THE ART OF DYING WELL.  
Divided into two Books.  
WRITTEN By ROBERT BELLARMINE of the Society of jesus, and Cardinal.  
Translated into English for the benefit of our Countrymen, by C. E. of the same Society.  
●imortui qui in Domino moriuntur.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE L. M. M. the Translator wisheth all true Honour and Happiness.  
HAVING nothing of mine own worthy of your Honourable Acceptance, or any way proportionable to your Merits; I present you with a Strangers Labour in an English attire: which although for quantity it be one of the least, & for time the last that hath come from that learned Pen: yet for general profit it may prove the best, as treating a more familiar Argument than any of his other spiritual Books have done.  
Nothing is more certain, nothing more usual than Death, which hath consumed all that have gone before us; 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 do not so much run, as fly: and yet for the most part come to it before we would, yea altogether against our will; and that specially for the great horror we conceive thereof, which for the most part is grounded on the guilt of Conscience. For as the Wiseman saith, 
Sap. 17.  timida est nequitia, wickedness is full of fear, and condemns itself, and where the soul is surcharged with sin, & hell fire prepared to receive the sinner, no marvel though he fear and tremble: or else for want of Faith of the future life. For such as make their souls as mortal as their bodies, and stretch their thoughts no further then to that which like beasts, they see with their eyes, do easily with the Philosopher esteem of death as if it were, 
Arist. 3. Moral. 6.  Maximè omnium rerum horribilis, of all things the most dreadful, in regard that it deprives them of their temporal Emoluments, their Friends, Honours, Disports, and all esteemed Happiness; so as the first for fear of what is to come, these for grief of that which is past esteem death dreadful. Or finally this falls out for want of due consideration thereof, of death I mean, which to such as have it still before their eyes, as it is a bridle from sin, and spur to virtue; so is it an encouragement against the poison thereof. For the sting of this snake (as the Apostle saith) is sin, Stimulus mortis peccatum, 
1. Cor. 15.  which by continual meditation thereon, is taken away: memento mortis tuae (saith Saint Hierome) & non peccabis, 
Hier. ad Cypr. Greg. 13. Moral. c. 10.  remember thy death, and thou shalt not sin; or as Saint Gregory saith, culparum laqueos evadent, such shall walk so warily as they shall not fall into the snares of the enemy, or sting of death; and consequently shallbe free from all fear which the moral Philosopher did rightly observe, and therefore gave this advice to his friend Lucilius: 
Seneca ep. 30.  Tu, ut mortem numquam timeas, semper cogita, that thou mayst never fear death, be always thinking on it.  
Which contemplation is so sovereign and effectual, as our worthy Bishop of Canterbury S. Anselme writing to one, 
Ansel. ep. 113.  whom he very dearly esteemed in England, who had demanded his counsel for spiritual direction, he gave him only this advice saying: So live every day as thou dost desire to be found at the last hour of thy life; and so every day prepare thyself as if to morrow thou wert to dye, and to give account unto God; by this means thou shalt proceed from virtue to virtue. So he. Which grave advice little needs any Commentary, & your Virtuous Disposition as little needs my incitement. I know you are not unmindful hereof; I know your Zeal and Constancy in God's cause; I know your Charity towards the afflicted, and cannot doubt of the continual use of prayer and virtuous actions, wherewith now for many years you have been so well accustomed; which so dispose you to this end, as you need not fear, but with desire expect this passage, which will open heaven, which will take you from the world, and restore you to God; which will lose the bands of this corruptible clog, and invest you for ever with immortal glory; and which finally from the sight of these transitory things, the mere shadows of true pleasure, will bring you to the full sight of the Blessed Trinity, the main ocean of all true delights, and there (as the Apostle saith) semper cum Domino erimus, 
1. Thess. 4.  we shall for ever be with our Lord.  
This is the happiness of the Virtuous, for ever in the next life, to be with our Lord, who never in this life would forsake him, but still continued in his fear, and favour until the end. These with triumphant security tread Death under their feet, whiles the wicked surprised & conquered by his force, are made a prey to his Tyranny, who is not moved at all, with their tears, cries, or any entreaty, but no less scorns this their fruitless grief, than he doth the frail power of the most potent Monarch of the world, whom he overthrows with as great facility, as the poorest beggar, and that without all regard of degree, age, strength, riches, or what else soever the earth affoards. This did Clotharius King of France (to name one for all) acknowledge, when being dangerously sick as Saint Gregory of Towers doth recount, 
Greg. Tu. l. 4. hist or. cap. 21.  he said unto such as stood about him: Vah quid putatis? qualis est ille Rex caelestis, qui sic tam magnos Reges interficit? What think you my masters? How great is the King of heaven, who in this manner doth kill so potent Kings? Death is the instrument of execution, which to such as prepare themselves unto it is a sleep and quiet repose, to others a most dreadful bitterness and vexing torment; a Lamb where it is subdued, a lion where it doth overcome. The good wish for it, the bad abhor it; but both the one & the other must of necessity undergo it; and I know not what greater folly or frenzy can be imagined, then to be watchful in light matters, and to forget this; to behold with attentive affection the things that fly from us, and not to fee whither ourselves, by the swift wings of time, are incessantly carried; to see others every where to dye, and yet to live in such careless neglect as if even in this life we were immortal; to believe that there is a Hell, & Heaven, & neither to fear the one, or to desire the other; to know that every one shall receive according to the works he hath done good or evil: Referet unusquisque (saith the Apostle) propria corporis prout gessit, 
2. Cor. 5.  sive bonum sive malum: Every one shall receive according to that he hath done in this life, either good or evil; and yet not to furnish himself with true merits, by the practice of virtue, which alone will crown him with everlasting felicity. Filij hominum usquequo gravi cord! 
Psalm. 4.  O you sons of men, how long will you be heavyharted?  
But in vain do I speak to them who have their eyes shut, their ears stopped, and their hearts hardened; who will not understand to do well, who are fallen into the depth, and therefore contemn all counsel, and will not be withheld from running headlong into the gulf of perdition: there is no salve for such desperate sores, unless God by a singular mercy, 
Psalm. 135.  in manu potente & brachio excelso, in a strong hand, & powerful arm do reclaim them, which in many, yea most, he doth not. For albeit his Mercy be great, yet is his justice exact; and the number of the damned in hell fire, is fare greater than of the servants of God that are crowned in heaven; & often it is repeated in the Scripture, that many are called, but few elected; that the way to heaven is narrow, & few enter; the way to hell is wide, and trodden by many; with the like. All which will not awake them out of this dead letargy, & drowsy sleep, no warnings, no books, no threats, no persuasion will avail them. And albeit I could wish that this work might benefit all, yet that I may well wish, but cannot expect. To yourself I know it will be grateful, and beneficial also, I hope unto yours, and others: at least so from my heart I do desire it may be: and the subject thereof being so necessary, and points therein treated so important, they cannot but much stir up any well disposed mind to reflect upon them.  
For in this little Treatise you have the principles and precepts of good Life, the use of Prayer, Fasting, Alms, and other virtues; you have Advertisements for the Sacraments, how to prepare yourself unto them, how to receive them; you have remedy against Tentations, Comforts in afflictions, Instructions for security, Forewarninges against dangers; in one word hence you have what to fear, what to follow, what to fly. So as this little book to such as can use it well, and frame their lives to the prescript thereof, is a rich jewel, & heavenly Treasure, of which we may truly say, 
Prover. 21.  procul & de ultimis finibus pretium eius, and the Author being perhaps never to write more, by reason of his great age, and weakness, (for he wants not two years of fourscore) this his last begotten Benjamin deserveth more respect. For besides the subject and substance thereof, it lays open the true Idea (or Image) of the Writer, what his judgement is of all worldly felicity; where all his thoughts and endeavours have still been fixed and directed; how he is disposed to shut up the last period of his life; although his own actions are more lively characters hereof, than any of his books have yet expressed; in so much as of his Familiars he is more admired for his rare virtue, than he is renowned amongst Strangers for his exquisite learning.  
These motives with the band of Gratitude for former Merits have emboldened me to make this Present unto your Honour, aswell by this means (seeing by better I cannot) to discharge my duty for your deserts as also for that I tender your spiritual good, which hereby may not a little be advanced. The root seems bitte● but the fruit is pleasant, yea the bitterness itself is intermingled wit● delight: for the contemplation o● death is only fearful to such as ar● unacquainted with it; when use hat● made it more familiar, then will th● remembrance thereof be delightful because as the Prophet saith: Cù● dederit dilectis suis somnum, ecce hereditas Domini, 
Psalm. 126  when he shall bestow thi● sleep on his friends, then lo, 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 saith) is, or aught to be first intended, and specially regarded, because all doth depend thereon. What availeth it a Ship to have escaped many storms in the wide Ocean, if in the return within sight of the haven it be cast away? What is the Husbandman the better who having had a prosperous spring, if a little before harvest his corn be blasted? Or for Soldiers to have fought a long and sharp battle with valour, if in the end they be overthrown, & discomfited? The end must carry the crown; till then all is subject to uncertain mischance. And so we see many for a long time to have lived well, and even then when they seemed ready to have received their rewards, to have miscarried, & lost all; but this commonly never befalls them who having their end still before the eyes of their soul, do with continual fear and trembling work their Salvation. Of which point, for that the work itself will speak at large, I shall not need to adjoin more, but leaving the same to your serious view, commend the success of all unto Almighty God; unto whom I commit you, this second of November, wherein we pray for all faithful souls departed, that they may be fellows with the Saints; and for ourselves, that we may be fellows of them both, in everlasting happiness. 1620.  
Your Honour's poor Beadsman, and dutiful servant. C. E.   

The Preface of the Author.  
CONSIDERING with myself in the last time of my usual retirement (in which setting aside all public affairs I attend only to myself) what should be the reason that so few do labour to learn the Art of dying well, which should be best known and most familiar unto all, 
Eccles. 1.  no other answer did occur unto my mind but that of the Wiseman, Stultorum infinitus est numerus, the number of fools is infinite. For what greater folly can there be thought or imagined then for men to neglect that art on which all their chiefest good and everlasting weal do depend and with so great care and no less labour to practise so many and almost innumerable other arts by which their temporal good so soon to be left & lost may either 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 hour of our death we are to render an account unto God of whatsoever we have done, said, or thought in the whole course of our life, and that ●●en unto the least idle word that we have spoken, ●he Devil being then our accuser, our conscience the witness, God the judge; nothing then remaining but … sting glory for the blessed, & never ending woe for the wicked.  
We see by daily experience in such as contend even for small matters, when the time of judging the same is at hand, both the plaintiff and defendant to take no rest, but to recurre now to their lawyers, now to their attorneys, now to the judges, now to the friends and allies of all these to have the definitive sentence given in their favour: & at our death the cause of all causes being brought before the supreme judge to wit of everlasting life or death, the defendant that is guilty oftentimes found unprovided & so oppressed with sickness as he is not his own man, and is then compelled to give an account of these things of which perhaps whiles he wa● in good health he never so much as thought upon.  
Hence it cometh that miserable men do fall so fast headlong into hell fire: & truly, as S. Peter saith, If the just man shall scarce be saved, 
1. Pet. 4.  where shall the wicked, and the sinner appear? Wherhfore I esteem it a matter of special moment first to admonish myself, than my brethren that they duly regard this art: and if there be any that have not learned it of better masters, at least that they contemn not these things which we have laboured to collect or gather together out of the holy Scriptures, & the writings of our ancient masters.  
But before we come to the rules or precepts of this Art, I have thought it expedient to search somewhat into the nature of death, and to se● in what rank it is to be placed, either amongst the things that are good, or else the contrary amongst the evil. And truly if death be absolutely taken without any other respect or relation, then doubtless is it to be esteemed evil, as being that privation which is opposed to life, which life no man can deny to be a good thing. Again we may add, that God is not the Author of death, for as the Wise man teacheth us: Through the envy of the Devil, 
Sap. 1. & 2.  death entered into the world, which is confirmed by Saint Paul when he saith: By one man sin entered into the world, 
Rom. 5.  & by sin death, in whom all have sinned: hence I conclude that if God made not death, then is not death in itself good, because all that God hath mad is good, as Moses saith: 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 wisdom of God so found out a means as it were to temper or season the same, as that out of this bitter root much sweet spruce may grow. Hence it comes, that David saith, The death of the Saints of our Lord is precious in his sight; 
Psal. 115.  and the Church in the preface of the Mass of the Resurrection speaking of Christ saith, Who by dying destroyed our death, & by rising again repaired our life: Truly that death which destroyed ours, & repaired our life cannot be otherwise then very good, and therefore albeit every death be not good, yet we must grant that some are; & therefore Saint Ambrose feared not to entitle one of his books: De bono mortis, of the good of death, in which he clearly demonstrateth death (although begotten of sin) to bring with it many and no small utilities.  
Finally the same is confirmed by reason which doth show death howsoever in itself ill, by the grace of God, to work and procure much good: for first we reap great good by death in that it riddeth us from all the miseries of this life, which are both very many, 
job. 14.  and very great. Holy job in plain words lamenteth of these miseries thus: Man born of a woman, living but a short time, is replenished with many myseryes. 
Eccles. 4.  And Solomon saith: I have commended more the dead then the living, & have judged him more happy than both who is not ye● borne, nor hath seen the wickedness committed under the sun. And Ecclesiasticus addeth saying: 
Ecl. c. 40.  A great turmoil is made for all men, and a heavy yoke is laid on the children of Adam, from the day of their issuing forth from their mother's womb, until the day of their burial, or return to the common mother of all, to wit the earth, which finally as the parent of all receiveth them into her bosom, and turneth them into corruption. The Apostle in like manner complaineth of the miseries of this life and saith, Unhappy man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  
By these testimonies of sacred Writ is sufficiently proved death to have this good annexed unto it, that it delivers a man from infinite miseries of this life. Moreover it yieldeth us another fare more eminent good than this, because it is the gate by which we enter and pass from a prison to a Kingdom. This was revealed by our Lord to Saint john the Apostle and Evangelist, whiles for the faith of Christ he lived in banishment in the I'll of Pathmos: 
Apoc. 14.  I heard (saith he) a voice from heaven saying unto me: Blessed are the dead who die in our Lord; from hence forth now saith the spirit they may rest from their labours, for their works do follow them. Blessed truly is the death of Saints which at the command of the heavenly King delivereth the soul from the prison of the flesh & bringeth it to the Kingdom of heaven, where the holy souls now free from all labours do sweetly repose, and for reward of their works do receive the crown of a Kingdom: and even unto the souls which are carried to Purgatory death yieldeth a great benefit, whiles it delivereth them from the fear and danger of hell, and makes them secure of their future & everlasting felicity: yea, even unto the damned death seemeth to yield some good, when delivering them the sooner from their bodies, it maketh that the measure of their torments shall no more increase by the sins they would have committed in their longer life.  
For these so notable utilities death showeth not a dreadful but a smiling, not a terrible but an amiable countenance towards the good: & hence it proceeded that the Apostle so securely cried out, Christ is my life and death my gain, 
Phil. 1.  being desirous to be dissolved 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 dearest friends, neither to bemoan them as dead, but rather to behold than resting as it were in a sleep.  
And there lived not long since a holy woman called Catharine Adorna of the City of Genua, who was so inflamed with the love of Christ, that she had an incredible desire to dye and go to her beloved Saviour, & for this cause transported with the love of death she did often praise the same as most fair and beautiful, 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 have said we see that death as it is the child of sin is evil but through the grace & mercy of Christ who vouchsafed to die for us, to become many ways profitable and wholesome, amiable and delightful.   

THE CONTENTS.  

THE FIRST BOOK.  

Chap. 1. Of the first Precept, which is, That he who desireth to dye well, do live 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 Theological Virtues. p. 17.  
Chap. 4. Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well, which containeth three Evangelicall documents. 26.  
Chap. 5. Of the fifth precept, in which is detected the error 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 Moral Virtues. 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 Baptism. 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 Penance. 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 Unction. pag. 154.    

THE SECOND BOOK.  

Chap. 1. The first Precept of dying well when our death is near at hand which is meditation of death. 181.  
Chap. 2. Of the 2. Precept, is of judgement. 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 near 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 receiving th● B. Sacrament, given us for our Viaticum. pag. 234  
Chap. 8. Of the 8. precept, which is of Extrem● Unction. pag. 250  
Chap. 9 Of the first Tentation of the Devil, 〈◊〉 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 Devil. pag. 270  
Cap. 13. Of the 2. Remedy against Temptations 283.  
Ca 14. Of such as die not of an ordinary death. 290  
Chap. 15. Of the happy death of such as have learned well this Art of dying well. pag. 296  
Chap. 16. Of the unfortunate death of such, as hau● neglected this Art of dying well. pag. 304  
Chap. 17. The sum, of the Art of dying well. 320     

THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE FIRST BOOK.  

CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of this Art of Dying well, which is, That he who desireth to dye well, do live well.  
I Begin now to treat of the precepts or rules of this Art which I will divide into two parts. In the first, we will set down rules which men should observe, whiles they are in good health. In the second others which shall be necessary when they are dangerously sick, and by all probability in danger to dye soon. In the first part, we shall deliver the precepts which appertain unto the virtues; then those which appertain unto the Sacraments. For by these two ways we are most of all holpen both to live, and to dye well.  
But before both these, this general 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 every one who liveth virtuously until the end, doth dye well: and he cannot dye ill, who never lived ill. As on the other side, he who hath always lived ill doth so dye; and he cannot but dye ill who never lived well; and so it fareth in all other like things. For every one who keepeth on the right way to the place where he goeth, arriveth without any missing or going out of the way: but he who mistaketh the right way shall never come to the end he would; he who studyeth diligently to attain learning, will soon become learned, & doctor also in that he professeth; and he who goeth always to school, but applieth not his mind unto learning, doth but le●se both time and labour.  
Some perhaps will allege the example of the good thief, who always lived ill, and died well, and made a happy end. But it is not so: For that good thief rather lived devoutly and religiously, and therefore died 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, & attained unto great & singular merits. For inflamed with charity towards God, he openly defended Christ from the flanders of the jews; and having the like love towards his neighbour he warned and checked his blaspheming companion, and endeavoured all he could to recall him to a better life; for as yet he was in this mortal life when he said unto his fellow, neque tu times Deum qui in eadem damnatione es? Et nos quidem iustè: nam digna factis recipimus; hic verò nihil mali gessit? Neither dost thou fear God who art in the same condemnation? and we indeed justly: for we receive according to our deserts; but this man what hath he done amiss? Neither was the same thief as yet departed this life when he spoke 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 Kingdom: and therefore this good thief seemeth to be one of those who came last into the vineyard, & received his reward before the first.  

Matth. 20.  True then, & general is this principle he who liveth well, doth dye well. And this other in like manner, he who liveth ill, doth dye ill. Neither can it be denied that it is a very dangerous matter to delay the change of our life from vice to virtue until the last cast; and those to be far happier, who begin to bear the yoke of the law of God, 
Thren. 3.  as Hieremy saith, ab adolescentia sua, from their youth; and those in every 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 fruits unto God and the Lamb, who, not only, were not defiled with women, but neither, was there any lie found in their mouth; & they are without spot before the throne of God. Such was Hieremy the Prophet, S. john Baptist, & above all, the Mother of our Lord, and many other Saints of both sexes, which the knowledge of God alone doth comprise.  
Wherefore let this principle stand without all check, or control, that the rule of dying well, dependeth upon 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 live well above all things, it is necessary that he die to the world, before he die to this corporal life. For all such as live to the world, are dead to God; and it is impossible that any can begin to live to God unless he first dye unto the world. This verity is so evidently delivered in the holy scriptures, as it cannot be called into question but by Infidels and misbelievers: and that in the mouth of 2. or 3. witnesses every word may stand, I will allege the holy Apostles, S. john, S. james, and S. Paul, witnesses beyond all exception, as in whom the holy Ghost, who is the spirit of truth, did most clearly speak. So then writeth S. john the Apostle & Evangelist, 
joan. 14.  or rather affirmeth Christ thus to speak, 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 understandeth the devil, who is the Prince of all the wicked, and by the world the company of all sinner's who love the world, and are beloved of the world: and the Evangelist addeth a little after, si mundus vos odit, 
joan. 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 do hate you, know ye that it hated me before it hated you: if you had been of the world the world would love his own, but because you are not of the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, 
joan. 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 whom thou hast given unto me. In which words our Saviour plainly declareth by the word world, to be understood those who with their Prince the devil shall hear in the last day of judgement that sentence pronounced against them, Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum, go ye accursed into hell fire. The same Apostle in his epistle addeth, nolite diligere mundum neque ea quae in mundo sunt. etc. Do not love the world nor those things which be in the world: if any man love the world, the charity of the father is not in him, because whatsoever 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 ever.  
Now 〈◊〉 us ●eare his fellow-Apostle S. Iame● who thus speaketh in his epistle Adulteri, nescitis quia amicitia huius mundi inimica est Dei? 
jacob. 4.  quicumque ergo voluerit esse amicui saeculi huius, inimicus Dei constituitur. adulterers, know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world is made the enemy of God. Finally let us hear S. Paul fellow-Apostle of them both and the vessel of election: he in his first epistle to the Corinthians, 
1. Cor. 5.  writing unto all the faithful saith, debueratis de hoc mundo exysse, you should have gone forth out of this world: and again in the same epistle, dum iudicamur à Domino, corripimur, 
1. Cor. 11.  ut non cum hoc mundo damnemur, whiles we are judged of our Lord we are punished, that we may not be damned with this world. Where evidently he declareth the whole world to be damned at the latter day, and therefore by the world he understandeth not heaven and earth, nor all the people of the world, but those only who love the world; for the just and virtuous in whose breasts the love of God, and not the lust of the flesh doth reign and prevail, are in deed in the world, but are not of the world; but the wicked and  are not only in the world, but are of the world, and for that cause not the charity of God doth rule and reign in their hearts but the concupiscence of the flesh, that is lechery, and the concupiscence of the eyes, that is covetousness; & pride of life, that is swelling ambition, by which they advance themselves above others, and imitate the arrogancy and pride of Lucifer, and not the humility and meekness of jesus Christ.  
And this being so, if any man will indeed learn this art of dying well, he must seriously, not in word & tongue, but in work 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 crucified to me, & I to the world. This great & weighty affair 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 saved were small, answered, contendite intrare per angustam portam: strive 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 inveniunt 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 straight is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that do find it?  
To live in the world and to contemn the commodities of the world, is a most hard and difficult thing: to see fair things and not to love them, to taste sweet things and not to be delighted with them; to despise honours, to desire labours, to put himself in the lowest place, to yield unto others all higher degrees, and finally without flesh as it were to live in flesh, is rather to be termed an Angelical than a humane life; and yet the Apostle writing to the Church of Corinth, in which almost every one lived together with their wives, and consequently were neither Clergy men, nor Monks, nor Anchorets, but as we now use to term them, were secular men; in this manner notwithstanding he speaketh unto them: hoc itaque dico fratres, 
1. Cor. 7.  tempus breve est &. This therefore my brethren I say unto you, the time is short; it remaineth that such as have wives, 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 possess, & they wh●● use this world as though they used it not for the figure of this world doth pass away. Of which words this is the sense, that the Apostle exhorteth the faithful, that having their hope fixed on heavenly happiness, they be so little addicted to worldly things, as though they had nothing at all to do with them: that they love their wives, but with so moderate love as if they had them not; if necessity cause them to mourn for the loss of their children or goods, that they mourn in such manner as though they were neither grieved nor mourned at all; if they have cause to rejoice for the wealth or honour they have gotten, that this joy be so small as if they did not rejoice, that is, as if their joy appertained not unto them: if they buy lands or houses, to show so little affection to those things as if they did not possess them as their own; and finally the Apostle commandeth us so to live in the world, as if we were strangers, guests, or pilgrims in the same, and not true inhabitants: which the Apostle S. Peter more plainly teacheth saying: 
1. Pet. 2.  Obsecro vos tamquam advenas & peregrinos abstinere vos à carnalibus desiderijs quae militant adversus animam: I beseech you as strangers, and pilgrims to refrain yourselves from all carnal desires, which war against the soul. By which words this most blessed Prince of the Apostles will have us so to live even in our own town and house, as if we lived in another man's house, and in some foreign country abroad; not heeding at all whether ther● be plenty or want in the place: whic● therefore he doth command us, That w● may abstain from carnal desires which war against the soul, for these carnal desires do not so easily assault us when we see other men's things that do not belong unto 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 live to God, and for tha● cause they fear not temporal death, which endomageth them nothing, bu● rather is gainful unto them, according to that of the Apostle, 
Phil. 1.  mihi vivere Christ●● est, & mori lucrum, Christ is my life, and death my gain.  
But how many (trow you) shall we find in these days so dead to the world, as that they have already learned to dye also well to the flesh, and thereby to make sure their salvation? Truly I do not doubt but that in the Cath. Church, not only in Monasteryes, & in the clergy, but amongst secular people also many holy men may be found, and such as are truly dead to the world, who have learned this Art how to dye well: yet withal this cannot be denied, that far many more without comparison are to be found not only not dead to the world, but so without measure tied and addicted to the same, and so fervent lovers of pleasures, honours, riches, and the like, that unless they determine with themselves to dye to the world, and do dye indeed, will doubtless come to a miserable death, and as the Apostle saith, be damned with the world.  
But these Worldlings will say, it is too hard a matter to dye to the world, whiles yet we live in it; and to neglect these benefits which God hath created for men to enjoy. To these I answer, that God doth neither will, nor command men altogether to cast away wealth, honours, and other worldly emoluments: for Abraham was a special friend of God, and yet abounded in riches. David also and Ezechias, and josias were very rich Princes, and withal dear friends unto Almighty God: and the same we may say of many Christian Kings & Emperors, and therefore the commodities of this world, riches, honours, pleasures a●e not absolutely forbidden unto Christian people, but the immoderate love of the things of this world, which are called of S. john, the concupiscence of the flesh, concupiscence of the eyes, and pride of life. Abraham certes was exceeding wealthy, but he not only used moderately his riches, but was most ready presently a● the command of God to spend them all: for he who spared not his only Son, most virtuous and most dear unto him, when God commanded that even by the hands of Abraham himself he should be sacrificed; how easily at the same command had he bestowed or given away all 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 unto it: & the same we may say of other holy men, who abounded with riches, power, and glory, yea with Kingdoms also and Empires, because being poor in spirit, dead to the world, and living, 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 Kingdom, or Empire make a man to be of the world, or that he live 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 Theological virtue of Charity; & therefore if any through the grace and mercy of God begin to love God for himself, and for his sake his neighbour, he beginneth to go out of the world; and this Charity increasing, the other disorderly appetite will go less and less, and so he will begin to dye to the world: for charity cannot increase without the diminution of the other: & by this means it will come to pass also that, that thing which whiles those other passions were predominant seemed impossible, to wit, that a man living in the world should not be of the world, through this increase of the love of God, & decrease of disordinate affections, will become most easy; for that which to this cupidity is a hard and insupportable yoke, is unto charity a sweet yoke and light burden.  
That than which before we said, to wit, that to go out of the world, and to dye to the world, is not the play of boys, or pastime of babes, but a most weighty and difficult thing, & most truly said of such as have not known the power of the grace of God, nor tasted the sweetness of his charity, and of such as are sensual without spirit: for he who hath once tasted of the spirit of God, doth loath whatsoever flesh & blood do suggest: therefore every one who earnestly desireth to learn this art of dying well, upon which his everlasting weal, and all true happiness doth depend, let him protract no time, but presently go out of the world, & perfectly dye to the world; when as otherwise it cannot possibly be, that a man can live to the world & God together, and at once enjoy both earth and heaven.   

CHAP. III. Of the third precept of the Art of dying well: which is of the three Theological virtues.  
WE have showed in the former chapter that he cannot dye well who goeth not out of the world, & dyeth not to the same. Now is to be added what he is to do, who is dead to the world that he may live to God, because it is granted to none to dye well, that have not lived well in this life, as I have written in the first chapter. The brief sum of living well is expressed by the Apostle in his first to Timothy in these words: Finis praecepti caritas de corde puro & conscientia bona, & fide non ficta: the end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, 
1. Tim. 1.  and an unfeigned faith: the Apostle was not ignorant of the answer which our Saviour did give to him who demanded, quid faciendo vitam aeternam possidebo? 
Matth. 19  what shall I do to attain everlasting life? For he said: Si vis ad vitam ingrediserua mandata, if thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments, but he would explicate in few words the end of the principal commandment, on which the whole law and the understanding & fulfilling thereof, and the way to everlasting life doth depend; and withal he would teach us what virtues, are necessary to perfection, of which elsewhere he said, nunc manent fides, spes, caritas, maior autem est caritas: now there remain faith, 
1. Cor. 13.  hope, and charity but the greater of those is charity, he saith therefore that charity is the end of the commandment, that is, the end of all the commandments, the observance of which commandments, is necessary unto good life: and this end is so placed, in charity, as that he who hath the Charity of God, fulfilleth all the commandments which appertain unto the first table, and he who hath the charity of his neighbour, fulfilleth all the commandments which belong to the second table. This later part which might seem more obscure he declareth in his epistle to the Romans, saying, Qui diligit proximum etc. He who loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law, for thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shall not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, and if there be any other commandment it is comprised in this word, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: the love of thy neighbour worketh no ill, the fullness therefore of the law, is love. Out of which discourse every one by himself may perceive all the commandments which are referred to the worship of God, to be fulfiled by charity alone; for as the charity of our neighbour towards our neighbour worketh no evil, so neither doth the charity of God towards God work any evil, & therefore the fullness of the law, as well towards God as towards our neighbour is love 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 heart, a good conscience, and unfeigned faith; in which words by a good conscience, we do understand with S. Augustine, 
Praefat. in psal. 31.  the virtue of hope, which is one of the three Theological virtues, 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. john: Carissimi etc. my dearest if our heart do not reprehend us, 
2. joan. 3.  we have confidence towards God: there are therefore three virtues in which the perfection of our Christian law doth consist, Charity from a pure heart, 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, than faith is the first according to the prescript of the Apostle, nunc manent fides, etc. Now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.  
Let us begin with Faith, which first of all before the other is in the heart of him who is to be justified. Not without cause did the holy Apostle add unto faith this condition non ficta, not feigned, for faith beginneth our justification if it be true and sincere, not if it be false and feigned; the faith of heretics beginneth not justification, because it is not true but false: the faith of ill Catholics beginneth not their justification, because it is not sincere but feigned: a feigned faith is taken two ways, as when one indeed doth not believe and yet feigneth himself to believe; or else indeed he doth believe but liveth not as his belief teacheth him that he should; and the words of S. Paul to Titus seem to bear both the one, and other sense, and to be understood of them both: confitentur se nosse deum, 
Hierom. in come. Aug. ser. 31. de verb. Apost.  factis autem negant; they confess themselves 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 virtue of a just man it may easily be conceived how great the multitude is of such who do not live well, and consequently come to an ill death. I let pass Infidels, Pagans, Heretics, and Atheists who know nothing of this art how to live well: amongst Catholics how great number is there of those who in words confess that they know God, but deny him in their deeds? Who confess Christ to be the judge of the living and the dead, and yet so live as though they had no judge at all? Who confess the Mother of our Lord to be a Virgin, and by their blasphemies fear not to call her a Harlot? who commend prayers, fastings, alms and other works of virtue, and yet always practise the contrary vices? I omit the rest which are known unto all; let them not therefore brag and vaunt that they have not a feigned Faith, who either do not believe at all that which falsely they affirm to believe, or else they live not as the Catholic faith doth command them to live: and by this they may know that as yet they have not begun to live well, neither let them hope to dye well, unless through the help of God's grace they learn in time this Art we treat of.  
The other virtue of a man truly just is Hope, or else a good conscience, as our master S. Paul the Apostle hath thought fit in this place to call it, this virtue proceedeth from faith, for no man can hope in God who either knoweth not the true God, or else doth not believe him to be either powerful or merciful: but to stir up, and strengthen hope, in so much that it may be termed not hope only but also confidence, nothing so much availeth as a good conscience: for with what face will he come unto God, and ask any blessings and benefits of him, who is guilty of sin committed against him, which yet by true penance he hath not blotted out? For who will ask for any favours at his enemy's hands? Or who thinketh that such an one will help him whom he knoweth to be grievously incensed against him? Hear I pray you what the Wise man saith of the hope of the wicked, Spes impij tanquam lanugo etc. 
Sap. 5.  The hope of the wicked is like light dust which is carried away with the wind, or as thin froth of water which by the tempest is dispersed, or like smoke which is dissolved by the wound, 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 frail and no solid thing, short and not permanent: for they whiles yet they are alive, in some sort hope that they may do penance and be reconciled unto God, but when death shall approach, unless God of his special mercy prevent them, and move their hearts to do penance, their hope will be turned into desperation, & they will say with the other wicked that which followeth in the same place; Erravimus etc. We have erred from the way of truth, and the light of justice hath not appeared unto us: what hath our pride availed us, or what hath the boasting of our riches helped us? All have passed away like a shadow. Thus the Wiseman, who gravely adviseth us, that if we will live well, and dye happily that we presume not to live one minute of an hour in sin, deceiving ourselves with a vain persuasion that as yet we have a long time to live, and that hereafter at fit opportunity we will do penance; for this vain hope hath deceived many, and will still deceive them, unless prudently they learn this Art whiles yet they have time to do it.  
There remaineth the third virtue which worthily is called the Queen of Virtues, to wit, Charity, with which none can perish, & without which none can live, either in the passage of this life, or in our desired home of everlasting happiness: that charity is said to be true and sincere which proceeds from a pure heart, not for that purity of heart doth properly beget charity, for charity, as S. john saith, is from God, and S. Paul, 
1. joan. 4. Rom. 5.  The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the holy Ghost which is given us; wherefore charity is said to be from a pure heart, because it cannot be kindled in an impure, but in such a one as is purged from all error by divine Faith, according to that of S. Peter the Apostle, 
Act. 15.  fide purificans corda eorum, cleansing their heart by faith: and by divine hope, being cleansed from all love and desire of earthly things: for even as fire is not kindled in green, sticks full of moist humours, but in dry; even so the fire of charity requireth clean hearts purged from all earthly love & vain confidence in our own strength & forces.  
By this may we understand which is true Charity, which false & counterfeit: for if any one do willingly speak of God, shed tears through compunction of mind in his prayers, and do other good works, as giving much alms, and fasting often, yet so as he entertaineth impure love in his breast, vain glory, hatred towards his neighbour and the like, which make the heart impure and filthy; this man hath not divine and true charity but a vain show or resemblance thereof: for which cause the Apostle most prudently named not absolutely faith, hope & charity when he spoke of true and perfect virtue; but said Finis praecepti etc. The end of the commandment is charity from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith not feigned: and this indeed is the true Art of living well, and of a happy death, if any persevere unto the end in this true and perfect charity.   

