the Sacrament of pennance , and are no : afterward confessed to our ghostly Father , ●yther out of ignorance for that ●he penitent did no take them for mortall ; or out of forgetfulnes because he did not ●hen remember them , and therefore the sicke man sought not for a priest to whom he might confesse them . These reliks doth the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction take away , and of this kynde of synnes Saint Iames sayth : If he shall be in sinnes they shall be remitted him ; which the Councels of Florence & Trent doe teach , especially the latter in the 14. session & second Canon .

Another kind of the relikes of syns is a certayne horrour or stupidity , or rather sorrow and heauines which oppresse sicke , to which apperteyneth the promise of Saint Iames : Et alleuiabit eum Dominus , and our Lord will lift him vp : this Sacrament recomforteth the sicke , when they marke the diuine promises expressed in the same , and for that cause it should not be differred vntill the last houre when the sicke man doth not heare , or else vnderstandeth nothing at all .

What vtility is reaped out of this Sacrament may be gathered by the words of the forme thereof . Fiue places there be which are specially annoynted , in which the fiue senses are scituated : to wit the sense of seeing , the sense of hearing , the sense of smelling , the sense of tasting , and the sense of touching : and in the meane tyme the priest sayth : Indulgeat tibi Dominus quicquid deliquisti per visum , auditum &c. Our Lord pardon or forgiue thee in whatsoeuer thou hast synned by sight , by hearing , and so of the rest : and because that prayer is the forme of the Sacrament without all controuersy it effectually worketh that which the words doe sound and signify , vnlesse there be some impediment on the behalfe of the receauer .

How great the bountifulnesse and mercy of our Lord God is in this Sacrament , he will soone fynde that shall consider with himselfe what a mayne multitude of synnes do flow from these fiue fountaynes : and this was the occasion why Saint Malachy a Bishop of Ireland , whose life Saint Bernard wrote , after that for some houres he had delayed to minister this Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to a certeyne noble woman that was sicke , and she the meane tyme had departed out of this life , he so farre foorth repented himselfe that with his priests he lay in the chamber of ●e dead woman all the night praying , ●d lamenting & imputing it to his owne ●ult that the vertuous woman eyther had ●ot recouered by the vertue of Extreme Vnction , or had not receaued that ample pardon of her sins from the liberall mercy of our louing Lord : and because this holy Bishop was the friend of God , by his prayers and tear●● 〈◊〉 obteyned of him that the sayd woman should come agayne to life & receaue from the hands of the same Saint , both the effects of this holy Vnction , for she recouered her health & liued many yeares after ; & as we may piously coniecture gayned also the pardon of her sins . This example of so worthy a man , and of another most holy man faithfully related is inough to persuade all who with reason or authority wil be perswaded how much they ought to esteeme , this venerable Sacrament .

CHAP. IX . Of the ninth Precept of this Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of the first tentation of the Diuell , to wit , Heresy .

WHEN our death drawes neere , our aduersary the diuel as a ro●ring lyon is not wanting to himselfe , but swiftly approacheth as vnto a prey , & with all his power assayles the sicke man in his last conflict , and he is wont to make his first assault with the tentation concerning fayth , for the things which we belieue do transcend not only our sense , but also naturall reason , and fayth it selfe the ground of our iustification , and that being ouerthrowen , all the buylding of our good workes falleth downe : this of all other tentations it most grieuous , because we are to encounter with an Aduersary not only most learned & subtile , but trained in this warfare from the beginning of the world . He it is that hath seduced all the heads or ringleaders of heretikes , of whome not a ●w were excellent and very wise men : ●ell therefore doth the Apostle warne vs : ●ur combat or conflict is not agaynst flesh & bloud : Ephes. 5. ●hat is to say agaynst men ) but against the ●iritualls of wickednes , that are aboue , That is ●gaynst the Diuels which are spirits , most ●icked and crafty spirits , and see vs , all from the ayre aboue called Coelum aëreum the aiery heauen : our weapons in this bat●ell are not disputations but simple beliefe of the truth , for so do the two chiefe A●ostles teach vs . S. Peter sayth : Ephes. 6. Your aduer●ary the Diuell goeth round about as a roaring lion ●eking whome he may deuoure , agaynst whome mak ●esistance being stronge in sayth : and Saint Paul . 1. Pet. 6. In all things taking the shield of fayth in which you may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the most wicked ( enemy . ) Therefore out of the doctrine of the Apostles we must dispute with the Diuell , but with the shield of fayth take all his darts and beate them backe agayne , although they seeme to be both fiery and burning , that is efficacious & subtle .

There is a very dreadfull example hereof in Peter Barocius Bishop of Padua , who wrote three bookes of the methode of dying well : he his second booke thus speaketh : Fuere quemadmodum audiui &c. Two there were as I haue heard in their tyme most learned and of all others of th●● vniuersity in which they studied the chi●fest disputers , both of good behauiour an● very deuout , of which one of them aft● his death appeared vnto the other at suc● time as he was in his library and studyin● of the holy Scriptures , and that all in bu●ning fire ; the student a mighted at this spectacle , and asking what the cause shol● be of so great torment , the other wit● griefe and sighes replyed saying : when I was to depart out of this life the enemy o● mankynd , to wit the Diuell , came vn●● me , and for that he knew me to be we●● learned he beganne to aske me about m● fayth what I did belieue , I answered that 〈◊〉 belieued whatsoeuer was conteyned in the Apostles Creed , he willed me to explicate somethinges vnto him which seemed not to be so cleere , I did so , and that in such manner as I had reade in the Creed of Athanasius , for I thought that they could not be more earely , or more truly explicated . Then the Diuell : It is not so as tho● doest surmize , for those thinges which belong to God the Father are in part playne and true , in part obscure and false , for 〈◊〉 indeed is eternall , but as he hath euer ●●ene God , so hath he not euer beene a fa●●er , but first God , and after a Father ; a●●inst this when that I cryed out and sayd ●●at it was an heretical position , & diabo●call doctrine , the Diuell sayd this matter 〈◊〉 not to be decided by clamours but argu●ents if we be moued , with desire of fyn●ing out of truth . I can easily alleadge rea●ons for my opinion , as for your opinion defend it if you can , and then shall you deliuer me from a great errour : I poore wretch who presumed more on my wit ●nd learning then was fit , beganne seriously to dispute with him as with some ordinary man , till at length by little & little with the arguments that he obiected against me , he drew me into that wicked errour as now I neyther belieued the Son nor the holy Ghost to be God , presently death tooke my soule hence , and in what state it found it , in the same it presented it vnto the Iudge , and by him I am adiudged vnto this fire , which although most raging , yet in some sort I should thinke more tolerable if that after a thousand , thousand yeares it might haue an end , but it is eternall and there withall so great tha● none whatsoeuer that euer hath been● seene in earth can match it , in so much 〈◊〉 almost euery houre I repent me of my lea●ning , which hath brought me to thi● dreadfull destruction . And hauing th● spoken he vanished away : but the othe● exceedingly astonished as well for the n●uelty of the thing , a● with the miserab●● case of his damned frend , as soone as he recouered himselfe conferred with such as we●● his greatest frends touching this vision , & asked their counsayle what they thought best in such a case to be done ; and it w●● determined by them all , that euery one a● such a tyme and occasion should without dispute refer himselfe to that faith which the Catholicke Church doth mayntayne . Not longe after he fell into a sickenesse whereof he dyed ; when loe the same enemy emboldened with the successe of the former dispute , asked him of his fayth what he did belieue , to whome he answered that he did belieue that which the holy mother the Church did belieue : agayne the Diuell demaunded what doth the Church belieue , he answered : the same that I belieue , and in this manner in the hearing of all that were present , as though ●e had s●oken vnto him he neuer ceased ●om saying , I belieue what the Church ●●liueth , and the church belieueth what I belieue , vntill he gaue vp the ghost : and by this means deluding the subtilty of the enemy he passed into heauen . And a few days after he appeared vnto his friends of whom before he had asked ●●unsayle what was to be done in such a case , in a farre different shape from that wherin his fellow before had appeared vnto him , and he gaue them thanks for that by their counsaile he passed all difficultyes and aryued vnto heauen ; which things we haue not thought amisse to set downe as they hapned , that so eyther out of feare by the misfortune of the one , or out of confidence by the good successe of the other euery one may learn that there is no disputing with the Diuell , & that it is inough to referre himselfe to that fayth which the Catholike Church doth teach & mainteyne . Hitherto Barocius , & I need not heerin say any more , then he already hath sayd .

