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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08035	A most learned and pious treatise full of diuine and humane philosophy, framing a ladder, wherby our mindes may ascend to God, by the steps of his creatures. Written in Latine by the illustrous and learned Cardinall Bellarmine, of the society of Iesus. 1615. Translated into English, by T.B. gent.; De ascensione mentis in Deum per scalas rerum creatorum opusculum. English	Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.; Young, Francis.	1616 (1616)	STC 1840; ESTC S115760	134,272	612

A MOST LEARNED AND PIOVS TREAtise full of Diuine and Humane Philosophy framing a Ladder WHERBY OVR MINDES May Ascend to God by the Stepps of his Creatures Written in Latine by the illustrous and learned Cardinall Bellarmine of the society of Iesus 1615. Translated into English By T. B. Gent. Blessed is the man that hath disposed ascentions in his heart Psal 83. Printed at Doway Anno Domini 1616. THE TRANSLATOR To the Reader AT the request of one that might cōmand I tooke in hand the Translation of this booke The Subiect therof is the Summum bonum or Highest Happinesse of this life for it teacheth vs a compendious way by the Steppes of Creatures to ascend vnto the Creator and now on earth to bee linked to him in Loue that hereafter in heauen we may be vnited to him in glory Of the Authors Worth I will say with Salust beginning the Description of the Cittie Carthage De Carthagine Silere Melius puto Salust In Bello Ingurth Fol. 76. quam parum dicere Of Carthage I thinke it better to say nothing then to speake sparingly But if Vertue and Truth appeare best apparelled when they are most naked then are they heere sett forth in their Hollydaie attyre Diuine and Humane Philosophy also like the Sunne and Moone in one Hemisphere shine here both together and cast their beames vppon all that are desirous to receaue Light or Life from their heate If I haue committed any negligence in the action of my part I desire thy friendly censure and to remember that Voces Artis of which there are many in this booke are strangers to our language and cannot be made Denizens but by prescription vale It is the sweetest note that man can sing When grace tunes natures Key to vertues string TO THE MOST HONORABLE AND Reuerend Prelate Peter Aldobrandine Cardinall of the holy Roman Church Robert Bellarmine Cardinall sendeth greeting IN September last by Gods assistance I finished as I was able a Booke Of the ascention of the minde vnto God by the stepps of his Creatures For hauing abandoned all other cares I made choise to spend that Month by Licence of his Holinesse in diuine contemplation And albeit I writt it onely for my priuate vse yet through the perswasions and aduise of friends I haue published it and made it appeare vnder the protection of your name For no sort of men may take more profitt thereby if it shall profit any then those which are most occupied in publique affaires especially Prelats of the Church Among whom you are not inferior vnto any being a Cardinal an Archbishop and Chamberlaine of the holy Roman Church and a Protector and President of the Generall Inquisition An other cause also why I Dedicate this booke vnto you is to leaue vnto the memory of posteritie some Monument of your great benefits vnto me and of my thankfulnes vnto you therefore Neither doe I doubt that the smallnesse thereof will make it lesse grateful vnto you for bookes are not to be esteemed by the multitude of their leaues but by the fruitefulnesse of the matter whereof they treate As for this book how others will censure it I knowe not but to me it hath prooued more profitable then my other workes For which cause I vse not to reade my other bookes but vpon necessitie but this booke I haue willingly read ouer three or foure times and purpose hereafter to read it often Although perhapps not the desert thereof but affection maketh it dearer vnto me because I haue begotten it like an other Beniamin in my last olde age Receaue therefore most Worthy Cardinal this small present from me as a testimonie of my due obseruancie toward you And as a Monitor executing his Charge that when the troubles of businesse ouermuch oppresse you and seeke to hinder you from your accustomed houres of prayer vnto God it may modestly remember you to lay aside for a while all such affaires and to withdrawe your minde vnto those inward and vsuall ioyes that by reading and meditating you