CHAP. FOUR Of the fourth precept of the Art of dying well, which containeth three Evangelicall documents.  
ALTHOUGH to live and dye well that which we have said, of faith, hope, and charity may seem to suffice; yet to perform the same the better, and wit● more facility, Christ himself hath vouch saved in the Gospel to give us thre● lessons or documents: for thus he saith in the Evangelist S. Luke: Sint lumbi vestry etc. 
Luc. 12.  Let your loins be girt, & burning candles in your hands, and be you like unto men expecting their Lord when h● retourneth from the Marriage, that when he shall come & knock, they may presently open (the gate) unto him; blessed are those servants whom our Lord when he shall come, shall find watching. This parable may be understood two ways, either for the preparation to be made for the coming of our Lord at the day of judgement, or else for his coming at the death of every particular 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 appertain only to those, who shall then live, and Christ spoke this parable to his Apostles and to us all; certainly the Apostles and those who succeeded them were by many ages very fare off from the last day; again there shall many signs go before the last day, which shall stir up men to attendance: for Christ saith, Erunt signa etc. There shall be signs in the sun, and moon, and stars, and the earth, 
Luc. 21.  great calamity of nations, men withering away for fear and expectation of those things which shall come upon the whole world. But no certain signs shall go before the coming of God to particular judgement which every man is called unto at the hour of his death; and this coming is signified by those words so often repeated in the holy Scriptures, that our Saviour will come as a thief, to wit when he is least thought upon or expected.  
Let us now then briefly expound this Parable, & let us well conceive that this preparation to death is a thing most of all to be respected of all, because of all other things it is most necessary. Three things doth our Lord here command us: first that we have our loins girded, that we have candles burning in our hand, last of all that we watch & expect his coming, who when he will come, we know as little, as most men do when the thief will come to rob their houses. Let us explicate the first sentence: Sint lumbi vestri praecincti. Let your loins be girded: this is the literal sense of these words, that we be ready and stopped by no entanglements to run to meet with our Lord when he shall call us by death to this particular judgement. This similitude of girding the loins is taken from the custom of the Eastern people, who did wear long garments almost to their feet, and when they were to walk apace, they did gather up their garment and girded therewith all their loins, lest the length of their weed might hinder their haste, and make them go more leisurely: for which cause it is said of the Angel Raphael, who ●ame to accompany the younger Toby; Tunc egressus etc. Then Tobias going forth, 
Tob. 5.  found a fair young man standing girt, & as it were ready to walk. By occasion of this custom of the Eastern people, 
1. Pet. 1.  S. Peter wrote; propter quod succincti lumbos mentis vestrae, soby perfectè sperate etc. For the which cause having the loins of your mind girded, sober, hope perfectly etc. and S. Paul to the Ephesians, state succincti lumbos vestros in veritate: stand ye having your loins girded in truth.  
Now to have our loins girded, doth signify two things, first the virtue of chastity, secondly a promptitude or readiness to meet with Christ, whether he come to the particular or general judgement. 
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 mind no one doth so much hinder our swift and ready passage to meet with Christ, as the concupiscence of the flesh; as on the other side nothing maketh a man more ready to run and follow Christ, then doth virginal chastity, 
Apoc. ca 14. 1. Cor. 7.  for we read in the Apocalypses, that the Virgins do follow Chris● wheresoever he shall go: to this doth S. Paul exhort us saying, qui sine uxore est etc. He who is without a wife is careful of those things which concern our Lord how he may please God, but he who is with his wife is careful how he may please his wife, & is divided.  
But the other exposition which doth not restrain and limit these girded loins to chastity alone, but extendeth it to prompt obedience of Christ in all things, is of S. Cyprian, 
Lib. de exhor. Mart. cap. 8.  and is generally admitted by all Commentours on S. Luke's Gospell● the meaning then of this place of th● Gospel is, that all the affairs of this world, albeit very good and necessary, should not so fare forth possess our minds, as that they should hinder this chiefest & most principal care of being ready to meet our Saviour when he shall call us by death to yield an account of all our works, yea also of our words, and thoughts, even our idle words, & vain cogitations. For what shall men wholly drowned in the world at that time do when death at unawares and not looked or provided for, shall come, who in the whole course of their life have never thought of giving an account unto God of all their works, of all their words, of all their thoughts, of all their desires, of all their omissions? shall such, think you, be able to have their loins girt, & run to meet with Christ? Or rather shall they not be tossed & entangled in their filthy life, and become both dumb and desperate? What will they answer to the judge when he shall demand of them, why did you not give ear unto my words by which I warned you, saying: Seek first for the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, and all these things shall be given unto you? why did you not consider the words so often and so publicly sung and said in the Church, Martha, Martha, sollicita es etc. Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one is necessary, Mary hath chosen the best part which shall not be taken from her? If I have reprehended the care of Martha, who most devoutly desired to serve myself, do you think that your care of gathering superfluous riches, of greedy gaping after dangerous honours, of satisfying your hurtful appetites, and in th● mean time forgetting the Kingdoms of God, and the righteousness thereof, which above all things in this life is most necessary, can please & content me?  
But let us come to another duty of a diligent and faithful servant, & lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris, and burning candles in yours hands: it is not enough for a good servant that his loins be gir● whereby he may freely and without le● run to meet with his Lord, but it i● further exacted of him that there be also a burning candle in his hands, which may show him the way in the night, at what time his Lord is expected to returns from this marriage feast. The candle in this place signifieth the law of God, which showeth us indeed a good way to walk in: Lucerna (saith David) pedibus meis verbum tuum. 
Psal. 111.  Thy word is a candle to my feet: and lex lux, saith Solomon in his Proverbes, 
Prover. 6.  the law is a light; but this candle giveth no light to a traveller, or showeth any way at all if it be left at home or in our chamber, and therefore if we will have it to show us the way, we must carry it in our hands: many there be that know the divine and humane laws; but therefore they commit many sins and pretermit many necessary good works, because they carry not this candle in their hands, that is, they apply not their knowledge unto the works of the law. How many great learned men are there who commit most grievous offences because in their actions they take not direction from the law of God, but are transported by their own anger lust, or some other disordinate passion of their mind? When King David saw Bersabee naked, had he recurred to this law, he had found, Non concupisces uxorem proximi tui, thou shalt not lust after thy neighbour's wife, and had never fall'n into such an enormous crime, but because he made no further recourse then to the woman's beauty, fogetting the law of God, though otherwise a very just & holy man, he committed adultery. We must not then have this candle hid and shut up in our chamber, but must still have it in our hands, & obey the voice of the holy Ghost, which commandeth us that we meditate day and night on the law of our Lord, 
Psal. 1.  and that we say with the Prophet; Tu mandasti etc. 
Psal. 118.  Thou hast commanded thy commandments most diligently to be kep● I would to God my ways may be directed to keep thy iustifications. He who hath always the candle of God's law before the eyes of his soul, 
Psal. 118.  will securely meet with our Saviour at his return from the marriage.  
There remaineth the third office or duty of a faithful servant, that he always watch, because he is uncertain when his master will come: Blessed are those servants (saith Christ) whom their master when he shall come shall found watching. God Almighty would not have all men at a certain time or period of their age to departed this life, lest they should bestow all the time of their life till then in gluttony and drunkenness, plays and desportes, or in other ill works, and then, afterwards a little before their death to recall themselves & return unto God: wherefore his divine providence hath so ordained that nothing should be more uncertain than the hour of our death, whiles some as we see dye in their mother's womb, others as soon as they are borne, if not in their very birth, some in hoary old age, others in the very flower of their youth: again some we see by long lingering to languish away, others to dye suddenly, some to recover from a most desperate sickness, others to be but a little sick & whiles they seem free from death, the disease increaseth and they departed this life: and to make us the better see this uncertainty our Saviour said; Et si venerit etc. 
Luc. 12.  If he shall come in the second watch, or if in the third watch, & so shall find his servants (to wit watching) blessed are those servants, for know you this that if the master of the house should know at what hour the thief would come, truly he would watch and not suffer his house to be ransacked; and be you prepared because the Son of man will come at such an hour as you think not on. Moreover that we might understand of what weight this matter is, to be well persuaded of the uncertainty of our life, & of the hour in which our Lord will call us to judgement, either in the death of every particular, or else at the later day, the Scripture doth repeat nothing so often as that one word Vigilate, watch; and the similitude of a thief, who useth not as you know to come, but at such a time and place, where and when he is least expected; the word watch is in many places repeated in the gospels of S. Matthew, Mark and Luke, and the similitude of a thief is not only in the Gospels but also in the Epistles of the Apostles & Apocalypse of S. john.  
Of all which we may evidently perceive how great the negligence and ignorance, not to say madness and folly of most men is, that so often admonished by the spirit of truth, by the pens of the Apostles, who could not lie nor deceive us, that we be still prepared for death as a thing most great and difficult, and on which dependeth our greatest and everlasting happiness, or our greatest and everlasting destruction; and yet that there be so few that are stirred up by these words or rather thunderings of the holy Ghost to prepare themselves thereunto.  
Here some will say, what counsel do you give us that we may watch as we should, and by watching be prepared to make a happy end? I can think of nothing better than that we often prepare ourselves to death by a serious and due examination of our conscience: and truly Catholic people when they come every year to confession omit not to examine their consciences, and again when they begin to be sick; and the Physicians by the decree of Pope Pius V are forbidden to come the second time unto them unless after the examination of their conscience they have also made a confession of their sins; finally there are none in the Catholic Church, but near the hour of their death examine their consciences and confess their sins. But what shall we say of such as are taken away by sudden death? What of such as become mad or lose their wits before they can make their confession? What of those who are so overburdened with the extremity of sickness as they cannot so much as think how many, or what sins they have committed? What of those who in dying do sin, or in sinning do dye, as those who fight in unjust war, or in single combat, or are taken in adultery?  
To avoid therefore prudently and religiously these and the like inconveniences, nothing better can be devised then that all those who esteem and make account of their salvation, do twice every day, to wit at noon and night diligently discuss their conscience, what the night or day before they have done, what they have said, what they have desired, what they have thought, in which any spot of sin may be found; and if they find any such, especially any thing that may seem a mortal sin, let them not delay the remedy of true contrition, with firm purpose at the first opportunity to come to the Sacrament of penance; wherefore let them ask of God the gift of true compunction and sorrow, let them call to mind the grievousness of sin, let them detest from their heart the fault committed, let them seriously discuss who it is that doth offend, & whom he hath offended, to wit a vile wretch Almighty God, an unprofitable servant the Lord of heaven and earth; let not their eyes cease from tears, nor their hands from knocking their breast, and finally let them make a true and resolute purpose never more to provoke God's wrath, nor to offend their most loving Father. This examination if it be well made morning and evening, or at least once in the day, it can very hardly hap that any one in dying should sin, or in sinning dye, or be prevented with giddiness, madness or other like misfortunes, and so being well prepared to dye, neither the uncertainty can hurt us, or we be deprived of the glorious reward of everlasting life.   

CHAP. V Of the fifth precept or rule of the Art of dying well; in which is detected the error of the Rich men of this world.  
TO that which hath been said we are to adjoin the refutation of a certain error very vulgar amongst the rich men of this world, and it much hindereth the good life and death we have spoken of. The error consisteth in this that rich men do esteem the goods which they possess to be absolutely and truly their own, if they possess them by due claim & title, and therefore that they may lawfully waste them, give them as they list, neither may any man say unto them why do you thus? Why go yo● so brave in apparel? Why do you fa●● and feast so daintily? Why are you so prodigal and lavish in feeding dogs o● hawks, or in play at d●ce or cards, o● in like delighting pastimes? For the will forth with answer you, what 〈◊〉 that to you? May I not do with my●● own goods what I list? or must I ask●● your leave and counsel how to bestow them? This truly is a most grievous and pernicious error. For suppose the rich of this world are true owners of their own wealth, if they be compared unto other men who can lay no claim unto them; yet if they be compared unto God, they are not masters but administratours, o● stewards or bailiffs of them; which I ca● prove by many authorities. Hear the kingly Prophet what he saith hereof, 
Psal. 23.  Domini est terra (saith he) etc. The earth is" our Lords, and all the plenty thereof, the whole world and all that dwell therein. And again in another place: 
Psal. 29.  Meae sunt omnes etc. All the wild beasts of the forests, and all the cattle on the mountains are mine, if I shall be hungry I will not tell it unto thee, for mine is the whole world and the plenty thereof: & in the first book of Paralipomenon, when as David had offered towards the building of the temple three thousand talents of gold, 
1. Paralip. 29.  and seven thousand talents of most pure silver, and wonderful great store of white marble, and when the other Governors of the Tribes following the example of the King had offered five talents of gold ten of silver, & eighteen of brass, besides a hundred thousand talents of iron, David said unto God: Tua est Domine etc. All majesty and power and glory O Lord is thine, 
1. Paralip. 29.  all things which are in heaven & in earth are thine; thine is the Kingdom and thou art over all Princes; thine 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 thine, and what we have received at thy hands, that we have given thee. Again by the Prophet Aggaeus God saith, 
Aggaei 2.  mine is silver, and mine is gold, which therefore our Lord did say, that the people might know that there should nothing be wanting for the building of the temple, seeing it was he that commanded it to be built who is true Lord and owner of all the gold and silver, and what else soever is in the whole world.  
To these testimonies of the old testament I will add two more of the new, taken out of the very words of our Saviour. There is a parable in S. Luke of the wicked Bailiff: 
Luc. 16.  Homo quidam erat diues etc. There was a certain man that was rich (saith Christ) and he had a bailiff who was ill spoken of to his master, as one that had wasted his goods, and he called him and said unto him, How comes it that I hear this of thee? Render an account of thy bailifship, for thou canst no more be bailiff. By this rich man there can be no doubt but that God is meant, who, as now out of Aggaeus we have heard saith meum est argentum & meum est aurum, all silver and gold is mine: by the name of a bailiff or steward as it is in the Greek copies, is understood a rich man, as the holy Fathers S. john chrysostom, S. Angustine, S. Ambrose, S. Bede, Theophilact, Euthimius, and others on this passage of Saint Luke's Gospel do interpret: every rich man then of this world if he believe the Gospel, must confess that all the riches he enjoyeth, whether by just or unjust claim, not to be his own; for if his title unto them be good, then is he only the bailiff and steward of God: if unjust then is he a thief & a robber.  
That this worldly rich man in this world is not the true master of the goods he possesseth is clearly evinced, because he is charged with injustice before God, who either by bodily death, or beggary dischargeth him of his Bailiffeship, for so much do these words import, Red rationem villicationis tuae, iam enim non poteris villicare, Yield an account of thy bailiffeship for thou canst no longer be bailiff. Neither doth God want ways to make rich men poor, and to put them from their bailiffeship, for he can send them shipwarcks, robberies, hail, worms that devour the herbs, and vines, too much rain, too much droth, too great storms, and other the like: these are the words of God which h●● said unto the rich man non poteris diutiu● villicare, thou canst no longer be bailiff  
That clause in the end of th● parable where our Lord saith, Make y●● friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when y●● fail they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles; doth not signify that we are to giu● alms out of unlawful riches, but tha● alms are to be given out of those riche● which indeed are not such, but only th● shadow of riches; which is evidently gathered out of the same place of the Gospel's of S. Luke where our Saviour saith If you have been unfaithful in the wicked mammon who will trust you for that which is the true The meaning of which words is, 
Luc. 16.  if 〈◊〉 wicked mammon, to wit in false riches, yo● have not been faithful and bountifully bestowed them on the poor, who wil● commit true riches unto your charge, the riches I mean of virtue which indeed do make a man rich? 
Cyprian. lib. de opere & eleemosyna. Aug. Quaest. Euang. quaest. 34.  So S. Cypria● understood and explicated this place: and not much unlike is the exposition of S. Augustine when he saith, the mammon of iniquity, is that riches which only wicked men and fools repute for such; whereas the good & wise men make no account of it, but affirm the spiritual gifts of grace alone to be the treasure of the faithful.  
The other place of the Gospel is also in S. Luke, 
Cap. 16.  which may serve for a commentary of the former parable now mentioned of the wicked Bailiff: Homo quidam (saith our Saviour) erat diues etc. There was a certain rich man who was clad in purple and silk, and fared every day sumptuously, and there was a certain beggar called Lazarus who did lie at his gate full of sores, desiring to be fed with the crumms that fell from the table of the rich man, & no body did give them unto him, but the dogs did come & lick his sores, and it came to pass that the poor man died and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom, and the rich man died & was buried in hell. Doubtless this rich glutton was one of them who esteemed themselves true Lords and owners of their riches, and not the bailiffs or stewards of God, and consequently he was persuaded that he did not sin against God although he wore purple and silk and fared every day daintily, and fed many dogs, and perhaps some Comical jesters & stageplayers also, for he said 〈◊〉 himself I spend mine own goods, 〈◊〉 do no man wrong, I do not transgres●● the laws of God, I do not blaspheme● I do not forswear myself, I keep t● sabbath, I honour my parents, I neyth● kill nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor gi●● false witness, nor seek after another m● wife, or any other thing of his; but if t●● case stand thus, why is he buried in he● fire? truly here we must needs grant a● such to be in error who persuade the● selves that they are the absolute Lords masters of their goods, for if this r● glutton had, had other sins 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 understood of this, w●● that the superfluous setting himself forth in brave apparel, his daily and great cost in banquetts, the number o● his retinue, and dogs, together wit● his want of all charity towards a poo● man full of sores, to have been a sufficient cause why he is buried in hell, for ever to be tormented in those everlasting flames.  
Let this then be the infallible law of living and dying well, often to think and seriously to consider and ruminate in our mind, that there is an account to be made to God of all superfluous cost bestowed in palaces, in gardens, in coaches, in multitude of attendants, in costly apparel, in banquetts, in heaping up of riches, and all other whatsoever not necessary expenses, by which means there is injury done to the great number of poor and sick people who want that, with which the other are surchardged, who doubtless do now cry unto Almighty God, and will not cease in the day of judgement to cry, until these also be delivered over for ever, to be punished in unquenchable fire.   

CHAP. VI Of the sixth precept of the Art of dying well, in which are explicated three Moral Virtues.  
ALBEIT the three Theological virtues contain as it were in a short abridgement all the precepts of good life, and consequently also of this whole Art, yet the holy Ghost principal Author of of all divine Writ, for the better understanding of this most uholsome Art o● dying well would further add, three m●rall virtues which exceedingly do help, man to live and dye well, and these a 〈◊〉 Sobriety, justice, 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 etc. The grace o● God our Saviour hath appeared unto 〈◊〉 men, instructing us that we renouncing impiety, and secular desires do live soberly, justly, and proudly in this world expecting the blessed hope & commin● of the glory of the great God, an● of our Saviour jesus Christ. This the●● shall be the sixth rule of this Art, that w● renouncing impiety and secular desires, do live soberly, justly, and piously in this world. Here we have the sum and effect of all God's law, with admirable brevity contracted into one short sentence: Declina à malo, & fac bonum, Decline from evil and do good, saith the holy Prophet David. 
Psal. 36.  In sin there are two things, an adversion from God, and conversion unto creatures; according to that of Hieremy: Duo mala etc. 
Hierem. 20  Two evils my people have done me; they have left me the springe, or fountain of lively waters, and have digged for themselves cisterns which can hold no water. What then is he to do who will avoid both the one and other evil? He will renounce impiety and secular desires. For impiety turns him from God, and secular desires draw him to the creatures, and then (which appertaineth unto the other part of doing good) do we fulfil the law, when we live soberly, justly, and piously, that is, when we are sober towards ourselves, just towards our neighbours, and pious towards God.  
But it will not be amiss to handle these points more largely, that this most wholesome and brief precept may the better be put in practice: what then is impiety? A vice contrary to piety. What is piety? A virtue or gift of the holy Ghost by which we regard God, worship him, & reverence him as our Father. We are therefore commanded so to renounce impiety, that we may live piously in this world, or which is all one, so to live piously i● this world as we renounce all impiety: bu● why are both these members set down when as one alone had been sufficient Truly it pleased the holy Ghost so 〈◊〉 speak, to the end we should know th● we ought (if we will please God) so t● embrace piety as that it have no admixture of impiety with it: for there wa● not Christians who embrace piety whiles they pray unto God, whiles the● are present at the dreadful sacrifice● whiles they hear the Priest to preac● but in the mean time, at their pl●● they blaspheme God, they swear by hi● name without occasion, and fulfil no● the vows which they have made unto him: and what is this else then piously to worship God, and yet to be impious against him? Wherefore such as desire 〈◊〉 live well that they may obtain that grace at God's hands as to dye well, ought so piously to worship God that they renounce all impiety, yea every shadow although never so little of impiety, for it availeth little to hear Mass every day, & to worship Christ in that dreadful mystery if in the mean while thou do impiously blaspheme God, or swear falsely by his name.  
And this also is diligently to be noted, that the Apostle said not, renouncing impiety in general, 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 swear when there is no need, to look with a wanton and lascivious eye upon women, even in holy places, to talk in the time of Mass, & to commit other the like lighter offences as if they did not believe God to be present to see all things & to note all their faults although never so small. 
Exod. 20.  For God is a jealous God, chastizing the iniquity of the parents on their children until the third and fourth generation of such as have hated him; and on the other side, he showeth mercy on thousands to such as love him and keep his commandments. And this did the son of God teach us by his own example, who although he were both meek and humble, and when he was reviled, did not revile, when he suffered he did not threaten, 
1. Pet. 2.  yet kindled with great zeal having made a whip of coards he cast the buyers and sellers out of the temple, 
joan. 2.  overthrew the bankers tables and said: It is written that my house is 〈◊〉 house of prayer, and you have made it a den o● thiefs: and this he did twice, once in th● first year of his preaching as S. john reco●deth, and once in the last, as all the oth● three Evangelists do testify.  
Let us proceed to the second virtue which directs our actions toward our neighbour. The second virtue is justice, of which the Apostle said, Renounci● secular desires let us live justly; and here al● that general sentence taketh place, decli● à malo & fac bonum, decline from evil a● do good: for there can be no true justice towards our neighbour where those secular desires do yet remain; for wh● else do these desires signify but the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscenc● of the eyes, and pride of life, which ar● not of God but of the world? Therefore as justice cannot be unjust, so neither can these desires be any way conjoined wit● true justice. A child of this world ma● counterfeit in word and tongue true justice, but indeed and truth he cannot possibly perform it; most prudently therefore did the Apostle not only say, let us live justly, but promised before, abnegantes saecularia desideria, renouncing secular desires, to signify that the root infected with the poison of concupiscence, is first to be pulled out, before the good tree of justice can be planted in a virtuous & Religious heart.  
What it is to live justly, seems a matter of itself so perspicuous, as it cannot be doubted of, for all men know that justice doth command, 
Rom. 13.  that we give to every man his own: reddite (saith the Apostle) omnibus debita etc. Yield you unto all that which is due unto them; to whom tribute, tribute; to whom custom, custom; to whom fear, fear; to whom honour, honour. Tribute is due unto the Prince, honour to our parents, 
Malach. 1.  fear to our masters: for so God saith by the prophet Malachy; If I be a Father, where is my honour? And if I be a Lord or a master, where is my fear? A just price is due to the seller, a just reward to the workman, and so of others after the same manner; and with no less reason but rather with much more those unto whom the distribution of the common goods of a Kingdom or common wealth pertain aught to bestow the same according to the prescript of distributive justice, to such I mean as deserve them best, not according to the acception of persons, as unto their kinsfolks, and such as they affect and favour. If any I will then learn well this art, let him hear the Wiseman thus calling upon men of authority in the beginning of his book; 
Sap. 1.  Love justice you who judge the earth. And let them hear S. james lamenting in his Epistle: Behold the reward of the workmen who have reaped your ground which is defrauded by you, 
jacob. 5.  doth cry, and their cry hath entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth.  
There remaineth the third virtue unto which these secular desires are no less contrary than unto justice; neither do we understand in this place by Sobriety that virtue only which is contrary to drunkenness, but in general the virtue of Temperance or moderation which make a man to measure these things which concern the care or preservation of his body by the rule of reason, and not according to his sensual desire: and this virtue is rarely found amongst men: for secular desires seem to have filled all the houses of rich men, but those who are wise are not to look unto that which fools do, although they be never so many & almost innumerable, but unto that which wise men do. Doubtless Solomon was a most wise man, 
Prover. 30.  and yet he made this prayer unto God saying, Duo rogavi te etc. Two things I have prayed for that thou wouldst not deny me before I die, to wit, that thou neither grant me beggary or riches, but those things only give me which are necessary for my life. 
1. Tim. 6.  S. Paul was also a wise man, and yet he said: Habentes etc. Having wherewith to cover our nakedness, let us be contented: for we brought nothing into this world, & without doubt neither can we carry any thing hence. Which reason is most witty, for why should we take such immoderate care for superfluous riches, seeing we cannot carry them with us to that place unto which by death we come unto? Christ our Lord was not only wiser than Solomon and S. Paul, but was very wisdom itself, & yet he said. 
Luc. 6. Luc. 9.19. Deut.  Blessed be the poor, and woe be to you that be rich: And of himself he said: The foxes have holes, and the fowls of the air nests, but the son of man hath not where to repose his head. If every 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 add that the riches which we have more than our necessities require are not our own, but are the substance of the poor as is the common opinion of holy Father and school Doctors? are not then suc● men very fools who with so great diligence keep that, for which by God himself they shall be condemned to hell fire?  
He then who will learn this ar● of living and dying well, let him not imitate the multitude or common people who believe or esteem nothing but wh● they see; but let him follow Christ an● his Apostles, who in word and deed hau● taught us that the things of this world are to be contemned, and that we are to expect, The great hope and coming of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour jesus Christ. Truly the thing is so great which w● hope for at the coming of our Lord jesus Christ from heaven unto judgement, that all the glory & all the riches, & all the joys passed of this world are in respect thereof to be esteemed nothing, or as though they had never been, and they are to be held most foolish and most unhappy who in a matter of this consequence will rather give credit unto fools, then unto wise men.   

CHAP. VII. Of the seaventh precept of the Art of dying well, which is of Prayer.  
OUT of that which hitherto hath been said, we have drawn the precepts of dying well from the three theological virtues Faith, hope and charity, and also from three moral, Sobriety, justice and piety, of all which the Apostle Saint Paul hath admonished us: now I will further adjoin another precept of three other works of virtue, of prayer, fasting and alms, which we have learned of the Angel Raphael, for we read in the book of Toby, the Angel to have spoken in this manner: Prayer is good with fasting & alms, and better then to heap up treasures of gold. And this threefold number of these works is the fruit of three virtues, of Religion, of mercy, of temperance, which have great resemblance with piety, justice, and sobriety before mentioned: for as piety concerneth God, justice our neighbour, sobriety ourselves; So prayer which is an act of religion respecteth God, alms which is an act of mercy respecteth our neighbour, fasting which is an act of abstinence respecteth ourselves. Of Prayer many Authors have written many things, we for our present purpose will explicate three only; one of the necessity of prayer, another of the utilities, and the third of the manner how we may fruitfully make it.  
The necessity of prayer is so evident and perspicuous in the Scriptures as tha● nothing can be more clearly commanded or delivered then the same: for notwithstanding that God do know what we want, as he saith of himself in Saint Matthew, yet will he have us to demand them & receive them as it were by spiritual hands, or some instrument fit for that purpose. 
Luc. 18.  Hear our Lord in S. Luke We must always pray and never cease. Again, Watch ye praying at all times. Hear S. Paul, Pray without intermission. 
Luc. 21. 1. Thess. 5. Eccles. 18.  Hear Ecclesiasticus: Be not stopped from continual prayer. Which precepts or commands do not import that we should do nothing else but pray, but that we should never forget this most wholesome exercise, but very often have recourse thereunto, which both our Lord and his Apostles by their example have taught us; for Christ and his Apostles did not so always pray, but that they bestowed some time in teaching the people, and in confirming their doctrine with signs, and miracles; and yet they may be said always to have been in prayer, because they did pray very often: and other phrases in the Scripture of like tenor are to be understood in the same manner, as, My eyes are always on our Lord, 
Psal. 24.  and his praise is always in my mouth, 
Psal. 33.  and that of the Apostles, they were always in the temple praising and blessing our Lord. 
Luc. 24.   
Touching the utilities of prayer three are most eminent, to wit, merit, satisfaction, and impetration: of merit we have the testimony of our Lord in the Gospel, Cùm oratis etc. When you pray, you shall not be like hypocrites who affect to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men. Amen I say unto you, that they have received their reward: but thou when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber and the door being shut, pray thy Father in secret, and thy Father who seethe the in secret will reward thee: by whic● words our Saviour doth not forbid prayers to be made in public; for he himself did publicly pray before he raised Lazarus, 
joan. 11.  but he forbiddeth a man to pray i● public when he doth it with intention be seen of many, to wit out of the desire of vain glory: for else we may pray i● the temple, and therein also found th● chamber of our heart, and in that chamber pray unto our Father in secret: these words, reddet tibi, will repay or reward thee, do signify merit. For as before h● said of the Pharisee, recepit mercedem suam, he hath received his reward, to wit, humane praise; so of him who prayeth in the chamber of his heart, regarding God alone is to be understood this repayment, to wit, that he so shall receive his reward from his Father who seethe him in secret. Of satisfaction for our syns' past, it is evident by the practice of the Church, in which when any satisfaction is imposed, with alms & fasting is conjoined prayer, yea oftentimes alms and fasting are not enjoined, but prayer is never omitted; lastly that it is impetratory, or of force to obtain us many great blessings & benefits, S. john chrysostom doth excellenly declare in two books which he wrote of this subject, in which he useth the similitude of our hands: for as a man is borne weak, naked, and needy of all things, and yet cannot complain of his Creator, because he hath given him hands, which are the instrument of instruments, by which a man may provide for himself meat, clothes, a house, armour and what else soever; so a spiritual man can do nothing without the help of God, but he hath the virtue of prayer, the instrument of all spiritual instruments, by which he may obtain whatsoever he shall want, or be in need of.  
Besides these three principal fruits, there are very many other: for first prayer doth illuminate or lighten our mind; for it cannot otherwise be, but that he who fixeth fast the eyes of his mind on God who is all light, but that he be lightened, accedite ad eum (saith David) & illuminamini: 
Psal. 33.  come you unto him and be lightened. Again prayer doth nourish our hope and confidence, for by how much the more often we speak unto one, by so much the more confidently do we confidently com● unto him: thirdly it inflameth our charity and maketh our mind more capable to receive greater gifts as S. Augustine dot● affirm: 
Lib. 2. de serm dom. in monte cap. 7.  fourthly it increaseth humility and chaste fear, for he who cometh t● pray, perceives himself to be a beggar o● God, and therefore is wont with all humility to appear in his sight, and most diligently to take heed lest he offend him whose help in all things he doth want. Fifthly prayer engenders in the mind of the maker the contempt of all temporal things, for it cannot possibly be, bu● that all earthly things must seem base and filthy unto him, who daily contemplateth those things which are heavenly and everlasting: 
Cap. 1. & 10.  see S. Augustine in the 9 book of his Confessions. Sixthly it begetteth incredible delight, when as by the same a man beginneth to taste how sweet our Lord is, which sweetness how great it is, from hence we may gather, that we have known many not only to have bestowed the whole night, but to have joined whole days with whole nights without any difficulty in prayer. To conclude, besides the profit & pleasure, prayer yieldeth great dignity and honour to the maker; for the Angels themselves honour that soul which they see so familiarly, and so often to be admitted to the speech of his diuin Majesty. See S. john chrysostom in his first book of prayer.  
It remaineth that we say somewhat of the manner how to pray well, in which this art of living Well doth chief consist, and consequently also of dying Well, for that our Lord said, Ask, and ye shall receive: and every one who asketh doth receive, which S. james in his Epistle declared to be understood with this condition, If we ask well: You ask (saith he) and do not receive because you ask ill: out of which rule we may thus discourse, he who asketh well the gift of good life, shall certainly receive it, and he who asketh well for the perseverance of the same until death shall doubtless receive it. Let us briefly explicate the conditions of good prayer, that we may learn to pray well, to live well, to dye well.  
The first thing required is Faith, as witnesseth S. Paul saying; How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? With whom accordeth Saint james: Let him ask in faith without w●uering: 
Rom. 10.  but this necessity of faith is no● so to be taken as though is were necessary for us certainly to believe that Go● will do those things that we desire, 
jacob. 1.  for 〈◊〉 should our faith be very often found fal● and consequently we should obtain nothing; we are therefore to believe tha● God is most potent, most wise, mos● good, most faithful, and for that caus● to be able, to know, and to be ready t● do that which we desire, in case he think it fit for himself to bestow it, o● expedient for us to receive it. 
Matth. 9  This fait● did Christ require of the two blind men who desired to be cured; Do ye believe that 〈◊〉 am able to do (this cure) for you? With the same faith did David pray for his Child that was sick; for that he did not believe certainly that God would do it, yet believed he undoubtedly that God could do it, as these his words do demonstrate: Wh● can tell whether our Lord perhaps may not bestow him upon 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 faith had been false, if he had certainly believed that God would have granted him that thing which then he demanded, for at that time he obtained it not; neither doth the Church pray with any other faith, when she prayeth that all heretics Pagans, schismatics, and ill livers may be converted and do penance, and yet it is certain that all will not be converted: 
Lib. 1. c. 4.  of which matter read S. Prosper in his book of the calling the Gentills.  
Another condition of a good prayer and that very necessary is hope or confidence, for albeit we must not determine absolutely by faith (which is a work of our understanding) that God will do what we desire him, yet must we by hope and confidence (which is an action of our will) steadfastly adhere unto his divine goodness, and certainly confide that he will grant us those things which we ask him: this condition did our Saviour require in him who was sick of the palsy, unto whom he said: Confide fili etc. Have confidence my son, 
Matth. 9  thy sins are forgiven thee: and the same doth the Apostle require of all men when he saith: 
Heb. 4.  Let us come with confidence to the throne of his grace, that we may obtain mercy: and long before him the Psalmist maketh God 〈◊〉 say: 
Psal. 90.  Because he hath hoped in me I will deliver hi● & because this confidence springeth fro● perfect faith, therefore the Scripture w●● in great matters it requireth faith, addeth commonly something appertaining unto confidence, and so we read in Sa●● Mark: whosoever shall say unto this mountain thou taken hence and cast into the sea, 
Mar. 11.  and shall waver in his heart, but shall believe that whats●uer he saith may be done, it shall be done unto hi● of which faith begetting confidence, to be understood that of the Apostle: 
1. Cor. 13.  I● had so great faith as that I were able to remo●● mountains. For which cause Cassian in h●● Collation or Conference of prayer wr●teth, 
Colla. 9 cap. 52.  that it is a certain sign of obtaining that we would have, if any one in his pra●er do certainly confided that he shall recea●● the thing he asketh for, & doth no w●● stagger, but findeth in the same, himse● much moved with spiritual comfort.  
The third condition of prayer charity or justice by which we are justified from our sins, for none are sure to obtain the graces and blessings of God but they who are his friends; for so sait● David in his psalms, They eyes of our Lord ar● over the just, 
Psal. 33. Psal. 65●.  and his ears are (attended) unto their prayers: & in another place, If I have looked upon iniquity in my heart, our Lord will not hear me: 
joan. 15.  and in the new testament Christ doth say: If you shall abide in me and my words (that is my commandments) remain in you, you shall ask whatsoever you to will and it shall be done for you. And the beloved disciple: 
1. joan. 3.  If our heart reprehend us not, we have confidence in God, and whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive, because we keep his commandments, and do those things which are pleasing before him. Neither doth it contradict this doctrine that the publican craving pardon of God for his sins returned justified; for this remission a penitent sinner doth obtain, not as he is a sinner, but as he is penitent, for as he is a sinner he is the enemy of God, but as he is penitent he entereth into his friendship. He who sineth doth that which displeaseth God, whom it grieveth to have offended, and doth that which is most pleasing unto him.  
The fourth condition is humility, whereby he that doth pray relieth not on his own righteousness, 
Isay 66.  but on God's mercy. Whom shall I regard (saith God) but the poor & contrite in spirit, & him that reverenceth my words? 
Eccles. 35.  And Ecclesiasticus addeth: The prayer of him who humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds, and it shall not departed until the highest do behold it.  
The fifth condition is devotion, which causeth him that doth pray, not to pray negligently as many use to do, but attentively, carefully, diligently, and fervently. 
Matt. 15.  Our Lord doth grievously check such who do pray only with their lips, This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is fare from me; this devotion we speak of ariseth from a lively faith, and such as is not only in habit but in act also and operation; for he who attentively and with firm faith doth ponder, how great the majesty of God is, how great our profit how great the thing which we ask, i● cannot otherwise be, but that he wil● come to his prayers with deep humility reverence, devotion, and favour.  
It will not be amiss here to se● down two notable testimonies of the holy Fathers. S. Hierome in his dialogue against the Luciferians: Ad orationem assisto etc. I stand at my prayer; I would not pray unless I did believe. But in case I did truly believe, I would make clean that heart with which God is seen, I would knock my breast with my hands, I would water my cheeks with tears, I would tremble in body, wax pale in visage, I would lie prostrate at my Lord's feet, and with weeping bedew them, I would wipe them with my hair, I would stick fast to the cross & would hot thence till I had obtained mercy; but now very often in my prayer I walk through the galleries, or cast up the accounts of usury; or carried away with a filthy thought do think on those things, which cannot without shame be spoken. Where is our faith? Do we think that jonas prayed thus? That thus the three children? That thus Daniel amongst the lions? Or that thus the thief on the cross? So he. And S. Bernard in his sermon of the four ways of praying saith: Omnino nos opor●et etc. It is altogether necessary that in ●he time of prayer we do enter into the court of Heaven, that Court truly in which the King of Kings sitteth in his throne of stars, compassed about with an innumerable and unspeakable army of Blessed spirits: with how great reverence then, with how great fear, with how great humility ought a base little frog, going forth and creeping out of his puddle appear in that place? How trembling, how suppliant, how humble and solicitous, & how with all his mind attentive ought a poor wretched man to stand before the majesty of glory, in the presence of Angels, in the Council and congregation of the just? Truly in all our actions there is great need of watch and vigilancy, bu● especially in our prayers.  
The sixth condition is perseverance, which our Lord in two Parables hat● commended unto us 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 loaves, 
Luc. 18.  who although he were often rejected because it was at an unseasonable time, yet persevering in his demand, he got what he desired; the s●cond is of the widow that called vpo● the judge that he would deliver her from her enemy; which judge although he were a very bad man, and neither feared God or respected man, yet overcome with the perseverance and importunity of the woman, delivered her from he● adversary; out of which our Saviour maketh this collection, that much more are we to persevere in prayers unto God, who is both just and merciful, 
jacob. 1.  & as Saint james doth add, giveth unto all men abundantly and upbraideth not; That is, he giveth liberally to all such as ask his gifts and never upbraideth their importunity in that they are too troublesome unto him in ask, for God is without measure rich, without measure merciful. S. Augustine hereunto doth add in the explication of the last verse of the sixth Psalm on those words, Blessed be God who hath not removed my prayer and his mercy from me, saith: If thou shalt perceive that thy prayer is not removed, be secure, because his mercy is not removed from thee.   

