A missive of consolation sent from Flanders to the Catholikes of England.

CHAP. XIII. A Summary of the precedent Treatise.

WHen I view these sheets, mee thinks they call to my minde the Booke sent to the Prophet Ezekiel, written full with these three Con∣tents, Lamentations, A Song, and Wee, whereunto the three Covenants of Suf∣ferance, (the subject of my lines) may be not improperly accommodated. For the first of them as Men, answer∣eth well to the Lamentations of the Pro∣phet, as consisting altogether of sor∣row and labour. And the second as Christians, reporteth to the Song, which signifieth praising and gladnesse, for under the notion of Christians, we may fitly sing and rejoyce in our obligation to suffer. And the last as Catholikes, re∣lateth not unfitly to the third of Wee. For as Persecution and the Crosse was the Mother, so affliction hath alwayes

been one of the nurses of Catholike Reli∣gion: And the state of Christians, stan∣ding in the middle, doth like the Sun in the Skie, inlighten the orbes above and below it; for this condition of suf∣fering as members of Christ, disaspe∣rates the thorns left in the sides of the sonnes of Adam, and sweetens that Cuppe mingled with Myrrhe, which we take from the hand of our mother the Catholike Church, who gathereth Myrrhe with all her Aromaticall spices.

And I would to God there were but as much similitude between the persons, as between the Commissions of the Prophet and mine, for he was sent to treat of these subjects, with people in your condition, the Church of God in persecution and captivity, to enjoyn them Lamentation for their sinnes, to promise them joy to their obedience, and to denounce Woe against their inconfor∣mity. Which offices I have discharged to the best of my capacity; and I may owne the charge from God, in that order, wherein all good gifts come from above, from the Father of lights;

and more precisely by Saint Pauls di∣rection, of Communicating to the necessi∣ties of the Saints, without arrogating any thing, towards the least glimpse of pretending an extraordinary warrant. The Apostle investeth us with this ho∣nour of being Gods coadjutors. Where∣fore the meanest of that function may avouch his Spirit for the author of what tendeth to the communicating of his good impulses to the refection and solace of his desolated brothers; So that whatsoever in these lines, shall bring any drop of consolation, passeth my pen, but as through a pipe, which giveth conveyance only, no virtue, to what is transfused. And I desire there may be no more ascribed to my inke, then ought to be to the durt, or the water of Siloe, which were used in the blinde mans cure; for it may be truly answered to all such as shall receive any benefit by my pen, Give glory unto God, for we know this man is a sin∣ner.

They who will benefit by these my prescriptions, must be desired to enter

into a serious consideration, of these three points, which doe naturally issue from the heads of our triple covenant. The first is, the misery of our estate as sonnes of Adam; The second is, the dignified condition of the members of Christ; The third is, security of being such by our incorporation into the Catholike Church, the which only is his body, and his spouse. The first may be ministred against all refractory hu∣mour, that exasperateth our grievan∣ces, the which we may-sweeten by this reflection, that We are born to sorrow as birds to fly. This may well asswag our distempers, to consider sufferance not as an estate of compulsion, but of consonancy to our condemned nature. The second, may present to us our sen∣tence of sorrow, converted into a gra∣tification, by proving the means of our connexion to such an head, who by putting the griefs, and dolours of our nature into his bosome, hath taken out the sting, and hath taught us to

kill their venome by imbracing them; And the third ascertaineth us, to be within that circle, wherein the eter∣nall benefit of all the sorrows of the head or members are limited, and determined. This triangle of medita∣tion, is well proportioned to all your suffering hearts, in which forme I have drawn this present of my heart unto you, and having borrowed of Saint Paul the most of what I have presented to you to make up the want of weight in what is of mine owne stock, I will borrow this also from him, This little labour I most gladly bestow, and will my selfe moreover be bestowed for your soules.