may see That our Lord is God to wit the onely true highest and euerlasting happinesse in obtaining or loosing wherof mans greatest felicitie or misery doth consist The Preface of the Author THe holy Scripture doth admonish vs to seeke God diligently For although God is not farre from euery one of vs Act. 17 For in him we liue and mooue and be As the Apostle saith yet wee are farre from God so that vnlesse we daily dispose our heartes to ascend and make for our selues a Ladder vnto heauen and with great labour seeke God we shall with the Prodigall Sonne Luke 15 feede Swine in a country far off from our Father and home And that we may briefly declare how these things may stand together to wit that God is not farre from vs And yet we are farre from him we say that God is not farre from vs because he alwaies seeth vs before whose eyes all things are present He alwaies thinketh of vs 1. Pet. 5 because He hath care of vs He alwaies toucheth vs Heb. 1 because Hee carrieth all thinges by the word of his power But we are farre from God because we see not God neither can we see him 1. Tim. 6 For he inhabiteth light not accessible neither are we sufficient to thinke any thing of God of our selues ● Cor. 3 as of our selues Much lesse are we able to touch him and cleaue to him with pious affection vnlesse his right hand receiue and drawe vs vnto him And therefore Dauid when he had said Psal 62 My soule hath cleaued after thee presently added Thy right hand hath receiued me Neither are we onely farre from God because wee cannot see him nor easily thinke of him nor with affection cleaue vnto him but also because being busied about temporall goods with the which we are incompassed and ouerwhelmed we very easily forget God and with a drie hart we scarcely with our tongue sound his name in Psalmes and sacred prayers This therefore is the cause why the holy Ghost doth in the holy Scripture as we said euen now so often admonish vs to seeke God Psal 61 Seeke God and your Soule shall liue And Seeke his face alwaies Psal 104 And Our Lord is good to them that hope in him Lamen 3 to the soule that seeketh him Isay 49 And seeke our Lord whilst he may be found Wisd 1 Deut 4 And In simplicitie of hart seeke him And when thou shalt seeke God thou shalt finde him yet so if thou seeke him with all thy hart But although this diligence in seeking God belong vnto all the faithfull yet it most properly appertaineth vnto the Prelates of the Church as St. Augustine St. Gregorie St. Bernard and other holy Fathers doe witnesse For they plainely write that a Prelate cannot proffit both himselfe and others vnlesse he diligently applie himselfe vnto the Meditation of diuine matters

what thou speakest and what thou thinkest since thou canst not do speake or think any thing but God seeth heareth and knoweth it And if thou dare not doe or speake any euill although thou neuer so much desire it when thou thinkest a man seeth or heareth thee how darest thou thinke such things when God beholdeth thee and is offended with thee Esto a nemine c. Aug. Ep 109 Suppose no man see thee saith St. Augustine yet how wilt thou escape him who looketh from aboue from whom nothing is hid And St. Basil in his booke of Virginitie speaking to a Virgin shutt vp alone in her Chamber doth exhort her to reuerence that Spowse who is euery where with the Father and holy Ghost accompanied with innumerable multitudes of Angels and soules of holy Fathers For there is none of them saith he but seeth all thinges euery where lib. de virg O happy shouldest thou be my soule if thou were alwayes in this company how perfectly shouldest thou leade thy life How diligently wouldest thou auoyd all lightnesse and wandering For so indeed our Lord sayd once to Abraham Gen 17 Walke before me and be thou perfect That is thinke that I alwayes see thee and without doubt thou shalt be perfect The length of Gods Wisdome is manyfested by the knowledge of thinges to come Cap. 2 For his sight is so sharpe that he sawe from all eternitie what shall be in the last times and for euer after Then which length nothing greater can be imagined Psal 138 Thou hast vnderstood saith Dauid in the Psalmes my Cogitations farre of And a little after Thou hast knowen all the last thinges and them of old To wit all thinges to come and all thinges past The bookes of the Prophets are full of most true and plain Predictions which not they themselues but as Zacharie saith God spake by the mouth of his holy Prephets Luk. 1 