CHAP. VIII. Of the eight precept of the Art of dying well, which is of fasting.  
IT followeth that briefly now we speak of fasting according to the method observed by the Angel, and omitting many things which Divines 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 touch the art of living well, as it maketh wa● to the other art of well dying, & to this ar● these three things may seem to suffice which we have spoken of prayer; the necessity of fasting doth depend upon a tw● fold law, Divine and Humane: of th● Divine, 
joel. 1.  joel is witness, who in the people of God saith: Be you converted unto me with 〈◊〉 your heart in fasting, weeping, and mourning; 〈◊〉 the same we have from jonas the Prophet who testifieth, the Ninivites, to the en● they might please God, to have preache● fasting, and sackcloth; and yet at th● time there was not any set law for f●sting: 
Matth. 6.  and the same is gathered out of t●● words of our Saviour in S. Matthew: 〈◊〉 thou dost fast anoint thy head that thou mayst seem unto men to be fasting, but to thy Father 〈◊〉 seethe thee in secret, and thy Father who seethe th● in secret, will reward thee.  
Let us allege one or two of th● Fathers in this behalf. S. Augustine thus speaketh in his Epistle to Casulanus: I searching into this matter do see that fasting is commanded in the Evangelicall and Apostolical written, and in the whole book which is called the new Testament, but on what days we ought not to fast, or on which we ought, I found not either by the commandment of our Lord or his Apostles to be determined. So he. And Saint Leo in his sermon of the fast of the tenth month: 
Serm. 4.  Illa quae rerum futurarum figuras gerebant etc. Those things which prefigured things 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 utility of fasting, but with religious observance hath embraced abstinence as profitable unto the body and soul, 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 serve, and other the like commandments; so likewise what is commanded in the same books of the sanctifying of fasts, is not shifted of by any gloss. So S. Leo, whose meaning is not that Christians are to fast the same time that the jews did, but the commandment of fasting delivered to the jews is to be observed of Christians according to the appointment of those who govern the Church, as fare forth as concerneth the time & manner; whic● determination is better known unto all, then that it needeth my declaration: and so much for the necessity of fasting.  
As for the fruits & utilities of fasting these we shall easily declare: and first of all fasting is most profitabl● to prepare our soul to prayer, and to the contemplation of celestial things, as the Angel Raphael insinuated when he said, prayer is good with fasting thus did Moses by fasting forty days prepare his soul, before he durst adventure to come to the speech of Almighty God: so did Elias fast forty days that he might in such manner as he could, talk with Go● in the mount Horeb: so Daniel by thre● weeks fast was prepared and made fit to receive the revelations of God: so th● Church hath appointed fasts on the eue● of the chief feasts, that the Christian may be the better disposed to attend 〈◊〉 heavenly things: and ancient Fathers do in many places express this utility of fasting; let the Reader see Saint Athanasius in his book of virginity, Saint Basil in his first and second oration of fasting, Saint Ambrose in his book of Elias and fasting, Saint Bernard in his sermon on the eve of Saint Andrew; but the words of S. john chrysostom because they are few and excellent I will not omit to recite: Fasting (faith see) is the food of the soul, and maketh it light feathers that it may be carried aloft, and contemplate most high and supreme things.  
Another utility 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 said, 
Galat. 5.  I chastise my body and bring it into subjection, 
1. Cor. 9  lest whiles I shall preach to others I become reprobate myself. For so Saint chrysostom & Theophilact in their commentaries expound these words of fasting, as also Saint Ambrose in his Epistle to the Church of Versells. This utility also do the Fathers extol: Saint Cyprian in his sermon of fasting, and Saint Basil in his oration of the same, S. chrysostom in his first homily on Genesis, Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Eustochium of the keeping of virginity, Saint Augustine in his first book of Confessions the 21. chapter, and the whole Church in the office of the first hour out of the hymn of Saint Ambrose doth sing, carnis terat superbiam potus cibiue parcitas, Let the parsimony of meat & drink tame the pride of the flesh.  
The third utility is to worship God, for God esteemeth it as honour done vn●● him when we fast, for so saith the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans: 
1. Rom. 12.  Obsec● vos etc. I beseech you that you yield you● bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, your reasonable service, for whic● in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Luc. 1.  which 〈◊〉 reasonable worship; and of this worship S. Luke speaketh when he saith of An● the widow, She did not departed from the Tē● serving God day and night in fasting and prayer● and the great Council of Nice in the fif● canon calleth the fast of Lent a clean a●● solemn gift that is offered of the Chur● unto God: and Tertullian speaketh after t●● same manner in his book of the resurrec●on of the flesh, where he calleth stolen & d● meats acceptable sacrifices unto God: & Saint Leo in his second sermon on the fa● of the 10. month, saith: For the full rece● of all the fruits 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 unto God the tithes and first fruits of our life.  
The fourth utility is satisfaction of our sins, and this first of all do the examples of holy Scripture demonstrate: 
joan. 3.  the Ninivites as jonas writeth pacified God by fasting; 
1. Reg. 7.  the same did the jews who fasting with Samuel assuaged God's wrath, and got the victory over their enemies: Achab a wicked King by fasting and haircloth in part mitigated God's displeasure against him, 
judith. 4. Hester. 4.  the jews in the time of judith and Hester by no other sacrifice then by fasting, weeping, & mourning found mercy with God: this doctrine have the ancient Fathers always taught. Tertullian in his book of fasting saith: As first of all the use of meat did destroy us, so let fasting make satisfaction unto God. S. Cyprian: 
Serm. de lapsis. Orat. 1. de leiunio. Hom. 1. in Genes. Lib. de Elia & ieiunio. Com. ad 3. cap. jonae.  Let us appease the wrath & offence of God as himself warneth us with fasting is fruitless and vain: by fasting do thou satisfy God. S. john chrysostom: God as an indulgent Father hath sound out this cure which is affected by fasting. Saint Ambrose: Fasting is the death of sin, the destruction of vices, the remedy of salvation. Saint Hierome: Haircloth and fasting are the armour of penitents, the helps of sinner's. Saint Augustine: Let no man fast for humane praise, 
Serm. 60. de tempor.  but let him fast to obtain pardon 〈◊〉 his sins. Saint Leo affirmed God to be pacified with the sacrifice of fasting: & la● of all Saint Bernard: 
Leo. serm. 4. dé ieiun. 7. mensis Bern. serm. 66. in Cant.  I sometimes do make abstinence, but my abstinence is a satisfaction for 〈◊〉 sins, not a superstition for impiety.  
Finally, the fifth utility of fasting is, that it is meritorious, and very much available to obtain benefits from God Anne the wife of Elcana being barren, by f●sting obtained a son, for so doth Sain● Hierome in his second book against Io●●nian interpret these words of the Scripture: 
1. Reg. 1.  Porrò illa stebat, & non capiebat cibu● But she wept and took no meat, Anna, (saith this Father) inanem cibo ventrem, f●lio meruit implere: Anne merited to fill h● belly empty from meat with a Sonn● Sara by three days fasting is deliuer● from the Devil, as is recorded in the boo● of Toby. 
Tob. 3.  And there is a notable place f● the merit of fasting in the Gospel: fo● thus speaketh our Saviour, 
Matth. 6.  Tu autem cù● ieiunas etc. Bu● when thou dost fast anoint thy head and wash thy face that thou mayst not seem to men to fast, and thy Father which seethe thee in secret will repay thee. Where the words will repay, signify that he will pay them their reward, for they are opposed to those other, They disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast; Amen I say unto you they have received their reward. So as the hypocrites receive the reward of their fasting, to wit the praise and applause of men: and the just also receive their reward given them (not by the tongues of the people) but by the hands of God: neither do there want most evident testimonies of the ancient Saints. S. john the Evangelist being to write his Gospel, appointed solemn fasting that he might obtain the grace of writing well, as Saint Hierome avoucheth in the preface of his commentaries on S. Matthew, and out of him Venerable Bede on the first of Saint john: and Tertullian insinuateth the same in his book of fasting: Fast do merit of God even the knowledge of mysteries; 
New masters.  Saint Ambrose in his Epistle to the Church of Versells saith: Who be these new masters that will have no merit to be in fasting? S. Athanasius; Whosoever is vexed with an unclean spirit, 
Ath. lib. d● ieiunio. Bas. or. 1. de ieunio.  must be fully persuaded these wicked spirits tormented with fasting to leave their hold, as fearing the force thereof. Saint Basil: Fasting is profitable both for the eschewing the miseries of this world, & also for the attaining of the things that be good. S▪ Gregory Nazianzen explicating with wha● weapons a certain holy virgin repelle● the Devil from her, saith, that she opposed against him the remedy of fasting and lying on the bare ground. 
Chry. serm. 1. de ieiun.  Saint Ioh● chrysostom saith: Fast, because thou hat● sinned, fast that thou mayst not sin, fa●● that thou receive (spiritual blessings,) fa●● that those things which thou hast received may not be lost. Saint Hierome in hi● book against jovinian doth of set purpose dispute and prove the merit of fasting. S. Augustine saith: 
serm. 62.  Fasting is either a remedy or 〈◊〉 reward, that is, either is procureth us pardon o● our sins, or the reward of the Kingdom of heaven. Last of all, Saint Leo: By the humility of fasting we do merit God's assistanc● against all our enemies. 
Ser. 1. de ieiunio 7. mensis.   
We have then the necessity & fruit of fasting: there remaineth only the manner, that we also briefly show how we are to fast, that our fasting may avail us to good life, & thereby also to dye well. Many there be that do fast on all the days appointed by the Church, to wit, on eves, on ember days, and in Lent, and there are some who also voluntatily fast in Aduent, ●●reby devoutly to prepare themselves 〈◊〉 celebrate the fast of our Saviour's nativity; some on every 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 reap the fruits of fasting may well be doubted. The first and principal fruit of fasting is mortification of the flesh, that our spirit may become more strong: and to attain this end it is necessary that we feed on sparing and course diet: and truly our mother the Church insinuateth this when she commandeth us to eat not twice but one in the day, and to eat not flesh and white meat but herbs, pease, beams, fish and the like: this Tertullian explicateth in two words when he calleth lenten fare, sir as & aridas escas, stolen and dry meats; 
Lib. de res. Carnis.  certainly they do not observe this, who when they do fast eat as much at one dinner as in other days they do at dinner and supper together; and who in that dinner dress so many dishes of all sorts of fish and other meats as they seem not to prepare a dinner for mourners and penitents, but a marriage supper that 〈◊〉 last for a great part of the night, such 〈◊〉 so fast without question reap not 〈◊〉 fruits of fasting.  
Neither in like manner attain th● this fruit who though they feed not ●daintily but much more moderately, y● on the fasting days do no more refra●● from plays and sports, from brawling & wranglings, from wanton songs & ●centious mirth, & that which is more grievous, from sins & naughtiness: then ●pon other days which are not faste● hear what the Prophet Isaias saith 〈◊〉 such fasters: 
Isay 58.  Behold in the day of your fast y● self-will is found, and you call all your debtors to● count; behold you fast to make debates and wr●lings and wickedly strike with your fist; fast no● you have done hitherto, that your cry may be he●● on high. This kind of fasting did Go● mislike in the jews, because in the f●sting days which are days of pennant they would follow their own wills a● not the will of God, and that they wou●● not only not forgive their poor debtors, as they desired to be forgiven o● God, but that they would not so much a● grant them any respite in the payment; again for that the time which those who truly fast aught to have bestowed on prayers unto God, they bestowed in profane wrangling and contention: & last of all that not only as was requisite in fasting days did not attend unto spiritual matters, but adding sin to sin, they did wickedly beat their neighbours & abuse them. Virtuous men must beware and avoid these and the like offences, if they desire indeed to have their fasting grateful unto God, and profitable unto themselves that f●om thence they may be able to hope for a good life & a precious death. There remaineth of the three works Alms which the Angel Raphael praised, & proposed unto 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, fruit, and manner. That there is a precept of giving alms no man hath ever doubted of, for in case we had no ●ther testimony, the sentence of the 〈◊〉 just & supreme judge might abund●ly suffice, who in the last judgement 〈◊〉 say unto the wicked: 
Matt. 25.  Discedite à me ●ledicti in ignem aeternum etc. Depart from ye accursed into everlasting fire whic● prepared for the Devil and his Ange● for I was hungry and you gave me n● eat, I was thirsty and you gave me● drink, I was a stranger and you en●teyned me not, I was naked and you 〈◊〉 not clothe me, I was sick and in pris● you did not visit me. And a little after added: As long as you did it not to one of 〈◊〉 lesser ones, you did it not unto me. Our of wh● we do gather that none are bound to g● alms but such as are able, for our L● himself is not recorded to have giue●●ny, but only to have commanded 〈◊〉 part of the money that was given h●● 〈◊〉 be bestowed on the poor, as may appear out of that place of the Gospel, wh●● when our Lord had said unto judas: Q● facis fac citiùs: That which thou dost d● quickly, the Apostles did think that 〈◊〉 had commanded him out of the pu● which he did bear, to give somewhat the poor.  
But the divines will have this precept 〈◊〉 contained in that commandment: not a parents, honour thy parents; others that, non occides, thou shalt not kill; but it not necessary that this precept be confined in the ten commandments. When 〈◊〉 alms belongeth unto charity, and the commandments of both tables unto iu●ice; but if all moral precepts be to be ●educed to the ten commandments, the opinion of Albertus the Great is probable, ●ho will have this commandment of giving alms to belong unto that non fu●aheris, thou shalt not steal, for it is a kind ●f theft, not to give that unto the poor which we own unto them; but more pro●able is the opinion of Saint Thomas of A●uin who assigneth it to the first commandment of the second table Honora parents, honour thy parents, for by the honour of our parents in this place, is not understood only a reverential honour or dutiful respect, but also the provision of all necessaries for their life and sustenance, which is a certain alms which special●y we do owe to our principal neighbour's, as Saint Hierome saith, 
In come. ad 15. Matth.  of which we ●nfere that this alms is due also unto other neighbours that are in want; mover for that the precept of giving a● is not negative but affirmative: bu●●mongst all the commandments of th●●cond table there is none affirmative 〈◊〉 only the first. Honour thy parents; but to spute more of this matter standeth not 〈◊〉 my purpose in this place, & this may ofice for the necessity of alms.  
Now for the fruit of this v● that is most copious and abundant, 〈◊〉 first is that Alms deliver a man from existing death, whether this be done by w● satisfaction, or by way of disposition 〈◊〉 to grace, or by any other way; this 〈◊〉 have clearly in the Scriptures, 
Tob. 12.  in Toby 〈◊〉 read: Alms doth deliver a man from all 〈◊〉 and from death, and permitteth not a soul to g● to darkness; And in the same book the ●gell Raphael saith in express words. 〈◊〉 delivereth from death, and it is alms whic●●geth sins, and makes a man found mercy ●uerlasting life; 
Dan. 4.  and Daniel unto King N●chodonsor saith: Wherhfore O King follow counsel, and redeem thy sins with alms, thy iniquities with the mercies of the poor.  
Again alms if it be done by a 〈◊〉 man & out of true charity, hath the 〈◊〉 of everlasting life, of the truth whereof Christ himself willbe witness when being judge of the living and dead he shall say in the last day: Come ye blessed of my Father, 
Matt. 25.  receive a Kingdom which is prepared for you from the beginning of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me to eat. And afterwards, That which you have done to one of my least brethren you have done to me.  
Thirdly alms hath the effect of a certain Baptism, to wit of cleansing sin, as well the fault as the punishment, Ecclesiasticus telling us: As water quencheth fire, so doth alms extinguish sin; And water doth so quench the fire as it leaveth not so much as any smoke, and this also is the doctrine of the ancient Fathers: so S. Cyprian, Saint Ambrose Saint chrysostom, and Saint Leo do teach. S. Cyprian in his sermon of alms thus writeth; As the fire of hell is quenched with the laver of healthful water, so with alms and good works is allayed the flame of our faults: Saint Ambrose: 
Serm. 31.  Alms in a certain manner is an other laver of our souls, as our Lord saith, Give alms and all things are clean unto you: and without prejudice of faith be it spoken, alms is more indulgent or remissive than the laver, for the laver is given but once, and once also it doth pardon, but as often as thou givest alms so often dost thou merit pardon. Saint Io● chrysostom: There is no sin that alms canno● make clean, 
Hom. 25. in Act Apost. Leo. serm. 5. de Coll.  or that it cannot quite blot out. Saint Leo: Almesdeeds do blot out sins, do kill death, an● take away the punishment of everlasting fire. And this is a great prerogative of this virtue & aught to stir up all men to the love thereof. But this is not to be understood of all alms whatsoever, but of that alone which proceedeth in us from great contrition, and great fervour of charity: such was the alms of Saint Mary Magdalen, who out of the tears of her contrition bathed our Saviour's feet, and anointed the same with the alms of a most precious ointment.  
Fourthly, alms do increase our confidence to God, and engender a spiritual joy or comfort in us: and although that this be common to all virtues, yet in special manner it appertaineth unto this, whereby in one action we perform a double duty, and that very grateful both to God and our neighbour, & is a work which not by signs or deductions, but of his own nature is most evidently discerned to be good. 
Tob. 4.  Hence is it, that Toby said, alms will yield great confidence before the suprem or sovereign God unto all such as give it: 
Heb●. 10.  And that o● the Apostle, You have had compassion on the imprisoned, do not therefore lose your confidence. And to conclude, Saint Cyprian in his sermon of almesdeeds, calleth it, the comfort of the faithful.  
Fifthly, alms getteth the love and good will of m●ny who do pray unto God for their benefactors, and obtain of God for them either the grace of their conversion, or the gift of perseverance, or the increase of grace and glory; for all these ways may that saying of our Saviour be understood, Make yourselves friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when ye shall fail, 
Luc. 16.  they may receive you into their everlasting tabernacles.  
Sixthly, alms is a disposition unto our justifying grace, of which fruit Solomon speaketh in the proverbs when he saith: sins are cleansed by alms and faith: 
Prover. 15.  and Christ having heard of the liberality of Zachaeus saying, Behold I give half of my goods unto the poor, & if I have defrauded any man, I render him four times as much; he said unto him: To day salvation 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 alms: 
Act. 10.  Thy almesdeeds have ascended into the remembrance in the sight of God: o●● of which place Saint Augustine proveth Cornelius by his alms to have obtained o● Almighty God the grace of Christian faith and perfect justification. 
Lib. 1 de praedestin. Sanctor. cap. 7.   
Last of all almesdeeds are oftentimes the cause that our temporal store doth increase, and is augmented: which Solomon doth approve when he saith: he taketh usury of our Lord who hath compassion of the poor: and again: he who giveth to the poor shall never wa●; which our Saviour confirmed by his own example, when he commanded his Disciples to distribute five loaves and two fishes, 
Proverb. 19 Proverb. 26.  which was all he then had, amongst the multitude, and so handled the matter as they gathered up twelve baskette full of the leave of the bread and fishe● which sufficed his Disciples for many days after; Tobias who imparted so liberally his goods to the poor, got in short time great wealth: the widow of Sarephta who bestowed a little meal and oil on the Prophet Elias, received that blessing at God's hand that herself never wanted for for a long time either meal or oil: there are many and most worthy examples in this kind extant in the fifth book of the history of France written by Saint Gregory of Towers; 
Cap. 105. & 201.  in Leontius in the life of S. john the Almenor; and Sophronius in prato spiritually, and the same averreth Saint Cyprian in his sermon of fasting & alms, and Saint Basil in an oration he made unto rich men, in which by an excellent similitude he compareth riches unto well-water, out of which if much be drawn 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 will not willingly hear these matters, so will they scarce believe them: but after this life they shall know it to be so, and believe it to be true, when their knowing, and believing shall steed them nothing.  
Let us now speak of the manner of bestowing Alms for that is necessary more than any other thing, that we may virtuously live & dye most happily. First it is necessary that we give alms with a most sincere intention of pleasing God, and not for seeking of popular praise: this doth Christ teach us when saith: When thou dost give alms, 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 john, where by the left hand he understandeth the intention of giving alms for temporal honour, 
●ract. 6.  or whatsoever commodity: by the right hand he will have to be signified the intention of giving alms in respect of everlasting life, of the glory of God, and charity towards our neighbour.  
Again, our alms is to be given readily, and with facility, that it may not seem to be wrung out by entreaty, nor delayed from day to day when it may presently be dispatched. Say not (saith the wiseman) go thy ways and come again, to morrow I will give thee somewhat, when thou canst give it presently. Abraham the friend of God requested the passengers that they would come to his house, and expected not to be entreated by them; and his nephew Lot did do the same: so neither did Toby expect that the poor people should come unto him, but he himself did seek for them.  
Thirdly, it is requisite that our alms be given cheerfully and not with grudging. 
●ap. 31.  In every thing (saith Ecclesiasticus) thou givest, show a cheerful countenance: and the Apostle, Not out of sadness, or out of necessity, for our Lord doth love cheerful giver.  
Fourthly, it is necessary that our alms be given with humility in such manner, as the giver may know himself to receive more than he giveth, of which point thus writeth Saint Gregory: 
Lib. 21. Moral. ca 14.  multum ad edomandum dantis superbiam valet etc. It helpeth much to check the pride of the giver of alms if when he bestoweth his earthly substance he do weigh well the words of the heavenly master, Make you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail they may receive you into the everlasting tabernacles; for if by the friendship of the poor we do gain the eternal tabernacles, doubtless we who give are to persuade ourselves, that we do rather offer presents to our benefactors, then bestow alms on the poor.  
Fifthly, it behoveth that we give abundantly according to the proportion or measure of our ability, for so did Toby that famous almes-giver: As thou shalt be able, 
Tob. 4.  so be thou pitiful to the poor, if thou have much give plentifully, if thou have but little study how to give that little willingly: and the Apostle teachet● us that an alms is to be given as a blessing, 
Serm. 3. add pop. Ant.  not as covetousness; and S. chrysostom addeth: not to give only but to give abundantly i● to be called alms, and in the same Sermon he addeth that such as desire to be heard of God when they cry, Have mercy on me o Lord God according to thy great mercy, must also have mercy on the poor according to their great alms.  
Last of all it is specially required that he who will be saved and dye well do diligently search out either by his own reading and meditation, or by other devout & learned men whether a man may keep superfluous riches without sin, or whether such be not of necessity to be given to the poor; & then further which are to be deemed superfluous riches, which necessary, for the case may so stand that mean riches to one be may superfluous, and great wealth to another may seem necessary. And for that this small treatise cannot comport any prolix dispute of scholastical questions, I will briefly repeat certain passages of the holy Scriptures, and Fathers as well ancient as modern, and so conclude this difficulty.  
The places of the Scripture are the sixth of S. Matthew: You cannot serve God and mammon; the third of S. Luke: He who hath too coats let him give to him that hath none; and ●nd he that hath meat let him do the like: and in ●he twelfth of the same Gospel it is said to a rich man, who so abounded in substance as that he scant knew where to lay them: 
Tom. 7. ex. 50.  Thou fool this very night they will take from thee thy soul: which words S. Augustine doth thus expound, that this rich man was everlastingly damned, because he retained superfluous wealth.  
The chiefest authorities of the ancient Father for this matter are these. S. Basil; And art not thou a thief or robber, 
Basil. orat. ad divites.  who esteemest that as thine own which thou hast received only to dispense and give away? And a little after: wherefore thou dost injury to so many poor, as thou wert able to give unto. S. Ambrose; 
Ambr. ser. 81.  What injustice is there, if I who take not other men's goods from than do diligently keep mine own? O impudent assertion! Dost thou call them thine own? Which are they? And after: It is no less a crime when thou art able and wealthy to deny alms to the poor, then to steal or take away from him that hath it. S. Hierome; 
Ep. ad He●. quest. 1.  Whatsoever thou hast more than is necessary for thy diet and apparel, that bestow (on the poor) and know that for so much thou art a debtor. S. chrysostom: D●● thou possess that which is thine own? 
Chrysost. hom. 34. ad pop. Antioch.  the goods of poor are committed to thy custody, whether t●● possess them out of thine own just labour, or b●●ne all descent of inheritance. Saint Augustin● The things that are superfluous to the rich, are ●●cessary to the poor, they who possess more than t●● want possess more than is theirs. S. Leo: Ear●● and corporal riches do come unto us from the boun●ty of God, 
Aug. trac. in psal. 147.  and therefore worthily is he to exact 〈◊〉 account of these things, which he hath no more committed unto us to possess, then to disburse or distribute. 
Leo. ser. 5. de Collect.  S. Gregory: Such are to be warned who neither desire other men's goods, nor bestow their own, that they attentively know that the earth of which we are all made is common unto all, 
3. p. Past. admonit. 22.  and therefore in common yieldeth sustenance for all; and in vain do they think themselves without fault who challenge as their own that gift of God, 
Ber. ep ad Henric. Arch. Sen.  which h● hath bestowed upon all. S. Bernard: The poor cry out & say it is our goods that you wast, it is with cruelty taken from us, which you so vainly spend. S. Thomas of Aquine: 
22. Quae. 66. art. 7. Quast. 87. a●●. 1. Distin. 15.  The things which some have more than they need is by the law of nature dew unto the maintenance is the poor. And: Our Lord commandeth not only the tithe or tenth part, but whatsoever is superfluous to be given to the poor. And upon the fourth book of Sentences he affirmeth this to be the common doctrine of all divines. Hear if any will contend ●hat these superfluous goods are not to be given unto the poor out of the rigour of ●he law, yet truly he cannot deny but ●hat they are to be given them out of charity, & it importeth little God wots, whether a man go to hell for want of justice, or for want of charity.   

CHAP. X. Of the tenth precept of dying well, which is of the Sacrament of Baptism.  
HAVING explicated the virtues which teach us the art to live well, we will adjoin somewhat out of the doctrine of the Sacraments which concur no less than the former to the attaining of this art. The Sacraments ordained by Christ are seven, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Order, Matrimony, Extremeunction: all which are as it were divine instruments which God useth by the ministry of his servants to give his people grace, to increase it, to restore it. That being freed from the bondage of the Devil, and adopted with th● honour of being the sons of God, the● may at length come to be partakers of everlasting blessedness with the holy Angels in heaven. Out of these Sacrament then, our purpose is briefly to show 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 look for a miserable end, unless he do the sooner change his life & behaviour.  
Let us begin with the first Sacrament. Baptism 
Baptism.  in order and number of the Sacraments is the first, and is fitly called the gate or entrance of the Sacraments, for unless baptism go before, no man can be fit to receive the other Sacraments: In the Sacrament of baptism these rites or ceremonies are observed; first of all who is to be baptised must either by himself or his Godfathers make confession of the Catholic faith, than he must renounce the Devil, his Pompes, & works, thirdly he is to be baptised in Christ, in which Baptism he is translated from the thraldom of the Devil unto the grace of the children of God, and all his sins being blotted quite out, he receiveth the gift of heavenly grace, by which he is now made the adopted son of God, the heir I say of God, and fellow heir of Christ. Fourthly there is given him a white stole, & he is willed to preserve the same clean & unspotted until death; fifthly there is given him a burning candle which signify good works, which whiles he liveth he must join with the former purity signified by the white stole, for so saith our Lord in the Gospel, Let your light so shine before men as that they may see our good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  
These are the chiefest ceremonies which the Church doth use in the administration of this Sacrament; I omit the rest which appertain not unto this matter: out of this every man may conceive whether he have always lived well from the time he received his Baptism unto this present year of his age: I do very much doubt that there are very few to be found who have performed these things which they have 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 unto life, and few there be that do find it out.  
Let us begin with the Apostles Creed: how many country people, how many beggars, how many inferior artificers are there who either cannot say their Creed, or never learned it, or know how to say the words, but understand little or nothing at all of the sense? And yet they in Baptism by their Godfathers & Godmothers answered unto every article that they did believe: and if Christ be to dwell in our hearts by faith as S. Paul doth testify, 
Ephes. 3.  how shall he dwell in their hearts who can scantly rehearse the words of their Creed, and have nothing at all thereof in their hearts? and if God by faith do purify our hearts as Saint Peter the Apostle saith, 
Actor. 15.  how impure will their hearts be, who have not in their hats received the faith of Christ, although in flesh they have received his Baptism? I speak of such as have the use of reason & not of infants, for infants by the habit of grace of faith, hope, & charity are justified, but when they are grown in years, they ought to learn their Creed, & in heart believe the Christian faith for righteousness, and confess it in word for salvation: 
Rom 10.  as the Apostle teacheth in the Epistle to ●he Romans.  
Let us come to another rite. All Christians either by themselves or by the help of others who answer for them, being demanded whether they renounce the Devil, his pomps, and works, do answer I renounce; but how many be there that in word renounce, but renounce not indeed? Or rather how few be there who with all their heart do not love and follow the pomps and works of the Devil? And yet God seethe all and cannot be illuded: he then who desireth to live and dye well, let him enter into the closet of his heart, & and let him not deceive himself, but seriously and attentively think and think again, whether he be delighted with the pomps of this world, or with the works of the Devil, and whether in his heart, in his deeds, in his words, he have given place unto them; for so either a good conscience shall comfort him; or a bad conscience bring him to repentance.  
In the third rite is laid open unto us a benefit of God so high, so deep, so long, so large, that in case we bestowed whole days and nights in admiration thereof, and in yielding his divine goodness thankes for the same, we should do nothing in respect of the thing itself: good God, who can conceive, who is not astonished, who doth not languish away and is not resolved into devout tears, when he considers how a wretched man most justly condemned unto hell, suddenly by virtue of this Baptism of Christ t● pass from this most miserable thraldom to the right and claim of a most happy and ever enduring Kingdom?  
And by how much this benefit is the greater, by so much is the ungratitude of most men more detestable; for there are not a few who as soon as they arrive unto the use of reason, return this admirable benefit back upon God again, and deliver themselves up for slaves to the devil; 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 Devil, and in deeds and facts to deny Christ? They are rare to find who prevented with the special grace of God do diligently keep this Baptismal grace, 
Thren. 3.  and as Hieremy speaketh begin to bear the yoke of our Lord ab adolescentia sua, from their youth: but unless we keep well this grace, or by true penance do again renounce the devil and return to the service of Christ, and remain therein until our death, it cannot be that we live well, or be delivered from an evil death.  
The fourth ceremonial rite consisteth in this, that he who is baptised receiveth a white stole, and is commanded to bear the same until he come before the face of our Lord. By which as we said is signified innocency or purity of life obtained by the grace of Baptism, and diligently to be kept until the hour of our death: but who can express how many snares there be of the Devil, the continual enemy of mankind, who lavours nothing more than to defile this garment with all manner of spots? And therefore very few are found who if they live any while do avoid this filth. 
Psal. 118.  Truly holy David pronounced them happy who remain immaculate in the way (of this life) and walk in the law of our Lord: & by how much the difficulty is more great to wall in a dirty and filthy way without spots so much more glorious is the conquest & Crown of an innocent life. Wherefore all that desire to live and dye well, aught by all means to keep this white garment of innocency, and if perchance it should happen to be spotted, that then again & again they make it white in the blood of the Lamb, which is done by true contrition and repentant tears. Holy David after he had bewailed a long time his sin, reposed at length in the hope of mercy, and yielding thankes unto God confidently, said: Thou shalt sprinkle me with hissope and I shall be made clean; thou shalt wash me and I shallbe made more white than snow.  
The last rite is to receive a lighted candle, and to bear it in our hands, which signifies nothing else, as I have said, but our works, which must accompany innocency of life: what these good works are which must be done of the regenerate in Baptism, 
2. Tim. 4.  the Apostle teacheth us when he saith: I have fought a good combat, I have ended my course, I have kept my faith; as for the rest there is laid up for me a Crown of justice, with the Just judge at that day will render me: in these few words are briefly set down all the good works which are to be done of the regenerate in Baptism by Christ. For we must fight stoutly against the tentations of the devil, who, As a roaring Lion goeth about seeking whom he may devour. We must also accomplish or end this course of good works in the observance of God's commandments according to that of the psalm, I have run the way of thy commandments when thou hast enlardged my heart. We must finally fulfil our promise to God in multiplying his talents, in cultivating his vineyard, in the baylifship committed unto us, or in the government of his family imposed upon us, or in whatsoever other employments committed to our charge: for albeit that it hath pleased the high wisdom of God to admit his adopted children unto the heavenly inheritance; yet that this might be effected with his and our greater glory, it hath pleased the same wisdom that we should merit the same heavenly inheritance, that is, everlasting blessednesses, by our own good works, proceeding from his grace and our own free will; therefore that most rich and most glorious inheritance shall not be given to such as sleep, as loiter, as play, but unto such as watch, as labour, as persevere unto the end of their lives in good works.  
Now let every man discuss his works, let him diligently examine his life and manners, if he will live 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 commandments and iustifications of our Lord without complaint, & that he hath been faithful to our Lord in all the charges or offices committed unto him, then let him securely rejoice and say with the Apostle, There is laid up for me a crown of justice, which our Lord the just judge will give me: If so be that our conscience exactly discussed do testify that in this conflict with the enemy of mankind it hath been grievously wounded, and that his fiery darts have penetrated even unto the very soul, & that also not once but often: & further that it hath often failed in the course of good works; and that not on●y it hath not run on cheerfully but through faintness to have sit down, yea ●ayne along in the way; and finally if ●n the things committed unto it by God it hath not kept promise, but that either vain glory, or acception of persons, or the like have taken part of the gain, let him recurre without delay to the Sacrament of penance, and unto God himself as his Physician, & let him not delay this business of all businesses the greatest, until another time, because we neither know the day, nor hour of our death.   

