Experience, historie, and divinitie Divided into five books. Written by Richard Carpenter, vicar of Poling, a small and obscure village by the sea-side, neere to Arundel in Sussex. Who being, first a scholar of Eaton Colledge, and afterwards, a student in Cambridge, forsooke the Vniversity, and immediatly travelled, in his raw, green, and ignorant yeares, beyond the seas; ... and is now at last, by the speciall favour of God, reconciled to the faire Church of Christ in England? Printed by order from the House of Commons.

Rule 1.

REmember alwayes that God is alwayes with you, about you, in you, and in every part of you, and of all his creatures: and that when you goe from one place to another; you leave God behinde you, and

yet he goes with you, and yet, you finde him where you come, because he was there before you came. And that, although not alwayes the same, yet some Angels, and De∣vils are alwayes by you, watching over you, and carefully observing your behaviour; yea, and oftentimes beholding your heart in outward actions. And let your thoughts and tongue bee alwayes running, and re∣peating: Shall I commit an act of high trea∣son against so great a King; so just and se∣vere a Judge; so good, so pure a God; and in his presence? It is he, whom Joseph meant, when hee said: How can I doe this great wickednesse, and sinne against God? How sweet is God, that sendeth his first and most perfect creatures, his holy Angels, downe from Heaven; with an injunction of stoo∣ping, and attending to the meane, and homely affaires of men? The Angels are daily conversant with us; and yet, are ne∣ver discharged from the glorious vision of God, to whom they are united, being pre∣sent with them, wheresoever they are: such a pretious mixture, and composition of good things, ought the life of man to be; it must be compounded of holy practise, and heavenly contemplation. The Devill standeth ready to dash out our braines; to destroy the body, and to devoure the soule;

to disturbe the peace of nature, to confound the elements; to mingle Heaven and Earth; to trouble all: wishing earnestly, and ear∣nestly entreating, that God would turne a∣way his milde face, his gentle eyes, and say, Goe my Executioner, revenge my cause upon the World. And yet God will not. O the delicacie of the Divine sweetnesse! Learne the nature of the Devill. In one thing especially, the fall of the Angels, was like the fall of man. For, as man was more weakened by his fall, in his will, and rea∣dinesse to doe good; then in his under∣standing, and knowledge of good: so the Devill is farre more blunted in his will, then blinded in his understanding. As for his naturall knowledge, it is rather dazled, then darkned. And by this notable signe, you may know, that his will is most malig∣nant. For, although it is plaine to him, that for every temptation he stirreth up in man; the burden of punishment shall bee laid presently, heape after heape upon his shoulders; and though he knoweth exact∣ly how many strong ties he breakes by of∣fending, perceives more throughly the qua∣lity of the offence, and sees with a more cleare eye the greatnesse of the Divine ma∣jesty offended; yet, still the perversnesse, and faction of his will carries him on

through all, to mischiefe. And if the De∣vill remaineth yet, so perfect in the intel∣lectuall part, by knowledge; sans doubt he knowes, and is versed in all the possible wayes how to invade us; which way our inclinations leane, which side is most weak; and how he may plant his engine, with re∣turne of most profit to his owne cause; and what will best follow the fashion of our fancie. The enemy which we see before us, in his owne, and knowne shape, sense tea∣cheth us to feare; and consequently, to withstand, or prevent him. But the Devill we feare the lesse, because we see him not; because he has the art to goe invisible. Tho∣mas Aquinas is of opinion, that every man being alwayes accompanied with a good Angel, and a bad one; some by reason of the foule enormity of their sinnes, and de∣sertion of God, who never forsaketh, be∣fore he is forsaken, and left alone himselfe; may be forsaken for a while, or totally, by their good Angel. But I dare say that ne∣ver any man was forsaken by hi•• bad An∣gel, the Devill. If one of us were but a little while haunted with a Ghost, how he would feare, and tremble? every one of us is haun∣ted continually with a Devill; and yet, we feare not, because we doe not see him. No man goeth, but the Devil goeth with him: no

man stayeth, but the Devill stayeth with him: no man sleepeth, (here his action changes) but the Devill waketh by him. And as he is alwayes with us, so hee is also al∣wayes so vigilant about us; that although he doth not know the thoughts of the heart in the heart, and cannot reade them in that booke of Characters; yet he doth oftentimes gather what they are by the language of outward signes; and also by outward signes, forestall, and know, even future occurrences, depending upon the will of man. He is a Tempter by his pro∣fession. God also may be said to tempt us: but how? by scattering rubbs in our way to make vertue more bold, and more labo∣rious. What made all the Conquerours famous, but because they conquer'd what was not easily conquer'd? But the Devill tempteth with a direct intention to sinne. God tempteth with a strong de∣sire of good, and of our salvation: the De∣vill, with a furious desire of evill, and of our damnation. God tempteth us not a∣bove our strength: the Devill would, if God would suffer him. And as the Roman Conquerour, the Queene having escaped, carried her image in triumph: So, because he cannot trample upon God, who threw him downe from Heaven; he labours to re∣venge

himselfe upon his Image. Suspect therefore all his proceedings. Facilius illi∣cita timebit, qui licita verebitur, saith Tertul∣lian. He will more easily feare unlawfull things, who will be afraid, even of things lawfull. Let this joy thy heart: No∣thing can happen, or stirre, or be in the world, except sin, without Gods approba∣tion; nor yet that, without his permission. Please God, and you have him your friend, that holds all chances, all stirrings, and the being of all things, fast in his hands. And lastly, begge nothing of man, before you first begge it of God.

Notes

• Tert. de cultu foemi∣narum.