that are from the beginning This Prophecying therefore and foreseeing is proper to God onely as God himselfe sayth by Isay Isay 41 Shewe what thinges are to come hereafter and we shall knowe that ye are Gods And to consider a fewe thinges of many Isay speaketh in this manner Isay 45 Thus saith the Lord to my Christ Cyrus whose right hand I haue taken to subdue the Gentyles before his face and to turne the backes of Kinges c. In which wordes the Monarchie of the Persians is foretolde and Cyrus the first King of the Persians is called by his proper name The reason also is set downe why God would exalt Cyrus to wit because he should release the captiuitie of Babilon All which thinges were fulfilled about two hundred yeeres after Daniel likewise Dan 2 by the similitude of a great Statua the head whereof was of gold the breast of siluer the belly and thighes of Brasse the feete partly of Iron and partly of earth doth plainely prophesie of the foure Monarchies of the Babilonians Persians Grecians and Romans and in the time of the last Monarchie of the kingdome of Christ to wit of the Christian Church which should be greater then all those kingdomes And afterward he so plainely describeth the warres of the successors of Alexander the great Dan. 11 that some Infidells thought those thinges were written after those wars were ended Luke 19 And to omit the rest Christ himselfe in St. Luke bewailing the destruction of Hierusalem doth likewise describe all thinges so plainely and particularly as if he had bene to declare it as already past and not as then to come I let passe innumerable other Predictions whereof as I haue sayd the bookes of the Prophets are full But Astrologers and all such South sayers that will seeme to be as it were Gods Apes are vtte●ly to be reiected For it cannot be that they should foretell the truth in thinges that happen casually and especially by election vnlesse perhappes some time by chance For seeing the will of God doth gouerne and ouerrule all causes both necessary casuall and free and can when he pleaseth hinder inferior Causes None can foretell the truth in any thing but whom God shall be pleased to manifest his said will vnto as often times he did vnto his Prophets And this is so certaine that the Deuills would be accounted Gods chiefely because they founded Oracles and foretolde thinges to come as St. Augustine doth witnesse in his bookes of the Citty of God Lib. 18 Cap. 24 But that excellent Doctor of the Church in his booke of the Deuination of Deuills doth plainely shewe that their Deuination 〈◊〉 as false as their Diuinitie For they foretell nothing plainely but what themselues are to doe or which being else where already done they by the swiftnesse of their Nature report to those that dwell farre off as a thing to be done or by their long experience coniecture it to be done After which manner Mariners also are accustomed to foretell many thinges of the windes husband-men of the weather and Phisitions of diseases And when the deuills are asked of thinges to come which they knowe not they vse to answere by circumstance of wordes and equiuocation And when those thinges prooue false they lay the fault on their interpreters or Southsayers Therefore our Lord onely whose Wisdome is endlesse soundeth true Oracles and foretelleth the truth in all things to come both casuall and by election Gods wisdome also is most high Cap. 3 and farre aboue the wisdome of men or Angells Higth of wisdome is knowne by the Higth of the obiect power forme and Act. The Naturall and proportionable obiect of Gods wisdome is his diuine essence which is so high that it surpasseth the vnderstanding of men or Angells And therefore the highest Angels cannot ascend to see God vnlesse they be listed vp by the light of glo●y For which cause God in the holy Scriptures is called inuisible 1 Tim 1 To the King of worlds immort●ll inuisible onely God Saith the Apostle in his first Epistle to Tymothie And after he affirmeth also 1 Tim 6 That God inhabiteth light not accessible Power likewise which is in vs an accident is in God a diuine substance and therefore higher without comparison then in vs. The Forme also is the higher the more it doth represent and therefore those Angels which haue fewer and more vniuersall formes are said to haue most knowledge How high then is Gods wisdome which hath no forme but his owne Essence which being simply one suffiseth alone for God to behold himselfe and all creatures which are made shall be made or may be made That wisdome moreouer is sayd to be most high which knoweth most by fewest Actes But God with one eternall sight perfectly knoweth himselfe and all other thinges Therefore the Wisdome of God is most high Lift vp now thine eyes O my soule and behold how farre thy knowledge is inferiour to the knowledge of thy maker For thou by many Actes