CHAP. XI. Of the eleventh Precept of dying well, which is of Confirmation.  
AFTER the Sacrament of Baptism follows the Sacrament of Confirmation, out of which we may draw a document of good life no less agreeable to that we treat, then from Baptism: for notwithstanding that Baptism be a Sacrament more necessary than is the Sacrament of Confirmation, yet is the Sacrament of Confirmation more noble than the sacrament of Baptism: which may be proved from the minister, from the matter, from the effect. The ordinary minister of Baptism is the priest or deacon, and in time of necessity, whosoever. The ordinary minister of Confirmation is the Bishop, and by dispensation of the supreme Pastor the Priest alone. The matter of Baptism i● natural water, the matter of Confirmation is precious oil mingled with balm, and consecrated by the bishop; the effect of Baptism 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 seek or hunger ye after milk; the effect of Confirmation is grace and the character, such as is requisite to make a Christian soldier to fight against invisible enemies, 
Ephes. 6.  as S. Paul writeth: We have not to encounter with flesh and blood, but against the Princes and powers, against the Governors of the world, of this darkness, against the spirituals of wickedness, that are above in the air, as S. Hierome and S. Ambrose interpret it. Last of all in Baptism salt is given unto the infants to taste; in Confirmation there is a blow given them, that the Christian soldiers may learn to fight, not by striking but by patient suffering for the love of Christ.  
But that we may the better perceive the office or duty of a man anointed with holy oil, that is to say of a Christian soldier, let us see what the Apostles received in their Confirmation which was given then upon White sunday. The Apostles were not properly confirmed by the Sacrament of holy Chrism but received from Christ the Prince of priests the effect of the Sacrament without the Sacrament, and they received three gifts, Wisdom, Eloquence, and Charity, in the highest degree; and besides this the gift of miracles most profitable for the conversion of Infidels unto the faith, & these gifts did the fiery tongues which appeared on the day of Pentecost signify, as likewise the great noise that then was heard; for the light of fire signifieth Charity, the figure of the tongue Eloquence, and the great noise the gift of Miracles: the Sacrament of our confirmation bringeth not with it the gift of diverse tongues, nor the gift of miracles, because these things were not requisite for the good and perfection of the Apostles further than for the conversion of Infidel but it brings the gift of spiritual wisdom and the gift of charity which is gentle patiented, & in sign of this patience whic● is a most rare & most precious virtue, 〈◊〉 Bishop openly giveth a blow to the pa●● confirmed, that he may know that by th●● Sacrament, he is made the soldier of christ, not to fight but to suffer, not to do any injuries but to bear them; for so in Christian warfare are we to fight not against men whom we see, but against the Diuel● whom w● see not, & so our Captain & Emperor Christ did both fight & overcome, who nailed to the Cross subdued the powers of the air; and so did the Apostles fight who newly confirmed were grievously whipped in the Conventicle of the jews, 
Act. 5.  And they went from the sight of the Council rejoicing, 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 unjustly injured do not think of revenge, but rejoice that for justice sake he is sound worthy to suffer all wrongs and injuries.  
And here again let him that is confirmed enter into his own heart and carefully attend whether he find in the same ●●e gifts of the holy Ghost, and especially visdome and fortitude; let him mark I ●●y whether he find the wisdom of Saints ●hich highly prizeth Eternal things, ●nd despiseth temporal; and the fortitud ●f the soldiers of Christ, who more willingly do receive injuries than offer them: ●nd lest there should be any mistaking let him come to the practice, let him examine his conscience; for if indeed he find himself prompt and ready to give alms, not to heap up riches, and having taken an injury if he do not think on revenge, but doth most easily & willingly pardon the same, he may well rejoice in spirit, as one that hath in his heart the pledge of the adoption of the Sons of God: but if after the taking of the Sacrament of Confirmation, he perceive himself no less desirous of riches, no less covetous, no less angry, no less impatient; and when trial shall be made, doth with great difficulty endure a little gold or silver to go out of his purse to help the poor; and on the other side he find himself wholly inclined to snatch at all occasions of gain, and found himself very prone unto anger, and requested even by 〈◊〉 friends to pardon an offence, will bec●● inexorable, what else can he gather hereof but that he hath received the Sacrament, but not the grace which it yield o● to the well disposed receiver.  
These things I have said for suc● as are of riper age, when they come to receive this Sacrament, for such as come to receive it very young, &c as yet scarce c●pable of deceit, to such because nothing doth hinder, it is to be thought the gifts and virtues mentioned to be infused, but they are to fear least for their sins after committed, & by to long protracting of penance that they do not extinguish this spirit received in Confirmation, that is that they do not lose the grace of the holy Ghost.  
Therefore he that will live and dye well, let him greatly regard the grace of the Sacraments, which are the vessels of celestial treasures, & amongst others these especially, whose grace being once lost can no more be found, as is the Sacrament of Confirmation, in which is received an incomparable treasute. For though the Character of all Sacraments cannot be blotted out, yet the Character without ●●e gifts of grace yieldeth no comfort, but increaseth 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 contained, but the Author also himself of grace & glory is given. That a Christian man may live and dye well in respect of this Sacrament two things are necessary: one is, that sometimes he take this sacred food, our Saviour warning us: 
joan. 6.  Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man you shall not have life in you, another thing that he do receive worthily so excellent a meat, 
1. Cor. 11.  for else as the Apostle saith unto the Corinthians: who eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgement to himself not discerning the body of our Lord (from other meats.) Now the question is how often it is expedient to receive this food, and what preparation is esteemed sufficient that we may worthy, and not unworthily, come unto thi● celestial banquet.  
Touching the former question we fyn● many & these also different customs to hau● been used. In the primitive Church the faithful did very often receive the body of our Saviour, & therefore did S. Cyprian in his Sermon on our Lord's prayer explicate those words of this B. Sacrament, Gi●● us to day our daily bread, & teacheth us that it is to be received every day, unless a man be hindered by some lawful let: afterwards charity waxing cold many did differre this communion for some years; wherefore Innocentius the third set forth a decree that once every year as well men as women, at the time of Easter should be bound to receive 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 receive this Blessed Sacrament every Sunday, and festival day: that saying is famous amongst Authors as held to be Saint Augustine's: Every day to receive the holy Eucharist, I neither praise, nor mislike: but I persuade and exhort all to communicate every Sunday; and although the book De Ecclesiasticis dogmatibus, of Ecclesiastical doctrines, out of which this short sentence is taken, seem not to be ●he work of S. Augustine, yet was it written by an ancient Authors & is not contrary to the doctrine of same Father, who in his Epistle to januarius expressly teacheth neither them to err who think we are daily to communicate, 
Epist. 118.  nor those who deny it, and think we are to communicate more seldom. Truly he who so speaketh would in no wise find fault with those who would follow the middle way between both extremes, which is to come at least on the Sundays to this Sacrament; and the same ro have been the opinion of Saint Hierome is plain 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 lawful for us ever to fast, or ever to pray and without intermission, having received the body of our Lord, joyfully to celebrate the sunday: so is it not lawful for the jews to sacrifice their lamb etc. And this opinion liked well Saint Thomas in the third part of his 
Quaest. 80. art. 10.  theological Sum.  
As touching the other point of preparation to receive so great a Sacrament, that it may be received to the health of our soul, and not to our judgement an● condemnation, first of all is required tha● our soul be living with the life of grace, & not dead with the death of mortal sin, because for this respect it is called meat & given under the form of bread, for that it is not the meat of the dead, but of the living, as (saith our Saviour in S. john) He that eateth this bread shall live for ever; & in the same place, my flesh is truly meat; & the Council of Trent addeth further, that it is not a sufficient preparation to receive duly this celestial food, that he who is defiled with mortal sin content himself with contrition alone, but that he be careful to purge his sins by the Sacrament of penance in case he can have a Ghostly Father. Again for that this Sacrament is not only bread but also a medicine, and that an excellent one, and most wholesome against all the diseases of vices, therefore secondly is required that a man do desire perfect health and to be cured from all the maladies of sin, and principally from ●he chiefest of them as lechery, covetousness, pride. That this Blessed Sacrament is a medicine Saint Ambrose clearly avoucheth: 
Lib. de Sac. Cap. 4.  He that is wounded (saith he) seeketh for a medicine; the wound we have is because we are under ●ynne, the medicine is the heavenly and venerable sacrament. So he: and Saint Bonaventure: He ●ho reputeth himself unworthy, let him think ●hat so much the more he needeth, and hath necessary occasion to seek for the Physician by how much more he feeleth himself to be sick. And Saint Bernard warneth his brethren that they attribute it to the grace and virtue of this Sacrament, that they find their bad inclinations, & other infirmities of the mind to be diminished.  
Lastly this most holy Sacrament is not only the food of travellers, and medicine of the sick, but is also a most learned and most loving Physician, and therefore when he cometh to visit us he is to be received with all joy and reverence, and the house of our soul is to be adorned with all manner of virtues, and in particular with the ornaments of faith hope, Charity, Devotion, Piety, and with the fruits of good works, as of prayer, fasting and alms. For these ornaments doth this sweet guest of our soul require, who yet wanteth nothing of that which we ar● able to give him; again consider that thi● Physician who cometh unto us, is bot● King, and God, whose purity is infinite and requireth a most clean tabernacle 〈◊〉 our breast: Let us hear Saint john chrysostom in this matter: Then what should not he be more pure who enjoyeth this sacrifice? 
Serm. 66 add pop. Antioch.  then wh●● sun beam ought he not to be more resplendent who deuideth this flesh? The mouth that is replenished with this spiritual fire?  
Now let any one who is desirous to liu● and dye well make recourse to his own soul, and shutting the door against all distractive businesses let him consider alone with his own heart before God who searcheth the reynes and hearts of all, how often and with what preparation he doth communicate & receive this Sacrament of our Lord's body, and if he found that by God's grace he doth often and with fruit receive it, and thereby in spiritual life to be nourished, and by little and little to be cured from the diseases of sin; and moreover that he doth more and more daily profit and proceed in virtue, and good deeds; let him rejoice with trembling & go on to serve God in fear, not with that servile of slaves, but with that sincere and chaste which is of children. But if he be one of those who contented with communicating once in the year do never more think on this most wholesome Sacrament, but forget to eat this bread of life, by how much more they grow fat & broad in body, by so much the more are their souls weakened and do whither away: and let such a one know that he wanteth wit, and is fare of from the Kingdom of God; the yearly communicating is not decreed by the holy general Council for this end that none should communicate but once in the year, but that once in the year they should be compelled thereunto, unless they would be cast out of the Church, and delivered over to Satan. And Such men for the most part do not receive their Lord in the Sacrament with filial love but with servile fear, & soon after return to the husks of hogs, to the pleasures of the world, to temporal commodities and ambitiously to gape after false & fugitive honours, that so at the day of their death they may hear with the rich Glutton: Memento fili, quia recepisti bona in vita tua. Remember so● that thou hast received good things 〈◊〉 this life, & therefore must not expect f●● any more in the next: and if any be foun● who maketh oft recourse to the mystery of this most holy Sacrament and that e●● very Sunday, or else every day if perhaps he be Priest, and yet neither refraineth from mortal sins, nor seriously exerciseth himself in good works, nor 〈◊〉 not yet truly gone out of the world but another men who are of the world thirste●● after riches, is carried away with carnal delights, seethe and sigheth after higher degrees of honours, and dignities, he truly eateth the flesh of our Lord to his judgement, and by how much the more he unworthily frequenteth these mysteries, by so much the more nearly doth he imitate judas the traitor, of whom our Lord said: Melius erat eisi natus non fuisset homo ille, it had been better for him if ho had never been borne. Let no man despair of his salvation whiles yet he liveth, and therefore let him with himself call to account his years, and works and then he shall find that hitherto he hath run much astray out of the path of salvation, let him know that yet there is time left to return, so that he will seriously do penance, & come again into the way of ●ruth.  
I think it convenient to end this chapter withal, that I adjoin what S. Bonaventure writeth in the life of the holy Father S. Francis, I mean of the admirable devotion and love of this most holy man towards this divine Sacrament, that by the example of his fervour our tepidity or coldness rather may be kindled. He was inflamed (saith S. Bonaventure) with the fervour of all his soul towards the Sacrament of our Lord's body, admiring with wonderful great astonishment that most dear humility, and most humble charity. He did often so devoutly communicate that he made others to become devout; when he came to the sweet taste of the immaculate lamb, as it were drunk in spirit, he was for the most partrapt into a trance or ravishment of mind. So he: From which devotion not only many lay men that communicate, but many Priests also who celebrat are fare short especially such of the latter as say Mass with incredible haste, as they seem not to know themselves what they do, nor permit others that hear them, to consider with any attention so great a mystery, or that which else they would at that time contemplar   

CHAP. XIII. Of the thirteenth precept of dying well, which is Pennance.  
AFTER the Eucharist followeth the Sacrament of Penance, which it respect of him who receiveth, consisteth specially in three virtues, in contrition of heart, confession of mouth, and satisfaction of work. For they who perform these three things well, do without all doubt obtain forgiveness of their sins: but it is most diligently to be seen and considered, whether our contrition be true, our confession entiere, or satisfaction be full and agreeable to the offences committed.  
Let us begin with contrition. joel the Prophet cryeth out: 
Contrition.  Rend your hearts & not your garments. The jews when they would make remonstrance or sign of sorrow they did cut or tear their garments: the holy prophet than warneth us that if in the sight of God we will show true and inward grief for our sins commit●d, that we cut or tear our hearts, and the prophet David will not have us only to cut o● tear them, be to pound them small & ●●●ing them into dust, as we do things that are beaten in a mortar, Thou wilt not o God (saith he) despise a heart (so) broken & humbled: which similitudes do evidently show that to pacify God by penance, it is not sufficient in word only to say, I am sorry that I have offended, but there is required inward and great grief of heart, which without many sobs, sighs, and tears is hardly found; and wonder it is to behold how severely the ancient Fathers do speak of true contrition. S. Cyprian in his sermon of such as were fallen from the faith hath these words: Look how great our sins are, let us so greatly also deplore them: to a deep wound let there not want a diligent and long cure, let not the penance be less than the fault; it behoveth us to pray and callon God more earnestly to pass the day in mourning, to spend the night in watching and weeping, to bestow all our time in tears and lamentations, and lying on the bare ground, to be sprinkled with ashes, to trumble and turn in a haircloth and rags. 
Lib. 3. cap. 17 all. 24.  Clemens Alexandrinus, as we have in Eusebius in his history, calleth penance Baptismum lacrimarum, th● Baptism of tears. 
Orat. 2. de bapt. Ca 1.  S. Gregory Nazianz● saith: I willingly receive penitents if I shall them bedewed with tears. Theodoretus in 〈◊〉 abridgement writeth that the wound received after Baptism are indeed c●pable, 
Ep. diuin. decret. cap. de poenit.  but not with so light labour as befo●● the laver of regeneration, but by many tears and toilsome works.  
These things and the like have a●● the holy Fathers left written of the tru●● of contrition: many now adays come 〈◊〉 confession who show either very little o● no contrition at all; but such as sincerely desire to be reconciled unto God, that the may live well and socurely dye, must enter into their own hearts, and excluding all other matters of less moment, with all attention must seriously revolve these and the like things in their mind, and sayech one to himself: woe be to me poor wretch what have I done when I committed this and this sin? First I have offended that most sweet Author of all goodness, & my most loving Father, who on all sides, as with a rampire, hath compassed me about with his benefits, of whose great charity I see so many signs as I see good things in myself or others. But ●hat shall I say of my loving Redeemer Christ, who hath loved me being his enemy, and unworthy, and he hath given ●●mselfe up for me, 
Ephes. 5.  an oblation and sacrifice unto God in an odour of suavity? And I still vn●ateful & wretched man do not cease frō●ffending him? How great is my hardges & cruelty? My Lord was beaten with ●odds, was crowned with thorns, was fastened to the Cross with nails that so he might cure my old sins and offences, and yet shall I never cease to add more & more new? He hanging naked on the Cross did cry out that he thirsted my salvation, & do I still offer him gall & vinegar to drink? who also shall explicate from how great glory I have fallen when I committed this and that deadly sin? I was an heir of the Kingdom of heaven, of a life eternal, and most happy: from this felicity and truly so noble and every way so great, have I fallen by that most short pleasure, by those words either 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 thraldom of the Devil 〈◊〉 most cruel enemy, & as soon as the rot … wall of my body shall be beaten down 〈◊〉 which expects every moment to fall, 〈◊〉 soon also shall I without all hope of recovery descend into hell fire. Alas po●● wretch that I am, perhaps to marrow, perhaps this night, I shall begin to dwe●● in these eternal fires, But above all things my ingratitude of a son and most vile servant against his most loving Father & most sovereign Lord doth torment and wound my heart, for by how much the more he hath heaped his benefits upon me, by so much more grievously have I by my sins offended him.  
These and the like things if thou wilt with thyself carefully consider whosoever thou be who vouchsafest to read this title treatise, I hope that thou shalt receive the gift of contrition of our most merciful Lord: the penitent King David once entered into the desert solitud of his heart after his adultery committed, and presently having gotten true contrition he began for to wash his bed with tears: Saint Peter did the like after the denial of his master, and presently flevit amarè, he wept bitterly. S. Marry Magdalen also entered ●●to her heart, and forth with, she began to ●ash our Saviour's feet with her tears, and to dry ●●em with the hair of her head; these are thē●●e fruits of contrition, which do not ●row but in the solitude or desert of our ●art.  
Now let us speak 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 heart when they prepare themselves for to make their confession. Some there be who go about this matter so negligently, that in general only and after such a confuse fashion they can say that they have broken all the commandments and committed all the deadly sins; to such there should be given no other than a general and confuse absolution, yea they are not worthy of this; for they confess perhaps that which they have not done, & that which indeed they have done they confess not: others there be that have learned distinctly and orderly to recount their sins, but they make no account of the quality, of the person, of the place) of the time, 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 strike a lay man, when as to t● the former is annexed an excommu●cation, and not to the latter; again it one thing to have carnal knowledge w●● a virgin, another thing with a religion Nun, another thing with a married w●man, another thing with his own kinswoman another thing with a harlot. Morous it is one thingto have committed it on●● another thing to have fallen ten times into the same sin, for the same sin oftentimes repeated is not one sin but manifold. Finally there are some (which is more to be wondered at) who are persuaded that the inward sins as the desires of fornication, adultery, murder, theft and the like are not sins, unless they be actually committed by the exterior wor●. Yea they scarce account wanton looks, or lascivious words to be sins, and yet our Saviour Christ saith in plain terms: He who shall see a (married) Woman to lust after her, 
Matth. 5.  hath already committed adultery in his heart: Wherefore he who will have care or his conscience and make a profitable & good confession, let him read some good book of the art of confessing his sins, or let himself seek out a virtuous and learned ghostly Father, and let him enter into his own heart discuss 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 soul unto his virtuous & skilful Physician, let him humbly crave absolution of him, and be ready to do that penance which his Ghostly Father shall think necessary to impose.  
There remaineth satisfaction, of which our Ancestors most wise and prudent men did make more far account than we seem now to do, for they when seriously they did consider that it was far more easy to make satisfaction unto God on earth then in purging flames of the next life, did impose most heavy and very long penalties; and as for time they enjoined pennances of seven years, of fifteen, of thirty, and sometimes of their whole life; and as for the quality they enjoined very frequent fasts, and yet more frequent prayers; again they did forbid their penitents to go to the baths, that they should not ride, go in coach, or use any bravery in apparel; that they should abstain from plays, from sports, from spectacles in the open theatres; and finally thei● whole life was consumed as it were i● grief and mourning as became true penitents: I will allege one only example.  
In the tenth Toletan Council we read the Bishop of Bracchara called Potamius, for that he had defiled himself with touching a woman (for so speaketh the Council) without all compulsion of others voluntarily of his own accord to have shut himself up in prison, and for nine months to have done penance, & then by his own letters freely to have manifested this his sin and penance, which he had undergone unto the council of the Bishops. And then the Council further to have determined that he should continue in doing penance all the days of his life, when as notwithstanding the Council there declareth that it had dealt more favourably and mercifully with him then the rules and severity of the Ancient Fathers did permit. This was the ancient severity. Now we are become so weak and tender, forsooth, that a penance imposed of fasting in bread and water for a few days, with the seven psalms and litanies to be rehearsed in the same, and an alms of a little money bestowed on the poor, doth seem severe enough, although it be imposed for cleansing the soul f●●m many great sins and enormities. But that wherein here we favour selves we shall grievously smok for in purgatory, God's justice requiring full satisfaction, unless in this life our contrition be so great as proceeding from most fervent charity, that it be able to obtain of the mercy of God full remission and pardon of all sin, and punishment due unto the same: truly a contrite and humble heart do much move the bowels of the mercy of God our Father, for the goodness of our Lord is such as he cannot hold when he seethe the prodigal child truly penitent, but that he must go and meet him, but that he must embrace him, but that he must kiss him, but that he must give him a ring of peace, but that he must wipe away all tears of sorrow, & replenish him with tears of joy, more sweet than all honey; and what else can be devised 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 appertain unto all Christians, but one to Clergy men to wit Order, the other to lay men to wit matrimony: let us speak a little of the first, I mean not all things that belong to this Sacrament, but those things only which are necessary to this art of living & dying well.  
Orders in number are seven, four lesser, and three greater: of which the chiefest which is Priesthood is divided into two, for there are greater Priests which are called Bishops, and lesser which are single priests; before all these Orders is given prima tonsura, which is it were a gate unto all the Orders, and properly maketh them clarks or Clergy men; and for that the things which are required of these inferior Clarks, especially what concerneth virtuous & religious life, by greater reason are to be exacted of them who have taken the lesser or greater Orders, and especially of Priests and Bishops: therefore I will restrain my speech to consider and explicate those things only which do belong to these inferior Clerks.  
Two things there be in these Clarks that require explication. First the rite or manner of their ordering, than the office which they are to exercise in the Church. The rite or manner of their ordering, as appeareth by the Pontifical is this, that first of all some little part of their hairs be clipped of, by which ceremony is signified the casting off of all superfluous thoughts and desires, as are the thoughts and desires of temporal 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. psalm, Our Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou (O Lord) shall restore me again mine inheritance; Then doth the Bishop call for a surplise and causeth the new Clerk 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 justice and holiness of truth: 
Cap. 4.  but there is no office assigned to this new Clerk, but out of the ancient custom, we gather his office to be to serve the priest when he saith Mass in, ease he say it privately.  
Now let us contemplate what height of perfection is required in a clerk, and if so much be required in a Clerk, what is required in an Acolite, in a Subdeacon, in a Deacon, in a Priest, in a Bishop. Truly I find in myself a horror of mind to think thereon, when as there are scant found these things in many priests which by virtue of the ordering is required in a simple Clerk. The Clerk is willed to cast away superfluous thoughts and desires which are proper unto secular men, that is to say men which appertain unto this world, who are of the world & who do always think and desire the goods of the world: a good Clerk is commanded to seek no other part or portion or inheritance but God, that God alone be his riches and inheritance, & that he may truly be said and found to be the part and inhertance of God. O height of clerical perfection, which forsakes the whole world that it may possess God, & may again by reciprocal love be possessed of God alone.  
This is the meaning of the words of the psalm, Our Lord is the part of my inheritance and of my cup, pars haereditatis, the part of my inheritance. This part is called that portion which out of the division of an inheri●●●● amongst many brothers, doth befall to each one a part, the sense then of the words is not that a Clergy man should make God one part of his inheritance, and earthly riches another, but that from his heart he desire that God be all his part, portion, or inheritance: that is all that he may expect in this world, and that whatsoever here he may have, out of a religious affection he may make it all over unto God. Between the cup and the inheritance there is this difference, that the cup belongeth unto pleasure and delights, the inheritance unto wealth and honours. Wherefore the full and entiere sense of the verse is: O my Lord God, from hence forward whatsoever I might hope for in this world of riches, of delights, of temporal commodities, all that whatsoever it be I do desire to have in thee alone, thou alone dost abundantly suffice for all other things, and for that the plenty of heavenly riches is not to be found on earth, therefore doth this Clerk go on in his prayer, & saith tu es qui restitu● haereditatem meam mihi, thou art he who shall restore me again mine inheritance; for what I have contemned and cast away for thy sake either i● giving it to the poor, or in freely pardoning them that have taken it from me: thou hast laid up all safely for me, and in due time thou wilt restore it, not in the same corruptible substance but in thyself, the inexhaust fountain of all goodness.  
But least that any should call in doubt our explication, I will confirm it by two witnesses not liable to reproof, to wit Saint Hierome and Saint Bernard. Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Nepotianus of the life of Clergy men saith: Therefore let the Clergy man that serveth God's Church expound his own name, & having defined it, let him endeavour to be that which he is called, for if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek do in Latin signify a lot, therefore they are called Clergy men, either for that they are of our Lord's lot, or for that our Lord is the lot, ●hat is to say the part or possession of Clergy men, & he who either is the part of our Lord or hath our Lord for his part, ought ●o to behave himself that he may possess 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 have nothing besides him; for if he have any thing besides our Lord, our Lord shall not be his part; or example if he have gold, silver, possessions, store ot household stuff, with these parts our Lord will none vouchsafe to be made a part. So he. Whose whole epistle he that lists to read, shall find truly a very great perfection of life to be required in Clergy men. To Saint Hierome let us add Saint Bernard who not only alloweth the opinion of the said Saint, but sometimes useth his words, although he name him not: so than he speaketh in that very prolix declamation upon the words of Saint Peter in Saint Mathews Gospel: Behold we have left all and have followed thee. The Clergy man who hath part in earth shall have no part in heaven. If a Clergy man have any thing else besides our Lord, our Lord will not be his part, and a little after declaring what a Clergy man may keep to himself out of his Ecclesiastical benefices, he saith, Not 〈◊〉 give the goods of the poor unto the poor● is no less a sin then sacrilege: certainly it is taken with sacrilegious cruelty fr● the patrimony of the poor, whatsoever the Ministers and dispensers, not Lords & owners of the goods of the Church do take more than is necessary for their diet and apparel: so Saint Bernard, who with Saint Hierome doth not speak that which is false, but that which is perfect.  
There followeth the rite of putting on the white surplice with those words of the Apostle, 
Ephes. 4.  Put on the new man who is made according to God in justice & holiness of truth: For it sufficeth not Clergy men that they be not wealthy, but it is further required that they live an innocent and clean life, because they are dedicated to the ministry of the Altar, in which the lamb without spot is daily sacrificed: moreover to put on the new man is nothing else then to shake of the vices of the old Adam, who corrupted his ways and put on the virtues of the second Adam, that is of Christ, who being borne after a new manner of the Virgin ordained a new way in justice ●nd holiness of truth: That is not only in moral justice, but also in most true and supernatural holiness, which Christ shewed in himself, who (as Saint Peter witnesseth) committed no sin, neither was there any deceit sound in his mouth. 
1. Pet. ●.  O that we had many such Clergy men who in their life abd conversation would perform that which their white garment doth be token & signify.  
Finally it is the duty of Clergy men with Angelical purity devoutly, gravely, daily and diligently to assist at the divine sacrifice, in which daily the lamb of God is offered. I know that in the Church there are many devout Clergy men: and I do not only know but I have very often seen many very male part of the same rank, 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 horror, but trivial, light, and of no account: and perhaps this great fault is not so much to be imputed unto the minister as to the priest that doth celebrate, who sometimes doth so huddle up his words, and so without devotion carry himself as he seemeth not 〈◊〉 know or understand what he doth: 〈◊〉 both the one and the other hear what 〈◊〉 john chrysostom speaking of the time of celebrating of Mass saith: 
Lib. 6. de sacerdotio.  At the time 〈◊〉 the sacrifice the Angels assist the Priest, 〈◊〉 the whole Order of the heavenly pours are heard, and the place near the Altar in the honour of him who is offered, i● filled with the quires of Angels. Which without further proof by reason of th● singular sacrifice than offered we may easily believe. Let them also hear S. Gregory who writeth hereof as a thing not doubted of saying: 
4. Dialog. cap. ultim.  What faithful man can make any doubt that in the time of the sacrifice, at the voice of the priest that the heavens are opened, the quires of Angels are present, the lowest and highest things are coupled together, earthly things, are conjoined which heavenly, and one thing made of visible and invisible & things together. So he: which if the Priest that doth celebrate and the Clerk that doth serve did seriously ponder, how could it be that they should handle so great a matter in such sort as they do? O how doleful and lamentable a spectacle were it (in case the eyes of our soul were ●pen) to see the Priest handling the di-●iuine mysteries, environed on all sides with quires of Angels, who all stand a●●onished tremble and make spiritual clamours at that which they see him to do, whiles the Priest himself in the midst of them all is cold, and as one without sense doth neither mark what he doth, nor understand what he saith, and so to post to an end, as he distinguisheth not the ceremonies, & choppeth up his words as he seemeth not to know what he doth; and in the mean time the Clerk who serves him is always gazing on this and that, or tattling with some other body; so is God scorned, so are the most sacred mysteries contemned, & so is occasion given unto Heretics to detract: & contemn 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 live to God alone, that they seek not for abundance of temporal things, that with great zeal they preserve purity of life, that religiously, as it is fitting, they do handle divine 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 civil contract: by the law of nature, another as it is a Sacrament of grace by the law Euamgelical; both which we will speak not absolutely, but according to the subject of this work which is only in respect of living 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 us give him a help like himself, cannot well be understood but of the help to propagate mankind, 
Lib. 9 de Gen. ad lit. cap. 7.  and bring up children: for as S. Augustine well noteth, men need not the help of women in any thing ●●t in these respects; for in other things ●en are better helped by men then by ●omen; and therefore a little after that the ●oman was made, Adam out of divine inspiration said: A man shall leave his Father & mother and adhere unto his wife: which words our Saviour in Saint Mathewes Gospel at●ributeth not to Adam but unto God himself saying: 
Matth. 1●.  Have you not read that he who from ●he beginning made man, made them man and woman, and said, for this shall a man leave his Father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh? That therefore which God hath conjoined let not man separate. Our Lord then doth asscribe these words unto God, because that Adam did not speak them of himself, but by his inspiration. And this was the first institution of Matrimony.  
Another institution or rather advancement of Matrimony is the excellency of a Sacrament: 
Ephes. 5.  this we have in the Apostle in these words of his Epistle to the Ephesians: For this cause shall a man leave his Father and mother and shall cleave 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 valued then the frutefullnes of the wom●● And again: The good of matrimony with all nations and people standeth in the cause of begets children and in the fidelity of conjugal 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 another book: in the City 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 appertaineth thereunto, that we explicate how men & women joined in matrimony may so live as that confidently they may trust to dye well.  
Three things in Schools are called the good of Matrimony, if it be well used, to wit issue, fidelity, and the grace of the Sacrament: he who will use Matrimony well must not only have care to beget children, but also and that much more to bring them up well; and o● the other side he most grievously sinneth who seeketh not for children by Marriage, but only for carnal pleasure: for this cause one of the sons of judas the patriarch is sharply 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 use, but to abuse Matrimony: and if sō●●mes it happen that the virtuous parent's ●re overburdened with multitude of their ●ssue in so much as (by reason of their poverty) they cannot maintain them; there 〈◊〉 a remedy in itself, good and grateful unto God by continual consent to separate themselues from the bed, & knowledge of each other, and for the time to come to attend unto prayer and fasting: for it it be grateful & acceptable unto God for man and wife to continue still even unto their old age in virginity, after the example of the mother of God and Saint joseph, whose example Saint Henry the Emperor, and Chunegunda his Empress, Saint Edward the Confessor King, and Editha his Queen, Elizearius Earl, and his Lady Dalphina, & many others did follow, why should it displease God or men that married folk having now children, by mutual consent should refrain from copulation, that they may bestow what resteth their life in fasting & prayer?  
Moreover it is a grievous sin for any in the state of Matrimony to neglect his children, and let them want either virtuous education, or necessary maintenance of clothes, diet, and the li●● many examples there are extant of th● matter at well in sacred as profane histories, but for that I intent to be brief 〈◊〉 will content myself with one which 〈◊〉 in the first book of Kings. Thus in that place doth God himself speak: In that 〈◊〉 I will raise up all these things which I have spoke● against the house of Heli. I will begin, and I will end. For I foretold him that I was to judge his house for ever for the iniquity thereof, because he knew that his children did wickedly behave themselves & he did not correct them, therefore have I suiorne to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of his houses shall not be blotted out for ever with victimes or gifts: This did our Lord foretell, and a little after did execute: for the children of He●● were slain in war, and Heli himself s●ting on his seat fell backward, broke his neck, & died miserably: if then Heli who was otherwise a good man, & just judge of the people, for the sins of his children which he had not brought up so well as he should have 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 government or principality over ●he people: what shall become of them ●ho not only do not endeavour to bring up their children well, but by their own example of bad life teach them to do ill? Surely they can expe●● nothing else for themselves or their children, but a dreadful death unless they amend be time and do penance condign to their former offences.  
Another good of matrimony is fidelity, which consisteth in this, that each of the married couple do know that their bodies are not their own but that the body of the wife is the husbands, and the body of the husband is the wives, and as the one cannot deny conjugal duty unto the other, so can neither of them both yield their bodies to be used by any other: the sign of this fidelity is the ring given in the solemnity of Marriage, this doctrine is clearly delivered by the Apostle saying; Let the husband render duty to his wife & she likewise to her husband: the woman hath not power over her but the husband, 
1. Cor. 7.  and likewise the husband hath not power over his body but the woman; defraud not one another unless it b● mutual consent for a time, that you may atten● prayer. This is the Apostolical doctri●● which all Christian married folk's m●● diligently observe, if they desire to live dye well: if there be any public adulterers, either the judges do justly puni●● them, or else the friends and kinsfolks of the party revenge the wrong offered by that disgrace: but for secret adulterers who are many more than the open, the Almighty and most just judge from whom no secrets lie hid, will doubtless in the end condemn them to everlasting torments.  
The third good or perfection of Matrimony and that most noble, is the grace of the Sacrament, which God poureth into the hearts of the married couple if in the time of their Marriage they be duly disposed and prepared thereunto: this grace besides other good which it bringeth with it, is of wonderful force to effect mutual love between both the party, notwithstanding that different judgements, manners, diseases, diversities of dispositions of body & mind, may easily sow dissensions between them, but above all the imitation of the wedlock or Marriage ●hat is between Christ and his Church maketh this corporal Marriage most ●weet and blessed, of which matter thus writteth S. Paul. Viridiligite uxores vestras etc. 
Ephes. 5.  Husband's love your wives as Christ hath loved his Church and delivered up himself for it that he might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life, that he might present or exhibit unto himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle. Which Blessed Apostle also admonisheth women saying: Let women be subject to their husbands as unto our Lord: because the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church: But as the Church is subject to Christ so let the women be subject in all things to their husbands: and in fine thus he concludeth, Let every one love his wife as himself, and let the wife fear or reverence her husband. This doctrine if it be so considered and practised as is requisite, will make the Marriages happy both in earth & heaven,  
Let us in brief explicate this Apostolical doctrine of Saint Paul: first of all he exhorteth husbands to love their wives as Christ loved his Church; Truly Christ loved his Church Amore amicitiae, with a fi●endly love, as Schools do speak, and ●more concupiscentiae, with the love of desiring any thing for himself; he sought the goo● of the Church, the profit of the Church the salvation of the Church, not any profit or pleasure of his own. And therefore they do not imitate christ who love their wives for their great beauty, alured with the love of her fairness, or for her dow● of many thousand crowns, or for some rich and wealthy inheritance, for such do not love their wives but themselves, desiring to satiate or satisfy the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes which is termed covetousness. So S●lomon wise in the beginning and a foole● the end, loved wives and concubines, not for the love of them, but for the love o● his own lust, desiring not to gratify a●● do them good, but to fulfil his own carnal desire, with which he was so blinded as he made no conscience to sacrifice to strange Gods, lest he should never s● little cross his delights. That Christ i● this wedlock did not seek himself, th● is his own profit or pleasure, but the good only of the Church his spouse, is clear by ●he words that follow: And he delivered himself up for her that he might sanctify her, cleansing it in the laver of water by the word of life. This indeed is true and perfect charity, to ●ield himself up unto torments for the e●erlasting salvation of the Church his spouse: and Christ did not only love his Church Amore amicitiae, and not concupiscen●iae, but with an everlasting love, not for time only, for as he never left of our human nature which once he assumed, so also did he knit this Church unto him by ●he band of indissoluble wedlock: In caritate perpetua dilexi te, 
Hiir. 31.  saith God by the Prophet, I have loved thee with endless charity, and this is the cause why matrimony consummated by the conjugal act ●mongst Christians is inseparable, because ●t is a Sacrament signifying the marriage of Christ with his Church, which wedlock cannot possibly be dissolved, whereas the matrimony of jews and Pagans in some cases may be broken off, & made void.  
After this the Apostle doth add instructing women, and teaching them that they be subject unto their husbands as the Church is subject unto Christ: this p●cept jezabel who would domineer other husband, did not observe and there●● overthrew her himself, him, and all hi● children: and I would to God there we● not many women amongst us who stri●● to bear rule over their husbands: but perhaps this is the fault of the men who know not how to keep their authority o●er their wives. 
3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 10.  Truly Sara the wife of Abraham was so subject and obedient to her husband, as that she called him her Lord: I am (saith she) grown fare in years and my Lord is old: which virtue of Sara Saint Peter in his first Epistle doth commend saying: The holy women were subject to their husbands, as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him Lord. And it seemeth strange that the Apostles S. Peter and Saint Paul do always teach that husbands ought to love their wives, 
1. Pet. 3.  are to fear their husbands, or which is all one, to be subject unto them; but is not the wife also bound to love her husband? she is truly to love her husband, and to be beloved of her husband: but she must love him with fear and reverence, so as that love do not hinder fear, for otherwise the woman becomes a tyrant: for so Dalila mocked her husband Samson (though otherwise most strong) not so much as her husband, 
judic. 16.  as her ●●ue: and in the third book of Kings 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 Crown from the King's head and put it on her own, yea and with her hand to strike the King himself; therefore it is no marvel that God said unto the first woman: Thou shalt be under the power of thy husband and he shall bear rule over thee. For which cause there is much wisdom required in the husband, that he love and govern his wife, & withal that he warn and teach her, & if need be correct and amend her; yet so, as he truly love her as part of his own body, & procure likewise that she love him, & be assuredly persuaded that she is so beloved, and that his admonishments proceed out of Charity, & not out of hatred: an example we have 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 beloved of him, and he afterwards was converted to the Christian faith. The Reader may repair unto the books of Confessions of S. Augustine, and there find more hereo●   