If I may make a request to you upon this present, it shall be, to retain ch••if∣ly the second of these three points I have treated; which are, your obliga∣tion to suffer, your manner of bearing the Crosse, and your merit in the faith∣full carriage thereof. There is little danger of your forgetting the first, in these times, nor any feare of Gods for∣getting of the last, both in this time, and in eternity. God is not unjust that he

should forget your work and love, which you have shewed in his name. So as all the dif∣ficulty rests in your cōplying faithfully with the Evangelicall manner of suffe∣ring exhibited so fairely to you in the practise and precepts of our Saviour Christ Jesus, who as Saint Peter urgeth it to us, suffered for us, leaving us an ex∣ample, that you may follow his steps; which I have set out before you, as fairly, fi∣gured and impressed upon these papers, as my skill can afford their edition. I have shewed you their Marches, to∣wards friends, and their Postures to enemies, in the exercises of all sorts of charities, active and passive; I have ex∣posed unto you the Apostles and the Martyrs following of Christ in the same track, all making one procession of the Crosse; I have removed all those stumbling blocks and stones of scan∣dall I could find in your way, that might endanger you in your following and carrying your Crosses safely and graciously in this traine; I have cleered all those scruples, and dis∣sipated those temptations, I con∣ceived

the most obnoxious, and the most subtile the enemy could ob∣ject to amuse you, or excite, to seduce you. Against both which impediments in the way of the Crosse, (to wit, of doubts which might keep you unresol∣ved, and of offers that might divert you) I have given their precautions, and defences respectively to the natures of the dangers.

Having thus furnished you, the armes of righteousnesse on the right hand, and the left, with all sincerity, and as much ability as God hath pleased to impart unto me, I may use the termes of the beloved Apostle upon the same occasi∣on, These things we write to you that you may rejoyce, and your joy may be full. For surely if out of these principles of Ca∣tholike Religion, you doe but extract some drops of joy, now while you are drinking or the torrent in the way with him of whom the Psalmist saith, De tor∣rente in viâ bibet, propterea exaltabit ca∣put; with what a torrent of joy shall you be refreshed when you come to be united to that exalted head, and drink

as it were with his mouth, tasting the same volupty which he feedeth, and li∣veth upon? In this contemplation, me thinks it should be no harder a matter for you to be pleased now in your pres∣sures, and vexations, then it is for a Ge∣nerall to rejoyce, while his wounds are dressing, though with much sensible paine, which are the memorials of a glorious victory. All the paines and asperities of temporall affliction, unto a heart fastned to the Crosse of Christ, (in which posture there is an actuall tri∣umph) are but such smarts, and pun∣gencies, as the body of a Conqueror may feele in his hurts, while his minde is elevated with a superiour Joy and De∣lectation.

There may be such a present dolo∣rousnesse in the senses of those victori∣ous sufferers, while their spirits are go∣ing rejoycing with the Apostles, in these stripes, which their persons re∣sent; for Saint Paul the great Doctor in consorting this suavity and asperity, telleth us, All discipline for the present truly seemeth not to be of joy but sorrow, but

afterward it will render to them who are exercised by it, most peaceable fruit of ju∣stice. Therefore a Christian who liveth by faith more nobly then by sense, rests not upon what he feeleth, but passeth on to what he beleeveth and hopeth, considering that Temporalia sunt quae videntur, quae autem non videntur aterna. Me thinks Job upon his trium∣phall arch raised upon the consumpti∣on and ashes of all his temporalities, prefigureth to us the estate, and direct∣eth the course of a Christian, He hath set me as it were a proverb for the common peo∣ple, and the just shall hold his way, and with clean hands shall adde strength.

These contrarietyes must be ex∣pected, yet this rectitude in the way, and this proficiency in the advance, must be endeavoured, and by those, gaining upon our selves, we attain to that joy which our Saviour hath promi∣sed, none shal take from us, for our King hath associated two things, more incō∣patible in the state of our nature, then the Emp. Merva was so much celebra∣ted for, in the state of civill regiment,

which was, that he had conjoyned two things before his time insociable, Em∣pire and Liberty; But our Prince of peace, hath consociated even the sword and peace, for he professeth he came to separate the neerest alliances of nature, and yet to confederate joy and sorrow in these separations. And this capacity imparted to our nature of rejoycing and suffering all together, seemeth a resemblance in us, of the in∣effable union in him of his Divine and Human natures. For these two opera∣tions Angelicall and Humane, seeme now conjoyned in the faculties of man, when he rejoyceth as if he were an Angel, while he suffereth as a Man.