CHAP. X. Of the tenth Precept of the Art of ●●ing well , when our Death is neere which is of the second tentatation of the Diuell , to wit , of Desperation .

ANOTHER tentation at this tyme wont to be touching Despayre , b● which the Diuell if often wont to trouble not only wicked men , but also such as be very vertuous : and truly as for wicked me● when their death is at hand , he easily casteth downe into the pit of desperation , for he layes before their eyes al the offence● which in the whole course of their life they haue committed , as Venerable Bede in the fifth book of his history recounteth of a certayne souldier in these wordes : Fuit quidam temporibus Coenredi , qui post Edilredum regnauit &c. There was one in the time of Coenred who raygned after Edilred , a lay man and by profession a souldier , who by how much the more gratefull he was to the King for his exteriour diligence , so much was he displeasing vnto him for the inte●●our negligence of himself , and therefore ●●e King carefully warned him that he ●ould confesse his synnes , that he would ●●mend & leaue them , before that he were ●●rprized by death , and before that it were ●●olate for him to repent and amend them , but the souldier notwithstanding his often admonitions despised all good counsaile , and promised his Admonitours that afterwards he would doe pennance ; in the meane time falling sicke he lay on his bed , ●nd beganne to be tormented with great ●ayne : whome the King visiting ( for he ●eerly esteemed him ) did earnestly per●uade him that now at last before he departed , that he would doe pennance for his synnes : but he answered that he wold not then confesse them but would doe it after that he were recouered , least that his fellowes should vpbraide him and say that he had done that out of feare in his sicknes which he would not do whiles he was in good health , speaking as he thought couragiously , but indeed as after appeared miserably deluded by the Diuell : for the sicknes increasing when as the King came againe to visit & admonish him , he foorthwith with cryed out with a pitifull voice , what wil you now haue ? for what are you come hither ? now there is no more saluation t● be hoped for ; vnto whome the Kin● sayd : speake not in this manner , see that now you leese not your selfe . I am not ma● quoth he , but I haue now my most wicked conscience before myne eyes ; a little since there entred into my chamber two most beautifull young men , and they sate by me , one at my head and the other at my feet , and one of them tooke out a booke very fayre but wonderfull little , and gaue it me to read , and reading the same I found registred therein all the good deeds that I had done , and these were to few , and to little or small ; then presently rushed in an army of wicked and horrible spirits , and he who for the darkenesse of his clowdy face , and for his preferment in sitting seemed to be chiefe , brought foorth a booke of a dreadfull aspect , of an excessiue greatnes , and for weight almost importable , and commaunded the same to be brought me to read by one of his guarde , which when I had read I found all my wikednes and whatsoeuer I had offended in , not only in worke and word , but also in my secretest thought to be written most cleerly in vgly letters . Thus spake this desperate wretch , and soone after dyed , and that pennance which for a short tyme he omitted to do with the fruite and pardon of remission of his synnes , he now without all fruite doth vndergo in euerlasting torments . Hitherto Saint Bede . Where euidently we see the Diuell first to haue persuaded this miserable souldier not to do pennance vnder the precept of longer life , and then to haue brought him into desperation .

There is another example in the same Authour in the next Chapter where thus he writeth . Noui ipse fratrem &c. Lib. 5. c. 1 historiae Angl. I knew a brother whome I would to God I had not knowen , whose name also I could tell if the telling thereof wold auayle any thing , who was placed in a famous monastery though he liued infamously : this man being ouertaken with sicknesse and brought euen vnto the point of death , called for the brethren of the monastery and with great dolour like a damned wretch beganne to tell them that he saw hell open , and the Diuell drowned in the depth of the pit , & neere vnto him Caiphas and others that killed our Lord giuen ouer to those reuenging flams : neere also vnto them , he said , Owre t● that I am , I see a place prepared for 〈◊〉 euerlasting damnation : the Brethren hearing this began earnestly to perswade him that yet whiles he was in his body he would repent ; he vtterly despayring answered , it is now to late to chaunge my life , seeing that I haue seene my iudgement ended , & thus speaking without receauing the B. Sacrament he departed this life , and was buried in the vtmost part of the monastery . So Saint Bede , and whereas this wretched Monke sayd there was now no tyme left to amend his life , he speake not that out of truth but out of the suggestion of the Diuell , for the holy Ghost expresly pronounceth by the Prophet Ezechiel : ●zechiel . ● . & 33. that God is alwayes ready to imbrace such who are conuerted from synne to repentance : and more plainly S. Leo in his epistle to Theodorus Bishop of Forotulia in these wordes : To the mercy of God we can assigne no measure or apoint any tyme , to whose presence a true conuersion fyndes no delay , the spirit of God saying in the Prophet , when thou shalt lament thy sin , then thou shalt be saued .

I will add an example or two more to shew that vertuous men also at their passadge out of this life are often tempted with the sin of desperation : there is extant in Surius the life of the Count Eleazarus who liued a Virgin with his wife Dalphina and shined after his most holy death with many miracles : this Count notwithstanding at his death endured most stronge tentations , for thus writeth the Authour of his life in the last Chapter : Ad extremum in agone positus &c. At last in the agony of death he shewed a very dreadfull looke , whereby it might be coniectured that he was in perplexity for somethings that were obiected vnto him ; & in this conflict he cryed out , the power of the Diuells is great , but the force and meritts of the sacred incarnation and passion of Iesus Christ hath broken and made weake their forces : and a little after cryed out agayne ; Planè vici . Now I haue ouercome : a little after that agayne with a strong cry he sayd : I do commit my selfe wholy vnto the iudgment of God , & so saying his contenance retourned to the former wont , and graced with a fayre red in his cheeks , with a splendour , and very much beauty he yielded vp his soule vnto God .