CHAP. XVI. Of the sixteenth precept of the Art of dying well, which is of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.  
THERE now remaineth only the last Sacrament which is called Extrem● Unction, 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 time are anointed all the parts of the body in which are the five senses, and at every one it is said, God pardon th●● in whatsoever thou hast offended, by thy sight etc. and so of the rest. From whence we are given to understand the five senses to be the gates by which all manner of sins do enter in to our souls, and therefore if any keep well these gates he shall easily eschew a great multitude of sins, and consequently shall live and dye most happily.  
Let us speak somewhat of the custody of these five gates. 
Sight.  That the eye is a gate by which all the sins that apper●eyne unto lechery do enter, he who is master of us all, Christ himself I mean doth teach us when he saith: 
Matth. 5.  whosoever shall see a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery in his heart: if thy right eye do scandalise or offend thee, pluck 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 towards her, and for that cause came to miserable ends; we know also that David that great friend of God at the sight only of Bersabee washing herself to have fallen into adultery, out of which followed man slaughter and innumerable other calamities. And the reason hereof is evident because the beauty of a woman is very forcible to allure a man to love it, as the beauty of a man worketh the same effect in a woman, and this love never resteth until it come to carnal copulation, the effect of concupiscence remaining in us after original sin: which calamnity the Apostle doth deplore saying: I see another law in my members repugning to the law of my mind, and keeping me captive in the law of syn●●, which is in my members; I unhappy man who s●● deliver me from the body of this death? The gra●● of God by jesus Christ our Lord. So the Apostle.  
What remedy shall we found out against this great tentation? The remedy i● at hand, and that with the help of God very easy if any list to use it, and this ●●medy is extant in Saint Augustine, in an epistle of his where he setteth down a rule for Nuns, 
Ephes. 109.  & thus amongst other thing he speaketh unto them: If your eyes by chance be cast on any, let them be fixed on none: For a bare only seems a thing unavoidable, but it cannot, or truly is not wont to wound the heart unless it endure longer, and therefore although of set purpose one should accustom himself to see such women or by casualty light into their company, if he presently turn his eyes from them, there will be no danger, for not the sight but th● delay in seeing as S. Augustine saith, is dangerous, and this is that which holy job taught us out of his own example when he said: I have made a pact with mine eyes that I would not so much as think on a maid. Where he saith not, that I have made a pact that I would not see her, but that I would not think upon her, that is that I would not stand long in beholding her, in so much ●s that the sight might pierce the hat, & ●o I do begin to think on her beauty, and by little and little to desire her talk and company; and he yieldeth an excellent reason hereof well worthy of so holy a man: For than what part should God have in me? As if he would have said, God is my part and all my good, and a good above all goods, than which no better can be imagined, and God loveth none but such as are chaste & virtuous.  
And to this also tendeth that admonition of our Saviour, If thine eye shall scandalise thee, pull it out. That is, so possess it, as if thou didst not possess it at all, & so accustom thyself to keep thine eyes from such sights, as if thou wert blind; and truly such as from their youth begin this care and practise, they find no difficulty to eschew and avoid these vices; such as have accustomed themselves unto them find 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 fair men, and women if ●e will not have them to be seen, will 〈◊〉 have them to be loved? there is an easy 〈◊〉 twofold answer to this demand. For that God hath made men and women f●● wedlock, and so he said from the beginning: It is not good that man be solitary alone, let us make him a help like himself: But the m●● doth not need the help of the woman but only to beget and bring up children, as we said before out of Saint Augustine, 
Lib. 9 de Gen. ad lit. Cap. 2.  & the man and woman would not easily for all their lives agree so well together unless there were beauty to delight them both, & make them love each other; wherefore since that the woman by nature i● adorned with beauty that she may be beloved of her husband, she court not be beloved of any other husband with that love which provokes to generation, for which cause it is prohibited so expressly in the law, Thou shalt not lust after the wife of the neighbour, 
Exod. 20. Ephes. 5.  & the Apostle saith unto husbands, Ye husbands love your wives. Furthermore there are many good things and those also fair, which all are not to be desired or sought for, but of such only unto whom they belong, and to whom they agree: the ●he eating of flesh and drinking of wine ●re good things, but for such as are in health, not for such as are dangerously sick; so likewise the beauty of men and women after the common resurrection when we shall be perfectly cured from all inordinate concupiscence with which mortal men in this life are troubled, may securely be beloved of all. And therefore even in this life it must not seem strange if it be granted unto all, even with delight to behold the sun, moon, stars, the flowers of the field, and the like beautiful objects, which nourish not the inbred corruption of lust, and yet it is not permitted to behold with delight fair women or fair men lest that aspect do increase & nourish that malady.  
After the sense of seeing followeth the other of hearing, 
Hearing.  no less carefully to be kept then the former, but with the ears is conjoined the tongue which is the instrument of speech, for words be they good or bad come not to our hearing unless first they be delivered by the instrument of the tongue, & for that the tongue unless it be most watchfully guarded is the cause and fountain of very many evils, therefore Saint james saith: 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 teach us in this place. First, that to keep we●● the tongue is a matter of singular difficulty, and such as know how to keep the same, to be very few and perfect men; secondly from a bad tongue in very short space great hurt to proceed, which he explica● by the similitude of a small spark of fire which unless it be suddenly quenched, is able to consume a great wood of many trees: so one word spoken unawares is able to cause suspicions of some crime committed, whence presently follow emnityes, brawls, contentions, murders, and 〈◊〉 subversion sometimes of a whole family; lastly the Apostle teacheth a bad tongue not to be one single evil, but to compri●● a great multitude of evils together, 〈◊〉 by the same all mischiefs are either prepared, as whoredoms and thefts, or committed, as periuryes and false testimonies or else defended, as when a wicked ma● either excuseth the fault he hath committed, or dissembles the good that he hath not done; again the tongue is worthily called a whole world of iniquity, because by ●he tongue a man sins against God by blasphemy and perjury, against his neighbour's by detraction and railing, against himself by boasting of the deeds which ●ndeed he hath not done, or by lying in ●he denial of that which he hath committed.  
To this testimony of Saint james I will add another of the Prophet David, 
Psal. 119.  where he saith: O Lord deliver my soul from wicked lips, and from a bad tongue. If this holy king had such fear of a wicked and deceitful tongue, what ought private men to do, and much more if they be not only private but poor, base, and obscure? The Prophet doth add: What may be given unto thee, or what may be added unto thee, to a deceitful tongue? The words are obscure by reason of the hebrue phrase, but they seem to me to bear this sense; not without cause am I afraid of a wicked and deceitful tongue because such a tongue is so great an evil that nothing (as it seems) can be added unto it: the Prophet goeth on and saith, The sharp arrows of the mighty with burning & consuming coals: in which words is laid open an excellent similitudc to decla●● how great a mischief a wicked tongu● is, for the Prophet compareth it unto fiery arrows cast forth from a strong hand● first arrows do strike a fare off, and fl●● with so great swiftness as it is hard to avoid their blow; again these arrows unto which the tongue is compared are said to be shot from a strong arm, and mighty shooter; thirdly is added that these arrows are sharp that is made of a cunning workman who knew well how to point them; and lastly these arrows are like unto kindled coals that are able to consume any thing be it never so hard; so that a deceitful and wicked tongue is not so much like unto the arrows of men, as unto arrows cast down from heaven as are thunders and lightnings in the air, against which nothing is able to resist. Truly this Prophetical description of the wicked and guileful tongue is such as no evil can be imagined so great that can be compared thereunto.  
And that we may the better understand 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 unto King Saul for that he had conspired with David against the King, which was a mere slander and deceit, 
1. Reg. 22.  yet because King Saul at that time was very ill affected towards David, he did easily believe all, and forthwith commanded not only the priest Achimelech an innocent man to be slain, but also all the other priests to the number of fourscore and five men, who had not offended the King at all: neither was Saul satisfied with this slaughter, but commanded all the inhabitants of the priestly city Nobe to be slain, and he not only raged against all the men and women, but also against young children and sucking babes, yea he extended his cruelty even unto beasts (a greater beast himself) and slew their sheep, oxen, & asses. And it is probable that David in the words of the psalm which we have now expounded of the wicked and deceitful tongue, did speak of this Doeg the Idumean, and this example showeth us of what power a bad tongue is in working mischief.  
Another example we have in the Gospel of Saint Mark, the daughter of Herodias dancing before Herod the Tetrarch & his nobility, so much did that dancing delight the King as he swore before all th● were present that he would give the youn● maid whatsoever she should demand although it were half of his Kingdoms this foolish and rash oath was the cause o● much mischief. First the maid demanded of Herodias her mother what she should ask, who bid her tou●●e for the head of Saint john Baptist, and presently was th● head of our Lord's precursour cut off, an● brought to him in a dish; how many mischiefs in one fact? The mother most grievously sinned in ask a thing most unjust; neither was Herod's sin less than his wives, in that he commanded a most innocent man to be slain, and such a on● as was the Precursour of Christ, mor● then a Prophet, & than whom there had not risen a greater amongst the begotten of women; such a one I say whom Her● himself knew to be both a just and holy man, and all this without cause, without judgement or form of law, at the time of a solemn supper, at the reque●● of a dancing girl. But let us hear the punishment who have now heard the offence. Herod soon after was deposed by the Emperor Caius from his principality, and condemned to perpetual banishment, and he who swore that he would give half of his Kingdom, did lose the whole, and exchanged the same with perpetual exile as witnesseth josephus in his history; the daughter of Herodias whose dancing was the cause of Saint john's death passing over a river that was frozen, 
Lib. 18. c. 9  the ice breaking she fell down with all her body saving the head which was cut of in the fall, and leapt over the ice, that all might perceive wherefore she came to so lamentable an end. Herodias her mother hearing this i'll news overcome with grief 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 manifold harms as well in respect of the offence, as also of the punishment that have ensued of the foolish and rash oath which Herode made.  
Let us come to the remedy which by wise and virtuous men is to be applied against these sins of the tongue. The holy Prophet David in the beginning of his 38. 
Psalm. 8.  psalm showeth what remedy himself used laying: I said I will keep my ways, that I may not offend in my tongue: That is, th● I may fly the sins of the tongue, I d● diligently observe my ways, for I do neither speak, nor think, nor do any thing without due premeditation & pondering well of these things which I am to do, speak, or think: these be the ways by which men do go in this life, therefore the remedy against hurtful words & not only against hurtful words, but against hurtful deeds, hurtful desires, or hurtful thoughts, is forthinking or premeditation of those things which I am to do, to think, or to desire: and this is the proper character of a man (unless he will degenerate & become a beast) not to do any thing rashly, but reflect his consideration those things that are to be done, & then if they stand with reason to do them; if not, to leave them undone. And what I say of the work is to be understood also of our speech, of our desires, and other works of our soul, will, or understanding.  
But in case that some are not able to premeditate all things which they are to do or speak; truly there should be no man of wit and desirous of everlasting salvation that would not every day early 〈◊〉 the mourning before he went about o●●er temporal affairs recurre first unto ●od by prayer, and desire that his ways, ●is deeds, his words, his desires, his thoughts may be directed to the glory of God and health of his soul: & then when the day is ended before he go to bed to sleep to discuss his conscience & call himself to an account whether he have offended God by thought, word, deed, or desire, and if he find any offence of God especially mortal, let him not shut his eyes to sleep until he be reconciled unto God by true repentance, making a firm and set purpose to keep his ways that he offend not in his tongue, or in his works, or in his desires. And this may suffice for the custody of the tongue.  
Touching the sense of hearing little is to be said, 
Hearing.  for the tongue bridled by reason that it break not forth into bad words, there is nothing that can hurt the sense of hearing. Four sorts of words there be against which the door of our hearing is to be shut, least by our ears they enter so fare as to corrupt the heart: the first of which are the words that are spoken against faith, which (such is the curiosity of men) are not unwillingly heard, and yet if they once penetrate they take 〈◊〉 way faith from our hearts, which is the root and beginning of all our spiritual good: and amongst these words of incredulity none are more hurtful than the words of such as either deny the providence of God, or the immortality of the soul of man: for these words do not so much make heretics as Atheists, and lay open a wide gap to all villainies. Another kind of these words is in detractions, which quite destroy all fraternal charity, & are greedily heard but of the curious only, 
Psal. 100  for holy David who was a man according to the heart of God saith in the psalm, I persecuted him who did secretly detract his neighbour; & for that detractions do very often happen to be tabletalk, Saint Augustine to prevent this abuse at his own table, as recounteth Possidius in his life, caused these two verses to be written in the wall over, 
Quisquis amat dictis absentûm rodere vitam,  
Hanc mensam indignam noverit esse sibi,  
Who others out of sight,  
Do with detractions stain;  
I warn that from this place,  
They do themselves refrain.   
The third kind of ill words are such as be adulatory, for flattering speeches all men do hear willingly, and yet they breed animosity and pride; and pride is the Queen of all vices and most repugnant against God. The fourth kind is of ill words that belong unto carnality, & consisteth in amorous speeches; and lascivious or wanton songs, than which by the lovers of this world no thing is heard with more delight, when as nothing is more hurtful or dangerous: these wanton songs are like unto the songs of Mermaids recounted by Poets which for no other end delighted the passengers then that they might thereby cast them into the sea & devour them.  
Against all these dangerous darts one sovereign remedy is to have honest and good friends, and withal care to be separated from the wicked; for such as are strangers dare not detract, speak any heresy, flattering or lascivious speeches unto them whom before they never saw, or have no acquaintance withal. And therefore Solomon instructing his son in the beginning of his Proverbes, setteth down his first lesson in these words: Audi fili etc. My son hear the instruction of thy Father: if sinner's shall seduce thee yield not unto them, if they shall say come with us, let us lay snares for blood, let us lay a trap against the innocent, let us swallow him like hell alive, and whole as one descending into the lake, we shall found all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoils, cast in thy lot with us, let there be but one purse amongst us. My son walk not with them, they lie in wait for their own blood, and machinate deceits against their own souls. So he, and this counsel of a most wise man can easily remedy this sense of hear that a man be not led away with ill words, especially if we add thereunto that sentence of our Saviour who was more wise than Solomon, who plainly saith that, The enemies 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 have no great power to hurt the mind, and precious perfumes are not for all but concern a very few, such as are common, as of flowers, roses, ●●llyes, and the like, are harmless, and may be used without offence.  
The fourth sense is of Tasting; 
Tasting.  the sins that enter in at this gate to destroy the soul generally speaking are two, gluttony and drunkenness, but from these two many more do flow, and of both the one and the other we have one admonition of our Saviour in Saint Luke: 
Luc. 21.  See that your hearts be not overcharged with gluttony and drunkenness; and another of the Apostle, not in banquet and drunkenness. And these two sins in the Scriptures are reckoned among the mortal or deadly crimes by Saint Paul in his epistle to the Galathians saying: 
Rom. 13.  The works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, servings of Idols, witchcrafts, murders, drunkenness, banquet, & the like, which as I have foretold you so do I again foretell that they which do such things shall not possess the Kingdom of God. Neither is this alone the punishment of these sins; but beside, this surfeit and drunkenness do overcharg men's hearts in such manner, that they are not able to rise up to think and embrace divine and spiritual things, which our Saviour hath thought us, and S, Basil in an oration of fasting doth explicate by two most fit similitudes; the first of the su● and vapours; for as the gross vapour which ascend out of moist places do with their clouds so cover the heaven as they hinder the beams of the sun from shining on the earth, so out of gluttony and drunkenness there are raised up certain smokes and vapours in us, which darken the heaven of our understanding, & take from us the heavenly beams of God's grace The other similitude is drawn from smoke and bees, for as bees, the cunning artificers of honey, are driven out of their hives with smoke; so likewise the wisdom of God which like unto a bee doth engender in our minds the honey of virtues, of grace, and heavenly comforts is no ways so soon expelled as by the smoke of gluttony & drunkenness.  
Add hereunto that gluttony and drunkenness are both very hurtful to our corporal health. Antiphanes a most skilful Physician, as Clemens Alexandrius reporteth, did affirm that there was but one cause of all sicknesses, 
Lib. 2. Ped.  to wit, multitude & variety of meats: and on the other side S. Basil judged it fit to call abstinence the mother of good health. And it is the custom every where of Physicians, first to prescribe abstinence to the sick, and command them to forbear from flesh and wine; yea this riotous surfeit of meat and drink is not only hurtful unto the body and soul, but also to our temporal estate and substance, for this excess of feeding hath made many rich men to become poor, and finally it depriveth the poor and needy from the alms of rich, for such as are not contented with moderate diet, do easily waste all their goods on their own voluptuous pleasures, that nothing is left to give to the poor, and that of the Apostle is fulfilled, one doth hunger, & the other is drunk.  
But leaving this let us come to the remedies, the first of which may be the example of all the Saints of God: I omit holy Hermits and Monks of whom S. Hierome writeth to Eustochium that to eat any sod meat was held for lascivious diet. 
De custod. Virginit. ad Eusto●.  I omit Saint Ambrose who as writeth Paulinus in his life, did fast every day but on great holidays and sundays; I omit S. Augustine who as writeth Possidius had always for himself set one the table pulse, as beans, pease etc. and herbs, and sometimes for his guests, or such as were sick, flesh. I omit all other Saints, let this suffice tha● if any one attentively consider what he w●● is Lord and Father of all did do when he took upon him the office of feeding the people in the desert, without doubt he sh●l need no other Master to teach him this art of sobriety, for God who is only powerful, only wise, and only good, who could, and knew, and would well provide for his beloved people, he I say for forty years together did rain them Manna from heaven, and caused water to flow out of the rock. This Manna was like a cake made of meal and honey, as is said in the book of Exodus: behold with what sobriety our most wise & provident Lord would have his people to dine & sup: a cake was their meat, water their drink, and yet were all in health, all sound until such time as they began to desire flesh.  
The son of this everliving Father Christ jesus in whom were All the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God, 
Coloss. 2.  imitating the former example, 
joan. 6.  whereas he would make a dinner and supper for many thousands of his auditor, he laid before them pieces of bread and fish, & drink of water, and this he did not only whiles yet he remained in this mortal life, but also after his resurrection when as there was given him all power in heaven and in earth, 
Matt. vlt.  he made a dinner for his Apostles at the sea side of a little bread and fish, 
joan. 21.  and there is no mention there of wine or any other thing: o how fare are the counsels of God different from counsels of men! The King of heaven taketh pleasure in the simplicity of the earth, is delighted with sobriety, & specially careful for the enriching, filling, and cherishing of our soul: and yet men had rather give care unto their own concupiscence, unto the devil their enemy than unto God, 
Philip  unless we conclude with the Apostle, that the God of carnal men is no other but their belly.  
There resteth the sense of touching 
Touching.  which of all the rest is most gross, & yet most quick and full of life: by this sense the works of the flesh do enter in to defile our soul and corrupt others, which the B. Apostle recounteth saying: The works of the flesh are manifest which are fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness. So as in three words he expressed all the kinds of lechery, neither is it needful to proceed further in the explication of these things which should rather be unknown amongst Christians, & their names not so much as once to be heard o● for so saith the same Apostle writing unto the Ephesians: Let not fornication or any uncleanness be named amongst you, 
Ephes. 5.  as it becometh Saints.  
These remedies occur unto me against all the sins in this kind, & they a●e in manner the same wherewith Physicians do use to cure the sick. First they begin with fasting or abstinence, they forbidden such as fall sick the eating of flesh, and drinking of wine: the self same must he do that is given to carnal lust, abstain I say from over liberal diet, and excess in drinking: the same did Saint Paul prescribe unto Timothy saying: Use a little wine for your stomach, and for your frequent infirmities: That is to say, use wine for the weakness of your stomach, but a little, to avoid lust for in wine is lechery. Again the Physicians do assign bitter potions, 
Ephes. 5.  letting of blood and the like, which are repugnant to nature: 
1. Cor. 9  so holy men did say with the Apostle, I do chastise my body and bring it into subjection lest whiles I preach to others I become reprobat myself: hence it comes that the ancient Hermit's and monks did institute new orders ●f life quite repugnant to the delights and pleasures 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 allege one example.  
Saint Hilarion as testifieth Saint Hierome in his life when he was tempted with lascivious thoughts, Ego, saith he, speaking to his body, faciam, ut non etc. I will take order that thou mayest not kick, I will not feed thee with barley but with straw, I will make thee to starve for hunger & thirst, I will load thee well with weight, I will follow thee through heat and could, that thou mayest think more upon thy meat then upon wantonness. So he. Besides this the Physicians appoint moderate exercise of the body as walking, playing at ball, or the like to to preserve health, and this also doth much help for the health of the soul: that is to say, if a man desirous of everlasting salvation bestow one hour every day in meditating on the mysteries of our redemption, or on the four last things death, judgement, heaven, and hell, or in some such like arguments of devotion, if the meditation succeed not as we would, ●t lest let him bestow some time every da● in reading the holy Scriptures, or other spiritual books, or else in the lives of Saints.  
Finally to overcome all the tentations of the flesh and sins of lechery, the only and most effectual remedy is to avoid idleness, for none is so much subject unto filthy thoughts as he who hat● nothing to do, and bestows his time i● looking on such as walk up and down before his window, or in talking with his friends, or in play and gaming. And again none are more free from impure thoughts then such as for whole days together are employed in tilling the ground, or continual exercise in other occupations, for which cause our Lord and master Christ did choose poor parents that they might get their living by their own labour, and himself also before he would undertake the labour of preaching, would have his supposed Father to be a Carpenter, and did help him to labour in t●● same trade, for the people said of him, I● not this the Carpenter the Son of Mary? This have I thought good to adjoin in the end of this book that artificers and husbandmen may not repent them of their state of life, seeing that the wisdom God chose the same state for himself and for his mother, and for the holy man joseph his supposed Father, not for that they needed this remedy, but that they might warn us that are weak to fly all sloth in case we will avoid many other sins.   
The end of the first Book.   

THE ART HOW TO DYE WELL. THE SECOND BOOK.  

CHAP. I. Of the first Precept of dying well, when our death is near, which is of the Meditation of Death.  
WE divided in the beginning this Art of dying well into two Parts; in the first of which are set down those precepts of dying well which belong unto that time in which Death might seem to be further off: in this other which we have now in hand, we will lay down those which appertain vn●o Death when it is present or near at hand Death is said to be at hand or expecting v● at the gate, when we are either worn out with old age, the Apostle telling v● Quod antiquatur & senescit, prope interitum est, That which groweth ancient & waxeth old is near unto death or destruction; 
Heb. 8.  or else are taken with some great sickness & in the judgement of Physicians very dangerous whether this do befall an old man or a young, a youth or a child. Of this second rank it seems to us the first precept to be the meditation of death, for although Death be thought upon and considered with never so great diligence or attention whiles we are in our youthful years, yet doth it very little move us, because we apprehend it as fare off, and therefore less dreadful; but when we see it so present as it may in a manner be felt with our hands, than it stirreth us up indeed, and the consideration thereof is very profitable: all Arts are better attained by practice then by teaching: and those who (if not more often) did twice at least dye, as Saint Christine, & Drithelmus the English man of whom I made mention in my book De gemnitu Co●umbae (of the mourning of the Dove) the noble woman raised by Saint Malachy, of whom I shall speak in the 8. chapter, and that Hermit whose history Climacus doth relate, of whom also we in the end of this Chapter will say somewhat, it is evident that they died cheerfully; but for us who are permitted to dye but once, there is no better way then to meditate & to think often of what is done, or to be done in that hour.  
First then we are to think that then there shallbe a separation made of the soul from the body, & that neither the soul is to be extinguished, nor the body to fall & be resolved to dust without hope of rising again and being reunited unto the soul, for in case the soul should be annihilated and the body be subject to eternal corruption as the Atheists do surmise, than should they seem to have spoken well who contemned death and said: Edamus & bibamus, eras enim moriemur: Let us eat, let us drink for to morrow we shall dye: which proverb 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 even amongst Christians who in words say that they do believe, but deny it by their deeds, which may be proved out 〈◊〉 this principle: that very many even i● their old decrepit age never think upon death, as though that they were never 〈◊〉 dye, or as if they thought with the death of the body, the soul also did perish and resolve to nothing; but whatsoever such men do dream, the separation of the body from the soul as it were of th● spouse from her husband is but an absence's for a while, not a perpetual divorce, for the soul is immortal, and the flesh without all doubt shall rise again at the later day.  
We must therefore if we be Christians, and have any wit, daily think of death at hand: in this standeth the total sum of all our weal, that we die well. In this life the passage is not hard fro● virtue to vice, and with the grace of God from vice unto virtue; for he who is now heir of the Kingdom of God may to morrow by sin fall from the inheritance o● God and become guilty of hell fire; & contrariwise he who is a slave of the Devil may be delivered from that bondage, and be again enroled amongst the children ●f God and heirs of the heavenly Kingdom. But he who dies the enemy of God ●nd guilty of everlasting fire, he shall always remain the enemy of God, & tied to these torments: and on the other side he who dyeth the friend of God, and heir of the Kingdom of heaven shall never fall from grace and that most excellent glory: wherefore all our felici●y or infelicity dependeth upon our good or bad death; who than that hath not lost all is wit and judgement will adventure to departed out of this life until withal diligence he hath learned, and prepared also himself to dye well.  
Another consideration & that most profitable touching death may be to conceive well, that although, death be most certain the prophet worthily demanding; Who is the man that liveth and shall not see death? 
Psal. 88  with whom Saint Paul agreeth, saying, It is decreed for all men once to dye; 
Heb. 9  Yet is there nothing more uncertain than the day and hour of our death: which the Scripture clearly pronounceth saying, Watch, because that you do not know the day nor hour: many are taken away in their infancy, some arrive arrive unto crooked old age, some dy● young, some at matures years, and which is more miserable, some do die so suddenly as they have no leisure left then to call vpo● God, or to commend their souls to his mercy: and these things doth the divine providence of God according to the treasures of his wisdom for no other cause ordain after this manner, but to the end that none of his elected children and servants should presume, or be so hardy as to remain for one moment plunged i● the dirt of deadly sin: and therefore whosoever thou be that dost read these things if perhaps thy conscience give testimony against thee of a deadly sin, be not so bold as to stay till to morrow in it, nor yet to expect till the end of this day or hour, but presently with a contrite and humble heart before God, detest and be sorrowful for the same.  
The third Consideration no less profitable than the former may be, if in the morning before thou go out to thy daily business, & at night before thou goest to bed, least sudden death should tak● thee at unawares, that thou diligently examine thy conscience what thou hast done the night past, what the day immediately ●efore, especially whether there be any ●ing that may seem a deadly sin; and if ●ou find nothing yield thanks unto God ●e Author of all good; and it thou find ●●y thing committed against God seriously repent thee from thy heart, and at the ●rst occasion prostrating thyself at the feet of the Priest confess the same, receive willingly the penance imposed, & faithfully perform it: ●his method of examining ourselves twice in the day, wonderfully helpeth that death never take us hence unprovided.  
The fourth consideration may be that which Ecclesiasticus setteth down that: In every thing thou dost remember the last things ●nd thou shalt never sin. For how can he o●●end in any work who first doth weigh ●ll his works in the balance of God's judgement as they shallbe weighed at his death? To which purpose we may apply that remarkable saying of a man twice dead, which Climacus in his book entitled the Ladder, recounteth: for thus he saith: 
Grad. 6.  Non omittan etc. I will not pretermit to recount the history of that Anchoret who dwelled in Choreb: this man after that he had lived most negligently for a long time together, and had, had no care at all of his soul taken at length with sickness and by ●●●nes with the death, when as he was p●●fectly departed, after the space of an ho● the soul returned again to the bod● 〈◊〉 than he desired us that were present 〈◊〉 incontinently we would all departed, 〈◊〉 then stopping up the door of his cell wi●● stones he remained there for twelve year●, never speaking one word to any, or 〈◊〉 tasting any other thing than bread & w●ter, and sitting with great amazement 〈◊〉 revolved in his mind the things whi● in the time of his departure he had seen and that with so steadfast apprehension a● he never changed his countenance, but remaining always astonished he shed in silence great abundance of tears; but when the time of his departure was at ha●●, breaking down the wall and opening the door we went in unto him, and humbly entreating him to speak somewhat for our instruction; this only we heard fro● him: Nemo qui reverà mortis memoriam agn●●rit peccare umquam poterit: No man who indeed shall throughly conceive the remembrance of death, can ever sin. 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 own ●●s, & heard with his ears.  
Out of which it is easy to perceive ●w important a thing it is daily to me●ate upon death, & always to have the s●●e present in our remembrance: this man had been before very negligent in procuring his own salvation, but out of the great mercy of God he tasted death and rising again unto life for twelve years together he did daily think upon death, & moreover bewailed his sins with continual tears, and those things which be●e his first death he accounted light, and ●iall matters; having tasted the bitter● of death he judged to be most grievous, ●nd such as required the penitential tears twelve years to blot them out. This then ●he true commentary of these words of 〈◊〉 Scripture, Remember the last things (to wit ●th, judgement, heaven, and hell) and 〈◊〉 shalt never sin; & if the remembrance 〈◊〉 one only of these four was so available 〈◊〉 this Monk, as that for twelve year's penance he redeemed the everlasting torment of hellfire, and gained the glory 〈◊〉 a never ending Kingdom, what will 〈◊〉 perpetual memory of all four work in 〈◊〉 in case we would exercise ourselves therein I would to God men would but know 〈◊〉 try this short and compendious way to 〈◊〉 great and unspeakable a gain.   