This concordancy hath Christ made between these two antipathies of joy and sorrow, by that power which joy∣ned himselfe to us, in such a sort, as no mortal shal ever conceive the manner of it. And the same power, giveth us this capacity, of issuing as it were out of our selves, in such a kind, as we cannot comprehend that virtue, by

which we are thus enabled to joy, and sorrow in the same conjuncture. But though we doe not conceive fully the virtue by which we act, we are cleerly informed of what we are to endeavour, in all distresses never so averse to our nature; for where he, whom we be∣leeve equall to God, returned him thanks, and prayses for all his crosses and passions, we who are but wormes and dust, cannot doubt how we are to comport our selves in our chastise∣ments and corrections, under the hand of our Creator.

The Apostle in these instructions gi∣ven to the Roman Catholikes for their behaviour in persecution, compriseth and summeth up in a few words, all my ratiocinations, Be fervent in spirit, rejoy∣cing in hope, patience in tribulation, in∣st••nt in prayer. These are the Wedges, out of which I have by way of expan∣sion drawn all the leaf-gold, which I have laid upon these sheets, out of which every one of you may take stuffe enough to gild over his Crosse; and now I present you with the barres

themselves out of which each of you may draw that fire-tryed gold, which the Angel counselleth them to buy, that would be made rich. For as the prince of the Apostles saith of these same dispositions, and in little differing terms, If these things be present with you, and abound, they shall make you not vacant, not without fruit in the knowledge of our Lord JESUS CHRIST.

And you will please to remember, that I have marked you out the way of having this presence and abundance of these graces and endowments by fervent and indeficient prayer, which openeth the eares of even the unjust judge, and much more his, who hath given us this expedient for all our re∣leefs, Oportet semper orare, & non deficere, so that this precept of our righteous judge, and mercifull master, cannot be too much iterated, and urged upon you in this time of your tentation. And certainly Saint Pauls Rejoyce alwayes, and his Pray alwayes, are fitly set to∣gether, for they are Correlatives, prayer being the father, and joy the

sonne. In this life our necessities re∣quire continuall supplies, and in the other life where we shal know no want, these two shall change their relations, joy shall be the parent and prayer the issue; for there the fulnesse of joy shall beget perpetuall prayer, whereas here the abundance of prayer, is it, that pro∣duceth a continuation of joy.

It is prayer then that is the anchor of our joy in this world, which may be fastned to the inner part of the vayle, where Jesus the precursor is entred; he hath left us this anchor to cast upwards, to stay our peace in all afflictions, and storms of this sea we sail up and down in for a while, and if in any calm of spirit we lessen our prayer, we doe but as if in faire weather, a Ship should cut off her anchors, confi∣ding in the continuance of this serenity, and consequently it can be no lesse then desperatenesse, not to be very in∣stant, and intentive in prayer in the foule weather of persecution. This prescription then of the Apostle, is the most soveraign that can be ministred

to your exigencies, Volo ergo vires orare in omni loco, levantes puras manus sine irâ, & disceptations. When your hands are thus lifted up to Heaven, the Amale∣kites are easilyer defeated, then while they are retorting back their own darts of malices, and animosities.

Whereupon David in his Canticle of resurrection, wherein he acknow∣ledgeth his marvailous restaurations, assigneth all to the vertue of Prayer, saying, Therefore hath God heard, and at∣tended to the voice of my Petition. Blessed be God, who hath not removed my Prayer, and his mercy from me. Upon which words Saint Augustine gives us this rule, That as long as we find not our Prayer removed from us, we may be sure Gods mercy is not far from us; for God doth often misericordiously deny our prayers, that are in order to temporall reliefe, as the Physitian know∣eth better then the Patient, what may be conveniently granted him; but while he giveth us this perseverance, he bestoweth his will upon us, which must needs be better then our owne;

it may be we beg a serpent, and he gi∣veth us bread infallibly, when he inspi∣reth this indeficiency in Prayer.