There is another example much more dreadfull then this in Iohn Climacus who r●counteth that a certeyne very Vene●able Monk called Stephen after that he had liued well neere forty yeares in the wildernes , in fasting , watching , teares and prayers , being adorned with many vertues , he came at length to dye , and when in his last agony the Diuells had found him guilty of many great crimes ther●by to cast him into despayre , he was sodenly amazed in mynde , and his eyes being open with a loud voice he beganne to say sometymes thus : Ita sanè , reuera ita est , sed poenitentia & lachrimis crimen dilui : It is iust as you say , so indeed it is but with pennance and teares I haue washed away that spot : sometymes thus : Non estita , mentimini , it is not so , you doe bely me , Then agayne : Verum loquimini , sed fleui , sed ministraui : you speak the truth but I haue wept , I haue serued : in some other things he sayd : Verè me accusatis , & quid respondeam non habeo . You do truly charg● me and I know not what to answere , and so dyed , leauing it in doubt whether he were saued or damned . These them & other the like examples do admonish vs with all diligence to cleanse our conscience before that houre , that so we may not distrust in ●he mercy of our Lord .

CHAP. XI . Of the eleuenth Precept of the Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of the third tentation , that is of the hatred of God .

OVR Aduersary the Diuell doth not only labour as much as he can to rob such as are to dye , of their fayth and hope , to draw them into heresy & desperation , but also striues to separate the friendes of God from his frendship and to draw them into his hatred , by blasphemies , & magical arts ; these men for the most part neyther feare death nor hel , persuading themselues that in hell they shall lead a merry life being now become the fellowes of Diuells , who raygne and rule in those parts : of this point writeth Grillandus , Lib. desor quaest. 9. num. 2. lib. 6. d● mag. ca 1. sect. 3 and out of him Martinus Delrio affirming that when the witches are taken by the officers as themselues haue often confessed , that then the Diuell seeketh for no more , or is busied in any other thing but in persuading them to remayne obstinate euen vntill death , y●● though they shold be brought to the plac● of execution , and the fire should be kindled , promising them to deliuer their bodyes from the halter or fire , and to procure that they shold feele no payns in the flams , or in case they should dye by that burning yet that their death should be without all sense or feeling of any paine , and so to passe without torment out of this life into the happines of the next , that there they shal be like the Diuels themselues endued with as great strength knowledge , wealth , power , pleasure as the Diuell himselfe is . So doth the lying Diuell delude and deceaue them .

There is also another sorte of these people who albeit they be not properly witches or magitians , yet are so blinded with the inordinate loue of worldly wealth as that they differ very little from Infidells : ●hes. 5. ●lloss . 3. neyther was it without cause that the Apostle called couetousnes the worship of Idols , for that wealth is the Idoll , the God , and all the loue and delight of the couetous .

My selfe going one day to visit one that was sick & very neere his death , when I beganne to speake vnto him about the ●reparing of himselfe to dy , he with stout courage and without all feare answered me and sayd : I haue desired , Sir , to speake with you not for my selfe but for my wife and children ; for I now hasten vnto hell , so as you need not for me to trouble your selfe any further . And this he spake with as great a peace and quiet of mind as if he had talked of walking into the fields , or going to some towne neere at hand , for so farre foorth had the Diuell subdued & possessed his soule , as now it desired not , nay it would not be separated from him , and yet was this man no Magitian or Necromancer , but practised an art which was very dangerous and wholy set vpon gains whether by right or wrong : and thus he forgot not only God but also his owne soule . The conclusion in fine was that hauing longe laboured to reclaime him and draw him to a better mynde , I could doe nothing with him . Some perhaps wil desire to know of what profession this man was , of which to the end his death may be a warning vnto others that practise the same in case that any be like him as there are to many , I will not dissemble : he was a lawyer but one of the number of them which care full little whether the cause whic● they doe defend be iust or wronge , a●d a● little doe they care though the iniure both partes , so that they may fill their owne purses .

And for that I am fallen into this mattter , I will add this also : when on a tyme a very learned lawyer talked with me and explicated the ●quity of a certayne cause , I breaking off his speech sayd : you seeme to me to defend a bad cause . The lawyer answered that so indeed it was , but quoth he , I am not an Attorney for truth or iustice , but for my clyent , I am to make the best of the cause with I haue taken vpon me to defend , let the Iudge looke how he pronounce the sentence and in fauour of whome . I replyed that in this matter I did not desire that he should belieue me , but that he shold belieue Saint Thomas of Aquin a most learned , 2. quaest. p●art. 3. & most holy Doctour , who writeth in this manner : Respondeo , Dicendum &c. I answere , and conclude that it is vnlawfull for any man to cooperate eyther by counsayling , helping , or consenting to doe euill , because he who is the counsailour or cooperatour is in some sort also the dooer : & the Apostle writing vn●● the Romans sayth : that not only such as ●o sin ●●t such also as consent to the doers ●●e worthy of death , and hence followeth 〈◊〉 before hath beene sayd , that all such are ●ound to restitution : but it is cleere that ●he Lawier , Attourney , or Aduocate doth ●ffoard his client both help and counsayle & therfore if wittingly he defend a wrong cause , doubtles he sinneth grieuously and ●s bound to the restitution of whatsoeuer ●osse the other party hath incurred by his meanes , helpe , or assistance : if out of ignorance he do defend an vniust cause thinking it to be iust , he is excused in such sort as ignorance can be excused . So farre Saint Thomas , and his Commentour Cardinall Caietan explicateth the last wordes of Saint Thomas saying : Qui omnino defendisset &c. He who had defended the cause whether it were iust or vniust , although he know it not to be vniust doth pleade vniustly not out of ignorance but with ignorance , which doth not excuse , and they also who care not to see and penetrate whether the cause that they maynteyne be iust or vniust , do manifestly neglect to know that , which they are bound to know . So he .

To these tentations another may be added which doth not so much hurt as help 〈◊〉 although the Diuell vse it with in 〈…〉 only of hurting : for the Diuel vseth ofte●tymes to be present & to shew himselfe i● most dreadfull & vgly shape to such as a●● tody , that in case he be not able to deceaue them yet , that therby at least he may hinder their alacrity and feruour of prayer : so writeth Sulpitius of Sai●t Martin , to wit that the Diuell appeared vnto him when he was to dye , vnto whome Saint Martin sayd What stands thou heere for thou bloody beast ? Thou shalt fynde no filth in me : and the ven●rable man Petrus Damianus , in the life of S. Odilo doth write that the Diuell appeared to the same Saint in a most fearefull shape a little before his death , of whome Saint Odilo is recounted to haue spoken : In the hower of my departure in that corner ( for he pointed as it were at the place with his finger ) I saw a cruell & most dreadfull shape which endeauoured to strike a horrour and dread into me of a most monstrous vision , but Christs grace assisting me it could do me no hurt : And Saint Adelinus Bishop of Sagium writeth of Saint Oportuna the Virgin , extant in Surius that the Diuell appeared vnto her when shee was to dye in the forme ●2 . April . of a blackemore , from whose a head and ●eard did drop downe hoat and liquid ●ytch his eyes were like burning iron that ●s taken out of the forge when it casts out many sparkes , out of his mouth and nose issued foorth a flame of fire , and a stinking vapour like vnto brimstone .