CHAP. II. Of the second Precept of dying well, whe● our Death is near, which is of the last day of judgement.  
THE second of the four last things i● judgement which is twofold, the one particular in which every soul in particular is judged at the departure from the body; the other general which shall be of altogether in the later day: both are most horrible and dreadful unto the wicked; delightful and glorious unto the good And often and attentively to think of t● one and other is most profitable for s●● as desire to attain a happy death. No 〈◊〉 can doubt but that the particular judgement of every man alone is to be made presently at his death; when as in the counsel of Florence it is declared against the heretics that such as departed out of this life in ●eadly sin straight ways to descend in●o hell fire; and those who die out of the state of deadly sin, but with the debt of temporal punishment to be carried to purgatory: and finally such as after baptism are free from sin, and debt of punishment presently to ascend into heaven to receive everlasting felicity.  
And it is very credible as Divines do hold, 
S. Tho. in 4. dist. 47. Dom. Soto in 4. dist. 45.  the judicial sentence of Christ either to be signified unto them by Angels or to be revealed immediately unto their souls by God himself: and the souls of the virtuous guarded by Angels either to ascend into heaven or to descend into Purgatory; but the souls of the damned to be carried by the Devils and by them to be cast headlong into hell. This judgement may be dispatched in a moment because the judge is present, who being God and man according to his divine nature is every where, and as he is man doth know all things. For most truly did Saint Peter say unto our Saviour. Domine tu omnia nosti, 
joan. 21.  O Lord thou knowest all things: the accuser which is the Devil, called in the Apocalypses, Accusator fratrum nostrorum, the accuser of our brethren is at hand & he runneth to such as are sick and ready to dye as a wolf, lion, or dog to his prey. The witness is also ready the conscience itself of the soul which now separated from the body can no more be deceived by ignorance or oblivion, but throughly knoweth itself, and incontinently seethe whether it be grateful, or hateful unto God, and therefore nothing hindereth but that this judgement may presently be made and put in execution: this judgement is to be called private, if it be compared with the judgement at the the later day which shallbe public & general before all the Angels and men of the world.  
But here briefly is to be yielded a reason why it is required that such should be judged again, who not only are judged already but are also either punished in hell, 〈◊〉 rewarded in heaven: 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 virtuous men to be unjustly afflicted and punished by the wicked, & on ●he other side many wicked men to abound with temporal wealth & prosperities do suspect that either God doth not see these things, or else that he hath no care of ●hem: therefore that all mankind may ●now this world to be most prudently guided by God, he hath determined at ●he later day, before all the Angels and men to manifest his justice, and to render unto every man according to his deserts; rewards to the good, punishments to the wicked, 
Apoc. 16.  that all may be compelled to avouch and say justus es Domine, vera & iusta iudicia tua: thou art just o Lord & thy judgements are true and just.  
The second reason is, that Christ who before men was so unjustly judged ●nd suffered so many grievous and most unworthy torments, may be seen before all the world in his high throne to judge all sinner's, to the end that it may be fulfilled which is written in the book of job: 
job. 16.  Thy cause is judged as the cause of a wicked man, thou shalt receive or take to thyself both cause and judgement; And therefore the ignominious shame of the passion of the son of God, shall be justly recompensed with the glory of his being judge, and majestically sitting in the Theatre of whole world, and then shallbe fulfilled that of the Apostle, At the name of jesus, let every knee be bowed, of all that are in heaven, in earth, a●●● hell.  
The third reason is that the reward of the good may be full and entiere: the reward of virtue is honour and glory, & for that many men for their virtue most excellent have openly been put to death as wicked malefactors, it is meet that their virtue and innocency should be declared in that open Court and Theatre of the world. To this rank the holy Martyrs of God do specially appertain, who shall there appear triumphantly crowned before the eyes of their persecutors Pagans or heretics, Princes or Kings, or of what degree soever.  
The fourth reason is for the confusion of hypocrites, for there are some who die with the opinion of Sanctity, whereas indeed they are impure and wicked, as are all heretics, Caluinists, A●●baptists and the like, and such were they of whom Saint Cyprian writeth in his book of the unity of the Church: Ardeant ●icet flammis etc. Let them burn in flames, & ●et them lose their lives either by the fire ●r beasts, that death of theirs shall not be ●he crown of faith, but the punishment ●f their perfidiousness: it shall not be esteemed the glorious issue of religious virtue, ●ut a wicked or desperate death. So he. Therefore it is necessary that the hypocrisy of seducers or seduced people be at least detested and laid open in the universal judgement, which in the particular cannot so conveniently be done.  
The fifth reason is, that the souls & bodies may be judged both together, for in the particular judgement only the souls are judged, and receive either reward or punishment, but in the general ●udgement, the whole men must appear both in soul and body, and because the souls have sinned together with the bodies, or else have done well and merited, so likewise is it expedient that after the resurrection the souls receive together with their bodies either glory or confusion, happiness or woe, joy or torment.  
To conclude, the sixth and last rea●on is, that not only the good or bad deeds which we have done in this life may have their rewards or punishments, but also the good or i'll which do proceed from 〈◊〉 good or bad works, and are propagated, spread, and continued unto the end of the world, that such in the end of the wo●●d may have their due praise or reproof.  
And to make this more plain we will express it by some examples, there want not good men who do build hospitals, or monasteries, or schools in which many sick recover their health, many religious are trained up in virtue, many scholars are instructed in learning, & these works well founded continue for a long time: some writ books profitable for the spreading abroad of wisdom, of arts, of virtue, 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 wanton or seditious, or heretical books do seduce and destroy many, and building up theatres for Fencers, or Stageplayers, or the like do hurt their neighbours for a long time after their death: wherefore seeing th● in the end of the world, all process shall have also an end, and ●he merits and demeritts of all shallbe finished, it is very meet that in that day of all others which ever were from the beginning of the world most remarkable, the definitive sentence of the most suprem powerful, & most just judge be delivered, to end, decide, & determine all.  
These are the causes why besides the particular judgement which shall be made in the death of every particular man; there is another general to be expected in the end of the world. It remaineth now to explicate who shall be the judge in this dreadful judgement from whence he shall come, to what place he shall come, whom he shall judge and what shall be the sentence. The judge, without all doubt shallbe our Lord jesus Christ, 
Matt. 25. Act. 10.  for thus himself speaketh in S. Matthew: When the Son of man shall come in his majesty, & all his Angels with him, than he shall fit on the seat of his majesty and all nations shallbe gathered together before him, and the rest which followeth. The same is confirmed by the Apostles Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint john. Saint Peter saith in the Acts: It is he who is appointed judge of the living and dead. Saint Paul in the same Acts: 
Act. 17.  God hath appointed a day in which he is to judge the would in justice, by the man whom he hath ordained raising him from death. 
joan. 5.  S. john thus writeth in his Gospel, The (Father) hath given him power to do justice, because he is the Son of man. And in another place, The Father judgeth not any man, but hath given all judgement to the Son.  
The place from whence he shall come to judgement is from heaven, and he shall come as fare as the air near unto the earth that he may be seen and heard of all that shall be on the earth under him. Hear I pray Christ himself in Saint Matthew; You shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven. 
1. Thess. 4.  Hear the Apostle Saint Paul writing unto the Thessalonians: We shallbe taken up with them to meet with Christ in the air; 
joel. 3.  And the same did the Prophet joel foretell saying; All nations shallbe gathered together, and I will bring them into the vale of josaphat, & there will I plead with them: Out of the words, into the vale of josaphat, we may well gather this judgement to be the greatest that ever was, for the hebrue word josaphat signify properly the judgement of God: and for that the vale of josaphat is near unto Jerusalem (at the East side of the Temple, as S. Hierome testifieth in his Commentary on the third chapter of joel) than which no place can be more fit for so great a judgement, for from thence is seen Jerusalem when our Lord did preach, and foretold that the last judgement should be from thence: also is seen mount Caluary where Christ for the redemption of mankind was nailed on the Cross, and mount Olivet from whence as a Conqueror, he ascended into heaven.  
To this place Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven with all 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 Angels exceeds the number of all corporal things; there also will be present with Christ the King, all the multitude of Saints, in glorious bodies, of whom it is said in the Apocalypses: 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 judgement such a spectacle as the like was never from the beginning of the world, nor shallbe again: for all the wicked shall be guilty of hell fire who in their resumed bodies shall stand naked and doleful wh● excessive and uncredible grief on th● art, brought by the Angels from a● places of the world to the vale of Iosaph●● and places adjoining, and the number● such shall be fare greater than the number of Saints, for our Lord himself hath said; 
Matth. 7.  many are called few are chosen: and more plainly; narrow is the way that leadeth unto lif● and few there be that do find 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 certain, that t●● great multitude of Saints cannot be numbered, how much less can be numbered the multitude of the reprobate. To these also shall be adjoined the wicked spirits who also are innumerable.  
Those things thus disposed before the sentence of the judge be pronounced, the books of accounts will be opened as appears by Daniel & Saint john: 
Daniel 7. Apoc. 20.  what those books are which shallbe opened in this judgement Saint Paul doth explicate to the Corinthians saying: Do not ye judge before the time until our Lord come, 
1. Cor. 4.  who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the Counsels of hearts: For God will pour ●●orth such a light, that in the same all the consciences of wicked men may be seen, ●ea all that shall be in that Theatre or public spectacle shall see the consciences ●f all men, and thereby their deeds, their words, their thoughts, their desires. O what a spectacle will this be to see all the consciences of hypocrites of liars, of traitors of cavillours who made no account to perjure themselves by all the sacred things they cold name. By out of this publishing of the sins and villainies of all men whereby they will come to know the sentence before it be given, that will follow which we read in the Apocalypses: Reges terrae etc. 
Apoc. 6.  The Kings of the earth and Princes, and Tribunes, and Rich men, and Captains, & bond men and free shall hide themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and they shall say unto the mountains & rocks fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of theirs is come, and who shallbe able to stand? And the same hath our Saviour foretold in the Gospel when as he carried the Cross on his shoulders speaking unto the virtuous women that beheld him: Daughters of jerusalem weep not over me but 〈◊〉 over yourselves and your children, for behold days shall come in which they shall say, 
Luc. 23.  Blessed 〈◊〉 the barren and the wombs that have not borne 〈◊〉 the paps that have not given suck: then they s●● begin to say unto the mountains, fall upon us, a●● to the hills cover us: Last of all the sentence shall be pronounced by the judge, Venite benedicti, ite maledicti, come you Blessed, depart you cursed; 
Matth. 25.  and the good shall go into everlasting life, and the wicked into everlasting fire.  
And now I beseech my Readers to think, and think again both often and with attention that themselves also shall be present in this Theatre, & therefore now whiles they have time let them seriously deliberate what is to be done; neither let them object that the day of judgement is fare of and it were bootless to trouble o● afflict themselves so long before the time, as if the day of judgement were at hand: for although this general judgement be not so near, yet is not the particular fare of but at hand and expectes us at the gate: and look what the sentence shallbe of the particular judgement the same stalbe also of ●e general: he therefore that is wise aht so to prepare himself to hear the ●en●e of God's judgement, as though it ●e to day or to morrow to be deliver, for the hour of this judgement is no ●u●ther of then the hour of our death, & ●he hour of death from an old man, or who is grievously sick cannot be fare of: therefore whiles we expect this great judgement in which standeth all our hope or ruin, we must earnestly call upon our advocate who is the judge himself. 
1. joan. 2.  We have an advocate jesus Christ the just, as S. john teacheth us, & moreover to solicit the friends o● the Advocate, & first of all the most benign Virgin the Mother of our Advocate, than the Angels and holy Saints: neither is 〈◊〉 convenient that we come to our Advocate or his friends with empty words only, but also with gifts, for the Saints refuse not gifts which avail them nothing but the poor members of jesus Christ, for they being blessed for all eternity in heaven want none of our temporal commodities on earth.   

CHAP. III. Of the third Precept of the A●● of dy●● well, when our Death is near which is of Hell.  
AFTER the consideration of death 〈◊〉 judgement, it is also convenient 〈◊〉 think with earnest attention on the punishments of Hell, and joys of hea●●● for of the four last things these are the two last of all, and only everlasting: of which two Christ being the judge either the one or the other will befall unto every man; and these two are so contrary both in nature and their effects, as that the one maketh us most miserable, the other most happy: but for that we have written of both these in the book of the Ascending of our mind unto God towards the end, and of the joys of the celestial Paradise in a whole book of that argument, entitled of The eternal felicity of Saints, and of the torments of hell in the second book of The mourning of the Dove, and of the good and profit, we reap by tears, and finally 〈◊〉 all the four last things in our Latin ●●r●ons; and what occurred touching ●is subject we did then both deliver to ●●e people, and left in writing, I judge it best in this place to touch the heads of matters already treated whereon a man may profitably entertain his thoughts ●hiles he expecteth death and with joy prepare himself to receive, and meet the same.  
Therefore touching the most unhappy state of the damned to hell, three ●●ings occur to be considered, the place, 
The Place.  ●●e time, the manner. The place is depth; ●●e time eternity; the manner, without ●easure. I say that the place is depth, for ●●at the reprobate persons for their great sins committed against the divine Maie●y of God, shall have their prison in the deepest place of the world, and which is furthest of from the palace of God which is in heaven, for it was convenient that the pride of the Devil and of proud men should be condemned to this ptnishment, 
Isa. 14.  for the Devil said, I will ascend into heaven, I will advance my throne over the stars, I will be like unto the highest; but it was answered him, Thou shalt be thrown down into hell, into the depth of the lake; and the same shall befall unto all such as are the children of pride.  
Out of this first infelicity o● the reprobate there do flow three other, darkness, straitness of place, and beggary. For whereas hell is in the centre of the earth, to which place neither the beams of the sun, Moon, or stars 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 dark & stinking light they shall see the Devils their most cruel enemies, they shall see also those men whether their friends or kinsfolks who were cause of their destruction; they shall finally see, their own nakedness, their beggary, their bands or chains, their own torments, all which perhaps they would desire not to see; certain it is that any thing which may yield them any comfort they shall never see. O darkness, not darkness! darkness to keep from our sight all that is good, no● darkness in laying open before us all that may be to our discomfort, affliction, and torment.  
As for the straightness of place, that ●halbe so great as it shall scarce be able to ●ake the multitude of the damned bodies. For if the whole earth seem in comparison of the vastness of heaven to be as (Pliny with moral Philosophers say) but an indivisible point or prick of a pen, and the place of hell compriseth not the whole ●arth nor yet the one half, but the lower part and centre only, and the number of the damned be fare greater than the number of the saved, 
Apoc. 5.  of which notwithstanding we read in the Apocalypse, I saw a ●reat multitude which no man was able to number; who can conceive or imagine what straits there be in hell? Now let the great King's Nabuchodonosor, Darius, Alexander, julius Caesar and others whom the whole world could not conteyn whiles they lived on earth, go and enlarge if they can their straight habitation in hell, let them see with all their wit and power if they can procure to lie more at ease, or more mildly to be tormented. O vanity of vanities! all mortal men labour to extend and enlarge their fields, their territoryes, their Kingdoms, that for a short time they may vaunt and brag of the great multitude that is under their command and never think what a straight place expects them in hell, where not for a short time, but for all time 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 things that be good and are only in the abundance and multitude of than torment's rich: there shall the rich remember how they wallowed in their delights whiles they did live on earth either in meat and drink, or in brave apparel, or in hunting or hawking or in gardens or vineyards, or in theatres, plays or other disports, but all this remembrance shall increase their punishment, when they shall see themselves naked in hell, lying in torments, contemned and most miserably despoiled of all their wealth and prosperities; then will they say that which we read in the book of wisdom spoken in the person of such men: 
Sap. 5.  What hath our pride profited us, and what have we goften by the bragging of our wealth? All these things have passed away like a shadow.  
Let us come to the second head which is Time. 
Time.  How long shall this banishment of the damned endure in hell fire? I would ●o God no longer than was the length of our mortal life. But there will be no cō●arison between the one and the other ●ndurance; for to time passed there shall not succeed a set time to come, but eterni●y, which is beyond all time: therefore so ●onge shall the wicked dwell in these torments as long as the eternity of God himself shall endure, which as it wanteth a beginning so is it without all end everlasting: ●he wicked shall be tormented so long as ●he Saints shall be in glory, and the damned shall dye as long as God shall live, and unless God do cease to be that which he ●s (which is impossible) the reprobat shall never cease to be in the torments wherein they are. O deadly life, o mortal death! If thou be life, how dost thou kill? If thou be death, how dost thou endure? Truly thou art neither to be termed death nor life, for either of them have some good thing in them; life hath rest, and death an end. But thou hast neither rest nor end. What then shall we say, that thou art but the heap of all that evil which life and death have in them? A great thing doubtless it were if we could but meanly understand what the eternity of torments doth mean; this thought alone as a bridle would hinder all licentious liberty, & so make us order and direct our lives ●s we should all seem not to be Christians only but most holy Anchorets, most virtuous & religious men.  
There remaineth of three things proposed the manner 
Manner.  only, which as we said is punishment without measure, for the punishment of hell is not one particular punishment, but the heap of all punishments and torments together: for in hell all the powers of our understanding, soul, and all the senses as well internal as external are tormented, & that not by course or one after the other, but all these torments like a torrent rush on altogether violently upon man: here on earth as we have no trial or experience of the general joys or comforts of Saints, so neither of the general calamnityes of the damned: for here he that hath sore eyes, hath not commonly at the same time a king teeth, and he who is troubled with hi● teeth complains not of his eyes, & so likewise in the rest of the senses and corporal infirmities: but in hell at the self same time are sustained most cruel torments in all and every member together, when as th● fire compasseth about the whole body, most severely torments it, and yet consumes it not. Go you (saith the judge) into everlasting fire: and the Prophet Isay: 
Matth. 25. Isa. 66.  their worm doth not dye, and their fire is not quenched: which words our Saviour Christ thrice repeated in one chapter of Saint Mark the better to imprint in our hearts the punishments of hell for durance to be eternal, 
Marc. 9  and for this eternity most cruelly to torment the bodies of the damned with incredible grief. Those who on earth by order of justice have seen a man burned in the fire, have been scant able to endure the sight of that torment, which yet is dispatched as it were in a moment; but in case one never so faulty should endure for a whole day in the flames, certainly none were able to endure so dreadful a spectacle. Let then every one within himself make this discourse: if I cannot endure to see the burning of a man alive, with whom I have nothing to do, how shall I be able to endure the burning of mine own body for an hour, day, month, or year? And if this breed in me so great horror and dread that I cannot so much as think upon it, with what intolerable folly do I put myself in so great danger as to burn for ever? If we believe not the matter to stand thus, where is our faith? If we believe it where is our judgement? where is our wit? If we be Christians, if we believe the holy Scriptures, how can it be that so great danger hanging over our head, we are not waked, and stirred up to prevent it? He truly that will be saved let him enter into his heart, and having diligently weighed all these things in their own balance, let him so carry himself as that death may find him prepared, & hell fire not receive him, but rather he may happily deserve to enter into the joys of his Lord.   

CHAP. FOUR Of the fourth Precept of the Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of the glory of the Saints.  
THERE remains now the last of the four last things which is of the glory of Saints, in handling whereof I will briefly consider the three heads above mentioned in the former chapter of Hell torments, the place, the time, and the manner. The place of the glory of the Blessed Saints is the heavenly Paradise, the time eternity which hath no end, the manner is celestial happiness exceeding all measure. Let us begin with the first.  
The celestial Paradise is a place 
Place.  most high above all the mountains of the earth, above all the elements, above all the stars and therefore the Kingdom of heaven is called in the Scriptures The house of God, the city of the great King, the city of the living God, the celestial jerusalem.  
Out of the most high situation of this City we may easily perceive that there are many privileges of this place above all the places of this world: firs● by how much this place is higher a●ongst worldly things created, by so much it is the greater and more capable for receipt, for the form or fashion of this world as it includeth heavens & elements as we see is crowned ●n so much as all the whole earth is but the centre thereof and the highest heaven or utmost sphere including all the rest must needs be of infinite capacity, a thing so evident as it needeth no proof.  
The place therefore of the Saints as it is most high, so is it also most large and spacious; as on the contrary side the the place of the damned as it is of all others most low so is it also most straight as we have said. Again the place that is most high is also most pure, for certainly the water is purer than the earth, the air them the water, & fire then the air & heaven then fire, & the supreme heaven then that of the stars: finally the place that i● most high is most secure, in so much as there can no harm reach thereunto, and no scourge as the psalmist saith can come 
●●●l. 60.  near unto his tabernacle.  
First then the seat of Saints is most ●●m●le and large that they may freely go from o●e place to another: neither is there any danger lest they be wearied by their travel: for having the gift of agility or nimbleness they can in a moment pass from place to place without labour or difficulty, now what pleasure and delight will it be now to pass from the east to the west, now to transport ourselves from the south to the north, and in an instant to compass or go about the whole world lest the damned in hell being bound, hand & foot remain for all eternity without further motion in the same place? and this felicity of Saints shall be the greater, for that they enjoy that most pure refreshing in heaven, which neither darkness, nor clouds, nor vapours, nor blasts of wind nor any contagion can defile, whiles the most miserable captives of hell are constrained to lie in the thick darkness & smoke of that burning furnace, in that place so overcharged with horror without all hope or expectation of any though never so little refreshment.  
Now what shall I say of that supernal City, most safe from all treason and harm? Praise Jerusalem our Lord, praise ●●y God oh Zion, 
Psal. 147.  because he hath made strong the b●●●s thy gates; This defending or making strong of the gates, doth not signify that whi●● the words seem to sound, for it is sa●● in the Apocalypse of the heavenly City; 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 strong th● bars of the gates because he hath made i● impregnable by reason of the height: and although the Dragon fought in heaume with Michael the Archangel, the cause thereof is not for that he ascended out of hell into heaven, but that being created in heaven before his confirmation in grace he rebelled against God, and puffed up with pride affected his equality, but because t●● heavenly Jerusalem is fonded in peace, 〈◊〉 enemy of peace could not stay therein, but presently like a flash of lightning fell from heaven, and after that time could never set his foot therein, & from that time no ma● is admitted to inhabit this Jerusalem unless he be grounded and perfectly confirmed in peace. And so much of the place.  
Let us speak now of the time: the time of inhabiting the celestial Jerusalem is ●ft●● the fall of the devil, 
Time.  a time without ●yme, that is an everlasting durance without the interchange of days and nights: so in the Apocalypse the Angel swore by him that liveth for ever, that there shall be no more time, and Christ in the Gospel, the judgement 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 everlasting fire, and the just into everlasting life, but this difference there shall be between these eternities that they damned shall against their will endure theirs, and shall seek for death and shall not found it; but contrarily the just shall hear nothing so joyfully as their eternity that is, a life without fear of dying, standing in virtue without fear of falling.  
It resteth that in few words we explicate the manner how the Saints shall be in heaven after the resurrection. 
Manner.  And I hold this may most truly be affirmed that whatsoever good things are wished for on earth although combined & mingled with many bad, the same, but fare better and without all mixture of any evil ●o be enjoyed of the Saints in heaven. The things that on earth are valued and esteemed for good are these three, honour's, riches, pleasures: the honour of the Saints in heaven is such as it seemeth incredible unless it were warranted by his word who cannot lie, hear our Saviour Christ who is truth itself thus speaking in the Apocalypse of Saint john: To him that overcometh I will grant to sit in my throne, 
Apocal. 3.  as I also have overcome and sitten in my Father's throne: & what I pray you can be added to this honour? Doubtless the throne of the Son of God is the highest in heaven, and he who sits thereon may well be thought to have gotten unspeakable honour: what applauses, what praises shall there sound out in heaven before God and all the Angels, when as a man once mortal, and frail shall by the hands of God himself be placed in the throne of the Son 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 unto this glory.  
As touching the power of a Saint that also shallbe so great as that we are scant able to imagine it, for there is extant a promise of the same Christ the eternal ●ruth in the Gospel of the faithful ser●ant: 
Matth. 24.  〈◊〉 men I say unto you he shall make him gouer●ur over ●ll his goods: which words do plainly show this faithful servant to be made partaker of that power in heaven which God himself hath over all his creatures: and how great think you is the power of God over all creatures? Truly most great, most incomparable: therefore all the Saints shall be called, and truly shallbe Kings of the whole world, not for a few years but for ever: and this is the sentence which Christ the supreme judge will pronounce in the last judgement when he shall say to the just, Come ye Blessed of my Father, 
Matth. 25.  possess a Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.  
Of the riches of the Saints this alone might suffice, that the riches shall be most copious and for ever permanent, the Prophet telling us: 
Psalm. 112.  Glory and riches are in his house: and, God himself willbe all in all, as the Apostle saith in his epistle to the Corinthians: 
1. Cor. 15.  which words Theophilact and S. Anselme do so expound as they make them to yield this sense: God shall be all in all, for here meat is one thing unto us, drink another, another our garment, another our house, another honour, another power in heaven: after the resurrection Go● himself will be to all his Saints mea●, drink, garments, house, riches, pleasure, honour power; all things then that the Saints shall have in heaven shall be most precious, all incorruptible, all divine, all God himself. Saint Hierome addeth in his epistle to Amandus, that God will be all things unto the Saints, not only corporal but also spiritual, for now all divine graces are not given unto all, but unto one wisdom as unto Solomon, to another piety as unto David, to another patience as unto job, but when the end of all things shallbe, then shall all things be in all, that so every one of the Saints only may possess all virtues, all gifts, all things. What I beseech you would a covetous man give in this world that he might possess alone all the riches and wealth thereof? what the lecherous man that he might attain all the wanton pleasures which he doth desire? What the ambitious that he may get all the honours and preferments which he doth aspire unto? And yet are these temporal matters, and soon to be lost, and which is more miserable, after a very ●●ort time are to be exchanged with ever. osting beggary, grief, and shame. Why ●●en do we not seek God in whom alone ●e shall possess all spiritual and corporal blessings which shall last & continue ●ith us for ever.  
But what finally shall we say of the joy and pleasure of Saints? Isay and Saint Paul do preach and ●ell us: The eye hath not seen, the ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered ●●to the heart of man what God hath prepared for such as do love him. Truly God hath prepared ●or the Saints who love him in their heavenly home joy, mirth, pleasure, delights, sweetness, and that such as no mortal man hath ever tasted, or was ever able to have imagined: three things are required to procure delectation, the power of the soul, the object, and the union or conjunction 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 lively, or more capable of delight then the will of man or Angels, there is no object more noble, more amiable, and sweet then the essence of our Creator: 
Psal. 33.  Gustate & vi●●te● (saith David) quoniam suavis est dominus, taste and see for that our Lord is sweet; and the wise man speaking of the sun & star●s saith: With whose beauty if they being delighted thought them to be Gods, 
Sap. 13.  let them know how much 〈◊〉 beautiful their maker is, for the Author of beauty hath made all these things: and there can be no conjunction or union more great than is that of God with a reasonable will, the Apostle telling us, 
1. Cor. 6.  That, he who adhereth 〈◊〉 God is made one spirit with him. The conjunction of bodies for the most part is but superficial, and doth not penetrate all the interior parts, and yet this corporal pleasure so ravisheth men's minds as it makes them almost to become mad: what suavity, what sweetness then shall the soul taste when it shall be inwardly conjoined with God who is infinite sweetness, and ●e made one spirit with him? Hear I wa●● words and am no way able to express what with myself I conceive and ruminate.  
Add hereunto that all humane pleasure which is caused by the creatures is bu● momentary, or certainly very short; but the pleasure that ariseth out of the conjunction of men's spirit with God who is infinite sweetness will never be ended, and yet so great madness is in many men as they had ra●her enjoy carnal pleasures, base, ●mall, and for a short time, than those ●hat are most great, most pure, most perfect, and to continue for all eternity: and ●his may suffice in this place for the four ●ast things Death, judgement, Hell, and Heaven.   

CHAP. V Of the fifth Precept of the Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of making our last will and Testament.  
THE consideration of Death at hand and the four last things being premised, it followeth that he who makes himself ready to go out of the world do dispose of his house: 
Isay. 38.  for so the Prophet Isay warned King Ezechias saying; Dispose of thy house for thou shalt not live, from which trouble all Religious men are discharged, who can say with the Apostle: Ecce nos reliquimus omnia & secutisu●●s te: Be hold we have left all and have followed thee: 
Matt. 19  of which number Saint Augustine was one, of whom Possidius writeth th●● in his life: He made no will or testament, because the poor servant of Christ had not whereof to make it; for albeit he were a Bishop, yet according to the custom of Religious men he kept nothing as his own.  
But this Will is to be mad at the beginning of the sickness in case the patient have not prudently prevented it by making it whiles he was in good health; & they do much hurt & hinder themselves who never think on making a Will, until (their sickness still increasing) they be forced thereunto by their friends, at what time they either begin to lose their senses, or certainly cannot then dispose of their things with that wisdom, judgement, and maturity as they had disposed them, had they made their Wills whiles they were in good health.  
First of all before the sick men make their wills, they must think of paying their debts if so be that they be charged with any, then to leave their good unto them, to whom of right and equity they shall know them to appertain, & not suffer themselves to be carried away with affection towards those persons whom they most love, in case this be any way repugnant to justice. In such things as depend on their own free gift let them first lay before their eyes the glory of God and then the necessities of their neighbours, and if they be very rich, those things which before they ought to have given to the poor, let them not now think to have satisfied their conscience if with their other sins they confess also this unto the priest their ghostly Father, unless they take order that the same things be given to the poor, or rather unless that they themselves do presently give them. For it is a common opinion of the holy Fathers and chief school Doctors, that all superfluous things which the rich enjoy are due unto the poor, of which thing we have written in the former book and ninth chapter, and it is not needful here again to repeat what I have there said: but of things which they may dispose of at their pleasure, let them confer with virtuous discreet men which be the works of charity that then for the time and place are more acceptable unto God: somewhere perhaps it will more import to build a Church or place for common burial, elsewhere to place poor maids in honest wedlock, elsewhere to buyld an Hospital to help the number of sick persons, elsewhere to bestow alms on such as beg in the streets, elsewhere to redeem captives and the like: and finally in such distributions there if no better rule to be observed, 
Lib. 3. off. Cap. 48.3. p. Past. adm. 21.  then, as Saint Ambrose saith, sincere Faith and discreet providence: or as Saint Gregory saith: Charity with prudence, or prudence conjoined with charity.  
This in my judgement is of special moment and seriously to be considered that the alms which are given by the living, or else are appointed to be given by such as are to dye, that then they be specially given or appointed when as he that giveth or appointeth them is grateful unto God, for then both to the one & other they are very meritorious, and such bountiful almes-givers' are received of their good friends into the everlasting tabernacles, according unto Christ his promise in S. Luke; for if they be given or appointed to be given by a wicked man, the alms avail nothing to everlasting life, whatsoever it do in respect of other merits, neither for them are the givers received into the everlasting tabernacles: wherefore the party that is guilty of mortal sin, and hath made his last will and testament in that state, is to ask counsel of a discreet ghostly Father, or some other of his virtuous friends that after a Confession entirely and perfectly made, he confirm, allow and ratify whatsoever he had disposed in his former will, especially for the bestowing of alms on the Church or poor people after his death.  
Hereunto last of all is to be added that he who in his last will and testament hath been liberal unto his neighbours, that he be not unmindful of his own soul, when as it may very well fall out that he go not directly after his death into heaven but first pass through the place of purging fire: wherefore he shall do both prudently and religiously if he command one part of the alms to be given unto Priests who may offer up sacrifices unto our Lord for his soul, for as the Scripture testifieth: It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, 
2. Mach. Cap. 12.  that they may be delivered from their sins: so in the second of the Maccabees: out of which place Saint Augustine gathereth à fortiore that the souls of faithful Christians departed this life are much more helped by the sacrifice of the body & blood of Christ in the Mass, than they other were by the sacrifices of beasts in the old testament.   