the reparation of his owne minde St. Augustine in his bookes of the Cittie of God saith 19 Ciu. 19 Ocium Sanctum quaerit charitas veritatis c. The loue of truth seeketh holy rest the necessitie of Charitie vndertaketh iust busines but neither is the delight of truth to be altogether forsaken least the sweetnes thereof being withdrawne the necessitie of busines oppresse And the same St. Augustine speaking in his Confessions of himselfe and of his frequent Meditation of God by creatures saith Sepe ●stud facio c. 10. Conf. c. 40. I often doe this It delighteth me and when I can be spared from my necessarie busines I haue recourse vnto this pleasure St. Gregorie in his booke of pastorall Charge saith 2. par Pastor 5 Sit Rector c. Let a Prelate be equall vnto any in compassion and before all in contemplation that through the bowels of pietie be may transferr the infirmities of others vnto himselfe and by the height of Contemplation in seeking after things inuisible he may exceed himselfe And St. Gregorie in the same place bringeth the example of Moyses and Christ For Moyses often went into the Tabernacle and came out He went in that he might contemplate Gods Secrets he came out that hee might beare with the infirmities of his neighbours And Christ himselfe in the day time by preaching and working miracles sought the saluation of his neighbours but the night hee passed ouer without sleepe in prayer and contemplation For he passed saith St. Luke the whole night in the prayer of God Luke 6 Many thinges also like vnto these may be read in the last chapter of the same booke Moreouer St. Bernard to admonish seriously Pope Eugenius who was sometime his scholler not to giue himselfe wholy to action but sometime euery day to recollect himselfe and to enioy holy rest and heauenly foode writ fiue bookes of Consideration in the which he doth not onely exhort him vnto the daily Meditation of diuine thinges but also doth plainely teach him the manner method how to meditate and by Meditation to ascend and by ascention to vnite himselfe vnto God in vnderstanding and affection Neither doth he admitt that excuse which he might haue pretended and which many now a dayes pretend to wit that the ouer-many businesses wherewith the office of a Bishop is accompanied would not afford him leysure enough to apply himsele vnto the mediation of diuine things For none truely ought to giue himselfe so wholy to outward businesses but that he may take sometime to strengthen his body with meate drinke and sleepe And if the body doe duely require this refection and rest with how much more reason doth the soule require her meate and rest neither can she without this refection truely execute her office by any means amidst the incumbrances of so many great affaires But the meate of the soule is prayer and her rest is contemplation by the which Ascentions are framed in the hart Psal 83 That the God of Gods may be seene in Syon as much as in this vaile of teares he maybe seene But wee mortall men as it seemeth can finde no other Ladder whereby to ascend vnto God but by the workes of God For those who by the singular gift of God haue by an other way beene admitted into Paradice to heare Gods Secrets which it is not lawfull for a man to speake are not said to haue Ascended but to haue bene wrapt Which St. Paul doth plainly confesse of himselfe when he saith 2 Cor. 12 I was wrapt into Paradice and I heard secret wordes which it is not lawfull for a man to speake And that a man may by the workes of God that is by Creatures ascend vnto the knowledge and loue of the Creator the book of Wisdome doth teach Wisd 13 Rom. 1 and the Apostle to the Romans and reason it selfe doth sufficiently confirme since the efficient cause may be knowne by the effects and the example by the Image neither can there be any doubt but that all creatures are the workes of God and that men and Angels are not onely his workes but also his Images as the holy Scripture teacheth vs. I therefore being mooued by these reasons hauing obtained some small vacancie from publique affaires and admonished by the example of St. Bonauenture who