The cause why God permitteth holy men to be tempted with those fearefull visions , is deliuered by an Angell of our Lord in the life of Saint Aicardus to be seen in Surius , 15. Sep● . for whereas the Diuell at a certeyne monastery was busy to get his prey , a holy Angell who was the Guardian Angell of that monastery sayd vnto the diuell . Thou shalt heere haue an imployment fruitfull for the monkes , but not profitable for thee , for the Monkes to cleanse their synnes , for thee to confusion : and the diuell replying , am I bound eyther to these or to any other Christians to further their saluation ? The Angell answered in this thou art bound , because whatsoeuer is in them that is to be cut of , through the horrour of thy vision shall be purged or made cleane . And a little after the same Angell speaking of the diuell sayd vnto S. Aicardus : Be not afraid of him , he hath no power giuen him to hurt any in this family , but that only his vgly vision shall cast the beholders now ready to departe out of their bodyes into a wholsom feare which shal take away whatsoeuer yet remayneth to be purged .

CHAP. XII . Of the twelfth Precept of the Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of the first remedy against the Tentations of the Diuell .

WE haue layed open in the former Chapters foure tentations which do much molest such as are to dye , against which tentations there may be applied two sorts of remedies ; one of them is for such as yet haue the vse of reason and can both heare and vnderstand what is sayd vnto them , the other is more generall and common vnto all , and it is most profitable , & secure .

Concerning the first , if the tentation impugne the Catholike faith , it is no way conuenient as before we sayd to dispute with the Diuell : but in generall such as be ●o tempted are to be aduertised that if the tentation be touching the nature of God whom we are to belieue to be one in substance , and three in person ; the sicke man is to be taught that he reflect with himselfe that there be many things created not only spiritua● but also corporall of which we are ignorant ; for most men wil not be drawn easily to belieue al the starrs of the firmament to be greater than the whol world , and yet the mathematitians do easily demonstrate it to be most true : and in case this thinge which is corporall be of many not vnderstood who yet belieue learned men that affirme the same , why wil they not belieue those thinges which God himselfe by his Apostles & Prophets hath reuealed of his owne nature , and by so many , so great signes and miracles hath confirmed the same ?

If the tentation be touching those things which we beliue God to haue done or still to doe , as specially the transmutation of bread and wyne into the body and bloud of Christ , the accidents of bread & wyne remayning as before , diuers examples are to be alleadged of innumerable thinge● which we beliue God to haue done when as yet we are able to yield no reaso● hero● Who can conceaue the whole worlde a● the only will and commaund of God to haue beene able to be made of nothinge ? And yet many doe belieue it , who yet cannot be brought to belieue the mystery of the Blessed Eucharist ? Who also ( were it not warranted by di●ine authority ) wold belieue the bodyes of all dead men turned into ashes , or into dust , or deuoured by beasts or changed into grasse in a moment at the commaund of our Lord to rise agayne ? And yet all Catholikes belieue this and confesse it in their Creed , and the same belieued the holy Iob before some thousands , Iob. 19. of yeares for he sayth : I know that my Redeemer doth liue , and in the last day I shall rise againe out of the earth , and shall be clad againe with my skinne : out of these then and other wonderfull workes of God which f●r surpasse our reach and capacity and are by the holy Catholike Church propounded for all to belieue , we may be induced to belieue the other , because the Church as testifyeth the Apostle is : 1. Tim. 3. The piller & foundation of Truth . These things and the lik may be proposed vnto such as are tempted about matters be●onging vnto fayth .

Such as are tempted about their hope , to them the greatnes of Gods mercy which is infinit and farre exceeding the number or greatnes of all our synnes , is to be explicated . Holy Dauid sayth in the psalme : Our Lord is gratious and mercifull , Psal. 144. he is patient and very mercifull , our Lord is good vnto all and his mercyes are ouer ●ll his workes . Againe he is to be put in mynde of the propitiation or sacrifice to appease Gods wrath offered vp by the mediatour of God & man Christ Iesus vpon the crosse , of which S. Iohn saith : He is the propitiation for our sins , & not for our●alon , 1. Ioan. 2. but also for the sins of the whole world . Thirdly the force of pennance is to be layed open before him , which if it proceed from a hart truly contrite , it neuer hath any repulse from God , for the prophet most truly wrote : Psalm . 50. God will not despise a contrite & humbled hart ; Then also let such a one call to his remembrance the example of the prodigall childe who had scarsely pronounced these wordes : Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee : when as presently the bowells of his louing Father were moued to compassion , and he cast himselfe on his sonnes armes , imbraced him , vested him a new , put a ring on his fingar , and caused a grea● banquet to be made ready for him , and all this because his sonne that had beene lost was now found agayne .

Last of all the example of the Apostle S. Paul is to be proposed , who whiles yet he did persecute the Church was preuented by the grace of God and changed from a persecutour into a pr●acher , and this as the same Apostle writeth hapned to him , that all sinners by his example might be conuerted , & no man though neuer so wicked might despaire of the mercy of God : This is a faythful saying & worthy of al acceptance , that Christ Iesus came into this world to saue sinners , of whome I am the first or chiefe : but therefore haue I obteyned mercy that in me Christ Iesus might shew all his patience for the instruction of such as should heerafter belieue in him to euerlasting life .

But such as are tempted with the most grieuous tentation of al other , I mean with that which is against the loue of God , and are prouoked to hate him , and to loue the Diuell : First they are to be taught that the Diuell is a lyar : for thus sayd our Sauiour of him : When the Diuell speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne , because he is a lyar , and Father of it : where these words , and Father of it , Tract. 41. in Ioan. hom. 42. in Ioan. Genes. 3. do signify the Diuell to be the Father of lyes , as both Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome doe teach , for the Diuell first before all other beganne to lye when he sayd vnto Eue and by her vnto Adam : nequaquam moriemini , you shall not dye : for God had said vnto Adam , that he should not eate of the forbidden tree if he would neuer dye : on the other side the Diuell sayd , that they should eate because they should not dye : therefore there is no credit to be giuen vnto the Diuell because he is a lyar , and the Father of lyes : agayne the Diuell is already adiudged vnto hell fire withall his complices , for thus God will speake vnto the wicked at the day of iudgement : Goe yee accursed into hell fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angells ; they do therfore greatly erre who submit themselues to the Diuell hoping after death to rule and raigne in hell with him , and there to haue great wealth and all manner of pleasures ; and finally it is cleere by experience that al the promises of the Diuell are deceatfull : for hitherto there hath not beene one found that euer I could heare of who hath euer receaued the great treasures which the Diuell promised him , or being condemned by lawfull authority to prison , or to the galleys , or to death , hath beene able by his meanes ●o be deliuered .

These three things if they were seriously considered of such as desire their owne saluation , perhaps there would be very few , or rather none at all that would euer presume to fall from him who is true God , & truly most powerfull , most wise most good , to the diuel most lying , most beggarly , most miserable .