Wherefore in resemblance of Saint Augustines excellent ejaculation of Lord give what you command, and com∣mand what you please, I will propose to you this adjunction, in the unsuccesse∣fulnesse of all your petitions, Lord be pleased not to deny us the persistence in Prayer, and deny us what you please of our prayers. This is then the universall re∣medy I humbly offer to all your wounds or distempers exteriour or in∣trinsike, the constant application of Prayer, which is as the Spirit to the body of Religion, whereof no violence can interrupt the exercise, which I shall leave recommended to you with this testimony of the holy Spirit, very ap∣plyable to the prerogatives of Prayer, Multae filiae congregaverunt divitias, tu su∣pergressa es universas.

Upon the premission of all these principles of Christianity, I may justly charge you with this injunction of Saint Paul to his brethren upon the same oc∣casion,

For the which cause stretch up the slacked hands, and the loose knees and make straight steps to your feet, that no man halt∣ing, erre, but rather be healed. Cast off then all faintnesse, and pusillanimity, let not your hearts hang down as op∣pressed with that weight, which grow∣eth the lighter, the more your hands are elevated and lifted to heaven. And nothing is more opposed to the cure of your hurts, then this halting the Apo∣stle disswadeth, to wit, the favouring of your nature in that part it is offended by the world, still leaning and swaying your thoughts towards the desires of temporall restitutions, towards animo∣sities to enemies, and limping a little between repining and resignation. These are the haltings, in which our nature seemeth to ease her selfe; but in effect, this is but to favour a sore part, by which tendernesse we may suf∣fer the nerves to contract, and the mem∣bers may be by degrees rendred use∣lesse, by this error of indulgence.

For this cause we are advised to make our steps straight, to tread confi∣dently

in the vestiges and footsteps of our Saviour, who, joy being proposed to him, sustained the Crosse, and the power of walking upon the same waters, is de∣nyed to none, who have faith enough to tread confidently upon them, when they are called to come to him, in those his paths of many waters. He who hath bid us all take up our Crosse and follow him, cannot be answered, Lord we know not whither thou goest, and how can we know the way? For we know he hath entred into his glory this way, and hath set our glory at the end of the same passage, wherein not onely his precedencie gui∣deth us, but the concomitancy of his grace and vertue supporteth and carry∣eth us, and that the easilyer, the more we leane upon them.

Therefore turne not your heads a∣wry out of this narrow way, to looke upon the broad flowrie passages of sinners, but making straight steps in your owne track, follow your glorious Crosse-bearer, crying to him with the Psalmist, Blessed is the man whom thou shalt instruct, O Lord, and shalt teach out of thy

Law, that thou mayst give him quietnesse from the evill dayes, till a pit be digged for the sinner. There is a Mine digging un∣der all the rosie banks of full blowne prosperity, and it is not our parts to know the times, or moments of Gods springing this mine. Let it be then your application, to draw as many as you can by your prayers from under this hollow ground they are walking, and building on, and not your study to cal∣culate, or prognostike the day of their destruction. This you may be assured of from the mouth of the Prophet, and compassionate their sentence, in com∣parison of your present sufferings, Upon the ground of my people shall thorns and bryars come up, how much more upon all the houses of the City rejoycing? You may therefore rejoyce, that you are but scratched a little by those thorns and bryars, while others are in danger to have their roses and flowers turned in∣to the fuell of eternall flames.

O then, how much more are you to be accounted blessed, upon whom is entayled that inheritance incorrup∣tible,

and incontaminate, conserved in the heavens, Wherein you shall rejoyce, a little now if you must be made heavy in divers tentations; that the probation of your faith, much more precious then gold (which is proved by the fire) may be found unto praise and glory, and honour in the re∣velation of JESUS CHRIST. There∣fore in all the provocations of these times, either by our personall distres∣ses, or by the contumelies, and expro∣brations of your religion, let your spi∣rits answer the reluctant impulses of your sensitive nature, with this reply of the Apostle, and Master of the Gentiles, Haec patior sed non confundor, scio enim cui credidi, & certus sum quia potens est servare depositum meum in illum diem; remembring alwayes, that there is no promise but upon fidelity even unto death. Here is, as Saint John saith, The patience, and the faith of Saints, which expecteth Gods time for all mutations, and untill that fulnesse of time be come, we must acquiesce to what the Angel sig∣nified to Saint John, and you may take it for an instruction apposite to these

times, He that hurteth let him hurt yet, and he that is in filth let him be filthy yet, and he that is just, let him be justified yet; and let the holy be sanctified yet. And these two effects, are consequents of one an∣other, for the impiety of the unrighte∣ous, is raised by their exercising and perfecting pious patients whose sancti∣ty is refined by the others inquination.