in the like vacancie writ a booke intituled The Pilgrimage of the minde vnto God haue essayed from the contemplation of creatures to make a Ladder by the which we may in some sort ascend vnto God And I haue deuided it into fifteene Stepps in resemblance of the fifteene stepps by the which they went vp into the Temple of Salomon and of the fifteene Psalmes which are called Gradualles THE FIRST STEPP From the Consideration of Man IF any one truely desire to erect a Ladder vnto God Cap. 1. he ought to begin from the consideration of himselfe For euery one of vs is both the creature and image of God and nothing is nearer vs then our selues Therefore not without cause Moyses saith Attende tibi Attend to thy selfe vpon which two wordes Basil the great writte an excellent sermon For he that shall truly behold himselfe and consider what is within him shall finde as it were an Abridgement of the whole world whereby he may easily ascend vnto the maker of all things But I at this present intend to seeke out nothing els but the foure common causes who is my maker of what matter he made me what forme he gaue me and to what end hee produced me For if I seeke my maker I shall finde him onely God If I seeke the matter whereof he made me I shall finde it nothing whence I gather whatsoeuer is in me is made by God and the whole to be of God if I seeke my forme I shall finde my selfe to be the Image of God If I seeke my end I shall finde that the same God is my Cheife and totall happinesse Therefore I may vnderstand there is so great a coniunction and nearenesse of my selfe with God that he onely is my maker my author my Father my example my happinesse and my All. And if I vnderstand this how can it be but that I should most ardently seeke him thinke of him sigh for him desire to see and imbrace him and detest the great blindenes of my hart which so long time hath desired sought or thought of nothing lesse then of God who onely is All vnto me But let vs consider more diligently euery particular Cap. 2. I aske thee O my soule who gaue thee being when as a little time before thou wast nothing surely the parents of thy flesh begot thee not for what is borne of flesh is flesh but thou art a spirit neither did heauen or earth or the Sunne or starres produce thee for those are bodies thou without body nor yet could Angels Arch-angels or any other spirituall creature be causes of thy being for thou art

a step by which through prayer and meditation wee may Ascend vnto God For surely it is more easie to Ascend with Elias in a Chariot of Fire then of Earth Water or Ayre to make a Ladder Let vs therefore consider the properties of the Fire The fire is of such a nature that in diuers thinges it worketh after a diuerse and often after a contrary manner Wood Hay and stubble it burneth presently Gold Siluer and precious stones it maketh more pure and bright Iron which of it owne nature is blacke colde hard and heauy the Fire so changeth into contrary quallities that forthwith it becommeth white hot soft and light yea to shine like a starre to burne like fire to melt like water and to bee so light that the Smith may easily mooue and remoue it as he pleaseth All these thinges doe manisestly agree vnto Almighty God For Wood Hay and stubble according to the Apostle in his first Epistle to the Corinthians signifie Euill workes which cannot indure the fire of Gods Iudgement 1 Cor 3 And truly it is vncredible how greatly all sinne displeaseth God who is a Most pure Fire and with what zeale he consumeth and destroyeth it if by repentance it may be destroyed that is If the sinner bee in state to repent But if hee be not capable of repentance as the Deuils are not nor men after this life then is Gods wrath turned vpon him For to God the impious and his impiety are odious alike saith the wise man Wis 14 And how exceeding great this hatred is the Deuill can witnes who sinned once and being a most noble Angell Greg. lib. 32 moral c 24 alias 18 and as St. Gregory saith Prince of the first Order and the most excellent of Gods Creatures was notwithstanding presently cast downe from Heauen depriued of all beauty and supernaturall grace changed into a most deformed monster and condemned vnto eternall punishment Our Sauiour Christ can witnesse who descended from Heauen to destroy the Workes of the Deuill to wit sinnes Ioh. 3 and therefore hee is called The Lambe of God that taketh away the Sinnes of the world Ioh. 1 But who is able to declare or conceiue what