Of the fourth tentation we need not speake seeing that it hath euidently beene shewed that this tentation is not so hurtfull as healthfull vnto such as doe dye ; or if any desire a remedy out of the Scriptures to be able the better to beare & endure the same , let him whils that horrible spectacle doth last , eyther reade or cause to be read vnto him the six & twentith psalme , which beginneth thus , Dominus illuminatio mea & salus mea quem timebo ? Our Lord is my light , and my saluation , whome shall I feare ?

CHAP. XIII . Of the thirteenth Precept of this Art of dying well , when our Death is neere , which is of the second remedy against the tentation of the Diuell .

WE haue ●●spatched the first remedy against the particuler assaults of the Diuell , now we wil explicat the second which is common to all tentations : this great and soueraygne remedy consisteth in prayers made vnto God whether the sicke man be able to pray for himselfe , or whether others pray for him , or whether both the one , and the other , that is the prayer of the sicke man , and prayers of such as shall then be about him be vnited iointly togeather , for certayne it is the prayers of such as feare God to be of great force , especially seeing that we know for certeyne that the Diuell can no further tempt vs then it shall please God to permit him , for like a roaring lyon , or mad dog he is bound with an iron chaine , and can not byte at his pleasure , but as far forth as God who with his Almighty hand doth gouerne the same cnayne , permit him t● byte . This we haue in Saint Augustine expounding these wordes of the psalme : Psal. 34. Di● animae meae salus tua ego sum : Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation : where alleadging the example of Iob thus he writeth : Ostendit hoc Deus &c. This doth G●d shew in the true cause of that holy Iob , because the diuell himselfe hath no power to take away these temporall thinges vntill he haue receaued it from that supreme power : he could enuy at the holy man , but could he hurt him ? He could accuse him , but cold he condemne him ? Was he able to take any thing from him ? Was he able to take so much as one naile of his hands or feet ? Could he hurt the least hayre of his head , vntill he sayd vnto God : Mitte manum tuam , extend thy hand ? What is meant by this speach extend thy hand ? Giue me power : well ; he receaued power , he did tempt , the other was tempted , yet he that was tempted did conquer , and the tempter was vanquished . For God who permitted the D●u●ll to take all away from the Saint ; he interiourly left not his seruant , but made the soule of his seruant a sword to subdue the Diuel him●elfe . What power is this ? I speake of man : ●or man in Paradise is ouercome , and Iob , ouercometh on the dunghill : in Paradise man was ouercome of the Diuell by the woman ; here Iob ouercame the Diuell and the woman togeather .

The same thinge which Saint Augustine teatheth to wit that the Diuell can do no more then God permitteth him , S. Antony , and S. Francis haue taught vs by their examples , of the former thus speaketh Saint Athanasius who wrote his life : Antonius multitudine daemoniorum vallatus &c. Antony being enuironed with a multitude of diuells as one that scorned his enemyes , sayd vnto them , if that you had any strength one were inough for the combat , but for that God hauing weakened you , your strength is lost , and you striue by multitudes to cast vs into feare , wheras this very attempt is a great signe of weakenesse , because you take vpon you the shapes of vnreasonable beasts : agayne with great confidence he sayd ; if you be able to doe any thing , if our Lord hath giuen you power ouer me , deuoure what is graunted you ; and if you cannot , why doe you leese your labour in vayne ? The signe of the Crosse , and fayth towards our Lord is an inpregnable bulwarke fo● our defence .

Saint Bonauenture relateth almost the very same of Saint Francis saying : Loca solitaria quaerens &c. In vita ca. 10. Seeking for solitary places , to them and to forlorne Churches he went in the night tyme to pray , where he oftentymes endured most horrible assaults of the Diuells , who sensibly contending with him laboured to hinder his earnest desire of prayer ; but he defended with heauenly armour , by how much more strongly he was assayled by his enemyes , by so much the more strong was he & more feruent in his actions ; confidently saying vnto Christ , protect me vnder the shadow of thy wings , from the face of the wicked that haue afflicted me : and then to the diuells he sayd , doe what you can agaynst me you wicked and deceatfull fiends : for you can doe no more then the hand of God permitts you , and I stand here ready with all comfort and ioy to suffer whatsoeuer he hath determined to be inflicted : which courage of mynde the proud diuells not enduring departed with confusion . S● he . And this firme and sure foundation being layed , that the diuell can do no more then that God permits him , it cannot be doubted of , but that a feruent prayer made vnto God , eyther by the sicke man , or standers by or all togeather is of great force in this behalfe especially if such as pray be in Gods frendship & fauour .

There is a most notable example of this thing in Saint Gregory who affirmeth this example to haue hapned in his owne monastery and sayth , that he had spoken thereof in a sermon to the people : these are his wordes : Is de quo &c. 4. Dialog Cap. 37. He of whome I remember to haue made mention in my homilyes made before the people was a very vnquiet childe , his name was Theodorus , who more out of necessity then any desire entred with his brother into our monastery , to whome euery thinge seemed troublesome which any did speake vnto him for his saluation , for the thinges that were good he could not only not doe , but neyther could he endure to heare them , & by swearing , fretting , and scoffing , protested that he would neuer take the habit of the holy rule : in the last contagious sicknesse which tooke away no small part part of the people of this Citty ; the infection took him about his groine , and was brought so low as that he was rea●y to dye ; and being in his agony the brethren came about him to help his passage with their prayers : now his body from the vtter parts was dead , and the vitall heate did only pant within his brest , all the brethren beganne so much the more earnestly to pray for him , by how much they saw his end more and more to hasten : then on a soden he beganne to cry out to the brethren there present , and with great noyse to break of their prayers , or at least to hinder them saying : depart , depart , behold I am giuen ouer to a dragon to be deuoured who for that you are present cannot deuoure me : he hath taken in my head into his mouth , depart I pray that he may torment me no more , but let him doe that he is come for ; if I be giuen ouer to him to be deuoured why for your sake do I stay ? The brethren beganne to say vnto him : what is that thou sayst brother ? Make the signe of the holy Crosse : he answered saying I would signe my selfe , but I am not able because I am prest downe with the scales of this dragon : when the brethren

lasting happynesse , when as no man can fal away from that happines , but he must fall into the gulfe of endles perdition .

To conceaue this matter the better as being of greatest importance I haue thought it expedient briefly to ponder the wordes of Saint Paul in his second epistle to the Corinthians : Id enim quod in praesenti est momentanem &c. 2. Cor. 4. For our tribulation which in this life is momentary and light , worketh in vs aboue measure on high an euerlasting weight of glory , we not contemplating the things that are seene , but which are not seene : for the thinges which are seene are temporall , the thinges which are not seene eterna●● . These Apostolicall and golden words to a spirituall man are most easy and plaine , and out of them alone without al● difficulty he learnes the art of liuing , and the art of dying well : but to a carnall & sensual man , they are as obscure as any Cymmerian darkenes , and sound as the Hebrue or Arabicke tongues do to one who knoweth no other but the Latyn or Greeke .

A spirituall man gathereth out of these wordes the tribulations of this life although most grieuous , endured & born fo● the loue of God to be most light , and most short , albeit they should last for many yeares , because whatsoeuer hath an end cannot be properly sayd to be of long continuance ; and the same tribulations to merit before God so great riches as that an vnmeasurable & euer during treasure of glory , and all good things is purchased by them ; out of which al men of capacity may see that these tribulations are not to be feared , but we are to feare our sins , neyther are temporall emoluments to be much regarded , but eternall only . And hence it followeth that men are to liue well on earth , that they may happily raigne in heauen , and consequently liue & dy most securely .