Gods wisdome maketh use of all evills, which he permitteth but to ex∣tract goods, and so alloweth all vicissi∣tudes their times, untill he Who is the first, and the last, cometh to render to every man according to his works. Wherefore doing good let us not faile, for in due time we shall reape, not fai∣ling: Let this be then your consolation in all that displeaseth you, that it pro∣ceedeth from his order, who can be pleased with nothing, but what is just. Having thus summed up all the par∣cells, and fractions of these lines, I shall seale the totall with this signet of our Apostle, and Doctor of all sufferers, glorious Saint Paul, Thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory by our

Lord JESUS CHRIST. Therefore my beloved brethren, be stable, and un∣moveable, abounding in the work of our Lord alwayes, knowing that your labour is not in vain in our Lord.

Now me thinks, upon my delivery of this masculine issue of Catholike Reli∣gion, the throes of my labour may be easily forgot; but there is a harder worke belonging to this birth, which is to Christen it with sincere humility, the Sacrament, as I may call it, that en∣treth all these sorts of children into that Covenant, whereby they become ac∣ceptable to God, as being marked with the Character of Christs spirit and dis∣position, who sought not his own glo∣ry in any of his works, and hath left this rule, He that seeketh the glory of him that sent him, he is true, and injustice in him there is not. Wherefore in all hum∣blenesse raising my heart, and bending my knees to the originall Crucifix, upon whose image I now fix mine eyes, I lay myselfe, and this issue of my spirit at his feet, unfainedly acknowledging the first motion of this designe, to have

issued from his holy suggestion to me, a particular zeale for the procuring you some comfort in these times of your destitutions of all ordinary succours, and the abundance of extraordinary ten∣tations.

I humbly therefore praise his good∣nesse, in this choice of me the youngest of his house, to blow these sparkles of consolation among you, riseing from that coale, wherewith he hath been pleased to touch my lips: and in a true sense of his mercy, and my own mean∣nesse, I ought not to beleeve any thing I have written in this work, so worthy the offering up to God, as what I have not writ in it, which is my name. This manner of consumption, and annihila∣tion of self-regard, may breath out some odour of humility, which is like to be of better savour then any other qua∣lity of the oblation.

If now then I most humbly offer up to the honour of his holy Spirit all my propriety in this labour, that the work thus consecrated may have this proper∣ty of an hoast, the having no longer

any owner but Gods name, and that by this means, there may be no thoughts shed upon the author, by the way, but the whole praise and glory may passe up directly and intirely to the holy Spi∣rit, the Father of lights, from whom all good gifts descend, this is the greatest contribution I can bring, towards the obtaining a blessing upon this worke; that by the immediate and single glory which you render to God, in acknow∣ledging to him this solicitude for your necessities, he may be moved to give the greater efficacy to these admini∣strations of comfort. Cast then I be∣seech you, your thoughts, at least up∣on such an object as my eyes are now fixed upon, and looking on the Author of faith, and the consummator Christ Jesus, who, joy being proposed to him, su∣stained the Crosse, contemning confusion. Let me beseech you to joyne with me in this Petition to him, for a blessing upon my labours, and his promised be∣atitude upon your sufferances.

A Prayer to CHRIST, represented by a Crucifix.

GRacious Lord Jesus, casting our eyes and thoughts upon your Crosse, and considering how by your owne disfiguring, you have repaired in us the image we had defaced, of our creation, we may joyfully ac∣cept this image of our Redemption, stamped upon us by our present Crosses, whereby we are conformed to you crucified, and so in∣titled to that similitude we may expect, by but looking upon you glorified. O! let this present object, have in some degree such an operation, and make us like you upon the Crosse, by looking on you in that distressed exposure, that we may derive now from that sight, these virtues of Patience, Humili∣ty, and Charity somewhat perfected, as we shall then partake Joy, Glory and Love, consummated by that other vision of you. Glorious Lord Jesus, who are now risen from this throne of your humility, to that of your Majesty, give us leave to chal∣lenge

