Of the seaven last vvordes spoken by Christ vpon the crosse, two bookes. Written in Latin by the most illustrious cardinall Bellarmine, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by A.B.

Of the third fruite of the second Word. CHAP. VII.

THe third fruit of the same Sen∣tence of our Lord may be gathe∣red from that, if one will consider, that ther were three Persons crucified in the same place, & at the same houre: One, that was Innocent (to wit, Christ) an other Penitent, the good Thiefe; the third, obstinate and obdurate in his sinnes, the bad Thiefe. Or otherwise we may say, There were three Per∣sons crucified at one time; Christ, who was euer excellētly good; One Thiefe, euer notoriously wicked; Another Thiefe, who was sometimes wicked, sometymes holy. From this now vve may inferre, that no man in this life can liue without his Crosse, and that those labour in vaine, vvho hope and endeauour to auoyde the same; but those are wise, who receaue their Crosse from ••he hand of our Lord, & do suffer the same euen till death, not only pati••ntly, but also resignedly and ••••llingly.

That all good and Vertuous men are to haue their Crosses, appeareth from those words of our Lord: Math. 16. Yf any man will come after me, let him deny himselfe, and take vp his Crosse, and follow me. And in another place: He that doth not beare his Crosse, and come after me, cannot be my Disci∣ple. Luc. 14. The which point the Apo∣stle clearely teacheth, saying, 2. Tim 3. All who will liue godly in Christ Iesus, shall suffer persecution. To whom are concordant the holy Fathers, both La∣tin, and Greeke. For greater breuity I will insist only in two. S. Austin who writeth: Vita ista &c. This life is a litle Tribulation; Yf it be not a tribulation, it is not a peregrination; but if it be a pe∣regrination, either thou litle louest thy Country, or without doubt thou suffe∣rest Tribulation. in Psal. 137. And the same Father in another place: Si putas te &c. If thou be persuaded, that as yet thou hast suffered no tribulation, then thou hast not begun to be a Christian, in Psal. 11.

S. Iohn Chrysostome thus accordeth with the former Father: A Christiani vita &c. Tribulation is an indissolu∣ble bond from the life of a Christian,

hom 67. ad Pop. And againe: Non potest dicere &c. Thou canst not alledge any one, who is exempt from tribulation, be∣cause he is Iust. hom. 29. in Ep. ad Heb. To conclude, the force of Reason ma∣nifestly euicteth this point. Things cō∣trary without a mutuall concertation and fight cannot stand togeather. Fier and Water, so long as they remayne in seuerall & remote places, rest quiet, and without iarring; But when they meet together, then instantly the Wa∣ter begins to euaporate and send forth smoke, to leape (as it were) and to make a noyse, vntill either the water be spent and consumed, or the fire ex∣tinguished. Ecclesiasticus sayth, cap. 33. Contra malum, bonum est; contra mor∣tem, vira; Sic & contra virum iustum, Peccator. Against Euill, is good; against death, Lyfe, so also against ••••iust man, is a sinner. Iust men are like to fire; they shyne, they burne, they ascend high, & whatsoeuer they do, they do it effica∣ciously, vigorously, and sparkily: Bu•• the Iniust resemble Water, they are could, they ••••de vpon the earth, cau∣sing in euery place dirt & filth. What vvonder then is it, if all good men do suffer persecution at the hands of the

Wicked? But because euen to the con∣summation of the World, the wheate and the Darnell shall grow in the same fi••ld; the chaffe and the Corne in the same Barne; good and bad Fish in the same Net; that is, Vertuous & wicked men not only in the same World, but euen in the same Church; therefore it cannot be otherwise, but that vertuous and holy men shall receaue from the wicked and impious, Iniuries, and Tribulations.

But neither the wicked do liue in this world, voyde and exempt from the Crosse. For although they do not suffer persecution from the Iust; yet they do suffer from other wicked men; they suffer from their owne Vices; they suffer from a guilty and selfe tor∣menting Conscience. Certainly the most wise Salomon, who was thought and reputed most happy (if any man could so be) could not deny, but that he suffered his Crosse, when he said: Vidi in omnibus &c. I saw in all things Va∣nity and affliction of mynd. And a litle after: I haue beene weary of my lyfe, seing all things vnder the sunne to be euill, and ••ll things Vanity, and affli∣ction of spirit. Eccl 3 And Ecclesiasti∣cus

also cap. 40. (a man very wise) hath deliuered this generall Sentence: Great Busines and trauell is created to all men, and an heauy yoke vpon the children of Adam. S. Austin sayth: In∣ter omnes tribulationes &c. Among all Tribulations not any is greater, then the Conscience of a mans sinnes. in Psal. 45. S. Chrysostome in his 3. Homily vpon Lazarus, teacheth, that the wicked do not want their Crosses. For if he be poore, Pouerty is to him a Crosse; if Pouerty be absent, then his owne vn∣bridled Cōcupiscence doth afflict him more vehemently; Yf he keep his bed for any disease, he lyeth vpon a Crosse; if he be free from diseases and infirmi∣ties of the Body, then is he inflamed with anger, which also is a Crosse.