But sensuall men , that haue no spirit , who in wordes say that they belieue the words of the Scripture , and deny it in deeds , they doe plainly peruert the words of the Apostle , and say , if not with their tongue , yet in their hart , that pouerty , ignorance , ignominy , iniuryes , tribulations are most grieuous , & therefore with all care to be auoyded , preuented , & repelled ; albeit they should for that end lye , deceaue , commit murther , offend God , and afterwards go to hell fir●●or say these men , who knoweth whether any where there be a hell ? Or who hath euer seene this eternall weight of glory ? But we fynde by experience , we know for certeyne , yea we feele with our hands pouerty , ignominy and iniuryes to be ill . Thus doth the world and such as are of the world not deliuer in wordes , but testify in their actions , and this is the cause why the greatest part of men doe liue ill , and dye most miserably .

And to alleage an example or two of the bad death of the damned , we haue in the fourth booke of S. Gregoryes Dialogues , the example of one Crisorius , who being one of them whom I now described , a politike fellow , wise , and in worldly affayres very practicall , but withall as S. Gregory noteth very proud , and couetous ; this man being now come to the end of his life , opening his eyes saw most filthy and vgly spirits to stand before him , & to draw neere that they might take him away perforce , and carry him into hell ; the poore man began to tremble , to wax pale , and with lo●d cryes to aske for respit , crying and saying : Inducias vel vsq●●ane , inducias vel vsque mane : res●it 〈◊〉 till to morow , respit but till to morrow , and whiles he thus cryed , euen in the very speaking his soule was taken away from his body : by which it is most cleere that he saw that vision for our instruction that it might be a warning to vs , seeing that in respect of himselfe it was nothing auayleable . And this vsually hapneth vnto such as differ or delay their amendment vntill the last houre of their life , and of this number are they to be reckoned who as Saint Gregory sayth in the beginning of his fourth booke , doe not easily belieue any thinge that they do not see with their eyes , or if they belieue , they doe not belieue as they should , by reforming their liues to the prescript of vertue .

Another example is in the same place where Saint Gregory writeth of a Monke that was an Hypocrite , who was thought to fast whiles in the mea●e tym he did secretly eate and drinke : and the same Saint affirmeth the sayd Monke to be damned in hell fire , for he acknowledged his synne but did no pennance for it : for God on the one side would haue his Hipocrisy detected , and on the other gaue him not grace to repent , that oth●●●ay learne not to delay their confession ●●pe●nance vntill the end of their life . But not to stay longer in discoursing of such who through their owne negligence haue not learned the art of liuing well & therfore haue miscaryed in their ends ; I returne to the wordes of S. Paul which are very full of mysteryes & most wholsom documents .

First it is good to note how far the Apostle doth extenuate his owne merits , and labours endured for Christ , and extolleth the glory of the Kingdome of heauen which is the reward of our merits : That ( sayth he ) of our tribulation is momentary and light , this is the extenuation of his merits . The Apostle with all possible endeauour had laboured almost fourty yeares , for when he was called by a voice from heauen vnto Christ he was a young man , Cap. 7. for so it is written in the Acts of the Apostles : the stoners of Saint Stephen , deposuerunt vestimenta sua secus pedes adolescentis qui vocabatur Saulus : they layed their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul . He liued a Christian euen vnto his old age , for so he writeth of himselfe vnto Philemon : cùm sis sicut Paulus senex , seeing th●● ar● like Paul an old ●an , & therfore he ●●towed his youth , his middle and old age in the seruice of Christ , and yet h● sayeth , that his tribulations which were continuall without intermission , from his conuersion vntill his Martyrdom , were out momentary : and what he sayth is true , if his tribulations be compared vnto the eternity of euerlasting felicity , though in respect of our tyme they dured for a long while .

To the shortnes he addeth their lightnes : Momentaneum & leue tribulationis nostrae ; And yet how shar● and cruell his tribulations were , himself declareth when in the first to the Corinthians he sayth : 1. Cor. 4. Vsque in hanc horam &c. Euen vnto this houre we hunger and thirst , are naked and are beaten or buffetted with fists , and haue no place of aboad and labour with our own hands ; we are cursed , and we blesse ; we suffer persecution , and endure it ; we are blasphemed and we entreat , we are made as it were the filth of the worlde and the scum of all euen vntill this present tyme : and in his other Epistle vnto the same Corinthians he addeth further : 2. Cor. 11. In laboribus plurimis &c. In very many labours , in prisons more often , in strips aboue measure , in deaths often , of the Iewes fiue ●●●es had I fourty lashes saue one , thrice was I beaten with rodds , once was I stoned , thrice I suffered shipwracke , night & day I was in the depth of the sea , often in trau●ll , in dangers of waters , in dangers of theeues , in daungers by myne owne countrymen , in dangers by Gentiles , in daungers in the citty in daungers in the wildernes , in dangers on the sea , in dangers amongst false brethren ; in labour & trouble , in often watching , in hunger & thirst , in often fasting , in cold and nakednes . These are the tribulations which he calleth light , which although in themselues most heauy yet the loue of Christ & greatnes of reward made them worthily to seeme most light .

The Apostle annexeth the greatnes of reward saying : that this momentary tribulation worketh in vs on high the euerlasting weight of glory ; where after the manner of holy Scripture which accommodates it selfe to our capacity , the Apostle describeth the reward of our labours by the similitude of the greatnes of some corporall thing : for a corporall thing is then sayd to be great when it is hig● , permanent , large , and deep : of the height of the glory of Saints he sayth , aboue measure in height , that is , the reward of ou● labours shal be aboue measure high , in so much as no height can be conceaued greater ; of the durance or length he sayth aeternum eternall , to wit , it shall haue no end , in comparison whereof all durance is most short and may be tearmed momentary ; of the largenes and depth he sayth , the weight of glory ; the name of glory signifyeth the blessednes of Saints to be like vnto splendour or light which is spred abroad and filleth all thinges : the word weight signifieth the depth of some solide and full thing , and which is not superficiall and empty , but most solid , most full . The glory then of the Saints shall be a certayne thing aboue al manner and measure high , it shall be eternall , most solid , most full , most happy .

And for that sensuall men conceaue not these things , the inhabitants I meane of this world , the Apostle added : we not beholding the things that are seene , but the things that are not seene , for the thinges that are seene are temporall , the thinges which are not seene eternall : this is the entiere , and true cause why so few do learne this art we treate of , fo● eyther men do not at all think , or else think not seriously as they should on these things which are not seene and are eternall , but are altogeather busied in considering the beauty and vtility of corporal and transitory thinges which are seene with their mortall eyes , and this only is the difference betwixt brute beasts & sensual men without spirit , that beasts think on nothing but that which is present before their eyes , because they are not capable of reason whereby they might reflect on thinges to come which are eternall : but carnall and sensuall men do not thinke or consider things to come and eternall , because they being taken and tyed with the birdlime of carnall concupiscence will not lift vp their mynds from their present delights , and direct it to thinges to come which alone are truly great , pretious , euerlasting : and this much of the first consideration of the words of S. Paul .