this your promise, of drawing all things after you, when you were thus exalted; be pleased then to draw our humility and fide∣lity after yours, that they may extend even unto death; that when we finde any naturall reluctancy against our crosses and humiliati∣ons, we may feele a more powerfull attracti∣on of our conformity after your precedency. O! we have no excuse left, when we looke upon your hands, stretched out upon the Crosse in an equall expansion on both sides, to active, and passive Charity; the one ex∣tended to the reliefe of the necessities of o∣thers, the other reached forth to the tolerati∣on of all their injuryes, whom you were relie∣ving, encompassing thus the whole globe of Charity. Be pleased O Lord to fasten us in this manner unto the Crosse with you, that being perfect Crucifixes in our dispositi∣ons, as well as in our disfigurements by the World, we may have the neerer configurati∣on to your image; when we shall no longer neede to labour a likenesse to you, but the very seeing you, shall transforme us into the same similitude. Grant then O Lord while we are in this laborious resemblance of you, that the character of your patience

may be as visible upon us, as that of your passion, and that our enemies by the virtue of our wants, may be releeved in their own necessities; while our prayers growing the richer by our patience, we may the better purchase their remissions. This effect was a grace pertaining to your Crosse, which we humbly beg, may in some measure be con∣ferd on ours; that upon this ladder we may scale heaven our selves, and open the gates to our enemies. These were the consequences of your Crosse, and we may (become one Spirit with you by our adherence to you) sub∣missively plead, for some such resultancies from our sufferings, that being enabled by your grace, to say with you, that we have glorified God upon earth, and consummated the work that was apointed us, we may expect our presentation from you unto the glorious Trinity, in the list of those that are come out of great tribulation, and having abun∣dance of teares in our eyes to wipe off, when we come to be led by the Lambe, to the fountaines of the Water of life, the plenty of these waters have stood here in our eyes, may fill our vessels the fuller of those celesti∣all springs. Be pleased then O Lambe of

God! that we may follow you now so faith∣fully, through the streets of earthly Jerusa∣lem, without clamour, or contention, as we may be qualifide for our following you wheresoever you goe, in that heavenly city, where our duty, and our delight will be in∣cessant acclamations of your glory, which shall be answerd by a continuall replication of our own Beatitude. In the mean time, grant that the meeknesse and humility of our spirits, under our crosses, may extoll the virtue of your crosse, and the praises of your Catholike Church, over which the gates of hell shall never prevaile, and the which only, shall prevaile, upon the gates of Heaven.

Haec est victoria quae vincit mundum, fides nostra.

Quia propter te mortificamur totâ die, asti∣mati su•••••••• sicut oves occisionis, sed in his omnibus superamus propter cum qui di∣lexi•• nos.

Notes

• Jam. 1.17
• 2 Cor. 3.9
• Rom. 12.13
• John 9.24
• Job 5.7.
• 2 Cor. 12.15
• Heb. 6.10.
• 1 Pet. 2.21
• 1 John. 14.
• Psa. 109.7 Of the tor∣rent in the way shall be drink, therefore shall he exalt his head.
• Act. 5.41.
• Heb. 12.11.
• 2 Cor. 4.18 The things that are seen are temporall, but these that are not seen are eter∣nall.
• Rom. 12.
• 2 Pet. 1.8.
• Luk. 18.2. It beho∣veth al∣wayes to pray and not to be weary. 1 Thes. 5.16.
• Heb. 6.19.
• 2 Tim. 8.2. I wil ther∣fore that men pray in every place, lift∣ing up pure hands without anger or altercation
• Psal. 65.19.20.
• Prov 31.29. Many daughters have ga∣thered to∣gether ri∣ches, thou hast pas∣sed them all.
• Heb. 12.12
• Heb. 12.2.
• John 14.5
• Psal. 93.12, 13.
• Esay 32.13.
• 1 Pet. 1.6, 7.
• 2 Tim. 1.2 I suffer these things, but I am not confound∣ed, for I know whom I have be∣leeved, & I am sure that he is able to keepe my deposite unto that day. Apoc. 13.10 Apo. 22.11
• Gal. 6.9.
• 1 Cor. 15.57.58.
• John. 7.18
• Heb. 12.1
• 1 Joh. 5.4
• Rom. 8.36.