But S. Cyprian demonstrateth, that euery man euen from his natiuity is borne to his Crosse, and to tribula∣tion; and that he doth fortell & pre∣sage the same by his weeping, as soone as he is borne; For thus that Father writeth, serm. de patientia. Vnusquis∣que nostrum &c. Euery one of vs, when he is borne, & receaued into the World, taketh his beginning from teares; And although as yet he be ignorant of all

things, he knoweth no other thing euen at his first birth and natiuity, then to weepe; through a naturall prouidence he bewaileth the anxieties and labours of a mortall life; and the poore ignorant soule presently in the beginning doth protest, and foretell with lamentation and crying, the stormes of the world, in∣to the which he is ready to enter and suffer. Thus S. Cyprian. Since then these things are so certaine, who can deny, but that the Crosse is common both to good and euill men?

It yet remaineth to make it eui∣dēt, that the Crosse of vertuous men is ••••ort, light, and profitable; and con∣tinually the Crosse of the wicked, hea∣uy, barren, and continuall. And tou∣ching the Crosse of Godly men; That it is short it cannot be denied, seing it cannot be extended beyond the terme or tyme of this lyfe. For iust men dy∣ing: Now sayth the spirit, they rest from their labours. Apoc. 14. And that, God shall wype away all teares, from their Eyes. Apoc. 21. That this present lyfe is most short, though whiles it is flowing avvay, it seemes long and tedious, the sacred Scripture doth not obscurely signify, when it sayth: Iob. 14. Breues

dies hominis sunt &c The dayes of man are short; and man borne of a Woman, liuing a short tyme. And yet more: What is your lyfe? It is a vapour ap¦pearing a litle while, and after it shall vanish away. The Apostle, who may be thought to haue suffered a most heauy Crosse, and this for a long time; to wit, from his youth vnto his old age, yet doth thus speake hereof: 2. Cor. 4. Our tribulation, which is mo∣mentarie and light, worketh aboue mea∣sure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs. Where he compareth his tribulation (suffered aboue thirty yea∣res) to an indiuisible moment of time; and he styles it but a small tribulation; to wit, to be hungry, to be thirsty, to be naked, to be stroken and buffeted, to suffer a daily persecution; to be thrice beatē with roddes by the Roma∣nes; fiue times to be whipped by the Iewes; to be once stoned; to suffer ship∣wrack thrice; To conclude, to be con∣uersant in many labours, to be much in prison, subiect aboue measure to stroks and wounds, and to be often at the pit-brimme of death.

Now what Tribulations are to be accounted heauy, if these of the Apo∣stle

be truly light and easy? But what If I should add & auer that the Crosse of lust men it not only light, but sweet and pleasant, in regard of the supera∣bundant cōsolation of the Holy Ghost, accompaning it? Christ himselfe thus pronounceth of his yoake, which may be said to be a Crosse: Matth 11. My yoake is sweete, and my burden light. And in another place: You shall weepe and lament, but the world shall reioyce; you shalbe made sorrowfull, but your sorrow shalbe turned into ioy; and your ioy no man shall take from you. Ioan. 16. And the Apostle crieth out: I am replenished with all Consolation, I do exceedingly abound in ioy, in all our Tribulation. 2. Cor. 7. To conclude, that the Crosse of the Iust, is not only short and light, but also fruitfull and most profitable, it cannot be denied, since our Lord plainly thus speak••th in S. Mathew cap. 5. Blessed are they, that suffer persecution for Iustice, for theirs is the kingdome of Heauen. And the A∣postle in his Epistle to the Romans. cap. 8. bursteth out, saying: The Pas∣sions of this tyme, are not condigne to the glory so come, that shalbe reuealed in vs. With whome agreeth his Co••∣postle

S. Peter, when he sayth: Commu∣nicating with the Passions of Christ, be glad, that in the reuelation also of his glory, you may be glad, reioycing. 1. Pet. 6.