Another consideration no lesse profitable and fruitfull is peculiar for them that already haue descended into the pit of perdition , for they whose eyes of their soule , the smart of torments which they endure , hath opened , which in this life synne had shut ; they I say do now manifestly perceaue the prosperityes of this world , as riches , honours , delights , Kingdomes , and Empires in respect of their euer during , neuer ending torments , to haue beene both momentary and light , and yet for the att●yning of them they are not only thus punished , but haue also lost vnspeakable ioy , and euerlasting glory , for which cause they shall still with excessiue griefe lament , and shall fynd no comfort , because whiles they liued on earth they were such fooles as for so fraile and transitory thinges , not indeed good but the shadowes rather of good things , to loose these heauenly riches , which haue aboue measure in height the euerlasting weight or poyse also of glory .

Let vs heare their wordes in the booke of wisdome for it pleased the holy Ghost in that booke to set downe the speaches of these fooles , nothing at all auayleable to the speakers , but vnto vs if we will our selues they may be very fruitfull and profitable : thus they speake : Ergo erauimus à via veritatis , & iustitiae lu●en non luxit nobis &c We haue erred therefore from the way o● truth , and the light of iustice hath not shined vnto vs : we are wearyed in the way of iniquity & perdition , and we haue walked hard ways , but we haue not knowne the way of our Lord : what hath pride auayled vs , or what hath the vanting of our riches yielded vs ? All these things haue passed away like a shadow , and as a forerunning messenger , and as a ship that passeth ouer the wauing water , whereof when it is past no signe can be seene , and like a bird that flyeth through ayre , of whose passadge there is no marke or token . So the wise man . Out of which we do not only perceaue that sensuall men are to doe pennance in hell for that for this small & temporall trash they haue lost infinite great and eternall wealth , but also for that they haue so much laboured and wearyed themselues in pursuying and preseruing these temporall commodityes , which is most true : & often it falls out that such as contemne all earthly thinges doe liue more merily & cheerfully then those who abound with all wealth and honour .

Truly Saint Paul whose words we endeauoured to explicate , sayth of himselfe , Repletus sum consolatione , super abundo gaudio in omni tribulatione nostra . 2. Cor. 7. I am filled with comfort , I do ouer abound with ioy in all our tribulation . Saint Athanasius in the life of Saint Anthony who had left all , writeth ; that he was neuer seene to be sadd : and the same may be sayd of all the Saints , although most poore and labouring perpetually in prayer , in fasting , & mortification of their owne flesh : and therefore they who for the gayning and getting of worldly riches are not afrayd to leese eternall , they do only altogeather leese the later , but for the most part they leese their internall comfort and ioy ; and so whiles they seeke for earthly happynes , they leese both earthly and heauenly togeather .

Is it not therefore expedient that we who are yet liuing should learne to be wise by the example of such as haue gone before vs ? truly if when we make a iourney one should tell vs that the way we tooke did not leade vnto the place where we meant to go , but to a dangerous downfall or den of theeues ; there is no man but would thanke his admonisher , and presently put himselfe into the right way : and if we haue so great care in a corporall and temporall danger , truly it is meete that much more willingly and cheerfully we do the same where the danger is both corporall and spirituall , temporall & euerlasting .

Lastly there remayneth a consideration for these men who are so carnal & sensuall that they esteeme not the losse of eternall life , and that glory which surpasseth all vnderstanding : these men are to be warned that in case they esteeme not the glory of heauen which they neuer saw ; at least they contemne not the fire & brimstone and other corporall punishments which they know , and which in hell are found to be most outragious : truly carnall pleasure which in this life is light and momentary doth worke in the wicked aboue measure an euerlasting weight of misery . And truly our Lord & Sauiour Christ in the last day in few words will make this euident , saying : go ye accursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell & his Angells .

But S. Iohn i● his Apocalips hath expressed more fully what manner o● torments are prepared for the Diuell and his Angells & for men circumuented & seduced by these Apostata spirits of the Diuell Prince of the wicked : thus we reade in the Apocalips : Apoc. 20. Et Diabolus &c. And the Diuell who seduced them was cast into the sake of fire , and brimstone where the beast & the false Prophet shall be tormented day and night for euer : & in the next Chap. of others condemned to hell he sayth : Cap. 21. to the fearfull & vnbelieuing , and to the execrable & murtherers , & fornicatours and sorcerers & idolaters , & al lyars , their part shal be in the lake that burneth with fire & brimstone , which is the second death : of which words , the very first only needeth explication , for the other sins are manifest & cleere . S. Iohn calleth the fearefull , those who dare not resist the tempter be he Diuell or man , but presently yield and consent to the tentatation ; to such S. Iames sayth : resistite Diabolo & fugiet à vo●is , resist the Diuell & he will fly from you , & there are not a few but rather innumerable who haue not learned to fight in our Lords warfare , but without all resistance receaue the wounds of the Diuell , & dy the first death which is deadly syn , & because they are fearfull also in doing pennance , whiles they dare not chastise their body & bring it in subiection , they fall vpon the second death which is hell : & therfore S. Iohn put the fearefull in the first place , because this timidity drawes infinit men into hell .

What heere will carnall men say ? For that all temporale moluments whatsoeuer are momentary & light , we haue all learned by our owne and other mens experience : that the torments of hell fire are most weighty & to endure for euer , the holy Scripturs , in which no falsity can be conteyned , do cleerly testify . Out of which it followeth that the total summe of this Art of dying well is , that which is comprized in the three ensuing propositions , or which is euinced in the sillogisme following in the next , and last Chapter of this booke .

CHAP. XVII . The Summe , or Abridgement of the Art of dying well .

AS well the comfort as the tribulation of this life is momentary , and small ; the comfort and tribulation of the next life is for durance euerlasting , for greatnesse without measure : therefore they are fooles who contemne the comfort & tribulation of the next life . The first proposition of this argument is cleere by experience , the assumption is more cleare in the Scriptures which are penned by the holy Ghost ; the conclusion followeth ineuitably out of them both ; if then any one will easily and soone learne this art , let him not content himselfe with the reading of this or the like bookes , but let him attentiuely consider not once but often , not of curiosity to learne , but out of sincere intention to liue and dye well what distance there is betweene momentary things and euerlasting , betweene thinges of no moment , and such as are of most importance , most weighty ? and if he desire to be throughly grounded in this most profitable & perspicuous truth let him call to mynde the examples of such as haue beene before vs , whether by good life they came to a good end , or by their il behauiour haue euerlastingly perished ; & to case him of the labour of seking after examples , I will help him to three payre of them , one of Kings , one of priuate men , & the last payre of Clergy men ; and all these I wil take out of the holy Scripture .

The first shall be of Saul and Dauid . Saul whiles that he was a priuate man , & poore , was so honest and good as that the Scripture testifyeth there was not a better then he amongst the children of Israel : being made King he changed his behauiour , 1. Reg. 9. in so much as there was not found a worse then he : for he persecuted Dauid who was innocent euen vnto death , and that for no other cause , but for that he suspected that Dauid should be a King & raigne after him : and when he had raygned 20. yeares he was slayne in warre & descended to hell . Dauid a faythfull and vertuous man , after a long persecution procured by Saul , was declared King , and for forty yeares raygned & gouerned his Kingdome most prudently and iustly , in which tyme he endured many tribulations , & at length rested in peace .