CHAP. VI Of the sixth Precept of this Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of the Confession of our sins.  
AFTER the consideration of the former points it is necessary that a man gone in years, or taken with a dangerous sickness, do seriously casting aside all other cares apply his mind duly to receive the Sacrament of Penance, for it often happens that at what time the Sacrament of Penance is most necessary, that then it is with less disposition received of the Penitent: such as are grievously sick, or hindered with sorrows, or weakness, or want of judgement, or horror of death at han●, or love of their dear friends whom unwillingly they leave, make a very maimed and imperfect confession, for being in those ●nguishes they can hardly stir themselues up unto true and sincere contrition or sorrow for their offences.  
Myself can be a witness of this difficulty which such for the most part do find: for when at a time I visited a friend, a rich Gentleman, (who by reason of a great sin he had committed, fell into a deadly disease) & told him, that there was nothing better for him to seek for, as things than stood, then true repentance and contrition for his sin, because that God never despiseth a contrite and humbled heart: he answered me with this demand: What is Contrition? I do not understand what you would have me do. I replied, that which I require, is that from your heart you abhor your sins and be sorry that you have offended God thereby, and firmly determine with yourself if longer life should be granted you, never more to offend God, and all this for the love that you be are his divine Majesty who hath bestowed upon you innumerable benefits, and to whom you most ungrateful for benefits have returned injuries. He answered again, I understand you not, I am not capable of these matters: and so died, leaving behind him evident signs of his damnation. These and the like examples are admonitions for us that whiles we are well we do so disburden our conscience & do true penance, as though every confession were the last that ever we should make.  
Yet notwithstanding even in the sickness itself a confession is to be made with as great diligence as may be, especially the sick man is to be stirred up to contrition out of true grief for his sins past and firm purpose of not sinning again if his life should be prolonged, and we must not only do penance for our sins committed, but also for the omission of good works, to which by reason of our office, or out of charity we were bound to do: for many there be that do curiously enough consider their sins 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 devout Bishop was deadly sick, there came a Priest unto him that was his friend and mine of whom I heard what I now relate; he demanded of the Bishop as a familiar friend whether his conscience were quiet and free from trouble; the Bishop answered that by the grace of God all was well, that since his last confession he could call to mind nothing of momen● wherein he had offended God; the Priest further demanded whether his conscience did not accuse him of Omissions, 
2. Tim. 4.  seeing that the Apostle so carefully warned Timothy a Bishop saying: I testify before God and Christ jesus who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming and Kingdom, preach the word, be urgent in season, out of season, reprove, beseech, rebuke, in all patience and doctrine: the Bishop hearing this did sigh, and said; indeed my omissions do much terrify me, and forthwith there came from his eyes whole streams of tears.  
But above all Contrition is requisite for one that will dispose himself to dye well, for confession without contrition or true attrition is not sufficient for salvation, and without contrition satisfaction is invalid, or of no force, which yet at that time can hardly be performed of the sick man, but contrition which in his own nature includeth charity, although with confession and satisfaction when they cannot be performed is alone sufficient; for as we said a little before God will not despise a contrite and humbled heart, the sick man then must carefully labour to have true contrition of which endeavour we have a notable example in S. Augustine as Possidius testifieth, who in his last sickness whereof he died caused to be written out for him the psalms of David which belong unto penance, and se●ting the leaves against the wall lying in his bed he did look on them and read them: Et iugiter & ubertim flebat, and did always & that abundantly weep, and he took order before that none should hinder or distract him, for ten days before his departure he gave order that none of hi● house should enter or come unto him, but at such time of the Physicians came to visit him, or else when he was to take some meat, all the other time he bestowed in prayer: O most Blessed and most prudent man, he lived after his Baptism, and after that the sins of his former life were remitted him, three and forty years, in which even until his last sickness he daily preached the word of God, he wrote innumerable books and most profitable for the whole Church, he lived without complaint an innocent and most holy life; and yet at the very end of his years, and in his sickness he so gave himself for many days together ●o contrition & penance, that in reading the penitential psalms he continually and abundantly wept: and these two words are much to be noted iugiter, & ubertim, continually & abundantly, for this study to attain contrition was not for one day or hour, but for many days, and he did very often and with great abundance of tears bewail his sins: and what manner of sins were they which this most holy man did thus bewail? Truly I am of opinion that they were only venial, that so he might not only be delivered from hell fire, but from Purgatory also, and so presently ascend into heaven. And if so holy and wise a man did weep continually and abundantly for so many days together his venial sins, what should they do who are yet to make satisfaction unto God not only for their venial, but also for their mortal sins.  
Therefore let all old men who are near the end of their days, so dispose of themselves before they fall sick that they may not need in their old age or sickness to blot out any deadly sins, but to do penance only for such as are light and venial, and let them before hand so provide to arm themselves against i snares of the Devil by holy Confession, Communion, and Extreme Unction, that God being their guide and their good Angel acccompayning them they may happily arrive unto their heavenly country.   

CHAP. VII. Of the seaventh Precept of the Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of the B. Sacrament then given for a Viaticum, or parting-food.  
THE ancient Christians in the administration of this sacred food, & Extreme unction unto the sick, did first anoise the sick with holy oil, & then after ●ue unto then the most sacred body of ●r Saviour: and to allege a testimony 〈◊〉 two for this matter, there is extant in the first tome of Surius the life of S. William Archbishop of Bourges in France, who lived in the time of Pope Innocent the third, in which it is said: He humbly and devoutly received the Sacrament of Unction, and having received that, he desired most earnestly the Blessed Sacrament to be given him, that being armed with so good a guide for his journey he might the better pass through all the squadrons of his enemies. So he: and the same is related in the life of Saint Malachias written by Saint Bernard, to wit, that he took his last voyage food, the most Blessed Sacrament I mean, after that he had received the Sacrament of Extreme unction.  
Besides these two testimonies which show the order observed between the two Sacraments, Extreme Unction and ●he holy Eucharist, there may be produced too other which show the Blessed Sacrament to have been the last, although no ●ention be made in them of extreme Unction: In the life of Saint Ambrose which Paulinus wrote, there is mentioned that he at the point of death received this heavenly food, and having received it presently departed this life; and the same writeth Methaphrast of Saint john chrysostom in his life, so as it is clear that this was the last Sacrament that was given to the sick in ancient times.  
Now a day●s we first arm the sick with the Blessed Sacrament & then after some days the disease continuing or increasing we anneyle them with holy oil: both customs have their reasons for approvance, the ancient Fathers did consider the Sacrament of Extreme Unction to be instituted both for the recovery of perfect health and to take away sins or the relics that remained of them, for so speaketh Saint james: Is there any sick amongst you? 
jac. 5.  Let him fetch the Priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of our Lord, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and our Lord shall raise him up, and if he be in sins they shall be forgiven him. The ancients then hoping by this sacred Unction the corporal health of the diseased, delayed not this Sacrament until that time when in the judgement of Phisiti●ns the disease was desperate, but as soon ●s it seemed in their judgement to be dangerous presently they made recourse unto ●he holy unction, which also may be gathered of that which Saint Bernard writeth, in the life of Saint Malachy: the same Saint being sick came down on his feet from his chamber which was in the top of the house, to the Church, that first he might receive the holy Unction, than the Blessed Sacrament, and having received them both he returned again on his feet without the help of any to his chamber, & bed. But now a days when they hear any mention to be made of extreme Unction they think all at an end, & that the sick man cannot escape, for which cause the kinsfolks and friends of the parties that be sick, 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 moved the ancients first to an●eyle the sick, & then to give them their heavenly food, because in the Sacrament of Extreme Unction the sins are forgiven as we have heard out of the Apostle Sain● james, and therefore of some ancient writers Extreme Unction is called Po●nitenti● infirmorum, the penance of the sick: and remission of sins together with penance are most worthily premised as a preparation or disposition to the most high & divine Sacrament 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 up with the Sacrament of the body of our Lord, and so we see that such as are of ripe age when they are baptised, as Turks, jews & the like are presently after their baptism confirmed, admitted to be present at the sacrifice of the Mass, and to receive the holy Eucharist, so likewise such as did public penance, after their penance performed, at least according to the ancient custom, all ways received the Blessed Sacrament, and they who take Orders whether the lesser or greater after they have taken them, come to the holy communion; and lastly, such as are married do strengthen and confirm the Sacrament of Marriage with the Sacrament of the Altar: now in our days this order is altered and that not without a just cause. For oftentimes it happiness that Extreme Unction (that the sick person may not be affrighted) is put of for a long time, and there is danger lest he lose his senses or use of ●eason, or for some other cause become unfit if not unable to receive the B. Sacrament, and therefore this wholesome food is given before, for it is better that the order of giving these Sacraments be changed, then that the sick should be deprived of the one, & that also most wholesome and comfortable: and Extreme Unction may be given unto the sick, albeit he be in his agony or last pangs and conflicts with death, although he neither understand or feel what is done, so as yet he be alive, for the dead are capable of no Sacraments: and so much of the order of ministering these Sacraments to the sick.  
Now I come to speak of the precious body of Christ to be fruitfully given to the sick, and first I will briefly explicate what the sick man is to do, before this Sacrament be brought unto him, than what the same sick man is to do when the body of Christ is present, lastly how he ought to behave himself after that he hath received it.  
As for the first my counsel shol● be (unless his Ghostly Father should suggest some other thing according to the present occasions more necessary) that the sick man diligently ponder these words of Saint Thomas: O sacred banquet, in whi●● Christ is received, the remembrance of his pass●●● is recounted, the soul is filled with grace, & a pledge is given us of the glory to come. First then he shall attentively consider the holy Eucharist to be given to us travellers (which title by Divines is applied unto all mortal men) by way of food, that we faint not in the way in which we travel towards out country, especially at that time in the which we being wearied with a long ivorney we become weak and feeble: this food is called a banquet and a sacred banquet, for although it be given under the form of bread alone, yet is it an entiere & great banquet, & a banquet not profane but sacred, not of the body but of the soul and therefore it is added, In quo Christus samitur, in which Christ is received, for under the forms or accidents of bread is the true body of Christ not separated from his soul and divinity, and for that it is a most great, most excellent and most precious thing, a great and most sweet banquet, fare exceeding the taste of all earthly sweetness, but fit to feed and delight the ●oule, not the body.  
What the fruits or commodities are of this food, is added when it is said: The remembrance of our saviour his passion is recounted, the soul is filled with grace, and a pledge is given us of our future glory. The first fruit than is the remembrance of our Saviour's passion, for which cause the body & blood of our Lord are consecrated under the twofold forms of bread and wine, that the form of bread may represent his body separated from the blood, and so consequently dead, and the form of wine represent his blood separated from the body although that Christ be entiere & living both under the one and other form. Our Lord then would that by these mysteries there should be extant amongst us a continual & daily remembrance of his passion, by which we have escaped all evil & obtained all good: hence it came that our Lord said unto his Apostles speaking of this Sacrament: Do ye this in my remembrance: & the Apostle S. Paul expounding these-wordes of our Lord, saith: As often as ye shall eat this bread and drink the cup, you shall show forth the death of our Lord until hecome; That is to say, as often as you shall come unto this most sacred mystery, you shallbe mindful that Christ left his life for you, and this remembrance shall still endure or continue until the second coming of our Lord, that is even until the end of the world. And our Lord would have us daily to be mindful of his passion & death, because he knew this remembrance to be very profitable for us that being mindful of his great charity towards us, 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 whom so freely and liberally he hath bestowed his own life?  
Another fruit of this celestial banquet is designed in these words mens inpletur gratia, the soul is replenished with grace, which is the singular privilege of this Blessed Sacrament when it is received with due preparation and disposition of the receiver, for as corporal food is but one thing and by eating is conveyed into the stomach, yet notwithstanding it doth repair, nourish, strengthen & comart all the members of the body; and contrary wise to much abstinence from meat ●ot only makes the stomach empty, but ●eakens and extenuates all the members, it maketh them ugly, and languishing, & in fine kills the body: so this Divine meat doth repair, nourish and strengthen all the spiritual power of our soul, the memory by this sacred food is filled with grace of the most sweet remembrance of the benefits of God, and especially of our Lord's passion, by which we are delivered and saved; our understanding by this food is filled with the grace of faith not habitual only but also actual, and faith purifies the heart from very many errors, and filleth our mind with the knowledge of duiine things which breeds an unspeakable joy and comfort within us; and last of all the will by this divine food is filled with the grace of most certain hope, and most ardent charity, which for that she is the Queen of virtues draws all virtues unto it, with the possession whereof a man becometh most rich of spiritual wealth. By these means than is our soul filled with grace by this most Divine Sacrament, and on the other side too much abstinence from this food hinders all the former effects, it makes us in them al● feeble, weak, deformed, and draws in the end unto spiritual death.  
The last fruit is, futurae gloriae 〈◊〉 pignus datur, there is a pledge given us 〈◊〉 this most sovereign 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 denied when there is a pledge given for the performance: our Lord left his body in the Sacrament of the Eucharist as a pledge of our heavenly felicity, and therefore he who at his death receiveth his Blessed body with due purity of mind and reverence, he shall before his Redeemer show his pledge and cannot be excluded from hi● celestial happiness. And he indeed showeth this pledge who dyeth united with Christ by true charity, which the worthy receiving of this Sacrament did leave in the soul, for then the soul issueth forth of the body, as an Espouse leaning upon her beloved. 
Cant. 8.   
And this is that which S. john writeth in the Apocalypses, when he saith: 
Apoc. 14.  Blessed ●re the dead who die in our Lord; That is, bles●ed are they who do dye conjoined unto ●ur Lord as members unto their head: 
joan. 3.  No man ascendeth into heaven but he who came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. The Son of man is Christ who ascended not without his body of which he is the head, and for thi● cause only such do dye in our Lord, who in their deaths do adhere unto him as members to their head, which blessing all they do get who a little before they die do worthily receive Christ in the holy Eucharist.  
And this hitherto have we said touching the preparation of the sick man to receive his last food and heavenly Manna before that it be present & brought unto him. For as soon as it is brought the sick man must as he is able lift himself up and either on his knees, or with humble bowing down his head adore his Lord and Saviour: & often it falls out that our Lord giveth such strength and vigour that men even ready to dye do rise at that time & fall on their knees: and so we read of Saint William Archbishop Bourges in France:  autem etc. When he knew that his Lord & Creator was come unto him, presently recovering his strength he leapt 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 gasp, & went wi●● a speedy pace to meet his Saviour, chari●● yielding him strength thereunto, & kneeling down all bede wed with tears, he adored him, and to the end he might often kneel he was often lifted up from his knees, and with singular devotion he commended his last agony unto Christ; earnestly praying that if yet any things remained to be purged that he would here cleanse it, that the wicked enemy might find nothing in him. So fare the history of his life.  
Now it seemeth to me a thing most requisite and to be practised at that time; that before the sick man do receive the body of his Lord, he repeat, or hear an other read unto him those verses of Saint Thomas of Aquin, which at once do profess our faith, stir up our hope, and kindle our charity; the verses are these.  

Adoro te devotè latens Deitas,  
Quae sub his figuris verè latitas etc.   

I thee andore O hidden Deity,  
who covered in these outward signs dost lie.  
My heart to thee doth tender all his might,  
which contemplating is dazzled quite.  
My sight, my taste, my touch in thee do fail me,  
my hearing only doth for faith avail me.  
To all that Christ hath spoken I agree,  
than this truth's word no truth can ever be.  
Upon the Cross thy Godhead sole was shrouded,  
thy Godhead here & manhoodly or ' clouded.  
Yet them believing both, and both confessing,  
I beg the happy thiefs obtained blessing.  
Thy wounds with Thomas I nor see nor touch,  
Yet thee my God to be I do avouch.  
Make me believe in thee still more & more,  
Of hope & charity increase my store.  
O sweet remembrance of my dying Lord,  
true bread that unto man dost life afford:  
Deign to my soul on thee alone to live,  
and always with that food sweet taste to give.  
Sweet Pelican, & dearest Sovereign,  
my unclean heart cleanse with thy bloody rain;  
Whereof one drop sufficient power contained,  
to purge the world, though all with sin destaind.  
jesus who now dost under veils appear,  
when shall it be (which I esteem so dear)  
That I beholding thy revealed face,  
May by that glorious sight with thee find place.   
Amen.  
Having devoutly said or heard these verses, having made the ordinary confession which beginneth with Confiteor Deo etc. and having taken the absolution and blessing of the priest, and said, Domine non sum dignus, let him add with as great ●●mility & devotion as he can these words, Into thy hands O Lord I commend my soul, and then he may securely deceive this sacred & celestial Sacrament.  
After the communion there remaineth thanksgiving unto God for this so excellent a benefit, and beside vocal prayers which he may read out of some pious books: it were also very beautiful that he who hath now received his last food for his journey and passage unto heaven, should enter into the closet of his heart and meditate with himself in silence on those most sweet words of our Lord jesus in the Apocalypses: I stand at the door and knock, if any shall open it unto me, 
Apoc. 3.  I will enter in unto him, I will sup with him, and he shall sup with me: for these words do most fitly agree with those who come from the holy communion: for our Lord who instituted this Sacrament in the form of a banquet, desireth nothing more than that all Christians should repair unto this feast, and this is signified ●y those words: Ego sto ad ostium & pulso, I stand at the door and knock, that is, I do ●nuite myself to this common feast, that ● may also be fed; si quis mihi aperuerit, if any shall open the door unto me assenting unto this good desire which I have inspired, that we may feed and feast together, intrabo ad eum, I will enter in unto him, by the communion of this holy banquet, 
Psal. 103.  I will sup with him, & he shall sup with me; Because that God is said to sup with us when he is delighted with our spiritual progress in virtue, according to that of the Psalmist: Our Lord will rejoice in his works; And in another place: Let my speech be delightful unto him, and I will be delighted in our Lord: in which words is expressed the mutual delight & as it were a sweet banquet of God with the soul, and of the soul with God: for God is delighted with the spiritual profit of the soul, and the soul is delighted with the benefits received from God, of which the chiefest is that by this sublime Sacrament, he vouchsafeth to link and unite himself after a sweet manner with our soul.  
Wherefore let the faithful soul after the receiving of this Sacrament reflect and think with itself how sweet & sovereign a thing it is to have Christ himself as a guest within it, whiles the Sacramental forms remain, not only as God but also as man, and to be able to deal confidently with him & to confer with him our dangers and anguishs 〈◊〉 our passage from this body, from his ha●● to commend himself unto him, and to desire of him to beat back the common tempter of mankind then most busy, to send us an Angel to accompany us, and to bring us safely into the port of salvation.   

CHAP. VIII. Of the eight Precept of the Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of Extreme Unction.  
THE last Sacrament is holy Unction which is able to yield great comfort unto the sick if the force and virtue thereof be well understood, and the Sacrament itself taken in due tyme. There be two ●fects of this Sacrament as we said in the ●rmer Chapter, corporal health and re●ission of sins: let us speak a little of either. Of the first thus writeth S. james: ●s any sick among you? Let him bring in the priests ●f the Church and let them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of our Lord, and ●he prayer of faith shall save the sick; These words are plain and contain a promise.  
Two reasons may be given why in our days so few sick men do recover their sickness, notwithstanding that they receive this Sacrament: one is, for that now a days this remedy is applied to the sick later than 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 gasp should presently recover, but if this Sacrament were ministered unto then when first of all they begin to be dangerously sick, we should then often see this effect of recovery, which would not be done in a moment, but would follow in time: and this is the cause why that such as are to be executed by way of justice are not anneyled, because that they cannot without a manifest miracle be delivered from the danger of death. Another reason is, because it is not expedient eu● for the sick man to he delivered from h● disease, but rather it is better for him to die, and the prayer of the Church which is made in this Unction doth not absolutely desire the health of the sick party but only to recover his health at that time, if i● be available for his salvation.  
Another effect of this Sacrament is remission of sins; for thus speaketh Saint james: Et si in peccatis fuerit remittentur ei: and if he shall be in sins they shall be forgiven him. But for that the remission of original sin doth belong properly unto Baptism, the remission of actual to baptism also in case the baptised be grown in years, or to the Sacrament of penance for sins committted after baptism, therefore the Divines do teach the sins which are remitted in the Sacrament of Extreme Unction to be the relics or remuants of sin, of which relics or remnants there be two sorts, sometimes relics of sins are called either the mortal or venial sins which are committed after that we have received the Sacrament of penance, and are no: afterward confessed to our ghostly Father, ●yther out of ignorance for that ●he penitent did no take them for mortal; or out of forgetfulness because he did not ●hen remember them, and therefore the sick man sought not for a priest to whom he might confess them. These relics doth the Sacrament of Extreme Unction take away, and of this kind of sins Saint james saith: If he shall be in sins they shall be remitted him; which the Counsels of Florence & Trent do teach, especially the latter in the 14. session & second Canon.  
Another kind of the relics of sins is a certain horror or stupidity, or rather sorrow and heaviness which oppress sick, to which appertaineth the promise of Saint james: Et alleviabit eum Dominus, and our Lord will lift him up: this Sacrament recomforteth the sick, when they mark the divine promises expressed in the same, and for that cause it should not be differred until the last hour when the sick man doth not hear, or else understandeth nothing at all.  
What utility is reaped out of this Sacrament may be gathered by the words of the form thereof. Five places there be which are specially anointed, in which the five senses are situated: 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 mean time the priest saith: Indulgeat tibi Dominus quicquid deliquisti per visum, auditum etc. Our Lord pardon or forgive thee in whatsoever thou hast sinned by sight, by hearing, and so of the rest: and because that prayer is the form of the Sacrament without all controversy it effectually worketh that which the words do sound and signify, unless there be some impediment on the behalf of the receiver.  
How great the bountifulness and mercy of our Lord God is in this Sacrament, he will soon found that shall consider with himself what a main multitude of sins do flow from these five fountains: and this was the occasion why Saint Malachy a Bishop of Ireland, whose life Saint Bernard wrote, after that for some hours he had delayed to minister this Sacrament of Extreme Unction to a certain noble woman that was sick, and she the mean time had departed out of this life, he so fare forth repent himself that with his priests he lay in the chamber of ●e dead woman all the night praying, ●d lamenting & imputing it to his own ●ult that the virtuous woman either had ●ot recovered by the virtue of Extreme Unction, or had not received that ample pardon of her sins from the liberal mercy of our loving Lord: and because this holy Bishop was the friend of God, by his prayers and tear●● 〈◊〉 obtained of him that the said woman should come again to life & receive from the hands of the same Saint, both the effects of this holy Unction, for she recovered her health & lived many years after; & as we may piously conjecture gained also the pardon of her sins. This example of so worthy a man, and of another most holy man faithfully related is enough to persuade all who with reason or authority will be persuaded how much they ought to esteem, this venerable Sacrament.   

CHAP. IX. Of the ninth Precept of this Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of the first tentation of the Devil, to wit, Heresy.  
WHEN our death draws near, our adversary the devil as a ro●ring lion is not wanting to himself, but swiftly approacheth as unto a prey, & with all his power assails the sick man in his last conflict, and he is wont to make his first assault with the tentation concerning faith, for the things which we believe do transcend not only our sense, but also natural reason, and faith itself the ground of our justification, and that being overthrown, all the building of our good works falleth down: this of all other tentations it most grievous, because we are to encounter with an Adversary not only most learned & subtle, but trained in this warfare from the beginning of the world. He it is that hath seduced all the heads or ringleaders of heretics, of whom not a ●w were excellent and very wise men: ●ell therefore doth the Apostle warn us: ●ur combat or conflict is not against flesh & blood: 
Ephes. 5.  ●hat is to say against men) but against the ●iritualls of wickedness, that are above, That is against the Devils which are spirits, most ●icked and crafty spirits, and see us, all from the air above called Coelum aëreum the airy heaven: our weapons in this battle are not disputations but simple belief of the truth, for so do the two chief Apostles teach us. S. Peter saith: 
Ephes. 6.  Your adversary the Devil goeth round about as a roaring lion ●eking whom he may devour, against whom make ●esistance being strong in saith: and Saint Paul. 
1. Pet. 6.  In all things taking the shield of faith 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 Devil, but with the shield of faith take all his darts and beat them back again, although they seem to be both fiery and burning, that is efficacious & subtle.  
There is a very dreadful example hereof in Peter Barocius Bishop of Milan, who wrote three books of the method of dying well: he his second book thus speaketh: Fuere quemadmodum audivi etc. Two there were as I have heard in their time most learned and of all others of th●● university in which they studied the chiefest disputers, both of good behaviour an● very devout, of which one of them after his death appeared unto the other at suc● time as he was in his library and studying of the holy Scriptures, and that all in bu●ning fire; the student a mighted at this spectacle, and ask what the cause shol● be of so great torment, the other wit● grief and sighs replied saying: when I was to departed out of this life the enemy o● mankind, to wit the Devil, came vn●● me, and for that he knew me to be we●● learned he began to ask me about m● faith what I did believe, I answered that 〈◊〉 believed whatsoever was contained in the Apostles Creed, he willed me to explicate somethings unto him which seemed not to be so clear, I did so, and that in such manner as I had read in the Creed of Athanasius, for I thought that they could not be more early, or more truly explicated. Then the Devil: It is not so as tho● dost surmise, for those things which belong to God the Father are in part plain and true, in part obscure and false, for 〈◊〉 indeed is eternal, but as he hath ever ●●ene God, so hath he not ever been a fa●●er, but first God, and after a Father; against this when that I cried out and said ●●at it was an heretical position, & diabolical doctrine, the Devil said this matter 〈◊〉 not to be decided by clamours but arguments if we be moved, with desire of finding out of truth. I can easily allege reason's for my opinion, as for your opinion defend it if you can, and then shall you deliver me from a great error: I poor wretch who presumed more on my wit ●nd learning than was fit, began seriously to dispute with him as with some ordinary man, till at length by little & little with the arguments that he objected against me, he drew me into that wicked error as now I neither believed the Son nor the holy Ghost to be God, presently death took my soul hence, and in what state it found it, in the same it presented it unto the judge, and by him I am adjudged unto this fire, which although most raging, yet in some sort I should think more tolerable if that after a thousand, thousand years it might have an end, but it is eternal and there withal so great tha● none whatsoever that ever hath been● seen in earth can match it, in so much 〈◊〉 almost every hour I repent me of my learning, which hath brought me to thi● dreadful destruction. And having th● spoken he vanished away: but the other exceedingly astonished as well for the novelty of the thing, a● with the miserab●● case of his damned friend, as soon as he recovered himself conferred with such as we●● his greatest friends touching this vision, & asked their counsel what they thought best in such a case to be done; and it w●● determined by them all, that every one a● such a time and occasion should without dispute refer himself to that faith which the Catholic Church doth maintain. Not long after he fell into a sickness whereof he died; when lo the same enemy emboldened with the success of the former dispute, asked him of his faith what he did believe, to whom he answered that he did believe that which the holy mother the Church did believe: again the Devil demanded what doth the Church believe, he answered: the same that I believe, and in this manner in the hearing of all that were present, as though ●e had spoken unto him he never ceased ●om saying, I believe what the Church ●●liueth, and the church believeth what I believe, until he gave up the ghost: and by this means deluding the subtlety of the enemy he passed into heaven. And a few days after he appeared unto his friends of whom before he had asked counsel what was to be done in such a case, in a fare different shape from that wherein his fellow before had appeared unto him, and he gave them thanks for that by their counsel he passed all difficultyes and arrived unto heaven; which things we have not thought amiss to set down as they happened, that so either out of fear by the misfortune of the one, or out of confidence by the good success of the other every one may learn that there is no disputing with the Devil, & that it is enough to refer himself to that faith which the Catholic Church doth teach & maintain. Hitherto Barocius, & I need not heerin say any more, than he already hath said.   

CHAP. X. Of the tenth Precept of the Art of ●●ing well, when our Death is near which is of the second tentatation of the Devil, to wit, of Desperation.  
ANOTHER tentation at this time wont to be touching Despair, b● which the Devil if often wont to trouble not only wicked men, but also such as be very virtuous: and truly as for wicked me● when their death is at hand, he easily casteth down into the pit of desperation, for he lays before their eyes all the offence which in the whole course of their life they have committed, as Venerable Bede in the fifth book of his history recounteth of a certain soldier in these words: Fuit quidam temporibus Coenredi, qui post Edilredum regnavit etc. There was one in the time of Coenred who reigned after Edilred, a lay man and by profession a soldier, who by how much the more grateful he was to the King for his exterior diligence, so much was he displeasing unto him for the interior negligence of himself, and therefore ●●e King carefully warned him that he ●ould confess his sins, that he would ●●mend & leave them, before that he were surprised by death, and before that it were ●●olate for him to repent and amend them, but the soldier notwithstanding his often admonitions despised all good counsel, and promised his Admonitours that afterwards he would do penance; in the mean time falling sick he lay on his bed, ●nd began to be tormented with great ●ayne: whom the King visiting (for he ●eerly esteemed him) did earnestly persuade him that now at last before he departed, that he would do penance for his sins: but he answered that he would not then confess them but would do it after that he were recovered, lest that his fellows should upbraid him and say that he had done that out of fear in his sickness which he would not do whiles he was in good health, speaking as he thought courageously, but indeed as after appeared miserably deluded by the Devil: for the sickness increasing when as the King came again to visit & admonish him, he forthwith with cried out with a pitiful voice, what will you now have? for what are you come hither? now there is no more salvation t● be hoped for; unto whom the Kin● said: speak not in this manner, see that now you lose not yourself. I am not ma● quoth he, but I have now my most wicked conscience before mine eyes; a little since there entered into my chamber too most beautiful young men, and they sat by me, one at my head and the other at my feet, and one of them took out a book very fair but wonderful little, and gave it me to read, and reading the same I found registered 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 darkness of his cloudy face, and for his preferment in sitting seemed to be chief, brought forth a book of a dreadful aspect, of an excessive greatness, and for weight almost importable, and commanded the same to be brought me to read by one of his guard, which when I had read I found all my wickedness and whatsoever I had offended in, not only in work and word, but also in my secretest thought to be written most clearly in ugly letters. Thus spoke this desperate wretch, and soon after died, and that penance which for a short time he omitted to do with the fruit and pardon of remission of his sins, he now without all fruit doth undergo in everlasting torments. Hitherto Saint Bede. Where evidently we see the Devil first to have persuaded this miserable soldier not to do penance under the precept of longer life, and then to have brought him into desperation.  
There is another example in the same Author in the next Chapter where thus he writeth. Novi ipse fratrem etc. 
Lib. 5. c. 1 historiae Angl.  I knew a brother whom I would to God I had not known, whose name also I could tell if the telling thereof would avail any thing, who was placed in a famous monastery though he lived infamously: this man being overtaken with sickness and brought even unto the point of death, called for the brethren of the monastery and with great dolour like a damned wretch began to tell them that he saw hell open, and the Devil drowned in the depth of the pit, & near unto him Caiphas and others that killed our Lord given over to those revenging flams: near also unto them, he said, Hour t● that I am, I see a place prepared for 〈◊〉 everlasting damnation: the Brethrens hearing this began earnestly to persuade him that yet whiles he was in his body he would repent; he utterly despairing answered, it is now to late to change my life, seeing that I have seen my judgement ended, & thus speaking without receiving the B. Sacrament he departed this life, and was buried in the utmost part of the monastery. So Saint Bede, and whereas this wretched Monk said there was now no time left to amend his life, he speak not that out of truth but out of the suggestion of the Devil, for the holy Ghost expressly pronounceth by the Prophet Ezechiel: 
●zechiel. ●. & 33.  that God is always ready to embrace such who are converted from sin to repentance: and more plainly S. Leo in his epistle to Theodorus Bishop of Forotulia in these words: To the mercy of God we can assign no measure or appoint any time, to whose presence a true conversion finds no delay, the spirit of God saying in the Prophet, when thou shalt lament thy sin, than thou shalt be saved.  
I will add an example or two more to show that virtuous men also at their passage out of this life are often tempted with the sin of desperation: there is extant in Surius the life of the Count Eleazarus who lived a Virgin with his wife Dalphina and shined after his most holy death with many miracles: this Count notwithstanding at his death endured most strong tentations, for thus writeth the Author of his life in the last Chapter: Ad extremum in agone positus etc. At last in the agony of death he shown a very dreadful look, whereby it might be conjectured that he was in perplexity for somethings that were objected unto him; & in this conflict he cried out, the power of the Devils is great, but the force and merits of the sacred incarnation and passion of jesus Christ hath broken and made weak their forces: and a little after cried out again; Planè vici. Now I have overcome: a little after that again with a strong cry he said: I do commit myself wholly unto the judgement of God, & so saying his countenance returned to the former wont, and graced with a fair red in his cheeks, with a splendour, and very much beauty he yielded up his soul unto God.  
There is another example much more dreadful than this in john Climacus who r●counteth that a certain very Venerable Monk called Stephen after that he had lived well near forty years in the wilderness, in fasting, watching, tears and prayers, being adorned with many virtues, he came at length to dye, and when in his last agony the Devils had found him guilty of many great crimes thereby to cast him into despair, he was suddenly amazed in mind, and his eyes being open with a loud voice he began to say sometimes thus: Ita sanè, revera ita est, sed poenitentia & lachrimis crimen dilui: It is just as you say, so indeed it is but with penance and tears I have washed away that spot: sometimes thus: Non estita, mentimini, it is not so, you do belly me, Then again: Verum loquimini, sed flevi, sed ministravi: you speak the truth but I have wept, I have served: in some other things he said: Verè me accusatis, & quid respondeam non habeo. You do truly charge me and I know not what to answer, and so died, leaving it in doubt whether he were saved or damned. These them & other the like examples do admonish us with all diligence to cleanse our conscience before that hour, that so we may not distrust in ●he mercy of our Lord.   