Now that the Crosse of the wicked is most tedious, most heauy, and de∣priued of all reward or fruit, is easily demonstrated. Certainly the Crosse of the wicked Theefe ended not with his temporall life, but continueth euen to this day in Hell, and shall continue for all Eternity; for the worme of the Wicked (in Hell) shall not dye, and their fire shall not be extinguished. And the Crosse of the Rich Glutton, which consisted in heaping together of Riches (the which our Lord most truly compared to thornes) was not ended in his death, as the Crosse of Lazarus the poore beggar was; but accompanying him euen to Hell, doth burne, and torment him, and forceth him to say: I would to God, that a drop of Water might coole my tongue, be∣cause I am tormented in this flame. Thus we see, that the Crosse of the wicked neuer findeth end. And in this very time and life, how heauy and sharpe their Crosse is, the words of

them, whom the Booke of Wisdome introduceth as lamenting, do fully witnesse, Sap. 5. We are wearied out in the way of iniquity and perdition, & haue walked hard wayes. What? Are not Ambition, Couetousnes, Luxury, hard wayes? Are not those hard wayes, which inseparably attend v∣pon Vice; to wit, Anger, Dissentions, Enuy? Are not the workes, which spring from these (that is to say, trea∣cheries reproaches, contumelies, Wounds, and death it selfe) hard wayes? Certainly, these are of that vvorking Nature, at that not seldome they force men (as being desperate) to become their owne Parricides and Butchers; and thus by flying from one Crosse, they fall vpon an other farre more insupportable, and dreadfull.

But let vs see, if the Crosse of the wicked do bring forth any gayne or fruit. Doubtlesly it cannot produce any thing, that is good, since Thornes do not bring forth grapes, nor Thisles figs. The yoake of our Lord maketh a man quiet, and reposed, according to his owne Words: Take vp my yoake vpon you, and you shall find rest vnto your Soules. Matth. 11. But the yoake

of the Deui••l (which is contrary to the yoake of Christ) what can it en∣gender, but sollicitude and anxiety? And which ballanceth all other res∣pects, the Crosse of Christ is a degree or step to euerlasting Happines: Ought not Christ to haue suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory? Luc. 24. Whereas the Crosse of the Deuill af∣fordeth a passage to eternall punish∣ment: Goe you into euerlasting fire, which was prepared for the Deuill and his Angels. Matth. 25. Such men, who are carefull of their soules health, let them not couet to descend downe from their Crosse, if so they be cruci∣fied with Christ, as the Euill Theefe la∣boured to doe; but rather let them with the good thiefe adhere, & cleaue willingly to the syde of Christ; and let them pray to God, that they may obtaine Patience, but not a descen∣ding from the Crosse. For thus suffe∣ring together with Christ, they shall reigne together with him: Si compati∣mur, & conglorificabimur. Rom. 8.

But they who suffer the Crosse of the di••••ll (if they wilbe carefull of their owne good) let them labour in all hast & speed to change their Crosse.

Let them change the fiue yoake of Oxen, for one yoake of Christ. The fiue yoake of Oxen seeme to signify the labours and molestations, which the wicked vndergo, thereby to satisfy the pleasure of the fiue Senses. But these fiue yoakes are changed for that one sweet and light yoake of Christ, when a man doth turne those labours, which before he suffered for the com∣mitting of sinne, through the grace of God, into labours and workes of Pen∣nance. Happy is that soule, which knoweth how to crucify his flesh frō all vice and concupiscence; and what riches or charges he hath heererofore wasted, in nourishing and feeding his sensuality, so much to bestow after in Almes deeds; and what time he hath lost in attending, or visiting great Per∣sons, or in affecting of Ambition, to redeeme the same tyme, by spending so much in Prayer, reading of deuout Bookes, and in seeking the fauour of God, and of the Princes of the Hea∣uenly Court; for by this meanes th•• Crosse of the euill Theefe, may be chā∣ged for the Crosse of Christ; I meane, a Crosse, which is grieuous and bar∣raine, for a Crosse which is light and fruitfull.

Most wisely (as S. Austin relateth) did a noble Commander in the wars, discourse with his fellow souldier, touching the commutation & change of his Crosse, his words are these: Dic quaeso te &c I pray thee tell me, where do we intend to arriue by all these our labours? VVhat end do we proiect in our thoughts, or seeke after? To what end do we thus warre and play the soul∣diers? Can there be any greater hope for vs in the Court, then to become the Em∣perours friēds? But what is there, which is not fragile, vncertaine, and full of dangers; and by how many dangers do men there ascend to greater dangers? And how long shall this our state conti∣nue? If I wilbe a friend of God, behould I am so made at this instant. Thus much S. Austin recordeth. Lib. 8. Confess. c. 6. Heare we may see, how wisely this worthy souldier (in accounting the la∣bours spent in seeking the fauour of the Emperour, to be most trouble∣some, and painfull, and often vnprofi∣table) did proceed; and in endeauou∣ring to change them into labours more sweet, more short, and more profita∣ble, for the purchasing of the friend∣ship and loue of God. And thus accor∣dingly

these two happy Souldiers did presently turne the Current of their life; for both of them abandoning their secufar Warfare, began to be spiri∣tuall souldiers only to God. And which did more redouble their ioy, was, that both of them had wyues, who hea∣ring of this vnexpected chāge of their Husbands, did themselues most wil∣lingly and chearefully dedicate their Chastity to God.