our Sauiour suffered to destroy the workes of the Deuill and perfectly to satisfie the iustice of God Who when hee was in the forme of God tooke the forme of a Seruant Being made poore for vs when as he was rich Hee had not where to repose his head albeit hee made Heauen and Earth He came into his owne Phil. 2 2 Cor. 8 Luk. 9 Ioh ● 1 Pet 2 and his owne receaued him not Who when hee reuiled did not reuile When hee suffered he threatned not but deliuered himselfe to him that iudged him vniustly Who himselfe bare our Sinnes in his body vpon the tree Phil 2 1 Pet 2 He humbled himselfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the Crosse By whose stripes wee are healed Lastly hee was mocked spitten on whipped crowned with thornes and being crucified with exceeding ignominy and paine he rendred vp his life to destroy the workes of the Deuill and to wipe away our sinnes The Law of God can witnes which prohibiteth and punisheth all sin yea leaneth not one idle worde vnpunished Mat 12 How greatly then doth God abhorr enormious crymes that cannot indure one idle worde Psal 18 The Law of our Lord is imaculate the precept of our Lord lightsome detesting sinne and darkenesse for betweene light and darkenesse 2 Cor. 6 iustice and iniquitie there can be no society Hell also can witnesse which God hath prepared for sinners who when as they had time neglected or refused to be washed with the blood of the immaculate Lambe For it is iust that they who haue committed Eternall sinnes should haue eternall punishments But what and how great the paines of Hell are is horrible to thinke Whereof we wil speak more in the last step Therefore my soule since Gods hatred is so great against sin if thou louest God aboue all thinges thou oughtest also to hate sinne aboue all thinges Take heed they deceaue thee not who vse to extenuate or excuse sinne Looke also that thou deceaue not thy selfe with false reasons for if sinne displease thee not both in thy selfe and others thou louest not God and if thou louest not God thou art vndone Againe if thou bee not vngratefull vnto Christ how greatly mayst thou reckon thy selfe indebted to his loue laboures blood and death Who hath washed thee from sinne and reconciled thee to his father And shall it then be greeuous vnto thee to suffer somewhat for Christ or for his sake by his grace to resist sinne euen vnto blood Lastly if thou canst not patiently indure the Hell of eternal fire surely thou oughtest not patiently to indure sinne but As from the face of a Serpent flye from it Eccle. 21 and from euery light occasion or suspition thereof Endeauour therfore all thou mayst to hate sinne aboue all things and to loue God aboue all things The fire also destroyeth not but perfecteth and purisieth golde Cap. 2 siluer and pretious stones For as the same Apostle doth there declare those mettalls signifie good workes which are approoued by the fire of Gods iudgement 1 Cor. 3 These workes God doth approoue because they are his guiftes And when he crowneth our merits saith St Augustine Con. 2. in psal 70 he crowneth his guiftes For they are done by his commandement asistance and powre and by the lawe and precepts which he hath appointed Gold also signifieth the Werkes of Char●● 1 Ioh. 4 and how can the workes of Charitie but please God since God himselfe is Charitie Siluer signifieth the workes of Wisdome Dan. 12. to wit of them that instruct mony vnto iustice And they also are very pleasing and acceptable vnto God For the Wisdome of God saith Mat. 5 He that shall doe and teach he shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen Pretious stones are the workes of a continent soule of which Ecclesiasticus speaketh Eccle. 26 All Weight is not worthy a continuent soule And that is the cause why in the office of the Church the Gospell of One pretious Pearle found is read in the praise of holy virgins Math. 13 And how greatly the puritie of virginitie is pleasing to God may be vnderstood by the Prophet Esay who by Gods appointment and in his name prophesied vnto such Eunuches as haue gelt themselues for the Kingdome of heauen Math. 19 I will giue vnto them in my house and with my walles a place Isay 56 and a name better then Sonnes and Daughters An euerlasting name will I giue them which shall not perish Which place St. De Sanct virg c. 21 24 Augustine in his booke of holy virginitie excellently declareth to be vnderstood of holy virgins of either sex And these three sortes of workes by the consent of