CHAP. XI. Of the eleventh Precept of the Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of the third tentation, that is of the hatred of God.  
OUR Adversary the Devil doth not only labour as much as he can to rob such as are to dye, of their faith and hope, to draw them into heresy & desperation, but also strives to separate the friends of God from his friendship and to draw them into his hatred, by blasphemies, & magical arts; these men for the most part neither fear death nor hell, persuading themselves that in hell they shall lead a merry life being now become the fellows of Devils, who reign 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 themselves have often confessed, that then the Devil seeketh for no more, or is busied in any other thing but in persuading them to remain obstinate even until death, y●● though they should be brought to the plac● of execution, and the fire should be kindled, promising them to deliver their bodies from the halter or fire, and to procure that they should feel no pains 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 pain, and so to pass without torment out of this life into the happiness of the next, that there they shallbe like the Devils themselves endued with as great strength knowledge, wealth, power, pleasure as the Devil himself is. So doth the lying Devil delude and deceive them.  
There is also another sort of these people who albeit they be not properly witches or magicians, yet are so blinded with the inordinate love of worldly wealth as that they differ very little from Infidels: 
●hes. 5. ●lloss. 3.  neither was it without cause that the Apostle called covetousness the worship of Idols, for that wealth is the Idol, the God, and all the love and delight of the covetous.  
Myself going one day to visit one that was sick & very near his death, when I began to speak unto him about the preparing of himself to die, he with stout courage and without all fear answered me and said: I have desired, Sir, to speak with you not for myself but for my wife and children; for I now hasten unto hell, so as you need not for me to trouble yourself any further. And this he spoke with as great a peace and quiet of mind as if he had talked of walking into the fields, or going to some town near at hand, for so fare forth had the Devil subdued & possessed his soul, as now it desired not, nay it would not be separated from him, and yet was this man no Magician or Necromancer, but practised an art which was very dangerous and wholly set upon gains whether by right or wrong: and thus he forgot not only God but also his own soul. The conclusion in fine was that having long laboured to reclaim him and draw him to a better mind, I could do nothing with him. Some perhaps will desire to know of what profession this man was, of which to the end his death may be a warning unto 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 do defend be just or wrong, a●d a● little do they care though the injure both parts, so that they may fill their own purses.  
And for that I am fallen into this matter, I will add this also: when on a time a very learned lawyer talked with me and explicated the equity of a certain cause, I breaking off his speech said: you seem 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 justice, but for my client, I am to make the best of the cause with I have taken upon me to defend, let the judge look how he pronounce the sentence and in favour of whom. I replied that in this matter I did not desire that he should believe me, but that he should believe Saint Thomas of Aquin a most learned, 
2. quaest. pert 3.  & most holy Doctor, who writeth in this manner: Respondeo, Dicendum etc. I answer, and conclude that it is unlawful for any man to cooperate either by counseling, helping, or consenting to do evil, because he who is the counsellor or cooperatour is in some sort also the doer: & the Apostle writing vn●● the Romans saith: that not only such as ●o sin ●●t such also as consent to the doers ●●e worthy of death, and hence followeth 〈◊〉 before hath been said, that all such are ●ound to restitution: but it is clear that ●he Lawyer, Attorney, or Advocate doth afford his client both help and counsel & therefore if wittingly he defend a wrong cause, doubtless he sinneth grievously and ●s bound to the restitution of whatsoever ●osse the other party hath incurred by his means, help, or assistance: if out of ignorance he do defend an unjust cause thinking it to be just, he is excused in such sort as ignorance can be excused. So fare Saint Thomas, and his Commentour Cardinal Caietan explicateth the last words of Saint Thomas saying: Qui omnino defendisset etc. He who had defended the cause whether it were just or unjust, although he know it not to be unjust doth plead unjustly 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 maintain be just or unjust, 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 Devil use it with in 〈…〉 only of hurting: for the Devil useth oftentimes to be present & to show himself i● most dreadful & ugly shape to such as a●● tody, that in case he be not able to deceive them yet, that thereby at least he may hinder their alacrity and fervour of prayer: so writeth Sulpitius of Saint Martin, to wit that the Devil appeared unto him when he was to dye, unto whom Saint Martin said What stands thou here for thou bloody beast? Thou shalt found no filth in me: and the venerable man Petrus Damianus, in the life of S. Odilo doth write that the Devil appeared to the same Saint in a most fearful shape a little before his death, of whom Saint Odilo is recounted to have spoken: In the hour of my departure in that corner (for he pointed as it were at the place with his finger) I saw a cruel & most dreadful shape which endeavoured to strike a horror and dread into me of a most monstrous vision, but Christ's 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 Devil appeared unto her when she was to dye in the form 
●2. April.  of a blackamoor, from whose a head and ●eard did drop down hot and liquid ●ytch his eyes were like burning iron that ●s taken out of the forge when it casts out many sparks, out of his mouth and nose issued forth a flame of fire, and a stinking vapour like unto brimstone.  
The cause why God permitteth holy men to be tempted with those fearful visions, is delivered by an Angel of our Lord in the life of Saint Aicardus to be seen in Surius, 
15. Sep●.  for whereas the Devil at a certain monastery was busy to get his prey, a holy Angel who was the Guardian Angel of that monastery said unto the devil. Thou shalt here have an employment fruitful for the monks, but not profitable for thee, for the Monks to cleanse their sins, for thee to confusion: and the devil replying, am I bound either to these or to any other Christians to further their salvation? The Angel answered in this thou art bound, because whatsoever is in them that is to be cut of, through the horror of thy vision shall be purged or made clean. And a little after the same Angel speaking of the devil said unto S. Aicardus: Be not afraid of him, he hath no power given him to hurt any in this family, but that only his ugly vision shall cast the beholders now ready to depart out of their bodies into a wholesome fear which shall take away whatsoever yet remaineth to be purged.   

CHAP. XII. Of the twelfth Precept of the Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of the first remedy against the Tentations of the Devil.  
WE have laid open in the former Chapters four 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 have the use of reason and can both hear and understand what is said unto them, the other is more general and common unto all, and it is most profitable, & secure.  
Concerning the first, if the tentation impugn the Catholic faith, it is no way convenient as before we said to dispute with the Devil: but in general such as be ●o tempted are to be advertised that if the tentation be touching the nature of God whom we are to believe to be one in substance, and three in person; the sick man is to be taught that he reflect with himself that there be many things created not only spiritual but also corporal of which we are ignorant; for most men will not be drawn easily to believe all the stars of the firmament to be greater than the whole world, and yet the mathematicians do easily demonstrate it to be most true: and in case this thing which is corporal be of many not understood who yet believe learned men that affirm the same, why will they not believe those things which God himself by his Apostles & Prophets hath revealed of his own nature, and by so many, so great signs and miracles hath confirmed the same?  
If the tentation be touching those things which we believe God to have done or still to do, as specially the transmutation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, the accidents of bread & wine remaining as before, diverse examples are to be alleged of innumerable thinger which we believe God to have done when as yet we are able to yield no reaso● hero● Who can conceive the whole world a● the only will and command of God to have been able to be made of nothing? And yet many do believe it, who yet cannot be brought to believe the mystery of the Blessed Eucharist? Who also (were it not warranted by di●ine authority) would believe the bodies of all dead men turned into ashes, or into dust, or devoured by beasts or changed into grass in a moment at the command of our Lord to rise again? And yet all Catholics believe this and confess it in their Creed, and the same believed the holy job before some thousands, 
job. 19  of years for he saith: I know that my Redeemer doth live, and in the last day I shall rise again out of the earth, and shall be clad again with my skin: out of these then and other wonderful works of God which f●r surpass our reach and capacity and are by the holy Catholic Church propounded for all to believe, we may be induced to believe the other, because the Church as testifieth the Apostle is: 
1. Tim. 3.  The pillar & foundation of Truth. These things and the like may be proposed unto such as are tempted about matters belonging unto faith.  
Such as are tempted about their hope, to them the greatness of God's mercy which is infinite and fare exceeding the number or greatness of all our sins, is to be explicated. Holy David saith in the psalm: Our Lord is gracious and merciful, 
Psal. 144.  he is patiented and very merciful, our Lord is good unto all and his mercies are over ●ll his works. Again he is to be put in mind of the propitiation or sacrifice to appease God's wrath offered up by the mediator of God & man Christ jesus upon the cross, of which S. john saith: He is the propitiation for our sins, & not for our●alon, 
1. joan. 2.  but also for the sins of the whole world. Thirdly the force of penance is to be laid open before him, which if it proceed from a heart truly contrite, it never hath any repulse from God, for the prophet most truly wrote: 
Psalm. 50.  God will not despise a contrite & humbled heart; Then also let such a one call to his remembrance the example of the prodigal child who had scarcely pronounced these words: Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee: when as presently the bowels of his loving Father were moved to compassion, and he cast himself on his son's arms, embraced 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 son that had been lost was now found again.  
Last of all the example of the Apostle S. Paul is to be proposed, who whiles yet he did persecute the Church was prevented by the grace of God and changed from a persecutor into a preacher, and this as the same Apostle writeth happened to him, that all sinners by his example might be converted, & no man though never so wicked might despair of the mercy of God: This is a faithful saying & worthy of all acceptance, that Christ jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the first or chief: but therefore have I obtained mercy that in me Christ jesus might show all his patience for the instruction of such as should hereafter believe in him to everlasting life.  
But such as are tempted with the most grievous tentation of all other, I mean with that which is against the love of God, and are provoked to hate him, and to love the Devil: First they are to be taught that the Devil is a liar: for thus said our Saviour of him: When the Devil speaketh a lie he speaketh of his own, because he is a liar, and Father of it: where these words, and Father of it, 
Tract. 41. in joan. hom. 42. in joan. Genes. 3.  do signify the Devil to be the Father of lies, as both Saint Augustine and Saint chrysostom do teach, for the Devil first before all other began to lie when he said unto Eve and by her unto Adam: nequaquam moriemini, you shall not dye: for God had said unto Adam, that he should not eat of the forbidden tree if he would never dye: on the other side the Devil said, that they should eat because they should not dye: therefore there is no credit to be given unto the Devil because he is a liar, and the Father of lies: again the Devil is already adjudged unto hell fire withal his complices, for thus God will speak unto the wicked at the day of judgement: Go ye accursed into hell fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels; they do therefore greatly err who submit themselves to the Devil hoping after death to rule and reign in hell with him, and there to have great wealth and all manner of pleasures; and finally it is clear by experience that all the promises of the Devil are deceitful: for hitherto there hath not been one found that ever I could hear of who hath ever received the great treasures which the Devil promised him, or being condemned by lawful authority to prison, or to the galleys, or to death, hath been able by his means ●o be delivered.  
These three things if they were seriously considered of such as desire their own salvation, perhaps there would be very few, or rather none at all that would ever presume to fall from him who is true God, & truly most powerful, most wise most good, to the devil most lying, most beggarly, most miserable.  
Of the fourth tentation we need not speak seeing that it hath evidently been showed that this tentation is not so hurtful as healthful unto such as do dye; or if any desire a remedy out of the Scriptures to be able the better to bear & endure the same, let him lest that horrible spectacle doth last, either read or cause to be read unto him the six & twentith psalm, which beginneth thus, Dominus illuminatio mea & salus mea quem timebo? Our Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom shall I fear?   

CHAP. XIII. Of the thirteenth Precept of this Art of dying well, when our Death is near, which is of the second remedy against the tentation of the Devil.  
WE have dispatched the first remedy against the particular assaults of the Devil, now we will explicat the second which is common to all tentations: this great and sovereign remedy consisteth in prayers made unto God whether the sick man be able to pray for himself, or whether others pray for him, or whether both the one, and the other, that is the prayer of the sick man, and prayers of such as shall then be about him be united jointly together, for certain it is the prayers of such as fear God to be of great force, especially seeing that we know for certain that the Devil can no further tempt us than it shall please God to permit him, for like a roaring lion, or mad dog he is bound with an iron chain, and can not bite at his pleasure, but as far forth as God who with his Almighty hand doth govern the same cnayne, permit him t● bite. This we have in Saint Augustine expounding these words of the psalm: 
Psal. 34.  Di● animae meae salus tua ego sum: Say unto my soul I am thy salvation: where alleging the example of job thus he writeth: Ostendit hoc Deus etc. This doth G●d show in the true cause of that holy job, because the devil himself hath no power to take away these temporal things until he have received it from that supreme power: he could envy at the holy man, but could he hurt him? He could accuse him, but cold he condemn him? Was he able to take any thing from him? Was he able to take so much as one nail of his hands or feet? Can he hurt the least hair of his head, until he said unto God: Mitte manum tuam, extend thy hand? What is meant by this speech extend thy hand? Give me power: well; he received 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 Devil to take all away from the Saint; he interiorly left not his servant, but made the soul of his servant a sword to subdue the Devil him●elfe. What power is this? I speak of man: ●or man in Paradise is overcome, and job, overcometh on the dunghill: in Paradise man was overcome of the Devil by the woman; here job overcame the Devil and the woman together.  
The same thing which Saint Augustine teathe to wit that the Devil can do no more than God permitteth him, S. Antony, and S. Francis have taught us by their examples, of the former thus speaketh Saint Athanasius who wrote his life: Antonius multitudine daemoniorum vallatus etc. Antony being environed with a multitude of devils as one that scorned his enemies, said unto them, if that you had any strength one were enough for the combat, but for that God having weakened you, your strength is lost, and you strive by multitudes to cast us into fear, whereas this very attempt is a great sign of weakness, because you take upon you the shapes of unreasonable beasts: again with great confidence he said; if you be able to do any thing, if our Lord hath given you power over me, devour what is granted you; and if you cannot, why do you lose your labour in vain? The sign of the Cross, and faith towards our Lord is an impregnable bulwark fo● our defence.  
Saint Bonaventure relateth almost the very same of Saint Francis saying: Loca solitaria quaerens etc. 
In vita ca 10.  Seeking for solitary places, to them and to forlorn Churches he went in the night time to pray, where he oftentimes endured most horrible assaults of the Devils, who sensibly contending with him laboured to hinder his earnest desire of prayer; but he defended with heavenly armour, by how much more strongly he was assailed by his enemies, by so much the more strong was he & more fervent in his actions; confidently saying unto Christ, protect me under the shadow of thy wings, from the face of the wicked that have afflicted me: and then to the devils he said, do what you can against me you wicked and deceitful fiends: for you can do no more than the hand of God permitts you, and I stand here ready with all comfort and joy to suffer whatsoever he hath determined to be inflicted: which courage of mind the proud devils not enduring departed with confusion. S● he. And this firm and sure foundation being laid, that the devil can do no more than that God permits him, it cannot be doubted of, but that a fervent prayer made unto God, either by the sick man, or standers by or all together is of great force in this behalf especially if such as pray be in God's friendship & favour.  
There is a most notable example of this thing in Saint Gregory who affirmeth this example to have happened in his own monastery and saith, that he had spoken thereof in a sermon to the people: these are his words: Is de quo etc. 
4. Dialog Cap. 37.  He of whom I remember to have made mention in my homilies made before the people was a very unquiet child, his name was Theodorus, who more out of necessity than any desire entered with his brother into our monastery, to whom every thing seemed troublesome which any did speak unto him for his salvation, for the things that were good he could not only not do, but neither could he endure to hear them, & by swearing, fretting, and scoffing, protested that he would never take the habit of the holy rule: in the last contagious sickness which took away no small part part of the people of this City; the infection took him about his groin, 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 utter parts was dead, and the vital heat did only pant within his breast, all the brethren began so much the more earnestly to pray for him, by how much they saw his end more and more to hasten: then on a sudden he began to cry out to the brethren there present, and with great noise to break of their prayers, or at least to hinder them saying: depart, departed, behold I am given over to a dragon to be devoured who for that you are present cannot devour me: he hath taken in my head into his mouth, depart I pray that he may torment me no more, but let him do that he is come for; if I be given over to him to be devoured why for your sake do I stay? The brethren began to say unto him: what is that thou sayest brother? Make the sign of the holy Cross: he answered saying I would sign myself, but I am not able because I am pressed down with the scales of this dragon: when the brethren  
lasting happiness, when as no man can fall away from that happiness, but he must fall into the gulf of endless perdition.  
To conceive this matter the better as being of greatest importance I have thought it expedient briefly to ponder the words of Saint Paul in his second epistle to the Corinthians: Id enim quod in praesenti est momentanem etc. 
2. Cor. 4.  For our tribulation which in this life is momentary and light, worketh in us above measure on high an everlasting weight of glory, we not contemplating the things that are seen, but which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, the things which are not seen eterna●●. These Apostolical and golden words to a spiritual man are most easy and plain, and out of them alone without al● difficulty he learns the art of living, and the art of dying well: but to a carnal & sensual man, they are as obscure as any Cymmerian darkness, and sound as the Hebrew or Arabic tongues do to one who knoweth no other but the Latyn or Greek.  
A spiritual man gathereth out of these words the tribulations of this life although most grievous, endured & born fo● the love of God to be most light, and most short, albeit they should last for many years, because whatsoever hath an end cannot be properly said to be of long continuance; and the same tribulations to merit before God so great riches as that an unmeasurable & ever during treasure of glory, and all good things is purchased by them; out of which all men of capacity may see that these tribulations are not to be feared, but we are to fear our sins, neither are temporal emoluments to be much regarded, but eternal only. And hence it followeth that men are to live well on earth, that they may happily reign in heaven, and consequently live & die most securely.  
But sensual men, that have no spirit, who in words say that they believe the words of the Scripture, and deny it in deeds, they do plainly pervert the words of the Apostle, and say, if not with their tongue, yet in their heart, that poverty, ignorance, ignominy, injuries, tribulations are most grievous, & therefore with all care to be avoided, prevented, & repelled; albeit they should for that end lie, deceive, commit murder, offend God, and afterwards go to hell fir●●or say these men, who knoweth whether any where there be a hell? Or who hath ever seen this eternal weight of glory? But we found by experience, we know for certain, yea we feel with our hands poverty, ignominy and injuries to be ill. Thus doth the world and such as are of the world not deliver in words, but testify in their actions, and this is the cause why the greatest part of men do live ill, and dye most miserably.  
And to allege an example or two of the bad death of the damned, we have in the fourth book of S. Gregoryes Dialogues, the example of one Crisorius, who being one of them whom I now described, a politic fellow, wise, and in worldly affairs very practical, but withal as S. Gregory noteth very proud, and covetous; this man being now come to the end of his life, opening his eyes saw most filthy and ugly spirits to stand before him, & to draw near that they might take him away perforce, and carry him into hell; the poor man began to tremble, to wax pale, and with lo●d cries to ask for respite, crying and saying: Inducias vel vsq●●ane, inducias vel usque mane: reseit 〈◊〉 till to morrow, respite but till to morrow, and whiles he thus cried, even in the very speaking his soul was taken away from his body: by which it is most clear that he saw that vision for our instruction that it might be a warning to us, seeing that in respect of himself it was nothing available. And this usually happeneth unto such as differ or delay their amendment until the last hour of their life, and of this number are they to be reckoned who as Saint Gregory saith in the beginning of his fourth book, do not easily believe any thing that they do not see with their eyes, or if they believe, they do not believe as they should, by reforming their lives to the prescript of virtue.  
Another example is in the same place where Saint Gregory writeth of a Monk that was an Hypocrite, who was thought to fast whiles in the mea●e tym he did secretly eat and drink: and the same Saint affirmeth the said Monk to be damned in hell fire, for he acknowledged his sin but did no penance for it: for God on the one side would have his Hypocrisy detected, and on the other gave him not grace to repent, that oth●●●ay learn not to delay their confession ●●pe●nance until the end of their life. But not to stay longer in discoursing of such who through their own negligence have not learned the art of living well & therefore have miscarried in their ends; I return to the words of S. Paul which are very full of mysteries & most wholesome documents.  
First it is good to note how far the Apostle doth extenuate his own merits, and labours endured for Christ, and extolleth the glory of the Kingdom of heaven which is the reward of our merits: That (saith he) of our tribulation is momentary and light, this is the extenuation of his merits. The Apostle with all possible endeavour had laboured almost forty years, for when he was called by a voice from heaven unto 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 laid their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul. He lived a Christian even unto his old age, for so he writeth of himself unto Philemon: cùm sis sicut Paulus senex, seeing th●● ar● like Paul an old ●an, & therefore he kotowed his youth, his middle and old age in the service of Christ, and yet h● sayeth, that his tribulations which were continual without intermission, from his conversion until his Martyrdom, were out momentary: and what he saith is true, if his tribulations be compared unto the eternity of everlasting felicity, though in respect of our time they dured for a long while.  
To the shortness he addeth their lightness: Momentaneum & leave tribulationis nostrae; And yet how shar● and cruel his tribulations were, himself declareth when in the first to the Corinthians he saith: 
1. Cor. 4.  Vsque in hanc horam etc. Even unto this hour we hunger and thirst, are naked and are beaten or buffeted with fists, and have no place of abode and labour with our own hands; we are cursed, and we bless; we suffer persecution, and endure it; we are blasphemed and we entreat, we are made as it were the filth of the world and the scum of all even until this present time: and in his other Epistle unto the same Corinthians he addeth further: 
2. Cor. 11.  In laboribus plurimis etc. In very many labours, in prisons more often, in strips above measure, in deaths often, of the jews five ●●●es had I forty lashes save one, thrice was I beaten with rodds, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, night & day I was in the depth of the sea, often in travel, in dangers of waters, in dangers of thiefs, in dangers by mine own countrymen, in dangers by Gentiles, in dangers in the city in dangers in the wilderness, 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 nakedness. These are the tribulations which he calleth light, which although in themselues most heavy yet the love of Christ & greatness of reward made them worthily to seem most light.  
The Apostle annexeth the greatness of reward saying: that this momentary tribulation worketh in us on high the everlasting weight of glory; where after the manner of holy Scripture which accommodates itself to our capacity, the Apostle describeth the reward of our labours by the similitude of the greatness of some corporal thing: for a corporal thing is then said to be great when it is hig●, permanent, large, and deep: of the height of the glory of Saints he saith, above measure in height, that is, the reward of ou● labours shallbe above measure high, in so much as no height can be conceived greater; of the durance or length he saith aeternum eternal, to wit, it shall have no end, in comparison whereof all durance is most short and may be termed momentary; of the largeness and depth he saith, the weight of glory; the name of glory signifieth the blessedness of Saints to be like unto splendour or light which is spread abroad and filleth all things: the word weight signifieth the depth of some  and full thing, and which is not superficial and empty, but most solid, most full. The glory then of the Saints shall be a certain thing above all manner and measure high, it shall be eternal, most solid, most full, most happy.  
And for that sensual men conceive not these things, the inhabitants I mean of this world, the Apostle added: we not beholding the things that are seen, but the things that are not seen, for the things that are seen are temporal, the things which are not seen eternal: this is the entiere, and true cause why so few do learn this art we treat of, fo● either men do not at all think, or else think not seriously as they should on these things which are not seen and are eternal, but are altogether busied in considering the beauty and utility of corporal and transitory things which are seen with their mortal 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 things to come which are eternal: but carnal and sensual men do not think or consider things to come and eternal, because they being taken and tied with the birdlime of carnal concupiscence will not lift up their minds from their present delights, and direct it to things to come which alone are truly great, precious, everlasting: and this much of the first consideration of the words of S. Paul.  
Another consideration no less profitable and fruitful is peculiar for them that already have descended into the pit of perdition, for they whose eyes of their soul, the smart of torments which they endure, hath opened, which in this life sin had shut; they I say do now manifestly perceive the prosperities of this world, as riches, honours, delights, Kingdoms, and Empires in respect of their ever during, never ending torments, to have been both momentary and light, and yet for the att●yning of them they are not only thus punished, but have also lost unspeakable joy, and everlasting glory, for which cause they shall still with excessive grief lament, and shall find no comfort, because whiles they lived on earth they were such fools as for so frail and transitory things, not indeed good but the shadows rather of good things, to lose these heavenly riches, which have above measure in height the everlasting weight or poise also of glory.  
Let us hear their words in the book of wisdom for it pleased the holy Ghost in that book to set down the speeches of these fools, nothing at all available to the speakers, but unto us if we will ourselves they may be very fruitful and profitable: thus they speak: Ergo eravimus à via veritatis, & iustitiae lu●en non luxit nobis &c We have erred therefore from the way o● truth, and the light of justice hath not shined unto us: we are wearied in the way of iniquity & perdition, and we have walked hard ways, but we have not known the way of our Lord: what hath pride availed us, or what hath the vaunting of our riches yielded us? All these things have passed away like a shadow, and as a forerunning messenger, and as a ship that passeth over the waving water, whereof when it is passed no sign can be seen, and like a bird that flieth through air, of whose passage there is no mark or token. So the wise man. Out of which we do not only perceive that sensual men are to do penance in hell for that for this small & temporal trash they have lost infinite great and eternal wealth, but also for that they have so much laboured and wearied themselves in pursuying and preserving these temporal commodities, which is most true: & often it falls out that such as contemn all earthly things do live more merrily & cheerfully then those who abound with all wealth and honour.  
Truly Saint Paul whose words we endeavoured to explicate, saith of himself, Repletus sum consolation, super abundo gaudio in omni tribulatione nostra. 
2. Cor. 7.  I am filled with comfort, I do over abound with joy in all our tribulation. Saint Athanasius in the life of Saint Anthony who had left all, writeth; that he was never seen to be sad: and the same may be said of all the Saints, although most poor and labouring perpetually in prayer, in fasting, & mortification of their own flesh: and therefore they who for the gaining and getting of worldly riches are not afraid to lose eternal, they do only altogether lose the later, but for the most part they lose their internal comfort and joy; and so whiles they seek for earthly happiness, they lose both earthly and heavenly together.  
Is it not therefore expedient that we who are yet living should learn to be wise by the example of such as have gone before us? truly if when we make a journey one should tell us that the way we took did not lead unto the place where we meant to go, but to a dangerous downfall or den of thiefs; there is no man but would thank his admonisher, and presently put himself into the right way: and if we have so great care in a corporal and temporal danger, truly it is meet that much more willingly and cheerfully we do the same where the danger is both corporal and spiritual, temporal & everlasting.  
Lastly there remaineth a consideration for these men who are so carnal & sensual that they esteem not the loss of eternal life, and that glory which surpasseth all understanding: these men are to be warned that in case they esteem not the glory of heaven which they never saw; at least they contemn not the fire & brimstone and other corporal punishments which they know, and which in hell are found to be most outrageous: truly carnal pleasure which in this life is light and momentary doth work in the wicked above measure an everlasting weight of misery. And truly our Lord & Saviour Christ in the last day in few words will make this evident, saying: go ye accursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil & his Angels.  
But S. john i● his Apocalypse hath expressed more fully what manner o● torments are prepared for the Devil and his Angels & for men circumvented & seduced by these Apostata spirits of the Devil Prince of the wicked: thus we read in the Apocalypses: 
Apoc. 20.  Et Diabolus etc. And the Devil 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 ever: & in the next Chap. of others condemned to hell he saith: 
Cap. 21.  to the fearful & unbelieving, and to the execrable & murderers, & fornicators and sorcerers & idolaters, & all liars, their part shallbe 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 & clear. S. john calleth the fearful, those who dare not resist the tempter be he Devil or man, but presently yield and consent to the tentatation; to such S. james saith: resistite Diabolo & fugiet à vo●is, resist the Devil & he will fly from you, & there are not a few but rather innumerable who have not learned to fight in our Lord's warfare, but without all resistance receive the wounds of the Devil, & die the first death which is deadly sin, & because they are fearful also in doing penance, whiles they dare not chastise their body & bring it in subjection, they fall upon the second death which is hell: & therefore S. john put the fearful in the first place, because this timidity draws infinite men into hell.  
What here will carnal men say? For that all temporale moluments whatsoever are momentary & light, we have all learned by our own and other men's experience: that the torments of hell fire are most weighty & to endure for ever, the holy Scriptures, in which no falsity can be contained, do clearly testify. Out of which it followeth that the total sum of this Art of dying well is, that which is comprised in the three ensuing propositions, or which is evinced in the syllogism following in the next, and last Chapter of this book.   

CHAP. XVII. The Sum, 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 everlasting, for greatness without measure: therefore they are fools who contemn the comfort & tribulation of the next life. The first proposition of this argument is clear by experience, the assumption is more clear in the Scriptures which are penned by the holy Ghost; the conclusion followeth inevitably out of them both; if then any one will easily and soon learn this art, let him not content himself with the reading of this or the like books, but let him attentively consider not once but often, not of curiosity to learn, but out of sincere intention to live and dye well what distance there is between momentary things and everlasting, between things 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 mind the examples of such as have been before us, whether by good life they came to a good end, or by their i'll behaviour have everlastingly perished; & to case him of the labour of seeking after examples, I will help him to three pair of them, one of Kings, one of private men, & the last pair of Clergy men; and all these I will take out of the holy Scripture.  
The first shall be of Saul and David. Saul whiles that he was a private man, & poor, was so honest and good as that the Scripture testifieth there was not a better than he amongst the children of Israel: being made King he changed his behaviour, 
1. Reg. 9  in so much as there was not found a worse than he: for he persecuted David who was innocent even unto death, and that for no other cause, but for that he suspected that David should be a King & reign after him: and when he had reigned 20. years he was slain in war & descended to hell. David a faithful and virtuous man, after a long persecution procured by Saul, was declared King, and for forty years reigned & governed his Kingdom most prudently and justly, in which time he endured many tribulations, & at length rested in peace.  
Now let us compare together the comforts and tribulations of them both, & see whether of them had better learned the art of living & dying well. Saul lest he lived had not that clear and perfect delight, which yet of all others is wont to be greatest in Kings, and men of supreme authority, whiles he swayed the sceptre, & that for the great hatred wherewith he pursued David, & therefore he tasted not in the twenty years of his reign the sweetness of his crown without the gall of envy: those years being expired all the pleasure of this life left him, and there succeeded a perfect, and everlasting calamity: and now for the space well near of two thousand threescore & ten years, his chiefest part to wit his soul, liveth in unspeakable torments, & that which is more miserable these torments are to endure for ever. David on the other side lived 70. years and reigned of that number forty, and although he tasted of tribulations, and these neither few nor small, yet found he very frequent & singular comforts out of the revelations he had from God which he expressed in his most sweet and heavenly psalms, & after his death descended not into torments but with the holy Fathers into repose, & the bosom of Abraham, and after the resurrection of our Saviour, he ascended with Christ into the everlasting Kingdom of heaven.  
Let the Reader now judge whether the passage of the wicked from their body be not most miserable; although it be of Kings, and Emperors, and the passage of the just most happy be it also either of Kings or Emperors. Saul as I said reigned twenty years and now after his death for two thousand years and more hath remained without all rest in hell fire: what comparison (dear Christian) is there between twenty and two thousand years? who would desire to have twenty years of all possible and perfect pleasure in this life, if for certain he should know that for the same he should remain two thousand years in a burning furnace? And is there any so senseless who would undergo the greatest torment that can be devised, I say not for two thousand but two hundred years, that he might here enjoy never so great pleasure? Wha● if hereunto I should add the torment of hell which is not to endure for two thousand years only, but for ever 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 even an iron heart, or brazen breast to stoop and do penance. And the same consideration may the reader apply unto David, and weigh as it were in a balance his tribulation which was momentary and light, with that eminent and everlasting glory and pleasure, which the same King now after his death attained in heaven; although the torments of hell use more to move us then the joys of paradise.  
The second example shallbe 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 silk, and feasted every day sumptuously. Lazarus on the other side was a beggar & lay sick at the gate of the glutton full of sores, and desired to b● fed with the crumbs which fell f●●m the rich man's table, & no man did give them: but a little after all these things were changed and turned upside down: the rich ●lutton died and descended into hell: La●arus also died & was carried by the Angels into a place of rest, to wit, into the ●osome of Abraham. And truly the Glutton ●fter a very short comfort began to be tormented in the infernal flames, and ●here now is tormented, and for ever shall ●e without all rest or stop. Lazarus being ●oore, patiented, and virtuous, after a short tribulation passed unto rest in the bosom of Abraham, and after the resurrection of Christ entered into heaven, where for ever he shall remain in glory. Certainly had we lived at that time few or none of us would have desired to be like Lazarus, but all or the most part had desired to be like the rich Glutton, and yet now all of us do esteem Lazarus to be most happy, and the Glutton most miserable: why then do we not now whiles the choice is in our hands choose the virtue of Lazarus rather than the vices of the glutton? I say not that riches are to be condemned, seeing that Abraham, David, and many other Sa●●ts were rich, but gluttony, riot, vanity ●ant of compassion, and other vices which brought this Glutton unto hell fire are to be condemned: neither do we only look on the poverty and sores of Lazarus, but we commend his patience & piety although that this be much more to be admired in us, 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 unto him in torments, as they have been like him in their vicious life and wicked courses  
The third example that remaineth is of judas the traitor and S. Mathias, 
〈…〉 1. 〈…〉  who succeeded the said judas in the Apostleship. judas was unhappy in this world, & most unhappy in the next; 
〈…〉 ●ra  three years he followed our Saviour, still labouring by sacrilegious theft to fill his purse; not contented with that money which he took for himself out of the common allowance, but the infection of covetousness pricking him forward he came at last to that point as he sold his Lord and master, but afterwards being driven by the devil into despair, he restored the money, and hanged himself, & so lost both tempora● & everlasting life: & therefore our S●●●our pronounced that dreadful sentence of him: It had been good for him that he had never been born. S. Mathias w●● succeeded him, 
Matth. 2  that is to say was chosen in his place, endured a momentary labour & trouble not without great abonndance of heavenly delights; & now all his labour & trouble being ended he reigneth most happily with Christ in heaven, whom most faithfully he served & honoured upon earth.  
This comparison of judas with S. Mathias pertaineth unto Bishops & religious men. judas was an Apostle & consequent●● designed to be Bishop, for of judas and S Mathias S. Peter interpreted these words of the psalm, Let another taken his Bishopric; & the same judas is to be reckoned among the religious, because S. Peter said of all the Apostles: Behold we have left all & have followed thee, what shall we have for the same? judas then of all others most unfortunate, after he had fallen down from the sovereign state of perfection, by restoring the money he lost that little gain which he had so il gotten, & making himself his own hangman, is now damned to endless punishment; who may be an example unto all Bishops & religious men to look about them, & see how th●●alke, & what danger hangs over their h●●ds unless by good life they be answerable to the perfection of their sta● unto which God h● 〈◊〉 called them: for Sa● & the Glutton departed by death from the temporal felicity, & came into endless mis●ry: judas had no temporal felicity at all, bu● the shadow only & hope of felicity, & y●● by killing himself he came to everlasting damnation & that more grievous than th● o●her, either Saul I mean or the glutton. An● in case that judas had enriched himself a●●●● all men of the world, & yet had afte●●on to eternal poverty, & endless 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 words of the Apostle, remain most firm & vncontroled. Our tribulation which now is but for a moment & light, worketh above measure, most eminently, an everlasting weight of glory in us: we not looking at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen: for the things that are seen are Temporal, but the things which are not seen are Eternal   
FINIS