Now let vs compare togeather the comforts and tribulations of them both , & see whether of them had better learned the art of liuing & dying well . Saul whils he liued had not that cleere and perfect delight , which yet of all others is wont to be greatest in Kings , and men of supreme authority , whiles he swayed the scepter , & that for the great hatred wherwith he pursued Dauid , & therfore he tasted not in the twenty yeares of his raign the sweetnes of his crowne without the gall of enuy : those yeares being expired all the pleasure of this life left him , and there succeeded a perfect , and euerlasting calamity : and now for the space well neere of two thousand threescore & ten yeares , his chiefest part to wit his soule , liueth in vnspeakable torments , & that which is more miserable these torments are to endure for euer . Dauid on the other side liued 70. yeares and raigned of that number forty , and although he tasted of tribulations , and these neyther few nor small , yet found he very frequent & singular comforts out of the reuelations he had from God which he expressed in his most sweet and heauenly psalmes , & after his death descended not into torments but with the holy Fathers into repose , & the bosome of Abraham , and after the resurrection of our Sauiour , he ascended with Christ into the euerlasting Kingdome of heauen .

Let the Reader now iudge whether the passadge of the wicked from their body be not most miserable ; although it be of Kings , and Emperours , and the passage of the iust most happy be it also eyther of Kings or Emperours . Saul as I sayd raygned twenty yeares and now after his death for two thousand yeares and more hath remayned without all rest in hell fire : what comparison ( deere Christian ) is there betweene twenty and two thousand yeares ? who would desire to haue twenty yeares of all possible and perfect pleasure in this life , if for certeyn he shold know that for the same he shold remayn two thousand yeares in a burning fornace ? And is there any so sensles who would vndergo the greatest torment that can be deuised , I say not for two thousand but two hundred yeares , that he might here enioy neuer so great pleasure ? Wha● if hereunto I should add the torment of hel which is not to endure for two thousand yeares only , but for euer without any end at all ? Surely this eternity of torments , without all intermission , without all rest of repose is so great a matter as it may make euen an iron hart , or brazen brest to stoope and do pennance . And the same consideration may the reader apply vnto Dauid , and weigh as it were in a ballance his tribulation which was momentary and light , with that eminent and euerlasting glory and pleasure , which the same King now after his death atteyned in heauen ; although the torments of hell vse more to moue vs then the ioyes of paradise .

The second example shal be of the Glutton and Lazarus in S. Luke . The rich Glutton for a small while made merry with his friends , for he was clad in purpose and silke , and feasted euery day sumptuously . Lazarus on the other side was a beggar & lay sicke at the gate of the glutton full of soares , and desired to b● fedd with the crummes which fell f●●m the rich mans table , & no man did giue them : but a little after al these things were changed and turned vpside downe : the rich ●lutton dyed and descended into hell : La●arus also dyed & was caryed by the An●ells into a place of rest , to wit , into the ●osome of Abraham . And truly the Glutton ●fter a very short comfort beganne to be ●ormented in the infernall flames , and ●here now is tormented , and for euer shal ●e without all rest or stop . Lazarus being ●oore , patient , and vertuous , after a short ●ribulation passed vnto rest in the bosom of Abraham , and after the resurrection of Christ entred into heauen , where for euer he shall remayne in glory . Certainly had we liued at that tyme few or none of vs would haue desired to be like Lazarus , but all or the most part had desired to be like the rich Glutton , and yet now all of vs doe esteeme Lazarus to be most happy , and the Glutton most miserable : why then do we not now whiles the choyce is in our hands chuse the vertue of Lazarus rather then the vices of the glutton ? I say not that riches are to be condemned , seeing that Abraham , Dauid , and many other Sa●●ts were rich , but gluttony , ryot , vanity ●ant of compassion , and other vices which brought this Glutton vnto hell fire are to be condemned : neyther do we only looke on the pouerty and soares of Lazarus , but we commend his patience & piety although that this be much more to be admired in vs , that we knowing things to stand thus , and esteeming the glutton most foolish , and Lazarus most wise , yet that there are so many found that continually imitate the folly of the glutton , when as they may be assured that they shall be like vnto him in torments , as they haue been like him in their vicious life and wicked courses

The third example that remayneth is of Iudas the traytour and S. Matthias , 〈…〉 1. 〈…〉 who succeeded the sayd Iudas in the Apostleship . Iudas was vnhappy in this world , & most vnhappy in the next ; 〈…〉 ●ra three yeares he followed our Sauiour , still labouring by sacrilegious theft to fill his purse ; not contented with that mony which he took for himself out of the common allowance , but the infection of couetousnes pricking him forward he came at last to that point as he sold his Lord and maister , but afterwards being driuen by the diuell into despaire , he restored the mony , and hanged himself , & so lost both tempora● & euerlasting life : & therefore our S●●●our pronounced that dreadfull sent●●●e of him : It had beene good for him that he had neuer beene born . S. Matthias w●● succeeded him , Matth. 2 that is to say was chosen in his place , endured a momentary labour & trouble not without great abōndance of heauenly delights ; & now al his labour & trouble being ended he raigneth most happily with Christ in heauen , whome most faithfully he serued & honoured vpon earth .

This comparison of Iudas with S. Matthias perteyneth vnto Bishops & religious men . Iudas was an Apostle & consequent●● designed to be Bishop , for of Iudas and S Matthias S. Peter interpreted these words of the psalm , Let another tak his Bishoprike ; & the same Iudas is to be reckoned among the religious , because S. Peter sayd of al the Apostles : Behold we haue left all & haue followed thee , what shall we haue for the same ? Iudas then of al others most vnfortunat , after he had fallen down from the soueraigne state of perfection , by restoring the mony he lost that little gayn which he had so il gotten , & making himselfe his own hang-man , is now damned to endles punishment ; who may be an example vnto al Bishops & religiou● men to looke about them , & see how th●●alke , & what danger hangs ouer their h●●ds vnles by good life they be answereable to the perfe●●●on of their sta● vnto which God h● 〈◊〉 called them : for Sa● & the Glutton departed by death from the temporal felicity , & came into endles mis●ry : Iudas had no temporal felicity at all , bu● the shadow only & hope of felicity , & y●● by killing himself he came to euerlastin● damnation & that more grieuous then th● o●her , eyther Saul I mean or the glutton . An● in case that Iudas had enriched himself a●●●● all men of the world , & yet had afte●●on to eternall pouerty , & endles torments of hell , as indeed he came , what good had the huge heap of all his riches done him ?

Let then the argument which I made in the beginning of this Chap. & which now I repeat out of the wordes of the Apostle , remayn most firme & vncontroled . Our tribulation which now is but for a moment & light , worketh aboue measure , most eminently , an euerlasting weight of glory in vs : we not looking at the things that are seene , but at the things that are not seene : for the things that are seene are Temporall , but the thinges which are not seene are Eternall

FINIS